Back-to-Back

6/30/11 Peoria, AZ

Here we go again.  This is the 2^nd time this year the ASCS Canyon Region has back-to-back nights of racing.  The first was late April at Canyon Raceway.  As we all know Jeremy Sherman avoided the RPG’s and swept both nights.

This may be the weekend Chuck D gets a win.  It’s hard to imagine he is winless thus far this season.  He may not have a win but outside of his self imposed penalty (thinking the race was over at the white flag/finishing 7^th) he has not finished outside of the top 4.  I did pick him to finish 2^nd at the last race.  I also said he would win one of the races this weekend.  I’m going to stick by that prediction.  Outside of that I’m sure all of the usual suspects will be up front.

Big-Time

6/17/11 Peoria, AZ

Nine races into the ASCS Canyon Region season we have 3 different multi race winners.  With the most recent winner R.J. Johnson doing so on back-to-back nights.  Good drivers always seem to rebound from unfriendly finishes and R.J. is no exception.  After failing to take a green flag in the main event on May 14^th at USA Raceway he has reeled off three podiums and two consecutive wins in ASCS competition.  If you want to include his Arizona Speedway stats he has 4 podiums and fell a few laps short of 3 consecutive wins.  Not even 1 full week into a two week hiatus and I can feel my momentum changing.  Will his?

Sherman vs. the Field

6/9/11 Glendale, AZ

Can anyone beat Sherman at Canyon?  The only one to do it thus far is Mother Nature April 9, 2010.  I think Sherman will continue his trend this weekend.  It will not be from lack of cars or effort from the other drivers.  The last time we had a West Coast shoe in Arizona was the last race at Canyon.  The race was spectacular.  Although it was cold and windy the race was great.  At the time I said it was the best race of the year.  Looking back, I still think it might be.  Anytime you can toss a blanket over the top four cars lap after lap, is solid racing.  I will stand by my earlier write-up, saying last weekend at Arizona Speedway was the most exciting to date but I think the best racing through the field was at the last Race at Canyon on April 30, 2010.

So what is a bigger story this year?  Sherman winning half of the races held in ASCS competition, or Chuck D without a win eight races into the season?

My Top 5 for this weekend.

1. Sherman, uh no explanation needed.  One would think I’m a Sherman fan.

2. Chuck D, to get his best finish of the season.  Then will follow it up with a win in 1 of the next two races Fourth of July Weekend.

3. Pelky, led a few laps at that joint earlier in the year.  Just go to the topside earlier.

4. Johnson, 3 of the 4 drivers mentioned at this point have multiple wins on the season.  R.J. is one of them.

5. Deskins, Looks to be in pre-Labor day 2010 form and fresh off a win at Arizona Speedway.  If we could get him out on the town with a can of Brakleen he would move up 4 positions.

Supplemental pick: Spencer, That dude can wheel a sprint car.  I just don’t see him cracking the top 3 at Canyon this weekend.  If we were at the Pas, I would change my tune.

Anyone home?

6/5/11 Phoenix, AZ

The excitement and energy from the crowd was unbelievable.  The racing was pretty good too (my attempt at selling it short).  Actually, I have not been that excited since well the last race at Arizona Speedway.

After the heats and intermission I was certain this was going to be a one-groove drag race.  With that being said I was already giving the victory to R.J. Johnson.  Early on it seemed as if R.J. was going to make it happen.  But as the bottom started to go away and the top started to come in Shon Deskins reeled in, passed, and pulled away from the competition.  R.J. did pressure him with a lap to go but Shon held him off and claimed the victory at Arizona Speedway.  Just in case your keeping score the two races at Arizona Speedway have came down to late race passes coming from the high side.  The drive Shon put on was pretty impressive.  Watching him dive across the bottom of turn one and drift to the top of two then rim ride the wall in turns three and four was fun to watch and it had the crowd on the edge of their seat.

As I mentioned, the excitement from the crowd was amazing.  You can’t help but getting wound up and into the race when you have a packed grandstand and everyone is cheering, giving each other high fives, and so forth.  It makes it fun to be a part of the whole racing experience.

Action

5/20 Glendale, AZ

Josh Pelky pulls off the win in Tucson.  From what I heard it was a good race.  I will say the email updates I was getting made it sound exciting.  As I mentioned in my picks, Andy usually runs pretty good in Tucson.  He was running pretty good down there another night a few years ago when he tried to tear down the front strait fence.  Those guys are so close to getting another ASCS win.

