Dirt Racing Blog

Behind the scenes with Keith Schmitz at Night of 1000 Stars.

Hawkeye Racing News columnist Karl Haglund spent the evening in the pits with Keith Schmitz of Swaledale, IA and his crew as they prepared for the Doug Studer Farms Night of 1000 Stars in Britt. Here is the story of a come-from-behind top three finish...

Have you ever wondered what it is like to be part of a race team for an entire evening? If you have, high-five your grandma or slap your dog because this column is for you.

I pulled in to Britt, Iowa with no idea where the race track was located. I grabbed the directions I had written down at home earlier and was about to look at them when I noticed a truck pulling out of a local dealership with giant checkered flags attached to the back. I decided this looked like an easy way to find the track, follow this guy. It was a good decision until the man driving the truck stopped at his house for dinner. Denied.

I was aimlessly making my way through the streets of Britt, unwilling to look at my directions, when I caught sight of Keith Schmitz’s race car on the back of a trailer going through town. Redemption! “Maybe Keith has already had dinner,” I said aloud. It was 5:45 pm when I pulled in to the pit area alongside Keith and crew. Let the Night of 1000 Stars begin!

Once the team checked in it was time to sit and talk. Maybe walk around and talk. Perhaps even stand and talk. One thing was for sure, the car was done and nothing else was going on. Keith said they always try to be ready before they get to the track. “No sense in bringing it to the track to work on. It’s ready; at least we hope it’s ready.” Keith laughed.

In 2002 Keith won the main at Night of 1000 Stars. It was his biggest win. It was also something he hoped to accomplish for a second time. “There are a lot of tough cars here.” Keith pondered.
Keith’s A-team for the night included his father, former racer Bob Schmitz, crewmen Scott Blanchard, Josh Omans (also a driver), Mark, and a big guy nicknamed Shrek. (Once I had the nickname, he did not need to be pointed out.) I made lots of jokes with Shrek, but he never laughed. I think if I wasn’t writing the story he may have clobbered me.

At 6:20 both Keith and I were interviewed by Chad Meyer for the Trackside Live radio program on 92.7 FM. I am sure the listeners were appalled by my lack of racing knowledge.

At 6:30 the cover was off the carburetor and the engine was fired. They checked oil pressure, engine temp, and added fluids here and there. They also made a fuel run at this time. Two jugs of methanol were purchased.

At 6:50 the IMCA modifieds were called to staging for hot laps. Keith started the process of morphing in to race car driver from John Q. Citizen even though he was skipping hot laps. The track was greasy and Keith did not want or need to go out and get a feel for the track. Britt is his hometown track and he knows it well enough not to risk a motor on a heavy track just for hot laps. He did, however, watch hot laps, study time.

Keith made a few adjustments to the car. He does the majority of car set-up himself. He changed the angle on the right rear bar hoping to free up the rear-end a bit. Most adjustments are made to the right side of the car on race day.

7:25 was the drivers meeting, which was mostly procedural. Keith laughed “About the time you skip one is the time you miss something important.”

After the pit meeting Keith and Josh walked out to look at the track and talk quietly amongst themselves. They were either discussing set-up secrets and track conditions or I had a piece of lettuce in my teeth. No changes were made to the car, so I retired to the restroom to pick at some lettuce.

At 7:45 heat races start. Keith has drawn the pole position in heat number four. The top three from each heat go on to the nights A-feature, so Keith is happy drawing the pole on his home turf.

At 8 pm Keith hustles to the car with his helmet. “Almost forgot to put tear-offs on” Keith exclaims as the tension builds. Heat number three heads out to the track and it is time for Keith to get staged for his heat. The mood shifts from light-hearted to very intense. Keith is very focused and serious. I found myself getting somewhat tense as well. I felt like I was part of the team even though they wouldn’t let me near the tools.

I followed the crew to the pit stands to watch the race. Keith was running in third when Rich Lewerke passed him at the line on the last lap to steal the last transfer spot. The crew was disappointed as it looked like Keith would have to move up through the B-main to make the feature. Luckily for Keith, Lewerke was docked a couple spots for some reason and Keith was in. There was a collective sigh of relief amongst the team.

When the car returned to the pit area the crew went to work knocking mud off the car and grinding tires down to bring the rubber back to the top. They hooked up the battery to a charger and immediately prepared for the feature. They used a hockey stick to knock off mud inside along the body of the car.

Keith wished he would have made the redraw with a top two finish, but he was happy just to be in the big show. “There will be some good cars that that don’t make the feature,” He proclaimed.
At 8:30 TJ Stalker came over to talk about his bad luck. TJ was out for the night with engine trouble, something that has plagued the Stalker team all year.

At 8:34 I received a free bottle of water from the Schmitz cooler. Thank you Bob.
At 8:50 the modified b-features were called and Keith and the crew left to watch the racing and see what they could learn. They were hoping for a dry track. Both Keith and his car love a dry track. They kept an eye on track conditions as both B-mains were run. “We try not to outguess ourselves” laughed Josh Omans.

At 9:22 Keith starts tinkering with set-up adding a new shock to the front right. Then he made a few adjustments to the left rear and put the wheel on. Tightening up the car. The right rear tire stayed off.
At 9:55 pm the stock car feature pulled on to the track and Keith and company finished up the car with as much information about the track as possible. Keith was starting on the outside of row in 16th. They were called to staging. 

