Golden Sands Speedway 08.03.2007
My first time at the fairly high banked 1/3 mile asphalt track. My 33rd speedway overall (or 40th track as trackchaser counts them), and my 19th track of 2007. The track looks like a 1/4 mile track to me. I never went to the track before because I thought it was outside of my 2 hour self-imposed time limit. U.S. Highway 10 was expanded to 4 lane and 65 miles per hour for much of the route around 5 years ago. Many of the announcements make me believe that the track has a lot of non-regular fans. It was worth the drive!
The track has the best food setup that I saw all season! They have everything wrapped up individually in a wrapper, and keep it warm in Nesco heaters. You just grab what you want and pay for it at a cashier at the end of the line. VERY EFFICIENT!
The track features late models. They raced like Super Late Models, and one of the drivers used his car as a super late at Slinger Super Speedway. The driver, Eugene Gregorich, Jr., http://www.flickr.com/photos/56091178@N00/1004955002/ won the street stock championship last year at Thunderhill Raceway, as you can see on my photostream from last year http://www.flickr.com/photos/56091178@N00/234138254/ He moved half way across the state. He ended up winning the feature from the 12th place starting position over another hard charger Jason Weinkauf, the points leader and a top Wisconsin Challenge Series driver. Gregorich's hauler also won for being the ugliest truck at a contest during intermission.
In the super stock division, brothers Greg and Brian Back are dominating. Brian won qualifying by < 0.05 seconds over his brother for his 13th fast time of the season. They have been the only fast qualifiers all season. They got together early in the race, and restarted in the rear with 17 laps to go. Galen Manternach won on a last lap pass, with Brian rebounding to 5th place. Greg went out with 4 laps left.
The 4 cylinder class is being completely dominated by 13 year old Colin Reffner. Reffner is a member of the Reffner family, as in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series driver Flyin' Bryan Reffner and ASA driver Tom Reffner. He is doing his family proud. He was the fast qualifier by a wide margin. He passed the field for a win in his heat race. He started deep in the field in the feature, and patiently waited for an opening at times. Reffner easily passed cars, but top driver Adam Eckes had pulled out a 2/3 lap lead on the field. By the time Reffner cleared most of the field, he was a 1/2 lap behind Eckes with around 5 to go. Reffner was about a 1/5 lap behind Eckes at the checkered flag. I was VERY impressed by Reffner.
The event ended with 2 heats in 2 man cruisers. One driver has the gas and brake, and the other has the steering wheel. Entry level racing at its finest!
Thursday, August 9, 2007
Tuesday, July 31, 2007
Oshkosh SpeedZone 07.27.2007
My 18th track this season was at the 1/3 mile dirt track. The main attraction in Oshkosh today is the world-famous annual Experimental Aircraft Association flyin at the airport on the south side of town. The national anthem featured military personnel from most branches of the military. No flyovers - this is not NASCAR.
One of the track owners was the substitute, and he did a good job considering. We finally got some rain, and it affected the racing action. We got over 3 inches of rain to help with our very dry conditions. The rain made the clay nice and sticky, but it caused the turns to be very bumpy and rutted. The track took a grater out and flattened the track about 1/3 way through the program, but the ruts returned and all of the features were crashfests. Two cars rolled. One 4 cylinder car rolled right in front of me, but I was not on the track's photo on their website. I heard a HUGE crash (harder than demo derby), and I saw the final roll of the car onto its roff. I saw the entire other roll: it was a street stock that did barrel rolled about 3 times. Both drivers were thankfully ok.
The top series is the Fastrack late models. This is the only track in the area to have the Fastrack banner. The announcer said that they are famous in the Southern U.S., and this is one of the only Fastrack tracks in the Northern U.S. They had an excellent car count, and the racing action was excellent.
There were modified car races, and I finally found one of the area's better IMCA modified drivers (Scott Mullen) at the track. He was not a factor in the feature. He is second in points.
The Grand National division also races at the track, competing against Chilton/Calumet County (the home track of the division). Nick Schumacher started towards the front of the field, had a solid race, and beat former Chilton top driver Jeff Richards. Richards is the points leader. Richards' brother Kenny is one of the top asphalt super late model drivers in the state. Richards' father Larry had built Grand National car chassis for over a decade. All three used to be top Grand National racers at Chilton around a decade ago.
The Street Stocks had an excellent close finish. Shawn Haydon beat Jerry Winkler by inches. Winkler leads the SS points at Oshkosh and Charter Raceway Park at Beaver Dam.
My 18th track this season was at the 1/3 mile dirt track. The main attraction in Oshkosh today is the world-famous annual Experimental Aircraft Association flyin at the airport on the south side of town. The national anthem featured military personnel from most branches of the military. No flyovers - this is not NASCAR.
One of the track owners was the substitute, and he did a good job considering. We finally got some rain, and it affected the racing action. We got over 3 inches of rain to help with our very dry conditions. The rain made the clay nice and sticky, but it caused the turns to be very bumpy and rutted. The track took a grater out and flattened the track about 1/3 way through the program, but the ruts returned and all of the features were crashfests. Two cars rolled. One 4 cylinder car rolled right in front of me, but I was not on the track's photo on their website. I heard a HUGE crash (harder than demo derby), and I saw the final roll of the car onto its roff. I saw the entire other roll: it was a street stock that did barrel rolled about 3 times. Both drivers were thankfully ok.
The top series is the Fastrack late models. This is the only track in the area to have the Fastrack banner. The announcer said that they are famous in the Southern U.S., and this is one of the only Fastrack tracks in the Northern U.S. They had an excellent car count, and the racing action was excellent.
There were modified car races, and I finally found one of the area's better IMCA modified drivers (Scott Mullen) at the track. He was not a factor in the feature. He is second in points.
The Grand National division also races at the track, competing against Chilton/Calumet County (the home track of the division). Nick Schumacher started towards the front of the field, had a solid race, and beat former Chilton top driver Jeff Richards. Richards is the points leader. Richards' brother Kenny is one of the top asphalt super late model drivers in the state. Richards' father Larry had built Grand National car chassis for over a decade. All three used to be top Grand National racers at Chilton around a decade ago.
