Racin'
& Internet Stuff:
By Tom
Avenengo
01/27/2011
First:
Has it been cold enough for ya? How about snow – want more? Sure is some wicked “wintry” weather we’ve been having, that’s for sure!
Second:
My hat goes off to Jeff Johnson, he of New England Tractor website, for working through an awful lot of pain and getting my photo article up, last week. “Old racing injuries” is what he says has now caused more problems, and he says that every driver than can, should use a self containment seat and a HANS device.
Third:
Seeing some videos and still pictures of Shane Hmiel – after his wicked accident last year, and figuring that he had a HANS device on, I do imagine that in some cases, even the use of that safety item isn’t enough. On Facebook, they usually keep us well informed as to how Shane is progressing. Hopefully, in the future, he’ll be able to get around without any assistance. However, I believe his racing days are over.. That’s a shame, too, since he was really getting to be a pretty good open wheel driver.
Fourth:
Again, I don’t get anything from this, but if you’re a race driver and race a vehicle that has a roll cage and you’re belted in, then check out this insurance: http://www.stida.com/
And,
speaking of insurance, have you, the race drivers that read this – ever asked
how much insurance the track has where you race?
Fifth:
On occasions, I get e-mails from what’s in my columns or about my photo articles. Late on Monday afternoon, I receive this, below, from Wayne Keller, son of the late Al Keller, after I had sent him the link to my photo article of last week:
“Hello
Tom,
I
want to thank you for continuing to cc on emails such as this. I did not
get much of a chance to go racing very much with my Dad and when I did it was
but to a hand full of races late in his career when I was 15 – 16 yrs
old. Shortly after I got to spend some time with him I did get to go to a
few races and he took me to Indy and I got to meet AJ, Parnelli, Bobby Marshman, Eddie Sachs and Roger Ward - all in one
afternoon in the garage area at the track – REAL BIG DEAL for a skinny little
kid from Medina, New York!!! Same day we went
to Tony Hulman’s home to a seemingly impromptu party / dinner with
many of the racers present. Quite the day for me.
I have been trying to gather as much info on my Dad as I
can – kind’a like making up for lost time, so to speak. BTW - that was a
true story about the glove a fan gave back to my father at Langhorne a year a
after he had a bad wreck – Dad’s thumb was still in the glove – I saw it
personally when I lived with my Dad in Greenacres City, FL - I was 16 and going
to school in Lake Worth, FL. He was telling
me about his racing career and looking at his trophy room and he pulled out
this old glove and told me the story about the accident and the guy giving him
the glove back a year or so later and out dropped the thumb – from the entire
first knuckle!
I have a neat story I’ll write you back about next time – its about my Dad, Daytona and a real old check!
Thanks Tom!!
Sixth:
In a couple of weeks, a lot of the Modified race teams
from up here in the north will be heading south, down to
Except for the John Wight name, some other names might have been “*” out.
“Given the amount of money that they race
for in volusia coupled with the rising fuel costs I can't say as though I blame
John Wight for not sending his fleet of modifieds down there. It's gotta be
hard to even break even on a trip to
“Wow, but what ***** *** said is dead on. The mods get paid terrible, especially when you consider there are zero local teams to draw from - every car in the field has to come 1000+ miles. It's usually a good race but it's so incredibly not worth it.”
“Probably because the late model races pay decently, and Tim & Larry are running with the WoO, some of those races at Volusa are point races.”
“Even though WRG owns the both WoO series and DIRTcar, they are pretty much all run as seperate entities. Just ask Tim McCreadie, the WoO officials were very unhappy with him running a modified at the World Championships and went out of their way to make it very tough on him to do both. Usually when you have a driver running both your series they try to work with you.”
“More and more people I've talked to have stopped going to Volusia in the past few years and most of them cite the same reason ... money. John Wight may have a lot of money, but he didn't get rich by pissing his money away on non-profitable ventures. Volusia is fun, but it's not really a money maker for anyone but WRG and the track.”
“Numbers don't lie! If you win all 4 nights
of mod racing, you take home 11,000$. If you win the 4 late model features
those exact same nights you take home 37,000$. And with the late models there
are 2 more 7000$ to win nights that week so add another potential 14,000$ to
the winners take. In addition they can race at
All that makes towing modifieds to
Link: http://www.dirttrackdigest.com/forums/topic/37657-gypsum-mods-skipping-volusia/
Seventh:
As most of you know, I was brought up watching the midgets of the ARDC. Unfortunately, today, the ARDC races at tracks where I don’t get to go to. At least it’s that way, so far, for the 2011 season. These last few years, they have raced at Accord, and have put on some real good racing, too. So far, for 2011, they’re not listed to go to the “Big A”. It’s my unerstanding that there could possibly still be some talks gong on between the ARDC and Accord. Last I had heard, there was this, posted on the ARDC’s message board, regarding the two:
“
As for OCFS and the ARDC – that seems to be a no-go. Word I’ve had is that OCFS was not too happy with the car turnout the ARDC had the last time they ran there (forget when that was). And, there are quite a few that think the big 5/8 mile hard clay track is too big for the midgets. Uh huh. Hey “back in the day” tracks of up to a mile were not too big for the midgets. But the ARDC is different today, so………… Also, forget about an Accord on Friday night and OCFS on Saturday night for the ARDC. There’s one little problem with that
Eigth:
Rumors – you gotta love ‘em. There have been rumors going around that OCFS will go back to being sanctioned by DIRT in 2011. If that was to be all classes, then I’d be against it, for now, just because of the lower classes – especially the Sportsman class because they utilize both crate and race or open engines in that class. A DIRT sanction for that class would eliminate the cars not powered by the crate engines. And tires – DIRT is Hoosier and OCFS is American Racer.
