Forum: HoseHeads Sprint Car General Forum (go)
Moderators: dirtonly  /  dmantx  /  hosehead

Eldora means sitting in the mist at 2am, watching Earl's blue truck go 'round and 'round and 'round. :-)

Dick.

October 1980 was the fisrt visit to Eldora for me. Steve Kinser took the win and I was in love with Eldora's high bank wall banging. Good times, good friends not always the best racing but hey nothings perfect. May of this year will be my 25th wedding anniversary, gonna take the wife for the first time to see this famed oval. (she just doesn't know it yet, surprise,surprise,surprise). Anyway, I've always had a good time one way or another.

man, what a great topic.so many memories,surprisingly i can remember some of them.MSPN,i too missed the place by not getting directions. late 80's me and dad,get to celina proceed toward fort wayne,who needs a map just get to 118!!! turn around,find 118,drive past the track,cant see it,get to rossburg.blinking light,find the firehouse,ask directions and go back.what a sight walking in and looking down into the bowl.something ill never forget.thru the years,went 3,4 times a year,sat on the concrete wall coming out of four with goggles and ablanket to keep the clay and dust off!!! took my family a couple times,sat thru many long rain delays,and wouldnt trade those times for anything.only problem i ever had was the drive back to wapakoneta at 3 in the morning with one eye open and full of dust.great place,great people,just hope smoke gets it back to the way it should be,balls to the wall,flat out,catch me if you can!!!

livin on the coast of n.carolina,no dirt to be 
found,thank god for hoseheads!!!!!

Well, since I'm from Ft. Loramie, I consider it my home track. Last year was my 1st time to knoxville and that was fun, but it is too hot and not the party in the campground and there isnt really a track bar. Unless you consider dingus. But to me eldora means camping, getting drunk, and watching around 5 to 10 races a year. Usually the usac and outlaw spring races are not the best, but by the time speedweek and the royal are here the track is usually good. That and the thursday night bar dance during the royal is a good time. In fact i only live 20 minutes away and i still take the entire week off work for that. Cant miss the 360 race on tuesday or the brad doty race on weds. Hopefully next weekend isnt rained out.

STACT Racing

I make it to eldora about once a year ussualy for the 4crown. took a different way last year and turn on the Earl Baltes highway, that must say something for the place. the entire 7 hr drive is always filled with anticipation, you know you are in store for some fast edge of your seat action and cant wait to be apart of it.

As to why we all like dirt racing, to me it just plain offers better racing action then your local pavement tracks. also the fans are great, like a big family as you can see from this board.

I know a guy who says he doesnt like the place, but he keeps going. It draws you there. Eldora is something to experience. is it the best, sometimes not but its pretty cool. and I would encourage all that have not gone to do so at least once.

Eldora means great speed and lots of DUST.

Adding $6 trillion of debt in his 1st term and now if 
elected again he wouldn't have to worry about an 
electorate in 2016 so the sky is the limit.And his EPA 
would continue to put the screws to oil drilling and 
mining for coal.Can you say bankruptcy.

Steve Kinser tumbling down the front stretch after contact with Mark in '96? was a doozy. the Mouse winning the HBO after a steady mist brought the track around to him. Herrera winning the Royal with a folded sideboard. Kerry Madsen one time in turn 3 tried to knock the wall down; maybe the place could use the safer barriers in the corners. Kind of a crap shoot on if you'll see any racing but the sheer speed makes up for it.

It's the same, So what if so & so bought it, It is Eldora. Well other than they don't have Mt.Dew.

Eldora was:

1. Going to my first Outlaws race, watching from the pits, and standing in turn 3 during hot laps.

2. Where I first got my parents hooked on real racing, also an Outlaws race, and watching the force of the cars knock my dad over during hot laps while standing in turn 3. Now we have our quality family time at the track, Nationals, Chili Bowl, etc. Memories you can't get anywhere else.

3. Getting to the race early with my sister (who knows very little about racing), meeting up with my parents, and having her tell them how I got excited about talking to "some old guy". All I had to say was "It was Jack Hewitt".

4. Watching a track that will chew people up and spit them out submit to the Wild Child. Watching him pass people by bouncing off of those treacherous walls will make your heart pound.

5. Crying in sadness when Earl announced his retirement and crying tears of joy when Tony Stewart announced he had bought it. There was no one with the money to buy it that loves and respects that track as much as he does.

6. Telling my parents I took a job in Iowa, my dad being upset, and my mom telling him, "Don't worry. She'll visit. Eldora's here." See you next weekend!

Eldora is:

1. Blowing your nose when you leave the track only to find chunks of black coming out.

2. Cresting a hill on a tiny back road in the middle of cornfields, seeing that track emerge in your view, and feeling your heart try to pound out of your chest.

3. STILL watching the Wild Child pass people by bouncing off of those treacherous walls.

4. A very good reason to go back and visit my family.

5. No noise ordinance so that the racing doesn't stop until it's done.

6. Knowing that Tony is there even if you do not see him because the track actually gets repaired in between races.

There are so many more! I can tell you as an Ohio transplant to Iowa, Knoxville cannot compare. I love Knoxville and have a great time there, but I guess you always love your first!

