Pushin' The Cushion - 04-09-2017

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It was the first visit of the LateModelRacing.com crew to the Peoria Speedway. To steal a phrase from my son's favorite show "My Little Pony", we were all a bit "nervicited". With $5000 up for grabs in the UMP Super Late Models along with their local Steel Block class, it is always tough to turn down two late model classes on the same card, so off we went into the great north.

This trip was a culmination of multiple failed starts in 2017. Between the cold and the rain, it was great to get a nice sunny day and get on the road! This year, the Pushin' The Cushion column is taking a little different turn. We will be trying to focus on things other sites fail to. Sure, we could focus on who won, who lost, who broke, and who wasn't there (and sometimes we will), but I find that the things lacking the most on these reports are not the news (which you can find virtually anywhere) but the views. Expect a lot of opinion and analysis on things you can't find anywhere else. With that said, let's begin.

To say there were mixed feelings in the truck on the way to Peoria Speedway was an understatement. The track has a reputation for being rough on a good night and featuring a lot of bumping and banging. With all the rain, we were all pretty convinced it would be a demolition derby. Surprisingly, that was not the case. Possibly the best quality of the night was the track. While turns 1 and 2 were fairly rough on the top half, turns 3 and 4 featured pretty solid multi-groove racing (though the top was still the preferred line). This was the biggest positive for the facility.

One of the most pleasant surprises of the night was how friendly the fans were. Any time anyone needed help, everyone seemed willing to pitch in. Special thanks goes out to the gentlemen who helped my wife get up and down the slightly unstable bleachers. Your kindness is remembered and appreciated!

In the past, I've written many columns in the Hawkeye Racing News devoted to what promoters should do and what should be avoided. I think Saturday night, every "don't" was done. Opening night late starts are to be expected and this night was no exception. This leads to my first observation of the way the show was run. When you are bringing a high dollar special to town for your first race of the year, it might be advisable not to run all six weekly classes! This is even more true when your website schedule conflicts with your social media posts on which classes are actually running. I am not sure if this conflict was caused by the previous rain-out(s) but irregardless, most travellers really don't care to watch five heat races of your local 4-cylinder class.

In addition to this, with 19 UMP late models on hand, only 2 heats were run on a 1/4 facility. The biggest class of the night had 22 (one of the modified classes) and ran 4 heats while the 4-cylinders ran 5. You would think you would want as many heats in your premier division and a ten car heat in which only the top 3 make the redraw is quite simply ludicrous!

This leads me to observation number two. If you are running six classes, there is literally no need for an intermission. Staff your track accordingly to allow some break times as needed. I've worked at multiple tracks and many promoters are very good at this. I can promise you, someone else can flag one class, you can bring in a second announcer, and always have extra scorers (if you don't use transponders) and you are good to go. If you work at a track, be prepared to eat early and limit potty breaks. Been there, done that!

Speaking of staff, make sure you plan for your likely crowd. Most of the night at Peoria saw only one concession stand window "open". With a $5000/win late model special and clear 70+ degree weather, expect a crowd!

The next opening night tip for Peoria is to test things BEFORE opening night. The PA system was completely useless on this night. When I say completely, I mean it. Add to this an announcer who only seemed to talk when drivers were on the track and you get a fan base that has no idea what is going on! I still need names on some of the steel block late models and can only name the support cars I already knew. This again keeps your travelling fams unintersted in your show.

Observation number 3, if you are going to use the same order of events for hotlaps and heats, you should carry that over to the features as well. This was done at Peoria with the exception of the main event (late models) which was held to the end. Not only does this take care of your long distance travelling fans, it also helps thin out traffic at the end of the night. The locals that care will stick around and those that travel great distances (it was 165 miles each way for us) will be much more likely to return. 

Now that all the observations are behind us, let's talk racing.

While there were only 19 UMP Super late models on hand, the only thing missing were the "field fillers". Almost every driver in attendance had a legitimate chance to win going into the night. With headliners like Brian Shirley, Bobby Pierce, Jason Feger, Frank Heckenast Jr., and Ryan Unzicker among the field, the anticipation of the main event was something to behold. It is not every day that Bobby Pierce starts on the pole on an Illinois quarter-mile and does not come home in first, but on this night Brian Shirley was not to be denied! Shirley deftly split his way through the pack, working the leaders and lapped traffic simultaneously to put on an impressive show! Congrats to Brian on the great win!

It seemed many drivers made a run at one point or another in the feature. Among the surprises, was the solid performance being turned in by Todd Bennett. Bennett was on the move before a late race caution seemed to prove fatal to the #T-2. After parading around under caution and being moved position to position, Bennett took the T-2 to the pits, ending his feature run early.

Other than the Lee County Speedway, I had little experience prior to 2017 with the new "restricted" late model divisions that seem to be popping up more and more in our area. On this night, the class was the "Steel Block" late models. In this division, the night belonged to Jason Jaggers. It looked like Brian Crebo was going to turn this feature into a duel, before his #99 retired early. I'd love to talk more about this class, but am still struggling to locate some names. If you or anyone you know can help out, be sure to hit me up on Facebook or Twitter. It would be greatly appreciated. Lesson learned, pit passes next time!

Drivers, Promoters, Fans, let me know what's going on in our area...until next time...

/catch ya on the cushion!