Fan Notes from the Ohio Speedweek Final at Eldora

Eldora Speedway (Tom Myers) 6/25/2016 - It's been a long time since I have been to Eldora Speedway. So long a time, that I cannot even remember the last time that I was there. Maybe 1995 or so? Raising my kids has taken up the last 20 some years of my life. Now they are older and I am getting freedom again!  Anyway, Eldora is a wonderful facility, and in many ways, the same as I left it. However, much seating has been added as well as the suites off of turn 3 and overall, everything has been updated. The track itself is an intimidating, big half mile that is really banked for speed. If you have never been to this track, put it on your bucket list. You have to do it.

Jame McFadden Since I last reported, Kyle Larson took the checkers at Atomic and Randy Hannigan grabbed the money at Limaland. Now the question was, who would win the Speedweek title and who would win this race paying $10,000 to win? The Speedweek title was down to two guys, Sheldon Haudenschild and Chad Kemenah....separated by just 2 points. Dean Jacobs has had a quiet, but steady Speedweek and finds himself 3rd in points on the final day....this final day, to be decided at Eldora, where 35 cars were on hand to do battle. Fremont also had a 410 show Saturday....so some of the FAST point guys raced there and that dropped the car count some here,..... but the quality of cars at Eldora was pretty amazing. Wrap your mind around this.... 3 Knoxville Nationals Champions. 1 World of Outlaws Champion and USAC Silver Crown Champion. Multiple Sprint Car Hall of Fame inductees who are still racing and winning. Multiple winners of the Historical Big One and the Kings Royal. Winner of the Mopar Million. 3 guys who are multiple time All Star Sprint Champions.  Many former World of Outlaws drivers and a 2 time Little 500 winner.....I am sure I am not listing everything, but you get a good understanding of the field for this race. 

I finally got to see James McFadden race. I understand from Facebook, that his team has been waiting for motor parts all week and finally was able to join the fray for the last few remaining races. As I was wandering around the pits, I noticed a different set of headers on Josh Baughman's car. It looked like they dropped a Ford powerplant in it for the Eldora finale. Dallas Hewitt was on hand and I did see Jack Hewitt in the pits...that was pretty cool. I also saw Kevin Swindell helping out in the pits. It looked like he was with the 23 car of Tyler Courtney and maybe Jamie Veal's 71 Indy Parts team too. As I continued meandering, I stopped at Bradley Howard's hauler and took a picture of his car. Bradley then came over and just started talking with me. I must say that he is one of the nicest young men I have met in awhile. His father also talked with me and they seemed that they were happy someone was interested in what they were doing. Bradley is from Pennsylvania and is in his 3rd year of racing sprint cars so the Ohio Speedweek has been a challenge and a learning experience for him. If you every get the opportunity, stop by and wish both Brad and his father luck!  

Dallas Hewitt Kraig Kinser was the fastest timer. Good to see him getting some speed. Kraig was followed by Randy Hannigan, Dave Blaney, Dale Blaney, and Jamie Veal, in that order. It is nice that Eldora has a scoreboard that shows you each lap time as it happens. The car numbers for the top 5 timers were 11,11,71,1 and 71. After the time trials, the track was watered and prepared for the heats. I am so glad that they didn't let it get dry and slick. There would be 4 heats of 8 laps with the top 5 transfering to the A and the top two eligible for the dash.

The national Anthem was sung by one of the stock car racers and he did great, pretty cool! Then the heat races commenced. The heat 1 cars spread out pretty quickly. The finish was Veal, Shaffer, Dale Blaney, Dallas Hewtitt and James McFadden. Lee Jacobs brushed the turn 2 wall and pulled off. Heat 2 finished Baughman, Sheldon Haudenschild, Duncan, Scelzi, and Kraig Kinser. Kraig was slowing and smoking heavily at the end of the heat and had to change a motor. Andrew Paulker borrowed the Roger Campbell 51 to run this heat because he blew the motor in his 57 car. The heat 3 finish was Jac, Kemenah, Hannigan, Henry and Thomas. At the start of the heat, Henry and Dave Blaney got together at the exit of turn 2, setting Dave back about 2 or 3 spots...Dave didn't make it back to a transfer spot and as the drivers in this heat were pulling into the pits, Dave purposely ran into Henry to show his displeasure with Cap's driving. The heat 4 finish was Holtrgraver, Dean Jacobs, Philo, Courtney and Michaels. The dash finish was Kemenah, Shaffer, Veal, Hannigan, Jac, Kinser, Baughman and Sheldon.

Tim Shaffer They worked on the track again before the B main, smoothing out the cushion that was developing in both turns. The track has stayed pretty tacky,especially up top but is starting to get dryer down low and in the middle. The B main finish was Dave Blaney, Smith, Harding and Helms. lee Jacobs shredded a tire on the final lap while running in the third transfer spot. He hit the turn 1 wall, but was okay...but was done for the evening. 

They again scraped the top of the track before the A main, but that was okay because you could see there was still plenty of moisture up there to lean on. Dale Blaney loops it around in the turn 4 exit as the field is getting lined up. He then comes into the pits with an apparent steering problem. Dale did start the feature but loses his original mid-pack starting spot and restarts at the tail.  He later pulled off, as did his brother Dave. Both were later seen on top of their haulers watching the action.

Eldora winner Jac Haudenschild Will it be Chad or Sheldon winning the Speedweek title? The A starts and Kemenah shoots into the lead with Shaffer in tow. Around lap 4, Shaffer gets passed by Jac for second and the leaders get into lapped traffic by lap 5.   Kemenah then extends his lead but action stops on lap 12 as Sheldon shreds a right rear at the exit of turn 2. The running order is now Kemenah, Jac, Shaffer, Hannigan, Veal, Holtragver, and Kinser. Sheldon gets a new tire an joins the field at the tail. On the restart, the field roars to life and the cars are just flying by you. The fastest way around tonight is up around the wall and sometimes up against the wall in turns 1 and 2. The action is exhilarating and it's just a whirlwind watching these guys fly around here on the edge of losing control. Jac is now on Kemenah's tail and pressures him. As the two top guys reach traffic, Kemenah gets held up and Jac pounces, making a daring, thread the needle move between Kemenah and another car at the turn 1 entrance. Jac dives down low and then slides back up to the cushion to get grip and off he goes! Jac leads the rest of the way, weaving in and out of traffic by the seat of his pants. Jac does get held up and that allows Shaffer, who has passed Kemenah for second, to close. Jac holds on for the $10,000!  

Wow, what a show and what a race. Jac still has the magic, and from what I understand, Sammy Swindell wins on this night at Knoxville too! Way to go guys!

2016 Ohio Speedweek champ Chad Kemenah Eldora ran a very efficient, fast moving show with two classes. Very well done. The sprint feature was done at 9:15. They started hot laps at 6 and they re-worked the track 3 times and they had hot laps and 3 heats for the support class as well. During the evening, I went to the concession stand 3 times. I think this was Tony Stewart's way of showing how a show can be run and how to make the fans happy. This fan is very happy. I had a great time at a great track and they moved the show along for the fans and the track was in good shape and the racing was great. Thank you Tony Stewart, Thank you Eldora, and Thank you All Star Sprints for a great week. Let's do it again!