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Kings Royal
View on Wikipedia | |
 | |
| World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series | |
|---|---|
| Venue | Eldora Speedway |
| Location | Allen Township, Darke County, Ohio, United States |
| First race | 1984 |
| Distance | 20 mi (32 km) |
| Laps | 40 |
| Previous names | Mopar Kings Royal (1999) Kings Royal presented by Crown Royal (2006) |
| Most wins (driver) | Steve Kinser (7) |
| Circuit information | |
| Surface | Dirt |
| Length | 0.5 mi (0.80 km) |
| Turns | 4 |
The Kings Royal is a major sprint car racing event held annually at Eldora Speedway near New Weston, Ohio, United States. Regarded as one of the world's most prestigious sprint car races, it awarded a $200,000 USD winner's prize since 2025.
History
[edit]
First run in 1984,[1] the Kings Royal saw Eldora Speedway promoter Earl Baltes offering $50,000 to the winner of a 40-lap event. Steve Kinser won the inaugural race, which sees the winner seated on a throne in victory lane while adorned with a crown and robe and carrying a scepter.[2][3] Kinser leads all drivers with seven Kings Royal victories.[4]
The event is considered to be one of the most prestigious sprint car events held worldwide,[3] and is considered to be a "Crown Jewel" event.[5] From its inaugural running through 2018, there was a standard $50,000 winner's purse;[6] the 2019 running saw a boost to $175,000 for the winner's prize.[7][8] The Kings Royal is Eldora's largest event each season, drawing over 30,000 spectators.[9]
In 2014, Kerry Madsen became the first Australian to win the Kings Royal.[3] Beginning in 2016, a preliminary full feature, the "Joker's Wild", was held on the Thursday before the Saturday Kings Royal; on the Friday of race week an additional event, "The Knight Before the Kings Royal", is held.[10] No driver won back-to-back Kings Royals for the first 33 years of the event,[11] until Donny Schatz did so in 2017; in 2018 Schatz won again to become the first driver to win three Kings Royals in a row.[12]
The event lost its annual status after the 2020 event was canceled because of the global pandemic. In 2021, the Kings Royal was run as a double feature. The night before the Thursday feature was the Joker's Wild event. The Thursday event was the first feature (new ticket). The Friday event was the Knight Before event. The Saturday event was the second feature.[13] Because of weather issues, the two features were run on the same Saturday, with the Thursday feature running in the afternoon and the Saturday feature running in the evening. The Knight Before was run on Sunday.
The 2021 event saw the start of a nine-year sanctioning agreement with World Racing Group, promoters of the World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series.[13]
For 2022, the event will retain its four-day format. The calendar calls for the Joker's Wild on Wednesday, Historical Big One on Thursday, Knight Before on Friday, and the 39th Kings Royal on Saturday.[14]
In October 2023, Kyle Larson and brother-in-law Brad Sweet acquired the Tezos All Star Circuit of Champions tour from Eldora owner Tony Stewart, and the Kings Royal became a two-day format (Friday and Saturday) only as part of the World Racing Group deal, as Larson and Sweet's High Limit Racing featured a two-day midweek show before the official Kings Royal shows (Knight Before on Friday and Kings Royal on Saturday) starting in 2024. The High Limit format is similar to a multiple day format where each night's performance determines the starting field for the championship night. The Wednesday night Double Down Duels drivers are split into two groups and race only in the groups they are drawn, where a driver's qualifying time, heat race performance, and feature results are converted into points. The Thursday Joker's Jackpot feature has the top 12 drivers in points advance to the A Main on Thursday for the $100,000 to win feature, with positions 13-36 in one of two B Mains, and the rest of the field in one of two C Mains. In 2025, the Joker's Jackpot was televised on Fox Sports 1.
The Kings Royal and Knight Before remain World Racing Group events, and each night has its own qualifying and own race, with the Kings Royal currently employing a format where the top two drivers in qualifying guaranteed to start in the A Main, and drivers notoriously sandbagging for the right to qualify in a position that is a power of six, since the winner of that heat race will win the pole position. Drivers must score a podium finish in order to advance to the A Main or they are relegated to the B Main. In 2025, the winner's purse was upgraded to $200,000.
