Racin'
& Internet Stuff:
By Tom Avenengo
Volume # 85
12/15/2011
First:
In last weeks column I linked to a video of an accident that Johnny Heydenreich had during the PRA Silver Crown race down in
Well, Johnny has been in another accident. From what I’ve read, it happened in
From what I’ve been able to get, so far, via the Internet:
Sad news, folks.
Some disturbing news on Johnny Heydenreich.
I was led to this info from a friend of mine down in
http://www.indianaopenwheel.com/showthread.php?t=55430
Heard news today that john was in a very serious accident on his way home from
Thank you to everyone for the well wishes for Johnny. I haven't talked to him
yet, but I hope to have a chance to talk to him later tonight. Tom, John's
friend and car owner with the #57B Sprint Car, spoke to John last night on the
phone. He is banged up pretty badly with some broken bones -- arm, ankle and
cracked ribs. If I get any additional updates, I will let you know.
Get better soon, John!
Sharon
USAC Silver Crown #90
Here's some more
news that I found on HAMB:
I just learned that John suffered numerous broken bones and lacerations and is
in a hospital In Greenville NC. He will be facing a long road to recovery with
much rehab.
Will post more info when available.
just talked to his ex father in law, all his ribs are broken, numerous broken
bones in arms and legs, somehow he was "scalped" in the accident, he's
had two surgeries and has more scheduled. He fell asleep and ran into a parked
semi, went over a guard rail and ended up in a river, some people who saw the
accident pulled him out of the vehicle before he drowned. He's gonna make it
but is hurt pretty bad
Do you suppose we could send e-mails to his hospital as messages for him? Some
hospitals do that. Any info you could provide would be appreciated. I've never
seen him race, but I'm sure kind words from anyone would help. Thanks.
Mark, from what I have heard the accident happend in
I do have one more photo of Johnny – one that was taken at
the Lobitz party/auction/dinner in 2007, with my
daughter, Judy. It’s at the end of the
column in the photo section.
Second:
Over on the Track Forum, there’s a discussion on Indycar
racing – kind of what it used to be like compared to what we have today. I made mention of this thread to a racing
friend of mine, and he came back with this, which kind of hits the nail on the
head:
“The
Indy Car Series should be sued for false advertising. We all know that INDY is
an OVAL and that the roots of the series are there. Of course we all know that
the
Third:
There was a race in Indianapolis
All he does is win: Tony Stewart
wins Indy Karting Classic
In
part:
Before
Sunday's Indy Karting Classic, Tony Stewart declared that he wouldn't have an
advantage because he'd be the heaviest driver in the field.
He
didn't need any advantage.
Smoke
won the Indy Karting Classic at Conseco Fieldhouse,
beating fellow IndyCar and NASCAR drivers to the
checkered flag. IndyCar driver Alex Tagliani was second and John Andretti was third. Stewart
made his eventual race-winning pass on Camping World Truck Series champion
Austin Dillon.
And,
a couple of videos from the event:
http://www.rpm2night.com/media/carpenter-stewart.912/
http://www.rpm2night.com/media/indy-karting-classic.911/
Fourth:
Last year, Bryan Clauson was given monies, as
the USAC champion, to run in some Indy Lights events. Well,
Some info:
INDYCAR:
USAC Champ Clauson Poised For Indy 500 Debut
"I
talked to
Robin
Miller | Posted December 09, 2011
In
part:
"When
INDYCAR CEO Randy Bernard saw his first USAC sprint show at Kokomo Speedway in
2010, he was impressed with the horsepower (850), the skill of the drivers on
the quarter mile dirt track and the passionate fans that packed the
grandstands.
On
the drive back home, he wondered why none of those American open-wheel racers
competed in the
It
was explained that USAC used to be the path to Indy but not for over 30 years
because the dirt cars were removed from the championship schedule and road
racing replaced DuQuoin,
Bernard
vowed to try and re-open the door from USAC to Indy some day and it appears
he’s done it.
During
USAC’s annual awards dinner Friday night, Benard announced that this season’s Road to Indy
Scholarship money would go towards getting an Indy 500 ride for Bryan Clauson.
Clauson, the overall USAC champion for the second straight year, will have
$300,000 to help secure a car for the 2012
More
can be seen on this if you go here:
http://auto-racing.speedtv.com/article/indycar-usac-champ-clauson-poised-for-indy-500-debut/
And
there's quite a thread about it over on the Track Forum, too - 3 pages worth as
of last Saturday night:
http://www.trackforum.com/forums/showthread.php?158412-Bryan-Clauson-to-run-Indy-500
Fifth:
XCEL CHASSIS RELEASES 2012 600 MODIFIED TOUR SCHEDULE AND BRINGS RENTAL CAR PROGRAM BACK
If
you can go to a car dealer and test drive the new car why not do the same with
a race car. After a one year absence, series owner Doug Borger is announcing
the return of the popular rental car program. “After so many phone calls this
summer and even now bringing back the rental just seemed to be the perfect
answer, you can watch videos and look at pics but
until you’ve strapped in how are you really going to know. People want to know
what they are buying and now they can.” added
Xcel Chassis provides a race
ready competitive car for the night’s events. All the driver needs is the required
safety gear along with the need to win. The rental car has posted a few wins
over the years so you know you’re getting into a car that has just as much
chance to win as the next guy. The cost for a night of racing is only $350.00
so call 610-681-2689 to reserve your day. The rental car is available for all
tour shows along with
The 2012 season is shaping up
to be the season of returns. The release
of the 2012 tour schedule has the mighty modifieds
returning to Big Diamond on Saturday night and the ever popular Grandview
Speedway on Sundays. The interest in the return to Big Diamond and
Thunder
Mountain Speedway located in Lisle,NY
will host the modifieds on Friday nights also. Dick
and Shelly Stark have been long time supporters of the 600 modfied
program. “ We are excited to bring the modifieds to the
Sixth:
Borgers PR
Co-Promoter
Media
Contact
Bob
Snyder
Borgers Speedway
Updates 2012
Co-Promoters Steve Heckman and Rich Raidline announced at the Borgers
Speedway Banquet they would not return as promoters at Borgers
Speedway in 2012. Steve will be pursuing
his racing career while Rich will be helping his son Ryan in his racing
program. Under the direction of Steve
Heckman and Rich Raidline, Borgers
Speedway has achieved great success and introduced many innovations that have
been copied by other speedways during the past five years under their
leadership and they will be sorely missed.
