Mouth of the South

Turn 5
Season 1
Lap 4

Race Fans Wonder How Announcer Keeps Job

by Ed Goodspeed
Salina Evening Post
Thursday, June 29, 2006

SALINA- If you didn't know any better, you would swear somebody highjacked the microphone. The sounds coming from the speakers at Salina Highbanks Speedway have kept fans guessing this season.

"I often wonder what the track owner is paying the guy. Maybe he'd be a better announcer if they gave him more money," Jerry McNally, a nine-year-old racing fan said.

Other racing fans have more aggressive opinions of the nameless track announcer.

"I don't know who he is. He never will say," said racing fan Cletus Joad, of Sallisaw. "If I knew who he was, and if I wasn't so strung out on amphetamines, I'd go whoop him upside the head right now," Joad commented from his seat near the start/finish line.

Still, other fans want to give the new guy the benefit of the doubt.

"It's got to be harder than it looks, otherwise he wouldn't mess up drivers' names so much," race fan Betty Lou Simmons, of Salina, said. "Some of these boys have tough names, like Billy Frohnapfel, Mark Schafitzel, and Jesse Muhlhauser," Simmons said with perfect, non-regional diction.

"Yeah, but this guy screws up names like Mike Collins and Steve Smith, too," argued Simmons' fiancee Ted Deerkiller, of Kenwood.

While the track announcer seems to cause a great deal of confusion and frustration in the stands, Highbanks drivers do not seem bothered.

"We have a track announcer?" asked veteran driver Allen Frailey. "That's really neat. I wouldn't think anyone could hear him because of the noise created by thirty engines running wide open at the same time, but it's a really neat idea."

Highbanks fans can gear up for another earful at Friday night's Summer Sizzler event. Racing begins at 8 p.m.

Top Gun

Turn 5
Season 1
Lap 3

McLain Protests Disqualification

by Phillip Gasstank
Chouteau Morning Tribune
Wednesday, June 21, 2006

CHOUTEAU- Pure stock driver Russell McLain announced today that he plans to protest his most recent disqualification at Salina Highbanks Speedway.

Following Friday night's race, technical inspectors ruled that McLain had made illegal modifications to his race car, and revoked his 11th place finish. McLain claims that the hotrod Lincoln's modifications are well within the rules of pure stock racing at Salina Highbanks Speedway.

"I'm not an expert in military aviation, but it appears Russell McLain has taken parts from an F-4 Phantom and attached them to his car," technical inspector Chris "Eagle Eye" Peepers said. "And it's not just sheet metal. I'm talking about guided missiles and a jet engine!"

"There is nothing in the rule book that says you can't run this type of engine," Russell McLain said. "I bought all of these parts legally, on surplus from the British Royal Air Force. I made no modifications to any of these parts, so they are still stock."

Russell McLain's brother, teammate, and current pure stock points leader Lee McLain added "Rule 18 lists specifications for Ford, GM, and Mopar engines, but it doesn't say anything about engines manufactured by Boeing or McDonnell-Douglas. We didn't know Russell's engine was illegal."

Russell McLain says he will not remove the aircraft parts from his car until he gets a ruling from Salina Highbanks officials.

"I had some trouble getting used to steering the car with the new engine's thrust capability, that's why I finished 11th. Once I get the feel for the handling though, I think I'll have a pretty fast race car," Russell McLain said.

"Russell's straightaway speed was incredible," said Vernon Vail, driver of the #400 pure stock car. "It was all I could do to keep up with him on the straightaways, but he had a heck of a time taking corners."

Both McLains will be in action at the next race at Salina, on Friday, June 23rd.

Lap 2

Turn 5

Season 1

Lap 2

"Ol Sugar Bear" Has Medical Troubles

by Ed Goodspeed
Salina Evening Post
Sunday, June 18, 2006

WAGONER- Race car driver Brian "Sugar Bear" Scroggins may need to control his sweet tooth in the future. Earlier this week, doctors diagnosed the factory stock racer with type 2 diabetes.

"I didn't get the nickname 'Sugar Bear' for no reason. I have a major sweet tooth, but I guess all of that snacking has come back to take a bite out of me," said Scroggins. "My doctor recommended I change my diet. I don't really want to give up eating two pounds of candy a day, but if it will keep me healthy, I'll give it a shot."

Type 2 diabetes is the most common form of the disease. It occurs when the body does not produce enough insulin to process sugars. Unprocessed sugars in the bloodstream can cause numerous complications, including heart disease, blindness, nerve damage, and kidney failure.

"Type 2 diabetes is serious, but people with diabetes can live long, healthy, happy lives," Bob Sweet, media relations officer for the American Diabetes Association said.

"Despite having diabetes, many athletes go on to have great careers. The most recent example being Adam Morrison," Sweet said.

Morrison, a stand-out basketball player at Gonzaga University, is projected to be taken early in the first round of the 2006 NBA draft. "We certainly hope that Mr. Bear can set a good example for people who want to beat diabetes in the same manner as Mr. Morrison," Sweet said.

"This is certainly a bump in the road, but my family, fans, and other drivers are all offering my support through this difficult time," Scroggins said. "I just hate to have this come up during the season I've been having. I've really been doing good since I got rid of that Camaro."

"Ol Sugar Bear is a scrapper. I'm sure he'll continue to race," factory stock driver Jerry Wagner said. "I guess we'll have to get him a new nickname though."

The diagnosis could lead to a lucrative sponsorship deal for Scroggins. Reportedly, his racing team has nearly closed negotiotiations with artificial sweetener maker Nutrasweet. The deal would pay for Scroggins to get a new paint scheme on his #86 factory stock car featuring the Nutrasweet logo, as well as changing his nickname to "Nutrasweet Bear."

We're Going Green

Turn 5

Season 1

Lap 1

Frailey Under Investigation

by Phillip Gasstank
Chouteau Morning Tribune
Thursday, June 15, 2006

CHOUTEAU- FBI Agents raided the garage of local race car driver Randy Frailey in the wee hours of the morning. Frailey has been named a "person of interest" in a local steroid investigation.

The investigations come a year after Frailey won the points championship in the modified division at Salina Highbanks Speedway. Frailey racked up such a streak of easy feature victories that Track Owner Paula had to place an old-fashioned bounty on the veteran driver in order to restore actual competition at her race track.

Frailey's success has not been as abundant during the 2006 campaign. Former highbanks star Jason Hughes feels Frailey's lack of runaway victories can be attributed to his decision to "cycle off the juice."

"A lot of guys pop yellowjackets or No-Doz to keep their energy up on race nights," Hughes said, "but Randy always took it to the extreme. Let's just say he took the term 'fuel injection' to a whole other level."

"I'm not sure how steroids could benefit a race car driver," commented modified driver Art Westbrook, "All of that muscle mass would make the driver heavier, and put more stress on the car to pull him around the track."

"That might be what is slowing him down. He's become too bulky for his own car," added modified driver Tate Cole.

Currently, Salina Highbanks Speedway does not have a drug testing policy. Track Owner Paula issued a statement from her secret lair in the press box.

"I do not feel that my race officials need to test for banned substances at this time," it read. "We will continue to check for illegal parts on the race cars themselves, but whatever drivers want to put in their bodies is strictly their business."

Investigators did not say whether or not Frailey would face criminal charges. He is expected to be in action at the Speedway's next scheduled race on Friday. Frailey is currently in second place in the modified division's 2006 points standings.