Picnik on a Rainy Day

No, that's no type-o in the headline. Picnik.com is a web site that my daughter turned me on to a while back. It's a site where you can upload photos and then play with them by adding text, messing with frames or making a color photo black and white.

It's a fun way to kill an hour or two...or three if you've got it. I don't have a lot of spare time these days, but when I do, I love to head over to Picnik and play. Above are a few examples of the fun I've had.

Gold Crown Photos Posted!

Believe it or not, it's only Tuesday and I already have photos up on the web site from this past weekend! I know, it's got to be a record, right?

Well, they are there, five pages of images from all three days of the Gold Crown Midget Nationals at Tri-City Speedway. I hope you enjoy looking them over, and if you didn't make it this year, make sure you go next year because it was a blast!

Keeping Pace

This blog has been pretty stagnant this season, as has the web site and I should probably apologize, but hey, we all get busy and I doubt that many people read it anyway!

That being said, this weekend was amazing. Three nights of breathtaking midget action at Tri-City Speedway was just what the doctor ordered when it came to wrapping up the 2008 racing season. All I can say is "Wow!" The Inaugural Gold Crown Midget Nationals sanctioned by both POWRi and USAC was outstanding.

Since words really can't describe it justly, and since I am tired from my head to my toes after traipsing throught the pits for the past three nights (not to mention bouncing around in the back of the pace truck) I will let a few of my

favorite photos do the talking. Enjoy!

One Normal Day

We all know where we were seven years ago today. Whether you were just getting out of the shower, or on your way to work or sending your kids off to school when you first heard about the attacks in New York, those moments are frozen in your mind for eternity. I remember thinking of how I wanted to turn back the clock to September 10, to have just one more "normal" day. In the days and weeks that followed, I just kept thinking of how much I took all those "normal" days for granted.

As I sit here reflecting, listening to a re-play of Glenn Beck's radio broadcast from that day, I am reminded once again of just how horrifying it was. The images of fire, smoke, collapsing buildings, the absolute fear on the faces of those on the streets will never be forgotten. So many things come back, many of them too awful to think of.

On the flipside, there are things about that time in our history that I truly want to remember. Things I want to imbed so deeply in my soul that they are never, ever eradicated.

Some of those things are these:

The way we came together, as a country, not red states and blue states or blacks and whites or young or old, but as Americans.

Everywhere a person looked, flags flew from houses, from cars and alongside the roads. Our sense of patriotism had never been stronger.

The way we prayed, and sang our National Anthem, said our Pledge of Alliegance, with the words "One Nation, under God" included, and no one thought of it as politically incorrect.

The way we gathered, in large groups or in twos, to cling to each other and lift each other up in support, to give comfort and friendship and love to each other.
The way we cried. The tears that flowed unchecked down the cheeks of nearly every man, woman and child in this country became a raging river that ran from one coast, through the heartland and on across the mountains to the other coast. They made us equal in our fears, our righteous anger, our need for revenge and our deep and desperate need to cling to hope.

Yes, I want to remember these things, because in the last seven years we have slipped back into our complacency, into that comfortable cocoon of safety that we thought we had before this happened. We have gone on with our lives, as we should, but in moving forward, we sometimes lose sight of the things we had in common in those eerie, surreal days of Autumn, 2001.

Take a few minutes today to remember. Think about how you felt that morning and in the days and weeks that followed. Remember the stirring in your heart when you saw the flags flying and the pride you felt the first time you saw a jet plane fly overhead and knew that gutsy Americans had spit in the face of terrorism and chosen to take wing. Remember those who perished and pray for their families. Praise God for those who survived and pray for them as they cope with the memories of that day.

We have so much to be thankful for in this great country in which we live. This anniversary bring sadness when we think about the loss, but it should also bring a fresh resolve to carry on and take pride in how far we have come. In honor of those who never saw this country united, we need to revive that spirit and not allow them to be lost in vain.

Marching into Fall

Summer has come and gone and I have not made it to nearly as many races as I would have liked, which seems to be the case anymore. With a daughter in college and a son in high school, I am starting to see that in the very near future, I will actually have more time for racing, but for now, I need to enjoy the moment and make sure I do all that I can to preserve it.

