Racin' Stuff:

                                                                                 By Tom Avenengo

 

 

First things, first:

At times, writing stuff has its rewards.  The other day I received this, in part, below, in an e-mail:

“Dear Tom,

My name is Anthony 'Tony' Cardoza. I was enthralled with your column. I also saw my first midget race in 1946 at Cherry Park Speedway (sat on the backstretch bleachers.) It was my birthday weekend and Mrs. Tischofer brought me to the races on a  bright sun shiny sunday as a birthday present. Mrs. Tischofer happened to be Charles 'Buddy Krebs' mother. Buddy Krebs later in years became the track champion in stock car racing at Riverside Raceway in Agawam, Ma. Back to Cherry Park. I was never so thrilled in my life as to see the "Doodlebugs" race on the fifth mile asphalt track in Avon, Ct. Johnny Bruner was the flagman, and Ed Otto was the promoter. "Pappy Hough" was there with his enterage of drivers. "Jeep" Colckitt was racing that day, as was "Bronco" Bill Schindler (Whom 3 years later drove my track ('32 Ford) roadster at West Sprinfield Ma. in a exhibition race that Johnny ("The Flying Schoolmaster) Carpenter promoted (along with the combined midget auto racing program that evening. One of the other drivers in that roadster race was "Big Car" driver Jimmy Little, a friend of my truck-driving Father Tony Cardoza senior.

To make a long story short, you and I have something in common, we both were introduced to racing in 1946.

I later wrote a column  "Hollywood Pit Stop" for seven racing papers (as a hobby) . I still do once in awhile. I started with "Illustrated Speedway News" in long Island.

Thanks for your column, it is GREAT!

Respectfully,

Anthony Cardoza”

And, on top of that, I’ve been in communication with a Joe DeMarco, brother of the late Jim DiMarco, a former race driver from here in the Northeast, and thanks to Joe, I’ll have another photo article come out on the New England Tractor website, later – possibly this coming weekend.  Wait until you see who has the beautifully restored black # 98 midget that Jim drove!  A little of what Joe had to say, in those e-mails will also be included in the photo article, too.

 

Some of my thoughts:

Not racing, but –

Is there any professional football team that does not have a player whose hair sticks out of his helmet and almost down to his butt?

 

We always read of, and maybe even been part of (I have) the traffic problems when leaving a racetrack.  After seeing the large crowds that were at some of the Bowl games, and the pro football play-offs, do they also have traffic problems after the games?

 

Not meaning to sound “racist” here, but do you have any idea as to what has happened to the “white” athlete in our country, as far as college and professional sports go?

 

With the disastrous earthquake that hit Haiti, there have been a ton of “do gooders” out there attempting to give aid to those that have been affected.  And, some of them are asking for money donations.  All well and good, as long as the monies go to where they’re supposed to go.  As an example – if you sent money to the Red Cross, and do not specify that it is to be used for those in Haiti, well, chances are, it might not.  Did you know that?

An interesting read, on that:  http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100115/ap_on_bi_ge/us_haiti_following_the_money

 

Staying with Haiti – While watching the news the other night, there was a short piece about a “hospital” and doctors and nurses that arrived in Haiti 24 hours after the earthquake.  Yes, that’s right – 24 hours.  They came from Israel.  Kinda make me wonder why it took so long for the USA to get something similar set up.

And, while watching the news from Haiti, I saw people pleading for food, water, doctors, nurses and even gas to run the generators.  Then, it dawned on me – seeing the damage done, I noticed a lot of vehicles that were partially buried by debris – did anyone think to take the gas out of all those vehicles?  Did they?

 

Last week, down in Tulsa, during Chili bowl week, they inducted 14 more members into the National Midget Auto Racing Hall of Fame.  This has been happening for a few years now, down in Tulsa, rather than up in Sun Prairie, Wisconsin, where the HoF is located.  But there is something that just bothers the heck out of me as far as those that have been inducted – especially those that were inducted ONE FULL YEAR AGO.  For some unknown reason, or reasons, those that were inducted still have not been listed on the HoF’s website as being inducted members.  Hard to believe, huh?  Those that were inducted, a year ago are:

Jeff Gordon, Kevin Doty, Ted Tappett (Phil Walters), Dave Humphrey, Bob Barkhimer, Myron Fohr, Carl Forberg, Mack Hellings, Ray Knepper, Jud Larson, Joe Shaheen, Jerry Piper, Karl Young and Bill Zaring.

 

Now I know that someone is posting news and info on the HoF’s website, but it sure seems like those that were inducted last year, have surely been slighted.  You can visit their website by going here:  http://www.worthyofhonor.com/  Once you get on it, you can check on the inducted members, on the left, or scroll down until you come to the Fall 2008 Newsletter which mentions last years inductees.  I have lost count as to how many e-mails I’ve sent to the HoF on this subject.  Let’s hope that those that were inducted a week ago will be treated – and listed as inducted members, a lot better than last years inductees!

