05-27-2009 Wellston - Jeff Toney
 MX Racers Filled With Big Hopes   After last weekend's Ponca City State Championship Series Race and the upcoming NMA Qualifying Races this coming weekend at Sooner State Cycle Park it turns out to be three chances in two weekends to fuel the dreams of a National Championship at the Ponca City track later this year.

The chance to race at the track where the Nationals will be held is a big event and over six hundred racers showed up.  Some were there chasing the Oklahoma State Championship Crown but I think most were there to gain valuable experience for the upcoming Nationals. 

This weekend in Wellston will determine for some if they will get to race in the big show or will have to wait another year for the opportunity, or perhaps put their dreams to rest forever.  It will be exciting and there are two separate races that can qualify a racer for the Nationals. 

Saturday and Sunday are very big for MX racers in Oklahoma and across the nation as some have failed to make the show in their home states and will be coming to Oklahoma for another chance.  It is your opportunity to watch them first hand and pay attention because after this year you will be watching some of them on television.  Look at all the pro racing today and in the past and you will see that Oklahoma plays a very big role in the top ranks of Professional MX racing.

The races start at 11:30 on Saturday and 10:30 on Sunday.  Take your lawn chairs and ice chests.  There are no grandstands but concessions will be available.  Don't forget to take your cameras, you very well could be taking a picture of a future Pro Champion.  Don't forget to e-mail some of your pics to us and we will post them on this site for others all across Oklahoma to see.

05-26-09: Oklahoma City - Jeff Toney
 Memorial Day is Over But the Oklahoma Excitement is NOT  I hesitate to call the upcoming weekend calm as as the 13th Annual Gymnastics Hall of Fame Induction will be taking place right here in OKC and this is BIG STUFF.  This is a critical weekend for many Motocross racers who are dreaming of a chance to win the National Championship.  BMX Racing is full bore as competitors are beginning to look to the national championship coming up in the fall.  There are many other great events on the coming weekend but hang on to your hats because the following weekend is a VERY MAJOR weekend for Oklahoma (more on this later).

I missed the mark on my pick of Danica Patrick for the Indy 500 but were it not for the late caution it would have been another fantastic finish in the event.  Fuel was the issue and Danica had them covered and ready to run FULL Boost at the end while the others wouldn't be able to.  It would have possibly been a three wide run to the line but the late caution allowed the others to conserve enough fuel to run full bore to the finish.  Still, 3rd place is not bad at all. 

I heard more than one of the local TV News people down playing the event which amazed me.  INDY is truly back to its major status.  Not even the Daytona 500 can draw the hundreds of thousands of fans that attended the Indy 500.  When an event draws the largest crowd in sports, a whole lot larger than the Super Bowl and is televised to every major country in the world then I would say it is indeed THE "INDY 500" and it is indeed the greatest spectacle in racing!  Some NASCAR drivers are once again trying to figure out how to alter their contracts so they can race in the event next year.  Even Jimmy Johnson is expressing a desire to join in the fun.  Now that Tony Stewart owns his own team it would not be a surprise to see him back at the speedway.  I have even heard some say the great drivers are not there - WHAT?  Today's great drivers were there and the great drivers of the past are retired, or are there operating the race teams. 

Get rested and ready as the following week is going to be full of very big events.  The Charlie Christian International Music Festival and the Red Earth Festival - both starting during the week and culminating over the weekend are on the schedule.  Red Earth will be in Bricktown and Downtown while the International Music Festival will be mainly on the river near Bricktown.  Both are truly international events and draw thousands of people not only from across the country but also from overseas. 

Speaking of that weekend, it is going to be a really big one for OKC.  Beside the two mentioned festivals, 250 mph drag boat racing returns to OKC.  Lucas Oil has managed to unite all the drag boat racing associations under one umbrella and the Oklahoma City Nationals is one of the important races of the year.  New promoters, new backing and the administration of a very committed SDBA (Southern Drag Boat Association) insures this will be a very exciting event which will be included in the upcoming television series about the major drag boat races across the country. 

