By Ken Wagner
March 22, 2009

Jeez, it came to me suddenly “I have been here before“ when I heard the shocking news of Manzanita Speedway closing from out of the blue recently. I was there as Ascot, Baylands and Kansas City’s original Lakeside dirt track, went away with many painful misgivings, heart aches and plenty of memories. How to deal with it??? You can’t, it’s just another sign of CHANGE that is ringing in my ears with our new president behind the wheel and going who knows where with it. Are they connected, like maybe the stock market fiasco that faces some of us retirees, or is it just another stake in the heart to our brand of racing, period? What if I told you both Baylands and Ascot could have been saved, would you buy it? Believe it, but no savior came when we needed him and history continues to evolve negatively to those of us who live and breathe dirt track racing. At least Lakeside moved locations and is still providing great dirt track racing in the Midwest. Can Manzy be recreated somewhere else?

Although the CRA only had two appearances scheduled for this season, the track is one of those Hallowed Ground opportunities for racers who want to go fast. Most drivers want to challenge the long back stretch at Manzy just to see how fast it really is. Now, Manzanita is going away and it makes you wonder about the now wasted money the Martin family poured into the facility recently, only to give it all up. In the years ahead, dirt track fans will drive by the leveled property and say what many say after a visit to Ascot’s car lot and the Baylands car dealers; we could have had a V 8! What I mean to say is, we could have made a difference, but it is not to be in this case as no one knew what that difference was to them in the past, and nothing has changed.

I know many things are planned for that last race on April 11, and all fans should make their way to see the last one special day. I understand that there will be a special race after the feature just for the fans with no purse for the 15 lapper. I suggest fans pool some money to present to their racers after that one ends. I would be glad to help by collecting said monies, as we will be there to witness it all!

I remember the awesome Lealand McSpadden years at Manzy, and everywhere else, when the Tempe Tornado dominated the poorly lit track over the sports best that came to town. Manzanita was once one of the big three of sprint car racing’s triad of tracks: Knoxville to Manzy to Ascot where the best of the best always raced. When new lights were installed back in the late 80’s (I think) Mr. McSpadden was heard to lament, “now they can all see the walls”, or something like that as CHANGE came to Manzanita even back then. Lealand is my pick for the best driver to ever strap in on the famed half mile in Phoenix, bar none!

He wasn’t the only famed driver to appear there and Windy McDonald’s books verify that, but with April 11, 2009 comes the reality of now what? The retired heroes include Billy Boat, Ron Shuman, Richard Griffin in recent times and the current hero Jeremy Sherman who has nowhere to go but California to ply his talent. I wonder how the Arizona Hall of Fame will go on. I wonder if another track will be built. I wonder if Canyon will be updated for the continuing on of the Phoenix history. It can’t end here, can it?

Sprint car racing in general is quivering as attendance and car counts are going expedientially downward and we struggle for the answer and the reason why. Perhaps CHANGE is underway now and we’ll all be smiling as better things are ahead, but don’t count on it without some intervention. What was it John F Kennedy said? Wasn’t it “Ask not what Sprint Car Racing can do for you, but ask what you can do for Sprint Car Racing”! I wish I would have said that, but we must press on and grow our beloved racing before CHANGE rips it from us.

With our monthly race at the PAS coming up next weekend, we need to remember we can do something for our racers to help them through this economically tough time for all of them. I will be collecting Wagsbucks again as fans come in the front gate with the expectations to give it to one of the low buck car owners later on in the night. I will try to work out a way that the recipient will be announced as soon as we decide who gets the money. If that doesn’t happen, you can look here for the results each time. Thank you for your help. And if you can’t go say goodbye to Manzy, and wish to put a few bucks in the free race after the regular feature, I’ll take that as well.

Man, it seems like forever since I last went racing, but you know I am keeping busy with March Madness right now. Even though my team got blasted by Nova, it is still an awesome event with only 16 still standing after four frantic days of eliminations. Spring has sprung here as mid 70’s are the norm with mid 100’s due soon. See ya at the track.