DCRP Awards Ceremony Rocked!
We had the help of a lot of people to put this on – and with me (Ed Beckley) out of town back in Texas for the last month and then showing up two days prior to this party for sure shows the faith I have in my staff and friends.
It was truly a TEAM effort as HEATHER and STACY from the office got a lot of help from MINDY STAPLETON and MISSY AIREHEART as well as the food that GINA WILSON and TAMMY PINGSTERHOUSE brought was bigtime appreciated.
HEATHER is my right arm and did so much to make this happen and happen it did. STACY was her back up and helped with even supplying the meat for the tacos! Thanks girls!!!!
BUDWIESER kicks butt! Those jackets and the give-a-way items were off the hook! Thanks also for the free BUD. The BOGNERS will always be tops in my mind – they are great friends and their dedication to racing and the people on Western Kansas is something for others to be measured by. They are the KINGS!
MONSTER ENERGY usually little to do with local dirt track action. They are mostly into motocross and freestyle Mx jumpers and that we got 500 bux for the Modifieds is opening the door to more as they felt they had a great presense at the track and they loved the night we did the flags. They will be back even bigger next year.
COORS – we thank them for their event sponsorship and the fact they were with us way back in the DC SPEEDWAY opening years. We also were smiling when we saw their give a ways also. Thanks also for the free beer to the racers at the ceremony.
BMI ……was the sponsor the the night and it proves once again that Brad Maxwell is all about racing and taking care of the racer. Check out the deals at BMI he has some great inventory and sales deals that would make some great Christmas presents. Thanks Brad!
Tiger Mullens was given SPORTSMANSHIP OF THE YEAR AWARD mainly because of his family and pit crew and their whole attitude and the kid is GREAT with the spectators. There are allot of us believe he is going to be a superstar. The Tiger Mullens 02 is the complete package and we are proud of him!
The food was off the hook!
The guys from 93.9 THE BUZZARD were there and had a great time and we are all making plans for next years ROCK N’ RACING REPORT!
The awards were fun to give out and make people smile.
The trophies were better than we imagined and now we know where to get trophies for sure next years races.
The shuddah kuddah woodah awards were as fun to make as they were to giveaway. Thanks to Robert Perkins and George Tyler for donating some old pieces as well as Robbie Perkins and Kaley his wife for helping making them. Brian Herbert and George showed up at the offce that afternoon when I was finishing them to see what the heck I was doing. We all had a big laugh and could not wait to see what the peoples reaction was. Brian and George I think even added some duct tape to some of them.
Shuddah was Smokey Fairbanks who without bad luck would have had no luck at all.
Cuddah was Cole (Trickle) Wilson who cuddah had that new car might of gave Bart Baker a run for it!
Woodah was Kris Moore who literally was on fire once, crashed some, blew motors in his racer and his tow vehicle and basically had the year from Hell!
The Chocolate Fountain seemed to be a big hit!
There were just under 300 people that came AND seemed to have a great time!!!!
We are looking forward to next years racing season here in Dodge City and Liberal, and the schedules for both tracks will be out soon!
2008 DCRP Year-End Recap
October 18, 2008 by admin
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October, 18, 2008 – The 2008 Season here at DCRP was the biggest in the history of this track. More cars, more spectators, more press, more items sold at the track than ever before and that means it was a sucessful year and the City of Dodge and Ford County are happy with what we have done here and so we shall continue our contract for the next four years like planned.
We have had a great time here this year rebuilding the track surface, promoting, and producing a great product for the entertainment seeker and for the race fan. Working the track with the John Deere Grader from Murphy Tractor and also the tractors from Kan Equipment is my favorite and that is something we are proud to say that the proof is in the photos – sucess is 3 and 4 wide racing lap and lap on the dirt track. We are proud of this place and proud also that some of you now know it as your track……not “the” track.
An old friend and a race fanatic Roger Burnett who runs the antique cars told me earlier in the year that he had not warmed up to this place yet. Bitter feelings about the old track getting shut down, asphalt being the track surface here the first few years, and the general feeling that it not ever going to be as good as the old Dodge City Speedway…….well guess what Roger came to me half way thru the season and told me that he finally felt like it was his track, and he was sharing my belief this place is now better than the old track ever was. The old track at McCarty Stadium was a good track with many many memories that legends were made of. Today the Dodge City Raceway Park is state of the art and as we end the year and begin another we know of the improvements we have made and are going to make will even make this place better yet.
Our list of improvements made and to finish include a long list and we for sure are to get the PA system working even better in the main grandstand. We will repair what is needed and to get the sound guy to hook up the speakers in front of the pit grandstand so you can hear when your next race is coming up.
We also are going to move some dirt and extend the main parking lot to the south which will make it easier for our spectators especially our seniors to walk up to the ticket booth.
Motorcycles are everywhere and we want to make sure that we have a special secure parking place for them. We have a deal working with George Tyler of Dodge City Concrete and #12T who is also an avid motorcycle rider to concrete a larger area in the same area as the current motorcycle parking area.
Sanctioning with the IMCA will return as it was one of the best things we could have done to bring the competition back to the Mods and Stock cars.
