Back Home Again in Belleville (part 1)

Wednesday

Rolling into Belleville is ritualistic in nature. Over the years we have come in from every direction except for due west but the path we take is always the same. We fixate on the big white water tower and head on up “M” Street as the homey feeling of familiarity overtakes us.

This year was a little different in a couple of ways. I flew out on an American Airlines red-eye out of San Jose that included a one hour layover in Las Vegas in addition to the obligatory one hour layover in Dallas - Fort Worth en-route to Kansas City. The fact that I chose a red-eye flight isn’t such a unique experience but the fact that the flight from Vegas to DFW was packed like a sardine can was. The cramped nature of the flight combined with the fact that the bars were closed by the time we got off the plane in Vegas meant that I didn’t sleep at all, which was the plan. Since when is a 1 a.m. Wednesday flight packed to the gills?

The goal once on the ground in Kansas City was to get on the road as quickly as possible since the Highbanks Hall of Fame and Museum induction was to start at 12:00 in Belleville. I got on the road at 9:00 but my lack of sleep very quickly caught up with me. Stopping every 30 minutes to sort out the hallucinations from reality and a fresh bottle of Mountain Dew was not conducive to a “typical” drive from Kansas City to Belleville. The nail in the coffin was the storm I encountered between Concordia and Belleville.

The progression up brick paved streets, through town square, past the Boyer Gallery, past the pool, past the power plant, and past the horseshoe pits to where we set up camp had to wait until I stopped at the high school. Needless to say the induction was over by the time I got there. Around twenty people were still in the Belleville High School gymnasium when I arrived. Some were starting to break things down while others were still bench racing.

A key individual among those still there was this year’s Midget Nationals Grand Marshall Leland McSpadden. The 1992 Midget Nationals Champion may be tough as nails given everything he has battled both on and off the racetrack but continues to be one of the nicest people you could meet. Leland’s last year of competition on the Highbanks was my first trip here in 1993 when a Denise Bennett induced turn three heat race flip left him with a Gorbachev mark on his forehead and a helmet shaped imprint (from him) on the racetrack. Mr. McSpadden was all smiles when I revealed the Mike Arthur created artwork that featured him and needed his autograph so it could be framed for inclusion in Saturday’s auction to benefit the Highbanks Hall of Fame and Museum.

After getting the trip to the High School out of the way I couldn’t wait to get to the north end of City Park so I could set up camp. I was encouraged to go check out the new Museum out on Highway 81 ASAP, however, and couldn’t resist the urge to do so. The volunteers busted their asses and put together a first class facility if I must say so. Everyone I talked to was quick to point out that there was so much more that needed to be done but I couldn’t see it. I hope everyone who sees it this week goes home impressed, sends money, and tells all their friends about it. If they did this much with just what they have received so far the HBHOFM is gonna really be something else some day.

No one asked Marty to set our camp up in advance which is fine because Lord knows he has enough going on the week of the Nationals. Amazingly enough our “prime” location was still empty even though a lot around it had already been claimed so I moved right in. Janie Vogel had already grabbed some of our stored camp items from Mr. Boyer so we were set up in no time.

There was an open comp midget race about an hour up the road at McCool Junction, Nebraska but I wasn’t going. Even if it weren’t for the weather, which was iffy at best, I was well past my third wind at this point. Apparently a number of others had the same opinion about the weather and chose a quiet night in Belleville over midgets in McCool. Partying past midnight was gonna have to wait ‘til Thursday night for me but plenty of others kept ‘er goin’ ‘til dawn as I sawed some serious logs in my rented Neon.

The official opening of the fair was Wednesday so for me that meant one thing had to happen. My first bowl of vegetable beef soup at the Methodist’s of Belleville food stand had to happen. Between that bowl of soup and my 50 cent cold shower at the city pool I was feeling as if I had a pulse again. Just as the party was getting rolling I had to crawl into the car and start inspecting the backs of my eyelids for holes. The remainder of the ritual would have to wait until Thursday morning.

Thursday

After a good night’s sleep I awoke as if a pit crew had installed a new powerplant under my hood. Awake and happy to be in Belleville I set about finishing up the remaining items on my ritualistic checklist. First order of business was breakfast at the 4H booth over on the fairgrounds. Then it was a quick walk up the midway to check out the track. Then a quick trip to Concordia to the Wal-Mart for some last minute supplies which included a new campsite swimming pool (only $14). On the way back I checked in at the library to ease the pangs associated with a lack of access to the Internet. Then, finally, the last item on the checklist: a trip to Purple Splash.

