Racin' & Internet Stuff:

                                      By Tom Avenengo

                                         Volume # 57

                                           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.”

 Orange County’s full complement of big-block Modified, Sportsman, Pro Stock and Street Stock race cars will be in action with qualifying and feature races.

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.

 

 

 

 

 

Position

Driver

Speed

 

 

 

 

 

1

Alex Tagliani

227.472

 

 

 

 

 

2

Scott Dixon

227.34

 

 

 

 

 

3

Oriol Servia

227.168

 

 

 

 

 

4

Townsend Bell

226.887

 

 

 

 

 

5

Will Power

226.773

 

 

 

 

 

6

Dan Wheldon

226.49

 

 

 

 

 

7

Buddy Rice

225.786

 

 

 

 

 

8

Ed Carpenter

225.121

 

 

 

 

 

9

Dario Franchitti

225.121

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

10

Takuma Sato

225.736

 

 

 

 

 

11

Vitor Meira

225.59

 

 

 

 

 

12

J.R. Hildebrand

225.579

 

 

 

 

 

13

James Hinchcliffe

225.572

 

 

 

 

 

14

Bertrand Baguette

225.285

 

 

 

 

 

15

Davey Hamilton

225.25

 

 

 

 

 

16

Helio Castroneves

225.216

 

 

 

 

 

17

John Andretti

224.981

 

 

 

 

 

18

E.J. Viso

224.732

 

 

 

 

 

19

Ryan Hunter-Reay

223.690

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

20

Justin Wilson

224.511

 

 

 

 

 

21

Jay Howard

224.483

 

 

 

 

 

22

Tomas Scheckter

224.433

 

 

 

 

 

23

Tony Kanaan

224.417

 

 

 

 

 

24

Simona de Silvestro

224.392

 

 

 

 

 

25

Paul Tracy

224.939

 

 

 

 

 

26

Danica Patrick

224.861

 

 

 

 

 

27

Ryan Briscoe

224.639

 

 

 

 

 

28

Marco Andretti

224.628

 

 

 

 

 

29

Charlie Kimball

224.499

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

30

Graham Rahal

224.38

 

 

 

 

 

31

Alex Lloyd

223.957

 

 

 

 

 

32

Pippa Mann

223.936

 

 

 

 

 

33

Ana Beatriz

223.879

 

 

Fifth:

 

Back to OCFS – On the OCFS schedule, for June 11th, they have this:

 

June 11th

Frank Stevens & Sons Roofing - Atlantic Coast Old Timers/Northeast Vintage Modifieds - Collier Family - Brush Construction - NOSTALGIA NIGHT - M/SP/PRO/SS/V/ACOT

 

Note: On a schedule that I received from ACOT, it shows that they will be in Vermont on June 11th.  However, while I was up at Loudon this past week, I was informed that there would be some ACOT cars on display at OCFS.  I’m not sure if they’ll have any track time, however.

 

Sixth:

 

North Wilkesboro closes yet again.

 

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 Indianapolis as of 7:45 PM on Tuesday, May 24th:

Mostly Sunny High of 82

 

Weather forecast for Charlotte, as of 7:45 PM on Tuesday, May 24th:

Sunny High of 85

 

Weather forecast for Indianapolis as of 9:30 PM on Wednesday, May 25th:

Sunday: Isolated thunderstorms. Highs in the upper 70s and lows in the mid 60s.

 

Weather forecast for Charlotte as of 9:30 PM on Wednesday, May25th:  Sunday: Partly cloudy with a stray thunderstorm. Highs in the mid 80s and lows in the upper 60s.

