THROWBACK THURSDAY: Aaron Scott

Newark, Ohio's Aaron Scott has wheeled a few different rides during his tenured career. His journey began in his own Subway sponsored #33, and his Late Model career wrapped up in the Halcomb Racing #1.  However, in 1993 and 1994, Scott wheeled the Hydro Innovations #h2o to several wins at Muskingum County Speedway among other tracks.  Currently, he drives an open wheel Modified at Muskingum County on Saturday nights.

SCOUTING REPORT: Attica Raceway Park

OVERVIEW:  Perhaps no Late Model track in the state of Ohio has done more to raise its profile over the last five years than Attica Raceway Park.  In that time span, they have gone from unsanctioned limiteds to UMP Late Models averaging nearly 30 cars a night. Sunoco ALMS races, World of Outlaws Late Model shows, and  UMP Summer Nationals events have been held at the 1/3-mile fairgrounds track during that time.

WHAT WE KNOW:  Just three Late Model specials highlight the 2013 card this season with the Lucas Oil Series finally getting a date at the racy Seneca County facility on Friday, August 30.  The UMP Summer Nationals are back for the fourth year in a row with their date being shuffled back one week to July 19, a move that, with the series' expanded schedule, pleases Yours Truly as it no longer conflict with the King's Royal at Eldora.  Only one Sunoco ALMS race is on the grid this year, with that date being April 26. Attica's season kicks off one week earlier in 2013 with opening night slated for Friday, March 22.  As for the points battle, Ryan Missler will once again be the man to beat unless, as noted a few weeks back, Garrett Krummert indeed commits to running the entire schedule or Jon Henry decides to comes out of hibernation and opts to run locally.

WHERE THEY'RE GOOD:  A better question would be, "Where ISN'T Attica good?"  Let's get serious here for a minute.  Nine times out of ten, the racing at Attica is absolutely phenomenal.  The show they put on starts on time, is efficiently run, and gets fans out in a timely fashion thanks to great organization, no intermission, and excellent communication.  Their prices are reasonable given both the quantity and quality of cars you get to see in the top two divisions (410 Sprints and UMP Late Models).  Over the last few seasons, Attica has risen to the top of the Friday night Late Model wars with the highest car counts of any track in state of Ohio, Skyline included.  Simply put, this place has quickly become one of my favorite tracks.  Since 2011, I've been to Attica more than any other track (besides Eldora, of course) with 16 visits. That's three times more visits than any place else.

WHERE TO IMPROVE:  Several folks, myself included, were hoping for a Late Model purse increase for 2013, but it looks as though that didn't happen.  With Wayne County being less than 70 miles away and paying $1200 to win and $200 to start (and over $2000 more in total purse money), many people were expecting Attica to up the ante this year, especially considering the loyalty of the UMP Late Model division there.

FINAL THOUGHTS:  The Late Model car count at Attica may drop a few cars this season, but it shouldn't be anything to worry about.  The UMP Summer Nationals and Lucas Oil shows are "must-see" events and, honestly, just about any weekly show at Attica will be well worth the price of admission.

SCOUTING REPORT: Brandon Thirlby

OVERVIEW:  In 2012, Brandon Thirlby finally had that "breakout" season he was looking for.  With 15 wins, two track titles, and a Michigan Dirt Cup championship, the former power boat racer is poised to leap over the bar he raised last season.

WHAT WE KNOW:  Thirlby plans to travel a bit more this year, possibly chasing a UMP National Championship.  After crewing for his brother Collin during the Modified portion of Florida's Speedweeks, Brandon will make his own racing debut at Clarksville, TN's Tuckassee Toilet Bowl Classic on March 1 & 2.  From there, Thirlby may defend the Michigan Dirt Cup title, depending on what that series' schedule looks like.  He doesn't, however, plan to chase track championships like he did last season at Cherry and I-96. Armed with a new truck and trailer, Thirlby is equipped with the same cars and motors as last season.  Once he gets settled into his Late Model, you may see the Traverse City, MI driver behind the wheel of the Homestead Motorsports MasterSbilt Modified for a few races.

