Great night of racing at Cedar Lake

Stan Meissner photo Brent Larson May 17, 2008, Cedar Lake Late Model Feature winner

Cedar Lake finally got their opener in and what a great night of racing it was. Two and three wide action was the theme of the evening from the drop of the green for the first Heat until the final lap of the Late Model Feature. Winners were Devin Neske in the Street Stocks, Joey Jensen in the Mods and Brent Larson in the Late Models.

I'll admit to being discouraged by all the negativity directed towards Cedar Lake by what now appears to have been a small minority. From what I saw last night I have no reason to think that this won't be an outstanding season. Perhaps a few disgruntled individuals might have decided to go elsewhere but others have stepped right in to take their place. A quick scan of weekend results proves to me that the old adage, location, location, location still applies to racing. Cedar Lake is just minutes from millions of people who live in the Twin Cities metro which translates to more racers and potential sponsors than outlying tracks. Also, I think they're in a good position to draw people who are forgoing vacations or trips to the cabin and looking for something to do on the weekends. Sure there are going to be nights where weather keeps the crowd down or competing special events result in a few cars not being there but overall I think they're in a good location.

There's nothing like a fun weekend of racing to cheer a person up.

By Stan Meissner

Saturday, USAC La Crosse 27mpg, Looks like a go for CLS...

Stan Meissner photo, USAC Midgets, May 16, 2008

Saturday morning May 17. I went to the La Crosse Fairgrounds half mile last night for my first visit to the track and my first pavement race in quite a few years. The Ranger did it's job and I got a good report when I checked the mileage, 27mpg on the way down. I suspect the trip back might have been more in the 24.5 mpg range like I normally get because I pushed it and it was rainy/breezy. My brother-in-law did a tuneup on it a few months ago and I kept the speed at 65mph on the way down. It seems to have a low gear in it and the 4 cylinder is underpowered. I kept the windows rolled most of the way up and used the vent to reduce drag and keep my tires inflated properly. Overall I am pleased with the result.

It's after 10am and I'm charging my batteries for tonight's trip to CLS. The weather looks good although a chance of the dreaded "R" word has creeped into the forecast. Last night the start of the Midget Feature was briefly delayed by a light shower but they were able to run the entire race after a brief delay. The rains finally did come with about 10 laps to go in the Mid American Stock Car Feature. Overall it was a good show at a nice facility. It took me 2:35 to drive home to Forest Lake with a quick stop at the rest area just before Rochester.

I broke down my camera during the rain delay and decided not to shoot the Features. There were other photographers in and I was kind of out of my element at an unfamiliar place so it wasn't essential that I shoot the entire program. When the race was over I tried to get the Ranger out of the infield so I could beat the caravan of USAC haulers but I didn't quite make it. Consequently, I had to sit there half way up the banking and watch about 30 tractor trailer rigs go by. That was kind of interesting, the fuel has got to be tough on these guys. The crowd wasn't as good as it could have been, probably because it's Stock Car country and this was the first Midget show in decades. I hear reports that all of racing is suffering from short fields and soft crowds but haven't personally experienced that yet.

Like I said in a recent blog entry, I have never put up big numbers. I think the most shows I did in a season was about 40 one year. Normally it's more in the 25-30 range and in spite of the high fuel costs I'll be able to do that again this year. I estimated $4 per gallon when I wrote my schedule so as long as we stay around that range I'll be able to get all the shows in. We lost a month of the season but that didn't save much money, I spent what would have been my racing budget taking family out to dinner and doing other things.

I got a 100% commitment for the Cedar Lake Firecracker, nine adults and three grandkids. I'm looking forward to it.

By Stan Meissner

Well, better get busy with that lawn so I can go to CLS.

Thursday, getting ready for La Crosse, controversy on the "40"...

I'm getting ready for La Crosse tomorrow and will be taking off work a couple hours early to head down there. The usual stuff, charge all the batteries and make sure I've got everything I'll need. I don't want to forget anything because it's the opposite direction so I can't swing by the house on the way like I do when I'm heading to a track up north.

