Dirt Racing Blog

Maybe I'll Keep My Season Tickets....

The Game...by the numbers:

7 out of 10 Cyclone victories

15-13 Final score

1 - Possibly the only ISU win all year.

Top 5 Reasons Why Algona Raceway Was So Good Last Week...

#5: Brothers Matt and Jesse Hoeft (shown in the first photo with Jesse in the blue 21) battling for the early race lead in the 360 modified feature. They made contact on more than one occasion in the early stages before Jesse went on to capture his first win. (It was all smiles in the Hoeft camp afterward - lest you think it wasn't just hard racing).

#4: Jake Simpson's late race banzai run around the cushion to earn the second spot in the 360 mod main. It was a precursor to our number one reason to be at Algona Raceway last weekend.

#3: The hobby stock main event wasn't anything to sneeze at either. Shown here Cory Weishaar takes the high road and Dan Haugland uses the bottom of the speedway in their effort to run down race leader Calvin Lange. Haugland finished second and Weishaar third behind the winner Lange.

#2: In his first night in his new Jet Mod, Alton, IA's Mike Hansen (12H) overcame this setback early in the IMCA modified feature to finish second by half a car. While everyone's attention was focused on the high groove (more on that in a moment), Hansen quietly worked the rest of the track to come home in the second spot.

#1: Josh Meyer, Fairmont, MN, (63) once again was hooked up and haulin' as he grabbed the IMCA mod feature lead early. The last six laps or so was one for the ages though as Randy Brands of Boyden, IA (27) proved that to get to the front...you have to run where they ain't. In those waning laps, Brands had the fans on their feet as he rode the rim and backed his Pro Chassis into the corner like a sprint car to beat Mike Hansen and Meyer to the line for the win. Folks...nobody has driven the top side that hard at Algona since Kevin Stoa and Mark Noble.

Photo credits: All photos taken by Jeff Bylsma and first shown at www.pilotracewaynews.com. Keep up the great work guys!!

Mason City...

I had the chance to be at the I-35 Speedway in Mason City Sunday and witnessed another great show. I intended to take some photos for this site and others, but I have a hard time turning down a chance on the microphone when at the race track. I had a blast...thanks to the speedway for the opportunity!

It was a pleasure to see Hawkeye Racing News columnist Karl Haglund again (and others). I think we each had a good trip down memory lane there for awhile. (When did Terry Zieman start racing again?)

As promised, Karl provided another insightful column...the contents of which are below. See you Britt Thursday!

Across the Border...

They let me across the border, but made sure I went back again after snapping some photos of the annual car show at the mall in Fairmont MN March 17th.

It was nice to take in that new race car smell and talk racing with some old friends. Opening weekend for Fairmont Raceway occurs in only three weeks!

Memory is a little foggy already from the 45 minute ride home, but cars with trophies on them included:

Dallas Nutt 1st and Eric Dailey second in the modifieds.

The Schwanz 7S was 1st and Shawn Jakes 2nd in stock cars.

Doug Schwanz's 77 1st in the hobbies.

Lyle Sathoff 1st and Nate Coopman 2nd in the hornets.

If I got the results turned around, I apologize - I failed to bring a pen with me. I promise to do better next time!

This road trip is lubricated by: Schaeffer Oil (Mark Olson, Fenton, IA)

A friend of DirtTrackRadio.com sent this photo of Don Hiscocks, taken in the early 1970's. He asked that I share it with you.

When I get some time, I will be sure to ask him for more details about the car and the success that Don had with it. I can remember hearing stories about the Hiscocks racing...usually that they were some of the toughest competitors on the track.

Thank you so much for the contribution. I and our readers enjoy a good trip down memory lane. If you have an old photograph you would like to share, or memories of this or other photos, send them my way. It will make great winter-time reading.

Enjoy!

I Found My Flat Aspirin!

I found something the other day that I had hoped was not lost. I got this card when I was a kid. After experiencing a slow recovery from having my tonsils out, my father brought home this card he had signed at the races in Fairmont.

Go ahead and click on the image to see who signed it. Talk about the legends of Fairmont Raceway from back in the day!

Bob Hill #88, Dwaine Hanson #1A, Bob Harris #2 (you do remember that he raced late models, don't you?), Bob Shryock #3, and Denny Hovinga #10 all signed it.

As did Bruce Busho #10, Jerry Holtkamp #15, Fairmont Raceway promoter Jim Edginton, Ken Peterson #76, and Terry Hanson #64.

Plus the Rosenboom boys, Ron #04 and Randy #14R, Bill Christman #67, Chuck Ragen #91 and his crew Tom Miller. Dave Bjorge #77, Bob Weber #12 and his crew of David Lynch and Dennis White signed as well.

I don't know what it is about this card, but it lifted my sprits just as much today as it did then. Maybe more.

Just a thought...how many wins do you suppose is represented on this card?