Racin'
& Internet Stuff:
By Tom Avenengo
08/30/2012
First:
Please – those
that had intentions to going to the Racing Expo at Hinchliffe
Stadium in
Second:
Starting some parts
on this column on Sunday afternoon, and this part right here, at 9:30 Sunday
night. We’re due to
be at the hospital at 8:30 on Monday morning to see what is wrong with the
wife’s “Power Port” or “Medi-Port” and why the chemo
could not be put through it, or even blood drawn with it. So far, for the wife, no real effect from the
Chemo pills or the IV Chemo. Hooray!
Third:
It was a quick hospital visit on Tuesday
morning! Problem with
the Port – none really. Worked fine. Only
thing they think might have caused the “problem” was that it was a little deep
in its placement. Time will tell.
Fourth:
To the best of my knowledge, when the NEMA
Midgets and NEMA Lights raced at Oswego last Saturday, that was the only “full”
midget race held in New York State for the year 2012. Last year, prior to it being cancelled, it
would have also been the only one. From
what I recall,
Note:
Found this on Facebook: “It's too bad we didn't have a better
crowd....the racing was fun to watch.” Hope that doesn’t cause this race not to be held next year. I have to check and see what else was on the
card.
Fifth:
It seems that I’m not the only one that’s
having trouble with MyLaps. I’ve been in contact with them, via Facebook, and this is the last from them – Tuesday,
8/28/12:
“MYLAPS Sports Timing
The app is working.
I am not talking about the OCFS website.
OCFS needs to upload the results to mylaps.com otherwise they are not shown. Last results is from 3 sept 2011.
So i guess they haven't uploaded new results to mylaps since 3 sept 2011.
Please ask OCFS why they won't upload it.
Regards Tim”
Sixth:
It’s been quite a while since the
National Midget Auto Racing Hall of Fame’s website has been back up and
running. Last I had heard was they were
searching for a webmaster?
Seventh:
Found on the Track Forum:
Zanardi wants to do the Indy 500
http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/102023
In part:
"Alex Zanardi is interested in racing in the
The former grand prix driver,
who lost his legs in a Champ Car crash at the Lausitzring
in 2001, is about to compete for
And although fully focused on
his current ambitions, Zanardi says he is open to a
return to racing for the first time since 2009 - either in a top-line series
like DTM or in a big event like the Indy 500.”
http://www.trackforum.com/forums/showthread.php?168395-Zanardi-wants-to-do-the-Indy-500
Eighth:
Looking at the entry list for
this weekends Cup race at
http://www.jayski.com/news/stats/2012/story/_/page/25-Atlanta-Entry-List
Ninth:
Anne Fornoro,
who does the PR for the A.J. Foyt race team always
send me their press releases. In the one I received this past Wednesday, 8/29, there was this, in it:
“Grid Penalty: AJ Foyt Racing
had to change their Honda engine after the
Note: In a way, I don’t agree with these penalties
even if it supposedly would stop a team or teams from having a fresh engine for
every race.
Tenth:
Are
you aware that my Johnny Ritter photo article is finally up on the New England
Tractor website? Part one of five parts
came out on Monday, with part two on Tuesday and part three on Wednesday. Parts four and five are due to come out on
Thursday, 8/30.
The
can be found here: http://newenglandtractor.com/racereport/
Also, if you scroll down to
the very end of all the reports and articles, there are more photo articles of
mine. Oh, and as you scroll down, in
amongst the articles and columns are a few more, from 7/4/11, 2/8/11 and 1/20/11.
Eleventh:
Not racing related, but:
In part:
GM
will temporarily halt production of the Chevy
Volt at its Detroit-Hamtramck factory next month as
part of a planned shutdown to retool the
facility for the remade Impala line. The idling will last for less than a
month, spanning from September 15 to October 17.
Some media outlets took the news as a sign
that Volt sales had tanked, jumping back into a familiar narrative that has
maligned the car since long before its release. "GM Expected to Suspend Chevy Volt Production Over Slow Sales", read the headline at the
Chevy says it has 6,500 Volts on
hand, which should leave it with the standard 60 days worth of inventory once
production resumes in October. The carmaker last idled
the Volt line in March because it had accumulated more than 10,000 unsold
vehicles (enough to cover about four months of sales,) but this time around,
swelling inventories weren't a consideration in the decision.
More can be seen here:
http://www.plugincars.com/chevy-idles-volt-media-scrambles-draw-politicized-conclusions-124070.html
Twelfth:
This, from the Accord Speedway’s website:
Special
Thanks to
The
fans & competitors who supported
the St Jude’s Children’s Hospital Fundraiser.
Well
over $2000 was raised for the kids at St. Jude’s!
Thanks
to
Gillette
Creamery for their generous donation of ice cream
and to Jill Dippel and the Dippel Racing Team for all
their effort in organizing the event.
Thirteenth:
More that is not
racing related, but I imagine most readers of this column won’t like what it’s
about.
In part:
“In a Wednesday memo to all teams, NFL executive vice
president of football operations Ray Anderson outlined just how far the league
and the NFL Referees Association are on their current labor impasse, and
confirmed that the NFL will indeed use the current crop of replacement
officials when the regular season starts on Sept. 5.
From
the memo, as first reported by Mike Freeman of CBS Sports, and seen here in HTML format:
In
light of the current state of negotiations, we will have replacement crews on
the field when the regular season begins. The replacements have undergone
extensive training and evaluation, and have shown steady improvement during the
preseason. We will continue the training with each crew and they will
work as much of the regular season as necessary. The replacement
officials are dedicated and enthusiastic, have worked very hard to improve, and
have persevered despite the attacks on their qualifications and performance. We are all grateful for their
service to the NFL.”
More
can be seen here:
Fourteenth:
Thoughts and prayers have to
go out to all those that are being effected by Isaac. Hard to believe the damage water can do. I live about two blocks from the Delaware River
here in Port
Fifteenth:
Just prior to finalizing this
weeks column I made a visit to the Track Forum and
found this:
USAC says howdy to Levi
PENALTIES IMPOSED FROM
SATURDAY AT
Officials of The United
States Auto Club announced today penalties imposed after a racing incident
involving the cars of Levi Jones and Jon Stanbrough
during a weekend racing event at Kokomo Speedway.
