The 10-time Series champion has mastered the iconic Ohio oval through the course of his career
A major piece of Eldora Speedway lore is a story surrounding the charismatic Earl Baltes, and Donny Schatz is no exception.
Well before he was even close to earning the first of his now 10 World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car championships, the aspiring racer made the mistake of downplaying Eldora with a camera on and a microphone in front of him.
“Back in the days when we had TNN doing the coverage, Steve Evans was a commentator,” Schatz recalled. “When we went to Bristol that first time, Steve Evans wanted to compare Eldora and Bristol, and honestly, there was no comparison. That Bristol place was an insane amount of banking, insane speed. It had so much bank that if there was a car next to you, it was a different elevation up, and you couldn’t see them out the right side at all.
“So, Steve Evans, he came and asked me a question about what I thought of it. And I’m like, ‘Man, I don’t know what to say.’ Anyway, I just said it makes Eldora look like a wussy track. I was young and wasn’t very refined with what came out of my mouth or pretty much anything at the time. Man, did Earl take offense to it. He singled me out at the next drivers meeting. He went after me and called me a joker and said that I’d never won at his racetrack.”
Welcome to Eldora, Donny.
But like most stories involving track founder Baltes, that moment was merely a bump in the road on the path to profound friendship between him and the Schatz family. And that “joker” Baltes called out wound up finding his way to Eldora Victory Lane on more than a few occasions.
The Rossburg, OH oval has become one of the largest pieces of Schatz’s sure-fire Hall of Fame résumé. He’s won 19 times at the iconic 1/2-mile dirt track, including six Kings Royal crowns, just one shy of Steve Kinser’s record for the most and a record he could equal this weekend (July 18-19) at the 42nd running of the crown jewel. Another highlight is topping the 2002 Historical Big One.
One of the ways Schatz stands out at Eldora is his maneuverability. He’s become known for being able to find speed in any of the many lanes Eldora offers, especially in the slick, where several struggle. That expertise didn’t come overnight. The Fargo, ND legend worked and worked, determined to be able to go where few are willing to go for pace.
“When the big races came around in the summer, everything got slick and that’s when the money was up,” Schatz said. “We really focused on trying to work on the slick stuff. There were times when there’s a car on the top and car on the bottom, you didn’t have much of a choice. You had to try to run through. It’s not like we ever just focused on the middle; we just tried getting our car stuck.”
Schatz’s Eldora success is special to him beyond the history and prestige the track already holds. It’s amplified by the fact he’s done most of his winning there while driving for the same man who now owns the track, Tony Stewart.
“Smoke” purchased “The House that Earl Built” in 2004, and Schatz began driving for Tony Stewart/Curb-Agajanian Racing in 2008. Since joining forces, Schatz has taken the No. 15 on 16 trips to Eldora Victory Lane, including all but one of his Kings Royal crowns. Through that time, Stewart has continued to push Eldora to new heights in many ways and carry on the legacy established by Baltes. Both Schatz and Stewart have progressed and evolved their interests over the years, and Eldora unites them.
“Tony’s got great people in everything he’s ever been involved in,” Schatz said. “He’s obviously got great people at Eldora. Even though times change and people change, he still has great people there. It’s kind of funny; it’s one of those places where you’d think we’d go there and get a good parking spot or something, but when this truck rolls in, they make sure if they’re going to be hard on someone, they’re hard on this one. It’s almost like a competition to show him that we don’t care who you are, we’re going to do the best we can by anybody. He’s done a tremendous job with it. It’s crazy to see how the races have grown. The crowds have grown.”
The latest measurement of growth will be this weekend as The Greatest Show on Dirt invades Eldora for the 42nd running of the Kings Royal. Saturday’s winner will take home a record $200,000 in riches. Even with some 2025 struggles, expect Schatz to be in the running for another trip to the throne.
Six of Schatz’s last seven Eldora visits have resulted in podiums, including five runner-ups. The tricky 1/2 mile still suits Schatz perfectly. He’s still got the fire. He’s still got the drive. He wants to be crowned King once again.
“When you look back at the guys that have won it, Steve Kinser, Jac Haudenschild, Sammy Swindell, they’re all guys that I looked up to as a young driver,” Schatz said. “When you think of the Kings Royal, you think of that great big throne and the cape and the crown and the scepter and all those things. I remember the first time I won it. I was so excited. It’s kind of like someone giving you a hat, and you’ve got to give it back after the pictures are over, and I was like, ‘You guys aren’t getting this stuff back.’ And they were like, ‘Oh no, we’re getting it back.’ So, I said, ‘Over my dead body you are. I’m putting this on the wall at home. I’m keeping this. Yeah, I had to pay for it. I got in trouble.”
Schatz goes after a record-tying seventh Kings Royal crown this weekend (July 18-19) at Eldora Speedway. For tickets, CLICK HERE.
If you can’t make it to the track, catch every lap live on DIRTVision.