Mostly
Racin' Stuff
By Tom Avenengo
02/20/2014
Please don’t forget:
No, I will not vote for Hillary or any
Democrat.
Gotta love John Kerry.
He says that “Global Warming” is a “Weapon of mass destruction”!!
“The bottom line is this: it is the same thing with climate change. And
in a sense, climate change can now be considered another weapon of mass
destruction, perhaps the world’s most fearsome weapon of mass destruction.”
http://judithcurry.com/2014/02/17/john-kerrys-remarks-on-climate-change/
Note:
I wonder what he’s smoking?
Some personal/family stuff:
I got word the other day that my neighbor,
Dorothy Greenhalgh, passed away on February 12th. She was quite a remarkable woman, who usually
could be seen outside tending to her flowers and yard. I was in awe as to how she could bend over at
the waist, and practically touch her head on the ground. She did have a full life, having turned 98
years old this past December. Yes, I’ll
miss her and out little “chats”.
Things are steadily improving with me,
health wise. Same goes for the wife. So far, as of this past Tuesday, no date set
yet for the cataract surgery on her right eye.
Finally looks like we have a date – March 3rd.
Racin’ stuff:
What with all the snow that they’ve been
getting back home – It’s piled up at least 6-8 feet in my back yard, I’m
wondering if Brett Deyo will allow studded snows for
the OCFS opener on 3/23?
Just wondering – How many dirt tracks got
dug up at the end of last years racing season?
How many dirt tracks got new clay?
I just hope that there's passing during
the heats at the Hard Clay Open. Usually, at OC in heat racing, it's
"freight train" after they come out of the second turn after getting
the green. How would "passing points" help, if there's little
or no passing?
Back when “The Road to Indy” included
dirt tracks and the Silver Crown cars:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=giSTHVmnmSY
While watching some of the very little that
I could watch, from Daytona, due to not having the proper TV channels, I did
notice that one of the first things they were going to do in their renovation,
is still standing – the backstretch stands.
Thanks to someone posting this on Facebook – practice crash at Daytona
https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=0EHZk4C4LT4
Looks like the dirt modified
teams have brought some of the northern weather with them, down to
As of now, it looks like I’ll
be going to Volusia with my grandson, John, on Saturday. Then again, “Mother Nature” just might throw
a Monkey Wrench into things with thunderstorms being predicted. I would hate to take a four hour ride only to
get rained out.
It would really suck if any
of the four days that are scheduled were to get rained out. Every day it seems there’s a chance of
rain. Regardless, it looks like no teams
would come out ahead, financially, whether they got in all four days or
not. One would practically have to win
every day to do so, I’d think.
After seeing just how much it would have
cost Ted Christopher to come down to Florida to race – anywhere from 15 to 20
thousand, I wonder – how much does it cost the dirt modified teams? Yes, they race less, - four races to about 6
for the asphalt guys. And they possibly
will spend less for tires, too. Still,
I’ll bet it is over 10 thousand. I’m not
sure if it’s really worth it. Me thinks
those monies would be better spent on the race car or maybe some new safety
equipment – or even an insurance policy.
Former OVRP Dirt Oval runners:
Down at Volusia, with the Big Block modifieds, there are two drivers that ran at the Dirt Oval
– Anthony Perrego and Billy VanInwegen. They did pretty well in the three practice
sessions held on Tuesday. Perrego was fastest in the first two and third fastest in
the third session. It was his first time
in a Big Block. His times were: 17.005 in the first session, 17.350 in the
second and 18.074 in the third. Billy
was fifteenth in the first session with a time of 18.226. He was better in the
second session with seventh fastest at 17.732.
He dropped down to 13th in the third session with a time of
18.534.
I must note here – in the DIRTcar PR on the practices sessions, Matt Sheppard was
mentioned as having the fastest time.
Well, he wasn’t close to the two fastest times Perrego
turned in. Matt was 18th in
the first session, with a time of 18.357 and a fifteenth in the second, with a
time of 18.115 and was tops in the third with a time of 18.018. Guess ya gotta be a “name” to get mentioned in a DIRTcar
PR, huh?
Wednesday nights feature, Perrego starting outside front row and Billy V back in 19th. Perrego ended up 2nd. Billy V was 21st.
Handicapping for OCFS in
2014:
HANDICAPPING PROCEDURES FOR
ALL DIVISIONS _ OCFS 2014 SEASON
THE DRIVER RECEIVES HANDICAP
POINTS NOT THE CAR
THE COMBINED MONEY WON FROM
THE LAST THREE RACES WITH THE LOWEST MONEY
WON STARTING IN THE FRONT.
WHEN HEAT RACES ARE RUN THE DRIVERS FINISHING IN
A HANDICAP POSITION ARE LINED
UP FOR THE FEATURE USING THE SAME FORMULA.
DRIVERS FINISHING IN A NON
HANDICAP POSITION OF THE HEAT RACE ARE LINED UP
HEADS UP BEHIND THE
HANDICAPPED DRIVERS. AFTER A DRIVER HAS WON A FEATURE
RACE THE FURTHEST FORWARD
THAT THEY CAN START IN A FEATURE IS FIFTH STARTING
POSITION.
WEEKLY POINT STANDINGS HAVE
NO BEARING ON WEEKLY HANDICAPPING
WEEK 1 OF THE SEASON - ALL
DRIVERS WILL DRAW FOR THEIR STARTING POSITION
IN HEAT RACES - FEATURE
EVENTS WILL BE HEADS UP
WEEK 2 OF THE SEASON -
HANDICAPPING WILL BE BASED ON THE REVERSE RESULTS
FROM WEEK 1 WITH THE WINNERS
STARTING IN THE REAR AND DRIVERS WHO DID NOT
QUALIFY OR FINISHED IN THE
REAR STARTING UP FRONT. ANY DRIVER THAT DID NOT
PARTICIPATE IN WEEK 1 WILL
START IN THE REAR
WEEK 3 OF THE SEASON -
HANDICAPPING WILL BE BASED ON THE COMBINED MONEY
WON DURING WEEKS 1 & 2,
DRIVERS WITH THE LOWEST EARNED MONEY WILL START IN
THE FRONT AND HIGHEST MONEY
WON IN THE REAR, WITH ANY NEW DRIVERS STARTING
BEHIND THEM.
WEEK 4 OF THE SEASON -
REGULAR HANDICAPPING WILL BEGIN WITH THE 3 WEEK
MONEY EARNED LINEUP
PROCEDURE, ANY NEW DRIVERS WILL START IN THE REAR
UNTIL THEY HAVE A 3 WEEK
EARNINGS RECORD
A NEW DRIVER IS DEFINED AS
SOMEONE WHO HAS NOT COMPETED IN AT LEAST 3
REGULAR POINT RACES IN THE
DIVISION
IF A DRIVER MISSES 3 WEEKS IN
A ROW, THEY MUST START THE 3 WEEK HANDICAP
PROCEDURE OVER
DNQ or DNS WILL RESULT IN
ZERO DOLLARS TOWARD YOUR HANDICAP AMOUNT
DQ or NO SHOW WILL RESULT IN
MAXIMUM HANDICAP POINTS PLUS 50
CHAMPIONSHIP POINTS
FEATURE EVENTS WILL BE
CALCULATED ON 100 POINT SYSTEM - SAME AS IN 2013
FOR 2014 WE WILL ALSO BE
AWARDING HEAT POINTS AS FOLLOWS 5,4,3,2,1
Speaking of OCFS, this was posted back on
December 3, 2013:
“NEW FOR 2014 – A Thunder
Truck Division will be added to the racing schedule at OCFS during the 2014
racing season – This year will be an abbreviated 6 race schedule to see how the
division does, rules for the new division can be found on the OCFS
website….www.orangecountyfairspeedway.net if they are not posted yet, they will
be up soon.”
