After one of the ugliest winters this area has seen in many years, it's finally time to set our sites on the 2010 racing season. This one should be even more interesting than we're used to around here. New ownership at Hilltop and Midvale will be bringing some great improvements to area racers and fans.

One of the most exciting announcements of the off season had to be the deal offered to racers at Hilltop. For a registration fee of $100 they will get one free pit pass every time their car is there to race. Now that's making racing affordable! No other track has even attempted something like this so we'll have to see how it all plays out I guess. Maybe it will get other tracks thinking of similar plans and maybe it won't, but it's one hell of a deal if you ask any racer. The 2010 schedule includes a Sprint Speed Week show, an Enduro race, and even a music festival along with plenty of other great shows. Hilltop plans to kick off their season with an open practice on March 24th, and opening night on March 27th. Yep, that's a SATURDAY night! They've made the switch to Saturdays this year which allows them to work with Lakeville instead of against them. More on that shortly.....

Lakeville will kick off their season on April 2nd with a few changes in place. The Sprints are gone this year (except some special events), and the Trucks return "home" to Lakeville where they got their start. Modifieds will also return for some specials this season. The 4cyl. Bombers class will once again focus on the "stock" type cars that helped Lakeville keep a great car count all season in 2009. Lakeville and Hilltop have also worked together to offer a great bonus offer to their Late Models. Any driver that can win the Late Model feature at both tracks on the same weekend will bring home an extra $500 to go with the bragging rights for pulling off the weekend of domination. This should make for some kickass action at both tracks this year!

Not to be left out of the "bonus" madness this season, Wayne County Speedway has offered up their own version of a Late Model challenge and even included a bonus for their other classes as well. Any driver winning their feature at any Friday night track, and then repeating that task on Saturday night at WCS will pick up a nice bonus of their own. Late Models will snag an extra $500, Modifieds $150, Pure Stocks $50, and Mini Stocks also haul home an extra $50. Other nice bonus plans are in place for the winner of the Late Model points championship too. Be sure to check out the WCS website to see the details of the bonus plans. Racing action is set to kick off at WCS on April 10th.

Deerfield Speedway is looking forward to another great season of good ol' family fun in 2010. They will hold a practice day on April 3rd to get things started, and opening night is scheduled for April 10th. Their schedule is packed full of specials all season long and ends with the annual Halloween Classic on October 2nd. I've said it in the past but if you haven't made the trip to Deerfield, you owe it to yourself to get out there to check out the action. You won't find a nicer, cleaner, more family friendly track in this area!

As mentioned above, Midvale Speedway is also under new ownership this season. Actually these folks aren't exactly "new" to the place since the Smith family has owned the place before. This time it's a little different though as for the first time ever the owners also own the ground the track sits on which translates into a good solid future for the track at a time that it needs it the most. The deal took longer than expected to complete so changes for this season are few but they are great news. Finally, the payouts will increase across the board. That's very welcome news! The 2010 schedule includes 2 Main Event shows, the ever popular spectator drags, Circle Track Mini Trucks, and even a show featuring the ARCA Truck Series. Practice days are scheduled for April 10th, 11th, and 16th. Racing action kicks into high gear on April 17th.

Below are links to these tracks mentioned. Be sure to check them out for any changes and more exciting announcements!

One of the hot topics in local racing for the past few years has been the cost taken on by racing teams. Car counts have even begun to suffer at many tracks due to teams just plain trying to stay afloat personally. When car counts drop there's bound to be fewer folks in the stands and the downward spiral begins to hurt the tracks which are already strapped for cash. Sure some drivers think the quick answer is to just pay them more, but that would hurt the tracks even more. Track owners have looked for any fix of their own but I can't honestly say I would have come up with the idea they did at Hilltop. Call it crazy or brilliant, but it is the best attempt I've ever seen to make racing more affordable for the racers. Here's the deal. When it's time to pay your car registration fee for 2010 at Hilltop you'll have the option of just paying the normal $25 fee and go racing. Or you can choose to pay $100 for your registration and get one season pit pass for yourself or a team member. You read that right,,, you can race your car at Hilltop ALL YEAR for just $100! Consider what any team pays over the season for pit passes and just think about how much this will save them. No, your whole team doesn't get a free season pass, but one of you does get into the pits free any night your car is present and scheduled to race. Now that's making racing more affordable!

