Mostly
Racin' Stuff
By Tom Avenengo
Volume # 174
03/20/2014
Some
personal/family stuff:
This past Monday I had my Pacemaker/Defibrillator
checked out, along with an appointment for both the wife and I to see our
Cardiologist. Everything per both is
great. And, it was our last doctor
appointment for any doctors while down here.
Now, when we return home, once we start to get refills on our
prescriptions, we’ll have to get them transferred back to our northern
pharmacies.
And, more than likely, it’s looking more
and more that when we return back north, our hose goes on the market for
selling. Once it’s sold, it’s almost
certain we’ll be moving back down here to the
I’ll miss the races back north, the
friends we’ve made, and will keep the memories g0ing in my head – memories of
the friends I’ve made over the years.
And, yes, even memories of those that were, in a way, not so friendly,
too.
Some
things I’ve noticed here in the
I’ve noticed that quite a few houses have
solar panels on their roofs. No, not too
heat their houses, but to heat their POOLS!
There’s an abundance of auto body shops in
the Cape Coral/Fort Meyers area.
My daughter says “It’s the law” cars have
to stop for you as you’re walking into or exiting from a store.
With all the older folks in the area,
there is an abundance of electric powered shopping carts in most stores.
It’s always breezy down here, and I’ve
noticed that when it’s dark, back home, it’s still daylight down here.
House colors – mostly salmon, tan and
white.
A great part of the houses down here are
single story. One does not see too many
two story homes.
The majority of the roadways here in
Quite a few roads down here have “bike”
lanes on the right sides.
With so many roads in
It’s nice to see signage that tells one of
a stop street ahead, and also a notice of what particular road is at the next
intersection.
A majority of the roads in
I never knew there were so many different
types of palm trees.
Lawn care – it’s a year long thing down
here.
Did I mention that prices are higher down
here for food, compared to back home?
Blame it on folks like me – snow birds.
Once we head back home, I hear prices come down.
One more thing: Where my daughter lives, they have well water
and septic systems. However, “city”
water is on its way. And, at a
substantial cost to the homeowners, too.
Like 18 to 20 thousand. Talking
to the person that’ checked my Pacemaker on Monday, she said they were about to
get hooked up with the “city” water, and it would cost her and her family
almost 20 thousand. She expects to see a
lot of foreclosures in the very near future, here in
Racin’ stuff:
OCFS Memories.
How many do ya have? How many
have you forgotten? Over on the Dirt
Track Digest, on their forum, is a great thread that takes one back in time
with OCFS Memories. Check them out!
http://www.dirttrackdigest.com/DTD/index.php?/topic/50220-random-memories-of-ocfs-got-any/
From last weeks column:
Looking at the entry list for
the Cup race this coming weekend at
Note: The team that JJ runs for had some “inside
team issues” and withdrew the car from competition. The two non qualifiers were Reutimann and Blaney. Blaney has yet to
qualify for a Cup race this year.
I
see for the Cup race this coming weekend, out in
Well
it looks like the JJ Yeley team has withdrawn again,
so that leaves just 44 cars for the 43 starting spots. I’d love to see Blaney
make the field, but I kinda feel if he doesn’t he’ll
be out of the seat.
Latest
on Blaney: His
car has been withdrawn, too.
It’s a shame that a race that
was once held in such high esteem is hardly mentioned anymore:
Ganassi Racing Gets Sebring Win
First WoO
Win for Abreu
Danica Patrick survives wrecks, angry Harvick
to finish 18th
OBITUARY: Gary Bettenhausen remembered by Robin Miller
And this, too – with an
excellent head shot of
http://usacracing.com/news/silver-crown/item/3723-gary-bettenhausen-72
Anyone into slot cars? Midgets?
Check this out as far as making a chassis:
http://homeracingworld.us/viewtopic.php?f=10&t=5905
Are you a USAC fan? Are you an Open Wheel fan? If you’re interested in voting for someone to
be in the USAC Hall of Fame, just go the link below.
Found
via a link on Jayski:
Couch Potato Tuesday: Why Did
FOX Play NASCAR TV Roulette At
http://www.frontstretch.com/pallaway/44847/
Former
OVRP Dirt Oval runners:
Again, with no racing yet, nothing to
report on. Some day, I’ll have to make a
list of those names that I can recall that have raced at the Dirt Oval, and
have graduated to bigger more expensive forms of racing. Right now, I estimate it to be at least 50
names. Hey, as long as they ran a race
at the Dirt Oval, then they qualify for my mentioning them. Most, however, were regular Kart or Slingshot
racers there.
From
Jayski:
Human error caused final
caution at
A long and bizarre day came
to an unusual finish Sunday night when the caution lights were accidentally
turned on from the flag stand and rain then prevented an attempt for a
green-white-checkered finish. A person in the flag stand leaned on the manual
override switch, turning on the caution lights on lap 499, according to Robin
Pemberton, NASCAR vice president of competition. Six seconds after the lights
were turned on, the flag man - seeing the lights on - waved the yellow flag,
according to NASCAR's review of the finish. Pemberton said that the flag man
can wave the caution flag without a call from series officials in the tower if
they see a proper reason. The rain then arrived before the race could be
restarted, giving Carl Edwards the victory.
