Racin' & Internet Stuff:

                                      By Tom Avenengo

                                         Volume # 65

                                           07/28/2011

 

First:

 

Well, I’m back.  Believe me, I would have much rather have been home and maybe attending a race or two and working on the column, than in the hospital!

My son, Eric, accompanied me to Good Samaritan Hospital in Suffern, NY on July 15th, where I thought I’d just have a nice interview with Dr. Cary Hirsch, and maybe set up an appointment for a future date for correcting an aneurysm on my aorta.  It didn’t work out that way, and I was admitted to the hospital for some tests.  A cardiac catherization found a couple of problems in the old ticker, and it was decided that I should have a Pacemaker.  A CAT Scan found that the aneurysm on my aorta was a “5”, which means that it should be able to be corrected with a stent, rather than open surgery.  That was a big relief for this writer, for sure.  The Pacemaker was installed in my upper left chest area on Thursday, the 21st.  I’m still kinda sore, and still unable to shower for another week, as I’m writing this, on Sunday, the 24th. 

The good news was that it was thought that I went through enough while in the “Crash House” for the week, so I was told to call in September or October to set up an appointment to have the aneurysm taken care of.

 

 

 

Second:

 

I’d have to say that this column won’t be as full with info as the others I’ve done – I think.  With my being gone for a week, there are certain things I would find on the Internet that take time, and I’m not sure just how much I’ll be working on the column Sunday, Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday.  One thing that will keep me in the house is the fact that I can’t drive for two weeks after the Pacemaker was put in.  So my gallivanting will surely be curtailed.

 

 

 

 

Third:

 

As you probably know, I’m a member of the Yahoo! Race History Group, and the other day I got this in an e-mail:

“Group: As of last week, the registered car count for the 4th Darlington Historic Racing Festival, September 23-25,2011 was low. If we want to continue to have this track facility available for vintage racing the count needs to be in the range of previous years 110 plus vehicles. I will be glad to e mail an application for the event. Please contact me off line @ trnstrtrk@bellsouth.net
Thank you for your consideration.
Bob Coolidge
DeLand, FL”

 

Fourth:

From Frontstretch.com

MPM2Nite:  NASCAR Arrogance Gone Awry

Kurt Smith · Thursday July 21, 2011

Inpart:

“The recent Kentucky mess was preventable.  The reaction to it was initially far too unrepentant. The blame game that followed it was unseemly. But NASCAR’s apparent attitude towards the whole thing now takes the cake.

Look for Brian France’s response to Bruton Smith’s bold answer to being asked if he would consider a refund for jilted fans: “We don’t want to.” Or more correctly, the lack of response. If France has commented on that in any way, I can’t find it in searches. But the proper response should have been to immediately get in touch with Bruton and let him know that he will be relieved from future post-PR-disaster press conferences.

Did anyone at the highest echelon of NASCAR leadership at least think that that might not have been the best thing to say after thousands of people sat for as long as ten hours in Kentucky heat to miss a race? Presumably not.

More can be read here:  http://www.frontstretch.com/ksmith/34654/

 

Fifth:

Miller: Richmond possible to return in 2012

Just mentioned at the end of Speed Center.

http://www.trackforum.com/forums/showthread.php?153418-Miller-Richmond-possible-to-return-in-2012

That’s about the Indy cars making a return to Richmond in 2012.  I believe it was Eddie Cheever who said that racing at Richmond, in Indy cars was like “Flying jet fighters in a gymnasium”.

There MIGHT be a bus trip from the Orange County area to that show.  I’d be willing to bet that it will be on a Saturday night.  Maybe they can have the Silver Crown and NASCAR Modifeds there again, too?

 

Sixth:

Not racing related, but since I’ve been home from the hospital, I’ve been checking as to where might the best and most economical place to get some new meds that have been prescribed for me.  It’s funny how you can go to some pharmacies in Canada and then you find the only place they ship from is India.  Or in another instance the UK.  What one would think that when an item comes (supposedly) from Canada, it would not really take that long?  I’ve had one prescription come from India, and was told I’d have it in a week – uh huh – how about 20 days?  Tracing it’s way from India to my home, I found it to be at some Post Office in India for over two weeks.  Personally, if the only place they ship their drugs from is India, then as far as I’m concerned, they should not be listed as a Canadian Pharmacy.

