Memorial Day weekend has always been significant to me in terms of racing because it marks the official start of the racing season. Yes, racing for Dirt Late Models did start in late January and into early February, and even for those of us in the upper Midwest, weekly racing has been going on a month or so.

With the excitement of early race season, it just doesn’t feel like it has really started because fans, like the racers, are knocking off the early season rust. I mean, early in the season MORE

At last month's Illini 100 in Farmer City, Ill., I got a chance to catch up with Jimmy and Chris Mars. For those of us in Wisconsin and Minnesota, we watched the Mars brothers move up the ranks with Jimmy turning the steering wheel and Chris turning the wrenches. These days they're at the top of the sport, building their own MB Customs Chassis along with Brian Birkhofer, and running a successful racing parts, chassis deal and shock services business. While talking with Chris and Jimmy, I MORE

One of the most compelling elements of Dirt Late Model racing is the battle between professional touring drivers and the weekly regulars at each track. Or, as late UMP founder Bob Memmer memorably said, "the big dogs" and "the little guy."

Seeing the sport's biggest stars is intriguing enough at most races, but when major events are held at tracks with capable local drivers, it's all the better.

I was reminded of that with Bryan Wimberley's well-reported piece from the May 14-15 Red Farmer Classic MORE

"Look both ways!" That's what parents have been telling their children about crossing the street since Henry Ford's day. The dangers on low-speed neighborhood streets are real, so how much more so is it dangerous to cross an oval racetrack?

It's incredibly dangerous, even more so at tracks where officials can't or don't control who crosses the track, or when someone uses poor judgment.

Bedford (Pa.) Speedway narrowly avoided tragic accident a few weeks back at the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series MORE

I've written about plenty things I haven't seen. But after hearing 10 years ago about the crazy Portsmouth (Ohio) Raceway Park finish between Chub Frank and Billy Drake, it was neat to see it pop up on YouTube recently after a fan posted the video.

It was a wacky race where both drivers took infield detours in swapping the lead on the last lap. Check out the video at the link above, and my column from National Dirt Digest after the Aug. 5, 2000, race, which follows:

Most ambitious race car drivers MORE