Sad News: C. H. "Smitty" Schmidt and Robert Schmidt

My father, C. H. Schmidt passed away on October 30th after a long bout with Alzheimer's disease. And, in less than 72 hours, his brother, and my uncle, Robert Schmidt passed away while notifying relatives of my father's passing. In the last three years, Rebecca and I have lost all 4 parents, 2 aunts and 1 uncle. My father's and uncle's obituaries follow:

Cleburne H. "Smitty" Schmidt, age 87, passed away on October 30, 2009. Smitty was the owner of C.H. Schmidt Refrigeration Service for over 50 years. He was preceded in death by his wife, Gloria; step-father, Robert E.L. Sisico; brother, Hilmer Schmidt; half-brothers and sisters, William Schmidt, Mildred Hausman, and Joseph Schmidt. Smitty is survived by his son, Craig Schmidt (Rebecca); grandchildren, Hannah Rebecca Schmidt and Lauren Elizabeth Schmidt; brother, Robert Schmidt; Half-brothers and sisters, Viola Gotthardt, John Henry Schmidt, Franklin Schmidt, Audrey Ramchinsky, Christian Schmidt and John Kennedy Schmidt and by numerous nieces and nephews.

Visitation will be from 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM on Wednesday, November 4, 2009 at Mission Park Funeral Chapels North with the Funeral Service to begin at 9:00 AM on Thursday, November 5, 2009 also at the funeral home. Entombent will follow at Sunset Memorial Park. In lieu of flowers, memorial gifts may be made to the American Legion Post No. 2, 3518 Fredericksburg Rd., San Antonio TX 78201.

Robert Edward Schmidt, born February 11, 1923, went to be with the Lord on November 2, 2009 at the age of 86. He was a loving Husband, Father and Grandfather. He proudly served his country in the U. S. Navy during World War II and his passion was playing golf. He is survived by his loving wife of 68 years, Sarah; two daughters, Marie (Gerry) Narveson, Marsha Schmidt; one son, Glenn (Mary) Schmidt; grandchildren, Nicholas (Lisa) Narveson, Erica, Hurley, Molly Schmidt; great-grandchildren, Aaron & Zuri Narveson, Nathannial Schmidt & Joe Del la Victoria; brothers, John Henry, Franklin, Christian & John Kenney; sister, Viola Gothardt & Lou Audrey Ramchinsky; numerous nieces, nephews and his pet companion, Mitze. Bob was preceded in death by mother, Agnes Marie Sisco, Step-father, Robert Sisco, father, Christian Schmidt; brothers, Hilmer, Cleburne, William, Joe, David; sister, Mildred. He will be truly missed and forever in our hearts by all who loved him.

Visitation will be held on Sunday, November 8, 2009 from 6:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m. at Sunset Funeral Home. Funeral services will be held on Monday, November 9, 2009 at 9:00 a.m. Sunset Funeral Home Chapel. Interment will follow at Ft. Sam Houston National Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the American Heart Association or the Charity of your choice.

Season Ends with 8th-Place Finish at Lorain

We ended our 2009 season on a high note with an 8th-place finish at Lorain County Speedway in September. With the impending tire change in Legends racing, we elected to finish the season on the same set of tires in which we began the season - 14 races in total.

The night was quite eventful, as the car was crazy-loose, particularly when entering the turns. At one point, I spun into the infield after friend Dave Spotton and I were avoiding a crash and tried to occupy the same portion of the track. The second trip into the infield was a result of being cut off by a car entering turn one, and I completely around turns one and two in the grass, and never lost a position in the process.

I was very pleased with our 9th place overall finish in the series point standings, and a 4th place finish in the Masters division standings. In 14 seasons of racing, this is our second-best points finish. Special thanks to my wife Rebecca, for supporting me, and friend and fellow racer Dave Spotton, who has been a huge help over the lase couple of seasons.

Best Feature Finish This Season After Wild Race at Barberton

After a wild Feature race, and an equally crazy week, we scored our best feature finish this season with a 7th place finish at Barberton Speedway Saturday night.

On Thursday, I was diagnosed with an eye issue that required some treatment. Then, while loading the car on Saturday, the winch died. These events were just the beginning.

