Davey Ray won the race , not Robbie Ray.

Congrats Davey,Don, & crew on your Feature win!!!

Mike Cray

Jim

I have a confession to make. I have been racing a lie for the last 25 years. When we got back into racing some 25+ years ago it was to race 600cc upright Mini-Sprints with the son of a childhood racing buddy of mine by the Bill Felker. Bill and I raced 1/4 Midget and Micro Midget from way back in the 50's. Bill's son Tony better know today as "AJ" was my first driver. We were very careful to always call our race cars "Uprights" to distinguish us from them pesky little cars know then as 600cc Sidewinders.

I knew then that something wrong but I couldn't figure out what it was. After all we raced a car made by a MiniSprint Race car builder by the name of Allen Ruppenthal. The next car we raced was a Beast 1200cc Mini Sprint that we converted to race in the 600cc class. It was still called a Mini Sprint, So I still considered myself to be a Mini Sprint Racer.

The next car we raced was a Stealth. A good friend of mine "Ralph Potter" asked "JohnGodfrey" a young race car builder from down south of the equator to build us a 600cc race car made from the same Jigs as his fledgling Midgets chassis that incorporated a new rear end suspension design with Long rear radius rods and a coil spring suspension on the front axle. This is when I should have picked up on the Truth that I was really racing a "Motor Cycle engine" powered Midget. But I was satisfied with calling our car a Mini Sprint because that is what we always called it. Every thing I installed on car came right out of John's Midget inventory, but I could not admit that we were racing a Midget.

Then we had the "Johnny come latelys" come along and want to change the adjective of Mini over to Lightning. They thought that was a cool way to describe our cars. I did not go along with that Idea either,because we had always been Mini.

I have news for these guys we are not racing either Mini nor Lightning, because they are using both terms to describe the wrong type of race car. The name of the car should be Midget. We have young guys going out now and buying a Midget chassis, converting them over to run motor cycle motors, installing Midget parts, even changing the exhaust over to left hand exit to make them look more like a Midget and still calling their creations a Sprint Car. The only item on our cars that I can think of that would also work on a Sprint Car is the "SEAT"!!!!

After racing up at Montpelier with you guys now I know for sure that for the last 25 years I have been racing a lie. I am racing a Midget and darned proud of it. You other guys can call your self Mini or Lightning or anything Sprint Car what ever you like but you too are racing a lie. It is kind of neat having people come over to make sure that you are racing a "Mini Sprint" instead of a Full Midget.

By the way Harold and company had 27 Midgets come to race and 22 3/4 Midgets showed up to race along with about 110 various and a sundry other race cars and the race went on without a hitch. We were the first Sportsman Midget in the Main finishing 11th again followed by I think 2 others sportsman Midgets (If I am wrong please correct me). We had a great time and I decided for sure that I am indeed racing a midget with any adjective that you want to put in front of it.

Honest Dad himself

Oops. I knew that. Just a case of early morning fog.
At least I got the car owner's name right. Don, not Bud...

I'm right there with you Dad. I consider myself a Midget Racer through and through; maybe not a very good one yet but I'm livin' a dream and havin' a ball doing it. Heck, I even burned the wing spuds off my Yellow Zonker to reinforce that fact. This thing we've got going at Montpelier is something special. I'm honored to get the opportunity to be on the same track with guys & gals like Johnny Heydenreich, Davey Ray (even when I get his name wrong), Chet Gehrke, Lynsey Ligouri, Shane Hollingsworth and Justin Peck, while at the same time go wheel-to-wheel with my Chain-Drive Midget Bretheren and some pretty racy kids not even out of High School who may be our future stars. The coolest thing about it is that within the friendly confines of Montpelier Motor Speedway it doesn't matter if you're a Hotshot, Has-been, Wannabe or just a guy with a passion for the sport, everybody treats everybody exactly the same, and that feeling is reinforced with a big smile and a "Thanks for coming out" from the Sign-in Shack, to the Pit Steward, at the Pay Window and out the gate.
It's a beautiful thing, it is.

