It’s been over a month since I’ve seen an A feature. That’s saying something since there has been no time since 1984 that I’ve been gone from Eagle for a month. MAYBE in 1996 when we were touring with the NCRA, but definitely no time since I’ve been away from a race that long.
I could say that it’s been that long since I’ve been to a race, but I made the trip down to US36 Raceway in Osborn, MO for the ASCS show last Friday night.
I say “A feature” because I left after Jordan Boston capped off one of those “should’ve hung it up nights” (he had motor issues early) with a flip in turn two that tore down the catch fence during the B feature. That was six sprinters on their head for the night, with two more coming later.
At the time of the wreck, I was in the parking lot with photographer and traveling partner Joe Orth and a few other fans who made the trip down from the Lincoln area. The telltale zing of the motor in the background and the screech of brakes tipped off the red flag and Joe and I decided that we’d had enough. Joe recalled that it was the first time in a long while he had left a race..it was almost becoming the norm for me.
A three-hour trip home and things to do for both of us the next morning made the decision pretty easy. Boring pics (at least mine) were another. I have to admit, it’s been about 4 years since I made the trip down to US36 - and I remember why. It’s a humid ravine with calf-high weeds in the infield, one way in and out, a catch fence that would be better used to snag fish and enough lights to allow one to make out that there is some sort of four-wheeled vehicle circumnavigating the place - most of which were B mods - and a scant two push trucks - thankfully provided by our Eagle regulars.
OK maybe it’s unnecessarily harsh. We need all the tracks we can get.
Races there can be dicey and exciting. And that night’s field of 28 was well-stocked with the likes of Jack Dover, Danny Lasoski, Randy Martin, and Trevor Grossenbacher. The hot dog with kraut and one of my favorite white-trash treats - Frito Pie - sat surprisingly well in my belly. It was a nice evening and the people there are nice. It’s always good to see a few of the Eagle gang making the trip too and also ran into a few people I hadn’t seen since I worked at Eagle during the Cormack days.
The trip down and back was pleasant, with interesting conversation and the half-day vacation was a nice break from my work (a lot)-dad (some)-sleep (a little) schedule of the past nine months.
Sometimes, it’s more than just the racing. I think my favorite time at Eagle over the past season or so has been the time spent before the show, shooting the breeze with friends and usually meeting one or two new people per week. I actually liked it more than the few times I had post-race beers afterward - especially as my days watching the trailer races are long behind me.
So, what’s with the delay? Well, the demands of being a parent took some precedence, and some help at home on the weekends was needed. And to be honest, it was a better deal in my eyes. Time with the family was important.
The thing was, getting home around midnight (on a good night) and feeling like dog crap the next day wasn’t helping things. I finally got to the point of almost viewing going to the track as a chore - and I had NO obligation to be there.
Five classes is about two too many for my taste. Save me the “if it weren’t for ___, you wouldn’t have ____” bit. That’s a bigger insult to your intelligence than mine because you should be smart enough to know that I realize that. It’s a necessary evil in this day.
But it’s evil nonetheless and doesn’t make things much more palatable - or at least in constant doses. I get it, some can’t get enough and would gladly sit six or seven hours.
They got their wish the week before with a seven-hour makeup of the previous week’s features.
I think the problem is we’ve felt this obligation to create endless amounts of sub-classes where the goal is set the bar just high enough so the winner isn’t just random chance, but low enough so nobody can use the excuse that racing is expensive and to keep that license fee coming. I’m waiting for the C-mod to debut in 2015 given the number of ‘claim’ cars well outpaces the ‘crates’ in the B mods.
So, if this is the way it must be, what can change? I’ll discuss that in my next piece.
Tuesday, August 30, 2011
Tuesday, August 23, 2011
ASCS Midwest vs. Warrior Rubber Match Friday at U.S. 36
Lonnie Wheatley, TULSA, Okla. (August 22, 2011) - The Speedway Motors ASCS Midwest and Warrior Regions have squared off twice already this season top the ultra-fast high banks of Cameron, Missouri's U.S. 36 Raceway.
And, in those two previous events, a Midwest representative won the first time while a Warrior shoe topped the second clash.
This Friday night will be the rubber match, as the ASCS Midwest and Warrior Regions clash for a third and final time of the year at U.S. 36 Raceway.
Leading their respective Regions into the event are Jack Dover (Midwest) and Brad Loyet (Warrior), both of whom have tasted past ASCS glory at U.S. 36. Dover, the 21-year-old from Springfield, NE, has won twice at U.S. 36, including most recently in June of 2010, while 23-year-old Loyet of Sunset Hills, MO, won the recent clash event at U.S. 36 on July 15.
