Mostly
Racin' Stuff
By Tom Avenengo
09/11/2014
Some
personal/family stuff:
My wife, who left us on
July 3, 2014.
Remember, photos can only be seen on the
New England Tractor/Race Report website, which is linked to at the end of my
columns.
Notice the date of this week’s column –
9/11? It was on 9/11/1960 that Joan and
I said our marriage vows. Yes, 54 years
ago. Gee, but I miss her!
Just a heads up: The “automatic” Social Security lump sum
death benefit is not really a gimmie. I was told my wife does not qualify. Today, I get mail from SS and really can’t
figure out just what the hell it means.
But, I’m willing to wager that all these “illegal’s” that are getting on
SS will most def qualify for those benefits.
Unbelievable!
More
memories:
A week or so after the wife arrived, we invited Sgt Redfern
for Sunday dinner. He lived alone. When he arrived at our apartment, his first
question was where was our TV? Heck, we
didn’t have one yet. After dinner we
went to his place and he gave us a TV he had in his garage. I believe it was a Hoffman console. Only thing wrong with it was that the end
piece on the picture tube was held on with tape, and on occasion, one had to
move it a little to make the TV work.
Believe it or not, that TV ended up in
On November 22, 1961, our first child - a
daughter, Judith Ann, was born in
OK, some bad news:
I’ve been contemplating my future. Surely with the wife gone, I can’t afford the
house we shared these last 10 plus years.
Yes, there are options, and Chapter 7 looks like the one I’ll be
taking. Not too happy about this, but – ya gotta do what ya gotta do, you know?
Plans are now, mainly due to some health
issues I’ve been having, to head to
With this column, it will be my last for a
little while. So, keep an eye out on
future Thursdays for their return, ok?
Racin’ stuff:
Nice move by Michael Gurda
and OCFS for those that were in attendance last Saturday for a show that got
rained out. I wasn’t in attendance, but
from what I can see, when you hand in your wrist band, you can get the money
off for various things – like Eastern States tickets or any race in 2015.
On the down side for ESW – my son, Eric, told
me he was going to order 3 tickets for ESW.
If I wasn’t able to make it from
Any idea as to how many more idiots will
attempt to climb up on the fencing that overhangs the race track, like the
idiot did this past Saturday night at
There was an email sent out on Tuesday to
the Yahoo! Race History group by Gordon White asking about the whereabouts of
the famous Indy race car “Basement Bessie”.
My doing a quick search turned this up:
Region Racers – Russo-Nichels Special – “Basement Bessie”
http://speedwaysightings.wordpress.com/2007/05/26/the-russo-nichels-special-aka-basement-bessie/
Posted: May 26, 2007 in
Uncategorized
1
Region Racers at the Indy 500
— The Russo-Nichels Race
Team
By: Wm. LaDow
Daily Trackside Reports from
the
Published in the Post-Tribune
— May 26, 2007
At the age of 15, Ray Nichels went on the road as a midget car crew chief, racing
at tracks across
But those years were just a
pre-cursor to what became a legendary Indy and stock car racing career.
After he returned from World
War II and married the love of his life, Eleanor Govert
of Griffith in 1947, Ray already had his eye on Indy car racing. In 1949, Nichels joined the Indy car race team of Carmine “Babe” Tuffanelli, whose shop on
Russo and Nichels
ran 11 races in the 1949 AAA schedule, but had a falling out with Pritchard,
beginning with the August 20th race at
In less than a month, Nichels left the Tuffanelli team.
It was then that Ray made up
his mind that he would no longer leave his racing future in the hands of other
people, especially those who lacked vision. So Ray with his buddy Russo,
decided that if they couldn’t get their hands on a car like the M&D No. 99,
then they would build their own.
As 1950 began, Ray Nichels spent the daylight hours delivering heating oil for
the Kovsi Fuel Oil Co. and Paul Russo earned his paycheck
as a welder. But in the evenings, Nichels and Russo
pursued their dream to race their own hand-built creation in the 34th running
of the
At night, the two could be
found in Paul Russo’s
They started the project
constructing the frame, thinking that if they could get it built, they might be
able to lease an Offy engine on a percentage basis
once they got to Indy.
