I have to admit, I’m kind of excited about Saturday. It’s the annual Quincy Raceways show at the Quincy Mall, and it’s also the day that “DIRT: The Boys Who Make The Noise” makes its first public appearance.

The book is a look at the history — the cars, the stars, the fans — of Quincy Raceways and it will be on sale in the area near the middle of the mall where where the track officials have their displays.

The 150-page tribute to the Bullring sells for $15 and provides plenty of conversation topics. I can guarantee both healthy debates and even healthier arguments will result from some of the topics covered. Just keep the fisticuffs to a minimum.

For years, I had toyed with the idea of putting something like this together, but the necessary research for a project of this nature also requires time. Finally, my bosses gave me that — and I think you’ll be pleased with the result. It’s a book you will constantly want to use. I am confident it is more than something you will read once and then discard — or at least I hope so. I tried to make it a work that will make you want to keep going back, to keep referring to, to keep enjoying.

I had a lot of fun putting this project together, and I hope you feel that is reflected in what you find inside the cover, which features the late Brent Slocum. The picture of Slocum epitomizes the emotion of the sport, which is the driving force behind its success and popularity. We all love the boys who make the noise and how they not only make every Sunday night a little more enjoyable, but life in general.

There are some stories included I’m sure very few fans may know about. One of my favorites involves the bleachers that you sit on every Sunday night. Did you know they came from old Mile High Stadium in Denver, Colo., the former home of the NFL Denver Broncos? (Neither did I until about a year ago.)

I will be at the mall Saturday in the area near Krieger’s, where the book will be sold between 11 a.m and 1 p.m. to answer any questions you might have — or sign the book, if you wish. (I know the Blonde Girls will want their books signed.) I’ll also be roaming around looking at the new cars. If you’d like to talk racing, please stop me.

The most important thing to remember about this book is that it was written by a fan for other fans. I hope you enjoy it.

For those wishing to order the book online, it will be posted on the Whig Store site in the near future. Also, you can contact The Herald-Whig at 223-5100.

Quincy Raceways issued this press release Sunday.

“Only a small amount of rain has fallen at Quincy Raceways as of 10:45 a.m. this morning. The track and pit area are in very good shape with no standing water. We are watching the radar closely and will update status for tonight’s Tri-State IMCA Stock Car Shootout every hour on the track hotline.

“As it stands now, it looks like we should be in good shape to race tonight if no other serious rain develops. Please check the track hotline at (217) 224-4100 or the track office phone at (217) 224-3843, both of which have a capacity of 100 phone callers at a time on the voice mail message.”

Dave Wietholder won the feature race in the Modifieds on Opening Night last year, but Michael Long eventually was crowned champion.

Race week is finally here.

If it seems like an eternity since we last gathered at the Bullring … well, it has been, at least in racing terms. September was a long, long time ago.

Sunday evening cannot arrive too soon, and for reasons beyond the excitement of Opening Night. Three of the four Quincy Raceways classes will begin running for points right out of the gate.

Modifieds, stock cars and hobby stocks will have no mulligans. Pursuit of the track championship in all three classes begins this week. Only the late models have a few weeks to fine tune. Their points start April 26, one week after the scheduled April 19 Deery Brothers Summer Series tour event.

WILL OPENING NIGHT PROVIDE A TITLE CLUE?

Here’s what a happened a year ago on Opening Night:

Late models: Mark Burgtorf ruled the field, the first of his series-best six feature victories. Surprisingly, track champ Jason Frankel did not reach victory lane until May 18.

Modifieds: Dave Wietholder held off Michael Long to win the feature, which only delayed Long’s domination of the series for a second straight year. Long won the next six main events en route to a second straight championship.

Stock cars: Eventual champ Jeff Mueller claimed the first of his nine checkered flags. Mueller was the lone eventual track champ to win on Opening Night.

Hobby stocks: Steve Carlin was the Opening Night winner, then he did not win again until Aug. 31. Class champ Aaron Brocksieck claimed his first feature the third week of the season.

OPENING NIGHT, PART DEUX

Only four times in the past five years has an eventual track champion won on Opening Night:

Modifieds: Michael Long, 2007
Stock cars: Jeff Mueller, 2008
“B” Modifieds: Wyatt Lantz, 2004.
Hobby stocks: Eddie Dieker, 2004.

