Kevin Kovac's Take Five
Take Five: Major tours cross paths at Big E
In a new feature appearing regularly on DirtonDirt, senior writer Kevin Kovac will offer readers five things worth mentioning from around the Dirt Late Model landscape (index to previous Take Fives; complete Dream coverage):
No. 1: Wednesday’s FloRacing Night in America event that opened Dream XXXII Week at Eldora Speedway in Rossburg, Ohio, produced an entirely unique, if not completely unprecedented, scene in the pit area: the operations trailers for the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series and World of Outlaws Late Model Series parked side-by-side. The situation was set up because this season Lucas Oil Series officials are working all the FloRacing series events — FloSports assumed ownership of the Lucas Oil Series in December — so the circuit’s rig ended up right next to he WoO hauler, which traditionally is at Eldora’s crown jewels with the events sanctioned by its sister DIRTcar organization. “One racer said, ‘Is this the first time the two (national tour) trailers have been in the same pit area? How you getting along?’ ” said Brad Hockaday, who handles scoring for the FloRacing series and oversaw Wednesday’s registration from inside the Lucas Oil Series trailer.
No. 2: The neighboring Lucas Oil-WoO rigs would have gained more attention if the WoO trailer actually carried its usual series branding. Instead, the WoO trailer was just plain white and looked like it could have contained race cars. It’s a newly-obtained trailer that the WoO circuit debuted three weeks ago at Georgetown (Del.) Speedway and it hasn’t yet been wrapped in WoO colors and logos because the series has been in the midst of a busy schedule.
No. 3: What goes up must come down — and so it was with the can of NOS Energy Drink that Wednesday’s FloRacing Night in America feature winner Nick Hoffman of Mooresville, N.C., fired into the air in celebration. Hoffman was atop his Tye Twarog-owned car on Eldora’s stage with his son, Maddox, reacting to the crowd and swirling the can of NOS around; just before climbing down he tossed the can — still fairly full — high into the sky. FloRacing videographer and pit reporter Tyler Burnett was among the horde of media shooting the scene and his position was where that can returned to earth. Burnett’s footage shows a sudden, loud sound, and his shot turning away, as the can hits his lip and camera. Burnett wasn’t injured aside from a slightly sore lip and laughed off the incident.
No. 4: While entering Eldora’s upper pit area Wednesday I bumped into former Kentucky Dirt Late Model driver Jerry Rice, the father of Lucas Oil Series regular Josh Rice. I asked Jerry for his reaction to Josh’s first Lucas Oil Series win driving for JRR Motorsports on May 22 at Lucas Oil Speedway in Wheatland, Mo., and he remarked that he couldn’t hold back his emotions while watching the FloRacing broadcast in his home. “I was screaming so loud I scared our dog,” Rice said of his French bulldog, which cowered in the corner as he cheered Josh from afar.
No. 5: I also crossed paths in Eldora’s pit area with young Pennsylvania announcer and pit reporter Hunter Jordan, who is at the Dream as a spectator. The 20-year-old is back home in Corry, Pa., after spending last year based in Milton, Fla., while working for the Hunt the Front group as a pit reporter for their series and in other capacities, but he’s continuing his broadcasting aspirations. Jordan said he’s landed an opportunity to pit report on the DIRTcar Summer Nationals, starting with June 25’s event at Springfield (Mo.) Raceway and continuing to its conclusion on July 12 at Wayne County Speedway in Orrville, Ohio. I asked him why a young guy like him isn’t just doing the entire Hell Tour and he enthusiastically responded that he’d gladly work the first 16 races as well, but he’s thankful nonetheless for the chance to do the second half of the schedule.
