Goon's Ramblings 8-20-06.

Time for the River Cities Speedway Management to change things up.

I am a big race fan much to my wife’s displeasure and I attend the weekly program at River Cities Speedway on a regular basis (religiously). RCS I also think the NOSA sprint car division is NOSA a good touring club. However, currently I am not all that high on the River Cities Speedway management and the way the track has being run, in my opinion the track is slipping in quality of their weekly shows; I believe there is a list of problems many of us have pointed out on the various message boards (poor track prep, poor flagmen, rough driving, low car counts, too quick to cancel a race due to rain, low pay out to drivers, we know the list we may have our own additions).

I feel River Cities Speedway has a lot of room for improvement and its weekly race program, and as of late the weekly program is getting stale. That is my personal opinion. The RCS needs to change things up for the good of the fans or they risk losing the fans to another venue. One example is the Super Stocks a once competitive division have crashed and burned and will probably be dumped after the season, the weekly programs are marred with rough racing and low car counts. I can only imagine what kind of Junkers the Speedway will run in their place next season. Please don’t replace them with bombers or road hogs. I suggest something along the lines of the Midwest Mods. Heck if they are smart they should go to the DTRA Modified.

Incidentally DTRA has Streets Stocks, Super Stocks, Modified and Late Models. It seems like a no brainier if you asked me.

One question: Why not switch to the weekly program for sprints to ASCS? ASCS Racing Web Pages Why not get involved in a national points race? You could still have the NOSA touring points too. The Late Models switched to Dirt Track Racing Association, which I believe is a good thing. DTRAThe driver can still race in a National Points Race. I also believe that LM’s are the most competitive class at RCS right now.

Another argument is RCS is losing drivers that could have possibly raced at River Cities Speedway to the ASCS. A few of these drivers are; Wade Nygaard, Mike Sitzmanm, Natalie Sather, Lee Grosz. I might get slammed for this but some of these drivers are more exciting to watch than some of the current NOSA Sprint Car drivers currently filling the line up right now. Personally I would rather watch Natalie Sather than Tom Cummings or Stan Meyer.

Why not have an ASCS program here from week to week? The drivers that want to run 410’s could still compete with 410's when the Big Boys of the world like the NST come to town. Next year the World of Outlaws WoOwill only run to dates in ND. I am afraid they will dump us in North Dakota all together very soon for bigger venues that have bigger grand stands, Loews, Texas Motor speedway etc.

This is where I think RCS has gone down hill. The River Cities Speedway used to have many awesome weekly events. In years past there used to be all kinds of weekly specials: The NCRA used to come to town, then there was the Harvest Bowl, years past there was the Knoxville, Hussets, RCS challenge (I also think that the track prep of years past turned some of traveling drivers off). Now there are nothing but shows that cost $40.00 + and frankly the management might may have priced some of very fans they are trying to draw to the speedway (i.e. Nation Sprint Tour and World of Outlaws Late Model events). Personally I will be able to afford these events but I know there will be others that will say the hell with this I am staying home because no race at RCS is worth that type of price tag. I doubt my father would want to spend that much money to see a race. Then get back into his gas guzzling F-150 and spend 3.00+ a gallon to drive 140 miles back up to Williams, MN.

In fact this season the NST Show is really the only legitimate sprint car special of the year, they used to have the Harvest Bowl, NCRA and other events. Heck half of the drivers in NOSA race 360’s now. I think we limit the numbers of cars that come to RCS because it’s not a 360 track per say, when in reality it might be and we don’t know it. Except for the big shows where there is big money the speedway is really not drawing the big drivers like it used to. The NST show was awesome.

Local Drivers on a Roll.
Mark Dodmeier has been on a roll this season, I think that might actually be an under-statement. Mark Dobmeier has won an unprecedented 14 features this season. Mark Is leading the points at River Cities Speedway as well at Huset’s Speedway in Brandon South Dakota by two points. I wonder how long Mark will race locally before he makes a run at either the NST or the WoO, he definitely has the talent if he has the money to compete. If I were Mark, I be board with winning every race at RCS, the man can come from the back of the pack and win a race, just give him 10 laps. The time is now for Mark to step up to the big time.

Lou Kennedy is the hot at Nodak speedway in Minot this season. Lou has won both NOSA shows in Minot and was the highest finisher for the local drivers in last nights show finishing 8th and bringing home $2100.00. A nice payday for Lou, Goon’s world would like to congratulate Lou Kennedy Jr. on having a fine season this year. I have enjoyed watching him race whenever he has been in the River Cities field since Lou switched chassis this year he seemed to have a better a better car on a night to night basis.