This is the Statt Mann Baby!! Time to Scatt a little bit.

Many brag about the Rolex 24 at Daytona Grand Am sports car race; how it’s a special place for drivers to meet, greet and compete against one another during what’s considered an offseason for most racing series.

The same can be said for Turkey Night.

For the past 67 years, Turkey Night has traditionally been on Thanksgiving Night after the racing season is over and this year is no different.

It’ll happen on the paved half-mile super speedway in Irwindale here in Southern California.

At one time, though, it was traditionally on dirt at Ascot Park in Gardena where promoter supreme J.C. Agajanian ran the show and racing itself on many levels.

Now his sons are running the program and the drivers are discovering Turkey Night all over again.

Many NASCAR stars, for example, made their racing bones in USAC Sprints and Midgets and they make Turkey Night a stop before they disappear into some rare days off.

Some even do it for the fun of it… and you should too. Short track open-wheel racing is the skeleton of the sport. Everything else started there in American racing. And Turkey Night again is at the core of USAC short track at it’s skeleton, it’s bones, at it’s heart.

Peace.