Mother Nature rears her ugly head again

At around the same time this afternoon, both 34 Raceway and Independence Motor Speedway canceled their weekly racing programs. For 34, I believe it has only seen two completed weekly points races after starting the season with three straight rain-free specials in April. I understand that many other area tracks have also canceled. Be sure to check your favorite track's web site for confirmation before leaving the house today as things are looking wet all over the region.

For Independence, this makes four cancellations in eight weeks; right at a 50% success/non-success rate. It also marks only the fourth time in track history that two straight weekly races in June have been rained out. Prior to this season, that had only happened in 1984, 1986 and 2006. It also leaves us with, at most, two race nights for the entire month of June this season. Only in 1969, 1986 and 2006 has Independence seen as few as two weekly points nights for June. Even in the shortest "full" season in track history, the 11-week 1993 season, three shows managed to dodge the rain in the month of June. Now, we have to avoid the elements each of the next two weeks or 2010 will have the "wettest" June in track history.

Not counting the storm-delayed 2008 season, the last time Independence had only four shows in the books through the second Saturday in June was in 1995.

In history, there are five seasons when there were fewer than four race nights in the books by this date. Granted, the season started a week or two later in the early years, however, even when racing has been scheduled for April at Indee, the season requently hasn't seen its first race until May.

The fewest number of races to be run at Indee by June 12 in track history is three. Those "wet" springs included 1969, 1973, 1974, 1976 and 1990.

Seasons matching 2010's dismal mark of only four race nights through the second Saturday in June include 1968, 1977, 1980, 1983, 1984 and 1995.

The June 12 rainout marks only the second time in track history (through seven scheduled June 12 events) that weekly racing on this date has been canceled. The only other June 12 rainout was in 1971.

Indee has averaged right at 15 race nights per season since 1968. When you consider this year's 19-week schedule and the four races we've already lost, we'll have to go without a single rainout over the next 11 weeks to match the average. Here's hoping for much drier summer months.