If you have ever watched a sprint car go sideways at 200 kilometers per hour on a half-mile of red clay, throwing rooster tails of dirt twenty feet into the air while thirty thousand fans scream themselves hoarse in the grandstands, you have probably already dreamed about Eldora Speedway. Affectionately known as “The Big E”, this iconic half-mile clay oval in rural Ohio is widely regarded as the greatest dirt track in the world. It has hosted legends, produced millionaires, and broken hearts for over seven decades. But who actually owns it?
The answer is one of the most celebrated and controversial figures in American motorsports history — a three-time NASCAR Cup Series champion, an IndyCar champion, a USAC champion, and a man who loves dirt racing so much that he bought the most famous dirt track in America before he had even finished winning championships.
What Is Eldora Speedway?
Eldora Speedway is a high-banked half-mile clay oval racing complex located in Allen Township, Darke County, near New Weston, Ohio. It has a capacity of 30,000 fans and sits at the crossroads of some of America’s most fertile agricultural communities, with Indiana approximately 10 miles to the west.
The track surface is clay — not asphalt, not concrete. The banking in the turns is 24 degrees, with 8 degrees on the straights — creating a surface that rewards aggression, punishes mistakes, and produces the kind of side-by-side racing that no paved oval can match.
Eldora hosts some of the most prestigious and highest-paying short-track events in the world, including the World 100, the Dirt Late Model Dream, the Kings Royal, and the 4-Crown Nationals. Every event at Eldora Speedway is broadcast live, and the track has built a social media following of over one million people worldwide.
Who Owns Eldora Speedway Right Now?
The answer is clean and clear: Eldora Speedway is owned by three-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Champion Tony Stewart, who purchased Eldora from legendary promoter Earl Baltes in 2004.
Stewart has remained very involved in running the track since retiring from full-time racing in 2016. He is not a passive owner. He shows up, he promotes events, he walks the pits, and he has made it clear on multiple occasions that Eldora is the single piece of his motorsports empire that he is most personally attached to.
In June 2024, when rumors spread online that Eldora had been sold — rumors that emerged in the wake of Stewart-Haas Racing shutting down its NASCAR operations — Stewart addressed the speculation directly and firmly. Stewart said: “I don’t know who was really bored and thought they would play a nice practical joke at home, but this track is not sold and it is not for sale. This is a tradition with Earl and Berneice (Baltes) that they started back in 1954 that we’re proud to be owners of this race track. It’s something that we’re passionate about. This track is not for sale. It’s not sold. It’s ours. And we plan on keeping it for a long time.”
Who Owns Eldora Speedway — Ownership Table
| Party | Role | Status | Key Detail |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tony Stewart | Owner | Active since 2004 | Three-time NASCAR Cup champion; IndyCar and USAC champion; purchased from Earl Baltes |
| Earl Baltes (Historical) | Founder and Original Owner | Sold in 2004 | Built Eldora in 1954; sole owner for 50 years until sale to Stewart |
| Berneice Baltes (Historical) | Co-Founder | N/A | Built and ran Eldora alongside husband Earl from its 1954 opening |
| Levi Jones | General Manager | Active | USAC Hall of Famer; hired by Stewart as Eldora’s GM in September 2024 |
| High Limit Racing (Kyle Larson & Brad Sweet) | Racing Series Partner | Active 2026 | Co-founded by Kyle Larson and Brad Sweet; runs Double Down Duels and Joker’s Jackpot at Eldora |
| World of Outlaws | Racing Series Partner | Active 2026 | Sanctions the annual Kings Royal at Eldora; one of the track’s longest partnerships |
| FloRacing / FloSports | Official Livestream Partner | Active | Official broadcast partner for all Eldora events |
The Origin Story: A Bandleader Who Built a Racetrack
The story of Eldora Speedway does not begin with a racing family or a corporate sponsor. It begins with a musician.
