Eldora Speedway

Eldora SPEEDWAY
13929 SR 118 New Weston, OH 45348 (937)338-3815
Mr. Larry Boos:
Director of Operations
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SWINDELL PADS OUTLAW POINTS LEAD WITH ELDORA VICTORY

First Eldora Win Since 2006 – Jeff Babcock Prevails in Modified Finale

ROSSBURG, Ohio (May 5) – In two of his most recent appearances at Eldora Speedway – including Friday night – tire issues have left veteran Sammy Swindell deflated. But in the World of Outlaws (WoO) Sprint Car feature on Saturday, the only shredding for the Germantown, Tenn., driver is what he did to the field. Swindell led all 30 laps to capture his fourth WoO victory this season in the concluding night of the Outlaw Thunder presented by Goodyear doubleheader weekend.

In the UMP DIRTcar Modified feature, Wayne, Ohio’s Jeff Babcock benefitted from a late caution that bunched the field to take the lead and run off the final five laps of the 18-lap feature. In the two UMP DIRTcar features at Eldora this season he’s finished first and second.

Swindell started second to pole-sitter Paul McMahan and stormed to the lead to click off the first lap. He stretched his lead to a dominating 1.8 seconds over Joey Saldana with 12 laps complete. But Saldana started reeling in Swindell over the next two laps, trimming that nearly two-second deficit to 0.6 seconds on lap 14. Swindell never relinquished the lead but worry entered his mind on lap 24 when Jason Sides shredded a tire and again on lap 28 when Kraig Kinser’s tire went flat.

At the Kings Royal in 2011, Swindell was charging out of turn 4 to the sure victory when he shredded a tire and limped past the line to finish second. On Friday night, Swindell’s night was slowed when he cut a tire with seven laps left to finish sixth.

“I really hated to see those because the tires do get pretty warm here. Having those two yellows back-to-back we thought we might lose some (tire) pressure,” said Swindell, who holds an 11-point lead over Donny Schatz for the WoO points lead. “I was thinking about the Kings Royal and about not making it that last corner. This Big Game Tree Stands car’s been awesome.”

Kinser’s flat set up an exciting green-white-checkered flag finish for the Outlaws. Swindell, as he did in the previous caution, chose the outside on the double-file restart. The pack engulfed Saldana on the restart as his engine faltered. Dale Blaney took advantage to jump up to second but didn’t have time to chase down Swindell.

“I wasn’t stuck to where I had to run right up against the curb,” said Swindell, who ran along the outer wall but maneuvered around traffic both high and low on Eldora’s banking. “I could move down and that really was the key in the lapped traffic. … We could just breeze right through there pretty easy.”

Blaney, Big Game Tree Stand teammate Craig Dollansky, David Gravel and Daryn Pittman rounded out the top five. Saldana finished seventh.

“We weren’t really, really good the first 15 or 20 laps … but overall it was a great night,” Blaney said. “I was going to run fourth until those cautions but we got through to second. I’m looking forward to coming back for the Kings Royal weekend.”

Eldora Speedway owner Tony Stewart arrived in Ohio following qualifying for Sunday’s Aaron’s 499 at Talladega Superspeedway in Alabama – he qualified eighth for the Sprint Cup race – to compete with the second night with the Outlaws. The reigning and three-time NASCARSprint Cup Series champion qualified ninth and finished 18^th in the feature. Stewart won the Last Chance Showdown to reach the main event.

The victory was the 19^th at Eldora for Swindell and his first since April 8, 2006. Only Steve Kinser (35) has more WoO wins on Eldora’s all-time list.

David Gravel topped the two-lap qualifying session for the second straight night with a 13.213 around the half-mile oval. Gravel also was fast qualifier Friday with a 13.228.

“It usually doesn’t happen for me here but we found something,” Gravel said of his qualifying sessions.

McMahan, Trey Starks, Steve Kinser and Jac Haudenschild all won heats.

In the Modified feature, Aaron Orr led the first 12 laps before tagging the wall in turn 3-4 to bring out a caution and surrender the lead to Matt Westfall. Westfall fought off a slide job by Babcock on lap 13, but couldn’t hold off a second one as Westfall brushed the wall in turn 3-4 and Babcock raced past. Babcock charged ahead of the field and beat Westfall to the finish line by a comfortable 3.4 seconds. Jesse Bitterling, Joey Kramer and Rob Williams finished among the top five.

“I thought I could get him the lap before but I didn’t have the clearance,” Babcock said of that first pass attempt of Westfall. “I thought the next lap I’ll set him up good to where I can get him. Everybody is so fast around here. The race track is perfect like this, everybody is fast and you can go anywhere. It makes the racing a lot of fun.”

Jesse Bitterling, Babcock, Scott Orr and Westfall all won heats. Joey Kramer and Scott Bowersock won B-Features.

Eldora Speedway hosts Mobil 1 Family Fun Night on Saturday, May 19. The UMP DIRTcar Modifieds and Eldora Stock Cars will be in action. Fans also will be treated to a pyrotechnic-filled fireworks extravaganza.

Information for the Family Fun Night, the Kings Royal weekend, and all other Eldora events are available through the track office at (937) 338-3815 or online 24 hours a day at www.EldoraSpeedway.com. Like us at www.Facebook.com/EldoraSpeedway or catch all the behind-the-scenes preparation for the event on Twitter @EldoraSpeedway.

GOODYEAR OUTLAW THUNDER NIGHT #2
MAY 5, 2012

WORLD OF OUTLAWS SPRINTS - 36 CARS

Qualifying - 1. 89G-David Gravel, 13.21; 2. 2-DaleBlaney, 13.24; 3. 9-Joey Saldna 13.25; 4. 27-Daryn Pittman, 13.28; 5. W20-Greg Wilson, 13.29; 6. 4-Cody Darrah, 13.33; 7. 1-Sammy Swindell, 13.35; 8. 29-Kerry Madsen, 13.39; 9. 14-Tony Stewart, 13.41; 10. D4-Danny Holtgraver, 13.42; 11. 00-Jim Nier, 13.42; 12. 7-Craig Dollansky, 13.42; 13. 45-Paul McMahan, 13.43; 14. 55-Trey Starks, 13.44; 15. 11-Steve Kinser, 13.45; 16. 5-Jac Haudenschild, 13.45; 17. 11K-Kraig Kinser, 13.45; 18. 6-Bill Rose, 13.48; 19. 19-Stevie Smith, 13.50; 20. 54-Cap Henry, 13.51; 21. 5W-Lucas Wolfe, 13.51; 22. 83-Tim Shaffer, 13.53; 23. 7S-Jason Sides, 13.57; 24. 63-Chad Kemenah, 13.59; 25. 1X-Randy Hannagan, 13.63; 26. 2M-Dustin Daggett, 13.64; 27. 24H-Bryan Sebbetto, 13.64; 28. 15-Donny Schatz, 13.66; 20. 93-Sheldon Haudenschild, 13.71; 30. 56R Ryan Myers, 13.77; 31. 4S-Danny Smith, 13.78; 32. 12-Jared Ridge, 13.84; 33. 28-Brian Paulus, 13.88; 34. 40-Caleb Helms, 13.91; 35. 71M- Paul May, 14.27; 36. 19T Todd King, NT.

Heat 1 – (8 laps, Top 5 finishers transfer to A-Main feature): 1. 45-Paul McMahan (1), 2. 11K-Kraig Kinser (5); 3. 89G-David Gravel (4); 4. W20-Greg Wilson (3); 5. 5W-Lucas Wolfe (6); 6. 14-Tony Stewart (2); 7. 93-Sheldon Haudenschild (8); 8. 1X-Randy Hannagan (7); 9. 28-Brian Paulus (9).

Heat 2 – (8 laps, Top 5 finishers transfer to A-Main feature): 1. 55-Trey Starks (1), 2. 2-Dale Blaney (2), 3. 4-Cody Darrah (3), 4. 83-Tim Shaffer (6), 5. D4-Danny Holtgraver (2), 6. 40-Caleb Helms (9), 7. 2M-Dustin Daggett (7), 8. 6-Bill Rose (5), 9. 56R-Ryan Myers (8), DNF.

Heat 3 – (8 laps, Top 5 finishers transfer to A-Main feature): 1. 11-Steve Kinser (1), 2. 1-Sammy Swindell (3), 3. 9-Joey Saldana (4), 4. 00-Jim Nier (2), 5. 7S-Jason Sides (6), 6. 19-Stevie Smith (5), 7. 24H-Bryan Sebbetto (7), 8. 71M-Paul May (9), 9. 4S-Danny Smith (8).

