Monday, thoughts turn to racing...

Ah, finally some racing. Nothing lifts the mood like seeing a great Sprint Car race. I have seen a lot of races and I know a good one when I see it. Jackson was one of the good ones. The one thing that really impressed me was Brooke Tatnell's drive and determination. You could sure see why he's a champion and the work ethic he brings to the entire team. I had no idea how stout the Olsen #34, formerly the yellow #18 driven last year by Tony Hargrave was. Tony had some good runs in the car and has a lot of experience but you can't compare a weekend racer to a WoO driver and Australian Sprint Car champion. Not only did Brooke hustle the car on the track but he took the lead in thrashing on the car during a red flag. They had to make repairs to the fence which gave the team time to replace the entire front axle assembly but they still had to hustle. It was so fun to watch that I wanted to put my camera down and run for wrenches to help the cause.

Here's my picture of the day:



Left to right, me, Lyric "the Beebes" Peterson, Owen "Owenowski" Zimmerman, Debbie "the non-race-fan wife" Meissner and Lucia "Loose Eye" Meissner.

I've got a commitment from three of my four kids and their spouses to join us at Cedar Lake for the Firecracker. We're still waiting to hear from Owenowski's parents then all three of the grandkids will be there. My oldest daughter, Owen's mom, and her husband are environmentalists but she used to wear a Sammy Swindell shirt when she was a kid so I have a hunch she'll be there. It should be a fun night, the grandkids hear me talking about races and see them on television but I'm sure they can't visualize what it's like. And the fireworks going off right in front of them, I'm sure they'll think that's pretty awesome.

I'm mulling over whether to go to the Red Cedar Rumble or the WDRL race with Sprints at Spencer in July. If Jon McCorkell is successful in adding a Thursday night Sprint race at Jackson that will be the clincher. The tough part will probably be finding a place to spend the night. That's too far to pull my camper with the old Ranger. Getting a motel room would be the way to go but if I end up traveling alone it's going to be pricey. Let's see, I'd have to stay down there Thursday and Friday night, drive to Brainerd on Saturday and I could drive home from North Central after the races. The problem is that the Ranger doesn't have air or cruise so if it's 95-100 degrees that will take the wind right out of my sails. I'll be exhausted by the time I get to the tracks. The old truck seems to run alright but it's exhausting to drive when it's that hot, especially if there's a headwind. It's an underpowered 4 cylinder with a 5 speed and you really have to keep your foot in the gas when it's windy. Pulling a camper any further than 50 miles would be out of the question with that thing. Used to be a time I would suck it up and do it but I'm gonna' be 60 years old in a few years and I don't have that kind of stamina anymore. We'll just see what happens and decide from there. Maybe the wife won't need the Olds that weekend. It would be easier to drive than the truck and gets better mileage but I'll have a hard time wrestling it away from her.

I'm up to three races for the season. To a lot of people that isn't much but I looked at the last few years and that's about what I've usually got in by this time of the year. Early in the season I only go to the opener and a couple of Sprint specials until the weather warms up a little bit more. I've never felt a need to put up big numbers of races for the season anyways. I don't have anything to prove, I just do as much or little as I feel like doing. Some years more, some years a little less.

I like the Sprints and open motor Late Model shows but don't go to that much weekly racing. This Friday it's USAC Midgets on pavement so my first four races of the year will be three Midget races and one Sprint race. This has been so fun that I'm adjusting my schedule to add more of the type of races that I enjoy. I'm getting where I prefer a specials schedule over weekly racing. There is usually a special every week somewhere nearby or something going on that's a little bit different than the steady diet of same old same old classes. I'd get bored if my lunch bucket held peanut butter sandwiches every day for 25 years. Same with my racing, 25 years of every track running the lame old lineup of limited Late Models, Supers, Streets, Mods and now Midwest Mods gets, for lack of a better term...boring. I need to step back and take a break from the politics and monotonous lineups.

By Stan Meissner

Sunday and almost all is well...

I say almost because Cedar Lake where I was planning on going and all the rest of the Saturday night tracks fell victim to rain. You've got to feel bad for these tracks that are getting beat up by this lousy weather pattern. It seems too like every time I pickup a paper or watch news I'm seeing where people are being injured or killed by severe storms and tornadoes. You'd think it would have to mellow out pretty soon.

The good news is that a bunch of frustrated fans finally got to see some racing on Friday night. Myself included, it was my first outdoor race of the season. Hopefully I won't have to go another month and a half until the next one.

I got the chance to try out my new lens for the first time outdoors. Jackson is a tough track to shoot with the black dirt but I thought the night stuff turned out great. The nice thing about this lens is that it's got outstanding sharpness and it was my goal to improve that aspect of my work this season. Besides the sharper lens I made a resolve to not post unless the photo has good clarity. Quality over quantity, even if I only get 25 good shots I want them to be the best that they can be.

Here's a sample from last Friday night, click on the image for a larger version:



You will probably notice as the season progresses that I am not posting to the message boards announcing my photos after each event. It's getting to where (and I have been guilty of this too) the boards are cluttered with people promoting photos and products rather than sharing information. I need to back off and decided to only post racing related news and information on the message boards.

I find that by using the blog I can get my thoughts across without getting into the time wasting p*ssing matches about every non-racing subject imaginable. Like I said, I realize that I have been guilty of this in the past so that's why I'm making an effort to limit my participation on the message boards. If I can get people into the habit of checking this blog periodically they'll know what races I've been to and when I'm putting up pictures. Primarily my photography is geared towards the publications and I'm not out there competing for sales. If someone wants a photo there is contact information on the gallery and I'm going to charge the going rate just like everyone else.

My personal thought for the day after witnessing one of the best Sprint Car races I've seen in a long time at Jackson. Sprint Car racing, especially on a big fast half mile, is an extreme sport and it should be marketed that way. I think maybe we should branch out from the traditional way the sport is presented and target the young kids that enjoy extreme action sports. It puzzles me how any young person could like the entry Stock Car classes more than Sprints. Maybe it's because that's the type of racing they're involved in, I don't know. I suppose lives out in the middle of nowhere and never sees anything else...

Anyways, I'll never figure that out so no sense trying.

Next weekend I plan on heading down to La Crosse for the Midgets on the big half mile paved track. They tell me that it's closer to a 5/8 and Midgets on a track like that are twitchy and downright scary at times. USAC pavement Midgets is the series where guys like Jeff Gordon, Tony Stewart, Ryan Newman and JJ Yeley got noticed.

Have a good one. I'll post some more during the week.

By Stan Meissner

Taking inventory on Wednesday

The non-race-fan family sure has been working on me so far this spring. Tell me, how am I supposed to go to the races on a Saturday afternoon when these two are hanging on my leg begging me to stay?



I haven't figured that one out yet. I'm going to try to get the wife, kids and grandkids out to Cedar Lake for the Firecracker. Probably the only way I'm gonna' be able to do that is pay everybody's admission and gas to and from the track. If that's what it takes it will be worth every penny of it. My three grandkids have never been to a race and they'll love those fireworks. With any kind of luck that crazy guy will run an old junker into a motorhome. The kids would love that.

I listened to the lastest Dirtnation podcast today. I like that show. A recurring theme seems to be cars not traveling if there's too high of a percent of rain but I didn't hear how the crowds were. It's going to be a challenging year. I plan on writing about that a little in my next MRC column but I don't want to dwell on it. After all, racing is recreation, it's what we do to escape the challenges life throws at us. Negative thoughts ought to be off limits at the track.

Today I found out that I got two more photos in Dirt Late Model. I'm curious to see which ones they used. I'll have to send them some more when racing gets underway. I'd like to add some open motor Late Model races to my schedule. I'm looking at that WDRL show in Spencer but it's the same time as the Red Cedar Rumble. That's much closer to home but the Sprints will be on the card at Spencer and Jackson is considering adding a show the night before. I'm on vacation that week and Saturday is the Kouba Memorial. Depending on the travel cost I could possibly make three nights in a row. The way this coming Saturday is shaping up I might end up not spending as much as I had planned. Weather might be a factor again this weekend. I'm set to go at Knoxville but their rain chance is 50% so if they cancel we'll head back home and make another attempt at the Cedar Lake opener.

