Great Finish to Season at Lorain County

South Amherst, OH After finishing 13th at Barberton on September 27th, we were off to Lorain County Speedway this weekend for the Halloween Festival of Speed. We had nice finish to our 2008 season.

The car was very loose in the first set of hot laps. We made some changes, and the car ran much better in the second set. I finished 5th in the heat, just behind the battle for the lead. I started on the pole for the feature, leading the field into turn one. I lifted too soon and ended up getting turned around. On the restart, I took the lead and led the first five laps of the feature, ultimately finishing 7th.

Dave Spotton, in the #41 Legends car, also had a great night, leading laps in his heat and finshing 5th in the feature. Many thanks to Jeff Gibeault, who joined us in the pits, and also took some amazing photos I will share with you soon.

Deerfield - A Fun Time

With all I have going on it's hard to keep this blog going, but we had such a great experience at this place that I just had to take time out to write about it:

The Northern Ohio Legends Series was off a few weeks ago, so Dave Spotton and I decided to go to Deerfield Raceway, in Deerfield, OH. We had heard some good things about the place, and after all, several classes of little race cars were right up our alley.

Dave and I decided to sit in the stands and act like spectators for once. This was the first time I had sat in the stands as a spectator outside the pits since I began racing in 1996. The first thing that caught our eye was how well the place was maintained. Then, we saw kids climbing all over Little Tikes toys just inside the entrance. In fact, there were kids everywhere. It was Kids' Bike Race #3 Night, and there were bicycles everywhere as well.

The car counts were good, too. We were entertained - yes, entertained (I will get to that in a minute) by several classes of little race cars, including Mini-Sprints, Mini-Mods, Dwarfs and one of our favorites, the "Kids' Karts," which are go-karts that look like little sprint cars. The competition was amazing in that class, and because the cars were so quiet, you could hear everyone cheering the kids on. And, to see the kids walking around in those little drivers' suits, well, it was just cool. The other classes simply fly around that track, and entertained us with some great racing.

It's no coincidence that I keep using the word "entertainment." For those of you who know me, you know that I feel like racing is just as much as show as it is a race, and Deerfield "entertains." At one point Dave said, "This is like a Captains game!" For any of you who have attended a Captains game, you know what I am talking about. The announcer, Tim Phillips, of WQMX Radio, entertained the crowd. He has a great sense of humor and kept us laughing all night. And, when every feature winner pulled up to the flag stand, he was down on the track before the car stopped and made each winner sound like they were the greatest thing on wheels. Then, he handed them the mic and let them talk as long as they wanted. Tim "gets it."

The Millers were class acts as racers, and their track is a class act as well. While I'm not suggesting you pass up one of the upcoming Northern Ohio Legends races, check out Deerfield Speedway the next time we have an off week. I bet you'll have a much fun as we did.

It's Been a While...

While things have been a bit quiet on the racing front, my personal and professional life has been anything but calm. On July 3, after over 30 years in the corporate world, I made a career change. I'm taking that experience and sharing it. I'm a teacher now.

I've returned to college, and just completed a 6-credit-hour in 16-days Pre-Service Program at Kent State, and will start my new job as the Engineering CADD Instructor at Mayfield High School's Excel TECC in late August. My wife, Rebecca is also a Counselor in this district; we also live in the district and our oldest daughter attends Lander Elementary.

My energy levels are off the map; getting out of the "safe zone" has been incredibly energizing. It has also been an incredible experience sharing a classroom with 27 other posotive, energized people, all in the same situation, as they made a this same change in their lives. I will, as most of my classmates, be working toward a degree (a Master's degree in my case) over the next few years.

We're also returning to the track this weekend. So, if you see someone with a little bigger smile than usual, it's probably me.

