Racin'
& Internet Stuff:
By Tom Avenengo
Volume # 88
01/05/2012
First:
Well, if you’re reading this then I have to figure you’ve survived the
New Year? Personally, I don’t care to
watch the “Ball” fall anymore. Waste of
TV time I think. Then again, I was on
the computer at midnight, anyway. Guess
I have a somewhat boring life?
Second:
Getting a little difficult to get any racing news
now that we are in this time of the year. Most
news, for a while, will be from NASCAR and maybe some from Indycar. Locally, things are kind of kept quiet with
mainly rumors floating around.
Third:
Over this past weekend, I received quite a few e-mails from John
DaDalt, a well-known photographer and racing “Historian”. It was Mr. DaDalt that sent me the race
records of George Rice when I nominated Rice for the National Midget Auto
Racing Hall of Fame. Whether my
nomination helped or not, I do not know.
Rice (Viola) was inducted, however, back in 2010, I believe. Unfortunately, if you were to go to the
What Mr. DaDalt sent me were the midget racing results from the
Bridgeport, Danbury and West Haven tracks in Connecticut, Dorney Park and
Yellow Jacket in Pa, the Middletown, Kingsbridge Armory and Menands tracks in
NY, the “Bay State” group, some ARDC “Southern” tour results, Hinchliffe
Stadium in Paterson, NJ and a feature-winning list for Ed “Dutch”
Schaefer. He is currently working on
results from other tracks, too.
Other results that I’ve just received are some PA & NJ tracks,
The results start back in the 1930’s and go to the 1950’s.
Here’s part of one of the results that he has sent me:
1935
15
lap features
National
Midget Auto Racing
May 15 1. Bill Holmes 2. Mickey Lowack 3. George Krantz
May
22 race report not found
May
29 no racing
June 5 1. Johnny Duncan 2. Mickey Lowack 3. Pete Canfield
June 12 1. Bill Schindler
June
19
June
26 no race, track being repaired
July
3 race report not found
Racing
taken over by the Metropolitan Racing Association, Bill Heiserman
July 31 1. Pete Canfield 2. Bill Schindler 3. Johnny Duncan
Aug. 7 1. Bill Schindler 2. Pete Canfield 3. Bill Morrissey
Aug. 14 1. Ernie Gessell 2. Bill Schindler 3. Bill Scarrince
Aug. 21 1. Walt Fusco 2. Bill Schindler 3. Charlie Miller
While
leading on the 11th lap of the main, Pete Canfield crashed into the stalled car
of Bill Scarrince, Canfield died from his injuries.
Aug. 28 1. Bill Schindler 2. George McIntosh 3. Bill Troutwine
Sept. 4 rain?
Sept. 11 1. Bill Schindler 2. Ernie Gesell 3. Joey Bocchino
Sept. 18 1. Bill Holmes 2. Bill Morrissey 3. Johnny Duncan
Sept. 25 1. Bill Schindler 2. Ernie Gesell 3. Walt Fusco
The
I will have no problem sending them out to you if you’d like to see
them. Just send me an e-mail is all you
have to do, with a request for what you want.
Fourth:
As you know, the Chili Bowl is just around the corner – starting on
January 11th. But, were you
aware that there is racing
prior to the Chili Bowl, at the same track? And, those races, featuring different
classes, draw a TON of entrants?
I found this, on the Internet:
With nearly 800 entries from throughout the nation and beyond battling it out through 100 heat races and 32 qualifying races on Thursday evening and all day Friday, the stage has been set for Saturday’s 27th Annual Speedway Motors Tulsa Shootout feature events at the QuikTrip Center’s Tulsa Expo Raceway.
A total of 790 competitors mixed it up in Micro Sprint, Mini Sprint and Chevy ECOTec Midget action on the 1/5-mile clay oval with two classes contesting 38 heat races on Thursday before another 62 heat races and 32 qualifying races took place on Friday.
More, if you're interested, can be seen here:
http://www.tulsashootout.com/news/?i=10023&clk=featureNews
Can you imagine being there for that?
How about trying to score the event?
And we think the Chili Bowl is big with some 200+ entrants?? Well, in a way, yes, it is!
Fifth:
Other forums/message
boards and websites:
You might find some
interesting reading if you go to the links below.
Track Forum: - http://www.trackforum.com/forums/
Frontstretch.com: http://www.frontstretch.com/
Jayski: - http://www.jayski.com/
Open Wheel Racers3: http://www.openwheelracers3.com/
Race Pro Weekly: http://raceproweekly.com/
Racing on TV - http://www.racefantv.com/USTV.htm
Victory
Yahoo Race History Group: http://sports.groups.yahoo.com/group/RacingHistory/
(when one posts something on an e-mail to the group, they do have what is
called the “Len Sutton rule” – you put in your name and where you live. And, yes, things are “policed” too.
New England Tractor: http://newenglandtractor.com/racereport/
Hoseheads – Sprint Car and Open
Wheel news: http://www.hoseheads.com/
Racing photos: http://www.3widespicturevault.com/3wide_MAIN_VAULT_.htm
http://ghosttracks.homestead.com/
http://www.oldracingcars.com/drivers/watn/?&Category=Indy500starts
Sixth:
Over on the Track Forum, there's an interesting thread that attempts to
compare Dan Wheldon to Eddie Sachs.
