As the summer approaches, the SCRA took an unplanned week off when Bakersfield Speedway recently backed out of their contract with the club. I was looking forward to returning to Bakersfield Speedway after a long time since the last non-wing sprint car appearance there. For some reason, the short haul to Bakersfield has not become common for the club, as one might expect. This year many SCRA fans looked forward to the two appearances scheduled there since the schedule came out. This past week, plus a September 7th date, were two nearby races many had on their traveling calendar. Possibly, the September date will happen at nearby Barona Raceway, as plans have been going on to make that happen, but it is not on the schedule just yet.

Here are some pics of our grandson after his championship. Click here. The 600 mile roundtrip for his ballgame was worth it.

For some reason, what was once considered the "home track" after Ascot closed, Bakersfield, like Hanford's racetrack, is not included in our non-wing series of tracks close to the LA based SCRA area. Both could help the club in building more fans and allow California to do what Indiana did years ago, increase car counts and racetracks featuring the non-wing preference of many. Today, it is easy to find a race in Indiana and even the Ohio tracks have a small "speedweek" coming up in three weeks. El Centro, another track within a 250-mile radius of the old Ascot area, is a track that also dropped sprint cars a few years ago. It quit running sprint cars because of board member pressure against a long time promoter at the track. Now they have less racing than ever before at the fairgrounds location once famous for it's Mid Winter Fair openings featuring the old CRA sprint cars. There are six regular tracks that SCRA runs, but these three could make it even better. The fan base at each has surely dwindled locally and would need to be rekindled, but the fans are there still.

With the NARC really slowing down up north, it has severely hurt what was once a thriving wing series. NARC only sanctioned one race a year for the last two years. The take-over Golden State series is dwindling in car counts and tracks they can run, and their season ends in July. Rumors continue that someone is trying to bring back the NARC, but time is fleeting and it would be a tough road with the loss of many 410 team's that have sold out, retired or switched to 360's. The 360 wing series up there has grown tremendously, especially with the decline of the 410's. The biggest paying wing race in NoCal, outside the annual WOO invasion, is the annual Trophy Cup, that is a winged 360 event. I only have opinions on this major change in wing racing up north, but I still miss my trips up there to San Jose and Antioch, especially. San Jose is closed, Antioch doesn't run sprints anymore, and Watsonville has only a token show or two, so life is difficult for the wing fans. Perhaps Damion Gardner's coming south to run with SCRA will encourage others to try the wingless style based on his success.

So what is the problem on why we don't go to Hanford and Bakersfield? They both still run sprints and particularly 360 non-wing sprints. Somehow, the rapid growth at Ventura plus the "bandit" series in Southern California could be even healthier for non-wing racing, so why doesn't it work. The usual reasons as promoters all over the country traditionally are unable to handle "sharing", or work out schedules. So, it's no secret we haven't been able to work up something to further the racing down south, yet all three of these series are doing well. Bakersfield quit running non-wing sprinters when the SCRA was formed, and the reported pit fee raise at Hanford was the dagger there. Two great locations with racy tracks lost to SCRA because we can't work it out? Nobody seems to get the big picture, but the growth of SCRA, VRA and the Bandits series is making sprint car racing more popular with fans all over the Southland. The 360's are building drivers who want to step up and that is great for the 410's of SCRA. The VRA will be appearing at The PAS while the SCRA is on tour back east, so maybe that is a sign of growth coming. Ventura's TV deal is also a big plus as it will showcase the great racing at that track and will help those racers with their own sponsorship programs. Too bad we couldn't have that little added attraction in SCRA.

In these times of money problems throughout this great country, we need to get together and help each other. This means fans, tracks, racers, sponsors, the whole enchilada, should be pro-active in growing our sport! More sponsorship money is needed at the local level, and SCRA is THE local level, so how do we do it? I can see the car counts going down slightly and racers struggling to find the cash to continue every where I go. I also see fewer fans traveling and only a few of the traditional "big time fans" are recognized away from the home track of Perris. This means simply that people continue to find other things to do closer to home and probably less expensive. This couldn't come at a worse time for those fans, as the SCRA racing has been exceptional, and words from Ventura and the Bandit races come with glowing reports of great racing there.

Our non-wing style of racing is at an all time high since the signboards appeared, yet our fan base is not growing like it should. YOU, fans who find other things to do, get over it! Come back and watch the best sprint car racing in the land. Forget about traffic, probably the single most aggravating thing in the Southland, the parking fees, the food prices, and plan ahead. Check the schedule and pick the races you must see, then plan your route when it is best, just like you plan your other appearances at weddings and family reunions, with one purpose in mind, sprint car race watching made easy. Our races at Ventura couldn't be any better, but I realize those who wait until late in the day to travel from the LA area, will have traffic problems. Hit the freeways early and do a picnic, watch the boats on the sea, enjoy the day before the action starts in the evening, it works. Santa Maria is a great venue and is coming up on June 15, so think about that scenic track and get ready to go there. Tulare is coming and you can't afford to miss it! Racing is a weekly outing to many, treat it like that, and you will be happier.

