CLIFF KIRKPATRICK - Staff Writer
http://www.nctimes.com/articles/2004/04/14/sports/professional/23_52_5
94_13_04.txt

BARONA INDIAN RESERVATION ---- Todd Salazar dreamed about bringing
the Sprint Car Racing Association to Barona Speedway ever since he
took over as the track's promoter.

Six years later, the Ramona resident will see his dream become
reality. Long hours at his labor of love turned the quarter-mile dirt
track into a quality venue.

A regular car count appeared on typical race weekends, and a steady
group of fans enjoyed the mini sprint car races that turned Barona
into a quaint, but secondary track in the region.

Now, Salazar has taken a big next step to make Barona an important
part of SCRA history and its future. By doing so, he elevated the
track's stature by showcasing the larger sprint cars.

"My dream is coming true," Salazar said. "I'm really looking forward
to this."

That dream became reality thanks to a monetary dispute between the
SCRA and many of its main tracks, such as Perris Auto Speedway.
Salazar was there when the organization needed new venues.

The regular tracks, meanwhile, teamed up with the United States Auto
Club to form a rival regional sprint car series.

"It's a big 'what if,' though," Salazar said. "What if people don't
show up and what if there are not enough cars to cover their $18,500
purse?"

He will find out Saturday night whether the SCRA-Barona Speedway
partnership will work. The event will be the first of eight this year
at Barona, and it will run head-to-head against USAC at Perris Auto
Speedway.

Two weeks ago, the two racing organizations competed in the same area
of Central California. The SCRA event drew nearly double as many cars
as the USAC races.

Some drivers will try to race on both tours as much as possible when
the dates don't conflict.

"I'm hoping the SCRA survives," Salazar said. "I hope with the
exposure, it brings us the spectators, while I give them the best
track possible. We hope to grow with the SCRA."

The SCRA began in 1993 as a spinoff of the California Racing
Association. Owners and drivers of the CRA didn't like the way the
organization was being run, so they started anew to keep the
tradition of non-winged sprint car racing alive.

Popularity of the SCRA grew. The circuit travels throughout the
Southwest and includes a month tour of the Midwest each year.
Television coverage expanded to being weekly broadcasts on cable.

"Once we announced we are going to Barona, the interest in San Diego
has gone crazy," SCRA president Ron Shuman said. "It's a great track
in a wonderful setting, and we'll have a great race."

The SCRA features 1,275-pound open-wheel cars with 720 horsepower
that can reach 160 mph in the tight confines of a short track. Local
drivers to watch include Adam Mitchell of Escondido and Lance Gremett
from San Marcos. Hal Engstrom of Valley Center is an owner, and he
uses Temecula's Michael Spencer in the cockpit.

"I'm excited racing here," Engstrom said. "It was a good track when I
was racing, and I've heard they've improved it since then."

Shuman expects 30 cars attempting to qualify for the 22-car main
event, while Salazar predicts 2,000 fans will show up. The SCRA has
more than 500 members, and each driver has a small fan base. People
travel for many miles to these races.

"It's a close-knit family they have," Salazar said. "They love their
sprint cars, and the people who follow it are passionate about it."

It has been a busy offseason for the promoter since Shuman agreed to
bring his club to Barona. There was much more to accomplish than
track maintenance and beautification projects.

Salazar expanded his pit area to accommodate the big rigs that haul
the cars. That meant dynamiting boulders out the mountain and moving
tons of dirt.

"I need to give the drivers a good track so they want to come back,"
Salazar said. "I've done a lot of work on it, and it's going to be
fast. We are going to see some serious racing."

If all goes well this season, Salazar hopes to secure the SCRA for a
race once a month next year, then have two weekends of racing for the
area drivers who kept Barona going through the early years.

"The Salazar family has bent over backwards to accommodate the sprint
cars," Shuman said. "He has taken our suggestions and done 99 percent
of the things we asked. We need each other, and we hope we can work
together for a long time."

SCRA AT BARONA

WHO: Sprint Car Racing Association

WHAT: Open-wheel, dirt-track racing

WHEN: 6:30 p.m. Saturday at Barona Speedway

SNEAK PREVIEW: There will be a free practice session at 6:30 p.m.
Friday.

TRACK: Quarter-mile clay oval

DIRECTIONS: Highway 78 or 67 to 10th Street in Ramona. Go east to
Wildcat Canyon Road and head south. The track is 4.8 miles north of
Barona Casino.