Racin'
& Different Stuff:
By Tom Avenengo
Volume # 119
12/20/2012
First:
There will be no column next week. Next column will be on January 3rd,
and should be weekly thereafter.
Second:
Wishing all my
readers a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
Third:
A little news on the wife – This past Tuesday
was IV Chemo treatment # 6 out of 8.
Next one is January 8th, then January 29th. I have to figure that she will be off of the
Chemo pills by then, too. When we got
home this past Tuesday, she sat in her chair, and slept for a couple of hours. Really kicked her azz this time.
Fourth:
As you might expect, there’s less and less
racing news to put out now, since the season has, for all intents and purposes,
ended. Basically, it’s “Silly Season”
and rumor time.
Fifth:
"SENNA" movie showing on ESPN 2
All times are Eastern so adjust accordingly.
Sunday the 29th:
http://espn.go.com/espntv/onair/inde...-29-12-6:00-PM
And Monday, the 30th.
http://espn.go.com/espntv/onair/inde...-30-12-4:00-PM
Sixth:
“SENNA”
– in parts:
Senna part 1:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rhM9uWsGSLM&feature=related
Part 2:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WZQOCarGK08&feature=relmfu
Part 3:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2PS2GMyGVkg&feature=relmfu
Part 4:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iYRg0kejeuw&feature=relmfu
Part 5:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9vjIvsApSOQ&feature=relmfu
Part 6:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r733KZfpOQk&feature=relmfu
Part 7:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eI37iI8RltA&feature=relmfu
Part 8:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XTy-I-_VXiM&feature=relmfu
His last 24 hours:
Note: There are parts in this part that were in the
original movie, but not in Part 8.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=83lkNbdUWZk&feature=related
The end:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nQdzhYiAlNE&feature=related
Seventh:
NASCAR
R/T Deluxe Motorcoach
Reserved Race Ticket $84 Value Turn #1
Barbecue Catered Lunch by J and A Caterers
Entertainment provided by Broken Dice from
Tent.
Special Driver Appearance TBA
Raffles , Door Prizes
Cost $165 per person
Busses depart 4 am Middletown Wal
Mart
430 am Monroe Wal Mart
Proceeds to benefit local charities TBA
Incentives for small groups to join the trip
PM me here or at benzee95@hotmail.com for more info
Benzee
Note:
Our entertainment is Tentatively scheduled to
be the duo Broken Dice who have performed locally in the
Eighth:
Not too many people know that Jeff Gordon ran in
NEMA before NASCAR, in Mike Scrivani's #21 car.
Ninth:
Syracuse Indoor Kart race results 12/8/12:
http://www.cnyroadrace.com/central-new-york/indoor/kart/racing/results2012f.php
Note:
OK, I haven’t been to the Dirt Oval for some time, but I usually check
their results. For what I think might be
the first time, I did not see any OVRP Dirt Oval names at
Tenth:
Hey!
It’s getting near that time – the Chili bowl!
http://www.chilibowl.com/
http://www.chilibowl.com/entries/manual.aspx
Eleventh:
You'll
love this - Retirement Planning!
This one is one of the best. From The
Outside
Then, one day, after 25 solid years of never missing a day of work, he just
didn't show up; so the Zoo Management called the City Council and asked it to
send them another parking agent.
The Council did some research and replied that the parking lot was the Zoo's
own responsibility. The Zoo advised the Council that the attendant was a City
employee. The City Council responded that the lot attendant had never been on
the City payroll.
Meanwhile, sitting in his villa somewhere on the coast of Spain (or some such
scenario), is a man who'd apparently had a ticket machine installed completely
on his own; and then had simply begun to show up every day, commencing to
collect and keep the parking fees, estimated at about $560 per day -- for 25
years.
Assuming 7 days a week, this amounts to just over $7 million dollars!
......
And no one even knows his name.
Twelfth:
I had heard the other day, while watching a post game TV show,
that there are 18 DUI cases in the works for some members of the NFL – mostly
players.
Thirteenth:
A quick newsflash while watching TV news on Monday night – the
state of
Found
on Jayski’s website:
JTG
Daugherty looks to add 2nd team:
Mike Bagley, co-host of The Morning Drive on Sirius
XM NASCAR Radio 90 reports via Twitter that JTG Daugherty team owner Brad
Daugherty told them that they [JTG Daugherty Racing] are looking to add a 2nd
car in the 1st half of this [Sprint Cup Series] season. The team currently runs
Bobby Labonte in the #47 Toyota
Charlotte
Dale Earnhardt Jr., the sport's 10-time NASCAR
Sprint Cup Series Most Popular Driver, ran his first laps in the new
sixth-generation race car. His review of the 2013 Chevrolet
SS. It's a must see. "The car has really awesome potential,"
Earnhardt said during testing Tuesday at Charlotte Motor Speedway. "The
cars that you see in the garage; you'll stand there and see Fords and Toyotas
and Chevrolets driving by. It's great because everything looks different,
everything is instantly recognizable."
President
of HANS comments on track safety:
Jim Downing, the former sports car driver and
principal of the HANS device (head and neck support) said that short tracks and
drag strips are deficient due to "lack of proper safety equipment."
