Mostly Racin' Stuff

By Tom Avenengo

Volume # 187

07/31/2014

Some personal/family stuff:

My wife, who left us on July 3, 2014.

While I was eating my dinner this past Sunday, I thought it would be appropriate to put this photo of my wife on this and every column that follows. Yes, it’s been exactly one month now. Looking at her photo still brings tears to my eyes, as expected. I miss here so much. She was such a wonderful person, wife and mother.

Remember, photos can only be seen on the New England Tractor/Race Report website, which is linked to at the end of my columns.

Along with the photos will be memories of her that I’ll share with you.

I first met her when I was working in the Grand Union store in Suffern, N.Y. – had to be 1957 or 58. She was a meat wrapper. She had a friend, Delores Corridini, who was also a meat wrapper. Delores was, what one would say, pretty “well built”. Funny, but it was Delores that caught my eye back then. But, like a lot of Italian families back then, they had picked out who was going to be her husband, so I really didn’t stand much of a chance.

Joan left for a different job, and I ended up being transferred to the Monsey, N.Y. Grand Union. It was after I was there for a while that Joan came back to the G.U. and continued as a meat wrapper.

The produce manager, Ralph Palumbo, would bring her to work and also take her home – until I guess he had a “hot date” and asked me if I’d run her home to Sloatsburg. At the time, I was still living at home with my mother, step father and sister in Pearl River, N.Y.

My taking her home that night, after work, started our relationship.

To be continued!

A special note to all the guys that read my columns – buy your wife/girlfriend/mother or any other female that you’re involved with some flowers.

I was looking at the Shop Rite food store circular on Sunday AM, and on the back page was their produce dep’t ad. Included were quite a few photos of various flowers that they have for sale.

How I wish that I had bought more flowers for my wife while she was here with us!

I’m pretty sure you’ll get a “Thank you” from your loved one!

While in Florida this past winter, and being conscious about what we were eating, I became hooked on seedless grapes.

Then, this past Saturday, I read this:

Grapes

The calories here aren’t a problem, but these little pellets of sweetness aren’t innocuous. A cup of grapes has 15 grams of sugar. To put that into perspective, three Oreo cookies have 14 grams.

Now maybe ya won’t believe this, but on Tuesday, I made an attempt to deposit some money in a grand daughter’s bank account. It was cash. I was told that I could not deposit cash into her account, but a check or money order would be fine. Yes, I filled out a deposit slip with her name and account number. Anyone else have this kind of a problem with Chase Bank?

Racin’ stuff:

Again, it hurts when one reads about drivers getting injured while racing. As I’ve found out with the passing of my wife, one can’t have enough insurance. For those that race and race vehicles that have cages on them and the driver is belted in, you might want to check out this:

http://www.stida.com/

I think we need smaller race tracks.

Why? Much better competition, as far as I’m concerned – especially with rules today. Everything is so “Cookie Cutter”. Larger tracks might be faster, but what one usually ends up with is “freight train” type racing.

Way too much aluminum showing at Indy for the Nationwide race.

And most all the Nationwide & Truck races. Add in Indy Car racing, too. Yes, we can blame it on the economy, but I feel the racing organizations are somehow really missing the boat. Heck, back in the day, the local tracks always had posters in stores advertising the races. We don’t see that, today. Race cars were hauled to the track in open trailers. Today, who really knows what’s being hauled around in those enclosed trailers. I know my kids always got excited when we were on the way to a track and they saw those open trailers with the race cars on them.

Note: Talk about a lot of aluminum! The Brickyard 400 – Wow! Place looked empty! Face it folks, auto racing is in trouble.

Carl Edwards leaving Roush at end of 2014 season

http://news.yahoo.com/carl-edwards-leaving-roush-end-2014-season-140227372--spt.html

Note: Part of the contract with Roush is that a driver can’t mention where he is going after leaving Roush – at least not until late in the season.

I might not be in tip-top shape, but it sure looks to me like a majority of the NASCAR Officials that are on pit road checking the crews when the cars are pitting are slightly “robust?

I wasn’t there, but at OCFS last Saturday, the Sportsman class had their usual demo derby – again!

Note: I think OCFS is too big and too fast for a majority of the sportsman drivers.

NASCAR drivers want changes on the schedule

http://news.yahoo.com/nascar-drivers-want-changes-schedule-202203780--spt.html

Kurt Busch: No talks yet on a second Indy-Charlotte double

http://motorsportstalk.nbcsports.com/2014/07/25/kurt-busch-no-talks-yet-on-a-second-indy-charlotte-double/

Success of Eldora return goes through the roof

In part:

"As the meandering conversation with reporters neared the end, Slack turned to Stewart. "Can we tell them about the dome?"

To which Stewart let loose: "Yeah, if we can raise $25 million, we will put a dome and a roof over top of Eldora Speedway. ... This is not a joke. We have a fellow competitor who is a large engineer and he's figured out what it would actually take to put a roof over Eldora, so it's about a $25 million project to do if we were able to get an event like a (NASCAR Sprint) Cup race. That would definitely be a lot easier to justify spending $25 million. If not, I don't know how many $1.50 hot dogs we'd have to sell to raise $25 million."

http://sports.yahoo.com/news/success-eldora-return-goes-roof-211900457--nascar.html

I’m really beginning to hate those NASCAR “Competition cautions”. It’s really “sissyfying” racing, as far as I’m concerned. Supposedly the best drivers and they need that crap?

Funny, how in dirt track racing, a car bounces off a wall and continues on, but with NASCAR, it seems that contact with a wall brings out an automatic yellow flag.

In talking with Ron Lauer via emails the other day, I was informed that for last year, the ARDC, with an average of 22 cars per show, was the second best car average among midget racing in the US.

Posted on the DTD Forum by Brett Deyo on 7/28/14:

As the Tuesday, August 5 (rain date: Aug. 6) New York Truck Parts Inc. 'Battle of the Bullring 2' approaches at Accord Speedway, some added incentives have been put in place.

All drivers registering to compete in the Short Track Super Series Fueled By VP Modifieds or Sportsman will receive a voucher redeemable for a FREE chicken barbecue meal on race night. The barbecue meal includes chicken, baked beans and macaroni salad. The chicken barbecue meal will also be on sale for $8.

Jerry Higbie's Hig Fab business has added a hefty $200 lap leader bonus for the 26th circuit of the 52-lap Modified main event.

The top-three crate engine finishers in the Sportsman main event will take home $125, $100 and $75 extra in their pay envelopes.

Complete information is available at www.bdmotorsportsmedia.com

Note: Hope they have enough chicken!

On Facebook on 7/28/14:

For our oval track racing fans, in general:

I'm a little concerned by the number of empty seats at the Brickyard 400 ...and other televised races [other than Eldora!].

Can we start a thread discussing fan participation/attendance, factors that influence a ticket buy/no-buy decision, what needs to change in reversing the fan decline?

Comments, as of 7/28/14:

In my opinion the empty seats at NASCAR races is because people are finally realizing that NASCAR doesn't have the product (racing, excitement) that NASCAR has tried to get people to think they have.

The empty seats at local tracks is because no promoter, at least in my area, advertises or promotes the races. Can't sell seats if no one knows about it.

It's simple. What's most entertaining is going to attract the most people . If you're not getting your money's worth, you'll go somewhere else . Not rocket science . Was looking at some results from a track in Texas and one class had 4 cars and another had 7. Who wants to pay to see that ?

Exactly. Had a track around here ran 5 classes with 7 cars the most in any class. Could of shot a shotgun off and never hit anyone in the grandstand. The track is closed now.

I've been to all the Brickyard 400's.. I'll admit it's not the greatest race but I go because I'm a race fan! As many know these big races need to lower the ticket prices.. My Indy ticket was valued at $92, I paid $35 off the street! If they want to fill some seats why don't these speedways try a $15-$20 ticket??

gas prices are the reason I can't attend races out of my area, live in thumb area of Mi. all famous race tracks 300 miles or more oneway!

While wasting some time on Monday late afternoon, I was checking out some photos of the board track that was put up in the Polo Grounds back in the late 40’s. Pretty remarkable as to just how thin those boards were!

Wonder what this means for the ASCoC for next year?

http://www.dirttrackdigest.com/DTD/index.php?/topic/51597-wonder-what-this-means-for-the-ascoc-for-next-year/

The first two postings:

Wonder if the All-Stars are making a slow spin down the drain? After taking a public relations beating earlier this year over not paying point fund money from last year, the All-Stars took just two full-time travelers (Dale Blaney and Jac Haudenschild) west last weekend for the "Thunder Through the Plains" tour. I can remember when the All-Stars used to take 9-10 travelers on the "Thunder Through the Plains" tour. Last Thursday night's All-Star show at Willston Basin (N.D.) Speedway had just 11 cars overall.

http://www.pennlive...._donny_sch.html

Now, Fremont Speedway's Facebook page is touting the coming announcement of a new Ohio Sprint Car series. Rumors on Pitgate.com tout Randy Hannagan, Greg Wilson, Chad Kemenah, Caleb Helms, Tim Shaffer and Danny Holtgraver as running the new series? That can't be good for the long-term survival of the ASCoC,

https://www.facebook...FremontSpeedway

http://www.pitgate.c...renegade-series

http://www.pitgate.c...all-star-rumors

And here is the article from Jeremy Elliott about the new series, which will be headed by the father of driver Caleb Helms. According to the article, the new series was born out of disgust over the financial dealings of the All-Stars and series promoter Guy Webb. IMO, this is sounding like it will kill off the All-Stars.

http://www.pennlive....ml#incart_river

Former OVRP Dirt Oval runners:

A couple of quick notes:

OCFS Sportsman:

In DIRTcar Sportsman action, Brian Krummel finally became the track’s all-time winner as he grabbed his fifth win of the season in the 20-lap feature event. It was Krummel’s 28th career victory and broke a 10-year record Tim Hindley set on Oct. 23, 2004 during Eastern States Weekend.

