Before I get into what I originally intended to include in this blog entry, I want to mention something that's hot off the presses, so to speak. On Friday, the 2011 World of Outlaws Late Model schedule was released and on it was a date that has led many to look twice to make sure what they were reading was, well, what they were reading. Yes, Independence Motor Speedway will welcome the WoO Late Models to the 3/8-mile oval in 2011 for the first time in track history. The July 12 event will be a part of the series' seven-day Wild West swing. Although the calendar has yet to flip over to 2011, this news has made those of us in northeast Iowa even more anxious to get the new season rolling. The official press release may be found in the Newsroom section at www.independencemotorspeedway.com.
And now, onto your regularly scheduled programming...
It's been a while since I last posted and, while my last actual racing event came in the middle of September, I figured I'd take the time to write a season-ending blog. That seems to be the pattern of late as fellow bloggers Jeff Broeg and Kevin Trittien summed up their 2010s at Positively Racing. I started writing this a few weeks ago when banquet season started, and I've been adding random tidbits to it as time has passed. I didn't know what to call my last article of the year, however, as it will be a hodgepodge of information from the past season and include no specific direction. It reminds me of my days at Hawkeye Racing News when finding interesting information to share with readers during the off-season was frequently a struggle. Those HRN memories brought to mind the late Keith Knaack's weekly column when he never seemed to struggle to find something to share with race fans. As a tribute of sorts to Keith, I bring you Odds and Ends, my final thoughts of 2010.
Although my last race was nearly three months ago (that's incredibly difficult to believe), I did have the honor of emceeing three banquets in the month of November to officially wrap up my season. In addition, the rumor mill is always at full speed this time of year and, sadly, another area racing family lost a member this week.
Tony Marchese, the brother of B Mod/SportMod driver Chris Marchese, unexpectedly passed away of natural causes this week. While Tony was a crewmember on his brother's race team, he was also a member of the Hawkeye Dirt Tour family. In addition to tour organizer Bucky Doren, Chris and Tony, along with announcer Blake Anderson, comprised the traveling crew for each of the series races this past season. The entire HDT family and the rest of your racing family here in the Waterloo area will miss you, Tony. Rest in peace, friend.
The Corn Belt Clash banquet in Independence in mid-November was my first of three straight weekends of emceeing racing banquets. Series director Cam Granger honored the top-10 in series points and also gave the drivers the opportunity to share their thoughts on the schedule and series rules for the 2011 season. While it was a great gesture on Cam's part to open the communication lines with everyone present, I admit I was a little hesitant at the thought of openly engaging the racers in such a forum. Everyone has their ideas and feelings on the state of racing and those emotions can become even more intense when it directly affects those taking part in the discussion. While one Late Model driver and another's crewmember (both of whom shall remain nameless) confirmed my doubts that everyone can and should get along without the necessity of immature outbursts and threatening the other's well-being, it was a worthwhile discussion. Everyone in attendance I talked to had a good feeling at the end of the night. Not only were they pleased to be given the opportunity to share their ideas, they seemed happy with the direction the series is going. My hat is off to Cam for giving the drivers the chance to have their voices heard.
The following Saturday was Independence Motor Speedway's annual banquet. While a fair number of drivers turned out for the festivities, it seems to me that the appeal of racing banquets at the local level has dwindled over the years. Over half of the 50 drivers being recognized were on-hand, along with numerous crews and fans, however banquets just don't seem to have the feel that they used to. They appear to have changed over the years from celebrating accomplishments of champions to discussions about the concerns of affordability, work ethic and how things have changed since the "good old days" of the sport. When the conversation goes from talking about today to talking about days gone by, it's very concerning. Jeff Broeg shares a number of very legitimate concerns in his season review on the Back Stretch.
