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Change In The West...… Again
Late Model Mark
PINSON, Ala. (January 7) - Happy New Year and welcome to the first Red Clay Report of 2010. This round of the RCR will be about my thoughts on the 2010 season out West, and the continued instability of Late Model sanctions in California. In a very short time, two large and anticipated events separated by nearly 2000 miles, have fans excited and ready to go. The first major event is the Ice Bowl at Talladega Short Track here in Alabama, and the Wild West Shootout in Tuscon, Arizona. More on those races in a bit.
The deal out West. Does this constant upheavel ever cease?? I guess not, I always wonder why it can't stay on solid ground as far as the sanctioning bodies and the folks in charge. In the 70s there was the high-paying Pacific Coast Tour, it was roaring along paying West Coast high races at various tracks to the tune of $5000, $8000, and $10,000-to-win shows. Then the inmates thought they knew how to run the asylum and that series came crashing down. Thru the rest of the 70s and into the 80s, Dirt Late Model racing was just a small side-show nitch. In my view kept alive in the racing papers due to a super effort by the late, Gary Jacob. Along came the Baintons who brought us the Western Dirt Late Model Tour that invigorated the class and interest by drivers and fans. Those other than the folks in charge of the WDLMT decided that they did not like the way things were going and along came the California Clash. The Cal-Clash really whipped up the troops with some good ideas and some nice cash. That deal got short-shifted just when a little more time was needed. Then along came what should have been the series still to this day. The Western All Stars. It started off nicely with the "Wizard" Chris Kearns in charge, this series shot skyward like a 60 grain mortar. Participation by drivers, fans, tracks, opened many eyes and threatened to be the premiere dirt series in California. Huge races with fat purses, great car counts, and fan buzz was off the hook. Then what happens, a few folks decide they know better and the ugly instability rears it's head again! The "Wizard" Chris Kearns is out and a new owner who was racing comes in, he tries hard, but it wasn't the success that was hoped for. So the big saviour, DirtCar shows up with promises of great things but those promises sputter like a soggy firecracker. The series director Scott Woodhouse tried very hard, took a lot of grief, and has now moved on. The future of the Western All Stars in my view is in question.
Sometimes, what goes around comes around. The "Wizard" takes over the operations of a prominent speedway on the coast of central California, Santa Maria, and had a great, but challenging year. Doing his own thing, and as usual, thinking ahead and with sage, starts his own Late Model deal, the West Coast Shootout along with Bakersfield Speedway. Nice money, good teams, and a positive attitude seemed to be the norm. Now in 2010, the Western All Stars look shaky while the West Coast Shootout looks strong as heck. Solid tracks such as Tulare, Chowchilla, Bakersfield, Santa Maria, Hanford, and Petaluma are on board, some with some very nice payouts. This could really be the start of something stable, long-term, and a winner with the "Wizard" at the helm. If Chris is in charge at all times, the sky is the limit!! The teams and fans need to support this deal, take a friend, bring a newbie, spread the word on this tour, tell folks how cool these cars are, it can payoff.
Now quickly to the two biggies in January, the Ice Bowl kicks off the year this weekend with outrageous cold weather all weekend long, snow on Thursday and temps in the 20s and the teens. It will hurt car and fan counts, but the diehards will be there. Then a very exciting race kicks off the West with the running of the Wild West Shootout in Tucson, Arizona. A super strong and diverse field will flock to the Arizona desert in large numbers. Teams from over 10 states will race for multiple nights for good money. Names like Moyer, Korte, Mars, Doar, Payne, all joining the Western teams. This race will be in my view, a better show than the Vegas race. Tucson will have a much more raceable surface to showcase these fine cars. The fans of Late Models out on the left coast really deserve this race, a rare chance to see some of the true heavyweights of the class. We'll see how the the West stacks up against the rest. Enjoy the show and remember to support your local track that runs Dirt Late Models, they are easily the best show on dirt!!! Nothing better than side-by-side, hiked-up, on the gas, left front dangling in the air Late Models!! No doubt racings most popular cars on dirt, till next time.
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