This year’s IMCA Racesaver Sprint Car Nationals was a great
4-day weekend! Mother Nature didn’t rain on our parade, so that was different
from a lot of the past Nationals. She did, however, give us an abundance of sun
and heat; making a lot of work for the track prep crew. There weren’t a lot of
serious accidents, and although numerous cars were damaged over the weekend,
some very badly, none of the drivers were severely injured.
After
Thursday’s practice night, we got 3 days of fantastic racing action,
culminating in the $3000 to win Big Dance on Sunday evening.
Now, for my take on the weekend. It’s widely known that I
love dirt track racing, no matter the class. When you were practically raised
at a dirt track, attending your first race at 1 month old at the long gone
Lincoln Speedway at Capitol Beach, that love goes awfully deep. I wish I were
able to attend more races at more tracks around the country. Sadly, finances
won’t allow for that right now. Luckily, I have my latest home track, Eagle
Raceway just a few miles from my house. Also, I am allowed to do my small part
for the track, drivers and fans by writing up the story of each night’s events.
I also write articles/interviews for Dirt Empire Magazine. Over
the past 70 years I have had the good fortune to meet so many people that are
now part of my racing family. So many great people, all of them interesting in
their own right. I could spend the rest of my life writing about all of them,
and I wish that was possible. I choose to dedicate myself to letting the lesser
known racers and crew members’ stories be told; something I’m happy and proud
to do. I just sent in an article about a local racer in fact. Now, I need to
get back to working on one that I started just prior to my wife Linda’s passing
nearly 2 years ago. That really took away almost all of my ambitions for
anything, but I’m back in the saddle again. I have another one after that that I
also started a couple of years ago and following that, I plan to do one on a visiting
racer that I became friendly with at the Nationals. My plate is full, but what
else is there to do? Especially now that the season is nearly at an end.
As for the Nationals, what a fantabulous event!!! Each and
every year, throngs of race teams invade America’s Home Track to test their
mettle against the best of the best Racesaver drivers in the world. Some of
them won’t even make the Sunday A Main, but still they are awarded with the
experience of trying for the championship belt and the top prize. As the saying
goes, ‘In the battle, the glory’. The fans get to witness their favorite
drivers battle it out on the high banks; hoping that one of them can come out
on top.
Personally, I love every single, solitary moment of the 4 day
extravaganza. I really enjoy the racing during the regular season, but the
Nationals are just over the top!! I was thrilled at times, and at other times
shocked and angry. I’ve grown to know the local racers, and am fond of them
all; but seeing Tyler Drueke’s race go out the window due to no fault of his
own truly got to me. I’ve become very proud of Tyler, and I admire his
perseverance and overall demeanor. I stopped by his pit after the race and he
was his usual calm, even keeled self. You could tell that it hurt, but only if
you knew him well. I told him what great runs he had, both before and after the
wreck. His reply? ‘The stats will only show that I went from fourth back to
sixth’. He is currently leading both National and State points contest and has
already won the track title at Eagle Raceway, so those first 2 contests were
surely on his mind. All I can say is ‘This young man is what a racer should
be’. What a battle it would have been between he and Huish! Sadly, that
competition will have to wait for another day, another time. Our local racers ably
defended their home turf. 7 of the top 10 in the Big Dance were locals with Stu
Snyder second, Jason Danley fourth, Mike Boston fifth, Tyler Drueke 6th,
Jay Russell 7th and Trevor Grossenbacher 10th. Way to go
guys!!!
Congratulations to all 87 teams and drivers who came from all over the country to participate. Hopefully, you can and will all return next year. Will we have a repeat winner, or will a first timer put their name in the record books? Only time will tell, so in the mean time get out there and support your local dirt track. Enjoy yourself and be sure to mark your calendars and make your plans to be at Eagle Raceway during Labor Day 2024.