WHERE HE'S GOOD:  Regionally speaking, you'll be hard pressed to find a driver who's improved more than Brandon Thirlby has over the last few seasons.  He's made a conscious effort to branch out and race at different tracks, and that's helped him tremendously.  He's got several of the Michigan tracks nailed down and is a threat just about anywhere in the Wolverine State.

WHERE TO IMPROVE:  Brandon's hard and passionate driving style can occasionally get him in trouble with overdriving the car.  He's taken a big step in correcting that the last few seasons in learning that, sometimes, slower means faster.  If he continues to sharpen his game in that area, he'll be a legitimate contender everywhere he goes.

DRIVER'S THOUGHTS:  "I may have the possibility of finally picking up a well known crew chief to guide me through the season, but the details have yet to be ironed out. 

SCOUTING REPORT: Ryan Missler

OVERVIEW:  Ryan Missler is now a four-time and defending track champion at Attica Raceway Park.  After going winless at Attica in 2011, the Bellevue, OH driver rebounded with a pair of victories in 2012.  In recent years, he's gone from running solely at Attica on Fridays to becoming a semi-regular at Oakshade Raceway on Saturdays.

WHAT WE KNOW:  Not much is known about Missler's 2013 plans at this time, mostly because Missler is still up in the air on several things.  During the offseason, Ryan and his wife Amber welcomed their second bouncing baby girl into their lives and, as you may guess, that's taken up the majority of his time.  The most likely scenario is that "The Missile" remains a fixture at Attica on Fridays and, when time (and family) allows, Oakshade on Saturdays.  Off the track, Ryan has the wheels in motion for a fun program in 2013 in which fans can register for his fan club (via his website www.ryanmisslerracing.com) and have their name on his Late Model throughout the 2013 season in addition to receiving a custom Ryan Missler Racing t-shirt.

WHERE HE'S GOOD:  You don't win four straight track championships without being good at your home track, and that's exactly what Missler has done over the last four years at Attica.  Although his consistency has fallen off just a tad in the last two years, he's been strong enough to rebound the following week after mechanic issues and/or ill-handling race cars.  He also seems to be one of the better pill drawers at Attica, and we all know good luck is a fortune much needed to be successful in the sport.

WHERE TO IMPROVE:  If he's going to win an astonishing fifth straight championship at Attica, Missler will need to be more consistent in 2013.  The competition for the track title seems to close in on him more and more each year, and nobody expects that to change this year, although we do know that Justin Chance most likely won't be at Attica every week this season.  One other small area of improvement would be to hone his skills at Oakshade where - as Ryan will admit - he occasionally misses his mark.

DRIVER'S THOUGHTS:  "I'd like to say we are going to light up the map this upcoming year and travel all over the country, but that isn't possible...nothing new and exciting....we plan on winning races and trying to have fun while we're at it."

SCOUTING REPORT: Eldora Speedway

(Stacy Holland photo)

OVERVIEW:  As I've mentioned on here before, I don't talk about Eldora as often as I probably should simply for the fact that I don't want anyone to think I'm a "homer".  I do my best to spread the love and make sure everyone gets an ample amount of airtime. With that in mind, however, I think most will agree that Eldora speaks for itself.  Because of its history, long-standing reputation, and ownership the track has the opportunity to do things most others can't.  

WHAT WE KNOW:  2013 will see several changes to the Eldora schedule, most of which have already been noted.  The addition of the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series on July 24th is drawing tons of buzz and is sure to be one of the most watched race on TV this year.  Other new events on schedule this year include the TRAXXAS TORC Off Road Series on May 10 and 11, the All-Star Sprint Speedweek show on June 22, and addition of the BOSS non-wing sprints to Sprintacular on Oct. 12.  The format tweaks to the Dream and the World are widely known, but it's the revamping of the UMP Nationals that I'm looking forward to.  With a Chili Bowl type of format for the UMP Modifieds, their show expands to three days with half the Mods running Thursday and the other half running Friday.  The top "x" cars from each of those shows will be locked into Saturday night's A-Feature with everyone else playing alphabet soup on Saturday.  In addition, the complete Late Model program now shifts to Saturday as well.  Races that have been axed include the USAC Summer Sprint Car Shootout and the season-ending, 16-division Blue Collar Bash. 

