September 14th, 1994

The Bloomington Speedway will finish its season Sunday afternoon with a big-paying non-winged sprint car feature. It will pay $7,500 to win.

The program will be run different than most - drivers will draw for starting positions in heat races. But there may also be a qualifying ``race'' - every driver who wants to qualify will put $100 into the pot, and the fastest earns all the money in the pot.

Hot laps begin at 2 p.m. and racing at 3. Also on the program will be street stocks, modifieds and dwarfs.

Randy Kinser has already wrapped up the track championship in the sprints, but the street stock championship is going down to the final day between Scott Patman and Denny Campbell. Patman leads Campbell by five points.

Among the entries for Sunday's race are Kinser, the track champ at Haubstadt as well as Bloomington; Sheldon Kinser, Jr., the track champ at Paragon; Dave Darland, winner of 13 features this year; Brad Marvel, the track champ at Putnamville; Tray House, near the top of the USAC standings, and the top three in the All-Star Circuit of Champions standings - Frankie Kerr, Kevin Huntley and Joey Saldana.

Other entries include Bob Kinser, Kevin Briscoe, Cary Faas, Jon Stanbrough, Page Jones, Jack Hewitt, Tony Elliott, Eric Gordon, Billy Puterbaugh, Danny Smith, Gary Fisher, Greg Staab and Joe Miller. Tony Stewart will run a V-6 sprinter.

A surprise entry comes from Mitchell's Hall of Fame driver Dick Gaines, who hasn't driven in 14 years because of eye trouble sustained in a crash.

``There's no doubt that I can drive this,'' Gaines said. ``An old feller can get with it on a slick track, which I expect it's going to be. I know how to drive sprint cars.

``My eyes are my only problem, especially at night. Sunday afternoon I wil be OK, especially if the sun's out.''

Gaines will drive one of the cars Briscoe uses for his Risky Brisky sprint car school. He also wants to wear the old-fashioned goggles instead of the full-face helmets now used, but he's having difficulty finding them.

Thanks Chris for bringing back some good memories. Correct me if I am wrong, butr wasn't that race sponsored by D.O. and the King? I know I was there and remember the qualifying for the money.

Thanks Chris, cool find. How did he do in the race?

Yes, that was the first year for the D.O. Racin' Fest. Hero and Hot Dog Qualifying was big time fun to watch, IIRC it was $100 put your name in the hat and the top three qualifying times paid. Elliott I think was quickest or second-quickest in the Newkirk car. A very young BP put on a show as well, third quick maybe? I know that my dad was fifth quick. It was basically a day/twilight show but the track was HEAVY. Ran it on a Sunday. Great memories.

Dick didn't make the show. Ran a Briscoe #5 car.

Should have read Nunn's post before replying, I guess a lot of that info was already mentioned. My bad.

I believe Frankie Kerr won that race, I may be wrong, but I know he won a big Non Winged race at Bloomington around that time.

You are right Chris, Frankie did win if memory serves me correct. I know he won there about that time.I never missed a race at Bloomington except for emergencies(and still don't)

This was the first Racin' with D.O. Racin'-Fest. I had called Mike Miles about the idea only 3 weeks before the race. At that time the Racin' with D.O. & The King TV show was on WXIN Fox Indy station.
We found sponsors for the added money and Hero & Hot Dog Qualifing. Print Express [Thank you guys] put up $1000 dollars and anybody who wanted a part of that had to pay $100 fee. Tony Elliott took home $1800, Billy Puterbaugh $600 and Brad Marvel $400. It was Indy quals of long ago, loaded with excitement with the help of the Bloomington Bozo's Brad & Pat.
Prior to the race we had a special TV show with many of the drivers in the studio. Bobby Kinser & Dick Gaines were part of that group. Before the show there was a special feeling in the air!! I ask somebody what was up? and was told that Bobby and Dick hadn't spoken with each other for over 10 years!!!!!
They made up right there that night.
Frankie Kerr [now a NASCAR chief] won the race and the Earlywine Lane rocker chair.

We had money for last car on the lead lap won by Gary Fisher over Joe Roush.

