Racin' & Internet Stuff:

                                      By Tom Avenengo

                                         Volume # 80

                                           11/10/2011

 

 

 

First:

I suppose the biggest topic over the past few days has to be the Kyle Busch “parking” by NASCAR.  Was it right or wrong?  Was it too much or not enough?  I’m starting this on Monday, and as many of you know, NASCAR is pretty famous for coming out with penalties, and in this case, maybe more penalties, on Tuesdays.

My thoughts:  Yes, he did deserve to be parked for the remainder of the weekend.  He’ll more than likely have a hard time ahead of him as far as the other drivers and teams go, along with his sponsors.  Time will tell?

More on this is below in “Found on Jayski’s website”.

 

Second:

Slowly – way too slowly, folks in the northeast are getting their power restored.  As I made mention last week, when I started off my column about it possible getting to you late, I should have been more specific about that – those that read it on the New England Tractor website were, in fact, late in getting it.  Jeff Johnson (New England Tractor) did tell me that his area was like a “War Zone” as far as damage went.

 

 

Third:

As for that storm and its aftermath – there’s been more talk about getting the electric underground rather than off of the poles that it’s on now.  But, it isn’t as easy as what one might think, and the cost?  Forgetaboutit.

From our local paper on Monday:

Utilities ponder underground lines -

$18B price tag for installation a big downside

Every time a storm rips through the area, leaving thousands without power for days, one question seems to get asked: Can't we do something about this?

Some wonder why we scoop up fallen power lines and string them overhead on the poles they toppled from. Wouldn't it make more sense to put them all underground?

Not exactly, authorities say.

Utility companies and industry experts both say that not only could putting cables underground be more expensive, but there still are plenty of ways for things to go wrong. And when they do, buried power lines can take longer to fix.

Still, utility companies have not shunned the idea.

John Maserjian, a spokesman for Central Hudson, said the utility took “another hard look” at the idea of putting lines underground after the February/March 2010 snowstorm, which shut off power to a record number of its customers. Repair and restoration work for that storm cost $20 million.

But the company continues to conclude that costs and other shortcomings far outweigh the benefits.

While it would save $18 million a year in tree-trimming and other storm costs, and $10.5 million in operation and maintenance costs, it would cost $18 billion to install them – and create a need for $3.24 billion more a year in revenue for things like maintenance.

Perhaps the worst impact: It could add an average of $10,000 a year to each customer's bill, Maserjian said. Not to mention a $2,000 one-time charge by an electrician to put each customer's service line underground.

Underground isn't perfect

Matthew Cordaro, an energy industry veteran who ran three electric companies and the Midwest Independent Transmission System Operator, Inc., believes that ratepayers would rather lose power for a day or two each year than fork over billions to bury the lines – especially when that move might not improve reliability.

“If you laid that choice out to them, people would pass it up,” he said.

A 2010 study by the Electric Power Research Institute concluded that building underground lines can cost anywhere from $4 million to $10 million per mile. By comparison, overhead lines cost less than $1 million to about $2 million per mile.

Underground lines would be safe from falling tree limbs and similar dangers, but they are still vulnerable to uprooted trees, excavation work, flooding and frost.

Industry officials note that putting lines underground makes more sense when you're building from scratch, rather than retrofitting an existing development.

State law since 1970 has required all new residential subdivisions with five or more units, or multiple-dwelling projects with four or more units in each building, to have utility lines placed underground.

Time and technological advancement might eventually bring power lines down to ground level.

Assemblyman Kevin Cahill, D-Kingston, who heads the Assembly Energy Committee, said new ways of generating power – rooftop solar units, or wind, for example – could lessen the need to transmit energy across long distances from large, megawatt power plants.

Cordaro agrees that, as power sources get smaller and closer to the point of use, “you'll have more lines going underground.”

http://www.recordonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20111107/NEWS/111109819/-1/NEWS

Note:  From above:  “State law since 1970 has required all new residential subdivisions with five or more units, or multiple-dwelling projects with four or more units in each building, to have utility lines placed underground.”

I don’t know if this is being done today, or not.  Is it?

 

And, an Editorial on this subject, in my local paper – the Times Herald-Record – Middletown, NY

Underground lines need a closer look

Published: 2:00 AM - 11/08/11

Every time a storm brings down power lines, people start talking about burying the cables to prevent that kind of damage the next time around. And every time that talk springs up, it gets dismissed pretty quickly because of the cost associated with the task.

But with two major storms in rapid succession in the Northeast within two months and with predictions of more unsettled weather promising repeated disasters in years to come, it's time for the state Public Service Commission to go beyond the superficial figures available so far.

No one is saying that it makes sense to take down all the poles and put all the cables underground. No one is saying that burying the cables will put an end to maintenance and storm damage. Somewhere between these extremes, however, there might be a point where it makes sense to start replacing some lines in some areas more prone to damage and outages. Somewhere in all of the figures available to the PSC are real numbers that would lead to a pilot program or two. It could take the form of an expansion of the practice already contained in state law requiring buried cables in many new residential subdivisions.

Some utility companies in storm-prone areas have moved more of their lines underground because they felt the initial investment would come back in much lower maintenance and disaster recovery expenses as well as fewer costs to customers who have to go without power, buy a generator or otherwise spend money that never gets accounted for.

Whatever form a study takes, the PSC needs to include all of the costs, including many that are not paid by power companies.

 

 

Fourth:

Freestyle Motocross rider dies before exhibition at Texas Motor Speedway

 

Freestyle Motocross rider Jim McNeil died Sunday after suffering injuries while practicing for a FMX exhibition before Sunday's AAA Texas 500 at Texas Motor Speedway.

 

McNeil, 32, was practicing in the midway area outside the frontstretch grandstands before the area was open on Sunday morning. He was taken by CareFlight to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

 

McNeil, who was known as "Jumpin' Jimmy," had competed in Freestyle Motocross for 11 years, and finished fourth overall in FMX at the X Games in 2006. He had been part of the Boost Mobile FMX team for nine years.

 

In Freestyle Motocross, riders are scored by judges based on a series of jumps and tricks. The most famous FMX rider may be Travis Pastrana, who is transitioning to NASCAR, or Carey Hart, who is married to the singer Pink.

 

 

 

Fifth:

 

NASCAR Cup points – how would they be if the “Chase” weren’t in effect? 

 

“Chase” Points standings after this race:

Rank Driver Points Diff

1   Carl Edwards  2316     

2   Tony Stewart  2313    -3   

3   Kevin Harvick  2283    -33   

4   Matt Kenseth  2278    -38   

5   Brad Keselowski  2267    -49   

6   Jimmie Johnson  2261    -55   

7   Dale Earnhardt, Jr.  2237    -79   

8   Jeff Gordon  2235    -81   

9   Kurt Busch  2229    -87   

10   Denny Hamlin  2217    -99   

11   Kyle Busch  2216    -100   

12   Ryan Newman  2213    -103   

13   Clint Bowyer  975    -1341   

14   Kasey Kahne  957    -1359   

15   Greg Biffle  956    -1360   

16   A.J. Allmendinger  946    -1370   

17   Marcos Ambrose  895    -1421   

18   David Ragan  889    -1427   

19   Juan Pablo Montoya  889    -1427   

20   Paul Menard  884    -1432   

 

And:

 

Non-'Chase' standings after this race:

Rank Driver Points Diff

1   Carl Edwards  1191     

2   Jimmie Johnson  1145    -46   

3   Kevin Harvick  1138    -53   

4   Matt Kenseth  1128    -63   

5   Tony Stewart  1101    -90   

6   Jeff Gordon  1098    -93   

7   Kyle Busch  1094    -97   

8   Kurt Busch  1054    -137   

9   Ryan Newman  1032    -159   

10   Brad Keselowski  1027    -164   

11   Dale Earnhardt, Jr.  1018    -173   

12   Clint Bowyer  975    -216   

13   Denny Hamlin  961    -230   

14   Kasey Kahne  957    -234   

15   Greg Biffle  956    -235   

16   A.J. Allmendinger  946    -245   

17   Marcos Ambrose  895    -296   

18   David Ragan  889    -302   

19   Juan Pablo Montoya  889    -302   

20   Paul Menard  884    -307   

Note:  The above are NOT my figures.  They were found on the Internet.  At one time Jayski used to show points standings both ways, but I don’t think he’s done it this season.

