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By Greg Soukup    

Your seventh place finisher at the 2016 Racesaver IMCA Sprint Nationals was long-time racer, Kevin Ramey. The 47-year old Fort Worth, Texas driver is next up in our ongoing series of interviewees.

Q:        When did you first start racing?

Kevin:            I started back in 1985, at Devil’s Bowl; that was my rookie season. I had to have people take me into the pits and take me to the track because I wasn’t old enough to drive to the track or sign in. I always had to have a parent or guardian sign for me to get in. That was always kind of fun, trying to get that whole deal done.

Q:        Was that in 360 sprints?

Kevin:            No; I actually started out in a little stock car class. They were called Economy Late Models back then. Then I progressed into the Late Models with the tube chassis. We won quite a few races in those around Dallas and Fort Worth. So, we decided it was time to step up into a sprint car or do something else. We felt that we had won as much as we could in the Late Models and were looking for a new challenge. I think it was in 1993 that we decided to go sprint car racing.  We ran the NCRA stuff for a couple of years; Oklahoma City and the Devil’s Bowl ran the same rules then, which was the NCRA rules. Then in 1994 we ventured out and raced away from home. We ended up winning the NCRA championship in 1994. That was kind of fun, getting away from home and seeing different places. We had never travelled much beyond Dallas and Fort Worth. Getting a sprint car opened up our mileage book, that’s for sure.

Q:        When did you move to the Racesaver sprints?

Kevin:            Down here the Racesavers started about 4 years ago. We had guys who had cars and were asking me to drive them. There was a little track down here called Cowtown Speedway, that has shut down. We won the last couple of races they had there, and those were Racesaver races. And now, the Racesavers are about all that we have around here. There are still a few 360 races down here, but you have to travel quite a ways or wait for a certain time of year for them to come around. So; if you want to race weekly around our parts down here in north Texas, or even south Texas to be honest then you have to have a Racesaver. It’s been a good class for us, and we enjoy it. We didn’t have a lot of success in it this year. We’ve been kind of playing around cam combinations and injectors. It was kind of a test year for us; trying to get our stuff better. We really weren’t going for points or anything. We were really looking forward to coming up to Nebraska. It’s such a beautiful facility; probably one of the best run facilities I’ve ever seen. We enjoyed that a lot, and look forward to making the trip again. But, this coming year I’m going to hang up my helmet. I’m looking to put a young kid in our deal; we’ll let him come up there and drive it. I think we’re just going to sit back and help him; help other young kids to progress. Try to push some of them up the ladder a little bit.

Q:        So; you like the Racesaver class then?

Kevin:            Oh; it’s a great class! I love the rules. It’s taken me a bit to get used to some of the rules that they have, the way they are written. It’s kind of different, so you have to be careful. Once you kind of get to know the rules, then you can go and play by their game. We’re finally figuring it out a little bit, and we’ve got our car pretty fast. I think we’ll be just fine next year.

Q:        You think the rules are a good thing then?

Kevin:            I do; the rules are great. I don’t want to see any change; I think that’s what is going to help the class be as strong as it has been. When you start changing things, that’s when it starts getting expensive. That puts a bad taste in everyone’s mouth, and nobody wants to go and spend another $10,000 on a motor. I think that if they keep everything the way that it is I think it will continue to grow and be an awesome class. That’s what killed 360 racing down here. 10 or 12 years ago there were probably sixty 360’s around Dallas/Fort Worth, and now there’s maybe 4 or 5; you can count them on one hand. That’s all because they allowed the cost of things to get out of hand. If they keep opening up the rules, people are going to keep spending more money to go faster. I hope Racesaver takes this to heart; pays attention. Minor changes here are there are okay, but major changes are no good for the sport.

Q:        Was 2016 the first year that you came to the Nationals at Eagle?

Kevin:            It was, and I’m kind of kicking myself in the butt! We had a few guys from here, not drivers, they were just fans that were from Nebraska and had moved down here. They preached to us that “You need to go up and see that deal!”. It’s a beautiful place, and a well-run place. Roger and his family do an outstanding job there. We felt welcome by every single person. Everybody knows what’s going on; there’s no mass confusion. It’s just a beautiful deal and I wish it was closer to us.

Q:        Did you enjoy getting to race against drivers from all over the country?

Kevin:            Yeah; it was good. It was great competition. The 15 car from out in California, Blake Robertson; he’s pretty fast. You know; most of the guys we raced against we’d run against before and they’re all Class A racers. They’re having fun racing; they’re not out there playing games.

Q:        What did you think about the 3-wide start for Sunday’s A Feature?

Kevin:            That was a little different! That’s the first time I’ve done that. It didn’t help that I ended up running the B, so I started mid-pack instead of being up front. That was kind of wild. One thing that makes it successful is; the ONLY thing that makes it successful is the track! It’s large enough, it’s prepped right. Not everybody is hurrying to get to the one good spot and ending up crashing everybody. It can be done just because of the way that it was prepared. Roger did an outstanding job.

Q:        So, you like Eagle Raceway then?

Kevin:            We did! They told us that we got lucky, because we didn’t really get rained out this year, even though you had been getting a lot of rain. This year it didn’t really rain too much, so we need to come back. It’s hard for guys down here to understand what it was like up there. They were interviewing me up in the stands, and I told them that down here we’re used to racing in front of 4 or 5 hundred fans, and our promoter considers that a decent night. He might not make any money, but he thinks that is a large crowd. I don’t know how many people were in the stands, I’d say in the three or four thousand range, but to race in front of a crowd like that and to hear them; even when you’re in the car idling around there you can hear them! You hear that at the Chili Bowl, but that’s indoors. This is an outdoor deal, so the noise isn’t as bad as indoors. That was impressive for us; it was very enjoyable for us that run down south. That brings us back; getting to race in front of that big of a crowd.

Q:        Is there anything that you would like to say to the fans or teams that haven’t come to the Nationals yet?

Kevin:            You need to experience it! It’s one of those things where if you try it once, you’ll definitely come back again. I guarantee you that if they come up and race that deal, they might not have the best of luck, but at the end of the day they’ll run on a great track and they’ll get treated fair. You’ll get treated like a superstar, even if you’re nobody. Everyone gets treated the same.

I am lucky enough to work at one of the best tracks 
anywhere.

By Greg Soukup

Last week we spoke with veteran racer Kevin Ramey, who used his 31 years of experience to pilot his sprinter to a 7th place finish in the Sunday A Feature for the 2016 Racesaver IMCA Sprint Nationals. As a turn-around, I spoke to young gun Zach Newlin as he drove to his shop to build some shocks for the upcoming season. Zach; 29 from Millerstown, Pennsylvania only managed to get up to 9th in the C Feature last year, but plans on coming back this fall to better that result by far.

Q:        When did you get started racing?

Zach:  I started racing in 1998 in go-karts, then had 6 years in the 600 micros. I think this will be my 5th year in the Racesaver sprints.

Q:        Which tracks do you usually run out in Pennsylvania?

Zach:  We run at Port Royal, Susquehannah, Williams Grove, Selingsgove, Lincoln Speedway and Path Valley. We get around quite a bit. We run the Pennsylvania Sprint Series, so we don’t really have a home track.

Q:        When you decided to move up to sprint cars, what made you pick the Racesavers?

Zach:  We liked the affordability and the pricing. We didn’t have to really spend a whole lot to get started. My brother actually started racing them the first year that they got going out here, I took the first year off and then joined the second year.

Q:        You like the Racesaver class then?

Zach:  I don’t think we get the same respect as the Racesavers do in the Midwest; we’re usually just a support division. We’re not the headliners, but other than that, we like it. I think that the problem with sprints in Pennsylvania is that we have so many classes of sprints here. We have 3 or 4 other classes of sprint cars in the area. We have the 410’s, Selinsgrove runs the 360’s, then we have a steel-headed class called the 358’s. Then there’s another spin-off class called the Super Sportsmen. There’s a big variety of sprints out here.

Q:        Do you like the Racesaver rules?

Zach:  I like them. They really make you focus on the set-up and the driver. It keeps everybody really close together. It’s tougher competition, I believe.

Q:        Was 2016 the first time that you made the trip to the Racesaver IMCA Sprint Nationals?

Zach:  Yes, it was our first time.

Q:        What did you think of it?

Zach:  It was an experience. We were really blown away with the track, the atmosphere; I just wish it wasn’t so long of a drive.

Q:        What was it like, getting the chance to race against drivers from all over the country?

Zach:  I thought it was pretty cool. I’ve run a lot of Blake Robertson’s stuff, and I got to meet him at PRI, but this was the first time I got to race around drivers like Blake. Just getting to meet the people that you associate with, then getting to see them in person and race against them. You get to see how you stack up nationally. You get the chance to put a face with the name, and a car with the name.

Q:        So, what did you think of Eagle Raceway?

Zach:  Well, we definitely got our butts kicked, but it’s a really racey nice little track; that’s for sure. We definitely are going to have to change a lot of things around when we come out again this year. We need to change to be more competitive than we were.

Q:        What was your impression of the 3-wide start on Sunday?

Zach:  It’s pretty wild. We actually made it to the C Main on Sunday, then watched the B Main. Then at the last minute we decided to load up and get a couple of hours head start on our drive home. So, we left. But, I did get to watch it later. It’s neat that they can actually get around there without a yellow on the start. It’s pretty wild.

Q:        Is there anything that we haven’t covered yet that you want to pass along to the race teams and fans that haven’t been to the Racesaver Nationals yet?

Zach:  I definitely think it’s an experience to see. I mean, that’s the first time I’ve ever gotten the chance to go 3-wide in a sprint car when we made the A Main on Saturday. The whole facility is so nice to watch races at. You can see the whole track. It was really different going down the front stretch and those huge balls of flame are going off! That’s another thing I’ve never experienced before.

I am lucky enough to work at one of the best tracks 
anywhere.

By Greg Soukup

John Ricketts, a 28 year old sprint pilot from Burleson Texas is ready and eager to return to Eagle Raceway this season to try and better his 8th place finish in the D Feature on Sunday of the 2016 Racesaver IMCA Sprint Nationals.

Q:        What was your first racing experience?

John:  My first time racing was in go-karts when I was 7 years old at Cowtown Speedway. We had several different classes that we raced; from stock all the way up to the modified karts. I ran go-karts until I was about 15, then I jumped up to a 360 sprint at Cowtown.

Q:        When did you switch to the Racesaver sprints?

John:  My first time in a Racesaver I ran a guy’s car a couple of times at the very end of the 2012 season, and my first full-time in one was 2013.

Q:        What tracks do you run at down there?

John:  The majority of the time on Fridays we’ll be at RPM Speedway, we used to run Mountain Creek, but they’ve closed down. Then on Saturdays, 9 times out of 10 we’ll be at or Kennedale Speedway or Devil’s Bowl.

Q:        How many of the Nationals at Eagle Raceway have you been to?

John:  I believe that last year was my third one.

Q:        What did you think of the track?

John:  It definitely is probably one of my favorite tracks. I’d run there weekly if I could! That would be a little bit of a haul, but it’s a lot of fun,  it’s unique and I just love it!!!

Q:        Where did you finish on Sunday?

John:  We lost a lot of speed this past year, so we didn’t make the A, but the prior 2 years we did. This last year we struggled; I mean it happens. I just couldn’t get any momentum going. But; we rolled the car into the trailer in one piece, nothing hanging out of the oil pan or anything. It was just a tough week.

Q:        So; you like the Racesaver class then?

John:  The nice thing about the Racesaver class is that anybody can really go out there. You’re fairly equal. You’re not competing against really different cars; everybody is pretty equal so you have to be on your game as a driver. 

Q:        How about the rules?

John:  I think that the rules are good. As I said before, anyone can buy a car and as long as it’s Racesaver legal you can be competitive if you’re a good driver. You’re not spending thousands, upon thousands, upon thousands of dollars just on lightweight parts, and engines and titanium stuff and money just to keep the engine going. You can have a little bit older car and still be fast and be competitive.

Q:        What is it like racing with drivers from all over the country?

John:  It’s definitely a lot of fun! You get used to racing against your local guys, and you learn about their driving styles, and what you can and can’t do with them. But, at the Nationals, when you’ve got 120 other teams, you don’t really know them. I mean, you might see them on Facebook, or things like that, but you don’t really know them. It’s a real challenge, and it makes it a lot more fun.

Q:        You’ve been a part of the 3-wide start a couple of times, what do you think of it?

John:  Honestly, the first time that I did it I thought we were going to have a yard sale going into turn one. I think that a lot of it is everyone of us that are in it, understands that it’s a long race. It’s a wide track, and we have plenty of room. We just have to keep our heads on straight for a few laps until we get strung out before we really get to racing. I think that everyone races smart and understands that. There’s no real reason to push on the first lap.

Q:        Is there anything that we haven’t talked about that you would like the fans or teams that haven’t been to the Nationals yet to know?

