Wednesday, January 31, 2007

Take the poll!

I've added this little freebie poll to the site. If it works out and doesn't generate a lot of crappy spam then I'm going to keep it. Otherwise, maybe I'll just fork over for the pay version.

Anyhow I plan on updating the poll a couple of times a month for the sake of entertainment. Enjoy!

WDRL Unveils 2007 "World Tour"

27 race nights in six Midwestern states make up action-packed series
schedule

By Tom Lathen
WORLD Dirt Racing League

(Gilman City, MO) The WORLD Dirt Racing League PolyDome Late Model Series
has unveiled its tentative 2007 schedule. This year's "WORLD Tour" consists
of 27 race nights in the states of Iowa, Nebraska, Kansas, Minnesota,
Wisconsin, and Illinois.

"Although it took a little longer than we anticipated to get things firmed
up, we are extremely pleased with this year's schedule," commented series
founder and President Jim Wilson. "Again this year, we have worked very hard
to, as much as possible, tie series events together to make things
manageable for our race teams, series officials, and fans."

Added Wilson, "We are looking forward to a very exciting 2007 season."

Four first-time venues, Dubuque Speedway in Dubuque, Iowa, Eagle Raceway
near Eagle, Nebraska, Highway 3 Raceway in Allison, Iowa, and Quad City
Raceway in East Moline, Illinois, are included on the 2007 slate of events.
Dubuque Speedway's exciting high-banked 3/8-mile oval will be the venue for
Simmons Promotions' annual "Rumble on the River" over Memorial Day weekend.
The two-night event will feature qualifying and a $2,000 to win Race of
Champions on Sunday night, May 27, with the following night, May 28,
featuring the $7,000 to win 100-lap "Rumble" feature event.

A 50-lap $5,000 to win event on Friday night, June 8, will be held at Eagle
Raceway's state-of-the-art 1/3-mile high-banked bullring
, with Highway 3
Raceway and Quad City Raceway hosting back-to-back events on Sunday and
Monday, September 2 and 3. Highway 3 Raceway is a semi-banked ½-mile oval,
with Quad City Raceway featuring a fan-friendly ¼-mile high- banked oval.
Another highlight of the 2007 schedule is the prestigious ninth-annual
"Masters" at Cedar Lake Speedway in New Richmond, Wisconsin. The two-night
event at the high-banked 3/8-mile facility will feature a $5,000 to win main
event on Friday, June 15, with a whopping $10,000 top prize on the line for
the following night's 50-lap marquee event.

Leading up the "Masters" are series events on June 13 and 14 at Red Cedar
Speedway in Menomonie, Wisconsin and Superior Speedway in Superior
Wisconsin, with a series event at Eagle Valley Speedway in Jim Falls,
Wisconsin scheduled for Sunday, July 17, directly following the annual west
central Wisconsin event.

Series drivers will make a second trip to the Badger state of Wisconsin on
Wednesday and Thursday, August 1 and 2 with back-to-back return visits to
Superior Speedway and Cedar Lake Speedway. Both venues will feature 50-lap
$5,000 to win main events, leading up to Cedar Lake's non-sanctioned USA
Nationals, scheduled for August 3-4.


The fabled Davenport Speedway in Davenport, Iowa will host the WDRL's
season-opener on Friday night, April 6, as well as the two-night curtain
closer on Friday and Saturday, October 5 and 6. The early October event will
consist of two complete series programs, with Friday night's 20-lap main
event paying $2,500 to the winner and Saturday night's 50-lap feature
offering a paycheck of $7,500 to the winner.

Three nights of racing are also scheduled at West Liberty Raceway in West
Liberty, Iowa this season. Series drivers will attack the Muscatine County
Fairgrounds ½-mile on Saturday, April 7 for a $5,000 to win event, with the
revival of the "Liberty 100" scheduled for Friday and Saturday, September 21
and 22. "Liberty 100" qualifying will be held on Friday night, with the
100-lap $7,000 to win feature event scheduled for the following night.
PolyDome Late Model Series drivers will invade "The Sprint Car Capitol of
the World," Knoxville Raceway on Friday, April 27, a night after the first
of two series appearances on the ½-mile at Freeport Raceway Park in
Freeport, Illinois. The second series event at Freeport is scheduled for
Wednesday night, August 8.

Lakeside Speedway in Kansas City, Kansas will again host the annual "Late
Model Showdown" on Friday and Saturday, September 28 and 29. The
back-to-back $3,000 and $5,000 to win events are scheduled to coincide with
the NASCAR Busch and Nextel Cup events at Kansas Speedway the same weekend.

Again this season, Deer Creek Speedway in Spring Valley, Minnesota will host
the annual "Labor Day Dual," featuring the open-wheeled Modifieds of the
United States Modified Touring Series on the same card with the WORLD Dirt
Racing League Late Models. The 50-lap WDRL feature event, set for Saturday
September 1, will pay $5,000 to the winner.

Series drivers will make their second consecutive appearance at Boone County
Raceway in Albion, Nebraska on Sunday July 22.
The $5,000 to win event on the
tight 3/8-mile semi-banked oval will be a part of the annual Boone County
Fair.


According to Wilson, additional series events may be added to this year's
WDRL schedule in the next few weeks.
"Although scheduling for 2007 is nearly complete, we still see this as a
'working' schedule," he stressed. "We are still talking with a couple of
promoters and hope to be able to find dates that will work for their
facilities as well as for the series."

