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Don’t Wait Till ‘Next Week’
by Dan Bailey
(ARCADIA, Wisconsin) - - “All season long you’ve been saying that you’ll
make it out to the track ‘next week’,” my “Live Track-Side” radio
show co-host John Albrecht likes to say, “But, guess what, there aren’t
too many ‘next weeks’ left!”
It’s hard to believe, but the 2005 racing season is winding down.
Tonight’s program at FOX RIDGE SPEEDWAY, Friday August 12th, signals the
fact that we’re nearing the end. After this evening’s program, there are
only two regular Friday night shows remaining for the 2005 season!
However, don’t let the fact that the remaining nights are diminishing trick
you into thinking that the on-track action will do the same. In fact, just the
opposite is fixing to occur as drivers ‘turn it up a notch’ in hopes of
capitalizing on these last three nights of racing in hopes of finishing
strong.
Perhaps they have a goal which is, as of yet, unmet; maybe the driver had
wanted two, or even three, feature wins this year, and they’re not quite
there yet.
Or maybe they’re embroiled in a tight points battle and they need the best
possible finishes over these final nights to help in that points battle.
Or, maybe the driver is in the waning years, months or weeks of their racing
career and simply want to ‘go out’ on a strong note.
The simple fact of the matter is that for the race fan, there’s almost no
better time to be at the track that in the closing weeks.
The season opens strong and all drivers are filled with the fresh excitement
of a new season – and it shows on the track.
Around the middle few weeks of the year, the drivers and teams sometimes seem
to drop into a rut (the more polite reference might be ‘rhythm’) – and
it sometimes shows on the track.
But the final few weeks of the season almost assuredly bring forth a new and
almost revitalized spark. Some might call it desperation others might call it
a ‘second wind’, ‘renewed verve’ or ‘gusto’. Either way, the
on-track action can be quite thrilling!
With the season championship scheduled for next week (August 19th) the topic
of points battles couldn’t be more emphasized than by a quick look at the
FOX RIDGE SPEEDWAY USRA Modified point standings.
Karl Fenske and John Doelle are embroiled in a battle for the championship and
as of last week’s results are separated by only five (5) points. Five
points!!
Or, how ‘bout the points battle in the WISSOTA Midwest Modified Division.
While Ryan Olson has a strong, but technically not insurmountable, lead of 23
points; the separation between Jeff Brauer in second and Dan Hesch in fifth is
only 15 points.
Troy Langowski and Rodney Dregney (second and third, respectively) in the
WISSOTA Super Stock Standings are only a single point apart and only 15 and 16
points behind 6-time feature winner Dennis Earney.
Danny Hanson more than likely has a WISSOTA Street Stock Championship locked
up, but the battles for second and fourth will probably not be decided until
the final two points-paying events come to a close!
And then there are the 4-Cylinder Hornets, the division that won’t have a
season championship until the Friday August 26th event; with 78 cars in the
point standings, there’ll be wholesale movement in the standings over these
final three events!
So, as you can see, the action will not slow down. On the contrary, it will
intensify over these final three weeks of regular season action at FOX RIDGE
SPEEDWAY.
So take John Albrecht’s advice, don’t put off your visit to FOX RIDGE
SPEEDWAY for next week or the week after, because there just aren’t too many
‘next weeks’ left!
The FOX RIDGE grandstands open tonight at 5 pm. Hot laps get underway at 7
with the first green flag at 7:30. Tonight is ‘Boy & Girls Scout Night
at THE RIDGE”; scouts are encouraged to head to the track with their
uniforms on to show their scouting involvement!
Visit the official FOX RIDGE SPEEDWAY web site at www.foxridgespeedway.com
for addition information such as point standings, driver profiles, Victory
Lane photographs, a complete schedule, and more!
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