"Big" Joe Lombardi's Backseat Driver: Race fans stayed up late at Texas Thunder Speedway
Posted On: Monday, Jun. 1 2009 05:13 AM
Three weeks between race nights was too long.
Close to five hours of racing on one night might have been too much.
That is, unless you're a dyed-in-the-wool, true-blue fan like your friendly, neighborhood ink-stained wretch and the hundreds of others who were back at the track Saturday night.
We don't have an official track historian to keep up with such things, but in my 11-plus years behind the Texas Thunder microphone, this was the second-longest program I can remember.
After starting at straight-up 8 p.m., we were telling the fans good night at 12:40 a.m.
Opening night of 1999 lasted a little longer, as in until 1:20 a.m.
But who cares?
It was just great to see all the familiar faces and a lot of new ones, too.
Having to fly solo with my partner Merle Bertrand off doing baseball playoffs on the internet kept me from getting out of the tower to check the crowd, but from what we could see, there didn't appear to be too many empty seats. That goes to show that dirt track racing is alive and doing very well around here, thank you.
The fans sure got their money's worth and then some.
For the first time in a while, we had to run a B-Main in the IMCA Modified class, since 28 drivers checked in.
That's the biggest car count in the class we've had recently.
It was like adding an extra 15-lap feature to the program and we loved it.
The top eight finishers qualified for the A-Main to set up a 20-car feature race.
It was close to midnight when we green-flagged the modified feature, which started off with Bertram's Brad Jordan holding on to the early lead, but then came the Great Black Shark, the No. 555 Chevrolet of defending national champion P.J. Egbert.
Navigating caution flags and an extremely fast, dry-slick track, the Kempner Kid gobbled up laps and competitors to notch his 94th career modified win.
Or was it No. 96?
His dad Phil Egbert yelled to me it was 96, but on the winner's circle, P.J. said 94, so should we split the difference and say 95?
Let's don't.
Bottom line ... if he keeps it up, P.J. will get win No. 100 before the curtain falls in September.
The IMCA Stock Cars were out there for a long time.
I lost count of how many yellow flags waved, but it was a bunch.
We started with 19 drivers, but attrition ... and more attrition, shrank the field to 10 left rolling when the checkered flag finally flew and Tim Carman, Jr. won the big trophy.
Maybe we need to put him up for the next "Survivor" cast.
He certainly "outlasted, outplayed and outwitted" everybody else on this episode.
The Long Haul Award, if we had one, would have to go to Johnny Torres, who trailered his IMCA Southern Sport Mod up from San Antonio, then left town with a feature win in his pocket.
Other than all the caution flags, the only real drama came after the Street Stock feature race.
It went smoother than usual and ended up with Jason Honey in Victory Lane.
But, while we were getting ready for the next event and, as usual, I was carried away with the sound of my own voice, chief scorekeeper Jennifer Perry gave me the zip-your-lip sign.
She told me that after undergoing a post-race technical inspection, Honey's car had been disqualified for running an illegal engine.
That gave the win to Dennis Simmons, who came in second.
It was his first-ever feature win.
Dennis came bounding into the booth later and said he didn't want the win that way, but he'd take it and the 40 points that are part of the package.
I'm happy for him.
I don't know what the inspectors found in Jason's engine and it may have been an inadvertant oversight, but maybe it'll turn on a light for everybody else that you've
got to make sure everything is legal, by the book.
Other winners were Buck McFarlin in the Classic Dwarf Car class, while Mike Dzialoski got his initial win in the first Texas Twister feature.
James Herring won for the third time in the second Twister main event.
And so it went, our first night back after two-straight rainouts.
It was also our last night before the City of Killeen's no-smoking ordinance went into effect today.
Let me say I'm against no-smoking ordinances wherever they pop up.
When the Copperas Cove City Council enacted one, for a long time I was so mad I wouldn't speak to the members who voted for it.
Yes, I'm a smoker and make no apologies for it.
I think it's unfair to tell Texas Thunder Speedway, which is an OUTDOOR venue, that their customers can't smoke when certain INDOOR sporting venues, as reported in Sunday's Herald, were "late additions" to the exemption list.
We've had smoke-free and alcohol-free sections at the track since I can remember and never once has anyone complained.
Since it's now the law, I'll comply, but I don't like it.