Racin'
& Internet Stuff:
By Tom Avenengo
Volume # 16
First:
Last week, my son, Eric, his daughter Samantha (one of my
granddaughters), and his son Dillon (one of my grandsons), along with
Samantha’s boy friend Shane, her dog “Bella” and I, took a trip, via truck and
trailer from Port Jervis, NY to Tampa, Fl. where “Sam” is now living. She’ll be going to
Sitting in traffic on I-75, in the heat, and a couple of “Monsoons” kind of made up my sons mind about whether he would move to Florida, or not. We headed back home on Tuesday morning, starting out around 9:30 AM. We arrived back home around 4:30 in the afternoon on Wednesday, after we dropped off the trailer that Bill Szulewski was nice enough to let us borrow.
While down in
Now you know why there was no column last week.
Second:
My son, Eric has a 2006 TEO Modified for sale.
Some info:
2006 teo modified. complete
car minus engine. car has not run in 2009 or 2010. Car
was run as a smallblock. Kirkey ful containment seat, parker pumper, winters
rear, profile steering, inboard starter. $6000. Also
have several spares. complete sway away front axle
minus calipers, several shocks, spare front axles, 15 aluminum wheels. complete car and spares $6500 firm.
There’s a photo of the car here:
http://www.flag2flag.com/a_dirttrackdigest_Classifieds/CPViewItem.asp?ID=51449
He can be contacted via e-mail at: ema19us@yahoo.com or his cell phone number is: 845-820-3565
Some
of my thoughts:
While watching bits and pieces of the Cup race from Pocono, I happened to make mention about there being no fencing along the second straightaway – that behind the wall was nothing but trees. Forever in the hopes of an Indycar racing event being held in the near future, I said that would be another thing that would have to be addressed too, along with a whole re-paving job and maybe some inside fences being replaced. (It was said, I believe, that Pocono is going to replace some of those inside fences with Safer Barriers). If you watched any of that Cup race, you would have seen Kasey Kahne almost get into those trees when his car got airborne on the very last lap of the all too usual “Green – White – Checker” finish, that’s all so common in NASCAR today.
Going back, in time:
Note: The following
information was mostly found here: http://www.wheelsofspeed.com/history.html
Covering the days of June 2nd to June 9th.
JUNE 2
1920
Don Branson ... Born
1954
Steve Kinser ... Born
1960
Kyle Petty ... Born
1970
Bruce McLaren
was killed testing his new Can Am entry, the M8D when he lost control and
collided with an earthen embankment at the Goodwood race track in
JUNE 3
1878
Barney Oldfield ... Born
1936
Art Malone... Born
1951
Bill Schindler won the AAA
Eastern Sprint Car race over Tommy Hinnershitz at the Reading Fairgrounds,
Reading, PA . Lee Wallard , after
winning the Indy 500 a week before, was severely burned during the Sprint race.
Although he survived, he never again competed in an Indy 500.
JUNE 4
1945
Ivan "The Iron Man"
Stewart ... Born ... Many time Off-road Champion
2007
William
JUNE 5
1941
Bubby Jones ... Born
1963
Mel Hansen ... Died
JUNE 6
1941
Louis Chevrolet... Died
1992
Arnie Knepper... Died
JUNE 7
1955
Tim Richmond ... Born
JUNE 8
1952
Johnny McDowell ... Died
1985
Ron Lauer, after 14 years
of trying, won the co-sanction ESMRA / ARDC Midget race at the Silver Spring
Speedway, Mechanicsburg, PA.
http://www.wheelsofspeed.com/report/6_8_85-5.html
JUNE 9
1943
Merle Bettenhausen ...
Born
1950
Keith Kauffman ... Born
1968
Ronnie Duman... Died
On
June 5, 1993, we lost one of the better entertainers ever - Harold Lloyd
Jenkins – better known as “Conway Twitty”, from a
abdominal aortic aneurysm. Here are a
few of his songs – with some a little “suggestive”:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IsZL10oxPwY
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9V1fX-FvKW8&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GNwT5jXcGD0&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Og1QRtcWdEY&feature=related
And
on June 7, 1991, my mother went to her final resting place. And, on June 7, 1991, my wife’s mother also
went to her final resting place. We
still miss both of them. Nineteen years
– where have they gone?
