ChasinRacin

WELCOME

This is a website follows the travels of a stock car race fan with the hobby of chasing races. Pictures on this website are from my personal collection. HOME page photos are of drivers that I have gotten to know over the years.

Chasin Racin HOME Page

Race Tracks Remembered

Late Models

Classic Late Model Photos

Modifieds

Stock Cars & Hobby Stocks

Sprint Cars

My Misc Notes

Traveled To & Side Bites

Glendenning Racing

The story behind Chasin Racin:

In the 1970's ABC TV network had the Wide World of Sports and I liked to watch the rebroadcast of NASCAR races. Watching on TV is what planted to seed for me to enjoy the sport of auto racing and created the desire to go watch in person.

My first visit to a race track was to watch a thrill show that was included in weekly racing program at the Raceway Park dirt track in South Sioux City, Nebraska near where a Walmart parking lot now sits. My dad took a friend and I to this show when we were in Junior High School.

1976 is when I started to attend races on a regular basis at Interstate Speedway (now called Raceway Park) in Jefferson, South Dakota. This would be home track for the next few years before moving on to visit other race track's weekly shows in 1979. In 1981 I added some late model specials to my race schedule.

Since then I have traveled all across the country to attend races from Perris Auto Speedway in Perris, California to Beach Ridge Motor Speedway in Scarborough, Maine.

Over the years I have met a lot of people at the race track with this same enjoyment of auto racing and have become good friends with many of them.

I used to go to the races with backpack containing a notebook, pens and camera. I would take notes at every event I attended and many pictures of race cars from the grandstand view. A few years ago I gave up taking notes as a majority of the tracks now have a website and I can do my recapping of what I watched by going to the web. During those years that I was taking notes I submitted the results for several tracks to racing publications.

A friend and I teamed up for a short period to write a column called "On The Road Again", based on the experiences the two of us had chasing races.

Now I enter a new phase of my chasing racing by starting this website. I hope you enjoy your visit here.

Last updated on 10/30/2024

Last photos added on 9/30/2019

Race Friends Remembered

Ed Strand October 1, 2008, who was a regular at Buena Vista Raceway and saved me a seat for many events at Alta since Dick Simpson reopened the track in 1980's.

Andrea Daniels April 5, 2009, who attended many races with me in the late 1980's and early 1990's including a weekend trip to the 1st Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis and the All Star Sprint Tour event at Bloomington.

Homer Anderson December 20, 2009 , my brother-in-law's father also was in attendance at many of the race events I attended at Interstate Speedway, Crawford County Speedway and Blackbird Bend Speedway.

Cretty Hardy January 4, 2010, the owner of the little hotel where I stayed when attending Florida Speedweek events over the past couple of years and came along with me to a few events at Volusia Speedway Park to cheer on her friends, Freddy Smith and David McWilliams.

Princess May 8, 2010, this little Sheltie was a family pet and was excited to see me and any race friends whenever a racing road trip would take us to a track near my childhood home town.

Grace Babcock June 22, 2010 at the age of 91, my mother and biggest supporter of my finding racing as a spectator interest and my hobby of keeping stats on the races I attend.

Gary Storey September 23, 2010 the race chasing community lost one of their own. Gary was a friend that over the years mentored me in my race chasing ideas. Gary and I met up for several road trips as he introduced me to new race venues. We will miss Gary's racing insight and also his great sense of humor.

Mildred Krause September 14, 2010, a cousin but also a friend that I enjoyed visiting with when my travel plans passed through South Dakota.

Doris Taylor October 27, 2010, when I left my comfort zone of Northwest Iowa to relocate to Central Iowa. Doris was one of the first to reach out and make me feel welcome to my new surroundings.

Jack Miles Sr December 9, 2010, the grandfather of one of my racing friends, who I enjoyed spending time visiting about NASCAR or racing action in the past in the Des Moines area.

Robert E. Haase May 9, 2011, founder of Riviera Raceway in Norfolk, Nebraska. His passion for racing was an inspiration to me. He taught me many things about the promotional side of racing and how to score the races. He provided me with my first opportunity to report his race track's results to a national publication.

Dorothy A Jenness April 23, 2013, a regular fan at the Buena Vista Raceway and sat in front of me many nights over the years. Ed Strand and Dorothy were two of the greatest friends I have ever made at the races. I will always remember and cherish the great times all of us that gathered each week in that section of the grandstand at Alta had over the years.

