Organizers are calling it the best weather they can remember in 40 years of Super Dirt Week. The sights and sounds of racing at the New York State Fairground is already enough to bring close to 60-thousand race fans to Central New York each and every year, but when you add 80 degree weather and sunny skies, it's the perfect weekend.
"We've been through it all, (including) snow," SAYS Super Dirt Week regular Lori Palmer, "we had 28 degrees the other day and now it's 80."
Super Dirt Week's first ever champion Buzzie Reutimann returned to the Syracuse Mile to help celebrate the event's 40th anniversary, says he was shocked at the beautiful weather.
"I'm probably gonna go to Syarcuse and freeze to death and thump around in the mud," thought Reutimann prior to coming, "but this is just like Florida weather today so I'm doing great."
The drivers usually only have to worry about their opponents and the conditions of Syracuse's Moody Mile, but had some extra elements to consider for today's 358 Modified 150.
"I don't have a fresh air system on this car," admitted Stuart Friesen, "like we do on some of the short track cars that we run on the 100 degree summer heat, so I'm just trying to stay hydrated right now."
Meanwhile, Reutimann says the memories started flooding back the second he stepped foot on the New York State Fairgrounds.
"In 1973 when I took the lead coming off the 2nd corner, I come off of turn 4 in my Big Block Modified and they had added extra stands down there, and the stands were full and they were all standing. To this day that's etched into my memory, I like to think they were all cheering for me at that time."