That's not to say that the racing season is totally over though. Two of the biggest events of the year are rapidly sneaking up as the calendar pages turn. The first, the Gold Crown Midget Nationals is slated for next month at Tri-City Speedway. This inagural event boasts $15,000 to win and is sanctioned by both POWRi and USAC. The first entry forms have already arrived and I expect the list to be long and prestigious by the beginning of October.

Of course, the second weekend of October is not only a big race weekend, but a very big Marching Band weekend for our family, so I will be splitting my time the best I can, and I expect by the time it's over, both my camera and I will be ready for a break!

Following the Gold Crown Nationals will be the Midgets Before Christmas, an indoor event at Kemper Arena in Kansas City, which is slated for December 19 - 20. Our family is already making plans to attend this one, which should be a fabulous event. This is a POWRi-sanctioned race which will feature two big days of racing that won't be beholden to the weather, a nice change of pace.

So, yes, it's post-Labor Day and racing is winding down, but there is still a lot to look forward to here in the midwest. Stay tuned here and to WhoWon.com for much more on both events!

July 18, 2008
As I write this we are on our way home from Macon Speedway in Macon, IL. Tonight's POWRi racing event was outstanding.

It's been a while since my last blog entry and probably longer since my last race.So much has been going on that l really don't know where to begin.

The wet spring has made for a lot of schedule alterations. It's hard to believe it's the middle of July and this is only my 4th race of the year. Between the wet weather and the price of gas it's really no great surprise.

Speaking of rain, Spring has kept very busy with all of the flooding in our area. She lives in Foley, MO but fortunately she is on the high and dry side of the river.

Being the photographer that she is, and living li the hard- hit community, Spring made good use of her talents. She spent ten days in the murky, dangerous flood areas taking well over a thousand pictures. She is currently working with several different contacts to whom she hopes to sell the images. Eventually, she would like to have a show of her own.

As for me, l spend most of my time working and sending my kids to various camps and trips. My son has been to church camp, band camp, a long Lego- filled weekend in Chicago and finally, a trip to Canada. He's been a busy kid and I am imore than a little jealous!

My daughter has been to Birmingham and Chicago, as well as a weekend trip to Kansas City with me. We had a really good time there and spent most of the weekend haunting the various scrapbooking stores we found.

So that's a quick synopsis of my summer so far.

Tonight's race has been on my calendar since the schedule was released late last winter. We had a great time at the Dana Godfrey Memorial last year and we made sure that we could get back to it this year. Funny thing is, the rest of my family is at a Cardinals game tonight. My hubby and it have been texting and he thinks I may beat them home since the game is tied in the eighth inning! With Me being more than two hours from home, I rather doubt it.

It was good to get out and visit with some of the drivers and other folks involved with Midget racing. I had the chance to pass out a few photos from Belleville in June. That is always fun for me.

I also took a whole lot of new pics tonight that I will have to try and process tomorrow if I have time between my son's baseball game and the next race at Belleville. We will just nave to see how the day goes.

Thanks for checking in. Now you Know that we haven't fallen off the face of the planet! I will do my best to get more timely updates on here in the coming weeks.

Magnificent Midget Madness!

If I hadn't been convinced before, this weekend sealed it: There is absolutely, positively no better racing anywhere on any surface than dirt track Midget racing. And I would have to say that there are no better places to see it than Belle Clair Speedway. Maybe that's overstating things, but I've been to more tracks than I can count over more years than I care to remember, and I truly believe that statement.

Two nights in a row of wheel-to-wheel slide job action will wear a person out and leave them breathless. And if the fans feel that way, I can only imagine how the drivers feel afterward!

We witnessed some spectacular action last night between Brad Loyet, Brent Anderson, Derek King and Mike Hess, just among the front runners. There was other action going on all through the race, but nobody wanted to take their eyes off the front group because we knew we would miss something. It would have taken one of those pocket counters to keep track of all the slide jobs, and these young guys know how to do those to perfection.

