November 2020 Inside
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wwwwww.ther.theracingconnection.comacingconnection.com NSTCNSTC andand thethe Bahama'sBahama's LessonsLessons fromfrom thethe roadroad November 2020 Inside... Feel Good Wins Champions Crowned November 2020 Page 2 Page 3 November 2020 Feel Good Wins The Midwest Publisher's Note RACING Racing According to Plan Connection Racing According to Plan a bright spot on what might have been a terrible November 2020 weekend for a few racers. At the beginning of October, I made the trip to P.O. Box 22111 Chateau Speedway in Lansing MN for their season St. Paul MN, 55122 651-451-4036 ending Autumn Extravaganza. I hadn’t been to www.theracingconnection.com Chateau in several years, and with a late start to my local race chasing, I figured it was time to make the Publisher trip again. Dan Plan I’ve spent a lot of time in my life watching the Contributing Writers Dickey Brothers race, but very few times since Dale P. Danielski they’ve switched over to dirt. Matt Dickey was Dan Margetta running his Midwest Mod this particular evening. Jacy Norgaard Even though things didn’t start out well in his heat PJ "Jacklyn" Nuttleman race when caught up in a turn 2 melee, Matt would Jason Searcy Charlie Spry rebound and go on to pick up his first dirt track heat race win at Chateau. There wasn’t much time to Photographers celebrate, as there was damage to repair for the Vance Birno (612-308-3572) Dan Plan feature race, but Matt was still able to put on a smile Martin DeFries (651-346-1199) while fixing the damage. TJ Harron (608-301-5258) Doug Hornickel (920-723-0522) While walking through pits after the heat races Tom Loos (715-370-7895) Having the ability to spend time in the pits and prior to the main events at Chateau, I saw Scott Mark Melchiori (414-463-0131) before and during the races exposes oneself to many Splittstoesser and his crew with the motor idling and Jacy Norgaard (jacynorgaardphotography.com) things you wouldn’t normally know about on a typical Bruce Nuttleman (612-860-6622) race night or weekend. A couple of situations came Vince Peterson (612-419-6372) up to end out my season, that were situations that put Publisher's Note continued on page 4 Jess Riedner (608-334-5329) The Midwest Racing Connection is published six times during the summer racing season by The Plan Company, Inc. All material is copyrighted 2020 and may not be reprinted without permission 651-451-4036. Cover photos by: Jacy Norgaard, Dan Plan and Jeff Taber Dan Plan photo CEDAR VIEW ELECTRIC, INC. 952-469-2100 New Construction - Remodel - Service Work Lakeville, MN November 2020 Page 4 Publishers note from page 3 looking things over under the hood. I didn’t think much about it initially, but shortly thereafter Scott informed me they had a hole in the backside of the radiator after the heat race. They didn’t have a spare radiator and were hoping their patch would last. A hole on the front side of the radiator isn’t that uncom- mon at a dirt track, but hole on the back side seemed odd. Evidently a rock flew up, hit the fan, and then the rock was shot forward into the back side of the radiator. Now that’s weird. To top things off, Scott was scheduled to start on the front row of the main event. As fate would have it, Scott was able to get the lead at the start of the main event and the radiator patch held up through several cautions. The win was Eric Campell at Oktoberfest also the first win of the year for “The Show Stopper.” Racers are usually pretty happy when they win a race, but Scott seemed to have a bit more of a sparkle in his smile this night. incident on Thursday and Friday night. To make matters worse, one of the incidents left the Campbell kid with another motor with a hole in the oil pan. The hole in the Mod oil pan was small and repairable, but still had to be worrisome. On Sunday afternoon, the Cratetoberfest race winner Scott Splittstoesser at Chateau receives a new crate motor. The race winner also draws with just a bit more of a sparkle in the smile in victory the name of another competitor as the lane. The next feel good win I witnessed happened winner of second crate motor. Low and behold, Eric Even though the season got a late start, it ended during Oktoberfest at LaCrosse Fairgrounds Speed- won the main event and picked up another crate up on a good note for these three drivers, and I was way. During practice on Thursday, I saw Elko racer motor. Once again, I had a chance to see somebody happy to be on hand to see it. Eric Campbell come into the pits on the hook. The car didn’t look damaged. Turns out the crate motor in the car decided it had enough and one of the rods decided to exit the situation. Eric also had his Modi- fied on hand for the weekend but seemed to be in the wrong place at the wrong time for every on-track RR && RR Matt Dickey survived this melee to win his heat race at the Autumn Extravaganza Complete Automotive Service Minneapolis, MN 612-721-4210 randrautomotiveonline.com Page 5 November 2020 Going in NSTC and the Bahama's title overall. His Dad, Tom, was also a many time midway through the season to take the title over Circles figure eight champion, and Nick is poised to equal or Dennis Smith Jr., who looked very strong early in the surpass his Dad in number of titles won. season, and if not for a few issues late in the season The NSTC weekend always brings some great might have won it. It was an interesting season here in racing in many different divisions, and unfortunately, the late models in 2020, with several capable feature in later years....rain. winners making it up for grabs on most nights. Mike The Friday night show brought out a very Beyer ran strong all year to finish second over Smith. quickly run show, with hardly any cautions all night. Former champion Michael Bilderback did not race The American Short Tracker division saw many new here all year, but when he was here you knew it. cars show up to race, which stymied the efforts of Such was the case on this night, as he took the win some of the regulars and their points battles. Rookie over Jerry Gille, who returned after taking a little time Shawn Bowar and veterans Tim Finstad and David off to race a dirt street stock at Sycamore. Jerry Charlie Spry Russell Jr. were all within grasp of the title before the showed that he had not forgotten a thing, as he was night began. Visitor Kyle Stark put forth a dominating an absolute rocket tonight. drive to get the feature win over another visitor, Cody Armato took home the title in the Bandit 2020 season champions were crowned at the George Sparkman, while Bowar, Russell and Finstad division with his purple Dick Trickle tribute racer. Rockford Speedway starting a week before the finished further back. Bowar finished ahead of the Cody raced only a few times in 2019 and learned National Short Track Championships, with the Sixers others in the points chase to take the title. very fast. Kyle Riedner guest-drove Brandon and figure-eight division titles being decided. Robert Hansberry Jr. does not race here often, Johnson’s backup car to the feature win over Todd The famously popular six-cylinder racing but when he does, he is usually at or near the front, Snow and often-time winner Garrett Braden. Bran- division had no less than four drivers having a shot at and so it was tonight. He took the sportsman feature don had the engine go south on his primary racer, but the title going into the last night. Jason Tyler had led win, while John Robinson II, Minnesotan Jeremy he still honored his commitment to Riedner, letting the points most of the shortened season, but it was Wolf, and Trevor Robinson battled at the front. him race the car anyhow. It paid off! close from throughout the top four. During the final Trevor Robinson took the title over his Brother, Justin Wagner was strong all year and took the feature race, the top three all had various troubles, John, who won the title last year, so it was back-to- points title in the Roadrunner division. He won the while Dallas Conniff drove to the front to claim the back titles for the Robinson brothers, who I know feature over Phil Speciale, who had fast time and was feature win, and ultimately gain his first track champi- spend most of their waking hours working on and in the hunt for race wins all year. onship in the division, surpassing the other three on racing stock cars. It is what this family does, and they Saturday brought out the sprinkles after time the final point night. do it well. trials had been completed. The Big 8 late model Nick Schneider took the title in the figure-eight Jon Reynolds Jr. took home his third track title feature was lined up and ready to go when the division, his fourth figure eight championship and fifth in the late model division. He took the points lead sprinkles became a bit steadier.