The “No TV and No Beer Make Homer… Something… Something” Award
The “No TV and No Beer Make Homer… Something… Something…” Award: THIRD NIGHT It seems strange now to think that there was a time when it was 105 degrees outside with 80% humidity, but that was the case Third Night. Ah, Chicago in July… In preparation for the extreme heat, the Route 66 management decided...
The Strangest Season Split
The Strangest Season Split: DAMAGE, INC.’s MATT WILSON While pondering the Rookie-of-the-Year award, someone mentioned the name of Damage, Inc’s Matt Wilson. I was considering awarding it to him for a while until I looked at Wilson’s season splits. It was then that I realized that Wilson had completed one of the most unusual seasons...
TrackSide #16 (October 4, 2011)
Minor Point #1: Transparency Made Its Way to the TDA It brings me great pleasure to be able to write that the TDA handled the scheduling of Fifth Night’s races with as much transparency, class and grace as could have been imagined. In hindsight, there wasn’t one element of the process that I would have...
TrackSide #15 (September 27, 2011)
Race of the Night: Orange Crush vs. Reckoning The last month of the 2011 season was filled with a lot of uncertainty and skepticism. Not only were there numerous discussions about what the tiebreaker was and whether it had changed since 2010—it hadn’t—and the method that the night’s race schedule would be determined, but there...
TrackSide #14 (August 30, 2011)
Minor Point #1: Roster Changes I love the team demolition derby. I am enamored of so many different facets of it, I probably could write an interesting column simply by listing the myriad things I enjoy about the TDA. To wit: I love Kyle Shearer’s fearlessness, Johnny Ryan’s ferocity, Ryan Bleuer’s speed, Steve Gursky Jr.’s...
TrackSide #12 (August 9, 2011)
The TDA races returned to form in the Third Night, with an exciting evening of hard hitting match-ups, SpeedChannel on site and the upset of the year taking place in the second round (when Stranglehold defeated Orange Crush). However, the grand majority of these elements were lost in the wake of Johnny Ryan’s driver’s door...
TrackSide #11 (August 2, 2011)
Minor Point #1: Stranglehold had a really tough night of racing You want to talk about having your work cut out for you… Stranglehold started out the evening of Third Night in last place (along with Damage, Inc). In the bracket that was pulled, Stranglehold ended up facing the third place team in the first...
TrackSide #10 (July 26, 2011)
Let’s start this off right. As of Sunday night, both Matt Wilson and Nick Hartung were released from the hospital and are resting uncomfortably at their respective homes. Wilson reported that his neck hurt, his ribs were really sore and that he found it hard to move, but that he was well on the road...
Track Side #8 (July 5, 2011)
Scheduling sporting events is one of those things that very few people think much about. Whether you’re watching a February Bulls game against the Nuggets or an August TDA race between Mean Green Machine and Stranglehold, fans rarely give the matter much thought. Of course the Bulls are playing the Nuggets! That’s what’s scheduled! Fans...
TrackSide #7 (June 28, 2011)
Minor Point #1: Damage, Inc’s Matt Wilson is Mr. Persistent During the first two races of his young racing career, Matt Wilson has been active, fearless and determined. This is almost the exact opposite of the Damage, Inc team as a whole. At numerous points during Damage, Inc’s opening round match-up against Full Throttle, Wilson’s...