By Dave Dykes                                                                                   (Click on any Photo for Full Size version)

Not much to report from Waterford this week, as rain washed-out the Whelen Modified Tour show. A forecast laden with predictions of rain prompted track officials to pull the plug early in the afternoon. At press time, no date had been set for the rescheduling of the event. Be sure to watch the Speedbowl website for developments in that area. 
 
The Speedbowl’s Wednesday night X-Modified class continues to grow, with last week’s car-count one of the healthiest of the season. The division, developed by Waterford management as a low-cost alternative to compete within the Modifieds as well as a possible training ground for those with visions of entering Saturday night SK competition, could thus far be deemed a successful endeavor. In theory, the division could be considered a “novice” or “beginners” class with the majority of the competitors having a limited or non-existent racing résumé. Russ Holley, a multi-time winner this season, has a decided Speedbowl racing background, having spent a time or two behind the controls of a racing machine at the shoreline oval. This in itself indicates that all present competitors are not completely void of experience. Last Wednesday evening however, James Civali, the 2004 Waterford Budweiser Modified Nationals victor and a veteran of several series including the Whelen Modified Tour, Busch North, and SK racing at all three Connecticut ovals found himself in victory lane following the X-Modified feature. Simply an observance and certainly not a critique of the Civali win, but perhaps the eligibility for those who choose to compete within the confines of the X-Modified division should be a bit more clearly defined, which in turn would lead to a more level playing field for the drivers of the fledging division.
 
The rumor mill continues to churn-out all types of reports regarding the future of racing at the decades-old Rt. 85 oval, with stories ranging from conceivable to downright bizarre. Ironically, the purveyors of some of the more disparaging tales are trade paper and internet “columnists” that have little interest in attending weekly events at the Speedbowl. While it’s obviously true that things at Waterford are in a somewhat unsettled state at the moment, let us not forget what we’re all in this sport for, which is racing.  
 
Management’s decision to add a traction-enhancing compound to the surface of the turns has so far proven to be a step in the right direction. While receiving accolades from the Saturday night gang, the “Wacky” crew from Wednesday nights also noted a positive difference…
 
Also rumored is the return of a weekly track program, a welcome addition to everyone’s night at the races. With any amount of luck, yours truly will be asked to submit a few old-time snippets from the Speedbowl archives…..
 
This weekend it’s back to “regular racing”, as the Speedbowl presents a Saturday night fare of SK, Late Model, Sportsman & Mini Racing competition. Throw in a mid-week dose of “Wild & Wacky Wednesday” action, and it’s a full slate.
 
With that, it’s a wrap. Contact me at ddykes@originnet.net