Check out the new www.tigejensen.com

Tige has a new look, with in-car videos and plans to add more content on a
regular basis.

Looks good! 

Gilman City Missouri
For Immediate Release:
The WORLD Dirt Racing League (WDRL) is sorry to announce that it will no
longer have the Touring Series WDRL and is discontinuing business as such
immediately.

We hated to have to make this announcement because of the loyalty of the
race fans, race teams, and several racetracks that we have been fortunate to
have races at each year.

We have a lot of friends out there that will be missed tremendously and we
wish them all the best of luck. For all of these reasons it was a very hard
decision to make said Jim Wilson (President of WDRL)

The WDRL was formed and started by Jim Wilson after NASCAR made the decision
to discontinue the All-Star Tour after 17 years of operation. "I had so many
drivers and a lot of promoters come to me after the word was out that the
All-Star Tour would no longer be in existence and asked me to start my own
Touring Series and keep the Dirt Late Model Tour going in the Mid-West. I
decided to resign from NASCAR at that time and do it. "

"After working for NASCAR for 20 years the only way that I knew or even
wanted to run a race program, was to run it professionally and with
professionally trained officials.

We hired the best officials we could find to run the race programs at the
WDRL races. I thank Mark Ludwig, Ron Streger, Art Daufeldt, Rusty Daufeldt,
Phil Roberts, Chris Hansen, Dean and Shirley Howe, Mable McCuen, Eldon
Wilson, Tom Lathan, Steve Pauley, Cheryl Huchinson, and Bucky Doren for
their part of making the WDRL a professionally ran series. These officials
didn't all work with us at the same time, but were all instrumental in
making the WDRL the best run short track series in the United States. In the
8 years that we ran the WDRL we never had one complaint of unfair treatment
and never had one injury that was bad enough to turn in for insurance. That
tells me that the officials were doing their jobs treating all teams the
same and making sure the race cars were as safe as possible.

We lost our title sponsor, PolyDome in 2008 due to circumstances beyond
their control and we were never able to pick up another. I thank Dick and
Karla and Dan and Pam Johanneck of PolyDome for their 6 years of sponsorship
and for all they have done for us and for short track racing through their
sponsorship.

I thank Jim Groves of Iowa Illinois Taylor Insulation for his sponsorship
for each year of the WDRL. They supported the WDRL from day one and Jim and
Julie are great friends as well as being great supporting sponsors.

I want to say thanks to Lee Havlik and Josh Anderson of Chase Signs and
Graphics for their sponsorship from the beginning of the WORLD Dirt Racing
League and for all they have done for us and for racing. They are the ones
that designed the WDRL logo for us.

I thank Hoosier Racing Tires for their continued sponsorship. I realize that
our guys are spending money with them, but they have been willing to put
something back. They have also been with us from the beginning.

We thank all of the sponsors of the WDRL. They have all been generous to our
race teams and we appreciate that.
I want to thank the fans of the WDRL. We have received a lot of supportive
emails and letters written to us and a lot of nice things said to us after
races and we appreciate each and every one of those. We have some great
fans.

We want to thank the race teams that have supported the WDRL and have run
all over the Mid-West with us for the last 8 years. These guys have all been
a pleasure to work with and have been willing to work with us in any way we
asked them too.

Last but not least I want to thank the promoters and the race tracks that
have supported the WDRL and have promoted WDRL races. We have been able to
meet some new faces as well as work with some we've known for years and it
has been quite a ride.

What Nancy and I are going to do is up in the air right now. I am too young
to retire and am not even thinking about doing that. We have some irons in
the fire and we will keep everyone posted.

Again thanks to everyone that has been involved in the WDRL. We hope you
enjoyed this series as much as we enjoyed doing it.

Here's two more. One a portrait, and yes...one a wreck.

Trevor Grossenbacher July 25, 2009

I want to do more of this. One thing I think is important, and I want to improve is making personal connections with the people you photograph. I'm not talking about anything deep, just at least knowing them and them knowing you. I wouldn't ever demand them to 'pose' as it were, especially before a race. If they look at me, great. If not, fine. Most of this I want to do before warm ups, when the mood is relaxed.  Before a race, I'll shoot - but from a distance or more discreetly. I also think it lends to the mood and it shows in the driver. I'll have an example of that later.




John Hampel crash, I-80 July 2, 2009

This was nasty. I shot it from a distance and this shot is heavily cropped and enlarged from a RAW file. There's just a sound - or actually - lack thereof, just before a crash. I turned my head to see this. This shot later appeared on the front of the Lincoln Journal-Star's sports page on an article about track insurance. The vertical crop they did in the paper was a lot better. Yes, the car is dramatic. But what makes this photo different is the three guys watching it happen.

Here's some more pics that were my favorite last year.Click on the pics for larger images.


Brian Cudly May 9, 2009

This is one of my favorite action photos from 2009. It's a classic case of "going where they ain't." Cudly tries to make the move down low as the rest take the high groove. With the exception that it's heavy, cumbersome, temperamental and 40 years old, the Norman 200b flash unit can do some neat things. What I like is not how it does at night - most on-camera flashes will work, it's what it does in the DAY. Your own portable sun. I like what it does because it shows the complex inner workings of the car, something you only see in short-track racing. A lot of daytime racing photos are all about some long, panning blur to show speed. I like this because it shows what short track racing is...sometimes you have to just root it out, jam on the brakes and make the move.

Eagle Rescue Crew July18, 2009


I like this because it shows how constantly vigilant this crew is. Normally, I'd have a beef with the shadows over the shaded eyes and would've used a flash to light under his hand, but I think the gesture just adds to the "vigilance" theme, plus I like a portrait lit with a sunset, even if it is cliche. A flash would've ruined that.

Tune in this Saturday (Feb. 6) to Sirius NASCAR Radio as NASCAR Late Model
Driver Andrew Kosiski talks it up with Pat Patterson on "Front Stretch."

"Front Stretch" airs from 8am-11am CST every Saturday. Andrew is scheduled
to be live on the air at 8:40am CST.

As the NASCAR world prepares for the Bud Shootout Saturday evening, listen
in as Andrew discusses his family's racing history and talks about the
exciting upcoming 2010 season for him and his #2x.

BELLEVILLE, Kan. (Feb. 3) - As intrigue grows for the running of the
Belleville 100 this July, so does the interest from the RV community.

The Hi-Banks RV Park is reporting that their location, situated directly
across from the world famous Belleville High Banks race track, is nearly
filled with reservations for the July 2-4 drama-filled racing event.

Recreational vehicle travelers to Belleville need not be dismayed. The
Belleville 100 team has arranged with the City of Belleville to have an
additional 40 electrical hook-ups available on a first-come, first-served
basis.

These additional electrical hook-ups have 30- and 50-Amp options, and will
be available at the power plant park located just one block west of the
hallowed race track grounds. The hook-up fee at "Power Plant Park" is just
$15 per day. There is access to water hydrants in this area, however, sewer
hook-ups are not.

A dump station is located at another popular Belleville camping area known
as Rocky Pond, which has eight full hook-up RV stalls and is owned by the
City of Belleville. Rocky Pond offers tent camping and non-hook-up camping
throughout the park, plus fishing and boating for small vessels. The RV
electrical hook-up sites at Rocky Pond are also on a first-come,
first-served basis.

Restroom and shower facilities are available at both locations. New showers
and restrooms will be constructed in the city park prior to the Belleville
100, according to city officials.

Should RV owners have further questions concerning city-owned RV hook-ups,
they may direct inquiries to 785-527-2288. For information concerning other
lodging options, click the 'Lodging' button at the Official Website of the
Belleville 100 at www.belleville100.com.

The Belleville High Banks is perhaps the most demanding dirt track in the
country in terms of expecting the most of driver and equipment. Certainly it
is the fastest half-mile dirt track in the country and most certainly can
boast its number one ranking in historical longevity.

While many aspects of the automobile and auto racing have changed since
Belleville's first auto race held in 1910, two things really haven't
changed: the test of the machine and the endurance of the driver.

In July 2010, machine and driver will be tested in a contest never before
witnessed at the "World's Fastest Half-Mile Dirt Track" or the Great Plains
States. The celebration of 100 years of auto racing in Belleville and the
advancement of the motor car will take place at the Belleville 100 featuring
Modifieds on the Belleville High Banks, July 2-4, 2010.

For car entry forms and ticket order forms see the 'downloads' page at
www.belleville100.com .

Tickets can be purchased by calling 402-761-3676 or by checking out the
"Downloads" section at www.belleville100.com on the World Wide Web. Entry
forms, rules and additional information can also be found on the Official
Website of the Belleville 100.

For more information about the Belleville 100, contact Wayne Dake via email
at wayne@belleville100.com or call 402-440-3977.

I'm not going to do a Top Ten list or anything like that - or a formal countdown, just a series of what I liked and why I liked it. AND, it may not be a photo I've put online already....



A feature start May 30, 2009

It's the start of the Sprint A feature at Eagle Raceway on May 30, 2009. The track had been a dustbowl all night. I just wanted to try something different - something that would capture the environment, lend a 'historical' context to the night. It required a slow shutter speed for the ambient light. I added a flash to give each car a little definition, otherwise they would've been nothing but indiscriminate streaking blurs. The "VR" (vibration reduction) function of the lens was crucial, as I was shooting without a tripod. Click the small image for the larger pic


Hobbies at Butler County June 19, 2009


Blue and orange are complementary colors. That's enough motivation. But, despite an early day storm, the track did everything they could to get the show off. A nearby storm passed north of the track and left an orange sky in its wake. I underexposed the photo to saturate the sky more. Then, I cranked up the Norman 200b to give me the light I needed. I had a few nice shots from the place, despite one of the most miserable nights I've had shooting: muddy, humid, flash misbehaving. I was reminded why I keep spare shoes in the car. But it's all part of the game. Click the small image for the larger pic

Without being any part of the proceedings and reading about it as soon as everyone else did, it appears that attorney and former track owner Craig Kelley helped mediate a deal between Eagle and I-80 over what was going to be a nasty conflict in scheduling.

My thoughts:

- Obviously, as you can see the April 10 date wasn't the only bone of contention. From what I was told outside of the discussions, there were some "retaliatory" moves before the mediation stemming back from conflicts in the past.

