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MOPAR MILLION SPRINT PROVES TO BE POPULAR CHOICE

ROSSBURG, Ohio (March 4) -- For many years, non-winged Sprint Car racing has taken a back seat to winged Sprint Cars in the world of ‘big-money’ events.

But that has taken a dramatic change with the recent announcement of Earl Baltes’ Mopar Million Sprint at Eldora (Speedway), and apparently the message has been heard loud and clear, and is being well-received. Not only will it be the biggest payoff ever for the non-winged style of Sprint Car racing, it will be the most money ever offered for any form of Sprint Cars.

To date, race fans from 29 states and Canada have purchased tickets for the historic September 19 & 20 event, where one million dollars will be offered to non-winged Sprint Cars.

Is Baltes surprised?

“I can’t say that”, offered the cagey Eldora Speedway mentor. “I’ve been testing the fans over the past two years, and asking them what they wanted - wings or no wings. The majority said to keep the wings off, so I listened and now they are responding.”

While the non-winged Sprints are actually the predecessor to today’s widely accepted winged form of Sprint Cars, their growth became stymied somewhat over the past few years and promoters have been reluctant to offer high-dollar purses similar to Eldora’s famed Kings Royal ($50,000 to win) and Historical Big One ($100,000 to win).

Prior to this announcement’s, Balte’s biggest payday for the non-winged Sprints, or ‘traditional’ Sprints as the seasoned veterans refer to them as, has been during the annual USAC Four Crown Nationals with a $10,000 top prize. That event, which also highlights USAC’s Midget and Silver Crown divisions, is taking a one-year hiatus to allow for the Mopar Million Sprint at Eldora.

The one million dollar payoff will see $200,000 going to the event winner, while the final spot in the main event will offer a whopping $10,000, equal to the previous highest payoff.

History will indeed be made over the weekend of September 19 and 20 at the Nation‘s foremost one-half mile clay oval, with over one-half of the states in the Nation being represented in the grandstands.

Reserved seats remain available and may be purchased by contacting the Eldora Speedway office at 937.338.3815 between 9:00 AM and 5:00 PM, Monday through Friday.