 

Seventh:

From an e-mail I received the other day:

The Chevrolet Volt: The Real Story:

In part:

“This should make your day or, month!      NOTE:  The battery for the VOLT is made in China and is expensive to dispose of and has a 4 year life cycle. For some of us who may keep a car past 4 years - it cost $5,000.00 to replace the battery.

 

The Secret Behind the Chevy VOLT" The Rest of the Story.

 

Patrick Michaels is a senior fellow in Environmental Studies at the Cato Institute and the editor of the forthcoming Climate Coup: Global Warming's Invasion of our Government and our Lives, as well as the author of several other books on global warming.

 

His Forbes column on the Chevy VOLT is a case study in the nexus between big government corruption and big business rent-seeking.

 

Michaels briefly recaps the well-known consumer fraud in which GM has touted the VOLT as an all-electric mass production vehicle on the supposed basis of which its sales receive a $7,500 taxpayer subsidy.  NOT WITHSTANDING, THIS RENDERS IT NOT ONLY OVERPRICED BUT UNMARKETABLE. 

 

Michaels notes that "sales are anemic: 326 in December, 321 in January, and 281 in February."     Michaels adds that GM has announced a production run of 100,000 in the first two years and asks what appears to be a rhetorical question: "Who is going to buy all these cars?"

 

But wait!  Keep hope alive! There is a positive answer.

 

Jeffrey Immelt's GE will buy a boatload of those uneconomic GM cars. Here the case study opens onto the inevitable political angle: Recently, President Obama selected General Electric CEO Jeffrey Immelt to chair his Economic Advisory Board. GE is also awash in windmills waiting to be subsidized so they can provide unreliable, expensive power.

 

The story of the GM VOLT deserves a place in the Harvard Business School curriculum but of course, it won't.  It's a classic tale of the GOVERNMENT deciding what the public needs, not the marketplace.

 

What is one of the reasons for this? Why, to keep the UAW in business, because Obama owes them for his election.”

 

More can be found if you go here:  http://www.cato.org/pub_display.php?pub_id=12892

 

 

 

 

Coming up:

 

Accord:

 

Ruges Parts Center Night-Racing all divisions plus Lightning Sprints – 07/29/11

 

Mid Week Madness – 08/03/11

 

Royal King Dry Cleaners Night – Camera & Autograph Night – Racing all divisions plus Legends – 08/05/11

 

OCFS:

July 28th:  Rock Fantasy - All Steel Aluminum - 50 lap Sportsman Eastern States Qualifier - $1,000 to Win - SP/PRO/SS

July 30th:  Howard Johnson of Middletown - Super 8 of Middletown - CRSA Sprints - 358/SP/PRO/SS (NO MODIFIEDS) - 358's $2,500 TO WIN - Winner will get Outside Pole

July 31st:  Middletown Auto Wreckers Demo Derby – last day for the fair.

Note:  Here’s the link for you to order your race tickets, online, for racing that’s held during the fair, at a lower price:  http://www.orangecountyfairspeedway.net/tickets.html

August 6th:  M&H Tractor Supply Co. - Kids Club - M/SP/PRO/SS/4 Cylinder

Note:  I would not count on seeing any 4 Cylinders there on 8/6

 

Lebanon Valley:

July 30 - Waste Management & Wohrle's Food Present The “Matthew Plunkett Modified Non-Winners Classic”, Weekly Divisions & 4-Cylinders

Aug. 6 - Sheldon Oil Presents NYSSCA Night & The Bulldog Concrete Prostock Elimination Race, Weekly Divisions & Budget Sportsman

Aug. 25:  CARQUEST Auto Parts & General Tire Present
$17,500 TO WIN “MR. DIRT Track U.S.A.” 100-Lap Modified DIRTcar Series Race Plus Budget Sportsman, Gates Open @ 5pm | Racing @ 6pm

 

 

Found on Jayski’s website:

Bayne was treated for Lyme Disease:

Trevor Bayne had to miss five Nationwide races earlier this year after suffering from what his doctors think was Lyme Disease. But he feels fine now. "I'm great. I'm going back in a couple months to find out if that's officially what it was," he said. "I had treatment for that and my symptoms are gone. Hopefully, that's what it was and they knocked it out."(Associated Press)(7-23-2011)

Note:  The doctors THINK???

