Kings Royal

The Kings Royal is a major sprint car racing event held annually at Eldora Speedway. Regarded as one of the world's most prestigious sprint car races, it awarded a $175,000 USD winner's prize in its most recent running in 2019.

This article is about the sprint car race. For the rock band, see The Kings Royal. For other uses, see King's Royal (disambiguation).
Kings Royal
World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series
VenueEldora Speedway
LocationAllen Township, Darke County, near New Weston, Ohio
First race1984 (1984)
Distance20 mi (32 km)
Laps40
Previous namesMopar Kings Royal (1999)
Kings Royal presented by Crown Royal (2006)
Most wins (driver)Steve Kinser (7)
Circuit information
SurfaceDirt
Length0.5 mi (0.80 km)
Turns4

History
Kings Royal pre-race in 1987

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] Excepting the NASCAR-sanctioned Eldora Dirt Derby, 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]

After the 37th annual event in 2020 was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic,[13] it was rescheduled to 2021 to run two days after the 38th annual, regularly scheduled event, marking the first time two Kings Royal events had run in a single year.[14]

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.[14]

Winners
Year Driver Car # 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]

References
  1. 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.
  2. 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.
  3. 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.
  4. 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.
  5. "Sweet & Pittman Hope To Be Kings Again". Speed Sport. June 30, 2017. Archived from the original on January 21, 2021. Retrieved January 19, 2021.
  6. "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.
  7. 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.
  8. 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.
  9. 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.
  10. 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.
  11. 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.
  12. 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.
  13. Weaver, Matt (July 1, 2020). "World of Outlaws' Knoxville Nationals and Kings Royal Canceled until 2021". Autoweek. Archived from the original on November 14, 2020. Retrieved January 19, 2021.
  14. "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.
  15. Ernst, Mike (July 20, 2009). "Schatz captures Kings Royal". The Daily Standard. Celina, OH. Archived from the original on September 13, 2015.
  16. 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.
  17. 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.
  18. 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.
  19. 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.
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