The caution snafu did cause
NASCAR to change the finishing order. NASCAR went back to when the caution
lights flashed and froze the field. Pemberton said NASCAR only had to adjust
three positions - placing Denny Hamlin sixth, Jeff Gordon seventh and Kasey Kahne eighth. Pemberton said NASCAR will work to make sure
the incident is not repeated.(Motor Racing Network), for the transcript of
Pemberton's comments, see the NASCAR Press Conference transcript
page.(3-17-2014)
Austin Dillon still needs
sponsorship for some races:
Companies that want in on
Richard Childress Racing driver Austin Dillon bringing the iconic #3 back to
the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series still have a chance. While brands such as Dow,
Cheerios and American Ethanol have stepped in to fund most of the season, there
is still inventory available, RCR Chief Marketing Officer Ben Schlosser told
Newsday on Friday. "We still have a few races open toward the back half of
the year, but we don't go public with exactly how many races are left,"
said Schlosser. Schlosser added that RCR is talking to both current sponsors
and "a few interested parties" outside the current sponsorship group
to fill out the schedule. Unsold races in NASCAR don't necessarily equate to
problems finding sponsorship. Daytona 500 winner Dale Earnhardt Jr. currently
has almost a third of his season unsold -- because car owner Rick Hendrick has made it clear he's not discounting the price
to sponsor Junior.(Newsday)(3-17-2013)
For several years, Sprint Cup
drivers have chosen the song that is played when they are introduced to the
crowd prior to the Food City 500 at Bristol Motor Speedway. Here is this year's
list for all drivers:
#1-Jamie McMurray: Crazy
Train/Ozzy Osborne
#2-Brad Keselowski:
Everlong/Foo Fighters
#3-Austin Dillon: Cowboy/DJ
Silver
#4-Kevin Harvick:
Happy/Pharrell Williams
#5-Kasey Kahne:
Bottom's Up/Brantley Gilbert
#7-Michael Annett: Standing
Outside the Fire/Garth Brooks
#9-Marcos Ambrose: This Is
How We Roll/Florida Georgia Line
#10-Danica Patrick: Timber/Ke$ha & Pitbull
#11-Denny Hamlin: My Name
Is/Eminem
#13-Casey Mears: Do I Wanna Know?/Arctic Monkeys
#14-Tony Stewart: Back in the
Saddle Again/Aerosmith
#15-Clint Bowyer: Boys Round
Here/Blake
#16-Greg Biffle:
Good Times, Bad Times (remix)/Godsmack
#17-Ricky Stenhouse
Jr.: The South/The Cadillac Three (featuring Florida Georgia Line and Dierks Bentley)
#18-Kyle Busch: Can't Hold
Us/Macklemore
#20-Matt Kenseth:
Guitars, Gangsters & Cadillac Blood/Volbeat
#22-Joey Logano:
Fuel/Metallica
#23-Alex Bowman: Counting
Stars (Longarms Dubstep
Remix)/
#24-Jeff Gordon: Best Day of
My Life/American Authors
#26-Cole Whitt: God's Not
Dead/Newsboys
#27-Paul Menard: Clean My
Wounds/Corrosion of Conformity
#30-Parker Kligerman: Don't Push Me/50 Cent
#31-Ryan Newman: Down Home
Boys/Cole Swindell
#32-Travis Kvapil: Ace of Spades/Motorhead
#33-Timmy Hill:
Thunderstruck/AC/DC
#34-David Ragan: C'mon N'
Ride It (The Train)/Quad City DJ's
#35-David Reutimann:
Still Counting/Volbeat
#36-Reed Sorenson: Man of the
Year/School Boy Q
#38-David Gilliland: Strokers Theme/Charlie Daniels Band
#40-Landon Cassill: Money in the Bank/Lil Scrappy ft. Young buck
#41-Kurt Busch: Ring of
Fire/Johnny Cash
#42-Kyle Larson:
#43-Aric Almirola:
Outsiders/Eric Church
#47-AJ Allmendinger:
Bouncin' Back (Bumpin' Me
Against the Wall)/Mystikal
#48-Jimmie Johnson:
Radioactive/Imagine Dragons
#51-Justin Allgaier: War of Change/Thousand Foot Krutch
#55-Brian Vickers: Beast of
Burden/Rolling Stones
#66-Joe Nemechek:
Beer With Jesus/Thomas Rhett
#78-Martin Truex Jr.: Flyin Down a
#83-Ryan Truex:
Crave You (Adventure Club Remix)/Flight Facilities
#88-Dale Earnhardt Jr.: Man
of Action/Matthew Good Band
#95-Michael McDowell: I Am/Crowder
#98-Josh Wise: Intro/The XX
#99-Carl Edwards: Kickstart My Heart/Motley Crue
(NASCAR.com)(3-17-2014)
Note: My question is - is it really necessary to
have "introductory music" played?
Doesn't that just lengthen the time for the whole show?
2014 Sprint Cup Driver Chase
Championship Points Standings:
[after
1) #2-Brad Keselowski [1 win], 163
2) #88-Dale Earnhardt Jr. [1
win], 153, -10
3) #99-Carl Edwards [1 win],
152, -11
4) #24-Jeff Gordon, 152, -11
5) #48-Jimmie Johnson, 143,
-20
6) #22-Joey Logano, 141, -22
7) #11-Denny Hamlin, 140, -23
8) #20-Matt Kenseth, 138, -25
9) #31-Ryan Newman, 125, -38
10) #17-Ricky Stenhouse, Jr., 122, -41
Other drivers with a win:
21) #4-Kevin Harvick [1 win], 89, -74
Hamlin, Logano
feud still lingers:
Their feud started with some
Twitter posts about the closing laps of the Daytona 500 and it heightened three
weeks later at Bristol Motor Speedway, where an on-track spin nearly led to
post-race fisticuffs. Things took a turn for the worse between #11-Denny Hamlin
and #22-Joey Logano a week later at Fontana when the
two drivers refused to give an inch while attempting to win. It led to a crash,
a broken vertebra for Hamlin and a destroyed relationship between the former
teammates. As they return this weekend to
"We're OK," Hamlin
said. "We don't talk or anything like that more than we should and really
no less than we should, I would say. You can hold grudges all you want, but
it's not going to make you any faster and it's not going to get you any closer
to a championship. I'm bitter in ways, and in other ways it's been so long ago
and there's so many trials and tribulations between then and now, that I think I'm
a better person now and I think I'm a better driver now."