 

 

Eighth:

 

Kyle Busch flagged for driving 128 MPH in 45-MPH zone

 

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.”

http://sports.yahoo.com/nascar/blog/from_the_marbles/post/Kyle-Busch-flagged-for-driving-128-mph-8230-i?urn=nascar-wp1502

 

 

 

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 Indianapolis 500 next year. Which team she will race for and how the details will work out are still being finalized, sources said. GoDaddy.com, which sponsors her Indy car and the car she drives in the Nationwide Series, is expected to stay with her if she moves to NASCAR full-time. Her contracts with Andretti Autosport in the IndyCar Series and JR Motorsports in the Nationwide Series end after this year. Patrick said last week at Indianapolis that she hasn't made any decisions about her future.(ESPN.com)(5-24-2011)

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 Oakland Valley Speedway (Dirt Oval) runners:

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) Speedway, on the 13th, Josh Pieniazek was 4th, John Virgilo (Virgilio?) 10th, Billy VanInwegen 19th, Brittany Tresch 20th and Emily VanInwegen 23rd.  Chuck Alessi was a DNS.

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 Bridgeport.  I believe this was his first race in 2011.

 

At Lebanon Valley, Kyle Armstrong is listed as a DNS for the Modified feature.  Kolby Schroder was 2nd in the Sportsman feature.

 

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, New York

1926

Bob Sweikert... Born ... AAA / USAC driver. Best known as the winner of the 1955 Indianapolis 500 and the 1955 National Championship, as well as the 1955 Midwest Sprint car championship - the only driver in history to sweep all three in a single season. His "Indy 500" win was over-shadowed by the fatal crash of two-time winner Bill Vukovich during the race earlier that day. Sweikert finished sixth at Indianapolis the following May, but then died weeks later, at age 30, in 1956 after crashing a Sprint car at Salem Speedway.

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 Indianapolis 500 in 1949.

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 Englishtown, New Jersey.

 

MAY 21

1924

Cotton Owens... Born ... NASCAR racer, team owner, and innovator.

1942

Danny Ongais... Born ... A former racecar driver from the United States. Born in Kahului, Maui Island, Hawaii, he is the only native Hawaiian to compete at the Indianapolis 500.

 

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 New Brunswick, New Jersey which fielded cars in lots of events, including CART and endurance racing.

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 Indianapolis 500 7 times and succeeded in both 1965 and 1969, where he finished 7th and 10th, respectively.

1966

Greg Weld crashed at Indy and ended the saga of the Novi engine.

 

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 Detroit. In 1951 had had a best finish of fourth on the dirt oval at Denver. At Indy he retired after just eight laps with a broken driveshaft. He made 12 starts during the year. He had a number of top ten finishes in 1952. At Indy, driving a Kurtis Kraft 4000 Offy he finished 13th. Then late in the year, on the 2nd November, in the San Jose 100-Mile Race at the 1.0-mile dirt oval San Jose Speedway at the Santa Clara County Fairgrounds, James had qualified his Bob Estes Lincoln-Mercury entered Watson roadster second. At the start he grabbed the lead and led the first five laps before he was passed by Bobby Ball in his Kurtis 4000. James retook the lead on lap 26 and was dicing with Mike Nazaruk for first place when he clipped one of Nazaruk's tires. James' car was flipped into a series of rolls down the main straight before hitting the wall in Turn 1. Seriousely injured he was taken to hospital in San Jose but passed away three days later.

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 Milwaukee. He also attempted to race in the 1966 Daytona 500 but only managed a 21st place finish in his qualifying race and failed to make the field. On Sunday Morning, May 14th 1972, he turned in a lap at 186mph and was going into the 3rd Turn when he lost control of the car. He had no time to apply the brakes and the Thermo King Eagle veered right and crashed almost head-on into the wall. There were skid marks for 75 feet and car parts scattered 150 yards away. A USAC official said it crumpled up the steering column and folded the tub right back into the rest of the car. It took more than 10 minutes to extricate Malloy, unconscious, fom the car. He had head injuries, fractures of both legs and hips, a broken right arm, and second-degree burns on his hands and feet. Never having regained consciousness, Malloy died four days later - five days before his 37th birthday.

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 Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

 

MAY 24

1981

Bobby Unser won the Indianapolis 500

1987

Al Unser won the Indianapolis 500

1992

Al Unser, Jr. won the Indianapolis 500

1998

Eddie Cheever won the Indianapolis 500

 

MAY 25

1923

Smokey Yunick... Born ... NASCAR and Indy mechanic and owner of the "Best Damn Garage in Town" in Daytona, Florida, died of leukemia at age 77.

