A side-by-side battle for the lead, five cars within striking distance of the win and a last lap pass off the final corner highlighted the season opener Sunday night at Benton County Speedway. (complete results and all-time opening night stats follow at the end.)
Benji Irvine pulled off the improbable in the waning moments of the 15-lap IMCA Hobby Stock feature to pick up his career first points win on the quarter-mile and left Jeremiah Wilson still in search of his elusive first win at the speedway.
Wilson and defending track champion Brian Happel shared the front row at the start of the 15-lapper. Wilson drove the low groove to the front, leaving Happel and a host of others to battle behind him. Happel was able to keep pace with the leader by running the outside groove and inched ahead of Wilson for four laps throughout the middle of the race.
The lead pair continued to run in side-by-side formation throughout the event while Irvine, Jacob Keiser and Bill Bonnett all pursued within a few car-lengths of the leader. The battle for third found that trio of drivers running in door-to-door fashion at numerous stages, as well.
Following the race's only caution with two laps to go, Wilson led the field back to green with Happel close behind. Irvine, meanwhile, swept past Keiser for third and then quickly pressured Happel for the runner-up spot. He made that move a short time later and then quickly reeled in Wilson exiting turn four with the checkers in sight. Irvine lunged ahead at the line to score the victory.
With the win, Irvine became the 85th different Hobby Stock winner in weekly racing history at the speedway and the 16th different opening night winner in the division's 25 years of weekly racing in Vinton.
Scott Hogan started on the outside of the front now, quickly made his way into the lead and then protected the bottom groove on his way to victory lane in the 20-lap IMCA Modified feature.
Hogan took the lead from fellow front row starter Brandon Banks on the second lap and positioned himself at the bottom of the quarter-mile while Ronn Lauritzen and defending track champion Joe Docekal battled behind Banks for second.
Hogan continued to set the pace through a trio of cautions while Lauritzen and Docekal pestered Banks. They eventually made their way past Banks just prior to a lap 14 caution. Docekal restarted on Hogan's rear bumper, but was unable to challenge as Hogan drove to the victory.
The all-time Modified wins leader in weekly racing history at the speedway, Sunday's victory was Hogan's 44th in Vinton and his first since September 2, 2012. He has now won at least one feature in 16 separate seasons dating back to the year of his first win in 1995. It was his fourth career win in Vinton during the month of April.
All-time, Hogan's four opening night wins are the most in the division. Entering the night, he and Timm Jensen had three opening night wins apiece. Now in their 30th year in Vinton, the Modifieds have seen 22 different winners during the first night of points racing.
Damon Murty also raced the bottom groove to victory in the IMCA Stock Car feature. By luck of the redraw, Murty started the 15-lapper on the pole, then held off pressure from Scott Pippert and Norman Chesmore to score the win. Chesmore slipped past Pippert midway through that event and held on for second.
The all-time Stock Car wins leader in weekly racing history in Vinton, Murty has now earned 62 trips to the winner's circle and he has at least one win in each of the last 13 seasons. In the 14 years the Stock Cars have been part of the weekly program at the speedway, Murty has won on opening night an incredible eight times, including each of the last three seasons. It was his 10th career win in Vinton during the month of April.
Murty continues to be the sole member of another club in the Stock Car division. He remains the only driver in the division in Vinton to win on season championship night one season and then follow it up with a win on opening night of the next season. He has now done that four times.
Three-time Modified track champion Dave Burrell hasn't spent much time in a race car in the last 20 years. In fact, his most recent win in Vinton came nearly 20 years ago on May 22, 1994, the year of his last of three straight Modified titles. He almost ended his return to racing in the winner's circle Sunday night, but Tyler Soppe had other plans.
Soppe, who raced in Vinton only one other time prior to Sunday night, took the lead just past the midway point of the 15-lap IMCA Northern SportMod feature to earn his first win in Vinton.
Burrell took the early lead from his outside front row starting spot while Soppe quickly worked his way into a challenge after starting in row three. Soppe settled into second just prior to the second and final caution on lap seven, then held on when racing resumed to score the victory.
Soppe became the 45th different SportMod winner in weekly racing history in Vinton and the eighth different opening night winner in 10 years of SportMod racing at the speedway. He is the fifth straight different opening night winner in the division.
An emotional Bill Whalen Jr. made his way to victory lane in the IMCA Sport Compact division. Whalen was a close, longtime friend of fellow competitor Merv Chandler who unexpectedly passed away earlier this year. Whalen took the lead at the drop of the green and led all 12 laps in dominant fashion to earn his third victory of the weekend.
Ironically, the 12th win of Whalen's career in Vinton, he is now tied with Chandler for fourth on the division's all-time list. Whalen became the seventh different opening night winner in the division in the nine years the Sport Compacts have competed in Vinton. It was his third career win during the month of April on the quarter-mile.
RESULTS
IMCA MODIFIED
Feature: 1. 33D Scott Hogan, Vinton; 2. 12D Joe Docekal, Dysart; 3. 10K Ronn Lauritzen, Jesup; 4. 22 Brandon Banks, Washington; 5. 57V Mike Van Genderen, Newton; 6. 71 Troy Cordes, Dunkerton; 7. F7 Patrick Flannagan, Cedar Rapids; 8. 8 Tony Snyder, Readlyn; 9. 00J J.D. Auringer, Waterloo; 10. 24R Adam Johnson, Independence; 11. 80 Jerry Dedrick, Vinton; 12. 1X Steve Streeter, Madera, Calif.; 13. 81 Jesse Belez, Marengo; 14. 11B Mike Burbridge, Delhi; 15. 21K Kyle Brown, Kellogg; 16. 18J Jake Strayer, Newton; DNS/17. 23JR Nick Roberts, Des Moines; DNS 7S Robbie Schmuecker, Vinton.
Heat one: 1. Van Genderen; 2. Snyder; 3. Lauritzen; 4. Burbridge; 5. Brown; 6. Dedrick.
Heat two: 1. Hogan; 2. Cordes; 3. Flannagan; 4. Streeter; 5. Johnson; DNS Schmuecker.
Heat three: 1. Strayer; 2. Auringer; 3. Banks; 4. Docekal; 5. Roberts; 6. Belez.
IMCA STOCK CAR
Feature: 1. 99D Damon Murty, Chelsea; 2. 15 Norman Chesmore, Rowley; 3. 47 Scott Pippert, Elberon; 4. 67 Justin Stander, Shellsburg; 5. 76 Mike Galli, Urbana; 6. 99 Erick Knutsen, Cedar Rapids; 7. 8 Curtis Roster, Vinton; 8. 8B Scott Beauregard, Brandon; 9. 4JR Russell Damme Jr., Waterloo.
Heat: 1. Murty; 2. Chesmore; 3. Pippert; 4. Knutsen; 5. Galli; 6. Damme; 7. Roster; 8. Beauregard; 9. Stander.
IMCA NORTHERN SPORTMOD
Feature: 1. 3T Tyler Soppe, Sherrill; 2. 199 Dave Burrell, Dysart; 3. 22 Matt Petrzlka, Norway; 4. 72 Brett Lowry, Montezuma; 5. 00 Jim Buhlman, Cedar Falls; 6. CH19 Colby Heishman, Brooklyn; 7. 4 Ryan Maitland, Waterloo; 8. 22H Curt Hilmer, Dysart; 9. 57R Ryan King, Montour; 10. 7D Dakoda Sellers, Vinton; 11. J2 Dave Schulze, Keystone; 12. 3R Danny Dvorak, Vinton; 13. 10S John Schaefer, La Porte City; 14. 3B Brian Anderson, Garrison; 15. 36 Jake Salisbury, Dunkerton; 16. 64 Matt McKinnon, Hatley, Wis.; 17. 49 Brandon Smith, Quasqueton; 18. 777 Jayme Duinink, Pella; 19. 95 Mike McDonald, Cedar Rapids; 20. T17 Tom Rawlins, Kellogg.
Heat one: 1. Soppe; 2. Hilmer; 3. Buhlman; 4. Maitland; 5. Smith; DNS Schaefer; DNS Salisbury.
Heat two: 1. Petrzlka; 2. Sellers; 3. Heishman; 4. Schulze; 5. Anderson; 6. Duinink.
Heat three: 1. Dvorak; 2. McKinnon; 3. Lowry; 4. Burrell; 5. King; 6. McDonald; 7. Rawlins.
IMCA HOBBY STOCK
Feature: 1. 79 Benji Irvine, Cedar Falls; 2. T64 Jeremiah Wilson, Waterloo; 3. 46 Brian Happel, Vinton; 4. 07 Jacob Keiser, Marengo; 5. 19 Bill Bonnett, Knoxville; 6. 78 Matt Brown, Dysart; 7. 17K Kyle Parizek; 8. 45 Justin Wacha, Vinton; 9. 4P Matt Pohlman, Keystone; 10. 29 Nathan Ballard, Marengo.
Heat: 1. Happel; 2. Wilson; 3. Bonnett; 4. Keiser; 5. Irvine; 6. Pohlman; 7. Wacha; 8. Brown; 9. Parizek; 10. Ballard.
IMCA SPORT COMPACT
Feature: 1. 00W Bill Whalen Jr., Riverside; 2. 11 Steve Miedke, Shellsburg; 3. 99J Jeremy Lerch, Vinton; 4. 5 Toby Denning, Vinton; 5. 22 Nathan Chandler, Norway; 6. 73B Andrew Bieber, Independence; 7. 69 Bill Michel, Muscatine.
Heat: 1. Chandler; 2. Whalen; 3. Michel; 4. Miedke; 5. Lerch; 6. Denning; 7. Bieber.
ALL-TIME OPENING NIGHT WINNERS
(Years the opening night winner went on to win the track championship that same season are in pink.)
MODIFIED
4 - Scott Hogan (1996, 2009, 2011, 2014);
3 - Timm Jensen (1992, 1997, 2003);
2 - Jack Mitchell (1982, 1983);
2 - Arlo Becker (1994, 2001);
2 - Troy Cordes (2004, 2005);
1 each - Rick Brinkema (1979); Bernie Juliar (1980); Larry Druschel (1981); Kevin Pittman (1990); Larry Schmidt (1991); Jeff Mathes (1993); Todd Jensen (1995); Jeff Barkdoll (1998); Dan Kohls (1999); Darin Duffy (2000); Joey Schaefer (2002); Don Erger (2006); J.D. Auringer (2007); Jerry Luloff (2008); Richie Gustin (2010); Shawn Ryan (2012); Ronn Lauritzen (2013).
STOCK CAR
8 - Damon Murty (2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2010, 2012, 2013, 2014);
2 - Cliff Gray (2001, 2004);
1 each - Curtis Roster (2002); Sean Johnson (2008); Rod Snellenberger (2009); Paul Shepherd (2011).
NORTHERN SPORTMOD
3 - Austin Kaplan (2008, 2009, 2010);
1 each - Frankie Dulin (2005), Bob Ebaugh (2006); Jim Buhlman (2007); Kyle Olson (2011); Danny Dvorak (2012); Nick Roberts (2013); Tyler Soppe (2014).
HOBBY STOCK
4 - Chris Luloff (2005, 2006, 2008, 2013);
3 - Vince Buchholz (1997, 1999, 2003);
2 - Forrest Frost (1991, 1992);
2 - David Rice (1993, 1995);
2 - Scooter Dulin (2000, 2001);
2 - Scott Pippert (2011, 2012);
1 each - Craig Coventry (1990); Curtis Roster (1994); Dan Krug (1996); Jerry Dedrick (1998); Alvin Larsen (2002); Paul Shepherd (2004); Todd Reitzler (2007); Bill Bonnett (2009); Wes Stanek Jr. (2010); Benji Irvine (2014).
SPORT COMPACT
3 - Nathan Chandler (2009, 2012, 2013);
1 each - Will Kirk (2006); Doug Laughridge (2007); Zach Holerud (2008); Dallas Chandler (2010); Gary Peiffer (2011); Bill Whalen Jr. (2014).