Downing, president of HANS Performance Products (owned by Simpson Performance Products)
said, at the IMIS Safety and Technical Conference in Indianapolis
Keselowski,
Bowyer not eligible for shootout:
There's a saying in racing that it's not where you
start, it's where you finish. But that doesn't necessarily ring true for
NASCAR's preseason exhibition race at Daytona International Speedway. NASCAR
decided prior to the start of the 2012 season to go back to its traditional
eligibility requirements for the Shootout pole winners from the previous
year and past Shootout winners. That means the top two drivers in the 2012
standings #2-Brad Keselowski and #15-Clint
Bowyer aren't on the list of 22 drivers eligible for the 2013 event. Not
since 2004, when 2003 champion Matt Kenseth did not
win a pole, has the Shootout been run without the previous year's Cup champion.
The event used to be sponsored by Budweiser, which originally had also
sponsored NASCAR's pole award. When Coors took over the pole award sponsorship
in 2009, the eligibility rules changed and continued to change annually. A new
sponsor and a new format for the Feb. 16 event are expected to be announced
soon.(Sporting News), see a list of all elgible
drivers on the 2013 Shoutout
page.(12-7-2012)
Scheduled NASCAR testing for the 2013 car:
Jan. 10-12,
2013 at Daytona International
Jan. 17-18, 2013 at Charlotte Motor
NASCAR
makes personnel changes:
In an effort to strengthen and grow its racing
series for 2013 and beyond, NASCAR announced several revisions to its
Competition personnel structure. The following changes will take effect in
2013:
• Joe Balash, who has
served as the NASCAR Nationwide Series director since 2004, will be assuming a
new role as International Competition Liaison. This position will be the NASCAR
point of contact for competition-related matters relative to the NASCAR Toyota
(Mexico) Series, the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series, the Euro Racecar, NASCAR
Touring Series and other international competitions and series in which NASCAR
may be involved and/or considering involvement. Balash
now will report to Richard Buck, who has been promoted to managing director,
Competition GRAND-AM and managing director, Touring Series NASCAR.
• Wayne Auton, who has
served as the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series director since 1995, will
assume the role of NASCAR Nationwide Series director. Auton
will continue to report to John Darby, managing director, competition and
NASCAR Sprint Cup Series director.
• Chad
Little, currently NASCAR Whelen
Modified Tour series director and director of Racing Development, Mexico
Brad Moran, currently NASCAR Canadian Tire
Series director, will serve in the role of director of Touring Series, NASCAR,
reporting to Buck.
With the increasing integration between NASCAR,
GRAND-AM, American Le Mans Series (ALMS) and Euro Racecar, NASCAR Touring
Series, these moves are designed to strengthen all of the sport's racing
series, both at the national
and international levels.(NASCAR)(12-18-2012)
Some rides for 2013 still up in the air:
A
year ago at this time, dominoes seemed to be tumbling all over the NASCAR
world. Kurt Busch's departure from Penske Racing led to AJ Allmendinger's
move from Richard Petty Motorsports to Penske, followed by Aric
Almirola's move to replace Allmendinger
at RPM. It seemed like there was a move or two every day, and the news was
endless. This year? Not so much. Aside from a couple
lower-series moves there haven't been many post-Homestead driver changes. [But
there are some] possible open seats at full-time teams
BK Racing: There's no reason Landon Cassill
and Travis Kvapil wouldn't return to BK Racing in
2013, but the team hasn't finalized its drivers for the #83 and 93 cars yet.
Tommy Baldwin Racing: It seems likely #36-Dave Blaney
will return next season, but it hasn't been announced.
Phil Parsons Racing: Will Michael McDowell return to the #98 car? It hasn't
been made official yet if so.
FAS Lane Racing: Ken Schrader will be in
the #32 car for select races, and the remaining schedule will be filled by
yet-to-be-named drivers.
Joe Falk Motorsports: Stephen Leicht won rookie of
the year honors for the #33 car. The team's 2013 lineup has not been announced.
Montoya, McMurray running Rolex 24:
Six-time
and reigning GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Car Series Champions (2004, 2006, 2008,
2010, 2011, 2012) Chip Ganassi
Racing with Felix Sabates (CGRFS) announced its
driver line-up for the Rolex 24 At Daytona. Scott Pruett and Memo Rojas will
again run a two-car effort for the 51st running of the prestigious Rolex 24 At
Daytona, featuring eight drivers representing some of the best talent the motor
racing world has to offer. Pruett and Rojas will unite with Earnhardt Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates
NASCAR teammate Juan Pablo Montoya and Novo Nordisk Chip Ganassi
Racing INDYCAR teammate Charlie Kimball to form the lineup in the #01
TELMEX/Target Dinan-Prepared BMW, while Team Target
Indy car pilots Scott Dixon and Dario Franchitti join
EGR teammate Jamie McMurray and sports car racing talent Joey Hand in the #02
Target/TELMEX Dinan-Prepared BMW.(Chip
Ganassi with Felix Sabates)(12-18-2012)
Stewart wins POWRi Midget
Battle:
Tony
Stewart returned to his short-track roots Saturday, winning the feature in the
third annual
NASCAR's Next Wave Of
Superstars Just Over The Horizon:
NASCAR
has a talent-laden farm system loaded with the stock car racing's future stars.
From the NASCAR Nationwide and NASCAR Craftsman Truck series through the
sanctioning body's touring divisions and on the Whelen
All-American tracks, there's a single common denominator: Youth, lightning fast
youth. The pipeline leading to the ultimate destination the NASCAR Sprint
Cup Series figures to overflow for years to come. And from the looks of
2012, current NASCAR Sprint Cup competitors had best be ready to defend their
turf and their jobs
.
