There’s really only one way to describe what went down in Thursday’s Camping World SRX Series event at Eldora Speedway, and that is pure dominance.
Tony Stewart – the owner of Eldora Speedway and the Superstar Racing Experience – put an absolute whopping on the field Thursday in Rosburg, Ohio, scoring victories in both of the heat races, as well as the 75-lap main event.
The three-time champion of the NASCAR Cup Series spent very little time looking at the rear bumper of another entry on Thursday, taking the lead early in the first heat from NHRA veteran Ron Capps.
While things weren’t that intense for the lead in the race’s first heat, the race did provide some interesting action, after Austin Dillon had a problem with the radiator on his entry, sending himself, and about five others into the outside wall.
Hailie Deegan and Marco Andretti, the two full-timers involved in the accident, were provided with backup cars from the Superstar Racing Experience, while Tony Kanaan, Chase Briscoe, and Austin Dillon were unable to return to the track.
By virtue of his victory in the opening heat over Bobby Labonte and Ron Capps, Stewart was relegated to a last-place start for the second heat – which wasn’t technically a last-place start with all the cars unable to take the green.
Quickly slicing his way through the much-smaller pack of drivers, Stewart was able to repeat his performance from the earlier heat, scoring the victory over fellow NASCAR Cup Series retirees Matt Kenseth and Ryan Newman.
As for the main event, there wasn’t much to say. Stewart was awarded the luxury of starting on the pole, thanks to the first-ever heat race sweep in the history of the Camping World SRX Series.
Simply put, though, that pole turned into a victory, as the NASCAR Cup Series team owner led wire-to-wire – with not a single interruption – to score his fifth victory in the Superstar Racing Experience, leading all drivers.
In the closing laps of the race, Stewart faced his only legitimate challenger throughout the entire event, that being NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series regular Hailie Deegan, who brought her backup car to an incredible second-place run.
Ryan Newman continued to hold a commanding lead in the series point standings with a third-place finish, assuring he all but locks up the 2023 SRX title when the series heads to Lucas Oil Speedway on August 17.
Bobby Labonte came home in fourth, a whopping 3.579 seconds behind the race-winner, while Matt Kenseth completed the top-five in his first Superstar Racing Experience start of the year.
Marco Andretti finished sixth in his Goodyear-sponsored backup car, while Chase Briscoe scored a seventh-place result – after not starting the main event until the two-thirds mark of the event, but being put onto the lead lap.
Ken Schrader was eighth, with Brad Keselowski and Ron Capps in the top-10. Neither Austin Dillon nor Tony Kanaan were able to start the 75-lap main event, as a result of the damage sustained to both of their entries.
Leaving the penultimate event of the season, Newman holds a 39-point advantage over Tony Stewart, whose stellar run in Thursday’s event at Eldora left him barely within range of the championship heading into the series finale.
Camping World SRX Racing Series Race Results
Race Results: Camping World SRX Racing Series at Eldora Speedway
Camping World SRX Racing Series Point Standings
