What's up

Baby and work are taking priority now. But, I've got some notes scribbled in between naps and looking to update soon.

I've got some 2010 thoughts and a wish list for the 2011 season on deck.

In the meantime go vote in the sprint car poll --->

WRP Sold - Racing Operations to Cease

We just wanted to let you all know of the pending sale of WRP. We have accepted an offer on the property and are expecting to close the sale in mid January. The intention of the buyer is to use the land for purposes other than racing. All of the equipment, bleachers, guardrail, fence, etc will be sold. If you are interested on purchasing any of these items, please give Mike a call.

We were certainly hoping for a buyer interested in keeping the property as a racetrack, but unfortunately this did not happen. Thanks again everyone for your support for 22+ years. There will probably be sold signs placed at the racetrack sometime this week and we wanted you all to hear this information from us. If you have any questions, please let us know.

Have a Merry Christmas and great 2011!

Sincerely,

Mike and Adina Stephens

Beatrice Speedway 2011 Schedule

Tentative 2011 Schedule

March 17-Spring Nationals Practice-All Classes
March 18-Spring Nationals-Modified, Sport Mods, Hobby Stock & Sport Compacts
March 19-Spring Nationals-Modified, Sport Mods, Hobby Stock & Factory Stocks
April 9-Test & Tune
April 22-Opening Night-Mods, Sport Mods, Hobby Stock, Sport Compact, Factory
Stock
April 29-No Races-Relay for Life
May 6-Mods, Sport Mods, Hobby Stock, Sport Compact, Factory Stock
May 13-Mods, Sport Mods, Hobby Stock, Sport Compact, Factory Stock
May 20-Mods, Sport Mods, Hobby Stock, Sport Compact, Factory Stock
May 27-Mods, Sport Mods, Hobby Stock, Sport Compact, Factory Stock
June 3-Mods, Sport Mods, Hobby Stock, Sport Compact, Factory Stock
June 10-Mods, Sport Mods, Hobby Stock, Sport Compact, Factory Stock
June 17-Mods, Sport Mods, Hobby Stock, Sport Compact, Factory Stock
June 24-Mods, Sport Mods, Hobby Stock, Sport Compact, Factory Stock
July 1-Mods, Sport Mods, Hobby Stock, Sport Compact, Factory Stock
July 8-Mods, Sport Mods, Hobby Stock, Sport Compact, Factory Stock
July 15-Mods, Sport Mods, Hobby Stock, Sport Compact, Factory Stock
July 22-Mods, Sport Mods, Hobby Stock, Sport Compact, Factory Stock
July 23-Eve of Destruction
July 24-tba
July 29-Mods, Sport Mods, Hobby Stock, Sport Compact, Factory Stock
August 5-Mods, Sport Mods, Hobby Stock, Sport Compact, Factory Stock
August 12-Mods, Sport Mods, Hobby Stock, Sport Compact, Factory Stock
August 19-Mods, Sport Mods, Hobby Stock, Sport Compact, Factory Stock
August 26-Mods, Sport Mods, Hobby Stock, Sport Compact, Factory Stock
October 13-Octoberfest Practice-All Classes
October 14-Octoberfest-Mods, Sport Mods, Hobby Stock, Sport Compacts
October 15-Octoberfest-Mods, Sport Mods, Hobby Stock, Factory Stock

We are in the process of developing a new website, so please be patient.
Hopefully we will have it up by the end of the year.

Beatrice Speedway would like to wish everyone a happy and safe holiday
season.

Comments

I highly encourage your comments on the postings on this site. Be anonymous if you want to.

Lately, I've been running a little behind in approvals and the automated comment notification isn't working. So, when I have a chance to go to the blog administrator (I make most blog postings outside of that), THEN I see the comments. So I'm sorry for the delay.

Jason
-

Familiar faces, new places, big money races highlight 2011 USMTS Casey's General Stores National Tour campaign

WEBSTER CITY, Iowa - Vacation days and personal time off requests for 2011
may now be submitted to your employer!

Officials from the United States Modified Touring Series released a
tentative 2011 schedule of events today that should warm the hearts of
thousands of race fans enduring bitter cold throughout America's heartland.

The 2011 campaign currently has a whopping 85 race nights slated at 57
premier dirt ovals in 13 states, with as many as eight additional shows yet
to be penciled in. The line-up of events showcasing the premier dirt
modified drivers in America features an exciting mix of classic events at
familiar venues, as well as several new locales that are certain to jump
start every race fan's hunger for the series' 13th year of competition.

The schedule is highlighted with return engagements to 34 facilities that
hosted a USMTS event last season, 10 speedplants that are returning to the
line-up after an absence of a year or more, and 10 exciting dirt ovals that
will play host to the touring USMTS titans for the first time.

The USMTS Southern Series, which tallied separate points and crowned its own
champion for the past four seasons, will now be a part of the USMTS Casey's
General Stores National Tour with two regional champs emerging from those
events.

The 2011 grind will kick off Feb. 17-19 at the Royal Purple Raceway
(formerly Houston Raceway Park) in Baytown, Texas, with $2,000 to win on
Thursday, a $3,000 top prize on Friday and $4,000 earmarked for Saturday's
main event winner.

Two weeks later, action moves to the Junction Motor Speedway in McCool
Junction, Neb., for the 8th Annual Nebraska Spring Thaw on Friday and
Saturday, March 4-5. With $2,000 and $3,000 to win, respectively, during the
weekend doubleheader, more than 70 entries are once again expected for the
traditional lidlifter at the state-of-the-art 3/8-mile high-banked clay
oval.

Six more events dot the calendar in March, including the first-ever trek to
the Mid America Speedway in South Coffeyville, Okla., on Friday, March 11,
followed by a Saturday, March 12, date at the Humboldt Speedway in Humboldt,
Kan., for the first of three weekends in 2011 that the USMTS Modifieds will
invade Ron and Rhenda Whitworth's reconfigured bullring.

The series inches closer to the equator the following two weekends with a
Friday, March 18, show at the Golden Triangle Raceway Park in Beaumont,
Texas; Saturday, March 19, at the Gator Motorplex in Willis, Texas; Friday,
March 25, at the Boothill Speedway in Greenwood, La.; and Saturday, March
26, a the Lonestar Speedway in Kilgore, Texas.

The LA Raceway in La Monte, Mo., will be the location for a $2,000-to-win
April Fool's Day get-together, followed by a visit to the I-35 Speedway in
Winston, Mo., on Saturday, April 2 - the first race at the facility since
Mark Noble won there on April 13, 2003.

Deer Creek Speedway will host the inaugural World Modified Dirt Track
Championship, Wednesday-Saturday, April 6-9.

With a whopping $20,000 going to the winner and a minimum $1,500 to each of
the 30 main event starters on Saturday, the early-season blockbuster is
expected to draw the biggest names in open wheel dirt modified racing to the
Mecca of Modified racing in Spring Valley, Minn.

While the race will be sanctioned and officiated by the USMTS, the World
Modified Dirt Track Championship will be a non-points race and will feature
a one-of-a-kind qualifying format.

Drivers can register to qualify on Wednesday, Thursday or Friday with second
qualifying opportunity available for Wednesday and Thursday entrants that
purchase a "mulligan."

Each night, points will be awarded for time trials, heat races, "B" Mains
and the "A" Main with the top six in overall points each night being locked
into Saturday's $20,000-to-win World Modified Dirt Track Championship "A"
Main.

The highest overall points earner during the first three days of qualifying
will earn the pole for the Saturday's "A" Main, second most points in the
middle of the front row, third most points on the outside of the front row
and so on for the 18 qualified drivers.

Saturday will feature an "alphabet soup" of main events with 12 cars
advancing from the "B" Main to the "A" Main to create a 30-car starting
field featuring a three-wide start.

Nearly $100,000 has been earmarked for Saturday's "A" Main alone, with a
total purse of more than $160,000 posted for the four-day extravaganza.

An entry form for the World Modified Dirt Track Championship can be
downloaded at www.usmts.com and tickets for the event are available at
www.deercreekspeedway.com or by calling toll-free 877-327-7223.

The USMTS Casey's General Stores National Tour returns to the Show-Me State
the following weekend for a tripleheader of $2,000-to-win events at three
racetracks hosting their first-ever USMTS show.

On Friday, April 15, race fans can relax on "tax day" at the Valley Speedway
in Grain Valley, Mo. Then on Saturday, April 16, the series makes it debut
at the Central Missouri Speedway - Earl and Susan Walls' popular high-banked
3/8-mile clay oval track located four miles north of Warrensburg, Mo. The
three-race weekend wraps up with an inaugural event at the Butler Speedway
in Butler, Mo.

Thursday, April 28, will see the USMTS speed merchants at the Tri-State
Speedway in Pocola, Okla., and Friday, April 29, they find their way back to
the lightning-fast Outlaw Motor Speedway in Wainwright, Okla. The teams and
haulers head back to the Oklahoma-Arkansas state line again on Saturday,
April 30, for a return trip to the West Siloam Speedway in West Siloam
Springs, Okla., after a one-year hiatus. The fourth straight night of racing
action takes place on Sunday, May 1, at the Monett Speedway in Monett, Mo.,
to cap off the weekend with a possible $8,000 to win over four nights.

Officials, drivers and fans alike are hoping the third time is the charm as
the USMTS hopes to shake two years of weather woes with the inaugural event
at the Heart O' Texas Speedway in Elm Mott, Texas, on Thursday, May 5. The
next day, the series make its first-ever trip to the RPM Speedway in
Crandall, Texas, followed by a Saturday, May 7, rendezvous at Bo Rawdon's
Cowtown Speedway in Kennedale, Texas, which also fell to rain the past two
seasons after a doozy of a show in 2008 that saw George White and two other
locals sweep the podium against the USMTS invaders.

The USMTS Modifieds will grace the Fairbury American Legion Speedway in
Fairbury, Ill., on Saturday, May 14, with bookend events on Friday at a
yet-to-be-determined location and Sunday, May 15, at the Quincy Raceways in
Quincy, Ill.

A packed house saw their hometown hero, Rodney Sanders, take the money in
the USMTS debut at the Route 66 Motor Speedway in Amarillo, Texas, last
year, and the series returns in 2011 for an encore performance on Saturday,
May 21. Tentatively, an event is set for Sunday, May 22, at the Enid
Speedway in Enid, Okla.

Five traditional fan-favorites fill the Memorial Day Weekend, beginning with
the 10th Annual spring Classic at the Southern Iowa Speedway in Oskaloosa,
Iowa, on Wednesday, May 25, followed by the Highway 3 Raceway in Allison,
Iowa, hosting the 10th Annual Spring Clash on Thursday, May 26. The USMTS
Casey's General Stores National Tour dives into the Land of 10,000 Lakes for
the first time in 2011 on Friday, May 27, at the Chateau Raceway in Lansing,
Minn., before heading to Spring Valley, Minn., on Saturday, May 28, for a
return to the Deer Creek Speedway. The Dodge County Speedway in Kasson ,
Minn., closes the curtain on the weekend with the 10th Annual Stars &
Stripes Shootout on Sunday, May 29.