Heat 4 – (8 laps, Top 5 finishers transfer to A-Main feature): 1. 5-Jac Haudenschild (1), 2. 7-Craig Dollansky (2), 3. 63-Chad Kemenah (6), 4. 29-Kerry Madsen (3), 5. 27-Daryn Pittman (4), 6. 55-Cap Henry (5), 7. 12-Jared Ridge (8), 8. 15-Donny Schatz, (7) DNF, 9. 19T-Todd King (9), DNS.

Dash (6 laps) – 1. 45-Paul McMahan (1), 2. 1-Sammy Swindell (3), 3. 9-Joey Saldana (4), 4. 2-Dale Blaney (5), 5. 7-Craig Dollansky (2), 6. 89G-David Gravel (6), 7. 11-Steve Kinser (8), 8. 11K-Kraig Kinser (10), 9. 5-Jac Haudenschild (9), 10. 55-Trey Starks (7).

Last Chance Showdown (12 laps, Top 4 finishers to A-Main): 1. 14-Tony Stewart (1), 2. 1X-Randy Hannagan (5), 3. 15-Donny Schatz (8), 4. 54-Cap Henry (4), 5. 93-Sheldon Haudenschild (9), 6. 6-Billl Rose (2), 7. 24H-Bryan Sebbetto (7), 8. 19-Stevie Smith (3), 9. 2M-Dustin Daggett (6), 10. 28-Brian Paulus (13), 11. 40-Caleb Helms (14), 12. 71M-Paul May (15), 13. 4S-Danny Smith (11), 14. 12-Jared Ridge (12), 15. 56R-Ryan Myers (10), 16. 19T-Todd King (16).

A-Main (30) – 1. 1-Sammy Swindell (2), 2. 2-Dale Blaney (4), 3. 7-Craig Dollansky (5), 4. 39G-David Gravel (6), 5. 27-Daryn Pittman (11), 6. 15-Donny Schatz (24), 7. 9-Joey Saldana (3), 8. 11-Steve Kinser (7), 9. W20-Greg Wilson (12), 10. 63-Chad Kemenah (22), 11. 45-Paul McMahan (1), 12. 29-Kerry Madsen (14), 13. 5W-Lucas Wolfe (19), 14. 5-Jac Haudenschild (9), 15. 55-Trey Sparks (10), 16. 11K-Kraig Kinser (8), 17. 4-Cody Darrah (13), 18. 14-Tony Stewart (15), 19. 7S-Jason Sides (21), 20. D4-Danny Holtgraver (16), 21. 83-Tim Shaffer (20), 22. 1X-Randy Hannagan (23), 23. 54-Cap Henry (18), 24. 6-Bill Rose (25), 25. 00-Jim Nier (17).

UMP DIRTcar Modifieds - 39 CARS

Heat 1 – (8 laps, Top 4 finishers transfer to A-Main feature): 1. 225-Jesse Bitterling (1), 2. 11-Rob Williams (8), 3. 52-John Phlipot Jr. (7), 4. 21M-Donnie Miller (2), 5. 15-Nick Katterhenry (4), 6. 03-Cory Seeling (10), 7. 21T-Tom Treon (6), 8. 45B-Brian Post (5) DNF, 9. 31J-John Brooks (3) DNF.

Heat 2 – (8 laps, Top 4 finishers transfer to A-Main feature): 1. 7B-Jeff Babcock (4), 2. 188-Aaron Orr (2), 3. 05-David Smith (10), 4. 7A-Doug Adkins (9), 5. 22B-Andy Bibler (8), 6. 4J-David Treon Jr. (6), 7. 8-Fireball Pinkerton (3), 8. 79-Shane Unger (7), 9. 36-Brandon Vaughan (5), 10. 1-Scott Williams (1).

Heat 3 – (8 laps, Top 4 finishers transfer to A-Main feature): 1. 88-Scott Orr (3), 2. 28-Shaun Smith (2), 3. 7-Evan Taylor (6), 4. 0-Brent Hole (4), 5. 77-Joey Kramer (7), 6. 00-Dave Daugherty (8), 7. 1S-Steve Billenstein (1), 8. 5-Jonathan Taylor (6), 9. 29-Mark Kowarsch (10), 10. 4-Mike Chrisman (5).

Heat 4 – (8 laps, Top 4 finishers transfer to A-Main feature): 1. 20W-Matt Westfall (2), 2. 18-Ryan Sutter (4), 3. 20-Josh Morton (1), 4. 5X-Tim Richardson (6), 5. 10-Scott Bowersock (9), 6. 26-Mike Dirksen (7), 7. 31-Matt Bex (3), 8. 24-Terry Grillot (5), 9. 8C-Corey Bevard (8)

B-Main 1 (8 laps, Top 4 finishers transfer to A-Main): 1. 77-Joey Kramer (2), 2. 15-Nick Katterhenry (1), 3. 900-Dave Daugherty (4), 4. 21T-Tom Treon (5), 5. 5-Jonathan Taylor (8), 6. 29-Mark Kowarsch (10), 7. 4-Mike Chrisman (12), 8. 45P-Brian Post (7), 9. 1S-Steve Billenstein (6).

B-Main 1 (8 laps, Top 4 finishers transfer to A-Main): 1. 10-Scott Bowersock (2), 2. 4J-David Treon Jr. (3), 3. 8-Fireball Pinkerton (5), 4. 26-Mike Dirksen (4), 5. 31-Matt Bex (6), 6. 79-Shane Unger (7), 7. 8C-Corey Bevard (10), 8. 1-Scott Williams (11), 9-22B-Andy Bibler (1), 10. 24-Terry Grillot (8), 11. 36-Brandon Vaughn (9).

A-Main (18 laps) – 1. 7B-Jeff Babcock (6), 2. 20W-Matt Westfall (4), 3. 225-Jesse Bitterling (7), 4. 77-Joey Kramer (17), 5. 11-Rob Williams (3), 6. 18-Ryan Sutter (8), 7. 05-David Smith (10), 8. 7A-Doug Adkins (14), 9. 28-Shaun Smith (1), 10. 7-Evan Taylor (11), 11. 88-Scott Orr (5), 12. 52-Weasel Phlipot (9), 13. 10-Scott Bowersock (18), 14. 00-Dave Daughterty (21), 15. 21M-Donnie Miller (13), 16. 20M-Josh Morton (12), 17. 0-Brent Hole (15), 18. 15-Nick Katterhenry (19), 19. 26-Mike Dirksen (24), 20. 5X-Tim Richardson (16), 21. 4J-David Treon Jr. (20), 22. 8-Fireball Pinkerton (22), 23. 188-Aaron Orr (2), 24. 21T-Tom Treon (23).

SUPER MOON ARRIVES EARLY AS KEMENAH TRIUMPHS IN OUTLAW SPRINT MAIN

Barney Craig Captures Stock Car Main in Night One of Outlaw Thunder by Goodyear Doublheader

ROSSBURG, Ohio (May 4) – The super moon, the closest a full moon gets to Earth in this year, doesn’t arrive until Saturday night. But the World of Outlaws (WoO) treated fans at Eldora Speedway with a wild and crazy night of winged Sprint Car racing Friday in the Outlaw Thunder presented by Goodyear.

A series of cautions and a major five-car pileup shuffled the lead through three different drivers before handing it to Ohio native Chad Kemenah with six laps left. Kemenah sped away from Donny Schatz over those final laps for his first WoO victory at what's considered his home track, and his fourth career WoO victory.

Barney Craig won the Stock Car division by coming from fourth to first on the opening lap for the victory.

It wasn't as simple for Findlay, Ohio’s Kemenah. Crowd favorite Jac Haudenschild started on the pole and led the first 24 laps before a stunning turn of events during a span of two laps knocked out three race leaders.

With 23 laps completed, Sammy Swindell cut a tire in turn 1 for the race's fifth caution flag. Haudenschild darted into the pit area under that yellow flag period for fuel; however, under WoO rules, drivers can refuel only under an open red flag stop. With no red having been displayed, WoO officials ruled Haudenschild's night was over.

The lead shifted to Dale Blaney, who then pitted with a flat right front tire under the same caution.

David Gravel then inherited the lead and held it at the restart with Kerry Madsen charging underneath. Racing side-by-side for the lead, Madsen appeared to slide up into Gravel going into turns 1-2 to touch off a sensational multi-car accident that sent Sprint Cars tumbling and parts showering the track. In addition to Gravel and Madsen, the accident also collected Craig Dollansky, Tim Shaffer and Paul McMahon. Joey Saldana also suffered a damaged wing and a flat tire.

“I saw cars going everywhere and I thought if I keep my nose clean I might keep my right front tire," Kemenah said.

