Eck's Files

Chili Bowl

2010-02-08T11:05:00.001-05:00

By Kevin Eckert

February 5, 2010: The Chili Bowl Midget Nationals is the greatest event since the invention of the wheel. There is no other way to slice it.

Five nights of superb dirt track action are guaranteed because they are indoors. And if they are not superb, promoter Emmett Hahn stops the show until traction returns. This year, there were 256 cars containing some of the fiercest racers to ever throw a tear-off; a Race of Champions times ten. The reason such talent takes to Tulsa is Chili Bowl’s season of winter. Except for the occasional Daytona test pilot, all drivers are available in January. They find or build a midget, get split into four nights of qualifying, but are rewarded for any car they pass all week. No national point chase, no point handicapping, no time trials and with one glaring exception, no provisional starting spots. There were 30 flips without a single red flag. Open drinking is still encouraged. It is truly this fool’s paradise; a party with a race downstairs and in-screen.

Yes, Chili Bowl has been recapped by more diligent writers by now. They filed stories, went to bed, did some cool fund raisers during the day, and fought the crowd to five post-race press conferences to copy the quotes you’ve already read. That’s their Chili Bowl. Mine is different. I try to go infield for hot laps at five o’clock, stand behind Bo Daniels of Motorsport Video for eight heats, roam the palace until B-mains (with a view of the screen, ideally) and return to Bo.

Chili Bowl has become so large that an average human cannot watch all 88 races. So many various experiences swirl around its concrete floor. There is the handful of competitors with an honest shot at winning, and 200 other guys and girls in their way. Car owners take Ten Grand to lease midgets into a race paying Ten Grand to win. A car from California will be literally pushed through a party containing some kid from New England who has never seen the inside of a midget. It is surreal.

During multi-day events like Chili Bowl or Knoxville Nationals, it is possible to block out the outside world. If you choose not to switch on a television or computer, never pick up a newspaper other than National Speed Sport News, you can sink into that warm place where all that matters is racing. Speedweek travelers know the groove. Earthquake in Haiti? Where does Sammy start? Senate seat open in Massachusetts? How many transfer?

Anyone who did read their Tulsa World news on opening day of the 24th annual Chili Bowl Midget Nationals saw the race’s impact on the city pegged at 15 million. Remember the not-so-distant past when Emmett and Lanny Edwards were slapped with curfews and air quality monitors in their hallway? Well, now Hahn has Mayor Dewey Bartlett on his hip like a pistol.

The 2010 Chili Bowl Midget Nationals was a Swindell family portrait. Until this year, that meant five victories by Sammy Swindell of suburban Memphis, Tennessee. This winter’s winner was Sam and Amy’s only offspring: 20-year old Kevin. He barely races (three trips to Australia just to have a 35-race season in 2009) but is always up front. Tulsa was Kevin’s finest hour, though his Western World of 2008 paid better (12.5) and can match Chili Bowl for prestige. But this is the Race of Champions; everyone swimming in unfamiliar water. This is bigger.

Much like his dad did last year, Kevin Swindell slipped backwards (as far as sixth) when the final 50-lapper began. It is not uncommon at Chili Bowl for the winning set-up to struggle on its freshly-reconditioned raceway. But as dust blows back across the groove, the rightful winner can return to the front. The key is having a driver disciplined enough to not show frustration as he fades momentarily, and patient enough to then pick his way forward without incident. Patience and discipline have not often been used to describe young Swindell, yet he did everything right. He never put a wheel on anyone. Darren Hagen did get spun from fourth-place but only after good, solid defense. Add the degree of difficulty of no brakes and Kevin’s drive is even more remarkable.

Just as Chili Bowl is racing’s greatest event, Sammy Swindell is its greatest racer. I consider Sammy’s only true peers to be Steve Kinser and Doug Wolfgang, and since neither showed much of an indoor appetite, such a claim is as simple as three minus two. Sam has five wins in 17 finals. Age has hardly dulled his edge. There is no sight like Sammy on his way to the front and for the past two years, John Godfrey has given him a square-tailed monster that eats through opposition. Last year, everything went according to script. This year began upside-down, wrecked again, lost a shock, started last three times and still ended in third-place.

These two guys from Tennessee are truly gifted performers. Why then does the smell of their success make many people queasy? My list of charges against Sammy is 30 years old and while I’ve tried not to condemn the son, Kevin has not made that easy. They showed their sense of entitlement on the post-race public address. After his prelim win, Kevin said that he felt Chili Bowl “owed him a few.” He had been to four. Father joined him on the podium and spoke of improving to first and second “like we probably should have done last year.”

If these two ingrates would just savor such a wonderful family moment, rather than remind us how many other wins they should have, maybe we could better appreciate them. Or maybe Sammy’s face on numerous urinal pucks said it better.

Getting to my 22nd of 24 Chili Bowls was slightly complex. Since brother had a girl stashed in Missouri, he wanted me out of the way, so I rode from Indy to Tulsa in a car rented by Mills Video Productions. Dean and I arrived just after Monday’s practice. Tuesday brought Brother Steve, all happy and helpful in shuttling my shit to our command post atop the Elephant Run. Five days later when all that remained were stains, we three reconvened at Twin Peaks to watch Cowboys get knocked from their horses while I threw my saddlebags back in with MVP.

Sunday after Chili Bowl was windy and mild. Such was not the case six days earlier when Tulsa was as cold as Indianapolis. There was even heavy snow in Oklahoma over Christmas and New Year’s Eve, just in time for the 25th Tulsa Shootout. Throughout the two weeks between Shootout and Chili Bowl, rising temperatures caused melting ice to slide off the roof of what is now named QuikTrip Center. Drivers generally fly to Tulsa. Their cars however, often cross the Rocky Mountains or other winter obstacle, which only makes an entry list of 260 more miraculous.

A select group of USAC car owners were asked to a Monday meeting by Kevin Miller and Jason Smith. The topic was the RPM limit that USAC is set to impose on midget engines. Esslinger owners feel the sting and USAC was in Tulsa to smooth their complaints. Miller and Smith vanished in a matter of hours, but not before the USAC president got an earful of one angry Hahn. She was Donna, daughter of Emmett and Fuzz and just as pointed in her conviction. Donna delivered a litany of charges against Miller ranging from resistance to Bandits in Indiana, blocking EcoTech in California and their Western World custody fight. Donna did not absolve Miller of guilt from their Silver Crown contest of 2003, even though it was Rollie Helmling who hurried off to catch a flight rather than race the last 30 laps. Smith now tried to get them on a flight but not until Donna was done.

Two of the first smiles in my favorite building were Badger babes Stacy Billings and Jessica Davis, daughters of Dean and Marty. They sandwiched Doc Tyler telling of Monday plans for the Town Pump on South Memorial. It was packed full of racers. Scott Hatton had just arrived from a disastrous New Zealand tour, joined by Joe Dooling (owner of the car wrenched by Doc for Davey Ray), Wayne Johnson, Lee Beckwith and Billy Pauch Jr.

Monday’s buzz was about Johnny Murdock, mascot of the Chili Bowl for a decade. This year, rather than green hair, Murdock gained attention with his latest vision of a midget. Influenced by drag racing, John built a smaller cage with a single downtube. But when someone pointed out how easily that tube could enter his cockpit, Murdock was made to find a welder to add protection. Some left the Town Pump to see “June & John” make music. She plays guitar and sings while Murdock slaps a stand-up bass like Jimbo from the Reverend Horton Heat.

Tuesday ended with a great A-main to officially open the 2010 Chili Bowl Midget Nationals. Getting enough midgets together to make traffic is more difficult than ever. Getting them to string enough laps together to join ends is almost impossible. But the talent in this building cannot be overstated. We got 21 uninterrupted laps and a beautiful three-car fight through traffic.

Leading to the final corner was the fastest man in New Zealand, Michael Pickens, returning to Chili Bowl after four years. Michael’s ride was an Aggressor V8 owned by Simon Longdill, who has been Davey Ray’s car owner these past few winters. Simon shipped a second V8 for Brad Mosen. These cars are not U.S legal anywhere outside Chili Bowl, where almost anything goes. Off the dock in LA, the Kiwi cars were lifted by hand into a rental truck for transport to Tulsa. Tuesday saw Pickens take the preliminary lead, lose it, take it back, and then lose in the final feet to Zach Daum of Pocahontas, Illinois.

It warms even a jaded heart when an unknown like Zach steps from the shadows to grab some spotlight. Opening night of Chili Bowl 2010 will be remembered as the Tuesday when racing became aware of Zach Daum. Though he won an informal event in Springfield (MO) and a POWRi program in Butler County (NE), most had probably never heard of Daum until the 18-year old snatched the checkered flag from New Zealand.

The third car in Tuesday’s mix was driven by California live wire Tyler Walker, who has had an eventful winter. When he failed to land the second Tony Stewart ride with the World of Outlaws, Walker watched his Golden State record-setting team of Scott Chastain disband. One month later, Tyler signed with Mike Heffner for Walker’s first central Pennsylvania campaign since 2000. Back in a Chili Bowl saddle after five years (his only previous dirt midget race), Tyler took a Fike Spike to first in his heat. Pickens twice jumped so loose in turn one that he nearly stopped. The first time surrendered the lead. The second time brought contact from Walker, who spun and ruined Chili Bowl for himself and Dave Darland.

Tuesday’s third seat to Saturday’s final was filled by Shane Golobic, one-third of Bryan Clauson’s California drivers alongside Kyle Larson, who would also be one of the final 24. Curiously, the weak link became Bryan, the National Midget Driver of the Year who has now missed two consecutive Chili Bowl A-mains.

The fifth straight Chili Bowl by Brent Beauchamp began fourth on Tuesday for Cruz Pedregon. Winning his first Lincoln Park sprint race last summer, Beauchamp made 25 outdoor midget starts in 2008-2009. Bobby East is never more overlooked than in Tulsa but other than his rookie year, East has finished among the Top Ten in seven prelims. Tuesday found him fifth followed by Steve Buckwalter, who flipped hard in his qualifier. Buckwalter and local boy Brady Bacon were two of 25 Chili Bowl racers who raced in the Tulsa Shootout on January 2. Bacon climbed from row eight to seventh. California’s Matt Streeter ran six midget races between Chili Bowls yet earned eighth ahead of Dave Camfield Jr. There’s been a Camfield in competition for 22 of 24 Chili Bowls.

Back in the days of only Thursday and Friday prelims, everyone in the Top Seven was assured a spot in Saturday’s final. Now that there are four prelims, placing 4-5-6-7-8-9 assured Beauchamp, East, Buckwalter, Bacon, Streeter and Camfield of starting outside the first six rows in one of two Saturday B-mains.

To bolster Tuesday attendance, an extra Race of Champions was held for past winners “and contenders” according to summary. Emmett Hahn used Kasey Kahne to spark off-night attention just as Lenny Sammons would on the following Friday in Philadelphia. Brad Loyet led all 20 laps, but Brad Kuhn’s low-groove closing speed bode well for later in the week.

Loyet Motorsports parked in the prized pit stall formerly occupied by Tony Stewart Racing. As expected, Stewart roamed the arena as spectator. Not expected was how he drove the tractor early in the week. Opening night, Joe Loyet won the exhibition with Brad, won his heat with Tim Crawley, but finished two spots short of the A-main with Danny Lasoski, who was fired before Thursday’s lunch. The problem stemmed from Lasoski’s partnership in December’s Kemper Arena races in Kansas City, where Loyet grossed over $17,000. Danny of course, lent little more than his name. Scott Pennington leased the hall. Lucas Oil was to pay the purse. Last year, Lucas gave $35,000. This year, Lasoski said they gave $3500. In turn, Loyet gave Lasoski until Thursday to cover their 17, which did not happen. Joe peeled the Lasoski visor from his car, tossed it on the roof of his trailer, and hoped it would blow off somewhere on I-44.

Bounced from Loyet (led by Rusty Kunz at Chili Bowl 2009) to Keith Kunz, Jon Stanbrough stalled in his heat, won the C, and then clipped the cone while holding a transfer two laps from the end of the B, burning his chances of a good week.

California’s Colby Copeland, a Chili Bowl rookie in 2008 with A.J Felker, returned as half of Mike Sala’s team with Wes Gutierrez as wrenched by Brian Matherly of Kaeding Performance.

Washington’s Brock Lemley ran his second straight Chili Bowl. Last year, he teamed with Joey Tynan and this year, Lemley went with another NorCal name in Cliff Blackwell, who only raced Chili Bowl in 2009. Nick Chivello and Joe Bob Lee raised Mr. Blackwell’s number of drivers to 18 in nine Chili Bowls. The man with three first names, Joe Bob Lee also has six wins in four Lawton seasons of two-barrel winged 360 sprint cars. But in a midget, Joe Bob busted his ass in a Thursday heat race, skipping any further racing Saturday.

Jack Walker of Bay Muffler was a NorCal car owner who showed Blackwell how to play Chili Bowl. This year, Petaluma 360 champ Alissa Geving and Scott Pierovich pushed Bay Muffler’s amount of Chili Bowl drivers to 24 in 11 years. Tuesday in her first career midget start, Alissa advanced from C-to-B.

Also progressing from C-to-B in a first ever midget start was Connecticut’s Lex Burritt, a Whip City 600 star who won during Florida Speedweeks 2009 at the Hendry County Speedway on which wingless 410 sprint cars will race on February 6.

Pennsylvania’s Rick Eckert, winning a late model race on his local Lincoln Speedway in 2009, gained Tulsa’s last Tuesday transfer in a J&K Salvage car. Though his son Cody has run off to join the circus (World of Outlaws), Joe Darrah has retained Steve Suchy as mechanic/shop foreman.

Earlier in the Elephant Run, ever-smiling Cody Brewer of Choctaw introduced me to Matt Johnson of Oklahoma City. I made a mental note to keep an eye on Matt’s yellow 85, but it died before the green waved on heat four. J-to-I would be Johnson’s fate.

The only Chili Bowl rookie to make Tuesday’s A-main was Keith Bloom, a 2009 Lincoln Park sprint winner who did Tulsa for Jesse Denome as part of an expansive Steve Watt stable consisting of Victor Davis, Bruce Douglass and two Camarillos.

Penske pupil Billy Wease swept December concrete races at Fort Wayne and won a qualifier Tuesday in Tulsa, but broke in the process. For that, Wease was outside row seven for Saturday’s D. Wease was observed by fellow pavement pro Bobby Santos III, engaged to marry Billy’s sister Kristy. In further engagement news, New England modified star Woody Pitkat proposed to Bob’s sister Erica Santos, who races winged NEMA midgets.

I may have to rethink my steps. Save your applause. It’s nothing drastic or even prudent. But ever since the Chili Bowl entry list exploded above 200, the quality of heat racing has diminished. Blame a dilution of talent, equal Spikes, or an expo surface that starts heavy. That’s the bad news. The good news is that good heat races are still there. They just call ‘em qualifiers now. To reiterate, I closely study heat races (same as any outdoor race) and mingle and monitor the screen. But ever since Chili Bowl adopted the international twin-heat format of its Sprint Bandits or World Series, qualifiers now provide some of the best thrust-and-parry parties of the week as the groove widens.

In all 76 nights of Chili Bowl since it started in 1987, there has never been a static method of conditioning the surface once the racing is underway. This is to Emmett’s credit, as no two tracks wear exactly the same and may require different schools of thought. Hahn has forever benefited from one of the Lilly tillers that promotional partner Lanny Edwards has stored in Texas. But the tiller is slow and can do too good of a job sometimes, making the tilled lane superior. This year between select races (heats three and six), a tractor with an arm stretching across the speedway sprayed a fine mist of water, which made the bottom slick and slow while making the cushion slightly taller. Overall, the grooves were probably slower but more equal.

Kevin Swindell set the stage for a front row start on Saturday by winning Wednesday’s A-main. Seven nights removed from five midget races in Australia and New Zealand, young Swindell took the lead from Cole Whitt while in the low groove, watched Cole pass him up top, caught a caution and wisely moved up there too. Whitt had won his heat from last on the last corner, added a qualifier from sixth, but could not exceed Swindell.

Like dad, Kevin carried sponsorship from John Christner Trucking and at the last minute, added a D.A Hanson visor for a Pennsylvania modified associate of Venture’s Bob Trafford. Hanson had a Number 134 that won for Billy Pauch, Fred Rahmer and on one memorable night at Williams Grove, accounted for Van May’s only victory outside of sprints or midgets.

Last year before a broken wheel led to a broken back, Tim McCreadie was regarded as the only man capable of keeping Sammy Swindell in sight. Wednesday watched McCreadie drop the third Saturday seat to Brad Kuhn after a torrid tussle, which would translate into Tim ending one spot short on Saturday.

Brad Sweet rounded out the Top Five on Wednesday for Kasey Kahne Racing. A week later, he hopped in the Kahne plane for the Motorsports show in Philly, followed by AFC Championship Game in Indy. Two weeks later in Florida, Sweet gave a last lap effort to win the U.S sprint car opener at Ocala, but collided with Cale Conley to hand the All Star win to Lasoski.

Illinois produced sixth and seventh Wednesday in the form of Daniel Adler and A.J Fike. Adler swapped rides with Ted Kirkpatrick, who crashed Daniel’s car and was credited as last in Saturday’s first race: the K-main. Jonathan Beason burst from 17th to eighth. Clauson won his heat and qualifier, seldom moving his arms in a happy chassis. However, he was taken to the tail with Josh Ford, fought back to ninth, but his Chili Bowl was poisoned.

Winter has been unkind to Gary Taylor who last year, was released from Tel-Star after Chili Bowl. This year, Taylor teamed with Australia’s Mike Smith, builder of the Hawk engine that put McCreadie in the Chili Bowl win column. But as he applied a second outside pass on Tony Elliott (a veteran who knows how to make a slow car wide), they exited the second corner side-by-side to find Scott Fennell prone. Tony filled the escape route and Gary clipped and flipped over the stalled car.

Also flipping in his heat was Shane Cockrum, rookie to POWRi in 2009 and Chili Bowl in 2010. Cockrum competed hard, taking third in the same race where he tumbled, and fifth in a qualifier to crack Wednesday’s A-main.

California’s Sean Dodenhoff, who won four races in 2009 with a USAC Ford Focus midget of Cory Kruseman, filed entries for the first Chili Bowl by either himself or Tyler Edwards, who then switched to one of five Kruseman cars. After renting from Loyet last year, Louisiana’s Channing Zierolf also came to Kruseman and Lucas Oil this year.

Midgets built and owned by A.J Felker of Indiana competed in Kansas City and Tulsa driven by the Gradys of Farmington, New Mexico. Josh and Jason Grady have raced winged sprint cars for eight years.

Kevin Bayer of nearby Bixby won the winged 600 portion of the 2009 Tulsa Shootout, added the ASCS2 championship and last month, Bayer bagged the Shootout’s first EcoTech Chevy/Ford Focus race over Gary Taylor, Bryan Clauson, Kevin Ramey and Chett Gehrke, all of whom followed with Chili Bowl rides.

Andrew Hannula was a Chili Bowl rookie from Matawan, New Jersey. URC sprint rookie in 2007, Hannula’s open wheel efforts have shifted toward midgets these past two seasons. His car owner in Tulsa was Lou Zrinski, who brought new ARDC champ Frank Polimeda (2005), Eric Heydenreich (2008), Don Trent (2009) and Chris Zrinski in 2010.

Brother Steve, again using this very laptop to set the Australian betting line, was in his own expo “office pool” where everyone selects from A, B, C or D categories like a Chinese menu. He grilled me on a few names. Two of them raced Wednesday: Tanner Mullens and Shane Hmiel. Based on the strength of Steve Lewis machinery versus the sheltered duck that Shane gets, I steered Steve toward Tanner, who looked like a rent-a-rider in the worst sense. Meanwhile, the always over-achieving Hmiel weathered heat from Gary Taylor to take Wednesday’s final transfer.

Doctor Tyler and Doctor Dooling had perhaps my favorite car of the 256. Like most guys, I’m a sucker for a lady in red. This one had a big silver leaf Number Two on its nose and tail. Doc and Davey Ray topped their Chili Bowl prelim in 2007 for Mecum Auctions and this year, Ray took his heat but was first out of Wednesday’s A-main.

Wednesday’s party at the Elephant Run was stronger than 2009, when the Cimarron Room was not yet open to us. We toasted Tyler’s beautiful car with 2003 Oskaloosa C-main winner Sean Walden and Kurt Mayhew, fifth with NAMARS at Attica in 1995. Doctor’s stories of Mike Nazaruk and Gary Patterson held Waldo and Scotty Cook mesmerized.

It’s hard to stay spotless at Chili Bowl and last year, Sammy Swindell was spotless. This year, Sam started upside-down in Tuesday’s match race and fourth in Thursday’s heat. But he won his qualifier and had the A-main well in hand. Tracy Hines paced eight laps down low when he sensed Sammy making a run around the top. Off turn four, Tracy wheeled his Wilke car to seal the outside. Sammy sees two moves ahead. As soon as Tracy telegraphed his intent, Swindell was already crossing under him, carrying much speed to an apex deep in the second corner. This he did with nary a twitch and then drove away. But as soon as Sam spotted two-to-go, Jonathan Hendrick flipped on the frontstretch and collected Swindell and Phantom of Billy Pauch Jr.

On the gift restart, new leader Darren Hagen led Hines, who pushed his nose over the second corner cushion to cause a major shuffle. Brad Mosen opened his V8 around the rim to second as Tony Roney rolled the bottom. Up front, Hagen avenged Tuesday’s near-win by RFMS teammate Tyler Walker with a Thursday triumph.

What was a bigger surprise? Was it Zach Daum winning on Tuesday or Tony Roney running second on Thursday? In three previous Chili Bowls, Tony had never been in an A-main. Midgets had proven his biggest challenge after racing virtually everything offered at the Tulsa Shootout, where he once won on a quad. Roney resides in Herculaneum, Missouri near I-55 Raceway.

Mosen gave the Kiwis what they traveled so far to attain by locking into Saturday’s final, an honor which twice eluded the fastest man in Australia, Mark Brown.

Fastest man from the village of Kansas, Illinois, Shane Cottle has displayed a knack for expo action ever since locking from prelim to final in his first two Chili Bowls in 2000-2001. This year, Shane drove the DSR Beast to first in his heat and fourth in Thursday’s A-main. Kyle Larson gave Bryan Clauson Inc. a small consolation prize with a second Top Five in three nights. Always eager to mix it up, Kasey Kahne crossed sixth trailed by Thomas Meseraull and Hines, who fell to eighth over Jesse Hockett (Loyet 05) and Damion Gardner.

Hockett was home in America five nights after an Australia adventure. Right around Christmas when Cody Darrah decided against the trip to Queensland, jilted car owner John Weatherall found Jesse, a winner in his first race on a Brisbane International Speedway so rough that the Weatherall car was cracked. Unfortunately, the frame damage was not located until four lackluster performances passed.

It seems almost accidental that The Demon won the Chili Bowl in 2008, because few fast guys care less than Damion does. Even the year when he won, Gardner groused about losing a week of working on his sprint cars. This year, his crew will be Chris Kirchner, Warren Beard and Kevin Briscoe. The Demon makes no bones of his dislike for midgets, believing that there would be more races and more money for sprint racers like him if USAC had no midgets at all.

Veteran observers of midget racing were saddened to see Crocky Wright and Bob Higman pass within weeks of each other. I do not ever remember Crocky at Chili Bowl (he was usually in Florida) but Higman was always there, albeit on a scooter. Those who jeer Tony Stewart on Sundays in The South do not know how Tony made eviction notices disappear from Crocky’s final years. A.J Foyt was a starving kid from Texas who mowed Higman’s lawn for grocery money.

Parnelli Jones was in the house, which lends a regal air to any occasion, as did Johnny Rutherford. Parnelli’s midget win with Howard Linne in 1964 was the last USAC race on Pennsylvania’s Lincoln Speedway, though a USAC sprint race is scheduled for June 2. Parnelli’s son Page Jones was in Tulsa to see big brother P.J fly an American Racing Wheels hood on his Steve Lewis special, which was without Kelly Drake.

Junior Knepper, who won 23 USAC midget races in five seasons with Bob Wente, Tom Bigelow and Mel Kenyon, watched son Steve step out of semi-retirement and occupy a Thursday transfer until dumped by Donnie Ray Crawford, a C-main winner on a mission. Crawford competed for Jon Kantor, an Oklahoma owner silent since halting a World of Outlaws run with Chad Kemenah.

Local girl Michelle Decker of Guthrie, without a Friday place to race after her state fairgrounds was condemned, got a nice ovation for winning a Thursday heat. Decker did dump in the B. She and Shannon McQueen maintain an annual exchange program where California’s McQueen comes to Oklahoma to race Michelle’s winged sprint car and in exchange, Decker of Oklahoma travels to California to race a midget.

Furthering tradition, Murdock failed to complete Wednesday hot laps. Permitted to try Thursday night, John got his black bathtub going fast enough to make Zero Motorsports more formidable than ever. Translation: it took longer than one lap for Murdock to trail his heat race this year.

Nebraska native Ryan Durst stepped out of retirement, raced a fast guy into turn one, spun, and never turned another good lap, scratching Saturday altogether. It seemed a waste of whatever money Phil Durst paid Scott Morgan for the privilege. Morgan meanwhile, sent his son Dustin to Jack Yeley’s obedience school.

Showing some Nebraska heart was Stuart Snyder, who leased a Camfield car that Stu brought from Thursday’s C-main to within one spot of its A-main. Snyder’s sprint racing has waned in recent seasons so last summer, he leased a Felker midget for the Belleville Nationals.

Thursday in Tulsa brought Cap Henry after nine weeks in Australia that saw Cap lap three tracks in seven races. Henry mainly raced in Brisbane, where highlights were seventh and tenth-place.

British Columbia’s Toni Lutar strolled IMIS trade show in December and decided to play midget racer for the first time. Lutar leased a Beast from Chase Barber. The Pacific Northwest was also represented by Skagit promoter Steve Beitler (he had never seen a Chili Bowl), Steve’s 360 champ Brock Lemley and a XXX house car for Colton Heath.

Oklahoma 600 racers Tanner Berryhill and Billy Lawhead landed Chili Bowl rides. Adrian’s boy Tanner topped the winged indoor opener in Kansas City and then partnered with Davey Ray for Tanner’s first midget. Lawhead immediately crashed his midget.

Missouri’s Kyle Steffans was a rent-a-racer who did not yield easily. Steffans of St. Charles has excelled in everything he’s touched from quarter-midget champion as a child to karts, mods and now late models. His midget was a good one. It belonged to Keith Anderson from across the big river in Belleville, Illinois. Keith’s boy Brett bagged a qualifier to crack Friday’s feature.

Elephant Run is still Never Never land. In all my travels (and I take special pride in finding an after-party), nowhere other Trade Winds runs you out of the hotel lounge at 2am, but then serves drinks in an adjoining room until 5am. Maybe god really did bless Oklahoma. Cover was five dollars. Couch dances were $20 and very thorough. Next year, there should be a move back to the old inflatable chairs rather than the narrow unpadded model. I’m just tryin’ to give a girl a helping hand.

In past years, cooler enforcement to the den of debauchery was less than stringent. This year however, a stocky, bald man made it his duty to keep mine out. Kevin Olson II got it through the door a second time, before the same angry man put it back in the hall. For the next half hour, he watched us like a mother hawk watches for snakes. KO2 amused himself by toying with the drunks who came weaving our way.

“Where you going?” he’d ask. The guy would wheel around a little irritated and Olson would disarm him. “Hey, that’s a nice shirt!”

One guy was so drunk that he insisted the scars on his face had been inflicted by Jason Leffler, which we found hilarious. It’s not impossible, just highly improbable from such a vertically challenged package. Olson and I shared a private joke all week of the absurd image of an enraged Leffler cleaning out a bar.

“Don’t go in there,” Olson advised, pointing to the men’s room. “Leffler just tore the hand dryer off the wall. He says the next guy gets it in the face.”

Friday marked redemption for Cory Kruseman. At one time, the combination of Cory and car builder/owner/chief mechanic Andy Bondio was Chili Bowl’s most potent. But the past three years saw them miss Saturday A-mains. The bike tire had lost its charm. And so in 2010, for the first time in ten years, Andy Bondio and Cory Kruseman pitted on opposite sides of the aisle.

Kruseman had heard the whispers that his best days are done. As the Cory Kruseman Sprint & Midget Driving School has increased, Cory’s victory output has decreased. It is however, something of a backhand compliment to Kruseman’s high standard (20 wins in 2005) that consecutive four-win campaigns are dismissed. Call it a perceived lack of desire or the effects of a hard Lawrenceburg landing in 2008, but Cory Kruseman had fallen from the A-list. Friday’s final preliminary changed that.

Ever the businessman, Cory leased four Lucas Oil midgets and raced one. They were in the trusted hands of Mike Nigh and Harlan Willis, both of whom nursed Kruseman to sprint car stardom in their black 45. The Cruiser looked like his old confidant self in Friday’s feature, posting his first Tulsa win in four years.

Jerry Coons, sixth in Kansas City with a Denny Lendich midget that Jerry met a week later in New Zealand, won two of four in Auckland before his 13th Chili Bowl. Coons made half a slide at the lead, lost ground to Kruseman exiting turn four, and remained holstered to second-place.

Feel-good story of the week was Danny Stratton, third in Friday’s feature. Stratton owes much to Chili Bowl. It gained him national notice in 2004 when he went D-to-C-to-B-to-A and introduced him to wife Michele, half of the flyin’ Miller sisters. She moved from Pennsylvania to Indy with Stratton, who went from racing every Sunday at Sun Prairie to not racing at all. He worked for Danny Drinan until latching on with Cruz Pedregon, who possesses a house full of midgets. Stratton readied three for Cruz, Brent Beauchamp and Dusty Zomer but on Friday, he slipped on the firesuit, strolled down to Indy Race Parts, and belted into one of Bernie Stuebgen’s three cars. All that Danny did was win his heat and lock into Saturday’s final.

The few feet between Chris Windom and third-place meant that Chris again created a pile of Saturday work for himself. Chad Boat finished fifth followed by Mike Hess from row nine, Levi Jones, Bobby Michnowicz and eleventh row starter Don Droud Jr. Michnowicz is another cool story. One of the few to race Ascot Park and Chili Bowl, he won Friday’s heat. Taking tenth was teenager Trevor Kobylarz, son of ARDC champ Bryan and one of four rookies in Friday’s feature along with Alex Bowman, Colton Heath and Kody Swanson.

Bud Kaeding, competing in Australia when his second USAC Silver Crown championship was presented in Indianapolis, raced in Tulsa five days after his sixth Australian event in 12 nights. On the Brisbane program when he beat a World Series-caliber field to 10k, Kaeding also finished third in a midget. He seemed less spirited in the midget belonging to Murray Erickson of Texas. They fell short in 2009 and were worse in 2010 when the back of Friday’s B-main translated to Saturday’s (preparation) H.

Cleared by doctors Friday at 11am, J.J Yeley looked like he had played his cards well when he saddled into a vacant Keith Kunz car and won his heat. On the mend since an August crash in Kansas City, J.J had a horrid qualifier, transferred from the B, but stopped on lap 18. Curiously, he and Kunz had never teamed.

Emmett Hahn has never teamed with the World of Outlaws, Okay, he did park cars one year at the Devil’s Bowl of Lanny Edwards. Otherwise, the pioneer of 360 racing has operated independently of the leading 410 organization. Perhaps the only outlaw official that Hahn honestly welcomes into the building is Roger Slack, who annually volunteers to flag. Chili Bowl is one of a flagman’s most physical challenges. Slack waved colors in four hot lap sessions and 17 races each night for four straight nights followed by a marathon Saturday that started at noon and went 20 races long.

That was far too early for those who insist on closing the Elephant Run with breakfast at 6am. You know you’re at the Chili Bowl when you’ll elbow a stripper for the first waffle. I was also reminded how when you bring a cooler of beer to breakfast, people really do think it’s funny.

Coolers restocked for the final push, we arrived at the arena to find Jon Stanbrough in street clothes. For striking Tuesday’s restart cone, Stanbrough was relegated to ninth in Saturday’s G-main.

Saturday’s opening race (K-main) was won by CRA sprint rookie Ronnie Gardner. The 75-year old Floyd Alvis won the first J-main with Alaska’s fastest man, Billy Balog, smoking the second J. Derrick Myers had a good Chili Bowl going on Friday by leading his heat. However, he was blasted by Brent Camarillo in turn three and wound up in the Saturday soup from I-to-H-to-G-to-F.

Eric Sandage, an Arkansas blast from the ASCS past, won the second I-main. In the summer of 2008 was when Eric first obtained a midget, which he raced four times last season with SMRS. Sandage won a slice of ASCS Speedweek at the late Memphis Motorsports Park in 1998. Stu Snyder got Camfield from E-to-D.

Cody Darrah made a mess of what was supposed to be his welcome to Australia and made little impact on his second Chili Bowl, unless winning Thursday’s C-main counts. Two weeks later, Darrah began with Kahne and the All Stars at Ocala and Volusia. Joey Saldana was another Kahne racer who looked like he would have rather been on a beach in New Zealand or a box overlooking the Colts. Saldana did cause an early Saturday stir by progressing from H-to-G-to-F-to-E.

Jason Leffler has driven some of the best-prepared midgets in the past 15 years. As early as Tuesday’s match race, it was clear that his Western Speed special was not one of them. Leffler could not get it from G-to-F. Lasoski was scratched from an E-main.

Chili Bowl had an Australian in the D-main: teenager Brad Cox from Gunnedah, New South Wales. Michael’s boy Brad made his only previous midget start in an ARDC heat race at Susquehanna before its Candy Bowl filled with rain.

If Friday was indeed redemption for Kruseman, then the focus now shifts to Andy Bondio to bring his unique machines back to an A-main. More was expected from Andy’s choices of Mike Spencer and Garrett Hansen than Saturday’s D, which Garrett did graduate.

It was almost expected that Dave Darland would be one of the 24 finalists at Chili Bowl, since he had been 11 of 12 times. As laps wound down on the opening C, Dave began to press toward one of six transfers. He encountered Casey Shuman about half a width off the bottom and basically, moved him over enough to pass. As indoor indecencies go, this was not one. Shuman however, had had enough. Seething over Darland indiscretions from the Indiana summer, Casey punted Dave in turn three.

As easy going as a competitive person can be, Darland signaled his anger under yellow and later stepped into the Loyet trailer to tell young Casey of Hewitt’s Law, which says that everyone gets one warning but that if it happens again, Casey gets punched. It was not necessary for Dave’s wife and son to further berate Shuman, but sometimes the emotions of not making the final cut can overcome people. Tim Crawley had to brush past a screeching Brenda Darland because unlike Dave, Tim was in the B-main.

Back to his roots in the Sooner State, Wayne Johnson made Thursday’s A-main but stopped after Saturday’s C. Like last year, Wayne and Terry McCarl departed Tulsa for Australia. Terry took a little longer to pack his bags, because his Wayne Simmons F5 stole the last transfer from C-to-B in a last corner shuffle. McCarl managed five starts overseas, winning the last one at Premier three nights before the U.S opener at Ocala, where he was eighth. Also making five Australian appearances, Wayne was second in the race at Warrnambool won by McCarl.

Josh Pelkey had 12 career sprint wins at Manzanita but had not been to Chili Bowl in 13 years. He had only been in a midget three times in that time, yet won a C. Arizona’s Alex Bowman brought an unsponsored Beast within one spot of a B.

David Gough got third in Fort Wayne in December and made the Chili Bowl C-main in January. Last year when indoor action ended in Tulsa and DuQuoin, David did only two more midget races: one on Grundy County asphalt and one on Sun Prairie dirt. For the past four winters, Gough raced for Roger Miller, who had driven in 11 straight Chili Bowls before hiring Hockett in 2005. This year, Roger and Lara Miller’s choice was Billy Pauch II (not quite Junior), who ended seventh in a C.

RFMS wrench Greg Nelson ended eighth in Saturday’s C-main with Tyler Walker, but watched Casey Riggs go C-to-B. Though he ran a full Focus season in 2006, Casey had never raced a midget on dirt. Last year, Riggs ran second in his sprint car at Danville.

Scott Benic brought six midgets to Chili Bowl but did not fare especially well. Glenn Styres seemed feistier than usual but neither he nor Scotty Weir got any further than an E; Cale Conley led Tuesday’s A but landed in Saturday’s D; Shane Hmiel went C-to-B; and Levi Jones missed his first final in three years. Of the six, only Brad Kuhn could get a Benic car in the A, but their Beast backed up and never recovered. Kuhn’s car owner Rotondo Weirich used Chili Bowl to announce that it has acquired Fontana engines. Benic said development of the California powerplant will likely occur at Gaerte Engines. One of Scott Benic’s first full-time jobs was crew chief to Joe Gaerte.

Shane Cottle has competed in five straight Chili Bowl finals and held off Brad Sweet for command of a B, before Kasey Kahne sailed around both of them. Up in the chair, Brad abruptly tried to join his boss upstairs. But heading down the backstretch, Sweet ran his right rear into the left front of Steve Buckwalter, who rode out his second flip to a smashing conclusion from Tracy Hines. Heavily favored to make the A, neither Buckwalter nor Hines was happy with Sweet Pea.

I know only one driver of 256 was eligible for a provisional starting spot in the Chili Bowl. I know that same driver put on quite a show for a packed and appreciative crowd. I also know provisionals stink. The Knoxville Nationals does not allow them because they eliminate the drama of watching a skilled and desperate professional like Sammy Swindell slice C-to-B. Generally, provisional starters add caution flags like Sammy did on lap 11 and 18, losing the use of his left front Super Shock.

Hagen held sway for the first eight laps before Kruseman came to the front. Kevin Swindell took over from Cory on lap 24 of 50. Cole Whitt lost a few spots when Michael Pickens pulled a semi-successful slide in turn four. Pickens picked up a virus during his international commute and was sneezing in his helmet, which partially explained a few of his sliders. As the ledge and intensity increased, Michael was moved out of the Top Ten.

Whitt returned to second on lap 31 and like Wednesday, seemed to gain on Kevin during continuous stretches, which were not coming Saturday. Ten caution flags marred the final. Kevin got away on restarts. Cole would reel him in. Sammy meanwhile, got his three-legged dog to third when one last flag was thrown. The phantom call came Thomas Meseraull bicycled, someone upstairs (Estes or Sinclair?) panicked and pressed the yellow light. To the fans, it looked like a shameless attempt at a family photo opportunity.

Whitt would feel no heat from Sammy however, hounding The Bull Dog to the checkered instead. Saturday sadly brought an end to the dirt track phase of Cole’s Red Bull development course. Sprints, midgets or champ cars, Whitt is one amazing talent and still just 18.

Jerry Coons finished fourth for the second year in a row. Chris Windom whipped from row ten to a career-best fifth. Rock solid Shane Cottle came from row eight to sixth. Mike Hess has been to one more Bowl than Cottle and hustled from row eleven to seventh in his finest Chili Bowl. Kruseman fell from first to eighth. Brad Sweet’s first Chili Bowl netted ninth-place.

Overall, the racing was stronger than it had been in several years. Chili Bowl remains the greatest gift to auto racing since beer.

Ok

Downtown

2009-12-14T09:47:00.001-05:00

By Kevin Eckert

December 14, 2009 Indianapolis, Indiana: Back in the trade show loop. Winter can be lonely for a racer. Saturday friends separate for a few months. No one at home understands the rule changes. We need trade shows and banquet parties to gather friends and do business, some real and some monkey shines. “Racers do their best work at night,” was a great line from the directory book for the first International Motorsports Industry Show.

For three cold winters, Indianapolis went without the Big Show when the Performance Racing Industry flew south to Orlando. Originally, that sounded like persuasion to push Indy’s expansion, which occurred once the RCA Dome was deflated for Lucas Oil Stadium. All the PRI points however, were not honored so Steve Lewis opted for an Orlando contract extension. As soon as Steve signed off on that, wheels were turning to bring a new Big Show back to downtown Indy.

Chris Paulsen championed the idea. He’s a racer who toured with the World of Outlaws on Sammy Swindell’s Nance car, Tamale Wagon Indy Cars of Alex Morales, and saddled into his own Gambler at Putnamville on a Saturday night. All of that came before starting his C&R business in 1988. Chris is “C” and “R” stood for Ross Fisher, an original partner. C&R Radiators were the specialty that caused the company to outgrow Gasoline Alley as they added a Charlotte branch to better serve NASCAR. TV viewers saw the C&R logo whenever some poor fella ripped the nose away. C&R expanded to countless components and even complete cars.

Paulsen partnered with the Indiana Motorsports Association, a new effort aimed at things like another downtown trade show. IMA director Tom Weisenbach joined C&R as did car dealer Jeff Stoops and Jeff’s fellow USAC champion Tony Stewart, most recognized face in the state next to Peyton Manning. All four stood on stage at Lucas Oil Stadium on Tuesday with mayor and governor to guarantee that the inaugural International Motorsports Industry Show will not be the last, extending IMIS through 2015.

I am not at all unbiased about the Indy/Orlando split because I live in Indy. I chased PRI from Cincinnati to Columbus, Ohio and was delighted when its icy drive took minutes instead of hours on I-70 or I-74. I mourned my friends from California and New Jersey who no longer warmed themselves in the exhibit halls or saloons. I did not prowl PRI again until ’08, but found it as comfortable as always inside, because comfort is the feeling of being around the people you know best: racers.

“Indy or Orlando?” shouldn’t be an either/or question. Auto racing is built on competition and one of anything is too few. With any split in ranks, racing should nurture the new rather than perpetually perceiving it as an attempt to divide and conquer. Time will tell if Indy/Orlando do one day occupy the same patch of winter. There are many trade shows and not many weekends. But for 2010, Indy’s IMIS event is December 1-3 and Orlando’s PRI program is December 9-11. I wish I could’ve done both.

“Indy Is Racing” was a brilliantly simple slogan across the shoulders of show workers. There were virtually none of the show girls of SEMA or PRI to coax old, bald, fat guys like me into welcoming brochures for Italian car wax. What you get out a trade show is almost entirely based on your number of friends and/or acquaintances. It doesn’t matter if you’re talking in front of the latest, greatest torsion bar, or Howl at the Moon’s piano bar. It’s about your friends: racers.

In Indy, racers walk from IMIS to vehicle, room, restaurant or tavern without ever venturing into the elements. Orlando cannot make the same claim, but a Florida walk does not cut like Indianapolis Ice. Orlando is an international vacation place, but Indy is an easy drive for Brian Brown from Kansas City. Brownie got there after about six and a half hours on I-70, or as long as it takes us to see him in Knoxville, Iowa.

Tony Stewart keeps a suite at Lucas Oil Stadium for Colts games. When he was with TSR and Levi Jones, crew chief Rob Hart was able to bring his kids (Ella & Ethan) into Tony’s suite. The kids were awestruck. After all, they had never met Jared from Subway!

Stewart’s photo-op with Governor Daniels was digitally recorded by Smoke’s hand-picked staff of shooters: Toledo’s Frank Smith and Kokomo corner workers Travis Branch and Rex Staton. Stewart split for the first NASCAR banquet not in NYC in 27 years. He would miss seeing his photographers get shuttled into a scissor-lift like kids at a carnival.

TSR taskmaster Bill Klingbeil waited for peak traffic for the obligatory overhead shot. Bill came to Stewart with Donny Schatz and has with Misha Geisert created an avalanche of publicity. They not rest. Every time I popped into the Chris Econamaki Press Room for a free cookie, one or both were working away. What they released Friday credited IMIS with 10,000 people in 345 exhibits that filled all 572 spaces. Next year, there will be a thousand spaces.

Budweiser flowed free (viva Smoke!) inside the House that Peyton Built. Some of us took two-fisted liberty, bowing to pressure from TSR graphics guy Tony Iacobitti. Many of these same people then poured west on Washington to Rockville to BK Motorsports on Gasoline Alley, a 15-minute jaunt where two kegs of Coors Light burned up like Silver Crown tires. Actually, the spare nearly saw the dawn, according to survivors.

Bud’s Place illustrates why Indy Is Racing. A company like Maxim Chassis can use a customer like Kaeding to gather people together for business, beer and brisket carved by Pete Rose’s brother Dave.

Elite Racing used the following evening as the grand opening of its grand new Jason Meyers palace in Brownsburg. It came as some surprise that Jason nearly became World of Outlaws champ with no real shop east of California. That means D.J Lindsey and Brian Bloomfield did the bulk of their chores in car washes and motel lots. They earned a shiny new shop. “Long way from Majestic Auto Body,” I joked to D.J, as easy-going as when he and his brother ran the Two-D out of Jacksonville, Illinois. Now his shop belongs to drag racing legend John Force.

Ironic that Indy is such a hub for World of Outlaws teams despite racing nowhere near. Even its announcer occupies a trailer at 16th & Georgetown like a modern Crocky Wright. Yet the only Outlaw sprint races in the Hoosier State were in Haubstadt and Lawrenceburg, both of which could be Kentucky if you live in Avon. It would be nice to see them back at Kokomo or Lincoln Park, where no wings have been used in the three years since Tim Kaeding won with Steve Kinser’s car. The 2010 Indiana WoO agenda shows only Haubstadt on Saturday, April 24.

Elite fell short of dethroning Tony Stewart as car owner champion to Donny Schatz and crew chief Ricky Warner. The champs had their Mario Andretti STP replica at Tony’s first trade show. TSR parked cars all over the place. Tuesday, they put a pavement midget in front of Lucas Oil Can and by Wednesday, that Beast was in a booth hyped December dirt races in Kansas City’s Kemper Arena promoted by Scott Pennington and Danny Lasoski. Tony’s gold dirt midget bearing a Smoke visor (probably the piece he used on his Macon Speedway) touted the Hendricks County Economic Development Partnership. At present, the Stewart Spike will miss the Chili Bowl while Tony races in Australia, though his four Parramatta City shows do not conflict. Last winter, he did not race Chili Bowl because he was building an Office Depot/Old Spice team, which worked out pretty well. One of those red Cup cars decorated the IMIS lobby next to famed Indy artist Ron Burton.

The winged TSR 20 generated the show’s most common question, “Who will drive it?” It seemed cruel to leave Kraig Kinser’s name on a week or two after formally firing him, but its Yak Graphics were clear-coated and not so easily erased. Not until PRI did Robin Miller break the story that Steve Kinser will indeed replace his son. Speed Channel said so only one day after Kraig revealed how he will again drive dad’s Maxims powered by Scott Gerkin and maintained by Mike Kuemper, who follows Kraig over from TSR. Steve has shown his aversion to fielding two teams without primary sponsors (Quaker State 2010 has reduced to associate status to both Kinsers) ever since Kraig and Delco-Remy ran off. So when Steve hired Kraig, The King had to work for someone else. Perhaps on principal, he did not jump to join those who put his grandbaby’s daddy out of work, but he came around.

Why another Kinser? Why now? At the 2007 final when TSR replaced Paul McMahan with Kraig Kinser, it seemed to be Tony’s way of getting Gerkin to boost the Chevrolet engine program. I later came to believe that Tony hired Kraig simply because Steve asked him to. It seemed impossible to believe that Stewart watched two seasons of Outlaw races and decided his best choice was someone who was at none of those races. At the risk of defaming Kraig, he is good but not great. Time in NASCAR stunted his growth. But he is 24 years old and like his pop said, “Donny Schatz didn’t win much when he was 24 either.”

But now in the winter of 2009-2010, Steve Kinser sits at 687 wins, 2783 WoO starts and 55 years of age recovering from neck surgery. At this stage of the game, others are in their prime, others like Tyler Walker and Tim Kaeding, who both coveted the job. TSR is Corporate America, which does not let California X Games in the building unless they can jump through all of their hoops. Compared to almost anyone, Tyler and TK are rough around the edges. I’m proud to call ‘em my friends but Steve Kinser is the safest choice.

Tony Stewart Racing is a multi-million dollar juggernaut the likes of which auto racing and specifically, short track open wheel dirt racing, has never seen. As a point of reference, Tony (6.8) and his Sunday driver Ryan Newman left the stage in Vegas with almost 12 million dollars. TSR acquires teams and tracks with tornado swiftness. Now recall how Tony and Steve recently splintered away from The Outlaws (NST) and consider that owning his own series is one role Stewart has yet to play. Maybe he just needs a good push in that direction. Maybe like being forced to replace all of his Hoosier Tires with Goodyears?

By far the biggest IMIS buzz was about Goodyear’s grab of a game that had been Hoosier’s sole purple property. Unlike the transaction of say, Stewart purchasing Eldora Speedway, this was abrupt. Hoosier had no sooner successfully defended itself as beneficiary of a legal bid that the court ordered new bids, won by Goodyear. Since the prize (World of Outlaws) depends on local teams to stir rivalry in Knoxville, Attica and Williams Grove, all three tracks followed the World Racing Group to Goodyear.

Never mind that Goodyear has built no dirt tires in ten years. They had the biggest check! And never mind that they will not have a product until two weeks before the season opener. “It’ll be the same for everybody,” I can already hear from Volusia.

For just a moment, think of a mystical time before Big Capitalism began to graze on the grassy meadow of motorsport. Think of tracks and clubs that hustled up their own point fund. Think of tire rules which revolved around how big, wide or soft they were, and not which corporate logo was stamped on the side. Those days did exist. Those days are pretty gone. Racing long ago sold its soul for point funds. If a company tells a track operator that they will hand his champion $5000 just as long as that track requires everyone to use that company’s product, how can they refuse?

Hoosier backed World of Outlaws championships for sprints and late models, and made three hard compounds available. Mandate any component and a racer will grind it, drill it or soak it. Brady Short shredded an MSCS Hoosier on a Lawrenceburg parade lap and a few weeks later, Outlaw police confiscated Scott Bloomquist’s Charlotte winner, had the rubber analyzed, and determined that it had been illegally softened.

As a historian with no tire bill, I see these power shifts as cyclical. Firestone was followed by Goodyear by Hoosier by Goodyear by Hoosier and now, by Goodyear again. As king, Steve Kinser has been on both ends of tire competition, testing free Hoosiers in the 80s, becoming Goodyear’s top dog in the 90s, losing that status when Hoosier made Goodyear right rears illegal, and then having to buy his Hoosiers when they bought the series.

Steve Kinser has never been the loud, public thorn in Goodyear’s side like Tony Stewart. When told that his tires now needed the dreaded yellow letters, Stewart nearly launched an alternative series. Accountants advised more study. But the idea remains. If he did wish to start a national winged 410 club in 2011, wouldn’t it be Box Office Gold to do it on the broad back of the biggest name in sprint car racing? It could even act as The King’s farewell address, which just might move some merchandise. Speculation for sure, but where there’s Smoke, there’s fire.

I’ll guarantee this: if a 360 sprint car on Hoosiers happens to go faster than the 410s on Goodyears, heads will roll!

Good thing it’s not Roger Slack’s problem. The World of Outlaws made a wise move hiring him just before IMIS, but his title is Events Coordinator. Schooled by progressive teachers like Glenn Donnelly and Humpy Wheeler, Slack sold Speed TV on the notion of combining Outlaw sprints and stocks for a grand season finale on live TV. Until last year, Roger led The Dirt Track at Lowe’s until breaking those chains to scour America and see how other events did it.

Eldora Speedway was the only track with an IMIS booth. Wonder if Tony Stewart demanded $1500 in rent from Larry Boos? Larry laughed off schedule requests because Baltes taught him to not hurry. Earl knew to set the World 100 (September 10-11), Kings Royal (July 16-17) and Dream (June 11-12) before his last crowd left his last race, let all the clubs hammer out the rest, then fill the gaps. PRI pointed USAC to Eldora on April 2-3 and World of Outlaws on May 7-8. Four Crown Nationals opens with WoO on September 24 before USAC sprints, midgets and champ cars go on September 25.

USAC was understandably delighted to have a trade show back in its center city. USAC unfortunately, did not use the occasion to calm its competitors. Questions remain about whether sprint car will be split into dirt and pavement points, whether midget engines will carry an RPM limit, or whether champ cars can continue to use the Yates Ford.

USAC had two versions of its next super-speedway champ car idea at IMIS. Interestingly, neither one sat in USAC’s booth. When the first prototype debuted at the last Indy PRI show (C&R built the first winner), USAC opened the door to Fords by Robert Yates because he was exactly the kind of NASCAR mover and shaker they hoped to attract. If they intended to race at Darlington, why not use a Darlington engine? Well, they no longer race at Darlington. But they still use Yates, who has resources of which others can only dream. Advanced Racing Suspension threatened to park Chet Fillip if USAC continued the disparity. Connected to Carl Edwards, RE Technologies has a house full of those engines. R.E knew of no potential change in engine rules, nor did Silver Crown king Bud Kaeding.

Midget minds are in a panic. Numbers are low and drastic change is in order. To limit an engine’s Revolutions Per Minute is drastic but would seem to be designed to increase engine life, which no one should oppose. Esslinger Ford owners however, feel a proposed 9000 RPM cap is motivated more by the desire to break the domination of a series funded by Mopar and now Toyota. To direct cost-saving measures at the most cost-effective engine does seem misguided.

USAC unrest regarding midgets only makes Indiana POWRi programs more attractive. POWRi president Kenny Brown nosed around IMIS after meeting select Hoosier State hosts. Far as USAC is concerned, POWRi presence in “their” Hoosier State is as welcome as NAMARS in the 90s when USAC was struggling to sell short fields of midgets that started without a push. It took dirt festivals like NAMARS Five Crown to hasten USAC to remove batteries and wave back the push trucks. POWRi and ARDC are America’s only healthy midget clubs in 2010, partly because Brown does not stray 300 miles from St. Louis for one Friday race. Kenny has a very vested interest in midgets. Three of his Toyota Spikes are headed to Chili Bowl in January for Josh Wise, Randy Hannagan and Kenny’s kid Austin Brown.

Oklahoma City’s Shane Carson has raced in 12 of 23 Chili Bowls, making the final feature four times in midgets owned and maintained by Jerry Hatton. Shane said the second night of this year’s Oval Nationals for USAC sprints was so good that he could hardly sleep. For a veteran of thousands of races in and out of the cockpit, that’s tall praise. “And there were only about 50 people in the stands,” Carson said, exaggerating like a promoter’s son to make a point. Shane serves as consultant to the National Sprint Car Hall of Fame and World of Outlaws.

