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Season Opening Ice Bowl a Good sign for 2009
Late Model Mark
EASTABOGA, Ala. (January 9) - We have heard all the bad news for months now. Bailouts, foreclosures, layoffs, track closings, and loss of sponsors. The doom and gloom predicted by some has led racing fans to say that 2009 will be the worst year in racing. It might be grim, it might not as well. This round of the Red Clay Report will focus on something positive to start the year. The opening race of the Dirt Late Model season, the incredible Ice Bowl from Talladega Short Track in Eastaboga, Alabama. This is a race that could set the tone for 2009.
Leading up to this very early season race had the "pundits" saying that this race might be weak for many reasons. Throw in a unfavorable weather forecast with rain and cold temps, that would have led some to stay away. For those that did, you missed a gem of a weekend. Let's start with the car count. 92 Super Late Models, 87 Crate Lates, 91 Limited Late Models, 58 Bombers and a nice field of 42 I.M.C.A. Modifieds. They filled every inch of the large pit area at TST. Fans parked on International Speedway Blvd on both sides for blocks or parked in the spacious campgrounds next to the track. With all the rain everything was muddy and sloppy. It was very tough for the racers to pit in a "quagmire."
Practice was held on Thursday and Friday for the huge field with the rain holding off during the day. Talladega brought in a talent laden group of announcers to keep the fans informed. Regular TST mikeman Perry Holman did his usual excellent job. He is so good at calling races he could make a snail race exciting. Big Ross Tingle from Columbus and Magnolia (MS.) Speedway also is a real treat to listen to. He is a great guy as well. World of Outlaw announcer Rick Eshelman and Nesmith Crate series race caller Roby Helm were behind the mike as well. The race directors at TST did a super job keeping the show moving even thru the mud and muck. In fact, the entire TST staff did a super job.
Saturday dawned very cold and swamp like grounds. It's hard to convey how muddy it was everywhere yet spirits were high and the racers plugged away without griping, they just wanted to race. The track was run in by dozens of pit quads and then the bombers. The track stayed wet, tacky and very racy all day. Ice Bowl time trials were done 2 cars at a time that made it much faster to time the 3 classes. The Super Late heats started at 5:50pm. Oh my was the track fast! Heat 3 was the best of the bunch with a high groove smokin' run upstairs by Bub McCool that lit up the track and fans. As heat 4 took the green a very light rain started and the track was lost in seconds it seemed. Shortly after that a deluge pounded the area and turned a soggy facility into a lake, The race would pick up the next day where it left off, starting with heat 4 of the Supers.
Race day dawned very ugly and cold with rain forecast all day. It rained all over the area yet spared the race track. Just 18 miles away it was pouring down. The races resumed at 11:00am. and for the next 8 hours it was going like gangbusters, At 4:25pm. the star studded Late Model main was underway. The great crowd was treated to a fantastic, exciting, competitive race with only 3 yellows. Ray Cook was spectacular in winning this very hard fought battle in his new car. The track was sweet as you could race from top to bottom as most of the field did just that. The showstopper was once again Bub McCool who lit up the high groove passin cars with the throttle buried to the mat. The crowd was really liking this heavy-footed charge. The last yellow killed his shot at the win. After a few consi races the Crate Lates put on a super show. Brad Hall won the slugfest over a huge and talent laden field. He came to the track with a pick-up truck, open trailer, and a small crew.
All things pointed to a weak field, rain, a small crowd and a attitude of gloom yet it was the opposite. Huge car count, great crowd, and superb daytime racing. In my opinion that is not shared by some, this is indeed one of the "crown jewels" of Late Model racing. Go once and see if you leave the facility saying it isn't. If this race is a indication of things to come, then 2009 will be fine. It was muddy, it was cold, it was dreary, yet it was a great weekend of racing at the "Hornets Nest." The fans and racers had to put up with a lot yet they shined thru the clouds like a happy rainbow. Talladega, you did a great job as usual of putting on a race. I would like to thank Dennis Anton and Perry "the voiceman" Holman for the red carpet treatment all weekend. Once again, just like my 12 visits last year, you'll never walk out of Talladega Short Track saying you saw a lousy show. 92 Super Late Models racing on the first weekend of the year in bad weather, incredible!!
Late Model Mark
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