NCRA is starting a 305 Sprint Cars and with that will come more drivers and more oppurtunites for the area Sprint Car Racer. My intension is to also keep the URSS Sprint Cars coming with specials and hopefully a set of rules for our weekly events that will allow NCRA / URSS sprint cars to be equal. We have history with the URSS and NCRA and know that whatever happens we think this is a good thing.
Thunder Cars/Trucks have a huge interest at the last part of the season. NAPA is back on board for 2009 and we are going to have a fun set of rules that will keep racing affordable while also bringing new and exciting rule changes that should let old crusier cars come back, and a whole new look as we have some pickup trucks coming also. This is gonna be big fun!
Special events will be races, thrill show, and a whole lot of fun and we feel the 2009 season will be even better than ever before.
The new rules for Thunder Cars will be out by November 1st and of course so will URSS, NCRA, IMCA sanctioned classes should have theirs out also.
The 2009 Schedule for DCRP will be out also by November 1st and more announcements will be made on the website. The awards banquet will be November 22nd at the Dodge House and we will be sending out our notice of how to registar for the biggest race party ever and that is what it is gonna be!
Thanks for a great year and I cannot say enough about my staff and the racers that competed here this year.
Seeya!
Ed Beckley, Dodge City Raceway Park
Racing Heats Up During Winter Nationals
October 4, 2008 by admin
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October 4, 2008 – Race fans flocked to Dodge City Raceway Park for the final time in 2008 for the Winter Nationals presented by Coca Cola. With drivers towing from Kansas, Colorado, Oklahoma, Missouri, and Nebraska, DCRP was certainly a popular place.
The Harley Davidson Sprint cars kicked off a fierce night of racing. Craig Jecha, Timken brought the field to the green flag for a twenty five lap main event. Don Steiben used the high line and grabbed the early lead with Jecha, Darren Berry, Keefe Hemel and Taylor Milton checking the top five. Steiben set the pace. With drivers jockeying for position, Jason “The Hitman” Martin had shot into the top five coming from an outside row four starting position. Steiben and Martin would battle for the lead with “The Hitman” gaining the top position on the sixth circuit. With laps winding away the leaders would hit lapped traffic. Martin lead the way with Steiben clinging two the runner up slot, Milton chasing, and current URSS national point leader Brian Hebert joining the fray. Meanwhile Michael Woodruff, a B Feature transfer was on the move. Starting fifteenth, Woodruff had methodically worked his way through the field. Woodruff would bust into the top five with two laps remaining. No would touch Martin, as the leaders pounded the cushion, just inches away from the wall. Milton would clear Steiben for second bringing Woodruff along for the ride and just as the gunslingers set their sights on the leader, “The Hitman” would check out notching his second win in a row and his fourth feature at the park. Milton , Woodruff, Herbert and Taylor Velasquez would round out the top five.
The BST Modified series blew into DCRP for the second time in 2008. With big money up for grabs the field was full for a thirty lap Modified Main. It was Dodge City native Mike Martin jumping out to the early lead with John Schwab, Liberal, hot in his wheel tracks. Martin would be shuffled by Schwab on the sixth lap with Jerry Phillips, Cody Gearhart, and Troy Gemmill in hot pursuit. As the feature flew by Schwab would continue to show the way with Gearhart the runner up. From the third position on it was a crap shoot. Phillps, Gemmill, Will Brack, Tim Leiker, and Scott Drake would battle, two and three wide, as they sliced and diced their way around DCRP. Late cautions would set the stage for one last shootout in the Wild West. With seven laps remaining the field would tighten up on Schwab’s bumper nose to tail. Back under the green flag Schwab would stretch his lead as Gearhart and Brack would battle side by for second. Leiker and Drake would join the scrum. As the rest of the pack fought for position Schwab sailed to victory lane and his first DCRP feature of the season. Gearhart would eek out a second place finish as Brack settled for third. Leiker locked down fourth as Drake dropped to fifth.
The United Wireless IMCA stock cars thundered onto the dirt for an action packed main event. Past DCRP feature winner Angel Munoz would jump out to the early lead with Trevor Wadel, Nick Tubbs, Randy Tipton, and Mike Wadel rounding the top five. Several early cautions halted any momentum the stocker boys would hope to build and laps would sluggishly be scored. Restart after restart Munoz would hold serve with Tipton, Trevor Wadel, Mike Wadel, and Greg Stone the top five. With time running out an epic battle between Munoz and Tipton would ensue and duo battled side by side for the lead. With the checkers flying, Tipton would steal his second feature win of the season. Munoz would settle for second, as Mike Wadel locked down third. Bart Baker and Kenny Schmidt would round out the top five.
NAPA Thunder Cars grumbled onto the track bringing “the good stuff” with them. As the green flag dropped a ferocious battle between Matt Kraus, Steve Sprott, and Josh Crombie would ensue. Kevin Sprott was looking to grab his second feature win but Kraus would charge to the front and drive to victory lane in his NAPA Thunder debut. Rounding out the top five finishers were Sprott, Crombie, Raymond Blackburn, and Dalton Bauer.
The crowd was on their feet as the Hornets buzzed onto the asphalt. Justin Schulte made it two consecutive feature wins outlasting David Guinn, Cody Lampe, and Tony Deslorous.
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