Dietrich and Hodnett Highlight the Northeast's Talent; Other Area Races Heating Up

It's almost impossible to deny, so why beat around the bush? Week in and week out this season since the snow melted and tracks opened their gates, Central PA drivers Danny Dietrich and Greg Hodnett have been the fastest and most consistent drivers hands down.

Other competitors have thrown their hats into the ring at different points in time, and we've witnessed some pretty incredible hot streaks in 2015. Stevie Smith's domination of PA Speedweeks, Dale Blaney's masterful driving in July, and Brent Marks three Port Royal triumphs in a seven-day span come to mind. But my point still stands, Dietrich and Hodnett have been the creme of the crop.

As evidenced by our Northeast Sprintcar Championship presented by R&R Racewear, the pair has blown away the competition (full standings can be found here).

Pos. [Points] Driver Name - Wins
1. [116] Danny Dietrich - 15 wins
2. [114] Greg Hodnett - 14 wins
3. [92] Dale Blaney - 12 wins
4. [80] Brian Montieth - 9 wins
5. [59] Stevie Smith - 9 wins

With the number of events winding down, I don't foresee anyone coming from 3rd on back to make a run at the title. However, a we have some very tight battles in each of our local breakdowns.

Dietrich and Hodnett will have a cage match of their own as they still have remaining races at Williams Grove, Port Royal, Lincoln, Susquehanna, and Path Valley Speedway.

In particular, the Ohio and Western PA areas are experiencing the tightest races. Byron Reed is holding down the top spot but only by 4 markers over fellow Ohio native Cole Duncan. With just 3 races left in the area at Atomic Speedway ($4,000 to win), Millstream Speedway, and Eldora Speedway (ASCoC-sanctioned), a win at either event could certainly shake up the standings.

The closest race can be found in Western PA where competitiveness comes at a premium. Veteran driver Mercer Raceway Park track champion Jack Sodeman, Jr sits just 1 point ahead of 2nd year driver and Lernerville Speedway track champion A.J. Flick. Brandon Matus, who finished 2nd in both points standings, is just 3 points behind Sodeman and 2 behind the youngster Flick. The $3,000 to win Steel City Stampede at Lernerville Speedway is the only race left that these guys are likely to enter. Look for the results of this race as it will likely determine the top Western PA driver of the season.

Points will end and become official on October 31st. Remaining tracks with counting point races are Williams Grove, Port Royal, Susquehanna, Path Valley, Port Royal,

Central PA
1. Danny Dietrich [116]

Byron Reed currently leads the Ohio area points

2. Greg Hodnett [114]
3. Brian Montieth [80]
4. Stevie Smith [59]
5. Lucas Wolfe [48]

Ohio
1. Byron Reed [40]
2. Cole Duncan [36]
3. Cap Henry [33]
4. Craig Mintz [22]
5. Dean Jacobs [21]

Western PA
1. Jack Sodeman, Jr [22]
2. A.J. Flick [21]
3. Brandon Matus [19]
4. Carl Bowser [18]
5. Ed Lynch, Jr [15]

Western PA hotshoe Jack Sodeman, Jr holds a 1 pt. lead
over youngster A.J. Flick in the Western PA points

All Star Circuit of Champions
1. Dale Blaney [92]
2. Sheldon Haudenschild [51]
3. Cody Darrah [49]
4. Greg Wilson [37]
5. Ryan Smith [37]

World of Outlaws
1. Donny Schatz [32]
2. Shane Stewart [18]
3. Joey Saldana [11]
4. Daryn Pittman [8]
    Paul McMahan [8]

Independent
1. Rico Abreu [12]
2. Sammy Swindell [9]
3. Steve Kinser [8]
4. Dave Blaney [6]
    Tanner Thorson [6]

Billy Moyer Earned A Special Place

And so it came to be at Knoxville last week, that the legendary late model star known as Billy Moyer announced that he'll soon be going into semi-retirement mode. And it surprised absolutely nobody. He'd been hinting at it for a while as he prepared for a future life of car building and looking out his office window to gaze upon the 800 trophies in his vault. A sight he'd not really thought about much or had full appreciation of. He'd simply been too busy to think about what they all meant most likely.

Pat Miller Photo

The strange thing though, for some who are on the outer fringes of the sport, is that his announcement came and went with not much in the way of a big fuss for one of the most successful drivers in dirt racing history. He holds a special place, having undertaken a career that puts him in the rarefied air of Kinser, Hearn, Swindell and a few others. It feels like there should very well be a celebration. Some kind of farewell mini tour or other special event perhaps.  But one thing is clear, the fact that there's not a huge reaction from the fans or the industry, probably represents the way that Moyer wanted the situation handled...with little fanfare. 

For a generational talent, Moyer never seemed to give off much in the way of sideshows, gimmicks, or attention seeking. He's about his business, and goes about it with a lunch pail attitude that many fans can appreciate. He battled with the best of the best for over 30 years, and did so with a tireless spirit of hard work, precision and grace despite the challenges that touring full time to make a living present. When Moyer is talked about around the campfire in the pits, the conversation turns to two things. 1. Remember the time that Moyer (insert one of many heroic performances over his career.  2. Is Moyer or Bloomquist the greatest super late model driver of all time?  

From BillyMoyer.com

You almost never hear anything about him driving anybody recklessly or questionable behavior on or off the track, or even much in the way of unsavory victory lane interviews. And maybe that's why the buzz seems less than it should be. He did it with class. Some might say there's just not much personality there. They'd be wrong.  Upon watching interviews from over the years, one gets a feel that there is a careful speaker delivering a well thought out response, or simply stating that he might not be sure of an answer just yet. And he does it with the familiar grin through his versions of facial hair over the years.

So even though he'd probably not appreciate a huge sendoff with fireworks and cameras going off every half second, we'd like to pay homage to him here and wish him nothing but the best of luck in his future endeavors. He's earned a special place among the greats of the sport, one that may be understated by attention, but justified by his results. He's earned his time off, to do whatever he likes and owes nobody in the sport much of anything.  

Now then..about that greatest driver in late model history debate...we declare!

The answer to that question, will always be in the eye of the beholder, both drivers dominated against great competition so simply put, why not just enjoy the debate and keep it as it is, a question without a real answer, but a great conversation starter, a part of the history of the sport that will forever be talked about and brought up. And if somebody should pick one over the other...so be it, so long as another person in the conversation is there to take up the side of the other. Have at it!!

