Track Schedules

KANSAS CITY, KS (May 6) - Everyone had to wonder if it was going to be Sunday shows all season long with all of the rain we have been seeing around here lately.

The answer everyone got last week was a resounding no! Lakeside Speedway was one of the only tracks in the area to get there show in last Friday night.
After the first two day shows, the fans and racers got to see a different scenario play out with the racing surface.
For the first two races, the track was dry and slick throughout the entire event. Everyone knows that Lakeside Speedway is not known for being a dry track, it is known for being a fast, heavy track. That is what everyone got to see last Friday night at Lakeside.

When you look at a night like that, you will see different drivers and crews doing different things to their race cars. Does it work? Who knows, but one thing is for sure, a heavy track favors the drivers that have got some good horsepower under the hood and a dry track favors a driver that can set his car up to handle the changing conditions, and then drive it to where it works the best.

Either way, I like the tracks. If the track changes from time to time, it makes the drivers and their crews work harder. It makes the drivers handle their race cars in different ways out on the race track. Basically, it brings parody to the speedway.
The more winners we see the better it is!

Weekly Racing StandS out in the Month oF May

The MLRA race at Lakeside scheduled for Wednesday evening, is the only special event scheduled for the month of May. The month of May will focus on the Weekly Races at Lakeside Speedway.
Last year felt like a half of a season at Lakeside Speedway. All of the rainouts seemed to take something away from the weekly races and the points races.
Don’t get me wrong it was exciting last year, but could you have imagined all the make-ups that would have had to come into play if Lakeside would have still been a sanctioned track?
I am hoping that this season that rainouts don’t cause as many problems as they did last year.
Last Friday night was the beginning of 6 straight Friday night points races. As a fan, I enjoy the weekly races and keeping tabs on everyone in the points!
New Drivers Populating Lakeside Speedway
In the past you had your regulars at Lakeside Speedway. These were your drivers that you could count on each and every week. Now a days, there are many new faces looking to race at Lakeside on a weekly basis.
From the rookies in the Factory Stocks to the new faces in the Modified division, several drivers are coming to Lakeside to take their shot at a points championship.
You wonder what brings these racers to this 1/2 mile track in Kansas City, Ks?
For whatever reason it is, it’s great! To see different racers come to the track and give it a go is fun to see.
Several new modified drivers have chosen to compete on a weekly basis. Drivers like Jeremy Tibben, Dennis Elliott, Yancy Shepard, Steven Bowers Jr. and Dave Trauernicht just to name a few.
The more cars and racers that make their way to the speedway, add more excitement and bigger fan base to Lakeside Speedway.
As a fan, I can’t wait to see who is next.
3 Races, 3 Different Winners so Far!

Did anyone think that after the first race of the season that Chad Lyle would win every single race?
Did anyone think after the 3rd race of the season Lakeside Speedway would have 3 different Modified Feature winners?
No. To both of the above questions.
When you look at Lakeside Speedway, there are always going to be those race fans that say, ‘I can tell you who is going to win at Lakeside in the Modifieds each week!’
I can show you someone that is not very educated on the racing scene in the area. As well someone who doesn’t know the hard work these racers and teams are putting in, just so they can catch up and become competitive.
So far this season, cracking the top 5 can be just like gaining a victory.
In 3 races we have had, no competitor has finished in the top 5 of every race.
Only 3 drivers have finished in the top 5 twice this season. Tim Karrick, Danny Charles & Chad Lyle are those drivers.
Twelve different drivers have found their way into the top 5 this year.
These stats reveal just how tough the competition is getting at Lakeside Speedway. Gone are the days when Nostradamus could predict every event.
It’s nice to see guys getting their programs moving forward.
The drivers up front make it hard on the guys chasing them, but they make the sport better. The make the competition better.
In 2008 we have seen guys like Scotty Crystal, Mark Schafman, Don Crkovich, John O’Neal Jr. and Allan Lawrence come a little closer to cracking that win column. The big question is who is going to be the next to step it up.
Just a mere 45 points separate the top 20 drivers in this class. Yes, I know it’s early to be looking at the points. You have to look at the point standings to see the trend in stiffer competition. The standings can be a barometer on how someone is doing well and how others might be struggling to find that missing piece to the puzzle.
Race number 4 comes up this weekend, who do you think will be in the hunt for the win or finish in the top 5?
Here is my guess for this week’s top 10, let’s see how close I get…. 1. Kerry Davis 2. Dave Trauernicht 3. Bubba Harvey 4. Tim Karrick 5. Tom Charles 6. John O’Neal Jr. 7. Steven Bowers Jr. 8. Allan Lawrence 9. Jake Richards 10. Danny Charles
Car Count continues to rise In Grand Nationals
I have to keep harping on it each and every week. There were more Grand Nationals at Lakeside Speedway last week. They had so many, they had a full field (24) for the feature.
Nic Bidinger put down another great night as he won his 2nd Grand National Feature on the ‘08 season.
He sat in 2nd place as the halfway mark was shown and on the next lap, took the lead from Will Whisler and roared away for the win.
Nobody will doubt his desire to win this season’s championship and as many races as he can along the way.
Just like in the Modified Division there are several drivers showing they have the skill to run in the top 5 or maybe even win a race or two as well.
Only Nic Bidinger has been in the top 5 every race this season.
Paul Lanferman, Jason Park and Mike Busby are the only 3 drivers who have scored 2 top 5 finishes out of 3 tries.
Ten different drivers have layed claim to top 5 finishies so far this season.
Bidinger, might have a couple of wins to his credit already, but don’t think for a second that the rest of the competition is ready to hand him any more victories or the Grand National Championship yet.
As the season continues, look for more drivers to move their way up to the front.
In the coming weeks look for racers like Tim Shields, Will Whisler, Jason Park, Jim Baker etc. to race their way to a win at Lakeside Speedway.
The only detraction to the Grand Nationals this season has been their continuous need for yellow flags. Until their need for these yellow flags gets under control they will race 15 lap features.
Hopefully, they can get their problems worked out and get back to their regular 20 laps. There might be some guys who could use those extra 5 laps to make something happen.