Afterwards we had a large bonfire on the hill and most got goofy drunk as we past around a couple bottles of Crown Royal to hit off of. What a night and day.

Mike Miles prepared a great DAYTIME track for Hero & Hot Dog Quals, I think Elliott set a NTR?

The next year we included midgets with the event and it was won by Brian Hayden on a Hoosier tire [ that is when the sucked] Brian had crashed the night before and started deep in the field.

The power of TV was shown on that day as we pulled into the track there was a line of 500 people waiting to buy a ticket!!!! That brought tears to my eyes!! Thanks to all who came.

We did a 10 year afterwards event at Putnamville in 2004.

We will be doing a 2009 event later this year with Hero & Hot Dog Quals included. We are working with Spiker Promotions with hopes of making this a big event at Putnamville and maybe Danville. Modifieds will be included into Hero & Hot Dog Quals too. Details to come later.

If you have my 1994 video the Bloomington event is on that video.

We also did events at Kokomo, Terre Haute and made a Gotta Race Series in 1996. The Gotta Race series we picked 15 events to give points to and payed out $6000 at the final event at Kokomo. Kevin Thomas won the bulk of the money and a custom jacket from Gotta Race.
The 1995 Racin' with D.O. events had a 3 lap for $3000 race at the THAT Dirt Nationals with Frankie Kerr, Kevin Thomas and Brian Hayden thanks to Gerry Olsen.

We hope to bring some of this fun back yet in 2009 and maybe more in 2010.

Thanks again to all the sponsors, fans and drivers who have support this then and in the future.

More to come !!!!

Dan O. Laycock
Racin' with D.O. & Crew

Wow, look what I started!!

Great replies everyone

My dad and I went to the first two DO and King shows at Bloomington on Sunday afternoon...I remember both of those days like it was yesterday for some reason....those were some great times. There was definately a lots of excitement in there air and I loved the hot-dog quals too.

1: Kerr, Frankie (23s - Shoff) 2: Darland, Dave (36d) 3: Hewitt, Jack (63 - Hampshire) 4: Christian, Kent (57 - Hazen) 5: McClure, Rusty (09 - Harrison) 6: Beaver, Chris (9r - Roudebush) 7: Roush, Joe (36) 8: Fisher, Gary (79 - Evans) 9: Davidson, Derek (63) 10: Peperak, Dave (7 - Boone) 11: House, Tray (95 - Frampton) 12: Hayden, Brian (2h) 13: Stanbrough, Jon (77 - Law) 14: Elliott, Tony (17 - Newkirk) 15: Gordon, Eric (2) 16: Freeland, Russ (72) 17: Puterbaugh, Billy (11) 18: Faas, Cary (69 - Hoffman) 19: Staab, Greg (44 ) 20: Marvel, Brad (12 - Black)

DNQ; Tim Clark 11c; Ray Morgan 7m; Tom Pfefferle 86p; Kevin Doty (Niebel 20); Brian Black 2; Doug Stepke 0; Charlie Workman 45; Todd Kelley 21k; Greg Bugher 14; Bill Rose 6; Blake Hollingsworth 76; Jim Keith 49k; Jimmy Stinson (Rowland 8k); Bob Thoman (Blesch 66c); George Wilkins 21m; Denny Stewart 33; Nick Adams 44n; Rob Roberts 4d; Joe Miller 4; Tyce Carlson 96; John Nicosen 11n; Danny Smith 1; Al Thomas 72; Tony Jarrett 29; Tom Black 98; Jim Whiteside 71; Kent Wolters 52; Dean Jacobs (Smith 29); Ryan Jamison 51j; Gary Hayhurst (Cravens 1c); Rick Barlow 26; Terry Pletch 29; Erwin Burris 17e; Robert Hale 8; Mike Mann 37m; Terry Starks 18; Sheldon Kinser (Chrisman 25); Kevin Thomas (Chrisman 25); Butch Winings 56; Dave Stratton 38; Bob Kinser 17; Randy Kinser 14; Kevin Briscoe 5; Dick Gaines (Briscoe 5)