Racin' & Internet Stuff:

                                      By Tom Avenengo

                                         Volume # 89

                                           01/12/2012

 

 

First:

Hey, might as well start off this weeks column with some “rumors”, huh?

A “Rookie Crate Class at OCFS ?

Note:  Someone posted about an announcement at the OC Banquet about  bi-weekly Rookie Crate Sportsman racing at OC.

No more sail panels on the modifieds at Accord?

Note:  Someone posted on the Internet that a certain driver wasn’t happy about the no sail panels, since he had already painted his.

WoO Sprint Cars back to OCFS.

Sure looks that way.  Talk about SPEED!  The last time they were at OCFS, I’d venture to say that for the car that time trialed the fastest, might have missed by about two feet from averaging 140 MPH for the lap. 

Problem – maybe just a little too fast?

Those are three that I’ve heard, so far.

 

 

Second:

Here it is Monday, January 9th, as I’m starting this column, and nothing has been reported about the goings on at the OCFS Banquet that was held this past Saturday night, well, that’s as far as I know as of noontime, anyway.  Seems that the area has lost its Internet connection, as I’m working on my column.

Note:  Finally someone posted about the bi-weekly Rookie Crate races at OC, as noted above.

 

Third:

More often than not, I do get on “cases” and voice my concerns and thoughts.  The other day the ARDC released its 2012 schedule, as shown, below.  True, more dates MIGHT be added.  However, when one looks at the schedule, one must notice that most of the races are in Pennsylvania.  Maybe the ARDC should change to the PRDC – change “American” to “Pennsylvania”.  My thoughts, of course.

I have no idea as to whether the ARDC will have a show at the Accord Speedway, or not.   Last year was the first year, since the second world war, that there was not one midget race in New York State.

As for all the races scheduled for Big Diamond – on Saturday nights.  Rough call on that – There are quite a few different classes scheduled to run at Big D on Saturdays, with some of them alternating.  Also, Big D is putting in an “Inner” track.  I’ve seen it said that the ARDC would run on the outer track.  Hope so.  Most of the other classes are really not the best as far as drawing fans to the stands.  I just hope that the Saturday shows are successful enough so as not to have them cancelled due to low fan turnout.  If they should cancel, that could leave a big void in the ARDC’s schedule – especially for Saturday nights.

ARDC 2012 schedule:

 

Here are the firm dates that we released to the press during the EMPA convention on Saturday. There are still nights that are either being worked out, or that we're waiting final confirmation on. In my opinion, Ryan has done an excellent job trying to pair-up traveling weekends, and fill in dates around our commitment with Big Diamond.

 

Any dates that are added will be made available at the Motorsports show. Thank you all for your patients!

 

PJ Gargiulo

 

Saturday April 7th Big Diamond

Friday April 27th Williams Grove w/Allstars

Saturday April 28th Big Diamond

 

Saturday May 5th Port Royal

Saturday May 12th Big Diamond

Friday May 18th Potomac

Saturday May 19th Winchester

Saturday May 26th Big Diamond

 

Saturday June 2nd Mercer

Tuesday June 5th Grandview w/USAC

Friday June 8th Williams Grove w/All stars

Saturday June 9th Port Royal w/USAC

Friday June 29th Dixieland

Saturday June 30th County Line

 

Friday July 6th Big Diamond

Saturday July 14th Big Diamond

Saturday July 21st Mercer

Saturday July 28th Big Diamond

 

August 11th Big Diamond

August 17th Potomac

August 18th Winchester

Saturday August 25th Big Diamond

 

Saturday September 1st Big Diamond

Monday September 3rd Labor Day Classic (Fair race) Port Royal

Friday September 14th Williams Grove

Saturday September 22nd New Egypt

 

Saturday October 13th Grandview TotH 5 25’s

 

 

Fourth:

News on Johnny Heydenreich:

Message from Linda Mansfield on 01/09/2012:

 

Just got off the phone with John Heydenreich. The big (estimated to take 6 hours) surgery on his ankle is slated for tomorrow (Tuesday, Jan. 10) at 9 a.m. at the Hospital for Special Surgery in Manhattan. His surgeon is one of the leaders in this type of surgery, Dr. S. Robert Rozbruch. John will be in the hospital f...or a couple days after the surgery and then he'll continue to recuperate in Conn. The surgery will include some sort of gyroscope-like thing that has rings that can be tightened and loosened as the bones heal. Some of John's own bone marrow from other parts of his body will also be inserted into his ankle to aid in the healing. It's all very complex, but Dr. Rozbruch is extremely well respected and a leader in developing procedures to fix injuries like this. John wanted me to be sure to thank everybody for the cards and letters he's been getting, and he also thanks everyone for their well-wishes and prayers. He said he's been overwhelmed with how nice everyone has been, and he's very thankful to all of you. So please say a prayer that tomorrow's surgery goes well and there are no complications and/or infections.

 

Just got off the phone with John Heydenreich. The big (estimated to take 6 hours) surgery on his ankle is slated for tomorrow (Tuesday, Jan. 10) at 9 a.m. at the Hospital for Special Surgery in Manhattan. His surgeon is one of the leaders in this type of surgery, Dr. S. Robert Rozbruch. John will be in the hospital f...or a couple days after the surgery and then he'll continue to recuperate in Conn. The surgery will include some sort of gyroscope-like thing that has rings that can be tightened and loosened as the bones heal. Some of John's own bone marrow from other parts of his body will also be inserted into his ankle to aid in the healing. It's all very complex, but Dr. Rozbruch is extremely well respected and a leader in developing procedures to fix injuries like this. John wanted me to be sure to thank everybody for the cards and letters he's been getting, and he also thanks everyone for their well-wishes and prayers. He said he's been overwhelmed with how nice everyone has been, and he's very thankful to all of you. So please say a prayer that tomorrow's surgery goes well and there are no complications and/or infections.If you are able to send him a card or a note here's the address again: John Heydenreich, c/o Kim Hendricks, 137 Proprietors Crossing, New Canaan, Conn. 06840. Thank you!If you are able to send him a card or a note here's the address again: John Heydenreich, c/o Kim Hendricks, 137 Proprietors Crossing, New Canaan, Conn. 06840. Thank you!

 

 

 

Fifth:

There's a thread over on the Track Forum titled:  "Sponsor Risk for Rousch" - excuse the spelling, please!

 

It pertains to Best Buy leaving Petty and going over to Roush.  There's a link in one of the postings that leads to an article about Best Buy and its probably not being around much longer.

 

http://www.forbes.com/sites/larrydownes/2012/01/02/why-best-buy-is-going-out-of-business-gradually/

 

Then, there's more, which is quite interesting about Best Buy and what the CEO has to say.

 

http://www.forbes.com/sites/larrydownes/2012/01/09/the-people-vs-best-buy-round-two/

 

 

Really interesting stuff, I think.  Kinda says how some businesses are run today.

 

 

 

Sixth:

 

Kyle Larson Awarded MidgetMadness.com “Top Gun of the Year” for 2011

 

In only his first full year running midgets on the national scene, Kyle Larson, of Elk Grove, CA, has earned the honor of being named the Midgetmadness.com "Top Gun of the Year," presented by JE Pistons. 2011 saw Larson burst onto the national scene with a rookie year that turned in results you would expect from a seasoned veteran.

 

In what would be a busy year for the California driver, Larson started his winning ways in February which found himself taking both nights of the Copper on Dirt at USA Raceway in Tucson, AZ. Little did we know, this was surely a sign of things to come from this young talent.

 

Indiana Midget Week in June saw Larson score his first USAC National Midget win at Bloomington Speedway. A little over a month later Larson was sitting in victory lane at Lucas Oil Raceway in Indianapolis, his first USAC National pavement win. The winning didn't stop as sweeping the Belleville Midget Nationals would be the next big accomplishment for the young racer from California.

 

But perhaps Larson's greatest accomplishment came at the famed Eldora Speedway in late September. Not only did Larson win the USAC National Midget portion of the 4-Crown Nationals, but he also went on to win in the Sprint and Silver Crown divisions as well, a truly remarkable feat. The amazing thing, this was Larson's first trip to Eldora Speedway, making it all that more impressive.

 

Larson decided to take his talents abroad and wasted little time showing the fans in New Zealand that he has no problem adjusting to a new track. Competing against an international field with some of the top midget drivers in the world, Larson went on to another impressive win at Western Springs Speedway, topping off an unforgettable season.

 

Larson will be presented the Top Gun award during the 2012 Chili Bowl Midget Nationals in Tulsa, Oklahoma this week.

 

This is the fifth season for the popular midget award, previous "Top Gun" recipients include Jerry Coons Jr. (2007), Brad Sweet (2008) and Bryan Clauson (2009 & 2010).

 

 

 

 

Seventh:

 

Over these past few days, I’ve received quite a few e-mails that had race winners from various racetracks, from “Back in the day”.  Along with those results, I’ve also had some drivers win lists also sent to me.

Here is what I have, as of late on Wednesday:

 

 

 

Eighth:

 

I was rather shocked when I had read that the racetrack in Wyalusing, Pa. had to close up.  I was even more shocked as to the reason why.

 

WYALUSING VALLEY MOTORSPORTS PARK TO CEASE OPERATIONS IMMEDIATELY

 

After putting 6 years, thousands of hours of hard work, and thousands of dollars into providing a facility in the Northern Tier for youth and adults alike to enjoy small car racing, we are deeply saddened to have to announce that effective immediately, Wyalusing Valley Motorsports Park has ceased operations and will be closed.

 

We would like to be clear that this decision is not one we have made willingly. It is not our desire to make this decision, but rather one we are being forced into and are powerless to prevent.

 

Shortly after this season ended, and just before the banquet, the Howard family was informed that their insurance on the farm was being cancelled due to the race track being on their property. After a call to an attorney, it appeared that the solution to this would be for them to lease the use of that ten acres to Wyalusing Valley Motorsports Park, LLC. It was advised that this would exclude the Howard family from being named in any possible lawsuits were they to be initiated against WVMP. With this risk addressed, it was believed that they would then be able to obtain insurance on the farm.

 

Not long ago, they were informed by the insurance company that the lease arrangement was not sufficient, and that they were once again being cancelled. Their agent then contacted every company they represented, and each refused to insure a property that contained a race track. Another agent approached every company they represented, and all but one refused. Insurance was obtained with that company and plans for 2012 continued as planned. This week, that company sent a letter informing the Howards that their board had denied their application, and they too cancelled their insurance on the farm. For the past few days, the advice of several attorneys has been sought, and in short there are too many issues to resolve and for us to continue to operate the facility.