Winners
[edit]| Year | Driver | Car no. | Owner | Reference |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1984 | Steve Kinser | 11 | Karl Kinser | [2] |
| 1985 | Doug Wolfgang | 29 | Bob Weikert | [2] |
| 1986 | Don Kreitz Jr. | 69 | Don Kreitz, Jr. | [2] |
| 1987 | Jac Haudenschild | 40 | Gary Stanton | [2] |
| 1988 | Steve Kinser | 11 | Karl Kinser | [2] |
| 1989 | Bobby Davis Jr. | 10 | Casey Luna | [2] |
| 1990 | Doug Wolfgang | 8 | Williams Bros. | [2] |
| 1991 | Steve Kinser | 11 | Karl Kinser | [2] |
| 1992 | Sammy Swindell | 1 | Sammy Swindell | [2] |
| 1993 | Dave Blaney | 10 | Casey Luna | [2] |
| 1994 | Jac Haudenschild | 22 | Jack Elden | [2] |
| 1995 | Dave Blaney | 10 | Casey Luna | [2] |
| 1996 | Johnny Herrera | 47 | Gil Sonner | [2] |
| 1997 | Steve Kinser | 11 | Steve Kinser | [2] |
| 1998 | Jac Haudenschild | 22 | Jack Elden | [2] |
| 1999 | Sammy Swindell | 1 | Sammy Swindell | [2] |
| 2000 | Dale Blaney | 93 | Dave Blaney | [2] |
| 2001 | Mark Kinser | 5m | Karl Kinser | [2] |
| 2002 | Joey Saldana | 17 | Joe Saldana | [2] |
| 2003 | Steve Kinser | 11 | Steve Kinser | [2] |
| 2004 | Jason Sides | 7s | Sides Motorsports | [2] |
| 2005 | Steve Kinser | 11 | Steve Kinser | [2] |
| 2006 | Joey Saldana | 9 | Kasey Kahne Racing | [2] |
| 2007 | Donny Schatz | 15 | Schatz Motorsports | [2] |
| 2008 | Daryn Pittman | 21 | Titan Racing | [2] |
| 2009 | Donny Schatz | 15 | Tony Stewart Racing | [15] |
| 2010 | Steve Kinser | 11 | Tony Stewart Racing | [16] |
| 2011 | Tyler Walker | 17 | Jesse Keen | [1] |
| 2012 | Sammy Swindell | 1 | Big Game Motorsports | [17] |
| 2013 | Brad Sweet | 49 | Kasey Kahne Racing | [18] |
| 2014 | Kerry Madsen | 29 | Keneric Racing | [3] |
| 2015 | Shane Stewart | 2 | Larson Marks Racing | [19] |
| 2016 | Donny Schatz | 15 | Tony Stewart Racing | [12] |
| 2017 | Donny Schatz | 15 | Tony Stewart Racing | [12] |
| 2018 | Donny Schatz | 15 | Tony Stewart Racing | [12] |
| 2019 | Brad Sweet | 49 | Kasey Kahne Racing | [8] |
| 2021 | Tyler Courtney Afternoon | 7BC | Clauson-Marshall Racing | [20] |
| Kyle Larson Night | 57 | Silva Racing | [21] | |
| 2022 | Brent Marks | 19 | Murray-Marks Motorsports | [22] |
| 2023 | Donny Schatz | 15 | Tony Stewart Racing | [23] |
| 2024 | David Gravel | 2 | Big Game Motorsports | [24] |
| 2025 | Anthony Macri | 39M | Macri Motorsports | [25] |
References
[edit]- ^ a b Kerchner, Mike (July 17, 2011). "Swindell Goes Flat, Walker Wins Kings Royal". Speed Sport. Archived from the original on January 21, 2021. Retrieved January 19, 2021.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z Elliott, Jeremy (July 17, 2015). "The History of the Kings Royal at Eldora Speedway". The Patriot-News. Harirsburg, PA. Archived from the original on January 21, 2021. Retrieved January 19, 2021.
- ^ a b c d Estrada, Chris (July 14, 2014). "Outlaws: Kerry Madsen wins prestigious Kings Royal at Eldora". NBC Sports. Archived from the original on November 29, 2020. Retrieved January 19, 2021.
- ^ Billing, Greg (April 28, 2012). "Kinser is still going strong at Kings Royal". Dayton Daily News. Dayton, OH. Archived from the original on January 21, 2021. Retrieved January 19, 2021.
- ^ "Sweet & Pittman Hope To Be Kings Again". Speed Sport. June 30, 2017. Archived from the original on January 21, 2021. Retrieved January 19, 2021.
