Look back at a big weekend

I'm going to kick off a run of editorials here. Well, maybe a "few" more than a run. I'm starting with a look back at what was one of the biggest weekends for sprint car racing in Nebraska.

Unfortunately, the 9/11 tribute race at Butler County Motorplex got off to a wet start. I, along with several others read the message boards in disbelief when the track reported only recieving sprinkles after a line of storms went through the vicinity. But, upon arriving at the track the reports were true as we kicked up dust in the pits. The news wasn't good, as I and others stared at their smart-phones watching the impending storm moving closer. The sky darkened, drizzle, then a slow soaking rain fell on the track. BCM promoter Jacy Todd was adamant about outlasting the storm, but practicality set in and the race was postponed to Sunday afternoon.

The $5000 to win Nebraska Cup greeted 52 sprinters, with a stellar field. To give an idea of the competition: the A feature was stocked with at least 15 A feature winners/championship winners/series winners in 2009 that I could name off the top of my head. Despite the actual number being iffy - the fact that the field was packed with talent is not. Here's another tidbit, ASCS N. Plains (and soon Midwest) champion Jason Danley, four-time track champ Mike Boston, former ASCS 360 Nationals, Eagle and Knoxville track champ Billy Alley and ASCS National Tour winner and 2008 NE Cup champ Jack Dover all had to qualify through B features! Nobody "lucked" into the A.

What I love about 360's, especially the likes of Eagle and BCM is that a dry track doesn't mean lock-down to the bottom. The surface was very racy and the slide-fest back and forth battle between eventual winner Tony Bruce, Jr. and Jesse Hockett left fans agape at the action. There was plenty of action throughout the field. Like this, and this, and this, and...well, as Bruce said, "What a race, if anybody here didn't like that one, then you're not gonna like any kind of racing."

THIS event showcased what 360's are capable of on the short track and harkened back to the halcyon days of the early 2000's with 40 cars and a dozen feature winners. Yes Virgina, Santa can run a wing. More on this later.

Let it be known, I'm not just sprint-centric. The Modified feature, as it usually is at Eagle, was pretty darn good too.

Butler County didn't disappoint. A PERFECT day greeted fans and racers, a 180 from Friday. A somber tribute to 9/11 victims and first responders was brightened by the "Husker Copter" owned by Midwest Medical Transport bringing in the trophies, and a flyover by vintage aircraft. Twenty-nine strong sprints were on hand. A dry track remained racy with the sprint heats coming off without major incident.

Topless Modifieds were on hand for a $911 winner's share. I like today's IMCA Modified. But I wish they'd always run without the lid, though according to some, the setup is quite different.

Unfortunately, things were delayed after a NASTY crash in turn four when a chain of sport compacts crashed into a stopped car on the track. The wreckage took some time to clear up.

Kyle Berck took out most of the front runners at Eagle Saturday with a rare mistake, he made up for it by pulling away to take the modified feature.

The A once again, saw a dry but racy track. Much like Saturday the action was furious throughout. Chad Humston dueled pole-sitter Brian Brown briefly until establishing a comfortable lead. The show was watching Brown and Mike Boston put slide after slide on each other dueling for the runner up spot. Tony Bruce, Jr. had to qualify from the B but worked his way up the field and finished fifth.

It was some of the most intense action I'd witnessed all season.

Thumbs up:

- Roger Hadan and Jacy Todd, let's not forget: without their willingness to "go big" this weekend wouldn't have happened. Both were willing to take a risk.

- The Nebraska Cup committee, headed by Lori Dover who worked hard to generate interest in the two shows. A bounty of contingency prizes awaited drivers, many of whom came as a result of committee encouragement. The first "Miss Nebraska Cup" contest elicited huge response from the fans.

- The BCM tribute to the soldiers, fallen, and first-responders was very fitting and well done.

- The drivers and teams who decided to forgo races closer to home to make the trip up to Eagle and face the competition. Tony and Chad took the money, but the fans were the winners this week.

- Well, the fans - a late arriving crowd turned an iffy count into a respectable one at Eagle, with a solid group making the trip to the cornfields of Butler County on a Sunday night. Good attendance both nights.

- The quick-responding Butler County safety crew. They were quite literally, on top of every incident within seconds of it happening.

- Jason Danley - claiming the Midwest Region championship along with his Northern Plains title. What's impressive is that unlike a lot of "touring" series, the Midwest region had 13 of 15 scheduled events. That's a full season at some tracks.

- The push trucks. Getting a 52-car show rolling like it did is no small feat. BCM races were kicked off in no time. The bunch that pushes off in Nebraska is one of the best anywhere and they do it with only a handful of trucks.

- The decision to go topless with the Modifieds. I really like those things. Each track running mods needs to do it once. It's great to see the driver work.

- What can be done with good competition. I tire of criticism of winged sprint cars. Yes, you can get lock-down nights like the World of Outlaws. But, seeing what a strong field can do on a multi-groove track like this weekend and the earlier races at I-80 should remind fans what these are capable of, and they race like NO other class on dirt. It also confirms my preference for a dry track come feature time.

- Tony Bruce Jr. just seems like one of the most amiable, friendly but tough as nails behind the wheel kind of guys out there. Count me as a fan.

- Chad Humston and Mark Burch putting the Banana Wagon at the forefront of 360 racing again.

Thumbs down (oh come on, you expect me to be nothing but sunshine?):

- Unnecessary delays. The Miss NE Cup competition was the chunk of a 47-minute Eagle intermission. The 40+ minute Butler County break was unnecessarily long, especially since the show got started late and was started early due to the Sunday night reschedule. I understand the unforeseen delays with the opening ceremony, and the compact wreck afterward was certainly beyond control. But, the intermission was something that should have been cut given the circumstances - 10 minutes to water the track then get going. While listening to the radio I could tell 26 compacts in the A at Butler were too much and it seemed to overwhelm the scorers at times causing delays. Maybe I care too much about that stuff - but it's my site.

- Accusations of "fixing" the aforementioned pageant. The bellyaching afterward was just silly and doesn't merit any further comm....

- Sprint drivers demanding tow money. I'm sorry, but NO 360 driver merits tow money.