SRX Race at Eldora Speedway
Smoke (Tony Stewart) drove around Eldora Speedway like he owned the place during Thursday's SRX event at the Rossburg, Ohio dirt track. Oh wait - Stewart has owned the Big E (Eldora Speedway) since 2004. Last night, he led all 75 laps of the main event to claim his first SRX win of the 2023 season.
With the win, Stewart is now a perfect two-for-two in SRX races at the track that he owns. The win was his fifth overall SRX victory and his fourth win at a dirt track. In addition to his two wins at Eldora, the three-time #NASCAR Cup Champion also has victories at Federated Auto Parts Raceway at I-55 and Knoxville Raceway. The only dirt track SRX race he hasn't won came last year at Sharon Speedway, where he finished second.
Stewart won both heat races to claim the pole for Thursday's race and dominated the main event before needing to hold off a hard-charging Hailie Deegan to claim the win. Deegan was in a back-up car after being involved in a six-car crash during the first heat race.
What was a bit of a surprise was the hard-charging drive delivered by second place finisher Hailie Deegan.
“That’s one thing people don’t realize, Hailie Deegan is a hell of a dirt track racer,” Stewart said. “If she gets to second, she’s going to put on pressure. I just had to try to get some clean laps on restarts, get in a rhythm and get going.”
Deegan was involved in a first heat crash when Austin Dillon, making his SRX debut, lost his radiator hose and slid straight into the outside wall.
“When it happened, I was immediately right behind him (Dillon),” Deegan told Frontstretch. “Nothing I could do in that situation. That’s the first time that’s happened to me, where someone’s blown up directly in front of me.”
Deegan finished the race in her backup car and received a huge standing ovation and tons of cheers from fans.
“Oh man, I don’t know what’s happened the last couple of weeks or what’s changed, but I feel a lot more confidence the last couple of months,” Deegan said with a broad smile on her face. “I feel like these last two or three races, it’s coming (together) and I’m starting to get those finishes, getting more speed and it’s all coming together.
“I’ve been working real hard the last couple of weeks and it’s really paying off.”
IT’S A SMOKE CLEAN SWEEP IN ELDORA🧹🧹🧹
— Rubbin is Racing (@rubbinisracing) August 11, 2023
Tony Stewart wins all 3 events in his backyard! Only 1 more SRX race left in 2023… pic.twitter.com/DZ1scH7NCV
SRX at Eldora Speedway Results
- Tony Stewart
- Hailie Deegan
- Ryan Newman
- Bobby Labonte
- Matt Kenseth
- Marco Andretti
- Chase Briscoe
- Ken Schrader
- Brad Keselowski
- Ron Capps
- Austin Dillon (DNS)
- Tony Kanaan (DNS)
Tony Stewart is BACK in victory lane in Thursday Night Thunder.
— Superstar Racing Experience (@SRXracing) August 11, 2023
Hear straight from Smoke following a dominate performance at Eldora. pic.twitter.com/yKDDhBB0e6
.@HailieDeegan talks about her rollercoaster night that saw her come back from wrecking in the heats to earning her best career #SRX finish of second.
— Frontstretch (@Frontstretch) August 11, 2023
🎥:@AnthonyDamcott pic.twitter.com/TV0ooamuQp
𝐑𝐚𝐜𝐞 𝐑𝐞𝐬𝐮𝐥𝐭𝐬: Eldora.#CampingWorldSRX | @EldoraSpeedway pic.twitter.com/P9JBOnXOnn
— Superstar Racing Experience (@SRXracing) August 11, 2023
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