SHORT TRACK RACING: HOMAGE TO A FORGOTTEN SERIES!

Posted on October 11, 2018 by MartynL

Hard to believe it's been nearly 20 years since the Championship Auto Racing Series (CARS) ran exciting, wheel to wheel stock car races on short tracks around Indiana. This series was distinct from and should not be confused with today's southeastern CARS series that descended from the old Hooters ProCup series, blogs Stephen Cox. The original CARS series was Indiana-based, founded by former ARCA driver Morris Coffman. The concept was built around a spec stock car chassis powered by 305 cubic i...

PART IV: 10 GREAT RACE TRACKS YOU’VE NEVER SEEN!

Posted on July 4, 2017 by MartynL

Stephen Cox blogs about a century of motorsports magic at Montpelier Motor Speedway. Indianapolis. Le Mans. Milwaukee. Those are the places that come to mind when discussing the oldest and most legendary racetracks on the planet. Montpelier is rarely mentioned, though it should be. Last weekend I discovered a small, dirt bullring in eastern Indiana that has been one of auto racing's best-kept secrets for over a century. Built as a half-mile horseracing track in 1903, Montpelier Motor Speedwa...

BIRMINGHAM: AMERICA’S GREATEST SUPER SPEEDWAY THAT WAS NEVER BUILT!

Posted on August 10, 2015May 15, 2017 by MartynL

In the summer of 1912, it seemed that anything was possible. Land was cheap and plentiful. Gold was money. The motorcar was the wonder of the world and Alabama could’ve become the epicenter of racing in the U.S., blogs Stephen Cox. Two investors from Alabama were convinced that an affluent suburb could be built just five miles south of downtown in what is now the village of Homewood. The new development would attract homebuyers and businesses by tapping into the public's enthusiasm fo...

SHORT TRACK: RACING ON ALL FOURS!

Posted on April 21, 2014May 15, 2017 by MartynL

Stephen Cox blogs about the growing four-cylinder trend in grassroots racing. Once upon a time, entry level stock car divisions at local bullrings across the country were filled with the glorious growl of American V8 engines. They were called “Hobby Stocks,” “Pure Stocks” or “Street Stocks.” A few unimaginative promoters condemned them as “Bombers” or “Thundercars,” as if any fool would want to drive a car so named. But regardless of the title, entry-level stock car fields at lo...

SHORT TRACK RACING: BEST VS. WORST TIRES!

Posted on January 6, 2014May 15, 2017 by MartynL

‘Wide, sticky tires really do ruin racing,” blogs Stephen Cox who presents a really interesting case for choosing the right tires. Doug Strasburg is an easy guy to talk with. His humble, soft-spoken manner belies a lifetime of motorsports experience and wisdom. The Mid-American Stock Car Series has thrived under his leadership despite being on the endangered species list not many years ago. When you disagree with Doug, believe me, you'd better do it on very solid grounds. The man knows auto ...

RACING’S GREATEST UPSETS?: MONEY TALKS!

Posted on October 14, 2013May 15, 2017 by MartynL

‘Oh wait, there really aren't many great upsets,’ blogs racer Stephen Cox! Think for a moment about the most famous upsets in sports history. The New York Giants beat undefeated New England in Super Bowl XLII. Buster Douglas knocked out Mike Tyson in Tokyo, February 1990. The U.S. Olympic hockey team manhandled the supposedly unbeatable Russians in 1980. Every year the major sports magazines print lists of the greatest upsets in sports history, and every year they all have one thing...

SHORT TRACK RACING: CALAMITOUS COMMITMENT CONE!

Posted on October 8, 2013May 15, 2017 by MartynL

Stephen Cox, below, blogs about 'The Cone' and racing at Wisconsin’s La Crosse Fairgrounds Speedway. Having never been to La Crosse before, it was no surprise that I qualified near the back of the field last weekend after only six laps of practice (throttle stuck... don't ask!). But my pit guys are amazing. They still gave me a fantastic car for the race. Wisconsin is an awesome place, rabid fans, and lots of tracks, good cheese and great football. But several of the area's short tracks ha...

SHORT TRACK RACING: MIDWEST MAYHEM!

Posted on September 22, 2013May 15, 2017 by MartynL

Stephen Cox chats with National Short Track Championship promoter, Gregg McKarns. For 48 years, race fans have sojourned to Rockford Speedway in northern Illinois to watch the finest short track stock car drivers in the world compete for the national title. Rockford is the ultimate bullring. Built in 1948, the speedway remains the oldest continuously operated sports venue in the region. Rockford's quarter-mile, high-banked oval has graduated as many racing greats as any racetrack on th...