Racin' & Internet Stuff:
By Tom Avenengo
04/05/2012
First:
Per Kenny Wallace after the Cup race this
past Sunday at
Well, after
last weeks race, the car is 36th in points.
Note: Any idea as to how many times A.J. Foyt, Mario Andretti, Parnelli
Jones or Johnny Rutherford might have missed a race because they didn’t
qualify? Today, it’s all about
SPONSORS. But if you watched the race
last Sunday, How many times did you see drivers not in the top 5 or 10, on the
screen? Didn’t see there sponsor names,
either, huh?
Also, there’s
more about Reutimann and last Sunday’s Cup race down
below in things from “Jayski”.
And, quite a bit being said on the Track Forum, too:
http://www.trackforum.com/forums/showthread.php?162186-Reut
Second:
Two tracks that NASCAR races on, Pocono and
Note:
Check out “Sixteenth”, below on Pocono and some new dates, and also
“Nineteenth” about some speeds turned in at
Third:
Weather – whether or not – Hey, we sure do
need rain, and quite a lot of it, since we had minimal snow accumulation over
the winter, but must we have that rain on weekends?
Fourth:
Last Saturday night my daughter Judy, and I went to the car show in the arena at OCFS. It’s always nice to go to that show – to
catch up on things and see old friends that we haven’t seen since the race
season ended back in October. And, it’s
always nice to see the cars, freshly painted and lettered. Prior to leaving, we ran into Chip
Gross. Chip has a business – Gross
Graphics. He’s been doing race cars
since I don’t know when – well, before 1983, that is. Back then, he’d come to your place with his
paints and brushes and hand letter your race car. Today, it’s take your car to his shop for
vinyl lettering and designs. Chip is
finishing up on a restored Modified of his own.
The good news – no vinyl, but back to the old paint
and brush - for the lettering and graphics. I’m willing to bet it will be a knock-out,
when done.
Fifth:
This came out on Facebook
this past Sunday, about the bus trip to
For those joining our NASCAR Bus Trip to
Note: So far it looks like just one bus, but that
could still change. The cost is $180.00
which includes the bus fare, race ticket and food & drink.
Contact info for “Benzee” is:
Contact Erwin " Benzee" Benz
benzee95@hotmail.com
C- 845 234 5323
Sixth:
Also, from Facebook
– this from John Cooper, whose daughter Lauren used to race Karts at OVRP’s Dirt Oval, and other tracks, then graduated to
racing Modifieds on pavement, for a while.
And, in private messages between John and me as to whether Lauren will
still race, or not:
“She has an offer on the table now to
drive an sk light. It's
owned by a gentleman who bought the late John blewetts
back up car. He has no experience racing. He tried a couple of times last year.
He contacted us over the winter and asked Lauren if she would be interested in
swapping duties with him. It's a very low budget operation and I have no time
to help. She is really focused on school and her future. I'm not sure if she
will take the ride on a week to week basis or not. He seemed willing to do
whatever she wanted. We will just have to wait and see.”
Seventh:
While at the car show last
Saturday, I inquired about the proposed small track at OCFS, since most of what
I’ve seen, in recent photos, anyway, really shows nothing done. Well, the latest is that they will commence
work on it in June. Part of the track
will be part of the front stretch, into the first turn, then into the infield
(pit) area. No, I didn’t ask if there
would be any banking in the turns.
Eighth:
Remember this (in part) from my 93rd column:
“And this one, too:
Subject:
Fwd: The "President" Doesn't Want To Be Mentioned at Military
Funerals Now~
Dear Sean,
Today
I was incensed at the conclusion of a traditional
Serbian-Orthodox
funeral for my beloved 85 year old uncle, Daniel Martich,
who
proudly served in the US Army during The Korean Conflict. During the committal service at a
performed their ritual, then folded and presented the American Flag to my
aunt. As I'm sure you have witnessed
during military funerals, a soldier
bends to one knee and recites a scripted message to a surviving relative
that begins 'On behalf of the
President of the
nation, I wish to present you with this flag in appreciation for your
husband's service ...'. However, today
the dialogue was 'On behalf of the
Secretary
of Defense and a grateful nation ...' After the service I
approached the soldier who presented the flag to my aunt to inquire about
the
change in language His response was
"The White House notified all
military funeral service detachments to immediately remove 'the President'
and
insert 'the Secretary of Defense'. I
couldn't believe what I heard and
the
soldier smiled and said "You can draw your own conclusion sir but that
was
the order". He, too, was ashamed of
what he was required to say.”
Well,
this, below, appeared on Facebook the other day, when
the above was posted on Facebook by another person:
Ninth:
Some USAC Silver Crown info:
http://www.nationalspeedsportnews.com/opinion/columns/oleary-hoosier-pit-pass-3/
In part:
"Like it or not, USAC’s Silver Crown
division is again balancing precariously. With the opening race looming, there
are many questions to be answered as controversial changes have been levied on
the competitors.
Switching to a bio-based (ethanol) fuel, USAC may be risking another big
step backward in a series that is still rebounding from the previous
experiment.
Several seasons ago, USAC tried a radical new chassis design for the
pavement champ cars, affecting nearly half the schedule. But the new car gained
little traction and the series went back to the older configuration after just
a couple of years.
It was a significant setback for the series as they lost several teams that
simply sold their equipment and didn’t come back, and popular drivers who
didn’t have rides. And like the knee bone is connected to the leg bone, fewer
cars in the pits are connected to fewer butts in the stands, which affects the health of the division.
After months of testing, USAC made a big commitment to ethanol racing
fuels, forming a partnership with National Biofuels
Distribution, naming their Ignite the group’s official racing fuel in 2011, and
mandating the use of 114 Red in the Silver Crown cars beginning this
year."
Tenth:
The (to me) “Sad State of Indycar racing”:
This past weekend, there was an Indcar race down
in
I dunno why those that run Indycar
get put into such dilemmas as far as getting their product out to what little
fans they have left, but what happened last weekend surely doesn’t help
any. Then again, their going to mostly
street/road courses, to me, hasn’t helped all that much, either.
And, now, more bad news, maybe?
Lotus teams suffer Indy 500
blow as manufacturer does not have enough engines for test:
In part:
“Lotus-powered
IndyCar teams' preparations for next month's Indy 500
have been dealt a blow with the news that the manufacturer will not have enough
engines ready to participate in the test at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on
Wednesday.
However,
AUTOSPORT understands that Lotus, which has been playing catch-up after a
fraught off-season that included a late start to its programme
and the sale of its parent company, does not yet have a sufficient stockpile of
its units to accommodate both racing and the test.”
http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/98567
Eleventh:
Will Power thinks that there should be less down force on the Indy
cars. Hell, I’ve said this for quite a
while now.
