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NEWS ACHIEVE:  

 

Mike Radtke Breaks Out Don Peden for His First Win of the Year

Mike out paced the field with a huge win moving him significantly up in points to second just 2 points out of the lead.  Don Peden made a huge move into 3rd in place 5 points behind the points leader Rick Corn.

Rick had a tough first round loss leaving the points chase open for the final race a Ohio Valley Raceway and the Door Slammer race held annually at this fast 1/8 mile track.

The points battle is in pretty clear focus now with all potential points challengers with 6 races except for Mike Coughlin that has 5 and Todd Stewart that has 7.  Tim Kirman, and Reed Hughes all round out the list of racers with strong chances for the year end title.  

 

Rick Corn Wins Top Sportsman the First Time at Gateway Raceway in Madison, IL

The Season Point Lead has a Big Shake-up

Rick Corn was on a mission at Gateway starting off the weekend with a gremlin in the Hemi under the hood.  This did not shake Rick's hot rod crew including Jim Englund.  They went to plan B and went to the head of the class with a Victory.

Rick mowed down the field starting with Mark Pickens, Tony Munao, and Jeff 'the kid' Fleming.  This led to an all division 3 field and all sequentially qualified contestants.  Qualifying 11 Rick Corn, 12 Don Peden, luck 13 Ryan Koener and 14 Reed Hughes Driving the Paul Mann owned turbo charged 90 Firebird.  

Don Peden squeeked out a 0.0016 margin of victory over Reed Hughes, and Rick Corn cut down Ryan Koener.  Congrats to Don Peden reaching his first final of the year.

Rick Corn won his first final this year on his second attempt.  Rick reached the final at Mid-Michigan where Todd Steward ended up on top.  Rick is batting 50% in final round appearances and amazingly enough, has reached the finals 50% of the time.  That is a pretty good 50 / 50.

The unofficial points standings are: 

1. Rick Corn 247

2. Reed Hughes 234

3. Todd Stewart 223

4. Don Peden 214

5. Tim Kirman 210

I Got My Fix at Route 66 Raceway

Route 66 hosted what turned out to be the Fastest, Largest, NHRA Top Sportsman Event in history.  The fast qualifier was held through the first 2.99 rounds of qualifying by Tim Kirman until the last pass by Greg Clevenger with a 6.85 second 195 MPH shot in his Pro-Mod style 57 Bel-Air.  Rounding out the top five qualifiers were Rick Corn, Steve Brinegar, and Aaron Glaser.  Anchoring the bump spot was Brent Rooker at 7.48 seconds to make a record fast 32 car field.   

The final was decided by 14 inches at the finish line by Reed Hughes driving Paul Mann's Twin Turbo Charged 90 Firebird nosing out Brian Brown in his 02 Camero.  Both racers had .019 and .021 reaction times but the difference was decided at the stripe by 0.0043 seconds.  This was my first Wally and the race car's 4th overall.  Paul Mann collected the first 3 Wally's driving the 90 Firebird.

The first round monster match-ups were Lee Ebersole and Kevin Flondor.  Lee left last with an awesome .015 light but running off by 3 giving Kevin Flonder the nod.  Rick Corn and Mike Kokenes who are deep in the points battle matched-up with identical RT's but Rick's car slowed off the pace giving Mike the points in the next round.  Half of the first round races were given away at the starting line, with 6 red lights and 3 reaction times of more than 0.100 dead late.

In round two, Aaron Glaser took out Todd Steward by running closer to his 7.04 dial in and Don Peden got another red light gift this time from Larry Dumke.  Don was set up that round and would have been tough to defeat.  In round three, Brian Brown ended Don Peden's good luck when his car ran off after a pair of great reaction times.  Reed Hughes won a very close decision with Aaron Glaser as Aaron Twist and Shout Camero passed Reed at the finish line by more than 30 MPH but getting there second.

