Indianapolis,IN By Tom Botos
5-3-09
Hello Racefans,Saturday Night was a
great night of racing as I went to Mt. Lawn (IN)
Speedway in New Castle,Indiana. Car counts were
a bit down tonight but fans were reassured more
Late Models and Hornets are still being built
for the 2009 racing season.
Rod Phipps won the Thundercar Feature
Saturday Night in his blue #72 nicely painted
Thundercar. Rod Phipps stated in his post race
intrerview that he had not been to Mt. Lawn
Speedway in three years and that in 2010 he will
run for points at Mt.Lawn Speedway. Rod also
said he had been fighting gear shifter problems
tonight! That there shows you how talented some
of our drivers are!
Joyce Dyer won her first ever Hornet
Oval Feature as she jumped up and down with
jubilation and excitement. Veteran Hornet
Drivers Keith Morris,Chris Jennings,Nick
Warner,and Kevin Claborn were noticably absent
from Saturdays'
racing. I do know that Eddie and Kevin
Claborn raced there Thundercars at Anderson and
I am not sure if the motors are damaged or maybe
there not switched over to Mt. Lawn Speedway
Thundercar Rules? I wish both Anderson and Mt.
Lawn would have the same rules so that these
drivers in the same division could run both
tracks!
Scott Knepley won the 30 lap Late
Model Feature in his brand new yellow #30 Team
Knepley Late Model. Scott Knepley took a victory
lap in honor of the #99 Late Model driver Kevin
Sellers who lost his life last season in a
boating accident. Scott Knepley bought Kevin
Sellers #99 Late model and it is now driven by
legendary driver #76 L.J. Lines. I interviewed
L.J. Lines last season a man that has driven
every type or configuration of racecar at Mt.
Lawn and Anderson Speedways over the years! L.J.
Lines did not finish the Feature I am not sure
if his car was having mechanical issues? I wish
LJ. Lines the very best in this 2009 racing
season.
One thing that has been on my mind
is whatever happened to the Open Wheel Modifieds
at our asphalt tracks? I was shocked to see that
the O'Reilly Open Wheel Modified Series no
longer has a July racedate at Anderson Speedway!
I remeber back in 1988 or so when the IMCA
Modifieds burst onto the scene in this area that
there were tons and tons of Modifieds running
both Anderson and Mt. Lawn every week.Then you
would have Harold and Rodney Scott taking there
cars and traveling to Kilkare and Shadybowl (OH)
Speedways along with the #09 of Don Skaggs who
also raced weekly at Mt. Lawn Speedway.Maybe
since losing the IMCA sanction the modifieds
have become just as expensive to run as an
Outlaw Late Model? I really enjoy Todd
Ridgeway's articles on this subject as it seems
the Open Wheel Modifieds are now dissapearing
almost as fast as Outlaw Late Models have at
tracks like Columbus Motor Speedway and Baer
Field Speedway. Don't get me wrong I love
watching Outlaw Late Models when given the
chance to see them! I wish the Main Event Racing
Series would come and run Mt. Lawn and Anderson
as I have yet to see an MERS event here in my
own backyard..
I did see Outlaw Late Models
several years back at Baer Field (IN) Speedway
and have seen the likes of Junior Hanley and
Jeff and Greg Parr in Asphalt Super Late models.
Anytime I get to see Flyin Brian Ross in a CRA
Late Model or in any type of car gets my blood
pumping! Brian has 8 CRA Late Model wins at
Anderson Speedway which is still a record he
holds today!
It is also a treat to see Bobby
Blount,Lou Stremme,Bobby Stremme,Cindy Stremme
at tracks like New Paris (IN) Speedway and
Plymouth (IN) Speedway. I wish someone would
write a book about Joe Hamsher a promoter that
was involved with many Michiana Speedways like
New Paris (IN) Speedway,Plymouth (IN)
Speedway,South Bend (IN) Speedway,and Mottville
(MI) Speedway.
I would also like to see the
Michiana based SUPERPRO Series venture further
south to Mt. Lawn and Anderson Speedways. I
guess I am just spoiled and want all the Late
Model Series to myself here in "hoosierland"!
I am going to shift gears here and
I hope to see #1 Ryan Amonett and #20 Tony
Stewart each win a Thundercar Feature this year
after a hard fought battle Saturday Night at Mt.
Lawn (IN) Speedway. Both of these drivers were
relegated to the tail after being tangled up
with lapped cars in the Thundercar feature. I
have watched these drivers have bad luck and be
in the wrong place at the wrong time on the
track and get taken out to no real fault of
there own. I do remember seeing Ryan Amonett win
a Heat race last season.Good luck this year Ryan
and Tony!
The IOFS International Outlaw
Figure 8 Series event at Kentucky Speedway in
Whitesville,KY has been posponed until Sunday
May 10th. Rain has flooded the area and with
strong storms forecasted on top of that. IOFS
Series Officials thought it would be best to
delay the opening of there 2009 racing season
until May 10th. For more information on the IOFS
International Outlaw Figure 8 Series go to
www.iofsracing.com. I am very excited about
the IOFS venturing south as well to tracks like
Kentucky Speedway and Beech Bend Raceway in
Bowling Green,KY. The IOFS Series also will
venture up to the Michiana racing area to
Plymouth (IN) Speedway where Steve Stacy an
outlaw and CRA Late Model driver will attempt to
run a Late model on the new figure 8 course at
Plymouth (IN) Speedway. Plymouth Speedway which
is promoted by Tom Smith a Late Model Racer
himself who won a Late Model Feature recently at
Illiana (IN) Speedway in Schererville,IN.Bobby
Blount is also co- promoter at Plymouth (IN)
Speedway. I am really hoping this series will
takeoff and drivers in these areas will build
Outlaw Late Model Figure 8 cars and give us
racefans another option and type of racing to
follow. IOFS Outlaw Figure 8 cars are wicked
fast and some fans have never seen these cars
and they are legitimate racecars call them
daredevils if you must but once you see how fast
these cars are on a figure 8 you will be hooked!
Any news,notes,or comments please email me at
indybear37@yahoo.com Gotta go see you at the
races!!
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