A last minute problem with the right rear mud cover made it a bit tense. Shrek ran to buy a new one as fellow racer Shane Monson called out that Keith could use one of his, but Shrek was already gone. The new cover was placed on and Keith pulled to staging. Keith was once again completely focused. It was serious time.

The crew pulled a jack and a couple tires to the work area in the pits then we all went to the pit stands to watch.

10:15 pm: The modifieds rounded the track four wide holding American flags, a ritual that has been around racing for many, many years. The green flag dropped and Keith found himself running the top side in 13th. Soon he discovered a rut in turns three and four right along the cushion that gave him some serious trouble. He was in 17th now. It felt like a bad night.

It would not stay bad. Keith figured out the cushion, the rut, and the car within a matter of a couple laps and went to work getting back his lost ground and then some.

Close to the end of the 30 lap race Keith was on fire, lightning fast through one and two and gaining ground on the top 2 spots as he sat in third position. It looked as though he had a legitimate chance for a win when a caution flag cut his momentum. He had to start all over and there just wasn’t enough time. Keith settled for a third place finish knowing full well that he had the car to beat. Next year maybe.

At 10:55 pm Keith entered the tech area and that’s where they sat when I left them at around 11:15. Keith was happy with his finish and I was glad to know that I was not a curse on team Schmitz. Keith basically came from the back to finish in third, a respectable run by anyone’s standard.

Spending the evening with the Keith Schmitz race team is bar far my favorite moment in racing to date. I must admit, I have no idea who won the other races or where some of my other favorites finished. I was focused completely on Keith and his racing. It has given me a unique outlook on the sport that I did not have before. I learned more on this one night than all others combined. It was incredible.

I’d like to thank Keith Schmitz for allowing me the inside look in to a race team. It was a big night for any team there and to have them let me tag along was an honor. I am a new fan. Thank you also to Bob Schmitz who shared racing wisdom and a story or two about my dad in Oklahoma. Also thanks to the entire cast and crew of Schmitz racing. I look forward to seeing you week in and week out at I-35.

If you have not had the honor to meet Keith and crew, stop by after the races some night and say hello. You won’t regret it. Watch your back around Shrek.
Comments? whatsyourstory@mchsi.com.

What's Your Story...Scott Hogan

Getting caught and am clearing out the inbox with "What's Your Story" columns by Hawkeye Racing News columnist Karl Haglund. Enjoy.

One of the premiere nights of racing at Benton County Speedway each year is by far the Hogan Memorial mid-season championships. IMCA modified driver J.D. Auringer would agree that if you get out front and stay out front to the end, your payday can be a very good one. Auringer grabbed close to 2,000 greenbacks during his 2007 ride in the 13th running of that race. On top of a fat wallet, Auringer qualified for a spot on the 2008 Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational ballot in the process. It is a great race that honors great people.

“My dad would be smiling, my mom also.” 

Dick and Janet Hogan supported racing in Benton County and beyond for many years. The mid-season races at BCS honor them. It is a race that their son Scott Hogan looks forward to every year. It is the one race that the IMCA modified driver wants to win more than any other.

“Winning the Hogan Memorial is nice. I have won three of them.” Scott continued, “It’s real special to me. It’s a good paying night for anyone who runs here locally. We have lap sponsors that pay $25 per lap. Listening to the other racers talk about how they want to win that race, it’s pretty neat. My dad would be smiling, my mom also. They love that. My mom loved racing. Mom used to want to race every night.”

Scott fondly recalled the weekly ritual of races at BCS with his parents. Like many kids, his love for the sport of auto racing was inherited. Scott caught the racing bug from his parents early. It was very evident that Scott misses both of his parents deeply. Something we can all probably understand.
Scott found the “driving bug” sitting in Vern Jackson’s car when Scott was fresh out of Washington high school in Vinton. “Right out of high school I was working for my father at the newspaper when they had newspaper night. They let us drive some cars. I got in Vern Jackson’s car and won it that night. It was fun. I always wanted to race, but could never really get in to it at the time.”

Dick and Janet were very supportive of Scott’s racing career early on. Scott got started by helping out Arlo and Mike Becker before finally taking the wheel himself in 1993. Scott started straight up in the IMCA modified and can sum up his beginning in three words. “I was terrible,” Scott laughed.
Scott didn’t stay terrible long and soon found himself in the front. He is fond of the Hogan Memorial wins, but also his 2004 Efkamp Memorial win at Boone during the Supernationals, an event the Hogan family always makes time for.

“Supernationals is our vacation. I’ve met so many people from out of state. We used to travel a lot and meet people, so I also get to see them again every year.”

Like any race team, the fans are important. Scott loves his fans. “We have a great fan support. It’s always nice to hear them cheering and to have them come down after the races, visiting with you. I really enjoy having the families bring their little ones down to sit in the car. That’s always neat, because I know I loved it when I was a kid.”

“It’s a family sport with us” 

This year the Dr. Pepper/ 7up account manager said he is struggling with bad luck a bit. They have cut back to primarily running Vinton and Independence and have taken a night off here and there as well, trying to keep the team together. It has not been an easy year for them. “I’ve been blowing a lot of motors” Scott said. “Hopefully we can start finishing some races.”

The easiest part this year has been loading the car on the trailer and “getting out of here” according to Scott. It has not been reason enough to give up, but it is frustrating nonetheless. “We have a new car this year. Learning the new car, you can be off by one hole and be junk. The biggest thing is just making the right calls on this car right now.”

Racing is all about friends and family for Scott, something that will never change. “I love it. It’s a family sport with us. It’s just one big family. You sit at home when you’re not racing and its like, ‘What are we going to do tonight?’”

