The Pace Lap - July 30, 2010

From the famous last words department: “enjoy your weekends. Believe it or not, I know I will.”

Well, Friday afternoon started off with a sick stomach and ended with a nice little case of food poisoning, such that I was sleeping in sweatpants and a sweatshirt under a comforter while outside temps were a balmy 90+ degrees only to be awakened around midnight with a 102 degree fever. Nice. So, I missed what people said was an exciting conclusion to the late model show, and it seemed to be well-received by the fans.

Fortunately it was short lived (the illness, not the late model show) and I felt better on Saturday - I was pretty weak and spent a lot of time sitting down. Photographically it was also a disaster...well not completely. Sometimes finding out what doesn’t work is as useful as finding out what does. But most important, 300 kids walked out with brand new bicycles and many more took home plenty of toys at Eagle.

-This week - not quite sure what’s up. May head to a vintage race in Belleville on Saturday or Sunday. Not sure what’s going on since the powers that be at Belleville have a zero PR or anything on their website.

But the lap and race record times are there! How USAC-ey...and that’s not a compliment.

Let’s keep the ol’ Piss & Vinegar express rolling.

-Car counts. Everyone wants ‘em, nobody’s got ‘em. The All-Stars are making an open plea for sprint cars for their Rising City and Belleville shows. May be a chance for a 360 team to pocket a little bit of 410 purse cash. A few Eagle regulars came home a little heavier in the pockets the last time the All-Stars were at Eagle.
By the way...where are the PROMOTERS in their efforts to get cars? Say it with me: pro-mote. If you want to know why Eagle had the car counts for the WoO shows back in the early 2000’s, it wasn’t the economy. It was staff getting on the phone and calling these people. Sometimes we had to throw them bones or use our hotel room vouchers or...whatever it took.

Pro-mot-ing.

-From the path of least resistance department, Adams County went to the dark side and added yet another class, Sport Mods! What a clever concept. About as original as a “Got ___?” slogan for your ads, and an idea as bland as store-brand sugar free powdered drink mix.

By the way, the next time I see someone use “Got Dirt?” I’ll punch...never mind. They can’t help their disability.

Look, it’s not about Sport Mods, it’s about thinking outside the box. Enough of the costs out of line business, too. It’s time for tracks to start demanding sanctioning bodies make rules to control the costs instead of watering down fields. I don’t begrudge them, but I’ve said it before: IMCA Modifieds were supposed to be an economy class. SportMods are just the result of IMCA failing to control costs.

-Beatrice threw down a bounty on Matt Fralin in the sport compacts after his five-fer. Will Eagle throw down if Denny Berghahn makes it five-for-five in the sport mods?

Eagle kicked out a 20 car sprint field last week, and I liked that they didn’t lump them into two 10-car heats. Here’s why: thin the fields out and prevent wrecks to an already fragile class. Same reason I would rather watch two 10-car B’s than a 20 car B. If costs are an issue, why run the risk of wrecks?

- Dear Jason: You’re always pissed off about something on your website. If you hate racing so much why do you go?

Good question. Maybe after 30 years I’m ready for....


- Jason

All Stars looking for cars

Received this via Mark Burch:

If you would be interested in racing with the All Stars next week please
call 217-722-8043 for more information.  They are looking for additional
cars for Rising City NE and Bellville KS.

 

The Pace Lap - July 23, 2010

The Pace Lap - July 23, 2010

I’m in a grumpy mood. Must be the heat - but probably because I haven’t been to a race in two weeks.

- I get tired of the “Roger Hadan is trying to kill sprints” argument. If so, he’s sure taking his time doing it. Think about this: the A feature payout alone is $5500 a night. Lets say for the past 4 1/2 seasons he’s operated the track, he runs 14 shows per season. That’s just regular, weekly events. That’s no B features, no specials, so this is a lowball estimate.

But in that period alone, he’s spent at least $346,000 in purse money to kill the sprint cars. So, instead of acting out his diabolical plan and just killing the class immediately, he’s going to bleed it out to the tune of what will be by the end of the year, just south of half a million dollars.

Talk about taking the long way around the tree!

Now, do I think there are things that could be improved? Absolutely. Do I think that there’s a possibility that if nothing changes he just stops the bleeding? Maybe.

But to think he was looking to kill the class from day one is just stupid.

- When I see teams driving 2-3 hours to race for a purse that’s less than what some local tracks have paid in decades, it tells me that purse isn’t the whole problem with current sprint car counts.

- “You’re a grumpy ass!” Yeah, I know.

- Push trucks are some of the least recognized, but most valuable part of a sprint show, and they can help out at non-sprint events, too. When you want to ask who isn’t paid enough, it’s those guys.

- Seems now that nearly every track is giving away bicycles. Nothing wrong with that. But credit Rhonda, Bernie and Nick Bryan. Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. And this week is the annual Kid’s night bike giveaway at Eagle.

- I’ll be heading to the “Rumble in the Bullring” at Eagle tonight featuring NCRA Late Models with IMCA Modifieds and GOTRA Vintage cars. Should be a good show on the racetrack. Recent NCRA Late Model shows have had good car counts and I like a super late model show out there every so often.

With Beatrice and Butler County taking the night off, and $1000 to win, the IMCA Modified field could be stellar (as if it isn’t already).

While I like looking at the GOTRA cars, as a support show they don’t do much for me. Do they really race? It’s an honest question - their website still has rules saying that anyone getting out front needs to slow down. It’s an exhibition event in my book and that’s different than a support class.

Again, not wanting to burst bubbles, and I HOPE to be wrong, but attendance wise, Late Model specials at Eagle haven’t been special. The next Late Model show that’s an attendance home run at Eagle will be the first - or at least the first in several decades, and I’ve been there for all of them for the past 20 years. I hope fans make it out - the racing on the track has the potential to be terrific. Doesn’t have to pack the place - a good weekend crowd @$20/head will be just fine. I’m not wishing doom - I want specials to at least pay off. Then we get to keep having them!

- Knock the car count all you want, but the fact is, the sprint division at Eagle has been the most competitive it’s been since 2005.

- I’ve got my take on getting the sprints back on track coming soon. Obviously I don’t think it’s all about raising purses.

Until then, enjoy your weekends. Believe it or not, I know I will.

ASCS Midwest Regional Update 2010 - July 18, 2010

Wednesday July 21st
Crawford County Speedway
Denison, IA
$2,000 to win!
* Pits Open @ 4:00 * Racing @ 7:30

Friday July 23rd
I-90 Speedway
Hartford, SD
* Pits Open @ 4:00 * Racing @ 7:30

(All events are ASCS Midwest point events)

ASCS Midwest Region On-Deck:

August 5th * 6th * 7th
ASCS 360 Nationals - Knoxville Raceway - Knoxville, IA (Non Points Race)

For complete ASCS National schedule: www.ascsracing.com
For complete ASCS Midwest schedule: www.ascs360.com

Butler County Motorplex Need for Speed Week

2010 Butler County Motorplex NEED FOR SPEED WEEK
TICKET SPECIAL NOW AVAILABLE ONLY ONLINE
MONDAY AND WEDNESDAY BOTH SHOWS ONLY $30
Rising City, Nebraska

Monday August 2
Poweri Midgets
SLMR - Super Late Model Racing Series
$300 to Win Hobby Stocks
7:30 Start Time - $30 Pit Pass - $20 Gen Admission

Wednesday August 4
All Star 410 Winged Sprints
$1000 to Win IMCA Modifieds (Not Local Point Night)
$200 to Win IMCA Compacts
7:30 Start Time - $30 Pit Pass - $20 Gen Admission

Friday - August 6
Regular Racing Night
RaceDayPrints IMCA Mods
IMCA Sport Mods
IMCA Hobbies
IMCA Compacts
8pm Start Time

More Info at www.butlercountmotorplex.com

What's up

Been slow on the updates. Busy, busy, busy outside of the racing world - in fact I took the past weekend off entirely, spending time with the wife and getting things done at home.

I'll be back in full swing this week however.

I also have an editorial coming up on the "Diminishing Car Counts" thread on Dirtdrivers.com.

I guess since my previous editorial was the starting point, I'll follow up. Right now, I'm just trying to organize my thoughts, but here's a hint of my take: parts and purse are just a small part of the issue.

And, I may have another editorial in the works.

Until then...

-

Eagle July 10, 2010 Photos

Photos from Saturday's racing at Eagle.

Eagle 7-10-2010 Photos

ASCS Midwest Regional Update 2010 - July 12, 2010

Friday July 16th
US36 Raceway
Cameron, MO
* Pits Open @ 4:00 * Racing @ 8:00

Wednesday July 21st
Crawford County Speedway
Denison, IA
$2,000 to win!
* Pits Open @ 4:00 * Racing @ 7:30

Friday July 23rd
I-90 Speedway
Hartford, SD
* Pits Open @ 4:00 * Racing @ 7:30

(All events are ASCS Midwest point events)

ASCS Midwest Region On-Deck:

August 5th * 6th * 7th
ASCS 360 Nationals - Knoxville Raceway - Knoxville, IA (Non Points Race)

For complete ASCS National schedule: www.ascsracing.com
For complete ASCS Midwest schedule: www.ascs360.com

JMS July 1, 2010 Photos

Better late than never - photos from last week's ASCS show at Junction Motor Speedway.

JMS ASCS July 1, 2010 Photos

Dog eat dog

It's a dog eat dog world out there, and there are fewer scraps than ever before.

Short track racing has grown into a back-gate fed monster and the car count, not the crowd is the lifeblood of survival.

There were some nasty rumors going on about cars from one track being encouraged not to race at other tracks. On the message boards people surmised that Eagle's donation to the Butler County Modified purse was in retaliation to an I-80 move to deny cars from the Eagle Nationals or deny cars for I-80's Midwest Tri-Fecta show.

Again, rumor and internet gossip. If anyone has more to it, I, and a LOT of others would like to know. In this example, I'd love to be wrong.

True or not, how much does this tit-for-tat do for racing as a whole? Two wrongs not making a right and all that business....

The much-ballyhooed Belleville 100 race failed to live up to the hype (like it or not, it's true), with only 28 cars taking (4 DNS) to the track on Saturday night, and the $10,000 winner’s share of the A feature was cut – albeit to a still respectable $7500 (addendum 7-20-10: I've been told the full purse was paid). Pictures from the event showed a less-than-half-full Belleville grandstand.

I felt some sympathy for promoter Wayne Dake, in that he had poured a lot of himself into that event, going as far as building a custom two-door Taurus in NASCAR trim just for the show. You can’t blame promotion on this one, it had been out there for a year. (addendum 7-20-10: I want to clarify, I'm not saying mistakes or bad decisions weren't made.)

