My return to Eldora Speedway 10 years later...

Mother Nature gave us mud and a rainbow at Eldora 10 years ago

It was 2006 since the last time I visited Eldora Speedway, the self-proclaimed "World's Greatest Dirt Track". That summer I went out in June for their 2nd Annual Prelude to the Dream, the all-star dirt late model race that included the boys from NASCAR. A persistent rain that evening postponed the event until a date in September. So, I came back again a few months later and watched Tony Stewart win the 30 lap feature at the track he had purchased from legendary promoter Earl Baltes just two years previous.

A tribute to Earl & Berneice Baltes now greets fans in the Speedway

My return to Eldora this past Friday for the World 100 was a much different experience. I journeyed to Rossburg with my co-workers from Superior Aluminum Products for a company outing to watch a car we help sponsor. A couple of our employees are members of the race team, so we were going to get an up-close look from the pits and inside the track. Before all that, however, we first enjoyed a pre-race meal inside the fabled Eldora Ballroom located just outside the track, The decor inside the ballroom looked and smelled like memories from the past. As our group ate and socialized together, I couldn't help but imagine Earl Baltes, Tony Stewart and all the famous drivers that were once inside these same walls.

My co-workers with our racecar driver Rusty Schlenk (bottom row, 2nd from right)

After dinner we traveled to Eldora's infield through the famous "Love Tunnel", a passageway that goes underneath the track and puts you in the restricted pit area. What goes on down there is almost as amazing as the race itself in my opinion. Race teams were crawling under cars and hustling in every direction in an organized chaos. I quickly learned that standing in their road taking pictures with my camera was a dangerous idea. The sight of all the hard work that happens is well worth a pit pass though. 

My apologies to the drivers for the stupid photographer from Fish Report

Outside the track we watched hot laps, qualifying, heat races and features. We were showered with dirt from the racing, a little rain from some passing weather, and some more dirt from more racing. I loved it and it was as much fun as you can have at the world's greatest dirt track. Hopefully, I won't wait 10 more years to return!

This is Friday Night Lights for race fans

I was saddened to hear late Saturday night about the death of driver Shane Unger from a multi-car crash during a heat race at Eldora the night after my visit. As one of my family members in the racing community expressed to me in a text afterward... "Always disheartening to hear of that news, but the racing world carries with it risks. They do it for the love of the sport."