Tools for the project were
simple. For a layout table, they used the floor. For a blueprint, they used a
large piece of cardboard with the plans drawn in pencil. When they needed to
come up with alternate sketches, they used the floor and the walls. For a
straightedge, they used the lid of a suit box. For a band saw, they used a
hacksaw (and promptly went through 64 hacksaw blades cutting the frame.)
Necessity was truly the mother of invention.
When it was finished, the
Russo-Nichels Special had to be completely dismantled
before it could make its journey to see sunlight. Then it was on to
Once they got to the
Their first task was to find
race wheels and tires, and they were fortunate that Firestone offered to loan
them both. Once their presence at the
When they were ready to
qualify, they pulled the Russo-Nichels Special in
line. Wilbur Shaw, president and general manager of the Indianapolis Motor
Speedway, walked up to them and sharply asked, “What are you clowns doing?”
With the look of two kids who’d just built a soapbox derby entry, they
announced, “We’re here to qualify!”
Shaw gave the Russo-Nichels Special a long gaze, seeing no front grill, a
temporary fuel tank and not a drop of paint anywhere. He paused and then said,
“You don’t have a number. You can’t qualify without a number.” Nichels and Russo looked at each other for the longest
moment and said, “Wilbur, we’re broke. We don’t have a buck between us. We
can’t afford to have a number painted on the car in time to make the race.” In
the true Hoosier spirit that is the
Starting in the seventh row
the Russo-Nichels Special went on to capture the
imagination of the American racing public by running with the leaders for much
of the day, before the rain-shortened Indy 500 ended at 345 miles. The Russo-Nichels Special soon became affectionately known as
“Basement Bessie” as it was campaigned on the AAA Championship Trail during the
1950 season, running 13 races, capturing two victories, seven top-fives and
nine top-tens.
In December, Nichels with defending Indianapolis 500 Champion Johnnie
Parsons behind the wheel, subbing for an injured Paul Russo, won the first ever
Indy car race at the newly built Darlington Raceway. Parsons and the Russo-Nichels Special put on a spectacular show for all 10,000
spectators to witness. He lapped the field, finishing the 200-mile race in an
impressive one hour and 54 minutes, for an average speed of 104.651 miles per
hour.
One of the most incredible
aspects of the 1950 season for Paul Russo and Ray Nichels
was the season-long performance of their hand-built basement creation.
Had Russo not been injured
with in the AAA race at
Had it not been for the need
to use two other drivers to replace the injured Russo, “Basement Bessie,” would
have worn the crown of a champion.
Born in a
Note – check out the link for
an excellent photo of the car.
Former F1 champion Michael
Schumacher leaves hospital for home
A new weekly feature for a few columns, anyway:
Race tracks that are no
longer around:
NEW
AC
Alcyon Speedway - (
Amatol
Arney's Mount
Atco
East
Windsor
(aka:
East Windsor Fairgrounds, Acella Speedway)
1/2-mile clay oval (6/11/1965
- 8/23/2002
Flemington
Fairgrounds
Harmony Raceway - (near Brainards) 5/8 Mile D-Shaped Dirt Oval and a 1/4 Mile Dragstrip
Hinchliffe Satdium - (
Note: As I’m doing this column, there are plans for
a show this coming Sunday, 9/14, at Hinchcliife, with
some exhibition “races” being held.
Ho Ho
Kus
Hope Chapel Lincoln Field
Manahawkin
McAfee
Merchantville
Penn National
Ruppert Stadium
Tom's River
Former
OVRP Dirt Oval runners:
Not much to report on this week.
At U/R in 360 Sprints, Davie Franek was 14th
in the regular feature. In the 13 lap
Kevin Ward, Jr. Shoot out, he was 3rd.
Bobby Hackel, IV
was 13th in the Modified feature at
Alex Bell was 20th and Hunter
Bates 22nd in the Sportsman feature at A/S.
Chuck Alessi was
3rd, Josh Pieniazek 5th, Joe Kata 16th and Emily VanInwegen
18th the CRSA 305 feature.
JB Morris was 4th in the 4
Cylinder advanced feature at
Jacob Hendershot
was 4th in the 270 Micro feature at
Linda’s.
Wyatt Clark was 3rd in the All
Star Slingshot feature at Accord.
