Originally Posted by Will Shunk:
Haven't been back to Eldora since 1977. Big tires, slick track, dust clogging my eyes and nose, follow the leader driving, etc. was the end of an era for me at Eldora. The great Earl of Eldora and now Tony can't turn back the clock on tire "progress" and the biggest motor on the slick wins from the front. My memories of Eldora 1967 to 1977 sustain me as I travel far to the Hoosier state to see real sprint car racing at Gas City anf Kokomo. Its tough to get old and long for the past but the best racing is just a state away. Once I retire and I can sell my home, I will move to Indy to finish out my years enjoying non wing sprint car racing at the Burg, LPS, Blooomington, Haubstadt, Paragon, Gas City and Kokomo. Oh, the future is bright and inviting in Indiana! Eldora... is simply a faded memory of racing days long gone.
Will makes a good point. As a fan who began attending races there in '64, I can attest that the track surface problems go way back.
My opinion is that it all began when Earl sold out to the Ted Johnson school of hard, slick as the WoO became his cash cow. Tire changes, big h.p and, perhaps, safety concerns also played a part. Surely the generally better conditions at other,lesser funded, tracks in the area show that it's not rocket science.
My biggest disappointment is that my favorite Tony has failed to solve the problem and seems to deny it's existence. I took newbies to Eldora for many years, some of whom became regular fans. Today, I don't dare as the last few groups were totally turned off for good-getting home at 4AM covered with dust so bad that at times we couldn't see the track. I've been fortunate to see sprint races at literally hundreds of dirt tracks and none have had the consistant dust problems as Eldora.
As always, JMHO and I'm hoping for improvement so I can again start taking newcomers to my favorite sport.