One sentence wisdom

On having more and more classes:

Eventually people get tired of paying for a Ball Park frank when all they
get is a cocktail weenie in a hoagie bun.  

JMS May 1

SLMR Late Models will make their first appearance for the 2010 JMS Season
this Weekend on MAY 1!

Regular Racing Program will also be racing: NASCAR Late Models, Modifieds,
B-Modifieds, Stock Cars and 4 Cylinders! Don't miss this exciting show!

Front Gate Opens at 5:00

Hot Laps at 6:00
The Races Start at 7:00 pm
Junction Motor Speedway Season Opener

Admission $12.00 Adults and $4.00 Children ages 6-12
5 and under are free in the stands.

Pits

$25 for Non- NASCAR Crew
$20 For all NASCAR Drivers and NASCAR Crew Members
$50 For all SLMR Drivers

ALL drivers will have to purchase a license to race in all 5 of these
classes. This is mandatory for 2010 JMS rules.

See everybody this weekend, we look forward for a nice evening and great
racing!

National Speed Sport News interview with ASCS's Emmett Hahn

Pretty good Q&A with the founder of the ASCS sprint series, and pertinent to
any of the sprint fans in this area.

http://www.nationalspeedsportnews.com/node.php?tag=9&id=3437

 

"Show Me" Some New ASCS Midwest Territory This Weekend...

 
Lonnie Wheatley, TULSA, Okla. (April 26, 2010) – The American Sprint Car
Series Midwest Region breaks some new ground this coming weekend with a pair
of events in the "Show Me" State of Missouri.
 
On Friday night, the series takes to Warrensburg's semi-banked, 3/8-mile
Central Missouri Speedway dirt oval.  Then on Saturday night, it's off to
"The Diamond of Dirt Tracks", the Lucas Oil Speedway 3/8-mile dirt track in
Wheatland.
 
The events at both Central Missouri Speedway and Lucas Oil Speedway will be
held in conjunction with the Missouri-based Winged Outlaw Warriors.
 
The ASCS Midwest Region kicked off its sixth season of competition just a
couple of weeks ago with a pair of young guns reaching victory lane at
Nebraska Raceway Park's I-80 Speedway on April 16-17.
 
Twenty-one year-old Dustin Morgan of Tulsa, OK, bested a 34-car field in the
ASCS Midwest opener at I-80 on April 16, with 20-year-old Springfield, NE,
native Jack Dover delivering veteran car owner Gary Swenson a triumph the
following night.
 
Dover, among the top Lucas Oil ASCS National title contenders, is one of the
five past ASCS Midwest champions.  Dover captured his title in 2008, with
other past champions including Billy Alley (2005), Toby Chapman (2006),
Natalie Sather (2007) and Jason Danley (2009).
 
Dover escaped the opening weekend of ASCS Midwest action atop the point
charts with a 28-point edge over Giltner, Nebraska's Chad Humston, who
scored three series wins last year.
 
Aurora, Nebraska's Ryan Roberts is third in points, with Morgan and Gregg
Bakker of Sioux Falls, SD, rounding out the current top five.  The balance
of the current top ten in ASCS Midwest points includes two-time ASCS
Northern Plains champion Lee Grosz (Harwood, ND), Robby Wolfgang (Sioux
Falls, SD), Ryan Bickett (Ramona, SD), Billy Alley (Lincoln, NE) and Lou
Kennedy, Jr. (Winnipeg, Manitoba).
 
The Winged Outlaw Warrior forces will be lead into the weekend by four-time
series champion Randy Martin of California, MO, and defending champion Josh
Fisher of Smithton, MO.  Sedalia's Jonathan Cornell is out to the early WOW
lead over Martin, Eric Todd, Fisher and Dustin Barks.
 
Friday's card at Central Missouri Speedway marks the first Sprint Car event
atop the Warrensburg dirt track since 2005, while Saturday's action will be
the first ASCS Regional tilt in Wheatland.
 
Friday's action at Central Missouri fires off at 7:30 p.m., with Saturday's
card at Lucas Oil Speedway going green at 7:05 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.
 
Lucas Oil Speedway is located in Wheatland, MO, 0.2 miles south of US 54 on
SR 83.  For more information, contact the track at 417-282-5984.
 
The ASCS Midwest Region is slated for 23 nights of competition in 2010 at
ten different tracks throughout Nebraska and the surrounding areas of
Missouri, South Dakota and Iowa. 
 
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 eleven different
Regions throughout the nation.
 
Additional information regarding the American Sprint Car Series is available
at www.ascsracing.com

Cancellations

Both Butler County and Beatrice canceled their programs tonight due to the
weather.

The "Showdown at Uptown" car show and get together scheduled for tonight at
the Uptown Saloon in Greenwood has been rescheduled for May 21st.

The Pace Lap, April 22, 2010

(a continuation, if you will)

-As you may have already noticed, there's a slight change on the site. I've gone with Google's Blogspot hosting service for the short term. The changes I want to make may take more time than the May 1 deadline I had going now. Everything should be pretty transparent.

- I've railed on about too many support classes. An idea I first rolled my eyes at started to grow on me, as evidenced by this thread on dirtdrivers.com: starting the "featured class" A feature at a set time.

By the way: user "kmart" has a valid question.

I think starting a set time of 10 or 10:30 PM could have some issues, if heats or B's run long. But, I would propose this: the Featured Class A feature runs 1 hour after intermission. That's enough time. If they made the A, they have that and MORE to get any repairs or changes taken care of. As for B feature cars, it's always been a pressure cooker, it's part of the game. If there's no B, then 1 hour after intermission is enough.

With that in mind, are some promoters willing to establish a pecking order of importance? Some places have really made a point to act like all classes are the same, sadly, it's often by degrading the "feature class" as being whiny, expensive, disloyal, etc. And, are promoters willing to watch potential customers leave at the end of the "main event?" It's a tough balance.

The fact is, the support classes aren't inferior to a featured class, it's just that they play a different role. But I'm still not sure some egos could handle that distinction either.

- "April showers bring May flowers." Why do people bitch about rainouts in April? What do you expect?

