In this space, there was originally supposed to be the reports from two racing events I attended this week. However, both special events were rain shortened and ended up being postponed to later dates this year. There is not much to report from a racing outcome standpoint, but both places desire mention for their efforts, despite threatening conditions, to complete their racing programs. And both will likely take a loss financially for their efforts.
The first event was scheduled for Wednesday, June 28th at the Dirt Oval 66, the dirt track adjacent to the Chicagoland Motor Speedway, Bruton Smith's complex that also includes a world class drag strip also adjacent to the dirt track. The World of Outlaws Late Models were schedule to race on Wednesday, along with UMP Modifieds and Street Stocks.
The previous night they had produced a successful World of Outlaws Sprint Car show won by Donnie Schatz in what was a race that featured more passing by far than the normal WoO show does. The track was slick and smooth and the Sprint Cars put on an excellent show, I was told.
This was the first time that I had been at Joliet, so that was part of the curiosity of going to see a new track. Like all of Bruton Smith's dirt tracks, it is a spectacular facility. It has been largely under used, as most of the Smith's dirt tracks are, and Sherri Heckenast is trying to bring the track back to life, scheduling some real racing events and not just the money making team demolition events that draw huge crowds. And what does that fact say about the state of our racing nation? That is a conversation for another time.
The grandstand is huge and has a severe pitch which makes every seat a good one. The lighting is first class and both the competitors and spectators park on concrete. It's easy to get into and out of and just everything about it is top notch. The scoreboard was pretty minor league which is par for Smith's dirt tracks. This track does get knocked down a little bit for as you ascend into the grandstands, the wrecked buses from their demos and track equipment vehicles are visible behind the back straightaway and they do look junky; something that Smith's other tracks always are is spotless.
As far as the track itself, I didn't get a full look through a complete show so it was a little hard to tell just how well it actually raced. Some of Smith's tracks, particularly Vegas, are spectacular to look at but have not to this point made it as a decent track to race on.
Like I said, I was told that it raced very well for the Sprint Cars but Wednesday's preliminaries didn't show that. The track was quite rough, was breaking up in the corners and seemed to have a number of dips that were causing the cars to bottom out. Perhaps, however, it would have straightened out by feature time. The highlight of the racing was a great side by side battle between Schatz and Frankie Heckenast in a heat race where neither would give an inch until Heckenast finally slid high and Schatz took the win. Other than that, things were pretty strung out in the heats but that can often happen with the Outlaw format.
The weather was an issue all day with a round of rain coming through in the morning that largely missed the track. Another round was scheduled later in the day and in between it was humid and the wind was blowing as it always does in the Chicago area, like a hurricane. The black clouds started to build up and it began to rain lightly, but it toyed with us by largely skirting by the track. Heckenast and her staff stated that they wanted to race if at all possible so they continued to make preparations, even as the mist continued.
When the Outlaws gave the call for the drivers meeting, the teams went into overdrive as everyone had loaded up their equipment when rain appeared eminent. From that point, they moved the show along as fast as possible, trying to beat the rains on the way. However, as lightning started to get close, the handwriting was on the wall. They skipped the B feature for the Late Models and were trying to get the feature on the track when the rain cut loose and the evening was done. The show will now be rescheduled with the two day event planned for October.
But for Heckenast and her crew, it was a lot of work for no reward. And on top of that, the threatening weather killed the crowd with the grandstand being less than half of what it was on Tuesday.
Let's talk about the Outlaws now for just a second. They managed to scrap together a field of twenty six cars that for most of the afternoon looked to be more like twenty. Three crate Late Models showed at the last minute to be field fillers and another two or three had no business being on the track with this group of racers. In other words, what I'm saying is that the Outlaws presented one of the worst starting grids I have seen them produce in a long time and at this, a show place facility and a TV race no less! This tour seems to be in serious shape as they continue to loose, not gain cars.
No matter the fact that it was a long trip for an unsatisfying conclusion, thanks go out to Sherri Heckenast and her staff for all their help and I wish them better luck with the weather the rest of the year.
The second lucky promoter this week was Bob Timm, who runs things at the Mississippi Thunder Speedway north of Fountain City Wisconsin. One of Bob's biggest races every year is his Rivercity Rumble, a special event that he always runs the Friday before the July 4th holiday.
All classes are included in this race, of which he runs five, but big money is on the line with the Modifieds able to win over three grand and the B Mods over two grand. A lot of other bonuses are in play for the drivers and many give aways for the fans along with fireworks so it is a big deal.
Rain had been plaguing many tracks in the upper Midwest on this day with a number of rain outs and postponements due to wet conditions. However, the local area had stayed dry and the forecast saw only a 20% chance of rain, which should have been our first tip off that trouble brewed.
Things looked positive when I arrived at the track and the race cars were rolling in. Just over one hundred cars in all signed in but strangely, only eighteen Modifieds at a track that has been having trouble drawing Modifieds all year, even though they pay one of the best purses in the area.
But, as the race cars arrived, so did the threatening clouds start to roll in from the Northwest. By race time, things looked pretty dire. To their credit, track officials went ahead just as if nothing were wrong, sticking to their schedule of events and having opening ceremonies and dropping the first green flag right at 7 pm as scheduled.
They got two Hornet heats completed before the skies opened up and it was clear that once it started raining, there would be no soon stopping of the leaky skies. No refunds were made and the rain date was set for next Friday night at the same time.
Timm night not have been hurt as much by the rainout as Heckenast, as his crowd comes primarily from Winona Minnesota which is just a few minutes down the Mississippi River and the weather didn't look that bad until just before race time so his grandstand was a good one with a large crowd on hand. However, there are always some expenses tied with a rainout that can't be recouped and it is still a lost night of revenue. However, the early cancellation made it a great night for the local establishments in Fountain City who were happy to have a spur to their local economy.
Thanks to Bob and his staff for their help on another disappointing night at the track.
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