2007 WORLD DIRT RACING LEAGUE "WORLD TOUR"

Fri. April 6 Davenport Speedway, Davenport IA - 40 Laps $5000
Sat. April 7 West Liberty Raceway, West Liberty IA - 50 Laps $5000
Thu. April 26 Freeport Raceway Park, Freeport IL - 40 Laps $5000
Fri. April 27 Knoxville Raceway, Knoxville IA - 40 Laps $5000
Sat. May 26 Echo Valley Speedway, West Union IA - 50 Laps $5000
Sun. May 27 Dubuque County Speedway, Dubuque IA - "Race of Champions" - 20
Laps $2000
Sun. May 28 Dubuque County Speedway, Dubuque IA - "Rumble by the River" -
100 Laps $7000
Fri. June 8 Eagle Raceway, Eagle Nebraska - 50 Laps $5000
Wed. June 13 Red Cedar Speedway, Menomonie WI - 50 Laps $5000
Thu. June 14 Superior Speedway, Superior Wisconsin - 50 Laps $5000
Fri. June 15 Cedar Lake Speedway, New Richmond WI - "The Masters" - 50 Laps
$5000
Sat. June 16 Cedar Lake Speedway, New Richmond WI - "The Masters" - 50 Laps
$10000
Sun. June 17 Eagle Valley Speedway, Jim Falls WI - 50 Laps $5000
Sat. July 21 TBA
Sun. July 22 Boone County Speedway, Albion NE - 50 Laps $5000
Wed. August 1 Superior Speedway, Superior WI - 50 Laps $5000
Thu. August 2 Cedar Lake Speedway, New Richmond WI - 50 Laps $5000
Wed. August 8 Freeport Raceway Park, Freeport IL - 40 Laps $5000
Sat. September 1 Deer Creek Speedway, Spring Valley MN - 50 Laps $5000
Sun. September 2 Highway 3 Raceway, Allison IA - 30 Laps $4000
Mon. September 3 Quad City Raceway, East Moline IL - 50 Laps $5000
Fri. September 21 West Liberty Raceway, West Liberty IA - "Liberty 100"
Qualifying
Sat. September 22 West Liberty Raceway, West Liberty IA - "Liberty 100" -
100 Laps $7000
Fri. September 28 Lakeside Speedway, Kansas City KS - 30 Laps $3000
Sat. September 29 Lakeside Speedway, Kansas City KS - 50 Laps $5000
Fri. October 5 Davenport Speedway, Davenport IA - 20 Laps $2500
Sat. October 6 Davenport Speedway, Davenport IA - 50 Laps $7500

Monday, January 29, 2007

Speed Bowl ready for new season

By Mike Hughes

RED CLOUD, NE—Promoters Don & Paula Bolt have announced the 2007 race schedule at The Speed Bowl in Red Cloud, NE. The Friday night weekly program starts on April 13 and runs thru August 24.

The new 4-cylinder ‘Young Guns’ division will join the IMCA Modifieds, IMCA Stock Cars, IMCA Hobby Stocks and Cruisers on the 3/8-mile oval. The Mod Lites will return twice this year, and the GOTRA (Good Ol’ Time Racers Association) also makes a return appearance.

The pit gate will open at 5:00 p.m., the grandstands at 6:00, with racing getting underway at 8:00.

For more information, contact the Bolts at (785) 678-2416 or (785) 678-8037.

2007 Schedule
April 13, 20, 27
May 4, 11, 18 (Mod Lites), 25
June 1, 8, 15 (GOTRA), 22, 29
July 6, 13, 20, 27 (Thunder Series)
August 3, 10, 17 (Mod Lites), 24

Thursday, January 25, 2007

Drag strip could pump $10 million into local economy

BY MATT OLBERDING / Lincoln Journal Star
Thursday, Jan 25, 2007 - 12:29:17 am CST

Imagine if Lincoln hosted two extra Nebraska football games every year.

That's the kind of economic impact a University of Nebraska-Lincoln study
says a proposed drag racing facility could have on Lincoln and Lancaster
County.

The study, by UNL's Bureau of Business Research, showed a drag racing center
like the one proposed north of Lincoln could bring nearly $10 million a year
in additional local spending and create 200 jobs paying a total of $3.5
million a year.

The study also said $6 million of that spending would benefit the state as a
whole, as would 120 of the jobs paying $2.1 million.

And those are conservative estimates, said Eric Thompson, the bureau's
director.

Using more liberal figures, the study concluded the local economic impact
could be as high as $23.2 million a year, with higher figures for employment
and earnings as well.

"We tried to be very careful and conservative with our estimate," he said.

Even using the conservative estimate, Thompson said, a track would have a
"big impact."

"Even as careful as we were, $10 million is a big impact year after year,"
he said.

The study estimated a track like the one motorsports entrepreneur Greg
Sanford is proposing would have 60 race dates a year with mostly local
events drawing 1,000 people per day and a couple of larger events drawing
8,000 people apiece.

Sanford said his proposed initial racing calendar would have 70-80 dates,
and he said most other tracks used as comparisons draw more spectators than
what was used in the study.

But he said he was OK with conservative estimates.

" I want to always underpromise and overgive," Sanford said.

Sanford, who commissioned the UNL study, has proposed building a
quarter-mile drag strip with initial seating for at least 5,000 people on
160 acres along U.S. 77 between Branched Oak and Davey Roads.

In application materials, he estimated attracting 500 to 1,750 participants
and spectators for local events and from about 3,500 to more than 20,000 for
regional and national events.

The proposal is on hold while a task force convened by the Lancaster County
Board looks at the pros and cons of putting a motorsports facility in the
county.

The group is expected to issue a report to the County Board by March 1.

Karen Kurbis, a member of the motorsports task force and an opponent of the
proposed location, said she didn't think the study was "being that
conservative."

Kurbis, who said she was speaking in her capacity as a concerned neighbor
and property owner and not as a task force member, said the numbers in the
report looked more like what might be generated five years down the road,
not right away.

"You don't start off playing Nebraska football on day one," she said. "You
build up to it."

Jeff Maul, executive director of the Lincoln Convention and Visitors Bureau
and another member of the task force, said he hadn't seen the report and
wouldn't feel comfortable commenting on it.

