Racin' & Internet Stuff:
By Tom Avenengo
04/12/2012
First:
Really, now, who woulda
thought that the winner of the
In a way, I don’t think golf really requires
one to be much of an athlete. However,
it can be quite an experience when playing the game, with most, if you’re like
me, not too good at it, getting “upset” when things don’t go as planned.
Second:
I found this via a link on
the Track Forum - Why no driver "cross overs"
anymore.
http://espn.go.com/racing/nascar/cup/story/_/id/7778239/nascar-there-more-aj-foyts-mario-andrettis
And on the Track Forum: http://www.trackforum.com/forums/showthread.php?162419-Great-article-by-Ed-Hinton-on-why-there-s-no-drivers-running-multiple-types-of-races
Third:
Some photos shown on Facebook,
from the practice session at OCFS this past Saturday, do show work starting on the
“Inner” track at OCFS. From what I’ve
seen, it does not look like it would be a ¼ mile track, as it was said to be
when word of it first came out. I’ll be
at OC this coming Saturday so I’ll have a better idea as to its size.
Note:
More news about OCFS that came out on Facebook, is below, in
“Twelfth”.
Fourth:
Last weekend, on Saturday, I accompanied my
son¸ Eric, while he took his son (my grandson), Dillon, down to
Fifth:
A couple of weeks ago, it was mentioned on
the Internet that another race trailer had been stolen – I think it was in
upstate
And while on the subject of things being
stolen, or “mistakenly taken”, I had heard that when they had the fund raiser
for Brad Szulewski last Friday night at OVRP, on part
of the road course, with those that went able to “race” Karts on the pavement,
somehow, at the end of the night, Brad was missing his two racing helmets. I hope they were returned!
Sixth:
Gas prices – hey, I guess I’m fortunate as to
where I live when it comes to the price of gas, today.
I’ve seen the price go up ten cents in one
day over in
Seventh:
This Saturday is opening night for OCFS. Now, wouldn’t you know it – the extended
forecast a few days ago, for this coming Saturday showed bright sun shine. It’s remarkable how it seems to always
change. Looking at my paper on Tuesday
morning, the forecast has changed – somewhat – to maybe being a little wet. And, as of 11:00 PM on Wednesday, per Yahoo!
Weather, one thing says mostly cloudy, while another says mostly sunny.
Eighth:
Somehow, I forgot to put this in last weeks column – about “Health Codes”:
While watching the news one night, last week,
there was an item about an eating place out in
Ninth:
If you’re on Facebook,
then I imagine you might have seen this video.
No idea as to what the driver of the SUV was doing, but it looks like he
had been touching his brakes prior to making contact with the box truck. Was he/she on his/her cell? How about texting? Drop a smoke?
Putting on make-up? Doze off? Regardless, the ending was disastrous. Even SUV’s don’t have much of a chance
against a tractor-trailer.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rW6EqUNn1cs
Tenth:
Commercials and TV. Yeah, way back when cable first came out, we
were all hoodwinked into believing that commercials would be a thing of the
past. Yeah, right!
But have you noticed – the commercials for
the Ram trucks – not one mention of DODGE?
Wonder why?
Eleventh:
From Benzee, on Facebook:
We will be returning to
We have secured the hospitality Tent at the track through the NLEOMF
Includes
R/T Deluxe Motorcoach
4 am depart Middletown Wal Mart
430 Monroe Wal Mart
One motorcoach only hosted by
Benzee
Reserved Premium Race Ticket Turn #1 or #2 ( $84 section )
Hospitality Tent at Hospitality Village at track
All you can eat cont breakfast
All you can eat full lunch
All you can drink refreshments and adult beverages as well
Nascar Driver Meet Q and A ( Driver TBA )
NOTE : 2010 race we seen Greg Biffle
Pre Race Trackside Tour
Entertainment , Raffles and Door Prizes
Cost is $180 per person
Money order , check , cash or pay pal
Contact Erwin " Benzee" Benz
benzee95@hotmail.com
C- 845 234 5323
Twelfth:
Hmm, interesting stuff
that I just found (Wednesday evening at 8:00 PM) on Facebook. It’s
posted that this was found in this weeks AARN about OCFS:
“Whelen modifieds will have a few test sessions this yr and
possibly a scheduled tour race in 2013”
Also, for the small track, again, from the AARN:
“Also talks about the small track to start testing in
May, 600's, 270's, Slingshots, legends and speedstrs..”
Found
on Jayski’s website:
Darlington Raceway
to honor Yarborough:
With Cale
Yarborough now having been inducted into the third class of the NASCAR's Hall
of Fame, Darlington Raceway will celebrate and honor his achievements during
the upcoming Sprint Cup Series Bojangles' Southern
500 race weekend on May 11-12. Darlington and the NASCAR Hall of Fame are
partnering on a special ticket offer for fans, which will include an exclusive
meet-and-greet and autograph session with the NASCAR legend and hometown hero
from
Hendrick Motorsports retires #48
Daytona car:
In case you're wondering whether Chad Knaus and Jimmie Johnson will bring the infamous C-post
Daytona 500 car to Talladega Superspeedway next month, let me help. No. Team
owner Rick Hendrick told [ESPN's David Newton] on
Sunday at Martinsville Speedway the #48 car that NASCAR deemed illegal, the one
that cost him 30 days of "hell'' fighting the penalties, will be laid to
rest in the woods surrounding Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s
property in Cleveland County, N.C. It'll be in Junior's car graveyard with the
mangled #42 that Juan Pablo Montoya drove into a jet dryer to cause a two-hour
delay in the Daytona 500 and more than 50 other cars Earnhardt calls "yard
ornaments." So is this an admission that the car was illegal, even though
chief appellate officer John Middlebrook overturned
the 25-point deduction for Johnson and six-week suspensions to crew chief Knaus and car chief Ron Malec? No.