- Chris Moses of OvalOperations.com proposes that it's time for Knoxville to end 410 weekly racing. I agree. They let go of wingless and life went on, so the whole "that's the way they've done it" argument doesn't hold. Will it bring more crowd? Probably not, unless perhaps the ticket price is lowered too. But will it cut expenses? Significantly.

This blog has moved - but you have to do nothing!

There's nothing you have to change, unless you subscribed to the posts in a newsreader. I've set the domain "www.heartlandracenews.com" to redirect to the .blogspot.com address...so all your bookmarks should be the same. The photos (for now) will still be at the same address. The only change you'll notice is in the address bar when the page loads up.

This is a temporary move to hosting with Google since the way I was doing this was not going to be supported by Blogger after May 1.


This blog is now located at http://heartlandracenews.blogspot.com/.
You will be automatically redirected in 30 seconds, or you may click here.

For feed subscribers, please update your feed subscriptions to
http://heartlandracenews.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default.

Updates

Going to make some changes today. We'll see what happens.

Photos from April 16 & 17

Gallery of I-80 Photos are up from the ASCS Sprint show this weekend.

I-80 April 16, 2010

I-80 April 17, 2010

The Pace Lap April 19, 2010

One of the things I said I was going to do was move away from just posting results which you've already seen and give my take on the action. So here goes.

Last week I went to the annual ASCS season opener at I-80 Speedway. Friday night had a five-class-fest with Sprints, NASCAR Late Models (limited, if you insist), SportMods, Pro-Ams and Compacts. Saturday had a top-tier triple-bill with Super Late Models as well as Sprints and IMCA Modifieds. Hobby Stocks rounded out the field.

Some people complain about so many classes (I'll get into that later), but the fact is, if people want fewer classes in the pits - there needs to be more fans at the front gate. It's a catch-22; but I think we're at the time when the status quo needs to be shaken up. There needs to be different ways to get the fans in. Back gate money is the easy route, more cars = more $. Sometimes, I'm not sure the promoter even cares about the front gate. For them, it's gravy or at worst, a necessary evil.

So maybe we just get used to this kind of racing with piles of classes, running late and that's just part of the game. Kind of like a SCCA sports car event. Die hards will sit through what they like, go to the parking lot or BS when what they don't care about is running. We are already on that road.

But, I've heard about tracks where the weekly admission is not the 8-10 bucks at the gate, but 10-15 bucks per car, and make the money at the concession/beer stand. Plus, hey...carpooling's good for the environment! (Ugh).

That said, I think many promoters realize that the fan's time is limited. I could hear the urgency in Ed Kosiski's voice over the radio Friday and Saturday night. I like what they did with the Modified feature on Saturday: 5 yellows allowed, and the 6th ended the race.

In a Talledega Nights moment, the A feature Saturday was cut short when race leader Dylan Smith was taken out by Johnny Saathoff (that's what it was, intentionally or not). Smith was put to the back (I agree, the yellow technically was for him) as was Saathoff (I agree, he caused the incident) and third-place Mike Densberger was awarded the win (also agree). 

Let me touch on that Mod feature for a second. On the surface it looked like Saathoff took Smith out. I saw Johnny doing the same thing to race leader Jay Noteboom at the Spring Nationals in Beatrice. It seemed to an untrained eye like mine that he was sliding the bumper up under the car, and thus...disrupting the leader on the corner exit. Maybe that isn't what's going on and I rarely comment on driving because I haven't been there.

Yes, I passed up Densberger's victory celebration to head over to Smith's trailer where Saathoff rushed over after the race and the two had a civil talk about it...unlike Friday's fight in the sprints and the previous week's punchout in the Pro-Ams. So, whatever happened, there's more than meets the eye and we have to be careful to judge. I wasn't the only one as a small crowd gathered at Smith's pit, but the upcoming race drowned out the conversation and it soon became apparent no big kerfuffle was going to come out of this. 

In the end, it appeared to be one of those "racing deals."

All I can say was I was really impressed with how Dylan composed himself after the race, behavior fitting a National Champion and mirroring what others have said. Racing needs all the Dylan Smith's they can get.

Also in the "they had that race covered until..." department, Friday's ASCS show had Billy Alley well in front until a broken hub ended his night. Dustin Morgan made the trip up from Oklahoma, where he inherited the lead and the win. Saturday night wasn't so kind as an early wreck ended his quest for a sweep.

When Jack Dover starts on the front row of a 360 race, you'll have to give me pretty good odds to pick against him. Lou Kennedy Jr, Clint Garner and Chad Humston tried, but the "Gas Man" stayed up top, kept cruisin' and took the win for Gary Swenson. Word in the pits was that there was a debate in the trailer whether or not a new tire would go on the right rear for the feature. I forgot to see who won that debate, but whatever choice must've been right! 

The shows still were pretty good. The crowd on Saturday seemed good, filling the stands up to 2/3 capacity (the west grandstands were still closed after storm damage). Car counts in the mid 30's were just fine in my book. And, it was a solid field both nights.

By the way, I really like the pit food at I-80. Being a "foodie," (and yes, one who is a fan of Tony Bourdain and Alton Brown), the grilled hot dogs are good stuff in the pits - not the usual boiled gray parts in a tube. The cheeseburgers are pretty good too. Real grilling over a fire...and what I think are Rotella buns are a significant cut above. I still like Eagle's chicken poppers, but the balance of pit grub power has shifted to the north.

Looking ahead to my next race. I don't think the Friday Warrensburg, MO ASCS trip is on tap...or a good idea for peace at the home! But, I plan on the season opener at Eagle for sure. There have been some questions that keep coming up, most of which is car count. How many sprints, how many sport mods? This leads to, "how long you think this is going to take" and "will 30 extra minutes be enough?"

Time will tell on both counts. For the Icebreaker, 14 of the 25 cars that ran were not Eagle regulars. Three took off to Wichita for greener pastures in the NCRA race, where Trevor Grossenbacher picked up third place and the $1000 check to go with it.

$1000 is A feature winner money at Eagle.

Granted, some cars weren't ready. Some stayed home since it wasn't a point night. But, will they break 20 on a regular basis? You can say whatever you want and spin it however you want, but it IS a major storyline in the SE Nebraska racing world. And, given that Eagle was one of the focal points for 360 Sprints in general, the downturn in the class is a big deal.