Joey Saldana won more World of Outlaws races than its champion relying on Randy Sweet steering in Budweiser Maxims, one of which adorned the Sweet IMIS display. In the aisles was Bones Bourcier, survivor of some of Randy’s all-night escapades through Daytona and New Smyrna Beach. Bones is busy updating his Bill Simpson book of 2000. Wonder if Mike Helton gets mentioned? Joey won in New Zealand again and has entered Chili Bowl in one of three Mopars that will contain Saldana, Brad Sweet and Kasey Kahne his own self.

Joe Saldana too had a ride represented at IMIS. In fact, Saldana Sr. had pole position because Mechanical Rabbit 65 resided in the Speedway Motors display closest the door. “Speedy Bill” Smith has been the fire behind Speedway Motors since 1952 and just released an autobiography co-authored by Dave Argabright. It’s called Fast Company: Six Decades of Racers, Rascals and Rods. It is fantastic. I have been lucky to coax Bill out of a story or two and find him most captivating. His cadence is captured in Dave’s book. Bill occasionally breaks the narrative to remind the reader that strong opinions (such as USAC offering his qualifying pill from a loaded jar) are The World According to Smith. Thursday’s IMIS lesson imparted to Boston’s Bobby Seymour was how Bob’s father Louie helped inspired Smith’s signature circular black hat. Bill tried without success to crack the USAC board of directors and felt he needed a nickname like Boston Louie, or maybe a hat like J.C Agajanian. His diagnosis of USAC still rings true: arrogance with incompetence. Order one from www.coastal181.com.

Bill Simpson, godfather to the safe side of auto racing, is like Bill Smith in that their lives make for riveting reading. But to anyone Bill has met, he’s just another biker in a bar like Buffalo Wild Wings (BW3) on Crawfordsville Road, where we watched Colts come back to beat Houston three days before IMIS. I bounced into BW3 to see Kansas City’s Julie Ripperger while she scouted Indy for witness relocation. I raised the talking point that only in Indy could she sit two stools over from a character like Simpson, who once set himself on fire to prove a point.

Rick Ungar is an eastern Ohio native who called Memphis and St. Louis home before starting a family in Indy. He sells trucks for Jeff Stoops, partner in IMIS and owner of the sprint cars that carried Steve Butler to the Hall of Fame. Ungar seems underrated as a driver, having beaten the World of Outlaws, All Stars and USAC when they had wings. During that ‘87 season was Rick’s only outdoor midget race. He ran the Pontiac Challenger of Gary Runyon wrenched by Bob Murden at Kokomo, swapping pavement pieces to beat everyone except legends Mel Kenyon and Kevin Doty. Rick renewed acquaintances on the floor of the former Hoosier Dome to which he was invited in 1991, one year before his last race.

Noblesville’s Bryan Clauson circulated his hometown IMIS four days removed from a landmark Thanksgiving break. California’s native son won both the 100-lap Turkey Night Midget Grand Prix on Irwindale asphalt and Glenn Howard Memorial for USAC-CRA sprint cars on Perris clay; a feat unprecedented in that 55-mile radius. IMIS closed Thursday and at Saturday’s open house, Benic Enterprises announced Clauson as its 2010 USAC sprint car driver. Tucker cars stay holstered for races Benic might skip.

Scott Benic and Dave Darland had a dreadful season come to a dreadful end with crashes at Perris and Tulare. Wednesday after IMIS was when Scott officially gave Dave his 2B release. Benic had a Gaerte Beast in the Champion Oil booth wearing the name Levi Jones, and an RW asphalt midget in the USAC booth bearing the name Brad Kuhn, who soon became a father and will stay away from New Zealand this winter. Kuhn will do Chili Bowl in one of Scott’s two Fontana Beasts while Glenn Styres steers another. Benic is also busy with two Esslingers: one in the returning Ellis of Shane Hmiel and another in the Spike of West Virginia wonder boy Cale Conley.

Now that the entry list has reached 140, Chili Bowl fever can commence. Last year, Joe Loyet and Rusty Kunz created an Orange Crush of Esslinger Spikes for Danny Lasoski, Jesse Hockett, Jon Stanbrough and Joe’s son Brad Loyet. For the next Bowl, Rusty and Jon are out and Casey Shuman is in the Flea market. Hockett’s sprint program is in flux now that Tom Buch and Bernie Stuebgen swapped JEI and Jesse Hockett for an Eagle aimed by Paul McMahan.

Don’t worry about Rusty Kunz. He and Kelly Drake have three Esslinger Spikes owned by PRI’s Steve Lewis for Jason Meyers, P.J Jones and Kansas 305 star Tanner Mullens, winner of the wingless Weld Memorial in Grain Valley.

Three weeks removed from his richest win ever ($12,500 from Tulare), Stanbrough strolled his hometown IMIS as one of four official Keith Kunz drivers for Chili Bowl. Keith has Bullets for Stanbrough, Chris Windom and Henry Clarke (a fourth Esslinger is open) plus a Toyota for Cole Whitt and another Toyota to lease.

The Eagle 600 model at IMIS had a Keith Kunz quality to its Number 67. Jerry Russell confessed that he did indeed phone his former Springfield neighbor, who steered him to Shadow Graphics on Gasoline Alley. Jerry uses that number (67) in tribute to late car owner Math Schneider, from whom he gave Steven Mathew Russell his middle name. The kid’s first name is for The King.

Despite breaking his back and missing half a season, New York’s Tim McCreadie cannot wait to return to Chili Bowl with Wilke-Pak men Darland, Tracy Hines and Jerry Coons, all aboard Toyota Spikes. Tulsa precedes Jerry’s flight to New Zealand as part of Team USA with Scott Hatton, Tony Elliott and Kevin Swindell, who returns to Australia at Avalon aboard a Richard Petty Driving Experience midget on December 19.

While overseas, Coons will likely leave his motorhome in the Clermont shop of Rob Hart, who brought Jerry to Tulare from a list he handed to Roth Racing. Hunter Schuerenberg was on that list. Dennis picked Jerry, who probably hadn’t had a boss scream at him in a while. No more screaming for Hart either as he was home for Thanksgiving turkey. Rob and Mike Cool were ex-TSR crew chiefs seeking work at IMIS.

At present, Hart’s two-bay shop houses an Esslinger Spike that Brownsburg’s Daryn Pittman will take to Kansas City and his Tulsa birthplace. Oklahoma sponsors include car dealer Bob Hurley and Hop N’ Sack, the convenience store that backed Pittman and Hart when Daryn was replaced by Danny Wood.

Oklahoma City’s Wayne Johnson has Al Christoffer’s Esslinger Spike for Kansas City and Tulsa but nothing to race outdoors any closer than Australia. Johnson & Johnson (R.J of Florida, no relation) carted the Christoffer 360 to Tucson and made the Maxim open house on Gasoline Alley.

Just a few PRI shows ago, Triple X was chastised for Chinese labor by Chris Paulsen, co-founder of an IMIS in which XXX had Daron Clayton, Brady Bacon and Gary Taylor to answer questions. The XXX 600 chassis with its flame graphics also generated good buzz, according to Skagit announcer Caleb Hart.

British Columbia’s Travis Rutz is rehabilitating slowly in the Pacific Northwest, as is Robbie Pribnow in Wisconsin. Think of them at Christmas.

Seattle’s Design 500 took its tape measure to Don Kreitz Jr. I told Donald that he no longer races enough to need a new suit. Kreitz confines himself to Williams Grove mostly after 26 sprint car seasons and 183 wins. Randy Frank was busy crafting Design 500s. Its president James Standley explained that because he is from England, he is not therefore related to J.P Standley, who scorched Spanaway to beat USAC midgets and WMRA supermodifieds in 1972-73.

The former Weld Wheels salesmen Bob Baker and Joel Kokoska worked IMIS for the National Sprint Car Hall of Fame and Yak Graphics that ironically adjoined one another. “Yak” is Iacobitti, who has come to know Indy during TSR sticker sessions.

Weld Tech was in its hometown IMIS. It is the cylinder head created by Kenny Weld and manufactured by his widow and daughter. Former husband to Debbie Weld (they share a son), George Austin III wants it known that he would relish a return to the Knoxville Raceway on which Austin III was P2 in 1994, beating everyone except the late Danny Young of Des Moines.

“Bullet proof,” was how Kenny Weld’s late mechanic Stacey Reeves described the 1974 modified of Kenny Brightbill, who strolled IMIS. Down in Sinking Spring, DMI’s Dave Ely has grown up on tales of Kenny’s strength. Stories like carrying six-foot oxygen tanks under each arm, grooving entire Firestones without heat, or racing all day with power steering belt flapping in the dust. Ely had two generations of Brightbill in his booth as Keith trumpeted DMI’s new rear axle for modifieds. Dave said Kenny’s father could pass a quarter through his wedding ring.

BK Motorsports and IMIS included Lucas Wolfe and his father Randy, who corroborated Brightbill stories for Robby Wolfgang, himself raised on Larger than Life stories of a famous father. Doug Wolfgang builds Dave Ely’s chassis and was best man at Dave’s wedding. Robby was squired around by Charlie Patterson, who had the real estate to start Gasoline Alley.

The original Gasoline Alley divided the glorified horse stables that comprised the Indy 500 garage area in 1948, when Pat Clancy brought Billy Devore to drive a six-wheel Kurtis Offy with two rear axles. That car drew IMIS attention to the Seals-It exhibit of Skip Matczak, who chatted with incomparable car builder A.J Watson. Skip joked that Seals-It emissary John Heydenreich was so old that the Clancy car was his first. I only wondered if it had eight wheels before Heydenreich was through. John is a typical East Coast ball buster that needs to be kept in check just as John and I were taught by those Philadelphia professors of verbal abuse, the Cicconi family.

Pennsylvania prodigy Cody Darrah will train for his rookie World of Outlaws adventure with his first foray to Australia. Darrah will drive the Motorguard Maxim for John Weatherall beginning at Brisbane on Boxing Day, December 26. Weatherall has imported Randy Hannagan, Daryn Pittman, Michael Carber and P.J Chesson from the U.S and native sons Andrew Scheuerle, Trevor Green and Todd Wanless, who was Brisbane’s best on December 13. Brent and Bud Kaeding will join Cody overseas.

Darrah has unlimited potential but everyone should see it as that: potential. Most of The Outlaw trail will be new to Cody, who Kasey Kahne will pair with road-tested Bonzai Bruns. Darrah will return from Toowoomba for Tulsa and a second Chili Bowl for his father Joe Darrah, who will field two Spikes with Don Ott power for his son and cousin Rick Eckert. Car 89 and Steve Suchy remain on Joe’s payroll at J&K Salvage.

South Australia’s Trevor Green suffered a compression fracture to his L2 vertebrae. Idle indefinitely, Trevor tapped Kerry’s brother Ian Madsen for Parramatta City prior to summoning Danny Smith. Thanksgiving host Mike Trimmer (thanks Skip) cited some revolutionary energy-absorbing foam that his IRL co-workers are petitioning to lessen injuries that happen when rear ends strike the tailbone of drivers like Trevor or Doug Esh. Adding a few inches of high impact foam could however, require raising U.S roll cages as Australia has already done.

Louisiana’s Jason Johnson, who married into the Pennsylvania Posse and moved to Texas, began a ninth straight Australian tour by winning with a Haynes Eagle maintained by Brendan Telfer, who tutored under Max Dumesny before toiling for Shane Stewart and Brian Brown in the U.S.A.

Shake-ups in Springfield saw Brad Aylesworth end his Maxim service to work for Australia’s Bill Mann at Performance Wholesale, which bought into the Eagle Chassis Company of former Springfield Speedway star Jerry Russell. Aylesworth left Maxim just after Mike Long split it for Speedway Motors. Mann and surrogate son Dave Sharman showed how highly they hold Indy by flying from Brisbane and back to World Series, where Performance Wholesale is title sponsor and Sharman reunited with his old mate David Murcott from Tasmania.

New Zealand’s Simon Longdill is shipping two of his Aggressor V8 units to Oklahoma for Kiwi countrymen Brad Mosen and mighty Michael Pickens, undefeated this season. This marriage of motorcycle engines that Davenport, Iowa’s Davey Ray has raced for two winters is not legal anywhere in America beyond that place where almost anything goes: Chili Bowl.

Longdill inspired Davenport Dave to conceive has Raypro Mopar for the St. Louis Spike of Joe Dooling, who assisted the sprint of Jack Yeley (Brad Sweet ’06) and champ car driven in 2008 by J.J Yeley. Last season ended for J.J on August 22 in Kansas City when he cracked two vertebrae in dad’s sprint car. J.J promised his wife that he will return to Chili Bowl only as an owner.

Ohio’s Cap Henry will be back from Australia sprint racing for Chili Bowl Midget Nationals and four cylinders from Hall of Fame name Bob Hampshire.

California’s Cruz Pedregon, positioned in Brownsburg near John Force and Ken Bernstein, will again play midget racer at Chili Bowl while fielding a Toyota Spike for Knoxville’s rising star Dusty Zomer of South Dakota.

California’s Mike Sala and Bob Wirth will send a Chevy Spike to Tulsa for Colby Copeland and a Mopar Spike for Wes Gutierrez.

Georgia’s Mark Bush and Doug Day were in Lucas Oil Stadium before another Chili Bowl in which Bush has Esslinger Spikes for Lincoln Park thriller Thomas Meseraull and steel block star J.C Bland.

Lincoln Park will also be represented at Chili Bowl by Billy Puterbaugh, piloting a Mopar DRC backed by U.S soldier Eric Barnhill. Not only has Billy never raced in Tulsa, he has never raced a full midget. The last indoor midget race by a Puterbaugh was in 1970 when Bill Sr. scored third in the Houston Astrodome.

Don Fike of Galesburg, Illinois has Esslinger Spikes for Chili Bowl driven by Darren Hagen, A.J Fike and Casey Riggs, son of Indiana Underground’s Terry Riggs. Terry walked IMIS with Mike Dutcher (crew chief on the Tulare winner of Jon Stanbrough) and I introduced myself as the man who put Terry and his champ car on the cover of the third Flat Out in 2000 when Tracy Hines raced it in Nazareth.

Hey, it’s Christmas and I wanted to work Nazareth into the narrative. Sacrilegious scribe Gary London once used “Jesus of Nazareth” to describe the tall, bearded man who dominated the half-mile’s full body class: Jack Zeiner.

Trade shows are not all smiles and handshakes. When you sling it like me, sometimes feelings (and facts) get stretched. Last year during PRI, Danny the Dude wanted a word or three. During IMIS, it was mechanics Troy Renfro and Daryl Saucier who voiced anger. Renfro’s rub concerned my description of his criticism toward a point system that deprived his boss Larry Woodward of a Knoxville championship. I read it again and still am not sure about the fuss. I called him grouchy (he is) and said that he vented, which he continues to do. DSR told me that since Damion Gardner never actually hired him in 2008, he could not therefore have been fired. I was reminded of Argabright’s bio of Brad Doty when Brad said, “Some days, it seemed Daryl did not like anyone or anything.” Saucier says that he threw that book in the trash.

Another big fan is Duke Cook, who pinned Craig Dori’s ears back about the many reasons why Duke and I will never share a stage. Too bad, because Cook packs a lot of humor and knowledge that could serve our trivia contest well. Anyone who comes to the Indiana State Fairgrounds on January 30 will just have to be content with Tom Bigelow, Johnny Parsons, Steve Chassey, Tracy Hines and Casey Shuman as they field questions from me and the godfather of racing historians, Donald Davidson.

Inspirational Indy 500 story Davey Hamilton roamed IMIS with his former supermodified/champ car crew chief Larry Trigueiro Jr. Back for another chunk of Terre Haute promotions in 2010 (USAC Silver Crown is back on The Action Track on Wednesday, July 21) Davey departed to race a three-quarter midget in Providence, Rhode Island.

Winners of that Dunkin’ Donuts Coffee Cup were Canada’s ISMA supermodified racer Mike Lichty and the sole Rhode Island rep, NASCAR mod god Mike Stefanik. Now that dirt has been bladed away at Albany-Saratoga and Airborne Park, Lichty will get to visit both New York ovals with ISMA in 2010.

Philadelphia’s Chris DeRitis, a 2009 rookie to full-size NEMA midgets (fourth was best in Waterford), raced in successive weekends at three quarter scale in Providence and Wall, New Jersey. Enjoying all three ATQMRA A-main starts were Russ Bailey, Ian Cumens, Frank Fischer, Mike Isles, Mike Janish, Jeff Kot, Matt Roselli, Mike Tidaback and Tim Buckwalter, who scored second on Black Friday.

Wall’s winner was Paul Lotier Jr. His father married into the star-crossed Tobias family and dominated their Penn National modifieds before adding 27 wins in ten sprint car seasons that ended at the 1991 Sharon Nationals when Lotier landed in a wheelchair. Paul II had two fifth-place performances in Providence. He has one more TQ race in Atlantic City next month.

This is the first winter in a while that Chili Bowl does not oppose the Miller Motorsports trade show most recently in Atlantic City. Aligning these stars should enable me to return to Valley Forge like a poor man’s George Washington.

Peace on Earth from 4929 West 14th Street, Speedway, IN 46224 or (317) 607.7841 or Kevin@openwheeltimes.com.

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Talkin’ Turkey

2009-11-25T09:01:00.000-05:00

By Kevin Eckert

November 24, 2009 Speedway, Indiana: Time to give thanks. As we shovel turkey and giblets down our collective gullet while glancing at televised football, think about how White Man thanked Red Man for teaching him to plant corn. As soon as the first dishes were cleared, systematic genocide was served for dessert. Tell me again why America has no reason to apologize?

Thanksgiving auto racing means the Turkey Night Midget Grand Prix. Well, it used to. But as much as J.C Agajanian’s children wish to believe otherwise, Turkey Night on asphalt means virtually nothing. Irwindale is an exceptional oval, but USAC pavement has long been a closed club to all but a handful of rich kids.

The last big blast of U.S clay may have been last weekend’s Western World Championship in Tucson, Arizona. Western World racing has seen almost as many changes as the western world itself. First conceived by Keith Hall as an end of 1968 gathering, the Western went from wingless to wings to wingless to wings to wingless and now, winged 360 sprint cars.

This year’s unexpected closing of the Manzanita Speedway on which the Western was conducted for 30 seasons set off a momentary power play. Feisty new promoter Kevin Montgomery was quick to announce how the Western World would go off on his USA Raceway in Tucson, which did not please USAC, sanctioning body on the last five Westerns in Phoenix. They had been in negotiations for a Manzanita replacement that ultimately became Tulare’s Thunderbowl Raceway. For a few weeks, Tucson and Tulare seemed on a collision course. Fortunately, an amicable solution was devised when Emmett Hahn extended an ASCS national title fight (originally slated to close in Little Rock) one week after Thunderbowl hosted its first national USAC event.

Montgomery drew top talent to the desert by matching Little Rock’s Short Track Nationals with a winning sum of $15,000: highest gross possible on the 360 “chitlin” circuit. The only other five-figure paydays available in the division are Knoxville, Skagit, Gray’s Harbor ($10,092 to honor Fred Brownfield), Trophy Cup (12k) and East Bay, which paid $13,000 to its Kings of 360s.

Regard point funds of course, Lucas Oil made ASCS second to none. Sunday’s banquet at the Old Tucson Studios dispensed $250,000 to the Top 15 in national ASCS points: Shane Stewart (60k), Jason Johnson (30k), Gary Wright (25k), Travis Rilat (22k), Paul McMahan (18k), Tim Crawley (16k), Danny Wood (14k), Tony Bruce (12k), Jack Dover (11k), Jesse Hockett (10k), Sean McClelland ($8500), Kenneth Walker (7k), Darren Long (6k), Chad Corken ($5500) and Gary Taylor, who relied on three different car owners to reach $5000 for 15th in point standings.

I raise a glass of Thanksgiving wine to celebrate Shane Stewart and his car owner/crew chief Paul “Pockets” Silva. After their amazing orange Doyle Harley-Davidson team dissolved after 2008, Stewart and Silva were uncertain if they could even attempt an ASCS championship. Paul’s wife Lori is a daughter to Ed Organ, a 1980 Santa Maria CRA winner who added four more with wings at Baylands Raceway Park.

Danny Lasoski took a 360 to Tucson that was no longer circling by Saturday’s final. Though he made 16 starts in 2008 with a 360, Danny’s return to the World of Outlaws made Tucson his first 360 start of the season. Likewise, Lucas Wolfe had been unavailable until Tucson, which was Wolfe’s first 360 start since 2007.

Sammy Swindell, sporting a gash over his eye from a Ricky Stenhouse supporter’s blindside punch in West Memphis, won his third Western World trophy in Tucson. Sammy’s first Western win in 1980 highlighted his second month in Nance Speed Equipment from Wichita, Kansas. His second Western win in 1989 was postponed by rain from Saturday night to a Sunday afternoon when his Harrold Annett Challenger proved vastly superior.

Steve Kinser’s only chance to defeat Swindell that day in ’89 would have been in traffic. Unfortunately for Johnny Herrera, he occupied one of the first cars lapped. Sammy passed without incident but Steve was so eager to keep pace that he forced a dive into turn three that planted Herrera head first in the concrete.

Herrera was one of 14 drivers in two classes at Tucson, where he had won four of eight before Western. Others who went with and without wings in Tucson were Brady Bacon, Ronnie Clark, Jerry Coons, Tim Crawley, Charles Davis, Don Grable, Jesse Hockett, Joshua Hodges, Dustin Morgan, Tom Ogle, Andy Reinbold, Travis Rilat and Rick Ziehl, who secured the ASCS Southwest crown despite missing the final ASCS National A-main.

Bacon has to be sorry to see the season end after a $7000 winged victory in Fort Worth, Texas followed by Tucson’s top wingless prize of $5000. Such momentum should keep Brady in the desert one more week for Canyon.

The brothers McMahan of greater Sacramento were both among Tucson’s 22 legitimate (non-provisional) A-main starters from a field of 81. Prior to the Western World, Bobby and Paul McMahan had been in the same pit only three times this year: Dave Bradway Memorial, Gold Cup and Trophy Cup. Bob’s renaissance season for car owner Steve Harris and crew chief Brian Sperry made them champions of the Silver Dollar Speedway.

Portland, Oregon’s Zach Zimmerly, a 15-year old Civil War winner at Petaluma, followed second-place in the first Sherm Toller Open at Marysville with a road trip through Chowchilla, Charlotte, Fort Worth and Tucson tuned by renowned Sacramento socket-spinners Duke and Scotty McMillen.

Sacramento’s Scott Miller and Shannon Wheatley of Washington were two former Steve Beitler mechanics in Tucson. “Sean the Shark” Becker drove the car owned and maintained by Miller, while “Rooster” Wheatley has a Wolf Weld for his son Austen.

Mike Leslie, a four-time AMRA midget winner with Kevin Montgomery, made his first start of 2009 at his car owner’s Western World Championship. Leslie ran seven Chili Bowls in eight years.

Tucson had a hometown Huebner in the house. Jeremy’s uncle John defeated RMMRA midgets at Albuquerque in 1985, father Jeff won AMRA midget meets at Manzanita and Tucson in ‘89-90, and his grandfather Bob Huebner won the second Western in 1969.

Prior to this year, Tucson’s role in Western World proceedings were three afternoon events on the Corona Speedway that became Raven Raceway and then Tucson Raceway Park. Ohio’s Rick Ferkel won the first two (1980-81) before Ron Kreppel scored one for the locals.

The common thread on those three Tucson wins was Stewart Fabrication of Phoenix, where all three winning sprint cars originated. The other consistent component was the rock-hard tire used by Ferkel for two years before he shipped it to Rick Stewart. After it enabled the unheralded Kreppel to conquer three Hall of Fame names of Keith Kauffman, Jack Hewitt and Gary Patterson, the magic slick went flat in victory lane.

The first Western World Championship in Tucson was a week too late for Rick Stewart, who died of colon cancer. Rick was a great friend to Phoenix auto racing, always quick with a joke no matter what life threw at him. He saw hip surgery as no reason to miss Chili Bowl, using a scooter to patrol the expo building. The 1990 Chili Bowl winner of John Heydenreich was built by Stewart Fabrication. One of Rick’s early students was Dan Drinan, who came to be regarded as one of racing’s best welders. It is sadly ironic that Stewart should leave in the same season as Manzanita.

Saturday’s victory in Ventura’s J.W Mitchell Classic bolstered Brad Kuhn’s campaign to be National Midget Driver of the Year. Kuhn has earned eight midget wins in 2009 over national USAC (Bloomington), regional USAC (Ventura), POWRi (DuQuoin, Jacksonville and Junction), BMARA (Sun Prairie), BCRA (Placerville) and his Chili Bowl preliminary.

Arizona’s Chad Boat scored second in Tulare sprints and Ventura midgets on successive Saturday nights despite having never raced in either arena. His father Billy had reason to smile at the prospect of returning to Ventura Raceway, where Boat toted 12 wins in 24 starts including Turkey Night ‘97.

Brad Loyet’s 18 wins in 2009 is the highest midget mark since Billy Boat bagged 21 in 1995. Before the Boat outburst, Kevin Doty won 16 midget main events in ’94; Ron “Sleepy” Tripp took 19 U.S midget wins in consecutive seasons of 1987-88; Nick “Nokie” Fornoro Jr. won 22 times in 1985; and Rich Vogler was victorious 22 times in ’85 before reaching 23 midget wins in 1988.

Chico, California’s Ryan Kaplan, losing three months of racing after a devastating Indiana Sprint Week spill at Kokomo, was back in the saddle on Las Vegas asphalt and Ventura clay, crossing third on Saturday’s natural turf.

Pismo Beach, California’s Mike Gehringer, a USRC winner at Bakersfield (‘76) and Vegas in 1978, ran the J.W Mitchell Classic at Ventura on Saturday night. Out sight for 17 seasons until the NWWT opened this year, Gehringer gathered seventh in the first Belleville Nationals of 1978.

Did you know that a driver died at that first Belleville Midget Nationals? He was Lowell Voss from Fountain Valley, California.

Cincinnati, Ohio’s Ronnie Wuerdeman, winning two of three Gas City Focus features in 2009, raced a Wally Pankratz midget in the USAC Ford Focus class Saturday at Ventura, where the cast included Washington visitors Gaylon Stewart and Seth Hespe.

Big News from Big Companies in suburban Indianapolis is that car owners Tony Stewart and Kasey Kahne will not seek USAC championships in either sprint or midgets in 2010. In the immediate future, USAC just lost four cars. But in the long run, they can stop tweaking rules and schedules to favor the elite. Let us hope it is not too late. As for their World of Outlaw pursuits, Stewart released Kraig Kinser just after Kahne hired Cody Darrah.

NASCAR may be a festering boil on the backside of American motor sports. As a product of eastern modified racing however, it was cool that so many people learned the name “Reutimann” in 2009. Could anyone have raced more often in the 1970s than Buzzie or Wayne Reutimann? Stationed on a farm just inside of New Jersey, the brothers from Florida raced three nights a week from April through September, countless Tuesdays and Wednesdays, holiday 100-lappers and winter Saturdays on the Golden Gate pavement. When URC sprints joined the Orange County bill, Wayne and Buzzie finished first and second in 1976, the same year Buzz scored sixth against ARDC midgets.

NASCAR’s shadow on the Arizona USAC landscape is not likely to keep Copper World as a November satellite show for the Phoenix mile. Copper on Dirt is likely to land in Tucson near the February USAC date in Las Vegas.

Copper World 2009 included a third RW champ car for Queensland’s Todd Wanless, who has to be the first Australian to ever enter USAC Silver Crown competition.

Dave Darland, using two RW 410 Maxims in Perris and Tulare followed by two 360 units in Tucson, recently reached the 200-win plateau at Winchester according to my database. That total (197 U.S plus three New Zealand midget wins) is a verified minimum because some may have fallen through the cracks of Indiana’s vast publicity machine.

Indiana’s Joey Saldana, Minnesota’s Craig Dollansky and California’s Jonathan Allard are all expected performers Saturday in Auckland, New Zealand. After falling just short of the ASCS crown, Louisiana’s Jason Johnson is slated for Saturday at Toowoomba aboard the Haynes Maxim in which Matthew Reed ran tenth at Brisbane last week.

Australia’s Warren Beard, displaced by Brooke Tatnell’s Titan foreclosure this summer, ended the USAC season in the Perris victory lane alongside Damion Gardner, who then fired Davey Jones for catching him on fire twice in two months.

Brisbane’s Brett Ingliss (better known as “Glenno”) left Titan and Daryn Pittman after four years to return to his homeland, where he helped Andrew Schuerele to sixth-place in Saturday’s World Series opener topped by Tatnell.

Melbourne, Victoria’s Brett Milburn, who made a two-week tour of Knoxville, Quincy, Arcade, Ohsweken and Port Royal this summer, won Saturday on South Australia’s Borderline Speedway.

“Flying Dutchman” Mike Van Bremen was second to Milburn Saturday on Mount Gambier. Following his eighth-place finish to my only Grand Annual Classic experience in 2002, Michael proposed on the Premier frontstretch. Natalie said, “Yes!” and seven years later, they are still married.

Australia’s Northern Territory produced its first Parramatta City winner on Saturday when Ben Atkinson achieved Sydney success. Geographically speaking, Atkinson’s accomplishment is the U.S equivalent of a kid from North Dakota winning at Williams Grove.

“Molly Ivins Can’t Say That, Can She?” is a book that made me laugh out loud at least ten times. Of a failed psychological experiment in college, she wrote, “I ruined a perfectly good rat.” Ivins described the homeless folks along a presidential inauguration route as “favoring a layered look.” I’ve long maintained that a sarcastic sense of humor/irony is our best defense against the random hypocrisy and treachery of politics/life. But rarely have I seen sarcasm wielded like Molly Ivins, who died of breast cancer in 2007.

Molly described the JFK shooting as a Great Shame of the Great State of Texas. Anyone with a television remote will notice an abundance of assassination specials around Thanksgiving, which was ruined in ’63 when Dallas riflemen silenced John F. Kennedy. The question of “Who dunnit?” will remain as eternal as the flame on his grave. But of all the theories, can anyone dispute the mess that Dallas made after the shooting? We can start with how its police force allowed the alleged killer to die in its basement.

I will leave you with a happier Thanksgiving memory of munching turkey and taters in the Manzanita grandstand in 1991. By that point, the Turkey Night Midget Grand Prix had survived 56 years, four tracks and one World War. But when Ascot Park closed in 1990 and Agajanian Enterprises moved Turkey Night to Saugus pavement, Keith Hall held one in Phoenix for the dirt folks. It looked good on paper. But even at half of the traditional distance, only a handful of Manzanita midgets completed 50 laps. Jumping in the Dave Ellis house car that night was Jac Haudenschild, who humbled everyone.

I’m still checking the mailbox for cash flow at 4929 West 14th Street, Speedway, IN, 46224. Voice mail an alibi to (317) 607.7841 or e-mail excuses to Kevin@openwheeltimes.com.

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Three Kings

2009-11-11T09:15:00.000-05:00

By Kevin Eckert

November 11, 2009 Speedway, Indiana: America hosted three major sprint car events last weekend. There was the 22nd annual Short Track Nationals in Little Rock, Arkansas; the 14th consecutive running of the Oval Nationals in Perris, California; and third annual World Finals in Charlotte, North Carolina. As winter descends on our continent, summer has again opened Australia and New Zealand to sprints and midgets.

Pushed back by a week, the Short Track Nationals brought 101 cars from 18 states to I-30 Speedway. Much applause is extended to Tony Bruce for banking $15,000 for a second straight year. Tony’s success is good for racing, because he is an independent who sees the Big Picture. At age 25, Tony competed 74 times on 41 tracks in 18 states, yet found time to promote two events. After a full pull with the World of Outlaws (nailing that elusive first win), Bruce recognized ASCS as a sensible alternative to someone from the center of America. His pit area brims with an optimism that is refreshing in an era when everyone whines about their pill draw. As his souvenir shirt might say: Pimpin’ Ain’t Easy.

Wayne Johnson, an Oklahoma native now residing in Iowa, was forced to choose between a Glenn Styres 410 at Charlotte and Al Christoffer 360 when Short Track Nationals bumped back one week. Selecting the second one, Wayne won his I-30 prelim (do they still pay $50 to win?) and grossed $10,000 for second on Saturday. Styres and Mason Hill filled Wayne’s vacancy with Brandon Wimmer, who made both Outlaw A-mains.

Jason Johnson, raised in Louisiana before becoming a Texan like his car owner Lanny Row, won the other I-30 prelim but flipped from Saturday’s final when a flat tire on leader Sammy Swindell scattered pursuit. From Friday’s win circle (eleventh of his stateside campaign), Jason revealed that Row will close The Shop Motorsports after 2009. Together for nine of the last eleven years (apart in 2002-03), Lanny and his Cajun Sensation compiled 69 wins on 41 ovals in 16 states.

Whenever someone stops the financial insanity of owning a race car, the question is not “Why?” but “Why not?” Drivers are a special breed of crazy because they risk death and dismemberment. But in the right situation, they can also earn a living and even raise children. But no sprint car owner can feed a family on what they net after expenses. The only people at a speedway crazier than car owners are the race organizers who burn thousands of dollars every time it rains. Think of them at Christmas.

Busiest man on four wheels (100 starts), Missouri’s Jesse Hockett thrilled the Arkansas audience with a patented charge from deep (row ten) to eighth-place pay of $2400. At the risk of poking holes in a $54,000 A-main purse, Hockett’s reward for advancing 12 spots was only $200 better than if he had taken only one lap, reminiscent of early Kings Royals.

Prior to postponement at I-30, Jesse flew to California to crash with Cody Darrah at Tulare and abandon Trophy Cup for Ventura, where he led until stopping for a red light that inexplicably turned yellow. Lawrenceburg was another weird outing. Upside-down in a multi-car calamity, Jesse jumped out to hammer the bend from his drag link and delayed the restart to lock it in gear. Soon as it fired, Jesse bumped the throttle and clouted the concrete when his fractured steering turned him hard right. Short Track Nationals saw Hockett surrender wrenches to renowned Rod Tiner and boy wonder Kyle Larson, who hustled Jesse’s personal Frankenstein on Friday from B-to-A before flipping on the final lap.

Chico, California’s Jonathan Allard teamed with Mississippi’s Bobby Sparks for sixth at I-30 after winning Thursday heat and Saturday qualifier. Allard will soon arrive in New Zealand along with Little Rock’s Ricky Logan, who made his hometown final. Sparks was the guy who in 1974, unleashed a 19-year old Sammy Swindell for his first laps of Knoxville, Manzanita and Ascot Park.

Missouri’s Dr. Christopher Sloan had two of 107 cars at Short Track Nationals and both made the final 40-lapper. Doc’s drivers were Danny Smith and Tommy Worley Jr. Smith took tenth on the I-30 Speedway that he visited 30 years ago while subbing for an injured and unheralded Bobby Marshall.

Nebraska’s Jack Dover closed the NCRA calendar by winning Wichita for Gary Swenson before bringing ol’ blue to the Arkansas A-main.

Terry Brown of the I-44 truck stop town of Joplin, Missouri returned to the ranks of car owner with Gary Taylor, a Washington native who has followed car owners to Colorado, Oklahoma and Mississippi. Brown was a sprint car winner with Charlie Fisher (’87), Gary Tapp (’88), Jason Earls (’91), Terry Gray (’92-93), Shane Stewart (’96) and son Toby, who brown-bagged a pair of WOW wins in 2006-07.

Ohio’s Ron Hammons, winning five times with J.R Stewart and four more with Dale Blaney in 2009, tapped Kaley Gharst of Decatur, Illinois to drive in Arkansas but they were done after Saturday heat races.

Alto, New Mexico’s Kyle Sager, a Renegade 305 winner in Las Cruces this year, acquired a Tony Stewart Maxim that he brought to Knoxville 360 Nationals and Short Track Nationals.

Texas travelers Marty Stanford and Junior Jenkins were two of Smiley Sitton’s 305 graduates at the Short Track Nationals. Junior jumped to 360s this winter, while Marty made the move in spring.

That provisional starting spots have tarnished the actual accomplishment of making a main event is difficult to dispute. They do little more than please a privileged few. And to throw slow cars in the lead path has changed many an outcome. Little Rock raised the risk factor by adding an A-main spot for Don Grable via raffle. Grable and fellow provisional Justin Sturch also received full starting money ($2200), no doubt irritating those who finished heats and qualifiers ahead of them.

Things That I Wish Would Go Away: Dick Cheney, provisional starting spots, Bud Selig, Geico insurance commercials, Al Davis, holiday roadblocks, Joe Lieberman, dead leaves, and that hollow noise that my car makes when I hit a bump.

Rain on the Razorback State kept Wayne Johnson from Charlotte and Jesse Hockett from defending his Oval Nationals win. But the event most affected by Little Rock’s rescheduling was the USCS Gumbo Nationals at Greenville, Mississippi. Marshall Skinner and Anthony Nicholson finished fifth and tenth Thursday at I-30 and second and fourth Friday at Greenville before returning to Arkansas.

Oval Nationals pulled 52 drivers from six states and Australia. Former prince of Perris, Damion Gardner passed his old Madera Produce ride driven by Mike Spencer after 36 of 40. The $12,500 triumph also served as successful homecoming for Davey Jones, who raised a family near his kid brother Tony in Corona before conjuring The Demon. Davey and Damion’s final Indiana laps of 2009 came in a Dan Drinan Dri-Bar test on Paragon pebbles.

Jerry Coons and Richard Hoffman also took part in the Dri-Bar demonstration with Hunter Schuerenberg and Jeff Walker. The 2009 Oval Nationals was the first in six years to not include the famous Hoffman 69, causing Coons to find a ride with Josh Ford. Jerry closed Kokomo in a Spike owned by New Zealand’s Denny Lendich, an 18-time winner with Sleepy Tripp in 1990-91.

Coons and The Demon (along with Jon Stanbrough, Daron Clayton, Casey Shuman, Thomas Meseraull, Robbie Rice, Bryan Stanfill, Tyler Franklin, Dane Carter, Bones Bourcier, Tony Funk, Craig Dori, Dan Laycock and a band of merry pranksters) converged on Brickyard Crossing to help Dean Mills live the dream of turning 40. A celebration of such scope has not gone off on that hallowed patch since Jim Rathmann won the 500 in 1960.

Bryan Clauson, a California native to the Sacramento suburb of Antelope, extended his incredible 2009 by opening Oval Nationals with a win (still $1500?) in his first Perris sprint race in four years. A week earlier, the eight-year Hoosier displayed his asphalt skill in Las Vegas by winning with Marc DeBeaumont’s midget, raising DMS data to two wins and two seconds in four races.

Anderson, California’s Keith Bloom blitzed from C-to-B-to-A in his first trip to Perris ever. In one Indiana month this summer, Keith made 14 starts on seven tracks that included the revitalized Lincoln Park Speedway, where Bloom won from dead last.

Bedford, Indiana’s Brady Short towed 2000 miles to his fourth straight Oval Nationals (finishing tenth) and brought a second car for Jeff Bland, an Oval rookie last year with Jim Whiteside.

Peter Murphy, a 1995 World Series winner at Claremont and Wagga in his native Australia, won eight of 21 wingless starts this season from his adopted home in Fresno. Oval Nationals lifted Murphy from C-main to within three spots of the A-main. This weekend’s $12,500 plum in Tulare is the most money that Murphy has been able to seek in central California without wings.

R.J Johnson of Phoenix, Arizona (not to be confused with the R.J Johnson who has lived in Florida, Tennessee, Texas and Iowa) has had a quietly exceptional season. Ricky Johnson’s prodigy won six AMRA midget races and four more with an ASCA/ASCS sprint car. And his opportunities are not over because Tucson has three straight nights (November 19-21) plus its New Year’s Eve affair, while Canyon has sprints and midgets on November 27-28.

Bruce St. James, the artist formerly known as Radio Flyer, cracked his first USAC/CRA A-main in three years Thursday at Perris. As we fellow Hall of Fame execs passed in the hall during Knoxville Nationals, St. James had this sage advice: “Stay black.”

Black Angus hatchet man Dennis Roth considered sending a second car to Oval Nationals for Jon Stanbrough before Indiana Underground committed to ship a second unit. Second in both Perris prelims, Stanbrough did not finish in the Saturday money. Roth was represented in Perris by Kevin Swindell, who flipped twice in three nights. So thoroughly did Dennis enjoy Tim Kaeding’s last-to-first run through Trophy Cup that he sent a rig to Charlotte, where Tim topped a C-main ignored by Speed TV. Short Track Nationals would have likely included Kaeding had bad weather not forced a choice.

I try not to be too critical of televised sprint car racing, because I know how valuable it is to sponsors. But they (Speed, ESPN, Versus, Diamond P, Diamond Joe) still don’t get it and probably never will. They’ll show one driver measure another for an inevitable pass, abruptly cut to a car all alone, and then return to the first two subjects, now in a new order. In-car cameras are a large waste of time. And anyone who orders a commercial break in the middle of the last World of Outlaws A-main of the year should be slapped.

World Finals was all-worldly with 57 pilots representing Australia, Canada and half of the 48 continental United States. Car count at The Dirt Track@Lowe’s Motor Speedway was boosted by 25 cars from Pennsylvania, plus Quaker State drivers Cody Darrah and Tim Shaffer. Speed TV’s piece on Cody crushing cars at his dad’s JK Salvage yard was pretty cool.

Pennsylvania Posse sheriff Fred Rahmer raced with the World of Outlaws in Texas (his first Lone Star appearance in 22 years) and North Carolina, where Rahmer finished fifth from row seven.

Pancho’s Racing Products in New Oxford, Pennsylvania (home to Lincoln Speedway) sent a new car to Charlotte for Sam Hafertepe, who was one spot (Joey Saldana) from winning his family’s Outlaw promotion at Lone Star Speedway. Pancho Lawler’s last known associates were Glenndon Forsythe (2006), Jonathan Eriksen (2007), Doug Esh (2008) and Mike Bittinger, who won four Trail-Way 358 features in 2009. Another breath of fresh air like Tony Bruce Jr, Sam Jr. made 80 starts on 45 tracks in 22 states this season.

New York memorabilia merchant Michael Heffner had Curt Michael back in the saddle for the first time since May’s Keystone Cup at Port Royal. Thursday marked Curt’s first Lowe’s laps since 2003. For the first time in six years, URC has a champion other than Curt. That rim riding someone is The Jersey Jet, J.J Grasso.

Kramer Williamson, winner of 66 URC A-mains and three titles, joined the World of Outlaws at World Finals. In his Hall of Fame career, Williamson had an especially versatile 1974 that won seven times with wings, once without (Tampa IMCA), against ARDC midgets at Penn National (in a George Ferguson Offy) followed by SMRC midget success at Bloomsburg in the Meiss 89. Meiss topped the previous Bloomsburg Fair with Kenny Weld before ‘74 SMRC wins with Williamson, Billy Osmun at Flemington and Jim Kirk on Penn National’s flat half-mile.

Nebraska’s Don Droud Jr. and Bernie Stuebgen of Indy Race Parts were fourth at Charlotte with USAC in 2004 and returned to crack Saturday’s World of Outlaws final for Pennsylvania’s Tom Buch.

Ohio’s Ron Gorby, who threw his America’s Best Value Inn support behind Michigan’s Jeremy Campbell for a 2007 World of Outlaws campaign, took Campbell to Concord and made Friday night’s A-main in Jeremy’s first laps in over a year.

Ohio’s Kory Crabtree logs as many laps as possible. He won twice at Wayne County and once at Lakeville this season while peeling wings for Lawrenceburg and Waynesfield whenever feasible. Concord was only second World of Outlaws appearance of Kory’s young career.

Crabtree’s fellow Skyline/Chillicothe competitor Keith Baxter was one of the surprises in the final World of Outlaws A-main of 2009 along with Bob Felmlee and Oregon’s Zach Zimmerly.

Minnesota resident Brooke Tatnell was the lone Aussie in North Carolina on November 7 and will open defense of his World Series crown in Brisbane on November 21. Brooke’s buggy is again built by John Cooley for Shane Krikke and wrenched by Shane Finch, who just completed his second season with Jason Sides.

The main obstacle between Tatnell and a sixth World Series crown will probably be Robbie Farr, who won his third straight Parramatta City show last week. In their August preparation for Gold Cup, Rob’s crew chief Nick Speed hot-lapped the East Coast Pipeline piece at Petaluma. Farr raised the number of Aussies who circled Silver Dollar in 2009 to six, following Kerry Madsen, Clem Hoffmans, Trevor Green, Paul Morris and Wayne Rowett.

Kerry Madsen, recently bagging Brisbane as sub for Todd Wanless, is driving for Western Australia’s Geoff Kendrick, who employed U.S pilots Brock Mayes (2006), Mark Dobmeier (2007), Chad Blonde (2008) and Tim Shaffer in 2009. Kerry and Kendrick will race Saturday at Manjimup Speedway.

Roddy Bell-Bowen, who made 23 starts on 16 U.S speedways in 2009, finished seventh Saturday at Parramatta City, matching his best stateside finish at Hartford, Michigan.

Matthew Reed, racing 26 times on 18 U.S speedways in 2009, was second Saturday at Avalon to match his best stateside finish at Mercer, Pennsylvania.

Bellevue, Ohio teenager Cap Henry, twice a winner with 305 cubic inches before becoming a 410 rookie in 2009, is four weeks into his first Australian adventure in Brisbane, Queensland. It has not gone well.

Wichita, Kansas crewman Brandon Ikenberry, a member of Terry McCarl’s team in 2009, went halfway around the world in South Australia to begin his sprint car driving career in Adelaide, Tolmer and Murray Bridge.

Davenport, Iowa’s Davey Ray, losing three months of 2009 to heal leg injuries incurred during the Chad McDaniel tragedy at Knoxville, won the Magic Man 34 that honors Mike Figliomeni in Perth, Western Australia. Davey defeated Nathan Smee, who had won three straight from Brisbane to Sydney.

Western Australia’s Dene McAllan did not finish the Magic Man 34. McAllan made 20 U.S starts this season, beginning with six midget appearances before belting into the Baldwin sprint car. Ninth at Lincoln Park proved to be Dene’s best for Baldwin, who returned to Oval Nationals last week with Justin Grant.

I just finished reading Mickey Thompson’s biography, learning how he created organized drag racing in 1955, how Bobby Ferro’s father was an accomplished desert racer, and how Michigan swamp buggy enthusiast Ted Nugent became such a good friend that he suggested a Thompson gun upon hearing of the threats on Mickey’s life that became very real on March 16, 1988. I was also unaware that the murder of Mickey and wife Trudy was eventually (19 years after the shooting) pinned on rival stadium promoter Michael Goodwin. On a happier note, The Munsters episode when Herman and Grandpa turn a coffin into a rail dragster was filmed at the Lions Drag Strip promoted by Thompson.

Colorado’s Sid Bubak, proprietor of Sid’s Golden 66, never approached Mickey Thompson for acclaim but to my knowledge, was never the target of a murder plot. Sid was my friend and Sid is gone, as a recent phone call from his son Rich did reveal. It was the 1986 Western World at Manzanita that prompted Sidney and wife Marlys to pool resources for one World of Outlaws season that forever affected the lives of Rich and his overwhelmed crew chief (come to think of it, since Mile-High Racing had no crew, I could not have been crew chief). Death did not come swiftly for Sid, but he lived long enough to see Rich race a modified coupe alongside granddaughter Jaime. For a guy who smiled so easily, Sid must’ve really been grinnin’ at Colorado National that night.

My new neighbors hope the leaves get raked at 4929 West 14th Street, Speedway, IN, 46224. But the business end of (317) 607.7841 and kevin@openwheeltimes.com says that snow will soon cover that problem.

Ok

Moody Mile Memories

2009-11-05T09:16:00.001-05:00

By Kevin Eckert

November 4, 2009 Speedway, Indiana: First words from a new house. I have changed addresses all of my life. There were three in New Jersey, four in Allentown, six months in California and two residences in Reading, Pennsylvania. Three army bases and three years of national discovery later, father fielded my mail from Arizona, recycling press releases by typing race results on the back. I did discover that Indiana was the place for me. But after four Hoosier home spaces, I drifted to Oklahoma to build Open Wheel Times, out to Arizona for six months (thanks Ty) before coming back to Indiana where as of November 1, Dean Mills and I reside at 4929 West 14th Street. Yes, we actually moved one block north and four clicks east. Excluding the army, it is my 18th home.

Halloween candy would have been a good way to meet my new neighbors. But that required purchasing chocolate for strangers. I withdrew instead to my grand new Stat Cave, of which I am very proud. Thirteen milk crates now stand precisely stacked full of Open Wheel, Flat Out, Trackside, Sprint Car & Midget, Stock Car Racing, National Speedway Directory, National Sprint Car Annual, Dirt Track Fury, USAC media guides, World of Outlaws yearbooks, Penn National programs, Sports Illustrated swimsuits and any artifact of Oakland Raider respectability. Milk crates have long doubled as my magazine racks and furniture. To read the dairies (Johanna, Freeman, Clover) from which they originated is to map my own origins north on the Delaware and west on Lehigh and Schuylkill Rivers.

Barring a flight to Tucson, frosty ride to Kansas City or some act of god (quite a stretch for an atheist), my 2009 racing season is complete. It will soon be trade show season. And since bigger houses require bigger rent, I must sell, sell, sell, which I hate.

My first Saturday in the new digs clicked Syracuse modifieds on Speed TV. Syracuse still holds a special place in my heart. It was (is) the biggest event on the biggest track for the eastern cult of modified stock car racing. We natives of New Jersey followed those cars. Everyone we knew went to Syracuse at the end of September, beginning with my uncle George, who attended its first Schaefer 100 in 1972 and to this day, demands its latest program book to keep his collection complete.

George was a garage rat; just the type of modified man that college boy Glenn Donnelly hoped to recruit to the New York State Fairgrounds. Glenn’s timing was perfect because George was among the thousands displaced by the 1971 loss of Langhorne, home to the Race of Champions that climaxed each modified season. Almost immediately, they flocked to Syracuse. We followed them up I-81 in 1974.

I was 11 years old, and waking at three AM for a four-hour ride to the biggest race of the year was a Big Deal. Mom packed sandwiches and everything. Sunrise over Scranton held the promise of something special.

Windshield wipers were on as we approached the Salt City. Weather is the constant enemy of any multi-day outdoor event, but never more so than Syracuse around Columbus Day. The Great Lake of Ontario is 30 miles away, bringing anything from snow to rain and every ten years or so, sunshine. To a half-mile hero from Weedsport or East Windsor, it took gumption to wake to sleet, down a cup of coffee and barrel down the mile’s bicycle path of a backstretch to a shaded turn three that may or not have defrosted.

On that first trip, the sky cleared, we found our seats overlooking turn one, and Bob made the acquaintance of someone from Lebanon Valley. Dad did this frequently, usually when he overheard someone asking who drove a particular car. A quarter of the way through the ’74 Schaefer 100, Reading messiah Kenny Brightbill grew tired of tucking low to protect fourth-place and sailed into the lead with one outside sweep of turn one, a move which may still be unduplicated and one which brought dad’s new friend to his feet.

“Did you see that?” The Valley guy asked.

Bob Eckert smiled, puffed on his Telly Savalas cigarette and said, “Buddy, I watch him do that every week.”

Brightbill’s junkyard Chevy seized 12 miles from the finish and it would take 14 years for him to finally win his division’s biggest race. Taking over was the gleaming Gremlin built by Whip Mulligan for Billy Osmun, who led Merv Treichler’s asphalt conversion when rain reached turn three. Under caution, Osmun pointed skyward to the flagman, who dropped the checkered on lap 95 of 100. “Marvelous Merv” rammed “Billy O” with an anger eventually tempered somewhat in 1981-82 when Treichler topped Syracuse with a Maynard Troyer-built Mud Bus.

So rich was the Syracuse purse in 1974 that the biggest sprint car stars of the era, Jan Opperman and Kenny Weld, were among its 53-car field. By our arrival, Weld had already established a one-lap modified mark that would stand for some time. In 1977, he returned with big wings and big Chevy sprint car to reclaim the World Record he set at Dover in ‘73. And as anyone from New York or New Jersey will tell you, 1980 is when Kenny was contracted on a deal with the devil (Gary Balough) to destroy modified racing via Miami vice.

Opperman ran the ’72 Race of Champions at Trenton for Jack Tant and ’74 Schaefer 100 at Syracuse for Joey Lawrence. Like most of Jan’s rides, Joey’s car was not much to see: a flat black Mustang with a splash of gold and white Number 16. But the owner knew how to make horsepower. Opperman timed tenth of 152 qualifiers. A week later, Jan ran the Schmidt’s 200 at Reading for Bob Eppihimer, so pleased to have the legendary preacher grace his seat that he carved Opperman’s trademark cross in the nose. A year later, Jan skipped Syracuse for Gold Cup but was ready to return for a possible 1976 USAC Dirt Championship when he suffered life-altering injuries in the Hoosier Hundred.

During his agonizing road to recovery, Opperman was befriended by modified legend Will Cagle, who provided a car for Jan at the ’77 Syracuse 100, which rained out. Before that difficult verdict, I remember Jan addressing early arrivals in some kind of Sunday service/solicitation for his Montana ranch for troubled kids.

When he was hurt in ’76, Opperman was replaced as Bobby Hillin’s driver by Al Unser, winner of 14 mile grinds in eight seasons yet too slow for the ’76 Salt City 100. That never happened to Unser again because he left Syracuse so humiliated that he rejected any more Dirt Champ car offers.

Kenny Weld’s strategy for his only Schaefer 100 was to pit late and hope a heavy fuel load would increase traction on the ultra-slick surface. But he hit the raised road to the pits too hot, bounced in the air and broke a shock. That was Kenny’s original modified, which he sold to the Statewide Fencing team of Osmun, nitrous oxide system intact. During the ’75 Syracuse 100, “Billy O” made an extra pit stop yet was all over winner Dick Tobias at the end.

