Views from the Pit Shack

2012 Eagle Raceway Schedule

2012-02-15T14:59:00.002-06:00

There will be plenty of racing action on the high banks of America's Home Track this season as Eagle Raceway brings you a complete field of action each and every Saturday night with lots of specials thrown in to boot!! Weekly racing action will feature the IMCA A Modifieds, IMCA Northern Sport Modifieds, IMCA Hobby Stocks and IMCA Sport Compacts in addition to the 360 Winged Sprints.

The ASCS Sprints kick off the year headlining the Ice Breaker Challenge Friday and Saturday April 19th & 20th.

The World of Outlaws 410 Winged Sprints come to town for the first time in 3 years on Friday April 27th.

Friday and Saturday, June 8th and 9th will see the ASCS Sprint National Tour invade Eagle to take on the locals during the Eagle Nationals.

USAC brings their non-winged 410 sprinter cars to Nebraska for the first time in history on Friday August 3rd.

The ASCS Sprints return to Eagle on Sunday September 9th to help close out the season.

Here's the tentative schedule for the year:

■Thursday, Apr 19 2012 - Open House Practice Night

■Friday, Apr 20 2012 - Ice Breaker Challenge* -Fri. April 20, 2012

■Saturday, Apr 21 2012 - Ice Breaker Challenge* -Sat. April 21, 2012

■Friday, Apr 27 2012 - SLS presents World of Outlaw Sprints* -Fri. April 27, 2012

■Saturday, Apr 28 2012 - Season Opener -April 28th, 2012

■Saturday, May 5 2012 - Jr Fan Club Night -May 5th, 2012

■Saturday, May 12 2012 - Super Mother's Day Tribute -May 12th, 2012

■Saturday, May 19 2012 - Armed Forces Day -May 19th, 2012

■Saturday, May 26 2012 - Memorial Day Extravaganza -May 26th, 2012

■Saturday, Jun 2 2012 - Student Breakout Night -June 2nd, 2012

■Friday, Jun 8 2012 - TBJ presents Eagle Nationals* -Fri. June 8th, 2012

■Saturday, Jun 9 2012 - TBJ presents Eagle Nationals* -June 9th, 2012

■Saturday, Jun 16 2012 - Father's Day Tribute -June 16th, 2012

■Saturday, Jun 23 2012 - Super Mania 12 -June 23rd, 2012

■Saturday, Jun 30 2012 - Freedom Fest* Fireworks Extravaganza -June 30th, 2012

■Saturday, Jul 7 2012 - Christmas in July -July 7th, 2012

■Saturday, Jul 14 2012 - Super Mania 12 -July 14th, 2012

■Saturday, Jul 21 2012 - Kid's Night Super Bike Giveaway -July 21st, 2012

■Saturday, Jul 28 2012 - Super Mania 12 and Kid's Bike Races -July 28th, 2012

■Friday, Aug 3 2012 - Rumble in the Bull Ring* -Fri. August 3rd, 2012

■Saturday, Aug 4 2012 - Scout Night and Kid's Car Rides -August 4th, 2012

■Saturday, Aug 18 2012 - Jr Fan Club Night -August 18th, 2012

■Saturday, Aug 25 2012 - Season Finale -August 25th, 2012

■Sunday, Sep 2 2012 - Eagle Shootout* -Sun. September 2nd,2012

■Sunday, Sep 9 2012 - Nebraska Cup* -Sun. September 9th, 2012

S-Budweiser Sprints, M-RevHoney IMCA Modifieds, B-NAPA IMCA Sport Modifieds, H-Valentino’s IMCA Hobby Stocks, T-Exhaust Pro’s IMCA Sport Compacts.

For further information, stop by Eagle's website at http://www.eagleraceway.com/

I look forward to seeing you all out there. If you get a chance, stop by the Pit Shack and say hello!!!

Stu Snyder article for Flat Out Magazine

2012-02-10T21:50:00.000-06:00

It's been over 5 months since my last blog, but my mother's health concerns have been my only priority in that time. She's back home with us now, and doing fairly well so it's time to let a little of my mind think about racing.

I know that not everyone subscribes to Flat Out Magazine, and I've had requests from those who don't to post my last article online. Well, to those of you who don't subscribe, you should!! But, I want everyone to read about Stu Snyder. Stu was the 2011 points champion in the 360 Sprint Car division at Eagle Raceway, and a nicer young man you could never hope to meet.

So. here it is; my latest article. I hope you all enjoy it as much as I enjoyed writing it. It appeared in the lastest issue of Flat Out Magazine. Please, click on the ads beside the blog to help support those who allow me to have my blog on here.

I and a lot of other well-seasoned fans remember fondly the days before the huge trailers with plenty of spares; when even the best of the best pulled into a dirt track with a sprinter on an open trailer behind a pickup and a few extra tires. That was all that they needed to win wherever they raced.

Stu Snyder is proof that you can still do it that way and be successful. He won the 2011 Eagle Raceway Sprint Car points championship, and did it old school! “The trucks and trailers don’t win races; cars, crews and drivers win races” is how Stu puts it. “Would it be nice? Oh yeah it would; but when you don’t have the money for it, you spend the money where it matters. And we’ve proved that a 10 thousand dollar motor can beat anyone out there; we HAVE beaten the best with one”.

Stu started out racing a go kart for the Manleys when he was spotted by Ron Love who gave him the chance to run his 600 mini-sprint at a practice night at Wave-Link Park. After 25 laps Ron told Stu’s father “It’s time to get him into racing full time”. “My career basically began because of the Love family. I started driving for mom and dad; we ran as many 360 shows as we could, and even got to run a 410 show with the Outlaws”. Stu’s dad Joe had worked on mini-sprints quite a lot, but when he started helping out Jeff Lowery (past Eagle Raceway champion), Stu told himself “I want to do that, and I want to be as good as him, if not better!. Dad brought home Jeff’s 1997 Jenkins when I was 13. Mom wasn’t too happy about the purchase, but after a year of seeing my school work take a turn for the better, she said okay. That was the deal my dad made with me; work your butt off in school and pull good grades, try and get sponsors and work on the car, they would do what they could to get me in a race car”.

Being named the 2003 ESTS and 2004 NCRA Rookie of the Year heralded great things to come, and Stu’s first feature victory came in 2005 while driving for Reagan Kitchen (a previous Eagle champion). The next 4 years saw 3 different teams, plus a ride at the 2009 Belleville Midget Nationals for AJ Felker where he made the A Main both nights. He also had a few nights at the end of that year with his current car owners Eldon and Paula Rhoten. The Rhotens gave him the seat full-time in 2010 and Stu, in turn, gave them their first points win in a long time in 2011.

“I have helped some other drivers win races and championships, including 2 USAC Western States Midget titles with Cruz Pedregon, but I can say now that we won Eldon and Paula something they have wanted for so many years. I only wish I could have driven for them years ago and had my whole career with them. Who knows what more we could have accomplished??”. They managed 4 wins and an 89% top 5 percentage in 2011 at Eagle. “That’s what it takes to be the champ. Wins are nice, but you also have to be smart; make sure you keep finishing in the top 5 and not have any DNF’s. We might have won the title in 2010, but had a few DNF’s that cost us. This year I wasn’t letting anything take it away”.

When asked where he wanted to be 10 years from now in racing, Stu said “I would like to be able to move on to racing with the big dogs in NASCAR or even running some Indy cars”. Stu’s early idols were Doug Wolfgang, Keith Hightshoe, Jeff Lowery, John Gerloff and Jan Opperman. And now, he looks up to former dirt trackers Kasey Kahne, Tony Stewart and Jeff Gordon. “I always wanted to follow in their footsteps because they started out doing what I’m doing and made it to the big leagues. That’s what I want to do with my career. But, the Rhotens are the most amazing people I’ve ever driven for, and I hope we can continue this relationship on down the road”.

Stu has great passion for the sport and wants nothing more than to give back to it. “I spend every night in the shop, and every day trying to learn and get better as a driver and as a teacher. The people that come down after the races with their families give every one of us the chance to do something we love to do”. That is the sign of a true champion; paying it forward.

A bad couple of nights, a sad couple of weeks

2011-08-08T20:27:00.001-05:00

Well, the last 2 nights at Eagle haven't been the greatest. We got to the track a little after 3 on Friday, and went to the office to pick up the money drawers and bands to put on the people coming into the pits. While we were standing outside waiting it decided to rain; and I DO mean rain!! It came down for about an hour, long enough that the night couldn't be salvaged. After a very long and very intense discussion between the owner and Jason from USAC, it was decided that there was no way to make it work. They also discussed a possible make-up at a later date, but it just couldn't be worked out.

We headed home around 5:30 and went to the drug store to pick something up. We came out to more rain and got into the car to sit it out. After 10 minutes of a downpour, I said "The heck with this, I'm heading home". Not the smartest move on my part as it rained even harder!! I could barely see the road and the gutters were running full. Guess USAC and Roger made the right call, huh??

Such a shame!! The first time EVER for USAC's 410 wingless sprints in the state and the only appreciable rain in a couple of weeks has to happen!! There were people from all over camped at the track specifically to catch this show, and I can't remember all of the people who called to find out if the races were still on. Most of them said "AHHH NO!! Oh well, we'll be back next year". Throw in all of the racers who towed in for the show; USAC, SLMR, the mod lites and 600cc mini-sprints, and you have an awful lot of disappointed people. I would be right up there at the top of the list, followed closely by the owner. He said to me that this was the show that he was most excited to watch all year!! One of the drivers even told Jason that he had been looking forward to running the high banks with his 410 ever since he did it in a midget! Oh well, we will all just have to start planning our vactions, sick days, etc. for next year in August.

So, on to Saturday night. Another typical August day in Nebraska. Hot and muggy as all get out!! Lots of people in the stands, track was VERY fast but had a few holes due to all of the rain the night before. There was some really good racing in the heats for all 5 classes, with the only real problem being when Gene Ackland caught the hole in turn 1 and went from wheels, to air, to wheels, to air and back to wheels. He dinged the wing just slightly, but I saw on his Facebook page that the frame was junked.

At intermission the drivers gave all of the kids in the crowd rides around the track in some of the cars that were competing that night. Sport compacts, hobby stocks and modifieds had youngsters getting a thrill that they won't soon forget.

So, as I looked around the sky which had been showing lightning in a 270 degree arc around the track, I hear them telling people to get out of the high-rise grandstand. Well, it didn't take long for the wind to shift and the monsoon began!! The lightning flashed, the thunder crashed and the rain came down SIDEWAYS!! So, we sat in the Pit Shack and watched the procession of haulers and half-drowned spectators slowly pass by the windows. After quite awhile it began to let up and lo and behold, there was clear sky out west. We headed up front to check out and went to the car to try and get out of the parking lot. It only took about 10 minutes; a lot shorter than the folks who left right away. I was told that some of them had spent an HOUR waiting for their turn to hit the highway.

2 nights, 2 rain-outs. The bright spot in it is that I and the fans will be treated to double features during Junior Fan Club Night on the 20th. Hope to see you all there.

Now that I've discussed the couple of bad nights, I'll touch on the sad couple of weeks. 2 weeks ago Saturday Gary Grossenbacher passed away at the young age of 65. This was a great loss to our racing family, to say the least. Gary was the crew chief for the "Black Bandit", Lonnie Jensen, and then took on the role for Lonnie's son Tige who is an Eagle regular in the 360 Sprints.

Equally sad for the local racing scene, and even more sorrowful for me personally was the loss of Frank "Zook" Scdoris. Zook raced at all kinds of local tracks from Capitol Beach, to Beatrice where he is enshrined in their Hall of Fame, to Midwest Speedway where he ended his driving career and took up the reigns as flagman. After he stopped racing his daughter Rhonda took over the seat in the 52 sprinter. And now, his grandson Nick races a 360 at Eagle. The Scdoris (and now Bryan) families are in our thoughts and prayers. They are some of the greatest people I've ever met and I'm very VERY proud to call them friends. I knew Frank for what seems like forever, and I'll miss him terribly, but I know that he's in a better place now.

God obviously needed a couple of great guys who knew their way around a sprinter, because he got 2 of the very best. Our loss is his gain, and I know that the 3 of them are bench racing right now and having a whale of a time!! That would be a conversation worth hearing. Lord, please keep these 2 close to you, and hold their families in your heart as they travel through these rough times.

So, there you have it. 2 lost nights of racing, and MUCH more importantly, 2 horrible losses to our racing family. It's life, and sometimes life is hard. The rest of us just have to pick up the slack for our 2 lost friends and carry on the racing tradition that they were such a large part of.

Thank you for stopping by, and please click on the ads on the right side of the page to help support this site that allows me to post my blogs.

You have to love/hate this heat!!

2011-07-11T20:43:00.002-05:00

Well, another weekly show at Eagle Raceway is in the books, and was it ever steamy!! Temperatures over 90 with a dew point over 80 made it more than just a touch warm Saturday. Thankfully, we had a nice little breeze most of the evening out of the south to help out. Personally, I sweat in the wintertime, so you can't judge by me. I will say though, that while doing post-race interviews I was dripping on my notebook so bad that one of the seasoned veteran racers handed me a handful of paper shop towels off a roll. I thanked him and put them to good use, soaking through all of them before I left to head home.