Dillon Brothers Lead The Charge Again
Austin Dillon made history in 2011, becoming the
NASCAR Camping World Truck Series' youngest champion at age 22. That goal
accomplished, his owner and grandfather, Richard Childress gave Dillon an even
greater challenge, a full-time opportunity in the NASCAR Nationwide Series,
where he thrived in his #3 Chevrolet. The young competitor won twice at
Kentucky Speedway, never left the top four in points and claimed Sunoco Rookie
of the Year honors.
There's another Dillon on the horizon Ty
Dillon and the 20-year-old is coming up fast in his older sibling's
mirror. Like
Buescher Triumphs,
Piquet's Stock Car Fortunes Rise
A first
NASCAR national series victory not with his #31 Turner Motorsports
Chevrolet but in the 2012 NASCAR Nationwide Series opener at Daytona
International Speedway propelled James Buescher
on a championship course. The 22-year-old Texan did win in the NASCAR Camping
World Truck Series, four times in fact, twice in
Patrick Proves Ready For Prime Time
Danica Patrick became NASCAR's highest finishing female competitor
in 2011 with a fourth-place finish at
Record Number Of NASCAR Camping World Truck
First-Time Winners
There were nine of them in 2012, all under the
age of 30, beginning with John King's upset victory in the season-opening race
at Daytona. King, 23, was participating in just his eighth series event. As
noted, Buescher, Dillon and Piquet also were first-time
winners. They were joined by 2011 Sunoco Rookie of the Year Joey Coulter, 22,
at Pocono; Cale Gale, 27, at Homestead; Parker Kligerman, 22, at Talladega and Justin Lofton, 26, at
Charlotte. Number nine, Ryan Blaney, became the
youngest series winner at 18 years 8 months when he captured the series' second
visit of the season to Iowa Speedway. Among the season's top-five championship
finishers, only runner up Timothy Peters is older than 22.
Young Stars On The Rise In NASCAR Touring, Whelen All-American
A year after
becoming the youngest race winner and pole sitter in NASCAR K&N Pro Series
West history, Dylan Kwasniewski took the big step in his sophomore season in
becoming the youngest champion in the 59 years of the series. The 17-year-old
Las Vegas driver won three times and posted 12 top fives in 15 races en route
to taking the title by six points over teammate and defending champion Greg Pursley.
Kyle Larson had never raced a stock car prior to
February. That lack of experience didn't slow down the transition for the
20-year-old open-wheel star from
Darrell Wallace Jr. picked up his sixth career
win in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East at
After capping 2012 by winning the NASCAR K&N
Pro Series West finale at
Corey LaJoie contended
for victories but just couldn't get to
Lee Pulliam has only been racing for six
seasons. But the 24-year-old from
Other breakthrough performances: Chase Elliott,
17, became the youngest pole winner in NASCAR K&N Pro Series history and
also scored his first career NASCAR win at
Robby Gordon unlikely to run NASCAR in 2013:
Robby
Gordon, who raced his way into the Daytona 500 last year as part of a light
NASCAR schedule, is not scheduled to do any NASCAR racing in 2013. Spokesperson
Alison McCabe said she doesn't think Gordon will participate in NASCAR due to
his involvement in his new racing project, Robby Gordon's Stadium Super Trucks
series. The 12-race off-road stadium series will debut April 6 at
Robby Gordon set to run Dakar Rally:
SPEED
Energy Hummer will once again attempt to conquer, the 35th Annual Dakar Rally,
the world's most famous off-road event. The custom-built Dakar Hummer driven by
Robby Gordon and navigator Kellon Walch
will tackle more than 8000 Km / 4970 Mi from
For the first time in its history, the Dakar
Rally will begin in Lima, Peru, sending upwards of 460 vehicles from 53
countries on a two-week, 14-stage endurance race through 3 Western South
American countries, ultimately finishing in the Chilean capital of Santiago.
This year's
1957
Sebring 12 hour race article.
http://www.sportscardigest.com/1957-sebring-12-hour-grand-prix-race-profile/
News from the AARN:
Note: As usual, the AARN will
not publish these next couple of weeks.
Their next issue is due out on January 8, 2013.
From their December 4th issue:
The Xcel 600 Modifieds have been added to
Penn Can Speedway as a weekly class.
Todd Bodine is out of a truck ride with Red
Horse Racing. Red Horse will have trucks
for Timothy Peters (2nd in points) and for John Wes Townley, who brings sponsor dollars.
Michael Waltrip and the Dillon borthers have been added to the list of those that will be
appearing at the AARN’s Motor Sports show in Oaks,
Lenny Sammons:
Lenny listed the top winners here in the Northeast, with Stewart
Friesen with 27, Jimmy Zacharias with 25, Danny Johnson with 24 and Keith Rocco
with 14.
Ernie Saxton:
Makes mention on how TV viewing for the Chase was way down to about 4
million viewers. He also thinks that the
Danica Patrick news of her impending divorce came out
at the wrong time – “Champions week” – which took some of the luster off of that weeks activities.
From their December 11th issue:
This issue had point standings from most every track and organization
listed.
The URC will be part of the Selinsgrove Speedways September 28th
358/360 Sprint Challenge’s 40 lap race.
URC has over 20 races booked – from Black Rock to
Note: Wonder why they don’t come
to OCFS anymore? Used
to see them quite often at the Hard Clay.
The NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour – 14
races. Thompson for 3, Stafford for 4,
Riverhead for 2, New Hampshire for 2, while Bristol, Waterford and Monadnock Speedways have one. A non-point race is scheduled for
Daytona. No, not on the big track, and
not on the small track in front of the main stands, but on the large piece of
pavement along the backstretch, on a flat track that will be something like a
quarter mile oval. When they race there,
the only stands that will be open are those along the backstretch.
Note: I’ve read that quite a few
of the paved tracks in
Lenny Sammons:
Talking about the Glenn Donnelly track. Land has been cleared of trees, but no
construction, yet. They hope to open in
2014.
Note: So much for 2013, I guess?
Ernie Saxton:
Makes mention of how racing has slipped down, as far as a viewed sport
goes. At one time, racing was in the top
four. Now, it’s quite a ways down. Per the latest Rasmussen Reports poll,
Football is # 1 with 53%, Baseball next with 16%, Basketball with 11%, Hockey with 6%, while Racing, Soccer, Golf and Tennis
getting less than 5%. For racing, all
forms are included as one.
Barry Angstadt:
Makes mention of Linda’s
Guy Smith:
Guy questions why they can get 60 TQ’s at
Note: I, too, have questioned
the small TQ fields when they race outdoors.
I’ve seen 14 cars at times. Heck,
the Vintage TQ’s have drawn more cars, believe it or
not! One must also figure that for that
race in
Former Oakland Valley Speedway (Dirt Oval) runners:
The only one I could find that raced over these past
couple of weeks is Chris Daley who ran in the indoor race in
Press Releases:
News from Friesen-Deyo
Promotions – ‘Dirty Jersey
60’
Media Contact: Brett Deyo – 845.728.2781 or Deyo99H@aol.com
For Immediate Release/December 19, 2012
Preparations Ongoing for ‘Dirty Jersey 60’ at New Egypt Speedway; Fans Mark
Calendars for June 18 Super DIRTcar Series Event; Shiley Fabrication First Contingency Sponsor
NEW
EGYPT, NJ - The dull of winter has set in, but Northeast fans of dirt Modified
racing have plenty to look forward to in 2013.
For the first time since 2007, the Super DIRTcar
Series for big-block Modifieds returns to the
spic-and-span New Egypt Speedway in New Egypt, N.J. The event, an inaugural
effort by Friesen-Deyo Promotions, is scheduled for
Tuesday evening, June 18. A Wednesday (June 19) rain date has been established.
The 'Dirty Jersey 60 - How Dirty Are You?'
program is a co-promotion involving dirt Modified superstar Stewart Friesen and
special events promoter Brett Deyo. The pair
announced their plans during the October NAPA Auto Parts Super DIRT Week XLI
Media Day at the New York State Fairgrounds in
The 60-lap Modified program will offer full Super DIRTcar Series points and a $6,000 winner's share from a
hefty $27,500 total purse. Matt Sheppard of
"Brett and I are both very encouraged by the feedback we've
gotten," said event co-promoter Friesen, whose family boasts a long
history on both the competitor and business sides of the sport. "Everyone
knows New Egypt Speedway is a first-class facility and the Super DIRTcar Series has a lot of positive momentum. There is a
definite value in the Super DIRTcar Series for fans
right now."
Shiley Fabrication of
Marketing partnerships - including event sponsorships, lap
sponsorships and special award sponsorships - are currently available.
Interested parties should contact Brett Deyo at Deyo99H@aol.com or
Stewart Friesen atstewartfriesen10a@hotmail.com.
Friesen and Deyo will address the media
at the upcoming Eastern Motorsport Press Association (EMPA) Convention Jan.
4-6, 2013 at the Crowne Plaza Valley Forge in
Two weeks later, at Motorsports 2013 held at the Greater
Philadelphia Expo Center in Oaks, Pa., the 'Dirty Jersey 60' support division
will be announced by Friesen when he is officially recognized as the Leading
Northeast Winner (27 victories) per records maintained by Area Auto Racing News.
Friesen-Deyo Promotions/BD Motorsports
Media plans an expansive display at Motorsports 2013 to include the Norm Hansell Motorsports No. 357 and Ryan Godown's
John Chemidlin-backed No. 747. Godown
was the New Egypt Speedway champion last year.
Hot-off-the-press Friesen-Deyo
Promotions 'Dirty Jersey 60' apparel, designed by Bob Hilbert Sportswear, will
go on sale at Motorsports 2013.
To keep posted on news and updates for the ‘Dirty
About
New Egypt Speedway
Located in New Egypt, N.J., New Egypt Speedway features a daylight-quality lighting
system and excellent sightlines from any seat in the house. There are clean,
heated restrooms, a monitored playground area for young fans and
restaurant-quality concession stands serving up a full menu at family style
prices. The racy, 7/16ths-mile clay oval hosts tight, wheel-to-wheel, all-out
competition.
About
Friesen-Deyo Promotions
A collaboration between dirt
Modified standout driver Stewart Friesen and special events
promoter/motorsports writer Brett Deyo, Friesen-Deyo Promotions anticipates its first event at New Egypt
Speedway in June 2013 with a goal of additional events in the future.
And this:
COASTAL 181 ANNOUNCES RELEASE OF PARNELLI JONES MEMOIR
Newburyport, Mass., December 11, 2012 – A year ago acclaimed racing journalist
Bones Bourcier sat down with Parnelli
Jones, the Indy 500 winner often referred to as America’s most versatile race
driver. It was quite the conversation.