 

 

Sixth:

Last Saturday night I watched the “World Finals” from Charlotte.  Now when the show kicked off, it was still daytime racing that we could see, even though it was dark at home.  I kinda figured that part of the show would be on a tape delay, and that the advertised “Live” portion would happen later on in the telecast.  However, when they were showing the Modified feature, the results were already up on the Internet, in different places.  So, when was it “Live”?  Of course, the ever-present commercials (a necessary evil, sad to say) were on when there was a pass for the lead between Billy Decker and Matt Sheppard.  OK, so they showed a replay – but don’t forget, that was a delayed broadcast, folks.

 

Seventh:

Sunday evening, I was bouncing back and forth between the football game and Wind Tunnel.  Danny Sullivan was a guest on the show, and Dave Despain asked him about what could be done in Indycar racing to eliminate the “pack” racing.  The first thing Sullivan said was to get rid of some of the down force.  HORRAY!  Seems like Mr. Sullivan is smart enough to see that you can’t have “Spec” open wheel racecars racing wheel to wheel at speeds over 200 MPH, yet those that run the series, can’t see it.  Personally, I’ve said in over and over – get rid of the wings and put more of the driver back into the equation.  Make it so they actually have to get off the gas, brake, then back on the gas, again.  This constant “pedal to the metal” stuff has got to go.

 

Eighth:

Also, towards the end of Wind Tunnel, there was an interview with Travis Pastrana.  Some of his “antics” from his past history were shown, including, of course, some of his wicked accidents.  Travis did make mention of having some 40 fractures in 7 bones.  Ouch!  One thing that never seems to get mentioned about Pastrana is that he did have one start in a Silver Crown car, that being at the USA International Speedway down in Florida a few years ago.  I, along with aspiring motor sports writer Richard Golardi, had the chance to have a chat with him, and his biggest fear was how soon he’d get lapped in the 100-lap – 75-mile race.  Well, to be honest, he never did get lapped, and even passed some cars during the race.  I have a photo of Pastrana and I talking – a photo taken by Rich.

 

Ninth:

While watching the football game on Sunday night, towards the end of the game, some timeouts were called.  The referee was heard saying “30 second time-out”.  I checked my watch.  The 30 seconds passed, and still no action.  I take it the NFL has slow clocks?  No wonder it takes over three hours to play a one hour game!  And why in the world is there such a long break between changes of possession?  Oh, right – commercials.  And I still cannot see a player scoring a TD when his whole body is in the air and out of bounds, but he manages to hold the football over the goal line, where the cone is, never touching the end zone, whereas if he should catch a pass in the end zone and come down with one foot in the end zone and the other outside – it’s not a TD.  He did, after all have possession of the football in the end zone, didn’t he?

 

Tenth:

While on the subject of football, I wonder how former players, like, say Joe Montana, would do in today’s “watered down for quarterbacks” games?  Also, how, for safety sake, penalties are now incurred when there are helmet-to-helmet hits?  Heck even the announcers were saying that “Back in the Day” that would have been a good acceptable hit, when there was a helmet-to-helmet hit in the game.  And no more “Horse collar” tackling?

 

Eleventh:

Are you interested in tracks that NASCAR has run at?  This link, below, will keep you busy for a while.  I happened to come across it while researching for something for this column.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_NASCAR_race_tracks

 

Twelfth:

Some stuff from the Track Forum:

Zanardi Wins Marathon

http://www.trackforum.com/forums/showthread.php?157418-Zanardi-Wins-Marathon

http://msn.foxsports.com/motor/story/former-driver-alex-zanardi-finds-success-at-nyc-marathon-110611

 

Baltimore Grand Prix in Jeopardy

http://www.trackforum.com/forums/showthread.php?157465-Baltimore-Grand-Prix-in-Jeopardy

http://espn.go.com/racing/indycar/story/_/id/7204898/baltimore-considers-ending-indycar-grand-prix-contract

 

Quite an interesting read on this subject:

Vanity-question regarding low HP, high downforce formula...

It starts off with this:

"What was the *point* of the same low hp, high downforce formula for so many years? I'm sure the obvious answer is 'cost containment' but if so many people knew pack racing made ovals more dangerous than necessary, why then stick with it? Was it that difficult to add HP or make simple changes to aerodynamics? What am i missing here?"

 

And here is just one of the postings in the thread:

"Am I surrounded by children in here? Does no one have a memory?

High-downforce, drag-limited racing has been part of the Indy racing formula since 1997. One of the big changes in going to the IRL spec in 1997 was a reduction in undertray downforce and an increase in wing-generated downforce. Because wing-generated DF causes more drag, they were looking for a car that created greater drag at the same speed and downforce levels of the previous cars. But, the reduction in hp that came with the original 3.5L NA engines relative to the 2.65L turbos of the cart era resulted in lower top speeds (less HP pushing greater drag leads to slower speeds).

Even with those reductions, it was quickly clear that the cars were going to go too fast to be prudent on the high-banked 1.5 mile tracks. So, the IRL mandated minimum wing angles - not for the downforce but for the greater drag. Instead of putting an upright billboard under a short-cord wing like cart did to slow the cars, IRL put a longer cord wing at an inefficient angle to slow the top speed of the cars. They both accomplished the same thing - limiting top speed through increased drag.

In the early days of the IRL, even into the early Penske/Ganassi movement phase, there were two chassis with different characteristics and two types of engines that were constructed by many more than that engine builders to different team specs. This led to a variety of car capabilities - budget teams asked for bulletproof builds while top teams pushed the envelope more. Thus, there was close racing without the pack racing. The first Charlotte race was as entertaining as any race I have ever attended - cars were spread all over the track, but the lead 3 cars were close to each other and we had what your really want from an oval race - the leaders racing each other through lapped traffic. Really fun, good, oval racing.

It wasn't until Panoz/G-Force left the series and then Chevy and Toyota left the series leaving everything essentially spec - teams' budgets didn't even dictate that there be differences in engine capability - that the real pack racing problem developed. It led to boring racing with close, artificially exciting finishes. Because cars couldn't race to an advantage, fuel strategy and pit work became the only way to differentiate during the race - again, boring.

Good oval racing depends on there being different classes of cars - there must be slow cars to create changing racing environments around the track as the leaders race. Case in point - it is the inability of the leaders to catch the tail of the field and really race through traffic that has made the BY400 so boring lately.

In the end, we know the cars can't run at an unlimited speed on these oval - drivers get hurt, spectators get hurt, and the show is bad. We have been fighting the same problem since Chip Ganassi got hurt at Michigan, since Greg Moore was killed at California, since both series killed spectators at Charlotte and Michigan, and now with Wheldon at LV.

