BUZZ SODEMAN MORE COLUMNS BUZZ SODEMAN / SPECIAL TO THE PVT The Bombers and Dwarf cars are scheduled to race Saturday at the Pahrump Valley Speedway. The first event on the quarter-mile dirt oval is at 7 p.m. Advertisement

The so called "spring training" is over and the Pahrump Valley Speedway goes under the lights for the first time Saturday.

Racing begins at 7 p.m. and promoter Joe Rogers Jr. has promised me "a three to three and a half-hour program, at the least."

Rogers is also looking to make good on his guarantee "that racers will have a new and improved racing surface" after the last race took on off-road proportions.

A secret ingredient has been introduced to the track and it isn't from the kitchen of the Kentucky Fried Colonel. It isn't "magic fairy dust" from Tinkerbell's pouch either. Whatever it is, no one's actually talking about the substance but it's gray and when held in one's hand, it clings like silk lingerie.

After the last race, Jim Wulfenstein took the blame for the track and Rogers accepted blame, too -- because, naturally, he's the promoter.

The end result was an impromptu summit meeting at Wulfy's headquarters. Then last Saturday, down at Mohave Valley Raceway, Wulfenstein fired himself.

Enter Victor and the "black magic." If Rogers and Wulfenstein can pull this transformation off, spectators might hear Rogers humming "that old black magic."

So what can spectators expect on Saturday evening? One thing you won't see are the late models (there has been only one at the track since it opened) as Rogers has given up on trying to bring them out of California.

Several years ago, after having the same success that Rogers has had, Walt Carter dumped them from his schedule. The track will be hosting modifieds, super stocks, mini stocks, Nevada Cam Coupes, Dwarf cars, Bombers, and outlaw karts.

Entering the night, some of the division standings are separated by mere points, while others are a considerable bulge.

Take for example the super stock division. Ron "The Gravedigger" Moffatt hasn't recorded a feature win, yet he has a 29-point lead over "Flyin' Bryan" Wulfenstein, who has notched two feature wins.

Dale Daffern is just a point behind Bryan and two points ahead of Jim "The Real McCoy." The most recent feature winner, Dan "The Snowman" Snowden, rounds out the top five.

Nipping at the "Snowman's" heels is second generation racer, Jonny Petaros, just five points out of the top five.

The karts have only made one visit thus far and Matthew Macedo leads Donovan Williams and Shane Nunnally by a mere two points.

The popular Bombers are on the bill and this marks their first appearance at the speedway this season. The same cast of characters from last season is expected plus some new faces. Wade Pearson, Jerry Nunnenkamp (a.k.a. JJ Nunn), Anthony Finley and Fred Harding will lead them on to the quarter-mile oval.

"Starvin' Marvin" Hatton, the most recent feature winner in the mini stock division, vaulted to the lead in their points race. He holds a slim 11-point lead over a youngster, Jonathan Burch.

In third place is Chad Broadhead, followed by Anthony Broadhead, while Terri Little rounds out the top five. Sixth and seventh place is separated from the top five by just four points. In sixth place is Tony "The Tumbler" Martin, who is a teammate of Burch, and in seventh is Carl "The Faster Pastor" England Jr.

It would be nice if all 22 IMCA modified drivers who have garnered points this season decided to show up for Saturday night's show.

I'm sure that Rogers would be elated, as well.

Most of the drivers have made the long haul from up north and chances are that once their respective tracks open up they will cease to be fixtures here, except for the possible special events.

One of those drivers, Chad "The Winnemucca Wildcat" Farstveet leads the modified division. He has recorded back-to-back feature wins (mechanical breakage and Jeff Talley derailed chances for a three-peat).

Rookie Pahrump driver Jeff "Hardway" Tooley sits in second, just 10 points from the top. Spring Creek's Tracy Greenwood, the only female driver to have competed in the mods thus far this season, is third, just nine points out of second. Fernley's Shawn Natenstedt, who has proven to be a force to be reckoned with, holds down fourth.

Last season's runner-up to the IMCA National Championship and Las Vegas resident, Dan Fitzgerald, rounds out the top five.

Fitzgerald has one feature win at the speedway this season, but is just two points ahead of the last race feature winner, Talley.

Two locals that spectators have grown accustomed to seeing make banzai passes down the front and backstretches are Levi Kiefer and Leland Hibdon.

The two were spotted with their wives in Mexico, drinking those fancy drinks with umbrellas sitting in them.

Sources have indicated to me that this is the second vacation for Hibdon, the other entailed taking his kids to Disneyland, thus curtailing the completion of his latest modified creation.

The latest edition of the modified bible, "Inside IMCA", has arrived and the track can expect a visit from the Western Region Director, Paul Vetter.

Vetter introduced me to the Modified class when I met him at the old Sara Park Raceway in Lake Havasu City, Ariz. That track has since gone asphalt and is no longer under the direction of the Sara Park Racing Association.

The "Inside" newspaper indicates that Farstveet currently leads Tooley by five points in Nevada state points, followed by Greenwood, Natenstedt and Kiefer.

Fitzgerald is 10th in the national points. Two drivers that have made just one appearance in Pahrump, Charlie Wahl and Ronnie "The Monster" Williams, are 18^th and 19^th, respectively.

Rogers has been hoping that the change to night racing "will produce larger crowds" and he is already seeing "an increase in car count."

Look for an announcement soon about an up coming truck pull sponsored by Saitta-Trudeau.

UPDATE: Tomas Enge, who is unable to be transported by air due to the partially collapsed lung, is enroute to Indianapolis in Michael Petersen's motorhome.

Petersen is the owner of the Petersen Motorsports/White Lightning Racing team. Dr. Terry Trammell, who will perform the elbow surgery, is anticipating Enge's arrival at Methodist Hospital in Indianapolis and already has prepared for the surgical procedure.

Enge, who was injured in an on-track accident, made the following statement "I want to say how much I appreciate everything that everyone has done for me. The doctors and nurses at Bayfront have been very good to me.

"The ALM series, IMSA and the whole Petersen/White Lightning team have been here since the first moment and helped take care of all the details.

"Panoz and Panther Racing even offered me the use of their jets."

About Dr. Trammell and Indianapolis Methodist Hospital, Enge said, "I want to be in the best hands of the best people. They know race car drivers. Hopefully the surgery will be good and we'll be back on the track as soon as possible."