RIP Mad Dog, Blown Engine, North/South, And PPV’s

 

 

Maurice “Mad Dog” Vachon passed away.  If ever there was a more likeable wrestling villain than Mad Dog, I never watched them in the ring.  Mad Dog’s career spanned decades and I can remember watching him wrestle at the Fremont City Auditorium.  Yes, pro wrestling in Fremont.  If you are of a certain age-like as old as Stan Cisar or me, you will remember All Star Wrestling on KETV in the early 60’s.  Omahan Joe Dusek was the promoter and wrestlers like Dusek’s brothers Ernie and Emil, Dr. X, Dick the Bruiser, Mitsuo Arikawa, Jack Pesek, and Vern Gagne wrestled on TV, setting up matches around the area. And of course Mad Vachon, the villain from French Canada.

 

That face, that fire plug build, that voice, Vachon could be nothing but the villain. Years later I met Maurice in North Bend at the home of a friend of ours-Vachon was married to her cousin or aunt, I forget which.  There was no mistaking the grizzly bear voice and his hand shake was still like a vise though he was in his 70’s. He was quite a character. RIP Mad Dog.

 

It has been a hectic few days for me.  My wife literally blew the engine in her car-almost no warning-and we were faced with the decision of installing a new engine on a car with over 100,000 miles, or buying a new car. A week ago we weren’t prepared to do either.

 

The engine of a family sedan is not a $40,000 finely tuned high horsepower monstrosity; rather, in our case it is a 4-cylinder get good mileage piece of equipment needed because my wife puts 2,000 miles a month on her car. Still, it made no sense to put a new or at least newer engine in the old car, so Jane is now driving a new car full of electronic gadgets her old one did not have. And for the first time in years we have a car payment.  I better start writing more articles for Dirt Late Model and Dirt Modified magazines.  Maybe even start writing about sprint cars.  Nah, the car payment isn’t so big I need to writer about the winged wonders.

 

I don’t see the Silver Dollar National qualifying format becoming the norm for big dollar late model events, but a second such event is now going to two qualifying heats instead of time trials.  According to www.DirtonDirt.com  the North/South 100 at Florence Speedway will copy what has worked so well at I-80 Speedway.  Good for the Kentucky promoters-and the fans that attend the race.  Unlike name drivers I absolutely hate time trials and believe that when fans get more laps of racing it is a good thing.

 

Speaking of more laps of racing, snow birds and Texans will get plenty of big time modified action early in 2014.  The USMTS Modifieds will begin the season at South Texas Speedway in Corpus   Christi on February 6^th-8^th.  The following weekend they will venture to Royal Purple Raceway in Baytown for the “Spring Nationals.”  Then they will journey to El Paso Speedway Park for two nights of racing on February 21st-22^nd.  Finally they head to Southern New Mexico Speedway in Las Cruces for races on February 28^th and March 1^st.  I wish I could attend even one of the shows.  All four would be like a visit to dirt track heaven.

 

With all the “pit” action do my Jane’s blown engine, I did not tune into XSANTV for the Cactus Classic from Casa Grande, Arizona.  I plan to watch the PPV tonight and tomorrow though.

 

A certain person I discuss racing with quite often suggests that dirt track PPV’s are saturating the market, and show producers are charging too much to viewers.  I realize there are costs involved to those who send the races into cyberspace, and that there are a finite number of viewers attracted. I don’t think XSANTV is pricy, especially if a person buys a multi-month package.  I think the www.DirtonDirt.com packages are priced fairly.  The USMTS shows are borderline too high, but not outrageously so.  I think the WoO PPV’s are overpriced, but the worst offender is Eldora Speedway.  I am not willing to pay what they demand to view the Dream or World 100.

 

So, is the market saturated with overpriced dirt track PPV’s?  I hope not.  I have enjoyed my internet visits to tracks I know I will not visit otherwise, and I would hate to see the PPV’s become a fading fad.

 

Thanks for stopping by.