Mostly
Racin' Stuff
By Tom Avenengo
Volume # 172
03/06/2014
Note:
Is it this coming Sunday when we move the clock one hour ahead?
Yes, it is!
Spring Forward: The clocks
are set ahead one hour during Spring Forward. In 2014, this occurs on Sunday,
March 9th.
Fall Back: The clocks are set
back one hour during Fall Back. In 2014, this occurs on Sunday, November 2nd.
Some
personal/family stuff:
I’m starting this on Sunday, March 2nd. The wife has an appointment for 7:40 AM on
Monday for the cataract surgery on her right eye. Follow ups on Tuesday & Wednesday. I have to imagine that she’ll be as happy as
a pig in sh*t when she’ll be able to see better with
both eyes. Even with the surgeries,
she’ll need reading glasses, we’ve been told.
Tuesday, March 4th: Surgery was done. It took a little more time, this time, due to
that “flap” on her retina, that was shown to be on her
right eye. We have a follow up today at
1:20, then another tomorrow, Wednesday, due to a little too much pressure on
her eye. Final follow up should be on
March 11th. As expected, she
does have some discomfort and vision isn’t what she was hoping for, but both of
those little drawbacks will be overcome.
Some good news – the follow up on
Wednesday showed that the pressure came down from in the 30’s to 14. Eye Dr was quite happy with that.
This past Saturday night it was off to the
races with grandson, John, again. This
time it was to the most southern dirt track in the
It was their 2014 season opening race and
to me, the car counts were a little low, as one might expect. The first and second turns, at the west end
of the track, were somewhat wetter than 3 & 4 due to the wall blocking off
the setting sun. A final trip by the water
truck watered the whole track, including turns 1 & 2.
Come features time, believe it or not,
turns 1 & 2 were dustier than 3 & 4.
Still, there was minimal dust.
Lighting around the track is sufficient, with all lights on the outside
of the speedway. Personally, I’d rather
see the backstretch lights on the inside of the track, thus putting more light
on the cars – for better visibility from the stands.
The place is very clean, and the stands
were pretty well filled up, too. One
thing I have noticed these past two races – this one and the one last week at
Just as the features were getting run off,
I had the pleasure of chatting with former race driver Mike McKinney.
Note:
A test for my readers: What is
Mike McKinney’s real name? Think you
know? Email me at: ygordad@yahoo.com
with your answer.
One thing I did notice, and was quite
surprised to see – when they were running the track in, prior to the nights
races, just about every driver in the race cars were not wearing their helmets!
There were six classes racing – Street
Stocks (9 of them), winged Sprint Cars (9), Limited
Late Models that ran with the Open Wheel Modifieds
(total of 11), V8 Thunder Stocks (10) and Modified Mini Stocks (6).
As expected, with it being opening night,
the racing did get started a little late.
The whole night could have been completed earlier than the 11:30 finish,
if they only ran one heat per class instead of some heats having only 3-4 cars
in them. Overall, though, it was an
enjoyable night at the races.
Racin’ stuff:
I imagine that most of you have seen the
new Jeff Gordon video with him being a “taxi driver”? Did you know that his “passenger” – “Travis”
used to race Karts on the road course at the
Did you know?
This is posted on the OCFS website about
the March 23rd race:
“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.”
Notice: All seats are general admission – no reserved
seats. I really don’t know how that
might affect the seats in the covered stands for season ticket holders.
From Brett Deyo:
“Season passes start with the regular season opener, one week
after the Hard Clay Open. Since this is our event, not
Note: It took less than 10 minutes for Brett to get
back to me on my question.
Also,
there has been a second rain date listed – April 6th – just in case. That date would be great
for me, since we’d be back home by then.
And
some more on OCFS – from their Facebook page:
ATTENTION RACE TEAMS AND
FANS: Opening Night for the 2014 Point Season has been pushed back to Saturday,
April 12th. The Open Practice has been moved to Saturday, April 5th from
12-5pm. Keep an eye on the OCFS Schedule for any additional changes.
I’ll be posting this, below, in my columns
a couple of times each month:
As for racing on TV - http://tvracer.com/
Looking at the TV schedule
for the
Practices:
Thursday, March 6, 3:00 -
7:00 pm/et, TV-none scheduled
Friday, March 7, 2:00 - 3:30
pm/et, TV-FS1
Saturday, March 8, 11:30 am -
12:25 pm/et, TV-FS2
Happy Hour 'Final' practice:
Saturday, March 8, 2:30 - 3:30pm/et, TV-FS2
Qualifying: group qualifying
for positions 1-36, Friday, March 7 at 6:35 pm/et,
TV-FS1, no re-air scheduled.
Saturday, March 8, 2014
4:00pm-4:15pm (L) -Pre-Race
4:15pm-7:00pm (L) -Race
Nationwide Series Las Vegas ESPN2
One would think …
In this day and age, when
rain interrupts a NASCR weekend, they would not need those “competition”
yellows. I’d think the teams have enough
knowledge to not need them. Good thing
it’s not like it was back in the day when they would qualify and race on the
same day – especially with the Indy cars.
Some might not think…..
While watching the Cup race
from
As for the showing of where
the cars were, on top of the screen, way too many times was it only the top six
or top nine. Who is too lazy to let us
know where all the drivers are? Is it
that difficult?
Someone will be going home at
Vegas
For the Cup race there are 48
entrants, so five won’t make the show.
As for the Nationwide race – 40 entrants, as of
Wednesday.
Anyone have any idea as to
why it’s so expensive to get a racing license?
This, posted on Facebook,
by driver Ryan Preece:
“Ryan Preece
Whelen modified drivers license -
$390
Nationwide drivers license -
$2100
Being able to make a dream,
reality – Priceless”
Any idea as to how over priced a Cup license is – or an Indycar
license?
Former
OVRP Dirt Oval runners:
Nothing to report on
now, and more than likely for the next couple of weeks, until the racing season
gets going.
Race track schedules:
A reminder and a special
note:
Vintage Racing Celebration
Friday, August 01 - Monday,
Aug 04, 2014 | 9:00am - 5:00pm
Road Course Days: Aug. 1-2
Oval Days: Aug. 3-4
Note: In the latest Newsletter from ACOT, they list
Saturday and Sunday for the oval track.
That is in error. Oval track is
Sunday and Monday, as shown. Per the
track – with that schedule, each group will have one day on the weekend.
CRSA:
http://www.crsasprintcars.com/news/headlines/393735895.shtml
A/S:
http://cvra.com/wpblog/?page_id=3
GRIT Series:
http://www.gritracingseries.com/
Posted on the DTD Forum by
Mr. Brett Deyo:
While we are all suffering in
the cold, I thought I would offer a little piece of Accord Speedway
information. Last year, we held the first
This year, we are back on the
schedule at Accord on Tuesday, August 5.
We are proud to announce that Gary Mann of New York Truck Parts has
signed on as a primary sponsor again and also, that we will pay a track-record
$520 to take the green flag for the NDRL Short Track Super Series Fueled By VP
Modified feature for just 52 laps. This is to celebrate 52 years of the track's
existence. It will also pay a base of $5,200 to win. This could be a huge night for the track and
I am hoping we can showcase some of the great history over the years as Accord,
Fastland
Let's hope it gets warmer
quickly so we can start the season.
From
Jayski:
Harvick says Daytona needs more SAFER
barriers:
From #4-Kevin Harvick's media availability on Friday:
ARE YOUR SORE AT ALL FROM LAST WEEK? I SAW YOUR TWEETS
AND AM CURIOUS IF YOU'VE GOTTEN ANY REACTION?
