Racin'
& Different Stuff:
By Tom Avenengo
Volume # 167
01/23/2014
Please don’t forget:
Note:
More and more there’s stuff on
Oh, and another thing: Hillary is EVIL!
Some personal/family stuff:
So the wife needs cataract surgery on both
eyes. Prior to the right eye surgery,
she has to be cleared by a retina specialist.
Gotta love it. There’s a
good possibility that she will not need glasses after the surgeries, though,
but maybe some cheap reading glasses. All her life she’s had a “heart murmur”. Now they want to have her take an induced
stress test (bad knees), an echo cardiogram and also checking out both carotid
arteries.
Me?
Well some good news. Kidneys are
improving – fact is, I was told this past Monday that
they are normal. Sugar levels have been
low (maybe a tad too low – like 62 and 54 on Saturday and Sunday mornings. It’s also been quite wacky, too – like going
from that 54 reading to 316 after I had some oatmeal with a banana and a cup of
coffee, and with another immediate check and results of 287.
My diet can add more to it now, too. Phosphorous in foods is a big culprit to
kidneys. Per the kidney doctor, no cola
drinks at all. Items highest in
phosphorous are certain cuts of beef, pork, most sea foods, dairy products like
milk & cheese, certain kinds of beans, peanuts, bran cereal, flour –
various kinds, and most nuts. So far
that’s what I’ve had to avoid.
Good news is that I can now eat small
amounts of certain types of beef, chicken, lamb, pork & turkey
as far as meats go. Some seafood, although I’m really not a fish eater – save tuna. Can have some cheese, but usually my cheese
is in the form of a grilled cheese sammich with
yellow American cheese. I can now have a
limited amount of peanut butter and most beans.
Bread is hard to find good bread that is ok for diabetics – well, along
with all the other things mentioned above.
All this special diet stuff has me down to a steady 150 pounds now,
which is about right for my height.
Also, with some tests, and possible
procedures for the wife, on the near horizon, it looks like we might not make
it back home until early April, now.
Hey, at least I’m saving some bucks while down here – on cable, electric
and phone services.
Well, it sure looks like we picked the
perfect winter to come down to
Back home:
.WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY
REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM NOON TODAY TO 6 AM EST WEDNESDAY...
* LOCATIONS...ORANGE AND
* HAZARD TYPES...SNOW.
* ACCUMULATIONS...SNOW
ACCUMULATION OF 4 TO 6 INCHES.
* WINDS...NORTH 10 TO 20 MPH
WITH GUSTS UP TO 30 MPH.
* WIND CHILLS...FROM 10 BELOW
ZERO TO 15 BELOW ZERO LATE TONIGHT.
* TEMPERATURES...HIGHS IN THE
MID TEENS TODAY...DROPPING TO NEAR ZERO TONIGHT.
* VISIBILITIES...ONE QUARTER
MILE OR LESS AT TIMES THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING.
* TIMING...SNOWFALL WILL
BEGIN LATE THIS MORNING AND WILL CONTINUE THROUGH TONIGHT...TAPERING OFF EARLY
WEDNESDAY MORNING. THE HEAVIEST SNOWFALL WILL OCCUR LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND
EVENING.
*
IMPACTS...FALLING...BLOWING...AND DRIFTING SNOW WILL CAUSE HAZARDOUS TRAVEL AND
WALKING CONDITIONS ACROSS THE AREA... POSSIBLY IMPACTING THE
LATE AFTERNOON AND EVENING COMMUTE. PROLONGED EXPOSURE TO FRIGID COLD
AND LOW WIND CHILLS COULD CAUSE FROST BITE. DRESS APPROPRIATELY.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS
ACTIONS...
A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY MEANS THAT PERIODS OF
SNOW...SLEET...OR FREEZING RAIN WILL CAUSE TRAVEL DIFFICULTIES. BE PREPARED FOR
SLIPPERY ROADS AND LIMITED VISIBILITIES...AND USE CAUTION WHILE DRIVING.
Down here:
Today: 74 degrees - Tonight: 46
Racin’ & other stuff:
Remember Open Wheel
Racing.com or Open Wheel Racers.com?
Between the late Lenny Calinoff and the late
John LeVan, they were considered to be outstanding
websites devoted to Motor Sports.
Now, Craig LeVan, son of John, is bringing back an Open Wheel Racing
website again!
Now, in it’s infancy:
http://owrcraig.wix.com/openwheelracers
Most everyone is getting
ready for the 2014 racing season with new or refurbished equipment. Have you
thought about insurance? No, I don't get anything for posting this, but you
might want to check out this website: http://www.stida.com/
Note: I posted about stida
on Facebook, on different pages, like the NEMA
page. This was posted about it on the
NEMA page:
“I would recommend STIDA to
everyone in NEMA. Tyler, my husband, got hurt this year in a sprint car. The week after losing his job. We were lucky it was a USAC
race and he has STIDA and all is covered. Even if you have a primary insurance,
many only pay 70% of your medical bills.
I'd be happy to answer any
questions about it for you. They're also very helpful if you contact them
directly.”
2014
ARDC SCHEDULE IS RELEASED
by admin
2014
A.R.D.C. MIDGET SCHEDULE
DATE
APRIL
19 Sat New
25 Fri Williams
Grove
MAY
4 Sun
17 Sat New
23 Fri Big
Diamond
25 Sun
JUNE
3 Tue
5 Thu New
7 Sat Port
Royal
8 Sun Susquehanna
22 Sun
27 Fri Clary’s
28 Sat County
Line
JULY
12 Sat
20 Sun
25 Fri Big
Diamond
AUGUST
1 Fri Potomac
2 Sat
9 Sat New
15 Fri Williams
Grove
16 Sat
31 Sun
SEPTEMBER
12 Fri
21 Sun Susquehanna
OCTOBER
18 Sat
25 Sat Susquehanna
**Schedule
is tentative – updates to follow
Note: I’m pretty sure there was talk about 5 Mile
and Penn Can Speedways as possibilities.
As it says’ it’s “tentative”.
Accord Speedway Tightens The Reigns On Spec Sportsman Division For 2014 Season;
Hunt’s Machine To Seal All Crate 602 Engines; Spec Tire Compounds & Fuel
Also Implemented; Season Opener Set For Friday, April 11
ACCORD, NY – To ensure the
legality of competitors in the Spec Sportsman division, Accord Speedway is
making changes for the 2014 season.
Promoter Gary Palmer has
announced the GM 602 Crate Engine powered division will be held to stringent
guidelines as the 2014 season at the
For the ’14 season at Accord
Speedway, all competitors planning to enter points-paying, weekly races in the
Spec Sportsman division must have their engine sealed. Hunt’s Machine in
Accord’s Gary Palmer said the
move will create an even playing field for the division.
“The Spec Sportsman division
was designed for the lower budget teams,” Palmer, who has operated the speedway
since ’01, said. “We don’t want the little guys getting discouraged because
they feel they can’t compete. Dave Hunt is a good, honest guy. I know he will
make sure the crate engines running in our division are stock as intended.”
Hunt’s Machine, a division of
Dave Hunt’s Auto Services Inc., is located at
The total cost of the dyno and sealing process is $450. Accord
Palmer said cars with Accord
Speedway seals will be permitted to race at other area tracks.
“Once the engine is sealed,
our cars will have no problem racing at Lebanon Valley (N.Y.), Orange County
(N.Y.) or any of the other Saturday tracks,” he said.
In addition to the engine
sealing, a spec tire rule will be in place for the ’14 season. Spec Sportsman
teams will be required to run the following compounds only: right-front –
American Racer SD 38; left-front – American Racer SD 33; left-rear – American
Racer SD 44; right-rear – American Racer SD 48.
Sunoco will provide a spec
Green E15 fuel for the division that will be mandatory. Insinger
Performance of Dushore,
“The concept of the Spec
Sportsman division is a good one and it has taken off in other areas,” Palmer
said. “We haven’t seen the growth that we’ve wanted. That’s why we are making
changes in the best interest of the division and its intent.”
To learn more about Accord
Speedway’s 2014 season, visit the speedway website at www.accordspeedway.com.
Pit licenses, season passes and reserved parking spots are on sale now. A
tentative schedule has also been posted on the web.
The annual Awards Banquet, to
honor champions and top performers from ’13, is set for Saturday, Feb. 22,
beginning at 6:30 p.m., at Hillside Manor in
Accord
Chili Bowl:
Well, it’s over for another year. I thought I’d be able to watch it on MAVTV,
but the contract my daughter had with the Dish expired a week ago. However, I was fortunate to be able to view
it, in a way, via a live stream on www.justin.tv/nascar49race. During the stream at least 3,679 others were
also tuned in. Was
nice to see a different winner. Something
I’d like to see – for a midget to run in the Chili Bowl, it should run at least
3 races over the course of the previous year.
Alex Bright did himself and the ARDC proud
with a fourth place finish. He was
“there” over the last few laps of the race, right up amongst the leaders.
And this, from the ARDC’s Facebook page: “Alex was the highest finishing car at the
Chili Bowl last night that wasn't in a car specifically built for the Chilli Bowl only rules. How impressive is that?”
I was somewhat surprised to
see Yahoo! make mention of Clausson winning the Chili
Bowl. Of course it had to make mention
of the NASCAR drivers that did not qualify for Saturday nights
main event.
And this, too, on Facebook:
Jeff Swindell
14 minutes ago – as of 9:50
PM on 1/21/2014:
Thanks for all the prayers
and well wishes for my dad over the last few days.
After we were watching the
Chili Bowl he was hit with some heart problems. We got him to the hospital
right away and they got it under control. He got out this morning and is doing
better than he's been the last couple of weeks. Thanks again.
Note: Strange not one word of this out on the
Internet, other than this, that I know of.
Some “other” stuff:
Football:
Just for once I’d love to see
a player ejected from a game and the ref say the cause was for acting like an
animal.
Never before have I seen so
many attempts at players trying to strip a ball from the carrier, even after
he’s been talked and is down on the ground.
How many of the “injuries”
are fake?
And why are there so many
injuries anymore? Is it because the
players are just too big and fast? Hmmm,
maybe there should be a weight limit on players?
What’s with all the damn
tattoos?
Why does it take so much time
from when a team scores, then kicks off, then the other team has their first
down? You ever count the commercials
between those times?
Lots of things being said
about a certain player that was interviewed after the Seahawk/49ers game – his
actions and what he said.
Why has the fan base changed
so much in its attitude? Fans acting more like animals anymore – as do most of the players. And not only football fans, either.
What’s up with the
officials? Gads, have they been awful
lately. Some are saying that the NFL
wants certain teams in the Super Bowl – dollars, ya
know?
