Looking back at this weekend part II - Eagle

So, once again Eagle dodged a bullet. It seemed a sure thing that rain would douse the speedway with radar showing a line of storms bearing down from the northwest. But, like two weeks prior, there was just enough of a break to limit the watering to only a few drops.

It was an eerie experience during hotlaps when the cold wind from thunderstorm outflow blew cottonwood spores onto the track, almost like snowflakes. Minutes later, the sun shone and the temperatures as well as the humidity shot up. Sweatshirt weather went to shorts and t-shirts in the span of a few laps of the sprint heats. Fortunately a thin crowd also increased as the temps rose.

As a photographer, it was tough shooting with the light changing so rapidly. But the wake of the thunderstorms left a beautiful sunset as the clouds parted. Though another thunderstorm developed nearby, again scattering some drops on the track, it amounted to nothing.

The racing? Oh yes...that. Two messy A features.

What I don't understand is why after they split up the fields and add more laps do the compact drivers still think that going four-wide, almost three rows deep is a good idea? The result, a pile of metal and plastic in turn three. Maybe part of the "learning" process needs to be knowing most races aren't won on the first lap and MAYBE part of the learning process means not making the main event when your driving leads to crashing out and having to suffer through a B feature.

Sprint equipment fared worse, with several torn up cars, including three winding up on their head and one if not on their head, torn up from front to back. Unfortunately, Brad Krutz left in an ambulance after the races were over for observation. A duel in the final laps saw Mark Pace duplicate his Eagle best second place finish, with Mike Boston taking home the honors - a fine recovery from his Knoxville suffering the night before.

I don't know if it's the tacky track, or ruts or....

The Hobby Stock A feature had its drama with Nick Beckman blowing a tire on the final lap and Justin Wulf creating a hail of sparks hitting the front stretch wall and nipping Jerry Keaton at the line.

Stacey Wilhelm's modified smoked just enough NOT to get black flagged and despite the oil light coming on with five laps to go, he held on for the win despite Chevy Hadan's feverish charge in those final five laps.

I fully admit to being a sprint car nut, that's what I grew up around. But I've developed an appreciation for the modifieds and their drivers - I enjoy watching the show and many of the die-hard open wheel fans have developed an appreciation for the skills. The class has a lot of maturity. Wheeling one of those around requires finesse. The Eagle mod group is usually a very friendly and down to earth bunch. Now when they have an off night and get ugly, they get really ugly. But when there's a good field of quality drivers and cars - the races can be phenomenal. Overall, I think they put on a great show and I enjoy photographing them too.