Racin' & Different Stuff:
By Tom Avenengo
Volume # 130
03/14/2013
First:
I’d have to say
that this news, which came out just after my column went in last week, is
somewhat shocking, since I, and I imagine most of you were not aware of what
was going on at Dirt Track Digest, behind closed doors:
“An
agreement was reached this week to start a new chapter in the history of popular
racing website Dirt Track Digest. George and GT Smith along with Mike Mallett purchased controlling interest from Adam Ross and
Clinton Geoffrey. Ross and Geoffrey will
maintain a minority stake in the site as the new team assumes daily operation
and planning.”
Second:
I would
imagine that my columns will remain the same, but don’t be surprised that they
have a major change in the not to distant future. I’m not happy at all as to how they come out
on DTD, in the format I have now.
Third:
It was said that this was the race of races –
the Formula Libra race that was held on the mile and a half road course at Lime
Rock, CT – back in 1959. I was there
that day. The very first time I saw a
midget come down the hill, onto the main straight, I thought for sure he was
going to wreck. Actually, Lime Rock was
a fairly nice track for midgets. Heck,
they even ran midget races there on days that the sports cars raced.
Here are a couple of different write-ups on
that race in Lime Rock:
Formula Libra at Lime Rock
Note: Photo of Ward in
the # 1 Midget – that’s not the car he ran at Lime Rock. The last photo with him behind the two sports
cars was taken at Lime Rock. Also, to
the best of my knowledge, the midget he ran at Lime Rock was not built in 1946
(of course I could be in error here), but was first run by the late Johnny
Ritter in September of 1947, at the Danbury, Ct track – a race he won.
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1070851/index.htm
Fourth:
NASCAR overpolicing in case of Denny Hamlin?
By JENNA FRYER (AP Auto Racing Writer) The Associated Press
That's the kind of effusive praise we
should expect to hear from drivers the rest of the year, right?
Anything short of that could lead to
another shut-up-and-drive fine like the one levied last week against Denny Hamlin, who was popped for $25,000 for
having the audacity to give an honest answer when asked to assess NASCAR's new
car after its second race.
Hamlin is digging in his heels for this
fight, though, saying he'll be suspended before he'll pay the fine. In reality,
he'll first go through an appeals process, and if NASCAR is smart, it will
quietly make this whole mess go away.
NASCAR claims Hamlin committed one of
those heinous ''actions detrimental to stock car racing'' when he politely
summed up the afternoon at
Many fans remember what the generation
five - known as the ''Car of Tomorrow'' - was at the beginning because Kyle
Busch notoriously trashed it in
Only Hamlin wasn't trashing the racing, or
the new car. He was asked for his opinion about the performance of the car
after two races - and he told the truth.
Now he's been punished by a hypersensitive
NASCAR that likely did more harm than good with the fine.
Why? Because in overpolicing
the brand, NASCAR offended its fan base. People who never rooted for Hamlin
before now firmly back the driver and his right to speak his mind. Hamlin was,
after all, only saying what they were all thinking.
Everyone can understand that NASCAR is
trying to avoid a repeat of the disastrous CoT. It
never had a chance after Busch's tongue-lashing, and NASCAR spent all of last
season developing the Gen-6 car to put the CoT out to
pasture once and for all.
Only Busch didn't ruin the CoT for fans. They didn't need a driver to tell them the
car was ugly or drove like a milk truck. They had eyes. They could see for
themselves they hated everything about the car, including the on-track racing.
Now there's a new car this season, with a
finely tuned marketing strategy and a serious messaging plan.
Straying from the script, as Hamlin
learned, won't be tolerated by NASCAR.
Nor will taking the fans for idiots.
The backlash against NASCAR over Hamlin's
fine included signs of ''Free Denny'' at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, and the hashtag (hash)StandWithDenny
formed on Twitter as a riff on the (hash)StandWithRand
from Sen. Rand Paul's filibuster a day earlier.
This is because fans watched the same two
races Hamlin did to start the season. They saw the Daytona 500 was mostly a
single-file parade until the late push to the checkered flag, and the race at
And the fans remembered that NASCAR
chairman Brian France was asked in January how success will be measured with
the Gen-6 car.
''I think we'll measure it by lead
changes, we'll measure it by how it races, we'll measure it by how the drivers
feel about it,''
We know how Hamlin felt about it, and he
got his hand slapped. So how in the world will anyone believe anything the
drivers say going forward? Why would they dare say anything even borderline
critical?
Hamlin's comment was fairly mild. All he
said was the car in its present form needs more work,
that after two races it's not as good as where the old car was after six years.
Well, no kidding. The Gen-6 has been
overhyped from the beginning, and NASCAR has backed itself into a corner by
essentially guaranteeing the racing will be better this year. Eventually, it
might. But to believe anyone at NASCAR was going to snap their fingers and roll
out a magical new car capable of producing the most exciting races ever seen is
ludicrous.
It's all a work in progress and it should
be noted that the third race for the new car was better than the first two.
According to NASCAR statistics that began in 2005, Sunday's race at
Maybe that makes for a better race, maybe
not. That's for the fans to decide, based on what they see on the track and
what they hear from the drivers. They don't need the drivers to tell them
things are great if they aren't, and, as NASCAR learned, they'll quickly resent
being force-fed anything but the cold, hard truth.
---
Follow Jenna Fryer at
https://twitter.com/JennaFryer and http://racing.ap.org
Fifth:
At OCFS, in 2013, the Big-Block Modified drivers who also compete in the
Small-Block Modified division will be eligible for track points and the
season-long Small-Block Modified track point championship.
Sixth:
Hate to say this and to keep harping on it, but the National Midget Auto
Racing Hall of Fames website still is not back and running.