Hendrick's just not willing to test the governing
body and possibly create another 30 days of turmoil.(ESPN)(4-6-2012)
Max Q Motorsports
looking for deal to keep team running:
Larry Gunselman,
owner of the Max Q Motorsports #37 Sprint Cup team is seeking new opportunities
to keep his #37 team operational. The RWR plans to purchase Max Q and run for
Sprint Cup Rookie of the Year fell through when negotiations to purchase a top
35 team after race 5 failed. "Rick Ware and I have been good friends for
many years and I wish RWR the best of luck and we may put another program together
in the future," stated Gunselman. "The #37
team is back-up for sale and having made every attempt in 2012 the team would
be in the next 2 races in case of a rain out. Our goal is to put a new program
together in the next couple of weeks or I will be forced to liquidate company
assets." The team is in the process of moving from the RWR shop in
Thomasville back to their fully operational shop in Mooresville and has a fleet
of seven Sprint Cup racecars, transportation equipment including a truck,
transporter and pit equipment, as well as, all of the equipment necessary to
run a small and efficient Sprint Cup operation.(Max Q
PR)(4-5-2012)
Testing at Pocono
UPDATE:
Hearing that there will be
two testing sessions at Pocono Raceway, which is being repaved before the
Sprint Cup race in June.
Supposedly the Goodyear tire tests are scheduled for April 24th and 25th, 2012.
And supposedly teams will be able to test at Pocono on June 6th and 7th, the
days before practices at the track on June 8th. The Sprint Cup Series race is
scheduled for June 10th.(3-28-2012)
Free Grandstand
Admission at Pocono for Goodyear Tire Testing:
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, 2012 Pocono 400 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race.
The drivers and teams tentatively schedule for the Pocono test are: #1-Jamie
McMurray (Chevy); #5-Kasey Kahne (Chevy); #20-Joey Logano (Toyota); #22-A.J. Allmendinger
(Dodge) and #43-Aric Almirola (Ford). 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 (
Pastrana named Grand Marshal for
Samsung Mobile 500:
Travis Pastrana, X
Games icon and one of NASCAR's newest superstars, will serve as the Grand
Marshal for Saturday's Samsung Mobile 500 Sprint Cup Series race. PastranaPastrana, an 11-time X Games medalist, turned his
attention to NASCAR in 2011 and will compete for Pastrana
199 Racing in select Nationwide Series races this year. However, Pastrana will remain true to his extreme sports roots,
competing in the 2012 Global Rallycross Championship
that makes a stop at Texas Motor Speedway on Saturday, June 9, to combine for a
doubleheader with the Firestone 550 IZOD IndyCar
Series race.(TMS)(4-10-2012)
FAS Lane Racing
gets a new sponsor and driver for
FAS Lane Racing announced that Jani-King will
sponsor the teams NASCAR Sprint Cup Series entry this weekend at Texas Motor
Speedway. Additionally, the team announces that Reed Sorenson will make his
debut for the team as he will pilot the #32 Jani-King
Ford in the running of the Samsung Mobile 500 under the lights on Saturday
night. "We welcome the opportunity to represent Texas-based Jani-King in what has quickly become a popular night race
at Texas Motor Speedway," stated
Nominees announced
for 2013 NASCAR Hall of Fame Class:
Determination and innovation, two qualities
existing in abundance in the men and women who built NASCAR, characterize the
25 nominees for the 2013 NASCAR Hall of Fame class. NASCAR announced those 25
nominees for the NASCAR Hall of Fame's fourth induction class, and included
among the diverse group are five newcomers who make this list arguably the most
intriguing in the hall's history. Of the 25 nominees, 20 return from last
year's group. Five are first-timers, and all vary in expertise: NASCAR's first
treasurer and secretary Anne Bledsoe France, engine
builder and owner Ray Fox, trailblazing driver Wendell Scott, promoter and
sponsor executive Ralph Seagraves and driver champion Rusty Wallace. Of those
new five, two represent 'firsts' for the hall: Scott the first African-American
nominee; France the first female nominee. From that list, five inductees will
be elected by the NASCAR Hall of Fame Voting Panel, which includes a nationwide
fan vote on NASCAR.COM. Voting Day for the 2013 class will be May 23, and once
again, fans can attend the announcement live at the NASCAR Hall of Fame. This
round of nominees was selected by a 21-person nominating committee consisting
of representatives from NASCAR, the NASCAR Hall of Fame and track owners from
both major facilities and historic short tracks. The committee's votes were
tabulated by accounting firm Ernst & Young. The NHOF's
2013 inductees will be determined by the Voting Panel, which includes the
entire Nominating Committee, media members, manufacturer representatives,
retired competitors (drivers, owners, crew chiefs) and recognized industry
leaders. In addition, the fan vote will result in the Voting Panel's final
ballot. Fan voting on NASCAR.COM opens today, April 11, and closes May 16 at
midnight.
Following are the 25 nominees, listed
alphabetically:
Buck Baker, first driver to win
consecutive NASCAR premier (now Sprint Cup) series titles (1956-57)
Red Byron, first NASCAR premier
(now Sprint Cup) series champion, in 1949
Richard Childress, 11-time car
owner champion in NASCAR's three national series
Jerry Cook, six-time NASCAR
Modified champion
H. Clay Earles,
founder of Martinsville Speedway
Tim Flock, two-time NASCAR
premier (now Sprint Cup) series champion
Ray Fox, legendary engine
builder and owner of cars driven by Buck Baker, Junior Johnson and others
Anne Bledsoe France, helped
build the sport with husband Bill France Sr. Affectionately known as
"Annie B.," she is the first woman to be nominated for induction into
the NASCAR Hall of Fame.
Rick Hendrick,
13-time car owner champion in NASCAR's three national series
Jack Ingram, two-time NASCAR
Busch (now Nationwide) Series champion and three-time Late Model Sportsman
champion
Bobby Isaac, 1970 NASCAR premier
(now Sprint Cup) series champion
Fred Lorenzen,
26 wins and winner of the Daytona 500 and World 600
Cotton Owens, driver-owner, won
1966 owner championship with David Pearson
Raymond Parks, NASCAR's first
champion car owner
Benny Parsons, 1973 NASCAR
premier (now Sprint Cup) series champion
Les Richter, former NASCAR
executive; former president of Riverside International Raceway
Fireball Roberts, 33 NASCAR
premier (now Sprint Cup) series wins, including the 1962 Daytona 500
T. Wayne Robertson, helped raise
NASCAR popularity as R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company senior VP
Wendell Scott, NASCAR
trailblazer was the first African-American NASCAR premier (now Sprint Cup)
series race winner, and first to be nominated for induction into the NASCAR
Hall of Fame.