He did, holding off Schatz the final six laps for the victory. Steve Kinser, who caused the fourth caution of the race on lap 20 when he slowed on the frontstretch, recovered to finish third. Cody Darrah and Daryn Pittman rounded out the top five.

“There have been a few races this year where I had the fast race car and I’d seem to lose. Tonight I guess it didn’t matter; I'm standing up here," Kemenah said. “I’m kind of speechless, I can’t thank everybody enough. Man, I’m about ready to cry.”

Eldora Speedway owner Tony Stewart flew in from Talladega, Ala., -- the site of Sunday's NASCAR Sprint Cup race -- to compete with the Outlaws. The reigning and three-time Sprint Cup Series champion finished seventh.

Kraig Kinser won the last chance showdown. Haudenschild won the dash, while Blaney, Dollansky, Madsen and Swindell won heat races.

Gravel of Watertown, Conn., set fast time in qualifying with a lap of 13.228 seconds, 0.003 seconds faster than Kemenah. Kinser (13.277), Pittman (13.288) and Haudenschild (13.291) rounded out the top five in a competitive two-lap qualifying session. The top 20 drivers were separated by less than 0.3 seconds.

In the Stock Car division, Craig took a two-point lead over Dean Pitts in the driver standings following his victory and his third-place finish in Eldora's season-opener on April 21. Pitts, Earnie Woodard, Rob Trent and Shawn Phillipi finished in the top five.

“It’s been a few years. I thought if I kept plugging away I could probably get another feature win," Craig said.

"This is my 25th year running big cars and it’s good winning again! ... I felt like I got a good run getting in. I just stood on it and just hoped for the best.”

Craig and Woodard won heat races.

The WoO doubleheader program continues Saturday with a full WoO event and the UMP DIRTcar Modifieds. Gates open at 2 p.m., hot laps are at 6 p.m. and racing starts at 7:30 p.m. Tickets for the Outlaw Thunder by Goodyear, the Kings Royal weekend, and all other Eldora events are available through the track office at (937) 338-3815 or online 24 hours a day at www.EldoraSpeedway.com. Like us at www.Facebook.com/EldoraSpeedway or catch all the behind-the-scenes preparation for the event on Twitter @EldoraSpeedway.

Outlaw Thunder presented by Goodyear

World of Outlaws Sprints

HEAT 1 – 1.Dale Blaney, 2. Jac Haudenschild, 3. Trey Starks, 4. David Gravel, 5. Tony Stewart.

HEAT 2 – 1. Craig Dollansky. 2, Joey Saldana. 3, Donny Schatz. 4, Jason Sides. 5, Chad Kemenah

HEAT 3 – 1, Kerry Madsen. 2, Steve Kinser. 3, Stevie Smith. 4, Cody Darrah. 5, Cap Henry

HEAT 4 — 1, Sammy Swindell. 2, Tim Shaffer. 3, Daryn Pittman. 4, Greg Wilson. 5, Danny Holtgraver

B MAIN - 1. 11K-Kraig Kinser [4]; 2. 45-Paul Mcmahan [1]; 3. 1X-Randy Hannagan [3]; 4. 24H-Bryan Sebetto [5]; 5. 6-Bill Rose [2]; 6. 44W-Austen Wheatley [12]; 7. 28-Brian Paulus [7]; 8. 2M-Dustin Daggett [8]; 9. 5W-Lucas Wolfe [10]; 10. 00-Jim Nier [13]; 11. 56R-Ryan Myers [9]; 12. 19T-Todd King [11]; 13. 93-Sheldon Haudenschild [6];

FEATURE - 1. 63-Chad Kemenah [4]; 2. 15-Donny Schatz [12]; 3. 11-Steve Kinser [2]; 4. 4-Cody Darrah [13]; 5. 27-Daryn Pittman [11]; 6. 1-Sammy Swindell [8]; 7. 14-Tony Stewart [17]; 8. 9-Joey Saldana [5]; 9. 7S-Jason Sides [18]; 10. 54-Cap Henry [19]; 11. 11K-Kraig Kinser [20]; 12. 5-Jac Haudenschild [1]; 13. 2-Dale Blaney [6]; 14. 89G-David Gravel [3]; 15. 29-Kerry Madsen [10]; 16. 83-Tim Shaffer [7]; 17. 7-Craig Dollansky [9]; 18. 45-Paul Mcmahan [21]; 19. W20-Greg Wilson [14]; 20. 55-Trey Starks [15]; 21. 19-Stevie Smith [16]; 22. D4-Danny Holtgraver [23]; 23. 24H-Bryan Sebetto [24]; 24. 1X-Randy Hannagan [22].

Stock Car

HEAT 1 - 1. 71C-Barney Craig [3]; 2. 20-Shawn Phillipi [2]; 3. 3-Rob Trent [7]; 4. 23-Casey Barr [1]; 5. 19-Wayne Williams [4]; 6. 52-John Phlipot, Jr [6]; 7. 5-Ricky Rae Dillon [DNS]; 8. 11D-Colton Oda [DNS]; 9. 7W-Dan Wooten [DNS];

HEAT 2 - 1. 01-Earnie Woodard [5]; 2. 00-Dean Pitts [1]; 3. 5G-Anthony Goode [6]; 4. 08-Todd Gross [2]; 5. 55-Bradley Caudill [3]; 6. 52T-Cody Timmerman [7]; 7. M1-Jeremy Creech [4]; 8. 36-Adam Schaeff [8]; 9. 1W-Mark Wooten [9];

FEATURE - 1. 71C-Barney Craig [4]; 2. 00-Dean Pitts [1]; 3. 01-Earnie Woodard [3]; 4. 3-Rob Trent [5]; 5. 20-Shawn Phillipi [2]; 6. M1-Jeremy Creech [14]; 7. 5G-Anthony Goode [6]; 8. 55-Bradley Caudill [10]; 9. 23-Casey Barr [7]; 10. 52T-Cody Timmerman [12]; 11. 19-Wayne Williams [9]; 12. 52-John Phlipot, Jr [11]; 13. 36-Adam Schaeff [16]; 14. 1W-Mark Wooten [18]; 15. 08-Todd Gross [8]; 16. 5-Ricky Rae Dillon [DNS]; 17. 11D-Colton Oda [DNS]; 18. 7W-Dan Wooten [DNS].

TONY STEWART ADJUSTS COMPETITION SCHEDULE TO TACKLE OUTLAWS AT ELDORA

Track Owner and Reigning NASCAR Cup Series Champion Has Goal to Beat WoO Teams on his Home Turf

ROSSBURG, Ohio (May 4) – Tony Stewart’s accomplishments at Eldora Speedway are impressive, but his goals are not complete. The reigning and three-time NASCAR Cup Series champion and current owner of Eldora Speedway has entered Eldora’s fabled Victory Lane as a winner in Late Models, Winged Sprint Cars, Non-Winged Sprint Cars, a Modified, a Midget and three times in the charity driven Prelude to the Dream – but never in a World of Outlaws (WoO) Sprint Car sanctioned event.

With the travelling WoO at Eldora for the Outlaw Thunder by Goodyear this weekend, Stewart has adjusted his busy competition schedule to make every possible effort to fly into Rossburg, Ohio both nights with the goal of not only challenging, but beating the WoO stars and other invaders in their own game.

Only one of two things could possibly deter Stewart from getting into Ohio – a delay in the NASCAR schedule at Talladega or flight issues due to weather.

Other than that Stewart is ‘game-on’ and ready to return to his passion of grassroots racing.

His competition is formidable with the WoO in the midst of an intense point battle that include two Stewart owned teams (Donny Schatz and Steve Kinser) in the top five. Sammy Swindell carries a seven point margin to lead the series into the Goodyear sponsored weekend.

Joining Stewart as challengers against the touring WoO teams will be the likes of Tim Shaffer, Dale Blaney, Stevie Smith, Jac Haudenschild and Paul McMahan with two complete nights of racing slated for the .500 mile clay oval each evening.

A doubleheader program each night will feature the Eldora Stock Cars on Friday and the UMP DIRTcar Modifieds on Saturday, as those two divisions continue their points chase and earn a position in the Feed The Children Prelude to the Dream invitational on June 6.

Tickets for the Outlaw Thunder by Goodyear, the Kings Royal weekend, and all other Eldora events are available through the track office at (937) 338-3815 or online 24 hours a day at www.EldoraSpeedway.com. Like us at www.Facebook.com/EldoraSpeedway or catch all the behind-the-scenes preparation for the event on Twitter @EldoraSpeedway.

MOTHER NATURE CAPTURES SECOND 2012 EVENT VICTORY

Rain, Wind and Cold Combine to Cancel April 28 Race, World of Outlaws Sprints Up Next

ROSSBURG, OH (April 28) – Mother Nature may consider purchasing an Eldora Speedway competitor license to get into the 2012 points chase. With an arsenal of rain, wind and unseasonably cool temperatures she recorded her second win of the season Saturday night, April 28 with another event cancellation.