Finally, most of those rumors that fly every off-season can be put to rest at last. Actually the rumors about Hilltop and Midvale started well before the end of the 2009 season but now we've finally received official news from both places. And the news is great in both cases. It's certainly no secret that Hilltop has fought an uphill battle over the past few years. Blame it on the economy or lack of professional management if you'd like, but it sure looked like the future of one of our best local tracks was looking grim. I'm happy to say there's a new excitement about Hilltop that hasn't been seen since Jeff Norris brought the place back from the dead in the first place. That's because Jesse and Tracey Wardell have stepped up and purchased Hilltop, bringing with them some fresh new ideas. They also bring with them plenty of past experience of running a successful race track. That's probably the most promising news we could have ever hoped for. Talking to Jesse left me with the opinion that they truly plan to take Hilltop in the right direction, and have worked hard on plans to get it there. Nobody including myself thinks this means everything will automatically fall into place down there and all will be golden. It's going to take plenty of hard work and all the support they can get from the area racing community. It sure sounds like the new owners are more than willing to do their part so it's up to racers and fans to make this place the premier track it can and should be. One of the more risky changes for this year is a change from Friday nights to Saturdays. Some love the idea and others hate it. However it will finally allow Hilltop to work with Lakeville with similar shows without one track hurting the other. That's just what this area has needed for years so let's hope it works out for both tracks. So come on folks, let's work together to make 2010 the best season ever for our favorite local tracks. They'll need all the help they can get and they're run by folks that will reward you for your support every chance they get.

Midvale had it's share of rumors flying around since the middle of the '09 season and they've finally become officially true. Former Midvale Speedway owner Randy Smith will once again own the place. Yep, that's the very same Randy Smith that nearly owned WCS not that long ago. I guess this means there won't be any pavement at WCS anytime soon. ;-) Randy not only owned Midvale in the past but we race against both of his sons each week there so he's well aware of the changes that need to be made round there. It sounds like some of those changes are already in the works. Many folks may be leary of a track owner being involved in the racing action too, but not everybody is Ernie Coffman. It works at Deerfield and I honestly think it can work at Midvale too. If not, you just know you'll read about it here. ;-) Midvale is a place that could use some work improving the facility itself, and Smith seems to be the guy to make it all happen. Once again it will be up to the racers and fans to make it all work out so get out there this season and support another great area track. Even some of you dirt folks might want to take in a show and see how the "other side" races. I won't tell anybody if I see you hard core dirt guys and gals there. ;-)

Twas the night before Christmas
And you thought I forgot
This one's a bit rushed
But I'll give it a shot

You've come to expect
Your annual dose of good cheer
Christmas just wouldn't be right
Without some ramblings on here.

So let's take a look back
And a quick glimpse ahead
Next year will be different
Or so it's been said.

The start of the '09 season
Brought a new imgage for one local track
Lakeville's cleaned up the ugly
Let's hope they never look back.

The brawls were all gone
The bickering was down too
And Ed Fredricks added yours truly
As one of his crew.

Many familiar faces
Showed up in Victory Lane
But one night in June
A new kid snagged the A-Main

This young Matt Irey kid
Has sure been showing his guts
That's why his first feature win
Made the whole crowd go nuts!

Now onto asphalt action
We sure had some fun
But the screwing we'd get was obvious
Long before the last race was run.

We always ran strong
And Miller was on top of his game
But the tower's scoring and calls
Were a real fuckin' shame.

So we were robbed of a championship
We busted ass for all year
I can't speak for Mike
But I'm glad 2009 is now in the mirror.

So what can we expect
From the next season of racing?
We've heard tons of rumors
But we still don't know what we're facing.

How about it track owners
It's time to get on the ball
Let's end the rumors
That have been flying since Fall.

Who will own what?
And who will be there?
Alot of folks wanna race
But they gotta know where.

So what do I want from Santa?
What's on my wish list this year?
I'd settle for a couple new track OWNERS
And another cold beer.