I've got some planning to do on my schedule. Deer Creek has become a possibility for a couple shows as well. I'll have to dig out the ol' rubber nose and glasses disguise if I go there after I caused a stir.

My goal is to post business only on the message boards. You know, announce photos and articles, post specific information about races. I really have to make an effort to do that.

I'm tired of typing so I'll post another day.

Turmoil on Tuesday

Not much to say tonight. My hands are wiped out from typing all day at work. I'm going to kick back and relax for a couple hours before it's time for bed. Tomorrow I might be too busy to blog if the yard dries out enough to walk in it. If it's still wet you'll probably see a post.

Thursday night I have to do some laundry, get the camera ready and pack for Friday and Saturday. If at all possible I'll get on here for a while later in the evening.

I don't have a laptop computer so I won't be doing any blogging while traveling. It's nice to step away from the computer for a few days. Sunday I'll have some writing and photo processing to do so you might not hear much from me for a few days.

Kind of a turmoil Tuesday because I had to do some damage control after putting my foot in my mouth. Happens all the time, I never learn...

Monday, Monday

Happy Monday. It looks like we're going to get some more wet stuff tomorrow but the rest of this week should be alright. A chance of rain is starting to show up for Friday and Saturday but it's too early to give a percentage. This is the week I plan on traveling with GRP to Jackson and Knoxville so I hope the weather holds out. I'll be watching the situation closely and we'll adjust our plans accordingly. We could do anything from going further to staying local depending on what happens.

In my last couple of posts I mentioned some tracks but neglected to include Cedar Lake. That's because I consider CLS my home track and I'm not traveling when I go there. They have always treated me great out there, both the previous and current owners. I wasn't leaving them out and certainly appreciate everything they have done.

I'm hoping Jackson can get their show in. I had a great time at their August all Sprints show last year. I can't remember the exact car count but there were plenty of 360's, 305's and IMCA cars to put on a good show. There was controversy, thrills, and a spill (more like a frontstretch gillhooley sp?) that Chris Graf got the worst of. I'm expecting some familiar drivers to show up and maybe even a few Knoxville cars.

Our plan B in case of the dreaded R word would be to hi tail it down to 34 Raceway in West Burlington for the IRA. There will be a lot of wet stuff during the middle of the week down in that area so we'll keep an eye on all the possibilities.

Knoxville is on tap for Saturday. I'm not going to allow myself to get too pumped because they're already showing a 40% chance. That's scary because it's the only destination I checked that already shows a percentage for the weekend. It's too early for any prediction on the timing so I'm hoping the current forecast will become more favorable as the week goes on instead of the opposite. At least I don't see any mention of a rush of cold air coming in again.

Another option would be to use the day of vacation Friday to get some projects done around the house and head out to Kopellah or Princeton. Then I'd hope that the Cedar Lake opener finally happens on Saturday in spite of the "R word" that's creeping into the forecast.

No matter what our plans are let's all hope for the best.

Message boards, my downfall. I'm going to make an effort to not post on the boards. I don't get offended by the name calling or what people say to me or about me but I'm getting tired of wasting so much time on them. Especially 20/20, it's a great board but I can't restrain myself from mouthing off. Those who know me know that I'm quiet bordering on shy but I let it all hang out on the 40. In the past I used to do too much "Miller surfing" which is never a good idea. I would get in a mood where I'd go on there and stir things up on purpose just to get a kick. Then they'd take a shot at me and I'd get pissed and start defending myself. A few days later I'd get one of those notices that someone answered me and they'd be all riled up. I'd look at what I said and think "I said that? No wonder they're mad." And when some other hard head opinionated person like me would try to convince me how wrong I was, forget it, I wouldn't back down.

So I'm trying to stay off the boards except for racing business only. No LOL, no trying to be funny, no sparring with the jokesters like Zimmy and HoosiersUP. Opinions change with time but I'm still being beat up about things I said six or eight years ago that I've long since forgotten and probably changed my opinion on.

And it's going pretty good so far. I haven't posted on 20/20 in a half hour...

Sunshine makes a world of difference...

Alright, before we go any further I'll admit it. Sometimes I can be a cranky ol' grouch. This weather has made everybody a little testy so I don't feel all alone.

I'll stand by what I said about my last trip to Deer Creek but it was most likely a misunderstanding. Someone associated with the track suggested that I give it another try for the June IRA show. I thanked him but I'm still skeptical and rightfully so. We jumped through all the hoops last time and had a problem so I'm not sure if I want to make the 300 mile round trip and try it again. I don't have any special plans that night but it's going to depend on how the budget looks next month. I've got time to think about it. My comments were not directed towards the management because I never met them that night. I read all these comments about how they rolled out the red carpet, put people up in the booths, etc., but I never met anybody with the exception of a few track workers down in the infield. I wasn't welcomed, didn't meet anybody associated with the track and had a bad experience at the gate. That's what I'll remember about the place.

The track that I was most impressed with last season was Rice Lake. I only get over there every once in a while but the owner introduced himself to me, they let me park my car in the pit area and everyone was really nice. As far as the tracks I seldom get to Rice Lake, Brainerd, Jackson, and Kopellah are a few that have been fun. There are several others including Arlington, Proctor and North Central that I haven't had a problem with.

I've always had problems at Alexandria and decided not to go back there. Princeton was good but now they've got a new promoter so we'll have to start all over again. Superior has been difficult as well. It used to be pretty good for me ten years ago and I had a good experience the year they were DTRA but other than that I've had a lot of problems. You know, the usual stuff, we get setup during the week then when I get there they say my name isn't listed. I'm starting to think that maybe people have a hard time with my last name. A lot of times they'll put my name down wrong so it's spelled different and the people at the gate can't find it. Maybe I should change my name to John Doe, Jim Smith or something they'll get right over the phone.

Oh well, I guess that's my lot in life, it's an uphill battle but we'll hang in there.

I got into a discussion about Al Gore and the environment on 20/20. I simply mentioned that I read a lot and am interested in science, astronomy and those kinds of subjects and brought up a couple thought provoking subjects. Somebody actually got PO'd and called me a "tree hugger" if you can imagine that. Do these people actually believe that an environmentalists would have a racing website, write for a racing paper and post on 20/20? What did they do in high school science class, refuse to read assigned books and accuse the instructor of being a tree hugger? Sounds like some of these people have an aversion to education if you ask me. I enjoy learning and try to keep an open mind about a wide variety of subjects. What bad thing could possibly happen to me on account of that? What am I gonna' recycle too much to be considered a racing fan or something? Unreal!!! I can't believe the way some people think.

My wife found out and chewed me out. She says I need to get off the message boards and get a life. As usual she's right.

And with that I'll see you soon. This week we'll talk about the racing, specifically Jackson and Knoxville. I really need to get on some more fun topics.

Saturday random rainout thoughts...

Cedar Lake ended up canceling their show today. There aren't any other tracks I could attend on this short of a notice. I had already made a decision not to stand out in the 30mph northwest wind and near freezing temps forecasted for CLS. The rain and cancellation sealed the deal.

In spite of my decision when I saw a post that Deer Creek would still be racing I felt a twinge of responsibility to make the trip down there to gather content for my "Inside Dirt" column in the Midwest Racing Conneciton. I had to remind myself of my Deer Creek experience a couple of years ago. Rob Hahn was still the publisher of MRC and he had a deal to distribute papers at the track so the management had to know about my column. Earlier that week Rob had set me up as a call in guest on Chris Hawkey's show on KFAN so I mentioned the Deer Creek races on the air. In addition to that Rob had called in advance and notified the Deer Creek management that I would be attending the IRA Sprint Car/USMTS race on behalf of MRC. When I got to the track and tried to sign in at the pit gate they gave me an awful hassle and it appeared that they weren't even going to let me in. What was happening didn't make any sense, the track distributed MRC in the concession stand, I gave Deer Creek PR on the radio, Rob had given advance notification and they're still not going to allow me a media pass? Screw the Deer Creek Speedway, I'll never go there again. All I had heard was how great the management was then this guy at the pit gate treats me for lack of a better word, like shit.