While Loyet won the most recent Midwest vs. Warrior card, Midwest rep Wayne Johnson topped the first 2011 card on June 17
After ranking fourth with the premier Lucas Oil ASCS National series in 2010, Dover is closing in on a second ASCS Midwest championship with a healthy lead over Bryan Gossel, Lee Grosz, Jordan Boston and Wayne Johnson entering Friday's action.
Loyet, a rookie in the Sprint Car ranks after collecting several Midget titles, holds a 111-point edge over four-time champion Randy Martin in the Warrior title chase with Kyle Bell, Jonathan Cornell and Mark Shirshekan also among the top five.
Friday's racing action atop the high-banked, 3/8-mile U.S. 36 Raceway clay oval is set to fire off at 8:00 p.m.
U.S. 36 Raceway is located 50 miles northeast of Kansas City on I-35 to Exit 54, then 6.3 miles west on U.S. 36, then 0.1 mile north on SR 33. For more information, contact the track at 816-675-2279.
The Speedway Motors ASCS Midwest Region is slated for 22 nights of competition at a seven throughout Nebraska and the surrounding areas of Missouri, South Dakota, Iowa and Minnesota.
The inaugural season of Speedway Motors Warrior Region action under the ASCS banner currently consists of 17 nights of competition at nine different tracks throughout Missouri and into Kansas.
Past ASCS Regional Winners at U.S. 36 Raceway:
7/15/11 - Brad Loyet (Midwest vs. Warrior)
6/17/11 - Wayne Johnson (Midwest vs. Warrior)
7/16/10 - Bronson Maeschen (Midwest)
6/18/10 - Jack Dover (Midwest)
6/19/09 - Jesse Hockett (Midwest)
7/11/08 - Jack Dover (Midwest)
9/7/07 - Jesse Hockett (Midwest)
9/8/06 - Chris Morgan (Midwest)
6/23/06 - Toby Chapman (Midwest)
9/9/05 - Johnny Anderson (Midwest)
And, in those two previous events, a Midwest representative won the first time while a Warrior shoe topped the second clash.
This Friday night will be the rubber match, as the ASCS Midwest and Warrior Regions clash for a third and final time of the year at U.S. 36 Raceway.
Leading their respective Regions into the event are Jack Dover (Midwest) and Brad Loyet (Warrior), both of whom have tasted past ASCS glory at U.S. 36. Dover, the 21-year-old from Springfield, NE, has won twice at U.S. 36, including most recently in June of 2010, while 23-year-old Loyet of Sunset Hills, MO, won the recent clash event at U.S. 36 on July 15.
While Loyet won the most recent Midwest vs. Warrior card, Midwest rep Wayne Johnson topped the first 2011 card on June 17
After ranking fourth with the premier Lucas Oil ASCS National series in 2010, Dover is closing in on a second ASCS Midwest championship with a healthy lead over Bryan Gossel, Lee Grosz, Jordan Boston and Wayne Johnson entering Friday's action.
Loyet, a rookie in the Sprint Car ranks after collecting several Midget titles, holds a 111-point edge over four-time champion Randy Martin in the Warrior title chase with Kyle Bell, Jonathan Cornell and Mark Shirshekan also among the top five.
Friday's racing action atop the high-banked, 3/8-mile U.S. 36 Raceway clay oval is set to fire off at 8:00 p.m.
U.S. 36 Raceway is located 50 miles northeast of Kansas City on I-35 to Exit 54, then 6.3 miles west on U.S. 36, then 0.1 mile north on SR 33. For more information, contact the track at 816-675-2279.
The Speedway Motors ASCS Midwest Region is slated for 22 nights of competition at a seven throughout Nebraska and the surrounding areas of Missouri, South Dakota, Iowa and Minnesota.
The inaugural season of Speedway Motors Warrior Region action under the ASCS banner currently consists of 17 nights of competition at nine different tracks throughout Missouri and into Kansas.
Past ASCS Regional Winners at U.S. 36 Raceway:
7/15/11 - Brad Loyet (Midwest vs. Warrior)
6/17/11 - Wayne Johnson (Midwest vs. Warrior)
7/16/10 - Bronson Maeschen (Midwest)
6/18/10 - Jack Dover (Midwest)
6/19/09 - Jesse Hockett (Midwest)
7/11/08 - Jack Dover (Midwest)
9/7/07 - Jesse Hockett (Midwest)
9/8/06 - Chris Morgan (Midwest)
6/23/06 - Toby Chapman (Midwest)
9/9/05 - Johnny Anderson (Midwest)
Saturday, August 20, 2011
The Pace Lap - August 20, 2011
Well, it’s been a long time since I’ve updated and even longer since I’ve been to a race.
