Notes Package for Camping World SRX Series Event No. 3 at Eldora
Camping World SRX Series at Eldora
Round 3 of 6 – Eldora Speedway – June 26 LIVE on CBS
WHAT: Camping World SRX Series (Round 3 of 6)
WHERE: Eldora Speedway in Rossburg, Ohio
WHEN: 8 p.m. EDT on Saturday, June 26
DISTANCE: Feature consists of 50 laps (preceded by two 12-minute heat races, which sets starting lineup)
CARS: Purpose-built SRX racecars
TV: LIVE on the CBS Television Network with streaming on Paramount+ Premium at 8 p.m. EDT on Saturday, June 26
● Host: Lindsay Czarniak
● Booth: Allen Bestwick (play-by-play) and James Hinchcliffe (driver analyst)
● Pit Reporter: Matt Yocum
● Roaming Analyst: Brad Daugherty
● Producer: Pam Miller
● Director: Jim Cornell
THE TRACK: Eldora Speedway (half-mile, high-banked, clay oval)
● Banking: 24 degrees in the turns; 8 degrees on the straightaways
● Width: 80 feet on straightaways; 85 feet in corners
● Frontstretch Length: 425 feet
● Backstretch Length: 536 feet
SPOTTER GUIDE: Car color, car number, driver and series they represent
● Black: No. 98 of Marco Andretti (INDYCAR)
● Teal: No. 18 of Bobby Labonte (NASCAR)
● Yellow: No. 2 of Ernie Francis Jr. (TRANS AM)
● Red: No. 3 of Helio Castroneves (INDYCAR and IMSA)
● Lime Green: No. 13 of Paul Tracy (INDYCAR)
● Purple: No. 9 of Bill Elliott (NASCAR)
● Magenta: No. 48 of Tony Kanaan (INDYCAR)
● Gold: No. 41 of Scott Speed (FORMULA ONE and RALLYCROSS)
● Indigo: No. 17 of Willy T. Ribbs (TRANS AM, IMSA and INDYCAR)
● Patriotic: No. 63 of Kody Swanson (ELDORA ALL-STAR)
● Orange: No. 14 of Tony Stewart (NASCAR, INDYCAR and USAC)
● Blue: No. 15 of Michael Waltrip (NASCAR)
ROUND 1: June 12 at Stafford Motor Speedway in Stafford Springs, Connecticut (half-mile, paved oval)
● Feature Winner: Doug Coby (Local All-Star)
● Heat Race No. 1 Winner: Greg Biffle (Ringer)
● Heat Race No. 2 Winner: Doug Coby
ROUND 2: June 19 at Knoxville Raceway in Knoxville, Iowa (half-mile, dirt oval)
● Feature Winner: Tony Stewart
● Heat Race No. 1 Winner: Tony Stewart
● Heat Race No. 2 Winner: Scott Bloomquist (Ringer)
CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS: After Round 2 of 6
1. Tony Stewart (82 points)
2. Ernie Francis Jr. (71 points, -11)
3. Helio Castroneves (58 points, -24)
4. Bobby Labonte (55 points, -27)
5. Michael Waltrip (45 points, -37)
6. Marco Andretti (41 points, -41)
7. Bill Elliott (33 points, -49)
8. Paul Tracy (27 points, -55)
9. Tony Kanaan (26 points, -56)
10. Willy T. Ribbs (25 points, -57)
Note: Points are awarded in both heats and the feature. In each heat, the winner receives a maximum of 12 points. Second place earns 11 points with every position in descending order receiving one fewer point, with the 12th-place finisher earning one point. Points increase in the feature, with the winner receiving 25 points, second place 22 points, third place 20 points, fourth place 18 points, fifth place 16 points, sixth place 14 points, seventh place 12 points, eighth place 10 points, ninth place eight points, 10th place six points, 11th place four points and 12th place two points.
THE LOCAL ALL-STAR: KODY SWANSON
Hometown:Kingsburg, California, United States
Social: IG: @kodyswanson / Twitter: @kodyswanson
● His five USAC Silver Crown championships (2014, 2015 2017, 2018 and 2019) are the most in series history, as are his 30 career Silver Crown wins and 31 Silver Crown poles.
● Holds the Silver Crown record for most consecutive wins (five) and he is the all-time series leader in podium finishes and laps led.
● Three-time winner of the Little 500 at Anderson (Ind.) Speedway and owns four consecutive Hoosier Hundred victories at the Indiana State Fairgrounds in Indianapolis and five straight Joe James/Pat O’Connor Memorial wins at Salem (Ind.) Speedway.
● In four of his last five Silver Crown starts at Eldora, Swanson has finished in the top-five. He is still searching for that elusive first win at Eldora, with second place in the 2015 4-Crown Nationals his best finish at the half-mile, high-banked, clay oval.
