This weekend it’s going to be a crashing good time at Waterford, as the RT. 85 oval presents its 2006 “Smacktoberfest”. Slated to take place on Sunday afternoon, on the agenda will be what’s being billed as “The Worlds Largest Trailer Race” along with a bunch of other metal-bending mayhem. For those interested in seeing stuff get destroyed, the Speedbowl is going to be the place to be. Check out the website for further information on what promises to be a fun-filled afternoon.

Coming up in two weeks on Sunday afternoon October 29th, it’ll be the first edition of the “Double-Down Shootout”. An event that harkens back to the “old daze”, this show is going to be an afternoon that showcases but one thing; All-out racing! The brainchild of Waterford PR Honcho Pete Zanardi, the idea was to put on a program void of points, presenting teams the opportunity to race to the limit. Each division will go with twin features, 25 for the SK’s, 25 for the Late Models, and 15 each for the Sportsman and Mini Stocks. The second rounds will be started in reverse order of the finish of the first race, so it’s going to take some well-planned strategy to set oneself up for a podium finish in both. My bet is that some teams will take the conservative route waiting for the laps to wind-down before charging, while others will go full-tilt.

This type of event was a mainstay at many area tracks back in the early days. Waterford actually held quite a few & they were always popular. Thompson also staged their fair share of “Twin-25” shows, and they attracted competitors from all over the region. It’ll be interesting to see how many “outsiders” show up at the Bowl’ to try steal a little prize money from the locals.

With winter closing in quickly, many race fans will turn to alternative activities to fill the off-season space. One of those hobbies enjoyed by many of us is the time-honored art of scale model construction. In recent years, builders of short track machinery have never had it so good. A scan of the various web-based model car companies (Hobby Heaven and Model Roundup are but two), show that many reissues have hit the market as of late. The early MPC Modifieds of the 1970’s included Pinto, Vega, & Coupe-style asphalt Modifieds, while AMT had a great series of Dirt Mods that presented Tobias Chassis equipped rides of the day. Dave Burkette, known as the “Model King” is the man responsible for a great number of these reissues. Many of the kits come with aftermarket decal sets that present you with the option of building the cars of such favorites as Richie Evans, Maynard Troyer, and even the coach of “Mousey” Kempster. Just recently, it was announced that Burkette will release repops of the old Lindberg Line series of West Coast style Sportsman racers. Check the internet to find out more. While actually owning or driving a Modified may be an out of reach goal for most of us, having a showcase of miniature replicas of you favorite cars can be a reality with the the use of some glue, paint, & patience.

With everything going on at the Finale, I was remiss in not mentioning how good it was to see Sportsman driver Jim Procaccini back in action. Earlier in the season, old Jim went thru a bone-jarring (not to mention equipment-damaging), ordeal that put his racing program on hold for a time. One of the real veterans of the division, he put on a pretty impressive showing after having been out of the seat for a time.

Being away from the sport for a couple of seasons during my “hiatus”, it was interesting to see just how far some of the competitors had progressed during my absence from the Bowl’. One of the teams that have really got it together in recent seasons is the family-ran operation of SK driver Frank Mucciacciaro. In a conversation with Frank and his father during the “pit party” it was revealed that a new chassis made all the difference in the world. When I left, Frankie was a middle-of-the-pack runner, now he’s a multi-time feature event winner….

Low-bucker Rich Duranti was having a blast at the pit party having anyone that wanted sign the hood of his Late Model. According to the Quaker Hill Connecticut driver, it’s not a problem having all those “John Hancocks” on his racer. Like every season he’s going to wash it before the start of next year – why reskin if you don’t have to?

Rich by the way, also pilots an SK Modified in addition to his Late Model effort. This guy probably gets more fun per lap out of racing than most of those spending twice the amount on their operations…..

Another good thing about the 2006 season? I was able to get reacquainted with my co-writer of the old Speedbowl program, as Alan B. Coull was once again a fixture on Saturday nights. These days, he’s camped out in the bleacher section of newly-crowned Sportsman Champion Dwayne Dorr…

George Williams of Groton, once a pitside fixture at Waterford is now a coworker of yours truly. While he’s not attended the races at Waterford in many a moon, George has stayed involved with the sport via his son’s Go Kart racing endeavor. Look for a feature soon on the young Mr. Williams. Go Kart racing has proven to be an ample training ground for some of today’s best racers including current second-generation success Jeff Pearl.

And with that, it’s a wrap. Contact me via ddykes@originnet.net