Actions by the players today,
along with inept officials has more or less turned me away from watching
anymore. Must be a certain “culture”
that’s in the game, I guess?
Note: See below – Found on the Internet.
Hockey:
I was watching ESPN the other
day and they were showing what I guess was part of a hockey game. Seems there were four fights going on at the
same time. Must be why I could never get
interested in watching goons on ice.
There are an awful lot of
people that do not want immigration reform, including me. I feel if they’re illegal, they must leave
the country – get their butts in gear and if they still want to come here, do
it legally. But what bothers me, and I
imagine it does to quite a few others, is when one is out and you hear people
speaking Spanish (mostly). Yeah, I bite
my tongue and don’t ask them if they speak English. But, have you noticed – a good majority of
products for sale have info on the in both English and Spanish? How will they learn
English this way – or do you think it does help?
Found on the Internet:
Just two
comments about Richard Sherman that were found on the Internet (Yahoo!)
What a dichotomy. Here is a
man, who came from Compton, CA, one of the highest crime cities in the U.S.
attends and graduates from High School as #2 in his class (Salutorian),
is accepted and graduates from Stanford with a degree in Communication and
begins working on his Masters degree in his last year of eligibility. Such positive accomplishments and then this interview.
Makes one
wonder if he is perhaps on some drugs, or if he has some mental issue to behave
in such a manner. Regardless,
behaving on national television in the manner he evidenced, he has established
"his brand" as someone who exercises poor judgment, exhibits poor
interpersonal skills and a loose cannon personality. Wow, so much he can do
with his training and then this national exposure which will be with him almost
forever.
And this, too:
I swear the media, especially
the sports entertainment media, and rules committees across the board are
infiltrated by a bunch of Romper Room, touchy-feely, metrosexuals
or jealous geeks who probably never got picked first (if at all) to play on any
team in their lives. In another 10 years, the NFL (along with the NBA) will be
a game that has lost its traditional fan base over trying to reel in new
consumers who can give a damn about sports in either way.
Note: I might be accused of being racist, but I’ve
never seen a white player carry on like
Former NFL quarterback Vince
Young has gone from $25.7 million guaranteed to Chapter 1
Yep, they make big bucks and
blow it.
While on the subject of football, how many
Super Bowl tickets do ya want? Better hurry!
Uh wait – they sure have made sure the “Blue collar” workers can’t
afford it, haven’t they? Probably “Nose Bleed Section” tickets shown below.
SUN
02 FEB
2014 Super Bowl Tickets -
Seattle Seahawks vs Denver Broncos
MetLife Stadium
East
6:25 p.m. EST
Priced from: $2,220.00 USD
5,068 tickets left
http://www.stubhub.com/super-bowl-tickets/?gcid=C12289X021&keyword=2209953513&creative=3923114894
As of 8:30 PM on Wednesday,
January 22nd.
Found on Facebook.
Monday, January 20th:
Race Pro Weekly
*BREAKING NEWS*
Bobby Varin,
6-time Fonda Speedway Track Champion and 2013 Glen Ridge Motorsports Park
Modified Track Champion, was seriously injured in a skiing accident while on
vacation last week in
Brenda Worden, Mr. Varin's girlfriend, confirmed rumors today that Bobby broke
his neck at vertebrae C6 and C7 and is currently in a cast on bed rest. Though
the injury could have been much more severe than it is, Bobby Varin has limited use of his right arm at this time due to
swelling around his spinal cord.
It is only through the
permission of family that we are releasing this information and the family
would also request that you respect their privacy during this time so Bobby Varin can rest up and begin the healing process.
Get well cards may be sent to
Bobby at the following address:
Supply Wagon Rentals
c/o Bobby Varin
When more updates become
available from the family of Bobby Varin, we'll pass
them along to you.
Posted on Facebook
on January 22nd, - Race Pro Weekly:
*BOBBY VARIN UPDATE* Almost a
week after his skiing accident, Bobby Varin is at
home and resting. Use in his right arm has improved over the past two days and
he is in good spirits. He would like to pass on his thanks for all of the get
well wishes he's received. He is continuing to focus on getting healthy as he
has a tough road ahead of him. When more updates are available, we'll pass them
along.
And this, posted on Facebook on 1/21/2014:
My feelings regarding the
Pro-Stock rule amendments for Bethel Motor Speedway’s 2014 season:
Track management has
announced rule changes that specifically allow “truck-arm” rear suspension
systems. (Truck arms generate tremendous mechanical advantage over stock style
suspensions and are commonly used on professional level Latemodel
Stock Cars including Nascar Cup, ARCA, etc.)
Evidently a few teams already
have used the truck arms even though the rules required stock suspension.
During 2013 questions to the technical officials were answered by saying that a
gray area or loop hole was present and they wanted to give benefit of the doubt
and let the teams finish the 2013 season with the expectation that the
truck-arms would not be tolerated in 2014. This was not fair to the teams that
had cars that fully complied with the rules, but the explanation seemed to be
accepted by the competitors with at least the knowledge that the rules would be
strengthened to eliminate the unfair advantage for 2014.
No public discussion, that I’m
aware of, had taken place regarding a plan to amend rules to allow the
truck-arm suspension. Teams were left to believe that the truck-arms would not
be allowed for 2014 and there was no need to consider upgrading equipment to
try to keep up with the advanced suspension of those few questionable cars.
The reason we are not in
favor of truck-arm suspensions is very simple. We believe that to maximize car
counts the rules need to be stable and costs need to be controlled. The
majority of the Pro-Stock cars in existence (remember there are numerous cars
around in addition to those seen regularly at the track) have conventional
frames and stock style suspension systems. Modifications to change a car to
truck-arms would be extensive, to the point that most existing chassis would
likely be scrapped in favor of a new chassis. The costs of building a new car
is quite high and there are used cars available, but not locally and not in
sufficient quantity. But most importantly, the least expensive car to race is
the one a team already has. I have no financial means, nor time, to build or
buy a new car. Likewise I don’t have a desire to attempt modifying our existing
cars, as the result could be making junk of two currently functional race cars.
Another reason we oppose
truck-arm suspensions is that the system allows more traction to be developed,
which will result in a bigger advantage to teams with expensive engines. At least when there is limited traction available, high dollar
engines are often of little advantage. The Pro-Stock class attempts to
control this with a limited tire, but allowing mechanically sophisticated
suspension systems defeats that intention. One only has to look at the dirt
IMCA Modifieds for an example of how much traction
can be gotten out of a limited tire when complex suspension design is allowed.
Ultimately, the Pro-Stock
class is a hobby division and must remain affordable to keep participants
interested. The car counts of this class have been the most stable of recent
years and the racing has always been quite good. The cars are already too fast,
so I don’t see a need to encourage them to be made even faster…and even more
expensive and even harder to repair, etc. The purse offered for the class is
respectable, but it has not increased since 1998. I do not anticipate that the
speedway is willing to elevate the purse to a level that warrants owning a
truck-arm style race car. Other tracks have offered purses as high as $1,000 to
win weekly and failed to attract full fields of Latemodel
style racers. Attracting cars from other tracks will be tough when the purse is
structured for a stock based car. Rewarding local teams, that chose to ignore
the rules and built/purchased cars with truck-arms, by changing the rules to
match their cars is not fair to the teams who have been diligent in complying
with the speedway’s rules.
In conclusion, I do not feel
the Pro-Stock class would benefit from having a few really advanced cars that
dominate the competition and win the lion’s share of the purses. If that is
allowed to happen, I think the overall car count and the quality of the races
presented will be diminished. In my opinion, keeping rules so that simple,
stock based cars are the maximum allowed is the best formula for continued
success of the Pro-Stock division.
Note: I agree with the above. Not a smart move on the track, I’d say. But we see more and more of this don’t we? John Snyder
once said he had an old OCFS rule book that was a page. Compare that to what we have, today.
Wednesday, January 22nd:
WATCH: Congressman Says House
Has Enough Votes to Impeach Obama (VIDEO)
There are countless reasons
that Obama should be immediately impeached but, for whatever reason, Congress
has done little to call for it — until now.
Obama is behind the Fast and
Furious,
If Obama
really believes he is a king (as his actions suggest), he is sorely mistaken. It is time for him to go.
http://www.capitalisminstitute.org/enough-votes-for-impeachment/
From Jayski:
New Qualifying Format
announced:
In a move aimed toward
enhancing the fan experience watching at the track and at home, NASCAR has
announced a new group qualifying format for its three national series that is
more compelling, more closely emulates actual on-track competition and
underlines the sport's on-going commitment to innovation.
At tracks measuring 1.25
miles in length or larger, qualifying for the Coors Light Pole Award will
consist of three rounds:
• The first qualifying elimination
round will be 25 minutes in duration and includes all cars/trucks. The 24
cars/trucks that post the fastest single lap from the first qualifying round
will advance to the second round.
• The remaining cars/trucks
will be sorted based on their times posted in the first round of qualifying in
descending order.
• The second qualifying
elimination round will be 10 minutes in duration and the 12 cars/trucks that
post the fastest single lap time will advance to the third and final round. The
fastest remaining cars/trucks earn positions 13th through 24th based on their
times posted in qualifying in descending order.
• The third and final
qualifying round will be five minutes in duration and the fastest single lap
time will determine positions 1st through 12th in descending order.
• There will be a five-minute
break between each qualifying round.
At tracks measuring less than
1.25 miles, qualifying for the Coors Light Pole Award will consist of two
rounds:
• The first qualifying
elimination round will be 30 minutes in duration and includes all cars/trucks.
The 12 cars/trucks that post the fastest single lap time from the first
qualifying round will advance to the second and final round.
• The remaining cars/trucks
will be sorted based on their times posted in the first round of qualifying in
descending order.
• There will be a 10-minute
break between the two qualifying rounds.
• The second and final
qualifying round will be 10 minutes in duration and the fastest single lap time
posted will determine positions 1st through 12th in descending order.
The new qualifying format
does not apply to the Daytona 500, which will preserve its historic and unique
qualifying format. Additionally, it does not apply to non-points NASCAR Sprint
Cup Series events or the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series event at Eldora
Speedway. NASCAR previewed the concept of group qualifying with its national
series teams late last fall and expects the new format will be a well-received
improvement by its fans, competitors, tracks, sponsors and media partners.
