Eldora Speedway officials released the first batch of entries for the first Sprint Car edition of the Eldora Million slated to take place on July 12 and 13. Already more than 20 drivers and teams have filed entries to race for the richest purse in Sprint Car racing history.

The very first entry received by Eldora Speedway staff was none other than the 10-time World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series champion, Donny Schatz. Schatz is a 10-time winner of the Knoxville Nationals and a six-time Kings Royal winner at Eldora. The winner of more than 300 Outlaws races has two victories already this season, both of which came in the state of Ohio at Attica Raceway Park and Sharon Speedway last month. This will be the second time Schatz has competed in a million-dollar race at Eldora. He was behind the wheel of his Late Model in last year’s return of the Eldora Million.

Schatz is one of five past Kings Royal champions to have already filed an entry for the Eldora Million. Defending Kings Royal champion Brent Marks was the third driver to file a Million entry. The Myerstown, Pennsylvania native had a massive week at Eldora last year, winning the $100,000 prize in the return of the Historical Big One, and then taking the $175,000 Kings Royal check just two nights later. Marks currently owns the richest single week of racing in the history of Sprint Cars, though that may change next month.

As if there was any doubt, Kyle Larson will be in competition at Eldora with his Paul Silva-prepared No. 57 machine. The 2021 NASCAR Cup Series champion became a champion, a King, and a Knoxville Nationals winner all in the same year. Larson has already won a million dollars three times in the NASCAR All-Star Race, but he’d love to win a million dollars for a fourth time as the first winner of the Eldora Million. 

Everybody remembers Brad Sweet’s jubilation upon winning the first $175,000-to-win Kings Royal back in 2019. Sweet had already won the Kings Royal in 2013 when it was a $50,000-to-win race. He’d already won the 2018 Knoxville Nationals, which paid $150,000 to win. Just imagine if the now four-time World of Outlaws champion gets to jump across the stage at Eldora after winning $1,000,000. With everything that Sweet has accomplished in the last few years, there’s no reason to think that the current Outlaws points leader won’t be fighting for the victory next month.

The fifth and final past Kings Royal winner to have filed an Eldora Million entry so far is Owasso, Oklahoma’s Daryn Pittman. The 2013 Outlaws champion became a King back in 2008. Pittman will be behind the wheel of Alex Bowman’s No. 55 machine. Bowman had a handful of Sprint Car races planned for himself, but his back injury at 34 Raceway earlier this year has caused him to step away from Sprint Car racing for the time being.

The new High Limit Sprint Car Series that is owned by Larson and Sweet is well represented among this first batch of entries. In addition to Sweet and Larson, there’s a total of six more full-time High Limit drivers already entered. Among them is Marks, Cory Eliason, Rico Abreu, Brian Brown, Parker Price-Miller, and Blake Hahn.

The first Sprint Car Eldora Million will take place on Wednesday and Thursday, July 12 and 13 at the famed Eldora Speedway. Race fans that cannot make it to Eldora Speedway can watch all of the action live on FloRacing. Fans can subscribe to FloRacing by clicking here.

2023 Eldora Million Entry List (As of June 15)