Mother Nature is one mean...

So we didn't get to go racing tonight at the La Crosse Fairgrounds Speedway.  Mother Nature just wouldn't let up with the rain and at about 12:45pm, I got a text from Dave Noelke with the speedway to let me know that they had decided to "pull the plug" on the events for the night.

Unfortunately, no matter which decision the speedway made--someone would complain about it.  For every person who I heard applauding officials for calling it early--there's one who will complain that they should have waited on that call.  "Look, the rain has already stopped!"  

Sure it did.  But the air was so saturated with moisture and it was incredibly cold--it would've taken a miracle to completely dry the track--and keep it as such, should the rain start again.  I'm pretty sure that track promoter, Chuck Deery doesn't have a crystal ball.  If he did, I'd be snagging it to get the Powerball numbers early.

Where ever there is a race track, there are hundreds of "armchair promoters," who think they can do the race track promoter's job better.  Good luck with that.  There's a lot more to running a race track than you likely realize.  Imagine what it would be like to have everyone second guessing you at your job and calling your decision-making into question at every turn.  It would Suck. (Yes, with a capital "S.")

It would have been pretty miserable to be outside on a night like tonight.  I'm not being a whiner.  I'm just stating a fact.  I've long ago packed up my snowmobile suit, so it would've taken some serious effort to get it wrangled out again.  We barely had winter this year.  There are two new snowmobiles pouting in the garage at my house as proof.  So, it only makes sense that Mother Nature would turn the end of April into a winter-like feel.  She's a cruel...you...know...what.

Regardless, hopefully the extra week will allow some of the procrastinator type racers get their cars ready to roll for next Saturday.  Now if we could just get Mother Nature to be a little more supportive of everyone's efforts--we could get the 2012 season underway!  

Fire in the Belly: Not Just for Drivers

Fire in the Belly: Not Just for Drivers

Confidence is at an all-time high for everyone right now as we prepare to start a new race season.  The pits are filled with colorful, pristine race cars. Rivalries have simmered and everybody seemingly has a "clean slate" again.  I love this time of year.  Hope is huge and you can see a flicker of delight in every driver's eyes as we draw nearer to firing up the engines for opening night at the La Crosse Fairgrounds Speedway.


Racing isn't easy.  It requires skill, but before that--it actually requires funding.  Sponsorships are so important for racers.  They are the notorious "make or break" piece of the puzzle for a race season.  And they can be incredibly tough to come by for anyone who lacks the skills to put together a decent proposal or present their sales pitch effectively.  That's why I cringe whenever there's a bad wreck at the track.  I'm fully aware how much money goes into putting a machine together to "play" on the weekends.  The repair bills can be staggering.


Yet, inevitably, I know at some point during the season, I will capture heinous carnage with my video camera.  It's just the nature of the beast.  Traveling at upwards of 100-mph--mere inches from one another is bound to eventually result in some twisted metal and the boiling over of hot tempers that had been in hibernation during the off-season.


The highs from a successful race can be breathtaking and the lows of a bad night can be depressingly devastating.  One week a driver and his team can seemingly do no wrong and the proverbial "golden horseshoe" is firmly lodged in that orifice where it continues to deliver lucky breaks.  But without fail, it will only be a matter of weeks before someone's nose gets out of joint over some on-track incident.  It always does.  And while it can make for some high drama--it's downright magical to watch the fans who support their respective drivers with such dedication.


I always get a kick out of the crowd reactions when the feature winner climbs out of his car on the front stretch as he is being introduced.  Sometimes they are met with deafening cheers...or boisterous boos.  Often times, it's a mixture of the two.  The passion that the fans have for their driver (or the one they feel maligned their driver) is what fuels this sport we love so much.  And I am looking forward to drinking it all in once again this season, high atop the speedway from my little videotaping perch.  So whether you're cheering or jeering--you're playing a vital role in making this sport what it is--an awesome high-speed roller-coaster ride.