Anthony Perrego
was 7th, Tyler Boniface 20th in the Modified feature.
Johnny Illanovsky
was 6th, Winter Mead 7th and Joey Bruning
14th in the Spec Sportsman feature.
In the “Hot Summer Night” race at Penn
Can, on Tuesday, Anthony Perrego was 4th,
Danny Creeden 15th, Billy V 20th
and Tyler Dippel 24th in the Modified
race, with Brian Krummel 8th, Johnny Illanovsky 10th and Winter Mead 17th
in the Sportsman feature.
From
Jayski:
Remember, I’ll just make mention of some
of the things that appear on the Jayski website, with
maybe some exceptions.
Kligerman to test Indy Lights car - (9-10-2014)
Who has been too fast on pit
road? - (9-10-2014)
Haas says Kurt Busch can test
F1 car if - (9-10-2014)
Stewart, Harvick
swap pit crews - (9-9-2014)
No Timetable for Stewart investigation to
finish - (9-9-2014)
NASCAR Introduces Special Paint Scheme
Elements For Chase Contenders - (7-15/9-9-2014)
NC Supreme Court hears CMS lawsuit suit: Bruton Smith and Speedway Motorsports get one more crack at
convincing
DAYTONA Rising September Project Update:
During the last month, Daytona International Speedway continued to move forward
with the $400 million DAYTONA Rising redevelopment project. Key areas of the
new motorsports stadium are beginning to take shape. Below is a breakdown of
key accomplishments since the last update as well as upcoming construction
activities.
Vertical Transportation:
· Installed escalators and elevators at
West and East ends of the project
· Ongoing masonry near the West end of the
project as well as in the center
· Continued concrete pours on metal decks
· Ongoing steel deck and detailing
throughout the project
· Began installation of curbs in West end
and just east of the start/finish line
Injectors:
· Began pouring concrete stairs for the
far west Injector
· Finalizing structural steel installation
Neighborhoods:
· Finalizing initial development of
neighborhood bars, guest services, bathrooms and bistro concessions
· Ongoing installation of HVAC systems in
the West and East ends as well as just east of the start/finish line
Miscellaneous:
· Ongoing demolition of the Turn 1
grandstands
Race fans can follow the progress of the
DAYTONA Rising project by visiting www.DAYTONARising.com.(DIS)(9-9-2014)
Can money be allotted to help retired
drivers? - (9-7-2014)
2014 NASCAR Sprint Cup Chase Standings:
[after
1) #2-Brad Keselowski
[4 wins], 2012 points
2) #24-Jeff Gordon [3 wins] 2009, -3
3) #88-Dale Earnhardt Jr. [3 wins] 2009,
-3
4) #48-Jimmie Johnson [3 wins] 2009, -3
5) #22-Joey Logano
[3 wins] 2009, -3
6) #4-Kevin Harvick
[2 wins] 2006, -6
7) #99-Carl Edwards [2 wins] 2006, -6
8) #18-Kyle Busch [1 win] 2003, -9
9) #11-Denny Hamlin [1 win] 2003, -9
10) #41-Kurt Busch [1 win] 2003, -9
11) #5-Kasey Kahne
[1 win] 2003, -9
12) #43-Aric Almirola
[1 win] 2003, -9
13) #47-A.J. Allmendinger
[1 win] 2003, -9
14) #20-Matt Kenseth,
2000, -12
15) #16-Greg Biffle,
2000, -12
16) #31-Ryan Newman, 2000, -12
(ties are broken
by wins, 2nds, 3rds, etc)
See the Chase Points Standings page (pdf)
And see OFFICIAL race results & points
standings on the Official Race & Points Report (pdf).(9-6-2014)
NASCAR considers changes to its souvenir
business - (9-6-2014)
Nationwide expands sponsorship of the #88
Chevy - (9-5-2014)
NASCAR Revises National Series Qualifying
Format At
Coming
up:
Accord:
Friday, September 12th, 2014
** Last Night of Points **
Modifieds - Sportsman - Spec Sportsman
Pro Stock - Pure Stock - All
Star Slingshot-Jr Slingshot
Pit Gate 4:30pm Spectator Gate 5:00pm Racing at 7
OCFS:
Saturday, September 13th,
2014 - All Steel Aluminum and
THE ANNUAL EVE OF DESTRUCTION
OUR NEXT EVENT:
Saturday, September 13
Holdover races for Sportsman
and Pro Stock, World Formula Modified Tour, Twin Cam 4 Cylinders PLUS
Sportsman, Legends, Bandolero,
Pro Stock, Street Stock,
4 Cylinder Advanced and
Novice
Gates open at 2:30 pm
Hot laps at 4:30 pm
RACING at 6 pm
$6 Grandstand Admission!
SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 14
2ND ANNUAL FALL FLING CAR
SHOW
CRSA:
Sat 9/13
Fonda
Hamlin:
Saturday 9/13/14:
All Star Slingshot
National 50 Tour $1000 to WIN! 24+ cars entered, $75 entry, 50-lap feature, and $75 to take the
green!
All divisions racing! RRTT:
1,5,6,8
** BREAKING NEWS!~** A secret sponsor has come forward with $500 more cash
and throwing it into the National 50 payout!
What this means is ... the
winner will still win $1k but now from 2nd to 21st the payouts are
increased! For example for 2nd - an
additional $100 will be paid out ~$600 for 2nd!
For 3rd & 4th we added an additional $50, and then 5th to 14th we've
added an additional $25! And to take
the green flag in the National 50 - you will receive your payout back $75!
NEMA:
Sept 13
Sat Night
-
plus NEMA LITES Series
ARDC:
Up Next - Grandview Speedway
Inc. September 12th, the night before the Freedom 76! Can Steven Drevicki extend his point lead? Will Alex Bright continue
his hot streak to 4 wins? Will we have a new face in
From
Track Forum:
http://www.trackforum.com/forums/forum.php
Explain To Me
http://www.trackforum.com/forums/showthread.php?189086-Explain-To-Me
Note: What make the Penske cars so much better?
From
the AARN:
This Week
In AARN
Mr. & Mrs. Friesen -
Stewart & Jessica (Zemken) Run One-Two
In Utica-Rome’s Cole Cup
Preece Heads To Race Of Champions
As One Of The Favorites
ISMA’s Star Classic To Lou Cicconi Despite Late Race Scare
Big Diamond’s ‘Coalcracker Goes To Invader Matt
Sheppard
Rain Halts Several Tracks;
Track Championship Races Decided By Default
From The Rear, Bloomquist Wins Eldora’s WoO LM World 100
Tow Trucks Play Role In Hollland Modified Title Chase
Outcome
BD Motosports / Brett Deyo Signs Three
Year American Racer Tire Pact
Kevin Ward’s Team To Race One Last Time At Ohweken,
Will Then Sell
Johnson: Hendrick
team found faulty helmet cooling system
Press releases:
NEWS FROM
Orange County Fair
CONTACT
Mike Gurda
845-342-2573
FOR RELEASE MONDAY, SEPTEMBER
8
WRISTBAND CREDIT TOWARDS
FUTURE RACE MEETS
AT ORANGE COUNTY FAIR
MIDDLETOWN, NY (September
8)……..When a sudden downpour ended racing almost as soon as it started Saturday
night, September 6 at Orange County Fair Speedway in Middletown, New York, the
track announced a means for attending fans to redeem their identifying
wristbands for full credit towards the purchase of tickets for the Saturday,
September 13 EVE OF DESTRUCTION special event, the upcoming October 24-26 53rd
Annual Eastern States Weekend, or any race meet in 2015.
Fans with September 6
wristbands may redeem them at the Speedway Office for a voucher that then can
be used towards purchasing future events tickets. The Speedway Office will be
open the day of the event fans wish to attend, or Wednesday through Saturday
during business hours. Call 845-342-2573 for additional information.
REMAINING 2014
The final weekly program at
Advance sale tickets for the
EVE OF DESTRUCTION!!! are available at the Speedway
Office and online at the Orange County Fair Speedway website.
Tickets for the 53rd Annual
Eastern States Weekend presented by Arkel Motors and
Dupree & Monroe Attorneys, Friday through Sunday, October 24-26, are also
on sale. Be sure to check the official
MEDIA MEMBERS: Credentials
requests for Eastern States Weekend should be made to Bobby Armbruster
at 201-323-2913, or BArmbr6493@aol.com.