Ten things to consider as the first green flag on April 5 draws closer at Quincy Raceways:

1. We always hear about how much more powerful those late model UMP power plants are when compared to the IMCA spec engines, yet I find it interesting the fastest lap turned in 2008 belonged to Jason Frankel driving an IMCA car, a 72.717 mph circuit on Aug. 31. That was a heartbeat faster than Ed Dixon’s 72.430 mph lap on June 10.

Chris Wibbell

2. One of the most impressive feats from a year ago remains Chris Wibbell’s steadiness and reliability in the stock car division. He was the only driver in any series to complete all feature laps. Think it doesn’t sound that difficult? Then why was Wibbell the only driver to accomplish the feat?

3. The number of modified caution flags has been on the rise for three consecutive years, ever since the mods were consolidated into one division. I’m not sure if there is a connection there or not, but last year’s 10.9 cautions per show was a track record.

4. The number of yellow flags for the late models have been on a remarkable downward spiral. Late models averaged just 3.9 cautions per night last summer, and that includes all shows, even the big Deery Brothers turnouts. The late models were responsible for 6.4 stops a night in 2006. I have no idea what the common denominator might be in this equation, other than theorizing all the young guns in the late model series were two years older in 2008.

Twice last year there were caution-free Sunday nights for the late models. Nada. Zilch. Nyet. One of those evenings, July 20, saw the feature run in a remarkable 7 minutes, 52.873 seconds.

5. Of the 41 cars at the recent Quincy Mall show, I would say the early leaders for two of this year’s ZZ Top Sharp Dressed Man Awards are Dustin Griffin the late models and Tony Dunker in the mods. If Dunker is deemed the most righteous dude in terms of good-lookin’ sheet metal, it will be his fourth such award since 2002.

6. Here’s hoping track officials opt to go back to using the transponders on the hobby stocks. They were removed in early June last season.

7. I’m interested to see the early season late model car counts. Even though the track averaged 20 late models per show for a fourth straight year in 2008, only once after June 29 was that number reached. By all offseason accounts, the economy and/or retirements should not have any sort of lasting effect on 2009 car counts, but optimism always reigns in March. Two encouraging sites in this regard were the new rides on display at the mall show for veterans Terry Gallaher and Jerry Weisenberger. Gallaher is celebrating his 40th year in racing.

8. If Frankel can repeat as late model champ, he will be the first driver not named Mark Burgtorf to go back-to-back in that series since Steve Fraise in 1989-90. It’s amazing how many fans Fraise still has. I regularly get e-mails and comments about him. My all-time favorite was someone who wrote, “Steve Fraise was Mark Burgtorf before Mark Burgtorf.”

9. I started tracking money won at Quincy in 2006. In three seasons, Burgtorf has won $43,060. The next-highest late model total belongs to Denny Woodworth ($21,445).

10. Michael Long’s domination of the modifieds for a second straight season included 15 feature victories. Ironically, Long did not win the first (Dave Wietholder) or last (Donovan Lodge) feature of 2008.

Lonnie Bailey hopes to claim his third track championship this season.

Six drivers at Quincy Raceways have a chance to join an elite club this season.

When the first green flag of the year drops April 5, it will christen the 35th season at the venerable Broadway Bullring. Only seven drivers have won three or more track championships over the past 34 years.

Here are the active drivers with two titles who could join that select group:

Michael Long: He’s won the last two modified championships and has been the most dominant driver overall at the .29-mile facility since 2007.
Titles won: 2008, 2007 modified.

Steve Carlin: No. 9 will be the favorite to regain the title in the hobby stocks with Aaron Brocksieck moving to stock cars.
Titles won: 2006 bomber, 2003 bomber (now hobby stock)

Lonnie Bailey: He’ll join Mark Burgtorf and Jason Frankel as the preseason favorites in the track’s marquee division — the late models.
Titles won: 2004 late model, 1986 sportsman

Steven DeLonjay: He’s just a teenager, but like NASCAR’s Joey Logano, DeLonjay has mad skills. Championships kind of run in the family. Steven’s dad, Hank, won 13 of them.
Titles won: 2007, 2006 hornet.

