One of the things I enjoy most about my job is talking to folks and collecting small items of information.
I usually scribble away in my notebook as I’m talking to someone, or sometimes a conversation will surface in my mind later (Ed: A sure sign of getting older, eh?).
This week I was going through my notebook looking for a phone number and I ran into a couple gems from drivers that show racing is more than going fast.
John “The Cowboy” Carlson, defending Super Figure Eight champion at Evergreen Speedway explained to me last weekend how he decides whether to check up or blast through the X.
It’s all about watching the nose of the oncoming cars, Carlson said. As he comes around the corner, he looks across the track at the cars rounding the opposite turn. If the noses of those cars are dipping, it means the other drivers are checking up, so Carlson runs full-out.
This works well at Evergreen, where the corners are close enough together. But Carlson said he’s also run figure-eight races at Irwindale, Calif., on a much larger track. In that case, it’s take a guess and prepare to take evasive action.
Sprint car drivers are pretty much on their own, Allan Munn told me. This year Skagit Speedway allows radios, but the communication is only one-way — incoming to drivers to announce cautions and lineups — so there are no spotters.
Running 12-second laps, with the mud and/or dust flying, a sprint car driver is constantly in motion, turning the wheel, adjusting the wing, pulling off a tear-off, etc.
So how does Munn know what’s going on around him?
Flash bulbs and shadows.
Munn said if he sees camera flashes he knows someone is closing for a pass, and he also checks out the outside wall for a wing shadow.
Great photo this week from Evergreen Speedway track photographer Tom Vick, showing Evergreen Speedway bomber division driver Dwayne Humenny losing a wheel during last Saturday’s B main.
Okay – enough rambling, on to the picks.
Last week quite a few of the drivers I picked to win ended up coming in third.
I’m not big into numerology, but just for fun this week — with two exceptions — I decided to make my picks based on who’s No. 5 on the points list for each division or series.
Here they are:
Super stocks: James Mugge. I was going to pick him anyway, so this worked out for me
Bombers: Darrel Lutovsky.
Mini-stocks: Andrew Schukar.
Super figure eights: Doug Delfel.
Sprint Cup: Matt Kenseth. My first exception, but Roush Fenway looks to be strong at Pocono on Sunday and Kenseth really, really needs a good finish to get back into the running for the Chase.
Nationwide: Brad Keselowski. Another pick that I wasn’t going to make anyway. The top non-Cup driver in points, recently he’s looked strong enough to beat Uberdriver Kyle Busch in Saturday’s race in Nashville. That Busch and Keselowski aren’t exactly buddies will make it that much sweeter.
Craftsman Trucks: Johnny Benson. Benson looks like my fourth-grade teacher, but I won’t hold that against him because I had a lot of fun that year.
IndyCar: Tony Kanaan. My second exception, TK is No. 4 in the IRL standings. But, I said last week I would stick with him until he wins, so here’s hoping Saturday’s race in Texas goes his way.
Formula One: Felipe Massa. Massa was quickest in Thursday’s wet practice session, and rain is predicted for Sunday’s Canadian Grand Prix. Good enough for me.
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