Said Logano:
"I feel like we're fine. A year is a long time. It's over now. I feel like
we've moved on. Obviously, people were talking about it this week because it's
the one-year anniversary of the whole fiasco," Logano
said. "But you move on and forget about things. You're supposed to forgive
and forget and that goes both ways, so we both knew what we had to do and I
feel like we've moved on and we're going from there."
"As far as my relationship
with him, I treat him with respect on the race track, as I should," said
Hamlin, who chooses to limit his conversations with Logano
because "what do you say? How can you express how upset you are with
someone without punching them?"(Associated Press)(3-16-2014)
Bristol TV Ratings down:
Rain led to another decline
for NASCAR on FOX. Abbreviated coverage of Sunday's NASCAR Sprint Cup Food City
500 from Bristol earned a 4.1 overnight rating on FOX, down 7% from last year
(4.4) but up a tick from 2012 (4.0). FOX aired only 45 minutes of live race
coverage. The remainder of the race, according to Sports Business Daily, earned
a 1.8 overnight on Fox Sports 1.(Sports Media Watch)(3-18-2014)
Note: I wonder, how many, like me, do not get
FS1? Well, we don’t get it down here in
Cape Coral, Florida on the DISH network or whatever it’s called. I think it will be available for me when I
get back home – as long as it doesn’t cost extra, that is.
Vickers bringing awareness to
blot clots with special scheme:
Brian Vickers has overcome
blood clots twice in his life. He's taking steps to make sure others are just
as fortunate. The Michael Waltrip Racing driver will
pilot the #55 TREATMYCLOT.com Aaron's
Auto Club Speedway adds SAFER
barrier:
When #11-Denny Hamlin returns
to Auto Club Speedway this week, he'll find more of the SAFER barrier in the
area where he crashed last year. The
From
Track Forum:
http://www.trackforum.com/forums/forum.php
Jenna with some strong words
for ISC & Nascar . . .
Note: Check out what Jenna had to say. Then check out some of the comments under her
article.
From
the AARN:
This Week
In AARN
Adam Wilt Gets
410 Sprint Season
Off To A Flying Start
At
Breakthough
Southern Mod Tour Win
For JR Bertuccio
Eckert Wheels
To
Checkers
Is Imminent
Thunderbird
West Coast WoO Sprint Mains
To Abreu,
Pittman
‘Hard Clay Open’
At
Postponed Until April 6
Another Big Bucks
Dirt Late Model Win
For Chris Madden In
Edwards Wins Wet
Survives ‘Mystery Yellow’
Earl Krause:
In this week’s column, Earl
fills us in on the health situation with Frankie Schneider. Info to the AARN was sent by the daughter of
Frankie. She tells of how he was having
some pretty bad back pains, so she took him to the emergency room. It was discovered that his kidneys were
failing, and he had broken his tail bone.
He was put on dialysis, immediately. Upon further testing, it was found
that his prostate cancer had spread to his bones. The kidneys, with the help of the dialysis,
have basically returned to being normal and he was able to be taken off of the
dialysis. He's been getting radiation
treatments for the cancer, and was due for the last one this week. He's also been getting hormone treatments,
too. They won't know for another six
weeks, but he has improved, is eating and is feeling quite well. They have had him up and walking, too.
Lenny Sammons:
A good portion of his column
was about Michael Storms and what his future might hold. He would like to return to working with Brett
Hearn, but in a different capacity.
Presently he's been working on his girl friends (Brittany Tresch) 305 Sprint Car - rebuilding it from the ground up. He also has been working in tree service and
snow removal for her father. He was on
the road with the Kasey Kahne WoO
Sprint Car team, but that lasted only for a week - the reason being that he was
quite homesick, especially for his girl friend.
He wants to race again, and has inquired about a possible temporary ride
with the Sherlock team. He would also
like to run against
Ernie Saxton:
Like Ernie, and like Monte
Dutton, I, too, think that there should be no guaranteed starters in
NASCAR. I'll even go a little further
and say no guaranteed starters at all in racing. You don't qualify, you go home.
Yes, way too much
"Pre" race stuff on TV. As far
as I'm concerned, there could actually be more after the races. Ernie makes mention that for 40 years Randy
Kane has been writing about Big Diamond Raceway. When Randy sent in his request to Big Diamond
for his press credentials, Big Diamond saw fit to turn down his request. On top of that, he would not be receiving any
news from the track. Nice, huh? Ernie say she did send an email to the track
to get their side of the story, but was not shown the courtesy of a respo0nse
(at the time of the AARN being printed I have to add).
Ernie informs us that Chip Ganassi has been with Target for some 25 years now.
Steve Barrick:
Steve tells us a few things
about the Cornwall Speedway - like the schedule has been pretty well set,
sanctioning agreements signed and sponsorship packages taken care of. Also, don't be too surprised it there's a new
owner for the 2014 season. Current track owner Ron Morin is 99.999% sure of
there being a new owner.
Walter Elliott had a couple
of articles - one about the passing of Gary Bettenhausen,
and another about Verizon being the new sponsor for the Indycar
Series. It's supposedly for 10 years.
Brett Deyo:
Tells us that the Hansell # 357 will be driven by Frank Cozze,
Stewart Friesen and Matt Sheppard. Also,
Tommy Meier is planning on doing quite a bit of traveling in 2014.
Bill Utter:
Bill covered the OCFS car
show quite a bit in his column this week.
