Silver Dollar Nationals

Is it the prodigal son coming home, or me returning to the scene of the crime? Likely both. After not posting a blog for some length of time, here I am Maybe it is just spending $200 for the right to keep this site another two years-and NO, it has not been making money since the early years, or maybe it is the time of year I truly am excited about racing.

I openly admit that I have been less excited about racing in 2018, than I have in any year. I have watched only a few laps of NASCAR this season, and that was at best inadvertent. I have attended one race live, though I was at Junction Motor Speedway a few weeks ago when the rain poured down before the start of hot laps. Due to another commitment I missed Matt’s trek to Adams County Speedway in Corning, and Park Jefferson was rained out on the night we planned to head to greater Sioux City. I’ll explain more of my no tears later.

Thanks to Speed Shift TV and Lucas Oil Racing TV I still have watched plenty of racing this season. I have visited tracks in Washington, Oregon, Iowa, Missouri, Minnesota, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey. I have watched late models, modifieds, midgets, winged sprint cars, and non-wing sprint cars in action. And have tried my very best to miss support class racing.

This coming week I will be watching Lucas Oil late models race in South Dakota and Minnesota prior to heading to I-80 Speedway for three super nights of the SDN. Thank you to www.DirtonDirt.com for the coverage. The site will also be covering the SDN if you can’t make it to the track, and next week will be showing both nights of the Prairie Dirt Classic from Fairbury, Illinois. Like the SDN, the PDC is simply a race dirt late model fans need to see. Because of my new job, Matt and I won’t make it to Friday’s PDC prelims, but we are flying into Chicago on Saturday and will be there for the main event. It is that good of a show.

As I mentioned, I have held little enthusiasm for racing in 2018-at least until this week. I have enjoy the computer races because I visit tracks I know I will never go to otherwise-I won’t be going to Washington or Oregon or Ohio or Pennsylvania, even though the tracks do put on great shows. But more important is the convenience these races provide. It is a constant 72 degrees where I sit, and there is no threat of getting wet if an unexpected shower takes place. In all honesty, I have watched very few features this season. I watch hot laps, time trials, and heats of the feature class, and usually turn off my computer and go on to something else.

It is after the feature class heats when tracks start to irritate me. Support class races that go on and on and on bore me. Intermissions that last forever infuriate me. But at The Rest of the Dirt Speedway, I control all of that. A couple clicks on the computer mouse and I can be on to something else, instead of sitting in the stands fuming over shows I feel are not professionally run. With my feelings running like they are, I suppose it is for the best I do not attend more shows. Right now the three nights of the Silver Dollar Nationals, the final night of the Prairie Dirt Classic, and the three nights of the Knoxville Late Model Nationals are all I have scheduled to physically attend the rest of the season, though I suspect Matt will somehow finagle me into going to Park Jefferson or Junction Motor Speedway sometime.

And I am looking forward to the next few weeks. I was hoping that Scott Bloomquist would not win his 600^th feature before the Lucas Oil late models pulled into the I-80 pits, but he took care of that last night at Lucas Oil Speedway in Wheatland, Missouri. That doesn’t mean there is a shortage of stories for the Nebraska event. Tim McCreadie has not won a Lucas Oil feature this year, and a repeat of his 2017 SDN win would be very popular.  Last year’s point champion Josh Richards has not won a Lucas Oil feature since the Georgia-Florida Speedweeks in February. Youngsters Hudson O’Neal and Bobby Pierce will put on a great show. Don O’Neal, known now as much as Hudson’s dad as being a former Lucas Oil champion has won at I-80 Speedway, and put together back to back wins in Ohio a few weeks ago. Superman, Jonathan Davenport leads Lucas Oil points, but of late has been racing more like Clark Kent. Will any regional driver other than the Simpson brothers (boo) actually compete with the national drivers? There are 14 Lucas Oil regulars and they will all be on hand, but what other well know drivers will journey to Nebraska?

I am hoping the temperature will be somewhere below 100 for the SDN, but will be there no matter how hot it is. I do hope Thursday night’s show will be run quickly. I have to work on Friday and would like to get some sleep before going in.

Thanks for stopping by and see you at I-80 Speedway this weekend.

 

I Still Know How To Write

I haven’t posted a blog in forever. Well, it seems that way. I haven’t been to a race since the Knoxville Nationals-Late Model variety-last September. For years I never missed a race at Sunset Speedway, or at I-80 Speedway when it was known as Nebraska Raceway Park. I doubt I will attend any race until the Go 50 Lucas Oil show at I-80 Speedway in late May. That, the Silver Dollar Nationals, the Prairie Dirt Classic, and Knoxville in September are the only races I have on my calendar in 2018.

To me, most other specials simply aren’t special at all. Yes, Late Models are featured at many “specials,” but to me there is nothing special about a race when 3-4-5 support classes are included. And always, every damn time, one of the support classes is the dreaded B-mods, or whatever it is they are calling this class nowadays.