Also at OCFS, as for points after last weeks racing, Tim Hindley is leading in the Modifieds with 1427 points. Clinton Mills is third with 1392 and Mike Ruggiero is 8^th with 1314.

In Sportsman, LJ Lombardo is leading with 1425, Matt Janiak is 2^nd with 1391, Brian Krummel is 3^rd with 1372 and Joey Falanga is 10^th with 1048 points

At I-88 in the “Crazy ” Special, Danny Creeden was the race winner. Tyler Dippel was 5^thand Tyler Boniface 21^st. Tim Hindley was 21^st in the “B” main. Anthony Perrego and Billy VanInwegen were both DNS’s.

In the Dig Safety NY GRIT Series Crate Sportsman race, Brian Krummel was 3^rd, Matt Hitchcock 10^th and Johnny Illanovsky 13^th.

At OCFS, in the hold over Modified feature, Tim Hindley was 2^nd, Clinton Mills 6^th, Mike Kolka 11^th, Billy V 12^th and Mike Ruggiero 13^th.

In the nights Modified feature, Clinton was 1^st, Tim 2^nd, Billy V 5^th, Mike Ruggiero 6^th, Danny Creeden 10^th and Mike Kolka 17^th.

Brian Krummel won the Sportsman feature with LJ Lombardo 2^nd, RJ Smykla 8^th, Matt Janiak 10^th, Dom Roselli, Jr. 11^th, Zach Mead 14^th, Andrew Reeves 15^th, Joey Falanga 17^th, Joe Conklin 20^th and Matt Hitchcock 21^st. Jimmy Johnson was a DNS. Anthony Falanga and Zack Vavricka were DNQ’s.

Joey Bruning won the Rookie Sportsman feature with Winter Mead 5^th.

At Lebanon Valley, Kyle Armstrong was 8^th, Kolby Schroder 11^th and Tyler Dippel 20^th in the Modified feature. In the Small Block feature, Tyler was 3^rd.

Bobby Morris was 3^rd in the Sportsman feature at Bethel. JB Morris was 2^nd in the 4 Cylinder Advanced feature.

Anthony Perrego was 1^st in the Modified feature at 5 Mile. Brad Szulewski was 18^th in the Sportsman feature.

Davie Franek was 7^th in the URC feature at Selinsgrove.

Brett Wright was 22^nd in the Modified feature at A/S. Alex Bell was 2^nd, Hunter Bates 4^th and John Virgilio 14^th in the Sportsman feature.

AJ Filbeck was 6^th in the Sportsman feature at U/R.

At Accord, Anthony Perrego was 8^th in the Modified feature. Joey Bruning won the Spec Sportsman feature. Wyatt Clark was 2^nd in the All Star Slingshot feature.

Friday, at I-88, Danny Creeden was 7^th in the Modified feature.

At Mahoning Valley, Roger Coss was 10^th in the Modified feature. Tiffany Wambold was 20^th in the Street Stocks.

Ben Whitaker was 7^th in the Late Model feature at Susquehanna.

Kenney Johnson was 6^th in the NEMA Midget feature, while RJ Tufano was 23^rd in the NEMA Lights Midget feature at Seekonk.

Jacob Hendershot was 2^nd in the 270 Micro feature at Hamlin. Danny Buccafusca won the 600 Rookie feature.

Molly Chambers was 23^rd in the wingless 600 Micro feature at Linda’s.

Jason Roe was a DNS in the Lightning Sprint feature at Glen Ridge, after he took a ride out of the ball park.

At Grandview, in the Dirt RoC 60 lap Modified race on 7/29, Anthony Perrego was 13^th and Tyler Dippel 25^th.

At the Brett Hearn “Big Show” at A/S, on Wed night, Billy V finished 8^th.

From Jayski:

http://www.jayski.com/

Richard Petty comments on the Race Team Alliance:

Richard Petty doesn't agree with Brian France's comments that the new Race Team Alliance (RTA) is a bad idea. "It's really kind of a bad idea from the standpoint that NASCAR should be doing what we're doing," said Petty, who is part of the nine-owner association. "We belong to an organization...and NASCAR should be making the best deals they can for their organization. We see them do a lot of that, but they're not doing it as much as maybe the new crowd wants." The RTA was formed earlier this month in order to help the teams speak with one voice and possibly find cost savings in areas like travel and insurance. Petty compared Friday it to a farmers' co-op. But France, NASCAR's chairman and CEO, told Sirius XM radio earlier this week he "didn't think (the RTA) was necessary" and said NASCAR preferred to listen to many voices instead of one consensus voice.(USA Today), see past news about the RTA on the Race Team Alliance News page.(7-26-2014)

Penske close to Australian Super-V8 deal? Ambrose part of deal?

UPDATE:

Marcos Ambrose on Friday declined to discuss a report that he's considering returning to Australia to run the V8 Supercar Series for Roger Penske. "If I had something to say, I'd already say it," an irritated Ambrose said. "You'll have to ask him," Petty said of Ambrose's return to the #9 Ford. "It's probably up to him as much as anything. He's been good for Richard Petty Motorsports, we admire what he's been doing for us. It's going to be basically a decision of what does he want to do? Does he want to run all the races, just part of the races, does he want to go home? That's going to be up to him."(Associated Press)(7-26-2014)

NASCAR Closes Fueling Loophole:

NASCAR issued a technical bulletin to teams this week with some new language regarding where fuel filler cans could be filled at the track. The new rule basically states that fuel cans can only be filled at the designated Sunoco fueling stations in the infield. This move by NASCAR closes a loophole that some teams were exploiting on pit road to get an advantage with fueling during pit stops.(NASCAR Insiders)(7-26-2014)

How would a few drivers change the Sprint Cup schedule:

Kyle BUSCH: "Oh, my. Could I be president for the day and then decide what we're going to do? Wow, there's so many opportunities. I think the first one should be the final race should be bid on like a committee such as the Super Bowl. There's a committee that goes around and it gets filled in with who does the best job with their community to present themselves as the frontrunner to have the Super Bowl. Why not do that with our final stock car race? You know, The Chase, I think Chicago is a great place to start it off. Those Chase races are valuable. And could we mix it up and change some of the races that are in The Chase and not in The Chase? One unique thing is maybe we should take Talladega out of The Chase, put Richmond in The Chase and use Talladega as the cutoff to get into The Chase? Why not? Because we're all driving around, they're very tentative and trying not to get in a wreck at Talladega. But why not make it the final race to get in and throw a huge wild card in to try to make it into The Chase. Because by then you have 15 guys that are pretty much locked in. That means those top 15 guys are going to throw it on the line to try to win. They're not going to be riding in the back to protect their points. To change the schedule, I would change Richmond and Talladega, and it works because NASCAR owns both those tracks."(Team Chevy)

Roush Fenway Racing Announces 2015 NASCAR Sprint Cup Lineup:

Roush Fenway Racing's 2015 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series (NSCS) lineup will consist of three teams anchored by two-time NASCAR champion Greg Biffle. Biffle, driver of the #16 Ford and Ricky Stenhouse Jr., driver of the #17 Ford and also a two-time NASCAR champion will be joined by Daytona 500 champion Trevor Bayne in the #6 Ford. The lineup features a veteran perennial 'Chase' contender in Biffle - who is currently competing to become the first driver to win a championship at all three of NACAR's premiere series - as well as two of the sport's most promising up and coming drivers.

"I have had the privilege of fielding entries for the world's best race car drivers in NASCAR for nearly 30 years, and feel quite fortunate to have an opportunity to do that again next year," said team co-owner Jack Roush. "We have always prided ourselves in developing talent at Roush Fenway, and our 2015 line-up is a testament to the success of our organization in that respect. Greg Biffle is one of the most purely talented racers I've ever seen behind the wheel of a car, and his experience combined with the raw natural abilities, enthusiasm and desire in both Ricky Stenhouse, Jr. and Trevor Bayne have me very excited for the future. Although we still have a lot to accomplish this year, both John Henry and I are looking forward to going to the track in 2015 with this blend of veteran leadership and youthful potential."

Biffle, who has 746 NASCAR starts, first joined Roush Fenway in 1998, and earned the organization its first NASCAR championships in the NASCAR Truck Series in 2000 and in the NASCAR Nationwide Series (NNS) in 2002. He has qualified for the NASCAR Chase for the Sprint Cup in five of the last six seasons; with a runner-up finish in 2005. Of his 55 NASCAR wins, 19 came in the NSCS, including Ford's 1,000th NASCAR victory last year.

"I don't have the words for what Jack Roush has meant to my career," said Biffle. "During our 16 years together, we have won multiple championships and numerous races on every level. I am as excited about what the future holds for me here as I am about what we have been able to accomplish in the past. Our goal remains to run up front, win races and become the sports' first triple-crown winner by having a championship in all three series. I know that we have the right ownership, the right team, the right resources and the right manufacturer to get that done here here at Roush Fenway."

Stenhouse joined Roush Fenway in 2008, going on to win back-to-back NNS championships in 2011 and 2012. In addition, he captured NASCAR rookie honors in NNS and NSCS in 2010 and 2013, respectively. Bayne, the 2011 Daytona 500 Champion, joined Roush Fenway in 2010 and has competed full-time in the NNS, while also running a limited NSCS schedule with Wood Brothers Racing. He will make the transition to full-time NSCS racing with AdvoCare as his primary partner on Roush Fenway's iconic #6 Ford.

Fastenal to Serve as Primary Partner for Stenhouse in 2015:

Roush Fenway Racing announced that long-time partner Fastenal will team with Ricky Stenhouse Jr., serving as the anchor sponsor on the #17 Ford in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series (NSCS) for a multi-year agreement beginning next season. Fastenal first joined with Roush Fenway in 2010 and has served as a primary partner for multiple Roush Fenway teams and drivers in both the NASCAR Nationwide Series (NNS) and NSCS. "Fastenal is a first class partner and we are extremely pleased to have them team with Ricky Stenhouse Jr. and the No. 17 team starting next year," said Roush Fenway co-owner Jack Roush. "Ricky has accomplished a great deal in a short time, and continues to improve each week. We have very high expectations for his success in the future and I'm thrilled that Fastenal will be a part of that."

