What was the World 100 like in the beginning?

[latemodelman]

Anyone know what the World 100 was like in the beginning?

[EvelB7]

I wasn't around but read Larry Moore's book. As a kid at the racetracks in Iowa in the 70's I can remember all the Iowan's wanting to go and win it (and quite a few did!). Was a big moment for dirt late model racing, helped create the sport we see today for sure.

[TheJet-09]

I wasn't around in the beginning, but I sure do miss the 200+ car count days. I get the arguments about quality of competition nowadays, but they only took the top 120 for heats anyway. I always felt for the guys that were just on the outside looking in, sitting there ready to go at the entrance to turn one, in case someone was a no show for their heat.

Was it John Gill that said you weren't a real racer unless you went to Eldora?

[GEAR_HEAD]

They used to allow to fans on the grounds to watch it. That was cool.

[3 wide]

Eldora really took of when they put up lights I can't remember what year that was they rac for several years in the daytime the they added the dream and it really took of the times dropped 3 seconds for the first night race.

[lokwaidid]

after the qualifying on friday night of 200+ cars, there would be the eldora stocks. there were campers on top of the turns instead of bleachers and we would go to our friends camper in turns 1and 2 and watch racing till 2:30 or so. the stocks weren't the thrill. it was just sitting around with your friends all night. my first world was in 78 or 79. there was a guy who set up tables outside the main gate along the fence. he cooked and sold chicken dinners and cold slaw and potato salads. it was the 70"s so things were real cheap like $4.00 for a big dinner. sunday's race was hot and dusty, but you still talked about it all year.

[Morgs153]

I remember as a teenager getting my National Speed Sport News and reading about the World 100. They ran an article on all the time trials times with times posted and I was amazed at the sheer number of cars they qualified. Several drivers qualified more than one car to insure getting in the show back then. I used to follow racers from up in my part of the country to see how they'd do at the big show. I always liked Pete Parker and Leon Plank back then and hoped for them to get in and do well.

Not to mention just the cubic dollars of expenses in running the modern open SLMs but over the years more and more different types of late models developed (limiteds, crates, IMCA lates, WISSOTA lates, etc) and more tracks around the country ran dates against the World 100 so that siphoned some car counts away from the show. Times changed, fewer weekly tracks were running LMs and some tracks just went away. I know folks get real hung up on those days of 200 cars but if you were one of the 80 or so going home without racing, what's the point? It just became a bragging number.

The last time I went to the World in person there was over 100 cars but not 120. I was not at all disappointed in that.

[klemmabyna]

Anyone know what the World 100 was like in the beginning?

check this out:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bVzrTmwxiPI&list=PL0DkMXn4It8KOts_Dt9FrWYOJD3rGlkbS&index=5

[EvelB7]

check this out:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bVzrTmwxiPI&list=PL0DkMXn4It8KOts_Dt9FrWYOJD3rGlkbS&index=5Wow, great link! Brings back alot of memories of how lucky to grow up dirt racing in Iowa in the 70's and 80's...and just to add to the Ia piece, Bloomer was actually born there as well...

[TeNfOMaFiA69]

They used to allow to fans on the grounds to watch it. That was cool.

You are such a drama Queen dou(he

[GEAR_HEAD]

You are such a drama Queen dou(he

That's not relevant. Are you claiming that they didn't previously allow fans at the World? It's on video!

[TheJet-09]

Hey @Morgs153, I believe those outside the top 120 got to run a non-qualifiers race late Friday night (technically Saturday by that time), so I wouldn't quite consider it not getting to race. Either way, what some consider a good memory for them is certain to be different than that for others. I'm just not a fan of the invite only thing under current conditions.

[t4g2]

Years ago used to be able to carry beer in. So just a lot of drunk people around. seen a few pass out before races even started esp before the feature. The non qualifiers races was some of the best races you seen all year. On Thursday evenings you could go to st Henry nite club and sit close to some drivers eating dinner. Later that night big party at the bar were you would see drivers sitting at the bar. Seen a few fights between drivers. Also seen fans get seriously hurt their to. So many memories.

[MasterSbilt_Racer]

Hey @Morgs153, I believe those outside the top 120 got to run a non-qualifiers race late Friday night (technically Saturday by that time), so I wouldn't quite consider it not getting to race. Either way, what some consider a good memory for them is certain to be different than that for others. I'm just not a fan of the invite only thing under current conditions.

I forget when they started doing those non qualifiers. I think maybe in the 90s, at some point? There were many years they didn't exist. It was heat race or nothing.

[dirtcrazy4u]

Eldora in the early days just can't be explained unless you were there. I like the late models a lot and always enjoyed going to eldora. The races and the camping, ohhhh the camping, a story in itself. Remember banking was taken out of eldora. Guys putting there RR on the wall with sparks flying. Back in that day you had 2 tracks that would bring every top late model driver worth anything to 2 tracks. Eldora and Pennsboro enough said.

[dirtracing62]

I think the biggest differences were the absence of high-tech racing and ANYBODY had a chance of winning.

[buster83]

it was cool sitting on the bank drinking a few beers and how lucky can u get favorite driver wins first world 100.

[oldmodhasbeen]

Thsi sums it up for my experience
after the qualifying on friday night of 200+ cars, there would be the eldora stocks. there were campers on top of the turns instead of bleachers and we would go to our friends camper in turns 1and 2 and watch racing till 2:30 or so. the stocks weren't the thrill. it was just sitting around with your friends all night. my first world was in 78 or 79. there was a guy who set up tables outside the main gate along the fence. he cooked and sold chicken dinners and cold slaw and potato salads. it was the 70"s so things were real cheap like $4.00 for a big dinner. sunday's race was hot and dusty, but you still talked about it all year.

[TS FAN]

Flying Floyd Gilbert, my pal. I am glad Earl's newest idea worked out better than trying to run modified/sprint cars for 500 laps in 1965. I eventually fell a sleep on the hillside. I noticed a few of the drivers were taking short naps on the straight aways too/smile

[84wedge]

I would have loved being a kid at the track with cars going all day.