I used to watch NASCAR every Sunday, but haven’t watched at all this year. Cookie cutter tracks, lack of real racing, and bland drivers make for a product I don’t find entertaining anymore. Couple that with mostly knuckle-head announcers and TV production that is beyond annoying, and I just don’t bother. I remember a few years back going to Kansas Speedway on a Friday to watch Cup practice and qualifying. It was cheap, it was fun, and for a while I wanted to repeat that visit. Now the only way I would consider that is having my grandson along.

And yes, my grandson is another reason why races are less interesting to me. That young man is way beyond important to Jane and me, and his interests are mine. He loves basketball, he really loves baseball, and he likes track and soccer, so guess what I like? Check out my Facebook page for photos of him and me at games (I know-you might not agree with my politics, but that is not all who I am).

There is a photo of Henry and me at last night’s Nebraska vs. Iowa baseball game at Haymarket Park in Lincoln. Matt and I did not go to the “special” at I-80 Speedway, but opted instead for the NU double-header. We arrived at the park at 1:00 p.m. and didn’t leave until 9:00 p.m. And yes Joe Kosiski, I would have been screaming bloody murder if I ever attended an eight hour long race show. Instead I loved every minute of our day at the ball park. Strike outs, double plays, home runs, Henry with fist bumps to his favorite players, and Herbie Husker sharing his cowboy hat with my grandson. It was great fun.

Part of my problem is I was witness to the golden days of Nebraska racing with the Late Models at Sunset Speedway. Sorry, but today’s Late Model drivers are not as good as drivers in the finals years of the legendary Omaha track. The SLMR is a good series, I won’t deny that, but no, it does not compare to the NASCAR Busch All-Star Tour. And there is certainly no weekly rivalry to compare with that of Joe Kosiski and Kyle Berck in the late 90’s.

When Matt wants to go to Park Jefferson or Corning or even I-80 Speedway for an SLMR show I go, but reluctantly. Sunset Speedway once ran three classes, now every weekly show runs five or six classes. Sunset would have 100 cars in those three classes and competition to make a feature race was stiff. Now most tracks have less than 100 cars on hand, even with multiple classes, and except for the B-mods I hate, every car is going to make the feature race. It is just not the same.

I would like to think I am still a race fan. Just last weekend I watched two nights of Sprint Car racing from Texas on Lucas Oil Racing TV. There are at least 27 more nights of racing on LORTV that I will watch this year. I intend on buying a month of DirtVision to watch World of Outlaws Sprint Cars race at places like Fairbury, Jackson, Grand Forks, and Knoxville-11 nights of racing. And I suspect I will watch more on Speed Shift TV and DirtonDirt. That will take care of any need for speed I have, and if I get bored I can turn off the PPV at any time.

I would like things to be different, but I am doubtful they will be. One kudo to I-80 Speedway though. I like their concessions far better than the concessions at Haymarket Park. The service at the ball park is atrocious. The ball park serves Pepsi products, not Coke products. The Haymarket popcorn is pre-popped Colby Ridge popcorn. I hate pre-popped popcorn and I really dislike Colby Ridge popcorn. And Haymarket concessions have NOTHING to compare with I-80’s pork tenderloin sandwich.

Thanks for stopping by.

 

 

 

 

Hello, It’s Me-No, Not Todd Rungren, Ron Meyer AKA Bruton

Wow, I am doing a blog post. That hasn’t happened in quite some time. I have reasons, but if I am honest, they are just excuses. I can say I will try to do better, but being honest again, I know that isn’t so. Anyway, quality is better than quantity, right?

It is still not too late to get someone special a Christmas present, and you don’t even have to fight all the nut cases at the mall. I have three suggestions that any race fan would appreciate.

First, is a subscription to www.DirtonDirt.com. First because I just happened to do what I am saying you should, give a subscription. If you love late models, and most of you reading this blog do, this site is a must. Day after day all the information you could possibly want about the sport is on display. The articles are great, even though they don’t think I am good enough to write for them, and the videos are top quality. DOD also does PPV’s, and does them professionally-to me they do live late model races better than the networks cover NASCAR races. And often subscribers get a package deal that is better than what non-subscribers get. For example, DOD is covering all six days of the Wild West Shoot-out from Phoenix in January. Non-subscribers have to purchase the races each day, but subscribers get a package deal that saves them more than $50 off the non-subscriber package. Check out the site for more information. And yes, I am a subscriber. Actually I am to all three of these sites.

The next subscription you could give that race fan of yours is to Lucas Oil Racing TV. LORTV is going to provide live coverage of 17 nights of the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series, including 8 nights of racing in late January and early February from Georgia and Florida. That alone makes a subscription a great deal, but as the commercials say, “wait-there is more.” For open wheel fans-and there are a few reading this, LORTV will air one night of the Chili Bowl, and 8 nights of the Lucas Oil ASCS 360 sprint car series. 10 ARCA races will be shown live, including races from Nashville, Toledo, Elko, Madison, and Berlin-that is in Michigan, not Germany. There are 16 other live events scheduled, meaning 53 live events will be aired. AND, there are over 80 different shows covering any division of racing you can imagine. This is a great value-like DOD and Speed Shift TV.

