Mostly
Racin' Stuff
By
Tom Avenengo
Volume # 245
10/01/2015
This week's
special photo:
This week I'll be putting in some photos of the Mike
Caruso Sprint Cars throughout the column.
There are TONS of photos on the Caruso website, that
go back many, many years.
http://www.carusomidgetracing.com/
Mike Nazaruk - he was a pretty steady driver in one of
the Caruso midgets, too.
After the 1940's, when midget racing kinda died out,
quite a few midgets were made into sprint cars.
Mike Caruso did that. Now I'm not
sure if he did it with just one of his cars, or not, but there are photos of
various drivers in his sprint cars throughout this weeks column.
Special from
me:
Well, summer is gone, but down here in Cape Coral,
Florida, the temps are still hovering around 90 degrees. I can recall last winter down here - I never
had to wear a heavy coat or jacket.
Yes, I'm hoping for the same again this coming winter. I've seen reports that back home, in New
York, they're expecting the same kind of winter that they've had these past
couple of years. Glad I'm in Florida!
Some thought has been given to quite a few of my
family members, and me, included, to take in the modified races in February,
over at the Volusia Speedway. However,
the high cost of air flights at that time of the year, might have thrown a
monkey wrench into those plans. Then
again, I'd hate to see someone dish out a lot of bucks for a flight from up
north down to Florida, then have snow interfere.
Paul Russo - I'll never
forget the race that Russo had with Bill Schindler at the Morristown, NJ
track. That race was one week before we
lost Schindler. Russo won.
Racin’
stuff:
I've been attending racing events since
the mid 1940's. In the 50's, I more or
less went from the midgets to sprint cars.
I do know that I was in attendance at the last midget race at the
Hinchliffe Stadium in Paterson, NJ. It
was on New Years day of 1950, I believe.
Not only did they have midgets, but stock cars were also a part of the
days program. Funny, but I can't recall
watching the stock cars racing that day.
It was after I got out of the Army, in 1964, when I attended my first
stock car race - that being at the track in Middletown, NY. Russ Delp, in the "Mushroom
Special" won the feature that day.
Gradually, with the midgets dying out, I
switched over to attending the sprint car races and Indy car races when they
were in the northeast. I still did catch
an occasional midget race, though. A
high percentage of the midget races I was able to attend, were on paved
ovals. Same goes for the Indy cars. a high majority of the sprint car races I
went to were on dirt ovals - usually 1/2 mile tracks. I also attended quite a few sports car road
races with my brother Raymond (Jim).
Jud Larson - No idea as to
what track, or when, but I never saw Jud in this car.
Racing from back in the day:
When I first started going to
the races, it was at the Hinchliffe Stadium, in Paterson, NJ. At the time, my favorite driver was a little
guy, not much over 5 feet in height - Johnny Ritter. He drove a Canary Yellow Outboard, with, best
I can describe it, the # 163 on paper that was taped to both sides of the tail
of his car. His was one of quite a few
Outboard powered midgets back then. Yes,
there were Ford V-8's, some Cycle powered, the Outboards and the
"Offy's". One of the top Outboards
was a dark blue # 2 that was driven by Charlie Miller.
Here is his race record, as
best I have it. I do find it kind of
strange that as much as Miller drove the Gordon # 2 Outboard at Hinchliffe
Stadium, he only won one feature there in that car - at least I believe he
drove it to a win in 1946. Special
thanks go out to Jerry Santibanes, who sent me what follows:
1935
June 26 Philadelphia, PA Yellow
Jacket Stadium
August 26 Philadelphia, PA Yellow
Jacket Stadium 20 laps
August 27 Freeport, L.I., NY Freeport
Stadium
1936
October 6 Freeport, L.I., NY Freeport
Stadium 100 laps
September 25 West Haven, CT West
Haven Speedway 75 laps
1937
June 21 Freeport, L.I., NY Freeport
Stadium
June 25 Cranston, RI Cranston
Stadium 20
laps
John
Schroeder Cycle #19
July 5 Freeport,
L.I., NY Freeport Stadium
August 5 Freeport, L.I. NY Freeport
Stadium
August 4 Long Branch, NJ Long
Branch Speedway 25 laps
August 9 Freeport, L.I., NY Freeport
Stadium
August 26 Freeport, L.I., NY Freeport
Stadium
September 2 Freeport, L.I., NY Freeport
Stadium
September 20 Philadelphia, PA Yellow
Jacket Stadium
September 27 Philadelphia, PA Yellow
Jacket Stadium 35 laps
1938
May 4 Union,
NJ Tri-City Stadium 20 laps
June 23 Union, NJ Tri-City
Stadium 25 laps
July 4 Ridgefield
Park, L.I., NY Farmers Oval 12 laps
July 5 Freeport,
L.I., NY Freeport Stadium 25 laps
July 25 Ridgefield Park, L.I., NY Farmers Oval Spd
August 1 Ridgefield Park, L.I, NY
Farmers Oval Spd 15
laps
August 5 Freeport, L.I., NY Freeport
Stadium
August 9 Freeport, L.I., NY Freeport
Stadium
66
cars signed in for this race.
