Some personal stuff, and lots of racing

I ended up staying home from work again today, because my wife was feeling very poorly. She's having heart troubles, and someone had to stay and take care of my mother, so I was elected since Linda couldn't do it. She's had an overnight stay at St.E's Hospital and then another trip to the ER at Bryan LGH. Despite I don't know how many tests, they can't find out what the cause is. We've discussed the wife's problems with several of Linda's doctors, and Ed Raines of course, and we'll talk it over tonight after I get Mom in bed and make our decision then as to what we're going to do. Her cardiologist and Dr. Raines both said she should probably have a pacemaker, so we'll decide on that and go from there. We've got insurance, but the co-pay is going to be a biggun I'm afraid. I just pray that I don't run out of vacation time before the end of the year. I sure can't afford to take a day off without pay since I'm the sole source of income in the house.

Mom's doing as well as can be expected, so we can be thankful for that. I cherish every day that she's with us, and want every one of them to be the best that they can because those days are numbered.

Speaking of Ed Raines, it was SOO nice to chat with him again, even considering the circumstances. I miss him terribly already, at the track and outside of it. We were never really close friends outside of racing, but it was a great comfort to know that he was available whenever we needed him. I doubt that will change, and I wish him well wherever he lands. I know he'll do great, and many lives will be saved thanks to him.

Speaking of racing; we've actually gotten 4 of the first 5 race nights in this year. If you recall, that's pretty good compared to the last couple of years. The only one that we missed out on was the World of Outlaws. That really bummed me out, because it's been 3 years since they've been at Eagle and I really miss seeing all of my friends on the tour. The race has been rescheduled as a mid-week show in September. Let's all keep our fingers crossed that Mother Nature doesn't rear her ugly head for that one!!

USAC will be coming back on August 3rd to hopefully get in the first USAC 410 wingless sprint car race ever held in Nebraska. That's another one that I'm very jazzed about seeing, since I've never seen them before and grew up with the wingless sprints. The topless super late models will be running with them, so it should be one whale of an evening. After last year's rain-out, we need good weather for that one too.

The first 2 nights this year were the Icebreaker Challenge, and it was CHILLY both nights. The first night saw plenty of racing; even a C Feature in the IMCA Sport Modifieds. Last year's IMCA Sport Modified Champion Jesse Sobbing was there and won as he seems to do so often. Jay Noteboom came down and took home the IMCA Modified Main. Kaley Gharst won the ASCS 360 Sprint Car Feature. Kaley has been showing up every week, and there are rumors floating around that he intends to run the high banks every week this season. Stay tuned to find out if that's true or not.

The second night of the Icebreaker was a real treat for me and probably 10,000 others. After Tony Stewart announced that he'd be running that night the fans came in droves!! Heck, I bet that we had over 1000 just in the pits. Brandon Johnson won the IMCA Hobby Stock A, with Johnny Saathoff winning the IMCA Modified Feature and Ole Olsen coming home in first for the IMCA Sport Compacts. Then came the most exciting race that I've seen at Eagle Raceway in quite awhile. Last year's points champion Stu Snyder snagged the lead on lap #3 with Stewart and Jack Dover right behind him. Stewart used lapped traffic to grab the lead on lap #11. The race ran from green to checkers without a caution or red flag and I can tell you that all of the fans got their $15 worth just in that 1 race. Stewart was the master racer that he is throughout, but he never ran away from Stu! I still get excited just recalling it. Although Stewart had said that there would be no autographs, he stayed in the pits for over an hour and a half until everyone that wanted to got their autograph. I had interviewed the other winners and ended up standing off to the side for over half an hour before I could talk to him. I reminded him that I had told him earlier that I needed to interview him and he said "C'mon man! I have to be up at 8:30!!!" and it was already past midnight. As he walked into his trailer he repeated "C'mon!" indicating that I should follow him. I would have been okay with not getting the interview, considering that he still had to drive out to the other side of Lincoln, take a plane to Kansas City and then drive to the track; only to get a few (very few) hours of sleep before racing the next day, but was thrilled when he said he would. He seemed to be extremely impressed with all of the improvements that had been made since he was there 18 years before. He also praised the track conditions, which obviously were to his liking given his performance. His statement was “This track is just awesome, and it’s the perfect size and shape. It was easy to run anywhere I wanted; top, middle or bottom. The racing is fantastic. I didn’t want to get down off of my hauler for my race because I was having so much fun watching the sport compacts. I mean they were running 3-wide behind the leader!”. I gave him a picture that I had printed out of him and the trophy from his last visit to Eagle. When he saw it he called his crew together and said "Look guys!! I WAS skinny once". I hope he comes back soon and often, because he is one whale of a racer and seems to be a pretty nice guy to boot.

