Racin' & Different Stuff:
By Tom Avenengo
Volume # 137
05/02/2013
First:
NASCAR defends penalties
against Matt Kenseth
http://sports.yahoo.com/news/nascar-defends-penalties-against-matt-kenseth-164706709.html
In Part: “The engines are made by TRD in
What really
bothers me is the fact that JGR can’t touch the engines – only can install
them. TRD has come out and said it was
their fault. NASCAR, and the idiots that
run that organization now, still seem fit to penalize the race team, not the
manufacturer. From what I’ve seen on the
Internet, it is TRD that forbids the race teams from doing anything on the
engines, not NASCAR. True? To me, that is 100% wrong for NASCAR to
penalize the race team, in this instance.
This past
weekend, TRD took back three engines from the cars driven by Clint Bowyer.
Second:
With my son,
Eric, taking a weeks vacation, and heading down to
As for this
coming Saturday, I’m not sure what’s going on.
Eric, his son, Dillon, and his girl friend, Catherine, are due to fly in
to the airport in
Third:
I’ve been going to races ever since
1946. Over time, I’ve seen some great
drivers in action. The majority of them
right here in the Northeast. One trip to
the Sebring 12 hour race with my brother, back in 1957, allowed me to see some
of the worlds’ great ones like Fangio, Moss and Behra. Back then the
F-1 drivers also ran the Sports/Racing cars.
And, sad to say, over the years I’ve seen my
share of wicked accidents, some that proved to be fatal. I vaguely remember Walt Walasek
running his last race at Hinchliffe Stadium in
Fourth:
Some little stuff:
Is it true – Jerry Higbie
and his HigFab has turned out 56 race cars?
Word is out on the Internet that
I’m quite surprised that none of the
“good-doers/do-gooders” have
not made an attempt to put a stop to the Invocations that are on TV prior to
NASCAR races.
I was a little surprised to see a “Fly-over”
at
Watching the race on Saturday
night, there were some clips of Robin Pemberton and his “explaining” the
penalties etc etc.
To me, he looked like hell.
We all read about people
driving cars on our roads, being involved in accidents, while “under the
influence” of alcohol or drugs. Rarely
do we read about it happening on the speedways.
Does it?
Fifth:
I have an appointment with my
surgeon on May 8th at 12:15 PM.
At that time I imagine that a time will be set up for some surgery to be
performed on my left side carotid artery.
I kinda think it will not interfere with my
next column, but one never knows.
Sixth:
I still think one of the
better races I’ve ever seen at OCFS was a 200 car 200 lap Enduro
that was held some years ago. Cars
circled the entire track when the green flag fell. In fact, I think some cars were a lap down
when the green flew. It ran basically
non-stop. The winner wasn’t decided
until
the very end.
Somehow, I doubt an event like that could be held again.
Seventh:
I see some big changes are in
store for Borgers Speedway, the 1/7 mile asphalt
track in PA. Track was paved as part of
the deal where they could keep the track as a track. Info on this can be found, below, in the
“Press releases” section.
Eighth:
From last weeks
column:
“Tenth:
Not racing related, but for
some unknown reason, this writer does not believe that the two brothers that
bombed the Boston Marathon did so on their own, with no outside help, as the
main news media is telling us.”
Guess what? News broke on some others possibly involved,
on Wednesday, May 1st.
3 men charged in connection
with
Link: http://news.yahoo.com/3-men-charged-connection-boston-bomb-case-181625476.html
Note: I would not be surprised if even more are
involved, folks!
Eleventh:
It’s starting to really “bug”
me now – the
Going back in time:
May 2nd,
in:
1948
Spider Webb won the AAA
Midwest Sprint car feature at the Winchester Speedway,
Ted Horn won the AAA Eastern
Sprint car feature at the Reading Fairgrounds,
Lloyd Christopher won the
ARDC Midget race over Al Keller and Ernie McCoy at the Cherry Park Speedway,
1953
Joe Sostillo
won the AAA Midget race at the Heidelberg Speedway,
1954
Johnny Thomson won the AAA
Eastern Sprint car feature over Wally Campbell and Troy Ruttman
at the Williams Grove Speedway,
Mike Nazaruk
won the AAA Sprint car feature at the Winchester Speedway,
1959
Jerry Unser suffered very
serious injuries in a crash during a practice session for the
Dutch Schaefer won the ARDC
Midget race at the Empire Raceway,
1964
Buck Holliday won the
Modified Stock Car race at the Fonda Speedway,
Al Tasnady
won the Modified Stock Car race at the Flemington Fairgrounds,
Frankie Thompson won the
Sportsman - Modified feature over Bobby Abel and Gene Goodling, at the Lincoln
Speedway, Hanover, PA.
Wayne Covert and Al Beckerwon the Novice Stock Car races at the Flemington
Fairgrounds,
Freddie Harbach,
the "Flying Dutchman", won the Sportsman - Modified feature at the
Islip Speedway,
Dave Hulse
won the Modified Stock Car feature at the Wall Stadium,
Dick Tobias won the Sportsman
- Modified feature at the Selinsgrove Speedway,
Budd Olsen won the Sportsman -
Modified feature at the Orange County Fair Speedway,
Bill Brown won the URC Sprint
car feature at the Westhampton Speedway,
1965
Red Riegel,
in the # 14 Werglund Chevy, wins the USAC Sprint Car
race over Carl Williams, Don Branson, Jud Larson and Bob Wente
at the New Bremen Speedway, New Bremen,OH
Bobby Albert won the ARDC
Midget race at the Thompson Int. Speedway,
Gus Linder won the Super
Modified feature over Bobbie Adamson, Dick Cotterman
and Dave Lundy, at the Blanket Hill Speedway,
Lou Blaney
won the Super Modified race over Ron Anderson, Steve Unger, Hank Jacoby and Bob
Burris at the Sharon Speedway,
Kenny Weld won the Super
Modified race over Jerry Weld, Bob Williams, Dale McDaniels
and Ray Lee Goodwin at the Olympic Stadium,
1969
Kevin Gobrecht...