It begins Friday night, June 5th at SW 15th & Portland and it is called Show n' Shine.  Flames and noise will fill the night air with fire from the headers and a ground shaking noise as many of the drag boats will be firing up and creating a remarkable amount of excitement.  If you have never witnessed one of these events, it is time for you get out or the Lazy Boy chair and get to the race track for some real excitement.  Don't forget to take the wife and kids with you, they will love it too and you will be the hero of the night, maybe in more ways than you at first imagine.  (Even grandma's adrenaline will be rushing with excitement).  It will be quite a spectacle but nothing compared to what will happen on the Oklahoma River next to the Dell Center. 

Don't go to Bricktown or the boathouse, the race has moved up river near the renovated and exciting I-40 & Meridian District.  More room, more parking, and great food plus entertainment at a much lower cost!  It just doesn't get any better than that.  If you attend the boat races and want to spend some of your evening in Bricktown for one of the Festivals it might be wise to leave your car where it is and take either the water taxi or one of many trolleys to the Bricktown area because it will also be very packed.

On top of all this is the big Jet Dragster "Thunder Jam" at Thunder Valley Raceway Park near Norman on Saturday night.  Another BIG event and one that is really great for young and old alike.  Not only will there be the unbelievable Jet Dragsters, Jet Powered Semi and exciting drag racing  but also the really popular Wheel Standing School Bus - AND GET THIS - Kids get in for only $5.  Get there early because thousands of others will also be attending.

If all that is too much for you then take a little more relaxed version of the weekend in the laid back town of Guthrie.  The Sooner Squadron Radio Control Airplane Club is hosting the Jumbo Fly In -  These are not just radio controlled airplanes, they are the really big ones and they are coming from many other states.  Admission is FREE and it is remarkable to watch these big birds doing their thing in the skies above Guthrie.  These planes cost thousands of dollars and the pilots are some of the best - it will be a show that will not last long enough yet the memories of it will last a life time.

The Annual Memorial Day Hot Wheels Show and Race was another big success this year and the promoter is looking at moving the event to a larger location in the future (and perhaps in the I-40, Meridian Corridor).  Nothing is set is but the event is busting the seams at the current location.  The I-40 Meridian area is rapidly returning to the Entertainment CENTER it was for many years.  A strong and steady growth has been enjoyed by the Hot Wheels Show since the beginning and their big event of the year will quite possibly be in a new and larger location next year.

I did not receive any advanced information about the Paso District before the weekend but something really big took place over the weekend.  After a few stops covering different things I decided to stop by the district on my way home to see if something might be happening - WOW - both sides of the narrow streets all around the district were jam packed with cars, for blocks and blocks.  It was a very big event, had to be thousands there.  Someone send in a story or information!  I gave up because it was late in the day and would have had to park several blocks away.  It is on the calendar for next year (hopefully something this big is an annual event). 

05-22-09:  Oklahoma City - Jeff Toney
 It is Memorial Day Weekend Which Means Two Really Big Things For Oklahoma - The Indy 500 and the Ponca City MX Oklahoma State Championship Series Race  not to mention the lakes, Hot Wheels Show, and much more!

The Indy 500 is STILL the #1 Auto Race in the World and over the years Oklahoma has been a big part of this great race.  From drivers to car owners to backers and crews - Indy would not have the glorious history it enjoys without the participation of Oklahomans.  When you look at the driver list for this year's Indy 500 you will find many who have advanced their careers by racing at what is considered to be one of the top tracks in the world for advancing a career in the Open Wheel racing divisions, including the Indy Car Series and Formula One and it is located in the heart of Oklahoma. 

For the ladies (and some of us men supporters), Danica Patrick just may become the first woman to ever win the coveted Indy 500!  She came very close a couple years back (finished 2nd in a close race) and she certainly has the experience to make it happen.  The only question is "does she have the Indy Magic?" to pull it off.  Yes it does take the "Indy Magic" to win at this historical event and one of the most illustrative points of it is the spin and win victory of Danny Sullivan a few years back.

Watch for Danica to make a strong attempt and because she has raced in Oklahoma in the past, just maybe some of the Sooner Magic rubbed off on her and will become the "Indy Magic!"

There are others in the Indy 500 field of drivers, car owners, and backers who also participated right here in Oklahoma but MY PICK of the one to watch is Danica!

