NASCAR says trucks likely will return to Eldora in 2014

INDIANAPOLIS — NASCAR still is evaluating its first dirt race in more than 40 years, but senior vice president Steve O'Donnell strongly indicated Thursday the Mudsummer Classic at Eldora Speedway will return.

"We felt it overdelivered on everything," O'Donnell said of Wednesday night's Camping World Truck Series race won by Austin Dillon. "It was a terrific turnout, and we were really happy with how the competitors performed, so all in all a great night for NASCAR and the sport.

DILLON: Wins inaugural truck race on dirt

"We still want to go through the garage area and meet with team owners and competitors and get their feedback, and we want to see the ratings. So far everything we've seen, it's something we'd certainly entertain doing again for 2014."

ANALYSIS: NASCAR should learn lessons of Eldora

Speed said the race received a household rating of 1.2, making it the 10th most-watched trucks race ever on the network. With a total of 1.4 million viewers, it was the most watched sports program of the day on cable. Its NCWTS Setup show had 1 million viewers, the most-watched prerace show in Speed history.

The first national series run on dirt since Sept. 30, 1970 drew a sellout crowd of more than 17,000 to Tony Stewart's half-mile oval in rural Rossburg, Ohio. Ratings were due Thursday afternoon, but O'Donnell said Eldora drew a record social media response for a truck race, according to NASCAR's Fan Engagement Center. Both "Eldora" and "Norm Benning," a 61-year-old who earned the final slot in the main event via the last-chance heat race, were trending nationally on Twitter during the race.

O'Donnell said the reaction was "overwhelmingly positive" even as a frenetic start devolved into single-file action toward the end of the race as the track degraded.

BENNING: 61-year-old driver flips the bird

"The (social media) numbers were higher than any other truck race in our history and rivaled some Cup races," he said. "Clearly the fans were engaged, which is terrific. Also contributing to that fact is that it was a unique event, so we want to make sure we keep it special, but we also know if the fans can speak loudly, then it's something we'd consider looking at going forward."

Fans in the Eldora grandstands were chanting at NASCAR officials Wednesday night race to bring a Sprint Cup event to the track.

PHOTOS: Trucks hit the dirt at Eldora Speedway

NASCAR returned to dirt track racing for the time in 43 years when the Trucks Series invaded Eldora Speedway in Rossburg, Ohio, for the inaugural Mudsummer Classic. Austin Dillon took the checkered flag. Andrew Weber, USA TODAY Sports

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Next Slide

O'Donnell said there was no imminent plan to put the Nationwide or Cup series on dirt, but that it might be feasible for stock cars to slide around Eldora as the heavy trucks were Wednesday night.

"We've been trying to get to shorter tracks with the trucks in general, and you look at trucks and the dirt, and it felt more of a natural fit," he said. "Certainly I think a Nationwide car could do that, but the focus has been trucks and will continue to be for the near future and keep that as a unique opportunity for the truck series."

The events, which was run in three segments to allow for pit stops during breaks, drew universal praise from drivers, a few of whom said it was the most enjoyable race of their careers.

After his sixth career win, Dillon lobbied NASCAR to bring the truck series to Eldora twice a year because it "it just showcases the talent of all the drivers."

O'Donnell compared Eldora's place in NASCAR with the NHL's Winter Classic and said there'd been no discussions with other dirt tracks about hosting a NASCAR national series.

"I think it's probably a little premature," he said. "It's something that's certainly unique and special, and we want to keep that element of it with whatever we do."

Stewart credited O'Donnell for thinking "way of out of the box" to make the event happen, but O'Donnell said it was his faith in the three-time champion and Eldora general manager Roger Slack (who leads a staff of seven) that was critical to the event's success.

"I worked on a lot of weekly series in NASCAR, and dirt racing is what it's been about for a lot of hard-core fans, so we felt if it could work," O'Donnell said. "We needed a promoter or two to take a chance on it, because it was a big risk, and we had the confidence in Tony and Roger and his team being able to pull it off. It was a really good experience."