That's one of the things that irritates me about Wissota tracks. I know a couple photographers who have ATD cards and they could have shown up that same day at Deer Creek with no advance notice and gotten in. Some have admitted to me that during the course of the season ATD might only use one or two of their photos but they're getting in free several times per week all year. I have sent ATD a few pics and even did a race summary one time so I think I could say that I have contributed more as an outsider than some of their contributors. I have been writing my MRC column for ten years, contributed countless photos to papers and magazines, done radio and television and I can't get into a Wissota track without making special arrangements. I even know of one photographer who printed up some cards on his computer, showed up at the gate at several tracks and told them that he shoots for my gotomn.com website and they let him in. I didn't endorse his actions and didn't even know about it until afterwards. As a matter of fact I believe that one of those tracks might have been Deer Creek but I don't remember for sure. Go figure, I have never used my own website for credentials but somebody else does and they get in. I really appreciate it when tracks recognize my contributions to our local racing but very few do.

People get jealous of writers and photographers and think it's all fun and games but it's actually a lot of work. Anybody who has had to meet writing deadlines knows that it's not easy and there are a lot of nights where it feels more like a part time job. The racing media work commitment is a big one and all the more so with increased fuel costs. Tracks are getting publicity whenever any writer shows up at their facility regardless of whether it's the "official paper" or some other publication. I'm sure that when the weather improves my outlook will change but lately I haven't been anticipating the season. Nobody told me that grandkids would drop by on Saturday afternoon and tug at my heart strings when I was on my way out the door. Things come up in life that make some seasons more difficult than others. This is shaping up to be one of those more difficult years.

Not that a $25 pit pass is going to break me but that's the deal with the publications for all writers and photographers. They get us in and we'll work our asses off for them, they don't and it makes it more difficult to meet our obligations to them. It's as simple as that. If anyone thinks that their favorite ATD writers and photographers are paying to get into Wissota tracks they're living in a dream world. These guys obligate themselves to ATD or other publications and they couldn't do it if they didn't get some compensation. They don't get paid for their articles and pics, they don't get a mileage allowance, their pass is their only compensation. I get in a bind with the cancellations because I have no plan B to fall back on. Tracks seem to want a weekly commitment and I can't give them that.

So I wonder who's going to win that Richmond race tonight? When I stop and think about it what's more fun, sitting in my recliner watching Richmond in HD with surround sound or spending $75 in gas not knowing if DC will honor my MRC pass and standing out in a brutal wind chill? Not to mention the dozens of additional cars that are going to show up and drag the show out so I wouldn't get home until 2 or 3 am when I've got company coming over tomorrow. So I think I got the better end of this deal. There is only so much misery I'd be willing to put myself through to watch a gazillion Supers and B Mods.

Thursday Doc appt

I had my five month follow up at the Humphrey Center this afternoon. They tested and scanned me last fall, removed a couple of lumps, and never were able to give a diagnosis. The doctor says it's not skin Lymphoma but beyond that he's not sure. Anyways, he says to come back in September and we'll probably go to every six months after that. Ever seen that show "Mystery Diagnosis" on the Health Channel? That's me, a mystery, but I've got a green flag for the racing season so that's good.

I'm still looking at ideas for a new logo and page design. Haven't come up with a plan yet so I'm taking my time. I'll see if I can think of some new directions I want to take the website but nothing definite in that area yet either.

Why am I calling this my O'Doul's Tour 2008? Because I want to. Seriously, I got tired of beer for the buzz but I still like the flavor. O'Doul's Amber has a good taste so that's my "beer" of choice. I don't miss it. Maybe I just got too old, I don't know. So the name O'Doul's Tour 2008 sends the message that I'm going to take live a little more serious.

I'm looking forward to next weekend's trip to Knoxville. I've got a writing deadline on Sunday the 11th so I hope we are successful in lining up credentials for the trip. If not I've got a work around in mind. We'll get the driver comments we need for The Racing Connection.

Did you see the articles in the SI Nascar section about the downturn in attendance due to fuel prices. Here's the article. I think that's a precursor as to how the short track season is going to shape up once it starts getting underway. You won't see much of an effect at first because we lost a month of the season so not many have spent anything yet. I'm not wealthy but I've got a pretty good income, more than a lot of people, but I've always been careful about running up debt. That's from being raised by my Depression Era grandparents. I thought they were oppressive as a teenager but they taught me some valuable lessons that our credit happy society would belittle as "cheap" but they knew how to get by.

I've got a lot more to say but I'm going to save it for later. My back has been aching due to the weather change so I'm going to do some heating pad time on the recliner with a book I've been reading.

Take care and stay dry.

Stan

Wondering on Wednesday

If we rain out this weekend my outdoor opener will end up being two nights of Sprint Car racing on the half miles at Jackson next Friday and Knoxville next Saturday night. Whoda thunk that the first four nights of racing I'd see this season might end up being Midgets and Sprints? Considering that I live less than an hour from three tracks with weekly lineups consisting of Late Models, Mods, Midwest Mods, Supers, Streets, Pures, and Hornets that's pretty amazing.

In the meantime I've used the extra down time to get some remodeling projects wrapped up around the house. The wife says that I've been chasing races for ten summers and let too many of the projects slide. She's right. I'd like to take a year off to get some of the work that's piling up done and am seriously thinking about doing that next season. I'd still get to a half dozen of my favorite races but what I mean by taking the year off is using most of my vacation for projects instead of racing.

Actually, I'm enjoying the time with the family so much that I might have to cut out all but the open wheel racing and a few of the open motor Late Model shows. It took a slap in the face by Mother Nature to remind me how much I love Midgets and Sprints. I kind of go through the motions with some of the entry class racing but look forward to and get excited about Midgets, Sprints, open Late Models and even the USMTS. Not that all the other racing isn't entertaining but I can't do it all. With prices going up like they are my travel dollar is stretched thin just like everyone else. We'll see how it goes after a month or so and go from there.

I've been thinking about branching out with the website anyways because the way I see it it's going to be more expensive to do this every year going forward. Part of my hobby is computers, graphics and photography which can be applied towards other areas besides racing. So if I can find something else that fits these interests and doesn't require the extensive weekly commitment and travel I'd be willing to add other subjects to my website. So far I haven't thought of anything that I have that kind of passion for that I'd want to spend time working on it.

The website has been kind of like a roller coaster ride. What I mean by that is ten or twelve years ago on the way up the hill everything was new and exciting. I didn't know what I'd see when I got to the top of the hill. Meeting big name drivers, doing some television, doing radio interviews, getting surprise email from big names, offers from promoters to visit their tracks, sponsorship offers, all of those things happened on the way up. Then I got to the top of the hill as it were and the past few years has been the fun part if you ask me. Even though those opportunities stopped coming I'm cool with it because I never asked for any of that stuff to happen. In fact it was so flattering that it probably wasn't a good thing because I might have started to think I was something that I really wasn't. In other words, it inflated my ego and that's not good.

I like where I'm at now. The website still gets a good amount of hits, I still can enjoy the photography and writing without nearly as much pressure. I found out that the more opportunities come along the more pressure there is to maintain that level of success. Actually, I use the term success in a relative term. Success can mean a lot of different things to different people. To some having the best racing website in the country might be success. To others it might be getting the most ad revenue or using their site to gain fame as a media personality. In my case I was simply having fun and it kind of sucked me in deeper than I ever could imagine.

Enough about me and the website though. That isn't what anyone really wants to hear so I think I've beat that dead horse more than enough.

Did any of you hear Steve Kinser's dirtnation interview? Steve really seemed concerned about the costs of traveling with a series like the WoO. He even hinted that he's not adequately funded to do it should the costs go up much more and will have to evaluate his situation at the end of the year. That's big when the biggest name in Sprint Car racing has to back off from touring. Actually if you stop and think about it Scott Bloomquist, the Late Model equivalent to Steve, has been doing that for several years. In Scott's case he's trying to build his chassis business and is hitting the bigger shows. The two top names in their respective divisions and the travel is getting to be a burden.

