Track Schedules

KANSAS CITY, KS (April 30) - Is The Weather Ever Going To Change? It has almost been a common occurrence the last few weeks. Friday comes and so does the rain.

Fans have been distraught, racers have been distraught and so has damn near everyone else in the racing community.

Last week it seemed that it rained every single day in the Kansas City area. Late Saturday night it was raining again. A sure sign that we wouldn’t get the week’s races in, even with the rain makeup policy.

I know it’s not much fun. It seems like over the past few years that promoters and track owners have been creeping up the season to get more races in.

Is this a sign of the ‘Big Guy’ showing his displeasure or is it just one of those things?
Over the past 8 years it seems that we have enjoyed some unseasonably good weather in April. It’s been so good that everyone had become accustomed to it. Well, things have turned back to the norm and everyone is upset with that.

I am like everyone else. If I can get to the races, I am a happy camper. If not then I am a big crab. Just remember that everything happens for a reason.

Race tracks will get their races in, sooner or later. Don’t let it get you down. Great racing is just around the corner.

Come July, everyone is going to be screaming it’s too hot and we need to do something about that. Hang in there.


MLRA LATE MODELS HEAD TO LAKESIDE NEXT WEDNESDAY, CLINT BOWYER SCHEDULED TO RACE!
Wednesday night, May 7, the MLRA Late Models will be back at Lakeside Speedway for the first time in 2008. It will be an action packed evening with special guest, Clint Bowyer.
That’s right the former Modified Champ, will be returning and he will be bringing the driver of his new dirt late model race team, Shannon Babb.

In 2008, Bowyer, like some of the other drivers in Sprint Cup, decided to start his own race team. He also wanted to continue to race on the dirt too. Clint Bowyer Racing allowed for all of those things to happen. Watch for this former champ to run up front!

Tom Charles Wins Modified Feature

When Tom Charles won his Modified Championship a couple of years ago, he did it without winning a single race. A pretty impressive feat for any driver. This season if Tom is to win a Modified Championship, he will have to do it with a victory on his ‘08 resume. Sunday afternoon, Charles picked up the Modified win at Lakeside Speedway.

Charles had a solid run going the first race of the year, but on the last lap struggled with his new Dirt Works Genisis Chassis. Nope there wasn’t a problem with his new hot rod. He had a flat tire and was trying to finish. It relegated him to a 10th place finish.
On Sunday, Charles would start on the pole and never trail in the 25 lap feature event.
Tom would hold off charges from his son Danny (who finished 3rd) and the modified points leader, Chad Lyle (2nd), on his way to the victory.


A happy Charles celebrated in victory lane with his family and teammates.

A new car, a new outlook on racing and good family and friends have motivated Tom for ‘08!

Modified Racing Is At It's Best Right Out Of The Gate
Tom Charles, Chad Lyle and who is going to be the next Modified driver to step into victory lane?

Time will tell, but what we do know is that Lakeside is loaded with drivers that can make it to the front of the field. The big question is how long is it going to take to get them there.

For two weeks in a row, last year’s champ, John Allen, suffered from bad luck and finished in the back half of the field. You know that’s not going to last.

Kerry Davis has also struggled with problems during the preseason and looks to get back into victory lane.

Mulitple track champion, Tim Karrick, has yet to win in the early season, but he is hanging around in the top 10.

All of these drivers will be back in the top 5 pretty soon, the trend that you are starting to see at Lakeside is that of new faces. Drivers that you haven’t seen in the division or have not had the success that they are finding right now.

Allan Lawrence, feature winner in the Grand National class, came home with his first top 5. Could he be a driver that might jump up to victory lane.

Another driver that has had some moderate success and is a former Factory Stock Champ is Jake Richards. Richards had a strong run in week 1 and last week had some problems. It looks like he could be a player in 2008.

New faces that could jump up there too are abundant.

Dave Trauernicht has been modified hot shoe from Nebraska. This season, Dave will be driving the #4T owned by David Wise.

So Far, Trauernicht, is finding out the things that most drivers who come to Lakeside find out, it’s not that easy.

You have to be good and Trauernicht certainly is a talented driver. Luck is something that hasn’t been on his side.

The first week a mechanical failure took him out of the race, while last week an on track accident with Tim Karrick ended his day. His bad luck didn’t just end with the wreck, he also suffered broken ribs. His status for this week is up in the air.
He will be a driver to watch for sure.

Other new faces that have showed up to Lakeside this season, Jason Bodenhammer, Yancy Shepard, Steven Bowers Jr., Jimmy Hernandez are just a few of the names that stand out to this point.

With the addition of these drivers, along with the regulars at Lakeside the season is looking to be one of it’s best ever.

Grand National Class Continues To Suprise

Last October, Lakeside Speedway opened it’s doors to drivers from all around the area. Whatever your track rules were, you would be legal at Lakeside if you were legal at your home track.