August 13 Long Branch, NJ Long Branch
Speedway 25 laps
August 26 Freeport, L.I., NY Freeport
Stadium
8/ or 9/ Stapleton, Staten Island, NY Thompson Stadium 40 laps
September 2 Freeport, L.I., NY Freeport
Stadium
September 2 Philadelphia, PA National
Stadium 25 laps
1939
June 11 Allentown, PA Dorney
Park 30
laps
July 19 Philadelphia, PA National
Stadium
July 22 Philadelphia, PA National
Stadium
August 12 Philadelphia, PA National
Stadium
August 13 Allentown, PA Dorney Park
August 14 Staten Island, NY Thompson
Stadium 30 laps
August 16 Philadelphia, PA National
Stadium 25 laps
August 18 Freeport, L.I., NY Freeport
Stadium 25 laps
August 20 Allentown, PA Dorney Park 30 laps
August 28 Staten Island, NY Thompson
Stadium 45 laps
CSRA
August 30 Philadelphia, PA National
Stadium
September 1 Freeport, L.I., NY Freeport
Stadium
September 2 Philadelphia, PA National
Stadium
September 5 Freeport, L.I., NY Freeport
Stadium
September 6 Philadelphia, PA National
Stadium 25 laps
September 9 Philadelphia, PA National
Stadium
September 13 Philadelphia, PA National
Stadium 25 laps
September 16 Philadelphia, PA National
Stadium 25 laps
Carlson-Meyer
Outboard
November 26 San Antonio, TX
May have one more win at
National Stadium
An interesting week
of racing for Charlie
8/13 Dorney Park
1st
8/14 Thompson Stadium 1st 30 laps
8/15 Freeport
2nd 25 laps
8/16 National Speedway 1st
8/17 Hershey Stadium blew tire while leading the
feature
8/18 Freeport
1st
8/19 National Speedway Rain
8/20 Dorney Park 1st
Drove the #1 Bob Meyer/Mary
Davidson Outboard wrenched by Carl Carlson
1940
May 2 Hershey,
PA Hershey Stadium
May 9 Hershey,
PA Hershey Stadium 25 laps
Gordon
Elto
May 18 Philadelphia,
PA National Stadium 25 laps
June 16 Union, NJ Tri-City
Stadium 25 laps
July 5 Freeport,
L.I., NY Freeport Stadium
July 16 Freeport, L.I., NY Freeport
Stadium 40 laps
July 19 Freeport, L.I., NY Freeport
Stadium
August 5 Staten Island, NY Thompson
Stadium 50 laps
August 10 Philadelphia, PA National
Stadium 22 laps
September 8 Union, NJ Tri
City Stadium 50 laps
September 14 Philadelphia, PA National
Stadium 100 laps
September 16 Staten Island, NY Thompson
Stadium 75 laps
September 22 Union, NJ Tri-City
Stadium 25 laps
September 29 Allentown, PA Dorney
Park 50
laps
December 29 San Antonio, TX
During this season Charlie won 4
features at National Stadium.
1941
January 5 San Antonio, TX 25
laps
May 24 Philadelphia,
PA National Stadium 100 laps
June 8 Union,
NJ Tri-City Stadium 100 laps
June 14 Philadelphia, PA National
Stadium 25 laps
June 19 Hershey, PA Hershey
Stadium 25 laps
June 25 Philadelphia, PA National
Stadium 25 laps
July 9 Philadelphia,
PA National Stadium 40 laps
July 13 Philadelphia, PA National
Stadium 25 laps
August 17 Union, NJ Tri-City
Stadium 25 laps
August 22 Freeport, L.I., NY Freeport
Stadium
September 4 Union, NJ Tri-City
Stadium 25 laps
September 9 Freeport, L.I., NY Freeport
Stadium
September 16 Freeport, L.I., NY Freeport
Stadium 25 laps
September 19 Lanham, MD West
Lanham Speedway 25 laps
October 26 Allentown, PA Dorney Park 50 laps
Charlie won 6 features at National
Stadium
1942
April 25 Philadelphia, PA National
Stadium 20 laps
May 31 Allentown,
PA Dorney Park 20 laps
June 7 Allentown,
PA Dorney Park 25 laps
Whitehouse
Outboard
June 21 Allentown, PA Dorney
Park 25
laps
July 9 Buffalo,
NY Buffalo Civic Stadium 30 laps
July 15 Philadelphia, PA National
Stadium 25 laps
1946
August 1 Philadelphia, PA Yellow
Jacket Speedway
August 15 Philadelphia, PA Yellow
Jacket Speedway
September 6 Paterson, NJ Hinchliffe
Stadium 25 laps
1947
April 9 New York City, NY Kingsbridge
Armory
May 14 Richmond,
VA Richmond Stadium 25
laps
One of two features run
June 29 Reading, PA Reading Fairgrounds 100 laps
1948
June 2 Richmond,
VA Atlantic Rural Exposition
June 5 Allentown,
PA Dorney Park Speedway
June 8 Norfolk,
VA Princess Anne Speedway
June 9 Richmond,
VA Atlantic Rural Exposition 15 laps
½
mile
June 15 Norfolk, VA Princess
Anne Speedway
June 16 Richmond, VA Atlantic
Rural Exposition
June 17 Philadelphia, PA Yellow
Jacket Speedway
July 11 Lebanon, PA Hill
Top Speedway Wheeler Offy 25 laps
July 25 Lebanon, PA Hill
Top Speedway
July 26 Philadelphia, PA Yellow
Jacket Speedway
August 13 West Lanham, MD Lanham
Speedway 25
laps
September 7 Norfolk, VA Princess
Anne Speedway 5th win this
track
September 12 Hagerstown, MD Hagerstown
Speedway
October 17 Hagerstown, MD Conocoheague
Speedway 50 laps
Aka
Hagerstown Speedway
Tadlock
Offy
October 24 Hagerstown, MD Hagerstown
Speedway 50 laps
John
Tadlock Offy
This
race needs more research
May have also won on 10/31/48
at Hagerstown.
