Racin'
& Different Stuff:
By Tom Avenengo
10/04/2012
First:
Auto racing lost
one of its biggest supporters last week.
An icon.
A true gentleman in every way. Chris Economaki
left us on September 28th at the age of 91. I consider myself fortunate to have been able
to sit and talk with him on quite a few occasions. His knowledge of the sport, its cars and drivers,
was unparalleled. Further down in this
column is a special section for what some have said about him.
Second:
As you can see, I’ve change the name of my
column, but have elected to keep the numbers ongoing, rather than start off
with # 1. Also, come
November, there’s a good chance that I’ll cut back to columns every other week.
Third:
Reading the September 25th issue
of the AARN, I was glad to see that John Snyder is back with his column, after
spending a not so nice month down in
Fourth:
Indy Cars are returning to Pocono in 2013,
and, as said on Wind Tunnel, for at least 3 years. Pocono Facebook
page says it will be a 400 mile race. My
friend Benzee, posted this on Facebook:
“As
stated yesterday on Benzee Promotions page the Indy
Racing League is returning to Pocono Raceway on July 7th, 2013 as it was made
public today. We will be looking at a motorcoach to the event, details to follow when prices
become available”
And an e-mail from “Benzee” to me:
Tom ,
I have run bus groups in yrs past to Pocono for Nascar and still have a few contact people there .
Motorcoach would probably depart from
Already have two motorcoaches
and tix reserved for
Will look into prices etc and see if we cant put
this together
Benzee
IndyCar announcement at Pocono
Raceway:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wwX57a5EYq4&feature=player_embedded
Fifth:
You’re gonna love this! A friend of mine put this link up on Facebook – times, possible entrants - and rules for Super
Dirt Week:
Note: So many rules, but when someone breaks ‘em, like last year, they don’t get DQ’d. Go figure.
Sixth:
In part:
“It is the car that baby boomers may remember as much for its
compact chic as for its slogan ("Datsun, We Are
Driven!"). Now, a new version of this storied brand may get more attention
for something else: its price tag.
In a bold move into the auto industry's
fastest-growing category—emerging-market countries—Nissan Motor Co. is planning
a revival to this Beatles-era star that might surprise its fans. According to
interviews with Nissan's CEO, Carlos Ghosn,
and other company executives, the rebooted car will appear in these countries
as bare-boned as any rival has tried. And Nissan is hoping to set new lows for
pricing for a global auto maker, offering the cheapest Datsun
model for about $3,000 to $5,000. The lowest price is nearly a third the price
of its most inexpensive car, the $8,000 Tsuru compact
sold in
A
lot more can be seen on this if you go here:
http://autos.yahoo.com/news/for-datsun-revival--nissan-gambles-on--3-000-model.html
Seventh:
Question: When can a race car owner dictate what kind
of race car his driver drives? How about
a sponsor dictating it? Right now, one
of the hottest drivers in the
Note: After you read what’s in the link, above,
check out the comments by scrolling down a little.
Eighth:
Brad Keselowski drops Nationwide race
at
Brad Keselowski is doing some basic math to focus on his bid for
the Sprint Cup championship: He has added his older sister to his support group
and scaled back his schedule.
Keselowski goes into
Sunday's race at
He said
Tuesday that he has dropped the Nationwide Series race at
More can be
found here: http://sports.yahoo.com/news/brad-keselowski-drops-nationwide-race-180631494--nascar.html
Ninth:
The debate on
Wednesday night – both have promised not to raise taxes. Great. But, everyone under them seems to increase
our taxes – have you noticed? Schools,
towns, villages, cities, counties and states – majority of them have seen to it
that we’ve had an increase of taxes. Uh huh.
Chris Economaki:
Chris
Economaki Dies At Age 91
http://www.nationalspeedsportnews.com/more/chris-economaki-dies-at-age-91/
From
Corinne Economaki:
Friends;
I wanted to let you know that Dad passed away
early this morning at age 91. He had a good, long life, and was able to enjoy
every minute of his career.
Many years ago I asked him who he wanted to write his obituary. He said Leo
Levine; for those of you who don't know Leo, he is a contemporary of Dad's and
an absolutely terrific writer. Leo did, and his piece will appear in two media
outlets. I think he did a fantastic job of capturing the man.
From Speedway Illustrated's perspective: Anyone who
enjoys motorsports is indebted to Chris Economaki.
Anyone looking for inspiration can call on Chris Economaki
(born to a wealthy family in 1921, their fortune was wiped out by the Great
Depression, but Economaki discovered National Speed
Sport News in 1934, helped it survive even through World War II, came to own it
and then to prosper). Anyone who has had the nerve to pick up a pen to write
about racing has, like a driver comparing his career to Foyt,
Gurney, Andretti, Petty, Earnhardt, compared his work to that of Chris Economaki.
Economaki's book "Let 'Em
All Go!", brilliantly co-authored by Dave Argabright, tells his story. Coastal181 is a great source
for the book.
From Anne Fornoro:
Friends,
Just weeks before his 92nd birthday, Chris Economaki,
The Dean of Motorsports, passed away this morning. Many of today’s writers, pr
reps and marketing types know of Chris in name only -- his name graces the
media centers of some of the most important race tracks in the country
including that of Indianapolis Motor Speedway. I was fortunate to know Chris on
a personal level as I worked for him in the very beginning of my career in
motorsports. I learned some important lessons while employed at National Speed
Sport News in the original building in
And now to my job…below are thoughts from A.J. who said he first
met Chris when he was running midgets in the ‘50s. Chris knew A.J. way before
he became The A.J. Foyt.
A.J. Foyt:
“Chris Economaki
meant a whole lot to my career. He saw me when I first started and he said I’d
be the next one coming up who’d be a good race driver. He wrote, You will read about this boy. I don’t remember if it
was Ted Horn or who, but he compared me a couple times to these old greats
which I felt very honored. I think he respected me and
I respected him. He was a good friend. I really enjoyed his stories and it’s a
shame to see good writers like him pass on.
To be honest, Chris was writing when
racing was at its very best. I’m talking about midgets, sprints, dirt cars and
Indy cars. He saw the sport grow to where it is today and how it grew,
including NASCAR. And he contributed to that growth. I’d say when he was
in his heyday of writing that more people would read his column than any column
that’s been written today by far—I know I did. And I’m not the only person who
says that. He really knew what he was writing about and he understood the sport
in every field of it because he came through all the different types of racing.
Today’s writers haven’t done that and they don’t understand racing like Chris
did.
Sometimes you didn’t agree with all his
articles, but one thing about it, you might not agree today when he wrote it
but in the next two or three weeks what he said happened, so you have to give
him credit.”
Best,
Anne
Various postings on the Internet:
Thank you Chris Economaki for all you've done for the sport of racing. R.I.P.
He was a jewel. His voice was
a huge part of my growing up. I also got to know his brother George, he sounded
just like himl
Going to miss that man, he
was one of a kind.
so many good memorys that
involve mr economaki......thank
you chris.
The wide world of sports guy,
I remember when he was at Islip Speedway. RIP :(
I had the honor of meeting
Chris Economaki at the Eastern Motorsports Press
Assoc.
banquet a few years ago.The
"Dean of American Motorsports".
Now Our Last True Motorsports
Journalist Is Kevin Eckert. Unless of course, Someone
Knows the Ware bouts of Joe Scalzo????
Kevin Eckert: doesn't like the sound of that. I hope I
make it to 91. Scalzo was my literary inspiration but
have heard nothing. Perhaps Sam Moses has seen or heard something about Joe.
Every single division of
motor sprts ,, from gokarts to the highest
level ,, is missin u chris
!!! Race in peace !! And gods speed
. We will miss u every raceday !!
When you heard Chris talk you
listened, because he had the real facts, A voice that
will be sadly missed, God Bless, and rest in peace Chris.
Rest in Peace Chris Economaki...The Best there was!
He knew his racing and has
strong roots in short tracks, i dont
think there was a better spoken man when it came to any form of motorsports he
will be dearly missed.
I got very sad news today
Chris Economaki passed away. I remember him from when
I was just a kid in the stands up to the last I saw him a couple of years ago.
Chris was by far the greatest writer invloved in
racing everyone respected what he said. What I will always remember about him
is he knew just about everyone BY NAME and remembered who you were no mater
where he met you. He knew and talked to the TQ drivers at little Pine Brook the
same as he did the drivers at Indianapolis and if he met a "little
time" driver be it at Indy, Daytona or anywhere he always greeted you with
a smile and hello you were always treated special by him I am proud to be able
to say he was a friend. He is with my Dad and they were very good friends I
know Dad gave him the Checkered when he went in. Rest in Peace my Friend...
WHEN CHRIS ECONOMAKI SAW YOU
IN THE PIT AT A RACE TRACK HE ALWAYS HAD TIME TO SPEND WITH YOU. OVER THE YEARS
HE HAS GIVEN ME MUCH MORE THEN A MINUTE AS I'M SURE HE DID WITH EVERYONE AT
EVERY TRACK HE WENT TO. HE ALWAYS HAD A STORY TO TELL AND I'M SURE EVERYONE
LIKE MYSELF HUNG ON EVERY WORD. HE WILL BE SADLY MISSED
The end of an era , the likes of which will never be seen again.
RIP to The Dean of Motorsports .
Speed Sport News..it's the only thing I looked
forward to in the mail every week for almost 50 years....Chris's column was the
first thing I'd read.. Great guy, had an absolutely fantastic memory ! had the pleasure of
meeting him several times over the years. R.I.P Chris..
We mourn the death of racing
announcer Chris Economaki. He was one of my idols
growing up. May he rest in peace and enjoy calling races in heaven.
I was sorry to hear that
Chris Economaki passed away today at the age of 91. I
was the first woman he ever hired for a full-time editorial position at NSSN.
In the seventies, that was a big deal. RIP, Chris.
Chris' training should have
been mandatory for any motorsports "journalist." How many of our strories did he "correct?" Fantastic
memories, great people, sad day.
To me personally, he meant so
very much. He got me started in writing.
When I was still in junior
high, and the man who had the National Speed Sport News "franchise"
at the Jeffersonville (IN) Sportsdrome moved away, I
called the office (had to promise my mom I'd pay for the long-distance call
from my lawn-mowing earnings) to find out what to do. Chris answered the phone.
He asked why I didn't just
take it over myself. The paper was selling for a quarter, and I was getting a
nickel for everyone I sold. I regularly sold 100 every week. $5.00 wasn't bad
for a 10- year-old in 1949. Chris explained that if I sold 'em
myself, I'd get a dime for each copy sold because they'd cost me 15 cents each.
I was really walking in high cotton then.
After a couple of weeks,
Chris called me and said whoever had the "franchise" was supposed to
send in the stories about the races. Having no experience, I asked if he was
sure he wanted this now 12-year-old to do that.
