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Playday big success at MRP
71 Cars bring in New Year; 2008 schedule is posted
By Bob Burbach
Marysville CA - January 7, 2008 ---The 1st Annual New Year’s Day Playday was staged Tuesday at Marysville Raceway Park. With the track open for the entire day, 71 cars took to the new clay to start the 40th Anniversary season at the venerable facility. Promoters Paul and Kathy Hawes were pleasantly surprised by the large turnout of cars and drivers.
According to local Appeal Democrat Sports Editor, Todd Hansen “All in all, the first ever New Year's playday at Marysville Raceway Park was a big hit, and proved to be a great way to drop the green flag on the celebration of the local track's 40th anniversary.”
Hansen interviewed promoter Hawes and reported that the track will be a full quarter-mile from the inside of the driving surface, but technically a little larger than a quarter-mile from the more traditional measuring point of 10 feet up the racing surface. The previous track was a full quarter-mile from the outside edge, and so slightly smaller than from the official measuring point. But the precise measurements were of little concern Tuesday. Drivers were looking for a racier track, and for the most part, got one.”
Hansen also reported that Hawes said, "(Fans) are going to see more speed ... and it is definitely going to be two-groove racing." Hawes, who will circle the track with walls and stronger safety fencing (by opening day) was impressed with the speeds. Hansen also interviewed Mike Monahan of Reno, the 2004 Winged 360 Sprint Car champion, and Monahan remarked, "I like the speed." Monahan, who put on his own show by popping some wheelies down the back straightaway continued, "They still have a little widening to do, but they say that's on the agenda." There were so many cars in the pits that there were enough cars for main events in a couple of divisions.
Jeremy Burt of Grass Valley, the reigning Winged 360 Sprint champion, was also present with his very quick #2b. The champ said he was anxious to get back into the car about two weeks after the season was done. Hansen further reported in his interviwew with Burt that he mused, "This gives us a little feed to pacify us until March," Burt, who brought his immaculately prepared sprinter to the raceway acknowledges he likes the track changes. "I think you are going to see more speed, and I think you are going to see more passing," Burt said.
Champion Modified driver Duane Cleveland of Yuba City provided a heart-stopping moment when he pawed his way into turn 3, hooked up hard against the cushion and flipped some 3-5 times and exited the surface landing close to Hawes’ newly planted trees on the very outside perimeter of the 3-4 turn complex.
Cleveland had turned in some of the most thrilling laps of the day prior to his big crash according to promoter Hawes. “He was twisting it in pretty hard,” Hawes quipped, in an interview with this observer. Cleveland commented that it was the hardest crash of his storied career as a modified driver. This observer, however, remembers a grinding wall-riding incident at Grass Valley some years ago in a street stock that was pretty wild. As the Modifieds are concerned, Hawes has announced that MRP will host a 5 race Modified Series during the course of 2008.
Track announcer Tim Gilbert had his own take on the playday extravaganza. “…there was a lot of talking and catching up, and the racers were having a ball! Kids were riding in the pits on ATVs (with parents) and walking around with their parents and grand parents, who watched them carefully while giving them the thrill of watching from the pit side. I had the impression from the “out of towners” that they liked the track.”
A race car show and race car parade to the speedway on opening night will kick off the point racing season on March 22nd. There will be no preseason open shows this year as Hawes will kick off the point racing season a week earlier than usual. The primary 4 divisions and the Nor Cal Dwarf Cars will be presented on opening night.
While expanding the track, adding an asphalt go-cart track and redoing many of the other facilities are all part of the future, Hawes will spend much of this year looking back. In the Hansen interview Hawes remarked, "This is our 40th anniversary so we are going to look back.” Hawes, who will honor many of those who got local racing started in the area, plans a year long look at the raceway’s spectacular past. Hawes mentioned that an annonymous donor has presented the speedway with a large number of negatives that will take some time to sift through and the shots appear to be a real mirror into MRP’s past. A NARC reunion is scheduled for August 23rd as all of the past stars from that original sanctioning body (yes it was stock cars back then) to the present will be honored for their daring contribution to racing at MRP. The Cy Francis Memorial Race remembering one of MRP’s earliest promoters will be Scheduled for August 2nd.
A muriad of special events will be presented all year and more Special Events/dates are in the works. Nine Special Events nights are introduced in the new schedule. As other sponsored events are finalized they will all be announced and noted at the website.
Promoter Hawes will present point racing in 5 divisions. The MRP Winged 360 Sprint Cars, The MRP Wingless Sprint Cars, the MRP Street Stocks, Mini Stocks and Extreme Bombers will all have full point racing seasons. The 2008 schedule has been posted to the website. Promoter Hawes is always available for questions and inquiries.
Hawes’ efforts to promote series with national recognition has provided a WESTERN ALL-STARS Late Model Series (http://www.westernallstars.com/) event scheduled for April 26th. In addition, 3 USAC (United States Auto Club) Ford Focus Midget events are being penciled in as well.
Hawes’ efforts are tireless, as his trips across the country in the off-season have brought him into contact with operations both good and NOT so good. Ideas and innovations will continue to breathe more life into the facility all year long and in the years to come. An exciting, thrilling and very forward moving 2008 is anticipated by everyone concerned. Please click on to the Schedule button to download the 2008 schedule.
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