Anthony Macri won the King's Royal at Eldora for the second year in a row (Tyler Carr Photo) (Video Highlights from DirtVision.com)
By T.J. Buffenbarger
ROSSBURG, OH (July 18, 2026) – Anthony Macri successfully defended his title as Kings Royal champion Saturday night at Eldora Speedway with the World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series winning the event for the second year in a row.
Saturday’s win had Macri join Donny Schatz as the only drivers to win the Kings Royal in two consecutive years. Saturday’s win for Macri was far from easy though, losing the lead to Garet Williamson on lap 13 After dropping back to third at one point in the feature event Macri was able to drive back to the lead on lap 38 just before a caution flag and fuel stop set up a green/white/checkered finish with Macri holding off Rico Abreu by 0.949 seconds at the finish.
“It just seemed like I was running time trial laps out by myself, just running hard,” said Macri about the early stages of the feature. “Then I started to catch lapped traffic, my car just wasn’t too happy with the fuel load that was left in it yet, and probably where I had my wing and Garrett got by me.”
Macri managed to keep his cool after Williams and later Rico Abreu were able to shuffle him back to third position.
“I just kind of settled in for a second there and kind of just let (Williamson) use his stuff up and try to chase him through lap traffic, and then Rico got by me. I knew I had to turn the wig up because obviously Rico’s pretty badass here and then just I found another gear, got the wing to a to a spot where my car was really happy, and just kind of just started putting (the car) the middle there.”
Macri led the opening lap while Williamson and Brent Marks raced for the second position with Marks getting the spot in turn three. Williamson started to pressure Marks for second on lap five, but Marks was able to hod the position. Williamson continued to pressure Marks and was able to take the spot away using the bottom of the track through turns three and four.
Williamson was able to close quickly on Macri as the duo reached lapped traffic. Williamson was able to get under Macri on lap 12 in turns one and two, but Macri was able to maintain the lead. Williamson was persistent and took the lead on lap 13.
Williamson was able to maintain his advantage through traffic with Macri behind him. Meanwhile behind them Rico Abreu and Corey Day worked their way up from the fifth row to take over third from Brent Marks. Day later dropped back while Abreu continued his march forward, moving Macri back to third position on lap 26.
Macri soon found his rhythm and dove by Abreu for second on lap 33 and set out after Williamson for the lead.
The first caution flag of the event took place just after Macri took over the second position when Chris Windom slowed on the racetrack.
Williamson chose the inside line for the double file restart and pulled away while Macri and Abreu raced for the second position, exchanging the spot before Macri took hold of the position and quickly closed on Williamson for the lead with three laps to go.
Macri drove to the inside in turns one and two and took the lead on lap 38. Macri was pulling away when the caution flag appeared on the final lap for Spencer Bayston slowing to a stop on the racetrack. This setup a fuel stop and a green/white/checkered finish.
Macri was up for the challenge pulling away to a 0.949 second advantage at the finish. Williamson dropped back during the restart while Rico Abreu moved into the second position. Giovanni Scelzi, Corey Day, and Logan Schuchart rounded out the top five.
For Macri it was redemption at Eldora after suffering a back injury during the 4-Crown Nationals with the Kings Royal weekend being his first time back to the high banked half mile oval since that incident. The victory also capped off a week where his team struggled more than usual at Eldora before putting together their stellar performance on Saturday.
“It’s really special to win back-to-back (Kings Royal features). It is absolutely incredible. It’s something that I never thought would happen,” said Macri. “Based off the first three nights, I kind of had wrote off as not happening. Obviously the time trial invert helps things, and I knew we had to kind of take advantage of our track position in the heat race there, and we were able to do that.”