Several drivers came to test that waters at Lakeside Speedway. One of those drivers was longtime racer, Paul Lanferman.

The time Lanferman spent at Lakeside last October paid dividends for both Lakeside Speedway and Lanferman himself.

Lakeside gained a competitor in a class that was looking to gain some more drivers.
Lanferman gained by finding a track that he like racing at. Oh by they way, he can now say that he has won a feature at Lakeside Speedway after last Sunday afternoon.

More than 20 cars checked into Lakeside on Sunday for the Grand National division.

Last week’s driver of the week, Nic Bidinger, had to be on odds on favorite, but due to Lakeside’s starting procedures Bidinger would have to come from the middle of the pack to get to the front.

Lanferman, wouldn’t have to worry about Bidinger, he would have to keep himself going.

A series of yellow flags kept the driver from Atchison, on the edge of his seat.

“I told Terry (the flagman), I am an old man. He can’t keep doing that to me,” said Lanferman.

Starting from the pole position, Lanferman, scooted out to the lead. He wouldn’t relinquish the top spot to anyone.

Darren Kling gave his best effort to run down Lanferman, but ran out of time. Kling had to do his best to hold off last week’s winner, Bidinger.

Bidinger made it through the field, but on this day both Kling and Lanferman had just enough juice in the tank to stay in front of the current point leader of the Grand National division.

Another driver who looked good in the feature was, Mike Busby.

Busby was one of the only competitors that took to the bottom line around the track and nearly found himself at the back door of a win.

How Many Mike Taylors Does It Take.....

The Factory Stock class at Lakeside is one of the most fun classes to watch at any race track anywhere in America.

Brett Heeter turned up the heat last week on the way to a Feature Win.

Heeter drove a solid race and had to hold off some hard chargers at the end of this race.
When it was all said and done, the young man was excited about the prospects of winning in the coming weeks.

He also talked about how good it was to outrun, Mike Taylor.

Taylor was the opening day winner in the Factory Stocks at Lakeside, or was he?

Mike Taylor also didn’t make the feature in the Factory Stocks on opening day.

How can that happen?

It’s kind of like that old joke, A cowboy rides into town on Friday, stays for 3 days and leaves on Friday! How can he do this.

Well, I don’t think its that tough, but here is the answer. The horse’s name is Friday.
No, Mike Taylor is not a horse, but there are two Mike Taylors in the Factory Stock class.
During the heat race last week, Mike Taylor was leading only to be locked up in a battle with Mike Taylor for the lead.

Mike Taylor then took the lead from Mike Taylor and drove on to the win on the last lap.
The announcer had fun with it. I can’t answer for the rest of the fans, but it was funny to hear over and over again.

What made the moment even better was that the next heat race was a Grand National heat and guess who was on the pole, Mike Taylor.

No not either one of the Mike Taylors that just finished the Factory Heat, but a different Mike Taylor.

Five more Mike Taylors and they will have their own heat race.

3 Drivers To Watch This Week
Danny Charles - Modified Driver - #81JR
Danny Charles had rough start to the season, but he is beginning to bounce back rather nicely.

In the opening week, he struggled in his heat and had to come through the B to get into the feature. He finished 8th after starting 21st.

It proved that Danny can get through the field.

Last week he finished 3rd in the feature. Racing in the 2nd spot for a majority of the race, Charles lost a spot late to Chad Lyle, but 3rd is better than most.

Look for Charles to get even better this week. Each week is a new experience for Charles as his new car is a 4 bar car. Something that he has to adjust to. Watch to see if Danny Charles can improve this week at Lakeside.

Jason Park - - #75Grand National Driver
Jason is one of those competitors that you like to watch.

He races hard. Each and every lap. There is no holding back for this racer.

The big question is, can he get to victory lane.

I think he can, this week you should keep an eye on this Grand National driver.

He was penalized last week and that pushed him back to a 10th place finish.

The previous week he scored a top 5 finish with a 4th place effort.

Can he put his car up front and get the job done this week? He will have an easier go of it. Park will start towards the front of the feature, if he qualifies out of his heat.

Time will tell. My guess is to see what happens, so keep an eye on #75.

Buzz Kaster - Factory Stock Driver - #54

Buzz is Buzz. It’s just as easy as that.

Kaster has been racing for a lot of years and he seems to be having a lot of fun these
days in the Factory Stock division.

It shows on and off the track.

Each of the past few years, he is always good for a few wins and he is also a lock for the top 5. Which is a very tough achievement with this class.

Kaster has been up front a ton and what it does is help out the other drivers in the class.

Each driver respects Kaster and they have to work harder to get their programs to the level of Kaster’s.

Watch this week, it’s about time for Buzz to pull out one of those last lap passes for a victory at Lakeside Speedway.

I have a feeling that this is the weekend it will happen.