This weekend I’m heading to Canyon Raceway to take in some wing action with the ASCS Southwest series.  This will be the first wing show for me this year.  I am following it up with a couple of races in Northern California for the holiday weekend.  While there I’m looking forward to that big half mile in Calistoga on Saturday for some King of the West action.  Then driving over to Chico on Sunday to watch the 360’s do battle in the Civil War Series.  I get excited every time I get to go watch races at the tracks I grew up at.

I’m not sure what to expect with the race at Canyon Raceway this weekend.  From the average it looks like it will be around 20 cars.  Canyon Raceway held two wing races last year and had 2 different winners (Herrera and Ortega).  Rick Ziehl had a 2^nd and a 3^rd.  And if I were a gambling man, I would bet that Herrera and Ziehl will have podium finishes.  I guess I should rephrase the “I’m not sure what to expect”.  I know I will have a good time.  And I’m pretty sure there will be some action worth talking about.  See you guys at the track.

Top 5

5/13 Glendale, AZ

Two of the five ASCS Canyon region races have been held at Tucson’s USA Raceway.  Three drivers have finished in the top 5 both times.  With that in mind those 3 will make up the first 3 picks for the top 5 this week. 

Look for Jeremy Sherman to finish one spot ahead of his back-to-back runner up finishes at USA Raceway.  Both of those races he started way back and battled to get to the front.  This should be win number 4 on the season.  He is on pace to blow the over/under out of the water.

Rj Johnson won the season opener in Tucson and followed it up with a top 5 on the second go around.  Outside of the win he has had a quietly successful season.  In three of the five ASCS races he has finished in the top 5.  The other two he finished in the top 10.  He also has a top 5 at the initial race at Arizona Speedway, A race he was heavily favored to win.

The 3^rd driver to not finish outside of the top 5 is Andy Reinbold.  Andy has a 3^rd and 5^th.  He also finished 3^rd at AZ Speedway, passing RJ on the last lap.  Andy generally does pretty well at the slick track in Tucson.

Anyone that does not have Ziehl in there top five should go to the end of the line and hold their breath, because they are stupid.  Rick always seems to be up front or winning in Tucson (with or without the wing).  Unfortunately he was caught up in a wreck during the last race in Tucson.

Who rounds out the top 5?  I’m going with a driver that has consecutive top ten finishes in Tucson and is fresh off of a win at Arizona Speedway, Matt Rossi.  Maybe then we can get a new facebook status update “suck it”.

Of course it’s hard not to pick Chuck D because he has finished in the top 4 in all but one race.  And that race was the last race in Tucson where he inadvertently thought the race was over 1 lap early.  Talk about a tough break.

Worth the Drive

5/11/11 Phoenix, AZ

The dust has settled, and the emotions have calmed from the first sprint car race at Arizona Speedway.  What they lacked in cars was made up for with solid racing action.

I arrived at the track in Top Row fashion (early).  I wanted to walk around the facility to see what it was all about.  My initial response driving up was WOW!  It is surprisingly high banked and seems bigger than what I had imagined from how others explained the track to me.  I did take advantage of being the first one there to walk around the track and toss a few rocks.  The track has wide corners and a lot of racing surface.  With some clay that track would be lighting fast.  Surprisingly enough though the surface held up much better than I anticipated.  The guardrails are something I’m not a fan of, but at least they were layered in the right direction.  I also think they need to burry the wiring from the safety lights as they are lying across the infield.  It’s only a matter of time before a car goes through the infield and rips all of the wires out of the poles.  It’s obvious that the facility is a work in progress, but overall they seem to be doing a great job and are heading in the right direction. 

My walk was cut a little short as I was asked to stay off of the track “it’s a soft spot”.  Not sure what that means but ok.  I wanted to check out the rest of the facility anyways.  As I got back over to the grandstands I ran into Frosty.  He was saving us some seats up top and telling me how it was going to be standing room only.  I did not see a press box so he pointed out that they have a table located in front of the top row.  Initially I thought it was pretty hokie, but they made up for it by keeping the fans interested, and involved.  I also like the way that they talked back and forth.  We all know a good announcer can help your show a great deal.  They have that nailed at Arizona Speedway. 

As it was explained during one of the intermissions they are not allowed to have any permanent fixtures out there.  Not sure what you do for the restrooms besides the porta-johns.  But if you have to have porta-johns don’t skimp on the quantity or hide the wash stations. 

