One of the unique events of the NASCAR season returns this week when the Gander Outdoors Truck Series heads to Eldora Speedway for Thursday night’s Eldora Dirt Derby. The half-mile, high-banked clay oval is the only race in NASCAR’s top three series to be held on a dirt surface, and with three-time Cup Series champion Tony Stewart in charge of things, you can count on the track being in optimal condition.
Thursday’s race is run like a typical dirt track event. Drivers will make qualifying runs, which will set their starting positions in one five heat races. The results of these heats will set the lineup for the first 25 spots of the feature event. The two top finishers from a last-chance race will also be added to the main event, and the remaining spots will be filled by owner points.
From a DFS standpoint, only the 150-lap feature will be scored at DraftKings. This means that you will need to wait until after all the heat races and the last-chance race before we know the official starting positions of the drivers in the race.
Track position has proven to be crucial at Eldora. Looking at the last three races at the track, there have been eight drivers who have led 20-plus laps in a single race. All eight of those drivers have started seventh or better, and five of them have started in the Top 5. In each of those three races, the pole-sitter has led more than 40 laps, leading 90-plus laps twice.
The other thing to keep in mind is that dirt racing is a much different skill than pavement racing, and there are a few series regulars who grew up on the dirt tracks. We also have some experienced dirt trackers entered in Thursday’s race as a one-off event, but the equipment these drivers have at their disposal vary significantly, and not all of them have the cars to showcase their skills.
I have highlighted my favorite dirt track ringers and the top series regular to target at DraftKings for Thursday’s Eldora Dirt Derby, but make sure to hit me up on Twitter at @BPolking after the heat races with any final questions about which drivers to roster or what strategy is the best.
Must-Own Drivers
Chase Briscoe ($11,000)
Fresh off a win at Iowa in the XFINITY Series, Briscoe will try to make it back-to-back wins at Eldora after he landed a ride with ThorSport Racing. He won this race for the team last year, leading 54 laps and recording 28 fastest laps in the process. He also finished third in his Eldora debut back in 2017. Briscoe knows his way around the dirt, and I wouldn’t rule out another dominating performance from him Thursday night.
Grant Enfinger ($10,600)
Enfinger has been in the mix for the win in both of his starts at Eldora, gaining seven spots and finishing fourth in his debut in 2017 and gaining seven spots and finishing second last season. Enfinger has also recorded multiple fastest laps in both races. His high floor and dominator potential make him a perfect DFS building block in what could be a wild night on the dirt.
Stewart Friesen ($10,300)
With a background as a dirt racer, it is no surprise that Friesen has been a major player at Eldora. He led a race-high 93 laps and finished second here in 2017, and he finished third in last year’s race. Friesen also leads all series regulars in both dominator categories at Eldora. He is someone you will want to build around at DraftKings this weekend.
Difference Makers and Value Plays
Matt Crafton ($10,100)
While he hasn’t dominated at Eldora, Crafton is a former winner here and has been arguably the most reliable option at the track. In addition to his 2017 victory, he has cracked the Top 10 in all six starts here, posting a 6.8 average finish. At the very least, he looks like a great addition to cash lineups.
Brett Moffitt ($9,900)
The sample size is small, but Moffitt made his Eldora debut last year and came away with a Top 5 finish. Granted, he didn’t show much dominator potential in that race, but he has been one of the top series regulars all year, and the defending series champ has really hit his stride in recent weeks, notching two wins and four Top 5s in the last five races. Moffitt needs to be on your radar for his upside alone.
Ross Chastain ($9,700)
Chastain has never made a Truck start at Eldora, but nobody has been more consistent in 2019 than this guy. He has piled up three wins and 13 Top 10s in the first 14 races this year, and the only time he didn’t get credit for a Top 10, he won the race at Iowa in dominating fashion before being disqualified for failing post-race inspection. Don’t worry about his lack of experience on dirt. Plug him into your lineups and enjoy the strong finish.
Ben Rhodes ($9,100)
He has never finished inside the Top 20 in three starts at Eldora, but Rhodes had a great car here last year before getting into the wall in Turn 1. He started on the pole and led 44 laps and recorded 16 fastest laps, and Rhodes definitely had one of the cars to beat. Of course, consistency always seems to be an issue with Rhodes, but his dominator upside will make him worth a look in GPP contests, especially if he qualifies up front again.
Kyle Strickler ($8,300)
He made his only career Truck start last year at Eldora and finished 31st, but Strickler will have much better equipment this time around when he pilots the DGR-Crosley No. 54 Thursday night. Strickler is an accomplished dirt modified racer, so he should be right in his element. He could make some noise with legit ride, and it won’t cost you much to see what he can do.
Tyler Ankrum ($8,100)
Ankrum didn’t come into the season with a lot of hype surrounding him, but he has sure made a name for himself. He has made nine starts for DGR-Crosley, finishing in the Top 15 in seven of them. More impressively, Ankrum has finished third or better in three of his last four starts for the team, leading 40 laps in a win at Kentucky and finishing second at Pocono last weekend. I’m not sure how Ankrum will hold up on dirt, but given the upside he has shown and his price tag, I’m more than willing to find out.
Christian Eckes ($7,900)
Eckes will be back in a Kyle Busch Motorsports entry this weekend, and the 18-year-old driver has already shown plenty of promise. He has four Top 10s in seven Truck starts, finishing a career-best fourth at Pocono last weekend and leading 57 laps at Gateway two starts ago. Eckes will make his first Truck start at Eldora Thursday night, but whenever you can roster a young, talented driver in elite equipment at a midrange price, you need to take advantage.
Jeffrey Abbey ($7,100)
Abbey will drive one of the Niece Motorsports entries Thursday, and he has already shown he can hold his own at Eldora. He has driven in this race in each of the last two seasons, finishing 14th in 2017 and 17th last year. With Top 15 upside and a Top 20 floor, Abbey could be a solid source of cap relief, especially if he has some differential upside after the heat races.
Sleeper Specials
Colt Gilliam ($6,100)
With John Hunter Nemechek tied up with responsibilities for his XFINITY team, Gilliam will get the nod in the NEMCO Motorsports No. 8. The Super Stock driver will make his Truck Series debut Thursday at Eldora, but his background on dirt tracks should give him a chance to be competitive. Plus, Nemechek has four Top 10s, including a Top 5, in five Truck starts at Eldora for this same team.
Carson Hocevar ($5,500)
Hocevar will make his Truck Series debut Thursday after Jordan Anderson picked him to pilot his No. 3 machine at Eldora. Hocevar has been racing part time in ARCA the last couple of years, and he has finished sixth or better in nine of his 11 starts. Anderson has been a steady, mid-pack performer this year, logging seven Top 20s in the last eight races and notching four Top 15s. For such a cheap price, you may want to see what the 16-year-old can do in decent equipment on the dirt.
