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See what Selinsgrove looked like on Saturday in my latest photo bin.

Tuesday, March 9th 2010

New on the Audio Page for today:

Tony Veneziano reports on last weekend’s World of Outlaws races from Thunderbowl Raceway.
Michael Sanchelli describes some changes that are taking place to the surface at Orange County.
Derrick Podsiadlo tells me about the work he is doing on his Modifieds to get them ready for 2010.

It was another nice day in Central New York on Monday as the snow continues to melt. And from the sound of the weather people, it should continue and soon the snow may actually be gone very soon.

I did do some work on Monday as I recorded a few new conversations that will air tomorrow. So all the chats you see on the site today were recorded on Sunday. And as you can see, we jump around a lot today.

I have a report from California’s World of Outlaw races as well as some big new about a rumored change that is reality at Orange County. Plus I keep showing some love to the Modified teams with a nice interview with Derrick Podsiadlo.

Of course be sure to make your plans to come to Syracuse this weekend for Motorsports 2010. There will be racecars from all the disciplines that are showcased in the northeast as well as many events designed specifically for the racers. To see more and to find out where you can get discounted tickets, just go to www.gaternews.com.

Now let’s talk more about what is new for today on the Audio Page. I begin by checking in on how things are going with the busiest racing series on the planet. Tony Veneziano reports on last weekend’s World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series races from Thunderbowl Raceway in California. He talked about the happy hometown winner, the new series point leader and the carnage that affected some of the teams.

Michael Sanchelli describes some changes that are taking place with the surface at Orange County Fair Speedway. He explained why the flatter corners should make for better racing, what they have done to make traveling easier for the areas Sportsman teams and reminded everyone about the annual Spruce Up day.

Derrick Podsiadlo tells me about the work he is doing on his Modifieds to get them ready for 2010. He talked about the new chassis he will start the year with, remembered his feature win at Canandaigua and his hopes to pick one up at Weedsport this season.

Monday, March 8th 2010

New on the Audio Page for today:

Paul Kinney talks about his pair of Modifieds and his high hopes for some good luck in 2010.
Lance Willix gets ready for his move up to a big block and tells me where he will be running.

I had a real nice day on Sunday as I got a lot done in the studio and can now lay low today. I do still have some things planned and it will not be a day off by any stretch, but it is nice to know that I am not up against it as I was a few days ago.

As you can see we are showing some love to the Modifieds with two interviews with drivers in that division on the site today. In the can right now are chats with Modified driver Derrick Podsiadlo and a much listen to interview with Michael Sanchelli about some changes taking place at Orange County. I know some of you have heard rumors about it. So now you can hear the truth on Tuesday.

Plus I have lots more things set up and I am also hopeful to be able to bring you chats with the World of Outlaws winners from this past weekend as both of those winning drivers are regulars on the site. Plus I will be chatting with Tony Veneziano as well, so be sure to keep checking back for that.

It is a great time to be a race fan and soon every speedway out there will begin their 2010 season. I love this time of the year as everyone has high hopes and every driver is tied for the lead in the point standings at their weekly track.

Now let’s chat more about what is new for today on the Audio Page. I begin with a conversation with a driver who had an up and down year in 2009. Paul Kinney talks about his pair of Modifieds and his high hopes for some good luck in 2010. He also thought back on the season gone by, reflected on his three feature wins and told me what he will be bringing to Selinsgrove for the ROC opener.

Lance Willix gets ready for his move up to a big block and tells me where he will be running it this year. He also remembered the moment when the decision was made, explained how instrumental his wife was in the process and tells me which weekly track he will be adding to his schedule.

Sunday, March 7th 2010

New on the Audio Page for today:

Jeff Hoetzler talks about his plans for 2010 and gets reflective on where he is right now.
Chad Homan runs down how his racecars look right now and thinks back on his 2009 season.

It was a tough day for us SU basketball fans on Saturday as our number one ranking will surely go away after our second loss of the year to Louisville. It is amazing how something like that affects my mood for the rest of the day. But as I write this up now, I am pausing to remember what my expectations were a few months ago. And now I don’t feel so bad.

I did some work in the studio on Saturday and recorded three new conversations. Two of those are up today while my other chat with Modified driver Lance Willix will air tomorrow. And yes, there is some BIG news with Lance, so be sure to come back tomorrow for that.

Plus I am going to make more of an effort to get back with the Modified teams. I looked back at some of my chats from the last week and a half and I did not see a lot of Mod interviews on there. So I am going to make an effort this week to return to my roots and show some love to what I think are the coolest cars on dirt…Modifieds.