Tony Dunker: No. 4 has been knocking on the door of that third title for four years. Will the fifth be the charm?
Titles won: 2005, 2004 “B” modified.

Bill Genenbacher: Genenbacher arguably has the toughest road to a third title in the late model division, but if he gets close, don’t bet against him. He’s waited the longest among this select six since winning his second track crown.
Titles won: 2000, 1998 bomber (now hobby stock)

In case you were wondering, here’s the all-time leader in track titles:

Mark Burgtorf, 14
Hank DeLonjay, 13
Steve Fraise, 9
Terry Gallaher, 4
Eddie Dieker, 4
Sam Burgtorf, 4
Larry Larson, 3
(Bold face indicates driver was active in 2008.)

Matt Bailey looks poised to elevate his game from sometimes-contender to weekly threat.

Five things to think about with the dirt-track season now less than six weeks away:

1. The drive for five: Four different late model drivers have been track champions this decade. That’s one more than any other decade in track history. Champs since 2000 have been Mark Burgtorf, the late Brent Slocum, Lonnie Bailey and Jason Frankel. Can there be a fifth different champ? If there is, my guess is it will be Justin Reed.

2. Breakout driver(s) of ’09: It all depends on how you define “breakout.” That’s why I have two picks here. Reed is the breakout threat when it comes to winning the title, and Matt Bailey is the driver when it comes to joining the elite class of drivers at the track.

Reed has been knocking on the door the past two years, and if defending champ Frankel or 14-time king Burgtorf allow him an opening, that orange No. 1st is talented enough to take it.

Bailey looks poised to elevate his game from sometimes-contender to weekly threat. Bailey, an engineering student, has grown up around the track and knows all the intricacies of the machine he drives. Another consideration — Bailey led all late model drivers in heat points. If he carries that consistency over to the features, he will be joining his dad, Lonnie, running up front on a weekly basis.

3. Select club: Since the track adopted the IMCA style of scoring in 1998, only two drivers have reached 5,000 career points — Mark Burgtorf (6,451) and Denny Woodworth (5,430). Two more could join that group this summer.

Lonnie Bailey (4,933) is just 67 points shy and should gain membership the second week of points racing. Terry Gallaher, who has raced at Quincy since the track opened in 1975, needs 171. Terry’s future is uncertain for this year, but my gut feeling is we’ll see him enough for him to reach that milestone.

4. Wild card: The real question mark for this season: How will this economic mess affect the product on the track and the fans in the stands? The thing that worries me most is not the threat of gas rising to $4 again (I don’t see that happening), it’s the layoffs and changing face of the workforce. How many fans will the track lose because dad or mom — or both — have lost their job(s) since the end of last season? How many drivers? Crew members? Until those first few weeks of the season, this is the true wild card for ’09.

5. All-time rankings: There won’t be much movement in The Herald-Whig all-time rankings this year. The only possibility for change finds Woodworth with an opportunity to move from No. 9 to No. 8 and Frankel maybe cracking the top 10.

If Woodworth finishes sixth or higher in the final track points, he will move past Slocum in to No. 8. If D.W. would wind up second or higher, he could also pass Sonny Findling for No. 7.

If Frankel can finish fourth or higher, he will bump Tom Long out of the No. 10 ranking.

Drivers earn points on a 15-10-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 basis for their annual position in the final track standings.

Here’s the all-time rankings going into the season:

1. Mark Burgtorf, 267 points: 14 track championships and 20 top-five points finishes cement his best-ever ranking.
2. Terry Gallaher, 232 points: Four titles and a record 28 top-10 finishes.
3. Steve Fraise, 178 points: Nine championships between 1976-90.
4. Lonnie Bailey, 123 points: Only three drivers have more top five (13) finishes than No. 25.
5. Dick Crane, 104.5 points: Won title in 1986.
6. Jim Swank, 73.5 points: 1978 track champ.
7. Sonny Findling, 70.5 points: Highest-ranked driver who never won a championship.
8. Brent Slocum, 64 points: How many more titles could he have won if he were still with us?
9. Denny Woodworth, 61 points: D.W. will likely be spending a lot of time on the MLRA circuit this summer.
10. Tom Long, 49 points: Jason Frankel is right on his rear bumper in these rankings.
Other active drivers of note: Jason Frankel (43), Ron Elbe (38), Jerry Weisenberger (28), Joey Gower (23), Justin Reed (22).

