DGR Crosley Race Recap: Eldora Speedway

Tyler Dippel, No. 17 Hue Jackson Foundation / Caruso Logistics Toyota Tundra
Practice: 9th
Qualifying:  3rd 
Race Result: 13th
 
Race Recap: Dippel made his NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS) debut driving the No. 17 Hue Jackson Foundation Toyota at Eldora Speedway. The 18-year-old K&N Pros Series East regular proved to be fast from the get go. He was scored 10th quickest in the first practice session, but was consistently running lap times faster than those on track with him throughout practice. During the final practice session, Dippel was very happy with his Toyota Tundra. The young driver didn’t ask for any adjustments, but instead just wanted to make as many laps as possible. When qualifying rolled around on Wednesday, Dippel was the fourth car to roll out for single car qualifying. He laid down a lap time of 20.841-seconds, good enough to score a third-place finish in qualifying. This lined Dippel up for the Pole position in qualifying race number three. He earned a third-place finish in his qualifying race, giving him a 13th-place starting position in Wednesday nights Eldora Dirt Derby.
 
When the race went green, Dippel maintained his 13th-place position for most of the first stage. As the laps wound down, he began working his way to the front and was able to score a fifth-place finish in his first 40 laps of NCWTS racing. Dippel stayed out under the stage ending caution, keeping the track position that he had earned during Stage 1. Dippel and his teammate Windom raced hard during Stage 2, battling for the second position for several laps. Dippel had settled into 3rd-place before making contact with the No. 88 truck. The contact caused significant left side damage, forcing Dippel to pit and let the No. 17 team assess the damage. He went back out on the track in the 22nd position and went back to work. By end of Stage 2, he had worked his way back up to 15th. Dippel continued to make his way to the front, running in the top-5 when he made contact with another truck with 15 laps to go. The spin relegated him to a 13th-place finish in the Eldora Dirt Derby.
 
Dippel on Eldora: “The DGR-Crosley guys brought me a super fast Toyota Tundra. I knew after the first practice session on Tuesday that we were going to be really good and have a shot to win. I’m disappointed with where we finished, but that’s racing. I’d say we definitely had a top-three truck if we could have stayed out of trouble there at the end. I learned a ton, and can’t wait for my next opportunity to get back in a truck. Thanks to the Hue Jackson Foundation, Caruso Logistics and D&A Concrete for supporting me this weekend — it was a dream come true.”
 
Chris Windom, No. 54 Baldwin Brothers Racing / Fox Paving Toyota Tundra
Practice: 16th
Qualifying:  8th
Race Result: 14th
 
Race Recap: Although it was Windom’s first race with DGR-Crosley, the No. 54 Baldwin Brothers Racing / Fox Paving team put together a solid race at Eldora Speedway despite the finish. When the Canton, Ill. native hit the track for the first time, he jumped to the top of the speed chart. By the end of the first practice session, Windom was scored sixth quickest in the NCWTS field. During the final practice session, Windom was 16th on the speed chart but happy with the handling of his truck and once again showed great speed. When qualifying rolled around Windom was scored 8th, lining him up in the second position beside his teammate in the third qualifying race. He earned a second-place finish in his qualifying race, giving him an eighth-place starting position in Wednesday nights Eldora Dirt Derby.
 
When the green flag dropped for 150 laps of racing at Eldora, Windom slowly started making his way to the front. By the end of Stage 1, Windom had worked himself up to the fourth-position. The No. 54 team opted to stay out under the stage ending caution allowing Windom to keep his track position. In Stage 2, he made the pass on his teammate for the second position. Although the No. 54 was maintaining a fast pace, Windom reported an engine issue with his Toyota Tundra. The team made the decision to stay out until the next caution since the truck was still competitive on the race track. Windom was able to maintain a top-five position in stage two, even with the engine issues. Under caution, the team examined the engine but didn’t see any obvious issues. During Stage 3, Windom continued to get the most of out his truck even though the RPM was staying under 5,000 in both third and fourth gear. The engine issues ultimately led Windom to a 14th-place finish in the Eldora Dirt Derby.
 
Windom on Kentucky: “We definitely had a top-three if not a winning truck tonight. We just had some engine problems that put us back. We fought through it and finished the race. Just disappointed we didn’t get a better finish with how good of a truck these DGR-Crosley guys brought me here.”
 
DGR Crosley PR