Merry Christmas To All You Local Racers & Fans
That Are The Real Reason For The Racing Season!

Our points season ended at Midvale on Saturday and we were left with that "what if" feeling" when it was over. After holding the points lead since the 3rd night of the season, that lead went away last Saturday night and we trailed by 11 points. (I won't even go into how that happened but it wasn't pretty.) That brings me to the "what if" situation. On Mid Season night some mystery points were awarded by way of some seriously shady scoring issues that would make all the difference on the final night of the season. In the closing weeks, it seemed clear that this thing would only be decided in the feature on the final night of the year. We could only hope those 12 bogus points wouldn't be the deciding factor. Sadly they were the deciding factor when we left Saturday night just 7 points from the championship. I certainly can't take anything away from the new champion as he's put together one hell of a season and has always been one of those that Mike actually enjoys running door to door with. Congrats go out to Bubba and the entire Smith Racing team for keeping us on our toes all season long, and finally capturing that first championship. Nice job guys! There wiill certainly be more in the future for this young gun.

Not long ago the Akron Beacon Journal did a great write up about Deefield Raceway and I've been hearing nothing but good things about the place for years. Since it's rare for me to get a Saturday night off during the racing season I've just never got to make the trip to Deefield to check it out until this week. All I can say is how the hell have I missed this hidden gem of dirt track racing all this time? It was truly a great experience and I WILL be back for sure. For the first time in years those thoughts of building another dirt car filled my head on the way home. That should tell you something about my first experience there! Alright, maybe that had something to do with the fact that I got to strap into the "house car" for the night but I'll get into that later. Either way, I feel that "itch" starting to haunt me again. ;-)

This place is a 1/4 mile bullring that keeps the focus on good clean family fun. They run mostly smaller cars that fit the place perfectly and really put on a great action packed show all night. Even the youngsters in the Mini Sprints could teach some veterans I know a thing or two about racing and sportsmanship. The entire facility is neat, clean, and VERY well kept. My first look from the gandstands side left me wondering if I was really at a dirt track. I'm sure there's some dust hiding there somewhere but there was NONE to be seen this week. I almost forgot that was even possible! I can tell you without a doubt I've NEVER raced on a smoother dirt track. Hell, I'ver never even seen a smoother surface on dirt in all my years. Again, I've only been there once so I'd have to think it just has to get a little rough certain nights, but with the clay and crew they have there I'd bet their "rough" nights would be considered pretty damn good at most other tracks. I kinda cringed when I saw the grader headed out at intermission because I just couldn't imagine improving on the track I was on for the heat race. I was thinking those folks must be spoiled or something. ;-)

I'll have to admit that after the fiasco Friday night at Lakeville, I wasn't in the greatest mood for racing on Saturday. Our season is quickly winding down at Midvale so we really needed to make the best of the few nights we have left. After leading the points for most of the season, we found ourselves tied for first place with Bubba Smith coming into the night. With the pressure turned up a notch it was time to get back to basics and hopefully come up with some solid nights of racing before time runs out on the season. It's not like Miller really needs another championship after capturing 5 of them in his last 7 attempts at Midvale, but it would be tough to let one slip away when it's been yours almost since the start of the season. If Smith wants this one he'll have to earn it, and that team has certainly put together a season that proves that they're very capable of doing just that. Just one stubborn old veteran stands in his way at this point and Miller made it clear last night that he's not giving this one away easily. Hot laps showed that the car still wasn't perfect but much improved over last week. Starting on the front row of the fast heat, Mike made it look easy as he ran away with the win. Some ugly weather rolled in before the start of the feature so we didn't know what to expect from the track surface. Playing it safe may have cost Miller a bit on the initial start of the feature, but thankfully that one was called back by a caution. There was no delay on the next start and Miller found the lead coming out of turn 2 on the first lap. Those that have watched Mike over the years know that once he's running out front the other guys are in for a long night. This guy is just plain smooth! On the restarts throughout the entire feature he really got up on that wheel and punished those in line behind him. I've said it before but watching Mike in a good car is just plain purrrrty! Even though the car tightened up a bit he wheeled it to his third feature win of the season in fine fashion. That's just what we needed and it would sure be nice to pull it off again the next couple nights. ;-)