Seventh:
For the first time in many years, the Vintage Racing Car meet at Loudon
will not be held in May, but at the end of July and into the beginning of
August.
http://www.nhms.com/events/vintage_racing_celebration/
Eighth:
‘First and only African-American female licensed by NASCAR’ has been
overstating claims
http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nascar-from-the-marbles/first-only-african-american-female-licensed-nascar-overstating-133233867--nascar.html
Ninth:
Allmendinger chasing patience in IndyCar move
http://sports.yahoo.com/news/allmendinger-chasing-patience-indycar-move-001912566--irl.html
Tenth:
Checking out the forecast for
Selinsgrove, PA and I see that on Saturday night, temps will get down to around
33, with some possible showers during the day. Son, Eric, and I were having thoughts of
going, but dunno about that 33 degrees forecast,
along with possible showers now, on Sat.
Eleventh:
Going back in history – how
did the Soothsayer know that he should warn Julius Caesar about the “Ides of
March” – March 15th, the day of Caesars death?
Twelfth:
Apparently, Jeremy Clements
has been re-instated by NASCAR to race again, since I’ve seen it mentioned on
the Internet (No, not on Jayski’s) and he’s listed as
an entrant in this Saturday’s Nationwide race - http://www.jayski.com/news/nationwide/2013/story/_/page/NNS-04-Bristol-Entry-List in car # 51.
And, it kinda looks like
what really got him in trouble was him saying how a certain car was “fixed” in
order to get back onto the track – from the Internet: “To clear up a litte confusion over what Jeremy
said, he did not call anybody the "N" word. He was refering to a damged car as being
"N" rigged to get it back into competition. Probably
the wrong phrase to use, but definitely different than using the word at a
person.”
Heck, I (we) used to use that expression
on numerous occasions. Today, I guess
that being “Politically Correct”, one would say “Afro engineered”?
Thirteenth:
Hinchliffe Stadium Named a National Landmark
http://thealternativepress.com/articles/hinchliffe-stadium-named-a-national-landmark
The part that concerns Hinchliffe Stadium:
Monday, March
11, 2013 • 12:46pm
Now
Federal officials on Monday announced
that Hinchliffe was among 13 sites added to the
national’s inventory of landmark, a prestigious designation only surpassed by
national monuments.
“I’m ecstatic,’’ said Kenneth Simpson,
vice chairman of
But Mayor Jeffrey Jones said he had
concerns about the designation because federal officials never contacted city
government about the decision. Jones sees the renovation of Hinchliffe
as crucial to his plans for making
“This is something that they decided
without the city being consulted and engaged in that decision,’’ said Jones.
“That worries me.’’
Hinchliffe, which is one of three stadiums used
during the segregation-era Negro baseball leagues that still exist, is owned by
Paterson Public Schools. It was built in the 1930s and was used to host
Although Hinchliffe
has been received national and state historic designations, it has not been
added to the city’s list of landmarks. That’s because Board of Education
members have opposed the designation, saying they feared historic status would
drive up the costs and complicate efforts to renovate the stadium so it can be
used for local recreation again.
In fact, the school board and city
historic commission are holding a joint meeting about the issue on Mon., March
11 at 6:30 pm at the Hamilton Club on
There also have been some discussions
about adding Hinchliffe to the
[Editor's note: The following input from
local offcials has been added to this story after the
original version was posted.]
City Council President Anthony Davis,
who played football for
"I'm in favor of anything that's
going to help promote it,''
Paterson Historic Preservation
Commission Chairman Martin Feitlowitz said the
designation may help local officials find benefactors willing to cover the
costs of repairing the stadium. "It's great to be able to say you're
seeking funds for a national historic landmark that you want to restore and put
back into use.''
Feitlowitz said the landmark status added prestige
to Hinchliffe's credentials. "It's not something
that gets given lightly,'' he said. "It's not
something that gets rubber stamped.''
The press release issued by United
States Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar and Director of the National Park
Service Director Jonathan B. Jarvis said, “Hinchliffe
Stadium is an exceptional example of a Negro league baseball stadium in 20th-century
segregated
“These national historic landmark
designations span more than two centuries of our country’s history, from 17th century architecture to a Civil
War battlefield to a 19thcentury-Kentucky whiskey distillery that
continued to operate through the Prohibition era,” Secretary Salazar said.
“Today’s designations include significant sites that help tell the story of
“From the Civil War to civil rights, to
the struggles and accomplishments of women, African Americans and Latinos,
these sites highlight the mosaic of our nation’s historic past,” said Jarvis.
“We are proud to administer the National Historic Landmarks Program to educate
and inspire Americans through their country’s rich and complex history.”
At present, there are more than 2,500
national landmarks, including 57 in
Fifteenth:
Racing on TV:
http://tvracer.com/
Sixteenth:
Hamlin fined $25k by NASCAR for criticizing
car
http://sports.yahoo.com/news/hamlin-fined-25k-nascar-criticizing-182711224--nascar.html
Note: I’m wondering if there just might be a
reduction in this fine, or if NASCAR will drop the whole thing. Race fans as well as many members of the
media are on the side of Denny on this one.
What with NASCAR now letting Jeremy Clements race this weekend (a pretty
well kept secret, I should ad), maybe something might happen with the Hamlin
deal?
Seventeenth:
For the first time in
history, we have a Pope from the
Eighteenth:
Broncos, Welker agree to 2-year deal
http://sports.yahoo.com/news/broncos-welker-agree-2-deal-214130890--nfl.html
Nineteenth:
Someone 'close' to Tom Brady 'enraged' at
Patriots for losing Wes Welker
http://www.sbnation.com/nfl/2013/3/13/4100750/tom-brady-patriots-wes-welker
Twentieth:
Sources: Buccaneers management on board with potential trade for Jets CB Darrelle Revis
Twenty-first:
Dale Earnhardt Jr. Tops List Of Nascar's Highest-Paid Drivers
http://sports.yahoo.com/news/dale-earnhardt-jr-tops-list-nascars-highest-paid-155440597--nascar.html
Found
on Jayski’s website:
Hamlin
fined for Phoenix
NASCAR has fined driver #11-Denny Hamlin $25,000 for
comments he made following the March 3 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at Phoenix
International Raceway. NASCAR determined that Hamlin violated Section 12-1
(actions detrimental to stock car racing) of the 2013 NASCAR Rule Book. NASCAR
issued the following statement regarding the penalty: "Following the
NASCAR Sprint Cup Series event last Sunday at Phoenix International Raceway,
Denny Hamlin made some disparaging remarks about the on-track racing that had
taken place that afternoon. While NASCAR gives its competitors ample leeway in
voicing their opinions when it comes to a wide range of aspects about the
sport, the sanctioning body will not tolerate publicly made comments by its
drivers that denigrate the racing product."(NASCAR)
Comments: NASCAR did not announce the
specific comment that got Hamlin fined, but the following appears to be his
primary complaint against the car after the race (per Toyota PR):
Q: How much did you learn
about the new race car today?