- Notice the statement about "give-and-take." THAT is my definition of "working together," not offering specials to guys already coming or doing things that are more investments than compromises. 

- For all the arguments about who got the schedule first, one forgets that Eagle dropped its huge Labor Day Shootout/free ticket special right on I-80's season points finale last year. And they didn't announce it until mid season. You can see that was a big issue as it was mentioned by name. On the other end, a pre-Eagle Nationals ASCS race was scheduled the night before at I-80 until Eagle and Tony Bruce raised objections.

- It's nice to see that after 2010, both are going to hammer out their plans in concert with each other. Calling "shotgun!" when it comes to scheduling is not the answer, and in my eyes is just as (in)valid as the high school, six-people-in-a-four-person-car version. Simply put, Eagle may still be the 800-lb gorilla in the room when it comes to fan count overall, but I-80 and others are working to make moves of their own. As they say, "it's business."

- The big winners in this are the fans in general, and sprint fans in particular. Fact is, that before the uhh...settlement, neither track was going to be hurting for sprints. Of late, ASCS races are generally only 10-15% Eagle cars, and Eagle would have its own weekly contingent. The fans would've been divided between the familiarity of their "home track" and the variety, and recently the competitiveness of the ASCS show.

- In the end, it was nice of Mr. Kelley to step up and use his positive ties with both places to work for the greater good. Props to him and props to Eagle and I-80 management for their work in making it better for the fans.

Labels: editorial

I'm back on Twitter, with a bit of a plan. I'll tweet bits of racing info, and photo stuff. Sometimes related, sometimes not at all. As you can tell, it will probably tilt toward the photo end, but I certainly don't forget my racing roots.

Either way - it's just a click.

Follow me at: www.twitter.com/jasonorthphoto

Labels: Site news

From Craig Kelley:

I am happy to announce the following schedule changes for the two
Lincoln-Omaha metro-area tracks for 2010 after sit-down meetings, and great
give-and-take by both track ownership teams:

Sat., April 3: I-80 MLRA TOURING LATE MODELS, A Mods and Hobby Stocks, as
scheduled. Eagle closed

Friday, April 9: I-80 will run a newly-scheduled NASCAR weekly show PLUS
$1000 to win A Modified Show (NO rain date) leading into...

Sat., April 10: Eagle ICE BREAKER CHALLENGE (as scheduled) with Eagle
Sprints and $3K to win Modidfied Show and IMCA Sport Mods and Compacts. Rain
date, 4-11-10 and I-80 will now be closed April 10-11, 2010.

Friday, April 16: I-80 ASCS Sprints, A mods, Sport Mods, and Compacts. Eagle
closed.

Sat., April 17: I-80 ASCS Sprints, SLMR LM's, NASCAR LM's and Pro Am's.
Eagle closed, cancelling scheduled weekly show.

Sunday, April 18. I-80 will NOT run its previously scheduled NASCAR weekly
show after racing Friday and Sat.nights, and April 18 will only be a
possible rain date for either track only.

Wed., June 9 - NRP Charlie Clark Memorial will NOT run Sprint Cars and will
now feature an 'A Modified' Special plus Sport Mods, and one other possible
support class. This I-80 show is moved up one night, after previously being
scheduled on June 10.

Eagle Raceway will not run a Free-Admission or weekly points event on
Sunday, September 5, 2010 against I-80's annual Labor Day season-ending
weekly points show.

I-80 and Eagle ownership will meet immediately following the 2010 season to
make all attempts to schedule the 2011 race season with no conflicting
dates.

I-80 will move its banquet date in January 2011 to an alternative date as
they did not yet have a Banquet Hall booked, to avoid the two tracks'
banquets being on the same dates.

In addition, there are some other scheduling and promotional ideas the two
tracks are working on for 2010 and beyond that will benefits both fans AND
racers. Stay tuned!

I would like to thank and congratulate both tracks for working so hard
together on making 2010 conflict-free!

Seems that even the big boys are feeling the pinch.

From ESPN: http://tinyurl.com/ydy8j6y

So, I wonder if Jimmie and Dale will gather up all the other racers and
boycott NASCAR.

D'oh! Ok - that wasn't fair, and I'm friends with many who were on the other side of that debate, but we're going to have to agree to disagree.

That said, as much as I don't think it will happen - I think local purses need to go UP, especially at the back of the fields.

YouTube Video Contest: Tell us why you're Knoxville Raceway's biggest fan
and win a pair of 2010 Knoxville Raceway season tickets!

In celebration of our 50th Anniversary, Knoxville Raceway is giving away a
pair of 2010 season tickets to one lucky winner, along with four runners up
prizes, including a limited edition Raceopoly board game and Nationals
Anniversary Cap. All you have to do is create a video response to the
Knoxville Raceway YouTube Video Contest announcement video telling us why
you're Knoxville Raceway's biggest fan and deserve the win a pair of 2010
Knoxville Raceway season tickets.

For full details visit Knoxville's site:

http://knoxvilleraceway.com/YouTubeContest.aspx

 

Kind of old news, but it's a sign of the times.

Here's the listing on Home Real Estate's site:
http://tinyurl.com/yak3jvd

Guys, for $748,000 it isn't going to be bought to keep racing. Too much
money for too little return. This property is being sold for commercial use
with the advantages being near a high-traffic area and a junction of two
major routes.

The days of the track are numbered. The end is coming.

It's too bad, for years this track was a regular feeder to Eagle's sprint
series and a right entertaining show in itself.

The knee-jerk reaction would be to suggest an infield track at Eagle and run
on Saturdays. Fact is, one could run an entire show with the Mini/Kart
program alone. One more class isn't going to work on a full Saturday
schedule, and if the minis get to race under the bright lights of the big
house, why would they move up?

Given Eagle's stated concern about growing the sprint class, if you were in
their shoes, would you consider constructing an infield mini-sprint track,
to develop the series back into the feeder for your sprint cars - say on a
Friday or Sunday night? Despite the small cars, it would be a big task.
Something to consider...

Here's a revised edition of the schedule. Over 20 dates are on tap for just
Midwest region races alone.

The Midwest season opens and closes at I-80 Speedway in a pair of two-day
events. Notable is the June 11 & 12 Eagle Nationals, a co-sanctioned
National/Midwest event paying $5000 to win. It replaces the long-running
World of Outlaws as the signature event at Eagle.

April

9 - Northern Plains/Midwest, I-80 Speedway (Greenwood, NE)

10 - Northern Plains/Midwest, I-80 Speedway (Greenwood, NE)

30 - Midwest, Central Missouri Speedway (Warrensburg, MO)

May

1 - Midwest, Lucas Oil Speedway (Wheatland, MO)

27 - Midwest, I-80 Speedway (Greenwood, NE)

28 - Midwest, Junction Motor Speedway (McCool Junction, NE)

June

11 - National/Midwest, Eagle Raceway (Eagle, NE)

12 - National/Midwest, Eagle Raceway (Eagle, NE)

18 - Midwest, US 36 Raceway (Cameron, MO)

25 - Northern Plains/Midwest, I-90 Speedway (Hartford, SD)

July

1 - Midwest, Junction Motor Speedway (McCool Junction, NE)

2 - Midwest, I-80 Speedway (Greenwood, NE)

9 - National/Northern Plains/Midwest, Spencer County Speedway (Spencer, IA)

10 - National/Northern Plains/Midwest, I-90 Speedway (Hartford, SD)

16 - Midwest, US 36 Raceway (Cameron, MO)

23 - Northern Plains/Midwest, I-90 Speedway (Hartford, SD)

August

5 - National, Knoxville Raceway (Knoxville, IA)

6 - National, Knoxville Raceway (Knoxville, IA)

7 - National, Knoxville Raceway (Knoxville, IA)

27 - Midwest, US 36 Raceway (Cameron, MO)

September

3 - Midwest, I-80 Speedway (Greenwood, NE)

10 - Midwest, Central Missouri Speedway (Warrensburg, MO)

11 - Midwest, Butler County Motorplex (Rising City, NE)

12 - Midwest, Eagle Raceway (Eagle, NE)

24 - Midwest, I-80 Speedway (Greenwood, NE)

25 - Midwest, I-80 Speedway (Greenwood, NE)

The most expensive part of racing a car is...racing it. In a recent IMCA press release, it was noted that there were 20 shows on tap, at one track, for an economy class this year. The ASCS Midwest series has the potential for over 20 shows this season.

One has to wonder: are we asking too much of the racers? Are we asking for too much fuel money, too much tire money, too much money to fix broken parts? This says nothing of their time? For nearly half the year, the racer is wrapped up in maintenance of the car.

In the course of 10, 20 years, we've expanded from a May-August schedule out to April-September, and even March and October specials mixed in to that.

Promoters are demanding a lot from the racers and the fans. Are they not essentially tacking on an additional 25% expense by expanding the season the same amount? The fact is even friends and family are not making EVERY show. I'm sure you're the exception and will be there hell or high water.

I'm as die hard as you and maybe more so. Fact is, I made it to...75% of the races I could reasonably expect to attend in terms of distance, money, desire to watch, etc.

So if you have the backgate/same cast of family in the stands - you're diluting your weekly crowd because eventually the schedule is so long, it will run into days where that die-hard fan just can't go. You now have to find more fans to fill those gaps and we see how well some tracks try to get in more fans...lengthen the show.

Why, for all the years of modern economic theory are these people ignoring simple laws of supply and demand ? Why when they complain of dwindling crowds, and dwindling car counts (add another class) do they then INCREASE supply? It makes no sense.

Here's a question: are classes growing because there are more racers or are they growing as racers move from one class to another? Pretty soon one runs out of classes to add.

I suppose demanding a dwindling supply of teams to show up to more and more shows, while paying them less and less is the answer.

If that's the case, thank God I don't understand the question.

Labels: editorial

Joe sent me the final batch Sunday.

Check 'em out here (same gallery as before, I just added the tinyURL link to
prevent cutting off the link address).

http://tinyurl.com/yct8yet

(Updated 1-15-09)

Joe Orth sent a few photos from the Chili Bowl. I'll continue to update this gallery as he sends more so check back.