That will do it for the first Sunday of the year in Vinton. Hopefully, we will have similar weather next Saturday so we can open the season at Independence Motor Speedway.
Have a great week and thanks for reading!
Sunday, April 20, 2014
Thursday, April 17, 2014
McCarl, no, not him, the other one, tops Sprint Invaders in Osky
It looked like the Jonathan Cornell show Wednesday night at Southern Iowa Speedway in Oskaloosa. After winning his heat and the shake up dash, Cornell was the first across the finish line in the Brockway Mechanical & Roofing Sprint Invaders feature following an entertaining battle with Carson McCarl.
McCarl started the 20-car, 20-lap main event on the pole and took command early. Cornell, who started fourth on the grid after drawing the #4 pill following his dash victory, quickly moved into second. Slower traffic in front of the leader allowed Cornell to keep pace with McCarl, who struggled navigating the backmarkers.
Cornell took the lead just prior to the midway point and looked like he was going to run away and hide before McCarl regrouped. McCarl reeled in the leader with a handful of laps to go to regain the lead until lapped traffic again posed problems. Cornell took advantage of the slower traffic to sweep past McCarl on his way to the apparent victory.
Cornell's perfect night ended in post-race inspection when his wing failed to pass tech. The DQ handed the win to McCarl, the son of sprint car ace Terry McCarl, his first in series history during the tour's first-ever event on the Osky half-mile.
Todd Shute dominated the 20-lap IMCA Modified feature. From a fourth row start, Shute quickly raced his way into the top three and challenged Scott Dickey for the runner-up spot a few laps into the event while Cayden Carter held the point.
Shute and Dickey made contact entering turn one as they battled for position. While it looked like the contact may have led to an early exit for one, if not both of the drivers, they powered on. If you read Jeff Broeg's recap from last night, the one-liner to which he referred was me saying, "Shute almost stepped on his Dickey." (Insert collective groans and eye-rolls here.) Shute powered past Carter a short time later to drive to the dominant win.
Zack VanderBeek took top honors in the IMCA Stock Car feature. Cayden Carter led for much of that event despite being constantly pestered by VanderBeek. Carter gave way to VanderBeek with a few laps remaining in that 18-lapper.
Brett Lowry took the lead at the drop of the green and was never seriously challenged in the IMCA Northern SportMod feature as he drove to the win. Mike Hughes ran in a tight five-car battle at the front of the pack in an exciting IMCA Hobby Stock feature before breaking free late to take the victory.
It was the first night of points racing in Osky and, despite strong winds and chilly temperatures, a good crowd came out for the show. The car count was a little low, but I'm sure the weather had a lot to do with that. While making my way through the pits prior to race time, I couldn't wait to get to the grandstand and out of the breeze. Thanks to Warren and Carol Busse for letting me sit near their tarped-off/wind-resistant area at the top of the grandstand. As always, it was nice to hang out with fellow bloggers Dick and Joyce Eisele of the 4dfan Report. Sprint car aficionado Morgan Broeg was also in attendance. Thanks to Morgan for his knowledge on the Sprint Invaders!
Dick, Joyce, Morgan and I picked winners in each of the five features and, while some of us had bad luck (thanks for ruining my chance at the overall win, Damon Murty!), our drivers were all running in the top four at the same time in each of the five features at one time or another.
When we left, we were under the impression Joyce had won overall, but she picked Cornell in the Sprint Invaders feature. After recalculating the math, Dick was the overall winner. I hope that softens the blow of the 55,000 points you mysteriously lost on Words with Friends, Dick!
Promoter Mike Van Genderen did a terrific job with track prep Wednesday night. Although there was a slight delay getting the moisture packed in, the track was fantastic all night and the final feature saw the checkers a few minutes before 10 p.m. Mike's excellent track led to a total of only a pair of cautions in the five features. Look for car counts to pick up in the very near future!
One more note on the Cornell DQ. A lot of race fans have already taken to social media to voice their displeasure on the situation, claiming the wing infraction had nothing to do with the performance of Cornell's ride. It amazes me (not really), how racers and fans wish rules were enforced equally and fairly across the board... until they're enforced equally and fairly across the board. Regardless if you like or dislike a rule, you know them going into an event and it's a driver's responsibility to make sure they adhere to them. Kudos to the Sprint Invaders crew for sticking to the rules and appropriately enforcing them.
With tomorrow night's Sprint Invaders stop in Independence postponed until May 30, my weekend plans now consist of visiting an old friend in Illinois tomorrow. As for Saturday, my plans are still up in the air. I was originally going to make my first trip to 141 Speedway in Wisconsin to visit friend and colleague Chet Christner's first night in charge up there. A long drive to spend the night in cold temps, however, may change. Although I guarantee a visit to 141 this year, it may not be this weekend. Instead, I may (notice I said may, Jerry Vansickel), return to Boone Speedway for the conclusion of last week's rain-shortened Frostbuster program and their first night of weekly points racing. It's going to be a busy, fun, full night in Boone, so I hope to be able to make it back there from Illinois in time.
Hopefully, the fourth time will be a charm at Benton County Speedway in Vinton. After the Spring Shakedown and Frostbuster events fell to weather numerous times over the last three weeks, the weekly points opener is slated for this weekend. If they're racing, I'll be there and provide a full report here at Positively Racing.
Have a great weekend!
McCarl started the 20-car, 20-lap main event on the pole and took command early. Cornell, who started fourth on the grid after drawing the #4 pill following his dash victory, quickly moved into second. Slower traffic in front of the leader allowed Cornell to keep pace with McCarl, who struggled navigating the backmarkers.
Cornell took the lead just prior to the midway point and looked like he was going to run away and hide before McCarl regrouped. McCarl reeled in the leader with a handful of laps to go to regain the lead until lapped traffic again posed problems. Cornell took advantage of the slower traffic to sweep past McCarl on his way to the apparent victory.
Cornell's perfect night ended in post-race inspection when his wing failed to pass tech. The DQ handed the win to McCarl, the son of sprint car ace Terry McCarl, his first in series history during the tour's first-ever event on the Osky half-mile.
Todd Shute dominated the 20-lap IMCA Modified feature. From a fourth row start, Shute quickly raced his way into the top three and challenged Scott Dickey for the runner-up spot a few laps into the event while Cayden Carter held the point.
Shute and Dickey made contact entering turn one as they battled for position. While it looked like the contact may have led to an early exit for one, if not both of the drivers, they powered on. If you read Jeff Broeg's recap from last night, the one-liner to which he referred was me saying, "Shute almost stepped on his Dickey." (Insert collective groans and eye-rolls here.) Shute powered past Carter a short time later to drive to the dominant win.
Zack VanderBeek took top honors in the IMCA Stock Car feature. Cayden Carter led for much of that event despite being constantly pestered by VanderBeek. Carter gave way to VanderBeek with a few laps remaining in that 18-lapper.
Brett Lowry took the lead at the drop of the green and was never seriously challenged in the IMCA Northern SportMod feature as he drove to the win. Mike Hughes ran in a tight five-car battle at the front of the pack in an exciting IMCA Hobby Stock feature before breaking free late to take the victory.
It was the first night of points racing in Osky and, despite strong winds and chilly temperatures, a good crowd came out for the show. The car count was a little low, but I'm sure the weather had a lot to do with that. While making my way through the pits prior to race time, I couldn't wait to get to the grandstand and out of the breeze. Thanks to Warren and Carol Busse for letting me sit near their tarped-off/wind-resistant area at the top of the grandstand. As always, it was nice to hang out with fellow bloggers Dick and Joyce Eisele of the 4dfan Report. Sprint car aficionado Morgan Broeg was also in attendance. Thanks to Morgan for his knowledge on the Sprint Invaders!
Dick, Joyce, Morgan and I picked winners in each of the five features and, while some of us had bad luck (thanks for ruining my chance at the overall win, Damon Murty!), our drivers were all running in the top four at the same time in each of the five features at one time or another.
When we left, we were under the impression Joyce had won overall, but she picked Cornell in the Sprint Invaders feature. After recalculating the math, Dick was the overall winner. I hope that softens the blow of the 55,000 points you mysteriously lost on Words with Friends, Dick!
Promoter Mike Van Genderen did a terrific job with track prep Wednesday night. Although there was a slight delay getting the moisture packed in, the track was fantastic all night and the final feature saw the checkers a few minutes before 10 p.m. Mike's excellent track led to a total of only a pair of cautions in the five features. Look for car counts to pick up in the very near future!
One more note on the Cornell DQ. A lot of race fans have already taken to social media to voice their displeasure on the situation, claiming the wing infraction had nothing to do with the performance of Cornell's ride. It amazes me (not really), how racers and fans wish rules were enforced equally and fairly across the board... until they're enforced equally and fairly across the board. Regardless if you like or dislike a rule, you know them going into an event and it's a driver's responsibility to make sure they adhere to them. Kudos to the Sprint Invaders crew for sticking to the rules and appropriately enforcing them.
With tomorrow night's Sprint Invaders stop in Independence postponed until May 30, my weekend plans now consist of visiting an old friend in Illinois tomorrow. As for Saturday, my plans are still up in the air. I was originally going to make my first trip to 141 Speedway in Wisconsin to visit friend and colleague Chet Christner's first night in charge up there. A long drive to spend the night in cold temps, however, may change. Although I guarantee a visit to 141 this year, it may not be this weekend. Instead, I may (notice I said may, Jerry Vansickel), return to Boone Speedway for the conclusion of last week's rain-shortened Frostbuster program and their first night of weekly points racing. It's going to be a busy, fun, full night in Boone, so I hope to be able to make it back there from Illinois in time.
Hopefully, the fourth time will be a charm at Benton County Speedway in Vinton. After the Spring Shakedown and Frostbuster events fell to weather numerous times over the last three weeks, the weekly points opener is slated for this weekend. If they're racing, I'll be there and provide a full report here at Positively Racing.
Have a great weekend!
Thursday, April 10, 2014
Let's get this party started!
With winter seemingly behind us, the 2014 season is ready to roll out in a big way this week in Iowa when the annual Frostbuster swing begins tonight at Southern Iowa Speedway. There have already been a couple early season specials in this half of the state at Lee County Speedway and 34 Raceway, but the Frostbuster marathon has been labeled the unofficial season kickoff for the Hawkeye state in recent years.
Originally, I was hoping to hit at least three of those events, however a change in plans will lead me to miss tonight's opener in Oskaloosa and the Friday stop at Marshalltown Speedway. I plan to be in attendance at Boone Speedway this Saturday and join track announcer Jerry Vansickel behind the microphone before returning home Sunday for the fourth and final Frostbuster event of the weekend at Benton County Speedway here in Vinton. If we can miss the rain drops in Saturday's forecast, the improving temperatures should provide for full pit areas, packed grandstands and four straight nights of racing.
I attended Iowa's first race this year a couple weeks ago at Lee County Speedway in Donnellson. In all honesty, I wasn't there to watch the racing as much as I went to see friends and to take in the sights, sounds and smells of a new season. I didn't take a notebook and, quite frankly, don't even remember all the winners, but it sure felt great to be back at a race track. Although Jeff Broeg may not want to read this (sorry, Jeff), I plan to do that more often this season. While I'll faithfully report the goings-on at Independence Motor Speedway, Benton County Speedway and a few other random events, I plan to spend many nights at the races this season socializing, enjoying the show and leaving the notebook in my passenger seat.
Despite the grueling winter, Lee County promoter Mike Van Genderen had the track in much better shape than many may have anticipated for the first show of the year. He and the LCS crew worked the surface all night to stay on top of things and they did a terrific job. The great racing was a reflection of their hard work. For more insight on the March 29 event, check out the recap provided by Dick and Joyce Eisele in the 4dfan Report at Positively Racing.
I also attended the test and tune session at Benton County Speedway last Sunday. An impressive number of drivers were on-hand to dial in their cars for the upcoming season. There was also a strong turnout in the grandstand as many area race fans got their first racing fix of the season.