Hamlin: "We learned a lot. I
don't want to be the pessimist, but it did not race as good as our generation
five cars. This is more like what the generation five was at the beginning. The
teams hadn't figured out how to get the aero balance right. Right now, you just
run single-file and you cannot get around the guy in front of you. You would
have placed me in 20th-place with 30 (laps) to go, I would have stayed there --
I wouldn't have moved up. It's just one of those things where track position is
everything."(3-7-2013)
UPDATE: Denny Hamlin said on
Thursday that he refuses to pay the fine that NASCAR assessed him after
comments he made regarding the new Generation 6 car last weekend at Phoenix
International Raceway. The car debuted in the Sprint Cup Series this season.
"Ultimately, I'm not OK with it," Hamlin said of the penalty.
"This is the most upset and angry I've been about anything in a really,
really long time anything that relates to NASCAR ... the truth is what
the truth is and I don't believe in this, I'm never going to believe in it. As
far as I'm concerned, I'm not going to pay the fine. If they suspend me, they
suspend me. I don't care at this point."(Fox Sports)(3-7-2013)
UPDATE 2:
NASCAR VP of Competition Robin Pemberton discussed
the fine Thursday afternoon:
Q. Denny Hamlin was saying he's not planned to
pay the fine that he was given for his comments. What would be the procedure
and how long does he have to pay?
ROBIN PEMBERTON: He also has the ability to
appeal. The fines are supposed to be paid as soon as possible, but we're not in
any of those windows yet where it seems to be a problem.
Q. Where is the limitation for what drivers can
say without facing a fine if they have concerns about the car, whatever?
ROBIN PEMBERTON: We give them quite a bit of
latitude, but you can't slam your racing, you can't slam your product. That's
where it crosses a line.
Q. If Denny wants to appeal the fine, what would
that process entail?
ROBIN PEMBERTON: He has to let us know. He has
to write a letter.
Q. He can continue to compete?
ROBIN PEMBERTON: Yes. It's like every other
appeal. Over the course of time, you remember mechanics and crew chiefs,
whatever, if they appeal, then they can continue to carry on business as usual
until the appeal has been heard and ruled on.
Q. Just to clarify on that. When he does appeal,
does it also go to the National Stockcar Racing Commission and then to the
chief appellate officer?
ROBIN PEMBERTON: This isn't any different than
an illegal part or piece.(NASCAR)(3-7-2013)
UPDATE 3:
Denny Hamlin issued the
following statement Thursday night: "The short of the
long of it is I believe I was severely disrespected by NASCAR by getting fined.
I believe that the simple fact of us not even having a conversation about this
issue before I was hit with a fine has something to say about our relationship.
What I said was 1 sentence taken completely out of context. Most drivers will
tell you that we constantly have our AND nascars best
interest in mind when speaking. On the other hand I am a person that worked very
hard from the BOTTOM to get where I am today and someone telling me that I can
give my 100 percent honest opinion really bothers me. Since being fined in 2010
I have been a lot more careful about what I say to media and I felt this past
weekend felt completely in my rights to give a
assessment of the question asked. I feel as if today NASCAR lost one of its
biggest supporters vocally of where our sport is headed. So in the end there
are no winners. I said today I would not pay the fine. I stand by that and will
go through the process of appealing. Trust me, this is
not about the money. It's much deeper. I will now shift my focus on giving
FedEx and my team what they deserve this weekend, a win."(3-7-2013)
UPDATE 4:
Statement
from Joe Gibbs Racing: "We have spoken with NASCAR and will continue to
keep an open dialogue with them on this matter, but we will keep those
discussions between the parties involved. We will fully support Denny in his
appeal process."
Gibbs still supportive of Hamlin's appeal:
Joe
Gibbs is standing by #11-Denny Hamlin in the driver's appeal of his $25,000
NASCAR fine. But the owner of Joe Gibbs Racing doesn't have much more to say
about the dispute over Hamlin's penalty for criticizing the Gen-6 race car.
After watching fellow JGR driver Kyle Busch finish second in Saturday's
Nationwide Series race, Gibbs said he has talked to Hamlin about the brouhaha.
"We've been talking all along," Gibbs told reporters. "We're
keeping our communication open with NASCAR, too. We'll just go through a
process here and work our way through it." Gibbs clammed up after that,
referring everybody to his organization's statement that it would support
Hamlin. Hamlin is allowed to drive while appealing the fine, which he says he
won't pay. NASCAR could take the fine out of his winnings.(Associated Press),see more information about Hamlin's fine
below, or on the #11 team news page.(3-10-2012)
Here’s
what Jack Arute has to say:
http://blog.jackarute.net/2013/03/11/you-go-hamlin.aspx?results=1#SurveyResultsChart
Two more Daytona fans get lawyer:
Two more fans
injured in the Feb. 23 Nationwide Series crash at Daytona have retained an
Orlando, Fla.-based attorney to seek personal injury claims. Attorney Matt
Morgan now represents six of the people who were injured when Kyle Larson's car
went airborne into the catch fence, sending debris flying into the
front-stretch stands on the last lap of the race. At least 28 fans were injured
in the wreck. NASCAR and International Speedway Corporation have retained a
Miami-based law firm to handle the claims. Morgan said he is working
"diligently'' with NASCAR and ISC legal representation -- Cole, Scott
& Kissane, Pa. -- to settle the issue without
going to trial. Meanwhile, one of the two who had remained at
Sunday's flyover could be the last for a while:
Sunday's
military flyover before the Kobalt Tools 400 might
have been the last flyover at a NASCAR race. With $85 billion in federal budget
cuts possibly going into effect soon, flyovers would be grounded by the
government's sequestration process, which includes about 30 percent in military
budget cuts. "The Thunderbirds are expected to stand down effective April
1. (Las Vegas) is pretty much going to be, I think, the last flyover you'll see
for a while from us," Wendy Varhegyi, chief of
the engagement division for Air Force public affairs, told USA Today Sports. Varhegyi said the cutbacks would last at least through the
end of the fiscal year (Sept. 30). "And then at that point, we'll
reevaluate. & Sequestration is a 10-year problem, so we just don't
know." The Air Force conducts about 1,000 flyover per year, Varhegyi said.(Sporting News)(3-11-2013)
NASCAR has no plans for own TV network:
With Speed
going away on Aug. 17, leaving race fans with no motorsports-focused network,
this might seem like the perfect opportunity for NASCAR to begin its own cable
property. But no plans are in the works. "We still discuss it from time to
time about having our own network we still think about it and throw it
around a little bit every once in a while," NASCAR Vice President of
Broadcasting Steve Herbst said in a phone interview.