He said, "Just write
what you saw happen and I'll edit it." At this point I was very glad I had
taken typing in junior high.
After a couple more weeks,
with Chris calling and giving me some pointers, I noticed that he wasn't doing
too much editing.
This eventually led to my
writing sports for the base newspaper when I was stationed in
I have so much to thank Chris
for, and so many memories.
I was fortunate to have met
Chris on numerous occasions!
All I can say is WHAT A
GUY!!!!
He loved auto racing and it
showed!
I was a 35 year subscriber to
NSSN.
Thank the Lord for sending us
Chris!!!!
RIP!!!!!
Oh man that one hurts, great
ambassador to all motorsports and extra specail to
those of us here in the northeast that he called home for so long. NSSN coming
in Wednesday or Thursday's mail was for years one of the highlights of my week
as a kid. I remember after college when I bought my first house my dad got me
my own subscription and we would call and discuss what we had read. While I
love technology and the internet as much as anyone I regret my kids will never
have that type of thrill because everything is so instant. God
Speed Chris.
We all knew this was coming,
yet I dreaded this day. Chris was such a great resource for the sport. His
depth and breadth of knowledge of the competitors, race tracks, cars, owners,
sponsors, promotors was
priceless. We will certainly miss his presence in this sport even though he had
pulled back in his participation the last few years. I truly enjoyed every
visit I had with him and will miss hearing that voice that reminded me of an
engine just slightly off-song. RIP Chris and enjoy the racing they have heaven!
He was a
I don't think you can
overstate the impact he had on racing and the media. I'm saddened to hear of
his passing, and thankful for his legacy.
Additional comments: http://www.nationalspeedsportnews.com/more/what-theyre-saying-chris-economaki/
And: http://www.thevintageracer.com/words/words__chris_economaki01.htm
And
a few years ago, I had heard that Chris dropped in one Saturday night to check
out the Orange County Fair Speedway. I
had heard he needed a little help to get admitted. It seems that this icon was not recognized,
and he had some help as far as getting into the speedway went. On Friday night, I checked with Jerry Higbie to see if what I had heard was true or not.
Jerry got back to me with this:
“It is true. It was my dad. Chris was in line in front of us, the person looked for his name on a guest list and
couldn't find it. My dad chimed in and explained chris has done enough for motorsports that he should
never pay. He added if they didnt let him in, he'd gladly pay for him. Pretty
interesting, and sad really. Chris went on to tell me and my dad about
watching midgets at oc in the 40's and 50's. It was a
great moment.”
And I received this in an
e-mail, on Tuesday, about Chris:
You
can search for Economaki on YouTube and get some
great clips of Chris.
I have been watching an interview by Barry Meguiar at:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KwADVxxcuhw
He tells some neat stories.
And, in another e-mail, later on on Tuesday evening – the Wind Tunnel Dave Despain interview with Chris:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HrOob6F7XWo&feature=share
Coming up:
Accord:
Another wet Saturday has
caused the “Big A” to reschedule the second day of the King of the Catskills
racing action to October 13th.
Notice - the 305 Sprint Cars
and 600 Modifieds have been dropped. I was hoping the 600’s would put on a good
show and maybe get a few shows in 2013.
The 305’s have another race that day at Penn Can.
From their website:
WRECKAGE IN THE CATSKILLS
October 13th
Rain date 10/27
Sponsored by
John J. Liggan
Insurance
4 CYLINDER
ENDURO
$1000 TO WIN 2ND-$500 3RD-
$250
6 CYLINDER
ENDURO
$1000 TO WIN 2ND-$500
3RD-$250
RUN WHAT YA BRUNG
$1000 TO WIN
SPEC SPORTSMAN
$1000 to win
PURE STOCK
$400 TO WIN 30 Laps
PRO STOCK
$400 TO WIN 30 Laps
JR SLINGSHOTS
$400 TO WIN
SR SLINGSHOTS
$400 TO WIN
&
POWDER PUFF
ALL PAYOUTS BASED ON 25
ENTRIES
Pit gate opens at 11AM Spectator gate
at 12
Adults $14 Kids $3 Family 4 Pack $44
Registration form in “file”
section
OCFS:
October 18th, 19th,
20th & 21st:
Arkel Motors Presents...51st Annual EASTERN STATES WEEKEND
Schedule:
Thursday, October 18, 2012:
12:00 PM RACE CAR HAULERS CAN
BEGIN PARKING
IN PITS
2:00 -6:00PM INSPECTION ON EARLY ARRIVING CARS
2:00 PM CAMPERS CAN BEGIN TO ENTER
FAIRGROUNDS
10:00PM GATES CLOSED FOR
EVENING
Friday, October 19, 2012:
10:00 AM
FAIRGROUNDS OPEN
PIT GATE OPENS
12:30 PM INSPECTION OF ALL
CARS
3:00 PM SPECTATOR GATES OPEN
3:00 PM DRIVERS MEETING
4:00 PM OPEN SPORTSMAN HOT LAPS
358 MODIFIED HOT LAPS
PRO STOCK HOT LAPS
4:45 PM MODIFIED HOT LAPS
5:30 PM MODIFIED TIME TRIALS
TOP
PRO STOCK QUALIFYING HEATS
OPEN SPORTSMAN QUALIFYING
HEATS
MODIFIED QUALIFYING HEATS
TOP 6 MODIFIED DASH
FOR CASH
OPEN SPORTSMAN CONSI
PRO STOCK FEATURE 25 LAPS
BREAK
OPEN SPORTSMAN FEATURE 50 LAPS
Saturday, October 20, 2012:
8:00 AM FAIRGROUNDS OPEN
PIT GATE OPEN
358 MODIFIED INSPECTION
CRATE SPORTSMAN INSPECTION
SPRINT CAR INSPECTION
11:00 AM
SPECTATOR GATES OPEN
12:30 PM DRIVER MEETING AND
DRAW
1:00PM SPRINT CAR HEAT IN MOTORS
1:30 PM 358 MODIFIED HOT LAPS
CRATE SPORTSMAN HOT LAPS
TIMED SPRINT CAR HOT LAPS
358 MODIFIED TIME TRIALS
TOP
CRATE SPORTSMAN QUALIFYING
HEATS
358 MODIFIED QUALIFYING HEATS
305 SPRINT CAR HEATS
CRATE SPORTSMAN CONSI
MODIFIED HOT LAPS (ALL CARS)
SPRINT CAR “B” MAIN
358 MODIFIED CONSI
CRATE SPORTSMAN FEATURE 30 LAPS
BREAK
358 MODIFIED FEATURE 100 LAPS
305 SPRINT CAR FEATURE 25 LAPS
Sunday, October 21, 2012:
8:00 AM FAIRGROUNDS OPEN
PIT GATE OPENS
9:00 AM SPECTATOR GATES OPEN
STREET STOCK INSPECTION
9:30 AM STREET STOCK DRIVER MEETING &
DRAW
PIT PARTY
11:00 AM
STREET STOCK HOT LAPS
VINTAGE CAR HOT LAPS
11:15 AM MODIFIED HOT LAPS (B
MAIN CARS ONLY)
11:30 AM MODIFIED HOT LAPS
(QUALIFIED CARS)
12:00 PM MANDATORY MODIFIED
DRIVERS MEETING
12: 30 PM STREET STOCK HEATS
MODIFIED B
VINTAGE CAR FEATURE
STREET STOCK INTRODUCTION
STREET STOCK FEATURE 25 LAPS
2:45 PM MODIFIED INTRODUCTION
3:00 PM 51st
ANNUAL EASTERN STATES
MODIFIED FEATURE 200 LAPS
http://www.orangecountyfairspeedway.net/FILES/ESW%20Schedule%20&%20Price%20List%202012.pdf
Note:
The link above also has grand stand prices, camping prices and pit pass
prices.
An addition:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RjS0hKZEDEo&feature=share
Still plenty of racing scheduled for the Dirt
Oval, folks.
Bikes, 10/6, 10/13, 10/20 & 10/27: Karts
10/7 & 10/21: Bikes 10/19:
Make up for Quads
11/1, 11/2 & 11/3: Novemberfest – Kart
racing.
The Lobitz affair
November 11, 2012:
The annual Stan Lobitz Movie party, lunch, auction and sit down dinner,
with all of the proceeds going to the Eastern Museum of Motor Racing (EMMR).
Lobitz Caterin Hall – Route 940
One never knows who might
show up – like Eddie Sachs, Jr. or Arlen Kurtis, son
of noted race car builder Frank Kurtis – who have
been guests in recent years. A good time
is had by all with lots of bench racing and b*ll
busting being done throughout the day.
Vendors are also present.
Things get off to a somewhat
slow start at around 9:00 AM, and then it’s an all day thing that ends with the
sit down dinner usually a little after 5:00.
When I go, it’s I-84 West to
I-81 South. I get off on Route 80 East, then hit Pa Route 309 South – the first exit after leaving
I-81. From Port
Best part: it’s FREE.
Found on Jayski’s website:
Gibbs looking to extend Busch's contract:
Next
season is expected to produce a top crop of free agents in the Sprint Cup
market - but if Joe Gibbs Racing has its way, #18-Kyle Busch's name will never
reach the rumor mill. Principals at Gibbs Racing are working diligently to
renew Busch's contract before it expires next season. According to sources,
Gibbs approached Busch on an extension in the last couple of months and hopes
to retain one of NASCAR's top talents. "They typically do (contracts
before the expiration date)," Busch said. "They've brought it up to
my attention. I just kind of put it off to, 'Let's get through, let's see what happens in the Chase.' Since we missed that,
it's kind of like, now they want to re-talk about it. I'm like,
let's just wait until the end of the year. There's no sense in causing a
distraction."(Fox Sports)(9-30-2012)
Newman's crew and crew chief to Danica?
Danica Patrick will be in good hands when she runs her first full
season in the Sprint Cup Series in 2013. Stewart Haas Racing is looking to
support Patrick with the veteran crew (chief Tony
Gibson and the squad) that currently services the #39 team and Ryan Newman.
