Racin' & Internet Stuff:
By Tom Avenengo
03/29/2012
First:
At times, it’s kinda
hard figuring out what to start these columns with. Such was the case with this one. Well, it was, until I had mail delivered to
my house this past Monday. Among the
mail was the newsletter from the Eastern Museum of Motor Racing (EMMR). The EMMR has been in existence for over 25
years. Former race driver Lynn Paxton is
its president. In his message from the
president in this newsletter was some news that I found to be quite
unbelievable.
Kinda
hard to believe, isn’t it – 25 years and now they have their FIRST paid
employee!
Second:
Keeping with the EMMR – something that is
found on their website:
“EMMR is national in scope due to the
fact that those who came to participate in the East
for many years would represent the nation from coast to coast and border to
border. Motor sports participants from over 40 states traveled to
During that eighteen year,
nineteen race time period over 100 drivers who
qualified for and raced in the
Note:
In a way, I feel sorry for
those that missed that era – when the Indy drivers came east to race – and not
necessarily to race Indy cars, either, but Sprint Cars and Midgets. Not so, today, however, and that to me, is
part of the reason that Indy car racing has lost some of its fan base.
Third:
Puff!
Just like that, flowers have started to bloom where I live. The buds are starting to come out on the
trees. Certain types of trees – Dogwoods,
are full of blossoms, already, due to that little warm spell we had. But, the forecast for where I live,
especially for Monday night – low 20’s – might due harm to some flowers, buds
and those blossoms. So as of Wednesday,
it looks like everything survived those low 20 temps!
Fourth:
Chili Bowl & TV – found
this on the Internet:
Chili Bowl on TV
Does anyone know when this
year's (2012) Chili Bowl event is scheduled to be shown on TV (CBS I
understand)?
Saturday April 14th, 4:00PM
as part of a show called CBS Sports Spectacular.
For weeks, all we heard
was...."CBS is showing the Chili Bowl on Jan 28", then several
claimed it would be on the CBS Sports Network (former CBS College Sports
Network). Now it has been pushed back until April!
In other words, it will
probably air on ESPN Classic before CBS shows the 2012 Chili Bowl!
Fifth:
Found over on the Track
Forum:
Note: Kinda
interesting, isn’t it?
Sixth:
Interesting
- IndyCar to Pocono in 2013??
Pocono Raceway President and
CEO Brandon Igdalsky attended Sunday's race and met
with IndyCar CEO Randy Bernard to discuss the
possibility of having a race at the eastern
Seventh:
Found this over on Facebook - for Brad Szulewski:
For Brad:
Friday, April 6, 2012.6:00pm until 10:00pm.. Please come out and attend the 1st Annual BBD Racing Fund-Racer.
Tim Hannen and the
From 6pm - 10pm, Friday, April 6th, BBD Racing will be hosting the 1st Annual B...BD Racing Fund-Racer.
We will be racing the corporate karts all night long, with possible changes to the track configuration as the night progresses.
All racing gear (helmets, neckbraces, jackets, gloves, etc.) will be provided by the race track, however if you can supply your own gear, please do.
Food and beverages will be provided.
Depending on the outcome, the tentative price is $20 - $25 per person.
Please come out and enjoy a great night of family fun
racing and support BBD Racing and the
***Please make sure to wear full legged pants and no open-toed shoes if you plan on driving***
Eighth:
If you recall, WRG/DIRTcar pulled their sanction from Can Am Speedway because Can Am had scheduled a couple of “Open Tire” Sportsman races after the point season. As of midnight, prior to publication of this column, there has been no response from anyone from WRG/DIRTcar on this.
Here’s what the owner of Can Am Speedway had to say:
WRG/DIRTCar/Can
Am Speedway audio
http://www.dougsdirtdiary.com/audioplayer.php?id=14497
http://podcasts.fingerlakes1.com/31stlap/
Ninth:
We’ve never been to the New
Egypt Speedway, and were entertaining thoughts of going to the RoC races there last Saturday. A couple of things came up that made us stay
home – my grandson, Dillon, isn’t really into racing, so we’d have to have
someone watch him. Then the forecast
called for rain beginning in the afternoon hours. On top of that, higher gas prices come into
the picture, too. New
Tenth:
I caught some glimpses of the
Indycar race this past Sunday. I’m not a big fan of city street racing. But watching what I did, the new Indy cars –
from the rear, kind of look like Amusement Karts. And why in the world is it mandatory to use
the “red” tires during any Indy car race?
Eleventh:
I also watched some of the
Cup race from
Twelfth:
“Obamacare”
Quite a bit
on the Supreme Court and its dealings with this. What I can’t
figure out is, if this is so damned important, why is this only being held for
three days and only for two hours each day?
As I said to the wife, while watching the news on Monday night – hell,
they should have at least three six hour days.
The Court tees up the health
mandate
In part:
"Amid sure signs that
the Supreme Court Justices are deeply interested in the constitutionality of
the new health care law’s key sections, and definite signs that they have been
studying up for the task, they moved on Monday to get beyond the preliminaries
and get set for Tuesday’s crucial two-hour hearing.
In a hearing yesterday that
lasted just under 90 minutes, the Court seemed unwilling to postpone by as much
as three years their ultimate encounter with the mandate that would require
virtually all Americans to obtain health insurance or pay a penalty. That
elevated the importance of Tuesday’s review of the mandate.
The first of three days of
argument on the Affordable Care Act was on the complex subject of courts’
authority even to hear the challenge. The first lawyer the Justices heard told
them they had no authority to decide the issue of the mandate’s validity,
because none of the challengers had a legal right to challenge it in court.
From every indication, the Court did not seem to take that advice.
For the government, the
Justices, in voicing doubts that the mandate really is about taxation, dropped
hints that the mandate probably has little chance of being upheld as an
exercise of Congress’s
taxing power – the government’s backup constitutional theory. (The government’s
preferred defense is that the mandate came under Congress’s power to regulate
commerce.)
For the challengers, the
members of the Court did not seem to accept the argument that the mandate could
be separated from its penalty, so that the mandate could be nullified as a
stand-alone attempt to regulate how people pay for their medical care. Chief
Justice John G. Roberts, Jr., said bluntly that separating the two “does not
make much sense….Why would you have a requirement that is completely
toothless?”
