Wednesday night at Volusia - excellent!

[Boneman]

Wow, what a good show VSP put on Wednesday night. It was fast paced and packed with cars. What a nice change from the weekly shows that we have to get used to in Florida.

I don't have the exact counts, but there were almost 40 top line, well known sprints, and around 70 OWM, including Ken Schrader, Kenny Wallace and Clint Bowyer.

I do know they ran 17 races in just over 3 hours. This included one break in the action, and that was for quick and effective work on the dirt surface. They also managed to go 16 races before doing a victory lane interview. Most races went green within a minute or two of the previous checkered. The cars pull from staging onto the track in turn one, idle around and took the green in turn 4. There was very little wasted time.

I also liked the big video screen that treated the fans to slow motion replays of the action, and live TV style coverage of the racing.

I know that pavement cars need a few laps to warm the tires, but overall Florida's pavement tracks could learn a thing or two from the pace of the show, and the excellent competition that I saw last night at Volusia.

[jacko241]

It appears that Volusia has it's act together on how to run a program in a timely manner. I don't believe a track being dirt or asphalt has as much to do with it as management. When I raced at Saint Augustine Speedway when it was dirt, it was the slowest run program of any track around. We regularly didn't get out of there till midnite or later! Conversly, when I raced at New Smyrna in the late 90's, it was very well run in my opinion, very fast paced. If you wern't ready to go when they lined up your class, you missed the start. One of the main things that turn me off at a track is when time is wasted getting the show moved along. I feel pretty sure lots of fans feel the same way.

[bubba]

I have to second Bonemans thoughts on VSP - excellent show. I got there around 5 and walked the pits for a bit. It is just a cool feeling to be in the presence of that many legendary drivers/teams. That may sound corny, but Steve Kinser walked next to me the length of the pits and was surprisingly very approachable. Tony Stewart was in the concession line in front of me, Sammy Swindell damn near ran me over. With few exceptions anybody I could think of in the sprint car world was present.

I will say that Clint Bowyer was all over his car in the pits working on things - not his crew - but him - wrenching under over and inside. I was impressed.

VSP ran a tight show - and the fact that I saw as much racing as i did and was home by midnight was ridiculous. They had the next two heats lined up and ready when the first one ended and they took the green out of four right after coming onto the track in one.

As far as the racing, the first sprint car heat race was one of the most exciting races i have ever seen. Jason Sides/Swindell traded the lead in nearly every corner. Swindell ran away with the A Main, but racing was good throughout the field. Even the mods had their act together it seemed.

The bar has been set pretty high for NSS, but I think they will come through.

I kept an eye out for you Boneman. based on a composite of little 500 pictures - i didnt see ya.

[bubba]

And...I might add the Pork Chop sammiches are still the food to beat.

[ancrdave]

Boneman was there in his alter-ego superhero outfit as "Rex Carr"....

[Boneman]

Oops, I forgot to mention something cool. Bubba reminded me about the option for the fas to wander through the pits! That is a neat thing to offer. I did it in previous years, but not last night. Is it still free?