Racin' & Internet Stuff:

                                                                                By Tom Avenengo

                                                                                     Volume # 92

                                                                                      03/15/2012

 

First:

Gradually the column will get back to what it was in the past.  I am, however, considering dropping some non racing related items, though.

 

Second:

I’m wondering – are there others out there that watch NASCAR racing on TV and can’t stand that one Sunoco driving/winning commercial that has some idiotic “singer” screaming and screeching what are supposed to be some lyrics?  Nothing but annoying noise to this old fart!

 

Third:

Here’s something that turned up on the Internet the other day:

“New post-
I was talking to Mike Sanchelli at Ledgewood Mall show and he said he was hoping to get ARDC on Eastern States Weeekend. The Saturday part. that would be ok with me. I havent been to OCFS since we raced with ARDC in 2005.”

Note:  Hmm, somewhat interesting, I’d say.  I have seen that the CRSA 305 Sprint Cars, although appearing at OCFS three times in 2012 are not listed (their schedule) for ESW, and the schedule on the OCFS’s website does not show just what actual classes will be in competition for ESW.  I post on the ARDC’s message board quite a lot and have asked, many times, about them running at OCFS and Accord on the same weekend.  It seems that a good part of the ARDC drivers think OCFS is to “big” – I wonder what they would have done, back in the day, when the ARDC had races from 25 miles up to 300 miles on one mile tracks?  And, I’ve also read that OCFS wasn’t all that happy the last time the ARDC was at OCFS, as far as car counts went.

Oh, by the way, if the scheduled NEMA race for Oswego goes off as scheduled, on August 25, 2012 - that looks like it will be the only “full” midget race held in New York State.  Sad, huh?   I was hoping for at least one ARDC show at Accord, but I guess that ain’t happening – again.

 

 

Fourth:

 

To be honest, I cringe when I see poor use of words/spelling when people post on the Internet.  How many times do you see “Should of” where it should really be “Should have” or Should’ve”?  Then there is always “There” They’re” and “Their” – usually used wrong in a lot of cases.

 

 

Fifth:

 

Watching the Cup race (it was kind of boring, so I did drift away at times) and watching the pit crew for Matt Kenseth got me to thinking – just how much do these teams spend on uniforms, anyway?

 

 

Sixth:

 

From last week:

Ninth:

 

I received the following e-mail, from my friend “Benzee”, around 10:00 PM on Wednesday, just after I had closed out this column:

 

Hello all ,
 
We will be returning to Dover on Sun June 3rd for the Nascar Race .
We have secured the hospitality Tent at the track through the NLEOMF
Includes
 
R/T Deluxe Motorcoach
4 am depart Middletown Wal Mart
430 Monroe Wal Mart
One motorcoach only hosted by  Benzee
 
Reserved Premium Race Ticket Turn #1 or #2  ( $84  section )
 
Hospitality Tent at Hospitality Village at track
All you can eat cont breakfast
All you can eat full lunch
All you can drink refreshments and adult beverages as well

Nascar Driver Meet Q and A ( Driver TBA )
NOTE : 2010 race we seen Greg Biffle
 
Pre Race Trackside Tour
 
Entertainment , Raffles and Door Prizes
 
Cost is $180 per person
 
Money order , check , cash or pay pal
 
Contact Erwin " Benzee" Benz
benzee95@hotmail.com
C- 845 234 5323

 

Well, guess what, folks?  I received this message from Benzee this past Sunday:

“Hi Tom  no I have not heard from her and yes we only have few seats left will start waiting list soon”.

 

And, this message around 7:00 PM on Monday, via Facebook:

 

“NASCAR Bus trip to Dover is filled . We will be adding names to the waiting  list as they come in . I have been asked to run a second motorcoach and its being discussed .”

 

Interesting, huh?  I’ll keep you informed.

 

 

 

Seventh:

 

Any idea as to how much Tony Stewart won this past Sunday at Las Vegas in the Cup race?

 

Tony Stewart Mobil 1/Office Depot Chevrolet $428,175.00

 

 

 

Eighth:

 

 

Any idea as to what vehicle they’re talking about?

 

    March 8, 1950

“R&T tested one in 1956...0-60 in 75 seconds, the quarter mile was covered in 27 seconds at 47 mph.

It was one of the most charming and engaging vehicles ever to turn a wheel, and I'd love to have one.

But I'd never drive it unless I was wearing knee pads...”

 

“I wonder how many children were conceived in those things.”

 

http://www.trackforum.com/forums/showthread.php?161159-March-8-1950

 

http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/vw-bus-icon-of-counterculture-movement-goes-into-production

 

 

 

Ninth:

 

Sally Ann Enright – RIP

 

SALLY ANN ENRIGHT

July 8, 1942 - March 8, 2012

Port Jervis, NY

Mrs. Sally Ann Enright of Port Jervis, NY and a lifetime resident of the area died Thursday, March 8, 2012 at Bon Secours Community Hospital. She was 69.

 

She was born July 8, 1942 in Port Jervis, NY, the daughter of the late Francis M. and the late Pauline E. Realy Clune.

Sally Ann was married to William J. "Tex" Enright until his death on January 5, 1980.

She worked for many years at Kolmar Labs, Port Jervis in the Powder Department.

A family statement read: "Mom was the best mother anyone could ever have and she always gave from the heart. Her kids always came first."

Surviving are four sons: William Enright of Homer, NY, Robert Enright of Mechanicville, NY, Jerry Enright of Sparrow Bush, NY and Thomas "Tucker" Enright and his companion, Jackie Smith of Port Jervis; two daughters, Sue Ann Enright of Sparrow Bush, Liz "Betty Boop" Enright of Port Jervis; five brothers: Thomas Clune of Bumpass, VA, Francis Clune of Port Jervis, Clare "Bud" Clune and his companion, Ronnie of Port Jervis, Danny Clune and his wife, Sharon of Port Jervis, Don Clune and his wife, Mary Ann of Sparrow Bush; three sisters: Betty Clune of Sidney, NY, Rose Marie Clune of Port Jervis, Mary Ann Clune of Nebraska; nine grandchildren: Heaven, Nellie, Sarah and Virginia Keys, Sarah Coley, Danny and Rachel Hill, Kathy and Barbara Lee; three great grandchildren; also several nieces and nephews. She was predeceased by her daughters, Robin J. Enright Thomas on 5/12/2009 and Sarah Enright on 3/26/1958.

Friends may call at the Gray-Parker Funeral Home, 100 E. Main St., Port Jervis on Monday, March 12 from 6 to 8 p.m. with a service at 8 p.m. at the funeral home with Rev. Joseph Iannone officiating. Cremation will be at H.G. Smith Crematory, Stroudsburg, PA.

Memorial contributions may be made to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memorial & Honor Program, 501 St. Jude Place, Memphis, TN 38105-1942.

Funeral arrangements are by the Gray-Parker Funeral Home 845.856.5191. For additional information, directions or to send a condolence note to the family visit www.grayparkerfuneralhome.com

 

 

Tenth:

 

This, below, turned up on Facebook on Tuesday:

 

Jeff Heotzler is looking for a ride for the 2012 season. He had plans of competing weekly at Accord Speedway, but according to a post on the team's Facebook page, his car owner removed everything from the team's race shop while they spent the weekend in Syracuse.

 

And this was posted on DTD’s forum:

 

Jeff Heotzler Racing

 

Special Announcement from Jeff Heotzler Racing:

 

Unfortunately, The Jeffer will no longer be the driver of the 19J modified at the Accord Speedway.

 

Over the weekend, while The Jeffer was attending the Gater Expo, the 19J car owner went to the Jeff Heotzler Racing shop and took everything - car, parts, tires, spares, everything. The only thing left behind was a note.

 

The hard work and dedication put into totally rebuilding and in some cases, reengineering, the car all winter long by Jeff and Jeff Jr. was all for nothing.

 

As of today, The Jeffer has no plans of racing in 2012.

 

The Jeffer would like to thank all of his loyal fans and supporters over the years.”

 

 

 

Eleventh:

 

Rules of the USA Flag

 

Here are just some of the “Rules for our flag” – Yes, these are on Jayski’s website.

 

The laws relating to the flag of the United States of America are found in detail in the United States Code. Title 4, Chapter 1 pertains to the flag; Title 18, Chapter 33, Section 700 regards criminal penalties for flag desecration; Title 36, Chapter 3 pertains to patriotic customs and observances. These laws were supplemented by Executive Orders and Presidential Proclamations.

 

Time and occasions for display

a.It is the universal custom to display the flag only from sunrise to sunset on buildings and on stationary flagstaffs in the open. However, when a patriotic effect is desired, the flag may be displayed twenty-four hours a day if properly illuminated during the hours of darkness.

b.The flag should be hoisted briskly and lowered ceremoniously.

c.The flag should not be displayed on days when the weather is inclement, except when an all-weather flag is displayed.

d.The flag should be displayed on all days, especially on

◦New Year's Day, January 1

◦Inauguration Day, January 20

◦Martin Luther King Jr.'s birthday, third Monday in January

◦Lincoln's Birthday, February 12

◦Washington's Birthday, third Monday in February

◦Easter Sunday (variable)

◦Mother's Day, second Sunday in May

◦Armed Forces Day, third Saturday in May

◦Memorial Day (half-staff until noon), the last Monday in May

◦Flag Day, June 14

◦Father's Day, third Sunday in June

◦Independence Day, July 4

◦Labor Day, first Monday in September

◦Constitution Day, September 17

◦Columbus Day, second Monday in October

◦Navy Day, October 27

◦Veterans Day, November 11

◦Thanksgiving Day, fourth Thursday in November

◦Christmas Day, December 25

◦and such other days as may be proclaimed by the President of the United States

◦the birthdays of States (date of admission)

◦and on State holidays.

 

e.The flag should be displayed daily on or near the main administration building of every public institution.

f.The flag should be displayed in or near every polling place on election days.

g.The flag should be displayed during school days in or near every schoolhouse.

 

Respect for flag

No disrespect should be shown to the flag of the United States of America; the flag should not be dipped to any person or thing. Regimental colors, State flags, and organization or institutional flags are to be dipped as a mark of honor.