We thank them for making Borgers Speedway a
better place for all. In addition I am
sure we have not heard the last of them.
As
we speak the clay is being removed and drains are to be laid early next
week. On completion of the drain work
the stone base and binder coat of asphalt will be put down with a Christmas
deadline. The final layer of asphalt
will be laid in the spring and if the weather co-operates we are shooting for a
mid April opening with two weeks of practice prior to the first race.
Races will be held Saturdays from 1:00 p.m. to
10:00 p.m. The final race will be
started by 9:00 p.m. and all motors must be shut off before 10:00 p.m. Pit passes and entry fees will remain the
same at $20 each and a pit pass purchased for the early show will be good the
entire day as well as the grandstand pass.
Our hopes are for the Kart and Micro-Stock show to be finished by
3:30. All trucks and trailers that are
not participating in the evening show will have to leave the pits. We are trying to make arrangements for off site parking for anyone
wishing to stay for the evening show.
The evening show will consist of Wingless 600
Sprints, AllStar Slingshots, and Three Quarter
Midgets. At this point we have not
decided if the Junior Slingshots will run a separate show or will run with the AllStars as they did Friday nights. We would like to have comments on this
issue. Two tour races are being
scheduled.
Other divisions are also being considered to
add to the program as time permits.
There will be a restructuring of the Wingless 600
purse with $300 being guaranteed to the winner regardless of car count. The payout from second on back will also be
restructured and that will be based on car count. The winners share will also be raised if the
car count reaches the next tier. Last spot
will be guaranteed at least $20 and you will not have to take the green to
receive the $20. The Slingshot purse has
not yet been determined.
An information and rules meeting will be held Saturday February 11 at 1:00 p.m. at
the Wind Gap Fire Hall as in years past.
Seventh:
A Nissan Leaf commercial
You
remember the one - where all appliances etc, etc are run by gas engines?
Towards
the end, at around 48 seconds, you'll see the car owner about to un-plug the
charging cable from his Nissan Leaf.
From the commercial, it sure looks like the cable remains with the
charging station/post, since the driver is shown taking the plug from the car –
but where does it go? Is that charging
post free? What I've yet to see is any
of those charging stations/posts at or on any roadside. And from that commercial, it seems that only
one car at a time can be charged – and for how long?
Eighth:
News from the Clash at the Can - 'Making history, one dollar at a time'
Media
Contact: Brett Deyo - Deyo99H@aol.com or 845.728.2781
For
Immediate Release/December 12, 2011
Tuesday,
June 12 Date Set For $10,000 'Clash at the Can' at Penn Can
SUSQUEHANNA,
PA - Take a page out of the Penn Can Speedway record book, rip it out and
discard it.
Again
in 2012, the team of special events promoter Brett Deyo
and track managers Reed Miller and Al Wilcox will make history at the
Susquehanna,
The
total purse - in addition to the winner's share - is expected to hit record
numbers with a minimum of $300 reserved to take the green flag.
The
payout eclipses the wildly successful '11 running of the 'Clash at the Can'
which paid winner Billy Decker of
"This
is definitely an unheard of, unprecedented event for Penn Can and the Southern
Tier region," said Deyo, who first teamed with
Miller and Wilcox in June 2010 for midweek race promotions at the facility on
the
"My
goal as a promoter has always been to reward the competitors, the owners and
drivers who make our events possible. Last year, when Reed, Al and I announced
we would pay $8,000 to win the 'Clash' we said that amount could climb with
good support. A full grandstand and 66 Modifieds was
great support in my mind and we're making good on our word.
"Again
this year, we are making history, one dollar at a time!"
The
'Clash at the Can' will offer combination points on the Race of Champions Dirt
Modified Tour title race of 2012. Two regions will comprise the '12 RoC schedule. At the 'Clash at the Can' fans will enjoy
stars of the North and South colliding in an epic short-track battle.
Due
to the length of last year's 'Clash at the Can' program, event management has
decided to drop one class from the program and opt for a fan-friendly
two-division work-week show.
"The
'Clash' is quickly becoming a must-see event on the Penn Can schedule,"
said Penn Can co-promoter Reed Miller. "We took great pride in the field
we had last year. It was certainly an highlight for us
in our time at Penn Can."
Wilcox,
the owner of
"That
show brings out a group of race fans and drivers who have never seen the place
or hadn't been to Penn Can in a long time," Wilcox said. "It's always
positive to show those people the side-by-side racing we have to offer. We've
been proud that our local drivers have been able to hold their own against some
of the best in the business."
In
its two previous runnings, the 'Clash at the Can'
main event has evolved into a standoff between Modified superstars and weekend
warriors.
Last
June, it was eventual RoC champion Decker, driving John
Wight's Gypsum Racing No. 91, besting Accord (N.Y.)
The
star of the '10 'Clash at the Can' was Carbondale, Pa.-based Penn Can regular
Brett Tonkin, whose No. 15 repelled the advances of eventual victor Duane
Howard of Oley, Pa., using the outside lane.
"The
small track is a great equalizer," Deyo said.