1950
July 12 Jersey City, NJ Roosevelt
Stadium
1951
June 23 Allentown, PA Dorney
Park Speedway 25 laps
Charlie
Stephens Ford #17
July 3 Jersey
City, NJ Roosevelt Stadium 25 laps
July 7 Allentown,
PA Dorney Park Speedway 25 laps
October 6 Newark, NJ Ruppert
Stadium 25 laps
1952
April 20 Stafford Springs, CT Stafford
Springs Speedway
1953
March 28 New York City, NY Kingsbridge
Armory ARDC
Ed
Darrell V8
August 16 Lehighton PA Fairgrounds UMRC ½ D 20 laps
September 11 Richmond, VA Royall
Speedway NASCAR 25 laps
1954
May 16 Flemington;
NY Flemington Fair ARDC 50
laps
Brook
Durant--fatal
May 29 Allentown,
PA Dorney Park Speedway ARDC 25
laps
October 3 Hatfield, PA Hatfield
Speedway ARDC 50 laps
1955
Jersey City, NY Roosevelt Stadium
August 27 Jersey City, NY Roosevelt
Stadium 100 laps
Brenn
Offy
September 17 Raleigh, NC Raleigh
Speedway 25 laps
September 19 Greensboro, NC Greensboro
Fgds
Morristown, NJ
All midget features won, above, in
1955, were under NASCAR sanction.
Charlie Miller lost his life on
September 24, 1955 in a URC sprint car race at Shelby, NC.
Johnny Thomson - One of the
very best drivers. Oh, he drove other
sprint cars, too. He was also a stand
out driver in Indy cars. He was fatally
injured at the Allentown, PA track some years after we lost Schindler, but was
driving the same car that Schindler took his last ride in.
How time flies:
Hard to believe it's been
over a week already when so many family members made it down to Cape Coral to
help me celebrate my 78th. A bunch of us
were really contemplating taking in the Modified shows at Volusia this coming
February, but for some, the cost is quite prohibitive - especially for those
that remain up in New York.
Duke Nalon - One of the good
runners at the Indy 500. Sad to say, I
never saw him race this car.
Found
on Jayski:
http://www.jayski.com/
Stewart to retire after 2016 season:
Tony
Stewart, a three-time Sprint Cup Series champion, plans to retire after the
2016 season, team and industry sources told ESPN's Marty Smith. Mired in one of
the worst seasons of his career at 25th in the standings, Stewart will run one
final season before handing over the driving duties of the Stewart-Haas Racing
#14 Chevy to Clint Bowyer, sources said. #15-Bowyer is driving for Michael
Waltrip Racing in 2015, but that team is closing operations after the season.
He does not currently have a ride for 2016. Stewart won the Sprint Cup in 2002,
2005 and 2011. He missed out on the Chase for the Sprint Cup this year after
posting zero wins and two top-10s leading up to the Chase. The 45-year-old
Stewart is tied for 13th in career victories with 48. Stewart, who has 582
career Cup starts, missed the final 15 races of the 2013 season with a broken
leg suffered in a sprint car accident. He missed three races last season after
the sprint car he was racing struck and killed 20-year-old Kevin Ward Jr., who
had approached Stewart's car on foot at Canandaigua Motorsports Park.(ESPN.com)(9-27-2015)
Bowyer to announce plans, to the #51 in
2016:
HScott
Motorsports is expected to announce next weekend at Dover that Bowyer will
drive the #51 Chevy in 2016. The announcement will come after Wednesday's press
conference, which will detail Bowyer's eventual move to Stewart-Haas Racing
Chevy in 2017. Multiple sources have confirmed that Tony Stewart will be
stepping out from the behind the wheel of the #14 at the conclusion of next
season. Sponsor 5-hour Energy will continue with Bowyer at HScott.(Motorsport.com)(9-27-2015)
Truex Jr. re-signs with Furniture Row Racing,
team to move to Toyota:
#78 Furniture Row Racing (FRR) has re-signed Martin Truex Jr. for 2016 -
and beyond. "It's not just the place, it's the people - especially this
year," Truex said. "Last year almost made me want to retire. It's
funny what a year and a couple of different people can bring to the
table." Furniture Row Racing is expected to switch to Toyotas in 2016,
forming a technical alliance with Joe Gibbs Racing from which it will receive
chassis and engines. Furniture Row Racing will become just one of two factory-backed
Toyota teams in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series next season. Furniture Row will
remain a single-car team next season. Chevrolet officials confirmed FRR would
not continue to field Chevrolets next season.(Motorsport), a Toyota news
conference is scheduled for Sunday morning at New Hampshire Motor Speedway to
announce new partner.(9-26-2015)
UPDATE:
Furniture Row Racing announced at New Hampshire Motor Speedway that it
has entered into a partnership with Toyota Motor Sales U.S.A., Inc. (TMS) to
field Toyota Camrys for driver Martin Truex Jr. starting with the 2016 NASCAR
Sprint Cup Series season. The Denver, Colorado-based team also announced that
it has picked up Truex's contract option for 2016. By joining the Toyota NASCAR
fleet, the single-car Furniture Row Racing team will enter into a technical
alliance with Joe Gibbs Racing and have Toyota Racing Development, U.S.A. (TRD)
build engines for the #78 Furniture Row Camrys. "As we continue our quest
to be a contender for this year's Sprint Cup championship, it's hard not to
feel the excitement and enthusiasm of becoming an integral partner with Toyota
next season," said Joe Garone, president and general manager of Furniture
Row Racing. "The added resources and technical support that Toyota will
provide, along with having a technical alliance with Joe Gibbs Racing,
definitely increases the growth potential for our team. The track record of Toyota
and Joe Gibbs Racing speaks for itself. They are both proven winners with an
unyielding commitment to raising the performance bar in the NASCAR Sprint Cup
Series."