Racing
on TV - http://www.racefantv.com/USTV.htm
Friday,
June 11th:
11:30
AM to 1:00 PM on SPEED – Cup practice from
2:00
PM to 3:30 PM on SPEED – F-1 practice from
3:30
PM to 5:00 PM on SPEED – Cup qualifying
5:00
PM to 7:00 PM on SPEED – ARCA race from
Saturday,
June 12th:
8:30
AM to 12:30 PM on SPEED – 24 Hours of
12:30
PM to 1:30 PM on SPEED – Cup final practice
2:00
PM to 4:30 PM on SPEED – Truck race from
4:00
PM to 6:00 PM on ESPN – Nationwide qualifying from
4:30
PM to 6:00 PM on SPEED – F-1 qualifying
6:00
PM to 6:00 AM on SPEED – 24 hours of
8:00
PM to 11:00 PM on ESPN – Nationwide race
Sunday,
June 13th:
6:00
AM to 9:00 AM on SPEED – 24 hours of
12:00
PM to 2:00 PM on FOX – F-1 race
1:00
PM to 4:30 PM on TNT – Cup race
4:00
PM to 7:00 PM on ESPN2 – NHRA Eliminations from
Track
news:
From the OCFS website:
MIDDLETOWN, NY (June 4)……..Just one week after Orange County Fair
Speedway hosted its annual Nostalgia Night, on Saturday, June 12, the track is
set to pay special recognition to long time active Modified driver Rich Eurich.
Eurich, of Warwick, New York, is a three-time Orange County Modified point
champion and the winner of 45 feature races at the Hard Clay track---fourth on
the speedway’s all-time winners’ rankings. Eurich’s first
“Very
few drivers ever have a career as long or as productive as Rich’s,” says track
manager Ken Sands. “And he’s been a loyal
Sponsors for Rich
Eurich Appreciation Night are the Collier Family and Brush Construction.
In honor of
Rich Eurich’s traditional Number 10, general admission and senior ticket prices
for the June 12 race are reduced to $10 and free for children 12 and under. The full night of
racing begins promptly at 6:00 pm.
Advance ticket
sales, including the 49th Annual Eastern States Weekend, and track information
is available at the
On the Victory Speedway forum, Dave
Morehouse – from Dave’s Collectibles, posted this: “Wait
till Saturday and see another new shirt.” To
me that means a special shirt about/for Richie Eurich!
A few things
about Rich Eurich – thanks to Bill Boyle (Doctor Dirt)
A NIGHT FOR RICH EURICH AT ORANGE COUNTY
By Bill Boyle
On Saturday June
12, the Orange County Fair Speedway will be honoring veteran and fan favorite
Rich Eurich for supporting the speedway for the past 43 years. And the Rich
Eurich appreciation night is well deserved for the driver who picked up his
first checkered flag back in 1967 in the Sportsman division, and capped it off
last year with a late season checkered in the superfast Modified Division.
But In between, it has been a dream ride for gentleman Rich
Eurich. With 45 Modified wins and three major
championships (1981, 1982 and 1988), Eurich sits fourth in all-time wins at the
infamous 5/8th mile hard clay oval behind legends Brett Hearn (170), Frankie
Schneider (58) and Will Cagle (47). In addition, Eurich has finished a season
with at least one victory in 25 of those 43 seasons that he has raced, second
to Hearn’s total of 30 seasons.
But don’t allow that to slow down the crafty veteran who
also chalked up 16 wins and the 1970 Small Block championship before moving up to
the Modified ranks.
“My father owned a race car, so you might say I was born
into racing. As a kid, I grew up going to the races; and it was a family
affair. We were too young to go in the pits, so we sat in the stands and rooted
for my father’s cars. So that’s what we did on Saturday nights during the
summer.”
But all of that changed in 1967 when the 19 year old built
his first race car with the help of his father. “He thought I was building it
for someone else to drive, and I guess he was somewhat surprised when I told
him I was going to drive it myself.”
As a 19 year old, Eurich took to the fast speedway in 1967
and when his Rookie season was over, he had amassed three feature wins and
sixth in points behind champion Stan Sherman. Some start for a rookie who had
only run a handful of go cart races, and back in those days, 50-60 small blocks
would show up just to qualify for the 24-car starting feature field.
And over the years, Eurich has raced at many of
the speedways on the east coast with varying degrees of success.
