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10th anniversary: Writers share memories
DirtonDirt.com’s writing crew shares memories from the website’s era with their most memorable races, moments, press areas, interview and more (edited for clarity and length; 10th anniversary coverage):
Alli Collis, staff writer (July 2014-present)
Most memorable race: It has to be the 2014 Sunoco North-South 100 at Florence. It's no secret how much I love that event, and that was the first crown jewel I ever worked for DirtonDirt.com. I was on a racing high the entire weekend, meeting drivers and other staff for the first time and enjoying the new double-heat format. Nothing compares to the atmosphere Florence had after Eddie Carrier Jr. won the race. The place was just buzzing with excitement. I remember standing down in victory lane for a few minutes before heading to the pits just to soak it all in. And of course I was excited to see a fellow Kentucky native win the race.
Most memorable moment: Two years ago, my uncle entered the modified portion of the Dirt Track World Championship at Portsmouth. He ended up heading home early, so he gave me his transponder to turn in when I went back to the track the next day. No one was at the pit shack when I got there, so I kept the transponder in my backpack, forgetting about it when I started working. As Lucas Oil Series hot laps began, series officials were having issues with timing and scoring, thinking that a modified transponder must have fallen off a car and was out on the track somewhere. The program was interrupted for about 20 minutes as crews dug up the track looking for said transponder — which was in my backpack in the press box the entire time. (Honorable mention: Michael has yet to let me live down the fact that I cried in the press box the night Mike Marlar won the Knoxville Nationals. What can I say? I was happy for my boyfriend, crew chief Josh Davis.)
Most memorable interview: When Scott Bloomquist won the Firecracker 100 last year, I knew I was about to get a great interview. This was just weeks after he and four other drivers had been disqualified from the Dream because of failed tire tests. I waited and waited and waited for Bloomquist to be ready for the interview, but there was no way I was going anywhere. After about 45 minutes of standing outside his pit area, his assistant Gail brought me in to the trailer. By the time I was finished talking to Bloomquist, I no longer knew where I stood on the incident. He had just about convinced me was right. There's no denying that he is one of the sport's best interviews, and I was glad I got to write the story that night.
Most memorable press area: It's not unusual for me to bring my laptop up to the grandstands with me. If there's not enough space in the tower or there's a better view from a certain area, I'm probably going to end up sitting in the bleachers in a crowd of race fans. On one of my first trips to Smoky Mountain Speedway, I was sitting in the pit bleachers above a couple who appeared to be a little under the influence. They were big Scott Bloomquist fans and I laughed and cut up with them the entire night. It's always fun to meet new people like that.
Most memorable racing journey: With both of us being from Kentucky, Todd rode down to Georgia-Florida Speedweeks with me a couple of years ago. We were somewhere in Tennessee, rolling down I-75, when all of a sudden my car slammed on the brakes. For a second, I thought my cruise control was just slowing my speed because I had been driving downhill. I looked over at Todd and he said, "Did I do that?" He had been looking for a place to plug his phone in to charge and had hit my parking brake, a small button in the center console, as I was driving. His response? "I thought the P stood for power!"
Most memorable accommodations: I covered my first Topless 100 back in 2014. To say that our hotel in Newport, a town outside of Batesville, was sketchy would be an understatement. New to the staff, I wasn't sure what my expectations should be when it came to accommodations, so I didn't say anything to Michael. Luckily, videographer Webb Dillard did speak up. Needless to say, I haven't stayed at that hotel in my more recent visits to Arkansas.
Most memorable meal: My first year covering the Summernationals, the Fayette County event ran until about 3 a.m. I was exhausted and starving, so Derek, Tern and myself headed to the nearest Denny's (the only place still open) to eat. It was late (or really early) and we were all tired, which made everything funnier. The three of us, Billy Moyer Jr. and his crew and the Best Performance team were the only people in the restaraunt. And Derek even won a stuffed animal out of the claw machine.
Most memorable rainout: I like to call it the "24 Hours of Ponderosa." Really it was the 2014 running of the central Kentucky oval's John Bradshaw Memorial. To be clear, this wasn't a complete rainout, because they did eventually race. But it was after 2 a.m. before cars ever took the track. At some point, Todd texted me to go home if I wanted. But my uncle was still driving Late Models at the time and had raced his way in to the show, so I wasn't leaving. I crawled into the truck and went to sleep for a few hours, waking up in time to watch Mike Marlar win what actually turned out to be a decent race.