Series officials spoke today
with both drivers involved in the initial contact which led to additional cars
being collected. Additionally, numerous sources were called upon including
attending officials, eyewitness accounts, and track officials. Due to on-track
contact deemed to be avoidable and producing a dangerous situation for fellow
competitors, Jones will be penalized for these violations as outlined in 10.28
of competition rules.
Jones will be placed under
probation for the balance of the National Sprint Car season, with the
understanding that further infractions could lead to more severe punishment.
Also, Jones and his team will be docked 25 championship points going into the
next series’ event at Tri-City Speedway in
Link: http://www.trackforum.com/forums/showthread.php?168366-USAC-says-howdy-to-Levi
Supposedly, this is what
happened:
Levi Jones drove Jon Stanbrough into the front straightaway wall. Stanbrough ended up hitting the pit entrance in turn one
causing him to flip back out on to the track in front of oncoming traffic.
Robert Ballou's car was hit in the cage by Stanbrough's bouncing car. Ballou
flipped into the turn one fence injuring his back and knocking him unconscious,
which caused his foot to stand on the throttle while upside down for several
seconds. Chad Boespflug piled into the carnage and
flipped as well. Stanbrough's car was badly damaged
and Ballou's car and engine were destroyed.
So, to sum it all up, Levi
Jones intentionally wrecked another driver which caused a three-car flip,
destroyed at least two of those cars, sent a driver to the hospital, and got
away without any damage to his own car.
The punishment is extremely
light given what transpired due to the reckless and thoughtless driving of Levi
Jones. Yet, it still seems amazing to all of us that he even received probation
and a point deduction from USAC, which is kind of sad.
Now, Levi is done for the
remaining 2012 racing season, per this:
Courtesy of IBRACN.com:
LEVI IS LAID UP
8/29/2012
FACT - (8-29-12 @ 12:38 pm) -
Levi Jones is calling it a season. Levi has been dealing with neck pain
resulting from having three herniated discs in his neck. Recently, Levi spent a
day with surgeons to get evaluated and it was determined that surgery can't be
put off any longer. Surgery is scheduled for next week with a
expected recovery of 12 weeks, thus ending his 2012 campaign.
Currently, Levi is leading
the USAC National Sprint Car points by 26 points over Jon Stanbrough.
This lead was cut down after last weekends incident
involving him and Stanbrough. I wasn't there so I
don't know what happened but from what I'm reading, Levi got together with Jon
and both went for a ride. This accident gathered a couple of other drivers
sending Robert Ballou to the hospital with back pain
and a concussion.
USAC announced that Levi would
be docked 25 points and put on probation for the rest of the season. Reports
are that Levi purposfully took out Jon for running
him up the track but whatever the reason, USAC felt it
necessary to act on the accident and punish Levi and the TSR Motorsports #20
race team.
Link: http://www.indianaopenwheel.com/showthread.php?t=62531
Sixteenth:
One never knows what one will find when one
searches various forums and/or message boards, and what they might lead one to.
Like this:
Aug. 29: On Will Power and
Alex Tagliani
Questions
and comments that were sent in on Indy Car racing.
8:23 AM, Aug. 29, 2012 |
Written by Curt Cavin |
Question: There hasn’t been
much talk lately of Izod leaving the series as the
title sponsor at the end of the season. Has that died? I would have thought
with the announcement that China was being cancelled and not replaced it would
have been a perfect opportunity for them to say, sorry, you don’t have enough
races, were out. (Kyle,
Answer: Yep, pretty quiet on
that front. My guess is, IndyCar and Izod have a contract for the next couple of years, and IndyCar isn’t willing to force the issue because it doesn’t
have a title sponsor replacement. Izod might not be
activating, but it must still be fulfilling its obligations.
Question: There has been a
lot of talk lately about the “push to pass” and I am curious on two issues.
One, is the delay something that IndyCar has
intentionally implemented or an unavoidable characteristic? Which
leads me to question if the consensus of the drivers is to do it way with it
all together (Dario) or try to fix the problem. (Alex,
Answer: Yes, the delay was
intentionally implemented to reduce the ability of the drivers to use it as a
defensive mechanism. But there is a software hiccup that causes problems, and IndyCar is expected to drop the delay for this weekend’s
race in
Question: Add these to the
long list of ICS gimmicks:
** Starting position
penalties for engine changes. It’s racing, and racing is expensive.
** Penalties for needing more
than five engines per season. It’s a new engine, full of reliability gremlins.
** Duping the fans with the
aero kit concept in order to sell the single-sourced chassis idea then reneging
two straight years (and counting). It’s still a spec series.
** Consistent elimination of
ovals.
** Manufacturing hype that
road and street parades are exciting.
** Putting hideous bumpers on
Indy cars (that emboldens drivers), then hand out “avoidable contact” penalties
like candy.
** Expecting the racing world
to respect or be impressed by a puny 2.2L V6 with 550 hp. Indy cars are
supposed to be beasts. Anything less than 800 hp (on all tracks) is
unacceptable.
** Bringing back turbos (a great thing), then only allow them to provide 7
psi of boost. What’s the point?
** The ever-changing
schedule. IRL/ICS has never had the same schedule two years in a row. (Mike,
Fishers,
Answer: Wow, you were in
serious rant mode. I’ve long harped on the need to have a consistent schedule,
specifically building date equity with particular tracks. I agree with you on
the power of the IndyCar engines: Not enough. I’ve
also said on many occasions that five engines for the season, including
testing, wasn’t enough for Year 1, but it is what it is now.
