By all accounts it was a great race, defying the predictions of racing folks across the nation. The NASCAR Camping World Truck Series at Eldora Speedway on Wednesday night provided an evening of live short-track coverage on Speed, and gave an enormous television audience a glimpse into our dirt track world.

It also provided some valuable lessons, if we’re smart enough to pay attention.

The trucks were not “fast” compared to Super Late Models. If you think about it, the trucks are similar to MORE

John Blankenship stood near his race car in the pit area at Lucas Oil Speedway, preparing for a TV interview. It was mid-afternoon on a pleasant Saturday at Wheatland, and one night earlier Blankenship had captured the series point lead when Jimmy Owens suffered a transmission issue on the parade lap and was forced from the race. | Order Silver Dollar Nationals video

This was a heady moment for the 32-year-old driver from West Virginia. In his fourth full year on the Lucas tour he has steadily MORE