Scotts love for the sport is obvious. I would like to thank him for setting aside some time to talk with me. I say it all the time, but racing is full of great people and team Hogan is no exception. Be sure to stop and say hi to them at a track near you. I wish them all the best this year and beyond!

Drop me a line at whatsyourstory@mchsi.com. I would love to hear from you.

What's Your Story...Benton County Fair

There is not one place or festivity in Vinton, Iowa, or any other town I have lived, that better encompasses the feeling of being “home” for me than the Benton County Fair and the Benton County Speedway. This may make a few of you feel horribly sorry for me, most likely other Vintonians. It’s true though.

Thursday was my first trip back to Benton County Intergalactical Speedway in about 15 years. I missed it. I had no idea how much I missed it. It is without a doubt, my home track. In fact, we lived in a farm house across the field from the track. The house is long gone now, but as a kid I could see it from the grandstands. Home.

  I chuckled as I entered Benton County by way of Blackhawk County and LaPorte City. There had been some road work and at the county line there were two signs; a sign for BENTON COUNTY and a sign reading END ROAD WORK. I almost spit my coffee on the windshield. I was home.

I stopped at HRN headquarters and joined up with Editor Kyle Ealy for the nights festivities. We made our way out to the track and in no time at all were wolfing down pork loin sandwiches from the Benton County Pork Producers camp. If you have not had one of these it is basically a grilled pork chop (minus the bone) on a bun. I love pig and I love the fair.

I have so many memories from the ¼ mile race track. I remember walking around the race track after the races picking up the discarded tear offs or walking through the pit area getting autographs from drivers like Bob Fisher or Todd Jensen. There were so many drivers I loved as a kid I can not begin to name them all.

One thing that strikes me about returning to the town I grew up in is all the familiar faces. Everywhere I turned there was a familiar face. Sometimes I knew the name and sometimes I did not. When I am anywhere else and I see a familiar face it always takes me a second to place the person. Do I know them from Vinton or Iowa Falls, Iowa, or Champaign, Illinois or St Louis, Missouri? It always throws me a bit.

That’s not the case in Vinton. Everyone is in context there and the memories just flow.

A lot of people I grew up with or went to high school with are either racing now or are involved in the sport in some way. It was a lot of fun walking through the pit area and talking to some of these people. I also talked with Scott Hogan who remembered me running around the track when I was much shorter. Expect a column on him in the near future.

What also struck me was the racing on the little ¼ mile track. I am so accustomed to seeing races at I-35 that it always takes me a second to adjust to the smaller tracks. It seems like a whole different ball game is played on the short tracks. It was fun to watch.

I am a stock car nerd and I must say that the stock cars in Vinton put on an amazing show. They rounded the track like a swarm of bees. They were running so close together at first that I was sure if one of the drivers farted they would all smell it. It was exciting to watch.

Also fun to watch, the 305 sprint cars. I talked with Matt Stephenson before the race and you can expect a column on him as well. It was my first sprint car race in probably 20 years. The 305’s put on a great show and no matter what people might tell you, they are seriously fast. Do not be fooled by the 305.

It started to rain at ten, so Kyle and I booked out of there. I apologize for not stopping back to see some of the old friends after the races were over. I also wish I could of grabbed pork loin sandwich number four, to be quite honest. I’ll never look at a pork chop the same. It was disappointing not to see any spider-pigs on display.

All in all it was a great trip. They say you can never go home, but I feel I got about as close as a person could get. Also, thank you to the Impala that I followed from Vinton to Waterloo. It was raining pretty hard and I was a thankful to follow your taillights at 65mph on the 55mph blacktop.

If you have any info or stories about Midway Downs in Charles City, Iowa PLEASE email me. I am doing a column on that track in the near future and would love to hear some old stories. I am so new to that column that I have not even figured out where it was located yet. Hopefully the local library and newspaper will be a big help. If you are a Chuck City or area resident feel free to drop me a line at whatsyourstory@mchsi.com or haglund.karl@gmail.com.   

What's Your Story...Randy Lewis

Most people have presumably heard of the term “storm chaser.” For me, the term calls up images of Bill Paxton and Helen Hunt running across the Midwest countryside trying to escape the wrath of a twister hot on their tail.

So when I heard the term “trackchaser” recently, I called upon the same image. Only this time Paxton and Hunt were running across a cornfield being chased by a 3/8 mile dirt track that hovered in the sky menacingly; threatening to make them promoters in the middle of a gas crisis. Horrifying!

For me, the terms meaning was easy to decipher. I have long heard of people who try to go to as many tracks as they can each season. It’s a bit of a game. I just wasn’t aware it had a specific term.  The fact is that there is a term. There is a web-site. There is a world champion.

You might ask, “Well Karl, what are the rules of this sport?”

The rules are simple. To even be considered a registered “trackchaser” you have to have been to at least 200 tracks. So, you must have gassed up the family “whip” and packed your lunch 200 times in order to even be considered a trackchaser. You might say “I don’t pack a lunch, Karl. I eat at the track.” That’s not important and I happen to pack my lunch. (I take a picnic basket to every race… along with a blanket to sit out on in the infield. That along with Kenny G on the IPOD makes for a great night of racing)

“Once I am considered a trackchaser, what races can I count towards my total number of races, Karl?” Well, mystery person referenced in first person narrative, that is simple. Basically you can count any oval, figure 8, and road course races. They do not count demolition derbies, motorcycle races or drag strips.

