Sunoco Sponsored Series Part of April 14 Tripleheader to Kick Off 59th Season

ROSSBURG, OH (April 3) – When the Sunoco sponsored American Late Model Series (ALMS) opens Eldora Speedway’s 59th consecutive season of auto racing on Saturday, April 14, defending ALMS and Eldora co-champion Jon Henry wants desperately to get his name on the prestigious list of Eldora Late Model winners; something that has eluded him to date.

“I’m not going to lie to you, it’s something I want bad, really bad,” stated Henry in a recent interview. “But it boils down to finding your comfort zone – coming up with the right combination of patience and aggression. I haven’t found that zone yet, but I’m getting close.”

Henry is a two-time ALMS champion (2011, 2009) and has won feature events throughout the Midwest, but admits that the sheer name of Eldora can offset the best of the best. “It’s Eldora, what can I say? Eldora has so much prestige and history. You get behind the wheel, line-up on the race track and start to think – this IS Eldora. Instantly the adrenaline kicks up ten notches and if you don’t watch out, it can get the best of you. I can’t think of any other track that does that to me.”

While a presence in the Late Model victory lane has escaped Henry to date, he has been there four times before in a UMP DIRTcar Modified, but even that took perseverance. “I had won multiple times at Limaland and elsewhere, yet it took me three years to overcome Eldora. I had to learn to slow down to go fast. Let’s face it; I had to learn to quit trying to knock down the wall.”

That mission was accomplished and now with three years of Late Model racing under his belt, he is ready to join the balance of other ALMS invaders on the 14th in hopes of grabbing the first checkered flag of the new season.

Expected to join Henry in the field are the likes of 2011 Eldora co-champion Brian Ruhlman, and former ALMS/Eldora champions Jeep VanWormer and Jerry Bowersock. VanWormer sits atop the ALMS win list at Eldora with six victories, while Ruhlman sits in second with five wins and Bowersock with four. If Henry has his way about things, he will see that the order doesn’t change and that he can add his name to the list of 30 other drivers that have conquered ALMS events at Eldora in the 65 events contested to date.

Joining the tripleheader program will be the UMP DIRTcar Modifieds and Eldora Stock Cars, with race time slated for 7:30 p.m.

Advance tickets for the April 14 59th Season Opener, and all other Eldora Speedway events are available online 24 hours a day at www.EldoraSpeedway.com or by calling the speedway office during normal business hours (937) 338.3815.