Question: With regard to
mistakes and misfortune becoming a major player in the championship, remember
Will Power last year. He got spun at
Answer: You are so right, and
this championship isn’t over because the same thing could happen to Power at
Question: Am I getting the
distinct impression that Alex Tagliani is not who I
should hire when I win PowerBall and can finally
start my own team? (Curtis,
Answer: I wouldn’t go that
far. He’s plenty fast and his finishing position since
Question: I just want to send
a thank you to Randy Bernard for not having enough ovals on the schedule this
year that I can actually afford to go to the U.S. Nationals this weekend! I
have been wanting to check out the Nationals for a
long time but would always spend my whole racing budget going to IndyCar ovals. This year however, I have money left over. (Brett,
Answer: Ouch! At least I’m
glad you’re seeing the Nationals. Great show. I’ll be
there Monday.
Link: http://blogs.indystar.com/racingexpert/2012/08/29/aug-29-on-will-power-and-alex-tagliani/
Coming up:
Accord:
August 31st
Tom’s Auto Repair
Night
Modifieds $1500 to Win
Sportsman-Spec
Sportsman
Pro Stock-Pure Stock
Lightning Sprints
OCFS:
Saturday,
September 1st Howard
Johnson/Super 8 of
(THIS WILL BE
THE FINAL NIGHT OF POINTS FOR THE MODIFIEDS)
Found on Jayski’s website:
Remember this
from last week?
Keselowski
says Hendrick teams may be bending rules:
#2-Brad
Keselowski believes Penske Racing's refusal to bend
the rules contributed to him not being able to challenge #48-Jimmie Johnson for
the lead Sunday Michigan. Johnson was leading Keselowski
with six laps remaining when his Hendrick Motorsports
engine blew. #16-Greg Biffle won the race and Keselowski finished second. During the race, Keselowski made reference to Hendrick's
"tricks" with their cars. Hendrick's Kasey Kahne and Dale Earnhardt Jr. finished third and fourth,
respectively. The Hendrick cars appear to have
different rear suspension setups than other cars, especially at intermediate
tracks such as
An
update:
UPDATE:
#2-Brad
Keselowski stressed Thursday night that he wasn't
accusing Hendrick Motorsports of cheating with his comments
last week at Michigan International Speedway. Keselowski
said last week that the some teams were using some "tricks" with the
rear suspensions on their cars and working within a gray area of the NASCAR
rulebook. He said his Penske Racing team has been reluctant to push the
envelope in such areas over fear of getting caught cheating. Keselowski said he took great care not to mention Hendrick Motorsports by name last week and has spent the
last week on Twitter trying to clarify any misunderstandings. Other competitors
in recent weeks have alluded to an advantage Hendrick
teams may have with the way they are setting up the rear of their cars. Keselowski talked to the media Thursday night during an
unveiling of a retro paint scheme to honor former Penske driver Rusty Wallace's
50th career victory. Keselowski insisted that he
wasn't accusing anyone of cheating. "I didn't appreciate how those words
were twisted into calling out a specific team," Keselowski
said. "I made it a point to not call out a specific team and I think I
said in a sense, 'there is a half-dozen to a dozen cars that are running those
things,' and with the exception of maybe the TV broadcast I hadn't pointed out
which ones they were."(Sporting News)(8-24-2012)
Stewart comments on wreck:
#14-Tony Stewart was
sidelined in accident with #17-Matt Kenseth on lap
333, some quotes from a Team Chevy PR:
Q) WHAT HAPPENED? YOU HAD A GREAT RACE CAR
Stewart: "We weren't that great of a race car. But we
were definitely faster than that after that restart. I checked-up twice to not
run over him (Kenseth) and I learned my lesson there;
I'm going to run over him every him every chance I've
got from now 'til the end of the year, every chance I've got."
Q) YOU'LL GET THAT HELMET BACK. YOUR AIM WAS PRECISE
Stewart: "I don't give a crap. The hell
with the helmet."(Team Chevy)(8-26-2012)
Note: I read that NASCAR confiscated his helmet.
Penske says Logao a
candidate for the #22 ride:
The
owner of Penske Racing acknowledged on Saturday that Joey Logano
is a candidate to drive the #22 in 2013. Roger Penske also didn't rule out
expanding from two to three cars and including Sam Hornish
Jr., who has been in the #22 since AJ Allmendinger
was suspended and ultimately released for violating NASCAR's substance-abuse
policy, in the mix for next season. Penske said he hoped to have a decision by
the Sept. 16 Chase opener at Chicagoland. Sources
close to the situation said Logano, who is in the
final year of his contract with Joe Gibbs Racing, is the front-runner for the
#22. Logano told ESPN.com recently he has two offers
for 2013, and that one was from JGR. The issue at JGR is finding a full-time
sponsor. "He's obviously a candidate, but there's other
good people, too, that people haven't talked about," Penske said
before the Sprint Cup race at Bristol Motor Speedway. "We have a couple of
rabbits." Penske would not expand on other potential candidates. Penske
didn't rule out that Alliance Truck Parts, which sponsors Hornish's
Nationwide car, could move up to Cup in 2013.(ESPN)(8-25-2012)
Bayne disappointed he didn't get Cup ride:
#21-Trevor
Bayne admitted Friday at Bristol Motor Speedway he has mixed emotions about
Ricky Stenhouse Jr. being Matt Kenseth's
replacement at Roush Fenway Racing because he believes they both deserve a
NASCAR Sprint Cup Series ride. "At first when they said that [Stenhouse in the #17 next year] I was a little bit bummed
out because I wanted them to come to me and say, 'Hey, we're gonna run you full-time in a Cup car with the fourth team'
and that didn't happen," Bayne said. "But when I did find out I was
running Nationwide and I thought about it, I thought that's probably a good
decision to go out there and get that first full season under our belt in the
series. I haven't gotten to go points racing and I think it would be good to
get that under our belt before we go to that Cup level when it's gonna be even tougher to do that and get that
experience." Bayne believes Stenhouse's move
into the #17 Ford is a "great opportunity" for his teammate. "At
the same time, I can't wait to get my opportunity in Cup," Bayne
continued. "I think we could run competitively there every weekend. We do
that even with the Wood Brothers part-time. But I've just got to be patient in
the meantime for that." Team co-owner Jack Roush has already said he
planned to field a full-time Nationwide team for Bayne
in 2013. Bayne also plans to continue driving a limited Sprint Cup schedule for
the Wood Brothers [#21 Ford]. Bayne said the only way he would consider a move
to Penske Racing would be if Roush told him it was an option. "Being under
contract, there is no way I would go talk to another team or do anything like
that at this point," the 21-year-old Bayne said. "The more (Ford)
teams the better, but I don't know if that changes opportunities for me or
not."(RacinToday)(8-25-2012)
NASCAR: Rear housing devices legal:
NASCAR
officials said mechanical devices the Hendrick
Motorsports teams and other organizations in the Sprint Cup Series are using to
gain a competitive advantage in the rear housing are legal -- today. "We
watch it weekly because it has ramped up the last couple of months,'' series
director John Darby said on Friday at Bristol Motor Speedway.