If you’re looking for the bells and whistles, Arizona speedway is not for you.  But if you’re the race-fan that’s there for the energy of the crowd, action, entertainment, and camaraderie go with confidence.

I think the June 4^th race could have double the cars as the word spreads.  As I mentioned last week there were questions and concerns on how the track would hold up.  As a spectator it seemed to hold up quite well.

I have to say kudos to Matt Rossi on the win.  He started up top and worked it until it came in.  Doing so, virtually by himself.  And once it did?  Well that’s history and as Mickey posted “Been there won that”

Excuses

We are only days away from the 1^st sprint car race at Arizona Speedway.  I’m still hearing 30 to 35 cars from Mike.  But when I talked to a handful of drivers there seems to be a split.  Some make it sound like the new venue is bad for Sprint Car racing because it’s not an ASCS sanctioned race.  I don’t get that mentality.  The first argument was because of money.  But now they have a race that pays.  What’s the argument now?  Then you will hear “having another association will split the cars”.  Ok, the dates are non-conflicting and the rules allow for more motor options (which in turn allows more cars the option to compete) NEXT.  “The track is just going to eat up tires”.  Well there is a possibility of that, but what track doesn’t do that on occasion.  I did see some tires that were blistered after Saturdays race at Canyon Raceway.  What else?  “I’m running for points with ASCS, and I don’t want to tear my car up”.  That I can respect.  Fielding a sprint car is very expensive, I get it.  And if your running for points you have a chance of making a few bucks at the end of the year.  But if your going somewhere with the mentality of tearing up your car, you could use the extra seat time.

To the fault of the new track they have done little to have cars out there to see how the track would respond.  That actually seemed to be the biggest concern out there.  Guys want to see how the track holds up before they take their car out there.  I kind of see the point but not really.

The first impression is often the most important.  With that being said, track prep is REALLY, REALLY, important.  This goes back to the previous paragraph.  Without knowing how the track is going to respond to the high horse power big tire cars what do they do?  A non-conducive track hurts future car, and fan counts.  And we all know what that leads to. 

I did change my plans for the weekend to be part of the first sprint car race at a new track.  It’s really kind of exciting and I would much rather go to an opening race instead of a closing race.  The handful of now closed tracks I have been to is enough for me.  I do think 30 to 35 is a stretch.  I’m thinking a more realistic number is 18 to 24.  Only time will tell.

On a chilly, windy night in the desert we ended up with one of the best races of the year.

It was one of the few races where 1^st through 4^th had a shot at the win.  But this write-up is not about the race.  I can’t do it justice with my lack of writing skills.

I started the day at the Wild Horse.  It’s a must stop as it’s across the street from Canyon Raceway and they have a pretty good burger.  Initially I was just stopping there to get a bag of ice for James Aragon and crew.  But once inside I ended up having lunch with super fans Top Row and Frosty (that sounds like a cartoon) there were also a few drivers and an owner at the table.  It was an interesting lunch with some great stories and a lot of laughs.  (owner and driver names left out to protect the innocent)

Shortly after pulling into the pits I was informed the little engine that could was under the weather.  After some troubleshooting we determined the head gasket was no bueno.  Now what?  Not racing so enjoy the day with friends, family, and enjoy the races.  Off subject a little but not really.  What’s the word with Perris Auto Speedway?  Rumors are flying that they are now reducing the USAC/CRA purse with the exception of a few of the big races and Oval Nationals.  I was told 500 off the top and cuts throughout.  We all knew there was talk of cuts and it went back and forth.  But they have been pretty quiet about it.  The Pas is a great place to watch a race.  It always baffles me when I go there and it’s not packed.  It’s a top-notch facility with great racing.  That’s all I got but Brie may have some updates from the King of the West Sprints from Marysville Raceway Park to follow.

Not worthy of a title

Interesting night of racing, but then again most are for one reason or another.

I will keep this short because I’m feeling a bit under the weather.  I did mention there would be a toll. 

Unfortunately arrived late and watched the first heat from the parking lot.  I think it’s only the 2^nd time in my life I was late for a race.  The first was back in 1984 for the Gold Cup at Silver Dollar Speedway (made the last 5 laps of the main).  Interesting story on how I got tickets for that race.  I will save that for another time.