The low car count was the stuff of discussion in the pits at Eagle amongst friends and people who’ve been around racing a LONG time, and on the Internet afterward. Rumors flew and I’m not going there – I’ll only comment on what I can see.

Tracks refused to give up their Modified program to accommodate. The NCRA scheduled a show against it. Teams took the points over pay and stayed home.

I feel that one issue is, in this economy, in this world where the back gate keeps tracks on life support, asking any track promoter to forego their workhorse class, in the time when crowds start to die off and many have weekend plans for a long holiday is asking too much.

The timing, while wanting to commemorate the anniversary is nice, the idea didn’t seem practical. Tying in with the midgets or a September show would've been a better idea.

As for the crowd, asking fans to lay down a Franklin (or two to three with travel and lodging) for three days of what are at best, semi-pro racers in an unknown quantity, in this economy is something that speaks for itself.

Hindsight's 20-20 of course, and it’s easy for me to snipe because I wasn’t there.

But I think it goes further.

I apologize to the history buffs and the nostalgic, but Belleville, in its current configuration is an anachronism. It's out of place in this world, having more in common with an auto maker's high-speed test track than a modern racetrack.

The once famous Belleville Midget Nationals is a shadow of itself, essentially turning into a multi-day midget show. The premier midget race is the Chili Bowl, and has been for a long time.

Belleville's reputation as a motor-hungry, follow the leader track keeps the shallow pocketed teams away. I know it would make purists upset, but the centennial anniversary should be the last year of the high banks, at least in its current configuration. Cut it down to a flat half-mile, or better yet a flat 3/8 mile and go on into the next century. I'm told it's a question of money.

Look, I've got a soft spot for 'retro': I've thought about building a street rod as a daily driver just so I could work on it myself, I miss Kodachrome, and I when I write longhand (retro in itself), I use a fountain pen. But the bell can't be unrung and facts are facts. Change or die. As if we didn't know already, Darwin proved that well before the automobile.

Having refused to gloss over the negative on this site, I expect the some harsh looks, dismissive comments and possible outright anger but this is what it is. If the facts are painful, don't take it out on me.

However, I'm not going to point fingers and call people out and shake my finger at anyone. I don't blame promoters for being aggressive and throwing proverbial fists. As we remain in this recess...I mean, depression, and stay with the back-gate mentality, putting car counts over fan counts, expect to see more of this – and possibly worse.

One can blame external factors all they want, but if those external factors have changed, they need to change the way they respond to it unless they're playing on the hopes that things will go back to the way they were.

Good luck with that.

Eagle July 3, 2010 Photos

Photos from last Saturday's races at Eagle.

Eagle July 3, 2010 Photos

This weekends ASCS Midwest / National action

Saturday July 10th
I-90 Speedway @ Hartford, SD
ASCS LUCAS OIL Sprint Car Series Presented by K&N Filters National Race
(Midwest Region points race also)
$6,000 To Win!
Gates Open @ 2:00pm * Pit Shack opens @ 5:00 * Racing @ 7:30PM

Any race teams looking for a place to park their rigs for the night, take
the 41st street exit off interstate 29 and go East to Louise Ave. (about 6
blocks) and then go North (about 4 blocks) to the HUGE empty parking lot
just South of the Home Depot.

Sunday July 11th
Boone County Speedway @ Albion, NE
ASCS Midwest Regional points race
$3,000 To Win!
Gates Open @ 2:00pm * Racing @ 6:30pm

All ASCS rules apply for these races. Mufflers not required.

What's Up

I took full advantage of the long holiday weekend and did...nothing.
But I've got a few things coming up this week, including photos from JMS and
Eagle and some thoughts about each of those events. I'll also have some
thoughts about the races I didn't make it to: I-80's Midwest Tri-Fecta (nothing really to say) and
the Belleville 100.

This week or early next, I'm sneaking in a book review.

Jason

Teen late model racer wants to be the guy to beat

From the Lincoln Journal Star

Jase Kaser wants no part of becoming too popular with his new neighbors.

Sorry, but the reaction the just-turned 18 Norris High graduate is looking for when he shows up to race his No. 15J late model has nothing to do with winning friends.

It's more about making them think, "Oh, crap, Kaser's here."

Granted, the Lincoln driver acknowledges in the same breath that it's "going to be a long time" before he achieves that goal. But he makes no bones about his intentions.

"I want to be the guy to beat," he said.

Read the rest here

NCRA Super Late Models Debut at Eagle Summer Shootout July 23

Sanctioned IMCA Modified class added to lineup, competing for national, state points

BENNINGTON, Neb. – Eagle Raceway will host the hottest racing in the region on Friday, July 23 at the Eagle Summer Shootout. This special event will feature the O’Reilly NCRA Super Late Models for the first time this season at America’s Home Track. The NCRA feature will pay a hiked purse of $3,000 to the winner and $500 to start.

“We are excited to see the Super Late Models return to Eagle Raceway for the Eagle Summer Shootout,” said Roger Hadan, event promoter for Eagle Raceway. “The Super Late models will headline a fantastic night of racing.”

IMCA Modifieds have been added to the July 23 lineup, as well as vintage stockcars from the Good Ol’ Time Racing Association. The Modified class has been sanctioned by IMCA for national and state points (no track points) with a $1,000 purse going to the winner.

“We already have one of the most competitive fields of Modifieds that you will find anywhere in the country,” Hadan said. “With Beatrice Speedway and Butler County Motorplex both having the night off, we are anticipating an outstanding field of IMCA Modifieds at the Summer Shootout.”

The pit gates open at 4, the front gate opens at 6 and racing begins at 7:30 p.m. Ticket prices for adults are $20, $10 for students (ages 13-17) and children 12 and under enter for free. Pit passes are available for $25.

Additional details on the July 23rd event will be announced in the coming weeks. In the meantime, follow us on our “Official Race” Facebook page (Eagle Late Model Shootout) and www.therestofthedirt.com.

ASCS Midwest Ready for Holiday Double in Nebraska

Lonnie Wheatley, TULSA, Okla. (June 28, 2010) - The American Sprint Car
Series Midwest Region kicks off the Fourth of July weekend racing
festivities with a pair of events in Cornhusker Territory this Thursday and
Friday.

The Holiday weekend officially gets under way when the ASCS Midwest Regional
forces take to Junction Motor Speedway in McCool Junction, NE, on Thursday
night, before then moving on to Nebraska Raceway Park's I-80 Speedway
between Lincoln and Omaha on Friday night.

This weekend's events mark Rounds Nine and Ten in pursuit of the ASCS
Midwest crown, with Lucas Oil ASCS National title contender Jack Dover of
Springfield, NE, holding the current edge over Sioux Falls racer Eric Lutz.

Through the opening eight events of the season, only Dover has been able to
post a pair of wins with six other drivers each capturing one victory. Lutz
snared his first series win of the season last Friday at Hartford, SD. to
close to within 151 points of Dover.

Thursday's card marks the final ASCS Midwest stop of the season at Junction
Motor Speedway, where Aurora, Nebraska's Ryan Roberts picked off his first
career ASCS win by holding off Shane Stewart in Midwest action on May 28.

After Dustin Morgan and Dover opened the season with I-80 victories in
April, Shane Stewart broke into I-80 Speedway victory lane on May 27.

Thursday's card at Junction Motor Speedway goes green at 7:00 p.m., with
Friday's action at I-80 Speedway firing off at 7:00 p.m. as well.

Junction Motor Speedway is located 5.6 miles south of York, NE, off I-80
Exit 353 on US 81, then 0.3 miles west on CR 4. For more information,
contact the track at 402-773-5538.

Nebraska Raceway Park's I-80 Speedway is located in Greenwood, NE, between
Lincoln and Omaha off I-80 Exit 420, then 0.4 mile north on SR 63 then west.
For more information, contact the track at 402-944-2233.

The ASCS Midwest Region is slated for 23 nights of competition in 2010 at
ten different tracks throughout Nebraska and the surrounding areas of
Missouri, South Dakota and Iowa.

In its 19th year of sanctioning Sprint Car racing, the American Sprint Car
Series brings the best of Sprint Car racing to approximately 100 different
tracks throughout 30 states and Canada. Anchored by the Lucas Oil Sprint
Car Series presented by K&N Filters, ASCS also consists of ten different
Regions throughout the nation.

Past ASCS Midwest Region Winners at Junction Motor Speedway:
5/28/10 - Ryan Roberts
5/22/09 - Shane Stewart
6/27/08 - Brian Brown
6/29/07 - Brian Brown
5/25/07 - Garry Lee Maier
6/30/06 - Brian Brown
5/26/06 - Jake Peters
5/27/05 - Jason Danley

Past ASCS Regional Winners at I-80 Speedway:
5/27/10 - Shane Stewart (Midwest)
4/17/10 - Jack Dover (Midwest)
4/16/10 - Dustin Morgan (Midwest)
7/2/09 - Brian Brown (Midwest)
5/21/09 - Chad Humston (Midwest)
4/11/09 - Jonathan Cornell (Midwest)
4/10/09 - Billy Alley (Midwest)
8/14/07 - Jack Dover (Midwest)
4/15/07 - Chuck Swenson (Midwest vs. Northern Plains)
4/14/07 - Brian Brown (Midwest vs. Northern Plains)
8/15/06 - Billy Alley (Midwest)
7/3/06 - Jake Peters (Midwest vs. Northern Plains)
4/8/06 - Brian Brown (Midwest vs. Northern Plains)
8/3/05 - Brian Brown (Midwest vs. National)
7/8/05 - Brian Brown (Midwest)
4/15/05 - Terry McCarl (Midwest)


Additional information regarding the American Sprint Car Series is available
at www.ascsracing.com .

Eagle June 26, 2010 Photos

Photos from last weekend. Some of the vintage racers, and maybe a few different things here and there.

One thing, I have to apologize to the Droud family. Their beautifully restored sprint car was on display, and for some reason I deleted 99% of what I shot up in the grandstands off the card when I imported the photos. But I did get some of the on-track action.

Eagle June 26, 2010 Photos

The Pace Lap - June 22, 2010 - Car Counts

- In case you haven’t noticed, sprint car counts are down. While the first ASCS-sanctioned Eagle Nationals brought a field chock full of great cars and drivers, the show was bookended by the lowest weekly car counts in 20 years, with only 16 cars making the show last week - numbers along the lines of when the class was reintroduced to Eagle in 1984.

Why?

Obvious: Economy, purses not keeping pace (or even going down), costs going up (or teams aren’t spending wisely), etc. etc, all are to blame in one way or the other. We haven’t seen a recession like this in recent memory and despite government-induced bumps recently - the track back to recovery is showing signs of being a long one. We’re undergoing a fundamental change in lifestyle that will end an economic era in our history and define a new one.