As if Friday's feature at Macon wasn't action-packed enough, the Boys of Belleville decided to step it up a notch on Saturday. Despite several yellows and one very interesting spin that resulted in two cars being hooked together by the back bumper, one towing the other down the backstretch, the action never waned. It was anybody's guess who would come out of turn four in front on the last lap, and Brad Loyet proved himself worthy of repeat status by hanging onto his position in front of Brent Anderson just long enough to collect the win.

Yes, the weather is very summerish, but that's to be expected this time of the year. I'm just glad it finally quit raining long enough for us to get to some races! We are still trying to decide about I-55 this Wednesday, but it's looking pretty positive right now. Midget racing is like an addiction and I think we're ready to see what these guys have in store for us again.

Thanks so much to all the great folks at POWRi. We love the racing and appreciate the opportunity to photograph the excellent racing. Hope you all enjoy today's two added galleries!

July 19, 2008

Wow! Racing two nights in a row! And this time Spring was able to join me. Yahoo!

It was warm and sticky at Belle Clair Speedway tonight and the raring was even hotter. If we thought last night's feature was a battle, well it looked like just a warm up compared to tonight's action.

July 18, 2008
As I write this we are on our way home from Macon Speedway in Macon, IL. Tonight's POWRi racing event was outstanding.

It's been a while since my last blog entry and probably longer since my last race.So much has been going on that l really don't know where to begin.

The wet spring has made for a lot of schedule alterations. It's hard to believe it's the middle of July and this is only my 4th race of the year. Between the wet weather and the price of gas it's really no great surprise.

Speaking of rain, Spring has kept very busy with all of the flooding in our area. She lives in Foley, MO but fortunately she is on the high and dry side of the river.

Being the photographer that she is, and living li the hard- hit community, Spring made good use of her talents. She spent ten days in the murky, dangerous flood areas taking well over a thousand pictures. She is currently working with several different contacts to whom she hopes to sell the images. Eventually, she would like to have a show of her own.

As for me, l spend most of my time working and sending my kids to various camps and trips. My son has been to church camp, band camp, a long Lego- filled weekend in Chicago and finally, a trip to Canada. He's been a busy kid and I am imore than a little jealous!

My daughter has been to Birmingham and Chicago, as well as a weekend trip to Kansas City with me. We had a really good time there and spent most of the weekend haunting the various scrapbooking stores we found.

So that's a quick synopsis of my summer so far.

Tonight's race has been on my calendar since the schedule was released late last winter. We had a great time at the Dana Godfrey Memorial last year and we made sure that we could get back to it this year. Funny thing is, the rest of my family is at a Cardinals game tonight. My hubby and it have been texting and he thinks I may beat them home since the game is tied in the eighth inning! With Me being more than two hours from home, I rather doubt it.

It was good to get out and visit with some of the drivers and other folks involved with Midget racing. I had the chance to pass out a few photos from Belleville in June. That is always fun for me.

I also took a whole lot of new pics tonight that I will have to try and process tomorrow if I have time between my son's baseball game and the next race at Belleville. We will just nave to see how the day goes.

Thanks for checking in. Now you Know that we haven't fallen off the face of the planet! I will do my best to get more timely updates on here in the coming weeks.

Take Five

The rain stopped, the clouds parted and the sun finally came out to warm up local race tracks this weekend. For me, it meant getting out to some real live racing for the first time this season (with the exception of one indoor POWRi race) and it felt great!

Saturday night, my hubby, my Dad and I headed about an hour and a half from home to Saint Francois County Raceway in Farmington, MO. Leaving my camera at home, I parked my comfy canvas bleacher seat in turn one and just sat back and enjoyed the night.

It was a little different getting there right at race time, rather than arrving hours early, wandering the pits, photographing hot laps and whatever else I can get before the sun goes on hiatus. It was nice though, getting a taste of what it's like to be a fan in the stands, seeing things from that perspective.

