Racin'
& Internet Stuff:
By Tom Avenengo
Volume # 68
08/18/2011
First:
I’ve been attending auto races for some 65 years, give or take a few,
in between. In those years, I’ve seen my
share of accidents. Some were where
drivers didn’t get hurt. Some were where
they paid the ultimate price. Believe it
or not, some accidents can look pretty scary, even when the cars are not going
too fast. I can still visualize Johnny
Ritter going over in a quick barrel roll at the track in
Last Friday, at the Accord Speedway, a driver I’ve known for some time,
gong back to the Go-Kart days at OVRP’s Dirt Oval,
Matt Hitchcock, took a scary ride over the first turn wall and into the pit
area. Talking with some that were close
to the accident, I was told that Matt cleared the banking and landed, roof first,
on the flat area in the pits. How high was he in the air, is kind of hard to say, but he was up
there, that’s for sure. Luckily, from
what we had heard, was that he wasn’t injured.
But I’m willing to bet he felt it over the next few days. His car, from what I’ve heard, is
totaled. Not only did he use that car at
Accord, but also at OCFS too.
His mother had this to say on Facebook:
“
Second:
The Indycar race at Loudon:
Oh boy! I don’t know if you saw it live or not, but at the end, the proverbial sh*t hit the fan, for sure.
Start with this, from Robin Miller:
http://auto-racing.speedtv.com/article/miller-the-final-nail-in-the-coffin/
And:
Barnhart must go
http://www.trackforum.com/forums/showthread.php?110800-Barnhart-must-go
Plus:
Will Power - Solid, measured response
http://www.trackforum.com/forums/showthread.php?154106-Will-Power-Solid-measured-response
Thanks NHMS and Jerry Gappens!
http://www.trackforum.com/forums/showthread.php?154180-Thanks-NHMS-and-Jerry-Gappens!
Loudon One and done????
http://www.trackforum.com/forums/showthread.php?154147-Loudon-One-and-done
Now the final word, from Brian Barnhart on what happened
today at New Hampshire
Track Forum
for Indycars: http://www.trackforum.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?3-rev-ed-s-IZOD-IndyCar-Series
Third:
Staying with the Indycar race at Loudon -I found this link on the Track Forum:
Indy Car management takes a hit at N.H. by Eddie Gossage:
In part:
“Being an insider in this
sport and having to work with people I write about in this blog, this is one of
the toughest things I've had to write. Particularly for a
sport -- Indy Car racing -- and people that I really like.
But it was a bad day Sunday -- a very bad day -- for Indy Car management in
First, the fiasco of a finish. The race's second rain
delay hit with about 10 laps to go, causing an important handful of laps at a
critical point so late in the race to be run under caution as officials hoped
the cars would help dry the track and the showers would leave the area. It was
a laudable notion.”
More can be seen here: http://espn.go.com/blog/dallas/motorsports/post/_/id/799/indy-car-management-takes-a-hit-in-n-h
Fourth:
When
one listens to the announcers on TV for a NASCAR race, they always say so and
so has so many Sprint Cup Championships - like, for an example, Jeff
Gordon. Well, I'm willing to be that any trophy that Jeff has will more
than likely say "Winston Cup Champion" or similar definitely not
Sprint Cup Champion.
Now
last week, after Brett Hearn won his 799th and 800th feature wins at Fonda, it
seems that there are some that are saying he has 800 DIRTcar
wins. Not so, my friends, not so.
He has 801 feature wins now, and yes, some are with DIRTcar,
but a good portion are not.
Fifth:
Some real sad news was posted
the other day on the Internet. Kinda hard to believe, but it was this:
“It
looks like, for the first time since WWII, that there will NOT be a
(full) midget race any where in
Note:
In the past, the ARDC has run at the Accord Speedway, but they were not
scheduled for this year, and I doubt, with the way the Lightning Sprints are
doing at Accord, this year, they - the ARDC, probably won’t be back in 2012,
either. Hoping I’m wrong, here,
but………….I also am privy to some info about the ARDC and Accord, too, but “mums”
the word on that.
I also read on the Internet that NEMA
had a race scheduled for the Airborne Park Speedway on September 11, but that
was cancelled – supposedly because of the low car counts with NEMA.
Sixth:
As I was typing in the above, I had a
notice of a PR e-mail from the ARDC.
Here is what it said:
“FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE PLEASE WITH OUR THANKS
The ARDC Midget Madness and Modified program at New Egypt Speedway scheduled for Tuesday August 16,
2011 has been postponed until next Tuesday August 23, 2011.
All times will remain the same
with pit gates opening at 4:30pm, grandstands at 5:00pm and racing at 7:30pm.
ARDC’s next race will
be this Saturday August 20, 2011 at the Port Royal
Speedway.”
Seventh:
Back to Indy cars:
IndyCar Delays Aero Kits until 2013
In part:
“IndyCar announced today that it will delay the introduction of
alternative aero kits for its new IZOD IndyCar Series
chassis until 2013. The next-generation
chassis remains on target to debut in competition at the start of the 2012
season.
