Well, the last 2 nights at Eagle haven't been the greatest. We got to the track a little after 3 on Friday, and went to the office to pick up the money drawers and bands to put on the people coming into the pits. While we were standing outside waiting it decided to rain; and I DO mean rain!! It came down for about an hour, long enough that the night couldn't be salvaged. After a very long and very intense discussion between the owner and Jason from USAC, it was decided that there was no way to make it work. They also discussed a possible make-up at a later date, but it just couldn't be worked out.
We headed home around 5:30 and went to the drug store to pick something up. We came out to more rain and got into the car to sit it out. After 10 minutes of a downpour, I said "The heck with this, I'm heading home". Not the smartest move on my part as it rained even harder!! I could barely see the road and the gutters were running full. Guess USAC and Roger made the right call, huh??
Such a shame!! The first time EVER for USAC's 410 wingless sprints in the state and the only appreciable rain in a couple of weeks has to happen!! There were people from all over camped at the track specifically to catch this show, and I can't remember all of the people who called to find out if the races were still on. Most of them said "AHHH NO!! Oh well, we'll be back next year". Throw in all of the racers who towed in for the show; USAC, SLMR, the mod lites and 600cc mini-sprints, and you have an awful lot of disappointed people. I would be right up there at the top of the list, followed closely by the owner. He said to me that this was the show that he was most excited to watch all year!! One of the drivers even told Jason that he had been looking forward to running the high banks with his 410 ever since he did it in a midget! Oh well, we will all just have to start planning our vactions, sick days, etc. for next year in August.
So, on to Saturday night. Another typical August day in Nebraska. Hot and muggy as all get out!! Lots of people in the stands, track was VERY fast but had a few holes due to all of the rain the night before. There was some really good racing in the heats for all 5 classes, with the only real problem being when Gene Ackland caught the hole in turn 1 and went from wheels, to air, to wheels, to air and back to wheels. He dinged the wing just slightly, but I saw on his Facebook page that the frame was junked.
At intermission the drivers gave all of the kids in the crowd rides around the track in some of the cars that were competing that night. Sport compacts, hobby stocks and modifieds had youngsters getting a thrill that they won't soon forget.
So, as I looked around the sky which had been showing lightning in a 270 degree arc around the track, I hear them telling people to get out of the high-rise grandstand. Well, it didn't take long for the wind to shift and the monsoon began!! The lightning flashed, the thunder crashed and the rain came down SIDEWAYS!! So, we sat in the Pit Shack and watched the procession of haulers and half-drowned spectators slowly pass by the windows. After quite awhile it began to let up and lo and behold, there was clear sky out west. We headed up front to check out and went to the car to try and get out of the parking lot. It only took about 10 minutes; a lot shorter than the folks who left right away. I was told that some of them had spent an HOUR waiting for their turn to hit the highway.
2 nights, 2 rain-outs. The bright spot in it is that I and the fans will be treated to double features during Junior Fan Club Night on the 20th. Hope to see you all there.
Now that I've discussed the couple of bad nights, I'll touch on the sad couple of weeks. 2 weeks ago Saturday Gary Grossenbacher passed away at the young age of 65. This was a great loss to our racing family, to say the least. Gary was the crew chief for the "Black Bandit", Lonnie Jensen, and then took on the role for Lonnie's son Tige who is an Eagle regular in the 360 Sprints.
Equally sad for the local racing scene, and even more sorrowful for me personally was the loss of Frank "Zook" Scdoris. Zook raced at all kinds of local tracks from Capitol Beach, to Beatrice where he is enshrined in their Hall of Fame, to Midwest Speedway where he ended his driving career and took up the reigns as flagman. After he stopped racing his daughter Rhonda took over the seat in the 52 sprinter. And now, his grandson Nick races a 360 at Eagle. The Scdoris (and now Bryan) families are in our thoughts and prayers. They are some of the greatest people I've ever met and I'm very VERY proud to call them friends. I knew Frank for what seems like forever, and I'll miss him terribly, but I know that he's in a better place now.
God obviously needed a couple of great guys who knew their way around a sprinter, because he got 2 of the very best. Our loss is his gain, and I know that the 3 of them are bench racing right now and having a whale of a time!! That would be a conversation worth hearing. Lord, please keep these 2 close to you, and hold their families in your heart as they travel through these rough times.
So, there you have it. 2 lost nights of racing, and MUCH more importantly, 2 horrible losses to our racing family. It's life, and sometimes life is hard. The rest of us just have to pick up the slack for our 2 lost friends and carry on the racing tradition that they were such a large part of.
Thank you for stopping by, and please click on the ads on the right side of the page to help support this site that allows me to post my blogs.
Monday, August 8, 2011
Monday, July 11, 2011
You have to love/hate this heat!!
Well, another weekly show at Eagle Raceway is in the books, and was it ever steamy!! Temperatures over 90 with a dew point over 80 made it more than just a touch warm Saturday. Thankfully, we had a nice little breeze most of the evening out of the south to help out. Personally, I sweat in the wintertime, so you can't judge by me. I will say though, that while doing post-race interviews I was dripping on my notebook so bad that one of the seasoned veteran racers handed me a handful of paper shop towels off a roll. I thanked him and put them to good use, soaking through all of them before I left to head home.
This weekend's forecast is calling for temperatures in the high 90's with the accompanying high humidity of course. It's definitely going to be a day to haul the cooler filled with water with us and keep hydrated as well as possible. For my readers who are, like me, calendrically challenged (getting older), please do the same no matter if you're going to be at the races or not. High temperatures at our age can be deadly. I saw a message from a friend of mine who went to an Indiana Sprint Week show at Lawrenceburg, Indiana. He's 10 years older than I, and went to the top of the grandstand. It was 93 degrees with no breeze. Well, he suddenly started feeling sick and felt his hands and legs cramping. Luckily he got to his car and home safely. Let this be a lesson to us all.
Okay, enough about the weather and back to racing.
Another great show at Eagle this past weekend. A really good crowd (even better than normal) saw some great racing action all night. All the classes put out some fantastic competition, topped off by the A Modifieds. It's hard for a lot of die-hard fans of the other classes to admit sometimes, but the A Mods really do put on some fantastic racing on the high banks. Several Armed Forces personnel were at the track, collecting toys for the Toys for Tots campaign. Any adult who brought a new toy to be donated received 1/2 price front gate admission. Is it the racing, or the other things that take place that keep the fans coming? I don't know, and I don't think it matters; as long as it works, don't change it!! I've heard that Eagle Raceway is the second largest sporting venue in the state. GEE! I wonder what #1 would be.
The Sport Modifieds were won by a racer who was running only his second race ever at Eagle. Cory Hutchison took advantage of his forward starting position to lead all but 1 lap. In his interview he made mention of the good, clean racing and the great hospitality shown to he and his team. A very nice young racer, and hopefully we'll be seeing him at the track regularly.
The Hobby Stock feature looked to be another RJ Macku win, but Chadley Fegley pulled off a huge move on the white flag lap to grab the lead and hold it to the finish. Chad was all smiles because he had been wanting to go toe-to-toe with RJ all year and finally got his wish. I want to mention Justin Busboom, who moved up to the class last year. He had a great run, coming home fourth. I asked him what led to his improvement Saturday night, and he said "We got the motor to run finally!". That always helps.
Dustin Andersen got set back 1 row for jumping the initial start of the A Modified A. When they tried it again, he made a banzai move between 2 cars that ended up causing a HUGE mess in 3 & 4. All together Andersen and 5 others were involved, and 4 of those were unable to return. In the end multi-time IMCA Modified Champion Johnny Saathoff made another run up through the field to take the victory. In his interview he called Eagle Raceway the best facility in the country. I realize that may have been just "interview speak", but it's not that big of a stretch. He's been doing this for a lot of years, and has been at more than a few tracks; he knows that if you win a weekly show at Eagle you've done something! The best run however, was made by Chris Ableson who makes the trek all the way down from Sioux City, Iowa weekly. With the flooding on the Missouri, that's no easy jaunt. Chris had to come through the B Feature and tag the entire field in the A. He let it all hang out and left absolutely NOTHING on the table to get to second. Chris has had some really bad luck the last few weeks, and it's great to see him get up where he belongs in the finishing order.
Barry Kinnersley got the big check in the Sport Compact division, for his first win of the year. It seems that in this division, like in almost all of the other classes, that the competitors are a big family. Racers helping racers weekly just to get to the track, let alone win, is commonplace. Barry's dad Maynard is the one who gave me the shop towels. Those who have been around racing in this area for an extended period of time, as have I, should remember Maynard well. He's turned a few thousand laps on the dirt around here, and was running in the Sport Compacts until a nasty accident a few weeks ago. I sure miss seeing Maynard on the track, but I'd rather have him around for a lot of years just in case I need more towels.
The Sprint Car win went to Mike Boston who also got a favorable starting position thanks to the ASCS style redraw of the top 8 points earners in the heats. Mike's victory gave him the lead in the points race as well. Ryan Kitchen got what I believe is his best finish of the season by coming home third. Ryan's been plagued by motor problems and other difficulties all year, so it was great to see him finish on the podium. Trevor Grossenbacher showed no signs of having let the accidents that befell him the last two weeks bother him. He made a quick advancement through the field to get into second. A late race caution gave Boston a clear field, and Trevor couldn't catch him. This young man's talent shows every week, and I can't believe that he hasn't snagged a W yet this year. His time is coming, make no mistake about that.
Time Warner Cable was on site, taping all of the races. They will be showing the races weekly on both Channel 411 Tuesdays and on the Metro Sports Channel on Fridays. I asked the one of the crew what channel I could watch it on Dish Network, but all he said was "Not funny!!". This reminds me of back in the day when you could watch replays of Midwest Speedway every week here in town. Oh well, guess I'll just have to watch it in person, because I'm not switching back to TWC.
Next weekend is Fire Prevention Night, and all fire & rescue personnel wearing their uniform or with a current picture ID receive free front gate admission. As always, there will be lots of things for the fans to participate in, and face painting for the kids. All 5 classes will be in action, with racing starting at 6:30.
Come out and have some fun; but be careful. It's going to be another scorcher!!
Again I ask that you take a few minutes to click on the ads on the right side of the page. It helps pay the bills for this site so I can keep blogging. Thanks to everyone who reads my blog, whether you click or not, because I love writing about racing and it's nice to know it's appreciated. Tell your friends and family to stop by also. Who knows, they might actually enjoy it!!
RESULTS:
This weekend's forecast is calling for temperatures in the high 90's with the accompanying high humidity of course. It's definitely going to be a day to haul the cooler filled with water with us and keep hydrated as well as possible. For my readers who are, like me, calendrically challenged (getting older), please do the same no matter if you're going to be at the races or not. High temperatures at our age can be deadly. I saw a message from a friend of mine who went to an Indiana Sprint Week show at Lawrenceburg, Indiana. He's 10 years older than I, and went to the top of the grandstand. It was 93 degrees with no breeze. Well, he suddenly started feeling sick and felt his hands and legs cramping. Luckily he got to his car and home safely. Let this be a lesson to us all.
Okay, enough about the weather and back to racing.