Rumor has it 60 Sport Mods are pre-registered at Eagle. That said, I don't think it cost anything (or very little) to pre-register by a certain date. I remember plenty of pre-registrations in the days when I managed that and there were usually a lot more registrations than cars on a weekly basis. I'm curious as to the mod count. The Beatrice/Eagle combined fund helped car counts, but the competition was intense, and tempers sometimes flared. I noticed that as some guys got out of the point hunt, they went to other tracks. We'll see what happens this year.

Staci Stava picked up her first Modified win at Junction Motor Speedway. If she's been to Eagle, I can't remember. Granted, Eagle isn't the be-all and end-all for modifieds, though it was Nebraska's first IMCA Mod track. I'd like to see her mix it up on the short track. But that said, the whole "woman" driver thing...a driver is a driver in my book. Shirley Muldowney proved that years ago. I don't know why female drivers seem to be such a novelty anymore. They deserve more respect than that.

So ends my Alan Alda moment (look it up, kids).

But if you brought a hermaphrodite to the track? That would be news.

I'll have some more thoughts. Come back in a day or two.

ASCS Midwest Regional Update 2010 - April 19, 2010

Rounds #3 & #4 are coming!

Friday April 30th
Central Missouri Speedway
Warrensburg, MO * Pits open 4:30 * Racing 7:30

Saturday May 1st
Lucas Oil Speedway
Wheatland, MO * Pits Open 4:00 * Racing 7:05

Both events are co-sanctioned with WOW Sprints.

ASCS Midwest Region points both days
2 separate shows - $1500 to win each night

ASCS Midwest Payout (each night)
$1500 - 1000 - 700 - 600 - 500 - 400 - 350 - 300 - 275 - 250
$250 thru 20th.

RR Tire - ASCS Spec Hoosier (16" Medium or Hard) - LR & fronts open
Mufflers are not required - minimum 1475 lbs w/driver
Raceceivers are mandatory (Drivers must supply their own raceceiver)

For complete ASCS Midwest schedule: www.ascs360.com

ASCS Midwest Region On-Deck:
Thursday May 27th - I-80 Speedway - Greenwood, NE
Friday May 28th - Junction Motor Speedway - McCool Junction, NE

JMS Season Opener Saturday

The staff at JMS is excited to see everyone this weekend for our Season
Opener!

The Races Start at 7:00 pm
Hot Laps and Front Gate Opens at 5:00

Junction Motor Speedway Season Opener

Admission $8.00 Adults and $4.00 Children ages 6-12
5 and under are free in the stands.

Pits $25 for Non-NASCAR Crew
$20 For all NASCAR Drivers and NASCAR Crew Members

Classes Racing

ALL NASCAR--- LATE MODELS, MODIFIEDS, B-MODIFIEDS, STOCK CARS, AND 4
CYLINDERS

ALL drivers will have to purchase a license to race in all 5 of these
classes. This is mandatory for 2010 JMS rules.

See everybody this weekend, we look forward for a nice evening and great
racing! 

ASCS Midwest Updates

This Friday & Saturday - ASCS Midwest Opener!

The weather forecast is looking great for this opening weekend of ASCS
competition.

Friday April 16th & Saturday April 17th
I-80 Speedway - Greenwood, NE

ASCS Midwest Region points both days
2 separate shows - $1500 to win each night

ASCS Midwest Payout (each night)
$1500 - 1000 - 700 - 600 - 500 - 400 - 350 - 300 - 275 - 250
$250 thru 20th.

RR Tire - ASCS Spec Hoosier (16" Medium or Hard) - LR & fronts open
Mufflers are not required - minimum 1475 lbs w/driver

TIMES UPDATED...
Pit gates open @ 3:00pm - ASCS Pit Meeting @ 5:45 - Racing @ 7:00pm

Pit Passes $30

For more info: www.neracewaypark.com

For complete ASCS Midwest schedule: www.ascs360.com

ASCS Midwest Region On-Deck:
Friday April 30th - Central Missouri Speedway - Warrensburg, MO
Saturday May 1st - Lucas Oil Speedway - Wheatland, MO
(Both events co-sanctioned with WOW Sprints)

Eagle Icebreaker Photos

Here's some of my favorites from Eagle Raceway's Icebreaker Challenge on April 10.

Eagle Raceway 4-10-10 Icebreaker Challenge Photos

Eagle Practice Photos

Here's some shots I liked from the two practice sessions April 2, and 8, 2010.

It's just what I liked, not meant to be a photo of everyone there.

Eagle Practice April 2010 Photos

I-80 Speedway suffers damage, will race Friday

From I-80 Speedway

Greenwood, Ne (April 6th, 2010) I-80 Speedway was hit by a tornado early
Tuesday morning, suffering minor damage. We will be racing as scheduled
Friday April 9th. The decks in turn four were totally destroyed and the
bleachers in turn four were badly damaged also. The Total Performance parts
trailer was flipped on its side and blown about twenty feet away from its
original location.

We will have things cleaned up and ready to race again on Friday April 9th
with the NASCAR Whelen All American Weekly Series, unfortunately we will
have to close off the west end grandstands and decks until we are able to
repair them in the next couple weeks. We have posted a few photos of the
damage on the website. 
 

Showdown at Uptown Saloon

From Rhonda Bryan

The "Showdown at Uptown Saloon" Located in Greenwood, Ne will be on Friday,
April 23rd beginning at 6pm. Proud owner, Tammy Garrow has been a long time
sponsor of our annual Kid's Night Bike Giveaway.

Tammy has invited ALL the driver's, Owner's, Crew Member's and Racing Fans
of Eagle Raceway to come out and show off their race car's and spend the
evening signing autographs for the racing fans kicking off our 2010 Eagle
Raceway Racing Season.

Let's show our support to all of our racing fans and attend this event!

The Uptown Saloon is located right on the corner of Hwy 6. Drivers may line
the Main Street with their race cars. Parking is available for all.

Rain date will be on Friday, May 21st.

There will be the famous Uptown Burgers and Beer specials throughout the
evening along with a few giveaways.

We hope you'll bring the family out to meet the drivers of Eagle Raceway!

Any questions please contact Rhonda at 402-450-7992 or email
rascal60@windstream.net

What's Up

Seems like the photo galleries are behaving again...just in time to move on
to some other service!

