AND THE WINNER IS…THE WEATHER

     How can it be that we are already into May, but have completed only a handful of races so far this season? And the winner is…the weather. Old man winter stuck around just long enough for the April showers to start, which wiped out racing for us in south central Pennsylvania, even in the neighboring states including “south of the border” Maryland. The few that have run have had no real surprises. The big guns from last year like Hodnett, Rahmer, and Dewease in the 410 sprints, Calaman and Herr in the sportsman, and street stocker Kory Sites are still running strong in 2006. There are some teams that are rising fast including Alan Krimes, Cory Haas, Steve Fanasy. Chad Smith and Billy Pauch Jr. to name just a few. However, with all of the cancellations, it is really tough to get a feel for how the season will unravel.
     One item that still is under scrutiny is the car counts, especially with the competition for teams, and fans, between Williams Grove and Susquehanna Speedways on Friday nights. At the Grove were 39 sportsman, 40 late models, but only 19 street stocks for their April 29th show. It was a great turnout for the late models, less than average for sportsman, and poor for the street stocks. All three divisions had problems with controlling their speed, which resulted in numerous crashes all night long. It is just not Silver Spring, where the turn was a place that everyone got off the gas and onto the brakes. At these larger tracks some of the teams can set up their cars, and have the guts (did not use the part of the anatomy that is usually referred to in such a case) to flat foot it all the way through. This difference in techniques makes for interesting results, especially on starts and restarts where all the drivers are bunched tight together. And let’s face it…these guys, and sometimes girls, don’t get a lot of time to practice. It’s three or four hot laps, and then you’re into the heat races. Teams with not a lot of experience on these bigger tracks are still on the low end of the learning curve, and will just need time to get everything sorted out.
     Speaking of sorted out…how ’bout “Happy” Harvick. Kevin is not only leading in the Busch series points, but is in the top ten in Nextel Cup as well. His team is finally gelling thanks to some off-season changes in Childress racing. His success could not come at a better time either, as his contract is up at the end of this year with his current owner. Hap wants to stay with Childress, unlike what he was saying for the past couple of years, due to his comfortability with the personnel over the past seven years, plus he really agrees with the changes that were made…but money talks, and hopefully Kevin won’t have to walk. There is not a lot of new drivers that will be available this year for struggling teams, so RCR better keep an eye on this vetern..or he may be wooed away. Also a quick note on another good guy doing good…how ’bout Kasey Kahne! The #9 never looked so good…well except when it was driven by the real #9 driver …Awsome Bill Elliott… I’m still old school…but then again, everyone, especially the girls, really loves KK.
     Hopefully our weather will clear up, so we can go have some fast family fun on the weekends at any one of our great tracks in the area. The next time I see you…I hope it’s at the track.

SPRING THAW …GET IN LINE…

     The 2006 racing season is upon us in south central Pennsylvania. Lincoln, Trailway, Williams Grove and south of the border Hagerstown Speedways have all completed their first races of the year. Hundreds of fans braved the chilly temperatures, but the big lines were involving the racers themselves. The car count is still up, and nearly all the teams come in enclosed trailers, which adds to the long lines at the pit gate. The super sportsman division, that will be regulars at both the Grove and at Susquehanna this year, showed up opening day with thirty-nine teams competing for twenty-four starting positions. The racing however was no the traditional close, side by side competition that the fans were hoping to see. The cold track was not conducive to racing. I don’t care how much preparation goes into it, the cold clay just does not work. All the divisions, especially the sprints, get in a line …and stay there. Very few passes are made, except for maybe one or two drivers who are willing to risk it all with driving or at the sacrifice of tires and car to move up in position. I just wish the promoters would start a little later in the year, and go longer into the fall, not only for the freezing fans, but for the cold motors, and the caliber of racing we are accustomed to seeing here in the mid-state. I have heard that the tracks don’t want to compete with high school football in the fall…o.k… I don’t go to local games…a lot of race fans don’t either, and they’re usually played on Friday nights…SO RACE ON SATURDAY OR SUNDAY. Now I’ll get off the soap box…
     The Nascar boys are going full steam ahead with Jimmie Johnson and Matt Kenseth going neck and neck to the front of the points standings…even if they have to bump and bang to get there. Is it my imagination, or is the Nextel Cup starting to turn into a soap opera of who gets along with who, and who owes one to the other guy, and who’s gonna shove who in the pits after the race. Plus, if there’s a part hanging off of Jarrett’s car..nothing happens, but if one of the young guns has a piece of tape on wrong they are told to take it to the pits…exaggerated..a little…was it fiberglass …yes, but it was still gonna be debris flying through the air. It’s like the rules are being bent “kinda funny”…and it’s gonna snap sooner or later. The beauty of auto racing is it’s simplicity…the first one to the checkered flag wins…but now’s there’s all this other stuff going on during the race that takes away from the purist version of the sport. Finally, how ’bout Mark Martin! He was supposed to retire last year…thank God he didn’t. He’s winning everywhere, and tops in the points in every division he’s competing in…so much for retirement…GO Mark!
     Special thanks goes to the individual who mailed me my appointment book that I lost at the Hershey Convention Center…no return address, just a short note saying that this may be important so I returned it to you. Yes, extremely important..so thank you for being kind enough to spend the time and money sending it to me, with no way of thanking you unless you read this article…there are still genuinely nice people in the world.
     Next time I see you…I hope it’s at the track…

Kirk Wise – the Wise Guy
Go to www.wisemotorsport.com for a complete listing of radio stations airing the daily Racing with the Wise Guy reports, racing information, and photos.

You have entered the automotive racing web site of Kirk M. Wise of Mechanicsburg, PA. We are into a  host of different venues including radio broadcasting, track announcing, team ownerships & sponsorships, and promotional activities including the annual Dirt Trackin’ Show held in January at the York Fairground’s Expo Center.

“Racing With the Wise Guy” is the longest running daily racing report in south central Pennsylvania.and is heard on over a dozen stations. Since 1988, I have been reporting and attending racing events everywhere from NASCAR to Drag Racing, locally at dirt tracks like Williams Grove Speedway to Susquehanna Speedway Park, as well as hosting various events.

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I hope you enjoy navigating through or various pages…next time I see you, I hope it’s at the track.

The Wise Guy