"That's what we're looking at," says Patrick's current Cup crew chief
and SHR Competition Director Greg Zipadelli. "We
sat down and talked with all the guys about it, and we just feel that they're a
real solid group of people. They have great attitudes, pretty upbeat. We feel
like that's the best thing to do is surround Danica
with a really great group of people that don't normally make mistakes. They
don't have issues. I look at them as generally, their glasses are always
half-full. I think that's the best thing for her." Zipadelli
has a short list of crew chiefs for Newman but considering that most are still
under contract with other teams he elected not to comment.(Fox Sports)(9-29-2012)
UPDATE:
They
are a veteran group and Gibson's easygoing demeanor would work well with Patrick
and the media spotlight. And Newman seems OK with the potential change. "I
wouldn't say I would be upset," Newman said. "I think a lot of
(Gibson) as a person. We've had success on the racetrack and we've struggled on
the racetrack." Newman said if he could get his crew chief in before the
end of the season, that would be beneficial but it would need to be most of the
crew he'd be working with in 2013. That could be difficult as SHR needs to hire
extra people for the addition of a car. "Nothing has been decided
yet-we're just talking about different options and trying to evaluate how we
can make our program better next year," team co-owner Tony Stewart said.(Sporting News)(10-2-2012)
NASCAR relaxes testing policy for next year:
For
the first time since 2008, NASCAR will allow Sprint Cup organizations to test
independently at tracks that host events in NASCAR's top three touring series.
Robin Pemberton, NASCAR's vice president of competition said Saturday at Dover
International Speedway that each Cup organization -- regardless of how many
cars it fields -- will be allowed four tests of its choosing at NASCAR tracks.
"It's up to them to pick where they want to go," Pemberton said.
"We feel like it's time to open that up and allow the teams to manage
their testing and get back on facilities that host our events. You'll see that
as the year unfolds, that teams will be moving around the countryside."
The four tests allocated to each organization next year are in addition to the
Preseason Thunder test to be conducted by NASCAR during the second week of
January.(NASCAR Wire Service)(9-29-2012)
NASCAR close to TV deal with Fox:
NASCAR
is close to finalizing a new TV deal with Fox for the first half of the Sprint
Cup season, but a deal for the second half will not be wrapped up until next
summer at the earliest, according to several sources. Fox started negotiations
for its package earlier this spring and has agreed on the broad terms of a new
deal to continue in the sport, sources said. An announcement is likely to come
in the weeks after the broadcaster's media rights deal with Major League
Baseball is announced officially. But the remaining inventory of NASCAR's media
package will be in question for the next year. That's because ESPN and Turner
Sports executives told NASCAR that they are not willing to start negotiations
on their media contracts early. NASCAR approached both networks earlier this
summer about new deals, but both chose to wait until their exclusive
negotiating windows kick in next summer. Typically, negotiating windows last
around a month. Despite declining ratings, particularly in the younger
demographics, NASCAR stands to bring in more money from its next media deals.
The addition of NBC Sports as a serious new bidder could create a bidding
battle that could help push rights fees higher than many expect. ESPN, which
carries the NASCAR Chase for the Sprint Cup Championship, is interested in
renewing its deal. Turner, which carries six midseason races, is interested in
adding more races to its schedule. Sources familiar with NASCAR's plans said
the organization hasn't decided whether it will sell its entire package of
rights to one partner, two partners or three, as it has in its current deal.
That decision won't be finalized until after it's held initial conversations with
ESPN and Turner. See more at Sports business Journal.(10-1-2012)
UPDATE:
The
curveball in a new FOX deal is the impact the network's change of SPEED into
Fox Sports One, a new all sports channel that will
carry Major League Baseball, college football and basketball and other sports
in addition to NASCAR programming. Hoping to keep up with the likes of the
ABC/ESPN, NBC/NBC Sports Network as well as CBS/CBS Sports Network pairings,
FOX plans to flip the current motorsports and automotive channel into its own
general sports cable network. As of now ancillary NASCAR programming such as
practice, qualifying and support events like the Camping World Truck Series
would be mixed into the revamped channel's content line-up. There is word FOX
will also stream NASCAR programming beginning next season, ala the "Watch
ESPN" initiative that will allow mobile device access for thousands of
viewers. Assuming FOX comes to terms, the remainder of the new NASCAR
television package is a bit fuzzier. While it appears ABC/ESPN and TNT will
return to the negotiating table, the NBC's interest is a wild card. Desperate
for content to help build its fledging sports net, the Peacock folks are
eyeballing a return to the business of stock car racing. The Nationwide Series,
currently an ABC/ESPN property, could be in play for NBC as well as the Truck
Series should FOX decide to back off the amount of NASCAR programming for its
cable sports network or the "World Wide Leader" scale back its stock
car investment. CBS or perhaps niche outlets like "The History
Channel" might also dip their toes into the negotiations.(CBS Sports)(10-3-2012)
Phoenix Racing will finish season:
Kurt
Busch's impending departure leaves James Finch's #51 Phoenix Racing team with a
high degree of uncertainty. Despite speculation to the contrary, crew chief
Nick Harrison said the team was committed to running the remainder of this
season's Sprint Cup schedule. "We're business as usual, moving
forward,"
Ambrose close to new deal:
#9-Marcos
Ambrose told ESPN.com on Sunday he is close to completing a new deal with
Richard Petty Motorsports. "We're all good,'' Ambrose said before the
third race of the Chase at Dover International Speedway. Sources said RPM will
soon announce a new deal with Ford as well as the signing of Ambrose. Sources
said there also have been talks with Aric Almirola about possibly returning to the #43.(ESPN.com)(10-1-2012)
Elliott Sadler close to deal for 2013; part-time Cup
with Gibbs?:
Elliott
Sadler said Tuesday that he is "close" to determining where he will
be working next season, but said first he must focus on taking care of
unfinished business this season. Sadler currently drives the #2 Chevy full-time
for Richard Childress Racing in the Nationwide Series, where he is the current points leader by a slim margin. But he already has said he
and RCR will be splitting ways at season's end. He also has said that he would
like to make a return to NASCAR's Sprint Cup Series as soon as possible, and
reiterated that point Tuesday after an appearance at RCR where he helped
promote the Bank of America 500 that will be run Oct. 13 at Charlotte Motor
Speedway. "My goal as a driver is to be back in the Cup Series and make
the Chase as a Cup driver. That's my No. 1 goal," Sadler said. Asked if he
expected to have that chance in 2013, Sadler hedged and replied, "Uh, I
don't know. We're working on some different things. But my No. 1 goal is to
have that opportunity, to be a part of the Chase again." Sources have
confirmed that one of the teams he has been talking with is Joe Gibbs Racing,
which appears willing to offer him a full-time Nationwide
ride and a limited Cup schedule for 2013 with the possibility of a full-time
Cup ride developing by 2014 if full-time sponsorship can be found for a fourth
JGR Cup car. "We're close. We're talking to three teams right now, so
we'll see," said Sadler, while declining to offer details on which teams
he has been negotiating with. "I'm just kind of late to the party, getting
out there and meeting and greeting with everybody."(NASCAR.com)(9-25-2012)
UPDATE:
[Team president J.D.] Gibbs & confirmed the possibility
that JGR could hire Nationwide Series point leader Elliott Sadler and Brian
Vickers to drive full-time in the Nationwide Series next season. "That's a
potential,'' Gibbs said. "I think we have to wait
a little while before we can say anything officially.'' Sadler, who has made it
clear he will not return to Richard Childress Racing after this season, would
drive one car with OneMain Financial as the primary
sponsor. He also is expected to drive a part-time Sprint Cup schedule. Vickers
would drive the second car with Dollar General as the sponsor. Gibbs said the
plan is to field a third car for his Cup drivers and developmental drivers Drew
Herring and Darrell Wallace Jr. to share.(ESPN.com)(10-1-2012)
NASCAR still looking at changes to Top 35 rule:
Sprint
Cup teams are looking forward to having four additional test sessions next
season and they might have more things to test than they initially thought.
Teams are awaiting 2013 rules and several team officials said over the weekend
they anticipate NASCAR might give them a little more leeway in some areas of
the car, while also restricting the ability to skew the rear of the cars. Not
only will testing allow them to work now at the tracks that they race on, they
also might need to work a little more on qualifying. Teams also are
anticipating that NASCAR will get rid of the top-35 rule and go back to the previous
system of the top 36 (or 37 or 38) cars in qualifying making the race, with the
remainder of the field set by provisionals based
primarily on owner points. The top-35 rule guarantees the top 35 teams in owner
points starting spots in each race. The rest of the field must make the race on
speed. Under the new format, all teams would have to qualify on speed or have
enough owner points to be eligible for a provisional starting spot. NASCAR
could announce that change and other new rules during a test at Talladega
Superspeedway Wednesday for the 2013 Cup car. Kyle Busch said his Joe Gibbs
Racing team already is experimenting with some ideas for next year. Busch said
teams know the cars are going to be lighter by 100-160 pounds. He also said
there will be aero changes that he said he would be the "test dummy"
for at a tire test at Texas Motor Speedway in two weeks.(Sporting News)(10-2-2012)
2013 car test at
#31-Jeff
Burton will be one of the drivers taking part in Wednesday's test of the 2013
NASCAR Sprint Cup Series car at Talladega Superspeedway. Seven teams will be at
the test, with
Teams complete 2013 car test at
Redesigned
race cars that will debut next season in the 55th running of the Daytona 500
got its first taste of restrictor plate racing today as seven teams put the
2013 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series car through its paces at Talladega Superspeedway.
Teams tested the 2013 model, which will highlight greater brand identity for
the series' manufacturers, searching for data on aerodynamics, cooling and
drivability. The new-look cars turned competitive laps while drafting and in
single-car runs. NASCAR officials, who also analyzed engine restrictor plates
and drafting performance, were pleased with the early results. "With a
different car, we'll look at what it's going to take for [restrictor] plate
size and some other things, but the main concern is how the cars draft, how
they react in the draft, and obviously to get more one-on-one racing,"
said Robin Pemberton, NASCAR vice president of competition. "All of the
input that we have from the drivers and the teams so far has been pretty
good." Today's six-hour test was extended by 30 minutes after morning fog
delayed some teams' arrival.(NASCAR)(10-3-2012)
Sponsorship announcement for Stewart Haas:
Stewart
Haas Racing is expected to announce sponsorship for Ryan Newman Tuesday and
likely will include existing nine-race sponsor Quicken Loans, according to
those with knowledge of the announcement. Newman is losing the U.S. Army's
12-race sponsorship after this season. He re-signed with the team in early
September even though it had not announced any sponsors for 2013. Stewart
himself needs a sponsor to replace Office Depot and its 22 races for next
season. Several sources indicated that SHR is talking with Bass Pro Shops and
an announcement could come as early as late next week. Bass Pro Shops already
is an associate sponsor of the organization and has been on the hood of
Newman's car for a couple of races. A Bass Pro spokesman said last week the
company had no comment on the speculation of the company sponsoring SHR.(Sporting News)(9-29-2012)
UPDATE:
Quicken
Loans, the nation's largest online mortgage lender, announced that it will
double down on its partnership with Stewart-Haas Racing and Ryan Newman, driver
of the #39 Chevy in the Sprint Cup Series. Through the new agreement, Quicken
Loans will serve as Newman's primary sponsor for 18 Sprint Cup races in 2013,
marking the majority of the season. When not the primary sponsor, the company
will be an associate sponsor on Newman's Chevrolet. Additionally, Quicken Loans
will remain as an associate sponsor on the #14 Mobil 1 Chevy driven by
three-time and reigning Sprint Cup champion Tony Stewart throughout the 2013
season. The company also announced details of its newly launched Skip-a-Year
Sweepstakes, which will pay up to five entrants' mortgages for a full year.