Brickyard ticket sales down?

There have been rumors that ticket sales for next week's Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway were again off-pace from last season, but an internal NASCAR memo obtained by ThatsRacin.com and The Observer seems to confirm the problem. In the memo, which was distributed by email on Friday, team public relations representatives were thanked ahead of time for their drivers' participation in a Sprint Cup Series autograph session at the track. The memo said, "ticket sales are significantly behind from previous years" at IMS. Since sales have been dramatically down since the 2008 tire problems at the track, another significant decline would appear ominous. The memo goes on to say, the track believed there would be a large walk-up crowd for the July 31 race and hoped the autograph session would be well received by race fans.(Charlotte Observer)(7-23-2011)

Note:  Lots of aluminum showing when they raced at Loudon with the Cup cars.  I’d imagine you could get tickets at any Cup race now on the day of the race.

Harvick says he's been warned to not touch Busch:

Kevin Harvick says he is racing with handcuffs when competing against rival Kyle Busch, whom he and his owner have feuded with since May. Harvick, who finished second behind Busch in the New England 200 on Saturday, told his Nationwide Series team over his radio that he had to be careful around Busch and then confirmed afterward that NASCAR President Mike Helton had warned him at Michigan in June not to touch Busch on the track. "I was told a few weeks ago that if we touched the 18 car [of Busch], we'd be parked," Harvick said. "I've just got to be really careful. I would have liked to have gotten the track position and slid up and do what I needed to do. But I've just got to be really careful. That's the way NASCAR put it to me." NASCAR spokesman Kristi King said if there was a conversation between Harvick and Helton, it would remain private. Busch said he has received no warning. "It would have been a lot easier to win if you didn't have handcuffs put on you, but that's the way NASCAR said we had to do it," Harvick said.(Scene Daily(7-17-2011)

Travis Pastrana to make NASCAR National Series Debut:

After back-flipping his way through the ESPN X Games, Travis Pastrana will catch a red-eye flight to Indianapolis to make his first ever start in the NASCAR Nationwide Series this weekend at Lucas Oil Raceway. The long awaited arrival of the action sports star is finally here. Pastrana has 16 X Games gold medals in addition to multiple titles in supercross, motocross and rally cars. He'll make his series debut for Pastrana-Waltrip Racing #99 Boost Mobile Toyota. Pastrana got a taste of NASCAR racing, having run a combination of five NASCAR K&N Pro Series East and West races this year including his best finish of sixth in his NASCAR debut in January at the Toyota All-Star Showdown. His other NASCAR K&N Pro Series races were Phoenix (25th), Richmond (33rd), Iowa (22nd) and Loudon (22nd).(NASCAR)(7-27-2011)

 

Former Oakland Valley Speedway (Dirt Oval) runners:

No results from two weekends ago, due to time.

From last weekend:

Kolby Schroder was 4th at Lebanon Valley in the Sportsman class.  Kyle Armstrong was 15th in the Modified feature, while Bobby Hackel, IV was 11th in the Budget Sportsman feature.

Josh Pieniazek won the CRSA 305 Sprint Car feature at Utica/Rome, with John Virgilio 3rd, Chuck Alessi 11th and Brittany Tresch 12th.

John Virgilio was 5th, Josh 6th and Brittany 7th in the CRSA feature at Rolling Wheels.

In the All Star Slingshot feature at Hamlin, Charlie Lawrence was 2nd.  Kyle Rohner was 6th, Joe Kata 8th, Cait Chambers 16th and Molly Chamber 21st in the Wingless 600’s.  Rick Casario was 6th in the 270 Micro feature.  Jacob Hendershot was 13th in the Rookie 600’s and 9th in the wingless 270’s.

At OCFS, Tim Hindley was 2nd, Billy VanInwegen 4th, Mike Ruggiero 12th and Michael Storms 17th in the Modified feature.  RJ Smykla won the Sportsman feature with Brian Krummel 2nd, Anthony Perrego 3rd, Matt Janiak 5th, John Lodini 7th, Matt Hitchcock 9th, Jimmy Johnson 17th, Tyler Boniface 18th and Keith Still 24th, with Zack Vavricka being a DNQ.

Kenney Johnson is shown as being 9th, with a DNF in the NEMA Lites feature at Seekonk.