 

And, something else that is a shame, regarding the HoF – I received an e-mail from one of the Yahoo Race History Group members and in it he makes mention that there was no one there to accept the award for Len Sutton, who was inducted this year.  Methinks the same thing happened many years ago when Len Duncan was inducted – no one to accept his award.

 

 

Some times you win, some times you don’t:

Last week, on Wednesday, the 13th, I decided to play New York’s Lotto.  I have three $5.00 cards filled out, and figured, what the heck, I’ll blow a twenty, play those three cards and get $5.00 worth of “Quick picks”.  Now on some of those cards that I have, I use the car numbers from when I first started going to the races – back in the mid 1940’s.  On one card, on game “E”, I had 3, for Johnny Ritter, 6 for Ed “Dutch” Schaefer, 18 for Nick Fornoro, 24 for Ted Tappett (the Bourgnon cycle), 31 for Len Duncan and 36 for George Rice.  The six numbers picked were:  3, 18, 24, 32, 36 & 46, with the bonus number being 6 and the extra number being 31.  So, in essence, out of the eight numbers picked, I had six of them!  However, at the time I was able to see the winning numbers, there was no mention of if there were any winners, yet.  So, upon looking on the Lottery’s website, I came to find that in some cases, those that had four numbers plus a bonus or extra number, were getting upwards of $5,000.00+.  And here I had four numbers PLUS the bonus and extra!!   Well, since it’s been quite a while since I last played the Lotto, - back when they had six numbers plus a “supplemental” number, I was not aware that in order to use the bonus or extra numbers, one had to pay an extra buck.  Oh yes, I had visions of me winning some nice monies – until.  Well, for just 4 numbers, I ended up getting $21.00.  No, I wasn’t aware of that extra dollar thing.  Kinda sucks, ya know?

 

 

 

Chili Bowl results:

By now you should know who won and who ended up being “also -rans”.  The news for those drivers from my area – the Northeast, isn’t all that good, I’m sad to say.  Bruce Buckwalter was a DNS in a K main.  Donnie Trent was 7th in a J main, while Dusty Heistand was 12th in his J.  Chris Zrinski had an 8th in an I main, Cody Darrah 7th in an H, Aaron Ott 14th in his H, Andrew Hannula was 12th in a G, while Lex Burrit was 13th in the same G.  Nick Wean had an 11th in a E main, while Billy Pauch, Jr. had a 7th in a C.  Rick Eckert had an 8th in a C, and Steve Buckwalter was 18th in a B.  Tim McCreadie was 7th in his B and Trevor Kobylarz was 16th in his B.

You can check out most everything on the Chili Bowl if you go here:

 http://www.chilibowl.com/home.asp?uUrl=12/4/200963408.02

As far as the Chili Bowl being on TV, well, you’ll have to wait until February 13th to see an edited edition.

http://www.speedtv.com/programs/chili-bowl-midget-nationals/

 

 

 

Going back, in time:

Going back to mid January on:

 

On January 19th, in:

 

1953:  Allen Heath won an AAA Midget race in Gardena, CA.

1958:  Johnnie Tolan won the 100 mile Midget race on the Riverside Road Course, in CA.

1964:  Joe Weatherly passed away from injuries that occurred at Riverside, CA

1985:  Rich Vogler won an indoor Midget race in Indianapolis

1986:  Johnny Parsons won a 100 lap Midget race in Fort Wayne, IN.

1991:  Ted Hines won a 100 lap Midget race in Indianapolis.

2008:  Mike Tidaback won the TQ race in Atlantic City, NJ.

 

On January 20th, in:

 

1924:  Legion Ascot Speedway, a 5/8 mile banked dirt track, opened out in CA.

1929:  Glenn “Fireball” Roberts was born.

1963:  Dan Gurney won the 500 mile NASCAR race at Riverside, CA.

1967:  Billy Foster passed away, from injuries that occurred at Riverside.  Foster was the first Canadian to race in the Indy 500.

1973:  Tony Romit won the TQ race in Atlantic City.

1974:  Larry Rice won a 100 lap Midget race in Fort Wayne, IN.

1979:  Phil Davoulas won the TQ race in Atlantic City.

1980:  Lenny Boyd won the TQ race in Atlantic City. ( Click here for the race report. )

 

January 21st, in:

1923:  Jud Larson was born.

1942:  Ernie Saxton was born.  Ernie was one of the first to organize a fan club for a race driver (Johnny Thomson), and is well known for his writing, announcing, motorsports marketing, and for being the President of the Eastern Motorsports Press Association, from which he just recently retired.