Twelfth:
Down below, in the AARN section, there’s some info about the sale of the
Black Rock Speedway. To hear what Tyler Ciri, the one who is supposed to be buying Black Rock has
to say, please go here:
http://www.dougsdirtdiary.com/audioplayer.php?id=14535
Thirteenth:
I do not believe that schools or businesses have the right to demand your
password for your Facebook account. To me, if they were to get it, it would open
the door for someone to post something on Facebook,
on your page, and you’d be held responsible.
Check this out:
Grade school teacher’s aide
fired for refusing to hand over Facebook password
In part:
"Kimberly Hester, a
grade school teacher's aide in
Teachers have gotten in
trouble for Facebook status messages before, but in
Hester's case, it's her refusal to hand over her password that actually got her
fired. One of the supervisors from the Lewis Cass Intermediate School District
(ISD), the regional service center for education in
An increasing number of
companies and schools have started asking employees and students for their Facebook passwords. The practice has been growing at such
an alarming rate, that Facebook released its official
stance on the issue, telling its users that they have the right not to comply
with their employers' request. Several
Fourteenth:
Not everyone thinks alike.
Check these out:
http://news.yahoo.com/obamas-health-care-comments-insulting-supreme-court-214700854.html
http://news.yahoo.com/obama-proves-does-not-understand-constitution-212200164.html
Fifteenth:
It’s been noted that the
“Full fendered” classes – Pro and Street Stock car
counts have been down at various dirt tracks here in the northeast. This coming season, at OCFS, the Pro Stocks
are alternating race nights with a new Rookie class for the Sportsman
cars. I’m wondering – will running
basically every other week hurt the car counts for the Pro Stocks at OCFS? Looking at some results from last year, they
were drawing 12 – 15 cars per show. What
if they don’t draw enough in 2012? What
if they don’t have enough for the “Rookie” class?
Sixteenth:
From Facebook:
Pocono Raceway
Want to see the newly repaved
"Tricky Triangle" with NASCAR drivers on it before our June race
weekend? Here's your chance!
The Goodyear Tire Test at
Pocono Raceway, scheduled for April 24 & 25, will
be open to the fans and it is free to enter. For more information, please click
on the link provided! We hope to see you in three weeks!
Goodyear Test (April 24-25)
Open to Fans
Long Pond, PA (April, 4,
2012) ―Goodyear Tire, the Official Tire of NASCAR, recently announced
that April 24 & 25, 2012 will be the dates for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series
tire tests at Pocono Raceway. The Raceway is in the final stages of repaving
the entire track and it’s essentially a brand new track. Goodyear engineers
will provide a number of different tire compounds and will determine, through
this test, what are the best compounds based on results of the test. Goodyear
will then produce the tires that will be used in the June 10, Pocono 400,
NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race.
The drivers and teams
tentatively schedule for the Pocono test are: Jamie McMurray from Earnhardt Ganassi Sabates Racing (Chevy,
car # 1); Kasey Kahne, Hendrick
Motorsports (Chevy, car # 5 ); Joey Logano, Joe Gibbs Racing (
Fans will be permitted to
view both days of the test from the grandstand area at no charge. Fans should
enter the parking lots via Gate # 5 (
Action for the Pocono 400
begins on Friday June 8 with NASCAR practice and ARCA qualifying for Saturday’s
Pocono 200, ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards. Sprint Cup qualifying and
the Pocono 200 highlight Saturday’s activities. Gates open Sunday June 10 at
9:00AM, pre-race activities begin at 11:30AM with the start of the Pocono 400
at 1:00PM.
For ticket information call
1-800-RACEWAY (1-800-722-3929) or visit:
www.poconoraceway.com.
Seventeenth:
Some USAC news:
2012 Silver Crown Incentives
Announced for 2012
Expanding on the participant
rewards which have always accompanied USAC membership, the 2012 season will
offer new incentives for participants in the TRAXXAS Silver Crown Series, which
dates to 1971 and has roots dating to the foundation of
All Silver Crown events will
offer a minimum of $8,000 to win - $700 to start. Races on one-mile tracks and
at the 7/8-mile Iowa Speedway will pay $10,000 to Win, with the nine-race
calendar experiencing a distribution of more than $350,000 in total prize
money.
USAC will also reward the Top
5 in Owner Points at season's end through a $35,000 point fund and free Ignite
Ethanol Performance Fuel, USAC's new official fuel
for the Series.
2012 TRAXXAS SILVER CROWN
SERIES INCENTIVE PROGRAM
All Races Pay Minimum $8000 To Win - $700 To Start
All Mile Tracks & Iowa
Pay $10,000 to Win
More than $350,000 in Prize
Money In Nine Races
$35,000 Owner Payout to Top 5
at Year End
FREE IGNITE ETHANOL FUEL
SUPPLIED FOR ALL RACES
And:
USAC Announces Additional
Ignite Ethanol Fuel Incentive for Sprint and Midget Series
Year-end bonuses of $10,000
will be available to the highest finishing car owner in the AMSOIL National
Sprint Car and Mopar National Midget Series final
point standings utilizing Ignite Fuel, providing they sign of for the program
and begin using the fuel by June 1. The additional criteria
for the bonus is that the car owner must finish in the
"top-10" in the final standings of his respective series.
USAC's Western participants will also be rewarded during
2012 with a similar Ignite incentive, with the top finishing car owner in the
final standings of the AMSOIL USAC/CRA Sprint, West Coast Sprint and Western
Classic racing series receiving a $5,000 bonus. As with the National awards
announced above, the Western awards are contingent upon the June 1 compliance
and the "top-10" ranking in the final standings.
"We are truly excited
about these added incentives for our participants and we sincerely appreciate Ignite's involvement in our racing programs," says
USAC President/CEO Kevin Miller.
Eighteenth:
Some of you that read my
columns know that I’ve been, in a way, “running my mouth” about Can Am Speedway
losing it’s WRG/DIRTcar sanction due to the track
scheduling an “Open Tire” rule race, or two, after the season – especially on
the Dirt Track Digest’s Forum. OCFS also
has an “Open Tire” rule race scheduled, too, with the 358 Small Block Modifieds – in about the middle of the racing season.
I’ve been concerned about
this race at OC, and if it might also maybe cause OC to possibly lose its WRG/DIRTcar sanction. I
first started going to OCFS back in the mid 40’s, watching the ARDC Midgets
race on the small asphalt track that was in front of the main grand
stands. Later on, I caught a stock car
race, or two, in the early 60’s. It was
in the early to mid 70’s when we started going almost weekly, and if you didn’t
get there early enough, you did not get a very good seat or a very good parking
spot in the drive-in.