"We believe the timing is right for a new qualifying format across our
three national series," said Robin Pemberton, vice president for
competition and racing development. "This style of group qualifying has
all the makings of being highly competitive and more engaging to our fans in
the stands and those watching on television and online. For the drivers and
teams, we believe this new qualifying will fuel even greater competition
leading into the events. Additionally, it provides our tracks, broadcasters and
other key partners with a greater opportunity to develop more entertaining
content for our race weekends."(NASCAR)
NASCAR has also furnished a
Fact Sheet & FAQ document to explain the process.(1-22-2014)
NASCAR bans tandem drafting:
NASCAR has outlawed tandem
drafting on restrictor-plate tracks in 2014 for the Nationwide Series and
Camping World Truck Series, which saw some brutal accidents at the end of the
races at Daytona and
Changes Coming to Nationwide qualifying:
The Nationwide and Camping
World Truck Series each will change its qualifying format this season, doing
away with single-car runs, NASCAR confirmed Friday. Robin Pemberton, vice
president of competition, announced the change but would not reveal details. He
said that format changes will be announced later this month - among several
moves NASCAR is expected to announce throughout January. Pemberton said that
the changes in both series qualifying formats would include the season-opening
races at Daytona International Speedway. NASCAR won't say if the format will
change to qualifying races, group qualifying, the
knock-out qualifying system used in Formula 1 or some other format instead of
running one car at a time on the track. Nationwide and Camping World qualifying
will each be held Feb. 21 at Daytona. The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series also is
expected to have changes made to its qualifying procedure this season.(Motors Racing Network)(1-10-2014)
Changes Coming to Cup
qualifying:
The Nationwide and Camping
World Truck Series each will change its qualifying format this season, doing
away with single-car runs, NASCAR confirmed Friday. Robin Pemberton, vice
president of competition, announced the change but would not reveal details. He
said that format changes will be announced later this month - among several moves
NASCAR is expected to announce throughout January. Pemberton said that the
changes in both series qualifying formats would include the season-opening
races at Daytona International Speedway. NASCAR won't say if the format will
change to qualifying races, group qualifying, the
knock-out qualifying system used in Formula 1 or some other format instead of
running one car at a time on the track. The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series also is
expected to have changes made to its qualifying procedure this season. Pemberton
said the Daytona 500 qualifying format for the Cup series will remain the same
with single-car runs on Feb. 16 on the Budweiser Duel at Daytona on Feb. 20.(Motor Racing Network)(1-11-2014)
HANS wins judgement
against rival manufacturer:
NASCAR's preferred maker of
head-and-neck-support devices deserves $302,000 from a competitor that
infringed on its patent, in violation of a settlement, a federal judge ruled.
Robert Hubbard, a retired professor of biomechanical engineering at
Earnhardt Jr. talks about Letarte leaving after 2014 season:
#88-Dale Earnhardt Jr., met
with members of the media at Daytona International Speedway Friday morning and
discussed the departure of Steve Letarte as crew
chief in 2015. The transcript in part:
Q. Obviously with Steve just
leaving, can you talk about your thoughts, and how
long have you known, and what you think about the situation?
DALE EARNHARDT JR.: Yeah,
it's definitely a unique situation. He actually included me in on the
discussion before the end of last year, and I had a pretty good understanding,
whether he knew or not, what he was going to do. I had a pretty good
understanding what his decision was going to be when I left
Q. What do you fear the most
about losing Steve as a crew chief? In other words, kind of what are such his
strengths that you're like, man, how are we going to do this without him?
EARNHARDT JR.: Yeah, I think
the one thing that I fear is just trying to get a guy in there that's equally
as talented. I think -- I'm not really -- Steve is a great cheerleader and
definitely built up my confidence and changed me as a race car driver and as a
person. Working with him has really helped me grow. I think you guys have all
seen that over the last several years. I think I can carry that with me, what
I've learned about myself and what I've learned about the job and what my job
is and what my responsibility is to Steve and the crew chief. I think I can
carry that with me - hopefully I can at this age. Hopefully I've learned
something and learned enough to do a better job for the next guy. I think that
my fear is just can we replace Steve. It's a guy that's going to be hard to
replace. I'm not worried about the specific qualities that Steve has, but just
will we be able to get a guy in there of equal talent, and how well will we be
able to make that transition seamless. It's going to be a real challenge to do
that, and I guess that's my only concern.
Q. At this stage in your
career how much input do you want to have on who your next crew chief is? Will
you make suggestions? Will you have say in the final decision? How will that
work?
EARNARDT JR.: I won't make
any suggestions at all. I will leave that up to Rick, Doug. I would love to
have input from Chad Knaus and Steve. I think that
Steve knows what makes this teamwork. Steve knows how I can be successful and
how the individuals within the team can be successful. I think he'd be a good
guy to sort of pick at and hope that Doug and Rick would include him in that
conversation at times. I think it's important that
Stewart plans to run at
Daytona in February:
#14-Tony Stewart met with
members of the media at Daytona International Speedway and discussed his
health, the preparedness of Stewart-Haas Racing for 2014 and many other topics,
the transcript in part:
THE MODERATOR: Talk a little
bit about what it feels like to be back and be here at Daytona.
TONY STEWART: It would be
nice if it was dry right now. But it's Daytona and it's
February, and you get this when we come down sometimes. But it's nice to be back
at the track, would definitely like to be in a car this week, but we're still
on schedule to be clear the day before the Shootout, so we'll be down here for
two days hanging out and watching our teams run.
Q. How is your health
compared to how you feel? What are the doctors saying?
STEWART: Not bad. The weather
-- I'm a pretty good barometer right now. Seems like if the rain comes or snow
or cold comes, I know it right before it changes. But I feel pretty good. I
still have a little ways to go, but we've got four weeks to get ready the rest
of the way. Even when we get here in February, it's not going to be 100
percent. Physically I'm not going to feel 100 percent, but I'll be able to do
my job 100 percent, so that's the main thing. I don't mind it taking a little
longer for the physical side to heal, as long as I can drive a race car when I
need to when I get back.
Q. Can you talk about how
challenging it's been for you both from a mental and a physical standpoint in
getting back?
STEWART: Yeah, I guess the
hardest part is just not knowing where I'm supposed to
be. I mean, I've never had an injury like this so I don't have anything to
compare it to. I kind of base everything on a week-to-week deal, and on Sunday
I kind of evaluate where I was the Sunday before and go from there. It's been
kind of a challenge, I guess, from that standpoint. The physical side of it is
an obvious deal. It's getting everything healed back up and going through rehab
and doing everything we're supposed to do. But just not knowing exactly what
I'm supposed to feel like, if something hurts why is it
hurting. I've not had those experiences before. The therapist gets his phone --
I think he sets it on his nightstand at night because I call him at night and
ask him a lot of questions. But having those guys around, it kind of takes the
psychological side and kind of puts a lot of that at ease.
Q. When you mentioned that
you'll be cleared the day before the Sprint Unlimited and that you might not
feel 100 percent but will be able to give 100 percent, can you kind of -- do
you have any idea how much your most recent surgery, kind of, if not for that
do you think you would be closer to feeling as good as well as being able to
perform at the start of the season?
STEWART: Honestly, that second
-- or the third surgery wasn't really much of a setback in all reality. We were
actually ahead of schedule with the therapy when we had that surgery, so it
basically just pushed it back to where we were right back on schedule again,
and now it just feels like we're back ahead of schedule again. Twice we've been
able to kind of push ahead of schedule it seems like, so pretty confident from
that standpoint that that wasn't a setback at all. It's still a question mark
of what's it actually going to feel like when we get in the race car and try to
drive wide open for lap after lap.
Q. Is this pretty much the
schedule that you hoped for when this all happened?
STEWART: Yeah, we're actually
just a tick ahead of schedule still. It's the second time since the injury
happened that the therapist has said we're ahead.(Team
Chevy)(1-10-2014)
NASCAR considering changes to
the Chase, points system:
NASCAR is planning a vast
restructuring of the points system in its premier Sprint Cup Series that would
greatly emphasize winning races and feature eliminations in its Chase playoff
system, according to multiple sources briefed on the plan this week. In
addition to expanding the Chase field from 12 to 16 drivers, a win in the
season's first 26 races would virtually ensure a driver entry into the
championship Chase. If there were more than 16 winners, the 16 with the most
wins and highest in points would gain entry.
Once the Chase field was set,
a round of eliminations
similar to the NCAA tournament
would take place after the third, sixth and ninth race of the Chase,
culminating with the championship determined by a winner-takes-all season
finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway. Under the proposed system - which could
still change before an expected announcement later this month - winning would
become virtually a necessity to make the Chase and win the championship.
According to sources briefed
on the proposal on Friday, 16 teams would make the Chase, with positions first
going to full-time series contenders who won a race through the first 26 races
of the season. Should 16 drivers not win races, the
remaining slots would be filled by the drivers highest in points.
Once the field is set for the
Chase and re-seeded, the four lowest in points among Chase contenders would be
eliminated from title contention after the third, sixth and ninth race in the
Chase. The four remaining contenders would enter the season finale reset with
the same amount of points. The driver who earned the most points in the season
finale would be the series champion.
Participants have been told
changes could still occur in the format but the proposal addressed this week
was the direction NASCAR was now seemingly headed.(Charlotte
Observer)
NASCAR Statement:
"NASCAR has begun the process of briefing key industry stakeholders on
potential concepts to evolve its NASCAR Sprint Cup Series championship format.
This dialogue is the final phase of a multi-year process that has included the
review of extensive fan research, partner and industry feedback and other data-driven
insights. NASCAR has no plans to comment further until the stakeholder
discussions are complete. We hope to announce any potential changes for the
2014 season to our media and fans very soon."(NASCAR)(1-18-2014)
Note: See something special said on this, below.