Ray Houck July 30, 2014, the race director at Adams County Speedway. Little did I know in May when I was sitting the stands at Stuart Speedway and visiting with Ray about racing in the area that he would be gone in a very short period of time. In our visit he showed great passion for the future of Adams County Speedway and doing things that fans liked and would draw them back week after week.

Wayne Pierce September 29, 2014, long time friend and sponsor for many years of Mike Benson's late models. Wayne and his family played an instrumental part in my getting so very involved in racing. I hitched many a rides to the races in my early years with the Pierce family to Riveria Raceway, Shelby County Speedway, Interstate Speedway and Buena Vista Raceway.

Reta Litton December 14, 2014, very dear friend that I had the pleasure of crossing paths with frequently each summer attending races at Oskalossa, West Liberty, Farley, and Dubuque. Took several race trips with the Littons to places like Freeport, LaSalle, Pontoon Beach in Illinois; Lancaster in Wisconsin; Winston in Missouri; Greenwood in Nebraska; and Columbus in Mississippi.

Terry Pesek March 25, 2015, lost a good racing friend from a construction fall. He was a loyal supporter and friend of Brian Beaudry and Steve Boley race teams.

Heath Babcock October 7, 2018, my nephew died in a highway accident. We attended races from Alta Iowa to Perris California together.

Jordan Kunde January 30, 2019, lost a good friend way too early from cancer. He was a member of the Brian Beaudry racing team.

Blake Greenwood August 31, 2019 lost another good racing friend way too early from cancer. He was a member of the Dan Fitzgerald racing team.

Keith Gerdes May 16, 2020 lost a racing friend. Keith was from Freeport, Illinois and our racing paths crossed in Florida, Illinois, Iowa and Nebraska.

Fran Ptak September 17, 2020 lost a racing friend from my early years of chasing racing. Attended many races with Fran and her husband, Les at the tracks in Southeast South Dakota, Eastern Nebraska and Western Iowa.

Ron Alpen October 29, 2020 died of COVID-19. Ron was a loyal supporter of many race tracks and long time sponsor of Steve Boley.

Ginger Sue Babcock December 2, 2020, my dog, loyal companion and best friend for 14 years.

Greg Petticord June 5, 2021 a loyal follower of this website and Facebook pages for Lincoln, Iowa.

Mike Brewer December 9, 2021 a friendship that came about from following Steve Boley. One the greatest friends I have ever made and it all started at the race track in West Liberty, Iowa. Saw races with Mike in Illinois, Nebraska, Florida and Iowa.

Jimmy Murdock December 23, 2021 a friend that I made during Florida Speedweeks. He was from West Virginia, quite the character, provided many good laughs, and had a heart of gold.

Les Ptak January 31, 2022 lost the other half of the Ptak's, racing friends duo, Fran passed in 2020.

Monte McKercher March 26, 2022 lost the first friend I made when I relocated to Des Moines in 1994. This one is a tough one, not only friends at the race track but spent many rained out race nights going out to a local restaurant and celebrated many holidays at one or the other's homes.

Ralph Dickinson "Dub" August 29, 2002 lost my friend that I met at West Liberty Raceway and Southern Iowa Speedway. The grandfather of modified racer Steve Stewart. He always had stories to tell while we wait for the races to begin. Wednesday night for a couple years Oskaloosa was our common meeting place to watch his grandson race.

Mary Lou Gerdes November 4, 2022, the other half of the Gerdes racing friends duo that I met following Steve Boley, Keith passed in 2020.

Joanne Krause January 13, 2023, my cousin and dear friend. I would attempt to plan a racing trip every season for the past several season to South Dakota so I could include a visit with Joanne. COVID prevented such visits in 2020 and 2021, because of her declining health issues. 2022 I was able to do a surprise visit arranged by her husband, Ralph while in the Watertown area. Little did I know that day that would be my last visit my dear friend.

Sylvia Strand, July 5, 2023 lost the other half of the Strand's, racing friend duo, Ed passed in 2008.

Lynne Cooper September 6, 2023, a friend from Maine. Danny and Lynne Cooper travelled to many times with me to races in my Sioux City days before they moved to Maine. Frequent trips were to Norfolk, Nebraska and Webster City, Iowa. In 1989 I visited Maine and we attended a race at the now closed Beach Ridge Motor Speedway.

Audrey Brewer October 28, 2023, wife of Mike Brewer, a great couple that I met following Steve Boley.

Nick McCarrick December 24, 2023, spent many nights with him and his wife Brenda at race tracks throughout the Midwest. A fellow race friend that also kept records of every race he attended.