Toby’s triumph stirred mixed emotions. I was not a fan. To me, he was the dull guy downstairs perpetually stretching the rules. I had seen him disqualified so therefore, he was a cheater. Only later did I come to appreciate the indelible mark that Richard Lincoln Tobias left on all of eastern auto racing. It was also lost on my young mind that unlike most weekend warriors, Tobias had raced on miles from Langhorne and Nazareth to Springfield and DuQuoin before starring at Syracuse, where he was such a perennial polesitter that the achievement was posthumously named in his honor after Toby turned his last lap at Flemington in ’78.

As a 12-year old, I naturally boarded the bandwagon by declaring Toby’s Syracuse score one for the Reading regulars. Brother and I grabbed the soot-covered fencing and cheered our little lungs out. We helped convince the gate guard that the lady in the pink pantsuit was really Mary Tobias, wife and winning car owner (Toby keen to tax shelters) who must get to victory lane at once. Color photos show a black soot smudge on Mary’s pink sleeve.

Heading home from Syracuse on a Sunday night never left many options for food. When father finally found a greasy spoon somewhere north of Binghampton, we were surprised to see Toby, Davey Brown and crew at the same diner. Though he had just reached the peak of his sport, Dick Tobias considered himself an everyday Dutchman.

Super DIRT Week ’75 grew into a two-day experience so that father could fulfill his goal of seeing supermodifieds at Oswego. We arrived late from rain-delayed time trials for 248 modifieds to a shining Steel Palace on the hill. I can still feel my seat shake when those big blocks opened the throttle off turn four. The wildest weapon was a gun metal gray rear-engine, four-wheel drive device built by Bill Hite and driven by Fred Graves, who cut through the field twice before losing a wheel in a shower of sparks. It was the car’s last race at Oswego because four-wheel drive was banned before their 1976 opener.

We dirt trackers chose Oswego asphalt over the KARS sprint race at Weedsport in an indication of the high regard that dad had for Oswego, home of one division for one solid purse just like Reading. The following afternoon, Donnelly invited a handful of sprint cars to the mile for an exhibition. The following Fourth of July was the first winged sprint race ever at Syracuse. It was won by the Weikert Livestock big block of Paul Pitzer. Before the ’76 Schaefer 100, Bentley Warren hot lapped his ragged super to feed the reality of pitting Oswego cars against Pennsylvania sprint cars for Super DIRT Week ‘78. To help the heavy supers stay competitive, sprint teams were told to leave wings at home, which became a recipe for disaster. The carnage was incredible. Randy Wolfe bounced down the backstretch like an orange basketball.

Sprint cars were given their wings for the ’79 Syracuse Super Nationals. But by that time, father had enough of the Moody Mile. Though he had seen through the charade right away, dad probably continued coming to Syracuse for the sake of his sons. Sure, there were stars from Buffalo and Albany who rarely if ever reached Reading. But the track has never been a place to see a good race, and a factory worker with two boys could not justify the expense.

Looking back, I can see dad’s difficulty. He rented a motel room in ’75 but slept three to a Hornet in ’76, waking to snow flurries. That was the year when Donnelly moved his USAC Champ Car date to Super DIRT Week. Dad knew how much I wanted to see those cars but could not afford three tickets, so he sent us in without him. By the ’77 USAC return, father was part of Keystone Auto News and hoped persuasive editor Barry Shultz might swing a press pass. But ol’ Gert was unmoved, so we began the long walk around turns three and four to watch the Salt City 100 from the bed of a truck outside the backstretch.

Suddenly, there was the horrible sound of metal on concrete and an over-revving engine. We peered through the railing and dust to see Jim Hurtubise scramble from his botched time trial. What may have been the final Dirt Car attempt by the native New Yorker was sadly, the last for James McElreath, who was killed a day later at Winchester while the Schaefer 100 was being rained out.

The charred hands of Jim Hurtubise brought Leon Harrison’s words to mind. Leon won big with little engines but never quite clicked with a modified. He tackled Syracuse a few times with an orange car built by John Burnett and owned by Henry Verity, who counted uncle George Eckert among its volunteer crew. Super DIRT Week ’76 was the first champ car event to ever have modifieds in the same pit. Leon watched various Indy Car heroes hobble by with bent or useless limbs and asked, “Does a driver have to be half crippled to run USAC?”

Leon was no longer racing by the sixth Syracuse modified classic, postponed until April of ’78. We returned for its one-day conclusion to witness more mangled modifieds than I had ever seen. Virtually all B-main transfers were trashed on the absurdly-skinny backstretch. Kevin Collins cleaned the cage above Wayne Reutimann while Glenn Fitzcharles burst into flames.

Dad never did return. He correctly determined that the best aspect of Syracuse were the Syracuse qualifiers that visited selected short tracks on Tuesdays and Wednesdays of summer. These races brought some of the biggest modified stars to Nazareth and Flemington like the All Star League of old.

These were but a handful of memories that washed over me when I saw Syracuse on Speed TV. When the enormous starting field funneled blindly into the first dusty corner, I was glad to be somewhere else.

To make the broadcast interesting, I downed a shot of tequila each time the imbecile Kenny Wallace began a sentence with, “I’m ‘on tell you what” like his southern fried mentor Larry McReynolds. To hear talking heads like Larry, Kenny, Dee Dubya and retarded Terry Bradshaw is to easily understand why kids can’t read.

I’m hoping the snail mail will find me at 4929 West 14th Street, Speedway, IN 46224.

Ok

Hall of Fame Games

2009-10-16T09:04:00.001-04:00

By Kevin Eckert

October 14, 2009 Speedway, Indiana: Home of the Speedway Spark Plugs. What else would American alliteration tag such a team? October is deep into the season of football, still America’s strongest religion. Even speedways as fiercely supported as Williams Grove know better than to continue to compete against the Friday Night Lights cast on Cumberland Valley Eagles, state high school champs in 1992 when they were led by that poster child for bloody fullbacks, Jon David Ritchie.

Skill behind the wheel of a raging race car always inspired me more than anything with a ball or stick. That being said, football has forever been my favorite of the four major U.S games. Baseball, basketball and hockey have never reduced me to a raving lunatic like pro football. I am, after all, from Pennsylvania - first place to ever pay a man to play the game.

On most weekends in the winter my corner of Allentown asphalt, young turks would select a patch of frozen turf on which to wage the game. We’d layer on the thermal, sweaters and jerseys of our favorites (I was Fred Biletnikoff: 25), comb the field for rocks or dog droppings, choose sides and knock the snot out of each other all afternoon. We hoped for snow to cushion the blow. The injured were shamed back into play and those who begged out were roundly ridiculed. It remains a rite of passage in Pennsylvania. I later recognized this same “never too cold to have fun” attitude at those early eastern openers at Reading, Bridgeport and Hagerstown. Some of the same people who brave frozen football stadiums in Penn State and Philadelphia stand also on Beer Hill at The Grove.

The reasons about why football appeals to auto racers and their brethren are vast. First off, eighteen weeks of professional games fall perfectly between what is traditionally the off-season of U.S racing. In some years, the Super Bowl (NFL finale) has gone off mere days and miles from the year’s first Florida sprint car race. Secondly, football is a violent collision sport like auto racing; far less deadly yet far more destructive to body and mind.

That last point was pounded home by a recent profile of John Mackey, drafted out of Syracuse University to revolutionize the “tight end” position as a Baltimore Colt. A decade of meeting linebackers now finds Mackey suffering dementia like Mike Webster, the great Pittsburgh Steeler center who, according to autopsy, accumulated the equivalent of “25,000 car crashes.”

Auto racing has no cautionary tale like Webster or Mackey; no one on a slow degenerative path to mental illness such as a prize fighter. In racing, head injuries are swift and severe. The incomparable Jan Opperman took two blows to the brain (Hoosier Hundred ’76 and Jennerstown ‘81) and remained incoherent for most of his remaining days. Travis Rutz is right now in the same Methodist Hospital as Opperman was 33 years ago. Rutz regains movement a little each day.

The affects of comparatively minor concussions is a study that football was forced to make. Webster’s family was awarded 1.18 million dollars. Most of us can name a racer knocked unconscious who climbed back in just as soon as the car (rather than the brain) was fixed. John Heydenreich and Dennis Moore spring to mind. Even a junior high quarterback has to bluff a team doctor before he gets to put the helmet back on. By contrast, has a car ever been parked simply because its driver has amnesia? I only saw it once in 1996 near the litigation capital of Los Angeles when a mysterious man in a trench coat stepped between Richard Griffin and his third ride of the night, looked deep in his eyes and waved his hands in the air the way a boxing referee stops a fight.

The fast kid from Silver City, New Mexico who grew to be The Gas Man, Griffin has been five years out of the saddle, which qualifies him as candidate for the hall of fame. Another parallel between sprint racing and football is that such selections come at the close of the calendar year. Does The Gas Man get in? I believe that he will, though maybe not immediately. In racing and football, that immediacy is important to people who view anything longer than a First Ballot slam dunk as some backhanded compliment.

I am not one of those people. When a person’s plaque hits the hall, there is no distinction that it came by first, second or third ballot. It simply does not matter. What should matter is that for every knee jerk reaction to someone’s 50th birthday (the other criteria with death), another old guy gets forgotten. I do not feel as strongly for Richard Griffin as I do about Bobbie Adamson, Johnny Anderson, Jimmy Boyd, Gene Brown, Bobby Davis, Frankie Kerr, Charlie Lloyd, Jon Singer and Gary Wright.

From the Pittsburgh suburb of Corapolis, Bobbie Adamson came east to drag central Pennsylvania kicking and screaming into the sprint car era. He and Wilbur Hawthorne won 23 times during that pivotal 1967 campaign capped at Ascot Park when they showed what a wing could do. Just as good without a cage over his head, Bob beat IMCA on the Tampa sand and Allentown cinders. Adamson won the Williams Grove National Open in 1968, and teamed with Al Hamilton to be the biggest winners on the very first All Star circuit of 1970.

Johnny Anderson of Sacramento, California is another pioneer of the late-60s shift from square supermodifieds to round-tail sprint cars. That same sprint car set off a second revolution in Australia, which should merit some extra U.S credit. John won at Calistoga with and without a roll cage, and won on the Phoenix mile asphalt. Summoned to the fledgling World of Outlaws in 1979 by Sacramento neighbor Ken Woodruff, he won at East Bay, Tulsa and Champaign on his first trips. He won the Gold Cup in ‘74 and again in 1980 just five weeks before a massive head injury rendered John half the racer he used to be.

Jimmy Boyd from Hayward, California was Woodruff’s driver before Anderson. They are most famous for winning the first World of Outlaws final in 1978, but Boyd had long been a star. Eleven years earlier, Jim became a Calistoga NARC winner without a roll cage, later conquering San Jose pavement as well. Drifting east in the early-70s, Boyd came home with a Charlie Lloyd-built dagger that was a full second faster than any of supers that trailed him at the Gold Cup of 1973. Moving to Pennsylvania for two seasons, Boyd won on both Groves, New York and New Jersey. Home again, Boyd and Woodruff helped develop sprint racing in Washington, where Jim won three Dirt Cups. They dropped south to Ascot Park and beat CRA. They won in Knoxville and Nebraska. Upon parting with Woodruff, Boyd continued to win for six years, embracing wings at the new Baylands Raceway Park. For extra credit, Jim married Jay Opperman’s widow.

Gene Brown from Phoenix, Arizona won anything Manzanita Speedway had to offer: sprint cars without roll cages, midgets with roll cages, supermodifieds with wings, quarter-mile, half-mile or the dirt mile at the state fairgrounds. “Tiger” won at least one sprint race at Manzanita for eleven solid seasons. For the first Pacific Coast Open at Ascot in 1972, Brown defeated six Hall of Fame names in Gurney, Hogle, Oskie, Thompson, Weld and Wilkerson. Sprint car numbers for Anderson and Brown would loom larger had they not divided time as some of their region’s finest midget racers. The National Sprint Car Hall of Fame now contains Davey Brown, Don Brown and Allan Brown. The time has come to add Gene “Tiger” Brown.

Memphis, Tennessee’s Bobby Davis Jr. was the complete package who “could take a pile of tubing to victory lane” as Bob Weikert once said. When he was 15, little Bobby was garage rat to his dad’s Davis Electric sprint car built by Tommy Sanders and driven by Sammy Swindell, jumping in the rig whenever school allowed. By the time he began, Bob was wise beyond his years. It took less than two full seasons to become the first 18-year old winner of a World of Outlaws race. Before he won another, Davis was off to central Pennsylvania to pound out 25 wins in 75 Weikert Livestock starts in 1983. After one season, Bob began pursuing an outlaw championship that took six years largely because Bob’s career labored under the shadow of Steve Kinser, Sammy Swindell and Doug Wolfgang. That three-headed hydra even haunted Bob’s biggest accomplishments like his ’86 Western World (Wolfgang was disqualified), 1989 Kings Royal (Doug and Sammy got wrecked) and only outlaw, which came during something of a strike season. Davis did not dominate but became a Top Five fixture with numbing efficiency, especially satisfying to someone who often served as his own crew chief. Also recognize how Ford dealer Casey Luna required Davis to drag an extra 60 pounds for three years. During an earlier three-year stretch, everyone at the East Bay Winter Nationals left Florida with less money than Bobby Davis Jr.

Frankie Kerr from the Philadelphia suburb of Bensalem, Pennsylvania was another complete package. When he was a kid in quarter midgets, Frank was already building and selling engines to the competition. To the end of his driving career, Kerr remained a rare bird by rebuilding his team’s engines. Frankie won more races with brains than balls by learning to grip some the slickest dirt. Before twice breaking his back, when he was a 22-year old with 454 cubic inches of modified motor, Frankie Kerr let it rip around the rim. Few adapted as quickly from a 2600-pound Gremlin to 1400-pound Buckley. In his tenth time in a sprint car, Kerr became a Selinsgrove winner. It took him a dozen races at Williams Grove to win, closing that rookie 1983 season with a $10,000 win on the Nazareth mile. Upon boarding the Bob Fetter Ford, he moved to Selinsgrove and seemed content to knock off his URC once in a while. Teaming with Stan Shoff changed Kerr’s life. He relocated to Fremont, Ohio to better chase the All Star Circuit of Champions. Acting as crew chief to a car that never fell out, Kerr’s consistency was epic: 501 of 591 All Star races ended with him in the Top Five. To try to match his points seemed pointless as four years ended with Frank as champ. His wingless record was remarkable: 13 wins in 37 A-mains. During the great pavement scare of ’91-92, Kerr took his common sense to asphalt and became the fastest man at Flemington or Kansas City. Can you name another sprint racer who won with the World of Outlaws, All Stars, USAC, CRA, SCRA, NCRA, IRA, URC and AWOL?

Did you know that all 1979-1980 World of Outlaw wins by Lynn Paxton, Smokey Snellbaker, Kramer Williamson, Allen Klinger and Bill Stief occurred in cars from Lloyd Enterprises in Highspire, Pennsylvania? Charlie Lloyd and his son Mike came ashore from hydroplane boat racing to revolutionize The Grove. As a driver, Mike won four of five Selinsgrove shows to end 1973 but after two years, he surrendered the seat. California’s Jim Edwards won six times in three years (worse than Mike) and in the summer of ’77, the Lloyds began a legendary six-year run with Larry Snellbaker that netted 62 checkereds highlighted by the National Open, Tuscarora 50 and Syracuse Super Nationals. Lloyd thrived beneath skinny 4x4 wings, lowering the right sideboard to increase air flow, and shifting it to the left to better drive that corner with the 312 inches of the KARS era. In this department, Charlie went to such extremes that Smokey began carrying the right front wheel down The Grove’s pipeline chutes; a tactic still in vogue.

Such mechanical innovations or contributions to winning automobiles are difficult to quantify. In that respect, sprint car crewmen are like offensive linemen in football because there are few statistics to measure them. Only the winning team can know who steers the ship and who is along for the ride. A good crew chief is a good coach. And like a coach, sometimes their best work happens with the least talent. When a winning driver chooses a chief mechanic and continues to win, the mechanic will compile impressive numbers but less respect than if they had won less with someone of lesser ability. Adding to this fog of dispensing accolades is the uncertainty of exactly when a certain mechanic played on a particular team.

All of that aside, Jon Singer of Tipton, Missouri belongs in the hall. During my Davis research, I realized how a persuasive case can be made for Tom Sanders but for now, Singer is the subject. The man walked with Jesus for Christ’s sake and absolutely helped Jan Opperman become a mythic figure. Most agree that the 1976 Tony Hulman Classic victory over USAC by the outlaw Opperman was a watershed moment. Well, without Singer staying up all night to make chicken salad from a chicken shit 302, Jan would have been wiping oil off his moccasins. Jan and Jon first joined forces for a successful summer of ’71 in central Pennsylvania that culminated at the Knoxville Nationals. Singer won Nationals again in 1976 with Eddie Leavitt and Fred Aden. He helped Roger Rager into the 1980 Indianapolis 500, Shane Carson into the Knoxville Nationals, and Ron Shuman’s orange Ofixco cars at times. When Wolfgang assembled his dream team in 1989, Doug enlisted Singer to build engines that won 43 of 80 including another Knoxville Nationals. In recent local business, Jon Singer assembled the 360 that propelled Josh Fisher to the Winged Outlaw Warrior championship of 2009.

The stigma of 360 racing in an era when 410s still rule the turnstiles will prove interesting as that climate continues to change. Despite considerable 410 accomplishments early in his career, Gary Wright of Hooks, Texas was expected to be a 360 test balloon. Racing the Masters Classic this year signifies Gary as a 50-year old candidate for 2010 induction. He should be as automatic as anyone with 318 wins in a division that was not even Gary’s first choice. In 1993, he took a seat on the NCRA 410 throne and stayed for seven years. After switching to 360s like any good businessman along the Texas/Arkansas line, Wright added four consecutive crowns against ASCS. Also in ’93, he defeated the World of Outlaws, All Star Circuit of Champions and Interstate Racing Association. Told that the recent induction of URC 360 king Glenn Fitzcharles might help his case, Wright said, “Who?”

Just for kicks, I pieced together my own football dream team from those not yet in the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio. On offense, my guards are Russ Grimm and Steve Wisniewski, tackles are Tony Boselli and Jimbo Covert, and Jay Hilgenberg centers the ball to Ken Stabler, who hands to Roger Craig or Herschel Walker, fires deep to Cliff Branch or short to Allentown’s Andre Reed or tight end Russ Francis. To stop such a juggernaut, I’d send Charles Haley and Ed "Too Tall" Jones around the edges while Joe Klecko plugged the run. In my 3-4, Pat Swilling, Cornelius Bennett, Karl Mecklenburg and Sam Mills would play linebacker, safeties are Steve Atwater and Nolan Cromwell, and Albert Lewis and Lester Hayes act as shutdown corners. If I ever need a punter, Ray Guy’s the guy.

The punter has proven to be the best player on the last seven versions of the Oakland Raiders. And when Shane Lechler hits the mammoth video screen of the new Cowboy Stadium, it might be the highlight of the Raider season.

On my typically atypical path through 100-person towns that require three houses of worship, I was struck by a way to lessen America’s money trouble. California’s pending legalization and taxation of marijuana is of course, an idea too good to suppress any longer. But what if we were to tax churches? Half would go out of the business of selling salvation, and then those nice abandoned buildings could become affordable housing.

Radical ideas always percolate at 4979 West 13th Street, Speedway, IN, 46224 or (317) 607.7841.

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Autumn Arrives

2009-10-02T09:21:00.001-04:00

By Kevin Eckert

October 2, 2009 Speedway, Indiana: Hoosier State sprint car devotees have long included Eldora Speedway as part of Indiana. In physical terms, Rossburg, Ohio is only 15 miles from Union City, Indiana. And spiritually speaking, Eldora has forever provided the high speed proving ground of the type of traditional open cockpit competition that is Indiana’s identity.

The shadow of a roll cage had yet to cross a sprint car in 1962 when USAC champions Jim Hurtubise and Parnelli Jones first visited Eldora and were dusted by Little York, Indiana’s Stan Bowman, the first Terre Haute fatality two months later. In the 47 years since Stan’s upset, every Eldora season has included a USAC visit. An annual rite of winter was a cold spring afternoon (Jan Opperman won in ’74 with nose broken by a frozen clump), summer shows under the lights and for nine autumns in a row, Eldora USAC activity closed with Sunday afternoon Twin 50s.

The last Twin 50s at Eldora were shared by Larry Dickson and Sheldon Kinser in 1980 when USAC sprint numbers plummeted. Then as now, pavement proved as unpopular as a 355 engine in a “run whatcha brung” world. Motor rules relaxed to accept local iron. That pivotal 1980 season was also the first in USAC history to award champ car points on half-miles at Williams Grove, Tulsa and Terre Haute. Beyond his backstretch, Eldora’s Earl Baltes had been building a mile for champ cars among other things. But once USAC consented to run Big Cars on half-miles, Baltes booked two dates beginning with the ’81 opener for ABC-TV.

The second Eldora champ car race provided the final 50 laps of the first Four Crown Nationals: USAC Silver Crown, USAC Sprints, USAC Midgets and USAC Stock Cars on one ticket. Yes, children, USAC once had a semi-viable fender class. This year’s World 100 winner Bart Hartman is the son of a Butch who won five straight titles. By adopting contemporary late model skin, USAC delayed its execution. To fans, it barely mattered because Four Crown is an open wheel festival. Stock cars were never more than a distraction, though it was cool when Billy Moyer blew in from Pittsburgh on Sunday morning to start last and blitz the field. Once full fenders perished, Baltes substituted UMP modifieds that continued through the rain-soaked 2007 edition under Tony Stewart, the new boss who began the next two with World of Outlaws on Friday as a Four Crown weekend.

Midgets never enjoyed solid footing under Earl. Until his first Four Crown, the screaming four-cylinders had only run five Eldora events. Frankly, they scared Earl as much as anyone with an ounce of concern for flesh and blood. After the first Four Crowns went without incident, Baltes added two years of WWAR midgets until a brutal backstretch calamity paralyzed Jeff Nuckles in 1984. Despite the advances of safety in 25 years, everyone at Eldora still holds their breath knowing that any midget that starts to flip will do so for a sickeningly long time. During qualifying in 1986, Joe Corrigan covered most of the frontstretch and last year, Ricky Stenhouse struck the concrete exiting the second corner and landed near turn three.

Eldora midgets may be as frightening as on the Phoenix mile but just like at PIR, they are almost always the best part of Four Crown’s asphalt equivalent: Copper Classic. Last year’s Eldora midget match between J.J Yeley and Dave Darland was an absolute classic as they traded the lead four times per lap for six mesmerizing miles. After an ambulance shipped Stenhouse, they went right back at it until Yeley ultimately prevailed.

USAC midgets were so good at Eldora in 2008 that fans partially excused the weak sprint and champ car races that followed. If dusty sprint racing and rubbery champ car chicken is what we must swallow for a spectacular midget race, hand me the goggles. This year however, even Eldora midgets blew, and I don’t mean dust.

Part of that was Brad Sweet’s fault. He reminded me of Stenhouse (without the violence) because each attacked Eldora at World of Outlaws warp speed with 410 cubic inches less than 24 hours before squeezing everything from 174ci. The difference in speed is vast. Sweet’s first DirectTV hook-up circled at 13.07 compared to 16.88 in the Mopar midget, which must look like a 100mph change-up to a batter looking for fastballs. From the start of his heat, Sweet drove a Spike through the heart of all in his wake, though Brad Kuhn kept him in sight.

Brad Sweet’s appearance in the World of Outlaws ride previously reserved for Craig Dollansky was a hot topic, as is anything pertaining to NASCAR-funded Super Teams. Before the 2009 season, the winged side of Kasey Kahne Racing matched Tony Stewart Racing by adding a second team. As with TSR and Donny Schatz, KKR’s choice was an already-established package: hard-drivin’ Dollansky and his seasoned crew of Mike Woodring and Lester Groves. Rather than impose products on guys who routinely outran Joey Saldana in 2008, KKR converted Saldana to the Maxims favored by Dollansky. The shock package however, can never be questioned. Willie Kahne builds those for WoO and USAC sides of the shop. As the 2009 outlaw season has transpired, the Joe/Willie combination has clearly balanced its Maxims under the new wing rules better than Dollansky and Woodring understood their new components. Woodring was handed his walking papers at Burlington, Iowa in July. Dollansky lasted two more months until the Wednesday he promoted in Spencer, Iowa. Two nights later when the DirectTV Maxim pushed out at Eldora, it had Sweet in the seat. KKR appears headed away from any USAC commitment for 2010, though Kahne seems committed to versatile Mr. Sweet.

In this last month of the season, Kahne and Saldana have a very real possibility of replacing Stewart and Schatz as champions of the World of Outlaws. With eight events remaining, 38 points separate leader Donny Schatz, second-place Jason Meyers and the circuit’s biggest winner, Saldana. KKR has yet to be a championship organization. But an acquisition by millionaires Kahne or Stewart would not inspire like one by Elite Racing, built by Meyers through the sale, finance, development and landscaping of central California. And where KKR abandoned its in-house JEI chassis, Meyers pioneered a KPC from (Steve) Kent Performance Center and convinced Charlie Garrett to make Elite exclusive to his Pennsylvania horsepower.

About his KKR termination, Mike Woodring said simply, “There were things that I wanted to do to the car that I was not allowed to do.” The eight-time Empire Super Sprint champ hastily assembled a Maxim that he numbered “59” as a Thank You to Tom Leidic, who provided the truck and trailer that Mike pulled from Ohsweken to Oskaloosa, Knoxville Nationals, Grand Forks, Sioux Falls, Superior and Cedar Lake for Erin Crocker. This past weekend, Woodring had one of five rigs at Eldora on Friday and Fremont on Saturday night. Also making that 140-mile tow were Dean Jacobs and nephew Lee, Sam Hafertepe and Chad Kemenah (who won) but only Erin and Sam made each A-main. This weekend, Dollansky reunites with Woodring and Lester Groves at Williams Grove’s National Open as Mike Heffner’s teammate to Keith Kauffman.

USAC hopes to mimic the World of Outlaws by gathering a dozen drivers or so into something resembling a Mean 15. On its face, the idea of “building a brand” by secluding stars from $1400-to-win slave wages has merit. But the best way that Ted Johnson kept point chasers from non-point appearances was a weary 100-race schedule. After a few years, Steve Kinser no longer wished to waste his night off at Bloomington Speedway like Cole Whitt just did. When a driver commits to the World of Outlaws, he or she is saying, “This is what I do for a living.” The day USAC creates a 60-race dirt sprint schedule for a $50,000 championship is the day when racers come running to be in the Mean 15 or Sweet 16 or 17 will get you 20.

Outlaw announcer John Gibson caught two Eldora events on successive evenings after an early Lernerville postponement to Saturday, October 31. The new date is the only weekend without Pittsburgh Steelers football, which can only help Lernerville. John (Stallworth) Gibson explained the new rule regarding extra curricular activity states that none of its Elite Eight with perfect attendance can run a sprint race anywhere which does not have the World of Outlaws on its schedule.

Snohomish, Washington’s Drew Church won Friday’s feature for winged NSRA 360 sprint cars on the asphalt at Meridian, Idaho. Drew’s dad Vern Church was a commercial airline pilot who beat Sandusky supers with an upright (Ohio 1975), ran the Knoxville Nationals (1980) and tried a USAC champ car at Phoenix in 2000.

Theo McCarty, an Arizona racer who ran Mexico’s only World of Outlaws race (Juarez 1992), won Friday’s wingless 360 race at Cottage Grove Speedway from his home in Hillsboro, Oregon.

Indigenous to Idaho, eight-time Indianapolis 500 starter Davey Hamilton has relocated from Las Vegas to Jamestown, Indiana for the sake of a son’s education, Indy 500 and one-third partnership to the beleaguered Terre Haute Action Track. Hamilton has also competed in more open wheel events in 2009 than any year in ten: six sprint and midget races with Western Speed, three supermod starts and three champ car races for fellow supermodified product Jim Paternoster. Saturday saw Davey do two divisions in Roseville, California.

All American asphalt attracted dirt talents Tyler Walker (Kaiser 1) and Kyle Larson (Finkenbinder 3f) to Roseville. In three times on tar this year, Tyler has three Top Sevens.

All American was dirt until 1970 when the first BCRA midget meet was won by Karl Raggio in the Rosen 30. Rosen midgets met USAC at Roseville with Ken Nichols (third in ’73), BCRA with Jimmy Screeton (first in ‘90) and fifth Saturday under Tony Hunt.

Seven of the last eight events for USAC 360 sprint cars at the All American Speedway in Roseville have been won by the sons of Madera supermodified legend Mike Swanson.

Tijeras, New Mexico’s 14-year old Joshua Hodges won Saturday’s wingless NMMRA 360 show at Show Low, Arizona. Hodges has raced 27 times on ten tracks in five states with ASCS 360 and Renegade 305 from Waco to Wyoming’s Sweetwater Speedway where he became an ASCS Rocky Mountain winner.

Saturday marked Jeff Swindell’s first feature win at the I-30 Speedway in Little Rock, Arkansas since 1990 NCRA action in the Catcam Schnee 511 of John Sabolich and Roger Leeskamp, the crew chief who helped Terry McCarl win Terre Haute this week. That 19-year gap between I-30 victories is misleading because Swindell was absent in the 13 years before the last two Short Track Nationals. Two years from now when Jeff Swindell turns 50 and is eligible for the Hall of Fame, it will be interesting to see if winning from Dirt Cup to Florida Winter Nationals looms larger than his brother’s sizable shadow, just as Mark Kinser’s numbers will be prejudiced by his famous father.

Open Wheel Times credits Jeff Swindell with 125 sprint and champ car checkereds on 55 speedways in 25 states from Skagit, Washington to Medford, Oregon; California courses at Chico, Calistoga, San Jose, Baylands, Santa Maria, Hanford and Ascot; Arizona arenas of Manzanita, Firebird and Canyon; Las Vegas, Nevada; Erie, Colorado; Billings, Montana; Fargo, North Dakota; three Texas tracks in Houston and Dallas; Oklahoma ovals at Lawton, Tulsa and Oklahoma City; Eagle, Nebraska; Knoxville and Davenport, Iowa; Wisconsin at Cedar Lake and Hales Corners; DuQuoin and Hinsdale, Illinois; Missouri at Farmington, Odessa and West Plains; Arkansas arenas at Texarkana, Little Rock and West Memphis; Paducah, Kentucky; Indiana at Paragon, Haubstadt and the Indy Mile; Eldora, Ohio; Pennsylvania paths at Williams Grove, Port Royal, Lernerville and Pittsburgh; New York at Lebanon Valley and Rolling Wheels; native Tennessee tracks in Memphis, Bargerton, Hohenwald and Summertown; Gadsen, Alabama; Chatsworth, Georgia; and Florida facilities at Jacksonville, Tampa and East Bay.

Granted, Jeff Swindell was no Steve Butler or Glenn Fitzcharles. But a strong case for inclusion can be made.

Shane Stewart turned from Okie to Hoosier to better chase a World of Outlaws circuit of which he is no longer part. Five years ago when Rudeen Racing was powered by mIn, Shane insisted on XYZ brakes by Tim Norman. This year, Norman designed a chassis to accommodate a Joe Gaerte 360 that Stewart steered to a $9000 victory in the Canadian Sprint Nationals at Ohsweken, Ontario. Saturday in Wheatland, Missouri marked Shane’s ninth win on eight tracks in two countries this season.

South Lineville, Missouri was the dateline of my last column as I met Winged Outlaw Warriors in Grain Valley. The National Speedway Directory under my seat was from 2004, before Grain Valley directions existed. But since the eastern Kansas City suburb occupies only one exit, I peeled off I-70 and looked for a sign. There were none for Valley Speedway but one for Grain Valley Motorsports Park, an ATV course that did indeed contain the desired quarter-mile oval.

Valley Speedway looks better suited to midgets like the SMRS, MARA and POWRi programs won there by Luke Icke, Toby Brown, Brady Bacon, Donnie Lehmann, Cody Brewer, Greg Lueckert and Mike Hess. Valley victory was one of 17 by Brad Loyet this year. In its first four seasons, Valley waved WOW checkereds over Eric Schrock, Randy Martin and Brian Brown, the hometown hero who ran off with his 2009 heat race.

Just when I wondered whether Jesse Hockett might wander 100 miles from Warsaw, I spotted Frankenstein, which is Jesse’s name for a chassis clipped front and rear with the remains of dead cars. It was born at the beginning of the decade when Dover’s Danny Lasoski was designing station wagons. Another extended Eagle haunts these parts with Tom McGarry. Hockett’s roll cage is so long that a 5x5 wing looks like it belongs over the nose.

Soon as he saw me, Jesse laughed, as did Brown; always a good greeting. As we watched the last set of hot laps (WOW pulled 23 cars), Hockett addressed the disappointment of flipping from the lead at Calistoga five days before. Upside-down before he could blink, Jesse wondered if the rear suspension might have failed.

“So did Hart leave a bolt out of the shock?” I asked Hockett of Harold Main’s wingless wizard Rob Hart. Hockett grinned slightly and shook his head, attributing his loss at the Louie Vermeil Classic to pure pilot error.

Rocket Hockett lost his Valley heat to Bradlee Ryun, progressing from 305 to 360 with some ex-Kantor Oil inventory. WOW brings the Top Six to the frontstretch to play poker for position, perfect for Scotty Cook to thank the Isle of Capri casino. Ryun drew the pole. Josh Fisher however, slapped the kid on the start and never trailed. Through countless cautions, Fisher was flawless to his seventh win in 29 starts with a 360 assembled by Hall of Fame-worthy Jon Singer of Tipton.

Chris Walker wedged himself under a rail and tow truck operators stood baffled. During the long yellow, Taylor Walton chugged to a stop and Dakota Carroll climbed his left rear. The little girl was livid and had to be restrained, which stirs several thoughts such as, “If a female racer punches a male, what recourse does he have?” Go ask Amy Gray how Jack Hewitt would vote.

Hockett made no friends in Grain Valley, storming under Cody Baker and Brian Brown in turn three but unable to clear the Factory Value Parts Maxim until Brownie braked hard.

“Was that dirty?” Jesse asked on a red flag.

“Oh yeah,” I told him. “You weren’t even close.”

Rather than remorse, Hockett showed Ryun a right rear that spooked the teenager into surrendering more spots. One week later, Bradlee raced both Valley nights of the Weld Family Memorial in a 305 with and without wings.

Brown yelled to WOW director Randy Combs to open one of the red flags, a request Randy may have refused simply because it was Brian who suggested it. Randy’s regulars regularly get humiliated by Brown. To allow Brian’s crew to service his car would have been unpopular. Before the finish, Brown shut it down with no brakes or methanol.

Sedalia’s Jonathan Cornell is the latest to trace the time-honored path from Kansas City to Knoxville like Weld, Lasoski and Brown. After closing Knoxville with three wins, Cornell came to Grain Valley to vault from tenth to second before Hockett retrieved runner-up. Frankenstein was the only non-Maxim in the Top Five.

Kansas City’s Bobby Layne was in the house! The 54-year old machinist ran the very first World of Outlaws race at Devil’s Bowl (’78) and won the 1979 version of Cheaters Day on the Sioux Empire Fairgrounds. Bob ran the ’78 Missouri State Fair at Sedalia alongside Curtis Evans, another 2009 Valley dweller. After a stint in modifieds, Layne brought a Yamaha Beast that finished fourth in a 1200cc feature won by Mark Billings. I was happy to have watched the little creatures (Lauren Klem won at 600cc) because their races proved far better than the 360 sprint cars.

New tracks “ain’t” free. We explorers often suffer for our craft. If you lift a lot of rocks, some snake will eventually bite. Grain Valley’s endless string of spins and skirmishes sent me screaming down the highway. With all the wisdom of hindsight, I should have teamed with Scotty Cook for an excursion to Eagle where Jesse “The Rocket” Hockett and Tony “The Pimp” Bruce feverishly split lapped cars in a Nebraska Cup ultimately hoisted by Bruce Jr.

I had a better idea, at least on paper. Since it had been 30 days since I had last seen sprint cars in their natural state, Terre Haute seemed necessary. It had also been a long 60 days since I hoisted a Hacker-Pshorr with Aero or my favorite drag racer, Akili Smith. Akili’s roommate Brad Sweet skipped Terre Haute to stay at Gold Cup, and Bryan Clauson chose to chase National Midget Driver of the Year by sweeping Illinois POWRi programs at Morgan County and Spoon River. Bryan Gapinski must’ve been proud.

Sweet and Clauson were pleased to choose Chico and Canton because Terre Haute is still a mess. Men of the soil such as Bubby Jones and Tom Helfrich have worked the half-mile to no avail. Even the chutes are cratered and rippled. The famous Action Track was heavier but rougher than during Indiana Sprint Week. Drivers could enter high and hard but had to chase their nose on exit, unable to get next to each other for fear of getting tossed. Everyone was “doin’ tank slappers” as Jim (McMahon) LeConte might say. Jonathan Hendrick darted all over the backstretch and watched his left front sheared away by J.C Bland. Both executed lazy flips that could have been catastrophic.

Sunday saw the Terre Haute Action Track become the scene of medical action. The occasion was a winged All Star 410 race twice rained out in July. To its credit, Action Promotions felt it owed the All Stars a race, to the point of hastily adding a third rain date. Terre Haute’s heritage may have been forged on Sunday afternoons, but its Action Track is no longer any place for a day race. Down the backstretch is due west into the sun.

Sunday in the dust and glare, prone leader David Gravel was drilled by Miranda Throckmorton and Travis Rutz. Miranda ripped up fence and flag stand, shortening the race but suffering no injury. Less than 48 hours after the strongest race of his rookie 410 season (seventh w/WoO at Eldora), David was headed home to Connecticut with fractured vertebrae.

Travis took the worst beating and was airlifted to Indianapolis in critical condition. Monday placed him in an induced coma. Tuesday surgery stopped an artery leak behind his left eye. “Roots” was a Skagit 410 winner with Kevin Rudeen, who promptly flew the kid’s mom to Indy with the Anderson brothers. Half the Pacific Northwest is praying for the kid from Langley, British Columbia.

Rutz had been wrapping his first excursion east of Swift Current, Saskatchewan. In three successive weeks, Travis topped an Alberta A-main in Edmonton, did the Canadian Sprint Nationals and won the C-main at Eldora before an ill-fated Indiana debut.

Terre Haute’s conclusion to the All Star season found Daron Clayton edging Gravel and Ryan Bunton for a Rookie of the Year award worth $10,000. There had to be nights this summer when Clayton considered kickin’ it sideways. But he steadfastly refused, perhaps to show how Indiana wingless fans miss him more than he misses Indiana wingless racing.

Cajun-turned-Texan Jason Johnson scored second Saturday behind Shane Stewart and came 400 miles overnight from Wheatland to Terre Haute, where he swapped from 360 to 410 to finish fifth.

Yes, IBRACN, I be aware of the second Jason Johnson in Wisconsin that skewers my stats. At present, Open Wheel Times is not able to differentiate between two drivers of the same name. But thank you for thanking me.

Wisconsin’s 13th annual Frank Filskov Memorial for winged IRA 410 cars was won Saturday in Sheboygen County by Mike Kertscher. Filskov found victory lane eleven times with IRA at Wilmot, Santa Fe and Beaver Dam before his 1996 demise at Hartford, Michigan. Before using eight cylinders, Frank began in midgets, finishing seventh against USAC at Hales Corners (1978) and touring as far as Huron, South Dakota and Cannon River, Minnesota.

If I attended a midget race that pulled 15 cars and Badger jacked around with meaningless heats and dashes just before the A-main rained out, I’d be mad as a wet hornet! Beaver Dam’s Billy Wood Memorial was the second such BMARA infraction this year. Sure, they split the money evenly between competitors, which is the right thing to do. As for the fans, they took it in the shorts.

In this age of dwindling car counts, it might be wise to reconsider the conventional racing program. Twin 20s with inverted starts are a far better bang for the buck than a dash to determine nothing.

By comparison, the MSCS weekend at Bloomington and Haubstadt had to trim 65 and 46-car fields to 20. Bloomington was brutal: 11-car heats to transfer two, followed by B-mains that promoted four of 20. Some of those left standing were Jeff Bland, Bryan Clauson, Damion Gardner, Darren Hagen, Tracy Hines, Hunter Schuerenberg, Brady Short, Casey Shuman, Cole Whitt and Chris Windom.

Bloomington was in better shape in 2009 for MSCS than USAC. The red clay retained moisture longer, though the towering ledge was unusable in three and four and the only safe path through turns one and two was narrow. The first corner threw Logan Hupp and Justin Grant down the hill for lengthy extrications. It was an unfortunate way for Justin to begin for the Baldwin brothers, who shipped Dene McAllan home to Western Australia. Eight days after his Bloomington flip, Grant’s eyes were still beet red.

Dave Darland’s flip made clear that Scott Benic’s “half bar” car skips no better than a four-bar when a driver strikes one of Bloomington’s stiff infield markers. Fourth at Eldora in the “standard” Benic Big Max, Darland closed Four Crown with his fourth win in six years with the Foxco 355.

Waynesfield, Ohio on Sunday marked Jon Stanbrough’s fourth win in the last five weeks. Terre Haute was a $5000 gift. Jon struggled to pass Chase Stockon as Levi Jones and Jerry Coons walked away. But the former shredded his right rear and the latter starved for fuel. Bloomington saw Stanbrough school Eric Smith on a restart. Coons circled Smith before Jerry followed Jon to the bottom. Bobby Stines stayed upstairs for third-place.

Illinois midget champion Mike Hess scored second in his Bloomington MSCS heat and seventh in his first look at the new Lawrenceburg Speedway high banks. Hess had been on its old quarter-mile twice in sprints and once with a midget.

Hines missed an MSCS transfer in one of the Kraig Kinser Maxims that Tracy has handled since Oskaloosa. Hines skipped Haubstadt to take his own midget to Columbus, numbering it “05” in some point partnership with Joe Loyet. Hines has fielded his own midget since the last TSR Chevy shit itself on the Belleville High Banks. Second-place at Eldora was Tracy’s best dirt sprint finish since Indiana Sprint Week 2008 at Kamp.

Bloomington sanctions poor taste by allowing redneck vendors to sell the Confederate flag. Paragon’s Keith Ford would see no problem but Mike Miles should be a better man. Of course, J.R Todd insisted on flying one all the way from Monroe County to Gibson County. I called him Clayton Bigsby after the blind white supremacist as black as Dave Chappelle or J.R.

South on 37 past Briscoe Mobile Homes in Mitchell, I wondered how many sprint car wins came out of Dick and Kevin’s shop. The best answer I could calculate was 134 between Kevin Briscoe (99), Jack Hewitt (12), Randy Kinser (11), Steve Butler (5), Dick Gaines (2), Kevin Huntley (2), Dave Blaney (Volusia), Andy Hillenburg (Bloomington) and Chase Briscoe.

As a travelers tip, Starbucks still has a coffee bar in Bedford just east of where 50 crosses 37 near the Stone City Mall that houses an awesome auto racing museum. In less than a year, I’ve lost three Starbucks within three miles of home. If all remaining franchises stayed open 24 hours like the one at 70 & 41 in Terre Haute, roads would have more alert drivers. Sorry to sound like Peter King, a lover of football and coffee that I read every week at www.si.com.

MSCS lost 19 cars in 24 hours but added Byhalia, Mississippi’s Jan Howard to Tri-State Speedway. Jan ran three Tri-State All Star races beginning with second to Danny Smith in 2002. Howard has won half of his 14 wingless starts with 305 cubic inches.

Haubstadt heat races were five bundles of joy. Demon Gardner won his hot lap session and opening heat over Darland; Clauson baited Windom lap after lap down low until opening his Gaerte around the rim off the final corner; Blake Fitzpatrick stopped out-hustled Hunter, Stanbrough could not unseat Nic Faas and Wise was way sideways to stop Short. Martinsville meteorologist John Jones warned that if Helfrich did his normal reconditioning, rain would claim the MSCS A-main. Aero and Bob Clauson had already taken their beer to Putnamville because Haubstadt weather looked grim. Such second-guessing caused Bob to miss seeing his grandson win Ten Grand.

Bryan Clauson came into Tri-State Speedway seething. Bloomington had been only his second outdoor start in 65 where he failed to transfer. That wound was fresher than the pain of Bryan’s last trip to Tri-State when he lost the race and Sprint Week to Levi by scant feet. Clauson caught Fitzpatrick on lap 20 of 50 and dropped into defensive mode. Wise tried to burrow Indiana Underground but Bryan had none of it. With any justice, Clauson will be Driver of the Year for the Hoosier Auto Racing Fans.

Before the top went away, a fine four-car joust ended when Scotty Weir clipped the XXX that Darrin Smith built for Robert Ballou before his MPHG release. Though the accident was reminiscent of Robert wrecking Stanbrough last summer, Ballou had to let everyone know that Weir was responsible.

After the checkered, I exited Tri-State’s backstretch bleachers, passed its diligent party police, and thought Haubstadt had let me down with a 50-lapper that was 20 too many. Immediately, it began to rain, so I let Helfrich off the hook. In fact, it rained all the way home. I parked at Patoka Lake (spooking a wolf with my headlights) but the storm proved too loud to sleep.

Bloomington, Indiana’s Ty Deckard began his career in 2005 with an ex-Steve Kinser Maxim and used SKR horsepower to win his first USAC heat at Terre Haute. Also earning one of the precious few MSCS transfers in his hometown, “Tie Bow” attacked Eldora for the first time by going C-to-B with SKR power in a second Bland 38.

Since we first met in 2000 at the Tulare Thunderbowl, I’ve liked Damion Gardner. Back then, The Demon drove for Rod Tiner, which was all the character reference I needed. When he handed me subscription money, I liked Gardner even more. So it hurts that Damion has been three years of disappointment. He came from California as a consistent winner on dirt with pavement experience and proper funding, hired Daryle Saucier and Davey Jones and posted zero wins with USAC or MSCS or KISS. In his 40 starts this season, Gardner’s lone success was beating Ryan Pace one night at Lawrenceburg. Haubstadt dropped Demon from second to fifth and Saturday saw him spend an entire Eldora heat race waiting to be wrecked by Kevin Thomas Jr.

Donnie Beechler’s first Eldora event in eleven years turned upside-down when Derek Hagar of Arkansas spun from the champ car lead after three of 50 laps. The first Four Crown for the little guy from Springfield, Illinois was its 1988 champ car race for Donnie Conrad. Beechler’s best Four Crowns ended third in the Bob Kammerer champ car (’93) and third with Gary Zarounian’s midget in 1994. Donnie had a diverse career that achieved 69 wins split sprint (46), midget (18) and champ cars (five).

Justin Carver of Drummonds, Tennessee captured seventh in Friday’s feature for winged USCS 360 sprint cars in Beebe, Arkansas before getting 650 miles to Eldora for one of three Roger Johnson/Carl Edwards Ford champ cars.

Zach Daum of Pocahontas, Illinois enjoyed a strong Four Crown, passing Chad Boat to win his heat before earning eighth in his best USAC midget performance. Zach then climbed in his champ car and finished tenth.

Connecticut rebel Shane Hmiel, who nearly won the last Macon midget race with Levi Jones as POWRi crew chief, seems completely without fear. Hmiel exploded too early at Belleville but at Eldora, he slapped the wall to second-place like Jac Haudenschild. “Sugar Shane” qualified his Silver Crown car almost half a second (.405) faster than anyone.

In sharp contrast, Von McGee of Spring Run, Pennsylvania occupied Eldora’s slowest champ car. Von was victorious five times in seven 305 seasons on his hometown Path Valley Speedway (one cool quarter) and just cracked the 41st annual Tuscarora 50 at Port Royal in the Steve Miller 22z.

Cairnbrook, Pennsylvania’s Mike Lutz won the first 410 sprint race in six seasons at Conneaut, Ohio. “Raceway 7” (also known as Speedway Seven or Ace High) staged winged sprint races every Saturday for two months of 1981 when Kenny Jacobs won four straight. Twenty-eight years later, Mark Keegan and Cole Duncan finished fourth and eighth at Conneaut and towed 150 miles to Fremont for a Saturday show in which Keegan placed fifth.

York, Pennsylvania’s Cory Haas won the 358 feature Friday at Williams Grove and the Hank Gentzler Memorial 410 feature postponed from Saturday to Sunday evening at Lincoln Speedway. Had Haas been the first to win 410 and 358 features on the same weekend? After hours of exhaustive research, I discovered that a Splendid Six of Fred Rahmer (1992), Cris Eash (1998-99), Blane Heimbach (2003 & 05), Eric Stambaugh (’04), Chad Layton (’05) and Pat Cannon (’08) turned the trick first.

To answer such a question meant sifting through 21 years of regional 358 racing to find Layton the leading winner (52) followed by Mike Lehman (50), Cannon (36), Heimbach (32), Bob Beidleman (30), Haas (26), Brad McClelland (26), Billy Dietrich (25), Greg Leiby (25), Jeff Rohrbaugh (25), Cris Eash (19), Dale Hammaker (19), T.J Stutts (18), Darren Eash (17), Doug Esh (16), Brian Seidel (15), Adrian Shaffer (15), Nate Snyder (15), Mark Richard (14), Kevin Nouse (11), Bill Albright (10), Mike Bittinger (10), Stambaugh (10) and Chad Trout, who also won ten times.

John Matrafailo of Milford, Pennsylvania won Saturday’s winged CRSA 305 feature at Accord, New York. Matrafailo has tried every motor size from URC units (366 in ’86) and to Port Royal 410s and Selinsgrove 358s before CRSA sprouted near his home in the PA/NJ/NY corner coveted by deer hunters.

More than ice, snow, rain, fog, falling boulders or dope dogs, I fear deer more than anything on the road. I may beat the backwoods by day but stick to interstates at night, tucking behind the big rigs so that they might leave only small chunks of venison to dodge. I see deer as strikingly beautiful, which is a horrible pun.

Half of the Ford Focus midgets in Dillon, South Carolina and Stockton, California were owned by a single team per site. How do such rent-a-rides help anything? The dead fish known as midget racing is rotten at the head. Until it is treated as a destination series, Ford Focus kids will continue to go sprint racing. It only took 56 years to lose the Hut Hundred.

I’m thinking about the lives of Jim Carroll and Sadie Mae Glutz from 4979 West 13th Street, Speedway, IN 46224 or (317) 607.7841 or Kevin@openwheel.com.

Ok

Iowa Evacuation

2009-09-18T09:21:00.001-04:00

By Kevin Eckert

September 11, 2009 South Lineville, Missouri: Relief and sadness swept over me at once. There was relief to roll down a highway in a state other than Iowa, where I had spent 38 straight days. Coincidentally, it is the only one of 50 states that has forbidden me to drive until Memorial Day 2010. But there was sadness too, as there always is whenever the time comes to leave Knoxville.

I had to leave a dear friend of 21 years, Kris Krohn, who has the easy manner that enables vagrants to visit without end. Krohn’s corner of the world overlooks the south side of town and is a nice place to sequester one’s self. Or as Kris Kristofferson said, South Attica Road is a good place to drop Out of Mind and Out of Sight. The phone never rings. The television’s never on. And the only people who knock merely ask permission to harvest walnuts.

How did I spend four weeks decompressing from Knoxville Nationals? After a brief court appearance, I was free to leave but found it not so easy. First of all, there was much to do. There was the last avalanche of August data to process, an overdue column to construct, an advertising partner to add (cheers to The Dingus), a warehouse of yearbooks and a Ford Escort with an ugly noise.

Robuck Automotive took care of the broken strut and coil. Dwayne Robuck has served more than two decades on the Marion County Fair board. He and son Mike have fielded sprint cars longer than that, winning with Skip Jackson and Brent Antill at Knoxville, Travis Cram in Sioux Falls, Randy Anderson in Bethany, and Colin Northway at U.S 36. There were Robuck racers at Nationals for Bruce Drottz, Cliff Woodward, Terry Thorson, Craig Dollansky, Dennis Moore and Don Droud Jr. Others who wore Number 12 were Bob White, Kurt Winker, and Australian pilots Peter Murphy and Marty Perovich.

Racing is a tight circle. Advertising dollars from Dingus and DMI went from my hands to Robuck, who then redistributed some of it back to Dingus and DMI. Though they closed Knoxville by winning for car owner Ed Gifford, neither Mike nor driver Dusty Zomer plan to continue with the Gifford 17G. Following the finale, Dusty rolled his Weseman engine out of Ed’s life. Robuck however, is someone Zomer wants to keep around, so Mike was pricing DMI components for the return of Dusty’s own car.

Zomer is a recent example of Knoxville’s powerful pull. Every week for six years, he has traveled 300 miles from his Sioux Falls, South Dakota home. That’s the town that Doug Wolfgang put on the sprint car map; the one that he joked was five hours from his home track (Knoxville). No other track in America regularly draws fans and competitors from five states, not even in New England with states the size of Iowa counties. These are vast stretches of Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri and Illinois that get covered every Saturday to reach The Sprint Car Capital of the World.

Knoxville fans take much for granted. They pay a nice price ($12) for access to countless chair-backed bleachers, get two (now three) sprint car classes without a single hobby stock, rarely see a speck of dust, catch replays on a jumbo screen, three push trucks to every racer, and tow truck operators that know how to hook a sprint car. That last little detail was grossly overlooked this weekend in Grain Valley, Missouri and Terre Haute, Indiana.

Knoxville draws so many trucks to help pack and push that before hot laps, they all park on the inside edge of the backstretch for one massive mud-scraping session. When the trucks leave to go shove a sprint, the backstretch looks like circus animals have passed through. But in a few hours, all that beautiful black clay is bladed back to the track.

These are the good points. The downside is that the Knoxville Raceway is a big, fast home of the biggest (410ci), fastest machines on a circle track. They distance themselves immediately. They pass, but do so in milliseconds. There is rarely resistance or re-passing. Heat races are as bad as winged racing can be because early evening surfaces are seldom wide enough for slide jobs, and too few cars and too few laps do not let leaders catch the tail of the field, where winged races are universally won and lost.

Twice in 15 years, Johnny Herrera adopted a weekly ritual of reaching the airport in Albuquerque, New Mexico for a flight to Kansas City or Des Moines for a ride to Knoxville. And twice, Herrera has emerged champion.

