February 2015

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Talkin' Racin'Talkin' Racin'

Canterbury SnoCross HighlightsCanterbury SnoCross Highlights

The Final LapThe Final Lap

Page 2February, 2015

Page 3 February, 2015

Dan Plan

February, 2015

P.O. Box 22111St. Paul MN, 55122

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PublisherDan Plan

Contributing WritersShane CarlsonDale P. DanielskiEric HuenefeldKris PetersonJacklyn Daniels-NuttlemanJason SearcyDean RellerCharlie Spry

PhotographersJimmy Ambruoso (815-623-3200)Rick Blewett (507-398-9483)Martin DeFries (651-346-1199)Doug Hornickel (920-563-0993)Tom Johnson (612-309-7142)Mark Melchiori (414-463-0131)Stan Meissner (651-428-4717)Jacy Norgaard (612-432-9113)Bruce Nuttleman(612-860-6622)Jerry Zimmer (715-792-2174)

The Midwest Racing Connection is published six timesduring the summer racing season by The Plan Company,Inc. All material is copyrighted 2014 and may not bereprinted without permission. Subscriptions are $20 forten issues.Call 651-451-4036.

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Racing Accordingto Plan

Publisher's Note

continued on page 5

The Future isLooking Good

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It’s often difficult to come up with an idea for acolumn during this time of year. With the recent newsregarding Rico Abreu getting a shot at stock carracing, and Jeff Gordon “retiring”, I suddenly had anidea for this column.

I’ve had this conversation several times before, but thefuture of our sport is looking good. Sure, some trackshave closed, some people will bitch about rule changesand some people will piss and moan about everything.Those types of things are always going happen. Far beit for me to always be a constant ray of sunshine, but alot of good things are happening; from the local shorttracks to the top level of NASCAR.

Despite 2015 being the last full season for WonderBoy (Jeff Gordon), look at the crop of kids coming upthrough the ranks these days. We’ve already got KyleLarsen running in Cup, Chase Elliot as the Xfinity(aka; Nationwide, aka; Busch) Series champion, and along list of others like Ryan Blaney, Bubba Wallaceand John Hunter Nemecheck on their way to the bigleagues.

Getty Images photo

Page 4February, 2015

RaceFabDaniel Navrestad

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Racing According to Plan from page 3

availableMarch 2015

Make sure to check out ournext issue for 2015

Speedweeks Highlights

Rico Abreu in Sprint Car action. Rico is getting his shot at the big leagues in 2015(Jerry Zimmer photo)

Madison International Speedway's future has been secured by Gregg McKarns(Dan Plan photo)

The good news is, guys like Larsen have earned theirrides on their ability behind the wheel and not theirability to bring a checkbook with. Just imagine howthings will look when these guys are battling for a Cupchampionship ten years from now. Jimmie Johnsonwill be the 40-year-old veteran with nearly 25 years ofCup experience taking on these drivers. That doesn’tsound like a bad thing to me.

On the short track scene, things are looking up as well.It was recently announced that Madison InternationalSpeedway will remain open under the leadership ofGregg McKarns. Madison has a storied history in theMidwest, and after a few years of an unknown future,things look to be stable now. There are also someshakeups taking place in the local dirt world regardingweekly sanctioning. As long as the lawyers don’t getinvolved, this too is a good thing. Competition alwaysmakes for a better product. Along with these twoitems, a new 410 Sprint Car organization (TheNational Sprint League or NSL) was recently formedin the area and will partner with the already wellestablished IRA for a couple of shows in the area.

As mentioned previously, there are a few bumps in theroad, but there always have been. The previous twoparagraphs mention just a few topics, but these goodtopics far outweigh the bad topics.

Miscellaneous News & Notes:I can remember reading snowmobile magazines yearsago, and seeing the names of Trickle and Prziborowskiwinning on the frozen ovals in the winter. It seemednatural, as the different schedules don’t conflict andboth sports had the drivers going in circles. Flashforward to recent times and the Goede family hasdone quite well with their vintage snowmobile racingprogram, in additional to their short track endeavorsduring the summer months. Make sure to check outJason Searcy’s column on Jacob Goede on page 13 ofthis issue. In addition to the Goede’s, ARCA MidwestTour regular, Cardell Potter, took home the prestigiousWorld Snowmobile Championship at Eagle River. Nota bad winter so far for short track drivers in theMidwest.

