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March 27, 2015 El Cerrito, CA: Happy Place. People ask how I can roam and languish so extensively. Answers rest with friends as tolerant as Randy Mussell and Greg Callow, resident chefs beneath Bay Area Rapid Transit rail in North Berkeley. My three decades of bouncing between oceans have formed friendly circles of support. I try to keep each visit brief and spaced by several months. Sons of Liberty Street however, keep feeding me tri-tip beef and local sea bass to help me grow as fat and happy as one of their three cats.

“This cat” (as Hooker Hood used to say) has seen some golden racing in three Golden State weeks beginning with Richard Vander Weerd’s victory in Gary Sokola CRA Classic at Perris to Tim Kaeding’s theft at Tulare to last week’s Stockton thriller in which my video helped solidify success by Donny Schatz. “Thanks a lot,” joked Shane Stewart, who thought he had won after roof review. Mine supported official ruling. Ironic that I should provide more definitive angle than MVP.

Confusion such as Stockton’s has become too common. As dirt tracks progress to electronic scoring, some do a sneaky thing in burying sensors someplace other than beneath the flagman. Instead of racing to the checkered, drivers are racing to an invisible line. Three times in two years, California has been deceived by a “photo finish” as we called them back when waiting for evidence to dry. Tim Kaeding’s narrow win over David Gravel in 2013 Trophy Cup prelim plus Kerry Madsen edging Kyle Hirst at Antioch 2014 both illustrated how finish lines have moved. Such discrepancies are not confined to California but simply where the issue has festered. Tracks with two lines need to paint one or post an orange “witch’s hat” so everyone can know who just won.

World of Outlaws sprint director Carlton Reimers (son-in-law of iconic founder Ted Johnson) thanked me for video that vindicated him. I was flattered and unsettled. Make no mistake. Using it as Exhibit-A for the defense drove unprecedented Facebook numbers to Sprint Car Stats (it reached 198,000 people and was shared 725 times). But there should be a better way to placate fans and competitors than waiting until Sunday morning clip from someone who slept in his car Saturday night.

Stockton’s argument about finish lines put controversial stink on exceptional battle between Schatz and Stewart, who swapped command four times in final two laps. Debate also swirled around Stockton scoreboard indicating wrong leader of lap 29, and John Gibson initially calling wrong leader of lap 30. But as Donny pointed out, when outlaws finish with green/white/checkered, they essentially run lap 29 twice.

Stockton Dirt Track (Stockton 99 is an asphalt track two miles away) concluded with Sunday racing rare in California. Crowd reflected why because Saturday spectators were greater. Western belief is that speedways that draw from metropolitan areas (Stockton pulls equally from San Jose and Sacramento) cannot count on enough folks to escape Friday gridlock. Like anywhere else, the key to repeat Sunday business are early checkered flags. Stockton staged almost an entire program prior to nightfall, which combined with stiff wind to dry dirt and burn tires during Rico Abreu’s second World of Outlaws win in two weeks.

After winning in Las Vegas, Terry McCarl led Tulare until Tim took over and then paced Stockton until Abreu assumed first-place. The transformation of Snow Dominator 24 to Country Builders 88 adds an air of nostalgia (throwback jersey to Terry’s rookie outlaw season of 1992) and beauty because its shimmering red really reflects lighting. McCarl mechanic Doug Rankin met Terry in Vegas after an Australian tour for Danny Reidy.

Tulare’s opening plot had more twists than a detective novel. Joey Saldana led until Ian Madsen crashed. Joey clipped Ian and second-place Brad Sweet clipped Saldana. McCarl led until T.K twice passed off turn four. March 2015 looked much like March 2014 when Kaeding and Dennis Roth were fast in Fresno. Friday seemed as if nothing had ever happened. No one got stopped in Texas. No one was arrested. No one was fired. Finally in the last five months, Tim’s phone rang again. Willie Kahne hired him for Tribute to Gary Patterson at Stockton. Sean Dyson brought T.K back to Warrnambool to defend their Grand Annual Classic conquest. Tim’s first Tulare ride was to be new winged Berry Pack 73. No sooner did that news break when Roth rang to reunite for California WoO swing. No matter what Mr. Beef thinks of dogs sniffing through his trailer, Dennis badly wants to win. More than anywhere else, Roth wants to win in Tulare, where he needs to brag to an entourage in bolo ties and six-gallon hats.