WHERE THEY'RE GOOD:  Eldora's excellent at evolving with the sport itself in terms of building projects and event changes.  This offseason will see wall and gate construction as well as new lights being installed in the Spring.  And GM Roger Slack tells me a "major construction project" is tentatively set to begin after the final race in October.  The format changes to some of Eldora's top events have given them a fresh look while keeping much of the same tradition fans have grown to love.  The atmosphere at the Big E is second to none, especially for the crown jewels, and that atmosphere was intensified in 2012 with addition of new activities in the Fan Zone, the pay-pew-view broadcasts, and the fireworks displays that typically shook all of Darke County.

WHERE TO IMPROVE:  In my opinion, Eldora took a big step forward in 2012 to help make the racing even better for the fans and drivers.  Thanks to technology, body styles, and tires, it seems to get tougher and tougher each year to see consistent side-by-side racing on the bigger tracks.  Of course, there's always going to be exceptions to that - we can all think of a few, I'm sure - but my honest opinion is that the Big E has their ship heading in the right direction in terms of track prep.  

FINAL THOUGHTS:  Eldora races 17 weekends (some of which are two or three day shows) and the Late Models continue to headline the Eldora schedule with the Dream, the World, and four Sunoco ALMS shows (April 13, May 26, Sept 1, Oct 5).  And for that, I'm certainly grateful.  As for the format differences, there will always be folks who don't agree with some of the changes, but I personally feel like the race and format tweaks have some really nice perks, and kudos are certainly in order to the Eldora staff for taking a chance and branching out in 2013.

THROWBACK THURSDAY: Tim Hitt

Weston, WV's Tim Hitt was a popular driver throughout the 1990's and the early 2000's.  And when you think of "The Hittman", you probably think of that sharp-looking red #68 with gold trim and checkerboard bottom.  But Tim stepped behind the wheel of a few other rides in his career, including the two cars above.  I don't have dates for either of these pics, but the B45 should be from the late 80's or early 90's, and I believe the 1H should be an early-to-mid 90's ride.

SCOUTING REPORT: Russ King

OVERVIEW:  Russ King ran only a partial schedule in 2012, racing just 21 times throughout the season, after spending much of his time helping Sharon Speedway Crate champion Will Thomas.  In 2013 King vows to get behind the wheel more, racing twice as much as he did last year.

WHAT WE KNOW:  The Bristolville, OH driver will debut a brand new orange front-end Rocket in 2013, complete with a new Cornett Racing Engine.  Much like last year, King will be turning wrenches in the Rocket camp during the Florida Speedweeks before his own season gets started on Saturday, March 30th at the ULMS-sanctioned "Chiller Thriller" at Mercer Raceway Park.  From there, King will following the ULMS Series and hit other $3000-$5000 to win events close to home.  Off weekends will find him at Wayne County and Lernerville among other places.

WHERE HE'S GOOD:  Since traveling with the World of Outlaws a few years back, King's overall program took a big step forward.  He drivers with more confidence than most and that often allows him to sneak his car into holes that others wouldn't dare go.  He's noticeably better than most on a heavy track, and he's typically a "fast-outta-the-gate" kind of guy.  He's got solid set-up skills which, as noted with Will Thomas' Crate title at Sharon, often puts him ahead of the competition the moment he rolls through the gates.  Although he only raced 21 times last year, he won six races.  Pretty impressive stuff.

WHERE TO IMPROVE:  King has a tendency to overdrive his car at times.  It's probably a product of having to be up on the wheel so much when he traveled with the Outlaws.  Nevertheless, as mentioned above, that same characteristic allows him be one of the best on a wet, tacky surface.  His new orange front-end Rocket - which most will agree is typically better on a smooth, slick track - will certainly makes things interesting this year.

DRIVER'S THOUGHTS:  "Last year I got more in-depth with helping some guys as sort of a consultant ... it's cool to help other guys and then see them run good.  After going to Florida with Josh Richards last year and being around the Rocket camp and Crew Chief Robbie Allen, I've really learned a lot!"

SCOUTING REPORT: Alan Vochaska

OVERVIEW:  It's safe to say Alan Vochaska had a roller-coaster of a season in 2012.  It seems as though those types of years are becoming the norm for the South Haven, Michigan driver.  Vochaska is always fast, and always a threat to win, but it seems like Lady Luck deals him a bad hand more than most.