Harvick: "The tracks, for the most part, don't listen to
really anything unless it's profitable for their shareholders. So, when you see
somebody spending $400 million dollars on their track and they don't have soft
walls around the inside, maybe they could spend $403 million to go ahead and
finish the inside of the superspeedway there at Daytona. Yeah, I was sore all
week. And, just today feel good enough to do what I need to do. So, it was just
a weird situation. The car didn't have any brakes or any steering and the
throttle was partially hung coming off the wall and going through the wet grass
and then into no safer barrier at the end of pit road there. So, it was a hard
shot. It's a little bit frustrating because it really shouldn't even be a
debate. I know they have data that shows where the most frequently hit spots
are but we wear all this safety equipment and do all the things that we do to
these race tracks for that one freak incident to keep things from happening
like happened back in 2001. So, it's shouldn't even be a debate. It's just one
of those things I guess that you just wait around for something else to happen
and then they'll fix it."(Chevy PR)(3-1-2014)
Formula One expected to make
decision on Haas:
The FIA is due to make a
decision on Friday regarding whether it will grant a 2015 Formula One entry to
NASCAR Sprint Cup Series team owner Gene Haas -- or to the Romanian project
fronted by Colin Kolles. The FIA on Dec. 12 announced
a "call for expression of interest," and noted that it would make its
decision on Feb. 28. However, when the decision will be announced to the public
remains to be seen. Haas, who co-owns Stewart-Haas Racing with Tony Stewart, is
tied to Ferrari, and if granted an entry would be able to take advantage of the
fact that the FIA is relaxing the rules on technology sharing between teams
next season. Haas would be able to buy almost everything he needs for an F1
program from Maranello. However, he has to own the
intellectual property of his chassis and bodywork. The Romanian project is
believed to involve state-funded backing and is in theory closer to being
realized than its American rival. Lotus LMP1/LMP2 sports-car constructor Kolles, who ran the now-defunct HRT F1 team from his base
near Munich, could provide existing race team and manufacturing facilities. The
two candidates paid the FIA a $130,000 fee and went through a vetting process
which culminated in a meeting with key FIA figures on Tuesday of this week.(Autoweek)(2-28-2014)
UPDATE:
The FIA has delayed its
decision on a future Formula One team entry, which was due [Friday]. The
governing body has written to the candidates, but apparently did not give a
reason for the delay, nor an alternative deadline. However, it's worth
speculating that FIA president Jean Todt and F1 boss
Bernie Ecclestone might have different ideas about
which team should get the nod. It's believed that only one slot is up for
grabs, although there is no reason why the field could not be extended to 26
cars, and that may be one of the factors behind the delay. There's also the
question of whether all the existing teams will survive over the next couple of
years. It seems that Gene Haas is aiming for a 2016 start. The Romanian project
is ready to kick off in 2015, and should it be given the go ahead.(Autoweek)(3-1-2014)
Most Popular Driver voting to
start in May:
As the fan-driven National
Motorsports Press Association's Most Popular Driver program launches for its
62nd season, the NMPA announced on Friday that the program will undergo changes
for the 2014 season. Voting opens for the Most Popular Driver Award in May and
will officially close at midnight on Sunday, Nov. 16. An official launch date
will be announced in the near future. Once the program launches, fans will have
the opportunity to vote by logging onto www.mostpopulardriver.com throughout
the remainder of the season. The NMPA will release the official launch date for
the program in the near future.(NASCAR.com)(3-1-2014)
Note: Question - why? We already know that Joonyer
will win it again - even beating Danica!
Mac Tools making only
appearance on the #9:
Marcos Ambrose will carry the
colors of Mac Tools on the #9 Ford for the one and only time this weekend at
the one-mile Phoenix International Speedway just outside the city of
Note: Maybe sponsors are beginning to realize that
just maybe the cars they are sponsoring don't get that much TV time, thus the
cutting back?
Humpy Wheeler's Speedway
Benefits inks deal to improve concessions:
Speedway Benefits has
announced a new supply chain partnership with Premier, Inc. that is expected to
reduce the costs of and improve the quality of grassroots racetrack concessions
nationwide. Speedway Benefits seeks to align the 1,000+ grassroots racetracks
across the
New Chase
format making drivers take more risks?
Just two races into the
Sprint Cup season, NASCAR's emphasis on winning has made an impact. #22-Joey Logano was more aggressive on a late-race restart, and
Daytona 500 winner #88-Dale Earnhardt Jr. was more comfortable with a fuel
gamble during Sunday's race at Phoenix International Raceway. "It's all
about the win, right?" Logano said after his
daring restart backfired. Yes it is. It always has been that way but now
there's more incentive for drivers and teams to take risks. "Third place
really doesn't mean anything,'' Logano said. "Last year, you may have taken a third place and the
points, but this year it's like, "hey, go for it.' "
Harvick's dominance didn't keep others from trying different
strategies. Dale Earnhardt Jr. was going to be short on fuel after his last pit
stop before all the cautions but crew chief Steve Letarte
told his driver not to worry about saving fuel. "We're here to try to
win," Letarte told Earnhardt on the radio.
"The gamble was not as nerve-racking and not as a big a gamble for us
considering the circumstances," said Earnhardt, who finished second.
"The new system definitely allowed us to be more carefree about that and
not have to really think it over."
Now Harvick
and crew chief Rodney Childers will have the opportunity to gamble over in the
next 24 races since they have a victory. "It allows (Childers) to stretch
fuel windows and do things and do a few things," Harvick
said. "For the guys in the shop, it allows them to really broaden their
horizons. You can really get aggressive on really everything."(Motors
Racing Network)(3-3-2014)
Patrick, Allgaier
talk after race:
#10-Danica Patrick and
#51-Justin Allgaier had a discussion in the garage
about an incident they had during The Profit on CNBC 500 at Phoenix
International Raceway. The caution waved on Lap 172 when Patrick, Allgaier and #32-Travis Kvapil
got together. Patrick was upset on her radio about Allgaier,
blaming him for the incident. Afterward, she went to Allgaier's
garage stall and they talked. Patrick did not talk to media afterward, but Allgaier did. "She was just upset because she got
involved in the crash that we had,'' said Allgaier,
who finished 30th in a backup car after crashing during qualifying Friday. "She says she's been through this and that she felt
like I needed to settle down at that point. I explained my position on why
everything happened. I think she understood where I was coming from. It doesn't
fix either one of our racecars. It doesn't fix either one of our days.
Unfortunately, we were both having pretty decent days.''
So, how did Allgaier explain the incident to Patrick? "I just
explained the situation,'' he said. "We went into
the corner and I went to the outside and I think it was her and (David Ragan)
and got by both of them and was just trying to get back in line and get going.
Unfortunately, the end result was what it was."(Motor Racing
Network)(3-3-2014)
Kurt Busch to run Indy 500
with Andretti Autosport:
It has been over a decade
since it was last completed, but this May NASCAR Champion Kurt Busch will
endeavor to become only the fourth driver in history to contest the
"Double" - competing in IndyCar's historic
What lies in front of Busch
is a grueling challenge, not only on the race day itself - scheduled for
Sunday, May 25th when Busch will race 1,100 miles in two races, in two cities,
in two totally different cars, but in practicing and qualifying his Andretti Autosport Indy car in addition to competing in three NASCAR
race weekends around Indianapolis 500 activities. The 35-year old American will
start the two week Indy 500 stretch in
While the "Double"
will be a new experience for Busch, it will actually be Andretti Autosport's second time participating in the feat. Robby
Gordon (who along with John Andretti and Tony Stewart are
the three previous drivers to contest the "Double") competed in both
races in 2003, filling in at
Phoenix TV Ratings down:
After a record-low at
Daytona, overnight ratings did not bounce back for the second race of the
season. Sunday's NASCAR Sprint Cup "The Profit on CNBC 500" from
Commercial breakdown and
links related to the 2014 Profit on CNBC 500(k):
For those of you NASCAR fans
that like stats and love to hate commercials, here is the breakdown for Sunday's
race. Began recording the times at the Invocation of the race at 3:00 PM, and
stopped at the waving of the checkered flag at 6:09 PM (all times are EST). Fox
was the broadcast team for this event.
Total number of commercials:
114
Total number of companies or
entities advertised: 60
Number of 'Side-by-Side'
commercials during race broadcast (split-screen): 11
Total number of brief promos
of products/services during the race broadcast: 54
Total amount of time these
brief promos take during broadcast: app. 5 min. 35 sec.