My final racing-related event of the year was the IMCA national banquet in Lincoln, Nebraska, last month. I had never been to the national banquet before and was honored when Brett Root asked if I would emcee the event with Kevin Yoder. While I was warned ahead of time that the awards portion of the night tended to run long, it didn't really seem too bad to me. Aside from recognizing the long lists of track, state and regional champions, each national champion was allotted time behind the microphone. While some drivers did tend to speak at length (note to Mike Nichols, take the glass of water the next time I offer it to you!), each and every one of them was humble upon accepting their trophy. You hear people talk all the time about racing being a family sport, how drivers can't do it without sponsors and how important support from their loved ones is during any race season, let alone a championship run. Well, the guys on stage that night in Lincoln didn't just say those words, they showed it. There was genuine, raw emotion from each of the champions this year which truly showed how much their accomplishments meant to them and how special it is to be recognized as a champion.
That message was also delivered by Speedy Bill Smith of Speedway Motors. Walking through his collection in the Speedway Motors Museum the night before the banquet was overwhelming. Not only are his collections mind-blowing, they are truly humbling. As race fans, we all know what each other is talking about when we say we share the passion for the sport. To see Speedy Bill's collection is to observe first-hand the passion that exists for our sport. Hearing him address those in attendance at both the museum and the banquet left you feeling that we are truly a part of something special. Thanks to the folks at IMCA and Speedway Motors for inviting me along for a fantastic weekend.
Although it may pale in comparison to other race fans, I hit a personal best 61 races this summer. My goal at the onset of the season was 50 and then made a late-season push for 60 just to see if I could do it. Yes, I counted each day at Super Nationals as its own day, simply because each day deserves it. Hell, the entire week should count for at least a dozen!
I hit 14 tracks this season, with most of those coming at Independence. We raced 17 times at Indee, including 14 weekly shows and specials for the Hawkeye Dirt Tour, Deery Brothers Summer Series and Dart Corn Belt Clash Late Model Series. My other 41 stops included 13 trips back home to Benton County Speedway in Vinton, the six days at Boone Speedway for the IMCA Super Nationals and five visits to 34 Raceway in Burlington. I worked four nights at Highway 3 Raceway in Allison and made three trips each to Lee County Speedway in Donnellson and Fayette County Speedway in West Union. Along with two trips each to Cresco Speedway, CJ Speedway and Bloomfield Speedway, I made single visits to Marshalltown Speedway, Davenport Speedway, Iowa State Fairgrounds Speedway and Cedar County Raceway in Tipton.
While my dedication (some may call it an obsession) to working at Independence and spending much of my time working on stats, etc. kept my travels limited, I did see a lot of great racing throughout the course of the summer. A few weeks prior to my last race, I posted how many different feature winners I observed throughout the season and how frequently many of those drivers returned to victory lane.
Without updating that entire list here, I can tell you that (not including the numerous winners at Super Nationals), I saw over 140 different drivers earn feature wins in 2010. Topping that list was IMCA SportMod National Champion Austin Kaplan. Granted, he was at over half the shows I went to this year, however he won nearly one-third of the time I watched him race this season. That little statistic got me to thinking, (yes, I know, it's scary, but I've been battling kidney stones lately and the Hydrocodone has me thinking even crazier than normal), what were my best memories from 2010?
A lot of people base success and ability by sheer number of wins, but there's so much more to it than just winning every night out. While NASCAR tries to do everything in its power to reward the most frequent series race winner with a championship in a given season (again, the Hydrocodone will probably lead me to type random thoughts like that), consistency and occasional good luck also play a part in a successful campaign. Granted, luck isn't necessarily a good judge of one's ability, however the good drivers often make their own luck.
SportsCenter not only has its Top 10 every night, but they also recognize the best plays of the year, while your local newspaper probably asks you to vote on the most memorable stories of the year. Heck, Barbara Walters still has her most intriguing people of the year list and she's soooooo 1987. With that in mind, I decided to rattle my memories from the past season, look through my notes and results and compile a list of the most memorable drivers and moments from 2010.
Keep in mind, there was no set criteria used for these selections. Some of these drivers had career years, while others may simply have left an impression in a single race night I attended. Without further ado, in alphabetical order, here are the drivers who provided my top memories from 2010.
