Robert Ballou wasn’t 100 percent sure his car would stick, nor did he even think he was close enough to take his shot on the final two turns of Friday night’s #LetsRaceTwo opener at Rossburg, Ohio’s Eldora Speedway.

Residing a half-straightaway back from leader Kyle Cummins as he took the white flag, Ballou (Rocklin, Calif.) put his right rear tire right up next to the outside wall all the way around the half-mile dirt oval, and ultimately, tracked down the low-riding Cummins to win at the stripe by mere inches – .016 second to be precise – and pocket $10,000 for his efforts.

The margin of victory is the second closest in USAC AMSOIL Sprint Car National Championship competition during the decade of the 2020s, trailing only the .005 second margin he was on the other side of during the July 2023 Indiana Sprint Week round at Gas City I-69 Speedway in which he finished second to Justin Grant.

This time, it was Ballou’s turn to shine in his Ballou Motorsports/Suburban Subaru – Deaton’s Waterfront Services/DRC/Ott Chevy as he recorded his 38th career USAC National Sprint Car feature victory, surpassing 1977-81-82 series champion Sheldon Kinser for sole possession of 12th place on the all-time list.

Ballou’s seventh career USAC National Sprint Car triumph at Eldora now puts him among the all-time elite at Eldora. Jack Hewitt ranks number one with 13 career victories. Larry Dickson and Tracy Hines collected nine wins apiece. Pancho Carter and Rich Vogler each notched seven.

But Ballou doesn’t exactly need statistics to prove he’s elite at Eldora. He thoroughly demonstrated that once again with his 11th to first run on Friday night.

“I didn’t even know if I was going to make it,” Ballou admitted. “My car was not very good, and I was being a little girl and wasn’t very good up on it. Before that last caution came out, I finally got brave enough to run straight and it was getting faster. I was tired of getting passed and it’s been a tiresome 500 and something days.”

USAC Sprint Car Results Friday At Eldora Speedway

1. Robert Ballou (11)

2. Kyle Cummins (7)

3. Max Adams (9)

4. Briggs Danner (1)

5. Matt Westfall (12)

 6. Jadon Rogers (19)

7. Mitchel Moles (14)

8. Carson Garrett (16)

9. Kevin Thomas Jr. (5)

10. Chase Stockon (22)

11. Logan Seavey (4)

12. Chance Crum (21)

13. Todd Hobson (15)

14. Kody Swanson (17)

15. Daison Pursley (2)

16. C.J. Leary (24)

17. Jake Swanson (8)

 18. Hunter Maddox (10)

19. Brady Bacon (13)

 20. Joey Amantea (23)

21. Braxton Cummings (18)

 22. Justin Grant (3)

 23. Zack Pretorius (20)

24. Saban Bibent (6). NT