Today motorsports publisher Coastal 181 announced the release of
its latest title, “As A Matter of Fact I AM Parnelli
Jones.”
Jones and Bourcier track Parnelli’s wild years on the infamous California Jalopy
circuit and his rise through Sprints, Champ Cars, Midgets, NASCAR Grand
National, Trans-Am, and Baja –smack into 20 domestic and international racing
Halls of Fame.
To offer the fullest historical perspectives as well as deeply
personal insights, the book also includes commentary from racing icons such as
Mario Andretti, A.J. Foyt, A.J. Watson, Leonard Wood,
Al and Bobby Unser, Johnny Rutherford, Walker Evans, Bud Moore, Tony Stewart,
and others, as well as Parnelli’s own family.
“As A Matter of Fact I AM Parnelli
Jones” is now available for $39.95, online at www.coastal181.com or by phone at 877-907-8181. The
book is hard cover, 288 pages, and filled with high-quality black and white and
color photographs.
Note: Parnelli Jones is
scheduled to appear at the Motor Sports show in PA, and will be at the Coastal
181 booth.
I
get e-mails:
As you know,
It is highly
appropriate that we now send THANKS to all of the countries
that reciprocated for
our help with their disasters, misgivings, social turmoil, & poverty by
sending to the
Listed below are all
the Countries and World Organizations that are giving us gracious
assistance. Please assist in thanking these entities by passing on this
email so people all over
First country on the
list to donate or help us:
1.
2.
3.
4.
Maybe now Americans will realize that charity begins at home.
With millions of our people in need and in poverty, let's save our money and
spend it at home instead of sending it to Egypt, Libya, Pakistan, etc........
Staten Island, Queens, New Jersey and parts of New York and Connecticut would gladly thank America if we spent the billions there.....
And then there was this one:
Interesting slant on
things...INTERESTING
The world's largest army...
I had never thought about
this...
A blogger added up the deer
license sales
in just a handful of states and
arrived at a striking conclusion:
There
were over 600,000
hunters
this season in the state of
Allow me to restate that
number:
Over the last several months,
More men
under arms than in
More than
These men
deployed to the woods of a single American state,
to hunt with firearms, and
no one was killed.
That number pales in
comparison to the 750,000
who hunted the woods of
700,000 hunters,
all of whom have now returned home safely.
Toss in a quarter million
hunters in
that the hunters of those four states alone would comprise
the largest army in the world.
And then add in the total
number of hunters in the other 46 states.
It's millions more.
The point?
from foreign invasion with that kind of
home-grown firepower.
Hunting...
it's not just a way to fill the freezer. It's a matter of
national security.
***************************************
That's why all enemies,
foreign and domestic,
want to see us disarmed.
Food for thought,
when next we consider gun control.
Have A Great Day!
-------------------------------------
Overall it's true,
so if we disregard some assumptions that hunters don't
possess the same skills as soldiers,
the question would still remain...what army of 2 million
would want to face 30, 40, 50 million armed citizens.
For the sake of our freedom,
don't ever allow gun control or confiscation of guns.
Note: Personally, I don’t own or
have a gun. But I really can’t see the
need for someone – a regular citizen, having the need for a semi-automatic
weapon.
LETTER to the EDITOR-- MINNEAPOLIS STAR TRIBUNE
Let's look at what we have learned from this election:
Twenty-one of 22 incumbent senators were re-elected, and
353 of 373 incumbent members of the House were re-elected. The American people have re-elected
94 percent of the incumbents who were running for re-election to an institution that has an approval
rating of about 9%. This indicates, as an electorate, we are a nation of idiots. We 're now stuck with the
useless, dysfunctional government that we deserve.
Cash for Clunkers
The person who
calculated this bit of information is now, and has been a Professor at the
last forty some years.
He says that:
A clunker that
travels 12,000 miles a year at 15 mpg uses 800 gallons of gas a Year.
A new vehicle
that travels 12,000 miles a year at 25 mpg uses 480 gallons of gas a year.
So, the average
Cash for Clunkers transaction reduced gasoline consumption by 320 gallons per
year.
The government
claims 700,000 clunkers have been replaced so that is 224 million gallons saved
per year.
That equates to a
bit over 5 million barrels of oil. 5 million barrels is about 5 hours worth of
More importantly,
5 million Barrels of oil at $70 per barrel costs about $350 million dollars.
So, the
government paid $3 billion ( remember,….that’s 3
thousand million) of our tax dollars To save $350 million.
They spent $8.57
for every $1.00 they saved.
I'm pretty sure
they will do a much better job with our health care though.
Found on Facebook:
On
May 18, 1927, a 42-year-old man drove his car next to the door of a grade
school in
The treasurer of the school board, he was angered about accusations he was
stealing money, and his crime ranks as the worst school rampage in
No one called for tighter car-bomb controls.
While this country has forever been wonderful at discovering cures for physical
ailments, it has forever been short on helping people who are suffering severe,
life-threatening illnesses north of the neck and are in desperate need of
better mental health.
As the country moves forward now and blames too many guns, hopefully someone
also brings up it is people who pull the triggers or set off the bombs and are
in need of help, too.
But that's just my opinion.
And:
I can’t wait to be lectured
about my gun rights by an Administration responsible for giving guns to Mexican
drug cartel members.
Plus:
Disarming innocent people
does not protect innocent people.
Along with:
Timothy McVeigh didn’t use a
gun.
