Action at Ona Speedway

There was a gaggle of racefans at Ona Speedway last weekend for the Midway Ford 200 – 558 people, to be more precise!

There was a lot of activity both on and off the track.

Longtime flagman JR Tooley died April 7, and drivers and fans collected $971 for his family to help with all the expenses. JR was a terrific guy and taught me how to drop the flag for races. It’s not as simple as you think it might be, and I was happy to learn from him.

When I locate the photo of me dropping the green at Ona Speedway, I'll post that one, too. 

I’m sorry I missed Wolfy, the mascot of 96.1 The Wolf radio. I love costumed characters. Ask my Race Peeps! I see a costume, I’m running over to them camera in hand! I have photos of me with Lug Nut, me with the Stewart’s Hot Dog, me with the TUMS Taco, me with the Chick-fil-A Cow, me with each of the Red, Yellow and Green M&Ms, me with, well, you get the idea.

Since I was in meetings all day and evening Saturday at Stonewall Jackson Resort with West Virginia Lions, I also missed the Barbie Car. Alaina Harvey – regular attendees to Ona Speedway know her name – decked out her car in a Barbie theme and finished third in the V6 race.GIRL POWER!

Here is the winners list from April 26. I need to give a shout out here to Scott Pierson for sending the results.

·         UCAR—Heat 1-Joe Workman; Heat 2-Rick Watson; Feature-Chris Deskins

·         V6—#93 Gary Cassidy

·         CLASSICS—#3 Glen Foster

·         HOBBY STOCK—#8 Mike Christy

·         SPORT MODIFIED—#88 Greg Chandler

·         LATE MODEL--#12 Greg Carby

The Jones Excavating 150 will be this coming Saturday, May 3. Racing starts at 7 p.m.

Scott says all the photos aren’t up on the track’s Facebook page yet, but here’s a link:

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.218210471721926.1073741832.140301162846191&type=1

Where to go, close to home?

While NASCAR IS at the Track Too Tough to Tame, Steve Francis is at Winchester (VA) Speedway tonight with his #15 Georgia Boot latemodel for Clint Bowyer Dirt, and we have some local racing happening.

April 12 – DARF Night at Atomic Speedway, Chillicothe, Ohio. Classes running will be Sprints, AMRA Late Models, AMRA Modifieds, Street Stocks, and Sport Mods. General admission $12; Pit admission $30. Pit gate opens at noon, General Admission gates open at 2 p.m. Hot Laps begin at 4 p.m. For more information call 740-703-9749 or 740-663-4141, or visit the Atomic Speedway website at www.atomicspeedway.net  

April 12 – State Equipment Night at Ona Speedway, Ona, W.Va. Classes running  6- Any Car and 4- Cylinder U-Car, Hobby Stock, Classic V-8, Sport Mods and Late Models. General Admission $10, children 11-17 years $7, children 10 and younger free. Green drops at 7 p.m.

Let's go racin'!

Boogity, boogity, boogity, it's time to race!

It’s hard to believe local racing is ready to roll off pit road.

Some places are already turning laps; others are gearing up for the fraternity of giddy-up-go!

For a preview of Ona Speedway, stop by Lowe’s at the Huntington Mall from 9 a.m. to noon this Saturday, April 5 to meet and greet the drivers from some of the classes which will run every other weekend on the asphalt track in the valley.

Scott Pierson Racing is in charge this season, and the green flag will drop at 7 p.m. on April 12.

But I’m getting ahead of myself.

Stop by Lowe’s and see Scott and some of the 2014 drivers. Maybe there will be one of those huge Jimmie Johnson grassman things. They do appear at NASCAR events. Boom! Confetti. Old 6-time won’t be in aisle 3 or in his reserved parking space, either. He’ll be, well, a little too busy in Texas to make an appearance in Barboursville.

See, I TOLD you there was a grass statue of Jimmie Johnson! That's me with my friends at the Kobalt 400 in Las Vegas last month. 

 

Anyway, while you are at Lowe's, Scott says there will be time for photos with the cars, free bumper stickers and there will be some race tickets given away.

And on that note, admission for Ona Speedway will be $10 with children from 11-17 admitted for $7 and children 10 and under will be free. General admission gates open at 5 p.m.

Up Route 23 at Chillicothe, Ohio, Atomic Speedway will honor all emergency responders this Saturday. Any and all emergency responders either in uniform or showing ID will be admitted for $5.

In addition, there will be “cheap eats” with Dollar Dogs at the concession stand, perfect for big families.

Racing starts at 6 p.m.  and will featured 410 Sprints, Late Models, Modifieds and Sport Mods.

General admission is $12 for adults, children 12 and younger are free. Gates open at 4 p.m.

Boogity, boogity, boogity, as we hear ‘Ol DW say – Let’s go racin’!