As it is every year, the month of June is filled with some of the best
on-track action of the campaign, but the most brutal for drivers and crews
with engines roaring in the evening on 17 of the 30 calendar days.

The excitement launches Tuesday, June 7, at the Huset's Speedway in Brandon,
S.D., for the first of twelve straight nights of racing. Voyages to the Red
River Valley Speedway in West Fargo, N.D., on Wednesday, June 8; Casino
Speedway in Watertown, S.D., on Thursday, June 9; Brown County Speedway in
Aberdeen, S.D., on Friday, June 10; and Jamestown Speedway in Jamestown,
N.D, on Sunday, June 11, complete the "Chaos in Dakotas" series of events.

From there, the mud-slinging USMTS Modifieds travel through three states in
a span of 168 hours beginning with an annual stop at the Nobles County
Speedway in Worthington, Minn., on Sunday, June 12, followed by the Mineral
City Speedway in Fort Dodge, Iowa, on Monday, June 13; Fairmont Raceway in
Fairmont, Minn., on Tuesday, June 14; Cresco Speedway in Cresco, Iowa, on
Wednesday, June 15; and a first-ever stop at the Central Wisconsin Raceway
in Unity, Wis., on Thursday, June 16.

Several months ago, fans voted for the racetrack they would most like to see
the USMTS visit in 2011. By popular demand as the #1 choice among fans, the
USMTS Casey's General Stores National Tour returns to the Cedar Lake
Speedway in New Richmond, Wis., after nearly a decade and will be part of
the annual Masters event at "Wisconsin's fastest piece of real estate."

As the final two races of a 12-race swing, the USMTS will appropriately
share the spotlight with The Hell Tour featuring UMP Late Models during
their annual Summer Nationals grind on Friday and Saturday, June 17-18, for
a pair of $2,000-to-win clashes.

After a three-day rest, the month of June comes to a close with a
five-track, five-day swing. Tuesday, June 21, will be the third annual visit
to Joe Ringsdorf's I-35 Speedway in Mason City, Iowa; Wednesday, June 22,
will bring the USMTS Modifieds back to the Buena Vista Raceway in Alta,
Iowa; Thursday, June 23, it's the 7th Annual All-Star Challenge at the Park
Jefferson Speedway in Jefferson, S.D.; Friday, June 24, the series returns
to the Rapid Speedway in Rock Rapids, Iowa, for the first time since the
2008 season; and Saturday, June 25, will be a battle in Paul Bunyan's
backyard at the North Central Speedway in Brainerd, Minn.

Drivers, fans and officials alike will get their usual summer vacation with
just three events on the schedule between June 25 and the first race of the
Hunt for the USMTS Casey's General Stores National Championship on Aug. 11.

The Mississippi Thunder Speedway in Fountain City, Wis., will host the
fire-breathing USMTS machines on Friday, July 15, followed by the 3rd Annual
Dirt Nationals at the Elko Speedway in Elko, Minn., on Saturday, July 16, as
the legendary asphalt track is transformed into a dirt gridiron. The
three-race stint wraps up on Sunday, July 17, for the Thunderbird Open
during the Dodge County Fair in Kasson, Minn.

For the second year in a row, the Hunt for the USMTS Casey's General Stores
National Championship kicks off on Thursday, Aug. 11, at the Great American
Dirt Track in Jetmore, Kan. Last year's debut at the high-banked 3/8-mile
oval saw Kelly Shryock beat Ryan Gustin to the finish line as they banged
their way to a photo finish to the delight of the fans who endured
temperatures soaring above 100 degrees.

Round 2 of the Hunt will take place one day later on Friday, Aug. 12, at the
Humboldt Speedway in Humboldt, Kan., followed by a return trip to the
luxurious state-of-the-art Lucas Oil Speedway in Wheatland, Mo., on
Saturday, Aug. 13, after a one-year hiatus. Round 4 of The Hunt heads back
to familiar territory on Sunday, Aug. 14, at the Monett Speedway in Monett,
Mo.

Two new venues are up next with a trip to the Ogilvie Raceway in Ogilvie,
Minn., on Wednesday, Aug. 17, and the Rice Lake Speedway in Rice Lake, Wis.,
on Thursday, Aug. 18.

Action returns to Bob Timm's Mississippi Thunder Speedway in Fountain City,
Wis., on Friday, Aug. 19; the Upper Iowa Speedway in Decorah, Iowa, on
Saturday, Aug. 20; and the Nobles County Speedway in Worthington, Minn., on
Sunday, Aug. 21.

The final four events of 2011 in the Hawkeye State take place on Thursday,
Aug. 25, at the Hamilton County Speedway in Webster City, Iowa; Friday, Aug.
26, for a first-ever trip to the Cedar County Speedway in Tipton, Iowa;
Saturday, Aug. 27, at the big half-mile Adams County Speedway in Corning,
Iowa; and Thursday, Sept. 1, at the Highway 3 Raceway on the historic Butler
County Fairgrounds clay in Allison, Iowa.

The Allison event kicks off the traditional four-race Labor Day Weekend with
the Chateau Raceway in Lansing, Minn., hosting the USMTS stars and cars on
Friday, Sept. 2; Deer Creek Speedway in Spring Valley, Minn., on Saturday,
Sept. 3; and Dodge County Speedway in Kasson, Minn., on Sunday, Sept. 4.

On Friday, Saturday and Sunday, Sept. 16-18, the war for the $20,000 USMTS
Casey's General Stores National Tour crown will be waged at the Outlaw Motor
Speedway in Wainwright, Okla.; Salina Highbanks Speedway in Salina, Okla.;
and Butler Motor Speedway in Butler, Mo., respectively, before heading back
to the Upper Midwest for the season finale.

The Hunt for the USMTS Casey's General Stores National Championship will be
decided when the USMTS Casey's General Stores National Tour returns to the
Deer Creek Speedway for the 13th Annual Featherlite Fall Jamboree on
Thursday, Friday and Saturday, Sept. 22-24.

The standing-room-only show has become one of the most popular races on the
calendars of open wheel dirt modified fans, as well as one of the most
lucrative for the drivers with more than $13,000 possible to win from a
purse of nearly $200,000 over three days.

All events throughout the season will pay a minimum of $2,000 to win and
$250 to start, while each race during the Hunt for the USMTS Casey's General
Stores National Championship will be worth a minimum of $3,000 to the winner
and $300 to start the main event.

But it's not over yet .

After the crowning of the 2011 USMTS National Champion, two more big money
non-points races remain.

With a similar qualifying format as the World Modified Dirt Track
Championship in April, USMTS officials have announced a second major-moolah
event for Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday, Oct. 19-22, at the
Humboldt Speedway in Humboldt, Kan.

Track crews have already begun moving dirt and altering the landscape of the
popular speedplant in anticipation of this upcoming blockbuster event that
will carry a $15,000 top prize for the winner of Saturday's finale.

Among the changes in place or on the to-do list include moving of the pit
area to an area behind the backstretch to accommodate more racecars and
ample parking for the wave of fans expected for this contest. Also, drivers
will find the backstretch to be a little wider and farther from the turns,
but both fans and drivers can bank on the same high-speed wheel-to-wheel
action that "The Hummer" has become famous for.

The United States Modified Touring Series will close the curtain on its 13th
season of delivering the greatest Modified drivers in America to the best
speedways in America with the 5th Annual Texas Winter Nationals on Thursday,
Friday and Saturday, Nov. 17-19, at the Royal Purple Raceway in Baytown,
Texas.

The season finale will be worth $2,000, $3,000 and $4,000 to win,
respectively, during the three-day extravaganza.