- ^ "Eldora Speedway's Fabled Kings Royal Celebrates 35 Years This Weekend". Speedway Digest. July 10, 2018. Archived from the original on January 21, 2021. Retrieved January 19, 2021.
- ^ Sweitzer, Steve (July 21, 2019). "Eldora Speedway and $175K to the Winner of the King's Royal". The Lasco Press. Fenton, MI. Archived from the original on January 21, 2021. Retrieved January 19, 2021.
- ^ a b Billing, Greg (July 21, 2019). "Kings Royal: Sweet wins $175,000 at Eldora Speedway". Dayton Daily News. Dayton, OH. Archived from the original on July 22, 2019. Retrieved January 18, 2021.
- ^ Fryer, Jenna (July 20, 2015). "NASCAR: Heavy rains and sprint car race give Eldora Speedway tight turnaround". The News-Herald. Willoughby, OH. Archived from the original on January 21, 2021. Retrieved January 19, 2021.
- ^ Bartlett, Jeff (July 14, 2016). "Kings Royal set for Eldora". The Hoosier Times. Bloomington, IN. Archived from the original on January 21, 2021. Retrieved January 19, 2021.
- ^ Billing, Greg (July 14, 2017). "Eldora Speedway: Kings Royal field still chasing Schatz". Dayton Daily News. Archived from the original on January 5, 2019. Retrieved January 19, 2021.
- ^ a b c d Billing, Greg (July 15, 2018). "Schatz wins third straight Kings Royal crown at Eldora". Journal-News. Liberty Township, OH. Archived from the original on January 21, 2021. Retrieved January 19, 2021.
- ^ a b "Eldora Speedway Will Host TWO Kings Royals Paying $175,000-To-Win In 2021". The Daily Advocate. Greenville, OH. November 26, 2020. Archived from the original on January 21, 2021. Retrieved January 19, 2021.
- ^ "The Historical Big "1" Returns to Eldora Speedway in 2022". Eldora Speedway. Metal Balloon, Inc. Retrieved 2021-07-18.
- ^ Ernst, Mike (July 20, 2009). "Schatz captures Kings Royal". The Daily Standard. Celina, OH. Archived from the original on September 13, 2015.
- ^ Arnold, Eric (August 4, 2010). "Ten days of racing start Thursday in Knoxville". Newton Daily News. Newton, IA. Archived from the original on January 21, 2021. Retrieved January 19, 2021.
- ^ Billing, Greg (July 17, 2012). "Swindell takes 3rd Kings Royal title". Dayton Daily News. Dayton, OH. Archived from the original on January 21, 2021. Retrieved January 19, 2021.
- ^ Pace, Doug (July 14, 2013). "Brad Sweet Earns Crown in 30th Kings Royal at Eldora Speedway". The Spokesman-Review. Spokane, WA. Archived from the original on September 6, 2015. Retrieved January 18, 2021.
- ^ Elliott, Jeremy (July 19, 2015). "Shane Stewart makes epic run to Kings Royal title as Donny Schatz runs dry". The Patriot-News. Harrisburg, PA. Archived from the original on January 21, 2021. Retrieved January 18, 2021.
- ^ Graziano, Nick. "SHINE OF A KING: Tyler 'Sunshine' Courtney claims 38th Kings Royal in first appearance". World of Outlaws. World Racing Group. Retrieved 2021-07-18.
- ^ Walker, Brian. "KING KYLE XXXVII: Larson Achieves Crowning Moment at Eldora's Kings Royal". World of Outlaws. World Racing Group. Retrieved 2021-07-18.
- ^ Walker, Brian. "KING BRENT: Marks Completes Monumental Week At Eldora With Kings Royal Crown". World of Outlaws. World Racing Group. Retrieved 2022-07-17.
- ^ Beaver, Dan (2023-07-16). "Donny Schatz wins 2023 Kings Royal on one of the World of Outlaws' biggest stages". NBC Sports. Retrieved 2025-07-20.
- ^ Nieten, Alex. "King DAVID XLI: David Gravel Bests Donny Schatz in a Thriller for First Kings Royal Crown". World of Outlaws. World Racing Group. Retrieved 2024-07-21.
- ^ Paul, Brandon (July 19, 2025). "2025 Kings Royal Results: World Of Outlaws At Eldora Speedway". FloRacing. Retrieved 20 July 2025.