This weekend's forecast is calling for temperatures in the high 90's with the accompanying high humidity of course. It's definitely going to be a day to haul the cooler filled with water with us and keep hydrated as well as possible. For my readers who are, like me, calendrically challenged (getting older), please do the same no matter if you're going to be at the races or not. High temperatures at our age can be deadly. I saw a message from a friend of mine who went to an Indiana Sprint Week show at Lawrenceburg, Indiana. He's 10 years older than I, and went to the top of the grandstand. It was 93 degrees with no breeze. Well, he suddenly started feeling sick and felt his hands and legs cramping. Luckily he got to his car and home safely. Let this be a lesson to us all.

Okay, enough about the weather and back to racing.

Another great show at Eagle this past weekend. A really good crowd (even better than normal) saw some great racing action all night. All the classes put out some fantastic competition, topped off by the A Modifieds. It's hard for a lot of die-hard fans of the other classes to admit sometimes, but the A Mods really do put on some fantastic racing on the high banks. Several Armed Forces personnel were at the track, collecting toys for the Toys for Tots campaign. Any adult who brought a new toy to be donated received 1/2 price front gate admission. Is it the racing, or the other things that take place that keep the fans coming? I don't know, and I don't think it matters; as long as it works, don't change it!! I've heard that Eagle Raceway is the second largest sporting venue in the state. GEE! I wonder what #1 would be.

The Sport Modifieds were won by a racer who was running only his second race ever at Eagle. Cory Hutchison took advantage of his forward starting position to lead all but 1 lap. In his interview he made mention of the good, clean racing and the great hospitality shown to he and his team. A very nice young racer, and hopefully we'll be seeing him at the track regularly.

The Hobby Stock feature looked to be another RJ Macku win, but Chadley Fegley pulled off a huge move on the white flag lap to grab the lead and hold it to the finish. Chad was all smiles because he had been wanting to go toe-to-toe with RJ all year and finally got his wish. I want to mention Justin Busboom, who moved up to the class last year. He had a great run, coming home fourth. I asked him what led to his improvement Saturday night, and he said "We got the motor to run finally!". That always helps.

Dustin Andersen got set back 1 row for jumping the initial start of the A Modified A. When they tried it again, he made a banzai move between 2 cars that ended up causing a HUGE mess in 3 & 4. All together Andersen and 5 others were involved, and 4 of those were unable to return. In the end multi-time IMCA Modified Champion Johnny Saathoff made another run up through the field to take the victory. In his interview he called Eagle Raceway the best facility in the country. I realize that may have been just "interview speak", but it's not that big of a stretch. He's been doing this for a lot of years, and has been at more than a few tracks; he knows that if you win a weekly show at Eagle you've done something! The best run however, was made by Chris Ableson who makes the trek all the way down from Sioux City, Iowa weekly. With the flooding on the Missouri, that's no easy jaunt. Chris had to come through the B Feature and tag the entire field in the A. He let it all hang out and left absolutely NOTHING on the table to get to second. Chris has had some really bad luck the last few weeks, and it's great to see him get up where he belongs in the finishing order.

Barry Kinnersley got the big check in the Sport Compact division, for his first win of the year. It seems that in this division, like in almost all of the other classes, that the competitors are a big family. Racers helping racers weekly just to get to the track, let alone win, is commonplace. Barry's dad Maynard is the one who gave me the shop towels. Those who have been around racing in this area for an extended period of time, as have I, should remember Maynard well. He's turned a few thousand laps on the dirt around here, and was running in the Sport Compacts until a nasty accident a few weeks ago. I sure miss seeing Maynard on the track, but I'd rather have him around for a lot of years just in case I need more towels.

The Sprint Car win went to Mike Boston who also got a favorable starting position thanks to the ASCS style redraw of the top 8 points earners in the heats. Mike's victory gave him the lead in the points race as well. Ryan Kitchen got what I believe is his best finish of the season by coming home third. Ryan's been plagued by motor problems and other difficulties all year, so it was great to see him finish on the podium. Trevor Grossenbacher showed no signs of having let the accidents that befell him the last two weeks bother him. He made a quick advancement through the field to get into second. A late race caution gave Boston a clear field, and Trevor couldn't catch him. This young man's talent shows every week, and I can't believe that he hasn't snagged a W yet this year. His time is coming, make no mistake about that.

Time Warner Cable was on site, taping all of the races. They will be showing the races weekly on both Channel 411 Tuesdays and on the Metro Sports Channel on Fridays. I asked the one of the crew what channel I could watch it on Dish Network, but all he said was "Not funny!!". This reminds me of back in the day when you could watch replays of Midwest Speedway every week here in town. Oh well, guess I'll just have to watch it in person, because I'm not switching back to TWC.

Next weekend is Fire Prevention Night, and all fire & rescue personnel wearing their uniform or with a current picture ID receive free front gate admission. As always, there will be lots of things for the fans to participate in, and face painting for the kids. All 5 classes will be in action, with racing starting at 6:30.

Come out and have some fun; but be careful. It's going to be another scorcher!!

Again I ask that you take a few minutes to click on the ads on the right side of the page. It helps pay the bills for this site so I can keep blogging. Thanks to everyone who reads my blog, whether you click or not, because I love writing about racing and it's nice to know it's appreciated. Tell your friends and family to stop by also. Who knows, they might actually enjoy it!!

RESULTS:

360 Sprint 7/9/2011

A Main:1. Mike Boston (Crete, NE), 2. Trevor Grossenbacher (Lincoln, NE), 3. Ryan Kitchen (Weston, NE), 4. Doug Lovegrove (Waverly, NE), 5. Stu Snyder (Waverly, NE), 6. Gene Ackland (Lincoln, NE), 7. Tadd Holliman (Beaver Lake, NE), 8. Jason DANLEY (Lincoln, NE), 9. Mitchell Moore (Edgerton, KS), 10. Mark Pace (Lincoln, NE), 11. Jay Russell (Elwood, KS), 12. Roger SLUKA (Lincoln, NE), 13. Terry Holliman (Hamburg, IA), 14. Lee Bowes (Lincoln, NE), 15. Frank Sheridan (Lincoln, NE), 16. Taylor Forbes (Neligh, NE), 17. Nick Bryan (Lincoln, NE), 18. John Klabunde (Fort Calhoun, NE)

Heat 1:1. Mike Boston (Crete, NE), 2. Mark Pace (Lincoln, NE), 3. Trevor Grossenbacher (Lincoln, NE), 4. Mitchell Moore (Edgerton, KS), 5. Jay Russell (Elwood, KS), 6. Nick Bryan (Lincoln, NE)

Heat 2:1. Doug Lovegrove (Waverly, NE), 2. Jason DANLEY (Lincoln, NE), 3. Gene Ackland (Lincoln, NE), 4. Roger SLUKA (Lincoln, NE), 5. Frank Sheridan (Lincoln, NE), 6. Lee Bowes (Lincoln, NE)

Heat 3:1. Ryan Kitchen (Weston, NE), 2. John Klabunde (Fort Calhoun, NE), 3. Terry Holliman (Hamburg, IA), 4. Tadd Holliman (Beaver Lake, NE), 5. Stu Snyder (Waverly, NE), 6. Taylor Forbes (Neligh, NE)

IMCA Hobby Stock 7/9/2011

A Feature:1. Chad Fegley (Eagle, NE), 2. Roy Armstrong (Beatrice, NE), 3. Randall Macku (Lincoln, NE), 4. Justin Busboom (Lincoln, NE), 5. Joe Wollenhaupt (Neola, IA), 6. Ben Becher (Lincoln, NE), 7. Lee KRACHT (Scribner, NE), 8. Dan Noonan (Lincoln, NE), 9. Don Kros (Weston, NE), 10. Garrett Bolander (Blair, NE), 11. Rob Brown (Nebraska City, NE), 12. Robbie Hobus (Council Bluffs, IA), 13. Scott Santee (Omaha, NE), 14. Tim Kozak (Lincoln, NE), 15. Mike Hansen (Weeping Water, NE), 16. Ron Novak (Blair, NE), 17. Tim LaPointe (Lincoln, NE), 18. Damon Richards (David City, NE), 19. Don Hall Jr (Lincoln, NE), 20. Keith Dragoo (Lincoln, NE)

B Feature:1. Rob Brown (Nebraska City, NE), 2. Ron Novak (Blair, NE), 3. Garrett Bolander (Blair, NE), 4. Lee KRACHT (Scribner, NE), 5. Damon Richards (David City, NE), 6. Danny Patrick (Wilbur, NE), 7. Adam Vrbka (Eagle, NE), 8. Luke Nicholson (Ashland, NE), 9. Jared Flodman (Lincoln, NE), 10. David Carter (Fremont, NE), 11. Dale Hoyle (Nebraska City, NE), 12. Khrysta Stransky (Lincoln, NE), 13. Derick Noonan (Lincoln, NE), 14. Mark McKinney (Omaha, NE), 15. Jacob Waldron (Beatrice, NE)

Heat 1:1. Don Kros (Weston, NE), 2. Randall Macku (Lincoln, NE), 3. Scott Santee (Omaha, NE), 4. Joe Wollenhaupt (Neola, IA), 5. Robbie Hobus (Council Bluffs, IA), 6. Rob Brown (Nebraska City, NE), 7. Lee KRACHT (Scribner, NE), 8. Khrysta Stransky (Lincoln, NE), 9. David Carter (Fremont, NE), 10. Danny Patrick (Wilbur, NE)

Heat 2:1. Don Hall Jr (Lincoln, NE), 2. Keith Dragoo (Lincoln, NE), 3. Ben Becher (Lincoln, NE), 4. Roy Armstrong (Beatrice, NE), 5. Tim Kozak (Lincoln, NE), 6. Dale Hoyle (Nebraska City, NE), 7. Derick Noonan (Lincoln, NE), 8. Adam Vrbka (Eagle, NE), 9. Mark McKinney (Omaha, NE), 10. Jacob Waldron (Beatrice, NE)

Heat 3:1. Tim LaPointe (Lincoln, NE), 2. Chad Fegley (Eagle, NE), 3. Dan Noonan (Lincoln, NE), 4. Justin Busboom (Lincoln, NE), 5. Mike Hansen (Weeping Water, NE), 6. Garrett Bolander (Blair, NE), 7. Luke Nicholson (Ashland, NE), 8. Ron Novak (Blair, NE), 9. Jared Flodman (Lincoln, NE), 10. Damon Richards (David City, NE)

IMCA Modified 7/9/2011

A Feature:1. Johnny Saathoff (Beatrice, NE), 2. Chris Ableson (Sioux City, IA), 3. Justin Wulf (Arlington, NE), 4. Roger Hadan (Bennington, NE), 5. Rik Gropp (Lincoln, NE), 6. Dylan Smith (Osceola, NE), 7. Dan Nelson (Beatrice, NE), 8. Terry Richards (Denton, NE), 9. Josh Most (Red Oak, IA), 10. Scott Bivens (Ceresco, NE), 11. Lance Borgman (Beatrice, NE), 12. Dustin Andersen (Omaha, NE), 13. Clint Homan (Bellevue, NE), 14. Mike Densberger (Malcolm, NE), 15. Jim KRUPICKA (Denton, NE), 16. Jerry Trejo (Lincoln, NE), 17. Bob Zoubek (Dorchester, NE), 18. Ed RAINES (Lincoln, NE), 19. Shane Hiatt (Rising City, NE), 20. Chris Alcorn (Lincoln, NE)

B Feature:1. Terry Richards (Denton, NE), 2. Clint Homan (Bellevue, NE), 3. Lance Borgman (Beatrice, NE), 4. Chris Ableson (Sioux City, IA), 5. Aaron Pella (Lincoln, NE), 6. Lacey Tuttle (Elmwood, NE), 7. Doug Deterding (Lincoln, NE), 8. Tim Pickens (Omaha, NE), 9. Justin Addison (Leigh, NE), 10. Patrick DONOVAN (Sterling, NE), 11. Jace Wikoff (Lincoln, NE), 12. Chad Andersen (Omaha, NE), 13. Andrew Hille (Hickman, NE), 14. Matt Stevens (Waverly, NE), 15. Jarrod Wiechert (Lincoln, NE), 16. Jan Korth (Lincoln, NE), 17. Bob Ruisinger (Bennet, NE)

Heat 1:1. Jim KRUPICKA (Denton, NE), 2. Rik Gropp (Lincoln, NE), 3. Justin Wulf (Arlington, NE), 4. Josh Most (Red Oak, IA), 5. Clint Homan (Bellevue, NE), 6. Doug Deterding (Lincoln, NE), 7. Terry Richards (Denton, NE), 8. Bob Ruisinger (Bennet, NE), 9. Jace Wikoff (Lincoln, NE)

Heat 2:1. Johnny Saathoff (Beatrice, NE), 2. Chris Alcorn (Lincoln, NE), 3. Shane Hiatt (Rising City, NE), 4. Scott Bivens (Ceresco, NE), 5. Tim Pickens (Omaha, NE), 6. Andrew Hille (Hickman, NE), 7. Matt Stevens (Waverly, NE), 8. Lacey Tuttle (Elmwood, NE)

Heat 3:1. Roger Hadan (Bennington, NE), 2. Bob Zoubek (Dorchester, NE), 3. Dan Nelson (Beatrice, NE), 4. Jerry Trejo (Lincoln, NE), 5. Lance Borgman (Beatrice, NE), 6. Aaron Pella (Lincoln, NE), 7. Patrick DONOVAN (Sterling, NE), 8. Chad Andersen (Omaha, NE)