 

a.The flag should never be displayed with the union down, except as a signal of dire distress in instances of extreme danger to life or property.

b.The flag should never touch anything beneath it, such as the ground, the floor, water, or merchandise.

c.The flag should never be carried flat or horizontally, but always aloft and free.

d.The flag should never be used as wearing apparel, bedding, or drapery. It should never be festooned, drawn back, nor up, in folds, but always allowed to fall free. Bunting of blue, white, and red, always arranged with the blue above, the white in the middle, and the red below, should be used for covering a speaker's desk, draping the front of the platform, and for decoration in general.

e.The flag should never be fastened, displayed, used, or stored in such a manner as to permit it to be easily torn, soiled, or damaged in any way.

f.The flag should never be used as a covering for a ceiling.

g.The flag should never have placed upon it, nor on any part of it, nor attached to it any mark, insignia, letter, word, figure, design, picture, or drawing of any nature.

h.The flag should never be used as a receptacle for receiving, holding, carrying, or delivering anything.

i.The flag should never be used for advertising purposes in any manner whatsoever. It should not be embroidered on such articles as cushions or handkerchiefs and the like, printed or otherwise impressed on paper napkins or boxes or anything that is designed for temporary use and discard. Advertising signs should not be fastened to a staff or halyard from which the flag is flown.

j.No part of the flag should ever be used as a costume or athletic uniform. However, a flag patch may be affixed to the uniform of military personnel, firemen, policemen, and members of patriotic organizations. The flag represents a living country and is itself considered a living thing. Therefore, the lapel flag pin being a replica, should be worn on the left lapel near the heart.

k.The flag, when it is in such condition that it is no longer a fitting emblem for display, should be destroyed in a dignified way, preferably by burning

 

Note:  Notice part “d”, above about it being used as wearing apparel?

 

 

 

Twelfth:

 

Regarding the penalties on the Hendricks/Gordon owned # 48 Cup car – I started a thread on it over on the Track Forum, which can be seen if you go here:  http://www.trackforum.com/forums/showthread.php?161363-Penalties-upheld-so-far-on-48-team

 

I really like the following post from that thread:

 

“One thing I never understood during this whole brou-ha-ha is it was pre race inspection.

 

Ive had my own cars run thru tech and Ive teched I dont know how many race cars.

 

It wasnt NASCAR of course but anytime someones car was inspected it was.....

 

A) Youre good to go. Slap this sticker on the door/wing

 

B) youre gonna fix that before next week right?

 

or

 

C) Youre GONNA fix that before we let you on the track

 

Seems like this has always been a pass fail test

 

Not a You fail AND we are going to ruin your season test

 

If a car isnt legal and cannot be made legal in a reaosnable amount of time you tell them to drop the back up off the trailer and run that one that weekend

 

Please explain

 

 

And these, too:

 

“So if a car off the truck, never on the track gets you in this much trouble how long until NASCAR does surprise inspections in the teams garage to find out if the cars meet the lofty " Section 12-1 of the NASCAR Rule Book "Actions detrimental to stock car racing;" Section 12-4(J):"???”

 

And:

 

“12-1 replaced the old "EIRI" rule ("Except in rare instances") as the catch-all rule for when you don't have an actual rule that covers what you want to gig someone for.

If they were honest about it, NASCAR would fine itself under 12-1.”

 

 

 

Thirteenth:

 

This coming weekend at Bristol – 46 entrants for both the Cup and Nationwide races.  Danica should have a blast on the Bristol track!

 

 

 

Fourteenth:

 

I’m pretty sure I’ve made mention, in the past, about doing a photo article on my all-time favorite race driver – Johnny Ritter.  Well, it is basically done, but I did have a slight problem.  When doing it, I copied and pasted the photos into the document, similar to how I put photos into these weekly columns.  Photo wise, it’s close to almost thirty of them.  I found that when I attempted to attach the article, it just kept “loading” and “loading” and “Loading”.  So, I broke it down into three parts.  Even with that, I noticed the second part took a shade over three minutes to “load”.

 

I sent the article – the three parts all attached in one mailing, to his daughter, Sharyn, for her to check it out and give her approval.  And, also to ask her for a specific photo that had been sent (and lost) getting re-sent, so I could sneak it into the article.  Speaking with her on Wednesday evening, there might be a few more photos coming from her, so my initial plan of sending out the article this coming weekend, could be put on hold, especially if I have to make it four parts rather than three. 

 

 

 

Fifteenth:

 

I would not be surprised at all if what follows is true of all the financial institutions here in our country and also world-wide, too:

 

Goldman Banker Quits In Disgust, Blasts Firm For “Ripping Off” Clients

 

In part:

 

"Another PR disaster is unfolding for Goldman Sachs (GS), the Wall Street investment bank that has already borne the brunt of popular wrath in the aftermath of the financial crisis.

 

A senior executive at the firm, Greg Smith, quit today in spectacular fashion, announcing his resignation in a scathing New York Times editorial in which he accused the firm of gleefully "ripping off" its clients and succumbing to short-term greed.

 

Within today's Goldman Sachs, Smith says, senior bankers often refer to the firm's clients as "muppets."

 

To say this is a devastating indictment of Goldman is an understatement. Outside observers have been saying similar things about the firm for years, but Goldman's response has been that it always puts its clients first and that outsiders--including Congress-people--just don't understand its business.

 

But now an insider has said the same thing.

 

And it seems to verify every criticism that has been lobbed at Goldman over the past several years.

 

(Meanwhile, a former aide of Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner has just joined Goldman Sachs as the head of global communications. He's certainly going to have a busy first day!)"

 

Note:  To be perfectly honest folks, I've never trusted Geither.  No idea why, just somehting about him.

 

More on this can be seen if you go here:

 

http://finance.yahoo.com/blogs/daily-ticker/goldman-banker-quits-disgust-blasts-firm-ripping-off-144413462.html

 

 

 

Sixteenth:

 

I've been waiting for this announcement:

 

 

Will Danica win the Prelude?

 

From the Dirt Track Diegest's Forum:  http://www.dirttrackdigest.com/DTD/index.php?/topic/42668-will-danica-win-the-prelude/page__gopid__366970

 

Danica will be driving a dirt late model at Eldora. Pretty cool that she is willing to attempt this knowing that she will be the focal point. I dont think she will do very well but I give her credit for trying! I honestly think she will have more pressure here than any other race she has done.

 

Note:  I really expect this thread to have quite a few postings.

 

And this, from the Track Forum on the Prelude:

 

DIRT RACING’S GRANDEST STAGE TO SERVE AS DANICA’S DEBUT

 

In part:

 

"ROSSBURG, OH (March 14) – Dirt racing’s grandest stage, Eldora Speedway, will set the scene for Danica Patrick’s long awaited dirt track debut. She joins Ryan Newman, Bobby Labonte, Kenny Wallace, Ty Dillon and Aric Almirola in the third installment of roster announcements for the Wednesday, June 6 running of the Feed The Children Prelude to the Dream, bringing the total of announced superstar drivers to 18.

 

After a seven-year run in INDYCAR racing, where she captured Rookie of the Year honors in 2005 and win in Motegi, Japan in 2008, Patrick made the bold move to concentrate full-time in NASCAR racing this year. She is concentrating her efforts full-time in the Nationwide Series with JR Motorsports, along with a limited schedule of Sprint Cup racing under the banner of three-time Sprint Cup champion and Eldora Speedway owner, Tony Stewart and his Stewart-Haas Racing camp.

 

At the age of 10, Patrick turned a few laps on dirt, but never in a stock car.

 

Joining these six will be the previously announced Feed The Children Prelude to the Dream drivers Clint Bowyer, Kasey Kahne, Kurt Busch, Dave Blaney, Tony Kanaan, Ron Capps, Jimmie Johnson, Just Allgaier, Bill Elliott, Ray Evernham, David Gilliland and Cruz Pedregon.

 

Tickets and campsites for the Feed The Children Prelude to the Dream and all other 2012 Eldora Speedway Major Events including the $100,000-to-win Dirt Late Model Dream presented by Ferris Commercial Mowers, $50,000-to-win World of Outlaws Kings Royal and 42nd Annual World 100 are available through the speedway box office (937) 338-3815 or online 24 hours a day at www.EldoraSpeedway.com. Like us at www.Facebook.com/EldoraSpeedway"

 

More can be seen here:  http://www.eldoraspeedway.com/preludedrivers.html?utm_source=BenchmarkEmail&utm_campaign=Prelude3&utm_medium=email

 

And, of course there are some that really don’t think she’ll do good, or should even be in the Prelude:

 

http://www.indianaopenwheel.com/showthread.php?t=57950

 

 

 

 

Seventeenth:

 

This could get interesting, folks!

 

DIRT drops Can-Am

 

Found out about this on DTD's Forum, at:  http://www.dirttrackdigest.com/DTD/index.php?/topic/42662-dirt-drops-can-am/

 

First post:  "Just got an email from WRG that they pulled Can-Am's DIRT santioning for the year for opening up the sportsman tire rule for their special shows."

 

Another post:  "What a joke dirt is, those open tire sportsmen races are at the end of the season after regular points are all finished. Its to bad for Canam, not having the dirt sanction will more then likely hurt their mod counts, as some guys would of run there for dirt points. Screw dirt, I am sticking with Brewerton, ROC, and any outlaw tracks, including now canam."

 

From the OCFS schedule:

 

July 19th:  Bacada Investments 40 Lap 358 Modified $2,500 to win Open Tire Rule (ESW Qualifier-Outside Pole) Sportsman/Rookie Points Night

 

So, the questions are:  Will OCFS also lose DIRTcar sanction, as Can Am did, and if not, why not?  Will OCFS change and make it a track tire race?   Don’t forget, the WoO Sprint Cars are making a return to OCFS in 2012, and WRG owns the WoO.  What about Eastern States?  What about a “Syracuse Qualifier” SDS race for OCFS?

 

 

 

Coming up:

 

The first of the season for Modified racing here in the northeast will be at the Selinsgrove Speedway this Friday and Saturday.  On the 16th it’s the Small Block Modified RoC race, with a 25 lap feature.  On the 17th it’s the RoC Modifieds with a 40 lap feature.  Rain date is the 18th.

That will be followed by a RoC race at the New Egypt Speedway the following Saturday, March 24th, with Sportsman having a 40 lap feature and Modifieds having a 60 lap feature.

 

OCFS:

March 24th:  “Work day”

March 30, 31 & April 1:  Motorsports Car Show in the arena.

April 7:  Practice (Free admission in stands) 1 to 6 PM

April 8:  Rain date for the 7th

April 14:  Opening night!

July 13 to July 31:  Orange County Fair

 

Note:  I see the prices for the World of Outlaw Sprint Car race are:

Reserved (Covered and part of ½ covered):  $35.00 for adults and $5.00 for children – 6 and under.

General admission:  $30.00 for adults and children are free – 6 and under.

 

Accord:

April 6:  Practice (Free admission for the stands)

April 7:  Rain date for the 6th

April 13:  Practice (Free admission for the stands)

April 14:  Rain date for the 13th

April 20:  Opening night!

 

 

 

Found on Jayski’s website:

http://www.jayski.com/

 

National Stock Car Racing Appeals Panel Statement - Penalty Upheld:

On March 13, 2012, the National Stock Car Racing Appeals Panel heard and considered the appeal of the #48 Hendrick Motorsports NASCAR Sprint Cup Series team. The penalties concern Section 12-1 of the NASCAR Rule Book "Actions detrimental to stock car racing;" Section 12-4(J): "Any determination by NASCAR Officials that the Race Equipment used in the Event does not conform to NASCAR rules detailed in Section 20 of the NASCAR Rule Book, or has not been approved by NASCAR prior to the Event;" and Section 20-2.1(E): "If in the judgment of NASCAR Officials, any part or component of the car not previously approved by NASCAR that has been installed or modified to enhance aerodynamic performance, will not be permitted: Unapproved car body modifications."
This stemmed from an opening day inspection for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series at Daytona International Speedway on February 17, 2012.