Work killed my plans of going to Knoxville for the ASCS 360 Nationals - and an infant son who’s just turning the corner on sleeping at night didn’t help although my wife was OK with a late arrival on Sunday morning. I however, didn’t really have the endurance for it after the work week from Hell.
That said, it doesn’t mean I didn’t follow the scene and as always have something to say.
Looks like I-80’s Silver Dollar Nationals was a success with near-capacity stands and good racing. Good enough to run next year? Who knows? Seems like an announcement was put on hold with no ETA. Why leave fans hanging, especially after the rousing reviews immediately after the event? “We’ll announce next month/after the season/etc.” is better than “we planned to do it today, but ..............” (crickets). And, why would you ever limit a press release to a particular outlet unless there was some incentive involved? Maybe there is. Maybe there’s more at play. But ‘building anticipation’ and keeping people in the dark are not the same thing.
Eagle decided not to run the full size cars against the Knoxville Nationals, instead holding a Kart special at the track. So...can we infer that last year’s sprint-free experiment was a bust? ‘Bust’ may be too strong of a word, but to those with middle fingers raised yelling ‘who needs the sprints,’ let me say this: I haven’t seen the feathers but if it walks like a duck, talks like a duck, and quacks like a duck - it’s a duck. Even if you didn’t come right out and say so.
At the very least, I think the break does everyone some good. Gives the teams a chance to regroup, and the officials and staff a nice weekend off.
Gotta hand it to Brad Brown of ibracn.com for getting the Nebraska Cup Sprint Car lap money program off and running. People can sponsor a lap, and the leader of that lap during the A feature collects anywhere from 25 to 100 dollars or possibly more. It’s a great idea. Last year I saw a fan/driver/supporter of another class asking where the lap money was for their class. Well, just follow Brad’s example and start taking donations. Do the work.
I also saw another great example of crowdsourced promotion for the SIlver Dollar Nationals: bands of fans getting together and donating tow money to their favorite driver in an effort to bring them to the show. I like seeing the fans take the reins and work to make the show better for them (and everyone else). It’s an interesting concept and while one could say the promoter should be the one making the effort - I would say that it’s what the fan can bear. If they choose to do this, it’s their prerogative. What I hope not to see is the promoter taking it for granted and letting the fans shoulder the load.
Well, I’ll be away from the track again this weekend but hope to hit the final weeks in force. Stay safe everyone.
Work killed my plans of going to Knoxville for the ASCS 360 Nationals - and an infant son who’s just turning the corner on sleeping at night didn’t help although my wife was OK with a late arrival on Sunday morning. I however, didn’t really have the endurance for it after the work week from Hell.
That said, it doesn’t mean I didn’t follow the scene and as always have something to say.
Looks like I-80’s Silver Dollar Nationals was a success with near-capacity stands and good racing. Good enough to run next year? Who knows? Seems like an announcement was put on hold with no ETA. Why leave fans hanging, especially after the rousing reviews immediately after the event? “We’ll announce next month/after the season/etc.” is better than “we planned to do it today, but ..............” (crickets). And, why would you ever limit a press release to a particular outlet unless there was some incentive involved? Maybe there is. Maybe there’s more at play. But ‘building anticipation’ and keeping people in the dark are not the same thing.
Eagle decided not to run the full size cars against the Knoxville Nationals, instead holding a Kart special at the track. So...can we infer that last year’s sprint-free experiment was a bust? ‘Bust’ may be too strong of a word, but to those with middle fingers raised yelling ‘who needs the sprints,’ let me say this: I haven’t seen the feathers but if it walks like a duck, talks like a duck, and quacks like a duck - it’s a duck. Even if you didn’t come right out and say so.
At the very least, I think the break does everyone some good. Gives the teams a chance to regroup, and the officials and staff a nice weekend off.
Gotta hand it to Brad Brown of ibracn.com for getting the Nebraska Cup Sprint Car lap money program off and running. People can sponsor a lap, and the leader of that lap during the A feature collects anywhere from 25 to 100 dollars or possibly more. It’s a great idea. Last year I saw a fan/driver/supporter of another class asking where the lap money was for their class. Well, just follow Brad’s example and start taking donations. Do the work.
I also saw another great example of crowdsourced promotion for the SIlver Dollar Nationals: bands of fans getting together and donating tow money to their favorite driver in an effort to bring them to the show. I like seeing the fans take the reins and work to make the show better for them (and everyone else). It’s an interesting concept and while one could say the promoter should be the one making the effort - I would say that it’s what the fan can bear. If they choose to do this, it’s their prerogative. What I hope not to see is the promoter taking it for granted and letting the fans shoulder the load.