That now gives her two victories in the young season.

Her prey this weekend was the UMP DIRTcar Modifieds, Eldora Stock Cars and the Vores Welding Front Wheel Drive Compacts. All three divisions, along with a fireworks extravaganza, will return Saturday evening, May 19 for the Mobil 1 Family Fun Night festivities.

With Saturday’s cancellation, the stage is now set for a May 4 and 5 doubleheader weekend featuring the powerful World of Outlaws (WoO) Sprint Cars in Outlaw Thunder by Goodyear. Full point shows for the travelling WoO fill the card each night, complemented by the Eldora Stock Cars on Friday night and the UMP DIRTcar Modifieds on Saturday night.

Eldora Speedway’s 59^th Season Kicks Off With Wins by Hines, Kramer and Phillippi

HINES TAKES LAST LAP VICTORY OVER DARLAND IN USAC SPRINT OPENER

ROSSBURG, Ohio (April 21) – Race car drivers will tell you, the most important lap to lead in any race is the last one.

USAC (United States Auto Club) Sprint Car driver Tracy Hines drove that point home – and right onto Eldora Speedway’s Victory Lane stage – with a thrilling pass of Dave Darland on lap 29 of the 30-lap feature event, as the famed half-mile dirt track opened its 59^th season of racing in dramatic style. Joey Kramer won the companion UMP (United Midwestern Promoters) DIRTcar Modified finale, while Shawn Phillippi closed out the evening with his first-ever Stock Car feature victory.

For 29 laps Hines chased Darland, who at times held a comfortable straight away lead. But Hines started reeling in Darland and caught up to his bumper with six laps to go. Hines couldn’t pull off a slide job in turns 3-4 with five to go, and fought to get past a lapped car with three left.

But as he fell further behind Darland, Hines said the dust the frontrunner was kicking up died down allowing Hines to see the cushion and where to pass.

“I got a killer run out of turn 2 because I could see it,” Hines said. “We’re flying around here almost flat footed.”

Hines’ slide job coming out of turn 2 gave him the momentum down the backstretch and Darland couldn’t pull off a similar slide job in the final turn as the driver from New Castle, Ind., took the first of two legs in the Border Wars event. The first leg at Gas City (Ind.) I-69 Speedway was rained out Friday. The race has been rescheduled to run Friday, April 27.

“The MP Environmental car was consistent, but Dave was better on short runs. He pulled away from me on every restart,” Hines said. “

I’d start running him back down, I don’t know if it was air pressure building up or just rhythm. I started catching him and I tried it a couple times, I just couldn’t figure out how to pass him. I looked and saw two to go and I had to jump on it. I had to take advantage of it and he kind of got loose in turn 4. You could come back out of turn 4 if somebody slid you, but you couldn’t come back out of turn 2 because the cushion was all the way to the wall. I knew if I got him there I had him.”

The victory was Hines’ first at Eldora since winning two straight in April and June of 2008. He ranks third in USAC sprint car victories at Eldora trailing only Larry Dickson (9) and Jack Hewitt (13).

“Winning never gets old, period,” Hines said. “That’s how I pay my bills.”

The victory was special for Hines, who dedicated the win to ill car owner Dave Calderwood.

“My sponsor, owner, friend Dave Calderwood … we’re probably not going to have him the rest of the summer. This is probably going to be his last year of racing,” Hines said. “ I think God wants Dave with Him instead of with us. That win was definitely for him and all the things he’s done for me.”

“Eldora is my favorite dirt track and Winchester is my favorite pavement. I don’t know if it’s just the big, fast half miles but I enjoy it so much.”

“I was running as hard as I could. I knew after four or five laps after each restart I could catch him.”

Darland, who was three turns away from his first win at Eldora since April 29, 2000, finished second. Matt Westfall, Robert Ballou and Justin Grant rounded out the top five.

Kyle Larson, who swept the USAC portion of the 4-Crown Nationals last September, brought out a red flag on Lap 8 when he flipped in turn 1. He was not injured. Bobby East tagged the wall in turns 1-2 attempting a pass for a caution on lap 13.

Levi Jones, who finished seventh in the feature, posted fast time in the two-lap qualifying session. He posted a 14.872 on his second lap, a shade over Jerry Coons Jr.’s track record of 14.712 set on Sept. 22, 2006. Justin Grant (14.885), Chase Stockton (14.887) and Bryan Clauson (14.895) also posted 14-second laps.

Grant earned the semi feature win. Darland, Ballou, Jerry Coons Jr. and Hunter Schuerenberg all grabbed heat wins.

In the UMP Modified feature, Joey Kramer of Hanover, Ind., led all 18 laps for his first victory at Eldora since September of 2001.

Kramer survived several cautions that bunched the field behind him, proving to be faster than the field on the restarts. “This race car is unbelievable. We had the car perfect tonight and we got a good start. I couldn’t ask for a better setup. It was working,” Kramer said.

Jeff Babcock, Doug Adkins, Jerry Bowersock and Brian Post rounded out the top five.

Brent Hole and Andy Bibler won B-Mains. Rob Williams, Joel Dick, Bowersock and Adkins won Modified heats.

Shawn Phillippi had never experienced the thrill of Eldora’s victory ;ane, and he enjoyed the moment with an emphatic celebration after leading the Stock Cars from start-to-finish in the 15-lapper.

“That was my first one-yeah!” Phillippi said thrusting his fist into the air. “I couldn’t start any better. My first win on my first time out, it’s awesome.”

Phillippi, who finished fifth in stock points last year, left the field to battle for second place as he set sail early. Two early cautions gave them a chance, but Phillippi dashed them. Rob Trent, Barney Craig, John Phlipot Jr. and Mark Wooten finished in the top five. Phlipot , Jr. and Craig won the Stock Car heats.

To celebrate the 50^th anniversary of USAC’s first race at Eldora, winning driver Stan Bowman of Covington, Ky., and car owner Harold Beck of Dayton were honored for that first victory on April 22, 1962. Plaques signed by track owner Tony Stewart were presented to Randy Bowman, Stan’s son, and Diane (Beck) Lane, Harold’s daughter. Stan Bowman died in a racing accident in Terre Haute, Ind., in 1962 and Harold Bowman passed away in 1971.

“I had no idea at all,” Lane said of recognizing how significant that day would become in Eldora history. “The most that I remember about the race was how happy my dad was because that was his first USAC win. It was a great day.”

Eldora Speedway hosts the USAC Sprints again on July 28 and celebrates their partnership with a special 50-lap feature, honoring the 50^th anniversary of USAC’s first appearance at the historic track. A minimum $10,000 payout awaits the winner of the feature. The National Racing Alliance Sprint Invaders will also be in action.

Eldora Speedway returns to action Saturday, April 28, with the UMP DIRTcar Modifieds, Eldora Stocks and Vore’s Welding Compacts.

Ticket and event information may be found on the track’s website, www.EldoraSpeedway.com.

WORLD OF OUTLAWS SPRINT CAR SERIES CHAMPIONS LATEST ADDITIONS TO FEED THE CHILDREN PRELUDE TO THE DREAM LINEUP

Kinser, Schatz To Carry Short-Track Banner in June 6 All-Star Dirt Late Model Race at Eldora Speedway

ROSSBURG, Ohio (April 21) – The concrete wall ringing the dirt around the topside of Tony Stewart’s historic Eldora Speedway has intimidated just about every driver who has ever turned laps at the nationally acclaimed half-mile clay oval.

Two drivers who have plenty of respect for those walls are World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series champions Steve Kinser and Donny Schatz, and they are the two most recent additions to the driver lineup for the June 6 Prelude to the Dream.

Twenty-time Outlaws champion Steve Kinser and his Tony Stewart Racing (TSR) teammate, four-time Outlaws champion Donny Schatz, are each well-versed in the fast way around Eldora. Both will trade their Sprint cars for dirt Late Models as they make their first-ever dirt Late Model start in the all-star race featuring more than 25 world-renowned drivers from all walks of motorsports.

“Eldora was one of the first high-banked tracks I ever raced on, and I’d guess you’d say it made a pretty good impression on me,” Kinser said. “It’s such a special place to me, and I’m honored to have been asked to be part of this event. I’ve never raced a Late Model anywhere, so I guess if there was any place where I’d want to do it, it’d be at Eldora.”

Kinser has won a staggering 570 World of Outlaws A-Feature races during his illustrious career with 35 coming at Eldora. The Bloomington, Ind., native also has an International Race of Champions victory at Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway in 1994 on his resume, as well as starts in the 1995 Daytona 500 and 1997 Indianapolis 500.

