Anthony Macri repeats as Kings Royal champion at Eldora
NXTbets Pro | Published On: July 20, 2026
Kings Royal repeat
Anthony Macri won the 43rd running of the Kings Royal at Eldora Speedway in Rossburg, Ohio, on Saturday night, and he backed up last year’s title with another victory in the same event. The win gave him a second straight Kings Royal crown. It also put him in rare company. Macri became only the second driver to win the race in consecutive years and the first driver from Pennsylvania to do it. He started from the pole position and took command at the drop of the green, leading the opening 12 laps before the front of the race started to change. The Kings Royal was part of the World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series, so the night carried the weight of a national series race and the pressure that comes with a crown-jewel style event. Macri had the best starting spot, then had to protect it through the middle of the race and the final laps. The result turned into a test of pace, patience and timing, and Macri stayed in the mix from the start through the last restart.
Late lead change
Garet Williamson grabbed the lead on Lap 13 and briefly put Macri in pursuit mode. Macri did not fade from the battle. He stayed close enough to answer late, then passed Williamson with two laps to go to regain the lead. A caution for a stopped Spencer Bayston set up a green-white-checkered finish and gave the field one last sprint to the flag. Macri handled the restart and held on to win. The finish left Williamson fifth, while Rico Abreu took second, Giovanni Scelzi finished third and Corey Day came home fourth. Scelzi’s third-place run was his best Kings Royal result. The final order showed how tight the race became once the lead changed hands. Williamson had the advantage in the middle of the event, but Macri recovered when the race reached its deciding stretch. The late pass mattered, and the restart mattered too. Macri had to do both under pressure, then close the door when the race resumed for the final run to the finish.
Macri season surge
The Kings Royal win was Macri’s fifth victory since he returned from a back injury earlier in 2026. It also was his eighth overall win of the season. Three of those victories came in World of Outlaws competition. Those totals frame the Kings Royal as part of a strong year, not a one-off result. Macri has stacked wins since getting back on track, and the Eldora triumph added one of the biggest prizes on the schedule to that run. After the win, he said he was “speechless.” Dave Argabright then crowned Macri as Royal Sovereign, a fitting finish for a driver who had already done the hard work on the track. The pole start gave him the opening edge, Williamson’s move forced him to respond and the final restart asked for one more clean run. Macri answered every step and left Eldora with a second straight Kings Royal title. That puts him in a small group in the event’s history and gives Pennsylvania another landmark moment in sprint car racing.