1967:  Bobby Hamilton won the TQ race in Atlantic City.

1968:  Dan Gurney wont the NASCAR 500 mile race at Riverside, despite a blown tire and long pit stop.

1973:  Mark Donohue won the NASCAR 500 mile race in a Penske owned AMC Matador.

1989:  Robby Gordon won the truck race in the season opener of the Mickey Thompson Off-Road Championship Grand Prix in Anaheim, CA

 

January 22nd, in:

1966:  Bobby Courtwright won the TQ race in Atlantic City.  Ed Leip won the Foreign Compact car race.

1972:  Doug Craig won the TQ race in Atlantic City

1984:  Rich Vogler won a 100 lap Midget race in Ft. Wayne, IN.

1989:  Tom Bigelow won a USAC Midget race in Ft. Wayne, IN.

1996:  Billy Cantrell passed away.  After his racing career, he became the West Coast supervisor for USAC.

2005:  Jeff Heotzler won the TQ/Micro race in Atlantic City.  Jesse Hartman won in Slingshots, while Greg Harris won in Micro Stocks, Davey Sammons in Young Lions Slingshots, Steve Buckwalter in Mini Cup and Brett Stratford in Champ Karts.

2006:  Lou Cicconi, Jr. won the TQ/Micro feature in Atlantic City.  Ryan Smith won in Slingshots, Rich Byrne in Micro Stocks, Christopher Allen in Young Lions Slingshots and Tom Ervin in Outlaw Micro Stocks.

 

 

 

 

Racing on TV - http://www.racefantv.com/USTV.htm

 

You might want to check the above link on occasion to see what might be on TV, race wise, over the next month or so.  No, you more than likely will not see any of the racing that will be going on down in Florida – Sprint Cars and Modifieds, to name a couple of different types.  Kinda sucks, doesn’t it?

 

 

 

Other forums/message boards and websites:

 

Note:  Unless I see something really interesting, I’ll just be posting links to the various places for a while.

 

Jayski: - http://www.jayski.com/

 

Fall race at Auto Club Speedway shortened UPDATE: NASCAR and International Speedway Corp., which owns the 2-mile speedway, today will announce the Oct. 10 event, fourth in the Chase, will be renamed and shortened from 500 miles. The race, sponsored by Pepsi since 2008, will be known as the Pepsi Max 400 on the 2010 Sprint Cup schedule. "As fans well know, conversations with NASCAR in regard to making Auto Club Speedway the most competitive track possible for NASCAR racing have been ongoing," said Gillian Zucker, Speedway president, in a prepared statement. "The results of some changes made by NASCAR - such as double-file restarts and tire changes - were seen at our inaugural Chase race, arguably one of the best races ever at the Speedway. This additional change to 400 miles is further evidence of NASCAR's commitment to racing excitement and to Southern California race fans." The previous 19 NASCAR Sprint Cup races at Fontana had all been 500 miles (250 laps). However, 400-mile races were a staple at now-defunct Riverside International Raceway until 1980. At that point, until its closure in 1988, the race distances were measured in kilometers. With 50 laps lopped off, it will change the strategy of the competitors and will eliminate at least one fuel stop. As the double-file restarts demonstrated in 2009, race leaders are all bunched up after caution periods. There was no word about ticket prices and how they'll reflect the shorter distances.(Inland Valley Daily Bulletin)(1-13-2010)
UPDATE: Auto Club Speedway and NASCAR officials today announced that the Speedway's October Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup race  the Pepsi 500  will now be 400 miles, rather than 500. Track officials also announced that the race, sponsored by Pepsi since 2008, will be re-branded the Pepsi Max 400. Fans experiencing Auto Club Speedway can also take advantage of free parking, bring in their own food, or partake in the unbelievable menu items on site as well as other cost-savings opportunities while enjoying a full day of entertainment and fun at a fantastic family value. To purchase tickets call 800-944-RACE (7223), or visit www.autoclubspeedway.com.(Auto Club Speedway)(1-14-2010)

 

