ROSSBURG, OHIO -- On a normal night Dave Darland can earn $4,000 for his team for winning a sprint-car feature in the United States Auto Club. This Saturday night at Eldora Speedway, the 36-year-old veteran can pay for his new house and put away a nice down payment on college for his three children if he makes it to victory lane.

Because the winner of the 40-lap feature will pocket a staggering $200,000.

"It's quite an accomplishment for our sport to have this kind of deal," said Darland of the $1 million Mopar Million being staged by Earl Baltes on Friday and Saturday night here in the heartland.

"It's great for non-wing sprint car racers in USAC and SCRA (Southern California Racing Association) and it's going to be a big deal. And it may never happen again so I'm really looking forward to it."

Baltes, whose rich purses for the World of Outlaws (winged sprinters) and stock cars are as legendary as his fast, half-mile dirt track, is promoting the biggest payout and field in USAC's 48-year-history.

A total of 150 cars are entered (larger than the 117 for the 1984 Indy 500 or 107 for the 1990 Turkey Night midget race at Ascot Park) for a race that pays $10,000 just to start the main event. Runner-up in the feature gets $125,000 and $100,000 goes to third place.

Darland represents everything that's still pure about open wheel racing. Despite being only one of three drivers to ever win all three of USAC's ultra-competitive divisions (midgets, sprints and Silver Crown), this Kokomo (Ind.) native has always worked a part-time job to make ends meet.

He's never had an opportunity to run for big money at the Indianapolis 500 and his percentage of his USAC earnings requires high performance to even try to earn a living.

"I think the most money I ever won in one night is $26,000 and that was in 1995 when I won the Hulman Hundred and Hoosier Hundred and Tony George paid me a $10,000 bonus," said Darland.

"We had a race earlier this year that paid $30,000 to win and that was a pretty big deal."

Boston Reid thought so. The 20-year-old sensation from Fairmont (Ind.) captured 30 grand in 30 laps last month at Oskalusa, Iowa, in what has been USAC's richest sprint payoff to date.

"It's exciting to think about racing for $200,000 and it's cool to be part of the biggest sprint car race USAC has ever had," said Reid. "But you've really got to look at it as just another race.

"Especially when you consider all the variables just to make the feature."

Tracy Hines, one of USAC's talented triple threats who is the defending sprint champion, thinks just making the main event will be a victory based on the criteria.

"You get two qualifying laps and there will be 10 heat races with 15 cars in each race and they're inverting the top 60 qualifiers in the heat races," explained Hines. "If you set fast time, you'll start sixth in the first heat and you have to run first or second in your 12-lap heat race to make the A Main.

"If you run third or fourth in your heat, you'll automatically go to the B Main and fifth and sixth will go to the C Main and so on. The top two qualifiers who don't make it out of the heats will start 21st and 22nd in the A Main and the top four finishers in the B Main will transfer to the A Main.

"I think all of us (USAC regulars) think we can win the race but we're all worried about making the show."

Adds Reid: "The heat race is the most important race of the whole deal. I won the opener at Eldora this year and we go good there but I honestly hope to make it through the heat race because those other races are going to be outrageous.

"The whole key is qualifying, not where you start in the feature because we've got 40 laps instead of the usual 30 laps so that gives you enough time to work your way up to the front."

But Hines wisely cautions: "It all depends on the track condition. Are we going to have a tacky track where we can pass or a hard, slickie? I've run Eldora before when it's slick and I couldn't get by the guy running 10th."

Of the 150 entries from 16 states, many are untested at Eldora.

"Eldora is not a place to come to without experience," said Darland. "I think there will be an added twist because we'll be racing against guys who we never run against, who don't have much experience in non-wing sprinters or haven't run Eldora. It should be interesting."

J.J. Yeley, who has already wrapped up the USAC sprint and Silver Crown titles and has a slim lead over Hines in the midget points as he tries to duplicate Tony Stewart's triple crown of 1995, broke the single season record for USAC wins last month and hopes to add to his total (22) this weekend.

And while it's possible the 60th fastest qualifier could win his heat race from the pole and start up front in the feature, the USAC regulars are likely to be duking it out for the biggest paycheck of their careers.

"It's a great format financially," said Hines. "The pay's awesome."

Robin Miller covers open wheel racing for ESPN and ESPN.com.