Charlotte, MI — (04/06/2000) — I just got back from the “Parade of Champions” in Lansing for the Michigan State Spartans National Championship Basketball game. It seems as if MSU has made Florida kind of its whipping boy after the Citrus Bowl and now winning the National Championship over the Gators. I’m almost sure MSU could take them in Ice Hockey as well! Great job State, and thankfully no discount store couches burned in the celebration this time around!
Eric Gordon is officially back on the USAC Stoops/Freightliner sprint car tour after his impressive win at Anderson Speedway and strong run the night before at Eldora. It probably did not hurt having the good karma of having car owner Don DeSalle on the Monday Night Grill just a week before the big win at Anderson. Gordon may have had a stronger finish at Eldora as well, but midway through the race Gordon ran out of tear offs due to Mother Nature’s shower before the feature event. Gordon drove one handed with shield up until yellow and stuffed a glove in the opening so the visor would stay up.
Derek Davidson’s comeback after sitting out the second half of the 2000 season after shattering his elbow in a crash at the Terre Haute Action Track was kicked into high gear with the start of the Midwest racing season. Derek ended up scoring a top ten finish with a rather ill handling racecar, but admitted Eldora was rough “figuratively and literally”. Davidson came back to post a second place finish to Eric Gordon at Anderson Speedway aboard his new pavement ride with Tray House. Keep an eye on the Davidson/House combination to be very effective during the season. Both men have come from similar backgrounds of doing both winged and wingless racing on dirt before entering the USAC ranks full time, and probably can share similar experiences and terminology. I can see this duo being very effective on the pavement side this season.
Kasey Kahne has really been getting a lot of early season attention here in the Midwest after his first two stellar performances in USAC competition west of the Mississippi. Now Kasey will be aboard the Zaronian Silver Bullet entry as J.J. Yeley has exited that ride.
I found an explanation for the snow on Tuesday up here in Michigan. Chuck Wilson finally bought an enclosed trailer! Chuck has been one of the best runners that still had an open trailer up until last season. Wilson had a great run in his heat race at Eldora Saturday, just missing the transfer through the heat race by one spot after almost getting by Eldora master Jack Hewitt. Now our favorite open trailer warrior though might be Nick Naber, I think still tows his car out in the open. There is just something about a sprint car on an open trailer.