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As esteemed MDTR Speedway flagman (and webmaster) Stan Meissner waved the green flag on Friday evening January 28 to get the 13th Annual GRP Racing Trivia Contest underway, a number of top contestants had just signed through the pit gate. With some sporting new equipment and trailers, the crowd at MDTR was anixous to get underway. The national anthems were completed, and the mythical track was open and ready for hotlaps! A total of nine entries were received on opening weekend with some very stout scores already posted by a number of the perennial front-runners, especially in the Late Model Division. We'll review the action in the order in which the entries arrived.

First through the gate and first on the track was long-time MDTR competitor from Superior, Wisconsin none other than Kevin Mudrak. Kevin had his brand new Mud Master 1 Late Model ready for some action on the high-banked 3/8 mile oval. The Superior driver quickly turned some impressive laps and ended up with a strong 37 point effort to kick off the 13th annual version of this popular wintertime contest. Kevin was atop the leadboard early with a good score just about one hour into the contest. Many veteran MDTR on-lookers remarked how impressive that was with so little time to dial in the setup.

The old saying "When the cat's away the mice will play" certainly was the case on Saturday January 29. With MDTR promoter GRP away from the contest at the UMSS banquet, a super strong field of contestants lined up to make their assault on the 2012 title. First out was a rookie in the contest, but certainly no rookie to late model fans around the region. Making his first-ever start at MDTR, in "The FANS Fund Special" from Farmington, MN was "The Farmington Flash" Rich Olson. Rich's efforts with the FANS Fund have been sensational to say the least, and he quickly drew a mob of people around his big Walk Down Memory Lane dirt late model hauler. Without any setup advice or help whatsoever, Rich toured the tricky track and bounced through a couple of ruts on his way to a solid 32 point performance. MDTR announcer HoosiersUp quickly picked up on one of Rich's great quotes..."Crates are for packing, not for racing late models!" That one is a gem fans, as Rich is a pure super dirt late model fan.

Another rookie in the Late Model division came east to try his hand at the MDTR Speedway this season. Having watched from the sidelines during the past several years, Ryan DeVos from Canby, MN towed to MDTR in search of fame and fortune. Okay, maybe the fame part is kind of true. Flyin' Ryan quickly took a liking to the tacky track, as he planted his right foot and "Let 'er Eat" on the high banks. With a new MB Custom car, the "Canby racer put up a fine 27 point effort.

As the fans quickly rushed back to their seats from the concession stand, the sound of a champion was heard over the microphone. Yes fans, Chris Stepan was in the house! Chris has won numerous contest titles throughout the years, so MDTR fans know he will always be a top contender for the first place prize money. Chris opened the door on his Double One trailer and unloaded a brand new FYE (that would be Finish Your Entry) late model. Chris doesn't need any hotlaps at MDTR. Right out of the box the St. Cloud veteran was FAST. It wasn't until lap 35 while attempting to lap a crate late model that Chris made a slight bobble. As Stan M waved the checkers, Chris Stepan put up a 39 point score. Indeed, it will take perfection to beat him but he did leave the door open for a last lap pass on the cushion.

No sooner had Stepan pulled off the track and on came last year's champion Chris Hecht from Concord, NC. Chris had his Red Dust Racing #27 Rocket looking as sharp as ever. If there was a candidate to top Stepan, this would certainly be one of them. Last year Mr. Perfection nailed all 40 points. Would the result be the same this year? No, that pesky crate late model got in his way and held him up just long enough to cost him any chance at a win. The "Carolina Hurricane" rode home with a strong 37 point tally, but he could only muster up third in the current standings with Kevin Mudrak having the earliest entry tie-breaker.

The red dust had hardly settled when another powerhouse contender pulled trackside for his 2012 attempt in his Team Zero late model. Another veteran combatant in contest action, the beautiful new Tow Master trailer brought the ride of Mark "Tireguy" Schreiner from Hutchinson, MN over to MDTR once again for another constest. This former champion certainly had the potential to unseat Stepan up front, but he would of course have to be flawless. Could the big Ford produce the power needed? Oh wait, there was that darn topless crate late model out on the track again! Yep, you guessed it. He got in Tireguy's way too. The Team Zero entry also notched a 37 point score to run close behind the lead trio.

