ROSSBURG, Ohio — It’s a monumental week at “The World’s Greatest Dirt Track” as Eldora Speedway hosts four-straight nights of sprint car racing.
Sixty-eight drivers are currently entered with the first two nights of action under the direction of High Limit Racing and the final two nights sanctioned by the World of Outlaws.
It begins with the Wednesday’s Double Down Duel$, a pair of $12,000 features that will help set the field for Thursday’s $100,000-to-win Joker’s Jackpot that will be televised nationally on FS1.
The World of Outlaws take over on Friday with at $25,000-to-win main event that leads into Saturday’s 42nd running of the Kings Royal that pays $200,000 to the winner.
SPLIT-FIELD FORMAT
Wednesday’s Double Down Duel$ will utilize a unique split-field format with all cars competing, but in two separate programs – giving fans more bang for their buck. The field will be split in half into a Group A and Group B with each group conducting their own flight of qualifying, a set of four heat races, a B Main and then a 25-lap feature.
While racing for points all night long – which sets the stage for Thursday’s Joker’s Jackpot – teams will be dealt big inverts to spice up the racing. The “Wheel of Misfortune” will doll out a 6, 7 or 8-car inversion for all eight heat rRaces, and then another 8, 9 or 10-car inversion to both features.
TELEVISION
For the first time since June of 2020, sprint car racing will return to live national television on Thursday night for the $100,000-to-win Joker’s Jackpot. From 7 p.m to 9.p.m. ET on FS1, a two-hour broadcast will showcase a pair of C Mains, a pair of B Mains, and the 40-lap feature.
Thursday’s format will work by locking-in the top-12 from Double Down Duel$ points to the A-Main, putting 13th-36th in points into two, 15-lap B Mains (transferring top-6 each), and then moving 37th-70th in points into two, 10-lap C Mains (transferring top-4 each).
ROYALTY
Among the 68 entered drivers are 23 former winners at “The Big E,” including a group of eight Kings Royal champions and the man who won the Eldora Million. It’s a who’s who of modern-day sprint car superstars.
King David XLI (David Gravel, Big Game Motorsports #2)• King Donny XL (Donny Schatz, Tony Stewart Racing #15)• Million Dollar Man (Logan Schuchart, Shark Racing #1S)• King Brent XXXIX (Brent Marks, Murray-Marks Motorsports #19)• King Tyler XXXVIII (Tyler Courtney, Clauson-Marshall Racing #7BC)• King Kyle XXXVII (Kyle Larson, Silva Motorsports #57)• King Brad XXXVI (Brad Sweet, Kasey Kahne Racing #49)• King Kerry XXXI (Kerry Madsen, Tony Vermeer #55V)• King Tyler XXVIII (Tyler Walker, Ron Rutherford #69)
US VS. THEM
It’s fitting that the four days of Kings Royal week falls at the same time as baseball’s All Star Game. With High Limit sanctioning Wednesday and Thursday, and the World of Outlaws sanctioning Friday and Saturday, it offers a chance for fans to see the stars of both national touring series on the same track for four straight nights.
To this point in 2025, a pair of High Rollers have won with the Outlaws and a pair of Outlaws have won with the High Rollers. On the High Limit side, Brad Sweet and Rico Abreu both own World of Outlaws wins this year, while Buddy Kofoid and Cole Macedo have topped High Limit races.
Last year, World of Outlaws champion David Gravel won the Joker’s Jackpot and the Kings Royal.
CASH
The Double Down Duel$ being split allows 48 feature starters on Wednesday night with a $12,000-to-win, $1,000-to-start purse. On Thursday, the $100,000 title is the fifth of nine six-figure paydays in winged sprint car racing this year. With $200,000 on the line Saturday night, two of those happen this week at Eldora.
BIG ENTRIES
Currently sitting at 68 entries for the Double Down Duel$, if all drivers show up fans will be treated to the third-highest car count in Eldora Speedway history for winged sprint cars.
The only two times they’ve surpassed that mark was 83 cars at the 2023 Eldora Million and 77 cars at the 1997 Kings Royal.
NOTABLES
In addition to an array of former Eldora winners, the entry list includes a trio of NASCAR Cup Series drivers.
Kyle Larson will wheel the familiar Paul Silva No. 57 sprint car, while Christopher Bell is scheduled to run Don Kreitz’s No. 69k during the first two nights, with Ty Gibbs racing a machine entered by Chad Boat.
Eldora Speedway Entry List1A – Ashton Torgerson1K – Kelby Watt1S – Logan Schuchart2 – David Gravel2C – Cole Macedo3Z – Brock Zearfoss4 – Zane DeVault5 – Brenham Crouch5W – Jeremy Weaver6 – Zach Hampton6R – Ryan Smith7BC – Tyler Courtney7N – Darin Naida7S – Chris Windom9 – Kasey Kahne9R – Chase Randall10 – Ryan Timms11N – Kasey Jedrzejek13 – Daison Pursley14 – Spencer Bayston14BC – Corey Day15 – Donny Schatz15C – Chris Andrews15K – Creed Kemenah17 – Sheldon Haudenschild17B – Bill Balog17GP – Tim Shaffer18 – Giovanni Scelzi18T – Tanner Holmes19 – Brent Marks19H – Kevin Thomas Jr.21 – James McFadden21B – Brian Brown21H – Brady Bacon22 – Brandon Spithaler22M – Rees Moran23 – Chase Dietz23L – Jimmy Light23W – Garet Williamson24 – Rico Abreu24D – Danny Sams III26 – Justin Peck27 – Emerson Axsom27H – Steven Snyder Jr.32 – Bryce Lucius39M – Anthony Macri41 – Carson Macedo42 – Sye Lynch45 – Devon Borden45D – Derek Hagar45W – Cory Eliason48 – Danny Dietrich49 – Brad Sweet49X – Cale Thomas51 – Joel Myers Jr.55 – Hunter Schuerenberg55V – Kerry Madsen57 – Kyle Larson69 – Tyler Walker69k – Christopher Bell71 – Parker Price-Miller83 – Buddy Kofoid84 – Ty Gibbs87 – Aaron Reutzel88 – Tanner Thorson88W – Austin McCarl99 – Cameron Nastasi99G – Skylar Gee
