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Quotable: Assorted sound bites from the Late Model world in March and April:

"There's no question that the economy is in a bit of a slump, especially up here in the Midwest, but we encourage companies to take a look at what we have to offer and the affordability for what you get with a sponsorship package. We are not really concerned with the budget because we have options for all levels of commitment. It's more what the company would like to accomplish within the program."
- Justin Schroeder of Canton, Mich., who is about to start the Late Model season at Flat Rock Speedway, echoing the sentiments of many racers.

"This is such a tough time for us all, but it's nice to have a moment to smile. It's almost more than I can say. I'm so proud of this kid."
- Brad Tidrick, after his son B.J. won the annual Apple Cup at Yakima, Wash. Cindy Tidrick had suffered a stroke less than two weeks earlier and never made it out of the hospital, dying four days after the race.

"Me and this ol' girl work good together. I thought about retiring her, but she's too good an old lady. I'll just stay here with my old lady … and my girlfriend."
- B.J. Tidrick, on the Late Model that he has used to win two Apple Cups, a Montana 200, and a couple other major races in the Northwest. His girlfriend Serena Spies understands.

"To bring that car down here and beat those Grand American cars means a lot. I consider this Grand American's home track, but I didn't see where they had anything for us tonight."
- Josh Hamner, after winning the year's first Blizzard race at Five Flags Speedway in Pensacola, Fla. Hamner used a Lefthander chassis; Lefthander is the best-known builder in the upper Midwest but few in the Southeast use those cars.

"I didn't think we had as much of a chance as a snowball in you-know-what."
- Randy Porter, who won the Georgia Asphalt Series race at Anderson Motor Speedway, on how his car was before he discovered an ignition problem.

"It looked like good racin' to me. It'd been more fun if it'd been me for the lead."
- Jason Mitcham, who finished third behind a door-slamming lead pair of Davin Scites and Philip Morris in the season opener at Motor Mile Speedway in Radford, Va.

"They've been with me when I was wrecking, and now they're with me while I'm winning."
- Ross Furr, on sponsors Tim and Wanda Taylor of Taylor Pump & Lift; the Taylors are battling cancer. Furr won the March 29 UARA STARS race at his home track, Concord Motorsports Park in Midland, N.C. Furr's first LMSC win came in the October UARA visit to Concord, and it propelled him to the series championship.

"It was wild coming from the back, but I have got a million laps around this place and I know some secrets."
- Roger Lee Newton, a former Concord regular now touring with UARA. Newton took a provisional to get into the Concord race, then charged to third at the end.

"The last thing he said on the phone was, 'You be careful on that thing.' "
- Lena Lang, on what her son Jimmy said to longtime friend Josh Froman the day before Froman was killed in a motorcycle accident. A week later Jimmy grabbed his first ASA Late Model Series Southern division victory March 29 at Bronson, Fla., and dedicated to his late friend's memory.

"When I first knew him, he was 15, but he didn't act like it. I told him when we first started racing against him that he was one of my favorite racers."
- Chad Pierce, on former Super Late Model fellow competitor Blake Lehr. They're now teammates in ASALMS South with Pierce's car owner Gary Fountain.

"I wish we had a setup for some other tracks as good as we have here."
- Tennessee driver Heath Hindman, on Hickory Motor Speedway in Newton, N.C. Hindman's only feature win in his 10-plus-year career came last fall in a PASS South race at Hickory, and in the 2008 opener he set fast time in qualifying.

"The racing just wasn't fun. And I don't normally say that even when things don't go well."
- Butch Miller, after getting collected in a midrace crash in that PASS South race. Miller went to the pits for repairs and then completed another 20 laps before calling it a night.

"After eight years away from race promotion, the itch got too strong not to scratch."
- Stan Lasky, whose family will be promoting Motordrome Speedway in Smithton, Pa., this season. Lasky Motorsports operated nearby Jennerstown Speedway for 32 years, ending in 2000.

"This is it. I've gotta keep this guy happy."
- Texas driver Brandon Bendele, who won several Super Late Model races and one ROMCO championship with his own equipment. Now his only ride is a Pro Late Model owned by Houston businessman Bob Garwood.

"A few people have heard of my background, but now it's mostly from my Late Model racing that people know me from down here in these parts."
- Florida driver and frequent winner Scot Walters, who is originally from Kentucky and had a stint in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series in the 1990s. Walters is still called a former NASCAR driver by some press release writers, but fans in the Sunshine State usually no longer associate him with the Trucks.

"One time I got fired. This time I walked."
- Florida star Jeff Scofield, after his third and final split with car owner Mike Leonard, with whom Scofield won a FASCAR Sunbelt championship and several spotlight races in the state.

"It's a racetrack. We should be able to get a handle on it."
- Florida star Jeff Choquette, whose streak of seven wins in nine races in January and February ended March 2 with a ninth-place finish at South Alabama Speedway's Rattler 250 special. It was only the second time Choquette had been to SAS, but he was still disappointed.

"This is a family-run team. Every bit of knowledge we've got is from us. It don't cost us $1,200 a day to run up front."
- Georgia star Jason Hogan, a former winner of the Rattler and of the All-American 400 at Nashville. Hogan's referring to some similar-age racers who have hired veterans to lead their teams, such as Mike Garvey for Ryan Crane's team or Freddie Query with Brian Scott last year.

"It suits my style, like a little Inverness. You can make a really calm, smooth lap, 'cause the place is so small."
- Florida youngster Daniel Webster, on Auburndale Speedway where he won the Brian Davidson Memorial race March 1. Webster began racing at Citrus County Speedway in Inverness, Fla., which is only a little larger than the quarter-mile at Auburndale.

"You won't ever make any money building a Dodge body, and you won't ever make any money building a Toyota, but it's just something you've gotta have."
- Brad Cook of ARP Bodies, on the new Toyota Camry body for Late Models. ARP does not yet have a Camry body available, but competitor Five Star does. The Chevrolet Monte Carlo and Impala models are far and away the leaders for Late Models, but requests are starting to roll in for Toyotas.

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