Ahhhhh….Finally, spring has arrived!
Last Friday night (May 13th) I went to Mt. Pleasant Speedway and saw some great racing action on the 3/8-mile clay oval.
The staff members of Mt. Pleasant are always incredibly friendly and they do an amazing job of putting on a great show for the fans. Owner Betty Crook is never still, always working and filling in wherever there’s a gap and Promotional Director Bill Long has amazing ambition and is truly a great ambassador for the sport.
Rain clouds threatened, but a sprinkle was never felt allowing Mt. Pleasant to complete their 2nd show of the 2011 season. In the UMP Modified main it was #15 Rich Robinson Jr. who dominated, charging up to take the win in an intense and exciting race, the UMP Stock Cars also didn’t disappoint with several drivers charging to the front, but in the end it was the wicked fast #10 machine driven by Gary Vandermark that made a clean sweep winning not only his heat, but the feature event. And as always at Mt. Pleasant the 4-cylinder Mods and Late Models put on a great show, but I must admit that the tight and action packed Stock 4-cylinder division is one of my favorites at the groovy 3/8-mile. The track is perfectly suited for the small cars, and the division plays host to some incredible talented drivers ranging from novice to veteran.
I was very happy to kick off my official 2011 racing season at Mt. Pleasant, and will soon be back, not only for the on-track action…but also for the great people.
It was so nice getting to catch up with announcer Leo Pego, Michigan Motor Sports Hall of Fame inductee Bill Whittington, standout Late Model competitor David Hilliker, and the crew chief of the Brindley race team; Allen Wangler. These wonderful individuals have such big hearts and great personalities and seeing any one of them always makes my day. Combine a setting with that many great people and some awesome racing action and I definitely didn’t leave without a smile on my face.
The season is still young and Mt. Pleasant has some great shows on tap for the remainder of 2011. Memorial Day weekend they will play host to the Sunoco American Late Model Series (ALMS), Sprints on Dirt will invade the track on July 8th, and the Modified Dirt Cup Xtreme 100 will take place on August 21st with some awesome shows in between.
To learn more about Mt. Pleasant Speedway you can check them out at www.mtpleasantspeedway.com
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