Another great show at Eagle this past weekend. A really good crowd (even better than normal) saw some great racing action all night. All the classes put out some fantastic competition, topped off by the A Modifieds. It's hard for a lot of die-hard fans of the other classes to admit sometimes, but the A Mods really do put on some fantastic racing on the high banks. Several Armed Forces personnel were at the track, collecting toys for the Toys for Tots campaign. Any adult who brought a new toy to be donated received 1/2 price front gate admission. Is it the racing, or the other things that take place that keep the fans coming? I don't know, and I don't think it matters; as long as it works, don't change it!! I've heard that Eagle Raceway is the second largest sporting venue in the state. GEE! I wonder what #1 would be.
The Sport Modifieds were won by a racer who was running only his second race ever at Eagle. Cory Hutchison took advantage of his forward starting position to lead all but 1 lap. In his interview he made mention of the good, clean racing and the great hospitality shown to he and his team. A very nice young racer, and hopefully we'll be seeing him at the track regularly.
The Hobby Stock feature looked to be another RJ Macku win, but Chadley Fegley pulled off a huge move on the white flag lap to grab the lead and hold it to the finish. Chad was all smiles because he had been wanting to go toe-to-toe with RJ all year and finally got his wish. I want to mention Justin Busboom, who moved up to the class last year. He had a great run, coming home fourth. I asked him what led to his improvement Saturday night, and he said "We got the motor to run finally!". That always helps.
Dustin Andersen got set back 1 row for jumping the initial start of the A Modified A. When they tried it again, he made a banzai move between 2 cars that ended up causing a HUGE mess in 3 & 4. All together Andersen and 5 others were involved, and 4 of those were unable to return. In the end multi-time IMCA Modified Champion Johnny Saathoff made another run up through the field to take the victory. In his interview he called Eagle Raceway the best facility in the country. I realize that may have been just "interview speak", but it's not that big of a stretch. He's been doing this for a lot of years, and has been at more than a few tracks; he knows that if you win a weekly show at Eagle you've done something! The best run however, was made by Chris Ableson who makes the trek all the way down from Sioux City, Iowa weekly. With the flooding on the Missouri, that's no easy jaunt. Chris had to come through the B Feature and tag the entire field in the A. He let it all hang out and left absolutely NOTHING on the table to get to second. Chris has had some really bad luck the last few weeks, and it's great to see him get up where he belongs in the finishing order.
Barry Kinnersley got the big check in the Sport Compact division, for his first win of the year. It seems that in this division, like in almost all of the other classes, that the competitors are a big family. Racers helping racers weekly just to get to the track, let alone win, is commonplace. Barry's dad Maynard is the one who gave me the shop towels. Those who have been around racing in this area for an extended period of time, as have I, should remember Maynard well. He's turned a few thousand laps on the dirt around here, and was running in the Sport Compacts until a nasty accident a few weeks ago. I sure miss seeing Maynard on the track, but I'd rather have him around for a lot of years just in case I need more towels.
The Sprint Car win went to Mike Boston who also got a favorable starting position thanks to the ASCS style redraw of the top 8 points earners in the heats. Mike's victory gave him the lead in the points race as well. Ryan Kitchen got what I believe is his best finish of the season by coming home third. Ryan's been plagued by motor problems and other difficulties all year, so it was great to see him finish on the podium. Trevor Grossenbacher showed no signs of having let the accidents that befell him the last two weeks bother him. He made a quick advancement through the field to get into second. A late race caution gave Boston a clear field, and Trevor couldn't catch him. This young man's talent shows every week, and I can't believe that he hasn't snagged a W yet this year. His time is coming, make no mistake about that.
Time Warner Cable was on site, taping all of the races. They will be showing the races weekly on both Channel 411 Tuesdays and on the Metro Sports Channel on Fridays. I asked the one of the crew what channel I could watch it on Dish Network, but all he said was "Not funny!!". This reminds me of back in the day when you could watch replays of Midwest Speedway every week here in town. Oh well, guess I'll just have to watch it in person, because I'm not switching back to TWC.
Next weekend is Fire Prevention Night, and all fire & rescue personnel wearing their uniform or with a current picture ID receive free front gate admission. As always, there will be lots of things for the fans to participate in, and face painting for the kids. All 5 classes will be in action, with racing starting at 6:30.
Come out and have some fun; but be careful. It's going to be another scorcher!!
Again I ask that you take a few minutes to click on the ads on the right side of the page. It helps pay the bills for this site so I can keep blogging. Thanks to everyone who reads my blog, whether you click or not, because I love writing about racing and it's nice to know it's appreciated. Tell your friends and family to stop by also. Who knows, they might actually enjoy it!!
RESULTS:
360 Sprint 7/9/2011
A Main:1. Mike Boston (Crete, NE), 2. Trevor Grossenbacher (Lincoln, NE), 3. Ryan Kitchen (Weston, NE), 4. Doug Lovegrove (Waverly, NE), 5. Stu Snyder (Waverly, NE), 6. Gene Ackland (Lincoln, NE), 7. Tadd Holliman (Beaver Lake, NE), 8. Jason DANLEY (Lincoln, NE), 9. Mitchell Moore (Edgerton, KS), 10. Mark Pace (Lincoln, NE), 11. Jay Russell (Elwood, KS), 12. Roger SLUKA (Lincoln, NE), 13. Terry Holliman (Hamburg, IA), 14. Lee Bowes (Lincoln, NE), 15. Frank Sheridan (Lincoln, NE), 16. Taylor Forbes (Neligh, NE), 17. Nick Bryan (Lincoln, NE), 18. John Klabunde (Fort Calhoun, NE)
Heat 1:1. Mike Boston (Crete, NE), 2. Mark Pace (Lincoln, NE), 3. Trevor Grossenbacher (Lincoln, NE), 4. Mitchell Moore (Edgerton, KS), 5. Jay Russell (Elwood, KS), 6. Nick Bryan (Lincoln, NE)
Heat 2:1. Doug Lovegrove (Waverly, NE), 2. Jason DANLEY (Lincoln, NE), 3. Gene Ackland (Lincoln, NE), 4. Roger SLUKA (Lincoln, NE), 5. Frank Sheridan (Lincoln, NE), 6. Lee Bowes (Lincoln, NE)
Heat 3:1. Ryan Kitchen (Weston, NE), 2. John Klabunde (Fort Calhoun, NE), 3. Terry Holliman (Hamburg, IA), 4. Tadd Holliman (Beaver Lake, NE), 5. Stu Snyder (Waverly, NE), 6. Taylor Forbes (Neligh, NE)
IMCA Hobby Stock 7/9/2011
A Feature:1. Chad Fegley (Eagle, NE), 2. Roy Armstrong (Beatrice, NE), 3. Randall Macku (Lincoln, NE), 4. Justin Busboom (Lincoln, NE), 5. Joe Wollenhaupt (Neola, IA), 6. Ben Becher (Lincoln, NE), 7. Lee KRACHT (Scribner, NE), 8. Dan Noonan (Lincoln, NE), 9. Don Kros (Weston, NE), 10. Garrett Bolander (Blair, NE), 11. Rob Brown (Nebraska City, NE), 12. Robbie Hobus (Council Bluffs, IA), 13. Scott Santee (Omaha, NE), 14. Tim Kozak (Lincoln, NE), 15. Mike Hansen (Weeping Water, NE), 16. Ron Novak (Blair, NE), 17. Tim LaPointe (Lincoln, NE), 18. Damon Richards (David City, NE), 19. Don Hall Jr (Lincoln, NE), 20. Keith Dragoo (Lincoln, NE)
B Feature:1. Rob Brown (Nebraska City, NE), 2. Ron Novak (Blair, NE), 3. Garrett Bolander (Blair, NE), 4. Lee KRACHT (Scribner, NE), 5. Damon Richards (David City, NE), 6. Danny Patrick (Wilbur, NE), 7. Adam Vrbka (Eagle, NE), 8. Luke Nicholson (Ashland, NE), 9. Jared Flodman (Lincoln, NE), 10. David Carter (Fremont, NE), 11. Dale Hoyle (Nebraska City, NE), 12. Khrysta Stransky (Lincoln, NE), 13. Derick Noonan (Lincoln, NE), 14. Mark McKinney (Omaha, NE), 15. Jacob Waldron (Beatrice, NE)
Heat 1:1. Don Kros (Weston, NE), 2. Randall Macku (Lincoln, NE), 3. Scott Santee (Omaha, NE), 4. Joe Wollenhaupt (Neola, IA), 5. Robbie Hobus (Council Bluffs, IA), 6. Rob Brown (Nebraska City, NE), 7. Lee KRACHT (Scribner, NE), 8. Khrysta Stransky (Lincoln, NE), 9. David Carter (Fremont, NE), 10. Danny Patrick (Wilbur, NE)
Heat 2:1. Don Hall Jr (Lincoln, NE), 2. Keith Dragoo (Lincoln, NE), 3. Ben Becher (Lincoln, NE), 4. Roy Armstrong (Beatrice, NE), 5. Tim Kozak (Lincoln, NE), 6. Dale Hoyle (Nebraska City, NE), 7. Derick Noonan (Lincoln, NE), 8. Adam Vrbka (Eagle, NE), 9. Mark McKinney (Omaha, NE), 10. Jacob Waldron (Beatrice, NE)
Heat 3:1. Tim LaPointe (Lincoln, NE), 2. Chad Fegley (Eagle, NE), 3. Dan Noonan (Lincoln, NE), 4. Justin Busboom (Lincoln, NE), 5. Mike Hansen (Weeping Water, NE), 6. Garrett Bolander (Blair, NE), 7. Luke Nicholson (Ashland, NE), 8. Ron Novak (Blair, NE), 9. Jared Flodman (Lincoln, NE), 10. Damon Richards (David City, NE)
IMCA Modified 7/9/2011
A Feature:1. Johnny Saathoff (Beatrice, NE), 2. Chris Ableson (Sioux City, IA), 3. Justin Wulf (Arlington, NE), 4. Roger Hadan (Bennington, NE), 5. Rik Gropp (Lincoln, NE), 6. Dylan Smith (Osceola, NE), 7. Dan Nelson (Beatrice, NE), 8. Terry Richards (Denton, NE), 9. Josh Most (Red Oak, IA), 10. Scott Bivens (Ceresco, NE), 11. Lance Borgman (Beatrice, NE), 12. Dustin Andersen (Omaha, NE), 13. Clint Homan (Bellevue, NE), 14. Mike Densberger (Malcolm, NE), 15. Jim KRUPICKA (Denton, NE), 16. Jerry Trejo (Lincoln, NE), 17. Bob Zoubek (Dorchester, NE), 18. Ed RAINES (Lincoln, NE), 19. Shane Hiatt (Rising City, NE), 20. Chris Alcorn (Lincoln, NE)
