I'm here at Don's house and figured I'd post a quick mention that I have been to my first two races in almost four years. I guess it took me leaving California to finally get me out to a track. Actually, this is racing country. I'm impressed with the way people treat racing here. The big Indy newspaper here actually had results of several tracks from the weekend. Imagine that. There are several tracks within reasonable distance here too. The people here love racing. How much? The fans stayed to watch the races at Gas City and Kokomo after midnight. And, Kokomo was on Sunday.
Several California racers were here. Thomas Meseraul actually stopped by Don's shop and recognized me from when I was the publicity guy at Altamont. He was racing Midgets this week and looked good at Kokomo. Gas City wasn't as kind to him I'm afraid. A young man by the name of Brad Sweet was there. The kid narrowly missed victory at Gas City on Friday. Leading the 30 lapper for 29 1/2 laps. It was neat seeing this kid race here after I had announced some of his wins from Antioch in BCRA Midget Lites a few years back. I won't be surprised to see him go further in racing.
At Gas City I was in the pits, and at Kokomo I was in the stands. I have several pictures from the digital camera. I'm no Joe Martinez, but I did okay for a cheap $10 camera. When I get back home, I may post some and offer a few more details from the races. I took the bus tour of the big speedway in Indy, plus the museum, more pictures. It's been a blast.
Don and I have talked a lot about the old days, the good times and the bad. Remembering Jim Booth, Darryl Shirk, Mel Maupin, Pops Soares, Jackie and others. The beginning of the Spec Sprint division and the challenges we had. Racing and just life in general. It has been great seeing my best friend again. I'm not overstating the positive impact Don and Linda have had on my life. They have helped open doors for me that I never would have otherwise gotten through. What can you say about people like that? I'm a writer, but words escape me to describe the appreciation, gratitude and just the joy of having such a friend.
The last two years of DCRR
The Sweet 16 State Point Race
Getting Wingless Spec Sprints started
Going to the RPM Workshop twice (would have been three if I hadn't have been stubborn and burnt out at the time)
And so much more
When I have had times of indecision or self doubt, it's been Don more than anybody who has been there. Through good and bad. So yes, it's great to see him and be a guest in their home. It's been a time also to reflect on things and consider the future. I haven't changed my plans on the book. It's going to be a 2008 project, and I've gotten more ideas while discussing it with Don.
We also checked out some old videos of racing Don has. It was neat looking at some of the early WSS videos. I feel lucky and blessed to have been a part of that deal, which heads into season 10 next year. Don had another video that was neat to see. Len Mello, well the #4a car anyway as it might have been Buzz Enea driving, beat Scott Busby in a dash at Petaluma. Seeing Len win the championship that year had a profound effect on me.
As a fan, I tend to root for the underdog, and Len was definitely that. He was a B Mainer when I started attending the races back in the late 70's. I was laughed at for cheering for him, but I never gave up. I didn't hop on a more popular bandwagon. When '81 came along and he won it all, it hooked me on racing. I still remember being in the infield after the finale, talking with him for an hour or so. He was my hero. Not long after that, I started keeping score of races and then writing.
I've been lucky to have been involved with racing for over 25 years before retiring. I was burned out. There were a few things that finally pushed me to make that decision, but really, it had been brewing for a few years anyway. I needed to step away to deal with the emotion of it all and put it all into perspective. This is another thing that Don has helped me with.
I've been lucky to have been given the chance to do so much. I announced, handled track publicity, did a magazine, had a nice web site, met a lot of great people and made many friends, helped start a division that is still going strong in California and so many other things. Whatever I did, I tried to do with helping the sport in mind. I probably pissed a few people off. Heck, I know I did. It wasn't personal. I made my share of mistakes and I still do. Okay, it's starting to sound like a Sinatra song. Bottom line is I'm proud of my body of work and grateful I got the chance. Just some kid sitting in the stands who loved the sport.
So, where does that leave things now? Should I come back to racing? Where do I even go? Well, at this point there are no plans to come back. Should the right offer present itself, who knows? I have no plans and expect no offers. I'm okay with letting it stay where it is. But, there is the matter of the book, or books as it may be. I really don't know. But you see, there is still a problem. Tradition is getting buried at some tracks in California. It's gotta stop.