John:  If anybody hasn’t been to Eagle Raceway, make the trip!! Even if it’s just for a weekly show. For us it’s 12+ hours, and for a lot of others it’s even further just to come out once a year. Even though it’s a long trip, you will NOT be disappointed. It’s always bad fast, always a lot of fun. I don’t think you’ll see better racing, other than at Eagle. You have to get there; it’s one of those tracks that you just HAVE to see.

I am lucky enough to work at one of the best tracks 
anywhere.

by Greg Soukup

A 10^th place finish in the C Feature at the 2016 Racesaver IMCA Sprint Nationals didn’t set well with 42-year old Robert Vetter of Wolf City, Texas; so he is chomping at the bit to return to Eagle Raceway to try again. Let’s get to know him  a little better.

Q:        How did you get your start in racing?

Robert:         I started racing motorcycles when I was 21 or so, but I was into bull riding, so I did more of that than racing. Then I went to racing cars about 12 years ago. I started in a Pinto, which is a mini-stock in Texas. Then I went to a bomber, then a street stock where I won a bunch of races. Then it was limited modifieds, and I won a bunch of races in those. Then 5 years ago I moved up to a sprint car; then I sold everything else and stuck with the sprint car.

Q:        Were the sprint cars 360’s?

Robert:         No, they were the Racesavers. To me, it was affordability. Actually, I found a guy who wanted to do some trading on a roller sprint car for a limited modified. So, that kind of got my foot in the door. I didn’t know anything about sprint cars. I bought a bunch of parts on E-bay, injectors and all kinds of stuff. Jimmy Allard built my first ever sprint car motor. I put it in and it lasted 5 years until last year before it ever broke.

Q:        So, why did you decide to run a Racesaver sprint?

Robert:         As a kid, my grandpa used to take me to a bunch of USAC races; I’m from California and we’d go to the races at Bakersfield, Santa Maria and Ascot. I always wanted to race a midget or mini-sprint, but I never could do it. Then I got a real job, and I always wanted a sprint car. At that time the Racesavers were really kicking off around Dallas, but there weren’t a lot of places to run them. It was kind of a mixed bag with the tracks, because they were fighting each other for car counts. I was still running limited modifieds, so I was doing double-duty running Friday and Saturday, running 2 classes. I got tired of the limited, because I was tearing up fenders and spindles and stuff like that, so I said “You know, the sprint car is a little easier to maintain, a lot faster and a lot more fun. We started concentrating on the sprint car because of the affordability. The other cars had gotten so crazy on pricing. The sprint cars can as well, but a low-budget team like mine can win races with talent, not just money.

Q:        What tracks do you run at down there?

Robert:         My primary track is Friday night at RPM Speedway, and on Saturday night it’s Devil’s Bowl Speedway. Then when we rain out I run everywhere; all of the tracks in the Dallas area. Last year I made several trips to Amarillo. We raced a little bit in Oklahoma with the Southern Oklahoma Sprint Car Series, and we made our first trip ever to Eagle Raceway for the Nationals.

Q:        So; this was your first trip to the Nationals then?

Robert:         Yes. I always wanted to go, but with job stuff, I could never really afford to go or had the time to go. I thought it was a big money pit to go. 2 years ago diesel was over $4 a gallon, so I figured I couldn’t afford it because we couldn’t afford the diesel. So last year I saved up some money and said “I don’t care how much it costs, I’m going!”. And it was amazing to me that it wasn’t a rip-off; it was a good deal for the racers. You know, a lot of the stuff that we go to that they call ‘Big Shows’ with big money, there’s not a lot of big money but a little bit of big money. They up-charge for everything and with entry fees it gets very expensive if you don’t watch what you’re doing. But the event you ran up there was just amazing! We went there with a little bit of money, and left with about the same amount; we really didn’t spend much. With no entry fees, what we won every night kept us going. It was pretty awesome.

Q:        What did you think of Eagle Raceway?

Robert:         It’s totally different. I don’t much care for that hole in turn 1. I’ve won a lot of races on rough, rutty tracks; 2” of rain on Friday and then race on Saturday. But I do love rutty tracks. With that being said, the hole didn’t bother me that much. It’s just kind of imtimidating because even though it’s not the biggest track I’ve been on by far, it’s a big track and you carry a lot of speed. So, the hole; you’ve got to watch it. I’m not used to running the fence. I’ve known Jack Dover for a long time, and he said that’s where you have to run. I really appreciate how they can run the fence there; guys like Jack Dover and John Carney, and I’m sure you’ve got hundreds of local guys who do it every week, it’s amazing how they can drive that fence the way that they can. I just can’t drive on the wall like they do. The facility is awesome. We had a good parking spot on the back stretch with a concrete pad; once again that was free which was awesome. Everything was great; even the weather was great last year. I saw monsoons happened the year before. We had a little bad experience with the law down there, but other than that it was a great experience. I travel with guns in my truck, and apparently that’s a problem; but, we got it all worked out, so no problem.

Q:        You finished mid-pack in the C Feature on Sunday, right?

Robert:         Yeah. How we drew put me back in the field every race, so every night we were in the C Feature. We struggled with gearing. Having never been there, I tried to put a gear in my car to go but it didn’t work; so, I put gears in for momentum and I couldn’t get the momentum right either. We had a starting point, but a lot of it was that we had a brand new motor in the car. We blew a motor the Saturday before, and my motor guy put me a motor together. So we put a new motor in the car and it really wasn’t broken in. The following week we ran it down here and I ran second. As the weekend at the Nationals went on, it opened up. I was struggling to learn the track a little bit, and we were trying to find the right gear for the track.

Q:        So, you like the Racesaver class?

Robert:         Absolutely! I mean, don’t get me wrong, I’m sure a 360 would be fast, but you’re not going to find this kind of car count and the kind of tracks that run weekly unless you’re in a Racesaver sprint car. There’s weekly shows in Texas, tons of them! But with the 360’s and 410’s, they’re their own group. They might have a big show here and there with a lot of cars, but week to week races, this is the best class there is. Affordability; I’ve got $6,000 in my motor and we run up front down here. I won the state championship and the track championship down here last year and we got 7^th in the nation in my first year of chasing points; all with a very low budget. My frame was a 1990 California non-wing car, and we made it a winged car. We did very well chasing the points this year. I think that the Racesaver class is awesome for a novice driver to someone that has an unlimited budget.

Q:        What about the Racesaver rules?

Robert:         I absolutely like them. I wish there was something to keep the cost down a little bit more. Where guys like me think that if some guy didn’t have a $15,000 motor, he wouldn’t be so good. I’m sorry to say that if you have the very best parts, it does make a little difference. Some of the shock packages are getting a little crazy; if they could take some of that stuff out of the equation, that would be pretty cool. I do like what they’ve done with the tire specs. I wish they’d take some of the injector rules out; like putting everybody on a 2 3/16” Hillborn instead of these $6,000 injectors. It doesn’t matter what class you’re in, people are going to abuse the money situation and get the high dollar stuff whether it matters or not. If they would monitor the injector stuff a little more, I think that would maybe get the horsepower a little bit more even. My motor that we ran for 5 years, twice a week had hundreds of nights on it. It had 386 horsepower and it cost like $3,600. It  just ran good. We won some races on big heavy race tracks, and we won some on dry-slick tracks. So, I’m a big fan of the class and the rules. For a guy like me, I can’t win every night with that kind of motor, but I can win quite a bit. I won 2 championships with that motor. So, it can be done.

Q:        What’s it like racing against people from all over the country?

Robert:         Great! I’m looking forward to this year. My parents still live in Bakersfield, California and we’re going to make a trip down there. And this was the best thing about the Nationals last year;  I met Monte Ferrera and a couple of other guys down there, like the number 17. He’s a big shot out in California. We’re going to go out there this year and support some of their tracks and see my family. And he’s going to come down here and run a couple of Texas tracks with us. Just me showing up at the Nationals introduced me to a few people that I never would have met from where I used to live, and now we’re going out there to get together and they’re going to come down here to race on the way to Nebraska. It became a really cool bond just because of the Nationals. Everything that you all said it was, it was! I didn’t see any fighting; it was just a pretty cool week in general. When you have that many cars together for a week, if you were in a door car there would be all kinds if fights and brawls for 5 days. But with the Nationals everybody just raced hard, if you crashed you fixed it, and people helped you fix it. There was some guy from Canada on one side of me and on the other side was some guy from California; it was great! I’m not just talking you up; we’re coming back.

Q:        You didn’t get into the Sunday  A Feature, but what did you think of the 3-wide start?

Robert:         It’s amazing! Since I raced stock cars for several years, I went to Boone, Iowa and was involved in a 3-wide start. They also do it here at Texas Motor Speedway at the dirt track where I raced my modified. Two years ago there, I started outside front row for a 3-wide start. Some people say it’s crazy, but I like it. It’s not crazy; we know what we’re doing. Make it 4-wide, I don’t care. I want 40 cars doing it. I think it’s great; it’s great for the fans. The fireworks that you put on before the race, the announcing the drivers before the A Feature; I was mad because I didn’t make it honestly. I was like “Dude! I’m doing good in National points and leading all of my track stuff down here”. We really wanted to get to the A main, but we just didn’t. We’re parked in the C Main, and I won 2 championships! So, that shows how tough the competition is.

Q:        Can you think of anything that we haven’t talked about that you want the fans and drivers who haven’t come to the Nationals yet to know?

Robert:         If they think it’s a money pit to get into, it’s not! Free pit stalls, the pit passes were just $25, it’s actually cheaper to run the Nationals than my regular Saturday night show. You’re paying your fuel to get there, and your motel, but the rest of it is amazing. It doesn’t cost a fortune to run there. Every night, whether we ran good or not, we got money back. And that’s what it’s about; getting the low-budget guys there. If it was a big entry fee, and big pit passes, I wouldn’t go. So I think that what you guys are doing is a great contribution to the class. “Let’s have a big show, but we’re going to charge a weekly rate with no entry fee”. We race down here for less money but pay entry fees. I went all the way to the Nationals, raced for 5 days and came home with as much money  in my pocket as I left with. That’s because what I spent for my fuel and motels, I got back with all of the money that I made all week. I had a great time, and can’t wait to come back.

I am lucky enough to work at one of the best tracks 
anywhere.

By Greg Soukup

This week, we speak with a newcomer to the Racesaver IMCA Sprint Nationals; 18-year-old Samantha Lieberman from Southhampton, Pennsylvania. She had some bad luck on Friday night of last year’s Racesaver IMCA Sprint Nationals, but decided to stick around and she’s glad that she did.

Q:        When did you first start racing?

Samantha:   The first thing that I ever raced was quarter-midgets. I raced those for 7 years and then transitioned up to the micro-sprints. I ran the 125s for a few years and then a 270 before moving up to the Racesaver sprint 2 years ago.

Q:        Why did you decide to go to a Racesaver sprint rather than something else?

Samantha:   Well, my grandfather is Joe Grandinetti, and he was the regional director of the Jersey series up until this year. I knew it was an excellent series. But, with him stepping down we’re planning on doing a lot more travelling this year. With him being the regional director, it was just something that I always wanted to do. I always thought I wanted to drive sprint cars, and I kind of grew up around it. He was so busy, and I was driving all kinds of other cars. But I wanted to be a part of what he did.

Q:        What all tracks do you run up there?

Samantha:   Last year I raced at Bridgeport Speedway, Grandview Speedway and at New Egypt Speedway. This year I think we’re going to spread out and run at the central Pennsylvania tracks like Susquehannah, Williams Grove, Port Royal and some other tracks.

Q:        Was this your first year to come to the Racesaver Nationals?

Samantha:   It was.

Q:        What do you think of Eagle Raceway?

Samantha:   Eagle Raceway is definitely an awesome facility! It was something that I can’t even really put into words. It was such an experience!! I’m definitely going back. It was just so cool!!

Q:        Where did you finish at this last year?

Samantha:   On Friday night, I got into the B Main; there was a big mess on the start and I got taken out. We were actually going to pack up and go home, but then a bunch of guys found out that we were packing up and heading back to Pennsylvania and they wouldn’t let me leave! So, we ended up getting some parts, and a bunch of people helped us put them in. It was a last-minute decision to stay and run on Saturday. It was really awesome that so many people wanted me to stay and run again. Then on Saturday, we were having some problems and I don’t think we made it out of the E Main. Then Sunday, we got into the C Feature and I was leading. But, my tires blew off and I just dropped.

Q:        Do you enjoy the Racesaver class?

Samantha:   I do. I think it’s very realistic for someone who isn’t financially capable of running the more expensive series like the 360’s or the 410’s. I also like the set of rules that we have to follow, just because it makes for an even playing field.

Q:        So, you like the Racesaver rules then?

Samantha:   I do. There’s some things that could be changed, but for the most part, I think they are a great guideline.

Q:        You mentioned all of the people who helped you out. What was it like racing against teams from all over the country?

Samantha:   It was really cool because you get to see a lot of talent, because everyone comes together and runs at one place. I definitely learned a lot from everyone, because it was only my second year in sprint cars. We kind of went out on a limb, just to see how it went and we definitely learned a LOT! It’s a learning experience, racing with such talented drivers from all over the country. We’ll definitely be back this year.

