Pavement vs. Dirt Racing

Pavement vs. Dirt racing…which surface provides better racing for fans and drivers?

This debate has been going on for quite a long time. I should know, because I grew up in asphalt racing country in southeastern Michigan and now I’m working in the dirt-track industry. I’ve heard – and seen – both sides of the argument.

Growing up, I lived five miles from Flat Rock (Mich.) Speedway and 30 miles from Toledo (Ohio) Speedway. Both venues were owned and run by the late John Marcum and the ARCA sanctioning body. At the time, Late Model racing on asphalt was the best around as drivers like Joy Fair, Bob Senneker, Junior Hanley, Butch Miller and Mike Eddy were just some of the big dogs to watch. The racing was side-by-side and exciting.

Then one day I ventured to a little dirt track in northwestern Ohio called Oakshade Raceway, and as the saying goes, the rest is history. The next thing I knew, I was announcing there and another Ohio dirt track, Limaland Motorsports Park. My love for dirt racing soon grew into an obsession; I was totally hooked on dirt racing and remain so to this day.

Don’t get me wrong – I still visit the paved venues when feasible, but the dirt is still where it’s at for me. Case in point: I got the chance at the end of August to go back to my old stomping grounds of Toledo Speedway for their season championships. The weather was perfect and the crowd was really good as well. The racing was pretty much how I remembered it, as there was a lot of speed and some decent passing too. All in all, I had a good time (the Figure 8 feature was, as always, terrific!), and I will continue to hit a few pavement races when possible. But I prefer the dirt…so that I can continue to live my ‘Life As An Outlaw.’

You CAN Go Home Again…

The old saying goes, “You can’t go home again.” Well, you can, but you just can’t stay.

Such was the case when we traveled back to my old stomping grounds, the River Cities Speedway in Grand Forks, N.D., for a ‘Wild West Tour’ event on July 15. I was the track announcer there for the 1983, ‘84 and ‘85 seasons under the guidance of NRC president and Grand Forks Hall of Famer Jim Corcoran. The facility, although aging as it will, is still how I remember it from the ‘80s, with the occasional facelift having been done and a coat of paint or two having been applied over the years.

Of all of the great racers who passed through the River Cities gates during my years as a regular there, one dirt Late Model driver remains racing at the speedway to this day. That driver is my good friend Tom Corcoran of East Grand Forks, Minn. – and it was great to see him during our visit there. It was also great to see RCS promoters and longtime friends Linus and Don Mack, who in their time were really great 410 Sprint Car drivers, and I enjoyed seeing all the great fans that turned out on a hot evening in the Red River Valley.

My old Sgt. from the Grand Forks Air Force Base (where I was stationed in the ‘80s), Maurice Stansbury, couldn’t attend as he and his wife Ellen were in the process of moving into their new house that they purchased outside of Grand Forks. It was, however, good to see them both as they were really busy with tearing old rooms apart and mowing grass in their giant farm-sized yard property, which we were able to visit following the racing program because we had a couple off-days before our next show.

Old memories can stay with you forever and always be there for you. But you can revisit some of those days gone by if you can live your Life As An Outlaw….

The Event Where Everybody Calls Me Uncle Sam...

An event is something you go to. An event is something that sticks in your mind. An event is something really big.

In that vein, the fifth annual Firecracker 100 presented by GottaRace.com on June 23-25 at Lernerville Speedway in Sarver, Pa., was truly an event!

I was Uncle Sam at Lernerville. (Lenhart photo)

Where else but Lernerville in western Pennsylvania could you have a 60% chance of rain for two out of three days – and have it actually rain enough during both preliminary programs to wash out most racing events – and still not have one fan leave disappointed?

With each day’s car count over 60, there was superb competition and plenty of star drivers to root for or against, as the case may be. The food vendors were on hand in mass proportions. T-shirt and collectible vendors were aplenty as well. There were driver/fan tournaments held for the horseshoe throwers and cornhole players. There was a Miss Firecracker contest. Live music kept the fans and teams entertained after the Thursday and Friday racing programs. And of course there were plenty of libations being enjoyed as well…

There was even the annual appearance during Saturday night’s Firecracker 100 finale of a popular red, white and blue-clad man who goes by the name ‘Uncle Sam.’ (That would be me, in case anyone didn’t know that I once again donned the Uncle Sam outfit to announce Saturday’s action.)

The racing, fireworks, food, giveaways, music, tournaments, t-shirts and great fans that turned out in droves from far and wide made for a great weekend. I heard that one man was given tickets to the entire weekend for his Father’s Day gift and a family from Nevada came to Lernerville for what has grown into a monstrous event.

It’s fun to be part of such an event while living Life As An Outlaw…

It's Fun To Stay At The Y-M-C-A...

Y-M-C-A, it’s fun to stay at the Y-M-C-A…

What am I talking about? Why am I mentioning the famous Village People song that I often play at races to get the crowd up and moving during breaks in the action?

Well, I’m talking about exercising, which happens to play an important role in racing these days. Being in shape helps racers and pit crew members maintain strength and endurance during the often-grueling racing season, so why shouldn’t race officials who travel the circuit try to stay fit too?

Rick Eshelman: announcer, official, strongman

Yes, I am a member of my local YMCA in Columbus, Ga. I take advantage of the fitness amenities there as often as possible when I’m not on the road. I was an especially regular visitor to the ‘Y’ during the recent month-long break from World of Outlaws Late Model Series action, exercising often to get myself in shape for the long summer stretch of racing that we’re now diving into.

I might not be behind the wheel of a race car or working on one all night, but I’ve found that it’s important for me to exercise to keep my stamina up during race nights. So I hit the YMCA’s weight machines for 30-40 reps on five different machines, then it’s anywhere from 1-3 miles of running outside or on the treadmill (weather related), and finally it’s 15 minutes in the steam room.

My goal is to run a 5K race this fall; I will be 50 and want to finally participate in a race. Visiting the ‘Y’ is helping me tune up for that goal – not to mention keep my fitness up for my travels.

Of course, my diet leaves a lot to be desired on the road, so exercise helps that out a little. It’s become a small part of my life so that I can enjoy ‘Life As An Outlaw.’

A Little Bit About TIME...

TIME…it’s something we all have. Some of us have more TIME than others, and for some, TIME is on our side.

Those of us with the World of Outlaws Late Model Series have had some TIME off for the past month due to Ma Nature and her decision to soak the Midwest and Eastern part of the U.S., contributing to some postponements that have kept the tour idle. As a result, the drivers had TIME to regroup and rebuild for the busy summer stretch ahead – and maybe even do a little R&D on their present cars at other tracks and in non-Outlaw races.

Series officials such as us, meanwhile, got the TIME to prepare for tour’s upcoming travels – a whirlwind that will basically keep us away from our Alabama home for about two months. That’s a long TIME!

For the fans, they had TIME to look over their race schedules and make plans to attend a World of Outlaws event coming soon near them.

TIME can be helpful, unforgiving and everything in between, so live your life to the fullest with the TIME you are given.

And I’ll continue living my ‘Life As An Outlaw.’…More to come…in due TIME.