Joel Brasch (Late Model) - Joel Brasch has been around racing for quite a few years. While he enjoys winning (who doesn't?), he's truly one of those guys who simply races to have fun. At Independence, Brasch won a few times (and was DQ'd a few more) in the Hobby Stock division in his early days of racing around a decade ago. He moved into the Late Model division a few years ago and hasn't had quite the success since that jump. In fact, Brasch was our Hard Luck Driver award winner at the 2009 banquet. I think he broke in hot laps more often than he saw a competitive green flag lap. He finally turned things around this year when he earned his first career Late Model victory at Independence on July 31. Yes, he started on the pole and he had only two top-10 finishes for the season entering the night, however he proved it was no fluke. Following his win, Brasch reeled off another four top-10 finishes to end the season. Congratulations to Brasch on a great end to 2010 and a promosing outlook entering 2011.
Russel Damme Jr. (Hobby Stock) - In today's world of high dollar racing, it's refreshing to see one of racing's true low budget guys have a successful year. Russel Damme Jr. started racing in the two-man cruiser class at Marshalltown Speedway a few years ago before jumping into the Hobby Stock division just a couple seasons back. He will be the first to admit that his operation is on a shoestring budget, but he's fine with that. Midway through the year, however, it appeared as though Damme's season was going to be cut short after his first top-four finish resulted in his engine being claimed. Not having a spare engine, the rest of his season was in doubt. I even heard rumors that he was nearly forced to use the spare engine for his father's wrecker (whose wrecker service helps out at the track in Independence) to complete the year. Despite not having to go to those lengths, not only did Damme manage to put another engine together for the rest of the season, he made it work about as well as anyone could have expected. He earned his first career feature win at Independence on July 17 and finished eighth in the division's final standings. On top of that, he not only competed in the IMCA Super Nationals at Boone Speedway, but he qualified for Saturday's feature and finished 17th. Great year, Russel, I'm sure we'll be seeing you back up front in 2011.
Joe Docekal (Modified) - I remember a number of years ago when Joe Docekal first started racing. He was in a Hobby Stock at Benton County Speedway and nobody had any idea who he was. What made things more interesting was he finished in the claim area in either his first or second night out. At that point in time, it was pretty evident that Docekal had "it" and would be a familiar face at the top of results and in headlines for years to come. After his stint in the Hobby Stocks, Docekal moved into the B Mod division at Independence in 2004. The division ran unsanctioned for four seasons, during which time he amassed more feature wins than anyone else at Indee. He earned 17 feature wins, more than twice as many as any of his competitors, including a track championship. In fact, he was the only driver in the division's brief history at Indee to win at least one feature each of the four years the B Mods competed there. Docekal moved into the IMCA Modified division in 2008 and spent his time racing in Independence, Vinton and Marshalltown much of the time, although I don't believe he committed to an entire season at any track. Used to seeing victory lane on a regular basis in the B Mod, Docekal waited until July 18, 2010 to earn his first win in the Modifieds. The waiting time for his second career victory was much shorter as he turned around and won the very next week during the Benton County Fair in Vinton. To prove his wins were no fluke, Docekal earned his third career win on September 5 at Vinton. If 2010 is a sign of things to come, "The Trophy Hunter" may be returning to a place he's used to being - at the front of the pack and in the hunt for a championship.
