After hitting it pretty hard lately, it was time to slow it down a little last weekend before another assault in August. I guess I still hit 3 races last weekend. Friday it was off to Limaland(OH) Motorsports Park for the Ewler Fence 360 sprints, Saturday a trip to Anderson (IN) Speedway for the inaugural Anderson Midget Classic 400, and Sunday well if you want to call it a race, the Brickyard 400. All I will say about that, the Brickyard was the biggest joke of a race attempt that I have seen and the worse race I have ever seen. Now I know why I should of know better and stuck to sprints or midgets.

25 Ewler Fence 360’s were pit side at Limaland Motorsports Park. Once again, Mean Gene had the track in great shape. You can tell Gene has put a lot of effort into getting the track right each week. A dirt track is the most stubborn thing to keep consistent. Even the best can have an off night but, Mean Gene seems to be getting Limaland pretty decent on most nights. Mike Brecht started the night off with a tumble in hot laps. The heat action was pretty decent. Only one winner from the front row plus, a decent amount of passing. Tim Allison, JR Stewart, and Mike Miller took the heat wins. Scott Carter found the wall in turn 2 during heat 1 after some contact with Brent Gehr. Scott was done for the night. The only other incident was in heat 2 when Cory Seeling and Tim Viles had a meeting in turn 2. Jeff Williams took home a $100 bill by winning the McDonald’s Dash For Cash. Ron Blair took home the B Main win. Darren Long and Jared Horstman made-up the front row for the 25 lap A Main. The A Main started by Darren Long tagging the wall off 2 and breaking some parts on the front of his car. Well actually the Hammond 6b car. Next attempt at a start was a bad start. 3rd time is a charm, Kent Wolters takes the lead as the green waves. Wolters looks strong but is searching for the quick way around the track. lap 5, Horstman takes over the lead. Horstman is looking super fast and starting to open up a lead. Tim Allison has had an off year, so to speak at LMP, but is coming towards the front. Allison catches Horstman and shows he can still get around the 1/4 mile speed plant and takes the lead on lap 14. Travis Hery loops it out on lap 19. It was determined during the yellow that Horstman jumped the previous start and was docked 2 spots. Lap 20, Wolters spins, running in 5th, collecting Dwain Leiber. This leaves it down to a 5 lap shoot-out. Restart, JR Stewart is reeling Allison in as Brecht is closing as well. Each lap Stewart seems to be getting closer. White flag, its still Allison. Stewart gets a run off 3, shoots low, Allison stays high and takes the win. His 1st at LMP in 2008. Stewart, Brecht, Miller, and Horstman round out the top 5. A pretty decent race. Horstman looked tough until falling back late. Stewart was looking strong in the end but needed more laps. He may of got the job done in a few more laps but it would have been a toss-up. Wolters once again looked strong for the 1st handful of laps until falling back in the top 5 before spinning with 5 to go. All in all a good night of racing.