Stenhouse, who earned NSCS rookie of the year honors in 2013, will move into his third full-season of Sprint Cup competition in 2015. Considered one of the most talented up-and-coming drivers on the circuit, Stenhouse posted back-to-back NNS championships in 2011 and 2012.

Fastenal is currently in its third season as a primary partner on the #99 NSCS entry driven by Carl Edwards, and was the primary partner on the #60 NNS team that captured the owner's championship in 2011. Fastenal has also served in a limited role as a primary partner for the #16 and #17 NSCS teams the past two seasons.

"We appreciate everything Carl has done and wish him nothing but the best," said Fastenal President Lee Hein. "That said, we're looking forward to continuing our partnership with Roush Fenway Racing as the anchor sponsor of the #17. We already have a strong relationship with Ricky, and we're 100% confident that he'll do a great job representing our company on and off the track."

"As a driver, I'm thrilled to have Fastenal on board for next season," said Stenhouse. "I grew up working in a race shop, helping my dad build cars and racing engines. I appreciate the chance to work with a partner like Fastenal that plays such an important role in building our race cars and helping us win on the track. I've had the opportunity to work with them in the past and meet a lot of the men and women that are part of the 'Blue Team.' I look forward to representing them on the racetrack, and to taking them to victory lane."(RFR)(7-27-2014)

Gibbs Hints of 4th Team in 2015:

Team owner Joe Gibbs side-stepped questions about Carl Edwards' expected move to his race team. "We don't have anything right now to announce," Gibbs said on pit road before Sunday's race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. "Anything that we're going to do will be coming up in the future. I'm not sure exactly what the time line is." Gibbs did allow that his organization is making a more concerted effort this year to field a fourth team in 2015 than has been the case in the past. "We've been (preparing for a fourth team) each and every year," Gibbs said. "But it's so hard to do that, we haven't been able to get it done. But I think we're taking a serious look at it this year." Asked if those efforts involved signing a serious driver, Gibbs replied, "You've got to have a serious sponsor." But he did acknowledge Edwards' star power. "When Carl's name came up during this year ... almost everybody recognizes Carl as being somebody I think is a star," Gibbs said. "Because of that, there are a lot of teams that have tried to entice him."(NASCAR Wire Service)(7-28-2014)

Edwards going for 2014 Championship; waiting to make announcement:

Sunday morning's news that Carl Edwards is leaving Roush Fenway Racing at the end of 2014 is almost certain to overshadow much of what the veteran driver does on the track the rest of this year. Edwards wants to make at least one thing clear, however. He insisted he's 100% dedicated to finishing his time at Roush -- the company where he began his Sprint Cup Series career in late 2004 -- on a high note. "I came over here this morning and talked to (crew chief) Jimmy Fennig and all of my guys, and we're all on the same page," Edwards said Sunday morning at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. "Right now we need to win this championship ... and that is the mission. I drive for Jack Roush, I drive the #99 Fastenal Ford, and that's what I do right now. So from a housekeeping standpoint Roush has to announce what they're going to be doing next year. I'll soon announce what I'm going to be doing next year, but I just want to be real clear the focus is to win the championship this year." Edwards confirmed Sunday that he knows which organization he'll be driving for in 2015, but was unwilling to elaborate further. He is widely expected to join Joe Gibbs Racing in a fourth JGR Toyota. "I'd like to wait until I announce exactly what I'm doing and maybe get a little farther away from this season, and what I have to do here, before I talk about my hopes and expectations for 2015 and beyond," Edwards said. "I mean, you guys know what I've been through from a competitive standpoint. I've been really close as a driver to some championships and I know what one point and one race and all that stuff can do, so the last thing I'm going to do or Jimmy Fennig's going to do is let next year and beyond affect our ability to win this championship. That's the mission. Part of the reason I'm a race car driver is I like the adventure of it, and I like going and doing new things and learning new things and, sometimes, whether it's a race-car driver -- or anyone -- sometimes you just want to make a change, and opportunities sometimes present themselves. And you say, hey, I don't want to look back and say, 'What was that like to not take that opportunity?'"(FoxSports)(7-28-2014)

Race Team Alliance expects to add NASCAR teams:

Race Team Alliance chairman Rob Kauffman said Sunday the rest of NASCAR's full-time teams should soon be added to the group that is working on issues facing the sport. The RTA formed this month as an alliance of nine of NASCAR's top teams. Kauffman met with other owners this weekend at Indianapolis Motor Speedway and says they are on board. The RTA wants to lower costs for NASCAR teams and create one voice on issues. "The stuff on the RTA side is actually going quite well," Kauffman said. "We're just focused on doing what we said we were going to do. Get organized, get things done and try and be productive. Don't expect a lot of PR and excitement. Just doing what we said we were going to do. We're cautiously optimistic we're going to make some good progress. There's a lot of potential."(Associated Press)(7-28-2014)

Ford Racing Statement on Carl Edwards Departure:

Jamie Allison, director, Ford Racing - "Carl Edwards has been a part of the Ford family for a decade, and it will certainly be tough to see him leave Ford and Roush Fenway Racing. During Carl's time with Roush, he has represented Ford Motor Company with the utmost class, both on and off the track. We at Ford Racing did everything to facilitate keeping Carl a part of the Ford Racing & Roush Fenway family, but in the end that option did not come to fruition. While we are disappointed in his decision to leave Roush Fenway Racing, we certainly want to extend our appreciation for Carl's contributions winning races and a NASCAR Nationwide Series Championship in a Ford, and especially for his outreach to Ford fans. That said, with this decision out of the way, our plan for 2014 has not changed. We will go forward strongly with our stated goal of securing a NASCAR championship for Ford."(Ford Racing)(7-27-2014)

Gordon approaching some records:

Starting with his Cup debut in the final race of the 1992 season, #24-Jeff Gordon hasn't missed a race in 22 years. At Indianapolis on Sunday, he started his 745th straight event. Assuming Gordon stays in the seat of the #24 Chevrolet in every race through the 2015 season, he will break Ricky Rudd's series-record 788 consecutive starts in the 28th race next year.

Gordon led 40 laps on Sunday, bringing his career total to 23,949, sixth most all-time. If he drives for two more seasons beyond the current one, he has a realistic shot at leading 25,000 laps, perhaps catching the next driver on the list, Pearson, who racked up 25,159 laps led. Richard Petty led the most with 51,380.(NASCAR Wire Service)(7-29-2014)

Stewart would like to have Nationwide and Sprint Cup races at Eldora: While he's not planning for it, Tony Stewart would love for the addition of more NASCAR Racing at Eldora Speedway. Stewart, along with track general manager Roger Slack, talked about the possibility during a press conference for the unveiling of the new infield building that will be added for the 2015 season. "I'd love for the Truck Series to not be the only NASCAR that comes here," Stewart said. "If this continues to go as well as we hope it does there's no reason that the other two divisions couldn't come possibly in the future. I think we can make it work. If you can take the trucks and make them work here, the Cup cars and Nationwide cars aren't much of a stretch from that. So it's definitely feasible to do that." The new building, which will begin to be constructed in October, will house the media center that will also double as an infield hospitality suite. The building will also be the site of the infield care center along with a concession stand with double lines. Stewart said the decision to build in the infield building had no bearing on the possibilty of getting a Nationwide of Cup Series race in the future. "This is part of the continued process of us making the commitment of improving the facility to making it bigger and better," he said. "But we are very appreciative and very content if we only run truck races from here on out. We get the privilege to keep hosting Truck races and we are very happy doing that."(Motor Racing Network)(7-24-2014)

UPDATE:

NASCAR Executive Vice President Steve O'Donnell said there have been no discussions about adding another major NASCAR race at Eldora. "We haven't had any discussions with Tony beyond that (truck race)," O'Donnell said. "I wouldn't rule out looking at potential other venues for trucks, but I think for the most part, we want to keep the uniqueness of that event. It has been really successful. They have done a great job for us. They set the bar very high. But we like where we're at right now with it." The Eldora event is a successful weeknight event. Whether that success could translate to a Cup race on a weeknight remains to be seen. Both the track and television partner would have to be prepared for it, and so far NASCAR has not had a track want a weeknight prime-time event that it could then pitch to the networks. The truck race at Eldora was the biggest sports cable event of Wednesday night, giving Fox Sports 1 a rare evening win over ESPN. "One of the challenges with most of the venues, especially on the Cup side, is big camping unlike other sports, so that presents a challenge," O'Donnell said. "It is something we have discussed with promoters. But we just aren't there from a logistics standpoint to be able to pull it off. But it has worked for the trucks. That is something going forward you could see us take a bigger look at with some other venues that have interest."(Sporting News)(7-29-2014)

Special Traffic Patterns planned for Pocono race:

The Pennsylvania State Police will put special traffic patterns into effect to help motorists attending the GoBowling.com 400 NASCAR race on Sunday, August 3rd, 2014, at the Pocono Raceway in Long Pond, Monroe County. On Sunday, August 3rd, the following traffic patterns will be in effect:

· Prior to the race, Route 115 from Interstate 80 to the raceway will be converted to two lanes and will be one way southbound. This conversion will be put into effect at approximately 8 a.m. and continue until all traffic has entered the track grounds.

· Following the race, Route 115 from the raceway to Interstate 80 will be converted to two lanes and will be one way northbound, until the raceway parking lots are cleared. This conversion will take place with 25 laps remaining in the race.

· Stoney Hollow Road has been designated a no parking and tow away zone from Long Pond Road to the Interstate 80 overpass. It will be properly posted and enforced. Any vehicle in violation will be removed at the owner's expense.

· Following the race, the Interstate 80 eastbound off-ramp at the Blakeslee exit (Exit 284) will be closed to traffic.