Check 'em out here:


Joe Orth Chili Bowl photos

TBJ Promotions, the company headed by sprint driver Tony Bruce Jr., and
promoting the 2010 Eagle Nationals has announced their new site and now has
tickets available for purchase on site.

According to the site, the race will be telecast on the Versus cable network
for a later airing.

In addition to the Eagle Nationals, TBJ Promotions is promoting the Steve
King Memorial in Jetmore, KS and the Rock & Roll 50 in W. Memphis, AR.

From the site:

On June 11th and 12th the series will travel to the Eagle Raceway in
Eagle, Nebraska for the Eagle Nationals. This will mark the first visit by
the American Sprint Car Series National Tour to the track known as the
"World's Fastest Third Mile." Located just east of Lincoln, Nebraska, the
track is considered by many to be one of the most beautiful facilities in
all of racing. The Eagle Nationals has been a fixture at Eagle Raceway since
1981 as a 410ci event with the World of Outlaws. However, starting in 2010,
the Eagle Nationals will feature the American Sprint Car Series and will
move to a two-day event. With a strong contingent of local racers lead by
perennial track champion Mike Boston, you can expect a heated battle to win
the trophy in the land of the Huskers.  

For more info, visit www.tbjpromotions.com

We're nearing the end of awards banquet season and plenty of pictures of the old "grip-and-grin," with the promoters, owners, etc. smiling handing over the check, trophy, or both finding their ways around the internet.

One thing that got my attention though is how many people look like they just came off of the track.

Guys, your cleanest racing t-shirt is inappropriate attire for any awards banquet. I noticed a photo from one major sanctioning series, and the winner was holding a check for...over $50,000, while his cohorts were dressed in their 'racetrack best," some racing t-shirts, some with the MMA/Ed Hardy wannabe look, etc.

A pair of cheap dress pants cost $30. I'm not talking Armani here. Everyone at least needs that for any occasion when someone's getting married or buried. Eagle says no t-shirt and jeans. I like that. The IMCA banquet requires the champs to wear tuxedos. That might be a little much for a weekly program, but I like the sentiment. I'm not talking about "bar" dressed up, I'm talking about something befitting a banquet. Regardless of how much booze is served afterward, they are two different things.

The same thing applies to the victory lane photos. Yeah, it's hot and it's dirty, but when you come down after the race, at least look decent from the waist up. Wear the suit at least when you come back down. Zip it up. I know IMCA wants the suits (with their sponsor logos) on each photo. The track wouldn't mind it either.

This isn't about being "better than someone," or snobbery, it's about showing a little respect - that you could at least make a little effort to stand out from the pack.

Do this for you, do it for your sponsors and do it for the sport. Dirt track racing already has to fight its image when competing for money against the more "glamourous" stick and ball sports and other entertainment. Don't contribute to the stereotype.

Dollars have to come from outside the "family" now. They can't just go to the usual, auto related businesses. When a track owner is looking for sponsors, you can bet those people are looking at the websites, with the pictures. How would you spend your money if you think it's going to some greaseball? I'm sorry to be so harsh, but I can tell you when I had to hunt down sponsors and sit in on the meetings that was a regular topic of conversation.

Back when I was traveling in the 90's, the talk came up about getting sponsors. One of the top drivers on the circuit said, "I don't understand why a guy goes to a business, with hat in hand asking for money, and that hat is the greasy piece of s**t they wear at the track?"

Now, I'm never going to be penning fashion tips for GQ or Esquire but if anyone is handing me a $50,000 check I'm wearing a suit. At least I'm not going in t-shirt and jeans.

You can talk all you want about how people shouldn't be so shallow. But guess what, they are. Idealism and reality are often two very different things.

Again, it's not about being antiseptic - we all know it's a dirt track. It's about showing effort and respect. You'll benefit from it and the sport will too.

Labels: editorial

Though we've known this, it's "official" now.

- - - - -

EAGLE, Neb. (Jan. 6) - What promoter Roger Hadan described as an "up
and coming class" will join Saturday night programs at Eagle Raceway
this season.

Karl Chevrolet Northern SportMods become the fourth IMCA sanctioned
division to run at the 1/3-mile clay oval, joining the Modifieds,
Hobby Stocks and Sport Compacts.

"I think our car count will be very good the first season," Hadan
said. "I've been getting a lot of calls from drivers and I think
Eagle will be a Saturday stop for drivers racing Friday at Beatrice
Speedway or Butler County Motorplex."

The tentative 2010 schedule at Eagle totes 20 national, state and
local track point races for Northern SportMods.

"This is a very economical class. Drivers can take a used chassis and
a Hobby Stock motor and be competitive without spending Modified-type
money," said Hadan. "It's a good class for them to learn in before
they take the next step up."

Eagle is the longest tenured IMCA Modified track in Nebraska, having
sanctioned the class since 1985. IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stocks joined
weekly programs in 2006 and the Mach-1 Sport Compacts were added in
2007.

Those three classes are on the card for the Ice Breaker special on
April 10. The regular season starts the following week.

Final IMCA point races will be Aug. 28.

Jason: This is a real bummer for racing in the Nebraska area and personally.
Dennis has been part of the Midwest/Eagle 360 scene since its inception and
one of the best persons I've met in the racing scene. The familiar #3 will
be sorely missed.

- - -

From Dennis Parker Racing

It is with a long and hard thought process that as of 1/06/10 Dennis Parker
Racing will no longer be racing.

Due to cost factors, and many other reasons we will not be fielding a sprint
car in the 2010 racing season or anytime soon, therefore everything sprint
car related is for sale.

This has been a hard decision as I have raced in some kind of capacity since
1974.

I will genuinely miss racing as an owner and previous driver.

If anyone wants any parts I have a lot of good parts left to sale, just
e-mail or call me. For a list or simply come and look for what you need!

Dennis Parker
Sprintracer3@aol.com
402-677-3757

As I usually do somewhere around this time, here's my wish list for 2010.


Personally:

- Make it to more races outside of Eagle. That's a given and I plan on making Eagle less than 50% of my total outings. My goal is to follow the ASCS Midwest series this year. I also plan on hitting some Modified events and would like to make a few Late Model races this season as well. When not hitting an ASCS race that week, I plan on getting out to the other tracks in the area.

- More interviews with and more up-close photos of the people involved in the sport. Trust me there will be plenty of track action photos.

Getting to my wishes for the tracks:

- The WoO show is a success at Junction Motor Speedway. Sprint cars have had a unique place in Nebraska auto racing history and it would be a shame to be without what is still the nation's top series making an annual stop in the state. I understand Eagle deciding to pass this year. But a bar has been set - in terms of fan accommodations and in many cases competition on the track, aided by an aggressive promoter during the 35-40 cars heydays of the early 2000's. The on-track action with the Outlaws was arguably I-80's biggest failing under a long-gone management regime, far removed from the current group. Yes, there were some less than memorable shows at Eagle as I've said in previous pieces, but there were more very good shows, especially when the track got just a little dry. In the first half of the decade after a hotly-contested dash, Brad Doty exclaimed, "That's why these races need to be on bullrings!" JMS certainly has the facilities, will the show match on the big track? I hope it does - it can be done. A good car count will go a long way. The question is where the cars come from and how hard will the promoters work to get them?

- Tracks go to the use of one-way radios. Midget racing has been using them for several years, as has the ASCS. Most use what's called a "Raceceiver," essentially a pager-sized, $100 scanner that with form-fitting earphones. It greatly speeds up communication between officials and drivers, eliminating the need for confusing hand signals, saves fuel, is a safety device on the track, and is a relatively low-cost, RE-USABLE piece of equipment. It's 2010 people - we don't have flying cars, but we can get with the program. If places insist on running 5+ classes, at least speed up the show. If $100 is that big a deal to someone who will get probably years out of them, then rent them - it's a money maker for the track, or let go with a payment plan. The other piece is that unlike transponders, these items are nearly universal and can be used at most any track. It amazes me how many people will complain about $100 of useful equipment but spend hundreds, thousands on graphics and wraps that get trashed in the first wreck.

- Again, since class counts seem to be going up, track owners need to do their fans and frankly other racers a favor and do what they can to speed up shows. Examples:

• The aforementioned one-way radios and transponders (along with the proper training to run them)
• Lone Ranger rules: spinout or stop by yourself in a heat or B and bring out the yellow, you're done.
  
• Time limits. There is no reason to run any race one hour. Period. Done. With the exception of red flags, and even then...you'll have a hard time making me think otherwise. I've always thought "a minute a lap, stop the clock on a red" was a good starting point. And, that includes heats. I've seen this at Eagle and elsewhere for the heats: if enough cars drop out that nobody can better their A feature starting position regardless of finish, they throw the checkered right there.
  
• While I'd like to see pit stops ended forever, that won't happen. But...how about a time limit on that and perhaps a number of times a car can pit? C'mon, one pit stop is enough.  
• Intermissions of 15 minutes or less. If you can't sell beer or concessions fast enough, improve your selling (hawkers in the stands, separate beer-only stands, expand your concession area, hire another person).
  
• Starting on time and moving through the show quickly. Lineups need to be ready, and cars for the next race need to be staged - not waiting in the pits. 
• ONE race director, ONE set of rules and follow them. Many times when I've been to shows where the program took too long, I often heard officials arguing with each other and debating the rules over track rules, thus chewing time often while cars are burning fuel on the track. While I believe in democracy, I think auto racing is best governed by a dictator. See NASCAR, F1, etc.
  

I've said enough. Happy birthday to this site and such.

- Jason

Labels: editorial

One of the other things I'm wanting to do is take my photography to the next level. After some feedback from professional sports photographers, one comment is that I need to focus more on the human element. To do that I need to specialize a bit...I also need to spend time off the track, and thus missing some classes. Speaking of photography, I need to improve order fulfillment dramatically. But I also believe in editing images and not dumping the entire memory card online. To do that I need to spend more time working on images and less on editing press releases and such. Therefore it will be my best work, fully edited and available to order online in 2010. Click and buy, from the printer straight to you - ASAP. And possibly, I'll include gift items in that as well.