Ralph Seagraves, formed
groundbreaking Winston-NASCAR partnership as executive with R.J. Reynolds
Tobacco Company
Herb Thomas, first two-time
NASCAR premier (now Sprint Cup) series champion, 1951, '53
Curtis Turner, early
personality, called the "Babe Ruth of stock car racing"
Rusty Wallace, 1989 NASCAR
premier (now Sprint Cup) series champion
Joe Weatherly, two-time NASCAR
premier (now Sprint Cup) series champion
Leonard Wood, part-owner and
former crew chief for Wood Brothers, revolutionized pit stops
The 21-person Nominating Committee is:
NASCAR Hall of Fame: Executive Director Winston Kelley; Historian Buz McKim.
NASCAR Officials: Chairman/CEO Brian France; Vice Chairman Jim France; Senior
Vice President Paul Brooks; President Mike Helton; Vice President of
Competition Robin Pemberton; Senior Vice President of Racing Operations Steve
O'Donnell; Competition Administrator Jerry Cook; former Vice President Ken
Clapp.
Track Owners/Operators: International Speedway Corporation CEO Lesa Kennedy; Martinsville Speedway President Clay
Campbell; Texas Motor Speedway President Eddie Gossage;
Atlanta Motor Speedway President Ed Clark; former Indianapolis Motor Speedway
President Tony George; Dover Motorsports CEO Denis McGlynn;
Pocono Raceway board of director member Looie
McNally; Bowman Gray Stadium operator Dale Pinilis;
Riverhead Raceway operators Jim and Barbara Cromarty (1 vote); former Toyota
Speedway at Irwindale operator Jim Williams; Rockford
Speedway owner Jody Deery.(NASCAR)(4-11-2012)
This was also found on Jayski's website via links that he supplies.
NASCAR Sprint Cup: 10 Reasons
Attendance Is Falling Across the Board
In part:
"It is hardly a secret
that attendance has dropped off at NASCAR tracks and nowhere was that more
evident than recently at Bristol Motor Speedway. There is a convergence of
reasons that have led to this phenomenon.
NASCAR racing, especially at
its highest level, the Sprint Cup Series, has
displayed some of the most competitive races we have seen in years.
With all the great racing we
have seen this season, it seems there is more at play than just the economy
that has caused the drop in ticket sales at each venue.
Overall, the younger
generation doesn't get exposed to working on cars, going to local short tracks
and having the fascination with automobiles that the prior generations did.
The COT was introduced in
2007 by NASCAR. It was known as the Car of Tomorrow and has now become known as
the Car of Today.
The fans didn't accept the
uniformity of all the cars that had no resemblance to cars seen in the local
dealer showrooms.
The COT no doubt contributed
to some fans drifting away from NASCAR.
Unfortunately, the price we
pay at the pump has become a burden on the general public, despite the addition
of ethanol.
Traveling to a race is
expensive and even if it is a one day trip, the cost of getting there has
reached a level many cannot afford or justify.
Today, we have our high
definition, big-screen televisions in the comfort of our homes. Some enhance
the experience with surround sound or the magic of media rooms.
Even if money is not a
problem, it may be hard to take ourselves from the comforts of home to view a
race in person.
Lodging is one of the most
important parts of the NASCAR experience for those who attend races. Fans may
stay from one night to more than a week.
Those who wish to stay for
less than two or three nights, often are out of luck
with the minimum number of nights mandated by local hotels and motels.
These same hotels and motels
are also allowed to gouge the public with room rates going to two, three, four
or more times the regular nightly rate during NASCAR events.”
More on this, and more
possible reasons, can be found, here:
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 April 6th to April 12th:
April 6
1885
Jules Goux... Born ... AAA driver from 1913 to 1923. He was a Grand Prix
racing champion and the first Frenchman to win the
1898
Pete DePaolo... Born ... AAA driver from 1922
to 1934. He won the 1925 Indy 500, but needed relief from Norm Batten
for laps 106-127 while his blistered hands were taped up.
1912
Tommy Hinnershitz... Born ... Eastern AAA
driver from 1932 to 1960. Also known as "The Flying Dutchman"
and “Flying Farmer”, Hinnershitz ran in the Indy 500
three times with a best finish of 9th in 1948. He captured seven Eastern
sprint-car championships and posted 103 feature victories during his 30-year
racing career. While he first gained success and popularity near his
1923
Dick Linder...
Born ... In the late 1940's and early 1950's, the Linder name was one of the
biggest in racing in the entire country. Dick Linder's career was cut short in
a USAC "big car" event at
Note: I was at
Herb Thomas...
Born ... A NASCAR pioneer who won the Grand National Racing (now Winston Cup)
championship in 1951 and 1953; ranks 12th on the career victory list with 48
wins in 230 starts; won Southern 500 three times in the 1950s; inducted in
International Motorsports Hall of Fame in 1994.
1941
Don "The
Snake" Prudhomme... Born ...
Funny Car and Top Fuel racer.
1968
Affonso Giaffone... Born ... IRL driver
1996-1998.
1975
A.J. Foyt scored a milestone victory, earning his 50th career
USAC Champ Car win in the 200 mile race at Trenton Speedway. Foyt's 50th win came in his 229th start and 2nd on the
active drivers list at the time was Mario Andretti with 32. With gusting winds
and below freezing temperatures cancelling qualifying, a draw determined the
grid for just the second time in USAC Champ racing history to that point. Tom Sneva drew the pole and Foyt 10th
as just 16 cars lined up, and when Jim McElreath's Brabham-Chevy failed to start, just 15 cars took the green
flag, the smallest field at
2008
Shane Hammond
... Died ... Shane was a NEMA midget driver that died as a result of crash at
the Thompson International Speedway ,
Article: http://www.wheelsofspeed.com/report/4_6_2008-1.html
April 7
1966
Walt Hansgen... Died ... A driver from the
Loy Allen Jr. ... Born ... NASCAR stockcar driver.