When I exited I-76, a driver signaled to me that something was banging the back door of my trailer. Upon inspection, I discovered that the car had come untied. I actually drew the low pill (for the second week in a row) and started the heat on the pole. There were several faster cars in the race, I ended up 5th, with the leaders in sight, and was very happy with that finish. One year ago those cars would have been in my mirror and getting ready to lap me.

Things would change in the feature. In the first turn, the car in front of me slowed abruptly and I hammered him hard. One lap later, one car spun going into Turn 1 and Bob Copen Struck the car. I was literally inches behind Copen and couldn't stop, and I struck the back of Copen's car hard.

The car suffered both cosmetic and suspension damage, but was OK to continue. At that point, I did something that I have never done in 14 seasons of racing. I dropped to the rear, deliberately putting myself in 19th position, as I had a feeling things were going to get worse before they would get better. I was right. Several crashes eliminated a number of cars. Cars spun, struck others and one climbed onto another. I also passed some cars, and ended up in 7th place, our best feature finish of the season.

One race remains in the Northern Ohio Legends point race, and I have a chance to pick up the 9th place position. More on that later this week.

Up Next: Barberton Speedway

This Saturday, September 5th, we return to Barberton Speedway for our final appearance there this season. More than anything, I have needed seat time at Barberton, and the test session about 6 weeks ago did the trick. The car is picking up each week, and more importantly, I am getting more comfortable with the paper clip-shaped track. Hope to see you there!

Great Time at Mayfield Heights Parade

We had a great time participating in our local Mayfield Heights, OH "Community Unity Days" Parade this past weekend. Rebecca and the girls rode in the back of the Ridgeline, and I restored our open trailer and decorated it for the event.

It was great to hear Mayor Costabile announce "we love that race car" as we passed by City Hall.

Out next off-track event will be the United Way Car Show, at Mayfield High School in September.

Good Run at Barberton

We are picking up speed every time we visit Barberton Speedway, and this weeks' event was no exception. We started 16th finished 10th in a wild and crazy event, after being spun on the first lap. Our goal is to be in the hunt at this tough track, and we are finally getting there.

Look for in-car video soon.

Disappointing Night at Lorain

Three weeks ago, we had some great practice runs at Barberton Speedway. Since that time, rain-outs have kept us off the track. The car has been in and out of the trailer a couple of times, but that's it. You can imagine my surprise when the car had a huge vibration on the first lap of practice at Lorain County Speedway last Saturday, and it continued to get worse throughout the session. Dave Spotton and I looked at a number of places, and all we could find at the time was a broken fan mount.

After repairing the fan mount, I attempted to practice again, and the huge vibration was still there. We looked again, and with help from Dennis Knox, determined that we at least had a problem with a wheel bearing, and probably issues with the rear end gears as well. At that point, I decided to start and park in the Feature, finishing 15th. The car shook so bad on the pace lap that I was having trouble keeping up with the field.

I was able to tell, through all the shaking in the first set of hot laps, that we were on the right track with the new setup.

We have a big week ahead of us. Our next event will be at Barberton Speedway this Saturday night, and then we will participate in the Mayfield Heights "Community Unity Days" Parade on Sunday, August 23.

Sad News: Linda Cull

My Mother-in-Law, Linda Cull, passed away last Monday after battling pancreatic cancer this summer. She occasionally attended our races, and the photo at right shows her, Rebecca and the girls at Midvale Speedway several years ago. From her obituary:

LINDA A. CULL (nee Abbott). Beloved mother of David, (wife, Kathleen), Dana Langley (husband, Jim), and Rebecca Schmidt (husband, Craig). Loving grandmother of John (wife, Elizabeth), Thomas, Emily, Lauren, Jennifer, Hannah and Lauren. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made in Linda's memory to support the charitable programs of the Mayfield Woman's Club, 6820 Seneca Rd. Mayfield Village, OH 44143. Memorial Service Friday, August 14, 2009, at 3 p.m. at THE DEJOHN-FLYNN-MYLOTT FUNERAL HOME OF SOUTH EUCLID, 4600 MAYFIELD RD. (just east of Green Rd.) where family will receive friends to pay tribute to and celebrate the life of Linda from 1 - 3 P.M. Cremation by DeJohn Crematory.