More on this can be found
here: http://news.yahoo.com/court-tees-health-mandate-100409778.html
And these, too:
http://news.yahoo.com/viewpoint-why-supreme-court-uphold-health-care-law-101022585.html
http://news.yahoo.com/case-losing-obamacare-084500484.html
http://news.yahoo.com/premium-support-only-way-fix-americas-medicare-mess-063000025.html
http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/ticket/d-c-unemployed-paid-hold-places-line-outside-212609025.html
Note: As of Wednesday night, things look to be
pretty close on some of the items. It
will be a while before we get the results, though.
Thirteenth:
A little more on the bus trip
to the Cup race at
I checked with “Benzee”, as to whether there might be a second bus added,
since the first one has sold out, and there is a “waiting list”
The latest, as of Monday:
“Tom
its one bus for Dover , if the waiting list gets big
enough we can get a second but I do not foresee this as I have 4
right now on the waiting list
Everyone has to be paid by April 15th , if I see we have 30 or more on waiting
list by first week in April I will contact everyone and try to run a second one
Benzee
Fourteenth:
Over on the Track
Forum, there’s quite a lot said about the first Indycar
race of the season. Here are some links
to some of what’s being said – some good – some not so good:
http://www.trackforum.com/forums/showthread.php?161868-ABC-s-quot-coverage-quot
http://www.trackforum.com/forums/showthread.php?161978-The-Start-Of-The-Race-At-St.Pete
http://www.trackforum.com/forums/showthread.php?161874-Let-s-hope-the-next-one-is-better
http://www.trackforum.com/forums/showthread.php?161866-New-thoughts-on-the-new-cars
http://www.trackforum.com/forums/showthread.php?161938-MILLER-Plenty-Of-Positives-In-St.-Pete
http://www.trackforum.com/forums/showthread.php?161869-Time-for-Local-Yellows
http://www.trackforum.com/forums/showthread.php?161863-Cautions-again...
Fifteenth:
April 8th is
Easter Sunday. For quite some time, we
had an annual Easter egg hunt at our house for the little ones. Now, sad to say, most of those little ones
have either grown up or have moved away.
It kinda looks like this will be the first
time in quite a while that we won’t be having the egg hunt. Damn!
Funny thing is, when we had them, after the kids found them – and they
usually found all of them, then they would hide them for the adults to
find. We never did as good as the kids,
and, yes, some never got found.
Gonna miss that this year!
Sixteenth:
Over the last week, there
have been commercials shown on TV on how things have progressed in
Seventeenth:
As for how
NY expected to pass $132B, on-time budget:
In part:
“Gov.
Andrew Cuomo and the state Legislature are poised to pass a state budget on
time for the second year in a row, which would be as uncommon as the budget's
small spending increase.
The Legislature will take up
the $132.5 billion budget plan Wednesday in a flurry of votes that should end
late Thursday or early Friday, easily making the fiscal deadline of midnight
Saturday.
In closed-door meetings and phone calls Monday,
Cuomo and Senate Majority Leader Dean Skelos and
Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver cleared the final major obstacles to
agreement.”
More on this can be found here: http://www.recordonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20120328/NEWS/203280336/-1/NEWS
Eighteenth:
Might you be interested in
building model race cars? How about
racing them as slot cars? Here are a few
links to some model car sites:
http://stores.tjscus.../Categories.bok
http://www.hotlapsracin.com/index.htm
And some info on slot car race tracks:
http://orangecountyracewayincorporated.com/
http://slotcarillustrated.com/portal/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=151
Nineteenth:
Back when we were running the 600 Micro Sprint, I checked out the Internet to see what the deals might be as far as towing a trailer. I found this, below. Not sure if there have been many updates over the years, however.
http://www.glen-l.com/designs/trailer/trailer-laws.html
Coming up:
OCFS:
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!
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!
June 6: Mid Week Madness begins
Five Mile Point Speedway:
Sat. 3/31 Open Practice 2:00 PM
Sun.
4/1* RoC
Sportsman 30 - $1,500 to win plus RoC Street Stocks,
600 c.c. Mods - 4:00 p.m.
Lightning Cat (4 cylinder
open) and Tommy Boy 20 for Factory Stocks.
Sat. 4/7 Open Practice 2:00 PM
Sat. 4/14* Southern Tier Open for Modifieds – 40 laps - $2,500 to win! - 6:00 p.m.
Season
point openers for SM, SS, IMCA and Lightning Cats.
Hamlin
April 2012
1. Sat 4/14/12 BUG DAY - Gate
opens 1pm, practice from 2-6pm, $15 per pit pass - No Entry Fee!
2. Sat 4/21/12 OPENING DAY!
POINTS BEGIN - ALL DIVISIONS - REGULAR SHOW - RRTT:ALL
OVRP’s Dirt Oval:
Saturday, March 31:
Opening Day
– practice for Karts & Slingshots – rain date for swap meet.
Sunday, April 1:
Practice for Bikes &
Quads.
Saturday, April 7:
1st point races
for Karts & Slingshots.
Sunday, April 22:
1st point race for
Bikes & Quads
Penn Can
Friday
4/6/2012
Practice
Friday
4/13/2012
Practice
Sunday
4/15/2012
Practice
Friday
4/20/2012
Mod
602 Spts
SS
4CYL
FStocks
Can Opener
April 21
(Rain date:
April 22)
Open Practice for all
divisions
INEX Points Races for Legends
and Bandoleros
FREE grandstand admission!
April 28
(Rain date:
April 29)
Opening Night Points
Begin
Sportsman, Legends, Bandoleros, Pro Stock,
Street Stock, BMS Modified, 4
Cylinder
Borgers Speedway:
Three practice dates are
scheduled for Borgers
Speedway 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 60 degrees 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.
Sat. April 7
Warm Ups / / Gates Open @ 3pm / Track Open @
4pm -7pm / Open To Any Race Car / Pit Fee $12.00 /
Grandstands Are FREE!!!
Sat. April 14
L&M Motors & Sayer’s
Auto Wrecking Present The 60th Season Opener, $3,000
To Win Modified Main! Budget Sportsman & Weekly Divisions - (Sportsman
Warm-Ups)
G.A Child
$2.00
G.A. ADULT
$10.00
Reserved Seating
$11.00
Tower Seating
$16.00
Albany/Saratoga
Sunday April 15
Open Practice OPEN TO ANY RACE CAR!
Gates Open 12pm | Practice From 3-7pm $15
Thursday April 19
Friday April 20 GRAND
OPENING: 2 BIG OPENING NIGHTS!!! Back on Dirt!
Modifieds Both Nights!