From a recent interview, ASCS Founder Emmett Hahn has indicated that there are no imminent changes to their rules coming; and given car counts in the 20’s-30’s around here, one could argue whether or not they’re necessary. The other side: will a team willingly be a “have not” and try to slug it out with inferior equipment - will the desire to race be enough to overcome the desire to have? It’s one thing to take a 360 to an Outlaw show, its quite another to be a have-not in your own group.

But the facts can’t be denied: weekly count is suffering. Because it’s happening elsewhere doesn’t make it easier to stomach. It again lends credence to my theory that 360 sprint racing will go the way of Super Late Models, unless something drastic is done.

In terms of car count, the gravity has already shifted toward the touring groups, something that was certainly not the case 5-10 years ago.

While I’m not saying 305’s or wingless aren’t the answer, I need more convincing as all I’ve heard are arguments based on opinions; either pining for the past or to lower the bar such that a part-poor pauper turns into one of the princes.

An odd question arising out of this multi-faceted situation is: do we have too much racing around here? During the course of a season, it will be possible to hit 30 races within four hours between Eagle, ASCS, Albion’s loosely organized Holt County Sprints, Knoxville and the NCRA.

I would hope sponsor pressures aren’t exerting the influence to overwork financially dry teams!

In that vein, like the Big 12 (minus two) conference in football, what loyalty is there? It seems that many teams run where either they have a better shot at winning or placing higher in one series, want to try something different, or are just fed up with the status quo. We’re seeing a fracturing of what used to be a very tight group - even during the Eagle/NSCA feud, there was still a recognition that there needed to be a “spiritual” center for the group...a home track - and not just in name.

But the vagabond lifestyle is nothing new in the Nebraska sprint car community. One only needs to look to one of the last periods of economic malaise, the 1970’s, when the prime interest rate (the baseline used for home or credit rates) was at loan-shark levels around 19% (today’s Wall Street Journal prime is 3.25%). Eagle was dark for a period, languishing in stock cars while the facility crumbled. Midwest Speedway was fielding late models and a sprint show was only on occasion.

It took a major shift to resurrect sprint cars, when a few resourceful men birthed the class that became the 360 sprints.

Maybe it’s time for that again. But the question is, will the local show have to die first? Is it like maintaining a forest, where the dead brush is burned away to allow new trees to grow? Or do we just ride this out and hope for the best?

Barring any windfall in the economy, I think we’re going to find out pretty soon.

-Jason

WoO At a Glance: Junction Motor Speedway & Lakeside Speedway

WHAT
.The World of Outlaws make a stop in the Heartland on Friday, June 25 for an
inaugural event at Junction Motor Speedway in McCool Junction, Nebraska,
followed by a return to Lakeside Speedway in Kansas City, Kansas on
Saturday, June 26 for the first time since 2003. Joey Saldana used his sixth
win of the season on Sunday night to extend his lead in the World of Outlaws
championship standing to 56 markers over 20-time series champion Steve
Kinser and 75 over Jason Meyers, with Jason Sides fourth and Donny Schatz
fifth. The series has raced 10 times dating back to 1980 at Lakeside
Speedway with six different drivers picking up win. Steve Kinser is the only
driver currently competing full-time with the series that has won at the
half-mile.
WHEN
.On Friday, June 25 at Junction Motor Speedway the pit gates will open at 2
p.m. Central, with the grandstand gates opening at 4 p.m. Central and hot
laps are set for 6 p.m. Central with time trials to follow. Racing is set
for 7:30 p.m. Central.

.On Saturday, June 26 at Lakeside Speedway, the pit gates will open at 2
p.m. Central, with the grandstand gates opening at 4 p.m. Central and hot
laps are set for 6 p.m. Central with time trials to follow. Racing is set
for 7:30 Central.

WHERE
. Junction Motor Speedway is located in McCool Junction, Nebraska. Take I-80
to exit 353, then travel 5.6 miles south on U.S. 81.

. Lakeside Speedway is located in Kansas City, Kansas. Take I-435 to exit
18, then travel one mile northwest on State Road 5.

TICKETS
.On Friday, June 25 at Junction Motor Speedway, general admission tickets
will be $30 for adults in advance and $35 the day of the race, with general
admission tickets for children ages 6-12 $15, while kids five-under admitted
free of charge in the general admission section. Adult reserved tickets will
be $33 in advance and $35 the day of the race, with reserved tickets for
children ages 12-under $15 in advance and $15 the day of the race. Pit
combos are also available for advance purchase only for $38, which includes
a reserved ticket and a pit pass. For tickets call SLS Promotions at
815-344-2023 or the track at 402-773-5538 ext 539.

.On Saturday, June 26 at Lakeside Speedway, general admission tickets will
be $30 for adults in advance and $35 the day of the race, with general
admission tickets for children ages 6-12 $15, while kids five-under admitted
free of charge in the general admission section. Adult reserved tickets will
be $33 in advance and $35 the day of the race, with reserved tickets for
children ages 12-under $15 in advance and $15 the day of the race. Pit
combos are also available for advance purchase only for $38, which includes
a reserved ticket and a pit pass. For tickets call SLS Promotions at
815-344-2023 or the track at 913-299-2040.

ON THE INTERNET
.The World of Outlaws is at http://www.worldofoutlaws.com/sprint
. Junction Motor Speedway is at http://www.junctionmotorspeedway.com
.Lakeside Speedway is at http://www.lakesidespeedway.net
.DIRTVision & the Dirt Radio Network are at http://www.DIRTVision.com

ABOUT THE TRACKS
.Junction Motor Speedway is a semi-banked 3/8-mile oval. The track record of
14.340 seconds was established by Randy Hannagan on August 16, 2005

.Lakeside Speedway is a semi-banked half-mile oval. The track record of
13.916 seconds was established by Craig Dollansky on April 24, 2001.

PREVIOUS WINNERS
World of Outlaws A-Feature winners at Junction Motor Speedway include:
2010 will mark the World of Outlaws first appearance at Junction Motor
Speedway.

World of Outlaws A-Feature winners at Lakeside Speedway include:
2003- Daryn Pittman on June 21
2002 - Mark Kinser on April 24
2001 - Steve Kinser on April 24
1992 - Sammy Swindell on April 5
1991 - Sammy Swindell on November 10 (Non-Points)
1983 - Sammy Swindell on April 15
1981 - Doug Wolfgang on April 17, Doug Wolfgang on May 11, Doug Wolfgang on
September 11
1980 - Tim Green on April 18

Note- Races were run on pavement in 1991 and 1992

FEATURE WINNERS
. There have been 27 World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series A-Feature events
held in 2010. The winners include: Jason Meyers (The Dirt Track at Las Vegas
Motor Speedway, Thunderbowl Raceway, Volunteer Speedway, Tri-State (Okla.)
Speedway, Virginia Motor Speedway and I-96 Speedway), Joey Saldana
(Thunderbowl Raceway, Volunteer Speedway, I-55 Raceway, Eldora Speedway,
Dodge City Raceway Park and River Cities Speedway), Steve Kinser (Volusia
Speedway Park, Jackson Speedway and River Cities Speedway), Jac Haudenschild
(Paducah International Raceway and Knoxville Raceway), Donny Schatz (Volusia
Speedway Park and The Dirt Track at Charlotte), Jason Sides (Houston Raceway
Park and Tri-City Speedway), Craig Dollansky (Lone Star Speedway), Chad
Layton (Williams Grove Speedway), Paul McMahan (Eldora Speedway), Fred
Rahmer (Williams Grove Speedway), Sammy Swindell (Dodge City Raceway) and
Brooke Tatnell (Knoxville Raceway).

3/8-MILE WINNERS
. Junction Motor Speedway is a high-banked 3/8-mile oval. The World of
Outlaws have raced four times on a track that size this season. The winners
include: Jac Haudenschild (Paducah International Raceway), Jason Meyers
(Tri-State-Okla. Speedway), Joey Saldana (Dodge City Raceway Park) and Sammy
Swindell (Dodge City Raceway Park).

2010 World of Outlaws Championship Standings through June 20
Position Driver Pts. Difference Earnings Wins Top-5 Top-10
1. Joey Saldana 3804 $128,900 6 20 23
2. Steve Kinser 3748 -56 $94,250 3 18 25
3. Jason Meyers 3729 -75 $111,150 6 14 22
4. Jason Sides 3597 -207 $69,250 2 10 20
5. Donny Schatz 3586 -218 $71,400 2 11 19
6 Paul McMahan 3456 -348 $52,975 1 9 14
7. Lucas Wolfe 3436 -368 $51,575 0 8 14
8. Jac Haudenschild 3406 -398 $67,300 2 7 15
9. Danny Lasoski 3400 -404 $45,600 0 4 14
10. Kraig Kinser 3370 -434 $40,300 0 2 13
11. Craig Dollansky 3364 -440 $53,150 1 5 12
12. Sam Hafertepe Jr. 3135 -669 $32,200 0 1 5
13. Chad Kemenah 3105 -699 $29,020 0 1 5
14. Ben Gregg 2794 -1010 $18,155 0 0 1
15. Brian Ellenberger 2760 -1044 $17,060 0 0 1
16. Toni Lutar 2650 -1154 $15,025 0 0 1
17. Sammy Swindell 1954 -1850 $36,150 0 3 6
18. Tim Kaeding 1861 -1943 $24,880 1 6 9
19. Brad Sweet 1849 -1955 $35,050 0 3 7
20. Daryn Pitman 1827 -1977 $32,050 0 1 4

ASCS Midwest at I-90 Speedway on Friday

Lonnie Wheatley, TULSA, Okla. (June 21, 2010) - The Lucas Oil ASCS National
Series presented by K&N Filters annual stop at Hartford, South Dakota's I-90
Speedway is just around the corner.

The ASCS Midwest forces will get a sneak peak at the high-banked, 3/8-mile
clay oval event prior to the July 10 National card with this Friday night's
event at I-90 Speedway.

Friday's card at I-90 Speedway marks the first of three ASCS Midwest events
atop the Hartford, SD, clay, including the July 10 event with the National
contenders.

Currently ranked seventh in Lucas Oil ASCS National points, 20-year-old Jack
Dover of Springfield, NE, has been able to take in all the ASCS Midwest
slate as well and currently holds a 176-point advantage over Lutz in the
Midwest title chase.

Dover, who scored an ASCS Regional win at I-90 Speedway in August of 2008,
became the ASCS Midwest's first repeat winner of 2010 this past weekend by
racing to victory lane at Missouri's U.S. 36 Raceway for his second series
triumph of the year.

Lutz, a three-time ASCS Northern Plains points runner-up and fifth in last
year's Midwest points, topped the most recent ASCS event at I-90 Speedway
with his third career ASCS Regional victory last July.

Hot laps are set for 7:15 p.m. on Friday.

I-90 Speedway is located three miles west of Hartford, SD, on SR 38. For
more information, contact the track at 605-528-6380.