Over time, things started
going down hill at OC. Not only with car counts, but with a loss of fans, too. Lately, one could get to the track just as
the races were about to start and you could have your choice of seats. And that’s why I’ve been concerned. IF OC were to lose it’s sanction, could that
also affect the WoO Sprint Car show and even possibly
Eastern States Weekend.
So, I e-mailed WRG/DIRTcar and questioned this. Wednesday afternoon, at approximately 5:30,
Tom Deery got back to me via a telephone call. First, the 358 Small Block class is not
really a class at OC this season. Along
with that, there is a different promoter for the race that night. With those two items alone, Mr. Deery says there is no problem with the 358 race being an
“Open Tire” event.
One must also keep in mind,
when Mr. Sanchelli was making mention of that event,
when interviewed; he did say that “as of now” it would be an open tire
race. And, as we all know, schedules and
events can be changed.
Nineteenth:
There was a tire test at the
newly re-paved
Note: Hmmm, might we see restrictor plates in
effect at
Coming up:
Note: Now that we’re just about
into the 2012 racing season, this will be the last time this section will be
used, with the exception of special events that might be coming up, down the
road.
OCFS:
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. 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, April 7:
1st point races
for Karts & Slingshots. (I’ve read that this will now be a practice day and
points start the following week).
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:
Two more practice dates are
scheduled for Borgers Speedway
Saturday 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:
May 20 Sun Thompson Intl.
-
-
As for the “Lights”, their next show:
May 12
Sat Night
-
Found
on Jayski’s website:
Teams will get test
time at Pocono & Michigan:
NASCAR has added two days to the Pocono
Raceway weekend and one to the
Junior Johnson
hospitalized:
NASCAR Hall of Famer Junior Johnson has been
hospitalized in
Team owner Tommy Baldwin walked through the
garage toward the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series hauler, summoned there by officials
after one of his cars caused a race-altering caution near the end of Sunday's
Goody's Fast Relief 500 at Martinsville Speedway. In his hand,
AND:
Reutimann, meanwhile, blamed circumstances and faulty equipment
for his problems that brought out the late caution that in turn led to the
restart that became a disaster, in particular, for the Hendrick
guys on a day when Gordon and Johnson combined to lead a total of 440 laps.
"Number one, I just hate it," said Reutimann,
who was black-flagged by NASCAR and finished 35th, 79 laps down. "I just
hate that I was involved in anything that changed the complexion of the race so
I've got to apologize to the guys that it affected. It broke a tie-rod or
something like that. I was just trying to limp around there. We needed to
finish next couple of laps to try to stay in the top 35 [in points]. "I
know it sucks. I hate it for everybody that it affected, but I mean I can't get
out and push the thing. You know, it shut off. It's that simple."(NASCAR.com)(4-2-2012)
Final Auto Club 400
TV Ratings:
Hampered by rain, airing directly against the
NCAA Tournament on CBS and a Tiger Woods fueled PGA event on NBC, NASCAR Sprint
Cup Racing on FOX posted a 3.8/9 (6.2 million viewers) on Sunday for the Auto
Club 400 from Auto Club Speedway. That's down -17% from last year's 4.6/10 (8.1
million), and ranks as the lowest-rated race this season on FOX.
Season-to-date, NASCAR Sprint Cup Racing on FOX is averaging a 5.8/12 (9.7
million viewers), off -6% from last year's 6.2/14 (10.8 million viewers). See
fast TV Ratings, previous 2012 races and 4 year comparison chart at the 2012 TV Ratings page.(3-29-2012)
NASCAR Sprint Cup Racing on FOX posted a
3.9/9 metered market rating Sunday for the race from Martinsville Speedway.
That’s flat with last year’s performance for the same race on the same weekend,
and ranked as the highest-rated event of the day in the meters. Through six
races, NASCAR Sprint Cup Racing on FOX is averaging a 4.8/10 in the meters, off
-6% from last year’s 5.1/11. (4-2-2012)
Mayfield faces
foreclosure on property:
In addition to his legal troubles, former
NASCAR driver Jeremy Mayfield now faces losing his home and land because he
owes nearly $3 million for the property. Mayfield, 42, was in Catawba County
Superior Court Monday on five felony charges that stem from a search warrant
that was executed at his Catawba home in November. He is facing one count of
possession of methamphetamine for 1.5 grams officers found in his home, three
counts of possession of stolen goods and one count of obtaining property by
false pretenses. Mayfield's next court appearance will be June 25. Mayfield and
his wife, Shana, owe [money] on their 455 acres of property. The couple own
five tracts of land, and took out two mortgages from Carolina Farm Credit on
the combined acreage: one for $2.28 million and the other for $847,500, both on
July 28, 2006. Although the Mayfields made some
payments on the combined $3,127,500 debt, they were unable to keep up with the
payments after Mayfield was suspended from NASCAR. As of Sept. 13, the Mayfields still owed about $2,387,130 on the principal for
the two mortgages and an additional $334,700 in accrued interest. The mortgage
company added daily interest of $392.40, as well as an additional fee of
$1,000, according to court documents. Foreclosure proceedings began on Dec. 13,
2011. The property will be put up for auction on April 30 at 12 p.m. at the
ARCA owner
interested in Mayfield:
If suspended NASCAR driver Jeremy Mayfield
can avoid jail time, he could have a job back behind the wheel of a racecar
later this year. ARCA team owner Roger Carter said Tuesday that he wants to put
the embattled Mayfield in one of his cars. He hopes to field a car for Mayfield
in the June race at Pocono Raceway, but Carter is not sure if Mayfield can
compete that soon in the Midwest-based stock-car series. Carter currently
operates Carter 2 Motorsports and has a long history of involvement in racing,
including with the Sadler Brothers Racing team that put Mayfield in a Cup car
for the first time in 1993. An ARCA spokesman said that because Mayfield has
not applied for an ARCA license, the sanctioning body has no comment. Carter
said that ARCA officials want to see how Mayfield's legal issues turn out
before making a decision. He said he doesn't blame ARCA for hesitating to
approve Mayfield, especially considering its relationship with NASCAR. ARCA
runs as a support series at many NASCAR events on the same weekend. Carter said
he won't cause controversy if Mayfield isn't allowed to race. He said he's
talked with Mayfield and told him that he would have to submit to an ARCA drug
test and be willing to take a drug test administered by the team.(Sporting
News)(4-4-2012)
Tire testing at
Goodyear Tire Testing is scheduled at
Michigan International Speedway on Tuesday April 3rd and Wednesday April 4,
2012. Drivers scheduled to test: #2-Brad Keselowski
(Dodge), #17-Matt Kenseth (Ford), #42-Juan Pablo
Montoya (Chevy) and #24-Jeff Gordon (Chevy). The Turn 1 grandstand seats will
be open for fans free of charge on April 3-4.(MIS/Goodyear)(3-28-2012)
UPDATE:
#2-Brad Keselowski
made history at Michigan International Speedway on Tuesday. The Rochester Hills
native took the first laps on the newly paved surface at the racetrack during a
Goodyear Tire test. "I feel the decision to pave in October, giving it
some time to set was very beneficial," Keselowski
said. "The track should be ready to go in record time for a repave. It
should be in great shape when we come back here for the race." Keselowski was the first car out at 1:23 p.m., shortly
following a rain delay. He was joined at the test by fellow NASCAR Sprint Cup
drivers #24-Jeff Gordon, #17-Matt Kenseth and
#42-Juan Pablo Montoya. Keselowski tweeted throughout
the test, saying the track would reach top speeds on Day 2 of the test on
Wednesday. But that didn't keep him from reaching 212, enough to break the
194.232 mph track qualifying record set by Ryan Newman in 2005. Gordon topped
off at nearly 215 mph, he said. But a Goodyear Tire test isn't necessarily
about how fast the NASCAR stock cars can go, but rather collecting data the
tire company can use to build a good race tire for the track's NASCAR events.