There are also a few fine-print rules that really break it down, like being able to count the same track twice if it switches from dirt to asphalt, or vice versa, and you have seen races on both surfaces.
“Karl, you made mention of a number one ranked trackchaser at the beginning of this column, I’d like to hear more about this guy.”

Randy Lewis of San Clemente, CA has been to over 1,200 tracks. (Randy e-mailed me this morning from track 1,227) He has seen races in Canada, United Kingdom, New Zealand, Australia, Belgium, Germany, Netherlands, France, and of course the United States. His travels have him ranked as the world’s number one trackchaser.

“Karl, I would like to dethrone Randy Lewis.”

Well, you have your work/money cut out for you. Each year the retired business man from Proctor and Gamble spends 150 nights in hotels, takes about 200 flights, and rents about 60 cars.
If you’re like me and you just set your check book on fire and jumped out a window, come back. Throw a glass of water on your remaining checks and stay with me for a second.

Is it possible? If you did this as cheaply as you could, I’m talking Motel 6 and rent a clunker, what would it cost? Motel 6 or something close would be 50 dollars a night. You could probably get rooms cheaper than that, but I tend to try to stay alive as long as possible. Maybe “Adventure” is your middle name, but mine is William.

So hotels would be $7,500 a year.
Flights - $200 a trip on average = $40,000 a year. (Buy a helmet and fire-suit at that rate.)
Rental cars - $30 a day = $1,800 a year. (You’ll need the fire-suit for this as well)
Grand total = $49,300 a year. Roughly $50,000.

 
If you consider that Randy has done this for five years since retiring, (not counting money spent while employed with P&G) the total comes to around $250,000. Add to that the cost of food on the road (wear and tear on the picnic basket for me) and the price goes higher. “Honey, I have a new hobby… Honey?!”

Why does Randy do it?

Randy’s love for racing was born on the dirt tracks surrounding Peoria, IL. His favorite type of racing to this day is still dirt oval racing. His favorite driver has always been Darrell Dake. In fact when he first moved to California he had a 1980 red Cadillac with the license plate DAKE 8.

Randy told me, “I would go to the Freeport raceway and just stare at the hill in the distance leading from Iowa until I saw Darrell’s rig comer over that hill. Then I could relax and enjoy the program.”
Randy is not alone in his quest for world domination. His son has recently taken a job as an airline pilot for Southwest Airlines and so Randy does get a break on the cost of flying courtesy of family ties. Randy joked, “I once asked Darrell Dake about his sponsorship with the ‘Lighthouse Inn.’ [Dake] laughed and said ‘my son owns the restaurant, he gives me free meals.’ So I guess I have sponsorship like Darrell Dake had.”

I would like to thank Randy for letting me know about trackchasing and giving me one of the most fun stories to write that I have done to date. It has been a pleasure learning about trackchasing and learning about Randy. If you see him at a track near you (a genuine possibility no matter where you call home) stop and say Hi to him and cheer him on in his quest. I imagine he will hold this title for at least a few more years.

You can check out Randy’s website at www.ranlayracing.com or check out the trackchasing web-site at www.trackchaser.net where you will see some famous racing names like Steve Kinser and Ken Schraeder among the registered chasers.

Let me know what you think about this column at whatsyourstory@mchsi.com.   

Anders Haglund...What's Your Story

Not everyone remembers their first race. I can say this because I do not remember my first race. It was at Tomahawk Raceway in Tomahawk, Wisconsin. I know this because this is what I am told. I was too young to even know what was going on really. It was probably 1974. I was born in 1972. So I was young then. Probably not even potty trained.

20 years from now I’ll be telling my son about his first race, legends night at Farley Speedway. We made the journey for his grandfather, who you all know as Bill Haglund, but he knows simply as Grandpa (pronounced gam-puh).

It was sure to be a special night. I imagined all the excitement my son would feel. As I was forced to stop at Starbucks in Waterloo for the wife I thought of all the great photos we would have. I thought about the adventure we were starting, a lifetime of racing memories. The whole purpose of this column has been to show the nice side of racing. The family side.

As I flew down Highway 20 trying to make it in time, remarkably undetected by law enforcement, I thought to myself, “Father and son at the races, could there be anything more special than this?” I felt that indeed nothing was more special.

It was after only 10 minutes of racing that my son decided to start going crazy. He said “Daddy, race car turtle” a couple times (He received a turtle stamp on his hand as he entered.) then as late models were passing by he screamed something that I believe was a rare Turkish dialect and then slipped in to toddler insanity. My night of perfect father son bonding was abruptly interrupted by life, reality. It was ok though. The previous 3 years of his life have given me the nerves of a combat soldier.

To be quite honest, we were not planning on staying for the whole night of racing anyway. We were there to see my dad in the midst of what he loves doing, which is talking with all the old time racers. Do not give my dad the microphone on a night like this. It was very cool to see so many names from the past in one area.

Some of the legends on hand were Darrell Dake, Ed Sanger, Verlin Eaker, Tom Hearst, Bernie Frieden, Roger Dolan, Red Droste, Kenny Walton and Bumps Willert who was the stunt man that drove James Bond’s car twirling over a canyon. There were more and I regretfully did not write all the names down.
Also among those on hand was Curt Hansen. Curt was one of my favorites early on and I have recently had the chance to talk to his son Bobby who drives a late model these days that looks really familiar to me (blue number 9). I look forward to catching up with both of them once again and hounding them with an interview, eventually.