So does that mean "Heartland Race NEWS" isn't so much that - if it only covers certain classes? Maybe, but a name change is likely anyway. In fact I've already purchased the domain name I plan to relaunch under. I'll announce it soon, continue posting here until it's ready and cross post between the two sites shortly after the release.

It's been an enjoyable four seasons and I think this new approach will keep me going for several more.

Jason

Labels: editorial, Site news

Labels: editorial

This should be the last part of what's become a rather lengthy series.

Labels: editorial

Several tracks/sanctions have released their schedules. Check 'em out:
I-80 Speedway: http://neracewaypark.com/I80Speedway/schedule.php

Eagle Raceway (along with a lively discussion):
http://www.dirtdrivers.com/messageboard/messagedetail.asp?trackid=1&distype=1&gid=&mmid=&mid=243615&pmid=243615

ASCS Midwest (via Oval Operations):
http://www.ovaloperations.com/2009/12/16/2010-tentative-ascs-midwest-schedul
e/

Butler County Motorplex

http://www.dirtdrivers.com/messageboard/messagedetail.asp?trackid=4&mid=243830&pmid=243830

Check out this photographer from an NHRA drag race. Pics are from the London
Daily Mail.

http://tinyurl.com/yeg9w9h

If my wife saw that and the car didn't kill me...she would.

From Jessica Goldfuss, Junction Motor Speedway

With the completion of the 2009 racing season at Junction Motor Speedway,
honors and awards were presented for the many JMS drivers on December 12,
2009. The York Holiday Inn Convention Center held the banquet where there
was wonderful food provided by Angela Spencer, Banquet Manger; Zach Oseurm;
Crystal McKillip, Applebee's General Manger; Debbie Dumpert, Banquet
Self-Coordinator; Rhonda and Rich Baines, bartending; with the Holiday Inn
Banquet staff cooking and catering. Favorably, Holiday Inn also provided
hotel rooms for the points Champions of each division. Beautiful flowers
were the centerpiece of each table, provided by Debbie Dumpert, which
represented the memory of Barb Nunnenkamp, Manager of JMS in the time of
2003 to 2008.

There were many door prizes given out throughout the night which were
sponsored and donated from many area businesses. Action Images, owned by
Photographer, Jerry Jacobs, created the JMS driver cards that were placed on
every table. Each card had information about the Points Champions in each
division. Pictures at the banquet were taken by Jon Pedersen, the official
JMS Photographer. Trophies and plaques were provided by NASCAR, Inc. and
Crossroads Awards in York, Nebraska.

Special guests that were in attendance were NAPA owners from Sutton,
Nebraska; Randy, Kathy, and Micah Veleba for Sutton Auto Supply. They were
also in representation of other NAPA businesses that sponsored the NASCAR
Stock Car and NASCAR Hobby Stocks divisions. Those stores included; Action
Auto Supply in Geneva, Action Auto Supply in Hebron, Action Auto Supply in
Fairbury, Beck's Auto Parts in Edgar, Rasmussen NAPA in York, and the NAPA
Distribution Center in Omaha, Nebraska.

General Motors and GM Performance Parts were represented by Jim Miller, the
Wholesale Parts District Manager of Kansas City, KS and Grant Lindsey of
Dallas, TX. They were proud sponsors of the NASCAR Late Models for the 2009
season and handed out $4,500 in contingency awards for crate engine feature
winners and other crate late model engine participants at Junction Motor
Speedway. Winners of these contingency awards were, Bill Leighton Jr- $500,
Matt Buller- $900, Tom Svoboda- $400, Andrew Kosiski - $700, Clint Benson
-$400, Mike Wallace- $300, Lester Siebert - $200, Ray Baughn - $200, Andy
Wilkinson -$200, Al Humphrey- $100, Randy Hall -$400, and Mike Svagera-
$100.

The awards presentation began with the Four Cylinder Division which the
Track Owner, Delmar Friesen, honored each driver who was top ten in point's
standings. Beginning with tenth place was Jarrod Aspegren, Lance Hiebner
(9), Sheldon Sandall (8), Charles Wergin (7), Bill Wiarda (6), Chad Carlson
(5), Josh Aspegren (4), and Rodney Nosker (3). Runner-up was the 2009 Rookie
of the Year- Mallet Meyer, with Cale Wiarda from Aurora, Nebraska, driving
the 15w receiving the 2009 4 Cylinder Points Championship.

In the 2-Man Cruiser Division, Pat Hersh and Mike Whitten were 10th, Tim
Hessheimer SR and Tim Hessheimer JR (9), Jordan Inderlied and Jake Hedden
(8), Tyler Mark, Scott Nuttelman /Brandon Ahlquist (7), Ken and Drew Barry
(6), John Miller and Greg Ekeler (5), Brent Kassik and John Miller (4),
Allen Zimmerman and Ethan Vogler (3) and also took the 2009 Rookie of the
Year Award. Receiving second place in the Cruiser division was Greg Kenley
and Jeremiah Harris with 358 points. Achieving their second Points Champion
Title for this division was Vic and Josh Jacobitz from Nelson, Nebraska,
driving the 69J cruiser.

The NASCAR Hobby Stocks had awards handed out by Randy, Kathy, and Micah
Veleba who represented the NAPA Sponsorship of the division. In tenth place
was Andy Sole- $118.45, Brandon Wergin- $125.82 (9), Tom Dunker-$133.20 (8),
Andy Lovegrove- $144.26 (7), Shane Schneider- $155.33 (6), Zach Reicks-
$195.09 (5) Brian Klein- $234.84 (4) and also the 2009 NASCAR Hobby Stock
Rookie of the Year. Rocky Zimmerman took third in points with $295.91, and
Brent Kassik placed Runner-up in the division with 684 points and was
awarded $328.28. Jason Wilkinson, driving the number 27, attained the Points
Championship with 700 points and with the amount of $506.57 in the combined
JMS Points Money and NASCAR Contingencies.

The NASCAR Stock Cars also sponsored by NAPA Stores for 2009 presented these
drivers for the top ten in points: Ernie Reiss- $129.05 (10), Cory Dumpert-
$140.66 (9), Brent Drohman- $152.28 (8), Herbert Slough -$219.71 (7), Ronald
Veleba- $262.14 (6), Brant Beam- $310.38 (5), Jason Van Winkle -$333.61 (4),
Justin Mohler- $376.04 (3); receiving Rookie of the Year for 2009 and also
Runner-up was Kyle Dumpert, being paid $412.66. Taking the Points
Championship and a total of $825.32 was also the Hobby Stocks Champion,
Jason Wilkinson, driving the number 52 Stock Car from Neligh, Nebraska.

The NASCAR Modifieds were sponsored by Steele Rubber Products from Denver,
North Carolina. There wasn't, however, a representative from Steele in
attendance at the banquet. Finishing tenth in points at Junction Motor
Speedway in this division was Brett Behrends-$143.89, Kyle Vanover- $211.44
(9), Daniel Neeman-$229.00 (8), Shane Stutzman- $305.33 (7), Dean Wilkinson-
$331.66 (6), Jon Thompson- $366.77 (5), Andy Wilkinson - $401.88 (4), Scott
Styskal- $528.22 (3), and Robert (Buzz) Wilson achieving second place in
points with earnings of $745.77. Winning the 2009 Championship in the NASCAR
Modified division was Brandon Blochlinger from Concordia, KS, who received a
total of $1,491.54 in NASCAR Contingency and the JMS Points Fund.

Finally, the NASCAR Late Models by GM Performance Parts were awarded for top
ten in points. Ryan Pedersen from Sutton, Nebraska was awarded Rookie of the
Year in this Division. Micah Veleba was granted $393.96 for tenth place in
points, Randy Hall - $461.55 (9), Andy Wilkinson - $529.13 (8), Tom Svoboda
- $655.51 (7), Donald Gimpel - $731.89 (6), Lester Siebert- $817.03 (5),
Andrew Kosiski - $1002.23 (4), Matt Buller - $1428.60 (3), and Mike Wallace
- $2246.19 for Runner- Up in the Premier Division. Winning his second
consecutive championship title with JMS and also finishing fourth in the
Nation in NASCAR points was Bill Leighton, JR with earnings of $3,492.38 in
the JMS Points Fund and NASCAR Contingencies.

In conjunction with the NASCAR Late Models division, several drivers were
awarded for being top 500 in the Nation. From highest to lowest was 4th-
Bill Leighton, 10th- Matt Buller, 14th- Mike Wallace, 17th- Lester Siebert,
18th- Andrew Kosiski, 70th- Tom Svoboda, 172nd- Randy Hall (also receiving a
State Rookie Award), 228th- Andy Wilkinson, 232nd- Donald Gimpel, 452nd-
Micah Veleba, and 485th- Mike Svagera.

Junction Motor Speedway and the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series provided a
total of $21,913.60 in all four NASCAR classes for the points fund
distribution.

In conclusion the Junction Motor Speedway Staff was acknowledged for their
efforts in making 2009 a successful season. In attendance at the banquet
were track owners Delmar and Ardenna Friesen who were also honored for a
Crystal Bowl Trophy from Schweitzer's Custom Engraving in Milford, Nebraska
for having attained their Fifth Season at the end of 2008. Mike Chapin was
recognized with duties of line-ups and back gate security; Jason Friesen
with scheduling; Crystal Friesen with points, scoring, records, and stats;
Brad Nunnenkamp as the Director of Competition; Jon Pedersen working the
gift shop, website, and pictures; Cathy Pedersen with the gift shop; Jessica
Goldfuss- JMS Office Manager and Scoring; Julie Robinson with Concessions
management and as groundskeeper, Linda and Danielle Carroll in Concessions,
and Vanee Holtmeier with front gate admission. Wayne Dake announced at
Junction Motor Speedway weekly and was the Emcee for the evening. Also in
attendance with him was his wife, Jan Dake who helps with various tasks at
the track. These dedicated individuals are among 55 or so JMS employees.

To finalize the evening Delmar inducted his 2010 schedule to the racing
audience and announced the changes and additions to the year. Because the
schedule is still brand new and tentative, it is possible that there may be
more changes and additions in the upcoming months. Additions to the track
are B-Mods as well as changes of 4 Cylinders running on the big track
instead of the small track. The NASCAR Late Models will also be running
every Saturday night including the nights when SLMR Late Models come to
Junction Motor Speedway.