“Is Dan Wheldon the Eddie Sachs of my era?”
Quite a few interesting posts on the subject, and if you’re interested,
you can read them if you go here:
http://www.trackforum.com/forums/showthread.php?159084-Is-Dan-Wheldon-the-Eddie-Sachs-of-my-era
Seventh:
Last week, on Dirt Track Digest, I posted my column two times with the
second post having my attempt to put in the photos that appear in the column on
the New England Tractor website. It
looked like it was going to work, but the photos are too big and you can’t see
what’s on the right side of the photo.
So, I’ll need to do a little more work on the photos. So, for a while, at least, photos will only
be available on the New England Tractor website.
Eighth:
Michele Bachmann quits presidential
race following poor showing in Iowa
"Last
night, the people of
Despite
Bachmann's extensive, last-minute tour to visit all 99 of Iowa's counties, her
first place finish in the Aug. 13 straw poll, and the state being her place of
birth, Iowa Republican caucus voters rejected Bachmann's campaign, handing her
6,073 votes on caucus night--5 percent of the total votes cast in Tuesday
night's caucuses.
As
recently as Tuesday evening, Bachmann was dismissing questions about whether a
poor finish in Iowa would prompt her immediate departure from the race, saying
her campaign's travel tickets were already booked for South Carolina--her next
major campaign stop after largely passing over New Hampshire, which holds its
primary on Tuesday, Jan. 10.
But
communications director Alice Stewart told reporters following the news
conference that conversations began last night about whether to continue the
campaign and the congresswoman asked for time to "sleep on it" and
"pray about it." Stewart said she was awakened early Wednesday
morning with the news.
Stewart
rejected the suggestion that campaign finance challenges factored into the
congresswoman's decision.
"She
doesn't see where she made mistakes," Stewart said. "None of us, you
know, see where there were mistakes made." In response to question about
how her campaign dropped from her high at the Ames Straw Poll, Stewart noted
that there were fewer candidates in the race at that time.
The
congresswoman has not yet discussed whether she will run for re-election in
Ninth:
Could be just a rumor, but I’ve heard that there will be a “Crate” Rookie class at OCFS in 2012. I wonder how that might affect either of the full fendered classes? I can recall when they first came out with the “Sportsman” class at OC and other tracks in the area. It didn’t take long for that class to get away from what it was originally intended to be, that’s for sure.
Tenth:
IRS extends tax filing deadline to
April 17
By
Blake Ellis | CNNMoney.com – 7 hours ago
The
IRS is giving taxpayers two extra days to get their taxes turned in this year.
While
Tax Day typically falls on April 15, the IRS announced Wednesday that it is pushing
back this year's filing deadline to Tuesday, April 17.
The
extension was granted because April 15 falls on a Sunday this year, and Monday
is Emancipation Day, a holiday in
The
IRS will also begin accepting returns submitted online through the agency's
e-filing system -- which the IRS says is the fastest, most accurate filing
option for taxpayers -- on January 17.
If
you are requesting an extension, you have until Oct. 15 to file your 2011 tax
return, the agency said.
The
IRS said it expects to receive more than 144 million individual tax returns
this year, with the majority projected to be submitted by the new April 17
deadline.
Link: http://finance.yahoo.com/news/irs-extends-tax-filing-deadline-202800795.html
Press Releases:
On occasion, I do get some.
News from BD Motorsports Media - No BS. No Politics. Real Racing.
Media Contact: Brett Deyo - 845.728.2781 or Deyo99H@aol.com
For Immediate Release/Dec. 30, 2011
BD Motorsports Media Revs Up For Motorsports Appearance; 2012 Schedule, Information and Apparel Will Be Available
For the second straight year,
Look for the BD Motorsports Media display in booths 216-218 and 316-318 during the 28th annual event. Motorsports 2012 will feature 225,000 square feet of nothing but racing, more than 600 vendors and 250-plus vehicles on display.
Information on BD Motorsports Media '2012 Tour' events will be available for competitors and fans, outlining events planned for Penn Can Speedway (Susquehanna, Pa.) and Five Mile Point Speedway (Kirkwood, N.Y.).
Lap sponsorships will be on sale for all '12 events at a minimum of $25 per lap. Sponsors wishing to obtain laps in all three Modified races can do so for a minimal investment of $60.
New '2012 Tour' apparel, hot off the press from Bob
Hilbert Sportswear in Boyertown,
The BD booth will include dirt Modifieds driven by Matt Jester and Kevin Albert Jr.
Jester, 26, of
The 24-year-old Albert is a 358-Modified feature winner
at Big Diamond Speedway and entered three of the four BD Motorsports Media
events last season, making the feature field in each of his attempts. Albert,
of
For further information on BD Motorsports Media, contact Brett Deyo via e-mail at Deyo99H@aol.com, by phone at 845.728.2781 or on the web: www.bdmotorsportsmedia.com. BD Motorsports Media is also on Facebook.
Complete information on Motorsports 2012 can be found online at www.aarn.com or by calling the Len Sammons Motorsports office 609.888.3618.
And:
News from BD Motorsports Media - No BS. No Politics. Real Racing.