Some other things he covered:
Chuck McKee will be running for the Modified championship at OC in 2014. I have no idea as to why (well in a way I do)
but it seems that Billy V and the Sherlock team are the only ones from OCFS to
run the SDS. However, Bill does make
mention that there might be 10 from OCFS to run the Short Track Super Series
which is a short six race series. Brian Krummel will be running the Small Block at OC and, on
occasion, the Sportsman class, too. A
charity auction to benefit the family of former Jerry Higbie
crew member Earl Cudney, raised $2,653.00. Earl passed away the previous week at the
young age of 49.
Randy Kane:
He informs us that Jackie
Brown will defend his Accord championship in 2014. Jackie will have Five mile Point as his
Saturday night track. George Begg has a "new" car - one that was once run by
Rick Laubach.
He'll run at OCFS in the Sportsman class again, and also might use the
older car at Accord. Jesse Kline will
probably get a late start in 2014 since he's in the process of building a new
home. Father Bruce, says he is not retired,
but he is up in the air as to where he might race in 2014.
Dave Roberts:
It was Dave that broke the
news last week about the sale of Rolling Wheels and the high purses that were
said to happen. 22 pages of comments on
a thread on the Dirt Track Digest's forum, which has now been relegated to page
2. Nothing said by Dave about the Wheels
and what's happened, or not happened.
Note: That thread, still 22 pages, has now made its
way back to the front page. All it takes
is someone to comment on the situation, which, now seems like a dead deal,
maybe?
There was a small article on
page 16 about VP Racing Fuel extending their deal with DIRTcar
into 2017.
Note: I wonder, is it really all that hard to tech
fuel? If not, who gains from having only
one fuel supplier? Or only one tire
supplier? If you're required to use a
certain fuel and certain tires, I would think that all teams should get at
least something back, since some monies are usually put into the point fund? I read on the Internet the other day that someone
questioned that at the OCFS banquet, only the top five got awards? Huh?
Why?
An ad on page 29 about the
Marsh Creek Speedway, in
Note # 1: Nothing said about that proposed sale of
Rolling Wheels, which was big news last week.
There is a thread on the Dirt Track Digest’s Forum on that, and as of
Wednesday, it’s up to 22 pages.
One of the last postings: “Expect an announcement on April 1. If you know what I mean.”
Note # 2: You know what I really hate? When someone posts their email address with
their article/column, and the damn thing doesn’t work! It’s happened a couple of times now with
email addresses that are shown in the AARN.
Press releases:
INDYCAR welcomes Verizon to
'The Heart Of Racing
Devil’s Bowl Speedway
Welcomes SK Light Modified Division in 2014
Open-wheel asphalt-style
Modified cars to run limited schedule
For Immediate Release
DBS-031714-1
WEST HAVEN, VT – Stock car
racing fans will have a new group of stars to cheer for at
The division features the
same style of low-slung, open-wheel cars that compete on the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour, but with cost-containing differences
in engines and tires. Preliminary talks
with competitors have been positive, and a schedule of nine events has been
planned. An exhibition event was staged
at Devil’s Bowl in August 2013, and racers and fans alike were impressed.
Many of the division’s
expected competitors have raced at the recently closed Canaan Fair Speedway and
the recently reopened Twin State Speedway in
“I was approached by several
race teams last year about bringing these cars to Devil’s Bowl, since they have
nowhere else to race in this area,” Devil’s Bowl promoter Mike Bruno said. “There’s a great group of drivers that are
willing to push these cars deep into the corners. It should be pretty exciting.”
The Devil’s Bowl Speedway
season will open on Sunday, May 4 with the annual “Spring Green” event, which
also includes the SK Light Modified opener.
Other events for the division will be held on May 16, June 6, June 20,
June 27, July 4, July 18, August 15, and during the Vermont 200 Weekend finale
on September 13-14.
Devil’s Bowl Speedway is
located on Route 22A in
-30-
Contact: Justin St.
Louis Phone:
(802) 355-3282
Email:
devilsbowlspeedway@gmail.com
Devil's Bowl
Phone: (802) 265-3112
Email: devilsbowlspeedway@gmail.com
Borgers Updates March 18.
Borgers PR
Media Contact
Bob Snyder
bobsnyderphoto@enter.net
March 22 Practice Cancelled.
After spending the day at the
track and monitoring the wet grounds it was decided to cancel the practice
session for this Saturday March 22. The
forecast for rain mid week and on Saturday will further complicate the already
saturated grounds.
GM Brendan O’Connor, “right
now mother nature has the upper hand. We
want to be 100% before we open the track for practice. The upper lot is still snow covered and under
that is a sea of mud. There is no
possible way cars could go beyond the food stand. Hopefully we can get through the forecasted
rain and get the drying process started.”
Plans now call for practice
Saturday March 29 and then a decision will be made on the season opener.
I get emails – racing related – part 1:
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
MARCH 18, 2014
DICK JORDAN
8 INITIAL 2014 USAC HALL OF
FAME INDUCTEES ANNOUNCED;
4 ADDITIONAL INDUCTEES TO BE
DETERMINED BY FAN VOTE
The initial eight 2014 inductees
into the USAC Hall of Fame have been announced and four more, selected by
popular vote from a list of 16 eligibles distributed
through social mediums, will be announced April 15.
The third annual USAC Hall of Fame
induction ceremonies will be held May 17 at Lucas Oil Raceway in
The eight-member class of inductees
announced today includes five drivers, a race organizer, an official and a
chief mechanic. They are (alphabetically) George Bignotti,
Don Branson, Larry Dickson, Norm Nelson, Don Smith, Bob Stroud, Rodger Ward and
Bob Wente.