Phoenix spring race to be longer UPDATE: The Sprint Cup event on April 10 at Phoenix International Raceway will go an additional 63 laps and miles on the one-mile oval, up from 312, The new distance will be 375 laps/miles, the longest race since PIR began hosting NASCAR in 1988. PIR measures its Cup races in kilometers, so it will be just over 603 kilometers, up from the previous 500 km. Official announcement of what will now be known as the Subway Fresh Fit 600 is expected this week. Ticket prices, which start at $25, will not increase. PIR's move is a direct result of NASCAR's switch to earlier starting times this season, reacting to a suggestion made by its national fan council and an attempt to boost TV ratings. PIR's green flag is scheduled for 4:30 pm/local, one hour earlier than last year. About two-thirds of what typically was a three-hour event ran at night, which was popular with spectators. That ratio would have been reversed without adding laps since sunset occurs just before 7:00 pm. PIR remains the first official night race on the Cup schedule. PIR's second NASCAR race, the Nov. 14 Chase for the Sprint Cup semifinal, will remain 500 kilometers but have a new title sponsor.(Arizona Republic), Checker O'Reilly Auto Parts was sthe sponsor of the fall race in 2009 and for years before.(1-12-2010)
UPDATE: It will be a whole new race on April 10 when NASCAR visits Phoenix International Raceway for the first evening event of the season – new distance, new pit-stop schedules, new fuel cycles, and a new name. The brand new SUBWAY Fresh Fit 600 will be the longest Sprint Cup event in track history, featuring 63 more laps (100k) of high-octane action at the same affordable cost that NASCAR fans have come to enjoy in the Valley of the Sun. The addition of 63 laps ensures that PIR's April race maintains its spot as the first official night race of the NASCAR Sprint Cup season again in 2010. For consistency, NASCAR moved to standard race start times in 2010 and PIR's extra laps will make certain that the SUBWAY Fresh Fit 600 – which starts at 4:30 p.m. locally – will run well into the night under the desert sky. As mentioned, the 375-lap April 10 race under bright Saturday night lights will be the longest scheduled Sprint Cup event in track history, as each of Phoenix International Raceway's 27 Sprint Cup races dating back to 1988 were originally slated for 500k (312 laps) from green flag to checkered flag. PIR's November NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race will maintain its distance of 312 laps – approximately 500 kilometers. To help celebrate this exciting new development in Phoenix International Raceway's rich NASCAR history, fans will have the opportunity to turn the first 600 laps of the new season at PIR on Saturday, March 27 – just five short weeks before the SUBWAY Fresh Fit 600. How to participate? Just be one of the first 100 people to call 1-866-408-RACE (7223) and purchase a grandstand ticket to the SUBWAY Fresh Fit 600 using the code-phrase "600 Under the Lights" and you can be one of 100 lucky fans to drive six laps on PIR's one-mile oval. Fans that call in after the first 100, as well as those who have already purchased their tickets, will also have the opportunity to drive the track at PIR. For more details, please visit www.phoenixraceway.com/600underthelights. Tickets for the April 10 SUBWAY Fresh Fit 600™ – with prices as low as $25 – and all other events throughout the first NASCAR event weekend of 2010 at Phoenix International Raceway are still available at www.phoenixraceway.com or by calling 1-866-408-RACE (7223).(PIR)(1-13-2010)

 

JGR signs Kyle Busch to extension: Joe Gibbs Racing announced it has signed driver #18-Kyle Busch to a "multi-year" contract that will keep Busch with the team for the next several seasons. "It's something we've been working on for a while," said J.D. Gibbs, president of Joe Gibbs Racing. "We probably could've announced this earlier. We were just getting some of the details ironed out and finalized. Watching him grow off the track as well as on the track has been exciting for us. We look forward to many years together racing up front." Busch said there "wasn't much convincing needed" to come back to the team after the 2010 season, when his first contract was set to expire. The team wouldn't say how many years the contract is, though Gibbs said they could announce that in the future.(CMS Media Tour Notes)(1-19-2010)

 

Penske picks up Kurt Busch's option: Penske Racing has picked up the option on #2-Kurt Busch's contract for 2011, team owner Roger Penske said on Monday night. The contract allows Busch to talk to other teams next season, but Penske said he has the right to match any offer. Penske added that it is his intention to keep the 2004 Sprint Cup champion with the organization long term. Busch said he likes having the option to explore, but it is his goal to work out a long-term deal with Penske. "Absolutely," Busch said during the final stop on the first day of the 2010 Media Tour. "I like where I am. I like where things are going."(ESPN)(1-19-2010)

 

Stewart-Haas Racing could expand: Stewart-Haas Racing [#14-Stewart, #39-Newman] currently fields two cars in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, but could expand in the future, said Bobby Hutchens, Stewart-Haas Racing director of competition. "We've talked about that in our shop over the last couple months or weeks," said Hutchens. "That may something that's in our future if it fits our group up here. We're not going to do anything that's going to pull our two cars down from a performance standpoint. Also, we want to bring something in that's going to add to our program. We'll use our best practice approach that we've done in about everything we've done as far as choosing different paths to take. When the time comes to see if we expand from 2011, whether it's then or later, we'll do it."(CMS Media Tour Notes)(1-19-2010)

 

