Promote Now (Long Post)

This editorial has sat on my laptop for months now in various and LONG forms. While I've done edits and notations, sometimes it's best to just start anew.

I've given some thought to this year and some of the things we saw during special events at local tracks. If there was any one common factor its that the crowds were disappointing in most examples. I said MOST, so save the “I was at...and the stands were packed” argument because the line at the beer stand was long. I went to most of the specials and if I didn't go I got photos of the crowds and real eyewitness accounts of others.

Of course the economy, most notably gas prices, took a bite out of most folks entertainment funds and the premium-priced ticket sales suffered as a result. Though the increases were small, per purchase, the totals add up quickly over time.

But lets go back to what a special event is, a one-time deal. To what extent is an increase of a Jackson's worth of dollars over the course of the year to one or two people? How many of you have spent that on a night out (and I'll bet you spent much more). If the trip wasn't too far, say maybe an hour or two, what is that in gas, really? Consider, if your car gets say 20 MPG and gas went up 1.50 over last year, then for an 80 mile round trip, you spent an additional 6 bucks.

What I'm getting at is that for ONE event, for the fan, the spike in gas prices adds up to a hot dog and a Coke. Even if it's an additional 10 bucks, what is that really? You don't have to be swimming in money to realize that 10 bucks over the course of the year is negligible. How much money did you spend on lottery/beer/fast food/expensive coffee/pay per view or any other non-necessities. That's not saying an Outlaw weekend isn't a lot of money, but compared to last year, it's not like that increase was more than a few bucks over last year.

Now, granted, I'm looking at that over the course of a year's time. 10, 20, maybe even 50 bucks this way or that ain't much to most people. Hell, how many scoffed at the Bush economic 'stimulus' plan's $600 check? If it's convenient for a political argument, I'm going to hold you to it.

However, why is the cost of this and that such a hot topic every time a sparse grandstand greets our special events? I think it's because the overall cost – a $20-30 ticket, concessions, and a fill of the tank is a noticeable and significant cost in the IMMEDIATE time frame. Throwing down $100-200 or more in such a SHORT time is noticed much more in the weekend time frame than it is over the year and such a significant amount grabs more of our attention and asks, “what are we paying this kind of money for?”

What's happened is fans are making the decision to attend these events in the short term – a “what to do this weekend” mentality. In that time frame, then yeah – 20 or 30 bucks is a big deal.

I can say this with authority from my time in the business of selling advanced tickets: The busiest times are within a week of the show. People made their decisions, their commitments in the immediate time frame. They're choosing whether or not to spend significant money in the short term.

How many of you budget that big vacation of yours to Florida, Colorado, Disneyland, or even Knoxville well in advance? Why? Because this is a big event, big destination and thus worth the budget.

Now what about the big Outlaws race, what about the Alphabet Soup, the...whatever? Not such a big deal compared to the other things, is it?

So, while other events are worthy of long term planning, and the increased financial commitment, these smaller events aren't worthy of the fan's commitment despite the overall lower cost.

What's happened is that these special events have decreased in significance. They don't demand the long-term planning a Florida vacation does. And when the significance decreases, the long term budgeting decreases, but the perceived expense in the short term is much greater to the consumer. They're looking at a $100 expense between pay periods, not over the course of the year. There's a big difference in the budget to the average consumer.

Promoters have to shift from sunday Sunday, SUNDAY! attitude to summer Summer SUMMER! -state of mentality. Events need to be of significance.

Listen to me now...RACING ALONE ISN'T ENOUGH OF A DRAW ANYMORE. NASCAR learned this a long time ago. That's why they flourished. Promoters have to start promoting these events LONG before the pathetic week before the race message board posts they are doing now.

If the big special makes or breaks their year, why are they promoting it for one or two weeks? If so much is riding on these shows, they demand the kind of effort from the promotion and organization arms of the racetrack.

So, what would I do?

1.Pre-sell tickets, at a significant discount and give incentive to buy early – but with enough time to “save up.” 2009 events need to be on sale before Christmas of 2008. Get the sanctioning body to firm up a date if needed. Book out the schedule, WORK with other tracks if needed. Pre-planning goes a long way and it often spares bad feelings between tracks. Reciprocate if need be.

2.Make the event an EVENT. Make it something that goes on not just on the track, but before and after. If you went on vacation and spent 2 or 3 hours actually doing the vacation activities, wouldn't you feel ripped off? Your 'speed week' should be a 'speed WEEK,' not a speed evening. Concerts, carshows, contests, something to fill the gaps. What about offering coupons or vouchers to the local waterpark, state park, and local attractions in an effort to bring out-of-town fans?