In the Semi Finals, Brian Brown got a free pass after Billy Thoman was distracted and had a .021 red light.  Billy had great reaction times leading up to the semi-final.  The sun light was low and was shading the Christmas in a funny way which probably caused Billy to red light.  Anthony Munao was defeated in the final when Reed Hughes got to the finish line 0.0023 seconds in front of him.  Tony and I were like two pregnant fathers waiting for one of our crew to give us the results.  We must have waited 5 minutes asking each other who won.  I went past the drivers win light second and I could not tell if either win light was on and either could Tony when he went by.  What a close race!!!  Paul and Paula arrived first to pick us up and I thought Tony was going to wrestle Paula for the run ticket.  It seemed like it took hours to get the results.  Nice race Tony.

Getting the perfect round money was Larry Lumke with a dead on 7.420.  Don Peden beat Paul Mann out of the $100 VP perfect Blend money when Greg Clevenger pushed us all back one position on the last qualifying pass.

The next Top Sportsman Race is at St. Louis and I bet the weather will not be much cooler.  The folks at Gateway have lanes in as excellent shape as Route 66.  It is a real pleasure to race at such nice facilities in Division 3 such as Bowling Green, Route 66, Gateway, and IRP.  (I am not used to the new name yet.  I still call where the colts play the Hoosier Dome and not the RCA / Lucus Oil Dome) 

Route 66 Race statistics?  Here you go...

The average speed during eliminations was 184 MPH 

Average ET of 7.32 Seconds.  

Breakout runs won against faster cars  0

Breakout runs won against slower cars  3

Breakout runs lost against faster cars  5

Breakout runs lost against slower cars  2

Wins against Faster Opponents   14

Wins against Slower Opponents  17

Average Winning Reaction Time  0.020

Average Losing Reaction Time  0.040

Wins with a better light then opponent  12

Wins with a worse light then opponent  10

Red Light Wins  0 

 

TS Race #2  Mid-Michigan Summary:

Mid-Michigan Raceway at the Mid Point of the Summer in the Middle of the Decade

How is that for staying centered???

Rick Corn stewart'ed the weekend. Rick was the low qualifier at 7.103 at 189MPH and walked his way through the field to the finals.  Todd Stewart won the event with an impressive list of .016 reaction times and did not vary from his Dial-in by more than a couple of numbers.  Todd's 67 Camero was an impressive performer and the driver applied the reaction time make him un-stoppable.  The Camero left the starting line gently then applied all that horsepower for a 180 MPH charge at the finish line.  

The semi-finals featured Michael Radtke and Todd Stewart both running right on their dial-ins with the slimmest of margins at the starting line making the difference.  Todd must have been holding several numbers at the finish line to scrub off 10 MPH to run dead on.  Rick Corn singled to the final.

In the 3rd round Scott Fitzgibbons had a terrific .030 package while running dead on his dial-in with a two.  That run would have beaten anyone else that round except Todd Stewart's .014 package while running dead on with a three.  Scott won a squeeker in the second round by half a 0.001 second besting Ryan Koener.  I'll bet Scott thinks, "What does it take to catch a break?".  I know the answer, a Chevy... (Just Kidding Dodge boys)  I believe that Scott had the best string of laps of all the competitors until he met Stewart.  That's what you call good racing.

The weather was cool and comfortable for sleeping in the evening.  A little rain threatened but allowed the event to end on time.  This track is a bit of an old throw back to the old times with the narrow race track, painted steel guard rails, Jet Cars, and Wheels Standers.  The track surface was safe but took a little effort to keep a handle on it.  I look forward to returning to Stanton, MI next year.  St. Louis and Chicago will have excellent racing surfaces.  Watch out, the heat will be a factor but somehow rain seems to follow Jay Hullinger around this year.  So who knows what the next two points meets will bring.  You can bet on excitement!!!  

Some Top Sportsman regulars did not attend including: Don Peden, Mitch Smith, Chris Ray, Larry Harlen.  Keith McPherson had a bad crash in a race in Milan rumor has it.  Keith is  a tough competitor and we hope he has a speedy recovery.  Glen "The-Preatcher-Man" Kreiner said Keith was very sore but no serous damage to his body but the GTO is junk now.  Keith told me he liked his Corvette better so watch-out, he is brutal with that old car.  Josh Harmon has ordered a new body for his car that was damaged Memorial Day weekend in Bowling Green.  Tom Stultz is in the process of building a new motor.  We saw Tom at ET Raceway in Lyons, IN and he said that the only thing he could save from the last motor was the payment book.  Tom is in the process of putting a new Mountain Motor together.  He said his old motor was not as fun as the one he grenaded.  