"We were not sure what to expect with the 2012 season being our first in
the sport," said Jay Farner, President and Chief
Marketing Officer for Quicken Loans. "What we quickly found was that NASCAR
fans are tremendously passionate and loyal to the brands that help drive their
sport. It was their commitment to our company that ultimately allowed us to
significantly increase our involvement with the sport, Stewart-Haas Racing and
Ryan Newman." In 2012, Quicken Loans is a primary sponsor for nine races
with Newman and the #39 team, while also maintaining an associate sponsorship
with Stewart.(Stewart-Haas Racing)(10-2-2012)
UPDATE 2:
SHR
also is working on a potential deal with Bass Pro Shops to replace some of the
22 races left open on Tony Stewart's car after Office Depot announced plans to
leave the sport after this season. "It's a huge first step in filling in a
couple of large voids,'' Stewart said of expanding the sponsorship of Quicken
Loans. "Hopefully, that will have a domino
effect. "We're really close to getting Ryan's races sold. We're still
working on getting mine taken care of. We feel we have a couple of good leads
that hopefully will get done before the end of the year.'' The good news for
Newman is his car is almost fully sponsored, with Wix
Filters, Outback Steakhouse and Aspen Dental expected to return. He said
getting Quicken Loans on the car for 18 races gives him more confidence that
his one-year deal for next season could become more long-term.(ESPN)(10-3-2012)
2012 Sprint Cup Driver CHASE Championship Points Standings:
[after
1) #2-Brad Keselowski
[5 wins], 2142
2) #48-Jimmie Johnson [3 wins], 2137, -5
3) #11-Denny Hamlin [5 wins], 2126, -16
4) #15-Clint Bowyer [2 wins], 2117, -25
5) #14-Tony Stewart [3 wins], 2110, -32
6) #5-Kasey Kahne [2
wins], 2110, -32
7) #88-Dale Earnhardt Jr. [1 win], 2103, -39
8) #56-Martin Truex
Jr. [0 wins], 2100, -42
9) #29-Kevin Harvick
[0 wins], 2096, -46
10) #24-Jeff Gordon [1 win], 2094, -48
11) #16-Greg Biffle [2
wins], 2091, -51
12) #17-Matt Kenseth
[1 win], 2070, -72
Drivers Points Standings (pdf)
http://www.jayski.com/stats/2012/pdfs/29dov2012points.pdf
2013 Cup Schedule:
http://www.jayski.com/news/pages/story/_/page/2013-NASCAR-Sprint-Cup-Schedule
Going back, in time at OVRP’s Dirt Oval:
Hey, sorry about the one I had here last week
– it was a duplicate from a few weeks ago.
Brain fart on my end!
Back to October 18, 2003:
http://www.whowon.com/Results.asp?TrackID=1904&StoryID=104938
Some that ran back then in Karts but are now
in more costly vehicles: Joe Kata, Luke Schostkewitz, Ben
Whitaker, Brad Szulewski, LJ Lombardo, Matt Janiak, Johnny Guarino, Kyle
Armstrong, Joey Falanga, Kyle Redner,
Roger Coss, Wyatt Clark, Danny Hennessey, Chuck Alessi and Joe Conklin.
1948
April
18
1.
Ted Tappett Curtis Offy #8
2.
George Rice Bourgnon Offy
#36
3.
Larry Bloomer Willetts Offy
4.
Johnny Rice Lataille-Miller Offy
5.
Bill Schindler Caruso Offy #2
25
laps 6:27.72
Crowd
of 10,000 2,000
turned away by order of Police.
Note:
ISN columnist Ed White mentions that the injured Henry Renard
was walking around with a movie camera shooting
everything in sight. Wonder if that footage still exists!
April
25
1.
Bill Schindler
2.
Al Keller
3.
Russ Klar
25
laps 6:13.30 NTR
May
2
1.
Lloyd Christopher
2.
Al Keller
3.
Ernie McCoy
25
laps
May
9
1.
George Rice
2.
Bob Disbrow
3.
Rex Records
25
laps 6:05.54 NTR
May
16 rain
May
23
1.
Bill Baker
2.
Buddy Chase
3.
Rex Records
25
laps
May
30 rain
June
6
1.Ted Tappett
2.
Len Duncan
3.
George Rice
25
laps 6:23.46
June
13 rain
June
20
1. Bill
Schindler
2.
George Flemke
3.
George Rice
25
laps 6:21.58
June
27
1.
George Rice Al Jolson Offy
2.
Lloyd Christopher
3.
George Flemke
25
laps 6:25.55
July
4
1.
Bill Schindler
2.
Ted Tappett
3.
Bill Baker
50
laps
July
11
1.
Steve McGrath Al Jolson Offy
2.
Stan Disbrow
3.
Walt Fusco
4.
Len Duncan
25
laps 6:28.33
July
18 rain Duke Nalon scheduled
July
25
1.
Bill Schindler
2.
George Rice
3.
Johnny Rice
25
laps 6:24.45
Aug.
1
1.
Bill Schindler
2.
Steve McGrath
3.
Larry Shurter
20
laps halted, accident no time
Aug.
8
1.
Bill Schindler
2.
Walt Fusco
3.
Steve McGrath
25
laps 6:30.09
Aug.
15
1.
Dutch Schaefer Golden Arrow Offy
2.
Bob Disbrow
3.
George Flemke
4.
George Rice
5.
Rex Records
6.
Johnny Rice
25
laps no time
Aug.
22
1.
Tony Bonadies
2.
Buddy Chase
3.
Stan Disbrow
4.
George Rice
5.
Bill Schindler
6.
Johnny Ritter
25
laps 6:32.58
Aug.
29
1.
Lloyd Christopher
2.
Johnny Rice
3.
George Rice
25
laps 6:24.08
Sept.
5
1.
Dutch Schaefer
2.
Chet Conklin
3.
Ted Tappett
4.
George Rice
5.
Steve McGrath
6.
Gene Cady
25
laps 6:27.?
Sept.
5
1.
Dutch Schaefer
2.
George Rice
3.
Lloyd Christopher
4.
Chet Conklin
5.
Steve McGrath
6.
Ted Tappett
50
laps 12:57.35
Sept.
12
1.
Mike Nazaruk Caruso Offy
2.
Rex Records
3.
George Rice
25
laps 6:21.63
Sept.
19
1.
George Rice
2.
Steve McGrath
3.
Johnny Rice
4.
Johnny Kay
5.
Bob Breading
6.
Stan Disbrow
25
laps
Sept.
26
1.
Rex Records
2.
Bob Disbrow
3.
George Rice
25
laps 6:12.49
Oct.
3 canceled lighting system failed
Oct.
10
1.
Bill Schindler 53rd win of the season
2.
Johnny Rice
3.
Steve McGrath
4.
Rex Records
5.
Tony Bonadies
6.
Bob Disbrow
50
laps 13:49.87
Nov.
21
1.
Mike Nazaruk
2.
Rex Records
3.
Bill Schindler
4.
Chet Conklin
5.
Stan Disbrow
6.
Bert Brooks
25
laps 6:30.10
News
from the AARN:
The
top 50 drivers of the AARN’s first 50 years have been
voted on by a panel of judges – writers and photographers. Drivers must have competed in the AARN’s weekly coverage area. Last week drivers from 30th to 21st
were listed.
Here
are drivers from 20 to 11:
20. Merv Treichler, 19. Jerry
Cook, 18. Gerald Chamberlain, 17. Jan Opperman,
16. Ted Christopher, 15. Alan Johnson, 14. Buzzie Reutiman, 13. Al Tasnady, 12. Jack
Johnson, 11. Bob McCreadie
In
AARN
This
Week:
Jamie Mills
Wraps Up
With Eighth
Win;
Claims Third
Title
Motorsports
Journalism Legend
Chris Economaki Dead At 91
Biggest Win
Of Pat Ward's Career
Comes In
Fulton's Outlaw 200
Indy Cars To
Return To Pocono
In 2013
Schatz Takes
Williams
Grove National Open
And $50,000
Stafford's
Fall Final
A Non-Stop
Race
For Winner
Bobby Santos
Field Of
Broken Dreams:
Glen Ridge's
Future Is In Doubt
Racing On
The Mile
Before Super
DIRT Week:
Syracuse Has
Rich Racing Heritage
At Age 5:
Short Track SuperNationals
Is Working
Man's Race
Thieves Rob
Bobby Varin's Race Shop
Hagerstown's
October Race
Undergoes
Schedule,
Name
Changes
Doug
& Gena Reflect
On
Their Year
At
Bridgeport Speedway
Former
As you might expect, there is less and less every
week now.
A week ago, Jacob He
At Mahoning last week, Roger Coss
was 1st in the Modified feature.
Tiffany Wambold was a DNQ in the Street Stock
class.
Nick Pecko was 3rd
and Rogr Coss 7th
in the Modified feature at Mountain Speedway.
Note:
Although he is not a former Dirt Oval runner, I thought I’d put this in
– Matt Roselli turned a fast lap on the ¼ mile
Mountain Speedway during the TQ feature with a time of 8.825 seconds. That is an average speed of 101.983 MPH!
At Borgers, in the 600
Wingless Micro Sprint feature, Paul Quear was 6th. What makes that kind of remarkable, is that
Paul had a birthday that day.
His 82nd!
Back on September 15th, Brian Sobus was 7th in the Super Modified feature at
Press Releases:
News from the King of the Can - 'It's
Good To Be King'
Media Contact: Brett Deyo
- 845.728.2781 or Deyo99H@aol.com
For Immediate Release/Sept. 28, 2012
Round Three:
Stewart Friesen & Jeff Strunk Take On Each Other Plus
Strong Field Expected At 13th Annual 'King of the Can' Friday, Oct. 12; $313 To
Take Green Flag!
SUSQUEHANNA, PA
- Round
three!
Friends off the track and rivals when
strapped into a dirt Modified, Jeff Strunk and
Stewart Friesen have thrilled fans with their on-track battles in the last
year. They will meet again on Friday night, Oct. 12 when Penn Can Speedway
hosts the 13th running of the track's 'King of the Can' event for
big-block/small-block Modifieds. The winner of the
50-lap main will earn $5,000-plus with $313 reserved to take the green flag.
The $313 green money - an increase of $113
from last year - was posted in celebration of the 13th ‘King of the Can’
year-end event. The race was first run in 1999.