Toyota, which joined the NASCAR Sprint Cup
Series in 2007 and partnered a year later with Joe Gibbs Racing, is thrilled
about the addition of Furniture Row Racing to its roster. "Partnering with
Furniture Row Racing is a great fit for Toyota and we look forward to the team
fielding a Camry in the NASCAR Cup Series in 2016," said Ed Laukes, vice president
of marketing, performance and guest experience for Toyota Motor Sales (TMS),
U.S.A. "Furniture Row Racing has proven to be a race-winning organization
and we are confident the technical alliance with Joe Gibbs Racing will make
Camrys even more competitive and improve performance on the race track. We
welcome Furniture Row to the Toyota Racing family and are thrilled to have a
championship-caliber driver like Martin Truex Jr. back in the Toyota
lineup."
Garone, who has been with Furniture Row Racing
since its inception (2005), expressed his gratitude to Chevrolet and to Richard
Childress Racing (RCR). "I want to thank Chevrolet for its support the
past 10 seasons and to Richard Childress Racing as our Chevrolet technical
alliance partner since 2010," said Garone. "The support from
Chevrolet and RCR has helped our growth pattern." Garone said that he and
team owner Barney Visser were happy to pick up the contract option for Truex, a
Chase qualifier, who is in his second season as the Furniture Row Racing
driver. His season totals to date include one win, seven top fives, 17 top-10s
and 536 laps led. "Martin has done a terrific job driving our #78 race car
to a victory and into the Chase," said Garone. "He and crew chief
Cole Pearn have established an outstanding chemistry. We look forward to having
Martin as the Furniture Row Racing driver in 2016 and beyond."
The 35-year-old Truex said he is ready and
anxious to drive the Furniture Row car in 2016 and rejoin Toyota. He drove a
Toyota Camry for four seasons as a member of the Michael Waltrip Racing team
from 2010 through 2013. "I am happy to continue in my role with Furniture
Row Racing and feel that we've just begun a growth spurt that will take us to a
new level," said Truex. "It's a great organization and Barney
(Visser, team owner) gives us whatever we need to be successful. I know the
folks from Toyota and I am looking forward to being part of their team again.
They build fast engines and having a technical alliance with the
highly-successful Joe Gibbs Racing is an added bonus to our program. While our
primary focus right now is on the Chase, I am eagerly looking forward to what
is in store for our Furniture Row Racing team."
Furniture Row Racing made its NASCAR debut in
2005, competing in 10 NASCAR XFINITY Series (NXS) races and two NASCAR Sprint
Cup Series (NSCS) events that season. The team has qualified for the Chase in
two of the last three seasons and was the first single-car team to earn a Chase
berth.(Furniture Row Racing)(9-27-2015)
Updated Chicago TV Ratings:
NASCAR's
ratings slump has continued into the Chase For the Cup. NASCAR Sprint Cup
racing from Chicago, the first race in the Chase For the Cup, earned a 1.8
overnight rating on NBCSN Sunday afternoon - down 18% from last year on ESPN
(2.2). The 2013 race featured multiple rain delays and moved from ESPN to
ESPN2, earning a 1.6 overnight across both networks. The 1.8 overnight is the
third-lowest of the season for NASCAR on any network, ahead of only Richmond
the previous week (1.7) and Kansas on Fox Sports 1 in May (1.5). It is also the
lowest for a Sunday NASCAR race this season. Despite the lower numbers, NASCAR
on NBCSN topped competing coverage of the PGA Tour FedEx Cup on the NBC
broadcast network (1.3) and was Sunday's top non-NFL sporting event in the
metered markets.(Sports Media Watch)(9-22-2015)
UPDATE:
NASCAR Sprint
Cup racing from Chicago, the first race in the Chase For the Cup, earned 3.2
million viewers on NBCSN Sunday afternoon - down 13% from last year on ESPN
(3.7M). The 2013 race was delayed multiple times due to rain and moved from
ESPN to ESPN2, averaging 2.7 million across the two networks. Excluding
rainouts, Sunday's race ranks as the least-watched Chase For the Cup telecast
ever (109 telecasts dating back to 2004). The previous low was 3.5 million for
New Hampshire in 2012. The 30 least-watched Chase races have each aired on
cable. It also ranks as the least-watched edition of NASCAR's Chicago race
(dates back to 2001). The previous low, again excluding rainouts, was last
year's 3.7 million. A decade ago, the race hit the 9.0 million mark on the NBC
broadcast network.(Sports Media Watch / ShowBuzz Daily)
See past race TV Ratings, five-year comparison
chart and more on the 2015 TV Ratings page.(9-25-2015)
New Hampshire TV Ratings:
NASCAR
continues to struggle in the first year of its new television deal. NASCAR
Sprint Cup racing from New Hampshire drew a 1.7 overnight rating on NBCSN
Sunday, down 23% from both last year and 2013, when the race aired on ESPN
(2.2). The 1.7 is tied as the second-lowest for any NASCAR race this season,
matching Richmond two weeks earlier and ahead of only Kansas on Fox Sports 1 in
May (1.5). So far this season, five Sprint Cup races have failed to hit a 2.0
overnight rating - compared to zero such races last year. Sunday's race was the
15th of 16 on cable this season to have a decline in overnight ratings, with
the July race from Kentucky the lone exception. This year is the first of a new
NASCAR TV deal that moved races to NBCSN and FS1 from the more widely available
ESPN and TNT.(ShowBuzz Daily / Sports Media Watch)
See past race TV Ratings, five-year comparison
chart and more on the 2015 TV Ratings page.(9-29-2015)
George Rice - I wasn't aware
that Rice had run sprint cars. Not sure
how many times he ran them, either. He
even drove sports cars for Cunningham.