The Street Stocks had an excellent close finish. Shawn Haydon beat Jerry Winkler by inches. Winkler leads the SS points at Oshkosh and Charter Raceway Park at Beaver Dam.
Saturday, July 21, 2007
Meadowview Kartway 07.21.2007
My first karting races at my 33rd track. A 1/5 mile dirt track (clay).
To show you how much racing there is in my area, I drove 10 miles to the track. I passed the stockcar track that I attended last night (Calumet Country Racing Association). I also passed a motocross track (Gravity Park).
The competition was closer than I thought it would be. There also were more karts racing than I would have guessed. Most features had around 6 karts.
The races were divided by age group. There were Kid Karts for age 5 to 7, Box Stock and Junior 2 for age 8 to 12, Junior 3 for age 12 to 15, and Animal Medium and Animal Heavy for age 15 on up. The Kid Karts don't race for points but the rest did.
The races started at 7:00. They had 2 rounds of heats for each division. After an intermission, they had feature events. They were done by 9:00. I never went to regular races that were done before it was black out before this.
My first karting races at my 33rd track. A 1/5 mile dirt track (clay).
To show you how much racing there is in my area, I drove 10 miles to the track. I passed the stockcar track that I attended last night (Calumet Country Racing Association). I also passed a motocross track (Gravity Park).
The competition was closer than I thought it would be. There also were more karts racing than I would have guessed. Most features had around 6 karts.
The races were divided by age group. There were Kid Karts for age 5 to 7, Box Stock and Junior 2 for age 8 to 12, Junior 3 for age 12 to 15, and Animal Medium and Animal Heavy for age 15 on up. The Kid Karts don't race for points but the rest did.
The races started at 7:00. They had 2 rounds of heats for each division. After an intermission, they had feature events. They were done by 9:00. I never went to regular races that were done before it was black out before this.
Calumet County Racing Association 07.20.2007
It's good to be home. Back to the track where it all started (in my hometown). I sat with my friends Roger and Sharon like I usually do at Chilton. I said "hi" to a few racers that I knew from when I pitted for a street stock at Chilton. The track is short and fast. It's a 1/4 mile dirt track, but it's a 1/4 mile around the OUTSIDE.
The Grand National cars at Chilton are the second best division at a track in my opinion. They race really well at the track. Very competitive and very fast on the small 1/4 mile dirt track. This week they had a twin 25 lap feature, and the event would be won by the combined points. The first 25 lapper was won by Brad Lubach. Lubach has been hard to beat at both Chilton and Plymouth Dirt Track Racing action. Chilton driver and 2 time track champion Bob Cullen finished second.
Next up was the Chilton Challenger cars. They are entry level 8 cylinder cars with little modifications. I did notice that some drivers had plastic front ends, so it looks like they can do some modifications. Points leader Kevin Lubach went through the field for the victory.
Next was the 4 cylinder cars, called CCRA 4's. The quality of these cars keeps improving. Chevy Cavaliers appear to be the car of choice. Tim Simon won the feature starting near the front of the pack in his Cavalier. He has only started a few races at Chilton this season (maybe only a few starts in his careeer).
The street stock feature was won by Jesse Behnke. He is a distant second in the points, so he needed the win to keep in contention.
Then came up the second Grand National feature. They inverted all of the cars on the lead lap, so winner Lubach started 14th or 15th. Lap cars started behind the winners. Lubach and Cullen rapidly pulled up through the field. They were battling for fourth, then third, and finally second. Lubach tried to pass Cullen for second on the outside with around 3 laps to go. He almost pulled up to even with Cullen before he started slowly slipping back. The fourth place driver positioned his car behind Cullen, and gradually passed Lubach too. The win went to Terry Van Roy (second in points), who had a poor race in the first 25 lap event. Second to Cullen and fourth to Lubach. Cullen won the overall points. I bet Lubach would have won overall if he hadn't challenged for second, as his 1st and 3rd would have tied or beat Cullen's 2nd and 2nd. I bet Lubach would have been given the overall victory if it were tied since he had a win. After the races my friend Roger went into the pits, and Cullen gave the trophy to Roger to give to his wife Sharon! They have always been Cullen fans, and Cullen isn't very popular.
They announced that the state's biggest fall classic race was getting even bigger. They are adding 3 more divisions and another night. The annual 2 day event had boasted over 300 racecars each year. IMCA drivers say they look forward to it almost as much as Boone. All the best dirt track racers come to Chilton for the big racing party. The partying begins after the Friday night heats with a live music. I usually walk through the pits after the Friday night heats, and it takes me an hour. Past divisions include IMCA modified, IMCA stockcars, IMCA Hobby Stocks, Grand Nationals, Street Stocks, unmodified 8 cylinder cars, and unmodified 4 cylinder cars. This year 360 sprints, late models, and IMCA sport modifieds will be added. They will race their heats on Thursday night and features on Friday night. Friday night's events will start earlier at 5:30, so that the heats in the other divisions can happen before these 3 divisions host their features. Saturday "night's" events start at 3:00 so they can get all the remaining consolidation and feature events in before the 11:00pm city curfew. I would look forward to the event if the mid to late September event didn't mean the end of the racing season!
It's good to be home. Back to the track where it all started (in my hometown). I sat with my friends Roger and Sharon like I usually do at Chilton. I said "hi" to a few racers that I knew from when I pitted for a street stock at Chilton. The track is short and fast. It's a 1/4 mile dirt track, but it's a 1/4 mile around the OUTSIDE.
The Grand National cars at Chilton are the second best division at a track in my opinion. They race really well at the track. Very competitive and very fast on the small 1/4 mile dirt track. This week they had a twin 25 lap feature, and the event would be won by the combined points. The first 25 lapper was won by Brad Lubach. Lubach has been hard to beat at both Chilton and Plymouth Dirt Track Racing action. Chilton driver and 2 time track champion Bob Cullen finished second.
Next up was the Chilton Challenger cars. They are entry level 8 cylinder cars with little modifications. I did notice that some drivers had plastic front ends, so it looks like they can do some modifications. Points leader Kevin Lubach went through the field for the victory.