Born ... Pennsylvania Sprintcar
driver. Kevin Gobrecht was 30 years old when
he was killed in a violent sprint-car crash at I-80 Speedway in
Ray Tilley, in the # 88 Bud
Grimm Ford, won the Super Sprint Car feature over Lynn Paxton, Gus Linder,
Bobbie Adamson and Kenny Weld, at the Williams Grove Speedway, Williams Grove,PA
1970
Greg Weld wins the USAC
Sprint Car race over Tom Bigelow, Larry Dickson, Gary Bettenhausen
and Jim McElreath at the Eldora Speedway,
1971
Buzz Calkins... Born ... Indy Racing League driver 1996 to 2001. He competed
in the
Larry Cannon wins the USAC
Sprint Car race over Sammy Sessions, Bill Thrasher, Jimmy Oskie
and George Snider at the Tri-County Speedway (1/3d),
1975
Rick Ferkel
and Lou Blaney won the Super Sprint Car features at
the Lernerville Speedway,
Mitch Smith, in the Al
Hamilton # 77, won the KARS Super Sprint Car feature over Steve Smith, Johnny Grum, Jimmy Boyd and Smokey Snellbaker,
at the Williams Grove Speedway, Williams Grove,PA
1976
Buddy Baker wins the Winston
500 over Cale Yarborough at the Talladega Superspeedway ,
Bobby Allen won the Super
Sprint Car feature over Buck Buckley, Steve Smith, Dick Tobias and Rob Cappetta, at the Reading Fairgrounds,
Harry Benjamin won the URC
Super Sprint Car feature over Pete Johnston, Billy Wentz Jr,
Merv Treichler and Bill Schroth, at the Cayuga County Speedway,
Some racin’
stuff:
A little quiz:
Who is the American driver
that has made the most Formula One starts in the history of Formula One racing?
Any idea? E-mail me your
answer to me at: ygordad@yahoo.com. Please use “Quiz” as the subject. Answer in my next column.
Coming up:
Most tracks are in operation now, so this section will deal
with keeping you informed of some of the bigger events that will be coming up
in the future.
This coming July 30th to August 4th is
the Vintage Racing Celebration in Loudon.
In the past, this show has been in the beginning of May. Wet weather has put a damper on the last few
shows, so it’s been moved to these new dates.
http://www.nhms.com/events/vintage_racing_celebration/
Found
on Jayski’s website:
Ten years since Nadeau's
injury: NASCAR's annual spring visit to Richmond International Raceway marks
the 10-year anniversary of Jerry Nadeau's near fatal accident at the track. Nadeau
crashed driver's-side first into the outside wall between Turns 1 and 2 during
a May 2, 2003, practice at
UPDATE: Jerry Nadeau still
draws an imaginary line down the middle of his body to describe the accident
that changed his life 10 years ago this week. On one side of the line his body
feels normal, on the other side it's still numb.
That's the result of a brain injury sustained in practice for a NASCAR Cup race
at Richmond International Raceway. His Chevy spun and hit the Turn 1 wall at
135 times the force of gravity. The line is also a kind of metaphor for a life
that is a mixture of frustration and joy, courageous acceptance and occasional
regret. Jerry Nadeau does not live in the past. He go-karts
often with daughter Natalie, 10, born months before the crash. And he's a proud
father in the stands at her gymnastics meets. His marriage to Natalie's mom
ended the year after the accident, but he remarried last year to Maryana, a Ukrainian he met online. But if Nadeau doesn't
live in his glory days of racing, he remembers them. And though he's accepted
that his physical limitations ended his career at 33, it still frustrates him.
"Things were going so well and to have it taken away, yeah, I have a lot
of bad feelings over that," Nadeau said. "It's amazing how time
flies. The toughest part, Nadeau says, is that a brain injury makes you feel
like a different person. He adds that he'd rather have broken every bone in his
body at once than have his mind altered. Unless things
change, he not sure when or if he'll be able work again. But he's not
sad. "I still love racing, everything about it, and would still be doing
it if I could," Nadeau said. "I had a great life in racing and met a
lot of good people. But I'm a different person. I've moved forward and I'm
trying to make the best of everything."(
No pole award for Edwards:
#17-Matt Kenseth won the pole for last weekend's
Sprint Cup event at Kansas Speedway, but he didn't get to reap any of the
benefits, after NASCAR penalized his team for using an underweight connecting
rod in the engine of the #20
#99-Carl Edwards, who lost
the pole to Kenseth by .017 seconds, figured Kenseth's penalty might make him eligible for the 2014
Sprint Unlimited, but NASCAR president Mike Helton had a different point of
view. "When I saw the news, I texted Mike Helton right away, and I said,
'All right, cool, we're in the (Unlimited) next year, right? We got the
pole,'" Edwards said. "And he sent back, 'LOL!' I didn't think it was
that funny, but he thought it was funny. I think (Roush Fenway general manager)
Robbie Reiser proceeded to ask him, and then (crew
chief) Jimmy Fennig, and he got a good laugh out of
it."(NASCAR Wire Service), Kenseth won the pole
at
NASCAR and Gibbs talk about
#20 team penalties: NASCAR Vice President of Competition Robin Pemberton
discussed NASCAR's penalties to the #20 team Friday afternoon:
PEMBERTON: As everyone knows
there are a few things that are understood in the garage area that are big.
When you talk about engines, you talk about tires, and you talk about fuel.
That's a common thread that's been understood, and it's stood the test of time
for the last 65 years. Don't mess with those areas, and the penalties are
severe. But when you look in the case of an engine, the only time we really get
a chance to look internally at an engine is post-race. Some of our most severe
penalties over time have surrounded engine infractions.
