Levi Jones may be the right man at the right time for legendary Eldora Speedway in Rossburg, Ohio.
The multi-time USAC champion, who worked as an official for USAC and IndyCar, was named general manager of the historic half-mile dirt track last August, replacing Jerry Gappens, who died last spring.
Jones’ first event at Eldora was September’s World 100 and he’s since moved his family to a house on the track’s property and has set about leading the track, which is owned by his one-time rival and car owner Tony Stewart, into the future.
Jones, who grew up in Olney, Ill., joined the Race Industry Week sessions this week and discussed his new role at Eldora.
“Growing up a sprint car driver, the first article SPEED SPORT ever did on me asked the question if you could win one place where would it be, and my answer was Eldora Speedway, so that passion for this place, I have had forever,” Jones said. “Working with Tony Stewart and Brett Frood earlier in my career and having that relationship and being a part of what goes on here with passionate people with a ton of desire, to make this the greatest dirt track in the world.”
Jones raced against Stewart, drove for him and is now charged with leading his race track into the future.
“You look at when I got my start in USAC in the late 90s, Tony had already won the Triple Crown and moved on to win an Indy car championship and to NASCAR. When I was able to win my first USAC championship racing against his cars was in 2005 and I was able to race against Tony a few times,” Jones recalled. “Ultimately, I went to TSR in 2006 and raced all the way through 2012 for him. We won six USAC championships. He helped me accomplish all the dreams that I had.
“I love sprint car racing. I grew up going to Haubstadt, Ind. They race sprint cars and late models every Sunday night. If my family wasn’t going, I begged a ride to go there. I just loved it and that passion has never left. To have the opportunity to come here is the right fit.”
Jones understands his new role.
“Coming in here, I need to put Levi Jones’ stamp on this place. Earl (Baltes) and his family built this place, Tony took it over. We have all seen how it has evolved,” he explained. “We need to make sure we stay on that trajectory. I come in here to lead people. With our biggest event, we have 230 people working and we have seven or eight people.
“First and foremost, I need to lead people and make sure they have what they need, make sure we can accomplish so the customer has an enjoyable experience and can’t wait to come back.”
Jones will rely on experience gained as a driver and team owner and from his days working on the competition side of racing with USAC and most recently IndyCar.
“On the competition side, you have to make sure it works for three groups of people,” Jones noted. “You have to make sure it works for the car owners and drivers, the fans and the series. You have to balance those out because if you do everything for one of those sectors, it can get lopsided pretty quick.
“Coming into Eldora and looking at it from those three sides is first and foremost. Being here at Eldora and trying to make a place where fans want to be. We are fighting for that dollar. Do you want to come here, do you want to golf, do you want to go to the lake? We still think coming to Eldora is the best thing to do.”
Many drivers become officials after retiring from the seat, but few stick with it. Jones traces his commitment to his lifelong love of racing.
“I think the main thing is that I was able to accomplish what I wanted to as a driver. I don’t have anything left to prove to myself in a race car,” he said. “I still got offered a couple of Chili Bowl rides this year. I couldn’t win it when I was 195 pounds, I’m not going to win it at 222 for sure.
“I’m older and slower, but I get asked that question a lot. I see a lot of drivers who can’t even go to the races as a fan. I think that part, I don’t like,” he continued. “I want those people to enjoy what they did. Other people enjoyed watching you race and as time marches on, there is the next driver or the next group of drivers that are fun to watch. I was a fan first and foremost.”
Jones says part of the attraction to Eldora is its unique location in remote Darke County, Ohio.
“As you are approaching Eldora there is farm after farm, I still get that feeling like I did the first time I came here. You are approaching this facility and you don’t necessarily see the track,” Jones said. “You are coming in on flat farmland and you walk down into this facility and when you see that it is amazing. That fire that Eldora fuels with the fans here creates that from the first step into the facility and when cars race around here it is unbelievable.”
Witnessing the excitement of fans and racers during Eldora’s big events is part of Jones’ motivation for the future.
“When you get down to it, the thing you love the most is seeing the excitement the fans have at the races here,” he said. “And to see someone win for the first time at Eldora, the emotion that is involved, I’ve done it, and to see that is incredible. You can’t bottle that, and you can’t explain it.”
He may be new to the general manager position at Eldora, but his relationship with the track extends more than three decades.
“To say Earl took the keys out of my dad’s hands for the four-wheeler for going the wrong way, to say I was here for those days, I was here after Tony took over and I have seen the evolution,” Jones said. “I want to show up, do the work and make it as cool as it can be — to keep it the greatest dirt track in the world.”
