Racin'
& Internet Stuff:
By Tom
Avenengo
05/26/2011
First:
Well, looks like this might be quite a big column this week. I might cut back on some things in an attempt to shrink it down, somewhat.
Second:
What’s
with all this rainy weather? Sure is
playing havoc with our racing, isn’t it?
What was rather surprising was while my daughter Judy and I were up in
Loudon last Tues, Wed & Thurs, the forecast for up there was calling for
rain all day long on each day, yet “Mother Nature” held off and let them get in
a good portion of the Vintage Race Car meet.
Third:
This coming Saturday night, if you’re a veteran, you can get into the races at OCFS for free. What do you need to do this? Be dressed in uniform (no way would I fit in mine), or some appropriate identification.
From
a Press release:
“MIDDLETOWN, NY
(May 21)……..As part of our country’s celebration of Memorial
Day, all military personnel in uniform and veterans with appropriate
identification will be admitted FREE for the Saturday, May 28 night of stock car racing at Orange
County Fair Speedway in Middletown, New York.
“We owe so much to our military people. Their
sacrifices have kept us free, allowing us to enjoy a way of life that is the
envy of all the o the r nations,” says Mike Gurda,
speedway promoter. “It’s just a small token, but we’re happy to have active and
veteran military folks as our guests at the speedway on Memorial Weekend.”
Sponsor for the
evening is Dana Distributors (Budweiser).
Admission prices
for the May 29 race meet remain at $14 adults, $12 seniors, and free for
children 12 and under. The full night of racing begins promptly at 6:30 pm.
Note # 1: I’m not sure if this, below, from last weeks
rain out will be run, and I decided not to send OCFS an e-mail asking about it
since they seem to not want to respond back to me when I ask questions:
From the OCFS
website:
“A one-on-one elimination race featuring the top-ten Modified
drivers is this coming week’s (Saturday, May 21) bonus event at Orange County
Fair Speedway.
Beginning with
those ninth and tenth in points, the track’s top Modified drivers will race
each other in one-lap dashes. The winner goes on to the next round, while the
loser is eliminated. The last driver remaining in the elimination rounds will
challenge the number one driver in points to determine the Modified Elimination
Race champion. At the final checkered flag, there’s a lucrative cash bonus
waiting for the winner.”
Note # 2: I asked about this on a forum I
frequent. I did get a response from
“ocfsmaint” which said: “Tom, the elimination race will be run either
this week or next week. As I understand it the starting order will be based on
the points as they stand now.”
Fourth:
The Indy 500
lineup:
:Note: Ryan Hunter-Reay is listed as starting 19th. He has replaced Bruno Junqueira, who
qualified 19th, so Hunter-Reay will start last.
That’s quite a surprising move between the Andretti and Foyt race
teams. Bruno qualified a car owned by
Foyt, while Ryan didn’t qualify a car owned by Andretti.
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Fifth:
Back to OCFS – On the OCFS schedule, for June 11th, they have this:
|
June 11th |
Frank Stevens & Sons Roofing - |
Note:
On a schedule that I received from ACOT, it shows that they will be in
Sixth:
http://thatsracinluckydog.blogspot.com/2011/05/north-wilkesboro-closes-yet-again.html
Seventh:
This coming weekend is the biggest for racing. Unfortunately, both big races are held on the same day, which, in a way, nullifies most chances of “Doing the Double” as they call it.
Weather
could play a part, so here’s the forecast for Sunday – race day:
Weather
forecast for
Mostly
Sunny High of 82
Weather
forecast for
Sunny
High of 85
Weather
forecast for
Sunday: Isolated thunderstorms. Highs in the upper 70s and lows in the mid 60s.
Weather forecast for
Eighth:
In
part:
“There's a time
for throttling up, and a time for throttling down.
Just
days after winning the North Carolina Education Lottery 200, where he posted an
average speed of 101.6 mph, Kyle Busch has
been ticketed
for exceeding that speed on a public North Carolina road.
Busch
was cited for careless and reckless driving; deputies observed and clocked him
running at 128 mph in a 45-mph zone on Tuesday afternoon.”
Found
on Jayski’s website:
ESPN Going
"NonStop" With NASCAR Commercial Format:
ESPN's telecasts of
the final 10 races of the 2011 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season will have a new
look with the introduction of "NASCAR NonStop," a commercial format
designed to bring more racing action to viewers while also providing value to
advertisers. The new format will be in effect for the races that make up the
Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Championship and will debut with the event at
Chicagoland Speedway on Sunday, Sept. 18, at 2:00pm/et. In NASCAR NonStop,
ESPN's commercial breaks will feature a split-screen format showing the
advertisement on the left side of the screen and a continuation of racing
action on the right side. In addition, ESPN's scoring ticker will continue to
move across the top of the screen, allowing NASCAR fans to follow the running
order of the race during the breaks.
When going to break during NASCAR NonStop, ESPN will utilize a screen wipe tied
to an advertiser, with that advertiser occupying the wipe for the rest of the
race. NASCAR NonStop will take effect at or near the halfway point of the race,
with the first half of the race presented in the traditional commercial break
format. "Since we returned to NASCAR racing in 2007, one of the most
common questions from our fans has been 'why don't you do the commercials
side-by-side?'" said John Skipper, ESPN executive vice president, content.