3.Promote that big show from the first race on through, and that last race should be promoting NEXT year's event. The worst thing is your fans saying “I didn't know they were running that...”

It's time to start encouraging your fans not only to plan, but put in their mind that they need to save for the big event. Hype it up, ramp it up and sell it up. It's good for you, it's good for your fans and good for the sport.

Beatrice Speedway 2009 Schedule

Budweiser IMCA Modifieds
Twin Rivers IMCA Sport Modifieds
Coors Light IMCA Hobby Stocks
JnJ Fabrication Sport Compacts
Risky's Factory Stocks

Hot laps will be at 6:45 with racing at 7:30

M=IMCA Modifieds, SM=Sport Modifieds, HS=IMCA Hobby Stocks,
SC=IMCA Sport Compacts, FS=Factory Stocks

March
19 - Spring Nationals Open Practice
20 - IMCA Sport Mods, IMCA Modifieds
21 - IMCA Sport Mods, IMCA Hobby Stocks, IMCA Modifieds
22 - IMCA Hobby Stocks, IMCA Sport Compacts, IMCA Modifieds

April
11 - WFR Car Show, Open Practice
17 - Season Opener SC,SM,FS,HS, M
24 - SC,SM,FS,HS,M

May
1 - No Racing (Relay For Life)
8 - SC,SM,FS,HS,M
15 - SC,SM,FS,HS,M
22 - SC,SM,FS,HS,M
29 - SC,SM,FS,HS,M

June
5 - SC,SM,FS,HS,M
12 - SC,SM,FS,HS,M
19 - SC,SM,FS,HS,M
26 - SC,SM,FS,HS,M

July
3 - SC,SM,FS,HS,M with fireworks to follow
10 - SC,SM,FS,HS,M
18 - FAIR RACE SM,HS,M
19 - EVE OF DESTRUCTION SC,FS,OVL
24 - SC,SM,FS,HS,M
31 - SC,SM,FS,HS,M

August
7 - SC,SM,FS,HS,M
14 - SC,SM,FS,HS,M
21 - SC,SM,FS,HS,M
28 - SEASON CHAMPIONSHIP SC,SM,FS,HS,M

October
8 - OCTOBERFEST OPEN PRACTICE
9 - SC,HS,SM,M
10 - FS,HS,SM,M

Eagle Raceway 2009 Schedule

Eagle Raceway posted their 2009 schedule recently:

All dates are tentative.

March

27- Open House Practice Night All Classes Welcome
Racing at: 7:00 pm

28- Ice Breaker Challenge featuring Championship Sprints, IMCA Modifieds,
IMCA Hobby Stocks
Hot Laps: 4:15 pm Racing at: 5:00 pm


April

18- Season Opener featuring Championship Sprints, IMCA Modifieds, IMCA
Hobby Stocks, IMCA Sport Compact
Hot Laps: 6:15 pm Racing at: 7:00 pm

25- Weekly Racing featuring Championship Sprints, IMCA Modifieds, IMCA
Hobby Stocks, IMCA Sport Compact
Hot Laps: 6:15 pm Racing at: 7:00 pm


May

2- Weekly Racing featuring Championship Sprints, IMCA Modifieds, IMCA
Hobby Stocks, IMCA Sport Compact
Hot Laps: 6:15 pm Racing at: 7:00 pm

9- Mothers Day Tribute featuring Championship Sprints, IMCA Modifieds,
IMCA Hobby Stocks, IMCA Sport Compact
Hot Laps: 6:15 pm Racing at: 7:00 pm

16- McDonalds Jr Fan Club Candy Dash featuring Championship Sprints, IMCA
Modifieds, IMCA Hobby Stocks, IMCA Sport Compact
Hot Laps: 6:15 pm Racing at: 7:00 pm

23- Family Appreciation Night featuring Championship Sprints, IMCA
Modifieds, IMCA Hobby Stocks, IMCA Sport Compact
Hot Laps: 6:15 pm Racing at: 7:00 pm

25- Bootleggers Run Race of Champions Tentative featuring , IMCA
Modifieds


30- Weekly Racing featuring Championship Sprints, IMCA Modifieds, IMCA
Hobby Stocks, IMCA Sport Compact
Hot Laps: 6:15 pm Racing at: 7:00 pm


June

6- Student Breakout Night featuring Championship Sprints, IMCA
Modifieds, IMCA Hobby Stocks, IMCA Sport Compact
Hot Laps: 6:15 pm Racing at: 7:00 pm

