The pull is there.  It always is.  I sit here on this beautiful New York morning seeking to hear more than the birds that have awaken me.  I have to get the Wing Side Up Song of the Week, posted and it hasn’t taken me long to know what song has to be played today.

I logged into the Wing Side Up Jams and it wasn’t hard to find it.  What many of you know as ‘Back Home Again in Indiana’, I know as “On the Banks of the Wabash, Far Away.”  Long, I know.  The other title says a lot more in less space.  One play and the shivers are running down my spine.  I love NY but I’ll always be a proud Hoosier.

I have a lot to blog about, it’s been a month.  But suffice it to say, the tears are flowing right now as I think about what this weekend means.  Not only to racing but to those we’ve lost who have served in the military and paid the ultimate price.

I sure do wish I was Back Home Again this week.  It’s about the only time of the year that I’d rather be somewhere else than at a supermodified race.

Don’t forget to observe your local Memorial Day Services and fly your flag as you remember.

I miss you Grandpa John and Grandpa Bill.

PS…Go DAVEY and good luck to Jeff Bloom @the Little 500!

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Photo courtesy of Flickr Free License by "exquisitur"

They say that the only sure things in life are death and taxes.  I suppose for the most part that is an accurate and astute observation, but there are times in my life that I am inspired to think about certainties that go beyond the previously mentioned items and are a lot more pleasant to ponder.

I had a feeling that coming to California this year was going to prove harder than the last two times and it occurred to me on more than one occasion that the main desire to do so laid not within the normal reasons of needing a vacation or wanting to catch some rays.

I knew deep down that I needed to come for the challenge of trying to remain positive and upbeat about the difficulties that face my left coast friends who choose to field supermodifieds.  I truly felt, and still do, that had I not come out here and witnessed the lackluster car count at the “West Coast Home of the Supermodifieds” that it would be hard to convince many of you that things aren’t as dismal as they may seem.  In short, this trip was about “Walking the Walk” and not being a hypocrite.  It’s hard to tell you to remain enthusiastic about tough times when I don’t experience it myself firsthand.

I once had a conversation with my good friend and mentor Mick Schuler that went something like this:

Mick to Bob-”Bob, ya know what really upsets me?”  Bob to Mick-”No Mick but I’m sure you are going to tell me.”  Mick to Bob(jokingly)-”Yes I am because, as a writer, you need to keep this in mind or Dick (Beebe our editor) will eat you alive.”  Mick to Bob-”Well, Mick I don’t think he likes me much to begin with so if this will help me get on his good side let me have it.”  Mick to Bob-”Guys that write about stuff that they have no clue about, like Jim Bob(name changed to protect identity), he never ventures outside of his own two tracks, yet has the guts to talk and write about places he’s never even seen, drivers he has never met, and situations he’s never put himself in.”

Continue reading →

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A Note From Bobby G.-Each month supermodified driver Bob Bogwicz will be contributing a column dealing with the technical aspects of the supermodified division.  He is also a monthly guest on Wailing with Wing Side Up and you will be able to hear it before you read it.  Please feel free to comment or ask Bob further questions either here or when you Hit the Wailbag.  If there’s anything in particular that you would like to hear him talk about on the show, we encourage you to let us know.

Wing Side Up Tech Talk with The Bogwan 3/19/010

by Bob Bogwicz

On the March 1st webcast of Wailing with Wing Side Up, I spoke to you about weight and how it affects a race car.  We touched upon the type of weight that most oval track racing fans are familiar with: total weight and left side weight.

Total weight is, of course the weight of the entire race car.  Every sanctioning body in the world has a minimum weight that race teams need to adhere to in order to not have a competitive advantage, nor be unsafe.

Left side weight is the weight on the two left side tires in relation to the overall weight of a car.  In general, the more left side weight, the faster a race car can go in the turns.  Thus, sanctioning bodies will place a maximum left side weight on the competitors in order to level the playing field.

Usually, an infraction of the either the left side/total weight rule is worthy of a disqualification and egg on ones face! Continue reading →

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So I woke up this morning and without thinking about much more than I normally do since I’ve been fortunate enough to even be able to wake up, crawl out of bed and partake in those morning rituals that nearly every male finds a good deal of comfort in, and was greeted with a good amount of morning sunshine cascading through the window.

My path was well illuminated and even somewhat harsh on the eyeballs that are often over strained from sending e-blasts and doing what needs to be done to keep Wing Side Up…well…Wing Side Up.  After practicing the medical grade hand washing techniques that were hammered into me during my cooking days, I reached for the towel that Danette always has neatly placed on the side of the sink and then it hit me-I am bald.

Maybe not cue ball, baby butt smooth bald, but beyond even the smallest shadow of doubt, (or lingering wisp of grey) I have the least amount of hair on my head that I have ever had in my entire life, including birth.  As if that weren’t enough, as I slowly looked up from the sink and into the mirror in front of me, I was greeted with the revitalized realization that I am destined to walk around with only one eyebrow for a week.  Then, as I stared back at this strange person that was looking at me from the mirror with a very puzzled stare, I remembered that it didn’t matter that I had only one eyebrow for now because the other one was going to be shaved off in another week. Continue reading →

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A Note From Bobby G.-Each month supermodified driver Bob Bogwicz will be contributing a column dealing with the technical aspects of the supermodified division.  He is also a monthly guest on Wailing with Wing Side Up and you will be able to hear it before you read it.  Please feel free to comment or ask Bob further questions either here or when you Hit the Wailbag.  If there’s anything in particular that you would like to hear him talk about on the show, we encourage you to let us know.

Wing Side Up Tech Talk with The Bogwan 2/15/2010

by Bob Bogwicz

The last time I was on Bobby G’s Wailing With The Wing Side Up the show was called “Gimpfest” as Bobby’s guests were supermodified drivers who suffered serious injuries behind the wheel of a supermodified. Thus, one of the main topic of discussion was how to make supers safer.

Growing up, I was a big fan of Nolan Swift mainly because his cars all looked cool (especially the ’72 version) and he built a new, cool one every year. Swifts most famous quote was “the race is won in the garage”. These words ring true, not only for winning but for safety as well.

With all the devastating injuries to my fellow drivers, I felt I needed to step up my safety program. That program starts right in my shop in the middle of a western NY winter. Continue reading →

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