"We're very pleased to be able to do it now with NASCAR NonStop and
showcase the advertiser while still showcasing the race. ESPN's mission is to
serve sports fans and this is a way to give the fans more racing action during
the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup."
Skipper said that ESPN worked with NASCAR to create the format for NASCAR
NonStop. "NASCAR has the most dedicated and loyal fans in the world, and
we are constantly trying to enhance how those fans consume this great
sport," said Paul Brooks, president of NASCAR Media Group. "ESPN's 'NonStop'
format will ensure our fans maximize their viewing experience during the most
intense and thrilling time of the season the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint
Cup."
The final 17 races of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series schedule will be televised
on ESPN Networks, with 14 airing on ESPN and three Saturday night races airing
on ABC. ESPN's NASCAR Sprint Cup coverage begins with the Brickyard 400 at
Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Sunday, July 31, at 1:00pm/et.(ESPN)(5-17-2011)
Brian
France discusses 'Boy's have at it":
NASCAR Chairman Brian France held a press conference at
Charlotte Motor Speedway Friday, May 20th and discussed many issues in the sport,
including, 'Boy's Have at it", the Q&A:
Q. I'm wondering where you personally fall on the boys have at it issue? It's a
little tricky in that NASCAR has to maintain law and order, but you get all
this outside interest and you bring all these new eyeballs and it gets people
talking and it's a real water cooler thing. So where do you personally fall,
and what is the proper way to manage that?
BRIAN FRANCE: "Well, I think that's a good question. I think there are
limits. You saw one of the limits is that if you put anyone in danger, like
what happened with Kevin Harvick and Kyle Busch where it was after the race had
happened. think it's important to note if you look
through NASCAR's history, one of the videos that showed the most Wednesday
night was the famous finish at Daytona with Richard Petty and David Pearson
where they obviously hit each other and spun out in the grass. You go through
our history and that's part of it, contact, emotion, in particular late in the
race.
We're like anybody. We can over officiate and over regulate in some
circumstances, over a 60 year period of time. And I think our point was a
couple years ago we thought we might be in a pattern of that, and we wanted to
put it more in the drivers' hands.
We never said there were no limits to that. You just can't go around with a
missile and a weapon out there. But if you're having contact, that's part of
NASCAR. So it's tough for us, but that's what we do. And it's tough for any
sport to have certain areas of the game or in auto racing that are subjective as to what is too much, but we'll figure that
out.
We're going to remain, obviously, a contact sport, and we're going to remain
with the basic philosophy that we're putting more of it in the drivers' hands.
If they go over a line we think is there, we'll deal with that."
Q. What does probation mean and why was the All-Star Race
included with Kevin and Kyle? A lot of fans are confused by that and think
maybe because it's a non-points event that it shouldn't be included.
BRIAN FRANCE: " What probation means is there is a different set of
eyes and expectations that are placed on a driver who has been placed on
probation. They're going to have a more limited flexibility in how we're going
to officiate them should they be in a similar area that
they have just violated.
Why it's important to have consistent rules even through the All-Star Races is
there are safety elements that are inter-affected between events. There are
lots of different reasons why you just wouldn't want to say we're not going to
have a standard set of NASCAR rules in the All-Star Race.
Keep in mind, given that there are no points at stake,
by definition, it gets more aggressive. We know that. That's fine. Drivers take
more chances, they're not worried about where they are
in the point standings, so it's going to be more aggressive and more
competitive.
But if we took the lid off and said there are no rules or don't worry about any
ramifications that might extend into next week at all, then we believe that --
as I said earlier in my remarks -- there has to be limits to all of this. That
would be above the limits that we believe going into an event would make any
sense.
See full transcript of the interview: Brian France
Interview - May 2011.(5-21-2011)
Danica considering
full time NASCAR in 2012:
Danica Patrick and
her management team are working on a plan that would bring her full-time to
NASCAR in 2012, sources said Tuesday. Patrick hopes to finalize a deal soon
that would have her race full-time in the NASCAR Nationwide Series next season.
She would also race a few Sprint Cup events in 2012 before going full-time to
Cup in 2013. The plan includes Patrick continuing to compete in the
Earnhardt, Jr.
close to contract extension:
Hendrick
Motorsports is close to finalizing a multiyear extension with Dale Earnhardt
Jr., team owner Rick Hendrick said Saturday at Charlotte Motor Speedway.
Hendrick hopes to announce the deal within the next month. He would not give
specifics, saying most of the major points are agreed on and the extension
would keep NASCAR's most popular driver at HMS for another three to five years
after the current five-year deal that expires in 2012. "We know we want to
be together and we just want to get this over with," said Hendrick, who
told ESPN.com last year he was working on the extension. "It shows I'm committed
to him and he's committed to us."(ESPN.com)(5-22-2011)
Former
Note:
I’ve
been away from the track for a few years now, so it’s very possible that there
have been other drivers – other than those I make mention of, that have also
gone onto bigger forms or racing vehicles, so chances are real good that I do
not know their names. If you know of
anyone that’s gone onto bigger things, and had run at the Dirt Oval, how about
dropping me a line and let me know their names and where and with what they are
now racing. Thanks!
Most
of the following is from a week ago, with this past weekend racing basically a
wash out.
In CRSA
305 Sprint Car racing, at the I-88 (Afton)
Note: This was Emily’s first time out in a Sprint
Car.