"The most important thing we can do as a series is
look at what is in the best interest of both our long and short term,"
said Randy Bernard, CEO of INDYCAR. "It is important that we maintain a
high car count next year by ensuring we have cost containment for our teams. We
must listen to our team owners and try to help. I'm the biggest advocate of the
aero kit and I feel this is by far the best decision for our series. The 2012
season will be exciting with the debut of our new car as we focus on relevancy
and technology with engine competition, turbochargers and direct injection
among other things."
http://www.motorracingnetwork.com/Race-Series/IZOD-IndyCar/News/Articles/2011/08/IndyCar-Delays-Aero-Kits-Until-2013.aspx
Note: There are quite a few
comments on this on the Track Forum, too – most are against it as of Monday afternoon,
268 comments.
http://www.trackforum.com/forums/showthread.php?154072-Per-Cavin-Aero-Kits-Delayed-Until-2013
Some of what’s been said:
“Took RB this long
to announce this? He could have said that 3 months ago.....Not surprised
really....I'd figured RB would cave to the whiney snakes oops I mean team owners.
Odds that the team owners will again makeup an excuse to
delay until 2014???
So just to be clear, it will be another year of spec racing? Based upon posts
from guys like Spike it appears the aero kits wouldn't mean much of variety
anyway, so as fans, have we been duped again? What a sham.”
“Not good
at all. New expenses up front, all same cars at the end of
the day. STUPID.”
“Not happy with the decision but on the
bright side it gives the fans and media something to look forward to in the
next season.
2012: New Engines, Engine Competition, New Car
2013: Aero Kits and New Tire Constructors”
“The
owners run this sport.
Have since 1979.
Randy has tried the best he can. He is just finding out what so many before him
already know.
It will just mean less money for the owners to ask ridebuyers to give them for
2012.”
“It is all
about the team owners wanting to keep the status quo, especially Penske. The teams owners don't want to take the risk of making a wrong
choice of a aero kit and being behind other teams. The team owners have been
become accustomed to spec racing and it seems like they don't want to venture
outside the comfort zone and take a risk of choosing a wrong aero kit.
The thing that ticks me off the most is that I'm sure another excuse will roll
around this time next year from the team owners and the mythical aero kits will
be delayed until 2014 and beyond.”
Quite a bit more can be seen if you go here: http://www.trackforum.com/forums/showthread.php?154072-Per-Cavin-Aero-Kits-Delayed-Until-2013
Eighth:
Last Friday, while I was at Accord, I had a nice talk with Danny Ody. Danny sells DVD’s of racing from back in the day. Maybe you’ve seen some previews on DTD? Most are with stock cars, but he does have one about Lime Rock and it has the Formula Libra race that Rodger Ward won with an 11 year old midget against some of the world’s best road racing cars in it.
His website: www.oldspeedways.com
Ninth:
As long as I’m “Advertising” things, are
you aware that the
It’s website: www.needforspeedexpo.com
Tenth:
Hard to figure this one out, but at Watkins Glen, last weekend, the Nationwide cars had rain tires, if needed and also windshield wipers. So why not on the Cup cars?
Eleventh:
More advertising! This one was sent out on Facebook by Bob Perran – the date for the OCFS Banquet is January 7, 2012.
Twelfth:
Not to be outdone, the NASCAR Cup race at Watkins Glen also had a lot of “Fun” – especially at the very end.
But first, I have to agree with this:
Credit Where Credit's Due
http://www.trackforum.com/forums/showthread.php?154212-Credit-Where-Credit-s-Due
Fighting NASCAR style
http://www.trackforum.com/forums/showthread.php?154161-Fighting-NASCAR-style
Thirteenth:
Sad news, via an e-mail on Tuesday evening.
“I just heard that the Darlington Historic Racing Festival scheduled for
Sept. 24-25 has been canceled. I'd heard that the advance entries were lagging
far behind and that was probably the reason for pulling the plug.
Too bad but it's all about the money with everything these days.
Marty Little
Ft
Fourteenth:
Will the new “Gold Crown” cars
ever make it? I see they had some
exhibition runs earlier this year, but not much news is coming from their
website - http://www.goldcrownchampionship.com/goldcrownoverview.html
Their last PR was on October 5,
2010.
Are they really necessary? Won’t the old “Silver Crown” cars do?
Fifteenth:
Uh oh – some competition for Danica in NASCAR (in the looks department for sure):
Former Price is Right model to
make NASCAR debut Saturday
In part:
“Canadian driver Maryeve Dufault will
make her NASCAR debut on Saturday in the Nationwide Series Napa Auto Parts
200 at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve.
Dufault, who started racing in the
ARCA Series this year, was a model on the Price is Right and according to IMDB,
was a player for the New York Euphoria in the 2005 Lingerie Bowl.
Dufualt has said that she used the
money she earned from modeling to pay for tires and equipment so that she could
go race.
Dufault, 29, has made 12 starts in
ARCA in 2011 with one top 10, a 10th place finish at Chicagoland Speedway. She'll be driving the No. 81 for
MacDonald Motorsports and is one of four Canadian drivers entered in Saturday's
race in the series that is most commonly referred to as the AAA to the Sprint
Cup's Major League”
More on the article
and some photos of this young lady can be seen if you go here: http://sports.yahoo.com/nascar/blog/from_the_marbles/post/Former-Price-is-Right-model-to-make-NASCAR-debut?urn=nascar-wp3160
Note: Ok, I know I’m an old phart,
and am probably over the hill, but damn – she’s a “looker” for sure!
Sixteenth:
Found this on Jayski’s website:
Ambrose 4th foreign
driver to win:
After three
Nationwide Series wins, a blunder last year at
Ok, a little teaser
here – any idea as to who those four drivers are? You might be a little surprised. Answer will be at the end of my column.