The wife was there as well. It was only her third race ever. When we were young and wild and engaged I brought her to Iowa to meet the family (mistake). We visited my dad who was announcing at Webster City at the time. She sat in Matt Lettow’s B-mod and posed for a picture that still adorns a bookshelf in our house today. Her second race was a night out at I-35 last year. She enjoys them in the same sense that she enjoyed our trip to Wrigley Field. Its fun, but not a passion of hers.

We left before heat races were completely over in hopes of getting home around 11.  Anders was also not having the hearing protection we bought so we did not want to stay too long.

The next morning Anders walked around saying “Race car turtle, daddy. Race car turtle.” I chuckled and then screamed “COMPLETE SENTENCES!” (kidding)

Racing is a family sport for the most part (don’t take the kids on bikini/wet t-shirt contest night). Look around the stands at your local track and you’ll see cultural transmission in progress. The passing of the baton. From one generation to the next, racing will be around forever in some form. It’s true what they say. Race car turtle. “Yes indeed, my son, race car turtle.”

Take your kids to the races!

On an unrelated note, I am running the Park to Park half marathon on Sept 8th in Cedar Falls if anyone is interested in sharing training stories or telling me to give up. Give me a “holla” at whatsyourstory@mchsi.com.

Mark Noble - What's Your Story...Part II

Mark Noble Part II

I remember with great fondness the early IMCA modifieds. Names like Jack Mitchell, who seemed way too tall for his number 77 modified, or Dale Fischlein, Mike Schulte, The Ropers, The Coopers, The Goulds and my favorite Bobby Layne. Some of the cars Bobby built in the early days of the IMCA modified are truly hard to forget. Bobby and his IMCA modifieds were a product of his years in sprint cars. It was easy to see the sprint car influence in his design. To me, that’s what made the early days of the modified so special. Guys built their own cars for the most part and were able to be competitive. Nowadays you can count the (competitive) car builders on one hand. It was very “grass roots” back then.

Racing was full of great people then as it is now. It’s not hard to find good people involved in racing. You can throw a rock in any direction at your local track and hit a nice person on the head. Possibly poke their eye out if your aim is true. My point for this column and hopefully the underlying point for all my columns is that racing is full of genuinely good people. Including Mark Noble.

“We’re all taking it to the edge.”

Marks best moment in racing is not his track championships or his supernational wins. His favorite thing about racing is the people. “I really like being friends with all the racers.” Mark explained, “You race as hard as you can and if you do get in to somebody, have the guts to go over and apologize. I went over and apologized to a lot of people over the years and they’re mad at you, but that’s all you can do.  I’ve had people get in to me and I get upset, but if they have the courage to come and apologize then you know it was just an accident. We all make mistakes out there, we’re all taking it to the edge. I feel like I get along with a lot of people and I’m pretty proud of that.”

Mark has won a lot of big races in his career. As he looks back on his career, however, he does not place more significance on any win over the other. “It doesn’t matter if it’s a heat race or a weekly feature where there are only 15 cars, or if you go to the supernationals where you have 400 cars. I am just as proud to win a heat race.”

Mark admits that racing is an addiction. I got the feeling that he has seen the line that a few racers unfortunately cross; the line between common sense and over doing it. Mark talked about seeing some of the people over the years who always seemed to have money to race, but may not have taken care of things at home entirely. It is a line Mark did not wish to cross for himself. “I noticed a few years ago that it was just an obsession. I always want to race, but sometimes you have to cut back. When you start missing family things or start spending money on your race car, when you need it elsewhere, that’s a problem.”

After quite a few years of racing IMCA Mark decided to change it up after a trip to Phoenix left him empty handed. Mark reflected, “I went on that and it was all IMCA sanctioned. I took 5 engines and came home without a single one. I lost 5 motors.”

You may be surprised to hear Mark say that he understands the claim rule. He believes in the concept. “Through the years of IMCA racing I lost close to 30 engines, but that was the rule and for the weekly, local racing it’s a good rule. I know it’s hard to swallow to get claimed because you put so much in to them. If you spent $3000 on an engine back then you were pretty gutsy. That’s just the nature of the game though; it’s one good way of controlling the costs.”

“None of us are going to race for ever.”

Mark was lucky enough to have some good sponsorship that allowed him to switch to racing USMS and later USMTS. “The USMTS that I’m running now is basically outlaw racing. … I mean everybody would love to race outlaw stuff, you know, that’s what racing is all about, but, you gotta do what you can afford. I’ve been really fortunate enough to travel around.”

“I’m not traveling as much this year and it’s just because of the expense of traveling. It’s fun, but there is a limit to everything.”

Mark credits those close to him with his success, everyone from sponsors and pit crew members to family. They are all important to Mark personally and to Mark Noble the racer.

“I’ve been fortunate enough to win a lot of races, but in a few years here when it’s all done that doesn’t matter. It’s your family and friends and I guess where you are with your faith. None of us are going to race for ever.” Mark laughed, “Our glory days are going to be gone.”

I want to thank Mark for his time and thank Becky Noble for the email that put him on my radar. If you get the chance to see Mark race or to meet him in person, take the chance and consider yourself lucky. Thanks Mark! I look forward to catching up with you again.

Have a story? Like the new Son Volt CD? Drop me a line at whatsyourstory@mchsi.com.

Karl Haglund is columnist (and all around good guy) for Hawkeye Racing News.