Today I will be back in the studio and have a conference all later inthe afternoon about something that could be very exciting. I'll keep you posted on that. And I left alot of messages with alot of people yesterday so hopefully many of those folks will be getiing ahold of me.

Now let’s chat more about what is new for today on the Audio Page. I begin with a conversation with a driver who will have a different season this year compared to some in his past. Jeff Hoetzler talks about his plans for 2010 and gets reflective on where he is right now in his racing career. He also told me about his past at the tracks he will compete at this year, describes what would be his ideal situation for this year and remembers a humbling moment he had with his son in 2009. Nice chat here!

Chad Homan runs down how his racecars look right now and thinks back on his breakout season in 2009. He also talked about earning his first career Modified win at Cayuga County, wonders what it will take to bring Canandaigua back to the forefront and describes how tough Micro Sprint racing is these days. I know what you mean Chad!

Saturday, March 6th 2010

New on the Audio Page for today:

Stewart Friesen tells me about the three Sprint Car races he competed in last weekend at East Bay.
Joe Patrick previews Motorsports Expo 2010 and lets us know where to pick up discounted tickets.

I had a real good day on Friday as I got some work done in the studio and caught up on some sleep after a late night one on Thursday. My mojo is finally coming back after being off for about a month as I rolled yet another 600+ series in bowling and came from just two chips to win the poker match. It was an epic comeback. Yep, I think I’m just about back now!

I have two real good chats on the website today as I check in with Stewart Friesen about his second trip to Florida this year and I get you guys some specifics on Motorsports Expo 2010 with Joe Patrick from Gater Racing Photo News. And be sure to check out their website at www.gaternews.com to get your discounted tickets for the event.

Today I will be back in the studio and going to town, so if you have some time and want to tell everyone what you will be doing this year, then send me an email to doug@dougsdirtdiary.com and maybe we can work you in.

Now let’s chat more about what is new on the Audio Page for today. I begin with a conversation with a New York driver who has already run six shows this year. Stewart Friesen tells me about the three Sprint Car races he competed in last weekend at East Bay Raceway in Florida. He ran down how he did on each night, explained how the car drove compared to a Modified and reminded us when his next race will be. Nice job Stewart!

Joe Patrick previews Motorsports Expo 2010 and lets us know where to pick up discounted tickets. He also talked about some of the events taking place during the expo, urged drivers & race teams to attend the free sponsor seminar and encouraged everyone to visit www.gaternews.com for more info. See you there Joe!

Friday, March 5th 2010

New on the Audio Page for today:

Glenn Knapp tells me about the small block Modified he will be competing with this season.
Jason Rood talks about his move up to a big block and remembers his three tries in 2009.
Matt Roberts shows off his IMCA Modified and runs down how he hopes his race season goes.

Thursday was a real good day at the home studio as I had enough work done from during the week and was able to lay low for most of the day. But now I need to get back at it today as the can is empty and needs to be filled up once again.

It was a real nice day on Thursday and it was great to see the snow continuing to melt. The big storm we had last week is nothing but a memory now and most of the heavy wet snow that fell on that day is fading away very fast. And that snow melt helps the clay surface at your favorite racetrack bind to the dirt underneath and makes for good racing.

Not much going on this weekend around here but at this time next week we will all be getting ready for Motorsports 2010 at the New York State Fairgrounds. It is the first big event of the year in Syracuse and it signals the beginning of the 2010 season. I’ll have more on that next week and I hope to see all of you at the event.

Now let’s chat more about what is new for today on the Audio Page. I begin with one of my final interviews from Southern Tier Speedworld last weekend. Glenn Knapp tells me about the small block Modified he will be competing with this season. He talked about how close his car was to being race ready, described some of the problems he had last season and how it affected the car in the corners.

Jason Rood talks about his move up to a big block and remembers his three times in the car in 2009. He also reflected on his break out year in 2009, described his plans to add a Friday night track to his weekly routine and his hopes to start the season out with a strong run on the road.

Matt Roberts shows off his IMCA Modified at the Oakdale Mall last weekend and told me how long it took to put the car together. He explained how much he enjoyed getting some help from his experienced dad, why he decided to move up in class and why a move to North Carolina influenced his choice of racecar.

Thursday, March 4th 2010

New on the Audio Page for today:

Joe Gosek tells me how his shoulder is feeling these days and reflects on his 30 years in racing.
Kevan Cook offered up his thoughts on Southern Tier Speedworld and his break out year in 2009.
Dan Wood spoke about his season at Five Mile Point & Thunder Mountain and the car he built.
J. R. Kennerup runs down the specifics for the ROC on Dirt race next weekend at Selinsgrove.