The ASCS Midwest Region is slated for 24 nights of competition in 2010 at
eleven different tracks throughout Nebraska and the surrounding areas of
Missouri, South Dakota and Iowa.

In its 19th year of sanctioning Sprint Car racing, the American Sprint Car
Series brings the best of Sprint Car racing to approximately 100 different
tracks throughout 30 states and Canada. Anchored by the Lucas Oil Sprint
Car Series presented by K&N Filters, ASCS also consists of ten different
Regions throughout the nation.

Past ASCS Regional Winners at I-90 Speedway:
7/24/09 - Eric Lutz
* 7/11/09 - Gary Wright
6/26/09 - Chad Humston
8/13/08 - Jack Dover
7/25/08 - Jake Peters
* 6/24/08 - Tony Bruce, Jr.
8/15/07 - Shane Stewart
7/27/07 - Chuck Swenson
* 6/19/07 - Jason Johnson
8/15/06 - Bryan Dobesh
7/18/06 - Chuck Swenson
6/13/06 - Jason Johnson
8/25/05 - Dusty Zomer

* - Denotes events held in conjunction with Lucas Oil ASCS National series.

Additional information regarding the American Sprint Car Series is available
at www.ascsracing.com .

Eagle June 19, 2010 Photos

Photos from this Saturday's racing at Eagle. I tried a few different things and will keep doing more of that as the season goes on.

Eagle June 19, 2010 Photos

It's about winning

Racing is better than soccer.

As if you didn’t think that already. But with all the World Cup buzz (that’s the annoying drone of vuvuzelas), I wanted to say why racing has one thing over the so-called “beautiful game.”

Now I’m not going to bash on the sport, it takes an incredible amount of physical ability to play. But there’s one thing that I can pick on, and it’s an accepted - sometimes even celebrated - part of the sport that I can’t stand.

The tie.

Ties are looked at as a success. Not quite as much as a win, but still...a successful outcome. The British and American fans and media were treating the 1-1 game this week as an achievement. The upstart Americans were almost able to beat mighty England, and that fact should be celebrated.

Seriously?!?! It’s a tie. Not better than, not worse. But not finished either. In racing, there’s only a tie when the eye or transponder, or clock, or whatever measuring device can’t resolve any finer detail. It’s the determination that “well, I can’t say who won...but I can’t say who lost, either.”

Vince Lombardi (after Red Sanders) stated “Winning isn’t everything, it’s the only thing.” The great coach clarified that later to make the same point I’m presenting: that while you can’t always win, you should be striving to win. Even if it’s only beating the guy in front of you.

But the soccer crowd seems content with ties. It doesn’t take “not losing” to know where you are in terms of progress. Nebraska lost to Texas in the Big 12 Championship last year (one second or not), but they knew they could play anyone without the score ending up 12-12.

Ties perpetuate the “good enough” culture we are slipping into. Showing up is enough. How often do you see that where you live, where you work? Where’s the incentive to improve, and if there’s no incentive, why bother watching?

Two great examples of “ties” that we all are aware of: North and South Korea. Same goes with Israel and Palestine.

I’m not saying “domination or nothing,” I’m not saying victory is the only thing, but improvement - no matter how incremental the goal - should be.

And it’s why I love racing. Whether you’re the champion and defending your title, or a starter looking to crack the top ten, it’s not enough just to be there. It’s fun, but there’s a goal.

It’s why we watch.

Dumpert Receives Fine and Suspension

From I-80 Speedway

GREENWOOD, NE (June 16,2010) NASCAR has suspended Cory Dumpert from racing till December 31, 2010. In addition to the NASCAR penalty I-80 Speedway has issued Cory Dumpert a $500 fine and a one year suspension ending June 16, 2011 with one year probation till June 16, 2012. Probation will include any on or off the track incidents occurring at the I-80 Speedway facility.

I-80 Speedway also has issued a $400 fine to Chad Sanders which I-80 will use the fine to increase the Pro Am purse the first week after the fine is paid. Once fine is paid we will pay $400 to Win in the following Pro-Am Feature Race, which Chad Sanders will not be eligible to win the $400.

You can read the story on WOWT's website. Link here

The Pace Lap - June 16, 2010

Despite all that went on this weekend, I'm not in a talking mood. See you next week.

Stava trading steering wheel for microphone at RevHoney Energy Belleville 100

BELLEVILLE, Kan. (June 15) - Officials have announced that Staci Stava will
be the pit announcer for the RevHoney Energy Belleville 100 set for July 2-4
at the historic Belleville High Banks in Belleville, Kan.

"I am excited and honored to be the pit announcer for the Belleville 100
this July," Stava said. "Racing has been in my blood for my whole life. I
have always wanted to give announcing a shot, therefore, to be able to be a
part of such an awesome and historical event is thrilling."

Stava was born and raised in Brainard, Neb., before moving to Lincoln where
she earned her degree in Elementary Education at the University of Nebraska
and is currently a third grade teacher.

"In my younger years I spent many nights with my parents driving across the
Midwest following the Busch Tour and weekly racing," she added. "I have also
traveled to many tracks across the United States to watch some of the best
drivers in the country, and I always aspired to race myself some day."

With much convincing of her mother, Stava raced go karts regionally from the
age of 10 until she was 15. Her father, Bob Stava, owned a modified which
was driven by Joe Kosiski drove at several special events including some
USMTS races.

With even more convincing, her dream of competitive driving came true in
2005 when she became the driver of her father's #53 modified. She currently
races every weekend at the Junction Motor Speedway in McCool Junction, Neb.

Earlier this year, she won her first NASCAR-sanctioned main event on April
17.

"I have made many good friends, learned a lot about the hard work and
dedication of racing and, most of all, have memories that will last a
lifetime."

Machine and driver will be tested in a contest never before witnessed at the
Belleville High Banks or anywhere across the fruited plain with the
inaugural running of the RevHoney Energy Belleville 100 on Friday, Saturday
and Sunday, July 2-4.

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

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

On Friday night, the Modifieds take on the Belleville High Banks with heat
races, "B" mains and a 40-lap "A" main carrying a $5,000 top prize and a
minimum $500 to start. The top-10 finishers will be locked into Saturday
night's thrilling finale. Saturday will feature another round of qualifying
events, followed by a 15-lap Non-Qualifiers "A" main with drivers racing for
$2,000 to win and $300 to start.

The thrilling conclusion will be the 60-lap championship "A" main with 30
cars starting three-wide on the big half-mile clay oval with $10,000
earmarked for the winner and a minimum of $1,000 for each of the starters.
The main event will see the race red-flagged on lap 30 for a 10-minue pit
stop that will take place on the front stretch in front of the grandstands.

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

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

Sunday will conclude the Fourth of July Holiday with a dazzling auto thrill
show and other entertainment suitable for a 100-year celebration of auto
racing, including the Pig 100 - a not-so-light-hearted special event
featuring real live pigs and a shot at $500 for one lucky participant.

The Sunday date is also being held in reserve as a rain date for Friday or
Saturday.

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

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

ASCS Midwest Regional Update 2010 - June 14, 2010

From Chuck Zitterich, ASCS Midwest

The Annual BUDWESIER SPRINT CAR SHOOT-OUT is here!
This Friday June 18
US36 Raceway, Cameron, MO
* Pits Open @ 4:00 * Racing @ 8:00 * (WOW co-sanctioned)

The 12th Annual I-90 SPRINT CAR NATIONALS is next up!
Friday June 25
I90 Speedway, Hartford, SD
* Pits Open @ 4:00 * Hot Laps @ 7:15 * Racing to follow
(Both events will be ASCS Midwest point events)

ASCS Midwest Region On-Deck:

Thurs. July 1st - McCool Junction, NE * $1500 to win (ASCS Midwest)
Fri. July 2nd - Greenwood, NE * $1500 to win (ASCS Midwest)
Sat. July 10th - Hartford, SD * $6000 to win (LUCAS OIL Nat'l & Midwest)
Sun. July 11th - Albion, NE * $3,000 to win (ASCS Midwest)
RR Tire - ASCS Spec Hoosier (16" Medium or Hard) - LR & fronts open
Mufflers are not required - minimum 1475 lbs w/driver
Race-ceivers are mandatory (Drivers must supply their own race-ceiver)

For complete ASCS National schedule: www.ascsracing.com
For complete ASCS Midwest schedule: www.ascs360.com

Eagle Raceway June 12, 2010 Photos

Night two of the Eagle Nationals.

Eagle June 12, 2010 Photos

Eagle Raceway June 11, 2010 Photos

A wild first night of the Eagle Nationals

Eagle June 11, 2010 Photos

OWH - Fire and rescue team key at Eagle

From Omaha.com

Friday and Saturday night it will once again be time for the annual Eagle Nationals. This year the Nationals will feature two complete shows for the American Sprint Car Series National Division. This highly competitive 360 cubic inch sprint car series should give fans some great racing action.

The best 360 sprint car drivers in the country will race at the track 12 miles east of Lincoln, including Brady Bacon, Shane Stewart, Jason Johnson, Tony Bruce Jr., Tim Crawley and Nebraska’s own Jack Dover, a young driver from Springfield. For more information, go to www.eagleraceway.com. Tony Bruce Jr. is not only driving in the event — he is also promoting it.

One thing is for sure when you compete at Eagle Raceway: Your safety is a high priority, and the track features a top-notch fire and rescue team.

Read the rest here

Journal Star - ASCS sprint drivers set to vie for Eagle Nationals crown

From the Lincoln Journal Star

As if there hasn't already been enough realignment talk over Nebraska's all-but-announced move from the Big 12 to Big Ten, we now bring you the 2010 Eagle Nationals.

Since 1984, Eagle Raceway's signature event has been sanctioned by a World of Outlaws series that's recognized for having the best 410 sprint car racers the sport has to offer.

But last September, almost immediately after winning the Nebraska Cup at Eagle, Liberal, Kan., driver Tony Bruce, Jr., who spent the 2007 and '08 seasons racing fulltime with the Outlaws, came to Eagle owner Roger Hadan with an idea about leasing the facility to run an American Sprint Car Series "National" points race.

Read the rest here

It's not a guideline, it's a deadline.

One of the things I really am a stickler about and how I judge a track is whether or not races start on time. And I'm picky about the whole program. Yes, the actual race time is the most important, but gate opening times, pit meeting and hot lap times are important as well as one usually depends on the proper execution of the former.

When I asked in this week's Pace Lap column what could be done to get fans out there to pay for your show, this is a good and easy place to start. And so often, it's neglected. Your customers' time is important, whether they're fans or not. Just because a person is a fan of the sport doesn't mean they've awarded you free reign over their time.

In this age of instant information, dual incomes, and increased pressures, scheduling has become not just a necessity, but a habit, a way of life. The digital clock has driven us to the minute, and the phrase "quarter 'til" is becoming as quaint as the term "record" when describing the new song by Lady Gaga.