Fro m Track Forum:
http://www.trackforum.com/forums/forum.php
http://www.trackforum.com/forums/showthread.php/198087-The-Re-signing-of-Honda
Note: as of 12:00 PM on Wednesday, this subject is
up to 9 pages.
From the Dirt Track
Digest Forum:
http://www.dirttrackdigest.com/DTD/
http://www.syracuse....cart_river_home
Len Duncan - Not much can be
said about the great Len Duncan. He had
quite a career back in the day. I'm not
positive as to just how old he was when he last raced - early 70's maybe?
From
the AARN:
New Egypt
Cancels Mid-Atlantic Championship Race, New Clay To Be Added
Lancaster US Open
RoC Modified Field Bows To Matt Hirschman
Don Kreitz, Jr.
Announces Retirement From Driving
Coby’s Last Lap
Spin Of Preece Ignites NASCAR Mod Tour Passions
Billy Decker’s
Late Race Charge Propels Him To Super DIRTcar Series Fonda Victory
Christopher Bell
Claims Silver Crown, Midget Wins At Eldora
Rich Lucas Oil
LM Knoxville Win Earned By Jared Landers
MacDonald Races
To Another ACT Loudon Win
Rich Lincoln
Dirt Classic Win Is Earned By Track Champ Montieth
And some more
from this weeks issue:
DIRTcar will
have a new sprint car division with the Chevrolet 602 Crate engine.
I have to agree
with Ernie Saxton about Indycar and their marketing efforts. Yes, it's far below what is needed to get
fans in the stands and get fans to watch the series on TV.
Note: The sad influx of American drivers - oval
track drivers, is, as far as this writer is concerned is one of the main
reasons that Indycar has fallen so much.
Personally, if things don't change soon, I can see the series
disappearing.
Very
interesting: The new location for Super
Dirt Weeek will be announced this Wednesday (Sep 30). A few tracks are being mentioned - Glenn
Donnelly's new facility, Oswego (with dirt put down over the pavement), Rolling
Wheels (needs more seating) and Vernon Downs, a 7/8 mile harness horse track,
which runs from April into November.
Also, more seating would have to be added.
The winner of
the first two modified races at Syracuse, Buzzie Reutimann, is going to return
to the "Moody Mile" to observe this years race. Buzzie is still winning races down here in
Florida.
AJ Romano, will
be retiring from Big Block Modified racing after a 33 year career. One reason:
He'll be moving to North Carolina.
One kind of gets
the idea that there are some tracks that are, more or less, ganging up against
OCFS, since OCFS is no longer a DIRTcar sanctioned track. Now the WoO Sprint Cars have a race scheduled
on October 25th, the Sunday of Eastern States at OC, at the Weedsport track.
Donnie Schatz
won his 30th WoO Sprint Car feature of the year. However, he's quite a way behind Steve
Kinser, who, in 1987, won 46 WoO features.
Jeff Gordon has
now run in 789 consecutive Cup races, a record.
Scott Goodrich
has now won 8 features with the CRSA Sprint Car group. His missing some races earlier in the season
has kept him out of winning the championship.
Interesting -
the USAC Sprint Cars and Midgets each had 20 cars enter their events at
Eldora. And, at another race there, the
Sprint Cars pulled in 25 cars. A WoO
Sprint Car race was able to draw 31 entrants.
Looking forward
to some indoor racing, on January 2nd, there's racing in Allentown, PA, on the
29th and 30th, it's Atlantic City and on February 26th & 27th, it's
Trenton, NJ.
Note: Showing my age here - Back in the late 50's,
the TQ's raced weekly in the Teaneck NJ Armory.
And who can forget the many midget races held in the Kingsbridge Armory,
in the Bronx? There were a few other
indoor tracks that ran mostly TQ's and midgets indoors up in the northeast
during the winter months. I must note
that there were very few cancellations due to weather back then, too.
The North East
Motor Sports Museum, which will be located in New Hampshire, near the New
Hampshire track in Loudon, has broken ground, and has an expected beginning of
construction late this fall. I do know
that I do have a few things in a book that has come out about this facility.
Russ Klar - I always enjoyed
watching Russ race. He was one of my
late wife's favorite drivers. Of course,
him letting her sit in the TQ he was driving in the Teaneck, NJ Armory, might have
had a little to do with that.
Former OVRP
Dirt Oval racers:
At I-88, Anthony Perrego was 4th in the 50 lap Greg
Page Consruction race.
In the CRSA Sprint feature, Joe Kata was 7th, Emily
VanInwegen 10th, Josh Pieniazek 12th, Brian Krummel 18th and Chuck Alessi 23rd.
At Thunder Mountain, in the Short Track Super Series,
Anthony Perrego was 3rd.
Winter Mead was a DNQ in the Grit American Racing
Series Crate 602 feature.