Back to the lack of action.  Sherman continued his early season dominance and led nearly every lap (may have been every lap).  Over/Under on wins for Sherman this year 6.  I might take the over on that.  They are in the zone.  This was the second race in a row Chris Bonneau was flexing.  When picking your top 5 he will have to be considered.  Showtime was pretty strong in the Bishop car.  He was in good spirits after the races.  He may be my pick tonight.  Bruce finally got everything worked out and had a solid finish.  I’m sure they would like a mulligan on the first 3 races.

Back-to-Back

With back-to-back nights of racing this week it puts a toll on everyone involved.  I don’t know about you but I’m excited.

There are a lot of factors going into back-to-back nights of racing.  From the racers aspect, you don’t have much time to knock out the maintenance involved in being a successful team.  I’m sure we will see several cars push off on Saturday with dirt still caked on from Friday.  If I were setting odds on finishes, most of those cars would be in the bottom half of the field.  Cleaning the car is more like an initial inspection period.

Wait a minute I was about to get side tracked, spin out, and probably offend someone.

Where to start, hmmm….

The odds on favorite to win has to be Jeremy Sherman in the Potent Ellis #21.  They have been on fire this year and racing like they have something to prove.  We all know that’s not the case.

Josh Pelky has rebounded well after the first race gremlins, leading laps at the initial Canyon race and winning the last race in Tucson.  I had mentioned a few weeks a go he was hungry for a win.  I asked him yesterday if he was still hungry.  He said “more than ever”. 

Andy Reinbold had 2 respectable finishes in Tucson (3^rd and 5^th).  With that momentum he should be able to better his 12^th place finish from the last race at Canyon.

Chuck D. started the season with back-to-back 4^th place finishes.  If not for a self-induced mishap “I thought the race was over, it was the first time I have ever done that” He would have finished in the front 20% of the field again.

Stevie Sussex has finished 6^th in both of the races he entered.  Even more impressive was that it was in 2 different cars.  He is certainly a guy to keep an eye on.  With a full time ride he could get a W.

Rising stock this week; If the rumors are true the Bishop #62 with Showtime.  Initially I thought he would be in an Ellis car.  But I'm hearing he is in Bishops RSS.  Only time will tell.

Second Wind

Sorry about the hanger.  I have my second wind now.  Getting home at 4am and up by 8am just didn’t work for me.  I was running on fumes the whole day.

I did give little thought on where to take the main event write-up.  And the conclusion?  I have nothing.  That’s hard to admit when it was one of the best races of the year.  Maybe I just don’t have the writing skills required to express the excitement of the time.  There was no clear winner until Josh Pelky crossed the finish line.  It seemed as if it was one of those few times where the lapped traffic helped the leader of the race.  We have all been to races where a lapped car jams the leader up and the guy behind gets through clean.  This was not one of those nights.  In the closing laps Jeremy Sherman seemed to be the fastest car out there.  I wonder how many people were in the stands saying not again.  Falling one car short of a win for the second time this season.  I’m sure the competition is on notice and happy he was not part of the eight-car invert for the 2^nd time this season.  BTW, great drives on both nights with a 17^th to 2^nd and this time a 15^th to 2^nd.

Lets get back to the excitement.  There was pure enjoyment in the stands with a fresh face winning the race.  The last time I remember seeing that in the fans and in the pits.  Was probably June of 2008 for the Hank Arnold Memorial at Manzy when Andy Reinbold won.  Speaking of Reinbold he also had a solid run starting 12^th and finishing 3^rd.  Looking back at that Hank Arnold race.  Even with the disappointment of having an engine throw up its insides out the side of the block, I was still stoked when Andy won that race.  Why? When you look at the numbers over the last four years, nearly 64% of the ASCS Canyon Region races have been won by Sherman (28) or Davis (20) and another 20% (15) goes to guys that don’t run consistently or are no longer with us.  So when you get that fresh face up there people get excited.  Going to a sprint car race in Arizona is like going to Las Vegas.  Most people expect to loose money when they go to Vegas.  Most people attending a race in Arizona expect Sherman, Davis, or maybe RJ (Creeping up the list 8 wins/ nearly 11%) to win.  But the one time you hit at the blackjack table or someone else wins a main event, you feel that pure enjoyment and it keeps you coming back.

Second Thought

I had what I thought was the beginning of this post race update done.  But I just realized one should not drink and write.  I have enough trouble stringing words together as it is.

As I left work yesterday afternoon I had second thoughts about making the trip to Tucson.  Not because of anything but the cost of gas.  Looking back I’m glad I made the trip.  You can’t put a price on solid racing action, and the company of all at the track.