What It's All About

It's nice to report that things are alive and well at Lorain County Speedway. After closing temporarily last season, and changing ownership late in the season, the track is back, just as good, if not better than before. Last Saturday night, a large crowd saw a great 40-lap Modified Feature that started 24 cars. Fans were also treated to an announcer who "gets it" - he knew more about the visiting Modified from Columbus than many announcers know about the entire field. And, he helps make the event a show - which is exactly what it is - a show. Think about that the next time you go to your local track.

He announced several birthdays throughout the night, and while under caution during the Modified feature he spoke with a young man who just celebrated his 11th birthday on October 5th. We all learned that his Mom brought him to the races for his birthday. When asked if he had picked a favorite, he mentioned Matt Marlowe's #37 car, which had held a commanding lead all feature long. The announcer asked the young man to meet him at the flag stand if Matt won... and instantly I was taken back to my first meeting with a driver; in my case, that driver was Tiny Lund, a NASCAR Grand National Driver.

In 1971, Tiny Lund was racing in the Texas 500 at Texas World Speedway, and was making an appearance at a Sears store in San Antonio, TX. My father was a fan, too, and he and my Mom took me across town to Sears. "Tiny," a giant of a man, picked me up and, to my surprise, placed me on his shoulders. Later, we spoke for quite a while. I've never forgotten that night, where a star went out of his way and took some time to make an impression that has lasted for over 35 years.

As you probably guessed, Matt won the feature. The announcer kept his promise, took the young man down onto the track and introduced him to Matt. The two then posed for a photo - how cool was that! That little gesture probably took all of three minutes to complete and most likely made a fan for life. If you ever wondered why we put more emphasis on the off-track stuff than the racing itself, this is why. I've had some the of the best times of my life in this sport and made many life-long friends, some that have influenced me and some that I have influenced. In the end, I plan on giving back more than I've gained from this sport, particularly when it comes to young people.

2006 in Review Slide Show

Kids' Corner

Click on the image at the right, and download our coloring page! Print out the page, and you will then be able to design a '37 Ford Legends car just like the one we race!

Look for more cool stuff... coming soon!

Our Sponsors

Watch this spot - cool stuff coming soon.

Marketing Partnerships

Why consider Marketing Partnerships or Sponsorship Opportunities in local short track racing?

In recent years, automobile racing has become the highest-attended spectator sport in the United States. While several million people attend professional races sanctioned by organizations such as NASCAR, ChampCar and the IRL annually, hundreds of thousands of people attend weekly short-track racing at local tracks across the country.

Motorsports marketing, or race team sponsorship, is one of the most cost-effective methods of advertising. Race fans are extremely brand-loyal. A recent survey showed that almost 72 percent of NASCAR fans polled stated that sponsor influences have a direct effect on their purchases.

We can tailor an inexpensive advertising program to a sponsor's particular needs. In addition to professional graphics on the automobile itself, sponsors will be prominently placed in our web site. Since we utilize an open trailer, the car also becomes a rolling "billboard" during our trips to and from the track.

If you own a business in or near the Barberton, Lorain or Midvale/New Philadelphia areas, and you would like to learn more about inexpensive advertising through exposure in the Northern Ohio Legends Series and related appearances, please e-mail us by clicking on the “contact us” button below.

Craig Schmidt - Race Wins Through 2008

Season/ Speedway	Dash Wins	Heat Wins	Pursuit Wins	LCR Wins	Feature Wins	Totals
1996 Painesville	0	1	0	0	1	2
1997 Painesville	0	2	0	0	0	2
1998 Painesville	0	0	0	0	0	0
1999 Painesville	2	6	2	0	1	11
2000 Lorain	0	3	0	0	0	3
2001 Lorain	0	0	0	1	0	1
2002- 2005	Did not race due to health issues					0
2006 Legends	0	0	0	0	0	0
2007 Legends	0	0	0	0	0	0
2008 Legends	0	0	0	0	0	0
1996-2008 Totals	2	12	2	1	2	19