Eldora Speedway was built in 1954 by Earl Baltes, a prominent area bandleader with no previous racing experience. Born on April 27, 1921, in nearby Versailles, Ohio, Baltes had stumbled onto a race at New Bremen Speedway and was so impressed by the big, enthusiastic crowd that he decided to build a race track.
Baltes had purchased the Eldora Ballroom from “Ma” Shoes two years earlier, offering weekly dances and musical performances. Eventually, Baltes curtailed the musical performances as the track grew more successful.
The track was constructed as a quarter-mile as it opened in 1954. Two years later, Baltes expanded the track to a three-eighths-mile, and in 1958 the track was expanded to the present half-mile length.
The track hosted the sprint cars of the United States Auto Club for the first time in 1962 and quickly became one of the favorite venues for the series. By the 1970s and 1980s, Eldora had established itself as the premier venue for dirt racing in America — attracting the biggest names and the biggest purses in short-track motorsports.
In 1978, Eldora hosted its first World of Outlaws event. That partnership has continued for nearly five decades and remains one of the cornerstones of the Eldora calendar to this day.
Earl and his wife Berneice ran Eldora together for 50 years — every single race, every single night, on a property they had built from scratch. By the time Earl was ready to sell in 2004, he had created something that went far beyond a business. He had built an institution.
Tony Stewart: From Champion to Owner
Tony Stewart did not buy Eldora Speedway because it was a smart investment. He bought it because dirt racing is in his blood — and because he understood, perhaps better than anyone else in American motorsports at the time, exactly what Eldora meant to the sport.
Tony Stewart is a motorsports entrepreneur and NASCAR, IndyCar, and USAC champion. He grew up in Columbus, Indiana, racing go-karts, midgets, and sprint cars on dirt tracks across the Midwest before making his name in open-wheel racing and eventually becoming one of the greatest NASCAR drivers of his generation.
Baltes and his wife, Berneice, opened Eldora Speedway on June 6, 1954 and had been the sole owner of the facility from day one before choosing to pass it on to Stewart in 2004.
Stewart, a versatile racing icon with championships in NASCAR, IndyCar, and sprint cars, purchased Eldora to preserve its legacy as the World’s Greatest Dirt Track. His stewardship has elevated the track’s prestige, modernizing facilities while maintaining its gritty charm.
Since taking ownership, Stewart has consistently grown Eldora’s event calendar, prize money, and national profile. Now entering its 21st year under the ownership of Tony Stewart, Eldora Speedway hosted its 72nd season of racing in 2025.
In 2013, Stewart made one of the boldest decisions in Eldora’s history — bringing a NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race to the dirt oval. The Eldora Dirt Derby ran from 2013 to 2019 and became one of the most-watched events on the NASCAR calendar, introducing an entirely new generation of fans to what dirt racing actually looks like when the best stock car drivers in the world are thrown onto an unfamiliar surface with no grip and no mercy.
High Limit Racing: Stewart’s Bigger Dirt Vision
One of the most important developments in Tony Stewart’s stewardship of Eldora has been his involvement in the broader sprint car racing ecosystem — specifically, his connection to High Limit Racing.
High Limit Racing was co-founded by Kyle Larson and Brad Sweet. The series has quickly grown into one of the premier sprint car racing organizations in the country, attracting the biggest names in both dirt racing and NASCAR to its events.
Stewart’s commitment to Eldora has revitalized the track, attracting top-tier series like High Limit, which he co-founded to elevate sprint car racing. The Kubota High Limit Racing series returns to Eldora during Kings Royal week in 2026 for the Double Down Duels on July 15 and the $100,000-to-win Joker’s Jackpot on July 16.
The relationship between Eldora and High Limit Racing is not just a booking arrangement — it reflects Stewart’s broader philosophy about what dirt racing can and should be. By bringing high-profile NASCAR stars like Kyle Larson, Christopher Bell, and Corey Day to Eldora on a regular basis, Stewart has made the track a crossover destination that appeals to both hardcore dirt racing fans and mainstream motorsports audiences.