Yes, Speed Shift TV is the other site you can subscribe to. Thanks to Speed Shift TV I watched more sprint car racing in 2017 than I ever have. And yes Speed Shift does late models, modifieds, and midgets too. The site has 23 events scheduled for January and February-starting with the Ice Bowl from Talladega, and every month has 10 or more live events.

I know some reasonably intelligent people who do not like the onset of racing coverage on the internet. I like it. I never stay home and watch an event on the computer that I would otherwise go to-OK, the Beatrice spring and fall races are ones I might attend-rather, I get to see races at tracks around the US that I would never visit otherwise. Sprint cars in Washington, modifieds in California and New Mexico, USAC sprint cars in Indiana and Pennsylvania, late models in Arizona and Mississippi, and midgets indoors in Oklahoma. I watched them all in 2017 and will again in 2018. Do these races keep me from going to weekly shows at a local track? NO. With the advent of 6 (or more) weekly classes at most tracks, I have no desire to go to weekly shows.

As far as specials Matt and I will attend in 2018, there are only three for sure-the Silver Dollar Nationals in Nebraska, the Prairie Dirt Classic in Illinois, and the Knoxville Late Model Nationals from Iowa. A USAC sprint car race-if there is one-in Nebraska is a possibility, as is a USAC midget race from Fairbury-in Nebraska, not Illinois. Matt seems to think a show from Park Jefferson and one from Junction Motor Speedway are musts for us, and I go, reluctantly. Matt also has been talking up a WoO Sprint Car race at River Cities Speedway in North Dakota. That is a far away track, but no further than FALS in Fairbury, Illinois and like the journey to FALS, all but about 75 miles are on Interstate highways. Who knows?

2018 is going to be an important year in my life. Yes, the Sunset Speedway book. Yes, my grandson’s activities-personally I which he had games every night as I would rather watch him play than watch any pro event. I don’t know if I will still be working full-time as I am now in Omaha or if I will be working part-time, temporary, or not at all. I do know that January 25^th is a big day, and one I am concerned about. My left knee will be replaced that day, and I am more than a little worried. But I survived prostate cancer in 2016 and I know I will get through the knee surgery too-but keep me in your thoughts in late January.

I am not real hung up on making sure I say Merry Christmas. If someone says Merry Christmas to me I say the same to them. If they tell me Happy Holiday, that is what I say to them. No one has ever said Happy Hanukkah to me, but I am saying that now to several of my readers. Mainly just enjoy the season is what I have to offer. That, and a big thanks for stopping by.

 

A Knoxville Wrap, Plus For Your Viewing Pleasure

Before calling it a wrap on the 2017 Knoxville Nationals, I would like to make a not so bold prediction for 2018. Josh Richards will finally add a Knoxville victory to his impressive resume. I would say the track owes him one, but in reality it owes him more than one. Richards led much of Saturday’s 100 lapper only to be passed by Mike Marlar on lap 92 and tire trouble ended his night a few laps earlier. Last year Richards was running second and ran out of fuel, and the West Virginia driver does have four runner-up finishes at Knoxville. Yeah, snake bit, Heartbreak Hotel, or any other cliché for a tough loss you want to add.

The Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series heads to Brownstown Speedway in Indiana for two shows this weekend. Richards continues to lead the series point standings, followed by Tim McCreadie and Scott Bloomquist.

The World of Outlaws late models have a three night swing through the nation’s heartland. On Friday night the outlaws will be at Lakeside Speedway in Kansas City. On Saturday they venture into Oklahoma for a $10,000 to win show at Salina Highbanks Speedway. They finish the weekend with a Sunday night race at 81 Speedway near Wichita, Kansas. Brandon Sheppard holds a commanding lead in the series point battle, with Chris Madden and Shane Clanton trailing.

Lucas Oil Racing TV will show all three nights of the Jesse Hockett/Daniel McMillin Memorial from Wheatland Missouri, starting on Thursday. The Lucas Oil ASCS Sprint Cars and the WAR Sprint Cars will be featured. Speed Shift TV has multiple events this weekend, starting with 410 Sprints from Susquehanna Speedway on Thursday then going to Williams Grove Speedway on Friday and Lincoln Speedway on Saturday for more winged wonder racing.

If sprint cars aren’t your thing, Speed Shift TV will also show the IMCA Septemberfest from Beatrice Speedway on Friday and Saturday. What will I be watching? Some of the sprints and some of the IMCA action, especially the IMCA stock cars.

Although the 2017 season is coming to an end, Speed Shift TV still has 27 nights of racing on its schedule. Lucas Oil Racing TV has 10 live events scheduled through November. And www.DirtonDirt.com will be showing 11 nights of late models, including the season ending indoor Gateway Nationals in December. Yes, TROTD Speedway will be open for business no matter how cold the Nebraska weather may be.

Thanks for stopping by.

 

 

 

Prep For The Silver Dollar Nationals

I prepared for the coming Silver Dollar Nationals by tuning into Lucas Oil Racing TV this weekend. LORTV showed two nights of Lucas Oil Late Models in action-Friday from Tri-City Speedway in Granite City, Illinois and last night from Lucas Oil Speedway in Wheatland, Missouri. Yeah, this paragraph is full of Lucas Oil. I ought to get some kind of stipend.

