Look Ahead to 2018; Plus a Look Back at 2017

Monmouth, IL (Thursday, March 29, 2018) - Mother nature sure has played havoc with the early part of the 2018 racing season here in the Midwest. For the past three weeks now, he or she, has altered my plans to get in my first attempt of attending racing at a dirt track this season.

Back on March 16th & 17th I had planned on celebrating my birthday at the Scotland County Speedway in Memphis, Missouri, which was also going to be my first attempt of getting some racing in. But wet weather and cold temperatures took that weekend. The following weekend, March 23rd & 24th, was the second attempt. As the Lee County Speedway in Donnellson, Iowa was set to open their 2018 season, with the "Spring Extravaganza". But once again wet weather and cold temperatures cancelled that event for the second year in a row. Now we move to this weekend, March 30th & 31st. The Scotland County Speedway in Memphis, Missouri was going to try for the second time to get a weekend of racing in. But after rains over night, that event has been pushed back to April 6th & 7th.

You might wonder why Memphis would run next weekend up against the "Frostbuster's" that are scheduled to run in the state of Iowa. Well it was announced today that with the forecast calling for wet and cold temperatures all next week, the best thing to do was move them back a week. So now the "Frostbuster's" will kick off on Wednesday, April 11th at the Lee County Speedway in Donnellson, Iowa. Then moves to the Benton County Speedway in Vinton, Iowa on Thursday, April 12th. Before making a stop at the Marshalltown Speedway in Marshalltown, Iowa on Friday, April 13th. And finally finishing it out at the Boone Speedway in Boone, Iowa on Saturday, April 14th.

If you still want to get some racing in this weekend here in the Midwest, there is still two tracks planning on getting their season started. On Friday, March 30th and Saturday, March 31st the LaSalle Speedway in LaSalle, Illinois is set to welcome the MLRA Late Models for the first time in track history. As the "Thaw Brawl" is sanctioned with them. On Friday, March 30th the Late Models will be racing for $5,000 to win, with the IMCA Modifieds and IMCA SportMods also on the card. Then on Saturday, March 31st the Late Models will be gunning for the top prize of $15,000 to win. Once again the IMCA Modifieds and IMCA SportMods are on the card. Make note that hot laps for Saturday at LaSalle have been moved up one hour to 5 PM.

One other event still on for this weekend, is the season opener at 34 Raceway in West Burlington, Iowa on Saturday, March 31st. New owner Brad Stevens, along with his longtime companion Jessi Mynatt, are set to welcome the Sprint Invaders for the first of 4 stops in 2018. Joining the Sprint Invaders at 34 Raceway will be the Lee County Late Models, which allows the UMP Crate Late Models and IMCA Late Models to compete together. The start times have been moved up one hour, with hot laps set for 5:15 PM and racing to follow. With only two divisions in action on the night, it should be completed in enough time to not keep you out in the cool weather to long. So bundle up and support one or both events this weekend!

Speaking of the Sprint Invaders, since they have started this series they have used the same format to qualify out the heats to get into the dash and feature, with the B Main(s) lined up how the heats finished. Then used those to line up the feature. But new for 2018 they have chosen to use passing points to get into the dash and feature, and then use those same passing points to line up the B Main(s). For more of an explanation of how it will work, plus a breakdown of the passing points scale, visit the Race Procedures in the rules posted on their website.

Another series announce this week that they will following a passing points system to determine there feature and B Main(s) line ups. That series being the Deery Brothers Summer Series for IMCA Late Models. Every since I know they have used a draw / redraw to determine heat and feature line ups, with the B Main(s) being lined up by how the heat races finished. But in 2018 this will all change. For a more explanation on this move you can read the press release by IMCA on their website.

Most everyone who knows me, knows that for the past 5 or 6 years I have been committed to working Friday nights at the Lee County Speedway in Donnellson, Iowa, 34 Raceway in West Burlington, Iowa on Saturday nights, and the Quincy Raceways in Quincy, Illinois on Sunday nights. But with new owners at both 34 Raceway and Quincy Raceways, I have chosen to not return to work at both theses tracks. It has nothing to do with the new owners, as I believe they will do good things at both tracks. But for me it was an opportunity to free up my Saturday and Sunday nights to venture out to other tracks or events. This does not mean I will not take in some race nights at these tracks and cover them on this blog, because I am pretty sure you will see me on some race nights at both tracks.