Traffic coming south to the race in the two lanes of Route 115 will be required to enter specific parking areas. Motorists should take note of signs posted along Route 115 and travel in the appropriate traffic lanes for their desired parking area. Likewise, outbound traffic traveling north will face similar signs with lane restrictions for Interstate 80 and Route 115 access. The August 1st weekend will bring with it large amounts of race fans to the Poconos. Motorists should expect higher traffic volume and possible delays not only on Route 115 and Interstate 80, but also on State Routes 209, 940 and 903. Those who normally utilize Route 115 to travel through the area should consider using Interstate 80, Route 33, Route 209, and the Northeast Extension of the Pennsylvania Turnpike as alternate routes.

Tickets to the GoBowling.com 400 are available by visiting www.poconoraceway.com or by calling 1-800-RACEWAY (1-800-722-3929).(Pocono Raceway)(7-29-2014)

NASCAR confiscates parts from #11 Toyota:

NASCAR discovered "possible issues" with the #11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota driven by Denny Hamlin in post-race inspection. At question were rear firewall block-off plates on Hamlin's car. According to NASCAR the parts were confiscated and taken back to the research and development center in Concord, N.C. for further evaluation. According to one crew chief, If the block-off plates are not sealed off sufficiently, air can flow through the firewall enabling the car to gain anywhere from 20 to 30 pounds of rear downforce. Hamlin qualified 27th. After Hamlin pitted on Lap 55 from the lead, he fell to 13th but quickly made his way back to the front of the back to finish third on Sunday. He led 18 laps.(Motorsport)(7-27-2014)

UPDATE:

The #11 team that competes in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series has been penalized for a rules infraction discovered in post-race inspection July 27 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. This infraction is a P5 level penalty which is outlined in Section 12-4.5 A (9) of the 2014 NASCAR rule book:

Approved parts that fail or are improperly installed to fail in their intended use of great importance (e.g.; rear wheel well panels that fail and allow air evacuation in the trunk area; oil box cover that fails and allows air evacuation in the driver compartment; shifter boot cover that fails and allows air evacuation through the floor pan). This infraction violates Sections 12-1, 20-2.1, 20.3.4, 20.3.4.5.

As a result of these violations, crew chief Darian Grubb has been fined $75,000 plus an additional $50,000 post-race fine for a total of $125,000. Grubb has also been suspended from NASCAR for the next six series championship events, plus any non-championship races or special events that might occur during that time period. Grubb will also be on NASCAR probation for the next six months.

Car chief Wesley Sherrill has been suspended from NASCAR for the next six series championship events, plus any non-championship races or special events that might occur during that time period and will be on NASCAR probation for the next six months.

This infraction has also cost the #11 team the loss of 50 championship driver and owner (Denny Hamlin and J.D. Gibbs) points plus an additional 25 post-race points for a total loss of 75 championship driver and 75 championship owner points.(NASCAR), see the complete release on the 2014 NASCAR penalties page.(7-29-2014)

Gibbs statement:Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR) is aware of the penalty issued by NASCAR today regarding the #11 team's post-race inspection infraction following Sunday's Sprint Cup Series race in Indianapolis. JGR will plan to appeal the penalty, however, crew chief Darian Grubb and car chief Wesley Sherrill will begin to serve their suspensions starting this weekend in Pocono.(Gibbs PR)(7-29-2014)

How Hamlin's penalty stacks up historically

http://sports.yahoo.com/news/hamlins-penalty-stacks-historically-210000275--nascar.html

Greg Ives named crew chief for Earnhardt, Jr. in 2015:

Crew chief Greg Ives will rejoin Hendrick Motorsports following the 2014 NASCAR season to lead the #88 Sprint Cup Series team of driver Dale Earnhardt Jr. Ives, 34, was race engineer for Jimmie Johnson's historic run of five consecutive Sprint Cup championships (2006-2010) with the #48 Hendrick Motorsports team. He will work alongside Johnson's crew chief, Chad Knaus, in the shop shared by the #48 and 88 Chevy SS teams.

"Greg was our number-one choice," said Rick Hendrick, owner of Hendrick Motorsports. "This is a talented guy who already has a terrific rapport with Dale Jr. and is a fit with the organization. He and Chad had a lot of success together, and all of our crew chiefs think the world of him and what he's accomplished. Greg's proven that he can win races, and he has all the tools to do big things."

Since his debut as a crew chief for JR Motorsports in 2013, Ives has won five NASCAR Nationwide Series races including three this season with rookie and current points leader Chase Elliott.

A native of Bark River, Michigan, and graduate of Michigan Technological University, Ives joined Hendrick Motorsports as a mechanic in 2004 before moving into an engineering role on the #48 team in 2006. In seven years working with Knaus, he contributed to 42 wins, 113 top-five finishes and 21 pole positions in the Sprint Cup Series. In November 2012, Ives transitioned to JR Motorsports as crew chief for driver Regan Smith. The duo won two races and finished third in points in 2013 before Ives was named Elliott's crew chief prior to this season. JR Motorsports works closely with Hendrick Motorsports and is owned by Earnhardt in partnership with Rick Hendrick.(HMS)(7-30-2014)

Chase drivers can't tire test at Homestead:

NASCAR will not allow championship-eligible drivers to participate in a Goodyear tire test at Homestead-Miami Speedway. But, to ensure fairness, NASCAR will allow all organizations represented in the Chase for the Sprint Cup championship to participate in the Aug. 26 test because Homestead is the site of the title-deciding season finale. Teams will have to send a driver not qualified for the Chase to the tire test. The restrictions create a dilemma for Team Penske, which has both #2-Brad Keselowski and #22-Joey Logano already qualified for the Chase. The two-car team does not have another Sprint Cup driver on its roster. Hendrick Motorsports also has three of its four drivers qualified. Should #5-Kasey Kahne qualify for the Chase, Hendrick would have to look outside its immediate organization for a substitute.(Associated Press/ESPN.com)(7-30-2014)

From Track Forum:

http://www.trackforum.com/forums/forum.php

Question: Is the Indy Car season too short? Some nice responses to this thread.

One More Month- Done

http://www.trackforum.com/forums/showthread.php?188180-One-More-Month-Done

From the AARN:

http://www.aarn.com/

This Week

In AARN

Stafford’s SK 5k Win Worth $5,000 For Rowan Pennink

Crazy Eights For Danny Creeden; Wins BD Super Series Race At I-88

Seekonk Open Wheel Wednesday Mod Win For Tommy Barrett Is Worth Ten Grand

End Of An Era: Flemington Speedway Promoter Paul Kuhl Passes

Hy-Miler Nationals ISMA Supermodified Race Goes To Lou Cicconi, Jr.

New Renegade Sprint Car Group Aims To Replace All Star Circuit Of Champions

New Hampshire’s Legion Speedway Available For Sale Or Lease

Brent Marks Sweeps Williams Grove, Port Royal 410 Features

First Super DIRTcar Series Win Earned By Erick Rudolph In Canada

Bubba Wallace’s Craftsman Truck Series Eldora Win Is Huge

Didja know - things found in this weeks AARN:

Matt Hearn, son of Bobby Hearn, was the crew chief for JR Heffner for the Truck race at Eldora.

More talk about an F-1 race in New Jersey. Maybe by 2016?

When Danny Creeden pulled into I-88 for the "Crazy 8's Special" his racing funds were down to $42.00. When he won that race, his racing fund increased some $9,164.00

James Hinchcliffe will not be re-newing his contract with Andretti Autosports.

Tony Kanaan has now started in 229 consecutive Indy Car races.

Ron Babula - One of Evergreen Speedways three managing partners, said: "We are not giving up. We are hopeful that the short term financial issues we have experienced have been addressed and that we will be returning to weekly racing moving forward."

JR Heffner made $9,210.00 for 18th place in the Truck race at Eldora.

There were 19 ARDC Midgets at Big Diamond, last week.

There were 19 NEMA Midgets at Seekonk, last week, and 28 NEMA Lights.

Note: Is the ARDC missing the boat by not having a "lower" Midget class?

Coming up:

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

Accord: Tuesday, Aug. 5 New York Truck Parts ‘Battle of the Bullring 2’

Rain date: Aug 6^th. (More info on this in “Press Releases”

OCFS: Sat., August 2nd Pine Bush Equipment and McGannon Excavating

BIG BROTHER BIG SISTER of OC NIGHT - KIDS CLUB

Modifieds, Small Block Modifieds, Sportsman, Street Stocks, and Trucks

Lebanon Valley: Thurs. Aug. 14th

UPSTATE GM DEALERS & HOOSIER TIRE PRESENT

The $17,500 To Win MR. DIRT Track USA 100-Lap Modified DIRTcar Series Race Plus Sportsman ESW 8th Place Starting Spot For Modifieds

Bethel:

August 2:

12:00 PM PIT GATES OPEN - ALL LEGENDS AND BANDOLEROS TO THE SCALES FOR PRE-RACE TECH - YOU WILL NOT BE ALLOWED ON THE TRACK - EVEN FOR PRACTICE - UNTIL YOU HAVE PASSED

TECH!

1:00 PM PRACTICE

4 CYLINDER ADVANCED

SPORTSMAN

4 CYLINDER NOVICE

TWIN CAM 4 CYLINDER

(ROTATING PRACTICE UNTIL 2:00 PM)

2:00-2:30 PM BANDOLERO OPEN PRACTICE

2:30-3:30 PM LEGENDS OPEN PRACTICE

3:45 PM DRIVER’S MEETING - MANDATORY!

4:00 PM PRACTICE

BANDOLERO

4 CYLINDER ADVANCED

LEGENDS (2ND ROUND PRACTICE TIME WILL DETERMINE QUALIFYING GROUPS)

4 CYLINDER NOVICE

SPORTSMAN

TWIN CAM 4 CYLINDER

(TWO ROUNDS)

5:00 PM LEGENDS AND BANDOLERO DRIVERS TO VICTORY LANE FOR DRIVER PHOTO - FIRESUIT

MANDATORY - BRING YOUR HELMET!

