Monster Jam coming to MN

10-31-10

Jason D Searcy http://www.speedtalkon1360.com/

The Monster Jam is coming to the Metrodome in Minneapolis MN on Saturday Nov 13th.

Dennis Anderson driving Grave Digger, Tom Meents in Maximum Destruction, Linsey Weenk in Blue Thunder and Damon Bradshaw in Airforce Afterburner are all scheduled to compete that night.  The show begins at 7:30pm

Last time the Monster Jam came to the Metrodome, 16 trucks competed.  Max D won the racing, and Avenger won the Free-Style with an awesome backflip twice!  Here is a you-tube video of that run http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Ez8alDf62Y

Unofficial results from January 2010:

Avenger 32

Max Destruction 31

Grave Digger 30

Here is a link to the Official Monster Jam website Minneapolis information http://www.monsterjam.com/Tickets/2010/11/13/Minneapolis,_MN/

I-94 Speedway OBIT

10-26-10
Jason D Searcy http://www.speedtalkon1360.com/

*update 8-10-11
I am told that the power company has rented space for the next 18 months or so at the old I-94 Speedway site for storage of the power polls that are in construction along the freeway all the way from Monticello to Fargo.  No new racing is planned at I-94 Speedway.

After talking with people on all sides of the situation, I believe that I-94 Speedway (Sauk Centre, MN) will never again be open as a racetrack.

The back concessions stand has been torn down and some gravel and fill have been moved around, but this recent activity has nothing to do with racing.  The sound system has been removed and any modification of the property is in an effort to increase the efficiency of storage space for the current owner of the land.

The south parking lot is now a storage area for wood logs and the "pits" area is filled with semi-tractors and trailers.

The track has been vacant for only a year but, the wooden seats on the backstretch stands are already warped and separating.

The racetrack itself looks like a super sized chia-pet gone bad.  Waist high weeds are growing through the dirt surface all the way around this 3/8th mile track.

19 seasons of racing at this amazing facility 1991-2009.   4 years of dirt racing and 15 years as an asphalt track.










I-94 Speedway was built by Dick Johanneck and opened in 1991 as a dirt track.

Notable events:

In 1993 Scott Bloomquist won the UMP Summer Nationals event, he set a fast time of 15.44 seconds and held off Billy Moyer.

1993 Craig Dollansky and Tim Monson won the "Outlaw" Sprint double feature races.  Doug Wolfgang finished second in both races.  Donny Schatz finished third in the second feature.

April 21 of 1994: Dick Johanneck announced he was switching the track surface to asphalt because it was "the future of racing."

Sep 11 1994: was the inaugural "MN Governors Cup," won by Steve Carlson.  Michael Waltrip (back row, 4th from left) and Matt Kenseth (back row, far right) also raced in that event.

Aug 4 1996: was the "Missing Kids" American Indy car 200.  Patty Wetterling was the honorary starter.  Greg Gordon won the race and local star Travis Whitney finished third and Jacques Lazier fourth.

Sep 2000: Dick Johanneck transferred operation of the facility to the Mike Giles/Les Ferris group.

Sep 2001: Tim Olson and his family took over track operations and changed the name to I-94 Raceway.

Jan 2002: I-94 Raceway became one of the original three "ASA Member tracks" in the nation.

July 5 2003:  NASCAR Elite division July Spectacular won by Eddie Hoffman.  Jon Lemke won "fast time" with 16.89 seconds.  Clint Bowyer also raced in this event.

Sep 19 2004:  Fall Nationals event, 166 cars competed. Jeff Van Oudenhoven won the race and Dick Trickle raced in this event.

July 3 2005:  ASL 150 won by Ryan Matthews.  Landon Cassil, Jarit Johnson and Kevin Cywinski also raced in this event.

July 7 2007:  ASA Midwest tour won by Jacob Goede, he also set "fast time" with a 16.97.  Ron Hornaday finished third.

July 5 2008:  ASA Midwest tour won by Dan Fredrickson.  Chris Wimmer "fast time" with 16.76

March 2009:  Dick Johanneck regains operations of track and changes name back to I-94 Speedway.  Removes asphalt and adds new clay surface.

Sep 4 2009:  Final race at I-94 Speedway.  Jamie Lemke won Wissota Mod feature, Zach Johnson in the Late Models and 4 cyl driver Ben Godbee is the final race winner ever.