The 'King of the Can' is presented by VP Racing
Fuels, Pioneer Pole Buildings, Don's Automotive Mall and Gary's U-Pull-It. The Modifieds are joined on Friday night by 602 Crate Sport
Gates open at 5:15 p.m. with hot laps at
6:45 p.m. and racing scheduled at 7:30 p.m. A rain date of Sunday, Oct. 14 is
in place for Friday's program if necessary.
Adult admission is $22 (Adults) or $20
with the ticket stub from Penn Can's most recent regular program on Sept. 7.
Seniors (62 and up) and Students (ages 13-17) are $20. Kids 12 and under are
FREE. Pit admission is $35.
The '12 'King of the Can' is a
co-promotion involving track managers Reed Miller and
Al Wilcox and special events coordinator Brett Deyo
of BD Motorsports Media. A number of special awards and cash bonuses will be
available to racers in this year’s event.
Friesen, 29, of Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ont.,
won the '11 'King of the Can' race in thrilling fashion. A late restart paved
the way for Friesen to execute a slide job and steal the victory from Strunk inside the final two laps. A perturbed Strunk expressed his displeasure with Friesen during the
post-race interview.
The rivalry sparked again in mid-September
at Grandview (Pa.) Speedway during the track's $50,000 Freedom 76. On this
occasion, it was Strunk who carried Friesen up the
trac
On Oct. 12, they return to Penn Can - the
one-third-mile Susquehanna County oval where it all began - for the year-end
'King of the Can' spectacular. The top three finishers from last
Ryan Godown of Ringoes, N.J., t
Other expected invaders include Five Mile
Point (N.Y.) Speedway Modified champion Justin Holland of Kauneonga
Lake, N.Y., Grandview champion/2008 'King of the Can' Duane Howard of Oley,
Pa., Big Diamond (Pa.) Speedway Coalcracker 72 winner
Doug Manmiller of Shoemakersville, Pa., former track
champion Mike Gular of Green Lane, Pa., Five Mile
Point/Accord standout Danny Creeden of Middletown,
N.Y., I-88 (N.Y.) Speedway champ Mitch Gibbs of North Norwich, N.Y., and more.
Penn Can 2012 Modified champion '06 'King
of the Can' Joey Grammes of Lehighton, Pa., leads the
contingent of Penn Can regulars to the 'King of the Can' and will be joined by
Mike Schane of Lake Ariel, Pa., '10 'King of the Can'
Kevin Bates, also of Lake Ariel, Pa., '11 Penn Can champion Kevin Hartnett of
Troy, Pa., Mike Colsten of Binghamton, N.Y., and
several others.
Rules for the 'King of the Can' should
encourage a diverse field of Modifieds to congregate
on the Penn Can oval. Big-block (2,500 lbs.) or small-block (2,400 lbs.)
engines will be permitted. Gasoline or methanol is allowed. Teams may run sail
panels (specs detailed on the web) or traditional windows. Any American Racer
stamp is accepted with the following compounds: Front tires - American Racer SD
33 or harder; Left-Rear - SD 33, 38 or 44; Right-Rear - SD 38, 44, 48 or 50.
For the Crate 602 Sportsman event, a
maximum gear rule of 6.29 will be in effect. The 6,200 rev chip will not be
mandatory. Teams may run steel wheels (2,375 lbs.) or aluminum wheels (2,450
lbs.). The tire rule will mirror that of the Modifieds
with one exception: the DIRTcar Hoosier Sportsman
tire will be permitted so long as it is not softer than the legal American
Racer compounds.
The Street Stock event will be contested
using 2012 RoC Street Stock rules.
All divisions will set heat lineups with a
draw for position.
Pre-entered drivers (prior to Oct. 5
Penn Can Speedway's second day of the
'King of the Can' weekend is set for Sat., Oct. 13 with a full program
including Race of Champions Dirt Sportsman, Race of Champions Street Stocks,
CRSA 305 Sprint Cars, Four Cylinders, Factory Stocks and XCel
600 Modifieds. Gates open at 3 p.m. on Saturday with
hot laps at 5:30 p.m. and racing planned at 6 p.m.
Saturday admission is $14 for Adults and
$2 off with the Friday (Oct. 12) ticket stub. Seniors (62 and over) and
Students (ages 13-17) are $12. Kids 12 and under are FREE. Pit admission is
$30.
To learn more about the 2012 'King of the
Can' contact Brett Deyo by phone at 845.728.2781 orDeyo99H@aol.com. On the web: www.bdmotorsportsmedia.com.
Lap sponsorships and other marketing opportunities are available.
News from the King of the Can
- 'It's Good To Be King'
Media Contact: Brett Deyo - 845.728.2781 or Deyo99H@aol.com
For Immediate Release/Oct. 1,
2012
Room to Race: Wider and
Reconfigured Penn Can
SU
Since the point season finale
at the Susquehanna County oval on Sept. 7, speedway managers Reed Miller and Al
Wilcox embarked on a renovation and reconstruction pro
Miller and Wilcox cut the
infield back some eight feet at the entrance to the corners, arcing to 15 feet
at the exit of turns two and four. This will significantly widen the speedway
racing surface. Additionally, the frontstretch and
backstretch walls were reconstructed during the project. Drainage was adjusted
to accommodate the new layout.
"We were looking to give
our drivers another lane to race on," Miller explained. "This should
eliminate the funnel effect off of the corners and open up the outside groove
some more. We're hoping for some great racing at the 'King of the Can' this
year with all the changes we've made."
The winner of the headline
50-lap big-block/small-block Modified main at the 'King of the Can' will earn
$5,000-plus with $313 reserved to take the green flag. The $313 green money -
an increase of $113 from last year - was posted in celebration of the 13th
‘King of the Can’ year-end event. The race was first run in 1999.
The 'King of the Can' is
presented by VP Racing Fuels, Pioneer Pole Buildings, Don's Automotive Mall and
Gary's U-Pull-It. The Modifieds are joined on Friday
night by 602 Crate Sport
Gates open at 5:15 p.m. with
hot laps at 6:45 p.m. and racing scheduled at 7:30 p.m. A rain date of Sunday,
Oct. 14 is in place for Friday's program if necessary.
Adult admission is $22
(Adults) or $20 with the ticket stub from Penn Can's most recent regular
program on Sept. 7. Seniors (62 and up) and Students (ages 13-17) are $20. Kids
12 and under are FREE. Pit admission is $35.
The '12 'King of the Can' is
a co-promotion involving track managers Miller and Wilcox and special events
coordinator Brett Deyo of BD Motorsports Media. A
number of special awards and cash bonuses will be available to racers in this
year’s event.
Among the drivers entering
the event are former Mr. DIRTcar Modified champion
Gary Tomkins of Clifton Springs, N.Y. (driving the Tom Oleski/Bobby
Trapper No. 30-plus), defending race winner Stewart Friesen of
Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ont., BPG Racing Freedom 76 Grandview (Pa.) Speedway
winner Jeff Strunk of Bechtelsville, Pa., I-88 (N.Y.)
Speedway champion Mitch Gibbs of North Norwich, N.Y., Big Diamond (Pa.)
Speedway Coalcracker victor Doug Manmiller
of Shoemakersville, N.Y., Woodhull (N.Y.) Raceway competitor Donnie Lawson Jr.
of Woodhull, N.Y., Five Mile Point (N.Y.) Speedway champion Justin Holland of Kauneonga Lake, N.Y., and Penn Can champ Joey Grammes of Lehighton, Pa.
Fresh off his $20,000-plus
triumph at Fulton (N.Y.) Speedway in the Outlaw 200, Pat Ward of Genoa, N.Y.,
is expected at Penn Can hoping to better his third-place finish of one yea
Rules for the 'King of the
Can' should encourage a diverse field of Modifieds to
congregate on the Penn Can oval. Big-block (2,500 lbs.) or small-block (2,400
lbs.) engines will be permitted. Gasoline or methanol is allowed. Teams may run
sail panels (specs detailed on the web) or traditional windows. Any American
Racer stamp is accepted with the following compounds: Front tires - American
Racer SD 33 or harder; Left-Rear - SD 33, 38 or 44; Right-Rear - SD 38, 44, 48
or 50.
For the Crate 602 Sportsman
event, a maximum gear rule of 6.29 will be in effect. The 6,200 rev chip will
not be mandatory. Teams may run steel wheels (2,375 lbs.) or aluminum wheels
(2,450 lbs.). The tire rule will mirror that of the Modifieds
with one exception: the DIRTcar Hoosier Sportsman
tire will be permitted so long as it is not softer than the legal American
Racer compounds.
The Street Stock event will
be contested using 2012 RoC Street Stock rules.
All divisions will set heat
lineups with a draw for position.
Pre-entered drivers (prior to
Oct. 5) are entered into a drawing for a pair of $50 gas cards. The drawing
takes place at the drivers' meeting on race night. Entry forms are on the web
at www.bdmotorsportsmedia.com.
Penn Can Speedway's second
day of the 'King of the Can' weekend is set for Sat., Oct. 13 with a full
program including Race of Champions Dirt Sportsman, Race of Champions Street
Stocks, CRSA 305 Sprint Cars, Four Cylinders, Factory Stocks and XCel 600 Modifieds. Gates open at
3 p.m. on Saturday with hot laps at 5:30 p.m. and racing planned at 6 p.m.
Saturday admission is $14 for
Adults and $2 off with the Friday (Oct. 12) ticket stub. Seniors (62 and over)
and Students (ages 13-17) are $12. Kids 12 and under are FREE. Pit admission is
$30.
To learn more about the 2012
'King of the Can' contact Brett Deyo by phone at
845.728.2781 or Deyo99H@aol.com. On the web: www.bdmotorsportsmedia.com. Lap
sponsorships and other marketing opportunities are available.
The King of the Can is
presented by VP Racing Fuels, Pioneer Pole Buildings, Don’s Automotive Mall,
Gary’s U-Pull-It, S&W Awards, Lias Tire, Racers
Preferred Models, MTL Motorsports, Harford Subway, BFP Specialty, Shiley Fabrications, Four Star Lettering, S&D Bodyline,
ERK Steering, Manmiller Electric, Selinsgrove
Speedway/JGK Motorsports, Bob Hilbert Sportswear and BD Motorsports Media.