5:30 PM LEGENDS QUALIFYING (EUROPEAN STYLE - 4 CARS PER GROUP, 5 LAPS)

6:00 PM HEAT RACES (8 LAPS)

BANDOLERO

4 CYLINDER ADVANCED

LEGENDS

4 CYLINDER NOVICE

SPORTSMAN

TWIN CAM 4 CYLINDER

BANDOLERO B-MAIN (8 LAPS)

LEGENDS C-MAIN (8 LAPS)

7:30 PM INTERMISSION

LEGENDS B-MAIN (12 LAPS)

BANDOLEROS TO GRID FOR DRIVER INTRODUCTIONS (CAR AND DRIVER - ONE CREW MEMBER)

BANDOLERO FEATURE (20 LAPS)

4 CYLINDER ADVANCED FEATURE (20 LAPS)

LEGENDS TO GRID FOR DRIVER INTRODUCTIONS (CAR AND DRIVER - ONE CREW MEMBER)

LEGENDSTOCK 2014 A-MAIN (50 LAPS)

4 CYLINDER NOVICE FEATURE (20 LAPS)

TWIN CAM 4 CYLINDER FEATURE (20 LAPS)

LEGENDS NON-QUALIFIERS RACE (TIME PERMITTING, 20 LAPS)

SCHEDULE IS TENTATIVE AND SUBJECT TO CHANGE - ALL TIMES ARE APPROXIMATE

LISTEN FOR PIT ANNOUNCEMENTS!

Note: Talk about a full day of action!

Press releases:

NEWS FROM

Orange County Fair Speedway

239 Wisner Avenue

Middletown, NY10940

CONTACT

Mike Gurda

845-342-2573

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

HOT AUGUST RACING AUGUST 2

AT ORANGE COUNTY FAIR SPEEDWAY

Five race meets remain in the chase for track championships

MIDDLETOWN, NY (July 28)……..August heat is upon us and so is the hot racing action at Orange County Fair Speedway in Middletown, New York. On tap this Saturday evening, August 2, is a full night of qualifying and feature races for the track’s racing divisions---DIRTcar Big-Block Modifieds, Small-Block Modifieds, Sportsman, Street Stocks, and Thunder Trucks. And as an added attraction, the Orange County Kids Club has activities planned for the young fans.

It’s Big Brothers Big Sisters of Orange County Night at the historic Hard Clay speedway, with the program sponsored by Pine Bush Equipment and McGannon Excavating.

With just five more nights of racing left in the season-long point chase to determine track champions, all the top drivers will be out to score as many points as possible. Two weeks back in the headline DIRTcar Big-Block Modified ranks, Tim Hindley and Chuck McKee were tied for the point lead. But McKee’s on-track fortunes slipped somewhat on July 26 and now Hindley (1427 points) holds a 27-point edge over Jerry Higbie (1400). Clinton Mills is third (1392), while McKee (1379) has slipped to fourth, with Tommy Meier (1368) is in fifth place.

Danny Creeden (660) leads the Small-Block Modified standings by seven points over McKee (653). John Ferrier (603), Chris Shultz (602), and Ray Jashembowski (594) complete the top-five.

LJ Lombardo (1425) tops the ultra-competitive Sportsman division, with Matt Janiak (1391) second and Brian Krummel (1372) in third. In Sportsman racing, anything can happen, but this talented trio are the likely candidates for division honors.

It’s also a three-way battle in the Street Stock division, where Mike Vigiletti (1435) leads Emerson Cargain (1408) and Charles Donald (1406).

Admission prices for the August 2 race meet remain at $14 adults, $12 seniors, and $2 for Children 12 and under. The full night of racing begins promptly at 7:00 pm.

Advance ticket sales and track information for all remaining Orange County Fair Speedway race dates, including the 53rd Annual Eastern States Weekend, can be found at the Orange County website, www.orangecountyfairspeedway.net, or from the Track Office. Call 845-342-2573 Wednesday through Saturday during business hours.

News from the New York Truck Parts Inc. ‘Battle of the Bullring 2’

Media Contact: Brett Deyo – bdmotorsportsmedia@gmail.com or 845.728.2781

For Immediate Release/July 29, 2014

HUGE Payday Awaits Competitors At Accord Speedway On Tuesday, Aug. 5 For New York Truck Parts ‘Battle of the Bullring 2’ Event; With DIRTcar Stars Away, Weekend Warriors Compete For $5,200 Minimum To Win, $1,020 For 8th & $520 To Take The Green Flag! Sportsman, Open vs. Crate 602, Featured In $1,000-To-Win Event; Bonuses Adding Up & All Drivers Receive FREE Chicken Barbecue Meal

ACCORD, NY – The Super DIRTcar Series big-block Modified stars are traveling in the far reaches of Western New York next Tuesday, Aug. 5, opening the door for weekend warriors to collect a HUGE payday at Accord Speedway.

With the largest purse in the 52-year history of the facility posted for the New York Truck Parts Inc. ‘Battle of the Bullring 2’ the Short Track Super Series Fueled By VP big-block/small-block Modifieds take center stage at the Ulster County quarter-mile oval. Friday, Saturday and Sunday racers will be rewarded at the pay window with a minimum of $5,200 reserved for the winner plus bonuses, $1,020 for eighth-place and $520 just to take the green flag! The base purse for the Modified starting field is a mammoth $27,000-plus. This is truly the big race a little guy can win!

The ‘Battle of the Bullring 2’ event carries a rain date of Wednesday, Aug. 6.

“This is a huge opportunity for weekly stars to cash in,” said Brett Deyo of BD Motorsports Media LLC, co-promoter of the second annual ‘Battle of the Bullring’ event and Short Track Super Series Fueled By VP organizer. “For our short-track racers to run 52 laps on a quarter-mile track, with this large of a purse, knowing the Super DIRTcar Series teams will be racing across the state, is almost unheard-of.

“Our series was assembled for the Friday, Saturday and Sunday night ‘working-man’ racer and this is their opportunity to shine!”

Rewards will be plentiful when the Short Track Super Series Fueled By VP rolls into Accord on Aug. 5. Aside from the big payout, lap money is adding up (minimum $20 per lap), including a hefty $200 to the leader at lap 26 courtesy of Jerry Higbie’s HigFab chassis-building enterprise. Lap money will be distributed among the top-seven drivers in the running order during the main event.

The event’s Hard Charger will take home $200 courtesy of Rock Fantasy Concert, Smoke Shop & Pinball Room in Middletown, N.Y. The Hard Charger goes to the driver gaining the most positions from their scheduled starting position to the finish of the 52-lap main.

Topping passing-points earners in each of the qualifying events will transfer to the Joe Winne Memorial Dash for Cash paying $555 to win for five fast laps! The Dash for Cash will pay all starters thanks to sponsors Jimmy Winchell of Winchell Stone & Masonry and Dave Zubikowski of Zubi’s Racing.

Mike’s Auto Detailing (New Windsor, N.Y.) has come on to reward the driver making the longest tow to the facility unable to make the main event with a starting spot in the 52-lap main event.

Additionally, the long list of Short Track Super Series Fueled By VP contingency awards will be up for grabs, making for a lucrative night at the Big A.

Supporting sponsorship for the ‘Battle of the Bullring 2’ is received from Handsome Devil Barbecue LLC, Alex’s Marine Plus and D&D NAPA Auto Parts. Gary Mann’s New York Truck Parts Inc. returns as the headline marketing partner for the second consecutive year.

Following a charge from 21st to finish second in the most recent Short Track Super Series Fueled By VP event at I-88 (N.Y.) Speedway on July 24, Accord regular Andy Bachetti of Sheffield, Mass., leads the series into his Friday night home track with a 13-point edge on Danny Johnson.

The Modifieds are joined on the program by Open vs. Crate 602 Sportsman in a 25-lap event offering $1,000 to the winner and $100 to start. Staggered weight rules are in place for the Sportsman division for Crate 602 and Open combinations with steel and aluminum wheels. Please note, this is not a points-paying event, so Crate 602 engine cars are not required to have the Accord Speedway/Hunt’s Machine seal. All unaltered Crate 602 engine cars are eligible to compete in this midweek event.

Crate 602 bonuses of $125, $100 and $75 have been posted for the top-three across the line in the main.

ALL drivers signing in to compete at the ‘Battle of the Bullring 2’ in both the Modified and Sportsman divisions will receive a complimentary chicken barbecue meal to include chicken, baked beans and macaroni salad.

The chicken barbecue meal will be on sale in the grandstand area for $8. Fans will also be able to test their wares on a mechanical bull, enjoy music by DJ Tim Adams, purchase collectibles from vendor Dave’s Racing Collectibles and more. Some legends of the speedway will be assembled for an autograph session prior to the start of racing, as well.

Last year’s inaugural ‘Battle of the Bullring’ was a crowd-pleaser. Track regular Danny Creeden of Wurtsboro, N.Y., swapped the lead with invader Mike Mahaney and fended off a charging Jackie Brown Jr. to earn $5,925 in the most prolific victory of his career. Brown had actually been towed off the track on the opening lap, completed repairs and drove through the pack to finish second. At one point Mahaney, Creeden, Brown, Mike Ricci and Andy Bachetti were locked in a five-car tussle for the lead.

Complete event rules and information have been posted at: http://bdmotorsportsmedia.com/accord-speedway-battle-of-the-bullring-general-information-sheet/

For the ‘Battle of the Bullring 2’ pit gates will open at 4 p.m., with grandstand gates swinging open at 5 p.m. The drivers’ meeting is set for 6 p.m. with hot laps to follow. Racing gets underway at 7 p.m.

Pricing is as follows: $20 (Adults), $18 (Seniors 65 and over) and $5 (Kids 11 and under). Pit admission is $35 with no license required.

Limited indoor seating is available for $27. Please call the speedway office at 845.626.1142 to reserve a seat.

The ‘Battle of the Bullring 2’ is the first of two BD Motorsports Media LLC co-promotions at Accord Speedway in 2014. The second edition of the post-Thanksgiving ‘Gobbler’ is on the agenda for Sat., Nov. 29 featuring the Modifieds, Sportsman and Pure Stocks.