The two-day test concludes 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesday. The Turn 1 grandstands
will be open for fans free of charge throughout the day. Fans may park in
Note:
I wonder what speed an Indy car might turn?
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 23rd to April 5th:
MARCH 23
1937
Craig
Breedlove... Born ... A five-time world land speed record
holder. He was the first to reach 400 mph (640 km/h), 500 mph (800
km/h), and 600 mph (970 km/h), using several turbojet-powered vehicles that
were all named "Spirit of America".
2007
Robert
Peterson ... Died ... An entrepreneur who single-handedly created the largest
special-interest publishing company in
2009
Lloyd Ruby ...
Died ... Ruby won seven times on the USAC Championship Car Series in his career
and also had endurance racing victories in the 24 Hours of Daytona, the 12
Hours of Sebring and the United States Grand Prix. But he is best known for the
race he didn't win. Ruby raced in 18 straight
MARCH 24
1938
Will Cagle...
Born ...
1946
Larry Rice... Born ... A former driver in the USAC and CART Championship Car
series. Rice had a major win when he won the 1970 Hut Hundred. Rice
finished third in 1972 USAC National Midget championship, helping his team
(Shannon Brothers) win the owner's championship. Rice followed up by winning
the 1973 USAC National midget driver's championship himself. Rice was also the
1977 and 1981 USAC Silver Crown Series champion. He raced in 5 seasons in
Championship cars (1974, and 1978-1979, and 1981), with 9 combined career
starts, including the 1978 and 1979
1947
Roger Mears...
Born ... A former off-road driver who also drove in the USAC
and CART Championship Car series. He raced in the 1978-1984 seasons,
with 31 combined career starts, and started in the 1982 and 1983
1956
Jimmy Makar... Born ... NASCAR crew chief
1960
Scott
Pruett... Born ... An American race car driver who has
competed in NASCAR, Champ Car, IMSA, Trans-Am and Grand-Am.
MARCH 25
1925
Don
Freeland... Born ... AAA / USAC driver from the 1950's &
60's. Freeland competed in the Indy 500 each year from 1953 to 1960. He
appeared headed for a second place finish in 1955 before a transmission failure
ended his day 22 laps prior to the end of the race. He came back with a best
Indy finish of third the next year. He also finished in the top ten in 1954 and
1958.
1956
Lou Moore... Died ... AAA driver from the 1920's & 30's.
1982
Danica Patrick... Born ... An American auto racing driver competing in the IndyCar Series. She was named the Rookie of the Year
for both the 2005
MARCH 26
1953
Tom Alley... Died ... AAA driver from 1913 to 1925. Alley was also a fine
riding mechanic, most notably to Ralph de Palma.
2006
Paul Dana... Died ... An American race car driver in the Indy Racing League.
After competing in 3 Indycar series events, Dana
suffered a spinal fracture while practicing for the 2005
MARCH 27
1939
Cale Yarborough... Born ... A businessman and former NASCAR Winston Cup Series driver
and owner. He was the first driver in NASCAR history to win three
consecutive championships. He had 83 wins on the all-time NASCAR winner's list.
In 1984, he became the first driver to qualify for the Daytona 500 with a top
speed of more than 200 miles per hour. He also raced in 4 Indy 500's with a
best finish of 10th in 1972.
Maurice Petty
... Born ... A former NASCAR driver from
1984
Joe Garson... Died ... AAA driver from the early 1950's.
MARCH 28
1935
Sonny Ates... Born ... USAC midget, sprint and
championship car driver from the 1960's & 70's.
1964
Rolla Vollstedt buys the first Offenhauser
engine built for rear-engine application. It was put in the Bryant Heating
Special which finished 15th in the
2001
George
Connor... Died ... AAA driver from the 1930's , 40's
& 50's who ran the Indy 500 14 times with a best finish of 3rd in 1949.
MARCH 29
1925
Johnny Coy...
Born ... ( His real name was John Barbaro)
Coy raced everything from jalopies to modifieds, but
it was in the midgets where he excelled. He started running midgets in the late
'40's at
1944
Bill Vukovich Jr. ... Born ... A former driver in the championship car division of USAC
and CART Championship Car series. He was named the 1968
1954
Chip
Robinson... Born ... A retired race car driver. He
drove in the IMSA Camel GT series and won the 1987 24 Hours of Daytona (with Al
Holbert, Derek Bell, and Al Unser, Jr. in a Porsche)
and the 1989 12 Hours of Sebring (with Arie Luyendyk and Geoff Brabham) in a
Nissan. He made 5 CART starts in 1986 and 1987 with a best finish of 6th at the
1987 Long Beach Grand Prix. Chip Robinson was invited to the International Race
of Champions in 1988. During this time his best finish was second place, at Riverside
International Raceway.
1961
Doug Heveron... Born ... An American race car
driver from
2006
Bob Veith... Died ... AAA and USAC driver.
Ran the Championship Car series, racing from 1955 to 1968
with 63 starts. He finished in the top ten 37 times, with a best finish
of 2nd twice, both in 1958. Veith qualified for his
first
MARCH 30
1927
Johnny
Baldwin... Born ... USAC driver from the 1950's.
Started racing midgets in 1946 & retired from driving in 1966.
1939
John Martin...
Born ... USAC driver from the 1970's & 80's.
1969
George Follmer drove a stock block V8 Chevy powered car to a
stunning upset victory in the USAC Championship 'Jimmy Bryan 150' at Phoenix
International Raceway. After earlier leaders Al Unser and Mario Andretti
retired, Bobby Unser took the lead and built a big advantage until his engine
blew on lap 122. Follmer then took over and went on
to take the checkered flag 3 laps ahead of 2nd finisher Wally Dallenbach with Lloyd Ruby third.