Note:  From his father, Jeff, who has the New England Tractor website:

“Set fast time in hot laps, won our heat by almost 1/2 lap. Lead 22 1/2 laps of the feature while lapping almost 1/2 the field.

Then the car over heated blew water onto the right rear coming out of turn 2. He spun in the middle of heavy lap traffic. To avoid taking out a bunch of cars he got it pointed to the infield, but the car dug in and flipped as soon as he hit the grass. As if that wasn't enough when the safety crew rolled the car back onto its wheels it burst into flames, which were very quickly extinguished.

Kenney is fine.   The car is a mess but we are hoping to have it back together for Saturday.”

 

At Big Diamond in the ARDC feature, from 7/22, Justin Grosz was 24th.

 

At Big Diamond with the RoC races on Tuesday, the 26th:  Mike Mammana was a DNQ for the modified race while Brad Szulewski was 16th in the Sportsman feature.

 

Brian Sobus was 12th in the Supermodified feature at Oswego.

 

Roger Coss finished 4th in the Modified feature at Wall Stadium.

Michael Storms won the Modified feature at Accord, with Clinton Mills 14th, Danny Creeden 15th and Mike Ruggiero 22nd.  Anthony Perrego was 3rd and Brad Szulewski 14th in the Sportsman feature.  Kyle Rohner was 2nd, Matt Hitchcock 6th and Tyler Dippel 7th in the Spec Sportsman feature.

Tiffany Wambold is shown as being 9th in the 270 Micro Sprint feature at Wyalusing.

Rich Coons won another Sportsman feature at Bethel.

Clinton Mills went to Fonda on Saturday, instead of OCFS, and was 14th in the Modified feature.

Bobby Hackel, IV is shown as being a DNS in the Modified feature at Albany/Saratoga. Might that be his last pavement race for 2011?  I see he was at Lebanon Valley last Saturday.

Chances are that I’ve missed some this week.  Sorry!

 

 

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 from July 22nd to August 4th:

 

JULY 22

1956

Scott Dixon ... Born ... Scott won the 92nd running of the Indianapolis 500 in 2008. He won the Indy Racing League (IRL) championship in 2003 on his first attempt.

 

JULY 23

1936

Dave MacDonald ... Born ... MacDonald became noted on the West Coast for his performance in the sports car circuits. He competed in seven NASCAR Grand National races, finishing second in one race each in both 1963 and 1964. He was one of two drivers killed during the 1964 Indianapolis 500 in a fiery crash that directly led to a change in fuel type from gasoline to methanol.

 

JULY 24

1960

Bobby Marshman won the ARDC Midget race at the Trenton International Speedway, Trenton,NJ.

 

JULY 25

1911

Len Duncan... Born ... Len Duncan, of Lansdale, PA, had a racing career spanning seven decades, beginning in 1928 and continuing into the 1980s in TQ midgets! In 1953, 1954 and 1955, when AAA had a working agreement with the American Racing Drivers Club (ARDC), he was the AAA Eastern Midget Champion, and during the thirteen years between 1955 and 1967, he won the ARDC title eight times. During World War II, Len had the honor of being assigned as President Truman's driver during one of his visits to England. He drove in the Indianapolis 500 in 1954 and had relief from George Fonder. The pair completed 101 laps and placed 31st. Mario Andretti credits Duncan with having a great influence on his professional life.

1959

Rodger Ward defeated the best of US sportscar racers when he won the Formula Libra race at Lime Rock in an Offenhauser powered Kurtis midget.

 

Note:  Check out, elsewhere in this weeks column, about that race.

 

JULY 26

1938

Bruce Craig... Born ... He was a self-employed auto racing photographer, videographer, and historian who was well known throughout the United States. His photography collections on auto racing, numbering some 86,000 negatives, could be compared to those of Mathew Brady on the Civil War. In addition to taking photos he was very adept at acquiring outstanding collections. He was a member of the National Sprint Car Hall of Fame and Museum in Knoxville, Iowa, and of the Williams Grove Oldtimers; an organization dedicated to preserving auto racing. He was a longtime and active member of the Eastern Museum of Motor Racing in Dillsburg, Pa. He was a member of numerous historic racing organizations.