Well, I’m so well liked at OCFS that I’m
not allowed to post on their Facebook page, but I’m
wondering, how has the response been for this new class?
Before you know it, this will be upon us:
Vintage Racing Celebration at
Friday, August 01 - Monday,
Aug 04, 2014 | 9:00am - 5:00pm
Road Course Days: Aug. 1-2
Oval Days: Aug. 3-4
Note: Kind of surprised to see the oval cars on
Sunday & Monday. As of now, it looks
like #1 daughter, Judy, and I will be going.
We missed the show last year.
On July 2, 1961, there was a
250 mile midget race held at the paved one mile track in
Note: So, in reality, who won – Marshman
or Davies, or both?
Did Dale Earnhardt ever try
out an Indy car? Kinda
hard to figure out in this thread on the Track Forum:
IMS rumors - truth or
fiction?
http://www.trackforum.com/forums/showthread.php?183546-IMS-rumors-truth-or-fiction
Daytona & TV this year:
Actually, not true:
Budweiser Duel moves to night
in 2014 (from 2013):
Daytona International
Speedway announced Thursday that the Budweiser Duel 150-mile qualifying races
for the Daytona 500 will be moved next year to a night-time start and be
televised by Fox. "To earn a
coveted starting spot in the Daytona 500, the stars of the NASCAR Sprint Cup
Series will have to perform under the lights and in front of a primetime
audience in the Budweiser Duel,'' DIS president Joie Chitwood
III said. "Moving the Budweiser Duel under the lights will add another
dimension to Budweiser Speedweeks.'' The qualifying
races join the Sprint Unlimited and the Camping World Truck Series race as
night-time events during Speedweeks.(Daytona Beach
News Journal)(2-21-2013)
See why? Coverage of the Qualifying races the
Budweiser Duel to make the Daytona 500 Sprint Cup Series race at Daytona
International Speedway is scheduled for Thursday, February 20, 2014 at
7:00pm/et.
TV: FoxSports1 - 7:00pm/et
Yup, not regular FOX, but
FOXSports1.
As for racing on TV - http://tvracer.com/
Starting Line Up by Row
Daytona International
Budweiser Duel #1
NASCAR Sprint Cup Series
Provided by NASCAR Statistics
Pos Car# Driver Manu / Sponsor Reason
1 3 Austin Dillon # Chevy pole
winner
2 16 Greg Biffle Ford 3rd in qualifying
3 31 Ryan Newman Chevy 5th
in qualifying
4 88 Dale Earnhardt.
Jr. Chevy 7th in qualifying
5 17 Ricky Stenhouse. Jr. Ford 9th in qualifying
6 9 Marcos Ambrose Ford 11th
in qualifying
7 43 Aric Almirola Ford 13th
in qualifying
8 22 Joey Logano Ford 15th in qualifying
9 20 Matt Kenseth(PC5)
10 5 Kasey Kahne Chevy 19th in qualifying
11 18 Kyle Busch
12 4 Kevin Harvick Chevy 23rd in qualifying
13 10 Danica Patrick Chevy 25th in qualifying
14 47 AJ Allmendinger Chevy 27th in qualifying
15 36 Reed Sorenson Chevy 29th
in qualifying
16 38 David Gilliland Ford 31st
in qualifying
17 30 Parker Kligerman #
18 14 Tony Stewart(PC3) Chevy 35th
in qualifying
19 55 Brian Vickers
20 26 Cole Whitt #
21 95 Michael McDowell Ford 41st
in qualifying
22 98 Josh Wise Chevy 43rd
in qualifying
23 87 Joe Nemechek(i)
24 23 Alex Bowman #
25 77 Dave Blaney Ford 49th in qualifying
Starting Line Up by Row
Daytona International
Budweiser Duel #2
NASCAR Sprint Cup Series
Provided by NASCAR Statistics
Pos Car# Driver Manu / Sponsor Reason
1 78 Martin Truex. Jr. Chevy outside pole
2 99 Carl Edwards Ford 4th
in qualifying
3 2 Brad Keselowski(PC2) Ford 6th in qualifying
4 24 Jeff Gordon(PC6) Chevy 8th
in qualifying
5 27 Paul Menard Chevy 10th
in qualifying
6 33 Brian Scott(i) Chevy 12th in qualifying
7 48 Jimmie
Johnson(PC1) Chevy 14th in qualifying
8 13 Casey Mears Chevy 16th
in qualifying
9 7 Michael Annett
# Chevy 18th
in qualifying
10 15 Clint Bowyer
11 11 Denny Hamlin
12 42 Kyle Larson # Chevy 24th
in qualifying
13 21 Trevor Bayne(i) Ford 26th in qualifying
14 41 Kurt Busch(PC4) Chevy 28th
in qualifying
15 51 Justin Allgaier # Chevy 30th in qualifying
16 40 Landon Cassill Chevy 32nd in qualifying
17 66 Michael Waltrip
18 35 Eric McClure(i) Ford 36th in qualifying
19 1 Jamie McMurray Chevy 38th
in qualifying
20 34 David Ragan Ford 40th
in qualifying
21 32 Terry Labonte(PC8) Ford 42nd in qualifying
22 52 Bobby Labonte(PC7) Chevy 44th in qualifying
23 83 Ryan Truex #
24 93 Morgan Shepherd(i)
Race track schedules:
A few more:
New
http://newegyptspeedway.net/2014schedule.html
URC:
http://www.urcsprints.com/schedule.php
http://www.lincolnspeedway.com/artman/publish/2014_schedule.shtml
http://www.nhms.com/events/schedule/
From Jayski:
More possible suitors for a
Kurt Busch Indy 500 run:
It's already becoming the
"will he, won't he" saga of the run up to this year's
Stewart Donates Custom
Scooter to Darrell Gwynn Foundation:
The custom scooter three-time
NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion #14-Tony Stewart used to move around
following an Aug. 5 sprint car crash that broke his right leg has been donated
to the Darrell Gwynn Foundation. Stewart personally donated the scooter,
complete with a special paint scheme that mimics the #14 Bass Pro Shops/Mobil 1
Chevrolet SS he drives in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, to the Darrell Gwynn
Foundation. The Foundation, in turn, will auction the scooter at the upcoming
Barrett-Jackson event April 11-13 in
Entry List for the Daytona
500 Sprint Cup Series race at Daytona International Speedway is posted, 49
teams/drivers [for 43 spots] are listed, including: #33-Brian Scott, #32-Terry Labonte, #95-McDowell, #52-Bobby Labonte,
#40-Cassill. Six drivers will miss the race. There are six teams that must race
in via the Duel or by speed and do not have a regular provisional to use at
Daytona [either no owners points or 43 teams ahead of them]: #26-Whitt,
#41-Busch, #52-Labonte, #93-Shepherd, #77-Blaney and #95-McDowell. #41-Busch or
#52-Labonte could use a past champions provisional if not used by another past
champion ahead of them in rank.
