2008 SCHEDULE

  CLICK  tab above for  DETAILS

  Notes re HHS May 16-17: Bobby Seals and his crew are very excited to have the Midgets on for next week's High Desert Challenge. Pit gate opens at 3:00PM both days; First race at 7:30 Fri / 7:00 Sat; We are welcome to leave rigs in the locked pit area Fri night, see Seals for access Sat before 3PM, I'm sure he will accomodate; Pit Passes are $25 ea night; Methanol on sale in pit @ $4.50/gal; Tires at Boysen's trailer, but try to get what you need at USA by Wed night, call me at 720-291-1873 in Santa Fe Thurs night; After Race Breakfast Buffet/All-You-Can-Eat=$5.99 at Casino Hollywood ... We will have Fun - Racing Midgets!! 

Schedule Note: The season has started, there will be no additional points races scheduled; make-ups for rain, etc will only occur with consultation. Those registered cars/drivers unable to make last Sat make-up race will receive last place main event points. schedule updated  

Special Thanks go to Robert Hanley for all he has done to help and encourage our car count!! -'early candidate for Voted Awards. And thanks to all, including track operators, for getting our season off to a good start. Let's all keep it up, much more to come! 

Please pass on news and notes from this space, as season goes on, to all crew, fans, etc who may not see it; this is our primary newsletter outlet. 

a posting of all RMMRA Drivers can be found under the Points tab above, revised

Tech Rule Clarification: Inspection sheets and Rule Book  Rule X-1002-5 (pg 528) are intended to encourage but not require a dry-break connection at fuel tank outlet. A check valve on the tank vent, or "upside down valve" is required; and most upper plates include them. 'sorry for any inconvenience.  

High Desert Challenge Up Next

We head to sunny Albuquerque next week for the High Desert Challenge on the dirt at Hollywood Hills Speedway, May 16-17.  The purse at Hollywood Hills is over $15000 for the weekend, and is well worth the trip to this magnificent facility to take on the AMRA in the co-sanctioned Challenge. The entire pay-out, which includes $350 total minimum to make the mains, and $1000/$1500, respectively to win, is posted under the Newsletter tab above. Also posted is a listing of motels in the area with racer/casino rates, and see more detail below. Rules are essentially USAC (900lb car min; Hoosier SP-2,3,4 RtRr), and all Midget Teams are invited. If we want midget racing to survive in the Rocky Mountain West, we must support this first rate opportunity!

MIDGET KLASSIC MOVING TO NEBRASKA

After new management in Dodge City elected not to renew the Midget Klassic, AIMS, RMMRA, and SMRS will co-sanction two tremendous nights of Midget racing to kick off the WEEK of MONEY now beginning Sunday, July 27th at Eagle Raceway (Lincoln, NE) and Monday, July 28th at Butler MotorPlex, Rising City (York, NE).  Mitch Miller and his American Independent Midget Series (AIMS) proved that, for them, the difficult can be done immediately while the impossible just takes a little longer, with $10,000 ++ purse for each night, guaranteed! The two 1/3-mile Dirt tracks are less than an hour apart, and less than an hour from McCool Junction and Belleville, KS, which will see the second and third stage of the WEEK of MONEY, separated by a night of Sprint Car Racing in Belleville. Eagle and Rising City are RMMRA points races with RMMRA Tire and Weight Rules in effect for all competitors (Am Racer option for non-RMMRA cars). McCool Junction and Belleville are non-points for RMMRA. More details to follow, including purse updates; Thank-You, Mitch! 

Update 5-03-08: Thanks to Jaguar Downhole Tools, the two-day race, now the "Kornhusker Midget Klassic" will be a memorial to Ron Hughes Jr & Sr, and will pay out $26000 total, with $2500 to win each night, and $250 to start the Main, or $100 Minimum to sign in when pre-entered. 

Kenny Merrill in his extremely potent AutoCraft powered Edmunds, the incomparable Randy Roberts, Mike Greg in Terry Klatt’s Beast, and ’91 Champion Jim Beckley pour the power on at an early 90’s RMMRA pavement race at CNS. The RMMRA midgets returned to a pavement and dirt combined schedule in 2005 with their dirt chassis cars, and we will continue this challenging and entertaining mix in 2008;...check the schedule, and Be There!

what a great shot; thank-you Joe Starr (303-452-6333) 

Hollywood Hills Speedway

The Southwest’s Premier Dirt Track Facility

Presents

High Desert Midget Challenge III

RMMRA and AMRA Co-Sanctioned

Midget Championship Racing

May 16^th and 17^th 2008

**** Over $15,000 pay out ****

Ø     Two Complete Nights Of Racing

Ø     Friday: $1,200 to Win, $150 to Start Main Event

$100 for “B” main non-transfer

Ø     Saturday: $1,500 to Win, $200 to Start Main Event

$150 for “B” main non-transfer

San Felipe Pueblo, New Mexico

22 mi north of Albuquerque

I-25 Exit 252

On site amenities include:    

 Over 100 RV spaces (with hook ups)    

Restaurants and Travel Center    

Casino Hollywood

More information:

