Coming Home

My first trip to Eagle in almost a month. It's hard to believe it's been that long. We were treated to a very enjoyable night, from the weather to the atmosphere, to the on track action, everything went pretty well. It was the type of night you'd want to take someone to the races for the first time.

My Thoughts...

-Good racing throughout the evening in all classes. The sprint feature was very action packed with numerous battles going on throughout the pack. Congratulations to Brad Krutz. We haven't seen him in victory lane since his days in the Swenson 24B car.

-Speaking of the 24B, some credit has to be given to young Frank Galusha. He ran very well in his heat, finishing second to Mike Boston, and started on the pole in the A. Unfortunately he dropped out after two laps. Galusha still looks like he's figuring things out. Boston in his interview after the heat win said he thought Frank will make a good racer some day, and I agree with that.

-Where was the 14 of Josh Riggins?

-HUGE crowd! Roger and crew had to be happy with the turn out. It felt like a fan appreciation night, which by the way is next weekend. With the state of dirt tracks all across the nation, it was great to see so many people choosing to spend their entertainment dollars at the track.

-Welcome back Rodney Droud! The two time Eagle points champ made his 2007 debut driving his dad Don Sr.'s 2x car. He qualified for the A and finished 11th. I'm not sure how many shows they'll run, but it's always a better night at Eagle when a Droud is racing.

-Mark Pace and Jay Russell had great runs, finishing fifth and third. Pace Motorsports will be taking their show on the road throughout much of the remainder of the season, so a good run at Eagle is a nice way to start things off. Russell has been looking fast all season, he'll get a feature win this year.

-Gene Ackland has been having a great 2007. Every week it seems he quietly puts the car in the top ten and hardly ever messes up. Gene is a real nice guy, and it's great that he's having a solid year.

-It was a solid car count night for the sprints. Gone are the days of 40+ sprints every Saturday night, but 4 heats, a B and an A puts on a good show.

-The Eagle crew must have put plenty of water on the race surface. In spite of the winds and sunny skies, the track never dried out. It was choppy for the drivers but very enjoyable for the crowds. As I've stated before, I realize it's a dirt track, but it's nice when you don't have to wear it home.

-I took my neighbor to her first race event of any kind. I think she really enjoyed herself. Eagle did a great job last night and it provided the perfect setting for a first timer. The way I look at it, run the show as if everyone in the stands has never been to the races, and create a night that will make them want to return. I think Eagle did just that last evening. Who knows? Maybe we'll get her to Knoxville sometime this summer.

-After the races ended, my "tour" took her to the pits, where she met a lot of the drivers and teams. She commented to me when we were leaving how nice everyone seemed. She was surprised how eager all the drivers and crews were to talk, even while they were working.

-There were a few cautions throughout the features, which extended the end time a little bit, but I felt like the officials did all they could do to finish the show in short order.

-Over at Knoxville, Brian Brown won the 410 A feature. Jack Dover qualified seventh and finished the A in the eleventh spot. Billy Alley finished third.

In the 360's, Josh Higday was the 360 winner, Rick Ideus finished 15th, and Ryan Roberts was eighth in the B main.

Oval Operators
A Feature
3. Jay Russell
5. Mark Pace
7. Gene Ackland
11. Rodney Droud
13. Bobby Becker
17. John Klabunde
18. Tige Jensen
19. Frank Galusha
20. Nick Bryan

B Feature
4. Doug Lovegrove
5. Trevor Grossenbacher

Knoxville Championship Cup
A Feature
11. Jack Dover

And Finally...

All in all I had a great time talking to the "usual suspects" at Eagle, taking a newbie to her first race, and hopefully winning the sport another race fan.

I didin't take any photos, but I saw Jason Orth, Brad Brown, and Joe Orth there, so I'll have to barrow a few of theirs.

On a personal note, I'm very happy to announce I proposed to my girlfriend Erin on Friday, and in spite of my racing habit, she said yes! It's a great feeling and I'm a very lucky guy.

Next Up...

USAC Sprints @ Anderson, IN, Wednesday, May 23
USAC Silver Crowns @ Indiana State Fairgrounds, Indianapolis, May 25
USAC Midgets @ O'Reilly Raceway Park at Indianapolis, Claremont, IN, May 26
91st Indianapolis 500, May 27