Friday’s racing was OK. It was neither outstanding, nor was it poor. Still, it was late model racing and that isn’t a bad way to spend a few hours. Josh Richards had the field covered. Tim McCreadie finished second, and Don O’Neal came home third. Keeping in line with what TROTD is supposed to be about, here are a few random thoughts:

-I am not much of a Darrell Lanigan fan, but I do like his new car. It is white and really nice looking. Lanigan was running well but broke a j-bar and had to drop out.

-Dave Argabright was the pit reporter and interviewed 16 year old Hudson O’Neal before the start of the race. The New Deal gave a good interview. I like him, actually better than I do Bobby Pierce. A lot better. Probably has something to do with liking his dad the Real Deal Don O’Neal, and not really liking Bob Pierce.

-for someone who is “mostly retired,” Billy Moyer has been doing a lot of racing. He followed the start of the UMP Summernationals Hell Tour, and was at Tri-City on Friday. His site had nothing about being in Nebraska this week.

-Scott Bloomquist arrived late, after hot laps, after time trials. He really was not a factor at all, finishing 5^th in his heat, running a B-feature, and ending 20^th in the A-feature.

They call Lucas Oil Speedway the diamond of dirt tracks and that is a fact. Everything at the track is first class. Matt and I went to the July race a few years ago and it was like 147 in the shade that day. I spent much of the afternoon in the air-conditioned pit shack, and then more of the afternoon in the air-conditioned bar. The racing was not great that night, but that has greatly improved in the past years.

Concrete pits, a car wash, and a back stretch grandstand that is better than most track’s front stretch grandstands make things nice for drivers and crews. The infield is grass-not weeds, with several hard surfaced roads for cars to exit off the track after time trials or during races. There is also a big screen high above turn three, and I suspect drivers do take a glance at it while going down the backstretch.

The concessions are good-I remember a BBQ sandwich similar to that of I-80 Speedway, and are well organized. The midway area is behind the grandstands, and I like the fact that a first-aid tent is part of the midway. Behind the track is a go-kart facility that keeps youngsters and not so young-sters busy. And, there are two levels of suites as well.  Like I said before, no question this is the diamond of dirt tracks.

Random thoughts:

-the modified feature seemed to take forever. It was just a weekly show paying a little extra, and I think that a time limit should have been placed on this feature.

-Scott Bloomquist was actually on time for hot laps and time trials, but wasn’t a factor in the race. He finished 12^th and lost more ground to Josh Richards in the Lucas Oil point battle. Matt mentioned something about the driver of the Zero car having a torn rotator cuff. Been there, done that, and it was painful. I am sure bouncing around a dirt track would be much more painful than sitting in an easy chair, but I can’t see Bloomquist having surgery until after the season. The first two weeks after my surgery I had to sleep in a recliner, not a bed. My arm was in a sling and it was terribly unhandy to do anything. I did not skimp on pain meds so couldn’t drive at first. I had four weeks of rehab that was not fun either. SO, for once perhaps Bloomquist really does have a good excuse for not doing well.

-The heat races were good, but the battle between Hudson O’Neal and dad Don was great. The youngster edged his father at the finish line and garnered a front row starting spot for the feature. To do that racing against the best in the business, most of whom have years and years of experience and do this to put food on the table and a roof overhead says a lot about the New Deal’s talent.

-Jimmy Owens started on the pole and led the first 50+ laps. Wow, Owens leading at Wheatland, some surprise. The first 56 laps were caution free, and here is the surprise, Owens jumped the cushion and spun out on lap 57. He was running 2^nd to Josh Richards at the time, and the spin out cost him lots of points and dollars as he finished 15^th.

-Hudson O’Neal finished 4^th in the 60 lap A-feature behind Richards, dad Don O’Neal, and Darrell Lanigan.

-I always enjoy listening to James Essex announce the Lucas Oil races, and I have to admit that Trenton Berry does a very good job from the booth as well.

So, that was my preliminary prep for the Silver Dollar Nationals. I will be writing more as the week goes on, so please check back every day.

Thanks for stopping by.

 

 

 

 

Is Speed Shift TV Turning Me Into An Open Wheel Fan??

For the past two weeks Speed Shift TV has tried to turn me into an open wheel fan. First it was the Indiana Midget week, with both Midgets and Sprint Cars being shown. Speed Shift followed that up with the Eastern Storm tour-featuring USAC Wingless Sprints, but also Midgets and the Silver Crown Series cars. That was 10 different shows from tracks in Indiana and Pennsylvania. And they followed that with 410 sprints from Jackson, Minnesota.

Oh, and give an assist on this project to Lucas Oil Racing TV. For the past three nights, LOR TV showed the ASCS National Sprint Cars in action from Skaget Speedway in Washington. In two weeks I watched more open wheel racing than I had in the last two years. Maybe the past five years. Maybe more than I ever have.