SFCR hosts a $5 night once a month, with the exception of July, I believe, and it is obviously very successful! All around us were adults with kids in tow and the place was packed. I loved seeing that after hearing and seeing so much about our tanking economy lately. It was really nice to see so many people out enjoying a night of great weather and awesome racing. I'm sure the track makes a nice chunk of change on concessions, judging by the fact that they ran out of funnel cakes before I could get one. My body thanks you. Skipping that one funnel cake made the difference between gaining and losing at my Biggest Loser weigh-in this morning! :)

It really was a nice night, and it brought a lot of drivers to the tracks as well. SFCR ran four classes and seemed to have plenty of cars to fill each field. There were 22 or 23 Sprint Cars there and they put on a great show, as did the Modifieds, who kept things exciting.

Next weekend SFCR is hosting a $2,000-to-win Sprint Car event but I'm not sure yet what we are doing. Right now, my next race will be the World of Outlaws/POWRi event at Tri-City on June 8. If something works its way into my schedule before then though, I definitely won't be complaining.

Of course this Sunday will be our annual Indy 500 Watch Party at my Dad's. He's encouraging us to go to church during the week so we can spend the whole day over there, which sounds like a great plan to me! I hope the weather is good and that we have a lot of fun watching the race. As usual, we will draw names and cheer for the driver we pick to win. We always have a good time on Indy Day.

POWRi Debuts this Weekend at Valley and Lucas Oil Speedways in Missouri

From Kenny Brown:

MILLSTADT, Ill. -- O’Reilly POWRi National Midget Series, presented by Lucas Oil, races Friday at Valley Speedway in Grain Valley, Mo. and Saturday at Lucas Oil Speedway in Wheatland, Mo. These races will feature the series’ debuts at two third-mile tracks in The Show Me State.

Valley Speedway and Lucas Oil Speedway kicks off the POWRi Toyota/TRD Challenge this weekend. Along with the races at Junction Motor Speedway and the season ending Gold Crown race at Tri-City Speedway, POWRi competitors will accumulate points toward the $5000 Toyota/TRD payout. You do not have to have Toyota power to participate in the Challenge.

At Valley Speedway, officials from POWRi and Kemper Arena in Kansas City, Mo. will announce details about a two-race swing – part of POWRi’s “Indoor Winter Nationals” – on a temporary indoor dirt track in December. The following night at Lucas Oil Speedway, Lucas Oil’s film crew will be on hand to shoot the race. Clips from the race will be used to promote the 2009 Lucas Oil Chili Bowl in Tulsa, Okla., at which many POWRi drivers and teams compete. Lucas Oil is in its first season as a presenting sponsor of POWRi.

While the Kemper Arena announcement and Lucas Oil film crew dominate POWRi’s off track news, competitors in the fourth-year series hope to make on-track news with victories at the two tracks. It will mark the first time in nearly three weeks POWRi competitors will race, inclement weather forced cancellation of two races – at Belle-Clair and Tri-City Speedways in Illinois – over the weekend. Three of four POWRi races have been affected by rain this season.

Valley Speedway has been a victim of rain itself, but hopes to open its 2008 schedule with POWRi. The black gumbo track is a third mile. Lucas Oil – known as “The Diamond of Dirt Tracks” – is also a third-mile track in southwestern Missouri. The track was completed in 2006 and has hosted Midgets in other series previously, in addition to late models and modifieds.

Brett Anderson (Belleville, Ill.) is the Midget Series point leader after winning at Macon (Ill.) Speedway on April 26. Anderson leads Gary “Bubba” Altig, Davey Ray, Danny Stratton and Zach Daum in points. All five – as well as Missouri native and defending series champion Brad Loyet (Sunset Hills, Mo.) and drivers from Kansas, Nebraska, Oklahoma and Illinois – are expected to participate in the two-race swing. The POWRi 600cc Micro Sprints, meanwhile, have the weekend off.

POWRi Season Starts Friday!

From Kenny Brown at POWRi Racing:

POWRi National Midgets, Micro-Sprints to Kick Off 2008 Season at Jacksonville and Macon

Brad Loyet and Dereck King will begin defense of their titles.

MILLSTADT, Ill. -- O’Reilly POWRi expects a large contingent of cars for both the POWRi National Midget Series presented by Lucas Oil and the Micro-Sprints in the pair’s season-opening weekend April 25-26 at Jacksonville and Macon, Ill. The weekend marks the beginning of the fourth season of POWRi competition.

