*Turn 2 Blog is a regular feature on InsideDirtRacing.com. Here, site operators Michael Moats and Richard Allen take turns offering their thoughts on the dirt racing topics of the day from east Tennessee and beyond.
This week we welcome a special guest as we are joined by a familiar figure in the world of dirt racing. Among other jobs in the sport, Dustin Jarrett has served as the public address voice of the Eldora Speedway in Rossburg, Ohio, which makes him the perfect choice to assist with our Dirt Late Model Dream preview edition of the Turn 2 Blog.
Richard: First of all, it would be almost a crime to not start off a discussion about an event at Eldora without mentioning the contributions made to that track, as well as the sport of dirt racing in general, by Earl Baltes. The man was a visionary unlike any other with promotions such as ‘The Dirt Late Model Dream’, the ‘World 100’ and the ‘Eldora Million’ along with numerous Sprint Car events.
Baltes passed away in March of this year but he left an enormous legacy. There’s simply no way to truly quantify all he did for the sport and for Eldora Speedway, is there?
Michael: You are correct. Even though it was almost 15 years ago, people still talk about the Eldora Million to this day. And Eldora is the mecca for dirt late model racing as well as other high profile events such as The King’s Royal for sprint cars. The man knew what people wanted and he delivered it to them.
Dustin: When you really sit down and take a few minutes to think about everything Earl did – not just at Eldora, but for several tracks and sanctioning bodies in the western part of the state – it’s really amazing. He’s like a pop culture icon with a near cult following of people. There’s not a single track owner or promoter today that has that legacy. Not one. The respect he earned from drivers and fans is unlike any other. He’ll certainly be missed, but the show will go on with his legacy looking over things.
Richard: Regarding the show that will go on, Eldora general manager Roger Slack recently announced a bit of a tweak to the format used to set the starting lineups for the heat races to be contested on Saturday prior to the big race. Instead of relying on qualifying times from the previous two nights, as had been the case the last couple of years, the drivers average finish in the feature races from Thursday and Friday will determine the grids for the preliminaries.
As is always the case when a change is announced, particularly when it is a change to a race that pays $100,000, there are going to be some who favor the new way and some who oppose it.
My view is that I prefer using finishing positions in the races over qualifying times. One bobble in time-trials could severely hurt a driver’s chances at winning the sport’s most lucrative race. It seems to me that finishing positions in these feature events offers a more true indication of the strength of man and machine.
I understand that there will be those who argue that a driver could get caught up in a mess not of his own doing during one of these features and be unfairly penalized in terms of average finish. However, my general disdain for qualifying seems to be overriding this concern, at least in my mind.
What do you guys think?
Michael: The dilemma of whether to time trial, pill draw, invert, etc. will never go away until somebody finds the right formula that satisfies everyone. I don’t think there will ever be such a thing.
For me, Eldora has always seemed to hit on the right formula for determining their heat race lineups. Even though those have been tweaked over the last few years, I rarely hear any complaints from fans or drivers. Having multi-groove racing quiets all of that talk, something a lot of tracks don’t have.
Dustin: We’ve used this format for the UMP Fall Nationals the last few years and it’s been very well received by the drivers and fans. I’d been lobbying for the Dream to adopt that format, so I’m anxious to see how it plays out. The overall feeling is that it’s a homerun with even more emphasis placed on the Thursday and Friday shows (which were already outstanding). Not relying a qualifying lap to setup Saturday’s traditional six heats also makes it more interesting and I really think you’ll have more drivers jockeying for position and racing throughout the field to grab one of the coveted transfer positions.
In all, I think the slight change in format will not be noticed by a lot of fans, but the overall program- start to finish, Thursday to Saturday – will benefit as a whole. I’m stoked…and I’m not saying that as an Eldora “homer”. That’s the race fan in me showing through.
Richard: There’s a lot about this event that I love, even as a person who has never been to Eldora. But I think the thing I love the most is that neither the World of Outlaws Late Models nor the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series sanctions it. Nothing against either of those series, but I enjoy the idea that virtually all the big stars of the sport will be in one place at one time. Aside from the two big shows at Eldora(the World 100 being the other) this rarely happens throughout the season.
Even from afar, I look forward to reading the reports and watching the videos from the track. That element of everybody being in one place at one time really makes Eldora special, doesn’t it?
Michael: I totally agree. You might see a driver here or there skip one or both of these races for various reasons. Still, the best of the best are usually there and that is a rarity today.
As you mentioned, Richard, neither WoO or Lucas sanctioning either event makes it more interesting. There are no guaranteed starting spots based off series points. Even the best can and will miss one of these races from time to time. It really adds an element of drama most series races lack these days.
Dustin: I think Michael hit the nail on the head. Nobody is guaranteed a starting spot. It doesn’t matter what your name is, which series you run, or where you are in points, everybody has to earn a starting spot in the field. This is what makes the Thursday and Friday Twin 25s so exciting and it’s also what makes Saturdays traditional heats and B-Mains so entertaining. Every single driver has a chance to race their way in OR out of the big dance…multiple times. You could have a bad run Thursday but rebound with a strong finish Friday. Or you could be off on your setup the first two nights, but still have two opportunities to get in through the heats or B’s on Saturday. It’s really a win-win for the drivers and fans both.
Richard: Along that theme of having everyone in the same place at the same time, picking the winner of this race can be tricky simply because there are so many options. Even in the years when there seem to be a couple of overwhelming favorites, a surprise will take place.
That said, I’m intrigued by the fact that one of the biggest LOLMDS stars and one of the biggest WoO Late Models stars seem to be heating up at just the right time. Scott Bloomquist has won two races in dominating fashion recently(Lucas at Tri-City and WoO at Smoky Mountain) while Josh Richards is coming off a clean weekend sweep in the WoO Jackpot races at Tyler County. A showdown in the closing laps between those two would no doubt be an interesting one.
With that said, I’m picking Bloomquist for the win in The Dirt Late Model Dream. His record on this track and in this race speaks for itself and I believe he is about to hit his stride at the right time.
Michael: Those are two good picks. Like you said, it’s a crap shoot to pick a winner for this race. I would add Jimmy Owens and Don O’Neal to the mix and Eddie Carrier Jr. as a dark horse. I still would not sleep on Billy Moyer.
Dustin: Shane Clanton has been strong just about the entire season, and he’s been on Eldora’s victory stage before. Darrell Lanigan seems poised to finally break through and win this race after a 12-year drought. I’ll also throw Dale McDowell’s name in the mix. He always runs strong at Eldora and, much like last season, has been relatively quiet up to this point.
For a dark horse, what about Randy Weaver? Can we even call him a dark horse anymore? Weaver’s never cracked the starting lineup at The Dream so, if he were to win, he’d be the first driver since Jimmy Mars in 1997 to win the $100,000 in his first start.
All that having been said, I think this is the year Jonathan Davenport delivers the big payday to Kevin and Lee Roy Rumley. He’s been good at Eldora the last few seasons and may have had the car to beat last year, but got a little anxious working his way to the front and took himself out. If he keeps himself in check for the entire 100 laps, Davenport is my pick to be hoisting the over-sized check above his head on the famed Eldora stage.
