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12/28/17, 1:03 PM   #1
Your 2017 Race Season
davidm
davidm is offline
Senior Member

Race Count This Year: 21
Race Count Last Year: 23
Join Date: Jul 2007
Posts: 12,509
 

Well we're days from turning the page on 2017. So how was your 2017 racing season?

I was able to get to 24 races in 2017 up a couple from 2016.

I attended races at 9 different tracks in 4 states (Maryland, PA, Virginia and West Virginia)

Most all where dirt tracks, but I did get to Summit Point twice for SCCA and Vintage Sports Cars and Jennerstown for ROC (NASCAR Style) Modifieds.

Eastern Storm at Williams Grove was my highlight of my 2017 race season.
 
12/28/17, 1:59 PM   #2
Re: Your 2017 Race Season
jjones752
jjones752 is offline
Senior Member

Race Count This Year: 19
Race Count Last Year: 22
Join Date: Jul 2011
Posts: 2,259
 

I made it to 22 events at 9 tracks in 3 states, up from 18, 8 and 2.
I managed to actually participate at 9 races, where various gremlins limited me to only 4 appearances in 2016.
New venues to me were Anderson Speedway and the Springfield Multi-purpose Arena where, sadly, we lost Paul Graybrook.
A big highlight was the 2-seater Indycar ride at the Speedway for my 65th (wow); now if I can talk my way into the front seat...
__________________
Jim Jones
Midwest Thunder Speed2 Midget #97
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Last edited by jjones752; 12/28/17 at 2:03 PM.
 
12/28/17, 2:04 PM   #3
Re: Your 2017 Race Season
revjimk
revjimk is offline
Senior Member

Join Date: Aug 2014
Posts: 1,893
 

Only 13 races, 12 tracks, 5 states (Indiana, Ohio, Pa. N.Y., Colorado)
New tracks for me: Attica, Lawrenceburg, Susquehanna, Orange County Raceway (Middletown, NY)
Series: Pa. Speedweek, Indiana Sprintweek, Eastern Storm, USAC Midget Eastern swing, Allstars
Best races: Attica Allstars, Byron Reed wins, & USAC Midgets at Susky (JUstin Grant, I think) Path Valley midget race was great too, but marred by accidents & serious injury
Young gun: Larson swept all 3 Pa. Speedweek shows I saw
Old farts rule: Lance Dewease won both Big $$ races at Port Royal. Sammy won Allstars in NY state & ASCS in Colorado, but neither race was competitive...
Start of 2018: Chili Bowl!
 
12/28/17, 2:52 PM   #4
Re: Your 2017 Race Season
Charles Nungester
Charles Nungester is offline
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Race Count This Year: 6
Race Count Last Year: 14
Join Date: Jul 2007
Posts: 21,202
 

Got to about 30 races, seen another seven or eight on PPV and another half dozen or so on LucasOilTV subscription live

Best races I seen. LBurg Midget Week with Holy Shelton and Bayston swapping two sliders and crossovers per lap. Then Rico and shelton. Bet there were 35 lead passes in 30 laps. Rico Won..

Bloomington first USAC race. Boespflug leading, Windom creepin the bottom, Windom takes lead about lap 20. Im thinking it's over. Boespflug winds it up and the last ten laps are side by side. Boespflug wins.

Hewitt Classic, Darland commanding lead. Gets bogged with lappers but I think he thinks he's safe. Drew Rader winds it up on the cushion, passes cars like crazy and wins by half a car.

Monpelier BOSS. TMEZ kinda made it look easy but the show all around was excellent.

Most interesting? My first Little 500, I don't like Pavement much. But I liked this race, WOW.

Had a great year, Me and My Uncle made almost all of LBurg Races except for WoO, Hit THAT, PVILLE, Bloomington twice, Montpellier, Waynesfield twice, Mansfield, Atomic, Brownstown twice, Eldora twice. Made Florence's first Lucas race and Moler's Turkey Gobbler with SHortbus and Lloyd.

New tracks for me were Mansfield and Anderson.

Here's wishing everyone a safe, healthy and lots of racing 2018
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Charles Nungester
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Last edited by Charles Nungester; 12/28/17 at 2:59 PM.
 
12/28/17, 3:08 PM   #5
Kydehart
Kydehart is offline
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Join Date: Jul 2014
Posts: 1,814
 

16 races in 3 states. (IN, OH, and IL) First trips to the Southern illinois center, Montpelier and Terre Haute.

Greatly enjoyed them all, as well as the tracks that are my normal go-to tracks.

Had a really fun year with some great races and I met some great new people.

Can't wait for next season. Hope to meet more new people and also catch some more new tracks. 2018 can't come soon enough.
 