Page 6February, 2015

The Inside DirtDean & JasonTalkin' Racin'

Jason Searcy

Jacob Goede from Carver (MN) has been named the2014 Minnesota Asphalt Driver of the Year by SpeedTalk on 1360 Radio.

Goede returned to his Minnesota racing roots in 2014after spending much of the last decade racing inregional Late Model touring series. Goede won thehighly contested Elko Speedway Super Late Modeldivision, scoring seven wins along the way includingthe prestigious Dwain Behrens memorial race.

For the first time in his career, this homecoming madeit possible to race side by side the entire season withhis brother Matt. The younger Goede also had asuccessful year, winning two times and finishing fourthin points at Elko Speedway. Jacob and his wife Ericahad a new addition to their family with another babygirl born just after the race season concluded.

Jacob Goede was also crowned the NASCARMinnesota state Champion, he took part in the

ceremony at theNASCAR Hall of Famelocated in CharlotteNorth Carolina. “It wasfun,” said Goede“NASCAR does a greatjob, they treat you likeroyalty and it reallymakes you feel like youaccomplishedsomething.”

Jacob plans ondefending his Super LateModel point title at ElkoSpeedway in 2015. “Wewant to focus on Elkoagain this year,” saidGoede “plus I would liketo race theThunderstruck 93 and the Oktoberfest race at the endof the year.”

2015 has started out the right way for both the Goedebrothers, they have been busy winning snowmobileraces. Jacob and Matt raced in seven differentdivisions of vintage snowmobiles at the recent EagleRiver (WI) classic vintage weekend. The duo tookhome five titles including the Vintage WorldChampionship where speedsreached 90 mph on a banked3/8 mile oval track.

For Jacob it’s about time toput the sleds back in storageand start concentrating onthe Super Late Model, ittook him nearly a decade towin his first Championship.He is determined not to waitthat long for the second one.

Here are the previous SpeedTalk on 1360 MN AsphaltDriver of the Year awardwinners:2004 Dan Fredrickson2009 Adam Royle2010 Brent Kane2011 Chad Walen2012 Jonathan Eilen2013 Ricky Martin2014 Jacob Goede

Goede Named Speed Talk on 1360Driver of the Year

Speed Talk on 1360 is a weekly Saturday morningradio show April through September with Jason Searcyand Dean Reller covering Motorsports in Minnesota onKRWC 1360 AM radio. Get more information atwww.SpeedTalkon1360.com

The Goede brothers racing side-by side in Super Late Model action at Elko Speedway (top photo)and on vintage sleds in Dorchester, WI (bottom photo)

Jacob, family, & friends on championshipnight at Elko

Martin DeFries photo

Martin DeFries photo

Tom Loos photo

Tom Loos photo

Page 7 February, 2015

Going inCircles

Charlie SpryDirt vs. Asphalt. The debate has gone on forever, so itseems. Many diehard asphalt racing fans want nothingto do with dirt racing, and in a similar vein, many whoprefer dirt racing want nothing to do with “tar” racing.

As the debate rages on which is best, why not giveeach their own credit. I appreciate a good, hard foughtbattle on either surface, and it doesn’t take long torealize the differences and peculiarities to either type,but why can’t both co-exist in harmony?

There are some people, myself included, that loveeither type of racing. I especially have an increasedrespect for those who race on the dirt, as I attemptedsome dirt racing in a four cylinder, FWD racer thispast year, the first time ever. I had an absolute blast!It is much different than racing on pavement. You will

notice I said different, not better. I love doing both, andlove attending races on both. Why won’t some fans/drivers open up to the other form? Do we really needto belittle one another? Aren’t we all racers? The goalis the same. I get a hard time about my dirt racingexploits from some friends/co-workers who think Ihave become a “turncoat.” They love asphalt racingand don’t “get” the allure. I have even offered to let acouple take my car out on the dirt for practice to get afeel for it. Nobody has taken me up on the offer. Iwas a little apprehensive at first as well, but nothingventured, nothing gained!