At Fonda in the King of Dirt Racing Series for DIRT
Crate Sportsman, at Fonda, Matt Pappa was 10th
Rich Coons was 2nd and Kyle Redner 8th in the
358/Sportsman feature at Bethel.
Bobby Hackel was 5th in the Sportsman feature at West
Haven, VT.
Wow! Seems that
is about it for where former OVRP Dirt Oval racers have run this past
week/weekend, from the results I've found in this weeks AARN.
Some Pocono
News:
September 29, 2015 12:00 PM
·
LONG POND, Pa. (AP) -- Pocono Raceway
has added a race from NASCAR's Xfinity Series to its 2016 schedule.
The second-tier series will run at Pocono for the first time on
June 4. It's the first time the series has held a race in Pennsylvania since
2004 at Nazareth Speedway.
Pocono is traditionally the site of two NASCAR Sprint Cup
weekends. The Truck Series also is back for another year and will hold a race
on July 30.
The two Cup dates at Pocono are June 5 and July 31.
The track also has held an IndyCar Series race the last three
seasons. Pocono has yet to announce if the series will return in 2016.
Pocono CEO Brandon Igdalsky said Tuesday that a decision should
be made within the week.
''We want five big events in five months and IndyCar is in that
plan,'' he told The Associated Press. ''We just have to figure out how to make
it work for everybody.''
IndyCar returned to Pocono in 2013 after a 24-year absence for
the first race of a three-year contract. Ticket sales at Pocono have been soft
the last two years. The race date was moved this season to August after two
years around the July 4 weekend.
''We have to make it financially
successful,'' Igdalsky said. ''We've got to at least cover our costs or we're
in big trouble.''
http://sports.yahoo.com/news/pocono-raceway-adds-nascar-race-2016-lineup-154934446--nascar.html
Interesting,
to say the least:
Checking out the schedule for Eastern States, I found
this:
"OK,
so what's the story now? At OCFS, for ESW, it's being said that time trials for
the modifieds will be on Friday NIGHT. Yet, this is on the OCFS website:
"Racing begins on Friday, October 23. The Fairgrounds and pits open at
9:30 am, with the car inspection beginning at 10:30 am and spectator gates at
11:00 am. Following car inspections, drivers meeting, and draw, on-track
practice for time trials for the Big-Block Modified and Sportsman division and
a hot lap session for the Small-Block Modifieds begins at 1:00 pm. After time
trials are complete, Sportsman heats precede Modified heats, Sportsman
consolation races, and the Sportsman and Modified Dashes for Cash" and now
this: "Full weekend of racing, Friday
night features the Modifieds doing time trials and heats along with a full
show of Sportsman and small block hot laps." So, OCFS, which is it? I'd
post this on their website, but I'm forbidden to post there.
Note: Apparently the part that said Time Trials on
Friday NIGHT, has been deleted. Damned
if I can find it, now.
Upcoming
Modified race/TV dates
September
& October:
NHIS race Sept.19, TV Oct.1, 7-8PM
Stafford race Oct.4, TV Oct.10, 4-5PM
Charlotte (Southern Tour) race Oct.8, TV
Oct.15, 7-8PM
Thompson race Oct.18, TV Oct.22, 8-9PM
All on NBCSN
I imagine
that a majority of race fans here in the Northeast have been waiting to see
this:
WELL SUPER
DIRT WEEK WILL BE AT CNYRP FOR THE NEXT 10 YEARS WHAT IS EVERYBODYS OPIONON ON
THIS
Note the
above is copied from a post on Facebook.
Of course the main questions asked are about the size of the track. It's always been said it would be 1/2 mile. Maybe now it just might grow a little, maybe
to 3/4 mile? In my opinion, it should
not be too difficult to make it bigger than 1/2 mile, since they're still in
the process of just moving dirt around.
Let's hope for a mild winter so work can get done.
http://www.syracuse.com/news/index.ssf/2015/09/cuomo_dirt_week_will_be_at_donnellys_new_track_in_oswego_county.html
And a
little more on this:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=youtu.be&v=5z7uBpf003A&app=desktop
Towards
the end, Mr. Donnelly says the dirt track will be open by Memorial Day, 2016.
emails:
Here's an
interesting bit of news:
By The Associated Press
Posted Sep. 29, 2015 at 6:43 PM
Updated at 6:49 PM
NEW YORK — A federal
appeals court says it is constitutional for New York state to ban merchants
from passing along credit-card transaction fees to their customers.
The 2nd U.S. Circuit
Court of Appeals ruled Tuesday in Manhattan.
It overturned a
lower-court judge who had sided with five businesses, including a hair salon,
an ice cream parlor and a liquor store. They had claimed in a 2013 lawsuit that
the law violated their First Amendment and due process rights.
The lawsuit pertained to
a fee each merchant must pay to the credit-card issuer each time a customer
charges a purchase.
Attorney General Eric
Schneiderman applauded the ruling.
Press Releases:
NEWS FROM
Orange County Fair
CONTACT
Mike Gurda
845-342-2573
VETERAN ORANGE COUNTY RACERS SEEK
EASTERN STATES GOLD
Former winners looking for a return to
Victory Lane
MIDDLETOWN,
NY (September 28)……..Four veteran drivers who are also previous Eastern States
victors and Orange County Fair Speedway Big-Block Modified point champions are
looking to a return to Victory Lane in the headline Eastern States 200, Sunday,
October 25 at the historic Middletown, New York five-eighths-mile “Hard Clay”
race track. The four, who compete weekly at the speedway, include 1988 winner
Rich Eurich, 2000 victor Chuck McKee, 2007 winner Jeff Heotzler, and 2009
titlist Jerry Higbie. The entire October 23-25 54thAnnual Eastern States Weekend is presented by Halmar
International, WLR Construction, and Arkel Motors.
