12/29/2014
Christmas Karma
December 29, 2015 Phoenix, AZ: Christmas is a curious time to an atheist who has never wed nor bred. After all, He is the original reason for the season, though clouded by 60-day commercials for diamonds and video games. Neither religion, romance nor reproduction pertains to me. Black Friday may as well be in the Black Forest. Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays or Seasons Greetings. Say any of them with a smile and I’ll give you a smile in return.
In my 51 years, Christmas has simply been a time to enjoy friends and family, a time to reflect and rejoice in Allentown, PA where mother and stepfather have roots. I lived there from ‘72-82 and 2014 was just the fifth Christmas that I spent somewhere else. If tradition resumes, I’ll miss mother’s holiday glow too much to stay away from Allentown in 2015. Personal tradition yielded to practical comfort and prime position for Winter Heat Sprint Car Showdown on January 2-3, 6, 9-10.
Winter Heat is new to the winter brew. Proposed as a place and time for Tony Stewart and Kasey Kahne to play, the Yuma series was postponed by Stewart’s broken knee in 2013. Tony’s director of operations Jim Carr managed to finalize the 2015 Cocopah series (lobbying hard for that fifth race) long before his boss became embroiled in an August tragedy. Had death not come to Canandaigua, Stewart would most certainly be competing at Cocopah Speedway. Now healing his fourth knee surgery, Tony’s role at Yuma should be restricted to Steve Kinser’s car owner. Kahne and Kyle Larson however, are strapping into sprint cars and sure to light Tony’s competitive fire.
When the fifth and final Cocopah checkered falls, there will be 66 hours and 1300 miles before Chili Bowl Midget Nationals in Tulsa, OK. For more than a decade, Tulsa’s entry list has flirted with 300. This time, they crested 321 two weeks to race day. Emmett Hahn and Lanny Edwards have avoided pitting anyone outside the arena. They are currently asking about 35 teams to consolidate.
When the fifth and final Chili checkered falls, there will be six days and 1100 miles back to Arizona’s Canyon Speedway Park for USAC 360 sprint cars on January 23-24-25. In a fresh twist, Kevin Montgomery’s winter series will conclude January 30-31 at the Tucson International Speedway he promoted just four years ago. It is now under control of Chris Kearns, formerly at Santa Maria (CA) Speedway and currently Kevin’s brother-in-law. Kearns will conduct specials such as World of Outlaws on March 7 and USAC-CRA paired with ASCS Southwest on March 20-21. Western World returns to Tucson to close the USAC National Sprint Car campaign on November 19-20-21.
January 2015 is busiest ever as Yuma, Tulsa, Canyon and Tucson collectively offer sprints or midgets on 15 of 31 nights! Time to change the oil in my ol’ Ford Escort and spin that odometer.
Cocopah cars will be filled by Christopher Bell, Dale Blaney (Silva 57), Brian Brown, Roger Crockett, Willie Croft (Lamar 3c), Craig Dollansky (Rogers 7), David Gravel (Roth 83), Jason Johnson, Wayne Johnson, Kasey Kahne, Kraig Kinser, Steve Kinser (Stewart 11), Kyle Larson (Marks 42), Danny Lasoski (Quiring 2), Paul McMahan (Clemens 51), Mason Moore, D.J Netto, Freddie Rahmer, Joey Saldana (Rudeen 26), Logan Schuchart (Allen 1s), Ryan Smith (Warko 94), Stevie Smith (Rahmer 51) and Craig Stidham to name but half.
Paul Silva will field the tallest driver in Dale Blaney until smallest driver (Rico Abreu) returns from New Zealand, where Abreu avenged his Auckland disqualification of 2013. Rico and Silva came within six laps of winning Abreu’s debut in Charlotte; Brown joined ranks of World of Outlaws winners at Charlotte then joined Ken Woodruff with ASCS at Yuma, where he netted tenth from row ten. He will bring FVP 21 next week; Crockett climbed about 60 spots in six Yuma ASCS starts; Jason Johnson owns five wins in eight Yuma ASCS starts. He will be an Outlaw rookie in 2015; Croft locked into ASCS final and returns while Jonathan Allard is in NZ; Netto’s November stole lead at Stockton and got poked upside-down at Yuma by Brad Loyet’s spin; Rahmer’s retirement juggled cars for Stevie, Freddie and Brandon Rahmer while bringing Pennsylvania Speed Week back to Path Valley. Fred and Stevie were second in Charlotte after David Gravel spun them from the lead of National Open at Williams Grove; Ryan Smith stunned The Outlaws at Port Royal then smashed Susquehanna’s one-lap track record.
