Late modelists are rare
By Steven Allspach - Auto Racing | Posted: Wednesday, January 23, 2008
Posted from 06/29/06:
Bob Moore and Travis Mahaney are riding dinosaurs of sorts when it comes to Sioux City dirt track auto racing in its direct environs.
Moore, from Sioux City, and Mahaney, from Dakota City, are believed to be the only late model drivers in the metropolitan area.
The huge majority of former Late Models have turned to driving modfieds, which are less expensive to campaign and operate with fewer rules and restrictions.
Moore is 42, but didn't begin racing until he was 32. Mahaney is in his early 20s.
"I think we're the only two drivers around still running late models," said Moore, who has a limited late model schedule this spring and summer, but has two feature wins.
Moore also pilots a modified machine and finished 13th in the 40-lap United States Modified Touring Series feature Tuesday night at Interstate Speedway.
"We hope to get into more late model events as the summer goes on," said Moore. "But when your run both, there always seems to be a scheduling conflict.
"We'd like to run some more Deery Brothers Series (IMCA) late models and at Harlan and Worthington (Minn.). Right now we plan on going to Worthington Friday night."
Moore's red and silver No. 48 (his father, Denny, the Park Jeff promoter, had the number) is a 2003 GRT with a Ford spec engine.
Late models, of course, are more expensive to race. All are hand made and all are tubular.
Modifieds have to use a (passenger) car frame in the front. Parts just scattered around your garage can sometimes get you on the track in the modifieds division, but that's not the case with more expensive late model parts.
Tonight, the three local tracks have thrown their support together for the special engine raffle to raise funds for the rehabilitation process of young Sioux City driver Greg Taylor, who was stricken recently with Guillain-Barre syndrome. It has left the 20-year-old paralyzed from the neck down.
The special event will be held in the clubhouse at Park Jefferson beginning at 6 o'clock.
The engine, estimated at a worth of $3,000 or more, was built by another local driver, Chad Waples.
Word has it that the lucky winner will turn right around and auction off the engine with those proceeds also going to Taylor's rehabilitation fund.
The Indy Racing League may make a stop in Iowa. And, specifically at the new Rusty Wallace-designed track just south of Newton in Jasper County.
In a story in Sunday's Indianapolis Tribune, Brian Barnhart, the IRL president, said a race is planned in Newton for June of 2007.
Mike Beecher, the director of media relations at the Iowa Speedway, said track officials aren't in a position now to confirm or deny the report.
The IRL does have a weekend in June open next year. The organization is hoping to expand from a current 14 events to as many as 17 next season.
The IRL visits the Kansas Speedway this weekend, along with the NASCAR Craftsman Trucks and the ARCA RE/MAX Series which winds up its campaign Oct. 15 at the Iowa Speedway in Newton.
If Indy racing cars do return to Iowal, will it be the first time since the Fourth of July in 1914?
That's when future World War I flying ace Eddie Rickenbacher (America's Ace of Aces) won a 300-mile race in front of the largest crowd to ever watch a sports event in Siouxland.
The race was held at a racing oval sometimes referred to Interstate Speedway and at other times Sioux City Speedway. It has never been made quite clear if the track was in Iowa or South Dakota.
For now, let's say Iowa. It makes the IRL thing more intriguing.
The crowd in 1914 was estimated at 47,000 for a race in which Rickenbacher (who later changed the spelling of his name to Rickenbacker) drove his No. 10 Duesenberg Special to an upset of heavily favored Barney Oldfield.
Rickenbacher is reported to have averaged 78.8 miles per hour on the huge two-mile racing oval.
Rickenbacher came back in 1915 to win the race again. Eventually the track became the first aviation landing field in the area and was called Rickenbacker Field.
Onawa hotshoe Scott Hanner definitely had pedal to the metal last Friday at Blackbird Bend, motoring to his most lucrative night of the season.
First, Hanner won the a makeup feature and kept the motor running to come back to take the checkers in the regular feature in the 360 Sportmods Division.
Hanner beat Jason Schneiders by inches in the makeup feature.
Mid-Season Championships are scheduled for Saturday night at Park Jefferson and Sunday night at Interstate Speedway.
Several points championships in nearly every division are still up for grabs so the competition should be intense and entertaining.
Park Jefferson has also scheduled a special on July 4 (Tuesday) that includes super late models, not the slower limited class. The late model and modifieds features will pay $600 to the winner and $250 in the other class.
A big fireworks show will follow.