My take, the racing was better in the IRL before the Great Toyota Compromise. I understand politically why the leadership thought it was necessary, but I have not been the same type of fan of the series since that time.”

http://www.trackforum.com/forums/showthread.php?157405-Vanity-question-regarding-low-HP-high-downforce-formula...

 

 

Thirteenth:

New Era Begins for Bruno Family at Devil’s Bowl Speedway

For Immediate Release                                                                                                                                                                     DBS-110811-1

WEST HAVEN, VT -- A new era has begun for Vermont sports: Devil’s Bowl Speedway has new leadership.  Vermont business owners Mike and Alayne Bruno have purchased the 75-acre facility and plan to host a full season of stock car racing in 2012.

Devil’s Bowl Speedway is a NASCAR-sanctioned, half-mile paved stock car track located in West Haven, VT, 15 minutes from Rutland, the state’s second-largest city.

The co-owner and president of Rutland-based Bruno’s Towing, 40 year-old Mike Bruno is a champion stock car driver with well over 50 victories.  He began racing at Devil’s Bowl Speedway in 1988, following in the footsteps of his late father, John, a multi-time track champion.

“Today is a major milestone for me personally.  I’ve traveled all over the country to race, but my roots have been firmly planted at Devil’s Bowl Speedway since I was young,” Mike Bruno said.  “My family has a deep connection with the area, and having the chance to guide our home track into the future means a great deal to us.  Beyond our personal history, though, we feel that we have a great opportunity to have a positive impact on local motorsports and the greater community as a whole.”

Mike and Alayne Bruno purchased the speedway from founder C.J. Richards.  Devil’s Bowl Speedway opened as a dirt track in 1967 and was paved in 2010.  The track adopted sanction from the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series under the Richards family’s leadership last year.  Bruno, who led a successful open-discussion “town meeting” with competitors two weeks ago, said the asphalt surface will remain, as will the track’s relationship with NASCAR.

“I’ve met with NASCAR officials in Florida, and our management team met with local competitors two weeks ago and made great progress,” Bruno said.  “We are confident that this transition will go smoothly for everyone, and we are very excited to bring our new ideas to the table.”

Bruno said that plans include the rebirth of Devil’s Bowl Speedway’s open-wheel, dirt-style 358-Modified division and integrating the class with the current crate-engine Sportsman Modifieds, as well as growing the American-Canadian Tour-legal Late Model division and the Renegade and Bomber support classes.  Bruno’s target is an 18-event championship race schedule in 2012.  Other plans include upgrades to the physical plant, the possible addition of go-kart racing, and non-racing community events.

Information will be forthcoming including a full schedule of events, competitor rulebooks, licensing information, and other programs.  For more information, call (802) 773-0146, email devilsbowlspeedway@gmail.com, or visit www.devilsbowlspeedwayvt.com.

-30-

Contact: Justin St. Louis                                                                                                                                                   Phone: (802) 355-3282

Email: devilsbowlspeedway@gmail.com

 

Fourteenth:

The Vintage Race Car meet at Loudon:

For the 2012 show, things have changed a little.  The dates are May 10, 11, 12 & 13.  That’s Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday.  Open Wheel cars are on the track on Thursday and Friday, while the Road Racers have it Saturday and Sunday- as per the tracks schedule.

Note:  In one response I received when I e-mailed this info out was that the road course would only have runs on Saturday.

 

Fifteenth:

Billy Boat, Ron Shuman,  Eddie Jackson, Bobby Ball,  Bob Barker, Jimmy Bryan, Marvin Burke, Edgar Elder, Ted Halibrand, Earl Motter, Ed Normi, Alex Pabst, Bob Pankratz and Gordy Youngstrom are the ones that will be inducted into the National Midget Auto Racing Hall of Fame, down in Tulsa, OK on January 13th, during the Chili Bowl.

Boat, a three-time “Turkey Night” winner, holds the all-time record for consecutive single-series victories (11 in the 1995 Western Midgets) and earned the pole starting position for the 1998 Indianapolis 500. Shuman added the 1982 “Hut Hundred” to his “Turkey Night” successes. Jackson won the inaugural Belleville Midget Nationals in Kansas. Ball’s career included a fifth-place finish in the 1951 Indianapolis 500 and a victory in the 1952 AAA Championship race at San Jose, Calif. Barker was both a driver and designer. Bryan won the 1958 Indianapolis 500. Burke was the 1949 BCRA Midget Champion. Elder won the 1956 “Turkey Night Grand Prix.” Halibrand was a pioneer in the field of safety equipment for the sport. Motter won the 1956 “Hut Hundred.” Normi was a National Midget participant in the 1950s and competed in selected NASCAR races in the mid-1950s. Pankratz, a driver and builder, is the father of former USAC Champion Wally Pankratz. Youngstrom won the 1945 Northwest Racing Association title.

 Pabst is probably the most compelling of the inductees, having built the first Midget “copy” of the #8 Earl Cooper Stutz in 1914 and demonstrating it in exhibition races before the sport of Midget racing officially debuted in the 1930s. He then claimed a car owner title in the 1948 Sothern California Midget Racing Association.

The induction ceremonies and luncheon (hosted by Suburban Chevrolet in Claremore, Okla.), will be held in the Central Park Hall at the Tulsa State Fairgrounds as part of the Oil capital’s exciting Chili Bowl Week.

 

Sixteenth:

While on Facebook late Tuesday night, I came across a recent photo from the Accord Speedway.  The banking has been taken down quite a lot.

 

Seventeenth:

When I went over to the AARN’s website, to check out what will be in this weeks (11/8 issue) I found this, which is very interesting:

URC going wingless
for 2012?


And another bit of news too:

Dirt on Wall Stadium?

Note:  I find that hard to believe, especially where the track is located.  But, hey, ya never know, right?  More on these two items in my column next week.

As for the URC going wingless – I think it would be great.  I wonder what the reasoning is for that, if it should happen?  We all know that those wings tend to put a lot of strain on the engines and running gear.  I know the CRSA 305 Sprint Car Series was giving some thought about some “Wingless” shows, but that was with the previous President of that organization.

Unfortunately, I don’t get my AARN until Thursday, normally, so I really can’t tell ya much on this, since my column goes in around mid-night Wed/Thurs.

 

 

Eighteenth:

Hey, might you be heading to Florida this coming February?  Might you be interested in some Sprint Car races on pavement?  If so, check out what my friend, Richard Golardi has to say, by going here:

http://www.hoseheads.com/richard.html

 

 

Nineteenth:

Hope I don’t get in trouble for this one, folks, but I received the following just before I was going to send this column out.  It is from Anne Fornoro, the PR person for AJ Foyt Racing.

A.J. Foyt Tells His Story

HOUSTON Nov 9, 2011—A.J. Foyt will be seen around his native Houston a bit more these days. Foyt is part of an initiative at St Luke’s Episcopal Hospital in Houston where patients share their stories.

Foyt’s story is spreading a bit farther as he is featured in a 30-second commercial which is airing locally, and there will be a large photo of him hanging on a wall adjacent to the Cath lab where he had the procedure done. He is also featured on seven billboards in the area with the tagline: A.J. Foyt still has the heart of a champion.

Foyt’s story actually began with his wife Lucy undergoing open heart surgery last winter (from which she made a full recovery).  When doctors asked Foyt the last time he’d had his stents checked (installed in 2000),  they didn’t like his answer (it had been a while). When they did check him, they found a blockage.