On behalf of Junction Motor Speedway, and Track Owner and Promoter, Delmar
Friesen, thanks to all drivers, crews, employees, families, and friends who
attended the 2009 banquet. In addition, we appreciate all drivers who
support and race at our track and we look forward to seeing everyone in the
2010 racing season!

My original plan was to talk more about support classes and new series, but the release of the World of Outlaws 2010 schedule changed that.

-Unless changes are made, for the first time in 26 seasons, Eagle Raceway will not be hosting the World of Outlaws sprint cars. For that period, the Eagle Nationals were the track's showcase event, and one of the top stops on the tour, especially in the 90's and early 2000's. In that period, the WoO would make two stops annually. But now, with costs rising and ticket sales slowing the once premier show has become a burden to the promoters. Traditionally a two-day program, the show dwindled to a single-day, co-promoted venture. This season's cold, wet and troublesome program, with both support class races being called, and the feature being a single lane, bottom of the race track contest that looked more like an F1 parade, was a coincidentally sad back story to how far the show had regressed. 2009 marked the first year in as many as I can remember when a full field of 24 didn't take the green flag. Other races in recent years have been marked by rubber-down, single lane enduros where he with the most tire remaining won.

I can tell you that from my period working for Eagle that the World of Outlaws stops were often make or break for the season. At times, crowds were tremendous. It was the biggest show of the year and in most cases, the most financially rewarding. But, toward the end of my tenure (2005), it was an albatross around Craig Cormack's neck. I can remember trashing thousands of WoO tickets afterwards. Not pretty.

Not all was bad. Not even most of it. Perhaps some of the greatest races I've watched out at Eagle occurred during the WoO's run. Haudenschild's September Sweep, Schatz's eighth-row to first record run...there were some awesome shows. Even uneventful races still had all the pomp and circumstance to make it worthwhile. Plenty of stories abound about drivers partying with the locals afterward, WoO staff socializing with the Eagle crew - it was a festive atmosphere that usually complimented the bullring excitement, but survived any level of show on the track.

To be fair, 2009 saw the tightest points battle in series history. Also, word is that WoO, to reduce travel expenses, asked tracks to pony up for multi-day shows, and the 2010 sked reflects this.Totally understandable.

According to someone close to the track's management, the word was that Eagle would be allowed a one-day show, but Roger chose not to. All history aside, to borrow from Doug Wolfgang, "today you're a hero, tomorrow you're zero." It seems from Eagle's perspective, there have been too many zeros (and sub-zeros) to make up for all that history.

That said, while I understand the reasons, I hate to see the WoO go. I've made several friends in the Outlaws, and had a blast being part of the new organization when Cormack was the VP of Race Operations with the series. I think the series is trying to move forward. The switch to Goodyear tires will ultimately be wise in my opinion. I think it will help make it more competitive. I also think the WoO care about putting on a better race program. They're one of the most efficient in the business. But it's hard to sell a $30-40 ticket these days at a dirt track.

And, in many places the WoO is THE show, with huge crowds. I think at Eagle times have changed. With the addition of new classes, and the drop-off in numbers and competitiveness in the sprints, I think the general crowd has moved away from its sprint-centric past and diversified. I still believe that the crowd is mostly sprint, but the numbers are far fewer than before. With that comes less interest, less die-hards, and less friends of them to come out for the big event. I also believe that the interest in the event dwindled with the advent of Baseball and Hockey, and the near exclusivity of a Nebraska Football ticket. The WoO aren't one of the "big shows" around Lincoln anymore.

Perhaps most of all, I think that the average fan has gravitated to endless, mindnumbing what-did-Jimmie-eat-for-lunch coverage of Na...Nas....Nasss....(I can't say it)....NASCAR for their racing fix, and that a short drive to Kansas Speedway for the annual Sprint Cup show (with its expensive ticket packages) now supplants the dirt track as the "vacation race," and the local scene means little to them.

In 2010, Junction Motor Speedway will do the same as it did with the USAC Midgets and pick up Eagle's forsaken WoO show. A change of scene might do everyone some good, but trying to pull enough fans to make it pay off, being 60 miles from the half-million population base that couldn't sustain the show at Eagle (or I-80) will be a challenge. You can't just jam this with back-gate support classes and hope to make money. However, a creative effort could make this a success. 

Ostensibly, Eagle's summer showcase event will be a two-day Lucas Oil ASCS National 360 Sprint event with Tony Bruce Jr. going all Terry McCarl with driving/owning/promoting duties. As far as racing goes, if the Nebraska Cup, the ASCS Specials at I-80 and BCM are any indication, race wise it should be a humdinger. Will it pull in best of times-Outlaw crowds? Probably not - but it doesn't have to. A 3-4000 ticket show will be plenty. There could be more fan interest as the locals will go toe-to-toe with the touring stars at what should be a much easier on the wallet ticket price. As Roger Hadan showed with his Labor Day giveaway and Ed Kosiski showed with the Late Model/Sprint combo and Nitro Circus show this season, it doesn't require the Outlaws to hit a revenue home-run anymore. 

Part IV coming soon

Labels: editorial

Jetmore, Kan. (November 11, 2009) - On July 25,2009 Tadd Holliman, driver
of the #23R 360 Series Sprint Car was involved in a devastating racing
accident at Eagle Raceway in Lincoln, Neb. Holliman, of Beaver Lake, Neb.,
suffered six broken ribs, a bruised lung, concussion, and a broken right
upper arm.

Since the accident, Holliman has been undergoing multiple medical treatments
as well as extensive physical therapy and has been unable to return to work.

To help defray his medical expenses a special fund has been established
within the Steve King Foundation. Any funds donated to the foundation and
earmarked for Holliman will be provided directly to him and his family.

Donations are being accepted through the Steve King Foundation to help the
Holliman family cover the medical expenses. All contributions are
tax-deductible.

Donations can be made online at
www.SteveKingFoundation.org or mailed
to

Steve King Foundation
24583 NW 208 Rd
Jetmore, KS 67854

Please note Holliman on the check.

About Tadd Holliman
Holliman is a third generation driver and was often seen competing against
his father, Terry, at Eagle Raceway, his home track. He was voted the "most
improved driver" at Eagle Raceway in the mid 1990s. His all time favorite
race is the Chili Bowl, each January in Tulsa, Okla. Tadd and his wife
Darla have four children, ranging from 7 to 20 years old.

About The Steve King Foundation
The Steve King Foundation was formed to help individuals involved in dirt
track racing across the country by providing financial assistance to
drivers, pit crew members, racing officials, track operations personnel or
the immediate families of those individuals who are injured, struggling with
a severe illness or die. The foundation, a 501(c)3 will also contribute to
organizations and facilities dedicated to improving the safety of the sport
when additional funds are available.

More information can be found at
www.SteveKingFoundation.org

Labels: other racing news

- Longtime sprint car owner/sponsor Ivan Tracy floated the idea of a limited, 'bare-bones' 360(ish) wingless sprint class, with the idea of complementing existing racing and keeping costs low to promoters and teams. It was promoted in the spirit of the creation of the original "Modified" sprint at Midwest Speedway in the 1980's. For more on the birth of the 360 Sprint, visit Ryan Tunks' Midwest Speedway Preservation Society website.

As nice as it may seem, I'll borrow from the words of the late firearms Guru, Marine Colonel and Historian Jeff Cooper: it's an "ingenious solution to a non-existent problem." Cooper was not talking about racing but rather semi-automatic pistol development, feeling that there was no need for complex modifications of an existing design were needed when with proper use, and mindset, the existing design worked just fine.

But I see the development of yet another class as the same thing. Here's why:

- I don't see any pent-up demand for limited, limited wingless sprint car racing. There have been plenty of calls across the grandstands, pits and message boards for wingless sprint cars but they have all centered on the "real deal:" wingless 410 racing as you see at I-80 each August, and across the Midwest on the USAC trail. The 2007 experiment of wingless 360 racing at Eagle was certainly a 'no harm, no foul' deal, but nobody seemed to care there were no shows in 2008 save for a less than noteworthy WDRL support show. Remember, when the 360's started at Midwest, there was no real sprint racing on a weekly basis. Most of the Nebraska crews were running Knoxville regularly. This filled a niche, and if you've read any of Bob Mays' books, a hole in the SE Nebraska racing community, where sprints/supermodifieds were not just popular, but a part of local culture.

- Again, while it's not designed to compete with the winged 360 class, why wouldn't it? I still feel that these sub-classes draw from the "upper" class, creating mediocre fields in both and experience shows this especially in late models and modifieds. Why, with sprint counts being at a 10-year low, would we want to fracture the class now?

By the way - 305's anyone?

The silence is deafening.

Look, I recognize costs are escalating in 360 racing. A top of the line 360 motor can run as much as a top of the line 410 motor did ten years ago. I get it. But this isn't the solution.

- To that point: If as Ivan said, there are cars sitting idle, why can't they be raced now? Really, since Gambler brought out the downtube car in the late 80's how much has the sprint car really changed? Why, couldn't one get one of these frames and start adding to it? If the car is too old, why race it now under any rules? I don't know how many times I have to say this, but why do people confuse "affordable" with "being able to afford the point champ's equipment?" I have tremendous respect for a guy like Josh LaPage, who, scrounged, scrimped and put a car on the track and ran it against "the big boys." Yeah, he's still green and finding his way, but damn...racing around here could use more of him. This is going to come off as confrontational and maybe it is, especially if the question isn't being answered honestly: how much of the effort to contain cost is a true concern about saving money and how much of it is really just an effort to bring costs to a level where once top ten teams can NOW afford to be able to outspend/outequip everyone else? I'm dead serious about that. Maybe it's my cynical nature, but I rarely believe this is a campaign for the greater good but instead to lower the bar and make the good "great."