At
Five Mile Point on the 22nd, John Virgilo was 3rd,
Brittany 9th, Josh 11th, Danny Hennessy 21st
and Billy V 23rd. Emily was a
DNQ.
Note: Understand that Billy V destroyed his car at
Five Mile.
At
Hamlin, on 5/14, in the Slingshots, Charlie Lawrence was 10th. IN the 270 Micro Sprints, Rick Casario was 17th. Geordan Farry was 13th, Molly
Chambers 18th and Joe Kata 22nd in the 600 Micros. Jacob Hendershot was 13th and Rick
Casario 16th in the Rookie 600 Micros.
At
OCFS on the 14th, Clinton Mills was 2nd, Michael Storms
14th, Danny Creeden 15th, Mike Ruggiero 16th
and Billy VanInwegen 18thn the Modified feature. Keith Still won the Sportsman feature, with
Brian Krummel 5th, Matt Hitchcock 6th,RJ
Smykla 9th, Bobby Hassenmayer 20th and Zack Vavricka 24th
in the Sportsman feature.
At
Selinsgrove, on the 14th, Davie Franek was 9th in the
358/360 Sprint Car feature.
Corey
Ziegler won the Crate Sportsman feature at Penn Can on the 13th.
Mike
Mammana was a DNQ at Big Diamond on the 13th.
At
Wall Stadium, on the 14th, Roger Coss was 15th in the
Modified feature.
At
New Egypt, on the 14th, Johnny Guarino was 9th in the
Modified feature and then on the 21st he was 18th.
At
Kutztown, on the 11th, Molly Chambers was a DNQ in the 600 Micros
while Tiffany Wambold was 10th in the 270’s.
At
Borgers, on the 13th, Luke Schostekewitz was 2nd and
Tiffany Wambold 8th in the wingless 600’s. On the 21st, Tiffany was 8th
in the 270’s.
At
Accord, on the 13th, Michael Storms was 3rd, Anthony
Perrego 4th and Danny Creeden 20th in the Modified
feature. John Lodini was 12th
in the Sportsman feature. Kyle Rohner
was 2nd, Tyler Boniface 6th and Matt Hitchcock 11th
in the Spec Sportsman feature.
At
Five Mile, on the 22nd, Matt Hitchcock was 3rd and Tyler
Boniface 5th in the Crate Sportsman feature.
At
Betherl, on the 14th, Kyle Redner was 9th and Rich Coons
11th in the Sportsman feature.
On the 21st, Rich was 15th.
Nick
Pecko was 10th in the Modified feature at Mountain Speedway.
At
Albany/Saratoga, Bobby Hackel, IV was 4thin the NASCAR Modifieds.
Justin
Grosz was 8th in the ARDC feature on the ¼ mile track at
At
Danny
Creeden was 8th in the Modified feature at Thunder Mountain Speedway
last Saturday.
Hope
I didn’t miss anyone!
Going back, in time – in
racing history:
Note: Most of the following information was found
here:
http://www.wheelsofspeed.com/history.html
Covering the days of May 20th
to June 2nd:
MAY 20
1905
Louis Chevrolet drove a
Fiat to fastest time in a 1 mile time trial and also won a 3 lap "Free for
All" event n the inaugural motor racing events on the 1.39 mile dirt
Morris Park oval in the Bronx,
1926
Bob Sweikert... Born ... AAA / USAC driver. Best known as
the winner of the 1955
1971
Tony Stewart... Born ... USAC / IRL/ NASCAR star.
1984
Bill Holland... Died ... AAA driver from the 1930's 40's and 50's. He won
the
1994
Kurt Johnson runs the first
NHRA Pro Stock sub-7 second 1/4 mile with a 6.988 second pass at the Mopar
Parts Nationals
2000
Jeg Coughlin Jr. set an
NHRA Pro Stock 1/4 mile ET record of 6.822 seconds at
MAY 21
1924
Cotton Owens... Born ... NASCAR racer, team owner, and innovator.
1942
Danny Ongais... Born ... A former racecar driver from the
MAY 22
1895
Gus Schrader ...Born ...
Schrader would become known as "King of the OUTLAW Dirt Tracks"
during his storied career. Gus was the IMCA "big car" (sprint) champ
from 1933-1941 except in 1938 when Emory Collins broke the string. He ran the
Indy 500 in1932 and finished 39th.
1915
Joe Barzda ... Born ...ARDC
/ AAA / USAC driver in the 1950's. Quit after Van Johnson's fatal crash in
1959, in which Joe was involved in. With brother Jim,
he ran the Californian Speed and Sport Shop in
1934
Bobby Johns ... Born ...
Johns raced in the NASCAR series in the 1956-1969 seasons, with 141 career
starts. He had 2 wins among his 36 top ten finishes and finished the 1960
season 3rd in the points. He also attempted to qualify for the
1966
Greg Weld crashed at Indy
and ended the saga of the
MAY 23
1925
Joe James ... Born ... AAA
driver from the 1950's. Joe started racing in the AAA National Championship in
1950 when he made five starts with a best finish of seventh at
1935
Jim Malloy... Born ... USAC
driver 1950's , 60's and 70's. He drove in the USAC
Championship Car series, racing in the 1967-1972 seasons, with 61 career
starts, including the 1968-1971 Indianapolis 500 races. He finished in the top
ten 23 times, with his best finish in 2nd position in 1969 at
1970
Bryan Herta... Born ... CART / Champcar/ IRL Indy Car & ALMS driver and car
owner.