Heat 4:1. Dylan Smith (Osceola, NE), 2. Dustin Andersen (Omaha, NE), 3. Ed RAINES (Lincoln, NE), 4. Mike Densberger (Malcolm, NE), 5. Jarrod Wiechert (Lincoln, NE), 6. Jan Korth (Lincoln, NE), 7. Justin Addison (Leigh, NE), 8. Chris Ableson (Sioux City, IA)

IMCA Sport Compact 7/9/2011

A Feature:1. Barry Kinnersley (LaVista, NE), 2. Troy Knoell (Omaha, NE), 3. Matt Moyer (Gretna, NE), 4. Nick Lindblad (Beatrice, NE), 5. Jesse Osmon (Alvo, NE), 6. Kyle Gannon (Lincoln, NE), 7. Chad Bassinger (Nebraska City, NE), 8. Ole Olsen (Carter Lake, IA), 9. Fred Johnson (Lincoln, NE), 10. Trevor Noonan (Lincoln, NE), 11. Tim Horsham (Raymond, NE), 12. Travis Schellpeper (Douglas, NE), 13. Josh Johnson (Lincoln, NE), 14. Brandon Bolin (Lincoln, NE), 15. Brian Haller (Lincoln, NE), 16. Kenny Roberts (Lincoln, NE), 17. Nic Hitz (Lincoln, NE), 18. Melissa Cronin (Lincoln, NE), 19. Kevin Fearing (Lincoln, NE), 20. Kevin Zeitner (Omaha, NE)

Heat 1:1. Barry Kinnersley (LaVista, NE), 2. Brandon Bolin (Lincoln, NE), 3. Kyle Gannon (Lincoln, NE), 4. Kenny Roberts (Lincoln, NE), 5. Sara Deterding (Lincoln, NE), 6. Rick Hollandsworth (Lincoln, NE), 7. David Knoell (Omaha, NE), 8. Shannon Wulf (Lincoln, NE), 9. Jeff Davis (Lincoln, NE), 10. Don Heyne (Omaha, NE)

Heat 2:1. Trevor Noonan (Lincoln, NE), 2. Troy Knoell (Omaha, NE), 3. Tim Horsham (Raymond, NE), 4. Travis Schellpeper (Douglas, NE), 5. Erica Cronin (Lincoln, NE), 6. Keith Miller (Lincoln, NE), 7. David Knoell Sr (Fremont, NE), 8. Blake HAAS (Eagle, NE), 9. Chad Bassinger (Nebraska City, NE), 10. Rick Larsen (Omaha, NE)

Heat 3:1. Nic Hitz (Lincoln, NE), 2. Melissa Cronin (Lincoln, NE), 3. Brian Haller (Lincoln, NE), 4. Kevin Zeitner (Omaha, NE), 5. Ole Olsen (Carter Lake, IA), 6. Josh Johnson (Lincoln, NE), 7. Sydney Yost (Nebraska City, NE), 8. Lindsay Nicewonger (Lincoln, NE), 9. Fred Johnson (Lincoln, NE)

Heat 4:1. Matt Moyer (Gretna, NE), 2. Kevin Fearing (Lincoln, NE), 3. Nick Lindblad (Beatrice, NE), 4. Jesse Osmon (Alvo, NE), 5. Michelle Nicholson (Ashland, NE), 6. Billy Roberts (Lincoln, NE), 7. James Snelling (Omaha, NE), 8. Austin Angel (Lincoln, NE), 9. Larry Cronin (Lincoln, NE)

IMCA Sport Modified 7/9/2011

A Feature:1. Cory Hutchison (Plattsmouth, NE), 2. Gary Saathoff (Beatrice, NE), 3. Kevin Anderson (Lincoln, NE), 4. Max Harder (Blue Springs, ne), 5. Marty Steinbach (Fremont, NE), 6. Nathan Kobus (Lincoln, NE), 7. Kyle Prauner (Norfolk, NE), 8. Nelson Vollbrecht (Stanton, NE), 9. Buddy Ray Jones (Council Bluffs, IA), 10. Anthony Kobus (David City, NE), 11. Matt Boucher (Murdock, ne), 12. Gary Laflin (Beatrice, NE), 13. Joe Schidler (Lincoln, NE), 14. Nate Thompson (Fremont, NE), 15. Don Rinke (Lincoln, NE), 16. Joey DANLEY (Lincoln, NE), 17. Lindsey Yost (Nebraska City, NE), 18. Shelly Andersen (Lincoln, NE), 19. Dustin Thayer (Bellevue, FL), 20. Steve Swarthout (Beatrice, NE)

B Feature 1:1. Nelson Vollbrecht (Stanton, NE), 2. Buddy Ray Jones (Council Bluffs, IA), 3. Rick MUNSON (Omaha, NE), 4. Kole Nordquist (Beresford, SD), 5. Jared Cote (Lincoln, NE), 6. Roger Harpster (Omaha, NE), 7. Kevin Jochum (Roca, NE), 8. Kyle Driskell (Rock Port, MO), 9. Ron Allen (Nickerson, NE), 10. Larry Robinson Sr (Omaha, NE), 11. Benji Legg (Beatrice, NE)

B Feature 2:1. Anthony Kobus (David City, NE), 2. Shelly Andersen (Lincoln, NE), 3. Todd Sanford (Lincoln, NE), 4. Ryan Munhall (Plattsmouth, NE), 5. Sean Conaway (Omaha, NE), 6. Denny BERGHAHN JR (Plattsmouth, NE), 7. Jeremy Noonan (Lincoln, NE), 8. Mary Lenz (Elmwood, NE), 9. Keegan Nordquist (Beresford, SD), 10. Jack Prall III (Union, NE)

Heat 1:1. Don Rinke (Lincoln, NE), 2. Gary Saathoff (Beatrice, NE), 3. Marty Steinbach (Fremont, NE), 4. Joe Schidler (Lincoln, NE), 5. Kevin Jochum (Roca, NE), 6. Rick MUNSON (Omaha, NE), 7. Ron Allen (Nickerson, NE), 8. Buddy Ray Jones (Council Bluffs, IA), 9. Larry Robinson Sr (Omaha, NE), 10. Keegan Nordquist (Beresford, SD)

Heat 2:1. Kevin Anderson (Lincoln, NE), 2. Joey DANLEY (Lincoln, NE), 3. Gary Laflin (Beatrice, NE), 4. Steve Swarthout (Beatrice, NE), 5. Mary Lenz (Elmwood, NE), 6. Jack Prall III (Union, NE), 7. Jeremy Noonan (Lincoln, NE), 8. Shelly Andersen (Lincoln, NE), 9. Todd Sanford (Lincoln, NE), 10. Kole Nordquist (Beresford, SD)

Heat 3:1. Cory Hutchison (Plattsmouth, NE), 2. Dustin Thayer (Bellevue, FL), 3. Matt Boucher (Murdock, ne), 4. Kyle Prauner (Norfolk, NE), 5. Nelson Vollbrecht (Stanton, NE), 6. Kyle Driskell (Rock Port, MO), 7. Jared Cote (Lincoln, NE), 8. Roger Harpster (Omaha, NE)

Heat 4:1. Nathan Kobus (Lincoln, NE), 2. Nate Thompson (Fremont, NE), 3. Max Harder (Blue Springs, ne), 4. Lindsey Yost (Nebraska City, NE), 5. Anthony Kobus (David City, NE), 6. Sean Conaway (Omaha, NE), 7. Denny BERGHAHN JR (Plattsmouth, NE), 8. Ryan Munhall (Plattsmouth, NE), 9. Benji Legg (Beatrice, NE)

The 4th of July

2011-07-04T20:09:00.001-05:00

Okay, it's been over a month since I last put up a blog. Unlike some bloggers, I don't feel it necessary to bloviate incessantly (sometimes more than twice a day). Between family health concerns and our quarterly cycle count at work, I just haven't had the time or inclination to post. I also have 4 articles in the pipeline for Flat Out magazine, but am currently waiting on input from others so I'm at a stand-still. But today, in honor of the 4th of July I just feel like it again.

Today we celebrate the anniversay of the signing of the Declaration of Independance; the document that told the world that we were through belonging to any nation, and that we were a force to be reckoned with. To paraphrase Rodney Dangerfield in 'Back to School': "We don't take crap from anybody!!.

Lately, unfortunately, that really hasn't held true. Not only are we still helping out every country that can't take care of themselves, our own government can't even take care of it's own. We spend BILLIONS of dollars on non-citizens and freeloaders, but don't do anything to right the problems that plague the hard-working folks who supply the money to do so.

I'll step off of my "Our government needs to get it's head out of it's lower orifice" soapbox and get back to our regularly scheduled blog. Yes, it's a sore subject with me; but I don't want to get myself started or we'll be here all day.

With only 11 weeks left in Eagle's schedule, I think the place has been doing REALLY well. VERY good crowds weekly, and great racing every night makes this old fan a happy man!! I would venture a guess that it also puts a smile on the faces of the owners/promoters of the facility. Sadly, the same can't be said for a lot of dirt track facilities around the country, and we lose more every year. That is bad for every true dirt track fan; no matter what class is your favorite. Go out and spend an evening at your local track; and while you're at it, take 2 friends who've never been. We need new blood out there, because the die-hard fans are getting fewer and fewer all the time.

This last Saturday's events were no exception. 5 classes of cars racing on what was arguably the best racing surface of the year so far (thanks to no rain on Friday night), and still done early; can't beat that with a stick. The A Modified feature was one of the best races I've witnessed in a long time. From the battle for the lead between Dustin Andersen and Justin Wulf, to the back-and forth at the end with Justin getting the win over multi-time IMCA Champion Johnny Saathoff after Johnny passed him, had the crowd rockin' and rollin' with excitement. Justin was his usual, very quiet self during the interview, but you could see that he was jumping for joy inside. He has a true racer's mentality; evidenced by his quote in his interview "I am NOT going to let Johnny beat me!!!". His first A Mod win was a long time coming, but I highly doubt it will be long before he sees victory lane again.

We're lucky to have what has been called the strongest field of A Mods in the country, and the other classes are no slouches either. A great field in every class makes for fantastic competition in each. If you are a dirt track fan, this is the place to be on summer Saturdays!!

Kevin Anderson got his first win in a Sport Mod, and was really happy to get that monkey off of his back. I kidded him that Roger finally gave him a track that fitted his set-up, but he corrected me by telling that they had finally gotten the car dialed in. All that was thanks to his crew, plus Randy Flodman and Todd Sanford as well as Ed Wooge. Salute to the people who make it possible for all of the racers to get to do what they love!!

RJ Macku got #6 in the hobby stocks Saturday night, after falling out and suffering a DNF the 2 previous weeks. If he can keep his nose clean and stay out of trouble, I just don't see anyone overcoming him for the points win this year. If he didn't hang around with that "Handsome" guy, I'd root for him (sorry Chad; I had to!).

Matt Moyer won his second on the year in the Sport Compacts. A lot of people look down on this class, but when you see the smiles on the face of a winner in ANY class, you just have to love it. Sure, it's an entry-level class, but if you think it's any easier to win because of that you have another think coming. They work all week long at their regular jobs, then go to work on their race cars. They sweat and bleed just as much as any other class, and most do it on their own dime with minimal sponsorship.

Trevor Grossenbacher was on his way to a win over Jack Dover in the 360 sprints, only to catch the Armco in turn 3; snagging the victory from his grasp for the second week in a row. He had been running low, but with all of the lapped traffic he had no choice but to move to the top. His racer ended up riding up onto the wall and finally rolling over. According to the announcer he had been running 1/10th of a second faster than Dover and most likely would not have been caught. Jack mentioned to me in his interview that Trevor needs to slow down just a bit, and he'll be great. I also spoke with Trevor's dad, Steve, after the racing and he referenced a time that he personally took out a tree after clearing that same wall when he ran a sprinter at Eagle. Trevor has the drive, the equipment and the talent to be not just a winner wherever he runs but a champion. Keep your chin up Trevor; it's coming. Mike Boston made it a contest after that, but just couldn't get past Jack. It appeared that the bottom was the place to be, and Jack held on for the win.

I wish that I could get to other tracks, but with our money situation I just don't see that happening. What really bothers me is the fact that I won't get to see the World of Outlaws this year (barring a strange occurence like the one that made it possible for me to attend my one and only Knoxville Nationals a few years ago). This really sucks, because there are SO many people that I only get to see once a year. I'll especially miss our time with Dana and Stevie Kinser. Those are 2 of our favorite members of our extended racing family. I truly think that seeing our friends is more important than the racing itself; both at a WoO event and any other dirt track race. Don't get me wrong, because any and all dirt track racing is something to not be missed; and the WoO is the cream of the crop when it comes to cruising around the clay!!

Coming up next weekend is Christmas in July, where we try to help out the Toys for Tots campaign by giving $5 off an adult admission for the donation of a new toy to the cause. The following week anyone in uniform or with a current ID showing that they are a volunteer fire or rescue member gets in the front gate free. Saturday July 23rd is our annual Kids Night/Bike Giveaway. Can a new record be set after having over 340 bicycles given away last year? Come out and see for yourself, but you'd better get there early if you want a good seat because the place will be packed!!!

The show that I'm really jazzed about is coming August 5th. USAC will be bringing their wingless 410 sprint cars to Nebraska for the first time EVER!! The very thought of this event hearkens my heart back to the old IMCA State Fair sprint car shows of yesteryear. I cannot wait to see those fire-breathers on the high banks!!