"But I think what we'll find on FS1 is a consistent, strong, and maybe
even an increased level of NASCAR programming as compared to Speed today.
Without a 'NASCAR channel,' we'll still have a very healthy and robust amount
of NASCAR programming on there that will satisfy our motorsports fans and reach
a broader audience." Herbst said having Cup
races, practices and qualifying on Fox Sports 1 could attract general sports
fans that wouldn't necessarily tune into a motorsports channel. Still, there
must be a balance between network and cable telecasts. NASCAR Chairman Brian
France said last month that he hopes there are more network races in 2015
indicating that either ABC will add races or, more likely, NBC will get some
races as part of the new television rights deal that goes into effect in 2015.
Though Fox has re-signed, NASCAR has not yet completed its next TV deal. Herbst said that all Camping World Truck Series races will
be on Fox Sports 1 and that they cannot be moved to other Fox channels, such as
Fuel, which also could become a secondary sports channel. NASCAR has contracts
with Fox Sports to televise several regional series and road-racing events.
Those are one-year deals that expire after this season and could move to other
networks.(Sporting News)(3-8-2013)
Almendinger to drive for Penske in IndyCar:
Team Penske announced that AJ Allmendinger will join its IZOD IndyCar
Series program in 2013. Allmendinger, who rose up
through the ranks of open-wheel racing before transitioning to NASCAR, will
compete in at least two IndyCar events for Team
Penske this season, including the
Allmendinger returns to the
#51:
After a successful outing
with the #51 team at Phoenix International Raceway, A.J. Allmendinger
will pair with Phoenix Racing again this week at Bristol Motor Speedway for the
Food City 500. Allmendinger will pilot the Guy
Roofing Chevrolet in his second Sprint Cup Series event of 2013. Allmendinger and Phoenix Racing raced to an 11th-place
finish in the Subway Fresh Fit 500 two weeks ago. Allmendinger's
first-ever Cup Series start came at Bristol Motor Speedway in 2007. Phoenix
Racing scored its best Cup Series finish at
Patrick generated massive social media impact at Daytona:
During a Speedweeks in which she twice made NASCAR history,
#10-Danica Patrick's performance triggered some unprecedented reverberations in
social media, too. Repucom, a global company with an
office in
News from the AARN:
Note: Don’t forget – if you’re a subscriber to the
AARN, you can have the free digital version.
That is available on Tuesday mornings.
From their March
12th edition – picked up from the Digital Service:
The AARN’s
usual annual season preview issue will be on Tuesday, April 2nd.
Brett Deyo:
In a small article, he makes
not that the Utica-Rome Speedway has not been sold, although it’s still on the
market.
In his regular column, Brett
makes note of some of the changes at the I-88 (Formerly the Afton Speedway) –
things like getting an extension on the lease through 2016, an increase in the
purse for the modifieds, and possibly for the
sportsman if their car count goes up, as expected. Transponder scoring has been added, and for
the mods and sportsman they will need transponders
when the season starts. An additional
500 seats added via more bleacher seating with hopes of them being ready for
some of the summer special events. The
ESS will be there on August 27th (How I wish they’d get a date at
OCFS!)
Lenny Sammons:
Tells us
that Vinnie Vitale will be in a 360 Sprint Car, at times in 2013.
Also, look for Dale Plank to
be in action in a SpeedSTR on Wednesday nights at Kutztown.
Less racing
over the course of the season at the Black Rock Speedway.
A meeting of DIRTcar promoters was cancelled. Reportedly, the response for attendance by
track promoters was not what was expected.
Ernie Saxton:
I have to agree with Ernie
when he says that auto racing will be the loser when SPEED changes its
programming. One “victim” already is
Wind Tunnel on Sunday nights being cut from an hour to a half hour show. Word/rumors are that once SPEED changes, Wind
Tunnel could be history.
John and Jo Ann Davies had a
write up in their column about the Albany/Saratoga banquet, along with other
news, while Steve Barrick had a write up on the OCFS
Banquet, with a little news on OC – like the new pit area not being ready until
later in the racing season, and the modified feature winner getting $3,000.00
on opening night. I see they now say the
“small” track is 1/8 mile now. Neither
the Davies nor Barrick banquet notes made any mention
of the amount of monies won.
Gary London:
Some fairly
good news for New York Midget racing fans – well in the Capital District,
anyway. Albany/Saratoga Speedway will host the Bear
Ridge USAC Dirt Midget Association Midgets (BRS USAC DMA) on May 24th
and August 23rd. Other than
those two races, the only other Midget racing in
Some of the subjects covered
in this weeks issue:
410
Sprint Preview:
Can
Anyone Join
The Big
Three Winners In 2013?