1982
Don Prudhomme set an NHRA
Funny Car top speed record of 250.00 mph in
MAY 24
1981
Bobby Unser won the
1987
Al Unser won the
1992
Al Unser, Jr. won the
1998
Eddie Cheever won the
MAY 25
1923
Smokey Yunick... Born ...
NASCAR and Indy mechanic and owner of the "Best Damn Garage in Town"
in
1925
Bud Moore ... Born ...
NASCAR crew chief and car owner. During his 37 years as a car owner, he has
achieved 63 wins, 43 poles and two NASCAR Grand National Division
championships.
1975
Bobby Unser won the
1980
Johnny Rutherford claims
his third Indy win, then provides a taxi service to a fellow driver. Rookie Tim
Richmond, who would go on to have a successful NASCAR career, runs out of fuel
on the final lap. So Rutherford interrupts his victory lap and invites
Benny Parsons won the World
600 over Darrell Waltrip at the Charlotte Motor Speedway,
1984
A.J. Foyt IV... Born ... Grandson of A.J. Foyt Jr. He competed in the Indy Racing
League IndyCar Series and briefly in the NASCAR Nationwide Series, then called
the Busch Series.
1986
Dale Earnhardt won the
Coca-Cola 600 over Tim Richmond at the Charlotte Motor Speedway,
1997
Arie Luyendyk won the
Jeff Gordon won the
Coca-Cola 600 over Rusty Wallace at the Lowe's Motor Speedway,
2003
Gil de Ferran won the
Jimmie Johnson won the
Coca-Cola 600 over Matt Kenseth at the Lowe's Motor Speedway,
MAY 26
1906
Mauri Rose ... Born ...
Rose won the INDY 500 three times; 1941, 1947 and 1948. He was inducted into
the International Motorsports Hall of Fame in 1994,
and Motorsports of Hall of Fame of
1944
Sam Posey
... Born ... American racecar driver who raced in Cam Am, Trans Am, USAC Champ
Cars and Formula One. He also
competed in a single NASCAR Grand National (predecessor to Nextel Cup) event,
the first race of the 1970 series, held on the Riverside International Raceway
road race course in
1974
Johnny Rutherford won the
1985
Danny Sullivan, forever
known as the "spin and win," turns near-disaster into the biggest day
of his career. Sullivan spins on lap 120 trying to pass Mario Andretti but
somehow keeps his car off the wall. Twenty laps later, Sullivan tries again in
the same place and completes the pass and win the
Darrel Waltrip won the
World 600 over Harry Gant at the Charlotte Motor Speedway,
1991
Rick Mears won the
Davey Allison won the
Coca-Cola 600 over Ken Schrader at the Charlotte Motor Speedway,
1994
Robbie Stanley ... Died ...
Robbie was the All-Stars Circuit of Champions sprint car titleist in 1990, then
moved on to USAC where he collected three straight USAC National sprint car
championships from 1991, 1992, and 1993, and was on his way to a fourth when
his career was cut short in a fatal accident in a USAC sprint car event in
Winchester, Indiana, on May 26, 1994.
1996
Buddy Lazier won the
Jimmy Vasser won the PPG
U.S. 500 at the Michigan International Speedway that ran head to head with the
INDY 500.
Dale Jarrett won the
Coca-Cola 600 over Dale Earnhardt at the Lowe's Motor Speedway,
2002
Helio Castroneves won the
Mark Martin won the
Coca-Cola Racing Family 600 over Matt Kenseth at the Lowe's Motor Speedway,
MAY 27
1969
Jeremy Mayfield... Born ...
NASCAR stockcar driver
1972
Mark Donohue won the
1979
Darrell Waltrip won the
World 600 over Richard Petty at the Charlotte Motor Speedway,
1984
Rick Mears won the
Bobby Allison won the World
600 over Dale Earnhardt at the Charlotte Motor Speedway,
1990
Arie Luyendyk won the
Rusty Wallace won the
Coca-Cola 600 over Bill Elliott at the Charlotte Motor Speedway,
2001
Helio Castroneves won the
Jeff Burton won the
Coca-Cola 600 over Kevin Harvick at the Lowe's Motor Speedway,
2007
Dario Franchitti won the
Casey Mears won the
Coca-Cola 600 over J.J. Yeley at the Lowe's Motor Speedway,
MAY 28
1926
Marvin Panch ... Born ...
NASCAR stockcar driver
1927
Eddie Sachs ... Born ... He
was known as the "Caped Crusader of Auto Racing" and "Clown
Prince of Auto Racing" for his personality at the Indianapolis 500-Mile
Race. He was the father of race car driver and NASCAR car owner Eddie Sachs,
Jr. His career included eight USAC Championship Trail wins, 25 top-five
finishes in 65 career AAA and USAC starts, including the 1958 USAC Midwest
Sprint Car Championship. He won consecutive pole positions (1960-1961) for the
1972
Buddy Baker drove a Petty
Enterprises Plymouth to victory in the World 600 NASCAR stockcar race at
1973
Salt Walther and 11
spectators are injured in a nasty crash at the start of the Indy 500. The race
restart is delayed by rain. It would resume Wednesday, May 30th and won by
Gordon Johncock.