Tyler Droste (SportMod) - We frequently hear of second generation drivers who look to follow in the footsteps of their fathers. Not always does the younger generation fare as well as those before them, yet sometimes the youth enjoys a more successful career than their fathers. And even occasionally, we hear of a racing family that has not only been around the sport for many, many years, but the sucecss spans generations. The Droste family of Waterloo appears to be one of those families. Throughout the 1960s and 1970s, Red Droste was a well-known Late Model driver who found success at many tracks in eastern Iowa, including Independence. His son, Steve, continued the family tradition and entered the Modified division in the mid-1990s. Steve won his first Modified feature at Independence in 1993 and was a mainstay in victory lane at the speedway over the course of the following three seasons. In fact, he earned three straight track championships at Indee from 1994-1996, one of only three Modified drivers to-date at Independence who can boast such an accomplishment. A couple of seasons ago, Steve's son Tyler looked to build on the successes of the Droste name. Being too young to compete at many tracks, Tyler dialed in his racing skills in a B Mod at unsanctioned tracks in northeast Iowa before becoming old enough to compete in the ranks of IMCA in 2010. Actually, Tyler didn't turn 14 until the middle of this summer, but was permitted to compete at the start of the season, however he could not earn official IMCA SportMod points until his birthday. Quickly one of the most popular drivers at Independence, Tyler reeled off four straight top-10 finishes early in the season. A strong challenger every week, the first IMCA victory eluded the youth until championship at Independence. In what was probably the single most memorable lap of racing at Independence this season, Droste edged ahead of leader Josh Sherbon at the line. His victory brought the fans to their feet as one of the most popular wins in years at Independence came on the final night of racing this season. By virtue of that victory, the Droste family is the only family in track history to possess feature wins on championship night among three generations of drivers. Don't look for Tyler's success to end with his win on championship night as you can be assured the Droste name will continue to make memories for years to come at area tracks.
Josh Foster (Modified) - The standout memory from 2010 involving Josh Foster doesn't have as much to do with the fact that he won, rather what he won. After a lot of off-season talk and speculation about what the JR Motorsports Hawkeye Dirt Tour for IMCA Modifieds would offer, Foster put his name in the record books as the first driver to win a feature in series history during the inaugural event at Independence in May. While race fans were very aware of the "big" area Modified names that were expected to follow the series, Foster was a relative unknown to those outside of southeast Iowa. A regular competitor and champion at both 34 Raceway and Lee County Speedway, Foster became a household name to Modified fans in the region with his victory. Coincidentally, not only was Foster the first winner in series history, he was the first to win his second career series feature as he also picked up top honors in Donnellson later in the summer.
Scott Hogan (Modified) - What makes Scott Hogan's season so memorable to me isn't that he won the North Central Region for IMCA Modifieds and finished fifth in the national standings as much as the fact that he wasn't chasing regional points and actually had no idea he was in contention until late in the season. Hogan, the perennial favorite at his hometown Benton County Speedway in Vinton, has also found success on Saturday nights at 34 Raceway. He was positioned to win track titles at both venues, however he hadn't been paying attention to regional points during the season because it wasn't something he had set out as a goal and his computer was down so he wasn't able to get online and allow himself to get caught up in any points chasing. A text message from a friend late in the season tipped off Hogan and his wife Jolyne that they were in the running for a regional crown. Locking up both track titles propelled him to the regional title, but the best part is that none of those accomplishments served as the highlight of his season. Instead, Hogan's fourth career victory in the annual Hogan Memorial at Vinton, an event that honors the memory of his parents, marked the high point of his season. A true family man, congratulations to Scott on a remarkable year.
Austin Kaplan (SportMod) - As I mentioned earlier, I saw Austin Kaplan in victory lane more often than any other driver during my travels in 2010. The Ankeny driver put on a lot of miles throughout the course of the season, making the two-hour trek each Saturday to Independence and to Vinton on Sundays in pursuit of a national championship. Although his first night in Independence didn't go as planned (Kaplan recorded a 23rd place finish after a DNF), he started digging out of that hole early by winning features each of the next two weeks. By July 3 he was atop the points and remained there for the duration of the season. In Vinton, Kaplan's heartiest competitor was Danny Dvorak, who runs up front most of the time at his hometown track. Kaplan sealed the deal late in the season, winning both track titles to lock up the national crown, while over the same weekend walked down the aisle to marry longtime girlfriend Amy McDonald. When ya got it, ya got it.