NEWS FROM
Orange County Fair Speedway
239 Wisner Avenue
Middletown, NY 10940
CONTACT
Mike Gurda
845-342-2573
EASTERN STATES FAVORS “HOME
TRACK” DRIVERS
MIDDLETOWN, NY (October 1)……..Last
October, when Danny Johnson took the checkered flag in the 50th Annual Eastern
States 200 for dirt track Modified stock cars at Orange County Fair Speedway in
Middletown, New York, there was a debate whether “The Doctor” could be
considered an invader or an Orange County regular competitor. That’s because
for more than three seasons in the 1990s, Johnson raced weekly on the Orange
County Hard Clay. Since the n, he’s made infrequent forages to Middletown , but frequently enough that many fans no longer
consider him an outside invader. Last year’s victory was Johnson’s sixth in the
prestigious race, edging him closer to all-time winner Brett Hearn, who has
eight Eastern States 200 trophies to his credit. And like Johnson, Hearn, who
holds virtually every Orange County Modified record, has not race here weekly
for a number of years. Both, however, will return for this years’ 51st Annual
Eastern States 200 Presented by Arkel Motors. The
Eastern States 200 is the headline race of Eastern States Weekend, this year
Friday-Sunday, October 19-21.
In the 50 previous running of
this classic endurance race for Modifieds, 17 of the
winners have been drivers who have raced weekly at Orange County at least one
full season and 13 who can be considered “outside” invaders. But in terms of
total wins, the Orange County contingent wins hands down, 36 to 14. And only
one invading driver, Gerald Chamberlain in 1973 and 1976, has more than one Eastern
States victory to his credit.
In addition to Johnson and
Hearn, among active Orange County weekly competitors, Jerry Higbie
in 2009, Jeff Heotzler, the 2007 victor, Chuck McKee,
the 2000 winner, and Rich Eurich, who won back in
1988, would surely like to take home ano the r
Eastern States trophy.
Of the 13 invaders who have
won the Eastern States gold, Tim McCreadie (2010),
Bobby Varin (2003 winner), Alan Johnson (1999), and
Bill y Decker (1998) are likely entrants in this year’s race.
The top-6 drivers in time
trials will lead the field in Sunday’s race. The seventh starting slot is
reserved for a winner of a special late season Orange County feature race
winner. The balance of the starting field will be made up of guaranteed
starters and qualified drivers from heat and consolation races.
In recent years, both Heotzler and Hearn have won the 200-lap grind from the back
of the field, proving that this race can be won from any position. That’s why a
banner field is expected for this year’s edition of the oldest continuously-run
championship race for Modifieds--- the 51st Annual
Eastern States 200 Presented by Arkel Motors.
Advance tickets for Sunday’s
race, or the entire Eastern States Weekend, plus camping and parking permits
are available at the Speedway Office during regular business hours or through
credit card sales (Visa and MasterCard) by calling 845-342-2573. Additional
information can be found at the official Orange County Fair Speedway website, www.orangecountyfairspeedway.net.
Perris Auto Speedway
18700 Lake Perris Drive
Perris, CA 92571
(951) 940-0134
http://perrisautospeedway.com/
For further information contact Scott Daloisio
(909) 226-7768 or mailto:racesatthepas@aol.com
For Immediate Release
72ND TURKEY NIGHT GRAND PRIX SCHEDULE!
(Perris, CA, September 27, 2012) Perris Auto Speedway has released the
schedule for the 72nd running of the Turkey Night Grand Prix for the Mopar USAC National and Western Midgets on Thanksgiving
Night, November 22nd.
Nov. 20 / 12:00 PM - Fairgrounds camp area opens - for information
call: (951) 657-4221
Nov. 20 / 12:00 PM - Pits will open for transporter parking
Nov. 21 / 4:00 PM - Pit gate will open for practice
4:00 -
Spectator gates will open for practice (free for fans)
5:00 - Practice begins
9:30 - Practice ends
Nov. 22 / 12:00 PM - Pit gate opens
2:00 - Spectator gates open
2:30 - 3:30 - On track autograph session
3:30 - 4:30 - Turkey Night Legends Autograph session sports bar
4:00 - Drivers meeting
4:30 - Wheel packing and hot laps
6:00 - Qualifying (top 14 locked into the main event)
7:00 - Opening ceremonies and national anthem
7:15 - Qualifying race #1. 12-Laps
(odd number qualifiers top 8 transfer)
7:40 - Qualifying race #2. 12-Laps
(even number qualifiers top 8 transfer)
Intermission
8:30 - Driver introductions on front straightaway
8:45 - 72nd Turkey Night Grand Prix main event
Trophy presentations
And:
Perris Auto Speedway
18700 Lake Perris Drive
Perris, CA 92571
(951) 940-0134
http://perrisautospeedway.com/
For further information contact Scott Daloisio
(909) 226-7768 or mailto:racesatthepas@aol.com
For Immediate Release
TURKEY NIGHT GRAND PRIX "DON BASILE
ROOKIE OF THE RACE AWARD!"
(Perris, CA, October 1, 2012) Bob Basile,
son of National Sprint Car Hall of Famer Don Basile,
has announced that the "Don Basile Rookie of the
Race Award" will carry a $500.00 bonus at the 72nd running of the Turkey
Night Grand at Perris Auto Speedway on Thanksgiving night, November
22nd. The event,
which will feature the Mopar USAC National and
Western States Midgets, will mark the long anticipated return to the dirt for
America's longest running and most prestigious Midget race.
The younger Basile, who now presides
over Sunnsyide Promotions, is happy to see the award
carry on. "It means a
lot to me to keep this award alive in my dad's name," he said. "Especially now
that the race is back on dirt."
The Turkey Night Grand Prix was actually the first race the elder Basile ever attended as a youth in the late 1930s at
Gilmore Stadium in Hollywood (now the site of CBS Studios). "As a young kid, Dad was running
errands for J.C. Agajanian's dad “Pappy," Basile said. "J.C. invited
dad to go to the race one Thanksgiving. After
that dad was hooked on racing, but he would have to wait until after WWII
before getting seriously involved at Carroll Speedway in his life long passion.
Of course the Gilmore race was the last big race of the year and always part of
Dad’s Thanksgiving plans."
The race took place at Gilmore from its inception in 1934 to
1950. Crowds of 18,000 were
not uncommon for weekly Midget races at the venue, but by the late 1940s crowds
dropped to below 9,000. Dwindling
crowds and rising property values in the area created a new demand for the
property. It was sold in
1950 and the stadium torn down one year later.
When Gilmore went away, so did the Turkey Night Grand Prix. The race was not run from 1951 through
1954. In 1955, with the
help of Don Basile, J.C. Agajanian
resurrected the Thanksgiving night tradition at Carroll Speedway in Gardena,
where it remained until moving to Ascot Park in 1960. "In 1955 dad helped J.C.
resurrect the great event and helped organize it for the next 20 years," Basile said. "When
he passed on in 1998, I thought that a rookie of the race award would fit
perfectly as dad helped young drivers throughout his racing career."
"We are pleased and honored that Bob is continuing the award
in his dad's name for the 72nd running of the Turkey Night Grand Prix at The
PAS," Perris Auto Speedway promoter Don Kazarian
said. "The list
(complete list below) of winners for the first 15 years that Bob has given the
award is extremely impressive. We
anxiously anticipate seeing who will win the award and the extra $500.00 Bob is
putting up this year."
The winner of the award does not have to be a rookie Midget
driver. It will go to the
highest finishing driver who has never competed in the Turkey Night Grand Prix
before.
Past winners of the Turkey Night Grand
Prix "Don Basile Rookie of the Race Award."
1998 - Kasey Khane
1999 - Dave Steele
2000 - Aaron Pollock
2001 - Bobby East
2002 - Jerome Rodela
2003 - Ryan Durst
2004 - Brad Loyet
2005 - Kevin Swindell
2006 - Kody Swanson
2007 - Mike Murgoitio
2008 - Nic Faas
2009 - Levi Roberts
2010 - Dalton Armstrong
2011 - Kyle Larson
Advance tickets for the 72nd running of the Turkey Night Grand
Prix are available now by calling -1-800-595-4849. You can also order online
at: http://pas.tix.com/Schedule.aspx?OrgNum=7. Advance tickets will also go on sale at
The PAS office on Monday, October 1st. E-mail Kim Kazarian
for details: openwhchic.kim@aol.com
The entire 2012 PAS schedule is listed at the end of this release.
To keep up with all of the latest Perris Auto Speedway news,
photos, gossip and receive special offers, sign up at The PAS Facebook site at: http://www.facebook.com/home.php
- !/pages/Perris-Auto-Speedway/11387679868
You can also keep up with the latest news and receive special
offers from The PAS Twitter site: http://twitter.com/perrisautospdwy.
Note: Here is a race that most definitely should be
on live TV.
Susquehanna Speedway Park
- 2012 Schedule of Upcoming
Events at “SSP Big Track”
(Schedule as of October 2, 2012 - Subject to Change)
October 3 (Wed.) Wed. Night
Test & Tune Session at Big Track (Gates open at 5:00 p.m.; Practice 6:00 p.m. - 9:00
p.m.)
October 17 (Wed.) Wed. Night
Test & Tune Session at Big Track (Gates open at 5:00 p.m.; Practice 6:00 p.m. - 9:00
p.m.)
October 19 (Fri.) 9th Annual Miller’s Racing Parts Fall
Classic Qualifying Night - Street Stocks, Xtreme
Stock Cars &
Classic Cars (7:00 p.m.) –
Rain date: Saturday, October 20 (Championship Night will move to Sun., Oct. 21)
October 20 (Sat.) 9th Annual Miller’s Racing Parts Fall
Classic Championship Night - Street Stocks, Xtreme
Stock Cars
and Four Cylinder Stock Cars (6:00 p.m.) – Rain date:
Sunday, October 21.
October 25 (Thurs.) Thursday
Night Test & Tune Session at Big Track (Gates open at 5:00 p.m.; Practice 6:00 p.m. - 9:00
p.m.)
October 27 (Sat.) Candy Bowl VIII presented by J&K
Salvage - ARDC Wingless Midgets, 600cc Micro Sprints, Sidewinder
Sprints,
Sportsman Modifieds, Legends Cars, Thundercars & Mini Vans (2:00 p.m.) Raindate: Sunday,
October 28.
November 3 (Sat.) 9th Annual Turkey
200 Enduro – Big Car Enduro
(100 laps) & 4/6 Cylinder Small Car Enduro (100
laps) plus Classic Cars, Mini Vans and Figure 8 Racing
(1:00 p.m.); Rain date: Sunday, November 4.
November 10 (Sat.) The Final Showdown – Super (410) Sprint Car
Finale & 358 Sprint Cars (2:00 p.m.) – Rain date:
Sunday, November 11.
During the season, SSP will
also host Wednesday Night Test & Tune Sessions on October 17 and October 25
(Thursday). All Wednesday night practices will run from 6:00 p.m. to 9:00
p.m. All pit passes from the postponed
September 19 Test & Tune may be exchanged for half price ($6.00) pit
admission for the remainder of the 2012 season at any Test & Tune. Pit passes from September 19 must be
presented for exchange. Car entry fees
will be half price for each car ($10.00) from September 19 and may be used once
for the remainder of the season.