1995
Edgar Elder...
Died ... AAA driver from the early 1950's.
MARCH 31
1956
Kevin Cogan...
Born ... A former racecar driver who drove in Formula One and
Indy cars. He ran the Indy 500 twelve times with a best finish of 2nd in
1986.
Ralph DePalma... Died ... AAA driver from 1909
to 1933. Ran the Indy 500 ten times and won in 1915.
1964
Andy Granatelli's 4-wheel drive Novi Indycars
damaged in a garage fire at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
1966
Nick
Firestone... Born ... An American former race car driver from
1993
Chip Mead... Died ... USAC / CART driver from the 1980's.
1998
Tim Flock... Died ... One of NASCAR's early pioneers, and a two time series
champion. He was a brother to NASCAR's second female driver Ethel Mobley
and NASCAR pioneers Bob Flock and Fonty Flock.
2003
Fermin Velez... Died ...
He was a two-time winner of the 12 Hours of Sebring. He was also a driver in
the Indy Racing League, racing in the 1996-1997 seasons with 6 career starts,
including 2 at the
April 1
1976
David
Gilliland ... Born ... NASCAR driver
1981
Harlan Fengler ... Died ... AAA driver from 1923 to 1927. Fengler acted as Chief Steward of the Indianapolis Motor
Speedway from 1958 until 1974.
1993
Alan Kulwicki... Died ... NASCAR Winston Cup
racecar driver. He arrived at the highest and most expensive level of
stock car racing in the
1999
Overton
Phillips... Died ... AAA driver from the 1930's & 40's.
April 2
1926
Jack Brabham... Born ... An Australian racing
driver who was Formula One champion in 1959, 1960 and 1966. He ran the
Indy 500 four times with a best finish of 9th in 1961.
1939
Henry Guerand... Died ... AAA driver from the
1930's. He died in a horrifying accident witnessed by 6500 spectators
during the third midget event of 1939 at Nutley Velodrome,
NJ. At twenty-first lap of the feature race, while riding in sixth position, Guerand lost control of the car, which was owned by Ernie
Gesell, and slammed against the outside guard rail. The body of the driver was
thrown half way out of the cockpit and impacted against a steel support
overhanging the track, which caused him horrible and not survivable injuries.
The car, still carrying Guerand's lifeless body,
continued its course around the turn colliding with Bill Schindler and finally
came to a stop when it ran into a hay bale. Schindler received cuts about the
face and nose. The race was halted with Johnny Ritter declared the winner.
Henry Guerand, who was of French parentage, was a
very popular sprint car (then known as big cars) driver and was one on the very
first sprint car competitors to race midgets. He had started his racing career
in 1933, in 1938 he obtained the fifth place in the
East Coast sprint car standings and then started the 1939 season racing in the Hatkinson series at
1963
Fabrizio Barbazza... Born ... USAC / CART driver
from the 1980's and 90's.
1972
Alfred
"Speedy" Thompson... Died ... A NASCAR pioneer and driver in the
Grand National (now Cup ) series from 1950 to 1971,
capturing 20 wins along the way. During a late model race on April 2, 1972 at Metrolina Fairgrounds in Charlotte, where he started the
race despite reporting he was not feeling well, Thompson suffered a suspected
heart attack during the race and crashed his car, breaking his neck as well. He
died on the way to the hospital, one day before his 46th birthday.
1975
Mark Light...
Died ... Mark Light drove Sprint Cars, Stock Cars and Midgets at tracks mostly
around
April 3
1923
Edgar Elder...
Born ... AAA driver from the early 1950's.
Chuck Weyant... Born ... AAA / USAC driver from
the 1940's to the early 1970's.
1926
Alfred
"Speedy" Thompson... Born ... A NASCAR pioneer and driver in the
Grand National (now Cup ) series from 1950 to 1971,
capturing 20 wins along the way.
1959
Fermin Velez... Born ...
He was a two-time winner of the 12 Hours of Sebring. He was also a driver in
the Indy Racing League, racing in the 1996-1997 seasons with 6 career starts,
including 2 at the
1966
John de Vries... Born ... A former driver in the
Indy Racing League and Australian Formula Holden. He raced in the 2002
IRL season where he began the season with Brayton
Racing where he competed in the first three races, arrived but withdrew from
the Nazareth Speedway race, and failed to qualify for the Indy 500. He returned
after the Indy 500 to compete in the Chevy 500 at Texas Motor Speedway and
logged his best career IRL finish, an 11th place, for PDM Racing in what would
be his final IRL race. He did 2 seasons of Formula Holden in 1999 and 2000.
Born in
1993
Buddy Baker , legendary NASCAR stockcar driver, retired from
racing.
2005
Walter H.
"Curly" Boyd... Died ... AAA / USAC driver from the
1950's and 60's.
April 4
1915
Bob Burman won a match race at Ascot in
1924
Bob Christie
... Born ... Christie raced in the USAC Championship Car series in the 1956-1963
seasons, with 15 career starts, including every Indianapolis 500 race in that
span. He finished in the top ten 5 times, with his best finish in 3rd position
in 1959 at Daytona.
1928
Bud Tingelstad... Born ... USAC driver from
1957 to 1972 in the Midget, Sprint, Stock Car and Championship Car series.
In the Championship Cars he raced in the 1960-1971 seasons with 120 starts,
including the
1933
William
1949
John Force ...
Born ... 14 time NHRA Funny Car Champion.
1957
Chet Fillip...
Born ... A former driver in the CART Championship Car series.
He raced in the 1982-1985 seasons, with 9[1] career starts, and started in the
1958
Christian
Danner... Born ... A Formula One racer from 1985 to 1989 who
also raced on the road courses in the CART series from 1992 to 1997.
1959
George Amick... Died ... AAA / USAC driver 1954
to 1959. He was killed in a crash in a USAC 100-mile Indy car race at
Daytona International Speedway.
Jim Rathmann won the 100 mile USAC Championship race at Daytona
International Speedway, averaging 170.261 mph. As Rathmann
took the checkered, George Amick died in a crash on
the backstretch, possibly from the nose of the car lifting off the track. USAC
immediately cancelled a 300 mile race scheduled for July 4th due to safety
concerns. Amick was the fastest qualifier with a
speed of 176.887, a speed not exceeded by an Indy Car for another nine years.
Race
report: http://www.wheelsofspeed.com/report/4_4_59-1.html
1966
Jimmy Daywalt ... Died ... Jimmy drove AAA sprint cars and in the
AAA and USAC Championship Car series, racing in the 1950, 1953-1957, 1959, and
1961-1962 seasons with 20 starts. He finished in the top ten 3 times. His best
finish was in the 1953
2000
John W.
