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By Dave Dykes
(Click on any Photo for Full Size version)
What a difference a week makes.
Waterford’s Late Model division had recently been mired in
controversy. More akin to a bulldozer rally than a racing event,
it’d presented fans with everything but what they’d come to expect
from the once wildly-popular class. Epic crashes caused by drivers
with little respect for each other and caution-filled feature events
that became increasingly painful to watch were becoming the norm. It
looked as though the days of the fender-to-fender competition that
had thrilled Speedbowl fans and made the Late Models the most
popular support class in the region were over.
Then came Saturday evening and the redemption of a division.
Thanks to a personal phone call campaign put forth by Speedbowl
officials in which racers were contacted in an effort to try and
solve the problem, the expulsion of one of the principle players in
the recent carnage that’s plagued the division, and a new
“no-tolerance” rule, things are once again looking up for the
full-fender brigade.
Hitting the track on a surface that earlier in the week had a
“traction-enhancing” compound applied in the turns (another positive
step by management to improve the racing program), the Late Model
troops were a study in what the division had been in the past. Once
again, exciting close competition was prevalent, the caution flags
were kept at a bare minimum, and the wrecker service was allowed to
occupy its infield post for the majority of feature laps.
On a night that saw the division scheduled for two main events,
young Tim Jordon pulled into victory lane after a dominating
performance in the first main, while ironically, it was Bruce Thomas
Jr. annexing the nightcap. Thomas had been a victim in the vicious
accident of the prior week that helped prompt officials to take
action in trying to corral the division into a more cooperative
state. With his racer having been all but obliterated in the wreck
with the now banished Jay Stuart, Thomas and crew were forced to go
with a backup machine. An old hulk once piloted by former Speedbowl
standout Corey Hutchings among others was literally “pulled out of
the woods” and over the course of a busy week which included many
late nights, put back in racing form. Things were so tight with the
team that when it came time to paint the machine, cost
considerations forced them to go with a $ 7.50 gallon of Rustoleum
to apply the accent stripes on the car rather than splurge for the
full-tilt expense of automotive paint (actually, the car looked
great, perhaps starting a new trend in racing bodywork).
Getting back to the new “no tolerance” guidelines for the division,
while it may seem somewhat extreme, Saturday night’s results were
encouraging. It’s not a movement to transform the Late Model
division into a Boy Scout troop, but rather a set of guidelines to
assure that less wrecked race cars are loaded-up at evenings end.
With car-counts suffering in the division due to a number of factors
too involved to debate here, it’s something that simply had to be
done for the survival of the class. It’ll take time and cooperation
on both the part of track officials and racers to produce positive
long-term effects in bringing the class back to what it once was.
In the SK’s it was former multi-time track champ & current point
leader Dennis Gada celebrating a close win over long-time pal Rob
Janovic. It was the 48th career SK win for Dennis and the his 50th
overall Speedbowl victory that also includes two early-days Late
Model triumphs.
 In
the “Dorr Sportsman Benefit Race”, it was once again young Dwayne
showing the way, this time grabbing the lead after only five
circuits. When Dwayne Dorr straps-in, everybody automatically moves
a step-back in the payoff-line. This was the Ledyard, Connecticut
speedster’s eighth victory of the season. Total dominance is almost
an understatement here. While he’s probably too young to realize it,
this is one victory streak that us old Speedbowl history buffs are
going to be talking about a lot in the future…..
Speaking of the Sportsman, Jim Procaccini took a couple of
absolutely horrid-looking hits after getting crossed-up by another
car in the second-turn about midway though the feature. One of the
Speedbowl’s true “Good Guys” Jim was apparently shaken-up a bit by
his car-shortening event, and took a little extra time climbing out
of the cockpit. Let’s hope that other than being a little sore from
his misadventure, old Jim is back as good as new next week. After
all, us “old guys” have got to stick together, right Jim?
A fast-moving Mini feature was headed-up by Phil Evans when the
checkers flew, while it was Mark Bakaj prevailing in the Legends
main event.
 THIS
& THAT: With the fall approaching, it’ll be time to
indulge in those off-season hobbies for many of us. Yours truly has
been known to put together a model or two during the winter,
specifically 1/24 & 1/25 scale cars. Thanks to Dave Burkett and his
“Model King” reissues, those of us that built the old MPC-brand
pavement Modifieds are able to do it once again. Check the internet
or your local hobby shops for these reissues which include replicas
of typical 70’s-era Pinto, Vega & Coupe-bodied ground-pounders. The
internet also provides a vast selection of aftermarket vendors
offering cast-resin accessories like the old wide-five racing
wheels, and custom decal sets of many notable vintage-era Mods. Next
week it’s the Whelen Modified Tour at the Bowl’ so be sure to arrive
early to get your favorite spot in the belachers, as this show
typically packs them in.
And with that, it’s a wrap. Contact me via ddykes@originnet.net
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