In
addition to their Eastern States 200 trophies, this quartet of long-time Orange
County racers own a combined total of 15 Big-Block Modified track point
championships. McKee tops this ranking with five titles; Heotzler has
four, while Eurich and Higbie each have earned three point championships.
They
will be challenged by a star-studded lineup of Big-Block Modified drivers from
the entire Northeast dirt track Modified circuit as well as the other highly
talented Orange County weekly competitors for the trophy and top prize money in
this prestigious event. With $35,000 going to the winner---and $500
just for making the starting field---this will be the richest Eastern States
200 Championship race in history.
One
Orange County driver who has yet to taste Eastern States 200 victory champagne
is two-time Modified point champion Tim Hindley. Hindley has finished third in
each of the past two double-century races. He would like nothing more than to
add his name to this honor role of outstanding Modified competitors.
Time
trials and qualifying races for the Eastern States 200 will take place on
Friday, October 23, with last chance consolation races set for Sunday prior to
the 2:30 pm start of the 200. Also on Sunday, the Street Stocks will compete in
qualifying races leading to their 25-lap Eastern States championship race.
On
Eastern States Sunday, the fairgrounds and pits open at 8:00 am, with spectator
gates opening at 9:00 am. On-track activities begin at 9:30 am with the annual
Pit Party when all fans are invited to join the racers along the track’s
historic homestretch. Cars from all Orange County’s racing divisions will be on
display, and drivers will be on hand to greet fans and sign autographs.
Following the Pit Party, hot laps and racing promptly gets under way.
Advance
tickets for Sunday or the entire Eastern States Weekend as well as camping and
parking permits are available at the Speedway Office during regular business
hours, or credit card sales (Visa and MasterCard) by calling 845-342-2573.
Additional information can be found at the official Orange County Fair Speedway
website, www.orangecountyfairspeedway.net.
News from the
Short Track Super Series Fueled By Hi-Tek
Media Contact: Brett Deyo – bdmotorsportsmedia@gmail.com or 845.728.2781
For Immediate
Release/September 30, 2015
Championship On The Line Saturday At I-88 Speedway October 10 For Short
Track Super Series Bob Hilbert Sportswear North Region; Stewart Friesen Aims
For $15,000 Title, List Of Contenders Battle For Share Of $38,000-Plus STSS
North Region Point Fund
AFTON, NY – A championship is on the line when the
Short Track Super Series Fueled By Hi-Tek rolls into I-88 Speedway next
weekend.
On Friday-Saturday
October 9-10, the Afton Fairgrounds becomes a hub of activity with the running
of the Halmar International Short Track SuperNationals 8 presented by Olum’s.
The two-day ‘Working Man’s Race’ has become more lucrative for competitors and
intriguing for race fans.
Headlining the
event is the Short Track Super Series Fueled By Hi-Tek (STSS) finale for the
Bob Hilbert Sportswear North Region. Not only is the 50-lap race paying $5,000
to win, $1,000 for 10th and
$500 to take the green flag, there is also a $15,000 championship at stake and
much more for those battling to earn a top-12 position in the final STSS North
Region standings. The North Region point fund alone tops $38,000!
Seven of the eight
Bob Hilbert Sportswear North Region events have now been completed. The most
recent event was contested at Thunder Mountain Speedway in Center Lisle, N.Y.,
on Sunday (Sept. 27).
Stewart Friesen earned the MjH Oilfield Wade Decker
Memorial $5,140 payday at Thunder Mountain and extended his lead in the
standings. Friesen has won four of seven events this year (N.Y.’s Orange County
Fair Speedway, I-88 Speedway, N.Y.’s Woodhull Raceway and Thunder Mountain) and
finished second twice with the potent Jeff Daley No. 44.
Friesen plans to
make his return to the Short Track SuperNationals for the first time since the
event’s 2011 edition in an attempt to claim the STSS North Region crown. The
Sprakers, N.Y., driver has accrued 665 points this season.
A tight battle for
second involves three drivers: Danny Johnson of Rochester, N.Y. (556 points),Anthony Perrego of Montgomery, N.Y. (522 points) and Andy Bachetti of
Sheffield, Mass. (521 points). Veteran Jeff Heotzler of Wallkill, N.Y., completes the
top-five with 449 points.
Rounding out the
top-10, currently, entering the finale are Billy Van Pelt of Westfield, Pa. (425 points); Danny Creeden of
Wurtsboro, N.Y. (424 points); Jackie Brown Jr. of Hurley, N.Y. (410 points); Mike Mahaney of King Ferry, N.Y. (403 points); and Tommy Meier of
Waldwick, N.J. (392 points).
The top-12 drivers
in the standings will share in point fund money at the December STSS Awards
Banquet. Jeff Strunk of
Boyertown, Pa. (337 points) and Jerry Higbie Jr. of Newburgh, N.Y. (327 points)
sit 11th and 12th,
respectively.
As the series
finale, increased ‘Championship Points’ will be awarded: 150 to the event
winner, 60 for last and 35 markers for those on hand failing to make the main
event.
Two very busy days
of racing are planned during the SuperNationals weekend.
