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Traditional Sprint Car FanSite |
See You At The Races!!! |
| HOT LAPS WITH NORM BOGAN
#04A by Norm Bogan |
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January is nearly over and all anyone asks me about it what is going on between SCRA and USAC? Truth is, I know very little and am trying to stay as ignorant as possible. Looking at it differently than most, with two organizations, splitting the schedule and racing at more venues, consider it a gain. Working with all the principles in this soap opera, who are considered friends, brings hope to maintain an amicable relationship. Being focused on racing and the people involved with it, my mission is to carry the stories of the racers and their exploits to readers, not to make a judgment of their actions. I wish success to all parties and look forward to a great racing schedule. As in the past several years, visits will be made to new venues and new series, providing the satisfaction of meeting new people and sharing their ideas and philosophies. I truly love grass roots racing and thrive on going to some small track, where the teams tow in with their open trailers and race for marginal purses, because they want to race. Visiting many tracks throughout the country, afford the opportunity to discover unique qualities that express the aura of auto racing. Being fortunate enough to have met with a number of racing’s heroes over the years, be they drivers, officials, journalists or maybe just one of the old timers, who has given of his years of knowledge to our shared love of racing, has provided the pleasure to interview these people and to gain even greater respect for the sport of racing. Their tales of past quests have created numerous stories to share with others. With that said, I can now pass on a couple of random thoughts left over from Chili Bowl. Several friends were urged to come along for the racing experience of their lifetime. Accepting the challenge, they are now committed to returning next year. For any of you that have not been to Chili Bowl, you have missed one of the truly great adventures and a genuine happening with racers and fans from around the country. Seven times BCRA Midget Champ, Floyd Alvis, now 69, knows how to set up his pit. Centerpiece of his pits was a gas operated Margarita Blender for after race refreshments. On Friday, January 23, the Ventura Racing Association held their general meeting to discuss the upcoming season. For the most part, rules remain the same. They plan to start the show earlier to keep within the restraints of the 10 PM curfew. The biggest problem continues to be noise, so muffler rules will be stringently enforced. With some shuffling of the Fair Board this past year, it seems that there is a friendlier atmosphere and the Ventura Raceway is working in concert with Seaside Park to make the transition from a racing program to other venue uses as smooth as possible. There will also be some concerts and other activities scheduled, especially during the annual two-week fair dates. Survival of Ventura Raceway appears to be less of a concern than in the past couple of years. Saturday, January 24, found Lance Jennings of scrafan.com fame and I traveling to Fresno to attend a racers swap meet at the shops of Western Speed and Fuel. While not shopping for racecar parts, it offered an opportunity to visit with some of my Central Valley friends, where I expect to spend more time this year, covering races. Look for me to attend some races for NCMA and BCRA in addition to SCRA, USAC, VRA, SRL and Bandit shows. Venues like Hanford, Santa Maria, Madera, Chowchilla, Bakersfield and Tulare are on the agenda, while considering other shows at Altamont, Merced, Reno-Fernley, Marysville, Orland and maybe Eureka. Of course there will be the usual stops at tracks like Perris, Manzy, Ventura, Irwindale and Barona. Hopefully, our paths will cross “ALONG THE WAY”. |
