| 
11/17/04
Mid-America Raceways, the multi-purpose motorsports facility
owned by the Vehige family which served the greater St. Louis,
Missouri market for 40 racing seasons, closed its gates forever
at the conclusion of its last scheduled 2004 event. Scores
of pricey subdivision homes had been constructed around MAR
over the past few seasons. Along with colorful drag racing
tenure, the track's 2.89-mile road course featured a NASCAR
event and many major SCCA races.
Ironically, DRO's bracket racing pal Bret Kepner decided
to make a last pilgrimage to MAR (a track to which he hitchhiked
weekly as a 13-year old) in mid-October on the chance the
track failed to open for 2005. Accompanied by past NHRA Div.
III Super Pro Champion Jason Phillips and five other graduates
of Kepner's Bracket Racing School (held at nearby Gateway
International Raceway) the "Gang of Fools" made
a lasting impression on the 102-car Street Tire Eliminator.
Each driver in the group went at least three rounds, each
member lost only to another member, four made it to the six-car
quarter-finals and all three semi-finalists were Bracket School
alumni. The final round saw Kepner's '97 Grand Marquis win
over Phillips' '02 Mustang in a double-breakout battle.
Pictured enjoying the spoils of war
are (left to right) Bob Finigan, Jr. and Sr., Joey Forest,
Kepner, Phillips, Paul Hagen, Steve Zeuner and Tim Zeuner.
 One
week later, Hagen made it to the final round for MAR's NHRA
"King of the Track" program only to lose to local
Super Pro killer Cory Landolt's Beretta. The following week,
Hagen's show-quality blue Chevy Nova met Steve Zeuner's Dodge
Dakota pickup in the final round, only to have an electronic
glitch force a re-run. As the two prepared for the rematch,
the skies opened up and ended the event. Track owner Mike
Vehige split the final round money and awarded both drivers
first-place trophies. Since the track's imminent closing was
never announced, Hagen and Zeuner had no idea that they were
to be the last racers ever to cover the MAR quarter-mile.
The actual last eliminator winner was St. Louisan Robert
Sabatino, who raced at the track the year it opened. His '68
Chevelle won the last three events held at the esteemed facility.
|
