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1. Volusia continued to be THE track to hit during Speedweeks with the highest car counts and, seemingly, the best racing. Side-by-side battles and drivers rallying from midpack are almost the norm at the half-mile oval these days. When this happens, the fans are the real winners.
2. If you're a Late Model fan and you didn't stick around to watch Brett Hearn's run in Saturday night's Big Block Modified finale, you missed what was probably the best show of the week. Hearn's pit stop for a flat with just 15 laps remaining left most folks thinking he was done for the night. Instead, the veteran stormed back through the field and took the point as the white flag waved to capture the win.
3. The drivers who MOST impressed me at Volusia: Eric Wells, Stormy Scott, and Mason Zeigler.
4. The drivers who LEAST impressed me at Volusia: Jimmy Mars, Chub Frank, and Gregg Satterlee.
5. Finally, if you didn't get a chance to see it, the DirtonDirt live broadcast was an absolute smash. I'm talking, 100% total out-of-the-ballpark homerun. A huge hat-tip to those folks for putting together the best live internet broadcast I have ever seen. Job well done, fellas.
OVERVIEW: Since winning the Attica Raceway Park track championship in 2008, Curtis Deisenroth has been on a roller coaster ride of up and down seasons with everything from strong finishes to broken motors to just plain bad luck.
WHAT WE KNOW: After racing just 13 times in 2012, Deisenroth will be on the track more in 2013 as motor issues have plagued the likable Oak Harbor, Ohio driver for a couple years. He'll most likely start his season at Florence, KY's Spring 50 followed by the season opener at Attica. From there, "2D" will see how things play out and make a determination as to whether he'll run for Attica & Oakshade points, or if he'll run the entire Michigan Dirt Cup sked. He's switched from Rayburn to MasterSbilt during the offseason, which could prove to be a learning curve...or could help get the ship pointed back in the right direction.
WHERE HE'S GOOD: Deisenroth is a good fundamental driver and, when he hits the pill draw right, can be a strong runner at Attica and Oakshade. He's knowledgeable about the car, and that knowledge should transfer from the Rayburn over to the MasterSbilt this year.
WHERE TO IMPROVE: Engine woes have been an issue for Deisenroth for a few years now. If he's going to run a full season, he'll have to make sure his motor program is on track and at 100% before contending for track or series championships.
DRIVER'S THOUGHTS: "I'm more excited about starting this season than what I have been in years. Be glad to see friends and fans, and meet new faces this year."
Some random thoughts from the last few days of racing in Florida...
1. Car counts everywhere have taken a huge hit. With Ocala averaging roughly 40 per night - and less than that at East Bay - is it time for these two tracks to put their egos aside and start working together? I think so but, as one twitter follower pointed out, the current situation does allow for more drivers to take home money.
2. Josh Richards is fast. Damn fast. And he will be the driver to beat on the WoO circuit this year.
3. DirtonDirt's broadcast last night at Volusia was absolutely off the chart. From the camera angles to the live driver interviews, they have raised an exceptionally high bar for the world of online PPV broadcasts. Kudos to everyone involved.
4. Nice to see Earl Pearson Jr. get back on the winning track.
5. Has anyone else noticed that Billy Moyer seems to be struggling right now? He has just one top five run in six starts and, while that may not be a big deal to most, it's down right shocking considering he's one of the winningest drivers in GA/FL Speedweeks history.
6. There were six features at East Bay and only three (official) lead changes.
7. Was anybody else surprised to see Vic Coffey stay at East Bay and not head to Ocala? I was.
Today's throwback takes a look at the results of the 1994 Spring 50 at Florence Speedway. A few things of note... one, notice there weren't enough Late Models for a B-Main (a far cry from what this race has turned into in recent years). And two, check out some of the familiar names in the other two divisions. This year's Spring 50 is set for Saturday, March 16th.
