Column By: JOHN DOUGLAS / RPW – ROSSBURG, OH – On a dry slick Eldora Speedway, it wasn’t the dirt aficionados stealing the show as everyone expected. Ben Rhodes, the ThorSport No. 41 pilot found the bottom groove before anyone else and took the Pole position award for tonight’s Eldora Dirt Derby from Rossburg, Ohio.
Rhodes has little dirt experience outside the Camping World Truck Series event hosted by Tony Stewart’s legendary speed plant. However, his past performances on the tricky half-mile to date have to be considered when looking at possible spoilers for the dirt regulars. The results may not show it, but the speed has been there.
Rhodes’ stiffest competition in qualifying ran much earlier in the order, as Logan Seavey, current USAC National Midget points leader, sat atop the leader board as the likes of Stewart Friesen, Tyler Dippel and Grant Enfinger who himself has impressed ever since the yearly trek to the corn fields of Ohio.
The biggest surprise late in qualifying came as Matt Crafton’s No. 88 Menards Ford managed to clock inside the top ten in ninth running the extreme bottom groove much like his team mate Rhodes.
The Camping World Truck Series tackles Eldora Speedway tonight at 8:30 pm Eastern Time on Fox Sports One.
Northeast Dirt Modified driver Max McLaughlin was 22nd and JR Heffner was 25th. Click Here For Full Results.