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 Indianapolis 500

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 Richmond to hop onto the sidepod for a ride back to his pit.

Benny Parsons won the World 600 over Darrell Waltrip at the Charlotte Motor Speedway, Concord, NC

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, Concord, NC

1997

Arie Luyendyk won the Indianapolis 500

Jeff Gordon won the Coca-Cola 600 over Rusty Wallace at the Lowe's Motor Speedway, Concord, NC

2003

Gil de Ferran won the Indianapolis 500

Jimmie Johnson won the Coca-Cola 600 over Matt Kenseth at the Lowe's Motor Speedway, Concord, NC

 

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 America in 1996. Rose began his driving career at a Bridgeville, Pennsylvania, board track on July 4, 1927, before making his way to Indianapolis in 1932, where he would eventually drive the “Indy 500 15 times.

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 Riverside, California. Posey went on to become an auto racing commentator and broadcast journalist.

1974

Johnny Rutherford won the Indianapolis 500

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 Indianapolis 500.

Darrel Waltrip won the World 600 over Harry Gant at the Charlotte Motor Speedway, Concord, NC

1991

Rick Mears won the Indianapolis 500. This was also the first Indy 500 with a Japanese driver (Hiro Matsushita), African-American driver (Willy T. Ribbs), and four members of the same family (Mario, Michael, Jeff, and John Andretti). And the last Indy 500 for A.J. Foyt Jr.

Davey Allison won the Coca-Cola 600 over Ken Schrader at the Charlotte Motor Speedway, Concord, NC

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 Indianapolis 500

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, Concord, NC

2002

Helio Castroneves won the Indianapolis 500

Mark Martin won the Coca-Cola Racing Family 600 over Matt Kenseth at the Lowe's Motor Speedway, Concord, NC

 

MAY 27

1969

Jeremy Mayfield... Born ... NASCAR stockcar driver

1972

Mark Donohue won the Indianapolis 500

1979

Darrell Waltrip won the World 600 over Richard Petty at the Charlotte Motor Speedway, Concord, NC

1984

Rick Mears won the Indianapolis 500

Bobby Allison won the World 600 over Dale Earnhardt at the Charlotte Motor Speedway, Concord, NC

1990

Arie Luyendyk won the Indianapolis 500

Rusty Wallace won the Coca-Cola 600 over Bill Elliott at the Charlotte Motor Speedway, Concord, NC

2001

Helio Castroneves won the Indianapolis 500

Jeff Burton won the Coca-Cola 600 over Kevin Harvick at the Lowe's Motor Speedway, Concord, NC

2007

Dario Franchitti won the Indianapolis 500

Casey Mears won the Coca-Cola 600 over J.J. Yeley at the Lowe's Motor Speedway, Concord, NC

 

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 Indianapolis 500, finishing second in 1961 for his best finish. Sachs and sports car driver and Indy rookie Dave MacDonald were killed on the second lap of the 1964 Indianapolis 500 in a fiery crash involving seven cars.

1972

Buddy Baker drove a Petty Enterprises Plymouth to victory in the World 600 NASCAR stockcar race at Charlotte, North Carolina.

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 Indianapolis 500

Darrell Waltrip won the World 600 over Donnie Allison at the Charlotte Motor Speedway, Concord, NC

1979

Rick Mears won the Indianapolis 500

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, Concord, NC

1995

Jacques Villeneuve became the first Canadian to win the Indianapolis 500. Because of a 2-lap penalty for passing the pace car, he covered 505 miles to get the win. Also in this race, Honda became the first Japanese engine to participate in the 500.

Bobby Labonte won the Coca-Cola 600 over Terry Labonte at Charlotte, North Carolina, for his first NASCAR Winston Cup victory.

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, Concord, NC

2006

Sam Hornish Jr. beat out the rookie Marco Andretti by 0.0635 of a second to win the Indianapolis 500

Kasey Kahne won the Coca-Cola 600 over Jimmie Johnson at the Lowe's Motor Speedway, Concord, NC

 

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 Indianapolis 500-Mile Race four times, the fourth of five to have won the race in consecutive years, and is the only person to have both a sibling (Bobby) and child (Al Jr.) as fellow winners. Al's brother Jerry and nephews Johnny and Robby have also competed in the 500.