It might seem hard to accept but the regular season is quickly winding down at most area tracks. That certainly doesn't mean the action is over and it's time to retire to the house on the weekends by any means. There's still a few good weeks of regular points races left and then the real fun begins. One of my all time favorite big shows has been the Pittsburgher event at Pittsburgh's Pennsylvania Motor Speedway. This event has been taken a few different directions over the years, but this year it takes a HUGE step to the top of the "must see" list. With the recent closing of Challenger Speedway it seemed that their kickass season ending show would just be a memory. That's when Pittsburgh decided to combine that show with their own Pittsburgher this year. This new combined show will offer a possible $30,000 to the winner! If you've never been to Pittsburgh, you just have to make the trip for this one. They call the place "Dirt's Monster 1/2 Mile" and that's no bullshit. That place is huge and the speeds are simply un-friggin-real! A $60 weekend pit pass will get you closer to the action than most folks would ever imagine. You'll be a few feet away in the infield as the ground shakes from those Late Models gliding into the turns under full throttle. Yes, wide fuggin' open! If this show doesn't get your blood pumping, you should see your doctor immediately, not 4 hours later. ;-)

Speaking of blood pumping action, Lakeville had plenty of their own this Friday night. In recent weeks it seemed that some of the "ugly" that Lakeville has worked so hard to remove might just return. With $1000 on the line for the Bombers and Pure Stocks, this week would be the real test. I'm happy to say that my worst fears were proven to be wrong. Hats off to all those drivers for keeping their heads on straight and putting on one hell of a show all night. The side by side thrills started early in the Pure Stock heat races. Some of the best in the area showed up to take a shot at the prize money and it was clear they brought their A-games. It was great to see guys like Drouhard, Channel, Frame and others return to the Lakeville clay. The stout field ran tight and fast all night long. In the end Bob Daugherty would be the one taking a victory lap with the checkers but not before a great challenge from Channel was ended by contact in turn 2 in the final laps. It was a tough call and some fans didn't take it too well but at least the drivers handled it with class. Fans and family members could learn alot from these guys if ya ask me.

The 4 cylinder Bombers were chasing $1000 of their own and they weren't about to let the Pure Stocks steal the show. Their heat races were just as action packed with plenty of 3 and even 4 wide racing. The feature was filled with the baddest 4 bangers to be found on dirt for sure. Kyle Moore would bring home the big money and he sure as hell earned it. What a race!

As an old fart that has spent many nights watching racing action at many different tracks I've certainly seen my share of missed calls and just plain wrong ones. In my younger days I was convinced that either the officials were blind, didn't give a shit, or were showing favoritism. In some cases I'm willing to bet that these things really did happen and still do at some tracks. However, the amount of time I've spent with track owners and officials over the years has proven to me that sometimes what the spectator sees isn't really what it seems. I'll give you some examples. The most common situation usually happens on line-ups after a caution. The people on the track pointing the cars into their spots get blamed if you don't agree with the position given to your driver. There's a couple things angry fans and drivers should keep in mind. First of all, most tracks revert to the last completed lap for their line-ups. Check the rules to see what is considered a "completed lap". At some tracks that means the entire field has crossed the stripe, while others only require the first 2 cars cross the line. The tower crew, NOT the folks on the track, decides the line-up order. Of course there's always the chance the tower has actually made an honest mistake and we'll discuss those shortly. In the past I've even seen what seemed to be a pattern of "not so honest" mistakes come from certain towers, and that's just bullshit. Either way, even a hissy fit on the track isn't going to change the line-up, so it's better to act like an adult and get back to racing. One of the other hot topics is of course rough driving. I can tell you first hand that most of it is spotted at Lakeville and dealt with in some way. While some may want to see every bump or shove into their favorite driver result in a black flag, that simply isn't reasonable. There's a couple reasons why. First, ask yourself if there's a chance that you yourself might slide into or bump another car if you were in the same situation. Did the other car lift early or drift down/up half a lane? These decisions must be made in a split second by officials all night long, while watching the entire field. That brings me to those honest mistakes. It may not sink in that track officials are always out numbered by the number of spectators and even race cars on the track in many cases. That makes it possible for some calls to be missed. The policy Ed uses is the only fair way in my opinion. If any official can't say with certainty what happened, the call can't be made in all fairness. I can assure you that calls aren't avoided for any other reason, especially favoritism, on Ed's watch. I know some of you out there may find that hard to believe, but I will stand by that statement, and if I ever witness evidence otherwise from the flagstand, it will be a short night for me. I'm telling you now that I don't expect absolute perfection from the officials at any track, including myself, but I can guarantee that any mistake I may make will not involve favoritism in any way. There's just no place for that crap at any track.