Please, click on the ads on the right side of the page. We need to help support the people who make it possible for yahoos like myself to have a place to blog at. Thanks for taking the time out from your busy lives to read my blog.

Here are last Saturday's results:

360 Sprint 7/2/2011

A Main:1. Jack Dover (Springfield, NE), 2. Mike Boston (Crete, NE), 3. Gene Ackland (Lincoln, NE), 4. Doug Lovegrove (Waverly, NE), 5. Tyler Drueke (Omaha, NE), 6. Mark Pace (Lincoln, NE), 7. Jeff Osborn (Savannah, MO), 8. Ken Klabunde (Omaha, NE), 9. John Klabunde (Fort Calhoun, NE), 10. Jason DANLEY (Lincoln, NE), 11. Tadd Holliman (Beaver Lake, NE), 12. Mitchell Moore (Edgerton, KS), 13. Josh Riggins (Lincoln, NE), 14. Stu Snyder (Waverly, NE), 15. Terry Holliman (Hamburg, IA), 16. Lee Bowes (Lincoln, NE), 17. Trevor Grossenbacher (Lincoln, NE), 18. Frank Sheridan (Lincoln, NE), 19. Nick Bryan (Lincoln, NE), 20. Terry Cadwallader (Lincoln, NE), 21. Dave Glennon, 22. Tige Jensen (Lincoln, NE),

Heat 1:1. Tyler Drueke (Omaha, NE), 2. Jack Dover (Springfield, NE), 3. Tige Jensen (Lincoln, NE), 4. John Klabunde (Fort Calhoun, NE), 5. Stu Snyder (Waverly, NE), 6. Tadd Holliman (Beaver Lake, NE), 7. Nick Bryan (Lincoln, NE), 8. Frank Sheridan (Lincoln, NE),

Heat 2:1. Mike Boston (Crete, NE), 2. Gene Ackland (Lincoln, NE), 3. Jason DANLEY (Lincoln, NE), 4. Jeff Osborn (Savannah, MO), 5. Josh Riggins (Lincoln, NE), 6. Lee Bowes (Lincoln, NE), 7. Mitchell Moore (Edgerton, KS), 8. Ryan Kitchen (Weston, NE),

Heat 3:1. Mark Pace (Lincoln, NE), 2. Ken Klabunde (Omaha, NE), 3. Trevor Grossenbacher (Lincoln, NE), 4. Doug Lovegrove (Waverly, NE), 5. Terry Holliman (Hamburg, IA), 6. Dave Glennon, 7. Terry Cadwallader (Lincoln, NE),

IMCA Hobby Stock 7/2/2011

A Feature:1. Randall Macku (Lincoln, NE), 2. Roy Armstrong (Beatrice, NE), 3. Robbie Hobus (Council Bluffs, IA), 4. Don Hall Jr (Lincoln, NE), 5. Chad Fegley (Eagle, NE), 6. Don Kros (Weston, NE), 7. Mike Hansen (Weeping Water, NE), 8. Rob Brown (Nebraska City, NE), 9. Ben Becher (Lincoln, NE), 10. Eric Cerny (Rogers, NE), 11. Justin Busboom (Lincoln, NE), 12. Keith Dragoo (Lincoln, NE), 13. Tim LaPointe (Lincoln, NE), 14. David Carter (Fremont, NE), 15. Kyle Hein (Columbus, NE), 16. Adam Vrbka (Eagle, NE), 17. Mark McKinney (Omaha, NE), 18. Derick Noonan (Lincoln, NE), 19. Andrew Lewis (Martell, NE), 20. Joe Wollenhaupt (Neola, IA),

B Feature:1. Joe Wollenhaupt (Neola, IA), 2. Derick Noonan (Lincoln, NE), 3. Kyle Hein (Columbus, NE), 4. Tim LaPointe (Lincoln, NE), 5. Mark McKinney (Omaha, NE), 6. Scott Santee (Omaha, NE), 7. Luke Nicholson (Ashland, NE), 8. Khrysta Stransky (Lincoln, NE), 9. Dale Hoyle (Nebraska City, NE), 10. Jeremy Conkel (Lincoln, NE), 11. Jared Flodman (Lincoln, NE), 12. Danny Patrick (Wilbur, NE), 13. Jason Tadlock (Omaha, NE), 14. Dan Noonan (Lincoln, NE), 15. Jacob Waldron (Beatrice, NE),

Heat 1:1. Don Hall Jr (Lincoln, NE), 2. Randall Macku (Lincoln, NE), 3. Don Kros (Weston, NE), 4. Justin Busboom (Lincoln, NE), 5. Keith Dragoo (Lincoln, NE), 6. Jason Tadlock (Omaha, NE), 7. Mark McKinney (Omaha, NE), 8. Danny Patrick (Wilbur, NE), 9. Jared Flodman (Lincoln, NE), 10. Jeremy Conkel (Lincoln, NE),

Heat 2:1. Rob Brown (Nebraska City, NE), 2. Robbie Hobus (Council Bluffs, IA), 3. Mike Hansen (Weeping Water, NE), 4. Adam Vrbka (Eagle, NE), 5. Eric Cerny (Rogers, NE), 6. Derick Noonan (Lincoln, NE), 7. Joe Wollenhaupt (Neola, IA), 8. Tim LaPointe (Lincoln, NE), 9. Luke Nicholson (Ashland, NE), 10. Scott Santee (Omaha, NE),

Heat 3:1. David Carter (Fremont, NE), 2. Roy Armstrong (Beatrice, NE), 3. Chad Fegley (Eagle, NE), 4. Andrew Lewis (Martell, NE), 5. Ben Becher (Lincoln, NE), 6. Kyle Hein (Columbus, NE), 7. Khrysta Stransky (Lincoln, NE), 8. Dale Hoyle (Nebraska City, NE), 9. Dan Noonan (Lincoln, NE), 10. Jacob Waldron (Beatrice, NE),

IMCA Modified 7/2/2011

A Feature:1. Justin Wulf (Arlington, NE), 2. Johnny Saathoff (Beatrice, NE), 3. Matt Brack (Mead, CO), 4. Bob Zoubek (Dorchester, NE), 5. Dustin Andersen (Omaha, NE), 6. Lacey Tuttle (Elmwood, NE), 7. Chris Ableson (Sioux City, IA), 8. Shane Hiatt (Rising City, NE), 9. Ed RAINES (Lincoln, NE), 10. Rik Gropp (Lincoln, NE), 11. Tim Pickens (Omaha, NE), 12. Scott Bivens (Ceresco, NE), 13. Jerry Trejo (Lincoln, NE), 14. Jan Korth (Lincoln, NE), 15. Mike Densberger (Malcolm, NE), 16. Roger Hadan (Bennington, NE), 17. Dylan Smith (Osceola, NE), 18. Lance Borgman (Beatrice, NE), 19. Will Brack (Mead, co), 20. Nathan Landauer (Lincoln, NE),

B Feature 1:1. Jan Korth (Lincoln, NE), 2. Ed RAINES (Lincoln, NE), 3. Doug Deterding (Lincoln, NE), 4. Jarrod Wiechert (Lincoln, NE), 5. Matt Stevens (Waverly, NE), 6. Jace Wikoff (Lincoln, NE), 7. Bob Ruisinger (Bennet, NE), 8. Jim KRUPICKA (Denton, NE), 9. Mike Scheinost (Lincoln, NE),

B Feature 2:1. Will Brack (Mead, co), 2. Nathan Landauer (Lincoln, NE), 3. Chad Andersen (Omaha, NE), 4. Andrew Hille (Hickman, NE), 5. Tyler GREENE (Rock Port, MO), 6. Patrick DONOVAN (Sterling, NE), 7. Brian Olson (Lincoln, NE), 8. Aaron Pella (Lincoln, NE), 9. Matt TEMPLIN (Lincoln, NE),

Heat 1:1. Bob Zoubek (Dorchester, NE), 2. Matt Brack (Mead, CO), 3. Shane Hiatt (Rising City, NE), 4. Scott Bivens (Ceresco, NE), 5. Bob Ruisinger (Bennet, NE), 6. Doug Deterding (Lincoln, NE), 7. Jan Korth (Lincoln, NE), 8. Matt Stevens (Waverly, NE), 9. Mike Scheinost (Lincoln, NE),

Heat 2:1. Chris Ableson (Sioux City, IA), 2. Justin Wulf (Arlington, NE), 3. Dylan Smith (Osceola, NE), 4. Lacey Tuttle (Elmwood, NE), 5. Nathan Landauer (Lincoln, NE), 6. Andrew Hille (Hickman, NE), 7. Matt TEMPLIN (Lincoln, NE), 8. Will Brack (Mead, co), 9. Brian Olson (Lincoln, NE),

Heat 3:1. Mike Densberger (Malcolm, NE), 2. Johnny Saathoff (Beatrice, NE), 3. Dustin Andersen (Omaha, NE), 4. Rik Gropp (Lincoln, NE), 5. Jim KRUPICKA (Denton, NE), 6. Ed RAINES (Lincoln, NE), 7. Jarrod Wiechert (Lincoln, NE), 8. Jace Wikoff (Lincoln, NE),

Heat 4:1. Lance Borgman (Beatrice, NE), 2. Jerry Trejo (Lincoln, NE), 3. Roger Hadan (Bennington, NE), 4. Tim Pickens (Omaha, NE), 5. Aaron Pella (Lincoln, NE), 6. Chad Andersen (Omaha, NE), 7. Patrick DONOVAN (Sterling, NE), 8. Tyler GREENE (Rock Port, MO),

IMCA Sport Compact 7/2/2011

A Feature:1. Matt Moyer (Gretna, NE), 2. Nick Lindblad (Beatrice, NE), 3. Fred Johnson (Lincoln, NE), 4. Kenny Roberts (Lincoln, NE), 5. Chad Bassinger (Nebraska City, NE), 6. Ole Olsen (Carter Lake, IA), 7. Kyle Gannon (Lincoln, NE), 8. Josh Johnson (Lincoln, NE), 9. Trevor Noonan (Lincoln, NE), 10. Brian Haller (Lincoln, NE), 11. Troy Knoell (Omaha, NE), 12. Travis Schellpeper (Douglas, NE), 13. Michelle Nicholson (Ashland, NE), 14. Brandon Bolin (Lincoln, NE), 15. Kevin Staack (Lincoln, NE), 16. Jesse Osmon (Alvo, NE), 17. Melissa Cronin (Lincoln, NE), 18. Amanda Rhiley (Bennington, NE), 19. Barry Kinnersley (LaVista, NE), 20. Nic Hitz (Lincoln, NE),

B Feature:1. Josh Johnson (Lincoln, NE), 2. Brandon Bolin (Lincoln, NE), 3. Michelle Nicholson (Ashland, NE), 4. Troy Knoell (Omaha, NE), 5. Nic Hitz (Lincoln, NE), 6. David Knoell (Omaha, NE), 7. Kevin Fearing (Lincoln, NE), 8. Mike Simpson (Ashland, NE), 9. John Sedlachek (Eagle, NE), 10. Sara Deterding (Lincoln, NE), 11. Rick Hollandsworth (Lincoln, NE), 12. David Knoell Sr, 13. Samantha Johnson (Lincoln, NE), 14. Amanda Triplette (Lincoln, NE), 15. Erica Cronin (Lincoln, NE), 16. Lindsay Nicewonger (Lincoln, NE), 17. Blake HAAS (Eagle, NE), 18. Larry Cronin (Lincoln, NE), 19. Shannon Wulf (Lincoln, NE),

Heat 1:1. Fred Johnson (Lincoln, NE), 2. Matt Moyer (Gretna, NE), 3. Ole Olsen (Carter Lake, IA), 4. Jesse Osmon (Alvo, NE), 5. Kyle Gannon (Lincoln, NE), 6. Erica Cronin (Lincoln, NE), 7. Brandon Bolin (Lincoln, NE), 8. Michelle Nicholson (Ashland, NE), 9. Samantha Johnson (Lincoln, NE), 10. Shannon Wulf (Lincoln, NE), 11. Blake HAAS (Eagle, NE),

Heat 2:1. Barry Kinnersley (LaVista, NE), 2. Nick Lindblad (Beatrice, NE), 3. Kevin Staack (Lincoln, NE), 4. Kenny Roberts (Lincoln, NE), 5. Travis Schellpeper (Douglas, NE), 6. Kevin Fearing (Lincoln, NE), 7. Mike Simpson (Ashland, NE), 8. Rick Hollandsworth (Lincoln, NE), 9. David Knoell (Omaha, NE), 10. David Knoell Sr, 11. Amanda Triplette (Lincoln, NE), 12. Nic Hitz (Lincoln, NE),

Heat 3:1. Trevor Noonan (Lincoln, NE), 2. Melissa Cronin (Lincoln, NE), 3. Amanda Rhiley (Bennington, NE), 4. Brian Haller (Lincoln, NE), 5. Chad Bassinger (Nebraska City, NE), 6. Josh Johnson (Lincoln, NE), 7. Larry Cronin (Lincoln, NE), 8. Troy Knoell (Omaha, NE), 9. Sara Deterding (Lincoln, NE), 10. Lindsay Nicewonger (Lincoln, NE), 11. John Sedlachek (Eagle, NE),