To learn more about the ‘Battle of the Bullring 2’ or the Short Track Super Series Fueled By VP, contact Brett Deyo via e-mail at bdmotorsportsmedia@gmail.com, by phone at 845.728.2781 or visit www.bdmotorsportsmedia.com. BD Motorsports Media is on Facebook and Twitter: @BrettDeyo.

Accord Speedway, a neat-and-tidy quarter-mile clay oval nestled in the hills of Ulster County, is located at 299 Whitfield Road Accord, NY 12404. The speedway is on the web at www.accordspeedway.com.

Short Track Super Series Fueled By VP Modified Purse Structure (52 Laps): 1. $5,200; 2. $3,020; 3. $2,020; 4. $1,620; 5. $1,520; 6. $1,320; 7. $1,120; 8. $1,020; 9. $920; 10. $820; 11. $720; 12. $620; 13. $600; 14. $560; 15. $540; 16-24. $520; 25-27 (Provisional Spots): $260. Total: $27,080

Note: For some reason, the Accord Speedway website has not been accessible, even as of 12:50 PM on 7/30. Maybe now?

News from Georgetown Speedway’s ‘Beach Blast’

Media Contact: Brett Deyo – 845.728.2781 or bdmotorsportsmedia@gmail.com

For Immediate Release/July 29, 2014

Buzz Builds For First-Time, First-State Happening: Cat Country 97.5, Dover International Speedway, Will Brown’s Truck Repair, American Racer, Dirt Track Digest, Hawkins Reporting Service, Manmiller Electric, Hurlock Speed & Supply Lend Support To Growing Georgetown Speedway ‘Beach Blast’ Tuesday, August 26

GEORGETOWN, DE – With roughly one month remaining until a “first-time occurrence in the First State,” buzz is building for the inaugural ‘Beach Blast’ at Georgetown Speedway.

Dirt Modified driver Eric Kormann, together with special events promoter Brett Deyo of BD Motorsports Media LLC, have teamed up to lease the historic Georgetown Speedway for the anticipated ‘Beach Blast’ for big-block/small-block Modifieds, Crate 602 Sportsman, Delmarva Chargers & Super Trucks on Tuesday, August 26. The event carries a rain date of Wednesday, August 27.

Modifieds compete for a huge $24,125 purse in their 35-lap feature. To compensate for the tow south, a non-top-heavy pay structure has been established with a minimum of $4,000 to the winner, $1,400 for fifth, $1,000 for 10th and $400 to take the green flag.

The event continues to build momentum as it approaches.

*Cat Country 97.5, Delmarva’s leading country station, has signed on as a marketing partner for the ‘Beach Blast’ and will broadcast live from the speedway on race day for two hours (4-6 p.m.) complete with the Cat Country van, tent, sound system and prize wheel.

*Dover International Speedway will support the event. The Dover International Speedway pace car will be on hand for the special. An “enter-to-win” box, manned by Dover representatives, will offer the chance to win NASCAR Sprint Cup Series tickets for the AAA 400 at Dover Sept. 28. Two additional AAA 400 tickets will be offered as a second prize for the 50-50 drawing.

*More than $700 in lap money has been collected for the ‘Beach Blast’ event. Laps are on sale at $20/minimum per lap at bdmotorsportsmedia@gmail.com.

*Dirt Track Digest, on the web at www.dirttrackdigest.com, has offered a $200 Halfway Leader Bonus for the Modified 35-lap main event.

*Will Brown’s Truck Repair of Cambridge, Md., presents a $250 Hard Charger Award for the 35-lap main event made payable to the driver advancing the most positions from their scheduled start to the finish.

*All Modified heat winners will also pocket $100 cash, also thanks to Will Brown.

*Five drivers unable to qualify for the Modified main will receive $50 thanks to Hawkins Reporting Service of Wilmington, Del. The recipients will be decided by a draw of non-qualifiers.

*The highest-finishing Delaware International Speedway Modified regular will take home a $100 cash bonus thanks to Hurlock Speed & Supply.

*American Racer/Lias Tire is on board to reward Modified drivers with a pair of FREE tires. The competitors finishing in positions 6-10 and 11-15 will be entered into a pair of drawings for the tire certificates.

*Bob Hilbert Sportswear will produce a number of fan giveaway items, including ‘Beach Blast’ beach balls. Roving ‘Beach Babes’ will interact with fans during the night to distribute promotional prizes.

Crate 602 Sportsman competitors will run a 25-lap feature event paying a minimum of $1,000 to win and $100 to start plus bonuses. The Delmarva Chargers and Super Trucks will each take part in 15-lap mains. Thanks to Doug Manmiller and Shoemakersville, Pa.’s Manmiller Electric, the Delmarva Chargers and Super Trucks will compete for $200 to win each (double their weekly winner’s share).

Modified minimum weight requirements will be staggered to allow for a variety of engine combinations to compete together. Weights are as follows: PA small-block on gas: 2,275 lbs.; PA small-block on alcohol: 2,350 lbs.; open small-block (max. 363 cubic inches): 2,400 lbs.; big-block (max. 471 cubic inches): 2,500 lbs.; Delaware big-block (472 cubic inches plus): 2,600 lbs.

Crate Sportsman must run unaltered GM Crate 602 engines ONLY with a 6,200 rev chip. The shock rule is open. Minimum weight is 2,400 lbs.

All bodies must be DIRTcar-legal with no sail panels, high doors/quarters or additional skirting for the Modifieds and Crate 602 Sportsman.

Modified and Crate 602 Sportsman tire rules are as follows: American Racer 33 or harder fronts; 44 or harder left-rear and 48 or harder right-rear. The “49” compound right-rear tire is not permitted. The Hoosier option is as follows: Hoosier DIRTcar D300 or harder on all four corners.

Modifieds and Crate 602 Sportsman will draw for their starting positions with a redraw of top qualifiers for the main events.

The Delmarva Chargers and Super Trucks will race under weekly rules with a draw for position in effect.

General admission pricing for the ‘Beach Blast’ is as follows: $18 for Adults; $15 for Seniors (ages 65 and up) and Students (ages 13-17); $10 for Kids (ages 9-13); and children eight and under are FREE. Pit admission is $30 with no license required.

Pit and grandstand gates will open at 4 p.m. Hot laps begin at 6:30 p.m., with racing planned for 7:15 p.m.

To learn more about the ‘Beach Blast’ event, contact Eric Kormann at 609.381.5820 or Brett Deyo at 845.728.2781. The e-mail address is bdmotorsportsmedia@gmail.com and the official website for race information is www.bdmotorsportsmedia.com. Like “BD Motorsports Media” on Facebook or follow @BrettDeyo on Twitter.

Georgetown Speedway is located at the intersection of Route 113 and Speedway Road in Georgetown, Del., just miles from the Delaware beaches and less than a 35-minute drive from Ocean City, Md. Georgetown Speedway is online at www.thegeorgetownspeedway.com.

‘Beach Blast’ Modified Purse Structure (35 Laps): 1. $4,000; 2. $3,000; 3. $2,000; 4. $1,600; 5. $1,400; 6. $1,250; 7. $1,150; 8. $1,100; 9. $1,050; 10. $1,000; 11. $650; 12. $600; 13. $550; 14. $525; 15. $500; 16. $475; 17. $450; 18. $425; 19-24. $400. Total: $24,125

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE JULY 28, 2014

DICK JORDAN 14-146

ABREU LEADS MIDGETS TO BELOIT & BELLEVILLE

Rico Abreu of Rutherford, Calif. has been nothing short of spectacular so far in the Honda USAC National Midget Series this year!

Abreu will try to keep his streak of "podium" finishes intact in three events this week in Kansas. The "Chad McDaniel Memorial" is Tuesday night at Solomon Valley Raceway in Beloit, while the "Belleville Midget Nationals" unfolds July 31-August 2, with Midget races Thursday and Saturday. The USAC Silver Crown cars compete at Belleville Friday.

Abreu's record in nine races so far is simply amazing, with three wins, two seconds and three thirds! Last year he was second at Beloit and had a first and a second at Belleville!

Abreu's team, the Keith Kunz/Curb-Agajanian team, swept Belleville in 2013, teammates Christopher Bell and Tanner Thorson taking first and third respectively in the Belleville finale. They all return this year with sights set on a repeat at the North Central Kansas Free Fair's half-mile dirt oval.

Top challengers in the Kansas events are expected to be three-time Belleville champ Jerry Coons Jr., two-time Belleville champ and 2014 Chili Bowl winner Bryan Clauson, two-time Belleville king Dave Darland, Tracy Hines, teammates Chris Windom and New Zealander Michael Pickens, Zach Daum and Andrew Felker.

Abreu enters the Kansas swing with a whopping 96-point lead over Bell, but with over 200 points available in the three races, the standings could change.

2014 Honda USAC National Midget Standings: 1-Rico Abreu-609; 2-Christopher Bell-513; 3-Tracy Hines-494; 4-Bryan Clauson-472; 5-Tanner Thorson-445; 6-Chris Windom-387; 7-Zach Daum-357; 8-Andrew Felker-332; 9-Michael Pickens-323; 10-Kevin Thomas-317.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE JULY 28, 2014

DICK JORDAN 14-145

BELLEVILLE'S 2ND "HUSTLE ON THE HIGH BANKS" FRIDAY;

100TH SILVER CROWN WINNER BYRNE GETS LAST-LAP JD BYRIDER WIN

The second annual "Hustle on the High Banks" is on tap for the USAC Silver Crown Championship Series Friday night at the famed "Belleville High Banks" in Kansas. Tracy Hines is the defending race champion on the half-mile dirt oval which hosts this week's "Belleville Midget Nationals." The Silver Crown cars practice Thursday and race Friday, with a 50-lap main event.

Hines enters the race 39 points behind Kody Swanson after a disappointing finish last Thursday night in the J.D. Byrider "Rich Vogler Classic" at Lucas Oil Raceway in Indianapolis, Ind. Hines was involved in a tangle on lap 17 although his 19th-place finish kept him in the runner-up point slot.

