Mostly
Racin' Stuff
By Tom
Avenengo
Volume # 171
02/27/2014
Some personal/family stuff:
Wow!
It’s almost the end of February already!
In another five weeks,, or so, we’ll be heading
back home. Where does the time go?
I’m pretty much in contact with family
members back home. On Tuesday, while on
Facebook with my son, Eric, he happened to mention that he’s been waiting for a
phone call from me that would have me saying that we would be staying here in
Monday, 2/24: – Doctor appointment
with the kidney specialist for both the wife and me.
He was really impressed as to how much
I’ve progressed since the first time he saw me.
The last blood work, from last week, showed mostly excellent in
everything. He now has no concerns about
the wife and her kidneys, too.
March 3rd: Wife gets the cataract surgery on her right
eye. Now, I surely will not be able to
get away with anything!
This past Saturday: I went to East Bay Speedway with my grandson,
John Rizzo, to see the 360 Sprint Cars and
The 360’s took the top eight, point wise,
from the Thursday and Friday races and locked them into the feature on
Saturday. On Saturday, they ran six
heats with only the winner going to the main.
Three “B” features were run, and only the top two main the “A” main,
giving them a 20 car field. There were
no provisionals added. You didn’t
qualify, you went home.
The major problem with this is that there
wasn’t much passing. It usually happens
when the faster cars start up front.
That’s one of the main reason I don’t really care for time trials.
The track is, to me, kind of “D”
shaped. There was no dust at all. Behind the track is a man made mountain (land
fill) that’s high enough to have a red light on top of it so planes know it’s
there.
As we drove in, there were a ton of race
fans “tailgating”. It reminded me of the
Eastern States Weekends at OCFS. About
the only stands that weren’t really filled were the first turn bleachers, from
what I could see. We sat at the end of
the front stretch, second row from the top.
I’ve heard a few “horror” stories about
Rico Abreu, the “Little” person that races – how he would crash his way to the
front. Well, in the “A” main, due to the
points from Thursday & Friday, he started in third place. He ran a good race and on many laps was
challenging for the lead. His best time
for getting the lead was on the last restart with three laps to go. He was under the leader as they got into the
first turn, but the leader had the momentum and was able to keep his lead. Rico did end up in second place. I could see no evidence of any “dirty”
driving on his part.
We thought it might be a problem, traffic
wise, getting out after the races, but really there was none. Would I go back to
Due to my grandson having to work on
Sunday, we opted for
Maybe it’s me, but yes, I do get rather
upset when I see supposedly educated people using the wrong words, or miss
spell words, when posting on the Internet.
I mean “are” for “our”??? And one
can’t forget “of” used instead of “have”.
“Should of” instead of “Should’ve” - short for “Should have”.
Racin’ stuff:
I imagine the “Junior Nation” is quite a
happy group about now. I find it
remarkable how the Cup drivers just seem to lose it at Daytona and
Did you watch the Daytona 500
on TV? If so, then did you see the woman
that was feeding her family some KFC for dinner? Did you notice the huge bucket of chicken on
the table? She said it was nine
pieces. Must be pretty damn big pieces
to fill that bucket! Why not show what
nine pieces actually fill?
Also a
commercial for “A Need for Speed” movie. Why must they constantly show
fake car crashes?
We lost another former race driver to the
HAROLD MONTANYE, JR.
March 23, 1934 - February 18,
2014
Accord, NY
Harold Montanye, Jr. of
Accord, NY died suddenly on Tuesday, February 18, 2014. He was 79 years old.
Harold was born on March 23, 1934 in
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Mr. Montanye was an avid race
car driver and was known as one of the best racers around. Later in life he
enjoyed golfing and was an avid Horseman.
Harold is survived by his
children: Phyllis Depuy and her husband, Butch of Milan, DE, Kirby Montanye and
his partner, Robert of Prunedale, CA, Keith Montanye and his wife, Trish of
Stephentown, NY, Sharon Cosgrove and her husband, Bob of Kerhonkson, Helen
Depuy and her husband, George of Stephentown, NY and Kevin Montanye and his
wife, Cindy of Kingston, NY; his brothers: George Montanya, Howard and Richard
Montanye; his sister, Lillian Schoonmaker and many grandchildren and
great-grandchildren.
Harold was predeceased by his
brother, William and sister, Maryjane Montanye.
Friends are invited to join
in a celebration of Harold's life from 2 to 6 p.m. on Saturday, February 22nd
at the Accord Fire House,
To send a
personal condolence to Harold's family please visit
humistonfuneralhome.com.
I’ve never heard of Aloe
Blacc, but he did a very good job on our National Anthem prior to the Daytona
500.