B Feature:1. Terry Richards (Denton, NE), 2. Clint Homan (Bellevue, NE), 3. Lance Borgman (Beatrice, NE), 4. Chris Ableson (Sioux City, IA), 5. Aaron Pella (Lincoln, NE), 6. Lacey Tuttle (Elmwood, NE), 7. Doug Deterding (Lincoln, NE), 8. Tim Pickens (Omaha, NE), 9. Justin Addison (Leigh, NE), 10. Patrick DONOVAN (Sterling, NE), 11. Jace Wikoff (Lincoln, NE), 12. Chad Andersen (Omaha, NE), 13. Andrew Hille (Hickman, NE), 14. Matt Stevens (Waverly, NE), 15. Jarrod Wiechert (Lincoln, NE), 16. Jan Korth (Lincoln, NE), 17. Bob Ruisinger (Bennet, NE)
Heat 1:1. Jim KRUPICKA (Denton, NE), 2. Rik Gropp (Lincoln, NE), 3. Justin Wulf (Arlington, NE), 4. Josh Most (Red Oak, IA), 5. Clint Homan (Bellevue, NE), 6. Doug Deterding (Lincoln, NE), 7. Terry Richards (Denton, NE), 8. Bob Ruisinger (Bennet, NE), 9. Jace Wikoff (Lincoln, NE)
Heat 2:1. Johnny Saathoff (Beatrice, NE), 2. Chris Alcorn (Lincoln, NE), 3. Shane Hiatt (Rising City, NE), 4. Scott Bivens (Ceresco, NE), 5. Tim Pickens (Omaha, NE), 6. Andrew Hille (Hickman, NE), 7. Matt Stevens (Waverly, NE), 8. Lacey Tuttle (Elmwood, NE)
Heat 3:1. Roger Hadan (Bennington, NE), 2. Bob Zoubek (Dorchester, NE), 3. Dan Nelson (Beatrice, NE), 4. Jerry Trejo (Lincoln, NE), 5. Lance Borgman (Beatrice, NE), 6. Aaron Pella (Lincoln, NE), 7. Patrick DONOVAN (Sterling, NE), 8. Chad Andersen (Omaha, NE)
Heat 4:1. Dylan Smith (Osceola, NE), 2. Dustin Andersen (Omaha, NE), 3. Ed RAINES (Lincoln, NE), 4. Mike Densberger (Malcolm, NE), 5. Jarrod Wiechert (Lincoln, NE), 6. Jan Korth (Lincoln, NE), 7. Justin Addison (Leigh, NE), 8. Chris Ableson (Sioux City, IA)
IMCA Sport Compact 7/9/2011
A Feature:1. Barry Kinnersley (LaVista, NE), 2. Troy Knoell (Omaha, NE), 3. Matt Moyer (Gretna, NE), 4. Nick Lindblad (Beatrice, NE), 5. Jesse Osmon (Alvo, NE), 6. Kyle Gannon (Lincoln, NE), 7. Chad Bassinger (Nebraska City, NE), 8. Ole Olsen (Carter Lake, IA), 9. Fred Johnson (Lincoln, NE), 10. Trevor Noonan (Lincoln, NE), 11. Tim Horsham (Raymond, NE), 12. Travis Schellpeper (Douglas, NE), 13. Josh Johnson (Lincoln, NE), 14. Brandon Bolin (Lincoln, NE), 15. Brian Haller (Lincoln, NE), 16. Kenny Roberts (Lincoln, NE), 17. Nic Hitz (Lincoln, NE), 18. Melissa Cronin (Lincoln, NE), 19. Kevin Fearing (Lincoln, NE), 20. Kevin Zeitner (Omaha, NE)
Heat 1:1. Barry Kinnersley (LaVista, NE), 2. Brandon Bolin (Lincoln, NE), 3. Kyle Gannon (Lincoln, NE), 4. Kenny Roberts (Lincoln, NE), 5. Sara Deterding (Lincoln, NE), 6. Rick Hollandsworth (Lincoln, NE), 7. David Knoell (Omaha, NE), 8. Shannon Wulf (Lincoln, NE), 9. Jeff Davis (Lincoln, NE), 10. Don Heyne (Omaha, NE)
Heat 2:1. Trevor Noonan (Lincoln, NE), 2. Troy Knoell (Omaha, NE), 3. Tim Horsham (Raymond, NE), 4. Travis Schellpeper (Douglas, NE), 5. Erica Cronin (Lincoln, NE), 6. Keith Miller (Lincoln, NE), 7. David Knoell Sr (Fremont, NE), 8. Blake HAAS (Eagle, NE), 9. Chad Bassinger (Nebraska City, NE), 10. Rick Larsen (Omaha, NE)
Heat 3:1. Nic Hitz (Lincoln, NE), 2. Melissa Cronin (Lincoln, NE), 3. Brian Haller (Lincoln, NE), 4. Kevin Zeitner (Omaha, NE), 5. Ole Olsen (Carter Lake, IA), 6. Josh Johnson (Lincoln, NE), 7. Sydney Yost (Nebraska City, NE), 8. Lindsay Nicewonger (Lincoln, NE), 9. Fred Johnson (Lincoln, NE)
Heat 4:1. Matt Moyer (Gretna, NE), 2. Kevin Fearing (Lincoln, NE), 3. Nick Lindblad (Beatrice, NE), 4. Jesse Osmon (Alvo, NE), 5. Michelle Nicholson (Ashland, NE), 6. Billy Roberts (Lincoln, NE), 7. James Snelling (Omaha, NE), 8. Austin Angel (Lincoln, NE), 9. Larry Cronin (Lincoln, NE)
IMCA Sport Modified 7/9/2011
A Feature:1. Cory Hutchison (Plattsmouth, NE), 2. Gary Saathoff (Beatrice, NE), 3. Kevin Anderson (Lincoln, NE), 4. Max Harder (Blue Springs, ne), 5. Marty Steinbach (Fremont, NE), 6. Nathan Kobus (Lincoln, NE), 7. Kyle Prauner (Norfolk, NE), 8. Nelson Vollbrecht (Stanton, NE), 9. Buddy Ray Jones (Council Bluffs, IA), 10. Anthony Kobus (David City, NE), 11. Matt Boucher (Murdock, ne), 12. Gary Laflin (Beatrice, NE), 13. Joe Schidler (Lincoln, NE), 14. Nate Thompson (Fremont, NE), 15. Don Rinke (Lincoln, NE), 16. Joey DANLEY (Lincoln, NE), 17. Lindsey Yost (Nebraska City, NE), 18. Shelly Andersen (Lincoln, NE), 19. Dustin Thayer (Bellevue, FL), 20. Steve Swarthout (Beatrice, NE)
B Feature 1:1. Nelson Vollbrecht (Stanton, NE), 2. Buddy Ray Jones (Council Bluffs, IA), 3. Rick MUNSON (Omaha, NE), 4. Kole Nordquist (Beresford, SD), 5. Jared Cote (Lincoln, NE), 6. Roger Harpster (Omaha, NE), 7. Kevin Jochum (Roca, NE), 8. Kyle Driskell (Rock Port, MO), 9. Ron Allen (Nickerson, NE), 10. Larry Robinson Sr (Omaha, NE), 11. Benji Legg (Beatrice, NE)
B Feature 2:1. Anthony Kobus (David City, NE), 2. Shelly Andersen (Lincoln, NE), 3. Todd Sanford (Lincoln, NE), 4. Ryan Munhall (Plattsmouth, NE), 5. Sean Conaway (Omaha, NE), 6. Denny BERGHAHN JR (Plattsmouth, NE), 7. Jeremy Noonan (Lincoln, NE), 8. Mary Lenz (Elmwood, NE), 9. Keegan Nordquist (Beresford, SD), 10. Jack Prall III (Union, NE)
Heat 1:1. Don Rinke (Lincoln, NE), 2. Gary Saathoff (Beatrice, NE), 3. Marty Steinbach (Fremont, NE), 4. Joe Schidler (Lincoln, NE), 5. Kevin Jochum (Roca, NE), 6. Rick MUNSON (Omaha, NE), 7. Ron Allen (Nickerson, NE), 8. Buddy Ray Jones (Council Bluffs, IA), 9. Larry Robinson Sr (Omaha, NE), 10. Keegan Nordquist (Beresford, SD)
Heat 2:1. Kevin Anderson (Lincoln, NE), 2. Joey DANLEY (Lincoln, NE), 3. Gary Laflin (Beatrice, NE), 4. Steve Swarthout (Beatrice, NE), 5. Mary Lenz (Elmwood, NE), 6. Jack Prall III (Union, NE), 7. Jeremy Noonan (Lincoln, NE), 8. Shelly Andersen (Lincoln, NE), 9. Todd Sanford (Lincoln, NE), 10. Kole Nordquist (Beresford, SD)
Heat 3:1. Cory Hutchison (Plattsmouth, NE), 2. Dustin Thayer (Bellevue, FL), 3. Matt Boucher (Murdock, ne), 4. Kyle Prauner (Norfolk, NE), 5. Nelson Vollbrecht (Stanton, NE), 6. Kyle Driskell (Rock Port, MO), 7. Jared Cote (Lincoln, NE), 8. Roger Harpster (Omaha, NE)
Heat 4:1. Nathan Kobus (Lincoln, NE), 2. Nate Thompson (Fremont, NE), 3. Max Harder (Blue Springs, ne), 4. Lindsey Yost (Nebraska City, NE), 5. Anthony Kobus (David City, NE), 6. Sean Conaway (Omaha, NE), 7. Denny BERGHAHN JR (Plattsmouth, NE), 8. Ryan Munhall (Plattsmouth, NE), 9. Benji Legg (Beatrice, NE)
Monday, July 4, 2011
The 4th of July
Okay, it's been over a month since I last put up a blog. Unlike some bloggers, I don't feel it necessary to bloviate incessantly (sometimes more than twice a day). Between family health concerns and our quarterly cycle count at work, I just haven't had the time or inclination to post. I also have 4 articles in the pipeline for Flat Out magazine, but am currently waiting on input from others so I'm at a stand-still. But today, in honor of the 4th of July I just feel like it again.
Today we celebrate the anniversay of the signing of the Declaration of Independance; the document that told the world that we were through belonging to any nation, and that we were a force to be reckoned with. To paraphrase Rodney Dangerfield in 'Back to School': "We don't take crap from anybody!!.
Lately, unfortunately, that really hasn't held true. Not only are we still helping out every country that can't take care of themselves, our own government can't even take care of it's own. We spend BILLIONS of dollars on non-citizens and freeloaders, but don't do anything to right the problems that plague the hard-working folks who supply the money to do so.
I'll step off of my "Our government needs to get it's head out of it's lower orifice" soapbox and get back to our regularly scheduled blog. Yes, it's a sore subject with me; but I don't want to get myself started or we'll be here all day.
With only 11 weeks left in Eagle's schedule, I think the place has been doing REALLY well. VERY good crowds weekly, and great racing every night makes this old fan a happy man!! I would venture a guess that it also puts a smile on the faces of the owners/promoters of the facility. Sadly, the same can't be said for a lot of dirt track facilities around the country, and we lose more every year. That is bad for every true dirt track fan; no matter what class is your favorite. Go out and spend an evening at your local track; and while you're at it, take 2 friends who've never been. We need new blood out there, because the die-hard fans are getting fewer and fewer all the time.
This last Saturday's events were no exception. 5 classes of cars racing on what was arguably the best racing surface of the year so far (thanks to no rain on Friday night), and still done early; can't beat that with a stick. The A Modified feature was one of the best races I've witnessed in a long time. From the battle for the lead between Dustin Andersen and Justin Wulf, to the back-and forth at the end with Justin getting the win over multi-time IMCA Champion Johnny Saathoff after Johnny passed him, had the crowd rockin' and rollin' with excitement. Justin was his usual, very quiet self during the interview, but you could see that he was jumping for joy inside. He has a true racer's mentality; evidenced by his quote in his interview "I am NOT going to let Johnny beat me!!!". His first A Mod win was a long time coming, but I highly doubt it will be long before he sees victory lane again.
We're lucky to have what has been called the strongest field of A Mods in the country, and the other classes are no slouches either. A great field in every class makes for fantastic competition in each. If you are a dirt track fan, this is the place to be on summer Saturdays!!