The original penalties assessed prior to the deferral were:
- Car Owner (Jeffrey M. Gordon)  Loss of 25 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Championship Car Owner points;
- Car Driver (Jimmie K. Johnson)  Loss of 25 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Championship Driver points;
- Crew Chief (Chad A. Knaus) - $100,000.00 fine. Suspended from the next six (6) NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Championship Events. Suspended from NASCAR until April 18, 2012. Placed on NASCAR probation until May 9, 2012.
- Car Chief (Ron P. Malec) - Suspended from the next six (6) NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Championship Events. Suspended from NASCAR until April 18, 2012. Placed on NASCAR probation until May 9, 2012.
Upon hearing the testimony, carefully reviewing the facts and historically comparative penalties, the unanimous decision of the National Stock Car Racing Appeals Panel (John Capels, Leo Mehl, Dale Pinilis and Ed Bennett: Appellate Administrator and non-voting member) was to uphold the original penalties assessed by NASCAR. The Appellants have the right under Section 15 of the Rule Book to appeal this decision to the National Stock Car Racing Chief Appellate Officer.(NASCAR)

Hendrick Statement..appeal continues

Hendrick Motorsports will request a hearing before the National Stock Car Racing chief appellate officer to continue its appeal of NASCAR sanctions related to the #48 Sprint Cup Series team. "The panel was generous with its time today, and we appreciated the opportunity to talk through our concerns," said Rick Hendrick, owner of Hendrick Motorsports. "We feel strongly about this issue and will continue to pursue it at the next level." Adjustments to #48 team personnel are not planned while the appeal is ongoing.(HMS)(3-13-2012)

 

      Note:My thoughts:

A lot of NASCAR BS. Like some others, I also feel NASCAR is doing anything it can to get to Knauss, especially after the "back it into the wall if we win" chatter on the radio, last year. And they wonder why they're losing fans? Getting to be a joke - NASCAR is.

 

 

Dodge to unveil 2013 Sprint Cup Dodge Charger:

The 2013 NASCAR Sprint Cup Dodge Charger is a good-looking car, with a body that brings back the brand identity to fans of the brand. But beauty isn't skin deep -- a lot of work has gone into developing the Charger race car for next season's planned on-track debut at the Daytona 500. David Bailey, senior manager for SRT Motorsports Engineering, was in it from the beginning. "In late 2010, NASCAR called the meeting with all the manufacturers," Bailey said, and all four were unanimous in their desire to race a car that looked a lot more like their road-going counterparts. NASCAR agreed. "They wanted a production car look. Each manufacturer had the opportunity to present individually to NASCAR. Dodge showed "Basically a production Charger sitting on top of a Cup car chassis," Bailey said. "And it just jumped out." SRT Motorsports at-track engineer Howard Comstock stressed that Dodge had no interest in a purely cosmetic treatment that fans could see through. "We didn't want to do it with just decals," he said. "We wanted a real identity, real features on the car that you see on the street car. After the design process started -- and approximately 2,000 e-mails, and 600 drawings later -- we've got a car that everyone knows is a Dodge Charger."
Dodge will unveil its 2013 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Dodge Charger at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. The unveiling will take place in Victory Lane Sunday morning. Ralph Gilles (President and CEO -- SRT Brand and Motorsports) and Mike Helton (NASCAR President) will take part in the reveal.(Dodge PR)
Penske Motorsport assisted in the development of the new Charger, but with their recent announcement that they are moving to Ford next year, they will not participant in the event. The only other Sprint Cup Dodge Team, #7-Robby Gordon, did not make the race.(3-11-2012)

UPDATE:

See an image of the car on the Dodge Manufacturer news page.(3-11-2012)

 

 

Dodge says teams are interested:

 

Dodge Motorsports president Ralph Gilles said Dodge is moving forward and hopes to remain in NASCAR despite losing Penske Racing as its signature team. Gilles spoke Sunday morning at Las Vegas Motor Speedway after the unveiling of the 2013 Dodge Charger Sprint Cup car. Two weeks ago, Roger Penske announced his two-car Dodge team (Dodge's only major team) was switching to Ford in 2013. Gilles said he already has heard from several NASCAR teams who are interested in switching to Dodge next year. "With the way our phone is ringing, I'm not too concerned," Gilles said. "It's been a pretty positive thing. With every storm there's a sunny day later." But Gilles would not say for certain Dodge would remain in NASCAR in 2013. "Based on the momentum we've developed, we don't feel it's going that way," Gilles said about the possibility of leaving. "We would love to stay if we can, but we have to figure it out. We're actually investing in NASCAR more than ever. Some of this timing (of Penske's announcement) was unfortunate. Some things Roger didn't realize we were doing are coming to pass."(ESPN)(3-12-2012)

 

Chevy to replace Impala in 2013 with another Chevy brand:

Chevrolet is developing a new car with a new name for its 2013 NASCAR entry, replacing the Impala used by Team Chevy, and plans to eventually market and sell the new model to consumers. The dealership and racing versions of the car will be unveiled this year, after the New York auto show in April, spokesman Monte Doran said. The new car will use a nameplate not currently in Chevy's lineup. Neither the car nor its name will be a derivative of an existing one, such as the new Malibu or the upcoming redesigned Impala, Doran said. General Motors wouldn't reveal details. "We are keeping the wraps on the new car for now and will continue to prepare for next season by testing camouflaged vehicles," Jim Campbell, vice president of Chevrolet performance vehicles and motorsports, said in a statement. "We know that Chevrolet fans are eager to see the new race car, and we hope that the prospect of being able to own one just like it will make the wait a little more bearable."
The new car may be a version of the Chevy Caprice currently imported from Australia for U.S. police forces. Inside GM, a plan to develop a Chevy performance sedan like the Caprice for consumers was on-and-off in recent years because of concerns that it wasn't a high-profit vehicle, people familiar with the situation said. Australia's Holden brand currently offers consumers a variation on the U.S. Caprice. Along with developing the new performance sedan, GM is redesigning the current Impala, which will be built at the Detroit-Hamtramck plant and is expected to hit showrooms by spring 2013. The automaker is also rolling out a redesigned Malibu.(Detroit Free Press, more at MotorTrend and a past post at AutoWeek)(3-13-2013)

 

Kyle, Kurt Busch to run the full season with Monster Energy:

Kyle Busch Motorsports announced that it has signed a multi-year agreement with Monster Energy Company as primary sponsor of the team's #54 Monster Energy Camry in the NASCAR Nationwide Series. Team owner Kyle Busch, the all-time race winning driver in the history of the NASCAR Nationwide Series, will share driving duties with his brother Kurt Busch, the 2004 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Champion. Kyle will drive the season-opening race at Daytona International Speedway and the subsequent four races through California before splitting the balance of the season with Kurt. The team's goal will be to capture an Owner's Championship in its inaugural race season, similar to the Owner's Championship accomplished by KBM in its first full season in the Camping World Truck Series in 2010. The development of this duo as teammates fits perfectly for primary team sponsor Monster Energy, who foregoes traditional forms of advertising and instead seeks brand exposure through the use of Extreme Athletes. With Monster Energy looking for increased presence across the NASCAR fan base, the company identified the Busch brothers as the drivers that best fit its family of Monster Energy Team Athletes. To complement the driver lineup, and ensure a strong competitive advantage, KBM brings industry veteran and winning crew chief Mike Beam into the fold as the #54 Monster Energy Camry team leader. Beam is a long-time fixture in NASCAR who has accomplished career victories across all three major touring series. At an early age, Mike became a successful contributor towards a variety of competitive racing organizations including Petty Enterprises and Roush Fenway Racing.(KBM), see an image of the car on the #54 team paint scheme page.(1-19-2012)

 

KBM Scrambling To Finalize 2012 Nationwide, Truck Plans:

Kyle Busch Motorsports General Manager Rick Ren has spent the last few weeks scrambling to rebuild his driver and sponsor lineups after team owner Kyle Busch was asked not to compete in the NASCAR Camping World Truck and Nationwide Series' in 2012. Ren and Busch had assembled a sponsor lineup that included Dollar General, Traxxas, Toyota and others for the 2012 campaign, with Busch scheduled to play a leading role in both the Nationwide and Truck efforts. Sources close to the team say virtually all the team's sponsors signed on believing that Busch would drive their entries in a significant number of events this season, only to learn last month that Joe Gibbs Racing had asked Busch to dramatically trim his involvement in all but the headline NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. KBM is expected to announce its finalized Nationwide sponsor and driver lineups this Thursday. It is possible that Busch could compete in at least part of the Nationwide slate, but sources say he is unlikely to equal the 20 starts he made in NASCAR's second division a year ago.(Sirius Speedway)(1-16-2012)

 

Penske teams suffer fuel injection problems:

Secret or not, #2-Brad Keselowski and the rest of his team have learned their lesson from last year's comments about the electronic fuel injection system and want no more fines from NASCAR. So the outspoken driver bit his proverbial tongue on Twitter Sunday afternoon after leaving Las Vegas Motor Speedway very disappointed with his 32nd-place finish. For the second consecutive week, Keselowski had some fuel pickup issues, and this time it hurt him much worse than it did in a fifth-place run at Phoenix. After Landon Cassill blew his engine on Lap 246, Keselowski couldn't get going on the restart and was well off the pace as cars passed him on both sides. After the race, Keselowski said there was still fuel in the gas tank, meaning it was an issue with the fuel system. Keselowski, however, wasn't the only Penske driver affected. AJ Allmendinger in the #22 had his troubles much earlier, but they continued throughout en route to a 37th-place finish. According to the team's Twitter feed, the fuel pressure issue first showed up on Lap 149. The team spent several laps in the garage about 40 laps later, first trying to replace one part, and then later swapping out the whole electronic fuel injection system.(NASCAR.com)(3-12-2012)

 

Earnhardt Jr. has Montoya's Daytona 500 Car:

A (mangled) piece of racing history has landed in the woods surrounding Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s property in Cleveland, N.C. Thanks to a familiar connection, NASCAR's most popular driver recently acquired the destroyed Juan Pablo Montoya's #42 Chevy that famously slammed into a jet dryer under caution during the Feb. 27 Daytona 500. Collecting crashed race cars is a hobby of Earnhardt's, and the latest addition is the only one that's caused a fiery on-track explosion and a two-hour delay in NASCAR's biggest race. And when Earnhardt found it through Chris Heroy, a former Hendrick Motorsports engineer who is the first-year crew chief for Montoya, he jumped on getting it imprecisely added to his car graveyard, adjacent to his backyard replica Western town known as Whisky River.(USA Today)(3-10-2012)