Dale Earnhardt Jr.: 'This is
our year'
http://sports.yahoo.com/news/dale-earnhardt-jr-39-39-193100366--nascar.html
Fox News reported the
tape-delayed 2013 Daytona 500 playing on Fox as if it were live
Note: I’d have to say that those that thought
Jimmie Johnson won this years Daytona 500 really are not race fans, but casual
observers.
Danica Patrick's Daytona 500
came to an end with a hard crash
Underdogs fail to upset the
form book in Daytona 500
I had a real nice chat on the phone the
other night with Phil Cancel. He is now
out in
Former OVRP Dirt Oval runners:
Anthony Perrego and Billy VanInwegen ran
decent at Volusia. In the final feature
race on Saturday, Perrego was 9th and Billy V 26th. In time trials for Saturday, Billy V timed
second quickest with a lap turned in 17.602 seconds. Anthony was 10th at a lap time of
18.118. Point wise, for the three races
that were run (Friday was a rain out), Anthony was 6th and Billy V
15th.
As for racing on TV - http://tvracer.com/
Race track schedules:
Some more:
http://www.lebanonvalley.com/2014_LVS_Schedule.html
http://www.orangecountyfairspeedway.net/schedule.html
Note: Looking at the OC schedule, I see there are
11 358 appearances, 6 for the Trucks (will they have enough trucks?) 4 for the
CRSA 305 Sprint Cars and 4 for the Vintage cars. Not shown is just what classes will be run
for ESW. Last
year there were some unhappy people when the Vintage cars were not on the ESW
schedule. Last year they had only one Sportsman class
for ESW (Crate), I imagine the same will apply for 2014.
From Jayski:
If you’re interested, here’s a link to the
entry list for the Cup race this weekend out in
http://www.jayski.com/news/stats/2014/story/_/page/02-Phoenix-2014-Entry-List
NASCAR looking into limiting
drivers' double duty:
NASCAR said Saturday it is
looking at potentially limiting the number of second- and third-tier event
Sprint Cup regulars can run during the season. Officials have already talked
about a potential rules adjustments. Maybe even a change. "We're
definitely aware of the fan messaging we get," said Steve O'Donnell,
NASCAR's senior vice president of racing operations. "There's a balance,
especially talking to the tracks, of having a Cup driver or two in the Trucks
or Nationwide. ... We have had discussions with the race teams about ownership
and should Cup drivers get points and we've looked at should they be limited in
the number of races. It's something we are really studying."(Associated
Press)(2-23-2014)
Martin Truex Jr. Quote about
backup car:
#78-Martin Truex Jr. ran 13
laps in his backup car during Saturday's Happy Hour practice session. It was
the first time on the track for the new Furniture Row Chevy after crashing the
primary car in the 2nd Budweiser Duel 150 on Thursday night. "I was
definitely relieved to get some time in the car," said Truex. "Honestly,
I am really excited about this race car. Without a shadow of a doubt this car
is better than the one we ran the other night in the qualifying race. The
Furniture Row guys did another good job. I even hate to call this car a backup
because of how good it felt."(FRR)(2-23-2014)
Note: Uh huh.
He was the first to drop out of the 500 due to engine failure.
NASCAR's Highest Paid Drivers
2014:
NASCAR driver salaries have
been shaved in recent years with fewer dollars available as sponsors cut back
on their financial commitments to teams. Drivers that once made $4-6 million in
salary are getting re-signed to deals for $3 million in some cases. Guys on
poorly funded teams are lucky to make seven figures. Licensing and endorsement
money has also dried up for all but the very elite drivers. Endorsement deals
that once paid $500,000 a clip are now $250,000 and many have disappeared
completely. But for the sport's stars, the paychecks are nearly as big as ever
and can reach eight figures in salary alone. The 10 highest-paid drivers pulled
down $170 million in 2013 in cumulative salary, endorsements and their share of
winnings and licensing income.
Leading the way for the sixth
straight year is Dale Earnhardt Jr., who earned $25.6 million in 2013 by
Forbes' count. Earnhardt's licensing income is down significantly from five
years ago when he was making $30 million a year, but he is still the sport's
biggest star with the biggest salary, as well as the top licensing and
endorsement income, according to sources. Earnhardt's #88 Chevy
carries the most expensive real estate in the sport. The Army National Guard
spent $30 million in 2013 on sponsoring 20 races on the #88 car and activating
around the sponsorship. Hendrick Motorsports entered the past two seasons with
13 races to sell on Earnhardt's car, but even if owner Rick Hendrick has to
pick up the tab on a couple of races, the sponsorship revenue for Earnhardt's
car is still the envy of the sport.