 

The first step would require the subdivision of the property and the sale of it to Wyalusing Valley Motorsports Park, LLC. This alone presents a roadblock, as the thousands of dollars it would take to do so (surveying, title searches, deed transfers, abstract costs, etc) is simply not there. Part 2 of that issue is the amount of time it would take. It took 8 months to get our 2 acres for our new home subdivided off the property. If the process was begun tomorrow, that would put us into August before the porperty were transferred and operations could resume.

 

The biggest aspect is the liability of a lawsuit. All of the attorneys contacted agreed on one thing. While being an LLC would protect the owners from being the target of a lawsuit, there are still circumstances that could result in lawsuits being initiated and won against them. Taking such a risk and putting what we have worked for all our lives for our families is just not acceptable.

 

This situation has developed literally in just a few days. The decision was made just a few hours ago. We are releasing this information immediately to allow teams to explore their options for 2012. We thank each and every racer, owner, crew member, sponsor, fan, and track worker for your support during the past 6 years. We have met many great people, many of whom we have come to call friends, and some that we even think of as family. It is devastating to us to have to take this action and make this decision, but I assure you, we have explored all options and this is what must be done.

 

Prior to making this release public, a few individuals have been contacted and forewarned as to the upcoming announcement. Interest has been expressed that could result in a local option for small car racing. I cannot speak any further on that matter, so please do not contact us and ask. It is not in our hands.

 

All track assets are to be sold to pay off existing debt. It is our desire to sell these assets to someone local with the intent to offer continued small car racing in the area. If not, the assets will be sold piece by piece.

 

Companies that have paid for 2012 billboards, as well as racers that have reserved pits for 2012, will receive a refund of their money. This is all sudden, so we are unable to say exactly how or when this will be accomplished. Please bear with us as we address this situation, and we will release refund details on the website as soon as we get things sorted out.

 

Again, a heartfelt thank you to anyone that has ever attended or supported WVMP in any way. It's been a hell of a ride. We wish each of you all the best.

 

Sincerely,

 

Rich Howard Sr., President

 

Billy Maynard, Vice President

 

Wyalusing Valley Motorsports Park

 

 

 

 

Ninth:

 

And, some good news on the above:

 

CHRISTMAS COMES EARLY FOR AREA KART & SMALLCAR RACERS...

 

DUNN HILL 2 "ADOPTS" WYALUSING VALLEY MOTORSPORTS PARK PROGRAM

 

Last week's sudden closing of Wyalusing Valley Motorsports Park in Homets Ferry, PA left hundreds of racers, fans, and teams in shock. Most were faced with making a choice between parking their machines or traveling 1+ hours to another facility.

 

Enter Dunn Hill 2 Speedway promoter Mark Spencer and his team. After just over a week of negotiations, an agreement has been reached between Spencer and WVMP owners Rich Howard Sr. and Billy Maynard that will result in the continuation of small car and kart racing in the Northern Tier.

 

Spencer has secured all WVMP equipment, much of which will be used in the renovations at DH2. The lighting from WVMP will be installed, and a smaller kart track will be constructed on the infield of the Monroeton, PA facility. The micro sprints and slingshots will compete on the large track. This will allow the team to prep each track more suitably for the type of cars being run on it.

 

S & A Construction, Excavation, and Trucking has stepped up to assist with the modifications to the facility. The WVMP surface will be hauled in to form the kart track, with some new clay slated to be put down on the big track as well.

 

Stock car racing will remain on Friday nights, with the small car program taking place on Saturday evenings.

 

As part of this agreement, WVMP track preparer Neil Brown has agreed to offer advice and guidance to the DH2 track crew to get the racing surfaces in shape and ready for action. WVMP promoter Billy Maynard has committed to work with the DH2 staff for the 2012 season for much of the organizational duties. Maynard declined an invitation to manage the Saturday race program, and will not be involved in race day operations. In addition, several WVMP staff members have agreed to work the DH2 program as well. This should make the transition as "seamless" as possible.

 

This arrangement is as close to picking up the WVMP racing program and simply moving it to another location as any "kid" could hope for on his or her "wish list".

 

"We love seeing the kids at our facility on Friday nights. We are doing this for the kids. We want to see them continue having fun racing." stated Spencer following Tuesday's meeting.

 

"I am grateful to Dunn Hill 2 for stepping up to the plate for the WVMP racers. I'm sure there will be a period of transition and some bugs to work out, but I hope the racers will give them a chance and support their efforts. I've had several offers to form and manage new small car operations over the past week, but from day one at WVMP our goal was to bring this type of racing to our area. My main goal moving forward was to see that continue for our racers. I look forward to assisting Dunn Hill 2 with any guidance I can to get this program up and running." offered Maynard.

 

For 2012, Dunn Hill 2 will be "adopting" WVMP's planned 2012 divisions, pricing, rules (with only a few modifications as needed for their layout and organization), and payouts. The 600cc and Regular 270cc Microsprint divisions will still be getting $50 to take the green in the feature, but once again, Spencer is throwing out a gift... $400 to win WEEKLY in both divisions (with 12 or more cars entered)!

 

Work is expected to begin right after the 1st of the year, with small car racing kicking off with practice in late April. The schedule, payouts, rules, and other information will be finalized and posted as soon as possible. Watch for news and updates on the track's website, www.dunnhill2speedway.com .

Dunn Hill 2 is the place to be in 2012 for "Full Sized Fridays" and "Small Car Saturdays". TWO times the racing! TWO times the fun! TWO times the excitement! This season, at DUNN HILL 2 SPEEDWAY, "How dirt track racing is DUNN!"

 

 

***RESERVED PITS TRANSFERRED TO DUNN HILL 2 HAVE BEEN ASSIGNED - PIT RESERVATIONS NOW BEING TAKEN AT DH2!***

 

All WVMP racers wishing to transfer their reserved pits have now been contacted and have chosen their spot.  The majority of the pit refunds have been sent.  The rest should go out this week.  If you haven't received yours yet, and don't see it by 1/18, feel free to contact the WVMP office at 570-265-8974.

 

Dunn Hill 2 Speedway is now reserving pits for the 2012 season at $35 each, with no electric. They currently have no electric, but plan to begin installing electric during the season. They will begin with pit #1 and work up from there. When electric becomes available, the racers will have the option to pay the difference to upgrade to an electric site, or to keep the pit and not use the electric.

 

The pit map is posted on www.dunnhill2speedway.com .  For more information, visit their website.

 

Thank you, and best of luck to you all in 2012!

 

 

 

 

Tenth:

 

As of today, January 11, 2012, and thanks to two different people, John DaDalt and Jerry Santibanes, I’ve been fortunate to get some midget racing results for quite a few tracks here in the northeast, and also some win records of various drivers, with the possibility of getting even more of both.

 

For the drivers, I now have list of wins for:

Charlie Miller, Ed “Dutch” Schaefer, George Rice, Johnny Ritter, George Fonder, Bill Holmes, Wes Saegesser, Ronney Householder, Len Duncan, Johnny Coy, Bill Schindler and Nick Fornoro.  George Rice “Big car” results for 1934 & 35.

 

 

 

I have race results (mostly top three) from the following tracks:

 

Yellow Jacket (1935-1942), Yellow Jacket (Post War), West Haven, Stafford, Some PA and NJ tracks, Middletown,  Hinchliffe Stadium (1939), Hinchliffe Stadium (Post War),  Menands, Kingsbridge Armory, Dorney Park, ARDC (Southern – VA & Md), Bay State 1st part, Bay State 2nd part, Bridgeport, Castle Hill, Cedarhurst, Cherry Park, Danbury, West Springfield (Pre war – 1939, 40 & 42)), West Springfield (Post war – 1945 through 1950), Rhinebeck , Mineola (1946 – 1 race), NASCAR Midget winners  and Deer Park 1947.

 

I’ve been informed that I’ll soon be getting results for Freeport.

 

 

If interested in anything, please e-mail me at:  ygordad@yahoo.com and I’ll send the results via attachments in a response back to you.

 

 

 

 

Eleventh:

 

VINTAGE TQ MIDGET CARS, FORMER DRIVING GREATS, SET FOR TENTH ANNUAL AC INDOOR RACING EVENTS

 

ATLANTIC CITY, NJ - (January 5, 2012) - Twelve TQ (three quarter) midget cars of the past and many of the same drivers who raced them decades ago are eager to get their wheels turning once again in Atlantic City’s Boardwalk Hall. The 10th edition of the event under the direction of Len Sammons and staff is planned for Friday and Saturday nights Feb. 3-4, 2012.

 

The dozen cars include the former John Wehrle no. 02, to be driven by Johnny Coy Jr.; Jimmy English’s no. 4, to be driven by Jim Maguire; the former Howard Boyd no. 43 to be driven by Hank Rogers Jr.; and Mike Osite’s no. 81 to be driven by Bobby Cicconi.

 

The Vintage TQ Midgets join four classes of race cars, the powerful TQ (three quarter) Midgets, wild dirt 600cc Micro-Sprints, rugged Slingshots and bullet-like Champ Karts will be in competition.

 

Other Vintage TQ entries are the John Fick no. 11 with Dick Peterman driving; Gary Mondschein’s no. 10X with its former driver and owner Bruce Kindberg behind the wheel; the former Charlie Smith no. 5 driven by 1960s Midwest favorite Bobby Hamilton; and Art Lawshe, original and current owner and driver of his no. 22.

 

The driver roster for the four competition classes stands at sixty-eight TQ teams, forty-five Champ kart teams, close to twenty-three dirt 600cc Micro Sprint cars and drivers, and twenty-six Slingshots are pre-entered to date.

 

That number is expected to grow steadily with three weeks remaining prior to race time. Upward of 200 teams are expected to be vying for starting berths in the four feature races.

 

Rounding out the Vintage TQ Midget teams are the former Tom DeMasco no. 18 to be driven by Drew Fornoro; the former Fred Brink no. 54 with Paul Weisel driving; the former Bud Piersig no.10 to be driven by Wayne Laucious; and Bill Force’s no. 26 that he will drive.

 

The Vintage TQ midgets will be displayed on Friday, Feb. 3 throughout Boardwalk’s Hall spectator concourse with many of their drivers and owners on hand to sign autographs.