Tony Dunker is one of a handful of racers who have a chance to unseat Michael Long for the modified title.

Realistically, can Michael Long be stopped from another dominating season at Quincy Raceways?

Actually, “dominating” is being kind to the modified opposition. “Smothering” might be more accurate.

A week ago in this space, I asked if late model legend Mark Burgtorf could be beaten if he ran a full points schedule. It’s more or a less repeat of that same query, except insert “Michael Long” in place of “Mark Burgtorf.”

In the 10 years I have covered dirt-track racing in this area, I have not seen anything comparable to what Long managed to accomplish in 2007-2008. The twentysomething Long put together a career year in ’07 — and then matched it in ’08. Long won more races (71) in those two years than all but two other drivers — Hank DeLonjay (134) and Dunker (86) — had in the previous 10 seasons combined.

Whatever he is doing and whatever he has figured out has placed him at an entirely different level than any other modified driver at the Broadway Bullring.

For the most part, Long’s accomplishments completely overshadowed guys like Tony Dunker, Steven DeLonjay, Robbie Reed, Dave Wietholder, Wyatt Lantz and others. And those “other” guys are quality drivers who, if not for the presence of Long, were all capable of winning a track championship. (In fact, as I look at that list, they all have in one class or another.)

Let’s examine who has the best chance of uneathing Long, who if he opts to run a full points schedule will be trying for a third straight track championship. Only two other modified drivers, Hank DeLonjay and Sam Burgtorf, have managed to win as many as three in a row. Both DeLonjay and Burgtorf are now retired.

Right now, four guys are capable of wrestling the title away from Long if the stars are aligned properly:

Tony Dunker: He was the No. 1 all-time “B” modified driver, according my rankings for The Quincy Herald-Whig, and had won two championships when the “A” and “B” mods were combined into one class prior to the 2006 season. Dunker has been steady, a contender and consistently run up front in the three years of the combined mod series, but he has not won a feature since 2005. To supplant Long, Dunker has to find victory lane, which is easier said than done. Long has won 31 of the last 46 features at the cathedral of commotion.

Steven DeLonjay: This will only be his second season in a modified, but “Little Crank” is definitely a gem in the making. DeLonjay was actually in position to win the track title in his rookie season after Long took a week off late in the year to run a big-money race at another track, but the teenager was unable to hold off Long upon his return. Two numbers to remember entering the ’09 season: DeLonjay is 17 years old, and he has already won 37 races.

Robbie Reed: The Quincy-Mexico, Mo.-Quincy resident is the ultimate points racer. He knows how to win a championship (see 2006) without winning a ton of features, and he will always be a contender with his plethora of top-five finishes. Reed will be the guy hanging around at second or third in points going into August, waiting for Long (or whoever might be leading the parade) to make a mistake.

Dave Wietholder: This guy is one of my favorites to watch. At one point in his career it was because I never knew what car he might be bouncing off of, but now it’s because I have enjoyed watching him mature as a driver. Wietholder is getting close to putting all the pieces together and if he gets off to a fast start he might be the most capable of the challengers of riding a wave of momentum to a commanding position.

If Mark Burgtorf races every week at Quincy Raceways this year,
it could mean for a great points race with defending champ Jason Frankel.

Thinking back, ole Doug may have been rather prophetic.

"Ole Doug" is Doug Mealy, a good ole boy from the heart of — as he says — "Mi-zur-ah." Ole Doug also is the track announcer at Quincy Raceways, and he almost makes me cry some Sunday nights because I am laughing so hard at what he says into the microphone.

His best line came during a late model feature near the end of the 2008 season. He was as excited as the rest of the crowd about a duel between "Superman" Sam Halstead and 14-time track champ Mark Burgtorf.

