It's Springtime in St. Louis: Let the Racing Begin!

Trees are blooming, flowers are poking their heads up after their winter slumber, birds are chirping merrily outside my window and all of that points to only one thing: It's almost racing season!

There are a whole lot of great opportunities on the horizon for motorsports enthusiasts in St. Louis. It's time to get off the couch and head to your local race track to support the greatest sport on dirt. The Girls Gone Racin' dirt divas are more than ready for racing season to begin. We've already had our fill of televised NASCAR and are anxious to get out for the up close and personal thrill that is what makes grassroots racing so great. There is nothing to compare with the roar of the engines, the smell of spent fuel and the great people we meet each season.

Over the winter, I made some cosmetic changes to the blog and web site, since there wasn't a whole lot of actual racing to keep me busy. Today I added a slide show that uses several of the photos we shot last season and I think it turned out really well. I also found time to put together a web site for the all new Ozark Mountain Midget Series which kicks off their inaugural season in May.

Here is some of what is on the menu for the first week or so of the 2007 racing season in St. Louis:

Belle Clair Speedway will be one of the first tracks in the St. Louis are to open the gates for 2007 with their first weekly racing event scheduled to take place on March 30. Racing will include UMP Late Models, Modified and UMP Sportsman and Allied Pure Stock.

March 31 will be opening night for the Ken Schrader and Ray Marler owned I-55 Raceway in Pevely, Missouri. The weekly racing there consists of Late Models, Modifieds, Sportsman and Pro Stock divisions.

On Friday, April 6 the St. Louis racing season officially kicks off at Tri-City Speedway in Pontoon Beach with the first running of Late Models, Modifieds, C.A.R.S Late Models, Street Stocks and Factory Stocks. It's Kenny Wallace night, and Herman himself will be on had racing his dirt Modified. Rain caused a few problems before the season even began, delaying opening night at Tri-City by one week. They have been scurrying to get the final touches on the new track design, lighting, concrete wall and all the other loose ends that need to be knotted beforehand. Don't miss the opportunity to see history in the making on this first night of racing on the new track.

Morgan County Speedway in Jacksonville, Illinois also opens on April 6 with a $1,000-to-win 360 Sprint Invader race, as well as Late Models and Street Stocks. This will be the first year for the former Jacksonville Raceway to be under new promoters Bill West, Jr. and Kim West.

Heading on into next weekend, Saturday, April 7, will see the return of the World of Outlaws Sprint Cars to I-55 Raceway. This will be the first night out for Girls Gone Racin' and there is a good chance that my pal Spring won't make it to this one. She is laid up with some serious back problems and until she gets those straightened out, traipsing through the infield trying to catch racing action with her camera is out of the question. It will be up to me to get the best shots I can, take notes and get everything on our blog and web site the next day. With my new camera lens and way too much time since my last race, I think I'm up for the challenge. Hopefully, the weather will cooperate for racing and a little tailgating beforehand.

Get out and support your local racing!