Well, I’ll be away from the track again this weekend but hope to hit the final weeks in force. Stay safe everyone.
Tuesday, August 16, 2011
Lucas Oil Sprint Cars Ready for 33rd Annual Jackson Nationals
Lonnie Wheatley, TULSA, Okla. (August 15, 2011) - The Lucas Oil ASCS presented by K&N Filters National series embarks upon more new territory this weekend with the running of the 33rd Annual Jackson Nationals presented by Brodix Cylinder Heads atop the high-banked, ½-mile Jackson Speedway dirt oval in Jackson, MN, on Friday and Saturday.
Friday night's Loren Woodke Memorial Night portion of the Jackson Nationals offers up a $3,000 winner's share, with Saturday's Jackson Nationals championship a $6,000-to-win tilt.
The weekend's action will mark just the second visit to Minnesota in ASCS National history and the first since a Brainerd outing in 2007 won by Wayne Johnson.
And, leading the way into the weekend is current Lucas Oil Sprint Car points leader Shane Stewart, who ranks as arguably the hottest Sprint Car driver in the nation after a sizzling Southern Iowa Sprint Week that netted Stewart and car owner Paul Silva earnings in the six-figure range over a ten night stretch of action.
Fresh off a $10,000 triumph in the ASCS Knoxville Nationals on August 6, his second event win in as many years, and a 17th to second run in this past weekend's Knoxville Nationals championship event, Stewart also knows his way around the Jackson Speedway ½-mile oval as evidenced just a few weeks ago.
Stewart, a native of Bixby, OK, picked off Jackson's Spring Nationals victory on July 8, fending off fellow Lucas Oil National shoe Jason Johnson for the win with other National contenders testing out Jackson turf including Brady Bacon and Tony Bruce, Jr., along with current Speedway Motors ASCS Midwest points leader Jack Dover.
While Stewart currently holds a 142-point edge over Albuquerque's Johnny Herrera in the driver's portion of the $60,000 championship points chase, the owner's side of the things is much tighter with the Jason Johnson Racing No. 41 holding a mere 10-point edge over Silva's No. 57 piloted by Stewart.
Stewart and defending Lucas Oil Sprint Car champion Jason Johnson, who sits atop the series win charts in 2011 with four triumphs this season, lead a stellar cast of full-time series contenders that includes Herrera, Jeff Swindell, 2010 series runner-up Brady Bacon, four-time series champion Gary Wright, three-time series champion Tim Crawley, Washington's Seth Bergman, leading Brodix Rookie of the Year contender Aaron Reutzel, two-time Short Track Nationals champion Tony Bruce, Jr., and 2001 series champion Zach Chappell.
The weekend also awards Speedway Motors ASCS Midwest points, with Nebraska's Jack Dover holding the current Midwest edge over Wayne Johnson, who has parted ways with car owner Bryan Sundby since the series last action. Colorado's Bryan Gossel, North Dakota's Lee Grosz and Missouri's Brian Brown are also among the ASCS Midwest top five.
Grosz, a two-time ASCS Regional champion fresh off his first National win during ASCS Knoxville Nationals preliminary action, held off Brian Brown to win last year's Jackson Nationals.
The Series:
Lucas Oil ASCS presented by K&N Filters with the Speedway Motors ASCS Midwest Region
When & Where:
Friday night, August 19 at 7:30 p.m. - 33rd Annual Jackson Nationals presented by Brodix
Saturday night, August 20 at 7:30 p.m. - 33rd Annual Jackson Nationals presented by Brodix
Track Information:
Jackson Speedway (Jackson, MN) - ½-mile, high-banked dirt oval located 0.3 miles south of I-90 Exit 73 on US 71, then one mile east on CR 38, then 0.9 miles south on CR 51 at the fairgrounds. For more information, contact the track at 507-841-1957 or check http://www.jacksonspeedway.com/.
Lucas Oil ASCS Jackson Speedway History:
This weekend will mark the first time for the Lucas Oil ASCS National series to take to Minnesota's Jackson Speedway. The series has only been in Minnesota once before, with Wayne Johnson snaring a 2007 win at Brainerd. Jackson Speedway will become the 117th different track to host an ASCS National event since 1993 and the fourth new track to host the series in 2011 along with California tracks in Tulare, Hanford and Placerville.
Friday night's Loren Woodke Memorial Night portion of the Jackson Nationals offers up a $3,000 winner's share, with Saturday's Jackson Nationals championship a $6,000-to-win tilt.
The weekend's action will mark just the second visit to Minnesota in ASCS National history and the first since a Brainerd outing in 2007 won by Wayne Johnson.