The Kings Royal: Eldora’s Crown Jewel Event in 2026
Right now, in July 2026, Eldora Speedway is at the center of the dirt racing world with one of its biggest weeks of the year.
Kings Royal Week kicked off on Wednesday, July 15 as the High Limit Racing Sprint Cars returned to Eldora with the running of the Double Down Duels, featuring twin 25-lap main events worth $12,000 each.
The weekend culminates on Saturday, July 18, with the 43rd running of the Kings Royal — a 40-lap main event which pays $200,000-to-win.
A $200,000 payday for a single sprint car race at a half-mile dirt track in rural Ohio. That number alone tells you everything you need to know about how seriously the racing world takes Eldora and what Tony Stewart’s ownership has done for the track’s prestige and prize money.
Two-time and reigning NASCAR Cup Series champion Kyle Larson won last year’s Joker’s Jackpot, underscoring just how seriously the NASCAR stars take these dirt racing events at Eldora — and how the track has become a genuine proving ground that crosses every boundary in American motorsports.
Levi Jones: The Man Running Eldora Day to Day
Every great track needs great management, and Tony Stewart made a significant hire in September 2024 when he brought in USAC Hall of Famer Levi Jones as Eldora’s new General Manager.
Jones is a respected figure in the sprint car racing community who brings both credibility and operational experience to the role. His appointment signals that Stewart is focused on professionalism and long-term sustainability — not just prestige events, but the day-to-day excellence that keeps Eldora functioning as a top-tier racing facility year-round.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Q1. Who owns Eldora Speedway in 2026?
Eldora Speedway is owned by three-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Champion Tony Stewart, who purchased it from legendary promoter Earl Baltes in 2004.
Q2. Who built Eldora Speedway and when?
Eldora Speedway was built by Earl Baltes, a local bandleader, and opened on June 6, 1954 as a quarter-mile dirt track in New Weston, Ohio.
Q3. How much did Tony Stewart pay for Eldora Speedway?
The exact purchase price has never been publicly disclosed by either Tony Stewart or the Baltes family.
Q4. Is Eldora Speedway for sale?
No. Tony Stewart confirmed in June 2024: “This track is not for sale. It’s not sold. It’s ours. And we plan on keeping it for a long time.”
Q5. How big is Eldora Speedway?
Eldora is a half-mile clay oval with 24-degree banking in the turns and a seating capacity of 30,000 fans.
Q6. What major events does Eldora Speedway host in 2026?
Eldora hosts the 43rd Kings Royal paying $200,000-to-win, the Dirt Late Model Dream, the World 100, and the High Limit Racing Double Down Duels and Joker’s Jackpot.
Q7. Who is the General Manager of Eldora Speedway?
USAC Hall of Famer Levi Jones serves as Eldora’s General Manager, hired by Tony Stewart in September 2024.
Q8. What racing series race at Eldora Speedway?
Eldora hosts High Limit Racing, the World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series, USAC Midgets, Sprint Cars and Silver Crown, and dirt late model events throughout the season.
Eldora Speedway is owned by Tony Stewart — three-time NASCAR Cup champion, IndyCar champion, and USAC champion — who purchased the track from its legendary founder Earl Baltes in 2004. Baltes and his wife Berneice had built Eldora from the ground up in 1954 as a quarter-mile dirt track in rural Ohio, expanding it to its current half-mile configuration by 1958 and running it as sole owners for 50 years.
Under Stewart’s ownership, Eldora has grown into the undisputed crown jewel of American dirt track racing — hosting marquee events like the $200,000-to-win Kings Royal, the Dirt Late Model Dream, and the World 100, drawing over 30,000 fans per night and broadcasting every event live on FloRacing. Stewart has firmly and publicly stated that Eldora is not for sale — and the 43rd Kings Royal Week happening right now in July 2026 is proof that the track’s best days are still ahead.