Thursday - Budgets &
4-Cyl | Friday - Prostocks & Street Stocks,
Friday Mods $2,500 TO WIN!
NEMA up-coming:
March 31 - April 1 Sat-Sun
Day Race
-
plus NEMA Lites Series
Next:
May 20 Sun Thompson Intl.
-
Note: Wow – a whole seven weeks
between 1st and 2nd events??
As for the “Lights”, their next show:
May 12
Sat Night
-
Coming in May – at
22nd Vintage Racing Celebration
Thursday, May 10 - Sunday, May 13, 2012 8:00am-6:00pm
Oval - 5/10, 5/11; Road Course - 5/12, 5/13
The Vintage Racing
Celebration recognizes the roots of auto racing in
The event kicks off with two days of oval racing on Thursday, May 10, and Friday, May 11. The oval days will feature midget, sprint, champ, Indy, modified and stock cars that will put on an exhibition of vintage racing.
On the weekend, the track will be reconfigured to the 1.6-mile road course for May 12-13. Several associations will invade the track for racing that will include formula and sports cars, as well as motorcycles.
Found
on Jayski’s website:
NASCAR
seating cut backs:
http://www.jayski.com/pages/tracks-seating.htm
Townley placed on probation:
NASCAR announced today that it has placed
John Wes Townley, driver in the NASCAR Camping World
Truck Series, on probation until Dec. 31, 2012. Townley
violated Section 12-1 (actions detrimental to stock car racing) of the 2012
NASCAR Rule Book. The violation occurred Feb. 7. In addition to the steps
already underway by his team RAB Racing, Townley will
be evaluated by a certified substance abuse professional at NASCAR's discretion
and will be subject to random alcohol and drug testing.(NASCAR)(3-22-2012)
NASCAR President
defends appeals process:
NASCAR president Mike Helton said he believes
in the sport's rules inspectors and the overall appeals process, despite the
decision Tuesday that overturned most of the penalties imposed on Jimmie
Johnson's #48 Chevy from a body-alignment issue at
Daytona last month. "We think the decision made this week supports the
inspection process with the elements of the penalty that were upheld,"
Helton said Friday at Auto Club Speedway. "It indicates they did their job
correctly." NASCAR originally penalized the #48 team 25 points and
suspended both crew chief Chad Knaus and car chief
Ron Malec for six races, along with fining Knaus $100,000. Before the car went on the track at
Daytona, inspectors said the C-posts (on each side of the rear window) were not
within the tolerances of the rule book, but the car was not measured on the
templates. Both Knaus and Malec
were allowed to continue working races while the penalty was appealed by Hendrick Motorsports. A three-man appeals panel held up the
penalties two weeks ago, but most of the penalties were rescinded Tuesday by
chief appellate officer John Middlebrook, a former GM
executive who has the final say in the appeals process. The points and the
suspensions were eliminated by Middlebrook, but the
fine was upheld. Helton said the fact that the fine was upheld proves that
NASCAR inspectors discovered a violation. "Elements of the penalty were
upheld based on parts of the car that did not conform to the rules,"
Helton said. "The debate was how we reacted to it. That's as much a
bureaucratic decision as it is a competition decision." Middlebrook has not spoken publicly about his reasons for
greatly reducing the penalty. The surprising decision by Middlebrook
has caused some people to wonder if changes are needed in the inspection or
appeals process, but Helton said NASCAR has no plans to do so.(ESPN)(3-23-2012)
Robby Gordon
scaling back:
#7-Robby Gordon said he likely will not race
at Martinsville Speedway next week after failing to qualify for the previous
three Cup races. Gordon said he planned to race at
Penske may continue
to build Dodge engines after 2012:
Penske Racing will run Fords in NASCAR's
premier series next season, but the team owner said Saturday his Sprint Cup
team still could be building Dodge engines. Penske hasn't decided whether to
use motors from Roush Yates, which currently supplies all of Ford's teams in
Cup. But Penske said his 70-person engine staff would be unaffected if he
elects to align with the motors used by Roush Fenway Racing. "We have a
lot of people calling us wanting to run Dodges," Penske said as his Izod IndyCar Series teams
prepared to qualify for the season opener on the streets of St. Pete.
"We're going to keep our engine shop open obviously. We have a big
investment there. We're certainly not going to shut the door. There's a lot of
speculation, but I can assure you that engine shop will continue to operate in
some mode one way or the other. Because we've got chassis dynos
and things that we wouldn't have the success today without what those guys have
done. If Dodge is interested, if we would go to a separate source (for
engines), then our shop could be available to do Dodge work for sure."
Penske said he hasn't met with Roush yet, but his team has scheduled several
meetings with Ford officials.(see full article and
more quotes at the USA
Today)(3-25-2012)
Tires -- not
reinventing speedway -- might be
#88-Dale Earnhardt Jr. had some advice for Bruton Smith: talk to the drivers before firming up plans
to reinvent Bristol Motor Speedway. It might be a good idea for Smith to talk
to Goodyear, too, given that changing the tires at
Could the Commodore
be the new Chevy model in 2013?
The blogosphere has gone into overdrive with
speculation that Holden's
Commodore may race in the 2013 US-based NASCAR racing series [Holden is one
of only seven fully-integrated global General Motors operations that designs,
builds and sells vehicles for
Spring Break at the
NASCAR
Visitors can break out with spring fever and
family fun at the NASCAR Hall of Fame during the second annual Spring Break
from the Ordinary, Saturday, March 24 Monday, April 9. With new special
events and activities, Spring Break From the Ordinary offers students and their
parents "Grade A" entertainment with scavenger hunts, racing
simulator competitions, pit crew challenges, crafts, video game competitions
plus more than 50 hands-on exhibits at the 150,000 square-foot entertainment
facility. In a class by itself, Spring Break From the
Ordinary features daily physical challenges and games for students (K-12). Each
day during Spring Break From the Ordinary guests have
a chance to compete in a number of high-octane activities and contests for
prizes including NASCAR memorabilia, K'NEX building sets, Spin Master toy cars,
NASCAR Hall of Fame Memberships and more. More info on the event and tickets at
NASCARHall.com.(3-24-2012)
Appeals court refuses
to reinstate Mayfield's lawsuit against NASCAR:
A federal appeals court in
NASCAR Statement:
Statement from Steve O'Donnell, NASCAR Senior
Vice President, Racing Operations: "NASCAR is
pleased that today the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit affirmed
the U.S. District Court's original decision in May 2010 in Jeremy Mayfield v.