She touched many lives during the time she lived in Mayfield Heights. Literally dozens of people packad the funeral home today.

Rain Again!

The Tim Boswell Memorial Race at Barberton Speedway was rained out again on SSaturday night. Our next race will be this Saturday, August 15th, at Lorain County Speedway. We hope to see you there!

Nice Time at Lorain County Speedway Stunt Show

We had a great time tonight at Lorain County Speedway's Imperial Stunt Drivers Stunt show. Every kid who stopped by received our autographed baseball card. I enjoyed speaking with the fans, too, and learned that the Northern Ohio Legends Series brings quite a few fans through the gates at Lorain. Thanks to Jim Foose, and the management at Lorain County Speedway, for inviting us to this event.

Our next race at Lorain County Speedway is August 15th. In the mean time, we have a few things to take care of to get the car ready for this weeks' Northern Ohio Legends event, which is the Tim Boswell Memorial Race at Barberton Speedway on Saturday, August 8th. Hope to see you there!

Our Legend to be on Display at the Imperial Stunt Drivers Stunt Show

Our '37 Ford Legends Car will be on display at the Imperial Stunt Drivers Stunt Show at Lorain County Speedway on Wednesday August 5th. Stop by and get one of our 2009 baseball cards.

For more information, visit Lorain County Speedway's website.

Rain!

Barberton Speedway's Tim Boswell Memorial Race was rained out, and the track has rescheduled the race for Saturday, August 8th. Our car is ready to go.

Good Practice Session at Barberton

We had some good runs today at Barberton Speedway, preparing for Saturday's Tim Boswell Memorial race. I ran about 60 laps, and picked up over one second.

Thanks to Dave Spotton and Dennis Knox for your help and advice today.

Up Next: Tim Boswell Memorial

Next weekend, we will race in the Tim Boswell Memorial at Barberton Speedway. Tim Boswell is the only driver to lose his life at the speedway, and a race has been held in his memory since his passing in 2001.

We will start off the weekend practicing at the speedway on Friday night, and then racing in the event on Saturday, July 26th. Hope to see you there!

Midvale Speedway - Saturday July 18th

The last time we raced at Midvale, which was at the 2007 Fall Classic, we had a great time. So, I was looking forward to returning to the 3/10-mile track near New Philadelphia, OH. The straights are just the right length, and the turns are also proportioned well. The track is simply a blast to drive. We had a nice field of 13 cars that ran all the races flag-to-flag with no cautions.

We finished 5th in the Heat and 10th in the Feature, finishes that match our last race at Barberton. This nice thing is that we were passing some cars, and were not as far off the pace as we have been in the past several weeks.

I also want to send out well wishes to former Northern Ohio Legends racer Jonathan Reitter, who was involved in a scary crash in his Late Model at Midvale. Jonathan's car turned suddenly into the front straight wall, crashing hard. The fuel pump was sheared off in the crash, and the fuel and sparks resulted in a scary fire. Thankfully, Jonathan escaped the crash uninjured.

Up Next: Midvale Speedway

We will be making the trip to Midvale Speedway for the Northern Ohio Legends Event this Saturday. The car is almost finished, and we are looking forward to getting some seat time at Midvale.

Hope to see you there!

10th-Place Finish at Barberton

While our 10th place Feature finish didn't really show it, I did learn quite a bit last Saturday night at Barberton Speedway. After the last caution, I tried driving the tough track a little differently and was turning my fastest laps ever.

In the heat, I drew the #2 pill and started from the Pole. I ended up 5th, after racing Dave Spotton and Bill Richards hard for the spot. Dave and I had a good time racing each other, even banging wheels at one point, which was a lot better than the first lap at Lorain.

It was also announced that management of the Northern Ohio Legends Series will be transitioned from Dennis Knox to me over the last half of the season, with Dave Spotton lending assistance in managing the series. I am quite excited about this opportunity and appreciate the kind comments I have already received.