WHAT WE KNOW:  Vochaska has switched to a Clements power plant this offseason, which should compliment his MasterSbilt and Bloomquist cars nicely.  The MasterSbilt will once again see the majority of the action with Vochaska tentatively committing to 90% of the Fairbury, IL schedule in 2013, a tow that will find him traveling a 400-mile round trip every Saturday night.  His season will once again get kickstarted at Florence, KY's Spring 50, possibly Moler's opener the night before.  He's added the Lucas Oil show at Hartford and the USA Nationals at Cedar Lake to his "must have" list for 2013.

WHERE HE'S GOOD:  He seems solid on big tracks.  That might be because I've seen him have a few good runs on Hartford, MI's monster half-mile, or it might be because he's got his program dialed in on tracks such as that. Alan's also sharp when it comes to car smarts, primarily because he (as he puts it) is the "shock guy, set-up guru, and maintenance man".

WHERE TO IMPROVE:  Consistency.  Vochaska will be the first to tell you that he'd like to have more top fives in his diet.  That could be tough to do running against the stout weekly competition Fairbury has to offer, but taming that track will almost certainly up anyone's game.  

DRIVER'S THOUGHTS:  "A good friend once told me, 'Confidence is worth two tenths. Overconfidence puts you in the fence'."

5 WEEKEND AFTER-THOUGHTS: Eldora Banquet

(Stacy Holland photo)

1)  The Sunoco ALMS schedule was released and it was announced that the organization will now feature an East and a West series.  In speaking with various drivers, the reviews are mixed with the biggest complaint being that the East series races include too many Illinois races overlapping into the eastern schedule.  The West schedule, on the other hand, is a nice addition and seems to somewhat take the place of the now defunct NALMS Series.  (NOTE - the Aug. 3rd ALMS East race is at Oakshade, not Eldora as the previously released schedule suggests)

2)  Bill Lewis announced that he will not be back behind the wheel of the Rob Rouch owned #26.  Wapakoneta, Ohio driver Scott Bowersock will take over that ride in 2013.

3)  John Brooks, who's back-to-back rollovers kicked off the 2012 season at Eldora, won the track's UMP Modified Hard Luck award.  In taking the microphone after accepting his award, Brooks had the capacity crowd in stitches with an inebriated speech that included the gut-busting phrase, "If you're gonna drink all day, you gotta start in the morning."

4)  Rick Delong announced that he will once again field a car for Matt Miller this season with, basically, the same schedule as last year.  The team plans to run all Eldora races as well as select events at Attica and Oakshade.

5)  One minor tweak to the previously released Eldora schedule is the addition of the BOSS non-wing sprints to the season-ending UNOH Sprintacular, which also features the All-Star Sprints and the NRA Sprint Invaders.

SCOUTING REPORT: Justin Coulter

OVERVIEW:  A successful open wheel Modified driver, Justin Coulter made the jump full-time into Late Models in 2012.  He was able to pick and choose events to run, easing into the seat of his car, in making the transition from Mods to Late Models.  

WHAT WE KNOW:  Coulter, a second generation driver, will be racing every single weekend in 2013.  No more picking and choosing.  No more taking weekends off.  When Mother Nature cooperates, the #555 will be at a race track somewhere.  The plan is to open the season at Brownstown's Indiana Icebreaker on March 23rd, or possibly Attica's opener the night before.  From there, Coulter will be follow the Michigan Dirt Cup for both the driver's and the series' Sophomore season to dabble in the Late Model ranks.  Armed with a brand new MasterSbilt Gen X powered by a Jay Dickens motor, he'll also hit as many ALMS shows as possible, in addition to running some regular races at Oakshade and Attica.  

WHERE HE'S GOOD:  The likable Leamington, Ontario driver has some nice backing, which always helps, and a solid crew chief in Jason "Cheese" Baltazar.  Coulter improved throughout 2012, especially at Oakshade, showing how important it is to get seat time in a Late Model no matter what your racing history is.  Now, with the new MasterSbilt/Dickens combo, the foundation has been laid for Coulter to get his first Late Model win in 2013.  