I'll have some thoughts on the upcoming season (at least the "regular"
season) here in a day or two.
 

Photos

Seems like the Zenfolio add on to my website is having problems. I'm kind of
at the mercy of my host. Sorry about that and I'm told it's going to be
resolved soon.

-Jason

Ice Breaker Challenge set for Sat. April 10th

From Eagle Raceway

March 26, 2010

The Ice Breaker Challenge presented by Auto Trans Matic will be breaking in
the track on Saturday, April 10th. Get ready for the fastest and most
fiercest racing action in the mid-western area. Starting out with this
fierce competition between the best IMCA Modifieds in the region battling it
out for the top prize of $2,000 and a chance to qualify for the Fast Shafts
All Star Invitational. Stepping it up on the fastest third mile high banks
of Eagle Raceway will be the 360 Sprints competing for the $1,500 fastest
challenge of the evening. And it doesn't stop there. Just as you think it
can't get any better, the IMCA Hobby Stocks will take the track for the
first time this season and compete for the $300 winner's circle check. A
great start to the 2010 season is upon us, so don't miss the action at
America's Home Track.Eagle Raceway!

Event info:

Saturday, April 10th. Front gates open at 5pm, Pit gates open at 4pm, Hot
Laps at 5:30pm and Racing at 6:30pm. Front gate admission: Adults(13+) $15,
Youth(6-12) $7, Children(5 & under) Free. Pit event fee(pit pass) $25. You
must be 14 years old to enter pit area with a notarized agreement.

Driver info:

Registration: All drivers need to pre-register by 4-1-10. IMCA Modifieds-
must register by 4-1-10*. If entry is late for the Modifieds -they will pay
a $50 late entry fee*. Rules: 360 Sprints -see www.eagleraceway.com and
IMCA Modifieds and Hobbys- see www.imca.com. All Eagle Raceway general
rules apply for all participants. Must wear RACEceiver to compete. Make
sure you have your IMCA license with you to check in. All drivers must have
a filled out entry form, terms of agreement form(on website in rules
section) and entry fee (if late) to office personnel before checking in and
competing. All minors must have a notarized agreement form and copy of
birth certificate on file with office personnel before entering the pit
area. Any questions or if you need any forms sent to you, please call our
office at 402-238-2595.

Practice Nights:

Our first practice night is Friday, April 2nd. All classes are welcome.
7-11pm -Pit and front gates open at 5:30pm. Pit event fee(pit pass) $10.
Front gate admission- Free.

Our second practice night is Thursday, April 8th. All classes are welcome.
7-11pm -Pit and front gates open at 5:30pm. Pit event fee(pit pass) $10.
Front gate admission- Free.

Double the Trouble: Modified action starts with the Ice Breaker Prelude at
Butler County Motorplex on Friday, April 9th. Visit
www.butlercountymotorplex.com for more info.

Beatrice Spring Nationals photos

Photos from 2010's Beatrice Spring Nationals are up.

Check 'em out here: Beatrice Spring Nationals photos

Beatrice, JMS Cancel Saturday/Sunday Programs

Both tracks announced via dirtdrivers.com that Saturday's races have been canceled due to weather, and neither track will use Sunday as a rain date.

Spring Nationals at Beatrice March 26-27

From IMCA

BEATRICE, Neb. (March 17) - Spring Nationals will still start the 2010 race
season at Beatrice Speedway.

The first green flag will just fly a week later than originally scheduled.

The 17th annual special has been postponed from this weekend to next Friday
and Saturday, March 26-27. No changes have been made in the two race
programs, both headlined by $1,500 to win IMCA Modified features.

"We could get the track race-ready, but forecasts are calling for even
colder and wetter weather this weekend," promoter Toby Kruse said. "We don't
want to ask drivers or fans to travel any distance when the odds are that
one or both programs will be canceled."

Both Modified features are qualifying events for the 2010 Fast Shafts
All-Star Invitational ballot and pay a minimum of $200 to start. National,
ButlerBuilt Central Region and Allstar Performance State points will be
given for both shows.

Karl Chevrolet Northern SportMods race for $400 to win and IMCA Sunoco Hobby
Stocks run for $300 to win each night. National and state points will be
awarded in each class; Hobby Stocks also earn Probe Industries Northern
Region points. Mach-1 Sport Compacts race for $200 to win, along with
national and state points, on Friday.

An open practice session for all divisions will now be held from 6-9 p.m. on
Thursday, March 25.

Pit gates open at 4:30 p.m. Friday, with hot laps at 6 p.m. and racing at 7
p.m. On Saturday, gates open at 2:30 p.m., hot laps are at 5 p.m. and racing
is at 6 p.m. Grandstand admission each race night is $14 for adults and $5
for kids 10 and under. Pit passes are $10 for Thursday's practice and $25
for Friday and Saturday shows.

To accommodate the rescheduled special, I-80 Speedway at Greenwood has moved
its March 27 IMCA Modified race to Friday, April 2. Sanctioned Mods also run
at I-80 on April 3.

USMTS invades Junction Motor Speedway this weekend; Practice night added on Thursday

For the seventh straight year, the best Modified drivers on dirt will kick off the action in the Cornhusker State as the USMTS Casey’s General Stores National Tour invades McCool Junction, Neb., for a doubleheader at the Junction Motor Speedway this Friday and Saturday, March 26-27.

Sub-freezing temperatures and lingering snow three weeks ago hampered track preparation, and rather than subject fans and drivers to arctic cold and a possible rough racing surface, the event was postponed to this weekend.

Defending race winner Tommy Myer won from the 18th starting spot in 2009 against a stout field that included 55 entries. With a runner-up finish this past Friday at the Outlaw Motor Speedway in Oktaha, Okla., Myer will once again be among the list of favorites.

Several former winners are primed to return to capture another Nebraska Spring Thaw title. In addition to Myer, other past champions of this event expected this weekend include two-time winner Al Hejna, Jon Tesch, Jason Friesen, Corey Dripps, Mark Noble and nine-time USMTS National Champion Kelly Shryock, who captured the debut event at JMS in 2004.