THE RINGER: SCOTT SPEED
Hometown: Manteca, California, United States
Social: IG: @scott_speed / Twitter: @scottspeed / Facebook: @scottspeed
● First American driver since Michael Andretti in 1993 to race in Formula One, driving for Scuderia Toro Rosso in 2006 and 2007.
● After sampling Formula One, turned attention to NASCAR, working his way up the racing ladder, from the ARCA Menards Series, to the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, to the NASCAR Xfinity Series and, ultimately, the NASCAR Cup Series.
● Three-time Global Rallycross champion (2015, 2016 and 2017).
● Won inaugural American Rallycross Series Championship (ARX) in 2018.
● Three-time X-Games gold medalist in Rallycross.
THE CREW CHIEFS: ONE LOCAL ALL-STAR and THREE VETERANS
Keith Kunz is the local all-star crew chief. Over the past two decades, Kunz has built one of the most formidable teams in USAC Midget racing, and the native of Springfield, Illinois, has become known for giving young drivers their first big breaks, most notably with Kyle Larson and Christopher Bell who are now winners in the NASCAR Cup Series. Kunz won his first USAC National Midget championship with the late Jason Leffler behind the wheel in 1997, earned his second with driver Cole Whitt in 2008, his third with the late Bryan Clauson in 2010, his fourth with Bell in 2013 and his fifth with Rico Abreu in 2014 before scoring three consecutive titles from 2016 through 2018 with youngsters Tanner Thorson, Spencer Bayston and Logan Seavey, respectively. The team is also a perennial favorite to score victories in short-track racing’s most iconic events, including the Chili Bowl and Turkey Night Grand Prix.
With a combined 77 NASCAR Cup Series victories between them, Mike Beam, Jeff Hammond and Todd Parrott bring decades of race-winning experience to the Camping World SRX Series. All have won some of the biggest races in NASCAR, from Beam winning the 1994 Southern 500 at Darlington (S.C.) Raceway with Bill Elliott, to Hammond helping score Darrell Waltrip’s long-coveted victory in the 1989 Daytona 500, to Parrott’s powerhouse 1996 performance that saw Dale Jarrett win three of NASCAR’s biggest races – the Daytona 500, the Coca-Cola 600 and the Brickyard 400.
Beam is a veteran of more than 600 NASCAR Cup Series races over 22 seasons, a run that began with Kyle Petty’s first fulltime season in 1981. Beam scored his maiden Cup Series victory with Elliott in the fall 1990 race at Dover (Del.) International Speedway, one of the duo’s 12 top-five finishes en route to fourth in the season championship. The two were victorious again in the 1994 Southern 500 at Darlington (S.C.) Raceway, and Beam’s most recent Cup Series victory came with driver Ricky Craven in the fall 2001 at Martinsville (Va.) Speedway. After working his last Cup Series race in 2004, the Hickory, North Carolina-native continued as a crew chief in the NASCAR Xfinity Series and NASCAR Camping World Truck Series through 2014, highlighted by 10 Xfinity Series victories with Carl Edwards in more than 39 races together at Roush Fenway Racing in 2010 and 2011. In the Truck Series, Beam scored six wins in 14 races with Mark Martin in 2006, and four wins with driver Travis Kvapil in 2007.
Hammond is perhaps best known over the past two decades for his work as a NASCAR television commentator, but he is one of the winningest crew chiefs in Cup Series history. A native of Charlotte, North Carolina, and former cornerback at East Carolina University under coach Pat Dye, Hammond broke into NASCAR in 1974 as a tire changer and then a jackman at Junior Johnson & Associates and played a role in driver Cale Yarborough’s three consecutive Cup Series titles from 1976 to 1978 before Waltrip’s 1981 championship. Hammond was promoted to crew chief in 1982 at the encouragement of Waltrip, and the duo quickly rose to prominence, winning the series title in their first year together and becoming one of the most prolific driver-crew chief combinations of the 1980s. They scored 43 wins together, added the 1985 championship, and finished runner-up in the 1983 and 1986 title chases. In 1987, Hammond joined Waltrip midseason at Hendrick Motorsports and were winners once again in September at Martinsville. Eight more wins followed, a run that included the 1989 Daytona 500.
