Your 2015 Racing Season
 

So how was your 2015 Racing Season? How many shows did you get to?

I had one of my better season, getting to 23 races in 4 states from a 1/5 mile dirt track to a 2 mile road course. I got to add a new track (Kutztown) to my track list and first time seeing and photographing Karts road race.

The highlight of my year was getting back to Indiana after not being able to travel for a couple year. Getting to see old friends again and make new one's is alway a big plus for my trip west. This was also the first time I've ever seen all three of USAC series in the same year.

The only down side was the BS pulled at Lincoln Speedway when the USAC Sprint race was canceled for rain that never happened.

1) 3-29-15 Lincoln Speedway 410 Sprints and Super Sportsman
2) 4-11-15 Lincoln Speedway 410 Sprints, Super Sportsman and 358 LM's
3) 4-18-15 Hagerstown Speedway Super LM, LMS, Pure Stocks, HS and Classic Cars
4) 5-02-15 Summit Point SCCA Majors & WKA Karts
5) 5-02-15 Williams Grove Super Sportsman, 358 LM's and Street Stocks
6) 5-16-15 Latimore Valley Jalopy Showdown Vintage Cars
7) 5-23-15 Lincoln Speedway 410 Sprints, 358 Sprints and Legend Cars
8) 6-07-15 Susquehanna Speedway USAC Sprints.
9) 6-20-15 Summit Point SCCA MARRS
10) 7-2-15 Terre Haute Silver Crown and UMP Mods
11) 7-3-15 Lincoln Park Speedway MSCS Sprints, Mods, Super Stocks and Bombers
12) 7-4-15 Lincoln Park Speedway USAC Sprints, Mods, Super Stocks and Bombers
13) 7-5-15 Kokomo Speedway Sprints, UMP Mods, Super Stocks/SS and Hornet
14) 7-25-15 Hagerstown Speedway Super LM, LMS, Pure Stocks, HS and Classic Cars
15) 8-12-15 Kutztown (Action Track USA) 600cc Wingless Micros, Speedsters and Slingshots *New Track!
16) 8-18-15 Path Valley Speedway USAC Midgets and Wingless Super Sportsman
17) 8-19-15 Lincoln Speedway USAC Midgets and Central PA Legends
18) 8-22-15 Latimore Valley Vintage race cars for WGOT Convention
19) 8-22-15 Williams Grove Super Sportsman, LM and Street Stocks
20) 9-05-15 Lincoln Speedway 410 and 358 Sprints plus Super Sportsman
21) 9-11-15 Williams Grove Topless 30 LM, Super Sportsman and Street Stocks
22) 10-11-15 Path Valley Speedway Wingless Super Sportsman, 305 Sprints and 4 divisions of Micro Sprints
23) 10-31-15 Susquehanna Speedway Candy Bowl Sportsman Mods, Micro Sprints and Street Stocks 9 divisions in total.

