INDIANAPOLIS – 10-Time World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series champion Donny Schatz announced today that he will compete in the return of The Eldora Million at the legendary Eldora Speedway in Rossburg, Ohio on June 8 – 9, 2022.
“Competing at Eldora Speedway in the Prelude to the Dream is what got me hooked on dirt late model racing and having the opportunity to return there to compete in The Eldora Million is something I’m really looking forward to,” said Schatz.
“To be able to compete in a high-profile dirt late model event at Eldora while I’m still a full-time World of Outlaws driver is something that I didn’t think would ever happen. A lot of elements had to align just right in the racing world for this opportunity to become a reality and it’s exciting to be able to take part of such a historic event at a track that I’ve had success at in my career.”
Set to compete in his familiar No. 15 Ford Performance powered Rocket Chassis entry, Schatz made his dirt late model debut at the historical half-mile in 2012 during the Prelude to the Dream event in which he drove from 15th to fourth in the star-studded feature. Schatz has won a historic five Kings Royal titles and 17 WoO A-main victories at the storied facility, but he knows the stakes for The Eldora Million will run high.
“Anyone who knows the sport of dirt-track racing knows that Eldora Speedway hosts some of the biggest races in the world every year – the Dream, the World 100, the Kings Royal – they give teams a great stage to compete on in front of some of the largest audiences in the sport.
“I’ve been fortunate in my sprint car career to win five Kings Royal titles and several WoO Sprint Car features at Eldora but I know that I’ll be coming into the Million from a different vantage point. This time I’ll be competing against a lot of the guys who helped me get started in dirt late model racing and there’s a reason they’re the best at what they do. I have a lot of experience at Eldora but this event will definitely present new challenges and I’m really looking forward to being part of The Eldora Million.”
Schatz’s dirt late model experience since 2012 spans 133 events and includes 14 feature event wins with the Northern Late Model Racing Association (NLRA – 10) and the WISSOTA Promoters Association (WISSOTA – 4) series. In July 2014, Schatz made his debut with the World of Outlaws Late Model Series (WoOLMS) at Hibbing Raceway where he earned an eighth-place finish. His most recent dirt late model contests came at Vado Speedway Park in January 2022 where he picked up two top-10 finishes.
The Eldora Million will see top names from several high-profile racing disciplines compete for a winner’s purse of $1 million. On Wed., June 8 drivers will compete in a program of tournament-style preliminary features to seed the field for a full program of heat races, last chance showdowns and the $1,002,022-to-win championship feature on June 9. The 2022 event will mark only the second time in Eldora Speedway’s history that The Eldora Million has been held, as Ohio’s Donnie Moran won the first $1 million dollar purse offered by the track in 2001.
Following The Eldora Million on June 8 – 9, Schatz will return to WoO NOS Energy Sprint Car Series competition at Knoxville (Iowa) Raceway with the No. 15 Tony Stewart/Curb-Agajanian Racing team on June 10 – 11.