It’s time for our weekly Friday morning tour around the racing world. From hot laps to the main event, here’s what’s on our mind this week.
Hot Laps: Crashing
I am surprised at the number of huge crashes in big-time sprint car racing this summer.
Qualifying: Hoosier All Stars
The All Star Circuit of Champions sprint cars are making a rare trip to the Hoosier state this weekend. The series visits Bloomington Speedway tonight for the first time in 26 years. On Saturday, it stops at Paragon Speedway for the first time in 33 years.
First Heat: One In, One Out
While the temporary creation of a ride for Donny Schatz with Big Game Motorsports brings another car to the national touring fold, Jason Meyers Racing has opted to park one of its two traveling race cars, parking Spencer Bayston’s machine with Corey Day handling the primary driving role for the Meyers No. 14.
Bayston, however, has landed a ride in Kevin Koslowski’s No. 57w machine for the California High Limit races.
Second Heat: Track Championships
With the national touring series logging miles as the make their way to their respective season finale events, track championships are on the line over the next several weeks at nearly every short track in the country. Get out and catch the action while you can.
Third Heat: Richmond Chaos?
Two races remain in the NASCAR Cup Series regular season and three playoff spots remain open to potential race winners. Will anyone attempt to manipulate the system by banging their way to victory Saturday night at Richmond Raceway, or will all the chaos be reserved for the Aug. 23 regular-season finale at Daytona Int’l Speedway?
Fourth Heat: Two To Go
Despite the fact Alex Palou has sewn up his fourth NTT IndyCar Series championship, two races remain on the schedule. Both are on ovals. If you are one of those crying for more Indy car races on oval tracks, may sure you tune in for the events at The Milwaukee Mile Aug. 24 and Nashville Superspeedway Aug. 31.
Fifth Heat: 40 Greats
NASCAR has published a list of the 40 Greatest Drivers during the 40-year history of the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour. It’s a great list which brought back a lot of memories. Keep in mind this is a list of drivers who were regular participants on The Tour, not in modified racing in general. Enjoy.
Dash: Brownie
This writer was especially saddened by Brian Brown’s injuries during the Knoxville Nationals. Brownie is one of the true good guys of the sport and with every year that passes it seems more likely he will never win the race he loves the most.
B Main: The Champ
I don’t think anyone who follows sprint car racing closely was surprised at Donny Schatz’s departure from Tony Stewart Racing. Things just weren’t working with the 10-time champ and his team of 18 years. All good things come to an end. That said, the way it came down was a bit unexpected.
As well, after that news hit, I would have expected Schatz to take some time to regroup. While I considered the other cars and teams that he could have landed with in the short term, I did not have Big Game Motorsports on my bingo card. It will be interesting to see how the 48-year-old driver performs over the next three weeks as a teammate to reigning World of Outlaws champion David Gravel.
Feature: Parity or Upsets?
Is there parity in winged sprint car racing this season or are we seeing more upset winners than usual?
I believe there are more quality cars spread across the two national touring series, the regional tours and the local race tracks that anytime in the past.
That fact was on display at the season’s two biggest races — the Kings Royal and the Knoxville Nationals. Neither winner runs full time on one of the national tours.
Anthony Macri, a proven veteran with wins across the country who races more than half the time in his home state of Pennsylvania, won the Kings Royal. Eighteen-year-old Ryan Timms, who races weekly at Knoxville Raceway and competes in touring events when the schedule for the Leibig Motorsports team allows, had the fastest car all week en route to winning the biggest race in sprint car racing.
While I wouldn’t consider either of these results an upset, certainly they qualified as surprises as one would have expected the heavyweights of the sport to have prevailed in these big-money events.
That said, no driver has dominated this sprint car season. World of Outlaws point leader David Gravel has been the most consistent and has won 12 races. Rico Abreu has had the fastest car night after night and has 11 410 wins and a pair of 360 triumphs including the 360 Knoxville Nationals.
One hundred and 30 drivers have won one of the 315 410 winged sprint car races run this season entering tonight’s races.
