Thank you from Mark Burch Motorsports

After Mark Burch Motorsports and Terry McCarl won Saturday's Ronald Laney Memorial King of 360's race at East Bay Raceway this past weekend, Mark wanted to send a thank you letter to the people that helped propel them to victory:

From Mark Burch Motorsports, Lincoln NE 1/30/06

First and foremost: Ronald Laney was a fierce competitor. I must admit I enjoyed his company off the track more than I did on it. That is only because he was one tough racer behind the wheel of a sprint car. He had an infectious smile, a big heart and is still sorely missed. It is an honor to win an event of this magnitude and we dedicate this win to his family and friends.

I want to thank everyone who has contributed to the success we enjoyed last weekend at the 360 Winter Nationals. The competition was unbelievable. There were 81 cars of which most of them were capable of winning the race. The deciding factor for us though, was the TMAC factor. Having a driver like Terry McCarl was the difference that separated us from the rest of the pack. Props go to Greg Wilson for running a clean race and being smart enough to hound us at the end – he never gave up. Tim Montgomery is always a factor and guys like Jason Sides, Gary Wright, Tim Shaffer, Danny Smith and Travis Rilat are great competitors as well. Jesse Hockett proved why they call him the “Rocket” and had me worried! It’s an honor to race with them all and a privilege to emerge as the champs.

All of our families, sponsors and manufacturers made it possible for us to succeed and I am going to list everyone I can think of. Thanks to: Terry, Lori, Austin and Carson McCarl; Mari, Parker and Sailor Burch; Daryl Burch; Keith & Shirley Sanmann, Marvin Brees, Steve Fitzpatrick, Tim, Tammy & Tally Engler, Brian and Alex “Wojo”; Tyler Vrba; Randy & Sheila Burnett, Dick Morgan, Wayne Lewis, Doug & Jeri Wolfgang, Phil & Vivian Beerhaulder, Jay & Kristi Eckley, Allan Holland, and Brian & Jean Schnee. Our Sponsors: Engler Machine & Tool, Big Game Tree Stands, Burnett Landscaping & Rock, Sheila Burnett Realty, Morgan Farms, Wolfweld Chassis, Weld Wheels, Huggins Cams, Pro Shocks, S & S Welding and Hawkeye’s Head Porting Service. Our Manufacturers: Manton Pushrods, Hoosier Tyres, Outlaw Disc Brakes, Harris Decals, VMAC Hubs, Birdcages and Tachs, KSE, Total Seal, Dyers Rods, JE Pistons, Franklin Rear Ends, Rosy’s Raceland, Fast Wings, Schoenfeld Headers, Barnes Pumps, Pro Pans, Brodix, CNC Blocks Northeast, Kings Cranks, Saldana Tanks and Radiators, Waterman Pumps, Superior Bearing, CV Products, ISKY and Conroy Pneu Control and some I am probably forgetting. We could not have done it without you!

Our motto is “The only way to have fun is to win. And, the only way to win is to have fun!” We had an awesome time, some very intense racing and a lot of fun. Although Ronald has passed on, his spirit lives on through the competition and sportsmanship of an event titled “The King of the 360’s”, an event that encompasses everything Ronald was about. Our team is humbled and proud to wear the 2006 title in his honor.

Sincerely, Mark Burch – 1m