A last Look Back

With the 2010 race season here in the midwest officially in the books, it is time to take one final look at what turned out to be anything but a typical year. My final tally of 45 race nights was the lowest in more than a decade, due exclusively to an incredibly wet summer, with the timing of the inclement weather almost as big a factor as the amount of rain. Still, with some extra travel, and with the help of some double feature nights, I was able to make up for a couple of rained out features and still scored 45 late model main events. In doing so, I visited 16 different tracks, likely a single season high, in three states. Four of these facilities I visited for the first time, including Lake Ozark Speedway in Eldon, Mo., Shepps Speedway in Alexander, Il., Highland, Il. Speedway, and incredibly, Farley Speedway in Farley, Ia. My " home " track of Quincy Raceways, where I do a weekly recap, led the way with 15 nights, and Lee County Speedway in Donnellson was a destination nine times. Out of 334 different late model competitors, well off my personal record of 413, I witnessed 28 different main event winners, lead by local drivers Mark Burgtorf with six, Denny Woodworth with five, and Justin Reed with four. The season began on March 27 at I-55 Raceway in Pevely, Mo., with Mark Voigt taking the win in a 27 car field, and ended on October 16, with the rescheduled final night of the Liberty 100 at West Liberty, Iowa, with Darren Miller taking both the open and IMCA late model features. We had plans for one more night of racing at Shiverfest, in Donnellson, but in a fitting end to a tough year, the only rainy days of October washed it out. The largest car count of the year was 64 at the Slocum 50 Deery Brothers show at 34 Raceway in April. One benefit to the cranky weather was the variety of series we were able to enjoy as we tried to out run the rain. There was a World of Outlaw show, a couple Lucas Oil Late Model Series events, an MLRA show, one MARS race, three UMP Summernationals, one Northern All Stars, 5 and a half IMCA Deery Brothers shows ( Pepsi Nationals at 34 Raceway ), one Corn Belt series race, IMCA weekly, UMP weekly, and several high dollar non sanctioned events in places like Knoxville and West Liberty, Iowa, and Pontoon Beach, Il. Of all the rainouts, the biggest disappointment was
May 1, which wiped out a planned first race night visit to Paducah, Kentucky International Raceway for the Lucas Oil Series. A few years back buddy Darryl and I stopped at the 3/8 mile venue when promoter Bob Sargent happened to be there, and he let us do a walk around. At that time, we decided a race night there needed to happen, and twice now those plans have been thwarted. We will try again in 2011. Fortunately, the cancellation came in time for us to take in a very good open show in West Liberty, where Brian Birkhofer picked up the checkers. There is no way I could enjoy such a varied schedule without my traveling buddies Darryl and Fred, and this was a special season as grandson Keagan joined me 17 times. Keagan will be 15 next summer, and us " old guys " are hoping he sticks around to share the driving chores when he hits that magic 16 mark. When I think back to those days, many years ago, I remember young ladies by my side on trips to the local tracks, not a group of " Grumpy Old Men, " so we shall see! Also thanks to Jeff Broeg for letting me tag along on a rainy trip to Quad City Speedway in May.
The schedules are starting to trickle in for 2011, and we are already making some plans, starting with the UMP Dirt Car Round Up in Pevely the last weekend in March, but we will wait a while to see how the schedules match up.
Until next time, stay warm and enjoy the holidays, and check back for news and rumors until it gets to be time to go Racin' Down the Road!