Minnesota’s Tod Quiring fielded Sammy Swindell and Craig Dollansky in the World of Outlaws 2013, started 2014 with Sammy on the road and Craig at Knoxville, parked Swindell after Nationals, parked Dollansky after National Open, formed National Sprint League, and then hired Danny Lasoski and Guy Forbrook. The Dude nudged Big Game Tree Stands to second against Chillicothe Renegades then fourth and sixth in Charlotte. The Crowd Pleaser then reunited with Scott Benic on Rogers Trucking unit that Dollansky drove to tenth in Charlotte.
Perhaps three Saturdays of summer rain caused Quiring to conjure NSL. Though he has yet to stage a single race, Tod’s intention to augment rather than oppose Knoxville Raceway seems sound because it enables teams to contest that track’s 200k point fund independent of his own 350k. Four of 28 NSL dates are in Knoxville. The rest scatter across 15 tracks in six states beginning at Burlington (IA) on April 11, Eagle (NE) on May 8, Knoxville on May 9, Jacksonville (IL) on May 15, Jackson (MN) on May 22, and Huset’s (SD) on May 24. Knoxville king Ian Madsen, Terry McCarl, Brian Brown, Dusty Zomer, IRA dominator Billy Balog and Lasoski have declared NSL intentions.
Shane Stewart finished 2014 Larson/Marks 410 business at Charlotte before winning ASCS 360 final at Yuma for Scottie McDonald of Houston, TX and Indiana’s Brad Benic, younger brother to Scott. Last winter of the Australian summer, Stewart struggled mightily for Luch Monte. This year, Monte hired Kyle Hirst for second at Adelaide, second at Perth, second at Warrnambool, fourth at Murray Bridge, fifth at Perth, and sixth at Mount Gambier on Sunday, December 28.
Americans abroad include Allard first in Auckland on Nov 8 and Dec 27; Jac Haudenschild blew up in Sydney but made next feature; Sheldon Haudenschild ninth at Perth after DNF at Bunbury; Minnesota’s Davey Heskin did not finish at Brisbane; Pittsburgh’s Danny Holtgraver fifth in Adelaide and eleventh at Murray Bridge; Ohio’s Cap Henry fifth and sixth in Brisbane; Brent Kaeding fourth in Brisbane; Tim Kaeding DNF in Sydney; Kraig Kinser fourth in Auckland; Ian Madsen won in Brisbane, second in Sydney and fourth at Warrnambool; Donny Schatz won in Brisbane; Washington’s Trey Starks eighth at Murray Bridge; Brad Sweet was undefeated in two Sydney starts; and Brooke Tatnell topped Bunbury and Borderline.
International midget races found Jerry Coons fourth in Magic Man 34 at Perth that Casey Shuman and Alex Bright did not finish. Shuman snared second at Collie, Western Australia before he and Coons returned to native Arizona soil. Jerry jumped in Gerry Cook RTS; Casey drove Brian Dunlap midget and Jack Hockett 360 at Canyon and Las Cruces. Coons then flew to New Zealand to cross sixth in races that ended with Abreu first and third, Clauson first and fourth, Tracy Hines was fifth, Darren Hagen second and sixth, and Dave Darland ninth.
Clauson came very close to winning midget races on two continents in one week. He led Christopher Bell inside the Southern Illinois Center, got collected, restarted last, and re-passed everyone but surprise winner Saldana. Tired of spending Christmas apart from family, Joey skipped Australia for Yuma and Tulsa. Tony Stewart’s PRI trade show and USAC banquet was when Clauson announced no TSR-USAC plans, if any exist. Bryan won Chili Bowl 2014 with Joe Dooling of St. Louis as boss. By summer, crew chief Rusty Kunz was credited as car owner due to Dooling divorce. Rusty and kid brother Keith Kunz were pleasantly surprised to find the 1995 Stealth of John Lawson in the Arizona Open Wheel Racing Museum. Keith had not seen it in the 19 years since he and Billy Boat won eleven straight features.