1950

Rich Vogler ... Born ... USAC Midget and Sprint Car driver. Inductee in the National Sprint Car Hall of fame. First to win both the USAC Sprint Car and Midget Championships in the same season. His 134 wins (95 Midget, 35 Sprint, and four Silver Crown wins) in national events is second only to A. J. Foyt's 169. [1] [3] Vogler had 170 total USAC wins, and won over 200 "outlaw" (non-USAC) midget races. Five starts at Indy, best finish - eighth in 1989 driving a Penske. In the last race of his life, July 21, 1990 during an ESPN "Saturday Night Thunder" national broadcast, he was killed while leading a sprint car race at the Salem (Indiana) Speedway with a little over a lap remaining. He was posthumously declared the winner.

1952

Doug Wolfgang ... Born ... He spent nearly twenty years criss-crossing the country as one of the world's greatest race car drivers. But Doug Wolfgang's career came to an end after two horrific accidents.

1965

Curtis Turner is reinstated by NASCAR, after a 4 year ban for trying to organize a drivers union.

 

JULY 27

1963

Mario Andretti entered his first road race. He won the race at Lime Rock, Connecticut, driving a front-engined midget. Mark Donohue was second in a rear-engined midget.

 

Note:  That was the first "Professional" race for Donohue.  Quite a story as to how he was able to make the feature.  See elsewhere in this column for the story.

 

1969

Mickey Shaw ... Died ... USAC driver from the 1960's. Mickey Shaw died at a nearby hospital after pulling into the pits during preliminaries of a USAC Sprint Car race at the Eldora Speedway the day before complaining of chest pains.

 

JULY 28

1951

Bill Schindler won the AAA Eastern Sprint Car race at the Delaware State Fairgrounds, Harrington, DE.

1957

Johnny Thomson won the ARDC Midget race at the Williams Grove Speedway, Williams Grove,PA.

 

Note:  Do you have any idea as to what Schindler and Thomson have in common?  Check out what it is at the end of this week’s column.

 

1985

Emerson Fittipaldi gets his first win in a CART Indycar at the Michigan 500.

 

JULY 29

1951

Cecil Green ... Died ... An American racecar driver from Dallas, Texas. Green won 34 races between 1948 and 1950 in Oklahoma and Missouri, and many more in Texas. He won the 1949 Oklahoma City and Southwest AAA titles. He won in seven different Offenhauser cars. Green place fourth in his first Indianapolis 500 in 1950. He finished 22nd in the 1951 Indianapolis 500. He died in a qualifying crash at Winchester Speedway in Winchester, Indiana in 1951, which became known as "Black Sunday". Green was inducted in the National Midget Auto Racing Hall of Fame in 2003.

Walt Brown ... Died ... AAA driver from the 1940's and early 50's who ran in 3 Indy 500's with a best finish of 7th in 1947. He died in a race at the Williams Grove Speedway (PA).

Bill Mackey ... Died ... AAA driver from 1949 to 1951. His name at birth was William Gretsinger, Jr. He was killed in a sprint car crash at Winchester Speedway.

 

Black Sunday .. On this day, three big-time drivers, each of who were veterans of the Indianapolis 500, and who together constituted the 11th (last) row for the 1951 starting field, lost their lives on this day. At the Williams Grove Speedway in Pennsylvania, Walt Brown was warming up an ill-handling car, the Jack Robbins Special. This car, as the Noc-Out Hose Clamp Special, had been driven to victory in the 1941 Indianapolis 500 by Floyd Davis and Mauri Rose. Brown suffered critical injuries during a slow tumbling accident in the second turn, and died just after arriving at Carlisle Hospital. Meanwhile, at the Winchester Speedway in Indiana, Cecil Green lost control and went over the embankment between the first and second turn while attempting to qualify the J.C. Agajanian "98jr." car. He died on the way to the hospital while the other drivers waited for the ambulance to return. Next in the qualifying line was Bill Mackey, driver of the Joe Langley Special. No sooner had the ambulance returned than Mackey began his qualifying attempt, only to fly out of the track at the same spot Green had, also suffering fatal injuries. Mackey, whose real name was William C. Gretsinger, Jr., had been having reservations about continuing his racing career, in spite of a run of recent success, including the recent participation in his first Indianapolis 500 in May. During the second wait for the ambulance to return, drivers in the qualifying line had considerable time to ponder the hazards of their profession. Fortunately, the next driver up was the inimitable Duane Carter, the defending AAA Midwest sprint car champion. He had come to Winchester only because promoter Frank Funk had offered him a special appearance bonus to assure himself of at least one "headliner," while most of the stars were racing at Williams Grove. Without a flicker of reluctance, Carter raced through three consecutive laps, all under the track record. After establishing these records and winning the fast qualifier of the day accolades, he proceeded to win both his preliminary heat race and the day's feature race.