Noticed how the times of major sporting events are given by the expected time of kickoff, tipoff or first pitch? Fans got tired of pre-game blabber taking place when the game was supposed to start. Now, the first 10, 15 minutes get their own listing in the guide, or...there is a minute or two max of pre-game chat.

Movies are the same way. A film starting at 7:20 starts at...7:20. Not 7:30, 7:45 or sometime before 8. If you have to blame it on our impatience as a society, then fine. But that's not changing anytime soon, and fans expect the goods when you say they're going to be delivered?

How much grief would ABC have caught if the finale of Lost started 14 minutes late?

There's another, larger and intangible effect of this. By not starting on time, you appear disorganized and inept. You appear cavalier and uncaring of the person's time and anything you have told the customer is worth less than Missouri saying "we are a proud member of the Big 12." (well, that is before June 11th)

If tracks want to have fewer problems with drivers, crews and fans questioning their calls on the track, do at least the favor of getting ONE thing, the most basic thing right, your start time.

It's hard to crack the whip, impose time and lap limits on classes when you can't "stage" on time and have lessened credibility. In this age of getting the show done quickly, why put yourself behind the eight ball from the get-go knowing that wrecks, lineup troubles and so on will add up quickly? I know there are problems that arise, but I see this happen at tracks greeted by fair skies and warm temperatures...no excuses.

If you want to build followers and advocates (I'll talk more about this) start by showing them that your word is bond, that you make the effort to meet the smallest of details.

These intangibles will reap you tangible benefits down the road.

- Jason

The Pace Lap - June 8, 2010

- One of the biggest events in Nebraska takes place this weekend at Eagle Raceway as the Eagle Nationals run for the first time without the World of Outlaws. In its place run the Lucas Oil ASCS Sprint Tour (the "national tour").

People have speculated as to the car count, looking at last year's count of over 50 at the Nebraska Cup as an indicator. Looking at the few national tour car counts, I'm guessing just south of 50 will make the trip. But, that's fine by me. It will probably be one of the most competitive fields to hit the track this season and a storyline of the locals defending their home turf should add to the drama. I'm looking forward to it - particularly Saturday night's $6K to win main event, with the always competitive IMCA Modifieds complementing the sprints and the compacts rounding out the action.

- The increased car count should be quite a turnaround from last week, when only 18 sprints took to the track, the lowest regular season count in over 10 years. Notably missing were Trevor Grossenbacher, who was in Mayetta, KS defending his NCRA point lead, and Tige Jensen, who had to agonize in the stands due to engine problems. Tige is expected to be back in action for this weekend.

- In other newsworthy bits, Brad Brown announced that sprint driver Mike Boston has abruptly parted company with car owner Rick Bowers. I have no idea of the particulars, but something had to be festering because two consecutive DNFs shouldn't have been the sole cause of breaking up a team that had dominated Eagle for the past two years. In a strange twist, Mike's son Jordan is expected to take over the driving duties. I don't see Mike being rideless for long, so anyone expecting a break is out of luck.

- Tadd Holliman broke an awful string of bad luck after coming back from a season ending injury last year. Holliman dominated the sprint A feature and took win number two for Rhoten Racing, following Stu Snyder's win last week.

- Once again, there were none of the traditional fireworks prior to the start of the A feature, but there were plenty later.  

The Sport Mod A feature started off with a fizzle, with 5 yellow flags before two laps were officially completed. It ended with a bang as Kevin Jochum threw sparks off the wall as he beat Gary Saathoff and Jesse Sobbing. One could cover the top three with a blanket as they came out of turn four, with Sobbing attempting a banzai slide coming out of four, but Jochum held on and kept it the straightest of the three to take the victory. Sobbing and Saathoff had words in the tech area regarding contact between them earlier in the race. Eagle officials wisely placed Jochum's machine between the two.

- More fireworks flew earlier in the sport compact division after the heat races as Mike Simpson "took issue" with one of the teenage drivers in the pits, resulting in several officials breaking up  a melee with other family members and other crews getting involved.

This is supposed to be fun and a learning experience, guys. Its my biggest beef with this class...some people take it WAY too seriously, especially considering several of the drivers have never driven on the road or don't have their driver's licenses yet.

Come on. Again, another reason why I think one's time in the compacts should be limited.    

- I 80 filled the stands with their free admission night, and a performance by the cheerleaders of the Omaha Beef football team. There seems to be an interest in racing, but what can be done to get them to  pay for it?

I've got a few more takes, but those will each get separate pieces. Until then, be safe.

- Jason

Eagle Nationals This Weekend for Lucas Oil ASCS

Lonnie Wheatley, TULSA, Okla. (June 7, 2010) – Tony Bruce, Jr., raced at Eagle Raceway’s Nebraska Cup last September and liked the racy, high-banked, 1/3-mile clay oval so much that he decided the storied Nebraska track needed its own ASCS National event.

That’s exactly what’s in store for the rabid race fans in Nebraska this coming weekend, as TBJ Promotions brings the Lucas Oil ASCS presented by K&N Filters to Eagle, Nebraska’s Eagle Raceway for the first time ever with this weekend’s Eagle Nationals on Friday and Saturday.

Two full nights of competition, both under the lights of the VERSUS and MavTV cameras for later broadcast, featuring 50 or so of the nation’s top Sprint Car drivers will unfold atop the Eagle clay, with Saturday night’s Eagle Nationals victor taking the $6,000 winner’s share.

Both nights of competition also award points toward the 2010 ASCS Midwest Regional championship as well.

Leading the way into the weekend is 20-year-old Broken Arrow, OK, competitor Brady Bacon, who will try to pull off a feat that has only happened once before in series history; extend a winning streak beyond three races.

After sweeping the Second Annual Steve King Memorial at the Jetmore Motorplex over Memorial Day Weekend for his initial pair of Lucas Oil ASCS National triumphs, Bacon added a third series win in a row this past Saturday night at I-30 Speedway.

Only once in the series 577 National feature events dating back to 1992 has a driver posted four or more consecutive wins, that taking place in 2005 when Gary Wright reeled off five triumphs in a row.

With his three race victory run along with finishes of second and third in another pair of events, Bacon has extended his lead in the series $60,000 point chase to 63 points over 2008 series champion Jason Johnson of Eunice, LA.

Racer/promoter Tony Bruce, Jr., of Liberal, KS, who topped last September’s Nebraska Cup after a spirited duel with Jesse Hockett, is just another ten points back in third, with defending Lucas Oil ASCS champion Shane Stewart of Bixby, OK, and three-time ASCS National champion Tim Crawley of Benton, AR, rounding out the current top five.

The balance of the current top ten in Lucas Oil ASCS National points includes Brodix Rookie of the Year contender Kyle Hirst of Loomis, CA, 20-year-old Jack Dover of Springfield, NE, Danny Wood of Norman, OK, 20-year-old rookie contender Matt Covington of Glenpool, OK, and Zach Chappell of Talala, OK.

While “The Texan”, Gary Wright is just outside the top ten after missing Saturday night’s feature at I-30 Speedway, other Lucas Oil ASCS title contenders that have made each of the six events thus far in 2010 include Ricky Logan (Little Rock, AR), Darren Long (Elida, OH), Travis Rilat (Forney, TX) and rookie contenders Dustin Morgan (Tulsa, OK), Channin Tankersley (Highlands, TX), Justyn Cox (Clarksburg, CA), Austen Wheatley (Lake Stevens, WA) and Andrew Marshala (Shawnee, OK).

While Eagle Raceway ace Jack Dover is ranked seventh in his second season of Lucas Oil ASCS National competition, he also holds the ASCS Midwest points lead entering the weekend with other top Midwest contenders including Billy Alley, Chad Humston, Ryan Humston, Jason Danley, Eric Lutz, Doug Lovegrove, Dylan Peterson, Toby Chapman and Gage Dorr.

Weekend passes for the Eagle Nationals featuring the Lucas Oil ASCS presented by K&N Filters National series are available for just $30, a savings of $5, by ordering from www.tbjpromotions.com prior to race day.

The Series:

Lucas Oil ASCS Sprint Car Series presented by K&N Filters

When & Where:

Friday night, June 11 at 7:00 p.m. – Eagle Raceway
Saturday night, June 12 at 7:00 p.m. – Eagle Raceway

Track Information:

Eagle Raceway (Eagle, NE) – 1/3-mile high-banked clay oval located off I-80 Exit 420, then 11 miles south to SR 63, then west. For more information, contact 402-238-2595 or check www.tbjpromotions.com.

Lucas Oil ASCS Eagle Raceway History:

This weekend’s Eagle Nationals marks the first time for the Lucas Oil ASCS National Sprint Cars to take to Eagle Raceway’s high-banked, 1/3-mile clay oval. It will mark the 110th track to host an ASCS National event since 1992 and the first ASCS National event in Nebraska since Brian Brown posted an I-80 Speedway win in August of 2005.

Current Lucas Oil Sprint Car Series presented by K&N Filters Points:

Top Twenty: 1. Brady Bacon (Broken Arrow, OK) 792, 2. Jason Johnson (Eunice, LA) 729, 3. Tony Bruce, Jr. (Liberal, KS) 719, 4. Shane Stewart (Bixby, OK) 713, 5. Tim Crawley (Benton, AR) 708, 6. Kyle Hirst (Loomis, CA) 660, 7. Jack Dover (Springfield, NE) 658, 8. Danny Wood (Norman, OK) 648, 9. Matt Covington (Glenpool, OK) 637, 10. Zach Chappell (Talala, OK) 621, 11. Ricky Logan (Little Rock, AR) 570, 12. Gary Wright (Hooks, TX) 569, 13. Darren Long (Elida, OH) 554, 14. Travis Rilat (Forney, TX) 547, 15. Dustin Morgan (Tulsa, OK) 503, 16. Johnny Herrera (Albuquerque, NM) 501, 17. Channin Tankersley (Highlands, TX) 499, 18. Justyn Cox (Clarksburg, CA) 483, 19. Austen Wheatley (Lake Stevens, WA) 457, 20. Andrew Marshala (Shawnee, OK) 433.

Brodix Rookie of the Year Points: 1. Kyle Hirst (Loomis, CA) 660, 2. Matt Covington (Glenpool, OK) 637, 3. Dustin Morgan (Tulsa, OK) 503, 4. Channin Tankersley (Highlands, TX) 499, 5. Justyn Cox (Clarksburg, CA) 483, 6. Austen Wheatley (Lake Stevens, WA) 457, 7. Andrew Marshala (Shawnee, OK) 433, 8. Joshua Hodges (Tijeras, NM) 350, 9. Don Young (Bartlett, TN) 325.