The Susquehanna Speedway Park
is located midway between Harrisburg and York off I-83 to exit 32, then 1.4
miles NW on SR382 to York Road, then 1.3 miles south. For more information, contact the speedway
offices at (717) 292-1696 or visit online at sspracing.net. On raceday, use the
track phone at (717) 938-9170 for up-to-date information at the “Big Track.”
I
get e-mails:
Here’s part of an e-mail I received this past
Sunday:
First Lady Michelle Obama's
Servant List and Pay Scale
The First Lady Requires More
Than Twenty Attendants (Thats 22 Attendants to be
exact)
1. $172,200
- Sher, Susan (Chief Of Staff)
2. $140,000
- Frye, Jocelyn C. (Deputy Assistant to the President and Director of
Policy And Projects For The First Lady)
3. $113,000
- Rogers, Desiree G. (Special Assistant to the President and White House
Social Secretary)
4. $102,000
- Johnston, Camille Y. (Special Assistant to the President and Director
of Communications for the First Lady)
5. $100,000
- Winter, Melissa E. (Special Assistant to the
President and Deputy Chief Of Staff to the First Lady)
6. $90,000
- Medina , David S. (Deputy Chief Of Staff to the
First Lady)
7. $84,000
- Lelyveld, Catherine M. (Director and Press
Secretary to the First Lady)
8. $75,000
- Starkey, Frances M. (Director of Scheduling and Advance for the First
Lady)
9. $70,000
- Sanders, Trooper (Deputy Director of Policy and Projects for the First
Lady)
10. $65,000
- Burnough, Erinn J.
(Deputy Director and Deputy Social Secretary)
11. $64,000
- Reinstein, Joseph B. (Deputy Director and
Deputy Social Secretary)
12. $62,000
- Goodman, Jennifer R. (Deputy Director of Scheduling and Events
Coordinator For The First Lady)
13. $60,000
- Fitts, Alan O. (Deputy Director of Advance
and Trip Director for the First Lady)
14. $57,500
- Lewis, Dana M. (Special Assistant and Personal Aide to the First
Lady)
15. $52,500
- Mustaphi, Semonti
M. (Associate Director and Deputy Press Secretary to The
First Lady)
16. $50,000
- Jarvis, Kristen E. (Special-2Assistant for Scheduling and Traveling
Aide to The First Lady)
17. $45,000 - Lechtenberg,
Tyler A. (Associate Director of Correspondence For The
First Lady)
18. $43,000
- Tubman, Samantha (Deputy Associate Director, Social Office)
19. $40,000
- Boswell, Joseph J. (Executive Assistant to the Chief Of Staff to the
First Lady)
20. $36,000
- Armbruster, Sally M. (Staff Assistant to the
Social Secretary)
21. $35,000
- Bookey, Natalie (Staff Assistant)
22. $35,000 - Jackson, Deilia A. (Deputy Associate Director of Correspondence for
the First Lady)
(This is community organizing
at it's finest.)
There has NEVER
been anyone in the White House at any time who
has created such an army of staffers whose sole duties are the facilitation of
the First Lady's social life. One wonders why she needs so much help, at taxpayer expense, when even Hillary only had three; Jackie Kennedy one ; Laura Bush one ; and prior to Mamie Eisenhower social
help came from the President's own pocket.
Note: This does not include
makeup artist Ingrid Grimes-Miles, 49, and "First Hairstylist" Johnny
Wright, 31, both of whom traveled aboard Air Force One to Europe .
FRIENDS.....THESE SALARIES
ADD UP TO SIX MILLION, THREE HUNDRED
SIXTY FOUR THOUSAND DOLLARS ($6,364,000) FOR THE 4 YEARS OF OFFICE????? AND WE ARE IN A RECESSION????? WELL.....MOST
OF US
ARE. I GUESS IT'S OK TO SPEND
WILDLY WHEN IT'S NOT YOUR OWN MONEY?????
Copyright 2009 CanadaFreePress.Com http://canadafreepress.com/
Yes, Yes, I know, The
Canadian Free Press has to publish this because the USA
media is too scared they might be considered racist.
Sorry USA
!
Found on Facebook:
Yes,
he told us in advance what he planned to do. Few were listening. The following
is a narrative taken from a 2008 Sunday morning televised "Meet The Press'.
From Sunday's 07 Sept. 2008 11 : 48 : 04 EST,
Televised "Meet the Press" THE THEN Senator Obama was asked about his
stance on the American Flag. General Bill Gann' USAF (ret.) asked Obama to
explain WHY he doesn't follow protocol when the National Anthem is played. The
General stated to Obama that according to the United States Code, Title 36,
Chapter 10, Sec. 171...
During rendition of the national anthem, when the flag is displayed, all
present (except those in uniform) are expected to
stand at attention facing the flag with the right hand over the heart. Or, at
the very least, "Stand and Face It".
NOW GET THIS !!
'Senator Obama replied : "As I've said about the
flag pin, I don't want to be perceived as taking sides". "There are a
lot of people in the world to whom the American flag is a symbol of oppression.." "The anthem itself conveys a war-like message.
You know, the bombs bursting in air and all that sort of thing."
(ARE YOU READY
FOR THIS???)
Obama continued : "The National Anthem should be
'swapped' for something less parochial and less bellicose. I like the song 'I'd
Like To Teach the World To Sing'. If that were our
anthem, then, I might salute it. In my opinion, we should consider reinventing
our National Anthem as well as 'redesign' our Flag to better offer our enemies
hope and love. It's my intention, if elected, to disarm America to the level of
acceptance to our Middle East Brethren. If we, as a Nation of warring people,
conduct ourselves like the nations of Islam, where peace prevails - - - perhaps
a state or period of mutual accord could exist between our governments
......" When I become President, I will seek a pact of agreement to end
hostilities between those who have been at war or in a state of enmity, and a
freedom from disquieting oppressive thoughts. We as a Nation, have placed upon
the nations of Islam, an unfair injustice which is WHY my wife disrespects the
Flag and she and I have attended several flag burning ceremonies in the past".
"Of course now, I have found myself about to become the President of the
United States and I have put my hatred aside. I will use my power to bring
CHANGE to this Nation, and offer the people a new path. My wife and I look
forward to becoming our Country's First black Family. Indeed, CHANGE is about
to overwhelm the United States of America "
Yes, you read it right.
I, for one, am speechless!!!
Dale Lindsborg , Washington Post
EVERYONE IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA NEEDS TO READ THIS, SO KEEP IT GOING !
! GOD BLESS & SAVE AMERICA BEFORE IT'S TOO LATE !
!
By
now you have probably heard that, as expected, Univision presented a blistering
exposé of 'Fast and Furious', revealing dozens of previously unreported crime
scene weapons linked to Obama and Holder's gun-running disaster, exposing
additional FL and TX operations in addition to the one in AZ, and unveiling
proof that a second U.S. agent, Jaime Zapata, was indeed murdered by a gun they
sold to Mexican cartel killers. Univision also pointed their finger squarely at
the Obama Administration as being responsible for the carnage across 2
continents. So how did the U.S. media respond to this blockbuster investigative
report? CRICKETS. NONE of the major networks reported
this story on their nightly news or morning shows - not even ABC, which OWNS
Univision. The media phalanx will simply not allow this to touch their boy
before the election. The only way for this issue to reach the American people
is for Romney to blister Obama with it in the debates.
The
above led to this, below:
ABC,
CBS & NBC Blackout! Major New Findings in Fast & Furious Scandal
Ignored
Over the
weekend the Univision network broke major news in the Fast and Furious gunwalking scandal. They found 57 previously unreported
guns used in crimes by Mexican cartels, but ABC, CBS and NBC have yet to report
the Spanish-language network’s findings.
There were zero mentions on Sunday night’s
ABC's World News and CBS's Evening News (NBC's Nightly News was pre-empted by Ryder Cup coverage)
or on any of Monday’s morning shows. The blackout on ABC’s broadcasts is
particularly confounding since they have an excerpt from Univision's September
30 report on ABC's official Web site.
The refusal by ABC, CBS or NBC to report the findings is remarkable since the
Univision report not only contains politically explosive information to a
sitting administration at the height of the election season but also compelling
human tragedy. Univision’s Gerardo Reyes and Santiago Wills reported
“Indirectly, the United States government played a role in the massacre” of 14
Mexican teens in a one-story house by “supplying some of the firearms uses by the
cartel murders.”
The lack of coverage by the Big Three
(ABC, NBC, CBS) networks continues their trend of
mostly ignoring major events in the scandal that has led to calls for Attorney
General Eric Holder’s resignation.
Some non-racing stuff:
Subject: Charlotte
hospitality – PLEASE READ THIS – ITS NOT DIRECTED AT A PERSON, THIS IS THE REPRESENTATION AND
ACTIONS OF THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY AS A WHOLE – I PERSONALLY AM APPALLED…
by Rev. Austin Miles
CHARLOTTE, North Carolina
(9/11/12) When the DNC came to Charlotte, area churches, 100 of them, offered
hospitality, not knowing how much the Dems hate God
and would actually boo God at the convention. They had no idea how that hatred
would be directed at them and their churches.
The Sunday before the DNC,
over 9000 people had come together to pray for the convention. Then, wanting to
extend hospitality to the visitors to their city, 56 of the churches set out to
“Adopt-a-Delegation.”
They put together gift
baskets featuring Carolina Pralines and a letter welcoming them to the city and
offering assistance in transportation, childcare or spiritual matters.
According to writer, Todd
Starnes, The DNC banned the churches from distributing the gift baskets to
delegates because, DNC said, the congregations hold values that are contrary to
the party platform. Read that carefully AGAIN.
David Benham,
one of the organizers of the outreach said, “We were just trying to display
Southern hospitality.”DNC officials, however,
conveyed to city leaders that the Christians would not be allowed to present
their gift baskets.
Even the Charlotte Mayor’s
office jumped in to tell the churches not to participate, saying that their
views on women’s rights are contrary to the platform. That’s right….the same
platform that booed God later.
Benham then asked if they could send welcome letters to the delegates.
Again, the DNC refused, because, they said, “The churches hold pro-life
values.”
The baskets did
not contain a single political or pro-life message. They just wanted to give them regional candles and a welcome letter. The DNC refused
to return numerous phone calls seeking comment.
But it gets
worse. When a gathering of 200 Muslims showed up to pray for the convention,
the Dems welcomed them with open arms and the liberal
media gave extensive national coverage.
It is ironic that
this day, in the shadow of that Islamic prayer event, we commemorate the
greatest tragedy in American History, when Muslims attacked America on
September 11, 2001, brutally killing thousands of innocent people.
Muslims who
publicly state their hatred of our country with fierce determination to kill us
all and put America under Sharia Law, are welcomed by
the Democratic Party while Christians are pushed out of sight like criminals
because they respect life and hold family values.
