61st Season To Feature Multitude of Divisions & Sanctioning Bodies
ROSSBURG, OH (December 20) – Building upon the momentum of a prolific 2013 season, Eldora Speedway owner Tony Stewart has confirmed and released 2014’s Schedule of Events for the historic .500-mile southwestern Ohio speed plant.
The three-time NASCAR Sprint Cup champion has retained Eldora’s high-profile trademarked menu of diversity with a lineup of traditional specials, a return of fan favorites, local family fun and a return of the most celebrated event in all of motorsports last season.
Joining the time-honored ‘Major Special Events’ previously announced; the 20th Annual $100,000-to-win Dirt Late Model Dream Weekend (Thursday-Friday-Saturday, June 5-6-7); the 31st Annual Kings Royal Weekend (Friday and Saturday, July 11 & 12) and the 44th Annual World 100 Weekend (Thursday-Friday-Saturday, September 4-5-6) will be the return of the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series for the 2nd Annual 1-800 CarCash Mudsummer Classic (Wednesday, July 23) – NASCAR’s only National Division race on dirt. Blended around that slate will be a vast variety of nationally-recognized sanctioning bodies with a multitude of racing divisions to total 28 nights of activity in 2014.
Following a Saturday, April 5 open Test and Tune session, the 61st consecutive year of racing on Eldora’s hallowed high-banks kicks into gear Saturday, April 12 with the culmination of 2013’s weather-delayed UMP DIRTcar National Championships as the UMP DIRTcar Late Models and Modifieds each run full programs; culminating with $5,000-to-win Championship Events. The UMP DIRTcar Nationals concept will return in the Fall with another three-night blockbuster Thursday, Friday and Saturday, October 2-3-4. The Modifieds will see an aggressive menu of heat, last chance and multiple features on Thursday and Friday, leading up to an alphabet of Features on Saturday, when the Late Models join the card for a full program of racing. The Modifieds will return numerous times throughout the season, along with the Eldora Stock Cars, to round out many of the events.
The Indianapolis-based United States Auto Club (USAC) enters their 53rd consecutive season of Eldora racing as they showcase their non-winged brand of open wheel National Sprint Car racing on Saturday, April 19. They return, along with the USAC National Midgets and Silver Crown classes, for Saturday’s card of the 33rd Annual Four Crown Nationals weekend (September 19 & 20).
Dubbed as a “Salute to the King”, the World of Outlaws (WoO) STP Sprint Car Series will offer five opportunities for the legendary Steve Kinser and his quest for an unprecedented 21st championship title in his final full-year of WoO racing. A May doubleheader (May 2 & 3) will be the first of 2014 for Kinser and his WoO comrades, with their next Eldora stop coming in July for the the fabled Kings Royal Weekend. The winged-warriors take on Sprint Car racing’s best in Friday’s (July 11) Knight Before the Kings Royal in a tune-up for Saturday’s (July 12) $50,000-to-win Kings Royal and a seat atop Eldora’s renowned throne. Their final visit will be on Friday, September 19, as the WoO series again kicks off the Four Crown Nationals weekend.
Additional Sprint Car dates include a pair of visits by the UNOH All Star Circuit of Champions, two stops for the BOSS Non-Winged Sprint Series and four outings for the National Racing Alliance (NRA) Sprint Invaders. BOSS is the first of the three to appear, as they join the Saturday, May 17 Family Fun Night. NRA’s initial stop is during the Sunday, May 25 Johnny Appleseed Classic, before joining the Kings Royal Weekend. The All Stars make their first jaunt with the Ohio Sprint SpeedWeek on June 21 and then all three groups will join forces to close out the season in what has become an open-wheel fan’s dream come true, the UNOH Sprintacular on October 11.
Eldora’s infamous Fireworks Extravaganzas will close out a pair of highly anticipated $8 Family Fun Nights. The first, a tripleheader featuring the UMP DIRTcar Modifieds, Eldora Stock Cars and the BOSS Sprints, takes place on Saturday, May 17. The Back-to-School edition, with the Modifieds and Stocks, will fill its traditional timeslot on Saturday, August 9.
In addition to the Spring and Fall versions of the UMP DIRTcar Nationals, a pair of Sunoco American Late Model Series (ALMS) conventional dates return with the Johnny Appleseed Classic on Sunday, May 25 and the Baltes Classic on Sunday, August 31.
Following the lead of a popular 2013 format change, hailed as “More Nights, More Racing, More Eldora,” the nation’s best Dirt Late Model competitors will battle for the lion’s share of nearly $600,000 in posted awards over six nights. Thursday, Friday and Saturday (June 5-6-7) mark the first three nights with the Dirt Late Model Dream Weekend presented by Ferris Mowers. Complete racing programs with twin-25 lap features each night make up the Thursday and Friday bill-of-fare, culminated by Saturday’s programming and a 100-lap, $100,000 to win finale. A similar format will be used over the weekend of September 4-5-6, as ‘The Granddaddy of all Dirt Late Model racing,’ the famed World 100 weekend makes Eldora the largest city in Darke and Mercer Counties during the first full week of September.
NASCAR’s much heralded return to dirt racing with a National Series has prompted an encore performance of the 1-800 CarCash Mudsummer Classic for the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS) on Wednesday, July 23. The success, popularity and visibility of the event has intrigued many drivers; with a high-profile roster expected to join the NCWTS regulars and tickets selling at a brisk pace.
Just 10 days after the return of the NASCAR Trucks, another form of truck racing will make its second consecutive visit when the Advance Auto Parts Monster Jam returns Friday and Saturday, August 1 & 2. The world’s premier Monster Truck tour was literally a smashing success in its debut event and Feld Motor Sports officials are already planning an even bigger show for 2014.
Tickets for the full 2014 schedule will go on public sale Monday, February 10, 2014 at 9 a.m. ET. Customers from 2013 can expect renewal notices via both USPS and email shortly after the New Year. Tickets and campsites for Eldora’s ‘Major Special Events’ are on sale now and are mailed as ordered. The renewal period for the Dirt Late Model Dream, Kings Royal, 1-800 CarCash Mudsummer Classic and the World 100 was completed in November and tickets went on public sale in December.
The complete schedule for Eldora’s 61st consecutive season, including ticket and camping information, is now posted on www.EldoraSpeedway.com and can be requested by phone at (937) 338-3815. Fans can get behind-the-scenes access by following @EldoraSpeedway on Twitter, hitting ‘Like’ at Facebook.com/EldoraSpeedway and through video highlights at YouTube.com/EldoraSpeedwayInc. The Eldora Speedway app for the iPhone, iPad and Android is available for download via iTunes and Google Play.