SpeedwayOhio.com

My Week of Speed

My column this week is a blog of this "Week of Speed". I plan on attending as many, and as many different types of racing in the next week.

Stop back every day to follow my travels around the Buckeye State.

Friday June 19 My long awaited homecoming to Barberton Speedway was delayed by rain. It's been 5+ years, what's 24 more hours?

Saturday June 20 Who says you can't go home again? I've been looking forward to this night for a long long time. I finally get to go back to the place I started my career, and spent most of it. The tricky tight Barberton Speedway that has been baffling drivers for well over 60 years. And the Main Event Series, including several of the drivers I raced with, was making an appearance there.

First there's Doug Sommers. Doug and I went to the same school, got in trouble on the school bus together, and unknown to us he started his racing career one week before I did. Then there is Gary Whipkey, three time MERS champ. When I started racing he and his father were a big help to us. And I never forgot that. Hearing the news of his passing away brought back many memories. He was a great guy.

It's been a lot of fun watching their careers, along with several other Barberton drivers of that time, progress. A lot of great fun memories.

For several years I worked for dirt tracks on rescue squads, then wrote for Dirt Track Digest for a couple more. So, other than a Craftsman Truck race and beating my boss at a drag strip, I've had a steady diet of Ohio clay for the past 6 years. It was great being back. The names and faces have changed, but not much else.

The Sportsmen and Hobby Stocks still use REAL bodies on real cars, not look-alike plastic aftermarket bodies. They still put on the best side-by-side racing. It's racing like I did. Like I remember all stock car racing was before the wild 80's.

Watching Denver Carte wheel the #21 Sport Stock around reminded me of his father. Same driving style. Same checkered flags. Except he wasn't driving the same car at Barberton on Saturdays and the Wayne County mud on Sundays like his predecessor back when I was, well I won't say how old I was when that was common, let alone possible.

And Barberton Speedway, it's still Barberton Speedway. Halfway through the Sportsmen feature, we were treated to a short fireworks display in turn one as half of the track lights went out. I was home.

Doug? The rain-out saved his weekend, as he found a mechanical gremlin Friday he was able to fix with a late night thrash. He finished a strong second to long time rival Don Harvey.

Gary? He was his usual consistent self. Qualifying on the pole. Then picking a ridiculously high numbered pill inverting the field, starting 6th. I'm so sorry to hear about his dad, our thoughts and prayers are with his family.

Sunday June 21 I spent Father's Day with family. We saw my dad, and my daughter and her husband stopped by. Saw a good NASCAR race on TV. What a surprise to see Kasey Kahne win on a road course. Nice to see The King back in victory lane. When will we look at pro drivers and call them pro drivers, instead of "road racers" and "oval trackers" and "off roaders" based on how they started???

I got a nasty Father's Day present from Wayne County Speedway with the word they have canceled the All Stars Speedweek event for tomorrow night. My home track has apparently shut down, pretty much ruining the whole week.

Monday June 22 WCS canceled it's All Stars date at the last minute.

Tuesday June 23ON to Millersburg's Hilltop Speedway for the All Stars. It has been awhile since I made it down to Hilltop, and there were many improvements made. It's a lot more comfortable now, and there was a huge crowd in the stands. It was one of the biggest midweek crowds I have seen.

The racing was great with local heros Dean Jacobs and Rob Chaney in the mix all night. The surface was tops, the racing great, coming down to a two lap shootout between Brandon Martin and Steve Smith to the checkers. In the end it was long time fan favorite Stevie Smith bringing home the win after running very consistent all week. Brandon Martin ended his Speedweek bad luck with a strong second place finish, and Dean Jacobs third. "Stevie" takes the points lead going into Waynesfield.

Wednesday June 24 Had to take a night off to appease work. Gotta pay the bills, ya know. Sounds like I missed a good one at Waynesfield.

Thursday June 25 Another race at Attica, another rain out. They're having the same luck I am this year...

Friday, June 26 A funny thing happened on the way out to Limaland. You know how the smallest cheapest part on your car can ruin your whole race night? Yeah. Keep an eye out for an upcoming feature on radiator caps.

Saturday June 27 Off to Fremont to close out the long long week, brand new radiator cap (and $2090 radiator) all nice and installed. It was worth the trouble as once again Fremont put on the best racing I have seen on a track it's size. Birthday Boy Tim Shaffer won the All Stars A Main, this boy knows how to wheel a 410 around this place. He had to work his way through the B Main before running the table on the field in the 40 lap A. What a show!!!

Then the 305's ran without wings, this is something I'd like to see more often. Brubaker used a last lap pass to bring home the win.

What a way to close out the week. Makes me wish I could move to Fremont...

0 Comments

Posted on 19 Jun 2009 by Spin