He:
Killed 168 innocent people
Killed 19 children under age
6
Injured over 680 innocent
people
You can still buy fertilizer
You can still buy racing fuel
You can still rent box trucks
Murderers will murder with or
without a gun
Guns are not the problem.
And:
I can't watch anymore
of these stories on the shooter in the latest mass murder. The media thinks
they are providing much needed information to help prevent this from happening
in the future but by the way they cover it I firmly believe they are creating
more shooters. Some people cannot see the difference between notoriety and
being notorious. They confused being famous with being
infamous. They think that people will remember them if they commit these
horrible acts and thanks to the media, they are right! People remember Timothy McVie but not the people he killed. We've seen the lengths
people will go to become "infamous" on reality TV. Ex: Snookie, Honey Boo Boo and any of
those idiot wives that think they are making themselves look good by berating
others. Stop profiling these killers, don't even use their name and make it so
people remember the people who were killed not the piece of sh!t
killer who takes his own life as a chicken's way out after realizing what they
have done. NO MORE COVERAGE OF THIS KILLER! YOU'RE HELPING TO CREATE FUTURE
KILLERS. Once again I am so happy I got out of main stream media altogether and
now cover sports. And shame on anyone who politicized this thing before the
bodies of those poor children were even cold. Shame on
you!
Even more:
Our
Chidren Are Becoming Desensitized With Violence In
Cinema, Telivision and Violent Video Games . They Deserve
Better Than This .
Heard someone say they cant
wait until 13/13/13 please all take a moment to say a prayer for this dumbass.
Today, I got caught in traffic of a funeral
procession for one of the kids killed. People got out of their cars and grown
men cried while the cars went by. Think I will stay indoors the rest of the
week, if possible. The outpour of love to Newtown/Sandy Hook is amazing. I saw
a sign that read " no matter how small the foot,
it still makes a large imprint in the world". Amen
We don't blame cars for drunk
divers, why do we blame guns for violent criminals?
10 gun deaths in
And I posted this, on Facebook:
So this shooter/murderer was
20 years old, and had problems – mentally.
So now I wonder, did he have those problems when he was younger? If so, was he given medication for those
problems? Medications like Ritalin? How many kids were on that a while back? What if somehow, even as approved as it was
back then, and even now, that after years it messes up the brains of those that
used it? Is that possible? I’m 75 years old. “Back in the day” when I was growing up, we
did not have these problems, and it was before Ritalin etc etc. “Back in the day” our population was a lot
less, too, I’ll grant ya that, but still we didn’t
have these shootings and mass killings.
What can be a cause? TV? Video games,
which are basically all violence that might lead to these kinds of events? Lack of good parenting, maybe? Who knows for sure? Being honest here – this shooter had a
“captive” audience for his rampage. Best
we have to figure on “Copy Cat” killing sprees coming up. Sad to say, but somehow, we are unable to put
a stop to this bullshit. Gun control? We need
our right to bear arms (although I don’t own a gun). The worst thing that can be done is for our
government to take our guns away. That
would only open the front door for outsiders to take over. Think about it. The above was posted by me on Facebook, last Saturday – early AM
The tragedy at
I was undecided as to where
I’d put this in my column – at the beginning or later on in some non-racing
stuff. After thinking about it, I
decided for it to have its own little place.
I, along with countless other
millions, was shocked at what happened.
Maybe it’s because all of the children were only 6 or 7 years of
age. Still so
innocent, with their lives just starting out, really. I have asked myself, at that age, were they
aware of what was happening? Did they
even have time to think about what was going down? Hopefully, those that were fatally injured
didn’t suffer.
I can’t imagine what went
through the minds of those first responders, as they got into those class rooms
and saw the carnage. Many probably had
little ones of their own.
Slowly, we’re getting
information on the killer. As I made
mention in the post I put on Facebook (above) – it
will be interesting as to what kind of meds he might have been on – when he was
younger, and maybe even lately.
As for “Gun Control” – I’ve
questioned why semi-automatic weapons are needed – at the gun owners home. I can
see hand guns, pistols, shot guns and rifles being in a home. Not semi-automatic weapons, though. Oh, you can bet that there will be some
changes made. Already, some companies
and sporting good stores have taken certain weapons off of their shelves.
But really, a gun, itself,
does not kill. Someone has to pull the
trigger. Now, it seems that some are
starting to look into possible “Mental health” issues, especially with this
last murderer. But we have some
problems, folks, with this “Mental health” deal. The problems:
Not enough money. Not enough in
the field to help with those that have issues.
Some have come right out and
said that the teachers should be armed.
I don’t know about that. What’s
next – arming grocery store cashiers?
Those that work in ticket booths?
There was an interesting
article in my local paper (Middletown Times Herald-Record) this past Tuesday, that shows some problems we have had in the past,
currently and possibly in the future.
Some of the problems – from my local
paper:
http://www.recordonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20121218/NEWS/212180330/-1/NEWS
Mental health:
How mental health is
killing America
http://www.foxnews.com/health/2012/12/18/how-mental-health-is-killing-america/
An interesting read, for sure!
'I Am Adam Lanza's Mother': A Mom's Perspective
On The Mental Illness Conversation In America
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/12/16/i-am-adam-lanzas-mother-mental-illness-conversation_n_2311009.html
Then there is this:
COLUMBINE
STUDENT'S FATHER 12 YEARS LATER !!
Guess our national leaders didn't expect this.