Kevin Anderson got his first win in a Sport Mod, and was really happy to get that monkey off of his back. I kidded him that Roger finally gave him a track that fitted his set-up, but he corrected me by telling that they had finally gotten the car dialed in. All that was thanks to his crew, plus Randy Flodman and Todd Sanford as well as Ed Wooge. Salute to the people who make it possible for all of the racers to get to do what they love!!
RJ Macku got #6 in the hobby stocks Saturday night, after falling out and suffering a DNF the 2 previous weeks. If he can keep his nose clean and stay out of trouble, I just don't see anyone overcoming him for the points win this year. If he didn't hang around with that "Handsome" guy, I'd root for him (sorry Chad; I had to!).
Matt Moyer won his second on the year in the Sport Compacts. A lot of people look down on this class, but when you see the smiles on the face of a winner in ANY class, you just have to love it. Sure, it's an entry-level class, but if you think it's any easier to win because of that you have another think coming. They work all week long at their regular jobs, then go to work on their race cars. They sweat and bleed just as much as any other class, and most do it on their own dime with minimal sponsorship.
Trevor Grossenbacher was on his way to a win over Jack Dover in the 360 sprints, only to catch the Armco in turn 3; snagging the victory from his grasp for the second week in a row. He had been running low, but with all of the lapped traffic he had no choice but to move to the top. His racer ended up riding up onto the wall and finally rolling over. According to the announcer he had been running 1/10th of a second faster than Dover and most likely would not have been caught. Jack mentioned to me in his interview that Trevor needs to slow down just a bit, and he'll be great. I also spoke with Trevor's dad, Steve, after the racing and he referenced a time that he personally took out a tree after clearing that same wall when he ran a sprinter at Eagle. Trevor has the drive, the equipment and the talent to be not just a winner wherever he runs but a champion. Keep your chin up Trevor; it's coming. Mike Boston made it a contest after that, but just couldn't get past Jack. It appeared that the bottom was the place to be, and Jack held on for the win.
I wish that I could get to other tracks, but with our money situation I just don't see that happening. What really bothers me is the fact that I won't get to see the World of Outlaws this year (barring a strange occurence like the one that made it possible for me to attend my one and only Knoxville Nationals a few years ago). This really sucks, because there are SO many people that I only get to see once a year. I'll especially miss our time with Dana and Stevie Kinser. Those are 2 of our favorite members of our extended racing family. I truly think that seeing our friends is more important than the racing itself; both at a WoO event and any other dirt track race. Don't get me wrong, because any and all dirt track racing is something to not be missed; and the WoO is the cream of the crop when it comes to cruising around the clay!!
Coming up next weekend is Christmas in July, where we try to help out the Toys for Tots campaign by giving $5 off an adult admission for the donation of a new toy to the cause. The following week anyone in uniform or with a current ID showing that they are a volunteer fire or rescue member gets in the front gate free. Saturday July 23rd is our annual Kids Night/Bike Giveaway. Can a new record be set after having over 340 bicycles given away last year? Come out and see for yourself, but you'd better get there early if you want a good seat because the place will be packed!!!
The show that I'm really jazzed about is coming August 5th. USAC will be bringing their wingless 410 sprint cars to Nebraska for the first time EVER!! The very thought of this event hearkens my heart back to the old IMCA State Fair sprint car shows of yesteryear. I cannot wait to see those fire-breathers on the high banks!!
Please, click on the ads on the right side of the page. We need to help support the people who make it possible for yahoos like myself to have a place to blog at. Thanks for taking the time out from your busy lives to read my blog.
Here are last Saturday's results:
Today we celebrate the anniversay of the signing of the Declaration of Independance; the document that told the world that we were through belonging to any nation, and that we were a force to be reckoned with. To paraphrase Rodney Dangerfield in 'Back to School': "We don't take crap from anybody!!.
Lately, unfortunately, that really hasn't held true. Not only are we still helping out every country that can't take care of themselves, our own government can't even take care of it's own. We spend BILLIONS of dollars on non-citizens and freeloaders, but don't do anything to right the problems that plague the hard-working folks who supply the money to do so.
I'll step off of my "Our government needs to get it's head out of it's lower orifice" soapbox and get back to our regularly scheduled blog. Yes, it's a sore subject with me; but I don't want to get myself started or we'll be here all day.
With only 11 weeks left in Eagle's schedule, I think the place has been doing REALLY well. VERY good crowds weekly, and great racing every night makes this old fan a happy man!! I would venture a guess that it also puts a smile on the faces of the owners/promoters of the facility. Sadly, the same can't be said for a lot of dirt track facilities around the country, and we lose more every year. That is bad for every true dirt track fan; no matter what class is your favorite. Go out and spend an evening at your local track; and while you're at it, take 2 friends who've never been. We need new blood out there, because the die-hard fans are getting fewer and fewer all the time.
This last Saturday's events were no exception. 5 classes of cars racing on what was arguably the best racing surface of the year so far (thanks to no rain on Friday night), and still done early; can't beat that with a stick. The A Modified feature was one of the best races I've witnessed in a long time. From the battle for the lead between Dustin Andersen and Justin Wulf, to the back-and forth at the end with Justin getting the win over multi-time IMCA Champion Johnny Saathoff after Johnny passed him, had the crowd rockin' and rollin' with excitement. Justin was his usual, very quiet self during the interview, but you could see that he was jumping for joy inside. He has a true racer's mentality; evidenced by his quote in his interview "I am NOT going to let Johnny beat me!!!". His first A Mod win was a long time coming, but I highly doubt it will be long before he sees victory lane again.
We're lucky to have what has been called the strongest field of A Mods in the country, and the other classes are no slouches either. A great field in every class makes for fantastic competition in each. If you are a dirt track fan, this is the place to be on summer Saturdays!!
Kevin Anderson got his first win in a Sport Mod, and was really happy to get that monkey off of his back. I kidded him that Roger finally gave him a track that fitted his set-up, but he corrected me by telling that they had finally gotten the car dialed in. All that was thanks to his crew, plus Randy Flodman and Todd Sanford as well as Ed Wooge. Salute to the people who make it possible for all of the racers to get to do what they love!!
RJ Macku got #6 in the hobby stocks Saturday night, after falling out and suffering a DNF the 2 previous weeks. If he can keep his nose clean and stay out of trouble, I just don't see anyone overcoming him for the points win this year. If he didn't hang around with that "Handsome" guy, I'd root for him (sorry Chad; I had to!).
Matt Moyer won his second on the year in the Sport Compacts. A lot of people look down on this class, but when you see the smiles on the face of a winner in ANY class, you just have to love it. Sure, it's an entry-level class, but if you think it's any easier to win because of that you have another think coming. They work all week long at their regular jobs, then go to work on their race cars. They sweat and bleed just as much as any other class, and most do it on their own dime with minimal sponsorship.
Trevor Grossenbacher was on his way to a win over Jack Dover in the 360 sprints, only to catch the Armco in turn 3; snagging the victory from his grasp for the second week in a row. He had been running low, but with all of the lapped traffic he had no choice but to move to the top. His racer ended up riding up onto the wall and finally rolling over. According to the announcer he had been running 1/10th of a second faster than Dover and most likely would not have been caught. Jack mentioned to me in his interview that Trevor needs to slow down just a bit, and he'll be great. I also spoke with Trevor's dad, Steve, after the racing and he referenced a time that he personally took out a tree after clearing that same wall when he ran a sprinter at Eagle. Trevor has the drive, the equipment and the talent to be not just a winner wherever he runs but a champion. Keep your chin up Trevor; it's coming. Mike Boston made it a contest after that, but just couldn't get past Jack. It appeared that the bottom was the place to be, and Jack held on for the win.
I wish that I could get to other tracks, but with our money situation I just don't see that happening. What really bothers me is the fact that I won't get to see the World of Outlaws this year (barring a strange occurence like the one that made it possible for me to attend my one and only Knoxville Nationals a few years ago). This really sucks, because there are SO many people that I only get to see once a year. I'll especially miss our time with Dana and Stevie Kinser. Those are 2 of our favorite members of our extended racing family. I truly think that seeing our friends is more important than the racing itself; both at a WoO event and any other dirt track race. Don't get me wrong, because any and all dirt track racing is something to not be missed; and the WoO is the cream of the crop when it comes to cruising around the clay!!
Coming up next weekend is Christmas in July, where we try to help out the Toys for Tots campaign by giving $5 off an adult admission for the donation of a new toy to the cause. The following week anyone in uniform or with a current ID showing that they are a volunteer fire or rescue member gets in the front gate free. Saturday July 23rd is our annual Kids Night/Bike Giveaway. Can a new record be set after having over 340 bicycles given away last year? Come out and see for yourself, but you'd better get there early if you want a good seat because the place will be packed!!!
The show that I'm really jazzed about is coming August 5th. USAC will be bringing their wingless 410 sprint cars to Nebraska for the first time EVER!! The very thought of this event hearkens my heart back to the old IMCA State Fair sprint car shows of yesteryear. I cannot wait to see those fire-breathers on the high banks!!
Please, click on the ads on the right side of the page. We need to help support the people who make it possible for yahoos like myself to have a place to blog at. Thanks for taking the time out from your busy lives to read my blog.