Following Mark's run, Stan M checked to see who in the heck was driving that slow crate car out there. Oh no, it was Lucky Lenny. Lenny had managed to upgrade his bomber to a crate late model. Now he was fast enough just to be dangerous enough. Kevin Mudrak had watched the proceedings intently from the pit bleachers and simply looked at some officials and said, "It's not that hard to get it right, you just have to guess well on when to pass him." Just what the rest of the competitors wanted to hear, not!

Finally the first sprint car entry arrived. Veteran sprint car owner and now world famous push vehicle operator Chuck Priefer from Lake Elmo, MN had his new diesel sprint car ready for action at MDTR. Chuck, an occasional water truck driver at the track and accomplished go-kart racer, was set to tear it up out there. The #80 diesel sprinter with the soon-to-be 1st Annual UMSS Bowling Champ Mark Meissner providing some setup advice quickly flew around the track. Chuck ran into some difficulties in the second half of his run, but he improved (on a percentage basis) over his previous MDTR score way back in the 5th annual contest. Chuck's final tally was 24 points and he was leading! I know, he was the only one to post a score so far in the sprints but who cares, Chuck was still leading at the end of the day on Saturday!

Having tamed the high banks in his earlier late model run, Tireguy returned with his LG2 modified entry for an attempt at that coveted title. The popular contestant from Hutch certainly knows his way around modifieds. With a bit of a tough start on the questions, Tireguy really found his groove on the photos. A perfect final 27 laps put Mark under Stan's checkers with a very decent 36 point score. Will it be enough to hold off some of the inevitable assaults from other Top Guns in the division? Time will tell.

Another sprint entry arrived "under the lights" at MDTR to challenge Chuck for the top spot. On Sunday evening a former Sprint Car Division Rookie of the Year brought his HRA non-winged sprinter from Worthington to compete against those winged warriors. Kourtney Pederson is having a blast driving his HRA sprinter, and he was ready and poised for a shot at a strong finish at MDTR as well. Showing those with wings how real sprint cars get around a dirt track, Kourtney drove a very good race on what certainly can be a tricky surface at the fabled MDTR track. Kourtney slid under the checkers with a 30 point score, as he drove past Chuck P and into the lead to finish out the weekend action.

As the fans were filing out, the tech shed at MDTR was very busy. A technical question arose regarding the UMP Summernationals as to exactly what year it officially started. Even Todd Turner from Dirt on Dirt was called upon to render his opinion. Todd responded with a very nice summary and history lesson that quite frankly could go either way. Depending on which philosophy you believe in, the UMP Summernationals either started back in 1986 when a champion was crowned but the tour was run under a different name or back in 1988 when the actual Summernationals name came into existence. As GRP returned to the speedway on Sunday, he was summoned to the tech shed to render a decsion. The crafty old promoter he is, GRP quickly eased everybody's concerns by stating that either one or two answers will be allowed based on 1986 or 1988 as the official start of the Summernationals. The rest is up to the contestants to do the math.

Reports from Keith and Sally in the concession stand indicate the nachos, tacos, burgers, and elk steaks are going over well. The new quail nachos and tacos haven't taken on as well as hoped for, but we do want to thank Ray Beste for bringing down a bevy quail. That is certainly a food item you will not see at any other race tracks! Well, it's time to get ready for the real world and work now, so further reports will be forthcoming as we work out way through the week and towards the conclusion of the 13th annual trivia contest. As the lights were being shut out, I could see the big shiney hauler of Todd Hoffman from Sioux Falls, SD at the sign-in shack. Looks like the Hoffman family entry will be out on the track early on Monday!

Current Standings As of January 29, 2012:
Late Model Division:
1. Chris Stepan, St Cloud MN = 39 pts
2. Kevin Mudrak, Superior WI = 37 pts
3. Chris Hecht, Concord NC = 37 pts
4. Mark Schreiner, Hutchinson MN = 37 pts
5. Rich Olson, Farmington MN = 32 pts RoY
6. Ryan DeVos, Canby MN = 27 pts RoY

Sprint Car Division:
1. Kourtney Pederson, Worthington MN = 30 pts
2. Chuck Priefer, Lake Elmo MN = 24 pts

Modified Division:
1. Mark Schreiner, Hutchinson MN = 36 pts
Note: RoY denotes Rookie of the Year contender.