See the full entry list at my
Jayski's Daytona 500 Entry List
http://www.jayski.com/news/stats/2014/story/_/page/01-Daytona-2014-
Entry-List
Gordon says he'll retire if
he wins Sprint Cup title:
#24-Jeff Gordon said Thursday
afternoon that he'll retire at the end of the season if he can finally capture
his elusive fifth title this year. Gordon won his titles in 1995, '97, '98 and
2001 when Winston was the series sponsor, but in recent years has been unable
to top teammate Jimmie Johnson, who won six titles between 2005 and 2013.
"I go home and I look in my trophy room and I see four trophies that are
championship trophies, but they say 'Winston Cup' on them," Gordon said at
Thursday's NASCAR Media Day at Daytona International Speedway. "You can
name me a four-time Sprint Cup (champion) for technical reasons all you want,
but to me, I'm not. And I want that before my career is over." And if
Gordon can do win a title this year, he'll call it quits. "If that
happened, that would be all the reasons I need to say, 'This is it, I'm
done,'" Gordon said. "Go out on a high note."(FoxSports)(2-14-2014)
Goodyear Expands Use of
Multi-Zone Tread Technology in 2014:
Last year, Goodyear brought a
tire concept to
"
For 2014, Goodyear enters the
season with plans to run its Multi-Zone Tread right-side tire at both
Yeley says he has a 2014 Cup ride UPDATE:
J.J. Yeley,
who drove the #36 Tommy Baldwin Racing Chevy in 2013 posted on his Facebook that he has a 2014 Sprint Cup Series ride, but
didn't say if full-time or which team. Reed Sorenson was named the driver of
the #36 ride on Tuesday.(2-6-2014)
UPDATE:
Xxxtreme Motorsport announced renewed efforts to their Sprint
Cup Series program and the 2014 NASCAR season. Beginning at Las Vegas Motor
Speedway on March 9 the team will set out to compete full-time with J.J. Yeley as their new driver. "We've switched from Ford
to Chevrolet and we're going out to complete full races," team owner John
Cohen said. "It's a new team effort we've never shown before as far as
running the full season." Yeley will pilot the
team's #44 Chevrolet. "JJ and I have been friends since I came to NASCAR,
we've always mentioned working together if we could. This opportunity came
about when he mentioned he was available for this season and I knew that he was
the driver to take our team to the next level. We've always said if we could do
something together it would be pretty special," Cohen said. "JJ and I
got together and we're going to try and do something special in 2014 and
beyond." Xxxtreme Motorsport debuted back in the
fall of 2012 with David Reutimann at
Ambrose takes blame for late
wreck in Sprint Unlimited:
#9-Marcos Ambrose - "We
were actually in a pretty good position. I was trying to help Junior there and
ended up hurting him and hurting myself. I feel bad for Junior, but we finished
the race with the
Q) DID HE SURPRISE YOU WITH
HIS MOVE INSIDE?
Ambrose: "Yeah, I was
trying to push him and there was a little bit of a zig
and a little bit of a zag and the next thing you know
I helped him in the fence. I apologize to Junior. I'll try and find him later
on if he wants to talk to me, but that's just what happens here. You've got 10
laps to go in a race that only counts to win and I'm trying to push him to the
front. Unfortunately, it was just a bad day."
Q) HE SAID HE WAS HAVING FUN
WHEN HE HIT YOU ON THE BACKSTRETCH. I ASSUME YOU DIDN'T THINK IT WAS FUNNY.
Ambrose: "It's OK. He's
entitled to do that. At the end of the day we didn't end up in the fence, so
put the blame on me for that. We'll go to the next one and try not to make the
same mistake."
Q) DALE JUNIOR SAID THERE
WILL BE A
Ambrose: "Yeah, it
certainly does. If you can get your nose to the guy's right-rear or left-rear
quarter, you pull him back and you actually give yourself a little boost. It's
like a little shot of nitrous and it can really make you run, so it makes cars
really move around a lot trying to do that. I think he was trying to side draft
someone came back across when I was trying to help push him and that's what
happens."(Ford Racing)(2-16-2014)
Petty stands by Danica remarks:
Richard Petty said he is no
sexist and defended his right to express his opinions a week after comments about
Sprint Cup driver #10-Danica Patrick unleashed a backlash against the Hall of
Fame driver and current team owner. At a trade show in
Stewart OK after slamming wall
in wreck:
After waiting nearly seven
months to get back in his #14 Mobil 1/Bass Pro Shops Chevy and race, Tony
Stewart didn't waste any time getting racy in the Sprint Unlimited Saturday
night at Daytona. Stewart, who broke his right leg in a sprint car crash on
Aug. 5, 2013, waited only five laps before ducking to the inside lane to see
how his car would react in the draft. For the next 30 laps, Stewart ebbed and
flowed with the draft, dropping to as low as 17th before running as high as
third. But on lap 35, a multicar crash consumed Stewart and six other drivers,
three of whom were his Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR) teammates - #4-Kevin Harvick, #41-Kurt Busch and #10-Danica Patrick. Only Harvick was able to continue in the race. For Stewart,
Busch and Patrick, their race was over, with each one of their racecars a
crumpled mess. All were evaluated and released from the infield care center.
"From the replay, I
don't know whether the #20 (Matt Kenseth) came down
or the #22 (Joey Logano) got into him. You've just
got to protect your spot," Stewart said after walking out of the infield
care center. "I've always said I'm not a big fan of blocking, but
unfortunately it's what you have to do here. It seemed like tonight it was a
little easier to get stalled out, so if you got track position, you had to
protect it. We just needed a couple more inches here and there and we would've
gotten out of that. We hate to have that happen." Moments after the
accident, many were uneasy for fear the impact may have reinjured Stewart's
leg.
"I was a little nervous
about it because I knew we were going to hit nose-first, but it doesn't feel
bad at all," Stewart said. "It doesn't have any pain. We'll see when
the adrenalin wears off here in about an hour, but so far it feels good."(SHR)(2-16-2014)
Daytona 500 qualifying at
Daytona International Speedway:
1) #3-Austin Dillon
196.019mph - locked in, pole winner
2) #78-Martin Truex Jr. 195.852 - locked in, outside pole winner
3) #16-Greg Biffle 195.818 - locked in Daytona 500 at least by speed
4) #99-Carl Edwards 195.712 -
locked in Daytona 500 at least by speed
5) #31-Ryan Newman 195.707 -
locked in Daytona 500 at least by speed
6) #2-Brad Keselowski 195.296 - locked in Daytona 500 at least by
speed
7) #88-Dale Earnhardt Jr.