#48-Jimmie Johnson,
ranks No. 2 with estimated earnings of $24.8 million last year. Johnson won his
sixth Sprint Cup title, which carried bonuses and special awards of $5.8
million. Johnson's total prize money haul of $14.7 is twice as much as
Earnhardt, but Johnson's endorsements and licensing income lag behind. #24-Jeff Gordon in third earning $18.2 million in 2013. His
merchandise was the sport's second best seller, behind Earnhardt, in 2013,
according to multiple sources. Gordon also benefits from his ownership stake in
the #48 car. NASCAR's golden girl, Danica Patrick, ranks No. 9 with earnings of
$13.5 million. See full report at Forbes.com.(2-22-2014)
The Most Valuable NASCAR
Teams 2014:
Thirty years ago Rick
Hendrick launched All-Star Racing with five employees and 5,000 square feet of
workspace. Geoff Bodine raced the fledgling outfit's sole NASCAR Cup entry in
the #5 car and finished ninth in the season long standings, including three
victories. The company was rebranded Hendrick Motorsports the following year
and a racing dynasty was born. Hendrick Motorsports today carries more than 500
employees in 430,000 square feet of workspace across a 140 acre campus in
Joe Gibbs Racing ranks No. 2
with a value of $171 million, up 2% from last year. Roush Fenway Racing ranks
No. 3 with a value of $157 million, down 6%. The team making the biggest jump
is Stewart-Haas Racing, which ranks fourth with a value of $148 million, up
20%. #5 is Richard Childress Racing at $128 million; #6 is Team Penske at $108
million; #7 is Michael Waltrip Racing at $80 million; #8 is Chip Ganassi Racing
at $69 million; #9 is Richard Petty Motorsports at $50 million. See full report
at Forbes.com.(2-22-2014)
Budweiser Duel TV Ratings:
The amazing high-speed pile
up that concluded the Budweiser Duel at Daytona International Speedway, one
that saw the #15 Toyota of Clint Bowyer do an airborne 360, land on its wheels
and the driver walk away unharmed, wasn't the night's only spectacular
occurrence. The Budweiser Duel averaged 3.122 million viewers, making it the
most-watched NASCAR "Duel" event since 2000 when CBS aired it on a
Saturday (4.296 million). It is now the second most-watched program on FOX
Sports 1 since launch behind Saturday's Sprint Unlimited (3,526,000 viewers).(FoxSports)(2-22-2014)
Stewart:
Richard Petty should race
Danica. During the first of two PRN Fast
Talk Shows at Outback Steakhouse in Daytona with Doug Rice and Mark Garrow,
Tony Stewart made it very clear how he feels about the negative remarks Richard
Petty made recently about Danica Patrick. "I told her she should challenge
Richard to a heads up race," said Stewart. "I think that would pretty
much settle it once and for all, maybe get him to shut up a little bit too. He
drove in an era when he had cars that were superior to what everybody else was
running a lot. I think he forgets that, that NASCAR
has changed a lot since he was a driver and how hard it really is now."
Stewart added, "I will supply the cars, I don't care. If he wants to race
her I'll make sure they have exactly the same set-up in the car and give him a
chance. He can drive one of my 14 cars I don't care." It was then
suggested if Danica ever won a race that she should ask Petty to autograph the
checkered flag. Stewart, however, had another suggestion. "If I were her
I'd take it over and cram it up his (bleep)...If it were me, that's just
me." The second and final PRN Fast Talk show from the Daytona Outback
Steakhouse will take place Thursday from 12-1 with Jimmie Johnson and Kevin
Harvick the special guests. Both shows can be heard at goprn.com.(PRN)(2-20-2014)
UPDATE: The Richard
Petty-Danica Patrick-Tony Stewart saga just won't stop. Goaded by "Fox
& Friends" hosts on Friday morning, Petty accepted Stewart's offer to
set up a head-to-head race between Patrick and the NASCAR Hall of Famer.
"I'm 76 years old, OK?" Petty said, grinning, during a live spot from
Daytona International Speedway. "It's been 25 years since I've been in a
race car. But I'll take that challenge." When pressed, he reaffirmed,
"Oh, yeah. When is this going to happen?" When asked by Fox hosts
about his critique of Patrick's career, he stated, "I judge by
results."(ESPN)(2-22-2014)
Get Well Sam Bass:
Fox's Mike Joy mentions
during coverage of the Budweiser Duels on Thursday night that NASCAR Artist Sam
Bass is in the hospital, per Sam's Facebook: "We greatly appreciate all of
your thoughts, prayers and wishes to Sam for a speedy recovery. He has been
hospitalized since February 10, undergoing treatment for a severe blood
infection, complicated by his diabetes. Sam sends you his sincerest thanks and
wants all to know he would rather be in Daytona, but will be back at the
drawing table very soon!"(2-22-2014)
Daytona 500 results:
http://www.jayski.com/stats/2014/pdfs/01dis2014results.pdf
From Track Forum:
http://www.trackforum.com/forums/forum.php
Question about Danica and
racing NASCAR
http://www.trackforum.com/forums/showthread.php?183596-Question-about-Danica-and-racing-NASCAR
13 years after Earnhardt’s
death, head restraints not universally required
In part:
“David Richardson’s HANS
(head and neck support) device lay in the back of his truck, unused, like an
exercise machine bought with good intentions, only to become part of a garage’s
dusty clutter. The HANS, which is a head restraint, was discarded amid the
sundry tools in his truck after he tried to wear it and found it too
cumbersome. After a while, the HANS probably became a nuisance for
Perhaps he was thinking that
one of these days, he would try again to use it in his race car and get
comfortable wearing it.
