It’s certainly a Who’s Who in sprint car racing, and it doesn’t even include drivers such as Jeff Gordon, who never claimed a feature win at Eldora.
If you’ve never seen a sprint car race, it’s worth your time. It’s breathtaking to watch the sprints fly around Eldora’s half-mile, high-banked oval at speeds topping 100 mph. And it all started with Dayton car owner Harold Beck fielding the winning ride for driver Stan Bowman as they claimed that first USAC victory at Eldora on April 22, 1962.
Just as fitting, Troy’s Jack Hewitt scored USAC’s greatest moment at Eldora with his 4-Crown sweep in 1998, winning the UMP modified, USAC midget, USAC sprint and USAC Silver Crown features in one night.
The Miami Valley has a strong racing history, especially with Eldora and Winchester Speedway casting their historical shadows over the area. Local tracks such as Kil-Kare, Shadybowl and Waynesfield and dragstrips such as Kil-Kare, Edgewater and Tri-State have provided their share of memorable moments as well. And all are in action this weekend if you’re still looking for something to do.
For Hewitt, he’ll likely be at Eldora this weekend.
“Eldora’s been my home track,” Hewitt said when reminiscing about that historic night back in 1998. “To me that’s the greatest track in the United States.”
And when it comes to racing history, the Miami Valley isn’t far behind.
About the Author