By Dave Dykes                                                                             

Ernesto-inspired heavy rains forced postponement of all activities at the Speedbowl last weekend. It was slated to be a busy two days, as the “Double-Down Shootout’ event was scheduled to take to the track on Saturday evening, and Sunday it was to be the annual “Back To School Bash”.

While it turned out to be a rather nice day on Sunday, the precipitation from the previous days had left the infield not unlike a big bowl of soup – not the type of situation you want for demolition derby’s and school bus races. Management wisely decided to pull the plug early in the day, allowing everybody to make alternate plans.

RANDOM THOUGHTS ON A RAINY WEEKEND:

Rumors continue to circulate regarding the 2007 season at Waterford. Who’s going to be running the place, is it going to indeed be sold to another party, when’s the new mall going to be built on the property, etc. The stories range from the conceivable to the downright bizarre. I receive several emails each week from folks trying to pick my brain over the issue, and my personal outlook remains the same. For the immediate future, it’s my feeling that racing will continue at Waterford next season not unlike it is now. To make any further predictions would simply be irresponsible.

A part of the landscape in southeastern Connecticut since the spring of 1951, Waterford has had a history unlike the remaining two oval tracks in the state. Several owners, many sanctioning bodies, and some hard-times during the late 1970’s are all part of the Bowls’ past. Thompson & Stafford on the other hand, have had the benefit of stable long-term ownership, a real plus, especially in today’s fickle economy. It’s simply a different situation, but personally I prefer to remain optimistic in the view that racing will continue at Waterford, as the facility has been down a similar road in its history and survived.

Not having much to do this weekend, I decided I’d take a peek at what goes on in some of the Yahoo auto racing chat rooms. Several interesting conversations ensued, but not a whole lot on the subject of short track racing. What I did find is this; many of today’s “racing fans” spend their weekends sitting in front of the tube to view Cup & Busch events rather than getting out to the local facilities. In questioning some of my fellow chatters, it simply amazed me that a great deal of these “fans” had never attended their local venues. Others had, but found “TV Racing” more to their liking. Only a personal view, but I’ll never understand how glaring into the boob tube for three or four hours can replace the excitement of a night at a local short track race…..

The “Crate Debate” continues to be a subject at Waterford (and no doubt other tracks), as many competitors don’t see crate motors as a viable cost-saving measure. The simple fact is, something is going to have to be done to help curb the expenses of the weekly racer, and powerplants are a huge part of the dollars expended in putting a program together. Car-counts tell the story, and it doesn’t take an accountant to figure out that short track racing is quickly becoming a sport of the financially fortunate. Less competitors equates out to less fans, and with everything people have today in which they can spend their entertainment dollar, something has to be done before we eventually go the way of the dinosaur.

There’s some new blood coming into the local Modified scene, but I gotta’ admit, I miss the elder statesmen of the Bowl’. Not all that long ago, the “Young Guns” of Waterford had to fight each week to overcome the experience of guys like Jerry Pearl, Mark LaJeunesse, John Bunnell, and Don Fowler just to name a few. It sure made for some good racing for an old guy like me…..

Ted Christopher always made for an exciting night at Waterford when he showed up. We don’t see much of “Terrible Teddy” these days, and that’s a shame.

We need more guys like Glynn Shafer, Dick Caso, and Jap Membrino to liven things up a bit these days. Every track needs a few villains to complement the good guys…..

Ever wonder what Waterford’s Mini Stock troops are going to do when the supply of 80’s Mustangs dry-up?

Former Modified Great Ronnie Wyckoff is a spectator at Waterford almost every week, and he still looks like he could jump into a car and get the job done on any Saturday night.

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