The Night NASCAR Went Back to Dirt and We Rode Along
The Mudsummer Classic put NASCAR’s national series back on dirt for the first time since 1970, and a hometown company from Brookville had its name on the No. 5 truck. Thrush & Son teamed up with Valvoline and Contractor Rush to sponsor driver Jason Bowles at Eldora Speedway, about 40 miles from our front door.
Here’s the race program we never printed: the numbers, the night lap by lap, the driver, and what a dirt track taught a roofing company about doing the job right.
Why the Mudsummer Classic Mattered
For decades, NASCAR’s top three series raced only on pavement. The Mudsummer Classic changed that for one unforgettable night in Darke County. NASCAR.com called it the national series’ first dirt race since 1970, and every grandstand seat at Tony Stewart’s Eldora Speedway sold out.
Even the pole made history: Ken Schrader, then 58, became the oldest pole-sitter in NASCAR history, according to race records. For local fans, it felt like the biggest show in the country had come to the neighborhood.
For us, it was a chance to put a family-owned Ohio name on a national stage, right in our own backyard.
Scoring pylon
- 1970Last time NASCAR’s national series raced on dirt before this night
- ½ miClay oval at Eldora Speedway, New Weston, Ohio
- 153Laps run in the feature, three past the scheduled 150
- 17,782Grandstand seats, every one sold
- No. 5Jason Bowles, Wauters Motorsports, sponsored in part by Thrush & Son
- ~40 miFrom our Brookville headquarters to the track
The Mudsummer Classic, Start to Checkered
Dirt racing runs on a different rhythm than pavement. Tap a lap marker around the oval to follow the Mudsummer Classic from first practice to the finish.
Clay changes by the hour
Teams got their first laps on the half-mile clay oval. The surface starts tacky and slick depending on moisture, so setups changed all afternoon.
Times set the heats
Single-truck qualifying laps set the starting order for five eight-lap heat races. Ken Schrader, then 58, took the pole and became the oldest pole-sitter in NASCAR history.
Race your way in
Heat races locked in most of the field. Trucks that missed out got one more chance.
The No. 5 makes the show
Jason Bowles drove the Thrush & Son-sponsored No. 5 through the last-chance qualifier to earn a spot in the 150-lap feature.
Three segments, no pit road
Eldora has no pit road, so the feature ran in three segments with breaks in between. Six cautions and eight lead changes later, the night ran three laps long.
History made
Austin Dillon held off Kyle Larson on a green-white-checkered finish. Jason Bowles brought the No. 5 home 24th after a hard, clean night on the clay.
Meet the Driver of the No. 5
Jason Bowles came to Eldora with a championship pedigree. The California native won the 2009 NASCAR Camping World West Series title and made 40 starts in NASCAR’s Nationwide Series, now the Xfinity Series, with his strongest season in 2012, when he finished 13th in points, per his racing record.
The Mudsummer Classic was his Camping World Truck Series debut, in the No. 5 Chevrolet for Wauters Motorsports. It was also the fifth time in a year that Thrush & Son had sponsored Jason, so by race night he felt like part of the family.
“We felt Jason ran a hard, competitive race. It was a great night for the No. 5 truck, Jason Bowles, and Thrush & Son.”Allen Thrush, president, Thrush & Son
Our Name on the Mudsummer Classic Grid
People sometimes ask why a home improvement company would put its name on a race truck. The short answer: our customers are race fans. Eldora sits in the middle of the communities we serve, and on a summer night in Darke County, plenty of folks in the grandstand live under a roof or behind gutters we installed.
Sponsoring the No. 5 at the Mudsummer Classic was a way to show up where our neighbors already were, cheer for someone who works as hard as our crews do, and have a little fun doing it.
It also fit the family. Allen grew up riding along to job sites, Corey grew up in ballparks, and the whole family has always loved a good competition. Racing gave the company a way to celebrate that spirit with thousands of fans at once.
That’s the same reason we show up for the Dayton Flyers and the Reds Caravan. Community isn’t a line in a marketing plan for us. It’s where our customers live, and the Mudsummer Classic was one more way to be part of it.
What the Mudsummer Classic Taught a Roofing Company
Racing and roofing have more in common than you’d think. Both reward preparation, teamwork, and adjusting to conditions you can’t control. Here’s what we brought home from the clay.
- P1
Qualify before you race
On race day, qualifying decides where you start. On a roof, the inspection does. We look before we quote, every time.
- PIT
Every crew member matters
A pit stop is a dozen jobs done in perfect order. So is a re-roof: tear-off, deck, underlayment, flashing, shingles, cleanup.
- WX
Conditions change
Dirt racers adjust as the track dries out. Good installers adjust for heat, cold, and wind so materials seal and perform.
- FIN
Finish the race
A 24th-place finish on a brutal night still means bringing the truck home. We finish every job we start, cleanup included.
See those lessons on real homes in our project gallery, or start with a spring roof inspection, the qualifying lap for your roof.
The Hometown Team Behind the Mudsummer Classic Truck
Thrush & Son started in 1960 as Thrush Spouting in Phillipsburg, Ohio, when Wilbur Thrush began installing gutters and roofs for local homes. The company became Thrush & Son in 1965, and in 1969 a red Dodge one-ton became the first company truck.
Allen and Michelle bought the company in 1989 and opened the Brookville showroom in 1990. Corey joined in 2011 after earning a management degree and playing professional baseball. By the Mudsummer Classic, three generations were cheering from the stands. Read the whole story in family-owned and 65 years strong.
- Since1960
- CertifiedGAF President’s Club Contractor
- RatingBBB A+
- AwardBest of Dayton 2024
- Pit crewThree generations
Check our BBB profile and reviews.
Mudsummer Classic FAQs
01What was the Mudsummer Classic?
The 2013 Mudsummer Classic was a NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race at Eldora Speedway in New Weston, Ohio, held July 24, 2013. It was the first dirt race for a NASCAR national touring series since 1970, per race records.
02Who won the Mudsummer Classic?
Austin Dillon won, holding off Kyle Larson on a green-white-checkered finish. Ken Schrader started from the pole.
03How did Thrush & Son get involved?
Thrush & Son teamed up with Valvoline and Contractor Rush to sponsor Jason Bowles in the No. 5 truck. It was the fifth time in a year the company had sponsored Jason.
04How did the No. 5 truck finish?
Jason Bowles advanced through the last-chance qualifier and finished 24th in the 150-lap feature, which ran three laps long.
05Who is Jason Bowles?
A California-born driver and the 2009 NASCAR Camping World West Series champion, who made 40 starts in NASCAR’s second-tier series and finished 13th in points in 2012, per his racing record.
06Does Thrush & Son still sponsor local events?
Yes. Community sponsorships are part of who we are, from the Dayton Flyers to the Reds Caravan.
More throwback fun: Mean Gene Okerlund in off the roof. Got a home question? We have answers.