The next weekend was the first points show at the track, and the temperatures weren't too awfully bad during the day, but then the clouds rolled in and the temperature dropped but the wind didn't and again it was a 3 sweatshirt night for this Pit Shack Guy. We got over 180 cars in the pits that night! How many dirt tracks would KILL to say that? Jesse Sobbing came back and won from the front row in the IMCA Sport Modifieds. It just isn't fair to give that good of a racer a front row spot, because pretty much everyone else is running for the rest of the purse. Jesse VanLaningham took the victory in the IMCA Hobby Stocks, Chris Alcorn was first in the IMCA Modifieds and Nick Lindblad won the IMCA Sport Compact Feature. Mike Boston got his first win of the season in the 360 Sprint Cars. Another great night of racing.

Last Saturday saw another great turnout of cars in the pits and a really great crowd in the stands. The racing was no less spectacular than the preceding weeks either. The biggest change was that instead of freezing, we were all sweating (well, as least I was) as the afternoon temperatures were above 90 degrees. The wind was relentless again (that seemed to be the rule every week so far) and the track turned dry-slick again, but that didn't mean that the racing was any less great. The competition was still 3-wide in the features. Max Harder won the IMCA Sport Modifieds. Chad Bassinger was the winner in the IMCA Sport Compacts after Scott Spellmeier was DQ'ed for a modified rear suspension. Lee Kracht won the most intense A Feature so far in the IMCA Hobby Stocks as he and Justin Busboom battled tooth and nail for the lead throughout. Johnny Saathoff again won in the IMCA Modifieds and Jordan Boston won a truly fabulous 360 Sprint Car A main, passing for the lead on lap 12 and holding off 3 really tough competitors in Trevor Grossenbacher, Mark Pace and Jack Dover.

Despite being dry-slick most times this year, the track has been extremely smooth and racey. The addition of George Bogue to the track prep crew to help out Larry Tombs seems to have resolved the problem with the dip in turn 1 right over the spring that has been a problem for as long as I can remember. I even kidded him that he and Larry should try putting some water on the track and he said "We started watering at 9 this morning!!". With winds and temps like Saturday, I don't think that there IS enough water for the track. Keep up the great work guys, it's well appreciated by the drivers and fans. Even if we do have to eat a little dust, when the racing is as good as it's been, who cares???

The crowds have been good, the racing has been great; what more could we ask?? I heard that Eagle Raceway had been named the #2 dirt track in the country. I haven't verified that, but I will look into it more and see where that was published if I can. I love working at and watching racing at Eagle, so it doesn't surprise me at all that such accolades should befall the facility; because last year it was named the #2 fan venue in the state behind Memorial Stadium. Roger and the staff must be doing something right, huh??

If you want to see the complete stories (written by yours truly) and the complete results, just go to http://www.eagleraceway.com/EagleRaceway/ and find whichever week you want to know about. There is also a complete schedule and lots of other information. Check it out.

As always, I welcome any and all comments so feel free!!

I'll try to at least get results up every week, but with caring for both Linda and Mom plus working a full-time job and at Eagle it's been tough. I have 3 unfinished articles and 1 in the works that I haven't had time for either. Hopefully soon things will settle down and life will return to it's normal level. Please keep my 2 special ladies in your thoughts and prayers. Until next time, I hope to see you all out at the track!!