Prior to Wednesday’s NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race, Tony Stewart held a special event on Eldora Speedway’s kart track called Little E. He flipped nine times to the delight of hundreds of spectators.
Flipped a coin, that is.
Spectators gathered to help the Tony Stewart Foundation attempt to set the Guinness World Record for the largest game of Heads or Tails. The game is new for Guinness so it set a mandatory minimum of 250 people for the record. A total of 561 showed up.
Participants donated $10 to the TSF to play Flip It For A Good Cause.
A rope marked off two sections on Little E with one side designated Heads and the other side Tails. Participants chose their side and Stewart flipped. Those who guessed right stayed. Those who guessed wrong were out.
The crowd appeared evenly split on the first toss.
“I always bet on heads first,” Stewart said to cheers from that side prior to the toss.
It was tails.
“But I always lose a lot of money doing that, too,” he quipped.
After six flips nine participants were left. Two chose heads and seven chose tails. Heads won. The two remaining contestants split sides for the final toss and grand prize winning package: attend driver’s meeting and be on stage for driver introductions, wave green flag to start qualifying heats, two tickets to watch race from Stewart’s suite in Turn 4.
The final nine participants also won various gift bags and prizes.
Stewart said he planned on hosting Flip It For A Good Cause next year, too.
Holman wins pole: Virginia’s Caleb Holman topped a stout field of dirt drivers to win the Aspen Dental Dirt Derby pole, the first of his career.
The driver of the No. 75 FoodCountryUSA/LopezWealthMgmt. Chevrolet turned the fastest lap of 20.771 (86.659 mph) around Eldora’s high-banked, half-mile oval.
Dirt veteran Tyler Reddick clocked in at 20.881 (86.203) for second. Ken Schrader (20.925), JR Heffner (20.944) and Ben Rhodes (20.959) rounded out the top five. Among other notables Rico Abreu (21.190) was eighth, Christopher Bell (21.292) was 10th and Sprint Cup driver Kyle Larson (21.353) was 12th.
Pit notes: Thirty-eight cars turned qualifying laps in an attempt to make the 32-car field for the Dirt Derby race. … Stewart told driver-turned-reporter Kenny Wallace he plans to race some dirt tracks next year, especially Eldora in a sprint car. He also said he’ll compete at I-55 Raceway in Peavey, Mo., which is co-owned by Ken Schrader. … Five drivers were all but locked into the Truck Chase entering Wednesday’s race — William Byron (4 wins), Matt Crafton (2), Johnny Sauter (1), John Hunter Nemechek (1) and Christopher Bell (1). Daniel Hemric, Ben Kennedy, Timothy Peters and Tyler Reddick, all seeking their first wins prior to the race, were also among the top eight drivers.
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