Or not.
On May 25, 2013, another race
car barreled into
http://www.trackforum.com/forums/showthread.php?183661-HANS-and-Your-Local-Track
Note: Yes, it would be an additional expense, if
tracks mandated their use, but one can see what could and/or might happen, by
reading the above. Some interesting
things said on the Track Forum on this subject.
Worth reading.
Schmidt Peterson to announce
Indy 500 entry for a "major championship-winning driver"
Note # 1: Quite a few names being thrown around on this
thread!
Note # 2: Looks like this name is the one:
Jacques Villaneuve back where
he belongs!
http://www.dirttrackdigest.com/DTD/index.php?/topic/50134-jacques-villaneuve-back-where-he-belongs/
Initial Perception of Formula
E (Electrically powered race cars):
http://www.trackforum.com/forums/showthread.php?182224-Initial-Perception-of-Formula-E
Note: I’m not sure on this one. Racing over the years has always had noise to
an extent. About the quietest race cars
were the Turbines at Indy. I think the
lack of noise might be a turn off for today’s race fans. And it’s said that during the race they would
have to change cars due to the batteries running low? Should prove to be interesting I suppose.
From the AARN:
This Week
In AARN
Haers, Friesen, Sheppard
Open DIRTcar Mod Season
With Volusia Triumphs
Doug Coby Is Top
‘Battler At
The Beach’;
Takes Daytona Mod Race
New
Postpones March 1
Opening Day Plans
Smooth As Silk:
Ronnie Wins Three Of Six;
Named New
Asphalt Mod Champion
Set For March 1 Bow
Pettyjohn, Roberts, Bronson
Among Volusia Dirt Late Model
First Time, Surprise Victors
Ten Grand 360 Sprint
Nationals
Checkered Flag At
Falls To
Wayne Johnson
Reading Mall Show Opens;
Phillpsburg Mall Show On Deck
Earnhardt, Jr. Is
Popular
Daytona 500
Weather-Delayed Winner
Reveals Expnsion,
Improvement Plans
Note # 1:
A little something of
interest – The Accord Speedway has dropped the RoC sanction for its “King of
the Catskills” race on September 19th. Gary Palmer has done this and says he’ll be
able to reduce the car entry fee, and will be able to increase the purse with
the monies saved. A full increased purse
will be announced as the event nears.
Note # 2:
I really do wonder – are
these “sanctioning fees” really worth it?
Face it; if the event is big enough, I imagine the top names would show
up, anyway? And really, must they be in
the millions of dollars, too?
Note # 3:
Dave Moody had a rather interesting
small article about how NASCAR Botched up the
"Tandem Drafting" new rule.
Seems some, like James Buescher were black flagged when he hooked
(bumpers) up with Brad Keslowski. TV
showed them bumping bumpers, but never "locked" together. NASCAR did say that if you bump off the car
in front of you - there is no call. In the final laps, Keselowski, Kyle Busch,
and others "Locked" bumpers for most of the final two laps. No black flags there, however.
Hard to believe but this year
marks the 20th year for the Kyle Petty "Ride Across
The 2014 racing season at the
Grandview Speedway, will be its 52nd year of racing there.
As expected, there was a ton
of race coverage for all the racing that went on down in
I get emails – racing
related:
INTERESTED IN BECOMING AN
ARDC OFFICIAL?
by admin
Anyone that would be
interested in becoming an ARDC official please come to our general membership
meeting on Sunday, March 9 or to contact Shawn Burke at 570-350-0385.
Press releases:
Found on the Dirt Track
Digest Forum on Monday, 2/24/14, from Brett Deyo:
All 50 laps for the Modified
portion of the 'Hard Clay Open' presented by United Pump & Tank, East Coast
Speed/ECS Auto & West Point Golf have been sold, several twice, for the
March 23 NDRL Short Track Super Series Fueled By VP opener at Orange County
Fair Speedway. The total has climbed to $2,371. The lap money will cycle
through the top-seven running order during the main event.
For those still looking to
reserve a lap, we will double up.
Contact Deyo99H@aol.com to reserve one.