USMTS CASEY'S GENERAL STORES NATIONAL TOUR 2011 SCHEDULE

Thursday, February 17 ... Royal Purple Raceway, Baytown, TX ($2,000 to win)
Friday, February 18 ... Royal Purple Raceway, Baytown, TX ($3,000 to win)
Saturday, February 19 ... Royal Purple Raceway, Baytown, TX ($4,000 to win)
Friday, March 4 ... Junction Motor Speedway, McCool Junction, NE ($2,000 to
win)
Saturday, March 5 ... Junction Motor Speedway, McCool Junction, NE ($3,000
to win)
Friday, March 11 ... Mid America Speedway, South Coffeyville, OK ($2,000 to
win)
Saturday, March 12 ... Humboldt Speedway, Humboldt, KS ($2,000 to win)
Sunday, March 13 ... TBA
Friday, March 18 ... Golden Triangle Raceway Park, Beaumont, TX ($2,000 to
win)
Saturday, March 19 ... Gator Motorplex, Willis, TX ($2,000 to win)
Sunday, March 20 ... TBA
Friday, March 25 ... Boothill Speedway, Greenwood, LA ($2,000 to win)
Saturday, March 26 ... Lonestar Speedway, Kilgore, TX ($2,000 to win)
Sunday, March 27 ... TBA
Friday, April 1 ... LA Raceway, La Monte, MO ($2,000 to win)
Saturday, April 2 ... I-35 Speedway, Winston, MO ($2,000 to win)
Sunday, April 3 ... TBA
# Wednesday, April 6 ... Deer Creek Speedway, Spring Valley, MN (prelim)
# Thursday, April 7 ... Deer Creek Speedway, Spring Valley, MN (prelim)
# Friday, April 8 ... Deer Creek Speedway, Spring Valley, MN (prelim)
# Saturday, April 9 ... Deer Creek Speedway, Spring Valley, MN ($20,000 to
win)
Friday, April 15 ... Valley Speedway, Grain Valley, MO ($2,000 to win)
Saturday, April 16 ... Central Missouri Speedway, Warrensburg, MO ($2,000 to
win)
Sunday, April 17 ... Butler Speedway, Butler, MO ($2,000 to win)
Thursday, April 28 ... Tri-State Speedway, Pocola, OK ($2,000 to win)
Friday, April 29 ... Outlaw Motor Speedway, Wainwright, OK ($2,000 to win)
Saturday, April 30 ... West Siloam Speedway, West Siloam Springs, AR ($2,000
to win)
Sunday, May 1 ... Monett Speedway, Monett, MO ($2,000 to win)
Thursday, May 5 ... Heart O' Texas Speedway, Elm Mott, TX ($2,000 to win)
Friday, May 6 ... RPM Speedway, Crandall, TX ($2,000 to win)
Saturday, May 7 ... Cowtown Speedway, Kennedale, TX ($2,000 to win)
Friday, May 13 ... TBA
Saturday, May 14 ... Fairbury American Legion Speedway, Fairbury, IL ($2,000
to win)
Sunday, May 15 ... Quincy Raceways, Quincy, IL ($2,000 to win)
Friday, May 20 ... TBA
Saturday, May 21 ... Route 66 Motor Speedway, Amarillo, TX ($2,000 to win)
Sunday, May 22 ... Enid Speedway, Enid, OK ($2,000 to win)
Wednesday, May 25 ... Southern Iowa Speedway, Oskaloosa, IA ($2,000 to win)
Thursday, May 26 ... Highway 3 Raceway, Allison, IA ($2,000 to win)
Friday, May 27 ... Chateau Raceway, Lansing, MN ($2,000 to win)
Saturday, May 28 ... Deer Creek Speedway, Spring Valley, MN ($2,000 to win)
Sunday, May 29 ... Dodge County Speedway, Kasson, MN ($2,000 to win)
Tuesday, June 7 ... Huset's Speedway, Brandon, SD ($2,000 to win)
Wednesday, June 8 ... Red River Valley Speedway, West Fargo, ND ($2,000 to
win)
Thursday, June 9 ... Casino Speedway, Watertown, SD ($2,000 to win)
Friday, June 10 ... Brown County Speedway, Aberdeen, SD ($2,000 to win)
Saturday, June 11 ... Jamestown Speedway, Jamestown, ND ($2,000 to win)
Sunday, June 12 ... Nobles County Speedway, Worthington, MN ($2,000 to win)
Monday, June 13 . Mineral City Speedway, Fort Dodge, IA ($2,000 to win)
Tuesday, June 14 ... Fairmont Raceway, Fairmont, MN ($2,000 to win)
Wednesday, June 15 ... Cresco Speedway, Cresco, IA ($2,000 to win)
Thursday, June 16 ... Central Wisconsin Raceway, Unity, WI ($2,000 to win)
Friday, June 17 ... Cedar Lake Speedway, Somerset, WI ($2,000 to win)
Saturday, June 18 ... Cedar Lake Speedway, Somerset, WI ($2,000 to win)
Tuesday, June 21 ... I-35 Speedway, Mason City, IA ($2,000 to win)
Wednesday, June 22 ... Buena Vista Raceway, Alta, IA ($2,000 to win)
Thursday, June 23 ... Park Jefferson Speedway, Jefferson, SD ($2,000 to win)
Friday, June 24 ... Rapid Speedway, Rock Rapids, IA ($2,000 to win)
Saturday, June 25 ... North Central Speedway, Brainerd, MN ($2,000 to win)
Friday, July 15 ... Mississippi Thunder Speedway, Fountain City, WI ($2,000
to win)
Saturday, July 16 ... Elko Speedway, Elko, MN ($2,000 to win)
Sunday, July 17 ... Dodge County Speedway, Kasson, MN ($2,000 to win)
Thursday, August 11 ... Great American Dirt Track, Jetmore, KS ($3,000 to
win)
Friday, August 12 ... Humboldt Speedway, Humboldt, KS ($3,000 to win)
Saturday, August 13 ... Lucas Oil Speedway, Wheatland, MO ($3,000 to win)
Sunday, August 14 ... Monett Speedway, Monett, MO ($3,000 to win)
Wednesday, August 17 ... Ogilvie Raceway, Ogilvie, MN ($3,000 to win)
Thursday, August 18 ... Rice Lake Speedway, Rice Lake, WI ($3,000 to win)
Friday, August 19 ... Mississippi Thunder Speedway, Fountain City, WI
($3,000 to win)
Saturday, August 20 ... Upper Iowa Speedway, Decorah, IA ($3,000 to win)
Sunday, August 21 ... Nobles County Speedway, Worthington, MN ($3,000 to
win)
Thursday, August 25 ... Hamilton County Speedway, Webster City, IA ($3,000
to win)
Friday, August 26 ... Cedar County Speedway, Tipton, IA ($3,000 to win)
Saturday, August 27 ... Adams County Speedway, Corning, IA ($3,000 to win)
Thursday, September 1 ... Highway 3 Raceway, Allison, IA ($3,000 to win)
Friday, September 2 ... Chateau Raceway, Lansing, MN ($3,000 to win)
Saturday, September 3 ... Deer Creek Speedway, Spring Valley, MN ($3,000 to
win)
Sunday, September 4 ... Dodge County Speedway, Kasson, MN ($3,000 to win)
Friday, September 16 ... Outlaw Motor Speedway, Wainwright, OK ($3,000 to
win)
Saturday, September 17 ... Salina Highbanks Speedway, Salina, OK ($3,000 to
win)
Sunday, September 18 ... Butler Speedway, Butler, MO ($3,000 to win)
Thursday, September 22 ... Deer Creek Speedway, Spring Valley, MN ($3,000 to
win)
Friday, September 23 ... Deer Creek Speedway, Spring Valley, MN ($4,000 to
win)
Saturday, September 24 ... Deer Creek Speedway, Spring Valley, MN ($6,000 to
win)
# Wednesday, Oct. 19 ... Humboldt Speedway, Humboldt, KS (prelim)
# Thursday, Oct. 20 ... Humboldt Speedway, Humboldt, KS (prelim)
# Friday, Oct. 21 ... Humboldt Speedway, Humboldt, KS (prelim)
# Saturday, Oct. 22 ... Humboldt Speedway, Humboldt, KS ($15,000 to win)
# Thursday, November 17 ... Royal Purple Raceway, Baytown, TX ($2,000 to
win)
# Friday, November 18 ... Royal Purple Raceway, Baytown, TX ($3,000 to win)
# Saturday, November 19 ... Royal Purple Raceway, Baytown, TX ($4,000 to
win)

# = Non-Points Event

Schedule is tentative and subject to change without notice.

Officials from the USMTS also announced recently that the USMTS National
Champion will be taking home no less than $20,000 at the end of 2011, along
with a minimum of $2,500 to the points champion of each region plus healthy
increases in other finishing positions in final points rankings.

Thanks to the unwavering support of the fans, drivers, crews, families,
track promoters, media and sponsors, more than $2 million is projected to be
awarded in record purses and record points fund money during the 2011 racing
season.

To learn more about the United States Modified Touring Series, visit
www.usmts.com online or call 515-832-7944. You can also follow the USMTS on
Facebook, MySpace, Twitter and YouTube.

= = = = = = = = = = = = = = =

USMTS TITLE SPONSORS: Casey's General Stores.

USMTS OFFICIAL SPONSORS: American Racer Racing Tires, AwesomeRacesuits.com,
GoPro, Intercomp, Karl Chevrolet, Kevko Oil Pans & Components, New Vision
Graphics, Nitroquest, RACEceiver.

USMTS PARTICIPATING SPONSORS: Allstar Performance, Arnold Motor Supply, ASi
Racewear, Bad Boy Mowers, Bear Tire, Big Dog Chassis & Fabrication, BRODIX
Cylinder Heads, Cagle Motorsports, Centex Motorsports, DandyLand Farms, Day
Motor Sports, Dirt Track Racing School, Dirthead.com, DirtKnights.com,
Falcon Wind Power, Farm Boy BBQ Sauce, Gressel Oil Field Service, Intensitee
Custom Racewear, Just Say Yes, Karl Performance Parts, Olympic Fire
Protection, Ramirez Race Cars, Ruter Farms, WIX Filters, Yeager Machine.

USMTS CONTINGENCY SPONSORS: AFCO Racing Products, Ai-Racing, Belleville
Motorsports, ButlerBuilt Professional Seat Systems, COMP Cams, Dart
Machinery, Dynatech Racing Exhaust, Eibach Springs, Fast Shafts,
Forty9Designs.com, GRT Race Cars, Hooker Harness, Hypercoil Springs, Isky
Racing Cams, KSE Racing Products, Marsh Racing Wheels, Out-Pace Racing
Products, PBM Performance Products, Quarter Master, QuickTime Inc, Real
Racing Wheels, RHS - Racing Head Service, Schoenfeld Headers, US Brake,
Willy's Carburetor & Dyno Shop, WIX Filters.

I-80 Speedway Presents The Silver Dollar Nationals

Greenwood, Neb. (Nov. 27, 2010) - I-80 Speedway is proud to announce the
biggest Late Model purse in Nebraska auto racing history to be held on July
21, 22 and 23, 2011. The event will be called "The Silver Dollar Nationals"
and will be for Super Late Models and Modifieds. The 80 lap Super Late Model
feature will pay $25,000 to win and $1,000 to start.

Thursday, July will be a full NASCAR program with practice for the Super
Late Models and Modifieds. Friday, July 22 will see a unique format for
qualifying for the Saturday Features. All Super Late Models will run two
qualifying heats. The second heat will be a complete invert from how you
started the first heat (if you start your first heat on the pole, you start
the second heat on the tail, etc.) with the cars having the best total
points from the two heats going to the A feature. There will be no time
trials.

Saturday, July 23 will see consolation races followed by the 80 lap $25,000
to win Super Late Model feature. Tire rules for Super Late Models will be
WRS55 or LM 40. Sunday, July 24 will be the rain date.

More details will be forthcoming. For more information call Ed Kosiski at
(402)-659-3301.

Racers Against Texting While Driving

Jason: I want to leave this letter exactly as written. Contact Kevin or Patty for more information. Their contact info is given below

From Kevin Gilmore

Two months ago my niece Alley was killed texting while driving her car. To those who don't believe that texting while driving is not a issue or dangerous my niece proves that it can & will happen although she was a "good driver".

She turned around on a gravel road and was texting her boyfriend for directions ran a stop sign and crossed the intersection of the highway. She was hit broadside on the driver's side door at 55 mph. We thank the Lord that she did not suffer.

I love my niece Alley like my own daughter and we were building a "tuner class" car for her to race next year at the same track we race at Eagle Raceway in Eagle Nebraska.

Our goal is to bring together both parents and teen drivers to educate and teach them about the essential need for non-distracted driving and how this one change in behavior can make a difference in reducing the incidence of fatal crashes for drivers aged 15-19. Loosing a child to something so preventable is a terrible and senseless thing to endure.

Our children are addicted to these devices. Alley was 17 and had a wonderful life ahead of her. She graduated a year early from high school and was attending the University of Nebraska. She loved all animals and was studying to become veterinarian. The attached photo is when she volunteered at a neglected or wounded animal sanctuary. This deer was hit by a car and Alley nursed it back to health then released it back into the wild. She did the same thing for a mouse that was stepped on by a horse at the sanctuary.

I hope this is a lesson to all her young friends and college mates that texting while driving is too much of a distraction. The problem is our young people are so resilient we're concerned that in a few short months they will go right back to texting.

In searching for a way to make Alley's death more than just a statistic we've decided to do anything we canto make a difference. We have built a single seat street legal winged sprint car for a customer in South Dakota.