Back in 1990, Ken Schrader promoted USAC midgets in Charlotte a week before Christmas. Despite racing himself and talking NASCAR stars into signing autographs, Schrader felt like too many Christmas shoppers skipped his show. Up in Fort Wayne, Tony Barhorst’s Rumble in the Expo enjoys the weekend between Christmas and New Year’s Day. DuQuoin has benefit from Chili spillover as its Southern Illinois Center became test pad for Tulsa Expo Center.
December in DuQuoin whets appetites for Chili Bowl. Third on DuQuoin dirt, Justin Peck finished first on Fort Wayne concrete and will be Tulsa rookie in DRC chassis; Ricky Stenhouse’s second winter with Bryan Clauson caught two tangles yet salvaged eighth-place; and Parker Price-Miller brought extra midgets for Dillon Welch and Robert Ballou.
Chili Bowl comes seven weeks after Turkey Night when Chris Bell’s brilliance on the Perris cushion coupled with Kyle Larson’s long dives into turn three served as more Tulsa tease. In days after Thanksgiving, smell of chili mingled with sea spray. I camped with Rich Chesavage, who will crew Yeley midgets for J.J, Glenn Styres, Ryan Bernal and Steve Sussex III. Bernal bagged Civil War heat at Stockton, fifth at Oval Nationals, and won two of three at Canyon after wadding one Berry Pack car. I stopped to see Berry Pack rats Jimmy May and Mikey Evans. They had big pile of junk. Worst was Markus Niemala’s cageless car. They lost Fontana in Turkey trials then traded Darland to Mike Martin for $10,000 Las Cruces win. May and Evans take Trey Marcham and Gravel to Tulsa. Over at Maxwell Industries, Tommy Horne had midgets for Vander Weerd twins and Austin Liggett, while Tom’s biggie boss Steve Watt takes Heath Duinkerken, Jonathan Cornell and Landon Hurst. Cory Kruseman bounced into Maxwell to report Josh Lakatos and “a couple of knuckleheads” signed for Tulsa.
Kruseman has luxury of shaking down midgets at Ventura Raceway. He even convinced Jim Naylor to cut an oval closer to Tulsa dimension. Others close to Tulsa have used Will Rogers Speedway in Claremore to make certain four cylinders fire. Georgia’s Mark Bush ran his midgets up and down Elliott Field airstrip. Bush heads to Tulsa with Texas racers Ryan Hall and Charlie McDonald and an open seat. It will be strange to not see Doug Day in Mark’s pit. Doug’s battle with Parkinson’s ended on post-PRI Sunday. He was a fixture at trade shows and short tracks.
Keith Kunz has five Toyota Bullets for Bell, Larson, Tanner Thorson, Kevin Thomas Jr. and 2014 USAC National champ Abreu. Kruseman’s four cars are matched by Clauson/Tucker (Jason Johnson, Spencer Bayston, Stenhouse and Payton Pierce), Joe Loyet (Brad Loyet, Gary Taylor, Justin Hendricks and Kenny Wallace), Don Daum (Zach Daum, Rik Forbes, James Edens and Andee Beierle) and Matt Wood, who fields Cole Wood, Casey Shuman, Chase Johnson and Dominic Scelzi.
Vander Weerd’s three vehicles are equaled by Dooling (Clauson, Chris Windom and Michael Pickens); Don Fike (A.J Fike, Shane Cottle and Jake Blackhurst); Bob East (Damion Gardner, Caleb Armstrong and Tom Harris of UK); Bob Martin (R.J Johnson, Mike Spencer and Michael Curtis); Shane Hmiel (Darren Hagen, Isaac Schreurs and ex-NFL quarterback Jack Hawley); Shawn Petersen (himself, Kevin Ramey and Johnny Herrera); Jon Kantor (Harli White, Blake Hahn and Jonathan Beason); Shannon McQueen (herself, Michelle Decker and Amber Balcaen) and Sean Dodenhoff, who has EMC for himself, Brody Roa and one to lease.
