Waiting all week to hear the rumble of the cars and scream of the fans turned into a disappointment Saturday night for fans and drivers at Butler Speedway. With wind gusts of over 40 m.p.h. and heavy overcast skies the race was called by track promoters Bob Garrett and Carl Frederick. After a fantastic start the week prior drivers would have yet another week to make changes to their set-ups and work up some more speed out of the cars.
I wanted a chance to get to talk to the winners from last week, but Mother Nature had a different plan. Showcasing the track and its facilities, the drivers, and the fans are what I’m looking to write about. While I’m new to the MARC Times Racing News & Michigan Racing Scene, I’m not new to the sport. Dirt track racing has been a love of mine from an early age. Cheering for hometown heroes, the good guy or the bad guy, watching a winged sprint fly thru the air, seeing someone get loose and lose the lead are all part of the dirt track tradition. Getting in the pits, and getting the drivers side of the story, seeing what went wrong, or what change to the set-up brought more power are all the behind the scenes necessities for a dirt track reporter. The Butler Speedway runs a weekly 5 -in -1 show on Saturday nights and the track's owners are working with drivers to keep a action packed fast paced show running along with no expected delays. With the newly added UMP modified class fans should expect even more thrilling action.
This weekend, May 16, we're looking to see if Ken Mackey can go for win number two of the 2009 schedule. As an eight time track champion of the winged sprints Mackey No. 25M constantly proves to be a force to be reckoned with. Mackey comes back to his family owned ride this year and delivers horsepower and experience to hold off some of Butler's top drivers.
In the Late Model feature Terry Sroufe No. 12S continues to show the class that experience and opportunity takes home the checkered flag. The Late models have some good looking cars out this year, the Bevard No. 8C and the Spangler No. 27 will be a constant threat to Sroufe.
The new modified class had a great car count for the first weekend running 17 deep. The fast Butler track should continue to see the car count increase in this class.
Sportsman contenders look tough as Rendel and J. Sroufe are familiar names that will surely be in the winners circle throughout the 2009 season.
The street stock division continues to bring a good field of cars and drivers to the track with over twenty competing for the bragging writes of dominating at Butler Speedway!
The points chase continues as winged sprints, late models, modifieds, sportsman, and street stocks fire up the action on May 16th. Gates open at 4 p.m. with racing at 7:30 p.m. Grandstand admission prices for regular events during the 2009 season remain the same. Adult admission is $12 and kids 6-12 are $5. Kids under 6 are free pit passes are still $25.00.
If you have anything you would like to see reported, or have questions or suggestions feel free to email me at:
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See you at the races!