Factory Stock Racing Ready To heat Up

Mike Taylor, did the same thing Nic Bidinger did last week, he won his 2nd Factory Stock feature of the year.
Talking with Taylor after the race he commented that it was his type of track.
You better believe it was and for a guy who sat out most of last year, he is ready to get back to doing what he loves to do best, go racing!
This season he has everything in order when it comes to his race team. His engine program is good, he car is good and he is excited about getting to go racing every week.
Before we go anointing him the next champ, we also have to look at what is around the corner in the Factory Stock division.
Tim Shields took off to a great start last season and just when it looked like he was going to run away with the title, other competitors made a race out of it. Look for more of the same this year.
In a class that is restricted by what you can and can’t do, drivers will find more competition than ever before.
Each year, you will find double digit winners in the Factory Stock class. I think the record for different Factory Stock winners in a single season is 15 or 16. When you consider that number was out of 20 or 21 races, that’s pretty impressive.
Taylor might be on a hot streak so far, but with guys like Mike Taylor, Darrin Christy, Buzz Kaster, Terry Schmidt, Jason Ryun, and others will be gunning for the top spot week in and week out.
3 Drivers To Watch This Week At Lakeside Speedway

Allan Lawrence - Modified - #94
Allan is a driver who had good success in the Grand National division at Lakeside Speedway. So not being as successful as he would like to be in the Modified division is hard to take.
Like most racers, Allan works at getting better each and every week.
The first race out was a tough one for Allan, but the last two have been better. The 2nd race of the year was a 5th place finish. Not too bad for all things considered.
Watch him this week, he could be up for a breakout night. He is a driver who works hard away from the track hoping it will payoff when he goes to the track.
Mike Taylor - Factory Stock - #17S
Mike Taylor is a racer that has moved back to his roots. This season instead of racing a modified at Lakeside Speedway, he will be racing a Factory Stock.
The Factory Stock is where he got his start several years ago. (We don’t want to date him for all those bean counters out there.)
Mike is a racer who likes to have fun and his team likes to enjoy themselves as well. After a tough season last year the group is looking to rebound this year.
The last two races have been good to Mike Taylor, last week he came home in the top 5.
Watch for him this week to keep climbing the ladder to the top.
Jim Winkler - Grand National - #16

Winkler is a guy who has stuck with the Grand National class. He can now be viewed as a veteran. The competition better look out, because he is a guy who can sneak up and win a race or two this season.
It was just two weeks ago when he was racing hard with the leader and hit hard into the turn 3 wall. A hard hit that might have kept most out of the car for a couple of weeks or more.

Not Winkler, he got back to work and got the car ready to go and last week, started 24 on the grid and finished 9th.

For this reason watch him to see what he does Friday.