6/22/2016
Aggravated Fleeing
June 22, 2016 Speedway, IN: I love libraries. I know they further isolate me from handheld convenience yet have long served as sources of knowledge, refuge, and climate control. Speedway Public Library is my favorite for its vast collection of auto racing tomes. I stepped in today unable to step past “Ray Crawford – Speed Merchant” by Andrew Layton. Not to be confused with Tulsa’s super modified champ (and grandpa to deceased Donnie Ray Crawford) Speed Merchant details World War II fighter pilot, AAA Midget racer and USAC Champ Car hero who died in 1996. I renewed my library card to read it at once.
But not today, not on this the 80th birthday of the great boat rocker, Kristoffer Kristofferson, writer, boxer, actor, activist, Rhodes Scholar and helicopter pilot. Had he not dropped a chopper on the lawn of Johnny Cash, Kris may well have followed Ray Crawford into battle, rather than pen Janis Joplin’s greatest hit.
I digress, as usual. What about last week’s blog? Did I not pledge to post one every Wednesday? Yes, two out of three is less than a weekly blog. I do however, have a pretty airtight alibi. I was in jail!
Now to you the loyal reader, this will come as no surprise. But to you who may have just stumbled in, a brief synopsis. Four years ago, my Arizona driving license was revoked by Iowa when after 30 nights in Knoxville jail, I refused to piss in their cup. Since then, I’ve taken Indiana plates from California to Maine to Michigan to Louisiana on pins and needles because one broken tail light and my car is impounded, at best. At worst, I get impounded. Last summer, such limbo prompted me to flee Delaware and shoot through Maryland like Hal Browning.
Save your breath. I probably know the law better than you. I know the above paragraph confesses countless crimes. And yet I will live my life on my own terms until I can go no further. This vampire will roam this country for dirt tracks, dirt floors and women with dirty feet until Johnny Law drives a stake through my heart. We’re all on borrowed time.
Last blog burst forth from McDonald’s in Belleville only hours before Illinois Midget Week opened across the street. POWRi prefers to call it Illinois Speed Week because winged 600cc and budget midgets made 2016 version a three-class affair. Most tracks added fourth with fenders.
POWRi Speed Week was good not great. Belle-Clair routinely raises the bar so high that their opener was only average. Quincy had plot twists plagued by too many reds and yellows and stall tactics. Jacksonville kept giant cushion and did not tear tires.
Long before he filled the shop behind Pete Willoughby Trucking in Columbus (IN) Keith Kunz was native to Springfield (IL) so Illinois Midget Week was homecoming for Keith and Rusty Kunz, who coached Brayton Lynch while Bryan Clauson pillaged Eastern Storm.
In five features, only home state heroes Austin Brown and Zach Daum managed to slay the four-headed Keith Kunz dragon at Quincy and Jacksonville. Brown passed Spencer Bayston (Kunz 97) after 25 of 30 then Zach sacked Ryan Robinson (Kunz 71) when Ryan leaped in air.
Unlike his team of outlaw kart superstars, Lemoore, California’s Carson Macedo made more traditional path through winged 600cc. After pairing with Tarlton Construction of Fresno to beat the World of Outlaws at Silver Dollar, Tommy Tarlton paid tuition to Keith Kunz University. Tommy brought flat black bus to 100th Indianapolis 500, World of Outlaws at Lawrenceburg and early Indiana Midget Week then returned to Ocean Speedway victory lane. Macedo won Macon, ran second and third in West Memphis USAC and joined Ohio All Star Speed Week at Findlay and Orrville, where Carson finished fifth. This year, Tarlton tutors Carson’s brother Cole Macedo.
California’s Holly Shelton is scrutinized more than most teenage girls. Another tremendous talent from winged karts (like Kyle Larson, Rico Abreu, Tanner Thorson, Ryan Robinson, etc.) she gave Larson such a tussle at his last charity event that he recommended her to Toyota, who shipped her to Kunz U. She had never raced a midget yet was thrust into most USAC/POWRi A-mains because of her team’s bottomless supply of provisional privileges. Shelton is erratic; fast, inconsistent, and held to higher standard. Holly spun twice in Jacksonville hot laps, missed the main at Macon then found the rubber at Lincoln to finish fifth.