Other ready-for-primetime road warriors expected include 2008 USMTS National Champion Jason Krohn, Zack VanderBeek, Dereck Ramirez, Scott Green, Steve Holzkamper, Mike Hansen, Mike Lineberry, Mike Steensma, Grant and Chase Junghans, Danny Booth, Brandon Davis, Nick Deal, Kent Willms, Josh Reisch, Don Gerritsen Jr., Andrew Gordon, Scott Ward, Jim Mathieson, Don Eischens, Anthony Mann and more.

Friday’s event will pay $2,000 to win while the victor in Saturday’s main event will pocket $3,000. Open Stock Cars and Two-Man Cruisers will also be on the racing card both nights.

An open practice will be held on Thursday night from 6 to 8:30 p.m. with free admission to the grandstands. Pit passes are $20. Pit gates will open at 12 noon on Friday, grandstand gates open at 5 p.m., hot laps are slated for 5:30 and racing is set for 7. On Saturday, pit gates will open at 10 a.m. and grandstands open at 12 noon. Hot laps are at 1 p.m. with racing at 2. Tickets each night are $15 for adults, $4 for kids ages 6-12 and children 5 and under are admitted free of charge.

Camelot Inn and Suites is the Official Host Hotel for the 7th Annual Nebraska Spring Thaw. Located just 5.7 miles from the racetrack in York, Neb., Camelot Inn and Suites is offering a special rate of just $44.95 for race fans. This exclusive rate is valid for any single or double room with up to four guests per room, at no additional cost. For more information or to book your reservation, call 402-362-6885. This special rate is available only by calling the hotel directly and mentioning the code “JMS” when booking your reservation. For more information about the Camelot Inn and Suites, visit www.camelotyork.com online.

For those that can’t attend the 7th Annual Nebraska Spring Thaw, there will be opportunity to watch the wheel-to-wheel action through XRN Race Cast – a high-quality Internet video pay-per-view. The broadcast will cover the entire racing show with lap-by-lap coverage, Motorstats.com Instant Replay, interviews and highlights. To order the USMTS Nebraska Spring Thaw, go to www.xrnetwork.com and click to proceed to the live player. Then just sign up for an account, purchase and sit back in the comfort of your own home with the mud-slinging Modifieds of the USMTS!

Located five miles south of I-80 (York Exit) on U.S. Hwy. 81, the Junction Motor Speedway is a state-of-the-art facility entering its seventh year of operation. The track is a super-fast, 3/8-mile clay oval boasting 80-foot-wide straight-aways, making for a lot of racing room for the drivers and a lot of wheel-to-wheel action for fans.

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 and Twitter.

IMCA Online Registration Danger?

Several drivers are reporting that their bank accounts were accessed by
potential hackers after registering online with IMCA.

It appears that online registration has been disabled.

Read the message here:

http://tinyurl.com/yf9rmxh (link goes to dirtdrivers.com)

ASCS Midwest Region Update

From Chuck Zitterich

March 19, 2010

Let's Go Racin'!

The ASCS Midwest Regional opener is once again scheduled to open with it's
annual Nebraska double header. Here are the details:

Friday April 16th & Saturday April 17th
I-80 Speedway - Greenwood, NE

ASCS Midwest Region points both days
2 separate shows - $1500 to win each night

ASCS Midwest Payout (each night)
$1500 - 1000 - 700 - 600 - 500 - 400 - 350 - 300 - 275 - 250
$250 thru 20th.

RR Tire - ASCS Spec Hoosier - LR & fronts open
Mufflers are not required - minimum 1375 lbs w/driver

Pit gates open @ 4:00pm - Racing @ 7:00pm

Pit Passes $30

For more info: http://www.neracewaypark.com/I80Speedway/index.php

ASCS Midwest Region On-Deck:
Friday April 30th - Central Missouri Speedway - Warrensburg, MO
Saturday May 1st - Lucas Oil Speedway - Wheatland, MO

Both events co-sanctioned with WOW Sprints. 

Beatrice Spring Nationals Postponed

BEATRICE, Neb. (March 17) – The Spring Nationals will still start the 2010
race season at Beatrice Speedway.

The first green flag will just fly a week later than originally scheduled.

The 17th annual special has been postponed from this weekend to next Friday
and Saturday, March 26-27. No changes have been made in the two race
programs, both headlined by $1,500 to win IMCA Modified features.

"We could get the track race-ready, but forecasts are calling for even
colder and wetter weather this weekend," promoter Toby Kruse said. "We don't
want to ask drivers or fans to travel any distance when the odds are that
one or both programs will be canceled."

Both Modified features are qualifying events for the 2010 Fast Shafts
All-Star Invitational and pay a minimum of $200 to start. National,
ButlerBuilt Central Region and Allstar Performance State points will be
given for both shows.

Karl Chevrolet Northern SportMods race for $400 to win and IMCA Sunoco Hobby
Stocks run for $300 to win each night. National and state points will be
awarded in each class; Hobby Stocks also earn Probe Industries Northern
Region points. Mach-1 Sport Compacts race for $200 to win, along with
national and state points, on Friday.

An open practice session for all divisions will now be held from 6-9 p.m. on
Thursday, March 25.

Pit gates open at 4:30 p.m. Friday, with hot laps at 6 p.m. and racing at 7
p.m. On Saturday, gates open at 2:30 p.m., hot laps are at 5 p.m. and racing
is at 6 p.m. Grandstand admission each race night is $14 for adults and $5
for kids 10 and under. Pit passes are $10 for Thursday's practice and $25
for Friday and Saturday shows.

To accommodate the rescheduled special, I-80 Speedway at Greenwood has moved
its March 27 IMCA Modified race to Friday, April 2. Sanctioned Mods also run
at I-80 on April 3. 

Why I don't watch NASCAR

This was originally published on Chris Moses' site: www.ovaloperations.com


I had planned this for just after "pothole-gate," but my own procrastination made that irrelevant. Now with "Edwards-gate" I got back to work.

For being the king of American auto racing (right now), I can't stand watching NASCAR. What impetus got me to write out my feelings? Well, yeah, it was the pothole, but more so it was the incessant Facebook NASCAR love-fest I saw on the day of the Daytona 500. I still can't understand why people watch this sh*t. Here's why I don't watch it. 1. Manufactured competition. This series is so regulated, and each "manufacturer's" car is so unlike anything rolling off the lines that it might as well be IROC. If NASCAR could get one maker to spend enough money to be the exclusive name, they would. The problem is the fans are still believing this is a Ford/Chevy/Dodge/Toyota war. Really? The fact is that NONE of those "stock" cars exist in reality. Their is no Ford Fusion rolling off a lot that bears resemblance to the Fusion on the track, save for the bogus headlight decals.

