Cuyahoga Cuse
08-25-2007, 11:12 PM
Just got home from Mansfield ... despite the rain shortened race, it was a great day for racing in the Buckeye State.
Left the house in suburban Cleveland just before 10:00 AM with wife, son and four other family friends and arrived in our seats just past 11:30, unfortunately right after the Modified practice session and early into the Busch East practice. My 4-1/2 year old had seen the ROC cars run last year at Lake Erie and he immediately turned to me and asked "Dad, when are the Modifieds coming out." This was his first WMT race.
Despite living only 90 minutes from Mansfield, it was also my first trip there. I've spent most of my time living out here in the midwest going wherever I can find open wheel racing, which means most of my time in Ohio is spent at Sandusky watching sprints and Supers. I've got no interest in all the hoopla surrounding the trucks at Mansfield each year, nor any of the taxi-cab shows they've had there in years past. Therefore, I was impressed to find covered seats (reminded me a bit of Oswego) with chair backs in the upper rows. The turns had the soft walls that are at all the tracks that host NASCAR's Top Three series. Each turn and both the front and backstretchs had "Busch East Series" and "Whelen Modified Tour" painted on the walls.
I have no idea how the teams were treated, but everything about the facility shouted first class. I hope they were treated well. It really is amazing, because it was not too long ago (10-15 years) that this track was an overrun, rundown facility that had been dormant for a long time.
We waited through the Busch East practice and got our first Modified fix with the Tire scuff session. Nothing spectacular to report about the session. As always, it led to time trials, which seemed odd in that several of the Tours veterans were well off the pace. When TC qualified 12th and Stefanik even further back, I was actually encouraged that the race would have a good bit of passing. TC didn't disappoint later on, but it seemed the Flamingo Motorsports team never did find the setup today.
One of the biggest surprises of the day -- if not the biggest -- occurred just as WMT Time Trials ended. Our group was sitting in the stands and this amazing noise arose. We all began looking around and suddenly a Stealth Bomber flew overhead. Apparently, the airport directly behind the track had an air show this weekend as well and the Stealth did two or three passes over the track. The plane literally seems like a bat flying through the sky. I saw Howie later during the autograph session and told him if he got a good shot of the plane that it should be his cover shot for Mansfield in the photo gallery.
Our group bailed on the Busch qualifying and returned to our car in the parking lot for our tailgate. Mansfield doesn't allow coolers in the stands, so we planned ahead and took the portable grill along and feasted before the autograph session.
I was in line with my wife and son to head out to the track for the autograph session behind a guy with a older Mod Series T-Shirt, which I pointed out to my son. Turns out it was Fred Wilcox, as Howie later introduced us. (Fred, good to meet you.) Hats off to all the drivers who made the autograph session a great time or all the young fans. We got a neat picture of my son pointing to the quarterpanel of Ed Flemke's car, where the Ron Bouchard Auto Sales sponsor info is listed. I think Howie might have gotten that one too. We'll get that one developed and put it up downstairs in our house next to the picture of me, at Thompson, circa 1976-77, sitting atop the Hood Enterprises #7 in Victory Lane, when I was about the same age as my son is now.
The Racing With Jesus guys said some nice words about the Blewetts in pre-race ceremonies, which really impacted my son. When we got home tonight, before bed, unsolicited, he prayed "for the race car driver's brother who was left behind with a hurting heart." Jimmy, if you are someone close to you reads this, know that a little boy in Ohio is praying for you.
As for the race itself, as the race recaps will indicate, everyone knew that rain was in the vicinity. I thought initially that Ronnie Silk may get a win, as he seemed really dialed in. But he pitted midway through and most of the leaders remained out.
I spent most of the race watching TC, who was putting on a show, making the 36 stick low and picking off cars again and again. He started 12th and pitted at the same time as Silk. Both drivers came back through the field, and I think they may have gotten to the front had the rain not intervened.
Meanwhile, Civali was strong all day and he deserved the win. Congratulations to James.
Mansfield did everything they could to get the race restarted and completed in its entirety. They had there own jet dryer, plus the jet dryers from Kentucky Speedway and NHIS on hand. They dried the track one time, only to have it start raining again just as they were uncovering the cars. They dried the track a second time, but unfortunately had to call it complete due to the TV time constraints.
Everyone has always been clamoring for TV coverage, but it really is a double edged sword. TV dictates start times and in this case again dictates finishes as well. Given the need to dry the track again a second time, they couldn't didn't have time to complete the modified race and still get the Busch race in within the TV window.
As it turns out, the Busch race started about 15 minutes late and ran just a bit past the 7PM TV end time, at which time the skies opened up again. For what it's worth, Jerry Marquis was the show in that race, coming from 16th to 4th before the car appeared to be all used up.
The crowd wasn't great, but not too bad either considering the weather, which didn't help. Every modified team member we saw -- either during the autograph session or afterward -- we thanked. I know Ohio is a real long way to come for a race, but I think the Buckeye fans that did come out were treated to a great show. I can only hope that the Mansfield staff and NASCAR can make it worth it for the teams to come back again, unlike the experience we've had in years past with Holland, Lake Erie and Jennerstown.