Media Contact: Brett Deyo - 845.728.2781 or Deyo99H@aol.com
For Immediate Release/Dec. 30, 2011
Pioneer Pole Buildings Inc. and Alpine Building & Post Supply Sign On For BD Motorsports Media 2012 Tour Events at Penn Can and Five Mile Point
BOYERTOWN, PA - Continuing an outstanding marketing partnership initiated in 2009, Pioneer Pole Buildings Inc. and its affiliate company Alpine Building & Post Supply have signed on to sponsor the the BD Motorsports Media '2012 Tour' events at Penn Can Speedway (Susquehanna, Pa.) and Five Mile Point Speedway (Kirkwood, N.Y.).
The agreement for
the upcoming '12 campaign was recently inked by BD Motorsports Media's Brett
Deyo of
"Bob Greene
is an outstanding supporter of racing on all levels," Deyo said. "From
his sponsorship of racing events and a long list of competitors, he has given
back to the sport he loves immensely through
"We are looking forward to our continued relationship with Bob and his companies. He is ready to serve customers in the Southern Tier area where we host our events."
Pioneer Pole Buildings is a title sponsor of the three events scheduled in the New York/Pennsylvania Twin Tiers region: the Deyo/Reed Miller/Al Wilcox-promoted 'Clash at the Can' paying $10,000 to the Race of Champions Modified winner at Penn Can on Tuesday June 12 and the signature 'King of the Can' also at Penn Can Friday, Oct. 12 in addition to the fifth Short Track SuperNationals Friday-Saturday Oct. 5-6 at Five Mile Point.
Alpine Building & Post Supply, meanwhile, presents the 'Roll the Dice Challenge' during the SuperNationals at Five Mile Point, boosting the winner's share of the big-block/small-block Modified feature event.
Pioneer Pole
Buildings is the premier builder of post-frame buildings in
Pioneer Pole Buildings is on the web at www.pioneerpolebuildings.com with a recently redesigned website.
Alpine Building & Post Supply was established in 2003 as a supplier of post-frame building packages to a network of distributors. Four years later, Alpine opened its retail store with the same high-quality tools and materials used by Pioneer in its building kits. Visit the Alpine Building & Post Supply website at www.apbuildingsupply.com.
BD Motorsports Media was the leader in special events dirt Modified promotion in 2011, boasting the largest single-day Modified car count of any track or sanction (Five Mile Point SuperNationals Oct. 8 - 79 cars) and largest midweek event car count of any track or sanction (Penn Can 'Clash at the Can' June 7 - 66 cars).
For further information, contact Brett Deyo via e-mail at Deyo99H@aol.com or by phone: 845.728.2781. BD Motorsports Media is on the web: www.bdmotorsportsmedia.com and can also be found on Facebook.
Visit BD Motorsports Media at Len Sammons' Motorsports 2012 presented by Small Engine Fuel Jan. 20-22 at the Greater Philadelphia Expo Center of Oaks, Pa. in booths 216-218 and 316-318. 2012 schedules, information and apparel will be available at the show.
BD Motorsports Media 2012 Tour (as of Dec. 30, 2011)
Tuesday, June 12 - Penn Can Speedway/Susquehanna, PA - Clash at the Can Race of Champions Modifieds 60 laps $10,000 to win plus Trackside Products Street Stock 25
Friday-Saturday October 5-6 - Five Mile Point Speedway/Kirkwood, NY - Short Track SuperNationals 5th Anniversary Modifieds 50 laps plus Street Stocks and Four Cylinders (Open Practice Friday)
Friday, October 12 - Penn Can Speedway/Susquehanna, PA - King of the Can Modifieds 50 laps plus Crate Sportsman 25 and Street Stock 25
Also:
Devil’s Bowl Speedway Recounts Top Five Stories Of 2011 Season
NASCAR sanction, youth vs. experience, changing of the guard among highlights
For Immediate Release DBS-122811-1
WEST HAVEN, VT -- The 2011 stock car racing season was
one with many important moments in Devil’s Bowl Speedway. The
5. Weather abbreviates racing: Mother Nature wreaked
havoc on
4. Spring Green is an instant classic: The American-Canadian Tour Late Models had a spectacular Devil’s Bowl debut at the Spring Green, and fans were treated to a thriller. Eleven lead changes highlighted the race including a 40-lap slugfest between Craig Bushey and eventual winner Brian Hoar. ACT opens the 2012 Devil’s Bowl season with the 112-lap Spring Green on May 6.
3. Youth movement at The Bowl: Watch out, veterans. Hunter Bates was a two-division star, scoring a mid-year Modified victory two weeks before his 16th birthday and later locking up the Late Model championship. Sixteen year-old Jessey Mueller and fourth-generation racer Bobby Hackel were Modified winners, and 14 year-old Joey Laquerre, another fourth-generation driver, finished third in his first Late Model start. Seventeen year-old Eddie Bruno grabbed his first Bomber championship with three wins.