Herrera drives for Hawaii’s Larry Woodward, an Ascot Park alumni lured back to the madness of owning sprint cars in time to win $200,000 with Jac Haudenschild at Eldora in 2003. Since that glorious night, Woodward went several seasons with the World of Outlaws behind Joey Saldana, Brooke Tatnell and Craig Dollansky. This year, Larry hired Herrera and crew chief Troy Renfro to be Knoxville champions. They partially succeeded.

Troy and I go way back. He and his brother Todd are sons of Royce Dean Renfro, who I knew as “Dizzy Dean” when he ran the Reading Fairgrounds out of Millers, Maryland. For a character who called also himself Chief Wahoo and arrived by stretch limo, Dizzy has one grouchy kid. Rather than join my toast to friends Johnny and Carla (Rick Ideus also part of Perfect Circle), Troy took time to vent.

Renfro was angry that Knoxville “allowed” McCarl and Lynton Jeffrey to share Number 24 and take the car owner championship for Tod Quiring. Troy felt that Herrera had done his job but that he had failed at his. Renfro revealed that Woodward was so upset that they will not defend the crown in 2010. He wanted me to hold management to the fire, but I see a loophole that cannot be tightened too easily.

If a guy like Quiring wants to try 20 different drivers on 20 different Saturdays, who is Ralph Capitani or John McCoy to tell him differently? The whole thing reminded me of the Saturday in ‘64 when Knoxville told Pappy Weld that he and his sons Greg and Kenny were barred. Instead, the winner was Bob Williams in a car “bought” from Pappy Weld and promptly “purchased” back. Knoxville had no more idea how to shred a gentlemen’s agreement in 1964 as it did in 2009. Knoxville now splits $30,000 between its top owner and driver, so splitting that in half again is about more than ego.

No point fund pays as well as deeply as Knoxville. It is a big reason why Lynton Jeffrey can move from Australia or Calvin Landis from Arizona. Their point system is complex and ever-changing. Last year, Danny Lasoski was so far ahead that he skipped the final race yet was still crowned king. This year’s “solution” dropped points from time trials but that only led to less-than-honest efforts. Twenty years ago, Wolfgang was among the Top Five despite limited starts so a percentage rule was enacted. But this year, that percentage rule meant that McCarl’s name did not appear until the very end.

On the podium, Terry accepted Tod’s championship as every ear waited for a farewell speech. It never came. Rampant speculation said Big Game Tree Stands was so devastated at losing the Knoxville Nationals that Quiring had kicked McCarl to the curb. Yet in the weeks following the false foreclosure, McCarl and Quiring won in Sioux Falls and Superior to raise their 2009 win production to 18.

McCarl has many kids at Knoxville running scared. Under caution, he may roll up beside one on the chance that it makes the boy nervous enough to surrender that position. In his first post-Nationals start, Terry messed with the mind of Rager Phillips. Though he did pass Phillips shortly after the next green, the next yellow saw Rager coast up next to McCarl as if to say, “You might’ve passed me but I’m still right here.”

Rager is from the remarkable family of Kyle and Sue Phillips, local Pleasantville farmers who put two daughters through medical school and two sons in sprint cars. Rager currently studies agriculture at Iowa State. He and his kid brother Tasker are quick studies of sprint racing too. Rager (not named for Roger) made the 360 A-main in his first try; little bro needed two starts. Tasker is a throttle-happy teen who will need to curb the crashing before a sister sets his broken bones.

Just when I thought I’d seen it all, Dustin Selvage passed beneath the white flag and shed a wing panel that knocked flagman Justin Clark down. Justin’s dad Doug hit the red, helped son to his feet and handed him green, white and checkered to show Selvage, who won without his right sideboard. The kid from Indianola is another bright part of the future of an oval once promoted by Ray Grimes, grandfather and car owner to Dustin. Out of his comfort zone in 2009, Selvage was eighth and eleventh in my visits to LaMonte, Missouri and Columbus Junction, Iowa.

Of the 18 Knoxville A-mains for 360s this year, only six were won by Iowa natives. Missouri’s Jonathan Cornell won three; Ricky Logan (AR) and Clint Garner (SD) won twice; and Matt Covington (OK), Ryan Roberts (NE), Bryan Dobesh (SD), Wayne Johnson (OK) and Gregg Bakker (SD) won once. McCarl’s sweep of 360 Nationals led Selvage, Brett Mather, Johnny Anderson and Jon Agan as Knoxville winners from the host state.

This month marked my first time in Iowa during the famed Boone IMCA Nationals. Reviews of that raceway are so stellar that for one New York minute, I pondered an 84-mile run to break new ground. Krohn advised against it. He knew that 17 spec sprints were not enough sedatives for 380 stock cars. Travelers like Keith Barto hope Boone plays into the Iowa Speedweek proposed by Terry McCarl since there have been no significant sprint races there since ‘81 (when The Outlaws visited twice) or ’77 when Wolfgang beat Rick Ferkel in the final wingless summer of IMCA.

Madison, South Dakota’s Jerimiah Jordahl was the only driver to race on Labor Day in Sioux Falls and the next night in Boone.

Ramona, South Dakota’s Ryan Bickett began his season in Florida, attacked Eldora during Kings Royal, and ran Knoxville Nationals of both cubic inch limits before winning the Labor Day show in Sioux Falls that included Austen Wheatley of Washington and Chris Schmelzle from British Columbia.

Two weeks after the Knoxville Nationals, I spotted the Wheatley Wolf Weld in the Wal Mart lot. Mr. and Mrs. Shannon Wheatley have been away from home longer than me. In six weekends after ASCS debuted in Oregon, Austen ran ten times from Knoxville to Jackson, Sedalia, Husets, Eagle and Butler County, Nebraska. Wheatley wants his kid to race with both feet and believes the Skagit Speedway of his old boss Steve Beitler does not teach Austen much more than how to hold his breath.

Two weeks after the Knoxville Nationals, a red flag sent me for a cheeseburger. I saw a guy wearing a Danielle Huson T-shirt and recognized him as her father Marc, six-time Skagit champ and current horsepower merchant at Shark Racing Engines. “Marc the Shark” pointed to wife Debbie and explained how she had never seen Knoxville. Until then, I never realized that Danielle was also daughter to Debbie Kracke, herself a competitor in six straight Dirt Cups. After the Husons returned from Iowa, Jason Solwold steered Shark 73 to ninth-place against the World of Outlaws at Skagit.

Imagine for one moment that you live in Canada. Okay, you may be healthy of body but not of mind because you in Alberta have but one chance to see The Wild Child! Last summer, Jac Haudenschild made his Edmonton debut. This year, you bought tickets. But when The Outlaws filed onto Castrol Raceway, Toni Lutar was in Jac’s R19. With all due respect to the blocky Canuck, that was like searching a cereal box for a prize someone stole. Now imagine how you felt upon discovering that Haudenschild was kept off Canadian soil by some asshole with an attitude.

Elk Grove, California’s Kyle Larson is squeezing in as many starts as he can. Third in the Johnny Key Classic at Watsonville with a winged 360, Kyle and car owner David Vertullo took wings off, increased to 410 and competed with USAC/CRA at Calistoga. Two nights and 450 miles later, they met the World of Outlaws in Cottage Grove, Oregon. Overnight, they bounced back down to Chico with a Civil War 360. This year was Larson’s third Gold Cup and first one that cracked the final grid.

I really had my heart set on being in Calistoga and Gold Cup. The money that fixed my car could have fueled that same car to Chico and back. But that would have been stupid even for me. I wanted to coax football stories from Dick Vermeil over a glass of Napa wine. I wanted to hear about him winning the ’76 Rose Bowl for UCLA, 2000 Super Bowl for St. Louis, or why Rod Martin (Raider) was Ron Jaworski’s favorite target during the Super Bowl of 1981. Dick once told the tale of walking into his dad’s garage with proud details of football glory only to have Louie Vermeil tell him to change the oil in a customer’s car.

Two nights of the 2009 Louie Vermeil Classic for USAC/CRA sprint cars were won by Kevin Swindell and Mike Spencer, who stopped a Swindell sweep by putting the fruit and vegetable merchant from Madera (Ron Chaffin) ahead of the cattle baron from Fresno (Dennis Roth). Gold Cup saw Roth pair Tim Kaeding with Paul McMahan in Paul’s first Roth races in 12 years.

Kevin Swindell has won half of his four starts on the Calistoga Speedway where his father Sammy Swindell won seven of 33 including three in a row in 1997. The Vermeil Classic marked the first triumphant Saturday in two years for Kevin and his uncle Jeff Swindell. Research reveals the Sunday before Memorial Day ‘78 as a night when Bob Kinser copped Kokomo, Steve Kinser handled Haubstadt, and Randy Kinser captured Bloomington.

Back on the subject of football, Terry McCarl told his publicist Bill Wright that the highlight of opening a new Bass Pro Shop was sitting next to Hall of Fame defensive back Paul Krause, selected from the University of Iowa to play in four Super Bowls for Minnesota and intercept more passes than anyone in NFL history. “Bill W” was pleased to see how Hawkeye tight end Brandon Myers made the Raider roster. Myers is a Monroe kid who Bill used to coach in basketball.

Ventura, California’s Josh Ford brought USAC sprint and USAC midget 434 miles north to Calistoga and also packed his VRA 360 for sixth-place in a special wingless Friday at Petaluma. Sunday at ‘Stoga saw Ford first in a midget and third with his CRA sprint car.

Manhattan Beach boy Garrett Hansen leads USAC Western midget points while sitting fourth in USAC/CRA sprint points. Only the shrinking of each schedule could keep someone so high in two series in the same season.

Tucson, Arizona has averted its collision course with USAC at the Tulare (CA) Thunderbowl by turning its Western World extravaganza into three November nights for winged ASCS National 360s and wingless ASCS Regional 360 sprint cars. Bravo.

Littleton, Colorado’s Julee Jamison enjoyed her best RMMRA race of 2009 with third-place in Cheyenne, Wyoming with a Bullet midget that her father Bryan Jamison pulls in 20-year old Sooner trailer. Still pumpkin orange, it was delivered to Patrick Bourke at the Manzanita TNN series of 1992 by Frankie Kerr, who worked out of it during no fewer than 109 A-mains in 1991.

Crete, Nebraska’s Mike Boston, winning 25 of 63 at Eagle over the past four 360 seasons, rented a sprint car from Jeff and Jay Bogue for Mike’s mini sprint driving son Jordan. And on a Saturday when dad was getting wet in Lake Ozark, Missouri, the kid became an Eagle winner in just his third 360 start.

Labor Day was big for the burgeoning 305 sprint car class. URSS brought 28 cars to Norton, Kansas; Lake Ozark awarded $1000 to Brady Bacon; Fremont paid $2500 to John Ivy; Smiley Sitton brought a handful of cars and officials (Tony Hernandez) from Texas to Virginia; and CRSA conducted its first race ever in Vermont.

Wisconsin has assembled a nice MSA 360 circuit of strong car counts on Fridays at the Manitowoc Expo and Saturdays in Sheboygen County. Travis “T.J” Luedke led all winners with six. Wayne Modjeski and Jason Johnson won four features while Kurt Davis and Brian Kristan tripled. All dabbled in IRA 410 racing.

Even for a consistent winner like Keith Kunz, victory in the summer’s biggest open wheel event in his Springfield hometown had to be sweet. Though he had never fielded a winning champ car, Keith built and captained the win in the Tony Bettenhausen 100 with Cole Whitt, who had scarcely even raced one. Cole keeps Chuck Gurney Jr. on salary so that Cole’s own sprint car is always ready; they’ve won nine of 20 with 29w. It was nice that “Little Rim” got to stand with Whitt on the frontstretch of the Illinois State Fairgrounds where his father won two midget races and an astounding seven Bettenhausen 100s.

All back-slapping aside, the USAC decision to invert six on a single-file mile has not been done since Syracuse 1985, when irritated winner Sammy Swindell told the crowd that he should turn an Ithaca Gun trophy on those responsible (Glenn Donnelly).

Indiana’s restoration of Lincoln Park in Putnamville as a destination for good racing is a nice story. Never in all my years of race chasing had there been a “promoter” like Dave Allison who ran off fans and competitors alike. Joe Spiker however, is bringing back marquee names like Jon Stanbrough and Levi Jones. Spiker has also stacked a cushion on which Thomas Meseraull won two in a row. The downside of Spiker expansion is the closing of Vermilion County Speedway in Danville, Illinois. The cult of wingless sprint racing awaits Joe’s plans for Danville.

The new Tom Gorby G1 that debuted during Indiana Sprint Week and Kings Royal with Hunter Schuerenberg and Justin Henderson came under the care of Benic Motorsports, who hired Scotty Weir to sweep Lawrenceburg and Haubstadt over Labor Day.

Gas City made Hoosier Hundred victor Shane Hollingsworth the fourth winner of both sprint and champ car races in 2009 after Bud Kaeding, Cole Whitt and Bobby Santos III. Sharing the stage at Gas City by winning his first sprint race was Jonathan Hendrick, helped through his winged 600cc to wingless 410ci transition by Shane’s dad Blake Hollingsworth.

Ohio promoter Dean Miracle, instrumental in elevating the World of Outlaws in 1978 at Limaland, offered a Friday ticket of wingless 410 and winged 360 sprint cars at Waynesfield. Miracle has also assumed control of Millstream Speedway and on Sunday, September 20, he will stage Findlay’s first wingless 410 sprint race since Rusty McClure beat Frankie Kerr to a 1992 CRA checkered.

Taking his first All Star championship helped ease Tim Shaffer’s pain at losing Lernerville on the last corner just 36 miles from his Aliquippa abode. The man who picked Tim’s pocket was Randy Hannagan, who beat Outlaws and All Stars in the same season for the first time in his career.

The Attica Ambush accounted for ten wins in 46 features for Zemco and Stevie Smith this season.

Shawn “Big Block” Weaver’s win at Lincoln Speedway is a great story. Like many Hanover kids, young Shawn would hang around the shop of friendly charger Van May, who soon had him doing odd jobs. Van saw so much of his own enthusiasm in Shawn that he eventually put him behind the wheel. “Big Block” became Van’s pointed description of the girth that kept them from winning for seven straight years. Weaver spent two 358 seasons with Roy Vincent before May put another ‘69’ together last year.

The winged 410 season has seen Pennsylvania car dealer Pete Postupack employ Oklahoma’s Daryn Pittman, South Dakota’s Justin Henderson, Australia’s Brooke Tatnell (Port hot laps), Ohio’s Kenny Jacobs (Knoxville Nationals) and now, Kevin Nouse from the Quaker State.

Ocean View, Delaware’s Curt Michael won the first URC race in Georgetown, Delaware in 16 summers. It was only the 12th time that URC ever raced there. New Jersey’s Jim Maguire won the first one in 1963 followed by Dave Kelly (’87), Glenn Fitzcharles, Jim Baker (‘92), Kramer Williamson (’93), Jimmy Martin and local charger Greg Coverdale in 1994.

USCS sweeps of Georgia races at Boyd’s and Lavonia followed by Malden, Missouri lifted Tim Crawley and Mike Ward to 15 wins in 37 starts with a David McCarver 360 this season.

Boyd’s Speedway on the Georgia side of the Tennessee border held three midget races won by Johnnie Tolan (1953), Bobby Grim (’61) and Dave Strickland in 1968. Last year’s USCS win by Terry Gray marked Boyd’s first open wheel event in 40 years.

Tim Bertrand, champion of NEMA with Randy Cabral, has provided a second winged Drinan midget this summer for veteran Jeff Horn, Indiana’s Cole Carter (second in the Boston Louie Seymour show at Seekonk) and young Anthony Marvuglio.

New Hampshire’s Monadnock Speedway saw Bertrand bring the most versatile racer in New England back to NEMA midgets. Ted Christopher crossed seventh. Teddy and Kasey Kahne were recently afforded an unprecedented opportunity to race NASCAR modifieds around the concrete bowl called Bristol Motor Speedway. Kasey also got to hot lap a wingless supermodified during his Oswego USAC promotion.

Isn’t it great to be Kasey Kahne?

Ok

Delayed Diary

2009-08-25T17:53:00.001-04:00

By Kevin Eckert

August 25, 2009 Knoxville, Iowa: A very comfortable place. This is after all, birthplace to the biggest race on the sprint car planet, now known as the 49th annual SuperClean Knoxville Nationals presented by Lucas Oil. The sleepy little town of 7500 has forever welcomed those who love racing, be they fans or competitors. I first visited from Pennsylvania in 1984, saw a party goin’ on and have been up to my ears in it ever since.

Knoxville is not as friendly as it used to be. By experiencing Belleville Midget Nationals and Knoxville Nationals in three successive Saturdays, I detected a distinct difference in the “welcome” extended in Kansas and Iowa. Kansas cops created presence but interrogated few. By the end of the Knoxville Nationals, writers cramp came from the endless scribbling of seatbelt violations ($20 + $90 in “court costs”), rolling through a stop sign, failing to signal, stepping on public property with beer ($150), riding four wheelers or golf carts on city streets and if all else fails, public intoxication. Blame it on the economic times if you will. But between overzealous police, no-passing races extended to 40 and 50 laps (reducing Sprint Cars to Sprint Cup), Knoxville may kill the golden goose. Nationals paid $900,000 this year and will top one million in 2010.

The post-Nationals shift from center of the universe to Iowa cow town afforded time to process data and construct this colossal column. I love to write these things. It has seldom felt like work. But to reiterate, they run secondary to the data. Some use my search engine for answers on a daily basis. When those answers are one Saturday behind, it bothers me. More advertising allows more travel that makes more races go unprocessed. Knoxville Nationals completed 20 races in 23 nights, a personal total that does not include Indiana Sprint Week, a season highlight that must be discussed. So after driving from Indy to Haubstadt to Cameron to Butler County to McCool Junction to Belleville, riding back to Cameron, driving to Lincoln to ride to Sioux Falls and back before three weeks (and counting) in Iowa, I’ll touch on each day in reverse.

August 17 Oskaloosa, Iowa: The gavel came down on indiscretions from a Highway 92 roadblock. Much love to lawyer Larry Ball Jr, son of the “3B” owner who fielded Jim Grafton, John Sernett, Jerry Richert Jr, Jeff Tuttle and Max Dumesny at Nationals. Lazlo kicked my court appearance to hug Nationals. Sometime around Christmas when all this happy horseshit is over, I shall elaborate further. Until then, Big Brother may be reading. The bitter pill of American Justice persuaded me to skip Sprint Bandits on I-80 in Nebraska. Wingless sprint cars on those big banks are a sight I have yet to see. I-80 revealed who would be Bandits. There were Jeff’s Jam-It-In Storage units for Bryan Clauson and Caleb Armstrong; Indiana Underground drillers Josh Wise and Casey Riggs; Scott Benic brought Dave Darland; Glenn Crossno fielded Levi Jones; Jim Whiteside went with Hud Cone; Jack Yeley tapped Justin Grant before J.J arrived; and Mike Martin brought Bob Foster’s car. Jesse Hockett, Robert Ballou, Casey Shuman, Kyle Robbins and Coleman Gulick (from the east) and R.J Johnson and Jody Wirth (from the west) brought regular rides while Matt Mitchell drove for Maxwell Industries of Ventura. I-80 inflicted second-degree burns that sent Damon Gardner home. To keep USAC talent from the $10,000 offered by Bandits in Kansas City, USAC invoked rare non-point status for the Dick Gaines Memorial at Lawrenceburg. It must’ve burned Kevin Miller that “his” drivers would fly from “his” champ car race at Springfield, Illinois to a Ron Shuman Classic organized by Emmett Hahn and Tommie Estes Jr. In regard to Darland and Levi, it worked because they left TNT for The Burg, where Jerry Coons copped 10k. Brady Bacon reinforced himself as one of America’s most versatile by beating Bandits at Greenwood, Oklahoma City and the richest win (10k) of his 19 years in Kansas City. In six weeks, the boy from Oklahoma owns victories with a wingless 360, winged 360, POWRi midget and wingless 410. Rain ruined Brady’s quest for a Creek sweep of Bandit 410 and SMRS midgets on August 20.

August 16 Knoxville, Iowa: This is not Rock Rapids. The 49th annual Knoxville Nationals was supposed to be over. I schemed to catch Rapid Bandits and Osky court on consecutive days despite a sinking feeling that rain might upset the apple cart. Sure enough, Nationals concluded Sunday instead of Saturday, and the first wingless 410 feature ever in Rock Rapids got flushed so fast that Jeff Walker and Clauson got to watch Donny Schatz snare 150k for a fourth straight summer. Adding to the list of things choking the life from Nationals is Donny’s domination. Knoxville Raceway is a full half-mile that allows cream to rise. Or as harmaniac Max Dolder says, “The big horse gets up and runs away.” Schatz has been Chief Big Horse for some time. Adding five or ten miles helps no one but Donny, the only outlaw to consistently grow faster as each race wears on, and the only one who truly looks forward to lapping the locals. Fear that tires might shred by the end of 40 laps washed away with the rain. Eleven miles of B-main was Sunday’s only prelim and as always, one of the week’s best races. Jac Haudenschild chewed on Chad Kemenah, turned the nose wing on his pink panther, yet ran away anyhow. Jason Meyers cleared cars by three lengths and looked strong in the 40 until a flurry of problems. Danny Lasoski erupted through the B, then 12 more spots to Hard Charger of the final. There was $472,500 alone in the A-main. The renaissance of Stevie Smith brought Zemco to I-55 and pole of Nationals. Stevie jousted with Joey Saldana until tucking behind Bud Nine. Tyler Walker carried his record Golden State season to Iowa, got slid by Shane Stewart in turn two, crossed abruptly and clipped the right front of Steve Kinser, who pulled a phenomenal wheelstand out of harm’s way in time for Brian Brown’s saving stop. Schatz tried the bottom but could not equal Saldana or Smith until they slowed for late traffic. When the leader glimpsed STP red, Joey was behind Jason Johnson entering turn three. Up in the chair, Saldana slid Johnson, who instinctively headed for the bottom of four to nearly collect Schatz. Saldana lost the left panel from his nose wing. It lodged against the car and never hit the ground. Would he have been black-flagged from 75k for three dollars in tin? “No,” said competition director John McCoy, “We don’t do that here.” Schatz passed Saldana on lap 35. Joey resisted briefly. Stevie Smith took third for $37,500. In 19 Nationals, Stevie cracked the final 16 times and finished 12 among the Top Ten. Fourth-place (26k) was the biggest bank of Tim Kaeding’s career. Fifth-place Shane Stewart lost a few friends on his way to 21k. Randy Hannagan hammered him under caution Wednesday and Kraig Kinser fumed at the way Stewart shaved him Sunday. Kraig looked better on Thursday than he has in two years. Surprise car owners on the final grid were Pennsylvania natives Jim Nace and Bernie Stuebgen. Nace mailed an entry for Trevor Lewis, who opted for 360 races instead. Jim tapped Jason Solwold, who stuck a Canadian 360 team in last year’s final and Nace Six in row five. Indy Race Parts brought Paul McMahan back to the 410 spotlight assisted by Marion County cult hero, “Front Row Bob” Hubbard of Memphis. Hubb is back on good terms with Paul Sides. “He grabbed my ball,” Bob said. Fans of Two Sides Motorsports know this as a sign of affection, much like dogs do.

August 15 Knoxville, Iowa: We got as far as the C-main when rain raised its ugly head. The E-main is traditionally a time for the unlucky to perform on the big stage. Indiana’s Bill Rose knows where his bread is buttered. He made $600 for winning the E, and another $750 for reaching 13th in the D-main. Add another grand from World Challenge and it is easy to see why Rose and Daron Clayton shun races without wings. Clayton was 33 of 49 fastest but won a Wednesday heat for a $1000 start, added another $2000 from Saturday’s B-main and emerged as Rookie of the Year for $1500, which is not bad for someone who was scalpin’ tickets on Friday. Always astute Danny Smith summed up Nationals by saying, “You can run like shit and still make money.” As we stood in Saturday’s rain, Smith calculated a two-night gross of $6500. Sunday would see him miss the final by four spots yet add 4k. It was worth $3000 to be Mr. Sprint Car after eleven nights of Southern Iowa Speedweek, so Kaley Gharst stripped wings for the first time since East Bay ‘07. Back under cover, Gharst got first in the D, which transferred one extra to replace Brad Sweet, obligated to Salem to seek a USAC midget championship. Osky brought non-wing faces to Knoxville to enjoy fun (girls) and frolic. Sweet wore a perpetual grin beside his boss Kasey Kahne, who drank Bud at the Dingus Lounge that bears his billboard. Brad and Levi Jones were reluctant to return to another pavement date of minimal interest. In the C, Colorado’s Rick Montgomery slammed the second corner steel as rain fell. After track packing, Wayne Johnson and Billy Alley transferred. Taking two from 22 is cruel. Then it rained again. Once the wet stuff stopped, the party resumed in turn three amid dire promises that foul weather would create a Monday conclusion. I realize everyone with a phone, laptop or TV has a current weather map. But until technology determines which way the wind will blow, predicting rain is no more valid than predicting winners.

August 14 Knoxville, Iowa: Non Qualifier format improved. In the past, 51-100 started straight-up by points in five heats that could not have been less exciting. This year, 48 cars split three ways for 15-lappers that inverted six to transfer eight and were infinitely better. Sweet passed Cody Darrah to win one and passed Daryn Pittman to lead again until Sammy Swindell took 5k. Knoxville stat rat Bob Wilson will call it Sammy’s 42nd A-main victory at Knoxville. I disagree, because if the fastest 50 are ineligible and the winner lands in the C, Friday’s feature is a glorified D. Wilson does not count World Challenge because it is by invitation, like the Race of States and Mystery Features of past Nationals which Wilson does count. Open Wheel Times has never counted any part of Nationals Non Qualifier Night an A-main win, though they pay extremely well. Knoxville soothes the discomfort of unloading at three for ten o’clock scrambles by handing 5k to Skip Jackson and 7k to Schatz. Ryan Anderson was ecstatic to make prelim feature (1k), third in the C (2k) and first in C-scramble (3k). World Challenge was a week highlight. Australian native building Vortex wings in Prairie City (Iowa), Lynton Jeffrey earned 10k ahead of Terry McCarl and Kerry Madsen, who battled to the final corner where Shane Stewart circled them both. Kerry hobbled on a left foot broken by a charity softball slide into second base. The gritty Aussie refused a cast or an excuse.

August 13 Knoxville, Iowa: A.J Mottet is my pal. To prove it, he asked me to judge a bikini contest at his infamous Dingus Lounge. Eight exuberant ladies from seven states danced for a distinguished ten-person panel that included Mr. & Mrs. Dennis Moore Jr (dressed as Hugh Hefner and playmate) and Mr. Madsen. At a thousand to win, it seemed like serious business until I noticed Moore sketching what a contestant might look like naked. Then it seemed more like high school as we snickered below our master of ceremonies, Savage Bad Monkey. Brad Haudenschild’s sister Lindsey talked Brad’s fiancée Brittany into competing and the girls from Ohio swept $1500. Third-place received $300 for creative use of Simpson shoulder straps. Making a Knoxville name has been South Dakota’s Dusty Zomer. After two seasons in 360s and three in 410s, he teamed with Ed Gifford to win three weeks before Nationals. Seventeen-G timed 13th fastest and drove from row three to third in its heat to secure pole to a prelim that went 25 green. “Zoom Zoom” led five miles before Tim Kaeding captured 12k. Kaeding was without the services of Guy Forbrook, fired four days earlier. Guy’s final act played in Pevely, Missouri at the Ironman 55. He preferred to have been in Knoxville sharpening Tim’s set-up for Nationals. When the rear broke at I-55, Forbrook loaded the car. Five hours later, Tim made Knoxville’s turn three soirre. Dennis Roth gathered Beef eaters and decided that his driver wanted to race more than his mechanic. Ray Brooks was retained and Sonny Kratzer joined as co-crew chief. After last summer’s Lasoski split, Forbrook has seen two contenders implode days before Nationals.

August 12 Knoxville, Iowa: From our campground nook 100 yards from turn four, 800-horsepower engines were heard warming before hot laps. And then it rained. It is doubtful that another half-mile has the volunteer vehicles to withstand such a storm, but Knoxville did. The first heat started at midnight. It inverted four rather than five rows, “The Carl Wilson Rule” in reference to the rookie Kiwi that triggered a train wreck. Still, none of the fastest 13 could transfer. The first two heats had wrecks knock out first and second quick Cody Darrah and Cale Conley. In his second week with Dean Bruns as crew chief, Craig Dollansky closed on the lead until Western Australia’s Greg Hall crashed in turn four. Dollansky piled in to effectively extinguish any realistic shot at winning the Nationals. Jason Johnson led Tim Shaffer until Tim squeezed by for 12k around 2:30am, roughly when the post-Dingus wave reaches turn three. Schatz slapped the wall in his heat and had to win the B, which used to be suicide at Nationals until this era when quick qualifiers stumble. Donny drove to seventh to still align himself nicely for Saturday.

August 11 Oskaloosa, Iowa: Mario Andretti paid his first visit to the National Sprint Car Hall of Fame into which he was inducted in 1996. Mario made the hall on stature and dirt racing as a whole (he was great on the miles) because sprint success equaled less than ten wins. He was in Knoxville to unveil the STP J&J that Donny Schatz would drive 40 years after Andretti wore the colors to win the Indianapolis 500. Schatz later said that Mario phoned to let Donny know how a World Champion does not associate with losers. Schatz car owner Tony Stewart was at the STP press conference, joking about phoning A.J Foyt to say how he had lunch with “the greatest Indy Car racer in history.” After spending Sunday in Michigan, Stewart flew back to join Schatz in victory lane. Tony’s guest was Jessica Zemken, the New York doll who jetted to Quebec to place third at Autodrome Drummond. I slowed my stride to watch Jessica paint her toes. Ultimate Challenge contained more passing in the first heat than an entire Front Row Challenge, with or without rain. The last heat (qualifier) finished four-wide! Savage crashes came with the ticket too. Brad Sweet threw his tail six stories in the air, and Travis Rilat’s wife wants to forbid Travis from trying a fourth Ultimate crash in four years. Southern Iowa Speedway withered a bit by feature but ended in drama. Darland led the quest for Benic’s fifth Ultimate conquest as Hockett stayed close on the cushion. Dave slowed slightly in traffic and Jesse slid him cleanly. Darland stalked Hockett to the final corner where he tried to pinch The Rocket behind Henry Clarke, near winner of the Belleville Nationals. Hockett had none of that and won 15k by half a second. He turned doughnuts in front of Dave, who joined for synchronized spinning. Jesse’s voice cracked as he recalled Osky ‘04 when Hockett and his late cousin Daniel McMillin lost 30k in an event Jesse simply calls “The Dickie Race.”

August 10 Oskaloosa, Iowa: Front Row Challenge remains the best one-night party in sprint racing. The infield brings to mind the Flemington Fairgrounds of my youth. Tireless promoter McCarl is generous with gifts like ButlerBuilt steering wheels, beads and gimmicks like a foot race between heat winners. We crowded too close to the finish as Sam Hafertepe flattened one drunken girl. Bronson Maeschen won a Hepfner top wing. Damion Gardner got a Winters rear. Rain made mud sports. Females rinsed clean to attract lechers. An errant stage diver got shipped. The groove on the half-mile was reduced to one. Monday may have seen less passing than anything all year. But it beat the weather and added to the Iowa file of Sammy Swindell. His first Hawkeye State success came in 1977 for Davis Electric in Des Moines. In ‘81, Sammy used Nance Speed Equipment to beat Outlaws at Boone. The Mickow Corporation (TMC) backed victories in three Farley features. The rest of his 39 Iowa wins came in Marion County.

August 9 Knoxville, Iowa: Mother Nature is a stone cold bitch. After the catastrophe of May midgets, I expected no surface, no cars and no interest in the first wingless USAC sprint race at Knoxville in 27 years. Though happy to be wrong (Dunkin dug the dirt and Ultimate fans arrived early), it deepened the pain of rain. Speculation says 44 cars warrant a second chance in 2010. Sunday was the first night in four that I did not close down The Dingus. All that Jim Beam and coke and never once did it occur to ask South Australia’s Trevor Green why he was not racing. Trev blew through Indy for Kings Royal. Gang Green at Nationals included Danny Reidy and his sister Jana from Northern Territory and Simona Nanovich but not Green’s brother Steve, still busy with the Parramatta estate of Brian Healey. Missing the most recent World Series for shoulder surgery, Reidy made camp between the barns in a shaggin’ wagon that Trevor called “a straw hat on wheels.” Nick Speed was also implicated. Nick worked on the 2005 ride that Kevin Swindell sailed out of Eldora. When the time came to ship Nick’s nice shirts to New South Wales, Sam tossed ‘em all in a dumpster. “Those guys cost me enough money,” he muttered.

August 8 Knoxville, Iowa: Proponents of 360 racing point to a variety of winners as proof that bigger engines favor bigger teams. But when first-place pushes ten grand, 410 professionals find 360 engines that exhort their superiority. After he was done defeating Brian Brown for a second straight night, McCarl climbed from 410 Maxim to 360 Maxim and led all 25 laps to a sweep worth 13k. From my library outside turn two, Hall of Fame curator Tom Schmeh estimated Saturday attendance at 10,000. Ironman 55 kept a few in Missouri, though Darrah did arrive to out qualify everyone. Conley clocked a new 360 record of 15.9 in the West Virginia teenager’s first night at Knoxville. He was perhaps the first Mountaineer State hillbilly at Nationals since the “Weirton Wild Thing” Mark Cassella came in 1995 with the Guzzo 77.

August 7 Knoxville, Iowa: McCarl moved from row four to shadow Brown, adjusting his line to skunk him on the last corner. One hundred and eleven cars carried a transponder through the Knoxville 360 Nationals. Knoxville 410 Nationals topped out at 107. Fresh from six races in 16 Pacific Northwest nights, Travis Rilat reached third trailed by Sam Hafertepe, returning to ASCS roots after getting stiffed out of Outlaw sponsorship from Fusion.

August 6 Knoxville, Iowa: My first Knoxville 360 Nationals in five years. Rain in 2004 shoved these Nationals from June to August, where it enabled especially thirsty people to party for ten straight nights. Well, straight is not correct. Dale Blaney brought Hammons 360 and Fisher 410. He was slated for row three of a 360 prelim for which he failed to fire. In his first 410 Nationals in five years, Blaney earned eighth for 10k. Wayne Johnson consciously cut 360 starts by relinquishing the green Hammers to fellow Okie vet Danny Wood but like McCarl, Wayne will find a 360 when Ten Grand is available in his hometown. Hockett helped broker an Ott that passed another Okie in Shane Stewart for 3k prelim win for the FattFro 14.

August 4-5 Knoxville, Iowa: South of town on Highway Five since 1994, St. Louis native Kris Krohn has lived in a dilapidated house we affectionately call the Krohn Zone. Out back with the rabbits and squirrels is a perfect place to lay low. Kris shoots video for Knoxville Raceway Weekly (free at http://www.knoxvilleraceway.com/) when not monitoring Cardinal baseball. Is the baseball bat beside his bed for security? “I knock walnuts around,” he explained, “try to hit a cow.”

August 3 Lincoln, Nebraska: The collection of artifacts housed by Bill Smith in a three-story museum alongside his Speedway Motors parts palace rivals either Hall of Fame in Canton or Cooperstown. If I had a dollar for each time we said “Wow!” I could buy a Buck Rogers lunch box. First thing through the door was a lifesize Smokey Yunick. Alongside his exhibit was Curtis Turner’s convertible, which was too ironic since my most recently-read biographies were of Smokey and Pops. Speedy Bill was pictured at the 1969 Big Car Racing Association banquet with his champion Jan Opperman in velvet coat and acid-eater eyes. The purple Maxwell that took Terre Haute in ‘76 for Jan and Bill was alongside the mechanical rabbit that won the 1970 Knoxville Nationals for Lincoln’s own Joe Saldana. There was the purple Four-X driven by Doug Wolfgang in ’79, Rodeo Bar car of Rollie Beale, Grant King 27 that carried Greg Weld and Jackie Howerton in ‘72, STP Plymouth that won Dover for Art Pollard in ‘69, and the Mallard from which Jim Hurtubise pulled Miller Beer rather than a qualifying attempt for the Indy 500 of 1972. I could fill a column with what is housed off of O Street. Olympic Stadium is recreated! Mike Lindbeck, Leslie Goodhue and I extend extreme gratitude to Bob Mays for explanations, patience, and three books about Big Cars. In another case of irony, we arrived at http://www.museumofamericanspeed.com/ through Waverly, home to Wavelink Raceway Park. I told Mike and Les about visiting that track (called Cornhusker) in 1996 to sell mini sprint photos between Eagle USAC and Greenwood ASCS dates. That day in Waverly was when I met Rik Forbes, who reminded me of it some Chili Bowls ago. In three floors of museum, there is but one modified midget, donated by Forbes. In its seat is a photo of me and him from that Sunday afternoon in ’96, which blew my mind.

August 2 Sioux Falls, South Dakota: This was a tough out. Just before dawn, I exited the Belleville Nationals to drive across the Nebraska line to Les and Mike’s motel in Hebron. They awoke to follow me to Speedway Motors, where I parked my car and climbed in their rental to sleep as much as corrugated I-29 did permit. McCarl started outside pole and kicked ass. Terry did lose the initial start to Tim Shaffer before the first devastating crash curtailed Mark Dobmeier and Greg Wilson. Connecticut rookie David Gravel greeted the concrete outside turn two. Chad Meyer made a mess at the other end. Huset’s Speedway is aesthetically perfect but a mite narrow. Heavy black dirt made it extra narrow. McCarl finally caught traffic and twice, Daron Clayton thwarted Terry’s attempts to lap him as the Steel City Outlaw closed. Shaffer made a dive at Ten Grand that succeeded in surrendering second to Hafertepe. Mike and Les wanted to hit the pits to see Doug Wolfgang, whom they had not seen since his last Gold Cup of 1990. But it rained again.

August 1 Belleville, Kansas: Saturday afternoon’s conclusion to Friday’s preliminary was as ugly as a swine barn. Belleville High Banks are a big circle that could not be tougher on tires or engines. Pistons burn and rods release each time cars reach the racetrack. This afternoon atrocity was the conclusion to a Friday prelim postponed by torrential rain. It used more tires than a Brickyard 400. Clauson took two and won anyway. Terry Goodwin pitted twice and was back to fourth. The big half-mile (banking reduced recently) was graded and watered and did bounce back to resemble something befitting Belleville which, like Eldora, means up on The Fonz. By the end, turns three and four had a groove and a half while the south end was the passing happened. In tonight’s dash, Bryan broke the primary Esslinger but because the prelim was not an official USAC event (as per Dick Jordan), a second Spike was entered free from penalty. Clauson put the spare on the cushion to win $12,500. Sweet returned from Newton to shadow Bryan. “It’s The Bullet versus The Big Cat,” hyped Rob Klepper. Everyone knows a bullet beats a big cat.

July 31 Belleville, Kansas: For approximately the 88th time this season, All Star witch doctor Guy Webb revised his schedule. Tonight was supposed to have his club in Mayetta, Kansas on Thunderhill, which Webb was to lease. Sensing that Belleville might want All Stars to stay after USAC delivered exactly eleven midgets, Guy struck a deal to make Belleville a two-night stand, snuffing Thunderhill. This did not please our man John Koss, who revised his own schedule from Mayetta to Denison, Iowa. Last night on the frontstretch, Tim Kaeding would not commit to being back until he and Forbrook saw the All Star purse. There was fear that Webb might accept less than standard one-day pay but such was not the case when savage rain trapped us in the beer garden. Since we were already wet, it seemed natural to follow five girls into a hot tub, leading to my favorite line of this entire odyssey: “Didn’t this girl have pants on when she came in here?”

July 30 Belleville, Kansas: “Handle it,” Guy Forbrook told Tim Kaeding about Terry McCarl. “If you let him push you around, he’ll keep doing it.” McCarl visited the Roth pit to belabor last night’s contact in Cameron, Missouri. Forbrook objected to the screaming example Terry set for his teenage sons. “Like Kevin Swindell,” I said. “Exactly,” Guy replied. “That kid has more talent than anyone but nobody wants him because of his dad.” Last year’s Belleville Nationals saw Kevin cut through the A-main. A year later, no one called. McCarl mauled the track record (14.35) and took off. To some surprise, Madsen ran him down and whistled by to make $5000 but lose an engine and rear in the process. In a year when Belleville raised first-place from 10k to 12.5, USAC made a mess of the Nationals. Despite waning pavement relevance, USAC insisted on playing for 18,000 NASCAR fans at Iowa Speedway, so they split Belleville prelims between those with pavement rides and those without. Savvy observers were incensed. But to those at the North Kansas Free Fair who see one event per year, all appeared well. Rusty Kunz was asked how Belleville could raise its car count. Aligning all the schedules (essentially forcing people to chase points) was his answer. Belleville is a sacred proving ground that should remain relatively free of restrictions, Rusty felt. Kid brother Keith Kunz almost won with unheralded Henry Clarke and proclaimed, “We have $50,000 engines that nobody’s buying.” Midgets have always been insanely expensive yet today’s shrinking rosters reflect more the perception of factory engines and factory teams.

July 29 Osborne, Missouri: I had a decision to make. I could remain at Junction Motor Speedway for a second night of POWRi midgets or catch All Stars by returning to U.S 36 where Dick Rauser, Keith Barto and Koss met Mike and Les. I chose the latter, stashing my Ford at the Bel Villa for eastern passage to St. Joseph, where we found Shane Stewart and Pockets Silva. They said a second 410 was on loan from the Kirkpatricks who brought Shane to Dirt Cup. All Stars at U.S 36 were not what they could have beenm beginning with Garry Brazier’s crash with Matthew Reed. Shoving the still groggy Reed reinforced why Brazier has few fans. Shaffer was long gone until skidding through Gravel. Kaeding cut McCarl off twice before Terry turned him in turn two, spinning himself too. After the checkered, Kaeding rammed McCarl, who prompted security. Bonzai Bruns was at U.S 36 to assist Greg Wilson before joining Dollansky at I-55. G-Dub lead until Hannagan became the fifth man to win with Outlaws and All Stars in 2009. Schatz, McCarl, Stevie Smith and Dale Blaney did it first.

July 28 McCool Junction, Nebraska: Junction Motor Speedway is another wide-open venue for midget racing. You know if they touch wheels, midgets will roll a while. Fortunately, it failed to happen. Steve Lewis was back as car owner unable to stay away from Belleville. His famous white Number Nine was preened by Rusty Kunz for Darland, who drove for POWRi prez Kenny Brown at 36 and Butler. Brad Loyet led 18 of 25. To watch him over a four-race span is to see why Brad’s abrupt “lane closures” (Dan Drinan term) make others edgy. Loyet skipped 36 to keep Badger points and ran the rim around Junction until beaten by low-groovin’ Brady Bacon, who was credited as the first “wing guy” at U.S 36. “I’m a wing guy now?” he replied. ASCS says so. And like a wing pro, Brady found the bottom before any of the tire-buzzin’ thrill seekers upstairs. ASCS directors Tommie Estes II & III stopped after breaking new ground in Oregon and Washington. Bacon initially intended to follow them to the Pacific Northwest until a Fourth of July disagreement and fiscal reality helped Tel-Star stay east of Vegas. Kuhn copped third but won tomorrow. Fourth was Josh Wise, who ran 36 but skipped Butler along with Pedregon crew chief Garrett Andrews of Competition Suspensions Inc. Patterned after the Sprint Car Recovery Team of southeastern Missouri, POWRi packs its own push trucks. Imagine three Workin’ Woodies.

July 27 Rising City, Nebraska: Speedway Motors was alive. Racers were three-wide at the parts counter and more midgets cluttered the parking lot than a Badger race. Six miles down a dirt road, Butler County Speedway is patterned after Eagle Raceway and a finer template would be hard to find. Some of midget racing’s greatest races were Tuesdays at Eagle before Belleville. Now midgets race on four tracks within 250 miles of Eagle but not Eagle, where present promoters see no sense in midgets. Who can blame them? We love the little doodlebugs but getting a good field together is tough. Butler was an excellent assortment but when Coons started the Wilke Spike outside pole, it was all but over. A quality field is needed to reach traffic and when they did, it was six-wide pandemonium! Butler County accounted for the best batch of racing in my entire four weeks. Coons kicked ass for Speedway Motors by winning the Ron Hughes Memorial in a walk over Clauson and Kuhn, who used spare Tucker and Weirich wagons. Butler was the first race in the Koss vacation from Schenectady, New York and Sasquatch was delighted to find Jaager Bombs offered in the middle of a cornfield.

July 26 Osborn, Missouri: U.S 36 Speedway was what lured me 444 miles overnight from Haubstadt, Indiana. For the first time in seven years, mighty midgets screamed around a banked bullring that The Outlaws circle in nine seconds. First rig on the strip belonged to J.J Yeley, who made a paid appearance between NASCAR dates in Kentucky and Michigan. I turned on the TV to process results with Brickyard in the background and pondered Yeley’s cultural distance from 36 to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. One week after Brickyard 2008 was his last Cup start until just recently. J.J was summoned to U.S 36 by Kemper promoter Scott Pennington for a POWRi program that did not disappoint the large crowd. J.J led until Brad Kuhn took it away. Yeley dogged Kuhn hard, lifting the left front against the cushion to cut inside the Benic Beast just as its engine fell to three cylinders. Yeley drew inside for a final slide worth 5k.

July 25 Speedway, Indiana: When hillbillies toss empty Old Milwaukee in my yard, NASCAR is near. “Why no White Expo?” was the question provoked by last week’s Black Expo. Maybe it’s because we already have Brickyard 400, a good reason to flee. A better excuse was the MSCS sprints and POWRi midgets rescheduled for Tri-State Speedway from Fourth of July. I packed the car as if I might not return until Gold Cup, which is still in play. A glorious day turned to shit when two kinds of Cone got washed for good. Unexpected daylight drew me through Fairfield, Illinois and the hellish roar of a tractor pull that reminded of Kevin Doty’s MARA midget win on that soil in 1985. POWRi voice Jim Childers recalled a Fairfield Fairgrounds too unsafe for a second date. I drove clear to Rocheport, Missouri to sleep along the Katy Trail. It looked like a little artist colony and Rocheport revealed itself as responsible for William Least Heat Moon, author of the book Blue Highways that seems to mirror my own “road less traveled” philosophy.

July 18 Haubstadt, Indiana: Tri-State Speedway is still my favorite. I know that Kokomo regularly exceeds it but I’m not ready to dismiss 20 years of Tri-State thrills for a couple of Kokomo campaigns. The finale to Indiana Sprint Week was epic. Levi Jones ran the rim and Clauson stayed with the bottom, carrying the left front most of the way and bouncing across the infield markers. “I wish he would’ve stayed in Charlotte,” Jones joked after winning the Tri-State race and Indiana Sprint Week title worth 5k.

July 17 Bloomington, Indiana: Bloomington Speedway needs help. It has hosted too many lackluster parades around the grass. Mike Miles has wonderful clay (much is thrown where no one can use it) that he makes very wet. On race night, Mike is the lone Indiana operator unwilling to devote an hour to revitalize. It would not take much; maybe a slight scratch to bring Clear Creek to the surface. In this feature, Levi thought he was on the bottom before Clauson slipped under for 5k. Miles had another lousy race but did allow free use of his pavilion for the gala seventh birthday celebration of Sully Layne Eckert, enjoying the company of kids belonging to Jay Drake, Derek Davidson and Rob Hart. Jay has not endeared wife Heidi to his idea of racing a champ car at Richmond or Oswego.

July 16 Indianapolis, Indiana: I skipped Kamp like a tramp with no gas money. If I had camped at Terre Haute last night, I’d have extended north to Benton County. But since I rode home, Benton was not on the way to Bloomington. Dean Mills and Mickey Dale (warming my heart with a stack of 1976 USAC newsletters) came through the door to say how I missed the best race of Sprint Week. Ask ten people who won and five will say Cole Whitt and five will say Darland, as indicated by USAC transponders.

July 15 Terre Haute, Indiana: The Terre Haute Action Track was back on Indiana Sprint Week. In a stroke of good timing, it fell during the Vigo County Fair. I wanted to press blue ribbons on farm girls but thought better. Action Track’s infield is like a city park where people throw Frisbees and footballs over coolers. Turn three is a fun place to watch heat races thunder through on three wheels. Who was G1? That was Hunter Schuerenberg, who won his heat for Tom Gorby, proprietor of America’s Best Value Inn. Justin Henderson handled G1 at Kings Royal and Knoxville Nationals. During the semi, I moved to turn four and ate dust. For the feature, I followed Bob Shutt to the old covered grandstand entering turn one. From that seat, Terre Haute was a good race, though not for first-place because Brad Sweet administered a Mopar beat down. To get under Cole Whitt takes time and Coons showed the patience of a champ to secure second. Jerry races right.

July 14 Indianapolis, Indiana: Still using the two-night break in Indiana Sprint Week to retrieve data, I reluctantly skipped the Indiana Midget Week raindate at North Vernon. There would be few cars but perhaps more surface. However, hot laps began in billowing dust, bringing the water truck. Tracy Hines led 24 of 30 before Bobby East earned the win. Sixteen nights later, East led his Belleville prelim for 17 of 20 when his Ford ate itself. When an engine dies at Belleville, everyone can hear it.

July 13 Indianapolis, Indiana: Monday was a day of recovery and a day for a stupid son to forget his mother’s birthday. Sorry mom. I thought of her when Mario visited Knoxville. Back in ’69, an Andretti autograph session occurred at the Firestone dealer in our Phillipsburg, New Jersey home. I was incapable of noticing a hero’s snub but mom was not, nursing a grudge for years. Only recently when Mr. and Mrs. Fred Brubaker applied Thermal Sun Screen in Mario’s Villa Montona in neighboring Nazareth did she let it go. On the day before Knoxville Nationals, Helga’s second son Steve was reading an Andretti story from Sports Illustrated at the Krohn Zone. I mentioned how Mario was to visit Knoxville to unveil the Schatz STP Special. Seeking that schedule, I told Steve that Andretti would appear in 15 minutes. Eckert was out the door to greet the United Racing Club’s greatest graduate.

July 12 Kokomo, Indiana: California’s Jimmy Sills was in the house. The new Kokomo speed bowl bears little resemblance to the flat quarter that Sills last saw through the cage of one of Dave Calderwood’s midgets. In 1985, Jimmy crossed third at Kokomo for Fred Marks and Les Kepler against the World of Outlaws represented tonight by mechanics Jim Carr, Bonzai Bruns and Duece Turrill. Sills was tutor to Ryan Kaplan, knocked out before one corner in an ugly double flip with Nic Faas. Many piled on Nic (he did deliver the blow) but Ryan did change lanes. On the last lap of the B, Damion Gardner thought he was one spot out and veered straight at Ballou, who yielded before ramming Demon post-race. Entering the pit area, bumpers locked. Robert said he was dragged and Gardner said he got pushed. What was indisputable was how Robert got zapped by Pace Electronics. In the scrum, Ballou’s car owner Bernie Stuebgen saw his girl Betsy pushed by The Demon’s crew chief Davey Jones, who was fined. USAC initially disqualified Ballou (Jeff Bland belted into Indy Race Parts 71) before Bill Carey changed his mind. Stuebgen’s ex-drivers gave him fits. His driver of Sprint Weeks ’03-04 was Gardner before Bernie took Thomas Meseraull to the ’07 Oval Nationals. He was irritated at T-Mez for turning Ballou over at Gas City last night. To maintain points for the VKCC team of Hockett (off to Seattle), Stuebgen put “Pac Man” together for because Ballou’s car owner Dallas Mulvaney sat Sprint Week out. Kokomo heats were outstanding as usual but the top went away in the A. Chad Boat ran the bottom to a fourth straight Kokomo conquest. Clauson claimed second and Jon Stanbrough dragged the middle to third. My new favorite drag racer since Don “The Snake” Prudhomme is J.R Todd, who chased Indiana Sprint Week with a rented motorhome that formed a vital third wall to keep The Frolic free from poachers. J.R tagged Brad Sweet as “Big Cat” and followed his roommate clear to Kansas. Kokomo fans stopped to meet the rare black man in motorsports only to be stalled because he was fixing me a drink.

July 11 Gas City, Indiana: It is advantageous to live in a state small enough to allow a person to wait until late in the day before deciding on outdoor activity. The second day of Indiana Sprint Week dawned wet. Gas City showed real spirit. Its surface was outstanding for heats but did dump several cars. After the Jiggs dig, the A-main was less lively. Darren Hagen led 22 of 30 until breaking the Kunz car. Levi took over and thanked The Lord and The Frolic. Did that mean He has a problem with Hagen? “Yes,” Jones said. “Hagen’s a hypocrite.” I guess only Mel Kenyon could preach God’s love while slapping wheels with the sinners.

July 10 Lawrenceburg, Indiana: The Dearborn County Fairgrounds was stuffed as the large amount of large motor homes increased. Indiana Sprint Week again opened with the Robbie Stanley Classic, prompting me to bring a Stanley shirt. I had no real idea what to do with it. I considered presenting it to the winner if he was small enough. Darland won but he’s too big. I thought of finding a girl to model it but in the end, did the right thing (as suggested by Andrew Quinn) by donating to the Dayton Auto Racing Fans to benefit injured drivers. Quinn waved me to the camper of Irvin King, who bestowed a case of Yuengling lager to become my first West Virginia hero since the racing blacksmith, Jim Kirk. USAC leader Kevin Miller roamed The Burg snapping photos of campers ignoring time trials. Perhaps the format forced on him at Osky made an impression because double Bandit heats would set the Dick Gaines Memorial. If he had vision behind sucking NASCAR tit, Miller would slice asphalt like a tumor and create a calendar that could earn a man a living in USAC. It is tough to show flaws to people who spent millions of dollars but Lawrenceburg Speedway is too fast for its own good most nights. Its heats were the worst of Sprint Week and Midget Week. In the feature, Darland started outside pole and held off Clauson, who got booed for saying Dave used all the choice real estate.

Indiana Sprint Week remains the best reason to live in Indiana. It is important to reiterate how lucky we Hoosiers are to have such a rare and rewarding form of racing in such abundance. As mentioned, sometimes it takes travel to appreciate home. Other times, it takes people from Australia or Canada to remind what lies in our backyard. Old timers like me may wax about some golden age until we’re blue in the face. But make no mistake: these are the good ol’ days. Indiana Sprint Week was another festival of fantastic races followed by all-night Frolics ‘til the cows came home.