This Week In Dirt

So, you've been missing out have you? Been paying attention to things non dirt racing related since the action is slowing down? Maybe you spent all weekend in a place you shouldn't have, doing something you shouldn't have been doing. And hey, that's your business! We're not here to judge, you've got your reasons.  Whether you were in a cheap hotel all weekend, or spent all weekend at your favorite tavern face down in a plate of wings, or whether you were in the casino putting your children's college fund on the line,  (hey, there's always community college right? You were being human, and what's life without some risk. Just repent...it's all good!

And that brings us to the Pope.  The leader of the Roman Catholic church has affected dirt racing.  His recent trip to Philadelphia forced leaders at Bridgeport Speedway (NJ) to postpone a perfectly good weekend due to traffic concerns, and it didn't have to go down that way.  One thing remains clear, there are two things you can't find in the Vatican, good beef jerky, and down home dirt track racing! Had somebody invited Pope Francis to the dirt track in the first place, we could have made another fan. It could have been on his itinerary and he could have enjoyed himself taking in all the sights, sounds and smells of our favorite sport.  We missed an opportunity to make a dirt racing convert here but we never give up. so when he tours the U.S of A again, we cordially invite him to a dirt track in the nearest vicinity, on us, with all the beer and hot dogs he can drink and eat.

And in the meantime, since you were naughty, we'll catch you up on what you missed this week in DIRT... (no hail Mary's necessary)


Landers Wins Picture of Donny Schatz at Knoxville....and $40,000...Davenport Does NOT Win

Jared Landers passed Josh Richards on lap 92 of the annual Lucas Oil Knoxville Late Model Nationals this weekend and hung on to win by less than two tenths of a second to collect his biggest win of his career. The Batesville, AK driver overcame his seat belt coming undone early in the race to take his second career crown jewel event. At the current time, we're checking to see exactly what his first crown jewel race victory was. Landers, who currently runs 8th in Lucas series points was presented with a $40,000 novelty check, and an autographed picture of Donny Schatz winning the actual Knoxville Nationals. According to reports Landers has agreed to sell the picture on Ebay to the highest bidder or will also accept a new harness in trade.

Points leader Jonathan Davenport did not win of course, succumbing to engine failure earlier in the contest prompting those in the pit area to light cigarettes off of the burned power-plant when Davenport made his way back.  Davenport's record in crown jewels now falls to 8-2.

Top 10:

1. Jared Landers
2. Josh Richards
3. Jimmy Owens
4. Mike Marlar
5. Darrell Lanigan
6. Chad Simpson
7. Chris Simpson
8. Brandon Sheppard
9. Frank Heckenast Jr.
10. Steve Francis

Friesen does NOT win at Fonda

No, we're not kidding. Stewart Friesen lost at Fonda in Super DIRTcar Series action Saturday night. The track champion had seemingly not lost a race at the legendary NY oval in years, typically only not winning when his car failed. But on this night, Friesen's car was running and he still lost as Billy Decker picked up the win for his fourth series victory in 2015. It was Decker's first win at Fonda since the Reagan administration.

Top 10:

1. Billy Decker
2. Stewart Friesen
3. Larry Wight
4. Gary Tomkins
5. Tim Fuller
6. Matt Sheppard
7. Danny Varin
8. AJ Romano
9. Jimmy Phelps
10. Keith Flach

Mr. Wilson Outperforms Donny Schatz

Yep, that headline is correct. Ohio's Greg Wilson outperformed World of Outlaw Series point leader Donny Schatz, and 23 other guys in collecting the victory at Eldora Speedway Friday night. Wilson took his first career WoO victory by taking the seldom used low side of the speedway in a move that even made Dale Blaney proud.  "That was impressive," Blaney said post race. "I may be the low rider, but Greg's race was something to behold. You just can't throw sliders on a guy running that low, well, not without doing cartwheels anyway."

In other tour action, Schatz took the win at an asphalt track covered with dirt, mainly because, Greg Wilson was not present. Had he been there, Schatz would have most certainly finished second or worse. It was Schatz's 30th win of the season which is still many short of Steve Kinser's 40+ win seasons, but still a nice number for the second greatest driver of the WoO era. In other news, Logan Schuchart took a podium finish Saturday night.....yep, he sure did!

Friday Night (Top 10):

1. Greg Wilson
2. Shane Stewart
3. Rico Abreu
4. Donny Schatz
5. Dale Blaney
6. Daryn Pittman
7. Jason Sides
8. Chad Kemenah
9. Jacob Allen
10. Brad Sweet

Saturday Night (Top 10):

1. Donny Schatz
2. Daryn Pittman
3. Logan Schuchart
4. Brad Sweet
5. Kerry Madsen
6. Shane Stewart
7. Gary Taylor
8. Steve Kinser
9. David Gravel
10. Ryan Ruhl


Sanders does NOT win USMTS....Will Not host SNL this year.

Rodney Sanders failed to secure his third USMTS championship Thursday night, coming up just short in his chase of the hunt, the annual sprint to the finish of the USMTS season.  Sanders came into the following night just a handful of points behind eventual winner Jason Hughes. But Hughes would put an exclamation point on his championship with a victory in the final points race at Deer Creek Speedway (MN) in the annual Fall Jamboree.

Shortly after, Saturday Night Live producer Lorne Michaels reported that he'd rescinded his offer for Sanders to host the sketch comedy show. "That offer came with the understanding that Sanders would be champion, and at the time it looked impossible that he wouldn't be that, but circumstances prevailed which will now cause us to look in another direction," Michaels said.  When asked who would replace Sanders, Michaels responded, "Truthfully, we'd love to ask Donny Schatz or Jonathan Davenport, but their price tags are a bit steep, perhaps we'll look at Scott Bloomquist as a potential replacement."

See More:
This Week In Dirt - Sanders to host SNL

A disheartened Sanders was amazingly not phased by the decision whatsoever. "To be honest, I had plans that Saturday night and am relieved to be off the hook.  I'd rather be racing, or cow tipping, either would be more enjoyable to performing on SNL. I saw the script and the jokes were completely substandard."

Sanders still has had another amazing season and will look to do more work in his super late model program in 2016.