Seventeenth:
I received a PR
from the ARDC late Wednesday night about a couple of up-coming races:
In part:
LOTS
OF ARDC WINGLESS MIDGET RACING ON TAP IN THE NEXT FEW DAYS
The ARDC Wingless Midgets have a busy late August schedule
starting this Saturday evening August 20th when they
return to the Port Royal Fairgrounds. They
will then be back in action when they travel to
The Port Royal race will be a return trip to the historic
fairgrounds in downtown
Two trips to New Egypt last season produced two different
winners. The August race was dominated by Steve Buckwalter
who returned to Midget action last Saturday night at The Winchester Speedway.
The September race was annexed by current ARDC point leader, Drew Heistand.
Racing both evenings gets underway at 7:30pm.
Coming up:
Accord:
August 19th:
Mid
August 24th:
Mid Week Madness
August 26th:
Tom’s
Auto Repair Night – Racing all divisions plus Lightning Sprints.
From the latest Accord
Speedway write-up:
“Racing fans should begin to make plans for the exciting King of the
Catskills two day weekend of great racing on September 23rd and 24th. With
eight diverse divisions of racing on the schedule, every true racing fan will
want to make sure they are in attendance to take in every second of the great
competition that will unfold. The ROC Modified Tour heads up the Friday evening
of action September 23rd with a large $7,000.00 payday awaiting the winner of
the 100-lap headliner with the Sportsman and Lightning Sprints also on the
schedule. September 24th finds the Spec Sportsman going to war for a $3,500.00
payout with the CRSA Sprint Cars, Pro Stock, Pure Stock and the Junior
Slingshot National Tour event also on the card that will determine the National
Champion.”
OCFS:
August 20th:
August 27th:
Accord
September 3rd:
WLR Construction - CHAMPION'S NIGHT - End of Points - Kids Club -
Officials Race - M/SP/PRO/SS/4 Cylinder
Note: I would not expect to
see any 4 Cylinders in action on the 3rd. Also, hard to believe the
point seasons are coming to an end.
August 20th:
August 25th:
CARQUEST Auto Parts & General Tire Present
$17,500 TO WIN “MR. DIRT Track
August 27th:
V.P. Race Fuels
S.E.F. & Heavy Hauler Present “BACK TO SCHOOL” With Kiddie
Rides, Weekly Divisions & 4-Cylinders
September 3rd:
J.H. Financial
& Pepsi Present Championship Night $3,000 To Win
Modified Feature, Weekly Divisions, 358 Modifieds -
Final Night Of Points For DIRT Modifieds, 358 Modifieds &
DIRT Prostocks (
August 20th:
Sportsman, Pro Stock,
Legends, Bandoleros,
BMS Modified, Street Stock,
4 Cylinder
4/6
Cylinder Trucks
August 27th:
Nostalgia Night
Sportsman, Pro Stock, Bandoleros, BMS Modified,
Street Stock, 4 Cylinder
Northeast Vintage
Dirt Modifieds
Eastern
August
19th to 21st – 37th EMMR/WGOT Convention at
EMMR/LVFG
Chris
Miller Memorial & Remembering
Fri,
Sat & Sun – Daytime events at EMMR
Fri
PM – Cruise at
Fri
PM – Track Time at Williams Grove
Sat
& Sun afternoon – Track Time at
Sat
PM – Track Time at
From an e-mail
received on Tuesday morning:
“This Weekend
August 19 – 21 the 37TH ANNUAL EMMR/WGOT CONVENTION
Free and open to the Public. Roundtables Friday morning and
afternoon at EMMR.
Cruise Friday Night at EMMR; Annual Meeting Sunday 10:00 at Latimore
Infield
Tracktime: Friday Night at Williams Grove
Saturday Afternoon at
Saturday Night at
Sunday Afternoon at
See EMMR's main website later today for updates and a
full schedule. Any questions about track time, contact Joe Heisler
at jlh3@erols.com”
Hinchliffe
Stadium:
Hinchliffe Stadium and the
PATERSON, NJ – The
state will provide $500,000 for the stabilization of Hinchliffe
Stadium under legislation signed on Monday by Gov. Chris Christie.”
“Hinchliffe Stadium
Grantee: Friends of
Hinchliffe Stadium
Grant Award: $500,000
Work Proposed:
Stabilization
Hinchliffe Stadium may be the last
major New Deal-era stadium remaining in
The building has
been owned by Paterson Schools since 1963 but is in a deteriorated state and no
longer in use (since 1997). Its decorative tiles of sports figures survive but
the concrete is crumbling and heaving from water infiltration. Its Art-Deco
geometric lines, red-tile roofing and decorative keystones survive.
The Trust grant
will help stabilize the stadium. A preservation plan is currently being
prepared under a 2009 Historic Trust planning grant and will guide preservation
efforts. The project will stabilize significant portions of the stadium and
help stop ongoing deterioration as well as provide protection from potential
vandalism.”
Found
on Jayski’s website:
Time ranks Jayski:
Pretty neat honor
by Time magazine, see time.com
for The 50 Best Websites of 2011: "We honor the scrappy newcomers and
established players that make the Web so useful, entertaining and just plain
indispensable".(8-16-2011)
International
Motorsports Hall of Fame Announces Top-20 Finalists:
The field has been
narrowed and only 20 finalists remain for induction into the Class of 2012 International
Motorsports Hall of Fame. The final inductees will be elected when the last
round of voting begins in August. "Practically every form of racing, from
stock cars to open wheel to motorcycles to airplanes are represented. They are
drivers, car builders, engine builders, owners, pilots, daredevils, pioneers
and innovators," states Executive Director, Grant Lynch. The finalists
are: Erwin "Cannonball" Baker , David Hobbs, Kenny Bernstein, Ted
Horn, Keith Black, Joe Leonard, Richard Childress, Tommy Milton, Joie Chitwood, Marvin Panch, Rene
Dreyfus, Les Richter, Zora Arkus-Duntov,
Pedro Rodriquez, Harvey Firestone, Sir Henry Segrave,
John Force, Lee Shepherd, Tommy Hinnershitz, and
Chuck Yeager. The Class of 2012 will be announced in late fall of this year,
with the induction ceremony tentatively set for Thursday, May 3, 2012.(IMHOF PR)(8-11-2011)
Gibbs
to close engine shop? UPDATE:
Hearing that Joe
Gibbs Racing [#11, #18, #20] will lay off half their engine shop staff and get
engines supplied, supposedly for free, from TRD - Toyota Racing Development.
