Requiem

This Saturday marks the end of an era at Eagle Raceway as the 360 Sprints will take to the track for the final time in a weekly points show. While the non-points Eagle Shootout and Nebraska Cup will run in September, this is the final show for the class at the track.

For 29 seasons, the 360’s consistently ran at Eagle. But rising costs cited as reason for declining car counts through Roger Hadan’s seven seasons of ownership forced Hadan to end what had become Eagle’s signature series in favor of ostensibly lower-costs and more tightly regulated IMCA Racesaver 305’s. While some fans had held hope that reconciliation could be met, the final nail had been driven when Eagle Raceway announced the 2013 Sprint Rules package - of the 305 spec - this week. 360’s can run, with restriction - but this will be a 305 series now. To those who ask how Eagle can pull it off with a dozen or so possible cars, I respond...about as well as he’s doing with the dozen cars now.

With less than a dozen cars competing the last two nights - the lowest car counts in the history of the series - there is no fanfare, and a 70% forecast for rain for Saturday would seem almost a “go figure” kind of end to the final season (not to mention ironic during this drought year).

Mike Boston leads Trevor Grossenbacher by 88 points going into the final show. Given there’s too large of a point spread for Grossenbacher to make up, lest a miracle 24 cars show for a B feature and Boston fails to qualify, Boston will seal up his sixth track title, tying John Gerloff (sprints), Mike Meyer (IMCA Modified), and Kevin Larkins (IMCA Modified) for most titles in one class in the track’s history.

Weather permitting (or maybe regardless) I plan to be there for the final go-round. With the exception of my tour with the NCRA Outlaws in 1996 and taking out time for the family this year, Eagle Raceway and sprint cars have been a part of my summer life for this entire period.

While I’m in agreement that Roger had to make a change, I’m not happy about it. Yes, there will be Sprint Cars in the academic sense, and to the fan that may be enough, but there is a culture which is leaving. Granted, it’s not a complete break, but many of the names and faces I’ve grown familiar with, in some cases became friends with, will not be part of the fabric at Eagle next year. And while current owners and fans are working to create a new series with the current Eagle regulars at its core, the shows out of town just don’t have the same attachment. Place and people were linked.

I plan on being there with my camera (which I've already sold - but will use for one last time), pen and paper and a single focus. Saturday - it isn’t about the other classes on the track for me. It’s about this group...who happen to race Sprint cars. After that...who knows?

So for me, this Saturday is a requiem of sorts. Saying goodbye to the class that spoke for Eagle Raceway for nearly 30 years.