Michael Schumacher stable, remains in induced coma:
Michael Schumacher remains in
stable condition following a skiing accident that left the Formula One great
with severe head injuries and in a coma since Dec. 29, his manager said on
Friday. The statement from manager Sabine Kehm does
not mention the word "critical" for the first time in describing the
condition of the seven-time world champion. Schumacher has been in an induced
coma in a
Dale Jr's
Whisky River Jacksonville closes:
Max Papis
forms Whelen Euro team:
Max Papis
Racing to announced its presence in the NASCAR Whelen Euro Series, fielding the #99 racecar for the 2014
season. Team Principal and Italian native Max Papis,
who has the most NASCAR starts for a European driver, and his wife/car owner,
Tatiana Fittipaldi Papis,
have a personal connection with the NASCAR family. "Being a NASCAR team
owner is a very important step in my professional career," said Papis. "I am excited to create a working platform that
will act as a bridge between racing in the
Ernie Elliott restructures
engine business:
Power by Ernie Elliott
announced the company has officially restructured and is offering full service
leasing programs to NASCAR'S top-3 divisions, ARCA Racing Series, and other
motorsport divisions. The company develops and builds high performance
Chevrolet and
Smithfield Foods extends
relationship with Richard Petty Motorsports: Smithfield Foods, Inc. and Richard
Petty Motorsports, along with NASCAR officials, announced a three-year
extension and increased investment in Smithfield Foods' NASCAR program with
Richard Petty Motorsports. The company and its family of brands, including Eckrich, Farmland, Gwaltney,
Nathan's and Smithfield, will return as primary sponsors of the legendary #43
Ford Fusion driven by Aric Almirola
in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series for 29 races in 2014 and beyond under a
contract that extends through the end of the 2016 season. The agreement
increases support from 15 events in 2012 and 25 in 2013 to 29 events in
2014-2016. The partnership with Richard Petty Motorsports and the NASCAR Sprint
Cup Series has been a very effective marketing platform for the world's largest
pork processor, with in-store promotional activities and tie-ins yielding
successively incremental sales results. "I believe in the power of NASCAR
and Richard Petty Motorsports. My challenge to RPM was to help
Note: I'm pretty sure that
Dave Blaney
to be inducted into National Sprint Car Hall of Fame:
The National Sprint Car Hall
of Fame announced the names of its eight inductees for 2014. The ceremony will
be held in
Kurt Busch still considering
Indy 500 run:
Sprint Cup driver #41-Kurt
Busch said he expects to have "a pretty good indication" by the end
of January if he will make what he expects is his last attempt to enter the
Indianapolis 500. The 2004 Sprint Cup champion completed IndyCar's
rookie orientation program for the race last season in a car prepared by
Andretti Autosport and said he has a standing offer
from that team -- plus another -- to enter the May 25 spectacle. Doing so would
make the Stewart-Haas Racing driver the first since Robby Gordon in 2004 to
contest both the
Note: Betcha we do not
see him at Indy for the 500, in a car.
Kvapil's legal case postponed:
According to the Sporting
News' Bob Pockrass, Travis Kvapil's
domestic violence case has been continued until to Feb. 28. Kvapil
was charged last October with misdemeanor assault on a female [his wife] and
false imprisonment. His status with BK Racing for this season has not been
announced.(1-20-2014)
Snider and Stavast join NBC Sports:
NBC Sports Group has reached
agreements with motorsports reporters Marty Snider and Kelli Stavast, who will contribute to NBC Sports' upcoming NASCAR
studio and live race coverage on NBC and NBCSN. Snider and Stavast,
each of whom have years of motorsports experience, will operate out of
Charlotte, N.C., home to many of the sport's race teams and drivers. The
appointments of Snider and Stavast follow previous
NBC Sports NASCAR on-air announcements pertaining to new lead race announcer
Rick Allen and analysts Jeff Burton and Steve Letarte.
There are no further broadcaster-related announcements expected in the near
term.
In addition to his NASCAR
duties, Snider will continue as lead pit reporter on NBC's IndyCar
coverage. Snider's relationship with NBC Sports extends several years and
covers multiple sports, including NASCAR, IndyCar,
Football Night in America, the Beijing Olympic Games and Professional Bull
Riding. Snider has been a pit reporter for TNT's NASCAR Sprint Cup Series
coverage since 1998. In addition to his NASCAR duties, he also contributes to
Turner's NCAA Men's Division 1 Championship and NBA Playoff coverage. Snider
co-produced HBO's 24/7 series featuring Jimmie Johnson and co-hosted The
Morning Drive on SiriusXM's NASCAR channel. Snider
was raised in
Stavast started her broadcasting career as a sports anchor at
an NBC affiliate in
North Carolina Motorsports
Association honors Jarretts:
Stock car racing's renowned Jarrett
family was recognized Monday night during the eighth annual North Carolina
Motorsports Industry Award Ceremony presented by Fifth Third Bank at the
Embassy Suites Hotel. With more than 300 members of the motorsports community
in attendance the North Carolina Motorsports Association hosted the gala event,
which concluded with the presentation of the group's traditional Achievement in
Motorsports Tribute Award to the Jarretts. Family
patriarch and former NASCAR champion Ned Jarrett, his wife Martha, their sons
Dale, who will join his dad in the NASCAR Hall of Fame next week, and Glenn,
daughter Patti and grandson Jason were honored for the family's accomplishments
on and off the race track.
Also part
of the ceremony were the presentation of seven Motorsports Industry
Awards. NASCAR President Mike Helton took the stage to present the NCMA's Motorsports Media Recognition Award to the late Jim
Hunter, a former sports writer, public relations representative and longtime
NASCAR executive. Helton revealed that the award will also be rebadged the Jim
Hunter Motorsports Media Recognition Award. Other Motorsports Industry Awards
went to Stocks for Tots, Rev Racing, The World Finals at The Dirt Track at
Charlotte, Motorsports Authentics and Carolina
Speedway.(National Speed Sport News)(1-22-2014)
Alliance Truck Parts to
sponsor Keselowski:
Team Penske announced that
Alliance Truck Parts will join the #2 Ford Fusion team for the 2014 Sprint Cup
Series. After successfully partnering with Team Penske in the Nationwide Series
for the last several seasons, Alliance Truck Parts will transition to become a
primary sponsor for the #2 Ford Fusion, driven by 2012 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series
Champion Brad Keselowski. The distinctive bright
yellow Alliance Truck Parts colors will adorn the Team Penske Ford for eight
races in 2014 beginning with the race at Phoenix International Raceway on March
2. An industry-leading provider of heavy duty truck parts for the commercial
transportation industry, Alliance Truck Parts will also be a prominent
associate sponsor on the #2 Ford throughout the 2014 season.(Team
Penske), see an image of the car on the #2 team paint schemes page.(1-21-2014)
Allgaier named driver of #51 for Phoenix Racing:
Phoenix Racing announced that
Justin Allgaier will be the driver of the #51 BRANDT
Chevy SS during the 2014 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season. Allgaier,
who finished fifth in the 2013 Nationwide Series championship points, will be a
candidate for the NASCAR Rookie of the Year award. "This is an opportunity
of a lifetime and I intend to make the most of it," said Allgaier. "I am very grateful to Harry Scott and
BRANDT for having faith in me to compete against the best drivers in the
world." BRANDT will be the primary sponsor for the #51 for 21 races during
the 2014 season. The agriculture retailer and manufacturer of agricultural
specialty products has been active in NASCAR since 2011 and sponsored the #51
for four races in 2013. Joining BRANDT on the car are The National FFA, TradeMark Nitrogen, Nutrients for Life Foundation,
Precision Tank and Grigg Brothers. Together, these
partners are supporting the only true ag-focused car
in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. Allgaier, 27, joins
Bobby Labonte as teammates at Phoenix Racing. Labonte will drive the #52 for several races in 2014,
including the season-opening Daytona 500.(Phoenix
Racing)(1-21-2014)
Love's Travel Stops expands
sponsorship of Gilliland:
Love's Travel Stops will
significantly broaden its partnership with Front Row Motorsports in 2014,
partnering with the Sprint Cup Series team for 14 races on David Gilliland's
#38 Ford. Fans will first see the return of the bright yellow, red and black
paint scheme at the season-opening Daytona 500 at Daytona International
Speedway. Love's Travel Stops first teamed up with Front Row Motorsports in
2013, sponsoring three races in the company's first venture into NASCAR.
Gilliland pushed the brand to the center of attention at Talladega
Superspeedway in May, when his Love's Travel Stops Ford shoved teammate David Ragan
to the front of the field to earn Front Row's first victory in a 1-2
Ragan-Gilliland finish. Love's Travel Stops, based in
Update on Steve Byrnes:
RaceHub co-host/longtime NASCAR on Fox personality Steve
Byrnes tweeted Monday afternoon, "My Radiologist called this afternoon.
Great news...scans look good! Thank you all for you
support, prayers and kindness. We are humbled!!!".
Byrnes took a medical leave of absence in September of 2013 to battle cancer.
He will return to RaceHub next week and plans to be
back at Daytona.(1-21-2014)
Bowman, Truex
to drive for BK Racing:
BK Racing has signed
Wurth to sponsor Keselowski:
Wurth will serve as a primary sponsor of the #2 Team Penske
Ford Fusion for four NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races in 2014. Team Penske
announced that the #2 Wurth Ford, with former series
champion Brad Keselowski behind the wheel, will make
its debut on March 23 at the Cup Series race at Auto Club Speedway, in Fontana,
Calif. Wurth will also be an associate sponsor on the
#2 Team Penske Ford for the balance of the 2014 season. The Wurth
Group first partnered with Team Penske in 2012 and the leading automotive,
industrial and woodworking supply company has served as a primary sponsor for
the team in the NASCAR Nationwide Series and an associate partner on the #2
Miller Lite Ford Fusion over the last two
seasons.(Team Penske)(1-22-2014)
OK, from above and NASCRAP changing the
point system:
This was said on the Dirt Track Digest
forum by one individual:
“I'm glad that Brian France
has figured out that the MAJOR problem with NASCAR is that the point system
isn't exciting enough. That's all they need to fix.
It can't possibly be that the
races are boring. It can't be that the tracks are too big, the cars are just
not exciting, that the fans can't identify with the cars or the drivers, that
it's clear that sponsorship matters way more than talent, that the driver is
the least important part of the equation, that the product itself is bad, that
the reason they are removing thousands and thousands of seats at the tracks is
that the fans hate the product...it's just the "playoff" system.
Dear Brian:
Here's how to fix NASCAR.
Turn to MAVTV tonight. Watch
the Chili Bowl. Hundreds of working class guys vying for 24
starting spots racing open wheeled Midgets 3-wide on a tight-quarter mile
track.
Repeat this 43 times a year
and put it on TV. Make each race open qualifying so the best drivers make the
show, not the pampered no-talents that are photogenic enough to get a sponsor
(I'm looking at you Danica).
Then, your biggest problem
will be figuring out how to put 150,000 seats around a quarter mile.
Maybe put some side panels on
the cars so you can see the numbers (kind of like Karts or the Xcel 600 Modifieds), that's all you need to fix
Of course, the great thing
about this format is that rather than spending hundreds of millions of dollars
building big fancy tracks that you can't sell tickets for, you can actually
build temporary tracks in every football and baseball stadium in every major
city in the country and you can bring the races to where the people are. You
could still build dedicated tracks, but Brian, you were willing to sell your
soul to get a track in the NY City market -- well, here you go, you can run a
race inside the Meadowlands, Shea, Yankee Stadium, even set up a temporary deal
at the horsey tracks down there...”
And he also had this to say, too:
“I really believe that the
Chili Bowl concept is something that could be replicated nationally with the
right program and the right class.
Basically, copy the Monster
Truck/AMA Supercross model, bring it to sports
stadiums and short tracks, get it on TV and hype the hell out of it.
Open midgets probably aren't
the perfect division because they are so costly, but the Chili Bowl shows the
potential of the right series, the right cars and the right promotional team.
