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thumper

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  1. I am so glad NASCAR is finally at COTA. Seems the Formula 1 guys could not support the track but NASCAR can . They are the top tier of stock car racing. Hopefully it will help make racing great again .

      For me another 1/4 mile asphalt track should do great if they cater to the average citizen like CC Speedway during its successful endeavors. The profit coms with the ticket sales count, not the price tag of the cars themselves. Quit trying to be like Cup without the huge sponsors needed .

      Most of the tracks are closed or do not host the series I race. RGS, CCS, Riverside, Almeda Speedway, Navasota,  Lufkin, Central Texas, Longhorn, Edinburg Speedway, Gator,  to name a few are only a memory. A new burst of interest is needed and the weekend at COTA just might be the spark .The taxpayers deserve a positive return on their investment  and will get it if we can keep politics out of the equation .

      Lets keep it positive .Bashing a track reduces everything. Even the rain cant keep this endeavor from being a success. The truck race was fantastic .

  2. 2020 HALLOWEEN HAVOC
    Registrations is $50 for all cars all classes
    Thursday-Practice night pit pass $20.00
    Gates open at 12 p.m. practice starts 5-10 p.m.
    Friday- qualify and trophy dash pit pass
    $ 35 ADULT
    $ 25 KIDS ( 4-11YRS)
    Gates open at 1 p.m. Draw 4-6:00 Drivers meeting 6:00
    Hot laps at 6:30 Races 7:00
    Saturday- B mains and Features pit pass
    $ 40 ADULTS
    $25 KIDS (4-11 YRS)
    Gates open at 1 p.m. Draw 4-6:00 Drivers meeting 6:00
    Hot laps at 6:30 Races 7:00
    SPECIAL EVENTS:
    KIDS COSTUME CONTEST WITH PRIZES
    LOTS OF SUGAR TREATS FOR THE KIDS
    **Weekend Pit Special $80 FOR ALL 3 DAYS*****
    ***PRE-REGISTRATION SPECIAL $ 25 DEADLINE 10/15***
    Registration forms will be available at the track starting this weekend.
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    FEATURES CLASSES:

     

    • SUS SPRINT CARS
    • 600 MINI SPRINTS
    • RESTRICTORS
    • STREET STOCK
    • FACTORY STOCK
    • PURE STOCK
    • OUTLAW MINI SPRINTS
    • MOD-LITES

     

  3. 105 Speedway is having its Halloween Havoc form Oct 20 to 31. Outlaw Mini Stocks are on the card. FWD,RWD, 6 cyl  invited.  Rules are on 105 homepage. Very fast track, fun to drive on.

     

     
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    2020 HALLOWEEN HAVOC
    Featured Classes:
    SUS SPRINT CARS
    FACTORY STOCK
    STREET STOCK
    PURE STOCK
    LIMITED MODIFIED
    OUTLAW MINI
    GENERAL ADMISSION:
    THURS / FRIDAY / SATURDAY:
    ADULTS $ 15
    SR $ 12
    KIDS $ 10 ( 4-11 YRS)
    Thursday-Practice night pit pass $20.00
    Gates open at 12 p.m. practice starts 5-10 p.m.
    Friday- qualify and trophy dash pit pass
    $ 35 ADULT
    $ 25 KIDS ( 4-11YRS)
    Gates open at 1 p.m. Draw 4-6:00 Drivers meeting 6:00
    Hot laps at 6:30 Races 7:00
    Saturday- B mains and Features pit pass
    $ 40 ADULTS
    $25 KIDS (4-11 YRS)
    Gates open at 1 p.m. Draw 4-6:00 Drivers meeting 6:00
    Hot laps at 6:30 Races 7:00
    Registrations is $50 for all cars all classes
    **Weekend Pit Special $80 FOR ALL 3 DAYS*****
    ***PRE-REGISTRATION SPECIAL $ 25 DEADLINE 10/15***
    DIRECTIONS:
    105 SPEEDWAY IS LOCATED AT 1288 N. FOSTORIA ROAD IN CLEVELAND TEXAS, JUST 5 MILES
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  4.  I really enjoyed the Championship races this year.  NASCAR has succeeded in turning racing into a show. Lots to root for, lots of broken hearts. Lots of storylines.  You did not know who was going to win the trophy until the end of the last race. What more could you ask for ?

