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Traditional Sprint Car FanSite |
See You At The Races!!! |
| 2005
SEASON APPROACHES AS THE RAINS GO AWAY IN SOUTHLAND by Ken Wagner |
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NEARLY 40 RACES ON USAC/CRA SCHEDULE READY TO KICK OFF. |
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The 2005 racing season is starting off like normal. Race teams are
building and rebuilding equipment, drivers are working out and/or
looking for rides and one particular car owner is taking a pass on
the season. As the second season of the western USAC/CRA club begins
to move into the new schedule, there are more races at more tracks
than the inaugural year. Added are two races at Santa Maria, plus
three TBA (to be announced tracks that surely will be new ones). All
we need now are fans who are willing to support the best non-wing
group of drivers on the planet and bigger crowds along the way.
With Mike Kirby now on the Alexander Trucking Race Team, where will Jordan Hermansader turn up? Jordan did a great job driving what was left after Cory Kruseman came to drive the number one car last year on occasions, but too many motor problems didn’t leave him with a consistent ride race after race. Jordan showed plenty of promise and it is doubtful the Alexander’s can afford a 2nd car this year so he is looking for a ride. The official news from the Fischer brothers, Chris and Bruce, is they are throwing in the towel due to the rising costs of fielding a top notch car and they will not do any less. Loss of significant sponsorship is the final straw and their strong car will be missed. Chris will devote his time to making the business more successful and spend more time with his wife Jan and Bruce might do a little assisting of a certain A fuel dragster in the neighborhood. Now, Steve Ostling is looking for a ride. After giving the # 12 Bill & Evelyn Pratt car a full year’s outstanding ride, and earning the number six in the points chase, Greg Bragg is moving on and looking for a change. No telling who will show up in the 12 car as of yet or where Greg will land. Danny Sheridan is now entrenched in the Kittle Racing Team that he drove for at the end of the season last year in the big money races. The beautiful blue car was clearly fast for “Showtime”, but they had little luck as a new team together. This season will feature a new crewman as Russell Bliss continues to be Danny’s # 1 helper in the pits. Russell, the former USAC/CRA official is pleased to be back working in the pits instead of officiating. With a full time 410 ride, Danny will surprise many this year as his potential has yet to be tapped. Nadine Keller plans to run the full season again and will have a full time companion car, both under the leadership of Jack Gardner Jr and his band of hard working Gardner’s who will swarm the two cars. Troy Rutherford has come back to take the second seat fulltime, so look for more Gardner excitement this year as Nadine continues to improve and Rutherford comes back to the Sled chassis he used to love. Bobby Cody has danced with several over the winter trying to find a good ride where he just has to worry about driving. His experience in 2004 was so much better than prior years after Harlan Willis and Mike Nigh worked with his car set-ups and he was sparkling at times improving dramatically by year end. He thought there was a deal working, but to this date nothing official has been settled. With the surprising news that Harlan Willis will not field a car this season comes more hot news that nice guy Mike Nigh, who has been with Harlan for many years, will be the crew chief for non other than his “old” driver Cory Kruseman. It’s hard to believe one of the most well known and successful cars in Southern California, the black # 45, will not be out there in the mix. But, Cory will be the winner as Mike is top notch in both his mechanical skills and his race track demeanor. He and Cory were always on the same wavelength, so it means Cory and car owner Glenn Crossno, are better off already. Mark Priestley will field his sharp yellow # 7 car about twice a month. He will have Josh Wise and several others in it over the year, but was engrossed in his midget at the Chili Bowl when we spoke. He just wants to take more time to do other things for a while and relax more this season. The fact that Damion Gardner drove the Bromme/Chaffin little red sucker at Tucson over the holidays, just means he is going to be back in the # 50 to win the championship. Damion is just going to get better as he continues to get into the minds of the other drivers. It will be at least a four way battle for the brass ring this year as Rip Williams will be out to repeat, plus Cory coming back, Kirby ready to beat his buddy and we have the Demon to stir the pot. Hopefully Steve Ostling will be there to win his share. There will be others out to win races as Super Rickie Gaunt and Charles Davis Jr should add