Hi, my name is Robbie Shuttlewirth, i'm 15 and i live in NY driving ASCS sprints I started my racing career driving 270 non-wing micros at a little local track called Paradise Speedway moved up to 600 micros, then into the big-leagues. hopefully we can do some racing in IN this year. I've been around racing ever since i can remember. Can't wait for racing to start back up again here...

:Steer

Robbie Shuttleworth
Robbie Shuttleworth Motorsports
Geneva, NY
www.robbieshuttleworth.com

Hi Devin

My name is Bruce Luper. I have been going to the races many years though i haven't made it a lot over the past several yrs.I am a cousin of racegal and Dave Darland.
Theres something really special about hanging out with family and friends at the track.
some special moments in my life. hanging out my brother John ,who was a member of the 36d crew, was one i'll always cherish. and watching Dave win the Bob Darland Memorial was one of the most wonderful things i've had a chance to witness. Very happy for him.Visiting with uncle Bob and others i've net at the track . i feel blessed to have had those special moments. I spent several yrs works for IMS working safety patrol for the 500 and brickyard. some fun times meeting lots of people.
as for my iow name trencherman i had been doing foundation work for 25 yrs til the economy hit .mostly working in Lafayette, kokomo and indianapolis
to all the service men ,thanks and to everyone all the best

I am Don Gilbert. 38 years old.... Divorced with 3 kids. Photographer/webmaster for a couple websites. I enjoy meeting people from this board..... it is always good to put faces to names on here...... that goes for everyone, even the ones who can't stand me. I have drivers that are personal favorites of mine..... the problem is the more I meet the more I like! The number I do not like is on one hand..... and that's a good thing!

Al Pierce,70, retired military & civil service, (and to "MudPacker", I'm probably one of the few on this board who also remembers Potsey Goacher). Grew up around racing when my Dad had a flathead Ford 60 midget we took to the Terre Haute Fast Track, Speedrome, the old Indy 16th St (across from IMS), and a few other places. I remember seeing Potsey at the Fast Track. Also attended a lot of races at Jungle Park. Missed racing for many years due to other comittments but attend as much as possible now. Usual circuit includes Bloomington, LPS, Paragon, Terre Haute when they run, and occasional trips to Kokomo, Tri-State, Gas City,and L'burg. Have made a few NASCAR races and Indy 500s in the past but lost interest. My usual race companion is my best friend and wife for nearly 50 years but she reneges at the idea of going to Tri-State and Kokomo and getting home at 2 or 3 AM unless we stay overnight, so I go with my brother and/or an old worn out tintop driver. Spend winters in Florida (I'm there now) and venture out to see the winged sprinters around Daytona time. Ready to get back to Indiana in time for the Bloomington opener. See ya at the race track!! :checkered:

Carey,

If you're at Cleveland on Saturday come on over to the 71s sprint car and we'll talk about real sprint car racing - you know, the kind without wings.

I'm Tim Simmons. Just recently had to start checking the age box that says 50-60 years old. Started going to the races at the old Speedway Park in Albuquerque, NM when I could check the age box that said 1-3 years old. Grew up watching the sprint cars and super-modifieds in NM. The battles between Buddy Taylor and Johnny Capels were, in my mind, legendary.

Finally got my chance when I was 25, living in Dallas, TX with a 250cc micro. Slowly moved up (and on to Little Rock) to sprint cars in 1997. Ran local winged stuff until 2003, when my son and I commuted every week we could from Little Rock to IN to race MSCS. Moved to Illinois in late 2003, ran the steel block support series with MSCS in 2004, then changed jobs again and moved to the Houston, TX area. Had to put the %#@$*! wing back on if I wanted to race sprint cars, so here I am. It's just my wife, Linda, and me here, but we get up to IN all the time to see our son and his wife and new baby girl.

Anyway, come on over and we'll talk,

Tim Simmons

PS - Devin, Good call on starting this thread.

Hey, Tim.

No, I will be shooting over at Battleground this weekend. I am kind of tied in with the Hoover/Mayhew No. 5 Modified team. While we wait for our new engine to be assembled, Joe is driving the No. 29 Mod; and we will be at Battleground again. I am sure that we will cross paths during the season.