Start time to record
race/commercial periods: 3:00 PM
End time to record
race/commercial periods: 6:09 PM
Total minutes of complete
race broadcast: 189
Minutes of race broadcast:
142
Minutes of traditional
commercials (not split-screen): 47
Minutes of 'Side-by-Side'
commercials (split-screen): 6
Number of missed restarts: 0
Number of 'mystery cautions' (debris not shown): 3
Total race brdcst time 142 Total comm. brdcst
time 47
See full report, race brdcast times, commercials during race broadcast, TV
Previews/Promos, past races and more at CawsnJaws.com(3-4-2014)
Note: Yes, I do have a problem with what is in bold
and larger print, above. Too many times
NASCAR has come out with “Mystery cautions”.
Kyle Petty Charity Ride
announces course:
The Kyle Petty Charity Ride Across America announced the course for its 20th Anniversary
Ride. From Saturday, May 3 through Saturday, May 10, 2014, more than 175 riders
will embark on the cross-country motorcycle trek, which begins in Carlsbad,
Calif. and travel more than 2,800 miles before reaching Daytona Beach, Fla.
Founded by former NASCAR driver and racing analyst Kyle Petty, the Ride raises
funds and awareness for Victory Junction, a Camp created to enrich the lives of
children with chronic or life threatening illnesses. "What began as just a
few friends having a good time riding track to track has turned into what we
have today, which is an incredible event that provides thousands of life
changing experiences for children," said Petty. "This is the first
year we've traveled straight from the Pacific Ocean to the
Xxxtreme motorsports making 2014 debut:
Heading to Las Vegas Motor
Speedway, #44-Xxxtreme Motorsport is preparing for their 2014 NASCAR Sprint Cup
Series debut with driver JJ Yeley. Joining Xxxtreme Motorsport for a multi-race deal throughout the
2014 season, Phoenix Warehouse of New Jersey and
Note: I really like JJ. Have since we, my grandson Brett, and I, met
him at a midget tire test at
Timmy Hill to be back in car
at
2013 Rookie of the Year
candidate Timmy Hill said at Daytona he's secured a Cup ride that will run
beginning in a week and a half at
UPDATE:
#33 Circle Sport team owner
Joe Falk Tweeted that Timmy Hill, who drove the #32 Ford in 19 2013 races, will
drive the #33 Circle Sport Chevy at Las Vegas Motor Speedway next
weekend.(2-26-2014)
UPDATE 2:
Bedgood: How many races are you planning on running this year
with [Circle Sport]?
Hill: I don't have an exact
number for you. I know Brian Scott is going to drive a few more, and they'll
probably have someone else driving road courses. I know we're going to Vegas
and
Bedgood: Is the official schedule dependent upon sponsorship?
Hill: Yes, exactly.
Bedgood: So how was the decision made to begin the season at
Vegas?
Hill: They're running the #33
car all season. Brian Scott was scheduled to run the 500 and
Jeff Burton's first race with
MWR:
#66 Let's Go Places Toyota
Camry driver Jeff Burton will make his first start of
the 2014 season Sunday at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
Truex, Jr. to make 300th start:
#78-Martin Truex Jr. will make his 300th career Sprint Cup Series
start in Sunday's Kobalt 400 at Las Vegas Motor
Speedway. Truex, a two-time NASCAR Nationwide Series
champion (2004 & 2005), started his first Cup race on Oct. 31, 2004 at
Atlanta Motor Speedway. He became a full-time Cup driver in 2006. Truex's career starts to date include 117 with Dale
Earnhardt Inc., 36 with Earnhardt-Ganassi Racing, 144
with Michael Waltrip Racing and two with Furniture
Row Racing. His statistical totals include: two wins, 31 top-fives, 90 top-10s,
seven poles and 1,889 laps led.(Furniture Row
Racing)(3-5-2014)
Note: OMG – again, how the time flies! I can remember when he first came into
Cup. Do you remember one thing that got
him there?
Gilliland hiking the
David Gilliland will take a
detour -- on foot -- on his way to Las Vegas Motor Speedway this week. The
driver of the #38 Love's Travel Stops Ford will be part of a group hiking more
than 20 miles of trails through the
JTG Daugherty signs associate
sponsor:
JTG Daugherty Racing has some
of the greatest household brand names in their stable sponsoring AJ Allmendinger's #47 Chevy. Now they
welcome associate sponsor Southeastern Mills' branded products in efforts to
promote Shore Lunch Premium Soup Mixes and Southeastern Mills Gravy Mixes at
select NASCAR Sprint Cup Series events this season. Southeastern Mills is a
fourth generation, professionally managed food company headquartered in
From
Track Forum:
http://www.trackforum.com/forums/forum.php
IMSA: Bob Stallings shuts
down for remainder of 2014
http://www.racer.com/index.php/imsa/item/101410-imsa-bob-stallings-shuts-down-for-remainder-of-2014
More drivers available for
the 500!
http://www.trackforum.com/forums/showthread.php?183817-More-drivers-available-for-the-500!
Robby Gordon Considering a
Return!?
http://www.trackforum.com/forums/showthread.php?183773-Robby-Gordon-Considering-a-Return!
HUGE IMS announcement on 3/3:
@Indy500SnakePit
http://www.trackforum.com/forums/showthread.php?183430-HUGE-IMS-announcement-on-3-3-Indy500SnakePit
Note: Dumb me; I actually thought it would be
something about racing. Seems it's about
some bands or something that to me would detract from the 500. Hard to believe, it's up to four pages on
Monday.
New system opens up huuge possibilities for fixing
A good read. So far there are 18 comments, as of
Wednesday.
1st post: “So drivers who already won have nothing to
lose anymore until the chase starts.
So what if after some 7-8
races into a season, a driver who already won twice is leading a race, and his
teammate is close second -but unable to challenge. Does driver1 slow down and
let his teammate win and secure the chase. Richmond 2013 already happened under
more complex circumstances. Now imagine this. I do not see how will NASCAR police this system. Because driver 1 can simply
peel off into the pits and say my tires were done, or I was short on fuel.
Nobody will be able to regulate. I can see a lot of mess coming up"
For the Indy 500:
The Remaining TBAs
http://www.trackforum.com/forums/showthread.php?183241-The-Remaining-TBAs
From
the AARN:
This Week
In AARN
Rico Abreau
Takes Two Straight
In ASCS Sprints In
Reading, Southern Tier
Mall Shows Conclude;
Thompson Speedway’s
Icebreaker
Is Still A ‘Go’ Despite Nasty Winter
ESS Season Awaits;
Injured Past Champ Parent
Still On Sidelines
USAC Sprint Car Driver
Coleman Gulick
Burned
In
Winter Weather’s Unrelenting
Grip
Keeps Outdoor Race Plans
On Hold For
Another Week
Madden’s Rich NDRL
Worth $17,000 Plus
Harvick’s Second
Stewart-Haas Cup Start
Is A
Winning One At
Hemric Starts P.A.S.S. South Season
With Greenville-Pickens Romp
Ernie Saxton:
He too, is concerned on car
counts for the Nationwide Series.
He stopped by the Volusia
Speedway to see what their plans were for the 2014 season. The office door was open, so he walked
in. No one was there. However, there was a sign that said their
2015 season would start on February 10th and go to Feb 21st.
He makes mention of
"Bike Week" at Daytona coming up, and that it's said that Bike Week
brings in more money than the 500 or other racing events.
He, like
me, kind of thinks that Dale Earnhardt, Jr. really should not be in the NASCAR HoF - yet.
Like me, Ernie thinks that
eventually, NASCAR will go back to how points were figured, and their champions
made, will return to what it was prior to the "Chase".
Todd Heintzelman:
He tells us that Lucas Wolfe,
even though signed to drive the Zemco # 1, will also
drive for former car owners Jim and Laura Allebach in
their # 5W sprinter.
There were three listings on
race people that have left us - driver Rod Reppert at
63, car owner Dale Clickner, at 83, and designer
William "Bill" Mitchell. He is
best known for his software packages known as WinGeo3.