1. Dennis Erb, Scott Bloomquist, and Don O'Neal look to be the class of the field thus far...and I might throw Steve Francis in that mix too, if not for problems late in the going Monday night. Other who have been impressive include Eric Jacobsen, Tyler Reddick, and John Blankenship (whose 24th-to-5th rally was THE show last night). Along with Reddick, young guns Bobby Pierce and Devin Moran have also impressed me.
2. I like seeing the new clay on the track, but it doesn't look like they built the banking all the way up on the outside to where it was 10+ year ago, which is something I was hoping for.
3. Doug Drown is exciting to watch. Period. The dude can flat out drive and he proved it by "puttin' on a show" last night in the first B-Main. He'll have himself a top five run before the week is over.
4. Every year, there's one semi-unknown driver who rolls in and has a banner week at the 1/3-mile Florida oval. Is Todd Frank that driver this year? We'll see how the rest of his week goes.
5. Tonight's winner? My money's on Don O'Neal.
OVERVIEW: When you look at drivers who have improved the most over the last three years, Matt Irey's name would most certainly be thrown into the conversation. Now entering his fourth year of racing, Irey will set his sights on that coveted first win.
WHAT WE KNOW: The 21-year old from Mansfield, Ohio will tackle the 2013 season equipped with a brand new MasterSbult Gen X chassis. The new ride gives him two Gen X cars, which are powered by Draime engines. He'll chase the Attica Raceway Park points this season and will also enter every Late Model event held at Eldora Speedway. Saturdays, you may find him traveling around the region.
WHERE HE'S GOOD: After just three years of full-time Late Model racing, Irey is still a student of the game. During his first three years, Irey has grown and improved with each season, picking up more and more every week. He's solid by himself and is often hard to beat when he's out front in a heat or consy. Likewise, when a more experience driver is in front of him, you can see Irey shadow the moves of the faster car, learning as he goes.
WHERE TO IMPROVE: Right now, seat time is the most important thing for the youngster. The more he races, the better he gets. I'm sure he would be the first to admit, he's still a little shaky when surrounded by a bunch of other cars. More races are the best thing for him right now, and getting experience at Eldora won't hurt either.
DRIVER'S THOUGHTS: "Everything started coming into place at the end of last year, so im gonna keep my fingers crossed for 2013!"
OVERVIEW: Last June, Doug Drown hooked up with car owner Sean Weekley and duo became an automatic force, winning seven races the second half of the season, and even setting fast time at multiple events, including the Lucas Oil-sanctioned "River Days Rumble" at Portsmouth.
WHAT WE KNOW: The second generation driver will start his season next week at East Bay Raceway Park. From there, the team plans to regroup and start their "northern" season in mid-late March at a track yet TBD. With Malcuit and Cornett power plants and two brand new Rocket Chassis in their arsenal, the Drown/Weekley combo is more than ready to tackle the 2013 season. Drown plans to hit as many of the top-dollar regional races as possible, including Eldora's Dream and World 100.
WHERE HE'S GOOD: Drown is one heck of a wheelman. He used to be noticeably better on a tacky track, but that's changed in recent years as he's greatly improved his black slick program. Running against better competition has also helped and, with Sean Weekley's backing, this could certainly be the year in which Doug Drown captures national touring series win with Lucas or WoO. I'm going to go ahead and make an early prediction that the Wooster, OH driver will do just that in 2013.
WHERE TO IMPROVE: This is always a tough question to answer, but especially with Drown, who's game is so polished now it's hard to find an area that he needs to work on. One thing with Doug is, he will try everything he possibly can to get the absolute most out of his car. That sometimes means trying to make a fifth place car a first place car, and that will occasionally get a driver in trouble.
DRIVER'S THOUGHTS: "Sean Weekley has really gotten everything I could ever need or ask for to compete at the highest level. I'm very fortunate for the opportunity to drive for SWR and hope to have a great season for Sean and the entire Weekley family."
