NEW WESTON, Ohio — Berneice Baltes, known by many as the first lady of Eldora Speedway, died Feb. 24. She was 93 years old.
A fixture at the half-mile Rossburg, Ohio, dirt track from the time her husband, Earl, built it in 1954, she was married to the master racing promoter for 67 years. Earl Baltes died in 2015, also at the age of 93.
Berneice Moeller met Earl Baltes when she was 17 years old and the couple married in 1947.
Berneice Baltes was side by side with her husband as he built the track in rural Western Ohio into one of auto racing’s most prestigious facility’s
The Baltes family owned and operated the track for 51 years before selling it to Tony Stewart following the 2004 season.
She is survived by their daughter Starr and husband Joe Schmitmeyer, son Terry (Dee) Baltes, six grandchildren, and a host of great grandchildren.