1955

Ken Schrader ... Born ... USAC and NASCAR driver

1971

Al Unser won the Indianapolis 500

1977

Richard Petty won the World 600 over David Pearson at the Charlotte Motor Speedway, Concord, NC

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 Indianapolis 500

1983

Tom Sneva won the Indianapolis 500

Neil Bonnett won the World 600 over Richard Petty at the Charlotte Motor Speedway, Concord, NC

1988

Rick Mears won the Indianapolis 500

Darrell Waltrip won the Coca-Cola 600 over Rusty Wallace at the Charlotte Motor Speedway, Concord, NC

1994

Al Unser Jr won the Indianapolis 500

Jeff Gordon won the Coca-Cola 600 over Rusty Wallace at the Charlotte Motor Speedway, Concord, NC

2005

Dan Wheldon won the Indianapolis 500

Jimmie Johnson won the Coca-Cola 600 over Bobby Labonte at the Lowe's Motor Speedway, Concord, NC

 

MAY 30

1911

Ray Harroun won the Indianapolis 500

1912

Joe Dawson won the Indianapolis 500

1913

Jules Goux won the Indianapolis 500

1914

Rene Thomas won the Indianapolis 500

1916

Dario Resta won the Indianapolis (Scheduled for 300 miles)

1921

Tommy Milton won the Indianapolis 500

1922

Jimmy Murphy won the Indianapolis 500

1923

Tommy Milton won the Indianapolis 500

1924

Lora Corum won the Indianapolis 500

1925

Peter DePaolo won the Indianapolis 500

1927

George Souders won the Indianapolis 500

1928

Louis Meyer won the Indianapolis 500

1929

Ray Keech won the Indianapolis 500

Bill Spence ... Died ... AAA driver from the late 1920's. He was killed in the 1929 Indianapolis 500.

1930

Billy Arnold won the Indianapolis 500

1931

Louis Schneider won the Indianapolis 500

1932

Fred Frame won the Indianapolis 500

1933

Mark Billman... Died ... AAA racer 1930's. He was killed in the 1933 Indy 500.

Louis Meyer won the Indianapolis 500

1934

Bill Cummings won the Indianapolis 500

1935

Kelly Petillo won the Indianapolis 500

1936

Louis Meyer won the Indianapolis 500

1938

Floyd Roberts won the Indianapolis 500

1939

Floyd Roberts... Died ... AAA driver who raced in the 1930's. He won the Indianapolis 500 in 1938 with a record speed of 117.2 mph. He led for 92 laps. The following year, 1939, driving the same car, he was killed in a crash on the backstretch after hitting a wooden fence at near 100 mph. Roberts was the first former winner and defending champion of the race to have been killed while competing.

Wilbur Shaw won the Indianapolis 500

1940

Wilbur Shaw won the Indianapolis 500

1941

Floyd Davis won the Indianapolis 500

1946

George Robson won the Indianapolis 500

1947

Mauri Rose won the Indianapolis 500

1949

Bill Holland won the Indianapolis 500

1950

Johnnie Parsons won the Indianapolis 500

1951

Lee Wallard won the Indianapolis 500

1952

Troy Ruttman won the Indianapolis 500

1953

Bill Vukovich won the Indianapolis 500

1955

Bill Vukovich was killed in a chain-reaction crash while holding a 17-second lead on the 57th lap of the 1955 Indianapolis 500. Vukovich was exiting the second turn, trailing three slower cars, driven by Rodger Ward, Al Keller, and Johnny Boyd, when Ward's car swerved as the result of a strong gust of wind. Keller, swerving into the infield to avoid Ward, lost control and slid back onto the track, striking Boyd's car and pushing it into Vukovich's oncoming path. Vukovich's car struck Boyd's, became airborne, and landed upside down after going over the outside backstretch retaining wall and somersaulting several times, killing him.

 

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 Indianapolis 500

1956

Pat Flaherty won the Indianapolis 500

1957

Sam Hanks won the Indianapolis 500

1958

Jimmy Bryan won the Indianapolis 500

Pat O'Connor... Died ... AAA / USAC driver from the 1950's. He was killed in the 1958 INDY 500.