 

Knaus appeal to be heard TODAY:

Team owner Rick Hendrick and #48 crew chief Chad Knaus will get to explain next Tuesday why they think NASCAR erred in penalizing Hendrick Motorsports for the C-posts on the Daytona 500 car of Jimmie Johnson. NASCAR confirmed that the appeal will be heard Tuesday morning at its Research & Development Center in Concord, N.C. A three-member panel will determine whether NASCAR officials were justified in suspending Knaus and car chief Ron Malec for six weeks as well as penalizing five-time Cup champion Johnson 25 points and fining Knaus $100,000. Both Hendrick and Knaus have said they believe templates should have been put on the car before it was confiscated Feb. 17 at Daytona International Speedway. While teams often aren't successful on appeal, Hendrick has won one appeal of a suspension of Knaus in 2005. Knaus has been suspended three other times in his career.(Sporting News)(2-8-2012)


UPDATE:

This is the scene of the National Stock Car Racing Commission. There are 45 members, but they rotate through for hearings. Two members and the chairman, who doesn't vote, hear each case. They will be listening to the Hendrick Motorsports appeal of the hefty penalty given to Jimmie Johnson's team for violations discovered last month during initial inspection for the Daytona 500. Team owner Rick Hendrick doesn't believe the six-race suspensions that NASCAR handed to crew chief Chad Knaus and car chief Ron Malec -- as well as the 25-point penalty given to Johnson -- are fair. He'll argue that the governing body confiscated the C-posts deemed illegal before they went through tech. He'll argue that the same car with the same C-posts -- pillars that come down from the roof to the rear quarter panel -- passed NASCAR's inspection 16 times previously. Odds are, he'll lose.
Not necessarily because he doesn't have a good case, but because the commission seldom overturns decisions. When Richard Childress Racing appealed Clint Bowyer's 150-point penalty in the fall of 2010, the commission had upheld 88 of 132 decisions between the Sprint Cup, Nationwide and Truck Series, reduced 42 and increased two. Most of the reductions were in the lower series. The last time a Cup penalty was reduced was in 2008 with Robby Gordon's team. The last time a Sprint Cup penalty was completely overturned came in 2005, when insufficient evidence was found that Michael Waltrip made an inappropriate gesture during a television broadcast.(ESPN)(3-13-2012)

 

Found via a link on Jayski’s website:

Bread and Circuses Surround #48 Appeal... But Did It Matter? by Matt McLaughlin;

 

Matt McLaughlin · Wednesday March 14, 2012

 

In part:

 

"To nobody’s great surprise, the appeals board upheld the penalties assessed against the No. 48 team after Daytona on Tuesday. What probably caught everyone off guard was the media scrum Tuesday’s hearing became. The parking lot of NASCAR’s Research and Development Center was dominated by two massive satellite trucks set to beam the momentous outcome to the unwashed masses huddled around their cell phones and other electronic devices. The nearby Charlotte Motor Speedway got into the act, sending their somewhat scary track mascot, Lug Nut, to the parking lot where the fourth estate huddled replete with a food offering of fried cupcakes. As the wait stretched on, BK Racing Cup driver Landon Cassill decided to join the fray, bringing massive amounts of Burger King Whoppers to sustain the press as they uncustomarily had to work through lunch on a weekday. There were even suggestions that some of the energy drink makers donate to the cause. (I got all this secondhand from two friends who were in the scrum. Hey, it was 76 degrees here in Pennsylvania Tuesday. I was out on the Harley hoping the local cops wouldn’t note the expired plate.) Somehow the Knaus appeal overshadowed, however briefly, the rising price of gas and the tragedy in Afghanistan this weekend in the collective American imagination. Even fans who learned of the hoopla at the R and D Center began to flock there to watch the circus. Perhaps there was an air of disappointment amongst some of them that Chad Knaus and Jimmie Johnson weren’t delivered to the guillotine for immediate execution after the guilty verdict.

 

The team was told something “didn’t look right” and they were told to make repairs to the suspect C-posts. Oddly enough, Knaus knew exactly what was wrong and was able to have proper C panels on the car within hours. Obviously, he knew that the parts he was presenting were suspect but that the car was going to fit the templates anyway because he’d doctored an area of those panels the templates don’t measure. Somehow, I doubt that’s a little trick he stumbled across. To me, that sounds like many hours of expensive wind tunnel time and analysis to circumvent the intent of the rule. And it’s not like Knaus hasn’t been punished previous to this incident and warned not to mess with the bodies.

 

The argument that the car “never even made it out onto the track” is imbecilic. By the team’s own admission, it ran all four plate races last year and won the Talladega spring event last April. It’s the team’s contention that the car was never modified anyway after it was last used in the Fall Talladega event. That, of course, was the race where Chad Knaus was overheard clearly telling Johnson that if he were to win the race, he needed to back the car into the fence during the postrace celebration. So there you have it. Knaus knew something wasn’t right with the car and yet he had the audacity to bring it back for this year’s Daytona 500. Any more questions why NASCAR singled out the No. 48 car in pre-race inspection? They knew they’d been snookered last year and they don’t much like that.

 

More on this can be read if you go here:

 

http://www.frontstretch.com/mmclaughlin/37651/

 

 

 

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”.

 

For this week, I’m covering from February 9th to February 20th.  Gradually, I’ll catch up!

 

FEBRUARY 9
1882

Arthur Duray... Born ... A Belgian racecar driver. He is probably best known today for breaking the land speed record on three separate occasions between July, 1903 and March, 1904. Ran AAA races in 1914, 1915 and 1918. Finished 2nd in the 1914 Indy 500.

1909

Indianapolis Motor Speedway Corporation incorporated with Carl G. Fisher as president.

1939

Jan Opperman... Born ... Race car driver known as "The King of the Outlaws". Two time starter of the Indianapolis 500, finishing 21st in 1974 and 16th in 1976. Legendary sprint car driver. Winner of the prestigious Tony Hulman Classic, Terre Haute Action Track 1976; National Supermodified Champion 1971, Knoxville, Ia.; Two time National Supermodified Champion 1971 & 72, Phoenix, Az; World Dirt Track Champion 1973. Critically injured in the 1976 USAC Hoosier 100 at the Indiana State Fairgrounds, Indianapolis. Resumed racing after a full recovery only to suffer a career ending injury at Jennerstown, Pa on June 20, 1981. He had several debilitating strokes and spent the final years of his life in a wheelchair being cared for by his 80-something parents. A man of strong spiritual belief, Jan Opperman was very popular with his fellow drivers, the media and fans. Jan Opperman was a larger-than-life dirt track racing legend who stormed on the scene in the late 1960's, dominated sprint car circuits throughout the 1970's and helped define the Outlaw movement.

1964

Todd Parrott... Born ... NASCAR crew chief

 

FEBRUARY 10
1917

Danny Kladis... Born ... AAA/USAC driver from the 1940's & 50's

1919

Eddie Johnson... Born ... AAA/USAC driver from the 1950's & 60's. Ran in 13 Indy 500's with a best finish of 6th in 1960.

1959

Marshall Teague sets an unofficial closed course speed record of 171.821 mph driving the "Sumar Special" streamliner, actually a Kurtis-Kraft chassis with a Meyer-Drake Offy 270.

1987

Andy Linden... Died ... AAA driver from the 1940's and 1950's. Ran in 7 Indy 500's with a best finish of 4th in 1951.

 

FEBRUARY 11
1888

Fred Offenhauser... Born ... He became a toolmaking machinist with Pacific Electric Railway. In 1913, he went to work for Harry A. Miller, a successful manufacturer of carburetors. Offenhauser helped Miller turn a flood of ideas for racing engines into metal. Engines that began to win races. As early as 1922, an eight-cylinder Miller engine won the Indianapolis 500, as Millers would for nine out of the next 12 years. In 1932, he encouraged Harry Miller to build a 255 cubic inch, four-cylinder racing engine. The powerplant outlived Miller's bankruptcy and went on, in various forms, to win the Indianapolis 500 30 times, twice the Miller nameplates and 28 times with Offenhsauser identification. When Miller lost his business in 1933 and Offenhauser took part of the 18 months in back wages he was owed in the form of machinery, patterns and parts, setting up shop just around the corner from the Miller plant in LA and made parts for the Miller 255. In 1934, to meet the demand for a reliable engine for the new sport of midget racing, Offenhauser had Leo Goosen draw up a much smaller version of the 255. Quickly dubbed "The Mighty Midget," that engine came to dominate midget racing until the rules changed in the 1960s. Fred put his stamp on the big 255 and 270 engines in 1935 and Kelly Petillo won the Indy 500 that year with an Offenhauser. After World War II, Fred sold the business to Lou Meyer and Dale Drake who carried on the Offy engine. Fred died on August 17, 1973. In May of the same year, Johnny Rutherford had put a turbo-Offy on the pole at Indy. Gordon Johncock won the race with another Offy. His engines would win three more 500s before the turbo boost rules brought an end to the Offenhauser dynasty.

1901

Anton "Tony" Hulman... Born ... Indianapolis Motor Speedway owner. Born into wealth, Anton Hulman Jr. embellished his personal resources with courage, foresight and a passion for automobile racing to become the savior of America's foremost motorsports facility and its greatest one-day sports spectacle, the Indianapolis 500.

1934

John Surtees ...Born ... A former Grand Prix motorcycle road racer and Formula One driver from England. He remains the only person to have won World Championships on both two and four wheels.

1954

Arthur Duray... Died ... A Belgian racecar driver. He is probably best known today for breaking the land speed record on three separate occasions between July, 1903 and March, 1904. Ran AAA races in 1914, 1915 and 1918. Finished 2nd in the 1914 Indy 500.

1959

Marshall Teague... Died ... NASCAR, AAA and USAC driver. Finished 7th in the 1957 Indy 500. Teague, 37, died in a crash during a closed course speed record attempt at the new Daytona International Speedway. Teague was driving a Chapman Root owned Indy roadster with an enclosed canopy and covered wheels. He had just turned a 3rd lap at 160.25 mph before losing control in turn 1. The record at the time was 177.038 mph set by Tony Bettenhausen at Monza, Italy the year before. In an earlier shakedown run, Teague had unofficially gone 171.82 mph. NASCAR's original treasurer, Teague won 7 NASCAR Grand National races in Hudson Hornet "Teaguemobiles" he built and owned, including back to back wins on his hometown Daytona beach course in 1951 & '52. Teague scored 5 of his 7 wins in '51, but was stripped of points for running an AAA Stock Car race. In 1952, with an eye on Indianapolis, Teague left NASCAR and joined the rival AAA where he went on to become a 2-time Stock Car champion and made two Indy 500 starts.

Roberto Moreno... Born ... Formula One and Indy car driver from Brazil.