- To THAT point: the existent problem in my opinion is not so much money, it's that the field isn't being replenished. In the 80's and 90's the typical path was often race mini sprints at Waverly or Hastings, then get in the big car at Midwest and Eagle. I'm going to miss a TON of names, but here's a few: Divis, Boston, Lowery, Alley, Dover, etc., etc., etc. I'm not even CLOSE to naming half. But you get the point. But consider, especially in the case of Billy Alley and Jack Dover. They didn't stick around long. Enough time to get the feel of the bigger car and then moving on to potentially greener pastures. Before that, the upgrade generally meant they became the permanent veterans of the local field. But in this age of making the big time before 25, most talent doesn't see weekly racing as a long term goal. Many are looking to become the professional racer, not a weekend warrior. Contrary to the time after Jeff Gordon, the dirt track was an acceptable settling point as it was for many names. Champ cars, sprint cars, midgets were perfectly fine ways to "race to live." In a MotorSport magazine (the BEST racing magazine out there) article, Mario Andretti recalls his dirt car days with fondness, even racing them as late as 1974, where he won the USAC championship - five years AFTER his Indy 500 victory, three years after winning the '71 South African Grand Prix for Ferrari, and only one year before departing full time to Formula One!  But it's not that way anymore, and the success of dirt track stars in NASCAR has made it arguably worse for dirt track racing as its stars depart quickly, which in turn, leaves fields smaller and smaller as veterans retire. (Sound familiar, local sprint fans?)

The thing is, I don't see the "farm system" of the 80's and 90's coming back. So for that, we head to the "Everything old is new again" department

- I believe with about 70% certainty that given the economy we'll see the 360 class go the way of the Super Late Models at I-80. While I have NOTHING to back this up, my gut says that most of the sprint races future teams will compete in will be run under the ASCS banner at regional tracks, with - like the SLMR series, several stops at the old "home" track. But, I believe that ASCS purses have to go up (particularly at the back end), and instead of the state fair races of old, there are more big money shows like the $5000 to win Nebraska Cup and $2000 to win 9/11 Tribute at Butler County mixed in. My other feeling is that supply and demand will take over, with less of a supply of sprint races, demand increases with potentially bigger crowds (and bigger front gate takes to build up the purse).

- I forsee, like the late models have been for quite some time, the growth of the 'semi-professional' racer: the person or teams not necessarily racing to eat - but can make time to essentially race at will, at least locally. I'm thinking currently of Billy Alley, Chad Humston, Ryan Roberts and Jack Dover as examples, but many race teams can do that already. Look at how many modified teams hit 2, 3 nights a week regularly? It's not out of the question for many of the race teams out there. If not a personal career, one could certainly make a decent "racing career" as a so-called regional outlaw.

- And as much as I used to say that the ASCS regional series was irrelevant with Eagle's strong show back in the early 2000's (and I still think I was right then), I think the times have changed such that the regional series is the future, with the increase in number of shows rumored for 2010. I believe it so much, that I'm hitching my wagon to that and will devote most of my time to it next year. And before anyone I debated with in the early 2000's says "I told you so," take it easy. You had nothing to back it up and the reason I think this has more to do with the Bear-Stearns collapse or closer to home the collapse of local 410 racing than your insight. I could say Nebraska will win the Big XII this year, and if I lucked into being right, that doesn't entitle me to a place on ESPN, OK?

Having just spent the last page discounting the wingless idea, I'm not writing it off completely.

Part III - coming soon.

Labels: editorial

Saathoff hits jackpot with IMCA Modified checkers
at Las Vegas Motor Speedway’s Duel In The Desert

LAS VEGAS, Nev. (Nov. 14) – He’s had a lot of big wins during his
IMCA Modified career, but none of them paid better than the one on
Saturday night.

Johnny Saathoff passed Ricky Alvarado on the 36th of 40 laps Saturday
night at Las Vegas Motor Speed way, then held off Terry Phillps to
take the $7,777 Duel In The Desert checkers.

An event record 262 Modifieds, representing 23 states and three
Canadian provinces, were on hand for the IMCA season-ending special
at the half-mile dirt oval. Alvarado, Dominic Ursetta and Scott Drake
rounded out the top five.

Chris Abelson started on the pole but slid high and watched Alvarado
take the lead away on just the sec ond lap. Saathoff, the 2004 race
winner, was quickly in contention from his eight starting spot and
locked onto Alvarado’s back bumper in lap 15.

Bob Moore and Phillps did their best to stay in the chase, but
Alvarado and Saathoff made it a two-car race. The feature passed
midway before the first yellow came out, when Kellen Chadwick rolled
to a stop on lap 21, but the rest of the pack couldn’t take advantage
of the restart.

A spin by Steve Arpin with six to go resulted in a pile-up that
knocked out Brad Pounds, national champion Dylan Smith and Zane
DeVilbiss.

Alvarado got out of line following the ensuing restart, giving both
Saathoff and Phillips the opportunity they were looking for to get
by. Saathoff crossed the stripe three car lengths ahead of Phillips.

Winners of 12 last chance races on Saturday joined top four finishers
from two qualifying features both Thursday and Friday in the 28-car
starting grid. The previous event record of 221 Modifieds had been
set last year.

Alvarado took charge on the third circuit and led to the finish of
the Wild West Shootout. That field included top 20 point drivers from
the EQ Cylinder Heads Wild West Northern Tour and Rotating Right Wild
West Southern Tour.

Paul Stone advanced nine spots but ran out of time to reel Alvarado
in and settled for second in the 20 lapper. Lance Mari ran in front
the first two circuits and ended in third. Tyrone Yazzie and Jimmy
Reeves rounded out the top five.

Two drivers kayoed by an early crash when the IMCA Sunoco Stock Cars
made their first-ever appear ance at LVMS last year went at it again
Saturday, and a last-lap pass gave Trent Murphy the $777 win over
Kevin Opheim.

Robby Rosselli set the fast pace before giving way to Murphy
following a lap eight restart. Opheim buzzed by on the next lap and
ran at the front while Murphy, Rosselli, Joe Flory and Cary White
jostled back and forth.

Murphy finally got the best of the battle and caught Opheim on lap
19. Rosselli, Flory and White were scored in that order behind the
front pair.

Stephenville Starter Southern Region champion Rex Higgins was sixth.

Feature Results
Modifieds
1. Johnny Saathoff, Beatrice, Neb.;
2. Terry Phillips, Springfield, Mo.;
3. Ricky Alvarado, Delta, Colo.;
4. Dominic Ursetta, Arvada, Colo.;
5. Scott Drake, Webb City, Mo.;
6. Eddie Belec, Lakewood, Colo.;
7. Bobby Hogge IV, Salinas, Calif.;
8. Jeremy Mills, Garner, Iowa;
9. Paul Stone, Winton, Calif.;
10. Chris Abelson, Sioux City, Iowa;
11. Will Brack, Mead, Colo.;
12. Shane Stutzman, Milford, Neb.;
13. Darrick Klima, Belleville, Kan.;
14. Vern Jackson, Waterloo, Iowa;
15. Jason Brees, Strasburg, Colo.;
16. Brandon Carley, Farmington, N.M.;
17. Bob Moore, Sioux City, Iowa;
18. Steve Arpin, Cornelius, N.C.;
19. Brad Pounds, Bakersfield, Calif.;
20. Dylan Smith, Osceola, Neb.;
21. Zane DeVilbiss, Farmington, N.M.;
22. Sonny Wahl, Mohave Valley, Ariz.;
23. Jeremy Payne, Springfield, Mo.;
24. Jay Steffens, North Platte, Neb.;
25. Grant Junghans, Manhattan, Kan.;
26. Kellen Chadwick, Oakley, Calif.;
27. Justen Yeager, Green River, Wyo.;
28. Jay Noteboom, Hinton, Iowa.

The fourth annual Holiday Horsepower Drive to provide Christmas presents to the Children at Children’s Hospital in Omaha kicked off on Sunday, November 1 with the “Second Annual Racing with the Stars” karting event at Velocity Indoor Karting in Omaha. This year’s event saw some drivers traveling great distances to participate in the event.

Drivers who participated in the event included: Brian Birkhofer, Kyle Berck, Josh Most, Andrew Kosiski, Bill Leighton Jr., Jake Kaser, Bryant Goldsmith, Jack Dover, Stu Snyder, Tad Holliman, Ryan Kitchen, Dylan Smith, Jake Neal, Mark Noble, Corey Dripps, Al Hejna, Jeremy Tibben, Rick “the Racer” Stephan, Brian Blessington, Chad Fegley, Nate Weiler and NASCAR development driver Kendell Lopez.

The event gave local fans and kart drivers a chance to race against local and regal area drivers. At the end of the night 4 fans and the fastest 4 drivers along with defending race champion Jack Dover would race in a 25 lap feature. That event turned out to be quite exciting with Dover coming from his ninth and last starting position to pass Jake Neal for the win just a couple laps from the checkers.

The drive will continue to raise money and acquire gifts for their annual gift wrapping at Quaker Steak and Lube in Council Bluffs followed by the always heartwarming trip to the hospital which will take place on Saturday, December 19. In three years the Holiday Horsepower Drive has raised over $63,000 for Christmas gifts for the patients at the hospital plus purchasing much needed equipment for the hospital.

If you would like to support the Holiday Horsepower Drive and help make sure the patients at Children’s Hospital have a wonderful Christmas, please call Buddy Ray Jones at (712)-256-5876, (712)-256-5278 or (402)-517-8144. Donations can be dropped off at:

Holiday Horsepower Drive
c/o Joe’s Karting
2121 South 32nd Street
Council Bluffs, Iowa 51501

BELLEVILLE, Kan. (Nov. 4) - The ticket window has swung open and race fans
can now purchase their seat for the Belleville 100 and be a part of history
at a one-of-a-kind event at a one-of-a-kind venue.

Race fans and competitors alike are already looking forward to next year
when the nation's top Modified drivers on dirt converge on the famed
Belleville High Banks for the inaugural running of the Belleville 100.

A century in the making, the three-day celebration of speed and skill will
be held on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, July 2-4, 2010, at the "World's
Fastest Half-Mile Dirt Track."

Tickets for next year's blockbuster event officially went on sale Sunday,
and judging from the response from both competitors and fans since the
format of the event was revealed in September, Belleville 100 officials
expect a lot of seats to be "gobbled up" prior to the Thanksgiving holiday.

Next year on Friday, July 2, the Modifieds take on the Belleville High Banks
with heat races, "B" mains and a 40-lap "A" main carrying a $5,000 top prize
and $500 to start. The top-10 finishers will be locked into Saturday night's
thrilling finale.