1959

Rodger Ward won the Indianapolis 500

1960

Jim Rathmann won the Indianapolis 500 ( Click here for the race report. )

1961

A.J. Foyt won the Indianapolis 500

1962

Rodger Ward won the Indianapolis 500

1963

Parnelli Jones won the Indianapolis 500

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 Indianapolis 500, finishing second in 1961 for his best finish. Sachs and sports car driver and Indy rookie Dave MacDonald were killed on the second lap of the 1964 Indianapolis 500 in a fiery crash involving seven cars.

1966

Graham Hill won the Indianapolis 500

1968

Bobby Unser won the Indianapolis 500

1969

Mario Andretti won the Indianapolis 500

1970

Al Unser, Sr won the Indianapolis 500

1971

Bobby Allison won the World 600 NASCAR Grand National race at the Charlotte Motor Speedway, Concord, NC

1973

Gordon Johncock won the Indianapolis 500.

A.J. Foyt won the Indianapolis 500

1976

Johnny Rutherford won the Indianapolis 500

David Pearson won the World 600 NASCAR Winston Cup race at the Charlotte Motor Speedway, Concord, NC

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, Concord, NC

1987

Mark Martin gets his first of a Nationwide Series-leading 48 victories, winning the Budweiser 200 at Dover. Martins wins by 5 seconds over Larry Pearson.

1993

Emerson Fittipaldi won the Indianapolis 500

Dale Earnhardt won the Coca-Cola 600 NASCAR Winston Cup race at the Charlotte Motor Speedway, Concord, NC

1999

Kenny Brack won the Indianapolis 500

Jeff Burton won the Coca-Cola 600 NASCAR Winston Cup race at the Lowe's Motor Speedway, Concord, NC

2004

Buddy Rice won the Indianapolis 500

Jimmie Johnson won the Coca-Cola 600 NASCAR Nextel Cup race at the Lowe's Motor Speedway, Concord, NC

 

MAY 31

1902

Walter Baker becomes the first man to unofficially exceed 100 mph over 1 km in his electric powered "Torpedo", at the South Shore Boulevard in Staten Island, NY. Unfortunately, a wreck at the end of his run prevented it from becoming an official record.

1915

Ralph DePalma won the Indianapolis 500

1919

Louis LeCocq ... Died ... AAA driver from the early 1900's. LeCocq and his riding mechanic Robert Bandini were killed in the 1919 Indianapolis 500 after their "Roamer" had its fuel tank ruptured, and exploded.

Howdy Wilcox won the Indianapolis 500

1920

Gaston Chevrolet won the Indianapolis 500

1926

Frank Lockhart won the Indianapolis 500 (Called after 400 miles due to rain)

1937

Wilbur Shaw won the Indianapolis 500 in a Miller powered car of his own design.

1948

Mauri Rose won the Indianapolis 500 in an Offenhauser powered Deidt.

1954

Bill Vukovich won the Indianapolis 500

1965

Jimmy Clark won the Indianapolis 500

1967

A.J. Foyt won the Indianapolis 500 in a Foyt Coyote.

1968

Our second son, Eric Martin Avenengo was born in Goshen, N.Y.

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 Indianapolis 500 races in 1957, 1962, and 1963. He finished in the top ten 36 times, with one victory, in 1957 at Syracuse. George was also the 1957 USAC Sprint Car Series champion. Elmer George was married to Mari Hulman George, daughter of Tony Hulman, owner of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Elmer and Mari's son is Tony George, founder of the Indy Racing League. On race day, May 31, 1976, Elmer George argued by telephone with a horse trainer at the family farm near Terre Haute. After the race, George drove to the farm and confronted the trainer. George was shot and died the next day.

1977

Floyd Davis... Died ... Was the co-winner of the 1941 Indianapolis 500. Floyd Davis drove the first 72 laps of the 1941 race before being replaced by Mauri Rose, who completed the race in the lead.

1983

Tony Romit... Died ... Tony was an open cockpit driver from New Jersey, who raced midgets and sprint cars along the east coast from 1948 to the mid 1970's.