Man, I don’t even know where to start. 

Last nights ACSC Canyon region race had a little bit of everything starting from the first heat race.  With RJ Johnson starting in the rear of the field he looked to make a quick move forward.  Attempting to split 2 cars on the back stretch going into 3 is no buenos.  I’m sure having another competitor not lift or give you any room did not help the situation either.  So on lap 1 we get a car upside down.  Is it going to be one of those nights at the track?  As they restarted the racing action was between Stevie Sussex and Rick Ziehl for second.  That was a great battle, both drivers racing hard. 

Besides the game of “get gone” by Pelky the second heat action was also for 2^nd place with James Aragon finishing just ahead of Dalten Gabbard.

As the third and final heat pushed off you had the feeling there would be some hard racing.  Anytime you get 2 of the best racers in the state in the same heat you know there is going to be some action.  And action there was; of course between the two heavy hitters (Charles Davis and Jeremy Sherman) those guys race each other so hard and neither gives an inch.  That was evident as they made contact early, causing Jeremy a flat left front.  The action did not stop there as they played after the race all the way to the pits.  BTW, Kudos to Chris Bonneau. His car was strong all night and he won the heat convincingly.

So now the conversation is; will RJ get his car done in time for the Semi?  On the positive side crashing in the first heat gives you plenty on time to reassemble a car.  He was clearly the class of the field in the 8 car Semi.  Starting last he wasn’t messing around as he was in a transfer spot before the first lap was completed. 

Open Comp?

What does it mean?  We get everyone thinking that if they open up the rules it will allow more cars to compete.  And if actually done it absolutely will.  But when you call your show open comp and barley open up the rules (non-ascs heads and 370ci); who are you really allowing to race with you? 

I have to say I like the idea of a new track in Arizona.  I also like the fact that they are doing their own thing, it does give a handful of cars that are sitting idle someplace to race.  I don’t understand why they would not open it up a little more.  Use something like they did with the McCluskey (when it meant something).  Let the 410’s run; add some weight and intake restrictors.  Heck or even use the NMMRA engine rule (unlimited ci/no aluminum blocks).  To me it seems like all they are doing is allowing non-ascs headed cars someplace to race.  Again, I think that’s great.  But why not do something that will allow more than just a handful of cars.

I guess it depends on what open comp means to you.  Is “open competition” about giving racers someplace to race without an outside sanctioning body? Or is “Open Competition” about allowing you to run what you brung.  Personally I believe in a blend of both.  I’m all about opening up the rules to allow MORE competitors.

Humor!

If that’s not funny I don’t know what is.

More to follow

As predicted the ASCS Canyon Region shoes were no competition for Mother Nature.  So with Canyon out of the way the next stop is back at USA Raceway in Tucson.  As most of you recall, USA Raceway is where the 2011 season began for the ASCS Sprint Cars.  The first race out was not overly exciting.  The biggest conversation piece was about the restart at the end of the race.  You had Rick Ziehl in 2^nd with a flat front left tire and you had Jeremy Sherman in 3^rd with a right rear loosing pressure fast.  Of the two choices I’m sure most would pick the left front.  I’m not sure how Jeremy rim rode that car around the track but he did and managed to pass Ziehl in the process.  Not to take anything from the winner R.J. Johnson he was clearly the fastest car out there when it counted.

JS Vs. Mother Nature

 On a heavy one-groove track he was the only one aggressive enough to pass.  With back-to-back strong finishes Sherman shows why he is going to be the ASCS Canyon Region car to beat this year.  I’m sure the grumbling is starting among the haters out there.  Ninety plus last week sixties with chances of rain this week.  If anyone is going to beat the stout Ellis #21 it might be Mother Nature.

Rising stock: the #97 Norman car with Stevie Sussex.  He had an impressive 6^th place finish last race in his first start with the Norman crew.  Sussex has improved by leaps and bounds the last few years and ran up front nearly every weekend last year.

Start/Finish

The first Sprint race of the season in the Phoenix metro area and I may not be able to make it…Go figure.

As most know the ASCS Canyon region sprints will be racing at Canyon Raceway this weekend.  Most of the talk seems to be about the strong finish of RJ last year and continuing that at the first race in Tucson.  One has to think if he did not get off to the bad start last year the points race could have been a lot different.  After the win in Tucson more than one person commented that this could be his season for a championship.  I would say it’s still a little early (1 race in) but that he is heading in the right direction. 