My opinion is that Ted Johnson's 1978 nationwide traveling series that was established is an outdated business model. According to one website that tracks these stats gasoline averaged .65 cents per gallon in 1978 and it's currently close to $3.50 with diesel much higher. Criss crossing the country 100 nights per year is no longer a good business plan, especially when one considers that the inefficiency of the WoO schedule is based on 30 year old traditional booking dates. You know what I mean, Knoxville typically falls here, here and here on the schedule, the west coast swings are tied to this and that event. Back to the traditional eastern races, back down south, back west, east, midwest, etc., etc. From an efficiency standpoint their entire schedule should be rewritten and I think that's coming. It's a catch 22, if the sanction and purse goes up the gate has to increase for already strapped fans and that's going to further hurt the bottom line. If the racers cut back from 100 to 50 races then they can't afford their payments on those huge motorhomes.

Remember North Starr Speedway 1978? Steve Kinser and Jerry Richert Sr. engage in a heated battle with Kinser just barely taking the win from the veteran. Others that ran good against the WoO back then included Bob Hopp and John Stevenson. There was more equal equipment and the local guy could show up with his car on an open trailer and run wheel to wheel with Kinser and Swindell. Turn the clock ahead 30 years, the big names pull in with 18 wheelers but the few locals who are willing to even try to run against the WoO still have a little old trailer behind a pickup. It's obvious that we've got a problem.

The WoO need that local support but the day is coming when the only ones who can afford to own these cars are a few Nascar drivers. I'm not predicting doom and gloom but just like our way of life and the things we do for leisure this sport is also at a crossroads. If the biggest name in Sprint Car racing ends up having to park it at the end of the year then maybe it's finally time for a cost saving rules summit. After all, it ain't the cost of the car that makes this a fun sport.

What do you think?

Comments and cat calls to Stan Meissner
mndirt@hotmail.com

Tuesday thoughts

Welcome to my Tuesday April 29 ramblings. This blog isn't an official deal, it's just a place to jot down my personal thoughts. Consequently, it's not going to be a rah, rah, thing like a column or magazine article. It's just me exposing my thoughts to the world. You'll see everything from my glass half full side when things aren't going so well to my when all is well with the world posts. Right now having lost a month of racing and a lousy weekend forecast it's going to be glass half full. In fact it might even border on an empty glass.

I noticed tonight while riding home in the vanpool that gas went up about a dime since yesterday. I'm not going to b*tch about high gas prices, place blame or try to solve the worlds problems. I'm not an expert about how much oil is left in the earth's crust but I depend on it just like everybody else. My CI is a pretty low number, only 10 cylinders between my car and truck, one in the mower and one in the snowblower. Oh yeah, I've got a weed whacker that probably uses about 1/2 gallon per summer. That's it. I ride a vanpool to work and don't do a lot of driving because I only put about two miles per day on my truck. I'll be walking to the Park & Ride when the the path is no longer too muddy to walk. To put it in perspective, I change oil every 3,000 miles on my truck. I think it must have been mid November that I changed the oil and have only put about 1,000 miles on it since then. When I lived in the Cities I used to take the MTC bus to work so I've always been conservative when it comes to fuel consumption. Yeah, even at my pace it hurts but probably not as much as if I was driving 150 miles per day in a 4x4. My way ain't for everybody but it has worked for me for the past 25 years.

This weather has been getting me down. Not only have I not gotten spring fever but I'm not anticipating the racing season. Some of my friends have made the same comment (unsolicited by me) that they're feeling the same way this year. I'm sure it's the weather and rising travel expense. I suspect some of the enthusiasm will return when the weather improves. Who would have thought way back at the end of March standing in the infield as the Sandbox Arena that I wouldn't be seeing another race until May. I'm planning on the CLS opener this weekend but the weather isn't looking very good. Next week I'm planning on going to Jackson and Knoxville for two nights of Sprint Car racing. I'm working on credentials for the IRA so we can cover them in MRC. Got to remember to call Jackson early next week. I have a hunch things are going to suddenly get busy.

I'm working on rebuilding the gotomn.com website. Change the colors and the logo and tweak things a little. Nothing major, it just hasn't had a new graphics job for a few years. It's a slow process so I'm not sure when I'll be ready to unveil it but there won't be any earth shattering changes. I don't spend much time on it now that I've got the news feeds on there. Just upload a few photos and add a history article from time to time. I just uploaded the latest 2008 version of GRP's History project so you might want to check that one when you get a chance. I've got some contributed photos from Brian Skedgel to add too.

Well, that's going to do it for today.

I better start using this blog once in a while...

I haven't been using this blog enough to justify having it so I'm going to make an effort to jot a few thoughts down as often as possible.

Today is the 28th of April and with only a couple of days left this month the gotomn website has registered 11,243 "uniques." In other words, every time someone logs onto gotomn for the first time during the month they are considered a Unique visitor. This stat differs from hits (or page visits) which are total visits to the website for the month including return visits by the same individuals. Total hits so far this month are 16,606. Not that it really matters because my website doesn't have any advertising and I don't make any revenue for page visits but it's good to know that somebody is visiting the site. If they weren't then it wouldn't be worth my time and resources to continue doing it. It reminds me of the old joke if a tree falls in the woods and nobody is there to hear it did it make any noise. So for gotomn.com is still making a little noise after over ten years online. LOL

Yeah, you heard me, gotomn.com has been online for ten years since I got that domain. Actually, I created my first website sometime in late 1996 as a personal homepage and it morphed into what it is now. Not that gotomn.com is really all that much in the overall scheme of racing websites. The ones still around that were online way back when I started mine are all sponsored commercial deals. There aren't many left that are basically hobby pages but I still enjoy fooling around with this stuff so I'll hang in there.

I'm listening to Steve Kinser on Dirtnation as I type. Usually I download and listen on my MP3 but I wanted to listen to Steve live. He's always an interesting interview with a wealth of experience. I've kinda come full circle and become more of a Kinser fan lately. He's pretty close in age to me, a family man, a grandparent and still trying to fit that King of the Outlaws image. He was just talking about the increased costs of travel, parts and fuel and it sounds like the Outlaws deal is getting be a tough way to make a living. As a fellow mid 50's grandpa I know how tough it must be playing this young man's game at an age where a guy wants to grab the remote and a beer and crawl into the recliner at the end of the day.

Man, I hope we get some decent weather this weekend. The advance forecast isn't looking the greatest but we'll just keep an eye on it and hope for the best. I refuse to take what seems to be an obligatory shot at Al Gore whenever it's cold and rainy. Is it just me or is anybody else sick of reading 50 posts blasting Gore everytime it rains? I'm not an Al defender, just want to read the facts and not the BS.

Well, not much more to say tonight. We'll see if we can make a habit of this and keep the blog going. It's Monday night and I'm tired. I think when the Kinser interview is done I'm gonna shut down, grab the remote, a glass of ice water and enjoy some recliner time. ;-)

Later,
Stan

NAVYDAVY'S SHOT OF THE WEEK!!!

"........0 for April at most of our tracks. Mother Nature won again. Saturday morning I woke up to a white ground. Seems like this winter will never end. As we enter May some one will get a show in. It's gettin' mighty old. Not one track around the area ran this weekend. Let's hope May is better. This weeks shot comes from Princeton April 18. See ya at the races.................."

No racing April 19, stayed home and practiced graphics

And came up with this design. Not racing but I thought it looked alright.

NAVY DAVY'S SHOT OF THE WEEK!!!

........I finally got to see some outdoor live racing Friday night. My original plan was to head for Tri-Oval Speedway in Fountain City. Once again Mother Nature put the kibosh on that plan. Looking at the weather and radar I checked on Princeton Speedway and decided it was worth a try to go there. Fortunately the closer I got the better it looked. We were right on the edge of the clouds and racing got underway on time. Turned out to be a pretty good show. There were 91 cars in the pits. Andy Jones had em covered in the Midwest Mod feature, Curt Myer looked really strong in the Superstock feature, and Dale Mathison took the Modified feature race. Gessell Jr won in the streeters. It was good to be back. My plan for Saturday was Cedar Lake but once again Mother Nature stepped in and nixed that plan. This weeks shot of course comes from Princeton during the Mid-West Mod feature. See You at the races..................

Had to make a tough decision...

To stay home instead of spending six hours with a camera strap hanging around my neck in this cold damp weather. If I went racing I would have spent all day Sunday on the heating pad. See you all next week.