Jim

The way I see things developing is, Montpelier will continue to grow it's Full Midget program to the point that they can make their field with Full Midget turn out alone. Hopefully they will also spend some time and effort in developing their Sportsman Division that I see as a feeder class for the Full Midgets. With a little luck and efforts from the staff at Montpelier and the racers they can also grow the Sportsman class with maybe some Sponsorship and aid from the racers.

I think we had 6 or 7 Sportsman Midgets last night. These cars included Kenyon Midgets, Echotec Midgets Focus Midgets, and 1000cc and 1200cc Chain drive Midgets. As i see it all of these classes race well with one another. In the past race groups made rules to prevent the inter mingling of all of these race cars. Maybe Montpelier has seen the possibility of combining the classes together as one division (The Sportsman Division). For the time being they will race with their bigger brothers. Separating them out and maybe paying them in accordance to their finish in their division could grow this class. Maybe paying the Semi when they have an exceptional large number of cars could help a great deal. The purse for the Sportsman would be smaller than the Midgets but enough to make the racer feel appreciated.

These guys up their have the Chemistry to pull this thing off, Hopefully other promoters will take note of Montpelier's success and implement some of their Ideas so that I don't have to drive so far.

Honest Dad himself

September 13 Montpelier Motor Speedway Results

A Main:
1. 10 Davey Ray Davenport, Iowa
2. 2 Tate Martz Rushville, Indiana
3. 17 Michael Koontz Bloomington, Indiana
4. 35 Billy Wease Noblesville, Indiana
5. 7 Gage Walker Indianapolis, Indiana
6. 16 Nick Lucas Rockville, Indiana
7. 85 Shane Hollingsworth Lafayette, Indiana
8. 21 Nick Speidel Muncie, Indiana
9. 21 Justin Dickerson Pittsboro, Indiana
10. 21 Kurt Mayhew DeMotte, Indiana
11. 37 Doug Jones New Albany, Indiana
12. 17 Jake Scott Morgantown, Indiana
13. 41 Alex Watson Columbus, Ohio
14. 22 John Heydenreich Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania
15. 0K Don O'Keefe Pittsboro, Indiana
16. 55 Nick Drake Mooresville, North Carolina
17. 13 Pat Mead Mt Sterling, Ohio
18. 43 Logan Arnold Franklin, Indiana
19. 5 Gary Gipson -*R Logansport, Indiana
20. 0 Cole Custer Kannapolis, North Carolina

B Main (Top 5 Advance)

1. 12 John Heydenreich
2. 37 Doug Jones
3. 21 Kurt Mayhew
4. 17 Jake Scott
5. 43 Logan Arnold

6. 15 Cole Fehr Coatesville, Indiana
7. 11 Cory Bedwell Bluffton, Indiana
8. 28 Ashlea Albertson Indianapolis, Indiana
9. 97 Jim Jones *R Indianapolis, Indiana
10. E99 Gage Etgen Celina, Ohio
11. 26 Clayton Gaines Indianapolis, Indiana
12. 3D Cody Downard Lima, Ohio

What a tremendous turnout in the Midget division with an excellent racing from Ray's charge from 6th, Koontz's drive from 15th to 3rd, to the three wide B Main finish with Jones, Heydenreich and Mayhew and many more moments along with the unfortunate moments of Hollingsworth's flat while leading, Clayton Gaines' hard flip, Drake's engine shutting off while battling for the win, and Bedwell holding tough in the B Main before bad luck.

We have the Midgets on the program this coming September 20 and September 27. Midget car owners and drivers are supporting the Midget series, and we need fan support too. You will see a great race!

Brian

Races like you had last night should help. When people go back to work and tell their friends about the excitement. what you need is a way to help get the new people in the stands. Maybe a discount for people returning the next week with a friend or two when they show their stubs from the previous week. Heck I would probably bring somebody for a ticket for a free Hot Dog.

It is really hard for race tracks to get the crowds after school starts. With all the extra school activities, race tracks usually take the back seat.

Honest Dad himself

Or tell their friends about the guy that flipped all by himself with no other cars around........I heard he's kindly goofy, but absolutely handsome...... lol

Well that proves it; you DID take a knock on the head...