Hearing it is a three year deal, not sure if it starts soon or with the 2012
season. Employee's not laid off will be reassigned within the company, as there
are reports that JGR will expand to a fourth team and are in the hunt for Carl
Edwards to drive for them in 2012. Edwards is a free agent and currently drives
for Roush Fenway Racing in the #99 Ford. Just last week, Toyota'a
Lee White told FoxSports: "No, they're not shutting down their
engine shop and no we will not be building their engines," White said.
"Of course, hell can freeze over and pigs can fly, but not in this world."
Currently, the JGR engines would not even fit in the other
UPDATE:
Joe Gibbs Racing
and Toyota Research and Development announced Thursday that they are combining
their engine efforts in 2012. Officials said there is a chance that JGR cars
could use engines out of TRD headquarters in
Gibbs fourth team
"a long shot":
Joe Gibbs Racing
President JD Gibbs said plans for a fourth Sprint Cup team were not necessarily
derailed when Carl Edwards opted to remain with Roush Fenway Racing, rather
than jump to JGR. "In each of the last three years, we've looked around to
see what kind of things pop-up that would allow us to make (a fourth team)
work," Gibbs said. "But it all has to come together. You have to have
a driver, which is key. You need the right partner to
sponsor the team (and) you have to have the right crew. If all that comes
together, we're good to go. We can go quickly. But we've also learned that if
all that doesn't come together, we're better off waiting, instead of trying to
force something to go together. That's where we are right now. We can go
quickly if it all lines up, and that's our hope." He admitted that a
fourth Sprint Cup Series Toyota in 2012 is "probably a long shot, (since)
we're not lined up with the right partners. But I also wouldn't rule it out. We
don't have to plan something out six months in advance. We can cut it a little
closer and make it work. We're in no hurry. There's no panic and we're not
going to force it, but if the opportunity is there, we can take advantage of it
quickly."(Sirius
Speedway)(8-12-2011)
Latest feud - Said
vs. Biffle:
NASCAR officials
will review an incident in which #16-Greg Biffle took
a swing at #51-Boris Said in the garage following Monday's Sprint Cup race at
Watkins Glen International. According to witnesses, Biffle
approached Said's car after a wild
green-white-checkered finish in which Said got into the back of #6-David Ragan,
Biffle's Roush Fenway Racing teammate. After the
race, Biffle took at least one swing at Said through
the window of Said's Phoenix Racing Chevy. Once Said unstrapped himself and climbed out of the car he went
after Biffle, who by then was protected by his crew.
"He is the most unprofessional little scaredy
cat I've ever seen in my life,'' said an angry Said during a TV interview with
ESPN The Magazine's Ryan McGee. "He wouldn't even
fight me like a man after. So if someone texts me his address, I'll go see him
Wednesday at his house and show him what he really needs." Biffle used his Twitter
page to respond to Said's remarks. "Boris,'the roadcourse ringer'
caused that wreck," he posted on his page, later adding. "Then Mr.
Class pulls in behind my truck after the race today?! Shouldn't you go check on
David & David? How unprofessional &
disrespectful!" Both drivers left the track before NASCAR officials
had a chance to talk to them. "We are evaluating the situation,"
NASCAR spokesperson Kristi King said. Any potential penalties likely would be
announced on Tuesday or Wednesday.(ESPN.com)(8-16-2011)
Biffle tells his side of the story
[altercation with Boris Said]:
When it was all
said and done, #16-Greg Biffle didn't have to hide
from #51-Boris Said and Said wasn't forced to find him as he had promised. The
two spoke and aired their differences via phone Tuesday, and then Biffle headed to the SPEED Studios to share his side of the
story with NASCAR Race Hub. Following is a transcript from host Steve Byrnes'
interview with Biffle:
On his response to Said's post-race comments:
Biffle: "Several things to come mind. One
he wrecked me there last year. Never called me, never
said anything about it. Number two he ran me off in the carousel. That's
what ticked me off. Same place we saw the 24 and 31 in that huge wreck
ran me off the track there and that was why I was mad at Boris Said. Then he
goes and hits the 6 car off the track. We just heard him say (on video replay)
that he had no choice. Well, I disagree about having no choice of turning a guy
the wrong way into the wall. And then after the race, not concerned about the
safety of those guys (David Ragan and David Reutimann), he drives to my truck and parks behind my car. I was fine
after the race and that just set me off. He pulled up behind my truck like he
had a problem. I didn't act properly there. I shouldn't have been as aggravated
as I was. He should have went and parked at his truck, took his gear off and
talked to me or whatever he wanted to do."
