Joe Lombardi: 'Big Joe' starts a new adventure in the Herald Posted On: Monday, Jul. 14 2008 05:13 AM First things first ... let me introduce myself.

My name is Joe Lombardi and yes, I'm the same one you either enjoy or can't stand, depending on your like or dislike of the Copperas Cove Bulldawgs over the past 30 years of Friday night football broadcasts. However, we're not here to talk about Cove's return to Class 5A or what that holds in store. We'll do that in a kdhpressbox.com blog when the season gets closer.

This concerns another sport, one I really knew nothing about until 1998, when Texas Thunder Speedway promoter Pat Wilson hired me to announce the races at his dirt track on Stan Schlueter Loop. Since then, IMCA racing has become a big part of my summers and when the Killeen Daily Herald invited me to share thoughts and opinions on the cars and drivers that go in circles a quarter-mile at a time, I thought about it for at least a half-second before shouting "YES!"

But why the title "Back Seat Driver?"

It's because that's what I am when it comes to racing. I tried it once in a so-called celebrity race and concluded that it's much better for me to talk about it than do it. My wife, Sherry Hoffpauir, actually suggested the title, since she says there's no one who can tell her which turns to make while she's driving better than me, since she won't let me behind the wheel when we're in the car together. She also said this column would be a good move for me, since I'm not bashful about offering opinions.

Now that introductions are over, refill your cup and let's talk racing.

Elton John once sang that "Saturday night's all right for fighting," but that won't get it at a race track.

I was saddened and disgusted Saturday night when two drivers got into a roll-in-the-dirt scuffle between turns 3 and 4 after a caution flag came out during the Southern SportMod feature race. Later, another incident almost got started near the winner's circle after the IMCA Modified main. Thank goodness cooler heads prevailed in that one.

Promoter Pat has said fighting will not be tolerated and I'm sure he'll levy appropriate penalties. There may even be sanctions sent down from on high, direct from IMCA headquarters in Iowa.

The bottom line here is what sort of example did that set for the hundreds of young race fans that come to the track with their parents? How do you think the Cub Scout leaders will explain it to the members of their pack that were watching from the stands?

I won't use any names, since, hopefully, the drivers involved already feel bad enough about their behavior. Some athletes have said they don't consider themselves role models. I hate to burst your collective bubbles, boys, but you are.

This hasn't happened in several years and let's don't let it happen again.

What I would like to see continue is the auctioning off of "Rides for Charity."

So far, the track has raised in excess of $200 by allowing fans to bid on getting a Texas Twister class feature-race ridealong. Saturday night, a fan bid $125 to have his daughter ride with Keith White, the national SportMod points leader, with the money going to the Juvenile Diabetes Foundation. A week earlier, the American Cancer Society pulled in a similar take for a ride with Modified driver P.J. Egbert. This kind of "Saturday night fighting" is fine with me, when you're taking on vicious diseases that need to be run over and ground into the mud.

Before we leave the Egbert corner, congratulations to P.J. on his 20th IMCA Modified win of the season. The Kempner flash is not only the all-time winningest modified driver at TTS, but also has moved into the national points lead. Having two drivers from the same track on top of their classes sure says something about the quality of racing around here.

Here's one more to chew on: NASCAR needs to get the Sprint Cup drivers out of the Nationwide Series, or limit the number of races they can run.

Me? Opinionated?

See ya at the track.