NAVY DAVY'S SHOT OF THE WEEK!!!

.........the weather makes one wonder if we're entering a new ice age. We've had it all this weekend. Snow, rain, thunder, etc. If the weather improves we may see some racing this upcoming weekend but I have my doubts. The moisture we're getting though goes a long way toward ending the dry periods we had last summer. Maybe we've just been spoiled by all these easy winters we've had. Regardless I'm ready for some racing.
This weeks shot comes from my one and only visit to Superior last summer. See you at the races..........

NAVY DAVY'S SHOT OF THE WEEK!!!

".........saw my first robin's this week, that must mean Spring is near. Also noted eagles are building or revamping their nests. Unless you live in Northern Minnesota where a foot or more of snow fell last night it looks Springlike around here. I'm still wondering though if the tracks namely Red Cedar and Cedar Lake will open.
This weeks shot comes from Kopellah as the streeters race in typical fashion at the "St. Croix Secret". Hopefully see ya soon at the races..........."

April Midwest Racing Connection online

The April edition of Midwest Racing Connection online is now available. Click on the link for the current issue for the pdf version.

In case you're wondering, Navy Davy hasn't taken control of the blog...

I've got plenty of ideas but have been too busy lately. They're great ideas but I've just got to get going on them...

Stan

NAVYDAVY'S SHOT OF THE WEEK!!!

NAVY DAVY'S SHOT OF THE WEEK!!!

"......Happy Easter everyone. We have snow falling this morning making it really feel like a Spring holiday. Anyway the Wisconsin Badgers are heading for the "Sweet 16". Don't know how far they'll go but it sure has been fun so far. Bo Ryan has em playing pretty good TEAM ball.
This weeks shot comes from Hibbing. A jacked up car(LOL) in a modified heat race. See ya soon at the races......."

NAVYDAVY'S SHOT OF THE WEEK!!!

".....it's gettin closer by the day now. I just wonder how this economy is going to effect our sport. Regular gas is at 3.19 now and it costs me an average 50.00 to fill up these days. Diesel is right through the roof. Doesn't look like it's gonna get any better in the foreseeable future.
This weeks shot comes from Kopellah during a heat. See ya at the races........."

NAVYDAVY'S SHOT OF THE WEEK!!!

"......won't be long now. Looks like it may warm up this week. Been so cold I was wondering if it would ever go the other way. This weeks shot comes from CLS down the back stretch. Hang in there-see you at the races......."

Legends Added to Badger Midget Indoor Event at Amsoil Sandbox Arena March 29-30!

New Richmond, WI. Mar. 2

America's newest indoor motorsports facility, the Amsoil Sandbox Arena at Cedar Lake Speedway, will host a two-day Badger Midget Series event on Saturday night/Sunday afternoon, March 29-30. Event organizers are proud to announce the addition of Legends to the already highly anticipated event. “This event is shaping up to be one of the greatest events in the Midwest in recent history.” stated Ron Bernhagen, event coordinator. “Not only do we have top notch Midget drivers lined up we are bringing in some well known Legends racers along with local talent to race!”

Scheduled to race are:
Ross Kenseth- Matt Kenseth’s Son
Nelson Stewart- Tony Stewart’s Father
Cam Schaffer- 2007 Pro Champion & Legends Racer of the Year
Nathan Sperten- 2007 National Semi Pro Champion
Joel Wyttenbach- Past Legends Champion
Bryan Wennen- CLS NASCAR Late Model Driver
Eric Barth- 2007 National Masters Champion
Rob Caho- Local Racer
John Lemke- Past Asphalt Late Model Standout

With over 25 Legend cars and drivers expected from North Dakota, Indiana, Iowa, Minnesota, Illinois & Wisconsin this is a must see event for 2008!

The 120,000 square foot facility opened in October 2007 and has hosted weekly motocross racing on the dirt motocross track. In mid-March, track officials will replace the motocross design with a clay oval measuring between 1/4-1/5-mile, and wall and safety fencing will also be put in place for the event. The facility currently seats approximately 4,000 spectators.

This event will be the season opener for the Badger Midget Auto Racing Association, the country's oldest midget auto racing organization, and will feature two complete shows. A complete field of Badger drivers and cars along with many nationally known open wheel drivers are expected to compete. Practice will be on Friday night, March 28 with racing both Saturday night and Sunday afternoon.

Advance tickets are on sale now. For more info or to purchase tickets, visit www.cedarlakespeedway.com or call (612) 363-0479. Buy NOW – limited seating available. Tickets are $25/day for a 2-day pass in advance (by March 26) or $30/day at the door

Jamie Nutzmann
CLS Competition/Points Director

www.cedarlakespeedway.com

NAVY DAVY'S SHOT OF THE WEEK!!!

"......we're within a month or so til the CLS opener. I'll be so glad to see this winter over and done with. It's been a long cold one. Next month is April and most tracks will open sometime in the month. This weeks shot comes from Cedar Lake during a modified heat. See ya soon at the races......"

Eight indoor winners ready for Badger Midget opener-March 29

Past Indoor Winners Head List of Entries for Badger Midget Opener at Amsoil Sandbox Arena

New Richmond, Wis., Feb. 29---

Eight drivers who have scored previous indoor midget feature victories head the list of early entries for the Badger Midget Series season opening event on Saturday night/Sunday afternoon, March 29-30. The event will be held in America's newest indoor motorsports facility, the Amsoil Sandbox Arena at Cedar Lake Speedway.

The field is headed by Arizona's Jerry Coons Jr. who captured 14 features during the 2007 season, including five in Badger sanctioned events. Coons won the Friday Night preliminary night feature victory at the 2004 Chili Bowl. Other feature winning indoor drivers entered are: Dave Darland, Scott Hatton, Davey Ray, Aaron Fiscus, Mike Hess, David Gough, and Robbie Ray. USAC Triple Crown Champion Darland has two Chili Bowl preliminary feature victories in addition to a victory at the RCA Dome in 2004. Three-time Badger Series Champion Hatton captured the 1988 Chili Bowl Championship, while 2003 Badger Champ Davey Ray won a Chili Bowl preliminary night feature victory in 2007. Fiscus captured the most recent Badger indoor event at the Milwaukee Arena on January 22, 2000. Hess and Gough who will be teammates during the season driving for car owner Jerry Hardy captured their victories at DuQuoin and the RCA Dome. Robbie Ray's victory also came at DuQuoin in USAC Ford Focus Midget competition.

The 120,000 square foot facility opened in October 2007 and has hosted weekly motocross racing on the dirt motocross track. In the weeks leading up to the event, track officials will replace the motocross design with a semi-banked clay oval measuring between 1/4-1/5-mile, a wall and safety fencing will also be put in place for the event. The facility currently seats approximately 4,000 spectators. Limited advance tickets are still available, for more info, or to purchase tickets, visit www.cedarlakespeedway.com or call (612) 363-0479.

Jamie Nutzmann
CLS Competition/Points Director

My new card, what do you think?

I have been working on some photo card designs for 2008 and came up with this one. Let me know what you think. Click on the image for a large file version.

Stan

NAVY DAVY'S SHOT OF THE WEEK!!!

"......it's getting closer. Just a few more weeks and we'll all be trackside again. It's been a loooonnnngggg winter.
This weeks shot comes from CLS at the 100. See you at the races........"

NAVY DAVY'S SHOT OF THE WEEK!!!

"......with the running of the 50th Annual Daytona 500 Sunday afternoon "Speedweeks 08" comes to an end. From East Bay to Volusia the Dirt racers put on some great shows. Off to a great start to the '08 season is "Mr. Smooth" Billy Moyer. Three wins at East Bay and three at Volusia Speedway Park. Terry Casey also got a win at East Bay. Also winning at Volusia were Josh Richards and "The Cat Daddy" Clint Smith. Billy Moyer won the finale at Volusia holding off Chubb Frank. A caution with three laps to go sealed the win for Moyer as Frank was giving him all he could handle. Moyer got off to a great restart and held off Frank. The first heat on Saturday saw Earl Pearson Jr. take a nasty barrel roll in turn three. He had to cut out of the car and was taken by ambulance to a local hospital.He was alert and conscious as he left. It sounds like he was taken in for observation.
This weeks shot comes from "The Gopher 50" at Deer Creek last June. Moyer and Birky racing down the back stretch. See you at the races......."