Enough debating. I recently took in the MidwestRacer’s auction and trade show, which was inDelevan, WI. this year. Always fun to catch up onwhat everyone is doing, plans for the new season, etc.

Ran into central Wisconsin racer Scott Ciesielski.Scott said that he is in the process of building a FordPure Stock to run at Golden Sands and possiblyWausau and Dells. He said that building a Ford istougher than GM, due to lack of parts availability.Scott still has his mod-four car and may race that on alimited basis as well, but wants to get more laps in aV8/Rear drive car as he hopes to move up the racingladder and feels that is the best route to take.

Probably the most exciting news in Midwest shorttrack racing is the purchase of the MadisonInternational Speedway by Gregg Mckarns. I don’tthink there could be a better person and a better fit forthis track. Gregg will go about building a strong weeklyshow on Friday nights, and you can be sure there willbe more new and exciting things being introduced as

time goes by. Gregg also purchased the ARCAMidwest Tour in recent months, so he will be one verybusy guy.

Got the mid-winter racing blues? Need to see somecars racing in circles? Try one of the many ice racingvenues to solve the problem. Many groups run races,and it can help cure the mid-winter blues. LakeDuBay near Mosinee, WI. runs races every Sundaystarting at noon as the ice permits. Call-Of-The-WildCampground near Montello has racing on Sundays atnoon as well, and Lake Sinissippi near Hustisford runsraces starting at 11:00 A.M. on Sundays.

Putch Bentley said his plans are not set yet, but he isconsidering running some of the Big 8 races, hopefullywith a new car. Putch came down to run with us atthe Columbus 151 Speedway about once per year allthe way from Iron River, Michigan. He is not afraid totravel, even to attend races. He has raced both dirtand asphalt, and is my kind of racer!Having been around the racing scene for nearly fiftyyears, I’ve seen a lot of things change. There aremany things that I have enjoyed in the past that arechanged or gone altogether now. I miss the old USACstock car circuit, and the racing during the Thursday ofthe Wisconsin state fair. I probably lost some hearingability sitting under the covered grandstand with thoseloud cars roaring. People didn’t really think about thatkind of thing then, but when I look back, it was hard tohear for awhile after leaving the races. Watchingthose Bolens lawn tractors towing the cars to the frontstretch starting grid was another fond memory.

I miss the old Lake Geneva Raceway. The uniqueway you entered the stands at ground level and lookeddown at the track. The familiar people who you saw inthe same seats week after week. This track was alsothe setting for the best racing movie ever (in myhumble opinion), which was a documentary of theentry level four cylinder BIC class there, and whichwas named “Four Bangers.”

This month marks my twenty-fifth year of writing forvarious racing publications, starting with the oldCheckered Flag Racing News in 1990. Never in myfoggiest notions would I have thought that I would bepartaking of this madness for so long. I’ve met somany truly great individuals throughout the wholeprocess. This is what racing is all about....Good peopleand good competition.

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Another great crowd was on hand for the 2015 version of The Midwest Racers Expo(photo courtesy of Midwest Racers Expo)

Page 8February, 2015

NASCAR Insight

Shane Carlson

2015 Daytona 500 Preview

For legions of Dale Earnhardt Jr. fans, 2014 was aspecial year, and it all started off by winningNASCAR’s biggest race, the Daytona 500. Things aredifferent in ’15 atop the No. 88 pit box, as Greg Ivestakes over crew chief duties from Steve Letarte. Iveswon the Nationwide (now Xfinity) Series title last yearcalling the shots for rookie Chase Elliott. Letarte isnow an analyst for NBC Sports. The 2015 Daytona500 will be exciting as always, with new drivers, newteams, and new paint schemes. Everyone has a shot towin and write his or her name in the history books, butthere can only be one driver that claims the title of‘Daytona 500 Champion’.

What it takes to win:1. Be within earshot of the lead with 10 laps to go.Observing races at Daytona the past few years, itseems to be getting harder to the front in a hurry. Lastyear, we saw Jr. hold the lead on a late restart and getthe win driving out of his rearview mirror.