Last season’s point battles in both divisions showed how competitive this series is, with the National Midget championship coming down to the final weekend of action. We expect the 2008 season to be the best season yet in POWRi competition.

Brad Loyet and the Loyet Motorsports group – who are coming off the “DuQuoin Winter Nationals” two-race championship at the Southern Illinois Center earlier this season – will begin their defense of the driver and team titles in the National Midgets when the green flag flies April 25 at Morgan County Speedway in Jacksonville, Ill. Loyet won the season opener at the third-mile track last season, one of 5 races he won en route to the championship. The race is one of three for both the National Midgets and Micro-Sprints on the 2008 racing calendar.

The following night, April 26, Midget and Micro-Sprint competitors head about an hour and a half due east to the fifth-mile Macon (Ill.) Speedway, for the first of four National Midget and six Micro-Sprint events in 2008. Brad Kuhn and A.J. Fike won POWRi Midget races last season, while Hoosier Ryan Leek won his first career Micro-Sprint race there in August.

The 31-race National Midget schedule includes 17 races in Illinois. Other states hosting races include Indiana, Kansas, Nebraska, Kentucky, Missouri and Iowa. The Micro-Sprints will also run upwards of 30 races in 2008.

While Loyet is one of the favorites to win the 2008 National Midget championship, he’ll have to fend off several other drivers for the crown. Kuhn and Mike Hess claimed multiple victories during last summer’s action and each held the point lead at some point in 2007. Young guns Daniel Adler and Brent Beauchamp, each who have made their mark at local Sprint car races in the Midwest, also expect to challenge Loyet for the title.

On the Micro-Sprint side, King ran away with the title last season, clinching the championship with more than a handful of races to go. However, King was a non-factor in either of the “DuQuoin Winter Nationals” races at the Southern Illinois Center in January and March. If he wants to win the 2008 title, he’ll have to fight off young drivers such as Jason Ormsdy, Jarrett Cathey, Todd Kirkman, Austin Laskey, Tony Roney, Daniel Robinson and Nic Harris. King is also expected to compete in select POWRi National Midget races in 2008.

Morgan County and Macon Speedway practice will begin at 6:00pm, with racing starting at 7:00pm. For ticket and gate information on both tracks you can visit Morgan County at morgancountyspeedway.com and Macon Speedway at maconracing.com.

A Little Night Magic

Last Saturday night I had the distinct pleasure of attending my first race of the 2008 season and it was a blast!

The POWRi Midgets and Micros heated up the night inside of the Southern Illinois Center which sits in the shadow of the Magic Mile at the DuQuoin Fairgrounds. This little fifth-mile bullring played host to the final race of the Indoor Winter Series for POWRi, a series that was supposed to include a three-race schedule, which was shortened to two after big-time ice storms hit the area.

Brad Loyet was the repeat victor, nipping Daniel Adler at the line to cap off the night of fast-paced action. Brady Bacon took home the Micro win, having come to race after being rained out of ARCA practice.

Before racing got underway, I was busy hawking the calendars that we had made for the Marty Boyer fundraiser. With a lot of help from POWRi colorman, Jim Childers, the calendars SOLD OUT and I was able to send a check to Marty's benefit fund on Monday.

Everyone was so supportive and wished Marty all the best. Racing folks are just awesome when it comes to supporting someone when they are down. I just hope everyone enjoys the calendars and that the money helps Marty and his family.


And thinking of guys who have had their share of trouble in the last year, it was really great to see Tracy Hines back in action again! He was in the Don Moore Music Publications #10 that I have come to think of as Jerry Coons' Midget over the last couple of seasons. After his terrible four-wheeler accident last year, it was wonderful to see him back in a race car.

I am just so glad that racing season is off and running again! The World of Outlaws are in town this weekend at I-55 Raceway, but we won't be able to make that one. Drumline season is still going strong for our son, so we will be watching him perform and cheering on his unit.

See you on the dirt!

