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<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT color=#000000><FONT
face="Times New Roman"> </FONT></FONT><FONT color=#000000><FONT
face="Times New Roman">I don't know why the Newsletter is such a big deal to get
out each month during the off season but it seems to be. I have tried to
solicit people to participate in the writing of the Newsletter but I have zero
takers. I think I am asking for guest writers because I know I will
struggle to take the time to think of topics and write about them. So
basically I am trying to get someone else to do what I have committed to
doing. The Newsletter is important to me so even though it may not be
timely please just consider it is still alive. I think staying in contact
with our patrons, drivers, crews, car owners and sponsors is important. I hope
to do a better job going forward.<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns =
"urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /><o:p></o:p></FONT></FONT></P>
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face="Times New Roman"> <o:p></o:p></FONT></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT color=#000000><FONT
face="Times New Roman">During the race season I keep a list of things that
I would either like to or must accomplish during the off
season. At the top of the must do list this year are the
bleachers. This project has been three years in the planning and is
finally going to be completed before the start of the 2010 season. Our old
thirteen row set of wooden bleachers is being replaced with a thirty
row set of aluminum bleachers. Spartan's old bleachers were
installed in 1955 and came down last month. The latest progress
report is all of the footings have been installed and the steel is going up as I
write this better late than never Newsletter.<o:p></o:p></FONT></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT color=#000000><FONT
face="Times New Roman"> <o:p></o:p></FONT></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT color=#000000><FONT
face="Times New Roman">Another item on my list of must do is some restructuring
of the Pony division. This is also well under way. Most of
the changes are in the areas of procedures and race format. The
reason I feel that we need to reevaluate the way the division is structured is
because the Pony division was originally started to attract beginner
drivers, newbies, people that have not yet developed their racing skills.
I don't know if you've noticed but I have. This is not a beginner’s
division. The Pony division is a highly competitive group of talented
people that don't sleep at night because they are lying awake thinking of ways
to gain .05 of a second. That is not a half of second by the way, it is 5
hundredths of a second. I think it is important for the health
of the track to have a division for not only beginners and people with
less experience but for low budget teams as well. We have taken
some painless steps to split this division based on qualifying times, which will
allow for teams to be racing with their peers.
<o:p></o:p></FONT></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT color=#000000><FONT
face="Times New Roman"> <o:p></o:p></FONT></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT color=#000000><FONT
face="Times New Roman">Another addition to the Spartan schedule starting in 2010
will be the Spartan Wingless Sprints (or a similar name). Nights that we
do not have the Late Models scheduled we will have the Spartan Wingless Sprints
scheduled. Now this is one of those decisions that may be a home
run or I may end up looking a little foolish but I think the risk will be
well worth taking. There has been some lobbying and arm
twisting going on for a while now. The people that have been
pushing for this are well seasoned drivers/owners that have forgotten more about
racing that I will ever know so I am putting my faith and trust in them.
<o:p></o:p></FONT></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT color=#000000><FONT
face="Times New Roman">To be honest I will be surprised if this
division isn't successful and I base my opinion on the level of
interest already shown and by the reputation and experience of the people that
are involved. You'll have to come to a show to catch the
names.<o:p></o:p></FONT></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT color=#000000><FONT
face="Times New Roman"> <o:p></o:p></FONT></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT color=#000000><FONT
face="Times New Roman">There will be no weekly Sportsman division in 2010,
however the Sportsman will be scheduled for all five Sunday Slugfest
shows. We will be operating with almost identical rules as we did
for the 2009 Harvest. There will be a much deserved purse increase
for the Sportsman as well, which should encourage plenty
of participation. There were 31 Sportsman at the Harvest race
last season.<o:p></o:p></FONT></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o:p><FONT face="Times New Roman"
color=#000000> </FONT></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT color=#000000><FONT
face="Times New Roman">Lastly the web site will receive many updates as more
information becomes available and time permits.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>I am feeding Jim Barker lots of
information to be added or changed but unfortunately for Jim he has to perform
his day job as well (Jim and I have worked together for over 25 years).
<o:p></o:p></FONT></FONT></P>
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face="Times New Roman"> <o:p></o:p></FONT></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT color=#000000><FONT
face="Times New Roman">In closing I would like to wish everyone a Happy
Thanksgiving and a Merry Christmas and remind everyone that Spartan Speedway
season tickets make a great Christmas gift. Also if there is anyone who
would like to write about racing and Spartan Speedway please drop me a
line. You don't have to be a professional writer, the office staff will go
over your letter, do some tweaking if needed and make you sound pretty
good.<o:p></o:p></FONT></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT color=#000000><FONT
face="Times New Roman"> <o:p></o:p></FONT></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT color=#000000><FONT
face="Times New Roman">See you in April,<o:p></o:p></FONT></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT color=#000000><FONT
face="Times New Roman">Jim Leasure<o:p></o:p></FONT></FONT></P>
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face="Times New Roman"> <o:p></o:p></FONT></FONT></P>
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face="Times New Roman"> <o:p></o:p></FONT></FONT></P>
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