I remember seeing a clip
where Dave Despain talked about Midget races in
A decently affordable
division could make this work. Start locally and regionally and you could
eventually build a national series with great car counts on a modest purse
payout if the right promotional team/network that really believed in the
series.
You could easily top the
(terrible) IndyCar ratings and probably compete with
NASCAR in a few years if a promotional team and network really committed to the
series and helped get some companies to promote the series as part of a co-op
sponsorship program.
(It wasn't THAT long ago when
NASCAR was the also-ran circuit of boring taxicabs for Southerners who didn't
have "real" sports to go watch -- that was the stereotype the IndyCar and stick-and-ball leagues wanted the media to
believe. But everything changed within, what, 10-15 years when ESPN started
covering every NASCAR race, every week.)
Many major companies have
been priced out of NASCAR...but with a modest investment, a lot of companies
can get a lot of mileage and in turn use their access with store retailers and
distributors to promote the series. A huge part of NASCAR sponsorship is
hospitality & corporate programs, which is
something a new series can deliver at a fraction of the price NASCAR charges.
By bringing a touring series to sports stadiums on temporary tracks, you
already have the hospitality amenities in place, too.
First, you need a series that
makes for thrilling TV. Dirt track racing is thrilling in person, but generally
doesn't make for great TV -- Late Models, Mods, even
Winged Sprint cars are often not all the exciting on TV -- they get strung out,
often not a lot of slicing and dicing and they don't look all that fast (WoO Sprints look fast but get so strung out that they're
just not entertaining to watch).
However, the weekly short
track formula actually works in favor of TV -- short races, B-C-D main format
to advance to the main gives natural breaks in the action and builds up the
tension.
Midgets and Sprints on dirt
bullrings are often great on TV -- remember ESPN Thunder from
Most tracks in
Start the TV series in a
regional hotbed (
You have a national series
with cars that cost <$20,000, keep the spec elements in place to prevent it
from becoming a big money deal and to keep the cars an
overpowered-barely-under-control handful so it is more about driver than new
technology.
Build your regional races to
pay $5,000+ to win, $500 to start, national tour races that pay $10,000 to win
and $1-2,000 to start, which is a very affordable purse when if you can go to
city stadiums and draw 30-40,000 fans and some corporate/TV sponsorship -- and
you have a series where a working class guy can run and be competitive.
The key is to string together
the whole program so that individual tracks benefit from being affiliated and
running your class under your rules and sanction. (I like IMCA's
national system -- xx top feature finishes, regional tours with bonus money and
money for individual track standings -- there's bonuses and incentives for
drivers to commit to a weekly track and run regional tours on "off"
nights -- kind of like the SuperDIRT series used to
be.)
Yes, there are travel costs
and those are significant, but when you drop the cost of competing from a $10+
million budget for a Cup team or even $60K motors and $25K cars on the Outlaw
Tour to $10-15,000 spec cars where you don't have the skyrocketing costs of
always paying for new technology, you have a real chance at getting a solid
series going. A team with a decent sponsor could be very profitable.
Midgets are a national class
but probably too expensive to be a sustainable national tour, although ARDC and
most of the regional clubs have solid car counts.
Wingless 600 micro sprints
are the obvious call because they are more or less a national class. 600 Mods would be my personal choice because they are cheaper,
more reigned in (a true spec class so costs are controlled) and they have
bodies for numbers and sponsors -- they would be a great division for many
weekly tracks that are 1/3 mile or smaller (and the 600 Mods
put on good shows even at a bigger track like Big Diamond).
This is something that could
be GREAT for racing at all levels if the right promotional team got it
together.”
He also had this to say: “Watching the Chili Bowl -- as I type this,
the 2nd B is just lining up -- I would totally watch every single lap of this
every week if this was a regular racing series.
We're only being shown 2 Cs,
2Bs and the A, about 70 cars total...but the racing and the small track is
awesome. This is great racing and great television racing.
This type of program could
and should be the biggest series in the country. Now we just need someone in
the media to figure this out and show the casual racing fans how awesome this
is.”
From Track Forum:
http://www.trackforum.com/forums/forum.php
Teams put Chevrolet 2014 IndyCar V6 engine through its paces at first manufacturer
test
And quite a few things
being said on the Track Forum about the changes in the point system, too:
From Brett Deyo
– on DTD:
Incentives are starting to
grow for the inaugural Hard Clay Open presented by United Pump & Tank on
Sunday, March 23 at Orange County Fair Speedway. Entries have been coming in
every day.
A quick note: camping will be
permitted on the fairgrounds Saturday night, in advance of the Sunday
race. Advance tickets are on sale now by
calling the speedway office.
Some of the perks include:
*A drawing for a $50 gas card
among all pre-entries received by Feb. 1
*$50 to the 17th-place
finisher courtesy of Elmo's Auto Body
*$210 to the Hard Charger courtesy
of McGannon Excavating
*A $500 product certificate
to Teo-Pro Car to the leader of lap 25
*$400 cash to the leader of
lap 25 courtesy of Rock Fantasy
*$310 cash to lap 31 courtesy
of Zubi's Racing (position TBD)
*Currently seven laps pay more
than $90 (lap sponsor money is cycled through the top-seven running order).
Laps are on sale for a minimum of $20/each.
*Bumpers and rubrails to the Hard Luck Award winner courtesy of Shiley Fabrication
*A long list of season-long
Short Track Super Series Fueled By VP contingencies
from Allstar Performance, ATL Fuel Cells, Bob Hilbert
Sportswear, DRACO Springs, Schaeffer Racing Oil & Valken
Wheels
Should be a great day at the
Hard Clay!
And, some comments:
PS - I hope there's plans in the works for t-shirts/merchandise for this
event. It's nice to have event-specific
memorabilia like shirts, bumper stickers, decals and such. I think hoodies
might sell well too.
We are working on an apparel
order for this show to include tees, long-sleeves, hoodies
and stickers. We will have it all on
sale in the grandstands, pit area and drive-in section.
From the AARN:
Last Week
In AARN:
PPB Motorsports Show
Jump Starts Racing Season;
Cassi Pinder Is Crowned PPB Ms. Motorports
Duane Howard To Drive
For Hyneman,
Petruska -
In
American Racer Tire Sweetens
Pot For
Eligible Modified,
Sportsman Teams
Keselowski, Gant, Craven,
Simpson Make
Motorsports Appearances
East Windsor
Wows Motorsports Show
Attendees;
Voted Best In
Show
DeLorenzo Opens Fonda Regime
With Snowmobile Race
Preview: ARDC Stars
Head For
The Chili Bowl
Canandaigua Loses
Super DIRTcar
Series
Big Block April Date
BD Motorsports To Promote
First ESS Sprint Race
At
This week:
Bryan Clauson
Captures
First Chiil
Bowl Over 280 Rivals
Donny Lia
Is Latest -
And 99th -
Bobby Varin
Suffers
Broken Neck In Skiiing Accident
World Of
Outlaws Sprints
Are Coming To
Joe Skotnicki
Talks DIRTcar
Racing;
Addresses Key Issues,
Concerns
Flemington Speedway
Historical Society
Recognizes Beavers,
Ploski, Brenn, Lane, Singer
As 'Most Influential'
Big Diamond's
2014 Schedule
Is Most Ambitious,
Richest Ever
NASCAR Great
Ron Bouchard
Reflects On His Varied,
Successful Driving Career
NDRL's WInter Extreme
Six Races,
Six Different Winners
First RUSH Awards Banquet
Shells Out
$70,000
In Points Awards
Press releases:
News from the Short Track SuperNationals – ‘The Working Man’s Race’
Media Contact: Brett Deyo – Deyo99H@aol.com or 845.728.2781
For Immediate Release/January
19, 2014
Olum’s Signs On For 2014 Short Track SuperNationals
At I-88 Speedway Oct. 10-11, Joining Alpine Building Supply As Lead Marketing
Partner; History Will Be Made As ‘Working Man’s Race 7’ Pays An All-Time High
$600 Just To Take The Green Flag; Olum’s Also On
Board For ’14 ‘Crazy 8s Special’ At I-88 July 23 and Thunder Mountain
‘Lightning On The Mountain’ May 20!
When the seventh edition of
the ‘Working Man’s Race’ takes place on Columbus Day weekend (Oct. 10-11) at
I-88 Speedway in Afton, N.Y. – the very same venue that hosted the inaugural
event – a record-setting purse will be paid out to big-block/small-block
Modified competitors. Olum’s, with New York locations
in Vestal, Johnson City and East Syracuse, joins Alpine Building Supply of
Schuylkill Haven, Pa., as a lead marketing partner of the co-promotion
involving Short Track SuperNationals founder Brett Deyo and I-88 track managers Jamie Page and Ronnie Ford.
As a result of the new Olum’s agreement, the 50-lap Short Track SuperNationals Modified main event will pay an
unprecedented $600 to take the green flag! This is a substantial boost from the
previous high $455 that had been paid out during the last two editions. The announcement
was made Saturday (Jan. 18) during the I-88 Speedway Awards Banquet at the
Holiday Inn Oneonta-Cobleskill in
Not only has the green money
been bumped up to record levels, all drivers finishing seventh on back will see
thicker pay envelopes at the 2014 edition of the SuperNationals.
The event offers $5,000 to the winner plus a host of lap money, special awards
and incentives. Last year’s winner Craig Hanson pocketed more than $6,000 for
his efforts.
“Thousands of dollars have
been added to the Short Track SuperNationals purse
for this year’s edition,” Deyo said. “To offer $600
to start in a 50-lap event is truly remarkable. We wouldn’t be able to do it
without the outstanding marketing support through Olum’s
and Alpine Building Supply.”
As the final,
championship-deciding, event of the 2014 Short Track Super Series Fueled By VP, the Short Track SuperNationals
will be a hugely profitable event for competitors. A point fund approaching
$20,000 in cash will be divided among the Short Track Super Series top-10
finishers and drivers outside the top-10 with perfect attendance. Additionally,
a long list of product and contingency awards will be handed out following the
drop of the checkered flag.
Via the multi-faceted
marketing agreement, Olum’s also presents the
‘Lightning on the Mountain’ special at Thunder Mountain Speedway in Center
Lisle, N.Y., Tuesday, May 20 (rain date: May 21), joining Rochinski
Contracting Services and Husqvarna and the Wednesday,
July 23 (rain date: July 24) ‘Crazy 8s Special’ at I-88 in conjunction with Sowle Trailer Repair.