WHERE TO IMPROVE:  Coulter is on the right track by aiming for more seat time this season.  The more he races, and the more tracks he races at, the more well-rounded it will make him.  He may not notice it at first - any driver will tell you it can be a trying process to venture out a little - but he'll gradually see a difference in his game, especially at the tracks he's most comfortable at like Attica and Oakshade.

DRIVER'S THOUGHTS:  "This will be our first time to follow a points deal.  We have never committed to any points before, so it'll be all new to us.  I'm really excited to give it a try!"

THROWBACK THURSDAY: Ryan Markham

Today's Thursday Throwback is a June 1993 pic of Ashland, Ohio's Ryan Markham at Muskingum County Speedway. 

SCOUTING REPORT: Oakshade Raceway

OVERVIEW:  Anybody who knows me or follows my blog knows that I'm a fan of Oakshade Raceway.  The small, 3/8-mile track doesn't boast fancy facilities, high-dollar luxury suites, or big-name corporate sponsors.  Instead, it does what a race track should.  Oakshade offers top notch, side-by-side racing and a well-run program for an affordable price.  They typically get over 30 UMP Late Models for their regular shows and admission prices do not change throughout the year.  Located in rural northwest Ohio, Oakshade marches to the beat of their own drum and does just fine in doing so.

WHAT WE KNOW:  "Status Quo" best describes The Shade in 2013 as they will open on Saturday, April 27th running all divisions except Late Models, who will join the cast the following Saturday.  The track will once again host four Sunoco ALMS races, the Barney Oldfield Memorial (paying $4,900 to win this year), and the highly-coveted UMP Summer Nationals finale, which shifts back one week to Saturday, July 20th.  For those running Oakshade weekly, the UMP Late Model track championship will pay a whopping $8,500 to win.  And drivers and fans alike will be happy to know that Oakshade's admission prices will once again be the same as they were in 2012 and will not increase for any race.

WHERE THEY'RE GOOD:  Oakshade's good in a lot of areas.  Not only are the admission prices affordable, but so are the concessions.  I'm constantly bragging about their dollar hot dogs and fifty-cent cans of soda.  The racing, more times than not, is excellent and the car counts are high.  The program starts right on time and is efficiently and effectively run.  The intermission entertainment ("The Links Zone") is fan-friendly and kid-oriented.  Overall, Oakshade has pretty much everything a fan could want.

WHERE TO IMPROVE:  The biggest ding folks can find on the Wauseon, Ohio track would be the facilities.  You're not going to find new bleachers or fancy restrooms at this place.  My thought has always been that facilities do not dictate the real reason a person goes to the track...which, of course, is to see good racing.  And on that side of things, Oakshade has seen small splashes of inconsistency, but nothing to get too worked up over.

PROMOTER'S THOUGHTS:  As is the case with all tracks, ideas can sometimes be bigger than budgets.  Such is the case with Oakshade.  "There is plenty we would like to do...just depends on money and time," says Chrissy Henricks.  

SCOUTING REPORT: Andrew Reaume

OVERVIEW:  Little by little, Andrew Reaume is becoming more and more of a household name.  From an ALMS win at Oakshade to a start in the prestigious World 100, last year was a season of firsts for the Blenheim, Ontario driver.

WHAT WE KNOW:  Reaume will be back with the same car as last year, a former Darrell Lanigan Rocket that helped propel him to a runner-up finish in the final Eldora Speedway points standings.  Two fresh Cornett Engines will provide the fire under the hood when the Canadian hotshoe starts his season at either Florence, KY's Spring 50 or Brownstown, IN's Icebreaker.  From there, nothing is set in stone, but the team plans to make another run at the Eldora points title as well as focusing more on regional ALMS events and big money shows.  And, it wouldn't be a surprise to see Reaume venture out on the Hell Tour later this summer, if not for the entire tour, at least for select races.

WHERE HE'S GOOD:  The 29-year-old driver is solid at places like Eldora, Oakshade, Attica, and South Buxton.  His strong runs at Eldora in 2012 has given him a huge confidence boost.  He seems to be better on a slick surface and he noticeably rises to the level of his competition.  