2010 Lucas Oil Sprint Car Feature Winners:

Brady Bacon 3, Zach Chappell 1, Matt Covington 1, Sammy Swindell 1.

Lucas Oil Sprint Cars presented by K&N Filters – A Look Ahead:

June 26 – Lake Ozark Speedway (Eldon, MO)
July 10 – I-90 Speedway (Hartford, SD)
July 16/17 – Grays Harbor Raceway (Elma, WA)
July 23/24 – Cottage Grove Speedway (Cottage Grove, OR)
July 30 – LA Raceway (La Monte, MO)

Lucas Oil Sprint Cars on the Web:

Those unable to catch all the action in person can listen to every Lucas Oil Sprint Car Series presented by K&N Filters live at www.racinboys.com.

Also, the Lucas Oil ASCS Show airs on www.racinboys.com each Tuesday night at 8:00 p.m. ET, recapping the previous week's events while also previewing upcoming action.

Official results, championship point updates, photos and race notes will be available at www.ascsracing.com.

Lucas Oil Sprint Cars on TV:

The Lucas Oil Sprint Car Series presented by K&N Filters will be featured in ten one-hour shows broadcast on a tape-delayed basis on the VERSUS Network and MavTV.

Events to be aired on VERSUS and MavTV include the following:

Event Date – Track (Location) – VERSUS Air Date & Time (All Times Eastern & Subject to Change):
March 19 – Devil's Bowl Speedway (Mesquite, TX) – 6/6/10 @ 6:00 p.m.
March 20 – Devil's Bowl Speedway (Mesquite, TX) – Rained Out
June 11 – Eagle Raceway (Eagle, NE) – 11/21/10 @ 4:00 p.m.
June 12 – Eagle Raceway (Eagle, NE) – 11/21/10 @ 5:00 p.m.
September 25 – Lucas Oil Speedway (Wheatland, MO) – 11/28/10 @ 6:00 p.m.
October 1 – Riverside Speedway (W. Memphis, AR) – TBD
October 2 – Riverside Speedway (W. Memphis, AR) – TBD
October 28 - I-30 Speedway (Little Rock, AR) – 12/5/10 @ 5:00 p.m.
October 29 – I-30 Speedway (Little Rock, AR) – 12/5/10 @ 6:00 p.m.
October 30 – I-30 Speedway (Little Rock, AR) – 12/19/10 @ 4:00 p.m.


The Lucas Oil Sprint Car Series presented by K&N Filters is currently slated for 36 nights of racing action at 18 different tracks throughout the nation, with the country's top Sprint Car drivers set to battle it out for their share of the $250,000 points fund.

In its 19th year of sanctioning Sprint Car racing, the American Sprint Car Series brings the best of Sprint Car racing to approximately 100 different tracks throughout 30 states and Canada. Anchored by the Lucas Oil Sprint Car Series presented by K&N Filters, ASCS also consists of ten different Regions throughout the nation.

Additional information regarding the American Sprint Car Series is available at www.ascsracing.com.

Eagle Raceway June 5, 2010 Photos

Not as much, but here's some photos from this weekend's action at Eagle. Ive gone back to how I used to present photos since the Zenphoto plugin I was using for my site was just too buggy.

Eventually, I'll try to move the archives.

Eagle June 5, 2010 Photos

The Pace Lap - June 4, 2010

- This week Rhonda Bryan announced that for personal reasons, she'll no longer be organizing the annual Kid's Day event at Eagle Raceway. The event, noted for the bike giveaway in which the track matches a portion of the donated total, has gained local and national renown and last year, set a record for most bikes given away with 354 total, despite a down economy.

This is not only a big event for the track, but a big one for Rhonda, Bernie and Nick Bryan personally. It must have taken a lot to let this go. Fortunately they have left this in very capable hands as Gary Dominguez will assume duties as event organizer this year. Gary is no stranger to getting racers together for a cause, as the founder of the annual Midwest Racers Autograph Day. Gary stepped back from organizing/managing duties a few years ago, but his close relationship with the track (he provides and drives the pace car) as well as his relationship with the racing community and local businesses is reassuring that this tradition's success will continue.

- Last week's ASCS Midwest races had a somber tone to them as fellow competitor Jesse Hockett died the previous Wednesday as the result of a freak accident while working on his trailer. Most drivers ran tribute stickers to Hockett, provided by I-80 track photographer Brandon Anderson. Some, including Brian Brown and Jack Dover, ran Hockett's #77 on their cars as a tribute.

But the most poignant moment came on Friday night at Junction Motor Speedway as Hockett's close friend Billy Alley led the A feature parade lap. Billy did Hockett's on-the-gas style of driving justice as he raced from 13th to finish fifth. Ryan Roberts scored his first career ASCS win with a dominating performance over Thursday night I-80 winner Shane Stewart.

- In contrast with the meat-locker-like temperatures the greeted the ASCS shows the last time they were here last week's shows saw beautiful clear skies and warm, upper 80's temperatures.

Each time I've been to Junction Motor Speedway, the track just seems like it will be a disaster initially as dust clouds during hotlaps usually besiege the racers. But in most cases, the track stays together pretty well as touches of water between events keep the surface racy. Friday night gave one of the better tracks I've seen this season and possibly the only real two-groove track I've seen this year. It was an excellent surface all night. Credit Delmar Friesen and crew.

Both nights featured plenty of passing, especially late in the race.

- From the food department, I will also give JMS credit. The $1.50 Fairbury Brand "big boy" hotdog is a heck of a deal. Some tracks are charging $2-2.50 for some human-flesh-colored, grade-S sausage. The JMS offering is a nice option to have for the budget-conscious fan.

- I only have one gripe: your posted start time is not a guideline, it's a deadline. I'll write more about that later.

The JMS show started nearly 45 minutes late. The nice track was probably the silver lining around that cloud, and I'm not sure but the delay may have been intentional to save the track but 45 minutes is 45 minutes. That's a lot of time. If you want to wait for the sun to go down, then start at 7:30. Yes, it was nice, it was Friday, but that show could've been finished by 10PM given the modest car counts in the support classes. But, it's the only issue I have and I really didn't notice it until after the checkers flew. The show was wrapped up by 11 and we were back in Lincoln before midnight.

- Trevor Grossenbacher is your current point leader in the NCRA Sprint Division. Trevor is expected to skip Saturday's show at Eagle and make the trip to the NCRA race in Mayetta, KS. I'll be curious to see how many other Eagle "regulars" make the relatively short trip south.

- Johnny Saathoff won the feature on the last lap last Saturday after coming from the B feature. Saathoff dazzled a crowd estimated at 8,000 as he dueled defending track champ Jordan Grabouski.

The huge crowd was thanks to a ticket giveaway promotion by Roger Hadan in which he distributed tickets to drivers (and not all of them). The experiment he tried last year seems to work.

- It's Fan & Driver Appreciation at I-80 this Sunday as the gates will be opened up for Free Admission. Last year's event saw a near capacity crowd and like Eagle, justified doing it again.

I'll talk more about free nights in an upcoming piece. I've covered it once...but this editorial will look at the value these promotions bring. Exposure is just one part.

That's enough for one sitting. Enjoy the races wherever you go this weekend!

Jason

Charlie Clark Memorial June 9th

From I-80 Speedway

Wednesday June 9th, 2010, I-80 Speedway will host the 2nd Annual Charlie
Clark Memorial Race Featuring BST IMCA Modified Tour, Non-Sanctioned
B-Mods/Sport Mods and IMCA Hobby Stocks. Both the IMCA Modifieds and Hobby
Stocks will be running for IMCA National points only, the 44 lap Modified A
Feature will pay $2022 to win.

Race Day Info: Races Start @ 7:30
Adults - $12, Juniors(6-15)-$5, Kids 5 & Under - FREE
Main Gates Open @ 6:00
Pit Gate Opens @ 4:00
Pit Passes - $30

All Pre Entries Must Be In By June 4th!

Free Admission at I-80 June 6

From I-80 Speedway

Sunday June 6th is Fan Appreciation Night!! Everyone gets into to the
Grandstands for FREE FREE!!
Meet the Omaha Beef players, Rumproasters and Prime Dancers.

Gates open at 4:30, Races start at 5:55

Performance by the Prime Dancers at intermission

Race card: NASCAR Late Models - NASCAR B Mods - NASCAR Pro Ams - NASCAR
Hornets - Figure 8 Races

www.i-80speedway.com

JMS 5-28-10 ASCS Photos

Photos from the May 28 ASCS show at Junction Motor Speedway are online.

JMS 5-28-10 Photos

Photos: ASCS @ I-80 May 27, 2010

Photos from Thursday's ASCS Midwest Show at I-80 are online.

I-80 ASCS 5-27-10 Photos

Jesse Hockett 1983-2010

From www.ascsracing.com

TULSA, Okla. (May 26, 2010) – The nation lost one of its most daring Sprint
Car drivers on Wednesday afternoon, as Jesse Hockett lost his life in an
accident in his Warsaw, MO, shop.

The 26-year-old suffered fatal injuries while working on an electrical box
in his trailer while prepping for a four-day Memorial Day weekend of racing
that was to include Thursday's USAC event at Terre Haute, weekly action near
home at Sedalia on Friday and then the Lucas Oil ASCS Sprint Car Series
Steve King Memorial at the Jetmore Motorplex on Saturday and Sunday.

The entire staff and families of the American Sprint Car Series along with
the entire racing community extend deepest sympathies to the family and
friends of Jesse Hockett at this time.

Details regarding services will be announced as they become available.

(photo: Jesse Hockett at the 2009 Nebraska Cup at Eagle Raceway, 9-12-09) 

Eagle Fan Appreciation With Winner Bonuses

From Eagle Raceway

The first Fan Appreciation Night of the season just got even better!

As an extra added incentive for drivers to conquer the competition, family and friends of the late Jake Ita contributed to the winner's share of the A Feature purse in ALL classes by 50%!!

The Monster IMCA Modifieds will pay $600 to win.
The Budweiser 360 Sprints will pay $1500 to win.
The Valentino's IMCA Hobby Stocks will pay $300 to win.
The Auto Trans Matic IMCA Sport Compacts will pay $90 to win.
And the NAPA IMCA Sport Modifieds will pay $375 to win.

Come out and enjoy a great Memorial Day weekend at "America's Home Track", Eagle Raceway. There will be entertainment both before and after the races.

The pits will be open from 3:30 until 5:00 so that fans can get pictures and autographs, and Ink Machine will be presenting "Tattoo Mania". There will be a tattoo contest, a tattoo artist dash, free t-shirt offers, tattoo discount coupons, designer displays and even "Show your tattoo" prizes.

Admission is only $5, with children 5 and under free.

