I had hotel rooms booked and plans made to make the trip to Bristol, but last week when I saw the extended forecast I made the decision to cancel the hotel rooms and make an investment in RaceXR instead.
Sometimes I make good decisions!
Holding a mega event like this in mid-March in the mountains of Tennessee was a gamble to begin with and while there has been plenty of bitching and moaning going around, once again the promoter and his talented crew have stepped up, poured in every ounce of effort that they can and have tried to make the best decisions possible to get this show in despite everything that Mother Nature throws at them. I say "once again" because an entirely different promoter and crew did the same thing at Boone last September and while their efforts are obvious and appreciated by most, there are always those who want to tell them how it could be done better, often with their own bias showing through for all to see.
Four Cylinders, you know I love you, I have been tracking your All Iowa Points since 2003 so that when I get a microphone in my hand I can talk about all of your accomplishments as well because you are heroes to me just like a Late Model driver, a Sprint Car driver, or any race car driver. But you guys have to stop whining about being the class that gets shuffled out of the mix when the weather interferes at big events like these. Frankly you have two choices; A.) If the weather looks like it is going to be a challenge to one of these big multi-day shows, don't go. Or 2.) Get somebody to promote The Hornet Nationals and if it rains, then cut the Late Model events short or send them home.
At some point people have to suck it up, look at the situation as a whole and realize that things don't always go your way. Man, I hate social media!
Here's hoping that the rain is now done at Bristol. The Hornets are now scheduled to run a full program on Saturday morning and the rest of an adjusted program will take place on Friday and Saturday with of course the Super Late Models serving as the headliners. Did some classes get "screwed"? Perhaps, but put the blame on the weather where it belongs. It's not like this promotional team has the next several days to stretch things out and try to make everybody happy because I believe that there is something else going on there next week. I have several friends who are already there or who are heading that way and I know that they will get to see some fantastic racing. And don't forget, you can click on that link in the opening paragraph to be able to watch it all from the comfort of your own home should you choose to do so.
With much of the racing on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday taking place during my work day I have really appreciated the edited versions that Bucky and the crew at XR have put up quite quickly so that I can then get my racing fix during the evening. The 602 Crate Late Models were the first to run qualifying features on Monday so the first two drivers to visit with Ryan Bergeson in victory lane were twelve-year-old Trey Mills from Saint Augustine, Florida, and fifty-nine-year-old Spencer Singleton of Dalton, Georgia. Guess which one was hopping around like a kid on Christmas there on the Bristol stage? Hint, it wasn't the kid!
The success of the Iowa drivers has been fantastic, but for me I'm not surprised, especially when it comes to the Stock Cars and Sport Mods. Maguire DeJong celebrated with his Montezuma Braves teammates after winning the Class 1A State Basketball championship last Friday in Des Moines and then headed east to Bristol to pick up a qualifying feature win. He will start on the outside of row one in the Sport Mod finale. The Murtys, Damon and Dallon both won qualifying features along with Johnny Spaw making it an Iowa sweep in the Stock Cars and I will be shocked if it isn't a driver from Iowa taking the final Stock Car checkered flag at Bristol.
I know that is a fifteen hour drive away, but this is more or less an Iowa party being held at the Last Great Colosseum. When I dial in XR and hear Mike Van Genderen giving commands on the Raceceiver, Ryan Bergeson and Chad Meyer doing the play-by-play, knowing that Bucky Doren is pushing the buttons as Director, J.D. Wheaton is waving the flags and that Cory Benge is somewhere on the grounds helping out with whatever is needed, then this is an "Iowa show" and I couldn't be prouder!
Again, here's hoping that Mother Nature gives them a break and that everybody in Bristol can deliver a great finale to the Karl Kustoms Bristol Dirt Nationals this Friday and Saturday.
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| Trivia question: Who is the only teenager to ever win a race at Bristol in the same seven day span that he also celebrated a State Basketball Championship? |
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| Answer: Maguire DeJong (11) Apparently the 30m jersey was not legal under IHSAA rules. (Photos blatantly stolen from a proud father's Facebook page) |
Moving on now.....every year one of my goals is to attend a race at a track that I have never been to before and each year that gets a bit tougher to accomplish as I continue to check facilities off the list. No, Bristol would not have fulfilled that goal as I actually was out there the last time that they covered the place with dirt in 2000, so technically I would have to see a traditional race on pavement there to count it as a "new track", something that I would definitely like to do someday. In 2019 my only new track was the Slinger Speedway in Wisconsin, but in 2020 in part because of COVID I was able to check off three "new to me" tracks with race nights at Kennedale Speedway Park in Texas, Mississippi Thunder Speedway in Wisconsin and Lake Cumberland Speedway in Kentucky.
So now here we are in 2021, I am freshly vaccinated and ready to hit the road (okay, maybe a couple of weeks after my second shot) so where will that "new" track be for the Back Stretch? It has been several years ago now, and it was all on a pad of paper that I'm not sure where it resides, but at the time I had been to over 350 tracks in 24 states, many of them that are no longer in existence. But instead of boring you with all that, I am going to summarize tracks that would qualify, or not qualify for me by state here in the middle of the country. And if you would like to tell me why I should make one or more of these tracks my specific target for 2021 go to the Positively Racing Facebook page and make a comment on the post that includes this story. If compelling, I will add it to the blog below and we will compare notes at the end of the season.
Iowa
The only currently active track that I have not been to in my home state is the Clay County Speedway in Spencer and that is because the track was inactive back when I was running the NKF Tour. (Hopefully you were able to catch all of the stories and results from the Tour that I shared here over the winter). The folks in Spencer have been great inviting me to "come on 'up" and catch a show sometime and with their unique schedule I might just be able to make that happen in 2021. The challenge though is that even though it is in the same state, that five hour drive from southeast to northwest makes it a longer trip than some of my other options in Missouri, Illinois and Wisconsin!