IMCA Sport Modified 7/2/2011

A Feature:1. Kevin Anderson (Lincoln, NE), 2. Marty Steinbach (Fremont, NE), 3. Todd Sanford (Lincoln, NE), 4. Nelson Vollbrecht (Stanton, NE), 5. Joey DANLEY (Lincoln, NE), 6. Kyle Prauner (Norfolk, NE), 7. Benji Legg (Beatrice, NE), 8. Anthony Kobus (David City, NE), 9. Larry Robinson Sr (Omaha, NE), 10. Joe Schidler (Lincoln, NE), 11. Ryan Munhall (Plattsmouth, NE), 12. Laini Schwartz (Omaha, NE), 13. Steve Swarthout (Beatrice, NE), 14. Matt Boucher (Murdock, ne), 15. Gary Saathoff (Beatrice, NE), 16. Kyle Driskell (Rock Port, MO), 17. Nathan Kobus (Lincoln, NE), 18. Max Harder (Blue Springs, ne), 19. Dan JACKSON (Crete, NE), 20. Shelly Andersen (Lincoln, NE),

B Feature:1. Nelson Vollbrecht (Stanton, NE), 2. Benji Legg (Beatrice, NE), 3. Shelly Andersen (Lincoln, NE), 4. Matt Boucher (Murdock, ne), 5. Larry Robinson Sr (Omaha, NE), 6. Denny BERGHAHN JR (Plattsmouth, NE), 7. Nate Thompson (Fremont, NE), 8. Buddy Ray Jones (Council Bluffs, IA), 9. Lindsey Yost (Nebraska City, NE), 10. Roger Harpster (Omaha, NE), 11. Jared Cote (Lincoln, NE), 12. Don Rinke (Lincoln, NE), 13. Steven Saunders (Bellevue, NE), 14. Mary Lenz (Elmwood, NE), 15. Jeremy Noonan (Lincoln, NE),

Heat 1:1. Kyle Prauner (Norfolk, NE), 2. Nathan Kobus (Lincoln, NE), 3. Ryan Munhall (Plattsmouth, NE), 4. Joe Schidler (Lincoln, NE), 5. Laini Schwartz (Omaha, NE), 6. Shelly Andersen (Lincoln, NE), 7. Matt Boucher (Murdock, ne), 8. Larry Robinson Sr (Omaha, NE), 9. Jeremy Noonan (Lincoln, NE), 10. Buddy Ray Jones (Council Bluffs, IA),

Heat 2:1. Kyle Driskell (Rock Port, MO), 2. Max Harder (Blue Springs, ne), 3. Todd Sanford (Lincoln, NE), 4. Anthony Kobus (David City, NE), 5. Dan JACKSON (Crete, NE), 6. Nelson Vollbrecht (Stanton, NE), 7. Denny BERGHAHN JR (Plattsmouth, NE), 8. Nate Thompson (Fremont, NE), 9. Steven Saunders (Bellevue, NE), 10. Jared Cote (Lincoln, NE),

Heat 3:1. Kevin Anderson (Lincoln, NE), 2. Joey DANLEY (Lincoln, NE), 3. Gary Saathoff (Beatrice, NE), 4. Marty Steinbach (Fremont, NE), 5. Steve Swarthout (Beatrice, NE), 6. Benji Legg (Beatrice, NE), 7. Don Rinke (Lincoln, NE), 8. Lindsey Yost (Nebraska City, NE), 9. Mary Lenz (Elmwood, NE), 10. Roger Harpster (Omaha, NE),

What's important

2011-05-25T19:33:00.003-05:00

I didn't post a blog last week, partly because Eagle Raceway rained out. Mostly though, I've been reviewing my priorities. My mother hasn't been very good lately, and at 88 it's not going to be easy for her to bounce back like she used to. Couple that with my wife's ongoing problems, and it's hard to worry too much about racing, as much as I love it.

Since this weekend is Memorial Day, I also have been reflecting on years past. As I've mentioned before, we always went to Milligan (where my father was from) and decorated the graves of our relatives. So, Monday we'll be heading there again; this time we'll be cleaning and decorating my father's final resting place.

When you throw in all of the horrible weather around the country, the huge loss of life, people without anything left of their possessions, some things just pale in comparison. However, the world goes on, and so must we. With that in mind, let's talk about racing.

This past weekend Roger and the crew worked a LOT of hours in order to get the track ready so we could hold races. When I talked to him Thursday he stated "I don't care if it kills me, we're racing!!". When you consider that Eagle was the ONLY track that raced for hundreds of miles around Thursday, Friday or Saturday, you can imagine what it took to be able to do so. What more could you ask of a promoter?? Some folks think that promoters are a breed that don't care about the fans or racers, but that mold definitely doesn't fit Roger. He wants to give the racers somewhere to compete and to put on a good show for the fans, because that's what racing is about. I'd say that he succeeded again.

Saturday night all racers who came to pick up their payout were handed a stack of free admission tickets for the Memorial Day weekend races. Sounds like a good deal for the racers and especially for the fans; free admission is something that you just don't get much anymore. The teams & racers get the chance to let their families watch from the stands for nothing, plus giving back to their fans. I have a few left, so if you need a couple just stop by the pit shack before the races.

The racing was pretty darned good too. Max Harder got his first victory ever at Eagle in a Sport Modified and summed up most of the racers feelings when he said "I’m so glad that we actually had a track to race on after everyone else cancelled”. Judging by a bunch of posts on Facebook the week before, he wasn't alone in that sympathy.

I believe that the Sport Compact win by Cameron Meyer was a first also, but I couldn't locate him for an interview. By the time that I got to the back pits he was evidently gone already. Sorry Cameron; I'll be sure to catch you after your next victory.

RJ Macku grabbed the Hobby Stock Feature again, holding off "Handsome" Chad Fegley and Roy Armstrong. Racing all around the track and throughout the pack made it exciting for all. I thought about asking RJ if winning was getting old, but I'd already given him a hard enough time.

Johnny Saathoff bounced back from an uncharacteristic 4th place in his heat with a vengeance, capturing the A Feature for the Modifieds. You could tell that Saathoff was on a mission, and wasn't going to settle for anything less than a win. The Modified racing at Eagle is second to none anywhere in the country. If you can be among the top in points there, you can race ANYWHERE and be successful!

There was a bit of controversy in the 360 sprint A Main. With just over a handful of laps left, Jack Dover passed then leader Logan Forler. But, a yellow flag came out for another car who had spun in turn 3. Dover thought that he should have the lead, but the transponder system said otherwise. Dover has since stated that his raceiver wasn't working, but the officials showed him several times that he should move back to second. After repeatedly ignoring the officials directions, the flagman showed him the black flag and put him in fourth. Jack managed to get back up to second, but Forler held on for the win.

From what I could hear, it sounded like the fans were divided over who they thought was in the right. The devoted Doverites booed, the others cheered, and in the end it didn't really matter. You can't cheat the transponders, and no matter how much chest-thumping you do on the internet, the win stays with Forler. Jack and Roger both were a part of an internet radio show Monday evening, and it sounds like the big hoorah is in the past and we can move ahead and move on. Let's hope so. Jack is a tremendous talent, and a great young man. He's proven that he can run with the best, and he not only does that, he WINS against the best!

After interviewing Logan, I can see why he is a successful part of the ASCS National tour. Intelligent, well-spoken, and very dedicated to his craft. I failed to ask, but I think he was getting a little practice in at "America's Home Track" in preparation for the Eagle Nationals coming up June 10th & 11th.

Hope that all of you can be on hand either Friday or Saturday (or both would be even better). I know that we'll have people from all over the country visiting; I know one of my racing friends and his wife are coming up for the show. I'm not sure if his new bride has ever visited the high banks, but I know this will be a first for him. He's picked a good one for his initial visit for sure.

The weekly show is a can't miss, so get your hiney in gear and get out there. You won't be disappointed.

To read my write-up of Saturday night's action, you can do so here:
Eagle Raceway write-up 5/22/11

Opening night of the 2011 Eagle Raceway Season

2011-05-04T20:48:00.000-05:00

What can be said about the first night of the 2011 season at Eagle? I would say that WOW is nowhere near a strong enough word.

A revamped track surface suffered under strong winds both Friday and Saturday. Of course, it turned dry-slick and even developed a few ruts. But, what do you expect from the first track of the season after a practice night the evening before? I thought it held up pretty darned well, considering.

While working the Pit Shack before the racing started, I kept wondering "will the people ever stop coming???". We ended up with 180 race cars in the pits, besting the old record car count by 30!!! That led to extra time getting every racer entered into the database, and a start time delayed by 25 minutes. As you would expect, it also led to LOTS of racing on the evening; It was well after midnight before the last checkered flag flew. The heats went off without a hitch until the sprints took to the track. A flip on the first lap of the first heat seemed to open the flood gates for more up-and-over action; a total of 6 cars ended up with damage before the sprint heats finished.

Todd Sanford grabbed the first feature win when he was victorious in the Sport Mod A. It was Todd's first win in a sport mod, but far from his first win ever at Eagle. The first thing I did when I got to his car was say "And you passed tech this time!", referencing having his previous victory taken away due to irregularities with his car in the tech area last year. He took it in stride with a smile, and I'm glad for that because I meant it in good fun. Todd's a great guy, and was all smiles after that throughout the entire interview process.

Roy Armstrong took the win in the Hobby Stocks. I didn't get a chance to interview him because he left after the front stretch presentation and getting his car loaded. Taking into account the late hour and the chilly temperatures and wind, coupled with the long drive home he faced, I don't blame him or anyone else who skeedaddled as soon as they could. I was disappointed, because Ray is definitely old-school, and a joy to talk to.

A visit by USMTS regular Jake Neal ended up being a good one for him as he won the Modified A. He was a really pleasant interview; he's very young, but you can tell that he's no beginner in racing. Well-mannered, but with a clear undertone of wisdom beyond his years. You can definitely tell that he's been on the national tour scene and has learned well from the experience.

The Sport Compact feature saw a big pile-up in the first 2 corners, and Maynard Kinnersley ended up rolling his racer. That was scary for those of us who know Maynard, because he's no spring chicken. But, those of us who know Maynard knew what to expect; after the safety crew got him out and he was okay, they righted his car and he crawled back in to continue the contest. Sadly, the Cinderella story ended shortly after that when he spun out and was sent to the pits. Larry Cronin looked to have the race in the bag before flipping with just a few laps left. Ole Olsen won after a pass shortly before the checkers, overtaking then leader Amanda Rhiley. Ole also departed before I could get to interview him.

The Sprint A Main was, to say the least, a GREAT one!! Mark Pace who gets to race only sparingly at Eagle due to work travel, and Jack Dover who races full-time put on a fantastic show for the fans who stayed for the finale. In and out of traffic, high and low, back and forth; they raced and raced, and raced. It's too bad they couldn't both have won, but Jack got him in the end. They were both all smiles in the pits afterwards, and going by that, you would never know who won and who almost won. They both obviously love racing, and knew that they had given it their all and loved every minute of it. Jack has improved SO much with his interviews from when I first did one with him. Well-spoken, great with the fans; he has been around the block enough times to know what he's doing, in racing and out.

All in all, it was a good night; it wasn't a great night because of the length of the show, but it was a good one. Roger told me this week that the car count could be even bigger this weekend, because he's had a LOT of e-mails and calls saying that people didn't have their cars ready for last weekend.

More than 180 cars in the pits??? Again, WOW is nowhere near a strong enough word!!!!

Please, do me a favor and click on the ads you see on this page. They help support this blog, and this site and make it possible for me to have a place to blog at and share my feeling & thoughts with you.

Hope to see you all through the Pit Shack window!

You can read my complete write-up of the night here: 2011 Season opening write-up

Eagle Raceway Sprint Car committee update for the 2011 season

2011-04-28T20:41:00.003-05:00

The Eagle Sprint Car Committeehas received and reviewed numerous ideas and suggestions in regards to what could be done to make the sprint car show more exciting for our fans, while attracting better car counts. We appreciate everyone's input.

The following rule change will be in effect for the 2011 season:

Wings: Eagle Raceway will adhere to all ASCS wing rules, including the top and front wings.

Additional changes:

Lineups: Eagle Raceway will implement a pill draw for the heat race starting lineups. Each pill draw will cost $10 which will become part of the season end point fund. The top 8 drivers with the most points accumulated in the heat races will redraw for the starting position in the A Main Feature. Starting positions 9-24 will be determined by points accumulated in heat races. Draws will decide all ties.

Point Fund: The Eagle Raceway Sprint Car Committe is excited to announce we have secured additional sponsorship for the 2011 sprint car point fund. Our sponsors include: Budweiser (Primary Sponsor), Carpetland (Associate Sponsor), and personal contributions from Ken Klabunde and Dennis Parker in addition to the funds attributed to the pill draw. We anticipate the 2011 point fund will be nearly 300% of the 2010 point fund and will pay back to the top 15 in points.

Additionally, the Rookie of the Year will receive a contingency prize as well as a monetary prize. More info is forthcoming in regards to the point fund.

Purse: The 2011 purse has been increased contingent on a sustained car count of 25 cars. If the car count requirement is not met, the purse will revert to the 2010 purse amount.

Questions for the 2011 Eagle Raceway season

2011-04-24T12:40:00.001-05:00

Just a little while ago, I posted on Dirtdrivers.com about questions looming for this season at Eagle Raceway. I want to revisit those here, and give my thoughts on them.

With 5 classes again this year, who do you think will take home the championship in each?