 

A warm-up session is scheduled for Saturday afternoon, Feb. 4. Cars will then be displayed and drivers will be available for autographs and photos during the interactive evening Fanfest session prior to the beginning of racing program.

 

Drivers will hand out full-size souvenir pennants to the first five hundred youngsters during Fanfest as well.

 

The Vintage TQ program has been assembled by noted racing engineer Gary Mondschein, who himself was a TQ Midget and full size Midget driver for many years.

 

Racers wishing to enter any of the divisions competing in Atlantic City may find entry and rule information available at aarn.com.

 

Tickets for the Atlantic City event are on sale now at Ticketmaster outlets online at www.ticketmaster.com and at the Boardwalk Hall box office. Ticket prices remain the same as the past event. Premium seats sell out quickly.

 

Additional information can also be obtained by calling the show office (9 a.m. to 5 p.m.) at 609-888-3618.

 

TQ Midget entries are also pouring in for “The Coffee Cup”, the indoor race scheduled for Providence, R.I. on March 10-11, 2012 at Dunkin Donuts Center. Previous winner Ted Christopher, Billy Pauch Sr., Steve Craig, Frank Fischer, BJ MacDonald and Jonathan Reid are among those who have joined Paul Lotier Jr., who was the first entrant for the March event.

 

Racers wishing to join in the TQ Midget action at Dunkin Donuts Center may find entry and rule information available at aarn.com.

 

Tickets for the Dunkin Donuts Center Indoor Race event are on sale at Ticketmaster outlets online at www.ticketmaster.com.

 

-End-

 

Release prepared by Len Sammons.

 

 

 

 

Twelfth:

 

Ford recalls 450,000 SUVs, minivans

 

Ford Motor Co. on Wednesday issued a recall for some 450,000 minivans and sport utility vehicles for problems that could lead to dangerous losses of power or fires.

 

The recall covers nearly 206,000 Ford Freestar and Mercury Monterey vans of the model years 2004 and 2005.

 

Ford said there is a risk of the failure of the output shaft of the vehicle's torque converter, which "results in a sudden loss of motive power with nor warning, increasing the risk of a crash."

 

It also recalled about 145,000 Ford Escape SUVs made in 2001 and 2002, saying there was a risk that brake fluid would leak leading to corrosion of electrical wiring and possible fires.

 

Ford said it would fix the problems for free.

 

Link:  http://news.yahoo.com/ford-recalls-450-000-suvs-minivans-174734718.html

 

 

 

 

 

Thirteenth:

 

Jan 12 2012

JEFF HEOTZLER ENTERS AC INDOOR RACES EIGHT OF NINE PAST GAMBLER CLASSIC WINNERS IN FIELD

DIMENSION DESIGN BONUSES ANNOUNCED

 by Len Sammons

ATLANTIC CITY,  NJ - (January 11, 2012) -  Jeff Heotzler, winner of Atlantic City’s 2005 Gamblers Classic  Indoor Race at Boardwalk Hall, is  the latest TQ (Three quarter) Midget driver to enter the annual event.

The 10th edition of the event under the direction of Len Sammons and staff is planned for Friday and Saturday nights Feb. 3-4, 2012.

Heotzler, of Wallkill, N.Y., was the winner of a memorable race that was decided in Heotzler’s favor on the final lap,

The lightning-fast TQ (three quarter) Midgets join three other classes of race cars: the out-of-control dirt 600cc Micro-Sprints, the aggressively-driven Slingshots and the missile-like Champ Karts.

Heotzler’s entry confirms eight of the nine previous Gamblers Classic are planning to compete.

Joey Payne (2004, 2007); Lou Cicconi Jr. (2006, 2010); and Ted Christopher (2009, 2011) are two time winners; each is seeking a third Gamblers Classic victory in this year’s race.

Mike Tidaback (2008), like Heotzler, is a solo Gamblers winner; only Andy Mackareth (2003) is not entered and is inactive in the sport.

Heotzler has not raced at Boardwalk Hall in three years; his car was demolished in a 2009 accident at Providence, R.I. but has been repaired for this event.

The driver roster for the four competition classes stands at 73 TQ teams, 54 Champ kart teams, 31 dirt 600cc Micro Sprint cars and drivers, and 27 Slingshots.

That number is expected to grow steadily with two weeks remaining prior to race time.  Upward of 200 teams are expected to be vying for starting berths in the four feature races.

TQ Midget entries are wide ranging, having been received from eight states one Canadian province.

Vintage TQ midgets have been added to the weekend of events. Cars will be displayed on Friday, Feb. 3 throughout Boardwalk’s Hall spectator concourse.

A warm-up session is scheduled for Saturday afternoon, Feb. 4.  Cars will then be displayed and drivers will be available for autographs and photos during the interactive evening Fanfest session prior to the beginning of racing program. Drivers will hand out full-size souvenir pennants to the first five hundred youngsters during Fanfest as well.

Racers wishing to enter any of the divisions competing in Atlantic City may still do so and can find entry and rule information available at aarn.com.

Tickets for the Atlantic City event are on sale now at Ticketmaster outlets online at www.ticketmaster.com and at the Boardwalk Hall box office. Ticket prices remain the same as the past event. Premium seats sell out quickly.

Further information can also be obtained by calling the show office (9 a.m. to 5 p.m.) at 609-888-3618.

TQ Midget entries are also pouring in for “The Coffee Cup”, the indoor race scheduled for Providence, R.I. on March 10-11, 2012 at Dunkin Donuts Center.

Early entries include Ryan Tidman, Ted Christopher, Billy Pauch Sr., Steve Craig, Frank Fischer, BJ MacDonald and Jonathan  Reid are among those who have joined Paul Lotier Jr., who was the first entrant for the March event.

Racers wishing to join in the TQ Midget action at Dunkin Donuts Center may find entry and rule information available at aarn.com.

Dimension Design (DD), Brodheadsville, Pa., has enhanced both the Atlantic City and Providence races with a cash bonus program for all cars running Dimension Design component parts and sporting DD decals.

The plan is as follows: overall fast qualifier (if a DD eligible car) $100; Gamblers Classic top three finishing DD cars (any position) $100, $75, $50.

The  top three Dimension Design finishers in the Providence Indoor race will also receive like  bonuses and if a DD eligible car wins both the  Atlantic City Gamblers Classic and Providence Coffee Cup that team will earn an additional  $250.

Five $100 gift certificates will be distributed throughout the field each weekend.

Dimension Design will once again supply TQ and 600 racers with pit side service at both indoor races.

Tickets for the Dunkin Donuts Center Indoor Race event are on sale at Ticketmaster outlets online at www.ticketmaster.com.

     

 

 

 

Fourteenth:

 

Deep pockets are really needed - especially so if you have a racecar.  What with today’s modern racecars, from the smallest up to the largest, I’d venture to say that a good 90% of those that are racing today are what you could call “Store bought”.  No longer do we find many “Home built” machines used for auto racing.

Now what got me going on this was, believe it or not, the Chili Bowl midget race.  They started real racing on Tuesday.  Races are held every night through Friday to get to see who might run on Saturday, and eventually end up in the “A” Main or the feature race of the week.  Now, keep in mind, there are different groups that race on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday.  And, one must be there the preceding Sunday.  Uh huh!  So, if you’re fortunate to be scheduled to race on Friday, then you have to basically be there all week long.  That cost a few bucks, for sure.  The same applies for most anyone racing on any night down there – it’s a long and expensive week, which, in most cases, the teams will not make any money.  But there is something else – “Bragging rights” and “Prestige” if you end up in the top 24.

 

 

 

 

Press Releases:

January 8, 2012

NEWS FROM… EASTERN MOTORSPORT PRESS ASSOCIATION

 

CONTACT:    

RON HEDGER, PRESIDENT, 518-885-7481

LENNY SAMMONS, VICE PRESIDENT, 609-888-3618                                                                             JOHN SNYDER, MEDIA OFFICE, 845-225-3560

ROBIN ERWIN, WEBMASTER, robinervin1@comcast.net

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

 

STEWART, ECKERT TOP THE LIST OF HONOREES AT ANNUAL NASCAR/EMPA HALL OF FAME BANQUET

 

Writer Jerry Reigle and Photographer Lee Smith Garner EMPA Awards

 

 

KING OF PRUSSIA, PA (January 9).…..Tony Stewart, winner of the 2011 NASCAR Sprint Cup championship, and dirt track Late Model driver Rick Eckert, winner of the World of Outlaws Late Model Series championship, topped the list of racing personalities and media members honored during the NASCAR/EMPA Hall of Fame Banquet Saturday night, January 7, at the Crowne Plaza Valley Forge in King of Prussia, Pennsylvania.

 

Chosen by the members of the Eastern Motorsport Press Association (EMPA), Stewart was tabbed the Al Holbert Memorial National Driver of the Year, while Eckert was voted the Richie Evans Memorial Northeast Driver of the Year. Eckert was present to accept his award.

 

Other honorees included IZOD IndyCar head Randy Bernard who was named the T. Wayne Robertson Newsmaker of the Year, while Long Island Modified driver Justin Bonsignore was chosen by the EMPA members as the winner of the John Blewett III Young Guns Award Presented by New England Racing Fuel. Pennsylvania businessman and longtime racing supporter Stan Lobitz received the Junie Donlavey Spirit of the Sport Award. Bonsignore and Lobitz were present to accept the ir awards.

 

Inducted into the EMPA Hall of Fame were the late Frank Blunk, The New York Times Motorsports Editor; the late Jim Hunter, NASCAR executive and former Darlington Raceway president; retired dirt track Modified star driver Jack Johnson; retired NASCAR and independent dirt and asphalt star driver Merv Treichler; the late Jack Arute Sr., owner and promoter of Stafford Motor Speedway in Stafford Springs, Connecticut, and the late Bill Singer, longtime race track announcer and radio personality. Members of the Hunter, Arute, and Singer families were present for the inductions.

 

EMPA members also recognized their own for outstanding contributions to the sport. The late Jerry Reigle, former daily newspaper reporter and Assistant Editor of Area Auto Racing News, was awarded the Jim Hunter Memorial Writers Award, and Lee Smith, Area Auto Racing News and o the r publications, was voted the Ace Lane Sr. Memorial Photography Award. The late Dick Greenawalt received the Art McHugh Memorial Award for his contributions to EMPA. Members of the Greenawalt family were present to receive his award. The President’s Award, which is not given every year, went to retiring EMPA Treasurer Bill Yoder, who had held the position since the organization was founded.