It was interesting to see how many drivers changed divisions for 2014. While there are always drivers changing classes, it seems that number is even greater this season than years past. Some drivers are even planning to run full schedules in multiple divisions. I think that's a healthy sign for the state of our sport. I know of a number of division changes for drivers in Independence, which includes a handful of new Late Models, a few new Modifieds and drivers moving from the Hobby Stock to the Stock Car division. Others may be returning to the track in 2014 after a year or two off. It will be exciting to see the changes in store this spring.
One thing that always makes me cringe, though, is when people say they're "moving up" or "moving down" a division. Changing divisions in racing is a lateral move - there is no up and down. You race what you want to race, what you can afford to race and what you enjoy racing. Because someone isn't behind the wheel of a Modified or a Late Model doesn't mean they're competing in a lower tier of dirt track racing. It takes every car in every division to make a show a success and there is tough competition in every division.
And, let's get this out of the way early this year, there are no "A" Mods in IMCA racing. There are Modifieds and there are Southern and Northern SportMods. If you tell me you run an "A" Mod, I'll ask how long ago you stopped racing in this area.
Lately, my schedule has been filled preparing for the upcoming season in Independence. In recent weeks, track promoters Darin Burco and Todd Summers have been diligently working on the track and improving other areas of the fairgrounds.
Burco and Summers have made a lot of improvements in the couple years they've been at the helm in Independence and 2014 will be no different. Plans to expand the pit area off the back stretch will be completed in the near future and is expected to add an additional 30-plus pit stalls in that area. Also, plans are in the works to replace the main ticket booth and build a nicer structure to greet race fans on their way into the facility.
Oh, yeah, and the track is ready to see race cars! Todd, Darin and Don Burkey have the track groomed and ready to go.
Area drivers and fans can see the improvements first-hand this Saturday, April 12 during the test and tune session, which is scheduled for 1-5 p.m. Prior to the practice session, the annual Indee Drivers' Day Car Show will be held on the streets of downtown Independence from 9 a.m. to noon.
Pit passes for practice will be $10 each, however each driver who brings their car to display at the car show will receive two free passes to the pits that day. Watching practice from the grandstand will be free of charge.
The first racing event this year will be the Open Wheel Shootout scheduled for Friday, April 18. That show will feature the second appearance of the Brockway Mechanical & Roofing Sprint Invaders Series. In addition to the 360 Sprints, unsanctioned Modifieds and SportMods will compete. Both of those divisions will run unsanctioned, however they will follow IMCA rules.
Although the action on the track has yet to start, I've received a few questions about our schedule. Three items have specifically drawn more attention than anything else, the first of which questioning the reason we dropped the IMCA Sport Compacts from our weekly program.
There were a number of reasons that led us to that decision. Among them was the fact that car counts did not improve since adding them in the middle of the 2012 season. After having a couple strong showings at the opening of 2013, the numbers continued to decline. A few people talked about bringing their cars or getting other cars there, but it just never happened.
Another reason is because we wanted to provide a more efficient program and running six divisions weekly was taking us in a direction we did not want to go. Car counts in Independence have remained among the highest in the region despite declining car counts all over the area in recent years. We are proud of the support of area drivers and fans, but we wanted our focus to remain on the overall quality of the program and not quantity of divisions. We felt a return to five divisions will move us back in that direction.
An IMCA Late Model driver told me a couple seasons ago that he was impressed at how efficiently we were running the show in Independence and there was one big indicator that led him to that observation. When we get our show done in a timely fashion, he said parents were more likely to take their kids through the pit area following the races. Those kids get to see and meet the drivers they cheer for every week. They get autographs from their favorite drivers. They want to come back more often. Those kids are the future of our sport and to be able to provide them with a more complete experience at the track is essential to the future of any racing program.
No, the Sport Compacts didn't add an hour to our show or push us too late into the night, but running six divisions did lead us to a longer than desired program and did prevent more kids from making their way through the pits with mom and dad at the end of the night. In the end, the car count, the longer program and the desire to run a more efficient show is what led us to remove them from our program. That isn't to say the Sport Compact division isn't a worthy one. It is a great addition to many programs, however we didn't feel it was a fit with ours.
A couple of questions have also been asked relating to the annual Buchanan County Fair race. Traditionally, we hold our weekly program on the Saturday night of the fair, however a live music concert will take its place in 2014. There will be no racing this year during the Saturday of the fair.
In its place, we are scheduled to run a fair special on Wednesday, July 16 to kick off that week's grandstand events. Stock Cars, Northern SportMods and Hobby Stocks will be competing for IMCA national, regional and state points, however track points will not be awarded that evening. In addition, the Micro Mods, which run weekly in Decorah and are being introduced in Vinton later this season, will be a part of the fair race.
The two questions I've received most often about the fair race are, "Why aren't you making the Wednesday fair race a points night since we're not running Saturday?" and "Why are there no Modifieds or Late Models during the fair?"
I'm not a fan of off-night points racing, especially when it's a weeknight, and it seems a number of drivers feel that way, as well. Yes, making it a points race would likely guarantee us more cars that night due to the number of drivers chasing points, but at what cost? We're a Saturday race track and when we don't run on Saturdays, it's a special event. I wouldn't feel comfortable asking one of our dedicated racers to take a vacation day from work or change their schedule to chase points in the middle of the week when we have traditionally raced for points only on Saturdays. Some wouldn't be able to do it and others would prefer not to do it. We understand that so the fair race will not be a race for track points.
The fact that it's a midweek race is also a big reason we aren't running as many divisions during the fair. By racing on a Wednesday, we're immediately limited on time. Gates won't open until later than normal so the start time will be pushed back to accommodate those wanting to make it to the races after getting off of work, plus, completing the show at a decent hour is even more essential on a weeknight.
When it came to considering which divisions to run, the Modifieds were quickly eliminated because there was a special event already planned that same night in Oskaloosa and the Harris Clash is the following night in Knoxville.
We didn't include the Late Models because we already have two big Late Model specials during the month of July. Tuesday, July 1 is the annual stop for the Deery Brothers Summer Series for IMCA Late Models and Thursday, July 24 is the World of Outlaws Late Model Series event. Midweek specials are never a guarantee, but scheduling three midweek Late Model specials in a three-and-a-half week span didn't feel like a sound decision. On top of that, Modifieds and/or Late Models are a part of every other special event on this year's schedule and we felt the July 16 date would be a good fit to try something new.
Since we wanted to try something different, we are inviting the Micro Mods to compete. There has been a lot of interest in that division in our area this season and, like our 360 Sprint special, we wanted to give Independence race fans something unique. Four divisions is plenty for a midweek show, yet what we have scheduled should provide for some great racing and allow fans to get home at a decent hour.
The third and recently most popular item up for discussion has been the Saturday, May 10 program. On the initial schedule that was released, MLRA Late Models were added to our five weekly divisions for that evening's event. After addressing some communication snafus and then talking it over with the track promoters, we removed the MLRA portion of that show. Our weekly program will still take place that night.
I've had a number of calls, texts and e-mails over the course of the last week regarding that event. I was also directed by a couple people to read about it on the message boards. I rarely visit the message boards and spend considerably less time replying to questions and comments on there. The best way to have your question answered is by e-mailing me at indeeracing@yahoo.com (which is on the Independence Motor Speedway web site) or indeeracing@gmail.com.
To clarify, however, I can guarantee everyone that the decision to remove that portion of the show was not at the request of either IMCA or MLRA, as discussed on the message boards. It was purely the track's decision. Ultimately, we knew that one of two things needed to take place to make the show a success: 1) Drop a couple weekly divisions, or 2) Increase gate prices. We had no desire to do either.
Our weekly racers are loyal to us week in and week out and we are grateful for their support. Racing season is only four months of Saturdays (one fewer this year due to fair) and we did not want to short any of those drivers another night of racing. For tracks who run a weekly program, that weekly program is their bread and butter. To mess with it isn't in the track's or racers' best interest.
With that in mind, we were not willing to increase ticket prices. As I said before, our weekly program is our centerpiece. That not only includes our drivers, but the pit crews and fans alike and that's the way it is for any track who runs a weekly program.
We felt it would be wrong to ask our weekly fans to pay more on a weekly race night. Many race fans budget their entertainment dollars and go to support a loved one in a division that would not have seen an increase in purse money that night, so how could we ask or expect them to pay more at the gate? Two divisions of Late Models, you say? Believe it or not, not everyone wants to see a longer than normal show with an extra division of Late Models.
It wouldn't be right to ask a driver, mom, dad, brother, sister, grandmother, girlfriend or whoever to shell out more money at the gate because we decided to add a sixth division and make our weekly show a special event. I realize scheduling that way has become more common today, but we want to maintain our weekly show in Independence for what it has grown to become. Running another division (regardless of sanction) was straying from that belief.
Hopefully, that answers the questions people have had about May 10.
Questions about the fair race and the MLRA race led to other comments by a few folks who asked about those events. It goes back to something I talked about earlier and that is the importance of each division to our program and not the importance of one division over any other.
A few times already this season I've heard, "Independence is a Late Model track." That statement makes me cringe as much as the "moving up" and "A Mod" comments. You don't move up or down divisions, there are no IMCA A Mods and Independence is a race track, not a Late Model track.
Yes, Independence has a rich history of Late Model racing and our veteran racers are some of the best known weekly racers in the region. Yes, we even have drivers from years gone by who raced in that division and take in our weekly program. We're also entering our 32nd year of Modifieds, our 25th year of Hobby Stocks, our 22nd year of Stock Cars and our seventh year of Northern SportMods. Those divisions play as vital of a role in our weekly racing program today as the Late Models.
The Late Model division helped build Independence Motor Speedway. That is without question. But the other divisions have allowed it to become what it is today. In fact, when I started taking a more involved role at the race track, the complaint I heard most often was that the track was too Late Model-centered. Many people felt Independence catered to the Late Models, that we solely used our weekly program to provide a quality race track for the Late Models at the expense of the other divisions and that special events were centered around Late Model racing. I heard that more often than many may realize. That is not our goal. If it was, the race track wouldn't be in operation today.
Of course, Late Model drivers and their fans aren't saying this, but they don't hear it said to them, either. For that reason, they may not believe me, but it's true. I've heard it. I've heard it a lot.
If you think about it, none of today's race fans remember a time without Late Models in Independence. They've always been there. But most of them also don't remember a time without Modifieds, many don't know Independence without Hobby Stocks and quite a few weren't even around before Stock Cars were added 21 years ago in 1993. To many, Independence is ALL of those divisions. Yes, the longtime fans remember the draw the Late Models brought to Independence on Saturday nights, but it honestly isn't quite that easy anymore. I'll be 40 years old at the end of the month and I don't remember much about racing in Independence prior to the addition of the Modifieds in 1983. I was nine years old then and many of our faithful fans are my age or younger. The younger ones can't remember a time without Hobby Stocks or Stock Cars.
I know many fans in Independence who don't care for open wheel racing and attend the races to watch Late Models, Stock Cars and Hobby Stocks. By the same token, I know just as many race fans who love open wheel racing and would be thrilled if the Late Model division disappeared from the weekly program. Without all of those people, though, Independence Motor Speedway would close its gates.
If you go to a restaurant, it's likely that there's something on the menu you may not like, but the reason you're probably there is because that restaurant offers you something you do like. If you like it, you order it. If you don't like it, you don't give it a second look on the menu. That doesn't mean you stay away from the restaurant. If that was the case, none of us would ever dine out. If you're a fan of some of the best Modified drivers in the region, you'll love coming to Independence even if you're not a fan of the Late Model division. At the same time, if you're a die-hard Late Model fan, Indee has some of the best drivers and one of the highest weekly Late Model car counts around. I'm sure it would still be worth the trip even if you didn't like the Modifieds on the menu.
Still, there are those folks who love the Stock Cars and Hobby Stocks and really don't care much for either the Late Models OR the Modifieds. Guess what? We need and appreciate those folks just as much as the Late Model and Modified drivers and fans.