Rollins... Died ... One of the founders of Dover Downs International Speedway
in
April 5
1922
Andy Linden...
Born ... AAA driver from the1940's and 1950's. Ran in 7 Indy 500's with a best finish of 4th in 1951.
1965
Mike Bliss... Born ... Started driving USAC in 1993 and NASCAR in 1995.
1976
Hall of Fame
Museum at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway was opened to the public.
2000
Lee Petty...
Died ... 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
Note: Hey, sorry about the “spacing” above. No idea as to how that happened!
News from the AARN:
From
their March 27th issue:
The
PRI (Performance Racing Industry) Show and publication has been sold to SEMA
(Specialty Equipment Manufacturers Association).
The
Empire Super Sprints are entering their 30th season this year, and
have 32 events on their schedule, so far.
Note: To the best of my knowledge, the ESS has
never run at OCFS. Could it be a
distance problem? As things look now,
for Eastern States Weekend, there is no Sprint Car or Midget Car event
scheduled. Hmm, might this be a good
time for the ESS to come to OCFS?
I
put these questions out on the Dirt Track Digest’s message board:
“Posted
01 April 2012 - 05:06 PM
A
few questions for my fellow Dirt Track Digest friends:
1.
How many attend Eastern States Weekend at OCFS?
2.
How many attend ESW on Saturday and Sunday?
3.
How many that attend on Saturday and Sunday are Sprint
Car fans?
4.
How many would like to see the ESS put on a show at ESW on Saturday night?
In
my column due out this coming Thursday, I make mention of the ESS now being
into their 30th season and racing in 32 events in 2012 – something that I found
being mentioned in the current AARN.
I
thought – the ESS has never put on a show at OCFS – when better than during
ESW?”
Speaking
of OCFS, they’ve been racing there since 1919.
I used to attend the midget races back in 1946 – 1948, when they had the
small paved track in front of the main grandstand, inside the dirt track. Weekly stock car racing started on April 16,
1950 and is still going.
Down
at the Mahoning Valley Speedway, in
Obituaries
listed were for Jim Seidel, 80, who passed away on March 22nd. He was a former car owner and father of race
driver Brian Seidel.
Will
Ford, 72, passed away a week prior to the March 27th issue. He came from
Steve
Barrick:
Steve
had a couple of articles in the paper.
In one, he made mention that Tiger Chapman is not happy with the loss of
the DIRTcar sanction, and that he has contacted an
attorney on that matter.
In
another article, he talks of the “low” car counts for the 358 Sprint Cars in
Lenny
Sammons:
Len
had some about the sale/no sale of the Black Rock track. He also made mention that Brett Hearn is
still sponsor searching – trying to replace the loss of Wentworth Construction.
Note: Kinda hard to
believe – Brett having a hard time finding a sponsor, huh? Shows ya a little
as to how the economy is, I’d say?
Mr.
Sammons made mention of the track at New Egypt being smooth and racy, but quite
dusty, with the dust blowing right onto the fans in the stands. At the beginning of the feature, it was hard
for the drivers to see, and some did pull off.
He
also thinks that some of the heats in the RoC events,
at Selinsgrove and New Egypt could have had more cars per heat, cutting down
the amount of heat races.
Ernie
Saxton:
Ernie
voiced his thoughts on John Middlebrook – he being
the one making the final decision on the Hendricks/Gordon owned Cup car # 48,
and the problems it had at Daytona.
Ernie
also mentioned the concerns he has for “Driver Introduction Music” – with some
of the “songs” not being fit for children and families. Kyle Busch, Denny
Hamlin, Landon Cassill and Travis Kvapil
were cited as having such “music”. The
“F” word, along with other obscene words came out 23 times, or so.
He
also makes mention of the Irwindale Speedway, out in
Note: Hmm, interesting – I wonder how this might
affect the supposed new track at Daytona – the one planned for the backstretch
– a flat ¼ miler?
Shay
Covertogen:
Makes
mention that at Bethel Speedway, last year, they had 20 members of the fairer
sex in competiton, during the season.
Brett
Deyo:
Most
of what Brett had to say was about the RoC race at
New Egypt.
JR
Kennerup:
JR
had a rather interesting article on his thoughts as to why there is such a dust
problem with today’s Modified racing.
One problem is where the exhaust goes when it comes out of the engine –
the pipes direct it right down onto the track.
There’s a lot more sheet metal on todays Modifieds compared to “Back in the day”. More sheet metal collects more wet clay/dirt,
which when washed off, does not go back onto the racing surface. Another thing – the wider tires used today,
compared to the skinnier ones that were used a while back.
And
these items, below, are covered in this weeks – April
3rd edition:
In AARN
This Week:
Godown Cruises
To Improbable B'port
Big Block RoC
Opener Win
Black Rock
Waits Out The Weather,
Prevails
ARDC Midgets Set
For 73rd Season
Jason Covert Wins Twice
Over Weekend
In Dirt Late Models
Waterford's Season Opener:
Two Days, Fourteen Features
Mach 1 360 Sprint Car Series
Debuts At Selinsgrove
New Name For Glen Ridge Track
Strange Sponsor Story:
ESPN Costs Driver His Sponsor,
Hinders Career
Teamwork Assailed In NASCAR
Sammy Swindell
Wins World Of Outlaws
California Race
Pullout Schedule Edition:
The Guide For The 2012 Season
Former
At the Black Rock Speedway, in the CRSA 305 Sprint
Car feature, Brittany Tresch was 4th and
Josh Pieniazek was 8th.
Davie Franek was 4th in the 360 Sprint
Car feature at Selinsgrove.
Kenney Johnson was 5th in the NEMA Lights
feature at
Press Releases:
RACING NEWS
FROM. .
BRETT HEARN,
B.H. RACING ENTERPRISES, INC.
Brett Hearn…for 38 years
the Standard of Excellence in Modified Racing…“We’re
never satisfied. We’re always working to get better, to stay ahead of the
competition. We’re all about winning races, championships, being the best
team in Modified racing.”
BRETT HEARN
READIES FOR THE 2012 RACING SEASON
Champion driver
to race weekly in
SUSSEX, NJ (March 30)……..In August
2011, champion dirt track Modified driver Brett Hearn, of Sussex, New Jersey, reached a career milestone,
winning his 800th feature event race. He went on to notch four more
victories during the season as well as wrapping up his 76th track or
series point championship, adding the Accord (New York) Speedway title to his
resume. In 2012, Hearn looks to bolster his victory and championships total.