Halstead had enjoyed a sizable lead most of the race, only to see Burgtorf make one of his patented charges to the front. As the race got closer, ole Doug got more excited.

"Superman better watch out, because here comes Kryptonite!" Mealy told the crowd as Burgtorf prepared to take the lead — which he did, and eventually won another main event at 8000 Broadway.

Ole Doug's words have been ringing in my ears again lately as the start of a new season draws closer. (For those counting, we're less than two months from the first green flag at the Sunday night cathedral of commotion.)

I hear Burgtorf will be racing closer to home more often this year, like many other drivers. (This recession thing is a major pain in the quarterpanel.)

If Burgtorf runs Quincy every week, that could/should translate into a great, summer-long late model championship points race between himself and defending champ Jason Frankel. Denny Woodworth would certainly be in the mix, too, if he opts to do the same, but I believe Denny will still do some semi-serious traveling.

If Burgtorf decides to run the full points schedule on his home track, he will be tough to beat. Next to impossible might be more like it. Kind of like that Kryptonite and Superman combination. (I wish I knew more the mystique of Superman, but I never liked comic books. I was always too busy with my NASCAR media guides.)

But Frankel won last year's title, you say? That he did, and he was a deserving champion. But don't forget, Burgtorf missed a points night early in the seaso,n and if you would award him his weekly points average for that night he missed, his total would have surpassed Frankel's. Of course, he could have crashed that night, too. We'll never know.

That kind of fodder is simply food for thought. The decision to miss that one night was Mark's call, so there's really no use in playing the what-if game.

What I do know, however, is if Mr. Kryptonite commits to a full points season, only a small group of other drivers have a realistic chance of beating him.

STEVIE DIRT REGIONAL RANKINGS SET TO RETURN

The Stevie Dirt Regional Rankings (SDRR) for late models will return for a second season starting in April, using the same format, tracks and points system as in 2008. Features at Quincy, West Burlington and Donnellson will count toward the championship. Drivers will earn feature points on a 25-20-15-12-10-8-6-4-2-1 scale.

We'll have to wait and see how the news that Donnellson is adding a half-dozen more nights of late models affects the rankings. Probably nothing dramatic, but only time will tell.

We'll soon have details on the second year of modified rankings and the first year of stock cars in the SDRR. Stay tuned for that info.

Here's a look back at the final 2008 late model rankings:

1. Jason Frankel, Quincy, Ill., 578 points (TOP ILLINOIS DRIVER)
2. Mark Burgtorf, Quincy, Ill., 337
3. Lonnie Bailey, Quincy, Ill., 273
4. Denny Woodworth, Mendon, Ill., 271
5. Justin Reed, Quincy, Ill., 227
6. Keith Pratt, Mendon, Ill., 206
7. Tom Goble, Burlington, Iowa, 179 (TOP IOWA DRIVER)
8. Matt Bailey, Quincy, Ill., 166
9. Jay Johnson, West Burlington, Iowa, 162
10. Tom Bowling, Danville, Iowa, 136

11. Tom Darbyshire, Morning Sun, Iowa, 130
12. Matt Strassheim, West Burlington, Iowa, 127
13. Boone McLaughlin, Mediapolis, Iowa, 105
14. Jason Perry, Payson, Ill., 94
15. Sam Halstead, New London, Iowa, 91
16. Nick Ingalls, Quincy, Ill., 87
17. Kevin Tomlinson, New London, Mo., 86 (TOP MISSOURI DRIVER)
18. Robby Warner, Quincy, Ill., 83
19. Colby Springsteen, Morning Sun, Iowa, 81
20. Dustin Griffin, Quincy, Ill., 76

21. Terry Gallaher, New London, Mo., 71
22. Dustin Neese, Nebo, Ill., 65
23. Bill Genenbacher, Camp Point, Ill., 59
24. Jay Chenoweth, Wapello, Iowa, 57
25. Terry Neal, Ely, Iowa, 56

No. 1: Change in ownership ushers in new era at 8000 Broadway

(The most important events, individuals and decisions from the last 10 years at Quincy Raceways)

For more than 30 years, the Scott family and Quincy Raceways were synonymous, one in the same. You could count on seeing Albert, Bob, Jeff, Jan … someone named Scott who was making certain there were enough hamburgers in the concession stand, enough banking in the turns or picking up the trash on Monday mornings following another Sunday night of racing.

