BRISTOLVILLE, OH – The Wild West Tour was shortened to four events from the originally scheduled six due to unexpected cancellations. Although a disappointment to the race teams, it did provide a welcome travel break considering the distances between the venues.
Crew chief Bobby Bachman was back from his Hawaii trip and teamed up once again with Russ and Nick on this trip.
SPRING VALLEY, MN – July 8 – A steady morning rain greeted the teams when they arrived at Deer Creek Speedway a day early. That evening the track prepared a cook-out featuring giant smoked pork chops just to welcome the WoO racers. This facility is a state of the art complex sitting on over sixty acres in the central Midwest. The three-eighths mile high-banked clay oval includes VIP suites and decks with a total seating capacity of eight thousand. Sis was intrigued by the huge amount of new equipment on hand for track maintenance.
Forty-four cars were in the pits and Russ’s qualifying lap of 14.782 was twenty-second quick. He started seventh in his heat race advancing one spot at the finish. A third place finish in the B-Main secured the twenty-first starting spot in the A-Main. Russ picked up five positions in the fifty lap main event, finishing sixteenth.
The first canceled race provided a one-day break in the schedule and Chub Frank convinced several teams they should journey to the Mall of America. Reaching four stories into the sky and housing an indoor amusement park along with over five hundred stores, it was a worthwhile site to see. Several of the drivers headed for a kart racing track just to keep their reaction time in shape. At least that was what they said!
GRAND FORKS, ND – July 10 – River Cities Speedway claims to be a four-tenths mile dirt and yellow clay track. Many drivers insist it is more like a quarter mile bullring. Russ seemed to take a liking to the track as he qualified sixteenth of the thirty-five racers who signed in.
He started and finished fourth in his heat thereby gaining an automatic transfer spot into the feature. After starting sixteenth, Russ drove hard to finish ninth also gaining the Rookie of the Race award. This was his best WoO finish to date.
The races were followed by a well attended autograph session. Then there was a late night picnic get-together with folks from the Chub Frank, Tim Fuller, Brent Robinson, Dustin Hapka and Clint Smith teams along with WoO announcer Rick Eshelman and his wife Sandy. Everyone shared some stories and laughs before turning in.
The second cancellation, the Canadian race, allowed time for the King team to take in the historic town of Deadwood. Here they also met up with, fellow rookie, Dustin Hapka’s family for a relaxing dinner and some sightseeing. Noted for the demise of Wild Bill Hickok, the streets are lined with western style saloons and casinos.
GILLETTE, WY – July 14 – When the team pulled into Gillette Thunder Speedway, they were greeted by wind gusts approaching forty miles per hour. The resulting dust storm had many pulling their t-shirts over their heads to filter out the grit. Fortunately, the winds subsided by race time.
Russ took to the high banked one-third mile oval quickly and qualified seventeenth of the thirty-seven drivers. Disappointed in his fifth place finish in his heat, he went on to win the B-Main event which was followed by a thirteenth, and Rookie of the Race, in the feature.
The WoO tour originally had a single built-in break scheduled at this point. A tradition has developed as many teams enjoy heading for Mount Rushmore. The first stop was Sturgis, SD which is likely best known for hosting the largest motorcycle gathering in the country. Here everyone headed for refreshments at the Knuckle Saloon, followed by a quick volleyball tourney.
From there it was off to Mount Rushmore and the Crazy Horse Monument. Both sites are absolutely amazing and represent important eras in our country’s history. Everyone was taken in by the enormity of the task involved in carving out the mountain side.
HURON, SD – July 16 – The Dakota State Fair Speedway hosted the final event of this tour. Twenty-nine cars signed in and Russ’ qualifying lap was sixteenth quick. He finished fourth in his heat, from a sixth starting spot, to nab a transfer into the A-Main where he would start tenth.
The track rubbered up and proved to be fairly abrasive as several drivers experienced blown tires. Russ used a conservative driving approach and held on for another Top Ten finish.
Although this trip was limited to only four races, the distance traveled and number of days away from home seemed to wear everyone down. Immediately after the racing was complete, they packed up the cars and gear and headed home. Bristolville was nineteen hours away but they were determined to get back in time to see Rex and Cooter race their modifieds at Sharon on Saturday night.
Wrap Up:
The Wild West Tour consumed a little over 3500 road miles and fifty-five hours of drive time. This is without even counting the side trips to Mount Rushmore and the Mall of America.
Russ maintains the Rookie of the Year point lead he took over in New York and extended it a bit out to fifty-seven points. This is a very slim lead and the rest of the ROY candidates will be looking to move to the front before the last race of the year in Concord, NC.
Up Next:
This will be a quick turnaround for the King Motor Sport’s late model team. After heading home from the Wild West Tour, they will spend a few days where the cars will undergo the ritual of disassembly, cleaning, and inspection of all critical parts. This process is essential in limiting breakdowns while on tour.
If there is such a thing, the next go round can be called a “home tour.” The ALLTEL Ohio Late Model Speedweeks will begin four consecutive days of racing at Muskingum Speedway in Zanesville, OH. Completing this mini-tour will be shows at Attica Raceway Park, Sharon Speedway and Eriez Speedway. This is a great opportunity for KMS fans to catch Russ in action close to home.
Thank You:
King Bros Racing #56 team would like to thank their 2009 marketing partners A-1 Racing Products, Mike Schimmley Kontracting, King Bros Ready-Mix, and Keizer Aluminum Wheels.
For additional information or to inquire about motorsport’s marketing opportunities with King Bros Racing, please contact Sis King (330)727-0565. http://www.kingbrosracing.com/
Prepared by Joe Secka – JMS ProPhoto – www.jmsprophoto.com