"We've shown repeatedly that the little guy can compete with the big teams
at Penn Can. The track is racy, tire wear is non-existent and powerful,
expensive engines aren't the key to success. It is no exaggeration that
'anyone' can win this race."
A
lap sponsorship program - at $20 per lap - will be in place for the 'Clash at
the Can' event. Interested parties should contact Brett Deyo
by e-mail at Deyo99h@aol.com or via phone: 845.728.2781. All lap money raised
will go directly to the racers. Please note all lap money does not have to be
awarded to the driver leading the event.
Special awards and bonuses are also being sought. Contact Deyo to get involved.
A
liberal rules package will be announced as the event nears.
BD
Motorsports Media has plans for an expansive display at Motorsports 2012
presented by Small Engine Fuels Jan. 20-22 at the Greater Philadelphia Expo
Center in Oaks,
Keep
posted to www.bdmotorsportsmedia.com for updates on the '12 'Clash at the Can'
event. Penn Can Speedway is on the web at www.penncan.com.
BD
Motorsports Media Co-Promotion Penn Can
November
13, 2011 (King of the Can 50 laps) - STEWART FRIESEN - Jeff Strunk
- Pat Ward - Jimmy Phelps - Justin Holland
June
7, 2011 (Clash at the Can RoC 60 laps) - BILLY DECKER
- Danny Tyler - Jimmy Phelps - Duane Howard - Matt Sheppard
August
10, 2010 - (Hot Summer Night RoC 60 laps) - STEWART
FRIESEN - Alan Rudalavage - Duane Howard - Bobby Varin - Joey Grammes
June
8, 2010 (Clash at the Can RoC 60 laps) - DUANE HOWARD
- Danny Johnson - Stewart Friesen - Brett Tonkin - Ryan Godown
BD
Motorsports Media Promotions All-Time Modified Win List
Stewart
Friesen - 3 (Penn Can Nov. 13, 2011; Big Diamond July 26, 2011; Penn Can Aug.
10, 2010)
Duane
Howard - 2 (Five Mile Point Oct. 8, 2011; Penn Can June 8, 2010)
Billy
Decker - 1 (Penn Can June 7, 2011)
Justin
Holland - 1 (
Kevin
Hirthler - 1 (
Mike
Ricci - 1 (
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Ninth:
Hey, I can see this happening more and more as time goes bye. I can see how many are really addicted to their phones and are just not able to stay away from them.
Driver
was texting in
In
part:
"WASHINGTON
(AP) — A 19-year-old driver was texting just before his pickup truck, two
school buses and a tractor truck collided in a deadly pileup on an interstate
highway in Missouri last year, the National Transportation Safety Board said
Monday.
Two
people — the pickup driver and a 15-year-old student on one of the buses — were
killed and 38 others were injured in the Aug. 5, 2010 accident on the interstate
highway near Gray Summit, Mo. Nearly 50 students, mostly members of a high
school band from St. James, Mo., were on the buses heading to the Six Flags St.
Louis amusement park.
The
chain of rear end collisions began when the pickup truck rammed the back of the
tractor truck, the board said. The pickup was then rear-ended by a school bus,
which was in turn struck by the second bus.
The
board is scheduled to meet Tuesday to hear the results of an investigation into
the accident and to make safety recommendations. The meeting will focus on the
"distractive effects of portable electronic devices when used by
drivers," the board said in a statement.
The
board has previously recommended bans on texting and cell phone use by
commercial drivers, but has stopped short of calling for a ban on the use of
the devices by adults behind the wheel of passenger cars.
"This
is trending very hot and it's a growing concern for the NTSB," she told
The Associated Press.
The
problem of texting while driving is getting worse despite a rush by states to
ban the practice, Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood said last week. In
November,
About
two out of 10 drivers overall — and half of American drivers between 21 and 24
— say they've thumbed messages or emailed from the driver's seat, according to
a survey of over 6,000 drivers by the National Highway Traffic Safety
Administration.
And
what's more, many drivers don't think it's dangerous when they do it — only when
others do, the survey found."
A
little more can be found if you go here:
http://news.yahoo.com/driver-texting-missouri-traffic-pileup-201841737.html
Tenth:
Well, I guess I can say this, and not many can say it ain’t so:
“With
all the spending that’s being done for Christmas, we sure are making China
RICH. It’s almost impossible to “Buy
American” anymore.
Eleventh:
So it seems that the newly designed Indy car is S L O W. On top of that, it’s been a real pain to drive, especially in corners, so I’ve read. In a way, it kind of puts more of the driving into the drivers “butts” rather than just planting the car down to the track via downforce.
There’s
an interesting thread on the Track Forum on some changes being made.
INDYCAR:
Dallara Commits To DW12
Updates
Dallara will supply new pieces to address the DW12’s weight distribution
issues and will seek drag solutions through full-scale windtunnel
testing.
In
part:
"The
2012 Dallara DW12 Indy car has faced ongoing
challenges to hit its performance marks on the ovals, but as INDYCAR and the
Italian constructor informed its teams on Tuesday, a new and more aggressive
round of measures will be implemented to correct the car’s handling and
aerodynamic deficiencies.
"I'd
like to thank Mr. Dallara and his entire team for
stepping up and tacking things directly," INDYCAR CEO Randy Bernard told
SPEED.com. "It would have been easy to back away from the problems, but
I'm definitely encouraged with how they're working with INDYCAR and what
they've come up with."