1978
Al Unser won the
Darrell Waltrip won the
World 600 over Donnie Allison at the Charlotte Motor Speedway,
1979
Rick Mears won the
1989
Emerson Fittipaldi won the
Indy 500 with a thrilling ending . Al Unser Jr. took
the lead from Fittipaldi and appeared to be well on his way to his first
victory at the Brickyard. Fittipaldi, however, caught Unser in traffic on the
second-to-last lap. As the two blazed into Turn 3 neck and neck, their cars
converged, and Unser's spun and crashed into the concrete wall. Fittipaldi
cruised to victory with ease, while Unser, uninjured from his crash, ran to the
track's edge and applauded his triumphant teammate.
Darrell Waltrip won the
Coca-Cola 600 over Sterling Marlin at the Charlotte Motor Speedway,
1995
Jacques Villeneuve became
the first Canadian to win the
Bobby Labonte won the
Coca-Cola 600 over Terry Labonte at
2000
Juan Montoya dominated this
Indy 500 by leading 167 of the 200 laps and winning for Chip Ganassi Racing. He
was the first Rookie to win the coveted event since Graham Hill did it in 1966.
Matt Kenseth won the
Coca-Cola 600 over Bobby Labonte at the Lowe's Motor Speedway,
2006
Sam Hornish Jr. beat out
the rookie Marco Andretti by 0.0635 of a second to win the
Kasey Kahne won the
Coca-Cola 600 over Jimmie Johnson at the Lowe's Motor Speedway,
MAY 29
1922
Joe Weatherly... Born ... NASCAR driver.
1939
Al Unser... Born ... Al is
the younger brother of Bobby Unser and father of Al Unser, Jr..
He is the second of three men to have won the
1955
Ken Schrader ... Born ...
USAC and NASCAR driver
1971
Al Unser won the
1977
Richard Petty won the World
600 over David Pearson at the Charlotte Motor Speedway,
A.J. Foyt, driving the
Gilmore Racing Team #14 entry, won the Indy 500 Classic. Janet Guthrie, the
first woman to qualify for the Indy 500, started 26th and finished 29th.
1982
Gordon Johncock won the
1983
Tom Sneva won the
Neil Bonnett won the World
600 over Richard Petty at the Charlotte Motor Speedway,
1988
Rick Mears won the
Darrell Waltrip won the
Coca-Cola 600 over Rusty Wallace at the Charlotte Motor Speedway,
1994
Al Unser Jr won the
Jeff Gordon won the
Coca-Cola 600 over Rusty Wallace at the Charlotte Motor Speedway,
2005
Dan Wheldon won the
Jimmie Johnson won the
Coca-Cola 600 over Bobby Labonte at the Lowe's Motor Speedway,
MAY 30
1911
Ray Harroun won the
1912
Joe Dawson won the
1913
Jules Goux won the
1914
Rene Thomas won the
1916
Dario Resta won the
1921
Tommy Milton won the
1922
Jimmy Murphy won the
1923
Tommy Milton won the
1924
Lora Corum won the
1925
Peter DePaolo won the
1927
George Souders won the
1928
Louis Meyer won the
1929
Ray Keech won the
Bill Spence ... Died ...
AAA driver from the late 1920's. He was killed in the 1929
1930
Billy Arnold won the
1931
Louis Schneider won the
1932
Fred Frame won the
1933
Mark Billman... Died ... AAA racer 1930's. He was killed in the 1933 Indy
500.
Louis Meyer won the
1934
Bill Cummings won the
1935
Kelly Petillo won the
1936
Louis Meyer won the
1938
Floyd Roberts won the
1939
Floyd Roberts... Died ... AAA driver who raced in the 1930's. He won the
Wilbur Shaw won the
1940
Wilbur Shaw won the
1941
Floyd Davis won the
1946
George Robson won the
1947
Mauri Rose won the
1949
Bill Holland won the
1950
Johnnie Parsons won the
1951
Lee Wallard won the
1952
Troy Ruttman won the
1953
Bill Vukovich won the
1955
Bill Vukovich was killed in
a chain-reaction crash while holding a 17-second lead on the 57th lap of the
1955
Note: There is a website that’s devoted to the day
Vukovich was fatally injured. It’s
pretty big, too. I must warn you though
– if you go to it and check out the photos, there might be some that might not
be very good for young ones to see.
Link: http://www.vukovichaccident.com/
Bob Sweikert won the
1956
Pat Flaherty won the
1957
Sam Hanks won the
1958
Jimmy Bryan won the
Pat O'Connor... Died ... AAA / USAC driver from the 1950's. He was killed in
the 1958 INDY 500.
1959
Rodger Ward won the
1960
Jim Rathmann won the
1961
A.J. Foyt won the
1962
Rodger Ward won the
1963
Parnelli Jones won the
1964
Eddie Sachs ... Died ... He
was known as the "Caped Crusader of Auto Racing" and "Clown
Prince of Auto Racing" for his personality at the Indianapolis 500-Mile
Race. He was the father of race car driver and NASCAR car owner Eddie Sachs,
Jr. His career included eight USAC Championship Trail wins, 25 top-five
finishes in 65 career AAA and USAC starts, including the 1958 USAC Midwest
Sprint Car Championship. He won consecutive pole positions (1960-1961) for the
1966
Graham Hill won the
1968
Bobby Unser won the
1969
Mario Andretti won the
1970
Al Unser, Sr won the
1971
Bobby Allison won the World
600 NASCAR Grand National race at the Charlotte Motor Speedway,
1973
Gordon Johncock won the
A.J. Foyt won the
1976
Johnny Rutherford won the
David Pearson won the World
600 NASCAR Winston Cup race at the Charlotte Motor Speedway,
1982
Rick Mears, trailing Gordon
Johncock by more than 10 seconds with a dozen laps to go, mounts a furious
charge that gets him even as they take the white flag. But Johncock is able to
hold on over the final lap and wins by 0.16 seconds, the 500's closest finish
to that point.