The defense rests.

Ok

Midgets Grow Smaller

2009-07-08T00:30:00.000-04:00

By Kevin Eckert (Kevin@openwheeltimes.com)

July 8, 2009 Speedway, Indiana: Where all dogs have come out of hiding. When did we decide to celebrate priceless American independence with cheap Chinese fireworks?

Saturday’s rain enabled more hillbillies to keep more fingers. It also rescheduled the only midget race of the Tri-State Speedway season for Saturday, July 25. Unfortunately for POWRi personnel, the new date creates a 440-mile overnight drag to Missouri’s U.S 36 Speedway. I too intend to take that trip.

Are we near the end of midget racing? POWRi and ARDC average 25-30 cars per show but the rest are in critical condition. BCRA brought ten to Shasta. AMRA attracted nine to Tucson. RMMRA managed nine in Pueblo, and WMRA canceled in Canada after only six midgets appeared in Ephrata. Some of those groups have been in trouble for years in the escalating insanity of owning a midget. But when Wisconsin fields dip below 20, the situation is truly dire. Badger brought 12 midgets to Dodge County.

Midgets ceased to make sense sometime after Chevy II and Volkswagen were shoved aside. Toyota may be the final nail. Ford Focus engines looked like a way to create an entry-level midget class. But if the head is dead, healthy roots go nowhere. After eight seasons, USAC races contain less than ten Focus cars. Those who do progress do so in sprint cars, such as I-69 winner Kyle Robbins.

Sun Prairie’s empty grass has taken some shine off the string of five straight BMARA wins by Missouri’s Brad Loyet. After its four-car assault on Chili Bowl, Loyet Motorsports released renowned Rusty Kunz to elevate George Ruzic to crew chief. Brad has not missed a beat, winning 11 of 30 and adding a sprint car that beat everyone but the mighty Jon Stanbrough in Danville, Illinois.

I became the proud owner of a Flea Ruzic T-shirt at the spiciest Chili Bowl of them all in 1994. Of course, 15 years and 50 pounds make it so tight that the shirt may soon fall to skinny Kirk Spridgeon. On the Hall of Fame induction weekend (Knoxville’s lowest midget count in eight editions), Spridge helped Stephanie Laskey locate the plaque honoring her grandfather Ted Halibrand. Kirk jarred my memory about an Opperman diary called Odyssey. Sure enough, Tom Schmeh’s new archive room has the book.

A bloke can’t swing a dead dingo without hitting an Aussie these days. Roddy Bell-Bowen, Matthew Butler, Trevor Green, Greg Hall, Steven Lines, Dene McAllan, Paul Morris, Matthew Reed, Garry Rooke and the first U.S tour in ten years by Garry Brazier all ran last weekend. In his first tour of Pennsylvania since driving the Dyer Masonry 461, Brazier bagged eighth at Williams Grove, sixth at Port Royal and ninth at Selinsgrove on Sunday.

How ‘bout those Kaedings? Tim, Bud and Brent bagged second, third and fourth from Dirt Cup and accounted for 11 wins by Independence Day. Brent raced the Sala 360 on the USAC Fridays when Bud was in Pennsylvania and Virginia. Friday was Chico checkered Number 88 for Brent. Saturday was Bud’s first Chico checkered since 1997! Tim topped IRA on Rice Lake and earned eighth at Eagle in Saturday’s World of Outlaws event.

“Rocket” Crockett will soon be reacquainted with “Rocket” Hockett when the Missouri star makes his Pacific Northwest debut in Medford (July 13), Cottage Grove (July 14) and Lebanon on Wednesday, July 15. It is a regional ASCS prelude to the first ASCS National races ever in Washington (Elma on July 17-18) and Oregon (Cottage Grove) on July 24-25. Yes, it is now official; USAC has lost another shooting star.

Omlid & Swinney Fire Protection dominates Oregon with Roger Crockett (11 wins) and added a Saturday win on Gray’s Harbor with Henry Van Dam of Enumclaw, Washington.

Enumclaw’s Kasey Kahne carries ‘49’ on Brad Sweet’s USAC midget in tribute to the first man to drive for Kasey’s dad Kelly Kahne. He is Cecil Walker, the fellow tree killer who won a Dirt Cup prelim in 1985.

Arbuckle, California’s Gary Paulsen followed his first Petaluma 360 win with two weeks at Nebraska’s Eagle Raceway before returning home for Saturday’s Civil War race at Petaluma.

San Martin, California’s Wes Gutierrez won two wingless 360 shows to close 2008 and added wings and midgets for 2009. Last month, Wes made his Indiana debut by tumbling a Walker midget down the hill at Bloomington.

Temecula, California’s Mike Spencer, third in the first wingless 410 feature in 18 Petaluma seasons, followed with an Indiana weekend for Scooter Ellis at Bloomington’s Sheldon Kinser Memorial, Putnamville and Kokomo’s Bob Darland Memorial before returning home for third at Perris.

David Cardey posted Petaluma USAC-CRA success after a fast lap of 14.61, slower than the 14.50 laid down in 1991 by Billy Boat and current Spencer crew chief Bruce Bromme Jr.

How much does Jack Jory love Rip Williams? Jory has kept a car under Rip for 14 years and added two more for Rip chips Austin and Cody. Jory shipped all three to Petaluma, where The Ripper recorded second to Jimmy Sills in the CRA show of 1991.

Manhatten Beach boy Garrett Hansen, winner of last month’s Ron Otto USAC-CRA Memorial at Santa Maria, finished fourth on Friday asphalt at Shasta with a USAC midget and fourth on Saturday clay 600 miles away in Perris with a 410 sprint car.

Broderick Roa, son of Mike Kirby’s faithful mechanic Brett Roa, won the USAC Ford Focus midget match Saturday at Perris. Brody’s uncle Tom Roa recorded three CRA wins at San Gabriel (’72), Ascot (’78) and El Centro in 1981.

How good is Hood? The man’s older than an Edsel and all but retired for two years. Yet when Johnny Herrera headed for Knoxville and dad needed a new shoe, Joe Herrera called Rickey Hood, took one race to get reacquainted and won the next ASCS event in Tucson.

Arizona chargers Charles Davis and Mike Martin have shown an ability to be fast in wingless ASCS Canyon or winged ASCS Southwest competition.

Las Cruces, New Mexico’s Rick Ziehl raced a Renegade 305 on Friday in El Paso, Texas before winning Saturday’s regional ASCS 360 show in Tucson, Arizona. Also making that 300-mile trip were Shawn Sander and John Carney II.

Arizona’s Alex Pettas relocated to Santa Claus, Indiana and ran a steel block SCORA 410 to fourth at Flora, Illinois and seventh in Soggy Bottom, Kentucky. Friday found Pettas crashing out of the first sprint race ever on Indiana’s Ripley County Fairgrounds and again on the way home with truck and trailer. Alex was not injured in either accident.

California spec sprint racer Keith Bloom has been on five Indiana ovals in three weeks with fourth at Lincoln Park as Bloom’s best.

Albuquerque, New Mexico’s Derrik Ortega, an ASCS winner last summer in Rock Springs, Wyoming and North Platte, Nebraska, had his Wesmar Maxim seventh Saturday in Wichita with NCRA.

Jason Martin, winning two Kansas URSS 305 features this season in his hometown of Liberal, was eleventh with a World of Outlaws 410 in Dodge City and seventh Friday in Jetmore with NCRA 360.

Tuttle, Oklahoma’s Cody Whitworth, winning with a two-barrel 360 at Lawton and Oklahoma City in 2006, finished second with 305 inches Saturday in Grayson County, Texas.

Mid-America Speedway on the Oklahoma side of the Coffeyville, Kansas border town is under direction of Kenny Gariss. As crew chief to Travis Jenkins, Kevin Gariss prepped a second two-barrel for Mike Goodman, who took third Saturday in South Coffeyville. First and second in OCRS 360 sprint cars were SMRS midget aces Matt Sherrell and Jonathan Beason.

Oklahoma crew chief Jimmy Jones, winning regional ASCS A-mains in Waco with Trey Robb and Abilene with Jerry Bell, countered Jerry’s strep throat by summoning Tommy Bryant to the Daniel McMillin Memorial at Lake Ozark. In his Missouri appearance, the Texas charger led 27 laps to a near ASCS National upset. Back in his own car, Bryant won Friday in Edna, Texas.

Three cheers for Tony Bruce! He brought ASCS back to West Memphis for a two-night national field deeper than any Riverside has seen since Jeff Swindell skipped school. Versus television will now show America all about gumbo.

Little Rock champ Justin Sturch teased television with another ASCS upset by leading 30 of 50 until Tim Crawley completed a $9000 weekend sweep.

Incidentally writers, cars that cause the leader to lose the lead are not yet lapped and therefore, should not be called lapped traffic.

Tony Bruce hit such an unscheduled home run at Riverside that Pete Walton of USCS felt the need to spice his Thursday event. Pete’s idea is to strip the wings from his 360 club. As an unabashed fan of this racing, I see it as brilliant. By going wingless, Walton could distinguish USCS and even attract some of the wingless 305s sprouting like mushrooms.

Riverside hero Terry Gray spotted ASCS one night while winning Friday’s feature in Malden, Missouri and then led USCS travelers Marshall Skinner, Anthony Nicholson, Henry Gustavus and Todd Fayard to West Memphis from Malden.

California, Missouri’s Double X Speedway is little more than an ATM machine that spits $600 in Jesse Hockett’s hand every Sunday. “Who did he beat?” Big Boys always ask. Double X rarely answers that question because Ra’Vae will reveal who sang the National Anthem but not the poor bastards who got melted by The Rocket.

Nebraska’s Eagle Raceway once had a friendly wager with California’s Santa Maria Speedway as to the world’s fastest third-mile dirt track. Brad Doty’s 11.66 at Eagle stood as the standard for many years. Saturday started with Sammy Swindell almost taking Eagle’s mark below 11 seconds with an 11.07.

Doug Wolfgang, an Eagle winner with Speedway Motors in 1979, placed son Robby on an accelerated diet of 40 starts before Friday’s arrival of ASCS to Hartford, South Dakota. On any Sunday night, Robby races 410 and 360 at Huset’s Speedway, winning the latter this week. Huset’s was where Doug won his only feature for Lenard McCarl on Cheaters Day 1988.

Harwood, North Dakota’s Lee Grosz backed across the line second in Thursday’s inaugural ASCS Can West card in Winnipeg. Saturday in Jackson, Minnesota found Lee landing held over glory and the regular race. Owner and crew chief on the winning Wesmar J&J is Grosz granddad Doug Howells, a winner with Wolfgang, Don Mack, Todd Mack, Jack Hewitt, Jac Haudenschild, Kenny Jacobs, Danny Smith and Rick Ungar.

Brainerd, Minnesota’s Tim Johnson, first in a street stock and second in a super stock Saturday on his home track, climbed in his first sprint car in four years and finished fourth in the Earl & Ethel Kouba UMSS Memorial won by Jerry Richert Jr.

Glenwood, Minnesota karting champion Cam Schafer made a few Indiana starts for Bryan Clauson last year and has returned in 2009 to make A-mains in Paragon and Putnamville.

Breaking the chase for World of Outlaw points has freed Terry McCarl to dodge rain in Dodge County. Friday when weather looked bad in South Dakota, he made a third successful strike of Steve Sinclair’s IRA loot. Earning an Eldora victory is special to every driver, as is beating The Outlaws at Knoxville, both of which McCarl accomplished in successive Saturdays.

Texas drifter Sam Hafertepe followed sixth with The Outlaws in Nebraska by winning a heat race 240 miles and 24 hours away in Sioux Falls. Do club restrictions no longer apply?

Saturday at Knoxville brought 81 sprint cars in four features for three classes. Rager’s kid brother Tasker Phillips climbed from his 360 wreckage to win the 305 feature. Johnny Anderson finished fourth with a 305 and split 360 victory honors with Jonathan Cornell from Sedalia, Missouri.

Knoxville’s own Bronson Maeschen is the 2009 pilot of the Jordan brothers, who first notched Knoxville success with Minnesota’s John Sernett (’92) before adding seven wins with Brent Antill and two more with Jaymie Moyle and Larry Pinegar. Other jockeys for Jordan have included Ricky Weld, Bill Robison, Bruce Drottz, Jeff Tuttle, Peter Murphy, Max Dumesny and John VanDenBerg.

St. Michael, Minnesota’s Davey Heskin won his first Knoxville 410 feature last summer and became an IRA winner in 2009 at Shawano, Wisconsin. IRA issues Friday in Dodge County preceded second-place for Davey on Saturday in Knoxville.

Travis “T.J” Luedke landed second Friday in Manitowoc before winning the MSA 360 show Saturday in his hometown of Plymouth, Wisconsin.

Friday in Indiana found wingless 410 features falling to Danny Holtsclaw for the time ever at Bloomington and Kyle Robbins at Gas City for the first time anywhere. There is no feeling a fan can get like seeing somebody get that first win. Kenny Niflis afforded us that thrill at Bloomington’s Sheldon Kinser Memorial.

Indiana’s operational landscape (to call some promoters is generous) shifted when Joe Spiker took over Lincoln Park from Dave Allison, who snipped his last tie to sprint cars. Ironic that Spiker should lease the Lincoln Park Speedway from which he siphoned sprint cars across the border to Danville, Illinois. Spiker is now leaning toward moving Vermilion County to Friday and dropping its sprint class to replenish Putnamville.

Kent Christian’s car looks more comfortable sideways than most of those who surround him at Bloomington, Putnamville or Kokomo. KC Fabrication placed the suspension points personally. Kent’s father was a true one-arm bandit. Chuck Amati merely taped an arm to his chest; Bob Christian left his in West Memphis.

Indianapolis owner Mike Blake began his current association with Florida’s Troy DeCaire at the Little 500. Winner of 20 races in six seasons, DeCaire returned to Anderson to win a winged HOSS card for Blake, a truck driver who then pulled 720 miles overnight from Richmond USAC to Plymouth HOSS action. Saturday saw Troy and Mike add seventh against AVSS in Owosso, Michigan.

Owosso Speedway began as a dirt quarter in 1941, was paved in ’53, dirt again in ’83, and paved since 1988. It was paved for wins by Todd Gibson (’73), Pancho Carter (’78), Sarah Fisher (’99) and Detroit’s Ike Beasley, who won Owosso’s last midget meet in ‘04.

Belleville, Michigan’s Dain Naida has notched 20 starts on 12 tracks in five states and two countries in 2009. Last month, Dain finished fifth at Ransomville, New York until ESS disqualified Naida for an illegal fuel additive.

Elida, Ohio’s Darren Long has logged 21 starts on 11 tracks in nine states and two countries in 2009. During his decade in the Buckeye State, Long has been especially fast at Eldora, where he owns seven victories.

Neil Shepherd, student at the University of Northwestern Ohio, was second at Waynesfield as winged 360 pilot of Mike Lotz, a Limaland winner with Jac Haudenschild in 2004.

Last month, Neil’s dad Terry Shepherd sold their trailer to California’s Brian Sperry, who serves as Steve Harris crew chief to Bobby McMahan and Steve’s son Kyle. Before driving it across country, Sperry made an Indiana Midget Week stop on the Kokomo property where he won a World of Outlaws race with Joe Gaerte and Tom Wimmer in 1990.

Ottoville, Ohio’s Jared Horstman is a 600cc graduate who was second at Limaland on Friday with a 360 before using a 410 to win his first career sprint race Saturday at Butler, Michigan.

Sandusky, Ohio’s Chris Andrews was Friday’s winner in Attica with a Gressman 410 and mechanical assistance from Craig Stevens, who helped Shane Stewart and Jason Johnson become winners in the World of Outlaws.

Hartford, Ohio’s Sharon Speedway held the first Lou Blaney Memorial for the sprint and modified classes that the big man loved. “Lou always raced you clean,” said New York legend Jack Johnson from Tuesday’s win circle. The sprint race became the first winged 410 feature win ever by Tony Stewart. “The first time I came to Sharon,” Stewart recalled, “Lou Blaney kicked my butt.”

Lou Blaney’s supermodified/sprint car career included 172 wins highlighted by the Williams Grove National Open of 1966. In 1973, Blaney edged Ted Wise for track championships at Lernerville, Jennerstown and Tri-City. The following summer, Lou finished fourth in his only Knoxville Nationals behind Wise, Jan Opperman and winner Dick Gaines. Once he sat in a Dick Tobias modified in 1978, Lou joined Ralph Quarterson and Ed Lynch in often sweeping two wins per evening. When son Dave came of age, Lou relinquished sprint chores to compile 350 modified wins!

My first look at Lou Blaney was the last Reading 200 in 1978 when Lou traced a thin afternoon cushion to transfer from one stacked heat. A more vivid memory is the Sunday in 1981 when Blaney placed second to Merv Treichler on the Syracuse mile.

Guys like Blaney, Bobbie Adamson and Gus Linder helped create central Pennsylvania by bringing sprint technology to cut down stock cars. Bobbie belongs in the Hall of Fame. He won from Clarksburg, West Virginia to Skyline, St. Clairsville, Steubenville, Sharon, Franklin, Kittaning, Latrobe, Jennerstown, Port Royal, Selinsgrove, Williams Grove, Susquehanna and Hagerstown, Maryland. Adamson beat IMCA at Allentown and Tampa with no roll cage, and brought a wing to wax Ascot Park during his landmark 23-win season of ’67. In two Western Worlds, Bobbie Adamson made both Manzanita finals.

Pennsylvania is the premier zone for sprint racing today because its cars are owned by someone other than the driver’s father. Quaker State businessmen play to win and when they don’t, heads roll. Dave Middleswarth knew there was no delicate way to release a legend like Keith Kauffman, but called Chad Layton anyway. Jesse Keen thought he had the next Big Thing in Pat Cannon, but dropped him when Daryn Pittman came open. Charlie Sorokach backed Alan Cole for five years, yet chose Chad Kemenah to win two of their first six.

America’s toughest region got tougher with the 2009 additions of Pittman, Kemenah and Justin Henderson, three guys from the World of Outlaws of 2007. Since replacing Daryn for Pete Postupack, seventh-place is Justin’s best in 14 races. Pittman was first when The Grove rubbered up during the Mitch Smith Memorial and awarded him $10,000.

During his epic 34-win season of ’71 when Mitch Smith smashed USAC three times on two groves, he also whipped wingless ARDC midgets twice on spacious Selinsgrove Speedway. On their way into the Hall of Fame, Kansas City stars Jay Woodside and Ray Lee Goodwin stopped at Selinsgrove to be Mitch’s bitches. “I want to meet Mitch Smith,” Jay told Ray Lee after Smith passed them in one corner, “before he gets killed!”

Stevie Smith is in the midst of a renaissance season, snaring eight wins in 35 Zemco starts. During the accolades for putting a Pennsylvania stamp on Ohio Speedweek, he wished some money went with it. Being champion of Ohio Speedweek was the same hollow honor as Indiana Sprintweek. Stevie’s Speedweek in PA ended in Port Royal’s first turn fence.

Stevie Smith joined the ranks of racers who have driven up the downhill backstretch of the Bedford half-mile for their first win. They include (in order) Ted Horn (1946), Tommy Hinnershitz, Mike Nazaruk, Bill Schindler, Duane Carter, Bill Holland, Jiggs Peters, Charlie Musselman, Dave Humphrey, Red Riegel, Larry Dickson, Mitch Smith, Kenny Weld, Lynn Paxton, Dick Tobias, Gus Linder, Jan Opperman, Bobby Allen, Rick Ferkel, Buddy Cochran, Steve Smith, Keith Kauffman, Lance Dewease, Todd Shaffer, Greg Hodnett, Jim Kennedy and Bill Rose in 2007. Speedweek 2009 saw Stevie win 37 years after dad delivered the O.J Meyers Furniture.

West Memphis product Greg Hodnett has welcomed “Lethal Lee” Stauffer back as crew chief with five wins in his last 22 starts for Jim Kline. In five Apple Chevrolet seasons, Stauffer and Hodnett horded 86 victories.

Cody Darrah, winning five times with Lee Stauffer as 2008 crew chief, has performed just fine with Steve Suchy spinning wrenches, winning three times in eight nights.

Pennsylvania’s Trevor Lewis from the Delaware River town of Upper Black Eddy won two ASCS Patriot programs in two years at Sharon and Erie before Jim Nace named Trevor for Clearfield. Saturday saw Lewis stop “The Jersey Jet” J.J Grasso from a sixth win in eight New Egypt URC races. Sunday at Selinsgrove where Lewis won last month’s Jack Gunn URC Memorial, Trevor teamed again with Nace, who owns 48 wins as a Selinsgrove driver and one as Sean Michael’s car owner at the 2007 Opperman Memorial. Second on Sunday marked Trevor’s top 410 finish ever.

Blane Heimbach, Scott Flammer and Ryan Kissinger were Selinsgrove sprint racers that made A-mains on Saturday with 358 and Sunday with 410 fire power.

Nicole Bower, backed by her father’s chain of ABC bowling alleys, became a 358 winner at Port Royal to prompt a question regarding which girls have won sprint races. I named Becca Anderson, Judi Bates, Erin Crocker, Michelle Decker, Alissa Geving, Cheryl Glass, Destiney Hays, Shauna Hogg, Christi Passmore, Mares Stellfox, Miranda Throckmorton, Kaylene Verville, Shayla Waddell, Mary Anne Williams, Shawna Wilskey and Jessica Zemken.

Martinsburg, West Virginia’s Chad Criswell crossed sixth in Saturday’s 358 feature at Lincoln Speedway before climbing in a super sportsman to land a Lincoln checkered.

Bobby Allen, employed by West Virginia’s M&J Coal Company for five seasons, returned to the Trail-Way win circle with the car he built and prepped for grandson Logan Schuchart, 16-year old offspring of Bob’s daughter Dana. It was 31 years ago when Allen won at Trail-Way between his last Little 500 and first Dirt Cup.

Watertown, Connecticut’s David Gravel, a 600cc star and 2008 URC rookie, is an All Star 410 rookie who was seventh at the Gene Tallman Memorial in Elkins, West Virginia. Gravel ran Ohio Speedweek and Pennsylvania Speedweek before Saturday rain routed him to Fremont from Terre Haute. Five of the top ten All Stars (Tim Shaffer, Dale Blaney, Greg Wilson, Brandon Wimmer and Gravel) scurried to Fremont where Dale and Tim were 1-2.

Canada’s Glenn Styres ran four legs of Ohio Speedweek before returning to his Ohsweken Speedway for ASCS Patriots and a World of Outlaws promotion that provided Tim McCreadie’s return to racing. Styres made his 2009 ESS debut at Can-Am, where Jessica Zemken lost an engine, Styres loaned one that she launched to within an eyelash of defeating Dan Kaszubinski at Utica-Rome.

Situated between the towns of Utica and Rome in the village of Vernon, Utica-Rome Speedway opened as a quarter-mile of asphalt in the summer of ’61. Bronx bomber Tony Romit won an ARDC midget race there in ’62. Dirt covered pavement in ‘79. It was called New Venture when I first visited for a 1985 win for “Jumpin’ Jack” Johnson. Four years later, I returned for the only win ever in ESS by George Sifo.

Rensselaer County, New York’s Matt Tanner took fifth in Saturday’s CRSA 305 show in the Vermont version of the Devil’s Bowl before Matt and fellow CRSA shoe Warren Alexson tried Sunday’s ESS 360 program at Utica-Rome.

Maple Shade, New Jersey’s Jack Helget Jr joined the World of Outlaws in Delaware and Virginia and was at Mercer on Saturday with Taylor teammates Johnny Beaber and Jeff Taylor.

Jack Helget Sr. was the second man to die in front of me. It was in Bridgeport, New Jersey during the brief 1977 promotion of legendary car owner Ken Brenn. Helget hopped the right front wheel of Donnie Varner, lost his helmet and hit a light pole. Varner retired on the spot, ending a career that spanned Port Royal supers to a Davey Brown 350 Mustang.

How good is Bobby Santos III? He has a percentage of pavement excellence that rivals Dave Steele in his prime. Santos was supposed to slap a wing on his midget for Tuesday night’s NEMA stop at Stafford Springs, Connecticut but could not make it. Stock car stud Woody Pitkat was set to sub until Bob’s sister Erica needed the Santos 29.

Steven Intravaia of Saylorsburg, Pennsylvania and Kyle Bonsignore from Long Island raced in Concord, North Carolina with USAC Ford Focus midgets belonging to Brad Noffsinger, the CRA champ who helped hasten midgets to Pontiac power in 1986.

Haverhill, Massachusetts jockey Justin Belfiore, making eight supermodified starts last season from Lee, New Hampshire to Madera, California, made his 2009 SMRA debut fourth Thursday in Las Vegas and ninth Saturday in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Oswego saw Otto Sitterly’s supermodified averaged 130.9 mph on lap 34 of 58 to win Saturday’s Jim Shampine Memorial over Canadian drivers Doug Didero and Dave McKnight, “Jersey Jet” Joey Payne, Terre Haute promoter Davey Hamilton and Greg Furlong, who once won 16 of 26 there. Jim’s nephew Keith Shampine finished ninth in an event that included Bentley Warren, an ISMA runner-up to Chris Perley on Tuesday at Stafford.

My burning memory of Jim Shampine’s turquoise Eight Ball was forged on the eve of the 1978 Syracuse 100. Shampine sealed his 12th win in 18 starts with engine and drive train outside of a chassis that broke the Oswego record on four straight laps that ended at 17.69. By contrast, Sitterly’s best Saturday lap was 17.18.

Hungry people in the vicinity of Speedway or Gasoline Alley would be wise to choose the Tamale Place on Lynhurst and Rockville Road. It’s just a lunch counter. But the steak and egg breakfast tacos are tits! Almost.

Remembering an international visionary named Brian Healey from 4979 West 13th Street, Speedway, IN 46224 or (317) 607.7841.

Ok

Miles to Nowhere

2009-06-25T20:37:00.002-04:00

By Kevin Eckert

June 25, 2009 Speedway, Indiana: Home never looked so good.
Indiana Midget Week could not have come soon enough. I had just driven from Terre Haute to Columbus Junction to Knoxville to Grandview to Mercer for parades so pitiful that Paragon looked like an oasis.

Welcome to the dog days of summer, when 100 sprint races occur every week and one man (me) processes every one of them. Every year at this time, I catch heat for not writing more often. And every year, I sing the same song: only when the data is current. Perhaps I could dictate while driving? Anyway, strap in ‘cause this column jumps around a bit.

Travel brings anticipation that is likely to always be part of my life, like the shark that must swim to breathe. But sometimes, the beauty of travel is an appreciation for not traveling. Indiana is home because its “regular’ menu of wingless sprint cars on semi-heavy clay makes me happy. But the voice that tells me to stay at Gas City or Kokomo still wrestles with the track chaser that tells me to seek new and distant pleasures.

Midgets in Knoxville, Iowa were something unseen. Knoxville has been one of my favorite half-miles for 25 years. On each enjoyable oval, my complete experience will witness wingless sprints, winged sprints and midgets. Four-cylinders have been screaming around Iowa’s wide oval for seven straight years, yet midgets were missing from my Knoxville trifecta. Placing them back on Hall of Fame weekend helped change that, as did the museum’s new research room through which I foraged like a starving raccoon.

If not for my big dig, good friends and pride of helping legends to remain immortal, Knoxville was a total waste of time. There was trouble as soon as the water truck raised dust. The old half-mile was as abrasive as those afternoon abominations I avoid like syphyllis. Midgets could not go ten miles on a right rear. The stench of burning rubber mixed with Swindell victories to make me queasy.

And as I walked into my first Hall of Fame induction ceremony in nine years, a day of joy turned to sorrow with confirmation that Chad McDaniel did indeed die in the Doodlebug Classic. Like many midget racers, I met Chad during an Elephant Run gathering to Chili Bowl. I told him the story of riding north on 81 from Oklahoma City to Lincoln, Nebraska and stopping for gas in Concordia, Kansas, where I noticed a service station with the silhouette of a midget. It was the McDaniel midget.

As one of 72 to determine who gets enshrined in Knoxville, I see it as a responsibility that I take more seriously than most. But to see rough, tough outlaws like Roger Rager reduced to tears (big Brent Kaeding cracked last year) is to be reminded why each selection is held to such lofty standards. I was much better about the class of 2009 than 2008. I voted for Allan Brown because without his National Speedway Directory, outlaws like Rager would never have found Monett Speedway. I voted for Jim Chini because he inspired a generation of photographers and writers. Chini was himself motivated by David Knox and wants Knox in Knoxville as well. It seems simple that if a person’s work helped keep someone immortal, that person too is indispensable.

I did not vote for Fred Rahmer or my favorite racer of all-time Jac Haudenschild, not because they do not belong (their numbers are indisputable) but because they are still writing history. My focus is on those no longer in the spotlight, like Lee Osborne, who I championed long and hard until his inclusion.

Oz did it all, taking piles of tubing to victory lane in central Pennsylvania, USAC, World of Outlaws and All Star Circuit of Champions. After hanging up his helmet in 1984, Oz Cars became the chassis of choice in All Stars, USAC champ cars and ESS, where brother-in-law John Birosh was champion. I fear that a man who straddles two categories (driver/builder in Lee’s case) does diminish each case rather than doubling the credit as proper. Oz or Bobby Allen could have made the hall as car builders alone, as Charlie Lloyd should. Around 1980 when Outlaws were being pummeled in Pennsylvania by Lynn Paxton, Smokey Snellbaker, Kramer Williamson and Allen Klinger, they all drove tall skinny sprinters from Lloyd Enterprises of Highspire.

Back in ’84 when we watched Fred Rahmer win chug-a-lug beer drinkin’ races after slam-bam small block modified victories, few could have forcast him into the National Sprint Car Hall of Fame. First off, there was no such place. And second, “Fritzy” was just dabbling in URC. Four hundred checkereds and 26 track titles later, Rahmer was a resounding first-ballot choice.

Friday found a flock of Rahmer supporters to watch King Doodlebug and Masters Classics while Fred maintained Williams Grove points. Before we left the Hall of Fame, their Grove report brought word of the wingless practice that followed winged racing, practice that ended the Doug Esh topless experiment at the bottom of the hill in turn one. Last year, Fred completed a similar session and Grandview qualifying before opting out.

If the Pennsylvania promoters are serious about attracting winged professionals to wingless Wednesdays, a more active role is necessary. Someone like Frankie Kerr could conduct a seminar assuring everyone that very little is needed to make a winged car competitive. Tracks could cover the cost of tiedown shocks or wide front axles and USAC could compromise the cost of one-time participation. Last winter, Rahmer created a nice buzz by announcing USAC intentions. And boy wonder Cody Darrah was going to try this year, right before Esh crashed. Bob Miller needs those guys because Pennsylvania Posse fans have no clue about Brad Sweet or Chris Windom.

Rahmer was last to be inducted and clearly humbled. I glanced at one of his tables and saw Tom “Wop” Shannon, one of six in the station wagon that brought me to Knoxville that first time in ‘84. Fred mentioned how his Chad Clemens team was adjusting to new wing rules just before he and Wop stepped across the black dirt and missed the A-main.

Everyone hoped for better racing on Knoxville’s second night. And it was better for a while. But the top went away, the bottom wore out and burning rubber again filled the air. One night after nearly wrecking Jerry Coons in turn two, Kevin Swindell caught Coons sleeping with a lap to go. The hope of winged 410 boys (and one girl who planted “Mad Man” Madsen in hot laps) showing something other than cords was feeble at best.

Why had I expected a better surface? Knoxville had lured me with CRA, SCRA and USAC champ cars when the track was so hard that Ryan Newman found the front row. And this year’s Nationals final is 40 laps? As Danny Lasoski said of TNN tire selection, “We’re boltin’ on the bricks.”

Johnny Herrera and Troy Renfro won Knoxville for a second straight week much to the chagrin of Troy’s former driver Terry McCarl, who accused John of blocking the previous week. “I have to change the way I race a little bit,” Terry told publicist Bill Wright. “Outlaw guys race differently than local guys and I have to make that adjustment.” For the record, Herrera has run 901 WoO A-mains to McCarl’s 501.

USAC teams of Tony Stewart, Kasey Kahne, Keith Kunz, Scott Benic and Billy Boat had 66 hours to get 1066 miles to Grandview from Knoxville. I took ran that route, leaving Iowa to its happy holiday road blocks and crooked tow truck drivers.

Eight days earlier, this expensive Iowa adventure began by succumbing to the track chaser who caught his first Sprint Invader event at Columbus Junction. C.J. Raceway was a half-mile in 1979 when Randy Smith and Ralph Blackett won, under water in ’93 when the Iowa River flooded, and cut to its current four-tenth when Lasoski and Gil Sonner scored in 1994.

I entered its Louisa County Fairgrounds around three o’clock and found a steam roller raising dust. The south turn at C.J looked like the north turn of the Daytona Beach course where Curtis Turner raised roostertails of sand. I almost headed straight for Knoxville but after two lengthy grooming sessions that accomplished little, I was glad to have endured because Matt Rogerson recorded the winged 360 victory.

The Rogersons are three generations of fun. Father called IMCA fair races while Rusty sold programs. Rusty is the announcer for Sprint Invaders. George has been certifiably crazy for decades and once brought Matt to our apartment after a Hoosier Dome Invitational for an infamous whiz. Rogerson had the loudest cheering section in Columbus Junction, which marked his first Invader victory away from his Burlington home.

Iowa in the rearview, I spanned I-80 to Illinois and I-74 to Indianapolis, where I worked on the site, took a nap, swapped banquet clothes (Chini and Buzz Rose inspired the Hawaiian print) and proceeded to Pennsylvania for more wretched racing, though Dave Argabright and Doug Auld believe in no such thing.

During the drive east, I thought about Chad McDaniel, his widow and children, and realized that I have seen ten men die at auto races, including track workers or crewman like Saturday’s victim in Farmington, Missouri. On one hand, I envy those who have never witnessed such horror, but also know they can never share my level of respect for that which can kill.

September 19, 1976 was when I fully realized racing consequences were more severe than a pulled hamstring. That was the night Johnny Hubbard died in the first turn of the Reading Fairgrounds. Hubbard raced hard: Hagerstown supers, ARDC midgets, USAC champ cars, Reading modifieds. Johnstown was home and as I found myself near there, I decided to seek his cemetery, but failed.

Readers know me as non-religious but semi-spiritual in the sense that by thinking or talking of someone or something, their spirit may be conjured and absorbed. Five days later, that same sense of history made me climb the mountain that killed Curtis Turner. Last column, I mentioned the Smokey Yunick autobiography so entertaining that I had to check Turner’s bio from my Speedway Library. It opens in Easley, South Carolina with the infamous tale of Turner landing his plane behind a church because he was out of whiskey. Curtis was the Jud Larson of stock cars, the only man to pass Dan Gurney at Riverside with four wheels in the air, the only driver Louie Unser ever saw downshift with his knee heading up Pikes Peak, and the guy who taught the backwards “bootlegger turn” to James Garner for use in every episode of Rockford Files.

On October 4, 1970, Curtis Turner and golf pro Clarence King took off from the DuBois County Airport and crashed 12 minutes later about 10 miles north of Punxsutawney. Speculation by author Rob Edelstein is that jet fuel caused one gasoline engine to quit and send the aircraft into a tailspin from which it never recovered.

One of Turner and Joe Weatherly’s social gatherings in Daytona might rage for days, though Curtis saw several parties. Both books are consistant in him bellowing, “If you don’t like this party, wait five minutes. Another party’s just getting started!” But my favorite line might be, “If I waited ‘til I actually had money in my hand, I’d never have a good time!”

Pennsylvania opened with a tour of Diversified Machine Incorporated. DMI is deep in the heart of Lancaster, a short hop from Sinking Spring for proprietor Dave Ely. Dave’s family runs the office as 20 some craftsmen shape components for sprint cars and concert stages. One is Adrian Shaffer, who won 358 sprint races at Susquehanna and Lincoln in the weeks after we met. Ely tests new product at Williams Grove or Port Royal.

Before leaving the enormous DMI cathedral, Arizona’s Bob Ream stopped in with New Mexico racers Derrik Ortega and Kelly Denison. For two years, Ream ran Pennsylvania USAC races for Tom Buch, now exclusively behind Jesse Hockett. Ream brought Ortega and Denison to observe and assist Buch and Hockett, who led all 50 laps around Grandview.

Grandview got rained out last year with a promise to complete the program of 2008 in 2009, a logistical nightmare. The World of Outlaws encountered this situation at Rolling Wheels in ’89 and ‘93. Their solution ran second features in ’90 and ’94 for no points. No one knew what Bob Miller and Kevin Miller concocted. What they got was nothing but a fuel stop. Hockett wants to count trophies (he got two) but a red flag with no change in the order is one long race. Rocket ran an extra 20 laps for an extra $1500. He was slower than Windom or Bryan Clauson but filled the only groove at Grandview. At least it was on the boiler plate.

Tuesday thrills were provided by Steve Buckwalter of Montgomery County. He started outside row eight of the ARDC midget main event and cut the field like French fries. Buckwalter is a breathtaking study in aggression, no sooner completing a pass before attacking the next. Very few did not believe Steve destined to win the ARDC A-main at Williams Grove, where he spends Fridays going far faster. But the rain surrounding Grandview brought a second annual early cancellation to The Grove. USAC should dish dates to tracks that truly try like Big Diamond, which completed the quickest USAC sprint program in history on a Thursday that spit rain all around. Buckwalter was not on hand because for the first time in three years, Diamond did not pair USAC with ARDC but instead, Tobias Speedstrs.

Big Diamond had been horrendously dusty for two years. The first June, Levi Jones and Ricky Stenhouse swapped the lead through a brown fog. Last year, there was not much to see or much which could be seen. This year, I caught myself hoping for rain so that I could catch a Steve Earle concert. After much soul-searching, I concluded that Earle has never disappointed me and Diamond has not been the same since URC ran little wings. If I were mayor of Minersville, that 18-wheel tanker would get melted for scrap.

Tom Rooney phoned for a ride to Diamond and was told that I was headed to a concert in Princeton University. He thought that sounded fine. “Calvin & Caldwell Go to College” was my title for an acoustic tribute to Townes Van Zandt from the regal McCarter Theatre. After the show, I thought of stopping in Frenchtown to see Billy Pauch before realizing that he was covered in dust at Diamond, where Cole Whitt led the entire 30-lap parade around the pole for a second straight year.

Friday featured a third straight day of rain. Friday held five options to a non-discriminating sprint car fan. There was The Grove’s URC 360/410 doubleheader for a third straight year. Last year, it featured 80 cars and maybe three passes. There were also 410s in Clinton County, 358s at Trail-Way or 305s at Path Valley, all of which drowned by lunch, including The Grove.

My original Friday plan called for All Stars at Lernerville, another of my favorite half-miles to conveniently place me in the neighborhood for Saturday’s USAC show at Mercer. But after talking to friends, Lernerville no longer sounds as guaranteed to have a good surface as during Ouch Roenigk’s reign. Bad reviews and bad weather talked me out of All Stars. Of course, had anyone answered the track phone, I’d have come running! But by ten o’clock Friday night, I was so tired of windshield wipers that I bunked in Clearfield.

On a beautiful Saturday morning, I went chasing Turner’s ghost. Guided by an Amish native, I narrowed my search, pictured Curtis sliding a convertible to victory at Lincoln Speedway in ’56 or opening a motel door with his rental car, and played The Mountain by Steve Earle. I came down the hill for lunch in Reynoldsville, where the tavern was decorated in Dale Junior collectibles. The barkeep had never heard of the Curtis Turner who built Charlotte Motor Speedway. Such is youth.

I think that I can explain things to Junior Nation by stating simply that Earnhardt is not great, never was great and never will be great. “Little E” can change the crew chief every week. The only thing that puts him in victory lane is a restrictor plate with a big hole.

Leaving the Lehigh Valley after a kiss from mom, I had vowed to drive until it stopped raining. It was not too late to catch outlaws at Lawrenceburg or MSCS at Haubstadt. However, I was reluctant to abandon Mercer. Last year’s USAC tour inflicted identical disappointment that tempted me to cut Hagerstown loose, since it sucked in 2007. Three features at Lincoln seemed a wiser choice. But I went to Hagerstown and it was great! I hoped the closing act of 2009 could save this tour too. But we all got kicked in the nuts.

Mercer was dusty on an epic scale. Sprint cars could only be seen when they were directly in front of you. Whitt made an outside pass of Hockett for the lead and held off a wheel-spinning outside charge by Levi Jones, or so it sounded. Frank Benic’s surface draws raves from winged racers but he dropped the ball badly. Benic must not speak to his son Scott, who needs a cushion for his driver Dave Darland. Dave claimed to not pull a single tear-off in three Pennsylvania programs.

Here’s the damn deal: if you book wingless race cars, be they sprint, midgets or dirt champ cars, give them the kind of damp track on which they can actually thrill your fans. Those who book dangerous forms of racing with the idea of lessening the danger by slowing the surface do irreparable harm. Some may NEVER return to Mercer. And slowing down Knoxville did not help McDaniel. Please don’t waste the time and money of those of us who love wingless racing.

Shaking the Quaker State dust from my wings, I glided through Ohio to find myself in Richwood, home of Todd Gibson, his sons Gene, Larry and Terry plus Larry’s boy Zach, who crashed out of the previous day’s ARCA race at Pocono. When rear engines ruined the Indianapolis 500, Todd took an idle roadster, welded on a roll cage, stuffed a big block Chevrolet in it and dominated supermodified racing. Gibson joined USAC in 1969 before returning to supers, ironically in a rear-engine entry. Gene Lee had a good USAC future until Goodyear backing became illegal. Terry lost his life last summer in Toledo. Everyone in Richwood knew the Gibsons but none could direct me to anything resembling a race shop on a sleepy Sunday afternoon.

Indiana Midget Week has evolved into something special. Three years ago, it consisted only of Gas City and Kokomo, grew one night by 2007 and swelled to five in 2008, though Liberty got dropped. The last two Midget Weeks were opposite the Knoxville Nationals so moving midgets to June helped soothe Mercer anger.

Gas City I-69 Speedway opened Indiana Midget Week 2009. Under new direction but old supervision, Gas City saw its second change in leadership in eight months.

What a field! In addition to three Kunz cars, two of Stewart’s and one Kahne car were California natives Josh Wise, Thomas Meseraull, Kody Swanson and Wes Gutierrez, Arizona’s Nathan High, Oklahoma’s Matt Sherrell, Missouri’s Brad Loyet, Pennsylvania cars for Steve Buckwalter and Miranda Throckmorton (Burke 54) and two of the top talents in Australia, Mark Brown and Dene McAllan.

I-69 was greasy from bottom to middle. Cars slipped sideways and sometimes stacked those behind. Darren Hagen caused one cruncher while McAllan was blamed for another. Jerry Coons was a joy to watch, tracing the edge of control and showing a wheel to his quarry to help them help him by. Never overextending, Jerry made Gas City the 115th victory of his midget career.

Gas City’s special Wednesday sprint race may have been a transfer of power. Since folding the Foxco DRC last summer, Jon Stanbrough had not been the dominant force in Indiana sprint racing. Kids like Cole Whitt grew in stature. Foxco experimented on a J&J, reverted to DRC and made I-69 their second checkered in as many nights by taking Whitt’s win. They opened Illinois Sprint Week (during Indiana Midget Week?) by catching Clauson in Danville.

The second slice of Indiana Midget Week was supposed to be served at the Twin Cities Raceway Park in North Vernon. Midgets had not been there since 1999-2000 when regional USAC and NAMARS names were defeated by Jay Drake, now chasing ambulances as Ricky Ehrgott’s team manager.

Vernon’s last national USAC midget date was in 1994 when self-starters sliced car counts in half. “Calvin & Caldwell Go to Twin Cities” was the theme as Rooney and I caught midget hot laps and qualifying (Page Jones was disqualified for pulling a U-turn) but saw waves of stock cars and put the Pacer on a 47-mile jog down highway 50 to Lawrenceburg, where winged 410s and wingless 360s comprised the Jeff Thickstun Memorial. Randy Kinser’s win was not visibly taxing but the HSCA A-main saw John Ivy lose on the last corner to Derek Davidson, a Bloomington spectator during Midget Week 2009. Calvin & Caldwell then hustled back to Vernon too late to see Tony Stewart beat Kenny Irwin.

There would be no 2009 Vernon version of Indiana Midget Week because rain filled Twin Cities like a plugged sink. TCRP sits in a hollow beside a creek (more than Bloomington even) and was under water. They pulled the plug early enough for vacationing fans to foster notions of Illinois Midget Week at Jacksonville, perhaps the most rained out track in America. Tony was racing a POWRi midget at Macon until both Macon and Jacksonville rained out. Their loss was Brownstown’s gain when hordes of beer drinkers descended on the UMP Summer Nationals. Please give generously to cure Sudden Buckling Syndrome.

Indiana Midget Week (end) played each track’s regular night: Friday at Bloomington, Saturday at Lawrenceburg and Sunday at Kokomo. I still maintain Bloomington hot laps to be finest in the state, and midgets really have room to sling it. The best vantage point is the short stands outside turn two before it gets dark.

Joining me there was Jeffrey “Jak” Moore, crewing on the Polar Ice Spike of Dene McAllan. The last time that I’d seen Jak was 1988 when we were killing groundhogs (Punxsutawney cringes) from Jackson, Minnesota to Belleville, Kansas. I met Moore the previous autumn on a ride from Tucson, Arizona to Ventura, California as Terry Wente’s only crew. He now handles publicity for Brisbane International Speedway.

Also scaling mini-bleachers was A.J Fike and Darren Hagen, who drives for A.J’s dad Don. A.J was not in the finest mood given his demotion for Dave Darland. His position was peculiar because the better Darland did, the worse A.J would look. Indiana Midget Week is an after shock to NAMARS Five Crown, also five nights of sprints and midgets free from time trials. Darren was asked about group qualifying. He said there are no more hot laps so a second car went untested. If group qualifying hindered only two-car teams, fine. Hagen however, said the format also hurts visitors like McAllan or Mark Brown who probably need hot laps to find the proper gear.

Bloomington saw Kasey Kahne compete twice in a winged sprint in 1999. As an owner, Kasey Kahne Racing ran second on Indiana Midget Week 2008 with Brad Sweet, who was poised to improve that in 2009. From row seven, Brad Kuhn ran him down and ran him over, popping Sweet’s left rear tire in turn three. A few laps later, it led to a last corner win by Kuhn and a sad second-place interview by Sweet that sounded like Swindell tears. I should have recognized the flat and not booed Sweet Pea, who is a pure delight.

Bloomington has made it apparent over the past few years that any sprint race that positions Brady Short on the front row will lack for suspense. His inevitable victory was toasted along with Lord Stanley and his cup since Pittsburgh was in the house. Closing down Bloomington just before dawn, I parked between two campers, caught some sleep, and headed for Lawrenceburg.

Route 45 is a fun string of hairpins leading to Bean Blossom, where I remembered a breakfast nook. East to Gnaw Bone and down to highway 50, I paid five bucks to enter Versailles State Park hoping for a public shower only to come up dry. There’s a nice shower at Lawrenceburg Speedway. But they had a biker rally that restricted access. Bryan’s grandma Monica Clauson came through with a green wristband to wash up.

The new Lawrenceburg speedbowl may be too banked because until the top slows down, very little passing occurs. No one passed in USAC midget heats other than Hagen, who got rude with Ryan Kaplan entering turn three. Coons showed proper procedure by waiting until the last lap to clear Andrew Elson with a clean slide that won his sprint heat.

Quickest qualifier at Gas City and Bloomington, Steve Buckwalter had been knocking on the door of a first USAC win. Lawrenceburg looked like his best shot. In his heat, Steve tried to run above the cushion but found it too rough. Before the feature, a sheepsfoot was dragged around the rim. Buckwalter either did not see it or dismissed its impact because on the start, he blasted into one, found no cushion and almost fenced it. By the time he regained control, Steve was third. USAC however, did not like the start. And on the second try, Buckwalter behaved, brought his entry down a peg and proceeded to lead 25 laps.

Mark Brown’s U.S tour blew a tire in Knoxville, flipped down the frontstretch at Angell Park, and put a wheel on Kevin Swindell’s elbow entering turn one at Lawrenceburg that attracted Wise too. Under yellow, Buckwalter paced the field through ever-changing lanes between safety vehicles until a red fell for Brown’s fuel spill. Shortly after the green, Buckwalter lost air in the right rear, hooked the cushion exiting turn four, and watched Clauson take the glory. Sweet skipped across the apron to drop Buckwalter to third.

Lawrenceburg Chevrolet sprint cars provided one of the finest nights of the beleagured Truckers 24-hour road service team of Roger Tapy and Jim Whiteside. Before the race, Shane Hmiel asked his Truckers teammate Levi Jones if Levi thought they could run above the cushion. Jones asked where Shane started and discarded the idea. A few laps into the feature however, Levi whistled around Hmiel with four wheels in the snot. On cue, Shane followed Jones upstairs where tire tracks were their own. Watching them trace a Truckers express lane around the absolute rim was mesmerizing. Levi came from row eight to second chased by Hmiel’s second Top Three in six nights.

Long gone was Jerry Coons, who used Saturday as $1400 research and development for Dynamics, Inc. Every car started the sprint feature at Lawrenceburg, now so blazing fast that closing speed is vast. Coons is so cool that he gently brushed Clayton Brishaber and Jason Soudrette like a teacher might wake a sleeping pupil.

As anticipated, Kokomo Speedway was the exclamation point on Indiana Midget Week. Dave Darland was dreadful in his first night for Fike but bounced back to lead on his local banks. Sunday marked Buckwalter’s final shot at USAC status until Hut Hundred or Four Crown though Vernon is rescheduled for Tuesday, July 14. Steve mined the inside of turn four to coax Darland down while continuing upstairs at the north end.

Clauson slipped sideways, surrendered six spots, got ‘em back and tore second before Buckwalter’s ignition quit with five to go. Bryan brought Dave down low enough to loop around him exiting turn four for his second win in two nights and sixth of 2009. Clauson will try any line from every angle before moving on. Most kids his age (Bryan turned 20) blast the cushion or roll the bottom and if instant dividends do not come, they get restless. Clauson is aggressive but clean, smart and patient. Having his development deal dry up is NASCAR’s gift to USAC.

Coons went Whiteside one better than Levi at Lawrenceburg by posting the first Truckers victory of the year. Kokomo accounted for Jerry’s eighth win of 2009. Since last year’s wins by Hagen and Daron Clayton, Truckers had peaked fifth at Oval Nationals with Hagen, fourth with Jeff Bland (Kokomo) and Jonathan Vennard (Danville), third in the Eddie Bennett Memorial with Casey Shuman, and second with Thomas Meseraull (Dick Gaines Memorial) and Jimmy Light at North Vernon’s opener to 2009.

One week later, Truckers towed their black transporter through the pit gate at Paragon for their annual appearance in the King of Indiana Sprint Series finale. Paragon is a place that people go once a year to remind them why they go only once a year. It is as unchanged by time as any oval in America. If he could walk into Paragon tomorrow, Dick Gaines would find it just as it opened in 1957. No one is building any condos next to Keith Ford.

KISS (and MSCS) uses an all-or-nothing format where only the Top Three transfer through heats on an average night. Paragon is not average: 45 cars closed the KISS series. Hmiel and Vennard suffered poor heat races and Whiteside loaded and left before the B-main. In his defense, Paragon is full of overeager rookies and night blind veterans. Aero might call it Spank City U.S.A. As a fan however, C-to-B-to-A by Jesse Hockett in last year’s Paragon KISS contest will never be forgotten.

Jeff Walker, who lost Brett Burdette and Chris Windom to back injuries, called Clauson for the blue Maxim that carried Chris to three straight Illinois Sprint Week wins at Spoon River, Tri-City and Lincoln Fairgrounds. Bryan had not been to Paragon since winning at age 15. He took second from Shuman (following Bland into the Dan Roberts ride) and circled Danny Holtsclaw on the first turn bank before a caution took it away. Bryan returned inside of Danny, who blocked until they locked wheels. Holtsclaw got the short end of the stick and limped to the retention pond.

It is tough to make consistent lines around Paragon’s sharp corners. Clauson suffered a rough apex and caught an infield tire exiting turn four. Stanbrough smelled blood in the water and flashed outside of Bryan in turn one and side-by-side down the backstretch where Jon seized command.

Paragon was a peerless performance by Stanbrough, who showed that a determined driver can win from the eighth row. Bryan played with the knobs on Walker’s Super Shox and stayed with Stanbrough to keep things interesting.

Iowa and Pennsylvania made me better appreciate Indiana, where I intend to keep myself in the immediate future.

Ok

Options

2009-05-21T00:00:00.006-04:00

By Kevin Eckert

May 21, 2009 Speedway, Indiana: Options are wonderful. Why live and die with one flavor when life is a smorgasbord? Here in the falsely-filed Midwest, racer can find races in any direction: west to Illinois, south to Kentucky, east to Ohio or north to Michigan in less than 150 miles. Of course, all may rain out.

Two straight Fridays found Bloomington and Gas City gassed before lunch. This week, neither was so quick yet I did not trust them. The consequence of calling off a race at noon is a genuine loss of trust. Jacksonville, Illinois canceled early and Bloomington also faced the inevitable. The eastern sky looked bright, so Friday seemed like a fine time to end my seven-year absence from Attica, Ohio.

Attica Raceway Park is a cornerstone of the sprint car world. Since it opened in 1988, Attica has been the Friday anchor to Saturdays at Fremont to form what is today’s FAST (Fremont Attica Sprint Title) series sponsored by Kistler Racing Engines. Along with Fremont, Attica also enables entry-level 305 racers to blossom into 410 forces. The third-mile has sharp yet banked corners inside an old horse track that serves as efficient staging area, victory lane and buffer zone for dust.

Ohio is the dust capital. Its emperor Earl Baltes long ago conditioned its subjects to swallow dirt with their beer. Every other Ohio organizer followed his blueprint to groom it smooth, slick and slow. Trot out the “same track for everybody” line and offer goggles by the gross. For seven years now, whenever asked about Attica avoidance, I cited the inability to drive by Gas City on a Friday when in reality, dust remains the issue.