Only A Few Will Be in the Clouds at the end of this event but it will be one fantastic race full of action, drama, extreme joy and heartbreak. 

In the world of Motocross the Oklahoma State Championship Series Race held in Ponca City each Memorial Day Weekend is the second largest MX race of the year for Oklahoma.  The Number 1 race is the National Championship Race for Amateurs, also held in Ponca City each and every year.  The Ponca City Track is much like Indy in that it has a remarkable history and only holds a couple of Big races each year.  A track that only holds events that are of National and indeed World importance is rare but Indy & Ponca City both have that distinct reputation.  Some riders from other parts of the country race in the Oklahoma race to gain experience for the National event. 

Even if you are not a big motocross fan, it is well worth the time to attend the event.  There are few events in the world that just somehow create an electricity in the air that clearly marks it as remarkable.  The Annual Ponca City races are certainly part of that distinct group, not to mention the hundreds of thousands of dollars in contingency money up for grabs.  Check the Calendar

Fly High, Soar among the clouds - Ride a Yamaha

05-06-09 Ames, OK:  Jeff Toney
Hajek Motorsports, Bill Elliott, a Mustang, and E85 Ethanol to set NASCAR Speed Record  Oklahoman Brent Hajek says it is time for NASCAR's Speed Record of 212.089 mph to tumble.  On May 13th he will put NASCAR STAR Bill Elliott in a Mustang at the Talladega Super Speedway to break the record.  The car has already recorded 252 mph speed at the Bonneville Salt Flats.  To make this even more interesting is that the Mustang will be running on E85 Ethanol. 

"Brent and his team typify the high level of enthusiasm and dedication we see from a lot of our grass roots racers and private teams that campaign Ford cars and trucks in a wide variety of series every week," said Brian Wolfe, director of Ford North American Motorsports. "Hajek Motorsports has set their focus on breaking a variety of racing records and, although they are a private team, we are glad to aid them with engineering and technical support in their quest to make motorsports history while driving a Ford."  autoblogreen.com

Leave it to the ingenuity of an Oklahoman to prove the future of alternative fuels.  Is this a great state or what?  Visit the Hajek Motorsport Museum in Ames to discover another remarkable gem located right here in Oklahoma.  Update:  They reach speeds over 200 mph in practice but a cut tire put the car in the wall on the official run.  They will return to attempt it again at a later date.  Visit the Hajek Motorsports Museum on "Fun in Oklahoma"

05-03-09 Noble, OK:  Jeff Toney 
UPDATE:  This event has been rescheduled to June 6th due to weather!
Thunder Valley Raceway Park Excited to Excite Kids AND Adults  The Thunder Valley drag strip in Noble has often held many special events over the years including jet dragsters.  I have covered events at the race track featuring Casey Jones and his Jet Locomotive and it was very exciting.  This is a special person and a special entertainer.  From the outstanding performances on the track rocketing to 250+ mph to being very sociable, helpful, and friendly in the pit area, Casey Jones is truly one of THE entertainers in America.  I know my kids will NEVER forget the fantastic Casey Jones. 

This year is really different as Thunder Valley has become a part of the National Tour "Thunder Jam"  - A battle of the jet Locomotives, a jet powered Semi Truck and the extremely popular wheel standing school bus makes for a lifetime of memories for your kids and the remarkable part of it all is that Kids get in for only $5. 

One of the fondest memories of my lifetime was when my dad took me to a Harlem Globe Trotters basketball game, a memory I truly cherish and I am very old now.  I don't know for sure but I bet he spent $5 or more for my ticket many, many, many years ago.  I know my kids will always remember Casey Jones.  This "Thunder Jam" is so spectacular that it is truly an opportunity of a lifetime to provide something extremely memorable for your kids - and for $5?  You are crazy if you do not provide a truly remarkable memory for your kids.  Not really, most of you are not crazy but in this day and age of so much that can go wrong with our kids, this is a way to provide something they will never forget, something that is good and how could you ever erase the memory of a school bus doing a truly great wheel stand down the race track.  I bet you will never hear them complain about riding the bus again because every morning they will be daydreaming about arriving at school doing a wheel stand in THEIR bus. WOW!