The project now is to build a two-seat sprint that we can use as a "tool"to educate everyone about the dangers of texting while driving. Apx. 85% of the car will use off the shelf parts of the dirt racing sprints We are planning on attending car races car shows and related type advents. The Nebraska State Patrol is excited that we'll be joining them in several " Promote Safety" events next year beside their "roll over simulator". Most of these we will have a tent table & chairs to hand out non- texting literature bumper stickers T-shirts ect.to help aid in stopping such deadly consequences. If you want to send us your business banner I'll be happy to display it on my car show tent.



I have attached a photo of the single seat and a CAD drawing of the two seat sprint. Your business name will be on the car, our soon to be website and car show board, with your website & contact information.

I spoke with the editor Rob Fisher of "Circle Track magazine"and the two seat build and the story of Alley texting while driving will be featured article. I have pasted our email below and will be talking details this week. I will ask Rob if we can include the sprint car part sponsors but I'm positive he will.

This will be very exciting for the sprint Alley and the campaign against texting and driving ! Being a racer how much better can it get for all of this to be in such a great world wide publication magazine to aid in getting weariness about this deadly and addictive problem in our country.

As you know, his magazine is the best there is for all circle track racing.

Thank you for your time and we hope we can work together, for this very important campaign and unique way of drawing attention to this cause. Please feel free to call anytime.

Sincerely,

Kevin & Patty Gilmore
550 David Lane
Eagle Ne. 68347
email: cobrakev@galaxycable.net

402-781-2322 (anytime,central time)

Racers Against Texting While Driving.

Gary and June to Donate to the Steve King Foundation

Gary Dominguez and June Ring of Home Real Estate in Lincoln, Nebraska have announced that they will be donating $50 from each closing to the Steve King Foundation, a non-profit, tax deductible, charitable organization established for the purpose of helping the dirt track racing community. The foundation was established after the death of Steve King of Jetmore Kansas.

Steve died from a brain injury sustained during an accident between turns three and four during Wednesday night race qualifying for the 2006 Knoxville (Iowa) Nationals. In order to redeem this donation, a buyer or seller must mention to Gary or June they heard about this announcement, and would like a contribution to be made in their name to the foundation. The donation will be paid at closing. For more information on the foundation, visit http://www.stevekingfoundation.org

Gary and June can be seen every Summer Saturday night with the Home Real Estate Pace Car at Eagle Raceway, "America's Home Track" leading the field to the green flag, and have been involved in racing for a combined 50+ years. You can call them individually at 402 432-6316 (Gary), or 402 450-3894 (June), or just click on this link

Committees...

Last week, in an attempt to find ways to boost (and more importantly in my opinion, maintain) sprint car counts several racers/former racers/employees and concerned fans formed a committee that would work as a liaison between the racers and the track. They're tasked with rules, procedures, payout, etc.

While I'm an economic capitalist, when it comes to racing, I'm straight up North Korea and think it needs to be run by a dictator. Committees/co-ownership in major series has proven to be the asphalt of good intentions on which the road to Hell is paved. CART eventually floundered as in-fighting between the co-owners (the race teams) doomed the series once it was hit by hard times and hard competition. Other series of lore did the same such as IMSA in the 80's and the old Can-Am in the 70's.

Formula 1 was similar until Bernie Ecclestone nailed down 100 years worth of media rights, which essentially controlled the money and thus, the series. Yes, the FIA is the governing body, but it is at best the police department to Hizzoner Ecclestone.

On the other hand, for better or worse, the NASCAR (Sprint Cup) dynasty is very autocratic. And, despite down ratings and ticket sales, it's one of the few series that has at least kept its head above water in this depression. And, during the halcyon days of the early 2000's, this one-minded force ascended to the top of the auto racing world.

However, it seems that the committee at this point, is serving a different purpose. Instead of being the governance, it appears to be more of a filter at this – taking the gusher of opinion and refining it into a cohesive idea, presented to Eagle's Roger Hadan, where the final decision lies. I'm good with that and I honestly believe that the committee members have preservation of the class in mind, as opposed to self-interests.

With that in mind, I have some hopes for the committee. I'm willing to give the benefit of the doubt for the reason that it's not the final say group. But, I'm not hoping for miracles. Then again – none were promised.

-Jason

Thoughts on the Eagle Raceway Sprint Car changes

Instead of some run-up let me just go with the list.

1.ASCS-style draw/passing points/redraw for the sprints.

I've hated the idea of a draw/redraw system for a weekly show, and I still do. I understand it for a touring series that doesn't run time trials.

I used to take issue with the ASCS system, until they started re-drawing the top eight in passing points for the A feature. In the past, the highest passing point totals would start up front, often resulting in a follow the leader race as the lead dog would run from the field. The invert was a nice twist, but still doesn't totally prevent this from happening.

My concern is the fans. Yes, there were flaws in the old invert system. Fast guys would always be at the back, especially as the season wore on. My personal favorite was a full invert by point average, but over a four week span. That way, a guy who was down on his luck would find his way to the front of the lineup after a couple weeks, and the fast guys would be at the back.

But, with parity (despite the car count, the overall competitiveness of the class was better than it has been for years), it makes it tough on the guy to make the move up front – though I think that's less so on a short track like Eagle.

The thing is, no system is perfect. We will have some runaways when a hot dog starts up front. It WILL happen. It's also possible that we'll have some great shows where a guy gets a break up front and makes the most of it – but again, it's a short track. It isn't going to make an average guy a winner just because the started up front. On the other hand, no longer is racing to qualify going to be enough – the heats will be more intense.

I wish they would've inverted five rows though. The competition, the drive to the front from row six has made the class pretty impressive for the last quarter century. I worry that the racing may not be as good come feature time. And boring shows will kill a crowd just as much as lack of cars.

We'll see, I'm still unsure about this one. The changes needed to be made, I'm just hoping there's room to tweak. I could be overstating it, but this concerns me the most – the fans are the ones who make it possible to have the sprints, they're the last who should be getting follow-the-leader shows.

2.Increased purse

I've never been one to think that the answer to any of this has been to just throw money at the cars. Several cars will race for fractions of what they get at Eagle when the travel to places like Albion, or they'll travel to races with bigger purses, only to have a greater chunk eaten by travel expense.

That said, I've thought that the payout toward the back of the field was awful, and the fact that the purse has remained at pre-2000 levels for six seasons while costs have escalated hasn't helped. I've never thought that the payout had a responsibility to cover the race to race expenses, but given the overall expense of a sprint car (you can't just pound out the dents), paying more to the back of the field was a good way to help maintain the car count.

I like the initial plan of making the purse dependent on car count. I think that some of the onus has to be placed on the racing community to keep the count up.

3.Increased point fund

A few years ago, during the pre-season Midwest Racer's Autograph Day event, I had an opportunity to speak with a few of the teams. Interestingly, one of the biggest gripes the teams had was the paltry end-of-the-season point fund. The common theme was that the point fund money would help get equipment and repairs for next year, and I agree. I think that with an increased payout, and a payout further down the line, there's at least some incentive for sticking out the year and not taking a Saturday off to hit a competing show.

So, there's my take on the recent changes. What say you?


-Jason

What's Up

You've seen that I haven't been posting lately. My life has been preoccupied by the busiest work of all, becoming a new parent.

I'll have some takes on the recent sprint car meetings later. I've been graciously filled in.

Crowds? Where we're going, we don't need crowds...

Figured with the re-release of Back to the Future, I'd paraphrase the quote from Dr. Brown.

Last weekend's Cool McCool 100 at Junction Motor Speedway had to be a HUGE back gate success for the track. Get car counts around 200 for two nights, add up entry fees for each car and the per person pit gate fees for the two nights and who needs crowds? I have no idea what the crowd was like. But it doesn't matter. That's not where the money was.

The first night's show ran for nearly 9 hours (with intermission) and over 7 on the following night according to this account on dirtdrivers.com.

When I worked at Eagle, I had nightmares that involved 9 hour races. Seriously.

The reaction was mixed, some folks loved the endless racing as never too much of a good thing, others objected strongly. The majority of the supporters though seemed to be the participants themselves.

What we're seeing could be the future of the sport. SCCA sports car events are similar - a long string of races, in multiple classes (the recent solo championships in Lincoln had over 30 classes). Crowds usually get in for free or very cheap, with little amenities at the track; often BYOB, food, well...everything. Crowd isn't important, and taking care of them is an expense that should be minimized and attended to only as far as the liability insurance requires.

I-80 does something similar with their Cornhusker Classic. I'd expect Eagle to do the same in the future. Some tracks quite honestly, do it every week.

Before anyone flies off the handle thinking I'm dissing their track, I'm not really knocking it. I can't blame any one track for doing this. It makes financial sense and in today's economy even I support it - to a point.

It's a viable business model. Think about the potential: lots of entry fees that not only cover a fairly generous purse plus no worries about promotion to those outside the racing circle (something most tracks couldn't do well at gunpoint).

And bang - so to speak - money in the door before Car One hits the track. Expenses COVERED, not hanging over ones head like the crowd-killing clouds. Granted, it isn't the kind of money several thousand beer drinking, hot dog eating, high dollar ticket paying fans bring in, BUT - very very little risk when they don't show up either.

How about that win by Scott Tucker at Road America last month? That Ferrari was flyin'! Oh, you have no idea? Umm...the Formula Vee race that was decided by 0.017 seconds? No? Even ESPN (whose coverage is NASCAR and 'the rest') has no mention of one of the largest sports car sanctioning body's most prestigious events. Even I, classic sports car aficionado, needed a little Google-Fu to find out that.

And that's the dark side to this. Especially because it's so tempting.

Dirt track racing is already sinking deeper into it's own little niche within a niche sport. Up through the 1960's, racing's top stars were seen on the dirt as well as the pavement of Indy. Eventually they were hometown and regional stars, and now - famous among friends and family, with a few fans.

What I worry about is that if we alienate the fan, and keep the sport to our own clique the support from outside dwindles further. Sponsorships, already in short supply dwindle down to the car owner's business being the sponsor - like it is now for a LOT of classes. No money for those long talent or desire, but short on dough.

Now the kid in the stands or the fan has no aspirations to participate or even drive, because there aren't any fans there to see it in the first place. The non-participant experience is excruciating or second to the socializing and the action is the background. And soon, you see what we are close to now, a growing string of classes separated by minute details, racing among the 10 or so other people they know.

What loses is the passion, the legend, the mystique. The talk after the show, the stories, the history, the lore and tall tales.

What is heroic about some club event? Stories of Alexander the Great's defeat of 100,000 Persians survive today. Barfights make the crime page one day and are forgotten except by the two involved. It's a little exaggerated, but you see my point.

It's the old adage about a tree falling in the forest: if nobody hears it, does it make a sound? If nobody watches, was it really a race? The more people telling the story, the greater the legend. BS'ing between the two of you usually ends there.

If this is racing, so be it. I'll miss the grandeur, what little there is left.

Eagle Raceway announces new Mini-Sprint/Kart track

From Eagle Raceway:

Eagle Raceway is pleased to announce that 2011 will see a new facility on
the grounds; a new track!!! With the closing of Wave-Link, local go-kart and
mini-sprint racers will have nowhere to race. That will no longer be the
case as work has already begun at Eagle Raceway.