Most memorable staff recreation: I love playing the DirtonDirt version of Heads Up, an iPhone game that requires a player to hold the phone up (where they can't see the screen) as others give them hints and clues about the word on the screen. A player has one minute to guess as many words as possible. The Dirt Late Model version includes names of tracks, drivers, series, etc. I think the most points I've ever gotten is eight, but it's pretty entertaining to watch Michael and Todd, who can guess just about any word that pops up, play the game.
Robert Holman, weekend editor (December 2016 - present)
Most memorable race: By far one of my most memorable races working in the DirtonDirt era was the 2010 World 100. With Todd having a previous engagement, I was called off the bench to help with the race coverage that year. What was officially my first race for DirtonDirt, turned out to be one of the most memorable for sure. Thanks to really, really misty conditions that lasted well past the scheduled start time, the heat races were delayed nearly two hours. While providing a fast track, the weather also offered up a different type of race. Charging forward after starting 23rd, Billy Moyer roared to his record sixth win in our most prestigious race. I remember watching most of the action standing down in turn three. I stood there in amazement as Moyer stayed glued to the infield wall and just marched forward, clearly with the best car. I remember his tire choice that night — I think he had softer tires on both left sides — kinda surprised his competitors. Dale McDowell had an impressive run as well as he followed Moyer through the field, making it all the way to third, where he finished behind Scott Bloomquist. Imagine, a Moyer-Bloomquist one-two finish on the biggest stage we have. It was classic, and naturally fitting for Eldora. (Honorable mention: It’ll be hard to soon to forget this year’s Schaeffer’s Oil Southern Nationals race at Georgia's Swainsboro Raceway won by Donald McIntosh. On extremely rugged track conditions, only five cars finished the main event. It marked the first time in 25 years of covering Late Models that I’ve seen only five cars finish a race in which a full field started.)
Most memorable moment: As one of the newest full-time employees at DirtonDirt, my window for collecting memorable moments is kind of small and clearly not as interesting as some of the great moments shared by my colleagues. They range from staying in a sketchy hotel by a strip club on Daytona Beach when I was a contributor during the 2011 Georgia-Florida Speedweeks to knocking the rear bumper cover off my car after running over an armadillo (those damn things are menaces) on I-16 coming back from Screven Motor Speedway’s Schaeffer’s Oil Southern Nationals this year. There are endless memories we make each month that never get written about as we go about our job. And that’s definitely part of what draws you to the job. Some things (many small and seemingly insignificant at the time), however, you just never really forget. For me, one of those clear cut moments that seemed pretty small at the time came during the 2016 UMP DIRTcar Summernationals at Tri-State Speedway in Haubstadt, Ind. That’s where I ran into Todd and, sitting in the Tri-State press box, I threw out the wild suggestion of me quitting my job of 14 years and coming to work at DirtonDirt. It wasn’t unlike any number of conversations we’d had over the last five years, but this time, I suppose the timing was right. It took five more months to make it official, but finally, I was able to join the best staff in Dirt Late Model racing full-time. It’s a life-changing moment, that I’ll certainly never forget.
Most memorable scoop: It was hardly a “scoop” by true definition, but thanks to a blurb in a Lucas Oil MLRA race results release, I realized that Missouri driver Jesse Stovall was suffering from concussion-like symptoms from his crash a few weeks earlier at I-80. I had hardly finished writing it for our RaceWire notes when Todd mentioned it to me as well. It was nice to be able to get in touch with Stovall on an otherwise mundane Sunday afternoon and turn that blurb, which may have gone unnoticed for awhile, into a story, especially since there had been no mention of Stovall’s condition before the MLRA race that weekend.
Most memorable interview: I enjoyed chatting with Dennis Erb Jr. at Volusia this year. Because it was during one of the two rainouts we had while we were there, we were able to sit in his hauler and talk for about 30 minutes. It was low-key — even more so than his victory lane celebrations — and we could talk without being in a rush. It seemed a lot more like a conversation than an interview. Though we’re about the same age, Erb reminds me of my stepdad when my stepdad was our age; he has that gruff exterior and a reputation for being kinda distant. But in that relaxed setting he let his guard down a little bit and just talked, which was really cool. The rain was pounding on the outside of his toterhome and Dennis sat there with his little white dog Joey and we just talked about racing. It was so far removed from the typical race setting. It’s great when we as writers can just forget about the obvious race day questions and have a real conversation with someone and then go back and craft a good story.
