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I wrote this circa 2004, so the historical data may be off a bit... but anyways, for your reading pleasure! See you guys at Lima tomm night and then of course on Saturday at the Royal. I'm going to the 'Burg and Gas City on Thurs-Friday this year, and Kokomo on the way home... but I'll be around the bus on Saturday..
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There comes a point in every
hardcore race fan's life when they have to do it. They have to sweet talk the girlfriend/wife for as long as
necessary (months are an acceptable period of time!), call in 'dead' at work, secure
the financial means, and get their ass to Eldora for the Royal! I was eighteen years young when I fully
understood what I had to do, and coaxed my dad into the above provisions to
make it possible. It's one of those
deals where at the time you don't really fully realize what kind of impact it
will have on your life as a race fan.
The analogies derived about the place over the years are dedicated and
precise…yet don't do ultimate justice to the mystique. I'm sure I can't and won't do a whole lot better,
but I'll hit you with my best shot (fire away) at the tune of Dave Letterman's
Late Show and unveil my top 10 reasons why I love the King's Royal at the Big
E.
10. Timing
Smack-dab in the middle of the summer, PND (Post-Nationals
Depression) is so isolated and rare following the Royal that Eli Lily shuts
down commercial production. There is
some degree of letdown when Earl hands out the big cash following forty laps,
but just the fact that we all talk about the weekend well into August proves
that the timing is golden.
9. Location
On the western perimeter of the Buckeye State, throw the
atlas away when you get close. If you
come through Greenville on 118, getting lost is possible, but not ensured. If you choose to stay in Sidney and/or Piqua
to the east, forget about it! Talking
to someone who has been thoroughly lost before (pick me, pick me!!) will be
your only salvation. Either way,
amazement and bewilderment will be foregone conclusions whizzing through your
cerebrum when you see the throngs of campers and people gathered out in the
middle of an Ohio cornfield. Some of my
favorite tracks require at least a compass, and this bad boy is no
different.
8. Earl Baltes
The main man had a dream.
He took that dream and made it a reality. From rags to riches, the Eldora Speedway tale has it all. He may be a rickety old man with an iron
brand of justice who is set in his ways, but you can't discard the fact that
he's got more character than a dozen men combined. He carved the oval with his own two hands, and was never short on
wild ideas. Back in 1984, he had a
whopper. He didn't know if it would
work, but hell, he had to give it a try.
Putting up fifty large to win a sprint car race in the mid-80s wasn't
just unheard of - it was grounds to get you thrown in the loony bin! He set the standard though for big events,
and the chase was on. This was just the
beginning for Earl, but the legend he created was arguably the star child for
future endeavors.
7. Joey Saldana
Few Eldora gas-stompers can run the wall at the high banks
like King Joey XIX. My eyes have seen
the Brownsburg Bullet put his machine from 6th to the lead (in two
corners!!) in Royal heat race madness by riding it high. His deliberant dedication to rocket around
the high side of Eldora finally cashed in when 2002 rolled around. A jagged ledge halfway up the track forced
most competitors to toe it, but not step above. Above it speeds were higher, but so were the chances that the
concrete would grab you and whirl you down the banking upside-down at 140. Saldana took the bet, walked away 50k
richer, and forever etched his name into Eldora folklore.
6. Steve Kinser
What more do I have to say about this guy? Like every other big sprint car race on
God's green earth, the King has not only won the Royal once, but he's done it
multiple times. Making every single
Royal feature field, Kinser has taken a record five. With all the success he's enjoyed, the fact that he still wants
to win more than anybody else could not have been more evident than the final
laps in the 2000 Royal. Dale Blaney had
the lead, but the Green #11 was stalking him like a rabid animal. He closed in as the laps wound down and with
the checkered flag flying, put a last-ditch slide-for-life at turn four. He made contact with the wall sending a
shower of sparks flying, but Blaney escaped for the upset and his first Royal
crown. It seems the Hurryin' Hoosier
wants the big races more than anybody else, and his approach to lapped traffic
come Royal-time is a treat.
5. Sammy
Swindell
Only a handful of guys who have graced the high banked oval
are considered masters. Sammy is near
the head of the class. The two-time
winner got his second the night of my first Royal. The first time you witness anything amazing with your own two
eyes, it's very liable to stay with you for as long as forever. Is lapping up to 6th place in one
of the summer's biggest races amazing enough for you!? He had his sights on 5th place,
but forty laps ran him thin. He was on
another level that night – one that not even Steve Kinser could match – weaving
in & out of traffic leaving his right foot buried. Whether or not the guy races full-time or
not, he's always tough as nails at the Big E.
4. Jac
Haudenschild
Always fearless no matter the venue, it seems 'lil Jac takes
an extra serving of 'I ain't gonna lift' before he straps in at the Big E. The three-time Royal winner has won the HBO
and various non-wing tilts including the Million last year as well – so listing
Eldora as his favorite track surely has something to do with the fact that he
frequently takes Earl's money! Locking
in with a brand new team last year, the Wild Child was forced to run the always
star-studded B at the Royal… and started in the seventh row to boot. It was surely too far to come… even for
Haud. His balls to the wall cushion
slammin' assault on the field saw him fly by the leader Chad Kemenah (perennial
Eldora stud) and leave the field in his dusty wake. To the master of the Eldora slider, I salute!
3. Tradition
Twenty years of crowning a King have come and gone, leaving
a handful of close finishes and also a fair share of sheer blowouts. Among the fat of the multi-time winners lie
the Big 3 in sprint car racing, and that alone is enough to cement a tradition
in my book. Spectacular crashes have ended some careers, propelled others, but
never have ceased to amaze. Through it
all, the magic red carpet still leads to the giant wooden chair in racing lore. With scepter in hand to wave over their
kingdom just recently conquered, they all want the Royal… bad.
2. Track/Speed
12.707. The Love
Tunnel. 25 degrees. Wabash be damned, this place is the real
deal. High-banked and sweeping, what
you see is what you get! If you wanna
be fast, you gotta cheat death & destruction by running right on the
wall. I'll visit nary a track where I
pray for rain the morning of the races so my eyes don't become disgusting
ellipses of dirt, but I love it. Even
the taste of Eldora's dirt is better.
God Bless it!
1.
Atmosphere
Camping is recommended, but not required. I've done both, and had a blast no matter
the comfort. Whether it's watching
crews work tirelessly under the hot Ohio sun in the Days Inn parking lot, or
throwing beanbags across the highway from the track while sipping on a cold
one, The Royal has it all. Meeting up
with Ohio and Pennsylvania brethren the Thursday before the Royal at the Wagon
Wheel in Burkettsville is just the beginning.
Where staking early claim to the hillside in turn four is just as important
as a healthy stock of brewery-fresh beverages in the cooler, it doesn't get any
better. And then they drop the green…
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