That all changed just before the start of the 2007 season when the Scott family sold the facility to Tony Rhinberger and Mike Karhoff. Rhinberger was a longtime car sponsor and track supporter, and Karhoff was a former modified and late model driver.

The change in ownership was significant in two positive ways.

First, it allowed the Scotts to ease out of a venture that had dominated their lives since 1975, permitting family members a new personal freedom they had never known. To own and operate a race track means from sometime in March through the end of September you have no life, other than taking care of the track. Weekend getaways were for other people, and holidays did not exist.

Any race fan in the Quincy area owes the Scotts a ton of gratitude for conceiving, developing and maintaining the track that has become a social fixture in the community. Let's face it, that old dirt track is an important part of many lives.

Some of the fans' and drivers' disagreements over the years with the Scotts are legendary, but the bottom line remains: That track would have never existed without the vision of the late Albert Scott, and it would have faded into history without the ensuing contributions of his son, Bob, and grandson, Jeff (plus other family members).

The Scotts did a magnificent job providing a facility for so long that so many enjoyed and may have even taken for granted. I hope they are enjoying their "new" life, especially on the weekends.

The timing was perfect for the change in ownership. The arrival of Rhinberger and Karhoff brought new ideas and changes. Capital improvements were planned and carried out, not to mention a change in some of the racing infrastructure. It was an exciting time and remains an exciting period more than two years later.

Rhinberger became sole owner before the start of the '08 season and has continued to upgrade the facility and position the track for the future. He deserves much credit for steering the facility through a tumultuous 2008 when $4-a-gallon gasoline was the norm and the U.S. economy showed the first signs of a recession that currently engulfs us all.

This could be one of the most challenging seasons ever at the track, depending on the fallout of unemployment and the price of fuel. Rhinberger is confident, however, Quincy Raceways can weather the storm. That's a tribute to both his vision and leadership, and the same kind of both the Scotts provided all of those years before.

No. 3: Burgtorf has given new meaning to consistency

(The most important events, individuals and decisions from the last 10 years at Quincy Raceways)

I once asked some of Mark Burgtorf's chief challengers at Quincy Raceways what his secret was. After all, how could one driver be so dominant for so long?

"Mark has more laps on this track than anyone else," Denny Woodworth said. "He knows this track better than anyone."

I'm sure that explains a big part of why Burgtorf has dominated an entire division since George Bush Sr. was president. And I'm also certain that natural, God-given ability has had something to do with it, too. So have great equipment and a great crew. All of those factors (and more, I'm sure) have contributed to the single most successful extended run of any driver in any division since the track opened in 1975.

Burgtorf has won seven of his record 14 track championships in the past 10 years, most in convincing fashion. Having talked with him after many of the victories that led to those titles, it has never ceased to amaze me at how he attacks each night, each race, each lap. There's an incredible method to his success. It is no accident.

How many more titles will Burgtorf win? Realistically, it probably depends on how often he wishes to race at 8000 Broadway. He's at the stage of his career when he will occasionally skip a Sunday night to chase a big purse or a new challenge at another site, and when you miss one week of points racing, it can cost a driver a championship. Burgtorf missed one points week in 2008 and finished 25 points behind first-time champ Jason Frankel.

Burgtorf probably has at least another 15 years in his career, and I would be surprised if he does not retire with at least 20 track championships. Whenever he does pull No. 7 off the track for the final time, one certainty is already cast in stone.

There will never be another like him.

THE BURGTORF DYNASTY

2008: Jason Frankel

2007: Mark Burgtorf
2006: Mark Burgtorf
2005: Mark Burgtorf
2004: Lonnie Bailey
2003: Mark Burgtorf
2002: Brent Slocum

2001: Mark Burgtorf
2000: Mark Burgtorf
1999: Mark Burgtorf
1998: Mark Burgtorf
1997: Mark Burgtorf
1996: Mark Burgtorf
1995: Mark Burgtorf
1994: Mark Burgtorf
1993: Mark Burgtorf
1992: Mark Burgtorf