NASCAR. This case was never about anything more than NASCAR's ability to keep
the sport clean and our competitors safe."(NASCAR)(3-26-2012)
Auto Club TV
Ratings posted:
Opposite heavy competition from the NCAA
Tournament on CBS and PGA Golf on NBC, NASCAR Sprint Cup Racing on FOX averaged
a 3.4/7 Sunday for the Auto Club 400 from Auto Club Speedway which was cut
short by rain. That's down -17% from last year?s 4.1/9 for the same race which ran in its entirety.
Season-to-date, NASCAR Sprint Cup Racing on FOX is averaging a 4.9/10 in the
meters, off -9% from last year?s
average of a 5.4/12. See race-by-race Ratings on the 2012 TV Ratings page.(3-26-2012)
Bruton Smith say changes will be
made at
After more than a week of studying requested
fan input, Bruton Smith, Chairman and CEO of Speedway
Motorsports, announced he has ordered the go-ahead to make changes to the track
surface at Bristol Motor Speedway. "The race fans have spoken," Smith
said. "We had input that included a wide range of opinions. But the
majority we heard from said they wanted to see changes made. As a result, I
have ordered the equipment and work will begin within the next two weeks to
allow time to have everything ready for August." Smith said an
announcement regarding the scope of the work will be made soon. "The
question we wanted to answer as quickly as possible was 'Is something going to
be done?' Smith said. "The answer to that is 'yes.' We will have the
details in two weeks as to what that 'something' is.(BMS)(3-28-2012)
For spectators looking to enjoy a great
racing event experience at a favorable cost, Atlanta Motor Speedway is rolling
out new ticket specials for the 2012 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series AdvoCare 500 weekend, Aug. 31-Sept. 2. Two frontstretch Lower Petty or Lower Winners grandstand
tickets will be offered for $99 while they last for the AdvoCare
500 on Sunday, Sept. 2. Fans will have a view of pit road and will see the
high-speed racing action up close as the cars race down the frontstretch.
Danica Patrick will make her Atlanta Motor Speedway
debut this Labor Day weekend, and her fans can watch her race in both of her
starts with the "Danica Deal." In this
package, customers will receive a ticket in the Lower Earnhardt Grandstand for
Sunday's AdvoCare 500 and a general admission ticket
for Saturday's Nationwide Series race. Included will be a limited-edition Danica Patrick hero card to commemorate her first start at
the historic 1.54-mile speedway. Both of these specials are only available
while they last for a limited time, so fans are encouraged to lock in their
seats today for the biggest Labor Day party in the USA.(AMS)(3-28-2012)
Tailgating is a big part of the culture that
race fans enjoy each and every time they visit Darlington Raceway. To accommodate
the ever-growing demand for tailgating prior to the track's events, the raceway
is offering a new area outside turn two, the Too Tough to Tailgate Zone,
specific for fans who are tailgating prior to the Bojangles'
Southern 500 on Saturday, May 12. For $50 per spot, fans will receive a 20x20
space in the Tailgate Zone, big enough to accommodate one passenger vehicle, a
pop-up tent, tables, chairs and a grill. There are no limitations to how many
guests can tailgate at the space. Admission to the Bojangles'
Southern 500 is not included in the price. Tickets to the race must be
purchased when you order your tailgating spot in order to obtain admission.
Additionally, the Darlington Raceway ticket office hours are changing to
accommodate race fans that might not be able to purchase their tickets during
normal business hours. From now until the race weekend, the ticket office will
be open Monday-Friday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tickets to the upcoming NASCAR
Sprint Cup Series Bojangles' Southern 500 and
Nationwide Series VFW Sport Clips Help a Hero 200 can still be purchased
anytime at DarlingtonRaceway.com.(Darlington
Raceway)(3-27-2012)
Note: Betcha there’ll be a ton of Rebel Flags in that “Tailgate”
area to go along with the tents, tables, chairs, grills and coolers! Didja notice – when
they race at
Virginia Tech
Regimental Band To Play National Anthem at
The Virginia Tech Corps of Cadets Regimental
Marching Band will perform the National Anthem prior to Sunday's Goody's Fast
Relief 500 at Martinsville Speedway, keeping alive the track's custom of
traditional performances of the Anthem. The regimental band, better known as
The Highty-Tighties, was formed in 1893 and is the
oldest collegiate band in the
FLYOVER: The flyover before the start of Sunday's Goody's Fast Relief 500 will
be provided by a pair of F-18 Tomcatters. They will
be out of the Naval Air Station in
LT. DAN BAND CONCERT: Gary Sinise, of Forrest Gump
and CSI: NY fame, along with his Lt. Dan Band, will be performing a concert at
Martinsville High School on Saturday, March 31 at 7:30 p.m. Proceeds from the
show will go toward the construction of a smart house for Marine Cpl. J.B. Kerns,
a local soldier who lost both legs and an arm in an IED explosion in
Afghanistan. Fittingly, Kerns is the Honorary Starter for the Goody's Fast
Relief 500 while Sinise is the Grand Marshal. Tickets
can be purchased at www.piedmontarts.org.
Good seats remain for both Saturday's Kroger 250 and Sunday's Goody's Fast
Relief 500 at Martinsville Speedway. To purchase tickets, call 877.RACE.TIX or
visit www.martinsvillespeedway.com.(Martinsville Speedway)(3-26-2012)
Note:
This is something I think should be done at every track – have a band of
some kind play our National Anthem. Way
too many singers screw it up so pathetically.
Watkins Glen /
Watkins Glen International is without a title
sponsor for its NASCAR Sprint Cup event after Heluva
Good! ended contract negotiations earlier this week.
WGI President Michael Printup said last week he was
optimistic the food manufacturer known largely for its sour cream dips would
come back for its fourth year as the race's primary sponsor, but he learned
Tuesday that Heluva Good! decided
not to renew its contract. "We were a percent away from signing the deal
and they turned around and walked away," Printup
said Friday. "We loved Heluva Good! but of course every company takes changes of
direction." With its Sprint Cup event seven months away, the news has left
Watkins Glen's marketing team and its corporate owner, International Speedway
Corp., a small window to find another headliner. "At this point, it's all
hands on deck," said Printup, who expects to
have a new sponsor in place within 90 days. Heluva
Good! also decided not to return as sponsor of the
Sprint Cup race at Michigan International Speedway, which is another ISC-owned
track. Printup said Sprint Cup title sponsors
generally provide tracks between $500,000 and $2,000,000.(Elmiria Star Gazette)(2-14-2012)
Note: Kinda old news, I know, but I just found it on Jayski’s website.