 

World Racing Group initiated a new award this year, the Jerry Reigle Outstanding Contribution to Sprint Car Racing Award presented by the World of Outlaws. The first recipient of this award (which will be given annually) was Pennsylvania race track promoter Alan Kreitzer. Accepting his award, Kreitzer announced a special racing program at Lincoln Speedway this coming May that will benefit the Eastern Museum of Motor Racing building fund, especially the Jerry Reigle Racing Library.

 

A highlight of the evening was the awarding of prizes in the organization’s video and broadcast, writing, and photography contests. Winning first places in the American Honda Motor Company/EMPA Video and Broadcast Contest were Matt Thomas, Non-Broadcast Race Coverage; Mel Thomas, Non-Broadcast Non-Event/Compilation Videos; Brian Unangst, Broadcast Local/Regional News Segment and Broadcast Local/Regional Auto Racing Shows; and Matt Thomas, Broadcast Race Coverage Single Event.

 

Winning top honors in the Pocono Raceway/EMPA Writers Contest were Len Sammons, Race Report; Chuck Givler, Personality Profile; Andy Heintzelman, Feature; John Snyder, Column; and Kyle Hardner, News. Sammons, Snyder, and Hardner’s articles appeared in Area Auto Racing News; Givler was cited for an Easton (PA) Express-Times piece; while Heintzelman’s feature was in Performance Racing Industry, a monthly trade magazine.

 

Photographers earning first place recognition in the Brice’s/NAPA/EMPA Photography Contest were Dave Pratt for Action; Mike Petrucci for Crash Action; Tommy Hein for the Don Marks Memorial Action Sequence; Ace Lane Jr. for Picture Story; Petrucci for Portrait and Personality; Rebecca Eisele for Feature; Dave Dalesandro for Unpublished Color; and Brent Smith for Pure Art.

 

Ace Lane Jr. won the Portfolio of the Year Award, while Rebecca Eisele took home top honors for Best in Show. The Janice Brice “Honorable Mention” Award went to Jim Smith.

 

The EMPA Convention included press conferences, seminars, presentations by track and racing series promoters, as well as the video and broadcast, writing, and photography member contests, social interaction with all types of American motorsports personalities, and the NASCAR-sponsored Hall of Fame Banquet. This year’s keynote speaker was Stewart Doty, publisher/editor of Racing Promotion Monthly Newsletter and organizer of the annual RPM Promoters Workshops. Doty was substituting for IndyCar reporter and television personality Robin Miller, who was hospitalized in Indianapolis the evening prior to his scheduled appearance.

 

A roundtable seminar on The New Media with Doty, Chris Dolack (World Racing Group), and Evan Jones (Maple Grove Raceway) produced a lively participation from the ga the red writers and photographers.

 

Sponsors of the EMPA Convention included NASCAR (represented by Tim Southers, Whelen Modified Tour champion Ron Silk, and driver Michael Speeney); Dover International Speedway (Gary Camp); IZOD IndyCar Series (Kate Guerra); Pocono Raceway (Kevin Heaney); SPEED-TV; World Racing Group/DIRTcar/WoO (Chris Dolack, Kevin Kovac, and Joe Skotnicki); New England Racing Fuel; American Honda Motor Company; and Brice’s Auto Parts, Inc./NAPA ( Bill Brice).

 

American Honda Motor Company/EMPA Video and Broadcast Contest

 

Non-Broadcast Division

 

RACE COVERAGE (1) Matt Thomas, (2) Mike O’Brien

 

NON-EVENT/COMPILATION VIDEOS (1) Mel Thomas, (2) Brian Unangst

 

Broadcast Division

 

LOCAL/REGIONAL NEWS SEGMENT (1) Brian Unangst

 

LOCAL/REGIONAL AUTO RACING PROGRAMS (1) Brian Unangst, (2) Mike Feltenberger and Randy Kane

 

National Programs AND Single Event Coverage

 

RACE COVERAGE-SINGLE EVENT (1) Matt Thomas, (2) Mike Feltenberger and Randy Kane

 

 Pocono Raceway/EMPA Writers Contest Award Winners

 

RACE REPORT (1) Len Sammons, (2) Dino Oberto, (3) Ron Hedger

 

PERSONALITY PROFILE (1) Chuck Givler, (2) Chris Romano, (3) Len Sammons

 

FEATURE (1) Andy Heintzelman, (2) Chris Romano, (3) Ron Hedger

 

COLUMN (1) John Snyder, (2) Matt Noles, (3) JR Kennerup

 

NEWS (1) Kyle Hardner, (2) Len Sammons, (3) Dino Oberto

 

Brice’s Auto Parts, Inc./NAPA/EMPA Photography Contest Award Winners

 

ACTION (1) Dave Pratt, (2), and (3) Dave Pratt

 

CRASH ACTION (1) Mike Petrucci, (2) Jim Smith, (3) Lee Smith

 

DON MARKS MEMORIAL ACTION SEQUENCE (1) Tommy Hein, (2) Ace Lane Jr., (3) Todd Dziadosz

 

PICTURE STORY (1) Ace Lane Jr., (2) Dave Dalesandro, (3) Paul Arch

 

PORTRAIT AND PERSONALITY (1) Mike Petrucci, (2) Paul Arch, (3) Mike Petrucci

 

FEATURE (1) Rebecca Eisele, (2) Dave Dalesandro, (3) Rick Sweeten

 

UNPUBLISHED COLOR (1) Dave Dalesandro, (2) Rick Sweeten, (3) Brent Smith

 

PURE ART (1) Brent Smith, (2) Debbie Gastelu, (3) Bob Yurko

 

PORTFOLIO OF THE YEAR Ace Lane Jr.

 

BEST OF SHOW Rebecca Eisele

 

JANICE BRICE “HONORABLE MENTION” AWARD Jim Smith

 

 

Coming up:

The AARN's annual Motor Sports show - January 20th, 21st & 22nd, 2012.

Greater Philadelphia  Expo Center At Oaks 100 Station Ave. Oaks, PA 19456

For GPS use this address:

1601 Egypt Road  Phoenixville, PA 19460 (Upper Providence Township)

484-754-3976

http://www.aarn.com/motorsports2012.html

 

Atlantic City Indoor Race 2012

February 3rd & 4th, 2012

Atlantic City Boardwalk Hall  2301 Boardwalk  Atlantic City, NJ 08401

http://www.aarn.com/acindoorrace2012.html

 

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 NY on March 3, 2012. A buffet dinner with cash bar for $40 per person. It will be open seating-with reservations for tables of 10. The top 10 drivers in each Friday division will be honored as well as Mid Week Madness drivers. As per our rules, drivers must be an Accord Speedway member and must attend the banquet to receive their award.
reservation form CAN BE FOUND IN THE “FILE” SECTION
 

http://www.accordspeedway.com/

 

2nd annual OCFS Motorsports Show March 30th - April 1st. Entry forms and vendor applications available soon. Any questions feel free to ask here or call the speedway office at 845-342-2573 or ocfsmotorsportsshow@yahoo.com

 

Note:  The above was posted on Facebook by Ken Reed.

 

 

 

Last week, and in a couple of other columns, in the past, I’ve had this posted:

 

West Springfield, MA Motorsports Expo

 

Are you aware that the West Springfield, MA Motorsports Expo is returning?  It will be held at the Eastern States Exposition in West Springfield, MA on March 2, 3 & 4 in 2012.

It’s website:  www.needforspeedexpo.com

 

Well, sad to say, but it looks like it ain’t gonna be happening in 2012, at least.  There was a notice in the latest issue of the AARN, on page 9, that says the “Need for Speed” Expo has been delayed.  Plans are still in the works for this show to be held in 2013, however.

 

Note:  I don’t know just who or what has caused this to happen, suffice to say that both manufacturers and race tracks need to be involved – and were they?  Per the small article, it seems maybe not?

 

 

Found on Jayski’s website:

http://www.jayski.com/

 

Team owner Haas being sued:

A Miami-Dade lawsuit over a real estate deal gone awry could put a significant dent in NASCAR team owner Gene Haas' Sprint Cup [#14-Tony Stewart] championship spoils. Haas made the winning bid on two multimillion-dollar Golden Beach mansions at a public auction just days before NASCAR's season-ending race in Homestead. Yet the sellers of the homes, brothers Robert and Steven Fox, say Haas  through a proxy  reneged on the deal, and in turn forfeited the $1 million deposit that auction rules mandated be paid up front."He simply refused to sign the contracts," said attorney Eric Isicoff, who is representing the Foxes in the suit."In my 30 years in this business, this is the first time this has ever happened," added auctioneer (and Pompano Beach Mayor) Lamar Fisher, who handled the sale. Calls to Haas' attorneys, both in Fort Lauderdale and in California, were not returned Wednesday. A spokesman for Haas' primary business, the machine-tools company Haas Automation, declined comment.(full story at Miami Herald)(1-5-2012)

 

Rusty Wallace Racing closing: UPDATES:

Rusty Wallace is in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico this week, hosting his annual Charity Golf and Fishing Tournament. Next week, he'll return home to make some difficult decisions on the future of his Rusty Wallace, Inc. NASCAR Nationwide Series team.RWI fielded a pair of Nationwide Series Toyotas for son Steve Wallace and Michael Annett last season, with Annett finishing ninth and Wallace 10th in championship points. Major sponsor 5-Hour Energy departed at season's end to back Clint Bowyer's new Sprint Cup Series effort at Michael Waltrip Racing in 2012, and the search for a replacement has yielded no results. Now, Wallace faces the prospect of closing the doors on a team he has devoted the last seven years of his life to building. "I'm afraid we're getting really close to that right now," admitted the 1989 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion. "I don't want to do it. It breaks my heart even thinking about it. But if we don't have the money to do this thing right, it's not worth doing. We've got some sponsorship in place for next year, but not nearly enough to run the full season. Honestly, we've got just enough money to get ourselves in big trouble. My wife Patty and I are trying to decide what to do," he said. "We're looking everywhere for a way out; a way to avoid closing the doors. But I'm afraid that may be where we're headed."(Sirius Speedway)(1-6-2012)


AND:

