SO SADLY: eldora speedway Devastated by loss of Two drivers following tragic car crash…
Early season gremlins along the racing trail have defending Modified champion Joey Kramer (Hanover, IN) behind the eight-ball and listed as ‘unsure’ for Saturday night. Not so; however, for the Stock Car defender, Barney Craig (Lima, OH), who has used the past couple of off-weeks to prep his machine and is anxious to go.
With a clean slate before them, the SpeedFest will serve as an equal opportunity for everyone as the race for the 2013 Modified and Stock Car titles gets underway.
AARON ORR SEEKS TO JOIN BROTHER SCOTT AS CHAMPION TO BECOME 4TH SUCH ELDORA COMBINATION
ROSSBURG, OH (April 23) – Saturday’s (April 27) kickoff to the 2013 racing calendar will mark the 60th consecutive year of racing at the rural Ohio speed plant that has put Darke County Ohio into the national spotlight. For 41 of those years, drivers have chased for divisional championship honors; compiling 154 titles by 78 different drivers.
Included within those 78 drivers are three sets of brothers: Brian and Chad Ruhlman, Jerry and Scott Bowersock and Kenny and Kevin Gossard. Going into the 2013 points chase, there is another potential brother combination as Aaron Orr attempts to join Scott as an Eldora champion.
The Ruhlmans have combined for the most titles at eight. Brian has accumulated four Late Model and one Modified honors, while Chad has one Late Model and two Modified awards. The Bowersocks and Gossards have each earned a total of four championship drives. Jerry Bowersock has two Modified and one Late Model award on his resume, while Scott has captured a Stock Car title. For the Gossards it’s an even split of two each. Kenny has a Late Model and Stock Car championship, while Kevin’s two limelight appearances came in the Stock Cars.
A 2013 season honor by Aaron would instantly move the Orrs into second place with six earned championships, as Scott has five titles to date. Also, it would mark the first brother combination to earn all of their rewards within the same division – Modifieds.
Saturday’s SpeedFest will showcase three divisions of racing – UMP DIRTcar Modifieds, Eldora Stock Cars and Waynesfield Tuff Trucks – with a 7:30 p.m. race start time on tap.
ODDS OF BACKING UP MODIFIED CHAMPIONSHIP AGAINST KRAMER
ROSSBURG, OH (April 23) – For Joey Kramer, the odds of the Hanover, IN chauffeur capturing his second consecutive UMP DIRTcar Modified championship at Eldora Speedway are stacked against him. It has been twelve years since that back-to-back fete was accomplished by Scott Orr; 2000 and 2001.
For the balance of the competitors, that is good news as it seemingly opens the gate for any one of them to enter their name on to the coveted list of Eldora champions. That chase begins this Saturday, April 27.
And the field of aspirants is healthy. Rob Williams (Eaton, OH) is anxious to pick up the pace from 2012 when he challenged Kramer right down to the final laps of the final race only to fall short of a title by a mere five points.
Matt Westfall (Ludlow Falls, OH) is banking on the early season success he is having on area speedways to carry over to Eldora, as is Jeff Babcock (Wayne, OH). Jon Henry (Ada, OH) will join Jerry Bowersock (Wapakoneta, OH) and Orr (Columbia City, IN) as former champions looking to duplicate previous titles, and the list just goes on and on to make the UMP DIRTcar field at Eldora one of the most competitive in the Midwest.
Rounding out Saturday’s 7:30 p.m. tripleheader will be the Eldora Stock Cars in their point race debut and a special appearance by the Waynesfield Tuff Truck division.
SAWMILLER FATHER/SON TEAM TO LEAD WAYNESFIELD TUFF TRUCKS INTO ELDORA
ROSSBURG, OH (April 23) – Following a successful run in last season’s Blue Collar Bash, the Tuff Truck division from Waynesfield Raceway Park has been invited to join Eldora Speedway’s Saturday Night SpeedFest tripleheader this weekend (April 27). The mini-trucks will be added to the card that also features UMP DIRTcar Modifieds and Eldora Stock Cars in a 7:30 p.m. racing start.
One team anxious to get back to Eldora is the father/son Sawmiller team; as they have an internal score to settle. Son Mike of St. Marys, OH edged out his father, Jerry, of Wapakoneta, OH in October’s Bash main event. This has set up a race within a race, as each driver, including the Sawmillers will be racing to the checkered flag of victory at the end of 15 laps; but the Sawmillers have their own family grudge match on tap.
FLASH NEWS: ELDORA OWNER TONY STEWART TO TACKLE WORLD OF OUTLAWS STP SPRINT CARS
ROSSBURG, OH (April 23) – Eldora Speedway owner and three-time NASCAR Sprint Cup champion Tony Stewart was recently featured in USA Today; showcasing how he uses short-track racing as an inspiration in his NASCAR efforts. He will be bringing that formula to his own track over the weekend of May 3 and 4 when he challenges the touring pros of the World of Outlaws (WoO) STP Sprint Cars.
Stewart is no stranger to the Eldora victory lane; having already compiled wins in USAC non-winged Sprint Cars, USAC Midgets, UMP DIRTcar Modifieds and Late Models, NRA winged Sprint Cars and against his peers in the Prelude to the Dream. A World of Outlaws STP Sprint Cars win on the .500 mile Eldora clay oval is next on his bucket list and with three previously earned victories along the competitive WoO trail he knows how to get the job done.
Two full nights of doubleheader racing (May 3 & 4) are on the racing menu, with the Eldora Stock Cars joining on Friday night and the UMP DIRTcar Modifieds on Saturday night.
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