Press releases:
Brett Deyo
To Deyo99H@aol.com
Today at 8:42 AM
News From
BD Motorsports Media LLC
Media Contact: Brett Deyo – Deyo99H@aol.com or 845.728.2781
For Immediate Release/March
4, 2014
BD Motorsports Media LLC
Heads To Motorsports Expo 2014 This Weekend At New York State Fairgrounds; NDRL
Modifieds Of Elmo Reckner
& Anthony Perrego, Stewart Friesen Sprint Car To
Be Displayed; NDRL Short Track Super Series Fueled By VP Apparel & Point
Fund Raffle Tickets On Sale
The Empire State’s largest
auto racing exhibition trade show takes place Saturday-Sunday March 8-9 in the
Verizon Center of Progress Building on the New York State Fairgrounds in
Syracuse, N.Y.
Anchoring a large display at
the 28th annual show, BD Motorsports Media LLC staff will be available to
promote a busy 2014 calendar of events that includes the six-race National Dirt
Racing League (NDRL) Short Track Super Series Fueled By VP, the Friesen-Deyo Promotions Pioneer Pole Buildings Inc. ‘Dirty Jersey’
Super DIRTcar Series-360 Sprint Car doubleheader at
New Egypt (N.J.) Speedway, the first-ever ‘Sprint Car Saturday’ featuring the
Lucas Oil Empire Super Sprints at Thunder Mountain (N.Y.) Speedway, the 15th
annual ‘King of the Can’ spectacular at Pa.’s Penn Can Speedway and the post-Thanksgiving
‘Gobbler’ at N.Y.’s Accord Speedway.
The BD Motorsports Media
booth will include the NDRL dirt Modifieds of Capital
District veteran Elmo Reckner and 19-year-old rookie
sensation Anthony Perrego, fresh off a series of
solid runs at
Additionally, the Doug
Emery-owned, Stewart Friesen-driven No. 33 Sprint Car will be on display to
promote the pair of 360 Sprint Car shows, first-time occurrences, on the BD
Motorsports Media ’14 lineup.
A complete schedule of BD Motorsports
Media 2014 events will be available. There will be point-fund information for
the NDRL Short Track Super Series Fueled By VP,
registration forms, rules and other documents. The NDRL Short Track Super
Series Fueled By VP point fund and bonus structure has
now topped $25,000 cash.
Hot-off-the-press NDRL Short
Track Super Series Fueled By VP apparel – tee shirts
($18), long-sleeve shirts ($22) and hoodies ($25) –
will be on sale, showcasing each of the series’ six race dates. Sizes 3XL and
up should add $3.
Tickets for the NDRL Short
Track Super Series Fueled By VP ‘Super Fan Plan’
raffle will be on sale at the booth. Tickets are $50 each and only 100 will be
sold. Once the tickets are sold, two drawings for $1,250 cash will take place
at the next scheduled NDRL Short Track Super Series Fueled By
VP event. The other $2,500 goes directly into the series point fund to benefit
racers.
There will be a number of
giveaway items for visitors of the booth, as well. A driver meet-and-greet is
planned for Saturday afternoon. Visit the BD Motorsports Media LLC website at
www.bdmotorsportsmedia.com for details.
The Motorsports Expo is open
Saturday 10 a.m.-9 p.m. and Sunday 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Admission is $10 for Adults,
$5 for Kids 6-12 and children under six are free of charge. A two-day pass is
$18. To learn more about the Motorsports Expo, visit www.gaternews.com.
For further information on BD
Motorsports Media LLC, call 845.728.2781, e-mail Deyo99H@aol.com or visit
www.bdmotorsportsmedia.com. “Like” BD Motorsports Media on Facebook
or follow @BrettDeyo on Twitter for up-to-the-minute
news.
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
From the GRIT Racing Series
website:
CRATE MOTOR CONNECTION HAS
GRIT
February 27, 2014 By Rob
Hazer (
Crate Motor Connection is
family owned and operated since 1977 when Craig's father Charlie Serra started
the business working on carburetors. At the time Craig was 13 years old
sweeping floors, but what that young man didn't know was his future was putting
together winning Crate Engine packages by making the playing field even with
everything outside the bolts.
While staying very much
inside the rules of Northeast Dirt Crate Sportsman, CMC develops and blueprints
crate engine packages for all budgets by essentially tricking the motor into
believing it's built for racing. What some consider a 'pick up truck motor' the
602 Crate only needs a little TLC before it becomes a hot rod race ride ready
to tear up the local dirt tracks.
Within' the CMC package a
brand new GM 602 Crate Engine comes to life beginning with a matched set of GM
valve springs that are installed with the correct height and pressures, which
helps the engine longevity. From there CMC profiles the cam shaft to find out
if it's advanced or retarded in the engine, which they can compensate by
adjusting the valves to further performance.
The next step is verifying if
top dead center on the harmonic balancer is correct, because at times off the
assembly lines it can be a bit off. After that the distributor is looked at to
ensure proper fire sequence, along with replacing the coil with a stock GM
replacement that will increase longevity of the engine. RF noise is eliminated
once the distributor is custom wired to the soft touch rev box, where it is put
on a distributor dyno to check output, rev limiter,
and that it reaches appropriate RPM efficiently.
A CMC custom worked Holley
HP4150 series carburetor is bolted on, all dressing is applied, and a very
special Hi-Flow Series Crate Oil developed by CMC and produced by Thoroughbred
Oil Manufacturing is put into the engine. The Hi-Flow Series Crate Oil
developed by CMC is tested and proven to give 8-10 horsepower over other
leading oils. Closest one to the results was Joe Gibbs Racing Oil.
Once this package is put on
the dyno it comes back with outstanding results for
crate racing masters. Pushing near 400HP Crate Motor Connection stands by their
product as 100% legal, while being one of the best offered on the market. Now
Craig and the CMC team are offering a crate motor to one lucky GRIT Racing
Series driver.
Any driver who competes in at
least one Dig Safely New York GRIT Racing Series Powered By
VP Racing Fuels event is eligible and here is how. First any winner on the GRIT
Racing Series schedule will automatically be put into the drawing for the GM
602 Crate Engine courtesy of Crate Motor Connection. Any other driver can get
into the drawing by purchasing a ticket for $20. If any driver purchases 5
tickets at one time, they get a 6th ticket free.
At the year-end banquet a
lucky driver will have their name drawn. If that driver has won a GRIT Racing
Series event in 2014 they will not only receive the crate engine, but also a
Carburetor and Distributor from Crate Motor Connection. If the name drawn
hasn't won a feature, fear not, as Craig has said he will offer all his
services for a special GRIT reduced rate.
Also the CMC family (Craig, 2
sons, wife, and family employee's) wants to go one step further. With the
ticket sales anything over $3,000 will be donated to the Ronald McDonald House
Courtesy of Crate Motor Connection and the Dig Safely New York GRIT Racing
Series Powered By VP Racing Fuels.
Adding to what Crate Motor
Connection is doing for the crate racers they have contingencies available for
each race. Should a driver have a Crate Motor Connection decal on their car and
win with a CMC product installed they will get cash; $100 if running a
carburetor package, $50 if running a distributor package. If a driver has no
sticker or CMC product they can win a certificate worth $100 towards any of
CMC's products.
"I was intrigued to get
involved for a few reasons. One of which was the passion the series has for
doing things for the drivers," said Craig Serra of Crate Motor Connection.
"I love helping the
little guy be competitive without the break the bank kind of prices. As one of
the oldest builders or re-builders of carburetors, we felt the GRIT Racing
Series was right up our alley," Serra continued.
Crate Motor Connection has
packages varying in price depending on the customer budget. One customer has
about 96 races on their engine package, which is still running strong. Being
involved with many series over the years, CMC has found a welcomed home with
the GRIT Racing Series starting in 2014.
Craig concluded by saying,
"I'm looking forward to supporting the GRIT Racing Series, because of what
it's doing for the sport, the racers, and the passion in which they do it
with."
In 2014 the Dig Safely GRIT
Racing Series Powered By VP Racing Fuels offers a
large number of contingencies and products through various manufactures.
Winning a brand new crate motor with the possibility of a new carburetor and
distributor along with it may just be the frosting on the cake. For more info
on Crate Motor Connection visit them online at www.cratemotorconnection.com or
on Facebook at www.facebook.com/cratemotorconnection.