I don't own a track. I don't have the money to build a Hall Of Fame for Northern California racing. So, the next best thing I can do is begin to tell the story, or the stories that I know. The champions, the stars, the also rans, the tracks, the point battles, the pictures. They can do what they want now, but history is there. It's story needs to be told before it's all forgotten. Tom Motter did it with an excellent BCRA book, so why not another book for the tracks? Perhaps more than one. I'm a fan of carbureted Sprint Car racing, and there is a lot of ground that needs covering from these last 20 years.
I still have boxes of statistics, pictures, old programs, old DCRR's and other magazines. It's there to be used. At one time, I considered throwing it all away. If somebody had suggested that five or six years ago, I probably would have slapped them. A couple years ago, I thought about it, seriously too. Well, I think I'll keep it all, though I could really use the room.
I am working on another project that will require my time for the next several months. I could push it aside, but I really don't want to. I did that 20 years ago, but not this time. I have another book that I need to publish as well. This stuff will get done, and then I can get into the racing project. Honestly, I doubt the book will take long to put together once I get started. However, editing will be handled differently than it was with the magazine for obvious reasons. I want a clean and nice looking book that the racers can be proud of.
The process has already begun for this book, but it will only proceed at a pace that doesn't take away too much from the other project. This is one reason for this blog. I wanted to begin to talk a little bit about what I'm thinking about. You will continue to see ideas and old stories posted here as well as an occasional rant or two. I'll try to be nice though. That's one reason I want to stay away from certain current topics.
Anyway, I need to end this post here. Until next time...
Monday, August 13, 2007
Tuesday, August 7, 2007
Chowchilla & Other Stuff
No news has come in concerning the closure of Chowchilla story, save Tom Sagmiller announcing that Kings Speedway will be the site of this years big George Steitz race. To me, it's good and bad news. It's good that the Steitz Race tradition continues, but it's not good news for Chowchilla. When you are sending probably the biggest money maker of a race to another track, the outlook for reopening in 2007 does not look good. Hopefully, I'm wrong about that, but time will tell. I was hoping Tom would have posted something by now, but there's probably a good reason he hasn't.
For seven years, Chowchilla Speedway has been offering racers and fans a great place to race and building memories. If that's where it ends, it's a shame it had to end, but there's a lot to be proud of. I wanted to take you back to a story from 2000 that ran in the Merced Sun-Star, but my blog is having format issues. I recall back a year or two before the track opened. I was corresponding with an insider to Tom's effort to bring change to the racing scene. I actually have some of those e-mails in a file.
In fact, I was looking through my files as I gear up for my trip. It was a trip down memory lane for me. I may be posting some of these files here on the blog. I have some interviews and other stuff I ran in the magazine. There are pictures that I forgot I had scanned. Some of the early WSS stuff. The first file of the rules typed for the class is on disk. Interviews in Q&A form with Andy Archer, Don Shelton and Donny Babb. A Jim Booth story. Lots of stuff actually. I'll be sorting through it all.
I found some News & Rumors columns that Don had written. Vintage photos from the early 70's and early 80's. Some of this stuff may eventually find it's way back to Don O'Keefe's site. The last Editor's Viewpoint from the DCRR in 2003 and other Viewpoint columns. Lots to look through, but we're a ways away from getting started on the book. Right now, it's sort of a trip down memory lane, and I look forward to sharing this stuff with Don in Indy as we recall those times.
Stay tuned to the blog as some of this stuff will likely get posted. By the way, I do intend to offer some newly written posts about days gone by in racing, but I'm not sure how much time I will be spending on that in the next couple of weeks. Plus, I'm still working on other writing projects.
Saturday, August 4, 2007
Chowchilla Speedway Story In Fresno Bee
I don't know how much I really want to get into this stuff here, but I can't really help it. This is important to me. I'd rather be talking about my memories in racing, but there's a problem. I WANT PEOPLE TO HAVE MORE MEMORIES OF THIS TRACK! Sorry, I shouted there.
I noticed a story from the Fresno Bee. Check out the link here:
http://www.fresnobee.com/sports/story/102953.html
The story mentions that we've had too many tracks closing lately and we have. It sucks, and I'm tired of it. But, I want to grab one point here, ask a question and make a suggestion, if I may. Not trying to offend, but I gotta be honest. I've seen Tom and Cindy take money out of their own pocket to help get a person to race or to help others. This is not a comparison to other promoters, but I know what Tom and Cindy try to do for the community.
In the early days, there were $5 and then $6 adult tickets to spectate. No membership requirements to race and other stuff. Why? Because Tom and Cindy wanted to make a track for the racers and the fans to come and have fun, and be able to afford to do it often. In this economy, that's a risky way to run a business. Some would say crazy, but I would say caring. They care about the racers. When times got bad around here, Tom was the only promoter I ever worked with who called or e-mailed to see how I was doing.
