Got to give a shout out to Speedway Illustrated.  The most recent edition has a picture of the Stock Car wreck at Lakeside Speedway.  In addition there is an article on Jerry Hoffman, what a character, and what a great guy.  He has the perfect insight on what it is like to own a racetrack.  He states all drivers should own a racetrack for three years before they begin driving, that is so true.  In years past there may have been a ton of money made but that was by a generation that paid cash for everything and then reaped the benefits.  Over the last several years the owners of racetracks have mortgages which are a burden.  It may seem they have lots of money but the truth is the banks own the racetracks, much as the bank owns your house.  Owners have to run the tracks like a business much as everyone should run their race teams as a business and that includes obtaining sponsors and not spending everything they give you and then some.  Running a business means to make money.

Back to Speedway Illustrated, everyone has their favorite writer, mine is Joyce Standridge.  She has a great way of looking at our sport and making it positive even when it is negative.  All their writers have a great presence to write at the reader level without getting too technical.  Not to be overlooked but the photography is normally outstanding (why of course they included Lisa Burlington’s photos of the wreck).  Dick Berggren is also always a good read and what a great ambassador to our sport.

So get your copy of this great magazine  and enjoy during these dog days of winter.  Only seven weeks until we can hear the roar of the cars at practice, eight weeks until opening night.  Let the countdown begin.