He underwent a procedure to install another stent to open the blockage--complicated by the fact that the doctor had to go through an existing stent to reach it (an open heart surgery team was standing by in case the procedure didn’t work). Fortunately, the procedure was successful.

When asked if he would ‘share’ his story, Foyt didn’t hesitate to express his gratitude to the staff of the Texas Heart® Institute’s cardiology team in a very public way. After a full day of shooting at the race shop, a 30-second commercial was produced that is slated to continue running in 2012 after this year’s holiday season.

Donating his time and image to the campaign, Foyt indeed has the heart of a champion

 

Coming up:

 

Lobitz Movie Party/Auction:

 

THIS SUNDAY!!!

 

Sunday, November 13, 2011.  Lots of fun, plenty to eat/drink, racing movies are shown, and an auction to raise money for the Eastern Museum of Motor Racing.  You’d be surprised as to what gets put up for auction!

 

One never knows who might show up.

 

Things get started around 9:00 in the morning, with a swap meet, followed by most anything else.  Quite a few vendors selling race related items, too.

 

Sit down dinner at around 5:00 - 5:30 in the afternoon.

 

Lobitz Catering Hall

Rt 940

Hazleton, Pa

(Located directly behind the Fairway Chevrolet dealership on Rt 309 North)

 

 

 

News from The King of the Can - 'It's Good To Be King'

 

This Sunday (Nov. 13) at Penn Can Speedway.

 

Media Contact: Brett Deyo - 845.728.2781 or Deyo99H@aol.com

 

For Immediate Release/Nov. 8, 2011

 

Gates open at 1 p.m. with hot laps at 3 p.m. and racing at 4 p.m.

 

GM 602 Crate Sportsman (25 laps - $1,000 to win) and Trackside Products Race of Champions Street Stocks (25 laps - $500 to win) complete the program. The Trackside Products RoC Street Stock title will be decided on Sunday.

 

Modifieds will run first throughout the order of events to benefit fans.

 

Wristbands and ticket stubs from the Oct. 16 event will be honored at the make-up date.

 

Draw numbers will be held for the drivers already in attendance at the original date. Additional drivers can participate in this event and will draw from the numbers remaining in the bucket.  Registration is $20 for the Modifieds. There is no registration fee for the GM 602 Crate Sportsman or Street Stocks.

 

Big- (more than 361 cubic inches - 2,500 lbs.) or small-block (316 cubic inches or less - 2,400 lbs.) Modifieds can compete. Any 13- by 92-inch Modified tire can be used. Sail panels are permitted.

 

Full information can be found online at www.bdmotorsportsmedia.com

or by e-mailing Brett Deyo at 845.728.2781.

 

 

 

The Parts Peddler Trade Show:

 

It will be held on November 18, 19 & 20, up in Syracuse.

http://partspeddler.us/

 

 

Turkey Derby:

 

This year it will be held on November 25th, 26th and 27th.  On Saturday, the 26th, racing action will include:

Open/Tour Modifieds, Dirt Modifieds, Dirt Sportsman, WALL/SK Modifieds, Sportsman/Crate cars, Late Models, Factory Stocks, Street Stocks, Legends and TQ’s.  Practice on November 12th and 19th.  For Sunday, 8 cylinder and 4 cylinder Enduros – 200 laps, Trux and Ladies plus more???

 

From their website:

Turkey Derby XXXVIII is a two racing tradition set for Friday November 25 and Saturday November 26 during the daylight hours. On November 25, practice will start at 8:30 a.m., while qualifying will start at noon and feature racing will begin at 2:00 p.m. On November 26, practice will start at 8:30 a.m., with qualifying set for 11:00 a.m. and feature racing set for 1:00 p.m.

Pit gates will open at 6:30 a.m., with pre-purchased grandstand seating opening at 9:30 a.m. and grandstand seating opening at 10:00 a.m. on both days.

Friday main event action will feature the paved Sportsman cars, the dirt Sportsman cars, Late Models, Legend Cars and the Factory Stocks. On Saturday, the Touring Modifieds, Wall Modifieds, dirt Modifieds, TQ Midgets and Street Stocks will all see main event action.

 

More info can be found here:  www.wallspeedway.com

 

 

Indoor Go-Kart racing in Syracuse:

Yup, almost that time again – December 10, 2011.  Back when my grandson was racing Karts, we made a few of those shows.  The racing was top notch; the building the track is in was both heated and ventilated.  The only downfall was the possible weather conditions – you know – Syracuse, N.Y. early December – Mother Nature.  However bad the weather was or had been, they always got their racing in.

Info on this event can be found if you go here, below, and check out the upper left hand corner for additional links.

http://www.cnyroadrace.com/indoor/

 

 

Found on Jayski’s website:

 

NASCAR to meet with Kyle Busch Saturday morning: UPDATE - Busch parked:

Tempers flared early in Friday night's truck race at Texas Motor Speedway. As they ran three-wide early in Friday's race, Ron Hornaday moved up the track, causing Kyle Busch, running on the outside, to hit the wall. Hornaday also hit it. As they slowly went around the track, Busch ran up on the rear of Hornaday and caused Hornaday to smack the wall head-on in what was hard contact. Hornaday was uninjured. NASCAR called Busch to the hauler to meet with officials after the race. NASCAR met with Kyle Busch for less than five minutes on Friday night after the race. They will meet with Busch before Saturday morning's Cup practice (which is at 8:45am/et) to discuss the incident. Hornaday went to the NASCAR hauler (he wasn't called there by officials) after Kyle left and said: "If NASCAR doesn't (park Busch), I'm hanging around, and I'm going to buy Tommy Baldwin's ride and that guy will never finish another race. That's a promise. He's got to be parked. They did it to Harvick at Martinsville.'' Hornaday was reminded that the Harvick parking was in 2002, which Hornday said: "So, let's have at it? So I can go over and beat his ass and let's have at it? He lives too close to me. We'll see what NASCAR does. If they don't handle it right, I'll be over at his house Monday morning.''(Virginian-Pilot)(11-5-2011)

UPDATE:

NASCAR announced Saturday morning that they have parked Kyle Busch for the remainder of the Texas race weekend. He will not be allowed to participate in the Nationwide or Cup races. He will be replaced in the Cup race by Michael McDowell and by Denny Hamlin in the Nationwide race. Further penalties against Busch could be announced early in the week.(11-5-2011)


UPDATE 2:

Joe Gibbs didn't argue with the severity of the penalty. "I always trust NASCAR," Gibbs said. "I think they do a great job. They manage the series. It's grown because of them and the way they handle it. I have great faith in the decisions they make. We've been a part of this for a long time, and we love it. We love being a part of it, and we love this sport. This was a tough one for us, but as I mentioned, sometimes in life you go through tough things. You don't like it, but we're certainly going to try and work our way through this one and do the right thing and try and handle it the right way." Gibbs now must deal with the fallout from the incident, and that means talks with Cup sponsor Mars and Nationwide sponsor Z-Line Designs, as well as other JGR partners. "I met with Kyle in his motor home this morning," Gibbs said. "It's one of those personal conversations you have when a real tough situation like this comes up. I think, for all of our other partners involved with this-and there's a number of them-we haven't even had a chance to get with everybody yet. So we're still trying to go through that as best we can. We'll be here the whole weekend trying to meet with everybody, trying to work our way through this and trying to handle it the right way."(Sporting News)(11-5-2011)


AND:

