Looking Forward To 2010 Season

As we begin a new year and the countdown begins until the first race of 2010, let’s take a look at some of the things that are on my mind after taking a few weeks off for the holiday season. Some of these are part of my New Year’s wish list as well.

At the top of the list is that Mother Nature be a bit more kind to local dirt track promoters this season after a horrendous season last year. At least cutting the rainouts in half would be a good start.

How about less crying and complaining. I know that’s asking a lot but just remember, race teams need race tracks as much as race tracks need you! Three words come to mind here -Silver Spring Speedway.

Hoping the new Goodyear tire continues to develop and racing continues to stay as competitive here as it’s ever been. There were 30 different 410 sprint car winners a year ago and that’s a good thing.

Loves the fact that all races at Williams Grove Speedway are point races. That’s the way it should be. More on this in my column in the new issue of Flatout, on newstands now.

Glad to see the Diamond series races on Williams Grove’s schedule have increased and come with an increased payoff as well. We hate seeing payoff go the wrong direction.

Enjoys when the World of Outlaws are at Williams Grove. Say what you want, but the Outlaw races bring in people and that’s what race tracks needs. It’s too bad Lincoln couldn’t find a way to host an Outlaw show.

Likes seeing all of the improvements going on at Port Royal Speedway and hopes that it continues. But one request, please get rid of the awful looking tin wall in turns one and two. With that gone, there’s not a nicer place to sit and watch a race as there is at Port Royal.

Hopes Lincoln Speedway continues to have a great surface this season that has produced the best weekly racing for many years. Some of the races at Lincoln in 2009 went down in the books as some of the best in the history.

Likes the fact that URC will be in action in the area a few times this season. URC is good for the sport.

Hopes that the 10 Fireworks displays at the Grove this season come at the end of the show. Deadlines are tough to make without the added entertainment.

Kudos to Lincoln Speedway for raising its weekly purse from fourth to 24th spot. While we don’t know what the payoff increase is, it’s still an increase for every week show and we like the fact that a new tire will go to the feature winner each week as well plus another 250 Goodyear certificates being awarded to the teams throughout the season. That’s good stuff.

Hopes that the folks at Knoxville Raceway have a bubble over the speedway for this year’s 50th annual Nationals. There’s nothing worse than rain during the Nationals so maybe for four days, Mother Nature will be kind.

Likes the fact that anyone can help out the National Sprint Car Hall of Fame and Museum by just going to their website at www.sprintcarhof.com and clicking on the “Donate Now” link and making an anonymous donation to the HoF. This is a great way for fans to help out and help keep the Hall of Fame and Museum up and running.

Is looking forward to seeing a few shows during the Appalachian Mountain Late Model Speedweek this season. Hopefully tracks will get more fan support.

Hopes that Cody Darrah can find success quickly in his rookie season on the WoO sprint tour. Darrah will be under the microscope from everyone and we hope he can focus and do what he does best and that’s go to the front and win some races.

Hopes that the Super Sportsman tour has a good season with good racing and big car counts. While things will never be the same as they were at Silver Spring, hopefully those involved with this series realize Williams Grove has gone above and beyond to give this series a good stable home.

Hopes that this season is injury-free for all race car drivers in the midstate. Injuries are never good and have sidelined some good guys over the past few seasons. So we hope and pray for a safe racing season from start to finish.

Finally, we wish for some warmth to grace Lincoln and Hagerstown Speedway for their season openers, slated for February 27 and all of the other tracks that open up during the following weeks. But with the way the winter has been so far, that could be asking for too much.

PIT STOPS
Motorsports 2010 presented by Streetblaze 100 is just around the corner and set for January 22-24 at the Greater Philadelphia Expo Center. Some of the big names that will be in attendance for the show include Kasey Kahne, Marcos Ambrose, Danny Lasoski, Bobby Allison, Frankie Kerr and more. The show serves as the kickoff to the 2010 racing season in the Northeast.

Danny Dietrich is planning a 75-race schedule this season in the Gary Kauffman Racing (GKR) owned No. 48 sprint car. The team will race weekly at the Grove and Lincoln. The sharp looking race car will be on display at the Dirt Trackin show at the York Expo center later this month.

The All Star Circuit of Champions sprints will be kicking off its season in just a few weeks at Ocala Speedway in Florida followed by two shows at Volusia Speedway Park and then three sanctioned races at East Bay Raceway Park to finish out the Florida Winternationals. Look for many local teams to head south to take in some of the racing.