Mudsummer Classic Returns NASCAR to Dirt at Eldora Speedway
(Brookville, Ohio) Thrush & Son teamed up with Valvoline Oil and Contractor Rush to sponsor the #5 truck in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series “Mudsummer Classic 200” race at Eldora Speedway on July 24. Eldora Speedway is located approximately 40 miles from Thrush & Son’s headquarters.
Mudsummer Classic Brings 20,000 Fans to Eldora Speedway
Jason Bowles was behind the wheel of the No. 5 truck for the first dirt track race on NASCAR’s national level in over 42 years. A sell-out crowd of over 20,000 enthusiastic fans loudly cheered on the drivers as they raced around the half-mile oval clay track.
Qualifying Drama Leading Into the Mudsummer Classic 200
Bowles, who finished 3rd for Nationwide Rookie of the Year last year, ran a hard race and finished 24th, after qualifying by finishing 3rd in the 15 lap loser-goes-home heat. This is the fifth time that Thrush & Son has sponsored Jason within the past year.
Reflecting on the Mudsummer Classic at Eldora Speedway
“We felt Jason ran a hard competitive race,” Allen Thrush, president of Thrush & Son, said afterwards. “It was a great night for the No. 5 Truck, Jason Bowles and Thrush & Son.”
About Jason Bowles
Jason Bowles, born November 24, 1982, in Ontario, California, launched his professional racing career in 2007 in the NASCAR West Series, driving the No. 22 Sunrise Ford/Turbo Torq Ford. He earned Rookie of the Year honors that season with two wins at California Speedway and Miller Motorsports Park. In 2008, he dominated with four victories and five poles, finishing second in points. His breakout year came in 2009, when he clinched the Camping World West Series championship with wins at Phoenix, Irwindale, and Infineon Raceway, plus three poles. He capped his West Series success by winning the 2010 Toyota All-Star Showdown at Irwindale.
Bowles expanded into national NASCAR series starting in 2010, competing in the Nationwide Series across 40 races with teams like Specialty Racing, RAB Racing, Rusty Wallace Racing, and MacDonald Motorsports. His best finish came in 2012, placing 13th in points and earning Rookie of the Year consideration with MacDonald’s No. 81 Dodge. He also ran limited ARCA and Canadian Tire Series events. By 2013, he served as a test driver for Michael Waltrip Racing and made his Camping World Truck Series debut in the historic Mudsummer Classic at Eldora Speedway, driving the No. 5 Chevrolet for Wauters Motorsports (sponsored in part by Thrush & Son), finishing 24th in NASCAR’s first dirt national series race in decades.
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About Thrush & Son®
Thrush & Son Complete Home Improvement Company was founded in 1960 by Wilbur Allen Thrush Sr. as Thrush Spouting in Phillipsburg, Ohio, focusing on installing gutter systems and roofs for local homes. With a commitment to quality and hard work, Wilbur built a reputation in the Dayton area. In 1969, the company was renamed Thrush & Son when his son, Allen Thrush, joined the business. They acquired their first branded truck, a red 1969 Dodge one-ton, marking expansion. By the 1980s, they had grown steadily, emphasizing dependable service. In 1989, Allen and his wife Michelle purchased the company from Wilbur, who shifted to well drilling.
Under Allen’s leadership, Thrush & Son opened its first office and showroom in Brookville, Ohio, in 1990 on Market Street, followed by a warehouse at 201 Sycamore Street in 1995. The company diversified into full exterior remodeling, including siding, windows, doors, and insulation, serving Southwest Ohio. By 2011, Allen’s son Corey joined after earning a management degree and playing professional baseball, becoming the third generation. Up to 2013, Thrush & Son earned community trust through awards and certifications, culminating in sponsoring NASCAR driver Jason Bowles in the historic 2013 Mudsummer Classic at Eldora Speedway.
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