13- Fan With A Can Night featuring Championship Sprints, IMCA Modifieds,
IMCA Hobby Stocks, IMCA Sport Compact
Hot Laps: 6:15 pm Racing at: 7:00 pm

20- Fathers Day Tribute featuring Championship Sprints, IMCA Modifieds,
IMCA Hobby Stocks, IMCA Sport Compact
Hot Laps: 6:15 pm Racing at: 7:00 pm

27- Freedom Fest Fireworks Extravaganza featuring Championship Sprints,
IMCA Modifieds, IMCA Hobby Stocks, IMCA Sport Compact
Hot Laps: 6:15 pm Racing at: 7:00 pm


July

4- Eagle Nationals World of Outlaw Sprints featuring World of Outlaw
Sprints, Championship Sprints, IMCA Modifieds
Hot Laps: 6:00 pm Racing at: 7:00 pm

11- Christmas in July featuring Championship Sprints, IMCA Modifieds,
IMCA Hobby Stocks, IMCA Sport Compact
Hot Laps: 6:15 pm Racing at: 7:00 pm

18- Weekly Racing featuring Championship Sprints, IMCA Modifieds, IMCA
Hobby Stocks, IMCA Sport Compact
Hot Laps: 6:15 pm Racing at: 7:00 pm

25- Kids Bike Giveaway Night featuring Championship Sprints, IMCA
Modifieds, IMCA Hobby Stocks, IMCA Sport Compact
Hot Laps: 6:15 pm Racing at: 7:00 pm


August

1- Family Appreciation Night and Kids Bike Races featuring Championship
Sprints, IMCA Modifieds, IMCA Hobby Stocks, IMCA Sport Compact
Hot Laps: 6:15 pm Racing at: 7:00 pm

8- Scout Night and Kids Race Car Rides featuring Championship Sprints,
IMCA Modifieds, IMCA Hobby Stocks, IMCA Sport Compact
Hot Laps: 6:15 pm Racing at: 7:00 pm

15- Tentative Concert

22- McDonalds Jr Fan Club Night Money Dash featuring Championship
Sprints, IMCA Modifieds, IMCA Hobby Stocks, IMCA Sport Compact
Hot Laps: 6:15 pm Racing at: 7:00 pm

29- Season Finale featuring Championship Sprints, IMCA Modifieds, IMCA
Hobby Stocks, IMCA Sport Compact
Hot Laps: 6:15 pm Racing at: 7:00 pm


September

6- Nebraska Cup featuring Championship Sprints, IMCA Modifieds, IMCA
Hobby Stocks, IMCA Sport Compact
Hot Laps: 5:00 pm Racing at: 6:00 pm

Turkey Chase Kart Race

From Nebraska Raceway Park management:

The 3rd Annual Turkey Chase Indoor Dirt-Oval Go Kart Race takes in the
Lancaster Event Center November 28,29 & 30. Nothing to do and want to burn
off the turkey? Come on down and enjoy some hi-speed go-kart racing, fun for
the whole family. Tickets are only $10 adults and $5 kids 12 & under and $20
pit passes.

Eagle Raceway 3rd Annual Christmas Party & Banquet Information

From Eagle Raceway

3rd Annual Christmas Party

The 3rd Annual Christmas Party will be held on Sunday, December 14th in Eagle, NE at the One Eyed Dog Saloon in Eagle, NE at 2:00-5:00pm. This will be your opportunity to have the kids meet Speedy Claus at 3:00pm and purchase 2009 Season Passes.(Special price for season passes at Christmas Party...$10 off Adult or $5 off Youth)

All Kids will receive a free gift and picture with Santa

Drivers will be able to reserve their pit stalls and register car numbers. Everyone is invited to come enjoy the awesome buffet and enjoy the fun Christmas Spirit!

2008 Awards Banquet

The 2008 Awards Banquet will be held Saturday, January 3rd, 2009 at the Lancaster Event Center, 4100 N. 84th Street in Lincoln, NE.

Happy Hour starts at 5:00pm and Dinner at 6:00pm. Choice of Grilled Chicken Breast lightly seasoned or Hot Roast Beef Au Jus with roasted new potatoes, seasonal vegetable medley, fresh garden salad and dinner roll.

Awards and music entertainment following dinner. Trophies will be awarded to the top 10 in each division. This is an Awards Banquet, so please dress accordingly. (no jeans or t-shirts)

Tickets are $25 per person and must be ordered by Dec. 29th, 2008. To order tickets, please call the office at 402-238-2595. The November Newsletter will be sent shortly and it will also have an order form that you may send in with payment.