Reliable sources say that Rusty Wallace, Inc., will close its doors at the end of business [Friday], laying off a majority of its employees. Expect an official announcement within the hour.(Sirius Speedway)(1-6-2012)


UPDATE:

Rusty Wallace is a man of his word. In September, the former NASCAR champion and current team owner warned if there wasn't enough money to run his Nationwide Series program, he'd put the shop in mothballs. Unfortunately, that day has come. Rusty Wallace Inc. is expected to shut its doors next Friday, sources told FOXSports.com.(Fox Sports)(1-6-2012)


UPDATE:

Officials of Rusty Wallace Racing, LLC (RWR) announced today that the team's on-track activities will be put on a temporary hiatus. While the organization's day-to-day competition activities will temporarily cease, key elements of RWR's business staff will remain in place to continue development of future opportunities. The team is currently assisting #66 driver, Steve Wallace, in exploring several exciting opportunities for 2012, with backing from his current RWR sponsors. RWR will continue to maintain and manage those sponsor relationships on Wallace's behalf. #62 driver, Michael Annett has been released from the team and will pursue other 2012 opportunities with his longtime family sponsor, Pilot Flying J.(Rusty Wallace Racing)(1-6-2012)

 

Martin driving for Gibbs at Las Vegas:

Joe Gibbs Racing announces that Mark Martin will drive the Interstate Batteries Toyota Camry in the 2012 NASCAR Nationwide Series race in Las Vegas in March. "We've always hoped to have the opportunity for Mark to drive for us and to have him behind the wheel of our Interstate Batteries Toyota for the Nationwide race in Vegas is exciting," said J.D. Gibbs, president of Joe Gibbs Racing. "He is a great example to all drivers of the dedication it takes to be successful and certainly we're honored to have him part of our efforts in 2012." While Martin is only currently scheduled to race in Las Vegas for JGR, the team is still working on opportunities for the veteran driver to secure additional races.(Joe Gibbs Racing)(1-6-2012)

 

JR Motorsports' flagship team will compete for a NASCAR Nationwide Series championship with one of the sport's up-and-coming stars, as Cole Whitt has been tabbed to drive the company's flagship #88 Chevy in 2012. Whitt, a 20-year-old native of Alpine, Calif., will also compete for Sunoco Rookie-of-the-Year honors. He comes to JR Motorsports from the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, where he finished ninth in last year's championship standings with one pole, two top-five and 11 top-10 finishes. To date he is the youngest driver ever to win the USAC (United States Auto Club) National Midget championship, as his title-winning effort in 2008 put him alongside esteemed former USAC national champions such as Jeff Gordon, Tony Stewart and Kasey Kahne. The signing of Whitt completes the 2012 driver line-up for JR Motorsports, which will compete in Nationwide Series competition with Whitt in the#88 Chevy, Danica Patrick in the #7 Chevy, and Earnhardt Jr. in select races in the #5 Chevy.(JR Motorsports)(1-4-2012)


UPDATE:

JR Motorsports has hired Bruce Cook as crew chief for the #5 team, which will run primarily with Earnhardt Jr. in select races. Cook comes to JR Motorsports from Kevin Harvick, Inc., where he served as crew chief in 2011 in the Camping World Truck Series, predominately for the #2 KHI Chevrolet, which won the owner's championship. With Cook atop the pit box, his team scored six wins, 19 top-fives and 22 top-10s. Cook was also the winning crew chief of the Nationwide Series season-opener at Daytona in 2011 with driver Tony Stewart.(JR Motorsports PR)(12-5-2012)

 

Kahne & Sweet to split #38 in 2012:

Turner Motorsports, along with Great Clips, Inc., announced that Kasey Kahne will increase his time behind the wheel of the #38 Great Clips Chevy in 2012 to compete in 15 NASCAR Nationwide Series events. Up and coming driver, Brad Sweet, who has competed on a limited basis in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series for the last two years and in the USAC Sprint Car Series and World of Outlaws Series for Kasey Kahne Racing (KKR) for the last four seasons, will make a run for the Rookie of the Year title and will round out the balance of the 33-race NNS schedule when Kahne is not behind the wheel.(Turner Motorsports)(1-2-2012)

 

Kyle Busch may not run Nationwide in 2012:

Kyle Busch is unlikely to compete in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series in 2012, at the request of Joe Gibbs Racing and their Sprint Cup Series sponsor, M&Ms. Kyle Busch Motorsports General Manager Rick Ren confirmed today that there is "a high probability" that Busch will withdraw from the 2012 Truck Series. "That topic is being discussed almost constantly around here right now," he said, adding, "It is not necessarily something that Kyle chose. If he doesn't run Trucks this year, it will be at the request (of JGR). Not by demand, but by request. Things change on an hour-by-hour basis," said Ren today, "but if I had to answer you right now, I'd say he will probably not race in the Truck Series next year. There is a possibility of him running no Nationwide races under certain circumstances, as well. There are a lot of things being discussed right now, which makes it pretty tough on me. I've been trying to figure out whether Kyle's going to be available to run our Trucks and Nationwide cars, then determine whether the individual sponsors will stay around without him behind the wheel." Ren said many of the team's sponsors came aboard with the understanding that Busch would drive a specified number of races in their entries. How, with Busch's participation uncertain at best, many of those negotiations are back to square one. I believe Kyle will drive a KBM Nationwide Series Toyota in a certain number of races next year," said Ren. "I can't swear to it, but that's what it look like today." (Sirius Speedway)(12-23-2011)

 

Leffler's plans still up in the air:

Despite a strong season, things are up in the air for Jason Leffler and 2011 may have been his best opportunity at the championship. Steve Turner and the folks at Turner Motorsports are making some changes for the future and it doesn't look good for Leffler. After six seasons with Leffler, sponsor Great Clips has told Turner Motorsports it would like to be partnered with a different driver. And in October, Turner said he would put up to four cars on the track but only one, driven by Justin Allgaier, would compete full time. The other three would be a rotating combination of current Turner drivers, up-and-coming drivers and Cup Series veterans. So right now, things are uncertain for Leffler. If he stays at Turner, it looks to be in a part-time role. Leffler could look to run for another team, but at 36, he doesn't exactly have youth on his side. Leffler has expressed a desire to run in the Cup Series again, but rides there are at a premium and it doesn't appear owners are pounding at Leffler's door.(NASCAR.com)(12-23-2011)

 

Kurt Busch still expected to drive for Kyle:

On Thursday, Phoenix Racing announced it had hired [Kurt Busch] to drive for its #51 Chevy team next season. The #51 entered every Cup race in 2011 with several different drivers. The news release announcing Busch's move said he would drive a "full schedule" with the team. Busch is also expected to join forces with his younger brother, Kyle, and drive for Kyle's Nationwide series team in 2012. One option being considered is for Kurt Busch to run the full Nationwide schedule and compete for the series championship, multiple sources said. Under NASCAR's current system, Busch will only be able to earn driver points in only one series. It remains unclear what effect Thursday's Cup announcement will have on the Nationwide plans. A spokesman for Kyle Busch Motorsports said Friday the team was still finalizing its driver lineup and would not have any official announcements until after Jan. 1. (Charlotte Observer)(12-22-2011)

 

Norris denies Pastrana Waltrip will shut down: UPDATE:

Michael Waltrip Racing General Manager Ty Norris is moving to quell speculation that the team will shut down its Pastrana Waltrip Racing NASCAR Nationwide Series team and highly successful NASCAR K&N Pro Series East operation due to lack of sponsorship. Former Pastrana Waltrip Racing crewchief Jerry Baxter left the team recently to accept a new position as Cale Gale's NASCAR Camping World Truck Series crew chief at Eddie Sharp Racing. Since then, rumors have circulated that MWR will shutter its Nationwide and K&N Pro Series East operations and lay off a number of employees. Norris denied those reports today, saying, "I know where they came from, and they are absolutely untrue." Norris revealed that PWR is contractually committed to run seven NASCAR Nationwide Series races in 2012 with Pastrana and sponsor Boost Mobile, saying the team "will absolutely honor that commitment. The plan was to run the full K&N Pro Series East schedule with Travis, then use the personnel from the K&N team to support our Nationwide effort," said Norris. "But we simply don't have the funding to do the K&N East Series right now. We've been hanging onto those (employees) since September because we don't want to break up a championship team. The question is, how long do we wait when the funding is not there?" Norris doubles as MWR's Executive Vice President of Business Development, and said there are three companies talking about expanding Pastrana's 2012 schedule. As of now, however, seven Nationwide races are all the team has sold.(Sirius Speedway)(12-15-2011)


UPDATE:

Veteran crew chief Jerry Baxter will join Eddie Sharp Racing to compete for the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series championship with Cale Gale during the 2012 season. With 20 years of experience in the motorsports industry, the San Diego, Calif., native will lead the #33 Rheem Chevrolet Silverado team.(ESR PR)(12-21-2011)

 

#71 team not returning in 2012? UPDATE:

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 Talladega in the fall of 2009, while Mike Bliss finished ninth in the 2010 Coke Zero 400 at Daytona. Team owner Kevin Buckler did not immediately return a call seeking comment today.(Sirius Speedway)(1-4-2012)


UPDATE:

Buckler has suspended operations of his #71 Ford, which carried Andy Lally to series' Rookie of the Year honors. TRG Motorsports made 106 starts from 2009-11 and scored two top-10 finishes. Buckler used 11 drivers in those three seasons, including 2000 Cup champion Bobby Labonte and former Truck Series champions Mike Skinner and Mike Bliss. "I want to be in Cup, but I want to be there with a proper program," Buckler said. "I don't think the way the economy is right now and the amount of money required right now that a single-car team can make it as a good program. I don't want to go without a good program." Buckler said he's putting his NASCAR aspirations "on hold" but hopes to return when he collects the right firepower. "I know what to do now," he said. "How many guys say, 'I'm going NASCAR racing,' then make it through the ranks and run Cup for three straight years? I feel very fortunate. I had some great partners that worked with me and backed me and we learned a lot. It was an expensive lesson that won't go wasted. If somebody showed up with a check and wanted to go NASCAR racing, we've got a program for them." And so Buckler's full attention has fallen back to GT road racing and his massive Porsche-based racing operation and extraordinary preparations needed to win the Rolex 24."My enthusiasm for road racing has never waned," he said. "TRG Motorsports is still alive and well. We will continue to look for the right Cup opportunity and right partner. When that happens, we're back in NASCAR."(Daytona Beach News Journal)(1-9-2012)