1968
Jim (or Jimmy)
April 8
1903
Frank
Lockhart... Born ... AAA driver 1925 to 1927. Won the Indy 500 in 1926.
1905
Fred Winnai... Born ... AAA driver 1927 to
1946.
1910
The Los
Angeles Motordome, the first board track built for
Auto Racing opened near Playa Del Rey,
1916
Bob Burman... Died ... AAA driver 1909 to
1916. Burman and his riding mechanic were
killed in a wreck caused when a rear wheel collapsed during the Corona Road
Races in
1924
Junie Donlavey...
Born ... NASCAR team owner.
1945
Derrick
Walker... Born ... CART team owner
1952
Eddie Wood... Born ... NASCAR's Wood Brothers team manager.
1959
Robert
Pressley... Born ... NASCAR driver
1966
Mark
Blundell... Born ... F1, and CART driver 1996 to 2000
April 9
1922
Johnny
Thomson... Born ... AAA / USAC . He won the 1952 AAA
Eastern division Midget championship. He drove in the AAA and USAC Championship
Car series, racing in the 1953-1960 seasons with 69 starts, including the
2002
Pat
Flaherty... Died ... He drove in the AAA and USAC Championship Car series,
racing in the 1950, 1953-1956, 1958-1959, and 1963 seasons with 19 starts,
including the Indianapolis 500 races in 1950, 1953, 1955, 1956, and 1959. He
finished in the top ten 9 times, with victories in 1955 and 1956 at
April 10
1913
Duke Dinsmore... Born ... AAA / USAC driver from 1946 to 1960
1914
Paul Russo... Born ... AAA / USAC driver from 1934 to 1965. He started
racing midget cars in 1934. He went with a contigent
of midget car drivers to
Note: A photo of Paul Russo will be at the end of
this weeks column
April 11
1896
Ralph
Hepburn... Born ... A pioneer of American motorcycle racing champion from 1914
to 1924 and a AAA and
1920
Al Keller...
Born ... Keller participated in the NASCAR "Strictly
Stock"/"Grand National" (predecessors to the current NEXTEL Cup)
series from 1949 to 1956 with 29 career starts. He won two races during the
1954 season and was the only driver in the history of NASCAR's top division to
have won a race in a foreign-built car, winning the 1954 Grand National
road-race at the
Note: A photo of Al Keller will be at the end of
this weeks column.
1953
National Hot
Rod Association holds its first sanctioned drag racing event, at
April 12
1924
Curtis Turner
... Born ... One of NASCAR's earliest starts and among its most controversial
drivers....won 17 poles and 17 races in his career, which spanned 1949 through
1968....he won the fourth Winston Cup race of its inaugural season of 1949,
then won 16 more, almost all of them during the '50s....he was suspended fron competition by NASCAR president Bill France, Sr. in
1960 because he tried to organize the drivers for the Teamsters Union...was the
first president of the Charlotte Motor Speedway, and needed a loan from the
Teamsters in 1960 to repay creditors....when France got wind of it, he banned
Turner until late in the 1965 season. During the time that he was banned from
NASCAR Turner raced in the USAC stock car series....he died in a plane crash in
1970.
1964
Ross
Cheever... Born ... an American race car driver and is the younger brother of
former Formula One driver and
News
from the AARN:
From
their April 3rd issue:
Lenny
Sammons:
He
noted that both the New Egypt and Bridgeport Speedways “took rubber” on the
inside lane, and wore the tires out on the Modifieds.
Note:
Methinks a little less down force on the
cars might help eliminate this? Maybe
putting cones down during hot laps, forcing the cars to go higher, might also
result in less wear and tear on the inner lanes, too – maybe?
Ernie
Saxton:
Ernie
had quite a bit about Nationwide driver Blake Koch,
and his not being able to use a sponsor, due to ESPN rejecting it. A little too much about
politics and religion in a commercial and also a referral to Koch’s own
website, which promotes his ministry.
Note: Huh?
What next?
He
is listing some prices for the US Grand Prix, to be held along the Hudson
River, in New Jersey, with New York City directly across the river – that race
to be in 2013 – The Grand Prix of the America.
A three day general admission ticket will go for anywhere from $400.00
to $500.00. Better yet, how about a
three day “Hospitality” package – one person – from $3,000.00 to $4,000.00 –
which includes a seat above the pit area and also includes catered food and
drink. They think they’ll have 110,000
in attendance. Oh, an
dif you have $15,000,000.00 laying around, they’re looking for a sponsor for
the race, too.
Ernie
makes mention of watching a “Trackside” show on SPEED. Things got to be so ridiculous, he turned the
program off.
Jeff
Ulrich:
Tells
us the Tim Fuller is dropping out of the WoO Late
Model Series for now, due to sponsorship.
He’ll run more regional races, which include running the Joe Knoth & Steve Hastings # 74 Modified.
Herb
Anastor:
He
had quite an extended article about the late Bill “Grumpy” Jenkins who passed
away on March 29th. Reports
are that Bill had two heart attacks in recent weeks, and was recovering from
the second one.
Dave
Roberts:
Making note of the sad state of full blown Asphalt Modifieds with car counts down and most every track.
Todd
Heintzelman:
He
notes that Jason Meyers has ended his 14 race “Appreciation” tour that he had
announced earlier in the year. He’ll be
spending time with his family, but he’s also scheduled to run in the Knoxville
Nationals in 410’s and 360’s.
Debbie
Smith:
She
has a preview of the 2012 season for the ARDC Midgets. The 2011 champion, Drew Heistand,
will not be defending his championship, mainly due to his being promoted to
Sergeant in the Wrightsville, Pa Police Department.
Other
news:
Jack
Johnson, Pete Bicknell and Ovide Doiron
are the three drivers that will be inducted into the DIRT
Special
Honorees: Diane Tobias, Cheryl Kirkland
and Carol Flannigan.
The
Gene DeWitt Car Owner award will go to
Mechanic of the year to Billy Colton.
The
Lenonard Sammons, Jr. Memorial award goes to Jack Speno.
There
are 44 pages featuring 99% of the area tracks and their schedules in the annual
“Season Preview”. Locally, I did not see
schedules for the Accord Speedway or either track at
Obituaries
listed were for: Delbert Spencer, 86, who passed away on March 29th. He was a co-founder of Spencer Speedway.