Mid Michigan Race statistics?  Here you go...

The average speed during eliminations was 182 MPH 

Average ET of 7.43 Seconds.  

Breakout runs won against faster cars  0

Breakout runs won against slower cars  0

Breakout runs lost against faster cars  2

Breakout runs lost against slower cars  0

Wins against Faster Opponents   6

Wins against Slower Opponents  6

Average Winning Reaction Time  0.022

Average Losing Reaction Time  0.028

Wins with a better light then opponent  6

Wins with a worse light then opponent  6

Red Light Wins  0 

 

TS Race #1  Indy Summary:

First Wally for Tim.   Tim Kirman has won some significant races in Top Sportsman but this is the first Wally in Top Sportsman.  He is the defending VP Shoot-out winner with back to back championships in that All-Star Event.  Tim defeated Keith McPherson in the final who is last year's #2 points getter.  Keith has a new GTO that is beautiful and fast.  I think Keith's favorite car is his 63 (I think) Corvette but if the GTO continues to perform I'll bet that GTO will be special to him as well.

Tim drives a somewhat unique set-up in Top Sportsman that is normally dominated by torque converters and planetary gears.  He drives a Big Block Chevy with a stick (clutch).  Tim calls the transmission dumb metal but the clutch adjustment is something sportsman drivers know nothing about unless it is in their dually...  Setting up a clutch and making it perform consistently in the late rounds is extremely difficult to do.  The "Stick Racers" in Top Sportsman are Tim, Larry Harlen, and Chris Ray.  All these guys are tough and it makes you wonder why more people are not using a stick?  Oh I nearly forgot, these guys are all skinny because they work their asses off messing with the clutch between rounds.   I would rather grill burgers and drink margarita's.  That's why everyone else has a torque converter.

Cathy Belcher of Rantoul, Ill. ripped off a  6.719 second 204.20 MPH blast in her 90 Camera to un-seat Josh Harmon's second round fast qualifier time of 6.97 at 201 MPH.     Mike Kokenes of Crest Hill , Ill. received the VP race fuel blend award for the slowest fast car qualifier (16) in his 64 Dodge at  7.203 second and 186.38 MPH to end the pre-race awards.

Tim Kirman won the Wally with a stellar performance downing Keith McPherson in the final.  One note worth fact is that Tim had no gimme's the whole race.  He really earned this victory.  His stick car was on the money ever lap with a 0.006 reation time in the final and averaging a .023 for all five elimination passes. 

One interesting fact is Ryan Koener earned a free single run when Don Peden's engine expired after his near flawless run.  Ryan passed on the favor after his engine gave way giving Jimmy Fallon a free-bee into the Semi finals.  It looks like Schmidt's Engine Shop will be busy with some warrantee work this week.  The Koener Super Gas Camero had an engine failure as well.  It looks like someone needs to buy Schmidt a new torque wrench. 

Mike Radke had an especially good weekend in Top Sportsman reaching the semifinal's in his Camero.  Mike had low teen lights with one double O light unit meeting Keith McPherson where he had a not so bad 0.042 light.  Mike and Teri are Trackside Radio dealers, so those of you in need of communications equipment, see Mike or Terri.

Indy Race statistics?  Here you go...

The average speed during eliminations was 186 MPH 

Average ET of 7.30 Seconds.  That is fast and quick.

Breakout runs won against faster cars  2

Breakout runs won against slower cars  1

Breakout runs lost against faster cars  5

Breakout runs lost against slower cars  2

Wins against Faster Opponents   12

Wins against Slower Opponents  13

Average Winning Reation Time  0.022

Average Losing Reation Time  0.035

Wins with a better light then opponent  7

Wins with a worse light then opponent  6

Red Light Wins  1  The lucky Duck Award "Aaron Glaser"

                     

NEWS ARCHIEVE

The August Points Race at Edgewater has been relocated to Gateway Raceway in St. Louis.  

