Opinion Corner: Free stuff

Talk about it

Who doesn’t like free stuff?

Like a pair of tickets to go see the Minnesota Twins, the Fargo-Moorhead Red Hawks, or even a Styx/REO Speedwagon concert?

If free stuff ain’t your bag, one has to eat.

How does diving into a thick restaurant-style cheeseburger with fries, while getting a second one for free, sound?

It just so happens that I’m one of few who are aware of one of the best-kept weekly secrets in Jamestown, and I guess I’ve finally decided to kick over this can of beans. Not because I’ve won enough Matt Kenseth Crown Royal T-Shirts to clothe a family of five (which if keeps up I’m thinking of starting a quilting project), but because I think it’s an event others would — and should — enjoy.

But now that I have your attention, we’ll come back to that. Let’s first talk some dirt.

The 2012 season at Jamestown Speedway has entered week No. 4 and will be hosting its first special of the summer starting at 7 tonight, weather permitting (check www.jamestownspeedway.com for updates).

The track will be hosting the Dakota Legends, a class of smaller, light-weight kit cars that resemble the coupes and sedans from the 1930s. Regularly competing at Mandan’s Dacotah Speedway and Minot’s Nodak Speedway, each Legend has a wheelbase of 73 inches and all cars must run a 1250 cc Yamaha motor, capable of pumping out 122 ponies.

It’s definitely something different, and anything with an engine is entertaining to watch turn circles at Jamestown Speedway. If it’s different you’re after, mark down July 28 on your calendar. The speedway is hosting quad races that night.

That’s right. Four-wheelers, or ATVs, if you will.

But getting back to the norm, the regularly scheduled racing at Jamestown Speedway has never been better than right now in my four years of covering it.

Over the first three weeks a different driver has won the feature in each of the track’s top four classes: WISSOTA Modifieds, WISSOTA Midwest Modifieds, WISSOTA Street Stocks and Central Dakota Pure Stocks (Bombers).

What that says is the competition is tight, and it doesn’t look like we’ll be seeing the same driver stroll to victory every single week in a specific class of cars. The competitiveness has made for some great racing, and if you’re missing it you’re missing out.

Those with WISSOTA Street Stock victories so far are Trent Grager, Rory Opp and Duffy Froemke. Jason Grimes, John Corell and Ryan Mikkelson have picked up WISSOTA Modified wins.

Rusty Kollman, Eric Edwards and Scott Bintz have driven to WISSOTA Midwest Modified wins, and Tyler Pfaff, Cory Rodin and Chris Gussiaas have picked up Bomber victories at the track.

That’s a heck of a group of winners — it can’t get any better — for this early in the season.

The only repeat winner has been Andrew Michel in the Hornets. Donnie Schrader has the other victory in that division.

Now back to the free stuff.

Every Monday evening a local radio show called Dirt Talk is broadcast live from Jamestown’s IDK Bar & Grill on KQDJ 1400 AM and 97.1 FM from 6 to 7 p.m.

Jamestown Speedway track announcer “Shady” Shawn Erdahl hosts the show, which features interviews from local drivers and a recap of the week’s action by Jamestown Speedway general manager Joanne Dieterle.

For example, Mikkelson and Bintz were both on hand last Monday night to discuss their victories from Saturday. But to go along with that there’s great food and drink specials, like 2 for 1 cheeseburgers and a free large thin-crust pizza with the purchase of one large specialty pizza, and another little incentive called door prizes.

I’m not making this up. I win one every week.

It really isn’t that difficult when there are only a dozen names in the hat. I’ve won tickets to the Red Hawks in Fargo, tickets to Styx and REO in Bismarck, tickets to the races in Jamestown (really).

I’ve also won music CDs featuring various country artists that I’ve re-gifted because that’s not really my bag, which reminds me of the country music concert tickets — featuring some famous dude, I really can’t recall — that I gave to my sister.

The list continues.

I’ve won countless free passes to Nickelodeon Universe at the Mall of America in the Twin Cities, which have been a smash hit with my nieces. I have also brought home passes to the Mall of America’s Underwater World and tickets to the Chanhassen Dinner Theater.

The prizes do vary from week to week, but we’re talking about four years of winning here. Maybe I’m crazy for letting the cat out of the bag?

The Twins tickets, however, have eluded me. But if you don’t start showing up, Jamestown, they will be mine.

Oh yes. They will be mine.

Tags: auto racing, sports