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FW: 2010 MMSHoF inductees announced-----Original Message----- From: Allan Brown <speedways@comcast.net> Sent: Wed, 09 Jun 2010 10:44:34 Pacific Daylight T... READMORE |
Paul McMahan takes WoO win at Eldora Paul McMahan had racked up six Top-Five finishes in his last eight starts heading into the finale of Outlaw Thunder by Goodye... READMORE |
New Paris braves cold, Thirteen Feature No doubt about it, the weather was cold with temperatures in the low 40's and a stiff wind swirling through the 1/4 mile spee... READMORE |
Galesburg Speedway Red Flagged The Galesburg Speedway did not open last weekend as scheduled and it’s unlikely the race track will open this Saturday becau... READMORE |
Ron Flinn Hospitalized Reports out of Crystal Motor Speedway this morning are that Ron Flinn has been hospitalized due to a coronary issue. Accordi... READMORE |
Action to begin at Spartan SpeedwayIf the grandstands along the front stretch of Spartan Speedway look a bit higher than normal, well, they are. The speedway p... READMORE |
Auto City postpones due to Cold Although the weather was picture-perfect for testing on Thursday afternoon, Mother Nature brought us cold and windy condition... READMORE |
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Whether it's the unmistakable voice of Jim Nabors belting out his rendition of "Back Home Again in Indiana" or the sip of milk for the winner of the Indy 500, or even the excitement of NASCAR's most lengthy event with the running of the Coca Cola 600 from Lowe's Motor Speedway, the Memorial Day holiday weekend is rich with tradition.
For those of us here in Michigan, it marks the "official" start of summer. Maybe even more significantly, it means we can now look forward to enjoying Friday and Saturday night short track races wearing something less than a snowmobile suit, winter coat and a hoodie sweatshirt (yes...all at once!). Mansfield, Ohio had been my Memorial Day weekend destination for the past several years. Not this year. NASCAR's schedule has broken that tradition. The Ohio 250 NASCAR Truck Series race - and the former event my Memorial Day weekend tradition centered around - is no longer. The Trucks will instead compete in Iowa this weekend. While "official" reasons for the move conflict - NASCAR says Mansfield wouldn't make changes to the track the governing body had requested, and track promoters say it was because they couldn't find a title sponsor - the fact remains, there's no Truck race in Ohio this weekend. Fortunately, ARCA and other travelling series have come to the rescue. The senior circuit based out of Toledo will take its legendary racing to the Mansfield Motorsports Park on June 20th for the Tim Richmond Memorial 200. Call ARCA the "savior" for this mid-western town. Were the track to close (which was what was the word late last December when NASCAR announced its schedule change), yet another devastating blow would have been dealt to the already struggling Ohio city. The Pentagon recently put the City's Air National Guard base - a major Mansfield employer - on the mothball list. Declining textile industry orders have rendered quiet an alarming number of factories. Boarded up buildings and vacant Main Street businesses are taking over the formerly bustling town. While it has the unique distinction of hosting the likes of Morgan Freeman while shooting the Shawshank Redemption at the city's famous prison site, it is unlikely even Hollywood could write a script that would return Mansfield to greatness. The closure of Mansfield Motorsports Park would have put another nail in the town's coffin. In spite of stories like that of Mansfield, Ohio, we still live in the greatest country in the world. It is particularly apparent during this weekend. As is another of my traditions, I would like to take this small section of my column to encourage you, your family and friends to salute the men and women of the Military who keep us safe each and every day. From those fighting today for our freedom, to the heroes of wars and conflicts past, and in particular to the men and women who laid down their lives for the red, white and blue - salute them one and all. We are today able to enjoy our freedom thanks to the job each and every one has done. A salute to our troops, and God Bless America.