Cedar Lake Speedway signs with NASCAR!

Cedar LakeSpeedway signs with NASCAR!

For immediate release
2-13-08

Cedar LakeSpeedway is proud to announce that in addition to being part of the DTRA organization, the track will be NASCAR sanctioned in 2008. This landmark decision marks the 50 year old track’s commitment to excellence for their drivers and fans. CedarLakeSpeedway, founded in 1957 has evolved from a small circle track in a western Wisconsin swamp to one of the nation’s premier dirt track facilities. The addition of NASCAR only solidifies this position. “We couldn’t be happier about the partnership with NASCAR” stated Bob Kaufman, CLS owner. “NASCAR brings a comprehensive sponsorship and huge marketing benefits. In addition, our drivers will compete for the largest track point fund ever and by far the largest track point fund of any dirt rack in the upper Midwest. Finally, and maybe the single most important aspect for the change to NASCAR is their $1,000,000 participant insurance policy for every member in the pit area.” CedarLakeSpeedway now will have piece of mind knowing that every person in the pit area that supports the track week in and week out will have significant accident insurance. “Wisconsin has always been a hot bed of short-track racing,” stated George Silbermann, NASCAR Managing Director of Racing Operations. “We are pleased to welcome Cedar Lake Speedway into the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series and look forward to some great racing action.”

Cedar LakeSpeedway believes that NASCAR is undoubtedly the next step for the track and their drivers. That said, this closely guarded change obviously prompts many questions. We have tried to answer a few below. If you have any further questions regarding CedarLake becoming a NASCAR sanctioned track, please call 612-363-0479 or email info@cedarlakespeedway.com

Q. How can CedarLake be involved with NASCAR and DTRA at the same time?

A. In prior years, many tracks carry multiple banners. For example, late model drivers at RiverCities supported NLRA and DTRA while streets and midwest modifieds supported both MDRA and DTRA. In a similar fashion, Cedar Lake Speedway drivers will benefit from the offerings of DTRA and will also be NASCAR sanctioned and benefit from what NASCAR offers.

Q. Why NASCAR? Aren’t they focused on pavement racing?

A. No, NASCAR concentrates on successful tracks in the country and assists them in many ways. NASCAR alone is marketable to a whole new audience and Cedar Lake Speedway will build on their success. In addition, NASCAR sanctioning gives our drivers more point fund money than ever before and $1,000,000 of insurance coverage for all NASCAR members.

Q. What rules will Cedar Lake Speedway use for their classes of cars?

A. The NASCAR Whelen All-American Series does not have specific rules. The 50+ NASCAR member tracks utilize industry standard rules in their area. CedarLakeSpeedway will utilize standard rule templates which are posted on the Cedar Lake Speedway website.

Q. What tires will Cedar Lake Speedway use in 2008?

A. CedarLakeSpeedway will continue to support their relationship with Goodyear. CedarLakeSpeedway believes the longer lasting, less expensive Goodyear spec tire is the best choice for their drivers and fans.

Q. Does NASCAR sanctioning affect the premier events scheduled at Cedar Lake Speedway?

A. No, the Masters, Nationals, World of Outlaw Sprint Cars, The Legendary 100 and all other specials will continue as planned.

Q. Do I have to join NASCAR in order to race at Cedar Lake Speedway?

A. No, however in order to participate in the point funds an annual membership is required.

Q. Do I have to be a NASCAR member to get in the pits?

A. NASCAR does not require everyone in the pits to be a member. However, unlicensed people in the pits are not covered by the $1,000,000 participant insurance policy provided by NASCAR. CedarLakeSpeedway would like to see everyone covered by this policy. See below for plans to do this.

Q. What do I get when I become a NASCAR member?

A. The benefits NASCAR provides include the $1,000,000 participant insurance coverage, discounts on NASCAR sponsors products, complimentary subscription to Speedway Magazine and many others.

Q. How big are the point funds?

A. The total Cedar Lake Speedway local track point fund will be over $30,000! The Late Model point fund will pay $4,000 to win, Modifieds will pay $3,000 to win, Super Stocks pay $2,000, Midwest Modifieds pay $1,000 to win and Street Stocks will run for $750 to win. In addition, Late Models will compete for NASCAR state championship money that pays $4,000 to win and a national championship that pays $25,000 to the winner.

Q. How do I become a NASCAR champion?

A. Each track designates a division of cars called their premier class. The drivers in that class compete against all the other premier class drivers at the other NASCAR tracks. The 2007 NASCAR Whelen All American Series Champion was won by Steve Carlson, a Late Model driver at the LaCrosse Fairground Speedway in West SalemWisconsin. He won the championship by racing at his home track only. 22 starts and 8 feature wins brought the national title to Wisconsin!

Q. Will I need to fill out a NASCAR application?

A. Yes, in order to be a NASCAR member and to receive their benefits a completed form must be filled out.

Q. How much does a NASCAR membership cost?

A. A NASCAR membership for all drivers (except late model drivers) and pit men is $90. A Late Model competitor’s license is $185. However, because it is important to Cedar Lake Speedway that all drivers and pit crew are covered by the $1,000,000 insurance policy and receive the other NASCAR benefits, CLS has decided to cover the entire cost of licenses for all CLS weekly drivers and up to four (4) pit crew members.

More info about Cedar Lake Speedway visit: www.cedarlakespeedway.com

More info about NASCAR visit: www.nascar.com

More info about the Whelen All American series visit: http://www.nascarlocalracing.com/content.php?Series_ID=23

Jamie Nutzmann
651-245-2299
www.cedarlakespeedway.com

DTRA and Terry Blacklance team up!

February 10, 2008. Grand Forks, ND. The Dirt Track Racing Association (DTRA) and Terry Blacklance are pleased to announce that they have agreed to terms whereby effective immediately, Terry has purchased the assets of DTRA and will take over all daily operational functions. “I am excited about this opportunity”, stated Mr. Blacklance. “The DTRA has made great strides in improving racing in this area and I am excited to continue and strengthen this organization”. Terry is the owner of Fast Racing Promotions of Thief River Falls Minnesota. His history in racing dates back 25 years and has been involved in racing as a driver, sponsor, fan, and promoter. Most recently, Terry founded the Midwest Dirt Racing Association (MDRA), a driver run organization that works closely with tracks and drivers to create great racing. He has also founded two other organizations (Thief River Falls Race Association and NOPA: Northern Organized Promoters Alliance) that have been very successful.

“Obviously we are passionate about DTRA”, stated Steve Kaufman of Cedar Lake Speedway. “Terry taking on this role is the next step in DTRA’s growth. He shares the same philosophies we have about racing – saving the drivers money, providing quality racing to fans, and securing sponsors looking to market to someone other than drivers.”

Many questions are yet to be answered as Terry will immediately begin finalizing the tracks, sponsors, and other supporters that are on board for 2008. No major changes are anticipated for the 2008 race season. DTRA will continue its mission of not charging drivers a license fee, will provide a national point fund, and will continue its support of the Goodyear Spec Tire program.

For more info on the DTRA, please visit www.dtraracing.com.

Jamie Nutzmann
DTRA Competition/Point Director
651-245-2299 cell
www.dtraracing.com

NAVY DAVY'S SHOT OF THE WEEK!!!

"....very cold out there right now. I had -15 with a wind-chill we don't even want to talk about. Makes it hard to think about racing. I was listening to the Winter Nationals on Racetalk live the past few nights and it sounded like some very exciting racing. Billy Moyer won three features, Terry Casey won one, and Don O'Neal won one. I'm gonna have to think about heading down there one of these years. I've heard a lot of good things about the East Bay track. This week they race at Volusia and I have been there. It's a nice track out in the middle of nowhere.
This weeks shot comes from a typical night at Kopellah. It's the start of the Streetstock feature. See you at the races if I don't freeze first........."

NAVY DAVY'S SHOT OF THE WEEK!!!