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 March 11th to March 22nd. It took a few weeks but we’re now just about
up to date, date wise.
MARCH 11
1927
Dempsey Wilson... Born ... USAC driver from the 1950's and 60's.
1928
Benny Rapp... Born ... USAC
driver from the 1960's
1929
Henry Seagrave
drove his Irving-Napier to a new One Mile Speed Record of 231.446 mph at
1930
Troy Ruttman...
Born ... AAA / USAC driver from the late 1940's to 1964.
He raced in 12 Indy 500's and won in 1952. He was the older brother of NASCAR
driver Joe Ruttman.
1951
Derek Daly... Born ...
Formula One and CART driver from the 1970's and 80's
1956
Joe Gosek...
Born ... He was a super-modified racecar driver. He also raced in the 1996
1958
Eddie Lawson... Born ... A former four-time Grand Prix motorcycle racing World
Champion. After finishing his motorcycle career, Lawson pursued a career
in four wheeled motorsport racing in the
1977
John Calla... Born ... Founder of racing website wheelsofspeed.com.
1979
Gordon Johncock
won the first ever CART sanctioned Indy Car race, the 'Jimmy Bryan 150' at
Phoenix International Raceway. Bobby Unser led until Danny Ongais
took over on lap 87. Ongais had a 20 second lead and
had lapped all but four cars before a long pit stop under green on lap 119
dropped him to 5th. Johncock took over as Ongais closed quickly before blowing the motor in the Interscope Special 10 laps later. Rick Mears finished
second and Johnny Rutherford third. Johncock was
driving the Patrick Racing Penske PC6...the first time that a Penske fielded by
another team had beaten Penske's own entries.
1992
Norm Hall... Died ... He
drove in the USAC Championship Car series, racing in the 1961, 1964, and 1965
seasons, with 17 career starts, including the
1995
Dick Fraizer...
Died ... AAA / USAC driver 1949 to 1956
Tony George announces the
formation of the Indy Racing League.
MARCH 12
1882
Erwin George "Cannon
Ball" Baker... Born ... He was a motorcycle and automobile racing driver
and organizer in the first half of the 20th century. In 1908, Baker purchased
an Indian motorcycle and began entering and winning local races. His most
famous victory came in 1909 at the first race ever held at the newly built
Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Baker also raced at the 1922
1915
Robert "Red"
Byron... Born ... He was a NASCAR driver who was successful in the sanctioning
body's first years. He was NASCAR's first Modified champion (and its first
champion in any division) in 1948 and its first Strictly Stock (predecessor to
NEXTEL Cup) champion in 1949.
1938
Johnny
Rutherford ... Born ... USAC / CART driver from the 1960's to 1992. He raced in 24 Indy 500's and Texas-raised "Lonestar J.R." won the prestigious 500 mile race three
times: in 1974, 1976, and 1980.
1963
John Andretti... Born ...
One of the most versatile race car drivers in American history, winning in Indy
car, NHRA Top Fuel Dragsters, endurance racing and NASCAR racing. John is the
son of Aldo Andretti, John has a brother named Mark who had a talent for
racing, but chose a different route, they both are nephews of IndyCar racing legend Mario Andretti (Aldo's twin), cousin
of Mario's sons Michael and Jeff, and godson of four-time Indianapolis 500
winner A. J. Foyt.
1978
Casey Mears... Born ... USAC / CART/ IRL and NASCAR driver. He is the
nephew of four time
Ed "Dutch"
Schaefer... Died ... Eastern midget racer from the 1940's to the 1970's. Remembered as the man who saved the ARDC from extinction.
Schaefer was elected President of the oldest midget racing club in the East in
1952. Near the point of extinction, Dutch managed to hold together a small
group of devoted ARDC car owners and drivers, and brought the club and midget
racing on the East Coast, back into the limelight.
1995
Rick Muther...
Died ... USAC / CART driver from the 1960's & 1970's.
MARCH 13
1947
Lyn St. James... Born ...
(born Sandra Lynn Eden) A retired professional IndyCar
driver with 11 CART and 5 Indy Racing League starts to her name. She is just
one of five women who successfully qualified for the
1951
Wally Parks, Ak Miller and Marvin Lee create the National Hot Rod
Association (NHRA) in a booth in the Tam-O-Shanter
restaurant in
1987
Marco Andretti... Born ...
He is the son of 1991 IndyCar World Series champion
Michael Andretti and the grandson of racing legend Mario Andretti. Andretti
finished second in the 2006
1993
Gene Hartley... Died ... AAA / USAC driver from the 1950's and 60's. Gene
was the 1959 USAC National Midget Series champion. Hartley was inducted in the
National Midget Auto Racing Hall of Fame in 1985. He ran the Indy 500 ten times
with a best finish of 10th in 1957.
2002
Bayliss Levrett... Died ... AAA
driver from 1949 to 1952
MARCH 14
1914
Lee Petty... Born ... Was
an American stock car driver in the 1950s and 60s. He was one of the pioneers
of NASCAR, and one of its first superstars. He is the father of Richard Petty,
who would become NASCAR's all-time race winner. With sons Richard and Maurice,
he founded Petty Enterprises, which became NASCAR's most successful racing
team. He was the grandfather of Kyle Petty, and great grandfather of Adam
Petty. In 1990, Lee Petty was inducted into the International Motorsports Hall
of Fame. He was inducted in the Motorsports Hall of Fame of
1940
Bill Simpson ... Born ... A
retired American racecar driver, but is best known as a pioneer in the racing
safety business with his company Simpson Performance Products. In 2003, he was
inducted into the Motorsports Hall of Fame of
1961
Hiroyuki "Hiro" Matsushita ... Born ... A former driver in the
Champ Car series. He is the grandson of Konosuke
Matsushita, founder of Matsushita Electric Industrial Co.; as a result, he has
always carried Panasonic sponsorship. By the time he retired in 1998,
Matsushita had started 117 Champ Car races for Dick Simon, Walker Racing, Arciero/Wells Racing and Payton/Coyne.
MARCH 15
1888
Percy Ford... Born ... AAA driver from 1917 to 1921. Ran
the Indy 500 in 1921 and finished 3rd.