I would give my experience a solid B. I enjoy the Midgets bouncing around dirt tracks, I like the Wingless Sprints, and I very much enjoy seeing tracks I have never been to and likely will never visit in person. Then there was the three nights at Skaget Speedway. Without question this has to be the most scenic race track around. It is surrounded by forest and hills, and in the distance you can see snow-capped Mt. Baker.

I also liked the Skaget Speedway fan viewing area. I have often thought that if I built a race track it would include grassy berms for fan seating. Skaget Speedway has grandstands from the middle of turn three to the end of the front straightaway, and a grassy berm area in front of the turns 3-4 stands. The berm area was far enough away from the track to be safe, yet a great spot for families with small children to watch the races. Two thumbs up.

I did watch a Lucas Oil Late Model shown on LOR TV, and am also watching the Wild West Modified Shoot-Out on Speed Shift TV.  I would have watched more Late Model action, but the Firecracker 100 preliminaries scheduled for Thursday and Friday were postponed due to rain. One of those shows was made up in the afternoon yesterday, but I am not a big fan of dirt track racing in the day. Brandon Sheppard won the Saturday afternoon preliminary, collecting $6,000 for his efforts. Brandon Overton won the 100 lap event last night, earning $30,000. And I am not a big fan of either Brandon, so enough of that. Mike Marlar had a decent weekend finishing second to Brandon in the afternoon, and then finishing second to the other Brandon that night.

For someone who is 99% retired, Billy Moyer is certainly doing a lot of racing. He is second to Bobby Pierce in the UMP Summernational points, and has claimed two feature wins in the opening week of the Hell Tour. I am hoping Moyer will show up for the Silver Dollar Nationals, but his website schedule only shows through 6/27. If you are willing to grind on this tour for a chance to win $5,000-$10,000, it would seem like spending a few days in Nebraska in July would be worth the opportunity to net $53,000. Keep your fingers crossed.

I’ll be watching Speed Shift TV this week for Modified action from the Northwest, including a night at Sunset Speedway Park in Oregon. Matt and I will be going to Columbus on Thursday for the SLMR race at US 30 Speedway, and my son is also suggesting we head south to I-80 Speedway for the SLMR event on Friday. Maybe. I certainly am not thrilled with watching five support classes that night, the trade-off being the track’s famous pork tenderloin sandwich.

Thanks for stopping by.

 

I Covered The Show-Me 100 Almost Like A Real Reporter Would

I covered last night’s Show-Me 100 like a reporter. Well, like a reporter who is not at the event but is watching it on his computer. And like CNN, ABC, and the New York Times, my reporting is truthful, nothing at all is fake.

Somewhat orderly thoughts from last night’s races:

-After a day of severe weather in Missouri, the sun shone brightly on dirt track racing’s finest facility.

-I wasn’t really overwhelmed by any of the three B-features or the Last Chance Race. Yes, drivers did qualify for the big race but it seemed these races filled time more than spots on the race grid and none were terribly exciting.

-Although my friend “Big Show” was not in the house, Saturday’s race must have been a really big show because Dave and Dave were-Despain and Argabright.

-The race had just three leaders. Tim McCreadie led the first two laps, Earl Pearson Jr. led laps 3-86, and Bobby Pierce led the remaining 14 laps.

-There have been complaints about how many cars start the Silver Dollar Nationals, including from me. 30 cars started the Show Me 100, and the Lucas Oil Speedway track is neither as long nor as wide as I-80 Speedway.

-Peyton Looney’s magical weekend came to an early end. After two good preliminary nights of racing, the 19 year old Missouri native brought out the first caution at lap 12 when his engine blew.

-Right before Chris Simpson brought out the second caution flag of the evening, Jimmy Owens, Scott Bloomquist, and Mason Zeigler were running three wide battling for third place. Simpson’s brother Chad did not make the 100 lap feature and no, that did not break my heart.

-Darrell Lanigan broke on the restart from the Simpson caution.

-On lap 30 Mike Marlar was spun out by young Mason Zeigler. Marlar took offense at this outrage and ran into Zeigler during the caution, garnering a black flag for his efforts. Dave Argabright interviewed the driver of the 157 car after this incident, and guess what-he was not happy. His comments were along the line of “rich kid spun me out for no reason.”

-Jonathan Davenport had to use a past winner provisional to even get in the 100 lap race. He started in 30^th place on the grid, dead last, but after just 33 laps he had moved up 21 spots. And he was not done moving.

-Like many minor league ballparks, Lucas Oil Speedway has grassy berm areas and people were sitting in them. No foul ball souvenirs for kids to take home though.

-Cautions came out on lap 42 for Hudson O’Neal, lap 47 for Billy Moyer Jr., and lap 58 for Rodney Sanders. The lap 58 caution was a big break for Jimmy Owens as he had jumped the cushion and was passed by several cars, but got his spot back because the yellow flag flew before that lap was completed.

-Hall of Famer Billy Moyer slowed on the front stretch on lap 76, and Jimmy Owens hit the wall on lap 77. Owens was able to continue but he dropped back to 19^th at the finish of the race.