Our special events schedule has been more diverse the last couple of seasons. We still have Late Model specials, including a $10,000-to-win show and a $3,000-to-win show. We also have a couple of special events for Modifieds, including the return of the Hawkeye Dirt Tour and the Open Wheel Shootout. In addition, we've included the Stock Cars, SportMods and Hobby Stocks in a number of special events and have invited back the 360 Sprints, plus offered the Micro Mods a night of racing. Our attendance has been steadily increasing in the last couple of years, as well, and I believe that's because we're providing something for everyone and not catering to one or two divisions.
In fact, last year we offered increased purse money during one weekly show each to the SportMods, Stock Cars and Hobby Stocks. Those nights were among the best attended weekly races of the year. Yes, Late Models bring people, but so do each of the other divisions and it takes all divisions equally to make our program a success.
If you're planning on attending any or all of the Frostbusters this weekend, have fun and rejoice in the fact that racing season has officially returned. If you see me in Boone or Vinton this weekend, stop and say hi.
Let's get this party started!
Originally, I was hoping to hit at least three of those events, however a change in plans will lead me to miss tonight's opener in Oskaloosa and the Friday stop at Marshalltown Speedway. I plan to be in attendance at Boone Speedway this Saturday and join track announcer Jerry Vansickel behind the microphone before returning home Sunday for the fourth and final Frostbuster event of the weekend at Benton County Speedway here in Vinton. If we can miss the rain drops in Saturday's forecast, the improving temperatures should provide for full pit areas, packed grandstands and four straight nights of racing.
I attended Iowa's first race this year a couple weeks ago at Lee County Speedway in Donnellson. In all honesty, I wasn't there to watch the racing as much as I went to see friends and to take in the sights, sounds and smells of a new season. I didn't take a notebook and, quite frankly, don't even remember all the winners, but it sure felt great to be back at a race track. Although Jeff Broeg may not want to read this (sorry, Jeff), I plan to do that more often this season. While I'll faithfully report the goings-on at Independence Motor Speedway, Benton County Speedway and a few other random events, I plan to spend many nights at the races this season socializing, enjoying the show and leaving the notebook in my passenger seat.
Despite the grueling winter, Lee County promoter Mike Van Genderen had the track in much better shape than many may have anticipated for the first show of the year. He and the LCS crew worked the surface all night to stay on top of things and they did a terrific job. The great racing was a reflection of their hard work. For more insight on the March 29 event, check out the recap provided by Dick and Joyce Eisele in the 4dfan Report at Positively Racing.
I also attended the test and tune session at Benton County Speedway last Sunday. An impressive number of drivers were on-hand to dial in their cars for the upcoming season. There was also a strong turnout in the grandstand as many area race fans got their first racing fix of the season.
It was interesting to see how many drivers changed divisions for 2014. While there are always drivers changing classes, it seems that number is even greater this season than years past. Some drivers are even planning to run full schedules in multiple divisions. I think that's a healthy sign for the state of our sport. I know of a number of division changes for drivers in Independence, which includes a handful of new Late Models, a few new Modifieds and drivers moving from the Hobby Stock to the Stock Car division. Others may be returning to the track in 2014 after a year or two off. It will be exciting to see the changes in store this spring.
One thing that always makes me cringe, though, is when people say they're "moving up" or "moving down" a division. Changing divisions in racing is a lateral move - there is no up and down. You race what you want to race, what you can afford to race and what you enjoy racing. Because someone isn't behind the wheel of a Modified or a Late Model doesn't mean they're competing in a lower tier of dirt track racing. It takes every car in every division to make a show a success and there is tough competition in every division.
And, let's get this out of the way early this year, there are no "A" Mods in IMCA racing. There are Modifieds and there are Southern and Northern SportMods. If you tell me you run an "A" Mod, I'll ask how long ago you stopped racing in this area.
Lately, my schedule has been filled preparing for the upcoming season in Independence. In recent weeks, track promoters Darin Burco and Todd Summers have been diligently working on the track and improving other areas of the fairgrounds.
Burco and Summers have made a lot of improvements in the couple years they've been at the helm in Independence and 2014 will be no different. Plans to expand the pit area off the back stretch will be completed in the near future and is expected to add an additional 30-plus pit stalls in that area. Also, plans are in the works to replace the main ticket booth and build a nicer structure to greet race fans on their way into the facility.
Oh, yeah, and the track is ready to see race cars! Todd, Darin and Don Burkey have the track groomed and ready to go.
Area drivers and fans can see the improvements first-hand this Saturday, April 12 during the test and tune session, which is scheduled for 1-5 p.m. Prior to the practice session, the annual Indee Drivers' Day Car Show will be held on the streets of downtown Independence from 9 a.m. to noon.
Pit passes for practice will be $10 each, however each driver who brings their car to display at the car show will receive two free passes to the pits that day. Watching practice from the grandstand will be free of charge.
The first racing event this year will be the Open Wheel Shootout scheduled for Friday, April 18. That show will feature the second appearance of the Brockway Mechanical & Roofing Sprint Invaders Series. In addition to the 360 Sprints, unsanctioned Modifieds and SportMods will compete. Both of those divisions will run unsanctioned, however they will follow IMCA rules.
Although the action on the track has yet to start, I've received a few questions about our schedule. Three items have specifically drawn more attention than anything else, the first of which questioning the reason we dropped the IMCA Sport Compacts from our weekly program.
There were a number of reasons that led us to that decision. Among them was the fact that car counts did not improve since adding them in the middle of the 2012 season. After having a couple strong showings at the opening of 2013, the numbers continued to decline. A few people talked about bringing their cars or getting other cars there, but it just never happened.
Another reason is because we wanted to provide a more efficient program and running six divisions weekly was taking us in a direction we did not want to go. Car counts in Independence have remained among the highest in the region despite declining car counts all over the area in recent years. We are proud of the support of area drivers and fans, but we wanted our focus to remain on the overall quality of the program and not quantity of divisions. We felt a return to five divisions will move us back in that direction.
An IMCA Late Model driver told me a couple seasons ago that he was impressed at how efficiently we were running the show in Independence and there was one big indicator that led him to that observation. When we get our show done in a timely fashion, he said parents were more likely to take their kids through the pit area following the races. Those kids get to see and meet the drivers they cheer for every week. They get autographs from their favorite drivers. They want to come back more often. Those kids are the future of our sport and to be able to provide them with a more complete experience at the track is essential to the future of any racing program.
No, the Sport Compacts didn't add an hour to our show or push us too late into the night, but running six divisions did lead us to a longer than desired program and did prevent more kids from making their way through the pits with mom and dad at the end of the night. In the end, the car count, the longer program and the desire to run a more efficient show is what led us to remove them from our program. That isn't to say the Sport Compact division isn't a worthy one. It is a great addition to many programs, however we didn't feel it was a fit with ours.
A couple of questions have also been asked relating to the annual Buchanan County Fair race. Traditionally, we hold our weekly program on the Saturday night of the fair, however a live music concert will take its place in 2014. There will be no racing this year during the Saturday of the fair.
In its place, we are scheduled to run a fair special on Wednesday, July 16 to kick off that week's grandstand events. Stock Cars, Northern SportMods and Hobby Stocks will be competing for IMCA national, regional and state points, however track points will not be awarded that evening. In addition, the Micro Mods, which run weekly in Decorah and are being introduced in Vinton later this season, will be a part of the fair race.
The two questions I've received most often about the fair race are, "Why aren't you making the Wednesday fair race a points night since we're not running Saturday?" and "Why are there no Modifieds or Late Models during the fair?"
I'm not a fan of off-night points racing, especially when it's a weeknight, and it seems a number of drivers feel that way, as well. Yes, making it a points race would likely guarantee us more cars that night due to the number of drivers chasing points, but at what cost? We're a Saturday race track and when we don't run on Saturdays, it's a special event. I wouldn't feel comfortable asking one of our dedicated racers to take a vacation day from work or change their schedule to chase points in the middle of the week when we have traditionally raced for points only on Saturdays. Some wouldn't be able to do it and others would prefer not to do it. We understand that so the fair race will not be a race for track points.
The fact that it's a midweek race is also a big reason we aren't running as many divisions during the fair. By racing on a Wednesday, we're immediately limited on time. Gates won't open until later than normal so the start time will be pushed back to accommodate those wanting to make it to the races after getting off of work, plus, completing the show at a decent hour is even more essential on a weeknight.
When it came to considering which divisions to run, the Modifieds were quickly eliminated because there was a special event already planned that same night in Oskaloosa and the Harris Clash is the following night in Knoxville.
We didn't include the Late Models because we already have two big Late Model specials during the month of July. Tuesday, July 1 is the annual stop for the Deery Brothers Summer Series for IMCA Late Models and Thursday, July 24 is the World of Outlaws Late Model Series event. Midweek specials are never a guarantee, but scheduling three midweek Late Model specials in a three-and-a-half week span didn't feel like a sound decision. On top of that, Modifieds and/or Late Models are a part of every other special event on this year's schedule and we felt the July 16 date would be a good fit to try something new.
Since we wanted to try something different, we are inviting the Micro Mods to compete. There has been a lot of interest in that division in our area this season and, like our 360 Sprint special, we wanted to give Independence race fans something unique. Four divisions is plenty for a midweek show, yet what we have scheduled should provide for some great racing and allow fans to get home at a decent hour.
The third and recently most popular item up for discussion has been the Saturday, May 10 program. On the initial schedule that was released, MLRA Late Models were added to our five weekly divisions for that evening's event. After addressing some communication snafus and then talking it over with the track promoters, we removed the MLRA portion of that show. Our weekly program will still take place that night.
I've had a number of calls, texts and e-mails over the course of the last week regarding that event. I was also directed by a couple people to read about it on the message boards. I rarely visit the message boards and spend considerably less time replying to questions and comments on there. The best way to have your question answered is by e-mailing me at indeeracing@yahoo.com (which is on the Independence Motor Speedway web site) or indeeracing@gmail.com.
To clarify, however, I can guarantee everyone that the decision to remove that portion of the show was not at the request of either IMCA or MLRA, as discussed on the message boards. It was purely the track's decision. Ultimately, we knew that one of two things needed to take place to make the show a success: 1) Drop a couple weekly divisions, or 2) Increase gate prices. We had no desire to do either.
Our weekly racers are loyal to us week in and week out and we are grateful for their support. Racing season is only four months of Saturdays (one fewer this year due to fair) and we did not want to short any of those drivers another night of racing. For tracks who run a weekly program, that weekly program is their bread and butter. To mess with it isn't in the track's or racers' best interest.
With that in mind, we were not willing to increase ticket prices. As I said before, our weekly program is our centerpiece. That not only includes our drivers, but the pit crews and fans alike and that's the way it is for any track who runs a weekly program.
We felt it would be wrong to ask our weekly fans to pay more on a weekly race night. Many race fans budget their entertainment dollars and go to support a loved one in a division that would not have seen an increase in purse money that night, so how could we ask or expect them to pay more at the gate? Two divisions of Late Models, you say? Believe it or not, not everyone wants to see a longer than normal show with an extra division of Late Models.
It wouldn't be right to ask a driver, mom, dad, brother, sister, grandmother, girlfriend or whoever to shell out more money at the gate because we decided to add a sixth division and make our weekly show a special event. I realize scheduling that way has become more common today, but we want to maintain our weekly show in Independence for what it has grown to become. Running another division (regardless of sanction) was straying from that belief.
Hopefully, that answers the questions people have had about May 10.
Questions about the fair race and the MLRA race led to other comments by a few folks who asked about those events. It goes back to something I talked about earlier and that is the importance of each division to our program and not the importance of one division over any other.
A few times already this season I've heard, "Independence is a Late Model track." That statement makes me cringe as much as the "moving up" and "A Mod" comments. You don't move up or down divisions, there are no IMCA A Mods and Independence is a race track, not a Late Model track.