Here are last Saturday's results:
360 Sprint 7/2/2011
A Main:1. Jack Dover (Springfield, NE), 2. Mike Boston (Crete, NE), 3. Gene Ackland (Lincoln, NE), 4. Doug Lovegrove (Waverly, NE), 5. Tyler Drueke (Omaha, NE), 6. Mark Pace (Lincoln, NE), 7. Jeff Osborn (Savannah, MO), 8. Ken Klabunde (Omaha, NE), 9. John Klabunde (Fort Calhoun, NE), 10. Jason DANLEY (Lincoln, NE), 11. Tadd Holliman (Beaver Lake, NE), 12. Mitchell Moore (Edgerton, KS), 13. Josh Riggins (Lincoln, NE), 14. Stu Snyder (Waverly, NE), 15. Terry Holliman (Hamburg, IA), 16. Lee Bowes (Lincoln, NE), 17. Trevor Grossenbacher (Lincoln, NE), 18. Frank Sheridan (Lincoln, NE), 19. Nick Bryan (Lincoln, NE), 20. Terry Cadwallader (Lincoln, NE), 21. Dave Glennon, 22. Tige Jensen (Lincoln, NE),
Heat 1:1. Tyler Drueke (Omaha, NE), 2. Jack Dover (Springfield, NE), 3. Tige Jensen (Lincoln, NE), 4. John Klabunde (Fort Calhoun, NE), 5. Stu Snyder (Waverly, NE), 6. Tadd Holliman (Beaver Lake, NE), 7. Nick Bryan (Lincoln, NE), 8. Frank Sheridan (Lincoln, NE),
Heat 2:1. Mike Boston (Crete, NE), 2. Gene Ackland (Lincoln, NE), 3. Jason DANLEY (Lincoln, NE), 4. Jeff Osborn (Savannah, MO), 5. Josh Riggins (Lincoln, NE), 6. Lee Bowes (Lincoln, NE), 7. Mitchell Moore (Edgerton, KS), 8. Ryan Kitchen (Weston, NE),
Heat 3:1. Mark Pace (Lincoln, NE), 2. Ken Klabunde (Omaha, NE), 3. Trevor Grossenbacher (Lincoln, NE), 4. Doug Lovegrove (Waverly, NE), 5. Terry Holliman (Hamburg, IA), 6. Dave Glennon, 7. Terry Cadwallader (Lincoln, NE),
IMCA Hobby Stock 7/2/2011
A Feature:1. Randall Macku (Lincoln, NE), 2. Roy Armstrong (Beatrice, NE), 3. Robbie Hobus (Council Bluffs, IA), 4. Don Hall Jr (Lincoln, NE), 5. Chad Fegley (Eagle, NE), 6. Don Kros (Weston, NE), 7. Mike Hansen (Weeping Water, NE), 8. Rob Brown (Nebraska City, NE), 9. Ben Becher (Lincoln, NE), 10. Eric Cerny (Rogers, NE), 11. Justin Busboom (Lincoln, NE), 12. Keith Dragoo (Lincoln, NE), 13. Tim LaPointe (Lincoln, NE), 14. David Carter (Fremont, NE), 15. Kyle Hein (Columbus, NE), 16. Adam Vrbka (Eagle, NE), 17. Mark McKinney (Omaha, NE), 18. Derick Noonan (Lincoln, NE), 19. Andrew Lewis (Martell, NE), 20. Joe Wollenhaupt (Neola, IA),
B Feature:1. Joe Wollenhaupt (Neola, IA), 2. Derick Noonan (Lincoln, NE), 3. Kyle Hein (Columbus, NE), 4. Tim LaPointe (Lincoln, NE), 5. Mark McKinney (Omaha, NE), 6. Scott Santee (Omaha, NE), 7. Luke Nicholson (Ashland, NE), 8. Khrysta Stransky (Lincoln, NE), 9. Dale Hoyle (Nebraska City, NE), 10. Jeremy Conkel (Lincoln, NE), 11. Jared Flodman (Lincoln, NE), 12. Danny Patrick (Wilbur, NE), 13. Jason Tadlock (Omaha, NE), 14. Dan Noonan (Lincoln, NE), 15. Jacob Waldron (Beatrice, NE),
Heat 1:1. Don Hall Jr (Lincoln, NE), 2. Randall Macku (Lincoln, NE), 3. Don Kros (Weston, NE), 4. Justin Busboom (Lincoln, NE), 5. Keith Dragoo (Lincoln, NE), 6. Jason Tadlock (Omaha, NE), 7. Mark McKinney (Omaha, NE), 8. Danny Patrick (Wilbur, NE), 9. Jared Flodman (Lincoln, NE), 10. Jeremy Conkel (Lincoln, NE),
Heat 2:1. Rob Brown (Nebraska City, NE), 2. Robbie Hobus (Council Bluffs, IA), 3. Mike Hansen (Weeping Water, NE), 4. Adam Vrbka (Eagle, NE), 5. Eric Cerny (Rogers, NE), 6. Derick Noonan (Lincoln, NE), 7. Joe Wollenhaupt (Neola, IA), 8. Tim LaPointe (Lincoln, NE), 9. Luke Nicholson (Ashland, NE), 10. Scott Santee (Omaha, NE),
Heat 3:1. David Carter (Fremont, NE), 2. Roy Armstrong (Beatrice, NE), 3. Chad Fegley (Eagle, NE), 4. Andrew Lewis (Martell, NE), 5. Ben Becher (Lincoln, NE), 6. Kyle Hein (Columbus, NE), 7. Khrysta Stransky (Lincoln, NE), 8. Dale Hoyle (Nebraska City, NE), 9. Dan Noonan (Lincoln, NE), 10. Jacob Waldron (Beatrice, NE),
IMCA Modified 7/2/2011
A Feature:1. Justin Wulf (Arlington, NE), 2. Johnny Saathoff (Beatrice, NE), 3. Matt Brack (Mead, CO), 4. Bob Zoubek (Dorchester, NE), 5. Dustin Andersen (Omaha, NE), 6. Lacey Tuttle (Elmwood, NE), 7. Chris Ableson (Sioux City, IA), 8. Shane Hiatt (Rising City, NE), 9. Ed RAINES (Lincoln, NE), 10. Rik Gropp (Lincoln, NE), 11. Tim Pickens (Omaha, NE), 12. Scott Bivens (Ceresco, NE), 13. Jerry Trejo (Lincoln, NE), 14. Jan Korth (Lincoln, NE), 15. Mike Densberger (Malcolm, NE), 16. Roger Hadan (Bennington, NE), 17. Dylan Smith (Osceola, NE), 18. Lance Borgman (Beatrice, NE), 19. Will Brack (Mead, co), 20. Nathan Landauer (Lincoln, NE),
B Feature 1:1. Jan Korth (Lincoln, NE), 2. Ed RAINES (Lincoln, NE), 3. Doug Deterding (Lincoln, NE), 4. Jarrod Wiechert (Lincoln, NE), 5. Matt Stevens (Waverly, NE), 6. Jace Wikoff (Lincoln, NE), 7. Bob Ruisinger (Bennet, NE), 8. Jim KRUPICKA (Denton, NE), 9. Mike Scheinost (Lincoln, NE),
B Feature 2:1. Will Brack (Mead, co), 2. Nathan Landauer (Lincoln, NE), 3. Chad Andersen (Omaha, NE), 4. Andrew Hille (Hickman, NE), 5. Tyler GREENE (Rock Port, MO), 6. Patrick DONOVAN (Sterling, NE), 7. Brian Olson (Lincoln, NE), 8. Aaron Pella (Lincoln, NE), 9. Matt TEMPLIN (Lincoln, NE),
Heat 1:1. Bob Zoubek (Dorchester, NE), 2. Matt Brack (Mead, CO), 3. Shane Hiatt (Rising City, NE), 4. Scott Bivens (Ceresco, NE), 5. Bob Ruisinger (Bennet, NE), 6. Doug Deterding (Lincoln, NE), 7. Jan Korth (Lincoln, NE), 8. Matt Stevens (Waverly, NE), 9. Mike Scheinost (Lincoln, NE),
Heat 2:1. Chris Ableson (Sioux City, IA), 2. Justin Wulf (Arlington, NE), 3. Dylan Smith (Osceola, NE), 4. Lacey Tuttle (Elmwood, NE), 5. Nathan Landauer (Lincoln, NE), 6. Andrew Hille (Hickman, NE), 7. Matt TEMPLIN (Lincoln, NE), 8. Will Brack (Mead, co), 9. Brian Olson (Lincoln, NE),
Heat 3:1. Mike Densberger (Malcolm, NE), 2. Johnny Saathoff (Beatrice, NE), 3. Dustin Andersen (Omaha, NE), 4. Rik Gropp (Lincoln, NE), 5. Jim KRUPICKA (Denton, NE), 6. Ed RAINES (Lincoln, NE), 7. Jarrod Wiechert (Lincoln, NE), 8. Jace Wikoff (Lincoln, NE),
Heat 4:1. Lance Borgman (Beatrice, NE), 2. Jerry Trejo (Lincoln, NE), 3. Roger Hadan (Bennington, NE), 4. Tim Pickens (Omaha, NE), 5. Aaron Pella (Lincoln, NE), 6. Chad Andersen (Omaha, NE), 7. Patrick DONOVAN (Sterling, NE), 8. Tyler GREENE (Rock Port, MO),
IMCA Sport Compact 7/2/2011
A Feature:1. Matt Moyer (Gretna, NE), 2. Nick Lindblad (Beatrice, NE), 3. Fred Johnson (Lincoln, NE), 4. Kenny Roberts (Lincoln, NE), 5. Chad Bassinger (Nebraska City, NE), 6. Ole Olsen (Carter Lake, IA), 7. Kyle Gannon (Lincoln, NE), 8. Josh Johnson (Lincoln, NE), 9. Trevor Noonan (Lincoln, NE), 10. Brian Haller (Lincoln, NE), 11. Troy Knoell (Omaha, NE), 12. Travis Schellpeper (Douglas, NE), 13. Michelle Nicholson (Ashland, NE), 14. Brandon Bolin (Lincoln, NE), 15. Kevin Staack (Lincoln, NE), 16. Jesse Osmon (Alvo, NE), 17. Melissa Cronin (Lincoln, NE), 18. Amanda Rhiley (Bennington, NE), 19. Barry Kinnersley (LaVista, NE), 20. Nic Hitz (Lincoln, NE),
B Feature:1. Josh Johnson (Lincoln, NE), 2. Brandon Bolin (Lincoln, NE), 3. Michelle Nicholson (Ashland, NE), 4. Troy Knoell (Omaha, NE), 5. Nic Hitz (Lincoln, NE), 6. David Knoell (Omaha, NE), 7. Kevin Fearing (Lincoln, NE), 8. Mike Simpson (Ashland, NE), 9. John Sedlachek (Eagle, NE), 10. Sara Deterding (Lincoln, NE), 11. Rick Hollandsworth (Lincoln, NE), 12. David Knoell Sr, 13. Samantha Johnson (Lincoln, NE), 14. Amanda Triplette (Lincoln, NE), 15. Erica Cronin (Lincoln, NE), 16. Lindsay Nicewonger (Lincoln, NE), 17. Blake HAAS (Eagle, NE), 18. Larry Cronin (Lincoln, NE), 19. Shannon Wulf (Lincoln, NE),
Heat 1:1. Fred Johnson (Lincoln, NE), 2. Matt Moyer (Gretna, NE), 3. Ole Olsen (Carter Lake, IA), 4. Jesse Osmon (Alvo, NE), 5. Kyle Gannon (Lincoln, NE), 6. Erica Cronin (Lincoln, NE), 7. Brandon Bolin (Lincoln, NE), 8. Michelle Nicholson (Ashland, NE), 9. Samantha Johnson (Lincoln, NE), 10. Shannon Wulf (Lincoln, NE), 11. Blake HAAS (Eagle, NE),
Heat 2:1. Barry Kinnersley (LaVista, NE), 2. Nick Lindblad (Beatrice, NE), 3. Kevin Staack (Lincoln, NE), 4. Kenny Roberts (Lincoln, NE), 5. Travis Schellpeper (Douglas, NE), 6. Kevin Fearing (Lincoln, NE), 7. Mike Simpson (Ashland, NE), 8. Rick Hollandsworth (Lincoln, NE), 9. David Knoell (Omaha, NE), 10. David Knoell Sr, 11. Amanda Triplette (Lincoln, NE), 12. Nic Hitz (Lincoln, NE),
Heat 3:1. Trevor Noonan (Lincoln, NE), 2. Melissa Cronin (Lincoln, NE), 3. Amanda Rhiley (Bennington, NE), 4. Brian Haller (Lincoln, NE), 5. Chad Bassinger (Nebraska City, NE), 6. Josh Johnson (Lincoln, NE), 7. Larry Cronin (Lincoln, NE), 8. Troy Knoell (Omaha, NE), 9. Sara Deterding (Lincoln, NE), 10. Lindsay Nicewonger (Lincoln, NE), 11. John Sedlachek (Eagle, NE),
IMCA Sport Modified 7/2/2011
A Feature:1. Kevin Anderson (Lincoln, NE), 2. Marty Steinbach (Fremont, NE), 3. Todd Sanford (Lincoln, NE), 4. Nelson Vollbrecht (Stanton, NE), 5. Joey DANLEY (Lincoln, NE), 6. Kyle Prauner (Norfolk, NE), 7. Benji Legg (Beatrice, NE), 8. Anthony Kobus (David City, NE), 9. Larry Robinson Sr (Omaha, NE), 10. Joe Schidler (Lincoln, NE), 11. Ryan Munhall (Plattsmouth, NE), 12. Laini Schwartz (Omaha, NE), 13. Steve Swarthout (Beatrice, NE), 14. Matt Boucher (Murdock, ne), 15. Gary Saathoff (Beatrice, NE), 16. Kyle Driskell (Rock Port, MO), 17. Nathan Kobus (Lincoln, NE), 18. Max Harder (Blue Springs, ne), 19. Dan JACKSON (Crete, NE), 20. Shelly Andersen (Lincoln, NE),
B Feature:1. Nelson Vollbrecht (Stanton, NE), 2. Benji Legg (Beatrice, NE), 3. Shelly Andersen (Lincoln, NE), 4. Matt Boucher (Murdock, ne), 5. Larry Robinson Sr (Omaha, NE), 6. Denny BERGHAHN JR (Plattsmouth, NE), 7. Nate Thompson (Fremont, NE), 8. Buddy Ray Jones (Council Bluffs, IA), 9. Lindsey Yost (Nebraska City, NE), 10. Roger Harpster (Omaha, NE), 11. Jared Cote (Lincoln, NE), 12. Don Rinke (Lincoln, NE), 13. Steven Saunders (Bellevue, NE), 14. Mary Lenz (Elmwood, NE), 15. Jeremy Noonan (Lincoln, NE),
Heat 1:1. Kyle Prauner (Norfolk, NE), 2. Nathan Kobus (Lincoln, NE), 3. Ryan Munhall (Plattsmouth, NE), 4. Joe Schidler (Lincoln, NE), 5. Laini Schwartz (Omaha, NE), 6. Shelly Andersen (Lincoln, NE), 7. Matt Boucher (Murdock, ne), 8. Larry Robinson Sr (Omaha, NE), 9. Jeremy Noonan (Lincoln, NE), 10. Buddy Ray Jones (Council Bluffs, IA),
Heat 2:1. Kyle Driskell (Rock Port, MO), 2. Max Harder (Blue Springs, ne), 3. Todd Sanford (Lincoln, NE), 4. Anthony Kobus (David City, NE), 5. Dan JACKSON (Crete, NE), 6. Nelson Vollbrecht (Stanton, NE), 7. Denny BERGHAHN JR (Plattsmouth, NE), 8. Nate Thompson (Fremont, NE), 9. Steven Saunders (Bellevue, NE), 10. Jared Cote (Lincoln, NE),
Heat 3:1. Kevin Anderson (Lincoln, NE), 2. Joey DANLEY (Lincoln, NE), 3. Gary Saathoff (Beatrice, NE), 4. Marty Steinbach (Fremont, NE), 5. Steve Swarthout (Beatrice, NE), 6. Benji Legg (Beatrice, NE), 7. Don Rinke (Lincoln, NE), 8. Lindsey Yost (Nebraska City, NE), 9. Mary Lenz (Elmwood, NE), 10. Roger Harpster (Omaha, NE),
Wednesday, May 25, 2011
What's important
I didn't post a blog last week, partly because Eagle Raceway rained out. Mostly though, I've been reviewing my priorities. My mother hasn't been very good lately, and at 88 it's not going to be easy for her to bounce back like she used to. Couple that with my wife's ongoing problems, and it's hard to worry too much about racing, as much as I love it.