Higbie Crowned Champion
At
Orange County Banquet
Hodnett Avoids Leader's Crash
To Win
$4,000 At Selinsgrove
Brent Hits
His Marks In Lincoln 410s
Milestone
125th WoO Sprint WIn
For Donny
Schatz In Vegas
Denny
Hamlin's Gen-6 Critique
Earns Him A
Fine From NASCAR
Motorsports
Expo Show
In Syracuse
A Big Hit
In Good
Weather
Vinny Vitale Is Latest Mod Man
To Give
Sprints A Try
Press Releases:
NEWS FROM
Orange County Fair
CONTACT
Mike Gurda
845-342-8573
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
ORANGE COUNTY FAIR
MIDDLETOWN, NY (March
10)……..Orange County Fair Speedway will begin its 64th consecutive year of
weekly stock car racing Saturday night, April 13, with the first green flag at
6:30 P.M. The historic Middletown, New York five-eights-mile “Hard Clay”
surfaced speedway opener will showcase four divisions of DIRTcar-sanctioned
race cars---Modifieds, Sportsman, Rookie Sportsman,
and Street Stocks ---in qualifying races and main events with the evening’s
program sponsored by Nissan of Middletown. The headline Modified feature race
will pay the winner $3,000.
“We’re not standing still;
we’re moving forward,” said
Also new this year will be
the track’s sharp-looking pace car provided by Nissan of Middletown.
From the competition side,
2012 Modified champion Jerry Higbie will be out to
defend his crown, while Street Stock titlist Charles Donald wants to become the
first three-time champion in his division. With Sportsman champion Gary Edwards
Jr. moving into the reestablished Small-Block Modified ranks, the Sportsman
division point race will be wide open. Modified drivers will be permitted to
also race in the Small-Block Modified division, and they will be eligible for
track points.
Note: They, the modifieds,
might be handicapped to at least the middle of starting fields. Originally the PR said they would not be
eligible to run for the Small Block points and would be handicapped to at least
the middle of the starting fields, then a correction
was sent out.
To kick things off, on
Saturday, April 6, from 1:00 pm until 6:00 pm, the track will host an Open
Practice, giving competitors the opportunity to shake down their race cars in
preparation for the seven-month-long season of weekly and special event auto
racing competition. The entire season schedule is available at
www.orangecountyfairspeedway.net.
The 2013 season wraps up with
the 52nd Annual Eastern States Weekend, Friday through Sunday, October 25-27.
The Eastern States 200 is the oldest consecutively-run dirt track Modified
championship race in the country. The weekend includes time trials, heat races
and consolation races, all leading to the classic 200-lap feature on Sunday
afternoon. Joining the “earth shaker” big block Modifieds
in their own championship races are the Small-Block Modifieds,
Sportsman, and Street Stock divisions.
“It’s a full schedule with
something for every race fan,” said Gurda. “We’re
looking forward to seeing everyone at the track.”
Advance ticket sales and
track information, including rules for all divisions, can be found on the
Orange County Fair Speedway website, www.orangecountyfairspeedway.net, or from
at the Track Office. Call 845-342-2573 during business hours.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
HIGHLY SUCCESSFUL AMERICAN RACER CUP EXPANDS TO INCLUDE NORTHEAST
SPORTSMAN TEAMS. TRACKS TO SEE THEIR TEAMS COMPETING FOR OVERALL NORTHEAST TITLE.
Lias Tire, American Racer and the Race of
Champions groups have once again teamed up to bring this program to life. Fred Woodward from Lias
Tire commented on the addition of the Sportsman teams to the program, “We
wanted to show our commitment to the Sportsman teams that are also a big part
of our northeast program.” Race
of Champions owner Andrew Harpell remarked, “We are
excited to be part of the existing program and to include the Sportsman teams
is simply outstanding.” “Many
of these Sportsman teams will be the future of the Modified division and
someday competing for that overall American Racer Cup Title as well.”
The American Racer Cup for
Sportsman will model itself after the current program for the Modifieds. Teams
will be ranked at their home weekly track against other northeast drivers
running at their weekly venue. A
driver’s top 12 best finishes will count toward the overall title and the
overall rankings will also be based on a track’s average weekly starting
field. This will help to
help determine who is the best northeast Sportsman driver
for 2013.
Each participating speedway
will hold 15 random drawings among their participating drivers throughout the
season. Each name drawn
will earn an American Racer product certificate worth $85 toward the purchase
of a tire at their weekly speedway. In
addition the overall Sportsman American Racer Cup Champion will earn a $1,000
for the title. Should
that driver also win the Race of Champions Dirt Sportsman Tour Championship
they will earn a $1,000 bonus. The
top five in the overall American Racer Cup Championship will all earn cash
awards as follows: $1,000
for first, $500 for second, $400 for third, $300 for fourth and $250 for
fifth. Teams are simply
required to purchase a $30 membership to be eligible for the program and only
need to compete at their weekly track to be ranked. The commitment of $30,000 by Lias Tire and American Racer is up for grabs for teams
without ever having to leave their weekly track. So for the teams, their only expense
is a one-time membership.
For more information please
log on to www.dirtmodcup.com or phone the Race of Champions (program
managing partner) at 607-775-5555. You may also reach Lias
Tire directly at 800-638-7028.
2013 AMERICAN
RACER CUP SPORTSMAN CUP
On the heels of the successful American Racer East Coast Modified
Cup over the past three seasons, Lias Tire, American
Racer and the Race of Champions Dirt Modified Tour are pleased to announce the
expansion of the American Racer Cup into the Modified Sportsman tracks using
American Racer tires for 2013! We
look forward to providing a program for the Sportsman teams at your track that
will rank them against other Modified Sportsman teams throughout the Northeast,
and just like the American Racer Modified Cup, teams will benefit from the
program simply by registering for the program and doing what they do every
weekend during the summer, race at their local track!
2013 MINIMUM POINT FUND
At this point, we are putting together a minimum of $30,000 in
cash and product awards up for grabs by American Racer, Lias
Tire and the RoC for the 2013 American Racer
Sportsman Cup. We are
currently in talks with additional marketing partners, and we anticipate
additional partners for the upcoming season. Any announcements of additional
partners will be announced on the Cup’s website and facebook
pages as they happen.