On Thursday, Darrell Scott, the father of Rachel Scott, a victim of the
They were not prepared for what he was to say, nor
was it received well. It needs to be heard by every parent, every teacher,
every politician, every sociologist, every psychologist, and every so-called
expert! These courageous words spoken by Darrell Scott are powerful,
penetrating, and deeply personal. There is no doubt that God sent this man as a
voice crying in the wilderness.. The following is a
portion of the transcript:
"Since the dawn of creation there has been
both good & evil in the hearts of men and women. We all contain the seeds
of kindness or the seeds of violence. The death of my wonderful daughter,
Rachel Joy Scott, and the deaths of that heroic teacher, and the other eleven
children who died must not be in vain. Their blood cries out for answers.
"The first recorded act of violence was when
Cain slew his brother Abel out in the field. The villain was not the club he
used.. Neither was it the NCA, the National Club
Association. The true killer was Cain, and the reason for the murder could only
be found in Cain's heart.
"In the days that followed the Columbine
tragedy, I was amazed at how quickly fingers began to be pointed at groups such
as the NRA. I am not a member of the NRA. I am not a hunter. I do not even own
a gun. I am not here to represent or defend the NRA - because I don't believe
that they are responsible for my daughter's death. Therefore I do not believe
that they need to be defended. If I believed they had anything to do with
Rachel's murder I would be their strongest opponent
I am here today to declare that Columbine was not
just a tragedy -- it was a spiritual event that should be forcing us to look at
where the real blame lies! Much of the blame lies here in this room. Much of
the blame lies behind the pointing fingers of the accusers themselves. I wrote
a poem just four nights ago that expresses my feelings best.
Your laws ignore our deepest needs,
Your words are empty air.
You've stripped away our heritage,
You've outlawed simple prayer.
Now gunshots fill our classrooms,
And precious children die.
You seek for answers everywhere,
And ask the question "Why?"
You regulate restrictive laws,
Through legislative creed.
And yet you fail to understand,
That God is what we need!
"Men and women are three-part beings. We all consist
of body, mind, and spirit. When we refuse to acknowledge a third part of our
make-up, we create a void that allows evil, prejudice, and hatred to rush in
and wreak havoc. Spiritual presences were present within our educational
systems for most of our nation's history. Many of our major colleges began as
theological seminaries. This is a historical fact. What has happened to us as a
nation? We have refused to honor God, and in so doing, we open the doors to
hatred and violence. And when something as terrible as Columbine's tragedy
occurs -- politicians immediately look for a scapegoat such as the NRA. They
immediately seek to pass more restrictive laws that contribute to erode away
our personal and private liberties. We do not need more restrictive laws. Eric
and Dylan would not have been stopped by metal detectors. No amount of gun laws
can stop someone who spends months planning this type of massacre. The real
villain lies within our own hearts.
"As my son Craig lay under that table in the
school library and saw his two friends murdered before his very eyes, he did
not hesitate to pray in school. I defy any law or politician to deny him that
right! I challenge every young person in
My daughter's death will not be in vain! The young
people of this country will not allow that to happen!"
- Darrell Scott
Do what the media did not - - let the nation hear
this man's speech. Please send this out to everyone you can.
God Bless
Some
non-racing stuff:
9 Tax Measures Set to Fall Over the 'Fiscal
Cliff'
http://finance.yahoo.com/news/9-tax-measures-set-to-fall-over-the--fiscal-cliff--171033432.html
Brushing off criticism, Red Cross shifts to new phase in Sandy
California 's Berkeley
http://news.yahoo.com/californias-berkeley-college-scholarships-illegal-immigrants-022706936.html
New Army Handbook… really new Army handcuffing of
our troops…
In part:
“The draft
handbook offers a list of “taboo conversation topics” that soldiers should
avoid, including “making derogatory comments about the Taliban,” “advocating
women’s rights,” “any criticism of pedophilia,” “directing any criticism
towards Afghans,” “mentioning homosexuality and homosexual conduct” or
“anything related to Islam.”
Obamacare fee of $63 per person to begin in 2014
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2012/dec/10/obamacare-fee-of-63-per-person-to-begin-in-2014/
The HIV Virus: A
Possible Cure for Leukemia?
http://health.yahoo.net/experts/dayinhealth/hiv-virus-possible-cure-leukemia
Ex-Pa. trooper claims he was fired over
Ebonics
http://finance.yahoo.com/news/ex-pa-trooper-claims-fired-131117755.html
Comments
Hostess Maneuver Deprived Pension
http://finance.yahoo.com/news/hostess-maneuver-deprived-pension-051400720.html
Hostess Brands Inc. said it used wages that were
supposed to help fund employee pensions for the company's operations as it sank
toward bankruptcy.
Capping Mortgage Interest Deduction Could Have “Chilling Effect” on
Housing: Sharga
http://finance.yahoo.com/blogs/daily-ticker/capping-mortgage-interest-deduction-could-chilling-effect-housing-164628080.html
CIA "Obama Stopped Ambassadors Rescue!"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n5U1Gq3EuUw&feature=share
Oops! Sorry Kids… Obama Forgot to Tell
College Students He Cut Pell Grants Before Election
Obama Social Security offer at odds with top Dems
http://news.yahoo.com/obama-social-security-offer-odds-top-dems-080517715--finance.html
Obama set January deadline for gun proposals
http://news.yahoo.com/obama-set-january-deadline-gun-proposals-173610698--finance.html
It's time to talk about guns, mental health
http://www.recordonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20121219/NEWS/212190322/-1/NEWS
State Dept security chief resigns after Benghazi
http://news.yahoo.com/state-dept-security-chief-resigns-benghazi-170144122--politics.html
State Department responds to claims that Clinton
http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/lookout/state-department-responds-claims-clinton-faked-illness-191054821.html
Note: Per a news flash on FOXNews (The Five), on Wednesday afternoon, Mrs. Clinton
will testify about Benghazi
Watchdog: Fannie, Freddie may have lost over
$3B
http://news.yahoo.com/watchdog-fannie-freddie-may-lost-over-3b-001828185--finance.html
Gunman released from
jail hours before killings
In part:
“LONGMONT,
Colo. (AP) — Police say a man who killed his ex-girlfriend and two of her
relatives before fatally shooting himself had been accused of kidnapping the
woman and released from jail just hours before the attack.”