Most memorable press area: My spot at Farmer City (Ill.) Speedway definitely makes the list. I’d heard the horror stories about some of the tracks we frequent, including Todd’s story about the upside down trash can. Nineteen years ago I did an internship with the Tennessee Titans and I’ve visited with them a dozen or so times since, which can kind of spoil you. Lots of free food and a first-class seat in a roomy air-conditioned building with trouble-free WiFi can do that. I was pleasantly surprised by several of the press areas we’ve been to, among them Tri-State Speedway in Haubstadt, Ind., and Swainsboro (Ga.) Raceway’s updated tower. But I have to say, like Todd at Danville, I chose the upside down trash can route at Farmer City for this year’s Summernationals race. I got my own stool out of the car, had my son empty out the few scraps of garbage so I could flip the can upside down and sat outside on the high catwalk that goes over to the press box there. I had light, easy access to the lineups and such, and a clear sight of the track. What more do you need?
Most memorable racing journey: By far the most memorable for me was the five-race Summernationals swing from July 5-9 because I was able to take my son along. He’s gone on a bunch of trips with me and usually I’m worried about where he’s at or what he’s doing. This one was different, however. We left for Belle-Claire Speedway in Belleville, Ill., the day after his 14th birthday. Though Belle-Claire was rained out, we did get in four races before heading back to Tennessee. By the end of the night at Macon, Riley was helping me track down lineups, taking notes while I was entering results and watching the races with genuine interest. It was a great five-day trip filled with plenty of late night stops at Denny’s, Taco Bell and Steak ’n Shake, along with regular 5 a.m. bed calls. We were both tired by the time it was over, but it was a great road trip nonetheless.
Most memorable accommodations: While waking up on Jekyll Island and being able to take a stroll on the beach before heading to the Lucas Oil races at Golden Isles near Brunswick, Ga., is certainly a treat, I’d have to say the most memorable — for lack of a better word — was my week-long stay in Ocala during this year’s DIRTcar and World of Outlaws races at Volusia. I roomed with Lucas Oil photographer Heath Lawson, who recommended the hotel. I doubt I was there 15 minutes before I messaged Todd to let him know the room was a bit substandard. The front door was falling off its top hinge and the back door, which was the sliding glass type, wouldn’t shut all the way because it was too heavy. All I could do was chuckle when Heath walked in, looked around a bit, paused, and said, “this isn’t the way I remember it.”
Most memorable meal: I’ve probably rivaled Billy Moyer Jr. with the number of stops I’ve made at Steak ’n Shake both in Florida and in Illinois, but my most memorable meal was at the Budweiser Brew House at Ball Park Village in St. Louis before last year’s VP Racing Fuels Gateway Dirt Nationals. It was the first time I was able to experience a real night out with the entire DirtonDirt team. To be able to see the kind of camaraderie this group has — and to get to share in it — while also catching up with Todd, who’s not only a colleague, but a long-time friend as well, was really an incredible way to start my new position with the company.
Most memorable rainout: First I’d like to say that as a general rule, rainouts suck and I was particularly bummed when this year’s Summernationals race as Belle-Claire was rained out because it was going to be my first visit to the tiny bullring. It’s nice, however when you do have a little notice and can slip away to do something else. That was the case at Belle-Claire. It was the perfect storm so to speak. We were just 20 minutes from St. Louis and the Cardinals had a home game. So it had to rain just enough to rain out the race, but not so much that it ruined a night at the ball park. Because my son Riley was with me, it made it even better. We drove into St. Louis and bought a couple of $5 outfield seats and watched the Cardinals play the Marlins. It was also Riley’s first trip west of the Mississippi. Memorable indeed.
Most memorable staff recreation: I really enjoyed just hanging out on the beach at Jekyll Island for an hour or so in February, while simultaneously posting photos on Facebook so all the folks freezing back home would be a tad jealous. While Steve Gigeous and Todd went for a morning bike ride, I just decompressed by sitting on the beach watching Derek and Michael toss the football around. Ben Shelton made his way out as well, and it was just a nice opportunity to enjoy the moment we were in at that time as opposed to the constant hustle of being at the track, which sometimes goes by so fast you have to look back through your notes just so you can remember it a week later.
Editor's note: Holman also worked at DirtonDirt.com as a correspondent and blogger from 2010-'16.