2. Have a dancing partner. It goes without saying thatat a restrictor plate track, drafting plays a major role in

determining the winner. It helps to have someone towork with throughout the race, but all bets are off withfive to go.

3. Don’t get caught up in someone else’s mess. Tocome in first, you must first finish. There will be a bigwreck, which will prematurely end a lot of drivers’days. Any driver hoping to win has to avoid gettingwrecked.

The Favorites:1. Dale Earnhardt Jr.: He’s an Earnhardt. He knowshow to get it done.

2. Jeff Gordon: This is his last shot at a 500. Thinkhe’s a little motivated?

3. Matt Kenseth: Could he earn Toyota’s first win inthe 500? He’s a two-time winner.

Who’s Done it Before:1. Jamie McMurray: CGR improved a ton in ’14, andhe has a knack for plate racing.

2. Trevor Bayne: Won in ’11, but now joins RFR inthe famed No. 6 Ford.

3. Kevin Harvick: Was in contention every week lastyear it seemed. Why would the 500 be any different?

Potential First-Timers:1. Tony Stewart: Desperately wants to hoist theHarley J. Earle trophy. He’s won everything atDaytona except the 500 over his 16-year career. He’sready for 2015.

2. Brad Keselowski: One of the best drivers in recentyears, the fiery Brad K would love nothing more tostart ’15 off with a statement.

3. Joey Logano: The driver of the No. 22 Ford wassolid last season, and has the makings of a greatcareer ahead of him.

Dark Horses:1. Danica Patrick: She has proven she can run upfront at Daytona. Don’t be surprised to see her upfront.

2. Kyle Larson: This dude’s a wheelman. Some saythe second coming of Jeff Gordon.

3. Austin Dillon: Last year’s polesitter, he showedspeed in a place where the No. 3 is linked like noother.

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Page 9 February, 2015

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Jeff Gordon. Four-time champion. 92-time race-winner. Three-time Daytona 500 champion. Five-timeBrickyard champion. The list of accolades goes on, butfor me, it was, and never has, nor ever will be aboutthe numbers.

It’s about the memories, the relationships. I’m just 21years old, and I’ve never known a NASCAR withoutJeff Gordon. I never saw Richard Petty race. (ThoughPetty’s last race was Gordon’s first. Atlanta, 1992, forthose of you keeping score at home. Man, if only theyknew.) I liked Gordon’s Rainbow Warrior paintscheme better than Earnhardt’s so, Gordon becamemy guy. I was raised on the driver of the No. 24Chevrolet.

My fondest memories of my dad and I were forgedaround cheering in front of the television every Sundayfor the No. 24. Jeff Gordon brought us together. Andfrom the stories that I’ve read and the people I’vetalked to, I’m not the only one.

I remember the double-digit win seasons, including 13in 1998. I remember the championship seasons; thoughI didn’t fully comprehend how incredibly challenging itis to win a championship. I also remember the leanyears. The COT era wasn’t a particularly prosperoustime for the legion of Gordon fans. It’s hard to forgetthe dustup with Clint Bowyer a few years back inPhoenix. (For the record, I thought it was welldeserved) Crew chiefs have changed. Teammates

The Final LapBy Shane Carlson

have come and gone, but as long as Jeff Gordon’sname has been inscribed above the door of hisHendrick Motorsports Chevrolet, it has representedexcellence.

I don’t have enough space to even start to delve intothe changes he has seen over his career, or how hehas changed the sport. It’s been said in sports that if

you have an era, you’re truly among the legends. AndJeff Gordon had an era.

But guess what? This isn’t an obituary. Jeff Gordonisn’t dead. I don’t want to speculate what will happenpost-Gordon. We shouldn’t be sad. We have the joy ofwitnessing a legend on the track for one final season,in pursuit of a fifth championship. Whether he wins atitle in his final go-round or not, he’s going out on top,and whether you’ve booed him, or if you’ve cheeredfor him over his storied 23-year career, at least youmade noise and had an opinion.

What a blessing to witness because Jeff Gordonsdon’t come around every day. You know who I’ll becheering for.

Thanks for everything Jeff.