"If it stays pretty level we'll probably leave it alone the rest of
the year. "If there is a higher extreme somebody takes it to that could
create issues we don't want to see, then we'll react to that.'' The HMS cars in
May were the first this season to develop devices that allow the rear axle to
turn slightly to follow the front, creating more speed particularly in the
corners. "Where we're at today, right now, there is no illegal procedures
going on,'' Darby said. "Obviously, there was one
we found Tuesday that was questionable. But the mechanical devices, the way
they're using them, there's a clear understanding of what the teams are
doing.'' Darby said teams are using different methods to create a "hook
and ladder fire truck effect that allows the rear axle to turn so the rear of
the car follows the front.'' He said there's nothing in the current rulebook
that doesn't allow that, but he didn't rule out that changing in 2013.
"It's just a direct everybody has gone to maximize, optimize,'' Darby said. "Right now it's pretty level throughout the garage.
If you take the most extreme to the least developed, it's not a huge
difference.''(ESPN)(8-24-2012)
Truex Jr. agrees to extension:
Martin Truex
Jr. has agreed to an extension to stay in the #56
Stewart will not be
penalized:
NASCAR will not penalize
#14-Tony Stewart for throwing his helmet at Matt Kenseth's
car during the race Saturday night at Bristol Motor Speedway, NASCAR spokesman
Kerry Tharp said Monday afternoon. The sanctioning body, which has been more
lenient on driver behavior the past several years, did not penalize Camping
World Truck Series driver Todd Bodine for throwing
his helmet at another competitor's vehicle earlier this month at Pocono. NASCAR
did confiscate Stewart's helmet.(Sporting
News)(8-28-2012)
Win 200 for #11:
#11-Denny Hamlin's win in the
Irwin Tools Night Race Sprint Cup Series race at Bristol Motor Speedway was car
#11's 200th win in the Sprint Cup Series. This win is now 2 wins ahead of the
iconic #43 for all-time wins in Sprint Cup Series history for a car number.
Richard Petty, who drove the #43 for most of his 200 wins, actually won 192 races
running the #43 and 8 in other car numbers [#41 & #42]. The car number in
third is the car #3 with 97 wins.(8-25-2012)
Breakdown of wins by driver
in the #11:
Cale Yarborough (55)
Ned Jarrett (49)
Darrell Waltrip
(43)
Denny Hamlin (20)
Junior Johnson (11)
Bill Elliott (6)
Geoff Bodine
(4)
Terry Labonte
(4)
Bobby Allison (3)
Buddy Baker (2)
A.J. Foyt
(1)
Mario Andretti (1)
Parnelli Jones (1).(NASCAR)(8-25-2012)
2012 Sprint Cup Driver
Championship Points Standings:
[after
1) #16-Greg Biffle [2 wins], 849, +119 over 11th
2) #48-Jimmie Johnson [3
wins], 838, -11, +108
3) #88-Dale Earnhardt Jr. [1
win], 834, -15, +104
4) #17-Matt Kenseth [1 win], 823, -26, +93
5) #56-Martin Truex Jr. [0 wins], 797, -52, +67
6) #15-Clint Bowyer [1 wins],
794, -55, +64
7) #2-Brad Keselowski [3 wins], 790, -59, +60
8) #11-Denny Hamlin [3 wins],
774, -75, +44
9) #29-Kevin Harvick [0 wins], 767, -82, +24
10) #14-Tony Stewart [3
wins], 746, -103, +16 over 11th
Current wild card Chase
drivers:
WC1) #5-Kasey Kahne [2 wins, 11th in points]
WC2) #18-Kyle Busch [1 win,
13th in points]
(ties
broken by 1sts, 2nds, 3rd, etc)
See drivers championship
points standings on the Drivers Points Standings (pdf).(8-25-2012)
2012 Sprint Cup Driver Chase
Wild-Card Race:
[after
A look at the race for the
two wild-card positions for the Chase based on wins and being inside the top 20
in points.
Driver [wins] standings,
behind 10th
first two would make the chase as wild cards:
#5-Kasey Kahne
[2 wins] 11th -16 points out of 10th
#18-Kyle Busch [1 win] 14th
-39
eight other drivers currently in the running for the wild
cards:
#24-Jeff Gordon [1 win] 16th
-55
#39-Ryan Newman [1 win] 13th
-58
#9-Marcos Ambrose [1 win]
17th -67
#20-Joey Logano
[1 win] 18th -108
these drivers have no wins but are in the top-20
#99-Carl Edwards 12th -34
#27-Paul Menard 17th -72
#1-Jamie McMurray 19th -148
#31-Jeff
(ties
broken by 1sts, 2nds, 3rd, etc)
The Chase: The top-10 drivers
will make the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup. Positions 11 and 12 in the
12-driver Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup are Wild Cards, and will go to
drivers outside the top 10 with the most wins, as long as they are ranked in
the top 20 in points. If multiple drivers outside the top 10 tie for wins, the tie-breaker will go to the race winner with the
highest points position.
See drivers championship
points standings on the Drivers Points Standings (pdf).(8-25-2012)
Point standings: http://www.jayski.com/stats/2012/pdfs/24bms2012points.pdf
Edwards and Shell?:
A
bit of speculation that bears watching in the next few weeks concerns Carl
Edwards. There is one unconfirmed report that Ford executives -- who remember
played a key financial role in keeping Edwards from jumping to
UPDATE:
From
a NASCAR Teleconference with #99-Carl Edwards:
Q. You brought up the
#22. One of the parts of that rumor was that you had an out in your contract if
you didn't make the Chase. I didn't know whether you wanted to address part of
that rumor as well.
