Back in the day I scored a big touchdown in what could be one of the greatest upsets in upper Michigan high school football history. I hit a twelve foot baseline hook shot at the buzzer (and I got fouled but they did not call it) to help us beat Ishpeming Westwood in overtime. I shot a real big buck a few years back. I new it was back there but I just never thought I would get a good look at it and when I did it was really exciting. I remember all of these moments and the emotions that came about. But when I was sixteen years old and I was sliding sideways coming out of turn four at Norway Speedway and I saw the checkered flag it was the greatest feeling I had ever experienced. When you play ball sports it is usually man verses man. When I have the basketball I am trying to do everything that I can do to score or to help one of my teammates score. When my man that I am guarding has the ball I am trying to do everything in my power to keep him from scoring. In stock car racing it is not only man verses man but it is man and machine verses man and machine. Your race car that you have built maintained and set up becomes apart of you. I believe that is why I have a passion for the sport. It is very similar to the driver being a coach and the car being the team. Preparation and detail are of the utmost importance. Maybe that is why so many athletes and coaches are going into stock car racing.

These past couple weeks I have found a new reason to love the sport of stock car racing. You can be up in your later years not in the best physical condition and smoke a lot of cigarettes and still be great at driving a race car. Wausaukee’s Bob Menor drove from the rear of the field to the front in an aggressive but smooth twenty year old way. Bob has a beautiful family but will be the first to tell you his best friend is his dog Sandy who rides with him in his logging truck all day. Bob got out of racing at Norway in the late ninety’s to help one of his close friends (Scott Hansen) pursue a professional career in auto racing. When Bob found out Norway Speedway had fallen on hard times he came back to help me and the association get back on track. I remember our first meeting my mom telling me that Bob was a bad idea because we both have ego problems but I knew it was what was best for our organization. With all the bad stuff behind us and our racing association up and running a strong as any track in the mid-west it is great to go out to the speedway and enjoy a great display of driving and see all of the pride that the car builders put into the cars. Back to the senior members excelling in our sport I always wonder about Bob Iverson, Gene Coleman, Kent Pearson, Mark Miller, Bob Menor and a few others that if they had the opportunities and exposure that today’s drivers do how many of them would have made it to the Nextel level.

On the other end of the spectrum our feeder class or training ground the Fab Four division is already raising some eyebrows as there are several young second generation drivers that are cutting their teeth. Cody Skog from Norway won both of his races last week. Marcus Bubloni, son of former street stock champion Mark Bubloni and grandson of dirt racing standout Mike Bubloni made his impressive debut last week. Marcus’s uncle Mike has all girls so Marcus may be the next to carry the torch but you never know. Late Model standout Dave Adams is fielding a car for his daughter Brittany Adams. Brittany is a go-cart hot shoe that races in Aurora on a regular basis and has won many races. Super Stock driver Tom Theobald also has a son Robby racing this year in the four cylinder division and has done well in his first few weeks. Another youthful occurrence my nephew and former Fab Four champion Tim Schultz Jr. had his first top five finish in the Super Stock feature and I am impressed with the perseverance of him and his team. Remember this week is round one of the Auto Value Bumper to Bumper racing series that challenges top drivers from upper Michigan and Northeastern Wisconsin. See you at the track.