Sal
Accardi, Sr. – who passed on on
March 21st.
He was a Modified driver from
Sandra Brochard, who left
us on March 28th. She was the
wife of veteran
And
here are some things that will be covered in the issue of April 10th:
In AARN
This Week:
American Racer Cup Offers
Top Short Trackers $150,000
URC Expands Loyalty
Incentives
To Competitors
"The Doctor" Was
in -
Victory Lane - At
Canandaigua
Hodnett Hot;
Sweeps Weekend Double
At Grove, Port
Time For Central New York's
Mod Men To Choose Where To
Race
Tim Buckwalter
Kicks Off ARDC Season
On With Big Diamond Win
NASCAR Whelen
Mods,
Valenti Mod Racing Series Mods,
ACT Series Seasons Previewed
Pauch Is Back
In New Egypt's Winners
Circle
First Time Winner
In Fonda's Mod Opener
Former
Last Friday, at
At Williams Grove, in the 358 Sprint Car feature,
Davie Franek was 9th.
Billy VanInwegen was 25th
in the SDS Big Block race at Canadaigua, last
Saturday.
At Five Mile Point, on Saturday, Anthony Perrego was 6th and Brad Szulewski
was 10th in the Sportsman feature.
Johnny Guarino was 5th
in the Modified feature at New Egypt, last Saturday.
Mike Mammana was 17th
in the Modified feature at Big Diamond, last Sunday.
Reutimann double-duty weekend; McCumbee to help out:
Ricky Benton Racing Enterprises #92 BTS Tire
and Wheel Distributors/fleetHQ.com/QMI team and driver David Reutimann are ready to tackle the high banks of the
Rockingham Speedway for the inaugural Good Sam Roadside Assistance 200
presented by Cheerwine at the venerable one-mile
track. Reutimann will have to race the truck to the
front if the team makes the race. Due to Reutimann's
Sprint Cup commitment at Texas Motor Speedway, ARCA veteran Chad McCumbee will be practicing and qualifying the #92. Per
NASCAR rules, a driver change between qualifying and the race requires the
truck start at the rear of the field.(RBR
PR)(4-10-2012)
Kahne annouces
plans to run Rockingham truck race: UPDATE more info:
Kasey Kahne, who
drives the #5 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Chevrolet for Hendrick
Motorsports, joined host Steve Byrnes on the set of NASCAR Race Hub for the
first time in his career. The occasion: to announce that Kahne
is set to pilot the #4 Turner Motorsports, Rockwell Tools-sponsored entry in
the upcoming NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race at Rockingham Speedway on
Sunday, April 15, a race that can be seen live on SPEED starting with NCWTS Set
Up at 12:30pm/et. When asked if this is a one-race deal, Kahne
responded "(Steve Turner; team owner) is open to doing more races. But as
of right now, it's one race with Turner and Rockwell Tools. I'm racing the
Great Clips car on Friday night (April 13) in
UPDATE:
Rockingham Speedway and Positec
Tool Corp., a global company that manufactures and markets power tools and lawn
and garden equipment, announced today that Positec's
Rockwell Tools brand will serve as the "Official Power Tool" of
Rockingham Speedway and as the primary sponsor of the #4 Turner Motorsports
entry driven by Kasey Kahne for the upcoming NASCAR
Camping World Truck Series race on April 15 in Rockingham, N.C. "As soon
as I heard that NASCAR was adding the Rockingham truck race to the schedule, I
wanted to run it," said Kahne, who will compete
for his fourth NASCAR Camping World Truck Series win in five career starts.
"I think it is great for the sport and the fans that we are going back to
Rockingham. I'm looking forward to having Rockwell Tools on board for their
first NASCAR truck race. Hopefully we can put on a good show for the
fans." Like the speedway itself, which shut down operations for several
years, Positec
acquired the Rockwell brand for power tools after it was taken off of the
market in the mid-1980's and re-introduced it back into the market in 2005.
Today, the Rockwell brand of power tools and accessories is available at
thousands of home improvement retailers in the
The Rockingham schedule:
Thursday, April 12th
6:30 PM NCWTS HAULERS ENTER
Friday, April 13th
8:30 AM NCWTS REGISTRATION OPENS
9:00 AM NCWTS GARAGE OPENS
11:00 AM NCWTS RANDOM DRAWING
11:30 AM NCWTS MANDATORY DRIVERS & SPOTTER MEETINGS
12:00 PM - 1:30 PM NCWTS PRACTICE
3:30 PM - 5:00 PM NCWTS PRACTICE
5:00 PM NCWTS REGISTRATION CLOSES
7:00 PM NCWTS GARAGE CLOSES
Saturday, April 14th
7:00 AM NCWTS GARAGE & REGISTRATION
OPENS
9:00 AM - 9:55 AM NCWTS PRACTICE
11:00 AM - 12:00 PM NCWTS FINAL
PRACTICE
3:35 PM NCWTS QUALIFYING (TWO LAPS, ALL
POSITIONS)
4:00 PM NCWTS REGISTRATION CLOSES
5:00 PM NCWTS GARAGE CLOSES
Sunday, April 15th
8:30 AM NCWTS GARAGE & REGISTRATION
OPENS
8:30 AM 11:30 AM NCWTS Minor's Admitted into Garage Area [With Proper
Credentials]
10:00 AM NCWTS GRID TRUCKS ON APRON ON THE FRONT STRETCH
10:30 AM NCWTS DRIVER / CREW CHIEF MEETING
12:30 PM NCWTS DRIVER INTRODUCTIONS-SECURITYCLEAR PIT ROAD
1:00 PM NCWTS RACE (200 LAPS, 200
MILES)
1:30 PM NCWTS REGISTRATION CLOSES
Note: All times listed are Eastern
Time Zone and are tentataive, subject to change.