Mark Noble - What's Your Story, Part I

Hawkeye Racing News columnist Karl Haglund shares his interview with Midwest racing legend Mark Noble of Blooming Prairie, MN. The interview took place while Noble was racing at Deer Creek Speedway...a race in which he won. Look for part II of the story next week.

My favorite era in racing is by far the mid 1980’s IMCA modified era. I suppose that is not hard to figure out why if you have read this column on a consistent basis. If you have read this column on a consistent basis then my heart goes out to you. I have filled your head with nonsensical drivel and bad attempts at humor for far too long. Your outrage should almost consume you.

Mark Noble is one of those early modified drivers that I worshipped as a young kid. I know I say this a lot, but I mean it with Mark. He may very well be one of the nicest people in racing. I enjoy genuinely nice people. Mark is just that. I didn’t really interview Mark as much as just sort of “shoot the breeze” with him for 10 minutes. It was an easy interview to do which has lent itself to a very easy column to write. The column is so easy that for the first time I am splitting it up over two weeks. Welcome to part one. 

“Ever since I can remember, I’ve always wanted to race cars.”– Mark Noble

“My very first [race car] was a ’57 Chevy, a street stock. It was in Morristown, MN … I can remember it well because I got there late. I was having trouble loading the car on the trailer and my dad (late model driver Dave Noble) was telling me to just leave the car at home. I said ‘No I’m going.’ I started 24th in the B feature and I won it, scared to death.”

Marks dad was instrumental in Marks early success. Mark grew up with racing and fondly recalled watching his father Dave race against other drivers like Bill Zwanziger and Karl and Ed Sanger. The Nobles made the trek down from Minnesota to race in Waterloo and Independence every weekend. Mark was hooked early.

Marks racing career started in the summer of 1973, his first full year was the following season in 1974. He raced hobby stocks in Chateau, Lansing, Kasson, Morristown, and Rochester until finally moving up to race late models like his dad. Mark reflected on the era, “That was just when the cars were starting to change as far as suspension. We were running Novas with a stock frame in the front. They were just starting to change to the fabricated front ends and coil over springs.”

Mark raced late models for two years, but admits to not doing very well. Finances also played a part and Mark returned to the hobby stock class. He stayed in hobby stocks until moving up in to asphalt late models and finally back to a dirt late model. It was as a dirt late model driver that Mark got his introduction in to the IMCA modified, which in 1985 was growing by leaps and bounds.

“In 1985 I was in Cresco and pitted next to Jack Mitchell. I had a late model dirt car then. I seen that car (Mitchell’s modified) and thought I’d like to try that. Late models were real expensive even then; it was more money than I had, so we got a Fegers car.”

The lure of the modified was mostly financial for Mark. It was a new class that was cheaper to run than late models, but more fun than some other support classes. “It was all IMCA back then. When I first saw the modified they had Pinto and Vega all steel bodies. Then they came out with aluminum ones, replicas, and it got kind of carried away from there. I did a lot of IMCA racing, raced a lot at Cresco.”

Perhaps Marks best year behind the wheel of the modified was 1987. He was racing Friday nights at Fairmont, Saturday nights at Independence, Sunday nights at Mason City, and then Wednesday nights in Shakopee, MN which was a ¼ mile asphalt track. Mark ended up winning all four track championships and came home second in IMCA national points. The race set-up was pretty simple back then for team Noble. “We had a lot of fun. Just a 1-ton truck. When it came time to go Wednesday night (Shakopee asphalt) we had to change the car all around. We’d take all the weight and get it down as low as we could and move it to the left. Just change a lot of stuff. It was a lot of fun.”

Marks love for the sport is very evident. In next weeks issue Mark talks about family and friends, his switch to racing USMTS and about the addiction of racing.

If you have any stories about early IMCA modified racing, or you know of a good story, drop me a line at whatsyourstory@mchsi.com.

Fun at Deer Creek Speedway

Hawkeye Racing News columnist Karl Haglund offers his thoughts on a recent trip to Deer Creek Speedway...

Racers can be larger than life to kids. I remember feeling that way when I was younger. On a recent trip to Deer Creek Speedway I got to feel the same way again. The World of Outlaw late models were in town and I was awe-struck. The racing was top notch from the ground up. I knew I was witnessing what a night of racing is meant to be. I’m 35 years old. I can only imagine what the kids were thinking.   

Each of us, I suppose, have a different definition of what should be called the “glory days” of racing. I think it is greatly influenced by your age. When I was eight years old, people like Curt Hanson, Bob Shryock, Denny Osborne, Bob Hill, and countless other late model drivers were all giants to me.
My first race in Iowa was at Hamilton County Speedway in Webster City when I was still too young to know what was happening entirely. Somewhere around 1976.

Those guys roamed the pit area ten feet tall handing out autographs to kids like me at the time. I love those old Camaro-type bodies and the big aluminum “slot” rims. What are those rims called? Whatever they are/were called, rims have never been as cool.

Back to Deer Creek… Not since I was a little kid have I been somewhat star struck by racing. Roaming the pits looking at all the million dollar rigs traveling with the WoO late models was incredible. I knew I was in the presence of some of the best drivers that late model racing has to offer. Giants. Chubb Frank, Shannon Babb, Billy Moyer, Clint Smith, Steve Francis, and more. It was easy to be excited and a bit like a little kid. The fastest cars and the best drivers, not to mention it was all taking place on the dirt at Deer Creek.

If you have not had a chance to visit the high banked 3/8 mile dirt in Spring Valley, MN, I suggest you make the trip. The racing surface was top notch and the crew put in the work to get it there. The Queensland’s seem to be doing exactly what should be done. The whole facility just reeked of effort. It was a great show.