Next was the 4 cylinder cars, called CCRA 4's. The quality of these cars keeps improving. Chevy Cavaliers appear to be the car of choice. Tim Simon won the feature starting near the front of the pack in his Cavalier. He has only started a few races at Chilton this season (maybe only a few starts in his careeer).
The street stock feature was won by Jesse Behnke. He is a distant second in the points, so he needed the win to keep in contention.
Then came up the second Grand National feature. They inverted all of the cars on the lead lap, so winner Lubach started 14th or 15th. Lap cars started behind the winners. Lubach and Cullen rapidly pulled up through the field. They were battling for fourth, then third, and finally second. Lubach tried to pass Cullen for second on the outside with around 3 laps to go. He almost pulled up to even with Cullen before he started slowly slipping back. The fourth place driver positioned his car behind Cullen, and gradually passed Lubach too. The win went to Terry Van Roy (second in points), who had a poor race in the first 25 lap event. Second to Cullen and fourth to Lubach. Cullen won the overall points. I bet Lubach would have won overall if he hadn't challenged for second, as his 1st and 3rd would have tied or beat Cullen's 2nd and 2nd. I bet Lubach would have been given the overall victory if it were tied since he had a win. After the races my friend Roger went into the pits, and Cullen gave the trophy to Roger to give to his wife Sharon! They have always been Cullen fans, and Cullen isn't very popular.
They announced that the state's biggest fall classic race was getting even bigger. They are adding 3 more divisions and another night. The annual 2 day event had boasted over 300 racecars each year. IMCA drivers say they look forward to it almost as much as Boone. All the best dirt track racers come to Chilton for the big racing party. The partying begins after the Friday night heats with a live music. I usually walk through the pits after the Friday night heats, and it takes me an hour. Past divisions include IMCA modified, IMCA stockcars, IMCA Hobby Stocks, Grand Nationals, Street Stocks, unmodified 8 cylinder cars, and unmodified 4 cylinder cars. This year 360 sprints, late models, and IMCA sport modifieds will be added. They will race their heats on Thursday night and features on Friday night. Friday night's events will start earlier at 5:30, so that the heats in the other divisions can happen before these 3 divisions host their features. Saturday "night's" events start at 3:00 so they can get all the remaining consolidation and feature events in before the 11:00pm city curfew. I would look forward to the event if the mid to late September event didn't mean the end of the racing season!
Wisconsin International Raceway 07.19.2007
I was planning on going to WIR before I heard that Kyle Busch was racing there too. The track had planned having a 50 lap feature instead of the usual 30 lapper because it was the week of the white race - part of the red, white, and blue state championship series. They canceled the heat races in favor of longer features.
I missed half of the show according to the announcer - half of the show was qualifying. Kyle Busch came just 0.039 seconds short of the 19.228 seconds track record in his Super Late Model on the half mile track.
The first feature was the Super Stocks on the inner 1/4 mile track. Points leader Randy Van Roy had problems and ended the race early. They switched to the 1/2 mile track for the limited late models. One of the top drivers tried three wide in the corner, and several top cars hit foam barriers protecting the outside wall. Everyone fortunately was okay. The race was dominated by fast qualifier Kris Kelly who drove several hours down from the Upper Penninsula of Michigan. He passed through the field with ease for his 5th win of the season. He is running awaay with the points.
The super late model feature was next. Busch started 11th, and went through the field, and passed points leader Tim Rothe on a restart on lap 26. A lap later the caution came out because someone oiled up the track. They stopped the racing on the half mile to clean the entire track.
Since the track has an inner 1/4 mile track, they immediately started racing on the innner track. Next the started the 4 cylinder feature. There is always a lot of banging in the beginner 4 cylinder cars, and the drivers take the corners three or four wide to often. The outer track was still being cleaned up, so next came up my favorite division for action: the "wild and crazy" Figure-8 cars. They always put on a great show, even if someone runs away with a race. There is always great action at the crossing in the middle. This night was no different: there were several close calls, and several times where the cars slowed down from BOTH sides. Near the end of the figure-8 race the outside track was finally done. The Figure-8 winner celebrated by doing a high speed spinout. He must have puncture the radiator, and he dumped some water on the outside track. The crew quickly cleaned up the puddle, and it was time for continuing the super late model feature.
Busch pulled out to a quick lead on the restart after the cars rested for about 45 minutes. Busch pulled out to a commanding lead. The only car that could keep up with Busch was Rothe. There were 3 cautions in the final 3 laps. Busch held the lead on restart for the victory. He said in the post race interview that he loves giving back to the fans, and that this is one of his first late model victories in a while, so the win was special for him. Then he showed that he is a classy guy by partially climbing the fence (like Stewart did), and tossing the winner's trophy into the crowd gathered around the fence. I respect him a lot for doing something so nice.
I was planning on going to WIR before I heard that Kyle Busch was racing there too. The track had planned having a 50 lap feature instead of the usual 30 lapper because it was the week of the white race - part of the red, white, and blue state championship series. They canceled the heat races in favor of longer features.
I missed half of the show according to the announcer - half of the show was qualifying. Kyle Busch came just 0.039 seconds short of the 19.228 seconds track record in his Super Late Model on the half mile track.
The first feature was the Super Stocks on the inner 1/4 mile track. Points leader Randy Van Roy had problems and ended the race early. They switched to the 1/2 mile track for the limited late models. One of the top drivers tried three wide in the corner, and several top cars hit foam barriers protecting the outside wall. Everyone fortunately was okay. The race was dominated by fast qualifier Kris Kelly who drove several hours down from the Upper Penninsula of Michigan. He passed through the field with ease for his 5th win of the season. He is running awaay with the points.
The super late model feature was next. Busch started 11th, and went through the field, and passed points leader Tim Rothe on a restart on lap 26. A lap later the caution came out because someone oiled up the track. They stopped the racing on the half mile to clean the entire track.