Neil Bonnett won the World
600 NASCAR Winston Cup race at the Charlotte Motor Speedway,
1987
Mark Martin gets his first
of a Nationwide Series-leading 48 victories, winning the Budweiser 200 at
1993
Emerson Fittipaldi won the
Dale Earnhardt won the
Coca-Cola 600 NASCAR Winston Cup race at the Charlotte Motor Speedway,
1999
Kenny Brack won the
Jeff Burton won the
Coca-Cola 600 NASCAR Winston Cup race at the Lowe's Motor Speedway,
2004
Buddy Rice won the
Jimmie Johnson won the
Coca-Cola 600 NASCAR Nextel Cup race at the Lowe's Motor Speedway,
MAY 31
1902
Walter Baker becomes the
first man to unofficially exceed 100 mph over 1 km in his electric powered
"Torpedo", at the
1915
Ralph DePalma won the
1919
Louis LeCocq ... Died ...
AAA driver from the early 1900's. LeCocq and his riding mechanic Robert Bandini
were killed in the 1919
Howdy Wilcox won the
1920
Gaston Chevrolet won the
1926
Frank Lockhart won the
1937
Wilbur Shaw won the
1948
Mauri Rose won the
1954
Bill Vukovich won the
1965
Jimmy Clark won the
1967
A.J. Foyt won the
1968
Our second son, Eric Martin
Avenengo was born in
1976
Elmer George... Died ... He
drove in the AAA and USAC Championship Car series, racing in the 1956-1963
seasons with 64 starts, including the
1977
Floyd Davis... Died ... Was
the co-winner of the 1941
1983
Tony Romit... Died ... Tony
was an open cockpit driver from
1986
Bobby Rahal won the
JUNE 1
1948
Tom Sneva ... Born ... He
worked as a school principal before becoming a racing driver. He drove
Supermodifieds in the
JUNE 2
1920
Don Branson ... Born ... He
drove in the USAC Championship Car series and also in sprint cars, racing champ
cars in the 1956-1966 seasons with 129 starts, including the 1959-1966
Indianapolis 500 races. He finished in the top ten 85 times, with 7 victories.
Branson died at
1926
Gig Stephens ... Born ...
ARDC & NEMA Midget driver and USAC driver from the mid 1950's to the early
1970's
1954
Steve Kinser ... Born ...
20 time World of Outlaws Champion. Steve failed to
qualify for the
1956
Junior Johnson, future
stockcar great, and his father are arrested for making moonshine whiskey.
1960
Kyle Petty ... Born ...
NASCAR Winston Cup driver. Kyle is the son and grandson of racing legends
Richard Petty and Lee Petty, respectively.
1963
Allen Crowe ... Died ... He
drove in the USAC Championship Car series, racing in the 1961-1963 seasons with
15 starts, including the 1962 and 1963 Indianapolis 500 races. He finished in
the top ten 6 times, with his best finish in 5th position in 1962 at
1970
Bruce McLaren was killed
testing his new Can Am entry, the M8D when he lost control and collided with an
earthen embankment at the Goodwood race track in
News
from the AARN:
No news this week,
but this, below, instead:
Gary London who had
written for the NSSN, and now has some things in the AARN, he had some Indy
Trivia in a couple of issues of the AARN.
Here, with his blessing, are some of them:
Only two 6-cylinder cars have won the Indy 500 – Ray Harroun’s Marmon Wasp in 1911 and George Robson’s Thorne/Sparks car in 1946.
Harry
Hartz is the only driver to finish second three times and not win.
A.J.
Foyt, IV was the youngest to start the 500, at 18, while has grandfather, A.J.
Foyt, Jr. was the oldest at 57.
Wilbur
Shaw had the best four-year run with three wins and a second – 1937-1940.
In
1946, Paul Russo drove a car that had two midget engines in it.
Fred
Agabashian won the pole in 1952 with a Diesel powered car.
Duane
Carter, Sr., Rodger Ward and Eddie Johnson all drove an upright dirt car, a
roadster and a rear-engined car in the 500.
Tommy
Milton, the first two-time winner, was blind in one eye.
When
Ray Keech won in 1929, he only lived two more weeks after his win.
Louis
Meyer won in 1928 and he lived for another 67 years.
Mauri
Rose is the only driver to lead a 500 in two different
cars, that happening in 1941.
When
Jerry Hoyt won the pole in 1955, he was driving the last car to have wire
wheels.
In
1933, the 500 started 42 cars.
In
1947, 30 cars started.
In
1979, 35 cars started.
In
1993, Mario Andretti became the oldest driver to lead a 500 at the age of
53. He also led the most laps in that
race.
Billy
Arnold had the pole in 1930, lost the lead and re-took it on lap three. He then led the remaining 197 laps.
In
1953, Bill Vukovich led laps 1-48 and then 54-200, for a total of 195 laps, on
a day that was so hot that one driver succumbed to the heat.
