Can You Hear Those Engines? Racing Will Be Here Soon!
By Bonnie Nibblett
Delmar, DE…..February 20, 2006…..With the official 2005 season all celebrated with the awards to the Champions in January, and all the action passed and behind us in the November, after DE State Championships, the Delaware Motorsports Complex can start to focus on getting the 2006 season started. This year racing will be just as exciting as ever with a lot of new drivers making changes in each type of racing rather it is the quarter-mile dragway, to the half-mile clay oval speedway, or to the U.S. 13 Kart Club dirt racing.
First, just a quick review of the 2005 November’s Delaware Dirt State speedways Champions that worked hard to claim those titles. H. J. Bunting, III of Milford, DE, made history when he claimed the 50 lap Small Block Modified feature claiming just over $4,000. Bunting was only the second DIS (Delaware International Speedway) home track driver, to claim the win in twenty years. Bunting also claimed his second Big Block Modified Championship of the tracks regular season. TUSA Modified Lites ran a tight race with Jon Callaway, another DIS track regular picking up that win on Saturday.
The Little Lincoln’s on Saturday’s action provided the best race of the weekend in only the ten laps they run. They were 3 wide in the corners bumping, rubbing and swapping paint. Laps 7 had two individual cars do 360’ degrees in opposite corners but no caution out as they just kept going after the spin around just loosing a little momentum. The wild and thrilling feature had Tony Daisey taking the checkered at the end. It was a very exciting race, and they only race 10 laps; maybe we can get them to add 5 more next year? Just a thought!
Sunday’s Delaware Dirt Track Champions went to “Doctor” Danny Johnson of Rochester, NY, in the Big Block Modified. Johnson had been in New York for Dirt Week and was flown to DIS after finishing there by his car owner Jay James. Johnson not only arrived in time to qualify on Saturday for Sunday’s race but he qualified to claim the pole position. Late Model action had another DIS track regular, David Hill of Trappe, MD, picking up the 50 lap champion title. AC Delco DE Dirt Championship went to rookie Matt Jester of Lincoln, DE, in his first year in this class and coming from go-karts. Jester came on really strong at the end of the season with that being his 4th straight win in a row. Look for him to be a strong contender in 2006. Modified Lite champ title went to the DIS 2005 Champion Jon Callaway of Harrington, DE, with yet another win. During the season Callaway won ten features holding another record for most wins in a season at DIS. Finally, the DE Dirt Sate Champion crown went to three time DIS Track Champion Mark Williams, of Georgetown, DE. All in all it was another year of racing action to end the season. Congrats to all the champs for the weekend and the 2005 year.
All the tracks have just celebrated their titles in January at the banquets, with the Winternationals quickly approaching. With 2005 season over drivers must get their race cars in order to start again on the 2006 season. Many get new cars or karts, new paint schemes, sponsors, sheet medal and a lot of new parts. The Winternationals in sink with NASCAR just completed speedweeks this past weekend. Quite a few drivers travel to East Bay or Volusia Speedway to compete with some of the best dirt drivers in America; while Daytona has oodles of fans to kick off the NASCAR season at the same time. Even though the 2005 season is over, the owners, drivers, and crews have little time to get ready to start in February. For fans, they can’t wait, but for teams a little more goes into their agenda. For those that don’t travel to Florida for the Winternationals have a little more time to get ready to race. Hagerstown Speedway is one of the first to start the season with Sunday, February 26, to start with late models and modifieds.
Many fans usually have withdrawals (as I do) when the season ends and can’t wait for the season to start. Quite a few get to go to Florida to get started or quench the thirst for that NEED FOR SPEED but many of us don’t; personally I have never had the opportunity to go to winternationals, but I bet it helps with the cravings. A few drivers that race at DIS went down to give it a try at big money and go against some of the best drivers in the world. Ricky Elliott and Anthony Rushing both picked up top 10’s last week in Late Model action out of 99 cars entries on some nights. Beau Wilkins finished in top 10 one night and made the field each night, while Chuck Tucker made the field one night or two. A lot of drivers were there but did not qualify with such competition and so many cars trying to get in the field. Jeff Brown, Jamie Mills, Deron Rust and Glen Richards were a few that did not make the field that race at Delmar.
Another way to get ready for many each year is when the Centre of Salisbury hosts the Motorsports Mania show, so fans get to see a few samples of the new cars all polished and new. However, after 15 years, this year was the first time fans would not get to start the adrenalin shot we all, so need to get through the winter. Which this makes the withdrawals only stronger to try and feed with the addiction in racing. Hope next year there will be a show but not looking to positive at this point.
It won’t be much longer for the U. S. 13 Dragway as they will kick off the first practice this weekend if the weather corporates and the second test and tune on March 5. Another test & tune will be on March 12, with gamblers if enough racers. Gates open 11:00 AM and test & tuning starts at 12:00 PM. The first official ET Brackets date is March 19 and the following weekend points start. Check the office to make sure they are running by calling 302.875.1911 or the tracks hot line at 302.846.3968. Check the tracks web for a full schedule at www.delawareracing.com.
The big speedway will kick off their Test-N-tune on April 8, 2006 from 6-9 PM, gates open at 5PM. The first race night will be on April 15, 2006. The speedway will also be offering a new class to run with the Street Modified class. The new class will be running the same AC Delco GM Crate motor as the AC Delco TSS Modified class that was introduced two years ago. That TSS Modified has been a success for drivers to run on a more economical budget to race. So now this will offer drivers an opportunity to compete in this class and not have too many changes to switch into late models if one desires. Basically, motor, tires, shocks would be the only changes to make a switch to from street modifieds to late models. A complete set of rules are on the webs web site at www.dealwareracing.com to all classes.
Also, next month I hope to have a few of the new drivers making changes to give us an inside preview before the season starts. Speaking of preview send your photos of your 2006 car, kart, drag car, or whatever you race to be displayed on www.redbud69racing.com, many cars participated last year so some have already started sending them in. You can contact me at redbud69racing@aol.com to submit or call 302.846.3621 and I’ll come take a picture for you. Redbud69racing.com also has the schedules for the speedway, dragway or the US 13 Kart Track on the site.
One more thing, new this year on redbud69racing website, will be Redbud’s Classics. This will be a photogallery of racing from MD, DE, and VA of the past racing at any track in these areas and few of others from close neighboring tracks, but primarily from this area. Tracks that no longer run, or still running, which ever the case may be. It will be for fans to see what some of the racing use to be in this region. A way to “Keep the Old Alive” or a “Blast From the Past” of where the racing has come to today as we know it. Check the web site www.redbud69racing.com for all your latest news and how to submit your photos to be previewed or photos from the past.
The US 13 Kart will start practice on Saturday, March 18, & April 1, gates open 9:00 AM. The first WKA State race will be Saturday, April 8, 2006, first club race will be Friday, April 14. For a full schedule check the tracks web site at www.dekarting.net. New officers were elected in the annual meeting held Feb 10. The new President is Chad K. Grosh, the new Vice President is Tim Crissman. The new Treasurer is Mrs. Morris and Cindy Richards. Billy Cropper is our new Race director for Club and State. Congrats to all of them. See you at the track!