Q. Why was the team penalized
rather than the manufacturer?
PEMBERTON: That's tough too.
Because when you look at, in their particular situation, we probably don't know
all the details, but we do know they come from an outside vendor for the most
part, and I don't know how you would go -- it's very difficult to go to an
outside vendor and penalize them whether it's springs or shocks or parts that
are bought and bolted on race cars. That's why in today's world we all know and
relate to the fact that it stops at the crew chief and stops at the owner and
stops at the organization that is here to compete.
PEMBERTON: It's a part that
didn't meet spec. It's not a gray area. There are numbers in the books. If you
look at numbers in the books and what's going on in the garage area and across
our national series those numbers for a connecting rod have been in the book
since around the time we went to a single-engine rule, which is probably 12
years ago. So you take that and the amount of engines and engine components in
the garage area, and then every given weekend it's done right the vast majority
of the time.(NASCAR)
AND #20 team owner Joe Gibbs also addressed the media Friday at
Joe Gibbs: I want to say that
we value our NASCAR partnership very much. We've been together, working
together for 22 years and we value our relationship with them. Certainly, we do
not want to be on the wrong side of any rules. That's our goal. I wanted to
emphasize that. I want to make a point [that] we have a great partner in TRD
(Toyota Racing Development). Over the six years we've been together at
different times -- this is a big deal, a lot of things come up -- NASCAR's a big
deal for us and a big deal for TRD. It's what we live. Through the process over
these six years at different times we've stood behind them as we go through
something -- in support and be there with them. At different times, they have
been behind us. That's what good partners do. We think we have a great
partnership with them and we're going to stand together and work our way
through this and again try to handle it the right way. We believe that we are
going to be together for a long time. I think everyone at this point has
probably heard that in tearing down our motor after last week's win, one of the
connecting rods was found to be light. That goes against the rules and we
understand that. We know that there's going to be a penalty for that. What we're
going to appeal is the severity of the penalties. In looking at that motor and
where all the connecting rods were placed and the weight of all the connecting
rods, when you have motor experts look at it basically what they would say is
there is no advantage to having that one light rod in that motor. That's one
thing that is very important to me is the intent here was not to get an unfair
advantage in any way. That's very important to me. The other point that I would
like to make is since we started out this year there has been 10 TRD motors
torn down -- eight of them have been Joe Gibbs Racing motors. Nothing with
those other motors has found to be wrong in those motors in anyway. Those
motors were found to be legal there. I think basically that's what our appeal
is going to be. We want to go forward and go through that process and what
we'll be appealing will be the severe nature of the penalties."(
Hamlin dicusses
decision to set out
What did the doctors see that
is keeping you out of this race?
"They were -- during our
call yesterday they were speaking as much Chinese as I could understand. I saw
the scan and saw the healing that they were talking about. However, some kind
of in-plate is not healing the way that they wanted it and that's what they
wanted in order to clear me. Really, that was their determining factor and,
obviously, my injury is very, very hard because there is no exact science to
the risk. They don't -- no one knows what the risk will be if I race this week
or if I race two weeks from now. Bone healing is completely subjective. It
takes bone healing a year most times to be 100 percent, so how do you quantify
how much more risk is there this week versus two weeks down the road or three
weeks down the road or two months down the road, so that's the tough part of it
-- everyone is erring on the cautious side because no one ultimately wants to
be responsible and have their name on the line of clearing a driver and then he
goes out and gets hurt."
Do you still feel like you
can compete in a portion of the
"They all came to the
conclusion they were happy with me starting
Is there a possibility of
surgery?
"We talked briefly about
the injury that I deal with every day and that was not the main focus of our
conversation, but I think that it is going to be a possibility in the
off-season. If I get back to it in a timely fashion in the Cup Series this year
then am still able to salvage some kind of season, then obviously it's not
going to be an option until the off-season. So, either way, I'd like to get it
fixed and get it over with."
At what point will you
consider not returning this season?
"I think if this goes
past
Kenseth calls penalties unfair: #20-Matt Kenseth
talked to the media Thursday morning at
What was your reaction to the
penalties NASCAR announced yesterday? Do you think they were severe?
"I think the penalties
are grossly unfair. I think it's borderline shameful.
There's no argument the part was wrong. They weighed it and it was wrong.
However, there is an argument that there certainly was no performance
advantage. If you can find any unbiased, reputable, knowledgeable
engine-builder and if they saw the facts, what all the rods weighed. The
average weight of all the rods was well above the minimum -- 2.5 (grams) above
the minimum at least. There was one in there that was way heavy. There was no
performance advantage, there was no intent, it was a
mistake. JGR (Joe Gibbs Racing) had no control over it. Certainly to crush Joe
Gibbs like that -- to say they can't win an owner's championship with the 20
this year is just, I can't wrap my arms around that, it just blows me away. And
the same with Jason Ratcliff (crew chief). I don't feel bad for myself at all,
but for Jason and Joe, I just couldn't feel any worse. There's
no more reputable, honest hard-working guys with good reputations more so than
those two -- I feel really bad for them."
Do you expect a positive
response from the appeals process?
"I don't know. I've
never been through it so I honestly don't know. That's the hope, that's why
it's setup. You've seen some examples of both. I don't know. That's what the
hope is, that's why it's setup. We'll just go through that and see what happens
and see whatever the final verdict is -- we'll have to live with that and move
on."(
Kenseth penalty appeal to be heard May 8: On Wednesday, May 8
at 9:00am/et at the NASCAR Research and
Hamlin to start at
UPDATE: NASCAR confirmed that
medical clearance has not yet been given for Denny Hamlin to return to racing
the #11 FedEx Toyota (many sources on Twitter)(5-1-2013)
#4 for Harvick in 2014?
Stewart-Haas Racing has applied for the trademark for the (4) Standard
Character Mark or the #4. Supposedly to be used by Kevin Harvick when he moves over to Stewart-Hass Racing in 2014.
