9/15/06
Jacksonville Speedway
Jacksonville, IL
34 sprints 30 midgets
Time for me to get on my soapbox about a couple of things. These are things I've addressed while broadcasting on the American Dirt Network, but never in print. Events at Jacksonville spurred this.
After sending in my request for press credentials a week in advance and promoting this event through a number of releases and e-mails to drivers and fans, I was stoned at the pitgate. It is not about getting in for free for me (not totally anyway). It is about promotion through the media. I have covered close to 70 shows this year and have had this happen twice. The other venue? Susquehanna Speedway in PA. The similarities between these two tracks cannot be denied. Both have storm clouds entering as far as 410 racing goes, and I fear neither sees the value of the press in getting out the word about what they have going on. They both appear to be paying the piper to the tune of butts in the seats.
Jacksonville had no mention of this race on their website at last check. How are fans and racers supposed to know? I would wager that if I sent 800 releases and e-mails, that that was 800 more than anyone at Jacksonville Speedway sent out. I heard Jerrod Hull was asked why he just showed for the "big money" shows. Jacksonville pays the same purse now as it did when Jerrod started racing at 17. He is 31 now (sorry Jerrod). Central Illinois has a rich open wheel history and it pains me to see what is going on, and I can't help but think it could be done better. After the fiasco earlier this year at Lincoln when it looked like the situation had potential, it is discouraging. I hope Jacksonville can thrive, it will need it and the great fans of Illinois deserve it.
By the way, earlier this year a promoter joked that he had to let me in free, so I wouldn't say anything bad about the race. Those who have read my reports for the last 10 years know I tell it like I see it. Just ask the folks at Knoxville Raceway. The whole reason I do this is to paint a picture of the events at hand good or bad, but through it all to promote the sport and the track I'm visiting.
After complaining about my situation to midget driver, Mike Hess, he told me something that got me hotter. Hess deals tires at the races and typically gets credentials for his work. Not this time. He was told that since he was DRIVING!, he had to pay the $30 pit pass. Think about that for a second. Why do the drivers have to pay a pit pass? Does Garth Brooks buy a ticket to his concert before he sings? Did Big Ben pay for a Super Bowl ticket before he took the field last February? Of course not, so why are our entertainers in this sport forced to pay? Think about it.
(end of rant and on with the report)
Sprints
Heat one (started): 1. Robbie Standridge 22 (2) 2. Don Droud Jr. 86 (3) 3. Jim Moughan 1m (8) 4. Terry Babb 2s (9) / 5. Robert Bell 71B (1) 6. AJ Bruns 44 (7) 7. Jimmy Hurley 35 (5) 8. Mark Stewart 58 (4) 9. Tyler Shoemaker 1T (6)
Standridge led the 10 lapper for the distance. His win was by a good margin over Droud, who was piloting the Smith 86, a ride he filled in the late 90s. Moughan and Babb moved up nicely to grab the final transfer spots on the tight quarter. Branson, Bruns and Hurley battled over the last couple of laps, with the latter smoking to the end. A large hole formed in turn one during time trials and caused dicey conditions entering the turn. Shoemaker utilized a 360 engine.
Heat two (started): 1. Tiffany Wyzard 5 (2) 2. Joey Montgomery 21c (3) 3. Tim Montgomery 32 (8) 4. Chris Urish 83 (6) / 5. Joey Moughan 2m (4) 6. Bobby Hawks 5H (7) 7. Kyle Wissmiller 21s (5) 8. Charlie Gilpin Jr. 9G (9) 9. Jerrod Hull 94 (1)
Wyzard got the jump on Hull at the outset, and Hull detonated his powerplant on lap three. The stoppage brought a caution and on the restart, Wyzard led J. Montgomery, Joey Moughan, Urish and T. Montgomery. T. Montgomery went to work and worked under both Joey Montgomery and Urish on the last lap to grab third in convincing fashion. No one had anything for Wyzard as she cruised away from the field. Gilpin had a 360 under the hood.
Heat three (started): 1. Paul May 71m (2) 2. Eddie Lynch 29 (1) 3. Jeremy Standridge 10s (3) 4. Korey Weyant 99w (5) / 5. Brett Samonds 47 (4) 6. Cory Bruns 42 (6) 7. Lance Gullo 3G (7) 8. Brian Hetrick 35H (8)
Gullo stopped before a lap could be completed, but restarted at the rear. May led flag to flag going away. Weyant and Samonds provided the best battle, and it was for the final transfer. Weyant managed to hold the spot despite utilizing 360 power.