The first entry on the track at MDTR on Monday was one of the strong South Dakota runners and long-time contestant. Todd Hoffman brought the big rig in from Dell Rapids, SD for his annual appearance at MDTR. Some years Todd has strapped himself behind the wheel while others he was chief mechanic for his daughter Kayla's entry. This year, Todd was in the cockpit, strapped in, and ready to rumble. As Todd tooled through the early laps, fans could see his new Schnee half downtube sprinter was really hooked up. Just a couple of brushes with the wall in the first half had him looking good at the crossed flags. Soon Todd was ready to overtake Kourtney Pederson for the lead. Racing home with a 36 point score, Todd Hoffman was now sitting in the #1 spot in the currrent standings.

Later in the day, Mark "Tireguy" Schreiner returned to MDTR with his Chapter 13 sprint car entry. Mark would be the first contestant to complete his usual run in all three divisions. Mark readily admits he is not a "wingnut" like many others who enter in the sprint division, but he works hard, does his homework, and is typically able to turn in a real decent effort. This year was no exception. Tireguy put forth a solid 40 laps of racing on the high-banked 3/8 mile oval to post a very good 32 point score. That moved him past HRA sprint car racer Kourtney Pederson and into second place in the standings behind Todd Hoffman.

Kevin Mudrak was also back at MDTR for his second contest appearance of 2012, as Kevin unloaded his Superior Performance modified from his Len' Auto Body trailer. After some setup advice, Kevin muddied up the car with several hammer-down laps on the tacky surface. As the tricky turns of MDTR began to fight back, Kevin lost some ground. Kevin would now find himself running in second in two divisions with a 33 point score with the mod. I'm sure there will be several more strong competitors for Kevin to try and fend off.

Mike "Pencil" Priefer made an appearance near the end of the evening. Following some technical difficulty, Mike will pull out his own unsponored sprinter for a run at the leaders on Tuesday. The late model field was quiet on Monday after plenty of action over this past weekend.

There certainly have been some technical clarifications in this year's edition of the annual contest. Some questions in certain divisions need to be read carefully, paying attention to the wording. Some photos are just plain nasty and intended to stump the vast majority of contestants. Sometimes a surprise comes out of an entry, and Todd Hoffman certainly did that today when he correctly identified one of those so-called nasty photos that GRP put into the contest. Will other contestants successfully navigate the tricky track surface at MDTR and find their way up front or will they crash and burn? With four more full days of action to go, anything is possible and we've learned from past experience, it ain't over until Stan M waves the final checkers.

Current Standings As of January 30, 2012:
Late Model Division:
1. Chris Stepan, St Cloud MN = 39 pts
2. Kevin Mudrak, Superior WI = 37 pts
3. Chris Hecht, Concord NC = 37 pts
4. Mark Schreiner, Hutchinson MN = 37 pts
5. Rich Olson, Farmington MN = 32 pts RoY
6. Ryan DeVos, Canby MN = 27 pts RoY

Sprint Car Division:
1. Todd Hoffman, Dell Rapids SD = 36 pts
2. Mark Schreiner, Hutchinson MN = 32 pts
3. Kourtney Pederson, Worthington MN = 30 pts
4. Chuck Priefer, Lake Elmo MN = 24 pts

Modified Division:
1. Mark Schreiner, Hutchinson MN = 36 pts
2. Kevin Mudrak, Superior WI = 33 pts

Note: RoY denotes Rookie of the Year contender.

Two entries submitted on Tuesday. Both were in the popular sprint car division. Let's see how they did.

Mike "Pencil" Priefer made his annual appearance at MDTR, as Mike has participated in the sprint car class for many years. Mike unloaded his unsponsored sprinter from his open trailer in hopes of earning enough contest points to top his uncle Chuck P. Although Mike does not have any water truck driving experience, he makes up for it with numerous laps around the high-banked oval in his winged sprinter. Mike was off to a good start when he brushed the wall on lap 9, then bicycled a couple of times in the ruts over in turn two. Turn two is where Colin usually takes up residency during the contest. Having to man-handle his sprint entry over the last half of his run, Mike was just able to top his uncle with a 25 point score. Mission accomplished.

