POSTED FEBRUARY 25, 2001

Our first ever February Follies is now history! Boy was it ever cold and I mean bone chilling cold! First we had heavy rain on Saturday and into Sunday morning and then the temperatures began to drop big time and the wind really picked up! Heard coming home the wind chill factor was a minus 6 and I believe it!

Despite the weather we had 11 cars and some good racing! Rookie Terry Miller, driving webmaster's David Schaefer's car, got his first racing experience and won a heat and could well be a strong contender for Mottville Stock Rookie of the Year this season! David Fugate looked awesome and it was great to get back to racing! Felt bad for the two drivers who came from Chicago and then broke!

This Saturday we get down to serious business for certain with our 51st opening night! If the Good Lord allows me to live that long (and this past week I was not certain of that)! I will personally set a record for the longest ownership of the Mottville Speedway as I will be starting my 11th season. Ralph McGlothlen, whom I purchased the track from in October of 1990 ran it for 10 seasons. I have always felt that the Good Lord give those of us blessed enough to own a track temporary custody of them until we turn them over to someone else but in my case I do hope to run the track right up to the day I leave this earth for good! If that happens I will have no complaints as this has always been a true labor of love for me despite the many headaches and challenges or perhaps because of them! Anyway I am most excited about starting season number 11 Saturday night and from what I hear we have a lot of Thunder Cars coming soon! Speaking of Thunder Cars while in Florida last week I saw that one track was running two classes of Thunder Cars, one like ours and the other of 4 cylinders! This seems like a terrific idea and if we can get a class of Mini-Thunder Cars together I am all for it!  the rules would be the same as the regular Thunder Cars except the obvious of 4 cylinders and they would have to be front wheel drive. So if you are interested in starting this class let me know but remember they must remain very stocky!

Want to express my sadness at the passing of Stub Krontz who left this life on Monday, February 18 at the young age of 56 after battling cancer! Stub raced at Mottville on and off for years and just last fall, while in a wheel chair, told Tom Pearson he planned on running with us this season! That will never be but I am sure Stub will be in many races in Heaven! He will be missed here that is for certain!

Melissa Worthington, 2000 Bomber Points Champion, called Sunday to say she would not race in the February Follies as her father Richard Worthington is in the hospital and may have to have kidney transplant or else kidney dialysis. Our prayers are with Richard during this time and we wish him a speedy recovery!

Normally I would not be talking about NASCAR in this space but last Sunday I was in Orlando watching the race on TV and of course, saw the tragic and fatal accident that took the life of Dale Earnhardt. I was concerned from the start because the hit was head on into the wall and more importantly because when Ken Schrader was asked about how Dale was, he responded that he was not a doctor! I saw ken go to Dale's car and when he made that comment I was concerned! Also Darrell Waltrup, who's brother, Michael, had just won the first big race of his career, seemed very concerned about Dale! I was not a big Earnhardt fan, but over the years watched him closely and began to root for him more and more and was thrilled with his 2nd place finish in the points in 2000! Now a few days after his death we find out his seat belt may have failed! Very, Very tragic! NASCAR and the sport will go on but Dale will always be missed!

Now for a few more brief remarks about my trip to Florida! It was my first time for speedweek but I certainly hope not my last by a long shot! I had planned on going to Volusia County Speedway on the Saturday before the 500 but it was dirt and Jean Behlke said so well "dirt is for farmers". So we went to New Smyrna Speedway, advertised as a high banked half mile paved track. I consider high banked like Winchester Speedway and New Smyrna is nothing like Winchester! Nice track and good racing and good people and all but not like Winchester! They had plenty of good racing with drivers from all over the country and we saw Allison Legacy cars, late models, super late models, New England Modifieds and Street Stocks all in one night! The track was very well lighted and had plenty of wreckers and push trucks and when a car needed towed they moved it off the track and fast! Wouldn't you know it in the very first race two cars came together in turn 4 and the driver's got out of their cars and duked it out until track officials got involved! Been there done that at Mottville so I could feel for the track officials! New Smyrna runs 9 nights for speedweek starting on a Friday night and wrapping it up on the night before the 500! Next year I do hope to get down there for the first 3-4 nights of speedweek! Weather was terrific with daytime highs of about 76-79 and a cool 60-65 at night! Sure was enjoyable!

Ersell Eby had something very very interesting happen to her soon after we arrived at the track! Ask me privately about that one!

 HAY !! SEE YOU ALL SATURDAY NEXT WEEK, MARCH 3, 2025 FOR THE SEASON OPENER.