I'm about to make some personal comments. This is not the opinion of the Midwest Racing Connection or the Cedar Lake Speedway. Anybody who surfs the websites and is familiar with 20/20 knows all the controversy over on that board. It has gotten so bad that I won't post there anymore unless it's racing related information about an upcoming show.

Cedar Lake was the victim of an unfortunate incident involving a sponsor pulling out at the last minute during the awards banquet. More specifically I understand that it was a DTRA points fund sponsor that didn't come through at the last minute. The whole thing escalated into a fiasco on the 20/20 board and was allowed by the board's moderators to get way out of hand. Cedar is under the microscope because they dared to be different and made some changes that were unpopular here in this area that is dominated by the monopoly that I will refer to as the "big W." Again, I won't go into the details other than to say the situation on that board is out of control and is a detriment to racing.

My opinion is that given the circumstances I think Cedar Lake should take a serious look at transitioning away from the classes run by the "big W" for their weekly racing. Perhaps a more affordable Late Model (and I understand they're doing this with some unique motor rules), a limited Sprint Car class, Pure Stocks, Ford Focus Midgets, even Legends Cars on dirt would be an option. This transition couldn't be done overnight but over a period of several seasons. I think the "big W" business model of towing a $300 to win Super Stock 300 miles just to chase national points is outdated. I think the strength of each individual track is going to be the competitors who live nearby if they are committed to a weekly show. Cedar still has the advantage of a great facility (better than anything nearby), huge special events and a large population center. Racers are fickle, give it a little time and some of these other tracks will screw up and guys will get angry about that. In spite of the chatter on 20/20 we won't really know what the fields are going to look like until this Saturday night. The Shawano Rumble is this weekend but only a few of the better funded teams travel to the invitationals. Many drivers (and this is true of all tracks) only run at their home track. This is where the addition of some classes unique to CLS might be a good idea.

Some tracks around the country have taken the emphasis off the weekly racing and run special events. This might be another option for them, specials with groups like WDRL, IRA, USMTS, WoO, Badger Midgets, USAC, big open shows like the USA Nationals. Novelty events like the School Bus night, NASCAR nights, that sort of thing. Have a band after the races and they've got the camping, make a weekend out of it. Of course it's always easy to be an armchair promoter and think of ways to risk somebody else's money. It's going to be a tough market this year and I think we'll see that when things get up and running in earnest. CLS has been under the microscope but people are edgy and it won't take much for these other tracks to upset them.

A little more on 20/20. It's just a hobby board, not a business and the website is not maintained by the person who runs the board. All revenue and advertising rights to go Delphi, it's simply a subscription service that anybody can join much like Myspace or Facebook only in this case it's a discussion forum. So who appointed them as the final authority on racing in the upper Midwest and a place that can in effect make or break a track or series? Furthermore, what fan of auto racing would allow the slander and attacks that we see directed towards tracks or types of racing that do not fit their personal preferences?

Some might think that as someone who has their own board that I'm saying this because I'm jealous of 20/20's success. If anyone thinks that they're missing the point. I have no desire whatsoever to be everything to everyone from eastern Wisconsin to Montana. I've got better things to do with my time than baby sitting something that big. I think when it grows to the point where you can't manage it changes need to be made to get the thing under control.

Operating a board the way it should be run requires frequent moderation and responsible decisions that are going to benefit all of racing. No responsible racing board should allow a sanction, series or their favorite track blind them to what's being said on the board. A board with that much success should have a team of moderators committed to the betterment of the sport and not to a personal agenda. In other words, the "big W" shouldn't be allowed to get so big that it blocks your view and you can't see slanderous posts. Too busy? I'm sorry but you built it, they came and now it's your responsibility to manage it properly.

So that's my opinion. If you're going to set yourself up as the "go to" discussion forum for dirt track racing in the upper Midwest then manage it in a responsible unbiased manner.

So that's my opinion.

By Stan Meissner

Wednesday May 14, busy place tonight

Not much time to type, just jotting a few things down while checking email. I've got to get out in the yard and see if it's still soggy. If not I can pick up some sticks so I'll be able to cut it on Saturday between races. Yard maintenance is a hassle when one is attempting to go to races. You can tell our yards from the neighbors who spend all weekend pruning theirs. Weeds, dandelions, and the grass is half way to our knees most of the summer.