“I have no idea what to expect,” Kinser said. “Do I drive the car like a non-winged car or a winged car? I’ll have to talk with Tony (Stewart) about it. He’ll be a great asset to me because he’s been in so many different kinds of cars. I’m pretty sure his feedback will be a good starting point.”

Kinser, known in Sprint car racing circles as “The King of the Outlaws,” began racing after a successful high school wrestling career that included an Indiana state championship during his senior year at Bloomington High School in 1976. He followed his father Bob into racing and, once he hooked up with his cousin Karl Kinser in 1978, he began building his legendary status in short-track racing. Kinser won his first-ever World of Outlaws feature at Eldora in May 1978 and picked up his first Outlaws crown later that season at Eldora.

Kinser has won more than 60 races at the facility, including victories in USAC Sprint Cars, USAC Silver Crown, All-Star Circuit of Champions and several unsanctioned Sprint car events, including the 1984, 1988 and 1991 Kings Royal, and 1997 and 2000 $100,000-to-win Historical Big Ones.

The conclusion of the 2010 Kings Royal – Kinser’s most recent Eldora victory – was vintage Kinser. He scraped the wall several times as he desperately tried to take the lead in the 40-lap contest and appropriately used a late-race restart that provided him one last opportunity to execute a perfect slide job to claim his seventh Kings Royal win.

Kinser hasn’t always come out on top when he’s battled at Eldora. He’s had his fair share of accidents trying to squeeze as much speed as possible out of the track.

Schatz, his TSR teammate, also has had his share of unscheduled meetings with Eldora’s unforgiving wall, but after a few hard knocks and plenty of laps, the Fargo, N.D., native has become one of the best at circling the high-banked track.

“I think the laps both Steve and I have made at Eldora may help us a little bit, but neither one of us has ever raced a dirt Late Model,” Schatz said. “I had the chance to make a few laps one time when Tony was practicing for a race in Fargo. There were some similarities, but not many. Maybe knowing the dynamics of dirt-track racing a little better than those guys will help even the playing field. I think with a Late Model we might be able to run even closer to the wall. You can get away with leaning on it a bit whereas, in a Sprint car, it just wants to pull you into it. The extra sheet metal will be nice.”

Schatz first came to Eldora in the spring of 1996 as a 17-year-old ready to learn from the best. He pitted next to Kinser but, before the cars could hit the track, a North Dakota-like snowstorm hit the western Ohio facility and postponed his debut. He returned a few months later for the Kings Royal and splashed onto the scene by finishing eighth in the nationally televised event.

It was six seasons later when Schatz finally earned his first victory at Eldora. The win came in dominating fashion as he rode the high line to a $100,000 victory in the 2002 Historical Big One. As his career progressed, he became known for winning the highest-paying races and, in 2007, Schatz earned his first World of Outlaws A-Feature triumph by scoring the $50,000-to-win Kings Royal, winning by nearly nine seconds. His most recent victory at the track came in July 2009 when he scored his second Kings Royal triumph.

“I was pretty overwhelmed when I was invited to be part of the Prelude,” Schatz said. “You could say it’s like a dream-come-true to be able to represent the Sprint car guys and go out and try to stake our claim at Eldora. It’s going to be quite an honor to be one of the two guys representing the grassroots racers and have the chance to compete with the elite drivers in motorsports.”

Kinser and Schatz will be the third and fourth World of Outlaws champions to compete in the event, joining Dave Blaney and Danny Lasoski, who won the 2001 Outlaws title and finished third in the inaugural Prelude in 2005. Blaney, the 1995 Outlaws champion, will be making his sixth Prelude start this year. His best finish came in 2006 when he raced to a second-place finish. The 2006 event was also the year TSR teammates Levi Jones and Josh Wise took part.

Race fans can catch all the behind-the-scenes preparation for the Prelude by following the track, event, charity, drivers and officials on Twitter: @EldoraSpeedway, @PreludetoDream, @FeedTheChildren, @TonyStewart_rcg, @KyleBusch, @KenSchrader, @RickyCarmichael, @AustinDillon3, @JasonLeffler, @JJYeley1, @DanicaPatrick, @RyanNewman39, @Bobby_Labonte, @Kenny_Wallace, @tydillon, @aric_almirola, @JimmieJohnson, @J_Allgaier, @skiprec, @DavidGilliland, @ClintBowyer, @KaseyKahne, @KurtBusch, @TonyKanaan, @NAPARonCapps, @BuckeyeBullet10 and @RogerSlack.

Kinser and Schatz join the previously announced Feed The Children Prelude to the Dream drivers Tony Stewart, Kyle Busch, Kenny Schrader, Ricky Carmichael, Austin Dillon, Jason Leffler, J.J. Yeley, Danica Patrick, Ryan Newman, Bobby Labonte, Kenny Wallace, Ty Dillon, Aric Almirola, Clint Bowyer, Kasey Kahne, Kurt Busch, Dave Blaney, Tony Kanaan, Ron Capps, Jimmie Johnson, Justin Allgaier, Bill Elliott, Ray Evernham, David Gilliland and Cruz Pedregon.

Tickets and campsites for the Feed The Children Prelude to the Dream and all other 2012 Eldora Speedway major events, including the $100,000-to-win Dirt Late Model Dream presented by Ferris Commercial Mowers, the $50,000-to-win World of Outlaws Kings Royal and the 42^nd annual World 100, are available through the speedway box office by calling (937) 338-3815 or online 24 hours a day at www.EldoraSpeedway.com. The track’s Facebook page is at www.Facebook.com/EldoraSpeedway.

WET WEATHER AND FORECASTED STORMS FORCE ELDORA CANCELLATION

Season Opener Pushed to April 21 with USAC Sprints

ROSSBURG, OH (April 14) – Early morning showers, combined with incoming strong storm fronts have forced a cancellation of the scheduled 2012 season opening event for the Sunoco American Late Model Series, UMP DIRTcar Modifieds and Eldora Stock Cars Saturday evening at Eldora Speedway.

The track crew had worked hard all week to prepare an ideal racing surface for the three division program but Mother Nature failed to cooperate.

With the cancelation, Eldora’s 59^th season opening event has been moved to Saturday evening, April 21 featuring the United States Auto Club (USAC) National Sprint Cars, UMP DIRTcar Modifieds and Eldora Stocks. That event will begin the 51^st consecutive year of USAC racing at Eldora. Stan Bowman captured the first such event in 1962 and Bowman family members will be on hand to celebrate that accomplishment.

Complete information, including ticket and campsite purchases, may be found on the track’s website www.eldoraspeedway.com or by phone at (937) 338-3815.

JON HENRY HOPING TO FIND COMFORT ZONE IN SEARCH OF FIRST ELDORA ALMS WIN

Sunoco Sponsored Series Part of April 14 Tripleheader to Kick Off 59^th Season

ROSSBURG, OH (April 4) – When the Sunoco sponsored American Late Model Series (ALMS) opens Eldora Speedway’s 59^th consecutive season of auto racing on Saturday, April 14, defending ALMS and Eldora co-champion Jon Henry wants desperately to get his name on the prestigious list of Eldora Late Model winners; something that has eluded him to date.

“I’m not going to lie to you, it’s something I want bad, really bad,” stated Henry in a recent interview. “But it boils down to finding your comfort zone – coming up with the right combination of patience and aggression. I haven’t found that zone yet, but I’m getting close.”

Henry is a two-time ALMS champion (2011, 2009) and has won feature events throughout the Midwest, but admits that the sheer name of Eldora can offset the best of the best. “It’s Eldora, what can I say? Eldora has so much prestige and history. You get behind the wheel, line-up on the race track and start to think – this IS Eldora. Instantly the adrenaline kicks up ten notches and if you don’t watch out, it can get the best of you. I can’t think of any other track that does that to me.”

While a presence in the Late Model victory lane has escaped Henry to date, he has been there four times before in a UMP DIRTcar Modified, but even that took perseverance. “I had won multiple times at Limaland and elsewhere, yet it took me three years to overcome Eldora. I had to learn to slow down to go fast. Let’s face it; I had to learn to quit trying to knock down the wall.”

That mission was accomplished and now with three years of Late Model racing under his belt, he is ready to join the balance of other ALMS invaders on the 14^th in hopes of grabbing the first checkered flag of the new season.

Expected to join Henry in the field are the likes of 2011 Eldora co-champion Brian Ruhlman, and former ALMS/Eldora champions Jeep VanWormer and Jerry Bowersock. VanWormer sits atop the ALMS win list at Eldora with six victories, while Ruhlman sits in second with five wins and Bowersock with four. If Henry has his way about things, he will see that the order doesn’t change and that he can add his name to the list of 30 other drivers that have conquered ALMS events at Eldora in the 65 events contested to date.

