Snoozer

Did anyone besides me fall asleep during the Food City 500 Sunday at Bristol?

The cars hypnotized me and over I fell on the couch. It just wasn’t the usual bump and go, squeezing through the middle of three-wide or passing to get to the front Bristol we’ve come to love.

It was one more day of “Rowdy” Busch. Wait a minute. Change that. One more weekend of Kyle Busch. He’s won at least one race every weekend this season in the Camping World Trucks, Nationwide Cup or Sprint Cup.

Of course, he started out this way last season, too. Eventually, other drivers got to play with the trophies.

You may disagree with me - and I’m sure you will strictly on principle – but this boy can drive, and has the hardware to show. It's just a matter of time before the big one comes his way.

Everyone took a deep breath last year when Smoke said he’d be striking out on his own, leaving Busch to become the experienced and vocal driver at Joe Gibbs Racing.

Hopes were high for Denny Hamlin taking on that role, but we haven’t heard much from him yet in 2009. Kyle is loud and proud. He can throw stuff – this time a HANS device - as well as Tony. He can tell off his crew pretty well, too. Right ladies? He called his pit crew ladies.

It’s just like with Tony. The boy can drive. He speaks his mind and you know exactly where you stand with him.

Love him or hate him. Little brother is eclipsing his older sibling.

Ona schedule expands

After a season of every-other-week racing, Ona Speedway will go back to a schedule of weekly events. There will, however, be a week off every month.

Here's the lineup:
May: 2, Test and Tune, noon to 6 p.m., admission $10 per person; 9 and 16, racing; 23 week off; 30, racing including Late Models.
June: 6, racing; 13, week off; 20, racing; 27 racing including Late Models.
July: 4 and 25, weeks off; 11, racing; 18, Super Cup and Mini Cups.
August: 1, 8, 15, racing; 22, week off; 29, racing including Late Models.
September: 5, week off; 12, 19, racing; 26, racing including Late Models, also the final points race for 2009 season.
October: 3, week off; 10, racing including Late Models and the 2009 end-of-the-season event.

Now here's the classes running 2009 at Ona Speedway: Classics, Hobby Stock, U-Car, Junior U-Car, Elite Modifieds, Street Stock and once a month, Late Models.

Admission will be $8 for adults, kids 7-years and younger free. Gates open at 5 p.m. for general admission and races start at 7 p.m.

Now let's compare to the big boy schedule - OK, my All-Star trip keeps me away from Ona on May 16 and they don't race the weekend of the Coke 600. The Brickyard in July, no racing at Ona. Bristol in August is no problem, weekend off. Ona's done by the Bank of America 500 in October.

Here's my Bristol seat view. It's a trip with 50 of my new closest friends - it's a fund raiser for the Alum Creek (W.Va.) Lions Club. Being a good Lions Club president in Huntington, of course I go on that trip. These folks are also members of the Nascar Members Club and in the center is National Advisor Paul Mullins of St. Albans, W.Va.



Hmmmm. I sense a pattern here. Either the drivers all want to go to the 600, the Brickyard and Bristol or the owners realize those are the races of interest to local folk. No problem from me!

The All-Star is no points, but a lot of fun to watch! Wonder who'll be the musical entertainment, now that Humpy Wheeler is retired...And I wonder if they'll still blow up stuff before the races?

Time to race again!

Greetings race fans. Hard to believe it's race time again. Of course, with races in Florida, California and Las Vegas, then time off again, it doesn't seem like the season has really started.

So, let's talk local racing.

We've discussed the big change at Ona Speedway with Late Models. Well, there WILL be late model racing, just not all the time. Once a month late models. That gives guys time to fix any damage that may have happened to their cars and possibly, a little better on them financially.

I know we've been promised improvements the last few years that have not manifested. However, Bill Wallace assures me a septic system is being put in to place as we blog. That means - you got it racefans - real bathrooms at Ona Speedway! Yay! The portapotties will be replaced by the season opening.

Another on-track change will be some of the cars. Bill has built a new Classic to race and his dad is supposed to be the wheelman for Bill's former car. We'll believe that when we see him make that right turn onto the track from the pits. And Bill has sponsors, besides himself and family business ventures - Shogun Japanese Steakhouse.

Moving up the highway to Kanawha Valley, it will drastically change over the next few years - adding a paved track that will be rated for the NASCAR Truck series and a road course to the existing drag strip and motocross course. It will be a long-term project, estimated to take 3 years to complete.

Here's a photo of the plans, but it isn't the best quality for the blog. World of Wheels was a lot of fun and lot of information.

And here's one more shot, just for fun. That's me and Lou Santiago, formerly of Muscle Cars on SPIKE network. He was there, too.