2. Proctor cleans house at NASCAR banquet: Devil’s Bowl
was sanctioned by NASCAR in 2011, and Modified veteran Ron Proctor was the
chief beneficiary. The Devil’s Bowl Speedway
and Vermont State Champion picked up nearly $11,000 in prize money and a
truckload of trophies, helmets, and other goodies at the NASCAR Whelen
All-American Series Awards Banquet in
1. A new era begins at Devil’s Bowl: Devil’s Bowl Speedway founder C.J. Richards and family guided the track to success for over 40 years, but Devil’s Bowl was sold in October to local business owners and former racers Mike and Alayne Bruno. Devil’s Bowl will remain an asphalt half-mile with NASCAR sanction, but changes include a switch to Friday night racing during the summer months and the return of the iconic “358” Modified class. Planned improvements to the facility will benefit both fans and racers as Devil’s Bowl works toward its goal of becoming a community entertainment center.
Devil’s Bowl Speedway is just 15 minutes from
-30-
Contact: Justin St. Louis (802) 355-3282
Email: devilsbowlspeedway@gmail.com
Justin St. Louis
Devil's Bowl
Cell: (802) 355-3282
Email: devilsbowlspeedway@gmail.com
And, from the WRG:
World
of Outlaws Late Model Series Adds June Dates At
Canada’s Autodrome Granby & Cornwall, New York’s Canandaigua
Trio
Of Northeast Events Will Lead Tour To Sixth Annual
Firecracker 100 Weekend At Lernerville Speedway
CONCORD,
NC – Jan. 4, 2012 – The World of Outlaws Late Model Series will blast into
summer with consecutive June dates at Canada’s Autodrome Granby and Cornwall
Motor Speedway and New York’s Canandaigua Motorsports Park, tour officials
announced on Wednesday.
Adding
more excitement to the renowned national tour’s previously-released 2012
schedule, the full-fender World of Outlaws stars will end a one-year absence
from the Canadian dirt-track scene with a weekend doubleheader at Autodrome
Granby in
The
trio of events will lead into one of the season’s richest and most prestigious
races – the sixth annual Firecracker 100 presented by GottaRace.com on June
28-30 at Lernerville Speedway in
“We’re
very happy to add visits to Autodrome Granby,
The
new dates will set up a two-week-long stretch of competition in the Northeast
for the WoO LMS, which enters the region with back-to-back weekend programs on
June 16 at
The
50-lap, $10,000-to-win show at
The
WoO LMS will close the swing on June 26 (distance and purse to be determined)
with its third alltime appearance at Canandaigua, a sprawling half-mile
fairgrounds track in its second season under the direction of Jeremie Corcoran.
Richards was victorious there in ’08 and Tim McCreadie of Watertown, N.Y. – the
’06 WoO LMS champion and a former Canandaigua DIRTcar Big-Block Modified regular
at Canandaigua – scored an emotional triumph in ’09.
The
2012 WoO LMS campaign now stands at 45 confirmed race dates comprising 41
A-Mains – with more events still to be added. Christman said fans should look
for several exciting announcements in the near future.
The
coming season is shaping up as one of the most competitive in the tour’s
nine-year history under the World Racing Group banner. Eleven of the 13
fulltime drivers from ’11 have indicated plans to follow the tour again,
including defending champion Eckert, Lanigan, McCreadie, Chub Frank of Bear
Lake, Pa., Shane Clanton of Fayetteville, Ga., Clint Smith of Senoia, Ga., Vic
Coffey of Caledonia, N.Y., Tim Fuller of Watertown, N.Y., Pat Doar of New
Richmond, Wis., Ron Davies of Warren, Pa., and John Lobb of Frewsburg, N.Y.
Several
additional drivers have revealed their intention to attempt a season-long
assault on the WoO LMS, including Mike Marlar of
The
2012 WoO LMS season will begin with the $20,000-to-win ‘Winter Freeze’ on Feb.
10-11 at Screven Motor Speedway in
For
more information on the WoO LMS, visit www.worldofoutlaws.com.
Fans can also follow the WoO LMS on Twitter at Twitter.com/WoOLateModels and Facebook at Facebook.com/WorldofOutlaws .
The
World of Outlaws Late Model Series is brought to fans across the country by
many important sponsors and partners, including Arizona Sport Shirts (Official
Apparel Company), Armor All (Official Car Care Products), Hoosier Racing Tires
(Official Racing Tires), STP (Official Fuel Treatment), Vicci (Official Uniform),
VP Racing (Official Racing Fuel), DirtonDirt.com (Hard Charger Award),
McCarthy’s One Hour Heating & Air Conditioning (Raye Vest Memorial Pill
Draw Award), Chizmark Larson Insurance, Factory Value Parts and RacingJunk.com;
in addition to contingency sponsors Comp Cams, Eibach Springs, JE Pistons, MSD
Ignition, Ohlins Shocks, Pro Power Engines, Quartermaster, Rocket Chassis, R2C
Performance, Superflow Dynos, Wix Filters and Wrisco Aluminum.