Well, first of all, let's think about having 5 classes at Eagle. A lot of "purists" say that so many classes is a bad thing in and of itself. Quite a few people come to see just 1 of those classes, some enjoy 2 or maybe 3, but darned few want to see all of the events on the evening. Personally, I am one of the darned few. Having seen everything from the old coupes (Hoodoos) at Capitol Beach up to what we have at Eagle today, I can honestly say they all are exciting in their own way. Yes, event the sport compacts! It's probably because I get to interact with all of the racers and their families week in and week out. Ever racer, every member of the pit crews and all of the others in their entourages pay with their pit fees, as well as their sweat and tears (sadly sometimes blood) to be out there doing what they love every week.

As for who will win the championship in each class, I think all of them are up for grabs. What better case can be made than the fact that John Klabunde was victorious in the 360 sprints last year without so much as a single Feature victory??

There are several drivers moving up in classes, so can one of them have a break-out season to remember in their freshman year?

Again, I think it's impossible to even guess about this. Every season drivers make the leap of faith and try something new, challenging and of course, harder. Almost without fail, they have little or no idea of the vast differences between where they were and what they are moving into now. Can it be done successfully? Of course. Will it happen this year at Eagle? Your guess is as good as mine. But, it would be nice to see!!

How will the first-time USAC show be received?

I sure hope it's a success, because I LOVE the wingless sprints. Ever since teams started bolting home-made wings they made from plywood or whatever other material that they had around onto their sprinters, wingless sprints have become more and more scarce around here. That's too bad in my opinion, because removing the lid makes the emphasis SO much more on the driver than on the motor. The crew chief (or whoever does the set-up on the car) becomes invaluable also. Danger, rooster-tails, drive-it-in-hard and come out harder; all these things can be used to accurately describe wingless sprint car racing. And no one is better at it than the USAC competitors. I can't wait, and can only hope that others will be as excited as I am so that we can make this a yearly event.

What can we expect for an outcome at the always exciting Eagle Nationals as the touring pros take on the locals at "America's Home Track"?

I know that there are teams at Eagle that can compete favorably with the "Big Boys" on the ASCS tour. Will one of them get the right breaks that gives them the chance to pull off what a lot of people would say is an upset? I sure hope so. I know that it would make for one WHALE of a party in the pits afterwards. Furthermore, it would be a great focal point for an article in Flat Out Magazine (just kidding). I'm not immune to wanting to be in the racing circle of people associated with winning a prestigious event such as this; moreover it would be a big feather in any racers cap, especially when they call Eagle Raceway their home track. Can any of them overcome the obvious disadvantages they face? Let's keep our fingers crossed.

What lovely young lady will wear the crown at this year's Miss Nebraska Cup contest during Eagle's signature event, the Nebraska Cup?

Wow!! Talk about a tough call!!!!! Unless you are Carnak the Magnificent, nobody has ANY idea on this one. All I can say is that she will be thrilled, and all of the contestants will be well-rewarded. The people associated with the contest have already been hard at work getting gifts for the ladies who want to be a part of the festivities.

Will Mama Nature be kind to Eagle, or will she show her power and be the nasty female that we all so dread?

We call only pray; and I ask everyone to do so so that we don't have a repeat of the 2009 season. That year we lost I believe 7 of the first 8 shows to the wrath of she who wields the weather wand. We can hope that we have a repeat of last year where we enjoyed fantastic weather throughout the year.

Lastly, what creative things will Roger Hadan come up with this season to keep the crowd entertained???

If I thought the other questions were difficult to answer for sure, this one is one for the ages. As someone said to Roger a couple of years back "I come to the track every week to see what kind of crazy stuff you're going to come up with next!". Roger not only thinks outside the box, I don't think he even knows there is such a box. Clowns, mini-van hockey, fire hose riding...only the almighty may have an idea of the workings of Roger's brain; and even he may be unsure.

I would like to add 1 more question that I didn't post on the forum if I may.

Can we break the record for bicycles given away at Kids Night?

I think that this is a record that not only CAN be broken, but needs to be broken. The whole thing started as a tribute to a young child who was a quasi-member of a local sprint car crew. From a couple of bikes and a few other minor gifts, it has grown far beyond what anyone could have imagined at it's inception. Last year the record fell again, as over 350 bicycles were given away to youngsters. With the Hadans donating 1 bike for every 2 that are purchased through donations, I think that it will be done. If you want to make a donation so that a deserving girl or boy can have a bicycle, contact the track or get ahold of me and I'll steer you in the right direction to be sure that your contribution goes to the right place.

As I said in my post, "Guess we'll start to get answers in just 6 days. Hope to see you all there as the 2011 season unravels".

Again, I ask that you help support the people who make it possible for me to have this blog by clicking on the advertisements that you see on this page. I really enjoy writing it, and hope that you all enjoy reading it. Please feel free to leave a comment; I might even okay it for the whole world to see.

Under 240 hours, Eagle racers success, Homer

2011-04-04T19:14:00.000-05:00

With the up and down weather that we in eastern Nebraska have been enduring, it's hard to believe that Eagle Raceway will open it's doors for the first time this season just 2 weeks from today. Granted, it's only a Practice Night, but it seems like it's been forever since I've seen cars running on the high banks!!!

Thursday April 14th is the first Practice Night for Eagle, followed by the 2-night Icebreaker Challenge. I've written about this before, so I'll refrain from doing it again. But, suffice it to say that I and a LOT of other racing fans (not to mention the racers themselves) are chomping at the bit!!

Local racing actually started on March 18th & 19th at Beatrice Speedway. Familiar faces from the pits at Eagle Raceway made a good showing with past track champion Jordan Grabouski winning the IMCA A-Modified features both nights. Bob Zoubek was 2nd Friday and Johnny Saathoff took the runner-up position Saturday with Zoubek taking the remaining podium step. Friday night saw another past track champion from Eagle take the top prize in the Hobby Stock division when Roy Armstrong won. Chad Fegley brought home the third-place money. Way to go guys!!!

Another track opened their 2011 season last weekend with I-80's Spring Meltdown. Eagle regulars made a good showing on Saturday evening. Kyle Prauner (B-Mods) as well as Johnny Saathoff and Jordan Grabouski (A-Mods) had podium finishes. RJ Macku won the A Feature for the Hobby Stocks, with Keith Dragoo also finishing in the top 10. Again, congratulations to the guys from Eagle!! Although I couldn't attend, I understand that the racing was VERY good; the crowd was lacking on Friday night however, and I have heard no reports on Saturday's fan count.

Although my 'home track' is also "America's Home Track", I hope that I-80 can find some way to keep going. I'm not sure about their sudden affinity (both last year and this year) with so many sprint car shows, as I-80 has always been known as a fendered car track, but if it keeps the doors open, I say go for it!!!

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And now, back to our regularly schedule blog.

Please do me a favor and click on the ads that you see on this page. I'm not asking that you buy anything, but I do want to keep this space going so that I can talk about racing. Click 2 or 3 or however many you have time for. Those ads make it possible for folks like myself to be able to blog.

Thanks to everyone who reads these blogs.

Under the weather, but a good feeling

2011-03-31T13:44:00.000-05:00

The good thing about having to stay at home because you're feeling ill is that you have the time to put up a new blog. That, coupled with getting news from a friend, turns a bad thing into a good feeling.

Yesterday a fellow writer, an actual journalist in fact (although I doubt he would agree with the label) e-mailed me requesting contact information for John Klabunde. Lee Ackerman writes for the Omaha World Herald and is wanting to do an article about John Klabunde and the upcoming Icebreaker Challenge races at Eagle Raceway.

After giving John's phone number to Lee I informed him that he would truly enjoy interviewing John. As I mentioned in my last blog, John is a really humble individual who exemplifies the racers at almost any dirt track you visit in this great country. Although they share the same roots, none of them have visions of being the next Jeff Gordon or Tony Stewart. They spend their hard-earned money, spend countless hours every week getting their mounts ready for the weekend, and risk life and limb in what they know is a money-losing proposition. They don't do it for money or fame, they do it for the love of racing; the love that we all share.

I can't thank Craig Cormack enough for hiring me to work at Eagle years ago. He gave me the opportunity to see, talk to and interact with people who I previously had known only from a spectator's viewpoint. I find it strange how a person's perspective can be altered so drastically merely by being a part of a track, rather than just a fan in the stands. Enlightening comes nowhere near describing the difference.

Speaking of money-losing propositions, an area dirt track has been saved. Yesterday it was announced that Blackbird Bend Speedway near Onawa, Iowa will be running this year. A couple of gentlemen have signed a lease for 2011 with the intention of keeping the facility operating in the future. The classes that will be there weekly have not been decided yet, but for 2011 they will be running without sanction. Hopefully they will be able to get the IMCA sanction that they are seeking for future seasons.

They are looking for workers for concessions, track preparation and maintenance. Applications for employment, pit stalls and to reserve car numbers are being taken. So, if you have any interest at all you'd better be getting ahold of them quickly. Practice Night will be April 29th with the first races being run May 6th (weather permitting).

Practice Night at Eagle is just 2 weeks away on April 14th, with the 2-night season-opening Icebreaker Challenge the following 2 days. The Rev Honey IMCA Modifieds are the featured class both evenings, and will be competing for $1000 to win on Friday and $2000 to win on Saturday. Also racing both nights will be the ASCS 360 sprinters. The winner's share of the purse will be $1500 each evening. Support classes will be the NAPA IMCA Sport Modifieds and the Good Old Time Racing Association on Friday with the Valentino's IMCA Hobby Stocks and Exhaust Pros IMCA Sport Compacts on Saturday. For more information you can visit Eagle's website at http://www.eagleraceway.com/EagleRaceway/ or call the track office at 402-238-2595.

In other news, we announced this past Monday that the track surface had been reworked over the off-season. Also, changes will be made in the weekly track preparation this season in order to improve the racing on the high banks of "America's Home Track". There were no layout changes (other than the addition of the "Little E" track inside turn 1), and NO, the infamous spring-fed problem in turn 1 hasn't been remedied to my knowledge. But I have a strong feeling that the racing at Eagle will be fantastic this year. If you've never attended a race there, you are definitely missing out!

Hope to see everyone out there this year. And if you do make the trip, stop and say hi; you know where I'll be.

The Rumble in the Bullring

2011-03-20T17:07:00.000-05:00

Finally, I get to see the USAC non-winged 410 sprint cars!! Wingless sprinters hold a special place in my heart, because the first sprinters I saw were wingless, because that's all that they ran back then. The plywood toppers didn't come along until I was in my mid-teens, and then not around here until a couple of years later. Although USAC has run numerous times around here with their midget series (the midgets were a staple at Eagle for a lot of years), this is the first time EVER for the 410 wingless sprints to run in the state of Nebraska.

You can see the press release that I wrote here: http://www.eagleraceway.com/EagleRaceway/?p=2913.

This is going to be a really great night at Eagle Raceway. People have been complaining because another race track wasn't going to have the wingless 410's this year, and that there wasn't going to be a Late Model show at Eagle this year after last year's Late Model special lost money. 1 person in particular was VERY vocal about that in fact. Well, now he and a lot of other fans will get their wish. Wingless 410's and Late Models the same night on the high-banked 1/3 mile of "America's Home Track"?? WOW!!!!! What more could you ask??

I'm finally shaking off the mental and physical aspects of my August major surgery, thank God. I finally finished my article for Flat Out magazine on last year's Eagle Raceway 360 Sprint Car points champion, John Klabunde.

John is, as I said in my article, a truly good guy. Very unassuming, humble nearly to a fault, and just your typical weekend warrior. He races because he loves doing it. He never had visions of track championships, or being a big shot in dirt track racing. Heck, he was afraid I'd make fun of him in my article!! After he read the final version he said "Wow! You made me sound like somebody special!". My response was "That's because you are". Maybe he's been reading other people's blogs where all they do is complain about racetracks, NASCAR, drivers, certain classes, other writers and anything else that they think aren't exactly what they believe that they should be. I'll be posting the article about John in it's entireity after it is published, so stay tuned to this blog.

In regards to some people's writing, you will NEVER hear anything negative about a driver, track or the sport of dirt track racing itself from me. That's just not me. I LOVE dirt track racing; all kinds of dirt track racing; like very few other things in my life, other than my family and friends. And even if my mind should ever run in that direction, I still wouldn't. You see, I work for not only Flat Out magazine but also for Eagle Raceway. Not only would any such rants reflect badly on myself, it could possibly do so towards Eagle and the magazine. Although some writers don't mind doing it, I refuse to. Lord only knows I would love to respond, but I cannot and will not. But it does irk me. I doubt that there would be any retributions from either place, but I still won't do it. The thought of dengrating dirt track racing in any way, shape or form just irritates me more than I can possibly say.

Yes, I see things wrong with racetracks, promoters, sanctioning series, drivers, etc. but you can bank on the fact that you won't see it manifest itself in this blog or anywhere else. Racetracks and promoters are businesses and business men who's job is to make money. Series' job is to protect itself (it's profitability) first and it's drivers second. Drivers are people first (people with families)

and public figures second. They put their very lives on the line every week for our entertainment. What right does ANYONE have to question them?? The old saying goes "Walk a mile in my shoes, and then judge me". Advice that I live by, and others should too.

I hate the namby-pamby, politically correct nation that we have become; but I was taught the golden rule at a very young age and still believe in it. Plague, famine, pestilence, war, etc. all are something we need to speak out against. But there are very few other things about which we deserve to feel outrage; and none of these are dirt track racing.

Thank you for taking time out of your busy lives to read my blog. I'm going to make every effort to post something at least every week, if nothing else than my write-up and the results from the weekly racing at Eagle Raceway; so keep stopping by.