http://www.salon.com/2012/12/19/gunman_released_from_jail_hours_before_killings/
Video
time:
Some
Christmas stuff:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S50cf3xIb50&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rmgf60CI_ks&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zq9c4C2573o
Photos:
Note: The photos are not available on Dirt Track
Digest, only on New England Tractor - http://newenglandtractor.com/racereport/
The photo
below was found on Facebook. It’s like a plaque that has the names of the
children and school officials that were taken away from us in that mass
shooting in
Closing with
this:
Christmas
with Louise
As
a joke, my brother used to hang a pair of pantyhose over his fireplace before
Christmas. He said all he wanted was for
Santa to fill them.
What
they say about Santa checking the list twice must be true, because every
Christmas morning, although Jay's kids' stockings were overflowed, his poor
pantyhose hung sadly empty.
One
year I decided to make his dream come true.
I put on sunglasses and went in search of an inflatable love doll.
They
don't sell those things at Wal-Mart. I
had to go to an adult book store downtown.
If you've never been in an X-rated store, don't go. You'll only confuse yourself. I was there an hour saying things like,
"What does this do?" "You're kidding me!" & quote: "Who would buy that?"
Finally
I made it to the inflatable doll section.
I wanted to buy a standard, uncomplicated doll that could also substitute
as a passenger in my truck so I could use the car pool lane during rush hour.
Finding
what I wanted was difficult. Love dolls comes in many different models. The top of the line, according to the side of
the box, could do things I'd only seen in a book on animal husbandry. I settled for "Lovable
Louise". She was at the bottom of
the price scale. Hey, I am cheap, you know! To call Louise a doll took a huge heap of
imagination.
On
Christmas Eve, with the help of an old bicycle pump, Louise came to life. My sister-in-law was in on the plan and let
me in during the wee morning hours, long after Santa had come and gone. I filled the dangling pantyhose with Louise's
pliant legs and bottom. I also ate some
cookies and drank what remained of a glass of milk on a nearby tray. I then went home and giggled for a couple of
hours.
The
next morning my brother called to say that Santa had been to his house and left
a present that had made him VERY happy, but left the dog confused. She would bark, start to walk away, then come
back and bark some more. We all agreed
that Louise should remain in her pantyhose so the rest of the family could
admire here when they came over for the traditional Christmas dinner.
My
grandmother noticed Louise the moment she walked in the door. "What the hell is that?", she asked. My
brother quickly explained, "It's a doll." "Who would pay for something like that?", Granny snapped.
I had several candidates in mind, but kept my mouth shut. "Where are her clothes?" Granny continued. "Boy, that turkey sure smells nice,
Gran", Jay said, trying to steer her into the dining room. But Granny was relentless. "Why doesn't she have any
teeth?" Again, I could have
answered, but why would I? It was
Christmas and no one wanted to ride in the back of an ambulance saying,
"Hang on Granny, Hang on!"
My
grandfather, a delightful old man, with poor eyesight, sidled up to me and
said, "Hey, who's the naked gal by the fireplace?" I told him she was Jay's friend. A few moments later, I noticed Grandpa by the
mantel, talking to Louise. Not just
talking, but actually flirting. It was
then that we realized that this might be Grandpa's last Christmas at home.
The
dinner went well. We made the usual
small talk about who had died, who was dying, and who should be killed, when
suddenly Louise made a noise that sounded a lot like my father in the bathroom
in the morning. Then she lurched from
the pantyhose, flew around the room twice, and fell in a heap in front of the
sofa.
The
cat screamed. I passed cranberry sauce
through my nose, and Grandpa ran across the room, fell to his knees, and began
administering mouth to mouth resuscitation.
My brother fell back over his chair and wet his pants, and Granny threw
down her napkin, stomped out of the room, and sat in the car. It was, indeed, a Christmas to treasure and
remember.
Later,
in my brothers’ garage, we conducted a thorough examination to decide the cause
of Louise's collapse. We discovered that
Louise had suffered from a hot ember to the back of her right thigh. Fortunately, thanks to a wonder drug called
duct tape, we restored her to perfect health.
Louise
went on to star in several bachelor party movies. I think Grandpa still calls her whenever he
can get out of the house.
This
article was submitted to a 1999 Louisville Sentinel contest to find out who had
the wildest Christmas dinner. This won
first place.
Again - Special notice: There will be no column next week.
Wishing all race
fans, drivers, teams, team owners and sponsors to remain safe and out of harms
way!
Also – Merry
Christmas and Happy New Year!
Don’t
forget: My next column will be on January 3rd, and should be weekly
thereafter.
As usual, you can reach me
at: ygordad@yahoo.com