2010:  Ron Somers and MN Sawdust and shavings takes over operations of the property and discontinue racing.

I raced at this place from 1996-1999 and was the announcer from 2000-2008.  Lots of memories, awesome racing and great people.  Loved every minute of it, hope you did too.

Please check back for more articles on the history of I-94 in the next month on http://www.speedtalkon1360.com/

I-94 Speedway/I-94 Raceway 1991-2009

Brockhouse wins at Dirt Nationals!

10-16-10

Minnesota driver Tim Brockhouse won at dirt Nationals event in the "Masters division" in Springfield (MO)on Saturday night, over 60 cars were in attendance for the event.

Tim's long racing resume includes nearly 70 feature wins in his career and 6 track championships.  Now he can add a 2010 National Dirt Championship in the "Masters division" to that list.

Tim Brockhouse is the owner of "Great North Legends" get more information at http://www.greatnorthlegends.com/

Behind the scene's at Oktoberfest

10-13-10

The 41st annual Oktoberfest was a big success for MN drivers.  Danny Fredrickson took home the trophy in the ASA Midwest tour finale.  In picture above Dan, David and his crew changed out a bad alternator just before the main event on Sunday.  

MN drivers grabbed four of the top 5 spots in the ASA Midwest tour race on Sunday.  Including Jacob Goede wrecking during the "Dick Trickle 99" race on Friday night and then going back to MN to get his brother's (Matt) car and finishing second on Sunday.  Fredrickson won the "Trickle 99" race as well. 

Here is a you-tube video of the big wreck on Friday night http://www.youtube.com/user/jacklyndaniels#p/a/u/1/1dGW47UsPYE

Nick Murgic finished third and had a great run on Friday night to win the race on the track but was DQ'd in the tech shed for being 8lbs off on "left side" weight after the third segment.  Nick Panitzke won the "futures" race on Thursday night at Oktoberfest.

Brent Kane finished in second place in the area Sportsman race to end his incredible season and Jeff Heaney of Caledonia (MN) won the Hornets feature on Thursday night.  Bill Collins from South St Paul (MN) finished 5th in the ASA Midwest Truck series finale.

Dean Reller took these "behind the scenes" pictures down in La Crosse (WI)

A Fan's view of the action

 DW replica car

ASA president Dennis Huth

LCQ

Big 8 Cars

Mini Truck getting ready to race on the 1/4 mile

Dustin Karl's new ASA MW truck

MN drivers at legends Ntl Championship

10-10-2010

Down at the Legends National Championship at Langley Speedway in Hampton (VA), two Minnesota drivers finished in the "top 10."

Tim Brockhouse finished 9th in the Masters division.  Brian Keske finished 9th and Matt Osdiek got 17th in the Young-Lions division.  Dirk Henry got wrecked in the B-Main in the Pro-division and Ryan Johnson blew up his motor and finished 20th.

Oktoberfest weekend

Oct 7 2010

The 41st annual Oktoberfest weekend is happening at La Crosse (WI) Fairgrounds speedway.

The ASA Midwest tour will crown their SLM champion on Sunday.  Its a very close race with Steve Carlson leading Chris Wimmer by only two points.  ASA Midwest tour "rookie of the year" Ross Kenseth is in third place (118 pts back), Nathan Haseleu fourth (127 pts) and MN native Jacob Goede is currently in fifth place in the standings (155 pts out).

You can keep up to date on everything going on at Oktoberfest with a link from http://www.racingonline.com/ ASA media guru Kevin Ramsell is contributing to this continually updated web-link "Oktoberfest LIVE"  http://oktoberfest.racingonline.com/

http://www.asamidwesttour.com/

We will keep you up to date on the ASA Midwest tour championship and how all the MN drivers do at Oktoberfest.  Keep checking back to http://www.speedtalkon1360.com/

Oct 8 update:  Sauk Centre (MN) native Nick Panitzke won the "futures" SLM race Thursday night at Oktoberfest!  

Dan Fredrickson won the Dick Trickle 99 SLM race Friday night at Oktoberfest!  Nick Murgic won the race on the track but was DQ'd in the tech shed after the third segment of the race.  Jacob Goede crashed out hard and DNF.

ASA Midwest tour qualifying is over:  Griffin McGrath wins fast time, Nick Murgic second.