We wish you all a Happy Holiday!!

Butler County 2009 Payout Posted

Once again, Butler County Motorplex is getting a jump on the 2009 season. They've posted their payout on their track website.

2009 Thoughts

For all but the latest of runs down south or in sunnier climates, the racing season is long over for us. But with economic uncertainty turning into a calamity of late, there are questions for 2009.

Here's what we know, and what we don't know.

• Jacy Todd's continuing with the Friday show at Butler County in 2009, with all IMCA sanction and with a promised slate of sponsors. All accounts have shown steady improvement with Todd taking risks, including free back-gate admission offers, cutting directly into the track's core revenue stream. It's a gamble, but with times such as these, sitting on the fence isn't an option. I respect that and the willingness to give the experiment more than a year's time. Also, announcing the 2009 plans so early was another bold move. Again, I like the forward thinking.
• Right now, the plans for Eagle Raceway appear to be business as usual for 2009. The track has offered 2009 season pass packages, the annual Icebreaker Challenge will take place at the end of March and their annual banquet is on schedule for the first weekend of January. However, Roger Hadan may be looking at making some changes in the sprint division, as a questionnaire was sent to teams at the end of the season. In the questionnaire, Roger floated ideas such as rule changes in attempts to cut costs. In talking to Roger at the end of the season, three years of this have given him an idea of what does and doesn't work and that he has real numbers and not just hearsay accounts of how well a show did. My guess is the bottom line will have a larger influence on the 2009 schedule than in years past.
• I-80's been the hot pot of rumor activity the past couple of years with stories of business as usual, to reconfiguring the track, to the new home of the Nebraska Motorplex dragstrip (I've been emphatically told by people very close to the situation that this is a big "NO") The special events this year received positive reviews despite the weather-related setbacks of the first Alphabet Soup race and the overall weekly program seems to have gelled into a consistent show. The August Wingless/SLMR/Mod special was again one of my top three shows of the year. The banquet's in effect for January 7.
• Beatrice Speedway is commanding the most attention right now as they're moving their program to Friday nights. Toby Kruse has received positive reviews from racers and management. The idea of a Friday show has generated some controversy but in the eyes of the management, the competition from other Saturday tracks, NASCAR, Husker Football in the fall and local graduations in May suggests that the more open calendars of Friday might bring in more fans and racers. Friday's been a gamble of late with other tracks, but again staying the course may not be the best idea. As Einstein said, "the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results." For what it's worth, a late night on a Friday is less of a toll than a Sunday to me.
• Thayer County Speedway has a year of semi-monthly racing under their belts. No word on 2009 plans. Internet chatter is mixed and to me is nothing more than hearsay. The track has been quiet about next year but that can mean anything.
• Adams County Speedway in Iowa already has 2009 plans in place, with a new race director. In fact, they're mapping out plans this week (October 27-30) for their program.
• Shelby County Speedway is holding off announcing next years plans until the Nov. 8th awards banquet but any 2009 plans are a good sign.
• US 30 Speedway in Columbus seems to have found a Thursday night niche. No word yet on 2009 plans.
• Wavelink Raceway Park has their 2008 Season Banquet on Nov. 22. Other than that, no news but my feeling is a season banquet is usually a good sign things are coming back the following year.

All this leads me to believe that, in spite of gas dancing around the $4 mark last year and countless rainouts (think having your door locked during the busiest time of the year), racing around here weathered a heavy storm relatively intact. Regarding promoters that have remained tight-lipped, I'm not panicking - in most cases actually getting news for next year before Thanksgiving is news itself.

Now, would I care to make predictions? Let's just say in 2005 I threw out a prediction amongst my fellow Eagle Raceway employees that one track would fold up operations at the end of the season. Little did I realize it was Eagle! So, I hesitate predicting anything like that anymore.

But I can't resist. However, I'm going to be deliberately vague because I just don't know enough to make any specific predictions. That said, here's some guesses, hunches and "hell-I'll-just-throw-it-out theres":

1. Fewer specials. I've talked to two promoters, and reliable people who have promoter's ears. This is the most common theme. I think most are going to hunker down financially and not go for any big risks. Proven shows or ones with minimal exposure to risk will remain, but I see few new events on the horizon unless they don't require heavy risk or are co-promoted/leased.