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
Note: As of now, it looks like
I’ll be in
Are you aware that the
It’s website: www.needforspeedexpo.com
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 Jayski’s website:
McMurray wins Kart
race at Daytona:
#1-Jamie McMurray
has another Daytona victory on his resume. The 2010 Daytona 500 Champion won
the TAG 2 Final Race Friday during WKA Daytona Kartweek events on the 0.7 mile
sprint track located at Daytona International Speedway. McMurray, driving the
#1 JMK Chassis, captured the pole and lead every lap in the Pre Final and the
TAG 2 Final race, an event that features some of the best kart racers from
around the world. The victory was especially gratifying for the NASCAR veteran
as this is the first victory with a JMK chassis, which was designed and built
by McMurray himself. McMurray commented after the win, "This victory is a
little more special since I did this on a kart that I designed and had built
here in
AND:
#22-A.J. Allmendinger also
ran the event, having some tough luck in the TaG Parilla Leopard class when
contact shuffled him back to a 16th place finish, but he went on to place
fourth in both the TaG 1 and TaG 2 classes.(1-2-2012)
Robby Gordon racing
Dakar Rally Day 1:
On the first day of
the New Year, the competitors of the 2012 Dakar Rally prepared for an early
start, which took them from the beach city of
Nasser Al-Attiyah would start out with an advantage being the first car on the
road, and teammate Robby Gordon would follow off the line in fourth. When the
auto class got to the special stage, they would find areas to pass the
competition along the coast line and drive into small dunes that represented
their first hurdle. In this short section, the fastest time would establish
each competitors position in the rankings.
By checkpoint 1 of the Special Stage, Al-Attiyah and Gordon were running first
and second, only 9 seconds between them with Peterhansel 51 secs behind. The
HUMMERs were off to a great start, proving to be a real contender.
Unfortunately only 2km from the finish, Al-Attiyah's HUMMER lost power. Seeing
his teammate on the side of the road, Gordon had no choice but to help the 2011
Dakar Champion cross the finish. With the SPEED Energy/Toyo Tires HUMMER towing
the Qatar/Toyo Tires HUMMER, Gordon ended up losing valuable seconds, resulting
in him being the third car to finish. He ended up fifth based on corrected
time. Al-Attiyah's finish will be determined at a later time due to the fact he
had assistance. Stage 2 will have a Special Stage of 290km and 487km of Liaison
starting in Santa Rosa de la Pampa and ending in
To follow the team's journey to compete in the upcoming
Death at
Today at 11:19 am,
Argentinean rider Jorge Boero (motorcycle #175) was the victim of a fall at km
55 of the special of the first stage between
Robby Gordon racing
Dakar Rally Stage 2:
Stage 2 of the
Dakar Rally was successful for Team Speed; Nasser Al-Attiyah came from a
38th-starting position to win the stage on corrected time while teammate Robby
Gordon finished third. Gordon now sits second overall in the rankings. It is
the first time that Team Speed had two Hummer's on the
podium for a Special Stage finish. The race was so close that it was thought
that either Gordon or Peterhansel won the stage based on corrected time. In the
end, Al-Attiyah would become the victor, which was very good given the troubles
that he had during Stage 1 of the Dakar Rally. Gordon would finish third,
putting him second in the overall rankings only 2 minutes and 28 seconds being
overall leader, Peterhansel.(RGM)
To follow the team's journey to compete in the upcoming Dakar, and for updated
race team coverage, log onto speedenergy.com, toyotires.com, robbygordon.com, planetrobby.com
and dakar.com.(1-3-2012)
Robby Gordon /
The third stage of
the Dakar Rally opened with the #300 car of Nasser Al-Attiyah first off the
line and the #303 car of Robby Gordon shortly behind him in the 3rd starting
position, giving Team SPEED an opportunity to keep momentum on their side. This
stage of the 2012 Dakar Rally went from
To follow the team's journey to compete in the upcoming Dakar, and for updated
race team coverage, log onto speedenergy.com, toyotires.com, robbygordon.com, planetrobby.com
and dakar.com.(1-4-2012)
Evernham settles
lawsuit with Gillett:
Ray Evernham has
settled his lawsuit against George Gillett over money owed from the 2007 sale
of his Sprint Cup organization. Evernham, the former owner of Evernham
Motorsports and a three-time Cup champion as the crew chief for Jeff Gordon at
Hendrick Motorsports, was seeking $19 million from Gillett. The case was settled
outside of court and dismissed last week. No details of the settlement were
released.(ESPN)(1-3-2012)
Stewart to race in 'Rumble in
#14-Tony Stewart will return to his roots to race an
open-wheeled midget car in the 14th annual Rumble in
AND:
#14-Tony Stewart
will return to
UPDATE:
"Those of you who cheered, thank you," said
#14-Tony Stewart after winning his record eighth event at the Rumble in
UPDATE2 - Stewart wins again:
With 56 minutes to spare, Tony Stewart squeezed yet
another victory into a year that already was reaching mythical proportions.
Taking the checkered flag at 11:04 p.m. on New Year's Eve, the three-time
NASCAR champion completed a weekend sweep of the 14th annual Rumble in
Reutimann joins
Tommy Baldwin Racing:
Tommy Baldwin
Racing (TBR) added NASCAR Sprint Cup Series (NSCS) driver David Reutimann to
the team's 2012 driver lineup alongside Dave Blaney. Still seeking sponsorship
for both Reutimann and Blaney, details regarding car number, sponsors and team
members will follow in the upcoming weeks. "Tommy has built a really good
organization from the ground up in a really short amount of time," said
Reutimann. "One of the things I like about Tommy and what's refreshing
about him is that he is just a racer. There are lots of things he could be
doing but instead he is at the shop every day working hard to build the
organization from the ground up. There are not a lot of true racers in the
garage, and he is one of them. It's the way I was raised with my Dad, so we are
on the same page. I'm just really looking forward to the season and see what we
can do." TBR competed in every event in the 36-race NSCS schedule in 2011
and raced into the top-35 in NSCS Owner Points, meeting the team's 2011 season
goals. Blaney drove to the team's best finish of third in the October event at
Talladega Superspeedway. The team also fielded a second car for five events in
the second half of the season.