MN Drivers at Legends National Championship

October 5 2010

A group of Minnesota drivers are racing waaay down south at the INEX Legends Asphalt Nationals taking place Oct 7-9 at Langley Speedway in Hampton Virginia.

Owner of the Great North Legends Tim Brockhouse (pictured above) will be competing in the Masters division.  Super Late Model driver Ryan Johnson and former GNL champ Dirk Henry will be racing in the PRO division.  Elko and Raceway Park champion Brian Keske will be racing in the Young Lions division along with the youngest Legends winner ever Matt Ostdiek (pictured below).  Justin Henry is in the Semi-Pro division.

Langley Speedway is a flat 1/3rd mile track with alot of racing history.  It hosted NASCAR Grand National events from 1964-1970, including the last race before the series was re-named the WINSTON Cup series, Bobby Allison won that last race.  NASCAR star Denny Hamlin was the Mini-Stock track champion in 1997.

For more information go to http://www.uslegendcars.com/

"Speedtalk on 1360" will update results, so check back.

The Dirt Legends National championship race will be next weekend in Missouri.

ASA Midwest Sportsman crowned at Elko

Oct 2 2010

Chris "cruiser" Marek won the first ASA Midwest Sportsman tour championship after finishing third at Elko Speedway on Saturday (Oct  2nd).

Marek was leading the point standings over Jay Kalbus by only 26pts going into the final race of the season.  Kalbus did not enter the race at Elko, "I was let down that Kalbus wasn't here, I wanted to try and beat him the right way" said Marek.

Chris Marek had a fantastic season with 4 wins and 9 "top10" finishes during the ten race schedule even though he had never raced at any of the tracks except Raceway Park and Elko Speedway.  "I was really surprised to do so well, to go in blind and come through that successful was a huge surprise to me" said Marek.

The Thunder car nationals ASA Midwest Sportsman event was won by Brent "freight train" Kane who won the 40 lap race by four car lengths after taking the lead on lap 14.  It was his 19th feature win this season.  "The car was awesome, I know everyone says that in victory lane, but it really was awesome" said Kane.

The entire race evening was a memorial to Elko "hall of fame" member Dan Ryan who recently died of A.L.S.  "It was emotional because of Dan Ryan," said Kane "I had a tear in my eye, and saluted him in corner number two."  Kane won the race, Steve Anderson drove the #15 car to a second place finish, Marek got third and Ted Reuvers finished fourth.

Danny Fredrickson won the post-poned Thunderstruck 93 lap Super Late Model event dedicated to Dan Ryan.  Fredrickson started seventh of the seventeen cars that took the green flag, it only took him twelve laps to move into the lead.  Fredrickson held off Nick Murgic and defending Thunderstruck 93 winner Jacob Goede to win by six car lengths.  Fredrickson told of how much he admired Dan Ryan in an emotional victory lane interview and celebration.   

get more informaton at http://www.asamidwesttour.com/    

NASCAR Kansas picks

Here are our "speedtalk on 1360" NASCAR picks for the Kansas race on Sunday (Oct 3rd).  Sponsored by Hideaway Speedway RC track in Isanti (MN).

Jason is picking Jimmie Johnson who has some steam after winning last week in Dover.  Jimmie qualified poorly but was fast in practice and has the best driver rating at Kansas (122.6) and has 6 "top 10" finishes and one win in just 8 races in Kansas.

Jordan is going with Greg Biffle who has a history of doing well at intermediate tracks, he qualified 5th, has a driver rating second only to Jimmie (119.6) and has 5 "top 5" finishes and one win in 8 races at Kansas.

Dean chooses Jeff Gordon who starts the race third and had the third best "average speed" in practice.  Jeff has the third best driver rating (104.7) and has 6 "top 5" finishes and two wins in 9 races at Kansas.

The Joe Gibbs cars have done poorly at Kansas in the past, Denny Hamlin is just hoping to squeek out another "top 10" to hold onto his point lead as we enter the middle portion of the NASCAR chase.

Dont rule out Kurt Busch he was fastest in the early Saturday practice and he has done better at intermediate tracks this year.  The last 10 intermediate races he has 7 "top 10" finishes and has lead more laps than anyone (529).

Updated points:
Jason  13
Jordan 9
Dean 4

We will do a Saturday fantasy preview to each NASCAR race in the chase.  http://www.speedtalkon1360.com/

*photo's courtesy of NASCAR media/Getty images