The August 4, 5, and 6th LODRS race was relocated from Edgewater Raceway, in Cleves, OH, near Cincinnati to Gateway International Raceway in Madison, IL near St. Louis.   No specific reason given for the late change other than the Division 3 NHRA site said that Gateway was able to clear that weekend the LODRS event.

Edgewater  was one of the last tracks to offer  weekly super pro bracket racing programs to compete on the 1/4 mile.  Indy gave up the 1/4 mile bracket racing program two years ago.  Wait a minute, Gateway offers both 1/4 and 1/8th mile bracket racing programs.  Humm, I wonder if....

Edgewater used to provide a racer Bar-B-Q on Friday night after qualifying with very good pork, catfish, and beer.  My crew always appreciated the extra effort the track put on.  That was back when it cost a mere hundred bucks to race a points race and the purse was the same as it is now.  Inflation has taken it toll on the entry fee, but not on the purse.  I understood that the weekly racers a Edgewater made all the arrangements for the feast.  What a great bunch of people.  The track was not one of the flashiest places but it had character and was well maintained.  The track surface always made good traction for the hottest days of the summer.  It was smooth with plenty of shut down area.  Parking on both sides of the track was available so races could easily watch from their pit location if you so desired.

This track is Red's home track.  There are lots of nice river town kinds of shopping that my wife loved to visit while I raced with antiques, restaurants, and a close by auto parts store I needed a few times.  Lawrenceburg, IN was close with a great Steak Place and I think it is the home of M&W trailers.  One Friday night we could here the Winged Sprint Cars racing at Lawrenceburg Speedway.  I have competed there a few times in a previous life as a WOO Sprint Car Crew Chief.  

I will miss visiting the crappy little town of Cleves, OH.  I will miss all the great racers that put on the racer feast as well.  I will not miss the bitchy old woman at the ticket booth constantly complaining to the gracious help letting us into the track.  I will miss see the fans that turned out to watch the race.  I will miss the old guys I used to visit with at the Frog Town Tavern.  It was difficult to understand what the talked about but what a cool place to visit.  I will miss the drive thru where you can buy any convenient item including beer.  I will not miss the over-priced hotel that is nothing more than a dump that raised their prices when River Boat Gambling moved into the area.  The place was no cleaner but they offered more cable TV channels.  (What a bargain)

St. Louis is a great track.  If it rains, there is plenty to do in that town.  Like Cincinnati, there are a lot of good and very fast cars in the St. Louis area.  I have raced at many of the National events there is July.  Wow can it get hot sitting on the pavement in the oval track infield.  I especially liked warming up my car on the oval track.  They won't let us do that anymore.  

You know there is always one jerk that ruins it for everyone else.  I think I was that jerk. (Did I tell you I was a sprint car cure chief?) I was told to slow down on the track.  I can remember making hot laps on that track in the wrong direction (for those of you that drive in England that would be a wrong statement) where the front tires of my dragster were making little vapor trails of smoke in the turns.  I was in high gear braking hard into the turns in my hard tail dragster turning right with the front end pushing out like a snow plow in Minnesota.  Man, was that fun!!!  The next day they parked barriers on the track to avoid that situation again.  I am sure I was not the only one, but it makes for a good story.  

Some of the St. Louis attractions are the Bud Brewery and the Zoo.  I loved the monkey cages at the zoo.  I could watch those silly monkeys all afternoon.  I am a die-hard Guiness (Brilliant) Beer Drinker and have been before it was cool to drink.  (That would be over 20 years)  Taking the Bud tour in the middle of July in the extreme heat made me so thirsty that I could drink a huge glass of Bud (pig oil).  All of the visual advertisements you see on the tour.  All of the sounds and the great smells of the beer brewing and the yeast.  Wow, what a taste bud torcher-chamber.  At the end you can sample the different beers.  I drank that ice cold Bud so fast it gave me an ice-cream headache but it was worth it.  Fresh perfect cold beer on a hot day, priceless.