It's all cool...

Just because it’s technically Autumn, the weather has cooled slightly and leaves are beginning to fall, racing doesn’t stop on the tracks and cars don’t stop cruising in to towns.

Here are the coming weekend motor events for your planning pleasure.

Weekend of Sept. 27 – 29

Friday, Sept. 27

Covered Bridge Car Club Cruise-In - Perry Morris Square, Milton, W.Va.; 5 p.m. to dusk. No registration. 304-743-5321 or 304-654-0745.

Ole Car Club of Gallpolis, Ohio, Gallia County Visitor’s Center Cruise In - WalMart parking lot on Eastern Avenue, 4:30 to 7:30 p.m. Registration: donations accepted; music, door prizes, 50/50 drawing. Hot dogs, chips and drinks available. Net profits donated to local charities. No alcohol allowed. 740-446-0643 dhively@att.net or 740-446-4064 lewis02@yahoo.com.

Saturday, Sept. 28

Portsmouth (Ohio) Raceway Park - Complete racing program with Late Models, Modifieds, Limited Late Models and Bombers. Admission adults $12, (age 16 and up), ages 12-15 $5, ages 7-11 $2, and age 6 and under free. Gates open 4 p.m., hot laps at 6:30 p.m., racing begins at 7:30 p.m. Late models pay $2,000 to win; Modified pay $600 to win; Limited Late Models $500 to win. Final points race of the season and it’s Pepsi Employee Night! www.portsraceway.com

201 Speedway, Paintsville, Ky. - Weekly racing program (regular show in all classes)

Kanawha Valley Dragway, Southside, W.Va. - Gates open 11 a.m., time trials 1 p.m. www.kanrace.com

Or, do you have plans to hit Dover International Speedway and the NASCAR Chase on Sunday, Sept. 29? Do you think Matt Kenseth is stoppable? Or do you think the Biff will motor up the standings and take the coveted Cup to make him the Triple Threat?

If you don’t get those tickets from Ollie’s Bargain Outlet for the special AAA 400 Kevin Harvick section, you can watch at 2 p.m. Sunday on ESPN. The Nationwide Series race will be on ESPN2 at 3:30 p.m. Saturday. 

Hot night in Portsmouth

It was hot Saturday night short trackin’ at Portsmouth Raceway Park – the temperatures were hot, the racing was hot and the tempers were, well, just as hot from where I sat.

The Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt series rolled in to Portsmouth, Ohio, with a quick turnaround to race the Hillbilly 100 at I-77 speedway in Ripley, W.Va.

In the pack were some drivers we follow as hometown heroes – Steve Francis of Ashland, Ky., and Eddie Carrier Jr. of Salt Rock, W.Va.

Three heat races before the A-Main were fast and furious and the first of them forced four restarts to get the show going.

By night’s end, Billy Mowyer took the checkers, followed by Jimmy Owens and Dennis Erb Jr., before loading up and heading to Ripley.

Local favorite Steve Francis finished 6^th in the #15 Georgia Boot Toyota for car owner Clint Bowyer. Eddie Carrier Jr. finished 11^th.

Being fairly new to this series, I obviously need to brush up on the rules. Or at least find out where the restart line is on the trac - is it the backstretch? Is it between turns 3 and 4 or coming out of turn 4? I certainly couldn't decide. But then again, there were a lot of restarts - at the beginning of the races and coming out of cautions.

Then there is the whole Scott Bloomquist issue.

I don't believe anyone in Portsmouth likes him. Except I'm sure he likes himself.

Bloomquist finished 4th for the night, overtaken by a late surge from Erb.