Thursday, September 18, 1997

Speedway owner expects to end season with bang

By Ted Dunnam / Abilene Reporter-News

Abilene Speedway owner Tommy Simons expects to end the track's regular racing season Saturday with a bang as the Western Stampede Thunder Truck Bonanza culminates the 1997 campaign.

"I think it's been a very good year," Simons said. "We had excellent participation, and averaged about 90 cars a week. It was successful because a lot of people -- drivers, sponsors and volunteers -- worked together.

"We really had some unbelievable racing with drivers racing three- and sometimes four-wide. That's what people want to see. They don't want to see some car get out front and just stay there.

"We made some people mad and we made some happy, but that's going to happen at any race track. Our attendance was up, also. It was really a combined effort by everybody to make this our best year."

Simons said he expects almost 20 trucks from Texas and Arkansas to compete Saturday for a first-place prize of $450. A kids' bicycle race is also scheduled.

IMCA modifieds will be on hand in addition to the regular Saturday night lineup of limite late models, super stocks, street stocks and mini-modifieds.

Simons added that he already has 35 entries for the Southern Challege to be held Oct. 31-Nov. 2, featuring a $34,000 purse for the IMCA-sanctioned event.

Four enduro races are also scheduled at the speedway this winter.

Easy Eddie

Sunday's Reporter-News will feature an interview I conducted earlier this week with Texas Motor Speedway general manager Eddie Gossage.

Gossage evaluates the speedway's first year of hosting events, traffic problems, expectations for the future and being miffed at TMS not getting a second NASCAR Winston Cup date for 1998.

I found Gossage to be courteous, frank and not one to side-step sensitive issues, a refreshing individual in a sports world filled with the likes of Albert Belle and Bryan Cox.

Movin' on

Speeds are rocketing at the new California Speedway where CART drivers will run for the first time next week in the season-ending Marlboro 500.

In recent testing, Mauricio Gugelmin of Brazil turned in a 234 mile per hour lap in a PacWest Reynard-Mercedes. Jimmy Vasser was next at 232 in a Target-Chip Ganassi Racing Reynard-Honda.