"Reutimann will be a great addition to our program and to Dave
Blaney," commented team owner Tommy Baldwin. "Last season, we met our
goal of running the entire schedule and making the top-35 in points. This
season, our goals is to continue our progress on the
competition side. Having two veteran drivers in Reutimann and Blaney is a very
important step in our program's growth. We are still working on finding funding
for next year, but having a car guaranteed in the first five races, including
the Daytona 500, is a big step for our team. We had success last year with our
partners. Although Golden Corral will not return in 2012, they were very happy
with the exposure they received. We hope they have shown other companies the
value of our program and that our program will once again align with their
business objectives."
TBR competed in every race and locked the #36 Chevy in the top-35 in NSCS Owner
Points. TBR also fielded a second [#35 Chevy] car for select races in the past
two seasons with multiple drivers.(Tommy
Baldwin Racing)
MORE:
Reutimann agreed to
a one-year deal for 2012.
AND:
Tommy Baldwin Racing has also signed an
agreement to run Earnhardt Childress Racing engines for the 2012 season.(FoxSports)(1-3-2011)
MWR could buy Red
Bull Racing assets:
Sirius XM NASCAR
Radio's Sirius Speedway with Dave Moody has learned that Michael Waltrip Racing
is negotiating to purchase the assets of the former Red Bull Racing NASCAR
Sprint Cup Series team. A spokesperson for the team declined to comment on the
story, but multiple sources say Michael Waltrip Racing and Red Bull are close
to an agreement on the sale, awaiting NASCAR approval for an owner point swap
that would allow MWR to field a third Toyota Camry in the 2012 Daytona 500. MWR
finished 18th and 28th in Sprint Cup owner points with drivers #56-Martin
Truex, Jr. and #00[now #55]-David Reutimann last season, and holds two
guaranteed starting spots for the upcoming Daytona 500. MWR is expected to
field three cars in the Great American Race for Truex, #15-Clint Bowyer (no
points) and #55-Mark Martin, using one of the guaranteed starting spots held by
Red Bull Racing. Those points would transfer to MWR in the event of a sale.
Michael Waltrip could also compete in the 2012 Daytona 500, but is believed
unlikely to do so in an MWR Toyota. Sources say MWR is also interested in
acquiring cars and equipment from Red Bull, including fabrication equipment and
a shaker rig. If included in the sale, the former Red Bull Racing building
would likely be used by MWR co-owner Rob Kauffman to house his RK Motors muscle
car restoration and performance company, as well as
his personal collection of classic and vintage automobiles. Red Bull Racing
closed its doors last month, after failing to find a buyer to continue
operations.(Sirius
Speedway)(1-3-2011)
Frye ends up at
Hendrick:
Hearing that former
Red Bull Racing General Manager and Vice President Jay Frye is now working at
Hendrick Motorsports as a consultant in a variety of roles.(1-4-2012)
Richard Petty
Motorsports:
UPDATE 3:
Aric Almirola is
the top candidate to take over the seat of the famed #43 car with Smithfield
Foods as his sponsor at Richard Petty Motorsports. Fourth in the Nationwide
Series points standings in 2011, Almirola had another year left in his contract
with JR Motorsports but could obtain his release, according to sources, to go
to RPM. A JR Motorsports spokesman would not comment on Almirola's status with
the team and an RPM spokesman did not return requests for comment. Almirola
would not be able to drive for RPM, which Ford has heavily invested in, and
continue to drive for the Chevy-backed JRM at the same time. The Almirola-RPM
deal is not complete, sources said, but JRM already has talked to drivers about
his replacement for the Nationwide Series ride. David Ragan, Reed Sorenson and
Cole Whitt are among the top candidates. Air Force and Smithfield Foods are
expected to sponsor races on the #43 car next year.(SceneDaily)(12-30-2011)
UPDATE 4:
Supposedly Cole
Whitt will drive the #88 JR Motorsports Chevy in the Nationwide Series in 2012.(Florida Times-Union)(1-3-2012)
UPDATE 5:
Richard Petty
Motorsports announced today that Aric Almirola will drive the legendary #43
Ford Fusion in NASCAR Sprint Cup Series competition beginning in 2012. Almirola
has made 35 starts in the Sprint Cup Series, his most recent stint coming in
2010 when he finished the last five races of the season in the #9 Ford. During
the final race of the season at Homestead-Miami Speedway, Almirola posted a
career-high, fourth-place effort. Almirola drove a JR Motorsports entry [#88 Chevy] in the NASCAR Nationwide Series in 2011 and capped
off a successful season with a fourth-place finish in the championship point
standings. "One of the things I am most excited about is to have the
chance to drive a car as iconic as the #43," stated Almirola. "There
is so much history surrounding that number and to have my name above the door
will be really special for me. This is the first real opportunity I've had to
drive in the Cup Series full time. Last year the #43 team had a lot of speed
and was competitive on a weekly basis. Greg Erwin is a great crew chief and I'm
excited to work with him. Everyone at Richard Petty Motorsports has a lot of
enthusiasm and drive and I'm really looking forward to getting to work."
