Sorry to disappear on everyone for a few weeks. Please give me a chance to ‘splain…

The early summer at my house started with a non-stop flurry of adding on to the racecar garage (needed more space to store racecar parts), and getting the house ready for my daughter Lacey’s graduation party on June 28th. Two days later, we left for our ultimate once in a lifetime family vacation that took us to Hollywood, San Francisco, Las Vegas, the Mojave Desert, the Grand Canyon, and other fun places. It was a great party, and a great trip, that we’ll never forget.

But now that that’s over, what comes to the mind of a guy who’s been driving racecars since 1979? RACING! I’m coming back! Just tonight we grabbed the ol’ JJ Andrews #93 small block supermodified out of storage, where it now sits in the organized, new and improved racecar shop. I’ll tinker with it, and in the near future I’ll be back. Maybe even as early as this week - I’m not sure yet.

It’s been a nice breather, and I haven’t really missed it all that much. But hours and hours of sitting in airplanes and airports reading racing newspapers can get you thinking. No, I’m not ready to commit to any rest of the season plans, or anything like that, but I do want to have the car out at least once before Classic. It remains to be seen if I’ll get totally hooked again, but I do miss that “feeling” of what it’s like to go flat out down the straightaways.

And seriously - I’m not kidding myself. I’ll be running old tires, and I’ll probably be pretty rusty. Heck - I couldn’t pass anyone last year, so I don’t have any grand illusions of stealing a win, especially not from my last place starting position. But I’m curious to see how I like it these days. Maybe I’ll run well, pass a few cars, and be hooked. Or maybe I’ll play follow the leader, or be in the way, and remember WHY I didn’t race this year.

Is this the start of phase two of my small block supermodified career? Or is it the start of the end of my small block supermodified career, before I trade it off for a dirt car of some type? One way to find out. Please cheer for me!

After a short - and not that sweet - relationship, it’s official: Michael Barnes no longer drives the Clyde Booth #61 ISMA supermodified. The first race together at Waterford Speedbowl ended early when Barnes was involved in a tangle early on, and was scored for 21st position. Race #2 for the Booth / Barnes team ended in a rainout at Toledo Speedway, on June 13th.

“As of right now, Clyde and I aren’t running together“, said Barnes. It was probably for the best for both parties to go our separate ways.” But there is no animosity between the parties, according to Barnes. “We’re not enemies. I’m not upset or mad. Clyde and Susan Booth were very good to me - I don’t have a bad thing to say about them”, said Barnes.

So of course, ruthless journalist that I am, I pressed. And poked. And prodded. “What’s the REAL reason?”, I pried. But Mikey Barnes is always professional. No bridge-burning here. “We had a conversation on the phone, had a talk, and came to the decision,” said Barnes. He would not pinpoint any details. “I’d say it’s just a ‘comfort thing’ at this point. Nobody‘s mad at anybody”, said Barnes. Sounds to me like for whatever reason, it just wasn’t the right fit, and both parties were able to admit it and realize it, without wasting too much more time.

Then I got really intrusive. “So dude - you really screwed up leaving that #22 ride, huh? Wish that wouldn’t have happened?”, I asked. Mikey’s reply was, “hey - nobody felt worse than me about leaving Double Deuce Racing, Oswego Speedway, and the fans there than me! But I always wanted to try racing in a traveling series, and I took an offer. If I hadn’t tried it, I would have always wondered.” If you notice, he sidestepped admitting whether he screwed up or not. Like any driver would.

So what now? “I’m still a race fan. I’ll still be going to Oswego and ISMA races. We have our (family owned) midget, that will be ready in August.” Barnes didn’t know who - or when - Booth’s #61 would be back on the ISMA series. “So would you take a ride in another super, small block super, or what?”, I asked. “I enjoy racing - I don’t care if it’s a street stock or an Indy car. I’m open to anything. I’d drive a bicycle around in circles”, replied the Mexico N.Y. speedster. My prediction: he won’t be out of a ride for very long. Someone will snap him up quickly.

Which reminds me…I happen to have a complete, race ready, small block super sitting in my buddy Mark’s pole barn, that I‘m not using until Classic. “Small block supers are fun!”, said Barnes when I brought up my ol’ #93.

The wheels are turning…

So how long will it be before all supermodified are equipped with wings? I’ve asked this before. I’ve even asked Oswego Speedway owner Steve Gioia last year. At that time, they really didn’t have a plan in place to change over the winged cars full time. But will the future eventually force the extinction of wingless supermodifieds?

I hereby submit, to the court of public opinion, this one simple reason for my theory: car counts. Very simple. There have now been four features at Oswego Speedway for supers this year. May 10th and May 24th were the two non-winged shows, and they had 11 and 17 cars listed in their features. May 4th and June 7th were the winged shows, where 25 and 24 cars started the feature. Enough said? 14 car average without, 24.5 car average with wings. It’s hard to argue those numbers!

I’m sure that there are extenuating circumstances, with which I am unfamiliar. I believe that a winged super is more expensive to run, because it puts more strain on the engine, drive train, etc. But I also know that a wing is a great equalizer, as many old school supers that sport the “crutch” are as fast as, or faster than, many of the fancy new Hawks and Xtremes and Clyde Booth machines. Booth’s and Hawk’s cars, both of which had their times of utter dominance at Oswego Speedway without wings, have been relegated to “also-ran” status on the ISMA and MSA winged series. Chris Perley dominates ISMA with an old style super. And Kelly Miller in Steve Miller’s car, who struggles at Oswego without the wing, turns some very quick laps when they’re flying a kite.

