This message was edited on
June 06, 2008 at
02:22:49 PM by vrafan
By: Surfnsprint
The Wild, The Speed, The Gambler and the Prize
I rode
that long lonesome highway out to Victorville. I had never been there
before, but we got one of those Map Quest things and showed up just in
time for the racing. I dragged myself over to a push truck and asked if
I could get on the track to take some pictures. I got bumped around
from one guy to another until I got to Cary Faas, whom I’d never met
before. This guy was slight of build and had a quick easy smile. He
listened to my rap for about a second, looked me up and down and said,
“sure, you’re on your own!” Instant friend. “Thanks”, I replied. We
shook hands. I wandered down into the Promised Land……..
All Thrill and No Fill
Blake Miller
---------------------------------------------------
I’m
just a race fan, pretty new to racing actually. I’m not sure why, but I
get crazy watching open wheel race cars rocket around a track. They
started spinning cars on that track for qualifying and I was like a kid
in a candy store. Here comes Blake Miller (saw him win the VRA
Championship a few years back) and now it’s Casey Shuman (saw him miss
the Oval Nationals last year by a burp) and now it’s Super Ricky and
Tony the Cowboy and there’s Kruser and here comes Danny Sheridan. I
mean it was endless stream of incredible drivers and smoking cars. I
got to meet the great photographer Doug Allen and a couple of other
lenses. Hope I didn’t get in anybody’s way. I sat down there in turn
three, it was all lit up like a photo studio and I just burned those
memory cards. My only problem was I was hungry as a wolf. No time to
eat on the road and I wasn’t going to give up my precious spot. It
seemed like those cars kept coming forever.
Kruseman Breaks and Is Out
The Track People Went the Distance
After
the qualifying was over, the sun was setting so I headed into the pits
to check out some drivers. Brudder Brett grabs me and says “Hey let me
show you some free hot dogs!” What the heck are you talking about I’m
saying. He pulls me over to this motor home and these folks have this
huge spread all laid out. I mean they had big ole bratwurst wieners in
buns, sodas, chips, cheese dip and brownies. They had big poster about
Racing Optics so I guess this was mixing business and pleasure.
Whatever. I was so starved. They treated me like a pharaoh and they
didn’t care who I was. They went off to watch one of their own race and
came back all happy because I guess he won his heat. Thanks to all you
Racing Optic folk for that killer generosity and warm hospitality. I
was fit and full and feeling good.
National Racing Sensation ‘Brudder Brett’ Creates a Scene Wherever He Goes
The Mighty Casey Shuman
Out on
the track, they had a big grader cutting the slick and a water truck
laying it down. They were really working their arses off getting this
thing ready. As the sun sets, it’s a pretty track, bigger than Ventura
with some good bank to it. Nice grandstands, covered and full of
appreciative fans. I went back into the pits and socialized a bit. I
picked out some drivers I admire and got some pictures. I hung out with
King Luis and the Sertich racing family. I dig the way Tom and Laurie
have built their racing life. You really can’t beat race car owners (no
pun intended); they just are the finest people. Everybody is casual but
focused as the golden light is drifting away. I see Cary again and I
ask him for a picture. “Let me get my partner” he says and yells across
the loading ramp for Jack Gardner. The two of them sit for moment and I
try to grab it. The suns slips away, the crowd is twitching with
anticipation and down in the darkened pits, twenty something ‘know it
alls’ are getting ready for the mother of all arguments.
Eric Severson Is Building a Reputation
Danny Sheridan
They
did some go fish drawing of envelopes for top eight to get positioning
and Blake pulls out the pole. Casey Shuman is outside first row. They
offer Blake 20K to win from the back, no thanks. Mr. Casey Shuman also
took a pass. Quiet studied Josh Ford just points to the back. I’ll take
that bet, he says. Says a lot about Josh Ford. The bet embodied the
spirit of the whole evening, let’s race against all odds. I’ve seen
this guy race sprints, midgets, chili and what you got. His demeanor is
reserved and thoughtful. His presence is peaceful. His racing is
outrageous. Richie Rich says ‘actions speak louder than words’. Josh
Ford is deafening.
Deafening
Almost
I kept
notes on that main event, but only a few things stand out. Casey Shuman
rocketed from the outside front row and had a tight hammerlock on the
lead. The speed and the sound were supersonic. A couple of ugly yellows
(one sending Josh to the work and then refiring) culminated in local
driver Don Gansen mixing it up on the straightaway, traveling at high
speed through the infield and coming to a stop at the beginning of turn
two with a tore up leg. The well-equipped crash crew and ambulance
rolled and got him to a hospital. Maybe somebody can report that this
guy is ok. When they relit the rocket, It was amazing watching Casey do
his thing. I wrote in my notebook ‘how in the hell is anybody gonna
catch this guy’? Watching that Blake Miller, though, I couldn’t believe
how hard he was driving into the corners. It almost looked like the
front tires couldn’t keep up with the rear tires, he was almost
pitching forward. Danny Sheridan was there. Cody Williams was solid,
keeping up with everybody despite losing it on a bad wobble. Easy to
tell that kid comes from greatness. Miller stepped it up and actually
passed for the lead coming out of four. They pulled him back on a
yellow and he never seriously challenged again. It’s like Shuman
realized “wow, this kid’s got game” and fired the afterburners.
Sheridan took over and gave him hell. Horrific crash for Jimmy
Crawford, right around lap eight! At first they called it for curfew,
flew the checkers. But Cary got things turned around instantly, had a
little chat with Shuman on the straightaway and they refired after
clearing the Crawford wreck. I could hear defiant infield workers
shouting “Cary says we’re racing!” Well, Shuman got right back out
front and fans were treated to a rowdy race for the cash. Danny
Sheridan was continually challenging, except when he and Mike Spencer
were fighting over real estate. Spencer took a bump coming out of four
and got turned around. Tyler Brown was fast downtown. No drama at the
end, but it was ripping action as Shuman took the 5K followed by
Sheridan, Miller and Brown. I think Ford got all the way up to eighth.
Nice Piece of Glass
Before
they ran the main, they had all of the cars lined up on the front
straightaway. I watched as Cary Faas went from car to car and
personally thanked every driver for showing up. This story doesn’t add
up to a hill of beans, but it’s my way of thanking Cary and Jack for
taking the time to put something special together. Fans want the wild,
the speed, the gambler and the prize. They all showed up in Victorville.
Shaking Things Up
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