Q:        Is there anything that we haven’t talked about that you would like to say to the fans or teams that haven’t come to the Racesaver Nationals yet?

Samantha:   If you’ve even thought about coming out, definitely do it! It’s a once in a lifetime….not even a once in a lifetime experience! It’s just something that I think that everyone should be able to experience because it’s so unexplainable. You won’t regret it.

I am lucky enough to work at one of the best tracks 
anywhere.

By Greg Soukup

Colin Smith, 19, from Sheldon, Iowa was the 2015 Racesaver IMCA Sprint Car Rookie of the Year. Colin also was a participant in the 2015 Racesaver IMCA Sprint Nationals. Let’s learn a little more about him.

Q:        What was your introduction into racing?

Colin: It started back when I was probably 5 or 6. I was racing go karts in my back yard until 2005 or 2006 when I got to run on an actual racetrack at Jamaica, Iowa on a paved track. I raced them until the tire deal got really bad. I got into my first sprint car in 2015 and that was a Racesaver sprint.

Q:        What tracks do you normally run at?

Colin: My bread and butter is Jackson Speedway in Jackson, Minnesota. Last year I ran weekly at Badlands Speedway, but then that deal fell apart. This year we’re going to be running Jackson and going to Boone, Iowa a lot because that’s close and where I’m originally from. It’s kind of my home track, so that means a lot. We’ll be running at Eagle Raceway some, and then at I-80 a little bit too when the Sprint Series of Nebraska is there; so basically all over.

Q:        How many of the Sprint Nationals have you been to?

Colin: Just the last two.

Q:        What did you think of the track?

Colin: As a driver…..it’s not a normal track. It’s absolutely fun; it’s an absolute BLAST. If you go there as a driver and don’t know much, you’ll walk away from that place and be able to go to ANY other track and flat out fly. The place is just crazy! I ran Badlands the week after Nationals last year and it felt like I was in slow motion and Badlands is quite a bit shorter.

Q:        Where did you end up finishing at the Nationals last year?

Colin: I didn’t have a very good Nationals. The first night I flipped; the second night I was leading the B Main by half a lap. I was getting too wound up and not calming down. I hit the right front tire on the wall because I jumped the cushion. So, I didn’t finish. Then Sunday I was in the E Main and ended up there (19th).

Q:        Are you enjoying the Racesaver class?

Colin: Absolutely. I like the fact that you know when you show up at the track that everybody is equal and you know cheaters are going to get caught. It’s driver and car. You show up at the track and everyone has the same motor within 10 horsepower. You come to the track and you’d better be on your game; you’d better be up to snuff. The driver is everything; the car is everything.

Q:        So; you’re a fan of the Racesaver rules then.

Colin: Oh yeah; especially the engine rules. They keep us all even.

Q:        What’s it like racing against drivers from all over the country?

Colin: It’s awesome. We’ve actually become friends with one of the guys. Last year we pitted next to a guy named Mike; and I can’t think of his last name. I’d never met him, never seen him, never heard of him and by the end of the weekend we were really good friends. We also pitted with some guys from Texas who are always talking with me and texting me. I think it’s just awesome. You show up at the Nationals and everybody is so kind. You drive with people from Pennsylvania and Texas and California. It’s just awesome.

Q:        What do you think of the 3-wide start for Sunday’s A Feature?

Colin: I’d really like to be on the front row of it someday. I think the third or fourth row would be a little scary because you don’t have anything to lose. Everybody around you would be lights out and going. Being on the front row with Dover and Martin and Drueke would be kind of nice.

Q:        Anything we haven’t covered that you would like to pass along to the fans and drivers who haven’t come to the Nationals yet?

Colin: For the drivers, racing at Eagle is as good of a thing as you can possibly do! From racing on a ½ mile Friday nights in the weekly class to running Badlands which is a little tiny track; running at Eagle, there’s just no comparison. With all of the banking and all of the tricks that you can do to make it work; it’s just one of a kind. It’s awesome and I just love it!!

I am lucky enough to work at one of the best tracks 
anywhere.

By Greg Soukup

Monty Ferriera, from Fresno, California finished 14th in the C Feature at the 2016 Racesaver IMCA Sprint Nationals. As you can imagine, he is chomping at the bit to come back this coming September and improve on that. Let’s get inside his head a little bit.

Q:        How old are you Monty?

Monty:          I’m 47.

Q:        That’s a coincidence! You’re I think the third driver I’ve interviewed who was 47. You’re still a youngster.

Monty:          You have to be young to stay in this sport! Actually, all of us older guys are smart enough to go to the cheaper racing after awhile.

Q:        What was your first racing experience?

Monty:          I first started in 1993 in the 600 micros when they started coming around. I raced those probably about 7 years, then we sold that and bought my 360.  We ran that for about 5 years. We were competitive; we ran good in it, but it was funded by me and pretty much me only, and that kind of put me in the poor house after awhile. I only lasted those 5 years and we were out of it in 2005.

Q:        When did you start in the Racesaver class then?

Monty:          They just started around here in 2015. I had gotten back into the micros and I had two 600 micros; one for me and one for my nephew. The politics; I got tired of the parents trying to protect their kids. If the kids are going to be out there racing, they need to learn to protect themselves. So, I said to myself “What am I going to do? Am I going to continue to race this, or am I going to try something else”. I was down at Blake Robertson’s one day and he was talking about the Racesaver class; I’ve been friends with Blake for 20 or 25 years. I started looking more into it and I thought “I could do that!’. It was a lot cheaper, a lot less cost, more rules and not so much about the cubic dollars any more. It was more about the driver and set-up. So, I got really interested in it and jumped into it by buying a car and motor.

Q:        What tracks do you race at out there?

Monty:          Hanford, Tulare, Bakersfield, Santa Maria and just this year we added a new track, Merced Speedway.

Q:        This last year was your first Nationals at Eagle Raceway?

Monty:          Yeah; that was my first time out of California. Racing 360’s  we always stuck around here. Probably the farthest away we ran was about a 5 hour drive. They all told me this last year how much fun they had, and it was the best thing ever. So; I said “Okay, let’s try and make it out there this year”. We got ready for it and made the 34 hour drive!

Q:        What do you think of Eagle Raceway?

Monty:          I like it! I think it’s a really nice track. It presents some really great racing. I enjoyed it so much that we’re going to come back this year and I’m going to stay in the Midwest for about a month and a half. We’re going to run with the URSS the three shows prior to the last show at Eagle before the Nationals. We’re going to run that last weekend at Eagle, the ‘Test and Tune’ night, then we’ll run the Nationals. Then we’re going to run down through Kansas and Oklahoma and that area. I have a cousin that lives in Kansas, so that will make it easy to have a home spot there. I met some really nice people last year at the Nationals that live in Texas, and they offered for us to come down there and stay with them. It’s kind of family, as usual in racing.

Q:        What was it like, racing against people from all over the country like that?

Monty:          I like the challenge. I like going new places. I kind of get bored doing one thing. I own 3 different companies, 3 different businesses. I’m not a person that can just sit still and do one thing; just run at one track against the same people all of the time. I have to venture out and make fun out of it.

Q:        So; you enjoyed yourself at the Nationals?

Monty:          I DID enjoy myself; it was a really great experience. The one drawback maybe is travelling so far to just draw a blind pill. You hope that you get some place decent. Even the 410 Nationals don’t do a blind draw like that. Even if you just went with something as simple as passing points; that would make a tremendous amount of justice for the people who have to start dead last. You know how hard it is to pass on that track! When the heats are only 10 laps and it’s hammer down, probably 2/3 of the heats were non-stop without any incidents and 10 laps doesn’t give you a whole lot of time to get anywhere. I had to start dead last both nights. You have to finish first to get into the A, second to make the B, third to get into the C. The first night we finished third and were in the C Feature, the next night we ran it up to second and started in the B. We never did make the main event; ended up 14th in the C on Sunday. We just didn’t have the car right and had some problems. It just wasn’t our nights.

Q:        Well, it was a learning experience for you and you’ll be a lot better prepared for next year.

Monty:          Oh yeah! In fact, I built a new car especially for there; all brand new parts and everything. Actually, I built 2 cars. I put all of the older stuff from last year on a brand new XXX frame. So, the one car had a lot of the older stuff from last year and the other one’s brand new. We’ll run the one car up until we get to Eagle for that last weekly show. We’ll run the Nationals car that week and probably run the Nationals car all of the way back home.

Q:        Do you like the Racesaver rules?

Monty:          I love them! That’s one of the main reasons that a lot of us guys out here in California are into it; because we’re tired of the cubic dollars that are spent out here. We have to deal with Roth Motorsports, Scelzi’s, Tarltons and all of these big name people who run 360’s out here and it’s hard to compete against that kind of budget.

Q:        I know that you didn’t make it to the A Feature, but I’m sure you watched it. What do you think of the 3-wide start?

Monty:          I think you better go around and talk to a lot of people and tell them “Hey! Let’s just get through this first couple of corners before we start doing any crazy stuff”. I think the guys must have all talked to each other and said “Let’s just get through this first corner before we race each other”. The Racesaver class is a little lenient on age; you only have to be 14. I guarantee you that not too many 14-year olds are going to start that main event, but it’s scary if they do because they only seem to have a right foot and not a left foot.

Q:        Okay Monty; is there anything that we haven’t covered that you want the drivers and fans who haven’t come to the Nationals at Eagle Raceway yet to know?

Monty:          If you can make it out there it’s well worth the trip. Great hospitality, great racing; it’s a really good time. I and my crew had a great time.

I am lucky enough to work at one of the best tracks 
anywhere.

By Greg Soukup

Mike Boston, 54 and a seasoned veteran from Lincoln, Nebraska crossed the finish line at the 2016 Racesaver IMCA Sprint Nationals in 7^th place. However, the final standings did not reflect that. We will find out why as we visit with him more.

Q:        What was the first time you raced something?

Mike: Age 11 in 1974 was my first race in motocross and that was my first experience racing. I raced motocross for probably 19 years. I worked at a motorcycle shop for Roger Kilbourn. His son ran micro-midgets and they had one sitting there. He asked me to race it and I wasn’t smart enough to say no, so I ended up racing both motocross and micro-midgets. Motocross on Sundays and micros on Saturdays and Sunday nights. We raced micros down in Springfield, Missouri then drove all night and the dropped me off at the track to race motocross.

Q:        When did you get into sprint cars?

Mike: My first race was with Greg Boltz. Then I put my name in a hat with John Gerloff, because he knew Greg really well and drove his car a few times. I think 1994 was the first time that I sat in a sprint car, and that was through Greg. I was still running the micro-midgets and won the national championship in 1994. My main concern was the micro-midgets, but I ran 3 or 4 races in the sprint car.

Q:        You ran the 360’s up until Eagle Raceway started with the Racesaver class, right?

Mike: Yes. 2012 was my last year in them, the same as most of the drivers at Eagle.

Q:        What do you think of the Racesaver class?

Mike: I think it’s pretty neat. It’s very competitive, a lot more competitive than the 360’s. But like the 360’s where it’s getting unlimited where a motor costs $50,000 for a top of the line motor and a Racesaver you can go out and run for X amount of money; not nearly that much. It’s a much cheaper class. I mean, money still helps but nowhere near the 360 stuff which is getting out of control.

Q:        This may be a sore subject with you, but what do you think of the Racesaver rules?

Mike: I think they’re really good. I mean, I really have no problems with the rules. I love how when you go to the Nationals; I mean, yes it’s an inconvenience when you roll up and have to sit in line to get teched, and then you run in the feature and you get teched again. I believe that if you have rules you have to enforce those rules. You know that when you go out for the feature that your car is legal and the guy next to you is legal or they’ll check it after the feature. But in the 360’s you knew that everybody wasn’t following the rules with their cylinder heads because nobody ever checked them. Rules are no good unless you enforce them!

Q:        Do you think having the Racesaver Nationals at Eagle Raceway is a good deal?

Mike: I think it’s a great deal! I think that Eagle has one of the best facilities in the country and it’s centrally located. I travelled a lot when I ran the modified midgets; we went to New York for the Nationals and to Madisonville, Kentucky and California. The nice part is that every year at the same time you know where you’re going to be at. If you run a Racesaver you know that around the first of September that you’re going to be running your Racesaver at the Nationals at Eagle Raceway. When you plan your vacation you know where you’re going to be at. It’s not like some other organizations where you might be in New York one year and then California the next year. I think it’s a pretty great deal that Roger (Hadan) has put together and I think it’s just going to continue to build and build.

Q:        Where did you finish on Sunday last year at the Nationals?