Sincerely, your fans

www.theracingconnection.com

Getty Images/NASCAR

Getty Images/NASCAR

Page 11 February, 2015

Dale P. Danielski

Auto Racing Facts,Auto Racing Facts,Auto Racing Facts,Auto Racing Facts,Auto Racing Facts,

Observances andObservances andObservances andObservances andObservances and

OpinionsOpinionsOpinionsOpinionsOpinions

continued on page 12

The Jeff Purvis (Wedge Thing) Florida, 1985

It’s that time of year when thoughts turn to FloridaSpeedweeks racing! I’m not going down there but itsfun to think of all the racing we’ve seen there throughthe years down south.

Paging through the scrapbook I see where we made atrip down there in 1985. A stop at JacksonvilleSpeedway, Jacksonville, FL., to catch the “Oiled-Dirt”action was the first order of business. Jeff Purvis wasthe guy to beat then and nobody did on this night as hewon the 50 lap feature in his C.J Rayburn creation.Creation is the word for it as he took a page out of theGary Balough body-style book with his wedge/canopyfor the driver racing thing. I have to admit I kind ofliked the wild looking cars of the day as to me theywere race cars, unlike today where we’ve gone toofar with the stock appearing look. You look at some ofthe drivers competing that year and it’s pretty

amazing. Bob Pierce, JackBoggs, John Provenzano,Leon Plank, Kris Patterson,Pete Parker to name some.Those guys were alwaystough wherever they racedand in Florida even the bestwere at risk of not evenmaking the main event!That’s what made it funthough and generally theyhad so many cars youweren’t going to get in on aprovisional. Work on the carand hopefully get it right forthe next race.

Volusia County Speedwayin Barberville, FL., wasanother stop we made andour boy of the year, Mr.Purvis won again. Withnumerous nights of racingduring the week or two ofevents you weren’t going towin them all, and Purvisdidn’t as we also saw BillyMoyer take a feature win.Other drivers competingincluded, Larry Phillips,(Who most people don’trealize was just as good ondirt as pavement) LarryMoore, and way too manyothers to list here. Ofcourse, as part of theSpeedweeks racing, theEastern Dirt Modifiedswould compete with theLate Models. Billy Pauchwas a winner one night wevisited and he had to beatdirt stalwarts Jack Johnson,Bob Mcreadie, DougHoffman, Doug Ingalls,Kevin Collins, JimmyHorton, DonnieWetmore…and the list goeson and on. It’s unbelievablethe caliber of competitionthat would show up duringSpeedweeks. You couldn’tfit them all in a feature! Funto reminisce about thosedays. Of course beingpavement folks at heartwe’d head over to NewSmyrna Speedway, NewSmyrna Beach, Fl., and

Illinois hotshoe Lil John Provenzano (top photo), Larry Moore#14 in Florida (middle photo) and The East Coast Dirt

Modified of “Barefoot” Bob Mcreadie (bottom photo)

Page 12February, 2015

catch the action as usually we’d see some of our ownMidwestern short trackers racing during the nine nightSeries. During this year we were able to see DickTrickle and Joe Shear compete there. Late Modelwinners included Trickle, David Rogers, Daniel Keeneand Butch Miller. We also saw the Eastern PavementModifieds compete with Reggie Ruggerio, RichieEvans and Jimmy Spencer taking wins. What a treatthat was and I think all these guys ended up havingpretty fair racing careers!

We did a fair amount of big track event following inFlorida too, but it was the short track stuff that got usexcited. It’s been awhile since we made a trip downthere, probably wouldn’t recognize a thing. Only oneway to find out I guess, take a hike south…well,maybe next year.

Here and there…Seeing a few of the paved tracks inthe area schedules coming out and things definitelylook different heading into 2015. My all-time favoriteshort track, Golden Sands Speedway of PloverWisconsin, is substantially cutting back holding only 7or so Super Late Model events most on Friday nights.Marshfield Motor Speedway, Marshfield, WI., is fillingthose Friday night gaps holding Super Late Modelevents of its own those nights instead of Saturdaywhen they normally race. State Park Speedway has afull slate of racing including an ARCA Midwest Tourevent to kick off the season on May 16th. With GregMcKarns now in the fold it will be interesting to seehow that series goes in 2015. Speaking of McKarns heis also heading up the effort at Madison InternationalSpeedway of Oregon, WI, which at one point wasclose to being purchased and turned into a test track.

