Column By: MARTY CZEKALA / RPW – ROSSBURG, OH – A normal 410 sprint car race that features the best competitors would give away about $10-$20,000.
Bigger races like the Knoxville Nationals will pay $185,000 to win, and recently, the Huset’s High-Bank Nationals paid the biggest winner’s check in World of Outlaws history at $250,000.
How about $1,002,023?
No other sprint car race has featured a seven-figure payday. That is going to change July 13.
It is finally the week of the Eldora Million, as 82 drivers are set to participate in the richest event in Sprint Car history.
Last year’s event at Eldora Speedway was filled by Late Model drivers, in which Jonathan Davenport took home the million-dollar special.
That raised an interesting question, what would drivers do if they won a million dollars, and what would it mean?
Two of the 82 drivers in the field have won a million dollars in a race before. Kasey Kahne and Kyle Larson are prior NASCAR All-Star Race winners, but what about drivers who have never had the opportunity?
Race Pro Weekly spoke with the top three after Friday’s All Star Circuit of Champions feature at Ransomville in Zeb Wise, Kerry Madsen, and Chris Windom. What would they do if they won a cool million?
Zeb Wise: “It’s hard to even think about that. I don’t think anyone in the pit area is going to prepare themselves for what if they won a million dollars, except for Kyle [Larson], because he’s won it [All-Star Race] three times. I just want to go there and be in contention. If we’re in contention, I’ll be a really happy camper after that.”
Kerry Madsen: “I would take my wife out for a steak dinner, I guess. We’ve been fast every time we hit the track. That’s all you want to be and work together. Who knows, we may challenge for the win.
Madsen did confirm he would do a shoey if he were to win the million.
Chris Windom: “I would party pretty hard that night. Kind of tough because we have to win the next night at Eldora again. That would be pretty cool. That’s something I’m thankful to be a part of and be a part of the first one.”
Per FloRacing, it would take six Knoxville Nationals titles to total more than the winner’s payout at this week’s Eldora Million. One driver in the Million has over six Knoxville Nationals victories, and that is Donny Schatz, who will be one of the favorites to win the Million.
The race is also a part of Kings Royal weekend, with Saturday’s 40th running paying $175,000 to win.
The Eldora Million runs from July 12-13 and can be seen live on FloRacing.