George Bignotti
was one of
Don Branson, USAC's
1959 Midwest and 1964 National Sprint Car Champion, began racing in 1946 and in
1955 he won the final AAA race in an indoor Midget event at
Larry Dickson owns three USAC
National Sprint Car Championships, 1968, 1970 and 1975 and formed half of the
feared "Larry and Gary Show" with Gary Bettenhausen,
swapping first and second place point finishes between 1968 and 1971. His 45
career Sprint wins are tied with Tracy Hines for fourth on the all-time USAC
list. In 1975 he also added the prestigious "Little 500" to his
victory list at
Already a winner under the AAA
banner, Norm Nelson went on to win 35 events in the USAC Stock Car series,
earning the season's championship in 1960, 1965 and 1966. He was also runner-up
four times and third in three other seasons in addition to having already been
runner-up under AAA sanction in 1950. Nelson always fielded his own equipment
and after switching from Ford to Chrysler in 1963, he typically fielded a
second car for such outstanding drivers as Roger McCluskey
(won the USAC title in 1969 and 1970), A. J. Foyt
(runner-up in 1963), Jim Hurtubise (won NASCAR's
Atlanta 500 in 1966), Paul Goldsmith and Lloyd Ruby. As a car entrant, Nelson
won USAC's seasonal championship six times and was
runner-up five times. A longtime USAC Board member, he passed away on November
8, 1988.
Don Smith was a thinker and he came
up with a lot of good promotional ideas He kept a notepad by his bed and
whenever he came up with an idea, he'd jot it down. And one of his really big
ideas was the famed "Tony Hulman Classic"
USAC Sprint spectaculars. He was the Director of Racing at the Terre Haute
Action Track from 1953 through 1980 and scheduled the inaugural
"Classic" for 1971. For the
next decade, he presided over one of the most prestigious and richest USAC
events at the half mile dirt oval. Sprint racing by USAC's
best, Hollywood celebrities, and the huge "Driver Appreciation
Dinner" made for one spectacular weekend. The centerpiece of the
"Dinner", which was discontinued after Hulman's
death in 1977, was the Calcutta-style auction of drivers who had qualified
during preliminary races earlier in the day. The money pool was split evenly
between the bidders and the Hulman Classic feature
race purse, swelling it well beyond the USAC average. The city's merchants
wholeheartedly supported the event and the local Terre Haute Tribune-Star even
published a 32 page Sunday supplement the weekend before the big race. And,
adding to the prestige of the event, ABC-TV sent their "Wide World of
Sports" team to cover the event each year. His tenure at the Indiana State
Fairgrounds helped maintain the rich tradition of the prestigious "Hoosier
Hundred." His leadership at the Terre Haute First National Bank and First
Financial Corporation was legendary and he is revered among the sport.
Hardly known at all by the race
fans, but extremely highly regarded by the participants, the gravel-voiced but
fatherly Bob Stroud seemed to have had two separate careers as a USAC official.
After many years with AAA in several disciplines, he was named USAC's full-time Midget division supervisor on January 1,
1960 and for the next decade became so totally devoted to that series that
associates were astonished when at the end of the 1970 season he agreed to take
over the USAC Stock Car series. It was an entirely different cast of
characters, but Stroud quickly won them over, his rapport with participants and
race track promoters alike always having been second to none. Always a strong
advocate for fairness in competition and safety, he retired at the end of the
1976 season due to ill health and passed away on July 24, 1981 but he
supervised hundreds of USAC events spanning two decades.
One of the greatest drivers of
all-time, two-time
Bob Wente
won USAC's National Midget Championship in 1963 after
scoring runner-up point finishes for three consecutive seasons. A member of the
inaugural group inducted into the National Midget Auto Racing Hall of Fame in
1984, he scored 78 USAC National Midget wins, third to Mel Kenyon's all-time
record 111 and Rich Vogler's 95. Wente
made his Midget racing debut in 1954 and was the 1960 USAC
Online voting for the final four
inductees is now available by accessing the following link: http://www.usacracing.com/component/k2/item/3719-2014-usac-hof-induction-vote.
--USAC--
On Tuesday, March 18, 2014
11:42 AM, Brett Deyo <deyo99h@aol.com> wrote:
News from the
Media Contact: Brett Deyo – 845.728.2781 or Deyo99H@aol.com
For Immediate Release/March
18, 2014
Postponement Of Orange County
Fair Speedway ‘Hard Clay Open’ Has Not Dulled Buzz For $30,000 Spectacular
Event; Diverse Field Set To Embark On ‘Hard Clay’ Oval Sunday, April 6; Five
States & One Canadian Province Represented On Early Registration List
A growing and diverse field
is set to tackle the legendary five-eighths-mile oval on Sunday, April 6 for
the inaugural 50-lap National Dirt Racing League (NDRL) Short Track Super
Series Fueled By VP big-block/small-block Modified event. The $30,000-plus
spectacular is a first-time co-promotion involving
Fans and racers alike
expressed their enthusiasm for the event during the two-day Orange County Fair
Speedway Motorsports Show held in the Fairgrounds Arena March 15-16.
The ‘Hard Clay Open’ at
Five states and one Canadian
province are already represented on the current list of ‘Hard Clay Open’
registrants.
Entries continue to be
received by the BD Motorsports Media LLC office, led by
Hearn’s longtime rival Danny
Johnson of Rochester, N.Y., has picked up the ride in Chris Gennarelli’s
No. 86, typically driven by Adam MacGeorge at Penn
Can. MacGeorge, a rising Modified star who won his
first Penn Can main event last year, steps out of the seat at the ‘Hard Clay
Open’ in favor of Johnson.
The winner of the
358-Modified Championship during Eastern States Weekend last October, Stewart
Friesen of
Rookie phenom,
19-year-old Anthony Perrego of
Bridgeport (N.J.)
A past champion at
Former Mr. DIRTcar Modified champion Gary Tomkins of
New Egypt (N.J.) Speedway
regular David Van Horn Jr. of Harmony, N.J., returns to his former home at
Orange County, where he is both a big- and small-block past champion, for the
‘Hard Clay Open’ in the Harmony Sand & Gravel No. 71.