So, here's the thing. Well, let me quote the story here:
Cindi Sagmiller said car counts and attendance have been down this season. She listed the high cost of fuel as the main reason and also said RACE LLC is about $2,000 behind on its lease payments to the fair board. "Yes we're behind. But we're always behind," she said. "I can't see that as a reason for closing us down."
So, I gotta ask. Is this purely about money or is the fair board trying to make a statement? If it's a statement, I suppose they'll just be jerks if they want to be. If it's money...
I don't doubt that at times money has been tight there, but the fair board has gotten their money in the end. It just took certain shows to do it. How easy do you think it really is to run a show down there? Look at car count and attendance numbers at Chow and the closest track to them, and I doubt you can say either track is getting rich. That's not really my point. I'm sure the Chow fairgrounds is making more money with that track than they would without it, and the town has an attraction there that has to help the local economy at least a little bit every weekend.
But, here's the thing. The effort to do right by the racers has probably contributed a little to the late payments. If they went after more money from the drivers and fans, it might not be that way, but then again, perhaps the track wouldn't be there.
Okay, get to the point Don. Sorry, I tend to ramble.
If this is about money, I'm sure there are racers and fans who would donate to the cause to help Tom and Cindy out. Say what? Look, I'm not suggesting Tom go to the racers with his hat in his hand. I don't think he would, and he probably wouldn't like the suggestion even being made. I don't even know if it would work. On the net, we have a thing called paypal, and somebody (not me) could set up a fund explicitly for the $2,000 needed.
Who would pay? Anybody who cares about getting the track back open and supporting promoters who have supported them. If you had fun there and could donate to the cause, do it. It would be up to the people. Would this work? I don't even know. We only know what the newspaper reported, and Tom hasn't made an official statement. I'm just throwing this out there while there's still a chance.
The weekly fun
The Steitz Race
Open Wheel Round Up
Freedom Series
Buddy's Race
Dykstra/Odgers Memorial Mechanics & Ladies Race
And so much more
It's worth trying to save. Isn't it? Well, enough of my rambling. I just hope this story ends with good news.
I noticed a story from the Fresno Bee. Check out the link here:
http://www.fresnobee.com/sports/story/102953.html
The story mentions that we've had too many tracks closing lately and we have. It sucks, and I'm tired of it. But, I want to grab one point here, ask a question and make a suggestion, if I may. Not trying to offend, but I gotta be honest. I've seen Tom and Cindy take money out of their own pocket to help get a person to race or to help others. This is not a comparison to other promoters, but I know what Tom and Cindy try to do for the community.
In the early days, there were $5 and then $6 adult tickets to spectate. No membership requirements to race and other stuff. Why? Because Tom and Cindy wanted to make a track for the racers and the fans to come and have fun, and be able to afford to do it often. In this economy, that's a risky way to run a business. Some would say crazy, but I would say caring. They care about the racers. When times got bad around here, Tom was the only promoter I ever worked with who called or e-mailed to see how I was doing.
So, here's the thing. Well, let me quote the story here:
Cindi Sagmiller said car counts and attendance have been down this season. She listed the high cost of fuel as the main reason and also said RACE LLC is about $2,000 behind on its lease payments to the fair board. "Yes we're behind. But we're always behind," she said. "I can't see that as a reason for closing us down."
So, I gotta ask. Is this purely about money or is the fair board trying to make a statement? If it's a statement, I suppose they'll just be jerks if they want to be. If it's money...
I don't doubt that at times money has been tight there, but the fair board has gotten their money in the end. It just took certain shows to do it. How easy do you think it really is to run a show down there? Look at car count and attendance numbers at Chow and the closest track to them, and I doubt you can say either track is getting rich. That's not really my point. I'm sure the Chow fairgrounds is making more money with that track than they would without it, and the town has an attraction there that has to help the local economy at least a little bit every weekend.
But, here's the thing. The effort to do right by the racers has probably contributed a little to the late payments. If they went after more money from the drivers and fans, it might not be that way, but then again, perhaps the track wouldn't be there.
Okay, get to the point Don. Sorry, I tend to ramble.
If this is about money, I'm sure there are racers and fans who would donate to the cause to help Tom and Cindy out. Say what? Look, I'm not suggesting Tom go to the racers with his hat in his hand. I don't think he would, and he probably wouldn't like the suggestion even being made. I don't even know if it would work. On the net, we have a thing called paypal, and somebody (not me) could set up a fund explicitly for the $2,000 needed.