Link to article

Wednesday, January 24, 2007

Eagle Raceway adds IMCA Sport Compacts for 2007, Replacing Tuners

From Bill Martin, IMCA Public Relations 319 472-2201, x225

EAGLE, Neb. (Jan. 23) – Eagle Raceway adds another IMCA division to its Saturday night race programs for the sec­ond time in as many seasons, with Sport Compacts new to the show starting in 2007.The tuner class of 4-cylinder, front wheel drive cars which averaged 30 entries a night and drew 60 different entries over the course of the 2006 campaign will take the track as Sport Compacts this year.

“Rules for the two classes were basically the same,” promoter Roger Hadan said. “Right now, we’ve got about 80 of these cars registered for this season.”

Sport Compacts will race at Eagle in a Sunday, April 15 enduro set for two hours or 200 laps. Opening night for the new point season is April 21.

A fixture for sanctioned Modifieds since 1985, Eagle averaged 25 IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stocks in running that divi­sion the first time last year.

Hadan expects the Hobbies to average around 40 entries on Saturdays this season.Points races for the IMCA divisions continue through Aug. 25. Drivers competing five consecutive weeks at Eagle will get free admission to the pits when they tow in for the sixth straight weekly show.

Monday, January 22, 2007

Junction Motor Speedway will host 3rd Cornhusker Midget Challenge

Millstadt, IL – Junction Motor Speedway in McCool Junction, NE will be home to the 3rd Annual Cornhusker Midget Challenge hosted by the O’Reilly POWRi (Performance Open Wheel Racing, Inc) midget series as well as USAC and SMRS sanctioning bodies. The three midget organizations have come together to sanction the 3/8-mile dirt oval as a prelude to the Belleville Midget Nationals.

The first night of racing will be on Monday July 23, which will include qualifying, heats, semis and a 25 lap A-main. The top four competitors from Mondays A-main will be locked into the Tuesday July 24th A-Main. The balance of the field will start again on Tuesday with qualifying, heats, semis and finish with a 40 lap A-main.

“We are looking forward to having the top midget teams in the country compete at Junction Motor Speedway,” said Delmar Friesen, promoter of Junction Motor Speedway. “To have the opportunity to have POWRi champ Brad Kuhn, USAC Champ Jerry Coons Jr., and SMRS champ Brady Bacon who was last years JMS winner driving for Kasey Kahne as well as the Tony Stewart team competing all at one place will be phenomenal for our fans,” continued Friesen.

Following the races on Monday July 24th and Tuesday July 25th at JMS the race teams will head to 81 Speedway in Wichita, KS on Wednesday July 25th where USAC will host the O’Reilly POWRi and SMRS midget teams before taking Thursday off to regroup for the Belleville Midget Nationals.

For more information log on to www.powri.com, www.usacracing.com, or www.smrsmidgets.com

Saturday, January 20, 2007

Parker / Griffis Back in 2007 at Eagle Raceway.

Dennis Parker, owner of the #3 Sprint car at Eagle Raceway announced he'll be back in 2007 with Jeff Griffis behind the wheel again. They'll run Eagle Weekly with the exception of the non-wing shows.

If anyone in the E. Nebraska area or races at the tracks in E. Nebraska has some "silly season" news for me, let me know by email

Friday, January 19, 2007

Home region points given at special events for IMCA Modifieds, Stock Cars, Hobby Stocks

From Bill Martin, IMCA Public Relations

VINTON, Iowa (Jan. 19) – IMCA Modified, Stock Car and Hobby Stock driv­ers competing at approved special events around the country can take points earned at those races back to their home region this sea­son.

“Earning points at a cou­ple special events early or late in the season allows more drivers the opportunity to get closer to the 50 race cap we introduced for na­tional and regional points last year,” explained IMCA Vice President of Opera­tions Brett Root.

“Statistically, two thirds of our drivers race once a week,” he added. “If those drivers want the opportunity to race more often for points, our system should encourage that.”

The Ice Bowl at Tal­ladega Short Track was the first event on the list of designated specials. Home region points will also be given throughout the Winter Series at West Valley Speedway, at the Feb. 9-10 Mardi Gras Bash at Deep South Speed­way and at the Feb. 23-25 Ice Breaker at Abilene Speed­way.

“There are necessary reasons why we have had regional boundaries and 50 race caps in the past,” Root said. “But in certain instances those caps pe­nalize racers and sanctioned tracks and their special events, and we have to ad­dress those issues. We want IMCA drivers to attend spe­cial events whenever possible and the 50 race cap which we put into place last season addresses any racer who is attempting to gain an unfair advantage by simply racing more nights.”

IMCA will reserve the right to designate the spe­cials at which home region points are awarded to all drivers.

No out of region points will be awarded for travel­ing drivers competing at weekly sanctioned pro­grams.

Tuesday, January 16, 2007

Beatrice Speedway Hall of Fame now online

Posted by "Extreme Motorsports" on dirtdrivers.com

Our website is now up and running. Please remember, it is only in it's beginning stages. We have a lot more info to be added. We would like to also thank Scott and Ronda Wisdom for their work on it. Let us know what you think or if you have any ideas for other features. Thanks!www.beatricespeedwayhof.com

Monday, January 15, 2007

One year old!

Heartland Racenews.com launched today one year ago. I'm surprised I stuck it out this long.

I appreciate all your comments, good and bad as well as look for new ways to improve the site. In just one year, it's been a "cute little site" (according to one person) and it's grown to something that's widely read by many of the movers and shakers in racing media...as I know from my emails.

This year I'm looking to grow bigger and stretch my legs out a little more. I'm surprised by the amount of traffic even during the offseason, and much more during the regular season. The site is well over 1.2 million "hits" (though that's an antiquated measurement).

Maybe, just maybe there will be some Heartland RaceNews.com merchandise.

Again, thanks for all the readership and your support.