Yes, Independence has a rich history of Late Model racing and our veteran racers are some of the best known weekly racers in the region. Yes, we even have drivers from years gone by who raced in that division and take in our weekly program. We're also entering our 32nd year of Modifieds, our 25th year of Hobby Stocks, our 22nd year of Stock Cars and our seventh year of Northern SportMods. Those divisions play as vital of a role in our weekly racing program today as the Late Models.
The Late Model division helped build Independence Motor Speedway. That is without question. But the other divisions have allowed it to become what it is today. In fact, when I started taking a more involved role at the race track, the complaint I heard most often was that the track was too Late Model-centered. Many people felt Independence catered to the Late Models, that we solely used our weekly program to provide a quality race track for the Late Models at the expense of the other divisions and that special events were centered around Late Model racing. I heard that more often than many may realize. That is not our goal. If it was, the race track wouldn't be in operation today.
Of course, Late Model drivers and their fans aren't saying this, but they don't hear it said to them, either. For that reason, they may not believe me, but it's true. I've heard it. I've heard it a lot.
If you think about it, none of today's race fans remember a time without Late Models in Independence. They've always been there. But most of them also don't remember a time without Modifieds, many don't know Independence without Hobby Stocks and quite a few weren't even around before Stock Cars were added 21 years ago in 1993. To many, Independence is ALL of those divisions. Yes, the longtime fans remember the draw the Late Models brought to Independence on Saturday nights, but it honestly isn't quite that easy anymore. I'll be 40 years old at the end of the month and I don't remember much about racing in Independence prior to the addition of the Modifieds in 1983. I was nine years old then and many of our faithful fans are my age or younger. The younger ones can't remember a time without Hobby Stocks or Stock Cars.
I know many fans in Independence who don't care for open wheel racing and attend the races to watch Late Models, Stock Cars and Hobby Stocks. By the same token, I know just as many race fans who love open wheel racing and would be thrilled if the Late Model division disappeared from the weekly program. Without all of those people, though, Independence Motor Speedway would close its gates.
If you go to a restaurant, it's likely that there's something on the menu you may not like, but the reason you're probably there is because that restaurant offers you something you do like. If you like it, you order it. If you don't like it, you don't give it a second look on the menu. That doesn't mean you stay away from the restaurant. If that was the case, none of us would ever dine out. If you're a fan of some of the best Modified drivers in the region, you'll love coming to Independence even if you're not a fan of the Late Model division. At the same time, if you're a die-hard Late Model fan, Indee has some of the best drivers and one of the highest weekly Late Model car counts around. I'm sure it would still be worth the trip even if you didn't like the Modifieds on the menu.
Still, there are those folks who love the Stock Cars and Hobby Stocks and really don't care much for either the Late Models OR the Modifieds. Guess what? We need and appreciate those folks just as much as the Late Model and Modified drivers and fans.
Our special events schedule has been more diverse the last couple of seasons. We still have Late Model specials, including a $10,000-to-win show and a $3,000-to-win show. We also have a couple of special events for Modifieds, including the return of the Hawkeye Dirt Tour and the Open Wheel Shootout. In addition, we've included the Stock Cars, SportMods and Hobby Stocks in a number of special events and have invited back the 360 Sprints, plus offered the Micro Mods a night of racing. Our attendance has been steadily increasing in the last couple of years, as well, and I believe that's because we're providing something for everyone and not catering to one or two divisions.
In fact, last year we offered increased purse money during one weekly show each to the SportMods, Stock Cars and Hobby Stocks. Those nights were among the best attended weekly races of the year. Yes, Late Models bring people, but so do each of the other divisions and it takes all divisions equally to make our program a success.
If you're planning on attending any or all of the Frostbusters this weekend, have fun and rejoice in the fact that racing season has officially returned. If you see me in Boone or Vinton this weekend, stop and say hi.
Let's get this party started!
Monday, December 30, 2013
Year in Review: A look back at the best of 2013
With the end of 2013 literally hours away, I've spent some time looking back over my notes from this year's race season. A number of memorable moments - both on and off the track - took place in 2013 and below I have assembled my 10 greatest memories of the season.
Before that countdown, here are a few numbers to put my travels from this year in perspective. I attended 91 events at 19 different race tracks in three states. I witnessed 180 different drivers reach victory lane in 428 feature events in 15 different divisions.
The breakdown of those feature winners, by division, is as follows:
Late Model (17 winners in 40 events): Jeff Aikey, Tyler Bruening (5 wins each); Justin Kay (4); Brian Harris (3); Chad Simpson, Darren Ackerman, Josh Richards, Luke Pestka, Rick Dralle, Rory Metcalf (2 each); Corey Zeitner, Curt Martin, Darrel DeFrance, Darrell Lanigan, Denny Eckrich, Jason Utter, Joel Callahan, Jon Passick, Luke Merfeld, Ray Guss Jr., Todd Cooney (1 each).
Modified (36 winners in 82 events): Ronn Lauritzen (10 wins); Richie Gustin (7); Cayden Carter, Troy Cordes (5 each); J.D. Auringer, Joe Docekal, Kyle Brown, Tyler Droste (4 each); Darin Duffy, Jon Snyder, Mike Burbridge (3 each); Dylan Smith, Jeremy Mills, Jeremy Payne, Jerry Luloff (2 each); Aaron Turnbull, Bill Davis Jr., Brian Mullen, Chase Allen, Chris Mills, Colt Mather, Craig Crawford, Dominic Ursetta, Jason Schueller, Jimmy Gustin, Jordan Grabouski, Kody Scholpp, Luke Wanninger, Ray Cox Jr., Ricky Thornton Jr., Ron Barker, Ryan Ruter, Shawn Kilgore, Shawn Ryan, Steve Stewart, Terry Phillips, Vern Jackson (1 each).
Stock Car (24 winners in 71 events): Damon Murty, John Emerson (11 wins each); Norman Chesmore (7); Donavon Smith, Scott Pippert, Sean Johnson, Steve Meyer (3 each); Abe Huls, Brandon Czarapata, Jarod Weepie, Jason Cook, Jason Hocken, Jay Schmidt, Justin Temeyer (2 each); Bill Osbahr, Brad Pinkerton, Brian Irvine, Cory Stout, David Brandies, David Smith, Jake Masters, Jim Lynch, Jordan Grabouski, Kevin Rose, Kyle Vanover, Lynn Panos, Mike Nichols, Stefan Sybesma, Tracy Gienger, Zach Vanderbeek (1 each).
SportMod/B Mod (37 winners in 78 events): Carter VanDenBerg, Nick Roberts (7 wins each); Danny Dvorak, Joel Rust (6 each); Brennen Chipp (5); Curt Hilmer, Doug Smith, Kip Siems, Tyler Frye (3 each); Curtis Van Der Wal, Sam Wieben, Ty Luellen (2 each); A.J. Johnson, Alex Zwanziger, Austin Kaplan, Brad Iverson, Brandon Smith, Brandon Williams, Brett Lowry, Bryan Rigsby, Bryce Garnhart, Chris Larson, Clint Luellen, Dave Schulze, Dean Abbey, Eric Elliott, Eric Pollard, Jenae Gustin, Jeremy Schaufenbuel, Josh Long, Kevin Hurst, Kurt Moeding, Lucas Lundry, Mike McDonald, Ricky Kay, Rod McDonald, Ryan Maitland, Shane Ebaugh, Timmy Current, Tony Dunker, Travis Peterson (1 each).
Hobby Stock (30 winners in 69 events): Chris Luloff (13 wins); Brian Happel (6); Benji Irvine, Shannon Anderson (4 each); Brandon Pruitt, Eric Stanton, Quinton Miller (3 each); Devin Smith, Dustin Griffiths, Jacob Keiser, Kyle Parizek, Matt Brown, Nick Murty (2 each); Andy Coffman, Andy Stinson, Austin Hauswirth, Bill Bonnett, Cody Nielsen, Danny Thrasher, Eric Larson, Jamie Songer, Jamie Whitaker, Justin Stander, Justin Wacha, Kenny Champ, Kent Husted, Leah Wroten, Mike Hughes, Nathan Ballard, Paul Nagle, Randy Embrey, Weston Koop (1 each).
Sport Compact/4-Cylinder (18 winners in 65 events): Merv Chandler (15 wins); Adam Gates (14); Nathan Chandler (11); Bill Whalen Jr. (5); Brad Chandler (3); Jacob Ellithorpe, Monte Honas (2 each); Aaron Hitt, A.J. Witten, Brandon Dahl, Cory Peters, Dylan Clinton, John Gill, Michael Grossman, Mitch Balik, Nicholas Von Hemurt, Paul Seabrooke, Skip Dunker, Tyler Whalen, William Michel (1 each).
Mod Lite (7 winners in 12 events): Andy Hennigar, Josh May (3 wins each); Dusty Masolini (2); Charley Brown, Chase Flatt, Greg Rossell, John Griffin (1 each).
305 Sprint (1 winner in 1 event): Donnie Steward (1 win).
360 Sprint (3 winners in 3 events): Jon Agan, Paul Nienheiser, Terry McCarl (1 win each).
410 Sprint (1 winner in 1 event): Ian Madsen (1 win).
Bomber (1 winner in 1 event): Mike Vondrak (1 win).
Street Stock (2 winners in 2 events): Gerald Ward, Jeremy Gustaf (1 win each).
Dirt Truck (1 winner in 1 event): Tony Moro (1 win).
Pit Bike (1 winner in 1 event): Jody Steward (1 win).
4-Wheeler (1 winner in 1 event): Tanner Gipple (1 win).
When it came to compiling the list of my 10 greatest memories from 2013, my first notion was to look back through my notes and pull out specific events that stood out above the others. Before I started sifting through my blog and other notes from the season, I realized that the best memories shouldn't need to be researched. The best memories should automatically come to mind without any kind of prompting.
Instead, I sat down with paper and pen and started scribbling the moments that first came to mind. I reached 10 items in just a few minutes and that's when I first looked through my notes to see if there were any glaring omissions. There were none. Appropriately, the first 10 that I remembered are on the list below.
By clicking on the headline of each item, you can revisit my blog entries of those events - with one exception. The link to the number one memory on my list will take you to youtube.
10. Saturday, October 13 – Lee County Speedway – Fall Challenge
9. Friday, May 24 – Independence Motor Speedway – Open Wheel Shootout
Sprint Car racing made its return to Independence for the first time in nearly 20 years this season when the Brockway Mechanical & Roofing Sprint Invaders Series made its first-ever stop at the 3/8-mile oval. While veteran Sprinter Terry McCarl drove to victory, it was Matt Krieger's breathtaking crash into the turn one catch-fence that had most people talking. Krieger's 360 Sprint Car was dangling on the fence by just the right front wheel as the safety crew debated how to safely bring his ride back to the ground. Look for the Sprint Invaders to return to Independence in April of 2014.
It always gives you a great feeling when you see people come together to help someone in need. That feeling is even more special when it's a member of your racing family. Jen Duffy contacted me about Independence Motor Speedway doing something special one night for Dan Snyder and it turned into an entire race night dedicated to him. Snyder, the father of three Modified drivers and engine builder for a number of racers in the area, has been battling cancer, and an incredible number came out to show their support for him. Many donated money, while others came to the races for the first time in their lives - all to show their support Dan. I honestly can't remember one driver who won that night, but I know one man who was in victory lane after every feature. Yes, it was Dan's night, but in the end, we all won.
2. Saturday, June 22 – Independence Motor Speedway – Weekly Program
There you have it, my top memories from 2013. Yes, there are a number of other moments that come to mind, such as the 300th Stock Car feature in weekly racing history in Independence, Vern Jackson's 96th career win in Independence, the Deery Series/Hawkeye Dirt Tour doubleheader in Tipton, my first trip to the Knoxville Late Model Nationals, the return of World of Outlaws Late Models to Independence and my first time at the Duel in the Desert in Las Vegas, but the 10 I listed stand out the most to me. What are your most memorable racing moments from 2013?