Re: Your 2015 Racing Season
 

TRACK - LOCATION-DATE-EVENT WINNER-MY INVOLVEMENT

St Croix Valley Raceway Centuria, WI 5/8/15 UMSS TSCS Chase Viebrock Crew Chief - #12 Parsons - 11th DNF
Indiana State Fairgrounds Indianapolis, IN 5/21/15 USAC Silver Crown Kody Swanson Spectator
Bloomington Speedway Bloomington, IN 5/22/15 KISS/MSCS Sprints Brady Short Spectator
Indianapolis Raceway Park Clairmont, IN 5/23/15 USAC Silver Crown Tanner Swanson Spectator
Lincoln Park Speedway Putnamville, IN 5/23/15 MSCS Sprints Kevin Thomas, Jr Spectator
Indianapolis Motor Speedway Indianapolis, IN 5/24/15 Indy 500 Juan Pablo Montoya Spectator
St Croix Valley Raceway Centuria, WI 6/5/15 UMSS TSCS Johnny Parsons, III Crew Chief - #12 Parsons -1st
St Croix Valley Raceway Centuria, WI 6/12/15 UMSS TSCS Jimmy Kouba Crew Chief - #12 Parsons - 4th
Hibbing Speedway Hibbing, MN 6/13/15 UMSS TSCS Chase Viebrock Crew Chief - #12 Parsons - 9th
Proctor Speedway Proctor, MN 6/14/15 UMSS TSCS Chase Viebrock Crew Chief - #12 Parsons - 14th DNF
St Croix Valley Raceway Centuria, WI 6/19/15 UMSS TSCS Rob Caho, Jr Crew Chief - #12 Parsons - 4th
St Croix Valley Raceway Centuria, WI 6/26/15 UMSS TSCS Jimmy Kouba Crew Chief - #12 Parsons - 5th
St Croix Valley Raceway Centuria, WI 7/3/15 UMSS TSCS Rob Caho, Jr Crew Chief - #12 Parsons - 9th
Cedar Lake Speedway Somerset, WI 7/10/15 UMSS TSCS James Giossi Crew Chief - #12 Parsons - 2nd
Cedar Lake Speedway Somerset, WI 7/11/15 UMSS TSCS Jimmy Kouba Crew Chief - #12 Parsons - 8th
St Croix Valley Raceway Centuria, WI 7/17/15 UMSS TSCS Rob Caho, Jr Crew Chief - #12 Parsons - 2nd
St Croix Valley Raceway Centuria, WI 7/24/15 UMSS TSCS Johnny Parsons, III Crew Chief - #12 Parsons - 1st
St Croix Valley Raceway Centuria, WI 7/31/15 UMSS TSCS Rob Caho, Jr Crew Chief - #12 Parsons - 3rd
Superior Speedway Superior, WI 8/8/15 USAC Sprints Dave Darland Spectator
St Croix Valley Raceway Centuria, WI 8/14/15 UMSS TSCS Johnny Parsons, III Crew Chief - #12 Parsons - 1st
Princeton Speedway Princeton, MN 8/21/15 UMSS TSCS Chase Viebrock Crew Chief - #12 Parsons - 10th
St Croix Valley Raceway Centuria, WI 8/28/15 UMSS TSCS Johnny Parsons, III Crew Chief - #12 Parsons - 1st
St Croix Valley Raceway Centuria, WI 9/4/15 UMSS TSCS Rick Kobs Crew Chief - #12 Parsons - 3rd
St Croix Valley Raceway Centuria, WI 9/11/15 UMSS TSCS Rob Caho, Jr Crew Chief - #12 Parsons - 3rd
Cedar Lake Speedway Somerset, WI 9/12/15 UMSS TSCS Jake Kouba Crew Chief - #12 Parsons - 20th DNF Flipped
New York State Fair Grounds Syracuse, NY 10/10/15 USAC Silver Crown Kody Swanson Spectator New Track
Rolling Wheels Raceway Auburn, NY 10/10/15 WoO Sprints Donny Schatz Spectator New Track

Two new tracks this year, both on the same day, at both of which, I got to congratulate drivers I know for both Winning the event and also their respective National Championships.

Fairly standard year for me hitting the area tracks, mostly Jacksonville, Lincoln, and Granite City. I did make it to the Chili Bowl and two new tracks, Pevely and Hartford, MI. The Silver Crown race at Terre Haute was a hi light as was the Outlaw/Powri show at Pevely. I saw all 3 USAC divisions along with the Outlaws, WAR East, Powri, and MOWA. I hate it for Kevin Swindell and anyone else who got hurt, hoping for full recoveries. Looking forward to 2016 already. Have a good, safe winter everyone.

Before 2015 I hadn't been in a car for over ten years. With all the rain I think we ran about thirteen nights.

Three states. Six tracks, five new. The one track I had ran before was once twenty years ago in a Modified.

Couple heat race wins, one top five, 8 or 9 top tens.

A Midget is the funnest, most cracked out thing I've ever driven and I can't even wait for 2016 to get here.

Re: Your 2015 Racing Season
 

52 events, 32 tracks, six new ones. Best one day was Indy 500, Kokomo sprints that night, also got in Bloomington and Lincoln Park sprints that weekend. Best series of races was ESS Sprints at Canandaigua, Can-Am, and Fulton, NY weekend, and best weekly show was hands down the wingless 600's micros at Kutztown, PA. Best driver performance was Rico's USAC Midget wins at Path Valley and Lincoln, PA shows, too bad Susquehanna was rained out although Robert Balough USAC Eastern swing was a close second. I hope to get to Wall Stadium, NJ shows for the Turkey Derby on Thanksgiving Weekend yet this year if its not too cold

Re: Your 2015 Racing Season
 

30 race dates at 12 different tracks starting with the 360 Winternationals at East Bay. Hit Waynesfield and Terre Haute for the first time.