1926
Bob Mathouser
... Born ... Drove in the USAC Championship Car series, racing in the 1961-1966
seasons, with 30 career starts, including the 1964
1927
Al Herman... Born
...ARDC/AAA /USAC driver from the 1950's and 60's
1962
Josele Garza... Born ... USAC / CART driver from the 1980's
MARCH 16
1896
Louis Unser... Born ... Race Car Driver. "Uncle Louie" Unser was
a nine time winner of the Pikes Peak Hillclimb (1934,36,37,38,39,41, 46,47,53). He, along with his brothers
Joseph and Jerome (Jerry, Sr) had dreams of racing in
the
1898
Chet Gardner... Born ...
Chet started racing in 1922 in
1910
Barney Oldfield drove a
Benz to a One-Mile Speed record 131.724 mph.
1941
Jim Reynard... Born ...
USAC racer from the 1960's
1947
Billy Stavola...
Born ... Along with his brother Mickey co-owned Stavola
Brothers Racing. The Stavola Brothers formed their
NASCAR Winston Cup team in 1983 with veteran crew chief Harry Hyde and rookie
driver Bobby Hillin, who was a high school senior at
the time. Before closing the team at the end of the 1998 Winston Cup season
when the team lost
1950
Dick Ferguson... Born ...
Former driver in the CART Championship Car series. He raced in the 1979-1985
and 1987-1988 seasons, with 26 career starts, including the 1980
1967
Andy Granatelli's
turbine-powered Indycar is unveiled to the press.
MARCH 17
1910
Ralph Pratt... Born ... AAA driver from the 1940's and 50's. Inducted into the National Midget Auto Racing Hall of Fame in 1998.
1929
Tom Pistone...
Born ... NASCAR driver from the 1950's and 60's
1933
Dee Jones... Born ... USAC
driver from the 1960's and 70's
1950
Chip Mead... Born ... USAC / CART driver from the 1980's.
MARCH 18
1923
Andy Granatelli...
Born ... The entrepreneur of STP oil and gasoline treatment products and along
with his brothers Vince and Joe fielded Indy cars from the 1960's until 1991.
He clad his pit crews in white coveralls with the oval STP logo scattered all
over them, and once wore a suit jacket with the same STP-laden design. His cars
became a significant presence at the
1937
Mark Donohue... Born ...
Known for his ability to set up his own race car and drive it consistently on
the absolute limit. Donohue is probably best-known as the driver of the 1500+ bhp “Can-Am Killer” Porsche 917-30, and as winner of the
1972
1942
Jochen Rindt ... Born ... F1 World
Champion
MARCH 19
1943
Vern Schuppan...
Born ... USAC / CART driver from the 1970's and 80's
1977
Gordon Johncock
set an Indianapolis Motor Speedway track record of 200.4 MPH. This was the
first 200 mph lap at Indy.
1978
Lee Shephard
made the first 160 mph NHRA Pro Stock pass when he ran 160.71 mph at a meet in
MARCH 20
1919
Bud Clemons... Born ...
USAC driver from the 1950's
1920
Bert Brooks... Born ...
Eastern midget and sprint car driver from the 1940's, 50's and 60's. He was the
United Racing Club (URC) Sprint car champion in 1954, 1956, 1957 and 1958.
1928
Chuck Engle... Born ...
1942
Bill Engelhart...
Born ... Former driver in USAC and the CART Championship Car series. He raced
in the 1980-1981 seasons, with 9 career starts, including an 11th in the 1980
1952
Geoff Brabham...
Born ... An Australian racing driver. He is the son of
three-time Formula One World Champion Jack Brabham. Brabham spent the majority of his racing career in the
1955
Larry Crockett... Died ... AAA driver who ran the Championship series in 1954.
He was killed in a sprint car accident at Langhorne Speedway.
Note: There’s a photo of Larry in the Engle/Stanko Sprint Car towards the end of the column
1992
Kenny Bernstein became the
first drag racer to break 300 MPH in the quarter mile when he drove his Top
Fuel Dragster 301.70 MPH in qualifications for the NHRA Gatornationals
in
2008
Al Hofmann ... Died ...
Veteran NHRA Funny Car driver. Hofmann won 15 NHRA national events in just 32
final round appearances. Hofmann was a regular in the NHRA Drag Racing Series
from 1991 through 1996 and raced on a more limited schedule through 2002.
MARCH 21
1920
Fonty Flock ... Born ... NASCAR great and one of the
central figures in the formative days of NASCAR. He was the brother of NASCAR
pioneers Tim Flock and Bob Flock, and the second female NASCAR driver Ethel
Mobley. The four raced at the July 10, 1949 race at the Daytona Beach Road
Course, which was the first event to feature a brother and a sister, and the
only NASCAR event to feature four siblings. Ethel beat Fonty
and Bob by finishing in eleventh.
1948
Billy Shuman... Born ... West coast Super-Modified and Sprint car driver from the
1960's and 70's. Older brother of Ron Shuman.
1960
Ayrton Senna... Born ... Three
time F1 World Champion.
1966
Kenny Brack...
Born ... A race car driver from
1970
Mario Andretti jumps into
the Ferrari 512S of Ignazio Giunti/Nino
Vaccarella and drives it to a 23.8 second victory
over the Porsche 908 of Peter Revson and film star
Steve McQueen in the 12 Hours of Sebring, at
1999
John Force set a NHRA Funny
Car speed record of 324.05 mph at
MARCH 22
1974
Peter Revson...
Died ... Formula One and the Indy car driver. The
nephew of Revlon Cosmetics industry magnate Charles Revson,
he was an heir to his father Martin's fortune (reportedly worth over $1
billion). During a practice run for the 1974 South African Grand Prix in
News
from the AARN:
From
their March 20th issue:
Lenny
Sammons:
He
touched on the DIRTcar/Can Am Speedway issues. Made mention of Tim Fuller needing sponsors
for his Late Model, and mentioned the purchase of Black Rock Speedway by Tyler Siri, which has run into delays, and that there’s hope that
the deal gets finalized soon.
Ernie
Saxton:
Believes that NASCAR’s appeal process needs an
up-date. He makes mention that he survived “Bike Week”
at the Ormond Beach/Daytona Beach area, but 8 motorcycle riders didn’t. He, along with me, find it hard to believe
that Perris Speedway, out in California, a ½ mile dirt track, charges it’s fans
$8.00 to park. He also makes mention of
the National Speed Sport News being back – in a monthly slick covered tabloid,
but Chris Economaki is not involved. (Chris is in his 90’s and his health isn’t
what it used to be). Ernie thinks that
the magazine should cover more weekly short tracks.
