Speed51.com's "The Big 10"

Our Take on the Week That Was in Short Track Racing

by Speed51.com Staff

Paying Out Through the Field

Usually contingency programs are a little bit top heavy in short track racing.  A race winner might get the goods, but those finishing a little bit back are left empty-handed.  That's why we really like the approach of the CRA.  Several of their awards involve cash and product certificates for finishing in just about any position near the front.  We like seeing everyone remembered and think it's really cool for the guy finishing in the ninth position of the race to get some type of bonus.

Off On The Wrong Foot

Many of the racers who we expected to be title contenders in 2010 on the NASCAR Whelen Southern Modified Tour didn't have a great outing in the season opener at Atlanta.  Tim Brown finished second, but Andy Seuss (12th), LW Miller (14th), Brian Loftin (16th) and Burt Myers (17th) all have some catching up to do after race one.  As for Corey LaJoie, well we didn't think he was going to run the full schedule in the Hillbilly Racing entry, but after a winning debut those plans might be up for review.

Power Imposter!

Stop us if this sounds familiar….a panel of journalists and industry insiders get together to give their two cents about who is hot in short track racing, their votes are tallied in a mathematical formula and the results are given in a monthly “power poll”.  But wait…this isn't the Speed51.com Short Track Power poll that's run for nearly a decade that we are talking about.  It's the new NASCAR Hunter index that ranks NASCAR's finest short trackers on their own website.  We're not sure whether we are grumpy for not making it onto their “panel of auto racing writers” that decide the award or flattered…because after all, you know what they said about imitation.

Blue Ovals Hit the Ovals

If our memories are correct, a car manufacturer hasn't supported any kind of New England short track stock car racing since Pontiac helped out some teams in the old days of the NASCAR Busch North Series.  That's all changing this year though as Ford has put into place contingency programs for ACT Late Models and PASS North as part of a nationwide program.  The sad thing?  A few of the teams that we most associate with the Blue Oval in New England are Dion Brothers Racing and Cushman Competition, but neither of those teams seem to be planning to race in 2010.

Saturday Night's Alright (For Racin')

For as long as we can remember, or at least the past few decades, in New Hampshire, you could go racing at Lee USA Speedway on Friday nights, Star Speedway on Saturdays and Hudson Speedway on Sundays.  Pending court and town approval though, that will change in 2010.  Lee has made its plans known to shift its racing program to Saturday nights, but first needs to get approval from a very demanding town government.  As far as Star Speedway, most recently known as All-Star Speedway, there are serious doubts on whether or not the track will even open up this year.  Times are changing indeed.

Bubba's Legacy

You know that you've truly arrived when a race track starts naming fixtures after you.  At Stafford Motor Speedway (CT), Ted Christopher has a grandstand named in his honor.  At Gresham Motorsports Park (GA), Bubba Pollard has something far different that has been given his name.  The track has installed over 70 Jersey Barriers on the frontstretch and, accordingly to a press release, “the new retaining structures were quickly dubbed 'Bubba Barriers' by GMP track workers in honor of racer Bubba Pollard, who's car rolled over after colliding with the wall during the 300-lap World Crown headline event.”

Alphabet Soup

Title Sponsorship of a race series is a great thing that happens all too rarely these days.  But it can be a bit confusing at times.  For example, the ASA Late Model Challenge Series is now history.  It is now the Sunoco National Tour - with no ASA anywhere in its title.  There's also an ASA Late Model Series in 2010, but it is what we used to know as the ASA Late Model North Series.  The old ASA Late Model South Series?  That's history - with no replacement under a different name.

A Home Track Changes Homes

It was announced today that Ace Speedway has signed on to become an ASA Member Track.  For a long time, they were part of the NASCAR Home Tracks program.  While the NASCAR name and certain magic, has it lost some of its luster to short track operators in recent years?  As the NASCAR short track numbers shrink and the ASA Member Track program grows, you might think so.  Then again, maybe a little competition will be a great thing for track operators…and race fans too.

Mad Max Hits The Short Tracks

Max Papis is a hoot.  We remember a long-ago 24 Hours of Daytona where he drove the wheels off his car late in the race to earn the nickname “Mad Max”.  He's also committed to stock car racing too.  Lots of road racers and Indy Car pilots claim that they want to go NASCAR racing, but went it comes o moving through the ranks, they are lucky to even know if there is a world beneath the ARCA level.  Papis isn't one of those racing snobs.  This weekend, he'll be racing in the UARA-Stars opener at Hickory just to gain seat time. 

North Wilkesboro Lives Again

There are some big plans for some great races coming up over the next year or two at North Wilkesboro Speedway.  Those plans all got closer to reality this week as the ASA Late Models hit the track there for a tire test.  Series head honcho Ron Varney is even said to have strapped on an open faced helmet to log a few laps himself.  We weren't sure if they day would ever come when racecars would return to Wilkes County, but we're sure glad it did.