Ultimately, Busch may face sanctions more severe than those levied by NASCAR. Addressing the media this morning in Texas, team owner Joe Gibbs accepted blame for his driver's actions, saying, "It definitely rests with me. When you own something& you're responsible. I take full responsibility for it." Gibbs hinted that conversations have taken place with team sponsors about how to proceed, and sources in the NASCAR garage say serious consideration is being given to parking Busch for the remainder of the 2011 Sprint Cup and Nationwide campaign.(Sirius Speedway)(11-5-2011)

 

Statement from Toyota:

"Toyota understands it is NASCAR's responsibility to enforce their rules for the well-being of the sport. We recognize this is a difficult situation for both Joe Gibbs Racing and Kyle Busch with respect to the incident that occurred at Texas Motor Speedway during Friday (Nov. 4) night's NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race. However, we are confident in the leadership of Joe and J.D. Gibbs, and are certain the team will handle this difficult situation in an appropriate manner. Toyota remains 100 percent committed to its support of Joe Gibbs Racing and its drivers."(Toyota)(11-5-2011)

Statement from Kyle Busch:

I've had a lot of time today to sit and reflect, and try to put my thoughts into words as best I can. I want to sincerely apologize for my actions during Friday night's Truck Series race at Texas. I apologize to my fans, all my sponsors, everyone at Joe Gibbs Racing and Kyle Busch Motorsports. After talking with my team, it's great to have their support and encouragement to assure me that there are better days ahead. Even though this took place while driving for Kyle Busch Motorsports, I am sorry for how difficult this has been for everyone associated with Joe Gibbs Racing's Nationwide and Sprint Cup Series teams. I'd also like to apologize to Ron Hornaday Jr., and everyone associated with the #33 team in the Truck Series. I understand why I was taken out of the car for the rest of the weekend. NASCAR officials had to act, and I accept their punishment and take full responsibility for my actions. As a racecar driver, the hardest thing to do is to sit on the sidelines listening to cars on the track when you know you should be out there competing. For this, I have no one to blame but myself. Through a lot of support from the people around me, I feel like I've made a lot of strides this year, but this was certainly a step backward. Moving forward, I will do everything I possibly can to represent everyone involved in a positive manner. However, I know my long-term actions will have more of a bearing than anything I say right now.(Kyle Busch Motorsports)(11-5-2011)

 

Statement from M&Ms:

"The recent actions by Kyle Busch are not consistent with the values of M&M'S and we're very disappointed. Like you, we hold those who represent our brand to a higher standard and we have expressed our concerns directly to Joe Gibbs Racing."(M&Ms Facebook page)(11-6-2011)

 

NASCAR Fines Kyle Busch; Places Him On Probation For Remainder Of Year:

NASCAR has fined Kyle Busch $50,000 and placed him on NASCAR probation until Dec. 31 for his actions during the Nov. 4 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race at Texas Motor Speedway. Kyle Busch violated Section 12-1 (actions detrimental to stock car racing) of the 2011 NASCAR Rule Book. NASCAR took immediate action, parking Busch for the remainder of Friday night's event and maintaining the parked position for the NASCAR Nationwide and NASCAR Sprint Cup Series events scheduled for Saturday and Sunday at Texas Motor Speedway. On Monday, the parking directive was lifted by NASCAR. In issuing Monday's penalty, NASCAR went on to say that "if during the remaining NASCAR events in 2011 there is another action by the competitor that is deemed by NASCAR officials as detrimental to stock car racing or to NASCAR, or is disruptive to the orderly conduct of an event, the competitor will be suspended indefinitely from NASCAR."(NASCAR)(11-7-2011)

 

Vampt sponsoring Yeley at Phoenix: 

NASCAR fans should prepare to "get Vampt" again. Vampt Beverage Corp. will return to the #38 Ford of Front Row Motorsports for the race weekend at Phoenix International Raceway. Phoenix native J.J. Yeley will once again man the wheel of the Vampt Ford, which will make its second appearance in the Sprint Cup Series this season. In addition, one of the biggest names in technology will make its first appearance on a Front Row Motorsports car at the Phoenix race. Microsoft Office 365 will be an associate sponsor on Yeley's #38 car. Look for the familiar logo on the C-post of his Ford.(Breaking Limits/Front Row Motorsports)(11-6-2011)


UPDATE:

Front Row Motorsports, J.J. Yeley, and Vampt Beverage Corp. will make a former U.S. Marine's dream come true this Veterans Day when the #38 Vampt Ford hits Phoenix International Raceway in a paint scheme designed by the disabled veteran. Scott Bates of Muskogee, Okla., is the artist behind the patriotic paint scheme on the No. 38 Ford. The former Marine took up graphic design when multiple sclerosis left him confined to a wheelchair and unable to use his arms. A head-controlled mouse allows him to operate the program in which he creates his designs. A sensor atop his computer screen picks up his head movements, allowing him to choose colors, shapes, shades and strokes. After years of designing racecar templates for video games, Bates finally got to see one of his designs on a real racecar when he did a paint scheme for an ARCA car. But that car wrecked in practice and never made it to race day. The 48-year-old artist still had one wish: to see one of his designs on an actual NASCAR Sprint Cup Series car. He told his story to motorsports writer Becca Gladden, who wrote about his dream. When malt beverage maker and Front Row sponsor Vampt read about Bates, they found it only fitting to help him realize his dream on Veterans Day weekend when the company was sponsoring Yeley's #38 in Phoenix. Bates will attend the race as a special guest of Vampt and Front Row Motorsports to see, up close and in person, that his wish was finally granted.(Breaking Limits/Front Row Motorsports)(11-8-2011)

Note:  I really like JJ.  I’m just hoping that his one isn’t a “Start & Park” ride for this week.  I think you know why?

 

Toyota shut out of championships:

Per SPEED's Tom Jensen, "This is the first time since 2005 that Toyota has been totally shut out in driver and manufacturer championships in NASCAR's top 3 series."(11-7-2011)

 

Auto Racing could be Florida's state sport:

This summer, The News-Journal asked readers what Florida's official state sport should be. We have an official state reptile, pie and bird -- why not an official state sport? Sen. Evelyn Lynn, R-Ormond Beach, immediately knew the answer. She said she would file legislation to make auto racing the official state sport, and she's done just that. Senate Bill 266 designates "automobile racing" as the official state sport. If the Legislature adopts it during the session that begins Jan. 10, it would take effect next July 1 -- just in time for NASCAR's summer return to Daytona International Speedway.(Daytona Beach News-Journal)(11-6-2011)

 

Outback to sponsor Stewart-Haas next season:

Stewart-Haas Racing is adding yet another sponsor to its lineup on the #39 team driven by Ryan Newman. Outback Steakhouse, a restaurant chain based in Tampa, Fla., will serve as primary sponsor on the #39 in at least two Sprint Cup Series races in 2012, multiple sources said. A formal announcement of the sponsorship addition is expected Friday at Phoenix International Raceway.(Charlotte Observer)(11-8-2011)

 

Dale Earnhardt Jr. to take part in Daytona EFI test:

NASCAR has scheduled a special test for Nov. 15 at Daytona International Speedway to find ways to eliminate the two-car drafting that has become prevalent at restrictor-plate tracks. Six to eight teams will be in attendance and NASCAR spokesman Kerry Tharp said the teams will work on a variety of combinations of restrictor plates and spoilers to give teams a good baseline package to bring back for the preseason test in January. Among the drivers participating will be #88-Dale Earnhardt Jr. and one other driver from Hendrick Motorsports. "Apparently, they put this test together last minute for a reason," Earnhardt said on Tuesday from the NASCAR Hall of Fame. "We'll go down there and they'll let us know exactly what they're wanting to do, what they're trying to accomplish, what they're trying to try. I want to be able to give them the best feedback I can to give them the solutions they're looking for so that we can, with confidence, go into Daytona in February and expect to put together a great show for the fans that will be there and that will be watching on TV." Earnhardt expects much of the emphasis to be on running with a smaller spoiler, which several drivers said made the two-car draft more difficult during a recent fuel injection test at Talladega Superspeedway.(ESPN)(11-9-2011)

 

 

Former Oakland Valley Speedway (Dirt Oval) runners:

Looking at the results from the tracks Novemberfest weekend of racing, I was somewhat surprised at what I think was a somewhat low count of those that used to run at the Dirt Oval making a return for Novemberfest.