Now, prior to me closing out this weeks column, I thought I’d check out the Internet to see if there might be something that might be of interest – for my column. Well, low and behold, a “rumor” has appeared on one of the message boards.forums that I frequent. Here it is:
“39726.
by goldenbolt,
01/26/11 6:14 PM
To be DIRT Sanctioned,as I was told today by a little birdie on the wall.”
Personally, I can see this probably working – DIRT sanction just for the big blocks, in 2011. Heck, that’s what is done at the Valley, I believe?
If so, could the DIRT sanction entice Brett Hearn to run OC in 2011? There have been rumors of his return if OC went DIRT. How about Danny Johnson? It’s being said – and/or rumored, that Danny will be at Accord on Friday nights in a Sherlock owned # 10, and then at New Egypt on Saturday’s in a Petruska # 66. Could his Saturday night track change?
Going back, in time:
Note: Most of the following information was found
here:
http://www.wheelsofspeed.com/history.html
Covering the days of
January 14th to 27th:
JANUARY 14
1982
Johnny Matera ... Died ... AAA
driver from the 1930's and 40's.
1994
Myron Fohr ... Died ... AAA
driver from the 1940's.
1999
Thomas Binford, founding member
of USAC, former USAC president and Indy 500 Chief Steward, dies of cerebral
hemorrhage in his office in Indianapolis, Indiana.
2001
Carl Hogan former CART team owner,
died at home in
JANUARY 15
1900
William Lynn Jr.... Born ... aka : "Tee Linn", used the alias to escape the
clutches of his prominent
1919
Bill Stroppe... Born ... Car
builder and off-road racer
1970
Rick Treadway... Born ... Indy Racing League driver. Finished 29th in the
2002 Indy 500
1978
Sonny Easley... Died ... Easley
was best known for competing in the NASCAR Winston West Series and a handful of
Winston Cup Series events. Easley tallied nine Winston West victories over his
career, including a victory in the first stock car race ever held at the Laguna
Seca Raceway road course. He finished 2nd in Winston West points on two
different occasions, in 1973 and 1975. In 19 career Cup starts, Easley had a
best finish of 5th place at the January 16, 1977 Winston Western 500 at
JANUARY 16
1930
Rollie Beale... Born ... USAC
driver from the 60's & 70's
1935
A.J. Foyt... Born ...
Considered by many as the greatest American automobile racing driver of all
time.
1944
Bill Tempero ... Born ... Indy
car driver. He raced in the CART Championship Car series from 1980 to 1984.
2007
Benny Parsons... Died ... BP
drove in Winston Cup for almost 20 years and won the 1973 championship, and is
the answer to a popular trivia question of who is the only driver to win
championships in Cup and ARCA (1969). In 1988 he retired from driving and went
straight into the TV booth, where he was a regular for ABC, ESPN, and from
2001-06 NBC; BP was the first star driver to make such a full-time career
change, and he became even more loved by the public because of it. Benny died
of cancer, he was 65.
JANUARY 17
1936
Mickey Rupp... Born ... Started the Rupp Kart Co. in 1959 that lasted until 1978.
Drove USAC Sprints & 1 Indy 500 (1965)
2000
Carl Forberg... Died ... Midget
driver, midget and sprint car owner, and Duane "Pancho" Carter's
father-in- law
JANUARY 18
1932
Johnny White... Born ... USAC
sprint & Indy car driver from the 1960's
1940
Pedro Rodriguez... Born ... F1 and sportscar racer.
1945
Jimmy Caruthers... Born ... USAC midget, sprint and Indy car driver from
1950
Gilles Villeneuve... Born ...
F1 driver
1951
John DePalma... Died ... AAA
driver, he was the brother of 1915 Indy winner Ralph DePalma and the uncle of
1925 Indy winner Pete DePaolo.
1968
Andy
Granatelli sued USAC for witholding his membership, preventing him from racing,
and passing "illegal" rules (broke 3-year engine rule) that crippled
his turbine-car racing effort.