OVERVIEW: It's possible that no local driver rose to fame as quickly as Jon Henry did. After 14 wins, a World 100 start, and a solid third place finish in the UMP National Championship standings in 2011, Henry came back strong the first half of last season with a Summer Nationals win at Spoon River and regional victories at Attica, Fremont, and Oakshade. Then, in July, after losing a primary backer, Henry abruptly shut down his race team, only to run a handful of events the rest of the season.
WHAT WE KNOW: I'm about to answer the big question on everyone's mind... Yes, Jon Henry will indeed be back in 2013. Henry's now infamous "Dirty Dozen", a group of 12 supporters packaged together to form one major sponsor, has been expanded into the "Mean 15" for this year. His Late Model team will only run a select number of races this season - an outlaw-type schedule - including every event at Eldora. In addition, "The Steel Driver" will return to his roots and race UMP Modified owned by none other than Dean Miracle. A throwback to Miracle's days as a Late Model owner, the car will carry the famed Miracle Motorsports #23J and will run for an Eldora points championship, a title Henry picked up back in 2010. Henry also plans to enter the Mod in an array of other regional events throughout the year.
WHERE HE'S GOOD: Everyone knows Henry is one of the guys to beat any time he pulls into Attica, Oakshade, Eldora, or any Sunoco ALMS sanctioned race. He's one of the few drivers, regionally, who's name alone holds that much power. He's excellent on any type of track condition and can seemingly stick in car in a hole quicker and smoother than anyone else on the track. He has some of the best marketing skills of anyone in the sport, and we all know that helps tremendously in this sport.
WHERE TO IMPROVE: Bluntly put, Jon Henry got tired of racing last year. After his Summer Nationals run, he took a "sabbatical" of sorts and realized he wasn't having any fun. Too much money, too many politics, and too much pressure got the best of him and shut his entire operation down. If he wants to get back to where he was two years ago, he has to find a way to make racing fun again. And, from the looks of things, he's taking a giant step in the right direction.
DRIVER'S THOUGHTS: "I'm really looking forward to getting behind the wheel of Dean Miracle's Modified this year. I'm going to have some fun with it, which is something I haven't done for a while. I think this new team he and I have put together has a great chance to give some guys a run for the money this year!"
OVERVIEW: Justin Chance committed to running Attica Raceway Park for the entire 2012 season and made the most of it with a solid second place finish in the final points tally. Splitting time between his own #01 and the Doug Heath owned #2, Chance contended for more than more win and became one of the drivers to watch on Friday nights at the fairgrounds oval.
WHAT WE KNOW: He'll start his season on March 22 at Attica but, with a baby expected in May, it's not unlikely Chance will run the entire Attica schedule in 2013. When he's not racing Attica on Fridays, he plans to attempt Eldora's Sunoco ALMS races, The Dream, and he wants to make another run at the World 100 Best Appearing Car award. He'll be piloting the Heath #2 all season unless the team can get a motor ready for Chance's own ride later in the year. The team is also building a new race shop during the offseason.
WHERE HE'S GOOD: When he finds his rhythm, Justin Chance is legit contender at Attica. When he starts near the front, he's better than when he has to deal with the traffic in the middle of the pack. The Mansfield, OH native is definitely fast on a heavy race track, which makes him even better the first few months of the season.
WHERE TO IMPROVE: Consistency, both throughout the night and throughout the season is the biggest area of improvement for Chance. He started 2012 off pretty strong, but seemed to lose that rhythm later on in the season. Maybe it was the switching of cars, but nevertheless something seemed to be just a tick off the second half of the year. Likewise, there were times when Chance was solid early on in the evening, but seemed to fade at the end of the night. If he polishes up that consistency, he should be in victory lane a few times in 2013.
DRIVER'S THOUGHTS: "I'm looking forward to running Doug's car again this season and, although we won't be able to chase the Attica points title this year, we're looking forward to being back full-time in 2014."