Since this weekend is Memorial Day, I also have been reflecting on years past. As I've mentioned before, we always went to Milligan (where my father was from) and decorated the graves of our relatives. So, Monday we'll be heading there again; this time we'll be cleaning and decorating my father's final resting place.
When you throw in all of the horrible weather around the country, the huge loss of life, people without anything left of their possessions, some things just pale in comparison. However, the world goes on, and so must we. With that in mind, let's talk about racing.
This past weekend Roger and the crew worked a LOT of hours in order to get the track ready so we could hold races. When I talked to him Thursday he stated "I don't care if it kills me, we're racing!!". When you consider that Eagle was the ONLY track that raced for hundreds of miles around Thursday, Friday or Saturday, you can imagine what it took to be able to do so. What more could you ask of a promoter?? Some folks think that promoters are a breed that don't care about the fans or racers, but that mold definitely doesn't fit Roger. He wants to give the racers somewhere to compete and to put on a good show for the fans, because that's what racing is about. I'd say that he succeeded again.
Saturday night all racers who came to pick up their payout were handed a stack of free admission tickets for the Memorial Day weekend races. Sounds like a good deal for the racers and especially for the fans; free admission is something that you just don't get much anymore. The teams & racers get the chance to let their families watch from the stands for nothing, plus giving back to their fans. I have a few left, so if you need a couple just stop by the pit shack before the races.
The racing was pretty darned good too. Max Harder got his first victory ever at Eagle in a Sport Modified and summed up most of the racers feelings when he said "I’m so glad that we actually had a track to race on after everyone else cancelled”. Judging by a bunch of posts on Facebook the week before, he wasn't alone in that sympathy.
I believe that the Sport Compact win by Cameron Meyer was a first also, but I couldn't locate him for an interview. By the time that I got to the back pits he was evidently gone already. Sorry Cameron; I'll be sure to catch you after your next victory.
RJ Macku grabbed the Hobby Stock Feature again, holding off "Handsome" Chad Fegley and Roy Armstrong. Racing all around the track and throughout the pack made it exciting for all. I thought about asking RJ if winning was getting old, but I'd already given him a hard enough time.
Johnny Saathoff bounced back from an uncharacteristic 4th place in his heat with a vengeance, capturing the A Feature for the Modifieds. You could tell that Saathoff was on a mission, and wasn't going to settle for anything less than a win. The Modified racing at Eagle is second to none anywhere in the country. If you can be among the top in points there, you can race ANYWHERE and be successful!
There was a bit of controversy in the 360 sprint A Main. With just over a handful of laps left, Jack Dover passed then leader Logan Forler. But, a yellow flag came out for another car who had spun in turn 3. Dover thought that he should have the lead, but the transponder system said otherwise. Dover has since stated that his raceiver wasn't working, but the officials showed him several times that he should move back to second. After repeatedly ignoring the officials directions, the flagman showed him the black flag and put him in fourth. Jack managed to get back up to second, but Forler held on for the win.
From what I could hear, it sounded like the fans were divided over who they thought was in the right. The devoted Doverites booed, the others cheered, and in the end it didn't really matter. You can't cheat the transponders, and no matter how much chest-thumping you do on the internet, the win stays with Forler. Jack and Roger both were a part of an internet radio show Monday evening, and it sounds like the big hoorah is in the past and we can move ahead and move on. Let's hope so. Jack is a tremendous talent, and a great young man. He's proven that he can run with the best, and he not only does that, he WINS against the best!
After interviewing Logan, I can see why he is a successful part of the ASCS National tour. Intelligent, well-spoken, and very dedicated to his craft. I failed to ask, but I think he was getting a little practice in at "America's Home Track" in preparation for the Eagle Nationals coming up June 10th & 11th.
Hope that all of you can be on hand either Friday or Saturday (or both would be even better). I know that we'll have people from all over the country visiting; I know one of my racing friends and his wife are coming up for the show. I'm not sure if his new bride has ever visited the high banks, but I know this will be a first for him. He's picked a good one for his initial visit for sure.
The weekly show is a can't miss, so get your hiney in gear and get out there. You won't be disappointed.
To read my write-up of Saturday night's action, you can do so here:
Eagle Raceway write-up 5/22/11
Since this weekend is Memorial Day, I also have been reflecting on years past. As I've mentioned before, we always went to Milligan (where my father was from) and decorated the graves of our relatives. So, Monday we'll be heading there again; this time we'll be cleaning and decorating my father's final resting place.
When you throw in all of the horrible weather around the country, the huge loss of life, people without anything left of their possessions, some things just pale in comparison. However, the world goes on, and so must we. With that in mind, let's talk about racing.
This past weekend Roger and the crew worked a LOT of hours in order to get the track ready so we could hold races. When I talked to him Thursday he stated "I don't care if it kills me, we're racing!!". When you consider that Eagle was the ONLY track that raced for hundreds of miles around Thursday, Friday or Saturday, you can imagine what it took to be able to do so. What more could you ask of a promoter?? Some folks think that promoters are a breed that don't care about the fans or racers, but that mold definitely doesn't fit Roger. He wants to give the racers somewhere to compete and to put on a good show for the fans, because that's what racing is about. I'd say that he succeeded again.
Saturday night all racers who came to pick up their payout were handed a stack of free admission tickets for the Memorial Day weekend races. Sounds like a good deal for the racers and especially for the fans; free admission is something that you just don't get much anymore. The teams & racers get the chance to let their families watch from the stands for nothing, plus giving back to their fans. I have a few left, so if you need a couple just stop by the pit shack before the races.
The racing was pretty darned good too. Max Harder got his first victory ever at Eagle in a Sport Modified and summed up most of the racers feelings when he said "I’m so glad that we actually had a track to race on after everyone else cancelled”. Judging by a bunch of posts on Facebook the week before, he wasn't alone in that sympathy.
I believe that the Sport Compact win by Cameron Meyer was a first also, but I couldn't locate him for an interview. By the time that I got to the back pits he was evidently gone already. Sorry Cameron; I'll be sure to catch you after your next victory.
RJ Macku grabbed the Hobby Stock Feature again, holding off "Handsome" Chad Fegley and Roy Armstrong. Racing all around the track and throughout the pack made it exciting for all. I thought about asking RJ if winning was getting old, but I'd already given him a hard enough time.
Johnny Saathoff bounced back from an uncharacteristic 4th place in his heat with a vengeance, capturing the A Feature for the Modifieds. You could tell that Saathoff was on a mission, and wasn't going to settle for anything less than a win. The Modified racing at Eagle is second to none anywhere in the country. If you can be among the top in points there, you can race ANYWHERE and be successful!
There was a bit of controversy in the 360 sprint A Main. With just over a handful of laps left, Jack Dover passed then leader Logan Forler. But, a yellow flag came out for another car who had spun in turn 3. Dover thought that he should have the lead, but the transponder system said otherwise. Dover has since stated that his raceiver wasn't working, but the officials showed him several times that he should move back to second. After repeatedly ignoring the officials directions, the flagman showed him the black flag and put him in fourth. Jack managed to get back up to second, but Forler held on for the win.
From what I could hear, it sounded like the fans were divided over who they thought was in the right. The devoted Doverites booed, the others cheered, and in the end it didn't really matter. You can't cheat the transponders, and no matter how much chest-thumping you do on the internet, the win stays with Forler. Jack and Roger both were a part of an internet radio show Monday evening, and it sounds like the big hoorah is in the past and we can move ahead and move on. Let's hope so. Jack is a tremendous talent, and a great young man. He's proven that he can run with the best, and he not only does that, he WINS against the best!
After interviewing Logan, I can see why he is a successful part of the ASCS National tour. Intelligent, well-spoken, and very dedicated to his craft. I failed to ask, but I think he was getting a little practice in at "America's Home Track" in preparation for the Eagle Nationals coming up June 10th & 11th.
Hope that all of you can be on hand either Friday or Saturday (or both would be even better). I know that we'll have people from all over the country visiting; I know one of my racing friends and his wife are coming up for the show. I'm not sure if his new bride has ever visited the high banks, but I know this will be a first for him. He's picked a good one for his initial visit for sure.
The weekly show is a can't miss, so get your hiney in gear and get out there. You won't be disappointed.