Mike: Now THAT’S a sore subject (laughs)! We ran seventh before we got disqualified. It was just one of those deals. We had 2 titanium bolts in the rear wheel center and it was overlooked on my part. Roger didn’t farm the track at first, and we had the car all set up. We were out on the front stretch for the introductions and then suddenly here comes Roger! So, I had some extra wheels in the trailer and hadn’t raced that one all year. I told my son “Hey, let’s put this wheel on” because it had a good tire on it. I never even gave it a thought because we had passed tech all weekend. At first I thought they were joking when they said “Hey! You’ve got titanium bolts in one of your wheel centers”. I was like “HUH???”. But I didn’t gets PO’ed, I didn’t yell and scream because it was my oversight. I could go out there and find some little thing illegal on every car just because of oversight; like a titanium bolt in a brake caliper or whatever because they bought it that way. There might just be 1 titanium bolt on a front wheel rotor but there is that 1! That was my misinterpretation of the rule book also because if you read the rules because you can interpret it more than 1 way. I don’t have the rules in front of me but it says something like ‘No carbon fiber or titanium that’s rotating over 1 ½” in diameter’. I thought it was 1 ½” in diameter on the titanium like a driveshaft because it’s over 1 ½” in diameter or a brake rotor. Or a wheel center cover; I thought it meant 1 ½” in diameter not that it was the rotating part. But; a rule is a rule! They enforced it and that’s a good thing.

Q:        What do you think of the 3-day qualifying format?

Mike: I think it’s a pretty decent deal; I mean I don’t know how you would do it any other way or make it better. Maybe passing points. But this way you have 3 shots at it. I like the last day where you take the whole combined points systems and that’s how you line up. I really like that part of it. If you have some bad luck on the first 2 nights you can still start up front of one of the features and work your way into the big show. Once again, I misinterpreted that the year before. I broke something and I had to come through the C and then the B on Saturday. Then I pulled off! If I’d have known it was a total combination of points I would have kept going. But, that was my bad. If I’d have just gone through the B Feature and kept going, but I thought “Nothing good can happen out of this” and I thought that Sunday was a whole new show. I’m old and it takes me a while to learn things.

Q:        What’s it like racing with people from all over the country?

Mike: I’ve done it my whole life really. I think it’s neat getting to drive against other people and to have those people compliment your facility. I don’t think I heard one negative word all weekend as far as how fast the program was run or how good the facility was or even the PA system. Some times it’s good racing with people that you don’t know and other times it’s better to run against the local guys where you know what to expect. You know where they’re going to go. But with the outsiders it’s a little bit of a learning curve to run side by side with those guys.

Q:        I know that you got caught up in the mess on the 2-wide start of the finale that first year. What do you think of the 3-wide start?

Mike: It was just one of those deals that year. You’ve got 27 guys out there out of over 100 and the ones that are in there are in there for a reason. As long as everybody is conscientious and we get through the first lap or two it’s not bad at all. If everybody calms down a little bit and let it get spread out before we start to get on it, it will be all right. It gets more people out there on the track and it makes it a little more interesting with the lapped cars. You’re always racing with somebody; it doesn’t matter if it’s the first lap or the 30^th lap. There’s always racing; there’s always action going on.

Q:        Is there anything that we haven’t covered that you’d like to say to the drivers or fans who haven’t come to the Nationals at Eagle yet?

Mike: Never give up! If it was easy, everyone would be doing it. There’s a good reason that there is 100 plus cars at the Nationals. Unfortunately not everyone can make it, but if you have enough will and drive you will make it there. And it will be a lot more meaningful when you make the show! That’s an accomplishment that you won’t forget.

I am lucky enough to work at one of the best tracks 
anywhere.

by Greg Soukup

Last week we interviewed a seasoned veteran, and this week we speak with an 18-year old rookie; Elliot Amdahl from Blanchard, South Dakota. Let’s see if we can find out his thoughts on racing and his run at the 2016 Racesaver IMCA Sprint  Nationals.

Q:        When did you first start racing?

Elliot: I first started when I was 11 years old in go karts. I ran those for a year and a half or 2 years. One of my dad’s friends that he went to high school with owned a body shop in Flandreu; Greg Gunderson who ran sprints for many years. He had micro sprints there and they would work on them for him. He had one for sale, so we bought a micro sprint. We raced micros for about 3 years, and in my last year we teamed up with Jud and Greg Krull. Greg was pretty successful with Kenny Hansen back in the ‘80s. My crew chief Jud was on the World of Outlaws tour for 3 years with Stevie Smith and Sammy Swindell. That’s how I got started in racing; go karts and micros, and then this last year we moved up to a Racesaver and that was my first year in a sprint.

Q:        What made you choose a Racesaver sprint rather than a 360 or 410?

Elliot: Well, my second to last year in micros we were looking at doing a 360, but then they totally got rid of the 360’s around the Sioux Falls area. So, we decided to stay in the micro for one more year. My last year in the micro they came out with the Racesaver class around here. We talked some to Roger Hadan who does our motors and it just made a lot more sense to do the Racesaver deal. We got really good cars, and had to put together really good cars, but just the motor side of it and tire side of it we just weren’t ready for a 360 at my age.

Q:        You mentioned the loss of the 360’s in your area. What tracks do you run your Racesaver sprint at?

Elliot: My home track and the one that I ran my micro at every week is Husets Speedway, which is now Badlands Speedway. This last year we ran every weekend at Jackson Motorplex and every week at Badlands, and then we went to Eagle Raceway for the Nationals.

Q:        Since this was your first year at the Nationals, what did you think of the facility at Eagle?

Elliot: I liked it. It was a handful! I only had 20 races in a sprint car before we went to the Nationals, so it was an eye opener for sure!! It was hard to get used to having to get up against the wall to pass cars. I liked it overall but I think it would have been better if I had more laps under me.

Q:        You mentioned that you decided on a Racesaver because of the cost. What do you think of the Racesaver rules?

Elliot: I like the rules. Last year there was many times that we showed up at Jackson, Minnesota which is a half-mile track, and I’m going to be straight-up honest; we’ve got $6,200 in the motor and every night we beat guys that had at least $20,000 in their motor! And it was the same thing at Badlands on the 3/8 mile. I know for a fact that there were guys that I know for sure had $20,000 in their motor and we’d show up with our motor and still beat them. I like it because you can show up at the track and it doesn’t matter if a guy’s got a $20,000 motor and he might have 2 horsepower over you. It doesn’t matter what you spend, you still have to drive the car. You know that when you show up you’re equal; everyone has to weigh the same, everyone’s got around the same horsepower, and everyone is running on the same set of tires.

Q:        What did you think of your experience at the Nationals?

Elliot: I thought it was great. I grew up going to the 410 Nationals the last few years with my family, and I was excited to go to the Racesaver Nationals. My first thoughts were I didn’t know if it was going to be fun or how big of a deal it is until I pulled into Eagle. I thought “Wow! This is a lot of cars!!”. It was fun! I had a great time and met a lot of great people. I think it’s a great event because I think that Eagle has some of the best Racesaver drivers in the country! To go down there at the end of the year and see how you match up to them; it’s just great to get to run against guys from all over the country. I just think it’s a great event. The pay is great, you can race your way into the feature or have good luck and start up front a lot of the time.

Q:        Speaking of the feature, where did you finish at on Sunday?

Elliot: I didn’t have the best Nationals. The first night I started 8th in my heat race, hit a rut and finished 8th. We started 12th in the H Main and finished 2nd. Then we started 18th in the G Main. I think we finished 10th or 11th in that. All weekend we were fighting mag issues. The second night we went out to see how it would go and started 5th in the heat race. We got to third and I got into the wall. I’m not sure where we finished there. We ended up having to try and run the Alphabet Soup again and I’m not sure where we finished up there. The last night of the Nationals was our last chance, I’m not sure where we were locked into but I know we were buried. We went and bought a new mag and were going to put in a new mag but we found that our oil pump shaft had a broken gear on it. The only way to change that is to take the oil pan off, so we weren’t able to race the last night.

Q:        Did you enjoy getting to race against drivers from all over the country?

Elliot: It was great. We were parked by some Texas guys and we got to know them really well. I think that Ryan Hall was his name; we got to meet him and he was a really great guy and really fun to be around.       We had some fun during that rain delay. The guy who was parked on the other side was Mike Leraas from North Carolina who actually grew up in my home town of Flandreu. He came up from North Carolina to see us race, so it was great to see some old friends and to meet some new ones and to learn their different driving styles. Everybody from around the country drives a little bit more aggressive or a little bit more patient, so it was really cool.

Q:        Did you like the 3-day qualifying format?

Elliot: I do like it. You can try to qualify the first night but if you don’t you can go out the second night and try again. The one thing that amazed me was Stu Snyder qualified the first night but went out the second night thinking maybe he could better his spot by one or two. And on the third day you can still qualify for the A Feature too. You get three chances. You can come there from all of the way across the country and know that you’re going to get 3 nights of racing in, plus a night of practice before. So, you’re almost guaranteed 4 nights of racing. It’s a good deal.

Q:        I know that you didn’t qualify for the A Feature on Sunday, but what did you think of the 3-wide start?

Elliot: I thought it was pretty cool! The Sprint Series of Nebraska does that 3-wide start and that’s something that not a lot of places do around the country; especially for the Racesavers. It’s a cool deal with the fireworks and the whole big deal that they put up for it. I really enjoyed it.

Q:        Is there something you would like to say to drivers or fans who haven’t made it to the Racesaver Nationals yet that we haven’t already covered?

Elliot: Yeah! If you’re even thinking of coming to the Nationals, be sure to come. I did 20 races before I got there and I think that I learned more in those 3 days on how to drive a sprint car than the 20 races before that! So, it’s a great time. The fans; you see a lot of people camping. It’s so cool to pull in and see all of the campers. You see lots of people during the day watching people outside having fun. You can come into the pits during the day and stop by to see the drivers doing maintenance. You can just look around see how these things run and how we keep them up. Anyone even thinking about coming, fans or drivers, I would for sure say it’s worth the trip. It’s great racing!

I am lucky enough to work at one of the best tracks 
anywhere.

by Greg Soukup

Not a seasoned veteran, but by no means a novice, Tyler Drueke is more of a young gun. That status was confirmed when the 23-year old from Eagle, Nebraska scored a 5th place finish in the 2016 Racesaver IMCA Sprint Nationals after taking home the season points championship at Eagle Raceway. This week we get to learn more about him.

Q:        What was your first racing experience?

Tyler: My dad started out racing the Friday Night Flyers at Eagle Raceway back in 1998 through 2001. When he was racing those I got a little yard go kart, so that’s where I first started. My first organized racing was when I was 11. We bought a junior sprint from Tracy Ledger. They built a track in the infield at Junction Motor Speedway, so late that year they had an exhibition and we went out there. We raced that, but my first full year racing was 2005. We raced the junior sprints in 2005 and 2006, moved up to the restrictor class in 2007, then the open class in 2008 and 2009. We moved up to the 360 sprints in 2010.

Q:        When did you start running the Racesaver class?

Tyler: The Racesaver deal came about in 2015. There was a travelling series, the Nebraska 360’s, and we had some off weekends. So, we thought we would put a car together since we were only a mile from the track and that was really convenient. We raced both in 2015 and then last year we ran more of the Racesaver and less of the 360.

Q:        So, you’ve been to the last 2 Racesaver Nationals?

Tyler: Yep, yep. We raced the Nationals in 2015 and I think we finished 5th; no, wait, I think Dover passed me at the checkers and we might have gotten 6th. Then the 5th place this year.

Q:        What do you think of the Sprint Nationals?

Tyler: It’s a love/hate relationship with the format. What you have to keep in mind with this deal is the Racesaver class is designed for the budget racer to race a sprint car and go out and have fun. This format is not about crowning the best Racesaver driver in the country. We’re all going to put everything into that we’ve got to try and win this thing. If that was the goal we’d be time trialing and half of the field would load up and go home after time trials, similar to the Knoxville Nationals. But, that’s just not the goal. The format is the simplest and easiest to follow; and for the fans I think it’s easy to follow. So, my hate relationship with it is you draw bad and have to start in the back. I raced my butt off in the heat race on Friday night and we were passing for the win to get into the redraw for the feature that night but I was in the 15th heat race. I came up about a half of a car length short of winning the heat race, but I was in the last heat race. So, my reward for coming up a half of a length short and passing 5 cars to get to second was I had to start 15th in the B Main. We got to turn 1 and got piled up in something that was none of our doing. But, that’s the bad part about the format. I heard all the time guys complaining about the format, but it’s very easy to follow. You know what you have to do. You have to keep in mind that you’re there to have fun. Don’t get me wrong; Matt was trying to get me to calm down after the heat race because I was ticked when I didn’t win it. You just have to keep that in mind; this deal is for fun. You know what you have to do. If you don’t get it done the first night, you know you’ll have another night. That’s just the way it goes. There is no perfect format. You could go out and time trial and end up being one of the last to time trial and it wouldn’t be any good. You could end up in the same situation no matter what the format is. Just show up, have fun, do what you can control and put the fastest car on the track that you can.

Q:        Do you like the Racesaver class?

Tyler: I like it a lot! I think I said it at the Eagle Raceway banquet; it kind of reminds me of when I was growing up racing mini-sprints. It’s ultra-competitive, but yet you don’t have to micro-manage everything. We put a lot into it, getting our motor to run right, getting our car to handle right. And yet, it’s laid back in a way. We’re not racing for thousands of dollars here, you know? If you go race 360’s you race against guys that race for a living; that’s a whole different level. We just go out to have fun; kind of laid back. My little brother said it best “It’s a lot easier to accept second place when you spent $2 than if you’d have spent $100”.