WHERE TO IMPROVE:  Now that Reaume has polished his program locally, we'd like to see him spread his wings and fly just a little more.  Venturing out to new and different tracks will certainly help, and achieving the same level of consistency on those new tracks will continue to make him a household name.

DRIVER'S THOUGHTS: "We are going to try and focus on some of the bigger shows this year because I seem to push myself harder when the competition level rises. Then, you are forced to learn or you will never make a show."

SCOUTING REPORT: Kent Robinson

OVERVIEW:  Former Modified standout Kent Robinson set sail on the entire World of Outlaws Late Model tour in 2012 and finished the season with a respectable 11th place tally in the final points standings, making 37 of the series' 40 A-Mains.  He finished the season strong, including a ninth place run in the World Finals at Charlotte.

WHAT WE KNOW:  K-Rob will start the season with the intention of running the WoO tour again this year.  After running the Outlaws gig through the Georgia/Florida Speedweeks, Robinson plans to evaluate how things look and make a decision on the rest of his season.  If he opts out of the WoO tour, look for the Bloomington, IN driver (who is running the same cars and motors as last year) to run some UMP Summer Nationals races as well as other big shows close to home, including those sanctioned by WoO and Lucas Oil.  In his spare time, Robinson will return to his roots and run 10-15 UMP Modified races for a team based out of southern Indiana.  With a new car and motor, the new combination plans to hit select Mod shows in Indiana and Ohio.

WHERE HE'S GOOD:  Last year's traveling helped make Robinson a more well-rounded driver.  You always hear drivers say things like "the more you race, and the better the competition...the better driver you become".  And that adage is certainly true with Robinson.  If he doesn't run the full Outlaws tour in 2013, he'll be considered a threat to win at any regional show.  As far as the Mod gig is concerned, I look for that team to be a solid top three runner in every race they enter.  Guaranteed. 

WHERE TO IMPROVE:  Injured race cars and hurt motors killed Robinson about halfway through the season in 2012.  He and his team have to find a way to keep the cars and motors in one piece this year.  If they can do that, he'll certainly have a strong year no matter which route he chooses.  

DRIVER'S THOUGHTS:  "We don't really have anything set in stone for 2013. I'm going to run the Outlaws through Georgia and Florida, then make an assessment and decide if we want to continue on with the tour or drop off and run more of a regional schedule while still hitting the big shows like Eldora, Knoxville, Cedar Lake, Florence, etc."

THROWBACK THURSDAY: Steve Francis

Here's one that probably slipped under the radar of some people.  Does anybody remember when Steve Francis piloted this ride?

SCOUTING REPORT: Jeff Babcock

OVERVIEW:  Jeff Babcock is good ... let's go ahead and get that out of the way.  He comes from the old school way of racing, working his way up from the Stocks, then Modifieds, and now Late Models.  Basically, he's a guy who will race anything with four wheels ... and he does, racing a Late Model and Mod full-time while still dabbling in the Stocks when the opportunity presents itself.  Once the Halcomb Racing team finally got rolling in 2012, Babcock shrugged off a somewhat sluggish start to become one of the fastest drivers by the end of the season.  In the Best Performace Motorsports UMP Modified, Babcock was a legit contender in every single race.

WHAT WE KNOW:  The Wayne, Ohio driver plans on doing even more racing in 2013 with a highly ambitious schedule mapped out.  Halcomb Racing is joining forces with Best Performance Motorsports to form one powerhouse operation which will kick off with Babcock in the team's Modified at North Florida Speedway in February.  The newly combined program will hit every Mod show at Ocala and Volusia and, from there, will drag out the Late Model for a March swing that's likely to include Clarksville, TN's Toilet Bowl Classic and Florence, KY's Spring 50.  During the summer months, look for "The Wayne Hurricane" to run select UMP SummerNationals events with the Late Model and Modified as well as some USMTS Modified shows in the midwest.  Aside from the traveling more and hitting some bigger shows, Babcock's number one priority is a track championship at Eldora with both the Late Model and the Modified.  Oh, then there's that NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race at Eldora.  He's running that too.