Final USMTS Hunt For The Cup Championship Standings

1. Jason Hughes
2. Rodney Sanders
3. Stormy Scott
4. Jesse Sobbing
5. Zach VanderBeek
6. Dereck Ramirez
7. Joe Duvall
8. Brent Larson
9. Casey Arneson
10. Cade Dillard


And that'll do it folks! Have a great week and stay DIRTY

The Dirt Classic 2015

Hello people of the Internet, my name is Patrick Miller. Being the resident photographer of The Dirt Network, I usually don’t have a lot to say. After a recent post by my buddy Brian “Dobie” Compton and his trip to Eldora for the World 100, I felt inspired. I had a trip planned to “The Dirt Classic” at Lincoln Speedway in Abbotstown, PA coming up and thought that it was something I could do to document my trip. So here goes:

-Woke up at about 8:45 AM on Saturday and went on to check email, Twitter, Facebook, etc. I had packed the night before, so everything was just double checking. Knowing I was only going to be away for 27(?) or so hours, I packed lightly. I made sure all my camera equipment was ready to go and fully charged. I put everything in my car and at 9:37 AM, me and my significant other, the Wonderful (she made me say that) Cheryl Fleming hit the road.

-Google Maps put us on a course toward the central part of PA and said we’d reach our destination in about three hours and ten minutes. We set off on Route 56 to 22 and stopped the Ebensburg Sheetz. I needed some cash and it was back on the road. For our listening pleasure, it was “The King of ALL Media”, Howard Stern. I love talk radio, and there’s nothing better than Howard for a road trip.

-After all the extraneous miles on the PA Turnpike we reached “The Mill” at about 12:50. The Mill is a restaurant between New Oxford and Gettysburg. We stopped here last year on our way to The Dirt Classic. At The Mill, I had a club sandwich, at which I didn’t have to join a club, and Cheryl had a pulled pork flatbread. The food and service was just as amazing as we remembered from last year.

The Mill: Check the menu.

-After our meal we went to our hotel. Our hotel was the Federal Pointe Inn in downtown Gettysburg. For the price I booked the room for, it was well worth it. Check it out here.

-After check-in, we got on the road to Lincoln which was about a half-hour away. Traffic was no problem and we arrived about 4:15. We got our tickets and placed our chairs in the infield. I knew being in the infield that I wasn’t going to get an ideal spot to get pictures, but we’d make the most of it.

-After getting to the track, we found Danny Dietrich’s posse and I bought a hat. Cheryl went and bought a Brent Marks shirt. We retrieved our pit passes and went to check and see who was exactly going to participate in “The Dirt Classic”. We saw our local guys, Carl Bowser and AJ Flick and then we settled back into our spots in the infield.

Danny Dietrich 

-We really didn’t eat or drink anything when we were at Lincoln, but we had a great time. The racing in the main event was well worth the price of admission. After the race we didn’t stick around. I was looking to get back to the hotel so I could process my pictures. We found a Burger King for snacks and that was it. I processed my pictures and had nice sleep. We woke up and ventured back to Western PA.


-To see my full photo gallery click here:

Brian Montieth

Dirt Classic Preview

There's a chill in the air, and the leaves are soon going to start changing colors.  In the dirt racing world that means frequent big events throughout the country on a weekly basis.  This coming weekend in central Pennsylvania is no different.  This Saturday night the Kasey Kahne Foundation sponsors the 2nd annual Dirt Classic at the Lincoln Speedway in Abbottstown, Pennsylvania.  If you have never been to Lincoln I would high suggest going.  It is a very racey track with multiple grooves that produce two and three wide racing all night, and with some of the outsiders coming in, this weekend should be a great show.  The feature will pay $20,000 to the winner, and an increased purse throughout the field to strengthen the event.  Stevie Smith, who drives for Fred Rahmer, was the victor in this event last season.  The Dirt Classic is a unique event that institutes a passing points format after time trials with fully inverted heat races in the second set of heats.  Now on to the preview.

Pat Miller Photo

The Favorite

Danny Dietrich - Dietrich has been the hottest driver over the past month in a half in central Pennsylvania, and he is also the fastest car consistently at the Lincoln Speedway.  With the double heats and passing points Dietrich should be even tougher to stop.  If I had to put my money on anyone Saturday I would put my money on Dietrich.



Contenders

Stevie Smith - Smith is the defending winner of this race and after the Pennsylvania Speedweek he had this season and picking up the win in the Summer Nationals at Williams Grove against the World of Outlaws, Smith has to be considered one of the top drivers in this event.  His summer has been really hot, and it has been a little while since Smith unloaded, but he should be fast right out of the box.

Pat Miller Photo

Brian Montieth - Montieth has yet to have that major victory in his career totaling over $10,000, but this could be the one.  Montieth is a high side specialist who is very fast at Lincoln and he was the track champion at the speedway again this season.  If Montieth can put himself in a decent position come feature time, we could be seeing the 21 car in victory lane Saturday.

Greg Hodnett - How can you bet against this guy?  I know, you're saying well Kyle he hasn't been that fast at Lincoln in his career.  Oh really?  Who won the World of Outlaws race at Lincoln earlier this year?  That's right, it was Hodnett, and he will be a tough customer on Saturday.  He is the leading winner in central Pennsylvania just barely ahead of Dietrich in 2015, and he will be a force to be reckoned with Saturday.

Sammy Swindell - This is going out on a little bit of a limb, but Swindell is a winner, and since joining forces with CJB Motorsports Swindell has been on a roll.  He swept the NSL sanctioned Jackson Nationals not that long ago, and could be your surprise winner in the Dirt Classic.

The fact of the matter is there are plenty of other drivers to watch as well including Freddie Rahmer, Alan Krimes, and Lance Dewease just to name a few.  I know I will be there Saturday and you should too.  It's going to be a great show.

For those who can't quite make it, and quite frankly who wouldn't want to be at this one live and in person? But should circumstances prevail or you live too far away. Be sure to check out the fantastic pay per view broadcast from Speed Shift TV! For only $19.95, you can enjoy the action from Lincoln! Show starts at 7:30 PM and you can order here: Speed Shift Dirt Classic Ordering

Commentary: TDN Guide To The Concession Stand

"The secret to success in life is to eat what you like and let the food fight it out inside!" -Mark Twain

I just had a bad experience at a dirt track concession stand recently and it got me thinking. At first, I thought about how hungry I was and how there was really nothing around to satisfy it.  Then, I thought about that lonely 1/2 open bag of peanuts from four months before that were still in the trunk of my car, did they miss me as much as I missed them? Were they still any good?


