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Eldora Speedway…
Jon Henry in
Search of First Eldora ALMS Win
Sunoco Sponsored Series Part of April 14 Tripleheader to Kick Off 59th
Season
ROSSBURG, OH (April 4) – 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.
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