Don't forget to visit us on
the web at www.gritracingseries.com, on Facebook at www.facebook.com/gritracingseries, or on Twitter @GRIT_Racing. Stop by and visit the booth at the Gater Expo March 8th, 9th, & 10th 2014 and meet Miss
GRIT Darian Duell. Also see
the cars of defending champion Dave Marcuccilli and
Scott Duell.
Borgers PR
Media Contact
Bob Snyder
bobsnyderphoto@enter.net
Borgers Rules and Information Meeting March 15.
The Borgers
Speedway rules and information meeting will be held Saturday March 15 at 2:00
p.m. at the Borgers Garage at Borgers
Speedway. Information will be released
for the 2014 racing season and any rules changes will be discussed. Pit spots will be sold with persons who had
pit spots last season having first choice at retaining their spots.
Saturday March 22 is the
tentative date for the first Borgers practice
session. This date is dependant on the
weather and conditions of the speedway grounds.
At this time three feet of snow cover the track and the pit and
spectator areas are also snow covered.
After consulting with experts on asphalt surfaces it was recommended to
not plow the snow from the track surface for fear of lifting of the surface as
the snow cover actually insulates the track surface. Letting the snow melt naturally is the best
protection to avoid problems as the frost leaves the ground below the track
surface.
The snow has prevented
scheduled maintenance work planned for the facility. The main hurdle is there is just nowhere to
go with the snow that has piled up after the 15 storms that have hit the area
this winter. Hopefully if the weather
co-operates we will announce a definite practice date and season opener at the
March 15 meeting.
We would like to thank all
the drivers who were interviewed at Borgers night at
the Phillipsburg Mall Dirt Track Heroes Show Monday night.
BRETT HEARN KNOWS $30,000
MARCH 23 HARD CLAY OPEN
HE WILL BE IN FOR A CHALLENGE.
News from the
Media Contact: Brett Deyo – 845.728.2781 or Deyo99H@aol.com
For Immediate Release/March
5, 2014
A Challenge For The Master:
Orange County Fair Speedway’s Most Prominent Driver Brett Hearn Knows Inaugural
‘Hard Clay Open’ Presented By United Pump & Tank, East Coast Speed/ECS Auto
& West Point Golf Sunday, March 23 Will Be One Of A Kind; Sail Panels,
Passing Points Shake Things Up For Racers, Build Excitement For Fans
According to statistics
maintained on his website (bretthearn.com), Hearn owns 15 big-block Modified
championships, eight small-block crowns and a track-leading 299 total victories
(173 big-block Mod; 124 small-block Mod; and two Sprint Car) at Orange County.
But even Hearn, the
55-year-old professional dirt modified driver from Vernon, N.J., knows he will
be in for a challenge when the venerable fairgrounds facility opens its season
with the inaugural ‘Hard Clay Open’ presented by United Pump & Tank, East
Coast Speed/ECS Auto and West Point Golf on Sunday, March 23 (weather dates:
March 28 and April 6).
The first-time promotion
involving Brett Deyo of BD Motorsports Media LLC and
track managers Michael Gurda IV and Howard Commander
brings many unknowns to
The race serves as the
opening round of the National Dirt Racing League (NDRL) Short Track Super
Series Fueled By VP, a six-race series offering more than $25,000 in year-end
cash and a long list of contingency and product awards.
The purse for the ‘Hard Clay
Open’ is set at a mammoth $30,000 total for 28 starting spots: $5,000 to win,
$4,000 for second, $1,500 for fifth, $1,000 for 10th and $500 to take the
green. Hearn looks closely at pay structures for all races he enters. The ‘Hard
Clay Open’ purse – some $12,000 more in total than similar spring Modified
events – attracted his attention.
“It pays very well,
especially for a one-day show that’s only 50 laps,” noted Hearn, who plans to
kick off his Northeast season at
“The ‘Hard Clay Open’ is an
awesome deal for us. I’ve been sitting out a lot of races that don’t pay as
well the last couple years. DIRTcar does a good job
paying back through the field. This payout for this race is phenomenal. I’ve
found – by skipping some of the lesser-paying shows – we’re better prepared
when we race on the (DIRTcar) series or in races like
this that do pay. That’s why I planned this as our only race in March. It makes
the most sense financially for our team.
“If we continue to run for
less (money), we’re (Modified racers) never going to get paid more.”
How does Hearn foresee the
‘Hard Clay Open’ playing out with its first-time-ever rule package?
“Oh, it’s going to be
different,” Hearn surmised with a laugh.
Hearn won his record-setting
10th Eastern States 200 at
“
“There’s going to be a lot of
guessing with setup that day, for sure.”
Hearn said fans should be in
store for something very special as teams adjust to the high sail panels on
their cars. Spectators will be able to watch drivers and their crews tweak
their setups throughout the day.
“Typically,
A passing points system, new
to Northeast Modified racing but widely used in other forms of racing including
Sprint Cars, Midwestern B-Modifieds and the famed ‘Chili
Bowl’ in Tulsa, Okla., will be utilized for qualifying at the Orange County
‘Hard Clay Open’ event. This system 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 spectators.
Hearn is intrigued by the
passing points qualifying system.
“It’s definitely more fair (than a standard draw),” Hearn said. “I don’t care
who you are. If you go to a place and draw last in the heat and need to get to
second or third to qualify, you’re night is all uphill. There are very few
times you can overcome it. I think the passing points system is a happy medium
for qualifying.
“I think the biggest
obstacle, because it’s so far outside the box for Modified racing, will be
getting drivers and fans to understand it. Once they understand how it works, I
think you’ll see more tracks trying it. If you don’t want to run time trials,
it’s the way to go.”
Hearn won his first
championship at
“It’s a big shot in the arm
for the place,” Hearn said. “I think it’s going to be a heck of a field, and if
the weather cooperates, a big crowd. I’m looking forward to it.”
Joining the NDRL
big-block/small-block Modifieds at the ‘Hard Clay
Open’ 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.
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. A second
weather date of Sunday, April 6 has been established.
The regular season at
Note:
I would not be surprised if Brett got his 300th win at OCFS,
in this race!
I get emails – racing related:
Website Relaunch
Pocono Raceway and Dover
International Speedway will square off for the Third Annual Celebrity Softball
game on April 30th at Santander Stadium in
Team Pocono will be led by
Kasey Kahne, driver of the No. 5 Hendrick
Motorsports Chevrolet SS against Team Dover, led by Jamie McMurray, driver of
the No. 1 Ganassi Racing Chevrolet SS.
The game is free to attend
with purchase of a ticket to that evening's York Revolution vs.. Lancaster Barnstormers baseball game.
Children, ages 12 and under, get in FREE if they wear their favorite racing
gear!
Gates are set to open at 4
pm, the day of the softball game set to begin at 4:30 pm.
The
For more information about
the game:
KAHNE AND MCMURRAY FACE OFF
IN
LONG POND, Pa. – Dover
International Speedway and Pocono Raceway take their yearly rivalry on to the
field for the for the Third Annual Celebrity Softball Game, featuring NASCAR
Sprint Cup Series drivers Kasey Kahne and Jamie
McMurray. The game will be played on Wednesday, April 30 at the home of the
York Revolution in
Kahne, driver of the No. 5 Hendrick
Motorsports Chevrolet SS, will captain Team Pocono, while McMuray,
who pilots the No. 1 Ganassi Racing Chevrolet SS,
will lead Team Dover. The softball series is currently tied at one game a
piece, with Team Pocono coming from behind to win the inaugural game in 2012
and Team Dover evening the score with a walk-off victory last year.
Access to the celebrity
softball game is free with a ticket to that night’s baseball game. Tickets for
the York Revolution game start at just $8, and all
children ages 12 and younger that wear their NASCAR gear receive free
admission. For tickets, call 717-801-4478 or visit www.YorkRevolution.com.
In addition to Kahne and McMurray, the rosters from each team will be made
up of members of national and local motorsports media, as well as other local
media personalities, and a few other special guests.
As rosters are announced,
they will be posted and updated at DoverSpeedway.com and PoconoRaceway.com, as
well as on Facebook.com/DoverInternationalSpeedway
and Facebook.com/PoconoRaceway, and on Twitter at @MonsterMile and @poconoraceway.