Friday, January 12, 2007

U.S. 30 Speedway Awards Presentation

US 30 Speedway will present awards on Saturday Jan. 20th in the Platte Center Auditorium, Platte Center, Ne. at 7:00 P. M. 2007 plans will be announced and trophies will be awarded to the top 14 Modified drivers, top 11 Hobby Stock drivers, top 5 Street Stock drivers, top 2 Hornet Drivers and 1 Limited Late Model driver. 21 drivers will receive Perfect Attendance Awards. It's FREE Admission. Bring your own beverages, food if desired, and a dancing partner. After the presentations, the flagman, Scott Ridenour will be the DJ for your entertainment. Everyone is invited.

Durst 6th in Chili Bowl Feature

From www.chilibowl.com

Ryan Durst of Lincoln won the 8th heat, was 3rd in A qualifier #4 and finished 6th in the A main Thursday night at the Chili Bowl midget nationals in Tulsa, OK.

Thursday, January 11, 2007

Wish list for 2007 (in no particular order, and by no means complete)

1. That promoters quit trying to compete with each other and start focusing on the entire sport as a whole. We're in a crunch for entertainment dollars and I can bet that $3/gallon gas will be visible again next summer.

2. I intend to go to more races outside my comfort zone since I'm getting a new car.
Anyone that can get me a deal on a NEW Honda CR-V, Mazda 5, Subaru Forester or Ford Escape/Mazda Tribute or something else...I'm all ears. BTW, my little '98 Saturn is for sale. It's a great work/school/second car.

3. I'm wanting to print my own pictures this coming year. I won't be using your generic Best Buy el-cheapo printer either. It will help me improve my pictures and get them, the way I want them printed and also get these done MUCH quicker than I've been in the past. To anyone who has suffered through my delays, I apologize. I've still got more pics to get out.

Next season I'm also going to 8x10's and larger only. The economics of 4x6's are such that I just can't make it worth my time. Despite what it costs per print, I also have to factor the fact that whether it be a 4x6 or 8x10, I still crop, sharpen, color manage , etc. Essentially with digital you can't drop off the film and have the machine do it for you. We're the photo lab now. I have to count the time involved. Yes, most photos are OK out of the camera - but I aim for better than that. I'm not looking to make money at this at all and my goal is to make fine pictures not get jollies off being able to get money. If it works for others, more power to them...but it seems like the ones who do it for a year get all gung-ho at the beginning of the year then fade away. I'm shooting for the website, but I can't afford to lose money just for the sake of an ego boost.

4. To get more info from race teams on what they've got going on. New sponsorships, cars, etc. Feel free to email me. I also want to do more interviews this year.

5. I'd love to see the World of Outlaws produce real marketing material to tracks. Since they continue rely on the promoter to market their product why not produce top-level product and a consistent brand identity? They have the ability to make high quality generic 15 & 30-second TV and radio spots, and announcers can just tag the date/time/ticket information at the end. They can supply complete print ad graphics that the newspaper just needs to add date/time/place info. With the Outdoor Channel's power they can produce some slick stuff.

Here's my feeling: the better promoters do, the more likely they will try to add shows or pay more sanctioning fees, instead of cutting shows like Eagle did. While were at it, why not have ASCS, WDRL, POWRi, USAC, etc. produce promo materials as well? In the current model, where the sanction bodies rely on sanction fees for income, and the promoter's money comes on tickets a promoters success translates directly to the sanctioning body's success.

6. I hope every race I go to starts within 5 minutes of the posted start time.

Yeah, good luck Jason.

Last year I went to two shows that started more than 30 minutes late, with no water truck breakdown, rain just before the show, long line at the pit gate etc. In other words, no excuse. If you did that at the movie theater, you'd have to call the cops because of the disturbance. While we're at it, no more 30+ minute intermissions either with the exception of a special event. If a track has its act together, 15-20 minutes is plenty of time to get beer/hot dogs/relieved, etc.

7. Also, I hope the back gate specials go away. Enough of the 4-5 hour, 6-class spinfests. Move things along. Promoters - don't be afraid to put your foot down when races run long. There's no reason A features should take an hour to run without red flags. Even then know when to call it a night. More fans than you think will appreciate it.

8. I want to get to Butler County Speedway again. The last time I was there was in May of 2003. I'd also like to go to Mid-Nebraska. That's where I spent my very early years.

9. I also need to get to Knoxville again. It's been far too long since I've been there. I won't admit how long.

That's it for now...

Do you realize we're only 2 months away from the start of racing around here?

Droud, Jr., Forbes in Chili Bowl Action

Full results at www.chilibowl.com

Don Droud Jr, Lincoln, NE: Winner of third heat, 9th in A qualifier #2, 13th
in A feature

Rik Forbes, Omaha, NE: 4th in Heat 2, 11th in A qualifier #1, 9th in B main
#2

Wednesday, January 10, 2007

Dover 9th, Love 11th in Chili Bowl B-Mains

Full results for the race here

Sprinfield, NE driver Trish Dover ran 3rd in the 9th heat of Tuesday's Chili Bowl pre-qualifier Tuesday night. Lincoln's Kellen Love ran fourth in the first heat.

Dover finished the night 5th in the first B main, with love coming home 11th in the second B main.

The top 15 from Tuesday's A feature qualify to compete in the Thursday and Friday qualifiers. The remainder from Tuesday will run in the early features on Saturday.

Drivers Honored at I-80 Banquet

By Jim Brennan

OMAHA, NE (January 6, 2007) – With over 500 people in attendance, I-80
Speedway at Nebraska Raceway Park honored the many deserving drivers who
participated in the Saturday & Sunday night NASCAR Weekly Series by Dodge
In 2006. The banquet was held at the American Legion Post #374 in Millard,
Nebraska.