On whether he was upset with Said that he seemed unconcerned about David
Ragan and David Reutimann post-race:
Biffle: "Yeah. That was kind of what fired me up
because I had kind of forgotten about Boris Said running me off in the
carousel. Let's face it I could have turned him anywhere on that race
track that I wanted to. I got more respect for our race cars and other
competitors on the race track to do that. Did you see the video footage of his
car (with damage) when they were putting it on the lift gate? That was the
opposite side of the car that he had the scuffle with the 6 on. So, he had been
in a lot more incidents in that race than that one. You can't come and race in
this series and race guys with no respect at all. Come race hard, do your
thing. Boris has a lot of talent, a lot of skill. He's just not showing
it."
On his Tuesday
phone conversation with Said:
Biffle: "He understands and he apologized for
running me off in the carousel. He didn't know he did. That was probably the
whole thing that led to him coming up to my truck because he didn't understand
why I was so mad at him. He ran me off the race track in a very vulnerable
spot, similar to what he did to the 6. We talked about it and I told him, 'You
can very well be where Marcos Ambrose was yesterday. You need to get in a fast
car and show your talent, not be beating and banging and running guys off the
race track at spots like that.' We kind of said our peace and that's
that."
(jokingly) On whether Said is going to give him a
black eye as promised Monday:
Biffle: "I don't know (laughing). I felt like it
was like fifth grade, right, which means after recess, 3 o'clock on Wednesday,
we're going to fight over by the fence."(SPEED)(8-17-2011)”
Note: It’s said that both drivers spoke via a
telephone call and things are A-OK now.
SAFER walls to be
installed at the Rock:
The Rockingham
Speedway, which hosted NASCAR Sprint Cup races from 1965 to 2004, is taking a
huge step toward once again hosting big-league racing as SAFER "soft
wall" barriers will be installed next month. The energy-absorbing system
will be installed in two phases, in mid-September and late December, covering
all four turns of the one-mile oval and the inside of the backstretch wall. The
most common estimate of the SAFER barrier cost is $1 million per mile.
"Yes, that's expensive," said Robert Ingraham,
the track's general manager, "but nothing's more expensive than having
someone hurt." NASCAR requires racetracks to have the SAFER barrier in
place before they can host one of the sanctioning body's top three national
series -- Sprint Cup, Nationwide, or Camping World Trucks. Rockingham, then
known as North Carolina Motor Speedway, hosted 78 Sprint Cup events and 42
Nationwide Series races, but it hasn't held a NASCAR event since Matt Kenseth's victory in the Subway 400 on Feb. 22, 2004. The
track and the 244 acres it sits on were dormant for nearly four years before it
was purchased by veteran racer Andy Hillenburg at
auction on Sept. 27, 2007. Rockingham officials have had discussions with
NASCAR, albeit informal, about the possibility of a Nationwide or Truck Series
event returning to the track more commonly known as The Rock. A source within
NASCAR, speaking on condition of anonymity, admits as much. However, the lack
of a SAFER barrier had always been an insurmountable issue. Without the promise
of a NASCAR race, Hillenburg wasn't confident enough
to try and secure funds for SAFER installation. That now appears to have
changed. Just last month, Nashville Superspeedway announced it was closing,
essentially orphaning four NASCAR events, two each in Nationwide and Trucks.
Since that announcement, speculation has run rampant as to where those races
might end up in 2012. Next season's NASCAR schedules have not yet been
finalized.(ESPN)(8-17-2011)
More
SAFER at
Watkins Glen?
NASCAR is talking
to officials at Watkins Glen International about adding SAFER barriers and
reconfiguring the angle of walls in key areas around the road course following
Monday's Sprint Cup race in which there were two violent crashes. The governing
body also is discussing the situation with engineers at the
Latest
on Danica...
to NASCAR in 2012: Danica Patrick next week will formally announce her intent
to move to NASCAR full-time in 2012, multiple sources with knowledge of her
contract negotiations told ESPN. Although her contracts are still being
finalized, Patrick -- who has raced in both the IndyCar
Series and the Nationwide series this season and last
season -- will drive the #7 GoDaddy.com Chevy for the entire 2012 Nationwide
Series schedule for JR Motorsports, sources said. She also plans to enter
select Sprint Cup races next season in cars prepared by Stewart-Haas Racing,
with the intent to move to Sprint Cup full-time in a multiyear deal with
Stewart-Haas in 2013, sources said. Patrick is expected to make the
announcement in
Former
Last Wednesday, at
Kutztown, Molly Chambers was 12th in the Wingless 600 Micro Sprint
feature.
Kolby Schroder ran in the
Modified feature at
Danny Creeden had a 5th place finish at Five Mile
Point.
Mike Mammana finished 2nd in the Sportsman feature at
Big Diamond.
AJ Filbeck, in his first visit to Thunder Mountain Speedway,
won the Sportsman feature.
At Wall Stadium,
Roger Coss was 3rd in the Modified
feature.
Tyler Boniface was
19th in the Sportsman feature at
Davie Franek was 5th
in the 358 Sprint Car feature at Williams Grove.
In the 50-lap Super
Modified feature at
Nick Pecko was 4th in the Modified feature at
Mountain Speedway.
At I-88 Speedway,
last Friday, in the CRSA 305 Sprint Car feature, Josh Pieniazek
was the race winner. John Virgilio was 2nd, Danny Hennessy 10th
Brittany Tresch 13th and Emily VanInwegen 22nd.
In the Modified
feature at Accord, Danny Creeden was 3rd,
Mike Ruggiero 19th and Clinton Mills 21st. Anthony Perrego was
10th, Mike Traver 16th and Brad
Szulewski 19th in the Sportsman
feature. Kyle Rohner
won another Spec Sportsman feature with Kyle Van Duser
4th and Tyler Dippel 11th. Matt Hitchcock, after his wild, out of the
ballpark, ride - in his heat was a DNS.