From Dustin Jarrett Blogspot.

Of course it didn't have to come to that, but it did. Hey, I've eaten 4 month old cinnamon almonds that were in my racing chair pocket when there was nothing else edible around.  But it does speak to the disparity between levels of concession stand successes and failures at different dirt tracks.

Almost every single one of us can agree, that the food has almost never once enticed us to go to a specific track. We chase the race, regardless of facility amenities to a certain point. We know what we want to see on the track, and we make a choice to go there.  General Managers and promoters are well aware of this too. And that fact, guides their decision making when it comes to how much attention and love to put into their concession program.  This is where we can start to separate the average, to the good, to the great when it comes to promoters.

You see, even though the food doesn't bring cars into your parking lot directly, a well run concession program does generate revenue to the point that makes a difference on the ledger at the end of the night. The smart promoter/gm knows this and commits sufficient energy to the food portion of the evening.  The one's that take it for granted....we'll let's just say they might be closer to buying a ticket for themselves and sitting with the fans than they'd like to believe.


We're not chef's here at TDN, (well, one of us used to be years ago), but here's some useful guidelines for the gm/promoters who might be out of their depths when it comes to how to deal with the changing role of food at the track.


Atmosphere

Truthfully, and pay attention here. A fan should smell your burgers, hot dogs, and other grilled items cooking the minute they get out of their car in the lot! They should smell them before they take in one breath of race fuel exhaust! A well run concession program starts with that....atmosphere.  A clean stand, new looking and updated signage (not hand written on cardboard), and a smiling worker can make all the difference in the world! It starts the fan experience off on the right foot, and makes any mishaps later on seem secondary, not primary. Make time to keep all equipment looking great and all condiment stations stocked and wiped down very frequently. Remember, the fans will eat what you have to offer, but that negative rep you can get from looking grimy will have people brown bagging it before you know it.

Menu

We're not going to go through a list of things we'd like to see at the track. That would be impossible as there's no practical way to do flambeed Steak Diane to order at many tracks. But we're going to impart one methodology that works and works well.

You don't have to have a million things on the menu, you can have 10 if you like, but make those 10 items perfectly.....and customers will sing your praises

That said, a great menu needs the right amount of things done to perfection and a good deal of balance too. Here's what to look for in quality productions.

Grilled Fare:
Are you char grilling your burgers, hot dogs and sausages? Why not?  It adds very little to the cost and they taste so much better. Can't afford a huge gas grill? Use Charcoal, even more flavor there. Okay, so everybody does burgers, dogs and sausages..what makes yours better? What sets them apart? What makes the customers take notice? Do you put out fresh lettuce, sliced tomatoes, or sliced onions?  We hardly ever see fresh veggies at the track. How about some bacon?  Remember this, people are willing to pay a little more for something a lot nicer! Why not run a gourmet burger or hot dog (1/4 pound all beef frank), or bratwurst with grilled peppers and onions, and regular versions of each for the budget minded fan too.

Pizza:
Almost every track does pizza, and many of them do it with little flair at all.  Hey it'll fill your stomach right?  While that may be true, there's one thing we can recommend for probably 70% of all tracks that serve it to sell more of it. Make it browned, and evenly so.  We can't tell you how many dirt track pizzas we've seen that barely had the cheese melted on. We've even seen a track that put pepperoni on the pie to order and served a slice at a time. Of course it fell right off.  Folks, if you're using a pizza conveyor, adjust it and allow time for it to brown. Afraid of making too much? Get yourself a heated cabinet to hold it and bring it out as you need slices. It's not rocket science, it just needs to be done with pride! Want to make it special? Get some sausage crumbles or some peppers and onions on it!

Chicken:
Okay, so most tracks do some kind of chicken tender or breaded chicken sandwich. And they're fine as long as there's some good dips around.  But what about wings? No..not breaded wing dings sold plain with a packet of hot sauce. What about wings fresh floured and fried, then tossed in a couple of different sauces. Would you pay more for that? Many of us would! Low cost, high profit and why more tracks don't do it is a mystery!

Popcorn/Pretzels/Fries/Nachos:
Simple fare, but still needs attention to detail! Make sure popcorn is in a nice looking cabinet and sold in a nice looking box, and for the love of god....lay off the salt! It's seen as a sign that you're trying to inflate soft drink sales. People are going to get beverages regardless, there's no need to make your customers feet swell! 

When it comes to pretzels, keep them fresh and batch make them so they won't break your teeth! Same salt rules apply as with popcorn, and if you want to make it special, the same company that sold you the regular soft pretzels, will also sell you many other pretzels like jalapeno cheese, cinnamon, and others! 

When it comes to fries, people like them crispy generally, so why not go for a coated product that works better and by the way , change the grease every couple of weeks!

Ah, nachos, a money maker to be sure and easy to do. Take a three tiered container, chips, hot cheese and jalapenos.  Most tracks get this right, but how about a buy up gourmet nacho with taco meat, pulled pork, salsa and sour cream? People pay more for something a little nicer folks...



Exotic Tastes:
There should be a little something different, something you can't find at any other dirt track in your repertoire. Maybe it's something local like a fish sandwich tradition, or a bologna burger, or perhaps corn fritters.

Why not a blue plate special? Have you ever been to Screven Motor Speedway and tasted the offerings of promoter Redd Griffin? There's homemade meatloaf, spaghetti and other complete meals that are not of the fast food variety, and it's more healthy too.

Make it a point to pick something local and do it, and like we said above, do it perfectly!

Beverages:
If it's feasible, always give the customer the option of selecting a bottle of their favorite drink out of the cooler, (for a little more), or a fountain for the budget or smaller sized minded folks. And when it comes to the fountain, put as many flavors out there as possible! Try new flavors too. The days of the old Coke/Diet Coke/Sprite selections are over. Better make sure you've got some lemonade,  flavored iced teas and other flavors out there too, or you could be basically saying no to greater sales.

And yes...people enjoy coffee! Your older folks enjoy the standard brew (think Bunn-O-Matic 3 burner). But why not use shelf stable half and half liquid packs instead of powered creamer? And also, why not get a four or five flavored cappuccino and hot chocolate machine? They don't cost an arm and a leg and the younger folks live on the stuff! And also, please adjust the mix so it's actually flavorful instead of lightly flavored hot water. Your customers will never get another cup once they think they can't trust the machine!