The evening started with a speech from Clem Droste, the NASCAR
representative for the region. Joe Proctor emceed the event and gave a recap
of the 2006 season. Joe also gave thanks for the outstanding people that
help
In putting on the best weekly show in the Midwest. Joe Kosiski, representing
Land Developers Inc., the owners of Nebraska Raceway Park, had a short
Welcome address and thanked all those who supported I-80 during the 2006
Race season. He also addressed the upcoming season by asking for continued
Support and to put the fun back in racing.

The American Legion folks once again out did themselves with the fine
banquet
Buffet.

Proctor also mentioned the people we lost from the I-80 family in 2006
Larry
Protasky and Steve Light saying a few words about each and what they meant
to racing and their families.

Then it was time for the awards portion of the show starting Novice Hornet
class.
Nate Christensen, who had 8 feature wins in 2006.
In the Pro-Hornet class Lindsey Yost won the championship. Lindsey had no
feature wins in 2006, but her consistency in the top 5 and top 10 won her
the
Championship. She is moving up to the Crate Late Model class in 2007. The
Most Improved driver award went to Brandon Wergin; there was a tie for
Rookie of the Year between Corey Hutchison and Steve England; The Best
Appearing Car went to Will McConnell in his M & M's machine; The Most
Popular driver was
Lindsey Yost. The Best Appearing and Most Popular driver were voted on
during
the season by the fans.

Next up were the B-Mods and Harry Nixon was crowned Champion with 4 feature
wins. The Most Improved driver went to Nixon; Rookie of the Year was
Jim Hendricks Jr.; Best Appearing Car went to Nixon; Most Popular driver
was Daryl Weilage

The 305 Sprint Car drivers were honored next with Trish Dover receiveing the
Champions trophy over Matthew Stelzer by virtue of having more feature wins
then Stelzer. They were tied in points at 374. Trish had 4 feature wins and
Matthew 1. Trish and Matthew were Co-Rookies of the Year; the Best Appearing
Car award went to Michael Oliver and the Most Popular Driver was Trish
Dover.

Bill Leighton Jr. was the Crate Late Model Champion with 4 feature wins and
was the runner up in the NASCAR Division IV points; the Most Improved
Driver was Brad Soll; Soll was also the Rookie of the Year; the Best
Appearing Car award went to Ron Tex Jr.; and the Most Popular Driver was
Dave Livingston.

In the Hobby Stock Class Jesse Sobbing was the Point Champion with 6 feature
Wins under his belt. Sobbing also received the Most Improved Driver Award;
the
Rookie of the Year was Josh True; the Best Appearing Car went to Bob
Kracher; and the Most Popular Driver was Tom Myers.

Dave Doll was the Grand National point champion with 3 feature wins. The
Most Improved Driver award went to Harley Moen; the Rookie of the Year was
Kenny Edwards; Edwards also received the Best Appearing Car award; the Most
Popular Driver award went to Joey Bauer Jr.

Scotty Hartman was the Pro-am point champion. The Most Improved Driver
Award went to Chad Sanders; Rookie of the Year was Mike Gillespie; Best
Appearing Car went to Steve Peoples; Chad Sanders was the Most Popular
driver.

The Home Pride Pro-Modified Champion was Brian Foote. The Most Improved
Driver was Jeremiah Sillman; Rookie of the Year was Justin Clark; Best
Appearing Car went to Staci Stava; and the Most Popular Driver was Brian
Foote.

Bryant Goldsmith was the Super Late Model Point Champion in just his 2nd
year behind the wheel. Goldsmith also received the Rising Star Award. The
Most Improved Driver Award was a tie between Bill Leighton Jr. and Keith
Mander Jr;
Rookie of the Year was Jerry Warner; Best Appearing Car went to Keith Mander
Jr.; and the Most Popular Driver for the 2nd straight year was Scott "Mad
Dog"
Koskovich.

The ASCS 360 Sprint Car Midwest Region Awards were also handed out with
Toby Chapman taking the title. Rookie of the Year was Jack Dover, who
finished 2nd in points; Mark Pace was named the Most Improved Driver. Chad
Humston was the Hard Luck driver of the year.

There was a drawing for 2 Lincoln Electric Welders for a driver from each
night.
The winners were Ron Tex Jr. from the Saturday night show and Jerry Warner
from the Sunday night show.

Also season long Sponsors were recognized as well as Media Appreciation
Awards presented to local media reps. Lee Ackerman and Nick Rubek from the
Omaha World Herald; Steve Sigafoose from the Council Bluffs Non-Pareil;
The Lincoln Journal Stars reporters; Travis Justice at KMTV.

As the awards were wrapping up we received a surprise visit from Carl
Edwards,
who flew in from Charlotte on his private plane. He thanked the owners for
putting on a 1st rate show and giving his brother a chance to race. He also
said this was part of the dream he lived on his way up. He said himself and
Clint Bowyer enjoyed their appearance back in July.

Monday, January 08, 2007

Welcome

Welcome to Heartland Race News.com!


My name is Jason Orth, and I’m the editor, staff, and head bottlewasher of this new site. The goal of Heartland Race News is to provide a “one-stop” outlet for Southeastern Nebraska tracks, race teams, and sanctioning bodies to get information to fans. Along with that, I’ll include race reports, photos and commentary.


The goal is not to compete with some of the other websites on the net, but to complement them. You’ll find no message boards here and I don’t plan to install one anytime soon. Heartland Race News will focus on tracks in SE Nebraska, and the focus is not on any one class, but all classes of racing at those tracks: Sprints, Stocks, Karts, 4-Cylinders, Buses, whatever.


Much of the content will be reader-contributed. It’s free to send information, and I’m looking for any type of info you find interesting to race fans. Is there an upcoming race? Perhaps you want to congratulate a driver or a crew member? Maybe it’s a new sponsor for your track or car? We may even have a few interviews and rumors here and there. I’m looking for content that promotes racing, keeps people interested and the people and businesses that support it.


Heartland Race News wants to keep things thoughtful, positive, and promote racing in a time where our sport really needs it.


What’s my goal?