Hey, sorry if I
missed 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 from
August 19th to August 25th:
AUGUST
19
1926
Johnny Boyd ... Born ... Boyd drove in the AAA and USAC Championship Car series
from 1954 to 1966 with 56 starts. He finished in the top ten 31 times, with his
best finish in 2nd position, in 1959 at
1975
Mark Donohue... Died ... Known for his ability to set up his own race car and drive
it consistently on the absolute limit. Donohue is probably best-known as the
driver of the 1500+ bhp "Can-Am Killer"
Porsche 917-30, and as winner of the 1972
1979
Rick Mears won the CART sanctioned Ditzler 150 race on
the 1.5 Mile Paved Oval Trenton International Speedway in
AUGUST 20
1938
Billy Winn ... Died ... An American racecar driver. Primarily a sprint car
driver, Winn competed in four
1939
Bob Hurt... Born ... USAC driver from the 1960's.
2009
Jonathan Byrd ... Died ... Longtime IndyCar Team Owner.
Byrd campaigned late model stock cars in the early 80’s and once sponsored
NASCAR champion Darrell Waltrip, but turned to USAC
Midgets in 1985. He teamed with the late, great Rich Vogler
from 1985 to 1990. The pairing qualified for 5
AUGUST
21
1913
Fred Agabashian... Born ... Born in
1928
Elmo Langley... Born ...
1944
Bruce Walkup... Born ... Walkup raced in the USAC Championship Car series in the
1967-1971 seasons, with 35 career starts, including the 1969 and 1970
Indianapolis 500 races. He finished in the top ten 11 times, with his best
finish in 4th position in 1969 at
1983
Gene Force ... Died ... Gene Force raced midgets and sprint cars in the 1950's
and early 60's. He drove in the AAA and USAC Championship Car series, racing in
the 1951-1952, 1954, 1956, and 1958-1960 seasons with 33 starts, including the
1951 and 1960
1995
Chuck Stevenson... Died ...Chuck drove in the AAA and USAC Championship Car series,
racing in the 1949-1954, 1960-1961 and 1963-1965 seasons with 54 starts,
including the Indianapolis 500 races in 1951-1954, 1960-1961, and 1963-1965. He
finished in the top ten 37 times, with 4 victories, 2 of them coming in the
1952 season when he won the AAA National Championship. Stevenson also raced in
two NASCAR events -- one in 1955 and one in 1956, picking up a win at Willow
Springs Raceway in 1955 driving a Ford. The race he entered in to in 1955 was
driving a car owned by Indy winner Pete DePaolo.
AUGUST
22
1964
Bill Horstmeyer... Died ... Bill Horstmeyer, a veteran of twelve years of racing who sucessfully raced in Badger Midgets, was entered as a
rookie in his first Champ Car race in his newly purchased "big car" -
the former "Central Excavating" vehicle, which he acquired from Pete Salemi. The race, a 100-mile feature event at the 1964
Illinois State Fair's one-mile dirt oval, was dedicated to Tony Bettebhausen, who had been killed in practice at
AUGUST 23
1917
Bill Sheffler ... Born ... AAA driver
from the 1940's. He died in a practice crash for the AAA race at the Trenton
Speedway (NJ).
1936
Doc MacKenzie ... Died ... AAA driver
from the 1930's. He was killed in a Sprint Car race on the 1.0-mile dirt oval
Milwaukee Mile,
1963
Kenny Wallace ... Born ... NASCAR Sprint Cup Series and Nationwide Series driver. He
has two brothers who are also NASCAR drivers: Rusty Wallace and Mike Wallace, a
nephew Steve Wallace, and a niece Chrissy Wallace.
1966
Steve Park ... Born ... Park began racing not in an entry-level class, but in
NASCAR Modifieds on Long Island as the son of
longtime National Modified Championship contender Bob Park. After establishing
himself in weekly Modified racing at Riverhead Raceway, he advanced to the
NASCAR Featherlite Modified Series. He won several
races and became a championship contender before moving on to the Busch and Cup
Series.
AUGUST 24
1930
Carl Williams... Born ... USAC driver from the 1960's & 70's.He ran the Indy 500
6 times with a best finish of 9th in 1970. He was killed in a motorcycle
accident in
Roger McCluskey... Born ... McCluskey was one of the most successful drivers in USAC
history. McCluskey won the USAC sprint-car
championship in 1963 and 1966 and won the USAC stock-car crown in 1969 and
1970. A fifth USAC title came in the Champ Car (Indy car) division in 1972. McCluskey owns 23 victories in both the USAC sprint-car and
stock-car divisions, and his five Indy car and four midget triumphs give him
55-all time USAC victories. McCluskey made 18 Indy
500 starts with a best finish of third. He is a member of the National Sprint
Car Hall of Fame and the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Hall of Fame. Roger McCluskey lost his battle with cancer just five days before
his 63rd birthday on Aug. 29, 1993.
1962
Clark "Shorty" Templeman ... Died ... Shorty drove
in the AAA and USAC Championship Car series, racing in the 1954-1962 seasons
with 42 starts, including the Indianapolis 500 races in 1955, 1958, and
1960-1962. He finished in the top ten 16 times, with his best finish in 2nd
position, in 1961 at both DuQuoin and
1997
Luigi Villoresi ... Died ... Driver from
AUGUST
25
1976
Doc
Shanebrook... Died ... ARDC &AAA driver from the
late 1930’s into the 1950's. Real name was Beuford. Worked as a doctor for many years
in a variety of different areas, but alwayskept up his racing wherever he
could.