Earl
Krause:
Earl
had a cute story about Ben Trimble and his first TQ feature race win.
Herb
Anastor:
Had a whole article about Roger Penske and his
racing career.
Ron
Mentus:
Spoke
of the Indycar races at
(NASCAR
ran there this past weekend and the track, to me, was quite bumpy. Should be interesting to see what happens
when the Indy cars hit those bumps.
Kevin
Rice:
Kevin
makes mention of Lee Speedway, in
John
Snyder:
It
looks like John, like me, isn’t a fan of taking I-95 all the way down to
Scott
Pacich:
Scott
makes mention that the Ferriaulo’s had nothing to do
with the original “Batmobile”. Also, they didn’t buy it – it was just “kind
of left with them”. Charlie Langenstein did the restoration on the car.
The
NASCAR modifieds – well four of them, anyway, tested
at
As
usual, there were a ton of photos showing Sprint Cars in various gyrations
through the air. One photo showed Greg Hodnett heading towards the checkered flag, while Fred Rahmers car can be seen flying through the air, after the
two made contact.
There
was a full ½ page add for the RoC race at
What
with the opening modified race being held at Selinsgrove last week, there was
an abundance of photos from those events.
In
the AARN, there are usually six columns per page. As far as anything said about the 12 hour
race last weekend at Sebring, about the only thing I found was about 3/4 of a
column about who won, along with a photo of the car that won the “P1” class.
(Not really surprising though, since it seems that what was once a premier
racing event, world wide, seems to have fallen off into almost being completely
obscure, today, as far as any news/results from that event). I attended the 1957 Sebring 12 hour
race. Back then, those that drive in the
Grand Prix races, also raced in the sports/racing cars – drivers like Juan
Manuel Fangio, Sir Stirling
Moss, Mike Hawthorn and Jean Behra, to name just a
few. You don’t see that, today.
The Pyramid Mall in Johnstown, NY no longer wanting vendors and shows in the mall, due to “congestion” and “Safety” concerns, so the scheduled New York Caroga Creek Raceways annual Kart and Slingshot show was moved to the parking lot behind the covered stands at the Fonda Speedway. (Might this be a sign of coming things?)
And, some of the things
that being are discussed in the issue of 3/27:
In AARN
This Week:
Can-Am's Chapman
Angry With DIRT Brass
Over Sanction Decision
Classic Grove 410 Battle
Goes To Dietrich
Over Surging Montieth
Friesen Comes From Behind
To Take New Egypt RoC
Big Block Cash
Pittsburgh Motor Speedway's
Miley Emphasizes
"Value And Variety" For
2012
Where Are Are
Central Pennsylvania's
358 Sprint Cars?
John Middlebrook:
The Most Powerful Man In NASCAR
Are Wide Body Modifieds
Intensifying
Industry Consolidation:
PRI Show Sold To SEMA
Former
Back on March 17th,
Anthony Perrego ran a Tobias SpeedSTR at
Last weekend, Davie Franek
was 4th at Williams Grove in the 358 Sprint Car feature.
At New Egypt, in the RoC Modified feature, Danny Creeden
was 14th and Johnny Guarino 18th. In the RoC
Sportsman feature, Anthony Perrego was 4th
while Luke Schostkewitz was a DNQ.
Racing and
television:
Last week, when I checked
out my column, I tried the links that I supplied for TV coverage of racing
events. None of the links worked. Sad, isn’t it? A year ago we had a great website that told
of all racing on TV that we could go to.
Press Releases:
Borgers
PR
Media Contact
Bob Snyder
Borgers
Practice Saturday March 31.
Practice will be held Saturday March 31 from 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. with gates opening
at 11:00 a.m.
Wingless 600 Dirt Sprints, Wingless 600 Asphalt
Sprints, Three Quarter Midgets, AllStar and Junior Slingshots, XCEL 600 Modifieds, Karts, and
Micro-Stocks will take to the newly paved 1/7 mile Borgers Speedway asphalt in
Fuel will be available.
At the conclusion of practice a special biggest Kart
class winner take all 25 feature will be run for bragging rights to be the
first Borgers
Speedway feature winner on asphalt. There will be a $10 entry fee for
this race with winner take all.
A $20 pit pass will be charged for anyone entering
the pit area but there will be no car entry fee. Grandstand admission
will be free. The food stand will be open with the usual Borgers Speedway
menu.
Be a part of “History In The Making” at the fastest 1/7 mile
asphalt speedway in the Northeast as Borgers Speedway Paves The Way For Years
To Come.
For weather cancellation information check the Borgers Speedway
web-site www.borgers-speedway.com
Facebook, or
call the Borgers
Speedway Weather Hot Line at 570-992-8131.
I
get e-mails:
As we tend to get older, different things happen to
our bodies. We, in a way, start to “fall
apart”. When this occurs, we are often
prescribed certain drugs. Hey, we’ve
seen all kinds of drugs advertised on TV and at the end they usually have a
bunch of “warnings”. Well, my friend
Elaine sent me this, below, and I went to the site she supplies the link to,
and did check how my drugs compare with each other. Most do have some kind of interaction with
others – not severe, but moderate to light.
http://healthtools.aarp.org/drug-interactions?reset=t
Dear Everyone
This is an
excellent site. You make a list of all the drugs
you are taking, include over the counter
and this list will tell you of any interactions. Gives
you more info than the pharmacist. I am putting this in my
Documents to save as you never know when it will be needed.
I
get e-mails and is this one true?:
Here They Come
!!!
...these appointments were
made last year...and---you want to know why there are 35
active-terrorist-training camps in our Country right now--ready to strike at a
moments notice?.........2 of them right
here in Virginia......
Well, boys and girls, today
the fox is guarding the hen house. The wolves will be herding the sheep!
Obama appointed two devout
Muslims to homeland security posts.Feel’n safer ??
Obama and Janet Napolitano
appointed Arif Alikhan, a
devout Muslim, as Assistant Secretary for Policy Development. DHS Secretary
Janet Napolitano swore-in Kareem Shora, a devout
Muslim, who was born in Damascus, Syria, as ADC National Executive Director as
a member of the Homeland Security Advisory Council (HSAC).
NOTE: Has anyone ever heard a
new government official being identified as a devout Catholic, a devout Jew or
a devout Protestant...?
Just
wondering.
Devout
Muslims being appointed to critical Homeland Security positions? Doesn't this make you feel safer already?? That
should make our home land much safer, huh!?