With her dad Todd Hoffman running his own operation this year, the other and more popular (just kidding Todd) member of the Hoffman racing family made her appearance at the MDTR Speedway on Tuesday. Kayla Hoffman from Watertown, SD was gunning for the lead, and she had her fine-tuned Wolfweld chassis really hooked up. A near perfect first half put her in contention with the leader. A couple of tricky corners over the last half of her run eventually would cause Kayla to slow up just enough. I think her dad might have had Track Rat Vinster snap a photo just as she was entering the treacherous part of turn two. When she crossed underneath Stan M waving the checkered flag, the former contest rookie of the year had turned in a very strong 36 point score. Did she miss the same four questions and photos as her father? Nope, Kayla got some right that Todd missed and vice versa. Although tied in points, Todd Hoffman holds the earliest entry tie-breaker and retained his position atop the current standings.

After correcting an oiling issue with his crate late model, Lucky Lenny returned to MDTR to test out some new Duralon tires. They are a bit narrower than your usual racing tires, but Lenny got them for free a a flea market, so he figured he would give them a try. Probably not a good idea, as Lucky Lenny will need to make some repairs to his crate late model before he's able to get back out on the track. Stan M was relieved to here about that though. Last seen near Rich Olson's hauler, Lenny was looking for another FANS Fund shirt after his original got a bit dirty earlier in the week. Lenny had some bent sheet metal to trade for the shirt. What some people won't do for a handout.

Moving past the halfway mark at midday on Tuesday, Stan M threw the crossed flags to signal the midpoint of the 13th Annaul GRP Racing Trivia Contest at the mythical MDTR Speedway. Time to see if anybody can unseat the current leaders in each division on Wednesday or will some of the powerhouse competitors wait until later in the week to fine tune their entries and make a bid for the top spot? Stay tuned.

Current Standings As of January 31, 2012:
Sprint Car Division:
1. Todd Hoffman, Dell Rapids SD = 36 pts
2. Kayla Hoffman, Watertown SD = 36 pts
3. Mark Schreiner, Hutchinson MN = 32 pts
4. Kourtney Pederson, Worthington MN = 30 pts
5. Mike Priefer, Inver Grove Heights MN = 25 pts
6. Chuck Priefer, Lake Elmo MN = 24 pts

Late Model Division:
1. Chris Stepan, St Cloud MN = 39 pts
2. Kevin Mudrak, Superior WI = 37 pts
3. Chris Hecht, Concord NC = 37 pts
4. Mark Schreiner, Hutchinson MN = 37 pts
5. Rich Olson, Farmington MN = 32 pts RoY
6. Ryan DeVos, Canby MN = 27 pts RoY

Modified Division:
1. Mark Schreiner, Hutchinson MN = 36 pts
2. Kevin Mudrak, Superior WI = 33 pts
Note: RoY denotes Rookie of the Year contender.

Four entries were scored on Wednesday, as fans at the MDTR Speedway saw an incredible run to the top in the late model division while a rookie contestant in the mods got his first look at the high-banked dirt oval. Veteran sprint car driver, car owner, mechanic, and race promoter (and all-around nice guy) Brian Madsen made the trek over from Rice Lake in an effort to, as he put it, "give Chuck P a scare" in the sprint car division. Kevin Mudrak completed his Tri-Fecta run with his sprint entry during the running of the 13th Annual GRP Racing Trivia Contest.

Making his first-ever appearance at MDTR, Kristopher Peterson from Bradford, MN brought his "Rat Rod" mod in memory of Ryan M to the contest for his first laps. Kris was able to hang in there during the early laps, as he got a feel for how his mod entry would handle. Picking up momentum at Stan's crossed flags, the "Bradford Bullet" thrilled the crowd with some amazing driving. Even Dave Mass, who was spectating in the pit bleachers, shook his head in disbelief during some exciting moments on the track. As Kristopher completed his run with a 23 point score, he became the first rookie contestant to give the modified division a whirl in 2012. Thanks for the memories.