News
from the AARN:
From
their August 9th edition:
One
of the first things I read when I get my AARN is the column by Ernie
Saxton. This week he says that he
thought the Brickyard 400 was BORING!
Note: From my column of a couple of weeks ago,
column #66:
“Tenth:
This
is hard for me to say, but I suppose it has to be said. I watched some of the Brickyard 400 last
Sunday. B O R I N G!”
Yes
at times, Ernie and I think alike.
We
also think alike on this – Danica Patrick is making a
mistake by leaving Indycar for NASCAR.
Ernie
makes mention of a possible F-1 race on the streets of
Ernie
also makes note of Jerry Reigel and his difficult
time with some rather serious health issues.
Those
that have been associated with auto racing and that have passed on are Earl Gaerte, who I imagine you’ve already read or heard
about. George Hudick,
84, a dirt modified car owner from the Pennsylvania area, Debbie Hoddick, 53, wife of racer and car owner Trey Hoddick, from the western Pa area, and Dave Scarborough,
74, former racer from Florida.
Brett
Deyo, in his column had quite a bit about some
troubles at the Delaware International Speedway – problems with oversized
bodies, it seems.
He
also makes mention of the possibility of Brett Hearn not racing at Accord this
coming Friday night, but opting to go run in the Alex Friesen Summer Nationals
($10,000.00 to win) at the Ransomville Speedway.
Note:
At 2:35 PM on Wednesday, 8/17, I checked the Brett Hearn website. In two places it showed that he would be at
Accord on 8/19. Time will tell.
Jerry
Reigel, in his column, does not make any mention of
his health issues, but he has cut back somewhat in his column. Where he used to have the “Final 50”, it’s
now the Final 40.
He
makes mention that Jason Meyers leads Donny Schatz by only 52 points in the WoO Sprint Car Series.
He
did make mention of an award that will be named after him – the 410 Sprint Car
Sportsmanship Award at the Williams Grove Speedway will be named in his honor.
NEMA
– the Northeastern Midget Association – are their days numbered? Looking at the results in the AARN from their
show at the Twin State Speedway in
Meanwhile,
the ARDC in their “Southern tour” down at the Dixieland Speedway in Elizabeth
City, NC and at the County Line Speedway in
Note: It’s been said that when one runs a wing on
an open wheel race car, such as Midgets and Sprint Cars, it puts a lot of
strain on the entire drive line and also on the engines. Might this be one of the problems with NEMA?
On
August 6th, Billy Pauch won feature # 100
at the New Egypt Speedway.
Also
on that night, Ray Evernham ran a 305 Sprint Car –
winning his heat and placing 22nd in the feature. No mention of his wife, Erin Crocker, racing,
though.
By
now you more than likely know that Dr. Joseph Mattioli
has retired from running the Pocono racetrack.
The reins have been turned over to his grandchildren. One thing – the track has been put in
trust. That prevents it being sold to
anyone. Interesting, to say the least!
On
August 30th, with a rain date of the 31st, the “Jersey
Rush” 410 - 30 lap Sprint Car race at the New Egypt Speedway, will pay at least
$5,000.00 to the winner. Some names
already entered: Fred Rahmer, Tyler Walker, Justin Henderson, Greg Hodnett, Daryn Pittman, Lance DeWease, Dave Ely, Curt Michael, Davey Sammons, Mark Smith,
Frank Cozze and Steve Buckwalter.
In
the column by Dave Roberts, he questions who might be the oldest competitive
racer in the
The
race rundown for the Modified feature at the Devil’s Bowl Speedway, in the
AARN, shows only 10 cars, while at the Albany/Saratoga track, 13 cars are
listed. Both tracks went to asphalt for
the 2011 season. Methinks they drew a
little better, in the past, when they were dirt.
There’s
an ad on page 55 for the next
Two
nights of Midget racing at the Belleville Nationals, once one of the bigger Midget
races in the country, drew 25 cars for the Friday August 5th show
and 24 cars for the Saturday August 6th show. Kyle Larson won both nights.
Note: Wow! Only 24 & 25 cars?
What has happened to midget racing in the
More
racin’ stuff:
From
the Frontstretch:
Matt
McLaughlin’s Thinking Out Loud: Watkins Glen Race Recap
Bryan
Davis Keith – Tuesday, August 16, 2011”
In part:
“In a Nutshell –
After months of anticipation following a
The Dramatic Moment - While Ambrose and Keselowski were storming away
from the field to settle the battle for the checkered flag, contact between
Boris Said and David Ragan triggered possibly the most violent wreck of the
2011 season. Ragan slammed at full speed into the wall jutting out the exit of
turn 1, cutting into oncoming traffic and sending David Reutimann into the
fence… and into a flip. Fortunately, both drivers walked away from the wreck,
albeit visibly dazed.
Along with
these topics:
What
they’ll be talking about around the water cooler this week
Where…the…hell…were…the…rain tires?!
Will all the talk of road
racing needing to increase in frequency cool off?
Check it all out, here: http://www.frontstretch.com/bkeith/35011/
Racing and
television:
Racing on TV - http://www.racefantv.com/USTV.htm
Some non-racing stuff:
Open mouth – insert foot – again
Saw this on the news on
Tuesday evening:
The congresswoman
from
"Before we get
started, let's all say happy birthday to Elvis Presley today!" Bachmann
said.