All in all, we were back in the door in Cleveland by 9:00 PM and it was a great day for us at the races.
Left the house in suburban Cleveland just before 10:00 AM with wife, son and four other family friends and arrived in our seats just past 11:30, unfortunately right after the Modified practice session and early into the Busch East practice. My 4-1/2 year old had seen the ROC cars run last year at Lake Erie and he immediately turned to me and asked "Dad, when are the Modifieds coming out." This was his first WMT race.
Despite living only 90 minutes from Mansfield, it was also my first trip there. I've spent most of my time living out here in the midwest going wherever I can find open wheel racing, which means most of my time in Ohio is spent at Sandusky watching sprints and Supers. I've got no interest in all the hoopla surrounding the trucks at Mansfield each year, nor any of the taxi-cab shows they've had there in years past. Therefore, I was impressed to find covered seats (reminded me a bit of Oswego) with chair backs in the upper rows. The turns had the soft walls that are at all the tracks that host NASCAR's Top Three series. Each turn and both the front and backstretchs had "Busch East Series" and "Whelen Modified Tour" painted on the walls.
I have no idea how the teams were treated, but everything about the facility shouted first class. I hope they were treated well. It really is amazing, because it was not too long ago (10-15 years) that this track was an overrun, rundown facility that had been dormant for a long time.
We waited through the Busch East practice and got our first Modified fix with the Tire scuff session. Nothing spectacular to report about the session. As always, it led to time trials, which seemed odd in that several of the Tours veterans were well off the pace. When TC qualified 12th and Stefanik even further back, I was actually encouraged that the race would have a good bit of passing. TC didn't disappoint later on, but it seemed the Flamingo Motorsports team never did find the setup today.
One of the biggest surprises of the day -- if not the biggest -- occurred just as WMT Time Trials ended. Our group was sitting in the stands and this amazing noise arose. We all began looking around and suddenly a Stealth Bomber flew overhead. Apparently, the airport directly behind the track had an air show this weekend as well and the Stealth did two or three passes over the track. The plane literally seems like a bat flying through the sky. I saw Howie later during the autograph session and told him if he got a good shot of the plane that it should be his cover shot for Mansfield in the photo gallery.
Our group bailed on the Busch qualifying and returned to our car in the parking lot for our tailgate. Mansfield doesn't allow coolers in the stands, so we planned ahead and took the portable grill along and feasted before the autograph session.
I was in line with my wife and son to head out to the track for the autograph session behind a guy with a older Mod Series T-Shirt, which I pointed out to my son. Turns out it was Fred Wilcox, as Howie later introduced us. (Fred, good to meet you.) Hats off to all the drivers who made the autograph session a great time or all the young fans. We got a neat picture of my son pointing to the quarterpanel of Ed Flemke's car, where the Ron Bouchard Auto Sales sponsor info is listed. I think Howie might have gotten that one too. We'll get that one developed and put it up downstairs in our house next to the picture of me, at Thompson, circa 1976-77, sitting atop the Hood Enterprises #7 in Victory Lane, when I was about the same age as my son is now.
The Racing With Jesus guys said some nice words about the Blewetts in pre-race ceremonies, which really impacted my son. When we got home tonight, before bed, unsolicited, he prayed "for the race car driver's brother who was left behind with a hurting heart." Jimmy, if you are someone close to you reads this, know that a little boy in Ohio is praying for you.
As for the race itself, as the race recaps will indicate, everyone knew that rain was in the vicinity. I thought initially that Ronnie Silk may get a win, as he seemed really dialed in. But he pitted midway through and most of the leaders remained out.
I spent most of the race watching TC, who was putting on a show, making the 36 stick low and picking off cars again and again. He started 12th and pitted at the same time as Silk. Both drivers came back through the field, and I think they may have gotten to the front had the rain not intervened.
Meanwhile, Civali was strong all day and he deserved the win. Congratulations to James.
Mansfield did everything they could to get the race restarted and completed in its entirety. They had there own jet dryer, plus the jet dryers from Kentucky Speedway and NHIS on hand. They dried the track one time, only to have it start raining again just as they were uncovering the cars. They dried the track a second time, but unfortunately had to call it complete due to the TV time constraints.
Everyone has always been clamoring for TV coverage, but it really is a double edged sword. TV dictates start times and in this case again dictates finishes as well. Given the need to dry the track again a second time, they couldn't didn't have time to complete the modified race and still get the Busch race in within the TV window.
As it turns out, the Busch race started about 15 minutes late and ran just a bit past the 7PM TV end time, at which time the skies opened up again. For what it's worth, Jerry Marquis was the show in that race, coming from 16th to 4th before the car appeared to be all used up.
The crowd wasn't great, but not too bad either considering the weather, which didn't help. Every modified team member we saw -- either during the autograph session or afterward -- we thanked. I know Ohio is a real long way to come for a race, but I think the Buckeye fans that did come out were treated to a great show. I can only hope that the Mansfield staff and NASCAR can make it worth it for the teams to come back again, unlike the experience we've had in years past with Holland, Lake Erie and Jennerstown.
All in all, we were back in the door in Cleveland by 9:00 PM and it was a great day for us at the races.