1994

Neil Bonnett ... Died ... NASCAR driver who compiled 18 victories and 20 poles over his 18-year career and died from injuries suffered in a practice crash at Daytona. He was part of the famous "Alabama Gang". Bonnett was inducted into the National Motorsports Press Association's Hall of Fame in 1997, was inducted into the International Motorsports Hall of Fame in 2001 and was named one of NASCAR's 50 Greatest Drivers in 1998.

2001

Dave Schultz... Died ... Legendary, six-time NHRA Pro Stock Bike champion died of colon cancer at age 52.

 

FEBRUARY 12
1904

Floyd Roberts... Born ... AAA driver who raced in the 1930's. He won the Indianapolis 500 in 1938 with a record speed of 117.2 mph. He led for 92 laps. The following year, 1939, driving the same car, he was killed in a crash on the backstretch after hitting a wooden fence at near 100 mph. Roberts was the first former winner and defending champion of the race to have been killed while competing.

1920

Jack Turner ... Born ... AAA/USAC driver from 1955 -1963

1929

Ronnie Duman... Born ... USAC driver from 1961 to 1968

1932

Dick Tobias ... Born ... He was modified stock car driver that went on to run URC sprints, USAC sprints and Championship Dirt Cars. He was an innovator and race car builder.

1962

Kevin Doty... Born ... Sprint car driver

1980

Floyd Samuel "Sam" Nunis ... Died ... The dean of American Automobile Association race promoters.

Article on Mr. Nunis:  http://www.wheelsofspeed.com/report/2_12_80-1.html

 

FEBRUARY 13

1948

Jim Crawford... Born ... USAC/CART driver 1984 to 1995. Ran the Indy 500 eight times with a best finish of 6th in 1988.

1972

Louis Durant... Died ... AAA driver 1939 to 1948

1976

Paul Russo... Died ... AAA / USAC driver from 1934 to 1965. He started racing midget cars in 1934. He went with a contigent of midget car drivers to Hawaii in the winter of 1934-35. He was the 1938 AAA Eastern Midget Champion. Russo won the first race held at the Nutley Velodrome in New Jersey in 1938. He drove in the AAA and USAC Championship Car series, racing in the 1940-1941, 1946-1954, 1956-1959 and 1962 seasons with 85 starts, including the Indianapolis 500 races in each year but 1951 and 1952. He finished in the top ten 49 times, with 3 victories, at Springfield (1950), Detroit (1951), and Williams Grove (1952). His best finish at Indy was fourth in 1957, although he co-drove with Tony Bettenhausen to a second place finish in 1955. His brother Joe and nephew Eddie have also raced at the Indianapolis 500. Russo was inducted in the National Midget Auto Racing Hall of Fame in 1992.

1977

Lance Blevins... Born ... World of Outlaws racer.

 

FEBRUARY 14

1932

Edwin Keith "Banjo" Matthews... Born ... A NASCAR driver, car owner and builder.

1968

Scott Sharp... Born ... Trans-Am and Indycar racer.

2000

Tony Bettenhausen Jr. ... Died ... Tony Lee Bettenhausen Jr. was one of three racing brothers and a son of two-time U.S. Auto Club national champion Melvin "Tony" Bettenhausen, who ran at the Indianapolis 500 from 1946-60 and was killed in practice in 1961. Tony Jr. drove Indy cars from 1979-93 and also competed in 33 Nextel Cup Series series events in his career, most coming in 1974 when he scored a career best 7th place effort at Richmond International Raceway. He raced in 11 Indy 500 with his best finish of 7th in 1981. He died in a plane crash that he was piloting, he was 48.

 

FEBRUARY 15
1919

Earl Motter... Born ... AAA/USAC driver from1955 to 1959

1929

Graham Hill... Born ... British racing driver and two-time Formula One World Champion. Graham Hill is the only driver to win the so-called Triple Crown of Motorsport, which is alternatively defined as winning either: the Indianapolis 500 (won by Hill in 1966), the 24 Hours of Le Mans (1972) and the Monaco Grand Prix (1963, 1964, 1965, 1968, 1969) or the Indianapolis 500, the 24 Hours of Le Mans and the Formula One World Championship (1962, 1968). Using either definition, Hill is still the only person ever to have accomplished this feat.

1948

NASCAR , a week before the organization was officially incorporated, held its first race for modified stock cars on a 3.2 mile-course at Daytona Beach. In the 150-mile race that featured almost exclusively prewar Fords, Red Byron edged Marshall Teague to become NASCAR's first champion. Stock car racing would become a tradition at Daytona, but prewar Fords would not. By 1949 the Olds 88 had become NASCAR's dominant vehicle.

1957

Jimmy Spencer ... Born ... NASCAR driver and commentator. During his days racing modifieds, he was nicknamed "Mr. Excitement" for his sometimes aggressive racing style.

1959

Art Chrisman broke the 180 mph barrier in a supercharged nitro dragster when his "Hustler" did 181.8 mph in the 1/4 mile.

1974

Mark Donohue won the first International Race of Champions Final on the 3.81 mile Daytona International Speedway oval/road course.

1999

Billy Garrett ... Died ... USAC driver 1956 to 1958

Bill Lipkey ... Died ... He organized the first USAC sanctioned race.

2000

Ray Knepper ... Died ... Drove AAA Indy Cars 1950 & 1951, drove sprint cars in 1956.

 

FEBRUARY 16
1885

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

1906

Fred Wagner , the starter of the race, waved what is believed to be the first checkered flag used to signify the finish of an auto race as Louis Wagner was about to win the 1906 Vanderbilt Cup Race.

1920

Walt Faulkner... Born ... AAA driver from 1949 to 1955. He also competed in NASCAR races. In 1950 Faulkner became the first rookie to win pole position at the Indianapolis 500. He died after a racing crash at a USAC Stock Car event in West Coast Speedway California on April 22 1956

2005

Russ Klar ... Died ... He was a race driver in the Northeast. He drove midgets , sprint cars and 'big cars' in the 1940s and '50s and late in his career modifieds (stock cars).

2008

Jerry Karl ... Died ... Jerry was a 6 time Indianapolis 500 Starter. He started racing at Freeport Stadium on Long Island in 1957. Jerry competed in ARDC, ATQMRA, URC,and USAC in the Midget,Sprint,Silver Crown,Formula 5000, and Indianpolis Cars. Jerry raced in the Indy 500 in 1973,1974,1975,1978,1980 and 1981.

 

FEBRUARY 17
1898

Jimmy Gleason ... Born ... AAA driver 1925 to 1931. He was killed in an AAA National Championship race in Syracuse NY in 1931.

1910

Louis Tomei... Born ... AAA driver 1932 to 1949

1925

Colby Scroggin ... Born ... AAA/USAC driver 1954 to 1963

1987

Frank Kurtis ... Died ... Pioneer race car designer and builder.

Article:  http://www.wheelsofspeed.com/report/2_17_87-1.html

 

FEBRUARY 18
1928

Jim McElreath ... Born ... USAC/CART driver. He raced in the 1961-1983 seasons, with 178 combined career starts, including 15 in the Indianapolis 500 in 1962-1970, 1973-1974, and 1977-1980. He finished in the top ten 101 times, with five victories. In 1962, he was named Indianapolis 500 Rookie of the Year, a result of his 6th place finish. McElreath was a 2002 inductee to the National Sprint Car Hall of Fame. Jim's son, James Jr., was killed in a sprint car crash in 1977. Jim's daughter, Shirley, married Tony Bettenhausen, Jr., with whom she died when their private plane crashed in Kentucky in February, 2000.

1937

Gary Congdon ... Born ... USAC midget, sprint and Indy car driver. Congdon died in Terre Haute, Indiana in a crash in a midget car race (1967).

1962

Scott Kalitta ... Born ... American drag racer and son to veteran NHRA driver and crew chief Connie Kalitta, and is cousin to teammate Doug Kalitta

1976

Jimmy Kite ... Born ... USAC midget, sprint, silver crown and Indy car driver.

2001

Dale Earnhardt, Sr.... Died ...Earnhardt is known for his success in the Winston Cup Series, now known as the Sprint Cup Series. He won seventy-six races (including his only Daytona 500 victory in 1998), and his seven championships are tied for most all-time with Richard Petty. His highly aggressive driving style made him a fan favorite and earned him the nicknames "Ironhead", "Mr. Restrictor Plate", "The Man in Black" and most famously, "The Intimidator." Earnhardt died in a last-lap crash during the 2001 Daytona 500.

 

FEBRUARY 19
1893

Fred Comer... Born ... AAA driver 1923 to 1928

1921

Ernie McCoy... Born ... Eastern midget, sprint and Indy car driver.

1928

Malcolm Campbell set a Land Speed Record of 206.956 MPH in his Bluebird at Daytona.

1944

Paul Pitzer... Born ... Central Pennsylvania Sprint Car Driver.

1960

John Paul, Jr.... Born ...A former race car driver in CART and the Indy Racing League and winner of the 1982 12 Hours of Sebring while co-driving with his father John Paul, Sr.

 

FEBRUARY 20
1907

Tony Willman ... Born ... AAA driver 1926 to 1941, died in a midget race at Thompson, CT on October 12, 1941.

1934

Bobby Unser ... Born ... One of the greatest Indycar racing stars of all time, Unser was twice the USAC/Indy Car champion (1968 and 1974) and three times winner of the Indianapolis 500. The brother of Al Unser and Jerry Unser, the father of Robby Unser, and the uncle of Al Unser, Jr. and Johnny Unser. He was the undisputed king of the Pikes Peak hillclimb, winning the championship 13 times. An accomplished Sprint Car driver he also ran in 19 Indy 500's He is one of nine drivers to win the Indianapolis 500 three times, and one of only two to have won the 500 in three different decades (1968, 75, 81).

1937

Roger S. Penske ... Born ... A national sports car driving champion (1964); established the Penske racing team in 1961; co-founder of Championship Auto Racing Teams (CART). Penske Racing has won 12 Indianapolis 500s and 9 CART points titles.

1959

Scott Brayton ... Born ... USAC/CART driver 1981 to 1996. Scott tragically lost his life in a fatal crash during practice at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Six days before the accident, Scott captured his second consecutive Indy 500 pole position.

Daytona Beach ... The first races on the 2.5 mile Daytona International Speedway took place, twin 100 mile qualifiers for the first 'Daytona 500'. One for Convertibles and one for Hardtops. The Convertible race started 21 cars with Glen Wood, Richard Petty, Marvin Panch and Shorty Rollins pulling clear of the field. The foursome swapped the lead 5 times in the last 9 laps before Rollins edged Panch by a bumper for the win. In the Hardtop 100, Bob Welborn moved his Chevy from 7th starting to the lead by lap 2, but couldn't shake Denver's Fritz Wilson. Welborn beat Wilson's T-Bird by a half car length to take the win. Peruvian driver Eduardo Dibos finished 5th.

