Typically early April shows the signs of the emergence of race season. Green grass, buds on the trees, and warm breezes. This year for us Michiganders, this is definitely not the case.
Berlin, Winston, and Crystal have all already cancelled their openers while here in Northern Michigan we have snow in the forecast for the foreseeable future.
Even though 2013 is off to a rough start for fans and drivers; Donnie Roberts sought to break the winter blues last weekend (April 6th) when he hosted an open house for Homestead Motorsports. The Michigan MotorSports Hall of Fame inductee has had an illustrious career throughout the state of Michigan that began in the early 60’s and continues today as he pilots his no.63R Modified at various events throughout the region. As a frequent car owner for up-and-coming drivers like Collin Thirlby, Donnie’s passion for the sport is evident in whatever role he plays as when he is not at the track, he is often in the Gladwin, Michigan race shop. In addition to being a MastersBilt Chassis distributer, Donnie is a chassis builder in his own right offering his own style of Modified and Dirt Late Model chassis. Homestead Motorsports also specializes in part sales and expert set-up analysis. The business is definitely a busy one as the hall of famer has a wealth of knowledge to share.
In addition to their own open house, Homestead Motorsports hosted a meet and greet and driver registration for the 2013 Dirt Cup tours. On a chilly wet day it was great to see Dirt Cup co-founder Bill Long and drivers John Goodrich (no.44 Modified), Jim Billett (no.25 Late Model), and Brian Brindley (no.4 Modified) at the event checking out the Homestead Motorsports shop, Donnie’s newest Modified build, and committing to running the 2013 tour.
The Michigan Dirt Cup Tour which was a joint venture between Andy Stebbins, Bill Long, and Allstar Performance is an awesome one that is somewhat reminiscent of the MSPA shows of old. With a major points fund sponsored by AllStar Performance and area speedways willing to put up big purses; the events draw the best drivers in the state to a centralized location for a handful of races throughout the season. From a fan perspective the Dirt Cup tour provides us with an opportunity to see Michigan’s finest vie for a win and a series title. As a driver, skills are put to the test and the bar for competition raised. It has also provided some lesser known competitors with awesome sponsorship deals and even rides as drivers have gained recognition in areas where they previously had not competed. I am definitely looking forward to seeing what is in store for 2013 for both the Modified and Late Model tours.
If you didn’t see a Dirt Cup event in 2011 or 2012 its definitely worth the travel time, and with a broad spectrum there is sure to be an event nearby so please check out http://www.michigandirtcup.com/ to see there 2013 schedules. And as the season progresses keep your eyes out for the Homestead Motorsports logo on some of your favorite, and maybe even new favorite Dirt Cup drivers machines including Donnie Roberts. For more information on Homestead Motorsports check out their website at http://homesteadms.com/
Thanks for reading and I’ll see you when the next green flag flies!
PitSide... Online 
Great article Darcy!