Eldora Speedway | 13929
St Route 118 | New Weston | OH | 45348
For immediate news release e-mail: mail@eldoraspeedway.com
STATE OF OHIO
& TONY STEWART TO HONOR EARL BALTES JULY 27
ROSSBURG,
OH (July 16) -- In recognition of his tireless efforts to promote
Eldora Speedway and the sport of auto racing, the State of Ohio
and Tony Stewart will honor Earl Baltes on Friday evening, July
27, just prior to the start of the Subway 50.
The Ohio
Legislature adopted and passed a law that has designated a portion
of State Highway 118, which passes directly in front of the
fabled speedway, as “Earl Baltes Highway”. While
the law became effective July 1, 2007, the signed proclamation
will be presented by Stewart, who purchased Eldora from Baltes
in November of 2004, along with representation from the State
of Ohio.
The “Earl
Baltes Highway” will extend from State Route 47 in Ansonia
North to State Route 119 in Saint Henry, and will be earmarked
with special signage prepared by the Ohio Department of Transportation.
A special
ribbon cutting ceremony will take place at 4:30 on July 27 and
that will be followed by a reception at the Eldora Ballroom
prior to the on-track presentation that evening.
Baltes,
usually never short of words, was flattered and nearly speechless
when told of the legislative action. “I’m deeply
honored. Never in a million years would I have expected something
like this.”
Commented
Stewart, who will also be racing in the World of Outlaw (WoO)
Late Model Subway 50 that night, “Earl has single handedly
advanced the sport of auto racing more than anyone else in this
business. We have all known that for a long time, and now the
State of Ohio has stepped up to the plate, this is just great.
I wouldn’t miss this opportunity to help commemorate Earl’s
accomplishment.”
Baltes,
with no previous racing experience, began carving Eldora Speedway
out from a cornfield in the fall of 1953, with first race taking
place that following year. His keen sense of entertaining people
and promoting the unexpected quickly escalated the prominence
of Eldora, to the point that it became recognized as one of
the leading short track operations in the entire Nation.
That flare
continued right through the sale of the facility to Stewart,
who Baltes hand-picked among those seeking a purchase of Eldora.
“I knew all along that Tony was the right man to buy Eldora,
and he hasn’t let me down. His schedule is very busy,
so it means a great deal to me that he will be on hand to celebrate
this road dedication with me”, concluded Baltes.
Baltes
and the dignitaries have indicated their desire to stay and
watch the WoO Late Models as they make their first-ever appearance
on Eldora’s legendary high-banked one-half mile clay oval.