Olum’s, a major retailer, is currently celebrating 100 years
of serving customers in the Southern Tier region. Olum’s
offers exceptional selection, value and payment options on furniture, mattresses,
appliances, electronics and seasonal items. Olum’s
has locations at
Alpine Building Supply offers
a wide array of items including pole building and post supplies, hand tools,
power tools, fasteners, paint and sundries, electrical, plumbing, heating and
cooling, housewares, lawn care, automotive supplies,
sporting goods and more. Alpine Building Supply is located at 696 South Route
183
The Short Track SuperNationals celebrates a homecoming this year.
Event creator Deyo, in conjunction with Pat and Janet Jordan – then
promoters of the Afton Speedway, I-88’s former moniker – originated the Short
Track SuperNationals as an affordable option to Super
DIRT Week on Oct. 6-7, 2006. The first SuperNationals
– run at
The next five editions of the
Short Track SuperNationals were contested at Five
Mile Point Speedway in Kirkwood, N.Y., from ’09 to ’13. Since the inaugural event, the SuperNationals event has grown significantly, filling the
Five Mile Point facility to the point of overflow. As such, discussions began
to move the event to I-88, which is located on the spacious Afton Fairgrounds.
The conversations between I-88 management and Deyo of
BD Motorsports Media LLC evolved into an agreement between parties to bring the
Short Track SuperNationals back to
Via support received from the
Afton Fair Board, there will be reserved camping spots with water and
electricity hook-ups available for the SuperNationals
weekend. There is plentiful flat, grassy area for free camping, as well.
I-88’s roomy pit area will
also easily accommodate the large number of expected participants during the
Short Track SuperNationals weekend, and allow for the
potential addition of other divisions.
A complete Short Track SuperNationals line-up will be released in advance of the
Motorsports Expo in
Page and Ford – both former
racers and local businessmen – have upgraded the facility since taking the helm
at I-88 in ‘10. The speedway maintains its old-school charm with trademark
covered grandstands. The promotional team has renovated many of the buildings
on the fairgrounds including concession stands and the officials’ and
sponsor/press towers, resurfaced the speedway’s clay, installed transponder
scoring, erected a tech building, constructed a
pit-area observation deck and much more. Additional grandstand seating is in
the works for ’14, as well, while a new sponsor/VIP deck will be unveiled as
well
I-88 Speedway is centrally
located and easily accessible from the north, south, east and west. The
facility is visible off Interstate 88 Exit 7 (Afton), less than 25 miles
northeast of
To learn more about BD
Motorsports Media LLC, contact Brett Deyo at
845.728.2781, via e-mail at Deyo99H@aol.com or on the web at
www.bdmotorsportsmedia.com. “Like” BD Motorsports Media on Facebook
or follow @BrettDeyo on Twitter.
I-88 Speedway can be
contacted by phone at 607.639.FAST (3278). Promoters Ron Ford (607.624.3772)
and Jamie Page (607.760.0671) can be reached individually by phone, as well.
The speedway is online at www.i-88speedway.com. “Like” I-88 Speedway on Facebook for up-to-the-minute updates.
Short Track SuperNationals Six-Year Event History
October 12, 2013 (Five Mile
Point): CRAIG HANSON – Anthony Perrego – Jackie Brown
Jr. – Pat Ward –
October 6, 2012 (Five Mile
Point): DANNY TYLER – Bobby Varin – Brian Weaver –
Billy Pauch Sr. – Mitch Gibbs
October 7, 2011 (Five Mile
Point): DUANE HOWARD – Danny Tyler – Billy Pauch Sr.
– Jeff Strunk – Jeff Heotzler
Sr.
October 9, 2010 (Five Mile
Point): JUSTIN HOLLAND – Billy Pauch Jr. – Kevin
Bates – Brian Weaver – Danny Tyler
October 10, 2009 (Five Mile
Point): KEVIN HIRTHLER – Mike Ricci – Mike Gular –
Sean Merkel – Joey Grammes
October 7, 2006 (Afton): MIKE
RICCI – J.R. Hurlburt – Brian Weaver – Joey Grammes –
-----
Brett Deyo
BD Motorsports Media LLC
Phone: 845.728.2781
E-Mail: Deyo99H@aol.com
Web:
www.bdmotorsportsmedia.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/BDMotorsportsMedia
Twitter: @BrettDeyo
News from the
Media Contact: Brett Deyo – 845.728.2781 or Deyo99H@aol.com
For Immediate Release/January
14, 2014
The Hot Ticket: Advance
Ticket Sales Underway For ‘Hard Clay Open’ At Orange County Fair Speedway
Starting Monday, Jan. 20; Pre-Sale Tickets Available At OCFS Office Or Via
Phone Orders; Entries Rolling In For Sunday, March 23 $30,000 Modified
Spectacular; Drivers Registering Prior To Feb. 1 Eligible For $50 Gas Card
Drawing
And it will be on sale soon.
Starting Monday, Jan. 20, advance tickets will go on sale for the ‘Hard Clay
Open’ slated for Orange County Fair Speedway.
The inaugural running of the
‘Hard Clay Open’ at the Middletown, N.Y., facility – promoted by Brett Deyo of BD Motorsports Media LLC via an agreement with
speedway operators Michael Gurda IV and Howard
Commander – on Sunday, March 23 continues to grow. The event, which serves as
the first on-track activity at
The ‘Hard Clay Open’ will be
headlined by a 50-lap big-block/small-block Modified event paying a minimum of
$5,000 to win. The strength of the purse is its balance through the field:
second-place pays $4,000, with $1,000 reserved for the 10th-place finisher and
$500 just to take the green flag. A base payout of $30,000 has been outlined
for the first ‘Hard Clay Open’ Modified event.
Crate 602 Sportsman run a 25-lap main event paying $1,000 to win in the
lid-lifter of the Dig Safely New York GRIT Series.
Due to high off-season
demand, advance tickets – for the first time in BD Motorsports Media history –
will be offered beginning Jan. 20. Tickets can be purchased in-person at the
Orange County Fair Speedway office – located at 239 Wisner Avenue Middletown,
NY 10940 – Monday-Friday from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Phone sales, utilizing a credit
card, can be completed during the same business hours by calling 845.343.2573.
Checks, made payable to Orange County Fair Speedway, can be mailed to the
speedway office address above.
Admission for the ‘Hard Clay
Open’ is $20 for Adults, $18 for Seniors and $2 for
Kids 12 and under. Pit admission is $35, with no license required.
“The speedway office has been
buzzing with phone calls,” event co-promoter Deyo
said. “Kenny Sands (OCFS general manager) and Mike Gurda
have been fielding daily inquiries about advance tickets from fans who want to
make sure they have a seat for one of the most-anticipated events at
Modified registration for the
‘Hard Clay Open’ is underway, with early entries arriving at a brisk pace.
The pre-entry fee is $15.
Entry forms are available online at www.bdmotorsportsmedia.com and
www.orangecountyfairspeedway.net. All entries received prior to Feb. 1 will be
entered into a drawing for a $50 gas card.
United Pump & Tank of
Marketing opportunities for
the ‘Hard Clay Open’ remain available. Lap sponsorships are on sale now at $20
minimum per lap (all lap money is distributed directly to the racers). To get
involved, contact Brett Deyo at Deyo99H@aol.com or
call 845.728.2781.
Big- and small-block
combinations are legal for this unique event with staggered minimum weights.
American Racer and Hoosier tires are both legal, as well. Accepted tire
compounds have been outlined in the race rules/information.
For the first time in
For qualifying, drivers will
draw for their starting positions upon entry to the speedway. Heat-race
finishes utilizing staggered passing points will be calculated to set the
redraw participants and qualified cars from 10-lap heat races. Consolations, 10 laps each, will set the
remainder of the 28-car starting field via their order of finish. The heat-race
finish/passing point combination will set the starting lineups for the
consolations.
The passing points system,
new to Modified racing but widely used in other forms of racing including
Sprint Cars and the famed ‘Chili Bowl’ in Tulsa, Okla., aims to satisfy the
desires of both racers and fans by easing the consequences of a poor draw for
competitors and providing heat-race excitement for fans.
The ‘Hard Clay Open’ will be
contested on a date that is conflict-free on the dirt Modified landscape. The
Sunday afternoon lid-lifter should attract a cross-section of cars from the
north, south, east and west. On Saturday of the weekend (March 22), New Egypt
(N.J.)
For competitors planning to
chase points on the Short Track Super Series Fueled By
VP, the ‘Hard Clay Open’ serves as the first of six points-paying events.
Fans can be assured pit-area
parking will be laid out carefully to keep larger haulers toward the center,
with only smaller trucks and trailers in the corners to ensure maximum
visibility. The show will be fast-paced to allow fans and racers ample travel
time on a Sunday night.
The GRIT Series 602 Sportsman
will draw for starting positions with a redraw of top qualifiers for the main
event. Heats and consolations will be eight laps. GRIT Series rules will be in effect on this
event. Visit www.gritracingseries.com for further information.
For the 2014 ‘Hard Clay Open’
event, pit gates open at 10 a.m. Grandstand gates open at 11 a.m. A drivers’
meeting will take place at 1 p.m., with hot laps at 1:30 p.m. and racing at 2
p.m. Fans can expect a pre-race
autograph session/meet and greet in both the grandstand and drive-in areas.
The ‘Hard Clay Open’ will
mark the second earliest
For further ‘Hard Clay Open’
information, contact Brett Deyo of BD Motorsports
Media at Deyo99H@aol.com or by phone at 845.728.2781. BD Motorsports Media is
on the web at www.bdmotorsportsmedia.com. “Like” BD Motorsports Media on Facebook.
Located at
In the event of inclement
weather, the rain date is tentatively slated for Friday, March 28.
The regular season at
Anne Fornoro
To afornoro@earthlink.net
Today at 11:41 AM
Contact: Anne Fornoro, 832.372.9912
Legendary Racing Family Is
The Foyt
Family Wines 2010 No. 77 Mt. Veeder Cabernet
Sauvignon won the Double Gold Medal in the prestigious 2014 San Francisco
Chronicle Wine Competition (SFCWC). It is the second straight year that the
eponymous wine won a Double Gold in the “Cabernet Sauvignon $60.00 & Over”
category in the world’s largest competition of American wines.
“We were truly honored to win
back-to-back Double Golds with our 2009 and 2010
vintages of the No. 77 -- and just a bit surprised -- when the 2014 results
were released,” said Larry Foyt, the son of legendary
race driver A.J. Foyt. “We named the No. 77 after my dad’s landmark
year when he became the first driver to win the
“That career-defining moment
garnered him unprecedented international exposure as he was lauded as the
world’s best Indy car driver. For our
wine to take Double Gold medals two years in a row makes us feel that we’re
following the same path as my dad but in the world of ultra-premium cabernet
sauvignon wines,” said Foyt, who started the wine
company five years ago with A.J. Foyt IV, grandson of
the motorsports icon.