To read my write-up of Saturday night's action, you can do so here:
Eagle Raceway write-up 5/22/11
Wednesday, May 4, 2011
Opening night of the 2011 Eagle Raceway Season
What can be said about the first night of the 2011 season at Eagle? I would say that WOW is nowhere near a strong enough word.
A revamped track surface suffered under strong winds both Friday and Saturday. Of course, it turned dry-slick and even developed a few ruts. But, what do you expect from the first track of the season after a practice night the evening before? I thought it held up pretty darned well, considering.
While working the Pit Shack before the racing started, I kept wondering "will the people ever stop coming???". We ended up with 180 race cars in the pits, besting the old record car count by 30!!! That led to extra time getting every racer entered into the database, and a start time delayed by 25 minutes. As you would expect, it also led to LOTS of racing on the evening; It was well after midnight before the last checkered flag flew. The heats went off without a hitch until the sprints took to the track. A flip on the first lap of the first heat seemed to open the flood gates for more up-and-over action; a total of 6 cars ended up with damage before the sprint heats finished.
Todd Sanford grabbed the first feature win when he was victorious in the Sport Mod A. It was Todd's first win in a sport mod, but far from his first win ever at Eagle. The first thing I did when I got to his car was say "And you passed tech this time!", referencing having his previous victory taken away due to irregularities with his car in the tech area last year. He took it in stride with a smile, and I'm glad for that because I meant it in good fun. Todd's a great guy, and was all smiles after that throughout the entire interview process.
Roy Armstrong took the win in the Hobby Stocks. I didn't get a chance to interview him because he left after the front stretch presentation and getting his car loaded. Taking into account the late hour and the chilly temperatures and wind, coupled with the long drive home he faced, I don't blame him or anyone else who skeedaddled as soon as they could. I was disappointed, because Ray is definitely old-school, and a joy to talk to.
A visit by USMTS regular Jake Neal ended up being a good one for him as he won the Modified A. He was a really pleasant interview; he's very young, but you can tell that he's no beginner in racing. Well-mannered, but with a clear undertone of wisdom beyond his years. You can definitely tell that he's been on the national tour scene and has learned well from the experience.
The Sport Compact feature saw a big pile-up in the first 2 corners, and Maynard Kinnersley ended up rolling his racer. That was scary for those of us who know Maynard, because he's no spring chicken. But, those of us who know Maynard knew what to expect; after the safety crew got him out and he was okay, they righted his car and he crawled back in to continue the contest. Sadly, the Cinderella story ended shortly after that when he spun out and was sent to the pits. Larry Cronin looked to have the race in the bag before flipping with just a few laps left. Ole Olsen won after a pass shortly before the checkers, overtaking then leader Amanda Rhiley. Ole also departed before I could get to interview him.
The Sprint A Main was, to say the least, a GREAT one!! Mark Pace who gets to race only sparingly at Eagle due to work travel, and Jack Dover who races full-time put on a fantastic show for the fans who stayed for the finale. In and out of traffic, high and low, back and forth; they raced and raced, and raced. It's too bad they couldn't both have won, but Jack got him in the end. They were both all smiles in the pits afterwards, and going by that, you would never know who won and who almost won. They both obviously love racing, and knew that they had given it their all and loved every minute of it. Jack has improved SO much with his interviews from when I first did one with him. Well-spoken, great with the fans; he has been around the block enough times to know what he's doing, in racing and out.
All in all, it was a good night; it wasn't a great night because of the length of the show, but it was a good one. Roger told me this week that the car count could be even bigger this weekend, because he's had a LOT of e-mails and calls saying that people didn't have their cars ready for last weekend.
More than 180 cars in the pits??? Again, WOW is nowhere near a strong enough word!!!!
Please, do me a favor and click on the ads you see on this page. They help support this blog, and this site and make it possible for me to have a place to blog at and share my feeling & thoughts with you.
Hope to see you all through the Pit Shack window!
You can read my complete write-up of the night here: 2011 Season opening write-up
A revamped track surface suffered under strong winds both Friday and Saturday. Of course, it turned dry-slick and even developed a few ruts. But, what do you expect from the first track of the season after a practice night the evening before? I thought it held up pretty darned well, considering.
While working the Pit Shack before the racing started, I kept wondering "will the people ever stop coming???". We ended up with 180 race cars in the pits, besting the old record car count by 30!!! That led to extra time getting every racer entered into the database, and a start time delayed by 25 minutes. As you would expect, it also led to LOTS of racing on the evening; It was well after midnight before the last checkered flag flew. The heats went off without a hitch until the sprints took to the track. A flip on the first lap of the first heat seemed to open the flood gates for more up-and-over action; a total of 6 cars ended up with damage before the sprint heats finished.
Todd Sanford grabbed the first feature win when he was victorious in the Sport Mod A. It was Todd's first win in a sport mod, but far from his first win ever at Eagle. The first thing I did when I got to his car was say "And you passed tech this time!", referencing having his previous victory taken away due to irregularities with his car in the tech area last year. He took it in stride with a smile, and I'm glad for that because I meant it in good fun. Todd's a great guy, and was all smiles after that throughout the entire interview process.
Roy Armstrong took the win in the Hobby Stocks. I didn't get a chance to interview him because he left after the front stretch presentation and getting his car loaded. Taking into account the late hour and the chilly temperatures and wind, coupled with the long drive home he faced, I don't blame him or anyone else who skeedaddled as soon as they could. I was disappointed, because Ray is definitely old-school, and a joy to talk to.
A visit by USMTS regular Jake Neal ended up being a good one for him as he won the Modified A. He was a really pleasant interview; he's very young, but you can tell that he's no beginner in racing. Well-mannered, but with a clear undertone of wisdom beyond his years. You can definitely tell that he's been on the national tour scene and has learned well from the experience.
The Sport Compact feature saw a big pile-up in the first 2 corners, and Maynard Kinnersley ended up rolling his racer. That was scary for those of us who know Maynard, because he's no spring chicken. But, those of us who know Maynard knew what to expect; after the safety crew got him out and he was okay, they righted his car and he crawled back in to continue the contest. Sadly, the Cinderella story ended shortly after that when he spun out and was sent to the pits. Larry Cronin looked to have the race in the bag before flipping with just a few laps left. Ole Olsen won after a pass shortly before the checkers, overtaking then leader Amanda Rhiley. Ole also departed before I could get to interview him.
The Sprint A Main was, to say the least, a GREAT one!! Mark Pace who gets to race only sparingly at Eagle due to work travel, and Jack Dover who races full-time put on a fantastic show for the fans who stayed for the finale. In and out of traffic, high and low, back and forth; they raced and raced, and raced. It's too bad they couldn't both have won, but Jack got him in the end. They were both all smiles in the pits afterwards, and going by that, you would never know who won and who almost won. They both obviously love racing, and knew that they had given it their all and loved every minute of it. Jack has improved SO much with his interviews from when I first did one with him. Well-spoken, great with the fans; he has been around the block enough times to know what he's doing, in racing and out.
All in all, it was a good night; it wasn't a great night because of the length of the show, but it was a good one. Roger told me this week that the car count could be even bigger this weekend, because he's had a LOT of e-mails and calls saying that people didn't have their cars ready for last weekend.
More than 180 cars in the pits??? Again, WOW is nowhere near a strong enough word!!!!
Please, do me a favor and click on the ads you see on this page. They help support this blog, and this site and make it possible for me to have a place to blog at and share my feeling & thoughts with you.
Hope to see you all through the Pit Shack window!
You can read my complete write-up of the night here: 2011 Season opening write-up
Thursday, April 28, 2011
Eagle Raceway Sprint Car committee update for the 2011 season
The Eagle Sprint Car Committeehas received and reviewed numerous ideas and suggestions in regards to what could be done to make the sprint car show more exciting for our fans, while attracting better car counts. We appreciate everyone's input.
The following rule change will be in effect for the 2011 season:
Wings: Eagle Raceway will adhere to all ASCS wing rules, including the top and front wings.
Additional changes:
Lineups: Eagle Raceway will implement a pill draw for the heat race starting lineups. Each pill draw will cost $10 which will become part of the season end point fund. The top 8 drivers with the most points accumulated in the heat races will redraw for the starting position in the A Main Feature. Starting positions 9-24 will be determined by points accumulated in heat races. Draws will decide all ties.
Point Fund: The Eagle Raceway Sprint Car Committe is excited to announce we have secured additional sponsorship for the 2011 sprint car point fund. Our sponsors include: Budweiser (Primary Sponsor), Carpetland (Associate Sponsor), and personal contributions from Ken Klabunde and Dennis Parker in addition to the funds attributed to the pill draw. We anticipate the 2011 point fund will be nearly 300% of the 2010 point fund and will pay back to the top 15 in points.
Additionally, the Rookie of the Year will receive a contingency prize as well as a monetary prize. More info is forthcoming in regards to the point fund.
Purse: The 2011 purse has been increased contingent on a sustained car count of 25 cars. If the car count requirement is not met, the purse will revert to the 2010 purse amount.
Sunday, April 24, 2011
Questions for the 2011 Eagle Raceway season
Just a little while ago, I posted on Dirtdrivers.com about questions looming for this season at Eagle Raceway. I want to revisit those here, and give my thoughts on them.
With 5 classes again this year, who do you think will take home the championship in each?
Well, first of all, let's think about having 5 classes at Eagle. A lot of "purists" say that so many classes is a bad thing in and of itself. Quite a few people come to see just 1 of those classes, some enjoy 2 or maybe 3, but darned few want to see all of the events on the evening. Personally, I am one of the darned few. Having seen everything from the old coupes (Hoodoos) at Capitol Beach up to what we have at Eagle today, I can honestly say they all are exciting in their own way. Yes, event the sport compacts! It's probably because I get to interact with all of the racers and their families week in and week out. Ever racer, every member of the pit crews and all of the others in their entourages pay with their pit fees, as well as their sweat and tears (sadly sometimes blood) to be out there doing what they love every week.
As for who will win the championship in each class, I think all of them are up for grabs. What better case can be made than the fact that John Klabunde was victorious in the 360 sprints last year without so much as a single Feature victory??
There are several drivers moving up in classes, so can one of them have a break-out season to remember in their freshman year?
Again, I think it's impossible to even guess about this. Every season drivers make the leap of faith and try something new, challenging and of course, harder. Almost without fail, they have little or no idea of the vast differences between where they were and what they are moving into now. Can it be done successfully? Of course. Will it happen this year at Eagle? Your guess is as good as mine. But, it would be nice to see!!
How will the first-time USAC show be received?
I sure hope it's a success, because I LOVE the wingless sprints. Ever since teams started bolting home-made wings they made from plywood or whatever other material that they had around onto their sprinters, wingless sprints have become more and more scarce around here. That's too bad in my opinion, because removing the lid makes the emphasis SO much more on the driver than on the motor. The crew chief (or whoever does the set-up on the car) becomes invaluable also. Danger, rooster-tails, drive-it-in-hard and come out harder; all these things can be used to accurately describe wingless sprint car racing. And no one is better at it than the USAC competitors. I can't wait, and can only hope that others will be as excited as I am so that we can make this a yearly event.
What can we expect for an outcome at the always exciting Eagle Nationals as the touring pros take on the locals at "America's Home Track"?