Ice Cream:
We race when it's prime ice cream time! So how about doing it right by opening up a hand dipped ice cream stand with waffle cones and toppings for sundaes? Of course you can sell some novelties in your ice cream freezer too for more budget minded customers, but why not put your best foot forward? Do it with pride!


Side Vendors:
Okay, so you've got room on the concourse to lease some space for side vendors. Bring in only the right ones of course, the one's that are fully insured, with a good sanitation record, and also, one's that offer something completely different that you do at the main track stand! Whether it's a specialty sandwich, or a dessert, it should be different than what you have to offer. Depending on the lease agreements and profit/loss arrangement, you may not see an increase in revenue if they do, but you brought side vendors in for your fans, to give them something great they can't get any where else. Some things you do for your fans, just because....

Well now we've got the food together....

Price
It's going to be up to every promoter/gm what to charge for what. But at the end of the day, your pricing guidelines should contain the following mindsets  1. We do not gouge our customers shortsightedly!  2. We adjust prices to what markets will bear 

Get your product cost back of course, but figure in employees, taxes and utilities into your price structure.  And like we've said before, people will pay more for something a little nicer! Good guidelines say 70% above food or raw product cost.  If it costs a dollar to make, it sells for around $3-3.50

Employees
In a perfect setting, they have uniforms or at least coordinated tshirts. And every single one of them are people you'd leave your kids with and as friendly as you'd ever want to meet.  But your first impression upon interviewing your concession stand help should tell you most of what you need to know. Did they dress with pride, are they well kept, and did they present you with a firm handshake and look you in the eye? Everything else that they need to know, you can teach. But if they've got a good foundation for working, that's over half the battle! Oh....and make it worth their while to be there!


In Closing
Your concession speaks volumes to your fans.  The pride, thought, and diligence you put into the operation are part of what completes the dirt track experience. It doesn't always take a huge pile of cash, or more energy than it's worth to make it more special, so get resourceful, talk to other tracks and network, and try to shift the fan mindset from "I eat because I'm hungry" to "I'm here to enjoy something I can't get just anywhere.

Weeekend Scoreboard

 
Sunday September 20

Race of Champions Modifieds at Penn Can Speedway (PA)

1. Kevin Hartnett  2. Nick Rochinski  3. Stewart Friesen  4. Dan Pompey  5. Tyler Dippel
6. Mike Mahaney  7. Danny Creeden  8. Brian Weaver  9. Danny Johnson  10. Joey Grammes
11. Mike Loney  12. Erick Rudolph  13. Gary Tomkins  14. Brian Malcolm  15. Ken Titus
16. Bobby Trapper  17. Brandon Walters  18. Mike Clapperton  19. Joey Colsten 
20. Mike Dougherty  21. Alan Rudalavage  22. Jackie Brown  23. Tyler Siri  24. Nick Petrilak


410 Sprints at Susquehanna Speedway (PA)

1. Greg Hodnett  2. Jac Haudenschild  3. Austin Hogue  4. Chase Dietz  5. Glenndon Forsythe
6. Lance Dewease  7. Steve Owings  8. Brad Howard  9. David Quakenbush  10. Wayne Dadetto
11. Dan Shetler  12. Jordan Mackison  13. Wyatt Hinkle  14. Kyle Pruitt  15. Hunter Mackison
16. Anthony Fiore 

Saturday September 19

Big Block Modifieds- Freedom 76er at Grandview Speedway (PA- $25,000)

1. Crag Von Dohren  2. Billy Pauch Jr  3. Ray Swineheart  4. Duane Howard  5. Kenny Gilmore
6. Tommy Sheetz III  7. Danny Erb  8. Frank Cozze  9. Jeff Strunk  10. Rick Laubach
11. Kevin Hirthler  12. Ryan Grimm  13. Doug Manmiller  14. Jared Umbenhauer
15. Jimmy Horton  16. Don Norris Jr.  17. Nate Christman  18. Mike Gular  19. John Willman
20. Andy Bachetti  21. Ryan Kunkle  22. Tad Cox  23. Tim Buckwalter  24. Stewart Friesen
25. Ryan Watt  26. Meme Desantis  28. Danny Bouc  29. Addison Metzler  30. Billy Pauch Sr
31. Ryan Gowdown  32. Lou Cicconi

Lucas Oil Late Models Jackson 100 at Brownstown Speedway (IN)

1. Jonathan Davenport  2. Mike Marlar  3. Devin Moran  4. Brandon Sheppard
5. Don O'Neal  6. Scott Bloomquist  7. Jared Landers  8. Jimmy Owens  9. Dale McDowell
10. Mason Zeigler  11. Steve Francis  12. Earl Pearson Jr.  13. Chris Brown  14. Dennis Erb Jr.
15. Eddie Carrier Jr.  16. Devin Gilpin  17. Steve Barnett  18. Matt Bex  19. Jason Jameson
20. Chris Simpson  21. Jackie Boggs  22. Cody Mahoney  23. Kent Robinson  24. Greg Johnson
25. Chad Stapleton

World of Outlaw Sprints at Deer Creek Speedway (MN)

1. Brad Sweet  2. Donny Schatz  3. Daryn Pittman  4. Danny Lasoski  5. David Gravel
6. Jacob Allen  7. Ian Madsen  8. Terry McCarl  9. Joey Saldana  10. Jason Johnson
11. Logan Schuchart  12. Paige Polyak  13. Jason Sides  14. David Heskin  15. Paul McMahan
16. Donovan Peterson  17. RJ Johnson  18. Craig Dollansky  19. Shane Stewart  20. Tim Kaeding
21. Bryan Clauson  22. Bryant O'Bannion  23. Kerry Madsen  24. Matt Wasmund

All Star Sprints at Fremont Speedway (OH)

1. Ryan Smith  2. Christopher Bell  3. Cody Darrah  4. Chad Kemenah  5. Sheldon Haudenschild
6. Tim Shaffer  7. Cole Duncan  8. Byron Reed  9. Greg Wilson  10. DJ Foos  11. Lee Jacobs
12. Danny Holtgraver  13. Danny Smith  14. Dale Blaney  15. Gary Taylor  16. Tanner Thorson
17. Cap Henry  18. Dean Jacobs  19. Chris Andrews  20. TJ Michael  21. Bryan Sebetto
22. Rob Chaney  23. Caleb Griffith  24. Andrew Palker  25. Brian Smith