The Driver

Craig Schmidt, Owner/Driver

Years Racing: 13

Race Wins: 19 Career Wins including 2 Features

Born: May 7, 1959

Hometown: San Antonio, TX

Residence: Mayfield Heights, OH

Family: Wife, Rebecca; Children, Hannah & Lauren

Pets: "Jaz," a Yorkshire Terrier

Education: B.F.A. (Architecture), The Univeristy of Texas at San Antonio; Currently attending Kent State University

Occupation: Engineering CADD Teacher - Mayfield High School/Excel TECC

Hobbies: Online Racing, Computers

Personal Vehicle: 2006 Honda Ridgeline, Mom's 2004 Monte Carlo LS

Trait I admire in a person: Ethics

Traits I don't admire in a person: Disrespect, Hidden Agendas

Favorite Drivers: Dale Earnhardt, Dale Earnhardt, Jr., Tony Stewart

Craig's Most Memorable Racing Moments: Finishing second in points and winning 10 races in 1999; Making the Dash in my third start in the Legends car.

Craig's most Embarassing Racing Moment: Spinning out in front of the entire pack while leading at Lorain and causing a big crash, only to learn I had broken out the lap before and was going to be black-flagged the next time by.

Thanks to Our Crew and Supporters

We would like to thank those that support our team with their endless work and input.

Rebecca Schmidt
Trophy Carrier & Our #1 Supporter. Thanks for all your love and support.

Dave Spotton
Fellow Legends Racer. Many thanks to Dave for all his help in getting us back on track in 2007!

Jeff Gibeault
Pit Crewman. A former co-worker, Jeff is an avid stock car racing fan and is now helping us in the pits this season. Thanks for all your help!

Chris Nicastro
Crewman and Photographer. Chris helps us in the pits when his schedule permits, and has also shot some great photos and video seen on this site. We appreciate all your help.

Pat Lane
Technical advisor and mentor. Gives "pep" talks and advice via long distance from San Antonio, TX. Over 200 wins in a stock car and, while I was on his crew, I saw him set a great example.

Thanks to Our Friends in the Stands
Dwain Raikes
Betty French

Thanks to Those Who Have Helped Along the Way
Dennis Knox
Randy Burns
Frank Williams
Johnny, Joanne and "Zip" Ray
Mom & Dad
Alex Lim
Mike Henderson
Ed Poderzay
Kevin Jackson
Chuck Henderson
Marc Mazzarino
Al Burns
Frank & Cathy Lett
Fred Mott
Lee Patrick
Troy Bonnemma
Jerry Mingus
Kathy Percenti
Lou Gyongyosi
Buzz French
Wally, Cora, Harold and Joe Arkkelin
Bob deJohn
Harvey Wiseberg
Jenny Wexler

About Us: Chasing the Dream

May 7, 1971

On May 7, 1971, my Aunt and Uncle took me to the races at Pan American Speedway, in San Antonio, TX, for my 12th Birthday. My uncle, Fred Elbel, raced a ’65 Chevelle in the Super Stock class. He won the feature that night, at the age of 50. It would prove to be his last feature win in a racing career that spanned three decades.

I was hooked. At some point during that season, I told everyone that I was going to race someday. Of course, my Cousins and I all said we were going to race when we grew up. I don’t think anyone believed me. But, I knew I would do it.

After 6 successful seasons behind the wheel at Painesville and Lorain County Speedways, I developed health issues in 2003. At one point, it appeared the problems were worse than they actually were, so I decided to retire from racing. Once I learned the problems weren’t as bad as we had originally thought, I decided to get back behind the wheel.

I made a trade for a Cutlass, and had intended to race again in 2005. While at the Cleveland AutoRama in January 2005, we stopped at the Legends display, and I said, “If I had my druthers, this is what I would race.” My wife, Rebecca, replied, “Then why aren’t you?” I explained the higher initial outlay for a Legend. She actually convinced me to take another year off to get the finances together to go Legends racing.

We took delivery of our Legends car in early December 2005, and have been racing in the Northern Ohio Legends series since that time.

Stay tuned as we return to the track full-time this season.