Tony Stewart admitted that seeing his recent purchase from the air aftera race was "like a scene from Field of Dreams. There was this littletrack out there in the middle of nowhere with hundreds of cars snakingaway from it in all directions."
Those were the thoughts of the NextelCup star at a recent tribute to Earl and Berniece Baltes. After a halfcentury of owning the famed Eldora Speedway in Rossburg, Ohio, theBaltes' sold the half-mile dirt track to Stewart last year.
The tributeto Earl and Berniece Baltes was held in the Eldora Ballroom during lateMarch, with about 800 people in attendance. A number of civic awardswere presented to the Baltes' for their standing in the state, county,and community, and it was officially declared Earl and Berniece BaltesDay. The United States Auto Club (USAC) was well represented along withthe famous Eldora Gorilla.
The 83-year-old Baltes, a former musicpromoter, sometimes hosted big band concerts in the Eldora Ballroombefore he built the speedway in the early '50s.
The event also includedthe auction of several Tony Stewart autographed items for localcharities. A Simpson helmet, originally scheduled for Stewart's use in ashort-track Nextel Cup race, caused a spirited bidding war and broughtin the day's highest bid of $4,000 for the local sheriff's charity.
Stewart, 33, with a nod to Baltes' longevity at the track, said he hopedthat he, too, would be able to head up Eldora Speedway for five decades."Nextel Cup is my profession, but Eldora is my passion," he remarked tostrong applause.
While it may be tough to replace Earl Baltes at Eldora,Stewart assured the many in attendance that he'd give it his best shot.In fact, he has put forth that message since acquiring the track.
"Thehistory of Eldora is alive and well and no one wants to see thisracetrack flourish more than me," Stewart said in announcing hispurchase last year. "Everyone can rest assured that Eldora is in goodhands."
Baltes' legacy runs deep in dirt track racing. He started manyof the classic races that survive today in both stock and open-wheelcars. Baltes once held a million-dollars-to-win race for Dirt LateModels, and his annual World 100 is rated the top race for dirt stockcars. He also created the $100,000-to-win "The Dream," a highlyanticipated event as well. (The track also holds the distinction ofbeing the most popular for both Sprint Cars and Dirt Late Model racingand is believed to be the only such track to do so.)
Baltes is a memberof both the National Dirt Late Model Hall of Fame and Sprint Car Hall ofFame. Last year, Baltes was voted the most influential individual inDirt Late Model racing.
For 51 years Baltes was a hands-onowner/promoter, often mounting a grader to groom the track or drive thewater truck on race day. Simply put, Baltes put his mark on the historictrack and developed it into a showpiece.
"Eldora was a premier racingfacility long before I started racing there in 1991, and it's our goalto build on the tradition Earl and his wife Berniece started back in1954," said Stewart. "Eldora has been extremely successful for both itscompetitors and its fans. We have no intentions of changing the look andthe feel of the racetrack. We want to maintain the Eldora experiencefans have grown to love and appreciate over the years."
While Baltes hasbeen known primarily for his ownership of Eldora, it was just one ofmany tracks which he owned or promoted. Included in that list wereLimaland, Dayton, New Breman, and Mansfield Speedway, among others. Healso laid out a one-mile track just south of the Eldora oval, but it wasnever completed.
Baltes' legacy at Eldora, meanwhile, is complete andstanding on solid ground.