Will Kahne bolt RPM? he could stay: The rumor mill already has #9-Kasey Kahne out the door at Richard Petty Motorsports when his current contract ends in 2010, with Stewart-Haas Racing as his most likely destination. Kahne, however, said Tuesday during the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Media Tour that he wouldn't rule out staying with RPM, which completed its merger with Yates Racing in December. "I feel like I'm in a new deal rather than with the same team," Kahne said of the merger and RPM's technical alliance with Roush Fenway Racing. "I've given a lot, and I've worked really hard for the first six years of my Cup career, and I get to decide what I want to do after that. But like I've always said, it's about performance and how well we run, and I think this could be the best opportunity that I've ever had in the Cup series. This could be a great spot for me, really. I'm open right now, because I don't know exactly what we have. I feel like the change to Yates engines, the change to working with the Roush teams and still having everybody at RPMwe've done such a good job over the last yearI feel like it's something I definitely need to pay attention to and not say, 'Man, I don't want to be here,' because this could be a spot where I really do want to be as the season goes, depending on performance and how well we run."(Sporting News)(1-20-2010)

 

Richard Petty Motorsports Merger Now Complete: Rumors of a Richard Petty Motorsports/Yates Racing merger began circulating a few months ago but it wasn't until today that the racing community could stop calling them rumors. "I'm here to announce the best kept secret in all of motorsports, which is that the merger between Yates Racing and Richard Petty Motorsports is officially completed," said Foster Gillette, managing partner of Richard Petty Motorsports, in a press conference Tuesday morning. The merger, which happened in December, brought some big changes along with it. During the 2010 season Richard Petty Motorsports will be running Ford Fusions, ending its long relationship with Dodge. Also, RPM will leave behind its previous home in Statesville, N.C., moving to the Yates Racing facility in Concord, N.C. Filling the four driver positions at RPM will be #19-Elliott Sadler, #9-Kasey Kahne, #43-AJ Allmendinger and #98-Paul Menard. "The addition of a great team, great talent of drivers - we have Elliott, Paul, Kasey, and AJ adding to the fleet of Fords out there on every Sunday," said Jamie Allison, Director of Ford Racing. "That's something to be looking forward to." Richard Petty Motorsports will maintain the alliance that Yates Racing had with Roush Fenway Racing and Doug Yates will be in charge or the Roush Yates engine program.(Charlotte Motor Speedway Sprint Media Tour Notes)(1-20-2010)

 

NASCAR Press Conference on TV: SPEED will interrupt regularly scheduled programming to bring viewers live coverage of the NASCAR press conference scheduled for Thursday, Jan. 21 at 1:00pm/et from the sanctioning body's Concord, N.C., facility. The press conference is part of the NASCAR Sprint Media Tour hosted by Charlotte Motor Speedway. Wendy Venturini will host SPEED's coverage from the site.
AND: SIRIUS NASCAR Radio will carry Thursday's NASCAR press conference live starting at 1:00pm/et. Following the press conference, "Tradin' Paint" hosts Rick Benjamin and Chocolate Myers will interview the panel members live from the NASCAR R&D Center in Concord, NC.

 