Second-generation driver Mike
Mahaney of King Ferry, N.Y., the ’13 I-88 Speedway
Modified champion, heads to
Accord
The OCFS open-wheel champions
from ’13 – Tim Hindley of
Tommy Meier of Waldwick,
N.J., who has won big-block, small-block, Sportsman and Street Stock
championships at Orange County, plans to drive a Jeff Behrent-owned
No. 3 at the ‘Hard Clay Open’ to kick off his pursuit of the NDRL Short Track
Super Series Fueled By VP point title.
Short-trackers looking to
tackle the large and fast Orange County oval include Accord regular and
previous Short Track SuperNationals winner Danny
Tyler of Cottekill, N.Y., I-88 Speedway racer Brett
Tonkin of Carbondale, Pa., short-track ace and 10-time Accord champion Rich
Ricci Jr. of New Paltz, N.Y., past Five Mile Point
champion Justin Holland of Kauneonga Lake, N.Y., and
a veteran driver who has visited Victory Lane frequently at the quarter-mile
Glen Ridge (N.Y.) Motorsports Park in recent seasons: Elmo Reckner
of Ballston Lake, N.Y.
The ‘Hard Clay Open’ is a
lucrative Modified event paying $5,000 plus bonuses to the winner, $4,000 for
second, $1,500 for fifth, $1,000 for 10th and $500 just to take the green flag.
Lap money has been collected and will cycle through the top-seven running
positions. The total has climbed to $2,439. A number of other cash awards and
bonuses will add to the huge payday for competitors.
Joining the Modifieds are Crate 602 Sportsman in a 25-lap,
$1,000-to-win event for the Dig Safely New York GRIT Series. Lap money and
special awards are also adding up for ‘Hard Clay Open’ 602 Sportsman
competitors.
The ‘Hard Clay Open’
postponement has prompted changes in the Orange County Fair Speedway schedule.
The open practice session, originally slated for March 29, has been pushed back
to April 5, the eve of the ‘Hard Clay Open’ event. The regular season opener
for 2014 will now hit the track on April 12.
In Orange County’s long and
storied history, there have been eight different race events completed on or
before April 6: March 18, 1984 won by Larry Brolsma;
March 25, 1984 won by Charlie Rudolph; April 2, 1983 won by C.D. Coville; April 2, 1983 won by Gary Iulg
(heldover from March 27, 1983); April 3, 1966 won by
Bill Wimble; April 4, 1959 won by Carl Van Horn; April 4, 1964 won by Bill
Wimble and April 6, 1984 won by Bob McCreadie.
For the ‘Hard Clay Open’ pit
gates will open at 8 a.m. Grandstand and
drive-in section gates unlock at 10 a.m.
A drivers’ meeting is set for 12:45 p.m., with hot laps at 1:05 p.m. and
racing at 2 p.m.
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.
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
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, Behrent’s Performance Warehouse, BFP Specialty, Bicknell
Racing Products, Bob Hilbert Sportswear, COMP Performance Group, Dirt Track
Digest, DRACO Springs, Driven Racing Oil, ERK Steering, Finish Line Web Design,
FOX Shox, 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, Race Pro Weekly, Schaeffer
Racing Oil, Shiley Fabrication, Sleepy Hollow Golf, Teo-Pro Car, Troyer Race Cars & Vahlco
Wheels.
-----
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
I
get emails – racing related - part 2:
In a way, many consider me to be an
“historian” on auto racing. Hell, there
are some that are actual historians, like the late Phil Harms. One thing about my “stuff” – it’s usually out
there on the Internet, and I imagine will remain there as long as there’s an
Internet. Some others, like Mr. Harms, a
lot of what they had isn’t on the Internet or has been taken off of it.
An email about the Phil Harms
racing archives.
To
RacingHistory@yahoogroups.com
Today at 12:35 PM
Just got this reply from
Harold:
At Phil's funeral, many
people got up and spoke about the quiet, unassuming man with an intelligent
sense of humor. Hard to get a rise out of him, nice to talk to but not long on
conversation.
I didn't know him that way.
He and I spent hours at a shot talking on the phone, in his home, and at
various shows talking constantly. Mostly about racing. We shared a passion and
connected on many levels. Thing is, the first time we met, I brought my
research material with me. Several binders with newspaper articles, carefully
organized folders, and specific questions that I hoped he could address. He
knew right away that I was a serious player. I can't tell you how many phonies
have contacted me over the ensuing 20 years and can only imagine how many he
dealt with.
After I completed Where They
Raced, Phil and I decided to collaborate on Real Road Racing (Santa Monica Road
Races) because we knew that if we didn't do it, no one ever would. We knew it
wouldn't sell a lot of copies, but we simply HAD to do it. Phil had an
extensive collection of vintage images in print as well as negative format.
About 60% was copied, the rest was original.
Phil's archives were built
over many years. He was an engineer for Boeing and was involved with computers
from the very early days. He carefully cataloged his photo/negative collection
and knew exactly what he had as well as where to find it. We'd shake our heads
when hearing about the guys who have a lot of material sloppily contained in
random boxes, never to be heard of again.
Phil's collection went to the
Here's the trouble.
"Everyone and their cousin" is writing a book about this or that.
They all want to look and see what's in this collection or that, with little
strategy or planning done beforehand. Thus it becomes an open ended search.
This type of person wreaks havoc on a photo collection and it's not uncommon
for items to get damaged or go missing. So it would not surprise me if the Phil
Harms Collection has been tagged "unavailable to general public."
Harold O.
posted by
Harry Pallenberg
Note: There have been quite a few more emails on
the above subject. It really is sad how
a good part of racing history can’t be accessed today either due to extreme
costs or the museums or where ever the historical documents/photos are held
just don’t want the general public in to view.