Just why Roth released Kyle Hirst after two championship seasons remains untold. As with Tim’s dismissal, Southwest Hide issued a statement. This one had nothing to do with personal issues but team inability to commit to third King of the West campaign. That sounded thin from shop that routinely brings three cars into Thunder Bowl. After four months in Australia, Kyle made 2015 U.S debut in Harold Main 35m. Announcement of Tim’s reunion with Roth preceded plans to replace Mark Dobmeier on Dave Lunstra’s team that circles Grand Forks to Knoxville to Sioux Falls. Tim has thrown his hat in the ring to be initial champion of NSL, new group that will pull McCarl, Brian Brown and Ian Madsen from California WoO for NSL opener at Burlington, Iowa on April 11.

Sweet 16 who towed from Volusia County, Florida to Las Vegas, Nevada to Tucson, Arizona to Tulare, California were Jacob Allen, Brian Brown, Craig Dollansky, David Gravel, Jason Johnson, Kraig Kinser, Kerry Madsen, Terry McCarl, Paul McMahan, Daryn Pittman, Joey Saldana, Donny Schatz, Logan Schuchart, Jason Sides, Shane Stewart and Brad Sweet. Ian Madsen arrived in Vegas two weeks after Australian Title event at Bunbury City.

In recent years when Tulare’s top lane was one with the wall, many delays occurred to fix the fence. Steve Faria leases Tulare County Fairground yet found the coin for extensive new barriers. We were all anxious to appraise the upgrade. Billowing bed sheets have been replaced by boiler plate on steel posts. Chances of cars penetrating plates to test immovable iron appear remote. Thunder Bowl cushion was massive on first night, particularly in turns three and four. Bud Kaeding used it to beat Buster teammate Danny Faria without wings then got Morrie Williams Zero deep in the fluff until it flipped. Gravel, Daryn Pittman and Willie Croft all turned over behind Bud without touching.

To avoid dealing with race organizers leery of March weather, World Racing Group has leased most West Coast facilities. As tenants, they can use Friday or Sunday as the situation suits. After good initial crowds, WRG decided against a fourth Friday at Merced. In this California tour, April’s first weekend was left open. Most of us will fill that Saturday with King of the West at Placerville. Perhaps some outlaws may have used KWS to test for the first WoO visit in 21 years. The two groups just co-sanctioned in Tulare, even allowing Bud Kaeding a provisional start.

World of Outlaws however, have informed their Mean 14 that privileges like provisional spots, tow money, pit pass ceiling, etc. will be withheld from those who compete at Placerville. Now that he sleeps among the masses, I asked John Gibson why. Outlaw announcer said teams requested weekend off so management obliged with stipulation that they stay idle. If some moonlight as Attica All Stars next week, it will be interesting to see if front office reacts.

Perris Auto Speedway is another Happy Place. Gary Sokola Classic was classic indeed. Richard Vander Weerd ran high and low to show first. Damion Gardner and Matt Mitchell must have slid each other ten times. Perris program is all sprint cars in three flavors: Young Gun, Senior Sprint, and USAC/CRA. Second in kid’s contest was Courtney Crone, who has raced motorcycles for 11 of her 14 years. She is part of Steve Watt’s 2015 lease program along with 600cc flash Tristan Guardino.

I stopped to see Steve at Maxwell Industries between races in Perris and Tulare. Kevin Rudeen’s rig was in the driveway as Tayler Malsam and Shane Anderson (formerly with Schatz and Bud Kaeding) swapped an engine and fired it down the street. They raced Vegas and Tulare but skipped Tucson to play Perris observers. Biggie Watt was hard at new Speed Demon due on Bonneville salt by summer. Guardino and Crone cars were washed by Tommy Horne, crew chief on Vander Weerd’s victory two nights before. Horne has unique employ. He works on Biggie’s sprints or midgets (whichever is in season) during week and Vander Weerd twins on weekends. Horne has friendly rival in Oxnard neighbor Jimmy May, who brought Hunter Schuerenberg to Vegas and Perris with lukewarm results. Unable to click at Canyon with Dave Darland in November, May imported Brady Bacon to win at Canyon in January and Tucson last week when Tommy’s driver dumped leading.