12/28/17, 3:15 PM   #6
Re: Your 2017 Race Season
ISF
ISF is offline
Senior Member

Join Date: Apr 2010
Posts: 3,044
 

Chili Bowl
Shamrock Classic-Southern Illinois Center, Du Quoin State Fairgrounds
Kokomo Grand Prix
Sumar Classic
Little 500
Indy 500
POWRi National Midgets-Joliet, IL
POWRi Midgets/WAR Sprints-Fairbury, IL
Summernationals DLM-Peoria, IL
USAC National Midgets-Mighty Macon
USAC National Midgets/Summernationals DLM-Lincoln, IL
USAC National Midgets-Illinois State Fairgrounds
ISW Kokomo
USAC National Midgets-Beloit, KS
2 USAC National Midgets-Belleville High Banks, Belleville, KS
Tony Bettenhausen Memorial 100-Illinois State Fairgrounds
POWRi National Midgets-Mighty Macon
Allen Crowe Memorial 100 ARCA Stock Cars-Illinois State Fairgrounds
Ted Horn Memorial 100-Du Quoin State Fairgrounds
Southern Illinois 100 ARCA Stock Cars-Du Quoin State Fairgrounds
USAC National Sprint Cars-Terre Haute Action Track
4 Crown Nationals
WAR-POWRi Sprint Cars/Wisconsin WingLESS Sprint Cars--MOWA/IRA Sprint Mania-Fairbury, IL
USAC National Sprint Cars-Terre Haute Action Track
Junior Knepper 55-Southern Illinois Center, Du Quoin State Fairgrounds

Best racing we watched all year was the USAC National Midget show at Mighty Macon. That race was epic and an instant classic. Unfortunately it lacked horribly in fan support and as good as it was in 2017 it isn't on the USAC schedule for 2018. If we want good racing we fans need to support it. Sadly that didn't happen at Macon and it's really unclear as to why.

A close second goes to The Bettenhausen Memorial 100 at Springfield. 41 cars in the pits and the best USAC Silver Crown race we've ever seen!!

A close 3rd goes to the USAC National Midget race at Lincoln, IL. Christopher Bell backed up his epic performance at Macon with an incredible race at Lincoln the very next night.

Honorable mention goes to The Little 500 but we've grown to expect that to be the case.

Fairbury, Illinois is fast becoming a stalwart dirt open wheel venue'. I just wish they could get a USAC National show there. Don't matter if it's sprint cars or midgets. Either one would put on a hell of a show at FALS.

The biggest disappointment was the 4 Crown Nationals. Nuff said on that subject.
__________________
Silver Crown Championship Dirt Cars properly driven on a one mile dirt track are classic poetry in motion. Using that analogy, Jack Hewitt is one of the greatest poets of all time.
_________________________________________________
Last edited by ISF; 12/28/17 at 3:17 PM.
 
12/28/17, 3:21 PM   #7
Re: Your 2017 Race Season
nodramazone20
nodramazone20 is offline
Member

Join Date: Oct 2015
Posts: 118
 

Races 59 and 60 will be this weekend in Ft wayne. Started at 2017 Chili Bowl and went all year long to get to my goal of 60 races.

Next year starts in less than 2 weeks at Chili Bowl 2018
 
12/28/17, 3:34 PM   #8
Re: Your 2017 Race Season
brsteg
brsteg is offline
Senior Member

Race Count This Year: 8
Race Count Last Year: 43
Join Date: May 2012
Posts: 477
 

61 races (New Track Record) in 10 states; OH, KY, GA, VA, NC, TN, IN, SC, AL, FL @ a total of 26 different tracks/venues. (GA, VA, and FL were all new race states)

Had a really good mix of Sprints, Midgets, Late Models, but a ton of NASCAR races this past year. (#ThanksLarson)

New Tracks: Martinsville Speedway, Friendship Motor Speedway, Atlanta Motor Speedway, Homestead Miami Speedway, Freedom Hall (Arenacross), US Bank Arena (Arenacross), Montpelier Motor Speedway, I-69 Gas City Speedway, & Kokomo Speedway.

Race of the Year: April 15 * Schaeffer’s Spring Nationals Series Late Models $5K to win Florence Speedway winner: Brandon Overton
1st Runner Up: Oct 29 * First Data 500 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Martinsville winner: Kyle Busch
2nd Runner Up: Aug 11-12 * “35th Annual Sunoco North/South 100” Lucas Oil Late Model Series $50K to win Florence Speedway winner: Tim McCreadie

Driver I saw win the most: Kyle Busch (6)
2nd most: Scott Bloomquist & Brandon Overton (4)
Several tied for 3rd with 3 wins including Kevin Thomas, Jr. in 2 different cars within a month.

Personal highlights were seeing Christopher Bell win 2 truck races and win the championship; and being able to do 3 nights of Midget Week all at new tracks for me, which was part of 6 straight nights of attending races. (with not one vacation day taken. O.O )
 
12/28/17, 3:46 PM   #9
MIracing
MIracing is offline
Senior Member

Join Date: Jul 2015
Posts: 472
 

I made it to 15 races this year with the Rumble to make 16 on Saturday. The most races I have ever been to in one season.

Only 3 states: Michigan, Indiana and Ohio

New tracks: Thunderbird, Baer Field (dirt), Berlin (dirt), Springport (Pavement), Kellogg Arena (Indoor) and technically Hartford 3/8 mile track.

Most Visited: Butler 6 times. Approx 6 miles from my house.
 
12/28/17, 4:42 PM   #10
Re: Your 2017 Race Season
Eric Smith
Eric Smith is offline
Member

Join Date: Nov 2011
Posts: 249
 

2017 started out awesome. Watched a few nights at Volusia and spent a week in Florida. It quickly turned not so awesome when I spent 20 of the 30 nights I planned on racing this summer at work instead.
 
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