Heat four (started): 1. Mike Deavers 72 (2) 2. Jim Cameron 96c (4) 3. Danny Smith 4 (5) 4. Chad Branson 71 (1) / 5. Tom Busch 4B (3) 6. Ron Standridge 10 (7) 7. Derek O'Dell 11D (8) 8. Tommy Rockwell 95 (6)
Deavers led the duration in convincing fashion. The veteran Smith was a treat to watch as he slingshotted around Busch and Branson into the show position. Busch fell just short of the final transfer in close racing with Branson.
Dash (started): 1. Deavers (2) 2. May (3) 3. Rob. Standridge (1) 4. Wyzard (4)
The race for A main starting position saw Deavers lead all four laps. May bumped by Rob. Standridge for second at the halfway point to nail down a front row starting position.
B main (started): 1. Jo. Moughan (2) 2. Hurley (9) / 3. Hawks (6) 4. Samonds (3) 5. Gullo (11) 6. O'Dell (12) 7. C. Bruns (7) 8. Stewart (13) 9. Bell (1) 10. Ron Standridge (8) 11. Shoemaker (17) 12. AJ Bruns (5) 13. Busch (4) 14. Rockwell (16) 15. Hetrick (9) 16. Wissmiller (10) 17. Gilpin (14) 18. Hull (18)
Hull started his motor, took the green, and pulled in to start the 15 lapper. Bell led the first lap before Jo. Moughan took over on lap two. Four laps later, Ron Standridge spun in turn four. The restart saw Jo. Moughan leading Bell, Hawks, Samonds and Busch back to the green flag. Two more laps were in the books when Hetrick tipped over low in turn four. Gilpin and Wissmiller were also involved in the incident, and all three were done. On lap 11, Bell and ÄJ Bruns made contact, resulting in the latter with severe front end damage. Jo. Moughan led Hawks who had taken over the second and final transfer spot, Bell, Samonds and Hurley. On lap 13, Ron Standridge got upside down. He was uninjured. Stewart was also involved, but continued with heavy wing damage. Another wing that had suffered damage of its own, was Hawks' top wing. Hawks was driving in his last race at his hometown track. Tonight was his 50th birthday and he is retiring. Hurley, who had moved in behind him, ruined the party, taking the final transfer with two to go and almost nipping Jo. Moughan at the line.
A main (started): 1. May (2) 2. Rob. Standridge (3) 3. Deavers (1) 4. J. Montgomery (6) 5. Droud (5) 6. Babb (13) 7. Ji. Moughan (9) 8. Jo. Moughan (15) 9. Urish (12) 10. T. Montgomery (10) 11. Cameron (8) 12. Lynch (7) 13. Weyant (15) 14. Wyzard (4) 15. Smith (12) 16. Hurley (18) 17. Branson (16) 18. Je. Standridge (11)
May led the 25 lapper at the outset and entered lapped traffic on lap eight. On lap 10, Rob. Standridge flew by him, but the pass was negated when Wyzard spun while running fourth on lap 10. Cameron was also involved, and had to restart at the rear. The track was open ahead of May, Rob. Standridge, Deavers, J. Montgomery and Droud. Amazingly, despite close racing, the top five remained constant throughout. The one exception was when Smith entered the fray. He was picking off cars one by one, and was approaching a battle for third with Deavers when he spun on the high side of turns three and four on lap 16. He restarted at the rear, but quickly retired, rather than try to get around a couple of swerving competitors. The only other caution in the event came when J. Standridge spun on lap 12 after smacking the wall and becoming the race's first casualty. The open tracks on the restarts allowed May to pull away for the win and $2000.
Midgets
Heat one (started, *qualified for feature): 1. Mike Hess 51 (1*) 2. Derrick Myers 25m (6*) 3. Tim Siner 15 (2*) 4. Kevin Olson 4KO (3*) 5. Dean Erfurth 14 (7*) 6. Chad DeSelle 6 (5) 7. Steve Knepper 55 (8) 8. Jay Mounce 12J (4)
Hess led the 8 lapper throughout, banging his typical high side. The race was slowed twice. On lap three, S. Knepper hit the large rut in turn one and did well to save his car from going upside down. By then, Myers was into second with a fine run from row three. The driver, who utilizes one arm, was able to hold the spot the rest of the way. The other slowdown came on lap four, when DeSelle spun after contact with Mounce who had touched wheels with Olson.