Get ‘em While They’re Hot: 2008 Marty Boyer Fundraiser Calendars

Marty Boyer is a dear friend of the Open Wheel racing community. He has been instrumental in covering Sprint and Midget racing all over the Midwest and has helped many up-and-coming drivers throughout the years. Last month, Marty suffered a devastating stroke and is working hard to get well. Everyone in the racing world wishes him a complete and speedy recovery.

Marty and his family will have a lot to deal with during this time, and a special fund has been set up to help ease the financial burden. The folks at POWRi Racing, the St. Louis Auto Racing Fan Club, WhoWon.com and Two Girls Gone Racin’ have joined forces in an attempt to increase contributions to the Marty Boyer Fund.

These organizations have combined their efforts to create the 2008 POWRi Racing Calendar which lists all of the POWRi Midget and Micro dates for 2008. The calendar starts with the month of March and each of its twelve months has a collage of either Midget or Micro photos. All of these images were shot in the past couple of years at various Illinois tracks by Two Girls Gone Racin’.

Calendars are priced at $20 each, with all of the profits - $8 per calendar - going to the Marty Boyer Fund. The calendars will be available at many POWRi events throughout the season or may be ordered by mail. Information about mail orders may be found by following the 2008 POWRi Marty Boyer Fundraiser Calendar link on www.twogirlsgoneracin.com or by emailing Valerie@twogirlsgoneracin.com

Attendees of the March “Open Wheel Racing Night” St. Louis Auto Racing Fan Club meeting in Belleville, Illinois had their first glimpse of the calendars and it received rave reviews. Fifteen calendars were sold at this event, which was highlighted by interviews with several local POWRi drivers, done by Eileen Waters. Attendees were also invited to sign a get well card for Marty.

We are excited to offer these calendars and we hope that you will join us in our efforts to help Marty and his family.

O’Reilly POWRi Racing Series – www.powri.com
St. Louis Auto Racing Fan Club – www.stlfanclub.com
WhoWon – www.whowon.com
Two Girls Gone Racin’ – www.twogirlsgoneracin.com

IRL/CART Cease-Fire: Will it Last?

The impending reunification of Champ Car and IRL is certainly the hot topic of the day in motorsports. Of course, no one would know by the lack of attention given this subject by local media, but this could be a major turning point for American Auto Racing. My Dad and I talked about it at length over lunch at Cracker Barrel yesterday and had some interesting thoughts on the topic.

Since the news broke on Friday that IRL and Champ Car are close to reaching a reunification agreement, many teams, tracks and media have released statements regarding their opinions on the topic. I have read many of those statements, and right now, it seems the most negative feedback I have seen is from the tracks that were set to run Champ Car events but will lose their dates because of conflicts with the IRL schedule. The teams, at least publicly, seem to be embracing the idea, but you just never know what they are saying behind the scenes.

In my opinion, I would love to see these two come back together stronger and better than before, but it is going to take a LOT of work. The damage done by the split runs deep and has been left to fester for twelve long years. People don’t forget that kind of stuff over night. They also don’t forget the way both of these sanctioning bodies have turned their backs on domestic talent while embracing every foreigner on the planet. Is it any wonder that guys like Sam Hornish have defected to NASCAR? I don’t think so.

It used to be the dream of every American Midget and Sprint Car racer to drive in the Indy 500 someday, but that day is long gone because no one gives them a chance to prove themselves on that level anymore. Instead, these drivers are now working their way up through the ranks of NASCAR who (and I hate to admit this because I’m just NOT a huge NASCAR fan) has welcomed these up-and-coming drivers and showcased them in a very positive way. For all its faults, NASCAR has the largest fan base of any sport and those fans support their drivers regardless of on track performance, or off-track antics.

IRL/Champ Car have come off as snobby and elitist and that is a huge turn off for fans. It is going to take a major PR campaign and a large dose of contrition and sincerity to bring fans back to open wheel racing. If they want to do it right, they will take a page from the books of guys like our local POWRi promoters, the World of Outlaws and yes, even NASCAR, and study them well before making their next move.

One has to wonder if these two entities can put their egos aside once the negotiations are complete and the real work begins. When one looks at the situation in light of a divorced couple getting re-married, the chances of things working out for the long haul are pretty slim. Will these two be able to play well together after their long separation? Only time will tell.