And just so this indictment is not exclusive to the barren Buckeye State, last month’s World of Outlaws show on my beloved Tri-State Speedway was as filthy as I have been since they paved Flemington.

Attica is a fairly young 21 years old. Iowa native Rocky Hodges (Shoff 23s) won its first race on May 27, 1988. Six weeks later when I arrived, Rocky had been replaced by Billy Anderson and Stan Shoff yet ‘23s’ won again with Kevin Huntley. To see Stan’s orange car on the trotter path proved familiar when Frankie Kerr camped on the lake in Fremont to ransack Attica for 13 wins in eight seasons. Kerr was one of the most complete, consistent driver/mechanics sprint racing has ever seen. How about 509 Ten Tens in 591 All Star starts? I led the crusade that put Lee Osborne in the Hall of Fame and Frank is a new project.

Some of my other Attica A-mains include the day in 1990 when Steve Siegel beat All Star V-8s with Ben Cook’s V-6; first wingless show (CRA 1991 won by Kerr) and four USAC visits from 1999 when Kasey Kahne cleaved his sprint on the frontstretch to 2002 when Aaron Fike hiked from last to first with brother’s midget. I caught two of Attica’s first three World of Outlaw events including the only WoO win by Joey Allen in 1992. But the best race in my memory of Attica was the 1990 Brad Doty Classic led by Stevie Smith, Jac Haudenschild (Pack 4a) and ultimately, Jack Hewitt.

Friday’s wild hair to drive to Ohio struck around 2pm. I used I-70 to make a little time before 18-wheel claustrophobia kicked in. Three to New Castle and 36 to 227 along the eastern edge of Indiana, I entered Ohio at Fort Recovery. East on 119, I passed St. Henry’s Nightclub to 66 through New Bremen, yet another Baltes arena. Bremen was dirt from ’26 to ‘66, paved from ’67 to ‘78, dirt from ’79 through ‘81, then as dead as Don Davis, the Arizona hero who hit his head on the final corner of a USAC sprint race at New Bremen in 1962.

I crossed I-75 on 67 and considered winged 360s at Limaland, a cool high banked quarter 75 miles closer (to me) than Attica on a Friday night. But the last look at radar indicated Attica at less risk than Lima, which lost 8 of 18 to rain last year but did see Friday through. Indiana native now attending the University of Northwestern Ohio, Neil Shepherd led Lima’s first six laps before J.R Stewart scored his second straight win. Ohio Speedweek stops in Lima on June 26 and the 21st annual Brad Doty Classic goes off there on Wednesday, July 15.

I wandered through Waynesfield, where sprint races have been happening for five years. Waynesfield Raceway Park’s promoter is Dean Miracle, former man in charge at Limaland and Millstream. Miracle alternates winged 360s and wingless 410s but this week, combined both on a card that I reserved as a Saturday possibility. Ohio Speedweek stops at Waynesfield on Wednesday, June 24 and the Jack Hewitt Classic will pay $3000 to the wingless 410 winner on Saturday, August 13. Hewitt’s hometown of Troy is 50 miles north of WRP.

Kenton connects to no fewer than five roads, one of which is 53 to Upper Sandusky, still 57 miles south of (Upper, Upper) Sandusky, home of the supermodifieds. I was back on 67 to 103 and Highway 4 for the final eight miles to Attica Raceway Park.

I love moments of perfect symmetry. You know, like when the washing machine matches the beat of the music (I live in a laundry cellar) or song lyrics that mesh audio to visual. Friday’s journey was almost over when the shuffle stopped on Concrete Blonde.

“I hear you’re driving someone else’s car now,” Johnette Napolitano began. “She said she came and took your stuff away. The poetry in the trunk you kept your life in. I knew that it would come to that someday. Like a sad hallucination, when I opened up my eyes. The train had passed the station, and you were trapped inside. And I never wondered where you went. I only wondered why. I wonder why…”

There was one more town between me and Attica and the sign came into view just as Johnette reached the title of her song. And they were one: Caroline.

I parked outside turns one as Attica’s audience rose for the National Anthem. Despite little towns like Caroline consuming five and a half hours from Indy, my timing was more perfect symmetry.

There had however, been no time for beer despite the drive-thru garages unique to Ohio. So after three heat races, I returned to town to find Labatt’s less than 60 miles from Canadian waters. Attica is so dusty that it still falls to earth ten minutes after the checkered. I swapped my cherished Continental Club cap for a freebie and layered up because a cold front was blowing in from Lake Erie less than 30 miles away.

Friday was my first Attica appearance under the authority of John Bores of UUI, the underground utility company that helped Chad Kemenah to four straight All Star titles. In his fourth season, Bores has Rex LeJeune as race director. Rex ran the road with All Stars, Mid-American and WoO Gumout series. For the first decade of its life, Attica’s announcer was Rex’s brother Rick, who loved to interview me during red flags. Friday found Rex waving an unannounced guest to the tower (out of the dust) and in keeping with tradition, a B-main red created an Open Wheel Times commercial courtesy of Brian Liskai.

Attica always exceeded typical track food by employing recipes from Uncle Dudley’s restaurant in Willard. I arrived with fond memories of coney dogs drenched in real meat sauce and pulled chicken sandwiches, neither of which remain on the menu. My coney came with lame red sauce and the shredded beef was salty.

Attica also illustrates how inconsequential 20 sprint cars feel in comparison to three or four diesel locomotives rumbling behind the frontstretch. Mark Keegan owns more crowns (12) and feature wins (55) than in Attica history. He was honored in a nice Friday ceremony capped by the call of the last five laps of his landmark upset of Steve Kinser that closed Ohio Speedweek 1995. But when the climactic portion rolled, so did a northbound CSX to drown the whole thing.

At age 50, Mark worked hard to transfer on Mark Keegan Night. He wrestled the final berth out of the B-main from rim-riding Bryan Sebetto (“Suh-beet-oh”) who follows four years by Lee Jacobs in the Burmeister 16. Cole Duncan (Genzman 53) and Craig Mintz fell two and three spots shy. Prior to the B-main, I saw Cole’s father Rodney raising the back of the wing and only half joked, “Now I remember why we don’t see each other much anymore.” Duncan formed a Friday crew with Billy Daugherty, who worked alongside Jack Hickman and Andy Potter with Kerr, now a NASCAR chief to Marcos Ambrose. Lee’s uncle Dean Jacobs (McClure 9) fell from his heat and could not go B-to-A.

The last book that made me laugh as hard as Smokey Yunick’s autobiography was Hunter Thompson’s Curse of Lono in 1983. Attica was where I delivered two of its three volumes to Rob Hart, who will derive more from them than anyone I know. Yunick and Hart share U.S patents. The Indy 500 chapter of Smokey’s amazing life is currently in the hands of Mike Trimmer, former WoO wrench to Jeff Shepard and current IRL tech inspector. Don’t worry Leslie: I’ll have all three volumes intact by Labor Day at Calistoga.

Hart had a pensive smile in the Titan pit. Tatnell had drawn the outside pole of the heat, won it, and then pulled pole position for the A-main.

“We were just gonna come here and run used tires,” Rob reported. “Now he wants a new tire.”

Titan faced a familiar dilemma. To start deep and reach tenth is hardly worth a new tire. However, if there is a real chance of winning, a team does not wish to lose because it pinched pennies on used rubber that surrendered five laps too soon. Warren Beard marched to the mobile Kear’s Speed Shop; Tatnell got his tire.

Hart’s wife Cathy is the daughter of “Bustlin’ Billy” Barrows, who battled Brooke’s father George around many an Australian oval. During her days with Shane Stewart, Mrs. Hart regarded Brooke as a “bloody windger” which by U.S translation is a chronic complainer. Has she softened now that Tatnell determines their family cash flow?

“No,” was Rob’s reply.

Attica was an alternate choice for Team Titan because Tatnell was detained in Minnesota by immigration (it happened to him in 2005 when Randy Hannagan had to sub) that caused Brooke to miss connections to the eastern Outlaw swing. That was probably just as well given Tatnell’s tepid pace at The Grove plus the punishment administered by the PA Posse, which occupied nine of the Top Ten. Attica’s A-main began with Brooke beating Mike Linder into turn one, drifting to the thin cushion and staying there for 30 laps.

Friday was wounded by too many yellows and reds. A nice dice for third between Caleb Griffith, Greg Wilson and heat winner Phil Gressman was interrupted three times in three laps. Linder lost second to Greg and third to Caleb by lap eight. Gressman pulled Stan Courtad’s blue ‘9x’ off the backstretch and Brandon Wimmer retired Rick Ferkel’s famous Zero.

Attica champion for five of the last six seasons, Byron Reed flirted with its only fence. I marveled at Reed’s knowledge of every inch of his Friday showcase, right before Byron clobbered the wall and flipped nose-to-tail off turn four.

After the Reed wreck, Tatnell led six All Star championships in Wilson and Kemenah, kicked back to local circles when his World of Outlaws team foreclosed. Kemenah gave Griffith the outside leaving turn four but decided that he wanted the top of turn one. Chad squeezed Caleb into the fence and flipped Griffith into the path of Linder and Keegan, who did a great job of backing in gently as Linder lay prone.

Griffith was furious and stomped through the infield to scream at Kemenah. An official kept Caleb from anything physical but A.J Havens saw only that his cousin was strapped down for potential violence. Despite closed red conditions, Havens charged to Chad’s aid and a mild scrum ensued. No punches appeared to be thrown. LeJeune wanted Kemenah tossed because Chad’s crewman violated the rules of a closed red, but Bores overruled Rex for too much confusion and too few bloody noses.

Linder made sure to pass Chad on his walk to the trailer. What did he say? “Oh, he ran his mouth,” Kemenah shrugged.

Back to green, Kemenah replaced Wilson and went after Tatnell, tucking inside into turn three but falling short on exit. Like a smart man who races 12 months a year, Brooke had a bit in reserve and gapped Chad by a couple car lengths.

Arizona native Mike Kuemper got to go fast on the Eldora hills and made the Attica A-main before nearly wiping out the lead car of former Tony Stewart co-worker Rob Hart with a 360-degree spin in turn two of lap 24.

Hannagan’s extreme inside line looked formidable (he won his heat) but excessive cycles sealed his tire and rendered Randy a docile fourth. Tim Shaffer failed to transfer through his heat and had to climb from row nine to fifth. Like the Titan team, Tim and Brian Kemenah carried Call Motorsports to I-80 west 600 miles to Knoxville, where Shaffer snapped the driveline. Lee Jacobs and Andy Potter scored sixth over Brandon Martin and row ten starter Craig Keel, the proud papa who instantly produced pictures of his baby girl.

"That is a great field of cars for a regular show,” Tatnell told Liskai on Custom Chrome Plating Night. “You had World of Outlaw caliber drivers (Kemenah, Shaffer, Hannagan, Keel and himself), All Star drivers (Wilson, Wimmer, Brock Mayes and Brandon Martin) and the locals are very tough here.”

Two of those locals, Mike Linder and Phil Gressman, have combined to win 57 Attica A-mains in 410, 360 and 305 distinctions. Mike wears ‘312’ in honor of father Jim and in a rare bonus, uncle Fred and Mike’s cousin Matt Linder were home from Georgia to give Attica a go. Persuasive cases for the Hall of Fame can be made for Fred or Jim Linder.

Byron Reed had ironically written me on Monday to confirm the living members of the hall from Ohio. He remembered Ferkel, Hewitt, Haudenschild, Doty, Kenny Jacobs and Rollie Beale, but forgot Larry Dickson from just west of West Virginia. Byron will get them to autograph “something” to raffle for the American Cancer Society. I forwarded the full list of enshrined Buckeyes beginning with Barney Oldfield and Spider Webb to car owners John Vance, Gus Hoffman and Bob Hampshire, craftsmen A.J Watson, Floyd Trevis and Mutt Anderson, promoters Earl Baltes and Bert Emick, and author John Sawyer of Marion.

Friday’s $2200 was the first win ever in Ohio by Brooke Tatnell, who took second in his first Buckeye summer of ‘92 against K-C All Stars and matched it at Attica (2005 Doty Classic) and 2006 WoO action at Sharon. Brooke called Friday practice for the WoO return on Friday, May 29 when Attica will pay $500 to the highest-finishing track regular and $2000 to anyone in its Top 20 who can dust The Outlaws.

It was cold and late (late models ran long between sprint features) yet I was bothered to see the crowd disperse before the 305 finale. Walking out on stock cars is one thing. It is our only protest to integration. But how can you walk out on sprint cars? I see it in Knoxville where 410 followers would sooner drink at Dingus than watch a 360 feature, or at Williams Grove where an arrogant posse will walk out on a 358 race. You people need to appreciate that if your ass was born in Kansas or Virginia, these would be your only sprint cars.

Friday’s 305 feature at Attica was far cleaner than its 410 race. Jac Haudenschild’s nephew Brad took off in the quest for a second straight win with the Stealth that snatched the last two All Star races of ‘97 driven by Dean Jacobs. Defending champ Stuart Brubaker relieved Haud of command after 15 of 25 laps. Ed Haudenschild’s son dropped second to Jake Trevino on lap 20 as John Ivy climbed to third. Just as I thought it sad to see a driver of Ivy’s ilk (winner at 410, 360, 305ci or 600cc) struggling for $600 to win, John spun with two to go.

Camp LeJeune in Willard was the Country Hearth Inn that has a cook on call 24/7. Rex reserved the suite usually occupied by Michigan’s Jeff Converse, shooter of High Vista video. Feeling guilty, I helped Converse dent a bottle of Cabo Wabo. In the morning, Sammy Hagar’s tequila made it rain in my brain like the rain outside. Jeff headed toward Fremont, which canceled to kick Converse to Butler, Michigan. Tenth in the Attica B-main on Friday, Andy Shammo won the first 410 feature of his career Saturday on the Butler Battleground that “still sucks” according to High Vista text.

I too considered ending another seven-year absence from Fremont even though that skating rink was the root of my bad Ohio opinion. Fremont’s USAC sprint/USAC midget show of 2002 was so bad that I sat in my car and contemplated driving away before B-mains. But they have new leadership and Reed reported that Rich Farmer and Andy James work hard not to let their third-mile get “bad slick.” Fremont is a cool little fairgrounds smack in the middle of town that just needs a little water to be great.

Cleveland’s Chad Hanobik, son of the car owner who won Sandusky’s 1981 Hy-Miler Nationals with Gus Olexen, creates a metallic blend of photography at www.speedmeetsart.com. He suggested a Saturday of MSA supermods at Lorain County, but I’d been to South Amherst in 1991 when Mack McClellan annihilated AAMS midgets. My vision of big block supers on a flat quarter-mile brought back sour memories of Birch Run, Michigan, now mercifully banked.

If it took new territory to break my tie, I might as well curl around Flat Rock, Michigan. Buckeye 305 sprint cars provided the first open wheel card there in seven seasons. Built in 1953, the quarter south of Detroit dropped checkereds on Eddie Sachs, Gordon Johncock, Bob Tattersall, Billy Mehner, Doug Kalitta, Kenny Irwin, Ryan Newman and A.J Fike. It resulted in six ARCA midget wins by Jim Hettinger, five for Don Schilling, three by Sarah McCune and three straight for Gene Lee Gibson in ’97-98. Gibson’s father Todd topped Flat Rock supers in 1983 and Gene Lee’s brother Larry won an ARCA midget race there in ‘96. Friday at Toledo saw Buckeye 305s beaten by Larry’s boy Zach, who parked in the first corner that just claimed Larry’s brother Terry.

Pavement remains a personal option only when all dirt has drowned. Saturday sounded like a good time to not be in Flat Rock because Buckeye brought ten cars and failed on three double-file starts. In five midget seasons and five more in winged sprints, Ryan Gillenwater never won until Flat Rock.

Despite landing in Willard, my Saturday still pointed to wingless MSCS 410 sprint cars in Florence, Kentucky. Rain had passed and Florence was still standing, so I aimed 30 miles south of Cincinnati by way of The Ohio State University in Columbus, home of cheap pipes to replace those lost to industrial accidents. Saturday’s storm line paralleled I-70. Southern towns like Florence and Chillicothe looked dry but not to the north at Waynesfield, which did cancel.

Washington Court House is 35 miles from Chillicothe, where winged 410s sought $3000 to win at K-C Raceway. Eight years have passed since my last K-C card yet I continued to Kentucky because they had no wings. K-C caught rain around 6:30 and tried to pack the track but had to call it off around nine. I took 22 to 68 to 50 to I-275 and I-75 into the hills to Florence Speedway.

Union holds the National Late Model Hall of Fame, easily the best work of Bill Holder, though I did not enter because its door was locked. A large cleaning bill was avoided because Florence was a muddy mess. Of those in the hall of fenders, Rick Aukland, Lynn Geisler and Charlie Swartz are the only sprint winners. Aukland defeated teenage Donny Schatz at Cedar Lake in 1994. Geisler pounded URC at Raleigh, North Carolina and added roll bars to bag Jennerstown and Tri-City in 1972. Swartz swept five features at K-C (Atomic) and added Manzanita (’78) and East Alabama for Bob Hampshire to end ‘85. Larry Moore was second at Salem (’77) and Cincinnati as a USAC asphalt ace. Also in the hall is Racin’ John Mason, who ran Saturday’s feature at Florence.

First known as the Northern Kentucky Speedbowl, the track in Union opened in 1955 as a three-eighth mile of macadam but by ‘62, had evolved to its current half-mile of dirt. Florence first appeared on the open wheel map on the Labor Day weekend of 1967 when USAC midgets stopped on the road to Columbus, Ohio from DuQuoin, Illinois to be beaten by Bob Tattersall. It took 23 years for USAC midgets to come back for a race won by Mike Streicher of Findlay, Ohio.

There were five Florence All Star races from the 1981 win by Jac Haudenschild (Hampshire 63) and 2002 checkered of Shane Stewart. Florence was the first of Jac’s 20 All Star wins, and its 1990 All Star race was Hewitt’s only win with Lenard McCarl. Florence All Star wins were taken by Greg Wilson (Hampshire 63) in 2001 and Danny Smith (Webb 51) in 2002. It held a winged sprint race in 1989 that brought Jeff Gordon his first USAC win. One week later, Gordon won the Night Before The 500 midget event that altered the direction of his life.

Florence was not a new track to me because in 1988, Guy Smith and John Gibson and I caught a North/South 100 won by Hall of Fame driver Bob Pierce. Back then, Kentucky adhered to Eastern Standard Time while Indiana did not. So when a USAC sprint feature went non-stop at Lawrenceburg, Guy and I nodded to each other like Peyton and Marvin and went deep 23 miles in time for STARS intros and a stand-up double.

Ironic that Gibson should call today on his way west from Williams Grove. He and Roger Slack were seeking a Saturday race and were directed to Florence, where Slack’s head was spinning with safety concerns. Hey, this is The South, where hillbilly girls hose mud from their tattooed feet and hope none of “them skeeter cars” vault the chicken wire.

Saturday was the third MSCS event in five Florence seasons. The wingless 410s arrived in 2005 to be defeated by Dickie Gaines but promoter Jerry King excluded MSCS from his 2006 schedule, booked them in 2007 (Robert Ballou won) and skipped last year.

Gaines and Ballou occupied two of 20 Florence sprint cars in 2009. Danville, Illinois must have looked like safer to those rained out in Putnamville, Paragon or North Vernon. Kentucky did contain some fine practitioners of the art of wingless sprint racing: Dave Darland, Jerry Coons, Damion Gardner, Brady Short, Chris Windom, Nic Faas, Kyle Cummins and always-hustlin’ Hud Cone.

Windom was on the pole but beaten on the start by fellow heat winner Faas, adding a Kentucky contest to Ohio, Indiana, Kansas, Utah, Nevada, Arizona and his native California. Nic was quick but spewed smoke that turned to flame by lap five. Mo Will waved the yellow to ease the extinguishers.

Leaders were all on the rim until Short shot through on the bottom. The lane down low began to slow after nine laps and Windom went around Brady for the lead.

Undefeated in three Kentucky cards, Ballou was bent on accepting nothing less than first. Exiting turn two, Cone cut him off so Robert used his extended bumper to turn Hud around. Cummins was clinging to the cushion and Ballou wanted that space so Robert ran Kyle out of aisle in turn two of lap 21.

Florence ran green for the last 18 laps and in the double-file chaos, Windom sat surrounded by slower cars. We braced for a big Ballou dive that never found the space. Saturday was the second MSCS $2000 in the career of 18-year old Chris Windom, who beat them at Haubstadt in 2007. He used a Claxton Maxim owned by his dad Preston and wrenched by Brian Cripe and Jeff Walker, who added Jeff’s Jam-It-In Storage as associate sponsor to Central Abrasives.

Kyle Cummins, the two-time MSCS champ who opened the season eighth as Racer X because he ran out of time to apply ‘3c’ to his tail, took third. Kyle’s father Mark helped tune the engine he built for Kurt Gross, racy after being idle for all but five races in four years. Gross sponsors the MSCS Rookie of the Year standings presently paced by Terre Haute’s Brandon Mattox, eleventh in Kentucky after tenth at the Tri-State opener.

Short dropped from first to fourth followed by Gaines as sub for Brad Stevens. The combination of Coons and Walker was as ineffective as Jerry has looked in a long while, wrecking Gardner and Darland with a rare heat race spin and riding a quiet sixth. Bedford, Indiana street stocker Bub Cummings was more impressive in seventh-place.

After his finest Indiana weekend ever (first at Lawrenceburg and second at Kokomo), Damion Gardner crashed hard at Gas City, got upside-down at Florence (he could not believe Coons spun) before earning eighth. He crashed again Sunday at Kokomo.

Dave Darland, sixth at Gas City and fifth at Kokomo for Scott Benic, was Saturday’s choice of Findlay, Ohio’s Rick Daugherty, a winged 360 winner at Florence in 1992. Darland was ninth at Florence for Walker in 2005 and ninth again for Daugherty in 2009. Cone came back for tenth.

Ricky Williams and Chase Briscoe continue to polish their acts in MSCS while waiting on the 16th birthdays that open the door to USAC. Chase’s father Kevin Briscoe (seventh at Florence against USAC wings in ’89 and eighth against 1990 All Stars) had Dan Drinan in Saturday’s pit.

“Aren’t you banned from Kentucky?” I asked Dan in reference to his Richmond win of 1995 that landed him on USAC probation for contact with Tony Stewart.

MSCS is a refreshing organization because they listen to those that love them. For several seasons now, MSCS has maintained a rule of not allowing cars to rejoin an A-main. Sounds silly but it was probably aimed at those who stop with flat tires. In 2007, it cost Jon Stanbrough a shot at $10,000. And in the 2009 opener, it robbed Haubstadt of Hunter Schuerenberg heroics. MSCS saw that the rule was flawed and by Saturday, added a red flag work area.

Florence followed a weekend when USAC sprints drowned in Bloomington and MSCS sprints opened at the Tri-State Speedway of Late Model Hall of Fame name Tom Helfrich.

If the luck of the draw places a rookie on the pole of a heat in which said polesitter darts all over to nearly wipe out the pack, should Randy Nigg go back to the pole for a complete restart? It’s as if officials say, “You failed to hit anyone. Try again!”

And at the risk of abusing children, Kevin Thomas of Cullman, Alabama (called K.T to differentiate from the accomplished Kevin Thomas of Mobile, Alabama) is regressing. After more Tri-State spins, MSCS added K.T to the ‘A’ as if to say, “You failed to fuck up anyone’s heat or B-main. Try again!”

Faas seemed to have Haubstadt won. That is, after lap four when Bryan Clauson stuck his right front wheel in the first turn cushion and catapulted out of the lead. As long as Nic ran the rim, no one could catch him. But he felt loose (he was) and began to enter low, where he was worse. All of a sudden, Levi reeled in and passed Faas only to see a caution. On the lap 28 restart, Nic dropped down, drifted wide and watched Levi drive underneath.

Faas fell from first to third wrenched by Jake Argo, who tutored Blake Fitzpatrick for two seasons before joining Faas. Fitzpatrick and crew chief Bubby Jones finished fifth Sunday at Kokomo after their fourth-place at Haubstadt ahead of Ricky Williams, Kyle Wissmiller and Danny Holtsclaw (Pottorff 11p) in seventh.

As leaders jostled bottom to middle, Windom went upstairs and almost stole $2000. Levi’s winning wheelstand was less for show than an inability to lift and still win. After growing up in Olney, Illinois some 66 miles away, cheering on Chuck Amati at age eight (Alan Beck paid pre-race tribute to the Hall of Fame hero who passed in February) and racing there at 16, Levi Jones had never won in Haubstadt, Indiana.

“Levi has run off and on for me since he was 18 years old,” Jeff Walker told Tri-State spectators. Relieved of responsibilities to Brett Burdette due to injury, Walker put car and mechanic (BCRA’s Justin Grant) in Windom’s rig, beat them, then gloated for 200 miles back to Noblesville.

Haubstadt was happy to acquire West Lafayette’s Baldwin brothers, who won with Thomas Meseraull at Danville, quarreled over money and told T-Mez to get lost. Baldwin brought the black five to Tri-State for Scotty Weir, who blew it up in his heat race. Meanwhile, the Truckers team that booted Meseraull at the end of 2008 and rented rides to Jimmy Light and Shane Hmiel has an open chair now that Jimmy has seen the light. Truckers are slated to take T-Mez to T-Haute.

Finding a $40 room in downtown Evansville, I started Sunday by trying to check Chandler Motor Speedway, which is what the sign says without a peep about Presleyland. Locked gates prevented a good look but Chandler’s capacity did not seem capable of paying $15,000 to win on September 5. Hope that I’m wrong.

Did you know that the Indianapolis 500 was almost the French Lick 500? When first concocting the idea of a two and a half-mile test track in 1908, Carl Fisher seriously considered French Lick because it was already a destination spot.

I stopped at the French Lick Hotel for an awesome Mother’s Day buffet. Yes, I called my mother. This elegant resort opened in 1845, burned to the ground in 1897, and was rebuilt on a grander scale. It was world famous for the healing powers of its sulphur springs (tapped, capped and sold as Pluto Water) and illegal casinos that attracted U.S presidents and Chicago muscle like Al Capone. Indiana legislature killed the casino in 1949 and handed back its license in 2006. But they pulled a dirty trick on French Lick by allowing slot machines at horse tracks. The casino resort in West Baden also hemorrhages red ink.

Some of the guest photos at the French Lick Hotel include Irish guitarist Gary Moore and Nebraska native Nick Nolte, who stayed in 1993 while researching the Blue Chips movie that includes a cameo by the biggest thing to hit French Lick since blackjack, Larry Bird. Bird’s current perch as general manager of the Indiana Pacers would be less precarious if the NBA lottery had dropped Blake Griffin of Oklahoma on his stoop.

I stopped at the Salem Super Speedway and smoked over the spirits of Wally Campbell, Bob Sweikert, Gil Hess and Rich Vogler. I rode 135 north 100 miles past Bean Blossom to Indy.

Memphis native Rickey Hood, a former Boonville, Indiana resident that I saw win a winged USAC race at Attica in 1989, returned to Joe Herrera’s car and promptly won two months shy of his 57th birthday at Tucson, Arizona.

Tucson’s Jerry Coons commuted 460 miles from Florence, Kentucky to win Sunday’s BMARA midget opener in Sun Prairie, Wisconsin.

Brad Loyet of suburban St. Louis swept SMRS midget races in Beloit, Kansas and commuted 670 miles overnight to fourth-place in the BMARA opener at Sun Prairie, Wisconsin.

Sammy Swindell and Iowa cars driven by Terry McCarl and Kerry Madsen declined the 625-mile march by the World of Outlaws from western Ohio to the eastern seaboard. Big Game Treestands did a big 848 miles in 16 hours from Eldora to Husets so that McCarl could clock a new track record of 10.31. Dropping off the outlaws has paid Terry approximately $8500 for winning in Jackson, Minnesota and seconds at Knoxville and Sioux Falls.

Tuesday in Delmar, Delaware saw Danny Lasoski set fast time at 107mph, draw a zero, and lead all 15 miles to The Dude’s first win since New Years Day in Sydney, Australia. Delmar marked the first win by Casey’s car owner Lonnie Parsons since Dodge City 2006 and first WoO win since Tim Shaffer scored four times in ‘05. Lasoski then missed the A-main at Williams Grove (six of 12 outlaws wanted a provisional) and jetted from Harrisburg to Kansas City to bring his own ‘33’ to Knoxville and beat McCarl.

Delaware International Speedway (formerly U.S 13) staged a single 410 sprint race every October for 14 of 15 years. Fred Rahmer recorded two wins with Al Hamilton after his first Apple Chevrolet score in 1993. Apple also won with Greg Hodnett. Kenny Adams won two of Delmar’s first four with Harz Furniture and Weikert Livestock. Harz won again with Lance Dewease. Todd Shaffer scored in 1990 and 2000. Delaware International 410 features were also won by Dave Kelly, Keith Kauffman, Todd Gracey, Billy Pauch and Bob Bennett before Steve Kinser won most recently in 2003.

“King of the Hill” is Larry Crane’s song for friend and neighbor Steve Kinser. When it popped up on the shuffle, I realized that Larry’s line “24 men with 24 boys, 24 bright new shiny toys” is dated in the wake of 28 starters at The Grove.

Kraig Kinser makes it easy to forget that Tony Stewart has a second car on the World of Outlaws. Kraig could not get out of the C. Remind me why he was hired? TSR publicist Misha Geisert is again saddled with spinning positive press from negative nights. When she asked Kraig about Virginia Motor Speedway, he began, “As I recall, it is pretty fast.” As I recall? I guarantee teammate and champion Donny Schatz has a much more vivid image of what awaits him. If Tony Stewart fired him tomorrow, Kraig Kinser would be selling uniforms alongside Brian Paulus.

Pete Postupack’s car had never been to Delaware until Daryn Pittman pushed it fourth against The Outlaws. Daryn’s U.S 13 record lap of 114mph still stands. Sixth at The Grove, Pittman and Postupack picked off the first leg of Keystone Cup at Grandview.

Randy Wolfe, a Delaware driver for Ted Gano (’91) and Keystone Pretzels in 1992, finished fifth in Delmar on Tuesday as crew chief to son Lucas Wolfe, matching his best result of 2009.

Chad Layton had never been to Delmar until last month’s URC opener in which he finished second. In his second start along U.S 13, Layton landed sixth against the World of Outlaws.

New York memorabilia merchant Mike Heffner hit sprint car racing at September’s Tuscarora 50 with Ryan Smith in the seat. This year, Heffner hired Sean Michael and reached third at The Grove, fourth at The Port and fifth at Lincoln before Sean broke his knee cap. Mike made a second Rider JEI available for a homestate start by Sean’s kid brother Curt from Delaware.

The World of Outlaws quietly rearranged its New York itinerary by dropping their May 17 date at Orange County, delaying Rolling Wheels from May 25 to October 10 (bringing The Outlaws back to the Syracuse festival) and filled May 25 with its first foray to Canandaigua since Stevie Smith defeated Donny Schatz in 1999.

Kevin Nouse nailed down a Williams Grove WoO transfer driving for Jim Nace. As a driver during the first World of Outlaws season of 1978, Jim hammered his Heintzleman down the backstretch of the Syracuse mile. Fifth at Eldora (’79), Nace was fourth at Williams Grove (‘87) and ninth at Bloomington during a 1989 Camel Express excursion to Gaerte Engines. Jim ran his last WoO A-mains at Syracuse and Rolling Wheels on the same day in 1992.

I want a Kevin Titman T-shirt. Someone in Brisbane make that happen!

Tatnell and Titan of Queensland traveled from Attica to fifth at Knoxville on Saturday and fifth at Grandview on Wednesday.

Don Ott Racing Engines shipped the 410 that carried Cameron Gessner to victory in Brisbane, Queensland and built the 358s for Williams Grove that scored second with son Aaron Ott and third with daughter Amy Ott.

Cody Darrah was seventh against the World of Outlaws in his first start at Eldora before arriving in Port Royal for sixth against All Stars. Friday’s WoO race at The Grove saw Cody cross second.

The All Star conclusion to two days and nights at The Port read like a thriller without a single position change in the Top Seven. I bought an RPM to read Gordy Killian (he was absent) and on the cover was an Ed Funk podium shot of Port prince Stevie Smith and 6’5” Dale Blaney, who looked short enough to have a shot blocked by Alan Cole.

Tony Bruce followed four weeks with the World of Outlaws by finishing fifth in Oklahoma City against ASCS Sooners and third at Dodge City Raceway Park with NCRA, the club that he beat last Sunday in Wichita, Kansas. Tony is helping stage this weekend’s Steve King Memorial at DCRP.

Brian Brown of suburban Kansas City set the pace for the World of Outlaws at Knoxville (ultimately netting fourth) and took third in IRA at Burlington and sixth in Wichita with NCRA. Brown then suffered a bruising crash in Jackson, Minnesota.

Scott Brown, the Lubbock Wrecker Service owner who tamed Devil’s Bowl with Gary Wright, did seven seasons with Garry Lee Maier, who was seventh in Wichita for the Ochs brothers. Last season, Ochs had Don Droud Jr, second at Knoxville in the famous 47 of Gil Sonner to match Gilly’s best since Matt Moro in 2005.

NCRA noticed the large fields of 305 sprint cars that URSS has compiled and concocted its own 305 series but only a handful has broken ranks, proving some solidarity may exist.

Another scene of auto racing in the desert is due to get leveled when Hollywood Hills in San Felipe Pueblo, New Mexico tastes the blade after this weekend’s Buddy Taylor Memorial. I never got to the San Felipe Pueblo palace.

Tennessee’s Terry Gray made his first appearance ever at Lake Ozark Speedway and beat everyone except resident pro Jesse Hockett. Gray headed west on 54 to Wichita to his first ever NCRA 360 start. Prior to downsizing, Gray won three NCRA 410 championships in four years.

Saturday at California’s Kings Speedway signified Ricky Shelton’s first race since the 2001 Hoosier Hundred. He had been an incarcerated guest of the Golden State.

Another long-winded editorial is dedicated to the memory of Larry Rice, who won the Hoosier Hundred at age 35 and died Wednesday at 63. He seemed to be doing pretty well for a guy with cancer but last week, son Robbie let friends know time was short.

Junior Knepper teamed with Rice to be champions of the 1981 USAC Silver Crown circuit and once talked about laidback Larry.

“He would come in from hot laps and we would ask, ‘Is everything okay?’ and he would say, ‘Sure.’

“Well,” I would say, “you’re a second slow. He’d answer ‘Oh?’ and go out and pick up that second.”

The last time that I saw Larry Rice was four months ago at the Indy Circle Track Expo. Donald Davidson and I were to quiz Rice and other famous folks on racing trivia, making Larry nervous.

“Don’t worry,” I told him. “I intend to tailor the questions to suit the people on stage. I might ask you something like, ‘Where was the first Volkswagen victory by a USAC midget?’”

“Roseville, California!” he said. Lost Creek, Kentucky was the correct answer. “Oh, is that where it first won?”

It would have been unfair to ask that VW question after Larry had been briefed, so when he took his turn came, I served up one I thought he might recall.

“Name a New Zealand driver who won a USAC midget race.”

Rice was rapid on the buzzer. “Barry Butterworth!” he answered. Judges would have also accepted Graham Standring.

Larry Rice was an unflinchingly nice person. He will be missed.

Ok

Cinco Stuff

2009-05-06T15:53:00.003-04:00

By Kevin Eckert

May 6, 2009 Speedway, Indiana: Cinco de Mayo must have been created by the tequila industry. Americans celebrate any holiday involving alcohol. Last week’s Kentucky Derby was merely an excuse to drink whiskey with a mint tint.

Cinco was savored from the swingin’ bachelor pad of Casey Shuman, Russ Harper and Sean Buckley during the telecasted tomfoolery that is Buck’s Jack Slash show. Racers through the door included Jimmy Light, Robbie Rice and neighbor Damion Gardner, who was still sitting on some Yuengling from last year’s Pennsylvania swing. Strawberry margaritas were the work of Joe Devin, as handy with a blender as with a torch at DRC.

Saturday should have found me among the Kentucky Derby drunks, because horses always race. Before rain intervened, Friday forecast a ride to St. Louis for ASCS sprints and POWRi midgets at Tri-City Speedway. Saturday was supposed to be MSCS at Terre Haute before that got shoved to Sunday and then postponed until Saturday, June 13. Gas City and Bloomington also fell early. Putnamville pulled the plug to create Danville’s best field. I waited on Sunday’s opener at Kokomo but got lazy and stayed away, sealing my first weekend without a race since Valentine’s Day.

The World of Outlaws was in Knoxville with 47 drivers from 16 U.S states, three countries and two Australian states. Returning to the black Iowa dirt was Todd Wanless of Brisbane, Queensland. It began Todd’s fourth tour of America. He made California field trips for Shain Matthews (Tulare 2006) and Wright One Construction during NARC Speedweek 1999. Last summer, Wanless made seven U.S starts in Sioux Falls, Limaland, Eldora and all night to Knoxville, then to Hancock County, Iowa where he was sixth with IRA. Todd has five wins in six Brisbane seasons (including World Series ‘07) and won World Series at Charlton (‘06) and a midget race at Parramatta City in 2005.

Sydney’s Lynton Jeffrey, native to New South Wales and resident of Iowa, laid down Saturday’s ninth fastest lap of Knoxville beneath one of his Vortex wings. Outlaws have outlawed wings without a flat top surface to decrease downforce.

Winnipeg, Manitoba’s Lou Kennedy Jr and son Thomas have been all over the map. Lou started 2009 in Florida, met the ASCS Northern Plains in Nebraska, won Wisconsin’s Billy Anderson Memorial at Cedar Lake under new UMSS sanction and made his longest tow to an Outlaw race since the ‘93 Knoxville Nationals. When the World of Outlaws first visited Winnipeg in 1979, ninth-place went to Lou Kennedy Sr.

Albuquerque, New Mexico’s Johnny Herrera made his Knoxville debut for Hawaii’s Larry Woodward and Maryland native Troy Renfro by charging through the B-main and advancing ten A-main spots from row 12. Herrera has 133 A-main starts at Knoxville highlighted by five wins for Guy Forbrook (’95) and two for Craig Cormack (’99) after the first one for Ron Pack in 1994.

Brad Greer of Coulterville, Illinois followed Outlaws from Arkansas to Indiana and his first trip to Knoxville. After a rookie season at Benton and Farmington, Brad hit the road last year for 36 races on 24 tracks in 11 states. He followed Midwest All Stars seventh at Bloomington, fifth at West Plains and fourth at Summertown, Tennessee. Greer traveled the All Star Circuit of Champions for seventh in Mayetta, Kansas. Could the “3B” on his red tail be any smaller?

Des Moines electrician Bruce Williams, who began 2008 with Kaley Gharst of Illinois and ended it with Justin Zimmerman from Texas, has formed a 2009 team with Chris Morgan of Topeka, Kansas. Saturday saw their Fisher Maxim qualify quicker than Sammy Swindell, Craig Dollansky, Tim Kaeding, Wayne Johnson, Tony Bruce, Sam Hafertepe, Mark Dobmeier or Billy Alley. But in the B, Morgan missed the A-main by one spot.

The third generation of McCarl from Des Moines made his World of Outlaws debut Saturday when Austin McCarl drove the Wesmar Eagle of Janet Holbrook. Austin’s grandfather Lenard finished ninth at the very first WoO final at Devil’s Bowl in 1978. As a World of Outlaws car owner, Lenard landed third at Eldora with Doug Wolfgang (’78), fifth at I-70 and Eagle with Rocky Hodges (’84), sixth at I-70 with Jac Haudenschild (’85), fifth at Lernerville with Randy Smith (’86) and first at Rapid City with Jimmy Sills in 1986. Austin’s uncle Kenny cracked two WoO A-mains (I-70 in 1985 and Knoxville ’96) and Austin’s father Terry McCarl came five laps from winning Saturday.

On the Big Tracks that pay Big Money, Donny Schatz is still The Man as reinforced by an eighth win in his last 15 Knoxville nights. If the Outlaw trail was nothing but sticky little quarter-miles (impossible of course) Schatz would not be king. During his three-year reign, it is doubtful that Donny looked worse than in Chico, West Memphis or Haubstadt. After the latter, I happened by a Schatz staff meeting of grim faces. Haubstadt was Eric Prutzman’s second race as Keith Turney’s replacement wrench and was the first pit in a year that Donny departed without the point lead.

In all but a few cases, I’ve lost my appetite for wings on half-miles, but still love to see The Outlaws confined to quarters. When the April schedule called for West Memphis and Haubstadt on successive evenings, it may as well have been etched in stone as far as I was concerned. Nothing less would take precedence.

Brother had been wheelman on the past World of Outlaws trips to West Memphis but its Friday slot was unattainable for him. I asked Rob Hart about a hitch to The Ditch in the Titan transporter, but three Tatnells sounded like a full boat so I drove myself. I prefer to roam as a lone wolf, except at the gas pump, where fuel averaged about 1.85. Today it is 2.22.

I left Lynhurst to the Kentucky Avenue that becomes 67 past Paragon Speedway, where John’s brother Adam Andretti would make his sprint car debut two days later. Stomach rumbling, I realized that my simulated trip to Tri-State Speedway would draw me near the wonderful Haub Steak House, so I phoned to find out when the kitchen closed. “Nine o’clock,” was their answer. Soon it became clear that I could not make that dinner time. I rolled on and was reminded that Evansville observes Central Standard Time. Who gave border towns the right to choose their own time zone? I could’ve had that steak!

I carried 62 into Illinois and 45 through Harrisburg, home of Tod Bishop, who commuted 454 miles to Knoxville, Iowa every Saturday for three years. Bishop won twice at Knoxville in 1985 for the late Stan Shoff of rural Peoria. Ready to camp, I spent Thursday’s last 30 miles on I-57 to the confluence of the Mississippi and Ohio Rivers. I felt like Lewis AND Clark.

Highway 51 rolls to Memphis from Cairo and became Friday’s leisurely route of choice. It carried me back across the Ohio down the western edge of Kentucky into Tennessee at Union City, home to a huge Goodyear Tire plant. A hundred miles from Memphis, my phone rang. It was Hart asking if my Ford might fetch lunch. No problem. We are East Coast 4 Life.

Until he called, my idea had been to tape a blanket in the backstretch bleachers (Riverside Speedway fills fast) and bounce back across the river for what I hoped would be a tour of RE Technologies in South Bartlett. But after a few more miles of thought, I rang Rob with an offered to cater lunch if he saved the seats. No problem; East Coast 4 Life.

I felt three Aussies (Warren Beard arrived to replace Prutzman) and a girl from Minnesota should taste some good southern barbeque so when I saw smoke from Barb-A-Rosa’s in Millington, I wheeled in for two slabs of ribs, beans and slaw. I reached Riverside, handed it over the fence to Hart, and raced toward RE just ahead of Memphis rush hour.

Appling Center Cove revealed an old blue Channellock tail once used by Sammy Swindell behind Cofer Auto Body. When the World of Outlaws rolled into Riverside in 1981, Jimmy Cofer finished fourth. He won there in ’79, 80 and ’81 and when USAC made their only visit in 1985, Jim raced Ron Pack’s Four Aces.

RE was locked up tight. Chris Santucci had gone home early to get his daughter from high school, a chore usually handled by her big sister, who had skipped town with Justin Carver for Carolina USCS races. Gabby later informed dad that Carver was competing against Tony Stewart for the first time. Perhaps to lighten the Talladega tension, Sir Smoke did debut his Old Spice Eagle by winning his heat but after a botched start, Tony tumbled down the backstretch of the Carolina Speedway. Bartlett’s Terry Gray swept the USCS weekend at Gastonia and Harris, NC.

I was ready to return to Riverside when Robert Hubbard parked his pick-up. Front Row Bob gave me the guided tour. It was well worth my time. RE Technologies began as a division of the Kele & Associates electronics firm owned by Roger Johnson, who entered sprint racing as sponsor to Greg Hodnett, did several WoO tours (three in one year) and international projects (World Challenge) before shifting to USAC champ cars. RE has remained despite radical rule changes. Johnson sold Kele and partnered with Carl Edwards, who brought Roush Fords. Assorted brands of champ cars fill RE, including one of the late Paul Dana’s Ethanol Indy Cars. Scrapbooks of the storied careers of Sammy Swindell and Hooker Hood are in the lobby with tons of trophies and artifacts. Santucci is clearly a fan of the Miami Dolphins.

Dropping by RE on his way to little league baseball was Tony Wilson, who defeated the ASCS National tour at high banked Crossville, Tennessee in 1998. Wilson began Builtwiser chassis, which is now an Absolute like Marshall Skinner. Wilson, Santucci and Don Young’s dad Curtis were all TMC crewmen to Swindell around 1990. Hubbard never came to terms with Harrold Annett. “I figured I’d spend most of my time polishin’ Sammy’s chrome,” Bob once admitted. Hubb refused to pay $45 for a Friday pit pass so I promised to hook him up. How hard could it be to find one driver willing to tear loose a wristband for good ol’ Bob?

Bartlett had a Yuengling sign! The Ditch would be beaten Black & Tan. America’s oldest brewery took over a Budweiser plant in Tampa that distributes to Alabama and Tennessee. On souvenir row, Shannon Saldana asked where I found such a beer because husband Joey (and Hoosier predecessor Mark Kinser) is known to enjoy a cold Pottsville lager.

Riverside was a good gauge on how $35 World of Outlaws tickets sell during economic strife. West Memphis has always raced on Saturday. Friday’s crowd came late but came strong. Clayton Allen has spruced his speedway to where it is hard to call it The Ditch. He planted a nice scoreboard and grass in the infield! Who knew grass could take root in the dense river bottom goo that locals call gumbo?

Riverside began greasy as usual. Extra hot laps followed. By the qualifying beam, the fastest laps were the last ones. The signature surface in West Memphis is wet slick until sunset when it turns to glue. The top of turns three and four provided more passing than the north end and was where Tim Kaeding passed Tony Bruce for the sixth World of Outlaws victory of his career.

West Memphis marked the 44th WoO win for Dennis Roth and first with Tim since a rainy night in Sheboygen County, Wisconsin when he drove around Steve Kinser. Riverside recorded Guy Forbrook’s first WoO win as crew chief since he and Sammy smoked Eldora in 2006. A traveling wrench since 1988, Guy had never seen The Ditch because 410 mechanics from Minnesota had little reason, until Clayton Allen.

Kaeding raced at Riverside in 2007 when Larry Woodward’s driver Brooke Tatnell returned to Australia for his ailing father. Friday’s win prompted none of the doughnuts or wheelstands that Tim pulled into Silver Dollar legend. “I’d kill him,” Forbrook said. Guy believes that their recent 360-degree spin at Chico helped break the rear end a week later. “When he wins the Knoxville Nationals,” Guy said, “he can do doughnuts all night long.”

Tim’s brother Bud Kaeding calls mom after each race. Tim was on the phone to manager Todd Ventura, the first Roth driver in 1994. It is common knowledge in NorCal that Tim and Bud are not biological brothers. Both share JoAnn as mother but Tim’s father is Pikes Peak hill climber Garry Lee Kanawyer. Until he was 16, Tim did not know that mom’s husband Brent Kaeding was not his dad. I assumed that Brent adopted Tim to give him the Kaeding name (much as Jack Yeley did for J.J) but in reality, Kaeding is still Tim’s stage name. According to his California driver’s license, Riverside was won by Tim Kanawyer. For a kid from San Jose (no beacon of urban pride), Tim was slightly shocked by the poverty of West Memphis, Arkansas and only too happy to help a poor boy like Hubbard.

Brooke was back at The Ditch for the first time since winning an ASCS 360 show for Kele & Associates at the end of 1997. He thanked me for lunch as we reminisced about that ASCS A-main in which Roger Johnson teamed Tatnell with Ryan Berryhill and Andrew Scheuerle of Queensland. Jason Sides later complained that all the yellow ‘7k’ cars made him disoriented. A dozen years later in a pit with Hart, Brooke and wife Amy Richert, I pondered the staggering sum of victories represented by their fathers Bob, George and Jerry, who won 81 times in IMCA alone.

Brent “Glenno” Ingliss incidentally, returned to Australia to buy a condo on the Gold Coast. He had the Titan toolbox before Hart and Beard, who built a new Maxim that may have challenged the Kaeding KPC if the Tony Bruce Maxim had not grown wide. Riverside is narrow enough that cars can come off the bottom and cut off a rim-rider like Tatnell.

Tony timed fastest, started second in the dash and was wheeled by Randy Hannagan, who apologized after winning. Back outside the front row, Bruce did not reach traffic until lap 16 because of two stops by Danny Lasoski, who restarted each time. Tony actually lapped the champ (hardest Schatz ran all night) on his way to second-place. He had a Lucas Oil ASCS logo, father, sister and Stephanie Chappell in his Arkansas pit.

How good is Ricky Stenhouse Jr? Name another who can quit sprint cars, learn to draft on asphalt and return to the World of Outlaws as anything but a castrated tiger. As the boys at RE recognized long ago, little Ricky is special. His red J&J looked like a handful, floating the front but doing nothing to deter Stenhouse from stompin’ the accelerator. Far in front of his heat race, Ricky would pin the left rear on each entry to turn three, raising the right front yet driving away. In typical Outlaw style, Stenhouse took a blast above the cushion after the checkered. Two weeks after his first NASCAR Nationwide race, the Roush-Fenway flyer was fourth at The Ditch where his career began.

Hannagan finished fifth at Riverside, which he had seen with Outlaws in 2007 and All Stars in 2008 when he was third. Riverside resulted in Randy’s third Top Five of the WoO season. Last year, it took him until the season finale in Charlotte to crack their Top Five once. Sixth was also the best finish in three hometown WoO starts by Jason Sides, veteran of eleven Riverside ASCS A-mains that peaked second in 2000 to Kenny Coke.

Australian Hawkeye Kerry Madsen was seventh ahead of an all-too-brief clash of the titans between Steve Kinser and Sammy Swindell in their first Ditch dice since 1989. Sammy did return to Riverside as an All Star in a deal between Randy Dukes and Guy Webb, who wisely wanted Swindell at last summer’s event. At the end of its 2009 WoO date, Riverside widened out to allow the legends to slide and cross each other. In front of the grandstand were displayed the cars with which Sammy and Steve battled each other in 1978. Karl Kinser’s car was built by Denny Mitchell while Sammy’s M.A Brown Trucking 44 was a J&J.

Riverside was the first World of Outlaws event to contain the Swindell brothers since the Kings Royal and Knoxville Nationals of 2002. To conform to the “no bend” wing rule, Jeff hoisted a vintage unit with fully-lowered right panel. All total, three Swindells (Jeff’s nephew Kevin was dropping Australian jaws with a midget) have tagged the World of Outlaws for 447 wins.

West Memphis was the first World of Outlaws A-main for A.G Rains since 1995 at Memphis Motorsports Park and the first for Mississippi’s Jan Howard since 2003 in Pevely, Missouri.

Arkansas terror Tim Crawley, who made last year’s Riverside WoO A-main with a 410 borrowed from the Titan team of Daryn Pittman (son-in-law to Tim’s car owner Mike Ward), had to use a 360 that qualified faster than Dollansky Mopar, Charlie Garrett Chevy of Jason Meyers or either Tony Stewart Chevy. The next night saw Ward in Tim’s hometown of Little Rock winning for the fourth time in six 360 starts.

St. Francois County, Missouri was represented in West Memphis by Brad Greer, Joey Moughan, Doc Sloan and Tommy Worley Jr. Worley was on pole for his heat but penalized a row for jumping. Joey drives for Jerry Baker, who won three wingless MSCS titles with Alex Shanks. Dr. Christopher Sloan has employed a host of talent in his D12 and A12 (Meyers, Tim Shaffer, Jesse Hockett, Hunter Schuerenburg) but insisted on driving himself.

The biggest winner in St. Francois history, Tim Montgomery watched the World of Outlaws in West Memphis as did Eddie Gallagher, Gary Taylor and Ernie Ainsworth. Gary has been bunking in Mississippi as driver for Bobby Sparks. They would chase Crawley at I-30. WoO spectators at Haubstadt on Sunday included Levi Jones, Mat Neely, Jonathan Vennard and Brian Paulus, who lost Dawn Pender’s purse strings after 18 years.

The 330 miles between West Memphis and Haubstadt held down attendance at Two Sides Tavern, a post-race Memphis destination since before everyone had children. This year, the most exciting thing to happen to us old farts was when Paul Sides (“NST tech inspector,” Forbrook scoffed) set off the smoke detector after deciding that bacon and biscuits were in order.

Saturday morning found my skull slightly Black & Tan. I are some aspirin and left Memphis on 70/79, stopping to see the remains of the Milan Speedway that launched the Hall of Fame careers of Swindell and Rickey Hood. When the World of Outlaws stopped on its high banks in 1982, Steve Kinser swept both nights and seven of the Top Ten landed in the Hall of Fame. Milan hosted three 1993 AWOL races and Mike McElya (Sparks 91) won ‘em all. Ainsworth was its last sprint winner in 2005. Silenced last season, Milan moved bleachers up highway 70 to Clayhill Motorsports in Atwood.

Santucci said the Delta Bowl had re-opened in Tunica, Mississippi. It is now called Good Buddy Speedway. He actually slipped to call it Cotton Boll, which was the track in Byhalia, Mississippi that opened in ’86, closed after ’90, re-opened in ’96, shut down for eight years and is active again as Rabbit Ridge Raceway Park. Chris won at Byhalia in 1987 with Bobby Davis Jr. Cotton Boll was one of 277 wins that Santucci has had a hand in with Sammy (148), Davis (51), Ward (36), Ronnie Daniels (14), Mike Hoover (6), Stenhouse (5), Tony Wilson (4), Jan Howard (3), Cofer (3), Cameron Dodson (2), Ed Polich, Hodnett, Jeff Shepard, Bobby Santos III and Ricky Stenhouse II.

I stopped to see another advertiser at J&J Auto Racing in McKenzie but no one was home on Saturday afternoon. J&J president Jack Elam was a 2009 Outlaw observer at Riverside and at the end of this month, Elam will fly employees to Knoxville to see him be inducted to the National Sprint Car Hall of Fame.

