POSTED February 17, 2002

The roar of the engines will soon be heard again at the Mottville Speedway as the tracks awakes from its winter slumber and comes to life! The track will be open for hot laps Sunday, February 24 from 1-5 pm and then 6 days later our 52nd annual season opener on Saturday, March 2 with gates opening at 5 and racing starting at 6pm! 

I went to the track Tuesday to put information about the Raymond Beers Memorial (April 21) on the billboard and tape recorder and to put flyers on the ticket booth window and almost by accident I discovered we had an electrical problem! While electrical problems are never welcomed I was grateful to find it this early and not opening night! Hopefully this morning it was fixed! 

Someone who has never owned a race track would find it difficult to believe how much money and time is spent on maintenance and for things you would never think about normally! Like an electrical problem developing over the off season! We know everything was fine on the last day of racing! We are hoping to turn the water on in the pits either Saturday, February 23 or Sunday the 24th. Then we would like to put everything back together in front one of those days and then turn the water on in front a day or two before opening day just in case there are any problems! We tend to think there will not be any problems water wise as it has been a very mild winter! After that if we get temperatures below about 25 its out with the space heaters and heat bulbs and leaving the water running 24-7! Its usually touch and go in March! 

Street Stock 2001 Rookie of The Year and 2nd in the season points standings, Donald Hunley, registered his Pro Stock 01 this week and we look forward to having Donald and his family back at Mottville in 2002! His wife and sons are in the stands every race night supporting Donald which is fantastic!

When I think about opening day I always take time to remember some of the drivers who have raced or the people who have helped at Mottville over my past 11 seasons there and whom are no longer with us in the flesh but whom I am equally sure are still with us in spirit! Joe Clayton, Mel Bennett, Les Mangus, Ray Beers were drives who have gone on ahead of the rest of us and are really missed! Mary and Orrin Bennett, members of the Mottville Speedway Hall of Fame and early workers at the track, have also gone on ahead. I know I am leaving someone out in this list but these are the ones who come readily to mind! 

Our 2002 schedule is elsewhere on this web site but rest assured we do plan additional specials throughout the racing season starting with the Raymond Beers Memorial. Car count will play a big role in how many specials we have and which class or classes will run for extra money! Personally I think our new Pro Stock class will be very successful and if so we will have several specials for this class! 

I know it will sure be great to have our staff back together and working again on race night! One person who will not be there on opening night is our webmaster, David T. Schaefer. He will certainly be missed but we are all praying that David will be back at the track before long! In the meantime he performs a valuable service by running our web and doing a fantastic job of it! 

Before opening night we will pass 20,000 hits! When I check the web sites of other tracks I find many still do not have their 2002 schedules or even much information for 2002! But David keeps this web site really up to date and I know for one I really really appreciate it! Get well soon David!

This column will most likely not appear again until Monday, February 25 because I want to wait to write it until after the Sunday, February 24 practice as I am sure there will be plenty of news to relate following it! I will be spending much of the next few days getting concession stand supplies around and checking on other items to make sure we are ready to go March 2! This is the type of thing I really love and I think my blood runs faster as we approach the racing season! I know I have never regretted buying the Mottville Speedway, despite all the frustrations over the years!

I truly consider myself most fortunate to own the speedway!
So I do hope to see you February 24 for hot laps and March 2 for opening night!