1971
Christian Fittipaldi... Born ... Brazilian racing driver who competed in Formula One, Champ
Car and NASCAR.
JANUARY 19
1929
Red Amick... Born ... USAC
driver
1934
Don Nordhorn ... Born ... USAC
driver
1964
Joe Weatherly... Died ... NASCAR driver. He died from head injuries sustained
in a racing accident at the fifth race of the 1964 season at
1968
Ray Harroun ... Died ... The
winner of the first
JANUARY 20
1924
1929
Edward Glenn
"Fireball" Roberts, Jr.... Born ... Despite having his career cut
short and having never won a Grand National title, Fireball Roberts was named
one of NASCAR's 50 Greatest Drivers.
1967
Billy Foster ... Died ... The
first Canadian to ever race in the
JANUARY 21
1923
Jud Larson... Born ... He was a
hard-drinking, hard-driving racer, a colorful character from the days when few
drivers survived to retire, and roll cages were for sissies. Larson drove in
the USAC Championship Car series, racing in the 1956-1959 and 1964-1965 seasons
with 53 starts, including the 1958 and 1959
1942
Ernie Saxton... Born ... Columnist, Announcer, Motorsports Marketing and former
President of the
JANUARY 22
1908
Bob Sall ... Born ... AAA
Sprint car ace who later became NASCAR's Eastern field manager.
1949
URC , the United Racing Club, held its first awards dinner at
the Hotel Stacy-Trent in Trenton,
1975
Felipe Giaffone ... Born ...
Indy car driver, 6 Indy 500 starts. Best finish 3rd in 2002
1996
Bill Cantrell... Died ...
Midget, sprint and Indy car driver from the late 1930's to mid 50's and later
he became the West Coast supervisor for USAC.
JANUARY 23
1935
Jerry Grant... Born ... USAC Indy car driver from the 1960's & 70's.
Raced in 10 Indy 500's with a beat finish of 7th in 1970. Grant was the first
USAC driver to break 200 miles per hour. He accomplished the feat in qualifying
at the
1946
Don Whittington... Born ...
Road racing driver who ran also raced in five
1954
James McElreath... Born ... USAC Sprint Car driver, son of Jim McElreath.
1996
Cliff Griffith... Died ... AAA and USAC driver from the 1950's & 60's. He
drove in four Indy races, '51, '52, '56 and '61 with his best result, a 9th
place finish in 1952.
JANUARY 24
1918
Art Cross... Born ... One of the ARDC’s top drivers, and an AAA
driver. He was the first recipient of the
1936
Al Gordon... Died ... The 1933
AAA Pacific Coast champion and Indy 500 veteran died in a crash in what would
prove to be the last race held at Legion Ascot Speedway in Los Angeles
California, as the grandstands at the track burned down shortly after the race.
1946
Jerry Nemire... Born ... USAC
driver from the 1980's
JANUARY 25
1905
Arthur MacDonald of
1924
Lou Johnson... Born ... Eastern
stock, and sprint car driver. Two time URC Sprint Car Champion (1955 & 1959 )
1941
Buddy Baker ... Born ... NASCAR
driver and the son of two time winner of the NASCAR Championship and a Hall of
Fame member Buck Baker. Buddy retired from racing in 1992. He was an inductee
in the International Motorsports Hall of Fame in 1997 and was named one of
NASCAR's 50 Greatest Drivers in 1998.
1971
Jaques Lazier... Born ... Indy
Racing League driver and is the younger brother of 1996
JANUARY 26
1906
Fred Marriott sets a Land Speed
record of 127.659 mph on
1907
Doc Shanebrook... Born ... ARDC
and AAA driver 1930’s to 1950's
1925
Paul Newman... Born ... Actor, movie star, champion road racing driver and Indy
Car owner.
1936
Al Gordon... Died ... AAA
driver, died in a racing accident at Legion Ascot
1956
Nick Fornoro Jr.... Born ...
Eastern midget, sprint and supermodified driver. Son of one of the sport’s
premier flagman, and Chief Starter for the Championship Auto Racing Teams Indy
Car Series from 1979-1992 Nick Fornoro.
Many time ARDC driving champion.
1976
Scott Wimmer... Born ... NASCAR
driver
2003
Eddie Leavitt... Died ... Sprint car driver from the 1970's & 80's. He
was inducted into the National Sprint Car Hall of Fame in 2001 and was in the
Knoxville Raceway Hall of Fame. He was a two-time National Sprint Car Champion.
JANUARY 27
1934
George Follmer... Born ... One
of the most successful road racers of the 1970's also raced in the USAC
Championship Car series in the 1967-1971 and 1974 seasons.
1966
Craig Dollansky... Born ... World of Outlaws Sprint Car driver.