These are the
same democrats who want you to vote them into office to direct the United
States of America and every life from beginning to end. It is obvious that we
must not let this happen.
Our thanks to Rev.
Ed Berkey (retired) who alerted us to this story.
Austin Miles
Muslim leaders were in unison at the United
Nations this week arguing
that the West was hiding behind its defense of freedom
of speech and ignoring
cultural sensitivities in the aftermath of anti-Islam slurs that have raised
fears of a widening East-West cultural divide.
A video made in California depicting the
Prophet Mohammad as a fool sparked the storming of U.S. and other Western
embassies in many Islamic countries and a deadly suicide bombing in Afghanistan
this month. The crisis deepened when a French magazine published caricatures of
the Prophet.
Turkish
Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said it was time to put an end to the
protection of Islamophobia masquerading as the
freedom to speak freely.
"Unfortunately, Islamophobia
has also become a new form of racism like anti-Semitism. It can no longer be
tolerated under the guise of freedom of expression. Freedom does not mean
anarchy," he told the 193-nation U.N. General Assembly on Friday.
Egypt's newly elected Islamist president,
Mohamed Mursi, voiced similar sentiments in his
speech on Wednesday.
http://news.yahoo.com/u-n-muslim-world-questions-western-freedom-speech-031307397.html
If you or an elderly relative have been
hospitalized recently and noticed extra attention when the time came to be
discharged, there's more to it than good customer service.
As of Monday, Medicare will start fining hospitals that have too
many patients readmitted within 30 days of discharge due to complications. The
penalties are part of a broader push under President
Barack Obama's health
care law to improve quality while also trying to save taxpayers money.
About two-thirds of the hospitals serving
Medicare patients, or some 2,200 facilities, will be hit with penalties
averaging around $125,000 per facility this coming year, according to
government estimates.
Data to assess the penalties have been
collected and crunched, and Medicare has shared the results with individual
hospitals. Medicare plans to post details online later in October, and people
can look up how their community hospitals performed by using the agency's
"Hospital Compare" website.
It adds up to a new way of doing business
for hospitals, and they have scrambled to prepare for well over a year. They
are working on ways to improve communication with rehabilitation centers and
doctors who follow patients after they're released, as well as connecting
individually with patients.
For
the first year, the penalty is capped at 1 percent of a hospital's Medicare payments. The overwhelming majority of penalized
facilities will pay less. Also, for now, hospitals are only being measured on
three medical conditions: heart attacks, heart failure and pneumonia.
If
General Motors and Toyota issue warranties for their vehicles, hospitals should
have some similar obligation when a patient gets a new knee or a stent to
relieve a blocked artery, Santa contends. "People go to the hospital to
get their problem solved, not to have to come back," he said.
http://news.yahoo.com/medicare-fines-over-hospitals-readmitted-084833994.html
Could this be true:
The issue of spanking has divided parents
for years. But one state in the United States may be taking a side. Earlier this
month, Governor Jack Markell passed a controversial Delaware
bill--criminalizing the act of recklessly or intentionally causing physical
pain on a child.
Bill 234, sponsored by
Delaware's Senate Majority Leader Patricia Blevins, asserts that when a
"person recklessly or intentionally causes physical injury to a child
through an act of abuse and/or neglect of such child" it is considered
third degree child abuse and a class A misdemeanor.
The ambiguity of the definition of
"physical injury" has prompted the law to be unofficially dubbed a "spanking ban" by some and
has sparked debate over the state's right to interfere with personal parenting
practices.
But one of the bill's biggest proponents, Attorney General Beau Biden, son of
Vice President Joe Biden, has been adamant that spanking isn't the target of
the law. "This will not do anything to interfere with a parent's right or
ability to parent as they see fit, but it also makes it clear that if you abuse
a child in any way, shape or form, we're going to have a statute that we're
going to be able to use to protect kids," he stated.
So
why didn't they include a clause that protects parents who spank from
prosecution? It's not that simple, Patricia Dailey-Lewis, of the Attorney
General's Office, tells Delaware WBOC news. "If we said it's okay to spank your
child, and then we have a child who ends up dead from spanking, well, gee, we
didn't mean that, we didn't mean kill. We didn't
mean break their arm. It's such a vague
area."
http://shine.yahoo.com/parenting/spanking-ban-delaware-first-state-pass-law-expanding-181200724.html
Political (In a way):
American diplomats in Libya made repeated requests for
increased security for the consulate inBenghazi and were turned down by officials in
Washington, leaders of a House committee said Tuesday.
In a letter to Secretary
of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, ChairmanDarrell Issa and Rep. Jason Chaffetz said their information came from
"individuals with direct knowledge of events in Libya."
Issa, R-Calif. and Chaffetz, R-Utah said the Sept. 11 attack in Benghazi that
killed Ambassador Chris Stevens and three other Americans was the
latest in a long line of attacks on Western diplomats and officials in Libya in
the months before Sept. 11.
The lawmakers said they plan a hearing on
Oct. 10. They asked Clinton whether the State
Department was aware
of the previous incidents, and whether the level of security that was provided
to the U.S. mission met the security threat, and how the department responded
to requests for more security.
Referring to the Sept. 11 attacks, the
letter said, "It was clearly never, as administration officials once
insisted, the result of a popular protest."
The State Department has declined to
answer questions about whether extra security was sought by officials in
Benghazi ahead of the Sept. 11 attack. Clinton did, however, discuss security
on Sept. 18, when asked whether measures were appropriate.
"Let me assure you that our security
in Benghazi included a unit of host government security forces, as well as a
local guard force of the kind that we rely on in many places around the
world," she said.
"In addition to the security outside
the compound, we relied on a wall and a robust security presence inside the
compound. And with all of our missions overseas, in advance of September 11th,
as is done every year, we did an evaluation on threat streams. And the Office
of the Director of National Intelligence has said we had no actionable
intelligence that an attack on our post in Benghazi was planned or
imminent."
Just
weeks before the attacks, the unarmed Libyan guards at the consulate, employed
by British contractor Blue Mountain Group, were warned by family members to
quit their jobs because there were rumors of an impending attack.
More
can be seen here:
http://news.yahoo.com/house-committee-security-requests-denied-libya-151542076.html
And in a related matter:
Top Republican
lawmakers wrote to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on Tuesday saying they
had information that U.S. diplomats requested increased security at the U.S.
Consulate in Benghazi, Libya, ahead of the Sept. 11 attack, and that the
requests were turned down by officials in Washington.
House Oversight and Government Reform
Committee Chairman Darrell Issa and Congressman Jason
Chaffetz, who heads the panel's subcommittee on
national security, homeland defense and foreign operations, asked Clinton to
detail whether such requests were made and how they were handled. The committee
plans to hold a hearing into the attack Oct. 10.
American officials have branded the attack
a terrorist strike.
"Based on information provided to the
Committee by individuals with direct knowledge of events in Libya, the attack
that claimed [U.S. Ambassador to Libya Chris Stevens'] life was the latest in a
long line of attacks on Western diplomats and officials in Libya in the months
leading up to September 11, 2012," they wrote. "It was clearly never,
as Administration officials once insisted, the result of a popular protest.
"In addition, multiple U.S. federal
government officials have confirmed to the Committee that, prior to the
September 11 attack, the U.S. mission in Libya made repeated requests for
increased security in Benghazi. The mission in Libya, however, was denied these
resources by officials in Washington."
Issa and Chaffetz
listed 13 incidents in Libya in the months leading up to the attack—which also killed
three other Americans—that they argued should have triggered enhanced security.
One of them directly affected Ambassador
Stevens: A Facebook page run by supporters of slain
Libyan strongman Moammar Gadhafi
highlighted that the diplomat "was in the habit of taking early morning
runs around Tripoli" along with members of his security detail. The site
highlighted those runs and included a picture of Stevens.
Asked about the letter, White House press
secretary Jay Carney sidestepped the issue.
"I'm not going to get into a
situation that's under review by the State Department or by the FBI in its
investigation of what happened," he told reporters as President Barack
Obama prepared for his Wednesday night debate with Mitt Romney.
Note: Maybe you’ve seen/heard the same as I,
already a push for Hillary Clinton for President in 2016. Definitely NO, as far as this writer is
concerned!
Special note:
In order to cut my columns
size down, I’ll just put in headlines and links to some items in future columns
– both racing and non racing subjects. You can decide for yourselves what you might
want to check out.
Like this:
http://news.yahoo.com/north-dakota-hard-tell-oil-millionaire-regular-joe-193713808.html
http://news.yahoo.com/secret-cold-war-tests-st-louis-raise-concerns-214608828.html
http://news.yahoo.com/bill-clinton-gop-taking-away-students-rights-174910316--election.html
Video time:
How
about a little comedy this week?
http://www.coolestone.com/media/4617/Funny-Prayer-About-Getting-Old/
Photos:
Note: The photos are not available on Dirt Track
Digest, only on New England Tractor - http://newenglandtractor.com/racereport/
With the passing of Chris Economaki,
I thought it would be nice to have a photo of him in this weeks
column. Photo is of him and Ken Brenn, which I believe was taken a year or two ago, when
Mr. Brenn had his car show in Warren, New
Jersey. Again, my apologies for such a large
photo!
Closing
with this:
Did anyone notice – l did not have anything here last week? Big time “Brain Fart” on my end, folks!
It was Saturday morning as
Jake, an avid hunter, woke up raring to go bag the first deer of the season. He
walks down to the kitchen to get a cup of coffee, and to his surprise he finds
his wife Alice, sitting there, fully dressed in camouflage.
Jake asks her, "What are
you up to?" Alice smiles, "I'm
going hunting with you!" Jake,
though he had many reservations about this, reluctantly decides to take her
along.
Three hours later they arrive
at a game preserve just outside of San Marcos, Texas.
Jake sets his lovely wife
safely up in the tree stand and tells her, "If you see a deer, take
careful aim on it and I'll come running back as soon as I hear the shot."
Jake walks away with a smile
on his face knowing that Alice couldn't bag an elephant - much less a deer.
Not 10 minutes pass when he
is startled as he hears an array of gunshots. Quickly, Jake starts running
back. As Jake gets closer to her stand, he hears Alice screaming, "Get the
hell away from my deer!"
Confused and frightened, Jake
races faster towards his screaming wife. And again he hears her yell, "Get
the hell away from my deer!" followed by another volley of gunfire!
Now within sight of where he
had left his wife, Jake is surprised to see a Texas game warden with his hands
high in the air.
The game warden, obviously
distraught, yelled, "Okay, lady! You can have your damn deer! Just let me
get my saddle off it!"
Wishing all race
fans, drivers, teams, team owners and sponsors to remain safe and out of harms
way!
As usual, you can reach me
at: ygordad@yahoo.com