Joining the tripleheader program will be the UMP DIRTcar Modifieds and Eldora Stock Cars, with race time slated for 7:30 p.m.

Advance tickets for the April 14 59^th Season Opener, and all other Eldora Speedway events are available online 24 hours a day at www.EldoraSpeedway.com or by calling the speedway office during normal business hours (937) 338.3815.

CHAMPIONS JOIN FEED THE CHILDREN PRELUDE TO THE DREAM ROSTER

June 6 Charity Event Represents Wide Spectrum of Driving Talent With 25 Superstars

ROSSBURG, OH (March 22) - With seven names added this week, all with championship credits, the list of driver superstars for the Wednesday, June 6 running of the Feed The Children Prelude to the Dream at Eldora Speedway now stands at 25. Three-time and defending NASCAR Sprint Cup Champion Tony Stewart will be joined by Kyle Busch, Kenny Schrader, Ricky Carmichael, Austin Dillon, Jason Leffler and J.J. Yeley as drivers announced this week into the 8^th annual charity-driven event on Eldora’s nationally-acclaimed .500-mile clay oval.

Three is a prevalent number for Stewart, who also owns Eldora, as it represents both the number of NASCAR Sprint Cup titles won and the number of Prelude victories to his credit – with wins in 2006, 2008 and 2009. And, as proof of his driving diversity, Stewart was the first driver to win three United States Auto Club (USAC) National Championships in one season when he captured titles in USAC’s touring Midget, Sprint Car and Silver Crown divisions in 1995.

Always cognizant of his grassroots start in racing, Stewart welcomes every opportunity he can to go short track racing – especially at his ‘home’ track. In addition to his Prelude wins, Stewart has stepped into Eldora’s hallowed victory lane as winner following USAC Midget and Sprint Car, Late Model, 360-Sprint Car and Modified feature events.

With Kyle Busch joining the Feed The Children Prelude to the Dream fold, it completes one of two brother acts in this year’s field – Kyle/Kurt Busch and Austin/Ty Dillon.

Kyle, the 2009 NASCAR Nationwide Series champion, also finds three to his liking. Busch’s mastery of all levels of NASCAR competition came in August 2010 at Bristol, when he became the first driver in history to win all three national series (Camping World Truck, Nationwide, Sprint Cup) on the same weekend, at the same track. The 2004 NASCAR Nationwide Series and 2005 NASCAR Sprint Cup Rookie of the Year has five previous Prelude competitions under his belt, with four of them being among the top four at the finish.

Kenny Schrader joins Stewart, Kenny Wallace and Ron Capps as one of only four drivers to have been in the Prelude line-up since its 2005 inception. Said to be the consummate race car driver, Schrader has been known to drive anything on wheels. Like Stewart, the 27-year NASCAR Sprint Cup veteran blazed his trail into the stock car world via the open wheel route. His early career stats include three USAC wins at Eldora Speedway (two Midget, one Silver Crown), along with USAC National championship titles in 1982 (Silver Crown) and 1983 (Sprint Car). In recent years, when not NASCAR Sprint Cup racing, Schrader has frequently returned to Eldora in Modified and Late Model competition with feature wins in both divisions. He has a pair of fourth-place finishes (2005 and 2007) as his best Prelude showings.

With Ricky Carmichael comes a presence from the two-wheel world of racing. Simply known as GOAT (Greatest of All Time), the invincible Carmichael has 15 American Motorcyclist Association (AMA) championships on his resume; five AMA Supercross and 10 AMA Outdoor Motocross. Two of those championships came on the heels of perfect seasons, an unequaled record in the racing world. Following a semi-retirement from the two-wheel world in 2007, Carmichael ventured into stock car racing competing in NASCAR’s Camping World Truck Series and Nationwide Series.

Dillon, who made his Prelude debut last year, will be joining younger brother Ty in this year’s running. As grandsons of the legendary Richard Childress, they have mighty big shoes to fill; but have been fitting into them quite well.

Austin sets the pace for Ty. After claiming Rookie of the Year honors in NASCAR’s Camping World Truck Series in 2010, he followed that up with a championship the next season (2011), along with Most Popular Driver honors. This year he has stepped up into NASCAR’s Nationwide Series behind the wheel of the celebrated number 3 that was made famous through Childress and his driver, the late Dale Earnhardt.

Even during his pursuit of a coveted NASCAR championship, Dillon continued to explore and learn auto racing on all levels. He fielded a dirt Modified and dirt Late Model with success. It was with his Late Model that he served notice of being a bona fide contender. In 2010, at Eldora’s signature event for dirt Late Models, the World 100, Dillon set fast time over a 134-car field of the best teams in the nation. He finished 13^th in the century grind after starting 19^th, and then followed that up with a ninth place finish this past year.

Likewise, Eldora Speedway is no stranger to Jason Leffler, another NASCAR veteran via the USAC route. The versatile Leffler, a recurrent competitor in NASCAR’s Nationwide and Camping World Truck series, has three USAC National Midget and one Silver Crown titles to his credit, as well as one start in the Indianapolis 500.

Completing this week’s roster announcement is Yeley, who shares the similar route of USAC into NASCAR with Stewart, Schrader and Leffler. In fact, Yeley’s route is very similar to Stewart’s. A 2003 USAC triple crown of National Championships in the Midget, Sprint and Silver Crown divisions and multiple INDYCAR Series starts were the springboard into NASCAR, where, like Stewart, Yeley joined the Joe Gibbs Racing Team. His career best finish in NASCAR Sprint Cup racing came at Michigan International Speedway in 2007. A strong run in last season’s Prelude found him finishing runner-up to Bowyer.

Race fans can catch all the behind-the-scenes preparation for the event by following the track, event, charity, drivers and officials on Twitter: @EldoraSpeedway, @PreludetoDream, @FeedTheChildren, @TonyStewart, @KyleBusch, @KenSchrader, @RickyCarmichael, @AustinDillon3, @JasonLeffler and @JJYeley1.

These seven names are added to the previously announced, Clint Bowyer, Kasey Kahne, Kurt Busch, Dave Blaney, Tony Kanaan, Ron Capps, Jimmie Johnson, Justin Allgaier, Bill Elliott, Ray Evernham, David Gilliand, Cruz Pedregon, Danica Patrick, Ryan Newman, Bobby Labonte, Kenny Wallace, Ty Dillon and Aric Almirola.

Reserved seats for Wednesday, June 6^th’s Feed The Children Prelude to the Dream are $29 and are now available through the speedway box office (937) 338-3815 or online 24 hours a day at www.EldoraSpeedway.com. Like us at www.Facebook.com/EldoraSpeedway. Follow us at www.twitter.com/EldoraSpeedway.

GRANDEST STAGE TO SERVE AS DANICA’S DEBUT

Danica Patrick Joins 5 Other Drivers at Feed The Children Prelude to the Dream, Total Now 18

ROSSBURG, OH (March 14) – Dirt racing’s grandest stage, Eldora Speedway, will set the scene for Danica Patrick’s long awaited dirt track debut. She joins Ryan Newman, Bobby Labonte, Kenny Wallace, Ty Dillon and Aric Almirola in the third installment of roster announcements for the Wednesday, June 6 running of the Feed The Children Prelude to the Dream, bringing the total of announced superstar drivers to 18.

After a seven-year run in INDYCAR racing, where she captured Rookie of the Year honors in 2005 and win in Motegi, Japan in 2008, Patrick made the bold move to concentrate full-time in NASCAR racing this year. She is concentrating her efforts full-time in the Nationwide Series with JR Motorsports, along with a limited schedule of Sprint Cup racing under the banner of three-time Sprint Cup champion and Eldora Speedway owner, Tony Stewart and his Stewart-Haas Racing camp.

At the age of 10, Patrick turned a few laps on dirt, but never in a stock car.

“I raced on dirt once before in a go-kart when I was young, but that’s about it. It’s going to be a challenge for sure, but I know Tony has offered to help in any way possible. I’m excited about it, but I’m also nervous,” stated Patrick. “It’s a totally different style of racing, so I’m not sure what to expect. But, it’s for a great cause with Feed The Children benefiting from the money raised this year, so I’m ready to give it a shot.”

Ryan Newman is no stranger to either the dirt or short track wars, as his early career found him blazing throughout the Midwest en route to an amazing 170 feature wins in USAC (United States Auto Club) Midget, Sprint and Silver Crown competition. However, he has yet to garner a victory at Eldora and that is a statistic the 15-time NASCAR Sprint Cup winner wants to change. This will mark his seventh Prelude appearance, with a fourth-place finish in 2009 his highest mark to date.