1990
Travis "Spider"
Webb... Died ... AAA driver, ran 6 Indy 500's
1996
Buzz Calkins won the very first
INDY Racing League race, the Indy 200 at
The History of the Sport:
January
27, 1979:
The
place: Atlantic City Convention Hall in
The
event: Indoor TQ races on 1/5 mile
track.
Difference: Back then, for this race, they started 24
cars – 8 rows with 3 cars per row – like the Indy 500.
Entrants: 40 cars signed in.
Race
length: 40 laps.
Some
participants: Jack Bertling (he’s
entered in this yrs race), Bob Cicconi, Dave Thompson, Joe Osite, Bruce
Kindberg, Lenny Boyd, Phil Davoulas, Mike Osite, Johnny Coy, Sr., Guy Cicconi,
George Ferguson, Jr., Bruce Landry, Tom White, George Kattau, Johnny Coy, Jr.,
Billy Courtwright, Pete Mourad and Jack Duffy
Billy
Courtwright had the fastest time trial with a lap of 12.074
Jack
Bertling qualified 32nd out of the 40 cars, which proved to be
beneficial, since the slower cars started up front.
Feature
finish – top 10:
1. Jack Bertling
2. Dave Thompson
3. Bob Cicconi
4. Lenny Boyd
5. Johnny Coy, Sr.
6. George Ferguson, Jr.
7. George Kattau
8. Johnny Coy, Jr.
9. Billy Courtwright
10. Tom White
More racin’ stuff:
From an Accord
Speedway press release:
“Accord
Found this, by Mike Kolka, on Dirt Track
Digest:
"I would like to extend an invitation to all business
that may be interested to join our team as we pursue this year’s goal to contact
me at mikejr@mikekolka.com. We are
currently scheduled to display our team in
Note # 1:
A car show in the Mall! When I
find out the dates, I’ll let ya know!
Note #2:
Forgetaboutit! Mike has now
posted this:
“Well I have
some bad news regarding the mall. It’s a no go now. To many requirements and no
available dates that would help us. Now this is not the town of
We are now going to look into an alternate location in the public’s eye. I
shall keep you posted.”
Some
Racin’ stuff from the AARN:
From
the January 11th issue:
Might
there be some scheduling problems with the 360 Sprint Car challenge race at
This
is the last year for the Hoosier Tire deal with DIRTcar.
There
will be an RoC race at the New Egypt Speedway on March
26th. Both Modified and
Sportsman cars will see action that night.
The
Knoxville Nationals, on August 10-13 will now be sanctioned by the WoO.
The
Knoxville Nationals will be televised, but the telecast will be two weeks after
the show.
Also,
it appears that there will be no live WoO races on TV, with only a few being
seen on tape delay. The WoO finals, from
Rick
Laubach won the New Egypt Modified championship. For that he received a check for $10,000.00
Look
for a possible $60,000.00 point fund for the URC in 2011.
At
the OCFS Banquet, the champions in the four divisions all received rings or
watches and American Racer jackets, along with trophies and a point fund
check. I believe the modified champion
got $3,500.00.
Speaking
of OCFS – it is now official – Ken Sands has left. It was said that he is purchasing a track in
Note: I’ve heard that as of now, no one particular
person would be taking Ken’s place, but that Mike Gurda would also fill those
shoes, himself.
Is
Albany/Saratoga for sale and if so, is Kim Duell a possibly buyer. If so, it’s said that the track would return
to weekly dirt racing.
There
was a photo, but no article, about the reopening of Mototown
Note: There was supposed to be some scheduled Kart
races this past Saturday, but not enough Karts showed up. I’m wondering if more should be said about
this place other than what’s been said on the 4 Cycle Forum – in order to get
more interest into racing indoors up there.
An
article about NEMA and their attempt to cut costs for their racers was on page
34. What I found rather interesting was
that it quoted prices for a set of steel rods at $1,000.00. Expensive? Not really when they also quote a price for a
single titanium rod also going for $1,000.00 per each.
John
Snyder was voicing his thoughts against the “Crate” engines in racing.
Note: I do know that quite a few drivers have come
out and said that if it weren’t for the “Crate” engines, they would not be
racing today. As for myself, I’m for the
“Crate” engines, BUT I feel they should have had an engine claimer rule in
effect. There are a lot of stories out
there about the legality of some of the “Crate” engines, and it’s also said
that teching on them leaves a lot to be deisired.
From
the January 18th issue:
There
were daily racing results and articles from each days racing at the Chili
Bowl. There was also an extra large
amount said, and pictured, about the up-coming motor sports show last weekend,
down in Oaks, PA.
Maybe
you’ve seen it, maybe not, but time trials for the Pocono races will now be on
Saturday instead of Friday. The same
goes for
Ernie
Saxton has this in his column: “Every
Promoter of a local short track racing facility should make a resolution to sit
in the grandstands during one of their events to find out what can be done to
improve their shows. Several would
probably find that long drawn out shows that take until midnight to finish are
not really crowd pleasers.”