He’ll race weekly at two tracks
On
Saturday evenings, Hearn will race at Lebanon Valley Speedway (
In
addition to weekly competition, Hearn will race throughout the Nor the ast and neighboring
Beginning
his 38th year of Modified stock car competition, Hearn has 804
feature race victories and 76 track and series championships to his credit. He
is the all time winner at Malta, New York’s Albany-Saratoga Speedway (98
victories) and in both Modified divisions at Orange County Fair Speedway
(Middletown, New York), where his record of 297 feature race wins will never be
topped. Hearn’s records include victories at 48 different tracks in 10 states
and two Canadian provinces and place him among the country’s all-time top
drivers in all forms of auto racing.
Media
representatives may contact Brett Hearn by calling 973-702-0819, Monday through
Friday during business hours. B.H. Racing Enterprises, Inc. information,
including racing equipment The Plate
and the newly-designed Modified Hood
Air Scoop, is available online at www.bretthearn.com.
And:
Hoar Looks to Defend Spring Green Title at Devil’s
Bowl Speedway
For Immediate
Release
WEST
HAVEN, VT -- Late Model stock car champion Brian Hoar of Williston, VT rolls in
to Devil’s Bowl Speedway on Sunday, May 6 looking to defend his title in the
historic “Spring Green” event. The 112-lap race marks the grand re-opening
for the
Hoar took down last
year’s Spring Green race, the first-ever ACT event at Devil’s Bowl, before
later collecting his record eighth ACT championship. He says winning the
inaugural Devil’s Bowl ACT race was a special accomplishment for his No. 37
Goss Dodge-Chrysler/RPM Racing Engines team.
“It was really cool
winning at Devil’s Bowl last year. I never raced there when it was a dirt
track but we got the chance last year and it was a lot of fun,” Hoar
said. “I love that there’s another asphalt track in
Despite his résumé,
Hoar’s march to the win wasn’t easy. Action-packed racing produced 11
lead changes, five of which came during a thrilling 40-lap slugfest between
Hoar and Craig Bushey.
“Devil’s Bowl is a
flatter track, and no one really knew what to make of it before we raced there,
but ever since last year we can’t wait to get back,” Hoar said. “I love
the track layout, and I had a great race with Craig out front. It’s a
very racy track, and the side-by-side racing is outstanding.”
ACT stars gunning for
Hoar include
The American-Canadian
Tour’s historic Spring Green event begins at 1:30pm on Sunday, May 6, along
with the NASCAR Bond Auto Parts Modifieds, Renegades,
and Bombers. General admission is $18 for adults, $15 for seniors (62+),
and free for children 12 and under. Discount season passes are available.
Devil’s Bowl Speedway is
located on Route 22A in
-30-
Contact:
Justin St. Louis Phone: (802) 355-3282
Email:
devilsbowlspeedway@gmail.com
Plus:
Contact:
Shawn Miller
World
of Outlaws Sprint Car Series PR
704-467-7803
| smiller@dirtcar.com
World of Outlaws Return to
Justin Zapotoczny wins the Facebook
contest naming the race at Lincoln Speedway
ABBOTTSTOWN,
The unique name was selected among nearly 150
entries that fans submitted during a contest on Facebook.
The initial names were narrowed down to 10 finalists and after World of Outlaws
staff and track officials voted, Justin Zapotoczny of
East Freedom,
The title is a perfect description for a
battle between the locals and Outlaws at a historical facility in the heart of
The race also kicks off the Six Pack tour,
which features six events in 12 days throughout the Northeast. The first half
of the tour features three nights of huge battles between the Outlaws and the
Posse, beginning Wednesday, May 9, at
The Six Pack then heads into
Tickets to
The World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series is
brought to fans across the country by many important sponsors and partners,
including: Armor All (Official Car Care Products), STP (Official Fuel Treatment),
Goodyear Tires (Official Tire), Gravely Tractors (Official Lawn Equipment),
University of Northwestern Ohio, VP Racing Fuel (Official Racing Fuel), Vicci (Official Apparel); in addition to contingency
sponsors, including: Cometic Gasket, Comp Cams, JE
Pistons, KSE Racing Products, MSD Ignitions, Penske Shocks, Superflow
Dynos and Wix Filters;
along with manufacturer sponsors, including: Astro
Titanium, Fuel Safe, Intercomp, J&J Auto Racing,
Jake's Carts, Racing Electronics, S&S Volvo and TNT Rescue.
I
get e-mails:
Here’s one that I got this past week:
CHEATING at the gas pumps (PRINT OUT YOUR
RECEIPTS!!!)
This email was sent by the LA fire captain.
This is true. It happened to them three weeks ago
somewhere in
She got mad, went inside the store, asked for a
calculator and let them do the math. They refunded her. she told them that
if they cheat, they had better make it right. Normally, her husband would skip
printing the receipt. Not her
We saw on the news the other night that this is
happening
everywhere.
Brian pumped exactly one gallon of gas. The price
did not match the cost of one gallon. It was higher..
He went inside and complained, got a refund.
There is also a number on each pump that you can
call and complain.
This is a true story, so read it carefully.
I stopped at a BP gas station in GA. My truck's gas
gauge was on 1/4 of a tank. I use the mid-grade, which was priced at $3.71 per
gallon. When my tank is at this point, it takes somewhere around 14 gallons to
fill it up.
When the pump showed 14 gallons had been pumped, I
began to slow it down. Then, to my surprise, it went to 15, then 16. I even
looked under my truck to see if it was being spilled. It was not.
Then it showed 17 gallons on the pump. It stopped at
18 gallons. This was very strange to me, since my truck has only an 18 gallon
tank. I went on my way a little confused, then on the evening news I heard a
report that 1 out of 4 gas stations had calibrated their pumps to show more gas
had been pumped than a person actually got.
Here is how to check a pump to see if you are
getting the right amount:
Whichever grade you are using, put EXACTLY 10
GALLONS in your tank, then look at the dollar amount.
If the dollar amount is not EXACTLY 10 times the price of the fuel you have
chosen, then the pumps are rigged.
In my case, as I said, the mid-grade was $3.71 9/10
per gallon; my dollar amount for 10 gallons should have been $37.19. I wish I
had checked the pump. It doesn't matter where you pump gas please check the 10
gallon price. If you do find a station that is cheating, contact the state
Agriculture Department, and direct your comments to the Commissioner the info
is on the gas pumps.
Please don't delete this until you have sent it to
all people in your address book. We need to put a stop to this outrageous
cheating of customers. The gas companies are making enough profits at honest
rates.
This is the same thing as the butcher with his
finger on the scale the company has nothing to do with the station owner's
practices. Yes the big oil is making big bucks but the dishonest guy will still
be dishonest.
And:
And here’s one I received just prior to my closing
this column and getting ready to send it out for publication – one I received
as a member of the Yahoo! Race History Group:
“I occasionally refer to Wikipedia for racing facts,
so I don't know how I have previously missed the item below. Today, I read Wiki's report on the 1964 500,
and came across the story on how Sid Collins gave the following eulogy on Eddie
Sachs during the radio broadcast. I was
in the grandstands with a hand-held transistor radio, and I recall Sid and Fred
Agabashian having to ad lib their way through a 90
minute red flag, but I do not recall hearing this eulogy.