Not so now and they will be kicking off their seasonwith an ARCA Midwest Tour event as well on May3rd. Sadly, the Columbus 151 Speedway, Columbus,WI., is now purported to being the site for the testtrack as it has been sold and will only be used for thatpurpose and not stock car racing. La CrosseFairgrounds Speedway, West Salem, WI., hasreleased their schedule and it’s nearly a carbon copyof last year. Saturday night NASCAR Late Modelracing being the main attraction. Dells Raceway Park,Wis. Dells, WI., has a full schedule of racing plannedand this year after many years of inactivity will holdCWRA racing. The Central Wisconsin Racing

Racing Observations from page 11

Association having been the preferred choice for rulesback in the day is now again operating in that capacitywith cost cutting measures to encourage moreparticipation the order of business. Three CWRAevents will be held at the Dells track in 2015 and othertracks interested in getting in the fold should contactthe group.

Lots of changes in the paved track world and at thispoint it will be interesting to see how it all shakes out.Stay tuned…

Back in the day…On Sunday, May 25th, 1969 it wasRamo Stott winning the first ever feature at the new ½mile paved Capital Super Speedway, Oregon, WI.Following Stott after 40 laps were Joe Shear and JimBack…On Saturday night, June 15th, 1968 it was JohnMcNamara winning the 30 lap Feature at Dells MotorSpeedway, Wis. Dells, WI. Trailing McNamara wasMarlin Walbeck…On August 9th, 1970 it was JimBack winning the 30 lap feature at Golden SandsSpeedway, Plover, WI. Following Back were DickTrickle, Marv Marzofka, Tom Reffner and GeorgeThornton…On Thursday night June 3rd, 1971 it wasBill Wirtz winning the feature at State Park Speedway,Plover, WI. Following Wirtz were Dick Trickle, MarlinWalbeck, Tom Reffner and Dick Schultz…On May8th, 1999 it was Tom Reffner winning the 25 lapfeature at Marshfield Super Speedway, Marshfield,WI.

News, notes and comments welcome to Dale P.Danielski at Starmaker Multimedia 967 10th Ave N SteA, Onalaska, WI 54650, at 608-783-5827, 608-518-2478, or at dale@starmakermultimedia.com ,www.starmakermultimedia.com

Daniel Keene, #82x, 1985 Florida race winner

Kentucky's Black Jack Boggs B-4 at Speedweeks in 1985

Page 13 February, 2015

Racing Nuggets

Jacklyn Daniels-Nuttleman

The Changing Landscape of Racing

Racing Nuggets continued on 14

I remember when I was seven; my two older brothersand I got the Atari 2600 system for Christmas. Wewere so excited to play video games; what a novelconcept! The unit was clunky, compared to today’ssleek systems, and it had that posh, faux wood trim,which matched the garish wood paneling in the mobilehome where we grew up in northern Illinois. (Yes, Iwas born and raised trailer trash and dang proud of it.)

We were 100% redneck. We used to set up our pop-up camper in our little sliver of a yard and “camp” inthe trailer court. Dad loved his Pabst Blue Ribbon. Weeven made a birthday cake for him one year that wasdecorated like a can of the brew. We traveled acrossthe Midwest to follow the ARTGO and ASA series’and various other special racing events.

We were asked to leave Great America once,because we were all wearing “Dick Trickle” shirts,which were deemed inappropriate by non-racing-informed management at the amusement park. Oncewhen we went to Madison Speedway, then calledCapital Speedway, I had to go to the bathroom. The“facilities” at that time were comprised of severalouthouses. My mother still laughs about me, runningback to our spot in the stands, and telling her withincredible enthusiasm that we could, “do a duet,”because they had a double seater!

To this day, I still ponder if anyone ever sat next totheir buddy to lay some pipe together. Howawkward… but I digress.