I had the pleasure of talking to one of my giants from my former racing life, Mark Noble. It is not every day I get to meet one of the guys I remember from my younger days of life on the road with dad. Mark was super nice and you can expect a column on him for next week’s edition of Hawkeye.

Speaking of Hawkeye Racing News, I had the pleasure to talk briefly with Ed Reichart who is well known for his Cheesehead Report. It’s always nice to meet another columnist in person. Thanks go to HRN Editor Kyle Ealy who swung by the homestead and provided the evenings transport. Kyle has a good sense of humor and it was fun to travel with someone else. It was also really nice not to have to gas up the family “whip” for the journey. I should also give Kyle kudos for eating my cooking, not everyone trusts.
Drop me a line at whatsyourstory@mchsi.com.

What's Your Story - Arvin Sidles

I must admit that before a month ago, I had no idea how huge the Sidles family was in the Algona racing scene. Also admittedly, I did not know Arvin Sidles, even though I have since found out my dad knows him pretty well. So what is it about the Sidles family I am supposed to know?

Once the Sidles name was on my radar I started to notice a few things on Internet forums. The Sidles name came up a few times associated with after-race brawls. I read some names that had been kicked out for fighting; Sidles, Krug. So what was I to expect from a trip to Algona? Would they try to beat me down? Should I wear a cup to the races? Why would Joe and Marian Ringsdorf invite me over, are they trying to get rid of me?

I immediately retired to the basement to work out on the heavy-bag and lift some weights in order to prepare myself for the unavoidable confrontation. I bought brand new underwear in case of serious injury. If I were to get injured I felt a responsibility to both my mother and emergency personnel to put my best foot forward in that regard. (I apologize for any visuals I may have left you with.)
Upon arriving at Algona I met Arvin Sidles and instantly liked the guy. How could anyone not like Arvin? I guess I have never gone up against him in either racing or backyard brawling so what do I know? Columnist to racer he was fine. He was funny. He reminded me of my Grandpa Gerald. Yeah, I liked Arvin right away.

Saturday night was a celebration in his honor, 40 years of racing. In 1967, ten years before Kyle Ealy was wearing hot pants and listening to John Travolta albums, Arvin Sidles was cutting his teeth on the dirt. He started out by turning an old Model A in to a race car. The car had humble beginnings. “I dug the body and frame out of a river bank and we built a race car out of it and ran Jackson with it. From then on I just started building cars. Pretty much every car I’ve ever raced is one I built.”

In 1970 Arvin built a ‘57 Chevy street stock and in 1973 bought the old 8-ball car driven by Leo Christensen. Arvin traded off driving duties with friends and family members through the 70’s at Jackson Speedway. In June of 1983 Arvin’s partner and driver at the time, Joe Henkins, moved out of state, Sidles racing was born when Arvin put his son Tim in Joes car. Team Sidles raced at Alta and Fairmont and later Algona. A tradition was born.

Today team Sidles consists of 2 Cruiser cars, 5 hobby stocks, 1 hornet, and 1 stock car. It includes Arvin’s children, his children’s children, and their children. Tim Sidles and Chris Krug drive a cruiser. In the hobby stock class Greg Sidles, Jay Sidles, Reggie Sidles, Josh Sidles, and Chad Krug are all behind the wheel. Kyle Sidles drives a hornet and Greg Sidles drives a stock car. To say that this is a racing family is to say “I think the Kennedy’s are involved in politics.”

After 40 years, Arvin is proud of many things including all of his grandkids and kids. Arvin beamed about his great-grandson Chris Krug, “My great-grandson, he’s running a cruiser this year, when he was 9 years old he won the championship over at Hancock County in a hornet. That made all of us pretty proud. Now he’s a top car in the cruiser, he runs the gas. Right away [Chris] said to me ‘Grandpa next year I want a hobby stock’”. Arvin chuckled, “Look what I’ve got to do now.”

Racing is more than just a weekend fling for Arvin and the gang. During the week they all gather around the cars doing basic maintenance and also build new cars. It is a love affair that keeps them very close. Some families have the dinner table; the Sidles family has the shop. “Everybody just knows what they gotta do. Most of the time I can just hand them tools. Everybody just chips in because they want to make sure everyone has a car for that night”

Arvin reflected on his career. “Years ago we just took an old motor out of our personal car pert’ near and went racing, you know, had fun. Well now it’s a lot more complicated, you got to have the car set up really really good. I spend probably 3 days a week just putting mine on scales. I do all my own mechanic work. I build my own transmissions and build my own motors. I pretty much built everything we have.”

For Arvin, it’s the hands on work during the week that makes a successful weekend that much more enjoyable. “I always figure I’m just a farm guy I guess you call it. I’m not well known. I do all this stuff myself and then when we win it really makes me proud.”

Arvin has seen a lot of changes in auto racing over the years. Classes of cars have come and gone. Tracks have closed and opened and then closed again. He has also had some people very close to him pass on including his wife and a grandson. It is plain to see after talking to Arvin for only a little bit that it is about the people for him. It’s about having a good time on the weekends and during the week with the people he cares the most about. Arvin loves his family and he loves his friends. Arvin loves racing.
Neither Arvin nor any of the Sidles group took a swing at me the entire time I was down in camp Sidles. Camp Sidles, by the way, is off of the turn two area in the pits at Algona where you can see a lot of different Sidles race cars lined up. Everybody I met seemed to me to be a genuine down home type of person. My favorite kind.