I drove straight from Phoenix to Perris Auto Raceway but it was bolted shut as expected. I found a quiet patch of darkness and reclined seat until awakened by water truck at dawn. Geoff Ensign and Shayna Sylvia strolled into Starbucks on Ramona Expressway. Human Highlight Reel gets longer with each Perris visit. Ted Finkenbinder keeps midget in Oklahoma so after Geoff’s first Chili Bowl, he returned to Tulsa for POWRi at Port City. Ensign earned fifth from Friday’s 68-car opening cast. Saturday will see Geoff at Petaluma as Civil War guest of Steve Tuccelli and Alan Bradway, who hired Colby Wiesz for Marysville.

In between Starbucks and Sokola Classic, I took time to seek the grave of Riverside International Speedway, road course buried beneath home and store. It opened in 1957 and closed in ’89.

NASCAR Cup opened and closed many seasons. Bobby Allison (6) topped Riverside Cup winners Dan Gurney (5), Richard Petty (5), Darrell Waltrip (5), Tim Richmond (4), Cale Yarborough (3), David Pearson (3), Ray Elder (2), Terry Labonte (2), Ricky Rudd (2), Rusty Wallace (2), Darel Dieringer, Parnelli Jones, A.J Foyt, Mark Donohue, Benny Parsons, Bill Elliott and Geoff Bodine.

USAC Indy Cars converged on Riverside’s 2.6 miles for three races between ’67 and ’69. Gurney qualified fastest each time and won first two. Mario Andretti topped the third. CART brought Mario back for three between ’81 and ’83 when course expanded to 3.3. Winning driver of 1962 L.A Grand Prix, Roger Penske polished off first two Riverside CART races with Rick Mears, who established eternal track record of 131.46 MPH. Ohio’s Bobby Rahal recorded final Champ Car victory over CART collection that included USAC sprint graduates Pancho Carter (Tamale Wagon 21), Steve Chassey (Genesee Beer 56) and Greg Leffler in Max Dowker’s Jet Engineering 64 built by Dan Gurney.

Gurney qualified third but failed to finish the only U.S Grand Prix at Riverside won by Stirling Moss in 1960. Carroll Shelby (’57) and Parnelli Jones (’70) were Riverside SCCA winners. USAC sanctioned five years. Jerry Unser, Paul Goldsmith and Troy Ruttman won USAC stock car races. Riverside held Can-Am 200 from 1966 to ‘73.

USAC midgets staged one event on Riverside’s 2.5-mile road course mastered by RMMRA champ Johnnie Tolan (Krech 76) in 1958. CRA sprints came to Riverside’s paved inner half four times between ‘60 and ’62. Three were won by Tamale Wagons driven by Bob Mathouser and Billy Cantrell. Arizona’s Don Davis was also Riverside CRA winner.

Riverside was a busy place. Hollywood commonly called when it had racing themes. James Garner cut some Can-Am laps as Jimmy Joe Meeker on 1979 Rockford Files episode. Riverside also killed 22 men in 32 seasons including Joe Weatherly (‘64) and Canada’s Billy Foster in 1967. The latter two fatalities led movement to NASCAR window nets. Foster’s death struck Mario Andretti especially hard. He vowed to never again form close friendships with fellow drivers.

Earl Baltes died this week at age 93. He was a feisty bastard. He built the world’s greatest track. He carved each Eldora improvement by hand. He was an incredible showman not above belly dancers or men dressed as missionaries. He bumped the top sprint car check from 10k to 20k to 50k to 100k to Million Dollar purse. He was very proud and demanded total control. When that pride was wounded or someone could not be controlled, Earl was prone to rage. He ruled Ohio with an iron fist. Racing is richer because of Eldora but Eldora is richer without him. I almost thought he was too mean to die.

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