But Aug. 16 is the
anniversary of Elvis' death, in 1977, and someone in the crowd shouted back,
"He died today!"
Bachmann didn't
respond and launched into her speech.
She didn't miss a
beat on the Elvis front either. As she signed autographs, she paused for a
brief dance with one of her fans.
Bachmann corrected
herself later as she spoke with reporters, noting the date marked Presley's
passing, not his birth. He was born on Jan. 8, 1935.
"As far as
we're concerned, he's still alive in our hearts," Bachmann said.
Bachmann has
stumbled over cultural references before. In June, she kicked off her
presidential campaign in
Uh huh, and she
just won in
And, how about this
one - Social Security Mistakenly Reports Thousands of Deaths
In part:
“More
Americans are being erroneously killed off by the Social Security
Administration every day.
Of the approximately 2.8 million death reports the Social Security
Administration receives per year, about 14,000 -- or one in every 200 deaths --
are incorrectly entered into its Death Master File, which contains the Social
Security numbers, names, birth dates, death dates, zip codes and last-known
residences of more than 87 million deceased Americans. That averages out to 38
life-altering mistakes a day.”
“Laura Brooks, of
She went to her bank and a representative said her account had been
closed because she was dead. Brooks, a 52-year old mother of two, was already
on permanent disability because of a severe depressive disorder, so hearing
this turned her already difficult world completely upside down.”
“The bank representative told Brooks she couldn't reopen her account
until she could prove she was alive. When she went to the Social Security
office in January 2001, she found out she was declared dead on Dec. 6, 2000. To
correct this, she had to submit the pay stubs she was receiving from a program
that helps people on disability get back to work.”
Kinda ridiculous, isn’t it? More on this, and some which is quite
unbelievable, I should say, can be seen if you go here:
Note: I might have mentioned
this in a column or two, previously, but just for kicks, I “Googled”
my fathers name and was surprised to find that in the Death Records in the Social Security Death Index (SSDI) which came up, when
I clicked on his name, along with others with the same last name, cousins,
aunts and uncles, along with a sister-in-law, their Social Security numbers
came up!
Is
this true?:
Scary, if true – from an e-mail I received:
TWO
DIFFERENT DOCTORS' OFFICES ....
Boy, if this doesn't hit
the nail on the head, I don't
know what does! Two
patients limp into two different
medical clinics with the same complaint. Both have trouble
walking and appear to require a hip replacement.
The FIRST patient is examined within the hour, is x-rayed
the same day and has a time booked for surgery
the
following week.
The SECOND sees his family doctor after waiting 3 weeks
for an appointment, then waits 8 weeks to see a
specialist,
then gets an x-ray, which isn't reviewed for another week
and finally has his surgery scheduled for 6 months from then.
Why the different treatment for the two patients?
The FIRST is a Golden Retriever.
The SECOND is a Senior Citizen.
Next time take me to a vet!
Video time:
Something
different – how we’re getting the shaft from oil companies.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3qbdTcvr8bQ
The four foreign born
drivers to win a NASCAR Cup race:
Driver,
Country, Wins
Juan Pablo Montoya, Colombia, 2 (Sonoma, Watkins Glen)
Marcos Ambrose, Australia, 1 (Watkins Glen)
Mario Andretti, Italy, 1 (Daytona 500)
Earl Ross, Canada, 1 (Martinsville)
Ambrose now has four wins across the three NASCAR national touring series -- in
Cup, Nationwide and Trucks. That's the second most in NASCAR history among
foreign-born drivers -
How
many never figured on Mario?
Closing with this:
No jokes again this week,
but some helpful - to some - tips on saving dollars for us “older” folks: This is the final part for some of those
tips.
108 Stores with Senior Discounts
Gone are the days of your grandmother’s
“early bird special” at the local diner. As our baby boomers reach retirement
age, hundreds of retailers are featuring new and improved discounts exclusively
for the 60 and older crowd. We have composed a list of senior savings that will
help you keep more cash in your pocket. Whoever said getting older was a bad
thing, obviously didn’t know about these fantastic senior discounts! This list
is not all inclusive. Whataburger gives Seniors over
55 a free drink. I added this to the list. If you don't ask, you won't get it.
Activities & Entertainment
AMC Theaters:
up to 30% off (55+)
Bally Total
Fitness: up to $100 off memberships (62+)
Carmike Cinemas: 35% off (65+)
Cinemark/Century Theaters: up to 35% off
Regal Cinemas: 30% off
Ripley’s Believe it or Not: @ off one-day ticket (55+)
SeaWorld Orlando: $3 off one-day
tickets (50+)
Cell Phone Discounts
AT&T: Special Senior Nation 200 Plan $29.99/month (65+)
Jitterbug:
$10/month cell phone service (50+)
Verizon Wireless: Verizon Nationwide 65 Plus Plan $29.99/month (65+)
*Check out our Secret Cell Phone Discounts to view all cell phone
discounts available to you!
Miscellaneous
Great Clips: $3 off hair cuts (60+)
Super Cuts: $2 off haircuts (60+)
Since many senior discounts are not
advertised to the public, our advice to men and women over 55 is to ALWAYS
ask a sales associate if that store provides a senior discount. That way, you
can be sure to get the most bang for you buck.
Looking for a printable version of our
list of discounts for seniors? We’ve got you covered! Click this link to view,
then just hit “Print” in your browser:108
Stores with Senior Discounts (PDF, 141 KB)
One more thing:
In an e-mail I got Wednesday evening, this
little tid-bit was at the very end:
“We are born naked, wet and hungry. Then
things get worse”.
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