Located on the East side of town square directly across the street from the steps of the Republic County Courthouse sits Purple Splash (formerly the Goose Crossing). Stepping inside is a time-warp back to the late 40’s – early 50’s era and central to my desire to go is the vintage soda fountain. At this joint there is such a thing as a “Diet Cherry Coke” and they mix em’ up the old fashioned way right in front of you. They’ll mix up just about anything you can imagine just so long as they have the syrup and you have the imagination. Flash was the one behind the counter so I had to order a grilled cheese sandwich too.

The most significant change in the past two decades of the Midget Nationals was the addition of the Ford Focus Midgets which coincided with the deletion of what would normally be a field splitting first of two nights of Midget Nationals prelims. The Focus cars were to run the quarter mile track which sits just inside the big track parallel with the front stretch. Having only seen “cruisers” (street stocks with two pilots - one of which controls the throttle and brake while the other steers) on the small track I was anxious to see what the Focus cars would do. It turned out to be just what the doctor ordered.

The infield track fit the Focus cars like a glove and they played to a crowd that was within 5% of what you might expect on a Thursday Night prelim in the past. With the exception of a good number of yellow flags and an infield excursion by Ginny Quinones during her heat race that ended with heavy contact between the front end of her car and the stage that serves as the victory lane platform the rest of the week the show was pretty clean and entertaining.

The only real “crime” if you will was the fact that Jay Drake not only competed in the class but somehow managed to end up on the pole of the “twin 50” 100 lap feature event. Even with that, however, the racing for position behind him was tight and Drake really never got more than a few car lengths ahead of second place compliments of the multiple yellow flags.

2003 Western States Ford Focus series champ Josh Lakatos, who has moved on to compete in a full midget but admits that he still loves competing in a Focus midget, looked to be the first likely contestant to spoil Drake’s dominance of the inaugural event until a spin and contact from a competitor behind him effectively ended his run towards the front while running second. It wasn’t until just two laps before the six minute break between the two sets of fifty laps that first Robbie Ray and then Brad Galedridge got by the initial leader.

The Focus cars were allowed to pit on the front stretch of the big track which was a fantastic idea. From a fan perspective it was as close as they would ever get to seeing wholesale changes being made on a field of midgets from the grandstand side of the track. Drivers and crews were told they could make whatever changes they wanted but they had to be done in just over 6 minutes. With Keith Kunz and Stealth Chassis founder John Godfrey in his corner Drake looked not the least bit unnerved by the quick turn of events just before they threw the yellow flag to start the “pit stop” as he waited and they went to work.

Things quickly unraveled for Drake, however, as his car – while riding around under caution – popped out of gear and necessitated a push to get started again. I couldn’t see the look on his face as he sat in the car but it had to be a little more strained than it was just a few moments before and the fans were really going to get their moneys worth after all. Drake was ushered to the back of the longest line when the car fired.

At least we all hoped it would be that way. Drake was glued to the high side of the track and did pass some cars but whatever changes Kunz and Godfrey made to the car they weren’t sufficient to prepare t for a charge past 22 cars to the front. The show was at the front of the field as now Chris Rahe, also glued to the high side, was wrestling with Galedridge and Ray for the top spot. That action was hot and heavy until a red flag was necessary on lap seventy-seven to tow off the disabled car of Willie Magrell. This was a closed red flag.

The next red flag at lap seventy-nine was also closed. Unfortunately it was for Rahe, who got to be the first Focus midget to flip during this inaugural event instead of the first winner. Apparently the leader had to take evasive action to avoid a spinning car in turn one and checked up in front of the charging Rahe who climbed his right rear wheel catapulting him into an end over end flip down the front stretch. The spectacular series of cartwheels started at the flag stand and ended with the car upside down just the other side of the top of the turn one banking. After a few moments to contemplate up from down Rahe walked away from the tumble unscathed.

Once the race went green again all that was left was for Galedridge to wrestle the lead away from Joshua Clemons and make the tow from Los Altos, CA. worthwhile. Clemons put up a pretty stiff fight but eventually Galedridge prevailed and won with a few car-length cushion to boot. Stephanie Mockler wound up third prevailing over not just her two fellow female entrants on the night but the 19 men who finished behind her. With the racing part of the evening finally in the books at 11:30 it was time for me to become a more than willing participant in the evenings post-race festivities :-)…….

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