Gates for the softball game
will open at 4 p.m. with the event beginning at 4:30 p.m. Following the
softball game, time permitting, Kahne and McMurray
will throw out the first pitch for that evening’s 7 p.m. baseball game between
the York Revolution and Lancaster Barnstormers.
Throughout both the softball
and baseball games, both tracks will be promoting and giving away tickets to
their respective NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races which take place on Sunday,
June 1 at
NASCAR returns to Dover
International Speedway May 30-June 1, 2014 for the June 1 NASCAR Sprint Cup
Series race, the May 31 NASCAR Nationwide Series race and the May 30 “Lucas Oil
200” NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race. For tickets or more information,
call 800-441-RACE or visit DoverSpeedway.com.
Just one
week later, NASCAR’s premier series heads to Pocono Raceway for the June 6-8,
2014 “Pocono 400” race weekend, including the June 7 “Pocono 200” ARCA Racing
Series race and the June 8 “Pocono 400” NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race. For tickets or more information, call 800-722-3929 or
visit PoconoRaceway.com.
Found on the Internet – racing related:
Hopes fade for Michael
Schumacher
http://www.smh.com.au/sport/motorsport/hopes-fade-for-michael-schumacher-20140228-33oup.html
Bidding farewell to the 'Good
Points Day'
http://sports.yahoo.com/news/nascar-130000968--nascar.html
The Kurtis Roadster in which Bill Vukovich
died while leading the field and going for his third straight win in the 1955
Henri Greuter of the
Greuter
actually discovered the car somewhat by accident. According to Greuter he was given a picture of an Indy Roadster in the
museum and sent it to National Indy 500 Collectors Club news editor Greg
Littleton of
About a
year later when asked by the
Greuter
sent
When the
photos were received by the Vukovich Crash Web Site
they were thoroughly gone over again. After extensive photo analysis,
comparison to pictures of the car in books and through consultation with
roadster experts the conclusion was also reached that the car in the museum is
indeed the Vukovich car.
When Vukovich drove the car in the 1955 "500" it was
virtually identical to when Pat O'Conner drove it in the 1954
By the
time 1959 rolled around it had a larger side pod, different paint scheme and
most notably a Masarati V8 engine.
The
current configuration of the car in the museum has notable similarities to the
1959 version such as the roll ball, side pods,
nose and vents. However, there were other changes that have been made since --
even to the extreme of attempting to make the car street legal with the
addition of taillights.
But
there is still enough left to absolutely determine that the car in the museum
is the same chassis that Bill Vukovich rode to his
death -- Kurtis chassis number 372.
(Please see Death Car
Analysis)
This
information comes as a bit of a surprise to some in that a member of the Vukovich family told this web site that they were told the
car was taken out in the
Additional research has been done as to what the vehicle
would be worth if purchased from the museum in the
The main
factors that drive the cost of the Roadsters up is the significance of its
general history and whether or not it has won the
But the
legend of Bill Vukovich -- the fact he was leading
and going for his third "500" win a row -- could raise the value of
the car. If the Vukovich legend were to ever take
hold more than it has -- such as through the making of a major motion picture
-- the value of the car would most likely go up. However, at the present time
research seems to show the car would not be a particularly good investment.
Found on Facebook - racing
related:
Hope ya
can use this link!
https://www.facebook.com/LostSpeedways?fref=ts
And this, too:
Please join us On Tuesday,
March 11th, 8:30 p.m. at the City Council Chambers in City Hall (155 Market
Street, Paterson, NJ), a presentation on Hinchliffe Stadium’s
Partial Rehabilitation and Stabilization project will be delivered by Wank, Adams, Slavin Associates,
the firm that was awarded the contract to develop planning and construction
documents.
The public is invited to
attend and encouraged to provide input.
Topics to be covered during
the presentation will include the following:
• Details of the existing
conditions of the structure and description of possible remedies
• Rehabilitation project for
the portion of the structure that includes ticket booths, the north wall and a
portion of the stands.
• Playing field restoration
and upgrades
• Envisioning of a plan for
future use of Hinchliffe Stadium
Funding for this project is
provided by the New Jersey Historic Trust, the City of
Going back, in time to March 6th, in:
1909
Bill Schindler... Born in
1927
Frank Lockhart sets a one-lap
record at the
1936
Eddie Hill ... Born ...
American drag racer. He was inducted in the Motorsports Hall of Fame of
1938
Smokey Snellbaker...
Born ...
1965
Jules Goux...
Died ... AAA driver from 1913 to 1923. He was a Grand
Prix racing champion and the first Frenchman to win the
1971
Mario Andretti in his Ferrari
took top honors and set fastest lap of the race in
1981
Allen Heath... Died ... West Coast open cockpit driver who raced for years,
despite losing a hand in a racing accident.
Note: He won a 500 mile Midget race on the road
course at
Going back, in time to other March dates, in:
MARCH 3
1944
Pete Halsmer...
Born ... USAC/CART driver from the 1980's
1962
Mario Andretti wins 35-lap TQ
feature race at
1981
Ed Carpenter... Born ... IRL & Indy car driver and team owner.
1984
Mike Mosley... Died ... USAC/CART driver from 1967 to 1983. Mosley died in
an off-road vehicle accident.
MARCH 4
1902
AAA The
American Automobile Association was founded in
1911
Carl Forberg...
Born ... Midget driver, midget and sprint car owner, and Duane "Pancho" Carter's father-in- law
1919
Buck Baker... Born ... One of
the greatest drivers in NASCAR's history. He was the first back-to-back winner
of the Grand National Championship in 1956 and 1957. He was second twice (1955
and 1958) and finished in the top five on four other occasions.
1930
Alex "Al" Tasnady... Born ... A modified stock driver for more than
23 years, he had more than 600 victories at tracks along the East Coast. During
his career he won point championships at the Reading Fair Grounds, the
1936
Jim (or Jimmy)
1944
Greg Weld... Born ... Weld
was known as both a driver and a racing entrepreneur. As a driver, Weld won the
1963 Knoxville Nationals, the premiere event in sprint car racing. Weld raced
in the USAC Championship Car series in the 1965-1972 seasons, with 36 career
starts, including the 1970
1961
Wendell Scott started what
would become the first African-American driver to run a full schedule on the
NASCAR Grand National (now Winston Cup) circuit when he races at Piedmont
International Speedway in
MARCH 5
1922
Tommy Milton drives the
Miller powered Durant Special to victory in a 250-mile race at
1934
Ernie Triplett ... Died ...
Ernie Triplett-Al Gordon duels in AAA Pacific Coast Championship races came to
an end after a tragic accident on the dusty 1 mile dirt oval at the California
Mid-Winter Fairgrounds. Triplett and Gordon were dueling for the lead when they
came upon Swede Smith's car. Smith had hit another car stalled on the track for
many laps. Triplett, Smith and a mechanic that had run to Smith's aid all died
in the resulting accident and Gordon suffered a broken nose and other facial
injuries.
1949
URC , the United Racing Club, made a public announcement
that was sent to the National Speed Sport News that URC was now an independent
sanctioning body and was no longer affiliated in any way with the AAA.
1960
Tony Bonadies
won the TQ Midget race at the Teaneck Armory,
Race report: http://www.wheelsofspeed.com/report/3_5_60-1.html
Note: Yup - another show my future wife and I took
in. Notice the opening lines in the race
report about the snow. Back then, it
really didn't matter that much, not like today.
MARCH 7
1908
Joe Garson... Born ... AAA
driver from the early 1950's
1935
Malcolm Campbell sets a Land
Speed Record of 276.82 MPH in his Bluebird at
1938
Janet Guthrie ... Born ...
USAC / CART driver from the 1970's and 80's. The first woman
to qualify and compete in both the
1971
Richard Petty won a controversial
'Richmond 500' NASCAR GN race on the .542 mile paved Richmond Fairgrounds
Raceway. Because Petty, Benny Parsons and James Hylton's
cars failed tech inspection and Bobby Allison missed time trials, the 25 car
grid was formed without the four drivers. After a closed door meeting between
the promoters and NASCAR officials, it was announced that the starting field
had been expanded to 30. The cars that failed tech would be allowed to start at
the rear if made legal. Petty said his car (with too much engine setback,
altered wheel base and a fuel tank that was too low), could not be made legal.