195.211 - locked in Daytona 500 at least by owners points/provisional
8) #24-Jeff Gordon 195.042 -
locked in Daytona 500 at least by owners points/provisional
9) #17-Ricky Stenhouse Jr 195.004
10) #27-Paul Menard 194.919
11) #9-Marcos Ambrose 194.894
12) #22-Joey Logano 194.852
13) #33-Brian Scott 194.776
14) #43-Aric Almirola 194.658
15) #48-Jimmie Johnson
194.637 - locked in Daytona 500 at least by owners points/provisional
16) #13-Casey Mears 194.582
17) #20-Matt Kenseth 194.574 - locked in Daytona 500 at least by owners
points/provisional
18) #7-Michael Annett 194.574
19) #5-Kasey Kahne 194.544
20) #15-Clint Bowyer 194.523
- locked in Daytona 500 at least by owners points/provisional
21) #18-Kyle Busch 194.502 -
locked in Daytona 500 at least by owners points/provisional
22) #11-Denny Hamlin 194.477
23) #4-Kevin Harvick 194.422
24) #42-Kyle Larson 194.410
25) #10-Danica Patrick
194.380
26) #21-Trevor Bayne 194.334
27) #47-AJ Allmendinger 194.108
28) #41-Kurt Busch 194.078 -
needs to race in via Budweiser Duel, no regular provisional available, BUT
could use past champ if not used
29) #36-Reed Sorenson 194.066
30) #51-Justin Allgaier 193.815
31) #38-David Gilliland
193.736
32) #40-Landon Cassill 193.732
33) #30-Parker Kligerman 193.594
34) #66-Michael Waltrip 193.428
35) #14-Tony Stewart 193.365
- locked in Daytona 500 at least by past champions provisional
36) #35-Eric McClure 192.905
37) #55-Brian Vickers 192.798
38) #1-Jamie McMurray 192.695
39) #26-Cole Whitt 192.538 -
needs to race in via Budweiser Duel, no provisional available
40) #34-David Ragan 192.328
41) #95-Michael McDowell
192.291 - needs to race in via Budweiser Duel, no provisional available
42) #32-Terry Labonte 192.135, could use past champions provisional if
needed and not used
43) #98-Josh Wise 192.061
44) #52-Bobby Labonte 191.493 - needs to race in via Budweiser Duel, no
regular provisional available, BUT could use past champ if not used
45) #87-Joe Nemechek 190.480
46) #83-Ryan Truex 190.347
47) #23-Alex Bowman 189.685
48) #93-Morgan Shepherd 189.542
- needs to race in via Budweiser Duel, no provisional available
49) #77-Dave Blaney no speed - needs to race in via Budweiser Duel, no
provisional available
(2-16-2014)
Daytona Notebook:
· There have been 133 NASCAR
Sprint Cup races since the track hosted its first race in 1959:
55 have been 500 miles, 51
were 400 miles and four 250 miles. There were also 23 qualifier races that were
point races.
· Fireball Roberts won the
inaugural pole at Daytona.
· Bob Welborn
won the first race at Daytona, the 100-mile qualifying race for the Daytona
500.
· Lee Petty won the inaugural
Daytona 500 on Feb. 22, 1959; he led 38 laps and won by 2 feet.
· Fireball Roberts won the
first 400-mile race at Daytona, the 1963 Firecracker 400.
· 57 drivers have posted poles
at Daytona.
· Cale
Yarborough leads all drivers with 12 poles at Daytona.
· Jeff Gordon and Mark Martin
lead all active drivers with three poles at Daytona.
· 56 drivers have won at
Daytona.
· Richard Petty leads all
drivers in victories at Daytona with 10.
· Jeff Gordon has six
victories at Daytona, more than any other active driver.
· The Wood Brothers have won
15 races at Daytona, more than any other car owner.
· 17 full-length races at
Daytona have been won from the pole; the last to do it was Jimmie Johnson in
the 2013 Daytona 500.
· A driver has swept both the
Daytona 500 and the July race only five times at Daytona International
Speedway: Jimmie Johnson (2013), Bobby Allison (1982), LeeRoy
Yarborough (1969), Cale Yarborough (1968) and
Fireball Roberts (1962).(NASCAR)(2-18-2014)
Montoya could run the
Brickyard 400:
Juan Pablo Montoya, former
NASCAR driver [#42 Target Chevy], current driver of the #2 Verizon Indy car for
Team Penske, met with members of the media on Orlando, FL and discussed his return
to IndyCar among other topics, the transcript in
part:
Q. Can you reflect a little
bit on the NASCAR journey? What are your thoughts with Speedweeks
going on? Does it feel odd at all that you're not there? Do you feel like
you're where you belong?
JUAN PABLO MONTOYA: It's a
feeling that I wasn't missing it probably. It was weird actually. A month ago
when they did their first set, I was with my son racing at
Q. You were talking about it
being a difficult challenge. Obviously it was a difficult challenge when you
moved over to NASCAR.
MONTOYA: It's completely
different. The NASCAR one was one that it was like, Where the hell am I? The cars
were very different. There was a lot of movement. This is the opposite because
in NASCAR the limit of the car is very easy. You can get to the limit of the
car very easy. The big thing is you're driving it too hard. In IndyCar, you can't drive it hard enough, or at least I
can't yet. I'm leaving a lot on the table. I think that's the biggest thing.
Q. Having been successful in
virtually every motorsports field you have taken part in, how do you look back
and judge NASCAR?
MONTOYA: When we had good
cars, we did good. When we had bad cars, we did bad. I think as a team we threw
a lot of races away. It's part of the thing you always do. The point is when
you're winning races, you throw a lot away and you still win a few. When you're
not winning races, you notice the things you throw away. I think that's the
biggest difference. The focus for me now is IndyCar
100%. I'm pumped about it. I feel like a complete rookie right now, so it's
pretty cool.
Q. Roger (Penske) said with
the right funding, he'd like to see you run the Brickyard 400. Is that
something else you want to do? A fan on Twitter wants to know if you have any
interest in running the NASCAR road courses as well?
MONTOYA: I think the
Brickyard would be a good thing. I've been so close so many times, it would be
a good way of closing that chapter with a good win there. I know Roger hasn't
won there. If we could get the opportunity to do it, I think it would be pretty
cool.
Q. Is there any consideration
this year to try to run the Daytona 500 and Indy 500, to be the guy to win them
both?
MONTOYA: No, unless Roger
asks me.
Q. Have you asked him?
MONTOYA: No. I got enough
things going on. No, no, no, no, no (laughter).(Team Chevy)(2-19-2014)
From Track Forum:
http://www.trackforum.com/forums/forum.php
That "Big Black 3
Car",,, With Da Kid,,, Top Dog
Linda Vaughn
http://www.trackforum.com/forums/showthread.php?183137-Linda-Vaughn
From the AARN:
This Week
In AARN
Dillon Takes 500 Pole,
Volusia UMP Mod Main
On ‘Super Sunday’
Silk Wins First Two At
Is Disqualified In Third Race
Suarez Dazzles K&N Fans
In New
Kinser Still King;
Claims Volusia WoO
Sunday Night Finale
BRP Modified Touring Series,
World Racing Group Sever Ties
For Safer Racing:
Special Safety & Trailer
Issue
NEPA Mall Show
Successful Despite Snow;
Gerhart Angry
Over ARCA Pole DQ
Ageless Billy Moyer
Takes Two Lucas Oil LM Mains
At
From Ted Christopher via an
interview with Lenny Sammons, and why he didn’t go to
Tire cost for the week: $8,500.00.
