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www.theracingconnection.comwww.theracingconnection.com March, 2014 2014201420142014 SpeedweeksSpeedweeksSpeedweeksSpeedweeks DIRTcarDIRTcar NationalsNationals JUNIOR!JUNIOR! March, 2014 Page 2 JB Dist. Co. Inc. / Gillund Enterprises 14760 Martin Drive Eden Prairie, MN. 55344 Page 3 March, 2014 Our trip this year started out attending the Friday Publisher's Note night opening show at New Smyrna Speedway for the The Midwest World Series of Asphalt Racing. The stop at New RACING Smyrna was straight from the airport to the track, as Connection Racing According some photographer dude needed a ride to the track. March, 2014 As long as we were there, we decided to check-in at to Plan the hotel after the races. Former ARCA Rookie of P.O. Box 22111 the Year and Minnesota resident, Joey Miller, was on St. Paul MN, 55122 hand for the opening night action. Miller had posted 651-451-4036 strong runs in practice, and missed the invert by just www.theracingconnection.com one position for the Super Late Model main event. Other representatives from the North on hand were Publisher Natalie Decker in the Super Lates and the Pro Lates Dan Plan had Tim Sargent and Austin Nason. In a prelude of Contributing Writers things to come for the weekend, the pace car broke Shane Carlson down at the start/finish line and had to be pushed into Dale P. Danielski the pits before the races could get underway. Other Eric Huenefeld than the pace car issue, it was a great first stop from Kris Peterson the airport, and I always enjoy seeing the Mod Squad Jacklyn Daniels-Nuttleman from the East Coast racing at New Smyrna. Jason Searcy Dan Plan Dean Reller Saturday afternoon and night was a visit to the big Stan Meissner This year was the first time, in my lifetime; I went to track to watch the ARCA cars and the NASCAR Charlie Spry Speedweeks for two consecutive years in a row. My Sprint Cup drivers in the Sprint Unlimited. It’s always Photographers timing of my return home couldn’t have been worse, entertaining to see the ARCA cars hit the big track, Jim Ambruoso (815-623-3200) as the Twin Cities picked up nearly a foot of snow the as there is a wide gap in driver experience and lap Rick Blewett (507-398-9483) day I returned. Palm trees and 80 degrees in the times. This year’s race didn’t have a large number of Martin DeFries (651-346-1199) morning and a foot of snow later in the day. There is cautions, with Grant Enfinger holding off veteran Doug Hornickel (920-563-0993) just something wrong with that picture. Anyway, this Tom Johnson (612-309-7142) Frank Kimmel for the win. Later in the evening, in an Mark Melchiori (414-463-0131) year’s trip to Daytona was phenomenal. The weather effort to upstage the short track down the road, the Stan Meissner (651-428-4717) was just about perfect every day, allowing for time to Bruce Nuttleman(612-860-6622) do some site seeing in the afternoon and then head to Jerry Zimmer (715-792-2174) the race track every night. continued on page 4 The Midwest Racing Connection is published ten times during the summer racing season by The Plan Company, Inc. All material is copyrighted 2013 and may not be reprinted without permission. Subscriptions are $20 for ten issues. Call 651-451-4036. Cover photos by: Bruce Nuttleman, Tom Pennington/Getty Images and Dan Plan Member of the NMPA National Motorsports Press Association A packed house at Volusia County Speedway for the Dirtcar Nationals (Dan Plan photo) CEDAR VIEW ELECTRIC, INC. 952-469-2100 New Construction - Remodel - Service Work Pools/Hot Tubs - Basements - Additions Residential & Commercial Lakeville, MN www.cedarviewelectric.com March, 2014 Page 4 Kinser made some aggressive moves to continued from page 3 keep the lead, and looked as good as ever on this night. The other big deal was Austin Dillon. Earlier in the day, Dillon took the pace car not only broke down, it started on fire. Just iconic #3 to the pole for the 500 down the another example of you can’t make this stuff up. I road. He showed up at Volusia later that day was also amazed at how many people simply got up and promptly won his heat race and the and left when Dale Jr. wrecked with only a handful of feature event for the UMP Mods. Some laps to go. At least half of the people in my section may argue it doesn’t take a lot of driving were gone before the final laps were run. It looks like talent to