A number of bonuses have been
posted for the special, which pays a minimum of $5,000 to win, $1,000 for 10th
and $500 to take the green flag. Big- and small-block Modifieds are eligible to
compete in the event, which kicks off the run for the $25,000-plus NDRL Short
Track Super Series Fueled By VP point fund.
The 602 Sportsman event, opener for the Dig Safely New York GRIT Series, also
has seen lap money raised for each of the event's 25 circuits, plus a list of
special awards.
Entry forms and other info
can be found at www.bdmotorsportsmedia.com. There is no additional, pre-race
entry for the Sportsman division.
News from the
Media Contact: Brett Deyo –
845.728.2781 or Deyo99H@aol.com
For Immediate
Release/February 26, 2014
Bang For Your Buck: Orange
County Fair Speedway’s ‘Hard Clay Open’ Presented By United Pump & Tank,
East Coast Speed/ECS Auto & West Point Golf Is March’s Most Lucrative
Modified Event; Bonuses Posted Above
Mammoth $30,000 Base Purse; Every Lap Has Been Sold, Some Twice, For
$2,371 Total At Sunday, March 23 Event!
The inaugural ‘Hard Clay
Open’ presented by United Pump & Tank, East Coast Speed/ECS Auto and West
Point Golf – paying a base purse of $30,000 – heads the list of spring events
for dirt Modified competitors on Sunday, March 23. The 50-lap National Dirt
Racing League (NDRL) Short Track Super Series Fueled By
VP big-block/small-block Modified event at Orange County Fair Speedway offers
$5,000 to the race winner, but the strength of the payout is the balance
throughout the 28-car starting field. Second place offers $4,000; fifth-place
$1,500; 10th place $1,000; and $500 just to take the green flag!
The event, promoted by Brett
Deyo of BD Motorsports Media LLC via an agreement with speedway promoters
Michael Gurda IV and Howard Commander, holds added significance. The ‘Hard Clay
Open’ serves as the opening round of the newly formed NDRL Short Track Super
Series Fueled By VP, a six-race dirt Modified touring series offering a base
point fund of $23,272.22, plus an additional $2,500 in attendance bonuses and a
potential $2,500 increase via NDRL Short Track Super Series Fueled By VP ‘Super
Fan Plan’ raffle ticket sales.
“Position-for-position,
lap-for-lap the ‘Hard Clay Open’ is not only the richest pre-season springtime
race, it’s one of the best-paying events for dirt Modified racers all year,”
said event promoter Deyo, also the NDRL Short Track Super Series Fueled By VP coordinator. “A one-day show, paying a base purse of
$30,000, plus all the product and cash bonuses, it’s going to be a great day
for our racers.”
Lap sponsorships for the
‘Hard Clay Open’ have been on sale all winter. Each of the race’s 50 laps has
now been sold – many twice – for a total of $2,371. That number could increase
as laps are now being “doubled and tripled up” with lap money. The cash
collected via lap sponsorships will be distributed through the top-seven
running order during the 50-lap main.
Teo-Pro Car of Vernon, N.J.,
will reward the leader at the halfway mark – lap 25 – with a $500 product
certificate in addition to the lucrative $400 Halfway Leader cash bonus posted
by Rock Fantasy Smoke and Concert Shop and Pinball Room of Middletown, N.Y.,
and its owner Stephen Keeler.
The first Orange County Fair
Speedway driver across the line in the ‘Hard Clay Open’ Modified event will
receive a $250 cash prize from Simplicity Design proprietor Ryan Sacco. Should
the first
Three ‘Judy Tuit Memorial’
Awards had been posted by Ray and Debbie Tuit and Mike Sparta Trucking Offering
cash bonuses of $200, $150 and $150 to the third-, sixth- and seventh-place
finishers, respectively, in the Modified event. According to the Tuits, those
numbers could grow prior to race day.
Other cash incentives include
a $210 Hard Charger Award posted by McGannon Excavating, a $50 17th-place bonus
from Elmo’s Auto Body, and $200 spread amongst the final 10 finishers from
Rochinski Contracting Services.
A long list of
product/certificate awards will be distributed during the event, as well, from
Schaeffer Racing Oil, American Racer/Lias Tire, Shiley Fabrication, DRACO
Springs, Vahlco Wheels, Allstar Performance, ATL Fuel Cells, Finish Line Web
Design, BFP Specialty, Bob Hilbert Sportswear and PM3 Digital Imaging.
A complete list of special
awards for the NDRL Short Track Super Series Fueled By
VP can be found at www.bdmotorsportsmedia.com.
Joining the NDRL
big-block/small-block Modifieds are the 602 Sportsman of the Dig Safely New
York GRIT Series in a 25-lap event paying $1,000 to the winner and $100 to
start. The GRIT staff has secured lap money and contingency awards for the
special event.
Due to high off-season
demand, advance tickets – for the first time in BD Motorsports Media history –
are offered. 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.
