What is your dream racing event to attend?

Originally Posted on Foxsports on September 8, 2007.


After spending most of the week at the Boone Speedway watching the IMCA SuperNationals, I'm pondering what is my dream racing event to attend. 
I've been to the Knoxville Nationals, the Daytona 500, and the All-Star Challenge & Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte.  The Brickyard 400 is in the books, I've Rumbled in Fort Wayne, and I plan on going to the Chili Bowl next year.  So what is left?
I think the Monaco Grand Prix is on the short list.  LeMans.  Maybe a race at Leguna Seca.


I really should get to the Indy 500 at the Brickyard, and I'd think that the Little 500 should be on the short list too.  Indiana Sprint week sounds fun, as do the Oval Nationals.


On the Nascar side, I think going to Bristol would be an experience, as would Martinsville.  I'd love to see a road race, probably at Watkins Glen.
So, if time or money were not an issue - what racing event would you go to?

What I'm doing for my Summer Vacation

Originally Posted on August 2, 2007 on foxsports.com

August in Iowa means 90+ degree temperatures, 100% humidity, sweet corn, the Iowa State Fair, the start of school, and the Knoxville Nationals.

Sigh... I love living here.

The Knoxville Nationals is a four day winged sprint car extravaganza, which draws 40,000 fans to a normally sedate rural community in central Iowa.

During the rest of the year, Knoxville boasts a population of approximately 7,500 people. The Nationals brings every sprint car fan and his brother to watch the best dirt track racers try to win the $190,000 winner's prize.

Wednesday and Thursday are qualifying nights which set the field for Saturday's Finale. Friday night grants non-qualifiers a last chance to get into the Saturday Mains.

During the days, the crowds mingle at the trade show, or venture out to a go-kart track to race. Some drivers bring their young children to race in the local English Creek Speedway Nationals during the afternoons.

Food is plentiful, as venders hawk homemade pie a la mode, grilled turkey breast, gyros, pizza, brats, and beer.

My favorite events (aside from the racing) occur in the National Sprint Car Hall of Fame and Museum. Every year, the Museum hosts a racing personality in a discussion. This year the legendary Doug Wolfgang will be discussing his new book with Dave Argabright. The annual auction to raise funds for the museum will be held on Saturday. I try to volunteer as much time as I can to spend in the museum (and not just because it is air conditioned!). I enjoy talking to the "old timers" who watched Foyt, Kinser, Swindell and Wolfgang race back in the day. Plus, most of the teams, their families, and the fans cycled through.

Last year, I learned: that they race sprint cars in Hawaii (guess I hadn't thought about it); that the captains of industry like sprint cars; that Kasey Kahne looks just as cute in person (and no one recognizes him here) and that Tony Stewart shops at Walmart (who knew?).

What other week in the world would I have the chance to see Kasey Kahne race a winged sprint car on Monday, JJ Yeley race an open wheel sprint car on Tuesday, Tony Stewart "foyt" on a car for his driver Paul McMahon on Thursday, and top it off with a Lasoski-Kinser-Saldana-Schatz-McCarl battle to the checkered flag on Saturday?

So, I'm taking off next week to spend at the dirt track.

Yes, I love the Knoxville Nationals.

Knoxville Nationals

Last week began the annual dirt track orgy in Iowa.  Knoxville Raceway was host to the three day Knoxville 360 Nationals, followed by a USAC Silver Crown Non-Wing Nationals on Sunday.

If four days wasn't enough, tonight was the Front Row Challenge in Oskaloosa, Iowa for winged sprint cars.  Rumor has it Kasey Kahne was going to Osky immediately following his run at the Glen.

Tomorrow night, Osky runs non-wing sprint cars.  Then the Granddaddy of them all starts on Wednesday at Knoxville as qualifying runs, heats and features start.

The Knoxville Nationals culminate with the A Main broadcast on SPEED on Saturday night.  But before that, there are lots of great drivers to be seen, races to be run, and homemade pie to eat. (Thank God the Rotary has the pie tent back this year!  I think I'll gain about 10 pounds thinking of it.).

What drivers will be around, you ask? Kasey Kahne hangs around Knoxville until he has to go to Michigan.  Tony Stewart can be spotted frequently too.  Mario Andretti will be at the Hall of Fame tomorrow (he was inducted in 1996).  Doug Wolfgang usually appears, as does Shane Carson, and Sammy Swindell (he will be running this year).   Erin Crocker is running the Nationals, as is Steve Kinser, Donny Schatz, Joey Saldana, Terry McCarl, Danny Lasoski and many other WoO drivers.  USAC regular Daron Clayton, California ace Tim Kaeding, Tyler Walker and several members of the Pennsylvania Posse:  Lucas Wolfe, Ed Lynch Jr,  Fast Freddy Rahmer, and Cody Darrah.