Well, if you thought it was making money, you’re kidding yourself. There isn’t a lot of money to be made here. But, what I want to do is get out and enjoy racing and do what I liked best, writing and taking photos. By doing this site, I stay informed of what’s going on and for the first time in about 20 years, don’t have to work at a track or on a car on a summer Saturday!


And who are you?


I’ve been around racetracks for nearly all of my 35 years on this Earth. I remember seeing late models at Mid-Continent (now Mid-Nebraska) Speedway when I was a little kid, then moving to Lincoln and watching the birth of the 360 Sprint class at Midwest Speedway and Eagle Raceway’s rise to one of the Midwest’s best tracks. From there my father, Dean Orth owned several sprint cars I had the privilege to work on: the #98 of Dennis Diekmann, to the Mike Cacak-piloted #30d, the “caution sign” Cliffs Notes #4A driven by Joe Wade and Ed Bowes, and various “BK” cars, the #4BK of Lonnie Jensen up to the #1BK driven by Don Droud, Jr. on the NCRA Outlaw Sprint tour in 1996.


In 1997 I went to the “third” side of the fence when my father and Craig Cormack took over Eagle Raceway. I started at the pit gate and moved on to scoring & lineups and writing press releases and race recaps. My dad left Eagle after the 1999 season, but I stayed on. In 2002 I became a full time employee at Eagle Raceway as the Assistant General Manager and PR Director. In 2004 I wrote releases and compiled points for the World of Outlaws Sprint series, while Craig was VP of Race Operations.


Craig Cormack closed Eagle Entertainment, LLC in 2005 and leased the track. From there, I decided that for once I would enjoy the races and get my Saturday nights back. So this year I’m going to pick and choose my races and do the part I enjoyed the most at Eagle Raceway, but didn’t always have time for.


The Format?


I’m going to work with a “blog” format. If you’ve been to hoseheads.com, you’ll see what I mean. A blog is a list of articles, sometimes the full text, or sometimes just summaries with links to the article. This format is a good way to keep current content on top and it’s easy for a one-man show to operate. If this grows enough, I may start an email list, an RSS feed and perhaps one day a print or PDF version. But for now we’ll keep it web-site based.


How often will you update?


I plan on updating as much as possible. Obviously during the race season updates will be more frequent, but my goal is at least 2-3 times a week during the season.


How do I get material posted?


Send me an email (the address and link is on the top right-hand corner of the page). I’ll take a look at it before posting. That said, not everything that gets emailed will automatically be posted. I don’t want to post unsubstantiated rumors, slams, or things not race-related. Giving a shoutout to your crew chief for making a great setup call is one thing, but telling us his dog had puppies is something else. Sending me information about the point leader getting DQ’ed is OK, but an anonymous email telling me that a dirty SOB is a cheater is not. Read the submission guidelines for details.

The obligatory disclaimer:

Heartland RaceNews.com accepts no liability for errors or delays provided by original or third-party sources. All material is copyright Heartland RaceNews.com unless otherwise noted. Material not copyrighted by Heartland RaceNews.com is used under the fair use guidelines of the U.S. Copyright Code and does not endorse, sponsor, or verify the content provided by third parties and leaves all liability to the originating presenter of the information.

Bottom line: it's up to you to check the dates, times, location, etc. I post what is presented for consumption. Mistakes, delays or problems may arise. It happens.


How can I place an ad?


I’m not going to post free classifieds, but if you want to buy ad space, send me an email and we’ll talk.


As always, if you have any comments or suggestions, please email me!


Jason

Thursday, January 04, 2007

Motor sports task force meets, sets priorities

BY MATT OLBERDING / Lincoln Journal Star

Thursday, Jan 04, 2007 - 12:16:37 am CST
Faced with having to issue a report in less than two months, a group tasked with evaluating motor sports possibilities in the county wasted no time getting down to business Wednesday.

With some members yet to be appointed, the motor sports task force met for the first time and charted a course for its very short future.

The nine voting members present Wednesday quickly decided the No. 1 issue should be whether there are places in the county big enough to accommodate a motor sports facility and meet all current and proposed county regulations. The group also named two other priorities: determining demand for motor sports facilities and looking at the potential economic, social and environmental concerns that would go with them.

The group needs to determine, “Where we’re going to have it ... Does it make sense ... And how we’re going to do it,” said Russ Bayer, a local businessman and task force chairman.

The members decided to form subcommittees to begin meeting next week to examine those three issues in more depth.

The group also decided it should look at several forms of motor sports and not limit itself to drag racing because there is a proposal to build a drag strip in northern Lancaster County.

Faced with making a controversial and unpopular decision on Greg Sanford’s plans for a drag strip along U.S. 77, the County Board put the proposal on hold and formed the task force.

“We have to kind of keep that in the back of our mind, (but) that’s not our issue,” said Convention and Visitors Bureau Executive Director Jeff Maul, an advisory member of the task force. “We need to look at motor sports as a whole.”

Bayer agreed.

The task force, which is slated to have 13 voting members and four advisory members, tentatively plans to meet again as a full group Jan. 24. It is expected to issue a report to the County Board by March 1, something Bayer acknowledged may be difficult.

“Certainly we’ll deliver something by March 1,” he said. “I’m not sure what it will be.”

JMS Banquet Feb. 3

The York Holiday Inn & Convention Center cordially invites you to the 2006 Junction Motor Speedway Awards Banquet on Saturday-February 3rd. The evening will start with a cash bar for Happy Hour from 5PM to 6PM. The meal will be held in the Holiday Inn Ball Room followed by a DVD presentation and digital photo review of ’06 racing action at JMS by Workman Photos, then the awards portion of the evening will commence. Cost per person is $20.00 for dinner and banquet attendance. There will be no tickets sold at the door.

Banquet tickets can be reserved by calling Barb at 402-773-5538 ext. 539 or by sending an e-mail request to; barb@junctionmotorspeedway.com.