Since the track has an inner 1/4 mile track, they immediately started racing on the innner track. Next the started the 4 cylinder feature. There is always a lot of banging in the beginner 4 cylinder cars, and the drivers take the corners three or four wide to often. The outer track was still being cleaned up, so next came up my favorite division for action: the "wild and crazy" Figure-8 cars. They always put on a great show, even if someone runs away with a race. There is always great action at the crossing in the middle. This night was no different: there were several close calls, and several times where the cars slowed down from BOTH sides. Near the end of the figure-8 race the outside track was finally done. The Figure-8 winner celebrated by doing a high speed spinout. He must have puncture the radiator, and he dumped some water on the outside track. The crew quickly cleaned up the puddle, and it was time for continuing the super late model feature.
Busch pulled out to a quick lead on the restart after the cars rested for about 45 minutes. Busch pulled out to a commanding lead. The only car that could keep up with Busch was Rothe. There were 3 cautions in the final 3 laps. Busch held the lead on restart for the victory. He said in the post race interview that he loves giving back to the fans, and that this is one of his first late model victories in a while, so the win was special for him. Then he showed that he is a classy guy by partially climbing the fence (like Stewart did), and tossing the winner's trophy into the crowd gathered around the fence. I respect him a lot for doing something so nice.
Friday, July 20, 2007
Slinger Super Speedway 07.17.2007 - Slinger Nationals
The Slinger Nationals is a Super Late Model race that attracts many major regional stars, plus usually some NASCAR racers. The 28th annual event this year attracted NASCAR stars Matt Kenseth and Kyle Busch. Kenseth won his first Slinger Nationals as we was rising up the ranks, and he comes back to the track that he first raced late models each year for the event. Busch is making a tour of three Wisconsin racetracks (Thursday at Wisconsin International Raceway and Friday at Madison International Speedway). Other racers with at least one NASCAR start include the winner Lowell Bennett, third place Bradley "J.J." Mueller, Dick Trickle, Rick Bickle, Scott Wimmer, Chris Wimmer, Erik Darnell, and Kelly Bires. Chris Wimmer was the only NASCAR driver who didn't make the 24 car feature (they gave promoter provisionals to Darnell and Trickle).
Busch qualified first and Kenseth second. They started 12th and 11th respectively. Busch rocketed through the field to lead by lap 20. He had a flat tire during a caution, and restarted in the back. The blew another tire, and fell 5 laps down. He ended his race after his third blown tire. One was the left rear, and another was the left front. Kenseth passed up to around 7th by lap 20, but the caution that got Busch's first tire also claimed Kenseth. Tony Strupp's car slipped in Turn 4, and a chain reaction accident brought out the caution. It turns out that Kenseth's car was oiling down the track. He was black flagged, and it turns out that Kenseth was out of oil (I think it was rear end oil). He fells laps down and parked the car. Local regular Bennett moved up through the field, and looked poised to dominate by the 10 minute half way break at lap 126. There were around 9 cars on the lead lap. Just before half way there was an accident that took out second and third place Jeremy Lepak and Strupp. Lepak had damage to the front that looked fatal, and Strupp looked okay. The opposite was true, as Strupp was done, and Lepak's crew took off the hood and taped the front clip in place. Lepak rejoined the race without losing a lap. Lepak was strong in the second half, but he started deep in the field in the second half. Lepak turned laps 0.1 seconds faster than Bennett, but Bennett won going away by 4.8 seconds.
The limited late models had major problems, and their caution-filled race was reduced from 35 laps to 30 laps to 25 laps. I went to their show earlier this season, and the race was not normal.
The Mid-American Stock Car Series raced at the track. The series is a regional touring series of sportsman stock cars.
The Slinger Nationals is a Super Late Model race that attracts many major regional stars, plus usually some NASCAR racers. The 28th annual event this year attracted NASCAR stars Matt Kenseth and Kyle Busch. Kenseth won his first Slinger Nationals as we was rising up the ranks, and he comes back to the track that he first raced late models each year for the event. Busch is making a tour of three Wisconsin racetracks (Thursday at Wisconsin International Raceway and Friday at Madison International Speedway). Other racers with at least one NASCAR start include the winner Lowell Bennett, third place Bradley "J.J." Mueller, Dick Trickle, Rick Bickle, Scott Wimmer, Chris Wimmer, Erik Darnell, and Kelly Bires. Chris Wimmer was the only NASCAR driver who didn't make the 24 car feature (they gave promoter provisionals to Darnell and Trickle).
Busch qualified first and Kenseth second. They started 12th and 11th respectively. Busch rocketed through the field to lead by lap 20. He had a flat tire during a caution, and restarted in the back. The blew another tire, and fell 5 laps down. He ended his race after his third blown tire. One was the left rear, and another was the left front. Kenseth passed up to around 7th by lap 20, but the caution that got Busch's first tire also claimed Kenseth. Tony Strupp's car slipped in Turn 4, and a chain reaction accident brought out the caution. It turns out that Kenseth's car was oiling down the track. He was black flagged, and it turns out that Kenseth was out of oil (I think it was rear end oil). He fells laps down and parked the car. Local regular Bennett moved up through the field, and looked poised to dominate by the 10 minute half way break at lap 126. There were around 9 cars on the lead lap. Just before half way there was an accident that took out second and third place Jeremy Lepak and Strupp. Lepak had damage to the front that looked fatal, and Strupp looked okay. The opposite was true, as Strupp was done, and Lepak's crew took off the hood and taped the front clip in place. Lepak rejoined the race without losing a lap. Lepak was strong in the second half, but he started deep in the field in the second half. Lepak turned laps 0.1 seconds faster than Bennett, but Bennett won going away by 4.8 seconds.
The limited late models had major problems, and their caution-filled race was reduced from 35 laps to 30 laps to 25 laps. I went to their show earlier this season, and the race was not normal.
The Mid-American Stock Car Series raced at the track. The series is a regional touring series of sportsman stock cars.
Jefferson Speedway 07.14.2007
My first races at the 1/4 mile asphalt track, my 32nd track overall. My first impression was "Great acceleration". The car really go fast around the track, and the corners are tight. It turns out the track was lengthened to a true 1/4 mile, so there are 2 sets of corners at the east end. The second longer corner has progressive banking, which allows for excellent racing action. The other corner is medium banking. You get to sit nice and close to the action too (but not TOO close).
They put on a great program at Jefferson. I only wish that I had went to them sooner. The bad part is that I drove just under 2 hours to get to the track, and I got home at 12:54 a.m. That's too late for me. I left Jefferson at 11:01 right after the late models got done.