Ralph
DePalma led for 196 laps in 1912, but didn’t win.
Don,
Bill and Dale Whittington were the only three brothers to compete in the same
race (1982). Dale is one of four drivers
along with Art Bisch, Jerry Unser and Gary Congdon, to start one race and not
complete a lap.
Ray
Harroun and Juan Pablo Montoya are the only two race winners to have driven in
only one 500.
During
each pit stop in the 1913 race, Jules Goux, the winner, sipped champagne. He won by over six minutes.
In
1949, Troy Ruttman and Jim Rathmann got into the race as 19-year olds with
forged birth dates. Three
years later the finished 1st and 2nd.
Bill
Vukovich led over 70% of the laps he drove.
Next best are Billy Arnold and Parnelli Jones.
In
1974, Bill Homeier finished in last place – after driving for 74 laps.
Mario
Andretti, Gordon Johncock and Al Unser were all rookies in 1965. All finished in the top ten. Between them they would win seven 500’s. All drove in four decades.
The
oldest car to lead the race was the former Shaw Maserati which was ten years
old when Lee Wallard led the 1949 race.
Jim
Rathmann started in the last row in 1957, and worked his way to the lead, being
the first driver to ever do that.
Scott
Goodyear, who in 1992 finished second to Al Unser, Jr. - by inches, started in
last place.
In
his first nine 500’s, Johnny Rutherford’s best finish was 18th. From 1974-1980, he won
three times.
Before
winning in 1983, Tom Sneva finished second three times. After his win, he never finished another 500 in eight more tries.
Jack
McGrath is the only driver to ever race past Bill Vukovich for the lead.
No
driver named “Mike” has won the 500.
There
has never been a driver with the last name of “Smith” in the 500, but three
people named “Spence” have died there.
They are unrelated drivers Mike and Bill and a spectator named
Arie
Luyendyk’s record for the 500 miles at almost 186 MPH has stood for 21
years. He also set the qualifying record
in 1996, with an average speed of 236.986 MPH over the four lap
– 10 mile distance.
Note: To see the fastest and slowest qualifying
speeds, per race from 1911 up to 2008, along with other information, go
here: http://www.allstate400atthebrickyard.com/var/assets/stats/500/fastest-slowest-evenly_matched_qualifiers.pdf
A.J.
Foyt started in 35 consecutive races. He
was involved in only one accident, that being on the opening lap in 1996, at
the start.
When
Frank Lockhart won in 1926, when the race was stopped at 400 miles due to rain,
he is the only winner to have an average race speed faster than his qualifying
speed.
The
pace car for the 1962 race was a Studebaker.
That’s the last time one of
In
1933, the race started late because the drivers refused to start when the
speedway would not allow Howard Wilcox, a diabetic, to start. The track won and Mauri Rose replaced Wilcox,
who was not related to the 1919 winner, Howdy Wilcox.
From
1926 – 1929, all engines were 90 cubic inches.
In
1911, there was a Simplex four-cylinder car that had a displacement of 597
cubic inches.
When
George Robson won in 1946, he was driving the oldest car to win the 500 – a car
that was eight years old.
In
1947, Roland Free drove a car that was the winner of the 1930 500. Free had also been away
from the 500 for 17 years.
In
1951, Lee Wallard drove the Belanger # 99 to victory. Four days later, he was badly burned in a
Sprint Car while racing at the
A.J.
Foyt, Sir Jack Brabham, Paul Goldsmith, Jim Rathmann and Parnelli Jones are the
only surviving drivers from the 50th anniversary race.
Jim
Hurtubise drove in the most 500’s – 10 – without a top ten finish.
No
driver has won three 500’s in a row.
Car
owners, Lou Moore 1947 – 48 & 49, along with Roger Penske – 2001 – 02 &
03 have won three in a row.
In
1937, Billy DeVore became the first second generation driver in the 500. Norm Houser was the second, in 1949. In 1968, Gary Bettenhausen and Bill Vukovich
both qualified for the race.
Parnelli
Jones led the first four 500’s he raced in with the Agajanian # 98 (Old
Calhoun) racecar. When he finished
second, in 1965, in a rear-engined car, he never led.
The largest penalty – Scott Goodyear in 1995 – when he passed the pace
car prior to the green flag after a yellow.
Jerry
Grant, in 1972, while running second with 11 laps to go, blew a tire and was
serviced in his teammates pit area. He
wasn’t scored the remaining laps.
In
1981, Bobby Unser had his win taken away for passing on the pit lane. His win was re-instated in October, but he
was fined $50,000.00.
In
1912, Ralph Mulford took over nine hours to complete the 500 miles. It was dark when he finally finished and he
averaged 56 MPH.
Only
one driver – Michael Andretti is the only one that has raced against his son
and father, in the same race. He also
raced with his brother and cousin.
1996
winner Buddy Lazier is the only other driver to have a father and brother also
race in the 500.
The
last three dirt track cars to race in a 500 ran in 1956 and they finished 14th,
15th and 16th.
Jim
Hurtubise drove the last front-engined car in 1968.
Al
Unser has 11 podium finishes, covering four decades. He was also on the podium with his son, in
1992.
The Unser family has nine Indy 500 wins. All three got their last win driving for Roger Penske.