Joe Kata returned and was 2nd in the Senior Champ results.  Brian Krummel had a 5th n the Medium class and a 2nd in the Heavy class.  Brad Szulewski was 14th in the Heavy Class, and Charlie Lawrence was 8th in the Senior Slingshots.

 

 

Going back, in time – in racing history:

Note# 1:  Most of the following information was found here: 

http://www.wheelsofspeed.com/history.html

 

Note: 2:  Yes, most of this info is mostly from Open Wheel racing from “Back in the day”.

 

Covering the days from November 11th to the 17th:

 

NOVEMBER 11

1937

Sam McQuagg... Born ... NASCAR driver from the 1960's and 70's.

1960

Robert "Red" Byron... Died ... He was a NASCAR driver who was successful in the sanctioning body's first years. He was NASCAR's first Modified champion (and its first champion in any division) in 1948 and its first Strictly Stock (predecessor to NEXTEL Cup) champion in 1949.

1967

Gil de Ferran... Born ... CART and IRL driver.

 

NOVEMBER 12

1925

John Rostek ... Born ... A NASCAR driver from Fort Collins, CO. Despite racing in just six Nextel Cup Series events in his career, Rostek earned one victory, one pole and three top-tens. Five of his six races came in 1960, when Rostek debuted at Daytona, racing in the Daytona 500 qualifier. But a crash on the fifth lap would end his chances of a good finish and making the 500, finishing 39th. But his rebound was amazing. In his next race, Phoenix, Rostek took the lead midway through the event, led 58 laps and pulled away to a shocking victory. He proved it was no fluke later in the year, finishing 3rd at Hanford and 7th at Montgomery after leading seven laps and starting on the pole. Rostek's final race came in 1963, racing at Riverside. Starting 27th in the forty-four car field, Rostek seemed poised for another top-ten finish before a late crash sidelined him to 16th. He also raced with the USAC Stock Car Division from 1958 to 1964.

 

Note:  A little about that Montgomery, NY race:

http://www.racing-reference.info/race/1960_Empire_State_200/W

 

1928

Allen Crowe ... Born ... 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 (June 2,1963).

1966

Don Branson ... Died ... 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.

Roger McCluskey won the USAC Sprint Car race over Frank Secrist, Hal Minyard, Larry Dickson and Dick Fries at the Ascot Park Speedway, Gardena,CA.

 

NOVEMBER 13

1966

Dick Atkins... Died ... One of the best sprint car drivers of his era and was just begining to shine in the USAC Championships when he was killed at Ascot Park when Don Branson's car bounced off the wall back into his path. Branson died instantly and Atkins passed away the next day from what at first were believed to be burns. However an autosy revealed that the cause of death was a fractured skull.

1997

Larry Shinoda ... Died ... He died of a heart attack at his home in Novi, Michigan. Shinoda is best known for designing the bodies on the '63 Stingray and '70 Mustang Boss 302, he also designed the 1956 Indy 500 winning John Zink Special and Jim Hall’s Chaparral 2C & 2D.

 

NOVEMBER 14

1893

Tommy Milton ... Born ... Milton was blind in the right eye at birth and had poor vision in his left eye. Yet he was the first driver to win the Indianapolis 500 twice, in 1921 and 1923. He was also the first to win the national driving championship two years in a row, in 1920 and 1921. He began racing on dirt tracks in the Midwest in 1914 and won his first major victory at Providence, RI, in 1917. Milton won five of nine championship races in 1919 before suffering severe burns when his car burst into flames during a race at Uniontown, NJ. In 1920, he not only won the driving championship, he set a new land speed record of 156.046 mph in a special 16-cylinder Duesenberg that he helped to design. He retired from competition after the 1925 season. Milton became chief steward of the Indianapolis 500 from 1949 to 1957, when he retired because of poor health. Milton had 17 victories in 85 races on dirt tracks and finished in the top five 35 other times.

1944

Joe Saldana... Born ... a former driver in the USAC and CART Championship Car series. He raced in the 1977-1980 seasons, with 31 combined career starts, including the 1978-1979 Indianapolis 500. He finished in the top ten 10 times, with a best finish of 6th position in 1979 at Atlanta. He won the 1970 Knoxville Nationals, the premiere event in sprint car racing and the 1976 Hoosier Hundred USAC Silver Crown race. Saldana was inducted in the National Sprint Car Hall of Fame in 2000. His son Joey (the "Brownsburg Bullet") races with the World of Outlaws sprint car series..

 

NOVEMBER 15

1932

Louie Unser... Born ... He was the twin brother of Jerry Unser, who in 1958 became the first of the famed racing family to qualify for the Indy 500. Louie served as chief mechanic for Jerry in that race and handled the same duties for younger brother Al Unser's 500 debut in 1965.

Jerry Unser... Born ... He was the 1957 USAC Stock Car champion. Jerry was the first of the Unser family to compete at Indianapolis. He died in a practice crash before the 1959 Indianapolis 500, leaving behind a widow, Jeanne Unser, and two sons, Jerry and Johnny Unser. His brothers Al and Bobby and his nephew Al Jr. have won the "500". His son Johnny and nephew Robby have also competed in the race.

1980

Bob Mathouser ... Died ... Drove in the USAC Championship Car series, racing in the 1961-1966 seasons, with 30 career starts, including the 1964 Indianapolis 500. He finished in the top ten 4 times, with his best finish in 6th position in 1964 at Langhorne.

 

NOVEMBER 16

1936

Skip Barber... Born ... A retired road racing driver who is most famous for his Skip Barber Racing Schools.

John Mahler... Born ... A former open wheel race car driver in the USAC and CART Championship Car series. He raced in the 1970-1973 and 1976-1981 seasons, with 39 combined career starts, including the 1972 and 1977-1979 Indianapolis 500. He finished in the top ten 6 times, with his best finish in 6th position in 1970 at the Indianapolis Raceway Park road course.

1940

Chuck Amati... Born ... Chuck Amati is one of the original outlaws, a star who built his legend during an era when the term defied any organized definition. His career stretched across six different decades, 1959 through 2002, and he became one of the most popular and interesting characters in the sport.

1958

Roberto Guerrero... Born ... CART, IRL and Grand Prix driver.

1967

Robbie Stanley ... Born ... 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.

 

NOVEMBER 17

1929

Jimmy Reece... Born ... Reece was Midget, Sprint driver and a 6 time veteran of the Indianapolis 500, with Top Ten finishes in 1952, 1956 and 1958. He died in a racing accident during a 1958 champ car race at Trenton International Speedway.

 

 

 

 

News from the AARN:

http://www.aarn.com/

 

From their November 1st issue:

 

Two former OVRP Dirt Oval racers, Brad Szulewski and Anthony Perrego did pretty good, point wise, in the RoC Dirt Sportsman Series for 2011.  Brad ended up 4th and Anthony 9th.