Grumpy old race fan

2010-09-10T09:06:00.000-05:00

Well, it's been a month since my surgery, and I've been trying to do a little introspective look at my life. You know....where am I right now, where am I going, how the *(&^ did I let myself get into this predicament...the usual questions.

Where am I right now? I'm 10 years off from being able to retire with full benefits, I'm very much overweight and a Type 2 diabetic with less than ideal eating habits. I just got through with a really big surgery that I'm STILL trying to recover from and am pretty much disgusted with life in general right now.

Perhaps it's because of the surgery, or maybe it's because this coming Sunday will be the last race of the season out at Eagle Raceway where I work during the racing season. I am supposed to be there at noon for the beauty contest judging and then help stuff "goodie bags" for the drivers. Then, at 3:30 get the things we need to sell pit passes and head to the pit shack.

For the next 2 1/2 hours I need to be at the "Pre-approved" window to take care of the tow truck folks, push truck drivers, fire and rescue helpers, etc. Then go and watch the evening's racing so that I can write a recap of it for the website. After the races, I need to interview the evening's winners and include said interviews into the recap.

The problem is, I'm hurting. Last weekend I managed to make it through the night (without interviewing the winners) and got the story put up on the website the next day. Now, when I said that I "managed to make it" I meant with great effort. The wife and I headed home, I took 2 hydrocodones and then hit the hay because I was wiped out and in significant pain as well.

God, give me the strength to make it through this one last evening of the season and live up to my expectations and those of my employer.

Speaking of my writing, someone posted on another writer's blog that I "should have quit a long time ago!". Wow!! What a great ego booster THAT was. I'm not sure if I'll do some writing over the winter or not, since evidently it's not any good. The problem being that since I was off for 3 weeks from work and then on 1/2 days for a bit my pockets don't even have lint in them. I need the paltry amount that getting a story published provides. It's enough for 1 of my wife's medications, and that's truly something.

I had to stand for my (and my wife's) insurance for basically a month, plus pay the normal household bills and put food on the table. So, here I am...back at work full-time even though I probably SHOULD still be on 1/2 days. Ah well, what doesn't kill us only makes us stronger, right??

Speaking of that other writer's blog; it seems to me that his attempt this year at helping out as a quasi-promoter out at Eagle has led to some hard feelings on his part. His latest post said "I will bet every penny in my bank account, in my 401(K), and that I can borrow that you NEVER see me writing anything for Eagle, and very little about the place." The harsh reality of what sometimes happens with a big show has turned him back into the curmudgeon the he used to be, going back to his Bruton personality.

This is where the title for this blog comes from; not just "Bruton", but a bunch of others including myself. It seems to me that the postings on our local message board (dirtdrivers.com) are still running about like they always have. Some people whining or complaining about this and that, but more and more I see the older guard being downright NASTY on there. The above mentioned writer is a perfect example; such a shame. Add to that the constant blogs by "Bruton" about how there's only 1 dirt track in the state worthy of even being in business truly irks me. I thought that true dirt track fans would support any and EVERY dirt track, not just those that haven't done something to tick you off.

The real shame is I see myself slipping into that same vein of being grouchy about the current state of dirt track racing more often than I care to. Of course, I wouldn't post anything bad about any track or racer or promoter, no matter what I may perceive that they've done to me personally or the general dirt track community. Not just because I am one of the faces of Eagle Raceway (a very public one on the internet in fact), but because I have no right to question anyone or anything I am not personally involved in. I will defend Eagle, it's racers and promoter however. It's nigh onto impossible to resist the temptation to lambast some 3-toothed drunken bleacher creature who posts something on a message board that's filled with not only blatant lies but also horrendous spelling and punctuation. I've managed so far, but my will power is waning even as we speak.

So, that's where I see myself right now. I hurt, I'm constantly tired, I can't eat the foods that I so badly want to and I need to get my fat old hiney up and get going!! Hopefully I'll find the strength to do so.

Thank you to everyone who stopped by to read my little introspective.

Tadd Holliman

2010-05-16T13:47:00.000-05:00

It's been awhile since I blogged anything; okay, it's been a REALLY long time since I have actually. With everything else going on in my life I just don't seem to find the time to do it often enough. I swear that I will try to do better.

This blog is for all of those who don't have a subscription to Flat Out magazine. As most of you know, I write for the magazine off and on (more off than on, rather like my blog). Since you can only get Flat Out through a subscription there are a lot of people who never get to see the magazine.

Well, recently I had the great pleasure to do an article on someone I consider to be a good friend. Tadd is a local sprint car driver who goes out every Saturday during the racing season at Eagle Raceway and does something that he loves. Racing isn't his life, it's his passion; and it's that passion that I wrote about. For people to not get a chance to read about Tadd would be a tragedy; because he is one of the good ones, on and off of the track.

Here is the article, which appeared in the June 2010 issue of Flat Out magazine. Now, go out and buy a subscription so I can get a raise and you won't miss any of my contributions.

"An All-American football player, a soccer coach, a basketball coach and a sprint car driver walk into the pits at Eagle Raceway". No, this isn't one of 'those' jokes; it happens every Saturday night during the racing season. And the football player, the coaches and sprint car driver are really just one person; Tadd Holliman.

"I grew up racing the street of Hamburg, Iowa in a lot of different cars. Mostly it was Dad's '79 Bronco for snowy street racing, but I even tried my mom's Corvette. But that was only when she was out of town, and then only until one rain slickened street sent my buddy Al and I over the curb and spinning out until we came to a stop 2 feet from a house. We slowly drove it home and I never got behind the wheel of it again because if it didn't kill me, Dad sure as hell would have if I wrecked it".

"I wanted to move my racing to the track as soon as I graduated High School, but Mom put the stops to that. So, my next step was attending McPherson College in Kansas where I played free safety on the football team." Tadd's education came as the result of a full-ride football scholarship. Obviously the school's faith in him was well-placed as he garnered many honors in his years on the team, culminated by being named All-American in his senior year. In fact, he still retains the NAIA record for the most return yardage.

Having graduated with his teaching degree, Tadd was free to pursue his next competitive challenge; racing. "I always knew I wanted to be a racer, but I thought it might be in Late Models since that was what dad was racing when I was younger, and he was kicking ass". By the time he was ready to actually strap in however, Tadd's father Terry had moved back to sprint cars. "So, I decided that it was my time to get a sprinter".

Tadd's first sprinter was his own #19 which he purchased from Jeff Griffis and Brent Morris. "That was Grandpa Sam's number when he had Dad and uncle Dan driving for him. I'm actually a third-generation racer. Grandpa drove some and my Grandma even drove in powder puff races at the old Hamburg Speedway". He ran his own car for the first few years, mostly at Eagle Raceway and I-80 Speedway in addition to running with the NSCA. Then, in 1997 his father suffered badly burned legs after an engine expired in his racer and car owner Eldon Rhoten asked Tadd to take over the #23 until Terry could heal.

When Terry was ready to return to driving, a second team car, the #23R was added to the team; and that has been Tadd's ride ever since. Two A Feature wins, countless heat race wins and the 1995 Most Improved award at Eagle are a few of the highlights of Tadd's career thus far. However, when asked what his best night at the track was, Tadd simply replied "Any time I can beat my Dad".

It was unneccesary to ask what his worst night was. That came on July 29th, 2009. Tadd was flying full speed down the back stretch at Eagle, when an incident in front of him caused another sprinter to come to a halt at the bottom of turns three and four. The 23R barreled head-long into the stalled racer, leaving Tadd with 6 broken ribs, a bruised lung, a badly broken arm and a concussion. During his recovery and throughout his therapy Tadd swore that he would be recovered in time for this year's Chili Bowl. And true to his word, he was there in his mother-in-law's midget. "I like to say that she fired Dad and hired me for the ride. After a dismal Chili Bowl this year, including blowing a motor in practice, the team has decided to update the midget program and is currently looking at many options".

It's obvious that Tadd loves racing the moment that you speak to him. I inquired as to what was special to him about racing, and he replied "Adrenalin. Competition! I've been in sports my whole life, so mostly the competition". That spirit saw him through what was arguably the lowest point in his life, and brought him back to his current sports challenge; piloting a sprint car.

Tadd's wife of 9 years, Darla, will be in the stands cheering him on this season at Eagle. She'll be accompanied by their two daughters, as well as Tadd's step-son and step-daughter. They'll be joined by a throng of fans, cheering on the 23R sprinter with it's redesigned paint scheme. And that is Tadd's latest victory; the fact that he is back racing in front of the fans and the ones who love him.

A day of reflection

2009-12-16T19:41:00.000-06:00

43 years ago today, a 13 year-old boy lost his father to a criminal's pistol shot. I was that boy. Every year on this day I have to stop and think about it all, and this blog will be about those reflections.

A little background for those of you who don't know or remember the story is in order.

My father, Frank Soukup, was in his 10th year of service with the Lincoln, Nebraska Police Department. He had advanced through the ranks to the rank of Detective Sergeant through 10 years of walking beats, graveyard shifts and putting his life on the line for all of us.

He was the first officer on the scene at the home of Carol Ann Fugate, Charles Starkweather's girlfriend. Little did he know that her parents were dead and hidden in the chicken coop behind the house, or that Charlie was waiting inside the house. That encounter ended safely for him, thank God; but not the one on the night of December 16, 1966. On that day, he was another first; the first officer killed in the line of duty for the Lincoln Police Department.

A check forging ring had been operating in Lincoln for a couple of weeks, and the officers received a tip to visit a local motel. My dad, his partner and another detective knocked on the door of the unit where they had been sent.

After being allowed in, they found 3 males and some females also. While questioning the occupants one of the other officers instructed the man laying on the bed to get his hand out from under the pillow he was laying on. The man did, brandisihing a weapon which he fired. The bullet struck my father's aorta. One of the other men rushed past my father and towards the bathroom. My dad's last official act was to draw and fire his revolver, fatally wounding the fleeing man. The other two officers also drew their weapons and saved the taxpayers a large sum of money by killing the man who had slain my father.

Later, interrogations revealed that the one who ended my father's life was an escaped convict who had vowed that he would never go back to prison. He got his wish, but took away one of the finest men on the face of the earth.

All of his life my father had helped those in need. Although his salary was small, he was more than willing to give until it hurt wherever it would do some good. A testament to that fact was the outpouring of donations to a fund to help see my mother and I through the tough times to follow. Nickels and dimes from people who probably didn't have a whole dollar to their names, but who had been aided by Dad. There was no big insurance policy, no huge settlement with the city. But, the good people of our town saw us through.

All these years later I still remember an officer coming by and saying that Dad had been wounded and was rushed to the hospital. He took my mother to be with him, but there was no hope. I was awoken very early in the morning to find my 2 brothers and mother in my room. The younger of the two said the words that will be with me until I shuffle off this mortal coil; "Daddy won't be coming home".

A thirteen year-old is not capable of understanding such things, and I'm not sure that I do now. Why would anyone kill him? He helped anybody and everybody he ever came into contact with; criminal and victim alike. This wonderful man was gone forever, taken away from the family who loved him. And why? Because he was doing his duty.

A friend e-mailed me a story about the funerals for the 4 fallen officers from Lakewood, detailing their funerals. Over 20,000 people were on hand for either the procession or funeral, or both. That included officers from all over the country and even Canadian Mounted Police. That too brought back a flood of memories. After the funeral, a scrapbook was made up by the local newspaper with photos of my father's funeral. One picture shows the casket being brought into the church flanked by officers on both sides. Another is of the procession that took my dad from Lincoln to his final resting place 62 miles away. That procession was over a mile long, filled with cruisers as far as the eye could see.

I remember kissing my father good-bye for the last time. I recall the 21-gun salute as he was laid to rest. I recall the wonderful lunch provided by the local ladies, and going to the bar to toast his life. Memories come flooding home every year on this day, even 43 years later.

But the strongest of them is the wondering. Why did this have to happen? What drives people to do such horrendous things? What would my father think of what I've become? Would he approve of the way I turned out? How can I possibly be more like him? How can I help out more; reach out to those in need?

I only wish my wife and sons could have known him; and my neice and nephew also. I wish that he were here now, to pull some silly joke on them so that they could see that side of him. He was a good father and a good husband; but most of all he was my father. And we all miss him more than words can convey.

A great night of racing, a scary night of racing

2009-07-29T16:19:00.000-05:00

Last Saturday night was the annual Kids Bike Night at Eagle Raceway. A huge crowd was in attendance as many youngsters received a brand new bicycle, thanks to "Saint Rhonda of Eagle".

The Bryan Race Team, led by "Saint Rhonda" Bryan, puts their hearts and souls into this event every season. It was started after Bernie (Rhonda's husband) had to undergo heart surgery. A young man who was a racing fan was suffering a terminal illness at the same time, and the Bryans wanted to do something in his memory. So, Eagle's annual Kids Night became Eagle's annual Kids Bike Night. A few bikes that first year quickly became a few HUNDRED bikes, passed out to young fans such as the one who lost his life.

At intermission 3 semi-trailers filled with bikes were driven into the infield and then unloaded by a group of volunteers. After they were all lined up on the frontstretch, the lucky children who were selected at random and their parents were led down to receive their prize.

The total count of beaming, happy faces was a record in the history of the give-away. 354 bikes were donated thanks to racers, race teams, fans and Roger Hadan and his wife Michelle. Roger and Michelle, who promote Eagle Raceway, purchased 1 bike for every 2 that were payed for by others.