Deadline is October 12, 2013.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
SEPTEMBER 9, 2014
DAMION
(
After a "shakedown" run
of 190-MPH on the famous
Those who are acquainted with Damion Gardner know that he will not quit pushing and
rather than rest on his laurels at 202.38426, he wanted more. The area was being pestered by some light
rain followed by cross winds that caused some concern, but
205+ and it is not over yet. Instead of packing up the car and the tools
and heading home, Gardner and the crew are headed back to the salt for some
more passes on Tuesday to wrap up the three days of wonderful speed history. Full details on today's exploits with be forthcoming this evening or first thing Monday morning,
but here is a little hint.
You can see and meet the
"World's Fastest Sprint Car Driver" this Saturday night when he
returns to the cockpit of the Mark Alexander #4 in the USAC/CRA Sprint Car
Series at Perris Auto Speedway.
Everything, including the
historical 205-MPH pass is being shot for an exciting documentary titled,
"The World's Fastest Sprint Car."
The made for TV production is being written, directed and produced by
Surf N' Sprint and will be shot by the award winning racing specialists from LoudPedal Productions. You can take a sneak peek at the
documentary at the following link.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gp1JvkD9aaI&feature=youtu.be
Damion
Gardner would like to thank the following for making this enormous task
possible: Surf N' Sprint, Frankland Rearends, J. Milano Co., Shaver Engines, Lucas Oil, ARP, FK
Rod Ends, Weld Wheels, Yak Graphics, Schoenfeld, Waterman,
Simpson, Willwood, Kinsler
Fuel Injection, Advanced Racing Suspension, Maxwell Industries, Victory Race
Cars, Beast Chassis, Maas Powdercoat, Kenny's
Components, Santamauro Racing, Lee Power Steering,
Butler Built Seats, Schroeder, Brown & Miller, Champion Spark Plugs, System
1, Barne's Systems, Eibach,
TSR, Indy Race Parts, MPD, Beaver Stripes, K&N, Jessel,
Comp Cams, Donovan, Seals It, LoudPedal Productions,
KMD Racing.
Watch for more follow ups on this
noble effort in 2014. You can also check
out what is going on by visiting the Damion Gardner
Fan Page on Facebook.
The pages of Steve Watt and Loudpedal
Productions will also offer their takes on all the high speed happenings.
To hear Damion
Gardner's 2013 interview about driving the "World's Fastest Sprint
Car" with Shawn Wood on the Dirt Track Channel, please click on the
following link: http://thedirttrackchannel.com/Webcast/tscsAug1313.mp3
Media, to contact any of the
principals in this endeavor, please contact Scott Daloisio
at sdaloisiosports@aol.com or call 909 226-7768.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
SEPTEMBER 10, 2014
DICK JORDAN
"HURTUBISE CLASSIC"
RETURNS TO
Jim Hurtubise
won five consecutive USAC National Sprint Car races at the Terre Haute (Ind.)
Action Track during one stretch from 1960-1962!!!
It's been 52 years and 137 more
USAC Sprint races and nobody yet has been able to match Hurtubise's
feat. AND - it won't be challenged next Thursday night (September 18) when the
"Jim Hurtubise Classic" returns to the
half-mile dirt oval after having been rained out August 29.
Bryan Clauson
is riding a one-game winning streak in the AMSOIL USAC Sprint cars at
The September 18 race is the 150th
for the USAC Sprint cars at the venerable Vigo County Fairgrounds. It could be
pivotal in the 2014 race for the 2014 series title.
Dave Darland,
whose only two Terre Haute Sprint wins came 21 years apart (1993 and 2014),
leads the series with a five-point cushion over Brady Bacon, who has yet to
score at the Action Track. Clauson, whose initial
USAC Sprint win at
The
One driver still seeking his first
2104 victory is Jerry Coons Jr., who won the 2013 running of the "Jim Hurtubise Classic."