 

JULY 30

1946

Neil Bonnett ... Born ... NASCAR driver who compiled 18 victories and 20 poles over his 18-year career and died from injuries suffered in a practice crash at Daytona. He was part of the famous "Alabama Gang". Bonnett was inducted into the National Motorsports Press Association's Hall of Fame in 1997, was inducted into the International Motorsports Hall of Fame in 2001 and was named one of NASCAR's 50 Greatest Drivers in 1998.

1981

Bud Tingelstad... Died ... USAC driver from 1957 to 1972 in the Midget, Sprint, Stock Car and Championship Car series. In the Championship Cars he raced in the 1960-1971 seasons with 120 starts, including the Indianapolis 500 in each year except 1961 and 1970. He finished in the top ten 56 times, with his one victory in 1966 at DuQuoin.

 

JULY 31

1916

Louise Smith ... Born ... She was tied for the second woman to race in NASCAR at the top level. She was known as "the first lady of racing." She went as a spectator to the her first NASCAR race at the Daytona Beach Road Course in 1949. She couldn't stand watching the races, so she entered her family's shiny new Ford coupe in the race and rolled it. Her hometown Greenville, South Carolina paper featured photos of the wreck, and the town knew about it before she got home. The race was the first race to feature three female drivers (Ethel Mobley and Sara Christian). The trio also competed later that season at the Langley Speedway. She raced from 1949 to 1956. She won 38 races in her career in numerous formats: late models, modifieds (28 victories), midgets, and sportsman. She returned in 1971 as a car owner for numerous drivers. She sponsored Ronnie Thomas' Rookie of the Year attempt in 1978. She became the first woman inducted into the International Motorsports Hall of Fame in 1999.

1963

Bill Randall ... Died ... He raced sprint cars and midgets, winning the Eastern USAC Sprint Car title in 1957 and finishing third in the ARDC Midget Championship in 1961. In Champ Cars he raced at Daytona in 1959 in the USAC event driving a Kurtis 500C Offy, finishing 14th. He tried to qualify for the Indy 500 in 1961 but was unsuccessful. In 1962 he qualified for a race at Trenton driving a Kuzma but went out with a broken throttle. In other series he enjoyed considerable success winning races in events sanctioned by NEMA, BSRA, UCOA, ARDC and USAC. He was killed in an ARDC Midget race at Lime Rock, a road course, in July 1963. As Midgets almost always raced on ovals many of the drivers were unfamiliar with right hand bends at racing speeds. On the first lap he colided with Len Thrall and Bert Brooks and rolled, sliding over 100 feet up side down. He died four days later from his injuries.

1991

Al Loquasto ... Died ... Al drove in the USAC and CART Championship Car series, racing in the 1969-1980 and 1982-1983 seasons, with 61 combined career starts, including the 1976 and 1977 Indianapolis 500. He finished in the top ten 11 times, with his best finish in 7th position in 1975 at Ontario. He also drove in the USAC Sprint Car division and competed in six NASCAR Cup Series events in his career. Loquasto died in a plane crash in Fogelsville, Pennsylvania July 31, 1991.

 

AUGUST 1

1988

Sheldon Kinser... Died ... He was the 1977, 81, 82 United States Auto Club (USAC) National Sprint Car Champion. Winner of the prestigious Tony Hulman Classic at the Terre Haute Action Track, 1981. Six time starter of the Indianapolis 500, 1975-79, 81. Best finish, 6th, 1981. Sheldon had never driven a rear engine car or raced on pavement until he quailified 26th and finished 12th in the 1975 Indianapolis 500. Quite an accomplishment for a rookie driver. Son-in-law of the late Bobby Grim, 1959 Indianapolis 500 Rookie of the Year. Nephew of former sprint car driver Bobby Kinser and cousin of World of Outlaw drivers Steve, Kelly, Randy and Mark Kinser. He was inducted into the National Sprint Car Hall of Fame in 1992.

