[Andrew S. Quinn]

I stopped in the final day of the Smackdown to talk with friends. Rick (ilovedirttrackracing) introduced me to some of his friends from around Toledo, Wisconsin, and one older gent from New York around Long Island.

I got talking with the guy from New York, and before long each of us had our phones out with photos. He used to have a NASCAR type modified, and going thru the pics, I says that’s Greg Sacks in the Wilsberg 5, Richie Evans in the 61 etc. the we started talking about midgets and also pine brook speedway in N J which was a popular 3/4 midget track.

Then I showed him photos from Van Kraft (RIP) where I used to go visit when I first moved to Indiana. Van used to restore Kurtis Midgets, and I’d stop by every Saturday during the winter to both watch and help Van with making body panels and the like.

You never knew what racing personality’s would walk into his shop, and one regular was Bob Harkey. I showed the guy a pic of Bob with a rail job Kurtis. He recognized Bob, but not the midget. He asked if it was a Gertler midget from Long Island, and I said no it’s a Kurtis and was based nearby Long Island, but not as famous a midget as it’s later brother. It was the Caruso 3, in getting some panel work for the Caruso’s. The Caruso 2 was a more famous car.

Anyway while we were talking his phone rang and he answered it and told whoever he was talking to that “I’ll have to call you back. I’m talking to a guy that speaks my language”!

Had a great time talking with him. It’s not always about the racing....

[revjimk]

Didn't get to many races this past year due to taking care of my 100 yr. old Mom, but my best was seeing Anthony Macri win the Tuscarora 50 at Port Royal from 19th...
I know, wings.... a thousand pardons!

[cmakin]

Originally Posted by BrentTFunk I didn't see any bad shows this year. I thought everyone was good. The problem is the more races I see, the less details I remember about each. Here are some that stick out in no particular order. Gas City SprintWeek opener. Even though Brady Bacon, Robert Ballou and C J Leary caught the most attention, it was Shane Cottle quietly doing his job coming deep in the field for the win. Kokomo the next night. Two of the drivers who people tend to complain about Robert Ballou and Justin Grant slugged it out battling hard and clean. Smackdown night 1. It was the only night that I made, spent the next 6 nights in the crash house. Kyle Cummins drove from the back after a flat for the win. Springfield in October. Overnight steady rain helped produce the best Silver Crown race I have seen on a dirt mile since my first trip to DuQuoin in 1984. I am sure I left off a few. These are the good ole days

Oh, man. Agreed on that Gas City race. Has to be one of the best I have ever witnessed/shot. With all of the drama, Shane did his best. As I was shooting the event, I TRY and look for the best action, so don't always watch who might be leading until the last few laps. And, what do I see through the lens? Cottle pulling that win out at the last minute, and it wasn't the first time he had done that at Gas City. And yeah, the subsequent action between Ballou and Grant was good, too. Really hate that THAT got rained out. I am guessing that it really would have been a barn burner.

[fish]

Gas City Sprint Week. Photographers were, "wow, what a night."

[JJMooney]

#3. April 15th: Wythe Raceway, Rural Restreat VA: All my life I have tried to like late models. I really have. Earlier this year, I made the decision to visit new tracks and give late models another chance. I did see a few good ones here and there. I will say this show was exceptional on a track that’s a huge 5/8 mile high banked monster. This was a Spring Nationals Series, $10,000 to win feature where Brandon Overton passed Jonathan Davenport on the final turn. It was a good one. However, by June I’d seen enough dusty, single-file stinkers that I was back to loving sprint cars before summer was out.

#2. July 29th: I-70 Speedway, Odessa MO. $26,000 to win Rudeen Foundation ASCoC show won by PA’s Anthony Macri. I saw USAC shows at I-70 when it was pavement and high-banked. That was 25 years ago. IMO it was a twin to Salem. They cut the banking, removed the asphalt and applied a nice layer of black clay. The place is still plenty fast and the racing on this night was great. There was passing everywhere during the A-main and I held my breath a bunch of times witnessing Macri, Buddy Kofoid and Rico Abreu weave their way through traffic.

#1. September 10th: Spoon River Speedway, Canton IL. I have never seen Spoon River this good…ever. The Xtreme Outlaw Sprint Series event had action galore all over the place right from the start. From hot laps, to heats, to the feature it was the best show I saw all year. Spoon River was juiced up and fast all night. Scary fast. And the show ran off like clockwork (I think I was out of there before 9:30). Jake Swanson grabbed the lead from Robert Ballou on lap three but there was so much going on everywhere through the pack, the whole race, I difficulty taking it all in.