 

Kurt Busch running limited NNS schedule with Phoenix:

Phoenix Racing announced that in addition to running the complete NASCAR Sprint Cup Series schedule with Kurt Busch, they will field the #1 Chevy in a limited amount of NASCAR Nationwide Series races, starting at Daytona with Kurt Busch. The team plans on running all major events and are looking for sponsorship for these races."Everyone at Phoenix Racing is excited about competing on the Nationwide circuit this year," said Steve Barkdoll, General Manager of Phoenix Racing. "Our Nationwide Series team is a proven, winning organization and we're looking forward to Busch continuing the tradition. This is a great opportunity for a company to partner with a top-notch program."(Breaking Limits)(1-9-2012)

 

Robby Gordon / Dakar Rally - Stage 7:

Another history making day for Team Speed and the Robby Gordon Motorsports Hummers as Nasser Al-Attiyah wins Stage 7, his 2nd in the 2012 Rally, and teammate Robby Gordon coming in 2nd place, 7 minutes and 30 seconds behind. It's the first time RGM built cars finish 1st and 2nd on the podium during a Dakar Rally. Gordon now sits in 3rd place - 13 minutes and 9 seconds behind the leader Peterhansel. Qatari sits in 6th place over all, nearly 43 minutes behind. It's been an eventful Rally thus far for the Team Speed Hummers. Robby Gordon has been quite consistent, finishing in the top 5 - 5 out of the 6 stages that have been completed. Consistency is what wins the Dakar Rally. As the team prepares the cars for the journey into the Atacama Desert of Chile, then on to the new territory of Peru, they will rest their heads with one thing on their mind - an overall win on January 15th.(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.(1-8-2012)

 

Robby Gordon / Dakar Rally - Stage 9:

Robby Gordon and the #303 SPEED Energy/Toyo Tires HUMMER dominated Stage 9 of the 2012 Dakar Rally, winning by 1 minute and 38 seconds over Stephane Peterhansel. Gordon, with the help of his navigator Johnny Campbell, lead the entire stage with 3 MINIs breathing down their necks. Unfortunately, Nasser Al-Attiyah's day would end completely different. Al-Attiyah encountered the same issue today as he did yesterday when a serpentine belt popped off, not once but three times. Using all of his spares, Al-Attiyah was stranded near KM 200 of the 556 km stage. Being more than an hour down to the overall leader, Al-Attiyah made the tough decision to end his efforts for a repeat championship and dropped out of the stage. For Gordon and Campbell, the race to become the first Americans to win Dakar lives on. Winning Stage 9 win marks Gordon's 5th special stage victory during a Dakar Rally. Gordon is now only 5 minutes and 58 seconds behind overall leader Stephane Peterhansel with only five stages remaining.
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.(1-11-2012)

 

2012 NASCAR Preseason Thunder at Daytona set for this Week:

NASCAR is back in full gear as the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series teams hit the pavement at Daytona International Speedway this week for three days of preseason testing. The main focus of the test is for teams to work on their final preparations for 2012 Speedweeks  in particular, the 54th running of the Daytona 500 on Sunday, Feb. 26. "This is an opportunity we are providing to the competitors to implement and test the new Daytona rules package for 2012," said Robin Pemberton, vice president of competition. "It's a chance for them to get comfortable with the cooling package, the smaller spoiler and to practice drafting for next month's Daytona 500." The new rules package is a result of information gathered during recent tests at Talladega last October and at Daytona last November. "While we have had other tests with these set-ups, this is the first opportunity for the entire field to test together and get more comfortable with this package as it relates to their cars," Pemberton said.


The new rules package includes:
· Smaller radiators
o Maximum of 2 gallon capacity
· Smaller overflow tank
o Maximum capacity of ½ gallon
· Radiator inlet is moved up closer into the front center bumper area
· Rate reduction in the springs  softer springs
· Smaller rear spoiler
· Base line restrictor plate of 29/32 inch (1/64 inch larger than plate size for the 2011 Daytona 500)
"This three-day test will allow the engine tuners for these teams to be able to work with their engine packages and see how they relate and react to the new cooling regulations," Pemberton said. Next month's Daytona 500 will be only the third NASCAR Sprint Cup Series points event ran on the repaved Daytona International Speedway. This year's Preseason Thunder will continue to be an opportunity for teams and drivers to test their skills on a relatively fresh surface in addition to the new rules. Complementing the testing portion of this weekend's festivities, the track is also offering fans an opportunity to be part of a special two-day Fan Fest event. Fan Fest sessions are scheduled for Thursday, Jan. 12 and Friday, Jan. 13 and include autograph sessions, driver question and answer sessions, show cars and displays, music and a photo opportunity with the 2012 Harley J. Earl Daytona 500 trophy. In addition, fans can ride the high banks under the lights by purchasing a Richard Petty Driving Experience ride along.
Tickets for Daytona Preseason Thunder Fan Fest are $20 and available by calling 1-800-PITSHOP or online at www.daytonainternationalspeedway.com. Children 12 and under will receive free admission.
Daytona International Speedway will also host special driver chat sessions on the speedway's social media channels following the end of testing Thursday and Friday evenings. Fans can submit questions for Twitter chats by using #daytonatesting, with answers, updates and testing information coming from Daytona International Speedway's Twitter feed @DISUpdates. Fans can also submit questions on Facebook for LiveStream chats with drivers on www.facebook.com/DaytonaInternationalSpeedway. NASCAR's official Twitter feed @NASCAR will also provide updates throughout the three-day session.
SPEED will broadcast live coverage of testing on all three days from 1-5 p.m. ET. Additionally, SPEEDTV.com will stream testing live from 9 a.m.-noon ET each day.(NASCAR)(1-10-2012)

NOTE:  Check the TV section below, for some different times other than those noted, above.

 

TAG Heuer Eyewear will sponsor Kurt Busch:

TAG Heuer Eyewear announced that it has entered into a multi-race sponsorship agreement with Sprint Cup Series champion Kurt Busch and Phoenix Racing. Busch, who will drive the # 51 Chevy for Phoenix Racing in the entire 2012 Sprint Cup season, has a personal services agreement with the eyewear company. TAG Heuer Eyewear will be featured as the primary sponsor on the # 51 Chevy for the Feb. 18 Budweiser Shootout at Daytona International Speedway, where Busch is the defending winner. Additionally, TAG Heuer Eyewear will serve as an associate sponsor on the # 51 Chevy during the 54th running of the Daytona 500 on Feb. 26 and again on March 11 for the Kobalt Tools 400 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Busch's hometown track.(TrueSpeed Communications)(1-11-2012)

 

Hamilton, Jr. files for bankruptcy:

Former NASCAR Sprint Cup driver Bobby Hamilton Jr. has filed for bankruptcy to reorganize his debts, according to U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Tennessee. Hamilton Jr. filed the Chapter 11 bankruptcy papers last week. Hamilton Jr. and his wife are listed as debtors, as is his company, Hamilton Entertainment. According to his filing, Hamilton Jr. lists assets of $551,825 and liabilities of $1,293,543. More than $929,000 of the liabilities are property mortgages or loans, while he also lists owing the Internal Revenue Service $198,000 for 2005 taxes. Hamilton Jr., the son of the late Sprint Cup star, competed in 64 Cup races from 2000-2005. He also has 253 career starts in the Nationwide Series. His total NASCAR winnings are more than $12.8 million, but drivers typically take home 40-50 percent of their winnings.(Scene Daily)(1-11-2012)

 

 

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 13th to January 19th

 

JANUARY 13

1959

Ernie Irvan... Born ... NASCAR Winston Cup driver

1990

John Heydenreich won the Chili Bowl Midget Nationals at the Expo Square in Tulsa, OK.

Race report:  http://www.wheelsofspeed.com/report/1_13_90-1.html

 

2007

Danny Oakes... Died ... In the 1940s and 50s, he was one of America's leading Midget Race Car drivers winning 100s of races around the country. He won the Turkey Night Grand Prix and 3 West Coast Midget Championships in 1945. In 1947, he won the American Automobile Assn. Midget title and the United States Auto Club Pacific Coast Midget championship in 1959. At age 40, he tried to qualify for the Indianapolis 500 from 1952 to 1955, without success. But as a mechanic, he put many others into the winners circle and earned the reputation as one of the best mechanics in the Indy pits. As chief mechanic in 1963, for 1952, 500 winner Troy Ruttman, his car finished 12th and driver Johnny White, brought Oakes his best finish of 4th in 1964. He quit driving midgets in his mid-60s, but continued his racing career into his 70s as a throttle man in offshore boat racing. He was inducted into the National Midget Auto Racing Hall of Fame in 1996.

 

JANUARY 14

1982

Johnny Matera ... Died ... AAA driver from the 1930's and 40's.

1994

Myron Fohr ... Died ... AAA driver from the 1940's.

1999

Thomas Binford, founding member of USAC, former USAC president and Indy 500 Chief Steward, dies of cerebral hemorrhage in his office in Indianapolis, Indiana.

2001

Carl Hogan former CART team owner, died at home in New Hampshire

 

JANUARY 15

1900

William Lynn Jr.... Born ... aka : "Tee Linn", used the alias to escape the clutches of his prominent Philadelphia family. Lynn was an up and coming driver with a great future until an August 11, 1934 race at Langhorne, Pennsylvania where he crashed into the fence to avoid hitting a boy who ran across the racetrack.

1919

Bill Stroppe... Born ... Car builder and off-road racer

1970

Rick Treadway... Born ... Indy Racing League driver. Finished 29th in the 2002 Indy 500

1978

Sonny Easley... Died ... Easley was best known for competing in the NASCAR Winston West Series and a handful of Winston Cup Series events. Easley tallied nine Winston West victories over his career, including a victory in the first stock car race ever held at the Laguna Seca Raceway road course. He finished 2nd in Winston West points on two different occasions, in 1973 and 1975. In 19 career Cup starts, Easley had a best finish of 5th place at the January 16, 1977 Winston Western 500 at Riverside International Raceway. During practice for a NASCAR modified sportsman race at Riverside on January 15, 1978, Easley was killed when his 1968 Camaro slid across the track into a trailer and pickup truck near pit road. A pit crew member for Tiny Keith, Douglas Grunst, was also killed in the incident.