I now have you all set-up to get back to racing, for those who have dropped off a little, so everyone come see the stars of SCRA. Watch as The Kruser Kruseman, Cowboy Jones, Gasman Griffin, The Ripper Williams, The Mexican National Champion Ostling, The figure 8 champion Kirby, The Manzy Man Davis, The Sherminator Jeremy, Super Rickie, The Wild Man Argo, Hollywood John, Showtime Sheridan, The Rocket Gremett, Mighty Mopar Venard, The little Demon Damion and many more will excite you, and thrill you with their own wild moves on the tacky dirt tracks they appear at. Check out the new rookies who add spice as they move up into the limelight, it's fun world for race fans. Come on down!

Have I got you moving yet? And I didn't even mention the annual tour back east where all the racers who go will need even more help to get there and back, spreading the word on how great we have it here. If you are along the way in Iowa, Missouri, Kansas, Ohio and PA, get out that checkbook and send me some tow money for the shows you will be watching. Get involved and see me and I'll add your donation to the $1000 I have collected so far for the Tour. If the 20 who said yes on a recent survey to go back east do go, we will need a lot more cash. I know the Fischer Motorsports team for one already said early in the year that they didn't have the money to go, and I know there are more teams like them. Perhaps someone can make a difference for them. Kerchunck, the sound of me getting off my soapbox, is now heard.

With the week off from the SCRA wars, Terry and I took in one of our grandson's first championship game in Las Vegas. Hunter Welch, the 7 year old center fielder, and his young team of 8 to 10 year olds, (yes, he is the only 7 year old) won the league championship last week. Then, we got to see them win the playoff game for the number one seed in the state tournament on Saturday night. They beat the second best team "10 zip" on a mercy walk off shortened game. Hunter was thrilled to get two huge trophies that were nearly as tall as he is! We have three other baseball playing grandsons, and racing makes it nearly impossible to see many of their games, but this one was a thrill for us all! The 99-degree heat in Las Vegas was a preview to the SCRA race that will happen there in four weeks on June 29. Hmmmmmmmmmm, I wonder if I can park my air-conditioned motorhome where Dubya can watch and stay cool? Maybe I will want to be in there too, as I don't like the heat, either. Ditto Mrs Wags.

Again, If you are traveling this summer on tour, or just looking for a complete list of racetracks around the country, the renowned Allen Brown has your " travel bible". His latest updated version of the National Speedway Directory is ready for you. It features almost 1500 auto racing facilities, including 1093 oval tracks, plus drag strips and road courses. All the NWWC tour stops are in there! You get it all in this soft cover book with phone numbers, exact directions to get there, what class is racing and when. It's only $12, or $21 for two, postage included, and you can give one to a friend! Send check or money order to National Speedway Directory, P.O. Box 448, Comstock Park, MI 49321-0448 for yours today. I have mine and I don't leave home without it!

We will be back at The PAS this week in Perris and I will continue my efforts to collect money for the tour and the Wagsdash. Raffle tickets for the Dave Keller made RC sprint car and the David Sinsley donated Snap-on toolboxes will be available, with all proceeds put into the tour and dash. Look for me early out front, and bring your checkbook. I'll also have Oskaloosa tickets with me. Things to keep in mind for the tour: The drive from Oskaloosa, the first NWWC race in Iowa, to the last stop in Kansas City is over 2100 miles. Add the 3000 plus "other" miles before and after the hot racing, and it's nearly 6000 miles of towing. Now lets see, the haulers get about 6/7 miles per gallon, and gas is averaging over $1.50 a gallon across the country, so you do the math. Let me help out, it is somewhere in the neighborhood of $ 1400 dollars for gas!!! Now, add motels, food and then the, UGH, racing costs, and the math goes way up. Maybe I didn't totally get off the soapbox. Help! See ya at the PAS!

SCRA points as of 5/26/02: 1. Steve Ostling 701, 2. Richard Griffin 690, 3. Cory Kruseman 681, 4. Tony Jones 664, 5. Jeremy Sherman 638, 6. Rip Williams 627, 7. John Scott 594, 8. Mike Kirby 581, 9. Troy Rutherford 523, 10. Damion Gardner 496, 11. Charles Davis, Jr, 12. Rickie Gaunt 462 13. Mike English 422, 14. Gary W. Howard 340, 15. Bobby Graham 314, 16. Rodney Argo 234, 17. Danny Sheridan 213, 18. Levi Jones 213, 19. Adam Mitchell 211, 20. Tony Elliott 198.