You can see the trademark application / info at uspto.gov (do a search under
Stewart-Haas). Other rumored numbers for Harvick at
Stewart-Hass Racing: take the #29 with him from Richard Childress Racing with
RCR using the #3 for Austin Dillon. Have heard some rumors the #8 could be in
play.(4-30-2013)
In wake of
Tire testing at Indy: been
told that there will be NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Goodyear tire testing at
Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Tuesday, April 30 and Wednesday, May 1. The
following drivers are scheduled to test. #2-Brad Keselowski,
#14-Tony Stewart, #21-Trevor Bayne, #24-Jeff Gordon, #55-Mark Martin and
#78-Kurt Busch.
AND Part of NASCAR rolls into
town today for stock car testing at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Tony Stewart
and Jeff Gordon are among the Sprint Cup Series drivers participating in the
Goodyear tire test today and Wednesday at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Brad Keselowski, former Daytona 500 winner Trevor Bayne, Mark
Martin and Kurt Busch also will be on the track. The session will be from 9:00
am to 5:00 pm both days with an hour break for lunch sometime around noon.
Spectators can watch the test from the Hall of Fame Museum parking lot, the
grandstand located inside the track near the museum and a small portion of the
Turn 2 spectator mound. The rest of the latter is closed due to renovation and
Note: I’ve read that they hit 214 MPH at the end of
the backstretch. Some news reports made
it sound like they averaged 214. Not so.
Overnight
Many reports on Twitter say
the penalties against Penske Racing have been upheld by appeals panel. Penske
will appeal to highest level, Chief Appellate Officer. John Middlebrook.
Penske crew members will be able to work at
UPDATE: The National Car
Stock Car Racing Appeals Panel upheld the penalties Wednesday to the Penske
Racing teams of #2-Brad Keselowski and #22-Joey Logano. Team owner Roger Penske said he would appeal the
ruling to National Stock Car Racing Chief Appellate Officer John Middlebrook. "I can't make any comments, it's clear we
have a process and I'm better off to wait to see that conclude," Penske
said. "All I can say about the process is it's
fair and equitable. We had an opportunity to explain our case in detail. We
will move onto the next step."
The appeals panel of Pocono
Raceway president Brandon Igdalsky, former NASCAR
senior vice president Paul Brooks and Bowman-Gray Stadium operator Dale Pinilis took about five hours to hear arguments from both
sides and deliberate on the decision. The three-person panel was chosen from a
list of 49 eligible members.
"We take our inspection
process very seriously," NASCAR spokesman Kerry Tharp said. "We
believe we do a strong and credible job with it. The level playing field in the
garage we believe is the best it's ever been. As the sanctioning body, we have
to uphold the rules and regulations in the rulebook. The inspection process we
believe in very strongly." Sprint Cup director John Darby presented
NASCAR's side.
Team owner Roger Penske
attended the hearing with chief lieutenants Walt Czarnecki
(vice president of Penske Corp.) and Tim Cindric
(Penske Racing president). Team manager Travis Geisler
and crew chiefs Paul Wolfe (Keselowski) and Todd
Gordon (Logano) also were present.(USA
Today)(5-1-2013)
NASCAR Statement: On May 1,
2013, the National Stock Car Racing Appeals Panel heard and considered the
appeal of the #2 and #22 Penske Racing NASCAR Sprint Cup Series teams. The
penalties stemmed from a pre-race inspection at Texas Motor Speedway April 13.
See full rundown of the peanlties, fines and
suspensions on my 2013 NASCAR Penalties page. The Appellants appealed all
penalties listed. The Appellants also requested and were granted a deferral of
the suspensions until such time as the hearing could be convened. Upon hearing
the testimony and carefully reviewing the facts, it was a unanimous decision by
the National Stock Car Racing Appeals Panel to uphold the original penalties
assessed by NASCAR. The Appellants have the right under Section 15 of the rule
book to appeal this decision to the National Stock Car Racing Chief Appellate
Officer. The National Stock Car Racing Appeals Panel overseeing the appeal:
Brandon Igdalsky, Paul Brooks, Dale Pinilis and Shawn Rogers Appellate Administrator and
non-voting member.(NASCAR)(5-1-2013)
Final Appeal Date: Team owner
Roger Penske will utilize the final step in the appeal process, in which NASCAR
chief appellate officer John Middlebrook will hear
from both sides. The hearing will take place next Tuesday [May 7] at 10 a.m.
ET, meaning all of the suspended crew members will be at
Entry List, updated for the
Aaron's 499 Sprint Cup Series race at Talladega Superspeedway is posted, 44
teams/drivers [for 43 spots] are listed, including: #11-Vickers/Hamlin,
#55-Waltrip, #81-Sadler, #51-Smith, #21-Bayne, #95-Speed. #19-Bliss &
#81-Sadler would had to get in by speed and be in the top 36 in speed as the
team is too far down the owners points list to use a provisional.
The #19-Bliss is now listed
as withdrawing from the race.
Note: I expect that in the near future, some Cup
race will come up and have a short field.
Former OVRP Dirt Oval
runners:
At Accord – Danny Creeden was 2nd, Billy VanInwegen
10th and Brian Krummel 16th in
the Modified feature. Tyler Dippel won the Open Sportsman feature, with Anthony Perrego 4th.
Tyler Bonifce won the Spec Sportsman feature,
and was followed by Kyle VanDuser 2nd,
Mike Traver 4th, LJ Lombardo 8th
and John Smykla 14th. Lex Burritt was 2nd
and Jason Roe 12th in the Lightning Sprint feature.
Kyle Rohner
was 7th in the Modified feature and 6th in the Sportsman
feature at Penn Can. Corey Ziegler was 8th
in the Sportsman feature.
Danny Creeden
was 5th in the Modified feature at 5 Mile, while Brad Szulewski was 21st in the Sportsman feature.