Drivers conduct 1st test with new spoiler at Texas: #14-Tony Stewart, #2-Kurt Busch, #16-Greg Biffle and #83-Brian Vickers became the first drivers to conduct an on-track test with a new aluminum spoiler package that could be implemented for the 2010 season during Tuesday's Goodyear Tire test at Texas Motor Speedway (see images of the cars here). Stewart was the first of the group to test the spoiler in the morning session, which was delayed nearly two hours from its 9:00am/ct start time due to moisture on the 1.5-mile, high-banked oval from heavy morning dew. The session kicked off at approximately 10:53am/ct with temperatures in the 60s as Stewart rolled out with the wing and less than 40 minutes later was utilizing the spoiler. Vickers also got an opportunity to run the spoiler in the abbreviated morning session.
"It (the spoiler) was on a bunch. It didn't seem to be a big balance change which was good," Stewart said. "That means you won't have to invent the wheel necessarily. It was a balance shift, but it wasn't a big balance shift. You've got two kinds of grip  you've got aero grip and you've got mechanical grip. The spoiler is the aero grip and the tires are mechanical. The mechanical grip is real important because it doesn't know if you are running first in line or 10th in line. I'm more of a mechanical guy."
"I thought it (spoiler) was good," Vickers said. "I thought it added a little bit of front downforce, which is a good thing. I think it's going to be more accepted to the fans. It looks cooler  a little more retro back to the older car. We haven't been in a lot of traffic yet, so the big question is how it's going to handle in traffic. Theoretically, from what I've been told, the difference between the two is that the spoiler is better in traffic. The spoiler is going to be more efficient in dirty air and a wing will be more efficient in clean air. Once you get in a lot of turbulence, the spoiler's not going to lose a lot of efficiency while a wing really will."
NASCAR has not determined the specific dimensions as yet for the spoiler, but the one that was being used as a baseline at Tuesday's session was 64.5 inches wide and four inches in height with no contour in the design. Also, the rear quarter panels were extended four inches toward the ground. NASCAR phased out the traditional spoiler on the rear deck lid of the Sprint Cup Series cars and went to a rear wing when the "Car of Tomorrow" project was unveiled in 2007. The return to the traditional look provides fans with the ability to differentiate between the four manufacturers more easily and hopefully enhance the passing ability of the cars and overall race action. Tuesday's tire test was the first opportunity for drivers to test the package and provide feedback on its effects on the car. Biffle and Busch had to wait until the afternoon session to test out the spoiler, with Busch not getting an opportunity until nearly the culmination of the session.
Stewart, Busch, Biffle and Vickers will conclude the Goodyear test Wednesday, where they are scheduled to test the spoiler package once again. NASCAR will conduct another test with the spoiler March 23-24 at Charlotte Motor Speedway  another 1.5- mile oval and sister track to TMS  that will be open to all Sprint Cup teams. If NASCAR is pleased with the progress and performance of the spoiler, the new package could be implemented for the Samsung Mobile 500 scheduled for April 15-18 at Texas Motor Speedway. Following Tuesday's test session, Stewart, Busch, Biffle and Vickers graciously volunteered their time to participate in the "Gear Up For The Green Flag" fan event in the Grand Ballroom of The Speedway Club. A full house of more than 500 season ticket holders and special guests were on hand for a dinner, giveaways and a question-andanswer session with the drivers to officially kick off the upcoming racing season. "This was truly a special treat for our fans and the thanks goes to Tony, Kurt, Greg and Brian for making the time to be part of this event," Texas Motor Speedway President Eddie Gossage said. "We had a ton of laughs and shared some entertaining stories to make for a great evening." Tickets for the Samsung Mobile 500/O'Reilly Auto Parts 300 NASCAR doubleheader weekend are available by calling (817) 215-8500 or by visiting the speedway's website at www.texasmotorspeedway.com.(TMS)(1-20-2010)

 

 

 

Track Forum: - http://www.trackforum.com/forums/

 

“TONY GEORGE RESIGNS BOARD MEMBERSHIPS
OF INDIANAPOLIS MOTOR SPEEDWAY, HULMAN & COMPANY

INDIANAPOLIS, Tuesday, Jan. 19, 2010 – The Board of Directors of Hulman & Company and affiliated companies, including the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, has received the resignation of Anton H. “Tony” George from the board of directors effective immediately, according to Mari Hulman George, chairman.

“As members of his family, we are sorry to see Tony leave,” said Mrs. George. “We are grateful for his service to our company as a board member and of course for formerly serving as CEO and president of our companies. I speak for our whole family in wishing him well.

“All of us had hoped that Tony would continue to serve on the board, and we made that clear to him. We are disappointed with his decision to step down despite our wishes.”

His resignation removes George from any remaining role in Hulman & Company, Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Indy Racing League, IMS Productions and other affiliated companies. His term as CEO of the family companies ended June 30, 2009. He continues to be involved in racing through his ownership of Vision Racing, a competitor in the IZOD IndyCar Series of the Indy Racing League.

The board vacancy will be addressed at a later date. In addition to Mari Hulman George, board members include Nancy George, Josie George, Kathi George-Conforti and Jack Snyder.

Mari Hulman George said she is very pleased with the direction of the company and the progress that has been made during the last six months.

“Our company is healthy and is weathering the economic recession well,” she said. “Jeff Belskus, president and CEO of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, and Curt Brighton, president and CEO of Hulman & Company, are both doing excellent jobs in guiding our companies through this difficult time. Many hard decisions have been made, and now our companies are well positioned for the future.”

 

Note:  The above was found here:

http://www.trackforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=132442&page=1&pp=20

 

 

 

NASCAR.com:  http://www.nascar.com/

 

New England Tractor:  http://newenglandtractor.com/racereport/

 

Dirt Track Digest’s forum:  http://www.dirttrackdigest.com/forum/index.php

 

Hoseheads: - http://www.hoseheads.com/

 

Note:  The following is not from a web site or message board or forum, but was sent out by Ernie Saxton, and I felt that it would not hurt to pass it along.

 

“As many know our friend and great EMPA supporter Jim Hunter is battling cancer. He had to pass on speaking at the recent EMPA Convention because he is undergoing radiation treatments. Kerry Tharp did a wonderful job filling in for him.
Hopefully you find the time to send get well wishes to Jim and thank him for the great support that is able to arrange for the EMPA through NASCAR.
He has been an outstanding supporter of the EMPA.
Jim and his doctors are optimistic that he will recover.