some heavy challenges in their Tony Smiley entries. Mike Spencer, Danny Sheridan, Troy Rutherford, Bobby Cody and Tony Jones are all with things to prove and can be winners. With many dark horses out there like Greg Bragg, David Cardey, Jordan Hermansader, Rodney Argo, Alan Ballard, Ronnie Case, J Hicks, Greg Taylor, Tom Stansberry, and many more it will be fun. Who will be the rookie of the year? Who will be the surprise like Greg Bragg? It all starts on the 29th of this month at Manzanita when the season kicks off. Make the trip and hit the Copper World as well, it’s back on the original date where it belongs. My love for the sport of sprint car racing takes some movement in another direction this season. My quest to support the low buck racers has always been number one in my mind. Although few know who really is a low buck team, I made the decisions along the way that benefited over 200 car owners and drivers to the tune of nearly $400,000 in cash in weekly payouts, Wagsdash purses, tour money and other special fund raisers. I am proud of what we have done, but times change and many don’t know what the Wagtimes really means in sprint car racing. With this obvious change in the financial times, I announced recently that I would no longer collect Wagsbucks, money that went to car owners of low buck race teams, on a weekly basis. When the discretionary money, that for 15 plus years supported the annual $8 to 10 thousand Wagsbucks dollars collected each year, dropped to $2000 in 2003 and less than $1000 in 2004, the handwriting was on the wall. So I say goodbye to Wagsbucks and suggest any money I collect at the races from now on, go into the annual Wagsdash where all teams have a shot at the money. So the change is really going from support of low buck owners only, to supporting all USAC/CRA car owners and drivers. It’s a big change for me and my Wagtimer’s, but in the long run, it was time for a change. With this in mind, building the purse for the 15th annual Wagsdash has already begun. Look for a special announcement on the new improved Wagsdash, paying the highest purse in history, to be made soon. You will want to be part of it! There was one other thing I am proud of that was announced this week. I have been appointed the 2005 USAC/CRA publicist, and I am excited for the new challenge. This allows me to do a lot of the same reporting as in the past, but still be responsible for all the news about my favorite racers. I am learning the ropes as fast as I can and hope to give quicker and faster results that you can count on throughout the season. My official USAC/CRA reporting will be just that, official, up to date and informative. I will still continue the Wagsweb and all its Wags stuff including my column’s and Mrs Wags photos. A lot of changes in my life and one that I will have to get used to, not sitting in the grandstands any more, might be the hardest to take. I don’t want to miss out with my friends in the grandstands so will try to be downstairs in the crowd every race before going up the stairs to do my new job, and available in the pits when I have posted the race results. My motor home always has the welcome sign out, so drop by. The best of both worlds to me means I’ll get to be part of something important and will share that with all of you. I am looking forward to it! So, for all of you, sprint car racing needs your help. Right now non wing racing is at the edge of some major growth potential and you can make a difference by planning now to get involved. Here’s your list: go to the races, both home (Perris) and away. Make a list of the important dates and put on your calendar. Take someone with you; find new fans to introduce the sport to. Go to a new track to you and see how much fun it is. Help sponsor a race car, buy a tire, some fuel, buy their pit pass for them, get them a motel room on the road, give them cash, buy their shirts & sweatshirts, sponsor laps of select races, get involved with the Wagsdash. The real sprint car fans can make a difference, let’s just see how much! It’s only two weeks until the first USAC/CRA race at Manzanita. Not two nights this year as most would prefer, and more cars might make the trip over the desert if it were. Some owners would like two chances to race for one long trip and I understand. The following week is the only day race on the schedule as Perris opens their long season on February 5th. Happy birthday to my sweetheart, Mrs Wags. The surprise birthday gathering at our home was engineered by me and some helpful racing friends this past weekend. While I was chauffeuring her around all day, the house was being decorated in black in her honor. When we got home from a long day of watching a grandson play baseball and some serious shopping, there they were a crowd of our friends with their amazing gifts of encouragement for my love. A fun night was had as food and cake were enjoyed as some racing stories were shared as my bride was surprised! Ta Ta. |