In conclusion, I say bring back open wheel racing, but do it the right way. Continuing on the current paths of either IRL or Champ Car will spell certain disaster for American Open Wheel racing. And while they are at it, put the engines back in the rear of the cars where they belong!

RaceBumpers and POWRi Team up to Support Marty Boyer

MILLSTADT, Ill. -- Our friend Marty Boyer suffered a stroke and may be faced with a lengthy recovery. Marty's efforts at MidgetMadness.com have become an instrumental part in the promotion and growth of midget racing today. Marty has helped many drivers/teams, tracks/promotors, and parts related businesses become successful without asking for much in return. Now its our turn to repay the favor!

From now until May 1st, RaceBumpers.com will donate 5% of all sales to the fund set up for Marty. In addition, we will be auctioning one bumper or nerf a week on Ebay for 6 weeks. 100% of the proceeds from the auctions will also go to the fund.

POWRi Racing will be donating 5% of the proceeds from the Dean King Memorial race at the Southern Illinois Center in DuQuoin, IL March 29th.

We strongly encourage anyone else that has benefited from Marty's efforts to do what they can to assist him and his family through this difficult time.

RaceBumpers.com
Flea Ruzic, Jason Harms
POWRi Racing
Kenny Brown, Jim Siner

(Marty, Spring and I wish you all the best as you recover. Our prayers are with you!)

Feb. 16 DuQuoin Winter Nationals Cancelled

DUQUOIN, Ill. -- The Saturday, Feb. 16 DuQuoin Winter Nationals have been cancelled due to inclement weather. The Illinois State Police have advised the public to restricted traveling in the Southern Illinois region. The area is currently suffering a power outage that is affecting approx 30,000 homes and businesses along with poor road conditions.

All pre-entries will be moved to the March 29th race. If you would like your refund please contact Kenny Brown via e-mail through the contact link on the POWRi website or by phone at 314-267-4944. We apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused.

Local Drivers Fare Well in 2008 Chili Bowl Nationals

Each January, racers from all over the country, representing many forms of motorsports, converge on Tulsa, Oklahoma for the Chili Bowl Midget Nationals.

The Chili Bowl is by far the biggest racing event on the winter calendar. With most dirt and asphalt tracks in hibernation mode in all but the most temperate of climates, racing indoors is the only viable option. With that in mind, two of dirt track racing's top promoters, Lannie Edwards and Emmett Hahn took a gamble over twenty years ago that has turned into much more than just another Midget race.

This year's entry list was comprised of 285 drivers from 29 states, Canada and Australia. Among these drivers were NASCAR Cup champions, Drag racers, Dirt Late Model and Kart drivers in addition to those who routinely turn laps in open wheel machines. Men and women and drivers of all ages from mid-teens to early seventies filled an impressive list of who's who in motorsports today. Missouri boasted 17 pilots, while 29 Illinois drivers made the trek to the Sooner state.

Many of these drivers run our local tracks as a part of the O'Reilly POWRi Midget Series and a few were able to play the alphabet soup game and work their way up through four grueling nights of qualifying in order to claim a spot in either of the "B" or "A" Main events.

Roughly 14,000 fans make up the crowd of this sold-out-by-May event, and untold numbers of others listen to the races via internet broadcasts or get updates through blogs and forums. In fact, so many people logged onto the Chili Bowl web site this year that the server crashed and was down all day on Saturday. This year, for the first time in history, both C-Mains, both B-Mains and the A-Main were all broadcast via HBO Pay-Per-View on Saturday night. That's how we watched it, and the network did a wonderful job of bringing us all of the racing action, behind-the-scenes interviews and commentary that we were hungry for. The broadcast lasted almost four solid hours, and was well-worth the $25 price tag.

The following is a list of the Missouri and Illinois drivers and how they fared in the 2008 Chili Bowl. Many of these drivers and others will be on hand this Saturday at the DuQuoin Fairgrounds for the first POWRi Indoor Series Midget race of the season. Along with the Midgets will be the POWRi Micro Series. All will race indoors at the DuQuoin Indoor Center. With temperatures outside predicted to be in the twenties this weekend, it's time to warm up to some winter time indoor racing!