Q:        So; do you like the Racesaver rules then?

Tyler: Oh yeah. I mean, everybody is going to have their own little tweaks to it that they want to do, but my thing is you need to keep the big picture in mind. You have to keep the cost down, because that’s what is making the class grow anyway. If you can keep the cost down, I’m all for it; leave it the way that it is. Like I said; everybody has their own little tweaks to it that they personally would want, but these are the rules. Follow them or go do something different.

Q:        Do you think that the Eagle Raceway regulars have a big advantage at the Nationals?

Tyler: For the purpose of getting people to come there, I’m going to say no; but the proof’s in the pudding. Look at how many of the Eagle regulars made the big show. A lot of that is you’ve got guys that come from….I think there was a gentleman parked next to us from Virginia. He’s telling me about the car that they had built and I’m thinking “Wow! Where you’re running is a whole lot different than what we’re running!”. That’s just the difference in areas, and track surfaces and types of tracks. I know if you go to Ohio it’s going to be slick, and he was telling me “Virginia….slick, dusty and sometimes the lighting isn’t the greatest”. You go to Pennsylvania and you’ve got some big tracks like Williams Grove. California is probably the closest as far as Eagle for comparison if we’re going to generalize the race tracks in the area. As far as a short track sometimes it gets rough and you have to cowboy up a little bit, but ultimately, it’s just a different type of race track, so obviously, that puts it more in the Eagle drivers’ hands. I run Eagle all year, so I didn’t need to go to practice night, but I went out to watch. I was there maybe ½ hour and I saw 2 or 3 cars upside down. I decided I was going to go home and get a good night’s sleep.

Q:        You’ve been in the Sunday A Feature both years you were there. What do you think of the 3-wide start?

Tyler: I think we started in the second row the first year and I was in the fourth row this year. You just kind of tip-toe through it. I think everyone goes into it with the same mind set; last year in the front two rows I probably didn’t really open it up until I got to the back straightaway on the first lap. You take off, there’s a lot of guys around you and you just kind of tip-toe through it and everybody goes into it with the same mind set; you can’t win it on the first lap. It’s 35 laps and you have to be there at the end. I like history, so I like the connection to the old Indianapolis days of the Indianapolis 500 with the 3-wide start. Sprint cars had ties to the 500 so to me that’s the coolest part about it. And it’s neat for the fans; it’s unique. As a driver, it’s just like a race track; you just deal with it. You get a 3-wide start, you just deal with it. Try to make sure that your car is there. Once you get through the first lap and you kind of get it sorted out. It’s pretty much just like any other race after that.

Q:        Is there anything else that we haven’t talked about that you would like to say to the race fans or drivers who haven’t made the trip to the Nationals yet?

Tyler: The first thing that everybody is going to tell you is “That dang hole in turn one”. I can tell you that it’s never going to go away, so don’t even think about it. Talk to the local guys; they’ll be willing to help you out. But, the Racesaver deal is pretty laid back; we’ll be willing to help you and get you going around the race track. I won’t help you beat me, but I’ll help you be sure your car doesn’t get torn up. We look forward to seeing everybody there and hope that the fans enjoy the driver introductions and the other things. I think Eagle Raceway really puts a great effort into creating prestige into the event and hyping it up, getting the fans involved. That’s the kind of things you look for. You want to win the biggest races, on the biggest stage. So, it all comes together one time a year at the Racesaver Nationals!

I am lucky enough to work at one of the best tracks 
anywhere.

By Greg Soukup

Lubbock Texas is home to this week’s interviewee, John Carney II. The past few weeks have brought you a seasoned veteran, a rookie and a young gun, so this week we visit with a 33-year old hired gun. John runs whatever, whenever and for whoever. So far this year (as of the time of the interview) he hasn’t been in a sprint car yet, but did race in the Chili Bowl and the Tulsa Shootout.

Q:        When did you first start racing?

John:  My first racing came in 2000, and that was in a sprint car. That was the first thing I ever raced. I never ran a go kart or anything else.

Q:        A 360 or a 410?

John:  It was a 360.

Q:        You race a 410 sometimes too, don’t you?

John:  We did, I think back in 2004, 2005 and 2006 we ran about twenty 410 shows each year. The 360 stuff kind of died off and the Racesaver stuff was just getting started around west Texas and New Mexico. But, the 410 stuff was still kind of grounded, so we had the 410 so we ran some Racesaver stuff and the 410 both through those years. And the 410 stuff eventually died off.

Q:        Nowadays it’s mostly the 360 and Racesavers, right?

John:  That’s right. We do plan on getting a 410 this summer, and trying to run a few Outlaw shows and some stuff at Knoxville. But, right now it’s just mainly the 360 and Racesaver races.

Q:        When did you first get into the Racesavers?

John:  That would be 2003. We got into it early. When we first started we only had like, shoot, probably only 10 cars and only had about 8 races scheduled that year. It slowly worked its way up to about 20 cars weekly and it’s kind of bounced around that number in west Texas over the years.

Q:        You race all over the country, don’t you?

John:  I would say it’s more….I’m just going to say in the center; from Texas, Oklahoma, Nebraska, Iowa, Arkansas and I have been in California and Arizona. We don’t get quite everywhere, but we cover as much as we can.

Q:        How many of the Racesaver IMCA Sprint Nationals have you been to?

John:  Just the last 2. (John won his heat, the Main Event and the Jake Ita Race of Champions in 2015.

Q:        What do you think of Eagle Raceway?

John:  It’s great! I always look at the schedule to see if they’re going to run any 360 or 410 races so that I can get up there and race one. You know, the drive isn’t that bad, but it’s a long way to go for a Racesaver race.

Q:        Where did you finish last year at the Nationals?

John:  I didn’t finish. I started on the front row and then about 5 laps in we were a little tighter, which we knew we would be, and we were just starting to get into a little bit of a rhythm. I just changed up my line there, and I hit that hole wrong in turn one. I don’t know how many times I drove right through it without a problem, but for whatever reason, that one particular time got me. We were running probably just about as good as we did the first year. We started about mid-pack on Friday and got to second there with Jack Dover. Saturday night we ran the Race of Champions and I had to start way WAY in the back and I made it up to third or fourth, something like that. We had a great car, it’s just that 1 time in that one hole!

Q:        Do you enjoy the Racesaver class?

John:  Oh yeah! It’s a really neat class. There’s a few little things I’d like to see them do with the rules, but with what’s going on it’s great because you can compete with a budget runner. A budget car, a Saturday night car, a working man’s car can go out and race. Most of the people who run the Racesavers own their own car. It’s definitely affordable. Sprint cars are so expensive. The other classes are more to start and win, but as long as Racesaver keeps the rules pretty much where they’re at it’ll keep growing and growing.

Q:        So; what do you think of the rules?

John:  I think they’re great! The only adjustment that I’d like to see is a spec, maybe not a spec right rear but I’d like to see a spec left rear; only one left rear to choose from. They’ve got 2 spec left rears to choose from now, I just think that they should make those two mandatory and I’d really like to see only one of those mandatory. Then this kind of eliminates….when you can get your car to hook up and start sticking more wing angle in it, it starts putting more motor into it. It’s not a really big deal because the motor situation is pretty much under control with the design of the head and the way the rules are. The only difference that I see is that you take a guy who can put a little dyno time on his motor and get it dialed in perfect compared to a guy who has a little bit more of a budget that you can see and hear the difference between the motor that’s been dyno’ed and the one that hasn’t. If you can gain 25 horsepower from getting your motor dyno’ed then you can work the car a little harder. It makes it extra hard to outrun that guy, but it can be done.

Q:        You race all over. What do you think of the Nationals where it brings in teams and fans from all over the country?

John:  It’s awesome. For the Racesaver class it’s THE Nationals, it’s the best. It’s comparable to the 360 or 410 Nationals at Knoxville. It’s neat to have everybody there, and all of the drivers that are there are the fastest from where they’re from. It’s the best of the best Racesaver guys getting together for a weekend.

Q:        What’s your opinion of the 3-day qualifying format?

John:  It’s good. I would like to see 2 separate nights. The first night you have all 100 plus cars fighting for 9 spots. And then the next night you got the remaining cars less 9 that already qualified the night before racing for the next 9 spots. Then everyone goes to the features through the alphabet soup. It’s tough because if you have a tough night the first night you won’t be starting at the front of the deal on Sunday. I kind of think it needs to be split into two separate qualifying nights.

Q:        Speaking of Sunday, what do you think of the 3-wide start?

John:  I’ve been on the front row every time, so it’s been good!! (Laughs) If I have to start 20th I’ll answer that question next year! The front row is where I want to be.

Q:        Anything you can think of that we haven’t talked about that you want to say to the fans or drivers who haven’t come to the Racesaver Nationals yet?

John:  Well, yeah! If you haven’t been yet, you need to get there. The stands are pretty much full and the pits are definitely full. There’s all kinds of activities going on besides the racing. It’s definitely a family event and anyone that hasn’t been there needs to get there. Especially any hard-core critics who don’t think that the Racesavers can put on a good show we’ve seen plenty of 360 and 410 races go single file and I’ve been to the Racesaver Nationals twice and I haven’t seen any races at ANY point that were single file. There’s always cars working on passing each other.

I am lucky enough to work at one of the best tracks 
anywhere.

By Greg Soukup

This week we talk to someone who may not be universally known, but around Eagle Raceway he is known as “World Famous” Toby Chapman. Toby, 47 from Panama, Nebraska speaks with us about a few things including the 2016 Racesaver IMCA Sprint Nationals.

Q:        What was the first time that you went racing?

Toby: That would be when I was 29 years old in a 360 sprint car at Eagle Raceway. I still race them once in awhile. In fact, I won a race down in Missouri a couple of years ago after I won the Nebraska Cup at Eagle that year.

Q:        Have you raced at all of the Racesaver IMCA Sprint Nationals?

Toby: All but the first one.

Q:        Where did you finish at this year at the Nationals?

Toby: I ended up 9th in the A Feature after starting 12th. I was up to fifth or sixth, but the yellow came out just after I passed 3 or 4 cars; so they set me back.

Q:        Are you enjoying the Racesaver class? Do you think it’s a good deal?

Toby: I think that the Racesaver class is the most competitive class that I’ve ever raced. When I raced the 360’s it was all about who had the most money, who had the best motor, and this class that is not the case.

Q:        So, you like the Racesaver rules?

Toby: Yes. I think that there are a few that could probably be tweaked, but for the most part I think they’re a good deal. With the motor situation, you CAN go and spend $20,000 but you’ll probably have to rebuild it every 5 or 6 races.; if it hasn’t blown up before then. I’ve seen that from a few of the motor builders. They’ve got all of the lightest stuff that they can get, and they blow up a couple of times a year. But, if you go spend 10 or 12 thousand, they’ll last. We don’t even have that much in ours and I didn’t even send our motor in to get freshened up after last season! Right before the Nationals we had a spiral clip for the wrist pin, half of it was stuck to the drain plug. So, we called the motor builder after we tore the motor apart and they came up the Thursday before the Nationals. They took the motor all apart, found out where the clip came from and replaced it. He said that the motor looked like it was brand new! We put it back together, had it teched before the Nationals and ran it. I think if that yellow hadn’t come out we would have finished pretty good. But, after I passed all of those guys and got put back, everybody took my spot and I couldn’t get back by them.

Q:        What is it like to race against teams from all over the country at the Nationals?

Toby: I had a blast! It’s a fun time, getting to meet people from all over. I enjoy it because I really enjoy running the Racesaver. I’d like to race a 360 or a 410, but money wise it’s just not possible for me or Randy (the car owner). We’ll struggle by with what we’ve got, and try to improve slowly with our equipment. And still have fun!

Q:        Do you like the 3-day qualifying format?

Toby: I like it. It gives you a chance to start up towards the front the first two nights. The best you could start the second night would be 10th, but you’re still within 4 rows of the front. I mean, I started 12th and with 8 or 10 laps to go I was passing for 5th or 6th! And if the yellow hadn’t come out, we would have finished top 5 or so.

Q:        Speaking of the A Feature, what do you think of the 3-wide start?

Toby: So far it’s been fine! (Laughs) I wasn’t there that first year, but the last two years there hasn’t been an incident on the start. You’re definitely not going to win it on that first lap! You might as well just hang out, keep your spot and let things get sorted out and go from there.

Q:        Do you think the racers from Eagle have a big advantage over the teams coming from out of town?

Toby: Well, you think we should and I suppose there’s a little bit. But, after 3 days of racing, if you know anything about racing you should pretty much have it figured out. Just get your set-up down and you should be about as close as most of us out there. As for the hole in turn 1, after practice night I think a lot of the guys got it figured out!

Q:        Is there anything you want to say to the fans and teams that haven’t been to the Nationals yet that we haven’t  talked about?

