With the 30th running of the Dirt Late Model Dream at Eldora Speedway in Rossburg, Ohio, rapidly approaching, coverage of the prestigious dirt-track event is ramping up at FloRacing. Here you’ll find five things to know about the oval widely known as “The Big E.”

The History Of Eldora Speedway

Few active racetracks, paved or dirt, match the history of Eldora Speedway, which originally opened in 1954 as a quarter-mile oval under the guidance of the late Earl Baltes. In 1958, Eldora became the famous half-mile it’s known as today, hosting the most prestigious events and series that dirt-track racing has to offer.

Eldora is home to two of Dirt Late Model racing’s most coveted crown jewels — next weekend’s $100,030-to-win Dream and September’s World 100 — and this October it’ll host another storied event, the Dirt Track World Championship.

The Big E is also the only short-track with a winner’s purse topping $1,000,000, otherwise known as the Eldora Million. Donnie Moran won the original Eldora Million in 2001 while Jonathan Davenport captured the return of the lucrative event more than 20 years later last year. Last July, Logan Schuchart won the Eldora Million for winged Sprint Cars.

Highlights From the 2001 Eldora Million

The Diversity At Eldora Speedway

Eldora Speedway is the only dirt-track on the globe to host original crown jewels for both Dirt Late Models — the World 100 at 53 years and counting — and winged Sprint Cars by way of the Kings Royal at 40 years and counting.

The following series are on this year’s Eldora’s schedule: Kubota High Limit Racing, the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series, USAC’s three national tours, Castrol FloRacing Night in America and the World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Cars.

NASCAR’s Craftsman Truck Series ran annually at the Big E from 2013 to ‘19, as five of its seven winners are now full-time Cup Series drivers (Austin Dillon, Bubba Wallace, Chase Briscoe, Christopher Bell and Kyle Larson).

VIDEO: Watch highlights from Castrol FloRacing Night in America at Eldora Speedway. 

Eldora Speedway Is The Birthplace Of Legends

Every successful dirt-track racing career can be traced back to a big win at Eldora Speedway.

Last year, Jonathan Davenport’s Eldora Million triumph accounted for half of his unprecedented $2 million season. Additionally, Davenport’s five World 100 titles — all in the last seven years — have single-handily put him in the Greatest Of All-Time conversation in Dirt Late Model racing, right up against Billy Moyer (six World 100 trophies) and Scott Bloomquist (four World 100s).

In 2011, Kyle Larson became the first driver to sweep USAC’s Four Crown in a Midget car, wingless Sprint Car and Silver Crown car. He earned a NASCAR developmental deal shortly after with Earnhardt Ganassi Racing that ultimately set the course for the rest of his well-documented racing career.

Larson and the legendary Jack Hewitt are also the only drivers in track history to have won in seven different types of race cars at the Big E. Other motorsports legends such as Bryan Clauson (four-time USAC winner) Donny Moran (2001 Eldora Million winner), Donny Schatz (five Kings Royals), Doug Wolfgang (two Kings Royal wins), Jac Haudenschild (three Kings Royal wins), Jan Opperman (two USAC Sprint Car wins), Jeff Gordon (1991 USAC Midget winner), Ken Schrader (three USAC wins), Mario Andretti (‘66 USAC Sprint Car winner), Sammy Swindell (three Kings Royal wins), Steve Kinser (seven Kings Royal wins) and Tony Stewart (’95 Four Crown Midget and Sprint Car winner).

Kyle Larson Makes History By Winning Dirt Modified Debut at Eldora

Who Owns Eldora Speedway?

Three-time NASCAR champ Tony Stewart is in his 20th year as Eldora Speedway’s owner, succeeding the legendary Earl Baltes that built the Big E from the ground up.

Stewart’s won some of Eldora’s biggest events over the years, including USAC Four Crown titles in the Midget and Sprint Car in 1995. The Big E’s owner also has three Prelude to the Dream wins (2006, ’08 and ’09) and a win with the Superstar Racing Experience in 2021 at Eldora.

Tony Stewart Discusses Ownership & History Of Eldora Speedway

Eldora Speedway Track Specs

Eldora Speedway can hold roughly 30,000 spectators, making it one of the largest venues in dirt-track racing. The track itself features 24 degrees of banking in the corners and 8 degrees in the straightaways.