CARL EDWARDS:
I
appreciate you asking. But I don't ever talk about specifics of my contract
with the media. I think those are private contracts. I think there's even a
line in there that says I can't talk about specifics of my contract and neither
can other folks. No, I don't want to talk about any of those specifics. But truly,
I can tell you this, I will be driving the #99 Fastenal Ford next year. I've
never explored the option of driving the #22 car. That's why it took me so long
to mention to you guys, I thought that was so silly that it had traction, but I
guess it had.Does that satisfy you guys? Is there any
other part of it that I have not addressed?
Q. I guess the only other part would be if Shell
could come over to you.
CARL EDWARDS:
"That's
a good question. I don't know. I don't think so. I've never spoken with anyone
at Shell. No one has brought that up. So that would be a good question for
Steve. But right now the way I understand it, full disclosure, I know nothing
more than I am driving the Fastenal Ford Fusion for Jack Roush next year, the
#99. I'm excited about it. If there's any other things like that going on, I do
not know about them, which is probably better. Is there any other
part?"(NASCAR)(8-29-20102)
Earnhardt Jr. wrecks in
#88-Dale
Earnhardt, Jr., was treated and released from the Infield Care Center at Kansas
Speedway this morning [Wednesday, August 29], after a hard crash during the
second day of a scheduled Goodyear tire test at the speedway. Earnhardt's Hendrick Motorsports Chevy reportedly suffered a
right-front tire failure and made heavy contact with the outside wall. The car
was severely damaged, but Earnhardt walked from the
Stewart denies crew chief rumor:
#14-Tony
Stewart denied on Tuesday a weekend social media report that Greg Zipadelli would become his crew chief in 2013. "No,
that's not true,'' Stewart said during a promotion for sponsor Mobil 1 at
Charlotte Motor Speedway. "That's the first I've
even heard about it. Nobody has thought about that or discussed that. We're
pretty comfortable where we're at with our lineup right now.'' Stewart and Zipadelli won two Sprint Cup titles together at Joe Gibbs
Racing before Stewart became the driver/owner of Stewart-Haas Racing in 2009. Zipadelli joined Stewart as competition director at SHR
this season. Zipadelli also is the crew chief for
#10-Danica Patrick's 10 Cup races this season. Stewart said there are no plans
to leave Zipadelli with Patrick when she moves to Cup
full time in 2013.(ESPN)(8-29-2012)
Going back, in time at OVRP’s Dirt Oval:
From September 7, 2002
http://www.whowon.com/Results.asp?TrackID=1904&StoryID=73276
Some
names from 10 years ago, and now racing bigger stuff:
Zack
Vavricka, Charlie Lawrence, Johnny Guarino, Justin Grosz, Joey Falanga,
Roger Coss, Matt Hitchcock, Mike Ruggiero, John Lodini, Wyatt Clark, Chuck Alessi,
Danny Hennessey, and Andrew Reeves.
More of the results from the Midget races that were held
indoors at the Kingsbridge Armory in the
This week covering from February 8, 1947 to April 26, 1947.
Feb. 8 1. Len Duncan Caruso #4 V-8
2.
Dutch Schaefer
3.
Johnny Ringger
4.
Johnny Zeke
5.
Ernie McCoy
6.
Don Morris
7.
Walt Fair
8.
Andy Furci
9.
Bill Baker
10.
Rex Records
Feb. 12 1. Ted Tappett
2.
Bill Baker
3.
Dutch Schaefer
4.
Len Duncan
5.
Joe Barzda
40
laps no time
Feb.
19
1.
Johnny Ritter
2.
Rex Records
3.
Len Duncan
Feb.
22
1.
Larry Bloomer Hough #80 V-8
2.
Johnny Rice
3.
Don Morris
4.
Charlie Miller
5.
Walt Fair
6.
Tony Bonadies
7. Disbrow
8.
Eddie Shaw
25
laps no time
Feb.
26
1.
Art Cross Hough #81 V-8
2.
Andy Furci
3.
George Fonder
4.
Len Duncan
5.
Bill Schindler
6.
Johnny Carpenter
25
laps 5:32.38 NTR
March 1 1. Chet Gibbons Hough #82 V-8
2.
Al Lockwood
3.
Ed Shaw
4.
Ted Tappett
5.
Bill Baker
6.
Dutch Schaefer
7.
Don Morris
8.
Johnny Ringger
9.
Johnny Rice
10.
Larry Bloomer
25
laps 5:40.44
March 5 1. Dutch Schaefer
2.
Ted Tappett
3.
Don Morris
4.
Andy Furci
5.
Johnny Ringger
25
laps 5:43.68
March 8 1. Art Cross Hough #81 V-8
2.
Johnny Zeke
3.
Rex Records
4.
Andy Furci
5.
Joe Barzda
6.
Chet Gibbons
7.
Bill Schindler
8.
Don Morris
9.
Len Duncan
10.
Johnny Carpenter
25
laps 5:34.86
March 12 1. Dutch Schaefer
2.
Charlie Miller
3.
Bill Schindler
March 15 1. Bill Schindler
2.
Larry Bloomer
3.
Dutch Schaefer
March 19 1. Dutch Schaefer
2.
Charlie Miller
3.
Jeep Colkitt
March
22
March 26 1. Bud Tatro
2.
Don Morris
3.
Art Cross
4.
Dutch Schaefer
5.
Tony Bonadies
6.
Len Duncan
25
laps no time
March 26 1. Walt Fair Sticker #4 V-8
2.
Johnny Rice Nagy-Winspur #5 cycle
3.
Larry Bloomer Hough #80 V-8
4.
Joe Barzda
5.
Andy Furci
6.
Art Cross
25
laps 5:41.40
March 29 1. Len Duncan Len Wofsey #25 V-8
2.
Art Cross Hough #81 V-8
3.
Dutch Schaefer
4.
Charlie Miller
5.