Toby: Well, I think they ought to come!! If you haven’t been there yet, you’d better get there. It’s a good time. I enjoy it and everybody that I talk to, they love it.

I am lucky enough to work at one of the best tracks 
anywhere.

By Greg Soukup

Stuart Minnesota’s Jeremy Schultz is this week’s interviewee. The 39-year old has been racing sprint cars for 4 years now. He is, I believe, a typical budget racer. He shares his thoughts with us about last year’s Racesaver IMCA Sprint Nationals and more.

Q:        When did you first get into racing?

Jeremy:         Actually, I was about 20 years old. There was a local Yamaha dealer that we had bought some 4-wheelers from. They were part of what we called the District 23 Circuit, so I got into racing 4-wheelers before racing sprint cars. My uncle was a flagman for Arlington Raceway here in Minnesota for many, many, many years. So, I had been around it and around go-kart racing.

Q:        Well then, when did you start sprint car racing?

Jeremy:         4 years ago when the Racesaver class actually started up here in Arlington where our local track is. They adopted the whole Racesaver deal, and it was budget racing. Being a family guy, and a working guy also; somebody who can’t afford a really expensive motor in the 360 class, it worked out really good for us.

Q:        So, you really like the Racesaver class then?

Jeremy:         Yeah, I do. And the reason I’m saying that is I would like to go faster, and jump into the 360 stuff. But, just for the budget part of racing, for me that’s the best thing. With our racing, it’s the Schultz Family Racing; our family is all involved in it, and the Racesaver class is inexpensive. That’s why I like it. One of the guys that I met down at the Nationals a couple of years ago, John Carney II, everybody knows him, he said it the best. ‘Racesavers, 360’s, 410’s, their laps times are really close; within a couple of seconds of each other’.  I talk with John pretty frequently, at least once a month. We became really good friends. 2 years ago he pitted next to me at the Nationals. Going to the whole Eagle Raceway experience, and the Racesaver Nationals, that’s what I like about it too. It’s good racing, the racing is side by side; you get to meet a lot of people. It seems like everyone is more of a competitor on the track, but you go back to the pits and everyone is willing to help everybody. That’s what I like about the whole Racesaver deal.

Q:        How many of the Nationals at Eagle have you been to?

Jeremy:         I’ve been there every year since Roger started it. I crashed and burned the first year, but the last 3 years have been a little bit better for me.

Q:        Speaking of that, where did you finish at last year’s Nationals?

Jeremy:         I want to say in the C Main; I would have to go back and look up to see where I finished, position wise. I made it into the C Main with my points standings, and that’s the highest I’ve ever placed out of all 4 years. The years before that I think we had D’s, E’s and F’s. But, I was a little bit inexperienced.

Q:        You do enjoy yourself at the Nationals, don’t you?

Jeremy:         Oh God yeah!! The last couple of years we rented an RV from a local town up here and drove down there. Meeting Darren and Dylon Knudson was one of the best things that happened to me too. They were a big part of my success. This year was my fourth year in sprint car racing and without them I wouldn’t have the success I had this year as far as the set-up goes and talking with Darren on the phone at my local track is great too.

Q:        What do you think of the Racesaver rules?

Jeremy:         They’re fair, I think. I don’t know if there’s anything that I would change about them. I think they’re in place for that guy that has a full-time job all week and making it budget racing. I’ve heard a lot of guys say ‘What’s the deal with the hydraulic wing sliders?’. Well, that’s just an added cost on there. I believe that the rules are in place to keep everybody competitive. It’s more the driver that’s doing it all. Everybody pretty much has the same motor, the same parts. As far as the rules, I like them for the whole fairness of everything.

Q:        What was it like getting to race against all of those teams from all over the country?

Jeremy:         It’s awesome. The best part of it is that you can follow a really good racer, and John’s one of them. I got to hot lap with John the last couple of times he was down at Eagle, and just following a driver like him who’s been racing for 15 years and all of these other drivers who come from California, and Iowa and Missouri, Montana and Colorado; you get to see all of these different drivers. You can learn different things from them and make yourself a lot better. That’s another thing I like about it. Seeing all of the other drivers and racing against all of the drivers can make you a better driver. That’s what I enjoy.

Q:        The 3-day qualifying format; what do you think of that?

Jeremy:         Talking with the other guys again; they said ‘Let’s do passing points; let’s do this; let’s do that”. Honestly, it’s kind of luck of the draw; the whole deal. Racing Friday night and racing Saturday to set the first nine or the second nine and then the last day setting the last nine, I like that. It’s luck of the draw and last year I got on the pole of both of my heats both Friday night and Saturday night. I made the best of it one night for sure. I like the way the format is.

Q:        I realize that you haven’t had a chance to participate in it yet, but what do you think of the 3-wide start?

Jeremy:         I don’t know what I’d think about it; I haven’t been in it yet as you said. I’ve never started that way before. John would say ‘Just follow the car in front of you and don’t crash’, but he’s usually up front. Until I experience it, I can’t tell you. I wouldn’t be afraid of it; it would be a “Here we go” type of deal. You’ve got plenty of laps to hopefully catch up. It is a smaller track, so the guys in the front are already close to the guys in the back.  There’s cautions; things can happen that will work your way and you can move your way up. And, the $1000 to start is something else too!! You’ve got 27 cars in there and you get $1000 to start, so that’s a great deal to start with.

Q:        Can you think of anything that we haven’t talked about that you would like to tell the other teams and fans that haven’t made it to the Nationals yet?

Jeremy:         The only thing that I would say is that if you haven’t been to the Nationals yet, it’s a great time. I think all of the things that Roger does; I mean the guy’s working his butt off day in and day out over the whole Nationals weekend. He’s been by my pit and I said “Roger; do you need any help?” and he’ll let you know if you can help. It’s just a great experience.  A lot of cars, a lot of racing and it’s a good family environment. After the races you can come down and meet racers from all over the United States. It’s like our own Knoxville Nationals!! I think there’s a great group of racers that show up every year to give the fans a fantastic show. That alone is an experience for a fan to watch. It’s great racing; side by side. I wouldn’t be there if it wasn’t for my sponsors; getting me through the season and then getting me down to Eagle. I know there’s drivers who don’t have sponsors and they’re working out of their own pockets. This year we’re going to take a break from our regular racing and attend more shows at Eagle before the Nationals and try to make Darren and Dylon happy by coming down to Eagle a couple times a month.

I am lucky enough to work at one of the best tracks 
anywhere.

By Greg Soukup

Ryan King, 31 and from Bennet, Nebraska is an Eagle Raceway veteran of sorts, having started out in the IMCA Sport Compact division before moving up to the Racesaver IMCA Sprints. He is a little bit old school, as he tows his sprinter to the track weekly on an open trailer. Just last night he got his first victory in the Racesaver class and is this week’s interview. Let’s hear his thoughts on the Sprint Nationals.

Q:        What are your racing roots?

Ryan: Well; my dad bought me a go-kart when I was 7. He was a truck driver and didn’t have much time to help me put it together, so I put it together myself. I didn’t race it anywhere, I just ran it around here at the farm. My first time actually racing something was doing auto-cross in Seattle after we moved there for a while. The first time racing a car was running a sport compact at Eagle Raceway in 2013 and I won Rookie of the Year.

Q:        When did you move up to a Racesaver Sprint?

Ryan: That was in 2015 and I got Rookie of the Year then too.

Q:        What do you think of the Racesaver class?

Ryan: Well, I never would have been able to race a sprint car if it wasn’t for the Racesaver class, just because of engine cost. I like the tight rules because they put it in the driver’s hands and the crew’s hand for setting up the car. It’s not as money driven as the 360’s are. That’s what drew me to it.

Q:        So, you’re a big fan of the rules then?

Ryan: I love the rules! The engine part is the biggest key to me. You can tweak the engine, but you have to take away valve lift to get the engine to run because of the spring package that we have to run. So, it’s kind of no matter what you really do, everybody has pretty much the same horsepower.

Q:        Where did you end up at in the 2016 Sprint Nationals?

Ryan: I can’t really remember, but I think I got up to the C Feature.

Q:        Do you like racing at the Nationals?

Ryan: Yeah! Actually, my first time in a sprint car was 2014, after racing the sport compacts all year. And I waited until the end of the year so I would get my points in the sport compact. The 2014 Nationals was supposed to be my first time in a sprint car. Practice night got rained out; so I didn’t get any practice in a sprint car; I’d never driven a sprint car in my life. So, I went out for hot laps, and that was my only 2 or 3 laps of practice, ever! In the heat race I started on the pole because I drew a 3, and ended up running fifth in my first ever sprint car race. Not horrible. But, the Nationals is just an awesome time. What is so cool is that there are so many like-minded people in one place. Everyone is there to race sprint cars, and talk about sprint cars. It doesn’t have any money-driven aspect, so everybody just has a laid-back time. You can go up and talk to anyone and they’re happy to talk to you. Me, not really having a name in the sprint car world, everyone talks to me; and that’s pretty cool.

Q:        What is it like getting to race against drivers from all over instead of just the locals from Eagle?

Ryan: It’s amazing how different the cars are set up compared to the ones from Eagle. We all set up our cars pretty safe because of the heavy cushion and the rut in turn one. We have to set them up that way because if you hit the cushion too hard, or the rut too hard we have to be able to recover from it. But people from other tracks have theirs set up really fast, and if they hit the cushion or the rut too hard, they go for a ride. I learned a lot, just watching how other cars react too.

Q:        What do you think of the 3-day qualifying format?

Ryan: I love it just because you get to race 3 days in a row! I wish I could do it all of the time. I wish it was a week long deal!!

Q:        You touched on this a little bit, but do you think that the local Eagle racers have a big advantage over the visitors?

Ryan: I think we did the first few years. Last year Roger bought a different piece of equipment to prep the track and that REALLY threw me for a loop! I don’t know how many other Eagle drivers had a problem, but I did. I read the track wrong all year last year, just because of that different piece of equipment. So, I didn’t have an advantage at all last year; my set-ups were completely wrong.

Q:        I know that you haven’t had the chance to be in it yet, but what do you think of the 3-wide start?

Ryan: I can’t WAIT to be a part of it! I think the first few laps could be kind of sketchy, but after that I don’t think it would be any different from any other feature. We’re usually at least 2-wide anyway. I can’t wait to experience it myself.

Q:        Can you think of anything that we haven’t talked about yet that you would want to be sure that the fans and teams who haven’t come to the Nationals yet should hear about?

Ryan: Well, the one thing to me; I’m pretty new to driving a sprint car, you know; but the other drivers, when they’re getting ready to go on the track, they seem kind of angry. But, you get them out on the track and it really surprised me how much patience that the really fast drivers have with the rookies and less experienced drivers. The patience that they have getting around them, that really blew me away. The veterans at Eagle, they do give you the room that you need to learn. That’s what shocks me most about racing a sprint car; either at the Nationals or just a weekly show at Eagle.

I am lucky enough to work at one of the best tracks 
anywhere.

By Greg Soukup

I spoke with 17-year-old Val Urman, from Roseville Minnesota about his thoughts on being a part of the 2016 Racesaver IMCA Sprint Nationals. Here is what we talked about.

Q:        What was your first racing experience?

Val:     When I was 6 I started racing a little flat kart. From there I moved up to the go-kart class, and from there to a micro sprint and then finally up to a sprint car.

Q:        When did you start in a sprint then?

Val:     I was 16, so just last year.

Q:        Was that in the Racesavers?

Val:     Yes, that was in a Racesaver.

Q:        What is your opinion of the Racesaver class?

Val:     I really like it! I love the sportsmanship and it’s not a class about who has the most money. It’s a class about the driver and the cars.

Q:        Was 2016 your first Sprint Nationals?

Val:     Yes, first time.

Q:        What did you think of the experience?

Val:     It was awesome. I mean, it was 4 straight days of racing and I was in heaven.

Q:        What was it like, racing with teams from all over the country?

Val:     It was really interesting. You get to learn a lot, that’s for sure. We’re from Minnesota, the guys to the left of us were from Texas and the guys to the right were from California. Just talking to each of them, we learned a lot. Just talking about their different ways of setting up the car and different styles of driving.

Q:        What was your impression of Eagle Raceway?

Val:     It was a lot of fun. The rut in turn 1 was a really big learning curve, but other than that, man…it was a great track to race at.

Q:        You said you really enjoy the Racesaver class, what do you think of the rules?

Val:     I really like them. Every now and then I’ll read a rule, or a new rule and I’ll think it might be a little too rough, but then once you start racing under the rule and get used to it, it makes a lot more sense. Like the most recent rule, the fire suppression system rule. Having a 25-pound fire suppression system. At first, I thought “Awww man!!”; but really, after thinking about it more and going through my first race with it, it’s a great call! It was a good decision to add that.

Q:        Where did you finish at on Sunday last year?

Val:     I think I was in the second to last feature, and I finished mid-pack in that. One of the very last features though. We had some really bad luck throughout the weekend, but it ended up being a lot of fun still.

Q:        You mentioned getting to race for 4 days. What do you think of the 3-day qualifying format?