Almirola will join a team that is poised to compete for a spot in the 2012
Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup. Paired with veteran Crew Chief Greg Erwin,
Almirola will get behind the wheel for a team that earned one top-five and 10
top-10 finishes in 2011 en route to a 15th-place finish in the owner point
standings.
"We are
thrilled to welcome Aric Almirola into the RPM family," said team Co-owner
Richard Petty. "We feel extremely fortunate to have had a number of very
talented drivers interested in joining our organization, but ultimately we felt
Aric would be the best fit for the team and for our current and potential
partners. We have had the chance to watch his progress for the past several
years and we had success with him in the past. We are really confident in his
potential as a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver. We think Aric has all the
makings to be the next bright star in our sport."(Richard
Petty Motorsports)(1-4-2012)
NASCAR Releases
2012 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Schedule:
http://www.jayski.com/pages/2012cup_sched.htm
As previously
announced, the season-opening Speedweeks at Daytona International Speedway will
start one week later with the running of the preseason “non-points” Shootout at
Daytona on Feb. 18. The 54th annual Daytona 500 will run on Feb. 26.
#71 team not
returning in 2012?:
Sirius XM NASCAR
Radio's Sirius Speedway with Dave Moody has learned that the #71 TRG
Motorsports NASCAR Sprint Cup Series team will not return in 2012. Sources
close to the team say TRG will announce later this week that it has shuttered
its NASCAR operation and will compete only on the Grand Am Rolex Sports Car
Series in 2012. TRG finished 36th in Sprint Cup owner points last season, and
would not have been a guaranteed starter for the season-opening Daytona 500.
TRG Motorsports made a total of 106 starts since joining the NASCAR Sprint Cup
Series in 2009, with a pair of Top-10 finishes to its credit. Bobby Labonte
claimed a 10th-place finish for the team at
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
January 6th to January 12th
JANUARY 6
1924
Dick Rathmann ... Born ...
AAA & USAC driver from the 1940's, 50's & 60's
1926
Pat Flaherty ... Born ...
He drove in the AAA and USAC Championship Car series, racing in the 1950,
1953-1956, 1958,1959, and 1963 seasons with 19 starts, including the
Indianapolis 500 races in 1950, 1953, 1955, 1956, and 1959. He finished in the
top ten 9 times, with victories in 1955 and 1956 at
1989
Jim Hurtubise ... Died ...
An American race car driver who raced in USAC Champ Cars (including the
An article about him:
http://www.wheelsofspeed.com/report/1_6_89-1.html
2000
Sam Schmidt paralyzed after
he broke his neck in a crash while testing his IRL car at Walt Disney World
Speedway in
JANUARY 7
1968
George Constantine... Died ... F1 driver.
2007
Bobby Hamilton... Died ...
JANUARY 8
1942
Dick LaHaie... Born ...
Drag racer
1956
USAC..
The United States Auto Club (USAC) sanctioned it's
first race, a Midget race indoors on a 1/10 mile oval on the concrete floor of
the Allen County Coliseum Ft. Wayne, Indiana. The race was won by Indy 500
veteran Gene Hartley.
1978
Bobby Hamilton Jr.... Born ... NASCAR driver and track owner.
JANUARY 9
1938
Karl Busson
..Born .. USAC Sprint Car driver
1959
Mark Martin
..Born .. NASCAR driver
1960
Russ Klar won the TQ Midget
race at the Teaneck Armory,
Race report:
http://www.wheelsofspeed.com/report/1_9_60-1.html
1965
Russ Gamester
..Born .. USAC Midget and Silver Crown driver
JANUARY 10
1921
Rodger Ward... Born ... USAC Midget and Indy car driver. 2 time Indy 500
winner, 1959 & 1962
1940
Harry Gant... Born ... NASCAR driver.
1953
Bobby Rahal... Born ... Indy car driver.
1958
Eddie Cheever... Born ... A
racing driver who raced for almost thirty years in Formula One, Sports cars,
CART and the Indy Racing League. Cheever participated
in 143 World Championship Formula One races and started 132, more than any
other American, driving for nine different teams from 1978 through 1989. In
1997, he formed his own IRL team and won the 1998
1959
Larry McReynolds
..Born .. One of NASCAR's most successful and
recognized crew chiefs.
JANUARY 11
1923
Carroll Shelby... Born ...
legendary racer, car builder.
2001
Quinn Epperly famed
Louis Krages Sports car
driver, AKA "John Winter", winner of the 1985 24 Hours of
JANUARY 12
1879
Ray Harroun... Born ...
winner of the first
1928
Lloyd Ruby... Born ... He
raced in the USAC Championship Car series in the 1958-1977 seasons, with 177
career starts, including every
Note: There has been a "Tribute" video
out on Lloyd. Here's the link:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7qR62ONHLIw&feature=player_embedded
1968
Robby Unser ... Born ...
Indy Racing League driver and son of Bobby Unser
News
from the AARN:
Nothing this week due to no
AARN being published as they annually shut down for two weeks at the end of the
calendar year.
