2004 Minutes

August 2004

I’d like to take the time to ask that all the MARFC Members take the time to stop and thank all the track owners & promoters for being a part of our club. These folks freely invite us each season to see some of the best short track racing in the country, right here in our own state of Michigan.  To have the great support of all these tracks is outstanding.  I personally would like to thank each and everyone of the tracks for all that they have done for our club, not only this year, but in all the past years.

Thank you to all the following:

AUTO CITY SPEEDWAY

CALHOUN COUNTY SPEEDWAY

CRYSTAL MOTOR SPEEDWAY

DIXIE MOTOR SPEEDWAY

FLAT ROCK SPEEDWAY

KINROSS SPEEDWAY

KALAMAZOO SPEEDWAY

MID-MICHIGAN RACEWAY PARK

MT. PLEASANT SPEEDWAY

MERRITT SPEEDWAY

MICHIGAN INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY

OWOSSO SPEEDWAY

SPARTAN SPEEDWAY

TRI-CITY SPEEDWAY

TOLEDO SPEEDWAY

As always, keep racing!!

Bill Barnhart

President MARFC

 

July Meetings

2004 MARFC Picnic

Our 1st Annual MARFC Family Picnic was held on Sunday July 11, 2004 at Stony Creek Metro Park. For those who did not attended. Your Loss You Missed Out! Many MARFC Members and their families had a fantastic time with games & prizes and lots of great food. Thanks to all who came and had a fun filled day. Many thanks to all who brought a dish to pass and helped in setting up & the clean up afterwards.

A big Thank you to those who donated extra game prizes. A Special Thanks to Eddie Sachs and Metro Box & Pallets for a kind donation to help with the picnic. Make sure to plan on being at next years picnic.

View additional photos of the event.

 

Tri-City Speedway

Mother Nature tried to scare off the racing for the evening but the racing went on as planned. Great to see a track back in action after a few years being closed. The Kamlay family Jim, Loretta, Chris, and Erik have done an outstanding job getting the track back in shape. May thanks to the Kamlay’s and all their staff for the invite. Dave DeHem & myself presented Kyle Callahan the MARFC Uniform/Helmet Bag to Mini Stock truck driver # 14. Kyle has been through some tuff times this season but has never missed a night of racing. Best of Luck to Kyle and his team for the rest of 2004. Many thanks to all the members who stopped by to say Hi. Also thanks to “Hollywood” for all the kind words.

 

Kalamazoo Speedway

Weather was great for our first trip to Kalamazoo Speedway in many years. Great show with over a 100 cars in the pit area made an outstanding five in one show for all to see. Our MARFC Uniform/Helmet Bag was presented to along time over 25-year veteran official of the speedway Craig Schweikert. Craig has not missed a race at Kalamazoo in nearly 30 years as a fan or official a true dedicated race fan and worker. Great job Craig! Special thanks to Gary & Donna Howe and their entire staff for a fantastic time. Thanks to Larry & Sue Iacoboni and Doug & Sandy Jakeway for helping out.

 

 

Mt. Pleasant Speedway

Beautiful night for racing at a great dirt track. With nearly 100 cars in the pit area and a special race night to boot members seen some of the best racing on the dirt. Promoter Dick Crook was presented the MARFC/Uniform helmet Bag for all the support that he and Betty have given the club over the years. Our prayers are still needed for Dick as he continues to battle cancer that has slowed him down for many months. Thanks to all the staff at the speedway. Many thanks to Larry & Kenny Letts, Bob & Pat Wolfe, Jeff Moroni & son, & Larry Iacoboni for helping out at the table.

 

 

Merritt Speedway

Cool and clear weather for some more outstanding dirt track racing. S.O.D. Sprints were there for a great show. Pits were jammed packed with cars again. Modified driver # 22 Roger Stieg was given the MARFC/Uniform Helmet Bag as the luck of the draw. Special thanks to Ed & Carmen VanDuinen and staff for an outstanding evening. Nice to have folks stop by and say Hi like Ron Mitchell, and Darci Fuzi. Thanks to Herman Bratfish, Doug Jakeway, Bill Walters, and Laura & Jimmy Tucker for helping out at the event. To “Chief” thanks for all the great PR at both Merritt & Mt. Pleasant.

 

 

Toledo Speedway

Rained out and rescheduled for Saturday September 25, 2004 the night before the Glass City 200 Lap late model show.

July 2004

Once again the State of Michigan has lost some great racers in the past few weeks like Charlie Ryan Jr. Cecil Warren, Jack Linder, Bob Varney, and Mick Schuler all these great racers are now in God’s care. Our thoughts and prayers are will all their families at this time.  God’s Speed to you all!  We also have a couple of Get Well Wishes to pass along this month. Barbara LoPiccolo, wife of our clubs first President Vito, has been back in the hospital and long time club member and a very big supporter of our club and the children’s Christmas party Bill Palmer was in the hospital.  We hope and pray for these fine folks to get a speedy recovery.

Don’t forget, if you are planning to attend our 1st Annual MARFC Family Picnic on Sunday July 11, 2004 you must RSVP by e-mailing no later than July 6, 2004. Planning on having a great time so come on out and meet other club members and enjoy a fantastic family outing.

As always, keep racing!!

Bill Barnhart

President MARFC

 

June Meetings

Spartan Speedway

Mother Nature 2

Fan Club 0

We are trying to reschedule this Fan Club Night.  Check back for more details.

