A consistent comment from drivers the past few years, this year especially, has been the level of competition in Dirt Late Models. The quality of equipment and the quick dissemination of baseline setup information have flattened the learning curve for many. First-time at a track? A quick call to your chassis manufacturer and a few drivers and you’re in the ballpark. Not only setups, but also the reliability and maintenance of equipment have also moved up several notches.

It wasn’t too long MORE

The Show-Me 100 deserves a great legacy. So I'm hoping that West Plains (Mo.) Motor Speedway owners Don and Billie Gibson can come to an agreement with the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series that preserves one of my favorite Dirt Late Model events.

Having Lucas Oil Speedway in Wheatland, Mo., adopt Memorial Day weekend's Show-Me 100 — that's what the series has been negotiating with West Plains — isn't the ideal solution, but it may be the best outcome with the Gibsons heading for retirement.

Fo MORE

Here's hoping Lawrenceburg (Ind.) Speedway doesn't go down as a footnote in Dirt Track World Championship history, like Thunder Ridge (Ky.) Speedway. You might remember Freddy Smith won his unprecedented fifth DTWC in 1998 at Thunder Ridge, but that was the only time the event was held at the now-closed eastern Kentucky track.

Early in the recent DTWC weekend at Lawrenceburg, it appeared its one-and-done status was likely. The car counts were low, the grandstands weren't jam-packed, the schedule MORE

Eldora Speedway's World 100 is an event like no other in Dirt Late Model racing. With the number of race teams in attendance, the history of the event, the desire by drivers and teams to win the famed globed trophy, media coverage and the sheer number of fans who attend the event annually make it a premier event. Many call it the Super Bowl of Dirt Late Model racing.

When you look at the premier events in all forms of racing — the Daytona 500 for NASCAR, Indy 500 for the IRL, Monaco for F1, the MORE

Amid the rain, the travel and all the Taco Bell, this year has flown by quicker than any I can remember. What's crazy? Speedweeks is just over 100 days away!

With that, I can't go a night at a racetrack without people asking me what I've heard about the 2010 season. The answers? A million different things. Some of which is probably true, some of which probably isn't, and some that's somewhere in the middle. With that, I'll give you a run-down of a few things to keep a keen eye on next season.

West MORE