2014 AMSOIL USAC National
Sprint Car Standings: 1-Dave Darland-1,520, 2-Brady Bacon-1,515, 3-Bryan
Clauson-1,480, 4-Jon Stanbrough-1,428, 5-Chase Stockon-1,297, 6-Justin
Grant-1,230, 7-Chris Windom-1,206, 8-Tracy Hines-1,195, 9-Robert Ballou-1,085,
10-Hunter Schuerenberg-1,067
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!
From Facebook
on 9/10/14:
Pictured: Mike Jr. and Brian Caruso.
Some very interesting things
said about the above car, on Facebook:
Brian Caruso:
"Thanks to my friend
Rick Powell for delivering one of my grandfathers
original Caruso midget race cars that we purchased back and happy to have back
in the family. Thanks to Roy Caruthers for letting me know it was for sale and
Kim Baker from vintageracecarsales.com."
Mike Garabedian: "Priceless. Where was it?"
Ronny Dennis: "I'd love to see that car at Hinchliffe... ; )"
Ronny Dennis: "What year was that one run?"
Ronny Dennis: "Did Schindler ever run that one?"
This weeks racing video:
Sprint car flips video – at
2:05 a helmet comes off – something that should not happen!
https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=369571523078849
Some
non racin’ stuff:
Sure has been enough said about a certain
banned football player, huh? Even his
wife has come out with a statement. Make
ya a wager – she’s pissed off because those millions
are now gone, and she had visions of a divorce and big bucks somewhere down the
road. Why she would even marry the idiot
after the beat the crap out of her is beyond me – unless, like I said the money
down the road.
Issa: Holder aide caught red-handed
In part:
"The administration
official calling House Oversight Committee Chairman Darrell Issa’s
(R-Calif.) office last week had an odd request.
Could the Justice Department
get some help leaking information about the IRS’s scrutiny of conservative
groups? asked Brian Fallon, a top spokesman for
Attorney General Eric Holder.
Apparently thinking he had
reached the office of Democratic Rep. Elijah Cummings (
After Issa
spokesman Frederick Hill replied that Oversight Committee staffers would have
to examine those documents first, the line went silent, and Fallon placed the
call on hold for three minutes.
When he returned to the line,
Fallon was “audibly shaken,” according to an account of the conversation that Issa recounts in a letter sent to Holder.
The Justice official then
said there had been a “change in plans,” that no documents would be released on
Friday and that the main reason for the call was to seek a thaw in relations
between the department and Oversight Republicans.
Issa said it’s clear that the Justice official meant to
call Democratic staff and argued the mix-up is proof that President Obama’s
administration and Cummings have been collaborating to “prejudice the
committee’s work through under-the-table coordination.”
“This highly partisan and
combative approach to oversight by the department shows a disregard for the
independent investigatory prerogatives of Congress and a deliberate attempt to
influence the course of a congressional investigation,” Issa
wrote to Holder, adding that it was “unseemly” for the department to favor one
party over the other when it came to sharing information.
The documents, Issa added in the letter, are about Andrew Strelka, a former Justice attorney that once worked for
Lois Lerner, the ex-IRS official at the center of the Tea Party controversy.”
This weeks joke:
Love the Irish – continued:
Patton staggered home very
late after another evening with his drinking buddy, Paddy. He took off his
shoes to avoid waking his wife, Kathleen. He tiptoed as quietly as he could
toward the stairs leading to their upstairs bedroom, but misjudged the bottom
step. As he caught himself by grabbing the banister, his body swung around and
he landed heavily on his rump. A whiskey bottle in each back pocket broke and
made the landing especially painful. Managing not to yell, Patton sprung up,
pulled down his pants, and looked in the hall mirror to see that his butt
cheeks were cut and bleeding. He managed to quietly find a full box of
Band-Aids and began putting a Band-Aid as best he could on each place he saw
blood. He then hid the now almost empty Band-Aid box and shuffled and stumbled
his way to bed.
In the morning, Patton woke
up with searing pain in both his head and butt and Kathleen staring at him from
across the room. She said, 'You were drunk again last night weren't you?'
Patton said, 'Why you say such a mean thing?' 'Well,' Kathleen said, 'it could
be the open front door, it could be the broken glass at the bottom of the
stairs, it could be the drops of blood trailing through the house, it could be
your bloodshot eyes, but mostly....... it's all those Band-Aids stuck on the
hall mirror.
Until my next column –
whenever it might be!
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