Carburetors? Really? The last time carbs were stock was when "Sylvania beat Sony again!" (look it up kids). Let's let modern muscle race. Ford Mustangs, Chevy Camaros, Dodge Chargers...hell, if you must throw in a Lexus IS, Hyundai Genesis, BMW 3's and Mercedes C's. Let's race REAL equipment. Spaceframes? No, instead of getting with the 20th century, NASCAR just made the tracks give instead of the cars. To top it all off, the aero tweaks are so precise as to keep these cars running around in a deadly pack and calling it "close racing." Want to see when racing is decided by luck and who will push the limit of being dirty? Look at the Edwards incident. For crying out loud, this series has gone almost WWE in how close it lets everyone run. In the WWE, a group of dwarves can compete with the biggest monster in the ring. But scripting will do that. Here...well, the script, in my opinion is a little more fluid. The only reason I don't think it's fixed is because despite all this effort with cars and resetting the point races, one guy has owned the series for the past four years, and is showing all signs #5 is on its way.

2. Fox bills these drivers as the "best drivers and the best racing." Really? Now, I think people who claim "all they do is turn left for 500 miles, I can do that" are naive - and I think they really believe it. To give the drivers credit, it's harder than it looks - just look at the end of the Daytona 500 this year. Not even the best drivers were able to finish 2 laps without two crashes!

How's that for a back-handed compliment? But seriously, if the sponsors and teams would let these guys drive, I think the nay-sayers would be surprised. Ask Michael Schmacher after he was humbled by Jimmie in the Race of Nations? Look at the fact that Tony Stewart is multi-disciplined, including sports cars. And, face it...not too many drivers have won the Indy 500 and Monaco GP like Juan Montoya. There are others. NASCAR has good drivers...let them race at something other than a cookie cutter oval. Which leads me to:

3. 500 miles? It's as much about luck and the crew chief. 500 mile races are their own type of event, but if you want to watch drivers race, let them go for 50, 100, 200 laps at half-mile and mile ovals. THEN you'll see driving. Oh, and mix in a few right turns now and then. Why do we live in a country whose road system is based on the right turn, yet our #1 series is all about turning left? Look, I like oval racing. I grew up around it. But I like a right turn now and then, too - especially from a series billing itself as the best American auto racing has to offer.

By the way...shorter races? Won't happen. Can't sell enough commercials in a 250-mile race! So I guess we'll watch crew chiefs and engineers go at it and NASCAR keeps telling us that "Junior" and "Danica" have the potential to be the next Richard Petty or Cale Yarborough, merely because distance will let the blind squirrel find the nut every so often. Kind of like other one-named wonders like "Cher" and "Sting," both people of moderate talent, elevated to elite status for no other reason than the delusion of fan's praise and marketability. 

4. The arrogance. NASCAR will never admit its own failings. They want to keep things deadly...errr...close, but encourage their little gladiators to go after each other now like a cockfight. Let that go...and get more Edwards/Keselowski.

I can't let the pothole die. While in the end, it was a nuisance, it also was a shining example of NASCAR's arrogance. The track hadn't been paved since Detroit was sending out carburetor equipped cars. No, not at NASCAR's flagship facility, not even during the last decade's free-spending days of subprime and roses, when they signed TV deals worth billions (with a b) could NASCAR find the money to repave the track. Really? Just like they refused to step up safety until its star was killed, and they threw a pioneer like Bill Simpson under the bus, NASCAR refused to pry open its wallet and be PRO-active for once.

But of course, the blind boogityboogityboogity-ites will just laugh that off, and in ten years it will be one of those "y'all remember when" moments.

5. In the end...it's boring. I didn't watch IROC, and that's what this has become. Fan counts are declining, to the point of using multi-colored seats at some tracks to give the illusion of people as the cameras pan by. I can't be the only one thinking this. I like partying, I like racing. I think the party is what keeps fans there but the racing is just awful. Don't tell me that because it's close, it's good. I could line up ten snails and it would be close, but it isn't good either.

Now, off to my local track to watch some racing.

Site Changes, Uptime, Downtime...

You'll probably see a lot of changes (and a little downtime) over the next couple weeks. In some cases it will look like I stepped back, but the most important thing to me is getting old data to come over. Look and feel are down the road...

Some changes in the Blogger platform I used to update this site are coming that require me to host with Google or some other lousy alternative.

Plus I wanted to use a platform that offered more customization possibilities. I guess Google forcing the issue is as good as any other motive!

And, it may come with other changes as well...


Thanks,
Jason

JMS NASCAR B-Mod Sponsors Named

From Jessica Goldfuss, Junction Motor Speedway

-Camelot Inn and Suites, the Lounge, and the Southside Grille all Sign On as
Official Class Sponsors of the JMS 2010 NASCAR B-Modifieds-

JMS Officials and the owners of Camelot Inn, The Lounge, and The Southside
Grille proudly announce the class sponsorship of the newly added NASCAR
B-Modifieds of Junction Motor Speedway. The trio sponsors look forward to
the 2010 season and are excited to support the B-Modifieds for this year.
The sponsorship money goes directly into the points fund for the NASCAR
B-Modified drivers for the year ending awards banquet.

The Camelot Inn and Suites hotel is where you can notice a friendly and
helpful staff 24 hours a day. It is located south of the I-80 and US81
interchange in York, Nebraska. With the racetrack just 4 miles south, it is
a convenient location to stay for a racing weekend. Rest assured there are
many shops, gas stations, and other local attractions nearby. There is
plenty of parking for large trucks, RVs, trailers, and other large vehicles.
Pets are also welcome!

Camelot Inn and Suites looks forward to seeing race fans soon, as the 2010
Junction Motor Speedway season will soon be here!