Saturday, July 3, will feature another round of qualifying events, followed
by a 15-lap non-qualifiers "A" main with drivers racing for $2,000 to win
and $300 to start. The thrilling conclusion will be the 60-lap championship
"A" main with 30 cars starting three-wide on the big half-mile clay oval
with $10,000 earmarked for the winner and a minimum of $1,000 for each of
the starters.

But that's not all ... the pole sitter for Saturday's championship "A" main
will have the option of starting dead last in the field and a whopping
$100,000 paycheck if he/she can win from the 30th starting position.

Dozens of contingency prizes will also be awarded during the event, plus a
Halfway Leader Award, Hard Charger Award, Hard Luck Award and more.
Attendees can also look forward to a gigantic fireworks display to round out
the Independence Day celebration.

Sunday, July 4, will include a dazzling auto thrill show and other
entertainment suitable for a 100-year celebration of auto racing, including
the Pig 100 - a not-so-light-hearted special event featuring real live pigs
and a shot at $500 for one lucky participant. The Sunday date is also being
held in reserve as a rain date for Friday or Saturday.

Only reserved seat tickets will be offered for the Belleville 100. Tickets
are $33 per night in lots of three nights (single day tickets are not
available). Family/Group ticket packages will also be available to the first
60 groups that order. Fans and/or businesses that purchase at least 10
tickets will be named a lap sponsor for Saturday's 60-lapper, be listed in
the souvenir program, receive mentions by the p.a. announcer and also get
VIP access to drivers and infield prior to Saturday's finale.

As if that wasn't enough, one name will be drawn from the first 1,000 ticket
buyers to win a new high-definition big screen television.

Belleville 100 tickets make a nice Christmas gift or stocking stuffer for
that racing friend or family member.

Tickets can be purchased by calling 402-761-3676 or by checking out the
"Downloads" section at www.belleville100.com on the World Wide Web. Entry
forms, rules and additional information can also be found on the Official
Website of the Belleville 100.

For more information about the Belleville 100, contact Wayne Dake via email
at wayne@belleville100.com or call 402-440-3977.

Thank goodness I'm a football fan or I'd be bored during the off-season. Come February, I'm in a sporting funk. NBA basketball doesn't do it for me, and I quit watching NASCAR after they threw Bill Simpson under the bus following Earnhardt's death. I never felt any need to return to a series that has less flavor and is tougher to digest than a piece of microwaved butt steak. I laughed when NASCAR's bogus "Chase for the championship" registered a colossal FAIL this year for the same reason it was created in the first place - the fact that the other teams can't compete with one driver.

(insert sound of grinding gears here)

While I am born and bred to bleed Husker Red, I'm not as big a college football fan. My interests in college football extend to how it affects Nebraska. Outside of that, it's good for when nothing else is on and the worst college football beats the best of baseball any time. My football interest actually lies with the NFL. I'm a fool for the NFL (though I'm not a fantasy football guy) I read the wires daily; "Every day is like Sunday" and while I'm sure Morrissey had no visions of the pigskin when he penned the song, he seemed to have no problem cashing the check for the NFL Network commercial.

Speaking of money, don't give me any bullsh*t about college football being for the "love of the game." It's about money. Just stand next to Tom's palace at the terminus of Vine Street in Lincoln and tell me it isn't about money. When you see college teams with better facilities than the pros (save for Jerry's World in Dallas), you're damn right it's about money.

Update: the WAC hired a PR firm to make the case for a Boise State BCS trip. I'm sure it was all about school pride...

But I have no beef with that. Just admit what it is. So, it doesn't mean I'm not a Husker fan, it's just I don't buy the NCAA's "amateur" whitewash. At least the NFL admits its cash DNA. You want love-of-the game football? Then go watch a Div III or NAIA game.

But this isn't a rant about college athletics, or the merit of one sport over another. But let me draw some parallels.

Money. Racing wouldn't exist without it.

And, money is the reason the promoters are in the business of even putting these events on.

I'm not the only one to decry back gate promoting. Back gate promoting gave birth to the "support class." And it gave birth to more classes. Pretty soon, a track owner found out it was easier to just add more classes to the program than try to get an increasingly picky audience to come in to the grandstand. Sanctioning bodies found that if their own rules failed to control costs to where there wasn't growth in a class, just add another class, with just a little more restriction. You've created infinite growth, right? Something for everyone!

And hey, it's a hell of a lot easier to just add another class than to take the grief of drivers and owners bitching, much less having to actually drum up fan support, right?

Enough already. I'm not that old, but I'm old enough to remember two classes of stock car: the late model - looking more like today's Pro-Am and the "Street Stock" - like the hobby stocks of today. I'm all for creating classes out of necessity: the 360's and 410 sprints are a good example. The costs between the two were just TOO far apart. I'd argue the same about "Super" and "Limited" or "Grand National" late models. Same reason.

But the one that gets me is the SportMod. The IMCA SportMod, and you know they'll never admit it, is the IMCA's answer to its failure to control costs with the original plan for the IMCA Modified's creation in the 1970's.

Let's go back to the original plan. Wasn't the paltry out of pocket expense of a motor claim supposed to keep other teams from building up motors? Weren't the draconian limits on tires/chassis/suspension supposed to keep those motors from hooking up to the track, if the claim failed, or wasn't enforced due to fears of retribution?  Problem is, that's precisely what happened. 

It didn't work, and IMCA recognized that they might as well make the class more of a race car than a car that raced (to explain the difference, look up the Sport Compact rules) and opened up the rulebook to make the class more like "late model lite" than the original design. Personally, I LIKE the 'new' modified - far from the original creations that took to Eagle in 1985 that often resembled dogs scurrying on linoleum more than racing.

However, now came the inevitable escalation in costs. The SportMod is an attempt to get the cost containment plan right. Instead of a claim, racers can opt to install a claim-free crate motor instead. Other rules keep things in check. It's a good idea.

But...

My first experience with SportMods was as a support class at I-80. I have to confess, I found them, well, tedious. The sound of a pegging rev-limiter just doesn't do it for me. Worse than restrictor plate racing. But that was the big track. Seeing them this year on the 1/3 miles of Butler County and Eagle changed my opinion. Especially the Eagle go-round where a full field of 30+ took the track. These guys moved, throwing it into the corners, sliding out, just like the big brothers that followed them later.

"Which ones are these?" came the question from one of the Eagle officials after the SportMods finished their warmups and the "A" Mods came to the track. The answer back was that one could tell the difference because the SportMods had a spoiler.

The spoiler. That's the difference. SportMod drivers should take that as a compliment. Now, obviously there's a lot more, and the seasoned fan/observer will be able to tell the difference. But the casual fan? It's just more modifieds. That could be good or bad, depending on your preferences.

I've said before, I don't like similar classes running on the same card. I'll summarize:
- it dilutes the field, taking from the "A" group
- one could get into an "A" level modified, for the costs of buying a sport mod (I DIDN'T say you could buy Dylan Smith's or Jordan Grabouski's Modified, I said you could buy a legal A-mod)
- disincentive to move up into the classes, that, in the end are what draws fans that are more than friends and family of drivers. I have yet to see a flow upward to the A mod ranks.
- fan confusion: those few casual fans can't / don't care about the differences as they're too subtle on the outside. Even diehards don't care.

It seems, that Eagle will be running SportMods in 2010 as part of its Saturday night show. I'm not keen on that for the reasons I've listed above, especially as I feel it may dilute what is arguably the most competitive Modified show in the country.

RUMOR has it, from a credible source, that IMCA offered Eagle a monetary incentive to run the "fastest growing class." Even without incentive, 20-25 sport mods at $20/crew person are a quick way to make money...a lot more than the $20 per sprint car crew with a lot more purse payout.

Eagle, which makes concerted effort to speed the program along, has enough time trying to make the 10:30 end time goal as is. The Sprint drivers and fans (and I) have complained that starting first and ending last leaves too much time in the middle. This won't help. So...what's the reasoning here if there's no incentive or if it isn't about money?

Or...is some other change is coming? Maybe I'll figure out why I started talking about the NFL later.

Labels: editorial

Nothing much right now - but I've had issues with email lately. LOTS of spam for some reason. Trying to get the filter tweaked has been a mess.


Bear with me. I've got a few things, mostly just some off-season thoughts.

Labels: Site news

The track is looking great for this weekends go-kart races! It is going to
be a fun time! Remember, the pit stalls are first-come first-serve so make
sure you are there early. Registration is from 9-10. Hotlaps are at 11.
Racing starts at 12. We hope to see everyone there! For any questions feel
free to contact the track office.

track office: 342-3453
track cell phone: 659-3301
www.neracewaypark.com

BELLEVILLE, Kan. (Oct. 12) - A one-of-a-kind event at a one-of-a-kind venue
is what race fans and competitors alike can look forward to next year when
the nation's top dirt modified drivers converge on the famed Belleville High
Banks for the inaugural running of the Belleville 100.

A century in the making, the three-day celebration of speed and skill will
be held on Friday-Sunday, July 2-4, 2010, at the "World's Fastest Half-Mile
Dirt Track" located in Belleville, Kan.

The first documented auto race held in Belleville was July 4, 1910. While
other locations may have staged an auto race on a dirt oval prior to 1910,
Belleville is the only venue to have sustained 100 calendar years of auto
racing.

"This is a remarkable achievement which deserves to be celebrated by any one
who wishes to participate," said event promoter Wayne Dake, whose passion
for the history of racing in Belleville is shared by many others in the
racing community. "Passion and drama will be strikingly evident at the
Belleville 100."

On Friday, July 2, the Modifieds take on the Belleville High Banks with heat
races, "B" mains and a 40-lap "A" main carrying a $5,000 top prize and $500
to start. The top-10 finishers will be locked into Saturday night's
thrilling finale.

Saturday, July 3, will feature another round of qualifying events, followed
by a 15-lap non-qualifiers main with drivers racing for $2,000 to win and
$300 to start. The thrilling conclusion will be Saturday's 60-lap "A" main
with 30 cars starting three-wide on the big half-mile clay oval with $10,000
earmarked for the winner and a minimum of $1,000 for each of the starters.