So the rules were changed again, allowing Petty to start 30th with a smaller
restrictor plate. Bobby Isaac's Krauskopf Dodge was
also found with the fuel tank too low and was also required to use the smaller
plate as was Allison's Dodge. Petty charged through the field to 5th by lap 30
and took the lead on lap 135, leading all but 18 laps from that point. Petty's
Dodge finished 2 laps ahead of Isaac. After the race, Isaac's car owner Nord Krauskopf threatened to quit the circuit over the ruling.
Note: Might that have been the first time for
restrictor plate use?
1980
Lee Roy Yarbrough ( Former stockcar racer ), is declared incompetent to stand
trial for the attempted murder of his mother. He will later be found innocent
by reason of insanity. He suffered a bad head injury in an Indy Car crash after
he'd left NASCAR. There was a great story in "Inside Sports" magazine
in early 1982 on Yarbrough. By that time, Lee Roy had been committed to a care
facility. His family said his whole personality changed after the head injury
and he also began drinking heavily, aggravating the situation that much more,
leading up to violent behavior. In the article, I recall his mother saying she
forgave him and still loved her son, but "that wasn't him anymore."
There was discussion that he was essentially suffering from a premature
Alzheimer's. Many didn't think he was very aware of his previous life or
accomplishments, though some recall mention in the article that he might have
been aware that he had been a race driver. Some recall Lee Roy's abscence in 1971-72 being explained as the result of him
having contracted Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever from a
camping trip. Lee Roy died in the facility in the mid-80's.
1993
Duane Carter ... Died ... AAA
/ USAC driver from the 1940's, 50's & 60's. He raced midget cars, sprint
cars, and IndyCars. His son Pancho
raced in Indy cars, along with Johnny Parsons (who he helped raise). He was
inducted in the National Sprint Car Hall of Fame in 1991 and the National
Midget Auto Racing Hall of Fame in 1989.
MARCH 8
1936
Milt
MARCH 9
1905
Floyd Davis... Born ... Was
the co-winner of the 1941
1950
Danny Sullivan... Born ...
Cart driver than ran in 12 Indy 500's and won in 1985. The "spin and
win" footage of his red and white Miller American spinning through 360
degrees down the south short chute (between turns one and two) at Indy after
passing Mario Andretti for the lead in the race's 120th lap has been played on
countless motorsports programs. Recovering from the spin undamaged except for
flat-spotted tires, Sullivan went into the pits for new rubber, then returned
to the track and passed Mario a second time twenty laps later to go on for the
win.
1955
Teo Fabi... Born
... Formula One driver from the 1980's and drove in 8 Indy 500's with a best
finish of 7th in 1994.
Note: He won the Pocono 500 Indy Car race on August
14, 1983. That was the first Indy Car
race my son, Eric ever saw.
1973: Our fifth child, our “baby”, Sarah was
born. Gads, she’ll be 41? Can anyone tell me where the time goes?
This weeks photos:
Note: Photos not available on DTD. Can be seen here: http://newenglandtractor.com/racereport/
As mentioned above, Bill
Schindler was born on March 6, 1909.
Here is a head shot – an Indianapolis Speedway photo.
And him in the car that he
took his last ride in on September 20, 1952 at the
Racing videos:
Doug Wolfgang – His story:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CVLUmpKc4Yw
Some non-racing stuff:
Lois Lerner:
I was watching the news on
Wednesday, after she took the “Fifth” again.
She surely looks a lot different than what she looked like when she
first appeared and also took the “Fifth”.
Looks really “drawn” out”, I’d say.
Will really be something if we ever find out just who the hell she’s
protecting, wouldn’t it?
I’ve had this in my computer
for quite a while now:
The Energy Non-Crisis by
Lindsey Williams
CHAPTER 1
The Great Oil Deception -
just a small sample:
"I became convinced of
the fact that there is no energy crisis when Senator Hugh Chance visited me on
the pipeline. As well as being a former Senator of the State of
While I was there I arranged
for him to have a tour of the
After Senator Chance had
talked at length with Mr. X, we came back to my dormitory room at Pump Station
No. 1 and sat down. Senator Chance said to me, "Lindsey, I can hardly
believe what I have seen and heard today."
I waited to see what it was
that was so startling. Remember, as yet I had no inkling that there was, in
fact, no true energy crisis.
Senator Chance was very
serious. He was obviously disturbed. He looked up at me as he said,
"Lindsey, I was in the Senate of the State of
Note: If you’re interested in this, kindly email me and I’ll send you the article. ygordad@yahoo.com There also is a video on this, too.
Found on the Internet – not racing related:
Court OKs High School Ban on
American Flag T-Shirts
http://shine.yahoo.com/parenting/court-okays-high-school-ban-american-flag-t-172900062.html
Note: What the hell has become of our country,
anyway?
WHY THE ECONOMY SUCKS:
Because American Companies And Their Owners Are
Greedier Now Than At Any Time In History
In part:
"Why is the recovery so
slow and weak?
One of the main reasons is
that average American consumers, who account for the vast majority of the
spending in the economy, are still strapped.
Five years after the recovery
began, unemployment remains high. And the Americans who are lucky enough to be
working are getting paid less as a percent of the economy than they ever have
in history.
Meanwhile,
Many people seem confused by
this juxtaposition. If corporations and shareholders are making such gargantuan
piles of money, why is the economy so crappy?
The answer is that one
company's employees are other company's customers. Americans save almost
nothing, so every dollar your employees earn in wages gets spent on other
companies' products and services (including, in some cases, yours). The less
American companies pay their workers, the less American consumers have to
spend. And the less American consumers have to spend, the worse the economy is.
This isn't a complex concept.
We're all in this together.”
http://finance.yahoo.com/news/why-economy-sucks-because-american-152416414.html
Just wondering - will this be
another joke? It’s being said that
she’ll take the “fifth” again.
Personally, I think she should have been locked up a long time ago –
prior to her “retirement”.
Lois Lerner, Former Top IRS
Official, To Testify Before Darrell Issa's Committee
Note: as I’ve posted above – yup another joke.
Is Walmart's
WAVE Concept Truck The Fuel-Efficient Future Of Semis?
http://autos.yahoo.com/news/walmarts-wave-concept-truck-fuel-efficient-future-semis-163539377.html
Today's Trending Ticker:
RadioShack (RSH) and its plan to close 1,100 stores
Found on Facebook – not
racing related:
On 3/4/2014:
We owe illegals
nothing
We owe our veterans
everything.
Common sense is not a gift, it’s punishment. Because you have to deal with everyone that doesn’t have it.
If you don’t have to give up
your car because others drive drunk, with theirs, then why do you have to give
up your guns when others commit crimes with theirs?
Quite touching! How a WW II Veteran slowed down a running
race.
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=10152278176978606
Obamacare and 91.5 million Americans have one thing in common:
Neither are
working
Found on 3/5:
You can’t just leave those
who created the problem in charge of the solution.
Dear radio stations: You do realize there are more than just five
songs in the world, right?
I get emails – not racing related:
Difference Between http and
https
Good info to know.
A little information you may
not know about:
What is the difference between http and https?
Don't know how many of you are aware of this
difference, but it is worth sending to any that do
not.
The main difference between http:/// and https://
is it's all about keeping you secure. HTTP stands
for Hyper Text Transfer
Protocol.
The S (big surprise) stands
for "Secure".. If you
visit a website or web page, and look at the
address in the web browser, it will likely begin with
the following: http:///.
This means that the website
is talking to your
browser using the regular "unsecured" language.
In other words, it is
possible for someone to
"eavesdrop"
on your computer's conversation with
the website. If you fill out a form on the website,
someone might see the information you send to
that site.
This is why you never ever
enter your credit card
number in an http website! But if the web address
begins with https://, that basically means your
computer is talking to the website in a secure code
that no one can eavesdrop on.