In the CRSA 305 Sprint Car
feature at Fonda, Josh Pieniazek was 6th,
Joe Kata 11th, Emily VanInwegen
12th and Dan Hennessey 17th.
At OCFS, in the Modified feature,
Billy VanInwegen was 3rd, Clinton Mills 5th,
Tim Hindley 6th, Mike Ruggiero 9th
and John Lodini (Small Block) 22nd. Anthony Perrego won
the Sportsman feature with Brian Krummel 2nd,
Andrew Reeves 3rd, Tyler Boniface 4th, Zack Vavricka 7th, Matt Janiak
9th, LJ Lombardo 11th, Joe Conklin 13th, Joe Falanga 18th and John Illanovsky
21st. Seth Pacella was 4th in the Rookie Sportsman feature.
At Borgers,
Paul Queer was 6th in the Wingless Dirt 600 Micro Sprint feature.
Kyle Armstrong was 6th,
Kolby Schroder 8th and Bobby Hackel, IV 21st in the Modified feature at
Lebanon Vallery.
Tyler Dippel made it two straight wins in the
Sportsman class, while John Virgilio was 17th.
Mike Mammana
was 26th in the 358 Modified feature at Big Diamond, while Davie
Franek was 2nd in the URC feature.
Rich Coons was 2nd
and Bob Morris 3rd in the Dirt Modifieds
at
AJ Filbeck
was 27th in the RoC Sportsman race at
Utica/Rome.
Roger Coss
was 6th in the Modified feature at
That’s
42 names this week, and know of at least one more but have not seen his results.
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 April
30th edition – picked up from the Digital Service:
Lenny Sammons:
Lenny tells us of Tim Kaeding taking a little time off from the Woo and running
the “big” half mile tracks here in the east – Williams Grove and
Note: You can’t believe what his 305 is made out
of, and just what it was that Karl has done to get it in running condition!
Ernie Saxton:
I agree with Ernie – Kenseth, Gibbs and TRD were not cheating.
Ernie finishes a part of his
column with this: “Something to think
about is that somewhere there is a plan and it will be put to use in the
future. NSCR will provide competitors
with cars, the parts, the tires, and everything they need to go racing. It will be similar to the defunct IROC series. I truthfully think it will happen.
But if NASCAR continues to
hand out such outrageous penalties thee just may be a
move by someone with the finances and connections to create another stock car
racing organization. Perhaps it will be Bruton Smith.”
Remember Speed Age
magazine? Ernie has a bunch of them for
sale – 64 issues from 1951 to 1967. It
is not a complete set. If you have an interest,
make an offer. You can even name the
charity you want the money to go to.
He’s looking for an offer of at least $250.00 to get things
started. You can email him at: Esaxton144@aol.com. You are welcome to come
look at them in his office before you make payment.
Brett Deyo:
Tells us that last weekend,
when Duane Howard won at Big Diamond and
Stephen Kellogg:
He tells us that Dunn Hill
Speedway may be closing its doors.
Nothing official has come from the track owners and operators, yet, but
Stephen was given some second hand information.
Because it was “second hand” Stephen would not make public what he was
told.
JR Kennerup:
JR gives this travel hint –
Traveling through the
Don and Jo Ann Davies:
They tell us that Harvey Fink
is having some health issues and is in a hospital in the
Other items covered
in this weeks paper:
Dominates Whelen
Mod Tour Race
Big Bucks Weikert
Memorial
Big Blocks At
Hoar Thunders
To 'Road ACT Victory
New Old Dominion
Big Plans Taking Shape
Steven Reed Perfect
As Wall Stadium
Kicks Off
64th Season
Lathroum (
Feathers (
Are
Duane Howard's
Small Block Big Diamond Win
His Career No. 200
Press releases:
Borgers Paving The Way To the Future
Borgers PR
Media Contact
Bob Snyder
bobsnyderphoto@enter.net
Borgers Speedway Paving The Way To
the Future.
Borgers Speedway will be “Paving the Way To
The Future” with Brendan Oconnor at the
helm. Brendan Oconnor,
owner of Brendan Oconnor Motorsports will lease and
operate the track from speedway owners Glenn and Ruth Borger. While there has been some speculation about
Glenn’s recent illness this is not an issue at all. Glenn has made a miraculous recovery but
feels it is time to sit back and enjoy the fruits of his labor, without the
pressure of operating the track. Glenn
has been waxing up his surf board and plans on doing some sky diving but you
will still see him at the track cruising around the property and telling an
occasional XXX Rated joke or two.
Brendan Oconnor,
“I look at “Pap” as my grandfather figure and will seek his mentoring in
running the track. I feel very honored he has given me this opportunity and I will not
let him down. I will do whatever it
takes to make this track second to none and I will spare no expense in doing
so. We have the bus and we have the
right people on it. It is a matter of
putting them in the right seats and this bus will do big things.”
Bob Snyder, “Glenn has to be
the most courageous fighter I have ever seen.
From day one he had insurmountable obstacles to keep his “Field Of
Dreams” in operation. When the neighbors
thought they had knocked him out he showed them who was boss, calling their
bluff, and paved the track. A lesser man
would of packed up and walked away but not Glenn Borger.” “Brendan worked very closely with us all last
season, mostly behind the scene, and was responsible along with Gary Conkling
of Green Flag Driving Experience for our very successful OctoberFest
series.”
Racers and fans will see
immediate changes with a total revamping and landscaping of the grounds. Restructured grandstand pricing and an
expanded food stand menu are in the works.
Many major races are in the planning stages and the entire schedule is
up to change. Our 2013 OctoberFest will be one of the biggest experiences to hit
the Northeast and will be a month to remember.
We will be working closely
with ATQMRA, The Vintage TQ Group, Dirt 600 Sprints, and the Slingshots to
enhance the big car program.