Chet Gibbons
6.
Joe Barzda
7.
Jeep Colkitt
8.
Walt Fair
9.
Johnny Zeke
10.
Tony Bonadies
25
laps 5:32.68 NTR
April 2 1. Art Cross Hough #81 V-8
2.
Bob Disbrow
3.
Len Duncan
4.
Chet Gibbons
5.
Bill Schindler
25
laps 5:32.28 NTR
April 5 1. Art Cross Hough #81 V-8
2.
Jeep Colkitt Sandola #27
3.
Chet Gibbons Hough #82 V-8
4.
Joe Barzda
5.
Tony Bonadies
6.
Johnny Rice
25
laps 5:42.48
April 9 1. Charlie Miller Sticker #43 V-8
2.
Dutch Schaefer
3.
Joe Barzda
4.
Len Duncan
5.
Johnny Rice
6.
Johnny Zeke
25
laps no time
April 26 1. Johnny Zeke Tattersall #70
"Catfish" cycle
2.
Art Cross Hough #81 V-8
3.
Eddie Shaw
4.
Al Duffy
5.
Bob Disbrow
6.
Don Morris
100
laps no time
Cross
finished first, penalized one place for cutting corner.
More
results from Kingsbridge next week and the following weeks, too. As you can see, they ran in the Armory quite
often!
News
from the AARN:
From
the August 21st issue:
As
usual, there were a ton of ads for races that were coming up for this past
weekend, while hardly any for any events after that, like in two weeks. I kinda think that
it might be good to maybe put in ads that would give more notice of up-coming
races, since most get their papers on Thursday?
A
big write-up on the Mr. Dirt race at
Ryan
Tidman won the TQ race at Wall Stadium on 8/18. What is quite bothersome is that there were
only 12 TQ’s there.
Where are they all hiding? Why
aren’t they racing?
Lenny
Sammons:
Lenny
has some mention of Kim Lavoy a 26 year old female racer
from
He
also says that the proposed sale of Rolling Wheels to Jeff Brownsell
is reportedly very close. By now they
should have had a meeting with Brownsell and the
WRG. All paperwork had been finished and
contracts agreed upon, just waiting for Mr. Brownell to sign the paperwork.
Ernie
Saxton:
He
had quite a bit about Joe “geezer” Fanelli, a 600
Modified driver, and what Joe does for his sponsors while racing.
Ernie
also makes mention that there will be a new PR person for the
Jeremy
Elliott:
Jeremy
had twoarticle that dealt with the tire situation
with the WoO and also with the Pa 410 racers. American Racer is trying to get into
both. Cost could be a problem. The WoO is looking
into the American Racer MC2 that the URC and Super Sportsman use – cost $160.00
to $170.00. But the WoO
wants the MC2 compound with a stiffer sidewall.
That would increase the cost to $215.00.
Engine builder Don Ott has been in contact
with most of the Pa teams in an effort to see what can be done as far as
keeping the cost down. (Hey, even I
agree with Mr. Ott - $215.00 is a bit much for a
tire).
Brett
Deyo:
Brett
makes mention of the good racing season that Danny Creeden,
29, has had so far in 2012, at both Five Mile Point and the Accord Speedway. He’s close to the championship at both
tracks, as the season is winding down.
Ron
Mentus:
He
makes note of the NEMA having no repeat winners as of their race at the
Waterford Speedbowl on 8/18. Seven consecutive races –
seven winners. He says: “All of this speaks well to NEMA’s overall balance of competition. Seven races:
Seven winners”.
Note: My problem with this: NEMA has had only SEVEN races as of
8/18/12! Times sure have changed since
“back in the day”!
Kevin
Rice:
Tells us that Erick Rudolph has no regrets about
leaving the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour and now
racing on the dirt tracks at
Todd
Heintzelman:
Tells
us that there are five races left with the URC in 2012, and Davie Franek is
leading Robbie Stillwaggon by 28 points. Meanwhile, with the WoO
Sprint Cars, Craig Dollansky is leading Donny Schatz
by 26 points. However, the WoO does have a bit more than five races remaining.
Did
you know that Tony Stewart has nine Sprint Car wins in 2012? So far he has six with the 360’s and three
with the 410’s.
Bill
Utter:
A
few weeks ago, Billy VanInwegen ran the Sherlock # 10
Big Block at OCFS. Last Saturday, Billy
was back in his own # 23. Mr. Utter says
that the Sherlock team is putting a car together for Billy for ESW. (From what I’ve heard, the Sherlock team will
not be going to SDW, having having too many roof jobs
that week.
Herb
Anastor:
Has
more (Part IV) on NASCAR and Midget racing.
Per Ken Brenn – Bren gives credit to Ed
“Dutch” Schaefer for keeping Midget racing alive in the east, back whenit was in trouble.
But, “Dutch” wasn’t too keen on NASCAR sanctioning Midgets, Mr. Brenn was offered $100.00 and $75.00 – appearance monies
for his Offy and Ford Midgets for a 100 mile race to
be held in
Doug
Watson:
Tells us of Brett Wanner
winning the ARDC feature at the
There
were two mentions of injured race driver Denny Decker, who was seriously
injured a the I-88 Speedway on 7/24, with neck and
back injuries. He I snow at the Sunnyview Rehabilitation Hospital (Room 265) which is at
1270 Belmont Ave in Schenectady, N.Y. 12308.
Notes & cards can reach him at that address. You can also go to the hospital’s website – www.nehealth.com and you can send him an
e-mail to Denny through a link at that site.
There will be a benefit for Denny and his family on November 10, 2012 at
the Hitchin’ Post Restaurant in Port Crane, N.Y. You can also check on the I-88’s Facebook page where there is an “event” set up with
additional information.
Steve
Barrick:
Steve
tell su swhy
Mike Romano is leaving
Dave
Roberts:
Tells us that at the end of the 2008 racing season,
Stewart Friesen, was set to quit racing altogether. He had one car, one engine and no help. He was about to use his Engineering Degree
that he got from the University of Windsor, Ontario.