$2,400.00 for tires just to run at Daytona for the one day show. Tire cost per tire: $201.50.
At New Smyrna, there will be
three 35 lap features. $1,500.00 to win
and $125.00 to start. Another 76 lap
race pays $2,500.00 to win and $200.00 to take the green. A 100 lap race pays $3,000.00 to win and
$300.00 to start. To do those six races
he would need three sets of tires for the features, plus a daily set for
practice. He says they should cost
$120.00 each, but in
Kyle Larson:
“Well, I ran the Chili Bowl”
was Kyle Larson’s quick response to a question about his 2014 short track
racing plans. “If I needed a car, maybe
after the (Sprint Cup) season is over, he (Rico Abreu)
has sprints and midgets. That’s who I
was driving for. The Sprint Car that I
drove in
“I know I won’t be able to do
a lot of racing beyond Cup and Nationwide, but I’ll keep up. Maybe at the end of the year”.
Note: I guess we all could see this coming?
Per Ernie Saxton – there are
at least five people that were injured at Daytona last year, when Kyle Larson
had his accident and debris flew into the crowd. Some of those injured are a long way from
settling, as some, according to the Daytona Beach News Journal, are still
undergoing treatment and have suffered serious financial losses.
Per Brett Deyo
– Thunder Mountain Speedway improvements:
Two to three feet on new clay
put down. The entrance road was
re-worked. Concession stands gutted and
renovated. The pit area was cleared of
old equipment. Work was done in the
bathrooms, the grandstand mid-way area, and VIP towers. Lighting will be upgraded and replaced.
Racers insurance:
CAP program offers racers
$500,000.00 in excess benefits. The
deductible is $15,000.00 so one must make sure the track, or sanctioning
bodies, have at least that much in insurance.
Motorcycles, Quads, Snowmobiles and ATV’s are not included.
www.competitiveadvantageprogram.com
- or call a CAP representative at:
855-369-0305.
And a reminder about this
insurance, too: http://www.stida.com/ It’s good as long as there is a roll cage on your
racing vehicle.
Lincoln Speedway will wait until Thursday
to decide if they’ll be racing this weekend.
Note:
Found on the
I just called the track and
the message said The Icebreaker is Postponed till next Saturday March 4th.
According to my calendar its March 1st. Gates open at 12 Noon, Warm-ups at
1:30, Racing at 2pm. General Admission is $15.00. Hope this information helps.
Jeff
John Snyder:
I always enjoyed reading his
columns in the AARN, even though we disagree on a lot of things (like Sail
Panels and making OCFS a little smaller – for better racing, not ht e usual
freight train stuff).
This week, there was no
column from Mr. Snyder. The reason: He got married! Yep, he married Cynthia “Jill” Brenner on
February 15th, in
Press releases:
Damn! Another foreign driver in Indycar,
and he’s driving for AJ!!
Contact: Anne Fornoro
832.372.9912
Martin Plowman Is Set to Drive
the Indy Double
WALLER, Texas Feb. 17, 2014—IndyCar rookie Martin Plowman will do the “Indy Double”
this May, thus taking part in the IndyCar Series’
newest race and, two weeks later, its most historic competition at Indianapolis
Motor Speedway.
The 26-year-old Englishman
will drive the No. 41 Al-Fe Heat Treating Honda in the Grand Prix of
Indianapolis and the No. 41 ABC Supply Honda in the
The venture marks the first
time that Al-Fe Heat Treating will be the primary sponsor of an Indy Car. The
company began as an associate sponsor of the ABC Supply/AJ Foyt
Racing team in 2011. The Ft. Wayne, Indiana-based company has continued to
build its involvement in the IndyCar Series over the
past three seasons; Al-Fe started as an associate sponsor of the No. 41 car in
the Indy 500 and became a season long associate sponsor on the No. 14 car in
the IndyCar Series.
"We, at Al-Fe Heat
Treating, are very excited about being a primary sponsor with AJ Foyt Racing for IndyCar’s
inaugural Grand Prix of Indianapolis in our home state and before our home
crowd!” said Kurt Westman, President of Al-Fe Heat
Treating. “Larry [Foyt]
and I have discussed this possibility over the last season and we feel this is
the perfect venue for us to step-up with the team.
"Being part of bringing
Martin back to IndyCar is special and having him run
both races at Indianapolis will allow us to build momentum and teamwork going
into the ‘500’. I am looking forward to
meeting Martin at this Wednesday’s practice at Sebring," Westman added.
Plowman, who will test for
the team at Sebring International Raceway Feb. 19th, is thrilled about the
prospects of returning to the IndyCar Series.
"Once my career took me
to sports cars I was concerned that I would never get the chance to race at and
win the Indy 500,” Plowman revealed. “Winning at
“I have to say a massive
thank you to Larry and A.J. Foyt, ABC Supply, Al-Fe
Heat Treating and all who have made this opportunity possible,” Plowman
added. “A.J. Foyt
is one of the greatest drivers to have lived and someone who I look up to a
lot. It will be an honor to represent his team in May."
Plowman, who will make his
Indy 500 debut, has competed on the 2.5 mile oval twice in the Indy Lights
Series, finishing fifth in 2010 for Andretti Autosport.
He went on to finish third in the series championship that year. In 2011, he
competed for Sam Schmidt Motorsports in three IndyCar
races, all of which were on road and street courses. His best finish was 11th
in the Baltimore Grand Prix.
Team Director Larry Foyt is anticipating a smooth return to the Series by
Plowman, who spent the past two years competing in sports cars. In 2012,
Plowman finished second in the American Le Mans Series LMP2 division and then
won the 2013 FIA World Endurance Championship along with the historic 24 Hours
of
"I always kept an eye on
Martin ever since I got to know him on the Indy 500 Centennial Tour,” said Foyt, who attended the 10-day visit to
Plowman will test the Al-Fe
Heat Treating Honda on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course along with
regular ABC Supply driver Takuma Sato on April 30 when the IndyCar
Series hosts an open test for all participants.
The Grand Prix of
Indianapolis will be broadcast live by ABC-TV on May 10 starting at 3:30 p.m.
ET. For the 50th straight year, the
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE FEBRUARY
17, 2014
DICK JORDAN
14-8
The AMSOIL USAC National Sprint Car
Series debuts this week at
The "Winter Dirt Games
V," part of Bubba Raceway Park's 3rd Annual Bubba Army "Winter
Nationals," features the top 2013 USAC drivers and some new stars in three
consecutive nights of heart-pounding action on the D-shaped 3/8-mile dirt oval.
A 30-lap feature caps Thursday, Friday and Saturday action.