Press Releases:
News from the
Clash at the Can - "Making History, One Dollar
At A Time"
Media Contact: Brett Deyo - Deyo99H@aol.com or
845.728.2781
For Immediate Release/April 10, 2012
'Clash at the Can' RoC Modified Winner Won't Leave Hungry; Harford Subway
Offers Victor Six-Foot Sub for Penn Can Speedway Tuesday, June 12 Spectacular;
Souvenir Program Book Will Be Published
SUSQUEHANNA, PA - The winner of Penn Can Speedway's rich 'Clash at the Can'
won't go away hungry.
The Harford,
"Making history, one dollar at a time" is the theme of the
co-promotion involving Brett Deyo and track managers
Al Wilcox and Reed Miller. The total purse is the most lucrative since the
The Harford Subway is located at the
The Subway store is open 7 a.m.-10 p.m. Monday-Thursday and Saturday and 7
a.m.-11 p.m. Friday and Sunday.
For the first
time, a souvenir program book will be produced for the 'Clash at the Can'
event. The 28-page program will be published by AARN Publishing of Trenton,
N.J., the producers of Area Auto Racing News. It will be 28 pages
with full color covers and eight total pages of color. BD Motorsports Media
will manage advertising, content and distribution of the program. All
advertisers will receive a free lap sponsorship, offering added exposure.
Contact Brett Deyo at 845.728.2781 or Deyo99H@aol.com for advertising rates.
The winner of the 'Clash at the Can' earns a guaranteed starting berth in the
Sept. 29 Outlaw 200 at N.Y.'s Fulton Speedway, an
event paying $20,000 to the winner.
Thanks to Trackside Products of Endicott, N.Y., leading
lap 30 - the halfway mark - of the RoC Modified event
will be lucrative. The halfway leader will have the option of two prizes: a
55-gallon drum of VP Racing Fuels C12 gasoline or two drums of VP Racing Fuels
M1 methanol. The halfway prizes are valued at approximately $500 cash.
A number of contingency sponsors have come on board for the event, including
Trackside Products, Shiley Fabrication, S&D
Bodyline, American Racer/Lias Tire, MTL Motorsports,
S&W Awards and more.
The 'Clash at the Can' will offer combination points on the Race of Champions
Dirt Modified Tour title race of 2012. Two regions will comprise the '12 RoC schedule. At the 'Clash at the Can' fans will enjoy
stars of the North and South colliding in an epic short-track battle.
In its two previous runnings, the 'Clash at the Can'
main event has evolved into a standoff between Modified superstars and weekend
warriors.
Last June, it was
eventual RoC champion Billy Decker, driving John
Wight's Gypsum Racing No. 91, besting Accord (N.Y.) Speedway weekend racer
Danny Tyler of Cottekill, N.Y. The upstart Tyler led
much of the event, proved a formidable match for Decker and guided his family
owned No. 22 home to second.
The star of the
'10 'Clash at the Can' was Carbondale, Pa.-based Penn Can regular Brett Tonkin,
whose No. 15 repelled the advances of eventual victor Duane Howard of Oley,
Pa., using the outside lane.
Penn Can's racy
one-third-mile layout has proven a great equalizer: expensive and powerful
engines aren't the key to success. The surface is tire-wear-friendly. Truly
"anyone" can take $10,000 home from this show!
Keep posted to www.bdmotorsportsmedia.com
for updates on the '12 'Clash at the Can' event. Penn Can Speedway is on the
web at www.penncan.com.
BD Motorsports Media can be found on Facebook at www.facebook.com/bdmotorsportsmedia
and Twitter @BrettDeyo.
Entry forms have
been posted on the BD Motorsports Media website.
The 2012 'Clash at the Can' is presented by
VP Racing Fuels, Pioneer Pole Buildings Inc., G&G Towing & Scrap
Recycling, Trackside Products, American Racer/Lias
Tire, Shiley Fabrication, S&D Bodyline, MTL
Motorsports, Fulton Speedway, Bob Hilbert Sportswear, Harford Subway, S&W
Awards, and Four Star Lettering.
BD Motorsports Media Co-Promotion
Penn Can
November 13, 2011 (King of the
Can 50 laps)
- STEWART FRIESEN -
Jeff Strunk - Pat Ward - Jimmy Phelps - Justin
Holland
June 7, 2011 (Clash at the Can RoC 60 laps) - BILLY DECKER - Danny Tyler - Jimmy Phelps - Duane Howard - Matt
Sheppard
August 10, 2010 - (Hot Summer
Night RoC 60 laps) - STEWART FRIESEN - Alan Rudalavage
- Duane Howard - Bobby Varin - Joey Grammes
June 8, 2010 (Clash at the Can RoC 60 laps) - DUANE HOWARD - Danny Johnson - Stewart Friesen - Brett Tonkin -
Ryan Godown
BD Motorsports Media Promotions
All-Time Modified Win List
Stewart Friesen - 3 (Penn Can
Nov. 13, 2011; Big Diamond July 26, 2011; Penn Can Aug. 10, 2010)
Duane Howard - 2 (Five Mile
Point Oct. 8, 2011; Penn Can June 8, 2010)
Billy Decker - 1 (Penn Can June 7, 2011)
Justin Holland - 1 (
Kevin Hirthler
- 1 (
Mike Ricci - 1 (
And:
Borgers PR
Media Contact
Bob Snyder
bobsnyderphoto@enter.net
Borgers Paving Complete.
The top coat of asphalt and
the paving of the infield at Borgers Speedway have
been completed and all is set for the first of two practice days Saturday April
14 and April 21 at 1:00 p.m. If there
is no weather issues with the practice days the season opener is set for April
28. “With the forecast of cold
temperatures and rain next Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday this is what the
asphalt needs to properly set” remarked speedway owner Glenn Borger. “Northeast Site Contractors did a fantastic
job.”
Creature comfort at Borgers Speedway will be a major concern for the 2012
racing season and speedway owner Glenn Borger has spared no expense. Borgers Speedway
will have restrooms like no other racetracks in the area. Entering the restroom area race goers will
find a spacious room with drinking fountains and diaper changing stations. This room will lead to large and well lighted men’s and women’s restrooms. The restrooms will be heated and air
conditioned with two running water sinks in each restroom. Four separate stalls in each restroom and a
handicap accessible stall should assure no long lines. Exhaust fans and a tile floor have also been
installed. Glenn Borger, “Our restrooms will be more like a “5 Star Hotel” then the
deplorable conditions you find at most racetracks. People will be in for a long day at Borgers Speedway and they deserve the very best.”
