ROSSBURG, Ohio (Sept. 10) — Only at Eldora Speedway, where the dreaded six-car inversion is always a dooming possibility, are drivers actually thrilled with a three-car inversion.

So it was Friday night at Eldora Speedway as fast qualifier Scott Bloomquist gave a thumbs-up to his inside second-row starting spot in the first heat for Saturday's 41st annual World 100.

The fastest qualifiers often struggle with the worst-case scenario inversion, so we'll see how they fare from the third starting MORE

UNION, Ky. — Who will make a late-race rally to steal a victory at Florence Speedway's 29th annual Sunoco Race Fuels North-South 100? Well, there's no guarantee we'll have another winner who takes the lead at the white flag, but the $50,000-to-win Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series event has been fortunate enough to have such dramatics the past two seasons.

This year's event is shaping up to have some interesting storylines, but a few drivers stand out: last year's winner Jimmy Owens, two-time MORE

Traveling all over the country to cover Dirt Late Model races, you end up going to some racetracks repeatedly, while other ovals you might visit once every few years.

But even with infrequent visits to regional dirt tracks off the beaten path, it's always nice to develop relationships with the occasional friendly faces who, even if it's a few years between visits, welcome you with a smile.

Rusty Cummings always had one of those welcoming smiles.

I've probably made a dozen or so trips to Louisiana MORE