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Playday big success at MRP
71 Cars bring in New Year;
2008 schedule is posted
By
Bob
Burbach
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Marysville CA - January 7,
2008 ---The 1st
Annual New Year’s Day Playday was staged Tuesday at
Marysville Raceway Park. With the track open for the
entire day, 71 cars took to the new clay to start the 40th
Anniversary season at the venerable facility. Promoters
Paul and Kathy Hawes were pleasantly surprised by the
large turnout of cars and drivers.
According to local Appeal Democrat Sports Editor, Todd
Hansen “All in all, the first ever New Year's playday at
Marysville Raceway Park was a big hit, and proved to be a
great way to drop the green flag on the celebration of the
local track's 40th anniversary.”
Hansen interviewed promoter Hawes and reported that the
track will be a full quarter-mile from the inside of the
driving surface, but technically a little larger than a
quarter-mile from the more traditional measuring point of
10 feet up the racing surface. The previous track was a
full quarter-mile from the outside edge, and so slightly
smaller than from the official measuring point. But the
precise measurements were of little concern Tuesday.
Drivers were looking for a racier track, and for the most
part, got one.”
Hansen also reported that Hawes said, "(Fans) are
going to see more speed ... and it is definitely going to
be two-groove racing." Hawes, who will circle the
track with walls and stronger safety fencing (by opening
day) was impressed with the speeds. Hansen also
interviewed Mike Monahan of Reno, the 2004 Winged 360
Sprint Car champion, and Monahan remarked, "I like
the speed." Monahan, who put on his own show by
popping some wheelies down the back straightaway
continued, "They still have a little widening to do,
but they say that's on the agenda." There were so
many cars in the pits that there were enough cars for main
events in a couple of divisions.
Jeremy Burt of Grass Valley, the reigning Winged 360
Sprint champion, was also present with his very quick #2b.
The champ said he was anxious to get back into the car
about two weeks after the season was done. Hansen further
reported in his interviwew with Burt that he mused,
"This gives us a little feed to pacify us until
March," Burt, who brought his immaculately prepared
sprinter to the raceway acknowledges he likes the track
changes. "I think you are going to see more speed,
and I think you are going to see more passing," Burt
said.
Champion Modified driver Duane Cleveland of Yuba City
provided a heart-stopping moment when he pawed his way
into turn 3, hooked up hard against the cushion and
flipped some 3-5 times and exited the surface landing
close to Hawes’ newly planted trees on the very outside
perimeter of the 3-4 turn complex.
Cleveland had turned in some of the most thrilling laps of
the day prior to his big crash according to promoter
Hawes. “He was twisting it in pretty hard,” Hawes
quipped, in an interview with this observer. Cleveland
commented that it was the hardest crash of his storied
career as a modified driver. This observer, however,
remembers a grinding wall-riding incident at Grass Valley
some years ago in a street stock that was pretty wild. As
the Modifieds are concerned, Hawes has announced that MRP
will host a 5 race Modified Series during the course of
2008.
Track announcer Tim Gilbert had his own take on the
playday extravaganza. “…there was a lot of talking and
catching up, and the racers were having a ball! Kids were
riding in the pits on ATVs (with parents) and walking
around with their parents and grand parents, who watched
them carefully while giving them the thrill of watching
from the pit side. I had the impression from the “out of
towners” that they liked the track.”
A race car show and race car parade to the speedway on
opening night will kick off the point racing season on
March 22nd. There will be no preseason open shows this
year as Hawes will kick off the point racing season a week
earlier than usual. The primary 4 divisions and the Nor
Cal Dwarf Cars will be presented on opening night.
While expanding the track, adding an asphalt go-cart track
and redoing many of the other facilities are all part of
the future, Hawes will spend much of this year looking
back. In the Hansen interview Hawes remarked, "This
is our 40th anniversary so we are going to look back.”
Hawes, who will honor many of those who got local racing
started in the area, plans a year long look at the
raceway’s spectacular past. Hawes mentioned that an
annonymous donor has presented the speedway with a large
number of negatives that will take some time to sift
through and the shots appear to be a real mirror into
MRP’s past. A NARC reunion is scheduled for August 23rd
as all of the past stars from that original sanctioning
body (yes it was stock cars back then) to the present will
be honored for their daring contribution to racing at MRP.
The Cy Francis Memorial Race remembering one of MRP’s
earliest promoters will be Scheduled for August 2nd.
A muriad of special events will be presented all year and
more Special Events/dates are in the works. Nine Special
Events nights are introduced in the new schedule. As other
sponsored events are finalized they will all be announced
and noted at the website.
Promoter Hawes will present point racing in 5 divisions.
The MRP Winged 360 Sprint Cars, The MRP Wingless Sprint
Cars, the MRP Street Stocks, Mini Stocks and Extreme
Bombers will all have full point racing seasons. The 2008
schedule has been posted to the website. Promoter Hawes is
always available for questions and inquiries.
Hawes’ efforts to promote series with national
recognition has provided a WESTERN ALL-STARS Late Model
Series (http://www.westernallstars.com/) event scheduled
for April 26th. In addition, 3 USAC (United States Auto
Club) Ford Focus Midget events are being penciled in as
well.
Hawes’ efforts are tireless, as his trips across the
country in the off-season have brought him into contact
with operations both good and NOT so good. Ideas and
innovations will continue to breathe more life into the
facility all year long and in the years to come. An
exciting, thrilling and very forward moving 2008 is
anticipated by everyone concerned. Please click on to the
Schedule button to download the 2008 schedule.
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