Carey

My name is Pete Wright. I'm a 53 year old retired firefighter and I have a small lawncare business. I was born and raised in Western NY and my dad took me to my first race at Holland NY in 1967. The day after my high school graduation, my parents and I relocated to Upstate SC. I raced a street stock for one year before it became obvious I lacked the skill, money and dedication necessary to continue.
On a vacation trip to Indiana in 2000, I spent a Friday night at Bloomington and I was instantly a fan of nonwinged sprint car racing. My wife (of 26 years) and I have become the care givers of my 90 year old mother, which has limited our travel. (Not complaining, glad to do it) Our daughter and her family live in Knoxville, TN and we plan to relocate near there in about 5 years. Hey at least it's about 3 hours closer to IN.!
I've met a lot of good people on my trips to IN., have enjoyed lots of great racing, and have encountered some serious thunderstorms. Right now, I plan to be in Indiana the weekend of May15-17:thumb.

I know there has been a lot of concern voiced about the lack of interest in our sport by the younger generation. It's true that the majority of fans I see at the track are roughly in my age bracket. However, reading some of the thoughtful and enthusiastic posts made by some of the younger IOW members should be cause for optimism.

Hope everyone has a safe and enjoyable season.:checkered:

Bob Bressert, Aurora In, about 5 miles from the Burg. 48 years old, teach at Aurora Elem. Sch. and am the Head Girls Basketball Coach at South Dearborn High School. Racing and Coaching are my two main hobbies. Have a lovely wife who goes to the races once in a while, also two great kids. If you see me at the races I will usually have my dad Chuck with me. Burg, Gas City, Kokomo, Tri-State, North Vernon, Terre Haute. See Ya at the races.

Hi, my name is Gary Ball. I'm a firefighter here in Springfield, IL. I've lived around here my whole life(40 yrs). My dad started taking me to Shaheen's Springfield Speedway as far back as I can remember. I've also been lucky enough to see a ton of races on the Springfield Mile. Those are really some of the best memories of my childhood and my adult life too. I'm trying to get my two boys (8 and 5) as interested in racing as I was, but so far it is a work in progress. I try to make it to Terre Haute a time or two a year. I go to Jacksonville and Granite City more regularly. I've met a few of you, and would like to meet more this year. See ya.

I'm Dick Monahan, one of the old ones. I've lived in Northeastern Mass or Southeastern NH for most of my life. I started working on a dirt modified before I ever saw a race. That was 1953. We ran those cars through the late 50s, then built (from scratch) a sprinter, that we ran successfully with URC in the early 60s. The travel got to be too much, so we started maintaining a couple of NEMA midgets in the late 60s.

In the early 70s, I got talked into becoming NEMA's PR Director, which led to my becoming the first announcer they had ever had. I kept that up for about 25 years. In the mid-70s, I became the pres of NEMA when the existing pres quit suddenly. I did that for 3-4 years, then decided it was too much, and just stuck to announcing after that.

Throughout all of that, I remained, at heart, a fan of dirt track, traditional sprints and midgets. At one point, I travelled a bit with Boston Louis Seymour, but I had too much else going on to become a regular member of his crew. Our 5 kids were running up what turned out to be 34 person-years of tuition. I had to keep working.

For the last few years, I've just been a fan. Living in Mass., my best friend and I regard Williams Grove as our home track, even though they run wings. We've had reserved seats there for at least 10-12 years. We generally get to Florida, IN SprintWeek, the Oval Nationals, and the Chili Bowl. I'm planning on a couple of more trips to IN this summer. I might even come for the Memorial Day weekend, although I will not be at the 500. I don't believe in going outdoors while the sun is up. In fact, I don't believe in going outdoors when the temperature is under 60 or over 75, although I do have to violate that rule sometimes.

I am, by trade, a computer programmer. I have been self-employed for over 40 years. For much of that time, I was a consultant or free lance project manager, but now have semi-retired to just programming. I wrote my first program 50 years ago last month. I hope it'll be a while before I write my last one. :-)