A Look in the Mirror

With the 2013 calender on its last legs, it is time to for a review of what seems like a long ago season.
For the third straight season, though not by design, I made it to the track on 45 occasions. In doing so, I visited 14 different tracks, including three new ones, bringing my total to a rather modest 56.
The new venues included Belle Clair Speedway in Belleville,Il for an opening night special in March which also opened our season. There were June trips to Macon,Il Speedway for NASCAR night with Richard Petty, Tony Stewart, Ken Schrader, and Kenny Wallace, and the UMP Summernationals show at Paducah International Raceway in Kentucky. With late models as always my preferred class, I witnessed 44 late model main events, even though three shows were rained out before hot laps. This was aided by twin feature shows at Davenport, Maquoketa, and West Liberty, Iowa.
Quincy,Il Raceways, where I continued to pen an internet column, led the way with 20 nights, followed by five at 34 Raceway in West Burlington, Ia, four each at Pontoon Beach,Il and Pevely,Mo. There was two trips each to Davenport and West Liberty, and single visits to Macon and Belleville, Paducah, Moberly,Mo., and Maquoketa, Independence, Knoxville, and Donnellson, Iowa. The Lee County Speedway in Donnellson was the only show with no late models on the card, but the ever popular Shiverfest offers a neat season ending show. Mark Burgtorf bested 318 late model competitors with five feature victories, followed by Bobby Pierce and Michael Long with four each, and Brandon Sheppard and Shannon Babb with three. Darrell Lanigan took the biggest one night prize at the Knoxville, Iowa late model nationals, while Brian Birkhofer benefited from a Jimmy Owens DQ to take home a cool $20,000 at the rescheduled NDRL show at I-55 Raceway in Pevely.
Along the way, we developed a diverse schedule, taking in many sanctions. There was World of Outlaws, Lucas Oil, NDRL, Mars, ALMS, Cornbelt, UMP weekly and Summernationals, IMCA weekly and Summer Series, ULMA. and MOWA ( 410 sprints.)
 The 2014 schedules are being released almost daily, and next week I will offer a look ahead at some of the dramatic changes and some of our tentative plans for the upcoming season. As I pen these thoughts, it is 83 days until our projected season opener on March 15. Check the Positively Racing events calender and start your planning as well.
Until next time, Merry Christmas !