In Lou Long's column in last week's Area Auto Racing News, he mentions that Lou Blaney won 2 500 lap races at Eldora. He implies that they were sprint car races. Is that true? Anyone remember those? I can't imagine it.
500 laps? Could you even see anything after the first 20? I love the speed of that track, but it's so stupid dry that you don't see half the racing. I can't imagine putting 75 laps in, much less 500.
Dick, according to Earl Baltes' autobiography he ran three 500 lap sprint car races. '65, '66 and '67. Orville Yeardon won in '65, Illini star Larry "Boom Boom" Cannon won the second one in '66 and Don Nordhorn drove Dizz Wilson's car to victory in '67.
Rollie Beale sat on the pole in '65 and Don Hewitt was on the pole for the '67 race.
Earl said that he was afraid someone was going to get hurt so he only held just the 3 500 lappers.
That must have been a spectacle, for sure.
Silver Crown Championship Dirt Cars properly driven on a one mile dirt track are classic poetry in motion. Using that analogy, Jack Hewitt is one of the greatest poets of all time.
Originally Posted by ilwingless:
500 laps? Could you even see anything after the first 20? I love the speed of that track, but it's so stupid dry that you don't see half the racing. I can't imagine putting 75 laps in, much less 500.
Eldora used to have good clay on it. When I first went there (in the 70s), it was often quite heavy and not dusty.
Originally Posted by ilwingless:
500 laps? Could you even see anything after the first 20? I love the speed of that track, but it's so stupid dry that you don't see half the racing. I can't imagine putting 75 laps in, much less 500.
Earl says in his book that the track held up remarkably well for all 3 500's. He claims there was very little dust, as well. He also says he prepared the track completely different for the 500's than for a regular show.
It's stuff like this that made Earl the legend that he is!
Silver Crown Championship Dirt Cars properly driven on a one mile dirt track are classic poetry in motion. Using that analogy, Jack Hewitt is one of the greatest poets of all time.
Originally Posted by ISF:
Dick, according to Earl Baltes' autobiography he ran three 500 lap sprint car races. '65, '66 and '67. Orville Yeardon won in '65, Illini star Larry "Boom Boom" Cannon won the second one in '66 and Don Nordhorn drove Dizz Wilson's car to victory in '67. ...
So the column in AARN was wrong. Lou Blaney did not win two of them. None the less, I think he is a decent choice for the Sprint Car HoF (the reason for the comments about him).
Originally Posted by Dick Monahan:
So the column in AARN was wrong. Lou Blaney did not win two of them. None the less, I think he is a decent choice for the Sprint Car HoF (the reason for the comments about him).
Dick, this was the only mention of any kind of a 500 lap race at Eldora that I can remember in the book, but it's been a year or so since I read it. When I get a chance I'll look through Earl's autobiography thoroughly and see if I'm forgetting something.
Silver Crown Championship Dirt Cars properly driven on a one mile dirt track are classic poetry in motion. Using that analogy, Jack Hewitt is one of the greatest poets of all time.
The race was for "supermodifieds" not sprints and started 33 cars. I have the ad here in front of me from 1965 NSSN it was held on Aug 14th, 1965 and relief drivers were "permitted" lol. $7500 total purse and $10 entry fee.