Note: I could also add that it isn’t too crowd pleasing
when, due to too many classes on the nights schedule, that at times, the
complete show doesn’t get to be completed, and that features get held over,
creating more log jams at future nights of racing.
In
2011, it’s being said that the champion of the URC will get $12,000.00. 20th place will get an even
$1,000.00
Also,
the All Star Circuit of Champions champion will get $10,000.00
Kind of hard to believe that Jac Haudenschild is still looking for a
full time ride for on the road.
Stephanie
Stevens is leaving the ARDC in order to run a 305 Sprint Car. She’s planning on running in NY, NJ and
PA. When her schedule permits it, she
might also pick up a midget ride.
March
18th and 19th are the opening races for the RoC dirt
tour. The Small Blocks will run on the
18th and the Big Blocks on the 19th – both events being
at Selinsgrove.
Note: As of now I see seven RoC races to be held in
PA, with one in
Todd
Bodine is scheduled to race in the three different NASCAR racing series events
at Daytona – the Trucks, Nationwide and Cup.
Have
you read about the Richmond International Speedway going to “smokeless”
grandstands?
Note: I believe the covered stands at OCFS are
smokeless.
Another
name for that 5/8 mile track out in
At the DIRTcar UMP “Night of Champions” Awards Banquet, held out in
Note. There were other championships announced at
various other banquets, but no actual money figures were mentioned.
Additional
Racin’ stuff:
Some Jayski news:
NASCAR looking to
change qualifying rainout procedure: The days of the starting order being set
by rank in points when qualifying is rained out might be coming to an end.
Multiple sources said after Monday meetings with NASCAR that plans are in place
to set the qualifying order based on practice speeds, and the starting order
based on practice speeds if qualifying is rained out. The qualifying order
currently is set by a draw, with the team whose owner has the most owner points
picking first. Under the proposed plan, which is expected to be announced
Wednesday by chairman Brian France, the only way the
starting order will be based on points is if both practice and qualifying are
rained out. The sources said NASCAR remains consistent with its plan to change
the points structure to a 43-1 format, giving 43 points for first, 42 for
second and one point less for each spot through last.(ESPN.com)(1-25-2011)
NASCAR wants lane
stripes at Daytona: NASCAR will ask Daytona International Speedway to add
broken, white lane stripes between Turns 1 and 2 and Turns 3 and 4 before returning
in February. Sprint Cup director John Darby said before NASCAR returns for
Speed Weeks, the track will add lane markers in all the 31-degree banked areas.
"We've had some conversations with a few drivers and they've told us that
would be helpful to them when they are three wide in a draft," Darby said
Saturday. "The hash marks will give them some sort of a guide to
understand how much room they have above and below them. In talking with the
Stewart could be in
more trouble in Australia: The repercussions for the Tony Stewart fracas in
Australia may still reverberate, and Australian media is now reporting that not
only was the incident more serious than first reported, but that the
possibility of formal charges being filed is still a very real possibility.
After spending nearly a month in
Nationwide Series
scoring revealed: According to NASCAR officials, the only drivers who will
receive points in Nationwide Series races will be those eligible for the series
championship. Full-time Sprint Cup drivers running for that title are de facto
ineligible. The top Nationwide driver, however, won't
receive first-place points unless he or she wins the race. In other words, if
Justin Allgaier runs fourth behind Cup drivers Tony Stewart, Carl Edwards and
Kevin Harvickas was the case in last year's season-opening Nationwide race at Daytona International
Pastrana to make
NNS debut at Indy: Boost Mobile and Samsung Mobile will sponsor Travis Pastrana
when the action sports icon embarks on his NASCAR Nationwide Series career in
2011. Pastrana will drive the #99 Boost Mobile Toyota for Pastrana-Waltrip
Racing in seven Nationwide Series races this season, including a mid-summer
debut in Indianapolis designed to bridge NASCAR with the ESPN X Games. Pastrana
plans to compete in at least 20 races in 2012. See full story on Jayski's Nationwide Series
site.(1-23-2011)
Change in Sprint
Cup qualifying? NASCAR is considering a new system that would change the order
of qualifying. Instead of drawing for qualifying order as teams have done in
previous seasons, the qualifying order would at least in part be determined by
speed in the practice prior to qualifying. Teams in the Camping World Truck
Series already use the system [a few times in 2010]. "It is a possibility.
& We're throwing a bunch of ideas around in the
meetings with the teams," NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Director John Darby
said Friday. "We want to finish all the meetings, get everybody's input and
then finalize some stuff." The idea is to have the faster drivers, the
ones who will challenge for the pole, qualify near the end of the session and
add drama to the qualifying show. It is possible that the drivers not locked in
the field because their teams are outside the top 35 in owner points will still
be grouped together at the end of the session.(SceneDaily)(1-22-2011)
Some highlights
from Friday's NASCAR Press Conference: NASCAR president Mike Helton and vice
president of competition Robin Pemberton held a press conference at Daytona
International Speedway on Friday. Some notes and highlights:
NASCAR president Mike Helton confirmed Friday that drivers will be allowed to
race for only one championship this season. The rule is designed to prevent
Sprint Cup drivers from dominating the second-tier Nationwide Series. Full-time
Cup drivers have won the last five Nationwide titles.
