Mini-Sprint Racing at Deming, Washington

I'm trying something new here - well, new for me. I'm hoping to get this short (17 seconds) video to work so as to help my non-racing readers to understand what it is I do every Friday night. You see, I'm not just a racing fan and a part of a racing family...I am also an Official at our local high-banked clay oval track here in the NW. My position is at the Pit Gate. At smaller tracks, like ours at Deming Speedway, we have the race cars and teams pit inside the track. This allows everyone to see all the action - racing, repair, drama and more. It's an old tradition that is slowly being phased out in favor of more room outside the track itself. I hate to see this tradition go as it's so much more fun to see it all...like a 45 minute complete engine swap. Yup...it happens all too often.

A race track is laid out like a big sideways zero (oval...get it?) with the center front as the Start/Finish line. Racing to the right is Turn 1, where our Pit Gate is located. Rounding the curve, the racers exit Turn 2 and fly down the Back-Stretch where they enter Turn 3. Coming out of Turn 4, which is now on your extreme left, they race back towards the Start/Finish line again. Make sense? OK, watching this short clip, you are standing with me just 5 feet behind the closed pit gate and only about 7 feet from the cars themselves. And these 1200 cc cars (think Harley Davidson motorcycle engine size but they don't race with Harley's), can get up to say, 70 mph and more. THEN...they slide sideways through the corners. Doesn't that sound like too much fun?!? It is...and scary and exciting and more.

Clay Cup 2007 at Deming Speedway

This is mini-sprint car racing at it's finest folks! Shown above is "The Salute to Fans" where the cars line up 4 wide and complete a lap as a show of appreciation to all the fans, friends and families who support their racing. I'm a little bit of all 3 as I am an Official at Deming Speedway...my Man drives the Push Quad and my DD helps out either on Push Quad or in selling raffle tickets for fund raising.
How do I explain dirt track racing to non-racing enthusiasts...hmmmm. Well, it's all-American fun, for one. For another, it's a great activity to teach kids sportsmanship, patience and common sense. As these cars all use motorcycle engines (250cc, 600cc and 1200cc), this type of racing is basically affordable for your average family. And let's not forget learning how engines work and how to repair/rebuild them...a skill far too many young drivers lack.
Many of you closet Nascar fans will recognize the name "Deming Speedway" as the track where a younger Kasey Khane got his solid start as a racer. In respect of his somewhat humble beginnings, Kasey Khane has sponsored our youngest class of racers for a couple of years now. His Dad and Sister make frequent appearances at the track and are both just wonderful true people.
This past weekend was our yearly blow-out...Clay Cup. Now considered one of the largest purses (read: good money!) for mini-sprint racing, we are honored to have as guests, racing families from all over the country. (Several years had a crazy Australian racing with us...what a hoot and a great driver he is!) This year we hosted the likes of Wes Guettinez in the 007 car from my hometown of Salinas, California as well as Corey Eliason in the 00E, Heath Duinkerken in the 79 car (watch out for this guy - that is one fast car!), Raio Morgan in the 21M (welcome to full 600 class racing and You Go Girl!), TJ Smith in the 14 car and Kyle Evans in the 84 car. All fine young adults and smart racers too. The larger California team (Styles Motorsports) was expecting puppies too...let me know! All these fine racers spend time at Lemoore Raceway in central California.(By the way, all these young drivers need a web page of their own...I'll do em if you'll only ask!) A local driver on the rise is Britton Lorentzen in the 600 class; car 38. What a neat family (Dad Brent and Mom Starla), and a smart racer too.
I get such pleasure out of watching the younger ones grow and learn and develop their own styles. It's pretty neat to root on the older guys each week too. Sometimes I'll hand out "lucky cookies" (recipe upon request!)and selectively, offer a good luck kiss...but only with the wife's permission (grinning at George and his wife of the 58 Kope Racing Team!) and only on the left cheek. Don't ask...we racing folks are a superstitious lot.
Anyhoo, it was 3 days of loud engines, fast cars, new friends, clay dust in the air, smiles and more. I'd say I wish we could do it every weekend but I don't think we'd survive. Just too too much fun.