I crossed Kentucky Lake and hooked a left at Fort Donelson through the Land between the Lakes into the Blue Grass State. I entered I-24 long enough for the Western KY Parkway split and took 293 to Alt 41 to Henderson, home to the Gentry gang. Saturday saw no fewer than four of them 140 miles away at Paragon. Approaching the Tri-State Speedway from the south, the left lane was completely choked by fans of the World of Outlaws.

Haubstadt was harmed by the loss of A-main contenders Hannagan, Kaeding and McCarl. Hannagan had Arizona’s J.T Imperial back for a second season. They lost the dash to Kinser but beat him on the start, leading 25 laps through the middle until the injector body broke. Kaeding climbed from fifth to second before McCarl slid him in turn two. When the caution clicked for Schatz, crime scene investigation indicated that McCarl slowed for the yellow, Tim jumped Terry’s right rear and slammed the backstretch wall with enough force to move the left front torsion tube two inches.

McCarl was second fastest at Riverside, where he ripped around three cars in two corners of his heat only to lose them to a caution. Tri-State received a Maxim set-up similar to the Huset’s Speedway that Terry used to dominate. Qualifying quickest, McCarl was two laps from his first Haubstadt win since Labor Day 1996 for Brad Gray and Jack Hickman (now of Waterman Fuel Pumps) when he drifted to the wall to find The King. McCarl’s right front slapped the left rear of streaking Steve Kinser and put Terry on his head.

Kinser crossed second in the third heat yet swapped to a second Scott Gerkin engine that won the Crane Cams Dash. In the early A-main laps, Steve fell to fourth before fighting off Madsen and making the middle work. But when Terry took that away, Steve began buzzin’ the rim until squeezing to his first win of 2009. Kinser’s record at Tri-State is an astounding 22 wins in 42 documented starts. And for the first time since 2005, Steve stood atop the World of Outlaws points.

On the restart for McCarl’s mess, Sides was not poised to pressure The King and in fact, Jason surrendered second on the last corner to Saldana, who rebounded from tenth in West Memphis to drop Schatz to third in points. Jason had mom, dad, Kimball Wetherington (Tractor Service) and (Shawn) Dancer Logistics watching a fourth Top Five that exceeds Jason’s total of 2008.

Jason and Doug Rankin tailed the Kinsers back to Bloomington to work on Maxims at the home of Jason’s publicist Stevie Kinser, who is engaged to Mike Kuemper, employee of Tony Stewart. Kuemper helped get the Eagle ready for USCS and in return, Jim Carr allowed Mikey to take a third TSR car around Jordan Goldesberry in a Haubstadt heat that elicited a cheer from Levi Jones and me.

Kerry Madsen, winning two of eight at Parramatta this winter, was seventh in West Memphis and fourth at Haubstadt with Sonny Kratzer no longer crew chief. Swindell towed to Haubstadt from Memphis on many a Sunday (winning in ’74 and ’77) and finished fifth in 2009. He showed a Sammy lack of conscience by lifting on the frontstretch as soon as he realized a spot in the dash would not happen. Danny Lasoski lost crewman Chris Strait to Sam Hafertepe and scored sixth after a lousy night at The Ditch.

Danny Smith has a rich Haubstadt past, winning twice for Foxco, once for Guy Webb and over a 1997 cast spiked with Dollansky and Saldana. Smith was seventh in the Doug Williams Trucking Maxim to match his best WoO finish in 42 races since Fulton, New York. Smith has 32 starts since Christmas from Adelaide to Abbottstown All Stars. Dollansky earned eighth and Bruce was in the Top Nine for the second straight night.

In his first winged season in five years, Missouri native Daron Clayton came from dead last to tenth with an Indy Powder Coating XXX attended by Anthony Knighton of New Egypt, New Jersey. Clayton had not run wings since 2004 at Farmington, where he won in 2003 (Daron owns another four winged wins at Benton). Knighton took The Cowboy to Jersey before All Stars at Lincoln and Outlaws in Delaware despite being so cash poor that they held a fundraiser. Had a hat been passed to keep Clayton wingless and wild, a greater sum would have resulted.

After the A-main as those Hoosiers with a pit pass lined up for The King’s scrawl, I saw Scott Gerkin and thought it high time to get him in the Hall of Fame. Danny Smith pitted alongside Kinser (he has often raced Steve’s used components) and agreed that Scott should be in the hall. The shadow of Karl Kinser has long expired. Gerkin’s engines have won 225 races for Steve Kinser and made The King’s kid immortal at the 2005 Knoxville Nationals.

Daryl Tate is an Indiana crew chief who has no problem adding wings, winning many such trophies with Rickey Hood, Chuck Amati and Saldana’s Steve Mox 17. After fourth on Friday at Bloomington without wings, Daryl and driver Jeff Bland met The Outlaws at Haubstadt, where Bland made the bottom work until spinning from a B-main transfer.

Terre Haute’s Paul May made his first start of 2009 by tackling outlaws at Haubstadt. He grabbed the last transfer from the last heat with crew chief Todd Kelley, fourth as a Great Lakes guest of Tri-State in 2003.

Missouri’s Tommy Worley, winning 11 of 25 starts last season, chased the World of Outlaws from West Memphis to his first Haubstadt appearance. The closing by Randy Dukes of the track in Benton has deprived Tommy of a Friday night home.

Colorado native Geoff Dodge, one of four outlaws at Haubstadt with Indianapolis Motor Speedway experience (Sammy, Steve and fellow IPS veteran Dollansky) qualified quicker than 21 of 33 cars. Last summer, Dodge partnered Ray Morgan’s car with an engine sponsor that keeps Geoff at Fremont, where he peaked eighth. Geoff said that he should be scolded for failing to hold a Top Five transfer from the pole of his Haubstadt heat.

Joey Moughan of Springfield, Illinois (grandfather dusted Des Moines in ’67 with Hector Honore’s black duece) chased outlaws to Arkansas and Indiana before taking a midget to the BMARA opener at Beaver Dam, Wisconsin.

Mike Hess won the BMARA opener handling the Hawk Buzzard of “Jerryatric” Hardy, who fielded a second midget for Dean Erfurth’s daughter Courtney.

Chili Bowl rookie Austen Wheatley of Lake Stevens, Washington was fourth in Beaver Dam in his second start for Scooter Ellis, a Washington native and Indianapolis resident.

Charter Raceway Park paired Badger midgets with winged IRA 410 sprint cars defeated by Ricky Logan of Little Rock, Arkansas. Logan lured Dr. Joe Probst back into car owning. Probst drove eight years (winning once at Farmington in ‘94) and took eight years off before returning in 2007.

POWRi lost Tri-City to Friday rain (promoter Kevin Gundaker gave it an honest try) but the sky was dry for Belle-Clair on Saturday when Nick Knepper captured the first win of his midget career. Nick now joins Junior Knepper’s illustrious list of K&K Garage winners Bob Wente, Mel Kenyon, Larry Dickson, Tom Bigelow, George Snider, Dana Carter, Rich Vogler, Larry Rice and Nick’s dad Steve Knepper, who cannot stay retired.

Ione, California’s Justin Grant won the Belle-Clair B-main in his first start east of Arizona. Last summer’s BCRA winner at Petaluma was slated to crew for Jeff Walker, who has employed Brett Burdette, Jerry Coons, Dave Darland and Levi Jones in the past three weeks.

Twice a winner of the Belleville Nationals on the sweeping Kansas half-mile, Josh Wise made his first appearance on the fifth-mile known as Little Belleville. He brought the Pedregon Toyota to ninth-place from deep in the field.

Belle-Clair’s final included Danny Frye III. The first Danny Frye beat USAC midgets on Tri-City dirt (’61) and St. Louis asphalt in 1964. Danny Jr. also won at Lake Hill with the St. Louis Auto Racing Association, finished fourth at Tri-City against the World of Outlaws, topped SWIMS midgets at Oklahoma City and Little Rock, and finished first and second at the Chili Bowl of 1988. It was the summer of ’88 when Danny II and Danny I used Jack Hitt’s Chaparral trailer to tote Jim Viviano, myself and an orange Cosworth Challenger to the Belleville Nationals.

Andrew Felker from Joplin, Missouri has raced his Mopar Spike fourth in Jacksonville, sixth in Fort Worth, seventh indoors at DuQuoin, and fifth Saturday at Belle-Clair where Andrew, Austin Brown, Tony Roney and winner Dereck King penetrated POWRi finals with four-cylinder and 600cc capacity.

Shane Cockrum made his POWRi A-main at Belle-Clair. Shane is a modified graduate and son of Cliff Cockrum, who opened 1970 by winning in Jacksonville, Florida and 1971 by topping the 25th Street Fairgrounds in Columbus, Indiana. Cliff ran three Little 500s, the ’69 Knoxville Nationals final, 1972 Williams Grove National Open, the first two East Bay Winter Nationals (his ride in ’78 was for Hall of Fame owner Dizz Wilson) and earned eighth against the new World of Outlaws in the Paragon 150 of 1978. Cliff Cockrum was three times a champion of Tri-State and twice king of Lawrenceburg.

Let The Brown Dog loose! The biggest winner in Australian Speedcar racing, Mark Brown is coming to America with no fewer than 24 midget wins in the last 30 months. Brown has been to two Chili Bowls but never outdoors in America. He arrives at Knoxville (May 29-30), Sun Prairie (May 31) and probably POWRi at Donnellson (June 5) and Moberly (June 6) before Indiana Midget Week of June 10-14.

Owasso, Oklahoma’s Matt Sherrell was seventh Saturday at Belle-Clair. Last week, Matt won the first midget race ever on the North Central Arkansas Speedway between Yellville and Flippin. It also marked the first SMRS event co-sanctioned by USAC, giving USAC a slight presence in Emmett Hahn Country where ASCS harbors outdoor midget plans.

Glenpool, Oklahoma’s Matt Covington was an ASCS rain victim Friday at Granite City before whipping his Wesmar 360 to victory Saturday in his fifth night at Knoxville. The field behind Matt represented 14 states and Canada.

Bonney Lake, Washington’s Samantha Taylor made 21 starts last season in a Florida 360 sponsored by Kimball Wetherington, who owns the Gray’s Harbor Raceway Park on which Sam won six Ford Focus midget races. Sunday at the Indianapolis Speedrome signified Taylor’s asphalt debut. She drove a midget that Katie Hargitt guided in 2008.

Ludlow Falls, Ohio’s Matt Westfall ran a POWRi midget sixth at Jacksonville, lost last Sunday’s wingless 410 opener at Waynesfield to Mike Dunlap, finished sixth Saturday at Lawrenceburg and ninth at the Speedrome on Sunday in his first pavement start since driving a Daugherty Ford Focus at Kil-Kare in 2005.

Ohio whirlwind Tony Barhorst is the promoter who staged the first midget race at the Indianapolis Speedrome in four years. Its flat paved quarter-mile has long served as a skid pad for emerging talent like Tony Stewart, Tracy Hines and Bobby East.

Billy Wease, a NAMARS midget winner at the Speedrome at age 14, returned from Roger Penske’s star-making machine and 100 laps of Madera for Western Speed (he was third) to score second to Mario Marietta on Sunday at the Speedrome.

Bobby East, winning four of six at the Speedrome by age 16, has returned from the NASCAR truck of Jack Roush to belt into his first dirt sprint car: an ex-TSR Maxim he has taken to North Vernon, Bloomington, Danville and Kokomo. Just wait ‘til he hits the dirt with the midget. It’ll feel like a toy. Bobby’s father Bob East earned six CRA wins at Ascot Park and won at Riverside for Bobby Sparks in 1977. Back on the asphalt where he has won 12 of his last 31 open wheel starts, Bobby lapped every USAC sprint car at Anderson except Tracy Hines.

Darren Hagen strapped broken ribs into one of three Keith Kunz sprint cars at Anderson on Saturday night. Opening day Kokomo winner Cole Whitt was Keith’s primary pilot and the third Bullet contained California’s Henry Clarke, who made 95 starts for Cory Kruseman. Ventura was where Henry won two Ford Focus races, was fourth with USAC Western midgets and fourth in a 360 Grand Slam. Clarke’s best career finish with a 410 was fifth at Paragon.

Bryan Clauson, second to Western Speed’s Kody Swanson at Madera, won Danville in his first try and was leading Sunday at Kokomo when a Corey Smith crash claimed Clauson too.

Robert Ballou bagged Lawrenceburg on Saturday but was wrecked by Hunter Schuerenberg in their Kokomo heat race. Robert rapped the wall upside-down and backwards, knocking him cold and pressing the cage of his Maxim on his head. Cut from the car, Ballou visited two hospitals to recover from a brain contusion.

Of the 68 sprint car racers in Fremont, Ohio on Saturday, nine were named Keegan (Mark, Jody & Dustin), Linder (Mike & Matt), Jacobs (Dean & Lee) or Haudenschild (Brad & Sheldon). Keegans (153) and Linders (79) have 232 Fremont feature wins.

Pennsylvania’s Tri-City Speedway welcomed sprint cars Sunday after a year’s absence. Tri-City posted $2500 to win and caught a pack of All Stars headed home from the “gallows” of Pennsylvania. Tim Shaffer, Dale Blaney, Brandon Wimmer (Ferkel 0), Greg Wilson finished 2-3-4-5 behind Ed Lynch Jr. Wimmer had never seen the place. AMB transponders prove Rod George to be a veteran who reached peak speed on lap one of the B-main, then slowed down.

Carl Bowser, who lives in Sarver in the shadow of Lernerville Speedway, made three Tasmanian A-mains this winter at Carrick and Hobart, where he scored sixth-place.

Erie County, New York mini sprint graduate Scott Kreutter, second as an ASCS Patriot rookie to Ransomville and Penn Can, posted his first full-size sprint win Saturday at the Genesee Speedway promoted by Mike Lauterborn.

Is the Robert Parrow from Fort Lauderdale who performs wingless with the Checkered Flag Sprint Series the same Bobby Parrow of Waterloo, New York who raced Oswego supers? Parrow of New York won 21 ESS events on dirt in 1991-99.

And finally, it makes me uneasy to see people employed to hold signs on a street corner. If a pizza parlor hung a sign on a mule, they’d be cited for cruelty to animals.

Hoping for sunshine from 4979 West 13th Street, Speedway, IN 46224 where the phone is (317) 607.7841 and e-mail is Kevin@openwheeltimes.com.

ok

Bullrings Begin

2009-04-24T00:00:00.001-04:00

By Kevin Eckert

April 24, 2009 Speedway, Indiana: Good time to be a Hoosier. A cold gray Wednesday turned warm and bright Thursday and remained for a glorious weekend of USAC sprint car racing at Gas City and Lawrenceburg to follow an excellent Eldora opener. True, a sorry Sunday forecast postponed Winchester well in advance, but that inconvenienced only a few. What an awesome sprint series USAC could have if not for its fetish for asphalt.

Rain last week meant that USAC on Friday served as the Gas City I-69 Speedway season opener and first race ever under direction of Leroy Battieger, its former sprint steward. For 13 years, Gas City had been one of the friendliest places a fan could park, thanks to promoters Jiggs and Nona Thomason. Over the winter, all wondered if “meet the new boss” would be “same as the old boss.” Jiggs however, still wheeled his doorless utility car and Nona still greeted everyone with a smile. In all those Fridays, she has been present all but three hours when hubby had to see a doctor after crashing the water truck.

Jiggs gradually made Gas City a secret gem. I-69 action became too good and word spread to USAC, which added I-69 in 2002. Perhaps it is the increased attention, extra cars, early start or just bad luck but Gas City USAC events have been among the track’s worst. A normal Friday seems finest; Sprintweeks have been sad. Surely it would not wither on Leroy’s first night. Why would he want people grumbling out the door?

I-69 Speedway looked good around 4pm when I rolled in to high five no fewer than ten Pennsylvanians and place a blanket in USAC’s smallest bleachers. Brother and nephew arrived later as did Titan mechanics Rob Hart and Eric Prutzman, headed to Paducah, Kentucky with Brooke Tatnell prior to truck trouble.

Jesse Hockett had also been aiming at wings in Little Rock, Arkansas (ASCS) before bad weather predictions allowed him to remain with USAC. Hockett was still smiling over a landmark weekend. Ready to go at Eldora two nights, Jesse got rained on Friday and was packed to jet to Manzanita for Jim Massey when the weather cleared over Ohio. He relinquished Jim’s ride (to Lealand McSpadden?) and came from Eldora’s eighth row, off the wall, lost the ladder, yet finished third. On the phone, Steve Stroud of Parker Stores informed Jesse that Manzy would be Sunday, so Hockett naturally volunteered to steer Steve’s car. Stroud quickly consulted Bob Ream, who owned the ex-Jeremy Sherman Maxim. It was in pieces. Bob said he’d slap it together for The Rocket, who hopped a flight from Indy to Phoenix and won the last race ever at the great Manzanita Speedway.

Jesse would not be denied. At last month’s Mini Gold Cup when word came of Manzy’s imminent death, I kidded him that they had to close the place to keep him from winning there. Jesse replied, “I haven’t won there yet.” In his mind, four wins on the third-mile equated to zero if he could not conquer its fierce half-mile.

Little Rock was the latest example of Hockett’s ASCS National schedule getting shaved. After an entire weekend was flushed in Oklahoma City (promoter Lanny Edwards just completed heart bypass surgery and has yet to reschedule), more Bull’s Gap’s bullshit dropped another weekend on some hazy excuse regarding severe economic hardships in rural U.S.A. Apparently, America was doin’ swell when they “signed” Emmett Hahn’s contract. Or maybe it was just another verbal agreement like last year’s World of Outlaws weekend that Volunteer un-volunteered. And the Elvis Presley sighting in Chandler, Indiana is also on the ASCS shelf. Skepticism is thick because Chandler is a modest oval free from sprint cars for 27 years yet was to be Presleyland by the Fourth of July when it paid $15,000 to an ASCS hero.

By postponing Presleyland to September 4-5, a Fourth of July conflict was averted 20 miles up the road at Haubstadt where Tri-State’s only POWRi midget meet of 2009 is paired with MSCS sprints. Very few Boonville locals would have missed two classes of Hud Cone for one Kathryne Minter.

Little Rock’s loss was Gas City’s gain when The Rocket rolled up I-69 in VKCC rig containing Bernie Stuebgen of Indy Race Parts and ex-360 racer Andy Korte of California, Missouri. They went right to work when Jesse uncorked an engine. Like last year at Eldora, a steel ASCS 360 was all Hockett had so that’s what Bernie bolted in for the B, which they won. Could “The Rocket” really win a 410 feature with a 360?

Sacramento, California native Bryan Clauson has contested every victory since Christmas in Kansas City when he won 10k. Walled at Chili Bowl, Bryan’s midget led both nights in Fort Worth (winning one), led Manzanita until its driveline quit, led Las Vegas until pitting for tires, and led 19 laps at Perris. In a new Gaerte Maxim, Clauson led North Vernon’s chase to $3000 until tagged by Thomas Meseraull. In his first USAC sprint start since Salem, Clauson qualified fastest and came from eighth to second in his I-69 heat, one of a few to make the top work. But early in the A, he returned there and bounced to a stop.

Indiana appeared more genuine with “Fox 53” racing for the first time since last summer’s Sprintweek. It was strange to see red, black and white stripes on a J&J rather than the DRC model that Jon Stanbrough and the Fox family used for 60 wins in three seasons. On a dry I-69, Jon pedaled the J&J to a heat win.

Trucker’s 24-hour Road Service of Indianapolis brought its fourth driver of 2009 up I-69. Two weeks earlier, they opened in Vernon with Casey Shuman and Jimmy Light. Shuman left to pay respect to Manzanita so Jim Whiteside contacted Brady Bacon for Eldora. Jim and Roger Tapy’s team arrived in Gas City with Light and Shane Hmiel, who promptly burned down an engine at the back of a heat race to begin a bad weekend that ended upside-down.

Casey returned from eighth as Nathan High’s teammate at Manzanita (where three Shumans won 133 times) to start the 52nd season by sprint car owner/crew chief Paul Hazen. They seemed ready to transfer but stumbled. Saturday went better as Shuman and Hazen won the 2009 opener at Lincoln Park Speedway. Casey became the sixth shoe to net first-place at Putnamville for Paul after Tony Elliott, Kevin Thomas, Dave Darland, Jon Stanbrough and Billy Puterbaugh. Shuman has now won seven of his last 28 A-mains at Lincoln Park since 2005.

Chico, California’s Ryan Kaplan cracked the first USAC A-main he attempted, using the front row to stay in the way. After three cars passed, Ryan tightened his “huggy pole” to transfer, irritating Cole Whitt enough to deliver a shot in the ass. Cole has been a pretty model champion for Red Bull and I-69 anger was more common to Cole’s occasional Kunz sidekick Kevin Swindell. Still two spots out after the B, Whitt used provisional status into the A.

Where would Indiana be without a fresh crop of kids from California each spring? Whipping wingless 410s around Hoosier bullrings is the next phase for Ryan Kaplan, who began in Ford Focus and three more midget seasons in BCRA and USAC Western States. In 2007, Ryan ran his first sprint car and late last summer, Kaplan arrived in Indiana for eleven races in Bryan Clauson’s sprint car. On Turkey Night, Kaplan finished fourth in Clauson’s midget. Eighth at The Burg last Labor Day, Ryan recorded its third best USAC lap before being eliminated in his heat race.

Jonathan Hendrick of Indianapolis, son of a Pendleton Pike car dealer, has dabbled in wingless 410ci while excelling in winged 600cc. He made his first USAC A-mains through Gas City and Lawrenceburg heats. Jon’s coaches include Bill Baue and Shane’s dad Blake Hollingsworth, who combined to start at least 73 national USAC A-mains.

Travis Welpott was in The Show! The last USAC A-main on dirt that included Welpott was the Four Crown midget race of 2001 at Eldora. Though he rarely tried, the 1993 UMRA three-quarter midget king had never made the final grid of a USAC sprint race.

Four spots shy was Jason Holt in the Jackson 42g, a car driven by Mark Clark for the past three years. Jackson first employed Bart Grider for five years before Brian Gerster ran 42g until Sprintweek 2005 when Clark climbed in. Holt is an ex-Indy 500 mechanic who has raced his own sprint for the last five years. In his first trip to Putnamville with Jackson, Jason scored Saturday’s B-main.

Missing the A-main at I-69 in his first career USAC sprint car start was Steve Irwin of Columbiaville, Michigan. No wrestling crocodiles for Steve; just sprint cars like those in which he has 21 wins in 13 seasons. Until the Michigan Traditional Sprints sprouted (2006), Steve was a wing guy, other than the last champ car race at Pikes Peak (2005) for neighbor Kevin Bloomstran. Following four traditional wins at Winston, Merritt, Owendale and Lake Odessa, Irwin enjoyed himself so much fun that he began spending Sundays at Sun Prairie (a 450-mile trip) in Randy Polewczynski’s midget. Michigan Traditional Sprints will hold Eldora’s first wingless 410 show not sanctioned by USAC since CRA departed in 1993. It will be Saturday, August 1.

Friday at Gas City became a tractor show. They worked the dirt after qualifying, which only wasted time. They worked it again after heat races. By now, the sun had set and now, the work paid off. There was so much bite in the B-main that Tracy Hines stuck the right rear and flipped off turn two. He joined Whitt on the tail as provisional.

I-69 reconstruction at last developed a second lane that Hockett used to edge Josh Wise. Jesse and Josh resumed their slots outside rows one and two as per flawed USAC tradition. Wise led three laps before Jesse’s screamin’ 360 took over. Hockett had the win well in hand until betrayed by traffic. Gas City is not wide enough for three continuous grooves, so when Jesse caught Hendrick outside of Hunter Schuerenberg, he was essentially stuck.

Dave Darland capitalized to steal $5000 on lap 28 of 30. Dave presented car owner/crew chief Scott Benic of Fairmount with the first win in four years (and seven drivers) on his local skid pad. Further rubbing salt in Jesse’s cut, Levi Jones handed Hockett third-place by inches. Jesse shoved Jonathan’s car a bit but post-race, refused to blame Hendrick, who was simply where Hockett wanted to be.

After a dismal trip to Arizona and Nevada followed by Eldora spectator status, Shane Cottle finished fourth in his first Monte Edison event since last year’s Kokomo opener. Cottle and Edison won 30 times in four seasons. Fifth was Chris Windom’s best since a second at the Kokomo closer. Stanbrough started 2009 fourth in Vegas, sixth at Manzanita and ninth at Perris for Indiana Underground before tunneling to sixth in the first Foxco feature in nine months. Jerry Coons was seventh over Damion Gardner, Brad Sweet and Whitt, who carried his provisional from last to tenth.

USAC brought seven Ford Focus midgets to Gas City. “Why?” seemed to be a good question. What has become of this class? It started with good intentions as an entry-level division but has too often degenerated to upwardly-mobile drivers buying ride to win no prize money. Ford Focus engines are more cost-effective to racers than Ford Focus races are to a promoter who hosts USAC, spawning NEMA Lites in New England and SuperFocus engines that bolstered BCRA on Saturday in Marysville, California. Fans lost Focus among 35 sprints and 33 modifieds (ex-sprint star Scott Orr won again) and most missed Ronnie Wuerdeman’s win.

During the 150 miles and 24 hours from Gas City to Lawrenceburg, USAC acquired the Top Two from Friday’s opener at Bloomington, Brady Short and Jeff Bland, along with Rick Vaughn, Shawn Westerfeld, J.R Douglas, Cincinnati attorney Mike Weber and California transplant Chad Boespflug, a track regular who was parked (but now cleared ) by an eye doctor. Last summer, Douglas won an AMSA mini sprint show at Salem’s Thunder Valley before shifting to sprint cars.

Lawrenceburg Speedway has become a sparkling speed palace. To walk into The Burg today is to walk into a modern sports arena complete with concrete steps and Budweiser signage. And since the Argosy Casino is paying, accessories should add scoreboard, concert sound system and backstretch concessions, given my new fondness for the spectacular view from turn two.

Lawrenceburg looked wonderful. When throttles drop for hot laps, I want to see both back tires make tracks. Saturday sprint cars did that all night. The Burg has been so wet and fast that cars spray mud to the top, making many seats almost uninhabitable. High walls make wingless vehicles invisible directly in front of you.

Riverside, California’s Josh Wise had not seen The Burg’s new banks but turned the only lap of less than 14 seconds. Absent from outdoor dirt all of last year, Wise has gotten busy. He ran all three Manzanita classes plus sprint and midget at Vegas and Perris prior to the second Indiana Underground sprint for three USAC runs.

The Burg was fast and lumpy. Cars were coated in Ohio River bottom. Wide open like a winged race, few could pass, reminding me of USAC races in Charlotte, North Carolina or Lebanon, Missouri. Only four row four starters (Darland, Sweet, Bland and Clauson) could claim one of four transfers from any heat. Boespflug looked like the first heat winner from pole until Levi lunged under in turn three. Short won the second heat from pole.

Schuerenberg timed slowly enough to start Gas City and Lawrenceburg heats from the front row and transfer both times. Last summer, Hunter cultivated quite a fan following (2009 T-shirts were eagerly awaited) with heroic drives for Jeff Walker. This year, the Missouri teen has partnered with 6R Racing, Jet Star, Daryl Guiducci, Fatheadz and Jacob Wilson on a six-cylinder Toyota that Hunter’s heavy foot has yet to make competitive. He ran a Chevy around Eldora faster than only five of the 33 cars.

Winning three of eight at Lawrenceburg last season, Brett Burdette crashed in Vegas and twice in 23 laps at Eldora. He hit I-69 in the true blue Eleven of crew chief Jeff Walker. Brett and Shane Hollingsworth used front row starts to win USAC heats at Gas City but at Lawrenceburg, Burdette needed Walker’s provisional.

Pennsylvania native Jimmy Light, second at North Vernon in his Truckers debut, missed USAC A-mains at Eldora and Gas City, timed poorly on Saturday, yet won his heat on the Lawrenceburg Speedway where he was champion in 2008.

Lawrenceburg added only AMSA. Strapped into a 1200cc mini sprint was Merrill Calvert, retired as pilot for United Airlines and away from racing eight years. In the summer of ’86, USAC midgets carried an array of talent to asphalt and dirt. One of the ten who stayed through the whole ten days was Calvert, later to win AAMS A-mains at Anderson and Illiana Speedways. A rookie in 2008, Merrill was among seven of 27 to miss the AMSA A-main on Lawrenceburg’s wavy banks.

Xenia, Ohio’s Sam Ashworth led seven laps around Lawrenceburg in a Yamaha Bishop 92. Ashworth was a famous All Star name when Denny Ashworth fielded winged 410 sprint cars for Harry Garrett, Keith Kauffman, Kenny Jacobs, Dean Jacobs, Danny Smith, Joey Saldana, Dave Calaman, Kevin Huntley, Tyler Walker, Travis Rilat, Rob Chaney, Chad Jones, Jac Haudenschild and Jeff Shepard. In 2007, Jimmy Stinson took third in the final sprint race by an Ashworth 92.

Ashworth fell to fourth at Lawrenceburg followed by a Suzuki Bailey driven by Troy, Ohio’s Drew Pollock, who (like Calvert) is an AMSA sophomore conversion from asphalt midgets. Pollock drove four Drinan seasons on miles at Phoenix, Nazareth and Pikes Peak peaking sixth at Salem in 2001. Last year, Drew defeated AMSA at Montpelier, Indiana. Winner of the first two AMSA events of 2009 at Vernon and Lawrenceburg was Rod Henning of suburban Dayton with Suzuki in a Larry Faase “Foz chassis” distributed through Spike by John Godfrey.

Saturday went smoothly enough that A-main starters rolled silently to the frontstretch for introductions. This was a traditional piece of USAC ceremony rarely attempted in today’s era of four-division midnight cards.

Huntington Beach, California’s Nic Faas started 2009 with broken pieces from Phoenix to Perris, leaving Indiana to wonder what lay in store for the new kid on the block. Well in their first full night, Faas and crew chief Jake Argo notched a Vernon victory. Tenth in his first Eldora event, Faas missed the A-main at I-69 but bounced back at The Burg. During the B, he exhibited no fear of the hellish turf, attacking turn one in dogged pursuit of winner Wise. Outside row one of the A, Nic quickly controlled the first 13 laps.

Grass Valley, California’s Brad Sweet, losing Eldora five laps from the end, carried Mopar Maxim under Faas but eight laps from $5000, J.R Todd’s roommate was evicted by a Wise move low in turn one. Josh jumped on horsepower provided by Charlie Fisher, rare in USAC but well known for pulling wings.

Lawrenceburg was a rodeo. Cars entered a corner, got tossed like a canoe in the rapids and exited wherever they happened to land. Some came to expect it and when Darland did not, Hockett hammered him. Jesse and Gardner jumped around turn two and made Ballou the victim. Any kidney-bruisin’ oval of a rocket and a demon is fine theatre. Neither could stay straight long enough for Damion to keep sixth until the last lap when he drove under Jesse in turn three, carried momentum straight up the hill, kicked mud in Hockett’s eye and edged him to the line. It was only the second time in six meetings where Jesse finished behind Damion in 2009.

Lawrenceburg became the first national USAC win for Wise since the Western World of 2006, also the last season for USAC success by Indiana Underground at DuQuoin with Tracy Hines. Terry Riggs wrench Mike Dutcher used to help Bruce Bromme and Richard Griffin and through bustling Benic Enterprises, he won with Cameron Dodson, Levi Jones and RW champ cars. Dutcher began 2008 with Brady Short and later Bret Mellenberndt. Riggs and Dutcher started this season with Stanbrough until Josh came available. They fell from first to eleventh at Gas City but landed Lawrenceburg.

Where had Wise been? Well, Daytona, Fontana, Talladega. He ran his first ARCA races at Winchester and Toledo in 2006, made eleven more ARCA appearances (second at Pocono, Gateway and DuQuoin), nine truck stops (sixth in Vegas for Darrell Waltrip) and his first NASCAR Nationwide start at IRP. Last season, Josh ran half of the 35-race Nationwide schedule capped by fifth at IRP. Wise returned to Eldora wearing a NAPA suit from four races with Michael Waltrip.

Sweet surrendered second to Levi late at Lawrenceburg. Arizona’s Chad Boat finished fourth in his best sprint finish since last June at Eldora. Darland finished fifth to maintain the national USAC sprint car point lead after six legs. Gardner snatched sixth from Hockett while Whitt was eighth over row eight starter Short and Stanbrough, who look uncomfortable on the treacherous terrain. Burdette earned eleventh from last.

Hockett sits second in USAC points and is trying to cover all bases. Jesse is due to return to ASCS at Tri-City on May 1, seeks a pavement ride for Anderson USAC on May 2, and is likely to bridge Bloomington USAC (May 8) with Little Rock ASCS on May 9. Hockett’s Memorial Day weekend looks like Terre Haute USAC (May 21) and another champ car ride around the Indy Mile (May 22) followed by two ASCS nights in Jetmore, Kansas. CnB Mushrooms informed how Hockett will also complete the 2008 Grandview USAC card postponed to Tuesday, June 2.

Those not lucky enough to open the season in Phoenix, Vegas or Perris saw their first USAC sprint race of 2009 at the 29th annual (three were rained out) Don Branson/Jud Larson Memorial at Tony Stewart’s elegant Eldora Speedway. By the time World of Outlaws arrives on May 8-9, corporate suites will be finished overlooking turns three and four. People at The Prelude will no longer get dirty, hot or restricted to public piss stations.

For three winters under Stewart, fans and competitors have held their breath. Few made happy departures from the last two Branson/Larsons. This one however, was the stuff that makes Eldora special. Since it fell on Easter weekend, Smoke his own self was on hand to watch his Chevrolets win heats from eighth-place. His high banks reward raw aggression yet dispense violent justice to those racing without respect.

Friday rain and Saturday chill (35ish) helped the track begin wet and stack a thick cushion that remained all night. Tracks with walls build cushions that cannot hide. Indiana’s fenceless bullrings of Gas City, Bloomington, Putnamville and Paragon allow kids to haul ass, miscalculate and simply press the reset button. Such careless disregard at Eldora will alert the trauma unit.

USAC drivers decided on caution flags for 360-degree spins, also enforcing a two-spin rule. In the last Eldora heat, Alabama’s K.T Thomas spun for the second time, twirling a tight 360 to see both black and yellow flags.

The race should have ended. And on the restart, Darren Hagen fired a slide at leader Robert Ballou, who held Hagen off. Down into three, Darren got over the big berm and clouted the concrete with tremendous force that fired his Keith Kunz Bullet to an astonishing height, wrecking two of Hagen’s ribs and one lung. Fortunately for his championship dream, USAC midgets do not race until the Night Before The 500.

All of the Top Six transferred from row four to place Coons pole for the A-main. In between Cowtown cards was Oklahoma’s Brady Bacon, who won his heat from outside pole. In nine seasons, Truckers have entered Eldora with Robbie Rice, Coons, Derek Davidson, Derek Scheffel, Justin Marvel, Kent Christian, Stanbrough, Bill Rose, Mat Neely, Tony Elliott, Hollingsworth, Schuerenberg, Daron Clayton, Meseraull and Hagen.

Thomas Meseraull had the black Baldwin Five at Eldora to finish second from second in his heat. T-Mez and Baldwin brothers next opened Bloomington fifth and Danville in fourth-place. Unlike the bullrings at I-69 or Lawrenceburg, no other front row starters stayed in the Top Four. Sweet drove his Dodge from seventh to first in his heat. Big Horses pay Big Dividends on Big Banks.

Speedway, Indiana’s Critter Malone, who came to Eldora with Ohio’s Joe Seeling in 2003 and won him a winged 360 show at Limaland in 2004, stuck Seeling’s yellow bird into Eldora’s opening A-main of 2009. Last year, Seeling shifted back beneath wings with Mike Brecht and Phil Gressman but reunited with Malone at Four Crown. Critter’s kid Drake Malone is in eighth grade and was a recent page to Indiana senator Michael Young.

Brecht of Deshler (50 miles southwest of Toledo) posted a stunning second in last fall’s Four Crown and returned to Eldora aboard a Stan Courtad car that was fast early until Mike scuffed cement on the backstretch. Courtad’s crew finished fifth at Fremont on Saturday with Gressman on the gas.

Also keeping one foot in the wingless world was Oklahoma’s Jimmy Jones, sweeping Eldora in 2007 with Ballou before joining ASCS. Jones brought 17-year old Trey Robb and 40-year old Jerry Bell to Eldora. After three Sprint Bandit dates, Robb ran wingless sprints three times in eight days from Jimmy’s shop near the Indianapolis Speedrome. As for the 1999 Boone Nationals winner, Bell had wings off only once and when the 2004 ASCS Gulf South king began Eldora hot laps, he gave a mighty pitch, abruptly lifted and tossed his nose at the wall. Next lap, Bell was well below. Robb and Faas became Eldora’s only rookies to reach the final.

Tucson, Arizona’s Jerry Coons led a lap at Eldora before a four-car crash on the backstretch involved Whitt, Malone (both done) and Burdette. On the restart, Levi laid a slide on Coons. On lap 11, Sweet also blitzed beneath Jerry and was ready to lay the same flyer on Jones when the red flashed for Gardner’s backstretch dump. On this restart, Jones guarded against The Big Dive one lap before Brad blazed low into three. Three laps later, Coons followed under Jones in three. On lap 17, Hines passed his TSR teammate for third and on lap 24, Burdette flipped.

On this last restart, Coons put a perfect slide on Sweet. In two laps, Brad was back on Coons tail and a lunge at the lead was inevitable. Six corners from the end, observers braced for an assault that was postponed. Waiting for the last two corners cost Sweet because he never made it that far. Brad got in the chop outside turn two and tumbled down the hill to get clipped by Hines. The second hit injured no one but took Tracy from a Top Five.

After all the wall-banging, smooth Jerry Coons was on the ramp with $5000. It seemed sad that he could not bid farewell to the Manzanita Speedway where he won 44 times (turns out, he could have as Hockett proved) but those are yesterday’s yellow headlines. Jerry is a three-sport USAC champion now, one perpetuating the rich legacy of the Hoffmans from Cincinnati. Richard Hoffman entered Eldora with Gil Hess (1967), Doc Dawson (’69), tried Cannon brothers Larry and Steve (winning with Larry), Johnny Parsons, Andy Hillenburg, Kevin Huntley, Rich Vogler, Steve Butler, Robbie Stanley (first in ’93), Cary Faas, Terry Shepherd, Davidson, Darland, Rose, Levi Jones, Stanbrough, Haudenschild, Tyler Walker and first with Hines in 2006.

Darland won three of ten Eldora events for Hoffman and won hot laps in 2009. Tripping the beam last, Dave qualified first with foot to the back of a Gaerte Engine. Darland ended second ahead of Hockett as Levi fell to fourth. Short emerged fifth following a nice dice with Ballou and Bud Kaeding’s new white Maxim. Ballou brought NorCal pals Darrin Smith and Randy Frank to make Eldora feel like a Friday night at Silver Dollar.

Grinning over my description of his post-Tulare condition, Kaeding has had a typically scattered season of World of Outlaws at Chico, Mike Sala’s 360 on the Ocean Speedway and the last USAC champ checkered at Manzanita, where Kaeding won seven of 26. After a few days in Disneyland, Bud scored second at Watsonville (Ocean) and eighth at Petaluma.

Windom was eighth from Eldora’s row ten. Clauson claimed ninth in his first appearance in the three years since a broken neck and super-speedway convalescence. Starting a season later than Josh Wise, Clauson climbed in six ARCA windows (getting a Gateway win) and five NASCAR events before 21 of 35 Nationwide races that reached fifth in Kentucky and sixth at Daytona.

Sonoma County, California’s JoJo Helberg, the 18-year old brother of 21-year old NASCAR diversity hopeful Jessica Helberg, took third Saturday in a wingless 360 on Roseville tar after flying to El Paso to race a winged 305 on dirt.

Boise, Idaho native Davey Hamilton celebrated entry to a ninth Indianapolis 500 by joining JoJo at Roseville to wheel a Western Speed 360 to seventh. Hamilton had not been to Roseville since running Ed Shefcik’s winged BCRA midget to a pair of seconds behind Craig Dillard (Hagopian 14) and Ray Derby at the Rose County Fair of 1994.

Tarlton Motorsports of Fresno fielded three of 21 sprint cars in Hanford on Saturday. Peter Murphy finished second without wings and Tommy Tarlton was second with the winged Rebel 360 series. Michael Faccinto’s third Tarlton 21 did not finish the wingless go. Central California managed to silence SCRA and bust up Bandits.

Saturday’s early rain in Dallas, Tulsa and Meeker made for a big (really) 13-car field of two-barrel 360 winged sprint cars at Lawton, Oklahoma operated by Lanny Edwards. In a twinbill born of bad weather, Norman’s Brent Swift swept the opener before Brill king Cody Metscher managed second to dominant Robert Sellers but ahead of Martin Edwards, who has ten wins in five seasons in the Devil’s Bowl of grandpa Lanny.

Russ Harper, a native to Watkins, Colorado now in Indianapolis, won six races in four seasons before selling his DRC midget to Jody Rosenboom to purchase Jimmy Light’s 2008 DRC sprint car. In his first three sprint races, Harper won a heat at North Vernon, missed the cut at Bloomington but went B-to-A in Putnamville.

The wet Wabash clouds that delayed openers in Bloomington, Gas City and Eldora enabled me to absorb Alejandro Escovedo, the 58-year old elder statesman of Austin, Texas at the 82-year old Royal Theatre in downtown Danville, Indiana. Flanked by the guitar of David Pulkingham and violin of Carrie Rodriguez (my new crush), Alejandro offered “Chelsea Hotel ‘78” about the death of Nancy Spungen (companion to Sid Vicious) when Escovedo was in a punk rock band called The Nuns.

South Bend, Indiana’s Ryan Newman, among the A-main of the 1997 Branson/Larson Memorial at Eldora, was among four NASCAR names (Matt Kenseth, Reed Sorenson and Brian Vickers) at this week’s Goodyear tire test on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

As for the ol’ Brickyard, did you know the Speedway Motel is no more? Many a marriage began and ended on what is now a vacant lot. My only night there was as undeclared guest of Bob Cicconi before the Hoosier Dome Invitational of 1988.

Weedsport, New York’s Craig Keel, infamous in Indianapolis for his savage crash of 1987 on the mile (“I even broke the glass in the gauges,” he told me) has relocated to Green Springs, Ohio to be near his young son. Ten miles from Fremont Speedway, Craig cracked its A-main Saturday after failing at Attica for three weeks. During the great traction control scare of Ohio Speedweek 2003, Keel stormed out of Attica when acting All Star comp director Jack Hewitt ordered the magneto out of Craig’s cockpit.

Gibsonburg, Ohio’s Craig Mintz won Friday’s opener at Skyline and took tenth Saturday at Fremont, where Tim Shaffer of Pittsburgh produced his third win in eleven events for Aaron Call and Brian Kemenah. In between Volusia and Williams Grove, Shaffer flew to Western Australia to guide Geoff Kendrick’s car second at Kalgoorlie, third in Perth and ninth in the Krikke Boys Shootout at Bunbury City.

And there was no 305 or 360 for The Wild Child’s child. Though he told me last month how Attica would not permit his (soon) 15-year old boy, Attica is exactly where Sheldon Haudenschild ran his first race. His second start against All Stars saw Sheldon qualify quicker than Keel, Ed Lynch or Mark Keegan. In his third week, young Haud was as high as third Friday at Lakeville and outside eventual winner Troy Vaccaro on Saturday in Wayne County.

Sinking Spring, Pennsylvania’s Dave Ely posted his first 410 feature win in nine years Saturday at the Port Royal Fairgrounds. During time away from The Grove, Ely won 13 times with 360 cubic inches (URC, Mercer ESS and Virginia ASCS) and four of ten ARDC midget starts in 2007.

Chad Layton from the Pennsylvania capital of Harrisburg has enjoyed enough success in the United Racing Company (two wins in nine starts) that he wants to be an $11,700 champion like Curt Michael. In his first Delaware descent on Saturday, Layton was first in heat and second to The Jersey Jet, J.J Grasso.

From the shadow of Bridgeport Speedway resides Grasso in Pedricktown, New Jersey. J.J became the fourth URC winner for car owner/crew chief Pat Palladino. Beginning as Bud Lawrence crew chief to Frankie Kerr and Fred Rahmer, Palladino compiled a dozen wins with Sean Michael, another 21 with Sean’s kid brother Curt, three in ’03 with tall Trevor Lewis and Saturday in Delmar with J.J in a J&J.

Bucks County, Pennsylvania’s Michael Carber crossed seventh Saturday at Delaware. Two weeks after last year’s URC tour did wrap, Carber opened his third tour of Australia. Michael made a dozen starts with John Weatherall that won twice in Brisbane and took third at Maryborough and tenth in Toowoomba World Series. In the U.S, Carber’s car owner is John Pinter, an Audi dealer from Wilmington who raced New Jersey modifieds.

Flemington, New Jersey’s Art Leidl, graduating from Jasper crate engines to tenth in last year’s Big Diamond URC show, cracked the Delaware A-main on Saturday after a Port Royal shakedown. Leidl Well Drilling fielded the “L” modified built by Scott Pursell’s father-in-law and carried by Billy Pauch to ten straight Flemington features in 1981. “Go like L!” was their battle cry.

After two years and four weeks with a central Pennsylvania 410, Saturday in Delaware marked the first URC 360 start by Nick Schlauch Jr, son of another New Jersey modified champion.

Fort Lee, New Jersey’s Frank Polimeda, shaking off a Chili Bowl concussion to win the ARDC midget opener at Big Diamond, was leading the Lincoln Legends race Saturday until spun by Jason Rochelle, son of the URC champion of 1979-80.

Winning the 1250cc contest at Lincoln was 50-year old Tom Mayberry, who won the Freedom 76 for Grandview mods in 1986 and piloted the first Zemco sprint car as top Williams Grove rookie of 1989.

Phillipsburg, New Jersey’s Stephanie Stevens, seventh at Big Diamond and eighth at Susquehanna in the year’s first two ARDC A-mains, interrupted her fifth midget campaign for ninth in the winged 305 sprint car opener at Path Valley.

Tracy Trotter, who started the Carolina Ford Focus midgets in 2004, won six in that series with Bradley Riethmeyer of Texas, five with Iowa’s Robbie Ray, four with California’s Tanner Swanson, once with Australia’s Adam Clarke and another Saturday at Hickory with New York’s Jeremy Frankoski, a NEMA winner in 2007 at Beech Ridge, Maine.

Brandon, Florida’s Blaze Martin, third in Citrus County as 2008 TBARA rookie, reached second at the famous Greenville-Pickens Speedway and returned to USCS for three straight wins worth a collective $6500 from Georgia’s Watermelon Capital, North Carolina’s Ace Speedway and Florence, South Carolina.

This screed is dedicated to Fremont, Ohio’s Harold McGilton and Burlington, Iowa’s Bud Taeger, who passed away Tuesday and Wednesday. Bud was father to my friend “Odd Todd” Taeger. McGilton was a legend who made three Knoxville Nationals finals and raced sprint cars past the age of 65.

Off to The Ditch and Tri-State for (hopefully) the pinnacle of the World of Outlaws season from 4979 West 13th Street, Speedway, IN 46224 or (317) 607.7841 or Kevin@openwheeltimes.com.

ok

Home Cookin’

2009-04-08T11:56:00.000-04:00

By Kevin Eckert

April 8, 2009 Speedway, Indiana: Winter was supposed to be over. I thought my timing was better. No small coincidence how two months in (by day) warm weather returned to flowers in bloom, before they froze and died below snow.

Present plans call for greeting USAC sprint cars at Eldora Speedway on April 10-11. Throughout my decades as a sprint car gypsy, the end of March/beginning of April annually signals an Eldora opener. Of course, if there is wintry weather in Ohio, the radius will tighten to either opener at Bloomington or Gas City. Just writing that makes me grin. It’s good to be home.

Sunday’s crossing of the Wabash River represented my first time in Indiana in eight weeks. Mine was another adventure of indelible images from the Speedway stoop to Louisville, Kentucky; Nashville, Tennessee; Muscle Shoals, Alabama; Philadelphia, Mississippi; New Orleans, Louisiana; Cowtown, Texas; Socorro, New Mexico; Manzanita, Arizona; Las Vegas, Nevada; Chico, California; Tucson, Arizona; Las Cruces, New Mexico; ASCS over Texas; Edmond, Oklahoma; Fort Scott, Kansas; WOW of Missouri; Pocahontas, Illinois and ultimately, Speedway USA.

The primal attraction to explore the unexplored has been breaking marriage vows since the dawn of time. I was not coming home without a few new beaver pelts on my belt. Two of the rascals got away in Crandall and Waco, but the Gator Motorplex in Willis, Texas and L A Raceway in La Monte, Missouri bumped my number of speedways to 469.

Sentimentality would have followed the World of Outlaws from Tulare to the final winged event on the Manzanita half. Wings on half-miles however, are seldom scintillating, which Manzy has scarcely disproven. Rather than choke on the tire smoke of a funeral, I chose to rest on memories of Lealand’s lunge into three, Yeley’s way with one, Sherman’s surge out of turn two, cold beer, hot tacos, tailgating against the building, my family.

I skirted Phoenix to hole up in Van Horn, Texas for two days writing the last column. Van Horn has Chuy Uranga’s restaurant made semi-famous by John Madden of Pleasanton, California. Madden played football in San Luis Obispo and Philadelphia before winning the 1977 Super Bowl as head coach of the Oakland Raiders. John likes Chuy’s chicken picado. Make mine machaca.

Not for nothing, but I’d like to be the John Madden of motorsports, where I simply step into my luxury bus, inform the driver of our destination, and then go sleep, screw, shower, snack, smoke, scribble or scratch. That would be travelin’ right.

Upon dishing the Van Horn column to DMI, I began the arduous task of driving across West Texas, some of North America’s least interesting terrain. Iraan was the Pecos River home of England Dan Seals, a member of the morning obituaries. Seals and John Ford Coley sang “I’d Really Love to See You Tonight” in 1976, one of the finest summers of my youth.

Ozona, Texas has a monument to Davy Crockett, born in Tennessee (1786) to die at The Alamo in San Antonio in 1836. Ozona is home to Tom Mitchell, owner of the Circle Bar Truck Corral that helped Chet Fillip into the Indy 500 and fields NASCAR trucks for Rick Crawford and young James Buescher.

Fillip is a West Texas success story. Born in San Angelo in 1957, Chet raced a rear-engine supermodified all the way to Star, New Hampshire. Fillip flogged Cosworths into the 1982-83 Indy 500. He switched to NASCAR and made the ’87 Daytona 500 with brother Corey, proprietor of Advanced Racing Suspensions on Gasoline Alley, where they built an ugly sprint car that won eight times in five USAC seasons. Chet drove Dick Fuller’s sprint car to a $20,000 victory at the Little 500 of 1999. Once the boy toy of soap starlet Morgan Fairchild, Fillip became the only champion of PRA at age 50. He will drive a factory Mercedes in Madagascar and in his spare moments, Chet teaches violin with a Texas swing.

A grueling 456 miles into Texas on I-10 is Junction, where Bear Bryant drove Texas A&M football recruits into the ground in 1954. Only ten of 100 made the team. One was Jack Pardee, later a linebacker for the Los Angeles Rams and coach of the Houston Oilers. “Junction Boys” became an ESPN movie in 2002 starring Tom Berenger as The Bear.

On the road (290) to Austin is Luckenbach, Texas, which became part of the “outlaw country” landscape when Jerry Jeff Walker recorded Viva Terlingua there in 1973. Four years later, Luckenbach became the title of a song by two native Texans, Willie Nelson of Abbott and Waylon Jennings from Littlefield.

Navasota, Texas on 105 was home to a quarter-mile dirt track called Moody-Clary Speedway. USAC midgets were part of its first season of 1969 when Denver’s Dave Strickland (Shannon 22) was the winner. When they returned in 1970, Merle Bettenhausen (Lockard 69) finished first.

Midget memories were conjured by Lake Conroe, home to two generations of Ron Hughes, two men who gave their lives to a very specific form of motorsport. It is a special racer who continues without the use of his legs. Ron Hughes Jr. had to be the greatest to ever thumb a throttle. I watched him win at Belle-Clair in 1989, climbing from midget to wheelchair for an interview. It is also a special racer who fields the midget in which his own son dies (Devils Bowl 1990) yet continues dragging midgets to Chili Bowl, Belleville Nationals, or Savannah, Missouri where Hughes and Kevin Olson beat MARA in 1992. At the end of ’97, Ron summoned John Heydenreich for a West Texas win on the Odessa oval called Permian Basin.

North of Conroe in Willis is the Gator Motorplex that opened in 1998. All three SSMA midget races at Gator have gone to Aaron Kirk in the Hughes 45. During last month’s SMRS midget meet in Fort Worth, I asked Bryon Harvey which SSMA stop should be seen before all others. “Gator,” answered my friend Harvey.

The first rig glimpsed at Gator housed ASCS sprints for Trey Robb and Jerry Bell, meaning Jimmy Jones was in the house. I steered to the front for a gander at Gator and nearly got stuck in the mud. Much rain had fallen in 24 hours. No one was taking tickets yet. The promoter bulldozer around turns three and four so fans could open lawn chairs. Gator is a bring your own seat, bring your own beverage kind of Texas juke joint. I blindsided Jones, asking if he must smoke to unload Robb’s racer and winch down another (without wheels) for Bell, money man of the operation.

Like me, Perry Robb III (aka Trey) sought a substitute for the frozen weekend in Oklahoma City, which cancelled before some departed Dallas. Jason Johnson, Travis Rilat, Eric Baldaccini and Kathryne Minter are all based in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex and dialed down ASCS from national to regional.

ASCS Gulf South began Gator’s fifth season of sprint racing. ASCS faces the same problem as most open wheel touring divisions: sharing space with acres and acres of junk. ASCS heats are generally followed by hours of stock cars. After the California utopia of the premier class being the only class, Gator was a painful bite of five-division reality.