Helton also said NASCAR is leaning toward a simpler points system for all three
of its national series. Helton says bonus points would be added to put an
emphasis on winning races (ESPN).
Helton also indicated that a new points system is coming to the top three
series. It likely will be one in which points are awarded one per position from
with the winner getting 43 points and the last place driver just one. There
likely will be bonus points offered to encourage drivers to race for wins and
to keep championships from being decided by consistency alone. And there are
expected to be provisions that allow drivers who don't finish the regular
season in the elite group but have won races to have a shot at being added to
the Chase field. He said the goal is to make the points system easier to
understand for casual fans as well as those more familiar with the sport.
The rookie of the year program also is expected to undergo some changes. With
no rookie drivers signed up to run full-time in Cup this year, adjustments
likely will be made to deal with a rookie like Trevor Bayne, who is signed to
drive the Wood Brothers' #21 Ford but only has 17 races scheduled this year.
Helton said starting times for Cup races, which were standardized last year,
could see some changes. He said the times might need to be adjusted given the
length of the NASCAR season. Last year, races started just after 1 pm, 3 pm. or
7:30 pm depending on the location of the track.
NASCAR appears to be on pace to switch from carburetors to fuel injection, but
fuel injection won't be used in points-paying Cup races this year. Cars will
run on an ethanol blend fuel and a new fueling system that doesn't require a
traditional vent will be used.(RacinToday)
Helton also said the sanctioning body has not made a decision concerning
possible changes to the championship point systems for the 2011 Sprint Cup,
Nationwide and Camping World Truck Series. He admitted, however, that the move
is receiving serious consideration in an attempt to make those championships
simpler for fans to understand. NASCAR Chairman and CEO Brian France is expected
to announce the sanctioning body's final decision next Wednesday (Sirius
Speedway)(1-21-2011)
LVMS to hold open
auditions to determine national anthem singer: For the third consecutive year,
one aspiring singer will get the opportunity of a lifetime before the start of
the Sam’s Town 300 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Race sponsor Sam’s Town Hotel
and Gambling Hall KVVU-FOX5 and LVMS are staging an open audition called
Speedway Superstar to find a singer to perform the national anthem prior to the
March 5 NASCAR Nationwide Series event at the speedway. The first audition will
be conducted Saturday, Feb. 5 at Sam’s Town on
Chase will go to
top 10, plus 2 biggest winners: Twelve NASCAR Sprint Cup drivers will make the
Chase for the Sprint Cup in 2011 -- the top 10 in points and the two drivers
not in the top 10 who have the most race victories in NASCAR's 26-race regular
season. NASCAR Chairman and CEO Brian France is expected to confirm that
arrangement, along with a points system that gives 43 points to race winners
and then one-point increments down to just one point for the last-place
finisher. Each driver who leads a lap will get one bonus point, and regular-season
race winners are expected to get two or three Chase bonus points for each
victory. There will be no knockout rounds in the Chase, as NASCAR had hinted at
earlier.(SPEED)(1-26-2011)
Fox Sports chairman
would like to see shorter races: Fox Sports chairman David Hill says he thinks
NASCAR races are too long and would like to see them cut down to run during a
three-hour window. Hill says Monday night that NASCAR recognizes it needs to
make changes to stop its current slide in both attendance and television
ratings. He says that NASCAR chairman Brian France is "really trying very
hard" to find solutions, but nothing will happen overnight. Hill believes
there are simply too many entertainment options to hold a fan's interest over
the length of an entire race. Fox has three years remaining on its television
deal with NASCAR, and Hill says it's too soon to tell if the network will renew.(Associated
Press/ESPN.com)
AND: He's still against streaming races online and says noting is immiment in
that area. And, he says that NASCAR needs to emphasize winning more with its
points structural.(Hampton
Roads)(1-25-2011)
NASCAR announces
changes for 2011 season: NASCAR announced Wednesday that it has added a wild
card element to setting the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup field and it has
simplified its points system for 2011, making it easier for fans, competitors
and the industry to understand.
While the 12-driver Chase field remains intact, the final two spots will be
determined by the number of wins during the first 26 races.
The top 10 in points following Race No. 26 -- the "cutoff" race --
continue to earn Chase berths.
Positions 11 and 12 are "wild card" qualifiers and will go to non-top-10-ranked
drivers with the most wins, as long as they're ranked in the top 20 in points.