  5.  I read on the Pro Sedan  page that 105 Speedway is adding Mini Stocks to next years line up. KMSA rules but allowing tube chassis and FWD. Sounds like fast cars. Houston has always the fastest race cars even way back in 1971 with the Houston Mini Stock Association that was a traveling series biased at Almeda Speedway. We raced Houston, Navasota, Lufkin, China (near Beaumont) and other places.

       Sounds like the Pro Sedans will have a place to race again as well as the Mini Late Models from Houston. Should be interesting.

  6.    I got to run my first kart race. It is exactly like a big car track on a smaller scale. These guys are fast and fearless. I was slow and scared but I think I got the hang of it. My sponsor Joey DeLeon said it best, :we showed up as nobody and kept that position." 

      We are fixing our karts like anybody who buys a built car has to do. Learned a lot and will be a factor soon enough. So here's a couple of old Thunder Car racers ( Thumper and Cookie Man) getting our racing fix. I recommend this for anyone interested. It is real racing, not a toy thing. Thank you Lawrence and Owen for your hard work.

  7. I'm glad my test drive was with beginners. These guys fly and I still walk. It will take a lot of practice for anybody to get up to racing speeds, I believe. Its good that time is available.

      I'm afraid I'm too old now. Might be a pit crew member.

  8. I made it out to watch last night and was really impressed with this facility. It reminded me of the Modified Nationals in McAllen on a smaller scale. Pits were full, lots of racing for all ages but especially interesting watching the well known big car racers battle it out in the stock predator class, the equivalent of the big car pure stocks. So many there were 2 features. This is not a play track, it is a RACING track.

        I believe this track is destined for big things and overall in the Country, Kart Racing is becoming a really big deal. A really big National event is not out of the question. Anyone with a kart owes it to themselves to try this track. It has everything the big tracks have. Good lighting, very smooth track with little dust late, and a winners circle. It was refreshing to see how everybody respected each others skillset regardless of age. Flat out all the way around. And the science is already in full swing. Try it, there nothing like it that I know of. Karts are not a filler class, they are the ONLY class but many divisions of them. Around 80 cars last night.

  9.    I hope this becomes a reality and the management is open minded enough to realize success will come with INVOLVEMENT of the masses, not just the elite. There's already private clubs for racers that want to show off their shinny stuff. 

       Racing is not about the race, its about the SHOW. Remember it started as only a part of Country Fairs as an added show. A successful promoter will be a professional promoter, not unlike Vince McMann who sells fake fighting all over the world with great success. He creates a story with every entrant and every entrant plays a role. Their independent success depends on how well they sell their story.

      In my opinion every car needs to be a character with its own story. None of us are professional racers but we do create a show that we expect people to pay to watch. Unfortunately racing has become too pompous where the lesser entrants are looked down on and scoffed at. Shame because most of the "lesser" teams indeed have an interesting story relating to how and why they got there. Yet too many promoters overlook their plight when that could draw interest to many.

      In short, its my opinion that a successful track needs to have a great promoter, not necessarily a great race director. Speed does not do it all anymore. Drama never gets old. Pay attention to the shows that draw big attendance in todays world, not the same old show that cant sell tickets anymore. Your drivers and crew are the show, not the cars. Don't overlook any of them, each one has a following. Don't try to sell their possessions, sell their PASSION ! Share it with the audience.

       So everyone make fun of me now. My show is no longer interesting to promoters. Shame.