More
racin’ stuff:
In part:
“DIRTCar racing at the Cayuga County Speedway will draw a red flag two
weeks from now if the track owners cannot resolve an outstanding water bill
with the Cayuga County Water and Sewer Authority.
The group that owns the track, World Racing Group, has an
outstanding water bill dating back two years, CCWSA Director Warren Albrecht
said.
The authority sent a letter to local World Racing Group representative Jeff
Hachman stating that water will be shut off June 6 unless the bill, for
$35,921, is paid.
It’s a labyrinth of pipes that go through this property that services
multiple buildings,” Hachman said. “There’s not a foolproof formula (by which)
they’ve come to a conclusion of what we owe. ... We just asked for
clarification.”
The company was charged for water usage during the winter months when it
was not even open, a fact Hachman took as evidence that the billing was wrong.
Albrecht said that is due to broken pipes, a result of a poorly designed
water system on site. He maintained the metering is accurate.”
http://auburnpub.com/news/local/article_45415caa-85ba-11e0-a461-001cc4c03286.html
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/
(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
First Turn Pro: http://www.firstturnpro.com/
Vintage Sprint Car:
http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=236178
Vintage Midget: http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=337192
Briggs
Cunningham race team – history:
http://www.briggscunningham.com/race_history.html?YEAR=1955
Note: Disregard the “error” notice on top left.
Vintage
Dirt Modifieds: http://www.vintagedirtmodified.webs.com/
Note: As of now, this will be the last time for the
listings of various websites for you to check out, for a while. You might want to copy and paste or save them
if you use ‘em.
Racing and
television:
Racing on TV - http://www.racefantv.com/USTV.htm
Some non-racing stuff:
Dunno, but maybe he should resign?
Education Tucson
Superintendent Backs Down From Plan to Change Radical
Curriculum
In
part:
“The Tucson Unified
School District superintendent in the middle of a push to have a radical
Mexican-American studies class changed to an elective, has now backed down from
his position, even going as far as to issue an apology. The change follows two
wild demonstrations at consecutive school board meetings, one in which students
chained themselves to desks, and another in which the riot police were called
in.”
Is
this true:
From an e-mail I received the other day – maybe you’ve received the same, too?
As you open your
pockets for the next natural disaster, please
keep these facts in mind:
The American Red Cross President and CEO Marsha J. Evans salary for the year
was $651,957 plus expenses
The United Way President Brian Gallagher
receives a $375,000 base salary along with numerous expense benefits.
UNICEF CEO Caryl M. Stern receives $1,200,000
per year (100k per month) plus all expenses including a ROLLS ROYCE .
Less than 5
cents of your donated dollar goes to the cause
The Salvation
Army's Commissioner Todd Bassett receives a
salary of only $13,000 per year (plus housing) for managing this
$2 billion dollar organization.
96 percent of donated dollars go to the cause.
The American Legion
National Commander receives a $0.00 zero salary. Your donations go to
help Veterans and their families and youth!
No further
comment is necessary. Please share this ..
I'd like to add that in
most cases the Salvation Army is the first to arrive and the last to leave.
Why? Because they are truly a community based organization! Of
course the big budget publicity machines like the Red Cross don't want us to know
this. The Salvation Army will also say a prayer for you !!!
|
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Video time:
A
few videos for you this week. First, the 1952 Indy 500, then
part 2 of the 1955 Indy 500. It starts
right as they got the green flag. Notice
how close the field is. Third – last
years 500.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mGt7ONY9CB4&feature=grec_index
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pyW6055MLJE&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LiUNkUgn8_E
Note: Your thoughts on the difference in the
cars? How much wider are the cars of
today?
Closing with this:
Recently, when
I went to McDonald's I saw on the menu that you could have an order of 6, 9 or
12 Chicken McNuggets.
I asked for a half dozen nuggets.
'We don't have half dozen nuggets,' said the teenager at the counter.
'You don't?' I replied.
'We only have six, nine, or twelve,' was the reply.
'So I can't order a half dozen nuggets, but I can
order six?'
'That's right.'
So I shook my head and ordered six McNuggets
A woman at work was seen putting a credit card into her floppy
drive and
pulling it out very quickly.
When I inquired as to what she was doing, she said she was shopping on the
Internet and they kept asking for a credit card number, so she was using the
ATM 'thingy.'
I recently saw a distraught young lady weeping beside her car.
'Do you need some help?' I asked.
She replied, 'I knew I should have replaced the battery to this remote door
unlocker. Now I can't get into my car. Do you think they (pointing to a distant
convenience store) would have a battery to fit this?'
'Hmmm, I don't know. Do you have an alarm, too?' I asked.
'No, just this remote thingy,' she answered, handing it and the car keys to
me. As I took the key and manually unlocked the door, I replied, 'Why
don't you drive over there and check about the batteries. It's a long walk....'
I was checking out at the local Wal-Mart with just a few items and
the lady behind me put her things on the belt close to mine. I picked up one of
those
'dividers' that they keep by the cash register and placed it between our things
so they wouldn't get mixed.
After the girl had scanned all of my items, she picked up the 'divider',
looking it all over for the bar code so she could scan it.
Not finding the bar code, she said to me, 'Do you know how much this
is?'
I said to her 'I've changed my mind; I don't think I'll buy that today.'
She said 'OK,' and I paid her for the things and left.
She had no clue to what had just happened
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!
As usual, you can reach me
at: ygordad@yahoo.com