It marks the fourth straight year
the USAC stars have competed at
Darland
and Hines are actively pursuing the all-time USAC National Sprint Car victory
mark, held for three decades by Tom Bigelow at 52. Darland
has 47 and Hines 45. Darland also hopes to break the
record of A.J. Foyt and Mel Kenyon, who each scored
at least one USAC National win in 21 consecutive years. He previously topped
the Foyt and Kenyon records with his 22nd straight
year in a USAC victory lane earlier this year at
Jon Stanbrough,
who was third to Clauson and Darland
in the 2012 AMSOIL standings, will debut at
Former USAC Champion Levi Jones,
who holds the all-time record for consecutive series starts at a remarkable
227, will be on hand, not in a driving role, but as crew chief for Jarett Andretti as Jarett and his
father John pursue USAC glory in the 2014 AMSOIL series.
In addition to Clauson
and Hines, previous Ocala USAC Sprint winners include Damion
Garner and Darren Hagen.
Florida's spot in USAC history is
solidified as it hosted the first-ever USAC Sprint race in 1956, won by Bob Sweikert, the previous year's Indianapolis 500 winner, at
West Palm Beach.
Advance tickets for "Winter
Dirt Games V" are available at BubbaRacewayPark.com and live pay-per-view
will be available through USACracing.tv! Stay tuned
to both websites for more details. Practice night on Wednesday the 19th kicks
off the action.
--USAC--
News from the Pioneer Pole
Buildings Inc. ‘Dirty
Media Contact: Brett Deyo – Deyo99H@aol.com or 845.728.2781
For Immediate
Release/February 16, 2014
Superstar Driver Stewart
Friesen Ready For Second Foray Into Race Promotion Tuesday, June 17 At New
Egypt Speedway; Pioneer Pole Buildings Inc. ‘Dirty Jersey 2’ To Feature
Blockbuster Doubleheader Of Super DIRTcar Series
Big-Block Modifieds & 360 Sprint Cars!
NEW EGYPT, NJ – Superstar
driver Stewart Friesen will take part in more than 100 races over the course of
the 2014 season.
But he has one date circled
on his calendar above all others: Tuesday, June 17.
On that night, Friesen will
not only enter the gates of New Egypt Speedway as a competitor. He will, for
the second time, serve as a race promoter. Under the Friesen-Deyo Promotions banner, the 30-year-old Friesen partners
with Brett Deyo for the Pioneer Pole Buildings Inc.
‘Dirty Jersey 2’ at the
The second edition of the
‘Dirty Jersey’ event should be a blockbuster.
The big-block Modifieds of the Super DIRTcar Series return for a 60-lap event paying $6,000-plus
to the winner and an increased $400 to take the green flag. A new addition for
’14 is the ‘Turnpike 25’ for 360 Sprint Cars: a 25-lap event paying $3,000 to
the winner and $250 to take the green flag.
“It’s going to be huge,
probably the biggest race of the summer,” bottom-lined Friesen, who will
compete in both the Modified and Sprint Car portions of the event. “Our Super DIRTcar Series field last year was awesome. We had cars
from the series,
“Having the Sprint Cars on
the same night gives fans the chance to watch two headline divisions on the
same night. It’s definitely a must-see
show.”
Friesen-Deyo
Promotions will again lease New Egypt – a racy D-shaped 7/16ths-mile clay oval
– from facility owner Fred Vahlsing for the midweek
special.
Last year, in conjunction
with Deyo, Friesen made his promotional debut with
the inaugural ‘Dirty Jersey’ event at New Egypt. Despite heavy rains that
postponed the program 24 hours, a potent field of 45 big-block Modifieds filled the track’s pit area representing
Rick Laubach
of
“We fought the weather last
year, but our first “Dirty Jersey’ was a success,” Friesen said. “We picked out
some areas where we can improve our experience even more for fans and drivers
this year.”
Friesen’s promotional roots
run deep through his late grandfather Stan, late Uncle Alex, and his Uncle Joel
and father Jamie, the operators of Ransomville Speedway in
“It (event promotion) is
intense,” Friesen said of event promotion. “So much goes into it behind the
scenes. But I enjoyed it and I think this June, our race will be even bigger.
We have a year in the books now. It’s only going to grow.”
A rules package has been
devised for the 360 Sprint Car portion of the ‘Dirty Jersey’ program and has
been posted at www.bdmotorsportsmedia.com in addition to a complete purse
structure. Empire Super Sprint (ESS) officials will be working with Friesen-Deyo Promotions to manage the Sprint Car program.
The ‘Dirty Jersey’ marks the
only appearances by the Super DIRTcar Series
big-block Modifieds and 360 Sprint Cars at New Egypt
in ’14.
Pioneer Pole Buildings Inc.
of Schuylkill Haven,
Additional marketing support
is being sought. To learn more about options, contact Brett Deyo
at 845.728.2781 or via e-mail at Deyo99H@aol.com.
The rain date for the ‘Dirty
To learn more, contact Brett Deyo at 845.728.2781, e-mail Deyo99H@aol.com or visit the
online home of Friesen-Deyo Promotions at
www.bdmotorsportsmedia.com.
About New
Located in New Egypt, N.J.,
New Egypt Speedway features a daylight-quality lighting system and excellent
sightlines from any seat in the house. There are clean, heated restrooms, a
monitored playground area for young fans and restaurant-quality concession
stands serving up a full menu at family style prices. The racy, 7/16ths-mile
clay oval hosts tight, wheel-to-wheel, all-out competition. New Egypt
Speedway’s GPS address is 720 Route 539 New
About Friesen-Deyo Promotions
A collaboration between dirt
Modified standout driver Stewart Friesen and special events promoter and
motorsports writer Brett Deyo, Friesen-Deyo Promotions hosted its first event at New Egypt
Speedway in 2013 with additional ventures planned for the future.
-----
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
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
FEBRUARY 14, 2014
DICK JORDAN
The Indianapolis Speedrome, USAC's most active
track through its first 58 years, returns May 23 after a three-year hiatus,
hosting the USAC HPD Midwest Pavement Midget Series. The series will return to
the one-fifth paved oval for a repeat performance August 30.
A total of 496 USAC events have
graced the facility since USAC's debut in 1956 and
the track is expected to host its historic 500th USAC race in the near future.
No other race track is close in terms of total USAC events.
New ownership and a new race
organizer are in place for the historic track, located on the southeast edge of
the capital city. Former Indy-Car chief mechanic and team manager Larry Curry
will handle the reins for co-owners Pete Watson and Jeff Hammel
with an emphasis on returning the oval to prominence in the open-wheel racing
community. Numerous improvements are planned, including resurfacing.
"As the new managing partner
of the Speedrome I would like to say we are all very
excited about having the HPD USAC midgets on our schedule for two races in
2014," says Curry. "All of the new owners are very committed to
returning the Speedrome to its prominence of years
past where USAC was a large part of the midget racing. We all want this to be
the start of a great new era of midget racing at the track."
Gene Hartley, winner of USAC's inaugural event at
"Obviously we are delighted to
be able to return to the Indianapolis Speedrome,"
echoes USAC's Eric Rankine.