But I do still prefer my supermodifieds without wings. Can’t put my finger on why, I just like them better without the wing. But here’s what I prefer even more: the survival of the supermodified division. With or without the billboards, they are still the most incredible short track racing machine ever created, and I can’t get enough of them.

Like it or not, it’s time to face facts: some day all supers will have wings. It’s the only way the division can survive. I’m predicting that all three sanctioning bodies (Oswego, MSA, and ISMA) will have to unify their rules packages in order for anyone to provide decent fields, and even with that, the division as a whole is in tough condition right now.

No matter what happens, I expect that some day supers will only be at Oswego Speedway on a “specials only” basis, not a weekly show. Better get our weekly dose of supers in us as much as possible while we can!

And here’s my other prediction: If not for the 2009 season, then by the year 2010, ALL supermodifieds will have wings. It has to happen.

This weekend is a weekend that has been looked forward to by many of us supermodified fans. This Friday, June 6th, and Saturday, June 7th will be big shows for the crazy fast winged supermodifieds. The first ever MSA sanctioned race at Spencer Speedway in Williamson, N.Y. will host the cars on the ½ mile flat oval. This is a pretty treacherous little speedway, so there should be a lot of excitement. Then, the same supermodified drivers will head an hour east down Rt. 104 for another MSA sanctioned event at Oswego Speedway on Saturday. These guys, especially Dave Shullick Jr. have put on a great show at Oswego, and certainly will again this weekend.

A couple of notable contenders this week should be:

Joey Payne, the “Jersey Jet”, who will be driving the Strong Racing #99 at both events. Everyone has been looking forward to seeing the Jet, who is one of the more talented drivers to strap into one of these machines. Will he bring Strong Racing their first win?

Jeffrey Abold will be in competition this weekend in a car from the Craig Rayvals collection. As you may remember, Abold finished third in last year’s Classic, his first. “We’re running a super seven or eight times this year”, said Jeff’s Dad, multiple time champion Pat Abold.

Who misses seeing Bobby Bond at Oswego Speedway this year? I know I do. But when an off-season rules change gave the bum’s rush to his new Xtreme Chassis independent suspension car, Bond decided that maybe it was a good time for him to try out racing with a wing, and not run weekly at Oswego, as he had done since the 1920’s. Currently Bond sits 5th in ISMA points after one event, where he gained his first winged top five. Is he happy running ISMA instead of Oswego? He’d better be - it cost him a girlfriend.

And don’t we see Joe Gosek back in action in the Double Zero car when the wings are on?

And two more Spencer Speedway notes…

Who will be rooting for Russ Brown, former small block super champion who now runs with the SST Mods at Spencer, in a new Ray Hedger car?

And who remembers that Spencer Speedway is the site of one of my five feature wins in the small block super division? I’ll never forget putting two tires in the grass to pass Bill Presley and a lapped Jeff Bartlett for the lead and eventual win in 2002 (I think).

Please check out the following press release from Larry Lee, president of the Eagles Fan Club. Eagles secretary Mike Foster came up with this brainstorm, which will help out a lot of race teams! Read on:

“The Eagles Fan Club and the Oswego Speedway will be trying to help race teams that are Eagle Fan Club members, by bringing in pit crew members -for free - starting on May 31st, and running right through the end of the regular season on August 16th.

Eagles Fan Club reps will be selling raffle tickets each week at $10 for the chance to win a “Four Pack” of free pit passes for the following week’s race. Race team members and race fans can buy the raffle tickets. Fans and team members will write the name of a Novelis Supermodified or PathFinder Bank Small Block Supermodified Racing Series team that they would like to receive the free pit passes.

Right after the weekly winning Galloway Realty & FTS Office Discounters 50/50 raffle ticket is drawn on the race track, the “Four Pack” of free pit passes winning ticket will be drawn. The following week, the winning race team car owner will go to the Box Office with his crew for that night and four members will all sign in and get a wristband for FREE pit admission.

If an eligible MSA team wins the raffle on June 7th they will be able to collect their “Four Pack” on August 16th when they are invited back for non-winged competition. If an eligible Novelis Supermodified team wins on June 21st they will collect their “Four Pack” on July 5th.

The Eagles Fan Club has been around for three decades, and pays out between $15,000 and $25,000 to race teams annually at the year end Awards Banquet. They also help out with payments to race drivers that get injured in racing accidents, through the Eagles “Injured Drivers Fund".

Please help the Eagles Fan Club support the race teams with this great pit pass raffle offer. Be sure to ask your ticket seller which teams are Eagle Fan Club members and eligible to win the “Four Pack” of free pit passes. This offer from the Eagles Fan Club and the Oswego Speedway will hopefully go a long way to help race teams with getting help on race night and maintaining their cars as well.

Thank You - from The Eagles Fan Club & Oswego Speedway.”

I think this is a fantastic promotion, and will surely help out some teams in these tough times this year. Great idea! The coolest part, in my opinion, is that everyone, even fans, has a chance to help out their favorite race team by buying a ticket and writing their favorite team on the stub.

Also check out www.oswegospeedway.com, or www.eaglesfanclubatoswegospdway.com for more info.