Defending two-time series champion Bobby East now sits third in the standings, just three point behind Hines going into Belleville. East, who was eighth at Indianapolis, is trying to become the first driver to earn three consecutive series titles.

David Byrne of Shullsburg, Wisc. stunned the series with his victory at Indianapolis last Thursday. He passed Ryan Newman for second on lap 91 and caught leader Tanner Swanson (Newman's teammate) on the last lap for the victory. Bryne, driving the Truck Country Shullsburg/Bytec, Inc. Beast/Chevy, became the 100th different winner in the 44-year history of USAC's Silver Crown series.

Fast qualifier Tanner Swanson, who had hoped for a third consecutive Indianapolis victory, ended up second ahead of brother Kody Swanson, Newman and Bobby Santos.

Former USAC Silver Crown champion Ken Schrader started 12th and finished 10th in the 100-lap race.

2014 USAC Silver Crown Standings:1-Kody Swanson-282, 2-Tracy Hines-243, 3-Bobby East-240, 4-Chris Windom-204, 5-Tanner Swanson-165, 6-Bobby Santos-159, 7-Jacob Wilson-156, 8-David Byrne-147, 9-Jarett Andretti-139, 10-Jerry Coons Jr.-132.

More on Accord – posted on DTD’s forum by Brett Deyo:

‘Battle of the Bullring 2’ Short Track Super Series Fueled By VP Special Awards & Bonuses (as of July 30)

*Tuesday, August 5 at Accord Speedway

Allstar Performance Bonuses: The drivers finishing third and eighth, respectively, in the ‘Battle of the Bullring 2’ will each receive $50 gift certificates redeemable at any Allstar Performance dealer. Allstar Performance is on the web at www.allstarperformance.com.

American Racer/Lias Tire Bonuses: American Racer regional distributor Lias Tire of Indiana, Pa., will reward two drivers with a certificate for a FREE American Racer tire. There will be a pair of drawings: one for drivers finishing sixth-10th and another for drivers placing 11th-15th. Lias Tire is online at www.liastireonline.com.

ATL Bonus: The fifth-place finisher in the ‘Battle of the Bullring 2’ will receive a $100 certificate for use at ATL toward the cost of a replacement cell or bladder. ATL is online at www.atlfuelcells.com.

Behrent’s Bonuses: The drivers finishing fourth and ninth, respectively, in the ‘Battle of the Bullring 2’ will each receive a $50 gift certificate to Behrent’s Performance Warehouse. Behrent’s is on the web at www.behrents.com.

BFP Specialty Bonus: A driver in the ‘Battle of the Bullring 2’ finishing sixth on back, selected by a random draw, will receive a $100 credit toward shock servicing at BFP Specialty in Bethel, Pa. (specializing in Integra). BFP Specialty is online at www.bfpspecialty.com.

Bob Hilbert Sportswear Bonuses: The drivers finishing second and 10th and a driver unable to qualify for the ‘Battle of the Bullring’ will each receive a $100 credit redeemable at Bob Hilbert Sportswear. Bob Hilbert Sportswear is on the web at www.bobhilbert.com.

Diversified Machine Inc./Bulldog Rear End Bonuses: The driver finishing 11th in the ‘Battle of the Bullring 2’ main event and a driver unable to qualify for the main (selected by random draw) will receive $50 gift certificates for use at Diversified Machine Inc./Bulldog Rear Ends. To learn more, visit: www.diversifiedracing.com.

DRACO ‘Spring Forward’ Award: The driver advancing the most positions from their scheduled starting position to the finish in the ‘Battle of the Bullring 2’ 52-lap event will receive a certificate from DRACO Spring for a free spring ($150 value). DRACO is online at www.dracospring.com.

Finish Line Web Design Incentive: A driver finishing inside the top-five in the ‘Battle of the Bullring 2’ will be entered into a drawing for a $150 credit to Finish Line Web Design thanks to Craig Revelle. Finish Line Web Design is on the web at: www.finishlinewebdesign.ca

HigFab Halfway Leader: The leader at the halfway mark of the ‘Battle of the Bullring 2’ Modified 52-lap event (lap 26) will receive $200 cash courtesy of Jerry Higbie’s growing HigFab chassis-building enterprise.

Hoosier Racing Tire Bonuses: Hoosier Racing Tire will reward the top-finishing ‘Battle of the Bullring 2’ driver utilizing Hoosier rubber with a certificate for a FREE tire. Additionally, Hoosier will reward a driver unable to qualify for the main event running Hoosier tires with a certificate for a FREE tire. Hoosier Tire is online at www.hoosiertire.com.

‘Lead A Lap, Drink A Beer’ Bonus: Each lap leader during the 52-lap ‘Battle of the Bullring 2’ will receive a can of beer courtesy of BD Motorsports Media LLC. The race winner will take home a custom-lettered cooler.

‘Lucky 7’ Lap Money: Lap money raised for the 52-lap ‘Battle of the Bullring 2’ will be distributed through the top-seven running order during the main.

Mike’s Auto Detailing ‘Longest Distance Towed’ Qualifier: The driver with the longest tow to the speedway unable to qualify for the main event will receive a starting berth in the ‘Battle of the Bullring 2’ main event courtesy of Mike’s Auto Detailing in New Windsor, N.Y.

PM3 Digital Imaging Hard Charger Bonus: The Hard Charger Award recipient – given to the driver advancing the most positions from their scheduled starting position to the finish in the ‘Battle of the Bullring 2’ – will receive a $25 certificate toward a driver Hero Card order from PM3 Digital Imaging.

‘Recycle Your Entry Fee’ Program: All drivers unable to qualify for the ‘Battle of the Bullring 2’ main event will receive a FREE car entry for the next Short Track Super Series Fueled By VP event Tues., Aug. 12 (rain date: Aug. 13) at Pa.’s Penn Can Speedway. Full-season members paid in advance will receive a cash refund.

Rock Fantasy Concert, Smoke Shop and Pinball Room Hard Charger Award: The driver advancing the most positions from their scheduled starting position to the finish of the ‘Battle of the Bullring 2’ feature event will receive a $200 bonus courtesy of Rock Fantasy Concert, Smoke Shop & Pinball Room in Middletown, N.Y. Rock Fantasy is online at www.rockfantasy.com.

Schaeffer Racing Oil Bonus: The ‘Battle of the Bullring 2’ event winner will receive two FREE cases of Schaeffer Racing Oil. Schaeffer Racing Oil is on the web at www.schaefferoil.com.

Shiley Fabrication Hard Luck Award: A driver enduring misfortune during the ‘Battle of the Bullring 2’ and failing to qualify for the main will be named the ‘Hard Luck Award’ recipient by event officials and media members. This driver will receive a complete set of bumpers and rubrails courtesy of Shiley Fabrication in Williamstown, Pa. Shiley Fabrication is online at www.shileyfabrication.com.

Simplicity Design $100 Winner’s Bonus: The ‘Battle of the Bullring 2’ race winner receives an extra $100 courtesy of Simplicity Design owner Ryan Sacco. That brings the total for 52 laps of work to $5,300.

S&W Awards Provides Hardware: S&W Awards of Lindley, N.Y., will provide hardware – a custom-built trophy – to the ‘Crazy 8s Special’ 48-lap feature winner.

Thunder Mountain Speedway Regular Bonus: The highest-finishing Thunder Mountain Speedway regular across the line in the ‘Battle of the Bullring 2’ 52-lap feature will receive a $100 bonus courtesy of track owner Karl Spoonhower.

Vahlco Wheels Bonus: The driver finishing fifth in the ‘Battle of the Bullring 2’ will be the recipient of a FREE Vahlco beadlock wheel. Vahlco bought out the assets and inventory of Valken Wheels.

Zubi’s Racing/Winchell Stone & Masonry Joe Winne Memorial Dash for Cash: Top passing-points earners in each of the heat events will transfer to a 5-lap Dash for Cash paying $555 to the winner. All starters will be paid. The starting lineup for the Dash will be determined by reversing the original draw numbers through the gate.

On Facebook – racing related:

Noted racing writer Gary London posted this on Facebook, below – along with some comments from others.

Several years ago I wrote in NSSN that the Indy 500 should be made up of Silver Crown cars. I was put down and laughed at. It would have been a great race, the drivers would mostly be from the midget and sprint car ranks and it would be very affordable and profitable to run. What;s wrong with that?

I agree 100%, count me in,

Not a damned thing Gary. Do we need all that aero and engineering to produce another boring race?

Me and my friends didn't laugh! We agree 100%

Wasn't that about the same time they tried making silver crown cars look like crap? See how long that lasted?

Nice idea...however...I believe the CURRENT silver crown cars, when geared for and raced on the Indy oval...would probably produce injuries and/or deaths when incidents occurred. The cars would have to be completely redesigned....and there goes a lot of your cost savings.

I say make them run roadsters!!!

I don't buy that Mike. You set a design spec and let the backyard geniuses figure it out, like they used to do. Dump the aero, and wide tires and return the racing to the drivers. If it don't blow, it is up to them to manage their tires and cars and I do not believe this is impossible to engineer. Heck, all you would need to do is mandate no wings, front motors only, and set an offset spec and let em rip.

The main link that is missing in the Indy 500 is the drivers, it needs to be the final stepping stone for the short tracks of America in my book.

Chris, it seems so many people agree with that - except the ones that make the rules.

Drivers? Ahem, well I hate to say F*** the drivers, but I am betting if you announced a race at Indy, and gave them 2 years to prepare their cars, there would be a full field. Now they may not be from exotic places.. why they may all be from the USA, but hey man, what is wrong with that picture. The really BIG deal I see is that they would be swinging back at NASCAR at a time when they are WEAK too and the amount of press alone would be phenominal. What the heck do they have to lose? And if you are that scared about it, hold a third race with these cars as a proof of concept. Get rid of those F1 wanna-be cars and run the front motored cars. As far as safety is concerned. You got freaking safer barriers now don't ya? Coupled with the Hans devices, that has given you a huge margin of safety over the old cars. Oh and here is something else to add, Combine these with the silver crown DIRT series and have yourself a new NATIONAL CHAMP CAR SERIES Again! Heck, I am betting there are track owners that would JUMP at the chance to run these cars as the Headliner. Next thing you know, we got us a real serious series that us oldtimers would PAY to go see. So like this if you agree with me!