I listened to another installment of the dirtnation podcast today. They said that Billy Moyer dropped off whatever touring groups he was following to run closer to home. I'm sure we'll see him up here because we're located within his part of the country. Nevertheless, this is getting to be a disturbing trend but it's easy to understand why these owners can't keep up with the fuel bills. Same thing happening in the WoO Sprints and a lot of problems with the weather.

People in racing sure use the word "awesome" a lot. It's probably the most overused word in the racer's vocabulary. Everything is awesome but it can't all be that awesome can it? I'll try not to follow the crowd and reserve my use of the word for special occasions. If I can restrain myself and do that it would be....well, for lack of a better word...AWESOME!!!

I could say a lot but not much else on my mind except getting outside for a while. Somebody told me that 37 USAC Midgets were preregistered for La Crosse. That would be an AWESOME show. Dang, there I go again...

See ya!

By Stan Meissner

Tuesday May 13...I can't do it all, Deb's Doula services

Tuesday May 13 and the preliminary forecast for Friday night at La Crosse calls for 20% chance of showers during the day, high of 67 and a mostly cloudy night with a low of 46. I'll take the chance of driving to a race track at 20% provided that it doesn't go up much. La Crosse is a paved track so I'm thinking that a few sprinkles during the day isn't an issue. So far it's looking like a go but I'll have my cell phone with me so I can change course if necessary.

Saturday calls for a slight chance of showers during the day with a high of 62, mostly cloudy Saturday night and a low of 42. Do you think they'll finally get one in the books at Cedar Lake? I sure hope so. I'm planning on being there if they are able to race. I don't have as many weekly shows on my schedule as some years as I'm trying to get to more Sprint races. If I can afford the gas I'll chase them down to Arlington and Jackson whenever possible. I grew up watching open wheel cars on the half mile at Twin City so I've got a soft spot for that type of racing. I'll still be getting out to CLS for all the specials and a few weekly shows. The whole family will be my guest for the Firecracker so we're looking forward to that as well.

I see they are adding a Thursday night race at CLS. I went to the WoO Sprints and got up for work the next morning many times. I've done that a couple times for the Nascar nights as well. I've got a 5:15 wakeup call and my vanpool leaves too early to be getting home that late. If I add any races and have to do accounting work on a minimum of sleep it's going to have to be something big. No offense to CLS as I understand they have to do this but it doesn't work for me at this time.

Support your local racing, I hear that theme a lot on the 40. I'm a Sprint Car fan surrounded by Late Models, Modifieds, Midwest Modifieds, Super Stocks and Street Stocks from eastern Wisconsin all the way to Montana. Those classes are fun to watch but I'm not going to lose sleep to support something I'm not passionate about. Besides, you know how hostile the local fans are about the few Sprint shows we have around here. If they had their way there wouldn't be any Sprint Car dates so they certainly aren't doing anything to support MY FAVORITE RACING. I should lose sleep, pay extra for gas and parking to support THEIR FAVORITE RACING when all they can do is badmouth mine? I think not. If I happen to catch the support classes at a special I'll enjoy them but I have no desire to follow all types of racing.

I can't can't be everything to everyone, it's just not practical for me anymore. Don't get me wrong, they're all good people and they enjoy what they're doing but let somebody who eats, sleeps and breathes Mods and Super Stocks support the Thursday shows. I'll save my vacation time and money for the stuff I enjoy like the USAC Midgets at La Crosse this Friday. Some of the other papers have a bunch of writers but I'm the only exclusive dirt writer for MRC. Obviously I can't do it all and I wouldn't even want to try. Writing about something I'm not passionate about is akin to having to work a part time job after I've been at the office all day. It ain't happening.

My wife is a Doula. For those of you who aren't familiar with it she's a birthing coach. She's certified and has a client who is overdue so she's waiting for the call. I'll be posting more information about her services on my website. She works primarily here around Forest Lake and the surrounding communities. She's very good at it so if you know anyone who's looking for a Doula Debbie is the one you want.

By Stan Meissner

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.