The heat races and last chance qualifier are in the books for the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series’ Mudsummer Classic at Eldora Speedway in Rossburg, Ohio. Here’s the starting grid via SPEED Channel, based on results from earlier in the night.
Starting Grid
1. #52 Ken Schrader
2. #6 Jared Landers
3. #17 Timothy Peters
4. #81 Kenny Wallace
5. #4 Jeb Burton
6. #19 Dave Blaney
7. #88 Matt Crafton
8. #62 Brendan Gaughan
9. #31 James Buescher
10. #34 Ryan Newman
11. #18 Joey Coulter
12. #32 Miguel Paludo
13. #30 Kyle Larson
14. #8 Max Gresham
15. #3 Ty Dillon
16. #13 Tracy Hines
17. #54 Darrell Wallace Jr.
18. #9 Ron Hornaday Jr.
19. #39 Austin Dillon
20. #98 Johnny Sauter
21. #51 Scott Bloomquist
22. #60 Dakoda Armstrong
23. #29 Ryan Blaney
24. #7 John Wes Townley
25. #77 German Quiroga
26. #24 Brennan Newberry
27. #84 Jeff Babcock
28. #5 Jason Bowles
29. #63 Justin Jennings
30. #57 Norm Benning
Did not qualify
#68 Clay Greenfield
#07 Jimmy Weller
#99 Bryan Silas
#10 Joe Cobb
#44 JR Heffner
Supercross points leader Eli Tomac finds silver linings in interruption
Though his Monster Energy AMA Supercross championship charge was put on hold, the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic had a silver lining for Eli Tomac.
Off the road while the season was postponed for nearly three months, the points leader was able to be present as his girlfriend, Jessica, gave birth to their daughter, Lev, on April 26
“A huge blessing for us there,” Tomac told host Mike Tirico during a “Lunch Talk Live” interview (click on the video above) in which he also joked about becoming a pro at busting off diaper changes. “That was one good blessing for us as we had our daughter on a Sunday, that would have been on a travel day coming back from the race in Las Vegas.
NBCSN
“That was probably the only positive out of all this mess was being able to be there for the birth.”
The elevation could favor Tomac, who was born and lives in Colorado and is accustomed to riding and training at altitude, which is a departure for many Supercross riders (many of whom hail from California and Florida).
“That’s going to be the test for us,” said the Kawasaki rider, who five of the first 10 races this season. “We’re at elevation in Salt Lake, so when you’re on a motorcycle, you have a little bit of a loss of power. That’s just what happens when you come up in elevation. And a lot of guys train at sea level, and we’re at 4,000 to 5,000 feet, so cardio-wise, we’ll be pushed to the limit.
“Most of our races are Saturday nights and back to back weeks, but this go around it’s Sunday and Wednesday, so recovery is going to be key.”
Tomac, who holds a three-point lead over Ken Roczen (who also recently visited “Lunch Talk Live”), told Tirico he had been riding for 90 minutes Thursday morning on a track outside Salt Lake City.
“Most of us we can rely on our past riding pretty well,” Tomac said. “The question is if you can go the distance. That’s what a lot of guys have to train on is going the distance. We go 20 minutes plus a lap. That’s what you’ve got to keep sharp is your general muscles. Within two to three days, your brain starts warming up more if you take a few weeks off the motorcycle.”
Here is the schedule and TV information for the rest of the season:
Sunday, May 31 (3-4 p.m. ET, NBCSN; 4-6 p.m. ET, NBC);
Wednesday, June 3 ( 10:00 pm – 1:00 am ET, NBCSN);
Sunday, June 7 (5-8:00 p.m. ET, NBCSN);
Wednesday, June 10 (7–10 p.m. ET, NBCSN);
Sunday, June 14 (7-10 p.m. ET, NBCSN);
Wednesday, June 17 (7-10 p.m. ET, NBCSN);
Sunday, June 21 (3-4:30 p.m. ET, NBCSN; 4:30 – 6:00 p.m. ET, NBC).
Eli Tomac rides his No. 3 Kawasaki in the Feb. 29 race at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia (Charles Mitchell/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images).