The paving of Borgers Speedway has opened up many challenges and many new
opportunities. Co-promoter Bob Snyder, “My roots are in
dirt track racing and I will always love the dirt tracks but times are
changing. When I was a kid we did not
care about getting dirty at a race. In
fact the dirtier we got the more we loved it.
At Borgers Speedway the neighbors forced us to
pave the track but that may in the long run prove to be a blessing in
disguise. This is just the start and big
things will be happening at Borgers Speedway. We have something unique that no one else has, a 1/7 mile asphalt speedway. We also have an opportunity to build a
spectator base which is almost non-existent at other small car tracks. New spectators coming into racing do not want
to sit in the dust and the dirt. They
also want creature comfort and this is what we will give them at Borgers Speedway.”
The two practice sessions
Saturday April 14 and 21 will be free spectator admission to the
grandstand. A pit pass of $20 will be
required for anyone entering the pits but there will be no car entry fee.
For further information or
weather cancellations check the Borgers Speedway
web-site www.borgers-speedway.com or for weather cancellations the Borgers Speedway Weather Hot Line. 570-992-8131,
I
get e-mails:
When I opened up an e-mail that I received from old
time racer JR Williams, who still races, I should add, I was amazed, and shook
my head, at what I was reading, and thought that somehow, I’d have to get it
into my column – or in this case, columns.
It’s about WW II and the figures on the planes and losses that were
endured. It was quite large, so I’ve
decided to break it down to a few parts and will continue it in the next
column, or two.
If you’re into the history of WW II, sit back and
take in some unbelievable facts and figures.
Truly amazing!
Amazing WWII Aircraft Facts
No matter how one looks at it, these are incredible statistics. Aside
from the figures on aircraft, consider this statement from the article:
On average 6600 American service men died per MONTH, during WWII (about 220 a
day).
Most Americans who were not adults during WWII have no understanding of the
magnitude of it. This listing of some of the aircraft facts gives a bit
of insight to it.
276,000 aircraft manufactured in the
The US civilian population maintained a dedicated
effort for four years, many working long hours seven days per week and often
also volunteering for other work. WWII was the largest human effort in
history. Statistics from Flight Journal magazine.THE
COST of DOING BUSINESS ---- The staggering cost
of war.
THE PRICE OF VICTORY (cost of an aircraft in WWII dollars)
B-17 $204,370.
P-40 $44,892.
B-24 $215,516.
P-47 $85,578.
B-25 $142,194.
P-51 $51,572.
B-26 $192,426.
C-47 $88,574.
B-29 $605,360.
PT-17 $15,052.
P-38 $97,147.
AT-6 $22,952.
PLANES A DAY WORLDWIDE From Germany's invasion
of
How many is a 1,000 planes? B-17
production (12,731) wingtip to wingtip would extend 250 miles. 1,000
B-17s carried 2.5 million gallons of high octane fuel and required 10,000
airmen to fly and fight in them.
THE NUMBERS GAME
9.7 billion gallons of gasoline
consumed, 1942-1945.
107.8 million hours flown, 1943-1945.
459.7 billion rounds of aircraft ammo fired overseas,
1942-1945.
7.9 million bombs dropped
overseas, 1943-1945.
2.3 million combat sorties, 1941-1945 (one sortie =
one takeoff).
299,230 aircraft accepted, 1940-1945.
808,471 aircraft engines accepted, 1940-1945.
799,972 propellers accepted, 1940-1945.
WWII MOST-PRODUCED COMBAT AIRCRAFT
Ilyushin IL-2 Sturmovik
36,183
Yakolev Yak-1,-3,-7,
-9
31,000+
Messerschmitt
Bf-109
30,480
Focke-Wulf
Fw-190
29,001
Supermarine Spitfire/Seafire
20,351
Convair B-24/PB4Y
Liberator/Privateer 18,482
Republic P-47
Thunderbolt
15,686
North American P-51
Mustang
15,875
Junkers
Ju-88
15,000
Hawker
Hurricane
14,533
Curtiss P-40 Warhawk
13,738
Boeing B-17 Flying
Fortress
12,731
Vought F4U
Corsair
12,571
Grumman F6F
Hellcat
12,275
Petlyakov
Pe-2
11,400
Lockheed P-38 Lightning
10,037
Mitsubishi A6M
Zero
10,449
North American B-25
Mitchell
9,984
Lavochkin
LaGG-5
9,920
Note: The LaGG-5 was produced with both water-cooled and air-cooled
engines.
Grumman TBM
Avenger
9,837
Bell P-39 Airacobra
9,584
Nakajima Ki-43
Oscar
5,919
DeHavilland Mosquito
7,780
Avro
Lancaster
7,377
Heinkel
He-111
6,508
Handley-Page
Messerschmitt Bf-110
6,150
Lavochkin
LaGG-7
5,753
Boeing B-29 Superfortress
3,970
Short
Note: More to
come, next week. However, if you’d like
to see what follows, quicker, e-mail me and I’ll be happy to forward the e-mail
to you, which has photos of each of the aircraft that are mentioned, above.
I
get e-mails and is this one true?:
This venerable and much
honored WW II vet is well known in
for his seventy-plus years of service to patriotic
organizations and causes all over the country. A humble man without a political
bone in his body, he has never spoken out before about a government official,
until now. He dictated this letter to a friend, signed it and mailed it to the
president.
Dear President Obama,
My name is Harold Estes, approaching 95 on
December 13 of this year. People meeting
me for the first time don't believe my age because I remain wrinkle free and
pretty much mentally alert.
I enlisted in the U. S . Navy in 1934 and served proudly before, during and after
WW II retiring as a Master Chief Bos'n Mate. Now I live in a "rest home" located
on the western end of
One of the benefits of my
age, perhaps the only one, is to speak my mind, blunt and direct even to the
head man.
So here goes.
I am amazed, angry and
determined not to see my country die before I do, but you seem hell bent not to
grant me that wish.
I can't figure out what
country you are the president of.