-Jonathan Davenport was not the only driver moving forward. Bobby Pierce started 14^th and passed some stout competition on his move to the front. Pearson had not been challenged after gaining the lead on lap 3, but late in the race young Pierce was right on his tail and one mistake in turn 4 was all the Illinois driver needed to get by the Florida driver.

-Jonathan Davenport had not looked good all weekend. I said in a previous post that Superman was driving more like Clark Kent. Whatever he was missing on Thursday and Friday he found on Sunday as only four drivers finished ahead of him.

-I was never a fan of Bob Pierce and let my feelings about father carry over to son. I am not ready to jump on the Bobby Pierce bandwagon yet, but this was his third crown jewel victory in less than 12 months (North/South 100 and World 100 were the other two) and he is just 20 years old. He also gave a good post-race interview. As of now Pierce does have the Silver Dollar Nationals on his schedule and I hope he does make the journey to Nebraska. He has 53,000 reason to do so.

Austin Dillon won the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Mike Marlar would definitely call Dillon a spoiled rich kid. One of Dillon’s trademarks is wearing a cowboy hat. Sorry, wearing a cowboy hat does not make you a cowboy. My friend Ron Lee is a cowboy, Austin Dillon is not. And driving grandpa’s #3 car and finally getting his first win does not make him Dale Earnhardt.

It is a rather strange year in the NASCAR Monster Energy Series. First Ricky Stenhouse Jr. gets a win at Talladega and now Dillon wins NASCAR’s longest race. Weird.

Very scary incidents occurred at two of auto racing’s iconic tracks this weekend. If you are on Facebook you probably have seen each one dozens of times. The first happened during a B-feature at the sprint car mecca, Knoxville. There is a wall around turns 1-2 that is at least 15’ high and sponsor billboards sit on top of the wall. Two of the winged wonders got together and both looked like pole vaulters going up, up, up. One of the cars cleared the 15’ high fence, knocked out a billboard and ended up outside the track. There is a sidewalk and then a highway running beside the track-I’ve been on both many times. Someone said the car ended up on the highway, though I can’t confirm that. The driver was OK though.

The other horrifying wreck took place during the Indy 500. Jay Howard hit a wall and came down in front of Scott Dixon. Dixon had nowhere to go and did not hit Howard so much as he used Howard’s car as a launching pad. Jets take off at slower speeds than Dixon was going, and his car seemed to fly forever before hitting a catch fence and landing on a SAFER barrier. The car literally came apart-yes, that is what it is supposed to do, but tub surrounding Dixon protected him. He walked away from what could have been a deadly crash.

Jesse Sobbing won his second Malvern Bank SLMR feature of the year at Raceway Park in Jefferson, South Dakota. Kyle Berck finished second. The SLMR drivers will be back in action on Friday at I-80 Speedway along with B-Mods and USAC wingless sprint cars. Yes, I do plan on being there.

Four days in a row of blogging and close to 4,000 words written. Wow. I’ll have to try this more often.

Thanks for stopping by.

 

 

A Show Me Night Off And Highway 275 Leads To Off Road

The prospect of severe weather-tornados and large hail-caused Lucas Oil Speedway promoters to postpone the Show-Me 100 to tonight at 6:00 p.m. Central time. This change also changed the Meyer family race viewing for the weekend.

Matt and I had planned on watching the Show-Me 100 last night but when it was postponed we decided to go to the SLMR race at Off Road Speedway in Norfolk and skip tonight’s SLMR show at Raceway Park in Jefferson, South Dakota. Actually for my old bones not having to climb up Raceway Park’s rickety, old grandstand was a good thing.

Random thoughts about the show:

-There were 36 late models, 18 hobby stocks, 11 stock cars, 11 sport mods, and 11 sport compacts on hand. That is a number I can live with-I like 87 far better than 150 these days.

-Last year when the SLMR series visited it was breezy in Norfolk. OK, it was downright windy that night. The track became dusty early then, and I went home with dirt in every uncovered orifice. It was calm last night, the track was well watered, and sitting in a different area of the grandstands it was not dusty at all.

-If I am correct, the area the track is located is called the Off Road Ranch, and provides a big area for motorcycles to run “off road.” Last night, lining the road leading to the track were dozens of trailers and RV’s, each with at least one motorcycle.

-If you have ever visited US 30 Speedway in Columbus, Off Road Speedway is like a new version of that facility. The track is similar in size to US 30 Speedway, and pits are located outside of the track. As at the Columbus track you climb a path to the grandstands which are located on the side of the hill-you come in at the top and walk down to your seats, and there is a large concourse area where many people stand during the races.

-Perhaps the one fault I could find with last night’s show was the intermission. I am not a big fan of lengthy intermissions, and 30 minutes is far too long, especially when no work is being done on the track.

-For me, stock cars are usually the best racing of the night, and the sport mods aka B mods are the worst. That wasn’t the case last night. Just 10 cars started the feature and it took forever to finish. The sport mod feature also started 10 cars, but went green the entire distance.