 

JANUARY 16

1930

Rollie Beale... Born ... USAC driver from the 60's & 70's

1935

A.J. Foyt... Born ... Considered by many as the greatest American automobile racing driver of all time.

1944

Bill Tempero ... Born ... Indy car driver. He raced in the CART Championship Car series from 1980 to 1984.

2007

Benny Parsons... Died ... BP drove in Winston Cup for almost 20 years and won the 1973 championship, and is the answer to a popular trivia question of who is the only driver to win championships in Cup and ARCA (1969). In 1988 he retired from driving and went straight into the TV booth, where he was a regular for ABC, ESPN, and from 2001-06 NBC; BP was the first star driver to make such a full-time career change, and he became even more loved by the public because of it. Benny died of cancer, he was 65.

 

JANUARY 17

1895

John Duff... Born ... a Canadian racecar driver who won many races and has been inducted in the Canadian Motorsport Hall of Fame. Finished 9th in the 1926 Indy 500

1936

Mickey Rupp... Born ... Started the Rupp Kart Co. in 1959 that lasted until 1978. Drove USAC Sprints & 1 Indy 500 (1965)

1965

Dan Gurney took his 3rd straight 'Motor Trend 500' NASCAR Grand National win at Riverside International Raceway. Gurney drove the Wood Brothers Ford into the lead to stay with 55 laps left, coming home 27 seconds ahead of Junior Johnson's Ford. Marvin Panch finished one lap down in third, also in a Ford. No factory Dodges or Plymouths were entered by Chrysler Corporation in protest of NASCAR's new rules for 1965 banning their hemi engine. With 16 laps to go, A.J. Foyt was attempting to overtake Johnson for second when his brakes failed at the end of the mile long backstraight. Rather than hit Johnson and the turn 9 wall, Foyt steered off an infield drop off, sending his Ford on a series of end over end flips. Foyt suffered a broken back and fractured left heel in the crash. Ned Jarrett ran with the leaders until his Ford burst into flames during a pit stop on lap 94. The safety crew quickly extinguished the fire and no one was injured. A crowd of 61,474 watched Gurney average 87.708 mph on the 2.62 mile road course. Racing on his international license, Gurney was ineligible for NASCAR points, making Johnson the points leader.

Race report:  http://www.wheelsofspeed.com/report/1_17_65-1.html

 

1994

Andrew Craig was hired as President and CEO of CART.

2000

Carl Forberg... Died ... Midget driver, midget and sprint car owner, and Duane "Pancho" Carter's father-in- law

 

JANUARY 18

1932

Johnny White... Born ... USAC sprint & Indy car driver from the 1960's

1940

Pedro Rodriguez... Born ... F1 and sportscar racer.

1945

Jimmy Caruthers... Born ... USAC midget, sprint and Indy car driver from California.

1950

Gilles Villeneuve... Born ... F1 driver

1951

John DePalma... Died ... AAA driver, he was the brother of 1915 Indy winner Ralph DePalma and the uncle of 1925 Indy winner Pete DePaolo.

1968

Andy Granatelli sued USAC for witholding his membership, preventing him from racing, and passing "illegal" rules (broke 3-year engine rule) that crippled his turbine-car racing effort.

1971

Christian Fittipaldi... Born ... Brazilian racing driver who competed in Formula One, Champ Car and NASCAR.

 

JANUARY 19

1899

Joe Caccia... Born ... AAA driver, died in 1931 Indy 500 practice

1929

Red Amick... Born ... USAC driver

1934

Don Nordhorn ... Born ... USAC driver

1958

Johnnie Tolan won the 100 mile USAC Midget race at the Riverside International Speedway, Riverside, CA.

Note:  Yes, that was on the road course.

Results:  http://www.ultimateracinghistory.com/race.php?raceid=4500

 

 

1963

CAMRA, the Canadian American Modified Racing Association, is formed in a meeting held in Spokane, Washington . The association's goal is to standardize modified rules among the racing clubs in the Pacific Northwest. Bill Crow named CAMRA's first president

1964

Joe Weatherly... Died ... NASCAR driver. He died from head injuries sustained in a racing accident at the fifth race of the 1964 season at Riverside International Raceway. His head went outside the car and struck a retaining wall. Weatherly's death would light the fire under NASCAR to mandate the window net, which was mandated in 1971. Window nets are used in most stockcar racing series to this day.

1968

Ray Harroun ... Died ... The winner of the first Indianapolis 500

 

 

 

 

 

News from the AARN:

http://www.aarn.com/

 

From their January 3rd issue:

 

The winner of next years Forrest Rogers Memorial Race at the Grandview Speedway will get a $10,000.00 bonus if it’s a track regular, so it would be a possible $20,000.00 pay day.  Nice!

 

In the AARN’s first issue from June 14, 1963 – Vol 1 No. 1 – only New Egypt (then a ¼ mile paved track) and the Orange County Fair Speedway remain as racing facilities.

 

Pete Britten has won a couple of races “down under” in seven days.

 

Noted Micro Stock drivers Tom Ervin and John Kazmierski lost their Micro Stocks and other items, when a fire destroyed the garage on Ervins property.

 

Paul Lotier is building a radical TQ for the indoor races down in Atlantic City – offset and with independent suspension.

 

Erick Rudolph will run 5-6 Whelen Modified races in 2012 and more 358 dirt modified events at Merrittville and Ransomville in a self owned car, for the dirt racing.

 

Len Sammons:

Mr. Sammons was talking about how the AARN has done over its 50 years in publication.  The first issue had 4 pages and 5 photos.  Harold Rulon, a racing scorer, along with Leonard J. Sammon, Jr. were the two columnists.  Flemington, Old Bridge, New Egypt and Harmony Speedways had coverage.  Today, during the racing season, the paper has about 80 pages, and during the off season, at least 40.

 

Steve Barrick:

Steve is a new to the staff of the AARN.  I’m not positive if he is still going to be doing racing programs for various tracks, or not.  In his first column, he has an article about the track in Bridgeport – what is happening, and also a brief history of the track.

Note:  Check at the end of News from the AARN, for some info as to what’s happening.

 

Steve also had another article in the paper with information on the New Egypt Speedway.  For 2012 – Big Blocks – 2550 lbs Open Small Blocks – 2450 lbs and Pa Small Blocks – 2350 lbs.

The TSRS 305 Sprint Cars will have 14 races with Crate Sportsman and Fastrack LM’s.  The 305’s all get the same amount of money, no matter where they finish.

 

Ernie Saxton:

Mr. Saxton does not do Facebook, twitter or other forums.  He does have contacts with Linkein, though.  To the best of his knowledge, IndyCar will be a no-go for a race in Baltimore in 2012.

 

Brett Deyo:

Brett says that Billy Bauch, Jr. will be in the Petruska # 66 modified and wil run at New Egypt with it, along with some selected Accord and other special shows in the area – 40 races.  They will go no further north than 5 Mile Point.

Big Diamond will have a “Little Diamond” track inside the current one, with racing starting on it after May 12th, starting with Slingshots and then followed by other Saturday night classes.  Those classes that will run on Saturday nights are:

ARDC Midgets, 305 Sprint Cars, SpeedSTR’s, Pro Stocks, Thunder Cars, Legend Cars, AMA Flat Track Bikes, Xcel 600’s and Super Sportsman.  No not all classes will run every Saturday.  On the ARDC’s message board, it is said that the ARDC will run the outer track.  The Saturday schedule, as of now will go from April 7th to September 8th.

 

Todd Heintzelman:

There is still talks about the handicapping at Williams Grove and Lincoln Speedways, with some drivers comments due out in the next issue.  Mufflers will be mandatory at Port Royal (the track is in the middle of town) – the track wanting to be a good neighbor.  Believe it or not, some fans are complaining about the use of the mufflers.

Steve Smith returns as the “Black Bandit” again, in a car owned by Chad Clemens and Chris Luck.  Smith now hails from Broken Arrow, OK.

The website:  www.theblackbandit.com

 

Ron Mentus:

Ron says the IndyCar schedule is way “Off Course”.  Five years ago in 2007, there were 17 races, 12 on ovals.  In 2012, of the 17 races that were held in 2007, ten are no longer on the schedule, with nine of them being ovals.

Organizers of the Baltimore GP are considering a proposal which would see a company takeover to save the IndyCar race – scheduled for September 2nd, from bankruptcy.  Share holders will vote on whether or not to accept.

 

John Snyder:

Mr. Snyder is starting his 37th year with the AARN.  Back when he started, the “Big six” tracks were:  Reading, Nazareth, Flemington, East Windsor, Bridgeport and OCFS.  Only two are left, and my view:  both are not doing all that well.

John goes on to talk about how the modified bodies have changed over the years, and how those bodies have affected the surfaces of the racetracks.

 

Ken Kuhlman:

Mr. Kuhlman beats Mr. Snyder by ten years as far as being a member of the AARN team and an auto racing journalist.

 

Gary London:

He has part two of racing in and around New York City, with Weisglass Speedway, Roosevelt Stadium, in Jersey City and the Polo Grounds.  Yes, even back then the NY papers were not interested in auto racing, but only in “team” sports.

 

There are quite a few names mentioned in this weeks AARN of some that were associated with racing, in one way or another, that have left us.

They are:

Cecil King, 62, who ran LM’s at Shangri-La, on December 23rd.

Robert F. “Bob” Warren, Sr. 76, a nationally ranked Go-Kart racer.

Joe Gerber, 77, an RoC promoter, on December 17th.

Charlie Svetec, 63, former URC champion, on December 25th.

Robert “Bob” Hall, 88, a stock car driver at Flemington, on December 17th.

Richard G. “Dick” Disbrow, Sr., 71, who ran at Wall stadium, on December 19th.

Ricky Miller, 63, a racing writer from Long Island, on December 19th.

Michale Christopher Berton, 24, son of former modified driver Chris Berton and his wife, Bonnie,on December 18th.  He was also the nephew of Brett and Bobby Hearn.

Lee Elwell, 67, New Jersey stock car driver, on December 23rd.

James “Mitch” Brudy, 54, the 1st Truck champion at Wall Stadium in 1996, on December 22nd.