4817 South Lincoln Avenue, York, NE 68467
Phone: 1-402-362-6885 Fax: 1-402-362-4064
Toll-Free 24 Hour Reservations Hotline 1-866-575-2152

The Lounge brings you the best entertainment in Southeast Nebraska. Now open
seven days a week. You can call them today to check their current schedule
and entertainment line-up. After the races, stop in and enjoy a refreshing
beverage and unwind in their comfortable environment. Be sure to join their
text message service by sending the word "Lounge" to 83361 and they'll keep
you posted on events, specials and special events.

You can reach the Lounge at (402) 362-6885.

Simplify your travel and take pleasure in their full facilities during your
stay! Enjoy casual dining in this full service restaurant featuring homemade
favorites and specials to entice your taste buds, and encourage you to share
a random moment to enjoy the simple art of food and old fashioned
hospitality as you travel through Nebraska - East, West, North or SOUTH!
Simplify your travel and enjoy their full facilities during your stay.

Meeting and Banquet accommodations available for events from 10-200 people.
Your personal or business event is coordinated and executed in a timely and
professional manner by their staff to ensure success for you and your
guests. Special room packages are available for events. Enjoy free coffee
and a 10% off breakfast coupon for each registered Camelot Inn & Suites
guest.

The Southside Grille is open 6am daily including holidays! For more
information, call (402) 362-5101 or email info@sosidegrille.com

Wavelink 2010 Schedule Released

Despite the track being for sale, racing is scheduled for the entire 2010
season.

Announcement:

http://www.wavelinkracewaypark.com/news/topicsview.asp?mid=427

Schedule:

http://www.wavelinkracewaypark.com/schedule/scheduleview.asp

JMS ASCS Opener Rescheduled

From Jessica Goldfuss, JMS Manager:

The Junction Motor Speedway ASCS opener originally scheduled for May 21 has
been moved to May 28 (Memorial Day weekend).  

SLMR Schedule Released

I-80 Speedway released the Super (formerly Spec) Late Model Racing series
schedule today. A healthy 17-show slate is on tap:

4/17 I-80 Speedway

5/1 Junction Motor Speedway

5/14 Boone County Speedway

5/16 I-80 Speedway

5/29 Junction Motor Speedway

6/11 Park Jefferson Speedway

6/12 Shelby County Speedway

6/13 I-80 Speedway

6/18 Butler County Motorplex

7/11 I-80 Speedway

7/24 Junction Motor Speedway

7/25 I-80 Speedway

8/2 Butler County Motorplex

8/6 Boone County Raceway

8/7 Junction Motor Speedway

8/15 I-80 Speedway

9/26 I-80 Speedway

My Favorite Photos of 2009, Pt. IV

I'm not done yet. Here's a few more that I liked from 2009.

Tige Jensen, Eagle Raceway, July 25, 2009


This is my favorite of the "driver in car" shots this year. Compositionally speaking, I'd like to have the wing strut removed from the top, but I don't work like that. But, I liked Tige's concentrated look (it was before a heat race). Aesthetically what I liked is that it's essentially a blue/orange contrast photo.

Late Model, I-80 Speedway July 2, 2009

I like Black & White photography a lot. I don't do so much of it because it takes practice, and a different way of seeing. I see color hues - the trick to B&W is seeing in the tones - shades of gray. Two colors such as red and green may contrast in color, but just be a muddy mess in grayscale. Anyway, I like this photo because it has the human element, without anybody in it. There are car photos and people photos, and car and people. I like an implied subject, one that tells a story without having to be so obvious. I like this in B&W because it boils the subject down to what it is, not confused by the red and orange of the car and lights.

USMTS Spring Thaw Postponed

From Junction Motor Speedway

The USMTS Spring Thaw is postponed until March 26-27 because of snow and
cold conditions.

Please check www.junctionmotorspeedway.com for further updates. 
 

Casey's General Stores extends title sponsorship of USMTS National Tour through 2012

ANKENY, Iowa (Feb. 9) – Officials from the United States Modified Touring
Series officials announced today that Casey's General Stores will continue
as the title sponsor of the USMTS National Tour through the end of 2012.

As part of their ongoing partnership, Casey's General Stores will remain the
title sponsor of the USMTS National Tour and the Hunt for the USMTS National
Championship for at least the next three seasons. Furthermore, Casey's
General Stores will be continue as the Official Convenience Store of the
USMTS, with marketing objectives to drive incremental sales at Casey's
General Store retail locations and execute brand reinforcement.

"The past partnership with the USMTS has been a very positive and enjoyable
relationship." said Mike Richardson, VP of Marketing for Casey's General
Stores. "Casey's is looking forward to our continued partnership for the
next three years to promote racing throughout our nine-state area."

Thanks to the support from Casey's, fans will also be able to pick up
$2-off-admission coupons at their local Casey's General Store for most USMTS
Casey's General Stores National Tour events. And during the Hunt for the
USMTS Casey's General Stores National Championship, fans will once again be
able to meet and chat with some of the USMTS drivers during pre-race
appearances at local Casey's locations.

"The folks at Casey's General Stores have been great to work with these last
few years," said USMTS President Todd Staley. "Our association with Casey's
is our honor, and their dedication to the USMTS and local short track racing
in general is truly admirable."

Casey's General Stores and their associated partner vendors will once again
have a direct impact on the competitors by becoming the primary sponsor of
multiple teams during the Hunt for the USMTS Casey's General Stores National
Championship. Each driver will utilize a branded driving suit during the
Hunt, and each racecar will be professionally detailed with a bright and
bold wrap. Fans will be able to get their hands on special branded
limited-edition spin-off merchandise such as apparel, autograph cards and
more.

Al Hejna, Jason Hughes, Mark Noble, Kelly Shryock and Zack VanderBeek made
up the "Casey's Crew" in 2008 while VanderBeek was joined by Corey Dripps
and Tommy Myer as the tasty trio in 2009 with sponsorship from Cheetos,
Doritos and Snickers.

Casey's General Stores (NASDAQ: CASY), owns and operates more than 1,500
convenience stores in nine Midwestern states: Illinois, Indiana, Iowa,
Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, South Dakota and Wisconsin. Casey's
stores supply quality self-service gasoline, made-from-scratch pizza &
donuts, sandwiches, hot & cold beverages, grocery items, and a whole lot
more.

Most Casey's operate in towns with populations of less than 5,000, and it's
in these same communities where the majority of USMTS fans, drivers and
their families reside.

