Final night at Eagle and some much needed "Thanks"

The final Eagle show for 2007 is history. Two more shows remain on the 2007 Oval Operations Tour. Maybe it's just me, but this season absolutely flew by. The last show of the year always leaves me with a bittersweet feeling.

I was talking with Brandon Anderson Saturday night after the race and his opinion was "2007 has been a helluva season."

I couldn't agree more.

My Take...

-What a wonderful evening to sit outside and watch a race! During some periods between races Saturday night, I helped myself to a telescope chair in Lovegrove's pit, enjoyed some seeds and read the latest issues of Sprint Car and Midget Magazine as the sun set in the west.

That scene is one of those memories that can warm a person up on a cold winter day.

-Congratulations to Jack Dover on another impressive Eagle run. A full season of 410 racing at Knoxville has definitely upped his skill level. He was by far the class of the field.

-I think it's safe to say that young Mr. Dover has "arrived". While walking out from the pits, I strolled by two gentlemen that were soaking one of Dover's hero cards in WD40 (or some other flammable liquid) and then lit it on fire.

I guess if you're Jack Dover you could be offended by that, but at the same time people don't normally do that to drivers unless they're fast. In some strange way it was almost a tribute. Nobody can say that race fans aren't passionate.

-I cannot even begin to tell you how happy I was for Rodney Droud. In his final race he finished fifth and earned a spot on the front stretch. Even if he hadn't finished that high, I think he would have deserved a parking spot there anyway. Rod has accomplished a lot in his career both on and off the track.

Rod is one of the finest people I've met, and I'm sure going to miss watching him run. Being there on his final run last night is a memory I'll always cherish, and I'm glad so many friends and family were on hand to help him celebrate.

-Mike Boston remains one of my favorite drivers to watch. His run through the field to a fourth place finish was not surprising. Man, Boston drives hard!

-Another nice field of cars provided some very exciting racing throughout the evening on an excellent race surface.

-Trevor Grossenbacher and Frank Galusha both had solid rookie campaigns and I'm looking forward to seeing them get better and better next year.

-Jay Russell raced as hard as anyone last night, and did it cleanly. I have a lot of respect for Russell and his driving style.

-Congratulations are in order for Tige Jensen, who was married on Sunday night.

And Finally...

So many people have helped make this season so memorable for me and I should take some time to say "THANK YOU!”

-To ALL of the teams that ran my Oval Operations decal, both locally and in Indiana. It was as big a thrill on September 2nd as it was on April 2nd, seeing a car displaying my logo.

-My dad; the best editor anyone could ask for. All of my best work on here crossed his desk first, and his help always made it better.

-The Section F Crew; I wasn't up there as much this year, but when I was, it was great. A lot of my best race memories involve those guys and they make the season even more entertaining.

-Brandon Anderson; for the hundreds of great photos you allowed me to publish throughout the season.

-Jason Orth; for all of the great discussions we've had over the season.

-Aaron Allgood; I've finally met someone who might be more race-crazy than I am, and one of the best friends a guy could ask for.

-Doug Lovegrove and Lovegrove Racing; for letting me hang out around the shop and pits all season. I felt like part of the team and I didn't even do anything! Whatever course Lovegrove racing takes next season I'm looking forward to seeing the Cow Car out there again.

-Team Dover; you all made Knoxville a much more enjoyable for me to work at this season. Best of luck the rest of the season!

-Brian Stickel, Director of Marketing & Sales, Knoxville Raceway; for giving me the opportunity to work at one of the best tracks in the world, and for being such a great person to work for. I hope I can do it again someday.

-NOS Energy Drinks; for giving me the chance to work for your company and paying me to go to Knoxville.

-Tom Schmeh, Executive Director, National Sprint Car Hall of Fame and Museum; for being a great friend, for recommending me for the NOS gig, and for everything you do to make the sport of sprint car racing better.

-Terry Klatt, Bob and Janice East; for letting us be a part of your program for a few nights!

-Mike Peterson; for push truck rides, keeping us cool at Knoxville and great race discussions.

-The Midwest Racers Autograph Day Committee; for allowing me to be involved in such a fabulous event, and I look forward to helping out again next year.

-My wonderful fiancée Erin; for putting up with me through the course of another long race season. I wish we could have gone to more shows this year, but we'll have the rest of our lives to watch racing together.

-And thanks to EVERYONE who took the time out of their day to read this site. I can never fully put into words how touched I am when someone tells me they enjoy reading something I've published on here. I could never ask for a better compliment.