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 ever at
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.)
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 8 a.m. Grandstand gates open at 10 a.m. A drivers’
meeting will take place at 1 p.m., with hot laps at 1:20 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 or “follow”
@BrettDeyo on Twitter.
Located at
In the event of inclement
weather, the rain date is tentatively slated for Friday, March 28.
The regular season at
The ‘Hard Clay Open’ is
presented by United Pump & Tank, East Coast Speed/ECS Auto, West Point
Golf, Rock Fantasy Concert, Smoke Shop & Pinball Room, Simplicity Design,
673 Racing, Mike Sparta Trucking, Elmo’s Auto Body, Zubi’s Racing, McGannon
Excavating, Teo-Pro Car, Rochinski Contracting Services, Bob Hilbert Sportswear
& many other fine marketing and lap sponsors.
The National Dirt Racing
League (NDRL) Short Track Super Series is presented by VP Racing Fuels, Pioneer
Pole Buildings Inc., East Coast Speed/ECS Auto, Rochinski Contracting Services,
Allstar Performance, American Racer/Lias Tire, Art’s Radiator, ATL Fuel Cells, BFP
Specialty, Bicknell Racing Products, Bob Hilbert Sportswear, COMP Performance
Group, DRACO Springs, Driven Racing Oil, ERK Steering, Finish Line Web Design,
H.B. Steele & Son, Henry’s Stainless Steel Exhaust, Hig Fab Chassis, Jack’s
Used Race Car Parts, Kirkey Racing Products, PM3 Digital Imaging, Quarter
Master, Schaeffer Racing Oil, Shiley Fabrication, Teo-Pro Car, Troyer Race Cars
& Vahlco Wheels.
-----
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BD Motorsports Media LLC
Phone: 845.728.2781
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Note # 1: As you are probably aware, I won’t be back up
north in time to see this race. One
thing that might prove interesting is the “passing points” that will be
awarded. I’ve been to quite a few races
at OCFS over the years, and lately, due to the “rules” it seems to me that once
the modifieds get out of turn two after the green flag, there really isn’t much
passing. I sure hope that doesn’t hold
true for this event! Maybe those “sail
panels” might help – although per the rules for them, both side have to be the
same height. I kinda think the left side
sail panel should be a little higher than the right side – like the wings on
sprint cars.
Note # 2: The GRIT Series for the Sportsman – will that
be their only time at OCFS, or might they be back for ESW? Anyone know?
No, it doesn’t usually do me any good asking OCFS – Heck, I can’t even
post on their Facebook page.
Going back, in time to
February 27th in:
1910
Ted Horn... Born ... AAA driver from the 1930's and 40's. Ted Horn has
the best 9-year streak of finishes in
1939
Peter Revson... Born ... Formula One and the Indy car driver. The nephew of
Revlon Cosmetics industry magnate Charles Revson, he was an heir to his father
Martin's fortune (reportedly worth over $1 billion). During a practice run for
the 1974 South African Grand Prix in
1945
Steve Chassey... Born ... USAC/Cart sprint and Indy car driver.
1949
1954
Bobby Ball... Died ... AAA driver from the early 1950's. On January 4,
1953, he was involved in midget car accident at Carrell Speedway,
1960
Bobby Marshman won the 35-lap
TQ Midget race at the Teaneck Armory,
Race report: http://www.wheelsofspeed.com/report/2_27_60-1.html
Note: Yes, I was in attendance that night. My future wife and I took my "baby"
sister with us. When Lacy had his
accident, he headed right for us, backwards, hit the 12x12 "guard
rail" and flipped over. His cars
frame was quickly straightened out by putting one of the front wheels on the
12x12 and a couple of crew members jumping on the other side. It worked pretty good,
as far as getting it straightened out!
1966
Richard Petty overcame a day
filled with tire problems to win the Daytona 500. Chunks from disintegrating
tires shattered the windshields of top contenders Curtis Turner, Dick
Hutcherson and Marvin Panch, knocking them out. Petty's
Some more February &
March dates:
FEBRUARY 26
1956
Tim Flock drove one of the
Kiekhaefer Chrysler entries to the win in the NASCAR Grand National race on the
1967
Mario Andretti won the
Daytona 500 in a Holman-Moody Ford. Andretti took the lead to stay on lap 168
and held a 22 second lead over teammate Fred Lorenzen when a caution came out
with two laps to go, ending the race under caution. James Hylton finished third
in a Dodge.
2001
Duke Nalon ... Died ... AAA
midget, sprint and Indy car racer
FEBRUARY 25
1961
Davey Allison ... Born ... A
NASCAR race car driver, best known as the driver of the Robert Yates Racing #28
Texaco-Havoline Ford. Born in
2001
Alfred "Pee Wee"
Southcott ... Died ... He was one of
FEBRUARY 28
1940
Mario Andretti... Born ...