In his first season there, Eurich won a few features, won
the track championship over the finest drivers on dirt on the East coast, and
was voted the Most Improved Driver….there was no Rookie of the Year awards in
those days, or he would have won that too. After ten years, the rule changes at
NAZRETH NATIONAL – “I really liked the track. It was fast
and it was wide, and 1 1/8th miles in length. You could really race there, but
the only drawback was that we had to mount a 50 gallon gas tank, and I wasn’t
thrilled with that.”
EAST WINDSOR – “It was one of our three-night tracks, Friday
at East Windsor, Saturday at
FLEMINGTON – “We raced there during the
Tri-Track era…a square half mile. It took a lot to drive that track, and you
used muscles you didn’t even know you had. There were no head and neck braces
back then, but they sure were needed. Oh, that track was very fast. You never
used your brakes. It was like driving a circle. The best we ever did there was
third in a 200 lap event behind Danny Johnson and Billy Pauch. Needless to say,
we were beat when we finally got out of the car.”
FONDA – “I guess we visited that place (a half mile oval) a
half dozen times. I really didn’t like the track lighting. It was like racing
on a paper clip, with tight turns off the front straight and sweeping turns in
three and four. It was intimidating to drive off of the second turn with the
HARMONY – “We raced there for a half season, a speedway in
the middle of a corn field that was build by Carl Van Horn. It was a tricky 5/8
mile “D” shaped track. We did okay there, finishing second once to Donnie
Shepard.”
ACCORD – “For the past three years, we have been running the
track on a weekly basis. I had to adapt to the smaller track (1/4 mile) and
really had a difficult time getting the car hooked up. In 2008 we brought our
big block Modified to the track when they allowed us to race against the
smaller 358’s, and before the season was over, we recorded the first ever big
block power plant feature against the smaller, but more adaptable small block
plants. It was too much power to try and get it to the track without spinning
the tires. This year, we have installed a small block engine in the car and we
seem to be doing okay with the power transfer. But I really like racing there.”
OTHER TRACKS – “About 20 years ago, we decided
to run the full DIRT tour and we had a ball going to new places. We went to
tracks like Weedsport, Rolling Wheels, Woodhull, Albany Saratoga, Sinar,
“But our home track has always been Orange County Fair
Speedway, a half-hour from our home. I remember one night in the pits when Dave
and Jackie Collier walked up to me after a race and said ‘I want you to put our
name on your car’, and we did. It was a wonderful sponsorship relationship with
Collier Motor Car Company that lasted until last year when General Motors pulled
their dealership right out from under them with their cutbacks. But Dave and
Jackie Collier still sponsor the car (Collier Family), and they will always be
with us and in our hearts for the support they provided. For 2010, we added new
additional sponsorship from Warwick (NY) based Country Chevrolet.”
“The biggest win for Diane (my wife) and me was the 1988
Eastern States 200. Like most of the 200’s, we were a long shot to the regular
touring teams and professional drivers on the tour. After time trials and
qualifying for almost 80 racing teams, we found ourselves starting on the pole
for the feature, and took an early lead over the 44 car field. But shortly
after 100 laps, we lost a tire going down the back straight. Back then, there
were no inside walls around the track, so we just held the car high in turn
three, and by the time we hit the fourth turn, the yellow was out, and we made
a bee line to the pits to change the rubber.”
“Without losing a lap, we rejoined the rear of the field,
and when the race resumed, we slowly made our way back to the front, and
finally to the elusive checkered flag against the best of the best.”
Aside from fellow Modified racer Billy Wilson, in his 51st
year of racing, Eurich’s tenure is second to none. Like
Unassuming in nature, the smiling Rich Eurich
was not expecting anything from the track just because he’s been racing there
for 44 years. But Track owner Mike Gurda and General Manager Ken Sands thought
otherwise and even published the 2010 schedule listing the night of June 12 as
the Collier Family Rich Eurich Appreciation Night WITHOUT even notifying him of
their decision. As Kenny Sands said, “I didn’t want him to back out of it, so
now he can’t.”
Yes, it will be a great night for a great driver, and every
fan in attendance will stand and applaud the humble man for what he has given
us in the past, his great racing, and the thrills and excitement that went with
it. It was a great move by the track management to honor a man like Rich Eurich
while he is still a competitive driver at the speedway. And I can assure you
that Eurich will only have one thing in his mind that night, and that is to
beat the other 25 drivers to the checkered flag and notch up win number 46.