 Jim’s e-mail address is Jhunter@nascar.com.

 Thank you.

 Ernie Saxton”

Coming up:

This coming weekend is the annual Motor Sports car show that’s put on by the Area Auto Racing News (AARN).  This year it is in a new place – The Greater Philadelphia Expo Center in Oaks, Pa.

 

The following weekend, down in Atlantic City, are the annual indoor races.  Those, too, are put on by the AARN.

 

Info for both of these events can be found here:  http://www.aarn.com/

 

 

Track news:

 

OCFS:

On Monday I received the January Newsletter from OCFS.  In it was the schedule for 2010 for OCFS.  Yes, I was somewhat disappointed in that the only 358 Small Block Modified race that is listed is for Eastern States Weekend.  I’ve also read that Ken Sands is buying, or has bought, a racetrack down in Florida.  I wonder how that might affect OCFS?  I see four CRSA 305 Sprint Cars shows listed – May 8th, July 17th, August 28th and ESW, along with five for the Vintage Modifieds – May 8th, June 5th, July 10th August 14th and EWS.  June 5th is “Nostalgia Night” with the Atlantic Coast Old Timers (ACOT), also making an appearance.  As far as any real big “specials” – only the second edition of the Brett Hearn promoted “Big Show” is listed – except for ESW, that is.  There is a special race on May 15th – a qualifier for a “Friends of Mike” race to be held at New Egypt Speedway on July 31st - $10,000.00 to win, plus a guarantied starting spot for the ESW 200.  The “Eve of Destruction” is scheduled for September 18th.  Something kind of “bugs” me on this –  the “Eve of Destruction” - last year it was about the biggest drawing event for the track.  I was not in attendance, but I read some of the “horror” things that were said – long lines at the food places, long lines for tickets, place was packed – and in my way of thinking – what would have been a great night to run the two features – modified and sportsman, from the previous week that were rained out.  So, if that particular event went over so great, why only have one scheduled for this year?  Oh, and another thing – as of now, the 2010 schedule does not show those two rained out features listed, as it was said, last year - that they would be held in 2010.

 

Accord:

Accord has a “schedule” up, but it is tentative and shows no special shows, yet, although the ARDC has their midgets scheduled for Accord on Friday, July 16th.  And, looking at the ARDC’s schedule, I see that they only have two races scheduled for August, so, yes, I did send an e-mail to Accord and asked Gary Palmer if it might be possible to schedule a second ARDC show – maybe on Friday, August 20th.  Hey, ya never know!  And I also sent an e-mail to Brian Grissel – head honcho for the CRSA, asking him if any of those four (well I guess it would really be three) CRSA shows at OCFS might also have a show or shows the Friday night previous, at Accord.

 

 

The History of the Sport:

Quite a few years ago, while we were visiting some friends, out in Pennsylvania, for I believe a birthday party, former OCFS Sportsman (Small Block) champion, Russ Meyer, also happened to stop by.  He had a race program from OCFS that was from 1977,and he gave it to me.  It was Volume 3 – number 16.  Ralph Heotzler was on the cover along with a photo of the Whitey Memmelaar # 45 Small Block modified.  In the race report from the previous weeks racing, from July 23, 1977, the feature event ended up with Rich Eurich being the winner over Wayne Reutimann.  Hard to believe that after all this time, Eurich is still racing!  And, I think that Wayne still is, too, down in Florida.  Others listed in the modified feature that are still active are Hank Goranson, Buzzie Reutimann, and Meme DeSantis.

Brett Hearn won the Small Block race that night.  Looking at those that finished in that feature, it seems that Brett is the only one still racing, today.

Back then, in the Sportsman driver roster, there were 214 names listed.  Some of those are still running today – Butch Tittle and maybe Butch Riddle.  In those listed for the modified class, Buzzie Reutimann and possibly Stan Freidman.   The modified driver roster had 126 names.

The ARDC Midgets also ran at OCFS on July 23, 1977, and George Ferguson, Jr. was the feature winner.  He drove a midget that was powered by a Datsun engine.  Out of the drivers listed in that midget feature, it looks like Ronnie Dunstan, Bob Cicconi and Lew Blair, still race today.  Twenty-eight midgets signed in for the race program.

 

For some unknown reasons, the crowds at OCFS are no where near what they were back then – yet other tracks in the area don’t seem to be hit as hard as far as less fans goes.