Anyway, here it is, and it is remarkable given the
circumstances. Wiki reports that,
according to the Indiana Journalism Hall of Fame, Sid received some 30,000
letters requesting a transcript of his eulogy.
Regards,
xxxx xxxxxxx
During the live radio broadcast of the race, IMS
Radio Network anchor Sid Collins drew critical praise for an impromptu on-air eulogy
for Eddie Sachs. During the red flag, track public address announcer Tom
Carnegie made the official announcement of the death of Sachs (MacDonald had
not yet expired, and his death was not announced until later).[8]
“ "It
is with deepest regret that we make this announcement. Driver Eddie Sachs was
fatally injured in the accident on the mainstraightaway.
”
Silence was heard on-air for about five seconds, and
at that point, Collins chimed in with a solemn, unprepared eulogy:[8]
"You heard the announcement from the public
address system. There's not a sound. Men are taking off their hats. People are
weeping, over 300,000 fans here not moving. Disbelieving.
Some men try to conquer life in a number of ways. These days of our outer space
attempts some men try to conquer the universe. Race drivers are courageous men
who try to conquer life and death and they calculate their risks. And our
talking with them over the years I think we know their inner thoughts in
regards to racing. They take it as part of living. No one is moving on the race
track. They're standing silently. A race driver who leaves this earth mentally
when he straps himself into the cockpit to try what for to him is the biggest
conquest he can make is aware of the odds and Eddie Sachs played the odds. He
was serious and frivolous. He was fun. He was a wonderful gentleman. He took
much needling and he gave much needling. And just as the
astronauts do perhaps. These boys on the race track ask no quarter and
they give none. If they succeed they're a hero and if they fail, they tried.
And it was Eddie's desire I'm sure and will to try with everything he had,
which he always did. So the only healthy way perhaps we can approach the
tragedy of the loss of a friend like Eddie Sachs is to know that he would have
wanted us to face it as he did. As as it has
happened, not as we wish it would have happened. It is God's will I'm sure and
we must accept that. We're all speeding toward death at the rate of 60 minutes
every hour. The only difference is that we don't know how to speed faster and
Eddie Sachs did. So since death has a thousand or more doors, Eddie Sachs exits
this earth in a race car. Knowing Eddie I assume that's the way he would have
wanted it...
...Byron said 'who the God’s love
die young.' Eddie was 37. To his widow Nancy we extend our extreme
sympathy and regret. And to his two children. This boy
won the pole here in 1961 and 1962, and was a proud race driver. Well, as we do
at Indianapolis and in racing, as the World Champion Jimmy Clark I'm sure would
agree as he's raced all over the world, the race continues. Unfortunately
today without Eddie Sachs. And we'll be restarting it in just a few
moments."
I
get e-mails and is this one true?:
Caution...they walk among us!
on the popular TV show, 'Who
Wants To Be A Millionaire.'
Evans, a 32-year-old wife and mother of two, got
stuck on the first question
and proceeded to make what
fans of the show are dubbing 'the absolute worst use of lifelines ever.' After
being introduced to the show's host
Meredith Vieira, Evans was posed with a typically
easy initial $100 question.
The question was: 'Which of the following is the
largest?'
A) A Peanut
B) An Elephant
C) The Moon
D) A Car
Immediately Mrs. Evans was struck with an all
consuming panic as she did not readily know the answer. 'Hmm, oh boy, that's a
toughie,' said Evans,
as Vieira did her level best
to hide her disbelief.
'I mean, I'm sure I've heard of some of these things
before,
but I have no idea how large
they would be.'
Evans made the decision to use the first of her
three lifelines, the 50/50.
Answers A and D were removed, leaving her to decide
which was
bigger, an elephant or
the moon. However, faced with an incredibly
easy question, Evans
still remained unsure.
'Oh! It removed the two I was leaning towards!'
exclaimed Evans...
'Darn. I think I better phone a friend.'
Mrs. Evans asked to be connected with her friend
Betsy, who is an office assistant.
'Hi Betsy!
How are you? This is Kathy! I'm on TV!' said Evans,
wasting the first seven
seconds of her call.
'Ok, I got an important question. Which of the
following is the largest?
B, an elephant, or C, the moon. 15 seconds hun.'
Betsy quickly replied that the answer was C, the
moon.
Evans proceeded to argue with her friend for the
remaining ten seconds.
'Betsy, are you sure?' said Evans. 'How sure are
you? Duh, that can't be it.'
To everyone's astonishment, the moronic Evans
declined to take her friend's
advice. 'I just don't
know if I can trust Betsy. She's not all that bright.
So I think I'd like to ask the audience,' said
Evans.
Asked to vote on the correct answer, the audience
returned 98% in favor of
answer C, 'The Moon.'
Having used up all her lifelines,
Evans then made the dumbest choice of her life.
'Wow, seems like everybody is against what
I'm thinking,' said the too-stupid-to-live Evans. 'But you know, sometimes you
just got to go with your gut. So, let's see... I'm going to have to go with B,
an elephant. Final answer.'
Evans sat before the dumbfounded audience,
the only one waiting with bated breath - and was told that she was wrong, and
that the answer was in fact, C, 'The Moon.'
And
they also reproduce! Scary, huh?
Some non-racing stuff –
part 1:
http://usa-the-republic.com/videos/PowerPoint/Argentina.pps#256,2,Slide
2
Video time:
I think you’ll enjoy this one which is not
about racing:
http://www.youtube.com/embed/87xNpOYOlQ4?rel=0
And how about some
Indy Cars practicing at
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_9E9lwnv6FY
Photos:
Note: The photos are not available on Dirt Track
Digest, only on New England Tractor - http://newenglandtractor.com/racereport/
I came across this photo
while checking out various websites on the Internet.
This is a week after the Loudon Vintage Race
Car meet. Hmm, interesting!
And wouldn’t it be nice if this, below,
happened?
Closing with this:
YOU DON'T HAVE TO
BE A "DOG PERSON" TO TRULY APPRECIATE THIS STORY
I pulled into the
crowded parking lot at the local shopping center and rolled down the car windows to make sure my
Labrador Retriever Pup had fresh air. She was stretched full-out on the back
seat, and I wanted to impress upon her that she must remain there. I walked to the curb backward, Pointing my
finger at the car and saying emphatically, "Now you stay. Do you hear
me?" "Stay! Stay!"
The driver of a
nearby car, a pretty blonde young lady, gave me a strange look and said,
"Why don't you just put it in 'Park'?"
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