-Kyle Berck has to be the favorite in every SLMR feature, but last night he started 6^th and finished 6^th. Brian Kosiski started on the pole and led the first few laps. Corey Zeitner took over the lead, but Jesse Sobbing managed to pass him in traffic. A Sobbing win would have been OK with me, but Bill Leighton Jr. got around the 99 car when Sobbing had just a slight bobble in turn one. It was Leighton’s 12^th SLMR victory and was worth $2,500.

-The SLMR series is turning into a really good regional series. Promoter Joe Kosiski has come up with rules that allow drivers to run almost any engine, and the car count at most series events this season has been around 30. Two thumbs up to all involved.

I attended my first Prairie Dirt Classic last year, and am a BIG fan of the event. The town of Fairbury, Illinois and the Fairbury American Legion Speedway make this special event very special. The racing is simply outstanding, and reminds me of the good old days at the now gone but never to be forgotten Sunset Speedway. The track has made a format change for the 28^th Annual PDC that should make it even more exciting-not sure how that is possible, but I do like the format change. After hot laps and time trials, the late model field will be divided into four groups and each group will run a 25 lap, $2,500 to win semi feature. The top four finishers in each race will make up the first eight rows of Saturday’s 100 lap event.

If you are a dirt late model fan, FALS for the PDC should be on your bucket list. It is a long drive from Nebraska, but it is well worth the effort.

Today I will be watching the Indy 500 and the Show-Me 100 and plan on skipping the NASCAR race from Charlotte. NASCAR admits there needs to be more passing at Charlotte-hint to NASCAR big shots, there needs to be more passing at EVERY NASCAR race-and apparently has laid some kind of sticky substance in the top groove at the track to give more traction there to help with passing.

Yesterday I was only guessing at some of the drivers who have already made the Show-Me 100 field. Below is the starting grid for rows 1-8.

Row 1 – Tim McCreadie, Jimmy Owens
Row 2 – Earl Pearson Jr., Scott Bloomquist
Row 3 – Mike Marlar, Payton Looney
Row 4 – Darrell Lanigan, Mason Zeigler

Jimmy Owens starting on the front row at Lucas Oil Speedway has to make him the favorite to capture the $30,000 first place prize. However, McCreadie, Pearson, and Marlar have shown speed and you can never, never, never count out Bloomquist. I don’t want to, but I will say you’ll see Bloomquist in Victory Lane tonight in Wheatland.

Thanks for stopping by.

 

Row 5 – Don O’Neal, Chris Simpson
Row 6 – Steve Francis, Rodney Sanders
Row 7 – Josh Richards, Bobby Pierce
Row 8 – Dennis Erb Jr. Greg Saterlee
Row 9 – Billy Moyer, Billy Moyer Jr.

 

 

 

Night 2 Of Show-Me Weekend, Plus Mike Duvall

Back to back blog posts. What’s wrong with me? And likely another post tomorrow. I must be sick. Or maybe it is actually having something to write about.

I watched much of night two of the three night Show-Me 100 weekend from Lucas Oil Speedway in Wheatland, Missouri. The Lucas Oil Racing TV telecast started shortly after 7:00 p.m. but it was long after that when time trials finally happened. The delay appeared to be all about getting the racing surface in condition to actually race on. And yes, starting late, even during a crown jewel weekend is one of my bugaboos about dirt track racing.

I get that sometimes weather throws a wrench into a track’s plans, but it was sunny and warm in Wheatland. I have said many times I do not like time trials, but if a series insists on running them, the Lucas Oil format is the best-split the cars into two groups that only time against their own group, and put three cars on the track at the same time. Darrell Lanigan was fastest in group two, and Peyton Looney ended up quickest in group one and overall.

Looney won his heat, as did Dennis Erb Jr., Don O’Neal, Jimmy Owens, Darrell Lanigan, and Mike Marlar. Mason Zeigler won the first of three B-features, and this was one of the best B-mains I have ever watched. On the last lap, anyone of six cars could have finished in one of the two qualifying spots.

Austin Rettig finished first in B-feature #2, and Pennsylvanian Gregg Satterlee won B feature #3. Two drivers who are having surprisingly poor weekends are Jonathan Davenport and Terry Phillips. Davenport, aka Superman, is driving more like Clark Kent this weekend, and neither Davenport nor Phillips has come close to making one of the preliminary A-features at Wheatland. With points from both preliminaries determining starting positions in the 100 lapper or B-features tonight, both will start far back in a B tonight and will have to show much more than they have to even hope to qualify for tonight’s crown jewel.

Tim McCreadie won the Tribute to Don and Billie Gibson feature, collecting $6,000 for his efforts. Jimmy Owens finished second, with Don O’Neal, Scott Bloomquist, and Josh Richards rounding out the top five finishers.

I have tried to find which 18 drivers have already qualified for the tonight’s A feature, but have been unable to do so. I think McCreadie, Earl Pearson Jr., Bloomquist, Owens, Erb, and Mike Marlar are definitely in. I am not sure on others, whether they made the A or will start near the front of one of tonight’s B features.