More information at www.eagleraceway.com

Alphabet Soup May 30 at I-80

Yes it is time to put the soup on Sunday May 30th at I-80 Speedway!!! The Annual Alphabet Soup Race Featuring some the best drivers from MLRA/NCRA and around the area will be competing for the 2010 Soup Title and $5000 to win. Last years Soup winner John Anderson has all ready picked up a win at I-80 Speedway winning the MLRA spring Melt Down can he add back to back Soup wins to his trophy collection. IMCA Modifieds will also be competing for $1000 to win this year at the Soup the modifieds have been putting on some awesome racing action so far this year at I-80 Speedway.

Alphabet Soup Race Sunday May 30th
Racing at 5:55
Hot Laps at 5:30
Drivers Meeting at 5

Grandstand Tickets
Adults $20
Juniors (6-15) $8
Kids 5 & Under Free

Pit passes $30

Grandstands Gate open at 4:30
Pit Gate Opens at 3

For More Details www.i-80speedway.com 

The Pace Lap - May 25, 2010

I plan to make it a sprint car pre-weekend at I-80 on Thursday and JMS on Friday for two ASCS Midwest go-rounds. My Eagle streak will likely be broken this weekend as I plan to take Saturday off. A three day weekend keeps some peace at home.

- But I did hit Eagle again last Saturday. I broke out the shorts (shield your eyes from the whiteness) as the temps hovered around 90 and combined with 40+mph wind gusts, dried things out quickly. Some of the water dumped in the pits could've been put to better use on the track...but it wouldn't have mattered.

159 cars hit the speedway - the meat of the purse was covered for sure at the back gate with a nice crowd making for plenty of front gate gravy.

What the hell are you talking about, Jason? Maybe the week off is a good thing for you.

Anyway, the 24 sprinters were the most for a weekly points show this season. Enough in fact for a B feature. Regan Kitchen took a break from retirement to "help the car count" in Ryan's car and looked pretty decent to boot.

There have been a lot of rumblings about the sprint car count at Eagle. But consider this piece from Brad "IBRACN" Brown. In it he mentions that at some tracks, sprint counts are in the low teens, if they're even in the double digits! Even the Mecca of sprint car racing, Knoxville, IA is in the low 20's for 410's and the upper 20's/low 30 for 360s. So the fact that at least for the first 1/3 of the season, Eagle's been filling full A feature fields is a positive.

Some complained about the dust and I sympathize. But that's a lot of cars, starting half an hour earlier, in an increasingly warmer time of year and with the sun higher up to bake the track. Yeah, it was windy...but I feel that with these conditions, dry tracks may be the norm for the season. I don't mind a track that goes dry every so often. However, if you mind...prepare to get used to it.

The multiple spins, yellows and wrecks pushed the show to 4 1/2 hours, with a five minute break. The delays caused Eagle to postpone the Mini-Van race afterward. The track slicked up later (as expected), but wasn't as bad as it could've been for all those cars. The slick conditions led to a lot of spinouts, especially in the sport mod class, and later in the sprints. Jack Dover closed the distance to Stu Snyder after a late yellow flag in the sprint A. Despite nearly looping it and bicycling late in the race, he took the lead back from friend Stu Snyder to take the checkers and made it three out of the last four. It was a nice turn around for Jack as he suffered a nasty wreck the night before at Jackson, MN.

- "I always measured the success of a race by who finished second to me" was a line from Mario Andretti I read in this month's Motorsport magazine. The question is, does the level of competition they beat measure your opinion of a driver's abilities?

In the IMCA Modified division, Eagle promoter Roger Hadan remarked that according to IMCA, the program at Eagle is the toughest in the country. I haven't seen these figures, but it would be hard to argue. Shane Hiatt picked up his first career modified win holding off the likes of defending track champ Jordan Grabouski, last year's National Champion Dylan Smith and multi-time IMCA National Champ Johnny Saathoff. Hiatt drove solid, didn't flinch an inch and picked up a win he could be proud of on any night, even if it was his first.

For the entire season, there has yet to be a repeat winner in that division. I'll put the competitiveness and on-track action of Eagle's IMCA Modified program up against any program of any class in the country when it comes to quality.

- If you're a dirt track racing fan, and the schedule this weekend doesn't satisfy you, nothing will. You could go from Thursday to Sunday and hit a lot of great events and not visit the same track twice. If that isn't enough and the annual big-league racing lineup doesn't make you happy, then I don't know what can be done for you. Go watch some meaningless major league baseball game.

- This may be anathema to any hard core dirt track fan: sometimes I think this area of the country needs a short, paved oval. Yes, paved. Something different and something that could serve more purpose. Dirt tracks have limitations, with rainouts the obvious one. I just think it would add to the variety.

Don't freak out dirt fans - it won't happen.

- With that in mind, I'm planning to visit Motorsports Park Hastings for some event, whether it be karts or SCCA or...

- And, in that vein, if you wish to push wine and cheese racing to its limit, Formula One will be making a comeback to the U.S. in 2012 at a yet-to-be-constructed track near Austin, TX. Yes, there's a snob factor, but I like seeing the pinnacle of technology and the spectacle.

I think many agree that "big league" racing often forgets its short track cousins. Notice I didn't say "heritage." Like it or not and despite what NASCAR would like you to believe, auto racing was a rich man's game to begin with as only the rich had cars. Despite that, I think it's a good thing for the short trackers to get a taste of the big leagues, especially if only for ideas to bring home to the bullring.

ASCS Midwest Gets Jump Start on Memorial Day Weekend Racing Action

Lonnie Wheatley, TULSA, Okla. (May 24, 2010) - The American Sprint Car
Series Midwest Region gets a head start on the nation's Memorial Day holiday
weekend racing festivities with a pair of events in the Cornhusker State on
Thursday and Friday.

On Thursday night, the ASCS Midwest forces take to Nebraska Raceway Park's
I-80 Speedway near Greenwood, NE. Then, on Friday night, it's off to McCool
Junction's Junction Motor Speedway.

The ASCS Midwest Region opened its season at the same I-80 Speedway between
Lincoln and Omaha on April 16-17, with 21-year-old Dustin Morgan of Tulsa,
OK, and 20-year-old Jack Dover of Springfield, NE, splitting victory honors.

With a rained out Missouri weekend since that time, Dover still sits atop
the Midwest point charts with Gary Swenson's familiar No. 24a his Regional
ride.

Dover escaped the opening weekend of ASCS Midwest action atop the point
charts with a 28-point edge over Giltner, Nebraska's Chad Humston, who
scored three series wins last year.

Aurora, Nebraska's Ryan Roberts is third in points, with Morgan and Gregg
Bakker of Sioux Falls, SD, rounding out the current top five. The balance
of the current top ten in ASCS Midwest points includes two-time ASCS
Northern Plains champion Lee Grosz (Harwood, ND), Robby Wolfgang (Sioux
Falls, SD), Ryan Bickett (Ramona, SD), Billy Alley (Lincoln, NE) and Lou
Kennedy, Jr. (Winnipeg, Manitoba).

Humston claimed the first of his three 2009 ASCS Midwest wins in last year's
Thursday night Memorial Day weekend card at I-80 Speedway, while Lucas Oil
National champion Shane Stewart tuned up for the following Jetmore double
with a win at Junction Motor Speedway.

Thursday's card at I-80 Speedway goes green at 7:00 p.m., with Friday's
action at Junction Motor Speedway firing off at 7:00 p.m. as well.

Nebraska Raceway Park's I-80 Speedway is located in Greenwood, NE, between
Lincoln and Omaha off I-80 Exit 420, then 0.4 mile north on SR 63 then west.
For more information, contact the track at 402-944-2233.

Junction Motor Speedway is located 5.6 miles south of York, NE, off I-80
Exit 353 on US 81, then 0.3 miles west on CR 4. For more information,
contact the track at 402-773-5538.

The ASCS Midwest Region is slated for 23 nights of competition in 2010 at
ten different tracks throughout Nebraska and the surrounding areas of
Missouri, South Dakota and Iowa.

In its 19th year of sanctioning Sprint Car racing, the American Sprint Car
Series brings the best of Sprint Car racing to approximately 100 different
tracks throughout 30 states and Canada. Anchored by the Lucas Oil Sprint
Car Series presented by K&N Filters, ASCS also consists of ten different
Regions throughout the nation.

Past ASCS Regional Winners at I-80 Speedway:
4/17/10 - Jack Dover (Midwest)
4/16/10 - Dustin Morgan (Midwest)
7/2/09 - Brian Brown (Midwest)
5/21/09 - Chad Humston (Midwest)
4/11/09 - Jonathan Cornell (Midwest)
4/10/09 - Billy Alley (Midwest)
8/14/07 - Jack Dover (Midwest)
4/15/07 - Chuck Swenson (Midwest vs. Northern Plains)
4/14/07 - Brian Brown (Midwest vs. Northern Plains)
8/15/06 - Billy Alley (Midwest)
7/3/06 - Jake Peters (Midwest vs. Northern Plains)
4/8/06 - Brian Brown (Midwest vs. Northern Plains)
8/3/05 - Brian Brown (Midwest vs. National)
7/8/05 - Brian Brown (Midwest)
4/15/05 - Terry McCarl (Midwest)

Past ASCS Midwest Region Winners at Junction Motor Speedway:
5/22/09 - Shane Stewart
6/27/08 - Brian Brown
6/29/07 - Brian Brown
5/25/07 - Garry Lee Maier
6/30/06 - Brian Brown
5/26/06 - Jake Peters
5/27/05 - Jason Danley

Additional information regarding the American Sprint Car Series is available
at www.ascsracing.com

Eagle 5-22-10 Photos

50+ photos from last Saturday's racing. Enjoy.

Eagle 5-22-10 Photos

RevHoney Energy named title sponsor of Belleville 100

HADDAM, Kan. (May 21) - On July 4 it will have been 100 years ago that three
men raced around what is now known as the Belleville High Banks. To help
celebrate the centennial anniversary of auto racing at "The World's Fastest
Half-Mile Dirt Track" in Belleville, Kan., RevHoney Energy has signed on as
title sponsor of the Belleville 100 to energize thousands of race fans for
one stunning event.

Machine and driver will be tested in a contest never before witnessed at the
Belleville High Banks or anywhere across the fruited plain with the
inaugural running of the RevHoney Energy Belleville 100 on Friday, Saturday
and Sunday, July 2-4.

"We like to go to local events like this race because we get to see and meet
so many people from this area," said RevHoney CEO Nate Brown. "Our goal is
to give people more than what they ask for in return, and that is exactly
what our plan is for this show."

Headquartered in nearby Haddam, Kan., RevHoney, Inc., is a privately-held
honey company specializing in bringing an ancient food to the modern world
with its innovative packaging and marketing. RevHoney's message is clear:
restore the health of future generations by providing a food that is both
good for you and tastes good. By offering a better way to health and
convenient packaging, RevHoney is able to reach consumers in a way that has
never been done before.