Found on the Internet – racing related:
What will the new fans look
like?
http://www.trackforum.com/forums/showthread.php?184205-What-will-the-new-fans-look-like
Note: Maybe this comment hits the nail on the head?
"No one is going to
become a fan of the series because Verizon is the sponsor.
At the end of the day, it's
still up to the series to guide the marketing, and of course, to make the
product worth marketing.
When IZOD came on board, a
bunch of golfers and white dudes in their late 40s didn't suddenly decide they
liked Indycar racing."
Found on Facebook - racing
related:
Church Hill police: Wife
stabs husband in chest, claims he was "worshipping the NASCAR race"
Going back, in time to March 20th, in:
1920
Bert Brooks... Born ...
Eastern midget and sprint car driver from the 1940's, 50's and 60's. He was the
United Racing Club (URC) Sprint car champion in 1954, 1956, 1957 and 1958.
1942
Bill Engelhart...
Born ... Former driver in USAC and the CART Championship Car series. He raced
in the 1980-1981 seasons, with 9 career starts, including an 11th in the 1980
1952
Geoff Brabham...
Born ... An Australian racing driver. He is the son of three-time Formula One
World Champion Jack Brabham.
1955
Larry Crockett... Died ...
AAA driver who ran the Championship series in 1954. He was killed in a sprint
car accident at Langhorne Speedway.
Mike Nazaruk
, driving the Nyquist #29, won the 25-lap AAA Eastern
Sprint Car race on the 1 mile dirt Langhorne Speedway in
Note: A photo of Larry, in the car he took his last
ride in; will be in my photo section, this week. I was in attendance that day at Langhorne.
1992
Kenny Bernstein became the
first drag racer to break 300 MPH in the quarter mile when he drove his Top
Fuel Dragster 301.70 MPH in qualifications for the NHRA Gatornationals
in
2008
Al Hofmann ... Died ...
Veteran NHRA Funny Car driver. Hofmann won 15 NHRA national events in just 32
final round appearances. Hofmann was a regular in the NHRA Drag Racing Series
from 1991 through 1996 and raced on a more limited schedule through 2002.
Going back, in time to other March dates:
MARCH 19
1943
Vern Schuppan...
Born ... USAC / CART driver from the 1970's and 80's
MARCH 21
1920
Fonty Flock ... Born ... NASCAR great and one of the
central figures in the formative days of NASCAR. He was the brother of NASCAR
pioneers Tim Flock and Bob Flock, and the second female NASCAR driver Ethel
Mobley. The four raced at the July 10, 1949 race at the Daytona Beach Road
Course, which was the first event to feature a brother and a sister, and the
only NASCAR event to feature four siblings. Ethel beat Fonty
and Bob by finishing in eleventh.
1960
Ayrton Senna... Born ... Three
time F1 World Champion.
1966
Kenny Brack...
Born ... A race car driver from
1970
Mario Andretti jumps into the
Ferrari 512S of Ignazio Giunti/Nino
Vaccarella and drives it to a 23.8 second victory
over the Porsche 908 of Peter Revson and film star
Steve McQueen in the 12 Hours of Sebring, at
1999
John Force set a NHRA Funny
Car speed record of 324.05 mph at
MARCH 22
1953
Bill Vukovich
, driving the #45 Gerhardt Offy, won the AAA Midget
race at the Kearny Bowl,
Note: A photo of Vukie in
the # 45 will be in my photo section, this week.
1974
Peter Revson...
Died ... 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
MARCH 23
1937
Craig Breedlove... Born ... A
five-time world land speed record holder. He was the first to reach 400 mph
(640 km/h), 500 mph (800 km/h), and 600 mph (970 km/h), using several
turbojet-powered vehicles that were all named "Spirit of America".
2007
Robert Peterson ... Died ...
An entrepreneur who single-handedly created the largest special-interest
publishing company in
2009
Lloyd Ruby ... Died ... Ruby
won seven times on the USAC Championship Car Series in his career and also had
endurance racing victories in the 24 Hours of Daytona, the 12 Hours of Sebring
and the United States Grand Prix. But he is best known for the race he didn't
win. Ruby raced in 18 straight
Note: A photo of Lloyd will be in my photo section,
this week.
MARCH 24
1938
Will Cagle... Born ...
1946
Larry Rice... Born ... A
former driver in the USAC and CART Championship Car series. Rice had a major
win when he won the 1970 Hut Hundred.
1947
Roger Mears... Born ... A
former off-road driver who also drove in the USAC and CART Championship Car
series. Roger is the father of NASCAR driver Casey Mears and the brother of
4-time Indinapolis 500 winner Rick Mears.
1960
Scott Pruett... Born ... An
American race car driver who has competed in NASCAR, Champ Car, IMSA, Trans-Am
and Grand-Am.
MARCH 25
1925
Don Freeland... Born ... AAA
/ USAC driver from the 1950's & 60's. Freeland competed in the Indy 500
each year from 1953 to 1960. He appeared headed for a second place finish in
1955 before a transmission failure ended his day 22 laps prior to the end of
the race. He came back with a best Indy finish of third the next year. He also
finished in the top ten in 1954 and 1958.
1982
Danica Patrick... Born ... An American auto racing driver
competed in the IndyCar Series. She was named the
Rookie of the Year for both the 2005
2009
We lost Dan Seals on March
25, 2009. Check out my “Music Video”
section, below.
This weeks photos:
Note: Photos not available on DTD. They can be seen here: http://newenglandtractor.com/racereport/
Midgets 3-wide at Thompson
Postings to go with Thompson
3 wide photo:
“Midgets used to start
Thompson 3 wide - max 33 cars.”
“I did a few of those starts.
Being in the middle of the pack and in the middle of the row was always
something to write home about.”
“We did those at Flemington
too.”