In
an effort led by Will Phillips, INDYCAR’s VP of
Technology, Dallara, DW12 transmission manufacturer Xtrac, and Chevrolet and Honda--the two engine manufacturers
currently conducting private testing, the group has been working to resolve the
rear weight distribution and excessive aero drag issues that have limited the
car’s overall performance during oval testing at
Modest
improvements were made at
Although
the parties involved with the
A
number of drivers and engineers suggested the use of rearward-swept suspension
to shift the DW12’s weight forward, and after the latest round of oval testing
delivered positive gains when the series moved the car’s 41 percent front/59
percent weight distribution closer to 43/57, Dallara
decided to take the next step by manufacturing new suspension."
Interested? If so, more can be seen here:
http://auto-racing.speedtv.com/article/indycar-dallara-commits-to-dw12-updates/
Twelfth:
Not good news, for sure!
Millions
set to lose jobless benefits — “I’m very scared,” one tells Yahoo News
In
part:
"For
Dawn Deane, the difference between just keeping her head above water and
falling under is the unemployment insurance check she receives each week.
In
June, Deane, who is 49, was laid off from her human-resources job at a
"Push
comes to shove, if we've got to move or something like that, I don't know what
I'd have to tell her, how I would explain it to her," Deane said. "I
can't imagine it."
She
may soon have to. Last December, amid persistent joblessness, Congress agreed
to extend federal unemployment benefits for 34-53 additional weeks, beyond the
standard 26. But the extension will expire at the end of the year, if it's not
re-approved--a lapse that would cause nearly 1.8 million Americans to lose
their benefits in January (pdf), according to the
National Employment Law Project, which supports an extension. During 2012 as a
whole, around 6 million Americans--including Dawn Deane--would likely be thrown
off the rolls, the Labor Department estimates."
More
on this can be seen here:
http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/lookout/millions-set-lose-jobless-benefits-m-very-scared-153145363.html
Thirteenth:
My local paper, the Middletown (NY) Times Herald-Record, on it’s website, always has a poll for its viewers to participate in. Here is the poll question and results, as of 10:00 PM for Wednesday, December 14, 2011:
Record
Poll
Should
the use of cell phones while driving be banned nationwide?
Yes: 81.1%
No: 19.9%
Total
Votes: 559
http://www.recordonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/section?category=NEWS
Coming up:
The AARN's annual
Motor Sports show - January 20th, 21st & 22nd, 2012.
Greater
For GPS use this address:
484-754-3976
http://www.aarn.com/motorsports2012.html
Atlantic City Indoor Race 2012
February 3rd & 4th, 2012
Atlantic City Boardwalk Hall 2301 Boardwalk
http://www.aarn.com/acindoorrace2012.html
Are you aware that the
It’s website: www.needforspeedexpo.com
Banquets:
Orange County Fair Speedway Banquet from their website:
2011 OCFS Awards Banquet - January 7th, 2012
Posted: November 21st, 2011
Saturday, January 7th @ 5:30pm
@ Kuhls Highland House
For ticket info contact Bob Perran at 352-503-3847
Accord Speedway Banquet info from their website:
BANQUET UPDATE:
In an effort to be sensitive to the
economic environment a decision has been made to change the venue for the 2011
banquet.
The 2011 Award Banquet is being held
at the Brookside Manor in Middletown Speedway
reservation form CAN BE FOUND IN THE
“FILE” SECTION
http://www.accordspeedway.com/
Found on Facebook (and also seen on fence between full and half covered stands at OCFS during ESW):
Found
on Jayski’s website:
Ragan talks to
Penske; Kurt Busch will talk to Phoenix Racing:
David Ragan has met
with Penske Racing officials about replacing Kurt Busch. Busch's future could
hinge on whether Ragan is hired. James Finch, the owner of Phoenix Racing, said
he had a deal with Ragan to drive the #51 Chevy next season subject "to
him getting a better deal.'' That possibility happened on Monday when Busch was
released by Penske Racing, leaving the #22 with sponsor Shell Pennzoil open.
Finch told ESPN.com on Friday that Ragan contacted him on Thursday to say he
met with Roger Penske in
Darian Grubb has been named
crew chief for #11 FedEx
Joe Gibbs Racing announced that Darian Grubb has been named crew chief for its #11 FedEx Toyota NASCAR Sprint Cup Series team. "Darian is a great addition to our organization and person to lead our #11 FedEx team," said Joe Gibbs, owner of Joe Gibbs Racing. "Obviously he has proven the ability to guide a team to a championship and we are excited to have him working with Denny (Hamlin) toward achieving that goal here at Joe Gibbs Racing." Grubb is coming off an impressive championship run with driver Tony Stewart at Stewart-Haas Racing which included winning five of the 10 Chase races en route to capturing the 2011 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series title. He spent the past three seasons as crew chief for Stewart on the No. 14 car after the driver left JGR to start his own race operation. Prior to joining Stewart-Haas Racing, Grubb spent six years with Hendrick Motorsports; rising through the organization's engineering ranks and gaining invaluable crew chief experience. "I'm thrilled to join Joe Gibbs Racing," said Grubb. "The chance to work with Denny is something I'm excited about. When you sit down with Joe and J.D. Gibbs you can't help but be excited about this opportunity and the team aspects of JGR. There is no question about the level of support you get here and I'm looking forward to working with everyone across the entire organization."(Joe Gibbs Racing)(12-9-2011)
Red Bull Racing
closes:
Red Bull Racing's
five-year run as a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series team will come to an end
[Thursday], when the last of approximately 150 employees will be laid off and
the competition shop shut down, presumably for good. After 284 Sprint Cup
starts, over 106,000 competitive laps and two victories, the team informed its
remaining employees this week that Thursday will be the final day of operation.