We’ll be rooting for you Rich, all of us. Oh, and thanks for the memories!!!
Hopefully
the weather forecast as of Wednesday afternoon will not old true and they’ll
get the show in!
And,
from Brett Hearn’s website – this information on the “Big Show 2”
Fans, be ready to hold your breath as the daredevil Freestyle
Motocross riders defy gravity as they fly up to 75 feet in the air performing
stunts like the Double Grab, the Cliff Hanger, Super Man, and the Kiss of
Death.
These world class freestyle exhibitionists have wowed crowds
throughout North, Central, and
Fans buying their Big Show 2 tickets online in advance will
receive a $4.00 discount from the day-of-the-race $27 covered grandstand
reserved seat or the $22 general admission. Online discount ticket sales
will continue until 6:00 PM on Tuesday, June 15. All tickets for children under
12 are $5.00. Tickets for the unique
Spectator gates for The Big Show 2 Super DIRTcar Modified
Series race meet at Orange County Fair Speedway, Wednesday, June 16, will open
at 4:00 PM. For fans choosing to view the races from the unique Orange County
Drive-In section, gates will also open at 4:00 PM. Drive-In spaces will be on a
first-come basis. All fans are encouraged to come out early and enjoy the
attractions on the Fairgrounds’
Midway
The Big Show 2, a one-division racing program for the big-block DIRTcar
Modifieds, will include time trials, qualifying heat and consolation races, and
a B-main for non-qualified cars paying $2,000-to-win or 13th
starting spot in the 100-lap feature race. The Big Show 2 feature will
pay the winner at least $6,000 and with lap prize money, considerably more. Team
FMX East will perform their Extreme Motorcycle Stunt Show in front
of the stands during intermission of the racing program.
The Big Show 2 information---directions to the speedway and advance
ticket sales---is available online at www.thebigdirtshow.com. Rain
date for The Big Show 2 is Wednesday, June 30.
A unique one-on-one elimination race pitting the top-ten drivers
in Super DIRTcar Modified Series points adds a new twist to the already
jammed-pack night of motorsports excitement at The Big Show 2,
Wednesday, June 16 at Orange County Fair Speedway in
Sponsored by Teo Fabrications,
a full service race car construction and performance parts sales company in
nearby
Beginning with the ninth and
tenth driver in Super DIRTcar Series points, the event consists of a series of
one-lap sprints around the big
Fans buying their Big Show
2 tickets online in advance will receive a $4.00 discount from the
day-of-the-race $27 covered grandstand reserved seat or the $22 general
admission. Online discount ticket sales will continue until 6:00 pm on Tuesday,
June 15. All tickets for children under 12 are $5.00. Tickets for the
Orange County Drive-In section are general admission and may be purchased
online at the discounted price. Tickets will be picked up on race day at the
Will Call booth. All spectator gates open at 4:00
pm.
Several area speedways have posted prize money to encourage their
drivers to enter The Big Show 2. New Egypt Speedway, Orange County
Fair Speedway, Accord Speedway, Fonda Speedway, and Lebanon
Valley Speedway each will award $250 to their highest finishing weekly
competitor.
“We’re not done yet,” says race organizer Brett Hearn. “We’re
after some additional cash prizes and we’re working on a list of product
awards, including some for the fans, to add even more incentive to be a part of
this special night of racing
The Big Show 2 format includes time trials, qualifying heat and
consolation races, a B-main for the cars that fail to qualify, the one-on-one
elimination race, and the 100-lap Super DIRTcar Series feature paying at least
$6,000 to win.
The winner of the non-qualifiers’ B-main has a choice: $2,000 or a
13th-starting position in the feature race.