The Mermaid

If you have been to the big e, you would understand why it is so special. There is no track that compares to the atmosphere that eldora has. Words can't explain the feeling I get from the point I get up the hill and see all the campers outside of the track to smelling and hearing the sprint cars at the start of hot laps. I would recomend it to anyone that loves racing.

STACT Racing

Back in the late 1970s summer between junior and senior year in high school we made our annual trip to the world 100.. Back then you could drive your car in and park on the hill...My buddy had a 1969 Rambler which took us to many a race at the Big E...That day it was near 90 degrees...Up above turn 4 where the trailers enter the track you would line up your car get out buy tickets then drive on in..The line to buy tickets ran along the vehicles waiting to get in.. Two of us decided to get in the trunk while our buddy got out and bought one ticket... All the money we would save would mean more beer and cheeseburgers. Well Butch left the old Rambler running and got in line while we stayed in the trunk..It wasnt long before the heat and the fumes started to get to us and we started to panic thinking we were going to die... We were screaming for help and pushed the trunk up with our feet to get air but man I swear we were gonna die...Well Butch finally got back to the car and rescued us and we climbed out of the trunk to a large ovation from all the people in line...We were too scared to be embarassed...Anyway we paid and realized how stupid we were and if Earl would of caught us he would of put his foot up our butts...Eldora to me means 35 years of great racing, great times, and meeting great people...Hewitt going 4 for 4 in the 4 Crowns is number 1 in a long list of memories....

My first trip to Eldora was 1965 I think. My first memories were from 1967, a USAC event. From that point to the mid 70's my Dad and I almost never missed a USAC event. The Saturday night races were pure magic, the drivers the biggest heroes in the world. I also attended the first 7 or 8 World 100's. The first one I didn't even know it was a special race, I wondered why so many drivers I had never heard of were there! Saw the first 5 years of the WoO race, then quit going until 1992. (I owe a big thanks to my ex-wife for going there with me when nobody else would!).

I've seen so many amazing and crazy things there. A Hobby Stock taking out the flag stand, one sprint car winding up on the roll cage of another car, Earl marrying the two gorillas on a wagon on the front stretch, Larry Moore being the best late model driver I have ever seen there, Steve and Karl Kinser doing their magic over the years (if there was a red flag and Karl could adjust the car, it was all over but the crying!), the crowd favorite Wild Child, the 70's favorite Rollie Beale, etc......Oh yeah, the way the sound of the motor kinda echoes off the hill behind the backstretch during qualifying....

I get goosebumps when walking through the parking lot if I hear an engine or smell the methanol. I have travelled the world and my favorite place to visit is the Big E. My family knows when I die I am to be cremated and some of my ashes tossed into the 4th turn for a little extra bite!

Here is what Eldora means to me.

Finally getting to see a race there after my dad and I drove from Akron two separate times only to see an empty, rained out track.

The First race I got to watch there was also the first time I got to see Steve Kinser race. I was 17 years old, and had been a fan of his since I could remember

The second night of that race (the '99 Big one) should have been won by Sammy, but Kevin Gobrecht won the race.

It means a long, long drive from where I live, but I will make that drive every chance I get.

It means that no matter how many races I go to, or how boring or exciting the races get, it still has the effect of making me get chills while driving there.

It sounds like you have never been to the High Banks in Belleville Kansas, it is the only 1/2 mile dirt track were you put the brick on the throttle and leave it. This is were 410 sprint cars run 140-150 miles per hour.It is the most unreal thing you have ever seen.

...the Wagon Wheel, an incredibly blessed (genetically) young woman named Lisa Marie (not that one!), an exhibition of speed citation on SR 118, a brief stop in St. Henry, the RR tracks just north of there, a broken tie rod/heim joint/perforated oil pan, lots of sparks......

"As long as I can have a fast boat, a margarita 
machine and can light my hair on fire, I'll be just 
fine."

Jason Giambi

Eldora has went backwards when Tony took over last year was the first year i have not been there i started back in 1961. Year before last i sit and watch the road grader for about1 hour no track prep the show sucked do not think i will ever be back what a shame money destroyed the track Earl built. I have seen great races there in the past i do not think Tony is doing anything to help racing at Eldora follow the leader that is not racing.

Humbug 11

photo, I have never been there, and sounds like I would love it, ok so hows the racing? from a fans perspective, close, strung out on a 1/2 mile? If that dam state lottery would see what im trying to do here, I will visit everybody, at thier favorite track ! Ive driven and helped a friend on a a big 1/2 mile that usually feels like rubber cement is on your wheels its Like Knox, only faster, (more bank) the track is fun, but it doesnt take long to seperate the men from the boys , but still, tiny testicals? stay home!

Im looking at the Royal right now, maybe my ship will set sail this year,