On Friday, Open
vs. Crate 602 Sportsman headline the program with a $1,500-to-win feature, 35
laps in distance, offering Crate 602 bonuses of $200, $100, $75, $50 and a free
pit pass for Saturday. Also competing on Friday: XCel 600 Modifieds in a
$1,000-to-win tour race, newly added Street Stocks offering $500 to win thanks
to Green’s Flag Car Service, Empire Lightning Sprints, Empire Sport Trucks, FWD
Four Cylinders and an open practice for Modified teams. A Dash will be held for
the fastest Modifieds in practice giving away a redraw position for Saturday’s
main.
For Friday, gates
open at 3 p.m., with hot laps at 6 p.m. and racing at 7 p.m.
Friday grandstand
admission is $12 for Adults, $10 for Seniors (ages 65 and up), $8 for Students
(ages 9-17) and Kids 8 and under are FREE. Pit admission is $30, with no
license required.
Saturday’s program
is jam-packed with racing. Of course, the 50-lap STSS Modified finale tops the
card, but there is much more. Also in action: Crate 602 Sportsman under the
GRIT American Series banner racing for $1,000 to win, XCel 600 Modifieds in a
$1,000-to-win tour race, Empire Lightning Sprints ($500 to win) and a Vintage
Modified exhibition.
The Saturday
program will be split into an afternoon and evening program.
Gates open at 1
p.m. Hot laps for Crate 602 Sportsman, XCel 600 Mods, Lightning Sprints and
Vintage Modifieds hit the track at 3 p.m. with qualifying for the
aforementioned classes and the Vintage feature at 3:45 p.m. Modified hot laps begin at 6 p.m. with
qualifying at 6:30 p.m.
Grandstand
admission for Saturday is $20 for Adults. Seniors (ages 65 and up) pay $18.
Students (ages 9-17) are $12. Kids 8 and under are FREE. Pit admission is $35,
with no license required.
Pre-registration
is now underway. The early entry deadline for Modified, Open Sportsman and
Crate 602 Sportsman reduced car entry is October 1.
Entry forms can be
found at the links below.
Modified: http://bdmotorsportsmedia.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/SuperNationalsModifiedEntry.pdf
Open Sportsman: http://bdmotorsportsmedia.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/SuperNationalsOpenSportsmanEntry.pdf
Crate 602 Sportsman: http://bdmotorsportsmedia.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/SuperNationalsCrateSportsmanEntry.pdf
Reserved camping spots, limited in number
with electricity and proximity to water, can be obtained by completing the
following form: http://bdmotorsportsmedia.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/ReservedCampingFormSuperNationals.pdf
Registration, rules, detailed weekend info
and more can be found online atwww.shorttracksuperseries.com under “Events” and “Short Track
SuperNationals” on the main menu. Registration forms have been posted for the
Modified, Open vs. Crate 602 Sportsman and Crate 602 Sportsman divisions.
To learn more about the Short Track Super
Series or BD Motorsports Media LLC, visitwww.shorttracksuperseries.com or www.bdmotorsportsmedia.com, call 845.728.2781 or e-mailbdmotorsportsmedia@gmail.com. “Like”
Short Track Super Series on Facebook or follow @ShortTrackSS on Twitter.
I-88 Speedway is located conveniently off
I-88 Exit 7 (Afton), approximately 25 miles north and east of Binghamton, at 46
East Main Street Afton, N.Y. 13730. There is plentiful space for parking and
camping. To learn more about I-88 Speedway, visit www.i-88speedway.com.
Found on the
Internet:
I read that former Modified driver Charles
"Sonny" Strupp has passed on to the great speedway in the skies.
http://news10.com/2015/09/30/governor-cuomo-urges-new-yorkers-to-prepare-for-severe-weather-conditions/
Note: I hope this doesn't interfere with SDW.
Hmmm, might this be the beginning?
This Mayor
Announced HUGE Plan to STOP Welfare Thugs – Liberals HATE This!
Read more: http://www.thepoliticalinsider.com/this-mayor-announced-huge-plan-to-stop-welfare-thugs-liberals-hate-this/#ixzz3nFwUTo6q
Video:
A musical duet with Glen Campbell and Johnny Cash:
https://youtu.be/upvX4YLgkes
This week's joke:
“Sitting on the side of the
highway waiting to catch speeding drivers, a State Police Officer sees a car
puttering along at 22 mph. He thinks to himself, this driver is just as
dangerous as a speeder!” So he turns on his lights and pulls the driver over.
Approaching the car, he notices that there are five
old ladies — two in the front seat and three in the back — wide-eyed and white
as ghosts.”
“The driver, obviously confused, says to him,
‘Officer, I don’t understand, I was doing exactly the speed limit! What seems
to be the problem?’
‘Ma’am,’ the officer replies, ‘you weren’t speeding,
but you should know that driving slower than the speed limit can also be a
danger to other drivers.’
‘Slower than the speed limit? No sir, I was doing
the speed limit exactly … 22 miles an hour!’ the old woman says a bit proudly.”
“The State Police officer, trying to contain a
chuckle, explains to her that 22 was the route number, not the speed limit.
A bit embarrassed, the woman grinned and thanked the
officer for pointing out her error.
‘But before I let you go, Ma’am, I have to ask… Is
everyone in this car OK? These women seem awfully shaken and they haven’t
muttered a single peep this whole time,’ the officer asks.
‘Oh, they’ll be all
right in a minute, Officer. We just got off Route 119.’ ”
Share
if this one gave you a good chuckle!
Until my next column – next week
Columns are
available on the Dirt Track Digest at: http://www.dirttrackdigest.com/ at Contributing Columnists
And:
http://newenglandtractor.com/racereport/
Just in case anyone wants to
contact me. My email is:
ygordad@yahoo.com