2008

Buster Warke... Died ... AAA driver from the 1930's , 40's to the mid 1950's.

 

 

 

 

News from the AARN:

http://www.aarn.com/

 

From their March 6th issue:

 

Ernie Saxton:

Mr. Saxton was making mention of NASCAR Cup races and the possibility of them having some on Monday nights – since it appears that the Daytona 500 was so successful – TV viewer wise.

He also had a little tid bit about Volusia Speedway and how they have attendants at the Porta Johns to make sure they’re clean and operate properly.

 

Note:  I don’t foresee any Monday night races being scheduled, no.  As for Volusia – are they even open now?   As far as I know, after the winter races a few weeks ago, that’s it for this season.

 

Brett Deyo:

Quite a bit about I-88 Speedway.  New “Rich Blue” clay, from Oneonta, N.Y. has been put down on the track.

 

Todd Heinzelman:

Mr. Heinzelman was making mention of some “outside invaders” for the PA 410 Sprints – like Sam Hefertepe, Stevie Smith, Danny Lasoski, Jason Sides, Jac Haudenschild and Dave (Dale?) Blaney.

This year, if you win a 410- feature at Williams Grove, you’ll win $3,600.00.  Adding in possible “bonus” monies and it could be close to $4,000.00.

 

Herb Anastor:

Mr. Anastor had a real nice article about the success of the “Fabulous Hudson Hornet”.  That was some car, for it’s time!  Some record in racing, too.

 

Stephen Bubb:

Sad to say, but Stephen hinted about him having some mysterious health issues and that he would be going to a special hospital in Cleveland for some help.

 

Steve Barrick:

Mr. Barrick had a couple of different articles in this weeks edition.  One was about Mike Payne being head of DIRTcar tech – and how long that job might last for him.  Mr. Payne is a car owner, too.

There was an article about Glenn Donnelly and LED Lighting.  There was supposed to be a demonstration of those lights last Friday, up in Syracuse.  As for the new track that Donnelly is involved in – some bad news – (Despite the mild winter, a welter of consultants and their reports-to-be-filed have dealt CNYRP’s time table a set back).  John Lehmann had this to say:  “We had originally thought the permits would be in hand by April.  The traffic study, archeological study, rare species study are among those still in progress.  Our best estimate for breaking ground is now mid-June.  The drag strip is gone as part of the phase one plans, at least (noise problems?).  The “Synthetic Dirt” track has now gone from being ¾ mile down to ½ mile in size.

Note:  I made mention of this on DTD’s forum:

Me:

I read in this weeks AARN that ground breaking won't be until June? Will there even be racing in 2012 there?”

Mr. Lehmann:

“We expect to see cars on both tracks in 2013 for a full racing season.

The SEQR process is a very long process to go through. It is all the DEC testing, the DOT etc. We are anticipating that we will break ground by mid June. We expect completion by the end of 2012. If everything goes right we may have some testing by the end of 2012.”

 

 

Other news:

So far, Clint Bowyer, Kasey Kahne, Kurt Busch, Dave Blaney, Tony Kanaan and Ron Capps are entered in this years “Prelude to the Dream” race which will be held on Wednesday, June 6th.

 

Sports Insurance Specialists, out of Fort Wayne, IN. has secured the insurance coverage for WRG.  The package includes the WRG DIRTcar Member Track Participant Accident Program that allows speedways to be a member track and have access to medical programs at a discounted rate and the WRG DIRTcar Catastrophic Medical Limit - $500,000.00.

 

A couple of different writers made mention that at Williams Grove Speedway, smoking is no longer allowed in the grandstands, and also close to the refreshment stands, too.  This is getting to be the “norm” at most sporting events and other forms of entertainment, today.

 

 

 

Former Oakland Valley Speedway (Dirt Oval) runners:

 

From what I’ve read, Chris Daley won the Champ Kart race out in Rhode Island.  Then I read he was DQ’d due to a problem with the engine.

 

 

 

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

 

 

 

More racin’ stuff:

 

I found this on the Internet – the 2012 Super Dirt Series Modifed schedule.  Hard to believe – one date in MICHIGAN on August 7th??

 

2012 Super DIRTcar Series Schedule

 

 

Saturday, April 7th       Canandaigua Motorsports Park        Canandaigua, New York        

*** HALL OF FAME/ALL-STAR WEEKEND ***

Sunday, May 27th         Rolling Wheels Raceway Park Elbridge, New York      

Sunday, July 1st  Cornwall Motor Speedway     Cornwall, Ontario         

Tuesday, July 10th        Albany-Saratoga Speedway    Malta, New York

Monday, July 23rd        Autodrome Granby       Granby, Quebec            

Tuesday, July 24th        Autodrome Drummond Drummondville, Quebec         

Monday, August 6th      Merrittville Speedway   Thorold, Ontario 

Tuesday, August 7th     I-96 Speedway     Ionia, Michigan   

Thursday, August 9th    Black Rock Speedway   Dundee, New York       

Thursday, August 16th  Lebanon Valley Speedway      West Lebanon, New York      

Sunday, September 2nd Rolling Wheels Raceway         Elbridge, New York      

Saturday, September 8th         Autodrome Granby       Granby, Quebec  

Saturday, September 15th       Mohawk International Raceway       Akwesasne, New York 

*** SUPER DIRT WEEK XLI ***

Sunday, October 7th      New York State Fairgrounds  Syracuse, New York              

*** 3rd GLOBAL WARRANTY DIRTcar FALL NATIONALS ***

Sunday, October 14th    Brockville Ontario Speedway Brockville, Ontario       

Sunday, October 21st    Orange County Fairgrounds Speedway      Middletown, NY 

*** 5th ANNUAL WORLD FINALS ***

Thursday, November 1st         The Dirt Track at Charlotte (Qualifying)    Concord, North Carolina     

                    

Friday, November 2nd   The Dirt Track at Charlotte (Race 1)          Concord, North Carolina         

Saturday, November 3rd         The Dirt Track at Charlotte (Race 2)          Concord, North Carolina     

* Note: To be eligible to compete at the 6th Annual World Finals a driver must attempt to qualify for a scheduled Super DIRTcar  Big Block Modified Series event during the 2012 calendar year (this includes the 40th Annual DIRTcar Nationals at Volusia Speedway Park).

* Note: All Super DIRTcar and/or Mr. DIRTcar Series events are “Syracuse Qualifiers” offering a “Preferred Qualifying Position” for Super DIRT Week XLI.

 

Note:  Yes someone did question the fact that there is no SDS race (Syracuse Qualifier) for OCFS – so far.

 

 

 

 

Press Releases:

 

XCEL CHASSIS SET TO GO FOR THE BIGGEST SEASON IN SERIES HISTORY WITH 88 DATES CONFIRMED

 

 

You asked for it and here it is. The Xcel Chassis 600 series will have a total of 88 races for the 2012 season. The tour division will see 36 dates, Lindas Speedway with 19, Thunder Mountain adds 16, Kutztown will host the sportsman 12 times and the newly paved Borgers Speedway has secured 5 dates and will be running the modifieds for the year.

Doug Borger, series owner, is excited the way the schedule all came together. “It takes a lot of work and communication to put a schedule like this together. We are returning to some popular tracks along with invading new ones for the series as a whole. All the promoters I worked with over the winter are looking for the same outcome I am and that’s to give the fans a show they soon won’t forget. Now if Mother Nature cooperates it’ll be all good.”

Five Mile Point will host the season opener for the tour division on April 1st and see the season end on October 27th. New to the series is Shippensburg Speedway. Invading the popular 1/5 dirt oval on May 12th has everybody checking out race videos on the web just like I did. After watching a few videos, the 600’s will be a good fit and the racing will be even better. Another track new to the series is the ever popular Accord Speedway. The Ulster County bull ring has the modifieds racing on September 22nd as part of their “King of the Catskills” weekend.  The track has been modified since the exhibition race so all the drivers will be on the same playing field or should I say track.

Penn Can Speedway will play host a total of 6 times for the 2012 season with Five Mile Point confirming 5 dates for the year and with the increase of more cars being sold in upstate New York should bring together  the north and south.

A lot of preseason talk has centered round the tracks that have returned to the series. Big Diamond Speedway, widely considered our superspeedway, will be racing on Saturday nights for the first time in the tracks history along with their regular Friday night shows for the 2012 season. Ten dates will see the mighty modifieds invade “God’s Country” with top speeds and top notch action.

Teams will be heading north on Aug. 11th to Black Rock Speedway, located next to Watkins Glen, the same weekend Nascar will hit the road course. We could see a couple of familiar faces from the NASCAR circuit as a few drivers have 600 modifieds of their own.

Trailways and Susquehanna Speedway will each see one date for the season but expect to see big action.

Grandview Speedway is one of the fastest if not the fastest track that is on the schedule. Car count in previous years hit the 40 mark and after a 5 year hiatus and the divisions’ growth I would expect to be over 55 cars for the Sunday Small Car Series. The action will be just as hot as the summer months.

Lindas Speedway will be hosting the tour division with 2 dates along with a regular Friday night schedule for the 600 modifieds. They are a fan favorite with the tight door to door racing week in and week out.

Not new but improved is the return of Borgers Speedway with a whole new look and feel. The choice to shut down forever or pave the surface gave Glen Borger no choice but to go to pavement. In February a handful of drivers were asked to test the first step of paving the track and the outcome couldn’t have been better for all parties involved. A total of 5 dates were confirmed and the question of will they be fast was answered but the next question will be “Are they going to run dirt or asphalt tires?” Doug Borger has also changed the division to the modifieds since the pavement surface was near perfect.

Kutztown will see the sportsman division on a weekly basis along with hosting a tour date for the modifieds. Chad Mullen of Factor X Graffics along with Doug Borger announced over the winter an increased sportsman series point fund totaling over $4000 along with bonus money on a weekly basis.

Thunder Mountain Speedway, located in Lisle, NY, added the modifieds to their weekly program over the winter months. “Doug and his series have always been great to work with and with the division growing in this area I wanted to showcase the  cars and  the racing these drivers put on week in and week out”, explained owner Dick Stark.

As a reminder to teams, registration for the 2012 season will close on March 17th. Doug Borger talked of the importance of getting your information in on time. “All cars must have their number registered with the series since we only allow 2 of the same number. Gary Suchy is redoing the website which will include driver profiles along with the work JoAnne does to get the information to the tracks before we arrive. A lot of work goes on during the off season and with the final stage of preparation coming to a close I look forward to this season. Teams can go to the website www.xcelchassis.com, scroll down and click the link for our forum board. You will need to create an account to download the registration form and email to joannemady@yahoo.com as soon as possible.  I also wanted to thank the promoters from all the tracks with working so closely over the winter months to make this season the biggest in the history of the 600 series.”

Check back often as the website will soon be done and the 2012 season will kick off in a big way.  