The top division is late models. I think they are limited late models, not super late models.
The next division is sportsman. I finally found "Chico" Reidner. I saw his first races at Madison International Speedway last year (the first time he raced at Madison - he obviously was a veteran). He races in a station wagon!, and he calls it the "Shaggon Wagon". He is an excellent racer. He dominates the points at the track, and he won the points at Madison last year despite missing the first night. I used my camera to create a video of his heat race at Jefferson. He passed almost everyone to finish second. You can watch the video on my YouTube account.
There is a 4 cylinder division called International cars. They use a racing chassis, racing tires, etc. with a 4 cylinder motor. They are a well-developed division that probably developed from an early 4 cylinder class - like the top 4 cylinder cars at 141 Speedway. The lowest division is the Basic International Cars (Bandits). They are stock 4 cylinders. They are the only division that races on the older inner corner.
Monday, July 9, 2007
Plymouth Dirt Track Racing 07.07.2007
The 1/3 mile dirt track features winged 360 sprint cars, late models, Grand National cars, and 4 cylinders.
The luckiest day in my life was not a lucky night at the races. The drivers had very much trouble in the features. I have never seen half the crowd leave before the late model feature was done! It was spin out after spin out in the top divisions. The sprint cars and late models are all very experienced drivers, and they should be used to a dry track in July. The track was not bumpy. I have been to this track around a dozen times over the past 15 years, and I know it is not normally this way.
The late model feature was easily won by Russ Schlefer. He has been the top driver of the dirt late models south of where I live for years. Pete Parker has been the best driver north of my home. The Grand National feature was won from the pole by Brad Lubach, who was last year's track champ. He bought the car after winning the huge 50/50 raffle jackpot at the huge local event called the Eve of Destruction at Wisconsin International Raceway. He spent the money wisely. I am always impressed by the power of the Grand Nationals at all the tracks that they appear at. Former NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series driver Brad Mueller passed much of the field to finish in the Top 3.
The 1/3 mile dirt track features winged 360 sprint cars, late models, Grand National cars, and 4 cylinders.
The luckiest day in my life was not a lucky night at the races. The drivers had very much trouble in the features. I have never seen half the crowd leave before the late model feature was done! It was spin out after spin out in the top divisions. The sprint cars and late models are all very experienced drivers, and they should be used to a dry track in July. The track was not bumpy. I have been to this track around a dozen times over the past 15 years, and I know it is not normally this way.
The late model feature was easily won by Russ Schlefer. He has been the top driver of the dirt late models south of where I live for years. Pete Parker has been the best driver north of my home. The Grand National feature was won from the pole by Brad Lubach, who was last year's track champ. He bought the car after winning the huge 50/50 raffle jackpot at the huge local event called the Eve of Destruction at Wisconsin International Raceway. He spent the money wisely. I am always impressed by the power of the Grand Nationals at all the tracks that they appear at. Former NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series driver Brad Mueller passed much of the field to finish in the Top 3.
Seymour Speedway 07.01.2007
My 15th races of 2007 at the 13th track. The races start early at 6:00 on Sunday night, and they were done at 9:30. I didn't stay for fireworks afterwards because I am not a fireworks fan especially with an hour drive home.
The races were excellent. The 1/3 mile dirt track has WISSOTA late models, IMCA Modified, IMCA Stock Cars, Street Stocks, and 4 cylinders. Notable drivers include 2006 National Dirt Late Model Hall of Famer Pete Parker who won a heat in the late models, and 2006 National IMCA Modified champion Benji LaCrosse. LaCrosse appears to be not nearly as strong in 2007. I think he was second or third in the points standings, and he wasn't a factor in the feature. He hasn't done well at Luxemburg this year in either time that I saw him race. The photographs turned out well too since the grandstands are fairly close to the racing action.
My 15th races of 2007 at the 13th track. The races start early at 6:00 on Sunday night, and they were done at 9:30. I didn't stay for fireworks afterwards because I am not a fireworks fan especially with an hour drive home.
The races were excellent. The 1/3 mile dirt track has WISSOTA late models, IMCA Modified, IMCA Stock Cars, Street Stocks, and 4 cylinders. Notable drivers include 2006 National Dirt Late Model Hall of Famer Pete Parker who won a heat in the late models, and 2006 National IMCA Modified champion Benji LaCrosse. LaCrosse appears to be not nearly as strong in 2007. I think he was second or third in the points standings, and he wasn't a factor in the feature. He hasn't done well at Luxemburg this year in either time that I saw him race. The photographs turned out well too since the grandstands are fairly close to the racing action.
Saturday, June 30, 2007
Calumet County Racing Association (Chilton) 06.29.2007
It's good to be home. I went to the track where it all began. I fondly remember my first local stockcar races in 1989. I was absolutely amazed at what I was watching. Seeing all the cool cars with horrible paint jobs going around in circles. And to think that I was amazed with the cars packing the track before the races! It was even better when they were actually racing! They were doing it all just for me and all the other fans in the stands. No television cameras, just some people going in circles because they love to show-off and RACE! That season there was a car that started on fire almost every night. My parents took me because they thought that I should get out more. Now they complain that I go to races too much! I'm nowhere near the guy who was voted "Shyest Guy" in high school - I was nominated for student of the year this year at my local community college.
It's good to sit with friends at the races - I met my friends Sharon and Roger. I updated them on my racing tour and what's going on in my life.
I see that the street stock racecar that I used to pit for in 2003 and 2004 is still being raced. The driver sold the car to his cousin who was also on the pit crew. The car still has problems. The motor was occasionally skipping. The car still doesn't handle well. That's a bad combination. The car was by far the worst car in the division. He left the paint job alone for the most part. I see my uncle's sticker is still on the car. I'm sure he'll be happy to hear that he's sponsoring a racecar but not being charged!
The street stock division has changed a lot over the past two years. Many of the top drivers from 2005 aren't around, and some of the new drivers from 2005 are the top drivers now. It still is a highly competitive division. The points leader passed most of the field for the win.