No decision has been made as of yet on what classes will be run, or what
nights the track will be open, but there WILL be a track.

We are asking that you, the fans, name the new facility. Just send your
suggestion via e-mail to slackerinvest@hotmail.com for consideration.
Winners will be announced at a later date after the final decision is made.

Eagle Raceway Sprint Car Meeting

From Eagle Raceway:

Roger Hadan, in the interest of lowering the cost of sprint car racing at Eagle Raceway in 2011 and beyond, is asking that team owners or drivers attend a meeting next Wednesday. The meeting will be held at the One Eyed Dog Saloon in Eagle, Nebraska on October 27th at 7 P.M since that is a central location for most of the teams.

We are asking that the people who actually make the financial decisions for the teams attend so that they are the ones being heard and casting their votes.

Please call Roger as soon as possible at (402) 238-3766 and let him know that you will attend.

Also, please pass this along to all of the other teams that may not have a chance to read this announcement because we want to have each and every team represented.

The decisions reached based on the meeting will affect every sprint car team at Eagle next year and beyond, so please be sure to be at the meeting.

Thank you.

Eagle Announces 2011 Schedule

2011 Tentative Schedule-

Thur Apr 14- Open House Practice Night

Fri Apr 15- Icebreaker Challenge*

Sat Apr 16- Icebreaker Challenge* (Chili Fest)

Sat Apr 30- Season Opener (Media Night)

Sat May 7- Weekly Racing (Fan Appreciation Night $5)



Sat May 14- Weekly Racing (Jr. Fan Club Night w/Candy Dash)

Sat May 21- Weekly Racing (TBA)

Sat May 28- Weekly Racing (Driver Appreciation Night)



Sat Jun 4- Weekly Racing (Student Breakout Night)

Sat Jun 10- Eagle Nationals (ASCS National Event)*

Sat Jun 11- Eagle Nationals (ASCS National Event)*

Sat Jun 18- Weekly Racing (Father’s Day Weekend)

Sat Jun 25- Freedom Fest Military Night Fireworks Extravaganza*

Sat Jul 2- Weekly Racing (Veteran’s Celebration w/ Demolition Derby)

Sat Jul 9- Weekly Racing (Christmas in July w/ Mascot Wars)

Sat Jul 16- Weekly Racing (Firehouse Rodeo)

Sat Jul 23- Weekly Racing (Bike Giveaway)

Sat Jul 30- Weekly Racing (Fan Appreciation Night)



Sat Aug 6- Weekly Racing (TBA)

Sat Aug 13-TBA

Sat Aug 20-Weekly Racing (Jr. Fan Club Night w/ Money Dash)

Sat Aug 27-Season Finale (Banner Contest



Sun Sep 4- Eagle Shootout (Driver Appreciation w/ King of the Hill)*

Sat Sep 10-Nebraska Cup and Miss Nebraska Cup Contest (Modifieds, Sport Compacts, and ASCS Sprints)*

Looking back at this weekend - Beatrice Octoberfest

The season ended for me last Friday night at Beatrice for the opening night of Octoberfest. While a competing event was run down south at Mayetta, KS, there was still a more-than-respectable field of cars on hand for what turned out to be a BEAUTIFUL night. Temps were near record warmth and gave way to a pleasant evening; though it cooled off quickly once the sun set. It was a great night to be out.

I have to say, I have made two trips to Beatrice this year - the first time in almost 20 years. I enjoyed both trips quite a bit. I didn't go out Saturday - I had other commitments and no credentials. It was nice, but not worth $50.

First of all, I really like shooting pictures there. There’s a lot of opportunities to shoot all around the track, and if you sit in one place - as a photographer, you’re missing out. It’s well lit, and you can get very close to the action without a lot of worry - unlike Eagle, where, frankly you have to keep one eye behind you all the time. You don’t have to worry about cars racing across the infield (PUT THE DAMN BERM BACK) or safety vehicles going at full throttle toward the scene.

But I digress.

Also, I was pleased with the effort to keep the show running. Cars were being staged for their race at least two races in advance, and stragglers were left sitting in the pits. Things were clicking off well but some rollovers and nasty pileups toward the end stretched the show to nearly midnight. Officials were ready to pull the plug on a few races, but never quite got to that point. At least from what I heard on the radio, they kept pushing.

The track was very fast at first, but eventually all the racing dried it up and went mostly to the bottom by the time the modified A features took to the track. The Hobby stock battle though was great with Roy and Adam Armstrong battling it out and the elder taking the win.

Bob Zoubek never was seriously challenged as passing opportunites were few. Earlier, it looked like Johnny Saathoff would make a run, but after a mid-race restart, the field played huggy-pole for the rest of the contest.

The original compact winner was DQ’ed and Eagle season runner-up Kyle Gannon picked up the W. Benji Legg ran off late with the Sport Mod A.

One thing I was pleased with seemed to be the officials seemed pretty decisive. Now, a few message board rants suggest otherwise, but frankly I read that for every track - with guys who have been on the losing end of calls making the most noise.

That said, I still think the phrase “too many chiefs and not enough Indians” (forgive my lack of Political Correctness) still comes into play, especially at a track I frequent often. I like the thought of one race director and he (or she) is the ONLY one who discusses a call. The race director is the decider and doesn’t pass the buck, either.

The crowd was decent, considering it was a high-school football Friday. Some started trailing off as the races drew on, but most stuck around for the end.

Couple of nit-picks:

1. 26 cars on the track in the Hobby A feature. It led to several yellows in the hobbies, and a bit of confusion on the lineups. I understood why - the original plan was 24 (still too many IMHO) and only two would’ve been left out from the B. Frankly, for any class that isn’t “pro” AKA weekend racers, I think 20 is enough for any class, especially on tracks smaller than a half-mile.

2. Not cool with people crossing from infield to outside and vice versa while cars were on the track. And, it was mostly spectators. I saw a couple dart across the track as a car was given a green flag to hotlap. That’s disturbing.

3. The website stinks. Granted, it looks polished but there isn't information up there that is timely. Still no race results from the show and only A feature results from before. I had to ask on dirtdrivers.com what the pit gate price was as it wasn't even on the entry form. No news, no hype, no information. That's inexcusable in 2010.

But overall, I have to put the next opener at Beatrice on the list next year and maybe hit a few of the weekly shows. I like it down there.

I have personal commitments the weekend of the Cool McCool 100 and also for the Turkey Chase, so I'm done with 2010. It was quite a year, but I'm happy to call it a season.

I'll still have more editorials, including some thoughts on the sprints and recent developments in the effort to control some costs. The racing may be done, but I've got plenty left in the tank.

-Jason

Beatrice 10-8-10 Photos

My final night of the 2010 season ended at the same place as it started, Beatrice Speedway. This year had marked the first time I had made it down there in almost 20 years.

Since it was the end of the year, and Beatrice is actually pretty well lit in spots, I did a lot of experiments with available-light photos. Some worked, some didn't.

Took a LOT of photos; here are my favorites of that bunch.

Beatrice October Fest 10-8-10 Photos

Sponsoship Seminar Survey

From Gary Dominguez

That time of year has rolled around again, and now we all need to start thinking about attracting new "partners" for your racing programs. In years past we have put on a seminar to help racers attract and keep good sponsors. Unfortunately last year there were too many irons in the fire to have this seminar. This year with the economy in the condition it is in, it may be more imperative to have one. I am conducting a survey to see if there is an interest in having such a seminar. To take this brief survey, visit my website at
sponsorship survey

Once you are there, click on the "sponsorship seminar" button on the left side to take the survey.

I would also like to get feedback from previous attendees on how much benefit they received from the class.

Thanks in advance for your participation,

Gary

* * *

Taking a hard look at sponsorship opportunities is imperative no matter what class you race. Regardless of the economic climate, it never hurts to ask. Setting yourself out from the pack helps.

While there are always pleas for promoters to help foot the bill through increases in purse, there are also other sources of "other people's money" than the guy running the race or the sanctioning body cutting costs. Getting and keeping sponsorship is often overlooked.

Looking back at this weekend (and maybe a few weekends back)

Went to the opening night of the Cornhusker Classic at I-80 Friday, primarily for the ASCS Midwest Region finale. Couple of thoughts:

- The racing in the sprint division was excellent, especially the three way battle for the A feature and the climactic end, with Billy Alley winning one for his close friend, Jesse Hockett and himself-after a mechanical failure took away the season opener in April. It was a true storybook ending.

- There was some pretty good racing in the heats as well, but only one class Friday ran a complete show.

- Not sure why practice sessions were run. Schedule practice on a separate night like Beatrice does.

- Sometimes the lack of communication regarding order of events and getting the cars pitted outside the track in sync with the infield bunch made a riot look better organized. Something to work on - wasn’t for lack of trying.

- The fact they got in the races at all was pretty amazing given the rain received. The track turned out just fine. A little rutty in three, but really one couldn’t ask for a much better surface. Fast and two-grooved, the way it should’ve been.

- I’ve heard that plans are in place for the 2011 Nebraska Cup and a possibility is a three-day point fund with Eagle and JMS in the mix. I remember back in the day when Eagle, Knoxville and Midwest Speedway ran a three-day event, with the overall point getter being crowned champ. I wouldn’t mind seeing the same thing. I’m not sure I would shift importance to the weekend point champ over the Cup race winner, but I like the idea.

- I was impressed by the efforts of the Nebraska Cup committee again. They’ve done a good job of wrangling up prizes and pub for the show. As Bo Pelini would say, the show “isn’t there yet,” (in terms of crowd, which was decent, but could be bigger) but it’s on a good trend up. The car quality is fine. When other classes ask where their big show is or why they weren’t featured, maybe they need to get a (insert class here) committee going. It’s easy to talk.

- The season may be over for me - I might go to the Beatrice Octoberfest if the weather holds up. But otherwise, it was an interesting 2010. It’s also time to rest and enjoy the offseason.

I-80 Cornhusker Classic/ASCS MW Season Finale Photos

Photos from Friday's show are online

I-80 9-24-10 Photos

Respect part 2: To whom much is given, much is required

The above phrase, while often attributed to John F. Kennedy is a condensed version of Luke 12:48. I’m not trying to get religious or metaphysical, but it’s an appropriate statement for many aspects of life, racing being one of them.

Let’s take the sole approach that fans go to see good racing. Now, I’m a believer it’s more than that, but the racing is certainly a major element if it isn’t the biggest one.

What happens on the track should amaze and astound. It should be something above and beyond the average person’s capabilities. There are always those who are “living the dream” but in most cases the drivers in the classes paying the most do things at a level the fan, nor I could do without a combination of serious practice, talent and money (or the ability to get it - a talent itself). Bottom line is, they are extraordinary feats and the further away from the reach of the average person the better.

