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March 22, 1999
Mother Hen Call me a mother hen if you want to, call me whatever you want to,
but racing is very important to me and I care a great deal about
our local short tracks here in Florida. No, I have no pull to change
anything, but I do know that as racers, fans, and track owners,
we all owe each other one thing and this is a safe track to run on
and a safe car to run in.
Drivers you also have a responsibility to yourself and that is to build
the safest car you can and make sure it is equipped with safety
equipment that works and is usable. I know racing is expensive
and sometimes we all try to cut our costs, but not by cutting out
what could save your life. Fuel cells, safety nets, harnesses and
a working fire extinguisher are your life line, don't get hurt because
you could not afford the right bar for your safety net or your fuel cell
was not padded right. All of you are important from the Late Model
drivers down to the 4 cylinder bomber drivers, all of you.
Remember, if you will, that most of you race on the weekend for fun.
This is a way some vent the frustrations of the week. But when you
vent those frustrations, please be safe. There is a reason why we must
have gloves, helmet, firesuits and fire extinguishers. And remember,
you race not only for your fans but your family and none of these people
want you hurt.
As for track owners, well, you are the father of one big family. As the
father, you are responsible for the well being of your children. You
have to watch over them and make sure that they are safe and that all
means are taken to keep them safe. They must abide by your rules
to race and they expect you to keep them safe for that. Racing locally
is a family and we all know who the head of a family is. -Jane March 22, 1999 Keeping Up On Your Florida Stock Car Drivers
Every weekend many fans come to the track board at this site looking
for where their favorite drivers finished in a race. We try very hard to
furnish that information to you if at all possible. Because we get a
large amount of requests about drivers, here are a few answers for
those questions.
B. J. McLeod, a favorite Late Model driver to many, finished 6th this
past weekend in Huntsville, Alabama in the Southern All Stars WHNT-
TV/Circle C Food Stores 150. B. J. plans to run the full schedule for
the Southern All Stars tour and when he can, will race at New Smyrna
Speedway,
Wayne Anderson will be taking over the #14 JaniKing Slim-Jim All Pro
Late Model. Wayne also will be running as many of the Florida Sunbelt
125 Series races that he can and Florida Pro. And his famous dad, Dick
Anderson, is building a new car for himself to race again but right now Dick
is also crew chief for the Burkett family racers.
Gary Balough has returned to racing in his famous #3 Late Model. Watch
for him also to be racing in the Florida Sunbelt 125 Series as well as local
racing.
A number of the Florida Pro drivers will also try and run the Florida Sunbelt
125 Series. Competing in the first race last Saturday night at New Smyrna
Speedway was Mike Franklin, Jr., Billy Bigley, Daryl Shelnut, Pete Orr,
and James Powell.
Also watch for Jimmy Britts, Late Model 92, in the Goody's Dash Series.
Jimmy plans to run the full schedule of the dash and when he can, race
the new Florida Sunbelt l25 and other local races.
If you are searching for news on your favorite driver, please let me know
and I will do my best to see if I can find some for you. We are definitely
a lucky state to have so many talented drivers.
-Jane
March 18, 1999 How You Can Help Your Local Short Track
Lately we have seen many unfavorable comments about our local
tracks and how they are run. The best thing out of all this is that it
shows that the fans care about their tracks and they are all in favor
of improvement. The fans want to see quality racing with good car counts
and the racers want fans in the stands to watch them. So how can
we make fans happy and racers happy?
The simple solution is to go to the track owner and say how you feel.
That is the simple solution but what if the track has deaf ears? Deaf
ears by owners means that they really don't give a care about their
track, it really means nothing to them. You can talk until you are blue
in the face but nothing will change. In that case, when your head hurts
from hitting a wall, find a new track if you can.
A track has many responsibilities not only to the fans but to the racers.
Safety comes first for both fans and racers. Cutting back on flagmen
can't help and having someone in the flagstand that does not call cautions
or see accidents, that can be deadly.
A lot of our local short tracks are having hard times. Some are trying to
find solutions to their problems and some are not. It takes alot of people
to make a track work. And it takes fans in the stands to draw in the cars
because the more fans you have, the better the purses for the cars. This
seems to walk hand in hand in short track racing.
Obviously we have some tracks that are really trying to make both fans
and drivers happy. Racing when done locally usually is for fun. Not
cut throat, die hard, let's take this car out type racing. You, as fans, have
good in-put to the track owners. Believe me, if you shout loud enough the
ones that care will hear you. And if not, you have found deaf ears and you
are hitting your head too many times on a brick wall. -Jane Smith **********************************************************************
March 12.1999 Time to Buckle Up Ok guys, I know you are round track fans but it is hard to ignore what
is coming this weekend and next weekend to our state. More horse-
power than one person should be allowed to have under them. Yes,
it is the NHRA - the National Hot Rod Association.
This weekend at Orlando SpeedWorld Drag Strip will be the Winter
Nationals which is somewhat of a prelude to the Gator Nationals next
weekend in Gainesville, Florida. The Gator Nationals is the beginning
of the NHRA season and most all of the stars of the NHRA will be
there for fans to see.
I know alot of fans say that they hate drag racing but if you like power
and speed and loud engines, it is worth going to one of these events.
Myself, I have always wanted to see John Force, Eddie Hill, and Warren
Johnson. Giving up one weekend of stock car racing is not hard if you
can see these guys.
Friday and Saturday nights this weekend will be stock car racing but
Sunday will be the day that the winners of the Florida Nationals will be
decided and I intend to be there to see them. You can go in the pits
without any problem, talk to these very talented men and women, and
just have a great day.
Depending on your age and what part of the country you were raised in,
I came from a day and time when drag racing was done on dirt country
roads by high school kids. We had more quarter mile strips marked off
than you could count on one hand. And one very special lady named
Shirley came from those dirt country roads to be the first female rail
drag racer.
Drag racing has as much history behind it as NASCAR and you can like
both since they say a drag racer knows how to build an engine better than
anyone. So watch out John Force, Warren Johnson, and Eddie Hill - I am
buckling up and coming to see you. -Jane |
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