Thus far, the following minimum point fund has been established:
HOME TRACK AWARDS
Each participating team will be eligible for American Racer Tire rewards given away on a weekly basis from Memorial
Day through Labor Day at each track! Each week following the Sportsman feature,
the winning driver will draw a name from the American Racer Cup in victory
lane. The winner of the
drawing will be awarded a certificate good for $85 towards the regular price of an
American Racer Modified tire, redeemable only through your home track tire
dealer. Only registered
members of the American Racer Sportsman Cup will be eligible for the random
tire giveaways. There will be a total of 15 giveaways held at
EACH TRACK!!!
The American Racer Sportsman Cup
champion at each track will receive 4 American Racers!
OVERALL POINT FUND
As stated above, we are working to sign on additional partners to
supply additional monies and product sponsorship toward the overall point
fund. As of now, the plan
is to pay cash to the Top Five Overall Finishers this
season as follows:
1st - $1,000 2nd -
$500 3rd -
$400 4th -
$300 5th - $250
RACE OF CHAMPIONS SPORTSMAN BONUS
Like the American Racer ECM Cup, there will also be a Race of Champions Sportsman Champions Bonus if one driver manages to
win both the RoC Sportsman and the Overall American
Racer Sportsman Cup championships this season! If a driver is able to accomplish this
feat, their team will be rewarded with an additional $1,000! The
American Racer Sportsman Cup Overall champion will be chosen from all of the
registered teams at the participating tracks at the conclusion of the American
Racer Cup season on Labor Day weekend.
AMERICAN RACER SPORTSMAN CUP POINT
SYSYTEM & IMPORTANT DATES
The American Racer Sportsman Modified Cup will rank drivers
throughout the northeast, on paper, which runs at tracks where the American
Racer Tire is the exclusive tire for the Sportsman or Crate Sportsman
divisions. This program is
based upon Home Track Points that will be earned using the system below from
Mid-April through Labor Day weekend. Of
the finishes in that time period a driver will be ranked based upon his/her
twelve (12) best finishes. In
order to qualify for the American Racer Sportsman Cup a team simply needs to
register at their local track or through the website at www.dirtmodcup.com.
There is a downloadable form available there that can be printed and sent via
mail. The registration deadline for the American
Racer Cup is May 13, 2013. All
forms must be turned into your dealer or postmarked by that date. No
entries will be accepted after the enrollment period.
The American Racer Sportsman Cup Season
will run from April 12 through September 2, 2013. No
finishes in races that occur outside this time period are eligible to be
counted toward a teams Racer Cup points.
American Racer Sportsman Cup Weekly
Points
Points for the American Racer Sportsman Cup are distributed this
way, based upon your weekly feature finish at your registered American Racer
Sportsman Cup
Track(s)
1st – 60
points 15th – 26
2nd – 55 16th – 24
3rd –
50 17th – 23
4th –
48 18th – 22
5th –
46 19th – 21
6th –
44 20th – 20
7th –
42 21st – 18
8th –
40 22nd – 16
9th –
38 23rd – 14
10th –
36 24th – 12
11th –
34 25th – 11
12th –
32 26th and back – 10 points
13th – 30
14th – 28
FEATURE CAR COUNT BONUS
In addition to earning points weekly at your home track, at the
conclusion of the American Racer Cup season, each registered team will receive
a one-time point bonus, based upon the track’s average starting field for the
season. The bonus point
breakdown is as follows:
26+ cars – 100 points
24-25 cars – 90
22-23 cars – 80
20-21 cars – 70
15-19 cars – 60
Less than 15 – 40
Non-weekly Shows That Qualify for Points
Beyond your regular weekly scheduled shows, there are two
additional ways to earn points towards the American Racer Cup: Mid-week Shows
& Twin Features.
Mid-Week Shows
In addition to your regular weekly shows from April 12th through Labor Day, your track may also count up to two
(2) mid-week shows during the season to count towards the points. These shows will be decided upon
before the start of the American Racer Cup season.
Twin Features
Many American Racer Cup tracks run “Twin 20s” or some form of
double features on some nights throughout their racing seasons. Of these shows, like the Mid-Week
Shows, a track may use a maximum of two of these events towards the American
Racer Cup Points.
Registering at Multiple Tracks
When
you register at a given track for the American Racer Cup, you are registering
only at that track. You are
permitted to register at multiple tracks, however, each entry is completely
separate from one another, and points cannot be combined from multiple tracks. In order to be eligible for awards at
multiple tracks, you must be registered at each one of the tracks where you are
competing.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE PLEASE –
THANK YOU
FINAL SPONSORS ANNOUNCED FOR BLAISE ALEXANDER FAMILY
DEALERSHIPS ICEBREAKER VI
On Friday, the Race of Champions Small
Block Modified event will pay a minimum of $2,500 to win. Should any one of the top three
finishers from Friday night go on to win the Saturday RoC
Modified Tour event they would earn a $1,000 bonus. The Saturday event will pay a minimum
of $5,000 to the race winner.
For the second year in a row each
feature winner will receive a Custom Embroidered Drivers Bag worth $200
courtesy of Reid’s Tannery and their representative Debbie Rahmer.
On Saturday this year all Non –
Qualified Modified drivers will be eligible to run the Middleswarth
Potato Chips B Main.
The feature winner’s trophy each
evening will be sponsored by Gary Wagner of the Middleburg IGA.
Dave Reedy of Penske Racing Shocks is
on board for the sixth consecutive year for both nights. The top three cars
utilizing Penske Racing Shocks will be eligible for the Penske Shocks
Appreciation Award where they buy three shocks and receive the fourth shock
free. This free shock is valued at approx. $750.
The third place finisher each night
will receive an extra $150 courtesy of Lenny Krautheim
Auto Sales of Penn’s Creek,
BFP Specialties who is the official
American Racer tire supplier on the weekend will be giving away each night $500
off an entire body kit. Race officials will determine the award winner each
night.
Long time
Three local eateries have come on
board once again to give discounts to race fans on the weekend.
The Selinsgrove Hotel at
Applebee’s’ located in front of the
Susquehanna Valley Mall in Selinsgrove will present a dinner for two to each
feature winner. Also anyone showing a pit wrist band will receive a 10%
discount off their food bill on either night.