 

Ernie Saxton:

Had some in his column about the proposed F-1 race in New Jersey.  He can recall when there was a lot of talk about an F-1 race in New York City, with Mario Andretti being somewhat involved with that deal.  He makes mention of how hard some rules are in racing, and cites the fact that Troy Palamalu was fined $10,000.00 for talking on his cell phone during an NFL game.  And he also makes mention of a small draft beer costing $9.00 at the Rams Edward Jones Dome.

 

Earl Krause:

Part of his column had to do with the new Vintage TQ’s.  For info on that you can call Gary Mondschein at (570) 656-5962, or go to www.ATQMRA.com for current and Vintage TQ news.

The Vintage TQ’s will have some on track time when there is racing indoors in Atlantic City.

 

Brett Deyo:

Quite a bit in his column about the New Egypt Speedway starting to phase in the Pennsylvania style 358’s in 2012.

 

Todd Heintzelman:

He makes mention of the head flagger at the Williams Grove Speedway, Butch Book, retiring. 

Also that Sprint Car mechanic Shane Stout was sent home from the York Hospital to recover from right leg and knee injuries that he received in a pit area accident at the Susquehanna Speedway Park, back on October 20th.  It will be a 6 month to a year recovery, including knee reconstruction.  Cards of well wishes and tohelp cheer Shane up can be sent to him at 4041 Smith Ct. South Centre, Bloomsburg, Pa. 17815

Todd makes mention of Lance Dewease and car owner Donny Owens getting $20,000.00 for the All Star Eastern Series championship, along with another $20,000.00 for being the Williams Grove Speedway driving champion for 2011.

 

Gary London:

Gary, like quite a few others, isn’t all that happy about how SPEED TV covers it racing events.  He made mention of a column he had a few weeks back when he made mention of Clint Bowyer being a victim of “nepotism” – what with Austin Dillon, grandson of Richard Childress, being “favored” over Clint for a future ride with Childress.  Well, it seems that Bowyer did go out on his own and did get a benefactor interested.  Guess who turned it down?  Uh huh, Childress.

London makes mention of how 17 of the 33 drivers in the Indy 500, in 1955 lost their lives while racing, yet for the Indy 500 in 1985, 30 years later, and with speeds over 60 MPH faster, only two of the 33 in that 1985 race lost their lives while racing.

Note:  It would be interesting to compare those 1955 drivers and 1985 drivers as to what else they race in, back then.  How many of those that ran in 1985 still ran Midgets, Sprint Cars and Silver Crown cars, on both paved and dirt tracks, and might have met their end in those type of cars?

 

The 1955 Indy 500 drivers:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1955_Indianapolis_500

 

The 1985 Indy 500 drivers:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1985_Indianapolis_500

 

Mr. London also makes mention of the car counts for this past Super Dirt Week and how there are now less and less entrants from Pennsylvania and New Jersey, and how the event has, more or less, becoming more “regional”.  Also, he believes that none of the race teams that went to Syracuse for SDW actually made money – what with their having to be there almost a whole week, and the additional expenses that incurs.

 

Toby LaGrange:

Mr. LaGrange is another one that wasn’t all that thrilled about the TV coverage of SDW.  It’s his thinking, along with quite a few others, that the tape showing the Rick Laubach pit stop was kind of “speeded up”, so to say.

 

John Snyder:

Another one who was not too happy with the Syracuse telecast.

 

Don and Jo Ann Davies:

They gave the SDW telecast footage an 8.5 rating out of a possible 10, but like others, thought the play-by-play coverage by Ralph Shaheen and Tom Baldwin wasn’t so good.  They believe that the re-play of the Laubach pit road deal left little doubt as to him speeding or not.  (Wouldn’t it be neat if we could get all those that thought the tape was speeded up, and those that thought otherwise, in a room together?)

The Davies are somewhat concerned about 2012 and the Friday night racing scene in the capital area, now that Albany/Saratoga has gone back to a dirt surface.  They wonder how it might affect Glen Ridge and Accord.

They made mention of Brett Hearn and his 800th win, saying it isn’t likely to be matched, given the current state of Modified racing, with “Cookie Cutter” cars and track tires making it difficult for one driver to be very creative and/or dominant.

 

Al Paradise:

I’m copying what he had to say:

“My favorite forms of racing today are the World of Outlaws type Sprints and Late Models.  While we have experienced some tragic losses over the years, the good of the sport certainly outweighs the risks.

 

First of all, these divisions share some of the most skillful and talented drivers in the world.  Drivers like Donny Schatz, Steve Kinser, Jason Meyers and Josh Richards have a sense of reality from the hard knocks they have experienced at places like Eldora, Attica and Fremont.

 

That down to earth perception of speed and the reality of the dangerous consequences seems to be somewhat lost when it comes to many of today’s Indy car drivers.

 

Indy cars have always been dangerous but today’s computer generated road course cars are out of their element on today’s high speed mile and a half ovals like Las Vegas, Atlanta, and Charlotte.  It’s similar to restrictor plate racing at Talladega, but these cars are going 60 MPH faster than NASCAR at Vegas!

 

Add to that fact that many of these drivers are not as skilled or experienced as Tony Stewart, Kasey Kahne and Kyle Busch.  Also added danger comes from the fact that they are rubbing open wheels at 225 MPH!

 

Back in the days of Foyt, Andretti and Rutherford, it was less dangerous because these guys had the reality of running places like Eldora that lead to a grater respect for what could happen in an Indy car.

 

The oval track crowds for Indy cars today just don’t seem to warrant an “Acceptable Risk”.

 

Some other things that are in the AARN:

 

The Central New York Raceway Park (CNYRP) – that’s Glenn Donnelly, will have representatives at the Parts Peddler show.  Ground breaking will start in the spring on the new racing complex.  More info on that can be seen at:  www.cnyrp.com or by calling (716) 361-1552

 

Do you realize that the 1952 Indy 500 was the last 500 won by a dirt “Upright” chassis?

 

There was a half page ad for Dave Ely’s “Be a Better Racer Driving and Chassis School” that will be held on Sunday, January 8th at the Cork Factory Hotel in Lancaster, Pa.  Cost is $179.95 for the driver and one crewmember.  Teachers in the three-hour classes are:

Late Models – at 9:00 AM:  Bopper Bare and Huey Wilcoxon

Modifieds – at 12:30 PM:  Danny Johnson and Mike Payne

Sprint Cars – at 4:00 PM:  Greg Hodnett and Lee Stauffer

Each student will receive a textbook full of information, maintenance schedules, set-up sheets and manufacturer coupons.  It’s said that the coupons makes the fee to attend virtually nothing.

More can be found if you go here:  www.BeABetterRacer.com or by calling (484) 794-2993.

 

I don’t know, maybe it’s me, but I’m somewhat concerned when I read about tracks and their banquets and that in many cases, no mention of monies won is mentioned.  Is it because what they pay out is so much smaller than what some others show they pay out, and they don’t want to be embarrassed?          

 

There were a few this week:

 

Oswego honored their HoF Inductees and Season Champions – no monies mentioned.

Ransomville honored their track champions – no monies mentioned.

Mahoning Valley – same thing.

Billy Decker and Jeff Crambo were the RoC Modified and Sportsman champions – no mention of monies and no mention of a banquet.

Airborne Speedway – banquet but no monies mentioned.

Stafford Motor Speedway - $47,000.00 to be given out in bonus monies from their point fund.