Up-and-Down Night at Lorain

After scrambling to get the car ready, our night at Lorain had both highs and lows. Starting outside front row in the heat, the car would not go into 5th gear down the front straight, and I was passed by a number of cars. I did manage ot make my way to 4th place at the end of the race, taking the position by inches.

The car was extremely loose in the feature, and after several close calls, I spun the car coming off Turn 4 late in race. At that point, I decided to ride around and finished in the 10th position.

My classes at Kent are over on Wednesday. We will get down to some serious racing at that point, beginning at Barberton Speedway on Saturday, July 11th. Hope to see you there.

Happy 4th of July!

We hope all of you have a very Happy 4th of July!

The car is ready, and we're ready to race at Lorain County Speedway tonight. Hope to see you there!

For more information, visit www.northernohiolegends.com and www.loraincountyspeedway.com .

Up Next: Lorain County Speedway

It appears we will have the car finished in time to race at Lorain County Speedway on July 4th. We are looking forward to finally being back on track this weekend.

We Will Be Idle One More Week

I am in the middle of taking 6 semester hours in three weeks at Kent State University as part of fulfilling as part of my teacher licensing requirements, and have had literally no time to repair the damage from the crash at Lorain County Speedway two weeks ago. So, the car will sit idle for one more week.

I plan to repair the car on July 3rd, and we will return to action on July 4th at Lorain County Speedway

Happy Fathers Day!

We hope all of you have a Happy Fathers Day!

Car Will Be Idle This Weekend

We have a family commitment on Saturday night, so we will not be making the trip to Midvale for the Northern Ohio Legends Series race. We will be back in action at Barberton Speedway on June 30th.

It appears that the car only suffered minor damage at Lorain, so we should have it back together well in advance of the Barberton event.

Crash Ends Our Night Early

What's worse than finishing dead last? Finishing dead last and not even completing the first lap. That's the way our Feature went Saturday night at Lorain County Speedway. In this photo, you can see my view of the track lights as I sailed through the air.

After finishing fifth in our heat with a much better handling car, we lined up in the 9th position for the Feature. Coming off turn 4 at the end of the first lap, a car spun at the front of the pack and set off a chain reaction that sent our car through the air after striking Dave Spotton's and Mike MacDonald's cars. The car then landed hard, bottoming out as it returned to earth.

Check out the video below for an in-car account of the first lap. Even after carefully padding the inside of the car, I managed to find un-padded places to strike with my arm and ankle. I bet I'm going to be sore tomorrow.

Crash Ends Our Night Early

Getting Ready for Lorain

Just a few items remain, and we will be ready for the Northern Ohio Legends event at Lorain County Speedway on Saturday, June 13th. We learned quite a bit about the setup and the changes needed over the last several weeks, so hopefully that super-loose condition is behind us.

Hope to see you there!

Good Night at Barberton on June 6th

While the finishes don't exactly show it, the car ran the best it ever has at Barberton Saturday night. On Friday night, I completely re-worked the setup and included some things I should have been doing all along.

I finished 6th in my Heat, and went on to finish 11th in the Feature. We were held up a bit at the beginning, and that set up the group of cars I was running with to get lapped about 3/4 of the way through the feature. Check out the in-car video in the article below. This is the first of many more in-car videos to come.

Overall, I was very pleased with the setup and the car, and can't wait to get back to Barberton. Yes, you read that right.

#85 In-Car Video

We Visit Lander Elementary School

In what has become an annual event, we visited Lander Elementary School on Friday, June 5, 2009.

Our first stop was at our daughter Hannah's second grade class, where I was the "Mystery Reader." I read a book that Hannah wrote and gave to me for Father's Day when she was three years old. Many thanks to Mrs. Dugal for having me in class today.

The next stop was with all the fourth-grade classes. We talked about safety, teamwork, engineering, communication and other skills necessary to be successful in racing, or most other sports and vocations. We then went outside and students got a close-up view of the car. Many thanks to the fourth-grade teachers for having me in class today.

Both classes received our baseball cards. This has become one most rewarding activities we participate in all year. It's important to me to do just as much off-track as I do on-track.