There is one more item to mention before closing the book on 2013. I've never recognized individual drivers on their season-long accomplishments aside from emceeing awards banquets. This year, I want to give extra recognition to one driver who has worked through a lot of personal tragedy and has become a hell of a race car driver in his short time behind the wheel. In effect, my "first annual" driver of the year.
"In Staging" Driver of the Year - Ronn Lauritzen
As I mentioned at the beginning of this blog, I've seen a lot of drivers win a lot of races this year. Few, if any, have gone through what Ronn Lauritzen has gone through - not just this season, but the last couple years.
Ronn's father unexpectedly passed away in the middle of the 2012 season and his sister died unexpectedly at her work in July of this year. Through support of his family and friends and his passion for the sport, Ronn used racing as his therapy.
I saw Ronn win 10 features this year, although I think he won one or two at Marshalltown Speedway on nights I wasn't there. He finished second in points at all three tracks he raced weekly - Marshalltown, Independence and Vinton - by a combined 18 points. He won the points title for the Karl Performance Hawkeye Dirt Tour presented by XSAN during the tour's final event during the Yankee Dirt Track Classic at Farley Speedway in September.
Aside from his successes on the track, though, you will not find a greater person or a greater ambassador for our sport. Not only does everyone like the guy, they have no reason to dislike him. Ronn is the first person there to help out a friend or competitor and he's the first to thank the fans in victory lane. Not only does he thank his fans every time he wins, he thanks all fans for being there to cheer on their favorite drivers.
At Super Nationals, Chet Christner and I went to inform Ronn that he was awarded a spot in the All-Star race. One of his competitors wasn't there and Ronn was eligible based on previous criteria IMCA put in place in the instance all 30 drivers didn't make it to Super Nationals. Chet and I didn't come right out and say why we were stopping at his trailer, however we asked him if he had an extra filler panel for his Modified. Without question or hesitation, Ronn grabbed the filler panel and handed it over to Chet. He just assumed someone needed one and was offering his own to help out. He didn't realize we were there to get it lettered like the rest of the All-Star competitors.
When we told him he was in the race, he started smiling in disbelief. His appreciation was genuine.
It's drivers like Ronn and his dedicated crew, family, friends and fans who make racing special to the rest of us. It's that type of person who makes me proud to be a race fan and a member of the racing family.
Ronn, congratulations on an outstanding year and I wish you continued success next season. Thank you for being a class act and part of our racing family.
That will put a close on 2013. I'm sure some of you have started thinking back to what you most remember about the past season. Keep in mind, it isn't always about the racing itself. Much of the time, it's about the people we're with and the stories we can tell of our time together at the track. We have a few more months before we can go racing again here in Iowa. Before we return to the track, however, we have a lot of time to spend with family and friends. For many of us, those next memories will be made Tuesday night as we ring in the new year. Wherever and with whomever you are celebrating, be safe and be smart. Above all else, enjoy your time with loved ones.
Before that countdown, here are a few numbers to put my travels from this year in perspective. I attended 91 events at 19 different race tracks in three states. I witnessed 180 different drivers reach victory lane in 428 feature events in 15 different divisions.
The breakdown of those feature winners, by division, is as follows:
Late Model (17 winners in 40 events): Jeff Aikey, Tyler Bruening (5 wins each); Justin Kay (4); Brian Harris (3); Chad Simpson, Darren Ackerman, Josh Richards, Luke Pestka, Rick Dralle, Rory Metcalf (2 each); Corey Zeitner, Curt Martin, Darrel DeFrance, Darrell Lanigan, Denny Eckrich, Jason Utter, Joel Callahan, Jon Passick, Luke Merfeld, Ray Guss Jr., Todd Cooney (1 each).
Modified (36 winners in 82 events): Ronn Lauritzen (10 wins); Richie Gustin (7); Cayden Carter, Troy Cordes (5 each); J.D. Auringer, Joe Docekal, Kyle Brown, Tyler Droste (4 each); Darin Duffy, Jon Snyder, Mike Burbridge (3 each); Dylan Smith, Jeremy Mills, Jeremy Payne, Jerry Luloff (2 each); Aaron Turnbull, Bill Davis Jr., Brian Mullen, Chase Allen, Chris Mills, Colt Mather, Craig Crawford, Dominic Ursetta, Jason Schueller, Jimmy Gustin, Jordan Grabouski, Kody Scholpp, Luke Wanninger, Ray Cox Jr., Ricky Thornton Jr., Ron Barker, Ryan Ruter, Shawn Kilgore, Shawn Ryan, Steve Stewart, Terry Phillips, Vern Jackson (1 each).
Stock Car (24 winners in 71 events): Damon Murty, John Emerson (11 wins each); Norman Chesmore (7); Donavon Smith, Scott Pippert, Sean Johnson, Steve Meyer (3 each); Abe Huls, Brandon Czarapata, Jarod Weepie, Jason Cook, Jason Hocken, Jay Schmidt, Justin Temeyer (2 each); Bill Osbahr, Brad Pinkerton, Brian Irvine, Cory Stout, David Brandies, David Smith, Jake Masters, Jim Lynch, Jordan Grabouski, Kevin Rose, Kyle Vanover, Lynn Panos, Mike Nichols, Stefan Sybesma, Tracy Gienger, Zach Vanderbeek (1 each).
SportMod/B Mod (37 winners in 78 events): Carter VanDenBerg, Nick Roberts (7 wins each); Danny Dvorak, Joel Rust (6 each); Brennen Chipp (5); Curt Hilmer, Doug Smith, Kip Siems, Tyler Frye (3 each); Curtis Van Der Wal, Sam Wieben, Ty Luellen (2 each); A.J. Johnson, Alex Zwanziger, Austin Kaplan, Brad Iverson, Brandon Smith, Brandon Williams, Brett Lowry, Bryan Rigsby, Bryce Garnhart, Chris Larson, Clint Luellen, Dave Schulze, Dean Abbey, Eric Elliott, Eric Pollard, Jenae Gustin, Jeremy Schaufenbuel, Josh Long, Kevin Hurst, Kurt Moeding, Lucas Lundry, Mike McDonald, Ricky Kay, Rod McDonald, Ryan Maitland, Shane Ebaugh, Timmy Current, Tony Dunker, Travis Peterson (1 each).
Hobby Stock (30 winners in 69 events): Chris Luloff (13 wins); Brian Happel (6); Benji Irvine, Shannon Anderson (4 each); Brandon Pruitt, Eric Stanton, Quinton Miller (3 each); Devin Smith, Dustin Griffiths, Jacob Keiser, Kyle Parizek, Matt Brown, Nick Murty (2 each); Andy Coffman, Andy Stinson, Austin Hauswirth, Bill Bonnett, Cody Nielsen, Danny Thrasher, Eric Larson, Jamie Songer, Jamie Whitaker, Justin Stander, Justin Wacha, Kenny Champ, Kent Husted, Leah Wroten, Mike Hughes, Nathan Ballard, Paul Nagle, Randy Embrey, Weston Koop (1 each).
Sport Compact/4-Cylinder (18 winners in 65 events): Merv Chandler (15 wins); Adam Gates (14); Nathan Chandler (11); Bill Whalen Jr. (5); Brad Chandler (3); Jacob Ellithorpe, Monte Honas (2 each); Aaron Hitt, A.J. Witten, Brandon Dahl, Cory Peters, Dylan Clinton, John Gill, Michael Grossman, Mitch Balik, Nicholas Von Hemurt, Paul Seabrooke, Skip Dunker, Tyler Whalen, William Michel (1 each).
Mod Lite (7 winners in 12 events): Andy Hennigar, Josh May (3 wins each); Dusty Masolini (2); Charley Brown, Chase Flatt, Greg Rossell, John Griffin (1 each).
305 Sprint (1 winner in 1 event): Donnie Steward (1 win).
360 Sprint (3 winners in 3 events): Jon Agan, Paul Nienheiser, Terry McCarl (1 win each).
410 Sprint (1 winner in 1 event): Ian Madsen (1 win).
Bomber (1 winner in 1 event): Mike Vondrak (1 win).
Street Stock (2 winners in 2 events): Gerald Ward, Jeremy Gustaf (1 win each).
Dirt Truck (1 winner in 1 event): Tony Moro (1 win).
Pit Bike (1 winner in 1 event): Jody Steward (1 win).
4-Wheeler (1 winner in 1 event): Tanner Gipple (1 win).
When it came to compiling the list of my 10 greatest memories from 2013, my first notion was to look back through my notes and pull out specific events that stood out above the others. Before I started sifting through my blog and other notes from the season, I realized that the best memories shouldn't need to be researched. The best memories should automatically come to mind without any kind of prompting.
Instead, I sat down with paper and pen and started scribbling the moments that first came to mind. I reached 10 items in just a few minutes and that's when I first looked through my notes to see if there were any glaring omissions. There were none. Appropriately, the first 10 that I remembered are on the list below.
By clicking on the headline of each item, you can revisit my blog entries of those events - with one exception. The link to the number one memory on my list will take you to youtube.
10. Saturday, October 13 – Lee County Speedway – Fall Challenge
In what was one of the final events in Iowa this season, I witnessed one of the best Modified features of the year. Ronn Lauritzen, Scott Hogan and Kyle Brown all made the trip to southeast Iowa and gave Iowa race fans a terrific end to their season. Not only was the richest payday of Lauritzen's career worth the drive to Donnellson, the emotion shown by his wife Kim after finishing a long season (more on that later) in victory lane was an appropriate way to end the season.
9. Friday, May 24 – Independence Motor Speedway – Open Wheel Shootout
Sprint Car racing made its return to Independence for the first time in nearly 20 years this season when the Brockway Mechanical & Roofing Sprint Invaders Series made its first-ever stop at the 3/8-mile oval. While veteran Sprinter Terry McCarl drove to victory, it was Matt Krieger's breathtaking crash into the turn one catch-fence that had most people talking. Krieger's 360 Sprint Car was dangling on the fence by just the right front wheel as the safety crew debated how to safely bring his ride back to the ground. Look for the Sprint Invaders to return to Independence in April of 2014.
8. Sunday, August 18 – Benton County Speedway – Weekly Program
While any of us can talk about who the best racers are of our generation, we never know who the next up-and-comers will be to keep our sport alive and strong for years to come. On a single night in Vinton this season, 14-year-olds Ryan Maitland and A.J. Witten reached victory lane for the first time in their careers. Both had shown signs of earning their first wins at various times throughout the season and it was on the same night when both finally broke through. I think it's safe to say the future of our sport is in good hands.
While any of us can talk about who the best racers are of our generation, we never know who the next up-and-comers will be to keep our sport alive and strong for years to come. On a single night in Vinton this season, 14-year-olds Ryan Maitland and A.J. Witten reached victory lane for the first time in their careers. Both had shown signs of earning their first wins at various times throughout the season and it was on the same night when both finally broke through. I think it's safe to say the future of our sport is in good hands.
7. Sunday, June 23 – Benton County Speedway – Weekly Program
It had been 31 years since Late Models competed for track points during a weekly program at Benton County Speedway. In what was the first our four visits for the IMCA Late Models this season, Luke Pestka drove to victory. And, as much as people complain about BCS being a track hard on race cars, there was little to no damage to any Late Model this season. Maybe it isn't the track... maybe those guys just know how to take care of their cars a little better without driving through each other...
It had been 31 years since Late Models competed for track points during a weekly program at Benton County Speedway. In what was the first our four visits for the IMCA Late Models this season, Luke Pestka drove to victory. And, as much as people complain about BCS being a track hard on race cars, there was little to no damage to any Late Model this season. Maybe it isn't the track... maybe those guys just know how to take care of their cars a little better without driving through each other...