And people pay proportionately for bigger and better in all walks of life.

I think one of the biggest mistakes promoters (and I mean all of them around here) have made is trying to promote the idea that no one class stands above another. In an effort to secure all that back gate goody, promoters - whether intentionally or not have been doing a good job knocking a David Copperfield illusion down to the level of rabbit out of a hat, just so not to offend the novice tricksters.

It’s due to fail for the simple fact that it’s not true. Get past the color of the money at the pit gate and four wheels on the car and the similarity ends. The fan sees this and any attempt to fool them is destructive behavior.

Asking for prime ticket and concession money to pay the expenses or running more and more classes is like watering down the booze at the bar. Pretty soon, it’s just plain ol’ H2O- something one can get anywhere and asking a premium is not just ridiculous, but offensive. Why go to the bar?

Why go to the track?

Entertainment (and paying for it) isn’t about watching what everyone else does. It’s about the magician, the actor, the larger-than-life character.

But with that comes higher expectations. For all the respect given by default there is an obligation to be filled in this implied contract. Simply participating isn’t allowed. Earning show-up points should be a bad night. Putting around the track isn’t acceptable, nor should it be. Racing to the level of your competition or just cherry picking to avoid tougher competition isn’t the way either - fans will see who the “also-rans” are pretty quick.

The risk must be greater, the cars faster, the racing more competitive. The machines never started out as something innocuous as a grocery getter. They’re pupose-built, or they’re modified beyond any practical purpose on the road. They aren’t driven to the track, they’re towed. They’re precise and every part is about going faster or safer. No extra bits. And the people who wheel them must have the skills, talent and courage to squeeze the most out of that. This is where the “heroes” reside and the fans want to see a house full of them.

The commitment level has to increase across the field as domination by one driver is as bad as ineptitude by all. Watching a rag-tag group of disproportionate competitiveness isn’t fair to the fans - they don’t want one hero, they want all of them to be heroes.

It’s that quest to continually elevate oneself - that is what is required and where respect is earned.

-Jason

ASCS Midwest Season Finale Friday at I-80

Lonnie Wheatley, TULSA, Okla. (September 20, 2010) – The American Sprint Car Series Midwest Region puts the wraps on a big 2010 season by taking to Nebraska Raceway Park’s 4/10-mile I-80 Speedway dirt oval this Friday night.
 
And, when Friday’s final ASCS Midwest checkered flag of 2010 has flown, Eric Lutz of Sioux Falls, SD, will officially enter the record books as this year’s ASCS Midwest champion.
 
Lutz, a perennial contender for the Northern Plains title with rankings among the top three over each of the past four season, has amassed an insurmountable 325 point lead through the opening 19 events of the season.
 
Along the way, Lutz picked off his fourth career ASCS Regional triumph with a June 25 win at Hartford, South Dakota’s I-90 Speedway. In five previous ASCS Midwest events at I-80 Speedway this season, a pair of fourth-place runs are the best of three top-tens for Lutz.
 
Lutz leads the ASCS Midwest points race over Jack Dover, Doug Lovegrove, Brian Brown and Lee Grosz.
 
Eleven different drivers have posted at least one ASCS Midwest win thus far in 2010, with Missouri’s Brian Brown setting the standard with five wins including a pair at I-80 Speedway. Jason Johnson has three Midwest wins to his credit, Dover and Shane Stewart have two wins, with single triumphs posted by Lutz, Chad Humston, Ryan Roberts, Bronson Maeschen, Jake Peters, Dustin Morgan and Danny Wood.
 
Dustin Morgan and Dover opened the 2010 ASCS Midwest campaign with April wins at I-80 Speedway and Shane Stewart took a Memorial Day weekend victory at I-80 before Brown topped both the Fourth of July weekend and Labor Day weekend events at I-80.
 
Friday’s action at I-80 Speedway fires off at 7:00 p.m.
 
Nebraska Raceway Park's I-80 Speedway is located in Greenwood, NE, between Lincoln and Omaha off I-80 Exit 420, then 0.4 mile north on SR 63 then west. For more information, contact the track at 402-342-3453 or 402-659-3301.
 
The ASCS Midwest Region has completed 16 nights of competition in 2010 at seven different tracks throughout Nebraska and the surrounding areas of Missouri, South Dakota and Iowa, with just one night of competition remaining after this weekend’s triple.
 
In its 19th year of sanctioning Sprint Car racing, the American Sprint Car Series brings the best of Sprint Car racing to approximately 100 different tracks throughout 30 states and Canada. Anchored by the Lucas Oil Sprint Car Series presented by K&N Filters, ASCS also consists of ten different Regions throughout the nation.
 
Past ASCS Regional Winners at I-80 Speedway:
9/3/10 – Brian Brown (Midwest)
7/2/10 – Brian Brown (Midwest)
5/27/10 – Shane Stewart (Midwest)
4/17/10 – Jack Dover (Midwest)
4/16/10 – Dustin Morgan (Midwest)
7/2/09 – Brian Brown (Midwest)
5/21/09 – Chad Humston (Midwest)
4/11/09 – Jonathan Cornell (Midwest)
4/10/09 – Billy Alley (Midwest)
8/14/07 – Jack Dover (Midwest)
4/15/07 – Chuck Swenson (Midwest vs. Northern Plains)
4/14/07 – Brian Brown (Midwest vs. Northern Plains)
8/15/06 – Billy Alley (Midwest)
7/3/06 – Jake Peters (Midwest vs. Northern Plains)
4/8/06 – Brian Brown (Midwest vs. Northern Plains)

Head Games

While I said I wouldn't talk of this again, recent high-profile events in the NFL make it worth mentioning. But, this will be the last I say (for now) on the issue.

The subject of concussions in sports, particularly football is gaining notoriety especially with last week’s injuries of two Philadelphia Eagles starters, one of which, former Husker Stewart Bradley, fell in a stupor after his hit. Last Sunday Dallas star Jason Witten suffered a concussion in what seemed like a simple fall. His blowup with the Dallas doctor refusing to let him return (the right call) was the subject of much of sports talk. ESPN’s Gregg Easterbrook has a good piece on the need to address head injuries in his weekly column.

You probably know where I’m going with this one...if not, rewind back to June 11. TWO drivers suffered injuries that night, one of which suffered an admitted head injury. I’m leaving out names because it applies to ANYONE and I don’t want to single anyone out just because of who they are. Nary a word was said about his return despite suffering injuries worse than the ones suffered by the players mentioned above. And indeed, the feat was celebrated on track and later on TV. By the way, I’m not claiming innocence; I’ve already chastised (rationalized?) myself in all this.

In the ballplayer’s cases, the two Eagles were not allowed to return to PRACTICE for five days, and neither was cleared to play in the following week’s game - much less driving 100 MPH.

This isn’t about “manning up,” balls, or whatever testosterone-fueled adjective you want to apply. It isn't about racing being a dangerous sport. We know that. Is it not dangerous enough for you? It’s about the fact that head injuries may have severe long term effects that aren’t visible to the naked eye. It’s not like a burn or a broken bone.

Knowing what we know about the brain, it’s high time that tracks, sanctioning bodies, insurance companies and, most of all, participants and fans get wise to the macho charade and demand proper steps are followed before letting the wounded back into the battle.

Concussion tests that can be administered by anyone - at least High School coaches - are available. It’s the least anyone at a track could do at the time of any hit or flip on the track. Appoint one of the safety crew to do the test. And, after any injury where a concussion is documented, require signed releases from a NEUROLOGIST before return.

Times have changed. Statesmen used to settle differences with pistols at dawn, and doctors told you smoking was good for you.

We’ve evolved past that. The more science shows the long term effects of repeated head injuries, letting drivers return to the track prematurely isn’t going to make them look heroic.

It will make us look barbaric.

- Jason

What's up

Got a lot of irons in the fire right now.

I've got one editorial coming, a pace lap column, and a followup to my "Respect" editorial coming soon.

Eagle Nebraska Cup Photos

Photos from Sunday's Nebraska Cup are now online.

Eagle 9-12-10 NE Cup Photos

Respect Part 1: What would you say you do here?

What...what would you say...you DO here?
- Bob Slidell - from the movie Office Space

I had an email exchange with a former sport compact owner and I’ve had other exchanges and discussions on the same line as well as seeing this repeatedly on message boards. It was civil discussion in all cases.

And it doesn’t apply to compacts either, it can apply to a broad level to any “support” class, but in the real world, that class comes up in the discussion of “respect.”

It seems they don’t get much.

So, outside of making money for the promoter - what else is there? Is this the only argument? It seems to be the go-to argument whenever a fan of the class feels slighted.

Let’s start with competitiveness.

You could argue that at some places - Eagle had many different winners and the championship came down to the final night. At other tracks though, it seems the titles were well in hand before the final night - look at Beatrice and Junction Motor Speedway. The competition factor is track and season dependent. Some places and some years it’s good, others not so much. And, you could say that with any other class.

Next up: I’m a fan of everyone because I’m a TRUE RACING FAN!!!”

Oh really? This is my favorite. And it seems to be told to the guy who says he doesn’t like the “cheaper” class. No, the guy who rags on the expensive class is treated like a hero, a man of the people. Stickin’ it to the elitists.

In my experience, people who insist they believe that are as phony as a three dollar bill.

Let me ask: what do you think of that battle between Lewis Hamilton and Mark Webber in Formula 1? How about the rise of Sebastien Ogier in the World Rally Championship? What do you think of the new F1 track in Texas? How about the new car in the IndyCar series? Been to the SCCA Solo Championships in Lincoln yet?

What? Boring? Don’t pay attention? “Rich boy racing?”

I guess you’re not a true racing fan either.

Finally: What about that “racing spirit?”

No matter what class, anyone who is willing to put time and effort into a car and take it out every weekend has that racing spirit. Top to bottom...all the way up from compacts to sprints and late models.

In the end, I don’t begrudge the compact class itself or the concept. It’s an entry point into the sport, it gives young drivers and novices the chance to learn the etiquette of racing (if not the actual car control for rear wheel drives), it gives the less-heeled a chance to run under the lights, and the pit gate money collected versus the low purse paid helps fund other classes’ purses (read: Sprints, Super Late models, and maybe even “A” Modifieds).

If not for them, keeping those other classes on the track would be much harder for the promoter. Supporters may see the class as key to a show’s success, detractors may call it a necessary evil.

This is what they do here.

But to me - that’s all it is. Nothing more. I understand the need; I respect that. The support classes have a lot in common with the more expensive divisions. They have the right to be there.

But there are differences. I’m not going to put the accomplishments of the entry level class on the same level as the more expensive ones above it. If that’s the “respect” you want, then I have none for you. The money, the complexity, the road to success, the skill level, the work required are much harder and to me that translates into the accomplishments being greater.

I have been on both sides, even at my own track. As 360 sprints, we were the kings of the show one Saturday, and "f-in 360's" when the Outlaws came to town the next.