Parrott, another Charlotte native, embarked on a remarkable seven-year run with Jarrett in 1996 that featured 26 wins and culminated with the 1999 Cup Series championship while at Robert Yates Racing. This combination finished in the top-three in the title chase for four consecutive seasons from 1996 through 1999 and added a fourth-place finish in 2000 and another top-five in 2001. The duo was victorious one last time at the fall 2005 race at Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway. In his 14-year tenure at Yates, Parrott also worked with drivers Ernie Irvan, Elliott Sadler and David Gilliland, scoring a pair of wins with Sadler in 2004. Parrott began a three-season run at Richard Petty Motorsports in 2010, where he was reunited with Sadler before joining forces with Marcus Ambrose for a run that included back-to-back wins at Watkins Glen (N.Y.) International in 2011 and 2012.
THE REGULARS:
MARCO ANDRETTI
Hometown: Nazareth, Pennsylvania, United States
Social: IG: @marcoandretti / Twitter: @marcoandretti
● Third-generation racer, son of INDYCAR champion Michael Andretti and grandson of the legendary Mario Andretti.
● Racing select NTT INDYCAR Series races in 2021 (which included the Indianapolis 500).
● Winner of the 2006 INDYCAR Series Rookie of the Year.
● Tested for Honda Racing’s Formula One program in 2006 and 2007.
● Purchased childhood home in Nazareth, Pennsylvania, and runs a successful real-estate business.
● Prepared to run the 2020 New York Marathon before the COVID-19 pandemic forced cancellation of the event.
HELIO CASTRONEVES
Hometown: São Paulo, Brazil
Social: IG: @heliocastroneves / Twitter: @h3lio / Facebook: @h3lio
● Four-time and reigning Indianapolis 500 winner (2001, 2002, 2009 and 2021).
● Winner of the 2021 Rolex 24 at Daytona with co-drivers Filipe Albuquerque, Ricky Taylor and Alexander Rossi.
● Credited with beginning the tradition of climbing the fence after a race win, which he did after scoring his first career INDYCAR victory at the 2000 Detroit Grand Prix.
● Mirror Ball Trophy winner on Season 5 of Dancing With The Stars in 2007, alongside partner Julianne Hough.
BILL ELLIOTT
Hometown: Dawsonville, Georgia, United States
Social: Twitter: @billelliott9 / Facebook: @billelliott
● Affectionately known as “Awesome Bill from Dawsonville”.
● Won the 1988 NASCAR Cup Series championship and is a two-time Daytona 500 winner (1985 and 1987).
● Still holds the track qualifying records at Daytona International Speedway (210.364 mph) and Talladega Superspeedway (212.809 mph), both set in 1987.
● Inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame in 2015.
● Voted NASCAR’s Most Popular Driver by fans a record 16 times.
● Father of reigning NASCAR Cup Series champion Chase Elliott. They are the third father-son duo to win NASCAR championships, joining Lee and Richard Petty, and Ned and Dale Jarrett.
ERNIE FRANCIS JR.
Hometown: Fort Lauderdale, Florida, United States
Social: IG: @erniefrancisjr / Twitter: @erniefrancisjr
● Winningest driver in the 55-year history of the SCCA Trans Am Series, all while being just 23 years old.
● At 16, became the youngest champion in Trans Am history and is the youngest professional driver to win seven consecutive championships.
● One of his most impressive performances came in the 2018 Trans Am race at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course. He had to miss qualifying because of a NASCAR commitment, but still won the race from the back of the grid.
● Has made select starts in the NASCAR Xfinity Series and NASCAR K&N Series.
● Grandfather immigrated to New York City from Haiti five decades ago.
● Counts Willy T. Ribbs as a mentor and, like Ribbs, making a name for himself in Trans Am.
TONY KANAAN
Hometown: Salvador, Brazil
Social: IG: @tkanaan / Twitter: @tonykanaan / Facebook: @tonykanaan
● Won the 2004 INDYCAR championship.
● Winner of the 2013 Indianapolis 500.
● Splitting 2021 NTT INDYCAR Series season with seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson in Chip Ganassi Racing’s No. 48 entry, competing in all of the series’ oval races.
● Lebanese ancestry but grew up in Brazil; member of racing “Brat Pack” with Dario Franchitti, Max Papis and the late Greg Moore.
● Fluent in Portuguese, Spanish, Italian and English.
● Avid triathlete and has completed Ironman event in Hawaii.
BOBBY LABONTE
Hometown: Corpus Christi, Texas, United States
Social: IG: @bobby_labonte44 / Twitter: @bobby_labonte
● Won the 2000 NASCAR Cup Series championship and 1991 NASCAR Xfinity Series championship.
● Won 2001 International Race of Champions (IROC) title, which was the precursor to SRX.
● Inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame in 2020.
● Is a television analyst for FOX, specifically FS1’s RaceDay.
● Competes in the Southern Modified Auto Racing Tour (SMART).
● Founded Longhorn Chassis in 2010 with his brother, Terry, building dirt late model racecars. (Terry is a two-time NASCAR Cup Series champion, earning titles in 1984 and 1996.)