 

 

In AARN
This Week – January 10th issue:

Doug Hoffman Signs
Multi-Year Operating Lease
For Bridgeport Speedway

410 Sprint Shakeup:
Kreitz Hires Ryan Smith

Test At Newly Paved Borger's
Is Huge Success

DIRT Sanction,
Big Block Modifieds
In At Albany Saratoga

EMPA Honors Past,
Present Racing Greats
At Convention

Will Cagle, Reutimann Brothers
Coming To Motorsports 2012 Show

Modified Car Owner
Roger Hill Passes Suddenly

 

 

 

 

Former Oakland Valley Speedway (Dirt Oval) runners:

 

It looks like Joey Bruning, Chris Daley, Kyle Kania and Eric Zeh will be racing Champ Karts at Atlantic City, while Mike Casario will be in a TQ and Anthony Perrego in a Slingshot.

 

 

 

 

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

 

 

Chili Bowl on TV:

 

http://www.cbssportsnetwork.com/schedule

What you have to do is type in your zip code and who is your cable provider.  From what I’ve seen, it will be tape delayed and on January 28th.

 

And, in case you missed it, from above, in the Jayski news section, and practice at Daytona:

SPEED will broadcast live coverage of testing on all three days from 1-5 p.m. ET. Additionally, SPEEDTV.com will stream testing live from 9 a.m.-noon ET each day.(NASCAR)(1-10-2012)

NOTE:  To see exactly what three days this testing was being done, I went to the SPEED website.  It seems that they are on Thursday, Friday and Saturday.  HOWEVER, the times shown on SPEED are quite a bit different than what is said in the article on Jayski.  SPEED has it for 1:00, 3:00 and 6:00 PM on Thursday and Friday, and 1:00 and 3:00 on Saturday.

 

 

 

More racin’ stuff:

 

Reutimann returns to Truck Series with RBR

The '04 ROY will run up to 15 races that are companion events with Cup schedule

In part:

"David Reutimann, the 2004 Truck Series rookie of the year, plans to return to the series in 2012, agreeing this week to run up to 15 races in the No. 92 Chevrolet for Ricky Benton Racing, mainly companion events associated with his part-time Cup schedule with Tommy Baldwin Racing.

Team spokesman Rick Benton said Saturday that talks began in earnest after the team hired crew chief Jason Overstreet in early December.

"We heard about [Reutimann's] situation after being released from Michael Waltrip Racing," Benton said. "Our crew chief, Jason Overstreet, had worked with David several times back early on. So they've got a relationship there, so we just kind of thought it might be a good possibility to put that deal together.

"He's a very marketable guy and we thought he'd be a good fit for what we like to do business with a lot of clients. It all came together and that's where we're at."

More on this if you go here:  http://www.nascar.com/news/120107/dreutimann-truck-2012-ricky-benton-racing/index.html

 

 

 

I get e-mails:

 

I am really concerned about North Korea's appointment of the "Dear Leader," Kim Jung Ill's youngest son to be the new leader of North Korea-- a nuclear power!

 

After all, Kim Jung Un (pronounced Kim's young-un?) had NO military experience whatsoever before daddy made him a four-star general in the military. This is a snot-nose twerp who has never accomplished anything in his life that would even come close to military leadership: he hasn't even so much as led a cub scout troop, coached a sports team or commanded a military platoon... ...So, setting that aside, next they make him the "Beloved Leader" of the country. Terrific!!!

 

 

Oh, crap! I'm sorry. I just remembered that we did the same thing here. We took a community organizer who has never worn a uniform and made this Dumbo; Commander-in-Chief; a  Dumbo  who has never led anything more than an ACORN demonstration and made that Dumbo the leader of this country.

 

I'm sorry I brought this up. 

 

Never mind.

 

 

 

 

Some non-racing stuff:

 

Miss. court halts quick release of some pardoned

 

In part:

 

"JACKSON, Miss. (AP) — A Mississippi judge has temporarily blocked the release of 21 inmates who'd been given pardons or medical release by Republican Haley Barbour in one of his final acts as governor.

 

Circuit Judge Tomie Green issued an injunction late Wednesday at the request of Democratic Attorney General Jim Hood.

 

Hood said he believes Barbour might've violated the state constitution by pardoning some inmates who failed to give sufficient public notice that they were seeking to have their records cleared.

 

Barbour said in a statement Wednesday, a day after leaving office, that he believes people have misunderstood why he gave reprieves to more than 200 inmates. Most received full pardons, while others received suspended sentences because of medical conditions. Barbour said 189 of the inmates had already completed their incarceration.

 

Mississippi Department of Corrections spokeswoman Suzanne Singletary told The Associated Press that five inmates let out over the weekend are the only ones on Barbour's list who had been released as of Wednesday evening. She said the 21 were still in custody because processing paperwork generally takes several days. Among other, things, state law requires the department to give victims 48 hours' notice before an inmate is released.

 

Neither Hipp nor Barbour's lead staff attorney, Amanda Jones Tollison, responded to questions about whether Barbour's staff verified that pardoned inmates had met the 30 days' publication requirement.

 

Each of the five inmates released this past weekend had worked as a trusty at the Governor's Mansion. They are David Gatlin, convicted of killing his estranged wife in 1993; Joseph Ozment, convicted in 1994 of killing a man during a robbery; Anthony McCray, convicted in 2001 of killing his wife; Charles Hooker, sentenced to life in 1992 for murder; and Nathan Kern, sentenced to life in 1982 for burglary after at least two prior convictions.

 

Singletary said each of the five men published legal notices in local newspapers within the past month.

 

A little more on this can be found here:

 

http://news.yahoo.com/miss-court-halts-quick-release-pardoned-005735624.html

 

 

 

 

 

Is this true?:

 

The “American Dream” – should it be earned, or given?  You might be surprised as to what some college sophomores think.  Scary?   You bet!

 

Check this video out:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VxHfYNTrnic&feature=youtu.be

 

 

 

 

Video time:

 

Did you ever have a favorite car as you were growing up?  Here’s a video of one that did.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=bz-nO6WvOYw

 

 

 

Photos:

 

Note:  The photos are not available on Dirt Track Digest, only on New England Tractor - http://newenglandtractor.com/racereport/

 

With all the race track results I’ve received, along with some drivers win lists, from the midget racing from “Back in the day”, I thought it would be kind of appropriate to put up a photo of one of the stars from back then – Al Keller, as he’s pictured in the Turner “Startdust” # 17 midget that was metallic blue, in color.  I dunno, maybe it’s me, but I think the midgets of that era are better looking than what we have, today.  One thing for sure, you can sure see the driver, and watch him “work” that wheel “Back in the day”, not like it is today!

 

 

 

 

 

 


Closing with these:

 

I suppose it is time for some "Blonde" jokes, huh?

 

A blonde & her husband are lying in bed listening to the next-door neighbor's dog. It has been in the backyard barking for hours & hours. The blonde jumps up out of bed and says, "I've had enough of this".  She goes downstairs.

 

The blonde finally comes back up to bed and her husband says, "The dog is still barking, what have you been doing?"

 

The blonde says, "I put the dog in our backyard, let's see how THEY like it!

 

 

 

Two Blondes With Hammers...

 

Lynn & Judy were doing some carpenter work on a Habitat for Humanity House.  Lynn was nailing down house siding, would reach into her nail pouch, pull out a nail & either toss it over her shoulder or nail it in.

 

Judy, figuring this was worth looking into, asked, "Why are you throwing those nails away?"  Lynn explained, "When I pull a nail out of my pouch, about half of them have the head on the wrong end & I throw them away."

 

Judy got completely upset & yelled, "You moron! Those nails aren't defective! They're for the other side of the house!"

 

 

You might have to think twice about this one.

 

 A blonde hurried into the emergency room late one night with the tip  of her index finger shot off.. 'How did this happen?' the emergency room doctor asked her.

 

'Well, I was trying to commit suicide,' the blonde replied..

 

'What?' sputtered the doctor. 'You tried to commit suicide by shooting off your finger?'

 

'No, silly' the blonde said. 'First I put the gun to my chest, & then I thought, 'I just paid $6, 000.00 for these implants...

 

I'm not shooting myself in the chest.'

 

'So then?' asked the doctor.

 

'Then I put the gun in my mouth, & I thought, 'I just paid $3,000..00 to get my teeth straightened I'm not shooting myself in the mouth.'

 

'So then?'

 

"Then I put the gun to my ear, & I thought: 'This is going to make a loud noise.' So I put my finger in my other ear before I pulled the trigger"

 

 

 

A blonde was driving home after a game & got caught in a really bad hailstorm.. Her car was covered with dents, so the next day she took it to a repair shop. The shop owner saw that she was a blonde, so he decided to have some fun.... He told her to go home and blow into the tail pipe really hard, & all the dents would pop out.

 

So, the blonde went home, got down on her hands & knees & started blowing into her tailpipe.. Nothing happened.. So she blew a little harder, & still nothing happened.

 

Her blonde roommate saw her & asked, 'What are you doing?' The first blonde told her how the repairman had instructed her to blow into the tail pipe in order to get all the dents to pop out. The roommate rolled her eyes & said, 'Uh, like hello!  You need to roll up the windows first.'

 

 

 

A blonde was shopping at Target & came across a shiny silver thermos. She was quite fascinated by it, so she picked it up & took it to the clerk to ask what it was.

 

The clerk said, 'Why, that's a thermos... It keeps hot things hot, And cold things cold.'

 

'Wow, said the blonde, 'that's amazing.....I'm going to buy it!' So she bought the thermos & took it to work the next day.

 

Her boss saw it on her desk. 'What's that,' he asked?

 

'Why, that's a thermos..... It keeps hot things hot & cold things cold,' she replied..

 

Her boss inquired, 'What do you have in it?'

 

The blond replied... 'Two popsicles & some coffee.'

 

 

 

AND LAST BUT NOT LEAST

 

A blonde goes into work one morning crying her eyes out.

 

Her boss asked sympathetically, 'What's the matter?'

 

The blonde replies, 'Early this morning I got a phone call saying that my mother had passed away.'

 

The boss, feeling sorry for her, says, 'Why don't you go home for the day? Take the day off to relax & rest.'

 

'Thanks, but I'd be better off here. I need to keep my mind off it & I have the best chance of doing that here.'

 

The boss agrees & allows the blonde to work as usual.  A couple of hours pass & the boss decides to check on the blonde.

 

He looks out from his office & sees the blonde crying hysterically....

 

'What's so bad now? Are you gonna be okay?' he asks.

 

'No!' exclaims the blonde. 'I just received a horrible call from my sister. Her mother died, too!'

 

 

      Blondes Are The Best!!!

 

 

 

 

 

Is this true:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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