In
AARN
This
Week – The August 28th issue:
Jimmy Zacharias Wins
Five Features At Three Tracks
Over Past Weekend
Spec Engine Win At Bristol
By Ron Silk Is NASCAR First
DIRT Penalizes Hearn
For Valley Tire Rules Infraction
Offiicials Decide Winner
Of Williams Grove
Street Stock Championship
Jimmy Blewett Wins
Wall Stadium Mod Race
Dedicated To Brother's Memory
Big Bucks RoC Race Win
For Matt Sheppard At Utica Rome
Daryn Pittman's Big Week:
Wins New Egypt's 'Jersey Rush',
Mercer's All Star Race
Jimmy Horton's Mod Win
Postpones Retirement
For Another Year
DeSantis Hot At Big Diamond
As Coalcracker
Looms
Long Awaited Modified Score
For Danny Tyler At Accord
Former
Mike Mammana was 21st
in the 358 Modified feature at Big Diamond.
Davie Franek was 4th in the URC feature
at Williams Grove.
Kolby
Schroder was 7th and Kyle Armstrong 9th in the Modified
feature at
Kyle Rohner was 5th
and Corey Ziegler 12th in the Sportsman feature at Penn Can.
Alex Bell was 11th in the Modified
feature at Devil’s Bowl.
At Accord, in the Modified feature, Danny Creeden was 4th, Tyler Boniface 11th
and Brian Krummel 20th. In the Sportsman feature, Anthony Perrego was 1st and Tyler Dippel
15th. In the Spec Sportsman,
Kyle VanDuser was 1st, Dippel
6th, Andrew Reeves 12th and Mike Traver
13th. Jason Roe was 14th
in the Lightning Sprint feature.
At OCFS, in the Modified feature, Clinton Mills was
8th, Tim Hindley 10th, Matt
Hitchcock 13th, Billy VanInwegen 16th
and Mike Ruggiero 17th. In
the Sportsman feature, Brian Krummerl was 1st,
RJ Smykla 3rd, Anthony Perrego
7th, Matt Janiak 8th, Tyler Dippel 9th, Zack Vavricka
16th and L J Lombardo 22nd. Joey Falanga and
John Illanovsky were DNQ’s.
At Five mile, in the CRSA 305 Sprint Car feature,
Brittany Tresch was 5th, Emily VanInwegen 17th, B K Rizzo 18th and Josh Pieniazek 20th.
Note: If one
goes to the 5 Mile website, each of the above are shown to be one place higher,
with
As for the Sportsman race, Brad Szulewski
was 9th in the feature.
Rich Coons won the Sportsman feature at
http://www.trackforum.com/forums/showthread.php?168307-What-to-do-about-Start-and-Park
Press Releases:
News from
Promoter: Doug Hoffman -
610-398-4923
'Poker Series' Publicity:
Brett Deyo - Deyo99H@aol.com or 845.728.2781
For Immediate Release/August
26, 2012
Exciting 'Poker Series'
Resumes This Thursday, August 30; Kick Off Your Labor Day Racing Weekend at
Bridgeport Speedway; Laubach Holds Three ‘Kings’ and
Chases First Victory
The Logan Township
five-eighths-mile oval shifts into overdrive with 'Hand Four' of the five-race
'Poker Series' on Thursday night, headlined by a 40-lap big-block/small-block
Modified main event paying $4,000 to the winner. Each of the three 'Poker
Series' events contested thus far in 2012 has been entertaining.
"We're looking for
another great show Thursday night," said Doug Hoffman, the first-year
Bridgeport Speedway promoter and former driving talent. "It's been a nice
mix of
While he hasn't captured a
'Poker Series' victory thus far,
Among the invaders who have
supported the 'Poker Series' events thus far are Doug Manmiller
of
The 40-lap
big-block/small-block ‘Hand Four’ Modified event will offer a $4,000 winner's
share. Fifth-place pays $1,000, with $500 reserved for the 10th-place finisher
and $300 to take the green flag. Crate Sportsman
in a 30-lap ‘Hand Four’ event offering a ‘Poker Series’ purse - a $700 winner's
share and $75 to start - plus Outlaw Stocks in a 15-lap feature join the Modifieds on the program.
The 'Poker Series' event will
get its first green flag at 7:30 p.m. Gates open at 5 p.m. and hot laps are
planned for 7 p.m.
Grandstand admission is $25
for Adults and $23 for Seniors (65 and over) and
Students (with ID). Kids 12 and under are admitted FREE. Pit admission is $30
for
Modified weight rules are as
follows for the event: PA-legal (Big Diamond/Grandview) 358 engines: 2,350
lbs.; all other small-blocks under 361 cubic inches: 2,400 lbs.; all engines
above 361 cubic inches: 2,500 lbs. The tire rule is as follows: right-rear 48
or harder; left-rear 44; 33 or harder across the front.
Three of the five 'Poker
Series' races have been contested. New Egypt (N.J.)
At each Modified 'Poker
Series' event, the winner receives an Ace (A), second a King (K), third a Queen
(Q) and so on down to the 13th-place finisher receiving a Deuce (2). Following
the completion of the five-race series, the driver with the best poker hand
earns $2,500, second $1,500 and third $1,000. The driver with the worst
five-card hand receives $1,000. Drivers must participate in all five events to
be eligible for a point fund.
The final 'Poker Series'
Modified event is planned for Sat., Nov. 10. Plans are being put into place for
a two-day 'Wild Card Weekend' at
For further information on
Bridgeport Speedway, visit www.bpspeedway.com. Bridgeport Speedway, located
just minutes from
Contact: Julia Foy
Promotions/PR Coordinator -
315.834.6606 office
315.224.2522 mobile
315.834.9734 fax
Super DIRTcar
Series Invade Rolling Wheels Sunday for Stars & Stripes 100
Friday is Last Chance to Get
FREE
ELBRIDGE, N. Y. - August 27,
2012 - The first 150-point race of the Super
DIRTcar Big-Block Modified Series will see some of
the division's best talent taking on "The Fast Track" at
World of Outlaws Late Model
Series superstars and local favorites Tim McCreadie
and Tim Fuller, both of Watertown, N. Y., are both confirmed competitors in
Sunday's Super DIRTcar Series 100-lapper. McCreadie, also known by his fans as "T-Mac," went
from being the Super DIRTcar Series Rookie of the
Year in 1997 to the World of Outlaws Late Model Series champion 10 years later.
