This week’s tour around the racing world comes from the arctic tundra of our North Carolina home base and the World of Outlaws World Finals. Here’s the Friday Morning Heat Race.
Hot Laps: Time Flies
Difficult to believe that Jay Drake’s 18-year-old son is racing in this year’s Chili Bowl for Keith Kunz Motorsports. Jay Drake was instrumental in KKM getting where it is today and was a frequent winner through the late 90s and early 2000s.
Qualifying: Last Rides
Stewart-Haas Racing NASCAR Cup Series drivers Kevin Harvick and Aric Almirola will run their final races Sunday afternoon at Phoenix Raceway. Thanks for the memories, gentlemen.
First Heat: Impressive or Sad?
Max Verstappen’s dominant Formula 1 season during which he has won 16 of the 19 races heading into this week’s Brazilian Grand Prix hasn’t seemed to diminish the popularity of the series. Still, we ask, is it impressive that’s he’s set a single-season record for victories, or is it sad that the competition is so poor?
Second Heat: Talk, Talk, Talk
There are a lot of serious discussions going on in the pit area at The Dirt Track at Charlotte this week.
Some will help determine the future path of the sport, some will land new rides for drivers and new sponsors. But a lot of it is simply bizarre gossip that makes almost no sense. Interesting, nonetheless.
Third Heat: Still A Fan Favorite
Scott Bloomquist hasn’t raced a lot this season, but the 59-year-old late model racing legend remains a huge fan favorite.
Whether they cheer or boo, the roar for Bloomquist hitting the track is always greater than for any other late model racer. Bloomer has been fast this week at The Dirt Track at Charlotte.
Fourth Heat: Good Journalism
We’ve often used this space to criticize today’s media, its methods and how it’s not very traditional or subjective.
This week we tip our cap to one of the most-traveled racing reporters of this new generation, Matt Weaver, who at times seems to be everywhere. Weaver did some old-fashioned leg work and produced an outstanding read about the current state of affairs with the World of Outlaws and the High Limit Racing Series. You can read it here.
Fifth Heat: Big Weekend
It’s a big weekend of racing with championships on the line at three of the biggest late season events.
NASCAR will crown its three national touring series champions this weekend at Phoenix Racing, three dirt-racing titlists will be determined during the World Finals at The Dirt Track at Charlotte and the first ASA STARS National Tour champion will emerge at the end of Sunday’s 39th running of the All American 400 at Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway.
Watch the country’s best super late model drivers on MidwestTour.tv.
Dash: Oh, Canada
The Canadian national anthem has been played every night during the World Finals because of a significant number of North of the border competitors in the modified division. However, some joked the familiar refrain of ‘Oh, Canada,’ was because of the cold temperatures that have chilled fans and competitors alike.
B Main: Short Trackers
Short-track fans should rejoice on Sunday evening regardless of who wins the NASCAR Cup Series championship.
Countless fans who have never attended a NASCAR Cup Series race have had the chance to see all four of the contenders — Ryan Blaney, Kyle Larson, Christopher Bell and William Byron — race at one of their local short tracks as they climbed the ladder to the big time.
That’s the way it should be.
Feature: Respect
As David Gravel and Brad Sweet battle for the World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series championship, the respect shown between the two is immense.
Watching them battle for position during Thursday night’s feature at The Dirt Track at Charlotte was a thing of beauty. One high, one low, and never a wheel off and always enough space for the other to maneuver.
All of today’s newer crop of drivers should see that video. Good work by two true professionals behind the wheel.