6. Tuesday, July 2 – Independence Motor Speedway – Deery Brothers Summer Series
There was a huge crowd on-hand for the annual Independence Day holiday visit by the Deery Brothers Summer Series for IMCA Late Models at Independence. The strange thing is, many in attendance didn't realize who won until the victory lane interview. Justin Kay passed Brian Harris in turns one and two in lapped traffic midway through the race, then quickly pulled away by the time the leaders made it off turn four. Not many saw it, though. By the number of facebook and text messages I received after calling the race, it was very apparent. Not only were some confused, a great number were upset. Trust me, Kay won. Also that evening, Leah Wroten became the first female driver to win a feature in Independence since the 1960s. It was the first win for Wroten, who just completed her first year in the IMCA Hobby Stock division.
There was a huge crowd on-hand for the annual Independence Day holiday visit by the Deery Brothers Summer Series for IMCA Late Models at Independence. The strange thing is, many in attendance didn't realize who won until the victory lane interview. Justin Kay passed Brian Harris in turns one and two in lapped traffic midway through the race, then quickly pulled away by the time the leaders made it off turn four. Not many saw it, though. By the number of facebook and text messages I received after calling the race, it was very apparent. Not only were some confused, a great number were upset. Trust me, Kay won. Also that evening, Leah Wroten became the first female driver to win a feature in Independence since the 1960s. It was the first win for Wroten, who just completed her first year in the IMCA Hobby Stock division.
5. Saturday & Sunday, October 19-20 – Thunder Hill Speedway – Thunder on the Hill
For the second year in-a-row, I made the trip to Mayetta, Kansas, for the season-ending Thunder on the Hill special at Thunder Hill Speedway. While cold temps caused the problems in 2012, it was precipitation that threw the two-day show in limbo this season. When snow, sleet and rain forced the program to be changed from a Friday/Saturday twinbill to a Saturday/Sunday show, a number of us were stranded at the hotel and casino a mile from the race track. Despite the itinerary change and being "stranded" at a casino, the weekend was a great time to catch up with old friends and to make new ones. Oh yeah, click the link above for the details on two great days of racing! I hope to return next fall, as well.
For the second year in-a-row, I made the trip to Mayetta, Kansas, for the season-ending Thunder on the Hill special at Thunder Hill Speedway. While cold temps caused the problems in 2012, it was precipitation that threw the two-day show in limbo this season. When snow, sleet and rain forced the program to be changed from a Friday/Saturday twinbill to a Saturday/Sunday show, a number of us were stranded at the hotel and casino a mile from the race track. Despite the itinerary change and being "stranded" at a casino, the weekend was a great time to catch up with old friends and to make new ones. Oh yeah, click the link above for the details on two great days of racing! I hope to return next fall, as well.
4. Sunday, July 14 – Benton County Speedway - Hogan Memorial
The Hogan Memorial at Benton County Speedway has been a must-see event for years. The quality competition, unique format and incredible support for the Hogan family through lap sponsorships and donations continue to grow the event into one of the biggest and best in the region. In this year's installment, Cayden Carter nipped Richie Gustin at the line in one of the most thrilling finishes in event history. Next year will be the 20th annual Hogan Memorial and, while they will be hard-pressed to match this year's event, I have no doubt the Hogans, their sponsors, family and friends will come through to make it the best yet.
The Hogan Memorial at Benton County Speedway has been a must-see event for years. The quality competition, unique format and incredible support for the Hogan family through lap sponsorships and donations continue to grow the event into one of the biggest and best in the region. In this year's installment, Cayden Carter nipped Richie Gustin at the line in one of the most thrilling finishes in event history. Next year will be the 20th annual Hogan Memorial and, while they will be hard-pressed to match this year's event, I have no doubt the Hogans, their sponsors, family and friends will come through to make it the best yet.
2. Saturday, June 22 – Independence Motor Speedway – Weekly Program
It was a year ago when our racing family came together to support IMCA Late Model driver Darren Ackerman, who was battling colon cancer. Ackerman took off the 2012 season to fight, and beat, the disease. He returned in full force in 2013 and made his first return to victory lane June 22 after his battle with cancer. In victory lane, Ackerman emotionally admitted he didn't know if he'd ever make it back to the winner's circle. Surrounded by friends and family in victory lane, it was a welcome sight to see. It was the first of two wins for Ackerman this year and I'm certain he'll be back many more times in his career.
1. Friday, September 6 – Boone Speedway – IMCA Speedway Motors Super Nationals fueled by Casey’s – Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational
1. Friday, September 6 – Boone Speedway – IMCA Speedway Motors Super Nationals fueled by Casey’s – Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational
When you have the best race of the year, arguably the best race ever, on the biggest stage in dirt track racing, you'd expect it to be the top memory of the year. Todd Shute, Chris Abelson, William Gould, Dylan Smith - the best in the business doing battle in one of the biggest Modified races of the year. I still get chills when I go back and listen to fellow Super Nationals announcers Jerry Vansickel and Chet Christner call the action in the Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational. I was stationed in the infield for that event to do the victory lane interview and I was mesmerized by the action on the track. Corner after corner, lap after lap, it was easily the best race I saw all year. Given the circumstances, where it was, hell, what it was, it was quite possibly the best race I've ever seen. The unique thing about the All-Star race is that the crews and families of the drivers were in the infield. They were watching and living the moment right along with everyone else. Excitement, anxiety, euphoria, heartbreak... all of those emotions were experienced to their extremes in the few short minutes it took to run the race. Was this year's All-Star race was the best dirt track race ever? That's up to each individual to determine. What if I never see a race as good as this year's All-Star race? I'm perfectly fine with that.
There you have it, my top memories from 2013. Yes, there are a number of other moments that come to mind, such as the 300th Stock Car feature in weekly racing history in Independence, Vern Jackson's 96th career win in Independence, the Deery Series/Hawkeye Dirt Tour doubleheader in Tipton, my first trip to the Knoxville Late Model Nationals, the return of World of Outlaws Late Models to Independence and my first time at the Duel in the Desert in Las Vegas, but the 10 I listed stand out the most to me. What are your most memorable racing moments from 2013?
There is one more item to mention before closing the book on 2013. I've never recognized individual drivers on their season-long accomplishments aside from emceeing awards banquets. This year, I want to give extra recognition to one driver who has worked through a lot of personal tragedy and has become a hell of a race car driver in his short time behind the wheel. In effect, my "first annual" driver of the year.
"In Staging" Driver of the Year - Ronn Lauritzen
As I mentioned at the beginning of this blog, I've seen a lot of drivers win a lot of races this year. Few, if any, have gone through what Ronn Lauritzen has gone through - not just this season, but the last couple years.
Ronn's father unexpectedly passed away in the middle of the 2012 season and his sister died unexpectedly at her work in July of this year. Through support of his family and friends and his passion for the sport, Ronn used racing as his therapy.
I saw Ronn win 10 features this year, although I think he won one or two at Marshalltown Speedway on nights I wasn't there. He finished second in points at all three tracks he raced weekly - Marshalltown, Independence and Vinton - by a combined 18 points. He won the points title for the Karl Performance Hawkeye Dirt Tour presented by XSAN during the tour's final event during the Yankee Dirt Track Classic at Farley Speedway in September.
Aside from his successes on the track, though, you will not find a greater person or a greater ambassador for our sport. Not only does everyone like the guy, they have no reason to dislike him. Ronn is the first person there to help out a friend or competitor and he's the first to thank the fans in victory lane. Not only does he thank his fans every time he wins, he thanks all fans for being there to cheer on their favorite drivers.
At Super Nationals, Chet Christner and I went to inform Ronn that he was awarded a spot in the All-Star race. One of his competitors wasn't there and Ronn was eligible based on previous criteria IMCA put in place in the instance all 30 drivers didn't make it to Super Nationals. Chet and I didn't come right out and say why we were stopping at his trailer, however we asked him if he had an extra filler panel for his Modified. Without question or hesitation, Ronn grabbed the filler panel and handed it over to Chet. He just assumed someone needed one and was offering his own to help out. He didn't realize we were there to get it lettered like the rest of the All-Star competitors.
When we told him he was in the race, he started smiling in disbelief. His appreciation was genuine.
It's drivers like Ronn and his dedicated crew, family, friends and fans who make racing special to the rest of us. It's that type of person who makes me proud to be a race fan and a member of the racing family.
Ronn, congratulations on an outstanding year and I wish you continued success next season. Thank you for being a class act and part of our racing family.
That will put a close on 2013. I'm sure some of you have started thinking back to what you most remember about the past season. Keep in mind, it isn't always about the racing itself. Much of the time, it's about the people we're with and the stories we can tell of our time together at the track. We have a few more months before we can go racing again here in Iowa. Before we return to the track, however, we have a lot of time to spend with family and friends. For many of us, those next memories will be made Tuesday night as we ring in the new year. Wherever and with whomever you are celebrating, be safe and be smart. Above all else, enjoy your time with loved ones.
Happy New Year and, as always, thanks for reading.
Wednesday, November 27, 2013
Thirty Minutes
I've given a lot of thought lately to my travels this past racing season and all the great events I saw throughout the course of 2013. While I've considered writing my year-end blog, other thoughts have also been running through my mind as the holiday season approaches. As it always does this time of year, one particular story from Thanksgiving 2003 keeps running through my mind, so I decided my racing recap can wait.
If you're looking for a story on area dirt track racing, you're out of luck this time around. If you're looking for a story about appreciating family, friends and all the things you hold close to you, read on.
The following story comes from 10 years ago, shortly after I started working in the substance abuse field in a residential treatment center for alcoholics and drug addicts in Iowa City. If you are unfamiliar with the battles people face regarding substance abuse, yet openly judge and condemn them for their disease, please stop reading. If the words "druggie" and "drunk" are commonly how you refer to those with substance abuse problems, please move on.
No, I don't have a substance abuse problem nor have I ever been in treatment. At the same time, yes, I understand the frustration many people have when it comes to those who abuse substances and how they can negatively impact the lives of others. That still doesn't give me or anyone the right to judge the internal battles and demons others face.
I wrote this story many years ago and first posted it on, of all things, my MySpace page. At the request of friends, I moved it to facebook years later. I recently found it and am transferring it here to Positively Racing. Yes, the story is real and the events of that Thanksgiving 10 years ago are as vivid today as the day they happened.
Thirty Minutes
Working in a drug and alcohol treatment center can be more interesting than it sounds. While some days it can feel like just another job and there are others that make you question if your efforts are even worth it, there are those rewarding days when you not only feel you've made a difference, but you can see it.
I started working in this field in Iowa City a couple of weeks before Thanksgiving in 2003. A friend of mine worked at the same facility, but he'd been there a year or two longer than me. He said there would be crisis situations that would take me by surprise and only in the middle of that first situation would I know how I would handle the job.
It didn't take long for me to embrace the idea that I was working in a special field.
It was on Thanksgiving evening when I was forced to deal with that reality. A female client who had no visitors on Thanksgiving seemed to be faring pretty well despite the lonely holiday - and holidays in a residential treatment center can be as unpredictable as anything you'll ever experience.
It was 10:20 p.m. and she was getting ready for bed. She was in the women's shower getting cleaned up after making it through one more day of treatment when one of her peers came running out of the bathroom.
My friend and I happened to be working the same shift that night and we were both stationed at the technicians' desk working on our shift report when the screams came from just a few feet away. A girl came running from the restroom yelling to get the nurse.
The nurse went into the room and quickly emerged, yelling for Matt, my coworker. Still in training, I was left stationed at the tech desk while Matt went into the restroom. As he opened the door to the women's room, that's when I saw it. Blood. Everywhere.
Matt came back out as the nurse remained in the restroom. "She cut herself," he said in a rushed, deliberate tone.
The next few moments were frantic. A 911 call, a search for every available towel, bottle of bleach and rubber glove, an attempt to calm down the 20-some clients who knew something was wrong, yet didn't know what was going on or what to do.
A few minutes later, after the pace slowed ever so slightly, I entered the restroom and assisted with the clean-up. Blood. Floor. Sink. Shower. Walls. Everywhere.
She was sitting upright in the fetal position in the shower with her arms wrapped up from shoulder to elbow. She had a blanket encased around her legs.