ü     www.hollywoodhillsspeedway.com

ü     Bobby Seals: (505) 865 - 2099 / (505) 553 - 2399 / arc48@msn.com

ü     RMMRA / AMRA rules

Click on Newsletter tab for complete High Desert Challenge pay-off schedule

LOWER COST ADDITIONAL ENGINES  have been approved for RMMRA in 2008 The Fontana Rhino Midget engine with restrictions as submitted, has been approved, as have Other Similar Versions which would be even less expensive and which can be built by individuals. It is the express intent of these changes to allow members and prospective members lower cost engine alternatives competitive with, but not superior to, existing engines. The new race engine alternatives are RPM and INTAKE restricted with STEEL RODS only, and use SPEC cylinder HEADS with INCREASED displacements. Our expectation is that the home-built versions of these engines could cost well under $15000, and that all would be more reliable with longer service duty life than current high rev / high dollar motors. There are four engine blocks which fit into this new alternative: Rodeck and Fontana aluminum, and the Kansas Racing Products iron which is available for either the Spec aluminum Fontana/ChevII-Mercruiser-Pontiac iron heads or for the Spec aluminum Brodix SBC head, and finally, the GM/Mercury Marine iron block. Stock Block OEM engines, as approved in 2007, are also available options. Note: rotary intake air valve systems have also been DISallowed. For full rule text, click on Newsletter button. Interested racers are encouraged to call or e-mail RMMRA for points of contact, approx costs, etc on components.

Midknight Video Productions has put together a special DVD, of all the races the RMMRA Midgets ran at the I-25 Speedway, during the 2007 season. This is available to drivers, family, and friends, at a great rate of $25, shipping and handling included.   If  interested,  just log onto website, www.midknightvp.com and go to the DVD Order page. There is a button near the top of the page to order. Even though it's through paypal, you do not need to have an account to order.

The Annual Awards Party on Nov 17^th honored RMMRA’s new Champions, Chris Sheil, Driver, Tony Rossi Owner, and Mechanic, Jim Doyle. The Rossi team took the lion’s share of awards home with them Saturday from Indian Tree Country Club, including Sportsman of the Year for Tony, and Best Looking Crew Award. Other award winners included Jennifer Greenberg, Rookie of the Year, who was in attendance from Albuquerque with her sister, Jr Dragster racer, Rachel, and hard-working father of two racers, Lyle Greenberg. Gary Martelon, RMMRA and Midget historian extraordinaire was awarded a much-deserved Life Membership, while photographer-reporter Don Holbrook won the Ed Jackson Memorial Award for Special Contributions to Midget racing. Hardware for the top awards was in the form of unique Vintage Midget Trophies from the bequeathed collections of past Champions Vern Shaver and Jim LaManna; their thoughtfulness and that of their families is much appreciated. Long time members and newcomers both were present as attendance was up over recent years and many remarked on the excellent service, facility, and food. Top-10 Drivers and Owners all received awards and contingency prizes, and those competing for half the year or more, received point fund money totaling over $4000 from Hoosier Tire Southwest and USA Performance. Award Sponsors and Contingency Prize Sponsors include: Dr Russ Simpson, Jim and Karen Barr and Carol McGraw each of whom also worked tirelessly on the party, Bob Hartman, Mitch Miller, Bill Morten Racing/Peterson Fluid Systems, Speedway Motors, Racing Optics, Redneck Trailer Products, AAI Speed Equipment, Gaerte Engines, Weiland Racing, Cosworth Engineering, Rod End Supply, Spike Chassis, Simpson Racing, Pro Shocks, Fontana Automotive, Penske Shocks, Crow Industries, Paul Bredenberg’s Number 7 Sales, and Kathy Rossi, who generously provided Mary Kay gift packages to all women in attendance. Thank-you all!

Pictured: Chris Sheil with Boysen Loesch, Pres, and Top 10 Drivers Jennifer Greenberg, Bill Mentgen, Todd Plemons, Sheil, Tony Rossi, and Buddy Lowther with Loesch in Don Holbrook photos 

NEWS and NOTES

The election meeting for 2008 resulted in Boysen Loesch being re-elected RMMRA President, the only hold-over from 2007. Vice President elect is Ron Rossi, new to an elected position but not new to RMMRA or to racing. Filing out the Board of Directors are Chuck Simmons and Gene Pastor, who each bring a wealth of experience, including past Directorships, and Scott Fennell, representing the new generation of Drivers.

                   Boysen 303-452-4801        Ron 720-935-3020        

Gene 303-422-8753        Chuck 303-423-2301        Scott 303-979-0621

Sheil Ends RMMRA Season with Win & Championship  Chris Sheil literally smoked the field with an over-heated right rear tire that barely made the end of twenty laps at Colorado National Speedway Sep 15. Chris didn’t know the extent of his lead and pushed it to the limit Sat to wrap up his first RMMRA Championship.  The competition behind him was intense, if not as close to the lead as he thought. Todd Plemons, finishing second in points, and third on track, pressured a cool and determined Jenn Greenberg the entire distance with Billy Mentgen just as close in fourth. Each of the trio was fastest at some point on each lap, with Jennifer pulling a car length on the two Mentgen cars at the entrance to each turn, and Plemons closing up down the straights. Kyle Ray, fast time, exited before getting a chance at the leaders when his tire let go on a lap-one restart after being damaged by the #29 of Rick Ellis. With Ellis’ rear caliper laying on the track surface in turn 1, he found himself without brakes at the end of the back-stretch, which led to the contact and yellow. The season concluded with fans and friends literally mobbing Sheil and the Rossi crew after the races, while the other class winners sat mostly unnoticed in the pits.

Good job, RMMRA; Good job, Chris, Tony, Jim, and crew, 2007 Champions 

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      Copy by Boysen Loesch, Pres / Photos by Don Holbrook, exc as shown

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