The
Big Show 2:
Here’s
a list of some of the “rules” for this event, which will be on Wednesday, June
16th, with a rain date of June 30th:
Wednesday,
June 16th, 2010 – The Big Show 2 – 100-laps
General Daily Schedule:
3:00 pm – Pit Gates Open, Transporter Parking, Teams
Enter (Draw Begins), Inspection Begins
4:30 pm to 5:15 pm – MANDATORY Autograph Session for
the Top 10 in Super DIRTcar Series Points
5:30 pm – MANDATORY Driver’s Meeting
6:00 pm – Hot Laps
6:15 pm – Group Time Trials
7:00 pm – Qualifying Races
Followed by ‘Top 10’ Elimination Race (Top 10 in Super
DIRTcar Series invited to race in 1-lap, bracket event. 10 vs. 9, winner vs. 8,
winner vs. 7, winner vs. 6, winner vs. 5, winner vs. 4, winner vs. 3, winner
vs. 2, winner vs. 1 – winner = $500)
Followed by ‘B-Mains’
Followed by ‘Non-Qualifiers Race’ (13th spot will be
held for winner)
Followed by 100-lap Big Show 2 Super DIRTcar Series
event
Event Specific Rules;
Tires; The “Hoosier” D400 (Either Rear Tire Only) –
D500 (Right Rear Option Only) – D300 or D400 (Front Tires Only) will be
permitted.
Fuel; Only VP D-12 will be
permitted. Fuel will be available at the track and to be purchased.
Driver’s Specific – be prepared for Mandatory Autograph
Session and ‘Outside Introductions’ for the feature event.
100-Lap Super DIRTcar Series Event
30 Car Field Maximum. (4 ‘Platinum Driver Agreement’
Provisionals – 2 Provisional positions available to the 2010 Top-12 in season
ending championship points.)
Number of Qualifying Races will be based on the total
number cars competing in the event. (8-lap qualifying races)
2 (or more) ‘B’-Features (10-laps) – Number of
Transfers will be posted at the trailer.
Top 12 Driver’s from qualifying will redraw for starting
position in the feature.
13th position will be held for the winner of the
‘Non-Qualifiers’ Event (and determine who transfers from B-Mains).
The race will be on the 100-point schedule.
Event Specific Rules;
There will be a four (4) wide pace lap. Odd numbered
rows pull to the outside, even numbered rows pull up and fill in. This will be
instructed over the one-way radio.
All starts are side-by-side until the green flag is
displayed
All restarts will take place in the area of the ‘VP
Racing Fuels Power Point’ (the fuel drums in turn four).
The leader is the control car on all starts and/or
restarts
All
restarts up to lap 75 will be double-file with lead lap cars to the front -
lapped cars will drop to the inside under caution and rejoin the field beginning
after the last car on the lead lap in their order of running on the race track
at the time of the caution.
If the caution is displayed and you must pit, you will
not lose a lap in the pits. You may only lose a lap on the race track under
green flag conditions.
After the completion of lap 75, all remaining restarts
will be single final until the completion of the event.
All races will end with a green-white-checker finish
Cautions will count from lap 1-to-75. From lap 76 to
the completion of the event, cautions will not count.
One-way radios are mandatory – two-way radios will
not be permitted.
When the caution is displayed, please get into
single-file order, you will be signaled over the one-way radio when it is time
to go double-file and/or restart single file.
It is mandatory to have the following decals on the
car (DIRTcar, Super DIRTcar Series, VP Racing Fuels and Hoosier) and the driver
must have a VP patch on his uniform.
To be eligible for other available contingencies you
must run the decals. Included is a guided map for two available options to
place decals on your vehicle.
Immediately following the conclusion of the event, the
first place car needs to go to the scale first, then we need second and third
to the scales and to victory lane.
The
History of the Sport:
If you
recall, over these past few weeks, I’ve had things in this section from OCFS’s
“Historian”, Peter Kessler. For thi
spast week, Pete didn’t have something in the race program, so I thought I’d
fill in with what was the very first thing I had ever written:
Taking you back to the very first thing that I ever did – writing wise,
from November 2001. It took a lot of persuading
from both Lenny Calinoff and John LeVan, both now deceased - sad to say, for me
to get involved.
Over
the years I’ve made a lot of friends via my writings, and I imagine a few
“enemies” too? I’ve had the pleasure of
meeting, up close and in person, some of the biggest names in auto racing since
I’ve been writing. Good times that will
be hard to forget, that’s for sure.
So
here it is – my first attempt at what some people say makes me an “Historian”
on motor racing.
Enjoy!
Ah yes, I remember it well!
By: Tom Avenengo
Remember the first time you went to an auto race? Or maybe the first year? I do. Seems like it was just yesterday. It happened, for me, back in 1946. Went to watch the ARDC
midgets with my father and brother.