1a. On the other hand maybe MORE specials, in lieu of weekly racing with the lease/co-promoting option. I see the Spec Late Model series as an offshoot of this theory as tracks don't need to lay out such a heavy purse payout every week.

2. Status quo in purses and prices. Again, in 'hunker down' mode, I don't see promoters upping purses. On the other hand I don't see promoters willing to jack up pit gate or front gate prices for fear of running off price-conscious customers.

3. Events outside of 'regular' racing held at the track. This one is a big hunch but I see some people willing to look at their track as an outdoor arena and schedule other events such as demo derbies, figure 8's, and other events with low overhead. Tracks are starting to do more of this already.

4. A continued itchy trigger finger on canceling shows due to weather. It's not rare anymore to see races being "colded" out, but this was the first year I saw forecasts of rain canceling shows - even with mild temperatures. I don't expect this to change. Canceling the show is the least of evils when your other choice is to get killed at the front gate.

5. But in the end - I think it's going to be business as usual. There may be fewer cars out there and maybe some classes get pruned away but overall I think the tracks are putting on decent programs.

This economy MAY have a slight upside. We've already seen people foregoing expensive vacations and activities and staying closer to home. What tracks need to remember is that a night of racing is still a relatively cheap night out. The promoter who recognizes this, gets the word out to value-conscious fans and delivers their promise could see some unexpected rewards in sour times.

With economy hurting budgets, NASCAR bans testing to save money

By Terry Blount
ESPN.com

HOMESTEAD, Fla. -- NASCAR will implement a no-testing policy next season in
order to save millions of dollars during a massive downturn in the U.S.
economy.

NASCAR officials met with teams' crew chiefs Friday morning at
Homestead-Miami Speedway to inform them of the change. The official
announcement is expected later today.

All tracks that have NASCAR events in the top three series -- Sprint Cup,
Nationwide and Camping World Trucks -- are expected to be included in the
testing ban.

The change also is expected to include Daytona International Speedway and
the traditional two weeks of test sessions in January before the '09 season
begins.

Rest of article: http://sports.espn.go.com/rpm/nascar/news/story?id=3702207

2008 Holiday Horsepower Drive

Modified driver Buddy Ray Jones and his wife Rachael are once again
organizing the Holiday Horsepower Drive for the Omaha Children's Hospital.

Last year raised over $25,000 in donated items.

Details are available here:

http://www.dirtdrivers.com/messageboard/messagedetail.asp?trackid=3&distype=
1&gid=&mmid=&mid=224702&pmid=224702
 

Lincoln Scores SCCA Solo Championships

By RICHARD PIERSOL/Lincoln Journal Star
Wednesday, Nov 12, 2008 - 12:12:54 pm CST
Lincoln has scored a win in motor sports.

More than a thousand drivers are expected to come to Lincoln for almost a week next September to compete in a national "autocross" championship meet on a concrete course west of the Lincoln Airport.

After calling Topeka, Kan., home for the last 14 years, the Tire Rack Solo National Championships will move to Lincoln next year, at the Lincoln Air Park site.

Read the rest here:

http://www.journalstar.com/news/business/doc491afb4c81d58287251908.txt

- - - - -

Jason: Credit Jeff Maul of the Lincoln Convention and Visitors bureau with helping with this big get. Jeff's a big race fan, a regular fixture at the Eagle Nationals and has many times recommended the short tracks of the area to visiting business and convention guests. This is good news for Lincoln and Midwest racing in general.

You want to talk cars? Try one THOUSAND competitors. According to the SCCA, this is the largest event of its kind in the world.

As I've already seen, somebody may cry foul and bring up the drag strip stalemate or ask why support can't be lent to the dirt tracks. Different situation, different place, different timing. Anything that will bring the motorsports spotlight to Lincoln and SE Nebraska where the show's contributions will be recognized and appreciated for its economic impact to the community is a good thing.

Good job to all!

NASCAR Faces Financial Woes

From The Washington Times:

A scuffling economy and the struggles of the auto sector have put a dent in
NASCAR's growth. In response, the racing body is aggressively looking for
ways to cut costs.

"It's very difficult. It's on our whole industry," NASCAR CEO Brian France
said. "And there are always some unfunded teams. Now, that's not anything
new. One of my goals and one of our goals is to have a system where you
don't need $26 million to put a competitive team forward. So that is one of
the things NASCAR has a lot of influence on and we're working all the time
to figure that out."

