Weekend schedule
KIL-KARE SPEEDWAY
Today: USAC Ford Focus midgets & Young Guns, NASCAR Whelen Late Model Series, modifieds, sport stocks, compacts. Gates open at 6 p.m.
ELDORA SPEEDWAY
Today:
World of Outlaws Sprints, NRA Sprints. Gates open at 3 p.m., hot laps at 6:30, racing at 8
Saturday:
World of Outlaws Sprints, NRA Sprints. Gates open at 2:30 p.m., hot laps at 6:30, racing at 8
KIL-KARE DRAGWAY
Saturday:
NHRA-sanctioned racing. Gates open at noon, time trials at 1 p.m.
SHADY BOWL SPEEDWAY
Sunday:
Late models, modifieds, street stocks, compacts, Pro 4s. Gates open at noon, qualifying at 1:30 p.m., racing at 3
With his 20 World of Outlaws sprint car titles and seven Kings Royal feature wins — both records that may never be broken — the racing world may never see another Steve Kinser.
Then again, the current one isn’t exactly ready to put his sprint car up on blocks.
Kinser, 57, leads the World of Outlaws into Eldora Speedway this weekend for the 28th Kings Royal.
He’s the only driver to make all 27 feature starts. He won the first one back in 1984, collecting the $50,000 in a shoebox full of cash, and returns as the defending champ yet again.
“I don’t know. It’s hard to say,” Kinser said of someone matching his run. “It’s not like when I first started racing. We built a lot of our own parts, some lighter stuff. You’ve got weight rules now.
“You appreciate them all when you get to be my age, especially as tough as the competition is. It to me is still one of the biggest races there is. It’s by no means the biggest-paying race, but the Kings Royal is right there with it.”
The Bloomington, Ind., driver teamed up with Tony Stewart Racing for last season and finished third. He enters Eldora fourth in WoO points behind leader Donny Schatz, Jason Meyers and Joey Saldana.
“(Tony’s) a great car owner for me,” Kinser said. “He’s let me control everything. He don’t even step in and say a word. He lets me run his cars out of my shop and everything else. It’s been really good for me. It took a lot of financial burden off me.”
And that allows Kinser to concentrate on what he does best: racing.
The driver of the No. 11 BASS Pro Shops ride slipped past Kerry Madsen with three laps to go at last year’s Kings Royal, earning that traditional — and coveted — postrace celebration of sitting atop the Eldora throne, getting adorned with the crown and being handed the golden scepter.
“I’d like to think I am (the favorite to win the Kings Royal),” Kinser said. “With the competition today, there’s probably ... to be honest with you, close to everybody there will have a chance. There’ll be a good 20 cars with a good chance to win the race.”
USAC at Kil-Kare: The United States Auto Club returns to Kil-Kare Speedway tonight with its Open Wheel Friday show featuring the Ford Focus midgets and Focus Young Guns. Miamisburg's Toby Alfrey sits in second in the Midwest division points, trailing New London's Ross Rankine 558 to 369.
USAC shares the track with Kil-Kare’s regular divisions — late models, modifieds, sports stocks and compacts — in a rain make-up date.
NASCAR, Outlaws cars on display: The No. 38 Great Clips Chevrolet and No. 91 Great Clips World of Outlaws show cars will be on display this weekend.
Both will be at Kil-Kare Speedway tonight. On Saturday, both cars will be at the Fajita Fest at the Polish Club Park on Needmore Road.
Fajita Fest, which raises money for children’s charities A Special Wish Foundation and Caitlin Smiles, runs from noon to 8 p.m. Admission to the all-you-can-eat dinner and car show is $12. Kids 12 and younger are free.
Contact this reporter at (937) 225-2400, ext. 6991, or gbilling@DaytonDailyNews.com.
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