Clauson to pull double duty at Eldora while prepping for 100th Indianapolis 500-Mile Race

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ROSSBURG – Bryan Clauson is used to running a lot of races, but this year he is taking that passion for racing to a new extreme as he looks to run a schedule consisting of 200 races.

Four of those races will take place on Friday and Saturday as he takes part in Eldora Speedway’s famous #LetRaceTwo, featuring the World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car series and the national sprint cars from the United States Auto Club (USAC).

Tickets are $28 each night with kids 12 younger getting in for free. Admission gates will open at 2 p.m. with hot laps 6 p.m. and a complete racing program beginning at 7:30 p.m. Tickets can be bought at www.EldoraSpeedway.com, by phone at 937-338-3815 or at the box office at the race track.

“Whether they were winged, non-winged, Midget, it didn’t really matter,” Clauson said. “I just wanted to go run them. It’s a balance of making sure you’re at all the races you want to be, but to get to that number, there’s a lot of nights where you need to double up like this weekend at Eldora. It’s kind of a balance of making sure you hit marquee events, making sure you hit your numbers and also then making sure you do it in a way that makes sense for your race team.”

Clauson has already run 45 races this year with 10 wins and 22 top five finishes. Now he brings his “Chasing 200 Tour: Circular Insanity” to the legendary Eldora Speedway.

“I’m excited,” Clauson said. “I love racing both my sprint cars, but to be able to race both of them at Eldora on the same night is going to be a lot of fun.”

While racing two different types of cars in the same night can come with its challenges and adjustments, Clauson is still able to take what he learns in one car and apply it to the other.

“It’s certainly quite a bit different,” he said. “But on the big tracks like Eldora, I actually think my wing racing really helps my non-wing racing because it’s all about keeping the car straight, not making mistakes and carrying as much speed as you can in the wing car. It slows the non-wing portion down so you feel a lot more on top of the car.”

Clauson, 26, from Noblesville, Indiana, is no stranger to success in open wheel racing, claiming more than 170 career wins across various divisions. He has more than 70 USAC wins, two USAC National Sprint Car Championships, two USAC National Midget Championships and three USAC National Drivers Championships. He’s also found victory lane a few times at Eldora including wins in the Four Crown Nationals in 2010, 2012 and 2014.

“I’m still a little bit new on the winged side of things, but I’ve finally got a year under my belt,” Clauson said. “Eldora’s a place that I haven’t necessarily had the best finishes, but I’ve had a lot of speed. We had the quick time at King’s Royal last summer, so we’re excited to be there. With the non-wing portion of it, I’m hungry for a win at Eldora. I’ve been close the last few times I’ve been there, but actually haven’t ever won a non-winged sprint car race there, so that’s something I’d certainly like to knock off the list this weekend.”

While Clauson’s attention is focused on Eldora this weekend, an event he will attempt to run later in May is also gaining a lot of attention.

On May 16, Clauson will head to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway where he will attempt to qualify for the Indianapolis 500 in the No. 88 Dale Coyne/Jonathan Byrd’s Racing entry. He has two starts in the race under his belt in 2012 and 2015, and he’s hoping that experience can help him earn a better finish this time around.

“It’s really exciting, especially since this is the year that everybody wants to race it,” Clauson said. “Not that there’s ever a year where everybody doesn’t want to run the Indy 500, but there’s obviously some added incentive to be there being the 100th running. There’s a lot of hype and excitement around the race this year, even more so than normal. I’m definitely excited to be a part of it.”

It will be the only INDYCAR race for Clauson this year, as he will return to sprints after the 500. Clauson also plans to return to Eldora later in the year for both the 33rd Kings Royal and the 35th Four Crown Nationals.

To follow Clauson’s success on his Chasing 200 Tour, visit his website at www.BryanClauson.com.

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