Kevin Kovac, senior writer (2014-present)
Most memorable race: During my time with DirtonDirt.com, absolutely nothing beats the sheer drama, excitement and storybook quality of Brian Birkhofer’s 2014 Late Model Knoxville Nationals victory. Birky overtaking Scott Bloomquist off turn four on the final lap to win a $40,000 crown jewel event in his home state after shocking everyone by announcing that he would walk away from Dirt Late Model racing upon completion of the weekend? Man, it was like a conclusion drawn up by a Hollywood screenwriter became reality. I’ll never forget the electric atmosphere that accompanied Birkhofer’s triumph. Real life just doesn’t often turn out so perfect, but in this case it did. It was one of those unforgettable races that brings out the fan in a journalist. I remember getting in the DirtonDirt.com van to head back to Bloomington, Ill., after that Knoxville Nationals and all of us were in shock, thinking, “Did that really just happen?”
Most memorable moment: I watched the 2015 Dream at Eldora Speedway in Rossburg, Ohio, from the infield so I could gather notes and quotes from the pit area. When the 100-lap feature ended in dramatic fashion — Scott Bloomquist bursting past Jonathan Davenport for the lead on lap 92 and then J.D. furiously tossing his car around the half-mile oval in an ultimately futile effort to regain command — I started walking toward the winner’s stage. That’s when I noticed Bloomquist’s car still sitting on the scales on the inside of turn four. Obviously, there was a problem, and as his car was pushed off and then back on for a second weigh-in, a crowd started building around the area and I saw Bloomquist’s crewman, Cody Mallory, flash past the nose of Bloomquist’s race car and, while standing just outside the fence-in area, appear to put all his energy into willing the race car to exceed the weigh minimum. Seconds later, I saw UMP DIRTcar official Roy Faulkner give Bloomquist a thumbs-down motion for weighing 25 pounds light and heard announcer James Essex scream “There’s no green light!” over the P.A. system, and suddenly it was pandemonium as Bloomquist’s disqualification from a $100,000 win was announced. The Eldora crowd — already buzzing over the stirring finish — roared like I’ve never heard it roar before. It was amazing to be right there in the middle of such a huge moment of Dirt Late Model history.
Most memorable interview: An interview with Scott Bloomquist is never dull. Win or lose, regardless of the topic he’s asked to comment on, he always provides great, interesting copy and soundbites. I have a long list of interviews with Bloomquist from which I walked away saying to myself, “That was awesome!” The best, though — the one I remember most — came after his incredible rally to win the 2014 World 100 following an early-race penalty for using an “unapproved device” (a Lexan-supported window net) that sent him to the rear of the field. I had to wait awhile to talk to Bloomquist in the pit area — he was sitting on the back step of his trailer signing autographs and posing for pictures with a swarm of fans — but, once the crowd died down a bit and I got near him, he proceeded to answer my questions in a manner that was a Bloomquist tour de force. He spoke about telling everyone in his shop that he was going to win the race before leaving for Eldora, how he likes to “play in the gray” areas of the rulebook because it “entertains” him, how putting him to the rear was a bonus for the fans because it allowed them “to see another race.” And he ended the interview with a final statement that was part swagger, part performance art, for his diehard fans listening in, saying that the rival racers who “cried the most” about his window net “can stick it” where, uh, the sun doesn’t shine.
Most memorable scoop: Upon arriving at Knoxville (Iowa) Raceway for the opener of the 2014 Late Model Knoxville Nationals, I made my way around the pit area searching for a couple pre-race notebook topics. I bumped into Brian Birkhofer at his race car, started talking to him and ended up being startled by the words he uttered: “I’m contemplating quitting.” I posted a story headlined “Birkhofer evaluating plans for 2015” before the night’s preliminary program started — a story that was the first public indication that Birkhofer was seriously considering walking away from the sport come the end of the weekend. Birky spoke more about his future during a press conference following his third-place finish in the opening-night feature, which, as I recall, prompted Michael Rigsby to tell me that Birkhofer was talking about quitting. I told Michael that I already had posted an article about Birkhofer’s plans, leading Michael, who had been busy that Thursday overseeing our pay-per-view video coverage, to laugh and quip, “I guess I need to read our website more.”