“Yeah, I had heard at a
Flemington race a certain driver passed damn near the whole field on the first
lap”
“On BOTH SURFACES TOO...lol”
“Right.”
Note # 1: Fourth comment was by yours truly. Fifth comment was by the driver that did
it. Any idea as to who that driver
was? Answer next week.
Note # 2: In last weeks photo, Jeff Johnson, who has
the New England Tractor website ID’d the driver as
Jigger Sirois and that the power plant was a
turbine. Congrats, Jeff!
Larry Crocket in the Engle/Stanko # 31 Sprint Car at Langhorne – his last ride.
Bill Vukovich in
the # 45.
Lloyd Ruby in one of the first rear engine
Indy cars – a Lotus at
Racing videos:
Some 2013 OCFS highlights –
by Jefferson Lambert:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-qm76ALQmqQ
Found on the Internet – not racing related:
Splenda – do you use it?
Hey, I've used Splenda quite a lot, until I was told not to by a doctor
down here in
The truth about Splenda:
Increases the pH level in and
slows down digestion.
Kills the good bacteria in
the intestines by 50%.
Promotes weight gain.
Splenda is considered hepatoxic and
nephrotoxic which leads to liver and kidney lesions.
7% of Splenda
remains 5 days after consumption and may lead to kidney damage.
http://www.stepintomygreenworld.com/healthyliving/health/the-dangers-of-splenda/
Pretty hard to believe that
in this day and age, this plane, as of Monday AM, still has not been found. Still not found as of Wednesday AM, either!
Search for
Found on Facebook – not
racing related:
http://yournation.org/army-vet-silences-liberals-in-record-time/?utm_campaign
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=HvMn9hAPmjM
Note: One has to wonder – how many more Americans
feel the same way, today?
And this little video,
too. Things sure are a lot different
today.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=GWRdHXbTmrs
Facebook 3/14:
Call your mother.
Tell her you love her.
Remember you’re the only
person that knows
What her heart sounds like
from the inside.
Facebook on 3/15:
After reading up on Obamacare anyone who thinks this is good for this country
is a fool. The usual people who live off the rest of us don't have to pay for
it while the rest of us are taxed to death and seniors are sentenced to a much
shorter life span due to many procedures not allowed under Obamacare.
Once again if you are voting these moron democrats in again please unfriend me!
An illegal immigrant can
cross the
A disabled veteran, coming
back from
It’s disgraceful!
This
is fantastic...
Found on 3/18:
It is not what you do for
your children, but what you have taught them to do for themselves, that will
make them successful human beings (Ann Landers).
I may not be the most
important person in your life.. I just hope that when you hear my name..
You’ll smile and say: “That’s my friend”.
Pie crusts can be extra
crispy if you use vodka instead of water?
Brace yourself:
Winter is coming and going,
coming and going, and coming
You’re complaining about not
having a job, yet you voted for Obama twice?
Now
even people in
ACT
NOW: The Senate is considering the nomination of Vivek
Murthy - Obama's pick for Surgeon General - who calls guns a "public
health threat" and wants your doctor to report if your family owns guns to
the ObamaCare database.
We need a physician, not an anti-gun radical, as Surgeon
General.
I do not regret growing older.
It’s a privilege denied to many.
The price of freedom can be seen at your local VA Hospital.
Found on 3/19:
Ok, went to heatlthcare.gov
to look for ins. plans and just wondering where the $75 per month plans are
that they advertise all over TV? LOL. If anyone has found that $75 plan, please
help me!!!! The way it looks, I will need a second job to pay for healthcare.
Maybe a 3rd job. That is for the bronze plan. Maybe I should see how much it is
for the silver plan or add dental. lol.
Spring is here. I'm so excited, I wet my plants.
We live in a society where a
pizza gets to our house before the police.
Obamacare: It only works
if you don’t.
Sign
at Walgreens
Diabetes experts
Then changes to
3 coke 12 packs $11.99
Can't
make this stuff up
Will it ever end?
I get emails – not racing related:
Wow! If true!
Subject: FW: GO
The City of Dallas, Texas
passed an ordinance
Stating that if a driver is
pulled over by law enforcement
And is not able to provide
proof of Insurance, the car is towed.
To retrieve the car after
being impounded, they must show
Proof of insurance to have
the car released. This has made
It easy for the City of
Shortly after the "No
Insurance" ordinance was passed,
The
after only nine days.
Over 80% of the impounded
cars were driven by illegals.
Now, not only must they
provide proof of insurance to
Have their car released, they
have to pay for the cost of the tow,
A *$350 fine, and *$20 for
every day their car is kept In the lot.
Guess what?
Accident rates have gone down
*47% and
Gets uninsured drivers off
the road *WITHOUT* making
Them show proof of
nationality.
I Wonder how the
Holder's
Will get around this one.
* *** *
** Just brings tears to your
eyes doesn't it? **
***GO
Music videos:
Some Dan Seals music videos:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-dVTW1ZHuNc
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7I01BwClpSk
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s2mefSW4bYw
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lKpn-GYsKSc
And, when he was “England
Dan” along with John Ford Coley
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jxdsk-cFX-k&list=RD_QZjJU-mtFU
Joke
of the week:
A MAN AND WOMAN WERE MARRIED FOR
MANY YEARS.
Whenever there was a
confrontation, yelling could be heard deep into the night. The old man would
shout, "When I die, I will dig my way up and out of the grave and come
back and haunt you for the rest of your life!"
Neighbors feared him. The old
man liked the fact that he was feared.
To everyone's relief, he died
of a heart attack when he was 98.
After the burial, her
neighbors, concerned for her safety, asked: "Aren't you afraid that he may
indeed be able to dig his way out of the grave and haunt you for the rest of
your life?"
The wife said, "Let him
dig. I had him buried upside down. And I know he won't ask for
directions!"*
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