The biggest event of the year was at Butler. It was hot. I was wearing my twill fedora with a brim. On the hat I have multiple pins from various place I have been to in my time. In an early modified heat a rock was thrown up from the track and hit me in the forehead. I never saw it coming. I reached up and realized I was bleeding. Luckily I had some paper towels in my bag so I pressed on it. Nothing bad, just a cut. The rock hit one of the pins and drove the backing piece into my head. I actually bought my 50/50 ticket holding the paper towel to my head.

After a while, I realized the pin was knocked off the hat. I was looking for it..... and looking. I was also trying to figure out which pin it was. There are about 20-25 on my hat. One less now.

I then leaned over and looked at the row in front of me (no one was sitting there) and on the floor, stuck into the wood, pointy end down, was the pin. I picked it up. It was a WWII Veterans Memorial pin I got from Washington, D.C., back in 2004 when President Bush dedicated the memorial.

The date at Butler this happened on was June 6th. The 71st anniversary of the invasion of Normandy. D-Day.

Coincidence? I think NOT.

Re: Your 2015 Racing Season
 

So far, 50 events (including practices at IMS and Perris) across 16 venues. One new one in that group, Shady Oaks in Goliad, Texas.

Not done yet, three more nights of racing at USA Raceway in Tucson, Arizona later this week will make 53 events at 17 venues, and two being new. . . .

Re: Your 2015 Racing Season
 

Mike love the Butler Story! Also glad you found the pin!

Re: Your 2015 Racing Season
 

I only made 7. Thanks to some friends and family and LBurgs generosity to BARC and the clubs of which two of my visits consisted..

Most memorable was Dickie Gaines winning in the Soudrette Car on a night the storms were so severe we thought there was no chance getting it in and for the most part the storm split like the red sea and missed us and we got a brief sprinkle during hotlaps.

Best gathering of friends would be both Sprintweek which I got to see many IOW members. And the BARC Luau as well.

My racings is way down from a average 35-45 and a few PPV's but its not because of lack of desire to go.

Re: Your 2015 Racing Season
 

Me and Ailsa just decided to go for it while we can this year. Not sure we'll be able to repeat or beat this years Racing Total without a lotto win.

January 12th - Chili Bowl Practice
January 13th – Chili Bowl Night 1
January 14th – Chili Bowl Night 2
January 15th – Chili Bowl Night 3
January 16th – Chili Bowl Night 4
January 17th – Chili Bowl Night 5

June 4th – Quincy Raceway, POWRi Midget Week
June 5th – Jacksonville Speedway, POWRi Midget Week
June 6th – Macon Speedway, POWRi Midget Week
June 7th – Belle-Clair Speedway, POWRi Midget Week

June 10th – Gas City, USAC Midget Week
June 11th – Putnamville, USAC Midget Week
June 12th – Bloomington, USAC Midget Week
June 13th – Lawrenceburg, USAC Midget Week
June 14th – Kokomo – RAIN OUT - :7:
June 15th - Angell Park Speedway, Midgets

July 10th – Gas City, ISW
July 11th – Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Classic Cars
July 11th – Kokomo, ISW – Mains - RAIN OUT - :7:
July 12th – Lawrence burg, ISW
July 15th – Terre Haute, ISW
July 16th – Putnamville, ISW
July 17th – Bloomington – Feature - RAIN OUT - :7:
July 18th - Haubstadt, ISW
July 19th - Angell Park Speedway, IRA & NSL Sprints

August 26th – Kokomo, ISW Make up show
August 27th – Kokomo, Smackdown
August 28th – Kokomo, Smackdown
August 29th – Kokomo, Smackdown

November 12th - Perris Auto Speedway, Oval Nationals Practice
November 13th - Perris Auto Speedway, Oval Nationals
November 14th - Perris Auto Speedway, Oval Nationals
November 15th - Perris Auto Speedway, Oval Nationals

Re: Your 2015 Racing Season
 

Forty eight so far!