The Grand National division is the highest division at the track. These cars have evolved from the cars that I saw in 1989. They are now used at 5 tracks in the area. The Grand National cars also evolved into the Mid American Stock Cars, a series that tours the upper Midwest.
Chilton still has a series of essentially untouched 8 cylinder cars called Chilton Challenger cars. It's getting hard to find cars for the series.
Chilton has a relatively small class of 4 cylinder cars. I think having two series of entry-level cars has stunted its growth.
It's good to be home. I went to the track where it all began. I fondly remember my first local stockcar races in 1989. I was absolutely amazed at what I was watching. Seeing all the cool cars with horrible paint jobs going around in circles. And to think that I was amazed with the cars packing the track before the races! It was even better when they were actually racing! They were doing it all just for me and all the other fans in the stands. No television cameras, just some people going in circles because they love to show-off and RACE! That season there was a car that started on fire almost every night. My parents took me because they thought that I should get out more. Now they complain that I go to races too much! I'm nowhere near the guy who was voted "Shyest Guy" in high school - I was nominated for student of the year this year at my local community college.
It's good to sit with friends at the races - I met my friends Sharon and Roger. I updated them on my racing tour and what's going on in my life.
I see that the street stock racecar that I used to pit for in 2003 and 2004 is still being raced. The driver sold the car to his cousin who was also on the pit crew. The car still has problems. The motor was occasionally skipping. The car still doesn't handle well. That's a bad combination. The car was by far the worst car in the division. He left the paint job alone for the most part. I see my uncle's sticker is still on the car. I'm sure he'll be happy to hear that he's sponsoring a racecar but not being charged!
The street stock division has changed a lot over the past two years. Many of the top drivers from 2005 aren't around, and some of the new drivers from 2005 are the top drivers now. It still is a highly competitive division. The points leader passed most of the field for the win.
The Grand National division is the highest division at the track. These cars have evolved from the cars that I saw in 1989. They are now used at 5 tracks in the area. The Grand National cars also evolved into the Mid American Stock Cars, a series that tours the upper Midwest.
Chilton still has a series of essentially untouched 8 cylinder cars called Chilton Challenger cars. It's getting hard to find cars for the series.
Chilton has a relatively small class of 4 cylinder cars. I think having two series of entry-level cars has stunted its growth.
Monday, June 25, 2007
Slinger Super Speedway 06.24.07
My 12th track and my 13th event in 2007 was held at Slinger Super Speedway - the World's fastest 1/4 mile. Some things in life are a marketing ploy. This is NOT just marketing - this is reality! I went to the track for the first time last year after EVERYONE said the track is awesome. I had been to dozens of race tracks before Slinger. The first race a year ago was a 6 lap dash for cash for the top 6 Super Late Model drivers. I said "WOW" out loud every time they raced by - all 6 laps! The acceleration of the super late models is absolutely incredible! The track is a highly banked 1/4 mile - so they go very fast around the corners of the bowl. This time I was only laughing at their unbelievable acceleration.
The races are more laps than most other tracks. I think the Super Late Model semi-feature (B-main, last chance qualifier, ...) was 30 laps long. The cars get around the track so fast. Divisions at the track were Super Late Models, Limited Late Models, Mid American Sportsman, 4 cylinders, guest cars, spectator eliminators, and Figure 8 cars. The Midwest Sportsman division races every other week, and it was their week off.
The Wisconsin Sport Trucks were the guest series at the track. They are basically go-karts with a small truck body. They came from Wisconsin International Raceway - about a 100 mile haul each way. Most of the drivers came anyhow. They race on the 1/4 mile low banked track at WIR. They didn't appear to be doing much braking on the high banks at Slinger. They were interesting. The cousin of my friend from college was the fast qualifier.
The Super Late Models points leader is Dave Prunty. He is a 4-time track champion in the division. He was the fast qualifier, and passed the leader in the feature at around lap 50 of 75. He passed #10 Mike Strupp - who was having an awesome race. #10 quickly pulled out to a large lead, and held it after several cautions. His motor started to sound rough, like it was only on 7 cylinders. Like they always say - the cars runs best right before the motor blows. He kept going anyhow, and finished a well-earned second. Kevin Harvick Inc development driver Cale Gale made his first career Slinger Speedway start at the wheel of Shawn Roethle’s #53 Chevy, but he was unable to qualify from the semi-feature to the feature. He had contact with a car late in the race and was unable to recover.
The Limited Late Model division had many drivers that I saw at the final stockcar races at Lake Geneva Raceway on October 1, 2006. I was wondering where some of those drivers had come from. The feature was won by defending series champion and points leader Chris Ratajczyk.
The spectator eliminator series was won by a guy with a muscle car who claimed it was down a cylinder. Yea, hardly. Reminds me of the guys who raced in the 4 cylinders who almost won the feature by consistenly posting laps 0.8 seconds faster than his qualifying time.
The event ended with the figure 8 cars. They really excite me - they are totally crazy! A car (#55 Donald VanCamp Jr.) and a truck (#4G Scott Goetzke) were battling hard for the win with 2 laps left. They pushed it hard through the X at the center of the 8, and they both kept their foot in it as the got off of the asphalt into the dirt. The car got severely out of shape, and drove full speed head-on in the wall. He rolled the car onto its roof. He got out a few minutes later so he must have been okay. They called the races done. The sent the car and the truck to the back of the pack, and awarded the win to the third place car.
The races are more laps than most other tracks. I think the Super Late Model semi-feature (B-main, last chance qualifier, ...) was 30 laps long. The cars get around the track so fast. Divisions at the track were Super Late Models, Limited Late Models, Mid American Sportsman, 4 cylinders, guest cars, spectator eliminators, and Figure 8 cars. The Midwest Sportsman division races every other week, and it was their week off.
The Wisconsin Sport Trucks were the guest series at the track. They are basically go-karts with a small truck body. They came from Wisconsin International Raceway - about a 100 mile haul each way. Most of the drivers came anyhow. They race on the 1/4 mile low banked track at WIR. They didn't appear to be doing much braking on the high banks at Slinger. They were interesting. The cousin of my friend from college was the fast qualifier.