To grow the sport we don’t need less elitism. We need more of it. I’ll explain in part two.

ASCS Midwest Set for Big Weekend Triple

Lonnie Wheatley, TULSA, Okla. (September 7, 2010) - A big weekend looms for
the American Sprint Car Series Midwest Region with a first-time Missouri
venue on Friday night leading into a pair of Nebraska events on Saturday and
Sunday.

The weekend kicks off with a $1,500 to win event at Warrensburg's Central
Missouri Speedway on Friday night, moves on to McCool Junction's Junction
Motor Speedway for a $3,000 to win tilt on Saturday night and then concludes
with Sunday night's $5,000 to win Nebraska Cup at Eagle Raceway.

After narrowly missing out on the Northern Plains title over each of the
past four years, Sioux Falls shoe Eric Lutz is closing in on his first
series title entering the weekend with an advantage of more than 200 points
over Waverly, Nebraska's Doug Lovegrove in the ASCS Midwest points chase.
Only the September 24 season final at I-80 Speedway remains after this
weekend's triple.

Springfield, Nebraska's Jack Dover is third in points despite a limited
Midwest slate of events and served notice Saturday night that he has put
recent injuries behind him with a "tuneup" win at Eagle Raceway.

Two-time Northern Plains champion Lee Grosz of Harwood, ND, is currently
fourth in Midwest points, with Brian Brown, winner of five Midwest features
this season including this past weekend's event at I-80, in fifth.

Friday's card at Central Missouri Speedway marks the first Sprint Car event
atop the Warrensburg dirt track since 2005 after a scheduled April 30 event
fell victim to rain. The Winged Outlaw Warriors, led by the likes of top
title contenders Eric Todd, Tyler Blank, J. Kinder, Jonathan Cornell and Jon
Corbin, will join in on Friday's festivities.

Junction Motor Speedway, a staple on the ASCS Midwest Regional tour since
its inception in 2005, hosts the series for the third and final time of 2010
on Saturday night. In nine previous ASCS Midwest events at McCool Junction,
Brian Brown ranks as the only driver to top more than one feature with three
victories. Ryan Roberts and Chad Humston have reached victory lane at
Junction Motor Speedway in 2010.

Sunday's $5,000-to-win Nebraska Cup at Eagle Raceway also includes in excess
of $1,000 in lap money donated by fans and businesses. Tony Bruce, Jr.,
outdueled Jesse Hockett to win the 2009 edition of the Nebraska Cup. Just
20 years old now, Jack Dover topped the previous two editions of the
Nebraska Cup in 2007 and 2008.

Friday's action at Central Missouri Speedway gets under way at 7:30 p.m.,
Saturday's green flag at Junction Motor Speedway flies at 7:00 p.m. and
Sunday's proceedings fire off at 6:30 p.m.

Central Missouri Speedway is located in Warrensburg, MO, 3.5 miles north of
US 50 on SR 13 at the junction of CR V. For more information, contact the
track at 660-747-2166.

Junction Motor Speedway is located 5.6 miles south of York, NE, off I-80
Exit 353 on US 81, then 0.3 miles west on CR 4. For more information,
contact the track at 402-773-5538.

Eagle Raceway is located in Eagle, NE, off I-80 Exit 420, then 11 miles
south to SR 63, then west. For more information, contact the track at
402-781-2243 or 402-238-2595.

The ASCS Midwest Region has completed 16 nights of competition in 2010 at
seven different tracks throughout Nebraska and the surrounding areas of
Missouri, South Dakota and Iowa, with just one night of competition
remaining after this weekend's triple.

In its 19th year of sanctioning Sprint Car racing, the American Sprint Car
Series brings the best of Sprint Car racing to approximately 100 different
tracks throughout 30 states and Canada. Anchored by the Lucas Oil Sprint
Car Series presented by K&N Filters, ASCS also consists of ten different
Regions throughout the nation.

Past ASCS Regional Winners at Central Missouri Speedway:
None - First ASCS Regional event at Central Missouri Speedway

Past ASCS Midwest Region Winners at Junction Motor Speedway:
7/1/10 - Chad Humston
5/28/10 - Ryan Roberts
5/22/09 - Shane Stewart
6/27/08 - Brian Brown
6/29/07 - Brian Brown
5/25/07 - Garry Lee Maier
6/30/06 - Brian Brown
5/26/06 - Jake Peters
5/27/05 - Jason Danley

Past ASCS Midwest Region Winners at Eagle Raceway:
6/12/10 - Jason Johnson (with National)
6/11/10 - Danny Wood (with National)
9/12/09 - Tony Bruce, Jr.
9/7/08 - Jack Dover
7/19/08 - Jack Dover
7/21/07 - Mike Boston
7/22/06 - Wade Nygaard

Additional information regarding the American Sprint Car Series is available
at www.ascsracing.com.

I-80 ASCS & MLRA/NCRA Photos

Plenty of pics from Friday's ASCS Sprints and the MLRA/NCRA Show at I-80 Speedway

I-80 Sept. 3 2010 Photos

The Pace Lap - September 2, 2010

- Well, we’re starting to hit what soccer fans call “added time.” For us the encore to the regular season is arguably the “month of money” at the local level. Season point championships are over, or nearly completed and special shows conclude the season. I like that. I’ve never really though much of the end of the points season being the final show at a track. For all but a few racers/fans with vested interest in the final standings, it’s always come off as anti-climactic to me.

- In contrast, the "second season" (or is it the third with the early spring shows) starts this weekend with some noteworthy events. The State Championship races, promoted by Johnny Saathoff kick off the weekend at Beatrice on Friday night, with $1000 to the modified winner and thousands in contingency prizes for racers and fans.

- Farther north, I-80 puts out a top-tier twin-bill with ASCS Sprints and MLRA Super Late Models. Figure 8 racing rounds out the program. Once popular decades ago, figure 8 racing is making a comeback, and more than just a novelty act. A recent article in Circle Track magazine highlights a series composed of reinforced late models, doing serious battle each week. They’ve also added a compact division to the mix as support.

- Speaking of compacts and support classes: WE GET IT, THEY NEED TO BE THERE TO HELP THE BACK GATE AND THE PROMOTER’S BOTTOM LINE! That’s not lost on anyone but the most myopic dolt, so if you think stating that publicly makes you come off as intelligent, well you come off as bragging about climbing a ditch - good for you. Now go pick up your Legos.

- But to that - one thing I think would help overcome some perception as compacts being on the lowest rung of a lengthening ladder of support classes would be to make it different. I’m not suggesting Figure 8’s, but maybe something that the other classes can’t do well - turning right. Hey, when I see compacts strap the two-wheel trailer to the back of the car it came in on and run the trailer race, then why not mix in a right turn?

Places like Eagle and JMS could easily create a pseudo-road course in the infield. Throw a chicane on the straightaway if you didn’t want to do that. Maybe, with a few additions to the safety lights, add a clockwise night to the track, or by race! It can be done and it doesn’t have to be a novelty act or comical.

To those that take offense to the compacts being derided consider that just like any other sport, one is compared to any group doing the same thing you are. Minor leagues vs. major leagues, Nationwide to Sprint Cup, pro vs. amateur, slowest to fastest. If you’re all running on the same track, turning left four times, you’ll always be on that pecking order.

Do something different, and you’re in a class by yourself.

- Derision - one team that doesn’t deserve any is the fire & rescue team at any race track. Mostly staffed by eager volunteers, they’re often asked to do much more than just tending to the injured. Many times they serve as brute force to turn over cars, clean up spills, and so on. I’ve been to some tracks whose safety crews have been...sketchy. The groups we see around these parts are first-class.

- Most places (but not all) are wisely taking Saturday night off. Come September the sea of red rules and running against Big Red is a big mistake, unless you want to give the grandstand workers the night off. Eagle is scheduling its Endless Summer event with invite-only races in all their weekly classes featuring former NASCAR star Ken Schrader and a concert by surf-rock veterans Al Jardine and Dean Torrence on Sunday.

Just because I like to nitpick and love verbal vinegar - this is not a makeup of the infamous Beach Boys concert that ended in a deluge nearly two decades ago. The Beach Boys were done with their set and Chicago was lining up to play prior to the rain.

But who am I to complain? I won’t be there anyway. I'm more interested in having 3 straight days where I don't have to be anywhere. Invite only races can be good - sometimes - and 50’s rock just isn’t my thing. Maybe when I realized The Fonz was really just a whiny dude from Manhattan it ruined my view of that decade and it affected my subconscious.

- In a little swipe at Eagle, I-80 promoted its season finale that same night with the line “forget the beach” on their Facebook page. It’s since been removed. Remember at the beginning of the year when there was a conflict between the two tracks over a sprint car date? Former track owner and promoter Craig Kelley mediated a deal between the two, one of the stipulations being that Eagle wouldn’t run a free ticket giveaway special on that night. Remember last year, Eagle’s free ticket giveaway brought an overflow crowd to the speedway right against I-80’s championship night.

Well, I guess Eagle didn’t do a free ticket giveaway....

I guess we all would like to see those famous words from Rodney King, “can’t we all just get along?” take form in the racing world, it seems the reality is more along the lines of Reginald Denny and “Football” Williams.

OK, enough of my half as smart and twice as snarky attempts to sound like Dennis Miller.

- The fact we’re back to jackets and the season’s winding down doesn’t mean we don’t have some fun shows coming. Along with this weekend’s racing, we have Nebraska Cup weekend Sept 11-12 at JMS with a $3K to win ASCS sprint show and the finale at Eagle paying $5K to win. Last year had over 50 sprint cars make the Eagle trip, concluding with a duel between Tony Bruce, Jr. and the late Jesse Hockett which in my opinion was not just the best race of the year, but one of the best I’d seen at Eagle ever as it was slice-and-dice throughout the field.

The Jake Ita memorial takes place Sept. 11&12 at Wavelink Raceway Park if you’d like to take a look at the future stars of the bigger tracks.

And we’re not done! I-80’s Cornhusker Classic has about anything you could want: Sprints, Super Late Models (MLRA, NCRA and SLMR), Modifieds, Motorcycles, stock cars of all varieties stretched over three days. Beatrice finishes off with Octoberfest and JMS concludes with the Cool McCool 100.

There’s plenty of racing left, folks. Bundle up!

Nebraska State Championship show Friday at Beatrice Speedway

BEATRICE, Neb. (Sept. 1) – The Nebraska State Championship race program
moves to Beatrice Speedway, with four IMCA sanctioned divisions on the
Friday, Sept. 3 program.
 
IMCA Modifieds run for $1,000 to win and a minimum of $100 to start the
headline feature, which lands the winner on the ballot for the 2011 Fast
Shafts All-Star Invitational. Karl Chevrolet Northern SportMods chase a top
check of $400, IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stocks run for $250 to win and first place
for the Mach-1 Sport Compacts pays $100.
 