410 Sprints at Selinsgrove Speedway (PA)- Jim Nace Memorial National Open ($10,000)

1. Danny Dietrich  2. Greg Hodnett  3. TJ Stutts  4. Brent Marks  5. Lucas Wolfe  6. Brock Zearfoss
7. Davie Frankek   8. Todd Shaffer  9. Lance Dewease  10. Blaine Heimbach  11. Pat Cannon
12. Mike Erdley  13. Curt Stroup  14. Jason Shultz  15. Ryan Kissinger  16. Dustin Baney
17. Charlie Anderson  18. Jevon Ahner  19. Kyle Reinhart  20. Aaron Ott  21. Michael Walter
22. Karl Baker  23. Jac Haudenshild  24. Doug Esh

Canadian Sprint Car Nationals at Oshweken Speedway (Ont, Can) 

1. Bryan Howland  2. Steve Poirier  3. Parker Price Miller  4. Mark Smith  5. Paul Kinney
6. Chuck Hebing  7. Jason Barney  8. Sam Hafertepe Jr  9. Jared Horstman  10. Rob Dietrick
11. Justin Barger  12. Brad Loyet  13. Mitch Brown  14. Yan Bilodeau  15. Kyle Sauder
16. Shawn Dancer  17. Cory Turner  18. Dain Naida 19. Max Stanbaugh  20. Shawn Donath
21. Dane Lorenc  22. Dylan Westbrook  23. Matt Turner  24. Jared Zimbardi  25. Dustin Daggett
26. Rick Wilson  27. Glenn Styres  28. Scott Kreutter  29. Etienne Girard  30. Jordan Thomas

World of Outlaw Late Models at Berlin Raceway (MI)

1. Rick Eckert  2. Darrell Lanigan  3. Jeep Van Wormer  4. Shane Clanton 5. Josh Richards
6. Dana Marcoullier  7. Frank Heckenast Jr.  8. Chub Frank  9. Tim McCreadie  10. Steve Casebolt
11. Morgan Bagley  12. Chase Junghans  13. Nick Latham  14. Eric Wells  15. Ryan VanderWeen
16. Brandon Overton  17. Boom Briggs  18. Eric Spangler  19. Rich Neiser  20. Herb Reich
21. Chad White  22. Brandon Thirlby  23. Aaron Morey  24. Jordan Yaggy


UMP Late Models at I-55 Raceway (MO)  St Louis Showdown

1. Bobby Pierce (Weekend Hat Trick)  2. Hunter Radson  3. Jason Feger  4. Tim Manville
5. Billy Moyer Jr.   6. Rusty Griffaw  7. Billy Moyer  8. Michael Kloos 9. Ashley Newman
10. Dane Dacus  11. Tanner English  12. Austin Rettig  13. Andrew Johns  14. Allen Murray
15. Chris Fisher  16. Cody Conner  17. Caleb Ashby  18. Mike Hammerle  19. Paul Schrempf
20. Rick Standridge

Fastrak Late Model World Championships at Virginia Motor Speedway ($15,000)

1. Walker Arthur  2. Dennis Franklin  3. Matt Long  4. Tim Dohm  5. Dillon Brown
6. Tyler Bare  7. Ron Parker  8. Mark Parks  9. TJ Salango  10. Ryan Montgomery
11. Jimmy Schlitz  12. Brandon Umberger  13. Matthew Nance  14. Aaron Barley
15. Davis Lipscombe  16. Kyle Lukon  17. Rick Williams  18. Corey Gordon 
19. Kenny Compton Jr.  20. Daniel Baggerly 21. Jared Powell  22. Daniel Hill
23. Jensen Ford  24. David Smith


Friday September 18

All Star Sprints at Fremont Speedway (OH)

1. Tim Shaffer  2. Cole Duncan  3. Lee Jacobs  4. Cap Henry  5. Gary Taylor  6. Dale Blaney
7. Dean Jacobs  8. Sheldon Haudenschild  9. Greg Wilson  10. Danny Holtgraver  11. Ryan Smith
12. Travis Philo  13. Tanner Thorson  14. Chad Kemenah  15. Christopher Bell  16. Byron Reed
17. Stewart Brubaker  18. Caleb Armstrong  19. Andrew Palker  20. TJ Michael  21. Caleb Helms
22. Brad Haudenshild  23. Cody Darrah  24. Brian Smith  25. Caleb Griffith

USAC Sprints at Terre Haute Speedway (IN)

1. Robert Ballou  2. Chris Windom  3. Dave Darland  4. Jon Stanbrough  5. Jerry Coons Jr.
6. Kevin Thomas Jr.  7. Chase Stockon  8. CJ Leary   9. Brady Bacon  10. Tyler Courtney
11. Thomas Meseraull  12. Hunter Scheurenberg  13. Shane Cottle  14. Justin Grant
15. Aaron Farney  16. Tracy Hines  17. Brady Short  18. Jarett Andretti  19. JJ Hughes
20. Kyle Robbins  21. Mario Clouser  22. Chad Boespflug

410 Sprints at Williams Grove Speedway (PA)

1. Lucas Wolfe  2. Lance Dewease  3. Danny Dietrich  4. Greg Hodnett  5. Brian Montieth
6. Freddie Rahmer  7. Cory Haas  8. Austin Hogue   9. Rodney Westhafer  10. Glenndon Forsythe
11. Curt Stroup  12. Kyle Moody  13. Nicole Bower  14. Jim Shuster   15. Troy Franker
16. Jac Haudenshild  17. Brent Marks  18. Mallie Shuster  19. Tim Glatfelter  20. Pat Cannon
21. Chase Dietz

Big Block Modifieds at Brewerton Speedway (NY)

1. Matt Sheppard  2. Billy Decker  3. Jimmy Phelps  4. Chuck Bower  5. Vic Coffey 
6. Larry Wight  7. Pat Ward   8. Chris Hile  9. Robbie Bellinger  10. Peter Britten  11. Tim Kerr
12. Roy Bresnahan  13. Rich Scagliotta  14. Matt Hulsizer  15. Billy Whittaker  16. Keith Flach
17. Tim Schneider  18. Brett Hearn  19. Vinnie Vitale   20. Ryan Arbuthnot  21. Chad Phelps
22. Justin Wright  23. Mike Bowman  24. Justin Haers  25. Alan Johnson  26. Ryan Phelps