Was it not "Devout
Muslim men" that flew planes into
TRUE!
See http://www.snopes.com/politics/religion/dhs.asp
Note: Seems I’ve read somewhere that “Scopes”
could, at times not be such a good site to check things out?
Some non-racing stuff –
part 1:
How
about being confident, huh?
President
Obama Asks Medvedev for 'Space' on Missile Defense -
'After My Election I Have More Flexibility'
In
part:
"
The
exchange was picked up by microphones as reporters were let into the room for
remarks by the two leaders.
The
exchange:
President
Obama: On all these issues, but particularly missile defense, this, this can be
solved but it's important for him to give me space.
President
Medvedev: Yeah, I understand. I understand your
message about space. Space for you…
President
Obama: This is my last election. After my election I have more flexibility.
President
Medvedev: I understand. I will transmit this
information to
More,
along with a video of the discussion can be found here:
Note: I’ve said it many times; the media will make
sure that he is elected to a second term.
Non racing stuff – part 2:
The Trayvon Martin
story:
Trayvon
Martin shooting: New details emerge from Twitter account, witness testimony
In part:
"As George Zimmerman's supporters work
to stem the rising tide of public outrage aimed at the neighborhood watchman
who shot and killed Florida teenager Trayvon Martin
last month, a new picture of the victim—culled from the 17-year-old's Twitter
account and witness testimony leaked from local law enforcement—has emerged.”
"With a single punch," the Orlando
Sentinel, citing police sources, reported Monday, "Trayvon
Martin decked the Neighborhood Watch volunteer ... climbed on top of [him] and
slammed his head into the sidewalk several times, leaving him bloody and
battered."
"That is the account Zimmerman gave
police," the paper said, "and much of it has been corroborated by
witnesses, authorities say."
Zimmerman's attorney, Craig Sonner, says that Zimmerman acted in self-defense and is
not a racist as some have portrayed him.
Meanwhile, the difference between the typical
teenager Martin's family and supporters say he was and the way he presented
himself on social media is the subject of increasing debate.
"The media is getting the Trayvon Martin story wrong," Michael Brendan Dougherty
wrote on BusinessInsider.com, comparing it to the 2006 Duke lacrosse
case, in which three members of the lacrosse team were accused of rape, resulting
in a media firestorm and public outcry. The accuser's case unraveled,
and the charges were eventually dropped.
"Oh how little we have learned,"
David Shane wrote on PolicyMic.com. The media has rushed to judgment yet again.
Now, it's quite possible that Zimmerman is guilty of everything his worst foes
accuse him of. There is plenty about this case that troubles me. But that's
exactly the point—I don't know. Neither does anyone else, and both the scope
and tone of the media coverage ought to reflect that fact."
More on the above, can be seen here: http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/cutline/trayvon-martin-shooting-details-emerge-facebook-twitter-accounts-180103647.html
Mother of slain
In part:
"The mother of the Florida teenager shot
and killed by a neighborhood watch volunteer, in a case with racial overtones
that has resonated across the United States, is seeking trademark rights to
slogans based on his name.
Sybrina
Fulton, the mother of 17-year-old Trayvon Martin,
filed the trademark requests on March 21, according to the online database of
the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.
In the filings, which were confirmed by
If interested, more can be seen here: http://news.yahoo.com/mother-slain-florida-teenager-seeks-trademarks-005114047.html
And this, from my local paper:
New claims cast Trayvon
Martin as the aggressor
In part:
"A slain Florida teenager and the
neighborhood watch captain who shot and killed him exchanged words before the
teen punched him in the nose and began banging the man's head on the ground,
according to the watch captain's account of the confrontation that led to the
shooting.
The Orlando Sentinel reported that George
Zimmerman told police he lost 17-year-old Trayvon
Martin in the neighborhood he regularly patrolled and was walking back to his
vehicle last month when the youth approached him from behind.
The two exchanged words, Zimmerman said, and
Martin then punched him, jumped on top of him and began banging his head on a
sidewalk. Zimmerman said he began crying for help; Martin's family thinks it
was their son who was crying out. Witness accounts differ and 911 tapes in
which the voices are heard are not clear.
A statement from
Because Martin was black and Zimmerman has a
white father and Hispanic mother, the case has become a racial flashpoint that
has civil rights leaders and others leading a series of protests in
More on this can be found here: http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_NEIGHBORHOOD_WATCH_DEATH?SITE=NYMID&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT
Note:
Who knows just how this all will eventually end. Is it possible that the young man did, indeed
attack the one who was following him?
What then? Kinda
reminds me about what happened many, many years ago of something that happened
up here close to where I live – the Tawana Brawley
incident.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tawana_Brawley
Video time:
I
picked up the following video over on the Dirt Track Digests forum. It should be interesting to see how this
takes off:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rYlIXMBf-PM&feature=player_embedded
And on DTD’s forum,
there was this posted, about the above:
“We are very excited about it. John Wight and
Cory Reed have offered us Brewerton Speedway, as a Beta test site, once we get
the prototype into production. Tim Drost from Musco Lighting called me. When we can set it up in real
racing conditions, he wants to bring one of R/D guys out to see it, so they can
test it. Roger Slack has been talking to Glenn about using it to replace the
1000W Metal Halide fixtures on the front stretch at Eldors.
Ephesus Technologies is now working on the
optics, so they can direct the footcandles, as the
fixture is raised to the 60 - 100 foot level. They have an optical engineer
devoted specifically to this task.
LED will be the way of the future. We are
working with National Grid, NYSEG and NYSERDA to get the insentives
in place to bring the pricing closer to the norm.”
Photos:
Note: The photos are not available on Dirt Track
Digest, only on New England Tractor - http://newenglandtractor.com/racereport/
As I said, above, here’s Larry Crocket in the
Engle/Stanko Offy Sprint
Car # 31. No, I have no idea as to who
the photographer was!
Closing with this:
Subject: New Word
Could not
find it in my old Webster's. Googled it and discovered it is a recently
"coined" new word found on a T shirt on eBay. Read this one over slowly and absorb the
facts that totally are within this sentence!
I love this word and believe
that it will become a recognized English word. Finally, a word to describe our
current political situation!!!!
Ineptocracy (in-ep-toc'-ra-cy)
- a system of government where the least capable to lead are elected by the
least capable of producing, and where the members of society least likely to
sustain themselves or succeed, are rewarded with goods and services paid for by
the confiscated wealth of a diminishing number of producers.
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