[1121]

I love this subject! I hate the subjects that are controversial and keep coming up every few months.

I keep a book on the race tracks I’ve attended and ones I’ve driven at. I had to think about this a bit as I’ve been around racing my whole life and this year will be my 33rd year of driving. So, I came up with these:

Onaway Speedway: I have stated in the past that I can count on one hand the number of legitimate chances I’ve had to win a feature and Onaway was one of them. Onaway is about as far north in Michigan as you can get without crossing the bridge. It is a flat ¼ mile track. MTS had a pavement race up there in 2018, if I remember right. I was having a great night. I set second quick time and won the heat. I started outside second row in the feature and was leading coming out of two on the initial lap. I lead 17 glorious laps until I made a mistake behind a lapped car, lost the lead, and just couldn’t get it back. As far as I know, it was the only time they had sprint cars there.

Bunker Hill Speedway (Pavement): Dad won his only feature there. I was about six or seven years old and I remember jumping up and down screaming my head off while Dad was battling for the lead. I think Dad told me he got $100 and a case of Veedol racing oil for that win.

Bunker Hill Speedway (Dirt): I think it was around 1997 that somebody leased the track and ran a few sprint car races. I ran there once, blew the motor and they stopped running before I could get back.

I set a goal a few years ago to get to one new track every year. At the start of the year, I map out my schedule and plan on which track will see a first time visit. I’m not sure about this year yet, but I can guarantee there will be one.

Tom Paterson

[BrentTFunk]

Originally Posted by 1121 I love this subject! I hate the subjects that are controversial and keep coming up every few months.

Post of the year. I couldn't agree more.

[spankytoo]

I can't believe that 10 pages in and no one mentioned Manzanita

[racefan20]

Originally Posted by BrentTFunk Post of the year. I couldn't agree more.

Months?

[Andrew S. Quinn]

Originally Posted by JJMooney RE: Belle-Clair... Now, hang on. Midgets at Belle-Clair – yes. Plenty of people on this board have been to Belle-Clair for midgets. SPRINT CARS at Belle-Clair? I’m guessing not many have seen that. Sprint cars have only been to Belle-Clair a handful of times. I was there for a few of them: 4/15/16: The WAR series had a show that was the first time ever non-wing sprints were at Belle-Clair. Good field – over 20 cars. Really entertaining feature. Joe B. Miller won. WAR had other shows scheduled at Belle-Clair. 2017 was rained out. I think they did come back in 2018 but not sure if that one ran or was rained out too. I wasn’t there for that one.

I was there for WAR. Think they had Late Models too that night which are so loud you dont have to worry about ear wax buildup. They rattle it out!

[openwheelfan1]

Originally Posted by miledirt Paducah, KY - WoO and All-Stars Bolivar, Mo. - April '90, USAC

In addition to WoO at Paducah, I saw non wing sprints there in I believe 2013. I keep thinking it was an MSCS show, but it doesn’t show in their history. I do remember a very young driver from maybe Greenwood IN are got severely injured that night after a flip. He suffered a significant head injury, but I think I saw he recovered. That was the last time non-wing sprints ran there. I can’t remember the young driver’s name, but was supposed to be a real up-and-comer. Anybody help with the driver’s name?

FWIW, Paducah International Raceway has re-opened after being shuttered for several years and had a pretty successful limited season last year. They are bringing in the POWRI winged sprint cars in April 21. They are bringing in the WoO LATE MODELS as well as the UMP Hell Tour for events also.

[JJMooney]

Originally Posted by openwheelfan1 In addition to WoO at Paducah, I saw non wing sprints there in I believe 2013. I keep thinking it was an MSCS show, but it doesn’t show in their history. I do remember a very young driver from maybe Greenwood IN are got severely injured that night after a flip. He suffered a significant head injury, but I think I saw he recovered. That was the last time non-wing sprints ran there. I can’t remember the young driver’s name, but was supposed to be a real up-and-comer. Anybody help with the driver’s name? FWIW, Paducah International Raceway has re-opened after being shuttered for several years and had a pretty successful limited season last year. They are bringing in the POWRI winged sprint cars in April 21. They are bringing in the WoO LATE MODELS as well as the UMP Hell Tour for events also.

I was there that night too. It was an MSCS show but it was in 2008 (6/27/08). Robert Ballou won the feature that night. The driver who was injured was Kenny Biro.

[Charles Nungester]

Originally Posted by revjimk OK, I'm gonna start a "shoulda , coulda, woulda" slight diversion. I lived in the mountains of Colorado for 14 years & would always see ads for midget racing at Lakeside Speedway in Denver. I was always intrigued & tempted to go, but for some reason never made the 2 hr. drive... hadn't really got back into racing yet. It was right in the middle of an amusement park! By the time I moved to Denver in 1993, racing there was over for good (I & lived about a 10 minute bike ride from the track) Moral: If you wanna do something, do it. Seize the time! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xa-mK6DmvCY

When you mentioned lakeside denver, My mind immediately thought amusement park. Up until about 2010 I went everywhere to ride coasters and visit parks. Lakeside is one of few left parks that's all neon and traditional. I did not know there was once a race track.. But Dayton OH. at one time had a amusement park with a Racetrack as well.

[PAW]

Originally Posted by revjimk OK, I'm gonna start a "shoulda , coulda, woulda" slight diversion. I lived in the mountains of Colorado for 14 years & would always see ads for midget racing at Lakeside Speedway in Denver. I was always intrigued & tempted to go, but for some reason never made the 2 hr. drive... hadn't really got back into racing yet. It was right in the middle of an amusement park! By the time I moved to Denver in 1993, racing there was over for good (I & lived about a 10 minute bike ride from the track) Moral: If you wanna do something, do it. Seize the time! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xa-mK6DmvCY

I lived in Wyoming for 15 years we'd go to Denver a lot to the races. We went to lakeside to see a midget race. Mike Greg in a red 98 won that night. And the roller coaster was one of the old wooden ones and when you come down the back side you almost could reach your hand out and touch the wooden fence. The track remind me of the speedrome.

[cowboyhar69]

Originally Posted by spankytoo I can't believe that 10 pages in and no one mentioned Manzanita

LOVED Manzanita! Was there 5 times, first in 96 when we ran at the Copper World Silver Crown race. Last trip was in 2008 when we locked up the USAC National Sprint Car Championship with Jerry Coons Jr…… great times!