Another Top-10 at Lorain

After making some chassis changes on Saturday morning, the car was hooked up much better at Lorain. It wasn't perfect, but much closer to where it needs to be. I finished 4th in the heat after dodging a spinning Mike MacDonald, whose car suddenly snapped out of control when a rear suspension part broke. I then finished the feature in 9th, after turning the front straight into a road course dodging spinning cars near the mid-point of the race.

Look for some cool in-car video soon.

Up Next: Lorain County Speedway

After fighting the car all night at Barberton, finishing 7th in the heat and 13th in the feature, we are ready to move on to Lorain County Speedway Saturday, May 30. I've made some chassis adjustments that will hopefully get rid of the loose condition I've been dealing with.

It's also Family Night at Lorain - 2 Adults and 3 Kids for $25 & 5 Hot Dogs and 5 Fountain Drinks - which is sure to bring families to the track. Hope to see you there!

Up Next: Barberton Speedway

The rainout two weeks ago at Barberton couldn't have come at a better time, as we were unable to run that night. Then, last night, the Legends had an open date and most all area tracks rained out.

Our series will visit Barberton Speedway this weekend, and our car is almost ready. Dave Spotton stopped by yesterday and helped with the gear change (we're trying something a little different), and just a few minor details remain. This will also be our first race with an in-car camera, as we just took delivery of a new Sport Action Camera. Look for the videos next week.

Happy Mother's Day!

Happy Mother's Day to Rebecca, my Mother-In-Law Linda and Mothers everywhere!

Adios "Exploder"

A sudden urgent issue kept us off the track Saturday night at Barberton Speedway. Rebeeca's Explorer's (named years ago by one of my crew members as the "Exploder') transmission exploded in a big way, and we were stuck at a dealership into the evening. She is now the proud owner of a Mountaineer with a 6-year, 75,000-mile bumper-to-bumper warranty, which is the most important accessory you can buy for a Ford, because you are probably going to need it at some point.

May 16th is an off date, and it loks like we are heading to Deerfield Speedway to watch some great dirt track racing. We return to the track on May 23rd at Barberton Speedway.

Next Up: Barberton Speedway

It's shaping up to be another extremely busy week, but it looks like we will make it to Barberton this weekend. We brought the car home in one piece from Lorain, and it already had the Barberton gears in it. I look the car over from top-to-bottom and we should be good to go.

Top-10 Finish at Lorain

Due to time constraints this past week, I was not able to change rear end gears for Lorain. So we headed there with 3.42 gears, normally used at Barberton Speedway, which are a little high for Lorain. The result was a car that was seriously loose all night long with the motor dropping out of the power band coming off the turns. But, as I told a number of people at the track, "I would rather be here with the wrong gears than not be here at all."

I finished 5th in the Heat, after bringing out the yellow flag for my spin in Turn 2. I finished 10th in the Feature, fighting the car for the entire race. I was pleased with the outcome, given the circumstances.

Thanks to Dave Spotton for all his help tonight.

Next week, we are off to Barberton again. See you there.

Ready for Lorain

I was able to get the car ready, so we will be racing tonight at Lorain County Speedway!

Status Unsure for Lorain Legends Event

Given my current teaching obligations, and semester-end obligations for classes I am taking at Kent State, our status is unsure for the Northern Ohio Legends event at Lorain County Speedway this weekend.

Watch this spot for the latest news regarding our status for this event.

R.I.P. David Poole

As I listened to Sirius Speedway this afternoon, I noticed that Mike Bagley and Dave Moody were speaking of David Poole in past tense. The first thing that crossed my mind was that he either quit or was let go from Sirius. As the conversation went on, it became obvious that this was much more serious. I was saddened to hear that David Poole, host of the Morning Drive on Sirius, had passed away this afternoon.

I listened to David Poole every morning on the way to work, literally since NASCAR moved to Sirius. I admired his "tell-it-like-it-is" style, and he wasn't afraid to ruffle some feathers, yet he was also known as a very caring and generous person. He made us laugh; he made us mad at times, too, but he was the best NASCAR writer around.

I will miss hearing Mike Bagley ask David Poole how he was doing, and most mornings the reply would be "living the dream". Our thoughts and prayers go out to our entire NASCAR family over this sad loss.