A memo was distributed by the team's Human Resources Manager outlining
severance procedures and establishing a schedule for exit interviews. After a
brief team meeting &. the team will raffle off
sheet metal, mementos and photos that have hung at the Red Bull shop and
distribute cases of Red Bull to departing employees. "We know it will be a
difficult day for everyone," said the memo, "as a large number of
employees will be exiting the facility."(Sirius
Speedway)(12-8-2011)
Logano & Brad Keselowski to Visit Troops & Families at
#20-Joey Logano and #2-Brad Keselowski,
are scheduled to be part of a NASCAR-USO/Armed Forces Entertainment tour to
Joey Logano: "I jump at every chance I get to
show my appreciation to our nation's Armed Forces and I look forward to my
upcoming USO trip to
Brad Keselowski: "Traveling with the USO and
getting the chance to spend time with our troops is something I wish everyone
could do. To see what they do day-in and day-out and hear their stories is an
opportunity of a lifetime and something I will never
forget."(NASCAR)(12-10-2011)
RPM considering
Kurt Busch in #43 car?
Sirius XM NASCAR Radio's
Sirius Speedway with Dave Moody has learned that in an effort to retain sponsor
Best Buy, Richard Petty Motorsports has proposed replacing AJ Allmendinger as driver of the legendary #43 Ford with
Busch. RPM struggled to re-sign Best Buy a year ago, negotiating until early
January before inking a one-year contract. The electronics retailer served as
major sponsor of the #43 team in 26 events this season.
Richard Petty Motorsports Chief Operating Officer Robbie Loomis confirmed today
that discussions have been held regarding Busch, saying, "Best Buy has
been a great partner for a long time, and AJ Allmendinger
has done a fantastic job for us. He's coming off his best season yet, but I can
tell you there is a lot of interest on our part in having Kurt Busch in the
fold. It makes sense to have Kurt with our team, if we can make it work.
"Our main focus is to continue building on what we finished the season
with last year," said Loomis. "But right now, I feel like I'm running
down two different sets of train tracks. From a personal standpoint, nothing
has excited me more than when I heard Kurt had become available. I'm excited
about the opportunity to add a driver like Kurt Busch to Richard Petty
Motorsports. I would mortgage my house to make Kurt a part of this team. We
value what he has done on the race track. He has won a (Sprint Cup)
championship and worked for a first-class operation like Penske Racing. Guys
like that don't come along every day."
Allmendinger finished 15th in 2011 Sprint Cup Series
championship points, with one Top-5 and 10 Top-10 finishes. His best finish was
a fifth in the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway in late May. Busch won
a pair of races this season at Infineon and
AND no word what Allmendinger would do IF this
happens; and not too sure Jack Roush [who Busch drove for before Penske and had
issues with], who team supplies cars and engines to RPM would allow this to
happen.(12-13-2011)
UPDATE:
RPM struggled to
re-sign Best Buy a year ago, negotiating until early January before inking a
one-year contract. The electronics retailer served as major sponsor of the #43
team in 26 events this season. RPM did not release an official statement on the
speculation that either Allmendinger had been
released or if Best Buy was ready to remain with the team for 2012. The
possibility of adding Busch as a third entry has also been discussed but contingent
on finding additional sponsorship.(CBS
Sports)(12-14-2011)
President of SPEED
resigns from network:
Hunter Nickell, President of SPEED, is leaving the network at
years end. During Nickell's tenure, SPEED reached
several significant milestones, adding nearly 16 million homes to its current
Nielsen Household reach of 84 million homes in
Bowyer will test at
Walt Disney World Speedway:
Michael Waltrip Racing's new #15 5-hour ENERGY team is ready to hit
the track this week in preparation for the NASCAR Sprint Cup season. New driver
Clint Bowyer and crew chief Brian Pattie will visit Walt Disney World Speedway
in
Sad News - Joy
Fair:
Joy Fair, a
SERVICES info on my 2011
Sad News page.(12-13-2011)
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 December 16th to December 22nd.
DECEMBER 16
1935
Charlie Masters ... Born
... USAC Sprint & Indy Car Driver from the 1960's.
1981
A.J. Allmendinger
... Born ... NASCAR driver.
DECEMBER 17
1937
Leon Fox... Born... NASCAR
driver from the 1970's
1968
Paul Tracy... Born... Paul
competed in CART and the Champ Car World Series from 1991 to 2007.
1977
Sammy Sessions... Died...
Sessions was one of the most likable race drivers to come out of the state of
1980
Ryan-Hunter Reay... Born... He started driving in 2003 with CART , Champ Car World Series and later with IRL .
DECEMBER 18
1907
Bill Holland... Born ... AAA driver from the 1930's 40's and 50's. He won
the
1933
Don Davis ... Born ... USAC
driver from the late 1950's to the early 1960's. He drove in the USAC
Championship Car series, racing in the 1960-1962 seasons with 15 starts,
including the 1961 and 1962
1994
Henry Banks ... Died ... He
was the son of an early European race-driver. Henry began competing in 1932,
when he was 19-years-old, and became successful in the midget cars. He was the
first driver to pass the qualifying "rookie test" at the
2000
Stan Fox ... Died ... The
Wisconsin native was one of
DECEMBER 19
1882
Ralph DePalma...
Born ... AAA driver from 1909 to 1933. Ran the Indy
500 ten times and won in 1915.
1901
Louis Schneider... Born ... AAA Midget and Indy Car driver from the 1920's and 30's.
He won the 1931 Indy 500.
1960
Patty Moise...
Born ... A former NASCAR driver. She drove in five
Winston Cup races from 1987 to 1989, and 133 Busch Series races from 1986 to
1998. She is the wife of former fellow NASCAR driver Elton Sawyer.
DECEMBER 20
1959
Scott Goodyear ... Born ...
Race car driver from
DECEMBER 21
1935
Lorenzo Bandini...
Born ... Formula One driver 1961 to 1967. He died of
burns as a result of a crash in the Monaco Grand Prix ,
May 1967.