Who would pay? Anybody who cares about getting the track back open and supporting promoters who have supported them. If you had fun there and could donate to the cause, do it. It would be up to the people. Would this work? I don't even know. We only know what the newspaper reported, and Tom hasn't made an official statement. I'm just throwing this out there while there's still a chance.
The weekly fun
The Steitz Race
Open Wheel Round Up
Freedom Series
Buddy's Race
Dykstra/Odgers Memorial Mechanics & Ladies Race
And so much more
It's worth trying to save. Isn't it? Well, enough of my rambling. I just hope this story ends with good news.
Wednesday, August 1, 2007
Preliminary Work On The Book Has Begun
I really wasn't planning to get into this project too much this year, and I'm still not. However, I needed to gather information to update my records. As you know, I will be heading to Indy next week, and I'm looking forward to it. I'm also looking forward to talking with Don about the project and getting his input.
I have one of those usb flash drives to move info to my laptop to allow me to consider book ideas on the road. I already have a good idea what I want to do, but there is room for more input. It's looking like possibly two books, but we'll see what we come up with. The plan is still a 2008 start date for the book, but the better prepared I am, the quicker it will go.
I'm still stunned by the Chowchilla news and hoping something good will happen in the next day or two. It can't end this way. There is room for change, but not closure. What else are they gonna do there in Chowchilla anyway? I'm hoping they will work it out and that Tom and Cindy can get back to business. From the looks of it, there are a lot of fans who feel the same way.
I have one of those usb flash drives to move info to my laptop to allow me to consider book ideas on the road. I already have a good idea what I want to do, but there is room for more input. It's looking like possibly two books, but we'll see what we come up with. The plan is still a 2008 start date for the book, but the better prepared I am, the quicker it will go.
I'm still stunned by the Chowchilla news and hoping something good will happen in the next day or two. It can't end this way. There is room for change, but not closure. What else are they gonna do there in Chowchilla anyway? I'm hoping they will work it out and that Tom and Cindy can get back to business. From the looks of it, there are a lot of fans who feel the same way.
Tuesday, July 31, 2007
Chowchilla Speedway Closed
Just read this over at the http://www.chowchillaspeedway.com/ forum:
CHOWCHILLA SPEEDWAY WAS CLOSED FRIDAY BY THE FAIR BOARD . I KNOW THERE ARE A LOT OF RUMORS ALREADY GOING AROUND BUT IF YOU ALL WAIT FOR A DAY OR SO CINDY AND I WILL POST AN OFFICIAL STATEMENT. AND ANSWER EVERYONES QUESTIONS. IT HAS BEEN A GREAT 7 YEARS AND A SHAME IT HAD TO END THIS WAY
That post was from Tom Sagmiller
I can't believe what I'm seeing. I hope this isn't the way it ends. I'm composing my thoughts on this and will probably add something more to this post.
Where do I even start with this? There is so much about Chowchilla Speedway that I loved. It rekindled my interest in racing and kept me involved in the sport. This track must be a part of my book for all the good that came from there. I was well aware of Tom Sagmiller. I knew of what went down in Merced. Not getting into it now, but I'll admit one thing. I felt that Tom was a kindred spirit when it came to standing up for what's right and just taking a stand. Enough said.
The track opened in 2000, and Don O'Keefe Jr. and I showed up to support George Terry and the Greer's Winged 362 Sprints effort. It didn't look like your typical track. It was low buck. But there was something about this place. Then, a guy came riding by on a golf cart and said, "$25 fine if you're not having fun." That was the mantra of Chowchilla Speedway, have fun. I was hooked. I had to get down there. This was also the night in which my partnership with Joe Martinez and CRO was born.
For the rest of the season, I took a train, hitched a ride with anybody from Antioch I could get to go. I had to be there. I was not happy with things at another track I was at that year (not getting into that here), but I was loving what I was seeing in the valley. Chowchilla was the racing equivalent of the Field Of Dreams to me. If you build it, they will come. I wanted to help make it grow.
Tom believed in giving everybody a chance. There were some racers who had messed up at their track, but Chowchilla became a second chance. Tom believed in making things affordable. How's $5 spectator tickets and no membership required to race grab you? At that point, it was about having fun, not about beating people over the head with rule books and making the racers OBEY.
