Good read about Eldora locals!

[latemodelman]

Well when Eldora decided to change the rules on safety before UMP and all tracks did they had great car counts. Also why run USAC and WOO on the same night when you could run them on different nights and run mods and stocks as a support. Also the UMP Nationals were big when they paid 10,000 to win for late models and 3,000 for mods. Now for me the 4 crown is the race I like.

[play4kps]

Eldora 20 years ago probably had maybe 12 to 15 teams within 90 miles of the track. I believe the article is more modified and street stock based. 20 years ago their was probably 35 plus modified teams that called Eldora their home track and 25 plus street stocks likewise. I believe they only scheduled 3 modified races all year. And Ricky Weiss was track champion this year, imagine how suprised he would be to find that out. running one race outside the Dream and World.

[jensenracing18]

true but 20 years ago every track that's now closed and bulldozed probably had the same car counts as well, it sure is a different world now... and for Weiss considering each night of the dream and world were separate point nights and he never finished outside of the top 10 at Eldora I believe his worst finish was 7th this year

[ThebigE]

I'm a local.... And this is spot on.

[jensenracing18]

I get it people want it open weekly it would be awesome.. but with 4 tracks all within an hour of the big E the area isn't hurting for weekly shows

[chathamracefan]

Not only is the # of tracks shrinking, but the # of tracks of Eldora's size & relative strain on equipment running weekly seems to be shrinking even more rapidly. Some tracks have gone the Granite City (IL) route & downsized or gone to a specials only type of schedule similar to what Eldora has done.

Knoxville & Williams Grove draw pretty good on the sprint car side, but they pay upwards of $3k or $4k to win each week & several weekly shows during the year paying more than that. Outside of Fairbury's stepped up payouts, I don't know of a late model track coming close to that for a weekly payout for late models. Can't imagine it would be a $ maker for Eldora to try to run weekly shows these days.

[Dlmfan123]

Not only is the # of tracks shrinking, but the # of tracks of Eldora's size & relative strain on equipment running weekly seems to be shrinking even more rapidly. Some tracks have gone the Granite City (IL) route & downsized or gone to a specials only type of schedule similar to what Eldora has done. Knoxville & Williams Grove draw pretty good on the sprint car side, but they pay upwards of $3k or $4k to win each week & several weekly shows during the year paying more than that. Outside of Fairbury's stepped up payouts, I don't know of a late model track coming close to that for a weekly payout for late models. Can't imagine it would be a $ maker for Eldora to try to run weekly shows these days.

Port royal pays at least 2 grand to win weeekly

[chupp n bloomer fan]

Port royal pays at least 2 grand to win weeekly

Atomic too.

[zyoung25]

Prp has paid 2k for awhile now. I'd say it's been 2k for 10 years or maybe more.

[Rocky]

Half miles are hard on motors, and you cash harder at them too.

[1forthe$]

I bet the workers at The Big E are glad the gates aren't open every weekend. I worked our racetrack almost every weekend they were open for like 2 years straight. It got really old pretty quick just not being able to do stuff with the family.

[Jim11h]

On 2000 Eldora ran weekly schedule. Stocks had 13 races scheduled and ran 11. Mods had few more obviously. Was 30- 40 stocks and same with mods each night. The headline division changed weekly but the 360 sprints were considered the weekly headline division. Keep in mind when Eldora has qtr full stands there's still double other tracks packed house attendance. Also Eldora draws cars from far away weekly because it's Eldora! Eldora track champ or Sharon track champ, which sounds more impressive to majority?

[play4kps]

Jim your exactly right, Earl always said, he made enough on the World 100 to pay all the purses and the bills for the year. If Eldora has a 10,000 to win late model race 6 times a year, and a 25,000 point fund for 1st and 15,000 for second and 10,000 for 3rd and so on. They will make money, they already charge 24 bucks for the Baltes classic. Make it 21 and 4 extra for reserved, thats 25 bucks, they will draw easily 6000 to 10,000 people, Thats 150,000 dollars not including the beer and food profits. (and thats the 6000 number), Dont tell me it would not pay open that track. And you would easily get a good core of 10 to 12 drivers, plus a bunch of others, guys in the area would start building late models again, There is a lot of people in that area can afford to race late models. Pay the mods and street stocks well it will work.
These cars would probably be a lock to race the series.
Casebolt
Insane Duane
Scott James
Kent Robinson
Jason Jamison
A Conley or 2
Z. Dohm
Rusty Schlenk
Devin Gilpin
Andrew Rheume
John Henry ????
Jerry Bowersock
Kody Evans
Chad Smith
Dustin Nobbe
and would not be suprised to see some Illinois guys like 99jr, Baab, Pierce, Shirley or Feger.
And maybe Jeep would take racing seriously again.
There is easily 30 modifieds in that area that are driving a distance to race. bring back Eldora.

[JabberJaws83]

Jim your exactly right, Earl always said, he made enough on the World 100 to pay all the purses and the bills for the year. If Eldora has a 10,000 to win late model race 6 times a year, and a 25,000 point fund for 1st and 15,000 for second and 10,000 for 3rd and so on. They will make money, they already charge 24 bucks for the Baltes classic. Make it 21 and 4 extra for reserved, thats 25 bucks, they will draw easily 6000 to 10,000 people, Thats 150,000 dollars not including the beer and food profits. Dont tell me it would not pay open that track. And you would easily get a good core of 10 to 12 drivers, plus a bunch of others, guys in the area would start building late models again, There is a lot of people in that area can afford to race late models. Pay the mods and street stocks well it will work.
These cars would probably be a lock to race the series.
Casebolt
Insane Duane
Scott James
Kent Robinson
Jason Jamison
A Conley or 2
Z. Dohm
Rusty Schlenk
Devin Gilpin
Andrew Rheume
and would not be suprised to see some Illinois guys like 99jr, Baab, Pierce, Shirley or Feger.
And maybe Jeep would take racing seriously again.
There is easily 30 modifieds in that area that are driving a distance to race. bring back Eldora.

I like the idea of that actually. It would take a good chunk of change to draw cars, but it could be done!

[play4kps]

Its simple math on the payout!
1st 10,000 , 2nd 6000, 3rd 5000, 4th 4000, 5 3000, 6th 2500, 7th 2000, 8th 1500, 9th 1250, 10th 1000, 11th 800, and then -20 from there paying 600 to start. thats less than 45,000 dollar purse for that pay. mods and stockers, thats less than 65,000 for all 3 classes. figure 15,000 of that goes to point fund. thats a total of 80,000 in cost. There is no way it cost 70,000 dollars to operate that track for the evening. If thats the case close it for good.
And you could even make the Baltes classic championship night for the series and pay 25,000 to win, raise the prices to 30 bucks for general admission.