The top-10 Chase drivers will continue to be seeded based on wins during the
first 26 races, with each win worth three bonus points. The wild card drivers
will not receive bonus points for wins and will be seeded 11th and 12th,
respectively. It's a move aimed towards rewarding winning and consistency
during the regular season.
Brian France, NASCAR Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, made the
announcements at the NASCAR Hall of Fame during NASCAR's annual media event as part of the
NASCAR Sprint Media Tour.
"The fans tell us that winning matters the most with them, so we're
combining the tradition of consistency in our sport with the excitement that
comes along with winning," said
The new points system -- which applies to all NASCAR national series -- will
award points in one-point increments. As an example, in the NASCAR Sprint Cup
Series, race winners will earn 43 points, plus three bonus points for the win.
Winners also can earn an extra point for leading a lap and leading the most
laps, bringing their total to a possible maximum of 48 points.
All other drivers in a finishing order will be separated by one-point
increments. A second-place finisher will earn 42 points, a third-place driver
41 points, and so on. A last-place finisher 43rd place earns one
point. In the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, the last-place finisher
receives eight points, to account for that series' 36-driver race field.
"Many of our most loyal fans don't fully understand the points system we
have used to date," said
During his remarks Wednesday night,
"NASCAR enters 2011 with positive momentum and a great sense of excitement
and optimism," said
Other competitive enhancements announced Wednesday:
Pick a Series: Drivers in all three
national series now must select the series where they'll compete for a driver
championship. Drivers still may compete in multiple series and help their teams
win owner titles in series where they're not competing for a driver title. The
move helps spotlight young talent in the NASCAR Nationwide and NASCAR Camping
World Truck Series.
New Qualifying Procedure: The qualifying
order will be set based upon slowest to fastest practice speeds
Inclement Weather Qualifying: If bad
weather cancels qualifying, the final starting lineup will be determined by
practice speeds. The same rule book procedures will be used to determine
eligibility to start a race. If weather cancels practice sessions, then the
starting lineup will be set by points, per the rule book.
Tire Rules Revision: NASCAR Sprint Cup
Series teams now are allowed five sets of tires for practice and qualifying
instead of six. They must return four of those sets to Goodyear in order to
receive their race allotment, and may keep one set of practice/qualifying
tires. Tire allotments for race weekends will vary according to historical
performance data.
Closed
Evolution Of NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Car: NASCAR continues to work with the
manufacturers and teams to enhance the look of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series
car. The cars have new fronts this season and the body makeover will continue
to help appeal to fans and aid manufacturer identity.
(NASCAR)(1-26-2011)
Other forums/message
boards and websites:
You might find some
interesting reading if you go to the links below.
Track Forum: - http://www.trackforum.com/forums/
Frontstretch.com: http://www.frontstretch.com/
Jayski: - http://www.jayski.com/
Open Wheel Racers3: http://www.openwheelracers3.com/
Race Pro Weekly: http://raceproweekly.com/
Racing on TV - http://www.racefantv.com/USTV.htm
(must register to post)
Victory
Yahoo Race History
Group: http://sports.groups.yahoo.com/group/RacingHistory/
(when one posts something on an
e-mail to the group, they do have what is called the “Len Sutton rule” – you
put in your name and where you live.
And, yes, things are “policed” too.
Wheels of Speed: http://www.wheelsofspeed.com/
The
Racing and
television:
You best start checking the Racing on TV link, above, but for you Chili Bowl fans, here’s the info on it’s telecast:
It will be on SPEED on Saturday, February 5th from 2:00 PM to 3:00 PM. If like in years past, there will be some of each nights feature races then almost the complete 50 lap feature that was on Saturday night, closing out the week.
And:
FRIDAY,
JANUARY 28
11:00P-2:00A
SPEED
NASCAR
Toyota All-Star Showdown QUALIFYING, Toyota Speedway,
SATURDAY,
JANUARY 29
3:00P-10:00
SPEED
Grand-Am
Rolex Sports Car Series, Rolex 24 at Daytona, Daytona Intl. Speedway,
Part 1
10:00P-2:00A
SPEED
NASCAR
Toyota All-Star Showdown Toyota Speedway,
SUNDAY,
JANUARY 30
9:00A-4:00P
SPEED
Grand-Am
Rolex Sports Car Series, Rolex 24 at Daytona, Daytona Intl. Speedway,
Part 2,
2011
Track Schedules:
Here
are some more track listings that have 2011 schedules listed as of the date of
this column (last column there were other tracks):
NEMA: http://www.nemaracing.com/
ARDC: http://www.ardcmidgets.com/
Williams
Grove: http://www.williamsgrove.com/
Xcel
600 Modifieds: http://www.xcelchassis.com/
Mountain
Video time:
Some awesome feats coming up! I
can only suggest to anyone out there – DO NOT attempt any of the things that
follow!
http://www.wimp.com/peopleawesome/
Non racing news:
Believe it or
not, I had about six different topics, and with that amount, I was just going
to put in the headlines and links. Lo
and behold, after I did that, they did not appear in this spot. No idea as to where they went – out in
“internet space” I guess? Anyway, I did
remember some of them, and starting this week I’ll just be putting in the topic
and the links.
http://www.connectamarillo.com/news/story.aspx?id=571549
http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory?id=12749519
Law changes delay IRS start date to process returns
http://detnews.com/article/20110124/BIZ01/101240305/1001/rss21
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2011/01/20/virginia-require-schools-tabs-cost-illegal-students/
Is this true? - # 1:
Got this in an e-mail on Tuesday:
Royal snub for
the Obama’s:
Prince William and Kate Middleton wedding: President Barack Obama and Michelle are not invited!