But that's not all ... the pole sitter for Saturday's "A" main will have the
option of starting dead last in the field and a whopping $100,000 paycheck
if he/she can win from the 30th starting position.

Dozens of contingency prizes will also be awarded during the event, plus a
Halfway Leader Award, Hard Charger Award, Hard Luck Award and more.

Attendees can also look forward to a gigantic fireworks display to round out
the Independence Day celebration.

Sunday, July 4, will see the running of the Pig 100 (details forthcoming), a
dazzling auto thrill show and other entertainment suitable for a 100-year
celebration of auto racing. The Sunday date is also being held in reserve as
a rain date for Friday or Saturday.

Only reserved seat tickets will be offered for the Belleville 100. Tickets
are $33 per night in lots of three nights (single day tickets are not
available). Family/Group ticket packages will be available to the first 60
groups that order. Fans and/or businesses that purchase at least 10 tickets
will be named a Lap Sponsor for Saturday's "A" main, plus be listed in the
souvenir program and receive mentions by the p.a. announcer.

From the first 1,000 ticket buyers, one name will be drawn to win a new
high-definition big screen television.

Tickets for grandstand reserved seating go on sale Nov. 1. Officials are
expecting a sold-out grandstand by late January, so get your tickets ordered
early. Belleville 100 tickets make a nice Christmas gift or stocking stuffer
for that racing friend or family member.

The entry fee for competitors is $150 if received or postmarked by Nov. 30,
and includes car, driver and two crew members. After Nov. 30, the entry fee
will be 240. Pit Passes for each night are $40.

One driver's name among the first 100 pre-entered teams will be randomly
drawn to win a 2010 BMS Modified chassis. Furthermore, fuel vouchers will be
presented to team that arrive with an "open" trailer and a Belleville 100
decal on the rear body panel.

Three members of the first-, second- and third-place finishers will each
receive hand-crafted Belleville 100 awards.

Entry forms and grandstand tickets will be available Nov. 1 by calling
402-761-3676 or at www.belleville100.com online.

For more information about the Belleville 100, contact Wayne Dake via email
at wayne@belleville100.com or call 402-440-3977.

Gary Dominguez wrote this piece that's a great example of getting and
keeping the fans involved, and the lessons that could be learned on the
local level.

- - - - -

A Special Bootleggers Run

By Gary Dominguez

First and Foremost, I would like to thank Roger and Michelle Hadan or Eagle
Raceway for putting on this event, and for giving me the opportunity to meet
NASCAR greats Casey Mears, Bobby LaBonte, Jimmie Spencer, Michael Waltrip,
and of course the King: Richard Petty.

While admittedly, I am not a huge NASCAR fan, and don't usually get "star
struck", the impression these five gentlemen left may convert me. When I met
their plane at the airport, I was greeted with a huge smile, handshake, and
a "Nice meeting you, A'hm Richard Petty". The others followed suit.

I also got the honor of being "chewed out" by Michael Waltrip when my friend
Amie asked him for a picture, and I balked because we were running a little
behind, and needed to go. Mr. Waltrip said "sure, come over here". Amie
turned to me and said "see Gary, I told you so". Waltrip looked at me and
said "Ya Gary, What's the matter with you!?" He followed that with a big
grin.

While we were greeting on the airport tarmac, Mr. Waltrip noticed about 4
airport employees standing at the edge trying to get a look at the
celebrities. He pointed, and yelled over to them "Hey! What do you think you
are doing over there? Come on over here and be sociable!" The employees
eagerly made haste. The smiles they left with were immeasurable.

Once we got to the track, I didn't see them again until after their last
race to give them a ride back to their bus. Waltrip and Spencer rode with
me, and were elated about how neat the track was, and the facility was one
of the best they had ever seen. They were just as enamored with the
experience of being there, as we were to have them.

This brings me to the whole point of this article. These 5 gentlemen are
true ambassadors to their sponsors and their sport. It was not so much
meeting them as it was the feeling you got when you left. They actually made
you feel like you mattered to them. I left with a huge "warm fuzzy" from the
pleasure of meeting them. My point? These guys fly private planes like you
and I drive to work every day, and they still have time for the fans that
make them who they are. I would love to see that happen on a local level.

Too many times I see cars loaded up and heading for the pit gate before the
features are over. Too many times have I seen drivers giving autographs like
they are doing the fans a big favor. Most memorably was July 4th when a
certain once mighty traveling sprint series that made a stop at Eagle
Raceway. They have no room to be prima donnas when they make people pay $35
to see 14 cars. We need to make time for our fans, and take examples from
these five legends who have more right to arrogance than we will ever have,
but choose not to.

Some shining stars that come to mind are the Bryan Race Team, Billy Alley,
Dylan Smith, and Rik Gropp. Whether you love them or not, an example should
be taken from them on how to treat or most important commodity, our fans. If
everyone followed their example, we could end up with a lot more local race
fans. I could spend a lot more time telling you how they do it, but that
would make a long article even longer.

If these 5 legends can make the fans feel good about seeing them, then why
can't we as a local racing family do the same? I welcome your comments on
how to make local racing grow. Please email me at
gary.dominguez@woodsbros.com.

About Gary: Gary Dominguez is a long time ambassador for racing in the SE
Nebraska area. Gary is the founder of Midwest Racers Autograph Day, the
largest annual pre-season gathering of racers and fans in Nebraska, and
presents annual seminars to racers on gathering and keeping sponsorships.
For 2009, Gary sponsored and drove the official Eagle Raceway pace car.

Well, finally I've gotten around to writing another editorial, and it will be maybe a personal "letting out" a more frank, biased and perhaps a lot more pointed set of pieces than I have been writing.

Let's get to the point: I like sprint car racing more than any other form of dirt track racing. And, I'm not ashamed to admit it.

It's the trendy thing to do to slam sprints and their fans. Some try to do it from the lofty perch of extended bleacher time while claiming “they like every class.” Some of it is deserved, some of it is just lame piling on or worse, some attempt to grandstand their way to status as the champion of “the common man.”

The fact is I've met VERY few people who say that don't have a bias toward or against one class, and of those...I can count on one hand the number of people that aren't full of it. We all have our biases, our likes and dislikes – it's what makes us human.

I started going to races as a kid in the late 70's being a fan of the late models – not the wedges on wheels of today, but real late model cars, vehicles that would be “pro-ams” or open street stocks today.

When I moved to Lincoln in 1980, the following summer I was introduced to the class of cars that grew to be a big part of my life: sprint cars. Midwest Speedway birthed what was to become the dominant class of sprint racing: the 360 cubic-inch sprinter. The “modified sprints” as they were known were in ways, similar to the sport mods of today: limited motors, limited suspensions, often they were second and third-hand cars. Indeed, some cars had bolt on roll cages.

My dad hooked up with Dennis Diekmann's bunch and painted, worked on then later became part owner of the team. A few years later, he followed in the footsteps of his father, owning a race team for the next 16 seasons. During that time he also served as president of the Nebraska Sprint Car Association, briefly ran a sprint-oriented parts business, ran a true 410 “Outlaw” team and later joined Craig Cormack in the purchase/operation of Eagle Raceway. I was along for that time, and even later after he left Eagle in 1999.

So reason one: Sprint cars have been a major part of my life, and I'm not going to make any concessions or apologies for them. Fact is, sprints are the fastest thing on dirt, and that's been told time and again. But speed is not all of it. They are much more than that to me.

Reason two: sprint cars are and always were pure race cars. They NEVER started their lives as a grocery getter, the family hauler, and certainly not as an “econobox.” A street legal sprint car is a novelty – street legality is a stock car's heritage, hence the name! Yes, I realize that there is nothing stock about today's NASCAR racers, today's late models, and very little even for the modern day “spec” racer: the IMCA modified.

Reason three: I enjoy the simplicity of a sprint car. Suspensions are simpler, and at the upper echelon, the tricks are known to everyone. It's the driver, it's the crew chief, and it's that simple four wheels, frame and a motor. Yes, I'm oversimplifying, small deviations and errors show up big when everyone's matched up. But a lot of what you see is what you get. Tire choice and bar choice aside, there aren't many secrets. No need to cover up the back suspensions, hide the motor, it's all out there.

That brings me to reason four. You see the driver. Wingless fans will point to that as one of their favorite parts of that niche. I would agree that lack of the hunk of metal makes it much more a human vs. machine experience. That said, I don't see it's presence that much of a deterrent. But either way, you SEE the person behind the wheel. I guess that's why I have a soft spot for topless mods, too. Go look at some of the old pictures, especially in the pre-cage days. Like a bucking cowboy, these guys are wrestling their own mechanical bulls, and for a lot longer than eight seconds.

Five: if tires lasted, the fastest way around a corner is by drifting it. Even asphalt cars drift slightly, the goal to be just enough not to oversteer. Long before The Fast and the Furious, dirt trackers, especially sprint cars and midgets were drifting without style points and judges. The only judge was the checkered flag. A sprint car in a slide is a hell of a sight, much more than the front wheels turned in, bank-off-the-other-guy understeer of a stock car or worse – the left rear end floating of a compact as the front end is digging into the ground. Sorry – it's not my thing. And by the way – I DO enjoy today's modified and late model as they do much the same thing. That, to me is what real race cars do. The car goes its fastest because it was made to, not in spite of what it was made to do.

Six: history. Hell, I could write pages about that. Bob Mays wrote entire books . They hit me emotionally, and that's all I need to say.

That's but a few of the reasons – not to mention the personal relationships and experiences I've had while being part of the sprint car community.

You could have your own opinions: you could point out how sprints have annoying tendencies to flip, spin out and take so long to push start. You could say sprint car guys bitch a lot (but I could argue the other side as well – need I do a dirtdrivers.com message board tally)?

You could probably write as much against sprints as I did for them. That's your opinion and you're entitled to it. If you drive one of the cars I spoke against, I don't dislike you – in fact I've made several friends outside the sprint ranks. I don't even hate your form of racing. In fact I'll tell you that IMCA “A” Modifieds are my second favorite cars on dirt tracks.

But I do have a favorite, a clear favorite and I refuse to make apologies.

Labels: editorial