Back to New Smyrna

[Boneman]

I had a great time at NSS for the "reopening" week! Aside from hanging out with some good old friends, here are a few highlights.

They had a "match race" between one of the bombers and the Dodge pace car. Who knows if it was a set-up or not, but the announcer played it up and it was a hit. The bomber won, but it was close. This was a cool element in a fun show, so I hope that NSS will continue to do this. I think the possibilities are endless: local DJ's or newscasters racing against the pace car, stars from other sports, local celebs, drag racers, monster truck drivers, who knows?

On the racing front, the super stock feature was an endorsement of why HANDICAPPED STARTS WORK! There were a few guys who had a chance to run at the front, passing and repassing, while the field was tightly bunched behind them. It was pack racing at its finest. Even when the slower cars filtered to the back the race was a good one all the way. Yeah, I have my issues with 40 year old Monte Carlos, but they put on a good race last week.

The SLM race had problems: 6 cars for 50 laps, but to the tracks credit they delivered what they promised. The event went the advertised distance, and I assume they paid the advertised purse. At least I got to see the racing return of Wayne Anderson.

And just in case you forgot, it was cool to see just how damn fast a SLM is at this track!

[Dana Barlow]

I always loved driving New Smyrna,big fast,a little tricky,but not near as tricky as Palm Beach Fairgrounds Speedway. Both have had hard times keeping car count up{ I think in part do too being 1/2,speed is so high,a crash mostly kills the race car vs smaller tracks=much less work to fix race car an be out next week. Very sad PBFS is now long gone.
Very happy NSS is still going,my fav. was always Speedweeks before the Daytona 500. I did that many years,mostly stayed in a tent camping at the track{ before there was a camping place set up or it cost.