And, leading the way into the weekend is current Lucas Oil Sprint Car points leader Shane Stewart, who ranks as arguably the hottest Sprint Car driver in the nation after a sizzling Southern Iowa Sprint Week that netted Stewart and car owner Paul Silva earnings in the six-figure range over a ten night stretch of action.
Fresh off a $10,000 triumph in the ASCS Knoxville Nationals on August 6, his second event win in as many years, and a 17th to second run in this past weekend's Knoxville Nationals championship event, Stewart also knows his way around the Jackson Speedway ½-mile oval as evidenced just a few weeks ago.
Stewart, a native of Bixby, OK, picked off Jackson's Spring Nationals victory on July 8, fending off fellow Lucas Oil National shoe Jason Johnson for the win with other National contenders testing out Jackson turf including Brady Bacon and Tony Bruce, Jr., along with current Speedway Motors ASCS Midwest points leader Jack Dover.
While Stewart currently holds a 142-point edge over Albuquerque's Johnny Herrera in the driver's portion of the $60,000 championship points chase, the owner's side of the things is much tighter with the Jason Johnson Racing No. 41 holding a mere 10-point edge over Silva's No. 57 piloted by Stewart.
Stewart and defending Lucas Oil Sprint Car champion Jason Johnson, who sits atop the series win charts in 2011 with four triumphs this season, lead a stellar cast of full-time series contenders that includes Herrera, Jeff Swindell, 2010 series runner-up Brady Bacon, four-time series champion Gary Wright, three-time series champion Tim Crawley, Washington's Seth Bergman, leading Brodix Rookie of the Year contender Aaron Reutzel, two-time Short Track Nationals champion Tony Bruce, Jr., and 2001 series champion Zach Chappell.
The weekend also awards Speedway Motors ASCS Midwest points, with Nebraska's Jack Dover holding the current Midwest edge over Wayne Johnson, who has parted ways with car owner Bryan Sundby since the series last action. Colorado's Bryan Gossel, North Dakota's Lee Grosz and Missouri's Brian Brown are also among the ASCS Midwest top five.
Grosz, a two-time ASCS Regional champion fresh off his first National win during ASCS Knoxville Nationals preliminary action, held off Brian Brown to win last year's Jackson Nationals.
The Series:
Lucas Oil ASCS presented by K&N Filters with the Speedway Motors ASCS Midwest Region
When & Where:
Friday night, August 19 at 7:30 p.m. - 33rd Annual Jackson Nationals presented by Brodix
Saturday night, August 20 at 7:30 p.m. - 33rd Annual Jackson Nationals presented by Brodix
Track Information:
Jackson Speedway (Jackson, MN) - ½-mile, high-banked dirt oval located 0.3 miles south of I-90 Exit 73 on US 71, then one mile east on CR 38, then 0.9 miles south on CR 51 at the fairgrounds. For more information, contact the track at 507-841-1957 or check http://www.jacksonspeedway.com/.
Lucas Oil ASCS Jackson Speedway History:
This weekend will mark the first time for the Lucas Oil ASCS National series to take to Minnesota's Jackson Speedway. The series has only been in Minnesota once before, with Wayne Johnson snaring a 2007 win at Brainerd. Jackson Speedway will become the 117th different track to host an ASCS National event since 1993 and the fourth new track to host the series in 2011 along with California tracks in Tulare, Hanford and Placerville.
Friday, August 05, 2011
Passing of Frank "Zook" Scdoris and Gary Grossenbacher
I haven't had any time to post lately, but I wanted to take a second send condolences to the families of Frank "Zook" Scdoris and Gary Grossenbacher.
Scdoris passed away this week after a battle with Alzheimers. I remember him as the flagman at Midwest Speedway when I first started going in the early 80's. He was a long time racer and is enshrined in the Beatrice Speedway Hall of Fame.
Grossenbacher was a long time crew chief with Sprint car driver Lonnie Jensen and later for Lonnie's son Tige. I met Gary when my father and he partnered on the #7BK car at Eagle, and I talked with Gary at the races often. Gary died of cancer last week.
Both will be missed.
-Jason
Scdoris passed away this week after a battle with Alzheimers. I remember him as the flagman at Midwest Speedway when I first started going in the early 80's. He was a long time racer and is enshrined in the Beatrice Speedway Hall of Fame.
Grossenbacher was a long time crew chief with Sprint car driver Lonnie Jensen and later for Lonnie's son Tige. I met Gary when my father and he partnered on the #7BK car at Eagle, and I talked with Gary at the races often. Gary died of cancer last week.
Both will be missed.
-Jason
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