 

 

Borgers PR

Media Contact

Bob Snyder

bobsnyderphoto@enter.net

 Borgers 2012 Divisions

To clear up any confusion Asphalt 600 Wingless Sprints will run on a weekly basis with the Three Quarter Midgets.  This will be run under the Atlantic City rule guidelines.  Complete rules will be posted on our web-site shortly.  Our goal is to give you guys and gals a home track where you can run your cars on a weekly basis.  There will be a separate point fund for this class.  This class will be run separately from the ATQMRA Three Quarter Midgets who will make appearances as their tour schedule permits.

Dirt Wingless 600 Sprints will run a separate division with the Dirt Car rules.  This will be strictly a Dirt Car class.  If you ran a Dirt 600 Sprint at Borgers last year you are legal.  There will be a minimum hood height rules to avoid lay down seats.  This class will  enable you to bring a car from another track and only have to make minimal adjustments.

 AllStar and Junior Slingshots, Karts, and Micro-Stocks will be run on a weekly basis.  XCEL 600 Modifieds will run as their tour schedule permits.

Three practice dates are scheduled for Borgers Speedway at 1:00 p.m. Saturday March 31, April 7, and April 14, with April 21 slated as the season opener.  These dates are tentative pending on the final coat of asphalt being laid and will change.  The asphalt plant opens April 1 and Borgers is first on the list but Northeast Site would like a 60 degree daytime temperature  to pave.  After the final coat is laid the track has to set for at least one week.  We will run practice on the base coat but we will not race until the final coat is laid.  The schedule will be adjusted accordingly.

For up to date information check the speedway web-site www.borgers-speedway.com or follow us on Facebook.

 

 

Discount Season Passes Available at Devil’s Bowl Speedway

 

Vermont track offers year-long savings on general admission and pit area

 

For Immediate Release                                                                                                                                                                     DBS-031312-1

 

WEST HAVEN, VT -- Discount season passes are now available just in time for the 46th season of stock car racing at Devil’s Bowl Speedway in West Haven, VT.  The track is offering three types of year-long passes for spectators and competitors.

 

A General Admission season pass is available for all 18 NASCAR Whelen All-American Series events.  The General Admission pass will be honored throughout the year, beginning with the prestigious “Spring Green 112” for the American-Canadian Tour Late Models and the season-opening championship event for Devil’s Bowl Speedway’s Bond Auto Parts Modified, Renegade, and Bomber divisions on Sunday, May 6.

 

Special events include the People’s United Bank Memorial Day Modified Special on Friday, May 25, the Vermont State Late Model Championship Series 100 on Friday, June 8, and the Firecracker Twin 44s on Wednesday, July 4.  Also included are the Mid-Season Championships on Friday, July 13, Championship Night on Friday, August 31, and the Vermont 200 Weekend on Saturday, September 15 and Sunday, September 16.

 

The General Admission season pass is just $185, a savings of nearly 12% from the race-day ticket gate price.  A Senior General Admission season pass is available for only $145 for race fans age 62 and up.  As an added benefit, General Admission season pass holders will get a 15-minute head start in selecting their grandstand seats at every event.

 

New for 2012 is the Garage Area season pass, a program designed to help save racers money in the long-term.  The Garage Area pass is available for a one-time fee of only $450 to NASCAR-licensed drivers, car owners, and crew members.  Garage Area pass holders will enjoy a 20% discount for a year-long savings of $111, versus the total weekly price for non-licensed participants.

 

“We encourage all of our fans and competitors to take a look at the season pass programs we have in place,” said Devil’s Bowl Speedway owner/promoter Mike Bruno.  “Times are tough, and we want our supporters to be able to enjoy their racing at an affordable price.  The season passes are a nice alternative and really do save a substantial amount of money in the long run.”

 

Devil’s Bowl Speedway opens its 46th season of stock car racing on Sunday, May 6, with the Spring Green 112 for the American-Canadian Tour Late Models, along with the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series Bond Auto Parts Modifieds, Renegades, and Bombers.  For more information, call (802) 265-3112 or click www.devilsbowlspeedwayvt.com.

 

-30-

 

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

 

Email: devilsbowlspeedway@gmail.com

 

 

 

 

NEWS FROM                                                                                                              

Orange County Fair Speedway                                                                                   

239 Wisner Avenue                                                                                                     

Middletown, NY10940                                                                                                   

 

CONTACT

Mike Gurda

845-342-8573

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

 

 ORANGE COUNTY FAIR SPEEDWAY OPENER SATURDAY, APRIL 14

 

Middletown Track Begins Its 63rd Consecutive Year of Weekly Racing

 

MIDDLETOWN, NY (March 18)……..Orange County Fair Speedway will begin its 63rd consecutive year of weekly stock car racing Saturday night, April 14, with racing getting the first green flag at 6:30 P.M. The historic Middletown, New York five-eights-mile “Hard Clay” surfaced speedway opener will feature four divisions of DIRTcar-sanctioned race cars---Modifieds, Sportsman, Pro Stocks, and Street Stocks---in qualifying races and main events with the evening’s program sponsored by Country Chevrolet and WRWD 107.3FM. The Modified feature race is set for 40 laps and will pay the winner $3,000. Opening night will also include the first Kids Club activities of 2012.

 

 “We’re really looking forward to the new season,” said Orange County track promoter Mike Gurda. ”I know the competitors can’t wait to get on the track. And for the fans, we’ve again held the adult admission at the same $14 as last year. Tickets for our senior fans are $12, and kids under 12 are free. All seats are general admission with the exception of season ticket holder reserved seats that are marked with a plaque.”

 

 Special events are planned throughout the season, including community and organizations nights, Kids Club activities, vintage racer exhibitions, regional sprint cars, and demolition derbies. New this year is the Rookie Sportsman division, providing young drivers a chance to “get their feet wet” in Sportsman-type race cars before moving into the track’s highly-competitive Sportsman ranks.

 

But the biggest additions to the schedule are the return of the World of Outlaws Sprint Cars on Saturday, May19 and the July 20-22 Moto and Monster Truck Madness show.

 

The season wraps up with the 51st Annual Eastern States Weekend, Friday through Sunday, October 19-21. The Eastern States 200 is the oldest consecutively-run dirt track Modified championship race in the country. The weekend includes time trials, heat races and consolation races, all leading to the classic 200-lap feature on Sunday afternoon. Joining the “earth shaker” big block Modifieds in their own championship races are the 358 Modifieds, Sportsman, Pro Stock, and Street Stock divisions. Vintage Modifieds are also included as part of the three-day bonanza of speed.

 

Two pre-season activities are also on the schedule. On Saturday, March 24, everyone is invited to come out and participate in Spruce-Up Day, a chance to meet with fellow racing fans and help get the speedway ready for Opening Night.

 

Then on Saturday, April 7, from 1:00 pm until 6:00 pm, the track will host an Open Practice, giving competitors the opportunity to shake down their race cars in preparation for the seven-month-long season.

 

“It’s a full schedule with something for every race fan,” said Gurda. “We’re looking forward to seeing everyone at the track.”

 

Advance ticket sales and track information can be found on the Orange County Fair Speedway website, www.orangecountyfairspeedway.net, or from at the Track Office. Call 845-342-2573 during business hours.    

 

Note:  As of now, you’ll notice no open wheel (Sprint Cars or Midgets) are listed for Eastern States Weekend.  Also, no mention that the practice session on April 7th has a rain date of the 8th and that admission to the grandstands is free – something I personally think the track should advertise.

 

 

 

I get e-mails:

 

Does the name Jigger Sirois ring a bell?  He’s a former race driver.  His claim to fame was this, from a quick search on him:

Though he never qualified for the Indianapolis 500, Sirois is most known in racing circles for events surrounding his qualifying attempt in 1969. He took to the track on Pole Day and achieved a speed of 161.535 mph before his qualifying attempt was called off by his car owner (who thought the speed was not fast enough to make the race). Shortly afterwards, it began to rain, and qualifying was washed out. If Sirois had completed his qualification attempt, he would have won the pole (as the race's slowest qualifier's speed of 160.851 mph was not enough to bump Sirois). However, he made two more unsuccessful qualifying attempts and did not make the field. After that he came back to attempt to make the field every year up until 1975, failing to make the field every time.

Well, while I was without my own computer, I received an e-mail from Rich Boteler (Racer Rich) who is a close friend of Jigger.  He sent this:

Just passing on something that I posted in the River Rats section on Facebook. In case you don't have it available, I thought this was very much deserved.  RR
I'd like to post a thought about Jigger Sirois. Jigger has been a mentor to me for almost 50 years. Through a lot of racing items from him and his Dad Frenchy, an auction was held last May in Indy. These items brought in over $14,000 which Jigger donated to Riley's Childrens Hospital in Indy. I am overwhelmed at Jigger's generosity with this event. I just had a super phone conversation with him and told him how proud I am for what he did. He doesn't know that I'm posting this but I surely believe he has this recognition coming. Hopefully the ones on here that know Jigger will appreciate the great gesture he made to a very fine hospital and to all the kids that will get some benefit from this happening. Godspeed to Jigger!!!”

 

 

 

I get e-mails and are these true?:

 

Wow...read this one! Then check out the suggested web sites!!!  There’s something rotten here.

Many of the emails that I have sent or forwarded that had any anti Obama in it were negated by Snopes. I thought that was odd. Check this out.

 

 

Snopes, Soros and the Supreme Court's Kagan. We-l-l-l-l now, I guess the time has come to check out Snopes! Ya' don't suppose it might not be a good time to take a second look at some of the stuff that got kicked in the ditch by Snopes, do ya'?

We've known that it was owned by a lefty couple but hadn't known it to be financed by Soros!

Snopes is heavily financed by George Soros, a big time supporter of Obama!  In our Search for the truth department, we find what I have suspected on many occasions.

I went to Snopes to check something about the dockets of the new Supreme Court Justice. Elena Kagan, who Obama appointed, and Snopes said the email was false and there were no such dockets. So I Googled the Supreme Court, typed in Obama-Kagan, and guess what?  Yep, you got it; Snopes Lied!  Everyone of those dockets are there.

 

So Here is what I wrote to Snopes:

Referencing the article about Elana Kagan and Barak Obama dockets:

The information you have posted stating that there were no such cases as claimed and the examples you gave are blatantly false.  I went directly to the Supreme Courts website, typed in Obama Kagan and immediately came up with all of the dockets that the article made reference to.  I have long suspected that you really slant things but this was really shocking.  Thank You. I hope you will be much more truthful in the future, but I doubt it.

 

That being said, Ill bet you didn't know this.

Kagan was representing Obama in all the petitions to prove his citizenship.  Now she may help rule on them.  Folks, this is really ugly.

Chicago Politics and the beat goes on and on and on.  Once again the US Senate sold us out!