I have four new clips for you today as I am still putting up chats from Southern Tier Speedworld and combining them with other ones from the studio. I still have three more in the can for tomorrow and then Friday we will be back in the studio recording more for you guys to listen to later this weekend.

My column in the Syracuse Post Standard is based on the chat I had with Joe Gosek, so be sure to give that one a listen. I really enjoyed hearing about his background and he was great to talk with. Now I still have more Oswego Speedway drivers to chat with so be sure to let me know who I should speak with next and if you have some questions you would like me to answer, then send me an email and we’ll see if we can’t get to them.

As for me, I am doing better everyday as my family and I try to get a grasp on the near tragedy that almost stuck us. I have good days and bad, but the people around me have been great at keeping me focused and letting me rant when I need to. I am still sorting this all out and my family and I have a lot of work ahead of us. But I still count my blessings everyday.

Now let’s chat more about what is new on the Audio Page for today. I begin with the conversation that led to my column for today. Joe Gosek tells me how his shoulder is feeling after a hockey injury last winter and reflects on his 30 years in racing. He talked about getting back into the car before his surgeon wanted him to, explained how well things went after that and remembered his time at Indianapolis back in the 1990’s. Awesome chat!

Kevan Cook offered up his thoughts on Southern Tier Speedworld and his break out year in an IMCA Modified in 2009. He talked about the new car he is working on right now, explains how valuable his support system is to his success and describes how he chooses to work his way through traffic early in the race.

Dan Wood spoke about his season at Five Mile Point & Thunder Mountain and the new racecar he built for this year. He also ran down his plans for 2010, wondered if his dad might get behind the wheel again and told me where else he can compete with his Four Cylinder Stock Car.

J. R. Kennerup runs down the specifics for the ROC on Dirt race next weekend at Selinsgrove Speedway. He talked about how the points for this two day show will work, encouraged all the teams to visit the website at www.rocdirt.com for rules information and remembered when he and I first worked together at the Fulton Speedway in 1990. Good one here!

Wednesday, March 3rd 2010

New on the Audio Page for today:

Jason Meyers tells me how he came from 18^th to 1^st to get the WoO win last Friday in Las Vegas.
Gary Roberts talks about his new IMCA Modified and wondered how his driving style would change.
Alex Shaffer spoke about the pair of racecars he has this year as well as his three wins in 2009.

I had a much better day on Tuesday as I got back on the main computer and I now know that I can do almost anything from the lap top I have as a back up. If you missed it, the power supply on the studio computer went on Monday and thankfully my good friend Andy was able to come over and fix it. It has been great to have him back helping again and it is a huge load off my mind to know that I have help when I need it. Thanks dude!

As you can see we are back with three solid interviews today from three totally different race drivers. Jason Meyers has a chance at the WoO Championship, Gary Roberts is a veteran who will be learning a lot this year and eleven year old Alex Shaffer is learning every time he goes to the track.

Tomorrow I will have information on the first big Modified race weekend of the year coming up March 19^th and 20^th at Selinsgrove. And I still have chats from the Southern Tier Speedworld shows as well. I am working on the column and looking for ideas. S if you have any, send them along to me at doug@dougsdirtdiary.com.

So now let’s chat more about what is new on the Audio Page. I begin with a conversation with a driver who had one of his best wins ever this past weekend. Jason Meyers tells me how he came from 18^th to 1^st to get the World of Outlaws Sprint car Series win last Friday in Las Vegas. He told me what set him back earlier in the night, how he lost the lead briefly on the final lap and how much he is looking for his first Outlaw win ever at Tulare this weekend.

Gary Roberts talks about his new IMCA Modified and wondered how his driving style would change because of it. He also told me about some mechanical woes he had in 2009, how close he is to having the new car ready and ran down his plans for the year now that his Friday night home dropped the class.

Alex Shaffer spoke about the pair of racecars he has this year as well as his three wins in 2009. He talked about the changes the did in the off season, the one corner at his weekly home that gives him trouble and looked ahead to his first races of the year.


	Who will win the Rite Aid 200 this Sunday? Vic Coffey Frank Cozze Billy Decker Tim Fuller Brett Hearn Danny Johnson Ronnie Johnson Jimmy Phelps Matt Sheppard Richie Tobias Gary Tomkins Kenny Tremont Pat Ward None of those guys! Click here for more results


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