Re: Your 2015 Racing Season
 

As Ron says 58 so far with 2 to go. Three new tracks Bell-Clair is one that anytime they are running midgets I'll be there, and the other is the Indy mile I had been there before but not in last 30 35 years, last new one is Wayne City and that's a OMG track, I have never seen the 27th place car throwin siders on the 26th place guy BUT I did there. But really saw great racing all over . Met a lot of people from this site this year and love them all, hope to met many more next year :8:

Re: Your 2015 Racing Season
 

49 hoping for a 3 more. Will be ready for Ocala in February

Re: Your 2015 Racing Season
 

58 and done for this year. Down a little from last year but the June-July rains account for that. Next racing at local Florida pavement track then the February dirt schedule.

I can't compete with most of you guys but this year has been great for me compared to the last 5 in which I had only one weekend a month off. As you all know it's tough to get to the track with that schedule when you got family stuff as well. This year I started at Eldora in may with the usac woo double header, and finished with the 4 crown. If I only made those 2, it be okay, but got to plenty others and even buckled up again this year and the phone has rung some to get back involved. Overall a great year considered what I came from the past few. I hope to do more next year and meet some of the fine folks that enjoy iow

Re: Your 2015 Racing Season
 

53 races, 3 states, 12 tracks, everything from non-wing sprints, winged sprints, midgets, silver crown, and late models. Like them all.

Re: Your 2015 Racing Season
 

The highlight of our spectating season was The Ted Horn Memorial 100. Hands down the best USAC Silver Crown race I have ever seen, and we've seen quite a few. Aaron Pierce (among a few others) put on a show for the ages before getting a little too close to the wall.

Belleville Nationals was a great show as well. Belleville is always special given that we get to hang out for 3 days with some great people in addition to some great racin'.

1.) Little 500. Only a 2 year veteran of this race and regularly wonder why we haven't gone in the past.

2.) Indy 500. The last 3 or 4 500's have been more than memorable and 2015 was no exception.

3.) Sumar Classic. Silver Crown cars THAT are 'bout as good as it gets.

4.) Indiana Sprint Week. Due to career obligations and weather we only got to THAT this year during ISW but as always it was worth the 3 hour drive.

5.) Belleville Midget Nationals & Silver Crown. Belleville is scary fast and special even if the drivers pedaled big wheels around the place.

6.) Tony Bettenhausen Memorial 100. A good race, not quite as good as Du Quoin but a good one, nonetheless.

7.) Allen Crowe Memorial 100. The ARCA stock cars seldom disappoint at Springfield and 2015 was another good race.

8.) Bill Waite Memorial. La Salle Illinois is a great track and this race packs 'em in. Racing was very good, as usual. What made this evening special was we got to hang out with our good friend Mrs. Bob (Dee) Tattersall and Jack & Jody Hewitt (who had their 2 seater there giving rides) all in the same pit stall. There were some stories bein' told, that is for sure.

9.) Gold Crown Midget Nationals. Made the drive from Rend Lake over to Granite City, IL and got to see some great racin' and got to hang out with our friend from Kansas, Bob Nikkel and for the first time got to meet his daughter, who may be the newest race fan Bob has succeeded in indoctrinating.

10.) Ted Horn Memorial 100. As mentioned before, this was the best Silver Crown race we've ever seen and the popular winner is a new star of the series. What makes Du Quoin special is camping the whole week before Labor Day Weekend and relaxing on Rend Lake every day.

11.) Southern Illinois 100. ARCA at Du Quoin is generally a good show but the track came apart in turn 1 and kinda' put a damper on the last 30 of the 100 miles. I think they'll remedy that problem by running the fender cars at night from now on at Du Quoin.

12.) Jason Leffler Memorial. Wow, what can you say about that show for 2015 that hasn't been said. It was a great day with the weather 'bout as good as it can be in late October. Once again got to hang out with our Kansas Connection Bob & Bob. Oh, and for those that weren't fortunate to have been there, it was a GREAT race!

13.) Junior Knepper 55. We're looking forward to December 19th and being in the Southern Illinois Center for this one again this year. Also looking forward to hanging with out of town friends again and seeing how USAC does running this show for the 1st time.



Quantity is lacking a bit to suite us but the quality was remarkably high this year. Rainouts contributed to the lack of quantity and hopefully next year that trend will reverse itself.