1974
Rex Easton ... Died ... Rex
competed in some sprint cars, but was mainly a midget chauffeur who was always
up front in competition. His career was evenly divided between the AAA and USAC
years. In USAC competition, he won 21 features which places
him 21st in the all- time USAC feature wins ranking. Rex Easton won the 1954
Midwest Midget title and just missed taking the National Championship that
year, losing out to Jack Turner in the last race of the season. Rex placed
second in the 1957 and 1958 USAC National Midget Division points
races and won the USAC Midwest Championship in 1958.
DECEMBER 22
1938
Bob Lazier... Born ...
Lazier competed in many forms of motorsport in the 1970's including Formula
5000 and the SCCA Super V series. He raced in the CART series in 1981
completing all 11 events that year and was CART's
Rookie of the Year for 1981. He finished 9th in points for Fletcher Racing Team
and finished 4th two different times that year, the first at Watkins Glen then
again two weeks later in Mexico. Lazier also competed in the 1981
News
from the AARN:
From
their December 6th issue:
As
of press time, there are six 360 Sprint Car Series races being planned for the
There’s
a full page devoted to the racing that’s scheduled for
DIRTcar to sanction four asphalt races for 358’s in 2012,
with two at the
Guess
who got married? The bride: Heather McIntyre – the groom: Brett Deyo. They tied the knot on December 3rd.
Moe
Gherzi, Jerry Humiston,
Roland Lapierre, Reggie Ruggiero, Joey Kourafas, Mario Fiore, Jim Jorgensen, Irene Venditti and Donald Hoenig will
all be inducted into the New England Auto Racers (NEAR) Hall of Fame on January
29th.
The
NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour will be returning to the
Waterford Speedbowl on Saturday, June 23rd. The feature will be 160 laps.
Sunday racing at the Grandview Speedway for “Small”
cars. Slingshots ($200.00 to
win), 600 Micros ($350.00 to win), 270 Micros ($300.00 to win) and 600 Modifieds.
More info can be found here: www.pjkproductions.com
The
WoO Late Models are scheduled to run 46 races at 32
tracks.
The
WoO Sprint Car Series has grown some, and they start
the new season on February 17th at Volusia.
The
American Canadian US Tour (ACT) has been trimmed down to 10 point events and 4
special non point shows in 2012.
Lenny
Sammons:
Lenny
has a little bit about the Northeasts winningest driver – Keith Rocco, about a possible ride in
the NASCAR Truck Series for Kyle Busch.
Rocco won 32 races in 2011. Other
top winners in the Northeast:
Stewart Friesen with 22 at 9 different tracks.
Matt
Sheppard with 21 wins.
Late
Model driver Gene Knaub with 19 wins.
Jimmy
Zacharias and Billy Pauch with 15 wins.
There’s
a box at the end of the Sammons column that gives the top winners here in the
Northeast since 1978
52
wins: Geoff Bodine
in 1978 and Richie Evans in 1979
45
wins: Richie Evans in 1980
38
wins: Richie Evans in 1981
32
wins: Alan Johnson in 1982
40
wins: Doug Hoffman in 1983 & 1984
52
wins: Doug Wolfgang in 1985
40
wins: Doug Wolfgang in 1986
33
wins: Billy Pauch
in 1987
42
wins: Billy Pauch
in 1988
45
wins: Billy Pauch
in 1989
48
wins: Billy Pauch
in 1990
33
wins: Billy Pauch
& Brett Hearn in 1991
37
wins: Bily Pauch in 1992
38
wins: Brett Hearn in 1993
47
wins: Bob McCreadie
in 1994
28
wins: Bob McCreadie
& Steve Paine in 1995
28
wins: Brett Hearn in 1996
31
wins: Brad McClelland in 1997
33
wins: Fred Rahmer
in 1998
32
wins: Terry Shaffer in 1999
35
wins: Danny Johnson in 2000
30
wins: Ted Christopher in 2001
42
wins: Brett Hearn in 2002
28
wins: Alan Johnson in 2003
34
wins: Fred Rahmer
in 2004
29
wins: Fred Rahmer
in 2005
26
wins: Brett Hearn in 2006
29
wins: Brett Hearn in 2007
25
wins: Billy Decker in 2008
24
wins: Ted Christopher in 2009
25
wins: Keith Rocco & Stewart Friesen
in 2010
32
wins: Keith Rocco in 2011
Ernie
Saxton:
It
seems like Mr. Saxton and I agree on quite a lot of things related to auto
racing. Here’s another one: Danica will be just
an average racer in first class equipment.
There
were 150,000 people f in attendance for the Indycar
race in
Can
you name the top 5 in 2011 Indycar points? I can’t.
Remember
Kenny Bernstein? Since he’s retired from
drag racing, he kind of disappeared, hasn’t he?
Not much being written about him.
Del
Worsham is no longer drag racing with the NHRA, but
will be a crew chief with a top team.
The
24th annual Matheny Christmas Party is this Saturday, December 17th. www.matheny.org/ or e-mail Kevin Eyres
at: kjeyres2@aol.com
ir call him at:
732-580-3624.
Walter
Elliott:
On
the problems with the Indycar race at
Mayor
Stephanie Rawlings-Blake is giving Baltimore Racing Development until December
31st to pay at least part of what the Indycar/ALMS
race promoter owes the city, or reform itself.
1.28 million owed to the city and its civic
partners and subcontractors. If not
paying at least part, the city council could make them seek another promoter or
write off the Baltimore GP after just that one race.
The
parking authority has received $50,862.00 of the BRDS $250,000.00 check to the
office, which the promoter asked to hold from cashing, pending internal
re-structuring that has expired.
$487,971.00
in city admission and amusement taxes – BRD has asked for a payment plan in
October.