1998

Len Duncan... Died ... Len Duncan, of Lansdale, PA, had a racing career spanning seven decades, beginning in 1928 and continuing into the 1980s in TQ midgets! In 1953, 1954 and 1955, when AAA had a working agreement with the American Racing Drivers Club (ARDC), he was the AAA Eastern Midget Champion, and during the thirteen years between 1955 and 1967, he won the ARDC title eight times. During World War II, Len had the honor of being assigned as President Truman's driver during one of his visits to England. He drove in the Indianapolis 500 in 1954 and had relief from George Fonder. The pair completed 101 laps and placed 31st. Mario Andretti credits Duncan with having a great influence on his professional life.

1999

Tommy Hinnershitz... Died ... Eastern AAA driver from 1932 to 1960. Also known as "The Flying Dutchman", Hinnershitz ran in the Indy 500 three times with a best finish of 9th in 1948. He captured seven Eastern sprint-car championships and posted 103 feature victories during his 30-year racing career. While he first gained success and popularity near his Pennsylvania home, racing at the Reading Fairgrounds and Williams Grove Speedway, he also was very popular with fans and fellow racers in the Corn Belt. From the very start of his career, Hinnershitz preferred driving his own cars as opposed to wheeling machinery owned by others. He was an excellent mechanic and did all the work on his cars, including rebuilds on his Offenhauser engines. During the midget racing boom in the late 1930s, Hinnershitz wheeled an outboard-engine car with great success on the board track at the Nutley (N.J.) Velodrome. He was one of a handful of racers, who won races on dirt, asphalt and boards. He retired from driving in 1960, only hours after his friend and rival, Johnny Thomson, was killed in a race at the Allentown Fairgrounds. Hinnershitz was inducted in the National Sprint Car Hall of Fame in the first class in 1990.

 

AUGUST 2

1964

Parnelli Jones, driving A.J. Foyt's # 2 TRACO Chevy Special, won the USAC Sprint Car race over Don Branson, Bud Tingelstad, Jud Larson and Mario Andretti at the Salem Speedway, Salem,IN.

 

AUGUST 3

1958

Bobby Marshman won the ARDC Midget race at the Trenton International Speedway, Trenton,NJ.

1966

Greg Ray ... Born ... Former IRL IndyCar Series driver.

 

AUGUST 4

1932

Joe Leonard... Born ... American motorcycle racer and racecar driver. Leonard won the first AMA Grand National Championship Series in 1954 and won it again in 1956 and 1957. His record totals 27 wins, including the 1957 and 1958 Daytona 200. He retired from motorcycle racing at the completion of the 1961 season and turned his attention to auto racing. Leonard raced in the USAC Championship Car series in the 1964-1974 seasons, with 98 career starts, including the 1965-1973 Indianapolis 500, sitting on the pole in 1968 in the Granatelli turbine car. He finished in the top ten 60 times, including 6 wins: 3 times at Milwaukee (1965, 1970, 1972), and once each at Ontario Motor Speedway (1971), Brooklyn (1972), and Pocono (1972). His victories propelled him to the 1971 and 1972 USAC Championship Car Season Championship. Joe Leonard is the "Only Racer in the World" to have won multiple National Championships in both automobile and motorcycle racing back to back.

1971

Jeff Gordon... Born ... USAC Midget, Sprint Car, Silver Crown and NASCAR driver.  Four time Cup champion.

2008

Greg Weld... Died ... Weld was known as both a driver and a racing entrepreneur. As a driver, Weld won the 1963 Knoxville Nationals, the premiere event in sprint car racing. Weld raced in the USAC Championship Car series in the 1965-1972 seasons, with 36 career starts, including the 1970 Indianapolis 500. He finished in the top ten 11 times, with his best finish in 4th position in 1970 at Sacramento. He was also the 1967 USAC Sprint Car Series champion. As a racing entrepreneur, he founded Weld Wheels in Kansas City. Weld’s wheels were considered by many as the best that automobile racers could buy and ran the firm until its acquisition by American Racing Equipment in 2006. He also promoted local auto races, including the Jerry Weld Memorial, which attracted national-level drivers.

 

 

 

 

News from the AARN:

 

Note:  Due to time restraints on me, I’m gong to skip this part this week.