Inside knowledge is no problem for Bobby Labonte. The 2000 NASCAR Sprint Cup champion fields a very successful short-track dirt Late Model team headed up by Earl Pearson, Jr. who has a much heralded Eldora World 100 win to his credit. Pearson will be coaching Labonte throughout the evening as the 21-time Sprint Cup winner makes his seventh Prelude appearance.

With his ever-present smile and quick wit, Kenny Wallace returns to the Prelude as a fan favorite. As the youngest of the famed racing Wallace siblings, Kenny has had no trouble following their successful footsteps. He has a thing for firsts. Kenny won the main event in his first-ever attempt at racing when he strapped into a Street Stock in 1982 and then when the Prelude to the Dream was introduced in 2005, he was the first driver to claim a win. While he is a regular on the tough NASCAR Nationwide Series circuit, he remains close to dirt grassroots racing with his Modified efforts. His 2012 short-track season is off to a great start, with four feature wins in the month of February.

Another driver having to follow older brother footsteps is Ty Dillon, brother to Austin and grandson of legendary car owner Richard Childress. As Austin creates standards, Ty reaches out and meets them. He concluded the 2011 season with an ARCA Racing Series National championship and then kicked off the 2012 campaign by capturing the UNOH DIRTcar Modified Nationals in Florida. He now sets his sights on the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series and taking the title that older brother Austin earned in 2011. Ty was able to get a taste of Eldora during the 2011 World 100 where he finished a creditable 8^th in the B-Main in his first-ever visit to the famed .500 mile clay oval.

Aric Almirola’s career began with go karts in 1992, but his tenacity to succeed has seen a steady climb up the ladder through Modifieds, into the Joe Gibbs Diversity program, into the NASCAR Nationwide Series and into today’s spotlight where he has landed a ride in the renowned Petty Motorsports #43 in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. He is quickly adapting to that team with a twelve-place finish at Phoenix already under their belt. With six previous Prelude starts, last year’s strong third place finish was his best showing.

Race fans can catch all the behind-the-scenes preparation for the event by following the track, event, charity, drivers and officials on Twitter: @EldoraSpeedway, @PreludetoDream, @FeedTheChildren, @DanicaPatrick, @RyanNewman39, @Bobby_Labonte, @Kenny_Wallace, @tydillon, @aric_almirola.

Joining these six will be the previously announced Feed The Children Prelude to the Dream drivers Clint Bowyer, Kasey Kahne, Kurt Busch, Dave Blaney, Tony Kanaan, Ron Capps, Jimmie Johnson, Just Allgaier, Bill Elliott, Ray Evernham, David Gilliland and Cruz Pedregon.

Tickets and campsites for the Feed The Children Prelude to the Dream and all other 2012 Eldora Speedway Major Events including the $100,000-to-win Dirt Late Model Dream presented by Ferris Commercial Mowers, $50,000-to-win World of Outlaws Kings Royal and 42^nd Annual World 100 are available through the speedway box office (937) 338-3815 or online 24 hours a day at www.EldoraSpeedway.com. Like us at www.Facebook.com/EldoraSpeedway.

PRE-SEASON TEST AND TUNE SESSION KICKS OFF BUSY ELDORA APRIL

April 7 Session Open To All Divisions of Racing

ROSSBURG, OH (March 12) – A pre-season ‘test and tune’ session on April 7 will kick off a busy and diverse month of Saturday action at Eldora Speedway. The four-hour session gets started at 1 p.m. and is open to all divisions of racing, with the only restrictions being compliance to safety and a minimum driver age of 16.

Race fans will be admitted into the grandstand area free of charge to catch their first glimpse of action on the one-half mile clay oval.

Eldora’s 59^th consecutive season swings into action the following Saturday evening (April 14) with the Sunoco-sponsored American Late Model Series headlining the tripleheader along with the United Midwestern Promoters (UMP) DIRTcar Modifieds and Eldora Stock Cars, who will be on the card throughout the entire month.

One week later (April 21) will find the United States Auto Club (USAC) Sprint Cars returning to the legendary high-banks to carry on an annual tradition that dates back to 1962, when Stan Bowman captured the inaugural USAC Sprint main event. Bowman’s fete will be honored that evening.

Rounding out the month will be a return of the Vore’s Welding Front Wheel Drive Compact Series in a doubleheader with the UMP DIRTcar Modifieds on April 28.

Tickets for these events, plus the May 4^th and 5^th running of the World of Outlaws Goodyear Outlaw Thunder, will go on sale Monday, March 19 via the Eldora Speedway box office (937) 338-3815 or online 24 hours a day at www.EldoraSpeedway.com. Available now through these outlets are tickets and campsites for Eldora’s Major Events, including the Feed The Children Prelude to the Dream (June 6), $100,000 to-win Dirt Late Model Dream presented by Ferris Commercial Mowers (June 8 & 9), $50,000 to-win World of Outlaws Kings Royal (July 14) and 42nd annual World 100 (Sept. 7 & 8).

THE CHILDREN PRELUDE TO THE DREAM DRIVERS ANNOUNCED

Another Star-Studded Field to Participate in June 6 Charity Event

ROSSBURG, OH (March 1) – Fresh off the green flag to the 2012 North American motorsports calendar, Tony Stewart’s Eldora Speedway is excited to announce the first round of drivers confirmed for the 8th Annual Feed The Children Prelude to the Dream. Defending champion Clint Bowyer leads superstars Kasey Kahne, Kurt Busch, Dave Blaney, Tony Kanaan and Ron Capps as the first six entrants into the charity-driven event.

The process of unveiling some of the world’s greatest known drivers from NASCAR, IndyCar and NHRA to the Wednesday, June 6 contest will span four weeks as drivers begin to prepare for their once-a-year encounter with the famed high-banked half-mile clay oval.

Defending Feed the Children Prelude to the Dream champion Clint Bowyer’s exciting run in last year’s Prelude cemented him as the most consistent driver in the seven-year history of the race. His initial Prelude appearance in 2007 resulted in a fifth place finish. He backed that up with a third place run the following year (2008), before registering a pair of runner-up finishes in 2009 and 2010, and then stepped up the pace even more with last year’s victory. Bowyer is coming off an 11^th place finish in this year’s Daytona 500.

Returning after a five-year absence, Busch will bring to the Darke (OH) County speed plant a hype that only Kurt Busch can create. Known for his prowess in many levels of NASCAR racing, his racing career remains rooted in grassroots racing, including on the dirt surface of the original Las Vegas Motor Speedway in Legends Cars where he began his career. His only previous Prelude appearance in 2006 netted him the 15^th position in the main event.

Blaney and Kahne are no strangers to Eldora Speedway. Each of them return with impressive Eldora credentials and countless laps of competition in multiple forms of the sport, most notably the open wheel variety – both winged and non-winged. The move to the heavier Dirt Late Models has required little adapting for the pair. Both have competed in five previous Prelude events, with the versatile Blaney, a former World of Outlaws Champion and veteran of Super DIRT Week at Syracuse, having earned the highest finish of runner-up in 2006.

Of this elite group of six drivers, Capps is the senior member, with appearances in each of the previous seven Preludes. Ironically Capps is not an oval track racer. His vocation is focused on the straight-lined drag strips; with 33 career wins under his belt. He is no stranger to speed, as testified by his career-best run of 4.023 seconds in a quarter-mile run, with a top speed of 315.27 MPH. He attacks the clay oval with that same vengeance, including a Prelude best finish of 4^th in 2006.

Kanaan enters the Prelude field as a representative of the IndyCar and international world. The Brazilian captured the 2004 IndyCar title and has set on the pole of the renown Indianapolis 500, but the transition to dirt grassroots racing has presented Kanaan with a new learning curve. With the last two years of Prelude racing on his resume (his only short track appearances), Kanaan has finished 24^th and 27^th. He looks at 2012 in anticipation of improving upon those marks.

Tickets and campsites for the Feed The Children Prelude to the Dream and all other 2012 Eldora Speedway Major Events including the $100,000-to-win Dirt Late Model Dream presented by Ferris Commercial Mowers, $50,000-to-win World of Outlaws Kings Royal and 42th Annual World 100 are available through the speedway box office (937) 338-3815 or online 24 hours a day at www.EldoraSpeedway.com. Like us at www.Facebook.com/EldoraSpeedway.

Catch all the behind-the-scenes preparation for the event by following the track, event, charity, drivers and officials on Twitter: @EldoraSpeedway, @PreludetoDream @FeedTheChildren, @KaseyKahne, @KurtBusch, @TonyKanaan, @NAPARonCapps and @RogerSlack.