Saturday it was off to Anderson Indiana to the Anderson Speedway. An event I had been looking towards all season, once it was released. Call it a spin-off, so to speak, of the Little 500, the Anderson Midget 400. 34 Midgets, 400 laps, $10,000 to win, $1,050 to start, and over a $60,000 purse. Sounds great. Only problem, only 21 midgets show for this awesome payday. I guess many concerns faced the team about if the engines would last that long, and how many tires and such a Midget would use up in 400 laps. A break at lap 200 was to be the rule of thumb. After many teams not showing and the ones there concerned about tires and wear, the Anderson race officials stepped-up to the plate and put 10 minutes breaks at lap 150 and 300. This made it 3 segments 150, 150, and then a 100 lap shoot-out. I will be honest, when I seen/heard there was only 21 cars, I almost passed on the race and went else where. Hey, I stuck with the plan and it was worth it. I just
wish the Anderson officials would have decided a few weeks earlier to listen to the teams and take more breaks, maybe more would of shown up then. The crowd was really not that spectacular either. Many many empty seats. I know it was a 1st year event and all that. I just think it sucks when someone actually sticks their neck out, to put on a huge money show, in this day and age and no one supports it. Don’t get me wrong, there was people there but, well below what I thought would be there. I am sure knowing only 21 cars were racing before hand, hurt the crowd since many feared only a few cars running by the end of 400 laps. The race went very well and was a great effort for a first year event. Dakota Armstrong started on the pole and lead at the start. Lap 5, David Fuhrman stopped. Dakota was strong on the restart but James Robertson was on his tail tank. The top 4 were nose to tail the 1st 50 laps or so really. Lap 13, Robertson took the lead. Lap 39, Armstrong regained the lead. Lap 43, Tracy Hines took his turn leading. Lap 45, Bobby East thought it was his turn to take the lead for a while. As you can see many lead changes in the 1st 50 laps. Lap 54. Robertson comes out of the pits and collects Adam Schuyler as they approach turn 1. East is fast and looks to be stinking up the show a little. Lap 100, Jon Laski stops. Lap 108, Hines takes over the lead. East was super fast but tire issues forced him to the pits. A quick change and he is back out but, a handful of laps down. Lap 122, caution for some parts on the racing surface. Lap 129, Hines spins going into 3 and stops against the wall. Ricky Ehrgott inherits the lead after hiding in the top 3 for a while. Hines goes a few laps down before crews re-fire him. Lap 150, the 1st 10 minute break. A handful of cars had troubles but have pretty much been on the track all race long. Restart, the 1st 4 are nose to tail lap after lap again. Lap 163, Alison MacLeod takes her turn at the front. Alison actually won the tune-up race for the 400 on the Wednesday before. Lap 180, Armstrong is quick again and takes lead. The pack is still tightly bunched up. There are groups of cars. The lead group was usually 4 to 5 cars flying through lapped traffic. Half-way, 14 cars are still running on the track out of the 21 that started. Better than what some expected. Lap 214, MacLeod leads again. Lap 300, 2nd 10 minute break. What an excellent 150 laps. ALL 150 laps caution free with plenty of side by side racing and dicing through traffic. Many times the top 4 were bumper to bumper. From lap 200 to 300 12 cars ran the majority of the segment. Finally, 100 lap finale. 10 cars fire for the final segment. Lap 301, Armstrong proves once again he is the car to beat. East is working off the majority of the laps he was behind. Lap 307, Ehrgott takes the lead showing you can win it by being the forgotten man. Most eyes were
looking for Armstrong, MacLeod, or East to take the win from their earlier performance. Ehrgott is strong but Armstrong seems to be pacing himself a little. Lap 326, Armstrong takes the lead again. Lap 342, Hines is hard into the turn 3 wall after his front tire fell off. Tracy is OK but does his best Tony Stewart impression as the safety workers approach him. Pushing track officials must of ran in the Hines camp that week. Once the green flew in was all Dakota Armstrong. Dakota looked stronger each lap and ran the final 50 laps without error and cruised to the $10,000 paycheck. Ehrgott, MacLeod, East, finally getting back on the lead lap at the end after some heavy contact with the leader, and Joe Liguori rounded out the top 5. Liguori ran a quick top 5 the majority of the race. 9 cars were running at the finish. This was a good event. A very good race with plenty of action. Many passes and nose to tail racing at the front for over half of the race.

Hopefully the slim crowd and low car count won’t discourage the Anderson crew from making this an annual event. I know the Little 500 wasn’t built over night and neither will this. It sure has a ton of potential and looks like a classic in the making. I know they were already taking about the 2nd annual event Brickyard weekend of 09.

This part is usually for notes. It still is but to start if off I have to report sad news but good news. Kenny Jacobs has raced his last sprint car race. KJ’s wreck at Millstream actually broke the T-6 in his back and if it would of shifted 5 degrees more, he would of never used his legs again. KJ has been moved to team manager of the 59 car. KJ will make a full recovery but has to hang the helmet up. Thanks for the many many years of hard ass racing Kenny. I will always remember a few years back when the entire Knoxville crowd was willing your car to the front after a great run to 3rd place. You are a real class act and will be missed behind the wheel. Plus, I will never forget your bull in a China shop interview you gave me at Attica earlier this season…Lee Jacobs will run the 59 car at Knoxville…Another update, Andy Shammo has seemed to discover a broke bone in his leg after his Millstream crash. Not sure how bad it is but lets hope Andy heals quickly as well…Mark September 27th on your calenders if you want to see non-wing sprints back at Fremont Speedway. All the details will be announced next week but the date has been set as of tonight.

Up Coming:

Saturday
AVSS Dixie MI
MSA Lorain County OH
HOSS Illiana IN
Buckeye Sprints Columbus OH

Sunday
USAC Sprints Salem IN

I am taking the majority of the weekend off form racing. I plan to stay close to home and take in the ALMS late model show from Oakshade. Don’t worry a full attack is planned started next Wednesday either in Indiana for USAC Midget week or Knoxville, or maybe a little of both.

Be Safe

Duane