A total revamping of the
Karting and MicroStock program is underway to build
these divisions and we will be making a major push on the Junior
Divisions. We will be encouraging the
kids to bring their, bikes, scooters, and Big Wheels to take to the track
before the races start and are looking into Big Wheel racing.
Changes will come swiftly
pertaining to every aspect of Borgers Speedway and
the changes will be awesome. The goal of
Brendan Oconnor is to make Borgers
Speedway the finest 1/7 mile asphalt speedway in the world. Sit back, strap yourself in, and get ready
for the ride of your life. The Best Is
Yet To Come.
News from the Clash at the Can – ‘Making
History, One Dollar at a Time’
Media Contact: Brett Deyo – Deyo99H@aol.com or 845.728.2781
For Immediate Release/April
29, 2013
One More Shot: Trackside
Products Sponsors Unique ‘Dash Into The Clash’ Modified Last Chance Qualifier
At Tuesday, June 11 Penn Can Speedway Pioneer Pole Buildings Inc.-VP Racing
Fuels ‘Clash at the Can’
SUSQUEHANNA, PA – At most
race events, competitors have two opportunities to qualify for a main event.
That won’t be the case at the
Pioneer Pole Buildings Inc.-VP Racing Fuels ‘Clash at the Can’ set for Tuesday,
June 11 at Penn Can Speedway. Through a unique marketing partnership with
Trackside Products, big-block/small-block Modified competitors receive a rare
third shot at qualifying for the 60-lap Race of Champions Dirt Modified Tour
event offering the most lucrative purse in Penn Can history at more than
$28,000.
Following the completion of
heat and consolation events, the first Trackside Products ‘Dash into the Clash’
last-chance qualifier will be run. The first six drivers missing a transfer
spot during the consolations are eligible for this 6 ½-lap event (the field
will take the green flag on the backstretch). A fan draw will determine an
invert of 0, 2, 4 or 6 for the starting lineup based on consolation finishes.
The ‘Dash into the Clash’
winner will have a decision to make in
All other ‘Dash into the
Clash’ participants receive $50 cash courtesy of Trackside Products.
“Our theme this year with the
‘Clash at the Can’ was to send more racers and teams home with as much money as
possible,” said Brett Deyo of BD Motorsports Media
LLC, who co-promotes the ‘Clash at the Can’ annually with Penn Can track
managers Reed Miller and Al Wilcox. “Thanks to our sponsors
“Now, with help from Al and
Paula Wilcox at Trackside Products, six more teams will leave Penn Can with cash
in hand, even if they don’t make the main event.”
The ‘Dash into the Clash’
will prove interesting for fans, as well.
“The race itself will be
intense,” co-promoter Miller said. “There will be a lot of action packed into a
short distance with that much money on the line. Then, the winner will have to
make a decision right there in
The non-top-heavy pay
structure for the ‘Clash at the Can’ is as follows: 1. $5,000; 2. $4,000; 3.
$2,500; 4. $1,800; 5. $1,500; 6. $1,400; 7. $1,300; 8. $1,200; 9. $1,100; 10. $1,000; 11. $600; 12. $550; 13. $525; 14. $515; 15. $510; 16-24. $500.
A number of special awards,
bonuses and incentives will make the ‘Clash at the Can’ a night to remember for
all attendees. A list of special awards
can be found on the BD Motorsports Media LLC website:
www.bdmotorsportsmedia.com.
Located on
Penn Can, a one-third-mile,
tire-wear-friendly oval centrally located on the
The Crate 602 Sportsman will
join the Modifieds in a 25-lap special paying $1,000
to the winner, producing an open-wheel doubleheader for fans. A special event
program and apparel will be produced for the historic night.
Gates will
open at 5 p.m., with hot laps at 6:45 p.m. and racing at 7:30 p.m.
The ‘Clash at the Can’ has a
rain date of Wednesday, June 12.
In its four-year history, the
'Clash at the Can' has emerged as a marquee event on the dirt Modified
calendar. Last year, Danny Johnson of
The '11 edition featured a
classic duel between dirt Modified superstar Billy Decker and then unheralded
Accord (N.Y.)
BD Motorsports Media LLC
returns to Penn Can in October to co-promote the 'King of the Can' 14th annual
Modified event on Friday, Oct. 18, headlined by a 50-lap main paying $5,014 to
win and $314 to take the green flag. Crate 602 Sportsman and Street Stocks
complete the Friday card, which carries a Sunday (Oct. 20) rain date.
To learn more about the
'Clash at the Can' and other BD Motorsports Media LLC promotions, contact Brett
Deyo by phone at 845.728.2781 or via e-mail at
Deyo99H@aol.com. BD Motorsports Media is on the web at
www.bdmotorsportsmedia.com, on Facebook at www.facebook.com/bdmotorsportsmedia and on Twitter @BrettDeyo.
The 2013 ‘Clash at the Can’
is presented by Pioneer Pole Buildings Inc., VP Racing Fuels, Trackside
Products, American Racer/Lias Tire, Shiley Fabrication, BFP Specialty, Fulton Speedway, Black
Rock Speedway, S&D Bodyline, BFP Specialty, Manmiller
Electric, Tim Long/Big Diamond Speedway, S&W Awards, BD Motorsports Media
LLC and many more marketing partners.
BD Motorsports Media LLC
Co-Promotion Penn Can
October 12, 2012 (King of the
Can 50 laps) - RYAN GODOWN - Danny Johnson - Joey Grammes
- Billy Decker - Stewart Friesen
June 13, 2012 (Clash at the
Can RoC 60 laps) - DANNY JOHNSON - Ryan Godown - Jeff Strunk - Billy Pauch Sr. - Ryan Watt
November 13, 2011 (King of
the Can 50 laps) - STEWART FRIESEN - Jeff Strunk -
Pat Ward - Jimmy Phelps - Justin Holland
June 7, 2011 (Clash at the
Can RoC 60 laps) - BILLY DECKER - Danny Tyler - Jimmy
Phelps - Duane Howard - Matt Sheppard
August 10, 2010 - (Hot Summer
Night RoC 60 laps) - STEWART FRIESEN - Alan Rudalavage - Duane Howard - Bobby Varin
- Joey Grammes
June 8, 2010 (Clash at the
Can RoC 60 laps) - DUANE HOWARD - Danny Johnson -
Stewart Friesen - Brett Tonkin - Ryan Godown
I
get e-mails:
Can you Name the Dictator,
Communist, or Tyrant who made these statements?
