The anticipation is driving me crazy! The fact that the weather this week is so gorgeous is the only consolation as the days seem to creep by leading up to a Friday road trip as I make my first-ever trek to the IMCA Spring Nationals in Beatrice, Nebraska. Not only will it take care of my annual goal of hitting at least one new track a year, but this event always draws in a diverse field of cars from all over the region in all divisions. The pre-entry list gives a preview of that diversity and with the great weather on tap you can bet that this will only be about half of the field that will actually show up to compete.
There is another big event going on in our region this weekend, one that actually gets underway on Thursday night as the Battle at the Bullring B-Modified Nationals runs at the Humboldt Speedway. I had considered making the trip there as well, but since I have visited "The Hummer" once before, Beatrice won out. Check out this healthy entry list of 151 B-Mods that will be doing battle in Humboldt. The track had a strict set of rules as to who could and could not enter the event to keep it as a race for the B-Mod/Sport Mod competitors and as I scan the list I feel that they have done a pretty good job. Only a couple of names jump out at me as drivers who have done a lot of A-Mod racing, and sometimes winning, over the past year or two. See what you think.
Those of you who have a Facebook account may want to check out this video of the history of the Davenport Speedway. Long-time track publicist Mike McGuire compiled the video and track promoter Bob Wagener recently shared it on his Facebook page. The one picture that jumped out at me was to see the big covered grandstand looking essentially as it does today while race fans literally stood around the outside of the race track. I am looking forward to making it up to Davenport a little more often in 2015.
While the weather does look perfect for Humboldt and Beatrice, an anticipated storm system that will move northeast out of Texas on Friday has forced the annual Tuckasee Toilet Bowl Classic in Clarksville, Tennessee, to push its schedule back by another day. The season opener for the MARS Late Models will now run on Saturday and Sunday.
I have been following this thread on 4m.net discussing Pay Per View (PPV) webcasts of racing with interest especially when one of the early arguments was that the cost was too high. Those of you who have followed the Back Stretch over the past couple of years know my thoughts on PPV and how they will affect the sport in the future so I won't go through that again. After all, you can always go back and read through the older entries if you really want to know, but I will say this. If the track hosting the PPV is not getting at least the revenue of one adult ticket price from each of the paid viewers, then something is definitely wrong with the relationship. Check out how many people state that they have people over to watch and while the argument always is that the PPV is only getting people who couldn't go to the event anyway due to distance or other similar reasons, nobody seems to consider the side effect. Yes, when I watch a PPV race from Florida or Arizona in the winter it makes perfect sense as long as the track is getting a fair cut of the revenue. But if I stay home to watch, for example, a PPV of a big Late Model show in June from somewhere four states away from me it hurts my local track where I would have otherwise bought a ticket......and a sandwich, and a drink or two.
Sure, we all think that PPV's are great now, but what will be their ultimate effect on the sport of dirt track racing?
He may have retired as a full-time traveler with the World of Outlaws, but Sprint Car fans will still have plenty of opportunities to see "The King" Steve Kinser in action here in the Midwest this season. Kinser will be at the inaugural race for the National Sprint League on April 11th at 34 Raceway near Burlington and it was also announced this week that he will be a part of the big doubleheader at the Quincy Raceways on July 23rd. Kinser will take on the MOWA Sprint Car regulars that night while the World of Outlaws Late Models will also be in action.
Fans at the Huset's Speedway in Brandon, South Dakota, will get to see the Late Models return to the speedway for the first time since 2006 when the full-fendered division joins the MSTS 360 Sprint Cars for the Loren Barstad Memorial event on Memorial Day Monday May 25th.
With the anticipation of that first race of 2015 I have been very efficient at work still leaving me time to then look ahead to the possibilities for next weekend. Friday the 20th and Sunday the 22nd are my options as Mama already has me committed for Saturday night. Of course my first and closest option will be the opening night of the Bottom Heavy Nationals at the Scotland County Speedway in Memphis, Missouri, but if weather should mess with that one I could look to either the World of Outlaw Late Models at Kentucky Lake Speedway or joining my son Morgan at the POWRi Midget Series opener at the Port City Raceway in Tulsa. Then, on Sunday, the USMTS Modifieds are running at the I-35 Speedway near Winston, Missouri. Perhaps I'll see you at one of these on the Back Stretch.
Let's see how those weather forecasts are evolving......
Beatrice, Nebraska Friday March 13th - Partly sunny and warm 69
Donnellson, Iowa Saturday March 28th - Sunny and warmer 59
Burlington, Iowa Saturday April 11th - A little morning rain 54
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