Most memorable press area: The first time I covered the UMP DIRTcar Summernationals finale at Oakshade Raceway in Wauseon, Ohio, for DirtonDirt.com, in 2014, track officials graciously allowed me to watch the action from the tower. Counter space in there was at a premium, but there was a cushioned swivel chair sitting in the far right corner. It was facing three-quarters of the way in the wrong direction — meaning sitting in it put my back almost completely to the racetrack — and it had an assortment of plush children’s toys around it, but hey, it was a spot in the tower and the internet worked better there than seemingly anywhere else on the grounds so I gladly stationed myself there with my computer on my lap. By the end of the night my neck was a little sore from turning toward the action, though.
Most memorable racing journey: My trip to Arizona in January 2015 to cover the Keyser Manufacturing Wild West Shootout at USA Raceway in Tucson was certainly memorable, albeit not entirely for good positive reasons. First, a delay caused me to miss my connecting flight in Dallas, so I had to spend the night in a hotel there and arrived in Tucson the afternoon of practice. Then, once in Arizona, I developed pink eye — yeah, like some school kid — and an upper respiratory infection, forcing me to spend the first off day of the WWS at a Tucson Urgent Care to be diagnosed and obtain medication rather than in Las Vegas with DoD’s Derek Kessinger, Webb Dillard and Jay Williams (we had found cheap flights to make a banzai run there) or checking out nearby Mount Lemmon with the staffers who stayed in town. Fortunately, no one else in the rented DoD house caught my pink eye (I was quarantined in the home’s separate guest house), and I improved as the week wore on and even enjoyed a night out with the boys on the Thursday off day. There was one more notable moment: the four of us who had afternoon flights home the day after the WWS ended experienced a hair-raising trip to the Tucson airport; after the taxi we had scheduled to pick us up at the house never showed up, we hastily found another that arrived to get us with barely an hour to spare before the first of our take-offs but a good half-hour drive to the airport. Our driver told us he’d get us there in time, and, after a speedy, white-knuckle ride, we made our flights.
Most memorable accommodations: Todd Turner mentions The Dalles House in St. Croix Falls, Wis., and I’ll reiterate his thoughts. I lodged only once — for the 2015 Summernationals doubleheader at Cedar Lake Speedway — at the hotel about which Michael Rigsby waxes nostalgic from his days staying there with his father as a boy, but boy, it left an impression. The room I shared with motorsports video legend Steve Gigeous featured some sort of hole in the door (a bullet hole, perhaps?), and the carpet in front of the sink was soaked with water leaking from the garbage-filled space under it. When Michael’s wife, Amber, learned that we had stayed at The Dalles House, she could only sigh, “Michael, you had them stay there?”
Most memorable meal: Any meal eaten in Stillwater, Minn., the cool-as-heck riverside town near Cedar Lake Speedway. All of us at DirtonDirt.com look forward to visiting the town’s Oasis Cafe every year (you should see our Michael “Tern” Reiners go to work on the breakfast “haystack” deal he orders every time he’s there), but man, there are so many other great places in Stillwater. This year alone the DoD staff also visited the Freight House, Nacho Mama’s and Smalley’s Caribbean Barbecue. Our trips to Cedar Lake provide arguably our best eating of the year.
Most memorable rainout: Earlier this year, when an early-afternoon thunderstorm deluged Lucas Oil Speedway in Wheatland, Mo., and postponed Saturday night’s Show-Me 100 finale to Sunday, I watched DoD’s famed videographer, Derek Kessinger, do his little rainout happy dance. No racing meant D-Suave was ready to hang out and drink some colds. I kept Suave cooped up at the hotel through the afternoon, but I drove him and fellow videographer Will Gigeous to the track that evening and we socialized at the Diamond Club bar underneath the Wheatland grandstand. I knew it would be difficult to drag Suave away if he found his groove — and indeed it was. I gave the boys a departure warning, went to the nearby Casey’s General Store for a pizza when they didn’t respond, then came back to pick them up and found them in the pit area. Yes, we finally did head back to the hotel before the sun came up, but with D-Suave, rainout nights can be an adventure. (Honorable mentions: another D-Suave rainout happy dance this year on July 12 when we were in our Grand Rapids, Mich., hotel room and found out that the evening’s Summernationals show at nearby Thunderbird Raceway was washed out, prompting us to take in a West Michigan Whitecaps minor league baseball game; the 2014 Summernationals rainout at Quincy Raceway, which happened early enough for us to get back to DoD headquarters in Bloomington, Ill., and make a DoD staff visit to the Pub II, D-Suave’s college hangout.)