One of the most successful Americans in the history of auto racing. He has
competed and won in many different types of auto racing, including stock cars,
midget cars, sprint cars, IndyCars, drag racing cars, sports cars, and
single-seater Formula One cars. During his career, Andretti won four IndyCar
titles, the 1978 Formula One World Championship, and IROC VI (the 1978 - 1979
IROC). To date, he remains the only driver ever to win the
Singer Joe SDouth was born.
1960
Richard Petty, 22, wins his
first of what would be 200 Grand National/Cup races, when he guides his 1959
Plymouth to victory in a 200-lap race at Southern States Fairgrounds in
Charlotte, N.C. Petty's average speed on the half-mile dirt track is 53.404
mph. Petty wins by six car lengths over Rex White before a crowd of 7,849. The
victory comes in his 35th race.
1964: This was the day that this writer got out of
the US Army!
1966
Joe Gaerte... Born ... World of Outlaws sprint car driver.
FEBRUARY 29
1932
Masten Gregory... Born ...
Masten Gregory was born in
1976
Richard Petty wins the only
Cup race run on February 29 (leap day), winning the
MARCH 1
1903
Harlan Fengler ... Born ...
AAA driver from 1923 to 1927. Fengler acted as Chief Steward of the
Indianapolis Motor Speedway from 1958 until 1974.
2008
Buzzie Reutimann won the
Modified Stock Car race at the East Bay Raceway ,
Brett Hearn won the Big Block
Modified Stock Car race at the Hagerstown Speedway ,
Jeff Van Dusen won the Sprint
Car race at the
MARCH 2
1913
Duke Nalon ... Born ... AAA
midget, sprint and Indy car racer .
2004
Louie Unser... Died ... He
was the twin brother of Jerry Unser, who in 1958 became the first of the famed
racing family to qualify for the Indy 500. Louie served as chief mechanic for
Jerry in that race and handled the same duties for younger brother Al Unser's
500 debut in 1965.
Found on Facebook - racing
related:
Sunday, 2/23:
I see Frankie Schneider is in
the hospital with kidney failure. On dialysis
Frankie Schneider Update
(February 23, 2014) – Frankie
is very chatty, he's in room 230 at St. Luke's
Status from
one of Frankie's daughters.
Can fox have anymore commercials ? Really everybody waited all night for this
shit!!! Unbelievable. Every 5 min commercial
Jimmy Johnson's been getting
text messages congratulating him on winning the Daytona 500 because they showed
last years on tv during the delay! How dumb are
people!?
Sarah Strickland – daughter
of George Rice. She broke both ankles
last week.
Hi everyone, this is David.. I spoke to Sarah yesterday & she said ty for all your
thoughts & prayers.. She's in no pain & her
breathing is much better since they finally found a mask that works as good as
the one she has at home.. She will be getting a
lap-top in the next few days, so she'll be on & off Facebook whenever
possible.. I will continue working her Farmtown for as
long as she's in the
On 2/26/14:
OK to all my racing friends
and those who own racing product companies; Deb Glockner Marvuglio who
coordinates the Shane Hammond Believe Foundation is looking for donations for
the foundation. Please contact Deb for specifics. The Foundation provides
assistance to drivers who can not afford to purchase safety equipment. Very
worthy foundation and its a worthy cause.
Shane Hammond Believe
Foundation www.shanehammond.org
Found on the Internet –
racing related:
Richard Petty takes challenge
to race Danica Patrick
Note: Think this will ever happen?
Dale Earnhardt Jr. Causes Big
Crash After Daytona NASCAR Nationwide Series Race Ends
Some non-racing stuff:
Ok, since I’ve been down here
in
Found on the Internet – not
racing related:
Smaller Army: Hagel proposes
cuts in 2015 budget
http://news.yahoo.com/smaller-army-hagel-proposes-cuts-2015-budget-183621471--politics.html?vp=1
Note: BIG mistake!
Need I say more?
Why Half of Wal-Mart's
Groceries Are Banned by Whole Foods
Found on Facebook – not
racing related:
Found on 2/24:
Anyone else see a problem with a system that if you work you have to pay
taxes to the government, yet if you don’t work, the government pays you?
This is close to where I
live. I have seen what a village like
this can do – especially like in the town of
Hasidic Development Plans
Spark Bitter Feud in
http://m.forward.com/articles/193129/hasidic-development-plans-spark-bitter-feud-in-ups/?p=1
I get emails – not racing
related:
CALL THEM THE LUCKY, LUCKY
CREW....
This story is confirmed in
Elmer Bendiner's book, The Fall of
Fortresses
Elmer Bendiner was a
navigator in a B-17 during WW II. He tells this
story of a World War II bombing run over
unexpected result of a direct hit on their gas tanks. "Our
B-17, the
Tondelayo, was barraged by flak from Nazi antiaircraft guns.