The rest of the article is here:

http://washingtontimes.com/news/2008/nov/12/nascar-seeks-fix-for-financial-w
oes/  

Advance Auto Parts Ends WoO Sponsorship

Nov 07, 2008

Concord, NC —

World Racing Group officials announced today that Advance Auto Parts will
not return as title sponsor of the World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series for
the 2009 season, nor will the company continue as the Official Auto Parts
Store of the World of Outlaws Late Model Series. Advance has reduced
advertising and marketing budgets for 2009 and realigned its business
priorities. Advance Auto Parts exercised an opt-out provision in the
three-year agreement.

"It is an unfortunate decision for the Series, our Promoters, Competitors
and all of the Team Members at Advance who worked so hard to make the
partnership the success that it was. The budget cuts came as a surprise to
us and are impacting other sports properties as well, but we remain
confident in the value of our Series and the sponsorship experience that we
delivered," said World Racing Group CMO Ben Geisler. "I would also like to
thank our fiercely loyal fans who so warmly welcomed Advance to our sport by
visiting their stores, participating in promotions and sending them messages
of support."

The marketing team at World Racing Group is in conversations with several
companies about replacing Advance as Title Sponsor of the World of Outlaws
Sprint Car Series and hope to make an announcement before the end of the
year.

World Racing Group CEO Brian Carter commented, "Advance was an important
partner, but just one of our partners. The World of Outlaws Sprint Car
Series will continue to be 'The Greatest Show On Dirt' and this announcement
will not affect our 2009 plans with respect to the series."

The World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series season will kick off the 2009 season
at Volusia Speedway Park as the headliner for the first week of the Alltel
DIRTcar Nationals by UNOH with single-day shows on February 6th, 7th and
8th. Visit www.volusiaspeedwaypark.com for ticket information.
 

Lewis to Retire

From 9 Racing:

LAGUNA BEACH, CA — After 29 years and 10 national championships, Steve Lewis is retiring from the USAC National Midget Championship Series.

“There are several factors contributing to my decision,” said Lewis. “I would like to devote my time and energy to help our son achieve his dream of becoming a professional race car driver. Also, as PERFORMANCE RACING INDUSTRY Trade Show and Magazine have grown over the years, my daily responsibilities are as demanding as ever. So, it just seemed like I had arrived at a point where I needed to close this wonderful chapter in my life.

“It has been a spectacular 29-year run for our team. It all began in the fall of 1979 when Stan Fox drove my first midget in a USAC National event at Ascot Park. The last race for the Nine Racing, Inc midget team will be the 68th running of the Thanksgiving Grand Prix at Toyota Speedway of Irwindale on November 27, 2008,” explained Lewis. “I’m glad I’ve lived so much of my life in racing. You’ll never meet a more extraordinary bunch of people than racers.”

“Entering USAC midget racing for the first time in 2006 as a partner with Steve Lewis’ Nine Racing organization was a great opportunity for Toyota,” said Gary Reed, vice president of Special Racing Projects for TRD, USA. “Steve and Nine Racing gave our new midget engine program immediate respectability right out of the box, and he and all the Nine Racing associates totally dedicated themselves to making sure that our Toyota midget engine debut was a success. We are extremely proud of the history we have made with Steve and the successes jointly shared by Nine Racing, Ed Pink Racing Engines and Toyota/TRD. Steve is a class act and one of the true gentlemen in our sport. We wish him the best of luck in the future and look forward to seeing Loretta and him at the track for many years to come.”

In addition to the 10 USAC National Midget Series championships; the Nine Racing team has logged over 130 feature wins in the famed #9, #19, and #91 midgets. Stan Fox, Tony Stewart, Kenny Irwin, Jr, Kasey Kahne, Jason Leffler, JJ Yeley, Mike Bliss, Stevie Reeves, Dave Darland--these are just some of the drivers who have earned wins in the famous #9 race cars of Nine Racing.

Lewis has been a lifetime midget fan from the age of 8 years old. He entered the business of auto racing when his friend Don Edmunds suggested the idea of owning and operating a midget race car. Edmunds built a four-bar AUTORESEARACH midget that was powered by an Autocraft VW engine, and this car made it’s debut at Ascot Park in the fall of 1979 with driver Stan Fox at the wheel. That night Stan finished fourth in the semi main, and that is how it all started.

Drivers earning championships for Nine Racing Inc have been: 1993 Stevie Reeves, 1995 Tony Stewart, 1996 Kenny Irwin Jr., 1998 Jason Leffler, 1999 Jason Leffler, 2000 Kasey Kahne, 2001 Dave Darland, 2002 Dave Darland, 2003 J.J. Yeley, 2004 Bobby East.