At this moment in the race season, it feels a lot like agame of Pong. (From poo to Pong. I’m GREAT at

transitions!) Remember how that game would grindalong so slow when you first started it? Ugh. Waitingand watching that square “ball” s-l-o-w-l-y move tothe top of the screen and bounce back down to yourlittle line at the bottom, where you would “bat” it backup to the top. The ball would pick up speed as itricocheted in the corner, eventually whizzing intooblivion, as you were incapable of moving that joystickquickly enough to the left to smack it. I don’t knowhow many joysticks we went through from repeatedwrenching on it in an attempt to will the game to ourwhims.

Joysticks. It wasn’t until many years later that Iunderstood the guffaws and chortles emitted from mydad and his friends, when referring to them.

These days, there are wireless steering wheels forfolks to partake in online racing. There are even fullchassis systems set up on hydraulics with intricatecomputer programs that give a racer the full effect ofrunning on the surface of a particular track.

My, how times have changed! Kids these days arespoiled! They enjoy having running water and toiletsthat actually flush at race tracks, and high tech onlinegaming that has become a training ground for racers.It is doubtful that Pong ever contributed to a career insports, but iRacing seems to be a great tool foraspiring racers.

I know several local and regional drivers whoparticipate in iRacing series. Even Dale Earnhardt, Jr.has been known to do iRacing from time to time.Probably not so much now that he has a girlfriend andis busy shooting multi-million dollar endorsements forvarious products, but the point is; iRacing has beenlegitimized for its ability to replicate a track and givesome serious practice to a racer.

Personally, I’ve never participated as a driver in theseries, but I have watched a few races online. It’samusing and entertaining. They actually hadannouncers, providing a play-by-play for everyone, andit was a real kick to watch a car that got wadded upon the track in a “racing incident” pull into the pits andmagically be restored to new! If only real pit stopsworked that way, right?

But still, the whole iRacing thing is anincredible tool for racers. I talked withBill Martin, aka “Dr. Noise,” a regularSportsmen racer at La CrosseSpeedway, who has experience not onlyracing in the online series, but alsoBUILDING a simulator for the LaCrosse Speedway from Papyrus, whichproceeded iRacing technology. If you’rea techie, or interested in checking outBill’s work on this, go to http://www.noiseracing.com/lfs.

Bill says that iRacing has helped in many ways; fromhow to handle a car, to even setting one up for racetrim. He says it also taught him how to understandmaking adjustments for a tight entry, loose center,snappy loose exit (his words—and I love them), andmore by putting a lifelike feel and setup into his hands.More importantly, the advantage with the virtual realmis that one can make adjustments quickly and seeinstant results, unlike having to jack a real car up andmake labor-intensive changes. Additionally, the cost of“parts” is minimized in iRacing, obviously because theyare virtual. (Much like a virtual girlfriend is easier onthe pocketbook, but that’s a whole different article.)

Bill says that online racing provided a shortcut inlearning both setups and car control that allowed himto make the jump to an actual race car for the firsttime five years ago. Anyone who is a regular at LaCrosse Speedway knows that Bill had ZERO real on-track racing experience prior to that season, and onlyhad a virtual, online understanding. Of course he spentmonths prior to that season, logging incredible iRacinghours to prepare. And it paid off for him.

Bill turned A LOT of heads that season. As someonewho spent every Saturday night at La Crossewatching the action through a video camera, I canassure you that Bill was a primary focus for my lens.He was fearless, and fast. Was he a perfect racer,thanks to the iRacing? Hell, no. But it was obvious thathe learned more from that, than most rookies will learnin an entire season of on-track racing. His onlineracing experience had given him a notable advantage,which minimized his learning curve substantially.

Bill even told me that he was surprised how much hehad learned through sim racing; a lot of which felt thesame in the real world. Aside from G-forces, and thatoh-sh*t feeling you get when you’re about to loop yourcar, he still felt like he was more prepared for theentry into legitimate on-track racing, thanks to iRacing.

He even scored his first career feature win that rookieseason. Yes. That seriously silenced anyone who wassnorting under their breath about a “computer racer”trying to make it on the “real” track. And it wasn’tluck. Anyone familiar with the Sportsmen division atLa Crosse knows that it is stacked deep with talent.Drivers who can’t afford to move up to Late Models,tend to make storied careers in that division. It’s highlycompetitive, and always a guaranteed great show eachweek.