I can't believe how many people who have commented on Bike Night to me in just the 4 days since it was held. That night, as I prepared to leave the track after interviewing the evening's Feature winners, a lady came up to me and related this story.

She and her son came out to Eagle every Saturday night and had never missed a Bike Night since her son was old enough to attend. Her son, named Dylan, had never managed to be one of the lucky ones to win a bike. After Saturday's racing was completed, they made their usual trip out to the pits to see her son's favorite driver Dylan Smith. As they young man approached the elder Dylan, he saw the big smile on the driver's face. Now, Mr. Smith had reason to not be cheery that night, given the fact that his race car had been disabled very early in the A Feature that night. But, he had a better reason TO grin as the younger Dylan neard the trailer.

As young Dylan approached him, the driver asked if he'd won a bike that night. The boy replied "No, not this time". Smith's grin widend as he said "Well, we can't have that" and went into his hauler, emerging shortly after with a bike he had purchased for Dylan.

The younger Dylan's mother wanted EVERYONE to know about Smith's deed, and asked that I use my writing to pass it along. After hearing about it, I wanted to shout it from the rooftops, let alone just passing it along. I made sure that it was related in my write-up of the evening's events, have been mentioning it to friends and acquaintenances ever since and of course am including it in this blog.

Today, while returning home after taking my wife to an appointment, we stopped at Subway for lunch. They young lady who served us was a casual acquaintence from Eagle Raceway, and she also had a story to share.

As she was standing in the area above the grandstands, a young boy using a walker was heading to be a part of the festivities on the front stretch of the track. She told me that the young man looked like "Christmas morning". She also wanted me to let everyone know what a great thing Bike Night was.

I can personally testify that I witnessed every one of the kids bringing their new bikes back to the grandstands, as I was one of the Eagle employees assigned to assist in routing them. And, if you could harness the smiles on their faces, you could light the world. I know that my heart was filled with joy; their glee was THAT contagious.

Thank you Rhonda, the whole Bryan Racing Team, all of the volunteers who helped load and unload the trailers, everyone who donated their hard-earned cash for the bikes, and Roger and Michelle for keeping the tradition alive at Eagle Raceway. "Blood, Sweat and Tears" isn't just a horn rock group from my younger days, it's a reality for those involved with Bike Night, especially Rhonda and her family.

Rhonda, you've earned a rest, but I'd bet a dollar to a dime that you won't. I know you all too well to ever entertain such a thought.

After intermission, the night's feature races began. In the 360 Sprint Car A Main, there was a terrible accident shortly after the race began. One young driver, Trevor Grossenbacher was forced into the wall on the back stretch. The contact sent his car flipping violently, eventually coming to rest at the bottom of turn 3. Tadd Holliman came roaring up and ran into Trevor's racer full speed. After several long, terrifying moments, Tadd was released from the wreckage and loaded into an ambulance and taken to a Lincoln hospital.

I've been going to dirt track races for a LOOOONG time, and have sadly been in attendance when three drivers met their demise. Most fans have seen innumerable incidents where cars were completely destroyed and the driver emerged relatively unscathed to take the long "Walk of shame" as it's known, back to the pits.

This time it was different, especially from my point of view. This was my FRIEND, and he didn't walk away. As soon as the races were over, I went directly to the pits where some of his family and friends were in order to get a shred of news. What I heard eased my tension slightly, because at that time I was told he had suffered a broken arm and a rib injury. Feeling a little better, I went about the task of collecting interviews.

The next afternoon I headed to the hospital to check on him. I got there in time to be met by his wife and son, who informed me that they were moving him to a different room. As we followed them they said that it was a little worse than I was originally told.

Tadd had suffered a broken right arm, and the surgeon had placed a rod in it to stabilize it. His other injuries were a bruised lung and 6 broken ribs, as well as a concussion. A CAT scan was performed, and was thankfully negative. But, as his crew chief said to me "What would you expect?? They DID take a picture of Tadd's brain after all".

Tadd was wheeled in finally and put into bed. Now, I've known Tadd a lot of years, and very seldom is he not smiling. Even on a bad night, there's a little lifting of the corners of his mouth as he despairs over a showing not up to his standards. This time though, it was obvious that the smile was not there in the least. His race car was destroyed, his nearly new helmet cracked in two places making it unusable, and one of the straps that his son bought him for Christmas had been cut to assist in extricating him. Throw in the fact that he would be unable to race, and more importantly might have to put off preparing for his daily job of teaching school, and you can see that he had a right to be a little down.

Thankfully, I had the forethought to pick up a card and a gift to give him. I handed the card to his wife to hold so Tadd could read it. A little smirk was my reward, but after I gave him his gift it was even better. As I handed it to him, I told him "I bought these for you to play with to pass the time" and handed him a bag of toy soldiers. That big grin brightened his face, and lightened my heart.

I went up and visited him again this morning. No smile, because he was hurting, upset that he was still in the hospital, told he couldn't go home until at least tomorrow, and wanting to get home and back to his wife and children. No doubt he just wanted to return to his normal life. I felt for him, but I wasn't too worried because as he said "I'm where I need to be and getting the care I need".

No, he probably won't be racing at Eagle again this year. Yes, he is determined to compete in the Chili Bowl. And I don't doubt that he'll do not only that, but be back to instructing our nation's youth very soon.

Most importantly, he's still with us. I thank God for allowing Tadd to stay with us and brighten our lives with his smile.

I've said for years now that "Any night at the races is a great night", and I stand by that statement. Sometimes, such as last Saturday night, I question the sentiment. But, with every bad, such as Tadd's injuries, there's something good, like the bike give-away.

"Any night at the races IS a great night". Some just scare us a little.

Memorial Day weekend

2009-05-27T20:21:00.000-05:00

This past weekend was one to remember our fallen heros and the loved ones that we have lost, and as I have nearly every year since I can remember, I made the trek to Milligan Nebraska to do so for both in one.

My father was born between Milligan and Friend on my grandparents' farm. Although we made many trips down there, both just to visit and to hunt the surrounding areas, Memorial Days were always my favorites.

Each year until my father's death, as we drove down the day before the actual Memorial Day, my dad would turn the radio over so that we could listen to the Indianapolis 500. We would listen as famous names such as Parnelli Jones, AJ Foyt, Graham Hill and Rodger Ward drank the winners quart of milk after earning the victory at the famous Brickyard.

Then the next day, after spending the night at my grandparents' home in Milligan, we would make the trek to the cemetary south of town. We would decorate the graves of lost relatives before watching the ceremonies in one of the prettiest cemetaries I've ever seen. The entire grounds were ringed with huge cottonwood trees, and the lanes through it were also. And on Memorial Day the beautiful flowers adorning the graves themselves showed that spring had definitely sprung.

At last it was time for the ceremony. The sermon/speech was filled with pleas to never forget those who had served and made the ultimate sacrifice as well as the others who were interred there at the cemetary. My young heart and mind couldn't quite grasp what was being talked about, but the solemn atmosphere made me understand that what was being addressed was indeed something that needed to be taken to heart. The 21-gun salute quickened my heart nearly as much as the wail of Taps being played from the distance saddened it.

As my wife and oldest son and I drove to Milligan this past Sunday, I automatically reached for the radio tuner and sought out the broadcast of the 500. As much as I tried, I just couldn't recapture the thrill that I felt so many years before. And the old feelings were further driven from my heart as we approached the cemetary.

Long gone were the huge trees, felled so many years ago due to disease, wind and lightning. As we approached my father's final resting place, I noticed that the peonies next to his slab had not yet bloomed. We had planted them there because they were his favorite. Were he still with us, and these were some relative's flowers, I could hear him swearing at the fates that let this happen. I admit that I echoed those sentiments silently.

We dutifully cleaned his slab and the marker, and after stopping at the graves of my paternal grandparents, I asked my wife and son to give me a few moments.

I stood at the foot my dad's grave, and silently told him how much I loved and missed him. I related how much I wished that he were still here with us, and asked his guidance to help me through the every day trials and tribulations that life presents to us all. I also said that I was afraid that I had failed to be the man that he wanted me to become, but that I would do my best to try and do better; to attempt to be 1/2 of the person that he was. This has become my mantra, every time that I thought about him, which is daily; striving to fulfill his wishes and mine.

I know that I have done well by my children, my wife and those others who's lives I've influenced. But, as always happens when we try to compare ourselves to our heros, we fall short. And my father is, always has been and always will be my hero.

Dad, we love and miss you. Although you were taken from us over 45 years ago, you are still here in our hearts every day.

I hope that your peonies are blooming today.

Welcome to "Views from the Pit Shack"

2009-05-25T19:43:00.000-05:00

Thanks for visiting my blog.

As you can see from reading the main page, I've been around racing for a long time. Here's a little bit of background information so that you can gain some insight into my background.

First of all, I should introduce myself. My name is Greg Soukup, sometimes better known (for better or for worse) as The Eagle Pit Shack Guy. I’ve been going to races for over 56 years now. My first experiences were as a baby at Capitol Beach Raceway, here in Lincoln, Nebraska. My father loved racing, and we went every weekend.

Of course, I didn’t really appreciate the racing the first few years that we went. BUT!!! There is no doubt that I wanted to go all the same. You see, they had an amusement park there on the grounds also!! I got to ride the rides to my heart’s content, right up until race time. Then we went to watch the likes of Lloyd Beckman run their “hoodoos” around that little track. What’s the old saying? “If only I knew then what I know now”? Well, I think that one applies to me in every way. I wish that I’d spent less time on the merry-go-round and more time watching the races.

I also was fortunate enough to be taken to the IMCA races at the Nebraska State Fairgrounds each and every fall. Those sprints, or super-modifieds, or whatever you want to call them were something to see. Sleek monsters of chrome and sheet-metal, flying around that track, throwing dust and dirt everywhere!! That’s where I developed my ever-lasting love for racing. The old hoodoos were fun, but these beasts were so far above them that I can’t to this day describe the joy which I felt while sitting there on the boards of the stands.

Unfortunately, my father was killed in the line of duty as a police officer in 1966. I still went to the State Fair every fall, and watched the racing, but it just wasn’t the same. Racing just isn’t as much fun if you don’t have someone to share it with.

Shortly after Capitol Beach fell victim to development, I started going to Eagle Raceway and Midwest Speedway and for a short time Lincoln Speedway before it also closed. What a double punch!! Saturdays at Eagle, Sundays at Midwest!!! This had to be heaven, or pretty darn close to it. Kenny Gritz, “Little Joe” Saldana, Lloyd Beckman and Gordon Wooley were a few of the A feature winners at Eagle in 1968. How’s that for name-dropping?? In the ensuing years, I would get to see other greats at Eagle, such as Thad Dosher, Dick Sutcliffe, Jan Opperman and Lonnie Jensen. Those are but a few of the all-time greats that I remember seeing. I apologize for any others I may have forgotten.

Midwest had a few of the travelers come and try out the local talent there also. Every so often Ray Lee Goodwin Jr., Ed Bowes, the 3 Drouds (Senior, Junior and Rodney), Lloyd Beckman and many others would get to test their mettle against the likes of the legendary Jan Opperman, Doug Wolfgang, and even Steve Kinser. Again, my sincere apologies for any omissions.

Probably my most profound memory of Midwest (of so many) was the night Jan Opperman pulled in, unloaded and proceeded to lap all but 1 or 2 of the cars in the A Feature. I rushed to the pits, wanting to get a peek at the man who’d performed this miracle. I’d never heard of Jan Opperman!! But, then again, I wasn’t very worldly. Remember, I’d spent my entire life in Lincoln, Nebraska.

I managed to get my first look at this scruffy, long-haired, easy-going man who’d made monkeys out of all the local big boys. I managed to overhear him as he told someone “we’d have been faster, but I dropped a cylinder in the heat race”. Makes you wonder what would have happened if he’d had all 8, doesn’t it??

Approximately 6 years ago, I got the opportunity to actually get into the races at Eagle for FREE!!! Well, I hesitated no more than the infamous New York minute before I accepted. Then I found out that they’d actually PAY me to go!! Okay, had I died and passed to the great beyond?? Nosirreebob. I found out that they actually expected me to work, but all things considered, it was still a good deal.

I’ve been there nearly every race since, greeting the racers and fans. Meeting new “racing friends”, and renewing old acquaintances from time to time. I hope that one day, you and I will have a chance to meet and become friends. So, if you’re ever at Eagle Raceway, stop by the Pit Shack and say hello. I’m always looking forward to meeting others who love this sport as much as I do.

Around that same time, I was contacted to write for a now defunct website about sprint car racing. It was very enjoyable, and I found that I had a small knack for writing. I'll try and put up a couple of the things that I wrote for the website to fill in my "writer's block" moments.

A year or so ago, an aquaintence by the name of Ron Meyer convinced me to try my hand at writing for Flat Out magazine and Justin Zoch has been gracious enough to print a few of my interviews. The first time I read my name as the byline in a national magazine about sprint car racing was indescribable!! Thanks Justin, for giving me the chance to make a couple of bucks while doing something I love.

Currently I am still working in the Pit Shack at Eagle Raceway, and doing interviews with the night's winners each week. Then I write up the story of the evening's events for posting on the website. You can keep up with all of the goings on at http://www.eagleraceway.com

I hope you enjoy my blog, and that you check back often to see what's new at Eagle Raceway. I'll also try to keep you all advised as to some of the goings-on in the world of dirt track racing.