National, regional and Allstar Perfomance State points will be awarded and
more than $8,000 in cash, product and product certificates will be given to
mystery position finishers. Another $2,000 in cash and other giveaways go to
grandstand spectators.
 
Pit gates open at 4 p.m., the grandstand opens at 5 p.m., hot laps are at
6:45 p.m. and racing starts at 7:30 p.m. Spectator admission is $12 for
adults, $5 for kids and free for youngsters six and under. Pit passes are
$25.
 
More information is available from promoter Johnny Saathoff at 888 290-9696
and at the www.jetracinginc.com website.
 
Presented by RevHoney Energy, the Friday special is sponsored by Don Hagan &
Sons, Pinnacle Bank, Jet Racing and Northeast Auto.
 
The Nebraska State Championship show had previously been held at Lincoln.
The 18th annual event will also be the first Kenny Parde Memorial program.

ASCS Midwest at I-80 Speedway on Friday

Lonnie Wheatley, TULSA, Okla. (August 30, 2010) - This coming Labor Day
Holiday weekend kicks off with the American Sprint Car Series Midwest Region
taking to Nebraska Raceway Park's I-80 Speedway on Friday night.

Friday's card atop the 4/10-mile dirt oval marks one last tune up
opportunity prior to the Nebraska Cup weekend on September 10-12 that
includes events at Warrensburg, MO, McCool Junction, NE, and then Eagle, NE.

Friday's card marks the fifth night of ASCS Midwest action at I-80 Speedway,
where the series will finish off the 2010 season with championship night on
September 24.

Thus far, four different drivers have reached ASCS Midwest victory lane in
as many events at I-80 in 2010, with Dustin Morgan, Jack Dover, Shane
Stewart and Brian Brown each collecting Greenwood cash.

Eric Lutz of Sioux Falls, SD, leads the way in the ASCS Midwest title chase
entering Friday's action with a 221-point edge over Waverly, Nebraska's Doug
Lovegrove. Jack Dover, Tyler Drueke and defending ASCS Midwest champ Jason
Danley round out the current top five in points, with the rest of the top
ten including Lee Grosz, Brian Brown, Gage Dorr, Chad Humston and Ryan
Roberts.

Friday's action at I-80 Speedway fires off at 7:00 p.m.

Nebraska Raceway Park's I-80 Speedway is located in Greenwood, NE, between
Lincoln and Omaha off I-80 Exit 420, then 0.4 mile north on SR 63 then west.
For more information, contact the track at 402-944-2233.

The ASCS Midwest Region has completed 15 nights of competition in 2010 at
seven different tracks throughout Nebraska and the surrounding areas of
Missouri, South Dakota and Iowa, with just five nights of competition
remaining.

In its 19th year of sanctioning Sprint Car racing, the American Sprint Car
Series brings the best of Sprint Car racing to approximately 100 different
tracks throughout 30 states and Canada. Anchored by the Lucas Oil Sprint
Car Series presented by K&N Filters, ASCS also consists of ten different
Regions throughout the nation.

Past ASCS Regional Winners at I-80 Speedway:
7/2/10 - Brian Brown (Midwest)
5/27/10 - Shane Stewart (Midwest)
4/17/10 - Jack Dover (Midwest)
4/16/10 - Dustin Morgan (Midwest)
7/2/09 - Brian Brown (Midwest)
5/21/09 - Chad Humston (Midwest)
4/11/09 - Jonathan Cornell (Midwest)
4/10/09 - Billy Alley (Midwest)
8/14/07 - Jack Dover (Midwest)
4/15/07 - Chuck Swenson (Midwest vs. Northern Plains)
4/14/07 - Brian Brown (Midwest vs. Northern Plains)
8/15/06 - Billy Alley (Midwest)
7/3/06 - Jake Peters (Midwest vs. Northern Plains)
4/8/06 - Brian Brown (Midwest vs. Northern Plains)
8/3/05 - Brian Brown (Midwest vs. National)
7/8/05 - Brian Brown (Midwest)
4/15/05 - Terry McCarl (Midwest)


Additional information regarding the American Sprint Car Series is available
at www.ascsracing.com .

Eagle August 28, 2010 Photos

50+ photos from Saturday's racing.

Eagle 8-28-10 Photos

Good news - with a warning

- Good news Jack Dover is doing well and according to the Facebook page where regular updates have been posted, (viewable whether you have an account or not) he’s cleared to race.

Remember that the issue of whether or not a doctor’s clearance was given was a subject of discussion locally and on message boards across the country after Jack returned to racing one night after suffering head injuries on June 11. They plan on making it to two ASCS Races at Granite City, IL and Little Rock, AR to “start and park” for points. He’s planning to run the Nebraska Cup at Eagle on Sept. 12th.

I’ll just say this and not speak of this again: Eagle dodged a bullet in June when questions remained unanswered, or unwilling to be addressed when the issue of medical clearance came up. But I’m not condemning anyone - it would be hypocritical for me to point an accusing finger when I gladly stayed and watched. If I had enough issue with it I should have left. I didn’t.

Yes, there are plenty of stories told over beer about dirt track heroes racing with banged up heads, broken limbs, and an IV bottle hanging from an iron lung with a motor strapped to it and lapping the field (yes I’m exaggerating).

But that was then.

All that legend means nothing in today’s society when a lawsuit can turn racetracks into lakes, housing developments, or weed-infested patches of unused ground faster than Sammy Swindell’s lap around Eagle.

Hey, while you and I may agree with Shakespeare’s take on attorneys from Henry VI - "Kill all the lawyers!" our opinion isn’t worth squat in the real world. Whether or not anyone signed waivers or the law is on your side, your rights are only as good as your ability to defend them. All too often he with the most lawyer wins and sometimes winning the good fight might as well be a loss because of the heavy cost to defend oneself.

When these decisions are made it no longer affects one person. It can affect the racing community as a whole. In this day of sensationalistic, twenty-four hour media, uninformed opinion and hearsay ruling the air and cyberspace, lawsuits, insurance, and sick opportunism, we need to take the time to ask if maybe it isn’t a good idea to have all the i’s dotted and t’s crossed, for everybody’s sake.

But if that is done, fine - let the critics be damned and on with the show.

Eagle August 21, 2010 Photos

39 Photos from Saturday night's racing.

Eagle 8-21-10 Photos

The Pace Lap - August 20, 2010

- August is often called the “month of money” with the numerous specials run during or near the month. It’s been the “month of misery” around here...a track shuts down, a driver suffers serious injuries, big shows get rained on...been kind of tough on the fans and the racers too.

- Eagle hasn’t had a rainout since the beginning of the season. I wonder if maybe a little of the financial strife some of the teams are going through right now is due to the fact they’ve had so much racing. The most expensive part of running a race car is...running the race car.

- Stayed home Monday from the Tour N’Topless sprint show at I-80 after I saw that giant yellow blob on the radar around 4PM. I used what little meteorology knowledge I hadn't forgotten from my degree and determined that this race would get cut short. I was right. Thursday night they ran the A features for the Sprints and Late Models, with 12 of the original 16 (with one obvious and certainly understandable absence) returning to finish the show. I had other plans for Thursday and did that instead.

- I’ve always thought the “complete heats=complete show” custom shouldn’t apply to touring series, because at most weekly shows they run double features (with their purse) the following week - thus justifying charging twice. But with touring events, I’d like them to run it all or run none.

- In the same vein: Same thing goes for the cut-short POWRi midget race at JMS last month. I don’t care if you paid out the purse - the fans came to see a full show. Logistics an issue? Time the next night? OK - then be creative.

But being creative is something nearly all midget sanctions are rarely accused of. Tech inspections, 2, 5, 10 and 20 lap records, more time spent on the hometown of the car owner than working a crowd, and hour-long intermissions to give crews time to set the car up - THAT’S what I call fan friendly!

- With Butler County’s woes, there as been some question about the 9/11 ASCS show. The track is looking for funding, but it’s possible there is a plan B in the works for another track. Which one? Not sure yet and nothing is finalized - could be a standalone show at one track, could be a two day Nebraska cup, could be something different and until we hear otherwise, the 9/11 show is still scheduled for BCM.

Update: The 9/11 show has been moved to Junction Motor Speedway, paying the winner $3000. Details here

Interesting point: after lights were permanently installed at Memorial Stadium a few years ago and with the increase in TV coverage (particularly pay-per-view), Husker football games were moved to the night and running against them was financial suicide. This year, the 9/11 Husker game is in the MORNING...

- Went to Eagle for the first “sprint free” weekly show in a long time. Despite some anecdotal accounts on message boards, the crowd was down a little bit according to my comparisons, despite a buy one adult ticket, get one half off special via text message. That’s not saying it was desolate, you know - like a midget crowd.

I took off my shoes so I could use my toes and counted the people in the middle sections - like I do most weeks to get a gauge on the crowd. Having also worked at the track for 9 years and having to look at the gate receipts, I got pretty good at eyeballing it.

But was it because of no sprints? Maybe a little of it (Knoxville attendance on Saturday was up BTW), but you could pin other things too. Lincoln’s Ribfest and concert, a blazing hot week that really didn’t relent until the races were well underway, the last weekend before school, and the fact that most of the time, the crowd trails off significantly in August anyhow. Why do you think all those years Eagle ran its fan appreciation nights around that time?

What I’m saying is, you can’t read much into it either way.

- Still undecided on what I will do this weekend. Gotta be honest, I’m getting kind of burned out. We'll see how I feel. I'm looking forward to the end-of-season specials.

BCM Cancels Regular Season - Trying for 9/11 Race

From Jacy Todd via dirtdrivers.com

We have to announce that we were unable to salvage the regular season. We would like to thank everyone for their efforts in trying to come up with sponsors and ideas to finish the season off.

We are trying to work on the 9/11 show. If anyone would like to help with sponsorships or sponsoring please call me at 308-940-1970 or email acejc70@yahoo.com. Thanks again for everyone's support and efforts at Butler County Motorplex.

The classes we are looking at running for the 9/11 show will be B Mods, Hobbies, 4 cyl., and ASCS Sprints.

Update: The 9/11 show has been moved to Junction Motor Speedway, paying the winner $3000.

So unfortunately, barring any other additions...it looks like Butler County Motorplex is closed for 2010 and the foreseeable future.

Dover injured in I-80 Crash

Sprint car driver Jack Dover was hospitalized Monday night after a violent crash at I-80 Speedway. He was transported to an Omaha hospital and is being treated for internal injuries.

The Lincoln Journal-Star article is here.

Lori Dover posted status updates on Jack's condition on the team's Facebook page.

It's been a rough year for Jack, as he also suffered head injuries after a flip at Eagle Raceway during the opening night of the Eagle Nationals on June 11.

My thoughts will be with the Dover family during this time. Despite all the safety advances, it's a dangerous sport with real people behind the wheel.