win the pole at a restrictor plate they hung around the next weekend to see Junior win. track. The saying is it’s the car more than Denny Hamlin drove away from the rest of the Cup the driver. That same argument doesn’t stars to win this year’s shootout. work for winning a feature race in dirt modified. The kid has been given all of the The Dillon brothers at Volusia Next up was the first of three trips to Volusia County right opportunities and is making the best of (Dan Plan photo) Speedway this year. The Sunday night show featured every one of them. the World of Outlaws Sprint Cars and UMP Monday started out with a car show in realized the song was actually about Georgia. Things Daytona Beach and then later that night were much brighter following the reboot. Just a few was a return trip to New Smyrna. The car laps into the Pro Late Model main event, several cars show featured many vintage race cars that got together on the back stretch and took out a long had run in past years of the 500, along with section of safety fence. When it rains, it pours. many short track cars. We were also Eventually, they were able to finish this race, with presently surprised to see Leonard Wood Rockford Speedway regular Tim Sargent grabbing a of the Wood Brothers on hand. You just top-5 finish. The other Rockford regular on hand, never know who Austin Nason was you will run into also running near the during The night the lights went out in Florida top-5 when another Speedweeks. At (Dan Plan photo) driver dumped Austin New Smyrna and sent him into the that night, the full turn three wall with moon had its just a handful of laps Jr. getting ready for Sprint Unlimited practice impact on the to go. (Dan Plan photo) night. Just as the show was about Tuesday night’s Modifieds. The UMP Mods are very similar to the to start, the lights started show at Volusia “A” Mods of various sanctions in our area of the getting dim. At first I started out with a country. Two big stories occurred on Sunday. Steve thought I was imagining race for the UMP Kinser has already announced this will be his final things, as the cars were still Mods known as the year running full-time with the Outlaws. He was taking their laps behind the six-pack dash. The pretty clear that he’s not going to retire; he’s just not pace car. Before the race six drivers in the going to run full-time. Kind of the like the WoO went green, they stopped all event were voted in version of Mark Martin. I wonder if Kinser’s plans of the cars, and rebooted the lighting system. I started will change if he keeps running like he did this night. singing “The night the lights went out in Florida”, but continued on page 5 Steve Kinser (left) and Ty Dillon (right) (Dan Plan photo) Page 5 March, 2014 by fans. The Hermanator, Kenny Wallace, won the talking about large cubic inch small blocks, but honest continued from page 4 race, and the six-pack of Budweiser that went with to goodness big block motors. While the weight of the the win. That’s the first cars and their hard tires keep the speeds down time I’ve seen a six- compared to the Late Models, they are neat to see up pack of Bud used as a close and in person. Justin Haers picked up his first trophy, but seemed career win over the likes of Billy Pauch and Brett fitting for Herman. The Hearn. The WoO Late Models also put on an UMP Mod main event impressive show, with “Mr. Smooth”, Billy Moyer, for the night went to the taking the early lead. As the 40-lap race wore on, other Dillon, younger “Black Sunshine” (aka; Scott Bloomquist) chased brother Ty. The younger down Moyer and drove away for the win. Dillon also won the overall Gator By the end of the week, you’re not sure what day it championship. The is, as everyday feels like Saturday. Site seeing during UMP Late Models saw the day, racing at night, followed by more bench- relatively unknown racing until the wee hours of the morning at the Kenny Pettyjohn win watering holes along the beach. All three parts over the Bloomquist. equally entertaining. It’s also quite amazing how you The neat thing about can be 1500 miles from home, and still run into people Pettyjohn’s win was the from back home at various times during the day. fact his team was donating all of their As mentioned earlier, the weather couldn’t have been Millsboro, DE driver Kenny Pettyjohn topped the big names at Volusia Speedweeks winnings to better while we were in town.