Heat two (started, *qualified for feature): 1. Michael Pickens 8NZ (2*) 2. Brad Loyet o5 (4*) 3. Brad Kuhn 74 (8*) 4. Greg Lueckert 01 (5*) 5. Aaron Fiscus 7 (3) 6. Joey Moughan 31H (7) 7. Donny Callahan 9 (1) 8. Mark Bush 2 (6)
Pickens outran his Fiscus teammate and fellow front row starter to turn one and never looked back. Kuhn was the man to watch, starting last and picking his way forward to a strong third place run in just 8 laps.
Heat three (started, *qualified for feature): 1. Mike Riley 05x (2*) 2. Danny Stratton 2x (6*) 3. Rich Camfield 87 (4*) 4. Donnie Lehmann 31x (5*) 5. Wally McDuffey 33m (1) 6. Jeff Gass 19 (3) 7. Chad Branson 71 (7)
The best heat race of the night started with Riley taking the point. R. Camfield was never far behind and took over on the low side on lap five. Two circuits later, Riley was back in command, and R. Camfield was suddenly under fire from Stratton. The California transplant took the runner-up spot, with a slingshot on the high side coming out of turn four at the checkers. Lehmann grabbed fourth from McDuffey with two to go.
Heat four (started, *qualified for feature): 1. Rik Forbes 8 (1*) 2. Nick Knepper 25 (3*) 3. Daniel Adler 50 (6*) 4. Steve Stroud 21 (4) 5. Jason Howe 31 (5) 6. Andy Mason 47 (2) DNS - Dave Camfield 86
Forbes led the distance in the Icke 8. Mason exited on lap three.
B main (started): 1. Fiscus (2) 2. Jo. Moughan (5) 3. S. Knepper (9) 4. McDuffey (3) / 5. Gass (7) 6. Mounce (10) 7. Branson (11) 8. Bush (12) 9. Mason (6) 10. Stroud (1) 11. Howe (4) 12. Callahan (8) DNS - DeSelle, D. Camfield
Fiscus led the 12 lapper throughout. One slowdown occurred on lap two, when Howe spun, collecting Callahan, who was done, and Mason, who continued on. Jo. Moughan used the low side to move up well into second. S. Knepper used the high side to move up to third from row five. The track yielded three distinct grooves for the midgets and made for entertaining racing. The second and third place runners ended up side by side at the finish line.
A main (started): 1. Kuhn (5) 2. Erfurth (16) 3. R. Camfield (11) 4. Fiscus (17) 5. Myers (6) 6. Forbes (3) 7. S. Knepper (18) 8. Riley (7) 9. N. Knepper (9) 10. Pickens (8) 11. Lehmann (14) 12. Siner (12) 13. Lueckert (13) 14. Jo. Moughan (19) 15. Olson (15) 16. McDuffey (20) 17. Hess (1) 18. Stratton (4) 19. Loyet (2) 20. Adler (10)
Loyet grabbed the early lead in the 25 lapper. He rode low, while Hess rode his familiar high line in hot pursuit. Hess shot around Loyet on lap four briefly and then led lap five. Loyet came back on lap six when Hess driften high. On lap eight, chain reaction contact between Adler and Riley resulted in a Lueckert spin. Adler retired with a leak under caution. The restart saw Loyet leading Hess, Kuhn and Stratton who were battling, Myers and Pickens. On lap 10, Loyet's powerplant exploded and Hess inherited the lead. Kuhn was on his tail and made a pass stick on lap 12. When Hess came back with a slider he drifted into the high stuff and looked pretty loose. He retired shortly after a restart for a Forbes stop on lap 13 and another on 16. On lap sixteen, Pickens, who was up to third, spun and collected Stratton who was battling for the position. Stratton was done. The restart now saw Kuhn ahead of Hess, Myers, Erfurth and Riley. After Hess exited, Erfurth moved up the ladder, as did R. Camfield as three groove racing was the norm. Erfurth found the middle groove and rode it, but had nothing for Kuhn in the end.