The Malvern Bank SLMR series has a big weekend scheduled with stops in three states-Rock Rapids, Iowa; Norfolk, Nebraska; and Jefferson, South Dakota. Tad Pospisil won the opener, with Kyle Berck and Jesse Sobbing following. 30 cars made the trek to northwest Iowa.

My plans for this evening include both the Little 500 on Speed Shift TV and the Show-Me 100 on Lucas Oil Racing TV. I will be switching between the two, though once the Show-Me feature starts I will stick with it. Tomorrow I intend to watch the Indy 500 and Matt has been talking about going to the SLMR race at Raceway Park in Jefferson, South Dakota.

Subscribers to www.DirtonDirt.com should take a few minutes to read Kelly Carlton’s blog on legendary late model driver Mike Duvall. Duvall is suffering from complications of dementia and other medical issues and has been in and out of the hospital for several months.

Matt and I met Duvall when we attended his driving school for an article I did in Dirt Late Model magazine. He may have had a wild streak in his younger days, but later in life he became quite serious in his faith. When we met, he was a gentle, caring person and I enjoyed the few days we spent with him. I learned a lot about car set-up and very much enjoyed a day spent at Carolina Raceway in Gastonia, North Carolina.

Duvall’s medical condition has been very expensive for his family. And the bills will continue to accumulate. A Go Fund Me account has been set up for people to donate to help with the medical bills. The man provided a lot of enjoyment to race fans while driving the F-1 Flintstone Flyer. The late model Hall of Famer and his family really need your help. I encourage you to go to

https://www.gofundme.com/flintstone-flyer-mike-duvall-fans 

and make a donation. It doesn’t have to be much. Any donation will be appreciated, and so will your prayers.

Thanks for stopping by.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cowboy Classic

For those of you who didn’t see my note on Facebook, I renewed my website domain yesterday. So, The Rest of the Dirt will be around until at least June, 2019. I am not sure if that is good or bad, just that I still own it.

I was going to watch the Hoosier 100 on Speed Shift TV last night, alternating with the Cowboy Classic on Lucas Oil Racing TV. Rainy weather in Indiana caused the Hoosier 100 to be postponed, so I spent the entire evening in Wheatland, Missouri instead.

There were 67 late models on hand for night one of the three day Show-Me 100 weekend. The track has a unique way of getting all the cars on the track on the preliminary nights. No championship points are given, but the drivers earn points that could earn a spot in Saturday’s big race.

Unlike Tuesday at I-80 Speedway, time trials took forever last night. According to Lucas Oil announcers there was a problem with track scales. Mason Zeigler set fast time for group one, while Mike Marlar came back from misfortune on Tuesday to set the pace for group two. Zeigler was overall fastest.

Heat winners were Scott Bloomquist, Darrell Lanigan, Peyton Looney, Jesse Stovall, Earl Pearson Jr., and Jimmy Owens. The top three in each heat qualified for the feature, or another way to say that was 49 cars did not qualify through the heats. That meant three B features with at least 16 cars running, and only the top two making the A main.

Normally I do not pay much attention to B features. To me they are just another race to get through before the final race of the night. However, last night was different. There were plenty of Lucas Oil regulars having to run a B feature, and with no provisionals be awarded (none tonight either), it was balls to the wall-an old railroad term, nothing nasty-from the drop of the green flag in each B.

The drivers not making last night’s A feature would be welcomed at most tracks around the country. Shannon Babb finished third in his B feature and was done for the night. Chad Simpson, Hudson O’Neal, and Boom Briggs also saw their night ended early finishing well back in B Feature #1.

Will Vaught, Jonathan Davenport, Terry Phillips, Jared Landers, Josh Richards, and Wendell Wallace were also sidelined after the B feature. Like I said, most promoters would not mind having A feature races that included these drivers.

Earl Pearson Jr. won the Cowboy Classic A feature, and collected $6,000 in doing so. If I don’t seem too excited about that, well, I am almost as big a fan of Pearson as I am of NASCAR’s Roush Fenway Racing drivers. Scott Bloomquist finished second, with Owens, Tim McCreadie, and Mike Marlar rounding out the top five. That was the 9^th time in a row that McCreadie had a top five finish.

Here is a sales pitch for Lucas Oil Racing TV. Annual subscription is $99, and I think the value of the subscription is much more than that. There are 8 more Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series races scheduled among the 30 remaining televised events in 2017. Your subscription would also include Lucas Oil races from East Bay Raceway Park in February, 2018. The production quality is excellent.

Between Lucas Oil Racing TV and Speed Shift TV there is no question I will watch more events on my computer than I watch at the track. I like that-I can watch as much or as little of an event as I want, and my bedroom is just a few steps away from the “track,” not miles and miles. If you are a race fan you ought to subscribe to both.

I am watching Husker baseball at 12:30 p.m. today-hopefully soundly defeating an Iowa Hawkeye team that deserves a loss-and tonight I will tune in to Lucas Oil Racing TV to watch late models from Wheatland again, in the Tribute to Don and Billie Gibson, promoters who first started the Show-Me 100 25 years ago.

Thanks for stopping by.