 

Other racin’ stuff:

 

I got to thinking the other day, after Kevin Swindell won the Chili Bowl.  Would he have been there, and winning, if his last name wasn’t Swindell?  Maybe.  Maybe not.  But it seems that more and more, a good “racing” last name is a great help – regardless of talent.  I, and maybe you, too, have seen some talented drivers that due to having no “name” or some big bucks behind them, don’t advance much in the racing world.  And for whatever reasons there are, it seems that in auto racing, more sons and daughters follow in their fathers’ footsteps.  Have you noticed that, too?  But what got me into doing this section was something I read over on Jayski’s website – something that was linked to, by Jayski.  Check this out:

 

http://cupscene.com/blogs2/2010/01/20/notebook-childress-says-his-grandsons-earned-the-right-to-race/

 

 

 

Video time:

One of my granddaughters was over the other day, and I was showing her some of the photos I have in my computer.  One was of Dale Earnhardt, Jr. – surrounded by fire, while in the Corvette, when he received what could be called some “minor” burns.  I then showed her the video, which I’m linking to, below.  I still am wondering just where the camera was that was able to zone in on Junior, from what appears from the outside of the car, showing fire all around him.  I’ve read that Junior had said that he had help in getting out of the car.  What I find to be quite remarkable is the fact that he had enough sense, under those circumstances, to realize that he was in the Corvette, and not a regular Cup or Busch (at that time) car, and could get out by opening the door and not having to climb out through the window.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FGR0KWLs51c

 

 

 

 Other (non racing) news:

Do we sit too much?  I know I do.  Now, a “study” has been done and it says that too much sitting can be not so good for us – maybe even deadly.  Check it out, here:

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100120/ap_on_he_me/eu_med_dangers_of_sitting

 

 

Is this true?

 

I imagine that you, along with me, get a lot of e-mails that pertain to some of those that are employed by our government?  Here’s one I got the other day, and it really makes one wonder – “Is this true?”

 

Nancy Pelosi wasn't happy with the small USAF C-20B jet, Gulfstream III, that comes with the Speaker's job ... OH NO!  Nancy Pelosi was aggravated that this little jet had to stop to refuel, so she ordered a Big Fat, 200-seat, USAF C-32, Boeing 757 jet that could get her back to California without stopping!  I understand that a former Speaker of the House, Newt Gingrich, flew commerical most of the time.

Many, many legislators walked by and grinned with glee as Joe informed everyone of what Queen Nancy's Big Fat Jet costs us, the hard working American tax payers, literally thousands of gallons of fuel every week.

Since she only works 3 days a week, this gas guzzling jet gets fueled and she flies home to California every Friday and returns every Monday, at a cost to the taxpayers (YOU and ME are those taxpayers!) of about $60,000, one way!


As Joe put it ..."unfortunately we have to pay to bring her back on Monday night and that costs us another $60,000!"  Taxpayers, that is $480,000 per month and that is an annual cost to us of $5,760,000!!! 


No wonder she complains about the cost of this war ... it might cramp her style and she is styling on my back and yours.  I think of the military families in this country doing without and this woman, who heads up the most do-nothing Congress in the history of our country, keeps fueling that jet while doing nothing.

Queen Nancy Pelosi wants you and me to conserve our carbon footprint.  She wants us to buy  smaller cars and Obama wants us to get a bicycle pump and air up our tires. Who do these people think they are???  Their motto is ... Don't do as I do ... JUST DO AS I SAY! 


If you think this is outrageous, forward it to all those on your email list!  Keep in mind the figures above do NOT include the cost of plane or crew ... just the fuel!!!  One has to wonder what the total package costs us? 

And on top of that ... now she wants to tax our IRA's & 401K's!

 

 

Closing with these:

 

Remember this – continued from last week:

 

Every path has a few puddles.

When you wallow with pigs, expect to get dirty.

The best sermons are lived, not preached.

Most of the stuff people worry about ain't never gonna happen anyway.

Don't judge folks by their relatives, but by their friends.

Remember that silence is sometimes the best answer, but you can always have an opinion.

Live a good, honorable life.. when you get older and think back, you'll enjoy it a second time.

Don't interfere with somethin' that ain't bothering you none.

Timing has got a lot to do with the outcome of a Rain dance.

If you find yourself in a hole, the first thing to do is stop diggin'.

Sometimes you get, and sometimes you get got.

The biggest troublemaker you'll probably ever have to deal with, watches you from the mirror every mornin'.

Always drink upstream from the herd.

Good judgment comes from experience, and a lotta that comes from bad judgment.

Lettin' the cat outta the bag is a whole lot easier than puttin' it back in.

If you get to thinkin' you're a person of some influence, try orderin' somebody else's dog around..

 

 

 

 

May “Guardian Angels” sit on the shoulders of all of our race drivers and race fans, and guide them safely around the tracks!

 

Drive safe! 

 

As usual, you can reach me at:  ygordad@yahoo.com