Val:     I think it’s a really good way of doing it. We always say that with that many cars, in that big of a show, you start the week off drawing and that’s pretty much how your week is going to go. So, giving everybody a couple of shots at it, that’s a really good way of doing it.

Q:        What did you think of the 3-wide start for the A Main on Sunday?

Val:     I wasn’t in it, but I’m assuming it had to be a little scary to be in it. But, as far as watching it, man…that was pretty sweet!!

Q:        Is there anything that we haven’t talked about that you want to be sure that the fans and drivers who haven’t been to the Nationals yet hear?

Val:     If you haven’t been there, and haven’t seen a Racesaver race because you think it might be kind of boring because it’s just the Racesaver sprints, not a 410 or something like that, I’d say that you should go take a look. Go take a shot, because it may not be as fast as far as lap times, but it’s a hell of a race! I’ll have to miss a little bit of school, but I’ll be there next year for sure!!

I am lucky enough to work at one of the best tracks 
anywhere.

By Greg Soukup

Another week, and this time Rick Hansen is speaking with us about the 35-year old’s time at the 2016 Racesaver IMCA Sprint Nationals.

Q:        Where are you from, Rick?

Rick:   I’m living in Omaha.

Q:        What was the first time you raced something?

Rick:   It would have been when I was 16. I started racing in the cruiser class at Riviera Raceway in Norfolk, Nebraska. It was the 2-man cruisers. From there, I moved up to the street stocks in 2000. I raced those until 2010, but in 2002 I also started running my dad’s old sprint car at Stuart Raceway.

Q:        Was that a 360 sprint?

Rick:   Yeah.

Q:        When did you get into the Racesaver class?

Rick:   Last year (2016) was my first season in them.

Q:        Are you enjoying the Racesavers?

Rick:   Oh yeah! I’m really enjoying racing them. I’m glad that I made the switch.

Q:        What do you think of the Racesaver class overall?

Rick:   OH! I love it. I mean, it feels…..I’m kind of running on a budget, and it just feels like the spread from the top guys to the bottom guys is closer. You feel like you can come in and run competitively every time that you show up.

Q:        What do you think of Eagle Raceway?

Rick:   I love running there! I’ve raced there with the 360 in the past, and really enjoyed it. We had some decent success there in the past, but I’ve been struggling the last couple of years. I love running the track, and everybody there is just great. One of the first times I ever showed up and Roger stopped by right away and thanked me for coming. It’s one of, if not my favorite places to race.

Q:        Where did you finish last year at the Nationals?

Rick:   I don’t remember exactly. We had some mechanical issues. We ended up blowing a head gasket, so on Sunday we basically did a start and park deal. I think we were in the E or F Feature; something like that. But, it was nice to just be there and have fun.

Q:        So; did you have a good time at the Nationals?

Rick:   Of course. It was really fun! I’m already looking ahead to doing it again. It’s interesting to run against all of the guys that you read about in the results page. You get to run with people from all over the country.

Q:        Speaking about running against people from all over, what was that like?

Rick:   It was great. Getting to see them all. Everybody comes into Eagle, and you learn how everybody adjusts. Everybody was super friendly. We spent the day with everyone relaxing in the pits with everybody getting their stuff ready from night to night. It was just a bunch of fun.

Q:        What is your opinion of the 3-day qualifying format?

Rick:   I really enjoyed it. I know that there might be some room to tweak it. One of the guys that we parked close to drew really poorly both of the first two days, and if there was some way to balance out the draw so that if you had a really bad draw one day that you could just draw from the top half the second day. But, other than that, I thought it worked great. It kind of gives you a clean slate each day to make something happen. Or, if not, you can race your way up there on Sunday.

Q:        I know that you haven’t had a chance to be there yet, but what did you think of the 3-wide start?

Rick:   That’s pretty neat. It’s the kind of thing that when you hear about it you think to yourself ‘Well, that’s never going to work’ but then you see it and it does work! It looks like a lot of fun and I’m looking forward to getting to try it one of these years.

Q:        Can you think of anything that we haven’t touched on that you think the fans and racers who haven’t made it to the Sprint Nationals at Eagle yet need to know?

Rick:   I would say that anybody who is even thinking about it needs to go. I live a half hour from the track and I had never even been to one of the Nationals there until 2 years ago and I was like ‘Well, why wasn’t I at every night of this at least as a fan before now’ because now it’s one of those things that even after I’m out of racing I’ll be there every single night from here on out! Also, thanks for doing these interviews. I really enjoy them and appreciate the way you are helping to promote the sport.

I am lucky enough to work at one of the best tracks 
anywhere.

by Greg Soukup

This week’s interview is with Mike Leraas, a 48-year old originally from Flandreu South Dakota but currently living in Kernersville, North Carolina. Mike has spent lots of years around sprint cars. Let’s see what he thought of his experience at the 2016 Racesaver IMCA Sprint Nationals.

Q:        When did you first get involved in racing?

Mike: I started out in a stock car when I was 26, racing at Lake County Speedway in Madison, South Dakota. My brother, I and some friends put everything into doing that for 3 years. After that I was blessed by God, and super fortunate and got a job with Kenny Woodruff and Dale Blaney and went racing with them. I worked with those guys and learned a little bit about sprint car racing. Around 1996 or 1997, I saved up just enough money to buy a car off of a guy named Tom Wilson. It was every dime I had! He loaned me a box of motor parts, and we went and raced the IMCA deal for 6 or 7 races, running a 350 claimer class. Then I went back to work for Woodruff again, because I was broke. In 2012, Evernham decided that the Carolina region needed a Racesaver group. I heard about it, and originally I was just going to volunteer to officiate or something. But, I got to looking into it a little more; I bought a car and we went racing.

Q:        What do you think of the Racesaver class?

Mike: It’s the only thing that made it able for me to race a sprint car, and have just a little bit of success at it.

Q:        So, you like the rules?

Mike: It’s the only rule package in the whole country that a guy can afford to put together a car by himself on a 40 hour a week salary and run it. It’s THE only series that you can do that with, as far as I know.

Q:        Was 2016 your first time to the Racesaver Nationals at Eagle Raceway?

Mike: Yes. First time ever driving at the track.

Q:        What did you think of the facility?

Mike: It was a midwestern race track, just like I remember from my youth. It’s a whole lot different from the tracks that we have down here in the south, that’s for sure. You tighten up your submarine belt, take a deep breath and drive her down in there on the green flag or else the race is over the first lap.

Q:        Did you enjoy yourself at the Nationals?

Mike: Oh yeah! I had a good time for sure. About half of the reason that I went was to park with some of my friends from when I was a 14-year old kid back in Flandreau South Dakota. Greg Krull was there helping a kid race his car down there. His son Justin actually worked for Woodruff after I did. So, we made sure we got spots so we could park next to each other. That was half of my goal was getting to come and race with those guys. So, I had a great time. We came last year and really appreciated the hospitality. They just put on an awesome, awesome event! I’m sure that every driver you interviewed before me said the same thing. That event can’t be paralleled anywhere in the United States as far as a race goes. Everyone was just so super nice.

Q:        Where did you finish at on Sunday?

Mike: I didn’t bother to keep track of it; I sucked really bad (laughs). I don’t know about me driving on midwestern race tracks. The competition is just so stiff there. If I lived in Minnesota, South Dakota, Nebraska or Iowa I would come over there 2 or 3 times a summer and race just to try and get myself up to speed.

Q:        Was it fun racing against teams from all over the country?

Mike: Oh, yeah. The first thing was on practice night, getting to see where you stacked up against former National champions, last year’s winner and whoever else was there. It was super fun racing against everyone. I should have been on the road and almost to Omaha, but I had to stay and watch the A Feature. I said “That looks like a completely different class of cars than what we raced against in the F Feature, or G Feature; whichever one we finished the weekend in. Robertson and all of those guys; MAN….that was really something!!

Q:        Speaking about Sunday’s A Feature, what did you think of the 3-wide start?

Mike: That’s crazy. Nobody else does something like that! I had heard about it a lot, and I wouldn’t have expected anything different, with the professionals that you had in the A Feature. You roll down in there, probably nine tenths of the way open and let everyone get through the first couple of laps. I wouldn’t have expected anything different with the level of drivers in that A Feature.

Q:        What did you think of the 3-day qualifying format?

Mike: It’s a super-good deal. If you don’t race at Eagle Raceway, or can visit there a few times, you get a lot of chances to get on the track. We had our one good chance on the first qualifying night. I started in the first or second row of our heat race. I actually sucked it up and got through the first start. We got through one and two and the yellow came out. If that didn’t happen, I might have finished decent, but the yellow came out, and then I sucked on the second restart. There is no way that anyone can claim favoritism with that format though.

Q:        Anything that we haven’t covered that you think fans or drivers who haven’t come to the Nationals yet should know about?

Mike: If you’re a fan, and you like sprint car racing, and you don’t think that there’s something cooler than the Knoxville Nationals, you need to drive on down to Lincoln Nebraska during the Nationals. It’s a really good time and there’s a bunch of really good racers there. By the last night, they’ve risen to the top and you’re going to see some awesome racing. If you think that you’re a big shot in your region, and you have never been to a midwestern race track, I think you’d better hitch up your trailer and head up there to see where you stack up at. There’s a lot of challenges to be had at Eagle Raceway; that’s for sure!

I am lucky enough to work at one of the best tracks 
anywhere.

By Greg Soukup

Jerald Harris, 41 from Harrisonburg , Virginia was kind enough to take the time to speak with me about his racing and the time he spent at the 2016 Racesaver IMCA Sprint Nationals.

Q:        What was the first time that you went racing?

Jerald:           The first time that I actually drove a race car was when I was 9 years old in a go-kart. I raced those until about 1996 or 1997.

Q:        Where did you go from there?

Jerald:           I went straight into the Racesaver sprints. I don’t think I started with the Sprint Series of Virginia until either 1999 or 2000. But that was my first sprint car experience.

Q:        How do you like the Racesaver class?

Jerald:           I think it’s great! I really do. I think we’re lucky to have a class like that.

Q:        Do you like the Racesaver rules?

Jerald:           I do. I mean, French Grimes wrote them and I heard when I first started that he tested the rules by sending them to Winston Cup (NASCAR) guys; engine builder guys that he knew down there, telling them to try and cheat those rules. And, that’s what helped him to get them written. I don’t know that to be true, but that’s what I heard when I started with the Racesavers. French is a pretty sharp guy, and when it comes to motors, he’s probably one of the best in the country. So, it would be hard to cheat him.

Q:        Was last year your first time to come to the Nationals at Eagle?

Jerald:           I think this was my third time.

Q:        What do you think of Eagle Raceway?

Jerald:           I think it’s great; it’s a great track! I just wish it was closer to here. That’s the only problem. It’s about 22 hours away for us; it’s quite a drive.

Q:        You enjoyed your time at the Nationals then?

Jerald:           Yeah! It’s great. I mean, we’ve looked forward to the Nationals ever since we started coming out for it. We just look forward to it every year. My favorite part is just the racing; that much racing in a row. The pressure, hoping that you get into the A Feature on Sunday, or that you do good. It’s just a really good time. The people and everything else about it is just great.

Q:        The 3-day qualifying; do you think that’s a good deal?

Jerald:           I think it’s perfect, because if you have a bad night your first night it handicaps you a little bit on the passing points but I still think that’s a great way to do it. It gives you plenty of chances. It’s not a “I wrecked on Friday night so I’m done until Sunday” deal.

Q:        Did you enjoy getting the chance to race against teams from all over the country?

Jerald:           Yeah! That’s great. I mean, I really enjoyed it. We pitted beside Kevin Ramey and a young kid from Indiana who was between us and Adam Gullion. Everybody is just great. You talk, and laugh. We really had a good time.

Q:        Where did you finish on Sunday?

Jerald:           I don’t remember; it was that bad. I think I was in…I don’t remember if it was the C or D Feature, but I didn’t make it out of it.

Q:        You got to watch the 3-wide start though. What did you think of that?

Jerald:           It was good. The first year that I came I actually made the A. That was 3 years ago. I think I started around 18th in the 3-wide start. But it was no problem. I think it’s great. The track’s wide, and it’s just 1 more car beside you than a normal start.

Q:        Is there anything that we haven’t talked about that you want to pass along to the fans or race teams who haven’t come to the Nationals yet?

Jerald:           Whether they’re a driver or a fan, they need to go because that is probably some of the best racing that you will see. I’ve been to some Outlaw shows and stuff, and normally that’s just follow the leader. But, at the Racesaver Nationals every car on the track is racing somebody. Even if they get spread out, you have the ones in the back racing just as hard as the ones in the front who are going for the lead. It is really a great race. As far as the actual racing, I don’t think there’s anything in the country where they are racing any harder than the cars on the track at the Nationals are. I mean, they are going after it!

I am lucky enough to work at one of the best tracks 
anywhere.

It’s Sunday, and that means another visit with a driver who participated in the 2016 Racesaver IMCA Sprint Nationals. This week we speak with Tom Humphries; a   56-year old from Waynesboro, Virginia.

Q:        When did you first start racing?

