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Kings Royal presented by Crown Royal
At least 36,000 fans filled the stands of the crown jewel of dirt tracks, Eldora
Speedway, to witness 56 of the best sprint car drivers in the world race for one
of the most coveted trophies in all of motor sports, the Kings Royal. This race
is like the Daytona 500 for sprint cars, and if you don't believe me, go and find
out. You will not leave Eldora disappointed. The crowd was rowdy as usual,
more than ready to see this race. The three B's showed up, as beads, beer,
and boobies were everywhere!
After the heats and preliminaries was over, Tony Stewart decided to grade
and water the track so the fans could witness a great race. During the delay a
few of the fans were getting stupid, and the Po Po was busy keeping things
intact. I was more than excited to see this race get under way, because Jac
Haudenschild was fast and on the pole for the event. But, as Jac and Danny
Lasoski brought the 24 car field down for the green, Lasoski wasted little time
jumping out to a huge lead. It looked as if no one would catch Lasoski, but
right before the caution in which The King Steve Kinser flipped his sprinter with
Tyler Walker and Kerry Madsen, Joey Saldana turned on the afterburners and
passed Lasoski. From that point on, no one even came close to Saldana, as
the young man from Brownsville, Indiana went on to claim his second Kings
Royal. Saldana had a very good week as he also picked up the win at the Brad
Doty Classic at Limaland on Thursday. He dedicated his win to car owner
Kasey Kahne, who along with Tony Stewart, joined him on the stage to savor
the victory. I asked Joey if it was better the second time around, and with a
glance at his wife and child, he replied only with a huge grin and nodded his
head yes. Although he was on stage with the likes of Kasey Kahne and Tony
Stewart, he insisted that his wife and little boy come up for some photos. It
was a pleasure to see Joey win his second Kings Royal, and wish him the best
of luck in the future.
While I was wondering around the pits, I caught up with second place
finisher Donny Schatz, who was very dejected after the race. Schatz was
strong at the end of the race, using the bottom of the track as opposed to
everyone else running high. Donny said "We had a second place car, but I
wish I didn't spend most of the race running upstairs. I tried running down low
at the start of the race and the car just didn't work for me. I wish I would have
tried it sooner towards the end of the race though, maybe we could have had
something for Joey." Donny Schatz is one of the most determined drivers I
have ever met, and it is alway a pleasure to catch up with him. He is a
delightful driver and always fun to chat with.
Overall, the night was great for the exception of the buttheads yelling
profane things at Tony Stewart after the race. Hey, if you don't like Tony as a
driver, save it for the Nascar races. On this night, it was Tony the Promoter,
not the driver. If it wasn't for Tony keeping Eldora what it was, it probably
wouldn't exist. In a way I'm glad that Tony has brought some recognition to the
track and the sport, because without the sponsors the sport would struggle.
Race tracks have been closing down across the country because the money
just isn't there like it used to be. There are so many different things to do on
Saturday's than to just go to the race track (not for me). So to all of you that
gave Tony shit, i give you a big F**k You! Support your local race track!
-Bentfenders.
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