Net Zero Theory To Be Put To The Test

Okay, so it looks like my "Net Zero Theory" may take a hit in 2020.

For those of you who are not regular visitors to the Back Stretch, this theory is that for every track that announces that it is closing there is usually another track in the region that springs back to life. I have maintained this theory for many years now primarily because we as fans always seem to focus so much on what we are losing without taking into consideration what we have also gained. I call it "Net Zero" because when you take both into consideration you typically find that there are still the same number of race tracks in operation in a given region rather than the downhill slide that most fans want to point out.

In western Iowa, and just beyond its borders though, that downhill slide might just be here for the season ahead.

Just in the past few weeks we have seen announcements from both the Buena Vista Raceway in Alta and the Sports Park Raceway in Fort Dodge that their promoters have made the choice to not continue in 2020 leaving both facilities without a plan with the traditional race season just three months away. A post on the Western Iowa Racing Results page also sent me to find shortened schedules at both the Crawford County Speedway in Denison and the Park Jefferson Speedway just across the border from Sioux City and mentioned the "unknown at Harlan". So yes, that's a bit on the scary side for racers and fans who have spent most of their time at those tracks over the past several years.

Not all the news out that way is bad though. The other track in Jefferson, South Dakota, was in a dour scenario about this time a year ago before new people stepped in and brought "The New Raceway Park" right back into action without really missing a beat. And they have already announced a full schedule for 2020 that will run from April through September. so Park Jeff regulars won't have far to go to still find racing. Another track that appears to be on strong footing right now is the Rapid Speedway in Rock Rapids where car counts have risen steadily over the past few seasons and they too have announced another full schedule that is dotted with special events throughout the season.

Veteran Modified driver Ryan Ruter announced a week ago that he will be the new promoter at the Hancock County Speedway in Britt and the Adams County Speedway in Corning made a great hire by naming Mike Van Genderen as their new Race Director for 2020. Race fans can always count on a fast paced, well run show with MVG on the Raceceiver and after my visit there last September I would guess that will be a welcome change at ACS. Hopefully I can make the trip straight west again in 2020 to see the improvement.

Not all of the uncertainty is west of I-35 though as I still have not not seen or heard anything out of the Dubuque Fairgrounds Speedway in regard to weekly Sunday night racing. One of my favorite tracks in the region, the high-banked 3/8th-mile oval may be destined for a Specials Only schedule in 2020 and one must always remember that this is better than nothing at all.

My other long established theory is that when tracks close, or cut back from weekly racing, it is an opportunity for other tracks in the region to become stronger by taking on some of those drivers and fans that must change their chosen venue. Look no further than Columbus Junction for a good example of that where promoter Larry Richardson and the Louisa County Fair board have built this Friday night program into one of the best weekly shows in the Midwest in part from the reduced amount of racing at Tipton and West Liberty the past two years.

Throughout much of this country there are race fans that have just one or two tracks within a hundred miles of their home and both of them probably race on Saturday nights. Those fans would love to have the options that you still have as a race fan in western Iowa right now.

I didn't realize that racers and fans were having a tough time getting to the Southern Iowa Speedway in Oskaloosa on Wednesday nights for the 7:30 start time. I know that I was usually able to leave work at five, change my clothes and make the 72 mile drive in plenty of time, but last week it was announced that the start time would be moved back to 7:45 p.m. to better accommodate the racers and fans. This is all well and good if the show can still be completed before ten o'clock as it nearly always was before the Sprint Cars were added, so hopefully the Race Director and crew will be up to that challenge in 2020. After all, as a fan, I would rather miss a heat race because I arrived a few minutes late than miss a feature or two because I need to be home at a reasonable time on a Wednesday night.

Random Pic of the Day: Brant Fuhs at the Southern Iowa Speedway in Oskaloosa

In the most recent Back Stretch, prior to this one of course, I counted up the number of Super Late Model events to be held east of I-35 and just across the river in East Moline and Quincy this coming season. With the Wapello County Fair in Eldon sending in their contract for an SLMR event and the East series opener now being booked at the Scotland County Speedway just across the Missouri border in Memphis that count now rises to forty-one Super Late Model events in this region. Amazing! I don't have the official count, but I would guess that in the recent past the number would have been below ten in that same area for many years running. Make sure that you check the Positively Racing Schedule page as we continue to update it over the next few months.

There have already been several Late Model events contested down south during the first 23 days of the year with the following drivers earning points in a system based upon the car count and the winner's purse at each events. A familiar name sits atop the first Back Stretch National Dirt Late Model standings.

Pos.		Driver	Hometown
1	.	Brandon Sheppard	New Berlin IL
2	.	Ricky Weiss	Winnipeg MAN
3	.	Brian Shirley	Chatham IL
4	.	Kyle Bronson	Brandon FL
5	.	Michael Page	Douglasville GA
6	.	Cade Dillard	Robeline LA
7	.	Chris Madden	Gray Court SC
8	.	Darrell Lanigan	Union KY
9	.	Bobby Pierce	Oakwood IL
10	.	Ricky Thornton Jr,	Chandler AZ
11	.	Scott Bloomquist	Mooresburg TN
12	.	Johnny Scott	Las Cruces NM
13	.	Randy Weaver	Crossville TN
14	.	Chase Junghans	Manhattan KS
15	.	Chris Simpson	Marion IA
16	.	Frank Heckenast Jr.	Orland Park IL
17	.	Jimmy Mars	Elk Mound WI
18	.	Max Blair	Centerville PA
19	.	Walker Arthur	Forest VA
20	.	Jason Hiett	Lincoln AL
21	.	Jimmy Elliott	Cleveland TN
22	.	Mark Whitener	Middleburg FL
23	.	Dennis Erb Jr.	Carpentersville IL
24	.	Jason Fitzgerald	Jacksonville FL
25	.	Mike Marlar	Winfield TN
26	.	Ronnie Johnson	Chattanooga TN
27	.	Blake Craft	Lavonia GA
28	.	Brian Birkhofer	Muscatine IA
29	.	Jake Knowles	Tyrone GA
30	.	Rick Eckert	York PA
31	.	Sam Seawright	Rainsville AL
32	.	Pierce McCarter	Pigeon Forge TN