Mars brothers feel confident heading to the historic event
As the racing year of 2000 winds down to its final six weeks, a string of lucrative events await the season-ending efforts of today's dirt late model crusaders. This weekend (October 6-7) the much-anticipated creation of legendary racing promoter Earl Baltes will take center stage. With an unprecedented one million dollars to the winner of the "Eldora Million", it will surely provide a monumental highlight for dirt late model racing. In a race of full-fendered stock cars on the high-banks of Eldora Speedway, history will record one of the highest guaranteed-posted winning awards (without regard to contingency payouts) in the entire world of motorsports.
The winner of this battle to the finish will certainly need the use a lifeline or two in order to forge their way to victory lane in dirt racing's version of the Regis Philbin hour. The most difficult task prior to snagging a sure cool million from the vaults of the historic half-mile mecca of dirt racing will be outperforming hundreds of other daredevils on dirt who all have the same million reasons to mash his accelerator through the firewall of the 750 horsepower machines.
At a racing facility known for its flat-out style and some of the most exciting auto racing today, the major obstacle will be wading through the huge field of cars and drivers on hand. Just a month ago (Sep. 8-9) during the recent 30th annual World 100, Eldora Speedway hosted 261 cars for a winner's take of $33,000. How many will trek to the legendary track for a shot at the Eldora Million?
The difference in the winner becoming a millionaire and the second-place driver taking home $50,000.00 has created an added question from many anticipating the October 6-7 event. With no 50-50 left, you will to phone-a-friend and I suspect one will be hard to find on the white-flag lap. Would you like to ask the audience the stirring question? It is - 'What will someone do in a 750 horsepower late model stock car for $950,000.00?' Is that your final answer?
The winner shouldn't have any difficulty in finding their way into the record books of stock car racing. The fabled track, located just northwest of Dayton, OH, offers the first of a half-dozen lucrative events for the balance of the racing year. Following the record-breaking payout at Eldora Speedway, the end of this year's Hav-A-Tampa Dirt Series trail will close at the Hav-A-Tampa Shootout in Atlanta, GA. The cigar-sponsored tour's finale at Dixie Speedway (Oct. 13-14) offers over $53,000 to its winner.
The following weekend sees the dirt late model game move to the Dirt Track World Championship at West Virginia Motor Speedway (Oct. 21-22) in a $50,000 to win event at the Parkersburg, WV track. Then it's off to a STARS National DirtCar Racing League $30,000 to win affair at Florence Speedway (Union, KY) on the weekend of October 27-28. A trip south for the $25,000 to win 'National 100' at East Alabama Motor Speedway (Nov. 3-4) will see legions of dirt race teams and their fans on-hand.
The curtain will close on the 2000 dirt late model season with the STARS National DirtCar Racing League finale at Tampa, FL's East Bay Raceway in three separate events on November 9th, 10th and 11th with over $35,000 up to grabs for the winners.
(Article by Ozzie Altman)