".....two months-not that I'm counting or anything til the scheduled opening of our race season here in the Northland. Sure seems to be a long time since I've seen any live racing. I envy those of you who are lucky enough to be heading south to Florida for "Speedweeks". I'm hoping to open the new season once again at Brownstown Indiana at the end of March.Last years show was great. Brownstown is one of the neatest tracks I've been to. It's a wide third mile bullring that features some of the best side by side racing you will see anywhere.
This weeks shot comes from night one of "The Punky" at Red Cedar. See you at the races......."

Rice Lake Speedway Racers Ready To Celebrate

By Ed Reichert

Rice Lake WI – Smith-Bisonette Inc. has announced details for the 2007 Recognition Banquet for racers, crew members, families and friends of the Rice Lake Speedway.

The banquet is slated to take place on Saturday, February 23, 2008 at Lehman’s Supper Club on Rice Lake’s south side. The social hour is scheduled to start at 6 p.m. with dinner to be served at 7 p.m. featuring broasted chicken and pork tenderloin served family style. At 8 p.m. the awards ceremony will take place. The evening will conclude with live music.

Featured guests will be the six track champions from 2007 at the Rice Lake Speedway. They include: Jared Amundson, Shane Kisling, Mark Hanson, Eric Olson, Scott Duval and Paul Brust. The top ten drivers in each division will be honored as well as the rookies of the year along with other special award winners.

There will be lots of free door prizes and Smith-Bisonette will discuss the 2008 race schedule which is expected to be one of the most interesting in track history.

Tickets for the banquet are priced at $16.25 per person which includes all taxes and gratuities. Anyone wishing tickets should R.S.V.P. to Bryan Bisonette at 12 E. John St, Rice Lake prior to February 16th . Please make checks payable to Rice Lake Speedway. For more information, see the speedway website at: www.rlspeedway.com

Repost of February MRC online column

Scotty Hatton at Angell Park (Stan Meissner photo)


Brad Kuhn at Farley, Iowa (Stan Meissner photo)

The last time I wrote an MRC online column prior to the holidays there wasn't much racing going on. What a difference a few weeks can make. The 2008 racing season started in mid January with the Chili Bowl and by the time you read this several Florida Speedweeks events will already be in the books.

I have never had an opportunity to attended the Chili Bowl but have heard that the racing is excellent. This year I had the opportunity to join some racing friends at a Chili Bowl party and see if the event really lived up to it's reputation. I wasn't disappointed, judging from what I saw on the HBO broadcast it's some of the best racing action of the entire season. Damion "The Demon" Gardner bested a huge field of talented drivers to win the 2008 Chili Bowl Golden Driller award.

The Cedar Lake Speedway and the Badger Midget Auto Racing Association recently announced that the BMARA would kick off their season with an indoor race at the Sandbox Arena. When the Sandbox Arena was under construction on the Cedar Lake Speedway grounds I was told they were considering using the building for an indoor Midget race. Although it's regular use is geared towards indoor Motorcycle and Quad racing the Sandbox will be temporarily transformed into a clay oval for the Midgets. The race will take place on Saturday night March 29 and Sunday afternoon March 30. I am looking forward to this race and hope the support is there so that it becomes and annual event. The oval track will be left intact so that an afternoon Midwest Modified can be held indoors the following weekend which is the scheduled outdoor opener.

The Kopellah Speedway near St. Croix Falls, Wisconsin, is rumored to be considering another alternative to WISSOTA for the 2008 racing season. Prior to this announcement I had planned on attending more races at Kopellah during the 2008 season. This news hasn't changed my plans as I don't take sides in these types of issues preferring to support the most convenient tracks to where I live regardless of their affiliation. When I power down my computer at work on Friday afternoon I leave business concerns at the office. I won't allow myself to get stressed out over the business end of running a race track. Kopellah will have another fun and entertaining season of racing and I'm looking forward to attending more races there.

In addition to Kopellah my plans for the 2008 racing season include the entire schedule at Cedar Lake with the only exception being an occasional special event at other nearby tracks. I have some concerns and questions regarding 2008 so I'm going to list five things that I will be watching closely this season. Most of my concerns involve things that are taking place off the track that could potentially have varying degrees of impact on the racing.

My first concern, and I'm sure you all share this one with me, is gas prices. We're at or near historic high gasoline prices and those prices filter down into every purchase we make in our daily life. I am a railroad rate analyst by trade and I assess fuel surcharges on every carload shipment that I rate so I see it first hand in dollars and cents. This will be my tenth season of contributing a column and photos to MRC and you have probably noticed that I'm not making as many of the longer trips as I used to. This year my longest excursion will probably be a little over 200 miles to Jackson, Minnesota for the Friday All Sprint night of the Nationals. I realize that we've all got different circumstances, some of you are probably nodding your heads in agreement and others are thinking "there goes Chicken Little again saying they sky is falling." If that's the way you feel about and you're not being impacted by high prices I'm happy for you but as you'll see later in this discussion every racefan is important to the sport, the small as well as the great.

Secondly, and this is closely related to the first item, what direction will our economy go? Predictions are for a downturn, perhaps a recession, but I'm hoping for the best and am planning to spend my "economic stimulus rebate" in support of dirt track racing. I deal with high gas prices by riding a vanpool to work and only driving two miles per day to my local park & ride and back. This season my racing budget will be boosted by my annual "sick day buy back" and the government's recently announced economic stimulus rebate. That's they way I have always done it, scrape and save all winter so I can go racing all summer. Again, my way of dealing with things isn't for everybody or probably even necessary for everyone but it works for me.

Twenty years ago when I was still raising my kids there were years when I wasn't able to attend many races due to the expense of taking a family to the races. During the past decade my nest emptied and I was able to increase my attendance beyond anything that I had imagined. I'm in denial and won't admit to being a "die hard" racing fan but many of my friends fall into the die hard category. I can relate to both as I have brought a family to the races and increased my attendance in recent years. It's expensive for families to attend races on a weekly basis and we appreciate it when we see families tailgating before the races and all the kids in attendance.

My third concern is sanctions, affiliations and loyalties. Racing is only as entertaining as the "product" that tracks offer to the fans. That product is good competitive racing with decent fields of cars at a reasonable price. Whenever a track has a smaller than expected crowd or doesn't attract as many cars as expected some have been quick to blame sanctioning as the cause. My opinion is that even if all racing was under one umbrella we would still be faced with the same issues. I think that the politics have clouded people's vision to the real issues that need to be addressed such as fuel prices and the economy. I have made it clear that I support the right of business owners to decide what works best for them. I base my racing schedule on personal convenience and don't worry about the business end. For the most part the changes that have taken place in our local racing have not produced any significant difference in what we see on the tracks week in and week out. I have been watching racing since 1962 so sanctions, affiliations and loyalties have changed a lot during that time but my focus is on the racing. Sadly, some have allowed business decisions to affect longtime friendships and dampen their enjoyment of the sport. My advice to these people is to lighten up and have fun at the races.

Fourth on my list is something that is directly related to item number two and that is sponsorship. Few if any make a profit from their race cars. On every level of the sport whether it be Sprint Cup, World of Outlaws Sprints and Late Models, the IRA, WDRL or a Saturday night Pure Stock team all rely on sponsors. Whenever there is an economic slowdown the shockwaves are felt through all of racing. One of the good things about modern racing is that it has become bigger and better than ever. The downside of bigger and better is that it costs more than it ever has to field a race car and if you want to remain competitive you can't go back to the way it used to be. Whenever there is an economic downturn it results in decreased advertising budgets and racing sponsorship is one of the first things that is affected. If you're thinking "there goes Chicken Little again" stop and consider that the Morgan-McClure NASCAR team was recently forced to shut their doors after 25 years of operation due to lack of sponsorship. Still don't believe me? Then do a search of NASCAR news websites and read about the challenges teams are facing first hand. These same challenges are being faced by many of your favorite short track drivers.

Finally my fifth area of concern, and this is directly related to the first five things I listed, is what kind of fields we're going to see this season. I know of several teams that were funded by Mortgage companies, Real Estate firms and companies involved in the building trades that have either folded or are going to have a tough year. I chatted with Justin Fegers at the Chili Bowl party and Justin mentioned that he will likely not run for WDRL points this season due to the increased travel expense. Yes, sponsorship could have an effect on the quality of the "product" tracks are able to offer the fans this season.

