Story by: Langley Austin ~ langley@RACE22.com

Salisbury, NC(August 27, 2010) -- Close your eyes ... pretend it's Labor Day, September 3rd in the year 1990 ... back in the day, Labor Day like Independence Day, Memorial Day and even Easter was celebrated by most if not all the local short tracks.

On that day, a race fan wouldn't have to look far or hard to find a great short track race to go to from Hickory to Franklin County to Greenville Pickens and everywhere in between, race fans celebrated their holiday at the track cheering on their favorite drivers. In recent years, race track promoters have gone away from the things that made the tracks successful back in the day including moving away from Holiday races with the lone exception maybe being Independence Day, which is still used by a lot of the regions short tracks.

The economy and struggles by racers, team owners and fans alike have changed the landscape of racing greatly over the last couple of seasons, but some smart track owners and promoters are going back to the basics and reviving traditions that made short track racing popular and most race tracks successful. Look around you, the world has changed and not everything for the better ... things are faster, more convenient and the local drug store is now a 24-hour Walgreens.

All those things are great and I'm certainly not one to
 

complain about anything that stays open 24 hours considering I'm working when many of you are sleeping and sleeping while much of the world is going wide open. However, as much as things change, all of us want that little slice of our childhood, that thing takes us back to a simpler time when not everything was rush, rush, rush ... for you, that might be the little general store that sold everything from candy and pop to shoes and sliced deli meat or the local pharmacy with the fountain that served root beer floats .... but, for me it was spending my nights around short track racing including Labor Day, Memorial Day, Easter and more.

This year, I'm getting a little slice of my childhood back ... no, I'm not traveling home to Franklin County Speedway, where I grew up selling programs, working the concession stand, scoring the races or working the souvenir booth ... instead I've got the chance to pick from four great races on Labor Day Monday and on Labor Day, while much of America is cooking out on the grill, most of the RACE22.com Crew will be out and about at a local track supporting the sport that we love.

This Labor Day, several race tracks seem to be in the mood to "Turn Back the Clock", as Ace Speedway in Altamahaw, NC, Dillon Motor Speedway in Dillon, SC, Greenville Pickens Speedway in Greenville, SC and Hickory Motor Speedway in Hickory, NC roar to life with "Big" shows to celebrate Labor Day.

Ace will be staging the "Madhouse Modified Meltdown", including a tour type Modified race and hosting a Limited Late Model race featuring many of Bowman Gray Stadium's regular competitors. In recent years Ace has been one of the few tracks to host Labor Day races and recently has made the tour type Modifieds the headline of their race night. This years race is even bigger than past seasons due to the Limited Late Model feature that will be a sure crowd pleaser.

Dillon has recently started a tradition of their own with the "Labor Day 300", featuring some of the Coastal Carolina's best Late Model and Limited competitors in a 150-lap race. This year, the race has grown in stature as it features a $3,000 winners purse, which is sure to attract many racers from outside the normal drawing area. The $3,000 winners purse is made even more alluring by the fact that the track runs on used tires from PASS North Series at a rate of $30.00 or $120 per set, which is a huge savings over new tires which typically run between $500 and $600 per set.

Greenville Pickens is certainly taking the biggest step in "Turning Back the Clock" as they are attempting to return their traditional Late Model Stock Car "Big Show" to Labor Day Weekend after the race was scratched several years back due to having many NASCAR Stars in the region signing autographs at the SC Upper State Fair for NASCAR Day. With NASCAR Day being replaced once the Labor Day NASCAR race was moved to the West Coast and now to Atlanta, the powers that be at Greenville Pickens saw a chance to Return the Labor Day Tradition to the track.

The Labor Day race at Greenville Pickens Speedway will feature a $10,000 payday to the winner in the SH Carter 125. Many of the regions top Late Model Stock Car racers are expected to challenge Greenville Pickens host of regular stars including multi-time track champion, Marty Ward, who has already accumulated 11 wins this season. Other local stars expected to be front runners include six-time winner this season, Toby Porter, two-time winners this season Randy Porter and Anthony Anders and Jeremy Burns, who has a single victory this season.

Hickory will be returning their traditional Labor Day race to Labor Day after moving it away from that date last season. The 34th annual "Bobby Isaac Memorial" race will feature a 150-lap Late Model Stock Car race that pays $3,500 to win and $300 to start the 32-car field. The Hickory "Bobby Isaac Memorial" has been one of the longest standing Late Model Stock Car "Big Shows" with Late Model Stock or Late Model Sportsman races dating back to September of 1977. The list of winners in recent years includes Matt McCall(2004), Mark Setzer(2005), Coleman Pressley(2006), Andy Loden(2007), Coleman Pressley(2008) and Steven Wallace(2009), who won last years race.

Hickory's regulars such as last years champion, Andy Mercer will certainly be one of the top contenders for the win, but the veteran driver hasn't had much luck in recent years in Hickory's crown jewel events such as the Bobby Isaac, Dwight Huffman and Fall Brawl. Other regulars that will certainly contend for the win despite an insurgence of regional racers looking for the big win will include; Kyle Moon, who had a dominating performance in last years race before mechanical gremlins took him out of the race, five-time winner this season, Kyle Mansch, two-time winners this season, Dexter Canipe Jr. and Josh Wimbish as well as Dwight Huffman Memorial winner, Matt McCall if he enters the race.

While it may not be September 3rd, 1990 and there may not be as many races on Labor Day Monday, September 6th, 2010 as there was back then, the short track fans and drivers can be proud that this regions promoters are finally wising up and returning Labor Day back into the racing celebration it once was. Certainly these four races should be enough to quench any short track racers thirst whether they head to Ace, Dillon, Greenville Pickens or Hickory, it's sure to be a great show that you won't want to miss.

RACE22.com is putting plans together right now to be a huge part of the action at all four races including LIVE Coverage and more. Stay tuned to find out where we'll be covering the action this year for the "Turn Back the Clock" Labor Day celebration!