On Friday, my editor said he had received a phone call from someone wanting directions to Eldora Speedway for the big race this weekend. Mike immediately passed it on to me. I got a hold of Gary, one of our photographers, and by the end of the workday, we were on our way to Rossford, Ohio, to do the story.

Eldora Speedway is a half-mile dirt racing facility located in western Ohio. The facility is owned by 2005 NASCAR Champion Tony Stewart. Eldora was built in 1954 by Earl Baltes who had been the sole owner of the facility from its inception.

Eldora plays host to some of the largest dirt racing events in the country, including the Prelude, Dream, King’s Royal and World 100, which attracts over 20,000 spectators annually.

It seems in the Sprint car world, the King’s Royal is one of the most popular events. The King’s Royal draws quite a crowd and soon we were mingling with the drivers, crews and fans down in the pits. I have been to just about every type of professional race there is, NASCAR, IRC, CART and NHRA and the most amazing thing was the accessibility of the drivers and their teams who seem to be everyday people just like you and me and will answer any questions, no matter how “dumb.”  

Having never attended a Sprint car race, I was not disappointed. This is far removed from the asphalt type of racing and is every bit as exciting. I learned three things that make a dirt track very different from an asphalt track: 1) You will get dirty, 2) you should probably wear eye protection and 3) it is a blast! I did my first dining review this month and had I known how much dirt one can ingest at a sprint car race, I may have chose to kill two birds with one stone. I noticed the dirt and clay around the fourth turn had a tangy, piquant aftertaste.

There were two types of cars racing at Eldora that weekend, the 360cc and the Outlaw 410cc. Sprint cars are fast and they’re loud; granted, not as loud as the Earth-shaking funny cars that will suck the air out of your chest, but Sprinters are still amazing to watch as they slide and drift, crowding up and down the track. Gary had seen races here before and said it’s just as thrilling as the first time he attended. On Friday, the race was “The Knight Before the King’s Royal” and was won by Joey Saldana. Saturday, the King’s Royal was postponed due to heavy rain and so the race was run on Sunday. The 25th Kings Royal was won by Daryn Pittman and car owner Reeve Kruck. This was their first World of Outlaw Sprint victory of the season. Afterwards, Pittman was crowned King Daryn XXV and was the $50,000 champion of the silver anniversary edition of the King’s Royal.

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