On occasion, an uncle or cousins would go with us. Living in
Being rather small in stature, my favorite driver was Johnny Ritter. All 5'3" of him! Yep, and his little yellow outboard midget. Would watch him "dirt track" it on the pavement - while leaning out and adjusting the carburetor! Bill Schindler. Another favorite of mine! I wondered how he could drive with just one leg? My dad needed two to drive our car! And he was not racing! We know so little, when we are young, don't we? Outboards, "Offies", Ford and Cycle powered cars! Wow! And the crowds! Spins, crashes, broken water hoses! Ah yes, I remember it well. Do you?
Drivers: The above named, Ritter & Schindler. The Rice brothers. Christopher, Duncan, Tappett, Schaefer. Nazaruk, Baker, Bonadies & Klar. The Disbrow brothers, Romit, McGrath, & Brooks. Toran, Land, Fusco & Fair. Cross, Keller, Breslin, Fonder & Nestor. Renard, McAndrew, Gibbons, Barzda & Ringger. Bicklehaupt, Chase, Zeke, Colkitt, Peterson & Fornoro. DiMarco, Sheeler, Morris & Miller.
My dad referred to some of the older Ford powered cars as "Poison Ivy". Some drivers too. Those that were not to skilled. Or, just learning the "trade". Yes, I remember the "driving schools"! Guess they are not needed today! I remember going to the "Gasoline Bowl" at Hinchcliff on New Years Day. Remember, but when was it? 1950? Sadly, the midgets dropped in their popularity. More sadly, was being informed, by my father, of the death of Ritter. Believe it or not, he actually told me while I was at recess at school! October. 1948. While changing a tire, in a race he was leading! Sadly, we lost a lot of men back then.
I can still visualize the cars. The colors. Shining chrome. Tee shirts. Fancy shirts. The big exhaust pipes of the outboards. The crackle of the cycles. And the sound of the "offy" engines. Ah yes, I remember it well. Ted Webbe, Nat Kleinfield - to me they were someone special. Racing programs. Color photos on the covers. Writing down the line-ups and the finishes. Gee, how I wish I had those programs today! Would probably be valuable. Can remember certain accidents. And yes, a few were not accidents. Finding out a week later that so-and-so will not be racing any more because he died in the accident last week. Hey, there were more "good times" than "bad times" back then! Ah yes, I remember it well! Did the above bring back any memories for you? Maybe a name? Place?
There are a few films out there, showing the cars and stars of yesteryear. Records of the racing? As far as I know, most are gone. Sadly, memories are what is left. And, sadly, they are going away too. So, if you have "memories" of when you were small, pass them on to your "little ones". Believe me, they like to listen to the stories us "old folks" tell.
Former Dirt Oval (
Note: In most cases, the names that appear in this section are names of those that have run at the Dirt Oval for an extended period of time. And, in some cases, maybe some only had occasional appearances at the Dirt Oval, too. And, yes, some I’m not even sure about!
From last weekend:
Mike Mammana was 26th in the 358 Mod feature at Big Diamond
At Selinsgrove, in the 358 Sprint feature, Davie Franek
was 4th
Tiffany Wambold was 11th in the 270 Rookie Micro feature and Kyle Rohner 2nd in the Stage One Modifieds at Borgers, on June 5th. On June 4th, Geordan Farry was 5th in the wingless 600 Micro feature.
Molly Chambers was 12th and Caitlin Chambers 18th in the wingless 600 Micro feature at Kutztown.
At
Johnny Guarino was 26th in the Modified feature and Chuck Alessi was 15th in the 305 Sprint Car feature at New Egypt.
David Webb was 16th in the SK Light feature at
Nick Pecko was 5th in the Modified feature at Sundance Vacation.
Michael Storms was the Modified feature winner at the Brewerton Speedway.
At Accord, in the Modified feature, Danny Creeden was 10th, Lex Burritt 15th, Greg Hastie 17th and Clinton Mills 19th. In the Spec Sportsman feature, Kyle Rohner was 1st, Jason Roe 2nd and Kayla Smykla 9th. The nights Sportsman feature wasn’t run due to rain and that dreaded curfew hour.
Hamlin had two night of racing. On Friday in the wingless 600 Micro Sprints, Molly Chambers was 7th, Luke Schostkewitz 8th, Cait Chambers 16th and Brittany Tresch 19th. In the 600 Rookies, Joe Kata was 1st. Rick Casario was 4th and Jacob Hendershot 13th in the 270 Micro Sprint feature.