Journal sports writer Steven Allspach may be reached at 71-293-4207 or by e-mail at steven.allspach@lee.net
Bob Moore and Travis Mahaney are riding dinosaurs of sorts when it comes to Sioux City dirt track auto racing in its direct environs.
Moore, from Sioux City, and Mahaney, from Dakota City, are believed to be the only late model drivers in the metropolitan area.
The huge majority of former Late Models have turned to driving modfieds, which are less expensive to campaign and operate with fewer rules and restrictions.
Moore is 42, but didn't begin racing until he was 32. Mahaney is in his early 20s.
"I think we're the only two drivers around still running late models," said Moore, who has a limited late model schedule this spring and summer, but has two feature wins.
Moore also pilots a modified machine and finished 13th in the 40-lap United States Modified Touring Series feature Tuesday night at Interstate Speedway.
"We hope to get into more late model events as the summer goes on," said Moore. "But when your run both, there always seems to be a scheduling conflict.
"We'd like to run some more Deery Brothers Series (IMCA) late models and at Harlan and Worthington (Minn.). Right now we plan on going to Worthington Friday night."
Moore's red and silver No. 48 (his father, Denny, the Park Jeff promoter, had the number) is a 2003 GRT with a Ford spec engine.
Late models, of course, are more expensive to race. All are hand made and all are tubular.
Modifieds have to use a (passenger) car frame in the front. Parts just scattered around your garage can sometimes get you on the track in the modifieds division, but that's not the case with more expensive late model parts.
Tonight, the three local tracks have thrown their support together for the special engine raffle to raise funds for the rehabilitation process of young Sioux City driver Greg Taylor, who was stricken recently with Guillain-Barre syndrome. It has left the 20-year-old paralyzed from the neck down.
The special event will be held in the clubhouse at Park Jefferson beginning at 6 o'clock.
The engine, estimated at a worth of $3,000 or more, was built by another local driver, Chad Waples.
Word has it that the lucky winner will turn right around and auction off the engine with those proceeds also going to Taylor's rehabilitation fund.
The Indy Racing League may make a stop in Iowa. And, specifically at the new Rusty Wallace-designed track just south of Newton in Jasper County.
In a story in Sunday's Indianapolis Tribune, Brian Barnhart, the IRL president, said a race is planned in Newton for June of 2007.
Mike Beecher, the director of media relations at the Iowa Speedway, said track officials aren't in a position now to confirm or deny the report.
The IRL does have a weekend in June open next year. The organization is hoping to expand from a current 14 events to as many as 17 next season.
The IRL visits the Kansas Speedway this weekend, along with the NASCAR Craftsman Trucks and the ARCA RE/MAX Series which winds up its campaign Oct. 15 at the Iowa Speedway in Newton.
If Indy racing cars do return to Iowal, will it be the first time since the Fourth of July in 1914?
That's when future World War I flying ace Eddie Rickenbacher (America's Ace of Aces) won a 300-mile race in front of the largest crowd to ever watch a sports event in Siouxland.
The race was held at a racing oval sometimes referred to Interstate Speedway and at other times Sioux City Speedway. It has never been made quite clear if the track was in Iowa or South Dakota.
For now, let's say Iowa. It makes the IRL thing more intriguing.
The crowd in 1914 was estimated at 47,000 for a race in which Rickenbacher (who later changed the spelling of his name to Rickenbacker) drove his No. 10 Duesenberg Special to an upset of heavily favored Barney Oldfield.
Rickenbacher is reported to have averaged 78.8 miles per hour on the huge two-mile racing oval.
Rickenbacher came back in 1915 to win the race again. Eventually the track became the first aviation landing field in the area and was called Rickenbacker Field.
Onawa hotshoe Scott Hanner definitely had pedal to the metal last Friday at Blackbird Bend, motoring to his most lucrative night of the season.
First, Hanner won the a makeup feature and kept the motor running to come back to take the checkers in the regular feature in the 360 Sportmods Division.
Hanner beat Jason Schneiders by inches in the makeup feature.
Mid-Season Championships are scheduled for Saturday night at Park Jefferson and Sunday night at Interstate Speedway.
Several points championships in nearly every division are still up for grabs so the competition should be intense and entertaining.
Park Jefferson has also scheduled a special on July 4 (Tuesday) that includes super late models, not the slower limited class. The late model and modifieds features will pay $600 to the winner and $250 in the other class.
A big fireworks show will follow.
Journal sports writer Steven Allspach may be reached at 71-293-4207 or by e-mail at steven.allspach@lee.net
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