Eldora Speedway Restructures Dirt Late Model Dream Format For 2024
Eldora Speedway Restructures Dirt Late Model Dream Format For 2024
The 2024 Dirt Late Model Dream at Eldora Speedway comes with split-field preliminaries on separate nights and the event's richest purse ever.
Next June's richest-ever Dirt Late Model Dream at Eldora Speedway in Rossburg, Ohio, comes with a restructured format paying $25,000-to-win for two preliminary features and a Dirt Late Model-record $6,000-to-start money for the weekend's $100,030-to-win finale.
Announced as part of the Tony Stewart-owned track's 23-night schedule for 2024, among other changes for June 5-8's Dream XXX week will be Eldora's Castrol FloRacing Night in America opening the four-race week with a $19,999-to-win event on Wednesday.
For Dream preliminaries starting the next day, instead of the twin features in recent seasons, officials will split total race entries in half with the first half competing in Thursday's program and the second half in Friday's program. Each prelim's purse exceeds $120,000 with $25,000 going to the winner of the 40-lap feature with every feature starter earning at least $2,000.
The new format gives racers "the opportunity to race for more money in just one night than what they could collectively earn in two nights last year," Eldora general manager Jerry Gappens said. "There will also be some cost savings as well when thinking about tires, fuel and general wear and tear on engines and components. For the fans, they will be treated to action-packed events with great competition throughout the entire field that concludes in a timely fashion."
The track is also planning off-track entertainment and activities with fan interaction with drivers on the night those drivers aren't in competition.
For the 100-lap Dream finale, while the winner's pay drops from the $129,000 prize in 2023, next season's record event purse exceeds $600,000 (last year's purse: $585,828) with Saturday's finishers 2-26 all getting purse boosts, including $6,000 for 26th. The complete feature purse wasn't announced but non-qualifier purse money will also be boosted, according to the track.
Other Super Late Model events on Eldora's 2024 schedule include Sept. 5-7's 54th World 100, which will stick with its traditional twin 25-lap formats for preliminaries, and Oct. 18-19's General Tire Dirt Track World Championship on the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series. The Valvoline American Iron-Man Series will sanction Sept. 1's Baltes Classic, a $5,000-to-win event.