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Schatz leads a strong field into Eldora’s triple-header weekend that started with the Jokers Wild on Thursday night. It continues Friday with the Knight Before the Kings Royal and concludes Saturday with the Kings Royal, one of the most prestigious dirt races in the country.
Among the contenders to dethrone Schatz are Brad Sweet (2013 winner), David Gravel, Shane Stewart (2015) and Daryn Pittman (2008). They round out the top five drivers in the WoO points standings, though only Sweet and Gravel are within 114 points of Schatz. Fourth-place Stewart sits 366 points back.
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As for Gravel, seeking that first Kings Royal win in his fifth start, he’s set a personal best with 10 A-Main feature wins. That’s one more than he had all last season. It also makes Gravel and Schatz the only two with double-digit wins this season.
“You just have to push at all times,” Gravel said of snapping Schatz’s streak of WoO titles. “Run your hardest, don’t make mistakes and see where you end up. He’s the best but someone has to knock him off eventually. Hopefully we’re that team.
“I’ve always loved Eldora. It’s been a good track for me. It’s somewhere I’ve always been pretty fast and typically the track is the same. You know what you’re getting. I’m definitely looking forward to it and running faster this year.”
A record-tying 60 cars signed up for the Kings Royal in 2016. Schatz bested them all in an event that included 11 past Kings Royal winners. As many as 10 former champions could compete this year for that coveted spot on the Eldora stage. The victory lane celebration is nearly as famous as the race itself. The winner dons an oversized crown, is draped with a royal cape and given a scepter. The champion sits atop a huge wooden throne forever crowned King XXXIV.
A special guest serves as the Royal Sovereign each year and Saturday it’s the King of Outlaws himself. Steve Kinser, the seven-time Kings Royal champion and 20-time WoO champion, will oversee the Kings Royal ceremonies.
Kinser won the inaugural Kings Royal in 1984 and added his final one in 2010.
“The night I won the first Kings Royal, (Eldora Speedway founder) Earl (Baltes) paid me $50,000 in cash and handed it to me in a shoebox,” Kinser said. “That was something, getting the payout in cash. Earl was really the first to pay that kind of money for a sprint car race. He and Eldora set the bar when it came to big events.”
Single-day tickets start at $25. Children 12 and under are free for general admission seating. For more information on ticket prices and the Kings Royal, call 937-338-3815 or visit EldoraSpeedway.com.
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