RevHoney has two different products with the same result - good for you
energy. RevHoney will be showcasing their new energy drink that hits stores
this June, along with the popular U-Tubes which are already for sale at
select retail locations as well as the RevHoney website at www.revhoney.com.

RevHoney Energy Drinks are the first of their kind because they are the
first to be fully powered by honey. Hence, they are naturally good for you
and your body - all while giving you energy with no artificial ingredients

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

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

On Friday night, the Modifieds take on the Belleville High Banks with heat
races, "B" mains and a 40-lap "A" main carrying a $5,000 top prize and a
minimum $500 to start. The top-10 finishers will be locked into Saturday
night's thrilling finale. Saturday will feature another round of qualifying
events, followed by a 15-lap Non-Qualifiers "A" main with drivers racing for
$2,000 to win and $300 to start.

The thrilling conclusion will be the 60-lap championship "A" main with 30
cars starting three-wide on the big half-mile clay oval with $10,000
earmarked for the winner and a minimum of $1,000 for each of the starters.
The main event will see the race red-flagged on lap 30 for a 10-minue pit
stop that will take place on the front stretch in front of the grandstands.

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

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

Sunday will conclude the Fourth of July Holiday with a dazzling auto thrill
show and other entertainment suitable for a 100-year celebration of auto
racing, including the Pig 100 - a not-so-light-hearted special event
featuring real live pigs and a shot at $500 for one lucky participant.

The Sunday date is also being held in reserve as a rain date for Friday or
Saturday.

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

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

The Pace Lap - May 20, 2010

Another weekend out at Eagle (may be my last until June, but we'll see). This week the 10:30 barrier was cracked (with a few minutes head start), despite a longer intermission for the kid's candy grab, a nasty red wreck in the modified A feature and a red flag in the sprints.

- Standing with some Eagle officials before the show, Roger wheeled by on the "Big Wheel" water/pack truck and when the officials asked if there was anything they could do to help, Roger's response was "help me start on time." It seems that checkout processes are speeding up and things are getting a bit to normal. To aid in this, a hard time limit was put on for hot laps, and the hotlap sessions were started on time, but also closed promptly. After repeated announcements, teams started stepping up their pace, and a few late-skaters got left behind. Tracks are starting to get serious about this. I like it.

- The Sport Mods put on a better A feature, and Marty Steinbach rocketed out to two quick restarts to win the race handily. Some kvetching on the message boards ensued, but despite two persistent opinions to the contrary, the general tone was the starts were legal. For the record, having stood in turn three for that race, I agree with those who said the start was clean - it was legit and for as long as I've been at Eagle either sitting in the scorer's booth, or hearing the officials on the radio, that start will always be legit. I didn't hear a peep about that start over the radio.

If there's two things I know the officials watch for on restarts (and despite being the most visible official on the track, it's not just the flagman's call), it's this: brake-checking and guys getting out of line to get runs on the guy in front of them.

- In that vein, one thing I always take to the track for safety reasons and just to keep informed is a small, wide-band receiver radio. Yeah, it's a scanner...but a little different. Most scanners can only receive VHF signals and above. If all you're looking for is a NASCAR listening device you can take to the local track, go with a scanner. If you want to keep up on things but don't want to look like a total uber-nerd (just a minor one), I'd recommend one of these. What's nice is I can listen to not only the racetrack, but also the Raceceivers, the FM broadcast some tracks have and if I want, I can listen to the CB radios between push trucks and over-the-air radio broadcasts. They're pretty cool and in most cases no more expensive than a quality scanner, but fit in a pocket and are Mil-Spec rugged.

Sometimes a lot of the griping done on message boards could be alleviated if you heard what the officials talk about. There's usually more to the story.

- The Nebraska Auto Racing Hall of Fame announced its 2010 class, with lifetimes spanning the entire century. What made me feel old is that I remember when Wayne Lewis was very active on the local scene and Al Humphrey was at his peak.

- Combine this with the Eagle Raceway/Midwest Speedway reunion scheduled for June and people have a great opportunity to look at some interesting open-wheel racing history in this state. I think that these names get lost as the current crop of drivers seem to be hitting stride at younger ages and media platforms like the web, message boards, etc. make them more visible. But young drivers are nothing new - Mario Andretti raced the dirt tracks at 19 and raced in Italy at 13, AJ Foyt started his USAC Career at 21.

- One slightly related, borderline off-topic thing: in my April 19 piece I mentioned that I was really happy with the I-80 pit food, and some of that was as a result of being a little put off by Eagle's fare, at least the last time I was there. I have to say that lately I've been very content with Eagle's food in the pits - food was hot and fresh and the ladies at the counter are really nice. Granted - what does stuffing my maw have to do with racing? Well, it's part of the whole experience. For a lot of people, racing isn't all about what happens on the track.

That's really all I have for this week. Stay safe, everyone!

Nebraska Auto Racing Hall of Fame Names 2010 Inductees

LINCOLN, Neb. (May 12, 2010) -- The Nebraska Auto Racing Hall of Fame is
pleased to announce inductees for 2010. The event will honor Nebraskans with
an outstanding history of involvement in auto racing. The Induction Ceremony
will be held on Friday, October 15, at the Lincoln Firefighters Reception
Hall at 241 Victory Lane in Lincoln, NE.

Ticket information for the 2010 Nebraska Auto Racing Hall of Fame Induction
Ceremony will be available soon.

The 2010 Nebraska Auto Racing Hall of Fame inductees include Gene Barnett,
Lincoln, NE., Merwyn "Mert" Dunker, Fremont, NE., Bryon "Speed" Hinkley,
Elba, NE., Al Humphrey, Giltner, NE., Wayne Lewis, Lincoln, NE. and Bob
Woodhouse, Blair, NE.

Gene Barnett

Lincoln, Nebraska's Gene Barnett had a long and distinguished career in
motorsports. As a participant, he competed in county fair events around
central Nebraska prior to World War II. When racing started at Capitol Beach
in the early 1950s, Gene was invaluable working as a promoter, flagman, pit
steward, photographer and just about any other job that needed to get done.
Soon, Barnett's services were sought by other tracks throughout the region
as well. After Capitol Beach closed, his regular gig was Midwest Speedway in
north Lincoln, but he still helped with other facilities and also worked for
National Speedways, Inc.

Merwyn 'Mert' Dunker

Mert Dunker was born in Fremont, NE in 1937. Growing up, "stock" was never
good enough as he even customized his bicycle as a youth, and later became a
mechanical engineer. In 1957, his life changed after joining Omaha's
Roadstars Car Club and winning his first award for his custom '31 Ford
pickup. His career as a starter came from being in the right place at the
right time when the race promoter handed him the flags after the designated
starter failed to show. From there, he established himself with the NHRA,
flagging the starts across the country in the era before the now ubiquitous
"Christmas Tree" lights. In the meantime, Dunker established himself as a
top official on the show car circuit and is a noted collector of small scale
cars. Also a drag racer and writer, Dunker has done it all and continues
flagging old-timers races to this day.

Byron 'Speed' Hinkley

Like many Nebraskans of the time, this Elba native honed his mechanical
skills on the farm and cut his teeth on the dusty half- miles and fairground
tracks in Nebraska and Kansas in the late 1910s. Following his family to
California in 1920, Hinkley soon established himself on the 5/8 and
mile-long tracks of California, where he became one of the legendary Ascot
Speedway's early heroes, winning many races, and holding the track record
for an extended period. His last win came in 1931, a 60-lap contest at San
Jose. He passed away December 31, 1989 at the age of 91.

Al Humphrey

Born in 1953 and starting his racing career in the early 1970s, Humphrey
became a fixture of Midwest late model racing, showing up to take on and
beat the big boys, at times with just a skeleton pit crew and a modest
trailer. At his peak, Humphrey was the man to beat at Mid-Nebraska Speedway
where he won a total of five track championships. He took his winning ways
elsewhere, claiming track championships at Red Cloud's Speed Bowl,
Lexington, and I-80 Speedway. He won the inaugural Spec (now Super) Late
Model Racing series season championship in 2008. Humphrey is a life-long
Nebraskan and currently farms near Giltner, NE.

Wayne Lewis

Wayne Lewis was born in 1941 in Rulo, NE. He honed his mechanical skills on
the family farm as a youngster, then grew up to work full time as an auto
mechanic. In the early 1960s Lewis began building race engines and raced at
drag strips across the region. He gave up driving to concentrate on customer
engines, eventually setting up his own shop. Lewis' engines saw success on
the track, with his motors winning championships at Beatrice, Eagle and
Lincoln's Midwest Speedway. Wayne is currently a NHRA assistant tech
director and still works his magic at Lincoln's Speedway Motors.

Bob Woodhouse

A success on the track and in the business world, Woodhouse's early love
affair with the automobile led him to choose a career with Ford Motor
Company over teaching. The Montana native left Ford and ran a chain of
dealerships rooted in Blair, NE. Woodhouse began a successful SCCA career
behind the wheel in the 1970s, winning championships in regional and
divisional series. In 2006, at the age of 60, Woodhouse took a podium finish
in the SPEED World Challenge event at Sebring International Raceway, and
finished sixth in the driver standings while still running his dealerships
full time. His Woodhouse Performance team claimed three victories in the
SPEED World Challenge series with veteran driver Tommy Archer in 2008. He
now heads a group working to elevate the status of the SCCA Pro Racing World
Challenge.

The purpose of the Nebraska Auto Racing Hall of Fame is to perpetuate the
memory of these individuals who have brought lasting fame to the state of
Nebraska through their efforts in auto racing.

Nominees to the Nebraska Auto Racing Hall of Fame must have been a resident
of the state for at least two years and must be retired for at least four
years from the discipline for which they are being honored. Active
participants in the sport will be considered if they are at least 55 years
of age and have been with the sport for at least 30 years.

All candidates must have made positive contributions to the sport of auto
racing on a local and regional level and go on to some national prominence.
Anyone wishing to nominate a person to the Nebraska Auto Racing Hall of Fame
can do so by submitting the person's name, with a list of their
accomplishments in a short bio to: The Nebraska Auto Racing Hall of Fame,
Inc., 5527 S. 20th St., Lincoln, NE 68512. You can also call 402-421-2266,
or e-mail your nomination to Joe Orth at jorth@narhof.com

The Nebraska Auto Racing Hall of Fame is located inside the Museum of
American Speed at 340 Victory Lane on the Speedway Motors complex in
Lincoln, Neb.

The Museum of American Speed hours: May through September, two-hour guided
tours begin at 2 p.m., Monday through Friday. October through April,
two-hour guided tours begin at 2 p.m. every Friday. Admission is $10 to tour
the museum.

For more information about the Nebraska Auto Racing Hall of Fame please
visit www.narhof.com