$750,000.00
in city services –
Local
vendors not paid. The contractor who
supplied the temporary stands will probably go out of business because she
wasn’t paid. Several contractors
who worked the race weekend, may not follow through with snow plowing unless
they are paid what they’re due.
In AARN this Week’s issue of December 13th:
In AARN
This
Week:
Bedford
Fair Board
Names New Speedway
Management Team
Mahoning Valley
Under Floyd Santee's Control
for 2012
NASCAR Releases 14-Race
Whelen Modified Tour Schedule
Ryan Godown
Returns To New Egypt
In a Big Way In 2012
We Got The Points!
Our Annual Review
Of Dozens Of Track Champions
And The Stats
From A Hundred Tracks
A Look Into NASCAR History -
The "Modified Special" Division
The IMIS Show:
Third Year Brings
Rave Reviews, Growth
Former
In the indoor races
up in
Eddie Sickles was
10th in Stock Light.
Brian Sobus was 7th and DJ Shuman 11th in
Stock Heavy.
Ryan Swartz was 1st,
Ryan Kendall 6th and Eddie Sicklse a DNQ
for Stock Medium.
DJ Shuman was 11th
in Stock Super Heavy.
Kevin Linton was 1st
in the Masters 4 Cycle.
Ryan Swartz was 1st
and Ryan Kendall 10th in the Pro A main.
Eddie Sickles and
Brian Sobus were DNS in the Pro B Main.
Added entrants for the Atlantic City Indoor races are Kyle Kania and Chris Daley in the Champ Karts and Mike Casario in the TQ’s.
More
racin’ stuff:
Looking
on the AARN’s website and entrants for the Indoor
races in Atlantic City, as of December 12th there are 56 TQ’s, 38 Champ Karts, 21 600 Micro Sprints and 20
Slingshots. I’m kind of surprised at the
count for Slingshots – figured it to be higher than 20. There are also four TQ’s
with no drivers listed, too.
Just
think – if Borgers Speedway, in
Racing and
television:
CLICK HERE FOR U.S.
LISTINGS WITHOUT THE SPEED CHANNEL (PDF FORMAT)
http://www.racefantv.com/xUSTV-NS.pdf
And this: CLICK HERE FOR
U.S. LISTINGS WITHOUT NASCAR (PDF FORMAT)
http://www.racefantv.com/xUSTV-NN.pdf
Also this one: CLICK HERE FOR A PRINTABLE PDF VERSION
http://www.racefantv.com/xUSTV.pdf
As for any telecasting of
the Chili Bowl:
I
get e-mails:
Keep
your eye on
So much for the very rich “job creators” who pay little or no tax. Is this how they help our country?....
Keep your eye on
General Electric is planning to move its
115-year-old X-ray division from
So
let me get this
straight. President Obama appointed GE CEO Chairman Jeff Immelt
to head his commission on job creation
(job czar). Immelt
is supposed to help create jobs. I guess the President forgot to tell him in which
country he was supposed to be creating
those jobs.
Thanks Jeff, you're a "real"
American....give Barrack our Best !!
If this doesn't show you the total
lack of leadership of this President, I
don't know what does. Soon, you all will understand that Obama has an
agenda, this socialist agenda is to
remove the last super power from the
world. He is getting very close.
Please
pass this information to
others and DO NOT
buy a GE product.
And, another one:
In
1887 Alexander Tyler, a Scottish history professor at the
"A
democracy is always temporary in nature; it simply cannot exist as a permanent
form of government. A democracy will continue to exist up until the time that
voters discover that they can vote themselves generous gifts from the public
treasury. From that moment on, the majority always votes for the candidates who
promise the most benefits from the public treasury, with the result that every
democracy will finally collapse over loose fiscal policy, (which is) always
followed by a dictatorship."
"The
average age of the world's greatest civilizations from the beginning of
history, has been about 200 years. During those 200 years, these nations always
progressed through
the
following sequence:
From
bondage to spiritual faith;
From
spiritual faith to great courage;
From
courage to liberty;
From
liberty to abundance;
From
abundance to complacency;
From
complacency to apathy;
From
apathy to dependence;
From dependence back into bondage."
The
Obituary follows:
Born
1776, Died 2012
It
doesn't hurt to read this several times.
Professor
Joseph Olson of Hamline University School of Law in
Number
of States won
by: Obama: 19 McCain: 29
Square
miles of land won by: Obama:
580,000 McCain: 2,427,000
Population
of counties won by: Obama: 127 million McCain: 143
million
Murder
rate per 100,000 residents in counties won by:
Obama: 13.2
McCain:
2.1
Professor
Olson adds: "In aggregate, the map of the territory McCain won was
Mostly the land owned by the taxpaying citizens of the country.
Obama
territory mostly encompassed those citizens living in low income
Tenements
and living off various forms of government welfare..."
Olson
believes the
"complacency and apathy" phase of Professor Tyler's
definition of democracy,
With
some forty percent of the nation's population
already having reached
The
"governmental dependency" phase.
If
Congress grants amnesty and citizenship to twenty million criminal
Invaders
called illegal's - and they vote - then we can say goodbye to the
If
you are in favor of this, then by all means, delete this message.
If
you are not, then pass this along to help everyone realize just how much is at
stake, knowing that apathy is the greatest danger to our freedom..
This
is truly scary! Of course we are not a democracy, we are a
If
you are as concerned as I am please pass this along.
Some non-racing stuff:
Supreme Court to Decide on Arizona
Updated:
Monday, 12 Dec 2011, 9:39 AM CST
Published : Monday, 12 Dec 2011, 9:09 AM CST
MARK
SHERMAN,Associated Press
WASHINGTON
(AP) - The Supreme Court has agreed to rule on
The
justices said Monday they will review a federal appeals court ruling that
blocked several tough provisions in the
The
Obama administration challenged the
The
court now has three politically charged cases on its election-year calendar.