43rd Kings Royal
World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series
Eldora Speedway
Rossburg, Ohio
Saturday, July 18, 2026
Honest Abe Roofing Qualifying (2 Laps)
1. 23D-Chase Dietz, 14.141[6]
2. 2-David Gravel, 14.304[2]
3. 1S-Logan Schuchart, 14.330[1]
4. 87-Aaron Reutzel, 14.343[25]
5. 83-Michael Kofoid, 14.430[35]
6. 21H-Brady Bacon, 14.456[15]
7. 15-Donny Schatz, 14.463[3]
8. 13-Tanner Holmes, 14.472[28]
9. 14M-Corey Day, 14.477[50]
10. 18-Sheldon Haudenschild, 14.480[22]
11. 19-Brent Marks, 14.487[4]
12. 21T-James McFadden, 14.502[23]
13. 21-Brian Brown, 14.556[31]
14. 77-Giovanni Scelzi, 14.597[14]
15. 1A-Cameron Smith, 14.605[5]
16. 9R-Chase Randall, 14.607[21]
17. 33W-Cap Henry, 14.613[19]
18. 39M-Anthony Macri, 14.701[20]
19. 41-Carson Macedo, 14.761[7]
20. 55-Kerry Madsen, 14.761[10]
21. 23-Garet Williamson, 14.777[45]
22. 7S-Chris Windom, 14.800[26]
23. 101-Kalib Henry, 14.811[27]
24. 24D-Danny Sams III, 14.818[11]
25. 17-Spencer Bayston, 14.835[16]
26. 2C-Cole Macedo, 14.864[12]
27. 71-Parker Price Miller, 14.869[18]
28. 14-Rico Abreu, 14.877[43]
29. 5-Brenham Crouch, 14.917[29]
30. 27-Emerson Axsom, 14.964[17]
31. 17GP-Brock Zearfoss, 15.042[30]
32. 7BC-Tyler Courtney, 15.131[49]
33. 87X-Steven Snyder Jr, 15.150[55]
34. 1K-Kelby Watt, 15.165[54]
35. 45W-Cory Eliason, 15.167[39]
36. 51-Ashton Torgerson, 15.224[46]
37. 11-TJ Stutts, 15.246[8]
38. 19JR-Joel Myers Jr, 15.270[53]
39. 26-Justin Peck, 15.275[44]
40. 88-Tanner Thorson, 15.290[32]
41. 5B-Karter Sarff, 15.298[9]
42. 11N-Darin Naida, 15.339[13]
43. 14Z-Zane DeVault, 15.456[42]
44. 27H-Bryce Lucius, 15.480[36]
45. 9-Daison Pursley, 15.507[51]
46. 28M-Conner Morrell, 15.577[33]
47. 6-Brad Lamberson, 15.585[48]
48. 42-Sye Lynch, 15.665[38]
49. 16C-Skylar Gee, 15.681[40]
50. 48-Danny Dietrich, 15.705[41]
51. 22-Brandon Spithaler, 16.134[52]
52. 15K-Creed Kemenah, 16.169[56]
53. 98-Ricky Peterson, 16.297[47]
54. 5J-Jeremy Weaver, 16.334[57]
55. G5-Gage Pulkrabek, 16.920[24]
56. 15C-Chris Andrews, [34]
57. 17B-Bill Balog, [37]
NOS Energy Drink Heat Race #1 (10 Laps)
1. 41-Carson Macedo[1]
2. 15-Donny Schatz[3]
3. 21-Brian Brown[2]
4. 23D-Chase Dietz[4]
5. 17-Spencer Bayston[5]
6. 17GP-Brock Zearfoss[6]
7. 16C-Skylar Gee[9]
8. 14Z-Zane DeVault[8]
9. G5-Gage Pulkrabek[10]
10. 11-TJ Stutts[7]
Knoxville Bound Heat Race #2 (10 Laps)
1. 55-Kerry Madsen[1]
2. 77-Giovanni Scelzi[2]
3. 13-Tanner Holmes[3]
4. 2-David Gravel[4]
5. 2C-Cole Macedo[5]
6. 7BC-Tyler Courtney[6]
7. 48-Danny Dietrich[9]
8. 19JR-Joel Myers Jr[7]
9. 27H-Bryce Lucius[8]
10. 15C-Chris Andrews[10]
WIX Filter Heat Race #3 (10 Laps)
1. 23-Garet Williamson[1]
2. 14M-Corey Day[3]