On Saturday, in the 600’s
At OCFS, “Mother Nature” was the feature winner in the Pro Stock, Sportsman and Modified classes. I’ve seen this, as far as make ups go: Pro Stocks on June 12th, Sportsman on June 19th and Modifieds on July 3rd.
On Tuesday, June 8th, at Penn Can, in the ROC race, Danny Creeden was 21st while Billy VanInwegen was a DNQ.
There were some rainouts last weekend, and even so, I hope I didn’t miss anyone!
More
racin’ stuff:
Something I really didn’t think I’d see – an Open Wheel race driver in the “Prelude to the dream” race at Eldora. Yes, Tony Stewart did extend an invitation to the Indy 500 winner, even before the 500 was run. Due to his “car testing” 500 winner Dario Franchitti had to back out, so Tony Kannan is taking his place. On the Sunday night Wind Tunnel show, Tony was a co-host. Strange, but he said he would be testing at Watkins Glen on that day, BUT he was taking a flight to Eldora to run the race. If he could, why couldn’t Dario? Also, with Brian Vickers sidelined for the rest of the season, his seat in a Late Model will be taken over by Travis Pastrana – one who races in most anything. On Wind Tunnel, Robin Milleer told Tony Kanaan that he woul dhave th emost fun he’s ever had when he raced on the dirt for the very first time. During the telecast on Wednesday night, Tony said it was the most fun he’s ever had – and he was towards the end of the pack, too.
In case you missed it, that race was on last night on HBO PPV. From everything I’ve seen, it will NOT be run, in an abbreviated edition, on SPEED, as has been done these last couple of years.
Speaking of the “Prelude” race, I called my cable company on Wednesday – early afternoon, to order the show on HBO PPV. Funny thing happened – the woman I spoke with had never heard of HBO PPV “No such thing” I was told. When I mentioned the name of the event, she was able to bring it right up. Still, no mention of HBO PPV. Gotta love it, folks.
Other forums/message boards and websites:
Track Forum: - http://www.trackforum.com/forums/
We need to be back at Pocono – about Indy
cars: http://www.trackforum.com/forums/showthread.php?138556-We-need-to-be-back-at-Pocono
American Drivers - yes... another thread –
more about having more American drivers in Indycar. There are some, presently. Can you name them?
http://www.trackforum.com/forums/showthread.php?138527-American-Drivers-yes...-another-thread
Engine rules announced – for 2012 – 4 &
6 cylinder engines along with turbo chargers.
Wonder who will jump on board, and will it be cheap enough to get more
teams involved?
http://www.trackforum.com/forums/showthread.php?138375-Engine-rules-announced
Joey Logano = Tough Guy??? – I’d say that
he was a little upset with Harvick, as well he should be. It wasn’t the first time that’s happened.
http://www.trackforum.com/forums/showthread.php?138565-Joey-Logano-Tough-Guy
Frontstretch.com:
http://www.frontstretch.com/
Matt McLaughlin’s Thinkin’ Out Loud: Pocono Race Recap
http://www.frontstretch.com/mmclaughlin/29745/
Jayski:
- http://www.jayski.com/
Check
the above, here:
http://jayski.com/cupnews.htm#news24tue
A
ton more can be found if you go here: http://jayski.com/pages/stories.htm
Is this true?:
One of the most popular soft drinks is Pepsi Cola. Is it true that they’re coming out with a new
design on a can – a “Patriotic” can that has pictures of the
Other
(non racing) news and Video time:
Check
out this video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CpPNQoTlacU
Why
hasn’t this even been considered? What
is really going on – what we are not being told?
And
I found this on Tuesday: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/us_gulf_oil_spill
Is
the above really true – the video, that is.
Why
does it take so long:
Millions
forced to wait for food stamps benefits:
In
part: “The recession has landed millions
of hungry families in similar straits, forcing them to endure long waits for
help buying basic groceries.” http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100609/ap_on_re_us/us_food_stamp_delays
Closing with this:
I’m not sure if anyone from
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Next week – Part 2
May “Guardian Angels” sit on the shoulders of all of our race drivers and race fans, and guide them safely around the tracks!
Drive safe!
As usual, you can reach me
at: ygordad@yahoo.com