You will still find me working on Friday nights at the Lee County Speedway in Donnellson, Iowa and the Scotland County Speedway in Memphis, Missouri this year. And new for this season I have been offered and accepted the job of scoring for the Sprint Invaders. In the past couple of years I have filled in when Kenny Dixon needed time off or couldn't make the trip to a race. So when he decided to hang up the pen at the end of last year, I was called and offered the job. What makes it easy to accept, is that there are only about a dozen races on the schedule, and many are close in proximity of me.

A couple of noteworthy items released the past week or so, that I am sure you are all aware of. The first being that 2018 will be the final year for Bud and Denise Brinkman to field a Late Model team for driver Chad Simpson. The Brinkman's have decided after 15 years to sell everything at the end of 2018, and do some other things in life. Chad jumped from go-karts to, I believe the Pro Stock Class, in 2000. Then for the 2004 season he joined forces with the Brinkman's to drive their Late Model. I sure hope Chad can find a ride or find a way to start his own team in 2019. Because just like his brother Chris Simpson, he can still wheel a Late Model and put it in victory lane.

Secondly, on Tuesday this week Sprint Car driver Craig Dollansky, better known at the "Crowd Pleaser", announced his retirement from driving. A back injury will bring an end to his more than 22 years of racing professionally. In 2003 Craig suffered a L1 burst fracture at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. He would recover enough to come back to race later that fall. But in 2008 he had another set back, when he suffered a compound fracture in his right arm in a wreck at the Eldora Speedway in Rossburg, Ohio. That injury forced him to sit out the remainder of the 2008 season. Dollansky competed in the Winter Heat Series in Yuma, Arizona in January 2016, where he had a crash. He would race that entire season thru pain and discomfort, and later found out he suffered another fractured vertebra. For the past 2 years he has raced with plenty of pain and discomfort in his back. Recently Craig underwent a vertebroplasty, a minimally invasive surgical procedure to stabilize his spine and the pain and discomfort from the fractured vertebra. But the procedure was not as successful as hoped. After an assessment with an orthopedic surgery center in Minneapolis, Minnesota, Dollansky and his wife Julie had to discuss the prognosis and make the difficult decision to officially retire from racing. In the near future Dollansky will undergo a second spinal fusion surgery. In which this surgery will fuse his spine from the T12 to the L4 vertebrae, and has a recovery time of 8 to 12 months. This news has prompted his decision to retire. I would like to wish Craig a speedy recover from his surgery and the best of luck in whatever life brings to him and his family.

Before I end this, I would like to take a quick look back at my 2017 season. I managed to take in 78 racing events in 2017. It all started inside in Des Moines, Iowa at the "Battle In the Barn" in mid January and would end in the Dome in St. Louis, Missouri in mid December at the "Dirt in December" event. In between I made 20 stops at 34 Raceway in West Burlington, Iowa, 19 to the Lee County Speedway in Donnellson, Iowa, 10 visits to the Quincy Raceways in Quincy, Illinois, and 8 stops to the Scotland County Speedway in Memphis, Missouri. All of this visits were big, basically because I worked at the tracks in 2017.

Other stops consisted of 4 nights/days at the Chicagoland Speedway in Joliet, Illinois for the NASCAR weekend. I was able to make it to the Boone Speedway in Boone, Iowa 3 times in 2017. All of those came during the IMCA Super Nationals in early September. Despite spending most of my Friday nights in Donnellson, Iowa, I was able to find time to visit the Davenport Speedway in Davenport, Iowa two times. The other two tracks I made two stops at in 2017 were the Benton County Speedway in Vinton, Iowa and the Southern Iowa Speedway in Oskaloosa, Iowa. Five other tracks I was able to visit one time during last years season included the Independence Motor Speedway in Independence, Iowa, the Dubuque Fairgrounds Speedway in Dubuque, Iowa, the LaSalle Speedway in LaSalle, Illinois, the Knox County Fair in Knoxville, Illinois. And finally the Eldora Speedway in Rossburg, Ohio for the NASCAR Truck race. Which also happened to be my first ever visit to this track. I hope to take in a big Late Model race there in the coming years, if not in 2018.

Well if I don't see you at 34 Raceway in West Burlington, Iowa on Saturday night. Here is hoping I will catch you at some race track in this years adventures. Until then LET'S GO RACING!!!