Greg Kastli (Late Model) - Greg Kastli has been a local favorite longer than many current area race fans have even been alive. (Sorry, Greg, but that was meant as a compliment!) Entering the 2010 season, he sat fourth on the all-time weekly Late Model wins list at Indee with 38 victories. When combining his wins in the Modified and Sportsman divisions at Indee, he ranked third on the track's all-time wins list (out of nearly 450 drivers), trailing only Curt Martin and Vern Jackson. Despite his successful career, Kastli was experiencing his longest victory drought since entering the division some 30-plus years ago. Prior to 2010, his most recent win was on May 27, 2006. That dry spell ended on July 10 when he picked up his first win in over four years, possibly the most popular win of the season at Independence. Just four weeks after that win, Kastli earned his second win of the season, and 40th of his career at Independence, on August 7. He also made the trip to the winner's circle at Highway 3 Raceway in Allison earlier in the summer to collect a total of three wins in 2010. With a return to the top in 2010, race fans are confident that he'll be back for another successful year in 2011.
Josh Most (Late Model) - Similar to one standout event that made Josh Foster one of the most memorable drivers in 2010, a single race propelled Late Model pilot Josh Most onto my list. It was during a late season Deery Brothers Summer Series event that Most made his name known in Late Model racing. Most, who has been known to get in the seat of about anything that has wheels, provided some of the most entertaining and unbelievable racing at Lee County Speedway in September. In fact, it wasn't until late in the race that I realized he was actually in contention and not a lapped car. Early on in the feature, Most made a quick exit to the pits while the race was under caution when he thought he had a flat tire. His crew quickly redirected him back to the track when it was confirmed that all four tires had air. At that point in time, I dismissed him completely from the event. Afterall, with names like Burgtorf, Toland and Guss challenging up front, who thought the guy had a chance since he had to restart from the tail after going to the pits? After making his way through the middle of the pack, Most went to the high side of the track and set sail. He eventually caught race leader Jason Perry in the final stages of the event to inch ahead at the line for an incredible victory. I was in such disbelief that I confirmed with both IMCA and scorer Sue McDaniel if what just happened really happened. It did and it deserves a mention as one of the most memorable events of the season.
Wayne Noble (4-Cylinder) - Wayne Noble is a name many from my area probably aren't too familiar with. To be honest, I don't even know a whole lot about the guy. From what I undersand, Noble, who competes in southeast Iowa in the 4-Cylinder division, has been around racing for many years. What I DO know about the guy is he's 75 years old and he wins. During one of my visits to CJ Speedway in Columbus Junction this season for the Corn Belt Clash Late Models, the 4-Cylinders were also competing. Noble, who always seems to run up front, entered a three-car battle for the lead on this night and left the competition to accept the fact that a septuagenarian just schooled them. What made the win even more impressive to me was the memory I have of Noble from just last season at CJ. Although it was in the 4-Cylinder division (where you don't expect a rollover to top a list of crashes on the highlight reel), Noble took a scary ride off turn three in the middle of the 2009 season. After launching off the back stretch berm, Noble violently rolled end-over-end, then barrel-rolled multiple times before landing on its top in a ravine outside of the track. This type of wreck is scary regardless who's in it, but honestly, that fear is intensified when it involves someone in their 70s. While Noble was out for much of the rest of that season, it was not only great to see him back on the track, but in the winner's circle in 2010.
Chad Simpson (Late Model) - There really isn't a lot to say about Chad Simpson's season that hasn't already been said, documented, discussed and said again. His accomplishments in the Corn Belt Clash Series this season were remarkable in every sense of the word. Not only did he win the first five series races of 2010 and seven of the first eight (at six different tracks, mind you), he earned a total of nine wins in the series 15 events. The points, which were based on a driver's 13 best finishes of the 15 events, were about as lopsided as you could expect. Although only 13 points events counted, each of Simpson's competitors could have counted their 14 best finishes and been given a bonus win just for the hell of it and Simpson still would have won the title. While I didn't make it to all 15 series events this year, I did get to seven of them. Believe it or not, of the seven series races I did see, five of them were among the six nights he wasn't victorious. Despite seeing "only" two of his series wins in 2010, Simpson still deserves a mention on the list of most memorable drivers of the season.
