Monthly Archives: March 2011

MARFC Attends Annual Spring MSPA Meeting!

By: Bill Barnhart MARFC VP

MARFC Board members Dave DeHem, Larry Iacoboni and Bill Barnhart attended the annual spring MSPA meeting. The MSPA short for Michigan Speedway Promoters Association is a group of local track promoters and owners who gather twice a year to collectively talk and discuss the operating and promoting of auto racing in the state of Michigan. They currently have a total of 29 race track members in the organization and an additional 29 associate members who all take a part of the discussion on how to better our sport and make is cost effective for the racers, fans, and track operators.

They discuss things like special events to bring fans into the tracks and how to cut costs in the daily operations of running a track. They also take the time to talk about the local and state laws and bill’s that are passed that affects the racing community. Liability insurance is also a big issue to all concerned in the racing business. They also work as a group to help each other out when a problem arises with many venues like track safety, advertising, rules, and the day to day operations of the speedways. A big part is also working with local communities in promoting their speedway in the area as well as giving back to the same local communities in fund raising efforts like school and church race ticket sales and local no-profit clubs in raffle sales at the tracks.

Associate members are asked to come in and speak to the members about their race series, racing products, and insurance providers. There are many different members who specialize in dirt track or asphalt racing and have items to help cut costs, schedule series races, advertise, and create better safety at the tracks for all involved in our sport.

Each year they all attend a national promoter’s seminar for all promoters across the country. Most of these track operators are individual owners. Our MSPA is being noted for helping other states organize their tracks into the same kind of association and have asked our group for their ideas and information in this venue. That is a big tribute to all of the MSPA!

The whole idea is to help each other as a group to give all of us race fans and racers a great safe place to enjoy our sport of auto racing across the state. They are doing what they can do and with this state of our economy and we need to do all we can to help keep them in operation with our support in attending and racing at these fantastic facilities in our state. With out the support of we the race fans and racers they with not survive and we will lose our places to race and see the greatest racing in the country right here in our state of Michigan.

For more information about the MSPA you can visit their web site for a list of all track members and associate members at: www.michiganspeedways.com<http://www.michiganspeedways.com/>.

Our annual trek to the Toledo Speedway Bar & Grille for our March general meeting was once again well attended. ARCA President Ron Drager was on hand and told the crowd about the way ARCA and Menards are working together to keep the series running as ARCA has no title sponsor at this time. Ron also informed us about how the partnership with SPEED TV is once again high in the ratings. We also watched the year in review video from the 2010 ARCA season that is shown at the ARCA banquet. Then next we had General Manager Scott Schultz who informed all of us about the changes at both the Toledo & Flat Rock Speedways. Scott told us of how the Factory Stock division and the Street Stock divisions will combine this season at Toledo and then ultimately at both tracks by 2013 as Street Stocks.

Gary Lindahl was on hand to tell a few racing stories and talk about the Racers Reunion that was held earlier in the day at the Speedway Bar & Grille. Also because they we unable to attend our banquet back in January Tim & Patti Bihn were on hand to receive our 2010 MARFC Fan of the Year Award. They were very happy to receive this honor and are glad they could help support our club.

It is really March already so that means that the local racing season can’t be too much further away. Before we know it we will be back at our favorite tracks watching some excellent racing action. My wife, Julie and I weren’t able to attend the MSTRC Bowling tournament that was held at the Capital bowl in Owosso but from all reports it was another succeseful event that raised a good amount of funds for this years two benefactors, Brock Cogswell and Dick LaPratt who each received $892.50 from the 102 bowlers that took part in the event. Since I wrote this before the Daytona 500 and know that I will not be able to witness the 500 as I have in recent years I have to say that watching the Gatorade Duels was both exciting and nerve wracking. With the draft being what it is these days I was chewing my fingernails off watching the brothers Keselowski work together to get Brian a starting spot in “The Great American Race”. Brian remarked after the race that he didn’t he had taken a breath the last 15 laps of the race. Well, I didn’t either and I don’t know about you but I am not so sure I like seeing it where just two cars are faster than a group of cars the way it used to be. I know that wasn’t the intention when the rules were devised but racers being racers will always find the fastest way around the race track given any particular set of rules and as it turned out, a good race and a Cinderella story for Trevor Bayne.

Enclosed in your regular mail newsletter are your 2011 membership cards for those who have renewed for 2011 so there will be no e-mail of the newsletter this month just like last month. If your name iwas highlighted in ORANGE and you did not receive membership cards you need to renew right away and no later than March 20^th 2011 or you will be taken off our mailing list and miss out on all of our fan club day events and other MARFC outings for this year and that would be an unfortunate thing in my opinion. So take the time and renew now. Once again, we are asking those who have an e-mail address to contact us and let us know if you would like to be put on the e-mail list only. If you can send me a quick note by e-mail at president@marfc.org so I will be sure and have your e-mail address and name just in case it has changed.

Yours in Racing!

Dave DeHem

President MARFC

(Top Left: Bill Long, Top Right: Joe Shuryan & Bottom Left: Steve Martin)

Howdy Race Fans, we had a bunch of hardy MARFC Members brave the elements this past Saturday night and make the trek on over to the Kart to Kart indoor karting facility for our February meeting.

First up was Bill Long, the main man and chief cook and bottle washer for the Michigan Dirt Cup. Bill brought along his partner Andy Stebbins and gave us a rundown of just what the Michigan Dirt Cup is all about and explained a bit about the different venues the tour will be at this coming season. Bill has been working with Betty Crook over at the Mt. Pleasant Speedway the past few years and his love for dirt track racing is what brought him to start the tour up. They will focus on the dirt mods this year and hopefully somewhere down the line they will be able to work in a Michigan Dirt Cup for the Late Models. This looks to be a very exciting happening in the world of Michigan Dirt Track Racing.Next out of the chute was Joe Shuryan the head of the United States Super Trucks/Great Lakes Series. Joe let us know a lot about the trucks, how they are put together, a little bit about their rules and explained the costs associated with running in the series. Joe is very proud of where he is able to take his drivers to and put on a race. This is not only a regional series but has ties to and reaches out to parts west and south which will give the local driver some added experience as well as some exceptional exposure to the various racing media and movers and shakers.

Steve Martin of the Midwest Classic Racers brought us to the checkered flag. Steve is the founder of the organization and is not only a promoter but a racer as well. Steve explained to us just what a Dwarf Car is and how they are built and powered. He said the one thing that has always impressed him is the family atmosphere and camaraderie within the drivers and participants in the series. The MCR Dwarfs have a schedule for 2011 that will take them to a race every weekend during the summer months.50-50 winner was Cory Russell who donated the winnings back to the Kid’s Christmas Party, Thank You Cory.

The next meeting is at the Toledo Speedway Bar & Grille on Saturday March 12^th at 6:30 PM. Come early in the day as it also the annual Racers Reunion which gets started at high noon. Not only will the Bar & Grille have drink and food specials all day, there is always a ton of old pictures and displays to look at as well as many old drivers hangin out and swapping stories about the old days in racing.