The Super Late Models points leader is Dave Prunty. He is a 4-time track champion in the division. He was the fast qualifier, and passed the leader in the feature at around lap 50 of 75. He passed #10 Mike Strupp - who was having an awesome race. #10 quickly pulled out to a large lead, and held it after several cautions. His motor started to sound rough, like it was only on 7 cylinders. Like they always say - the cars runs best right before the motor blows. He kept going anyhow, and finished a well-earned second. Kevin Harvick Inc development driver Cale Gale made his first career Slinger Speedway start at the wheel of Shawn Roethle’s #53 Chevy, but he was unable to qualify from the semi-feature to the feature. He had contact with a car late in the race and was unable to recover.
The Limited Late Model division had many drivers that I saw at the final stockcar races at Lake Geneva Raceway on October 1, 2006. I was wondering where some of those drivers had come from. The feature was won by defending series champion and points leader Chris Ratajczyk.
The spectator eliminator series was won by a guy with a muscle car who claimed it was down a cylinder. Yea, hardly. Reminds me of the guys who raced in the 4 cylinders who almost won the feature by consistenly posting laps 0.8 seconds faster than his qualifying time.
The event ended with the figure 8 cars. They really excite me - they are totally crazy! A car (#55 Donald VanCamp Jr.) and a truck (#4G Scott Goetzke) were battling hard for the win with 2 laps left. They pushed it hard through the X at the center of the 8, and they both kept their foot in it as the got off of the asphalt into the dirt. The car got severely out of shape, and drove full speed head-on in the wall. He rolled the car onto its roof. He got out a few minutes later so he must have been okay. They called the races done. The sent the car and the truck to the back of the pack, and awarded the win to the third place car.
Wednesday, June 20, 2007
Wisconsin International Raceway 06.16.07 - Drag Strip
This event will likely be the highlight of my 2007 season. I got to hold the flag for the national anthem! My brother-in-law is a DJ at the radio station that sponsored the event. I rode in the radio station's truck holding the flag out the window. We got on the drag strip at the last second, so I wasn't able to get pics. It was very cool.
I got to stay in the air conditioned tower after the national anthem. I stayed there for the first round. I got several nice pictures of different classes of cars http://www.flickr.com/photos/56091178@N00/ . I got a nice picture of a jet semi and a V8 powered by an alcohol with a blower. It smoked the tire all the way down the track. I accidentally took another pic when the driver was purging the nitrous. My 12th event at my 11th track this year.
I got to stay in the air conditioned tower after the national anthem. I stayed there for the first round. I got several nice pictures of different classes of cars http://www.flickr.com/photos/56091178@N00/ . I got a nice picture of a jet semi and a V8 powered by an alcohol with a blower. It smoked the tire all the way down the track. I accidentally took another pic when the driver was purging the nitrous. My 12th event at my 11th track this year.
Friday, June 15, 2007
Columbus 151 Speedway 06.15.07
Columbus 151 Speedway was the biggest surprise in my tour last year. I was very impressed by the 1/4 mile moderately banked asphalt track. I liked it enough to go back a second and third time. This was my first time at the track this year. I was not nearly as impressed.
Heat races mainly consisted of the top 2 drivers holding up the entire field for most of the race. They put the fastest cars in the back, so there were many first time winners.
The features were better. The pack spread out after a few laps. The best race was the limited late models. Last year's track champion picked the outside lane on a restart, and he moved up from around 7th to 3rd. He jumped to second on the outside of the leader on the restart on lap 11 (of 35). They battled side-by-side back and forth for the rest of the race, and the leader (other driver) won the race by around a car length.
They had a touring series called the Indy Pro cars. They were decent. It was the second time that I saw them at the track.
There is something odd about the car counts. The lowest division (4 cylinder cars called Bandits) of course have the greatest number of cars. The 2 mid divisions (hobby stock and street stock) have low car counts - maybe 10 cars. What's odd is that the limited late models have the second highest number of cars. A full field of around 20 cars. Normally the highest division doesn't have way more cars than the mid divisions.
Heat races mainly consisted of the top 2 drivers holding up the entire field for most of the race. They put the fastest cars in the back, so there were many first time winners.
The features were better. The pack spread out after a few laps. The best race was the limited late models. Last year's track champion picked the outside lane on a restart, and he moved up from around 7th to 3rd. He jumped to second on the outside of the leader on the restart on lap 11 (of 35). They battled side-by-side back and forth for the rest of the race, and the leader (other driver) won the race by around a car length.
They had a touring series called the Indy Pro cars. They were decent. It was the second time that I saw them at the track.
There is something odd about the car counts. The lowest division (4 cylinder cars called Bandits) of course have the greatest number of cars. The 2 mid divisions (hobby stock and street stock) have low car counts - maybe 10 cars. What's odd is that the limited late models have the second highest number of cars. A full field of around 20 cars. Normally the highest division doesn't have way more cars than the mid divisions.
Angell Park Speedway/National Midget Auto Racing Hall of Fame 06.10.07
The first thing that I did was tour the National Midget Auto Racing Hall of Fame. I wrote most of the article on Wikipedia - where I learned it was located in Wisconsin. It was smaller than I expected. It was a series of plaques - one for each inductee. The HoF is only open on the days of the races.
Then I watched qualifying. There were 31 cars. The program normally only has midget cars. Drivers came from many states, including Wisconsin, Iowa, Indiana, and California. One was the 2006 Australian Speedcar national champion, although he might be an American. I got a nice picture of almost all of the drivers. I left with a full memory card in my camera.
It was my first races at the historic 1/3 mile clay oval - my 30th track. I was talking with a man in the pits after the race, and he said it was the track with the longest continuous history of midget car racing.
Then I watched qualifying. There were 31 cars. The program normally only has midget cars. Drivers came from many states, including Wisconsin, Iowa, Indiana, and California. One was the 2006 Australian Speedcar national champion, although he might be an American. I got a nice picture of almost all of the drivers. I left with a full memory card in my camera.
It was my first races at the historic 1/3 mile clay oval - my 30th track. I was talking with a man in the pits after the race, and he said it was the track with the longest continuous history of midget car racing.