A little
trivia to see how much history you know.
Answer all the questions
before looking at the answers at the bottom.
1) "We're going to take
things away from you on behalf of the common good."
A. Karl Marx
B. Adolph Hitler
C. Joseph Stalin
D. None of the above
2) "It's time for a new
beginning, for an end to government of the few, by the few, and for the
few...... And to replace it with shared responsibility for
shared prosperity."
A. Lenin
B. Mussolini
C. Idi
Amin
D. None of the Above
3) "(We) .....can't just let business as usual go on, and that means
something has to be taken away from some people."
A. Nikita Khrushev
B. Josef Goebbels
C. Boris Yeltsin
D. None of the above
4) "We have to build a
political consensus and that requires people to give up a little bit of their
own ... in order to create this common ground."
A. Mao Tse
Dung
B. Hugo Chavez
C. Kim Jong
Il
D. None of the above
5) "I certainly think
the free-market has failed."
A. Karl Marx
B. Lenin
C. Molotov
D. None of the above
6) "I think it's time to
send a clear message to what has become the most profitable sector in (the)
entire economy that they are being watched."
A. Pinochet
B. Milosevic
C. Saddam Hussein
D. None of the above
Answers
(1) D. None
of the above. Statement was made by Hillary Clinton 6/29/2004
(2) D. None
of the above. Statement was made by Hillary Clinton 5/29/2007
(3) D. None
of the above. Statement was made by Hillary Clinton 6/4/2007
(4) D. None
of the above. Statement was made by Hillary Clinton 6/4/2007
(5) D. None
of the above. Statement was made by Hillary Clinton 6/4/2007
(6) D. None
of the above. Statement was made by Hillary Clinton 9/2/2005
HOO AH!!! Where there’s a
will, there’s a way
The City of Dallas, Texas
passed an ordinance stating that if a driver is pulled over by law enforcement
and is not able to provide proof of insurance, the car is towed. To retrieve
the car after being impounded,
they must show proof of insurance to have the car
released. This has made
it easy for the City of
"No Insurance"
ordinance was passed,
and were full after only nine days. Over 80 % of the
impounded cars were
driven by illegal's.
Now, not only must they
provide proof of insurance to have their car
released, they have to pay for the cost of the tow, a $350
fine, and $20
for every day their car is kept in the lot. Guess what?
Accident rates have
gone down 47% and . . .
road WITHOUT making them show proof of nationality. I
wonder how the ACLU
or the Justice Department will get around this one. Just
brings tears to
your eyes doesn't it?
GO
Found on Facebook:
We are told not to judge
Muslims based on the actions of a few.
I suggest we give millions of
responsible American gun owners that same courtesy.
So we need an entire SWAT
team and the National Guard, armed with semi and fully automatic rifles,
similar to my semi automatic AR15, to locate a 19 year old idiot, yet the gov’t. tells me I don’t need one
for self defense?
Where’s the logic in that?
OVER 2.8
BILLION ON OBAMA PHONES????? REALLY??? REALLY?? I'm sorry lil Timmy but you won't get a social security check cuz the gov has no more money
they had to provide anyone and everyone who couldn't afford a phone a phone.. oohh
what lil Timmy?? What happened to public payphones??
Yeah we don't use them any more the gov would rather
use your money to pay for everyone's phone! MAKES ME SICK SICK
SICK!!
Note: Pretty sure there was mention of this on TV
last week, and how some “politicians” are beginning to see this waste!
You're an
19 year old kid. You're critically wounded , and dying
in the jungle in the Ia Drang
Valley , 11-14-1965, LZ X-ray,
You're lying there, listening
to the enemy machine guns, and you know you're not getting out. Your family is
1/2 way around the world, 12,000 miles away, and you'll never see them again.
As the world starts to fade in and out , you know this
is the day.
Then, over the machine gun
noise, you faintly hear that sound of a helicopter, and you look up to see an
un-armed Huey, but it doesn't seem real, because no Medi-Vac
markings are on it.
Ed Freeman is coming for you.
He's not Medi-Vac, so it's not his job, but he's
flying his Huey down into the machine gun fire, after the Medi-Vacs
were ordered not to come.
He's coming anyway.
And he drops it in, and sits
there in the machine gun fire, as they load 2 or 3 of you on board.
Then he flies you up and out
through the gunfire, to the Doctors and Nurses.
And, he kept coming back....
13 more times.....
And took about 30 of you and
your buddies out, who would never have gotten out.
Medal of Honor Recipient , Ed Freeman , died at the age of 80, in
These 11 States now have More
People on Welfare than they do Employed!
Last month, the Senate Budget
Committee reports that in fiscal year 2011, between food stamps, housing
support, child care, Medicaid and other benefits, the average
So, if you work you earn
$11,000 a year less than a household that doesn't work AND you have to pay
taxes to PROVIDE those not working with a better life than you get FOR working?
Found on the
Internet:
Racial brouhaha erupts in
Some
non-racing stuff:
STATE DEPT BLOCKING LAWYERS
FROM REPRESENTING
Note: Some wicked comments under this article.