Good Time at Barberton Speedway

Barberton, OH After struggling with arthritis the last couple of weeks, I was feeling much better this week. Combine that with a new driver's suit made of new "breathable" Nomex, and I haven't been this comfortable in a car in quite a while.

The night began with Barberton Speedway's annual autograph session. My wife, Rebecca, our daughters Hannah and Lauren, and Rebecca's mom were in attendance and had a great time. I gave each kid (and some adults, too) who stopped by one of our 2009 baseball cards.

I just have not had enough seat time at the track to rum competitively, so I treated the event like a giant hot lap session, and I was picking up speed as the night went on. I finished 7th in the Heat Race and 12th in the Feature. The best part is that I am getting some much-needed seat time there, and I brought the car home in one piece.

Special thanks to Dave Spotton, normally the driver of the #41 Legends car, for all his help last night.

Up next: Lorain County Speedway - May 2nd.

Up Next: Barberton Speedway

Barberton, OH This Saturday, April 25, we will race in the Northern Ohio Legends event at Berberton Speedway in Barberton, OH. It is also the speedway's Autograph Night. Get your 2009 CSR Autograph Card (pictured at right) during the autograph session. Hope to see you there!

Pain Continues at Lorain

South Amherst, OH Due to continuing frustrating issues with arthritis, we did not run in the Lorain Northern Ohio Legends race on April 11. I am taking steps to minimize the effects and am planning to race in the Northern Ohio Legends event at Barberton Speedway on April 25.

Up Next: Lorain County Speedway

South Amherst, OH This Saturday, April 18, we will race in the Northern Ohio Legends Series event at Lorain County Speedway's Opening Night. We had a great run there at the Cavalcade last fall.

Happy Easter

Here's wishing all of you a very Happy Easter.

Painful Start to Our 2009 Season at Barberton

Barberton, OH An extremely busy winter slowed our preparations for the 2009 season, but that didn't keep us from racing in the first Northern Ohio Legends event at Barberton Speedway. The car was completed just in time to head to the speedway, but it would prove to be the least of our worries Saturday night.

I periodically suffer from bouts of arthritis, but have been extremely fortunate in the last 13 years as I have not had it interfere with racing... until Saturday night. From the moment I got into the car for hot laps, I was in serious pain. My ankles. knees and back were giving me fits all evening long.

I practiced the car once, and it was a lot better than I was. I decided to sit out the heat, as I was in no shape to drive the car at that point. I climbed into the car about 30 minutes before our feature, and tried to get as comfortable as possible. I then proceeded to run the first 11 laps of the feature until the pain became too much.

So, even though the driver wasn't up to par, we ended up passing a couple of cars, earned enough to pay our pit pass and brought the car home in one piece. It could have been a lot worse.

(Photo by Chris Nicastro)

#85 on Display at Cleveland AutoRama

Cleveland, OH We are pleased to announce that our #85 Legends car will be on display at the Cleveland AutoRama, from March 20-22, 2009. We will be sharing a space with fellow Legends racer Dave Spotton, who will also have his completely rebuilt #41 Legends car on display. Hope to see you there!

UPDATE: We won first- and second-place awards in our class, with Dave Spotton's car taking the top honors!

Our 2009 Race Schedule

Date	Event
March 20-22	Cleveland Auto-Rama
March 28	Barberton Speedway Test and Tune
April 4	Barberton Speedway Test and Tune
April 11	Barberton Speedway - Season Opener
April 18	Lorain County Speedway
April 25	Barberton Speedway Autograph Night
May 2	Lorain County Speedway
May 9	Barberton Speedway
May 16	Midvale Speedway
May 23	Barberton Speedway
May 30	Lorain County Speedway
June 6	Barberton Speedway
June 13	Lorain County Speedway
June 20	CSR not racing Series at Midvale Speedway
June 27	Barberton Speedway
July 4	Lorain County Speedway
July 11	CSR not racing Series at Barberton Speedway
July 18	Lorain County Speedway
July 25	Barberton Speedway Tim Boswell Championships
August 1	Open Date
August 8	Barberton Speedway
August 15	Lorain County Speedway
August 22	Barberton Speedway
August 29	Midvale Speedway
September 5	Barberton Speedway
September 12	Lorain County Speedway