Are my five areas of concern insurmountable obstacles? In spite of the economy and high fuel prices we saw more World of Outlaw Sprints last season than anytime in recent memory. All you have to do is tune into NASCAR qualifying each week and you will see a dozen or so "go or go homers" fighting for a spot in the 43 car field. These two examples seem to defy my observations but not to the extent that they wipe out my concerns for this season. Tracks depend on their weekly program to do well and they also need to have successful special events to survive. I'm concerned about some of the smaller tracks that aren't located near major metropolitan areas because those tracks are the heart and soul of American short track racing. I can point to Fox Ridge as an example, some blamed sanctioning changes but fail to acknowledge all of the factors involved in their decision to shut the gates. One observation, and I probably won't win a popularity contest for this one, is that perhaps the good economic times of the past resulted in too much growth for short track racing. In other words, I fear that it was easy to bring it to this level when times were good but it might be hard to stay there when money is tight. Depending on how deep of a recession we enter the current racing landscape might not look the same a few years from now.

So what can we do as fans of short track racing? Do your best to support your local track and don't allow sanctions or business decisions to cloud your vision. The die hard racing fans will be there come hell or high water but the challenge is to get the casual fans to come out more often. We can invite friends, neighbors and relatives to the races and hopefully get them interested in the sport. How about some of those fans who enjoy other types of racing and haven't attended a dirt track race? Fans often complain about the promoters not promoting. What about us? Are we ambassadors for our favorite sport? Even though the sport is bigger than it's ever been to some extent it's still a grass roots deal that appeals to a niche audience compared to the stick and ball sports. To put it in perspective attendance figures for the biggest dirt track specials in our area have been estimated to be in the 10,000 to 13,000 range. Monster Truck shows, High School Tournaments, Concerts and a host of other events draw thousands more people to the big entertainment venues than the biggest dirt track races.

Much has been written about getting the kids who are the future of racing involved. Another area that some might be able to consider is sponsoring a racing team or an event. Sponsorship can range from something as simple as buying a tire for your favorite driver all the way up to funding a traveling team. Events such as the Jerry Richert Memorial and Proctor's Twin 25's offer opportunities for the fans to get involved in a small way. If you're in a position to help out in that way I encourage you to consider doing so. Hopefully I haven't given you the impression that I'm in a panic mode because that is not the case. Short track racing has survived two World Wars and numerous economic downturns. I am confident that we'll see some great racing this season and into the future.

Notes:
Every writer has their own personality, their unique approach to the sport. MRC's Editor Dan Plan has been likened to an encyclopedia, some considered MRC's former Editor as having an Inquirer type approach to racing news. If that is the case then I think my style would probably resemble an issue of Mad Magazine. I enjoy photography and the visual aspect of racing, am not very detail oriented and some say I've got a good sense of humor. What? Me worry?

During a recent visit to Gramdma and Grampa's house I was looking for ways to entertain my grandson Owen and granddaughter Lyric (3 and 2 years old respectively). They were getting restless after an all afternoon Tele Tubbies marathon so I asked them if they had ever seen the "Grampy show." You guessed it, I dug out my old (I can't believe it has already been five years) Race Show DVD and showed them a few of the "Down & Dirty" segments. Their eyes lit up and they got a kick out of seeing Grampy on television. I'm proud to say that it held their attention until Gramdma announced that she was serving ice cream in the kitchen. I used to say in jest that my Race Show interviews were something I could show my grandkids. Now that they've seen the Race Show my next goal is to get them out to Cedar Lake for the annual Firecracker so they can experience racing up close and personal.

The 2008 GRP Racing Trivia Contest took place during the last two weeks of January. This was the ninth year that Greg Parent aka GRP has authored and funded this popular event hosted on my gotomn.com website. I want to take this opportunity to thank Greg and everyone else who contributed their time and efforts to make the contest possible. Special thanks to Troy Powers who donated a 20/20 shirt to the winner in each division as well as the photographers who contributed photos to the contest. If you would like to help out with future contests I encourage you to get in touch with GRP at grp_motorsports@msn.com.

See you at the races!

Visit the Minnesota's Racing Connection website at theracingconnection.com

NAVY DAVY'S Shot Of The Week!!!

.......not much doing these days. Just waiting for this loooonnnnggg winter to get over with. This weeks shot comes from a pure stock heat at Kopellah. They just came out of turn two and are four wide down the back stretch. See you at the races......

NAVY DAVY'S SHOT OF THE WEEK!!!

"......big day today for all us Packer fans!! Looks like it'll be the second installment of the infamous "Ice Bowl" which was played on New years eve of 1967. That day the gametime temp was -13 with a windchill in the minus 40's. Today's game looks like a gametime temp of around zero. GO PACK GO!!!!!
This weeks shot of Dan Schlieper comes from the "Indiana Ice Breaker"(an appropriate theme) last March at Brownstown Speedway in Brownstown Indiana. See you at the races......"

Chili Bowl Photos courtesy of Doug Johnson

Winters Wheelie:



Leffler Air:

NAVY DAVY'S SHOT OF THE WEEK!!!

"....what a game the Packers played Saturday. In the early first quarter it looked like disaster had struck when Ryan Grant fumbled twice and both fumbles led to Seattle touchdowns. But the Pack came roaring back out scoring the Seahawks 42-6 for the rest of the game. It was classic Lambeau with the snow falling. A very fun game to watch.
This weeks shot comes from "The Punky". Jimmy Mars passing John Kaanta for the lead. A.J. Diemel put on quite a charge to take second from way back. See you at the races... GO PACK!!!!!!!!"

Awakened from Hibernation

Cedar Lake Speedway

The news that the Sandbox Arena on the grounds of the Cedar Lake Speedway would be hosting their first indoor Midget even in our area was not a surprise but it proved to be a wakeup call. I realized that once the holidays (and I hope you all had a safe and happy holiday season) are over the racing season kicks off shortly thereafter. NASCAR will be testing at Daytona, racing in the southern hemisphere will be wrapping up and there will be Chili Bowl parties all over the country. If you're one of those lucky folks who gets to attend the Chili Bowl or one of the frostbusting events leading up to Florida Speedweeks I salute you.

Hopefully the Midgets will be a success at Sandbox Arena and this will become an annual event. This should be a good time of the year to host an indoor Midget race, there's nothing else going on in this part of the country to compete against. Badger Midget teams will be prepared for their opener and I expect to see the best from USAC. The thing that sets this race apart from indoor Midget races we saw at the St. Paul Civic Center (the predecessor to Exel Energy Center for those of you too young to remember) was that those races were run on the concrete with a special (slick) sealer covering the floor. The races at the Sandbox Arena will be on a 1/4 mile clay oval patterned after the Tulsa Expo Center track design. Some say the Chili Bowl is the best racing of the season and I expect the same type of action at Sandbox Arena.

Even many Late Model fans throw aside their prejudices against open wheel racing and attend the Chili Bowl. I encourage our local fans to give the Badger Midget race at Sandbox Arena a try. I'm expecting a good crowd and many of the Midget fans from southeast Wisconsin to make the 3 1/2 - 4 hour drive up to New Richmond for this event.

In other news, be sure to make your plans to do your homework for the annual GRP racing trivia contest coming up in a few short weeks. More about the contest to be posted soon.

What are your plans for the 2008 racing season? I'm going to do pretty much the same thing that I've been doing, base my schedule on the big specials and fill in with weekly racing. Big dates on my schedule include the Badger Midgets at CLS, the CLS opener, Masters, Firecracker, WoO Sprints, BA Memorial, USA Nationals, Richert Memorial and DTRA 100. I'm planning on taking vacation the week of the 100 so that I can attend all four nights. Other tracks/events will include a couple races at North Central, Red Cedar, Rice Lake, Princeton, Superior and Jackson. I'm also planning on filling in with a lot more weekly racing at Cedar Lake and Kopellah this season than I have in the past.

I'll write more about my 2008 plans and why these races are my favorites in the upcoming February MRC Online.

NAVY DAVY'S SHOT OF THE WEEK!!!!

".....this weeks shot comes from the "USA Nationals" at Cedar Lake. Babb was lifting er high during the 100 lap feature. See you at the races......."