Most memorable staff recreation: The rented house in Temple Terrace, Fla., in which the DoD staff has stayed during February’s Winternationals at East Bay Raceway Park in Gibsonton, Fla., sits just a few blocks away from a neighborhood park that includes a basketball court. With the racetrack maybe 20 minutes away and an extremely early arrival each night unnecessary, we have time to take a ball over and shoot some hoops in the Florida sun before heading out the races. It’s fun to play some games of horse with the DoD gang. D-Suave, though, can get a little testy when he doesn’t win.
Andy Savary, general manager (March 2011-present)
Most memorable race: A quick down-and-back trip to Charlotte for Friday's World Finals program did not exactly go as planned in 2015. I drove more than two hours in warm and sunny conditions only to find mist and dreariness for the final 20 minutes as I approached the track. Weather stalled the initial start of the night's program and a series of unfortunate accidents later damaged the catch fencing, forcing further extensive delays. I ended up only seeing Late Model heat races that evening before I was forced to leave so that I could be home to let my dog out in the wee hours of the morning. While traveling back, I dialed up our PPV broadcast on my iPad and listened through the car's speakers. I arrived home right around 2 a.m., just before the Late Model feature took the green flag. In the end, I saw the race in its entirety, just not quite in the form that I expected.
Most memorable moment: While a writer may remember a moment from the first race that they covered, I suppose it's only fitting that a businessperson may remember the moment of their first sale. In DoD's earliest days, I would frequent our traveling booth to chat with Amber, everyone's favorite staff member. The two of us quickly became close and she would regularly invite me to hang out with her and Artie, the Rigsby dog, at events. One year during Knoxville, Amber needed to run a few errands and asked me to watch over things while she was away. I responsibly agreed and even ended up selling some merchandise while she was away. I remember the incredulous look on Amber's face as she found out and laughed upon returning. Little did either of us know that it was the first sign of what one day would become a variation of my job.
Most memorable scoop: While my fellow staffers have typically excelled in breaking stories with words, my discovery has usually come in the form of numbers. With that, I guess I can claim that I made Dirt Late Model statistics great again? #MDLMSGA (Yeah, the hashtag needs work.)
Most memorable interview: One of the first races I ever assisted DirtonDirt.com in covering was the 2011 Firecracker 100, which makes the postrace interviews from that controversial night really stand out. I vividly remember working in Lernerville's press tower late after Saturday's race when runner-up Scott Bloomquist entered for his interview. Not long after Bloomquist started talking, I stopped typing abruptly, offered what could best be described as the "eyes emoji" and swiveled my chair around in slow motion as he explained his protest of the tires used by runaway winner Jimmy Mars. Needless to say, that would escalate quickly. In hindsight, it's a shame my subtle reaction wasn't captured, because I'm sure it'd have made for an incredible GIF.
Most memorable press area: For 2013's Wild West Shootout in Casa Grande, Ariz., DirtonDirt.com worked and provided pay-per-view broadcasts out of what could best be described as a military bunker. The room, which we'll kindly say was used for "storage" prior to our arrival, was located partially below ground and underneath the frontstretch grandstands. Our entire crew and all of our equipment was nestled in this tiny bunker with no windows and no view of the track. To say the least, it was a challenge — and probably a health hazard.
Most memorable racing journey: If the sheer length of a cross-country January excursion to Arizona with D-Suave wasn't memorable enough, the happenings along the way certainly were. One that I'll never forget: Derek and I decided to shack just off of I-40 in Winslow, Ariz., for the final night of our extended trek. We woke up early the next morning, dressing in shorts and T-shirts to finish off our drive. Walking outside, we would discover that the temperature was a record-low of eight degrees. I don't remember which of us had to scrape the frost off the windshield that day, but the fact that I don't would lead me to believe it probably wasn't me. The Arizona heat will get you every time.
Most memorable accommodations: There have certainly been some shady ones, but the one that stands out most is definitely a positive. We were so spoiled staying in the heart of St. Louis for last year's Gateway Dirt Nationals. How many times can you say the words dirt track and walking distance in the same sentence? How about the words dirt track and downtown? While logistics inside the dome were extremely challenging at times, they couldn't have been much easier outside of the building. The change of pace and proximity of everything — lodging, food, drinks, activities, nightlife, etc. — were a blessing, especially considering the brutal weather conditions that hampered travel.