A quick review of Bill’s stats that inaugural seasonreveals that he racked up seven top 10 finishes,including one during Oktoberfest, with a 28-car field.Additionally, he had two top 5 finishes which includedthat memorable win. That’s pretty amazing. Hisnotoriety in iRacing to prepare for this venture was

The iRacing verion of Lacrosse Speedway

Page 14February, 2015

Proud sponsors of;Proud sponsors of;Proud sponsors of;Proud sponsors of;Proud sponsors of;Vince Corbin, Joey Prusak & Adam RoyleVince Corbin, Joey Prusak & Adam RoyleVince Corbin, Joey Prusak & Adam RoyleVince Corbin, Joey Prusak & Adam RoyleVince Corbin, Joey Prusak & Adam Royle

Racing Nuggets continued from page 13

such that the mere mention of his name was invariablyfollowed by, “he has never raced on track before thisseason—only ONLINE.” It WAS a pretty incrediblenugget of information for anyone to know, as theywatched him on the track.

What many people don’t realize is that the depth ofinformation taken into creating the online tracks isastounding. Every bump, every hole, ever seam isincluded in the makeup of a track, as the racingsurface is laser scanned for creation. The same is truefor the cars, which results in an incredibly accuratesimulator that is updated every 13 weeks, according toBill. He also tells me that the tire model has improveddramatically, which is the hardest part to simulate. Atire is ever-changing, so attempting to simulate itrequires a constant calculation. (See kids, you reallySHOULD stay in school and pay attention in math andcomputer science classes!)

For someone who would love to race, but just can’tafford to do it, or even wrangle the sponsorship dollarstogether to enter the field, iRacing is a stellar value. If

you’re reading this, you’re obviously involvedin some way, shape or form with racing, soyou understand the staggering costs to bemore competitive. To quote Bill, “the days ofbuying a $1000 car and being able to winwith it are gone.” But it is for that reason,that he sees iRacing growing exponentially inthe coming years.

Bill even says things are on the verge ofbecoming even more immersed withsimulation, as the Oculus Rift is on thehorizon. It’s currently in the developmentstages, but Bill tells me one CAN purchase itnow. He would know. He’s immersed in thetechnology world. He’s also a notablesuccess in the real racing world, due in great part tothat.

We’ve come a long way, baby. I kind of wonder whatmy dad would think of these developments. He’s nolonger alive, having passed away in 1986. (A carcrash, of all things.) He was pretty old school. Butthen again, he DID buy us an Atari system when wewere kids… not that we would have ever becomeracing prodigies because of it. Egads! I’m becoming

one of THOSE codgers, who lament about the “olddays” and how we had to make do with our meagerthings.

Honestly, I wouldn’t mind buying an iRacing system,but then I would never be able to get my husband offof it. Plus, the sim world would have to deal with himbehind the wheel, and on the track with them. Quitefrankly, I don’t think anyone’s ready for that, so fornow, we’ll just watch others. You’re welcome.

Bill Martin at speed at Lacrosse Speedway

Page 15 February, 2015

Chili Bowl Thrills & SpillsThe annual Chili Bowl in Tulsa always provides fans with a week's worth of

excitement as shown by these shots from Scott Swenson

Page 16February, 2015

Stan Meissner photos

March 14 - IMCA Vintage Touring Series MeetingBlack River Falls, WI

March 22 - IMCA Oldtimers Membership MeetingSavage, MN

April 26 - 9th Annual Racers Swap MeetLocation TBD

MRC sends its well wishes to the Murgic family following the passing of"Magic Mike" Murgic in January of 2015

(Dan Plan photo)

Page 17 February, 2015

2015 Canterbury SnoCross Photo Gallery

Cody Kamm (left photo) getting some serious air and looking good for the home town team of Hentges Racing. TuckerHibbert's riderless Cat (right photo) after crashing in the main event. For more action from this year's SnoCross at

Canterbury Park, check out the Friday & Saturday night photo galleries from Ultimate Lap Photo at:

www.ultimatelapphoto.com

Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and YouTubewww.facbook.com/themidwestracingconnection

www.twitter.com/MidwestRacewwww.youtube.com/theracingconnection

Bruce Nuttleman photo's

Page 18February, 2015