2012 brought us plenty of local kickass racing action and it didn't matter if you're into dirt or asphalt. On the dirt side of things Hilltop kicked off the season under new ownership and the transition seemed completely seamless. The awesome door to door action and friendly racing atmosphere that this place is known for was unchanged and maybe even improved a bit this year. Hats off to all involved at Hilltop for doing everything it takes to provide the best dirt action to be found in this area each and every week. I was lucky enough to make a few more trips to "The Hill" this year and the staff and great group of racers made the trip well worthwhile each time. I look forward to what they have in store for 2013.
It's well known by now that the transition to what was supposed to be new ownership at Lakeville was anything but seamless. When spring rolled around it was up to Agnes and Randy to step up and save this historic track, and that's what they set out to do. Plagued by massive legal expenses to fight for something that's already theirs, along with the cost of repairs to the equipment and facility, it would be one hell of a struggle. With the legal mess requiring way too much silence from everybody involved, it was a pretty rough year for the staff at Lakeville as well as racers and fans. Thankfully a number of great racers and fans stuck it out patiently and showed their support when given the chance. The car counts weren't great but things were improving and there was no shortage of side by side action. Then the legal mess interrupted the racing once again in August. The original thought was that this would be just a short delay before returning to racing as long into the fall as Mother Nature would allow. Sadly the wheels of justice turn much slower than they should and every time it looked like good news was just days away, another snag would pop up. I can say that time is finally running out on this fiasco so some sort of positive news should be out very soon. I can also say that discussions are underway for possibly holding some sort of event before the end of the year if all goes well. Of course this wouldn't be a typical racing event if it does happen, but it would be nice just to get together with the supporters of Lakeville once again. There's no promise at this point that this event will be possible, but we're hopeful that we can pull it off. Plans are also being discussed for the 2013 season and that's a great sign.
On the asphalt side of things, Midvale kicked off their season by showing off the latest improvements to the facility. Pitside is completely new, along with new fencing and grandstands for starters. The front wall was relocated a bit too in order to widen the turn 4 exit. Damn, this place has come a long way since Randy Young bought it, and they're not done yet, As soon as the place went silent at the end of this season, they got to work on the rest of the improvements that will complete the restoration of this entire facility. Midvale is without a doubt the nicest place to take in a race in this entire area. Even dirt racers and fans owe it to themselves to make the trip to Midvale at least once. The Late Models may be the top division there and they provide some great action, but the crate motor Modifieds provide the most competitive shows every week. This crate idea might just be worth considering at other tracks.
Barberton Raceway Park also opened under new ownership this season. This little bullring got a much needed facelift including a new racing surface for 2012. Unfortunately Barberton would also run into its own snags before the season was over, but things went much nicer for them. It was a pleasant surprise to see the support racers and fans showed during this mess and the racing action returned after losing just one night from the schedule. The loss of the NASCAR sanction sounds worse than it really is in my opinion, and should make racing there more affordable again. It may not have been a great year financially for Barberton, but they can be proud of how their ugly situation was handled. Let's hope for a smoother 2013.
2012 was a great season for DFC Racing for sure. This was our best year ever for our carburetors and I'm very thankful for that. Not just for the extra income, but it's great to see many lower budget racers enjoying improved performance and consistency without spending a fortune. Some have even picked up their first career wins this season with a DFC Racing carb. Of course not all of our customers are low budget racers, and that brings a different type of reward including frequent wins and championships. Most rewarding though is the fact that some of our customers spread the word to other racers and at times even loan their carb to others. This type of advertising just can't be bought and it's very much appreciated. To show that appreciation, I'm currently working on a program for 2013 to reward our most loyal customers. Details will be announced during the off season. This strong season has allowed us to install everything needed to do our own plating and color application. This is something I've hoped to do for some time. Other equipment to improve turnaround time is also in the works for 2013. There will be a short shut down period during November related to shipment of in stock carbs. Yours can still be freshened up or modified during this time but focus will be on rebuilding inventory during this time. Thanks for your understanding and support!
While the carb sales brought some pride this season, it wasn't the highlight of 2012 for me. That honor goes to the night I took my granddaughter to her very first race. We chose Deerfield for very this special night, and it was the perfect choice. Not only do they run a great show, but the sportsmanship shown by the young racers there would make a great impression on this little girl. She's since become a huge race fan and hounds me each week to get her "racin fix". I'm afraid it's gonna be a really long winter. ;-)
