After making it all the way through the winter without even a sniffle, I have come down with a doozy of a cold the past three days that I am hoping will start to fade away soon. My wife knows when I am really sick if I say that I don't feel well enough to go to the races and that definitely would have been the case on this Friday. However, due to the cold weather the Spring Extravaganza that was originally scheduled to run both tonight and Saturday has now been postponed and trimmed to a one-day show for this Sunday at 5 p.m. at the Lee County Speedway in Donnellson. So if you see me there, you know that I am feeling better than I do right now and, to be safe you might just want to keep your distance!
The same warning goes out if you see me at practice day tomorrow at 34 Raceway near Burlington. Drivers will have the opportunity to get out on the track and prepare their cars for the 50th year of racing at the 3/8th-mile oval from noon to 3:00 on Saturday. All classes are welcome.
Rain put an early end to the first night of action at the King of America Modified event at the Humboldt Speedway in Kansas last night. Eighty-two Modifieds and forty-five B-Mods will pick up the action tonight and then roll into the regular Friday night program that will set the field for Saturday's big finale that not only pays $10,000-to-win, but also $1,000 just to start the main event.
The Illini 100 featuring the World of Outlaws Late Models originally scheduled for this weekend at the Farmer City Raceway in eastern Illinois has been postponed to April 17th and 18th. This is the same weekend when the MARS/ALMS and Corn Belt Clash series will run a three race swing at Davenport, Burlington and East Moline and while some worry that it will have a negative effect on the car count, in my opinion it will cost the Outlaws more than the regional swing. Time will tell and it will definitely force some Late Model fans to make a tough decision on which event to attend.
Sprint Car fans in this area received some great news this week when it was announced that the ASCS National Series will now take the Wednesday July 29th date at the West Liberty Raceway. That night was originally scheduled to have the All Star Sprints, but after that series was purchased by Tony Stewart the new owner obviously wanted to focus on keeping the All Stars more of a Ohio-based entity. Yes, the ASCS is a 360 series but you will never know the difference and fans can expect a full field of cars to attack the wide half-mile. Then the following night this region's best 360 Sprint series the Sprint Invaders will visit the Dubuque Fairgrounds Speedway for the first time ever. I cannot wait to see the winged sprints on the highbanks of Dubuque and with the ASCS in town, and with this being the week before the annual Knoxville 360 Nationals you should see another full pit area.
And perhaps I am jumping the gun on this, but it also looks like the Sprint Invaders will add a September 5th date at the Peoria Speedway.
The passing of Earl Baltes has brought forth many great memories of the man and you should check out Dirt On Dirt for some of them. Other than being near him in the press room at the Knoxville Nationals I never had the pleasure of getting to know him, but he obviously played a tremendous role in the growth of dirt track racing. Makes you wonder if there will ever be another great innovator in this sport and, if so, who will it be?
Hopefully I can get out to Donnellson on Sunday, but even if I can't things really get rolling around here next week with the annual Frostbusters scheduled for Oskaloosa on Wednesday, Vinton on Thursday, Marshalltown on Friday and Boone on Saturday. It is my hope to make the first two and then my weekend plans have me at 34 Raceway on Saturday night for the season opener for the Sprint Invaders and then on Sunday night it will be the season opener at the Quad City Speedway in East Moline.
Need this cold and the cold to disappear so that I can get back out onto the Back Stretch!
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