Ask any Dirt Late Model driver and they’ll tell you: good help is hard to find. It’s beyond cliché. It’s downright fact.

I recently had a conversation with Hall of Fame driver Scott Bloomquist during the Bristol Dirt Nationals in regards to how tough it is to find and keep quality help.

Young guys aren’t experienced, so you have to show ’em the ropes, which could mean completely relearning how to do something a specific way for their new boss. And older guys, often set in their ways, MORE

Building a race car is a lot like building a model car. In fact, I actually learned a lot about real cars by building models. I learned what all the major parts were, the rear end and transmission, the engine — even specific parts like the intake, heads, valve covers and other bolt-on parts like the starter and water pump — and the radiator, hoses and other parts.

I figured out that a Chevrolet engine had a distributor in the back of the engine, while a Ford had a distributor at the front. MORE

My brother, the Zamboni driver

In December, during our 12-hour trek (which turned into 16 because of traffic jams and rerouting) back home from the Gateway Dirt Nationals, I was again reminded the power of laughter and comfort of fellowship.

And of course, along the way we added another story or six to the archive that we have built over the last 25 or so years together.

I always fly into St. Louis, Mo., a few days earlier than my crew guys. They finish up their work week at home and then jump in a MORE

I’m not going to pretend that I have a lot in common with World of Outlaws Case Late Model Series driver Dennis Erb Jr. But after a recent trip to Moulton (Ala.) Speedway, I have a good idea how the Carpentersville, Ill., driver felt when he was disqualified at Volusia Speedway Park during Georgia-Florida Speedweeks two seasons ago for failing to report to the postrace tech area.

Of course, there are many differences between what happened to Erb on Feb. 12, 2020, and what happened to me and my MORE

Over the last couple months we’ve frequently focused on why we think drivers chose the events they do, whether or not points racing is a good thing, or if perhaps an independent schedule is the way to go.

I’ve detailed the reasons why my brother and I chose to attend the races we do — or skip an event as was the case with Duck River Raceway Park’s Winterfest on Feb. 20 — in blogs before. The reasons why we may skip a race vary, from family commitments and work schedules to just being MORE