Re: Your 2015 Racing Season
 

I got 5 trips across the pond for you folks. Unbelievable:9::9::9:. THANK GOD YOU DIDN'T HAVE TO SWIM:5::5::5: Amazing dedication to American Open Wheel Dirt Track Racing. You two definately deserve some type of Award...:27:

Re: Your 2015 Racing Season
 

Only award we want is clear warm skys with absolutely no hint of the R word. Seeing our American Racing Family both on the bleechers and in the pits is enough. After an 11 1/2 hour flight to LA a 2 hour drive through LA traffic a High Five from T-Mez, a hug from Monica and a cold beer from Bob kind of makes it all worth it.

See y'all next year god willing.

:22:

Re: Your 2015 Racing Season
 

This just blows my mind lol. I live in Indiana and there are years I didn't hit that many races and yet Stephen and Alisa did it from across the big pond. I'm glad I caught up with you two during a couple of your little trips and hope to again next year as you say god willing :8:

Re: Your 2015 Racing Season
 

54 Started at the Chili Bowl then to Ocala and hit all the big shows in Indiana plus regular nights. 4 crown, Tri state, Lawrenceburg, Bloomington, Gas City, Kokomo Kokomo Kokomo did I mention oh yea can"t miss Kokomo, Putnumville and got buddies that race go carts so we supported then a few Sundays. Might die poor but will have seen a bunch of races!!!:10::5:

Re: Your 2015 Racing Season
 

72 dates, 32 tracks, 10 new tracks. Decent season. :22:

Re: Your 2015 Racing Season
 

54 races, 23 tracks, 6 new tracks, 7 states, 15 rainouts. At Syracuse to see the Silver Crown and say goodbye to the Moody Mile. Last year at the US Nationals after 30 years; NHRA has really slid. Knoxville is the biggest show, Lawrenceburg is the best facility; Kokomo has the best racing. The Smackdown can't be beat.

Re: Your 2015 Racing Season
 

Sitting here thinking about it.... i really have NO idea how many.... I mean, i started at east bay and am planning on hitting the gobbler next weekend. I know i went to some kinda track at least once a weekend for sure, sometimes twice. Plus counting the midweek shows, Pa speedweek, the eastern storm, the midget shows... the thunder on the hill shows.. the outlaws, driving 5 hours to hit the "steel city stampede" like a nut, lol. Hitting some new tracks like, Winchester, New Egypt, Trailways, Linda's, Lernerville, and to be honest i am pretty sure i hit 6 new tracks but i can't even remember... so i going through the calendar i am guessing i hit close to a hundred give or take........ pretty good year i guess.... but who cares, its them hundred days until sprint season next year thats killing me already..LOL!!!!!

Re: Your 2015 Racing Season
 

We had an enjoyable 2015 season attending 100 races starting on January 1st in Sandusky (so far with 4 or 5 additional planned) at 54 tracks in 11 states with 25 new tracks mixed in and maybe 28 by the end of the year. We suffered 19 rainouts along the trails and have one more outdoor race and possibly 4 indoor races planned. The always awesome Kokomo was our home track with 10 visits for obvious reasons. Many good shows along the way and if you want to see our track list check out our profile. Also can check out our season review in a few days on Hoseheads.com at "A Typical Weekend".


Bruce and Pat Eckel

Re: Your 2015 Racing Season
 

I didn't get to as many races in 2015 as I would have liked. A big part of that was the weather. While I didn't approach the number of rain-outs which Bob Clauson had, the rain definitely had an effect on the total. This year the total was 47 races, 5 practices, and 7 rain-outs in only 6 states. I certainly plan to do better next year. This doesn’t include races I didn’t even go to because they were either called early or it was obvious they would be rained out. Some great races, and definitely a lot of great people. Sprint car fans are simply the best.

Ocala FL 3 & 1 practice
East Bay FL 2 and one rain out
Kokomo – 11 and 4 rainouts
Bloomington – 1
Tri-State – 1
Gas City – 5
Montpelier – 2 and 1 rainout
Indianapolis Motor Speedway – 5 practice and qualifying days
Anderson – 1 & 1 practice
Terre Haute – 1 and 1 rainout
Indy Mile – 1
Putnamville – 2
Granite City – 1
Jacksonville – 1
Canyon AZ - 2 and 1 practice
Cocopah AZ – 1
Southern New Mexico Speedway – 3
Perris CA – 3 & 1 practice
USA, Tucson AZ – 3 & 1 practice

Re: Your 2015 Racing Season
 

92races 6 states 23 rainout .

Re: Your 2015 Racing Season
 

Bob, I wish you much better luck in 2016. See you soon, it won't be that long.