Now we know why Obama nominated Elana Kagan for the Supreme Court.  Pull up the Supreme Courts website, go to the docket and search for Obama.  She was the Solicitor General for all the suits against him filed with the Supreme Court to show proof of natural born citizenship.  He owed her big time.  All of the requests were denied of course.  They were never heard.  It just keeps getting deeper and deeper, doesn't it?  The American people mean nothing any longer.

It's all about payback time for those who compromised themselves to elect someone who really has no true right to even be there.

Here are some websites of the Supreme Court Docket:  You can look up some of these hearings and guess what?

Elana Kagan is the attorney representing Obama!

Check out these examples: http://www..supremecourt.gov/Search.aspx?FileName=/docketfiles/09-8857.htm

 

http://www.supremecourt.gov/Search.aspx?FileName=/docketfiles/09-6790..htm

 

http://www.supremecourt.gov/Search.aspx?FileName=/docketfiles/09-724.htm

 

If you are not interested in justice or in truth, simply delete.

However, if you hold sacred the freedoms granted to you by the U.S. Constitution, by all means, PASS it ON!   There truly is tyranny afoot.

 

And:

 

TAKE NOTE OF THIS MESSAGE, PLEASE!

 

Watch out for this one. I also confirmed with truthorfiction.com

 

Anyone-using Internet mail such as Yahoo, Hotmail, AOL and so on. This information arrived this morning, Direct from both Microsoft and Norton. Please send it to everybody you know who has Access to the Internet. You may receive an apparently harmless e-mail titled Here you have it If you open the file, a message will appear on your screen saying: 'It is too late now, your life is no longer beautiful....'

 

Subsequently you will LOSE EVERYTHING IN YOUR PC. And the person who sent it to you will gain access to your Name, e-mail and password. This is a new virus which started to circulate on Saturday afternoon. AOL has already confirmed the severity, and the antivirus software's are not capable of destroying it.

 

The virus has been created by a hacker who calls himself 'life owner'.

 

PLEASE SEND A COPY OF THIS E-MAIL TO ALL YOUR FRIENDS, And ask them to PASS IT ON IMMEDIATELY!

 

THIS HAS BEEN CONFIRMED BY SNOPES.

http://www.snopes.com/computer/virus/hereyouhave.asp

 

Note:  Yes, I’ve received e-mails that now seem to put Snopes in to too favorable position, too.

 

 

 

 

Some non-racing stuff:

 

Multiple combat tours linked to mental strain, disease

 

In part:

 

"The Army sergeant accused of killing 16 Afghan men, women and children on Sunday was reportedly on his fourth combat tour and had suffered a traumatic brain injury when his vehicle rolled over in 2010. He served three deployments in Iraq and was currently on his fourth tour of duty, this time in Afghanistan."

 

"There is no way of knowing if the sergeant's brain injury and multiple deployments are related to the brutal crime he allegedly committed. But the incident highlights the enormous strain the country's beleaguered all-volunteer military force is under. The longest war in U.S. history has meant extensive and frequent deployments with troops now reporting mental illness at record rates."

 

More can be seen if you go here:

 

http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/lookout/multiple-combat-tours-linked-mental-strain-disease-174554188.html

 

Note:  I don’t think it takes much to see some problems with that sergeant having some “mental” disorders, does it?  Question is:  Why the hell was he still in a combat zone and not back home getting treated?

 

 

 

 

I imagine most of you have received those e-mails about how crowded I-75 and I-95 will be with “Illegals” fleeing Florida because they would have to probably pee in a bottle before getting their hand-outs?

 

It ain’t so, it seems!

 

ORLANDO, Fla. — A federal judge temporarily blocked Florida's new law that requires welfare applicants to pass a drug test before receiving benefits on Monday, saying it may violate the Constitution's ban on unreasonable searches and seizures.

Judge Mary Scriven ruled in response to a lawsuit filed on behalf of a 35-year-old Navy veteran and single father who sought the benefits while finishing his college degree, but refused to take the test. The judge said there was a good chance plaintiff Luis Lebron would succeed in his challenge to the law based on the Fourth Amendment, which protects individuals from being unfairly searched.

The drug test can reveal a host of private medical facts about the individual, Scriven wrote, adding that she found it "troubling" that the drug tests are not kept confidential like medical records. The results can also be shared with law enforcement officers and a drug abuse hotline.

"This potential interception of positive drug tests by law enforcement implicates a `far more substantial' invasion of privacy than in ordinary civil drug testing cases," said Scriven, who was appointed by President George W. Bush.

The judge also said Florida didn't show that the drug testing program meets criteria for exceptions to the Fourth Amendment.

The injunction will stay in place until the judge can hold a full hearing on the matter. She didn't say when that hearing will be scheduled.

More than two-dozen states have also proposed drug-testing recipients of welfare or other government assistance, but Florida was the first state to enact such a law in more than a decade. Should any of those states pass a law and face a court challenge, Scriven's ultimate ruling would likely serve as a legal precedent.

The law's proponents include Gov. Rick Scott, who said during his campaign the measure would save $77 million. It's unclear how he arrived at those figures. A spokesman for the Florida Department of Children and Families deferred all comments to the governor's office.

"Drug testing welfare recipients is just a common-sense way to ensure that welfare dollars are used to help children and get parents back to work," said Jackie Schutz, a spokeswoman for Scott. "The governor obviously disagrees with the decision and he will evaluate his options regarding when to appeal."

 

Earlier this year, Scott also ordered drug testing of new state workers and spot checks of existing state employees under him. But testing was suspended after the American Civil Liberties Union also challenged that policy in a separate lawsuit.

Nearly 1,600 applicants have refused to take the test since testing began in mid-July, but they aren't required to say why. Thirty-two applicants failed the test and more than 7,000 have passed, according to the Department of Children and Families. The majority of positives were for marijuana.

State officials said Monday that applicants previously denied benefits for testing positive or refusing the test could reapply immediately. The Department of Children and Families will also approve all pending applications that await drug test results.

Supporters had argued applicants skipped the test because they knew they would have tested positive for drugs. Applicants must pay $25 to $35 for the test and are reimbursed by the state if they pass. It's unclear if the state has saved money.

Under the Temporary Assistance For Needy Families program, the state gives $180 a month for one person or $364 for a family of four.

Those who test positive for drugs are ineligible for the cash assistance for one year, though passing a drug course can cut that period in half. If they fail a second time, they are ineligible for three years.

Lebron, who is the sole caretaker of his 4-year-old son, said he's "happy that the judge stood up for me and my rights and said the state can't act without a reason or suspicion."

The ACLU says Florida was the first to enact such a law since Michigan tried more than a decade ago. Michigan's random drug testing program for welfare recipients lasted five weeks in 1999 before it was halted by a judge, kicking off a four-year legal battle that ended with an appeals court ruling it unconstitutional.

 

 

 

..Romney Turns 65 but Isn’t Signing Up for Medicare

 

..By Daniel Gross

 .PostsWebsiteEmail .By Daniel Gross | Contrary Indicator – 4 hours ago

..

.........Romney Turns 65 but Isn’t Signing Up for Medicare

..By Daniel Gross

 .PostsWebsiteEmail .By Daniel Gross | Contrary Indicator – 4 hours ago

....

Share3EmailPrint.....Mitt Romney is turning 65 today. That means he's now eligible for Medicare, the government-run insurance program that covers about 47 million older Americans. But he's not planning to enroll.

 

Medicare has emerged as a contentious campaign issue. Romney has embraced the proposal of Rep. Paul Ryan, which aims to keep Medicare intact for people currently in the program and for those who are approaching eligibility age, while transforming it for everybody else into a system of subsidies for people to purchase private insurance. In time, that proposal would essentially end Medicare as it currently exists and vastly increase out-of-pocket costs for participants. At the same time, Romney has criticized President Obama for cutting spending on Medicare in his budget.

 

Romney is doing his part to keep Medicare solvent — he's not signing up for it. The campaign has told my colleague Holly Bailey that the 65-year-old candidate plans to remain on his private insurance and will not enroll in Medicare.

 

It seems the only taxpayer-funded health care Romney wants is the coverage that comes with the position of President of the United States.

 

Daniel Gross is economics editor at Yahoo! Finance.

 

Follow him on Twitter @grossdm; email him at grossdaniel11@yahoo.com.

 

 

http://finance.yahoo.com/blogs/daniel-gross/romney-turns-65-isn-t-signing-medicare-162543228.html

 

Note:  You should read the comments that are under the article!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Video time:

 

Something quite different this week.  7 minutes and 11 seconds of wondering – when will he crash???

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch_popup?v=tzowQtqOM_I

 

 

 

 

Photos:

 

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

 

Sadly, what was in the past, is no longer.  Here’s a photo from the 1960 DuQuoin, Illinois “Indy Car” or “Champ Car” race, with not too many empty seats being shown.  So, over the years, what happened?  Might it be that the current day “Indy” drivers don’t run on similar tracks, today?  Might it be that today’s “Indy” drivers don’t race in other open wheel cars, like Sprint Cars and/or Midgets?  Is it due to the change from front engines to engines in the rear?  Who really knows, for sure?

 

I’m not sure exactly who the photographer was that took this photo, and hope I’m not infringing!

 

 

The top six qualifiers for that race were Don Branson, Lloyd Ruby, Jim Hurtubise, A.J. Foyt, Cotton Farmer and Jim Packard.  Foyt was the race winner.  Eighteen cars started the 100 mile race – a normal starting field.  Sixteen drivers and cars went home that day, failing to make the show.

 

Info on that race can be seen here:   http://www.ultimateracinghistory.com/race.php?raceid=5100

 

Note:  Clicking on a drivers name in the above link, will lead you to a majority of the races he was in, over his career.

Hurtubise, AJ Foyt, Cotton FrmH

 

 

 

Closing with these:

 

Young Mia, only 4 years old, returned home from Nursery School complaining, “Mummy, I’ve got a stomach ache”

 

“That’s because your stomach is empty,” her mother replied, kindly.  “You’ll feel better when you have something in it.”  She made Mia a small snack and, sure enough, Mia felt better right away.

 

Later that afternoon, Mia’s teacher dropped by to see Mia’s mother.  While chatting with her, she mentioned she’d had a bad headache all day long.

 

Mia perked up and announced to her teacher, “That’s because it’s empty.  You’ll feel better if you had something in it!”

 

 

“I am” is the shortest complete sentence in the English language, so it’s been said, but what about “I do”?  Might that be a short sentence with the end result being a long sentence???

 

 

This is a story about four people named, Everybody, Somebody, Anybody & Nobody.

 

There was an important job to be done and Everybody was sure that Somebody would do it.  Anybody could have done it, but Nobody did it.  Somebody got angry about that, because it was Everybody’s job.  Everybody thought Anybody could do it, but Nobody realized that Everybody wouldn’t do it.  It ended up that Everybody blamed Somebody when Nobody did what Anybody could have done.

 

 

 

 

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