 

As for this weeks current edition, dated November 8th, they show this as featured stories, on their front page:

 

In AARN
This Week:

URC going wingless
for 2012?


Sheppard, Eckert Win Titles
In Dramatic Fashion


Hirschman Wins Fourth
North-South Shootout


Dirt on Wall Stadium?


Comprehensive
World Finals Coverage


Heistand Earns
ARDC Championship

 

 

 

More racin’ stuff:

 

One never knows what one can find, or will find, on the Internet.  The other day I found this list about the surviving drivers that ran the Indy Roadsters in the 500.

 

This is an excerpt from the Indy 500 celebration from 2011:

Also recognized were the fourteen living front-engine "roadster" drivers of the Indianapolis 500. They include, Don Edmunds, A.J. Foyt, Paul Goldsmith, Bob Harkey, Chuck Hulse, Parnelli Jones, Gordon Johncock, Art Malone, Jim McElreath, Jim Rathmann, Eddie Russo, Johnny Rutherford, Bobby Unser and Chuck Weyant

 

Note:  Not only did they drive the “Roadsters”, but also the “Dirt” styled Indy cars, too, in some cases.

 

 

 

 

Racing and television:

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

 

 

 

 

Some non-racing stuff part 1:

 

You do realize just how much this will make her behave, right?

 

Lindsay Lohan checks in and out of LA County jail

 

In part:

 

"LYNWOOD, Calif. (AP) — Lindsay Lohan was released from a Los Angeles County jail early Monday, less than five hours after she arrived at the suburban women's lockup to serve a 30-day sentence for violating probation.

 

The "Mean Girls" actress was booked into the Century Regional Detention facility in Lynwood at 8:50 p.m. Sunday, in what was expected to be a short stay because of jail overcrowding.

 

It's Lohan's fifth jail sentence since being arrested twice for drunken driving in 2007.

 

More about this can be seen here: 

http://movies.yahoo.com/news/lindsay-lohan-checks-la-county-jail-123131208.html

 

 

 

Some non-racing stuff part 2:

 

US general fired from Afghan training job

 

In part:

 

"The top U.S. commander in Afghanistan has fired a senior officer from his job as the No. 2 general in charge of training for making inappropriate public remarks about Afghan President Hamid Karzai and his government.

 

Gen. John Allen issued a statement Friday saying that Maj. Gen. Peter Fuller has been relieved of his duties as deputy commander for the Afghan training mission.

 

In a recent interview with the website Politico, Fuller characterized Afghan leaders as erratic, ungrateful and isolated from reality. The interview quotes him as saying Afghan leaders don't fully recognize America's sacrifices on their country's behalf.

 

Referring to Karzai's recent assertion that Afghanistan would side with Pakistan if Pakistan got into a war with the U.S., Fuller was quoted as calling the comments "erratic," adding, "Why don't you just poke me in the eye with a needle! You've got to be kidding me . I'm sorry, we just gave you $11.6 billion and now you're telling me, I don't really care?"

 

Fuller also said the Afghans don't understand the extent to which the U.S. is in economic distress or the "sacrifices that America is making to provide for their security." He said the Afghans are "isolated from reality."

 

Allen said the "unfortunate comments" don't represent the solid U.S. relationship with the Afghan government.

 

Pentagon press secretary George Little said Defense Secretary Leon Panetta was aware of Fuller's remarks. Little said Panetta has full confidence in Allen's judgment with respect to his decision in this case."

 

More can be seen, here:  http://news.yahoo.com/us-general-fired-afghan-training-job-220453969.html

 

Note:  Well, to be honest, I think I’ll side with the General on this one.  You should read the comments that are under the article.  I’m not alone, believe me!

 

 

Some non-racing stuff part 3:

 

Fannie Mae loss widens, asks taxpayers for $7.8B

 

In part:

 

"Mortgage giant Fannie Mae is asking the federal government for $7.8 billion in aid to cover its losses in the July-September quarter.

 

The government-controlled company said Tuesday that it lost $7.6 billion in the third quarter. Low mortgage rates reduced profits and declining home prices caused more defaults on loans it had guaranteed.

 

The government rescued Fannie Mae and sibling company Freddie Mac in September 2008 to cover their losses on soured mortgage loans. Since then, a federal regulator has controlled their financial decisions."

 

Taxpayers have spent about $169 billion to rescue Fannie and Freddie, the most expensive bailout of the 2008 financial crisis. The government estimates that figure could reach up $220 billion to support the companies through 2014 after subtracting dividend payments.

 

Fannie has received $112.6 billion so far from the Treasury Department, the most expensive bailout of a single company.”

 

More on this can be found, here:

 

http://news.yahoo.com/fannie-mae-loss-widens-asks-taxpayers-7-8b-221752510.html

 

 

My comments/thoughts on this – well I think I’ll use a common abbreviation that we’ve all seen on the Internet – WTF?

 

 

 

 

Are these true?:

 

From an e-mail on 11/5/2011:

 

Following is information that will shock you—inform you as to how devious—how deceptive and how destructive the Obama administration truly is. The tentacles of this evil being stretch out across the Nation at the expense of those of us who love this great Country and who are trying to save it. We must be rid of him and his attempts to destroy the United States of American-- and-personally—I don’t care how we cleanse our Nation of this diseased terrorist!!!*

 

Hey, this is great!  Imagine the odds of this happening.

 Do you know the park in NYC that the Wall Street protesters are occupying?

Zucotti Park.

 

DId you know this park is not owned by the city? 

It is owned by Brookfield Properties.

 

Who was just hired by Brookfield Properties as an attorney?

Vice President Joe Biden's son.

 

Who sits on the board of Brookfield Properties?

Mayor Bloomberg's live in girlfriend.

 

Now, guess what company just received some of the last of the Obama Stimulus $$$$$$$.

Thaaaaaaaaaaaaat's right, Brookfield Properties.

 

Isn't life great!

 

 Hey, on a completely unrelated note, Wisconsin is shaping up to be the swing state in the 2012 presidential elections.  Not Florida.  Not Ohio.  But Wisconsin. 

 

Now, guess who owns the company that will be tabulating the electronic votes in Wisconsin.

Thaaaaaaaaaaaat's right, the biggest contributor to Obama, George Soros.  Whaaaaaaaat a coincidence!

 

Remember what Stalin said.  "He who votes does not have power.  He who counts the votes has power". 

 

Note:  I voted this past Election Day – just voting for Port Jervis city held posts.  It was a paper ballot.  Yes, I’m somewhat disturbed that it was a paper ballot – who is going to count them?  As it says above:  “He who counts the votes has power”.  Uh huh!  Kinda makes one wonder, ya know?

 

 

 

 

Video time:

 

How about an 11-car drag race?  Funny thing is – the winning car wasn’t that fastest.

 

http://www.wimp.com/dragrace/

 

 

 

 

 

Closing with this:

 

Subject: Cowboy in heaven

A cowboy appeared before St. Peter at the Pearly Gates.

'Have you ever done anything of particular merit?'  St. Peter asked.

'Well, I can think of one thing,' the cowboy offered.

'On a trip to the Black Hills out in South Dakota, I came upon a gang of bikers who were threatening a young woman.

I directed them to leave her alone, but they wouldn't listen. So, I approached the largest and most tattooed biker and smacked him in the face, kicked his bike over, ripped out his nose ring, and threw it on the ground. I yelled, 'Now, back off or I'll kick the sh*t out of all of you!'

St. Peter was impressed, 'When did this happen?'

'Couple of minutes ago.'

 

 

 

 

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