UMP Late Models at Tri City Speedway (IN)

1. Bobby Pierce  2. Shannon Babb  3. Brian Shirley  4. Jason Feger  5. Ashley Newman
6.  Billy Moyer  7. Billy Moyer Jr.  8. Tim Manville  9. Mark Burgtorf  10. Billy Laycock
11. Claude Walker  12. Darrel Moser  13. Brian Diveley  14. Austin Rettig  15. Jeff Herzog
16. Caleb Ashby  17. Scott Henseler  18. Rusty Griffaw  19. Allen Murray  20. Michael Kloos
21. Cody Conner  22. Chris Fisher  23. Tanner English  24. Jim Shereck  25. Kolby Vandenberg

ALMS Late Models at Farmer City Raceway (IL)- Thursday

1. Bobby Pierce  2. Brian Shirley  3. Shannon Babb  4. Jason Feger  5. Ryan Unzicker 
6. Donny Walden  7. McKay Wenger  8. Tim Manville  9. Brandon Thirlby  10. Scott Bull
11. Rich Bell  12. Kevin Weaver  13. Mike Glasscock  14. Rusty Schlenk  15. Don Hammer
16. Terry Starks   17. Bob Gardner  18. Russ Adams  19. Gordy Gundaker  20. Bill Hough
21. Glen Thompson  22. Curtis Hobbs  23. Rodney Hamblin

$3,000 To Win Super Late Models at Stateline Speedway (NY/PA)

1. Max Blair  2. Mike Knight  3. John Volpe  4. John Lobb  5. Brett Rhebergen  6. Rich Gardner
7. Bump Hedman  8. Dutch Davies  9. Greg Oakes  10. Chad Valone  11. Steve Kania  12. Doug Eck
13. Chris Hackett  14. Bob Dorman  15. Bryce Davis  16. Jason DuPont  17. Darrell Bossard
18. Ryan Scott   19. Bobby Rohrer  20. John Lacki  21. Kirk Bradley  22. Michael Oakes
23. Russ King  24. Matt Urban  25. Robbie Blair  26. Paul Briggs

On Tap:

Outlaws Invade Upper Midwest

The Greatest Show on Dirt is heading back east to finish up the season, but they'll have one more stop in the Midwest this weekend as the Outlaws invade the Clay County Fairgrounds (IA) on Friday and Deer Creek (MN) Speedway on Saturday.  Barring a nuclear war, Donny Schatz has all but clinched the WoO title, but that doesn't mean there won't be a little intrigue this weekend as Danny Lasoski and Terry McCarl crash the party along with a few other notables.  Free audio on Dirtvision.com.  And be sure to play Schatz's Shots!

Points Coming Into the Weekend:

1. Donny Schatz- 9268
2. Shane Stewart-8850
3. Kerry Madsen- 8704
4. Joey Saldana-8676
5. Brad Sweet- 8650

Lucas Oil Late Models-Jackson 100 at Brownstown Speedway (IN)

For as amazing a season as he's had so far, Jonathan Davenport finds himself just 90 points ahead of one red hot Scott Bloomquist coming into the $20,000 to win Jackson 100 this weekend.  Can superman add to his crown jewel collection? Will Don O'Neal take the home state win? No audio or video this week so keep close to Race-Monitor and @lucasdirt on twitter to follow the action.

Points Coming Into the Weekend:

1. Jonathan Davenport- 5885
2. Scott Bloomquist- 5795
3. Jimmy Owens- 5575
4. Earl Pearson Jr.-5465
5. Don O'Neal- 5410

WoO Late Models Tackle Berlin

The fastest late models on the planet take to Michigan's Berlin Raceway for two shows on Friday and Saturday.  Darrell Lanigan is three for three lifetime at the asphalt speed plant which will be covered in clay this weekend, but the man to beat may just be Rick Eckert who is coming off a recent Firecracker 100 victory.  Shane Clanton currently has the season title all but pinned down, but behind him there's still some room for movement in the standings. Check out Dirtvision.com for free audio this weekend!

Points Coming Into The Weekend

1. Shane Clanton- 5388
2. Josh Richards- 5218
3. Chub Frank- 5034
4. Rick Eckert- 4942
5. Morgan Bagley- 4870

SuperDIRTcar Series Sets to Duel in Brewerton

The SDS Big Block Modifieds take to the track at Brewerton Speedway (NY) on Saturday night as weekly track champion Matt Sheppard looks to defend home turf and add to his points lead in the series. He'll be chased by Brett Hearn, Billy Decker, Larry Wight and the rest of the Brewerton faithful plus a few invaders.   Free audio on Dirtvision.com

Points Coming Into the Weekend

1. Matt Sheppard- 2563
2. Brett Hearn- 2471
3. Jimmy Phelps- 2377
4. Billy Decker- 2368
5. Larry Wight- 2321

Freedom 76er at Grandview Speedway

So, you couldn't make the show a week ago? No worries. The make up of the annual Freedom 76er will be this Saturday at Grandview Speedway, so if you're near the area...get there!!! You won't be sorry!

11th Annual Canadian Sprint Car Nationals

And it's that time of the year again as Oshweken Speedway plays host to one of the super bowls  of winged 360 sprint car racing. If you have the time, make your way up there and you will not be disappointed! For more details, click here.

Locally: Kahuna Takes Center Stage:

And in our neck of the woods, Roaring Knob Motorsports Park (PA) hosts the annual King of the Knob and Big Kahuna this Friday and Saturday night fot the super late models.  $2,000 are up for grabs on Friday and another $5,000 on Saturday. It's a great time to get to the picturesque setting and take in one more night at the track!  To check out the whole landscape of dirt offerings from around the area, Click Here

• 410 Sprints at Williams Grove Speedway (PA) -Friday
• All Star Sprints at Fremont Speedway (OH) Friday and Saturday (Jim Ford Classic)
• Southern All Stars Late Models at Smoky Mountain Speedway - Friday

Commentary: We Miss Open Haulers More Than We Realize

Ah....the romantics.  They're what help make the dirt racing world so cherished among fans. You see part of the thing we have in common, all of us in dirt nation (fans, drivers etc) is the bank of amazing dirt track memories we've collected over the years. They linger so vividly in our minds, and make an imprint on our consciousness.