Tom:  I started racing go-karts when I was 15 years old. Then I advanced into stock cars in 1985. I raced those for a number of years, running on asphalt. I actually went and ran some….back in the day it was called the Craftsman Truck Series for NASCAR. I did that a little bit off and on for one season. Then I kind of took a break and didn’t run anything. The Virginia Sprint Series had gotten started, and a buddy of mine let me drive his car in a heat race. So, I said to myself “I’ve got to have me one of these!!”. I’ve been hooked on sprint cars ever since. That was in 2000, so I started sprint cars in 2001.

Q:        So; you’ve been in the Racesavers since then?

Tom:  Yes. That’s what I’ve always run.

Q:        Was 2016 your first Sprint Nationals at Eagle Raceway?

Tom:  We came to the first one, and skipped the second one. We came back for the third year, and I made the A Main the third year. Then this past year I got to the B Main, but that’s as far as I got. I felt good about it though. I was the highest-ranking Virginia car out of all of the VSS guys out there.

Q:        So, you like the Racesaver class?

Tom:  Oh, yes; yes definitely! I think French did a tremendous job getting together the rules package, getting that straightened out like it is. As long as it’s enforced, it’s the way to go for anybody that’s on kind of a budget. We’re not like the guys with the 410’s and the stuff like that. They’re a World of Outlaws caliber of cars as far as money. But, the Racesavers are definitely the way to go.

Q:        Do you think that the Racesaver rules are not strict enough, too strict?

Tom:  As long as they’re enforced the way that French has got them, I’m happy with them. I don’t have a problem with any of them. Even with the tire rule; I know a lot of people fussed about that. As long as we’re all on the same tire, I don’t have a problem with it. It’s a whole lot cheaper than buying a new Hoosier all of the time like the other guys race. I think they’re a good deal.

Q:        Did you have a good time at the Nationals?

Tom:  We had a good time. I mean I struggled some with the chassis and stuff; and after the Nationals we ended up trading it back in to Eagle. And then recently I’ve been running a Schnee chassis for years and they’ve always done a good job for me. That car, I think had just gotten worn out and we’ve got a new car this year. We’re getting ready to run it this Saturday night for the first time.

Q:        Did you enjoy having the chance to run against teams from all over the country?

Tom:  Oh yes! I really enjoyed it, and made a lot of friends. A lot of the guys from Texas, as far away as from California. It’s just really neat. The camaraderie is just what’s really neat about it. Everybody looks out for each other and takes care of each other. I think that Roger has done a phenomenal job with the Nationals out there. I just think he does a really great job with the whole thing.

Q:        Do you like the track, then?

Tom:  Well, that hole in turn one is a little tricky, but yeah. I think I may be the only Racesaver that’s pulled a wheelie down the front straightaway. I clipped one of the infield tires with the left front and it lifted the front of the car up. It carried it all of the way down to turn one when it sat back down. That was quite a deal. I sure put on a good show for the fans.

Q:        Do you like the 3-day qualifying format?

Tom:  I like it. The year that we made the A we struggled and we made it because we worked our way up and kept working our way up to where we had a good shot at it, and then when we did get in it was a big relief. To tow that far for us, that’s a long drive for us.

Q:        You were in it one time. What do you think of the 3-wide start?

Tom:  I was on the inside, so it didn’t bother me. I don’t think I would want to be in the middle. I think that would be a little hairy for me.

Q:        Anything we haven’t talked about that you want to say to the racers or fans who haven’t made it to the Nationals yet?

Tom:  I think that the only thing that I would like to tell them is that if you think the 410’s or the World of Outlaws are the best thing out there, if you come to the Sprint Nationals, and you didn’t know it wasn’t a 410 World of Outlaws race…. the competition is just phenomenal and they put on one HECK of a show.

I am lucky enough to work at one of the best tracks 
anywhere.

By Greg Soukup

Due to technical difficulties, I was unable to post an interview last week. But, I am more than making up for it with this week’s offering. This interview was a real treat to do. I know you’ll enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed doing it!

Brian Lawson, 41 from Barbersville Virginia lets us in on his racing background and what he thought of last year’s Racesaver IMCA Sprint Nationals.

Q:        When did you first start out in racing?

Brian:            It was probably 15 years ago. I started out in the Racesaver series; that’s all I’ve ever driven. I was a late bloomer I guess.

Q:        What do you think of the Racesaver class?

Brian:            Seriously, if it wasn’t for Racesaver, I wouldn’t be racing period. There’s just no way! There’s no way to race a sprint car, just…..we’re working people. There’s no way you could afford a 360 or a 410, trying to do it on your own, unless you were filthy rich.

Q:        What do you think of the rules for Racesaver?

Brian:            You have to have the rules! We went to a place that had started, supposedly, a class running the Racesaver motor rules. But, there was no tech rules to it. And, it got so far out of hand that the group doesn’t even exist any more. It finally just ran everybody out. If you don’t have these rules, the next thing that you know you’ll have, not 410’s but 305 motors that are $30,000 or more. That’s just the way that it’s going to work.

Q:        Was last year your first visit to Eagle Raceway for the Racesaver IMCA Sprint Nationals?

Brian:            No. Actually it was my third time there.

Q:        But, did you have fun?

Brian:            Oh! I’m telling you!! Nobody believes that this deal works. Go to the Nationals. You’ve got 140 cars there (actually 117 last year). This deal works. And I’ve met more people out there that I would have never met. Like Chad Wilson, Claud Estes, the Hawkins people. I would have never met them, if it wouldn’t have been for the Nationals being out there. And they were good people; to the point that when you go again and see them, you know them and they know who you are. You can’t describe it; it’s like a bond. With the 360’s and 410’s, it’s all about ‘me’ at that point. It’s serious because you’ve got so much more money involved. You don’t have time for friendship. I know there’s a controversy in Carolina right now, but I tell them; “Ya’all gripe about this tire rule, and that rule; go to Nebraska! Just go!! You’ll get it. If you don’t get it, at this point, at this lower level, go to Nebraska. You will get it. You will understand how it works.

Q:        What do you think of Eagle Raceway itself?

Brian:            I’m going to tell you what; seriously’ it is THE toughest track to race on; it really is. Because here, we go…when I say dry-slick, I mean the dirt is hard as pavement. And, it’s like a sheet of ice. Then you get here; we have red dirt. You know what I mean? You go to Nebraska, and you get this black dirt; which we’ve never seen anything like it, unless you’ve been around the world. It is the toughest track. The only things we have like this is creek banks. There’s no track here, that we race on, that has that kind of banking. And then, there’s that hole. That hole in turn one; that’s a challenge that you have to deal with. But, it’s a fun track, just because you can just flat-out do what, you know, do what you want. To be where that track is located, and then race night; all of those people! I don’t know where they come from!! That place is just unreal. It is a good place. And I will say; I wish I could just tell people, about folks like Tyler Drueke. We pitted next to him last year. He helped me out BIG TIME. He’s half my age, and he’s telling me to “Do this, and do that”. I’m looking at him and thinking ‘Hmmmm. I’ve got more to lose. I’ve got grown kids. He’s just a kid! I’ve got kids older than him. The drivers don’t realize how lucky they are to be able to race there every week. We struggle here because Virginia is late model country. If you don’t have a late model, they don’t want to watch you. And back there, people come out to watch sprint cars. I mean, it’s almost like Pennsylvania. It’s a big deal, a sprint car is. I wish I had the time; in a fantasy world, to be able to drive there every weekend; to race there, and then come back home. Those guys are GOOD; I mean they really are. Even the women drivers there. Shayle; I mean….WHEW! Good grief. But, they just know that track so good. And then the guys that come out of Texas. You watch them and think to yourself ‘Do they race here every week?”. They’re just as good too.

Q:        Where did you finish at on Sunday last year?

Brian:            Oh, my goodness. In the alphabet soup. I’ve never made an A Feature in my 3 trips. I destroyed a car the second year that we were there. I’ll tell you what; this is how we got in with Claud Estes and Chad Wilson. When we destroyed that car on Friday, we went to EMI and bought a used frame, just to have something to put back together. Those guys; not knowing us from Adam, they were there all day long. In 6 hours, we had that car together and ready to race. But, anyway, I’ve never made a Feature; as much as I want to. But, you know, it’s just the luck of the draw. If you draw a bad number, it’s an uphill battle. But, that’s just part of it. Even if you don’t make the feature, you’ll get plenty of track time. I mean, you get a LOT of track time.

Q:        So, I take it you are a fan of the 3-day qualifying format?

Brian:            Oh my goodness! The only thing, if you could ever change anything, is to maybe do a time trial. But, the top runners would still be on top. It wouldn’t make a difference. Because, it just seems that their motors are set up just a little bit better for those tracks. Their tracks are like ‘Go fast, slow down for the corners’, and we don’t have the grip here and the banking like they have. But, that’s the only way it’s going to work. The way it is gives everybody a better shot at making it. You just have to have a little luck on your side to draw a good pill. But, that track (Eagle) is something. Even in those years with getting all of that rain, that track….I don’t know how it does it. If that happened here it would be ‘Might as well forget it and try again another day’. That thing will take all of that water. That dirt blows your mind the way that it works. (NOTE: The format for this year’s Racesaver IMCA Sprint Nationals has changed)

Q:        From the way you’ve been talking, I take it you really enjoy racing against teams from all over the country.

Brian:            I love it! I really do. I’m just hoping that my schedule works out this year to actually let me come back. Just to see those people once a year. Like Claud Estes; we stayed at the same hotel. As soon as I walked around the corner, it’s like seeing a relative that you haven’t seen in a year. That part; it’s not just about the racing. We love talking to people, meeting the new people and then once a year having that reunion. Just to sit back, read the track and then go have a beer. Aww…it’s a good time; it truly is. If people don’t believe that, they just need to come and see for themselves. There’s no better sprint show in the country; and I love the Outlaws. But, there’s no 410 show better than the Racesaver Nationals. You can’t tell one from the other at that point. It really is that good of a show. Like last year with Blake Robertson. This joker is like fourth, and all of a sudden on that last restart, here he is in second, and he’s running down Dover! I wanted 5 more laps just to see what happens when he gets there. I mean it was THAT good of a show. I mean, on that last restart he took OFF! And the thing is, where he came from, he could be an ass; if he wanted to be. But he’s not. Like when Ray Evernham started racing with us. Here’s a man who’s a Hall of Fame crew chief, at the highest level. He could have turned his nose up at us. He and I had a kind of a weekly relationship where he would just call and say ‘Hey, what are you doing? Stop by here’. I’d stop by his shop, we’d talk, and then I’d go on my way. Then, the next week I’d stop or whatever. This deal lets you relax. You don’t have that pressure of having to perform. If you have a bad night, you have a bad night. Load everything up in one piece and go home. We get to go out, and pretend we’re Steve Kinser or Sammy Swindell, without the pressure. We can strap in there, and act like we’re this, that and the other. At the end of the night, if everything goes right and we load it in one piece, you can go home, talk crap and have all of the benefits and it didn’t cost a fortune. And trust me, there isn’t a harder man than French Grimes. That man has talked to me like a dog! But I have learned; and I’m not old, but the older I get, if you’re going to be a boss figure and you really believe that this is the way that it is, you’re going to have to be like that. Otherwise it doesn’t work. You can’t be people’s friends, because you start letting this slide, or letting that slide. It doesn’t work. He stuck to his guns. That man and I have a love/hate relationship. And his being an ass has kept everything on a level playing field. But, it has to be!

Q:        Going back to the Sunday A Feature; what do you think of the 3-wide start?

Brian:            It’s very different. You know, after the first year when Roger said “We’re going to come back next year and do it better! It will be a 3-wide start!!”, I thought ‘That’s never going to work’. But, it does work and it adds just one more element and makes that race different from any other race in the country. I mean, 3-wide. And, everybody does good for the most part getting through the first lap or so; letting everything fall where it’s going to fall. I tell you, what a show. I mean the fireworks, the fire and last year with the glow sticks; Roger is something else. He really is dedicated. He has really made it work as far as the money, getting the people and everything else. All of the people; I don’t know where they come from! There ain’t nothing there but corn fields. Then you look up there and the place is just about full. And then you’ve got all of those people in the pits!! I hope that the racers there know how lucky they are to have that place. It’s a premier place. It’s not a dump. I’ve been to some dumps, but that’s surely not one of them. It is a premier dirt track. It’s just A1! Everybody there, the food, the little Tiki Bar in the pits at the end of the night, and free beer! It ain’t all about the racing there. That was my week’s vacation for the most part, to go there. And I looked forward to it; I still look forward to it! I’m just hoping that my schedule this year works out, so I can make it.

Q:        Well, is there anything that we haven’t covered that you would like to let the fans and teams who haven’t made it to the Nationals yet know?

Brian:            If you have not made that trip yet, and you don’t believe that this really works, go to Eagle Nebraska. Your answers will be there when you see it. You won’t even have to think about it; you just have to look. This deal, the Racesaver IMCA Sprint Nationals works.

I am lucky enough to work at one of the best tracks 
anywhere.