‘Hear Ye, Hear Ye’ — It’s Kings Royal History

Donny Schatz is the reigning Kings Royal winner, having won the prestigious Eldora Speedway event for the sixth time last July. (Julia Johnson photo)


  • Keith Waltz

    Beginning as an associate editor during the early 1980s, Keith Waltz’s byline has appeared in SPEED SPORT for more than 40 years.

Richard Petty notched his 200th NASCAR Cup Series victory at Daytona Int’l Speedway with President Ronald Reagan in attendance; SPEED SPORT marked its 50th year with a special pullout section; and promoter Earl Baltes sent shockwaves through the short-track industry by paying $50,000 to the winner of the inaugural Kings Royal.

The year was 1984. The average income was around $21,600, a gallon of gas sold for a buck and a dime and a new Ford Mustang convertible stickered for approximately $13,500. Simply put, $50,000 was a lot of money.

 

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