I know that there are teams at Eagle that can compete favorably with the "Big Boys" on the ASCS tour. Will one of them get the right breaks that gives them the chance to pull off what a lot of people would say is an upset? I sure hope so. I know that it would make for one WHALE of a party in the pits afterwards. Furthermore, it would be a great focal point for an article in Flat Out Magazine (just kidding). I'm not immune to wanting to be in the racing circle of people associated with winning a prestigious event such as this; moreover it would be a big feather in any racers cap, especially when they call Eagle Raceway their home track. Can any of them overcome the obvious disadvantages they face? Let's keep our fingers crossed.
What lovely young lady will wear the crown at this year's Miss Nebraska Cup contest during Eagle's signature event, the Nebraska Cup?
Wow!! Talk about a tough call!!!!! Unless you are Carnak the Magnificent, nobody has ANY idea on this one. All I can say is that she will be thrilled, and all of the contestants will be well-rewarded. The people associated with the contest have already been hard at work getting gifts for the ladies who want to be a part of the festivities.
Will Mama Nature be kind to Eagle, or will she show her power and be the nasty female that we all so dread?
We call only pray; and I ask everyone to do so so that we don't have a repeat of the 2009 season. That year we lost I believe 7 of the first 8 shows to the wrath of she who wields the weather wand. We can hope that we have a repeat of last year where we enjoyed fantastic weather throughout the year.
Lastly, what creative things will Roger Hadan come up with this season to keep the crowd entertained???
If I thought the other questions were difficult to answer for sure, this one is one for the ages. As someone said to Roger a couple of years back "I come to the track every week to see what kind of crazy stuff you're going to come up with next!". Roger not only thinks outside the box, I don't think he even knows there is such a box. Clowns, mini-van hockey, fire hose riding...only the almighty may have an idea of the workings of Roger's brain; and even he may be unsure.
I would like to add 1 more question that I didn't post on the forum if I may.
Can we break the record for bicycles given away at Kids Night?
I think that this is a record that not only CAN be broken, but needs to be broken. The whole thing started as a tribute to a young child who was a quasi-member of a local sprint car crew. From a couple of bikes and a few other minor gifts, it has grown far beyond what anyone could have imagined at it's inception. Last year the record fell again, as over 350 bicycles were given away to youngsters. With the Hadans donating 1 bike for every 2 that are purchased through donations, I think that it will be done. If you want to make a donation so that a deserving girl or boy can have a bicycle, contact the track or get ahold of me and I'll steer you in the right direction to be sure that your contribution goes to the right place.
As I said in my post, "Guess we'll start to get answers in just 6 days. Hope to see you all there as the 2011 season unravels".
Again, I ask that you help support the people who make it possible for me to have this blog by clicking on the advertisements that you see on this page. I really enjoy writing it, and hope that you all enjoy reading it. Please feel free to leave a comment; I might even okay it for the whole world to see.
Monday, April 4, 2011
Under 240 hours, Eagle racers success, Homer
With the up and down weather that we in eastern Nebraska have been enduring, it's hard to believe that Eagle Raceway will open it's doors for the first time this season just 2 weeks from today. Granted, it's only a Practice Night, but it seems like it's been forever since I've seen cars running on the high banks!!!
Thursday April 14th is the first Practice Night for Eagle, followed by the 2-night Icebreaker Challenge. I've written about this before, so I'll refrain from doing it again. But, suffice it to say that I and a LOT of other racing fans (not to mention the racers themselves) are chomping at the bit!!
Local racing actually started on March 18th & 19th at Beatrice Speedway. Familiar faces from the pits at Eagle Raceway made a good showing with past track champion Jordan Grabouski winning the IMCA A-Modified features both nights. Bob Zoubek was 2nd Friday and Johnny Saathoff took the runner-up position Saturday with Zoubek taking the remaining podium step. Friday night saw another past track champion from Eagle take the top prize in the Hobby Stock division when Roy Armstrong won. Chad Fegley brought home the third-place money. Way to go guys!!!
Another track opened their 2011 season last weekend with I-80's Spring Meltdown. Eagle regulars made a good showing on Saturday evening. Kyle Prauner (B-Mods) as well as Johnny Saathoff and Jordan Grabouski (A-Mods) had podium finishes. RJ Macku won the A Feature for the Hobby Stocks, with Keith Dragoo also finishing in the top 10. Again, congratulations to the guys from Eagle!! Although I couldn't attend, I understand that the racing was VERY good; the crowd was lacking on Friday night however, and I have heard no reports on Saturday's fan count.
Although my 'home track' is also "America's Home Track", I hope that I-80 can find some way to keep going. I'm not sure about their sudden affinity (both last year and this year) with so many sprint car shows, as I-80 has always been known as a fendered car track, but if it keeps the doors open, I say go for it!!!
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And now, back to our regularly schedule blog.
Please do me a favor and click on the ads that you see on this page. I'm not asking that you buy anything, but I do want to keep this space going so that I can talk about racing. Click 2 or 3 or however many you have time for. Those ads make it possible for folks like myself to be able to blog.
Thanks to everyone who reads these blogs.
Thursday, March 31, 2011
Under the weather, but a good feeling
The good thing about having to stay at home because you're feeling ill is that you have the time to put up a new blog. That, coupled with getting news from a friend, turns a bad thing into a good feeling.
Yesterday a fellow writer, an actual journalist in fact (although I doubt he would agree with the label) e-mailed me requesting contact information for John Klabunde. Lee Ackerman writes for the Omaha World Herald and is wanting to do an article about John Klabunde and the upcoming Icebreaker Challenge races at Eagle Raceway.
After giving John's phone number to Lee I informed him that he would truly enjoy interviewing John. As I mentioned in my last blog, John is a really humble individual who exemplifies the racers at almost any dirt track you visit in this great country. Although they share the same roots, none of them have visions of being the next Jeff Gordon or Tony Stewart. They spend their hard-earned money, spend countless hours every week getting their mounts ready for the weekend, and risk life and limb in what they know is a money-losing proposition. They don't do it for money or fame, they do it for the love of racing; the love that we all share.
I can't thank Craig Cormack enough for hiring me to work at Eagle years ago. He gave me the opportunity to see, talk to and interact with people who I previously had known only from a spectator's viewpoint. I find it strange how a person's perspective can be altered so drastically merely by being a part of a track, rather than just a fan in the stands. Enlightening comes nowhere near describing the difference.
Speaking of money-losing propositions, an area dirt track has been saved. Yesterday it was announced that Blackbird Bend Speedway near Onawa, Iowa will be running this year. A couple of gentlemen have signed a lease for 2011 with the intention of keeping the facility operating in the future. The classes that will be there weekly have not been decided yet, but for 2011 they will be running without sanction. Hopefully they will be able to get the IMCA sanction that they are seeking for future seasons.
They are looking for workers for concessions, track preparation and maintenance. Applications for employment, pit stalls and to reserve car numbers are being taken. So, if you have any interest at all you'd better be getting ahold of them quickly. Practice Night will be April 29th with the first races being run May 6th (weather permitting).
Practice Night at Eagle is just 2 weeks away on April 14th, with the 2-night season-opening Icebreaker Challenge the following 2 days. The Rev Honey IMCA Modifieds are the featured class both evenings, and will be competing for $1000 to win on Friday and $2000 to win on Saturday. Also racing both nights will be the ASCS 360 sprinters. The winner's share of the purse will be $1500 each evening. Support classes will be the NAPA IMCA Sport Modifieds and the Good Old Time Racing Association on Friday with the Valentino's IMCA Hobby Stocks and Exhaust Pros IMCA Sport Compacts on Saturday. For more information you can visit Eagle's website at http://www.eagleraceway.com/EagleRaceway/ or call the track office at 402-238-2595.
In other news, we announced this past Monday that the track surface had been reworked over the off-season. Also, changes will be made in the weekly track preparation this season in order to improve the racing on the high banks of "America's Home Track". There were no layout changes (other than the addition of the "Little E" track inside turn 1), and NO, the infamous spring-fed problem in turn 1 hasn't been remedied to my knowledge. But I have a strong feeling that the racing at Eagle will be fantastic this year. If you've never attended a race there, you are definitely missing out!
Hope to see everyone out there this year. And if you do make the trip, stop and say hi; you know where I'll be.
Sunday, March 20, 2011
The Rumble in the Bullring
Finally, I get to see the USAC non-winged 410 sprint cars!! Wingless sprinters hold a special place in my heart, because the first sprinters I saw were wingless, because that's all that they ran back then. The plywood toppers didn't come along until I was in my mid-teens, and then not around here until a couple of years later. Although USAC has run numerous times around here with their midget series (the midgets were a staple at Eagle for a lot of years), this is the first time EVER for the 410 wingless sprints to run in the state of Nebraska.
You can see the press release that I wrote here: http://www.eagleraceway.com/EagleRaceway/?p=2913.
This is going to be a really great night at Eagle Raceway. People have been complaining because another race track wasn't going to have the wingless 410's this year, and that there wasn't going to be a Late Model show at Eagle this year after last year's Late Model special lost money. 1 person in particular was VERY vocal about that in fact. Well, now he and a lot of other fans will get their wish. Wingless 410's and Late Models the same night on the high-banked 1/3 mile of "America's Home Track"?? WOW!!!!! What more could you ask??
I'm finally shaking off the mental and physical aspects of my August major surgery, thank God. I finally finished my article for Flat Out magazine on last year's Eagle Raceway 360 Sprint Car points champion, John Klabunde.
John is, as I said in my article, a truly good guy. Very unassuming, humble nearly to a fault, and just your typical weekend warrior. He races because he loves doing it. He never had visions of track championships, or being a big shot in dirt track racing. Heck, he was afraid I'd make fun of him in my article!! After he read the final version he said "Wow! You made me sound like somebody special!". My response was "That's because you are". Maybe he's been reading other people's blogs where all they do is complain about racetracks, NASCAR, drivers, certain classes, other writers and anything else that they think aren't exactly what they believe that they should be. I'll be posting the article about John in it's entireity after it is published, so stay tuned to this blog.
In regards to some people's writing, you will NEVER hear anything negative about a driver, track or the sport of dirt track racing itself from me. That's just not me. I LOVE dirt track racing; all kinds of dirt track racing; like very few other things in my life, other than my family and friends. And even if my mind should ever run in that direction, I still wouldn't. You see, I work for not only Flat Out magazine but also for Eagle Raceway. Not only would any such rants reflect badly on myself, it could possibly do so towards Eagle and the magazine. Although some writers don't mind doing it, I refuse to. Lord only knows I would love to respond, but I cannot and will not. But it does irk me. I doubt that there would be any retributions from either place, but I still won't do it. The thought of dengrating dirt track racing in any way, shape or form just irritates me more than I can possibly say.
Yes, I see things wrong with racetracks, promoters, sanctioning series, drivers, etc. but you can bank on the fact that you won't see it manifest itself in this blog or anywhere else. Racetracks and promoters are businesses and business men who's job is to make money. Series' job is to protect itself (it's profitability) first and it's drivers second. Drivers are people first (people with families)
and public figures second. They put their very lives on the line every week for our entertainment. What right does ANYONE have to question them?? The old saying goes "Walk a mile in my shoes, and then judge me". Advice that I live by, and others should too.
I hate the namby-pamby, politically correct nation that we have become; but I was taught the golden rule at a very young age and still believe in it. Plague, famine, pestilence, war, etc. all are something we need to speak out against. But there are very few other things about which we deserve to feel outrage; and none of these are dirt track racing.
Thank you for taking time out of your busy lives to read my blog. I'm going to make every effort to post something at least every week, if nothing else than my write-up and the results from the weekly racing at Eagle Raceway; so keep stopping by.
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