Jimi Quin is native to New Zealand, resident of Australia, and veteran of American midget tours in 2005-2006. Based in Brownsburg (IN) Quin made 41 U.S starts in 2006. Ten years later, Quincy found Quin fifth and Lincoln landed third-place. Jimi and Dayne Kingshott (king of Perth Motorplex) officially represented Australia on Illinois Midget Week 2016. Fourth at Jacksonville was best by Dayne.
Cheyenne, Wyoming’s Mark Chisholm followed Illinois Midget Week with third-place with RMMRA in Holyoke, Colorado. Arizona native Keith Rauch won there in Phillips County and next night at I-76.
Decatur, Illinois veteran Terry Babb has always been rock solid whether in sprint cars with or without wings or midgets (he made 2015 Chili Bowl final as rookie) or champ cars like the one he carried to fourth in 2010 Sumar 100 at Terre Haute. Illinois Midget Week 2016 found Babb fourth at Macon and sixth at Lincoln before heading across Missouri for sixth in Wheatland WAR sprint car.
Riley Kreisel from Hockett Home of Warsaw, MO raced first three nights of Illinois Midget Week then went to WAR in Wheatland for second to Korey Weyant, who wheeled Division 2 midget at Belle-Clair.
At the opener, I refused to watch budget midgets. As selfish observer, extra divisions dry the dirt. I know that goes against back gate fiscal reality. On second night, I gave D-2 a look and was entertained. They raced clean and close. I saw how many were driven by capable vets like Patrick Bruns, Chett Gehrke and Andy Malpocker, who raced both.
There was even one of the snub nose revolver Murdock Midgets poundin’ the cushion around Quincy and actually passing people, a feat I have never observed in 27 Chili Bowls. D-2 Zero hero was Hunter Lane, fastest man from Milo, Iowa since Leonard Lee hit the high seas.
Millersville, Missouri’s Joe B. Miller is mighty good, a fact not lost on Steve Knepper, who saw him make 2016 Chili Bowl final for Jake Neuman and hired him for hometown Knepper contest at Belleville, which was only race of week for famous 55. Joe B. ran off with 600cc checkereds in Quincy and Jacksonville then skipped Macon for weekly winged 410 sprint show at Farmington, MO.
Quincy enabled me to reunite with Steve Gennetten, son of the great Gene and father to Ayrton, gifted with racer’s name if ever there was. Ayrton raced Belle-Clair and Quincy but headed home to Lake of the Ozarks, where Gennetten generally races Sweet Springs and Double X.
Latest talent out of Broken Arrow, Oklahoma is Jason McDougal, who won instantly at Lawton with Travis Jenkins sprint car until OCRS deemed left rear tire to be illegal. The kid was ninth in Macon POWRi.
Indiana Midget Week and Illinois Midget Week went so badly for Oklahoma’s Tyler Thomas (sixth at Quincy was best for Belle-Clair dominator of 2014-15) that he skipped West Memphis, where he was to field second midget for California’s Ronnie Gardner, who instead watched Chuck Amati 68 from Paragon hillside.
Macon and Lincoln worried me. Last year’s Macon Midget Week race was horrible. I love that high banked bowl but Bob Sargent lumps too many classes and will not till. To go there and expect otherwise seemed stupid, so I was headed to Haubstadt when handcuffs entered picture.
To drive without driving license made me too nervous. I was between Flora and Olney, IL when local cop got too close for comfort. I exited at earliest opportunity. Unfortunately that was a dirt road, which aroused suspicion. Cop followed. I panicked, blew stop sign. He hit the lights. I hit the gas. I would go down swinging. I raised so much dust that he could not see. But he could still use the radio. I felt Ford Escort stumble, glanced down and saw speedometer needle between 100 and 120 MPH. I’d never had it over 85. When I skidded on to main road, for just a second, I thought escape was attainable. Then a second patrol car joined the chase. I shut it off, exited with hands raised and was planted in corn field face down. They found a whole summer supply of Devil’s Lettuce.
I spent five nights in Richland County Detention Center with five other guys watching television until 11 PM, reading paperbacks (Folly & Glory by Larry McMurtry merely passed time) and eating horrible microwave meals. Many thanks to Steve Eckert and Donald Wilson for finally gaining my release. Steve will bring me back for arraignment on July 12. If anyone knows a decent lawyer, I’m all ears. Until then, I’ll just keep doing stupid shit, and writing about it.
C62216
Article Credit: Kevin Eckert