NASCAR's truck series coming to Big E

ROSSBURG - Eldora Speedway and NASCAR announced Wednesday by press release another milestone event in the legendary half-mile oval's rich history as the 60-year-old track will play host to the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series in 2013.

The Inaugural Mudsummer Classic on Wednesday, July 24, will mark the first NASCAR-sanctioned National Tour event held on dirt since September 1970 in Raleigh, N.C.

"Eldora typically hosts 10 different touring series each year, and we're very proud to have NASCAR join the list of series that will compete at our track," said Tony Stewart, the three-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion and owner of Eldora Speedway. "NASCAR's history began in the sands of Daytona and on the dirt of the Carolinas, and having the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series on the dirt at Eldora brings that history back to a new generation of fans, as well as Eldora's own fan base.

"The same fans who come to watch a dirt Late Model, a World of Outlaws Sprint Car or USAC Midget might not be the same fan who takes in a NASCAR race," continued Stewart. "But by bringing NASCAR to their world, at one of the most well-known dirt tracks in the country, will make the Inaugural Mudsummer Classic a must-see for fans of dirt-track racing and NASCAR."

"We've been looking at getting the trucks back to short tracks - to the roots of racing including the dirt - and we're excited to announce our 2013 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series will race at Eldora," said Steve O'Donnell, NASCAR's senior vice president of racing operations. "The door-to-door racing that our truck series is known for, plus Eldora's popularity and Tony's dedication to putting on great shows for the fans, is a perfect fit. We'll have a maximum starting field of 30 trucks at Eldora. More details on the race format are still being developed."

NASCAR has had a little known representation at Eldora since the early 1970s in the form of concrete footprints from the late Bill France, Sr., acquired by Eldora Speedway founder Earl Baltes just days before a Daytona 500. The brazen idea to acknowledge France came from Baltes' admiration of France and his commitment to auto racing.

"Bill France was a real special man," reflects Baltes, who sold his beloved track to Stewart in November 2004. "NASCAR was big at the time - still is - and I thought having a small remembrance of it at Eldora was neat, but this is even better. I guess I never thought I would see the day that NASCAR and the vision created by Bill France, Sr. would ever be here."

Initial talks between Eldora Promoter and General Manager Roger Slack and NASCAR Officials in mid-September led to a quickly organized two-day test in October with Stewart and Austin Dillon, the 2011 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Champion. The two drivers tested identically-prepared Chevrolet Silverados from Richard Childress Racing.

Adult tickets are priced at $36 and Children (12 & under) are just $12. All reserved seats are $4 more. Tickets and camp sites will go on sale to the public on Saturday, Jan. 5, 2013, at 10 a.m.