If a website ever asks you to
enter your credit card
information, you should automatically look to see if
the web address begins with https://.
If it doesn't, you should
NEVER ever enter sensitive
information.......such as
a credit card number, SS #,
etc.
PASS IT
ON (You may save someone a lot of grief).
Hey, I have no idea as to
whether the following is true, or not – just passing it on!
Sensible Gun Control
This explains why there has
been no attempt on Mr. Obama!
In 1865 a Democrat shot and
killed Abraham Lincoln, President of the
In 1881 a left wing radical
Democrat shot James Garfield, President of the
In 1963 a radical left wing
socialist shot and killed John F. Kennedy, President of the
In 1975 a left wing radical
Democrat fired shots at Gerald Ford, President of the
In 1983 a registered Democrat
shot and wounded Ronald Reagan, President of the
In 1984 James Hubert, a
disgruntled Democrat, shot and killed 22 people in a McDonalds restaurant.
In 1986 Patrick Sherrill, a
disgruntled Democrat, shot and killed 15 people in an
In 1990
James Pough, a disgruntled Democrat, shot and killed
10 people at a GMAC office.
In 1991 George Hennard, a disgruntled Democrat, shot and killed 23 people
in a Luby's cafeteria in
In 1995 James Daniel Simpson,
a disgruntled Democrat, shot and killed 5 coworkers in a
In 1999
Larry Asbrook, a disgruntled Democrat, shot and
killed 8 people at a church service.
In 2001 a left wing radical
Democrat fired shots at the White House in a failed attempt to kill George W.
Bush, President of the
In 2003 Douglas Williams, a
disgruntled Democrat, shot and killed 7 people at a Lockheed Martin plant.
In 2007 a registered Democrat
named Seung - Hui Cho, shot
and killed 32 people in Virginia Tech.
In 2010 a mentally ill
registered Democrat named Jared Lee Loughner, shot
Rep. Gabrielle Giffords and killed 6 others.
In 2011 a registered Democrat
named James Holmes, went into a movie theater and shot and killed 12 people.
In 2012 Andrew Engeldinger, a disgruntled Democrat, shot and killed 7
people in
In 2013 a registered Democrat
named Adam Lanza, shot and killed 26 people in a
school in
As recently as Sept 2013, an
angry Democrat shot 12 at a Navy ship yard.
Clearly, there is a problem
with Democrats and guns.
Not one NRA member, Tea Party
member, or Republican conservative was involved in any of these shootings and
murders.
SOLUTION: It should be
illegal for Democrats to own guns.
…Best idea I've heard to
date!
Here is one that is a good
read:
Destroying the
By Alan Caruba
It tells you everything you
need to know about the idiots running this country. As the Russians were
invading
“Si vis
pacem, para bellum” is
wisdom passed down to us over the centuries from ancient
One of the requirements the
early presidents of the nation faced was the creation of an army and navy to
protect it from the imperialist powers of
The world to the Founding
Fathers and all presidents since was seen as a dangerous place because it is.
The only “success” of
President Barack Obama has had to date has been to impose six trillion more in
debt than when he arrived. A variety of programs such as the failed “stimulus”
added to the debt and the deficit.
He has been consistent in
seeking cuts to our military budget. From his first year in office Obama has
sought to reduce the military in every way possible, though part of the
reductions are attributed to the sequestration limits to reduce government
spending. There are areas that most surely require reductions, but the security
of the nation to protect itself and maintain and project its influence is
critical.
Since the end of World War
II, the
In each case, we stayed too
long. After the 9/11 attack the
In an act of incredible
naiveté or stupid or both, the
No matter the outcome of the
current budget cut proposals, Americans know they owe a debt of gratitude to
those who put their lives on the line to fulfill the outcomes they were called
upon to fight for. We won World War II because we destroyed the capacity of
Earlier, after our entry into
World War I resulted in bringing that first modern conflict to an end, its
veterans returned home to discover that benefits they had been promised were
not fulfilled. The Bonus Army was the popular name given to an assemblage of an
estimated 43,000 marchers, some 17,000 veterans and their supporters, who in
1932 wanted the cash payment redemption of their service that had been
promised. The nation was in the midst of the Great Depression, not unlike our
present economic decline. In July, after being ordered off of all government
property, the marchers along with their wives and children were assaulted by
Any nation seen to be weak
will have to deal with its enemies in some fashion.
The ancient Romans knew that
and it is no less true today. A recent poll indicated that Americans believe
that the
The announcement by Defense
Secretary Chuck Hagel regarding major military
funding reductions reflects the President’s efforts to destroy its ability to
respond to a future conflict. The
likelihood that we might have to fight global wars such as WWII is offered as
the reason for the cuts. That has not precluded lesser conflicts. All wars,
however, are very expensive. Not having to fight them is a very good
investment. It is an essential reason for maintaining a powerful military
capability.
The budget put forth by the
Obama administration would shrink the Army to pre-World War II levels. The
current 520,000 active-duty soldiers would shrink to 440,000-450,000. The U.S.
Marines, now numbering around 190,000 would be drawn down to 182,000 or to
175,000 if sequestration –level cuts were continued in 2016 and beyond. The Air
Force will reduce the number of tactical air squadrons and retire the entire
A-10 fleet; a Pentagon recommendation that reflects their primary anti-tank
mission which they deem to be no longer needed.
The Army National Guard and
Reserves would also be drawn down—from the current 355,000 to 335,000 for the
Army and the Reserves from 205,000 soldiers to 195,000. If sequestration
returns, the former would be reduced to 315,000 and the latter to 185,000.
Former Vice President Dick
Cheney says that Obama would “rather spend the money on food stamps than he
would on a strong military and support for our troops”, believing that
“somehow, a strong
“And just exactly the
opposite’s true,” said Cheney, “I think if history teaches any lesson, it’s
that the world’s a safer, more stable place when the United States is strong
and is prepared to use that strength when necessary.”
If one does not learn from
history, as a sage once noted, you are likely to have to repeat it.
Having weakened the nation’s
economy, causing millions to be unemployed, and having attacked its healthcare
system, the nation’s military strength is now openly being attacked by the
proposed reductions.
Nothing good can come of
this.
© Alan Caruba,
2014
More that’s not racing related:
I don’t know – maybe it’s
just me – but cell phone use. I have
one. I have it for emergencies
only. But it’s a shame how so many are
addicted to them. Case in point: When coming home from the races this past
Saturday night, my grandson’s cell phone was constantly receiving calls. He is not a kid. He’s in his early 30’s. I mean at 12:07 AM? Really? And later, too? Hell, any time I had a call like that, it was
an emergency. So much for “common sense”
I guess?
Just wondering – did any of
my readers watch the ESPN special on Sunday evening about the “N” word? There were four men of color in the
discussion, and it was quite interesting as to who, and when it is used, and
why – whether in hatred or in a way of expressing the love of another, or even
in jest. I did catch that in part of
that special, the NFL is said to be trying to criminalize the word. That will be very difficult to do, per some
of those on that panel. And, yes, there
is a difference with the “N” word, if it should end in “er”
or end in “a”.
Music videos:
How about a couple of duets–
Cheryl Ladd and Waylon Jennings, then Waylon and Travis Tritt? She sure was a good looking woman, wasn’t
she? I always get a kick out of how she
looks at old Waylon, in this video.
As for Travis – I’m pretty
sure he idolized old Waylon!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q7rhYe6sMtY&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xT9ZhmZylcU
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=amUbKtIcXPo
Joke
of the week:
I'm not saying let's go kill
all the stupid people ... I'm just saying let's remove all the warning labels
and let the problem sort itself out.
You can tell a lot by a
woman's just by her hands. For instance,
if she's holding a gun, she's probably angry.
You know that tingly feeling
you get when you like someone? That's
common sense leaving your body.
I didn't make it to the gym
today. That makes it five years in a
row.
Dear paranoid people that
check behind their shower curtains for murderers, if you do find one, what's
your plan?
I’ve got to stop saying: "How stupid can you be?" Too many people are taking it as a challenge.
Those who say "There is no such thing as a stupid question", have never worked in customer service.
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