Former
Nothing
to report on this week.
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:
Here’s one from Dave Zortman – “The
Vintage Racer” website, that might be quite important
for those that are a part of that site:
“Tom,
10,001 apologies for taking so long to get back to you. It has been absolutely nuts!
I
have finally found the time to start making some much needed upgrades and improvements
to TheVintageRacer.com. Having lost my
job almost 3 years ago (like everybody else), I've started my own
business. As a result, that has kept me
so busy that the site has been poorly neglected. Rather than just let it collect dust, I've
decided to make the site an interactive, do-it-yourself site via the Member's
Section forum. I just haven't been able
to find the time to keep things up by myself.
Now
everyone can post their own articles, create photo albums in the Media Section,
even post videos. For frequent
contributors, I will even create them their own personal section in the forum,
if that interests you.
You
can find more information on signing up for the Member's Section at http://www.thevintageracer.com/register.htm#how
Some non-racing stuff:
BREAKING!!! Georgia Court to Hear Natural
Born Citizen Case vs Obama
By Craig Andresen on
January 3, 2012 at 3:04 pm
In part:
"The liberty Legal
Foundation has announced that the case pending in
This is great news
considering Obama and his team of attorneys had been actively trying to have
this case DENIED!!
The
This case, in
"Since Obama’s father,
at the time of Barack’s birth, was not a
If not a NBC…then,
according to the Constitution, Obama is ineligible to serve as President.
So…how long will THIS take
before a hearing will occur?
Not
NEARLY as long as you might think.
The
More can be seen here:
http://www.thenationalpatriot.com/?p=3722
Is
this true - # 1:
Keeping America
The
following explains why foreign governments want to control your right to keep
and bear arms:
This
is an excellent point!
The
world's largest army...
A
logger added up the deer license sales in just a handful of states and arrived
at a striking conclusion:
There
were over 600,000 hunters this season in the state of
Allow
me to restate that number.
Over
the last several months,
More
men under arms than in
It's
a matter of national security. *********************************
That's
why all enemies, foreign and domestic, want to see us disarmed.
Food
for thought when next we consider gun control.
Is
this true - # 2:
12/30/2011
ICE
launches hotline for arrested immigrants
WASHINGTON
(KPHO) - The Obama administration has launched a new free hotline for people
arrested on immigration violations to get help 24/7.
The
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency is operating the service for
people to call if they think they "may be
The
number is 855-448-6903.
Translation
services will be available in several languages from 7 a.m. until midnight
Eastern, seven days a week. ICE personnel will collect information from the
individual and refer it to the relevant ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations
(ERO) Field Office for immediate action.
Another
measure announced Thursday includes a new detainer form.
The
measures are being implemented "to ensure that individuals being held by
state or local law enforcement on immigration detainers are properly notified
about their potential removal from the country and are made aware of their
rights."
The
above is from here: http://www.kpho.com/story/16412772/ice-launches
Read
some of the comments under the article.
Video time:
Last week, right after I
sent my column out, I went to play some music videos, prior to going to
bed. Yes, I have my favorite singers –
mostly all country music, as you probably have figured out, already. So I click on “Blanket on the Ground” by
Billie Jo Spears, who, I guess you could say is my favorite female singer. And, at times, I’ll check out some of the
comments that are put down under the video.
What really caught my eye was a few that had “RIP” in them. I was both saddened and shocked to see that
Billie Jo passed away on December 14th, from Cancer, at 74 years of
age. Billie Jo was quite popular across
the
So, here are two videos of
her singing “Blanket on the Ground” – one from quite a while ago, and one a
little more recent, with Philomena Begley.
As you can see, she has had some health issues when checking out the
second video.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XpA0oPR_EOQ&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QFYSQn9Iyak
Photos:
I’m posting a photo - or
more, 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/
After looking
through all the race results that John DaDalt had sent to me, I thought I’d try
to find a good photo from “Back in the day”, and I’ve decided to put this one,
below, in my column. In the Buck Wheeler
# 62 Offy is Johnny Ringger, on the inside, while in the Mike Caruso # 3 Offy,
on the outside is Bill Schindler.
Buck Wheeler had a
few midgets back then. He came from
I have no idea as
to who the photographer was and I even forget who might have sent me the photo.
Closing with this:
Scotch with two drops of water
A lady goes to the bar on a
cruise ship and orders a Scotch with
two drops of water. As the bartender gives her the drink
she says,
'I'm on this cruise to
celebrate my 80th birthday and it's today..'
The bartender says, 'Well,
since it's your birthday, I'll buy you a
drink. In fact, this one is on me.'
The old woman says, 'Thank
you. Bartender, I want a Scotch with
two drops of water.'
'Coming up,' says the
bartender
As she finishes that drink,
the man to her left says, 'I would like to
buy you one, too.'
The old woman says, 'Thank
you. Bartender, I want another Scotch
with two drops of water.'" ' Coming right up,' the bartender says.
As he gives her the drink, he
says, 'Ma'am, I'm dying of curiosity.
Why the Scotch with only two
drops of water?'
The old woman replies,
'Sonny, when you're my age, you've
learned how to hold your liquor. Holding your water, however,
is a whole other issue.'
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