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Ocala Speedway continues to cooperate
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Location: Blogs Running Wide Open |
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| Posted by: Joe VanHoose |
5/19/2007 2:52 AM |
Armed Forces servicemen can see some local racing action for free this weekend at Ocala Speedway. The track will open its doors to anyone with a military I.D., whether they are active or retired.
Just what they and everyone else will see this evening will be a little different. The FAST Pro Trucks pay a visit to the 3/8-mile speedway, but the modifieds will be noticeably absent from the regular series lineup.
Ocala Speedway cancelled its weekly modified race this weekend out of respect for FASCAR’s Gulf Coast and Extreme Modified Series. The Extreme Modifieds, which runs only its second event this year after a first race flop, race at Orlando Speedworld Friday night while the Gulf Coast cars race at Bronson Motor Speedway Saturday.
Though Ocala’s weekly stable of modifieds has been just as strong as the two touring series, Ocala Speedway’s decision is noble and surprising for all the wrong reasons. It should be standard faire across the state that the few remaining tracks work with each other on scheduling races to prohibit overlap. After all, there are only so many racers and cars left in Florida.
But instead the tracks compete with each other, scheduling the same races for the same cars on the same weekend, sometimes adding more purse money to try and make the other track fail. The results are boring races with 10 or so cars that fewer and fewer people care about.
Look at the grandstands at some of these tracks. The empty seats tell the story.
But Ocala proved once again why it’s a short track on the rise. After cooperating with Citrus County Speedway for the year and finding early success, the track once again proves with this decision that its promoters care about the racers and the fans.
If only every other speedway in Florida could be this courteous.
Dale Earnhardt Jr. has signed with…
Ever since “Little E” made his announcement that he is leaving Dale Earnhardt Incorporated at the end of the season, I’ve been stopped no fewer than 20 times by curious fans looking for inside information on where he’ll go.
For the record, I have no idea.
Here’s my hypothesis: He’s going to stay with Chevrolet, which erases any chance of driving for Jack Roush or Roger Penske. Budweiser will buy Junior five islands in the Bahamas before they let him go to another sponsor. That rules out Joe Gibbs Racing, which would rather fix J.J. Yeley’s mangled racecars every week than put a beer decal on one of its rides.
And Earnhardt says he wants to win right away, which rules out Ginn Racing, Michael Waltrip Racing, and Furniture Row Motorsports (every team can dream, right?).
That leaves Richard Childress Racing, which Earnhardt’s late father drove for on his way to six of his seven championships, and Hendrick Motorsports, the team that seems to win every week. Childress would be the logical choice, but something seems wrong with that picture. Hendrick would shake the world to get him, but that team is already full of talented drivers.
So what do you think? Check out blogs.myspaceocala.com and post a comment on the Running Wide Open blog. I’m anxious to see what the Junior Nation is feeling here.
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Re: Ocala Speedway continues to cooperate |
By Mark J Pero on
5/18/2007 3:37 PM |
| Not being a member of JR Nation, I still like the kid, and he and Stewart bring a freshness to past-its-peak entertainment-style NASCAR. Junior has pretty much limited his choices to Childress Racing. If he or Bud can "buy" the #8 from mommy-in-law, I think he would prefer to run his own number and not his father's. I have to admit after NASCAR starting giving people a lap back after every single yellow flag, I had difficulty swallowing it. At Richmond, half the cars on the lead lap at the finish (I believe 20) got there on 10 yellows! I'd have to recheck the stats to be sure but something is fishy when something like that happens. Maybe that just me! Cheers //Mark// |
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Re: Ocala Speedway continues to cooperate |
By R. Hudson on
5/20/2007 2:49 PM |
| Nice article! Even though I am not a racing fan. Was looking for something on Stacey that you papa sent to us. Something Italian... Anyway never did get it but it was nice stumbling onto this. Hope all is well with you. R. Hudson, Odon, Indiana |
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