Slinger Warehouse Update
Slinger Warehouse will once again be
serving as an official slingshot parts supplier at Shellhammers
Speedway, Linda's
Parts Update
Anyone needing aluminum flywheels, they
are now in stock! We offer to install the flywheels as well. Slinger Warehouse
also offers the same monthly specials that Speedway Entertainment does each
month:
*Buy 3 coil springs, get 4th for
$10.00
*Buy a complete exhaust, get a free
aluminum wheel.
We also offer: - complete car rebuilds
- complete
scaling and setups
- slingshot
inspections
Call or email today to set up your
appointment!
Paul Lotier
In order to clarify a previous e-mail with regards to Slingshot parts suppliers at Kutztown Speedway:
In addition to Slinger Warehouse having parts, set-up help, and services available to its customers at Action Track USA , S& S Speedways will be an official parts supplier at Action Track USA Paul Lotier(717)821-6830www.slingerwarehouse.comlotierjr@hotmail.com Friday Night Lights Returns
for
Action-Packed Night of Racing
Back at Fairgrounds for Third Year
The popular Friday Night
Lights event, featuring the only nighttime racing at the fairgrounds during
NAPA Auto Parts Super DIRT Week XLII, typically twin 20-lap qualifying events
for the DIRTcar 358-Modified Series and the triple
20-lap qualifers for the Super DIRTcar
Big Block Modified Series. This year, the DIRTcar
Sportsman Modified Series will join the card with the three 10-lap qualifying
races, the triple 10's.
Again this year, with help
from Musco Lighting the "Moody Mile" will
come to life at night so fans can enjoy qualifying races for the DIRTcar Sportsman Modified Series, DIRTcar
358-Modified Series and Super DIRTcar Big Block
Modified Series.
For more information about
the biggest week in DIRTcar Racing, NAPA Auto Parts
Super DIRT Week, please visit www.superdirtweekonline.com. Tickets can be
purchased online at www.dirtcar.com/tickets or by calling the event hotline at
1 (877) 395-8606.
The Super DIRTcar
Series and DIRTcar Racing in the Northeast Region is
brought to fans by several sponsors and partners including Hoosier Racing Tire,
VP Racing Fuels, Chevy Performance Parts, Gander Mountain, NAPA Auto Parts,
Nationwide Insurance, and Safety-Kleen. Promotional partners include the
Testing Report: Barber Open Test
LEEDS, Ala. March 13, 2013—Takuma Sato and the ABC Supply team
ended on a high note at the IZOD IndyCar Series Open
Test at Barber Motorsports Park today.
Sato laid down his quickest lap of 122.208mph--the fifth quickest
of the afternoon—in his final outing in the No. 14 ABC Supply Honda; in fact,
it was his final lap before the checkered flag ended the session for the 25
cars on track.
“I think we made good progress and it was a productive day,
however there is a lot to be done,” said Sato. “At one stage we tried many
things which didn’t give us the results we were expecting so we honestly
struggled a little bit. But we collected very valuable data and put it all
together and improved the performance so that was good. We’ll go back to the
shop, analyze all the data and hopefully find more speed. Overall, it was
a good test and the whole team did a good job.”
Will Power posted the quickest lap of 123.33mph in his
Chevrolet-powered car. He was followed by James Hinchcliffe’s
Chevrolet (122.878mph), and the Hondas of Justin Wilson (122.667mph) and Scott
Dixon (122.327mph).
“It was great to get a good lap time and be towards the top of the
chart, but it’s obvious the series is as competitive as ever,” said Team
Director Larry Foyt. “Takuma did a great job so we
gained a lot of data which will help us prepare for St. Pete. We’re excited to
get this season started.”
In the combined results over the two-day test session, Sato ended
up seventh overall as drivers Tony Kanaan and Ryan
Hunter-Reay posted quicker laps in their Chevrolets
in the morning session today.
The IZOD IndyCar Series season kicks off
with the Honda Grand Prix of
I
get e-mails:
I
was about to delete this section until I got an email from Ron Lauer about the Offenhauser engine, at around 11:30 PM on Wednesday. There was talk amongst a group (Yahoo! Race
History Group, maybe?) about a six cylinder “Offy”
engine and it’s possible use in a Briggs Cunningham LeMans car. There is
a photo of that engine in this article.
Offenhauser. The Greatest Racing Engine Ever Built?
http://www.onedirt.com/features/offenhauser-the-greatest-racing-engine-ever-built/
Found on Facebook:
Federal judge: Arizona
Found on the
Internet:
I still believe Nascar was much more upset about
#2 and I also believe #2 was a bigger reason for his indefinite suspension. At
the very least Nascar is
playing a double standard when you look at past incidents such as Kurt Busch.
There's no way someone can seriously say that it did not factor into Nascar's discipline. With the
stuff Nascar fines drivers
for saying nowadays, you cant say something like that and not have the hammer
drop on you. But also, Nascar
has shown in the past, if you arent a big name you'll
get severely punished and an example will be made out of you, if you are a big
name its a slap on the wrist most of the time. Its who
you are, not necessarily what you did or said.
Tony Stewart in
his Gibbs days had accused nascar of tampering with
their events on multiple times and they had a private sit down with him and he
retracted his comments after that and ever since then he hasnt
been as outspoken towards nascar. Hes
much more politically correct nowadays than he used to be.
Nascar is a billion dollar machine, the people that
run it are not fools, they have a strong influence when it comes to media. They
can very quickly eliminate something they dont want
out there. Depending on who you work for & where,
they've had writers fired in the past for saying stuff like this. I have
friends that work in racing who have known journalists who covered Nascar that were affraid to write anything too negative fearing they would
lose their credentials or worse their job. Nascar is very political and powerful, I dont think many fully understand that.
Note: I kinda agree with
the above.
