By Alex Nieten
ROSSBURG, OH (May 14, 2026) – The World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series and Eldora Speedway go way back.
The two have been connected since Earl Baltes welcomed Ted Johnson’s band of travelers for the tour’s second race ever. At the time, nobody knew that the foundations of The Greatest Show on Dirt were forming, but Baltes saw promise in Johnson’s plan to organize the country’s best Sprint Car drivers.
That race on April 16, 1978 was the beginning of a long and fruitful connection between the World of Outlaws and the “Big E.” The iconic 1/2 mile has been a mainstay on the schedule ever since. From Baltes’ continued growth of the track to Tony Stewart pushing it to new heights over the last couple decades, the World of Outlaws remained a fixture.
The longstanding tradition between the tour and track continues this Friday-Saturday, May 15-16 with #LetsRaceTwo presented by LGMG. The weekend brings worlds together as the World of Outlaws meet up with the USAC National Sprint Cars on the high banks of Eldora for two nights of a Sprint Car fan’s dream.
The World of Outlaws will be back at Eldora on July 17-18 for the 43rd running of the Kings Royal with $200,000 going in the champion’s bank.
Let’s look at the World of Outlaws and Eldora’s history by the numbers:
242 – the number of World of Outlaws races contested at Eldora Speedway. It’s one of only three tracks to host at least 200 nights and trails Williams Grove Speedway by just one for the most visited track in World of Outlaws history.
51 – the number of drivers that have won a World of Outlaws race at Eldora.
47 – the number of seasons the World of Outlaws have visited Eldora. That’s all but one in the history of the Series. The only reason for no perfect attendance is the pandemic prevented a 2020 trip.
41 – the number of World of Outlaws wins at Eldora Steve Kinser collected in his legendary career. It’s only fitting that Eldora sits tied alongside Knoxville Raceway at the top of the list where “The King” won most often in his career.
11 – the number of World of Outlaws races at Eldora in 1980, the most the tour has visited the “House that Earl Built” in a single season.
11 – the number of Ohio natives that have won at Eldora – Dave Blaney, Jac Haudenschild, Rick Ferkel, Kenny Jacobs, Dale Blaney, Sheldon Haudenschild, Randy Ford, Chad Kemenah, Greg Wilson, Brad Doty, and Danny Smith. A total of 16 drivers from the “Buckeye State” have topped at least one World of Outlaws race, and 69% of them have done so in their home state at Eldora.
9 – the number of times the World of Outlaws raced at Eldora during the inaugural 1978 season, more than any other track. The first campaign set the stage for Eldora to be a frequent stop annually.
9 – the number of seasons the World of Outlaws and USAC have come together at Eldora for #LetsRaceTwo presented by LGMG.
7 – the number of drivers that have won both a World of Outlaws Sprint Car race and USAC National Sprint Car race at Eldora – Tyler Courtney, Jac Haudenschild, Rickey Hood, Steve Kinser, Kyle Larson, Danny Smith, and Brad Sweet. This weekend showcases the best of the Wing and Non-Wing worlds, and only a select few have been able to conquer both Series at the “Big E.”
6 – the number of drivers that have topped double digit World of Outlaws races at Eldora – Steve Kinser (41), Sammy Swindell (30), Donny Schatz (18), Doug Wolfgang (15), Joey Saldana (13), and Dave Blaney (10).
6 – the number of wins during #LetsRaceTwo weekend for Donny Schatz, more than any other competitor.
5 – the number of current Series full-timers that have won a World of Outlaws race at Eldora – Donny Schatz, David Gravel, Logan Schuchart, Carson Macedo, and Sheldon Haudenschild.
For tickets to this weekend’s #LetsRaceTwo presented by LGMG, CLICK HERE.
Where can you watch every World of Outlaws race? Live on DIRTVision.