She was expressionless. Awake but unresponsive. She was staring straight ahead at the shower wall. She turned and looked at me. She turned and stared again at the shower wall. She hung her head.
She knew what she had done.
She saw it.
She felt it.
She did it to herself.
The situation consumed all of just a few moments in time. It was surreal and frightening, but seeing her there was the most disturbing of all.
The pain she felt wasn't physical from the razor blade she had taken to herself.
The pain wasn't a result of the marks she left on her arms and legs.
The pain wasn't the blood pouring from her body.
The pain wasn't physical.
Although I only caught a brief glimpse when she looked at me, I knew at that moment that the pain wasn't physical.
The pain was emotional.
The pain was within her.
The nurse assisted her to the common area near the tech desk as we waited for the ambulance to arrive. She sat there... Patient, calm, fully aware that she would be leaving because of what she did to her body as a result of the thoughts going through her mind. We were frantic. She was calm. It was her way out.
The nurse continued to sit with her as Matt and I were finishing the clean-up and settling the clients back into the typical structure that runs a person's residential treatment... Put this out of your mind as a new day begins in just a few hours. Another day to focus on yourselves, your treatment and what you can do to change your own lives …
It was closing in on 10:30.
It was past their bedtime.
As Matt and I returned to as close of a sense of normalcy as could be expected, the nurse continued to sit with her. She said very little and, in fact, she said only one thing. She mumbled one thing.
The nurse had trouble hearing her so he leaned lower to better understand her whisper.
He looked up in a state of expected disbelief. Disbelief because of what she said, yet expected because nothing in this environment can ever be considered a surprise.
"She wants a cigarette."
We all looked at her and then at each other, wanting not only to understand her request, but to consider what to do. The range of emotions went from panic to fear to frustration to confusion to relief to disbelief to anger.
My thoughts were frantic, confused and repetitive. She wants a cigarette. She cut herself. She's bleeding from her arms, her legs. The paramedics are only moments away. Clients only get so many scheduled cigarette breaks a day. She can't have one. Should we give her one? Why does she want one? Is she sure she wants a cigarette? She's bleeding from her arms, her legs. She cut herself. She wants a cigarette?
We raced frantically to save her, to take care of her, to be there for her and she did this all for a cigarette?
She was troubled, lonely and depressed. Nobody took the time to visit her on Thanksgiving. She felt alone. She felt lost. She couldn't have a cigarette so she cut herself so she could have one before her ride to the hospital. She wanted a cigarette.
It was now 10:50.
All in 30 minutes.
An eternity.
The ambulance arrived a short time later and she was gone... for a couple of days. She returned a few days later and seemed to work through the events of that Thanksgiving night. Her spirit seemed positive. Her focus emerged. Her assignments were incredible. She successfully completed treatment. She discharged.
I never saw her again.
No matter how many Thanksgivings I have yet to experience in this lifetime, I will take with me for the rest of my life the memories of those 30 minutes from that Thanksgiving. The start of every holiday season for the rest of my life will bring with them that one memory.
Although I'm not sure where she is now or what her future has held, I live with the certainty that, if for only one brief moment in time, she understood within her heart that people were helping her.
I may be naive with the thought that those moments made a difference in her life. I may be fooling myself to think that she made an honest attempt to better herself for her remaining weeks in treatment. I may be wrong to think that she wanted change for herself, that she wanted a future, that she wanted a life beyond the pain she felt on that night and countless nights before it. I may be wrong about it all, but I am right when I recall the look in her eyes for that isolated moment in time.
I saw her pain.
It's a memory like this one that has forced onto me a better appreciation for all that I have in my own life. While pain is unavoidable at times, disappointment a certainty in our own failures and frustration seemingly unbearable when we can't change the things that are destined to remain as they are, there are as many, and often times more, reasons to appreciate the good.
Family. Friends. Future. Love. Compassion. Stability. Purpose. Hope. Reason.
For every step backward we force ourselves to take, there are more driving forces in our lives that compel us to move forward. Every step backward gives us reason to continue on, gives us reason to appreciate ever more all the good in our lives.
Some days we may question why we do what we do. Some days we may feel the frustration provides us with enough doubt that what we do is done in vain. Some days we question, we judge, we hesitate … all with only a glimmer of hope. That glimmer of hope combined with 30 minutes from Thanksgiving many years ago, has made me appreciate, made me understand and made me cherish all that is important in my own life.
While our focus in the racing world is always on the next race or how we're going to spend the off-season, please take the time to enjoy the holiday season with loved ones. Embrace those around you. This life is about experiences and the people with whom we share them. Tell them you love them and never, ever take them for granted.
If you're looking for a story on area dirt track racing, you're out of luck this time around. If you're looking for a story about appreciating family, friends and all the things you hold close to you, read on.
The following story comes from 10 years ago, shortly after I started working in the substance abuse field in a residential treatment center for alcoholics and drug addicts in Iowa City. If you are unfamiliar with the battles people face regarding substance abuse, yet openly judge and condemn them for their disease, please stop reading. If the words "druggie" and "drunk" are commonly how you refer to those with substance abuse problems, please move on.
No, I don't have a substance abuse problem nor have I ever been in treatment. At the same time, yes, I understand the frustration many people have when it comes to those who abuse substances and how they can negatively impact the lives of others. That still doesn't give me or anyone the right to judge the internal battles and demons others face.
I wrote this story many years ago and first posted it on, of all things, my MySpace page. At the request of friends, I moved it to facebook years later. I recently found it and am transferring it here to Positively Racing. Yes, the story is real and the events of that Thanksgiving 10 years ago are as vivid today as the day they happened.
Thirty Minutes
Working in a drug and alcohol treatment center can be more interesting than it sounds. While some days it can feel like just another job and there are others that make you question if your efforts are even worth it, there are those rewarding days when you not only feel you've made a difference, but you can see it.
I started working in this field in Iowa City a couple of weeks before Thanksgiving in 2003. A friend of mine worked at the same facility, but he'd been there a year or two longer than me. He said there would be crisis situations that would take me by surprise and only in the middle of that first situation would I know how I would handle the job.
It didn't take long for me to embrace the idea that I was working in a special field.
It was on Thanksgiving evening when I was forced to deal with that reality. A female client who had no visitors on Thanksgiving seemed to be faring pretty well despite the lonely holiday - and holidays in a residential treatment center can be as unpredictable as anything you'll ever experience.
It was 10:20 p.m. and she was getting ready for bed. She was in the women's shower getting cleaned up after making it through one more day of treatment when one of her peers came running out of the bathroom.
My friend and I happened to be working the same shift that night and we were both stationed at the technicians' desk working on our shift report when the screams came from just a few feet away. A girl came running from the restroom yelling to get the nurse.
The nurse went into the room and quickly emerged, yelling for Matt, my coworker. Still in training, I was left stationed at the tech desk while Matt went into the restroom. As he opened the door to the women's room, that's when I saw it. Blood. Everywhere.
Matt came back out as the nurse remained in the restroom. "She cut herself," he said in a rushed, deliberate tone.
The next few moments were frantic. A 911 call, a search for every available towel, bottle of bleach and rubber glove, an attempt to calm down the 20-some clients who knew something was wrong, yet didn't know what was going on or what to do.
A few minutes later, after the pace slowed ever so slightly, I entered the restroom and assisted with the clean-up. Blood. Floor. Sink. Shower. Walls. Everywhere.
She was sitting upright in the fetal position in the shower with her arms wrapped up from shoulder to elbow. She had a blanket encased around her legs.
She was expressionless. Awake but unresponsive. She was staring straight ahead at the shower wall. She turned and looked at me. She turned and stared again at the shower wall. She hung her head.
She knew what she had done.
She saw it.
She felt it.
She did it to herself.
The situation consumed all of just a few moments in time. It was surreal and frightening, but seeing her there was the most disturbing of all.
The pain she felt wasn't physical from the razor blade she had taken to herself.
The pain wasn't a result of the marks she left on her arms and legs.
The pain wasn't the blood pouring from her body.
The pain wasn't physical.
Although I only caught a brief glimpse when she looked at me, I knew at that moment that the pain wasn't physical.
The pain was emotional.
The pain was within her.
The nurse assisted her to the common area near the tech desk as we waited for the ambulance to arrive. She sat there... Patient, calm, fully aware that she would be leaving because of what she did to her body as a result of the thoughts going through her mind. We were frantic. She was calm. It was her way out.
The nurse continued to sit with her as Matt and I were finishing the clean-up and settling the clients back into the typical structure that runs a person's residential treatment... Put this out of your mind as a new day begins in just a few hours. Another day to focus on yourselves, your treatment and what you can do to change your own lives …
It was closing in on 10:30.
It was past their bedtime.
As Matt and I returned to as close of a sense of normalcy as could be expected, the nurse continued to sit with her. She said very little and, in fact, she said only one thing. She mumbled one thing.
The nurse had trouble hearing her so he leaned lower to better understand her whisper.
He looked up in a state of expected disbelief. Disbelief because of what she said, yet expected because nothing in this environment can ever be considered a surprise.
"She wants a cigarette."
We all looked at her and then at each other, wanting not only to understand her request, but to consider what to do. The range of emotions went from panic to fear to frustration to confusion to relief to disbelief to anger.
My thoughts were frantic, confused and repetitive. She wants a cigarette. She cut herself. She's bleeding from her arms, her legs. The paramedics are only moments away. Clients only get so many scheduled cigarette breaks a day. She can't have one. Should we give her one? Why does she want one? Is she sure she wants a cigarette? She's bleeding from her arms, her legs. She cut herself. She wants a cigarette?
We raced frantically to save her, to take care of her, to be there for her and she did this all for a cigarette?
She was troubled, lonely and depressed. Nobody took the time to visit her on Thanksgiving. She felt alone. She felt lost. She couldn't have a cigarette so she cut herself so she could have one before her ride to the hospital. She wanted a cigarette.
It was now 10:50.
All in 30 minutes.
An eternity.
The ambulance arrived a short time later and she was gone... for a couple of days. She returned a few days later and seemed to work through the events of that Thanksgiving night. Her spirit seemed positive. Her focus emerged. Her assignments were incredible. She successfully completed treatment. She discharged.
I never saw her again.
No matter how many Thanksgivings I have yet to experience in this lifetime, I will take with me for the rest of my life the memories of those 30 minutes from that Thanksgiving. The start of every holiday season for the rest of my life will bring with them that one memory.
Although I'm not sure where she is now or what her future has held, I live with the certainty that, if for only one brief moment in time, she understood within her heart that people were helping her.
I may be naive with the thought that those moments made a difference in her life. I may be fooling myself to think that she made an honest attempt to better herself for her remaining weeks in treatment. I may be wrong to think that she wanted change for herself, that she wanted a future, that she wanted a life beyond the pain she felt on that night and countless nights before it. I may be wrong about it all, but I am right when I recall the look in her eyes for that isolated moment in time.
I saw her pain.
It's a memory like this one that has forced onto me a better appreciation for all that I have in my own life. While pain is unavoidable at times, disappointment a certainty in our own failures and frustration seemingly unbearable when we can't change the things that are destined to remain as they are, there are as many, and often times more, reasons to appreciate the good.
Family. Friends. Future. Love. Compassion. Stability. Purpose. Hope. Reason.
For every step backward we force ourselves to take, there are more driving forces in our lives that compel us to move forward. Every step backward gives us reason to continue on, gives us reason to appreciate ever more all the good in our lives.
Some days we may question why we do what we do. Some days we may feel the frustration provides us with enough doubt that what we do is done in vain. Some days we question, we judge, we hesitate … all with only a glimmer of hope. That glimmer of hope combined with 30 minutes from Thanksgiving many years ago, has made me appreciate, made me understand and made me cherish all that is important in my own life.
While our focus in the racing world is always on the next race or how we're going to spend the off-season, please take the time to enjoy the holiday season with loved ones. Embrace those around you. This life is about experiences and the people with whom we share them. Tell them you love them and never, ever take them for granted.
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