"No track has as much USAC history as it does and it feels like home to be
back. I'm, sure it will be a fun experience for us and our participants."
--USAC-
Contact: DIRTVision.com
Katie Boyer - Production
Coordinator
kboyer@dirtcar.com |
(704)707-0275
LIVE: Super DIRTcar Series Video THIS WEEK!
DIRTVision.com will broadcast
LIVE VIDEO from week two of the DIRTcar Nationals
presented by Summit Racing Equipment at
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
FEBRUARY 18, 2014
DICK JORDAN
CLAUSON READY FOR DEFENSE,
SEEKS ELUSIVE 3RD-STRAIGHT TITLE
Only three drivers in the history
of the AMSOIL Sprint Car National Championship have achieved the feat of
back-to-back-to-back titles, but
After recovering from four missed
races due to other commitments to win his first championship with the Corey
Tucker/BCI/Curb-Agajanian Racing #7 in 2012, Clauson stepped into the Tony Stewart/Curb-Agajanian Racing #20 for 2013 and picked up where he left
off. Seven wins each season and both championships now present him with the
opportunity to join Steve Butler, Robbie Stanley, and Levi Jones as the only
drivers to take three-straight.
"Walking into an organization
like that, where they have a tradition of winning championships, is a lot of
pressure. To step in and go through the process, with the downs and ups of the
season, it was satisfying and a lot of fun to work ourselves into form and
contend for the championship. I'm excited about some changes we made through
last season and in the offseason, so hopefully we can come out even stronger
and defend it," Clauson said.
The TSR operation was no stranger
to success and championships, as Jones won four-of-five championships before Clauson broke through in 2012. The 2013 season posed a
legitimate test, however, as the team saw changes in nearly every area. In
addition to the change in the seat, only Brad Mariscotti
remained from the crew, and the team switched to Beast Chassis. For the first
race of the year, car builder Bob East joined the team as an advisor and Warren
Beard completed the crew assembled by race director Jimmy Carr. East would
become a full-time addition early in the season.
Despite winning their first race
out of the box in a spirited battle with Dave Darland,
the beginning of the season was self-described as "challenging."
Still, the group found enough footing for Clauson to
take his second-straight "Eastern Storm" title in early June using
consistent finishes, as a second win on the season was still lacking.
"Each driver is so different.
The characteristics of the way
The wins finally flooded in when the
biggest week of the season came, as Clauson took
back-to-back wins to close "Indiana Sprint Week" at Putnamville and
To close out the championship, they
backed up a big win in the final Midwest race of the season at Lawrenceburg
(IN)
Not only was it Clauson's
fourth career National title (joining his two National Midget championships),
it was the first Sprint Car title for former racer East, who has achieved
numerous titles in both Midget and Silver Crown competition as crew chief and
team manager.
"The Sprint Car title was
definitely a focus, after we got going. It was the only one that I hadn't won,
and I wanted to do that. It was a lot of fun; it's the first series in so long
where I had no other cars (chassis customers) competing, so I could totally
concentrate on our team. It was a great group to race with. We believed in each
other, and confidence makes a big difference," East said.
Clauson,
who now sits tied for 16th all-time with 25 career National Sprint Car wins,
also relished the opportunity to win with his new group.
"I always dreamed of working
with Bob, but never really thought it would be on the sprint car side. When I
was coming up, he was king of the midgets. To have an opportunity to work with
him and get the chance to win the sprint car championship with him was cool.
The chemistry he and Brad had, being friends even outside of racing, helped a
lot. Bob wasn't necessarily supposed to work with us all year, but after
For Mariscotti,
it was a slightly different point-of-view, but the level of satisfaction was
similar.
"It meant a lot for me,
personally, as the only guy still there from all our other championships. And
we were able to win the Silver Crown championship, too, with Bobby (East). To
be able to go out with a new driver and a really small team, it felt great to
do it again," Mariscotti said.
As the top six pairings from last
season remain intact for 2014, along with some strong additions pursuing the
full schedule, Clauson knows a target will be on them
as they try to defend the crown with their Chevrolet Performance - Curb #20
Beast/Kistler.
"It looks like the National
Sprint Car bunch is as strong as I can remember it being, and we know that
other teams have gotten better in the off-season, so we'll have to start a
little quicker and be even better than last year to do it again," Clauson said.
Thursday's season opener at
--USAC--
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE FEBRUARY
19, 2014
DICK JORDAN
Race fans locked into their homes
by the extreme weather which has engulfed the Midwest recently can sit back
tonight, relax, and enjoy the heart-pounding excitement of AMSOIL USAC National
Sprint Cars as they prepare for the "Winter Dirt Games V" at
The special four-night presentation
of the opening USAC National racing event of the 2014 racing season begins with
a free look at tonight's practice session from the 3/8-mile dirt oval.
Per-per-view starts Thursday and continues Friday and Saturday on the USAC website
at usacracing.com.
Single race nights are priced at
$19.99 per night, while a special three-night package is priced at $39.98.
Special pricing for USAC Racing TV subscribers is available at $14.99 per night
or $29.98 for the three-night package, which means the third night is virtually
free.
Signup is now open for
If you are currently not a USAC Racing.TV subscriber, you will need t visit
www.usacracing.TV/S-PPV_BubbaRacewayPark.html to sign up for the PPV Broadcast.
You will need to go back to this URL each night that you want to watch.
Defending AMSOIL USAC National
Sprint Car Champion Bryan Clauson will open defense
of his title in the "Winter Dirt Games V" against the nation's top
open-wheel pilots.
--USAC-
Going back, in time to
February 20th in:
1907
Tony Willman
... Born ... AAA driver 1926 to 1941, died in a midget race at
1934
Bobby Unser ... Born ... One
of the greatest Indycar racing stars of all time,
Unser was twice the USAC/Indy Car champion (1968 and 1974) and three times
winner of the Indianapolis 500. The brother of Al Unser and Jerry Unser, the
father of Robby Unser, and the uncle of Al Unser, Jr. and Johnny Unser. He was
the undisputed king of the
1937
Roger S. Penske ... Born ...
A national sports car driving champion (1964); established the Penske racing
team in 1961; co-founder of Championship Auto Racing Teams (CART). Penske
Racing has won 12
1959
Scott Brayton
... Born ... USAC/CART driver 1981 to 1996. Scott tragically lost his life in a
fatal crash during practice at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Six days before
the accident, Scott captured his second consecutive Indy 500 pole position.
1960
Dick Peterman won the TQ
Midget race at the Teaneck Armory,
Note: Chances are that my future wife and I were in
attendance that night.
1969
David Pearson and Bobby Isaac
won the twin 125 mile NASCAR Grand National qualifying races at Daytona
International Speedway. Pearson earlier had become the first driver to break
the 190 mph barrier at Daytona.
1972
A.J. Foyt
drove the Wood Brothers Mercury to an easy win in the Daytona 500. In a field
already weakened by the factories pull-out, other contenders suffered problems.
When leader Richard Petty retired with engine trouble on lap 81, Foyt took over and led to the checkered. Foyt finished nearly 2 laps in front of Charlie Glotzbach, driving the Cotton Owens Dodge.