The other two are President Barack Obama's health care overhaul and new
electoral maps for
Is
this true # 1:
Postmaster general: Retirement benefits bankrupting agency
In
part:
"Postmaster
General Patrick R. Donahoe said Monday that a
requirement to pre-pay for retiree health benefits has "effectively
bankrupted" the U.S. Postal Service and called on Congress to pass a law
that would allow the agency to make drastic changes.
Donahoe said the agency must be able to change how it pays for retiree
benefits and take steps to cut costs, which would include ending Saturday
delivery, closing more than 200 mail-processing centers and reviewing more post
offices for closure.
The
Postal Service said last week that it lost $5.1 billion for the fiscal year
ended Sept. 30, and would have lost more than $10 billion if it wasn't allowed
to delay a required annual $5.5 billion payment into a fund for future retiree
health benefits.
Donahoe said that the retiree healthcare prepayment requirement isn't
sustainable. He's also seeking to move retirees to Medicare."
More
on this can be seen if you go here:
Is
this true # 2:
Christmas is coming.
As
you open your pockets to give, please keep these facts in mind:
The
American Red Cross President and CEO Marsha J. Evans salary for the year was
$651,957 plus expenses
The
United Way President Brian Gallagher receives a $375,000 base salary along with
numerous expense benefits.
UNICEF
CEO Caryl M. Stern receives $1,200,000 per year (100k
per month) plus all expenses including a ROLLS ROYCE. (Less than 5 cents of
your donated dollar goes to the cause.)
GO
"GREEN" INSTEAD AND PUT YOUR MONEY WHERE IT WILL DO THE MOST GOOD:
The
S alvation Army's Commissioner Todd Bassett receives
a small salary of only $13,000 per year (plus housing) for managing this $2
billion dollar organization. 96 percent of donated dollars go to the cause.
The
American Legion National Commander receives a $0.00 zero salary. Your donations
go to help Veterans and their families and youth!
The
Veterans of Foreign Wars National Commander receives a $0.00 zero salary. Your
donations go to help Ve terans
and their
families and youth!
The
Disabled American Veterans National Commander receives a $0.00 zero salary.
Your donations go to help Veterans and their families and youth!
The
Military Order of Purple Hearts National Commander receives a $0.00 zero
salary. Your donations go to help Veterans and their families and youth!
The
Vietnam Veterans Association National Commander receives a $0.00 zero salary.
Your donations go to help Veterans and their families an d youth!
Please...pass
this on!
Video time:
Something quite
different this week:
If you have kids
in your house, they’ll get a kick out of this one!
http://www.youtube.com/watch_popup?v=FrTbnczYAd4&feature=player_embedded
And:
http://www.greatdanepro.com/Battle%20Hymn/index.htm
Photos:
I’m posting a photo a week
for a while. Majority of them will be
from “Back in the day”.
Note: The photos are not available on Dirt Track
Digest, only on New England Tractor - http://newenglandtractor.com/racereport/
This photo of Johnny Heydenreich and my
daughter, Judy, was taken at the Stan Lobitz
party/auction/dinner in November of 2007.
As of 8:30 on Wednesday evening, I haven’t seen an update on John and
how he’s doing after that accident in
Closing with these –
continued from last week:
A man goes to see the Rabbi. 'Rabbi, something terrible is happening and I have to talk to you about it.'
The
Rabbi asked, 'What's wrong?'
The
man replied, 'My wife is poisoning me.'
The
Rabbi, very surprised by this, asks, 'How can that be?'
The
man then pleads, 'I'm telling you, I'm certain she's poisoning me, what should I do?'
The
Rabbi then offers, 'Tell you what. Let me talk to her, I'll see what I can find
out and I'll let you know.'
A
week later the Rabbi calls the man and says, "I spoke to her on the phone
for three hours. You want my advice?'
The
man said yes and the Rabbi replied, 'Take the poison'
The
Sunday School teacher was describing how
and
turned into a pillar of salt, when little Jason interrupted,
'My
Mommy looked back once while she was driving,' he announced triumphantly, 'and
she turned into a telephone pole!'
GOOD
SAMARITAN
A
Sunday school teacher was telling her class the story of the Good
Samaritan.
She
asked the class, 'If you saw a person lying on the roadside,
all
wounded and bleeding, what would you do?'
A
thoughtful little girl broke the hushed silence, 'I think I'd throw up.'
DID
NOAH FISH?
A
Sunday school teacher asked,
'Johnny,
do you think Noah did a lot of fishing when he was on the
'No,'
replied Johnny. 'How could he, with just
two worms.'
HIGHER
POWER
A
Sunday school teacher said to her children,
'We
have been learning how powerful kings and queens were in Bible times.
But,
there is a Higher Power. Can anybody
tell me what it is?'
One
child blurted out, 'Aces!'
More to follow, next week.
Note:
A few more problems on the home front. It seems that for the second time in a couple
of weeks, the little lady isn’t quite feeling up to snuff. I’m, in a way, cutting this weeks column a little short because we’re hoping to get her
to see a doctor on Wednesday morning to see what is what.
Note: The doctor thinks it
is just some kind of intestinal virus.
He’ll know more when he gets more results back from the blood work. We have an appointment for noon this coming
Friday so she can get a CAT scan on her neck, above the thyroid gland.
Then, there is me. I have
an appointment next Wednesday, December 21st to see the doctor that
is going to do the fixing up of the aneurysm on my aorta, and I’m not sure what will happen with that
appointment – like how soon that little deal will be done. I’ve been told that it won’t require major
surgery, but that a stent should take care of the problem. When, who knows, as of now. Hopefully it won’t affect next weeks column.
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