A look at the MLRA - version 1992, 1993

While I was passing some time here recently, I came across my VCR copy of the 1992 MLRA Fall Nationals held at West Plains. It brought back a lot of memories and was fun to watch. Scheduled for September 25 and 26, the racing ran into the 27th due to rain. The Sunday afternoon sun saw two MLRA late model features with Tony Cardin and Wendell Wallace taking the wins, but Wallace crossed the scales light, giving the final win to Bill Frye for 1992. Wallace had run into trouble that Friday in his qualifier as well, also crossing the scales light. Rex McCroskey was the 1992 points champion.
I had caught the MLRA earlier that season at Sedalia, Missouri's State Fair Speedway. Rex McCroskey was the winner of that June 26 race.
Below are pictures of some of the MLRA competitors. I have shots from both Sedalia and West Plains. There are also some World 100 shots from both 1992 and 1993 that show some of the MLRA cars. There are also a couple of shots from the inaugural Show Me 100 in 1993.
I don't have a lot of color pictures from those events as at that time I was editor of Hawkeye Racing News and my primary shooting involved black and white film for the paper. Any color pictures I took were for my own collection. That shows that state of publications in the early '90s. We were still screening black and white prints for publication because they produced so much better than color. That wasn't all that long ago, but compared to 2010, it just as well have been 1892 as far as publications are concerned.
Because of the MLRA, I met a good friend that has unfortunately left us way too soon. Larry Olson was the best PR man any late model series ever saw. He loved the series, the racing, and he loved getting the word out about it. Larry stayed on my case (in a friendly way) until I made that Sedalia show, and he kept the pressure on so I'd come to the Fall Nationals in 1992. Larry was a gracious host and rolled out the red carpet to have HRN there to cover the shows. He also gave me the one-up on the rise of the Show Me 100, giving me information off the record that it was going to happen and what it was going to pay. It was nice having that connection, so when the release did break, I was already up to speed.
Larry was one of the good guys. I missed him when he stopped covering races, and I missed him even more when I learned of his passing last year. It is in his memory I dedicate my MLRA shots - without his prodding and insistence, I would have never been there to take them. Thanks Larry - we miss you.

A pair to go - Rex McCroskey (64) and Willy Kraft (in the Doug Wiggs 2) form up at the MLRA Fall Nationals on a Sunday afternoon in 1992. - BWJ photo

Tread - The David Gibson crew gets in some tire work at the 1992 MLRA Fall Nationals. - BWJ photo

At the World - Bill Frye's car awaiting the start of 1992 World 100 qualifying. - BWJ photo

Two-by-two - Leslie Essary (5) and Skip Thompson (24) line up on Sunday afternoon at West Plains, 1992. - BWJ photo

Iceman - Delbert Smith's machine at the 1992 MLRA Fall Nationals. - BWJ photo

Big numbers - Mike Brown (427) and Lonnie Smith (147) in the pits at the Sedalia MLRA show, June 1992. - BWJ photo

Wallace ready - Wendell Wallace's machine at the 1993 Show Me 100. - BWJ photo

Junior - Johnny Bone, Jr., pitside at the 1992 MLRA Fall Nationals. - BWJ photo

Here's Johnny - The two shots above are of Johnny Virden at the inaugural Show Me 100, 1993. - BWJ photo

Fall at West Plains - Darell Mooneyham's car, 1992 MLRA Fall Nationals. - BWJ photo

Pre-race - Denny Felker's car sits and waits at West Plains during the 1992 Fall Nationals. - BWJ photo

Forming up - Ken Essary (55) gets lined up for a Sunday afternoon start at the 1992 MLRA Fall Nationals at West Plains. - BWJ photo

At State Fair - Denny Felker's car at a June 1992 MLRA show at Sedalia. - BWJ photo

Check the sponsors - West Plains and the Show Me 100 grab some ink on Darrell Carpenter's car at Eldora in 1993. - BWJ photo

Waiting - Jeff Floyd's car sits pitside at Eldora in 1992. - BWJ photo

Getting ready - Donnie Barnhart is in position to qualify at the 1993 World 100. - BWJ photo

Yes, I know it is 2010...

I basically pulled the equivalent of towing home from my last race of the season, backing the trailer into the shop with the car still on it and walking away. Now as February is winding down, I've shoveled a path back to the shop and I've started to work on the car. It is a new season, and it is time to go racing.
It is common knowledge that nothing much grows over winter, but that hasn't been the case with Positively Racing. It is with great pride that I have watched our roll call of columnists grow over the past months. It is nice to see the team take off. That doesn't mean we've stopped growing either, we are still on the watch for more people to help keep you informed as 2010 draws near.
It looks to be an exciting season on the way too. There have been changes at tracks, some tracks are not coming back; series are growing, changing and unfortunately, disappearing. It will be interesting to watch the racing industry this season to see what it has in store. We are in one of those cyclical periods where things have dipped. When the next rise begins, we'll have to see. Change is good, and there have definitely been some changes, so we will see what happens. It is reassuring that as long as their have been automobiles, there has been racing - it has never disappeared. Changed, sure; failed and flourished, you bet; but every summer the green flag has flown somewhere, just as it has already in 2010. I can't wait to get to my next race!