From Dirt to Pavement, Back to Dirt: Eldora, Indy, Osky, and Knoxville

I survived my wild racing vacation!  After 9 days/ nights of racing, I'm already planning my next adventure...  But first, a brief recap...

My first stop was Eldora, in Rossburg, Ohio.  The World of Outlaws were racing there - and I was excited to see that series as they would all be at Knoxville for the The Nationals at the end of my vacation.  Eldora is the quickest dirt track around - and the fans love racing.  The crowd at the WoO event was fairly laid back - but the next night's Dirt Big Block Modified fans were even more so.  in the Friday WoO event, Joey Saldana made a fantastic last lap pass to steal the win - and car owner Kasey Kahne was on hand to attend the victory lane celebration.  On Saturday, Tim Fuller won the 100 lap Dirt Modified feature - leading all the laps. 

The next day, I went to qualifying at the Brickyard, racing's holy grail.  I actually sat in the infield to see the qualifications.  Afterwards, I went into the IMS museum.  There are lots of race cars, motorcycles, and memorabilia.  A quick tip - ask the museum attendants questions - you never know who you may be talking too.

For the Brickyard 400 I sat in the Paddock area - which was great because I was in the shade and I had a wonderful view of pit road.  I always forget how big the track is.  In many ways, it is not the race to take new fans too as you cannot see all the action around the track.  But in terms of the history of the track, and the spectacle of racing, it is fantastic.

This is Jimmie Johnson stalling out the car before his burnout.  I wasn't sure he would get it fired again when it stalled.  While I knew Kasey Kahne had crashed, I didn't realize how flat the front of the car was until I saw the news later that night.  As fun as the Brickyard and the tailgating was, I had to get out of Indy and head back to Iowa for a week of dirt track racing.

Monday night and Tuesday night were spent at the Southern Iowa Speedway in Oskaloosa.  Rain threatened both nights, but the races got in before the storms broke.  Kasey Kahne traded his Nextel Cup car for a ride in his winged sprint car. 

Kasey finished the race in fourth and stayed late in the pits signing autographs for the fans. 

On Tuesday night, it was the non-winged sprint cars chance to shine for the fans at Osky.  Jerry Coons Jr. passed Brian Clauson for the win.  Tony Stewart didn't race, but was in the pits wrenching on Levi Jones' sprinter.  Most of the fans didn't even realize he was there.  I watched the race from the pits - the first time I had done that.  It was quite an experience - the trick is to stay out of the way, not get run over, and don't fall in the mud.  Oh, and be careful who you are standing next too - you may not recognize the car owner, crew chief or other driver until you've said something stupid.

Wednesday night brought the first night of qualifying for The Nationals.  Over 120 cars were entered.  The first night, Steve King crashed in turn three and died the next day. 

The format for qualifying for the Nationals involves passing points, qualifying times and heat races.  I won't try to explain it - but it is fun to watch.

Thursday night was night 2 of the qualifications, with the rest of the field getting the chance to race.  Passing was better on Thursday night, but some big named drivers had problems.  Drivers such as Steve Kinser, Sammy Swindell, Danny Lasoski, Jac Haudenschild and Brooke Tatnell had problems.

Friday night brought the last chance races for non-qualifiers and the World Challenge for invited drivers.

Then Saturday brought the main event - the Nationals.  The Nationals are a big deal - the payout for the winner is $140,000.  Second pays around $70,000.  To put it in perspective, the winner of the King's Royal at Eldora won $50,000.

Danny Lasoski, a multi-time winner at the Nationals, started from the back of the B Main, but charged toward the front.  He bumped Kerry Madsen, who crashed, and proceeded on to race his nephew for the fourth and final transfer spot into the A Main.  Lasoski & his nephew  Brian Brown banged together several times - with Lasoski spinning.  The spin brought out the caution, but Lasoski got his spot back when he was able to continue on.  The crowd would have preferred he be sent to the tail.  Lasoski & Brown banged together several times under caution, and Lasoski eventually took the fourth spot.

In between the A & B Mains, Lasoski & his Dad had a loud argument about the incident with Brown - it took several people to separate them.  The Crowd by this time had decided Lasoski was the villian of the night and booed him every chance they got.

In the A Main, Lasoski & Steve Kinser raced from the tail to the fourth and sixth spots, but Donny Schatz, a four-time bridesmaid at The Nationals, finally won. 

Whew, that's a lot of racing - and I haven't even gotten to comment yet on all the silly season news.  I guess I'll save that for tomorrow.  And I've got to make my new vacation plans...