CHICAGO WHISPERS
by Stan Kalwasinski 

 June 18, 2015

 Chicago, Ill.—Is it me or is the first part of the 2015 racing season in these parts a little dull?  Rainy weather, small crowds and less-than-desirable car counts seem to be part of the picture so far.

 Neither regular weekly shows nor specials have been exempt from some rather lackluster results.  Rainy weather seems to be the “common thread” among the problems so far this year.  One track promoter commented that if it looks like rain “weather forecasting experts” take away about 20% of the crowd with their “doom and gloom” forecasts on social media.

 No one asked me, but…

 …Has any track operator looked at the track’s pit area bathroom facilities lately?  Some of you need to!

 …How can any track run out of food at any event?  Some extra hot dogs, hamburgers and buns go a long way to satisfy race fans.

 …In this day of high-tech communication, shouldn’t every track in the World be sending out a weekly press release and race results to every media source it can?  The track’s internet website is not enough.

 …We need new and old race fans alike.  Is every track doing all it can to build interest within both new and old fan bases?

 …Are Super Late Models going to become a thing of the past for weekly short track shows on both dirt and pavement?

 …Does every track promoter try and make each race event an “experience” for every fan and competitor or is it just – Open the gates and see what happens?

 Congratulations to Frank Heckenast Jr. for winning the DIRTcar UMP Summer Nationals Late Model event at Tom Smith’s Kankakee County Speedway on June 11.  Scoring his first Summer Nationals victory of his career, Heckenast, a regular on the World of Outlaws (WoO) Late Model tour, put his No. 99 machine into the lead on lap 33 after race leader Kevin Weaver dropped out with engine problems.  The 26-year-old Heckenast defeated his cousin and last year’s Kankakee Late Model champion, Mike Spatola in the 40-lap battle.

                                                    Prior to scoring his first career Summer Nationals victory, Heckenast hot laps his No. 99 on the Kankakee dirt.                                                             

                      Frank Heckenast Jr. on the victory podium after his Summer Nationals win at Kankakee.

 “Everyone here was really stout tonight,” said Heckenast in the pits after his victory.  “(Kevin) Weaver was running really good.  I kind of wish he stayed out there and see what would have happened.  I don’t know if we had anything for him.  I felt I could be a little more mobile (run the top and bottom grooves) and he was burying it in the top (groove).  It might have got interesting with more lapped traffic.

 “My ‘bucket list’ at the beginning of the year was to win one World of Outlaws race and a Summer Nationals race.  Now they are both done.  I am excited and I feel so much weight is lifted off of me.  I’ve been trying to win here (Kankakee) for I don’t know how many years, probably 10 years.  I’ve run second here a couple of times and to finally get it (a win) feels so good.” 

 The Frankford speedster “filled one bucket” on his list when he won a WoO Late Model feature at Bubba Raceway Park in Ocala, Fla., on February 14.  The 2014 WoO Rookie of the Year, Heckenast has to consider Kankakee his “home track” as his older sister, Sherri, promoted the fairgrounds dirt oval a number of years ago.  Frank and Sherri are the children of former Late Model driver, Frank Heckenast, whose racing career dates back to the old Santa Fe Speedway, where Heckenast Senior won the track’s Sportsman division title in 1985 during the early stages of his racing career.

 Some early season performances that need to be mentioned include veteran Eddie Hoffman with a total of four feature wins, three coming at the Grundy County Speedway in Morris and one at Illiana Motor Speedway in Schererville, Ind.  Jamie Lomax has won three feature races in UMP Modified action at Indiana’s Plymouth Speedway with his latest victory coming last Saturday night in a $1,000-to-win special.  Last year’s Modified champion at Plymouth, Lomax was third in the UMP National Modified point standings at last check.  Jake Gille has three NASCAR Late Model victories so far at the Rockford Speedway, where he leads the point standings. 

 Speaking of Illiana, the half-mile paved raceway will be the site of the $5,000-to-win Circle Track Great American Racing Series 100-lap Sportsman Street Stock car special this Saturday evening.  The new series, which hosts events on both pavement and dirt ovals, saw Will Kimmel win the series’ first $5,000/100 lapper at Indiana’s Salem Speedway on May 9.  Late Models and Pure Stocks will also be in action at Illiana.

 Recently, I took a ride passed a couple of the area’s “Ghost Tracks” – U.S. 30 Dragstrip in Hobart, Ind., and the old Rensselaer Raceway at the Jasper County Fairgrounds in Rensselaer.  The U.S. 30 quarter-mile was the top Chicago/Northwest Indiana drag racing speed spot, which closed in 1984 because of noise complaints.  The strip and starting line area are still there on Clay Street, north of U.S. Highway 30.   The Rensselaer dirt oval operated between 1952 and 1987.  The fairgrounds oval was a popular Sunday evening place-to-race.  The late Dick Potts of Morocco, Ind., was a nine-time stock car champion there.  The general outline of the track can still be seen, but the old grandstands have long been torn down.

A look down the U.S. 30 quarter-mile from Clay Street.                              

The almost-faded American Hot Rod Association (AHRA) logo can still be seen in the starting grid area of the old U.S. 30 Drag Strip.

Looking down the main straightaway from Rensselaer's old pit area.  The new grandstands on the right replaced the old wooden ones long ago.

 Former Late Model driver and car owner, Tom Cellini, 76, passed away on June 9 after a long battle with Huntington’s Disease.  Cellini teamed up with his brother-in-law, Elmer Embry, to win the Illiana Late Model track championship in 1972.  Embry and Ed Hoffman battled for the championship that season with Embry coming out on top, piloting Cellini’s rapid Camaro No. 79 to the title.  Cellini’s son, Tom “Tiger” also competed at Illiana in the 1970s and 80s.  R.I.P., Tom.

Driving Tom Cellini's Camaro No. 79, Elmer Embry was the 1972 Illiana Late Model track champion at Illiana.  After a September win, Embry is congratulated by Illiana starter, Art Kelly.  (Stan Kalwasinski Photo)

 The address for news and comments is 9618 Cypress Ave., Munster, Ind. 46321-3418 or e-mail to skalwasinski@yahoo.com.

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