Missouri
There are three active tracks in Missouri that I have yet to visit. The Central Missouri Speedway in Warrensburg has the best weekly purse in the country for dirt track Modifieds and it has been on my bucket list for some time now. I would love to take in the USMTS race that my friend Trenton Berry promotes at the Dallas County Speedway in Urbana, but actually a Friday night weekly race there would give me a better feel for the place. And, since they run the B-Mods on a regular basis, I am going to count the Doe Run Raceway as a target as well because let's face it, there are several more tracks out there that run figure eights, micro sprints, go karts, etc. that could make the list as well. I have seen the I-70 Speedway, the Bolivar Speedway and the I-44 Speedway all as both dirt and pavement, so can't even do one of those on a technicality!
Illinois
There are only three potential targets in Illinois as well. I pulled into the parking lot to see one car loaded and sitting near the pit gate following a rainout at the Fayette County Speedway in Brownstown. That was before the days of cell phones......with radar.....and so after a quick call from a pay phone I drove to Moberly, Missouri just in time to see it rain there as well. Brownstown owes me one! The Charleston Speedway definitely pulls in the car counts that would prompt me to make the four hour trip and the Dirt Oval at Route 66 would be a possibility as well.
Wisconsin
The obvious target here would be the Lafayette County Speedway as I include the track in my All Iowa Points (see the Other States section) and at 3 hours and 1 minute it would be my shortest drive to make the list. Other possibilities would be Toby Kruse's 141 Speedway, the Gondik Law Speedway in Superior, Angell Park Speedway, Eagle River Speedway, Eagle Valley Speedway, the Grant County Fair Race in Lancaster, Luxemburg Speedway, Plymouth Dirt Track, Outagamie Speedway in Seymour, Shawano Speedway, SK Speedway, The Hill, St. Croix Speedway, TNT Speedway, Tomahawk Speedway or the Wilmot Speedway. Plenty of possibilities in Wisconsin and that is just the dirt tracks! Add in the Jefferson Speedway, Golden Sands, Wisconsin International and State Park, and in just one Thursday through Sunday road trip I could knock out four newbies!
Don Reints tagged the Lafayette County Speedway, perhaps to warn them that I might be headed their way?
David Schlise replied "141 Speedway for a weekly show, 180 car average, 4 hour show, and you could do Seymour or Chilton on Friday and Luxemburg on Sunday. Thursday at WIR to make it a four race swing"
Indiana
With the ambitious schedule for its first year of existence the Circle City Raceway in Indianapolis will be a destination for all track chasers in 2021, although it seems like they have a lot of work to still do before that first race in May. Active tracks that I have already checked off my list in the Hoosier state include Gas City, Lawrenceburg, Bloomington, Brownstown, Twin Cities, Montpelier, Terre Haute, Tri-State and Lucas Oil Raceway. My top two targets would be Putnamville and Kokomo, any suggestions?
A.J. Smith said "Putnamville!"
Don Dameron says "Putnamville for sure"
David Schlise noted "I saw two shows each at Kokomo and Putnamville, both were awesome"
Minnesota
Again easier to say where I have been to than to list off all that I haven't. Fairmont, KRA in Willmar, Deer Creek, Slayton and Proctor would not give me that "new" track so southern facilities like the Jackson Motorplex and the Chateau Raceway in Lansing would be the first targets. I have also been told that I need to go to I-94 and Alexandria.
Warren Busse advised a trip to the Viking Speedway in Alexandria would be a good choice.
South Dakota
Husets may be the obvious choice here, but I have yet to see a race at The Raceway Park bullring. I was across the street several times at Park Jeff and I also went to the Black Hills Speedway when I was much younger so every other track in the state would accomplish my goal.
Nebraska
I have been to Eagle, I-80 and Beatrice so the rest are up for grabs. A Thursday night trip to Columbus has always intrigued me.
Don Dameron added to his Putnamville recommendation with "I also was impressed with McCool Junction" and the Junction Motor Speedway
Warren Busse recommended the track in North Platte, the Lincoln County Raceway
Kansas
Any track other than Lakeside or Humboldt would be a new one on my list. The fact that they run Open Late Models weekly at the Caney Valley Speedway has me intrigued.
Oklahoma
I have always wanted to go to the Salina Highbanks Speedway and one night when my son Morgan was in college at the University of Tulsa we were within ten miles of the track when we started meeting haulers headed the other way after an isolated thunderstorm parked over the track. That did take us though to the Port City Raceway for what turned out to be a fun evening and I have also been to Creek County and Thunderbird in Muskogee. I drive right by the Outlaw Speedway each time I go visit the grandkids and that place definitely has my interest along with Lawton and Ardmore. The new track in Tulsa will also open for the first time in 2021 after the virus kept it from doing son last year.
Texas
Yes, the reason that you are now seeing the special events list in the calendar at Positively Racing, and the fact that I am now tracking points for the state is proof that Grandpa is planning on someday basing himself close to the kids, so he has to know the Lone Star state drivers! Kennedale and Big O, back when it was known as 85 Speedway in Ennis are the only two dirt tracks that I have been to thus far, but don't be surprised if this is where my "new" tracks in 2021 come from. Devils Bowl, Boyd, Heart O' Texas, RPM and the dirt track at the Texas Motor Speedway are all relatively close drives from Dallas and my oldest will be four in August. It is about time to introduce a new race fan to the sport!
If I am able to travel for business again anytime soon that could bring several other states into play as well and let's just pray that our society gets back to some sense of normalcy soon.
So that's my bucket list to start the year, hopefully you will click on that calendar link above and start planning your racing travels soon. And wherever that might be, I hope to see you out there on the Back Stretch!
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