The cut-off date to order tickets is Wednesday-January 24th. Checks and mail reservations can be sent to:

JMS Banquet Tickets
Junction Motor Speedway
PO Box 524
Sutton, NE 68979

Who: First 250 reservations
What: JMS Awards Banquet
When: Saturday-February 3rd
Where: York Holiday Inn and Convention Center
Why: Fun, Friends, Food, Door Prizes and Awards
Time: 5:00 Happy Hour
6:00 Dinner
7:00 Awards

Proper attire please. For those attending the banquet and wish to stay over for the night, the Holiday Inn is extending the JMS Racer rate. For room reservations, call the York Holiday Inn at 1-800-934-5495.
The Holiday Inn Hotel & Convention Center-
Experience the true meaning of the word "hospitality." Enjoy a fun-upbeat dining experience with a neighbor you know and love, Applebee's Neighborhood Grill and Bar. Even better, you will experience all this under one roof. This unique Applebee's is truly one of a kind, they serve a full menu for breakfast. While here, enjoy a dip in the heated indoor pool, workout in the fitness center and relax in a hot tub. Whether you are here on business, the Junction Motor Speedway Race Banquet or just want to check your email, they have a high-speed business center available. The business center is open 24/7 and is also equipped with a copier, scanner, fax and telephone.

www.HolidayInn.com
www.JunctionMotorSpeedway.com

Barb
402-773-5538 ext. 539
Junction Motor Speedway
PO Box 524
Sutton, Ne 68979

2007 Racers Racing Series (Sprint)

Several of these sprint car races are well within a reasonable drive from SE Nebraska (esp. Eagle's June 9 event). I've put them in bold.

From Bobby Gerould
HammerDown USA

Racer’s Racing Series 2007 schedule is set - By Bobby Gerould—Rocklin, CA. January 1, 2007.

The 60 races that will be points earning events in the 2007 Racer’s Racing Series were released today. The elite ‘RRS’ races represent what HammerDownUSA.com considers to be the ‘can’t miss’ races of 2007. The selected races were chosen based on total purse, media coverage, prestige, and quality of facility. The top 15 finishers in each feature will earn points towards the RRS championship.

2007 Racer’s Racing Series

1. Chili Bowl Midget Nationals – Tulsa Expo Center – Tulsa, OK. January 13, 2007.
2. Ronald Laney Memorial “King of the 360’s” – ASCS National Tour – East Bay Raceway Park – Tampa, FL. January 27, 2007
3. East Bay Raceway Park – Winter Nationals – Non Wing Sprint Cars – February 2, 2007.
4. East Bay Raceway Park – Winter Nationals – Winged 410 Sprint Cars – February 3, 2007.
5. USAC Silver Crown – Manzanita Speedway – Phoenix, AZ. – February 10, 2007.
6. World of Outlaws – Volusia Speedway – Barberville, FL. February 11, 2007
7. World of Outlaws – Manzanita Speedway – Phoenix, AZ. March 3, 2006
8. Mini Gold Cup – Silver Dollar Speedway – Chico, CA. – March 9, 2007.
9. World of Outlaws – I-55 Speedway – Pevely, MO. April 7, 2007.
10. World of Outlaws at Eldora Speedway – Rossburg, OH. April 14, 2007.
11. World of Outlaws – Knoxville Raceway – Knoxville, IA. April 28, 2007
12. World of Outlaws at Riverside International Speedway – West Memphis, AR. May 5, 2007.
13. World of Outlaws at Williams Grove – Mechanicsburg, PA. May 18, 2007
14. USAC Silver Crown – Indiana State Fairgrounds – Indianapolis, IN. May 25, 2007.
15. World of Outlaws at the DIRT Track at Lowe’s Motor Speedway – Concord, NC. May 25, 2007.
16. USAC National Midgets – Indianapolis Raceway Park – Indiana. May 26, 2007.
17. ASCS National Tour – Winged 360’s. Virginia Motor Speedway – Saluda, VA. – May 26, 2007.
18. World of Outlaws – Hagerstown Speedway – Hagerstown, MD. – May 26, 2007.
19. Little 500 – Non Wing Sprint Cars. Anderson Speedway, Anderson, IN. - May 26, 2007.
20. USAC Silver Crown – Terre Haute Action Track – Terre Haute, IN. – June 2, 2007.
21. World of Outlaws – Eldora Speedway – Rossburg, OH. – June 2, 2007
22. Eagle Raceway. World of Outlaws – Eagle, NE. June 9, 2007
23. Dirt Cup – Skagit Speedway – Alger, WA. – June 16, 2007.
24. World of Outlaws – Knoxville Raceway – Knoxville, IA. – June 16, 2007.
25. World of Outlaws at Dodge City – Dodge City, KS. - June 23, 2007. TV- ESPN2
26. Kevin Gobrecht Memorial – Lincoln Speedway – Hanover, PA. – June 30, 2007.
27. World of Outlaws at Red River Valley Speedway – W. Fargo, ND. – June 30, 2007 – TV ESPN2
28. Mitch Smith Memorial – Williams Grove Speedway – Mechanicsburg, PA. – July 6, 2007.
29. Chicagoland Speedway – Joliet, IL. World of Outlaws – July 6, 2007 – TV ESPN2
30. Night Before the Kings Royal – World of Outlaws – Eldora Speedway – Rossburg, OH July 13, 2007.
31. Kings Royal – Eldora Speedway – Rossburg, OH. July 14, 2007. TV – ESPN2
32. Silver Cup – Lernerville Speedway. Sarver, PA. July 17, 2007 – TV ESPN2
33. Williams Grove Summer Nationals. Williams Grove Speedway – Mechanicsburg, PA. July 21, 2007
34. K-C Raceway, Chillicothe, OH. World of Outlaws – July 28, 2007. TV – ESPN2
35. Belleville Midget Nationals – Belleville High Banks – Belleville, KS. - July 28, 2007
36. World of Outlaws – Beaver Dam, WI. – August 4, 2007
37. Knoxville 360 Nationals – Knoxville Raceway – Knoxville, IA. August 4, 2007.
38. Ultimate Challenge – Non Wing Sprint Cars. Southern Iowa Speedway – Oskaloosa, IA. – August 7, 2007.
39. Knoxville Nationals prelim #1. Knoxville Raceway – Knoxville, IA. August 8, 2007
40. Knoxville Nationals prelim #2. Knoxville Raceway – Knoxville, IA. August 9, 2007
41. Knoxville Nationals – Knoxville Raceway – Knoxville, IA. August 11, 2007.
42. USAC Silver Crown – Illinois State Fairgrounds. Springfield, IL. August 18, 2007.
43. World of Outlaws at Skagit Speedway – Alger, WA. - August 25, 2007
44. Fireman’s Midget Nationals – Angell Park Speedway – Sun Prairie, WI. – September 1, 2007.
45. Harvest Classic – Calistoga Speedway – Calistoga, CA. September 2, 2007
46. USAC Silver Crown – DuQuoin, IL. – September 2, 2007.
47. Gold Cup – Silver Dollar Speedway – Chico, CA. September 8, 2007
48. Four Crown Nationals – USAC National Midgets – Eldora Speedway, Rossburg, OH. September 22, 2007.
49. Four Crown Nationals – USAC National Non Wing Sprint Cars – Eldora Speedway, Rossburg, OH. September 22, 2007.
50. Williams Grove National Open. . Williams Grove Speedway – Mechanicsburg, PA. September 29, 2007
51. Princeton Speedway, Princeton, MN. – WoO – October 6, 2007
52. WoO at Manzanita Speedway – Phoenix, AZ. - October 13, 2007
53. WoO at Tulare – Thunderbowl Raceway – Tulare, CA. – Date TBA
54. Short Track Nationals – Winged 360’s. I-30 Speedway – Little Rock, AR. – October 27, 2007 - Many Eagle competitors have been making their way down to this race
55. Trophy Cup – Winged 360’s. Thunderbowl Raceway – Tulare, CA. – Date TBA.
56. World of Outlaws – “World Finals” – Lowe’s Motor Speedway Dirt Track – Concord, NC. November 3, 2007.
57. Perris Oval Nationals – Non Wing Sprint Cars. Perris Auto Speedway – Perris, CA. – November 3, 2007.
58. USAC National Midgets – Phoenix International Raceway – November 8, 2007.
59. Western World Championships – Non Wing Sprint Cars. Manzanita Speedway – November 10, 2007.
60. ASCS National Tour – Winged 360’s. East Bay Raceway Park – Tampa, FL. November 10, 2007.

