First, I would like to pass along my condolences to Pete Pistone and his family on the recent loss of his father. I had the privilege of meeting him on a few occasions, and the relationship that Pete and his father had bonded with auto racing. Many would say that baseball is America's Pastime, but the Pistone family can make an argument that auto racing is equal if not not better. God Speed Mr. Pistone.

I was asked to write a press release on behalf of Five Star Race Car Bodies and when they gave me the information about what to write on, I literally got excited. Five Star is hosting a Tech Seminar and Promoters Roundtable on Saturday, March 14 at their Twin Lakes, WI facility.

The timing could not have been better for this and I would encourage all tracks and series to take a careful look at what they are offering in the area of super late models and limited late models. The reason is simple, with the talk of a down economic period, the racing community needs to come and work together. While this seminar may not get all the tracks and series on the same rules, it will bring a common understanding and time to network with the other tracks and series.

For the Tech Seminar, they are bringing in some of the heavy hitters in the sport including one of the recent famous names in teching, 5 Flags Speedway’s very own Ricky Brooks. Brooks has become famous for the way he techs the famous Snowball Derby. Brooks will be one of the keynote speakers and will also speak about traction control and tire soaking. Other tech seminar speakers include: Eddie Chew - CRA Super Series, Mike Lemke - ASA Midwest Tour, DeWaine McGunegill - McGunegill Engines, Greg Folk - Big 8 Series, Wayne Lensing - Lefthander Chassis, Brian Butler - Butler Built Seats, Jeff Neal - QuarterMaster, Dan Vanderlay - VDL, Bob Fredrickson - Tech Chec, and the Five Star Race Car Bodies staff.

Anyone who is involved in racing knows how detailed teching a race car can be. Five Star has put together what I feel is a detailed workshop that will help the tracks and series.

While the tech inspectors will be going through a day of intense learning, track promoters and their media personnel are invited to attend the Promoters Roundtable. The theme is “Working to Make it Better!”

The topics for this roundtable include: How Can We Survive, The Importance and Benefits of Good Tech, Today’s Economic Impact: We’ve Been Through This Before Let’s Do It Again, Insurance Ins and Outs, and Web Marketing & Networking.

The keynote speakers include: Tom Curley - longtime and successful promoter of the American-Canadian Tour and Thunder Road Speedway in Barre, VT; Tim Bryant - Promoter of 5 Flags Speedway in Pensacola, FL (Home of the Snowball Derby) and was named Speed51.com Promoter of the Year in 2007; Ricky Brooks - Head Tech Official at 5 Flags Speedway; Dennis Huth - President, American Speed Association, Longtime involvement on the business side of racing and currently sanctions tracks and associations across the country; and RJ Scott & Glenn Luckett, Partners in the CRA Super Series, chair members of the ABC Body Committee and co-founders of the United States Late Model Rules Alliance.

The racing community, as a whole, needs to communicate with one another and work together. In the 70’s and 80’s tracks had common rules so a competitor could race more than one track and/or a series each week , if they wanted to. It is to be hoped that the Tech Seminar will promote that idea and start to bring everyone together.

New ideas are the life blood of short track racing and the promoters roundtable, can be a very positive step to keeping short track racing alive and thriving. Ideas will be shared, lessons will be learned from the past and much more.

I give credit to Five Star Race Car Bodies and Steve Einhaus, the event coordinator, for putting this day long event together. I want to encourage all the local tracks and series (dirt & asphalt) to attend.

This is a positive step to a start of a successful 2009 season.

For more information, please visit www.fivestarbodies.com.