Bernie Stuebgen of Indy Race Parts chose Australia over Oklahoma but ships Chili Bowl midgets for Tyler Courtney and Landon Simon. In other two-car efforts, Billy Boat has Chad Boat and Colby Copeland; Steve Weirich has Darland and Kyle O’Gara; Andy Bondio has Danny Stratton and Tim McCreadie; Greg Wilke has Coons and Brady Bacon; Mike Heffner has Bright and Curt Michael; Frank Baldozier has Ronnie Gardner and Jake Swanson; Troy Cline has Nick Drake and Cole Custer; Danny Felker has Andrew Felker and Josh Baughman; Roger Miller has Thomas Meseraull and Travis Berryhill; Brian Dunlap has Cale Thomas and Danny Jennings; and Dave Ray has Davey Ray and Cameron Hagin.
Who will reign as top freshman of 2015 Chili Bowl Midget Nationals? In the ranks of rookie are Bayston, Custer, Liggett, Michael, Peck, Roa, Wallace, Vermont’s Adam Pierson, Missouri’s Nathan Benson and California’s Jake Hagopian. The latter two 600cc stars know the house.
Two weeks after Chili Bowl on January 30-31, two-barrel Top Gun 360 sprint cars open Florida Speed Weeks at East Bay Raceway. All Stars arrive at Ocala on February 5-7 and Volusia on February 11-12. DeSoto has wingless 360 sprint cars on February 8; World of Outlaws open at Volusia on February 13-15; USAC sprints open at Ocala on February 19-21 and return to East Bay (Feb 26-28) opposite ASCS openers at East Bay (Feb 19-21) and Ocala on February 27-28.
Florida faced a Saturday in November when Top Gun ran East Bay clay while TBARA pounded tar at DeSoto Super Speedway in Bradenton. Both groups pulled 20 cars. Sport Allen beat A.J Maddox in Gibsonton as Troy DeCaire topped DeSoto.
After winning King of Wings at Grundy County, DeCaire was disappointed when Dick Fieler replaced him with Bobby Santos III. Boston Bob finished fourth at Irwindale and third at Kern County.
Davey Hamilton’s King of the Wings series was a pleasant surprise to cap the sprint cars season. Madera stayed green all 40 laps as Jacob Wilson’s Claxton Diablo held off Sierra Jackson’s Diablo 360. Jo Jo Helberg hustled his Mopar Beast from row six to third at Madera then decimated Irwindale and George Snider Classic at Kern.
If there is no more Tony Stewart USAC sprint car, it fell silent at Clauson’s Canyon with a hole in Kistler 360. Bryan salvaged Western World by bringing Martin Maxim to third from row eight. TSR crew chief Bob East headed near his native Bellflower to assist nine Beasts at Irwindale, where 18 of 27 were built by Bob or Diablo’s David Steele.
If all asphalt tracks were as racy as Irwindale, pavement would be vastly more appealing. Like a good dirt track, drivers need not hesitate at Irwindale. They just pounce. Hope it can stay open.
Geoff Ensign raced in Irwindale two weeks after Oval Nationals at Perris, where he pinned Matt Rossi behind Tobey Sampson for final transfer. Ensign ran Perris and Madera for Ted Finkenbinder, who earned eighth at Irwindale with Tim Barber while Geoff jumped in Kevin Feeney’s spare machine.
Thursday’s “crowd” for 360 sprints at Perris preceding Oval Nationals has been anemic and sad since it was the best night last year. USAC schedule has Thursday of Ovals restoring Perris to three-night national status in 2015.
Mike Dutcher’s RW 410 finished third at Perris and fifth at Canyon with Jon Stanbrough before RW 360 bagged second at Western World with Kevin Thomas Jr. Dutch and KT2 will open 2015 in Florida.
Chad Boespflug returned to native California to conclude USAC 2014 in Claxton Mopar of Kenny Baldwin. They will join RW Motorsports at Ocala and East Bay. Baldwin pledged to keep Boespflug too busy to keep local ride with Paul Hazen, who hired Shane Cottle for 2015.
USAC National Sprint Cars will be at Bloomington and Haubstadt on April 17-18; Nebraska at Eagle and McCool Junction on April 24-25; Kansas City on April 26; and Gas City (promoted by my friends at Kokomo) on May 15 before Eastern Storm at Grandview (June 2), Lincoln (June 3), New Egypt (June 4), Port Royal (June 6) and Susquehanna on Sunday, June 7. USAC/CRA will again race Ventura on May 9. USAC midgets will be at Plymouth (IN) on May 29-30. The rest of those schedules have yet to be released.