 

Mid-Michigan Raceway Park

Weather was a little shaky but we got it in. Some great dirt track racing for all to see.  With many members signed in Board Member Jeff Moroni presented our MARFC/Uniform Helmet Bag to 16 year old Josh Knoll, driver of the # 87 modified.  Josh is still in school and works hard funding his racing by himself. Great job Josh! Special thanks to new promoter Dave Steelman for everything. Thanks to Doug Jakeway and others for stopping by.

 

Dixie Motor Speedway

For our first trip to Dixie it was outstanding.  The fantastic changes that Mike & Krista Kern have made are great.

Everyone who attended seen some great racing. Our MARFC/Uniform Helmet bag was presented to modified driver Mark Besaw.  It was a surprise to Mark as all his fellow drivers past their helmets in the stands earlier and raised a lot of cash from the fans to help Mark as his wife was in the hospital in critical condition in the past couple of weeks and has no insurance to help.  We were glad to see her at the track a little weak but still there to cheer Mark on as he raced.  It does all of us good to know that the racing family drivers, crews, owners, and fans all help each other out in a time of need.  Hats off to all at the Dixie Motor Speedway for a job well done.

Thanks again to Mike & Krista for a great time and rescheduling from a rain out earlier in the season. Thanks to all who were on hand to help out.

Crystal Motor Speedway

Beautiful weather was on hand for our yearly trip to the fantastic dirt speedway. Many cars in pit area made for great night of racing.  Our MARFC/ Uniform Helmet Bag was given to Bob Griffin who drives the # 66 Hobby Stock for having some hard luck lately.  Hope this helps out with his luck.

Many thanks to Ron Flinn and staff for a great time & thanks to "Shut Up Roger" for the great PR.  Helpers for the night were Steve & Cory Russell, Fran Russo, Laura & Jimmy Tucker, and Tony Russo.

June 2004

As I sit here thinking about the Memorial Day weekend and racing here in Michigan I have to take a moment to remember why we celebrate this day. We all must remember those who have fought for our freedom & rights over the years and remember our loved ones who sacrificed their lives so we may continue to enjoy our freedom and the things that we loved to do as free people here at home. I know racing is the big picture to most of us but lets take the time to say thanks to those who have gone on and a special thanks to those who are doing their job for us today. May God keep our troops safe and bring them all home soon!

Just a big reminder to all those who are planning to attend our 1st Annual MARFC Family Picnic on Sunday July 11, 2004 you must RSVP by e-mailing me at president@marfc.org  with Family Name, how many adults and kid’s along with kid’s ages boy or girl no later than July 1, 2004 so we can have enough food and things ready for all. More information about the picnic is the events page!

As always, keep racing!!

Bill Barnhart

President MARFC

May Meetings

Flat Rock Speedway

After a rain out on our schedule night we were able to get it in the following Saturday and seen some great racing at the Rock. Our members were also treated to the autograph night that evening. The Street Stock "B" Main 2003 Champion Ed Hindall was presented our MARFC Uniform/Helmet bag by our board members present. Special thanks to Ron Drager, Scott Schultz and their entire staff for arranging the make up date so quickly.

 

 

Auto City Speedway

The rain stayed away on this night and those who came saw some fantastic racing with the extra special show from the week before that was added that night. 2003 Modified Champion Buck Harsen was on hand to receive our MARFC Uniform/Helmet Bag and also presented a replacement award from the 2004 January MARFC Banquet that he had lost in the house fire just a few weeks after receiving it at the banquet. Buck was surprised and very thankful. Very Special Thanks goes to Joe DeWitte and Greg Yost for the invite. Great job on the updated improvements at the track.

Can you hear it? Can you smell it? Can you see it? If you can do all these things it must be race time here in Michigan. Tracks are open and the sound of the engines, the smell of tires and racing fuel, and the on track action is what we have been waiting for the whole winter long. When you get the chance take a minute and thank all the track owners & promoters for giving us the chance once again to enjoy the sport we all love so much. Without their hard work to keep these racing facilities open & operating we’d see our sport dwindle away. So be sure to say Thanks when you can.



Last month we were sadden to hear that current & passed board members Bill & Richard Walters mother passed away. Also long time member Pat McInerney mother passed away. Our thoughts and prayers are with them & their families at this time.



If you are a MARFC member and are a driver we are asking you to contact our web-site manager with your name track you run at regularly and a short bio so we can add you to our Racing Members page on our site. If you can send a photo also so other members who travel to different tracks across the state will know our members who race and cheer them on. Contact Rob Michon at webmaster@marfc.org. We’d like to see more members added to this page soon.

As always, keep racing!!

Bill Barnhart

President MARFC

April Meetings

 

 

If you missed the chance to make it to our April meeting at M.I.S. you missed out big time. Over 70 members had an outstanding time with great weather on hand to boot.  Bill Janitz PR Director of the speedway informed us of all the changes going on at the speedway and took the time to answer everyone’s questions that was asked. Then it was off on the tour itself. We all posed for a group photo at the start finish line after a quick ride around the speedway and members getting the feel of walking up the 18 degree turns to the wall. Bill Janitz also donated some extra items for our door prize table and a special raffle was held for three of our members to get a pace car ride around the speedway. The money raised for the raffle will go to our Children’s Christmas Party fund. The three winners were, Dwain Lecot, Willis Flokstra, and Mark Lewkowicz. We wish to thank Bill Janitz and tour guide Tim Booth as well as Carol Donovan for all the help and work to allow us this great day of fun. Our 50/50 winner was Laura Tucker who donated 1/2 back to the Children’s Christmas fund.

Thanks Laura! Thanks to Jack Lecot for volunteering as official refreshment host. Thanks to Sue Ginter, Bill Walters, and Sue Iacoboni for helping with our raffles. Once again a very special THANK YOU to the Michigan International Speedway for the invite.