Bill Whalen Jr. (4-Cylinder) - Although Bill Whalen had a pretty successful year in 2010, the reason I'm putting him on my list is because he was everywhere (almost literally) I went this summer. While drivers don't tend to travel as much as they used to, Whalen enjoys venturing to new tracks and simply loves the competition. A weekly competitor at CJ Speedway and Benton County Speedway, Whalen hit numerous tracks this season all to race his 4-Cylinder... and that's not a division that will cover your traveling expenses. From our various chats throughout the season, Whalen stated one of the farthest trips he made this year was to Buena Vista Raceway in Alta. That's quite a haul for a 4-Cylinder driver from Riverside, Iowa, which is just south of Iowa City. Due to his travels to new places, Whalen didn't do much points chasing, although he did keep a very close eye on the All Iowa Points. Where there's a race, there's a strong chance Bill Whalen will be there if one of the many variations of the 4-Cylinder division is on the schedule. A true grassroots racer who competes for the enjoyment of it, chances are pretty high you'll see his #00W at your local track in 2011.
Chris Wiltse (Hobby Stock) - Throughout the course of the season, numerous times I mentioned Chris Wiltse's name here In Staging. A rookie driver from Charles City, Wiltse raced weekly at Independence and also made a few trips to I-35 Speedway in Mason City and Highway 3 Raceway in Allison. Much like Joe Docekal's early success in the Hobby Stock division at the start of his career, Wiltse earned a third place finish in his third night out at Independence this year and actually led the first 12 laps of the 15-lap feature. His first career win on August 21 propelled him to a top-10 finish in the points in his rookie campaign. I know I've said it before, but I'll say it again, as long as Wiltse has his #69 on the track, he will only continue to get better. Good luck in your sophomore season in 2011, Chris!
While I realize there were numerous other memorable moments of the past season, the 13 drivers listed above provided me some of the best memories of the year. Whether those memories involved a first-year driver getting a quick win to jumpstart their career, a veteran who has remained one of the best for decades or someone who simply dazzled the crowd for a single night, racing needs local stars like these to keep our sport strong.
Compiling this list again launched me back onboard the HRN memory train as it's drivers like the ones listed above whose efforts we remember for years to come. In 2002, the staff at HRN wanted to put to rest the annual "Salute to the Support Classes" issue because we felt there was no such thing as a support class. Sure, some tracks showcase the Late Models as their "premier" division while Modifieds rule at other venues. That may very well be the case, but the Hobby Stocks, Stock Cars, SportMods, B Mods and 4-Cylinder divisions, among others, don't race in support of anyone else. Those drivers and their fans are there to put on their own show, to make their own memories and to reach the same goals and dreams as those in the "premier" divisions. It was for that reason we revamped the support class issue and reworked it into a Hometown Heroes section. We included everything from Late Models to the entry level divisions and all points in between. All of those divisions have their stars and all of those drivers make memories for everyone who takes time out of their schedule to attend the races throughout the season. Thank you to the Hometown Heroes of this past season for making 2010 one of the best yet.
Another group that has had a memorable 2010 is Karsyn's Krusaders. While the racing season has ended, their campaign to Kick Cancer's Butt has no off-season. In fact, the group is putting together a fun way to raise money for the fight against cancer. Scheduled for January 22, a bowling night is in the works to raise money and to also give Karysn's supporters the chance to cut loose at Cadillac Lanes in Waterloo. While the details have yet to be finalized, I'll pass along more information as it becomes available.
While there isn't anything going on this time of year on the track, there are still a lot of things to talk about. I know Kevin Trittien has gotten the stats bug and is working on assembling some interesting numbers from 2010. Be sure to keep an eye on Tapfan's Tours this off-season to see what he's been up to.
I think that'll do it for this entry. While I intended for this to be my last installment of 2010, I may have one more nugget to add before year's end. Last year, I included a holiday racing "wish" list over the holiday season. This year, I have something else in mind as we make our way through the holidays. In the event that doesn't get posted before Santa Claus arrives (we'll see how the kidney stone surgery goes first!), I hope everyone has a safe, enjoyable and Merry Christmas!
No comments:
Post a Comment