Millions in CIA "ghost
money" paid to
Link: http://news.yahoo.com/millions-cia-ghost-money-paid-afghanistan-presidents-office-105518747.html
Lawmakers, aides may get Obamacare exemption
In part: "Congressional leaders in both parties
are engaged in high-level, confidential talks about exempting lawmakers and
Capitol Hill aides from the insurance exchanges they are mandated to join as
part of President Barack Obama’s health care overhaul, sources in both parties
said.
The talks — which involve
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.), House
Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio), the Obama administration and other top lawmakers
— are extraordinarily sensitive, with both sides acutely aware of the potential
for political fallout from giving carve-outs from the hugely controversial law
to 535 lawmakers and thousands of their aides. Discussions have stretched out
for months, sources said.
Yet if Capitol Hill leaders
move forward with the plan, they risk being dubbed hypocrites by their
political rivals and the American public. By removing themselves from a key Obamacare component, lawmakers and aides would be held to a
different standard than the people who put them in office.
Link: http://www.politico.com/story/2013/04/obamacare-exemption-lawmakers-aides-90610.html
Note: Some not so nice comments on this can be
found below the article. As of Saturday, 3537 of them.
Court may limit use of race
in college admission decisions
Link: http://news.yahoo.com/court-may-limit-race-college-admission-decisions-133238785.html
Army says no to more tanks,
but Congress insists
Link: http://news.yahoo.com/army-says-no-more-tanks-115434897.html
Why the Jobs Outlook Just Got
a Whole
Link: http://finance.yahoo.com/news/why-jobs-outlook-just-got-162533748.html
Recent
Link: http://news.yahoo.com/recent-u-college-graduates-disillusioned-underemployed-poll-171942713.html
Note: Some wicked comments accompany this article!
Does Obamacare
Justify These High Premiums?
Link: http://wallstcheatsheet.com/stocks/does-obamacare-justify-these-high-premiums.html/?ref=YF
Obamacare faces new legal challenge: Its 'tax' still violates
the Constitution
Link: http://news.yahoo.com/obamacare-faces-legal-challenge-tax-still-violates-constitution-151319788.html
Fox News Says Obama Muzzled
Link: http://news.yahoo.com/fox-news-says-obama-muzzled-benghazi-whistleblowers-015810894.html
ESPN Responds to Chris
Broussard's Homophobic Comments
Link: http://omg.yahoo.com/news/espn-responds-chris-broussards-homophobic-comments-142900192.html
Lower tuition for immigrants
becomes law in
Link: http://news.yahoo.com/lower-tuition-immigrants-becomes-law-152911238.html
Proof: Hillary Clinton
Deliberately Lied About
Link: http://www.capitalisminstitute.org/hillary-clinton-lied/
GM Still Taking Taxpayers for
a Ride
Link: http://www.fool.com/investing/general/2013/05/01/gm-still-taking-taxpayers-for-a-ride.aspx
Note: Some interesting comments follow this
article!
Unemployment rates fall in 90
pct. of US cities
Link: http://news.yahoo.com/unemployment-rates-fall-90-pct-190435192.html
Note: However, one has to figure that more
Americans have stopped looking for work, which is not included in the trumped
up figures that we are supplied with.
Link: http://news.yahoo.com/bolivia-expels-u-aid-agency-kerry-backyard-221606344.html
Note: Never thought Kerry was "smart".
Video time –
music:
Just thinking –
maybe we need more songs like this one!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WGz_xSSgjY0&mode=related&search=
Note:
I see there were no “thumbs down” on this video. And, here’s a comment that was said under the
video:
“No we
are not
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XZ1W5dau6wc
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hpTsRoe7jXI
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0YD7CA2Rkzs
Note: Zach Sanner, who is
accompanying James Dupre in the above video – at one
time, it was said that Zach was handed the Mandolin about 20 minutes prior to
them taping this song, and he had never played one before.
Video time – racin stuff:
Langhorne – the
circle:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IvPJeVPdNEE
Same day – different video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GmfEGDsnxAU
And some stock cars at Langhorne:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dw-F0KK5SZI
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-5d8w7Kh-bw
Photos:
Note: The photos are not available on Dirt Track
Digest, only on New England Tractor - http://newenglandtractor.com/racereport/
As I said
above, here’s a photo of Mike Nazaruk, said to be
taken on his last lap at Langhorne, on May 1, 1955. Notice the oily dirt on his windshield and the
front of his helmet. As he went past me
on that lap, he was wiping off his goggles.
Closing with these:
Kulula Airlines
Kulula is an Airline with head office situated in
Here are some real examples
that have been heard or reported:
On a Kulula
flight, (there is no assigned seating, you just sit where you want) passengers
were apparently having a hard time choosing, when a flight attendant announced,
"People, people we're
not picking out furniture here, find a seat and get in it!"
On another flight with a very
"senior" flight attendant crew, the pilot said,
"Ladies and gentlemen,
we've reached cruising altitude and will be turning down the cabin lights. This
is for your comfort and to enhance the appearance of your flight
attendants."
On landing, the stewardess
said,
"Please be sure to take
all of your belongings. If you're going to leave anything, please make sure
it's something we'd like to have."
"There may be 50 ways to
leave your lover, but there are only 4 ways out of this airplane."
"Thank you for flying Kulula. We hope you enjoyed giving us the business as much
as we enjoyed taking you for a ride."
As the plane landed and was
coming to a stop at
After a particularly rough
landing during thunderstorms in the
From a Kulula
employee:
"Welcome aboard Kulula 271 to
"In the event of a
sudden loss of cabin pressure, masks will descend from the ceiling. Stop
screaming, grab the mask, and pull it over your face. If you have a small child
travelling with you, secure your mask before assisting with theirs. If you are
travelling with more than one small child, pick your favorite."
"Weather at our
destination is 50 degrees with some broken clouds, but we'll try to have them
fixed before we arrive. Thank you, and remember,
nobody loves you, or your money, more than Kulula
Airlines."
Note: More of these in my next column.
Until next week,
folks!
As usual, you can reach me
at: ygordad@yahoo.com