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Tornado Alley – Mother Nature is Rolling!
(Bill W) April 24, 2008 – Many sprint car drivers are restless in the Midwest right now, and few more so than Billy Alley. Two straight weekends of bad weather have sidetracked racing plans, and he'd like to unleash the SA Racing #22 rather than watch the Weather Channel again. This week's plans include running with the big boys. The World of Outlaws are scheduled to visit Huset's Speedway near Brandon, South Dakota on Friday and the Knoxville Raceway Saturday.
Huset's banked 3/8 mile oval was the site of Billy's first 410 win in the United States. On July 3, 2005, he started seventh in the family #22, and after battling with leader Jake Peters for a couple of laps, took the point for good on lap 19. "I was definitely in a rhythm that night," he remembers. "We had her rolling around Huset's pretty good. That was a special night for us."
Billy shares one legend's opinion of racing at Huset's and Knoxville. "Like Doug Wolfgang says, if you can run Knoxville and Huset's, you can run anywhere in the country comfortably, because of the contrast in the tracks. Huset's is the type of place that if you're not comfortable, it will show right away."
The fans in South Dakota welcome Billy every time he travels up I-29. "Huset's is a place where I've gained a lot of fans," he says. "Most of them are pretty loyal. I get a lot of e-mails from there. When I ran second at Eagle earlier this year, a bunch of fans came down from there just to watch me."
Motor problems plagued him last year when the WoO came to Huset's in July. "It's a different place," says Billy. "When the Outlaws come, they have a different kind of fast there, and that's what we hope we have on Friday. After running a few weekly shows, they show you how fast they really are. Every time you race, you learn though. Last year we raced a lot. Hopefully, now we can settle down with one team here for several years. That's the only way a guy can compete with the best, is by settling down with a team for awhile."
Billy is also anticipating his first shot at Knoxville with SA Racing. "I'm excited to get Knoxville," he says. "I really wish we could have gotten it in last week before the 'Guns' come in. That's what was dealt, so that's what we'll do. We've got a new car and new stuff that will be rolling around the raceway…granted I have a lot of laps there and we should be comfortable there, but if we're a little off, you don't have much time to make up for that with two laps (time trials) dictating the rest of your night."
Sometimes Billy looks back to a fourth place run he had with the WoO at Knoxville in June of 2006. "Ricky Logan told me once if you're going through a bad spell, just get out some tapes of when things were going well," says Billy. "My mom tapes me every week, so she has to watch me through the camera instead of live…I went back and watched that race. That's one of the most fun tapes for me to watch. It does show you that you can do it, and most of this deal is about believing in yourself."
That is, if Mother Nature cooperates!
Hoseheads Radio
If you are too far from Knoxville to make it on Saturday night, Billy's races will be on the internet at www.HoseheadsRadio.com all season long! Join "Hot" Rod Pattison and Bill W for all the action starting at 7:30 p.m. CST. SA Racing is a proud partner of Hoseheads Radio this season!
Billy on the Radio
Billy is making morning appearances all race season long on KJJY (92.5 FM). He's looking forward to talking about racing…and other things. "Because it is a country station, I think we'll talk hunting," he says of his love of the outdoors. "I think the people in Iowa can appreciate that!"
Website
Be sure to visit the Kid's Corner at the website. Your wing design could be used on the car!
To learn more about Billy Alley and SA Racing, visit www.BillyAlley.com!
T-shirts
SA Racing apparel can be viewed at www.BillyAlley.com and purchased at the track! Also visit www.RacingThreads.com for apparel on clearance!
Down the Alley
Randy Wilson of Knoxville asks: I understand that you had quite a sports career in high school. Could you fill us in on some (or all) of what you did? I think it would be fascinating for fans to know that part of your life.
Billy answers: I was hoping my high school career would somehow lead to a college education. My high school (Lincoln Southeast) was a huge football school. I graduated with around 900 students, which definitely helped our sports program. If you were in the Lincoln area, and wanted to play football at the next level, you went to Southeast. I had pretty good success there. I played on the varsity three out of my four years, and we won the state title those years. Two of those years I didn't help much because of my knees (torn ACLs). My senior year, I was a captain. I played linebacker next to Barrett Ruud, who currently plays for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. I didn't have the talent he had, but I tried just as hard. My injuries really slowed me down from playing in college.
I wrestled from fourth grade on. The doctors said I wouldn't be able to wrestle my junior year, because of my knees…but true story, I parked in the handicap parking spot, went into the state tournament and took fifth place. My senior year, after tearing my knee up in football again, wrestling was the only thing to look forward to. I came back and for one week I was ranked #1 in the state at 171 pounds. In the conference meet, I tore my ACL in the conference meet, and that's when this racing thing sort of built me back up.
Got a question for Billy? Send it to us at [email protected], and we may answer it in this section! Put "? for Billy" in your subject line.
Alley's Anecdotes
Billy has had success at Huset's Speedway. Despite only winning on one occasion, in his 21 feature starts there (20 have been in a 410), he has finished in the top ten 19 times. He finished in the top seven 89% of the time at the raceway last year alone. His best WoO finish at Knoxville was fourth on June 23, 2006, when he trailed Joey Saldana, Donny Schatz and Brooke Tatnell to the stripe. He also finished fourth in a Knoxville Nationals prelim on August 12, 2005 trailing Shane Stewart, Tatnell and Danny Lasoski. He was the National's second highest point getter that year.
Tornado Alley
"Tornado Alley" is an up close look at the past, present and future of 2006 Knoxville Raceway track champion, Billy Alley. To receive "Tornado Alley", send an e-mail to [email protected] with "Alley" in the subject line.
Billy and SA Racing would like to thank Delta Oil, Sterling Physical Therapy, PC., Bolz Farms, Aeroquip, Awesome Racewear, The Buckles Brothers, Buss Excavating, JEI Chassis, McLain Motorsports, Schmit Automotive, Wesmar Racing Engines, Red Devil, Brakes, Pro Shocks, Fuel Safe, C&R Radiator, Vortex Wings, Sander Engineering, K&N Filters , Harris Decals, Toad Valley Golf Course, Speedway Motors, Featherlite Inc., Autometer, D'Agostiono Racing, Monarch's Restaurant, Volvo, Hoosier Tires.
The SA Racing Team hopes to get out of the parking lot this weekend!
Bill W MediaMonroe, IAUSA[email protected]
If this post isn't results, stories or something c
constructive, it isn't me!
@BillWMedia
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