Turkey Night was first midget start of season for Chad Boat and Brad Sweet and each threatened to lead. Sweet of Grass Valley is bringing the World of Outlaws back to Placerville on Wednesday, April 8 leading into Calistoga on April 11-12. Civil War will provide support on 4/11.
Over in Ohio, the Renegade revolt bankrolled by Shane Helms is causing sleepless nights on the All Star Circuit of Champions captained by Guy Webb. For longer than anyone anticipated, Webb’s shaky hand has guided America’s second biggest 410 series. Last summer, seeds of unrest festered when Guy was unable to pay his 2013 point fund. Helms gathered disgruntled All Star champs Tim Shaffer and Chad Kemenah, added Randy Hannagan and Danny Holtgraver, and closed 2014 with three Renegade races at Chillicothe and Pittsburgh. To further break from All Stars, Helms made Grand Marshall of Webb’s predecessor Bert Emick and Competition Director of its former king Frankie Kerr, though Kerr’s announcement was premature and misleading.
As veteran of such rebel uprisings as USA and NST, I see splinter groups as good in the long run after initial unpopularity. Most people do not welcome change. Splitting ten touring teams (or less in All Stars) dilutes strength of talent while enabling more fringe players to profit. Ohio’s desired effect is that more locals hit the road and any momentary vacuum is filled by Attica and Fremont’s graduating 305 class. USA nor NST were more than one season to prosper. NSL and Renegades however, were built around more than one disgruntled king.
USA broke away from the World of Outlaws in 1988. If it had any lasting effect, USA did drag Ted Johnson out of complacency. Renegade’s most immediate effect was to coax Guy Webb into releasing an All Star schedule two months early. That was a positive. Opening his scattered brain to declare Kemenah, Shaffer, Hannagan and Danny Smith as aging relics was extremely negative and may sway public opinion toward the rebels.
Renegades open at Atomic on March 28 and return there on April 4 when All Stars are at Attica. All Stars visit Central Pennsylvania at Williams Grove and Port Royal on April 24-25; Western Pennsylvania at Lernerville and Mercer on May 1-2 and debut at Plymouth (IN) on May 22. Renegades race at Hilltop (OH) and Pittsburgh on May 22-23 then Wayne County and Millstream on May 30-31. Ohio All Star Speed Week will wind from Eldora (June 20) to Waynesfield (June 21), Moler (June 22), Sharon (June 23), Fremont (June 24), Frankfurt (June 25), Lima (June 26) and Fremont on Saturday, June 27.
When the American Sprint Car Series first signed Lucas Oil to hand its champion 60k was when All Stars and Outlaws first recognized 360 sprint cars as a touring threat. NSL and Renegades now divert 410 focus. Perhaps in response to Winter Heat, Emmett Hahn shifted his 2015 ASCS openers from Yuma to Florida. ASCS will be at Bulls Gap (TN) on April 17-18; West Memphis (AR) on May 2; Kansas City on May 7; Salina (KS) on May 29; Eagle on May 30; Belleville on May 31; Speed Week hits Lawton (June 17), Creek County (June 18) and Wheatland on June 20; before Washington’s first 360 Dirt Cup on June 25-27.
For the second straight year, ASCS Southwest banquet at the Arizona Open Wheel Racing Museum was a holiday hoot. Roger Toops and wife Kim are just extroverted enough to make Master of Ceremony chores feel informal or important as awards dictate. Managerial shifts have saddled Toops with replacing six Tucson dates. Roger revealed Cocopah will conduct ASCS apart from November’s National finale. He spoke of Nick Parker’s bright future before Nick requested microphone to thank his supporters. The kid gets it. Top Ten delivered Ten Commandments of Toops, such as paying attention at drivers meetings, coming out to wheel pack, promptly returning transponders, etc. Roger is really appreciated in Arizona because as Josh Williams told him, winged sprint cars might be as rare as midgets if not for his perseverance.
Roger’s final award of Most Promising Newcomer was to Rickey Hood, rookie to the 1973 Western World at Manzanita. Yes, he has been enshrined in the National Sprint Car Hall of Fame since 2006. Yet with the right breaks or the right people behind him, Hooker’s boy might just rise above his role as museum tour guide.
Article Credit: Kevin Eckert