  10. Yes that was Cecil Harris' Ford.In the late 50s Butch managed to anger the infamous Pinky Dirks by doing a pass in his dragster on main street one late nite.He managed to sneak back into the garage but everyone knew who did this.Pinky was a County Highway Patrolman who spent the next several years chaseing all the teen hot rodders who thought they could get away running the levies.But he and his big block Ford rarely let one get away.The original Smokey but mean as hell.

     

    Small world indeed.

  11. I worked for Cecil Harris when Butch brought home a A Sports racer that had a 426 hemi and a no gear transaxle.It only had a torque converter.He added a trans and made it into a modified for Myerland.I moved south before it was finished but heard he got hurt in this car.Judging form what I see this is the A Sports Racer.

     

    Butch was from my home town of LaFeria Tx.In 57 he raced a dragster called the tequila burner.Hid dad raced a Ford with a Cadillac engine called the Mexican Bean.In 68 when I moved to Houston Butch was racing Formula V.He even had his own VW dino.A little later he moved to Formula Ford,then bought the A Sport.His brother Harold had a screaming VW beetle.He used to start last and win most of the time.I went to Almeda Speedway with Harold Harris in 1969 and was hopelessy hooked on racing every since.

     

    Butch stopped by my shop about 4 years ago.He was servicing a groop of speck racers for a groop of Doctors and Lawyers.He would haul a bunch of cars to the track,take them home after the races(road racing)then refresh all the cars for the next race.Sounded like a great job to me.His business is called Butch Harris Racing in Houston.

  12. I have a picture on my facebook of my outlaw and guess what! I still have it too.It also escaped the crusher but went through 2 floods and a hurricane.It could run again with an engine but the air cooled is too outdated.I also have the 4 cyl modified that has had several types of engines.Since this thread is about early Riverside and CC The wedge cars with sideboards were the car of the day.Even stock bodie cars adapted the sideboards.I would love to see them return.Lawerence M mastered the air.He used to tow his late model to the track with a rope because his shop was 2 blocks away. :lol:

  13. If you have any pictures of the outlaw ministocks from 85 or 86 I would really like to see them even if their in the background.We had a fierce battle between me,my brother,Rennie Orr,and a familiar name,Greg Spreen.Yes THE Greg Spreen.Great times,loved that Riverside track,not the river so much,almost fell in it one nite.Im looking at a picture right now of a sprint car that DID fall in,only the big rear tire is above water.Hence the name Riverside.

  14. My experience at Riverside came in 1985.After the 3rd race at RGS,Robert Theser dropped our class of outlaw minnies so I had no place to race my brand new car.Randy Young suggested Riverside so I gave it a try.Since Jim Melhart almost twisted mine any my brothers arm to switch to the 10 inch McCrearys my car loved that track and so did I.Sonny gave us a great purse and my brother started racing there too.We had the black VWs #s 77 and 64.We called his car the flying nun because the fenders looked like a nuns hat.

     

    We had fierce battles between us,Greg Spreen who now sells race motors and the father of Dillon Spreen from late models.Also the Expressions in Wood sponsered chopped Bug.and Melharts car then owned my Micky Collier I think.Bubba was there with his Capri.The guys fron the Navel Air Base bbrought the most cars.Many others too.

     

    The first race in 1986,the trophy dash I won and a pink Rolls Royce pulled up to the finish line.I remember thinking " man this place really rocks,I just won a Rolls!!!!!" It turned out it was carrying the Trophy Girls,3 dancers from I think The Playpin all dressed in pink ruffels.I did not get to keep them eather but I have the memories.Sonny Brown and John Farquair ( Im sure misspelled ) were the first promoters to treat the mini stock racers as real racers,gave us respect,good purses and it showed with good car counts.Loosing Sonny was a great loss to the mini stock community.Riverside tried to stay open but without resources it failed.

     

    It took me almost 10 years to find another promoter with the same respect for the 4 banger guys.His name was Donny Yocum. R.I.P you guys,I will never forget eather of you.Hope to race for you again someday. G.B.Carter

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