ROSSBURG, Ohio — Logan Schuchart was a humble and appreciative winner after claiming the $1,002,023 top prize in the Eldora Million at Eldora Speedway.
The story of the Shark Racing team owned by his grandfather, Hall of Famer Bobby, Allen is well documented.
The team started as a low budget organization with Schuchart and Allen’s son Jacob (Logan’s uncle) as the drivers and has become one of sprint car racing’s most productive teams.
Still, winning The Million was the team’s crowning achievement.
“I don’t have words to explain it,” Schuchart said. “We have come such a long way as a team from starting at the very bottom. Jacob and I had one engine for each car when we started and we built it from there.”
• Podium finishers Carson Macedo and Brad Sweet heaped praise on Schuchart following the 50-lap event.
“I knew I wasn’t going to be able to catch him, he was way out in the lead,” said Macedo, who earned $100,000 for second. “They did a great job with their car and they were able to make a lot of speed up front.”
Sweet was more to the point, “The best car won.”
Kyle Larson, who was eliminated from the race in a wild four-car flip, weighed in on Twitter following the race.
“There’s not a more deserving team to win a million than Shark Racing,” Larson wrote. “So happy for Logan Schuchart and Bobby Allen. Their team is the definition of hard work and perseverance. Congratulations.”
• Wild moves were part of the Eldora Million program with frequent crashes from heat races through the feature.
“It’s the Eldora Million,” said runner-up Carson Macedo. “People are going to be throwing huge bombs. I’d have done the same thing.”
• USAC non-winged sprint car regular C.J. Leary and his Hayward Motorsports team were late entrants in the Eldora Million, but put on a show on Thursday night.
After struggling on preliminary night, Leary raced his way forward and transferred into the main event through the B main. Leary then started the No. 19 21st on the grid. He ran steady throughout the 50-lap race and finished 12th, earning $7,000.
• Brad Sweet, who finished third, summed up the Eldora Million in one sentence.
“We all knew one guy was going to win $1 million and the rest of us were going to be a little sad,” said Sweet, who earned $50,000.
• Jonathan Davenport, who won last year’s Eldora Million for dirt late models, was on hand Thursday night, and was among those greeting winner Logan Schuchart in victory lane.
• With $1 million handed out to Logan Schuchart and Shark Racing after two nights of intense racing at Eldora Speedway, it’s time to reset for two more big nights of sprint car action.
The World of Outlaws take centerstage beginning Friday night for the 40th running of the Kings Royal. The Kings Royal, which was the first sprint car race to pay $50,000 to win back in 1984, will pay $175,000 to this year’s winner.
• Bobby Allen won the first WoO race at Eldora Speedway in 1978.
• Driving the No. 83jr Roth Motorsports sprint car, Buddy Kofoid had to transfer through the B main to make the Eldora Million. He started 20th and romped to a seventh-place finish.
• A yellow flag on the final lap of the sixth heat cost Donny Schatz a top-six starting spot in the main event. Schatz was far ahead of the field when the yellow waved, but lost the lead and the race to Aaron Reutzel on the restart.
Schatz started the feature 11th and finished eighth.
• Heat race winners on Thursday night were Carson Macedo, Logan Schuchart, David Gravel, Brad Sweet, Kyle Larson and Aaron Reutzel.
• Danny Smith was the only driver in the Eldora Million field, who also competed in the inaugural Kings Royal in 1984. There were 83 entries for the Million and 67 for the first Kings Royal.
• Veteran sprint car mechanic Rob Hart was assisting Bernie Stuebgen with the Indy Race Parts entry wheeled by Shane Stewart.
• One of the popular — and most overused — phrases in sprint car racing is “when will the Posse leave the porch?”
Central Pennsylvania drivers showed up at Eldora in force with Danny Dietrich, Lance Dewease, Dylan Cisney, Brent Marks, Justin Whittall, T.J. Stutts among the 83 entries.
Whittall raced his way into the main event and finished 16th.
• The Thursday afternoon autograph session at Eldora Speedway was mandatory for drivers to attend.