Michelle is livid over the snub and Obama
can’t believe it…
What is happening and what can I do about it seems to be the thoughts in Obama’s head. Meanwhile, William and Kate have it together.
Prince William and Kate Middleton are planning a royal wedding April 2011. Prince
William personally told the wedding planners
to strike the Obama’s from the guest list. He stated, "He did not want Michelle Obama trying to pull her center of attention ploy trying to upstage Kate on
Kate’s wedding day".
Sources reveal that William states, "She may run
Obama, but she doesn’t run him or
Now, what is the future
King of England’s reasons for snubbing the Obama’s to the world
and making them a laughing stock? It has nothing to do with
Secondly, Michelle called his mother, Diana, an over-sexed
clothes horse and further stated that she, Michelle, was more popular than
Diana ever was. Thirdly, Michelle Obama showed her butt at every major social
function endeavoring to be the Queen in the lime light. In
other words, just a lack of class. Fourthly, the Queen
Mother, William’s grand mother, also has her reasons. Obama refused to
bow to her but a few days later bowed to the King of Saudi Arabia and Michelle
manhandled her by becoming too familiar by putting her arm around her. The
Queen only shakes hands with gloves on… That is the tradition and it is still
honored by the Royals. The Queen said to her staff, "Never allow that
woman to be in the same room with me again" and she meant every word of
it.
The gifts from Obama and Michelle were both tacky and in
poor taste… It is all a matter of class. In addition, the Queen Mother
supported Prince William in his decision due to the fact that the word is out
about the lavish booze parties at the White House,
the expensive vacations and state visits that
cost the American tax payers millions of dollars un-necessarily when the
American people need the resources… We here at True American can’t decide if it
is just low class, no class, or all that has just been mentioned. The
Obama’s are desperately trying to make it a slight against
Is this true? - #2:
Arizona Governor VS:
Way to go Jan!! Maybe this is a language he can understand.
The
owner of the Phoenix Suns basketball team, Robert Sarver, opposes AZ's new
immigration laws.
"What if the owners of the Suns
discovered that hordes of people were sneaking into games without paying?
What if they had a good idea who the
gate-crashers are, but the ushers and security personnel were not allowed to
ask these folks to
produce their ticket stubs, thus non-paying attendees couldn't be ejected.
Furthermore, what if Suns' ownership was
expected to provide those who sneaked in with complimentary eats and drink?
And what if, on those days when a gate-crasher became ill or injured, the Suns
had to provide free medical care and shelter?"
-
Closing with these:
Diapering:
1st baby: You change your baby's diapers every hour,
whether they need it or not.
2nd baby: You change their diaper every two to three hours, if needed.
3rd baby: You try to change their diaper before others start to
complain about the smell or you see it sagging to their knees.
Activities
1st baby: You take your infant to Baby Gymnastics, Baby Swing,
Baby Zoo, Baby Movies and Baby Story Hour.
2nd baby: You take your infant to Baby Gymnastics.
3rd baby: You take your infant to the supermarket and the dry cleaners.
Going Out:
1st baby: The first time you leave your baby with a sitter,
you call home five times.
2nd baby: Just before you walk out the door, you remember to
leave a number where you can be reached.
3rd baby: You leave instructions for the sitter to call only if she sees blood.
At Home:
1st baby: You spend a good bit of every day just gazing at the baby.
2nd baby: You spend a bit of everyday watching to be sure your older child
isn't squeezing, poking, or hitting the baby.
3rd baby: You spend a little bit of every day hiding from the children
Swallowing Coins (a favorite):
1st child: When first child swallows a coin, you rush the child to the hospital
and demand x-rays
2nd child: When second child swallows a coin, you carefully watch for the coin
to pass.
3rd child: When third child swallows a coin you deduct it from his allowance!
GRANDCHILDREN:
God's
reward for allowing your children to live!
May “Guardian Angels”
sit on the shoulders of all of our race drivers and race fans, and guide them
safely around the tracks!
Drive safe!
Remember – My next column will be back on
February 10th, with another possible photo article on New England
Tractor on February 3rd – or thereabouts.
As usual, you can reach me
at: ygordad@yahoo.com