My pitch for press credentials seemed rare in these parts. No radios meant no verdict. I told ‘em to chew it over while I chewed some dinner. Super Burger was worthy of Discovery Channel hype. Bouncing back to Gator got the same blank stare (promoter still clearing brush) so I took refuge in Molly’s Pub and her wonderful wall of taps. Wireless internet enabled me to update Friday race results over a Shiner Black, best of that Texas brewery. Should have returned to the raceway sooner but I am a sucker for a good jukebox. Staying to hear all my songs cost me all five ASCS heats.

One last chance for the girl at Gator’s gate, who was being shepherded away when I asked about a press pass for a third time. She still knew nothing, suggesting that I follow the cop to the promoter. I had a better idea. Why don’t I wait for you to drive away so I can drive in? I parked among “these East Texas pines” (McMurtry) and took in two B-mains and an A. ASCS will run three or four B-mains before a single C. Gator pulled 37 cars.

Having no wristband relegated me infield or in some of the smallest backstretch bleachers ever braced. Gator was said to suffer from the same lack of moisture as most U.S dirt. Cold damp openers often alter that equation. ASCS heats saw Gator peel a bit, causing management to overreact and flash the blade. I climbed the bulldozer inside turn two for two last chance races.

Gator ASCS winner in 2006 and 2008, Chris Sweeney won the first B. Beaumont’s Gary Watson secured the last transfer 20 years after making the World of Outlaws A-main in Houston’s Big H Speedway. Darryl Wills was two spots out aboard the 2004 Avenger he won in the National Sprint Car Hall of Fame raffle. Behind him was Kathryne Minter, who clipped a tractor tire in her heat and damage repaired by R.J Johnson, the Florida native who ran Knoxville last year. R.J is the son of Roland Johnson, an 18-time East Bay winner between 1985 and 2000.

Who better to tame a Gator than a Cajun? Native of Eunice, Louisiana, Jason Johnson now resides in Dallas-Fort Worth near his money maker. He is the busiest sprint racer on the planet, competing internationally in 74 of 76 months since 2003. Jason is able to stay doubly active with a Wesmar Eagle to match the one that made $50,000 national ASCS champions of Johnson and Lanny Row in 2008. Jason and Lanny opened their title defense by banking $6000 from the Devil’s Bowl. As soon as OKC was DOA, Johnson and crew chief Craig Stevens arranged for Marvin Pearson’s car to be in Willis, where it spun the rear end assembly.

From the back of a B, Jason advanced cautiously until only leader Scottie McDonald remained. After winning the B, Johnson did not open the A-main with any huge burst and in fact, spun in turn three. Saturday seemed to someone else’s night.

For 21 laps, someone else was Aaron Reutzel, an 18-year old February face of Cowtown 600cc sanctioned by ASCS2. Aaron won his heat for the front row, riding the brake around the bottom until his rotor was so hot it threatened to melt the tail. The red flag for Matt Clevenger (second until flipping over Brandon Corn) cooled the leader’s brakes but also brought Travis Rilat in range. Native to suburban Houston now living in suburban Dallas, Travis started his Shark XXX in row seven and like Johnson, was no early threat. After a long delay (one wrecker for a two-car wreck), Rilat rattled Reutzel for the lead.

That seemed to be the shootin; match until The Cajun began ragin’ around the rim. Since virtually everyone in front of Jason Johnson was low to middle, he blasted the top of Gator’s tall banks. Even the chutes have rake and Jason went all the way to the wall in one and two, tempted the trench through the middle of three and four, and surprised Rilat on the final corner for the 122nd win of Johnson’s career. Jason did a reverse victory lap.

Reutzel ran third. Ray Allen Kulhanek rode the rim from row seven to fourth followed by heat winner Channin Tankersley, son of the Rickey Lee Tankersley who made six starts in Houston with the World of Outlaws in 1988-91. Trey Robb retreated from third to sixth ahead of Eric Baldaccini, bagging the last transfer from the B-main and seventh in the A-main. Back to Molly’s.

Monday brought a decision. Finances were weak. They could stand another few days in Texas so long as the U.S Mail made them well by Wednesday midnight for James McMurtry’s weekly appearance at the Continental Club in Austin.

While waiting on the pony express, I pondered a tour of some of Houston’s long gone pillars to midget history; the places that created the most accomplished auto racer man has ever seen, Anthony Joseph Foyt Jr. Several were on South Main. There was the (9300) South Main Speedrome, a half-mile dirt track cut in half in 1946-47; Playland Park at 920 South Main, a quarter-mile dirt track in an amusement park from ’48 to ’56 (A.J began there) and paved when it closed in 1960; and Arrowhead at South Main Street and Old Spanish Trail, where an 18-year old Foyt won his first trophy dash on July 11, 1953.

Joseph F. Meyer Stadium on South Main and Hillcroft in Houston was a paved half-mile that had as its second winner ever, A.J Foyt and A.J Watson on October 11, 1959. USAC midgets at Meyer were beaten by Gene Force (Shannon 22), Dale Swaim (’60) and Arlington’s Jim McElreath in 1962. USAC sprints opened 1960 at Meyer defeated by Don Branson’s Offenhauser, returning to end the season behind the Fike Chevrolet of Parnelli Jones. J.F Meyer closed in 1979.

USAC midget wins by Dave Steele (2006) and Bobby East (2009) in Rusk, Texas marked the first Austin appearance by the Indianapolis organization since Longhorn Speedway waved checkereds over Bob Tattersall (1960) and Chuck Rodee in 1962.

I had no business on Galveston Island and had to punt like Shane Lechler of Texas A&M. I headed north through Klein, home to Lyle Lovett, the Texas A&M journalist who led Lyle Lovett & His Large Band, married Julia Roberts and had his leg broken by a bull. The last accident kept Lyle off of his beloved Ducati motorcycles. Lovett rides through the Hill Country, where he was told Germans settled because it looked like Germany. Texas A&M (Agricultural & Mechanical) in College Station is where stuttering Lester Hayes of Houston was drafted into the NFL in 1977. As a Raider, he earned two Super Bowl rings.

College Station established the World Closed Course Speed Record at Texas World Speedway in 1973 when Mario Andretti achieved 214mph in the turbocharged Offenhauser of Parnelli Jones. Texas had long been a haven for extreme speed. In 1963, Foyt and his trusty Trevis Offy turned the first 200mph lap on the five-mile Goodyear test track in San Angelo. South of there in Fort Stockton is where Chicago’s Fred Lorenzen lapped a 7.7-mile Firestone facility at 170mph with a ’64 Ford. Just this winter, the new NASCAR ban on testing brought Jack Roush Fords to Texas World. Washington’s Greg Biffle reached 218mph.

I exited I-35 to look into the Heart O’Texas, where ASCS Gulf South sprints would race four days later. The quarter-mile is Waco’s second Heart O’Texas Speedway, opening in ‘66 to replace the one closed in 1965. Heart O’Texas hosted SWIMS midgets mastered by Johnny Parsons (’82), Kevin Doty (‘84), Gene Gennetten (’84) and Arizona’s Mark Passerrelli in 1985. MARA sanctioned the last Waco midget race won by Steve Knepper in 1988.

Richard Summers was a Texas racer who wheeled a sprint car against anyone. He won the only recorded Waco sprint race prior to the 1999 invasion of IMCA claimers. Richard ran the 1985 Gambler of Bob Wagner and James Helms, later to back Steve Perry and Shane Carson. Summers and Helms won at Beaumont, Big H, Devil's Bowl and Texarkana; ran sixth when CRA came into The Bowl, eighth in the only USAC visit to Devil’s Bowl, eighth with the WoO at Big H, and tenth in USAC/CRA at Manzy.

The 2004 season was when Heart O’Texas held its first Gordon Woolley Classic. ASCS winners in Waco are Claud Estes, Jason Johnson (Pearson 11), Brandon Berryman, Ryan Hall (Woolley Classic 2008), Greg Rilat and four times by Kevin Ramey. Texas 305s touched Heart O’Texas in 2006 when Shane Carson became a Waco winner. The first ASCS event of 2009 (higher banking) saw Ramey reach for a fifth win from row six, passing everyone except veteran Skip Wilson in an Avenger from El Paso.

Gordon Woolley incidentally, is very much alive. Born in 1922, Woolley won 17 straight stock car races in Waco’s Suicide Bowl before seeing USAC sprint cars at Meyer Stadium in ’59. From that day on, sprint cars ruled Gordon’s world. He beat IMCA at Meyer (’61) and ran a roadster T-bucket second in the second Knoxville Nationals of 1962. A long tall Texan of 6’3” in black boots, red suit and yellow helmet, Woolley was possibly the first “outlaw” to travel with little more than a helmet bag. He won the 1963 IMCA championship with three cars, taking Tampa in Chet Wilson’s Offy Killer, teaming with Don Shepherd to land LaCrosse and Eldon before leaving Shepherd for Sid Weinberger, who had lost Johnny White to a wheelchair. Woolley and Weinberger won seven times in two months. Gordon got Hector Honore and Pop Miller to victory lane in 1965. He ran his last sprint at Devil’s Bowl in 1972 yet continued in stock cars, becoming an ‘82 Heart O’Texas champ at age 60.

I entered the metroplex on 287 and exited I-35 through Dealey Plaza to Deep Ellum for coffee and internet. This area is akin to Sixth Street in Austin, Beale Street in Memphis or Bourbon Street in New Orleans as places where people can walk to several choices of live music. According to my barista, Deep Ellum is in Deep Trouble from forces economic and political. If the Club Dada ever becomes a batch of condominiums, it would only continue the theme of tragedy that will forever be downtown Dallas.

A cup of Sumatra helped mulling my options. Waco was out. The 305 sprints that I intended to see last Friday were rescheduled in Crandall, but I opted for the original objective of WOW 360 sprints in LaMonte, Missouri. It was cold and raining in Denton, Texas, where I took a TA truck stop shower. They cost ten dollars now. It seems like only yesterday they were five bucks, an easy choice over a $30 motel. Now that the gap has narrowed, it makes more sense to rent a room.

Oklahoma City is where Scott Chilcutt and Lonnie Wheatley would depart for the final race at Manzanita. Scott and Shane Stewart were World of Outlaws winners in Louisiana in 2004. Chad Kemenah helped Jon Kantor match Chilcutt as a WoO winner from Oklahoma, where I arrived as Jon pulled the plug. I camped in OKC for three days, sampling pork chops and trout from Chilcutt’s culinary library and Hobby’s Hoagies by day.

My years in the Sooner State escaped on every conceivable road. This flight exited Edmond east on 66 to Stroud north on 99 past Hallett road course across the Arkansas River through the Osage Indian Reservation to Caney Valley, Kansas.

Fifteen summers have passed since Gordy Killian and I raised Caney to see Terry Gray (Brown 61a) open the first ASCS Speedweek by holding off 16-year old Lance Blevins in an ex-Hamilton 77. Lealand McSpadden was in that 1993 ASCS field as was John Hunt, a 100-inch MAPS winner at Caney with Dean Bayouth (’92) and Aaron Lemmons in 1993. Nebraska’s Mike Chadd won a Caney NCRA 360 show in 1993. Caney conducted one SMRS midget weekend in 2004 taken by Joe Boyles and Arizona’s Steve Sussex. Caney’s only regional ASCS A-main went to Wayne Johnson (Harvill 44) in 2004 also. Oklahoma’s two-barrel 360 sprint cars visited Caney for cards won by Mike Goodman (’94, 99), Sean and Brian’s dad Mike McClelland (’95), Kenneth Walker (2000) and the track’s most recent sprint race, an OCRS affair won by Jamie Passmore in 2007. Caney will welcome back OCRS on June 20 and SMRS on September 19.

I cut Kansas for Independence on 75 to 400 to Pittsburg up the east edge of the Jayhawk State on 69 to Fort Scott into Missouri on 54 past Lucas Oil Speedway in Wheatland over Lake of the Ozarks on 83 around Warsaw, home of Rocket Hockett. L A Raceway would be my sixth speedway in common with Jesse in 2009 after Chili Bowl, Manzanita, Vegas, Perris and Chico. Cold weather kept us apart in Oklahoma City and kept him away from Jacksonville, Illinois. Faced with a Friday without a helmet, Jesse did what folks do around Bass Pro Shops. They go fishin!

Last year’s return to the Missouri State Fairgrounds in Sedalia recalled an American Inn on 65 for $35. Stowing saddlebags, I hunted provisions and found Patricia’s Mexican Restaurant. “Happy hour ‘til close” its sign said. The bartender was kin to Bill Utz, the local blacksmith who forged three IMCA sprint crowns and four Missouri Futurity wins on his hometown mile. Morning brought me downtown for coffee at the Hotel Bothwell built in 1927. It was in the Bothwell where Harry Truman announced his U.S Senate candidacy in 1934.

How many racers roamed these marble hallways to shower away state fairground soot? For at least 40 men, the road to the National Sprint Car Hall of Fame stopped in Sedalia’s win circle. They are Mario Andretti, Buzz Barton, Jerry Blundy, Shane Carson, Jack Elam, Rick Ferkel, Pete Folse, Earl Gaerte, Ray Lee Goodwin, Bobby Grim, Jack Hewitt, Bill Holland, Hector Honore, Doug Howells, Grant King, Karl Kinser, Steve Kinser, Jud Larson, Harold Leep, Eddie Leavitt, Frankie Luptow, Jim McElreath, Laverne Nance, Fred Offenhauser, Jan Opperman, Jerry Richert, Ron Shuman, Bob Slater, Bill Smith, Dick Sutcliffe, Sammy Swindell, Bob Trostle, Bobby Unser, Earl Wagner, Greg Weld, Dizz Wilson, Doug Wolfgang, Ken Woodruff, Jay Woodside and Gordon Woolley.

In the lobby of the Hotel Bothwell was a guy in a Jesse Hockett 77 T-shirt. Later at L A, a quarter of the crowd seemed to sport at least one piece of Rocket science.

Saturday silence was shattered by a street-legal sprint car, a Schnee that won Linn County Speedway titles for Denny Moore and son Mitchell of Edgerton, Kansas. It lured me to a classic car show complete with contemporary sprints of Randy Martin, Josh Fisher and Jesse Hockett, who dragged two cars 45 miles. Hockett had the ex-Brad Sweet JEI obtained from Kasey Kahne, the Tom Buch JEI that took $13,000 from East Bay, T-shirts, hero cards (listing his engagement to Tina Marie) and Tootsie rolls. And because he is The Rocket, Hockett also had a 305 to drive.

The United Rebel (305) Sprint Series sent 11 of its top 41 in 2008 Eastern points from Kansas to support 21 of the larger wings. URSS Rebels were Reed Bernbeck, Darren Bowman, Dennis Fair, Smokey Fairbank, Keefe Hemel, Craig Jecha, C.J Johnson, Corey Lutters, Ken Lutters, Willie Wynn and Eastern champ Cody Salem of St. Joseph, Missouri.

The URSS champ is the son of its founder Rick Salem, who won sprint and midget races at Colorado National and Rocky Mountain, recorded RMMRA midget wins in McCook, Nebraska and Colby, Kansas; ran the 1985 Ted Horn 100 for Frank Marcello, Western World, Knoxville Nationals, produced a Port Royal win in 1987; and made WoO A-mains at Colorado for Sid Blandford (’87) and Albuquerque with Shawkeet Hindi in 1990.

The Salems spent Saturday in LaMonte, which is 75 miles southeast of Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City. L A Raceway is a fenceless third-mile of gentle banking that opened in 2003. As a special attraction those first two seasons, LaMonte booked SMRS midgets beaten by Joe Boyles and Rik Forbes. In 2005 and successive years, midgets were replaced by WOW sprint cars conquered by Hockett, Brian Brown, Bryan Grimes, Josh Fisher and “The Dude from Dover” Danny Lasoski.

Like last week, I made my pitch for press credentials. Unlike last week, there was resistance over indifference. Carolyn White complained how she had “been bombarded by requests from internet websites” and decided to deny them all. Ah the progressive mindset of Middle America. The reason for the crush is because the internet is the media in 2009. I wondered if Carolyn noticed all the dying newspapers.

Like last week, gate guardians did not play ball. Unlike last week, Plan-B was less bold than driving right in. It involved walking to the window anyway to say that I had contacted Carolyn regarding credentials, omitting the part where she said, “No!” After a few confused minutes, I had a yellow wristband.

Saturday suffered for our craft. Sun and wind overpowered what little water promoter Mike White laid down. Soon as tires touched clay, the surface was gone. I told Hockett we should have been 500 miles away in North Vernon, though it may have been every bit as dusty. I spent much of the spin-plagued heat races reading three-volume biography of Smokey Yunick on loan from Leslie Goodhue, who bought it for her late brother.

URSS raced first. Zach Clark led Lone Jack’s Casey Baker and C.J Johnson, son of “Kansas Tornado” Jon Johnson. Dodge City’s Keefe Hemel had a big move negated by caution lamp. C.J challenged Clark for command into turn three, where they took opposite sides of a slow car. Zach zipped through on the bottom; Johnson spun in the dust.

Grandview granddad Ken Potter, a Knoxville regular before wings arrived in 1982, was out of the Top Five yet on the restart, Potter locked into the middle for the win. Cody Salem, Gavin Galbraith, Hemel and Chris Coleman was the Top Five prior to Potter, Galbriath and Clark declining inspection to make Salem, Hemel and Coleman 1-2-3. C.J Johnson journeyed back to seventh, which became fourth over Mitchell Moore, Fairbank and Bill’s grandson Tyler Utz.

Falling short of the URSS A-main was Kansas City’s Jerry Potter, who won his only Knoxville feature for Gil Sonner in 1979, the year of his only Nationals final. Joe Booth Towing (sponsor of the infamous Gary Balough 112 modified built by Kenny Weld of KC) placed Potter in USAC for Hulman Classic, Indy Mile, Santa Fe and the first Knoxville champ car race in 1981.

Winged Outlaw Warriors get elbows up when Brian Brown visits. In eight seasons of WOW, Brown has 23 wins in 44 A-mains. He started outside row two and led LaMonte immediately. Nixa’s Kyle Bellm started second and stayed there, actually pressing Brown a bit. Bellm had never been second with WOW.

Randy Martin is the godfather of WOW. At age 48, Randy rolled into the opener as top winner (37) and champion of the last four seasons. As all Missouri Tigers are encouraged, he took his shot at Knoxville, winning 360 titles in ’96 and 2001 while dabbling in 410s. Winner of the final sprint race on the Missouri mile in 1994, Martin passed Rusty Potter for third on lap seven at L A. Potter and Dustin Barks banged together in two just as Bellm slid over the hill in turn four. Kyle twirled 360 degrees but stalled.

Since a south wind was blowing toward three and four, I stood in turn one with Steve Gennetten and guest Jon Singer, the legend who lives 40 miles east in Tipton. Only in researching Sedalia winners in the Hall of Fame did I realize Singer not to be among them, which must be an oversight. Singer rode with Jesus (Jan Opperman) to win Missouri Futurity and Hulman Classic before Jon snared the 1976 Knoxville Nationals with Eddie Leavitt and ’85 Missouri State Fair WoO race with Ron Shuman and Ofixco. Singer Warheads won 43 of 80 races for Doug Wolfgang in 1989. Until recently, Singer built midget engines for Colorado’s Luke Icke until one too many phone calls from Luke’s dad Lane. I asked Singer if he ever met Smokey Yunick and indeed he had during winter summits at Gaerte Engines, Indiana.

LaMonte’s lap eleven restart read Brown, Martin, Hockett, Jon Corbin and Jonathan Cornell, the kid from Sedalia who was last year’s top U.S 360 sprint rookie as voted by the National Sprint Car Poll. Corbin is the grandson of 1976 Sedalia winner Tom Corbin of Carrollton. Martin dove inside Brown but drifted wide and watched Brian drive back to first. After breaking his 305, Hockett extended his 360 and almost clobbered Martin when Randy spun wheels. Jesse pushed the nose and allowed Corbin and Cornell underneath. Down the frontstretch, Brown aimed outside hometown girl Dakota Carroll, who entered in the center. Black Jack 21 hung in the dust as Martin became leader and Corbin pulled inside. Corbin and Brown both wanted the bottom of turn three. Both got upside-down instead, tearing the top wing from the Kahne car of Hockett.

Saturday had been beautiful but the first drops of rain fell during the 305 feature. I had glanced up to see only moon and stars. Those sprinkles drifted north with the wind until the third turn train wreck wiping out second, third and fifth-place. As everyone pushed off and aligned for the restart, a shift in wind direction brought real rain. The A-main was checkered after 16 of 20 laps.

Martin’s midnight blue J&J was the first WOW winner of 2009. The gleaming cars of Randy and son Evan Martin (black and gold like a good Missouri Tiger) were two very sharp Diamond Pets in the 36-car zoo. Cornell inherited second in a Maxim backed by the Kiowa Line Builders that sponsored the race.

Frank Brown, a farmer from Marshall, moved the Linda Brown Tax Service Maxim from sixth to third to match his WOW best from Double X in 2006. Nebraska’s Don Droud Jr. is due to race the 410 of Gil Sonner on Saturdays at Knoxville. In his first look at L A, Junior finished fourth in the Eagle of Jeff and Jerry Smith.

In the Missouri 360 opener of 2000, Dean Yoder and I saw the “Jerry Jeff 86” sweep two features in one Capital night steered by Steve Gennetten, who reports brother Mike out of jail after 14 years. Steve just completed an Ozark Barge & Dock for Clint Bowyer. Gennetten jockey Josh Fisher (voted top 360 rookie of 2007) finished fifth in father Rusty Fisher’s Maxim over Mark Shirshekan and Terry Hinck at L A.

Indianola, Iowa’s Dustin Selvage, a Knoxville 360 winner these last two seasons, ran his first WOW race as the only Hawkeye State representative in the Show Me State, other than Luke and Seve of Brown Bus fame. Selvage salvaged eighth-place.

O’Reilly Auto Parts Winged Outlaw Warriors next bolster the Lucas Oil ASCS National Tour at the Tri-City Speedway in suburban St. Louis (Pontoon Beach, Illinois) on Friday, May 1.

The grass is high at 4979 West 13th Street, Speedway, IN 46224, where the phone is (317) 607.7841 and e-mail is Kevin@openwheeltimes.com.

ok

Golden State Shake

2009-03-31T23:29:00.003-04:00

By Kevin Eckert

March 26, 2009 Van Horn, Texas: In search of Michael Schenker, international guitar hero. It has been 31 years since I first saw Schenker play for UFO in Allentown’s Agricultural Hall. And though much of my heavy metal youth has faded, Michael remains my favorite six-string performer, full of gritty tone and melody within melody. Unfortunately, the teenage alcoholic (now 54) has forever been a German version of George "No Show" Jones, canceling shows and bustin’ up bands.

Schenker in San Diego was my Monday choice to chase Saturday’s scintillating World of Outlaws show of 35 frantic, uninterrupted laps. I left Tulare for San Luis Obispo only to learn Monday’s MSG concert was cancelled. Still slated for El Paso on Wednesday, I lit out for Texas on 166 across the Sierra Madres to Barstow down 247 to Joshua Tree and across the Mohave Desert to the Colorado River that marks Arizona.

Tuesday’s sunset signified an end to four wonderful weeks in the glorious Golden State. It all started in Perris with Darren Hagen’s last-to-first midget charge, climbed the Pacific Coast Highway to San Francisco, split Sacramento to Auburn and ascended to Grass Valley, base camp for the NorCal opener at Marysville, Mini Gold Cup at Chico and St. Patrick’s Day in Nevada City, which is "swarming with artists and hippies and old prospectors" according to harp-pluckin’ resident Joanna Newsome. Marysville saw a last-to-fifth surge by Tyler Walker, Chico counted Danny Lasoski as the last cushion rider, and Tulare ended with Joey Saldana and Terry McCarl trading slides.

My time in the Golden State would have been less golden if not for saint Leslie Goodhue, who suffers Crohn’s Disease eased by state law that allows six plants of sticky green marijuana. During eight years of Bush, such law was ignored. Under the Obama watch, decriminalization has quietly commenced.

California in my mirror, I attached to I-10 for 112 miles that brought "Tehachapi to Tonopah" to life. It’s a line from Little Feat’s first album (and they were albums in 1971) by Lowell George. The song is Willin, which Steve Earle covered in 2002.

I exited I-10 "halfway to Gila Bend" on I-8 to Casa Grande (rumored recipient of Manzanita relocation cash) and I-10 again. I considered a southern route through Tombstone’s scene of the Gunfight at the O.K Corral (1881) to Skeleton Canyon where Geronimo surrendered in 1886. However, hysteria about Mexican drug thugs made me stay on the interstate. My duct tape bumper would surely stamp me "undocumented" by Border Patrol or worse, coke mules with machetes. Anderson Cooper is interviewing them right now.

During the 165 miles of New Mexico on I-10, I passed the prison exit for Southern New Mexico Speedway, which was Mesilla Valley in 1987 when Tommie Estes and Sonny Kratzer won with the Jim Klein 39. World of Outlaw winners in Las Cruces were Andy Hillenburg (’96), Dave Blaney (’97) and Steve Kinser in 1999. Kinser carries sponsorship from Mesilla Valley Transport, a partner to Southern New Mexico Speedway and J.H Rose, the Texas trucking firm that finished fourth in the 1962 Indianapolis 500 with Arizona’s Don Davis.

El Paso is home to Lee Trevino Drive to honor the golf pro. I once asked another famous resident about the location of Van May Way. "It’s behind there," Van revealed. It was 1971 when May used his Corvette to tow his sprint car to Hanover, Pennsylvania. El Paso’s Steve Siegel and George Bischoff of Las Cruces would follow Van and big brother Walter ("W" or Dub) May.

I arrived in El Paso feeling good. I had Schenker for Wednesday and maybe Thursday in Dallas, and a new track in Crandall on Friday followed by ASCS national forces in Oklahoma City.

It went to hell in a hand basket.

Schenker cited visa problems for postponing his entire Texas tour. My brother predicted as much, so I phoned to let him laugh. He told how Lanny Edwards had already thrown ASCS down the drain in OKC. Wednesday appears as if I had driven past Ventura, Perris and Manzanita for 305 sprints in Crandall and ASCS Gulf South at the Gator Motorplex. That was before Crandall postponed a week. I still plan to span 622 miles to Willis, unless they cancel before you read this.

Texas is long way from Monterey, where I last posted. I was only 27 miles from Ocean Speedway in Watsonville, where the World of Outlaws were slated to start the California season on March 7. Monterey Bay had been soaked by rain on 21 of 23 days and Watsonville was wiped out well in advance. I assessed damage to the Santa Cruz Fairgrounds as puddles in the pits. But the strangest sight was the grass that covered the quarter-mile. Ocean Speedway looked like a spinach farm. March 7 was to have been my first visit since 2001 and in those eight years, banking has been reduced.

Highway One past La Honda (home to Neil Young), I entered South San Francisco. As an Oakland Raider fan of 38 years, I had to visit Jack London Square. I wondered which waterfront bars once welcomed Raiders, Black Panthers and Hell’s Angels. I passed the police station and wondered which Raiders had been fingerprinted there besides Warren Wells and Sebastian Janikowski. In the search for silver and black artifacts, I found the Pacific Coast Brewery and its Leviathan Stout, a 10% grog advertised as "blacker than squid’s ink."

I bounced back across the Bay Bridge to San Fran, circling Fisherman’s Wharf and dodging a trolley up Nob Hill. I thought of Joe DiMaggio smacking baseballs for the San Francisco Seals in 1933 and Bill Russell rebounding basketballs for USF championships in 1955-56.

Van Ness Avenue had an old eight-story theater that played Slumdog Millionaire, which is an intricately woven tale. Tired of motels, I headed for Grass Valley via UC Berkeley, which Ronald Reagan called "a haven for communist sympathizers, protestors and sex deviants" before opening fire on students in 1969.

Concord to 680 to 80 through Vacaville, home to a mile and a quarter of asphalt on which Roger McCluskey defeated CRA in 1959 and Ken McLaughlin perished in 1960. I passed the exit to the Dixon Fairgrounds where Ohio’s Rick Ferkel defeated Dub May in 1977. West Sacramento makes me regret not seeing West Capital Speedway or watching Gary Patterson race. I reached Roseville and thought of Dave Bradway Jr. As with GP, Junior drove for Clyde Lamar when I saw him win the 1986 Jayhawk National in Kansas City and beat The Outlaws to open the ’87 Mini Gold Cup. Dave died at that year’s Dirt Cup.

On the eve of the 2009 NorCal opener at Marysville Raceway Park, the thermometer in Grass Valley read 30. Sandals of San Francisco quickly dropped to the bottom of the rotation. The time had arrived to suit up as if Lambeau waited. Fortunately, mercury remained in the low 40s and promoters Paul and Kathy Hawes had full bleachers and pit. Their track has Sierra Nevada on tap! In all reality, 2009 was my first visit since I had only ever been to an afternoon stock car slugfest in 1989.

Back then, Marysville Raceway Park was called Twin Cities Speedway. It opened in 1968. Two years later, Sierra Mesa National Raceway sprouted nine miles east of Marysville. It was paved in ’72 (when Leroy VanConett of Galt gathered the NARC checkered for Ted Hunting) and closed by 1973. In the field of winged 360 sprint cars at the Marysville opener of 2009 was Ted’s son Doug Hunting.

The early cancellation in Watsonville brought Outlaw talent to the Twin Cities of Marysville and Yuba City. Faced with 14 days between Las Vegas and Mini Gold Cup, Tennessee 360 product Jason Sides swapped Ott engines at BR Motorsports in Hanford and headed north on 99. Last season when early Outlaw races were ruined, Sides swapped Bulls Gap for Devils Bowl, Eldora for Hohenwald, Haubstadt for Wheatland, Sioux Falls and Knoxville for Little Rock, and Granite City for Oklahoma City.

Also making a Marysville debut was Oklahoma native Shane Stewart, now selling his home in Indianapolis. Last season, Stewart was the World on Outlaws driver for Dennis Roth. This year was uncertain. The orange Screamin’ Eagle One of Mike Doyle is no more. Shane won 43% of his A-mains in that car. He returned to Australia to drive Colin Bulmer’s car second at Classic and eighth at Presidents Cup. Marysville saw Stewart and car owner/crew chief Paul Silva debut an A.R.T chassis by Art Boune, builder of the wings which won Gold Cups for Steve Kinser in 1978-79. Stewart and Silva emerged from Devil’s Bowl atop the chase to be $60,000 ASCS champions.

Returning to Marysville for the first time since NARC Speedweeks of the 1990s were Tyler Walker of Los Angeles and Tommy Tarlton from Fresno. Fastest on the clock at 12.74, Tarlton thanked Dean Bruns, who finished 2008 with Tom and visited on a night away from chores for Chad Kemenah. Second fastest was Pockets Silva and Hillenburg prodigy Shane Stewart.

Marysville was muddy. It needed extra hot laps to burn what became about a groove and a half. Tarlton and Stewart were unable to transfer through heats, finished first and second in the B, and were inverted to row five. On pole was Auburn’s Andy Forsberg, winner of 60 races in 12 seasons, most recently the Marysville finale of 2008.

Outside of Forsberg was three-time track champ Korey Lovell. Korey and Kevin are sons of Richard Lovell, who (together with brother Ron) owned the Yuba City Scrap & Steel 71 that won Gold Cup prelim with Wayne Sue (1980), Western World prelim with Chuck Gurney (’81), Dirt Cup with Tim Green (’83), Louie Vermeil Classic with Ron Shuman (’83), Jayhawk National with Jimmy Sills (’84), Chico with Shane Scott (’85) and Rick Haugh (’87), Hanford and Placerville with Rick Hirst (’89), Chico with Kevin Pylant (’91) and Walter T. Ross Memorials with Marc Zieske (’92) and Darrell Hanestad in 1994.

NorCal’s winged 360s enjoy extraordinary numbers (much like central PA 358s) that resist North America’s alignment to ASCS cylinder heads. Pacific Sprint Cars as Marysville calls them were preceded by wingless two-barrel 360 "spec sprints" that fire by 12-volt battery. Mason Myers crashed one in turn two and was hooked around to a mud hole inside turn four, which got the highway tow truck stuck. Spec sprints were cut from 30 to 20 laps.

Redding’s Tyler Wolf, another champion of 12-month karting campaigns, was a Silver Dollar 410 rookie who peaked seventh last season. With steel cylinder heads, Wolf was a spec sprint leader in Marysville until Terry Schank of Santa Rosa ran him down. Second in a two-barrel Ford was Jeremy Hawes, son of the promoters.

Eighth in the spec sprint opener was Sacramento’s Ralph Cortez, who has guided BCRA midgets to second at Ukiah and third at Petaluma. Cortez competed in Chili Bowls in 2003 (D16), 2005 (J12), 2006 (E13) and 2007 when he ran one of four Cliff Blackwell midgets to eighth in an I-main.

Cortney Dozier was the only Marysville driver in both sprint car classes. On any given Saturday, Brandon and Derek raise the number of Doziers driving sprint cars to three.

When the winged headliner began, Tyler Walker had his right rear shredded by contact. His gang green swapped it and the left rear, a tiny unit seldom seen outside of Chico. The increase in stagger enabled Walker to roll the top of turns three and four where others could not.

Forsberg led every lap in his Triple XXX. He is the son of Richard Forsberg, a Calistoga NARC winner in 1981 and ’84. Andy was pressured slightly by Sides, who started fifth and finished second assisted by his ex-wrench from Tasmania, Scotty Males, married to Greg’s sister Shelly DeCaires of Elk Grove.

Lovell and Jimmy Trulli took third and fourth followed by Walker’s first appearance since 1996. Chili Bowl competitor Kyle Larson brought Harley Van Dyke’s car from row ten to sixth chased by ex-Roth wrench Steven Tiner, Stewart, Colby Wiesz and Mike Monahan, who towed 125 miles from Sparks, Nevada.

Out the gate headed for the airport was Darin Smith, who helped James Sweeney in Marysville before reuniting with Rocklin’s Robert Ballou. Sweeping a Golden State weekend at Watsonville and Placerville in 2006, "Heavy D" and Bob-a-Lou bring the Dallas Mulvaney Maxim to Eldora on April 10-11.

Washington native Rod Fauver fielded a wingless USAC 410 that Jason York flipped at Perris a week prior to bringing a winged 360 to Marysville for Zach Zimmerly of Oregon. Fauver’s truck was sponsored by the Jimmy Sills Driving Experience that conducts class at Marysville.

Marysville’s first NARC 410 winner in 1992 was Kevin Pylant of Santa Cruz. He and father Don rolled into the 2009 Mini Gold Cup early as did the weathered Goodhue camper and newer unit of Denny and Cindy Thomas. Tulare told how well cared for fairgrounds are in California and Chico reinforced it. Restrooms and showers were cleaned and stocked on a daily basis, albeit with the toilet squares or "post-it notes" cursed by Silver Dollar demon Randy Frank.

Forsberg, Sides and Walker led nine guys from Marysville to Chico in successive weeks. Mike Stallings left Chico for Hanford and Monahan skipped the Outlaw opener. Mason Moore crashed the Steve Tuccelli/Alan Bradway 360 and had the family 410 at Silver Dollar. Brett Miller missed the 360 A-main but cracked an Outlaw 410 feature. Also in both places was Pat Harvey, father-in-law to Jason Statler, who relocated baby Craig Statler from Los Gatos to the Grass Valley hometown of wife Stephanie. Robbie Whitchurch was in Marysville and Chico after racing his USAC midget in Las Vegas.

The Gold Cup Race of Champions is so big that it spawned a baby. Halfway through its 55-year run, Gold Cup added Mini Gold Cup, which began as a second World of Outlaws visit in 1987. It remained an Outlaw show until 1992 when Ted Johnson tired of NorCal’s nasty months of March. Mini Gold Cup rolled on for 17 years until the 2009 version returned to WoO sanction. The 23rd annual was unique in following contemporary Outlaw protocol where both nights pay the same $10,000 to win and lock no one into anything. Everyone must qualify anew which by definition, makes Friday no preliminary at all.

Friday was my first Chico card since the Gold Cup of 2001, which was three days before 9/11 and sadly, how I remember it. I had seen no Mini Gold Cups since the first four, though I was rained out of the prelim in 2000, when a second rainy day coaxed me 540 miles to Perris. In my absence, Eric Rossi (Wright 35) won that Mini Gold Cup.

Mini Gold Cup 2009 was the first Silver Dollar program directed by John Padjen’s son Alan, who has big plans for the quarter-mile. He wants to completely resurface and in the process, carry turn four to the wall and eliminate reverse bank. Just like at Marysville, such changes will make Chico larger and faster.

Joey Saldana became the fastest man in Chico history by turning the first 10-second circuit. During the 14-day schedule break, Kasey Kahne Racing left Vegas for the southern Indiana enclave of Tim Engler, the injection wizard who helped fuel their Gasoline Alley Mopars. Silver Dollar started Saldana fifth before he took the Budweiser Maxim around Jonathan Allard on lap one, Donny Schatz on lap two and Terry McCarl on lap seven. Last car between Saldana and Silver Dollar pesos was the Direct TV unit of Kahne comrade Craig Dollansky, who was taken wide by crippled Kraig Kinser. Saldana used the obstruction to drive away.

Silver Dollar has certainly been rougher, but the spring return of the World of Outlaws encountered two trenches, at least. Dollansky dropped second to Sammy Swindell, altered his entrance to turn three by inches, yet hooked a hole so hard that it threw him straight off the track, all four wheels in the air.

After backing into Vegas concrete, Jason Meyers spent the schedule break in Fresno recovering physically and mechanically. Chico started with Meyers seventh to second in the GLR Investments KPC. "I think we ran about 200 laps tonight," Meyers told Tony Veneziano about 13 yellow and two red flags.

McCarl won the Crane Cams Dash before the finest finish (third) of his World of Outlaws season and Silver Dollar career. Terry’s best previous Chico finish was sixth for Country Builders in his prelim to the Gold Cup of 1992. Carrying associate sponsorship from the AmeriCash Advance company of Adrian Berryhill, Terry’s black Big Game Treestands Maxim hooked a rut on the final restart and had his left rear wheel mangled by Tim Kaeding, who surrendered several spots.

Danny Lasoski’s fourth-place in the Casey’s General Store Maxim was best of his World of Outlaws season and hinted of more in store. Steve Kinser owned 21 wins in 57 Chico cards entering Mini Gold Cup, where he backed down the hill in the dash to trash a Quaker State Maxim. Starting last in a spare, The King dodged carnage to fifth followed by the Kantor Oil Maxim of Chad Kemenah. Sitting second in the quest for his first Chico checkered since 1996, Swindell sailed the Tom Rolfe Maxim over the hill to settle for seventh-place.

Mini Gold Cup opened with too many stoppages to be good. Everyone hoped for a better conclusion but was disappointed. The cushion was on edge for heats already and after the middle was pillaged, rubber screeching did commence. Such a travesty was beyond my Chico experience. No aid came as rain was reported. Wet weather never arrived until Sunday morning.

We cannot control the quality of racing. We can however, control our quality of drink. Since 1979, Chico has been home to the Sierra Nevada Brewing Company. In four nights, I tried eight of ‘em from Best Bitters, Porter, Brown and Stout to Torpedo, Bigfoot (9.6), ESB (Early Spring Beer) and the pick of the crop, Chico Estate Harvest Ale bestowed upon me by Chris Lovett, brewmaster and former partner-in-crime to Randy Frank.

Brad Furr, beating the World of Outlaws of 2002 in finals at Watsonville, Port Royal and Fort Worth, landed on pole for a Friday heat, jumped the start and was docked one row. Later, he was among the locals black-flagged for violating the two-spin rule. Saturday started with Sammy Swindell jumping from the pole in the same fashion as Furr, yet he was afforded another chance.

When inconsistencies by referees are separated by hundreds of miles, few see them. When they are committed in front of the same fans on the same weekend, it insults intelligence, like telling people that only one of Saldana’s many cautions was "unassisted." Saldana stopped to service a tire flattened by his teammate, but officials must view stops and spins differently.

As the surface withered, Jason Meyers was first to make the middle work, gliding inside Jason Sides for the crucial second spot into the dash, which he won. To lead all 40 laps after qualifying 31st best shows the best and worst of WoO procedure. Good things happen to Meyers in Chico, where he posted the first win of his sprint car career at the 1999 Mini Gold Cup. During last year’s schedule lapse, Jason won it a second time.

The finale to Mini Gold Cup would have been a total follow-the-leader snore if not for upstairs drama from Danny Lasoski. Quickest on the clock (11.58 from Friday’s 10.91 record), Lasoski was last in the dash but found a thin cushion around one and two that carried him to contention. On lap 22 of 35, he passed Kraig Kinser for second. The Dude drew alongside Meyers but could not get to the bottom of turn three as leader. Lasoski landed second for Kistler of Ohio and a Pennsylvania crew of Chris Strait and Barry Jackson, who is the "J" in JEI chassis.

After two Friday crashes, Kraig Kinser dropped a cylinder on a Chevy yet stayed in the rubber to get third in the Bass Pro Shops Maxim. Dollansky finished fourth as Maxims horded 3-4-5-6 with Steve Kinser and Jason Sides. TK Concrete collected seventh with a KPC commanded by Kerry Madsen, who opened a third straight season with Sonny Kratzer of Allentown, Pennsylvania as crew chief. Two more Maxims filled the Top Nine for Jac Haudenschild and Jesse Hockett.

Tenth was Jonathan Allard’s A.R.T. As the only American to appear this winter in New Zealand and both coasts of Australia, Allard made 15 starts that snared first in Auckland and Bay Park, fourth at Palmerston and fifth at Wellington, Brisbane and Parramatta City. In his first U.S heat of 2009, Jon won.

Hockett hit the Silver Dollar jackpot. Driving for his fifth different car owner (Joe Loyet, Tom Buch, Carl Edwards and Jim Massey) this year, Jesse put Duke and Scott McMillen on pole of a heat, which they won. After the dash, Jesse just hugged the bottom to collect $1600. World of Outlaw drivers want to time first, second or ninth through 16th fastest because if they rank third through eighth, they must pass a really fast car to start better than row six. And winning a World of Outlaws A-main from behind a ten-car dash happens about every 80 races.

One night earlier, the roulette wheel went against Hockett and Wayne Johnson, both of whom progressed from C-to-B but no further than four and five spots from the A. Overfilled oil caused Wayne to watch gauges when Sean Becker sailed under Johnson and Randy Hannagan in their heat. Ultimately, he earned eleventh for Harold Main, who made the 2006 Gold Cup final with Becker but never finished as high with the World of Outlaws.

One of eight car owners to employ Johnson in 2008 (along with Wayne Simmons, Hammers, Al Christoffer, Anderson, Glenn Styres, Pete Postupack and Scott Benic), Grass Valley’s Harold Main sat Johnson in his JEI for Chico and Tulare. They ate steak with us at The Willo, where I agreed to show an Okie what is Behind the Green Door in San Francisco. Wayne chose to wait for his wife in September when he and Harold do Gold Cup.

From the Mineshaft Saloon, Johnson told the Toller sisters that our San Fran plan was postponed on St. Paddy’s Day. Did you know "paddy wagons" were so named because they mostly contained drunken Irish? ‘Tis true laddy. Seeking a green shirt in my satchel, Trevor Green was all I could find.

Saint Paddy’s Day meant that it was time to quit wrestling with "J.J Yeley" the 180-pound Rottweiler and release the hounds to the Tulare Thunderbowl for two races that easily exceeded anything at Marysville or Chico.

Highway 49 from Grass Valley to Oakhurst is 230 miles of smiles. Ireland itself cannot be greener. There are only 25 miles from I-80 to Placerville yet I was reminded why 49 is a bad road to bring a rig. As navigator for Mile High Racing in 1987, I guided Rich Bubak through mountains that heated his engine on the way up and brakes on the way down. In my limber little Escort, it was a blast.

Drytown brought me five miles from Ione, home of Justin Grant, due to crew for Jeff Walker in Noblesville, Indiana. After winning BCRA midget races at Hanford and Petaluma last year, young Grant won in his second start in the sprint of Steve Harris, a 2009 Mini Gold Cup car owner behind Bobby McMahan and son Kyle Harris. Steve started www.racingforthetroops.com. I neglected to mention how my visit to the General Patton Museum found Justin Grant/Steve Harris Racing cards free to the public.

Oakhurst brought me to the door of Katie’s Country Kitchen, the diner started by Mrs. Morrie Williams. Morrie has created heroes in zeroes for 13 years with Greg DeCaires (1996), Jim Carr (’97), Peter Murphy, Tim Kaeding (2002), Dennis Moore, Trevor Green (2004) and Jonathan Allard, all of whom won with a Williams Zero. Oakhurst is also home to Mike James, now forever known as the tosser of cheese at the final wingless 410 race ever at Manzanita. Oakhurst Mike would not join me in the Oak Room, so I caught 99 in Madera for "Chowchilla Mike" Lindbeck’s couch.

Madera Speedway was recently the third-mile of asphalt chosen for the DeBeaumont Motor Sports Driver Challenge. From a field of 33, ten names were reduced to three: Arizona’s Alex Bowman, Oklahoma’s Jonathan Beason and Colorado’s Levi Roberts, who shined brighter than finalists Keith Bloom, Kyle Cummins, Kyle Dickerson, Joe Liguori, Justin Melton, Cody Swanson or Tanner Swanson, according to Motorsports Management International (Lorin Ranier and Kirk Spridgeon), Marc DeBeaumont and Tim Clauson. Beason and Roberts will drive a second DeBeaumont midget to Bowman, who will begin in BCRA because he is just 15.

Thunderbowl Raceway in Tulare, California has attracted international talent ever since meat merchant Dennis Roth decided it should. The circle of World of Outlaws promoters is a tight click but as participating owner of two or three sprint cars, the man who made millions from Beef Packers guaranteed Steve Faria’s first Outlaw purse in 2004. Thunderbowl has become the kind of place eagerly anticipated by fans and teams alike.

The place threatened to come unglued when Australian native and adopted Fresno son Peter Murphy won his heat, won the dash, and took off with an ex-Elite engine. It was bolted into a former Steve Kinser Maxim like the one in which The King cashed $50,000 at Parramatta when Peter served as Steve’s winning crew chief, not Nick Speed as reported. Speed stayed to Robbie Farr’s side of the Waldron pit area, according to Murph.

Traveling internationally for 15 years, Randy Hannagan has a few places where he surprises people. Generally, they are big half-miles like Eldora or Knoxville but in recent years, The Hurricane has developed affection for Thunderbowl. Two wins in two 50-lap Trophy Cups helped. Randy has really polished a diamond pattern that enters Tulare’s first turn on the cushion and skims to the bottom of turn two. Second quick, Hannagan used it on Lasoski in his heat. Fourth in the dash, Randy altered his exit to glide around Murphy for the lead.

Sammy Swindell was fourth fastest and second in his heat for a dash spot. In the feature, Murphy fell behind Swindell and Jason Solwold, who raced for Marc (Shark Engines) Huson at Chico and Dennis Roth in Tulare. Sammy slid Randy in turn four and again in turn one of lap 22, crowding him hard. The Hurricane stood his ground. The final caution on lap 25 of 35 seemed to leave too much time to stifle Swindell but Hannagan split provisional Kraig Kinser and Lucas Wolfe to buy time.

Hannagan’s last lap was brilliant defense. Entering low into turn three to block a slide, Randy drifted to the wall off turn four to block again, and back left to curb any crossover. Had it been anyone other than a former pupil, Swindell may have been less gracious. On the podium, Sam talked of leaving Randy just enough room, which the teacher was proud to see Hannagan hammer.

Tulare represented Randy’s second win with the World of Outlaws and first since Pevely 2001. Hannagan’s winning Gaerte Maxim was suspended on Integra shocks without national Penthouse sponsorship but local bucks from the Central Valley Meat Company of Lawrence Coelho, car owner to sons Brian (a Golden State winner at Watsonville in 2000) and Steve Coelho, who crossed third against NARC at Antioch and Santa Maria.

Hannagan had spiritual guidance too. Last fall, he dedicated Trophy Cup to late friend Walt Branco. Last winter, he lost mother Margie to lung cancer. In his pit was father Jim while his brother Terry "was probably jumping out of his wheelchair at home."

Washington’s Jason Solwold finished third as teammate to Tim Kaeding. Tyler Walker was fourth in the JEI of NMI Industrial Contractors. A nice tussle on the cushion involved the Leonard Lee Maxim of Jac Haudenschild and local boy Jason Meyers, who finished fifth and sixth. Jac will spring son Sheldon into the Ohio sprint scene as soon as snow melts. Terry McCarl set a track record and reached seventh with Tim Kaeding eighth in a KPC.

Murphy fell to ninth. If anyone had told Peter on Thursday that he would score a Top Ten with the World of Outlaws on Friday, he’d have been mighty pleased. But to lead ten laps and then retreat made Murphy uncomfortable with the praise heaped on him.

Peter talked of a slight vibration in the engine. On its second night, the motor did not complete its heat race. "Remember that vibration?" Murphy asked. "We don’t have it anymore."

Friday turned a trifle quiet so I dragged DAK Simulations down K Street to join Kaeding Performance at Vejar’s cantina. Two-time USAC Silver Crown king Brandon "Bud" Kaeding was helped to a siesta when friends tagged his face with grafitti. BK (Brent) and BF (Bill Foland) opened the motor coach bar to rum that we drank like Captain Jack Sparrow. Details are disputed yet one trash can was reportedly sacrificed. Still, I sensed a deeper respect when Brent called me "Bela Lugosi" for sucking blood ‘til five AM.

Friday is promotional suicide in California, where Thunderbowl boasted twice the crowd as the first night. Other than Chico where Friday racing has remained the norm, California sprint car racing is a Saturday sport.

Arriving late Saturday was Washington’s Logan Forler, a 600cc graduate of Deming dirt who made five pavement midget starts in 2008. Third at Port Angeles was Logan’s best. For his first three weeks as a sprint racer, Forler chose ASCS Gulf South in Beaumont and Cleveland, ASCS Southwest in Tucson, and the World of Outlaws in Tulare.

Kasey Kahne’s USAC wheelman Brad Sweet of Grass Valley observed the Marysville opener before flying to Texas for midget dates in Wichita Falls and Austin. Unfortunately for fans (but fortunately for Sweet, who is lost on pavement), Wichita Falls rain caused the Lloyd Ruby Classic to die two weeks before Lloyd himself. Back under wings on the Thunderbowl where they topped Trophy Cup four months before, Sweet and Rod Tiner lost a Shark engine early Friday but nearly made Saturday’s dash.

Sam Hafertepe of Texas seemed eager to escape California. Chico found him in two crashes that kept him from either A-main. Sam’s Silver Dollar crew included Ontario sprint driver Daryl Turford but when hasty repairs fell incomplete, Turford was shipped home to Canada. In danger of missing all four California A-mains, Hafertepe found a low lane past Lasoski and Lucas Wolfe that shuffled Tommy Tarlton from a transfer. Tarlton had taken the Rebel 360 opener at Hanford after crashing in Marysville.

Tulare saved the best for last. I’ve seen every sanction of note and more obscure and where the World of Outlaws exceeds every other club is its ability to reel off non-stop features. These races are rare and precious. And in a series where traffic determines victory, Thunderbowl thrust The Outlaws into 35 green-flag laps.

Swindell challenged in Vegas, Chico and Tulare, where he followed fast time with a zero pill and eight laps ahead of the dash. With the cushion on the wall and middle turning black, Thunderbowl threatened to go like Chico because bad weather approached again. To its credit, the surface stayed shiny and slick and never locked tires to one lane. Smart as he is, Sammy did not have his Honey Run Quilters Maxim as ready for 35 laps as the Burnett Rock Maxim of McCarl (which passed him on lap seven) or the Budweiser Maxim of Saldana that ultimately won the race.

Saldana slid McCarl only to see Terry immediately swipe the lead back. On lap 14, Joey managed his slide out of turn four to secure the spot. "When I got to Haud," said Saldana, "I didn’t know what he was really going to do, so I slowed myself down." Joey soon found McCarl at his elbow, forcing a move past Haudenschild to scamper out of danger.

"The cushion was right around the fence and I hit the wall a couple times," Joey revealed. "This is the World of Outlaws. These guys are professionals and we are supposed to go non-stop."

Saldana’s souvenir trailer touted Budweiser swag ten feet from the Budweiser tap that featured a life-sized cardboard of winning car owner Kasey Kahne, who had Joey’s third win witnessed by his father Kelly Kahne.

Winning the first World of Outlaws stop at Tulare in 2004, McCarl scored second in 2009. Swindell suffered third-place and surprise. "I figured someone would get in the wall," said Sam.

California was a dent to the Armor All of Donny Schatz, who could not leave Chico fast enough. Thunderbowl opened with Donny doing a wheelstand off the turn four cushion that dropped him out of sixth-place. Tulare’s conclusion was better for the champion’s Shaver J&J, which finished fourth after a nice dice with Craig Dollansky. Craig’s crew chief Mike Woodring worked on the historic Tulare winner of Erin Crocker in 2004. Thunder claps on the cushion by Tim Kaeding crossed sixth chased by Kemenah, who failed to transfer on Friday.

World of Outlaws left the Golden State of California for the Copper State of Arizona and their last look at the venerable Manzanita Speedway in southwest Phoenix.

The biggest story in sprint car racing is how Manzanita was purchased by Southwest Industrial Rigging for a sum between "10 and 20 million" according to Bobby Martin. I know the Martins lost money last year ("about $468,465") and hope they can live with killing a family member. They should either take their riches out of town (how can they look friends in the eye?) or build a new facility as close to the city as possible.

I fear that Phoenix will go the way of major cities such as Memphis, Dallas and Denver where weekly sprint racing is all but dead. Sure, some discarded dates will go to Canyon or Tucson. But not everyone will drive that far. Some will stop racing altogether.

I have seen it happen all too often. It only takes a tour of my homeland to remember how raceways are fragile. Harmony, Reading, Flemington, East Windsor and two tracks in Nazareth all perished within about 25 years. West Capital, Baylands and Ascot all fell within 11 years.

The corner of 35th Avenue and Broadway in Phoenix never seemed attractive as a development among the endless junkyards. The Big Money leaked in from the south. Where’s the love?

Rolling across Texas from 4979 West 13th Street, Speedway, IN, 46224 or (317) 607.7841 or Kevin@openwheeltimes.com