With over 5,800 entries in
this year’s world renowned SFCWC, winning the Double Gold medal is a feat in
itself. To win it for the second consecutive year is remarkable for the
relatively young wine company as many of its competitors have been making wine
for decades.
“We know our wine is great,
however being classified as a ‘celebrity wine’ resulted in certain oenophiles
considering us to be dilettantes,” said Managing Partner Chris Perry, who
co-founded Foyt Family Wines along with the Foyts.
“To put it bluntly, we
received little love from the industry and some experts frowned upon our
efforts,” Perry revealed. “But now we’ve won a Double Gold two years in a row
in the largest competition of
The SFCWC is conducted
through a blind tasting by a panel of wine experts, which removes any bias –
positive or negative– towards the winery. For the past two years the panel was
comprised of 60 experts from the media, trade, hospitality and education
sectors of the wine industry. To win a Double Gold medal in its category, a
wine must receive the Gold vote from the entire five-member judging panel,
making the vote unanimous.
The back-to-back Double Gold
awards are further evidence that Foyt Family Wines
wine grower Tom Meadowcroft is a world class wine
grower, and our winemaker Petar Kirilov
is a star in managing the consistency of our wine through his disciplined and
creative approach to the winemaking process.
The Foyt
No.77 Cabernet Sauvignon is available in select states and can be purchased
online at foytwines.com or the Meadowcroft Wines
Tasting Room in
Devil’s Bowl Rules Meetings
Rescheduled for February 1
Renegade, Mini Stock, Kart
Series meetings to be held prior to Banquet of Champions
For Immediate Release
DBS-012214-1
The “town meeting” style
forum will be open to all race drivers and teams interested in competing in the
developmental classes at Devil’s Bowl Speedway in
· Renegade – 12:00pm to 1:00pm
· Mini Stock – 1:00pm to 2:00pm
· Kart Series – 2:00pm to 3:30pm
The full 2014 season schedule
will be revealed at the Banquet of Champions on Saturday, February 1, along
with several other major announcements.
Last-minute ticket orders are available by calling (802) 265-3112 or
emailing devilsbowlspeedway@gmail.com.
To reserve a room at the Holiday Inn Rutland-Killington, call (802) 775-1911
and mention the Devil’s Bowl Speedway Banquet of Champions.
Devil’s Bowl Speedway is
located on Route 22A in
-30-
Contact: Justin St.
Louis
Phone:
(802) 355-3282
Email:
devilsbowlspeedway@gmail.com
Devil's Bowl
Phone: (802) 265-3112
Email: devilsbowlspeedway@gmail.com
Contact: Julia Foy
Promotions/PR Coordinator -
315.834.2299 |
jfoy@dirtcar.com
Thrilling Season of Racing
Ahead in 2014 for DIRTcar Northeast Series
Classic tracks, new additions
make for an action-packed racing schedule
The DIRTcar
358-Modified Series, DIRTcar Sportsman Modified
Series and DIRTcar Pro Stock Series are also revving
up for one of their busiest seasons in years, boasting a total of more than 60
races among the four DIRTcar Racing Northeast Region
series.
The Super DIRTcar
Series begins its season earlier than the rest with four races at
Once the Super DIRTcar Big-Block Modified Series heads back north it kicks
into high gear in spring, returning to
The DIRTcar
Sportsman Series gets an early start in 2014 as well, with a Sunday, April 27,
opener scheduled at Mohawk International Raceway in
The DIRTcar
358-Modified Series opens in May, with back-to-back races at Cornwall Motor
Speedway on Sunday, May 18, and Merrittville Speedway
on Monday, May 19. On Sunday, June 1, the DIRTcar
Sportsman Modified Series and DIRTcar Pro Stock
Series invade Cornwall Motor Speedway for a two-series special at the
The month of June heats up
for the Super DIRTcar Series, with star-studded races
set for Tuesday, June 17, at New Egypt Speedway, Wednesday, June 25, at
Utica-Rome Speedway, and Sunday, June 29, at Cornwall Motor Speedway. The DIRTcar Pro Stock Series will spend the month in
In early July, the DIRTcar 358-Modified Series swings westward for consecutive
race nights at Humberstone Speedway Tuesday, July 1,
and Ransomville Speedway Wednesday, July 2. Ransomville Speedway will also host
the DIRTcar Sportsman Modified Series for its
infamous
The Super DIRTcar
Series returns Tuesday, July 15, to Big Diamond Speedway, marking the first
time since 2009 the series has toured the track in
Monday, Aug. 4, marks the
classic Bob St. Amand, Sr. Memorial for the Super DIRTcar Series at Merrittville
Speedway in
A couple nights later the
Big-Block Modifieds will once again light up
Weedsport Speedway in
The thrilling "Mr. DIRT
Track U.S.A" at Lebanon Valley Speedway caps off the month of August for
the Super DIRTcar Series on Thursday, Aug. 14. The DIRTcar 358-Modified Series carries the DIRTcar
Northeast Region to the fall post-season with a Sunday, Aug. 31, 125-lapper at
Cornwall Motor Speedway.
While the weekly season winds
down, the DIRTcar Northeast series speed up into
their final rounds with several action-packed race weekends across the region.
Friday, Sept. 5, and Saturday, Sept. 6, the Super DIRTcar
Series, DIRTcar 358-Modified Series and DIRTcar Pro Stock Series invade Autodrome
Granby, with the first highlighting Friday's racing and the latter two taking
over Saturday. Meanwhile, the DIRTcar Sportsman
Modified Series is set to take on three tracks in as many days, starting at
Ransomville Speedway Friday, Sept. 5, heading to Merrittville
Speedway Saturday, Sept. 6, and concluding the weekend Sunday, Sept. 7, at Humberstone Speedway.
The
following weekend, all four series trek to Mohawk International Raceway, with
the DIRTcar 358-Modified Series and DIRTcar Pro Stock Series charging to the
The DIRTcar
358-Modified Series, DIRTcar Sportsman Series and DIRTcar Pro Stock Series polish off the last of their
season before October's NAPA Auto Parts Super DIRT Week XLIII at Brighton
Speedway and Le RPM
All four series meet in
October for "Racing's Biggest Party," NAPA Auto Parts Super DIRT Week
XLIII. One of the biggest weeks in DIRTcar Racing,
NAPA Auto Parts Super DIRT Week XLIII kicks off Wednesday, Oct. 8, at the New
York State Fairgrounds in
The season doesn't end there.
Brockville Ontario Speedway's 1000 Islands RV Fall Nationals features the DIRTcar 358-Modified Series finale Friday, Oct. 17, the DIRTcar Sportmsan Modifeid Series finale Saturday, Oct. 18, and the Super DIRTcar Series Sunday Oct. 19.
The season concludes for the
Super DIRTcar Series at The Dirt Track at
Note: Schedules of events were also in this PR, but
when copied, they just don’t come up right, so I elected not to add them.
Going back, in time to January
23rd in:
1935
Jerry Grant... Born
1946
Don Whittington... Born
1954
James McElreath...
Born
1960
Len Duncan won the TQ Midget
race at the Teaneck Armory,
Race report: http://www.wheelsofspeed.com/report/1_23_60-3.html
Note: Yes, there was some great racing on that tiny
1/10th mile flat track in the Armory!
Chances are 100% that my future wife and I were in attendance on this
particular night.
Emil Reutimann
won the Modified Stock Car race at the Sunshine Speedway,
Note: And Emil (Buzzie)
is still winning down in
1966
Dan Gurney continued his
mastery of Riverside International Raceway, driving a Wood Brothers Ford to his
4th straight win in the NASCAR Grand National "Motor Trend 500".
1996
Cliff Griffith... Died ... AAA and USAC driver from the 1950's & 60's. He
drove in four Indy races, '51, '52, '56 and '61 with his best result, a 9th
place finish in 1952.
Going back in time – various
dates around this time of the year:
JANUARY 20
1929
Edward Glenn
"Fireball" Roberts, Jr.... Born .
1967
Billy Foster ... Died
JANUARY 21
Jud Larson... Born
Note: A photo of Jud is in my weekly photo section,
below.
1942
Ernie Saxton... Born .
1973
Mark Donohue drove Roger
Penske's AMC Matador to victory in the NASCAR Grand National Western 500 at
Riverside International Raceway.
JANUARY 22
1908
Bob Sall
... Born ... AAA Sprint car ace who later became NASCAR's Eastern field
manager.
1996
Bill Cantrell... Died ...
Midget, sprint and Indy car driver from the late 1930's to mid 50's and later
he became the West Coast supervisor for USAC.
2005
Jeff Heotzler
wins the TQ Midget/Micro Sprint feature at the indoor Atlantic City Convention
Hall.
JANUARY 24
1918
Art Cross... Born .
JANUARY 25
1924
Lou Johnson... Born ...
Eastern stock, and sprint car driver. Two time URC Sprint Car Champion ( 1955 & 1959 )
1941
Buddy Baker ... Born
1971
Jaques Lazier... Born
JANUARY 26
1906
Fred Marriott sets a Land
Speed record of 127.659 mph on
1907
Doc Shanebrook...
Born
1925
Paul Newman... Born
1956
Nick Fornoro
Jr.... Born ... Eastern midget, sprint and supermodified driver. Son of one of the sport’s premier
flagman, and Chief Starter for the Championship Auto Racing Teams Indy Car
Series from 1979-1992 Nick Fornoro.
I get emails:
The inherent vice of
capitalism is the unequal sharing of the blessings. The inherent blessing of
socialism is the equal sharing of misery. â?¨--
Winston Churchill
How to create a social state
by Saul Alinsky
Saul David Alinsky (January 30, 1909 - June 12, 1972) was an American
community organizer and writer. He is generally considered to be the founder of
modern community organizing. He is often noted for his book Rules for Radicals.
There are 8 levels of control
that must be obtained before you are able to create a social state.
The first is the most
important.
1) Healthcare - Control
healthcare and you control the people
2) Poverty - Increase the
Poverty level as high as possible, poor people are easier to control and will
not fight back if you are providing everything for them to live.
3) Debt - Increase the debt
to an unsustainable level. That way you are able to increase taxes, and this
will produce more poverty.
4) Gun Control - Remove the
ability to defend themselves from the Government. That way you are able to
create a police state.
5) Welfare - Take control of
every aspect of their lives (Food, Housing, and Income)
6) Education - Take control
of what people read and listen to - take control of what children learn in school.
7) Religion - Remove the
belief in the God from the Government and schools
8) Class Warfare - Divide the
people into the wealthy and the poor. This will cause more discontent and it
will be easier to take (Tax) the wealthy with the support of the poor.