So for a few minutes, please allow me to expound on one of mine...

From Mark Elsie

You see back when I was young (shortly after electricity made it's wonderful debut), I couldn't have been more than about three or four years old, I'd probably been to the track younger but have no recollection, there were open haulers. Anyhow, on any given Saturday night during the season in the southern tier of upstate NY, right between three to five pm, if you happened to be riding around with your folks, you almost always saw something that piqued your interest.  A beautiful looking race car being towed to the track. And when I saw one, I simply drove my folks nuts! "Race car!" I would say with a rising voice while I pointed hoping my parents would get the hint. And not every night, it's good for a kid not to get everything they ask for, but on some nights, my father would turn around and say "wanna go bud?"

I've been addicted to the sport ever since....

Open haulers were wonderful, they gave glimpses as to who was going where, especially when you followed them all the way to the track, and showed off the handiwork of the builder. They could be parked in front of gas stations, and customers would ask where it raced and who drove.  You'd see them going up and down all the two lane roads on the way to the track and knew that it was race night as you went wild with anticipation. And they were also free marketing.

Aaron Clay Photo

They served as a reminder to people in the community that racing was alive and well, and that the sport was nearby. There wasn't much to them. Just a car and a tire rack, and some tools, and they brought people to the track. People that might not have thought about going otherwise, people that had never been before, and those people became fans and came back years afterwards.  I'm not saying that they were more important than they were, but their importance at the time shouldn't be forgotten either.

Their time has come and gone for the most part. They've dwindled in numbers to the point that a handful of drivers use them and they have their reasons. They'll not be making any comebacks in the near future either.  We'll remember them fondly, those of us that saw them in their heyday.  But as their decline continues, ask yourselves a question.

From Mark Elsie

Other than the sign at the entrance fan and driver entrances, is there anything about your community that points to a dirt racing facility being anywhere in the vicinity? And yes, we've seen the late model in the sky above the Wythe Raceway (VA) entrance road.   I'm not saying that we should litter the highways with a million billboards saying "Racing Here Every Saturday Night".   But there should be something in our communities that says to the public that racing still exists here! Maybe have them on display in more community parades perhaps, something to bring the car into the public eye where people can get curious about them and fans can start being created.  Otherwise, it's a road full of non descript white haulers and toters that could be going anywhere, containing anything, maybe even landscaping equipment. 

Want to know the one of the best parts about open haulers, when drivers stopped to get gas or at a restaurant, you could get out of your car and talk with them, get to know them, then root for them at the track, and that was a great thing. Because even though dirt racing is a relatively small niche sport with very few visible public figures and drivers that few have heard of, to the 7 year old shaking hands at the gas station, that driver is a superstar. The day of the open hauler is behind us sadly, but we still need to replace the great attention they brought to the sport.

Eldora, in a day - 2015

Eldora, in a day - 2015

 

Hello fellow friends of dirt, how yinz been? So I made my yearly trip to Eldora for the #World100. This was my 9th year in a row and I wanted to share some of the experiences and atmosphere from "The place that Earl built." 

 

7:04am - I leave the house with my lovely wife on Saturday morning and make the four and 1/2 hour trek west on route 70.  A stop at Sheetz for coffee and Cabela's store in Wheeling, WV is a given. 

 

12:15pm - We arrived at the hotel and head to the Applebee's across the street until the room is ready. We stay at the Hampton Inn in Troy, OH about 40 minutes before the track. It is an advantage to save those 40 minutes when we head home Sunday morning, believe me.

 

3:19pm - We arrive at the Eldora Speedway, and snag a parking spot behind the pit gate entrance. This year was different with Friday's race rained out and run on Saturday morning at 10am. This threw off my timing I must admit, and parking spaces that are usually empty at this time were stuffed full. Since i would not see all of the make up races, we decided to enjoy some beverages and listen to James Essex and the radio broadcast team back at the car. 

 

 

6:10pm - We are in the pit gate and walking hauler to hauler looking at the teams get ready for the heat races coming up shortly. I stopped to watch Kevin Rumley adjust the valves on the #6 car. Food and bathroom lines are getting long, better jump in now before we head track side. I also make my way over to Scott Bloomquists' T-shirt trailer for my yearly donation. 

 

7:53pm - Heat race #1 is heading out onto the race track. This is the moment that is so anticipated, it is hard to put into words. The buzz and anticipation in the air is amazing. Drivers know only the top 3 finishers will transfer to the A-main and no one holds back in these things. Everyone gets on their feet and are about to see the thing they drove here for and thought about since the last time they were here. This is it, THIS, is Eldora!

 

 

10:29pm - Random encounters happening now as "Texas" Terry Labonte and his son Justin come past and watch the #World100 beside me. I tell my wife who he is and that we may see him again in victory lane as he is part owner in Longhorn Chassis cars with his brother Bobby. 

 

10:38pm - An awesome fireworks display and balls of fire go off as the cars circle the track preparing to take the green flag. My wife thinks they accidentally set off the grand finale. I assured her there were plenty left for the victory lane ceremony. I love watching the race from the infield, sitting in my camping chair and having all the room i would ever need. There is zero dust and the large video board is visible to see the action and replays as well as a rundown by position and laps remaining. Once in your life, watch the first 10 laps with your nose to the fence and those motors screaming wide open 10 feet away. Amazing!

 

 

11:10pm =  Checkered flag waves as Jonathan Davenport dominates the race for his first #World100 victory. I can't help but smile as Terry Labonte is up on the stage getting his picture taken. The entire team is usually subdued and quiet, but this is one time where they all are embracing the win and what it means to them. Notice that red broom in the pic below, as Davenport swept the Eldora crown jewels, the Dream and the World this year. The season this #6 team has had is the best ever in my opinion, and the amount of money won just from first place victories has topped $412, 000. It was an honor to witness it in person. 

 So there it is, Eldora in a day. For about $300 including pit passes, food, beer, Bloomquist shirt, and a hotel room you can do it too and its a must see event for dirt fans. I booked my room for next year, and can't wait for that feeling as the cars hit the surface for heat #1.

 

See yinz at the track! - Brian "dobie" Compton