Wednesday, January 03, 2007

I-80 adds four new series to Alphabet Soup pot

For more information contact:
Danielle Jensen, Media Director
(402) 342-3453

Greenwood, Nebraska (December 20, 2006)- Late model fans will once again be thrilled by one of the premier racing events in eastern Nebraska and western Iowa as four traveling series hit the dirt at I-80 Speedway on Sunday May 27, 2007 during the annual Alphabet Soup Race. Drivers from the Mid-America Racing Series (MARS), Midwest Latemodel Racing Association (MLRA), National Championship Racing Association (NCRA), and Colorado Late Model Association (CLMA) will join local Super Late Model favorites from I-80 Speedway for a chance to win $5,000.

"We're thrilled to have these four traveling series at our track for one of the most competitive races in the area," said Mac McSpeed, track spokesman. "They each have top notch drivers who are fiercely competitive and will provide an excellent show for racing fans."

Over 70 drivers competed in last year's 50 lap Alphabet Soup Race. Some of the drivers expected, but not confirmed are: MARS drivers Bill Frye, Terry Phillips, Steve Rushin, and Wendell Wallace; MLRA drivers Al Purkey, Alan Vaughn, David Turner and Jason Bodenhamer; NCRA drivers Kelly Boen, Billy Murphy, Steve Kempt, Delbert Smith and Brett LaFollette; CLMA drivers include John Kuchar, Dave Garmann and Terry Boushee; and Super Late Model local stars Kyle Berck, John Anderson, John Hampel and the Kosiski brothers.

Information concerning times and ticket prices will be released later.
I-80 Speedway is located off I-80 at exit 420 between Omaha and Lincoln and is part of the Nebraska Raceway Park complex, which also includes the Little Sunset Speedway go-kart track and Soaring Edge Motocross Park. The Speedway hosts events from April through September. For track information call the Omaha General Office during normal business hours Monday thru Friday, 9am-5pm at 402-342-3453 or check out the official I-80 Speedway website at www.neracewaypark.com .

Tuesday, January 02, 2007

Midwest Motorsports Promoting Sponsorship Seminar

From Gary Dominguez, Midwest Motorsports Promoting

Midwest Motorsports Promoting has tentatively scheduled another Sponsorship Seminar for Saturday, January 27, 2007 at Uncle Ron’s Wild West Saloon at 11AM .

This seminar will offer guidelines, valuable information and materials on obtaining, and maintaining sponsors for your racing machine. It will last from 2-3 hours, and burger/brat buffet lunch will be provided. Cost of this seminar is $10 per person to cover materials and lunch.

Those of you that would like to attend, please visit my website at Sponsorship Seminar
and click on the red sponsorship seminar icon on the left side of the screen.

All checks and money orders must be mailed by January 23, 2007, and are non-refundable, so make sure you and your guests are planning on coming.

Mail checks to:
Midwest Motorsports Promoting
3213 Vine St.Lincoln NE 68503

This seminar is open to all tracks and classes,. With the rising costs of putting a car on the track, do you think $10 is a wise investment? You be the judge.Please e-mail questions to Gary Dominguez: gary.dominguez@woodsbros.com