Note: Wow! Kinda what we’re seeing today, isn’t
it?
By Alan Caruba
On January 28, the President
of the
The mainstream media will
treat it as a serious presentation and make no mention of the lies.
Following the State of the
Union speech (SOTU) there will be a formal response by a Republican spokesman.
It will be very polite and not likely to strongly expose the lies and oppose
the President.
The “low information”
Americans will take Barack Obama at his word. Nearly half of all Americans who
might listen to the speech or read about it are on some form of government dole
or entitlement program. They are interested in food stamps, unemployment
compensation, their disability status, and an older generation will
understandably want to ensure their Social Security checks keep coming and
Medicare will continue to underwrite their medical costs.
Whatever Obama has to say
about the Affordable Care Act—Obamacare—will be a
lie. His administration continues to lie about the number of those who have
enrolled, but we know they are mostly the elderly while the younger generation
wisely avoids it.
We live in a nation where
more than 90 million Americans are out of work, cannot find work, or have given
up looking for work. Anything Obama has to say about the economy will be a lie.
When Obama gives his speech,
the total population of
The two most populous states
are
There are an estimated eleven
million illegal aliens living in
In addition to amnesty, the
President will no doubt make some mention of tax reform. The reform the nation
needs is the elimination of the income tax in favor of a fair tax based on
consumption of products and services. You buy it. You pay a national sales tax.
No doubt the President will
make some reference to gun control. He has been unable to get any legislation
about it and has relied on executive orders to impose limits on the Second
Amendment. Meanwhile, Americans are buying guns like crazy. It’s about
self-defense and the prospect of a President who may not want to leave office.
He will cite the
It’s hard to predict how much
time Obama will devote to “climate change”, but this greatest hoax of the
modern era is very dear to him and the Democrats in Congress. A group of them
are signing a letter to be sent to the heads of the network channels urging
them to devote more airtime to lies about how carbon dioxide is causing the Earth
to warm and poses a huge threat. The Earth, meanwhile, has been in a cooling
cycle for seventeen years and many Americans recently experienced
record-setting cold weather. More of them—though only about 23%--are beginning
to express doubts about global warming. Duh!
The climate change agenda is
being pursued outrageously by Obama’s Environmental Protection Agency which is
issuing regulations intended to continue shutting down existing coal-fired
plants that generate electricity and keep new ones from being built. It is a
direct attack on the nation’s economy which depends on electricity. Whatever
Obama says about it will be a lie.
No doubt he will make
reference to his latest scam, income inequality. If there is one thing
communists love it is class warfare. The best way to reduce income inequality
is well known. It is a thriving economy that provides more jobs and higher pay.
Meanwhile, there may be a passing reference to increasing the minimum wage, a
great way to deny entry-level jobs to young workers and increase the cost of
everything else to the consumer.
Obama is not likely to have
much to say about foreign affairs. In general he has managed to reduce
When I was a young man coming
of age in the 1950s I could never imagine living in a nation whose moral
structure was such that a million unborn children are killed every year by
abortion. I would never have believed that some 40% of women would choose to be
single mothers. Or that the divorce rate would reach 50% and more. I could
never imagine young men and women graduating from college with huge debts in an
economy where jobs were not only fewer, but subject to an Obamacare
law that forces businesses to cut the number of hours they work, limiting their
earning capacity.
This is not an
© Alan Caruba,
2014
LIMIT CONGRESS TO TWO TERMS,
TAKE-AWAY THEIR RETIREMENT
AND ALL
OTHER UNIQUE BENEFITS.
WE ARE THEIR BOSS NOT THEIR
SUBJECTS
--Well....., what the hell is
happening to us?????
Democrats and
Republicans
('different' ONLY in name)
We read
all the jokes and forward the good ones but
I just wonder who will pass
this one on.
How about you sending it on,
and
back to me,
if you have enough
'chutzpah'
to do so.
I do
And I wonder just how many I
will get back?
Someone please tell me what
the HELL's wrong with
All the people that run this
country!!!!!!
Both Democrats and
Republicans
Say, "We're broke"
And can't help our own
Seniors, Veterans, Orphans,
Homeless, Etc.,?????
But, over the last several
years THEYhave provided
direct cash aid to....
Hamas - $351 M,
...with literally Billions of
Dollars and they still hate us!!!!
But on the other hand, Our retired
seniors, Living on a 'fixed income,'
Receive NO aid! Nor do they get any breaks, while our
government
And religious organizations
will pour Hundreds of Billions Of $$$$$$'s
and Tons of Food
to Foreign Countries!
Someone needs to explain to
them that Charity begins AT HOME!!!
And another
atrocity....
We have Hundreds of adoptable
American Children who are shoved aside
To make room for The adoption of Foreign orphans.
A country where we have
Countless Homeless without shelter, Children going to
bed hungry, Elderly going without needed medication and
the Mentally ill without
treatment -- etc.
YET..........
They will have a 'Benefit'
Show For the people of
TV Stations; Ships and planes
lining up with food, water, tents
clothes, bedding, doctors and medical supplies.
Now Just Imagine if Our own *GOVERNMENT*
Gave 'US' the same support
they give to foreign countries.
Sad, isn't it?
99% of people won't have the
'chutzpah' to forward this.
WELL, I'm one of the 1% who Just Did.
--Shame on you if this does
not make you VERY angry.
This weeks
photo:
Here, in the Walt Imlay
photo, is Jud Larson. It’s a shame
sprint cars still don’t look like this – with a cage, of course.
Note: Photos can be seen on: http://newenglandtractor.com/racereport/
Racing videos:
How about some Chili Bowl?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=atlcaa_N9wo
Music videos:
Remarkable how over time,
ones voice does not change very much, as you can see in the videos, below, by
Gene Watson. Same
song, but a lot of years between.
How I wish I could have been in attendance at that second video.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=agmXzGnR3LA&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7P2XvHo3Adg
More non racing stuff:
Government Aims at
Mentally-Disabled Elderly to Reduce Medicare Drug Costs
Fugitive
http://news.yahoo.com/fugitive-us-leaker-snowden-39-fears-life-39-160419186.html
Note: Uh, like we all don’t already know this? Of course our gov’t
would love to have him gone.
Target Joins Home Depot, Walmart, Others In Cutting Health
Care For Part-Timers, Citing Obamacare
BREAKING: OBAMA COLLEGE
RECORDS RELEASED-FINANCIAL AID AS A FOREIGNER!
In part: "AP –
State Department
Whistle-Blower’s Email Hacked, 4 Years Deleted
Richard Higbie
is a Diplomatic Security Service criminal investigator. Last June he was one of
the whistle-blowers who came forward about several cover-ups by the State
Department under Hillary Clinton’s reign.
Now, he is being targeted;
his personal e-mail account has been hacked in and four years of emails have
been completely deleted. According to NY Post, Higbie’s
lawyer, Cary Schulman, said, “Obviously, somebody is not happy with something
he’s doing and wanted to get that information and also cause him an inability
in the future to have ready access to that.”
An investigation is still
underway to determine who performed the attack, but Schulman said the targeted
attack was both “alarming” and “sophisticated.”
NY Post writes:
The e-mails included evidence
about misconduct by top officials at the department, communications with other
potential whistleblowers there, and correspondence with members of Congress who
are investigating the allegations, Schulman said.
They also include
correspondence between Higbie and Schulman about
legal strategy, the lawyer said.
Schulman said he could not
provide details about the evidence deleted with the e-mails. [...]
Higbie played a key role in helping fellow whistleblower
Aurelia Fedenisn, a former investigator for the
department’s inspector general, reveal in June a pattern of alleged coverups by top department officials.
The alleged coverups included keeping quiet separate IG investigations
that found that members of then-Secretary Hillary Rodham Clinton’s security
detail had engaged hookers and that the Belgian ambassador had solicited
underage prostitutes.
These were among a string of
investigations by the service, responsible for protecting dignitaries and
investigating crimes within the department, that were allegedly derailed by
senior officials, including one instance of interference by Clinton Chief of
Staff Cheryl Mills.
Since the revelations in
June, the department again mostly swept the cases under the rug.
Higbie is not the only one of this duo to have important
information stolen from them. Schulman was the victim of a burglary last July —
one month after Higbie and others came forward about
these cover-ups by the State Department.
The burglar sawed a hole
through the wall from an adjoining office and stole three computers, but left
behind other valuables.
Although cops arrested a
petty thief for the crime, Schulman said, “We feel like we’re in a movie. It’s nuts. It makes us wonder . . . . maybe
we’ve got something we don’t even realize or maybe they’re worried about
something.”
The investigation is still
being performed, but considering these attacks surround secret information
about the scandalous State Department under Hillary Clinton and the great
likelihood that she will make a bid for the presidency, one has to wonder if
the motivation behind these attacks is to ensure Hillary has an easier,
scandal-free run for the White House. It is not all that far-fetched to
consider when people (like the New York Times) are already trying to protect
her.
Thankfully, there are others,
like Higbie, who are actually committed to the truth.
Please help us spread the
word by sharing this article.
http://www.capitalisminstitute.org/whistleblowers-email-hacked-deleted/
Obama Admin Met With
Murderous Mexican Drug Cartels
http://conservativetribune.com/obama-admin-met-with-drug-cartels/
Joke of the week:
1 * Accept the fact that some
days you're the pigeon, and some days you're the statue!
2 * Always keep your words
soft and sweet, just in case you have to eat them.
3 * Always read stuff that
will make you look good if you die in the middle of it.
4 * Drive carefully... It's
not only cars that can be recalled by their Maker.
5 * If you can't be kind, at
least have the decency to be vague.
6 * If you lend someone $20
and never see that person again, it was probably worth it.
7 * It may be that your sole
purpose in life is simply to serve as a warning to others.
8 * Never buy a car you can't
push.
9 * Never put both feet in
your mouth at the same time, because then you won't have a leg to stand on.
10 * Nobody cares if you
can't dance well. Just get up and dance.
11 * Since
it's the early worm that gets eaten by the bird, sleep late.
12 * The
second mouse gets the cheese.
13 * When everything's coming
your way, you're in the wrong lane.
14 * Birthdays are good for
you. The more you have, the longer you live.
16 * Some
mistakes are too much fun to make only once.
17 * We
could learn a lot from crayons. Some are sharp, some are pretty and some are
dull. Some have weird names and all are different colors, but they all have to
live in the same box.
18 * A truly happy person is
one who can enjoy the scenery on a detour.
19 * Have an awesome day and
know that someone has thought about you today.
20 *Save
the earth. It's the only planet
with chocolate!*
Until the next column –
in two weeks on February 6th.
I can be reached, via e-mail, at: ygordad@yahoo.com