Illinois (29) – Joey Moughan (2m), Kevin Olson (4ko), Zach Daum (5d), Patrick Bruns (5x), Austin Brown (7a){Made it to the "B" Main], Dan Mecum (8m), Jay Mounce (12m), Tim Siner (15)[Made it to the "B" Main], Chris Windom (17)[Made it to the "B" Main], Kenny Brown (17b), Levi Jones (20J){Finished 11th in the "A" Main], Lee Beckwith (21s), Derrick Myers (25x), Donnie Lehmann (31), Davey Ray (33), Jeff Davis (d33), Mat Neely (35)[Made it to the "B" Main], Tyler Robbins (35T), Don Hammer (45), Daniel Adler (50), Mike Hess (51), Nick Knepper (55k), Bubba Altig (67a)[Finished 24th in the "A" after a warm-up incident], A.J. Fike (69), David Gough (75x), Kellen Conover (76), Justin Allgaier (86), Dave Camfield, Jr. (86c)[Made it to the "B" Main], Rich Camfield (87c).

Missouri (17) – Jesse Stovall (00s), Hunter Schuerenberg (1h), Tony Roney (1T), Robby Ross (4R), Bill Allen (5a), Joey Montgomery (5c), Brad Loyet (05)[Made it to the "B" Main], Danny Lasoski (05L)[Made it to the "B" Main], Joe Boyles (7b), Doug Frye (7c), Eric Todd (7T), Will Pierce (10T), Steve Stroud (21x), Jesse Hockett (29L)[Finished 12th in the "A" Main event], Joe Walker (37J), Andrew Felker (73F), Todd McVay (89JR).

2008 O'Reilly POWRi National Midget Series Schedule

April 25 – Morgan County Speedway – Jacksonville, IL
April 26 – Macon Speedway – Macon, IL
May 9 – Tri-City Speedway – World of Outlaws – Granite City, IL
May 10 – Tri-State Speedway – Tri-State Challenge – Haubstadt, IN
May 16 – Valley Speedway – Grain Valley, MO
May 17 – Lucas Oil Speedway – Wheatland, MO
June 6 – Morgan County Speedway – MSCS Sprints – Jacksonville, IL
June 7 – Belle-Clair Speedway – IL/MO Speed Week – Belleville, IL
June 11 – I-55 Raceway – NASCAR Night – Pevely, MO
June 13 – Tri-City Speedway – Granite City, IL
June 14 – St. Francois County Speedway – Farmington, MO
June 20 – Knoxville Raceway – Knoxville, IA
June 21 – Knoxville Raceway – Knoxville, IA
June 27 – Paducah International Raceway – MSCS – Paducah, KY
June 28 – Tri-State Speedway – MSCS & KISS – Haubstadt, IN
July 18 – Macon Speedway – Dana Godfrey Memorial – Macon, IL
July 19 – Belle-Clair Speedway – Finley Memorial – Belleville, IL
July 29 – Junction Motor Speedway – Cornhusker Midget Challenge – McCool Junction, NE
July 30 – Junction Motor Speedway – Cornhusker Midget Challenge – McCool Junction, NE
August 1 – Belleville High Banks – Belleville Midget Nationals - Belleville, KS
August 2 – Belleville High Banks – Belleville Midget Nationals - Belleville, KS
August 6 – Belle-Clair Speedway – Arnie Knepper Memorial – Belleville, IL
August 9 – Washington Town and Country Fair – Washington, MO
August 15 – Macon Speedway – Macon, IL
August 29 – Southern Illinois Center – DuQuoin State Fair – DuQuoin, IL
August 30 – Southern Illinois Center – DuQuoin State Fair – DuQuoin, IL
September 12 – Morgan County Speedway – Jacksonville, IL
September 13 – Spoon River Speedway – Tom Knowles Memorial – Canton, IL
September 27 – Macon Speedway – Macon, IL
October 3 – Tri-City Speedway – Bob Wente Classic – Granite City, IL
October 4 – Belle-Clair Speedway – Charlene Meents Memorial – Belleville, IL