To learn more about Casey's General Stores, or to find the location nearest
you, visit them online at www.caseys.com.

For the seventh straight year, the USMTS Casey's General Stores National
Tour campaign will kick off with a doubleheader at the Junction Motor
Speedway in McCool Junction, Neb., for the 7th Annual Nebraska Spring Thaw
on Friday and Saturday, March 5-6.

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 and Twitter. 

Sprint driver Jensen launches new website

Check out the new www.tigejensen.com

Tige has a new look, with in-car videos and plans to add more content on a
regular basis.

Looks good! 

WORLD Dirt Racing League Closes Series

Gilman City Missouri
For Immediate Release:
The WORLD Dirt Racing League (WDRL) is sorry to announce that it will no
longer have the Touring Series WDRL and is discontinuing business as such
immediately.

We hated to have to make this announcement because of the loyalty of the
race fans, race teams, and several racetracks that we have been fortunate to
have races at each year.

We have a lot of friends out there that will be missed tremendously and we
wish them all the best of luck. For all of these reasons it was a very hard
decision to make said Jim Wilson (President of WDRL)

The WDRL was formed and started by Jim Wilson after NASCAR made the decision
to discontinue the All-Star Tour after 17 years of operation. "I had so many
drivers and a lot of promoters come to me after the word was out that the
All-Star Tour would no longer be in existence and asked me to start my own
Touring Series and keep the Dirt Late Model Tour going in the Mid-West. I
decided to resign from NASCAR at that time and do it. "

"After working for NASCAR for 20 years the only way that I knew or even
wanted to run a race program, was to run it professionally and with
professionally trained officials.

We hired the best officials we could find to run the race programs at the
WDRL races. I thank Mark Ludwig, Ron Streger, Art Daufeldt, Rusty Daufeldt,
Phil Roberts, Chris Hansen, Dean and Shirley Howe, Mable McCuen, Eldon
Wilson, Tom Lathan, Steve Pauley, Cheryl Huchinson, and Bucky Doren for
their part of making the WDRL a professionally ran series. These officials
didn't all work with us at the same time, but were all instrumental in
making the WDRL the best run short track series in the United States. In the
8 years that we ran the WDRL we never had one complaint of unfair treatment
and never had one injury that was bad enough to turn in for insurance. That
tells me that the officials were doing their jobs treating all teams the
same and making sure the race cars were as safe as possible.

We lost our title sponsor, PolyDome in 2008 due to circumstances beyond
their control and we were never able to pick up another. I thank Dick and
Karla and Dan and Pam Johanneck of PolyDome for their 6 years of sponsorship
and for all they have done for us and for short track racing through their
sponsorship.

I thank Jim Groves of Iowa Illinois Taylor Insulation for his sponsorship
for each year of the WDRL. They supported the WDRL from day one and Jim and
Julie are great friends as well as being great supporting sponsors.

I want to say thanks to Lee Havlik and Josh Anderson of Chase Signs and
Graphics for their sponsorship from the beginning of the WORLD Dirt Racing
League and for all they have done for us and for racing. They are the ones
that designed the WDRL logo for us.

I thank Hoosier Racing Tires for their continued sponsorship. I realize that
our guys are spending money with them, but they have been willing to put
something back. They have also been with us from the beginning.

We thank all of the sponsors of the WDRL. They have all been generous to our
race teams and we appreciate that.
I want to thank the fans of the WDRL. We have received a lot of supportive
emails and letters written to us and a lot of nice things said to us after
races and we appreciate each and every one of those. We have some great
fans.

We want to thank the race teams that have supported the WDRL and have run
all over the Mid-West with us for the last 8 years. These guys have all been
a pleasure to work with and have been willing to work with us in any way we
asked them too.

Last but not least I want to thank the promoters and the race tracks that
have supported the WDRL and have promoted WDRL races. We have been able to
meet some new faces as well as work with some we've known for years and it
has been quite a ride.

What Nancy and I are going to do is up in the air right now. I am too young
to retire and am not even thinking about doing that. We have some irons in
the fire and we will keep everyone posted.

Again thanks to everyone that has been involved in the WDRL. We hope you
enjoyed this series as much as we enjoyed doing it.

My favorite racing photos of 2009 pt. III

Here's two more. One a portrait, and yes...one a wreck.

Trevor Grossenbacher July 25, 2009

I want to do more of this. One thing I think is important, and I want to improve is making personal connections with the people you photograph. I'm not talking about anything deep, just at least knowing them and them knowing you. I wouldn't ever demand them to 'pose' as it were, especially before a race. If they look at me, great. If not, fine. Most of this I want to do before warm ups, when the mood is relaxed.  Before a race, I'll shoot - but from a distance or more discreetly. I also think it lends to the mood and it shows in the driver. I'll have an example of that later.

John Hampel crash, I-80 July 2, 2009

This was nasty. I shot it from a distance and this shot is heavily cropped and enlarged from a RAW file. There's just a sound - or actually - lack thereof, just before a crash. I turned my head to see this. This shot later appeared on the front of the Lincoln Journal-Star's sports page on an article about track insurance. The vertical crop they did in the paper was a lot better. Yes, the car is dramatic. But what makes this photo different is the three guys watching it happen.

My favorite racing photos of 2009 pt. II

Here's some more pics that were my favorite last year.Click on the pics for larger images.

Brian Cudly May 9, 2009

This is one of my favorite action photos from 2009. It's a classic case of "going where they ain't." Cudly tries to make the move down low as the rest take the high groove. With the exception that it's heavy, cumbersome, temperamental and 40 years old, the Norman 200b flash unit can do some neat things. What I like is not how it does at night - most on-camera flashes will work, it's what it does in the DAY. Your own portable sun. I like what it does because it shows the complex inner workings of the car, something you only see in short-track racing. A lot of daytime racing photos are all about some long, panning blur to show speed. I like this because it shows what short track racing is...sometimes you have to just root it out, jam on the brakes and make the move.

Eagle Rescue Crew July18, 2009


I like this because it shows how constantly vigilant this crew is. Normally, I'd have a beef with the shadows over the shaded eyes and would've used a flash to light under his hand, but I think the gesture just adds to the "vigilance" theme, plus I like a portrait lit with a sunset, even if it is cliche. A flash would've ruined that.