And guess what? Car count grew. Hobby Stocks went from single digits to B Mains in a year and the Modifieds had a car count from the start that rivaled other area tracks. Even the carbureted Sprints hit double digits by season's end. I did my best to spread the word in newspapers and racing publications. The people came. It was not uncommon for a racer to tow 2 or 3 hours to race, even for less money than their home track. Why? It was fun, and Tom treated the racers with respect.
Chowchilla changed the landscape of racing in the area. Tom green lighted two races, the Hobby Stock $500 and Open Wheel Round Up, based on conversations that took place in the CRO chat room. Both races were successful. Other area tracks ended up starting Hobby Stocks based on Chowchilla success.
And, you can forget about some plot to put other tracks out of business. Anger may have played a part in opening Chowchilla, but it was business time when the gates opened. The track chose Friday nights to not conflict with others, and I witnessed Tom altering programs to help tracks that didn't want him in business, just because it was the right thing to do. Bear in mind, you are talking about a low dollar track losing money by doing that.
2000 Chowchilla was a miracle in a time when we lost San Jose Speedway. We needed something positive like Chowchilla. This gave berth to the racer's question, "Just where the hell is Chowchilla anyway?"
By mid 2000 or so, George Steitz, God rest his soul, decided he wanted to keep the big San Jose race alive, and he wanted to do it at Chowchilla. Tom could have easily done this race himself. His reputation at the time was growing, but there was a respect for George. The partership paid off in a huge car count close to 200 that year. Man, cars were parked in the field across the street, and I had to walk all over to get the names to announce that weekend. Still a fond memory, and I still have my hat for that race.
By the end of 2000, it was time to plan an even bigger 2001. Tom adjusted Mini Trucks to be a Mini Stock class, gaining cars. Chowchilla locals poured into the Hobby Stock class, Street Stocks maintained and Modifieds got bigger. IMCA still sucks, but as Tom so aptly put it, "Who needs the IMCA." Okay, that was unnecesary, but IMCA could have stepped up here and been a mediator, intead of the second rate, wanna be NASCAR but can't even be WISSOTA organization that they are, in my opinion.
I was and still am proud to have been a part of the crew for those two seasons. Still have two plaques to comemorate it. Tom and Cindy took me into their home that second season, and didn't complain that I went to Merced every Saturday to help that track out. Yes, I was staying at Tom's house and helping BOTH Chowchilla and Merced, and he supported it. If things had remained that way, I don't think it's a stretch to say I'd still be involved in the sport. I loved it down in the valley.
Chowchilla had a laid back, have fun mentality. People were nice. Come race time, it was all business, and the racing was good. Tom may not have received any awards for running Chowchilla, but those first two seasons rocked the racing world. I fondly recall the after race meals and discussions of what to do next. Those were some great times. If I played any part in helping Tom get things established, it was my pleasure and honor to do it.
7 years is not enough for Tom & Cindy to run that place. It's just not. There's a passion there to run a fun, family friendly place. I'm not sure why it would close now. I have ideas, but I won't speculate. Hopefully, things can be salvaged, and more racing history can be written in Chowchilla. It truly was a great place to race.
I used to joke that there should be a statue of Tom at the entrence to the track, hat on backwards and pointing the way to Chowchilla Speedway. Inscribed on it:
Give us your tired, disenfranchised
suspended and downtrodden,
leave your troubles at the gate,
come join us for the race
don't forget to smile and remember
it's a $25 fine if your're not having fun
Something like that. It's been a while since I spoke the words.
CHOWCHILLA SPEEDWAY WAS CLOSED FRIDAY BY THE FAIR BOARD . I KNOW THERE ARE A LOT OF RUMORS ALREADY GOING AROUND BUT IF YOU ALL WAIT FOR A DAY OR SO CINDY AND I WILL POST AN OFFICIAL STATEMENT. AND ANSWER EVERYONES QUESTIONS. IT HAS BEEN A GREAT 7 YEARS AND A SHAME IT HAD TO END THIS WAY
That post was from Tom Sagmiller
I can't believe what I'm seeing. I hope this isn't the way it ends. I'm composing my thoughts on this and will probably add something more to this post.
Where do I even start with this? There is so much about Chowchilla Speedway that I loved. It rekindled my interest in racing and kept me involved in the sport. This track must be a part of my book for all the good that came from there. I was well aware of Tom Sagmiller. I knew of what went down in Merced. Not getting into it now, but I'll admit one thing. I felt that Tom was a kindred spirit when it came to standing up for what's right and just taking a stand. Enough said.