Lakeville has always felt like home to me, and the Youngs have done all they can to make me feel welcome every time I've walked through the gates. I guess that's another reason I enjoy spending my Friday nights there. It doesn't matter if I'm watching from the pits, wrenching on a car, or on the flagstand, it just feels right to be there. THANKS to Randy, Sue, and the entire Lakeville gang for working so hard to return Lakeville to what it once was. A great place to take in real grass roots racing with the focus on good clean (alright,,, sometimes dusty)) fun. Racing could sure use more "Lakeville Speedways" if ya ask me.

Enough of all that stuff, it's time to talk about racing stuff dammit. Last weekend was pretty tough on a couple racing veterans and even one young gun. When I got the news last week that Blaine Aber was burned in an explosion, I was shocked to say the least. I can't tell you how much I enjoy messing with this old timer in the pits each week, and seeing this senior citizen leading the field to the checkers on any given night. Guys like him are pretty rare nowadays and it's gonna seem kinda strange not seeing him out there throwing that car into places others may not be brave/crazy enough to try. Last Friday night the popular young gun of Lakeville, Matt Irey ended up with trouble of his own on the track. Finding out the hard way that those big tires lining the infield don't move easy he suffered a broken arm. That just plain sucks after seeing this kid pick up his first career feature win just weeks ago. I suppose since he's young he'll heal fast and he's got many more years of success ahead of him. We're all hoping to see Aber and Irey back in action as soon as possible and they'll certainly be missed until then. The other racing veteran that had a rough time last week was none other than Mike Miller. Not only did the car suffer some pretty ugly damage in that wreckfest/clusterfuck they called a feature, but he learned the value of racing gloves the hard way. Racers, if you EVER doubt that you need those racing gloves anytime you hit the track, THINK AGAIN. If it can happen to a guy with over 30 years of experience, it can sure as hell happen to anybody. The good news was that he was able to finish the race and would have probably won the damn thing if it wasn't for some of that bullshit I mentioned above about the way other tracks handle things. Side by side with the leader at the stripe wasn't how I envisioned the ending of the night after seeing the right side destroyed in an airborne fiasco, but maybe that just proves that you can never count this guy out. The car is back together after a long week, and we'll be ready for action next Saturday. Let's hope things are a bit more under control then.

In racing action this week we saw Crock Haven pick up the Pure Stock feature win so I guess I have to tone down all the ribbing I've been giving him about driving those Mopars. ;-) The Sprints treated the fans to some wild action all night including a pass for the lead late in the 30 lap feature by Tim Hunter with his front wheels high in the air. How cool is that?!! Lakeville made plans last week for a spectator type of race but with short notice things didn't quite work out. They hope to pull it off this Friday night so there's some important things to remember. Most importantly, you MUST show your title when signing up in order to prove that you own the car, not the bank. The car must be a daily driver, and no registered racers are allowed to participate. This event is for those fans that want to get out there on the track and show what they've got. Complete information can be found on Lakeville's website.

While we're on the topic of different types of events, Lakeville has taken on yet another type of show. Starting this Sunday, The Ohio Outlaw Motorsports schedule will continue with flat track racing at Lakeville Speedway. This is the series that has brought great bike and quad action to Hilltop Speedway in the past. They've found a new home at Lakeville and if you've never seen one of these shows, you owe it to yourself to make the trip. From young kids on little bikes to veteran riders on those big motored 2 wheelers, they all give it everything they have to put on a great show. and at a great price. Admission is just $10 for ages 7 and up, and that includes a pit pass! Ages 6 and under are FREE.