SAFETY THROUGH WEATHER ALERT SYSTEM

Grant Assistance from Darke County Emergency Management Agency Makes Project Possible

ROSSBURG, OH (Feb. 3) – Fan and participant safety continues to be a high priority at Eldora Speedway for owner Tony Stewart, as reinforced by this week’s announcement that an outdoor weather alert system will be placed on the grounds of the famed speedway. The unit, which will be unique to the area, will be erected within a month and will be fully functional prior to the 59^th season opener on Saturday, April 14.

The placement of the multiple purpose alert system was made possible through ongoing efforts of Larry Kemp, Eldora Speedway senior adviser and Rick Lee, Darke County Emergency Management Agency (EMA) director, after Lee made the popular destination aware of an available Special Project Grant through the Ohio EMA.

Kemp approached Stewart with the concept, who gave immediate approval to proceed.

“Eldora Speedway wants to continue its position as role model when it comes to safety for fans and participants,” stated Kemp. “The completion of this exciting project emphasizes the concern that we have for not only our race fans, but for our neighbors.”

Purchased through Whelen Engineering of Chester, CT, the alert system has an audible circumference range of one mile, and is equipped with a public address system to aid in special instructions to the patrons following the activation of the alert siren.

The audio capability is unique to the area and is considered a plus by Lee. “We are excited about the capabilities this Whelen unit has to offer. Our primary focus with this system is to offer advance alert to the many campers that populate Eldora during its major race weekends. Not only will the system warn the campers and fans of impending severe weather conditions, but collaborative efforts between our offices, the Darke County Sheriff’s Office and the Eldora Speedway officials to offer evacuation and sheltering instructions can be delivered.”

In addition to the race fans, neighbors of Eldora Speedway will be afforded an extra level of protection from severe weather, as the alert system will complement existing units in Rossburg and Burkettsville and will be fully functional 365 days a year, not just on race populated weekends.

Lee credited Stewart for his concerns, “Eldora Speedway is a key player in putting Darke County on the map, and annually brings thousands of people into our community. Our office is here to assure that in the event of an emergency, we can offer assistance. Tony Stewart exemplifies true allegiance to safety for his patrons through this project, one which offers us another level of preparedness.”

Erection of the system is expected to be completed in mid-March with the unit to be fully operational within a few days of the completion of that construction.

Activation of the unit will be primarily through the Darke County Sheriff’s Office based upon weather alerts issued by the National Weather Service; however, the Eldora Speedway officials will have the ability to issue alerts and public address instructions as well.

Kemp added, “On our major event weekends, we virtually become another city within Darke County, and we feel the need to provide as much safety and concern for our citizens as any other municipality.”

And while Lee expressed his excitement of Eldora Speedway’s cooperation, he was quick to offer that “the alert system is in place to offer another level of caution. The race fans need to be continually aware of impending weather situations, and monitor NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) and National Weather Service issued alerts and warnings.”

Eldora Speedway’s season swings open Saturday, April 14, with tripleheader program featuring the Sunoco sponsored American Late Model Series, UMP DIRTcar Modifieds and Stock Cars. Complete event information and a full schedule of race dates may be downloaded from the track’s website www.EldoraSpeedway.com.

50^th ANNIVERSARY OF USAC RACING TO BE CELEBRATED IN GRAND STYLE

Minimum $10,000 Payday Awaits Victor of 50-Lap Main Event

ROSSBURG, OH (Feb. 3) – In celebration of the 50^th anniversary of USAC (United States Auto Club) Sprint Car racing at Eldora Speedway, one giant night of racing, Saturday July 28, has been inked. It will live up to the traditional Eldora standards of greatness, complete with a 50-lap finale to honor the benchmark occasion. Completing the doubleheader program will be the winged National Racing Alliance Sprint Invaders, as announced this week by Eldora general manager Roger Slack.

“Fifty years of history, memories and traditions just can’t go unobserved – this calls for another fabled Eldora Experience,” stated Slack.

A whopping minimum $10,000 payday awaits the victor of the grueling chase around Eldora’s fabled high banks with $2,000 earmarked for a tenth place finish and a minimum of $1,000 to start the historic main event. In continuing with Eldora’s respected trend of putting showmanship and excitement to the forefront, a special event format is being developed and will be released soon.

“The partnership between Eldora and USAC has been magic; one that has produced multiple storylines since that initial April 1962 event won by Stan Bowman. Non-winged Sprint Car fans have been clamoring for more USAC Sprint racing at Eldora and this will certainly whet their appetite,” continued Slack in making the announcement.

Kevin Miller, CEO/President at USAC shared the excitement, "Eldora Speedway has seemed like home to USAC participants since its first USAC race in 1962," says Miller. "The history established there in the past 50 years is incredible and we certainly look forward to another 50 years of the same type of excitement the track has always generated. We salute Eldora for this initiative of honoring this rich tradition and expect a stellar field of drivers and cars for what will most certainly be one of the track's signature events."

Since Bowman took that checkered flag in April of 1962, another 180 USAC National Sprint Car races have been contested, with 70 different drivers tasting the flavor of an Eldora victory.

That win list is populated with many of the greatest names in open wheel, non-winged Sprint Car racing; including drivers that have gone from USAC events at Eldora to heralded National events such as the Indianapolis 500 and Daytona 500. Recognized names include Gary Bettenhausen, Mario Andretti, Roger McCluskey, Johnny Rutherford, Larry Dickson and of course, current Eldora Speedway owner and three-time NASCAR Sprint Cup champion Tony Stewart.

Atop the list is a name even more common and recognizable to grassroots fans – Jack Hewitt from nearby Troy, Ohio. The colorful and outspoken Hewitt has amassed 13 USAC Sprint Car wins at Eldora, four more than his nearest rival, Larry Dickson.

Additional details and ticket information for the storied event will be released through the track’s website www.EldoraSpeedway.com. The targeted date for ticket sales is Monday, March 19; through the Eldora box office at (937) 338-3815 or online.

CHAMPIONSHIP AWARDS AMONG MULTIPLE HONORS AT ELDORA AWARDS CELEBRATION

Capacity Crowd Cheers On Recipients

ROSSBURG, OH (January 30) – With the recent staging of Eldora Speedway’s Awards Celebration, and the crowning of the divisional champions, the 2011 auto racing season has officially drawn to a close.

Before a capacity crowd, championship honors were bestowed upon Rob Trent (Stock Cars) and Jerry Bowersock (Modifieds), as well as Brian Ruhlman and Jon Henry who shared the Late Model title as the result of a tie in the final point standings.

In addition to their trophies and point fund disbursements, the champions received personalized Eldora Speedway jackets from Oakley and custom driver uniforms from Simpson Race Products.

Earlier in the evening, a drawing for drivers with perfect attendance resulted in David Smith winning a 32” JVC television courtesy of the Celina, OH Aaron’s Sales & Lease store, while Andrew Reaume was the last driver standing in the reverse raffle for the Bert transmission.

Specialty awards were the highlight of the fun-filled evening with Jeep VanWormer receiving the most coveted of them, the Chick Hale Sportsman of the Year Award.

Rookie of the year honors were bestowed upon Amanda Smith (Stock Car), John Phlipot, Jr. (Modified) and Matt Westfall (Late Model). Named as the Most Improved Drivers were Dean Pitts (Stock Car), Josh Morton (Modified) and J.R. Hotovy (Late Model), while Hard Luck Awards were distributed to Casey Barr (Stock Car), Shaun Smith (Modified) and Andrew Reaume (Late Model). Voted to have the Best Appearing Cars were Eric Sandlin (Stock Car), Nick Ketterhenry (Modified) and Jon Henry (Late Model).

The championship drivers, and their courts, were not alone when it came to recognition.

Named as the Owner of the Year was Mike Dirksen, while Allan Phillippi was awarded the Mechanic of the Year award. Jeff August of Plymouth, WI was announced as the Fan of the Year, while photographer Nancy Lane-Feldner was the recipient of the Woman of the Year plaque.

Roger Slack was introduced to the crowd as the new General Manager and released the exciting 2012 slate of events for Eldora’s famed one-half mile clay oval. The schedule, which is also available online at www.EldoraSpeedway.com, includes all of the traditional major events, including the Feed The Children Prelude to the Dream (June 6), Dirt Late Model Dream, (June 8 & 9), Kings Royal Weekend (July 13 & 14) and the World 100 (September 7 & 8)

Tickets for Eldora Speedway’s major events may be purchased by calling the speedway office (937) 338-3815 during normal business hours or around the clock online at www.EldoraSpeedway.com. The ticketing staff is busy prepping the online system for the balance of the scheduled events and camping reservations, as well.