The track opened in 2000, and Don O'Keefe Jr. and I showed up to support George Terry and the Greer's Winged 362 Sprints effort. It didn't look like your typical track. It was low buck. But there was something about this place. Then, a guy came riding by on a golf cart and said, "$25 fine if you're not having fun." That was the mantra of Chowchilla Speedway, have fun. I was hooked. I had to get down there. This was also the night in which my partnership with Joe Martinez and CRO was born.
For the rest of the season, I took a train, hitched a ride with anybody from Antioch I could get to go. I had to be there. I was not happy with things at another track I was at that year (not getting into that here), but I was loving what I was seeing in the valley. Chowchilla was the racing equivalent of the Field Of Dreams to me. If you build it, they will come. I wanted to help make it grow.
Tom believed in giving everybody a chance. There were some racers who had messed up at their track, but Chowchilla became a second chance. Tom believed in making things affordable. How's $5 spectator tickets and no membership required to race grab you? At that point, it was about having fun, not about beating people over the head with rule books and making the racers OBEY.
And guess what? Car count grew. Hobby Stocks went from single digits to B Mains in a year and the Modifieds had a car count from the start that rivaled other area tracks. Even the carbureted Sprints hit double digits by season's end. I did my best to spread the word in newspapers and racing publications. The people came. It was not uncommon for a racer to tow 2 or 3 hours to race, even for less money than their home track. Why? It was fun, and Tom treated the racers with respect.
Chowchilla changed the landscape of racing in the area. Tom green lighted two races, the Hobby Stock $500 and Open Wheel Round Up, based on conversations that took place in the CRO chat room. Both races were successful. Other area tracks ended up starting Hobby Stocks based on Chowchilla success.
And, you can forget about some plot to put other tracks out of business. Anger may have played a part in opening Chowchilla, but it was business time when the gates opened. The track chose Friday nights to not conflict with others, and I witnessed Tom altering programs to help tracks that didn't want him in business, just because it was the right thing to do. Bear in mind, you are talking about a low dollar track losing money by doing that.
2000 Chowchilla was a miracle in a time when we lost San Jose Speedway. We needed something positive like Chowchilla. This gave berth to the racer's question, "Just where the hell is Chowchilla anyway?"
By mid 2000 or so, George Steitz, God rest his soul, decided he wanted to keep the big San Jose race alive, and he wanted to do it at Chowchilla. Tom could have easily done this race himself. His reputation at the time was growing, but there was a respect for George. The partership paid off in a huge car count close to 200 that year. Man, cars were parked in the field across the street, and I had to walk all over to get the names to announce that weekend. Still a fond memory, and I still have my hat for that race.
By the end of 2000, it was time to plan an even bigger 2001. Tom adjusted Mini Trucks to be a Mini Stock class, gaining cars. Chowchilla locals poured into the Hobby Stock class, Street Stocks maintained and Modifieds got bigger. IMCA still sucks, but as Tom so aptly put it, "Who needs the IMCA." Okay, that was unnecesary, but IMCA could have stepped up here and been a mediator, intead of the second rate, wanna be NASCAR but can't even be WISSOTA organization that they are, in my opinion.
I was and still am proud to have been a part of the crew for those two seasons. Still have two plaques to comemorate it. Tom and Cindy took me into their home that second season, and didn't complain that I went to Merced every Saturday to help that track out. Yes, I was staying at Tom's house and helping BOTH Chowchilla and Merced, and he supported it. If things had remained that way, I don't think it's a stretch to say I'd still be involved in the sport. I loved it down in the valley.
Chowchilla had a laid back, have fun mentality. People were nice. Come race time, it was all business, and the racing was good. Tom may not have received any awards for running Chowchilla, but those first two seasons rocked the racing world. I fondly recall the after race meals and discussions of what to do next. Those were some great times. If I played any part in helping Tom get things established, it was my pleasure and honor to do it.
7 years is not enough for Tom & Cindy to run that place. It's just not. There's a passion there to run a fun, family friendly place. I'm not sure why it would close now. I have ideas, but I won't speculate. Hopefully, things can be salvaged, and more racing history can be written in Chowchilla. It truly was a great place to race.
I used to joke that there should be a statue of Tom at the entrence to the track, hat on backwards and pointing the way to Chowchilla Speedway. Inscribed on it:
Give us your tired, disenfranchised
suspended and downtrodden,
leave your troubles at the gate,
come join us for the race
don't forget to smile and remember
it's a $25 fine if your're not having fun
Something like that. It's been a while since I spoke the words.
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