Most memorable meal: Any meal consumed in Pella, Iowa, DirtonDirt's home during the Knoxville Nationals. The downtown area has such a quaint feel and the food is both delicious and unfathomably cheap. As DoD's resident spending stickler, I suppose it should come as no surprise to my fellow employees that the second part plays a factor, but hey, I led with delicious for a reason and the food is really good. I haven't been in a few years, but shoutout specifically to the Windmill Cafe, where you can find the DoD staff on just about every morning.
Most memorable rainout: This came before I was an official member of the DoD staff and was still a college student at nearby Iowa State University in Ames, but the 2009 Knoxville Nationals weekend still haunts me to this day. After both prelim nights were won by the Noah's Ark house boat, things finally seemed promising Saturday until three different flipping accidents marred hot laps and precipitation so unexpected that you could not help but laugh interjected yet again, forcing the race to Sunday. The next day, I lugged two chemistry textbooks with me to the track while prepping for a Monday exam. I "studied" in some loud and chaotic environments during college, but the Knoxville grandstands handily tops the list.
Most memorable staff recreation: After a very long day of pay-per-view setup, four (and maybe even five?) grown men piled into the tiniest Fiat rental car possible and raced up the interestate to the 2013 Fiesta Bowl in Glendale, Ariz. That squeezed ride was memorable in itself, but the game stood out, too. Oregon topped Kansas State by a score of 35-17. The opening kickoff was returned for a touchdown, but we were late-arriving and only heard it from the parking lot. Oregon did not change uniforms at half time, which was a devastating personal letdown. I'm fairly certain the stadium also quit serving alcohol promptly after the second quarter, which wasn't exactly popular with our group. I guess I enjoyed my beer — beer as in singular.
Todd Turner, managing editor (2007-present)
Most memorable race: I’m not sure I worked any harder to get stories and photos than at the 2010 Topless 100 in Batesville, Ark. — and I’ve definitely never been hotter. The feature postponed to Sunday (an all too common occurrence there), we faced sweltering triple-digit temperatures with fans and crew members suffering heat stroke before the race even began. Shooting photographs from the backstretch and finding an infield perch for my laptop, I wiped sweat from my eyes and keyboard while updating the coverage of a wild, lengthy race that marked the first Super Late Model victory for Jared Landers. I scrambled to the frontstretch for a picture of the $40,000 winner heaving his helmet into the stands. I was drenched with sweat, sunburned, exhausted … so bad that my appearance alarmed our crew when we reunited in the pits. But I survived no worse for the wear.
Most memorable moment: When Steve Sheppard Jr. ran down the Highland Speedway frontstretch and face-planted on the roof of Dennis Erb Jr.’s car — one of the most memorable UMP DIRTcar Summernationals moments ever. I was at my keyboard in the infield when the two tangled, and I immediately ran to grab my camera when Sheppard’s car spun into the infield. With Erb parked on the frontstretch under caution, I focused my Nikon on Sheppard, holding down the shutter button as he brushed past track workers and launched off Erb’s nosepiece, landing belly-first atop the car. More than two dozen shots covered the entire episode, and moments later I was uploading them to the DirtonDirt.com site where, as they say, they went viral.
Most memorable scoop: While not earth-shattering, I’ll never forget sitting in Applebee’s and doing post-midnight phone interviews with Jeep Van Wormer and Don O’Neal just an hour after watching them battle in UMP DIRTcar Summernationals action at Brownstown (Ind.) Speedway. O’Neal, whose car suffered a flat tire after contact with Van Wormer while the two battled for the lead, retaliated under caution by crunching the left-rear of Van Wormer’s car under the ensuing caution. There were no fireworks in the pits after the race won by Shannon Babb, but after most everyone had left, O'Neal and Van Wormer faced off behind the grandstands with a brief altercation that each driver blamed on the other. Police officers broke them up but neither faced criminal charges. “An exciting Summernationals night, wasn’t it?” O’Neal said in closing our wee hours phone interview.