You fly around the world
telling our friends and enemies despicable lies like:
" We're no
longer a Christian nation"
"
announced
to the world,"
spirited.
" Please tell her to try preaching
that
nonsense to 23 generations of our
war
dead buried all over the globe who
died
for no other reason than to free a
whole
lot of strangers from tyranny and
hopelessness.)
I'd say shame on the both of
you, but I don't think you like America, nor do I see an ounce of gratefulness
in anything you do, for the obvious gifts this country has given you. To be without shame or gratefulness is a
dangerous thing for a man sitting in the White House.
After 9/11 you said,"
Which ones did you mean? Was
it the notion of personal liberty that 11,000 farmers and shopkeepers died for
to win independence from the British? Or
maybe the ideal that no man should be a slave to another man, that 500,000 men died for in the Civil War? I hope you didn't mean the ideal 470,000
fathers, brothers, husbands, and a lot of fellas I
knew personally died for in WWII, because we felt real strongly about not
letting any nation push us around, because we stand for freedom.
I don't think you mean the
ideal that says equality is better than discrimination. You know the one that a whole lot of white
people understood when they helped to get you elected.
Take a little advice from a
very old geezer, young man.
Shape up and start acting
like an American. If you don't, I'll do
what I can to see you get shipped out of that fancy rental on
And just who do you think you
are telling the American people not to jump to conclusions and condemn that
Muslim major who killed 13 of his fellow soldiers and wounded dozens more. You
mean you don't want us to do what you did when that white cop used force to
subdue that black college professor in
One more
thing. I realize you never served in the military
and never had to defend your country with your life, but you're the
Commander-in-Chief now, son. Do your
job. When your battle-hardened field General
asks you for 40,000 more troops to complete the mission, give them to him. But if you're not in this fight to win, then
get out. The life of one American
soldier is not worth the best political strategy you're thinking of.
You could be our greatest
president because you face the greatest challenge ever presented to any
president.
You're not going to restore
American greatness by bringing back our bloated economy. That's not our greatest threat. Losing the heart and soul of who we are as
Americans is our big fight now.
And I sure as hell don't want
to think my president is the enemy in this final battle...
Sincerely,
Harold B. Estes
Snopes confirms as
true:
http://www.snopes.com/politics/soapbox/haroldestes.asp
When a 95 year old hero of
the "the Greatest Generation" stands up and speaks out like this, I
think we owe it to him to send his words to as many Americans as we can. Please
pass it on.
Some non-racing stuff:
A
few columns ago, I made mention of how New York State was going to go into the
estates of past Medicaid recipients, and pay itself back for monies paid
out. Well, here’s some great news (for
now, anyway) – an article about it in the Tuesday edition of my local paper:
Better With Age: NY seniors
win as Legislature drops provision
In part:
“Expanded
estate recovery for Medicaid is no more!
For those who have been following my column, you
know what this means. In last year's state budget bill, a provision was slipped
in affecting the families of everyone who ever received Medicaid.
It allowed the state to dig into the estates of
all past Medicaid recipients and pay itself back for every penny it spent on
them. This legalization of state-authorized "grave robbing" was
planned to include IRAs, savings accounts left to your grandchildren, and even
your interest in your home. Now, a year later, this threat to the well-being of
the families of seniors has been repealed.”
More on this, if you’re interested, can be found
here:
http://www.recordonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20120410/BIZ/204100328/-1/NEWS
And, how about this?
Deportable illegal aliens now
getting free dental care
In part:
"Last week, Immigration
and Customs Enforcement (ICE) issued a press release detailing the how the
agency now “provides quality medical care to detainees.”
According to the release,
more than 900 Public Health Service-commissioned officers, civil servants and
privately contracted staff now make up the ICE Health Service Corps (IHSC) in
order “to serve as the medical authority for ICE on a wide range of medical
issues, including the agency's comprehensive detainee health care program.”
IHSC sees to the medical
needs of approximately 15,000 illegal alien detainees at 21specialized medical
facilities throughout the country as well as to another 17,000 illegal alien
detainees being housed in several non-medical facilities
A detainee's health care
begins the moment they walk through the facility's doors. Within the first 12
hours of their admission, all detainees undergo a preliminary health screening,
which includes an evaluation of the individual's medical, dental and mental
health status and within the next 14 days, a more detailed physical examination
takes place, said Dr. Krohmer.
At a time when millions of
Americans are out of work and many more can no longer afford their own health
care, it is more than outrageous that these same Americans are being forced to
pay for medical treatment that goes above and beyond what is reasonable for
illegal aliens, many of whom have committed other serious crimes while in this
country.
When the federal government
should be removing the magnets that draw millions to this country illegally, so
that we can take care of our own, the government is instead offering free
dental and psychological care to foreign criminals…Is it any wonder they keep
coming?”
More on this can be seen,
here:
And, is the above really
true?
Video time:
Going
along with the “I get e-mails”, above, check out this color film from the
attack on
http://www.youtube.com/v/qWcDIMrd6eE?%20
Photos:
Note: The photos are not available on Dirt Track
Digest, only on New England Tractor - http://newenglandtractor.com/racereport/
Here’s one of Paul Russo in
the Earl Beal Sprint Car. No idea on
photographer.
And, Al
Keller in a Sam Traylor Sprint Car.
Photo by Walt Imlay.
Closing with these:
Yes,
they walk among us, vote and reproduce, too.
Scary!
I stopped at Mc Donalds
and ordered some fries.
The girl behind the counter said would you like some fries with that?
One day I was
walking down the beach with
some friends when someone shouted....
'Look at that dead bird!'
Someone looked up at the sky and said...'where?'
While looking at
a house, my brother asked the
estate agent which direction was north because
he didn't want the sun waking him up every morning.
She asked, 'Does the sun rise in the north?'
My brother explained that the sun rises in the east
and has for sometime. She shook her head and said,
'Oh, I don't keep up with all that stuff......'
While working at
a pizza parlor I observed a man
ordering a small pizza to go. He appeared to be alone and the cook asked him if
he would like it cut
into 4 pieces or 6. He thought about it for some time
then said 'Just cut it into 4 pieces; I don't think I'm hungry
enough to eat 6 pieces.
More of these next week!
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
.