It was Sept. 26, 1998, and Eldora Speedway in Rossburg, Ohio, was buzzing. Jack Hewitt had loyal fans across the land and a few months earlier he had fulfilled a dream by competing in the Indianapolis 500. Yet, on this night the beloved native son was truly in his element.
He was in his home state and competing at his home track. Now, all that was left for Hewitt to do was capture the 50-lap USAC Silver Crown finale and he would complete the improbable sweep of the 4-Crown Nationals.
For those in attendance it seemed a foregone conclusion that their hero would surge to the checkered flag. There was simply no way he could falter now. They were right. As Hewitt yanked off his helmet a huge smile creased his face as fans and officials swarmed his car.
It had seemed to be a tall order for any racer to win four features in a single night in four different types of race cars. But Hewitt had done it.
Then, in 2011, a young phenom named Kyle Larson got everyone’s attention by claiming the USAC midget, sprint car and Silver Crown features. Amazingly, it was the Californian’s first trip to Eldora. The accompanying World of Outlaws race run the night before was captured by Joey Saldana. Since that time, Chris Windom (2013), Christopher Bell (2015) and Tyler Courtney (2018 and 2019) have all won two events in a single night.
The question looms, in today’s racing environment can a driver duplicate what Hewitt accomplished on an autumn night 25 years ago? Additionally, if given the opportunity are contemporary drivers even interested in attempting the Eldora sweep?
When one considers all the factors at hand, Hewitt’s record appears unassailable.
The first obstacle is rooted in basic pragmatics. The sheer number of drivers who could secure the necessary rides to attempt to replicate history is small. While several USAC drivers compete in all three of the club’s major disciplines, fewer have access to a winged sprint car. For those who spend the bulk of their time in a winged sprint car, the task at hand, finding three additional seats, is even harder.
Obvious candidates such as Larson and Bell could command interest from top-flight teams if they expressed a desire to race. However, their NASCAR obligations pose a significant hurdle. Others who might make a run at this prize have contractual commitments of their own. Nonetheless, there remains a core group of racers who might have this goal on their radar.
Brady Bacon may be gunning for his fifth USAC sprint car championship, but he also won a World of Outlaws this season and scored a victory during the 4-Crown Nationals with the All Star Circuit of Champions in 2017. He plans on competing with a wing at Eldora on Sept. 22 and is always among the favorites in USAC competition. That said, he has no interest in adding a midget to his busy slate.
“No,” Bacon said emphatically. “I have no desire to race a midget at Eldora anymore. I really don’t think they belong there. If the field was full of experienced drivers, it would be different, but there is a lot of risk versus reward.”
C.J. Leary impressed many with his performance during the Eldora Million and is anxious to prove it wasn’t a fluke. He just might get a chance to make his point with owner Brodie Hayword.
“I think we showed that we might have the speed to contend for a win in a winged car and I think I could win the non-winged sprint car and the Silver Crown race. But luck plays into that. I think the most difficult side would be the midget,” Leary said.
Leary has enjoyed plenty of success in midget racing, but in recent years he has been clear that they are far from his favorite car to race. However, this might be a different matter.
“The midget would be the hardest for me since I haven’t raced them all year,” he said. “Just trying to run Eldora would be tough. I don’t know if I will ever get a chance to do that feat, but we would definitely try.”