Not a lot of talk out there about the drive from 17^th to 2^nd.  That is another impressive drive by Jeremy Sherman.  I think what makes it more impressive is the lack of help from timely cautions and having a right rear that was nearly flat at the end of the race.  I think this is going to be a bounce back year for Sherman.  Look for him to have multiple wins this year.

Josh Pelky started the 2010 season strong and was in contention for a win all season.  The first race of 2011 was not kind to the ABC team, mechanical problems kept them from making the show.  Come to think of it? I can’t remember the last time an ABC car did not make the show.  I may have to contact Top Row to find out.  I know Josh is hungry for a win.  I’m sure they will rebound from the slow start and be up front at Canyon.

SDR will roll out a new Ellis Race Car this weekend at Canyon Raceway.  Shon has multiple wins at Canyon raceway.  Although he has not raced an Ellis in a while I’m sure he will find the sweet spot.  It might be somewhere up top.

Check back early next week for updates and a potential driver interview.

Excitement?

The gates open in one day for the McCluskey.  It’s interesting that all is still quiet.  I’m sure the usual ASCS suspects will be there.  With that being said, this does not seem like a traditional Kevin Montgomery event.  Usually he is all over the message boards.  I know he has been in contact with the owners/drivers to get the car count.  But it seems he has done little to excite the fans.  Is it a sign of the times?

I guess we will see what the word on the street is while in Tucson for the Seventh Annual Roger McCluskey Classic.

All is quiet.

For the McCluskey being less than 3 weeks away it’s still pretty quiet out there.  I have only heard a few owners confirm that they will be fielding a car.

New Possibilities

The rumors floating around about a new track at the Arizona State Fairgrounds has sparked interest by many in the racing community.  I am one of the interested.  Since the closing of Manzanita Speedway, racing in Arizona has not been the same.

It will be nice to get another family friendly track in the State.  But then again with the talk of it being a temporary track that will be removed for the fair, will we get another track with porta-johns and grandstands children will fall through?  Regardless of the facilities I’m excited for the potential.

I’m just saying..

What’s with racers stealing from other racers?  There are very few things that bother me more than someone who steals.  I got a phone call today from a car owner that was at the Western and wanted to know if I heard of anyone that may have taken a MAG out of his Toter.  I just don’t get it.  This sport is hard enough without someone stealing your parts.

Sitting around wondering what we were going to do for the off-season and just realized the 7^th Annual Roger McCluskey Classic is just 4 weeks away. 

Although I was extremely disappointed with the turnout last year, this is becoming one of my favorite races to attend.  Where else (in this country) can you attend a sprint car race in January?  In the past this was as close to open competition as we got.  The rules allowed 410’s with added weight and intake restrictors to compete with the 360's.  The popularity was evident with the car counts and quality of drivers that were competing.  It’s unfortunate that the promoters changed the rules just weeks before the race last year.  Resulting in the lowest car count of the five previous races.

Some said it was unfair running a 410 against the 360’s.  Correct me if I’m wrong, but didn’t a 360 win three of the five races that the 410’s were allowed to compete in?

No Name Dropping..

With a new/old team reforming to assault the 2011 ASCS Canyon Region series Sprintfan.com will get it’s first sponsorship opportunity.  There are still a lot of things being worked out, but more information will follow.  Stay tuned Sprint Fans.

Great Race..

I’m still rocking a little bit of the high from the Western World.  This past race was the first in some time that I went as a fan and not part of a team.  I can’t say the racing was the best I’ve ever seen.  I don’t even know if I would classify it as a good race.  But I had a great time, and that is all you can really ask for when attending the races.

One of my favorite things to do at the races especial at the bigger races is to walk around and meet the different fans.  AKA Tailgating.  This past weekend was no exception.  I met several great people, with some great stories. 

Of course none were as good as the gentleman I met a few Years ago at the Oval Nationals.  This particular guy from Indiana lost his job but already had a ticket to California for the Oval Nationals.  Most would probably cancel the trip but he did not.  He flew in and managed to get a ride to the PAS.  Camped for the weekend, hitched a ride to Phoenix for the real Western World and then hitched a ride back to Indy.

It just doesn’t get any better than that.  It makes me wonder why I’m sitting in a Village Inn in Phoenix instead of Irwindale for the Turkey Night Grand Prix.