WHERE HE'S GOOD:  Babcock is an excellent driver and has solid equipment under him.  All the ingredients are there to make him of the the region's top drivers to watch this season, in what could certainly prove to be a breakout year for the 32-year-old.  He's a hard driver and usually rises to the level of his competition if given the opportunity.

WHERE TO IMPROVE:  As mentioned above, Babcock is a throttle-stomper and, as we all know, that can occasionally get a driver in trouble.  A little more seat time against varying levels of competition and on different track surfaces should help sharpen his program.  Jeff's a smart driver and adjusts well to most situations presented to him.  If he doesn't lose sight of that ability, 2013 will be the year Jeff Babcock picks up some pretty big wins.

DRIVER'S THOUGHTS:  "Best Performance Motorsports has really stepped up and I'm hoping to do the same in return!"

SCOUTING REPORT: Garrett Krummert

OVERVIEW:  He's only been racing Late Models a few seasons, but Garrett Krummert is quickly making a name for himself in Pennsylvania and Ohio.  A sweep of Attica's Spring Nationals helped put the 24-year-old Butler, PA driver on the Ohio map in 2012.

WHAT WE KNOW:  Krummert will start the season racing at Attica Raceway Park every Friday night.  After the April 14th show, the team will take a look at the Attica points, the team's sponsorship, and the family business. From there, they will make a decision as to whether or not they will continue to make the 3+ hour drive west for the remaining shows.

WHERE HE'S GOOD:  This is a guy who has Attica figured out.  He's proven that in his limited visits to the 1/3-mile fairgrounds oval.  No doubt his previous experience wheeling a Big Block Modified and a Sprint Car has carried him over to the Late Model side.

WHERE TO IMPROVE:  A little more experience at new tracks and on varying track surfaces will help polish the likable driver in 2013.  If he has an opportunity to travel a little more, he should take advantage of it and get that all-important seat time.  On Saturdays, Krummert will be bouncing around a little as he plans to hit Oakshade for a few select races as well as running ULMS events at Mercer and Sharon among other places.  The Saturday night race-chasing should help him up his game.

DRIVER'S THOUGHTS:  "It's sometimes hard to drive three hours (to Attica) on Fridays when Lerverville is only 45 minutes away ... I'm really looking forward to the Hell Tour race and the Lucas Oil show at Attica.  Last year we showed up late to the SummerNationals race and that put us behind all night, so I want to make up for that poor showing."

SCOUTING REPORT: Rusty Schlenk

OVERVIEW:  In the OH/IN/MI region, perhaps no local driver is talked about more than Rusty Schlenk.  A former UMP National Champion, Schlenk is also a multiple-time Oakshade Raceway track champion.  Last season, he notched his 100th career feature win.

WHAT WE KNOW:  Things look to be status quo for the Weston, Ohio driver.  He'll be back with the same cars (both his own and the Ron Zeller-owned entry), same motors, and same crew.  And he'll be gunning for as many UMP points as possible, in search for his second national title.

WHERE HE'S GOOD:  Schlenk is one of the smartest when it comes to UMP points chasing.  He maximizes his UMP points opportunities every chance he gets by dodging the inclement weather, and hitting tracks that allow him to look at the big picture of the UMP national title.  Depending on how the UMP points (and the team's finances) look, Schlenk may even venture to Eldora's Dream and World 100 in 2013.

WHERE TO IMPROVE:  Schlenk got off to a somewhat sluggish start in 2012...at least by his standards.  From an outsider's perspective, it seemed like he didn't really kick into high gear until nearly mid-season and was often plagued by bad luck.  If he wants to make another run at the overall UMP championship, he'll need to hit the ground running in 2013.  And he plans to do just that by starting his season off at the Tuckassee Toilet Bowl Classic in Clarksville, TN.

DRIVER'S THOUGHTS:  "Same cars, same motors, same crew, same kick-ass attitude...but it's a new year so we are hoping for some new luck!"

THROWBACK THURSDAY: Mark Banal

Does anybody remember when Mark Banal (then Dillonvale, OH) drove this car?  It was the Fall of 1989.  The M&R racing #30 only made a few appearances when Banal wasn't wheeling his familiar #T8.

New Year, New Updates...

News, updates, and more are right around the corner.  The first "official" post of the new year will be Monday, January 7th.  Spread the word...

DJ