1977
Cale Yarborough was unbeatable, winning the 125-mile
qualifying race, the International Race of Champions event and the 500. The
only thing he didn't win was the pole position, which went to Donnie Allison.
1983
Cale Yarborough rebounded to win the Daytona 500 after
earlier crashing the Rainier Racing Monte Carlo on his second qualifying lap.
Yarborough took the lead from Buddy Baker on the last lap and pulled to a five
length win as Bill Elliott edged Baker and Joe Ruttman
across the line in a three wide battle for second. Ruttman
led the most laps in the Benfield Chevy.
2008
Buster Warke...
Died ... AAA driver from the 1930's , 40's to the mid 1950's.
Some more February dates:
FEBRUARY 19th
1921
Ernie McCoy... Born ...
Eastern midget, sprint and Indy car driver.
1928
Malcolm Campbell set a Land
Speed Record of 206.956 MPH in his Bluebird at Daytona.
FEBRUARY 18th
1928
Jim McElreath
... Born ... USAC/CART driver. He raced in the 1961-1983 seasons, with 178
combined career starts, including 15 in the
1962
Scott Kalitta
... Born ... American drag racer and son to veteran NHRA driver and crew chief
Connie Kalitta, and is cousin to teammate Doug Kalitta.
1976
Jimmy Kite ... Born ... USAC
midget, sprint, silver crown and Indy car driver.
2001
Dale Earnhardt, Sr.... Died ...Earnhardt is known for his success in the
Winston Cup Series, now known as the Sprint Cup Series. He won seventy-six
races (including his only Daytona 500 victory in 1998), and his seven
championships are tied for most all-time with Richard Petty. His highly
aggressive driving style made him a fan favorite and earned him the nicknames
"Ironhead", "Mr. Restrictor
Plate", "The Man in Black" and most famously, "The
Intimidator." Earnhardt died in a last-lap crash during the 2001 Daytona
500.
FEBRUARY 21st
1964
Daytona ... Dodges and
Plymouths equipped with the new hemi engine dominated the twin 100 mile NASCAR
GN qualifying races at Daytona International Speedway. Junior Johnson did not
lead a lap until pulling off a "slingshot" move to pass Buck Baker
off the final turn to win the first race. Johnson's Ray Fox Dodge crossed the
line one car length ahead of Baker, who was in a Petty Engineering Plymouth.
Paul Goldsmith, who won the pole for the '500' at a record 174.910 mph, led the
first 17 laps in the Nichels Plymouth, but blew the
engine after 28 laps. In the second 100, Richard Petty ran out of fuel with a
half lap lead, setting up one of the wildest finishes in Daytona history. As
Petty coasted on the apron, the Ray Nichels Dodge of
Bobby Isaac and Jim Pardue's Burton-Robinson Plymouth
came roaring toward the checkered side by side. Pardue
got slightly out of shape as the cars crossed the line three wide. It took a
photo finish and three hours before Isaac was declared the winner.
1965
Jean Marcenac
... Died ... Veteran race mechanic died of a heart attack.
FEBRUARY 22nd
1911
Emil Andres ... Born ... AAA
driver from 1935 to 1950
1921
Marshall Teague... Born ...
NASCAR, AAA and USAC driver. Finished 7th in the 1957 Indy 500.
1933
Malcolm Campbell drives his
Napier-Campbell to a One-Mile Speed record of 272.109 mph on the beach at
On February 22, 1914, race
driver George Rice was born.
On February 24, 1927, my
sister, Rosemarie was born. She’s still
at it.
On February 26, 1932, Johnny
Cash was born
On February 26, 2003, George
Rice passed away.
Found on Facebook
- racing related:
NDRL Short Track Super Series
Operating procedures:
Found on the Internet –
racing related:
Updated: Jimmie Johnson’s car
fails pre-qualifying inspection for being 1/10,000th of an inch too wide
Note: If you check out the link, check out the
comments.
Isn't it interesting that Danica comes to NASCAR in a media buzz last year and sits
on the Pole at Daytona. Then this year all the buzz is for the #3 car coming
back to NASCAR and Dillon sits on the pole...... Hmmmmm
who would have guessed that would have happened?
Found on the Internet – not
racing related:
http://news.yahoo.com/uaw-suffers-major-defeat-vw-workers-reject-us-034203325.html
UAW May Challenge Volkswagen
Vote Results
http://screen.yahoo.com/uaw-may-challenge-volkswagen-vote-134702141.html
Welfare Payouts Top $20 Per
Hour In Eight States
http://downtrend.com/robertgehl/welfare-payouts-top-20-per-hour-in-eight-states/
Really? He was/is kidding, right?
Opposition mounts to Gov.
Andrew Cuomo's proposal that would provide free college courses to state prison
inmates.
http://www.recordonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/section?Category=MEDIA09
Found on Facebook
– not racing related:
On 2/16:
Seriously, I don’t know
exactly when the UFO landed and dropped off all these stupid people, but
apparently they aren’t coming back for them!
On 2/17:
If we’re not meant to have
midnight snacks, then why is there a light in the refrigerator?
And:
My parents spanked me as a
child. As a result I now suffer from a
psychological condition known as “Respect for others”
Along with:
Does anyone know how I can
become an illegal? I really could really
use the benefits!
This one, too:
To insure the uninsured,
first we make the insured uninsured.
Then we make the formerly insured pay more to become re-insured, to
insure the uninsured for free. – Guess that’s how Obamacare
works?
I get emails – not racing
related:
Subj: Your shoe size can tell your age
THIS REALLY BLEW MY MIND!!!
Your shoes can tell you your age - fun!!
[Just who thinks this stuff
up?] As if you didn't have anything else
to do!!
This is mind boggling - the
flipping thing works. Your shoes can really tell you your age.
TRY IT, YOU WILL BE SHOCKED!!:
1. Take your shoe size (only
whole sizes).
2. Multiply it by 5.
3. Add 50.
4. Multiply that number by 20
...
5. Add 1013.
6. Subtract the year (xxxx) you were born.
Result: The first digit is
your shoe size, while the last 2 digits are your age.
If anyone figures out the
secret, kindly let me know.
This weeks photo:
Note: Photos not available on DTD. Can be seen here: http://newenglandtractor.com/racereport/
George Rice was mentioned
above, with the dates of his birth and death.
Here’s a photo of him from back in his racing days.
Note: To me, those cars back then sure beat today’s
cars as far as looks go.
Racing videos:
Back to a Thursday Night
Thunder USAC Regional midget race held at the Indianapolis Speedrome
on August 20, 1987:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=yq18ZL300p0
Music videos:
I guess something by Johnny
Cash would be appropriate, this week?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZCqpPj87ekE&feature=related
Joke of the week:
I was in
I saw a bumper
sticker on a parked car, it read: "I miss
So I broke a
couple of windows, stole the radio, shot out two of the tires, added an Obama
bumper sticker and left a note that read, "I hope this helps!"
Until the next column – NEXT WEEK!!!
I can be reached, via e-mail, at: ygordad@yahoo.com