After getting two DIRTcar 358-Modified Series
Championships under his belt in 1993 and 2003, Fuller went on to win the Super DIRTcar Series championship in 2005. Both drivers are
currently vying for World of Outlaws Late Model Series points, with McCreadie third and Fuller ninth.
In addition to the Super DIRTcar Big Block Modified Series, a full show for DIRTcar Sportsman Modifieds and DIRTcar Stock Cars round out the racing action for the
night. The pit gate opens at 4 p.m. and grandstand gates at 5 p.m., with racing
scheduled to begin at 7:30 p.m.
Tickets can be purchased
online by visiting www.dirtcar.com/tickets or over the phone by calling (877)
395-8606. General admission seats are $25 each and will come with a FREE
For the latest news and
updates about DIRTcar Racing, like the Facebook page or follow the @DIRTcarNE
Twitter feed. For live updates and results the night of the race and for the
latest news about the Super DIRTcar Big Block
Modified Series, follow @SuperDIRTcar on Twitter.
EVENT DETAILS:
WHAT: Stars & Stripes
100, Super DIRTcar Big-Block Modified Series Round 9
WHO: Super DIRTcar Series Big-Block Modified, Mr. DIRTcar
Sportsman Series, and DIRTcar Pro Stock drivers and
teams
WHEN: 7:30 p.m. Sunday,
September 2; pit gate opens at 4 p.m. and grandstand gates at 5 p.m.
WHERE: Rolling
For Immediate
Release DBS-082812-1
WEST HAVEN, VT – Veteran stock car driver Ron Proctor has a
little bit of breathing room as the NASCAR Whelen
All-American Series championship nears its final event at Devil’s Bowl Speedway
– but only a little bit.
The defending Bond Auto Parts Modified champion from
Feature races award 50 championship points to win, and second
place pays 48 with a two-point declination for each subsequent position. Qualifying heats award five points to
win, four for second, three for third, two for fourth, and one point for all
others. With 55 points
available on both Friday, August 31 and Friday, September 7, a strong finish
for Quenneville or an “off” night for Proctor would
close the gap.
Proctor has been rock-steady all year, winning three times
and finishing seventh or better in all 16 races. Quenneville
has four wins and 14 top-tens, but two 13th-place finishes leave him
playing catch-up.
In the J&S Steel Late Model division,
The fight for the Renegade division championship continues to
be intense, as Robert Gordon of
With an incredible seven wins in his rookie season, Josh
Masterson of
Regular general admission for Green Mountain Water
Environment Association/Sunoco Race Fuels Night is just $10 for adults, $9 for
seniors (62+), and free for children 12 and under. Gates open at 5:00pm with racing
beginning at 7:30pm. Also
on the card with the NASCAR Whelen All-American
Series is a special ladies-only Powder Puff event using four-cylinder Bomber
division cars.
Devil’s Bowl Speedway is located on Route 22A in
Contact: Justin
St.
Louis Phone: (802) 355-3282
Email: devilsbowlspeedway@gmail.com
Obama's father served in WW II???????
Does he even realize he's lying?
Know Who is Sitting in YOUR White House......
Obama's father served in WW II? Really?
Obama said his father served in WW II?
Barack's father served in WW II??
He said so in a speech.
CNN news clip: www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fv4jnlkxOaw
They did for everyone else. Why not him?
Like it or not, here are the TRUE
facts:
Barack Hussein Obama Sr. (Obama's
father)
Lolo Soetoro
(Obama's step father)
And the media doesn't say anything.
If you doubt
it, Google both of these guys.
If this had been Bush the Media would
have had a fit.
This should be sent to every Veterans
group in the
And, here is an interesting one!
Any time you call an 800 number - A
MUST READ
Now that I know it is the LAW - I
will do it for sure
YOU WILL BE IMMEDIATELY CONNECTED TO
A REP IN THE
It takes less than one minute to have
your call re-directed to the
Imagine how that would ultimately
impact the number of US jobs that would need to be created ASAP.
If you agree, please tell 10 people
you know, and ask them to tell 10 people they know....etc...etc
For what it’s worth – A huge “item”
stealing energy from the sun.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NR7NIwY5y1A&feature=player_embedded
Maybe it’s
because burgers are $0.99 and salads $4.99.”
“No act of
kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted.”
“You can’t
buy happiness, but you can buy cupcakes.
And that’s almost the same thing.”
“Once in a
while, someone amazing comes along, and here I am.”
If you need
an ID to get into the Democratic National Convention, you should need an ID to
vote!
Some interesting
stuff this week:
http://news.yahoo.com/ice-agents-sue-own-agency-over-deferred-deportations-231136683.html
Weekly Enewsletter: An Executive Order You Should Know About
http://kaygranger.house.gov/weekly-enewsletter-executive-order-you-should-know-about
Obama Passes
Bill Allowing Him to Bypass Senate for Appointments
http://www.reagancoalition.com/articles/2012/20120824003-congress-grants-obama.html
http://bbs.wenxuecity.com/cooking/1160651.html
This ought to make you feel better
about your computer skills!
Tech support:
What kind of computer do you have?
Tech support:
Click on the 'my computer' icon
on to the left of the screen.
Customer: Your left or my
left?
Tech support:
What's on your monitor now, ma'am?
Customer: A teddy bear my boyfriend bought for me at
the 7-11.
Customer: My keyboard is not working anymore.
Tech support:
Are you sure it's plugged into
the computer?
Customer: No. I can't get behind the computer.
Tech support:
Pick up your keyboard and walk 10 paces back.
Tech support: Did the keyboard come with you?
Tech support: That means the keyboard is not plugged in.
Customer: I can't get on the Internet.
Tech support: Are you sure you used the right password?
Customer: Yes, I'm sure. I saw my colleague do it.
Tech support:
Can you tell me what the password was?