Most memorable interview: With Steve Casebolt, the Richmond, Ind., driver, whose broke driveshaft with 11 laps remaining and knocked him out of the lead of 2009’s Show-Me 100, handing a victory to Ray Cook in Wheatland, Mo. Casebolt told me later he had a fatalistic feeling something would ruin his 22nd-to-first charge. “I knew if I didn't break, we were going to win,” he said. “There was just no question.” When asked how the driveshaft broke, Casebolt explained that something went wrong with the driveline, but it wasn’t clear what exactly triggered the issue. That led to one of the favorite lines I’ve written at DirtonDirt.com: “What broke first is uncertain, but what broke last is clear: Casebolt's heart.” (Honorable mention: Asking Billy Moyer after his 2009 Cotton Pickin’ 100 victory whether he used an illegally tall spoiler as competitors alleged. The question was answered with a glowering glare.)
Most memorable press area: It’s often challenging to find work space at a dirt track, so I’ve ended up in plenty of cramped, dusty and unorthodox spots — some of which I can’t even see the track — while writing stories and editing photos. But the all-time classic is the infield at the Danville, Ill., oval where I happened to stumble on an infield power outlet (a rarity) and garbage barrel I flipped upside down as my “desk.” I’ve had worse setups. If you’ve got power, a view of the track, a cell connection and level surface to type on, I’m good to go.
Most memorable racing journey: My version "Planes, Trains and Automobiles" for a 2012 weekend journey to Lucas Oil races was "Buses, Light Rail, Vans and Trains" (not quite as catchy, I know). Based in Chicago temporarily for my wife’s job, I rode the Megabus to downtown St. Louis, fetched the Metro Link to the airport (where Michael and Amber Rigsby were flying in after vacation), then caught a ride in the DirtonDirt.com van to Tri-City Speedway and, the next night, Paducah International Raceway. Heading back to Illinois from Paducah, Michael dropped me off at the Normal, Ill., Amtrak station, where I took a $14 ride back to Chicago’s Union Station. A whirlwind journey and lesson in how mass transit can be helpful even for a motorsports journalist.
Most memorable accommodations: The Dalles House in St. Croix Falls, Wis., a regular stop while covering races at Cedar Lake. “Quirky” is how Trip Advisor describes it, and that’s, well, one way to describe it. Michael Rigsby remembered staying there as a boy — and let’s just say they haven’t done a lot of updates. Rustic is a generous description — one co-worker often said it "smelled like death" — and its favored patrons are likely outdoorsmen. On the plus side, it has the largest and deepest indoor motel pool I’ve ever seen, and if you’re lucky enough to stay in the few rooms just above the check-in desk, the internet network is blazingly fast (while almost unusable elsewhere in the hotel). Bonus fact: one long-time night clerk unfailingly asked if Canadian driver Joel Cryderman was still racing (and the answer, always, was no).
Most memorable meal: A Florida Speedweeks rainout several years ago at East Bay Raceway Park seemed like the perfect night for a staff meal at a nicer-than-usual restaurant, but we struggled with reservations because diners were out in force — it was Valentine’s Day. We finally found a table at Romano’s Macaroni Grill in Brandon, Fla., and our all-male group drew a little ribbing from waitresses and patrons amid tables of holiday-drawn couples. That staffer Joshua Joiner’s younger brother Joseph, a standout Florida racer, joined us made it all the more memorable as he touted his racing exploits (if not his knowledge of Italian food). Who’s the best dirt racer in your region, we asked the confident youngster. Without missing a beat: “Me.” (Honorable mention: A post-Summernationals race visit to Taco Bell in Haubstadt, Ind., with the brothers Thirlby while the elder Brandon was chasing the series in 2010. The boys' mother had come to Tri-State Speedway to spectate and pick up their dirty laundry.)
Most memorable rainout: The enduring boredom of three straight rainouts at 2009’s Knoxville Lucas Oil Nationals, which included two days of drenching rain and third day halted by the only rain cloud over a 10-state area (that after Late Models were already rolling over on a super-fast surface). The condensed show was finally completed Sunday, when all I remember is ... it didn’t rain. (Honorable mention: the completely avoidable rainout of a Lincoln Speedway event that ended 19 straight days of racing on the UMP DIRTcar Summernationals.)
Most memorable staff recreation: Our immaculate rental house near Phoenix for 2017’s Wild West Shootout featured a backyard element our crew couldn’t resist — a putting green. Tee times came on days off, before races and after races with everyone brushing up their miniature golf skills. The Derek Kessinger-designed course had nine different tees to create a variety of two-, three- and four-par holes (The Lilies was a hazard-ridden shot over lily-pad like rocks, while The Drop required a putt literally from the roof of the house). By the end of the week I was drilling the knee-knockers more confidently than ever.