That was
not unusual, but on this particular occasion our gas
tanks were hit.
Later, as I reflected on the
miracle of a 20 millimeter shell piercing
the fuel tank without touching off an explosion, our
pilot, Bohn Fawkes,
told me it was not quite that simple. "On the morning
following the
raid, Bohn had gone down to ask our crew chief for that
shell as a
souvenir of unbelievable luck. The crew chief told Bohn that
not just
one shell but 11 had been found in the gas tanks. 11
unexploded shells
where only one was sufficient to blast us out of the sky.
It was as if
the sea had been parted for us. A near-miracle, I
thought. Even after 35
years, so awesome an event leaves me shaken, especially
after I heard
the rest of the story from Bohn. "He was told that
the shells had been
sent to the armorers to be defused. The armorers told him
that
Intelligence had picked them
up. They could not say why at the time, but
Bohn eventually sought out
the answer. "Apparently when the armorers
opened each of those shells, they found no explosive charge.
They were
as clean as a whistle and just as harmless. Empty? Not
all of them! One
contained a carefully rolled piece of paper. On it was a scrawl
in
Czech. The Intelligence people scoured our base for a man
who could read
Czech. Eventually they found one to decipher the note. It
set us
marveling. Translated, the note read:
*"This is all we can do
for you now..."*
"Using Jewish slave
labor is never a good idea."
And this
one, too. Sorry for it’s length, but I just had to put
it in this column!
Kilroy was here: - a bit of
history:
He is engraved in stone in
the National War Memorial in
So who was Kilroy?
In 1946 the American Transit
Association, through its radio program, "Speak to
'Kilroy' was a 46-year old
shipyard worker during the war who worked as a checker at the Fore River
Shipyard in
Later on, an off-shift
inspector would come through and count the rivets a second time, resulting in
double pay for the riveters.
One day Kilroy's boss called
him into his office. The foreman was
upset about all the wages being paid to riveters, and asked him to
investigate. It was then he realized
what had been going on. The tight spaces
he had to crawl in to check the rivets didn't lend themselves to lugging around
a paint can and brush, so Kilroy decided to stick with the waxy chalk. He continued to put his check mark on each
job he inspected, but added 'KILROY WAS HERE' in king-sized letters next to the
check, and eventually added the sketch of the chap with the long nose peering
over the fence and that became part of the Kilroy message.
Once he did that, the
riveters stopped trying to wipe away his marks.
Ordinarily the rivets and chalk marks would have been covered up with
paint. With the war on, however, ships
were leaving the Quincy Yard so fast that there wasn't time to paint them. As a result, Kilroy's inspection
"trademark" was seen by thousands of servicemen who boarded the
troopships the yard produced.
His message apparently rang a
bell with the servicemen, because they picked it up and spread it all over
Before war's end,
"Kilroy" had been here, there, and everywhere on the long hauls to
Kilroy became the
As the war went on, the
legend grew. Underwater demolition teams
routinely sneaked ashore on Japanese held islands in the Pacific to map the
terrain for coming invasions by
In 1945, an outhouse was
built for the exclusive use of Roosevelt, Stalin, and Churchill at the
To help prove his
authenticity in 1946, James Kilroy brought along officials from the shipyard
and some of the riveters. He won the
trolley car, which he gave to his nine children as a Christmas gift and set it
up as a playhouse in the Kilroy yard in
And The Tradition
Continues...
EVEN Outside Osama Bin
Laden's House!!!
This weeks
photo:
Note: Photos not available on DTD. Can be seen here: http://newenglandtractor.com/racereport/
Here’s a photo of the great
Ted Tappett (Phil Walters) after he won a race in the Kingsbridge Armory, in
the
Racing videos:
How about some crashes?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AAKL7ao1cuA
Music videos:
Remember Jay Black?
From “Back in the day”:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1sFy5_kmEi4&feature=related
And, more recently:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9oFW6rmtUXY
Joke of the week:
Shortly after a British
Airways flight had reached its cruising altitude, the captain announced:
"Ladies and Gentlemen,
this is your captain. Welcome to Flight
293, non-stop from London Heathrow to
Silence followed.
Some moments later, the
captain came back on the intercom. "Ladies and Gentlemen, I'm sorry if I
scared you. While I was talking to you, a flight attendant accidentally spilled
coffee in my lap. You should see the front of my pants!"
From the back of the plane,
an Irish passenger yelled . . . "For the luva Jesus . . . you should see the back of
mine!"
Please don’t forget:
No, I will not vote for Hillary. She is an evil woman!
Until the next column – NEXT WEEK!!!
I can be reached, via e-mail, at: ygordad@yahoo.com