1986

Bobby Rahal won the Indianapolis 500 in a Cosworth powered March 86C. It was the first time the 500 was completed in less than 3 hours.

 

JUNE 1

1948

Tom Sneva ... Born ... He worked as a school principal before becoming a racing driver. He drove Supermodifieds in the Spokane, Washington area before joining the Indy Car ranks. Sneva is best remembered for winning the 1983 Indianapolis 500. Nicknamed "The Gas Man," Sneva was an outstanding qualifier, winning the pole position for the Indianapolis 500 three times (1977, 1978, 1984). He was also the fastest qualifier on a fourth occasion in 1981, but because of qualifying rules did not start the race from the pole position. Sneva's unique abilities to get the most out of his car also led to him winning two consecutive USAC National Championships for Indycars in 1977 and 1978. He was the first driver to qualify at the Indianapolis 500 over 200 mph in 1977 and the first driver to qualify at the Indianapolis 500 over 210 mph in 1984. His brother, driver Jerry Sneva, also competed at Indy.

 

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 Ascot Park in Gardena, CA in a November, 1966 crash which also claimed Dick Atkins. There are those who believe a heart attack may have been responsible for the crash which claimed both Branson and Dick Atkins that day. Branson was going to retire after the 1966 season and had accepted an appointment to join Goodyear as Field Manager for USAC Champ racing and was due to start on January 1st 1967. He was inducted in the National Sprint Car Hall of Fame in 1994.

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 Indianapolis 500 as a 28 year old rookie in 1981 when his month was ended by a practice crash. He returned 16 years later in 1997 and qualified 20th and finished 14th as a 42 year old rookie in a Dallara-Oldsmobile. It was his only Indy Racing League start. Kinser has been selected several times to compete in the International Race of Champions, winning a race at Talladega Superspeedway in 1994. He also finished a career best 6th in IROC points in 1994. He began the 1995 season as a full-time NASCAR Winston Cup driver for Kenny Bernstein, but he was released after only five starts after a best finish of 27th and average finish of 35th. His family is also involved in racing, as his cousin Mark Kinser, is one of his competitors on the World of Outlaws circuit, and his son Kraig Kinser is a member of Ginn Racing's driver development program. Kraig has also won the 2005 Knoxville Nationals. He has two other children, Stevie and Kurt. His nephew Sheldon Kinser competed in the CART series and raced in the Indianapolis 500 6 times. Steve is the son of Bob Kinser. Steve's distant cousin Karl Kinser was Steve's car owner 1978 to 1994. Karl has been the winning car owner and mechanic for 16 World of Outlaws championships and 12 Knoxville Nationals wins. Karl was inducted in the National Sprint Car Hall of Fame.

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 Syracuse. Crowe died in New Bremen, Ohio from injuries sustained in a sprint car race at New Bremen Speedway .

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 England.

 

 

 

News from the AARN:

http://www.aarn.com/

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 Everett.

 

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 Detroit’s “Big Three” did not pace the field.

 

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 Reading, Pa. track.  The car was taken over by Tony Bettenhausen who went on to win eight races and the National Championship.

 

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:

 

Authority may turn off Cayuga County Speedway's water

 

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/

Syracuse forum:  http://www.syracuse.com/forums/motorsports/ (Must register to post)

South Jersey Dirt Racing:  http://theboard.southjerseydirtracing.com/Msgboard.asp?ForumID=27&Return=Msgboard.asp&D83jsd=True

(Must register to post)

Victory Speedway:  http://s2.excoboard.com/VictorySpeedwayForum (Must register to post & no nonsense allowed)

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.

New England Tractor:  http://newenglandtractor.com/racereport/

Wheels of Speed:  http://www.wheelsofspeed.com/

The Caruso Racing Museum website:  http://www.carusomidgetracing.com/  A great website if you are interested in the history of legendary Mike Caruso, his cars and his drivers.

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.”

http://www.theblaze.com/stories/tucson-superintendent-backs-down-from-plan-to-change-radical-curriculum/

 

 

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 !!!

 

 

 

 

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