Relocated from Blooming Prairie to Rice Lake, Brian Madsen brought his #85 Trostle sprinter to MDTR for his first attempt at the contest. With his goal firmly established, beat Chuck Priefer, Brian unloaded a sparkling throw-back paint scheme on his sprinter to the Bob Trostle era when Doug Wolfgang drove for Trostle. Searching for answers from memory and his own chicken-scratchings, Brian got the #85 car tuned and ready to rumble. Off to a quick start, Brian looked like a shoe-in to top Chuck. As a plug wire came loose, the #85 popped a bit but kept moving along well. A couple of close calls with that troublesome turn two wall suddenly had Brian working hard to catch Chuck. A few solid laps near the end of his race saw Brian move past Chuck, and just slip by Chuck's nephew Mike Priefer at Stan M's checkers. Brian exited his car and gave a thumbs up. Yes indeed, not only had he given Chuck a bit of a scare, but he passed him for position in the standings to boot. Good day all around, as Brian recorded a 26 point score in his first attempt. Hey, Brian leads all rookies! Alright, there is only one so far.

Up next was a contest veteran who finally had some time this year to make a real serious attempt at the top spot. Arriving last Friday at MDTR with some quail for the concession stand, Ray Beste from Sauk Centre had his new Featherlite trailer loaded for an all-out assault on the titles in each division. On Wednesday, Ray brought his #00 late model entry trackside for his official attempt to slip by the leader Chris Stepan. Stepan had left a narrow one point margin, and Ray knew he had to be perfect. Through the first half of his run, Ray wheeled his Hillig chassis late model to near-perfection. Would one bobble on lap 19 cost Ray a shot at the lead? Ray was perfect after that, as he turned in a stellar 39 point performance! That point total was the same as Chris Stepan, and yes fans, Stepan has the tie-breaker for earliest entry. Wow, talk about a super serious threat for the lead. Ray Beste tied Stepan, but in an MDTR photo-finish, Chris will retain first place. The fans were really buzzing after Ray completed his run, waiting to see what the final outcome was. And by the way, each contestant missed a different photo.

The final score to be posted on Wednesday came from one of the longtime competitors at MDTR. Kevin Mudrak from Superior wheeled his Superior Performance Maxim #1 sprinter on to the track. Kevin typically turns in some very good efforts in the sprints, as he guns for the coveted Triple Play Award. This year was no exception. The Mudder got down to business early on and looked like he was well on his way to the top of the Triple Play standings. Those pesky sprint car photos turned out to be his undoing though. Kevin put up a very good 31 (hey, that was John Stevenson's number in the sprints) point score to run fourth in the current standings. Coming up five points short of overtaking Mark Schreiner for the top spot in the Triple Play standings, Kevin still had another great performance this week at MDTR.

Adam Lee was a late arrival at the track and will make his attempt with his late model entry on Thursday.

Stan M will be ready to give the two to go signal on Thursday, as we begin to wind down another week of contest action at MDTR. There are still some heavy hitters to be heard from. Keep in mind in the sprint car division, multi-champion Ron Haugstad has retired from the sprints. Can Todd Hoffman hang on to the top spot? Will the world famous Modchaser be heard from in the modifieds? We'll see how the second to last day turns out about 24 hours from now.

Current Standings As of February 1, 2012:
Sprint Car Division:
1. Todd Hoffman, Dell Rapids SD = 36 pts
2. Kayla Hoffman, Watertown SD = 36 pts
3. Mark Schreiner, Hutchinson MN = 32 pts
4. Kevin Mudrak, Superior WI = 31 pts
5. Kourtney Pederson, Worthington MN = 30 pts
6. Brian Madsen, Rice Lake WI = 26 pts RoY
7. Mike Priefer, Inver Grove Heights MN = 25 pts
8. Chuck Priefer, Lake Elmo MN = 24 pts

Late Model Division:
1. Chris Stepan, St Cloud MN = 39 pts
2. Ray Beste, Sauk Centre MN = 39 pts
3. Kevin Mudrak, Superior WI = 37 pts
4. Chris Hecht, Concord NC = 37 pts
5. Mark Schreiner, Hutchinson MN = 37 pts
6. Rich Olson, Farmington MN = 32 pts RoY
7. Ryan DeVos, Canby MN = 27 pts RoY

Modified Division:
1. Mark Schreiner, Hutchinson MN = 36 pts
2. Kevin Mudrak, Superior WI = 33 pts
3. Kristopher Peterson, Bradford MN = 23 pts RoY

Triple Play Award:
1. Mark Schreiner, Hutchinson MN = 105 pts
2. Kevin Mudrak, Superior WI = 101 pts

Note: RoY denotes contest Rookie of the Year contender.