[Stevensville Mike]

Now that my favorite holiday is upon me.... actually, upon US, I would like to give thanks to this past season of racing, and the moments that I remember, and cherish the most.

I do not not know what YOU are thankful for this year, but here I go:

I got to meet Jim Goerge at Kokomo. Here is a man battling a dreaded illness but still keeps coming back out to answer the bell for each round. If you go back to LAST year, he was a man battling a dreaded illness but still kept coming back out to answer the bell for each round. I hope he comes out this NEXT year and continues to answer the bell for each round and does not have to battle anything but parking lot traffic. The man needs a break.

After the Brad Doty Classic/Kings Royal Week in Ohio, I had the opportunity to blast over to Lincoln Park Speedway to catch a round of Indiana Sprint Week. It had been rained out previously and rescheduled. It was, as the farmers call it, a bumper crop with respect to sprint car racing. A freebie! I had never been there before.

From the second I struck the first match and threw it into my Smoky Joe grill out in the parking lot to commence a nice cooking of kielbasi, until the time I put the grill back in the trunk of my car as I was leaving, I enjoyed the entire night.

And I met Mrs. G. When I met her, and introduced myself pre-race, had I turned around after that and headed right out the gate and back up to Stevensville, it would have still been more than worth the price of admission.

Lastly, after a fairly "hot" spat on the forum with flagboy55 about Tony George, the IRL, and the good and the bads and the pros and cons of the split, I met him whilst limping about Plymouth Speedway on a cold, blustery evening (thank GOD the wind was blowing out that night), and immediately liked the guy and could not possibly carry out any anger. I realized he was a top shelf guy right off the bat. We watched racing at Kokomo and Joliet later in the season, too. Both great times that were good for the soul - at least mine.

It reminds me of my slight quarrel with long time contributor, fish, and my friend Devin Fairchild, who still runs micro midgets. A handshake can go a long ways. In fact, it can go all the way to the end. i hate being in disagreement with others, but it just seems to happen periodically. The key is to resolve it.

And I am thankful for my good friends Lou Conner, Bob Buffenbarger, Rod Robbins, and Rich, Derrick, Chuck, and all of the other members of the Short Track Action Club (STAC). Always fun to watch the action with any and all of them.

Have a Happy Thanksgiving, folks! Give thanks to someone.

[jim goerge]

Mike Thank you for the nice comments, as I'm stiill on top of the ground, its people like you and ALL the friends I"ve made from this website that keep me going. I'm still fighting the big C but still planning to be racing in a couple of weeks indoor. Hopfully will meet up with you a couple of times next year Hope you and your family have a wonderful Thanksgiving Jim

[beaner]

Always a good time seeing you at the track Mike and you do grill a mean sausage on your grill. Thanks for the friendship...a great example of racing fans being good folk and enjoying our sport together!

Happy Thanksgiving to all.
*Won't be long and it will be time to "Let's Get Ready to Rumble!!"

Rich
STAC Racing

[flagboy55]

Ditto, Mike. Looking forward to are next well spent time at the track. Enjoy your off season

[flagboy55]

I meant to say our, not are. I guess turkey night has me up too late

[MIracing]

Mike, I enjoy getting out to the races with you as well. We all know whether it is a regular night at Butler or the Knoxville Nationals, it's always better to take in races with a friend. Better yet making friends at the track with people you never have met before and to meet back up with them later is one of the great things about racing. Meeting new people is always fun and race fans are quite ok with racing being the common denominator that allows you to strike up a conversation with anyone at the track.

Hope you all had a great Thanksgiving and have a wonderful holiday season!

[Eric Smith]

Mike,

So you mean to tell me the night you came up and introduced yourself at ( I don't remember which track that was now), you had grilled food and failed to mention that? Did you not notice I'm fat, therefore obviously like to eat? Come on man.......

[Stevensville Mike]

Originally Posted by Eric Smith Mike, So you mean to tell me the night you came up and introduced yourself at ( I don't remember which track that was now), you had grilled food and failed to mention that? Did you not notice I'm fat, therefore obviously like to eat? Come on man.......

I am pretty sure it was years back at Hartford. Might have been an All Star race won by Tim Shaffer with a small field. A young kid showed up late due to rig problems on the highway getting there....... what was his name.....? Oh. David Gravel.

Being a good sportsman, I probably did not offer up brats in an attempt to not weight you down so much. I watch F1 and understand that the less weight/fuel you have in the car, the faster it can go. I know in some tourng cars series they add ballast weight to cars who finish up front. I did not want to set a precedence of doing that in sprinters.

Next time, though.....