Sounds great to me Gary.

There is nothing wrong with that idea, I'd go back to Indy after a 25 year absence !!!

Cap them off at 160mph, use today's safety, get all the drivers that wanna cowboy up & teams that could afford 80,000-100,000 cars: There would be over 60 to show up next May!

I know. Wouldn't want to confuse people by havng "dirt" cars at the brickyard.

This, too, posted on Facebook late Wednesday evening:

Atqmra TQ Midgets

The American Three Quarter Midget Racing Association has been facing diminished car counts across the last few seasons and wants to turn that trend around. The ATQMRA has put together a program to encourage more teams to come out and race their cars with the revered organization. For the remaining seven races on the 2014 schedule the ATQMRA will be paying a minimum of $100 to take a green. For the TQ Midget International Classic at Oswego Speedway on Saturday August 30th it will be a minimum of $150. In order to further encourage teams the ATQMRA will waive the temporary membership fee for anyone making their first start of the season. The Engine rules package with the ATQMRA allows basically any year Suzuki GSXR 750 engine to race.

Across the last few seasons countless cars have been built for indoor competition but few have raced outdoors. The success of the indoor racing hasn’t translated into increased counts out doors. The car counts at ATQMRA Races have diminished for any number of reasons. The ATQMRA hopes to begin turning that trend around. The 2014 President Buddy Sload has recognized the fact that car counts are down and has put together a program that will enable the club to increase its minimum pay from $50.00 to $100.00 for the remaining shows. Similar to the highly successful 305 sprints that pay a flat purse from front to back the TQs hope to use a similar theory to increase its car counts.

The Classic at Oswego puts the TQ midgets in front of the largest crowd that the club races in front of all year. It is truly an open wheel crowd where the TQs race in conjunction with the winged ISMA Supermodifieds and the Oswego Limited supers. The Vintage Division of the ATQMRA will be on hand for the weekend running an exhibition race. The event is truly a must attend for anyone with a TQ midget. The fans at Oswego truly appreciate the speed, excitement and close competition of the smaller winged cars from the ATQMRA. If you have never been to the Classic at Oswego reserve the date and head north to the Steel Palace on August 30th for the International Classic.

The ATQMRA provides a Membership benefit program that provides insurance to all of its owner and driver members through K and K insurance which provides $50,000 in coverage. A portion of the membership fee to join the ATQMRA covers the cost of the premium for the member benefit program. The regular temporary membership fee for the organization is $75.00 which covers the cost of the insurance. For the remaining races the club will cover the cost of the insurance for drivers making their first start of the season to encourage teams to come out and give racing with the ATQMRA a try.

The engine rules with the ATQMRA were relaxed a few years ago allowing teams to utilize the newer engines that are readily available. Cars can run any GSXR 750 engine 2012 or older in stock configuration or slightly warmed over to the specifications in the ATQMRA rule book.

Teams with cars that were built specifically for indoor use can certainly be competitive outdoors. The Laffler cars produced by Mark Laffler have been very successful outdoors in 2014 with Matt Roselli earning a victory at Mahoning Valley Speedway. Rob Neely has earned victories with the Can Am organization and Jonathon Reid is leading the point Standings and has won several outdoor races with the New York Three Quarter Midget organization. The Matt Janisch 48 that has been very successful indoors is leading the ATQMRA in victories in 2014.

This week’s photo:

Note: I keep forgetting – to see the photos, you have to go to the New England Tractor Race Report website which has a link at the end of my column!

Below are four well known people. A photographer, a race promoter, a race driver and a racing starter. Can you name them in this Sam Rosenberg photo? No, no prizes will be awarded, just trying to see if anyone knows who these four are. Email me your answers.

Emails I have received:

From a Yahoo! Race History Group member:

Bill:

Thanks for the excellent and well written article. And the charts are great!

However, I have to point out that there are exceptions to the declining attendance trends. Eldora Speedway which is operated by the Tony Stewart group continues to prosper and draw huge crowds to its big events. If you watched the NASCAR Mudsummer Classic last week you know what I'm talking about. There are several events each year at Eldora that draw nearly 20,000 people which is phenomenal for a short track. The track isn't really near any population center but fans are willing to drive long distances to see events like "The Dream" and "World 100" (both for late models) and the King's Royal (for sprint cars). And Eldora puts on a hugh Monster Jam event every year as well.

A track like Eldora puts on events that arguably give fans more action and entertainment than most other forms of motorsport. Some would say that IndyCar and NASCAR Cup races pale in comparison to what goes on at a high banked dirt track. And while traditional "major" races are having attendance problems other events like Supercross, Monster Trucks, and X-Games/XTreme Motocross draw the majority of young motorsports fans and their families today.

The fact is that both IndyCar and Cup put on shows today that are normally pretty bland and sometimes tedious to watch. The cars are nearly identical and are so well engineered that just about any competent driver can race one. The worst example of this is the Indianapolis 500 which has sunk to the point that what was once "The Greatest Spectacle in Racing" has to scramble each year to even attract 33 entries to fill the field. If IMS was just starting the 500 today instead of having over one hundred years of tradition and history to fall back on they would probably have a crowd only as large as that which witnessed the Grand Prix of Indianapolis last May.

Your article states that IMS is now in the business of entertainment. That seems to be true as they have completely turned their back on what made the track famous in the first place. Things like drivers, engines, and cars being pushed to the limit are things of the past. Nothing ever breaks on the cars and the drivers don't do anything but hold down their right foot all day. I don't really know how something like that can ever be interesting to any fans for very long whether young or old. And NASCAR is just as bad. Many of their races end up being something akin to an economy run as teams calculate what mileage they need to maintain a position. Yeah, that's pretty exciting.

The fact is that the major racing series (IndyCar, NASCAR, NHRA) have all dumbed down their product to some degree in pursuit of corporate financing instead of trying to actually put on interesting and exciting racing that will put fans in their grandstands and make television viewers tune in each week. Unless you are a die-in-the-wool race fan most major racing events today aren't very exciting at all.

Personally, I think they could all learn a few things from successful short tracks like Eldora Speedway.

And another from a Yahoo! Group member:

Racing is undeniably dying. Well, I should write that it's obvious that racing is dying, but many are in serious denial. Instead some choose to wildly blame any and every thing that bothers them or comes to their minds: it's the promoters fault, it's the fault of the political party that isn't theirs, it's...it's...everything. Attacking the ultimate straw men. I've seen many that are beyond "out there" and, sadly, even bluntly racist remarks. All the unfocused and misfocused rage reminds me of Grandpa Simpson: "Local Man Yells At Cloud"

Horse racing and boxing seem to fall into the same demographics and are facing the same situation. I don't spend enough time reading message boards or social media for those sports, but from newspaper articles, while some fans of those sports play the "blame game", they seem better grounded in reality.

Yes, there are exceptions in auto racing. Some tracks and some special events do well, but what do the crowds look like there? Is it overwhelmingly graybeard? I realized the problem a decade ago when I attended a short track race and looked around the stands. 98% of the crowd must have been 40+. Most of what few kids there were seemed to come with grandpa & grandma.

There's likely a myriad of reasons why this is, but I truly don't know why and I won't even make a wild guess about it. There are still young people who are really into cars, especially in the immigrant and first generation communities (not unlike racing's past), but I can see where taking their car and running it around an oval or road course to make nothing to next to nothing doesn't exactly appeal to them. If rallying and drag racing don't gain from that crowd, they've dropped the ball.

Racing is dying and I don't see what can be done about it. I wish I could be positive and find hope, but I can't. As Kem wrote: It's a different time.

Note: Kinda scary, if true, huh?

Some non racin’ stuff:

What next?

While watching “The Five” one day last week, it was mentioned that in California, they’re eliminating hits/contact in football practice for kids like those in Pop Warner.

Things found on Facebook:

Have you ever noticed all spec divisions in racing start out with good intentions to be cheaper and more competitive than the division it is derived from but eventually everyone pushes the envelope and down the road the spec division ends up being out of control and expensive as well.

To keep your marriage brimming, With love in the loving cup, Whenever you're wrong, admit it; Whenever you're right, shut up. -Ogden Nash

When people say, you are going to regret that in the morning, i sleep til noon...Because i am a problem solver.

I hope everyone is happy in your head. We're all doing great in mine!

This weeks joke:

A student played high school football in Detroit .

He was a great running back, but a really poor student.

At graduation, he didn't have enough credits.

But he was a great football star and the students held a rally and demanded the

principal give him a diploma anyway.

They were so insistent that the principal agreed if Darqueeze could answer one

question correctly he would give him a diploma.

Getting into most university's would be "NO PROBLEM"

The one question test was held in the auditorium and all the students packed

the place. It was standing room only.

The principal was on the stage and told him to come up.

The principal had the diploma in his hand and said, "Darqueeze, if you can answer

this question correctly I'll give you your diploma."

He said he was ready and the principal asked him the question. "Darqueeze," he said,

"How much is three times seven?"

He looked up at the ceiling and the down at his shoes, just pondering the question.

The other students began chanting, "Graduate him anyway! Graduate him anyway!"

Then he held up his hand and the auditorium became silent. he said, "I think I know

the answer. Three times seven is twenty-one."

A hush fell over the auditorium and all the other students began another chant .

"Give him another chance! Give him another chance!"

Until my next column

Columns are available on the Dirt Track Digest at: http://www.dirttrackdigest.com/ (Click on “Recent Columns – and I hope it works!)

And:

http://newenglandtractor.com/racereport/

Where I also have some neat photo articles

I can be reached, via e-mail, at: ygordad@yahoo.com