3. 1S-Logan Schuchart[4]
4. 1A-Cameron Smith[2]
5. 26-Justin Peck[7]
6. 71-Parker Price Miller[5]
7. 87X-Steven Snyder Jr[6]
8. 9-Daison Pursley[8]
9. 22-Brandon Spithaler[9]
Golf Cart Services Heat Race #4 (10 Laps)
1. 7S-Chris Windom[1]
2. 14-Rico Abreu[5]
3. 18-Sheldon Haudenschild[3]
4. 87-Aaron Reutzel[4]
5. 9R-Chase Randall[2]
6. 1K-Kelby Watt[6]
7. 88-Tanner Thorson[7]
8. 15K-Creed Kemenah[9]
9. 28M-Conner Morrell[8]
Tub O Towels Heat Race #5 (10 Laps)
1. 19-Brent Marks[3]
2. 101-Kalib Henry[1]
3. 83-Michael Kofoid[4]
4. 45W-Cory Eliason[6]
5. 33W-Cap Henry[2]
6. 6-Brad Lamberson[8]
7. 5B-Karter Sarff[7]
8. 98-Ricky Peterson[9]
9. 5-Brenham Crouch[5]
Air National Guard Heat Race #6 (10 Laps)
1. 39M-Anthony Macri[2]
2. 27-Emerson Axsom[5]
3. 51-Ashton Torgerson[6]
4. 21H-Brady Bacon[4]
5. 5J-Jeremy Weaver[9]
6. 24D-Danny Sams III[1]
7. 21T-James McFadden[3]
8. 11N-Darin Naida[7]
9. 42-Sye Lynch[8]
Toyota C-Main (12 Laps)
1. 19JR-Joel Myers Jr[2]
2. 21T-James McFadden[6]
3. 87X-Steven Snyder Jr[3]
4. 14Z-Zane DeVault[1]
5. 9-Daison Pursley[9]
6. 98-Ricky Peterson[11]
7. 27H-Bryce Lucius[8]
8. 5B-Karter Sarff[5]
9. 22-Brandon Spithaler[15]
10. 15K-Creed Kemenah[10]
11. 15C-Chris Andrews[14]
12. 11N-Darin Naida[12]
13. 28M-Conner Morrell[16]
14. G5-Gage Pulkrabek[7]
DNS: 88-Tanner Thorson
DNS: 11-TJ Stutts
DNS: 5-Brenham Crouch
DNS: 42-Sye Lynch
DNS: 17B-Bill Balog
MicroLite Last Chance Showdown (15 Laps)
1. 2C-Cole Macedo[2]
2. 17-Spencer Bayston[1]
3. 87-Aaron Reutzel[4]
4. 7BC-Tyler Courtney[8]
5. 21H-Brady Bacon[6]
6. 45W-Cory Eliason[5]
7. 1A-Cameron Smith[3]
8. 26-Justin Peck[9]
9. 16C-Skylar Gee[13]
10. 9R-Chase Randall[10]
11. 21T-James McFadden[20]
12. 1K-Kelby Watt[16]
13. 5J-Jeremy Weaver[12]
14. 17GP-Brock Zearfoss[7]
15. 48-Danny Dietrich[14]
16. 87X-Steven Snyder Jr[21]
17. 19JR-Joel Myers Jr[19]
18. 24D-Danny Sams III[18]
19. 71-Parker Price Miller[15]
20. 9-Daison Pursley[23]
21. 14Z-Zane DeVault[22]
22. 6-Brad Lamberson[17]
23. 98-Ricky Peterson[24]
24. 33W-Cap Henry[11]
NOS Energy Drink Feature (40 Laps)
1. 39M-Anthony Macri[1]
2. 14-Rico Abreu[10]
3. 77-Giovanni Scelzi[8]
4. 14M-Corey Day[9]
5. 23-Garet Williamson[4]
6. 83-Michael Kofoid[17]
7. 1S-Logan Schuchart[15]
8. 18-Sheldon Haudenschild[16]
9. 7S-Chris Windom[3]
10. 13-Tanner Holmes[14]
11. 2-David Gravel[20]
12. 27-Emerson Axsom[12]
13. 55-Kerry Madsen[5]
14. 41-Carson Macedo[6]
15. 15-Donny Schatz[7]
16. 7BC-Tyler Courtney[24]
17. 2C-Cole Macedo[21]
18. 21-Brian Brown[13]
19. 51-Ashton Torgerson[18]
20. 19-Brent Marks[2]
21. 17-Spencer Bayston[22]
22. 87-Aaron Reutzel[23]
23. 101-Kalib Henry[11]
24. 23D-Chase Dietz[19]