 

 

More racin’ stuff:

 

The Mario Andretti/Mark Donohue story:

 

Marios first road race win

 

“The Lime Rock Formula Libre (‘run what you brung’) Race was a landmark event.

 
BTW: A zillion races at Lime Rock & just a few involving Midgets.

But in addition to Rodger Ward’s historic win, Mario Andretti’s 1st ever road race win came in a midget @ Lime Rock.

And, in that same event, Mark Donohue was driving his first professional race.

Donohue drove a Cooper/Offy midget owned by…Ken Brenn. Donohue wrote of Ken Brenn & the first money ($600) he made racing, on pages 22-26 in his book, ‘The Unfair Advantage.

There were a couple of heats & Donohue wrote they were repairing the Cooper-Offy & were going to miss the start, but Dutch Schaeffer put his car on the grid & disappeared.

They were hunting & paging Dutch like crazy, but he didn’t get back from the ‘men’s room’ until the repairs on Brenn’s Cooper/Offy were completed.

So, the great Dutch Schaeffer made it possible for Mark Donohue to win his first pro money.”

 

The Lime Rock Formula Libra race:

 

Check out the story, here:  http://www.barcboys.com/LimeRock%20TheRace.htm

 

Note:  Somewhere in my ‘puter is something else about that race, but darned if I can find it at this time!

 

 

 

Racing and television:

Racing on TV - http://www.racefantv.com/USTV.htm

 

Some non-racing stuff:

 

California Dream Act Part A Signed Into Law Today By Governor Jerry Brown

I find it hard to believe this has/is happening.  One would think………….

http://laist.com/2011/07/25/california_dream_act_part_a_signed_into_law.php

 

 

Is this true?:

 

Wal-Mart vs. The Powers 

1.     Americans spend $36,000,000 at Wal-Mart Every hour of every day.
  
2. This works out to $20,928 profit every minute!

3. Wal-Mart will sell more from January 1 to St. Patrick's Day (March 17th) than Target sells all year.

4. Wal-Mart is bigger than Home Depot + Kroger + Target +Sears + Costco + K-Mart combined.

5. Wal-Mart employs 1.6 million people, is the world's largest private employer, and most speak English.

6. Wal-Mart is the largest company in the history of the world.

7. Wal-Mart now sells more food than Kroger and Safeway combined, and keep in mind they did this in only fifteen years.

8. During this same period, 31 big supermarket chains sought bankruptcy.

9. Wal-Mart now sells more food than any other store in the world.

10. Wal-Mart has approx 3,900 stores in the  USA of which 1,906 are Super Centers; this is 1,000 more than it had five years ago.

11. This year 7.2 billion different purchasing experiences will occur at Wal-Mart stores. (Earth's population is approximately 6.5 Billion.)

12. 90% of all Americans live within fifteen miles of a Wal-Mart.

And:

We're "broke" & can't help our own Seniors, Veterans, Orphans, Homeless etc.,???????????
In the last months we have provided aid to Haiti , Chile , and Turkey .. And now Pakistan ......home of bin Laden.  Literally, BILLIONS of DOLLARS!!!

 

Video time:

 

Video # 1:

 

Something a little different this week.  Sure hope no one gets offended with the first one!

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c6EgY0W6Er8

 

Videos # 2 & 3:

 

Both have an outboard powered midget in them.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-KZOxQenaq0&feature=related

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=caIV8xhXOWw&feature=related

 

Video # 4:

 

An Offy Midget.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QT2wxTZFCtY&feature=related

 

 

 

 

 

Question answer:

Bill Schindler and Johnny Thomson both had their last rides at the Allentown, PA ½ mile dirt track.  Schindler on 9/20/1952 and Thomson on 9/24/1960.  Eight years and 4 days apart.  Both were fatally injured while driving the same car.

 

 

 

Closing with this:

 

From another e-mail:

 

Subject: My income tax return was rejected!

 

They sent my Income Tax forms back!! 

In answer to the question, 'Do you have any dependents?',

I listed....... '12 million illegal immigrants, 10 million crack heads, 20 million unemployed bas*ards too lazy to work, the entire cast of The Jerry Springer Show, 140,000 people in 133 penal establishments in California, 2 million leftovers from Katrina, half of Mexico, all of the House of Representatives, most of the Senate, and Michelle Obamas trip to visit relatives in Africa. Apparently, this wasn't an acceptable answer

 

 

 

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