Some
non-racing stuff:
Giants give WR Victor Cruz 1st-round tender
http://sports.yahoo.com/news/giants-wr-victor-cruz-1st-205911937--nfl.html
NYS DRIVE
http://www.policymic.com/articles/28140/nys-drive-act-would-ban-ferraris-and-other-assault-vehicles
In part:
“Provisions in the DRIVE Act
would ban multiple makers of vehicles including Lamborghini, Porsche, and
Ferrari, as well as many more common models such as the Chevy Corvette and Camaro, Ford Mustang, Dodge Challenger and Charger.
"Classic" versions of these cars
(those over 20 years old) would have to be reregistered with the state and have
their ignition system removed. Cuomo remarked on the proposal, "these are the vehicles the police use. Citizens don't need
these vehicles. These vehicles serve no purpose for defensive driving."
Solved: 10 Social Security Mysteries
http://finance.yahoo.com/news/solved--10-social-security-mysteries-202201335.html
Brennan takes oath on draft Constitution – without Bill of Rights
Reporters call out
White House for badgering, name-calling
http://gopthedailydose.com/2013/03/08/reporters-call-out-white-house-for-badgering-name-calling/
How you are paying for "too-big-to-jail"
In part:
“Attorney General Eric Holder came right
out this week and told the Senate Judiciary Committee what many observers have
long suspected - that his department has refrained from more aggressive
criminal prosecutions of the so-called too-big-to-fail banks, exactly because of
their special status.:
http://finance.yahoo.com/news/paying-too-big-jail-164033779.html
Recent heat spike unlike anything in 11,000
years
http://news.yahoo.com/recent-heat-spike-unlike-anything-11-000-years-191131579.html
Bill Clinton says anti-gay marriage law he signed should be overturned
http://news.yahoo.com/bill-clinton-says-anti-gay-marriage-law-signed-042554832.html
Like Bacon,
Sausage and Hot Dogs? Then Beware: They May Raise Your Risk of Death, New Study
Finds.
http://shine.yahoo.com/shine-food/like-bacon--sausage-and-hot-dogs--too-bad--cause-that-stuff-l-kill-you--new-study-finds--174609721.html
Delayed GI Bill funds leave students scrambling
http://www.armytimes.com/news/2012/03/military-missing-gi-bill-money-students-scrambling-030912w/
Lets not forget Mrs. Obama:
Note: You ain’t gonna believe this sh*t, folks!
http://cps299.wordpress.com/2013/03/03/lets-move-disaster/
Hypocrite: Gabby Giffords Husband Snuck Out
to Buy an AR-15, While His Wife Works To Ban Your Guns
http://www.mrconservative.com/2013/03/6107-giffords-husband-sneaks-out-for-ar-15-while-she-bans-guns/
AP Exclusive: Applying for Obama plan not
easy
http://news.yahoo.com/ap-exclusive-applying-obama-plan-not-easy-183514024.html
Refusal to Expand Medicaid May
Cost Employers $1 Billion
President Obama: There Is No Debt Crisis
http://news.yahoo.com/president-obama-no-debt-crisis-135606679--abc-news-politics.html
What to expect from an erratic North Korea
http://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2013/03/11/what-to-expect-from-erratic-north-korea/
Senate Democrats unveil government funding
bill
http://news.yahoo.com/senate-democrats-unveil-government-funding-bill-021140583--politics.html
Paul Ryan's new Medicare plan could be tip of the iceberg
http://news.yahoo.com/paul-ryans-medicare-plan-could-tip-iceberg-000333446.html
What's missing from Paul Ryan's new budget plan?
http://news.yahoo.com/whats-missing-paul-ryans-budget-plan-170000285.html
Fla.
http://news.yahoo.com/fla-politician-resigns-57-charged-212723376.html
Video
time:
I
was not going to put the link to the Jeff Gordon video, but maybe there’s just
one person out there that has yet to see it, so for that person:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=Q5mHPo2yDG8
Photos:
Note: The photos are not available on Dirt Track
Digest, only on New England Tractor - http://newenglandtractor.com/racereport/
A
photo from “Back in the Day”, photo taken by Walt Imlay which shows the late
Jud Larson, at work in the John Pfrommer Sprint Car. Back then, we fans could actually see the
drivers at work. Not so today! Notice the “uniform”! I consider myself quite lucky to have been a
race fan “Back in those days”!
Closing with
these:
Continued from
last week:
17. IF THE POLICE ARREST A MUTE, DO THEY TELL HIM
HE HAS THE RIGHT TO REMAIN SILENT?
18. WHY DO THEY PUT BRAILLE ON THE DRIVE-THROUGH
BANK MACHINES?
19. HOW DO THEY GET DEER TO CROSS THE ROAD ONLY
AT THOSE
20. WHAT WAS THE BEST THING BEFORE SLICED BREAD?
21. ONE NICE THING ABOUT EGOTISTS: THEY DON'T
TALK ABOUT OTHER PEOPLE.
22. DOES THE LITTLE MERMAID WEAR AN ALGEBRA?
23. DO INFANTS ENJOY INFANCY AS MUCH AS ADULTS
ENJOY ADULTERY?
24. HOW IS IT POSSIBLE TO HAVE A CIVIL WAR?
25. IF ONE SYNCHRONIZED SWIMMER DROWNS, DO THE REST DROWN TOO?
26. IF YOU ATE BOTH PASTA AND ANTIPASTO, WOULD
YOU STILL BE HUNGRY?
27. IF YOU TRY TO FAIL, AND SUCCEED, WHICH HAVE
YOU DONE?
28. WHOSE CRUEL IDEA WAS IT FOR THE WORD 'LISP'
TO HAVE 'S' IN IT?
29. WHY ARE HEMORRHOIDS CALLED
"HEMORRHOIDS" INSTEAD OF "ASSTEROIDS"?
30. WHY IS IT CALLED TOURIST SEASON IF WE CAN'T
SHOOT AT THEM?
31. WHY IS THERE AN EXPIRATION DATE ON SOUR
CREAM?
32. IF YOU SPIN AN
33. CAN AN ATHEIST GET INSURANCE AGAINST ACTS OF
GOD?
Until next week,
folks!
As usual, you can reach me
at: ygordad@yahoo.com