● Owns a Red Mango yogurt shop on the campus of Duke University.
WILLY T. RIBBS
Hometown: San Jose, California, United States
Social: Twitter: @willyribbs
● First African-American to compete in the Indianapolis 500 (1991 and 1993) and the first African-American to test a Formula One car (1986 with Brabham in Estoril, Portugal).
● Winner of the 1977 Dunlop/Autosport Star of Tomorrow Formula Ford 1600 championship.
● A 17-race winner in the SCCA Trans Am Series. Was the 1983 Trans Am Rookie of the Year on the strength of five wins and finished second in the series championship to teammate David Hobbs.
● Won 10 IMSA GTO races driving for the legendary Dan Gurney.
● Showed versatility by competing in Trans Am, IMSA, INDYCAR and various NASCAR divisions, including the Cup Series, Xfinity Series and Camping World Truck Series.
● Made 46 INDYCAR starts between 1990-1994.
● After retiring from racing, became a professional shooter in the National Sporting Clays Association. Ribbs’ son, Theodore, is also a professional shooter.
● In the Disney Channel cartoon The Proud Family, character Penny proud and her friends attend Willy T. Ribbs Middle School, where the mascot is “Racer.”
● Ribbs was the subject of the 2020 Netflix documentary, Uppity: The Willy T. Ribbs Story.
TONY STEWART
Hometown: Columbus, Indiana, United States
Social: IG: @tsrsmoke / Twitter: @tonystewart / Facebook: @tonystewart / YouTube: @tonystewart14
● Three-time NASCAR Cup Series champion (2002, 2005 and 2011), 1997 INDYCAR Series champion and four-time USAC champion.
● Stewart is the first and only driver to win championships in stock cars, Indy cars and open-wheel Midget, Sprint and Silver Crown cars.
● Co-owner of Stewart-Haas Racing, winner of two NASCAR Cup Series championships (2011 and 2014).
● Owner of Tony Stewart Racing, winner of 26 championships – 14 in USAC, nine in the World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series and three in the All Star Circuit of Champions TQ Midgets.
● Inducted into numerous halls of fame, including the NASCAR Hall of Fame (2020), the National Motorsports Press Association (NMPA) Hall of Fame (2020), the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America (2019), the North Carolina Auto Racing Hall of Fame (2019), the Texas Motorsports Hall of Fame (2019), the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Hall of Fame (2018), the USAC Hall of Fame (2016) and the National Midget Racing Hall of Fame (2001).
● Formed the Tony Stewart Foundation in 2003.The 501(c)(3) organization’s goal is to raise funds primarily distributed to serving three specific groups – chronically ill and physically disabled children, animals that are endangered or at-risk, and drivers injured in the sport of motor racing. To date, the Foundation has awarded nearly $7 million to assist charitable initiatives for more than 150 well-qualified organizations throughout the United States.
PAUL TRACY
Hometown: Scarborough, Ontario, Canada
Social: IG: @paultracyofficial
● Current NBC TV commentator for its INDYCAR broadcasts.
● Won the 2003 INDYCAR championship.
● Finished second to Helio Castroneves in the 2002 Indianapolis 500.
● Has competed in NASCAR Xfinity Series and NASCAR Camping World Truck Series races, and dabbled in professional downhill mountain bike racing.
MICHAEL WALTRIP
Hometown: Owensboro, Kentucky, United States
Social: IG: @mwr55 / Twitter: @mw55 / Facebook: @michaelcwaltrip
● Two-time Daytona 500 winner (2001 and 2003).
● Younger brother of three-time NASCAR Cup Series champion and NASCAR Hall of Famer Darrell Waltrip.
● Color commentator for FOX’s broadcasts of NASCAR Xfinity and NASCAR Camping World Truck Series races, as well as pre-race commentator for FOX’s broadcast of NASCAR Cup Series races.
● Author of a New York Times best-seller in 2011, In the Blink of an Eye: Dale, Daytona, and the Day that Changed Everything. A documentary film adaptation was released in 2019.
● An avid runner, competed in the 2000 Boston Marathon.
● Participated in season 19 of Dancing With The Stars in 2014.
About Camping World SRX Series:
The Camping World SRX Series was created by a team consisting of Sandy Montag and The Montag Group, George Pyne, NASCAR Hall of Fame crew chief and team owner Ray Evernham, and legendary driver Tony Stewart. The Montag Group leads business operations and Evernham oversees all racing operations. Pyne is a member of the Board and serves as an advisor. For more information, please visit us online at www.SRXracing.com, on Facebook, on Twitter and on Instagram.
Sources: Laz Denes/True Speed Communication on behalf of the Camping World SRX Series