A variety of engines have powered Lewis-owned midgets through the years. In the beginning, it was VW AutoCraft engines, then there was a brief stint with Pontiac power. In 1992, the switch was made to Gaerte Engines and the 1993 and 1995 Champions were powered by Earl Gaerte’s creations. The Nine Racing team started using Ed Pink Fords in early 1996, and all the wins and championships through 2005 were with Ed Pink Ford power. In 2006, the Ed Pink Toyota midget engine made it’s debut at the 2006 Copper Classic in grand form with driver Dave Steele winning the race. From the late 1980s to 2004, Bob East managed the Nine Racing, Inc racing program. Under his watchful eye, numerous race wins occurred and midget driving champions were developed. Many of the Nine Racing, Inc drivers from this period went on to excel in upper level series.

Crew chief Kelly Drake will remain on board and will operate and manage the Brownsburg, Indiana Nine Racing, Inc shop facility. “Over the past three years, we have built and outfitted our shop to reflect the state of the art for grassroots racing endeavors, and we’ll develop a plan to fully utilize this asset,” stated Steve Lewis. The newly developed Nine Racing website will be kept current as well, and the “history portal” will be updated to include photographs and bios of all the drivers that drove the number 9 cars. “We have filing cabinets full of wonderful photographs and I feel it would be a fun project to get these photos out of the cabinets and onto the website for everyone see and enjoy,” exclaimed Lewis.

He also expressed his profound appreciation for the Nine Racing sponsors. “ASE and Oakley have been terrific. Other sponsors who played an important role in Nine Racing include such great racing brands as Eibach, Weld Wheel, Earl’s Performance Plumbing, Performance Friction and VHT,” said Lewis. “We have a great team of sponsors, and I want to thank them for their contributions.”

Michael Lewis, son of Loretta and Steve Lewis, is currently in his senior year of high school, and already has a long history in racing, including karting in Europe and America, Focus Midgets and quarter midgets. This year, Michael Lewis won the IKF Region 7 championship in the TaG Light class. Steve and Michael are currently working toward putting together a program in the Formula BMW Americas series for 2009.

Lewis’ company, Performance Racing Industry, organizes the largest racing trade show in the world, with its 21st edition to be held in Orlando this December. Approximately 1,400 companies exhibit, taking up 1,000,000 square feet, with 40,000 racing industry professionals attending from more than 50 countries. PRI magazine is the monthly business magazine for the worldwide racing marketplace.

“I started watching midget racing from the grandstands in the early 1950’s at the Orange Show Speedway in San Bernardino, California, and was captivated as a young boy with the excitement of watching midgets race on a tight, dusty dirt track. I have had the wonderful opportunity to be able to participate in a sport that I truly love. I have had rewarding experiences that I never could have dreamed of, made friends along the way that are truly special to me because of my involvement in this great sport. Now, it is time for me to head back to the grandstands, grab a hot dog and maybe even a beer and continue to watch the best drivers in the world race midgets on dusty dirt tracks as well as the high speed pavement tracks.”

For more information on the history of Nine Racing, go to www.nineracing.com.

I-80 Banquet Tickets available

From I-80 Speedway:

Get your tickets now! Tickets are only $25 per person and we are limited to
500 tickets. We look forward to seeing everyone there, and thanks again for
helping making the 2008 season a great season.

For tickets go to www.neracewaypark.com and download the ticket request form
and mail in with a check or you can call 402-342-3453 to order with a credit
card.

Thanks Donnie Jones

Dominguez proposing racing mentor program

From Gary Dominguez:

"I am thinking of a new concept to offer Local teenagers. It would involve
an interested teenager (with permission from his or her parents) being
mentored in the duties of working on a race team at Eagle Raceway. By being
mentored, the student would learn the importance of discipline,
responsibility, safety, and procedures.

"The racers of course would not make the mentee a crew chief right off the
bat, but would maybe start as a mud scraper etc. and work their way up to
whatever the racer would feel comfortable allowing him/her to do. Weekly
progress reports would be issued.

"In return, the racer would be helping to attract more outside interest in
racing by way of the mentee's family, friends, and influence, as well as
perhaps giving an opportunity for tomorrow's Kasey Kahnes to be exposed to
this family sport.

"I am looking for racers that would be willing to participate in a program
like this, and would like some input on it. Maybe I am all wet, but I think
it would be a good outlet for some of our young people to shape their
future."