Charter Raceway Park 06.09.07
My first regular races at the track. I went to a midget car racing special there last year. There was a long line to get in. They have Grand National cars, Modified (non-sanctioned IMCA and UMP modifieds), Street Stock, Legends, and 4 cylinders. I rarely see Legends cars even though I know they are prevalent nationwide. I finally got some nice pics of Legends cars for Wikipedia.
These were the first regular races after a major building at the track was burned down by an arsonist. They were shut down for a few weeks.
These were the first regular races after a major building at the track was burned down by an arsonist. They were shut down for a few weeks.
Summary of first 8 events
I went to my first ice races on Feb. 11 at Cecil on Shawano Lake. I was surprised that the cars park around the outside of the track. There is no rail between the racing and the spectators. I made sure that I parked on the middle of the frontstretch. Hopefully no racer will lose it and wipe out some good cars! It was wierd to watch races inside my car with the heater on. It was my 28th track, 26th in Wisconsin.
My first races of the regular season were on April 28th at 141 Speedway near Francis Creek. Too bad that the grandstands face north and you get blinded by the setting sun. They have a fantastic giveaway promotion - envelope, box, or cash.
Next races were at my hometown of Chilton on May 4th. I used to pit crew for a guy there for 5 seasons. It was good to sit with friends - I usually sit alone.
The following day I went to Wisconsin Dells with my parents. I went alone to the races at the 1/3 mile asphalt track Dells Raceway Park. The track has new owners, which include part-time NASCAR driver Frank Kreyer. There was an excellent car count, but the stands weren't very full. Hopefully the stands will fill up later in the season. Nice track - my 29th.
I went to Luxemburg Speedway on May 11. My second time at the track. I have never eaten so much dust at races before. The dirt rolled down jacket. There was a strong wind that dried out the track all day, so it was unavoidable. It's an IMCA track - IMCA Modified, IMCA Street Stock, IMCA Sport Modifieds, IMCA Hobby Stocks, plus 4 cylinders.
The following night I went to Meadowview go-kart track near Chilton to find it closed. It must be too early in the season. I drove to Manitowoc, and got there a half hour late. The track has greatly improved. I used to attend races there most weeks during the season it raced on Wednesday nights. I also had pitted there several times when my driver raced there weekly. There was always a bump entering Turn 1. There had been a pipe buried there below the track. EWSCA had the pipe buried deeper when the sanctioning body moved to Manitowoc from Plymouth. That solved the bump problem. There was a low number of racecars. The grandstands weren't very full either, which has always a problem at the track.
On May 18th I drove 2 hours to Madison International Speedway. The long drive home is the worst part of it. The track is a 1/2 mile asphalt. It was my second time to the track. The track has a decent history with some good alumni, including Matt Kenseth. They have a driver from New Zealand who is a great dirt driver. I added a picture of his car to his Wikipedia article. I noticed on Wikipedia that he was scouted by Roush Racing, and that he is getting training on asphalt at Madison. There are no paved racetracks in New Zealand! Former Roush Racing truck driver Nathan Haseleu races there regularly too.
On May 25th I went to Green Bay to tour the Packers facilities with a group from the technical college that I just graduated from. I was there at 3:30pm, so I decided to attend races a second time at Luxemburg since it was close. The track was well-maintained this time, and there was no dirt problem. I got to see the 2006 IMCA National Modified champ Benji LaCrosse again. I was surprised to see that he wasn't leading the track points. I took decent pics of him for Wikipedia.
My first races of the regular season were on April 28th at 141 Speedway near Francis Creek. Too bad that the grandstands face north and you get blinded by the setting sun. They have a fantastic giveaway promotion - envelope, box, or cash.
Next races were at my hometown of Chilton on May 4th. I used to pit crew for a guy there for 5 seasons. It was good to sit with friends - I usually sit alone.
The following day I went to Wisconsin Dells with my parents. I went alone to the races at the 1/3 mile asphalt track Dells Raceway Park. The track has new owners, which include part-time NASCAR driver Frank Kreyer. There was an excellent car count, but the stands weren't very full. Hopefully the stands will fill up later in the season. Nice track - my 29th.
I went to Luxemburg Speedway on May 11. My second time at the track. I have never eaten so much dust at races before. The dirt rolled down jacket. There was a strong wind that dried out the track all day, so it was unavoidable. It's an IMCA track - IMCA Modified, IMCA Street Stock, IMCA Sport Modifieds, IMCA Hobby Stocks, plus 4 cylinders.
The following night I went to Meadowview go-kart track near Chilton to find it closed. It must be too early in the season. I drove to Manitowoc, and got there a half hour late. The track has greatly improved. I used to attend races there most weeks during the season it raced on Wednesday nights. I also had pitted there several times when my driver raced there weekly. There was always a bump entering Turn 1. There had been a pipe buried there below the track. EWSCA had the pipe buried deeper when the sanctioning body moved to Manitowoc from Plymouth. That solved the bump problem. There was a low number of racecars. The grandstands weren't very full either, which has always a problem at the track.
On May 18th I drove 2 hours to Madison International Speedway. The long drive home is the worst part of it. The track is a 1/2 mile asphalt. It was my second time to the track. The track has a decent history with some good alumni, including Matt Kenseth. They have a driver from New Zealand who is a great dirt driver. I added a picture of his car to his Wikipedia article. I noticed on Wikipedia that he was scouted by Roush Racing, and that he is getting training on asphalt at Madison. There are no paved racetracks in New Zealand! Former Roush Racing truck driver Nathan Haseleu races there regularly too.
On May 25th I went to Green Bay to tour the Packers facilities with a group from the technical college that I just graduated from. I was there at 3:30pm, so I decided to attend races a second time at Luxemburg since it was close. The track was well-maintained this time, and there was no dirt problem. I got to see the 2006 IMCA National Modified champ Benji LaCrosse again. I was surprised to see that he wasn't leading the track points. I took decent pics of him for Wikipedia.
Introduction
This blog documents my racing tours. I am a 30-something male who is attempting to attend races at most tracks within two hours of my home in East Central Wisconsin. I have been documenting the tours on a flickr photostream http://www.flickr.com/photos/56091178@N00/ . I am a major contributor on the English Wikipedia, and I use my knowledge and some of these images to enhance Wikipedia.
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