Great day for a race.... weather was beautiful...wind was stronger then I like..but it was warm...
Took us about three and a half hours to get to Kankakee....
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arrived there right around 4:30 p.m...... there was already a big crowd in the pit area and a long line at pit gate..
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While in the pit area I ran into Jamie Wilson at his parts truck.. Jamie is doing very well in his business... as I walked through the pit area I saw many WILSON CHASSI'S ... I asked him if he was going to be back in a race car soon and he told me he planned to when he got caught up with his work... only trouble he said was every time he thinks he is gettig caught up new work comes along.... Jamie did say that was good trouble.... I told him his mother inlaw was missing him being out on the track.... he laughed and said he knew....
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I ran into Randy Korte on his four wheeler... I asked him if he was going to race both the modified and late model tonight.... he told me no...just the late model....but that he did plan on racing the modifed some this season.... Randy is a really nice guy and always friendly when you run into him... I wished him goodluck in 2009..
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I saw Team #22 pull in and started walking toward where they were parking.....oops..uh Kevin was not a very happy camper.... I couldn't even get him to smile when I told him that he should not feel bad....that they get stuck every where they go...........he said I know but it frustrating.... Chad ran down a tractor and was pulled out..........they moved to a different spot........ the ground in the pit area was pretty damp..
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I left there and started walking through the I-Mod section... I had never seen these type cars before and was very interested in them... I was looking forward to seeing them run....
I am not sure how many were there but I seen at least 8 I think.... they told me that they mainly run at Shady Hills and was very excited with the chance to race at Kankakee.... they are hoping to pick up more tracks... said there are about 30 of them and they are hoping that this class will catch on in other areas as well
Head of the organization is DICK LEACH... if you have any questions about this division call him at 219-987-3578 or go to http://www.imods4u.com
Dick told me that you can buy a used turn key i-mod for $5000 or less....
and a lot cheaper to run then a modified.... I am not sure how much it is to buid a hornet but I am thinking that some of them have at least this much in their cars...
I got interviews with the chassi builder (B & L Chassi) Jeff Barger and two of the drivers Tim Sullivan, jr and Richard Gynn...
Was really nice talking with them and they were very informative... thanks guys...
I got interviews with modified drivers Rich Robinson,jr, Butch Wiesser, Mike Sullivan,Jamie Lomax, Jim Ransom and Jason Lakey...
I had already got all my interviews except for Lakey when Dennis Waggle came up to me and told me that Team #22 along with some others were loading up and pulling out...said the track was too rough and they wanted to try and make it to Farmer City before it was too late to race... he said it was being tossed around that they were going to cancel the show....
I found Sam Driggers and asked him what was going on..... He said he didn't know yet..he said it was one of those situations that you are damned if you do and you are damned if you don't.... a no win situration.....
I started heading back to the grandstand to see what my hubby was going to do.... as I was going I seen Jason Lakey and grabbed him for an interview.. as I was talking with him Chad Kinder and Team was pulling out....
By the time hubby and I got into the car and on the way to Farmer City it was six oclock...we were an hour away from Champaign/Urbana....
The boys missed qualifying at Farmer City but they allowed them to tag onto the back of heat two......
Heat one for modifed was: (taking top 4) Lance Dehm, #3, #N59 and #7
Heat two was Chad Osterkamp, Jeremy Nichols, #12 and Chad Kinder
Heat three was Jeff Leka, McKay Wenger, #4 and #7L....
B-MAIN: Cory Schwengel and Don Kiger to Main
FEATURE: JEFF LEKA.....Chad Osterkamp....McKay Wenger...Lance Dehm...CHAD KINDER...Don Kiger....#n59...#12
After the modified feature I went to find Pam Leka and yelled at Jeff congratulating him... was nice to see Pam again...
We then headed home
Was very disappointing that Kankakee did not get their big race in.... the pit area was full..the grandstands were full and when we left people were still coming in as were rigs..
No one was more disappointed then Doug Judy... he tried to get the track prepared for the big night and on thursday they thought it was there.... I know everyone was very upset.... .. and there is nothing you can really say to make it better..... ALL INVOLVED felt bad...... no one could possibly feel worse then Doug Judy himself..... he tried to get the race in as he promised.... it didn't pan out...........but Doug you gave it a good shot... suck it up.... put it behind you..... get the track in running order and the guys will be back... it is a nice track... you have a lot of local guys that want to race there and will stick by their hometrack.... when I was talking with the different drivers they were very happy that Kankakee was open again..... it will all work out..... just hold off til the track is ready..... I remember when Sherri Heckenast redid the surface on her track at KLMS......... it took a while for it to settle in and make a good surface.... this year is the best I have seen it..... on her opening night after redoing the track I was sitting at Kamp watching the races and got at least four phone calls telling me of all the cars that were being torn up and many car flipped..... that is what would have happened if you had not called the race.........right call in my books....