Gary can be contacted via email at: gary.dominguez@woodsbros.com

Beatrice Moving to Friday Night

From Beatrice Speedway:

Beatrice Speedway announces that racing will be held on Friday night instead
of the traditional Saturday night, as done in the past.

"Beatrice Speedway accepts the challenge as we continue to meet the ever
changing demands of the racing industry," says President Roger Henrichs.
"After careful consideration, including meetings with Toby Kruse, Beatrice
Speedway Promoter, IMCA and interviewing racers and fans, our Board of
Directors felt the need to encourage greater nightly participation. Changing
our event program to Friday, seems to be a great way to accommodate those
drivers and fans who travel from track to track."

2009 Season will begin with Spring Nationals, March 19 - 20 - 21.
The regular racing season will run Fridays, April thru August, featuring
IMCA Modified; IMCA Sport Mods; IMCA Sport Compact; IMCA Hobby Stock and
Factory Stock classes.

Track progress, complete schedule and more information will be available on
our website, www.beatricespeedway.com or you may call Toby Kruse, Promoter.

On Video Replays...

While not racing related, this is a great example why video replays aren’t always foolproof for making rough driving and scoring calls no matter how many times you get to look at it. Add to the fact that an NFL game has the best equipment available.

Just something to think about.

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=3678394

Beatrice Speedway Hall of Fame Class of 2008 Inducted

From Beatrice Speedway Hall of Fame

First, the Hall of Fame Committee would like to say Thank You to the WFR for
allowing us to take a few moments for our 2008 Hall of Fame inductions.
Thank You for all of your help tonight and during the season.

Second, we would like to thank the Beatrice Speedway, the Fair Board, and
all of the officials. They have provided us with the space under the
grandstand for a display, and have been great to work with on the Hall of
Fame Night and Racer's Reunion events.

Lastly, we'd like to thank everyone who has supported the Hall of Fame
throughout the past several years. Whether it has been through donations,
time, or information, it has all been greatly appreciated and the Hall of
Fame couldn't be done without the support of the entire racing community.

This year, we will induct 2 new members into the Beatrice Speedway Hall of
Fame, representing the Class of 2008. Both inductees have a lot of
similarities.

Both inductees made their names as Drivers not only at Beatrice, but also at
several other area tracks in Nebraska. Both inductees also competed in the
same division at the Beatrice Speedway, representing the Late Model /
Sportsman division. And finally, both individuals competed in the same time
periods in Beatrice. In fact, they competed against each other for a period
of time.

LAVERN ALLEN - LINCOLN, NE

The first inductee always had one of the most easily recognizable cars at
the Beatrice Speedway in the late 70's and early 80's. His signature
stretched firebird body was always a fan favorite, while competing in the
Late Model and Sportsman divisions at Beatrice. His first, of many, wins at
Beatrice came in June of 1979.

He would go on to claim over a dozen A Feature wins and have 4 straight
years of Top 5 Championship finishes, all while competing against some of
the best Late Model/Sportsman series drivers in Nebraska. Competing against
current Hall of Fame inductees, such as Rex Nun, Joe Wade, Stu Vavra, and
Kenny Parde, he was a consistent, top 5 car every night, and a threat to win
as soon as he came through the gate. His win in June of 1982 would stop the
domination of 2 drivers, who had begun to run away with the division.

He was also known as a competitor who was willing to help others, if needed.
Whether it was giving advice to up-and-coming drivers just getting their
start, or someone needing help with setup ideas, he was always willing to
help.

We would like to honor our first inductee to the Beatrice Speedway Hall of
Fame's Class of 2008.

TIM SWANSON - BENNETT, NE

The second, and final member of the Class of 2008, retired from racing in
1996, after competing at the Beatrice Speedway off and on for 21 years. His
first Beatrice Speedway A feature win came on June 14, 1975 in the Late
Model division.

Competing against fellow Hall of Fame members: Rex Nun, Kenny Parde, Mike
Cecak, and Stu Vavra, he would gradually become a threat to win on any given
night. In 1978 he posted back to back wins. He would also claim several of
Beatrice's biggest races over the next several years - The Coors Cup, and
the NAPA challenge. He reached the peak of his Beatrice success in 1985,
winning 5 straight races to end the season, claiming the runner-up position
in the Late Model/Sportsman Championship standings. This would also include
winning the final Late Model/Sportsman division race to ever be held at
Beatrice.

Entering his 3rd decade of racing, he would again return to Beatrice, after
several years away, this time in the Pro-Am division. Multiple wins in each
of the next 3 years would follow. His knack for getting to the front,
contributed to his multiple top 10 Championship rankings as well.