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World 100 Friday
Late Model Mark
PINSON, Ala. (September 4) - For nearly thirty years I have only dreamed about going to the hallowed shrine of dirt track racing. Reading all the stories of great races past, stories of the man who built the joint and all the greats who have sprayed some dirt. 2009 was going to be the year to see why this track is so historic for all of dirt racing. At 5:45pm. the thirty year dream was realized when I walked on the grounds of Eldora Speedway near Rossburg, Ohio, for the World 100!!!
The journey started earlier in the day just trying to get there. Leaving the house to the airport found me on schedule to make the flight. Birmingham Airport is easy and I was on the plane to Atlanta right on the mark. After buckling in the pilot tells the passengers, we have no brakes and the mechanic will take one hour to get here. We were asked to get off and try to book another flight, what? After a hurried scramble to the ticket booth, alternate flights luckily were booked and after some time it was off to Atlanta, then another later flight to Dayton, Ohio. In the rent-a-car and taking a nice drive West on Highway 40 to Richmond, Indiana. About 35 miles to Richmond that is right across the stateline of Ohio. The group of buddies I was riding with arrived later than expected so in short order it was off to the track for night 1 of the World. 10 miles of Interstate to the Highway 127 exit. Then the drive seemed like it took hours to get there. Driving by endless cornfields and very small 1 stoplight towns. Around 30 miles later we made a turn and there was the start of the campgrounds that seemed to go forever!
What a throng of racefans, motorhomes, trailers. Tents just went on and on. The truck was parked in the main lot just 15 minutes from hot laps and you could just feel the electricity. It was intense to say the least. At 5:50pm. the dream came true when I passed thru the gates of Eldora. The place was buzzing with excitement!! Our "patio" seats were just awesome, maybe some of the best seats in the house. We brought folding metal chairs to sit on, at least that was the plan as there was no sitting, just standing due to being pumped up. So here I was, looking down into the huge track in a bowl with the Late Models just minutes from hot laps, all 172 of them, 172!! The first hot lap session made me realize how hard-core this race is and why it is easily the premiere dirt track race in the world. The track was giant from what I am used to in the South and California. The speeds just off the hook and the sound, just thundering loud like no other track. A symphony of unmuffled Dirt Late Models.
About 15 sessions of hot laps started at 6:00pm. sharp and finished at 7:30pm. I walked all over the place filming and bumping into many racefans that pulled over the Orange shirt. This place is so fast and so high-banked, never seen Late Models run those speeds. The first round of time trials was a 2-hour marathon, it took from 7:30pm to 9:30pm. Just a 15 minute break and round 2 of time trials started, at 9:45pm. to 11:20pm. During round 2 of qualifying I indulged myself to a Farmer Brown pork tenderlion sandwich, a huge deep fried meal on a plate that was real good. Veteran fans told me that this was one of, if not thee, biggest Friday crowds ever. The concessions were doing a booming business and the beer sales were unreal. Eldora has a full bar and the hard liqour was flowing like a river. Cocktails at a dirt track? That's a new one. The crowd here for this race is very race savvy and people cheer or boo quite a bit. These fans here come from all over and they are no dummies, they know Dirt Late Models!
At 11:58pm. the first of 3 non-qualifier races hit the track. Near midnite I was about to see my first ever race at Eldora, I was so fired-up, and it wasn't from all the frostys. Most of the 3 races had decent action and some wreckin' as well. The 2nd race got the green at 12.12am. and the 3rd at 12:40am. Shortly before 1:00am. we all jumped in the truck for the ride thru the darkness and cornfields. It seemed like it took hours to get to the hotel in Indiana. The friends I went with have been going for nearly 20 years and knew the quick way back, good thing as I would have surely been lost if I was driving. Just before 2:00am. day one at Eldora ended when I hit the sack and the lights when out. I had fulfilled my quest and was about to dream about the next day, the big day, however my dream had come true, going to a track out in a cornfield for the biggest dirt race in the world at Eldora Speedway. Saturday was the big day but it was time to count some sheep and off I went. Better and bigger than I ever thought, the World 100!!
Late Model Mark
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