I want to thank Arvin and the entire Sidles/Krug group for their hospitality. I feel like I witnessed exactly what racing is supposed to be like. It’s about family and friends. That has never been more evident to me than it is now. Everyone should be lucky enough to talk to Arvin. I consider myself blessed for having met him.

If you have some news or info on great people in your area, drop me a line at whatsyourstory@mchsi.com. Thanks also go to Chad Meyer of dirttrackradio.com for copying his notes on Sidles racing so I knew what was going on, at least temporarily.

Karl Haglund is columnist for Hawkeye Racing News and is kind enough to share his writings with DirtTrackRadio.com

What's Your Story...Charlie McKenna

I don’t remember a lot about Charlie McKenna from high school. He was 2 grade levels behind me, for the most part. I say “for the most part” because anyone who knew me in high school understands that my lack of scholarly ambition made it possible for those younger kids to catch up with me in grade levels. I invested my high school time in activities my son will never hear about, while Charlie seemed to be the type of child most parents would be glad to claim.

Today Charlie seems to be the kind of race car driver that most fans would be glad to claim. At least I am anyway. Charlie is, in my opinion, one of the good guys of racing. So far, everyone I have crossed paths with in racing agrees. I not only like him because he is a fellow “Vintonian,” but also because he is a good racer and an overall nice guy.

1996 was a big year for McKenna. He graduated from Iowa State University, got a real job, and in the fall bought a modified. Charlie’s first year driving the car he won rookie of the year at Farley and picked up his first win at Benton County Speedway. He remembers that win pretty well.

“I remember in Vinton they used to have a white line-up board and the leader got the first row to himself. I simply remember seeing the numbers 88 (Arlo Becker), 33 (Scott Hogan), and 31 (Corey Dripps) behind me and I thought ‘Oh crud, this is not good.’” Charlie laughed, “The whole time I was thinking ‘where are they, where are they?’ Then I remember it started pouring rain with just a couple laps to go. We sat there and waited to see if it would stop raining or not. Finally they checkered flagged [the race] and gave it to us.”

The win was the first of many as Charlie and company slowly got better and better. Eventually he ended up living in Clear Lake, Iowa racing at I-35 Speedway in Mason City. In 2006 he bagged his first track championship at the north Iowa half mile. It was a good season for Charlie. “Every year we have just gotten more consistent.”

The ride to the top was not all candy-canes and shiny bikes under Christmas trees for the 22 race team. They have had their share of turmoil. Charlie recalled his first really bad wreck in the modified when the brakes broke as he was entering a corner at West Liberty. He hit the wall hard. Charlie has not forgotten that wreck. “If you guaranteed me I would hit a wall again that hard, I’d probably never jump in a race car again.”

This year Charlie and company have a new challenge that started with a seed planted by IMCA president Kathy Root at last years banquet. “We went to the national banquet and sat down afterwards and had a beer with Kathy Root. I said [to Kathy], ‘you need a touring series around the state of Iowa that races at some of these different tracks and county fairs. I’m at the end of my career racing and it would be fun just to go experience some of these places. She told me, ‘Charlie, we already have it, sell your modified and buy a late model.’”

Charlie’s initial reaction was to say “No, we’re not going to do that,” but the more he thought about it in the off season, the more it sounded like a good idea. Finally he traded his modified for a late model and set his sights on the Deery Brothers late model tour. In Charlie’s own words, “It is the ultimate challenge.”

“I have had to change my ways,” Charlie claimed. “It used to be a 20-lap race in Mason City. If the car was too tight we just cranked some rear brake in the thing and dealt with it. We’d end up winning or coming in second and someone would ask ‘how was the car?’ I’d say ‘well it was great, we won.’ That was really wrong though, the car wasn’t great we just dealt with it.”

“With the drivers we are up against and the cars we are competing against now… I am much more conscious of what I’m feeling and what’s going on in the car.” Charlie compared the late model to his modified, “If the [late model] feels good, it feels like the most hooked up modified you’ve ever driven.”

Another big difference according to Charlie is the fan base. At I-35 Speedway everyone knew Charlie, but now things are a little different. Charlie is no longer the infamous Chargin’ Charlie. “We pull in to Quincy, Illinois and it’s ‘Who’s the 22?’ They don’t have a clue who we are.” Charlie mused, “We’ll win some of them over.”

Charlie credits his family as his biggest support, his wife Kimberly and son Max (8), daughters Madeleine (5) and Meredith (3 ½ mos.). Charlie thinks maybe Madeleine is the next racer, but said Max very well could be also. “Max is a very smart little boy and I think if he put his mind to something like this, he could be pretty good at it someday.”

It is very easy to tell that Charlie is having the time of his life racing this year. The excitement in Charlie’s voice as he talks about his first 50-lapper in the late model is great to hear. I wish Charlie and crew all the success they can handle in their new venture. Their spirit for the sport of auto racing is contagious and I would encourage everyone to swing through their pit area after the next Deery show and say hello. They are great people from top to bottom and you will not be sorry. Good luck team McKenna, I am proud to be a fan!

Have a racing story? Drop me a line at whatsyourstory@mchsi.com. Also, if you’re a hiker like me, do yourself a favor and head to Tettegouche State Park in northern Minnesota along Lake Superior. Incredible!

-Karl Haglund is a columnist for the National Hawkeye Racing News, and graciously provides his articles to DirtTrackRadio.com. Thanks Karl!