Racin' Stuff:

                                                                                 By Tom Avenengo

 

 

First things, first:

I don’t know how many of you that read my columns are fans of all types of racing, like F-1, Indy, NASCAR etc etc.  However, over the last week, plus a few days, there have been two pretty serious accidents in Formula 1 & 2 racing, One which proved fatal to the eighteen year old son of former World Champion driver John Surtees – Henry Surtees.  The other, though not fatal, has left the driver, Felipe Massa, in serious condition.  Both accidents were basically about the same – the driver getting hit on the head by flying debris.  What I’ve noticed, on both Formula I & II cars, along with our own Indy cars, is that they no longer have windshields.  Ayrton Senna was also a victim of being hit in the head, by a piece of his own car  Now I’m not saying that if in the three cases I’ve noted, above, that had they had windshields, the outcomes might have been quite different.  I do notice that the drivers sit so low (apparently not low enough?) that if there was a windshield, they probably would not be able to see through it if it were to get covered with things like oil or dirt. 

 

Driver safety is # 1 in all types of racing, for sure.  With the way the current open wheel cars are made – Formula I & II and Indy cars and their lower classes, it would be extremely difficult to have some kind of roll cage installed, due to how they’re constructed.

 

Some interesting things being said on the Track Forum on both the Surtees and Massa situations, and they can be seen, here:

 

Surtees:     http://www.trackforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=126196

Massa:   http://www.trackforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=126433

And:  http://www.trackforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=126426

 

     

Some of my thoughts:

I guess I wasn’t the only one that wasn’t all that impressed with the Brickyard 400.  We can see that there’s a problem with passing.  The announcers comment on it, yet NASCAR doesn’t see it?  The majority of the race, I’d say at least 90 – 95% had hardly any passing.  If there was passing, as many say it occurred going into the third turn, we kinda missed them, then.  Quite a few things being said on the Track Forum, which can be seen, here:

http://www.trackforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=126472

 

Speaking of the Brickyard 400, if you did watch it, then I imagine that you, like me, noticed an awful lot of fans dressed up as aluminum, right?  I imagine the fiasco that they had there last year might have been one cause for all that aluminum showing – that, along with the economy and what we are now forced to watch as what the say is “racing”.

 

 

 

Going back, in time:

 

On July 30th, in:

 

1946

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

1948

Lucky Lux won the AAA Eastern Sprint Car race at the Alcyon Speedway,Pitman, NJ.

1950

Tommy Hinnershitz won the AAA Eastern Sprint Car race over Mike Nazaruk at the Williams Grove Speedway, Mechanicsburg, PA.

1955

Tommy Hinnershitz won the AAA Eastern Sprint Car race at the Delaware State Fairgrounds,Harrington, DE.

1961

Johnny Dodd won the URC Sprint Car race at the Delaware State Fairgrounds, Harrington, DE. George Monsen was second followed by Earl Halaquist, Bobby Courtwright and Eddie Gallione.

 

         Roger Sowers won the Super Modified race over Johnny Mackison and Bobby Hersh at     the Susquehanna Speedway, 

         Newberrytown, PA.

            

1964

Sammy Sessions won the Supermodified race at the Tioga Motorsports Park, Owego,NY.

Tommy Elliott won the Modified Stock Car race at the Fort Dix Speedway, New Egypt, NJ.

1965

Mitch Smith won the Super Modified race over Willie Musselman, Johnny Crawford, Junior Ritchey and Russ Smith at the Williams Grove Speedway, Williams Grove,PA.

          Larry Dickson won the ARDC Midget race at the Onteora Speedway, Olivebridge,NY.

1966

Bobby Abel won the Super Modified race at the Lincoln Speedway,New Oxford, PA.

Lou Blaney won the Sprint Car race over Ted Wise and Ralph Quarterson at the Mercer Raceway Park, Mercer, PA.

Joe Csiki won the ARDC Midget race at the Wall Township Speedway, Belmar,NJ.

1967

Mario Andretti won the Langhorne 150 USAC Championship race on the 1 mile paved Langhorne Speedway in Langhorne, PA. Gordon Johncock finished second followed by Bobby Unser, Wally Dallenbach and Jim McElreath.

Earl Halaquist won the URC Sprint Car race over Jerry Karl anf Joe Csiki at the Beltsville Speedway, Beltsville,MD.

1969

Bobby Allen, in the # 1 Emrich Chevy, won the Super Sprint Car race over Mitch Smith, Kenny Weld, Lee Osborne and Johnny Grum at the Williams Grove Speedway, Williams Grove,PA.

 

1972

Johnny Coy won the ARDC Midget race at the Grandview Speedway, Bechtelsville,PA. Jim Maguire was second followed by Jerry Stover, Dorsey Truitt and Wayne Woodward.

Kenny Weld won the Super Sprint Car race over Barry Camp, David James, Rick Schmelyun and Jan Opperman at the Susquehanna Speedway, Newberrytown,PA.

1981

Bud Tingelstad... Died ... 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 Indianapolis 500 in each year except 1961 and 1970. He finished in the top ten 56 times, with his one victory in 1966 at DuQuoin.

 

And, sad to say, July 29, 1951 is known as “Black Sunday” in racing circles here in the US.

 

“Black Sunday .. On this day, three big-time drivers, each of whom were veterans of the Indianapolis 500, and who together constituted the 11th (last) row for the 1951 starting field, lost their lives on this day. At the Williams Grove Speedway in Pennsylvania, Walt Brown was warming up an ill-handling car, the Jack Robbins Special. This car, as the Noc-Out Hose Clamp Special, had been driven to victory in the 1941 Indianapolis 500 by Floyd Davis and Mauri Rose. Brown suffered critical injuries during a slow tumbling accident in the second turn, and died just after arriving at Carlisle Hospital. Meanwhile, at the Winchester Speedway in Indiana, Cecil Green lost control and went over the embankment between the first and second turn while attempting to qualify the J.C. Agajanian "98jr." car. He died on the way to the hospital while the other drivers waited for the ambulance to return. Next in the qualifying line was Bill Mackey, driver of the Joe Langley Special. No sooner had the ambulance returned than Mackey began his qualifying attempt, only to fly out of the track at the same spot Green had, also suffering fatal injuries. Mackey, whose real name was William C. Gretsinger, Jr., had been having reservations about continuing his racing career, in spite of a run of recent success, including the recent participation in his first Indianapolis 500 in May. During the second wait for the ambulance to return, drivers in the qualifying line had considerable time to ponder the hazards of their profession. Fortunately, the next driver up was the inimitable Duane Carter, the defending AAA Midwest sprint car champion. He had come to Winchester only because promoter Frank Funk had offered him a special appearance bonus to assure himself of at least one "headliner," while most of the stars were racing at Williams Grove. Without a flicker of reluctance, Carter raced through three consecutive laps, all under the track record. After establishing these records and winning the fast qualifier of the day accolades, he proceeded to win both his preliminary heat race and the day's feature race.”

 

 

 

Racing on TV:

Check out what’s on TV, racing wise, here:  http://www.racefantv.com/USTV.htm

 

 

The continuance of the Jeremy Mayfield saga:

I guess it’s all over.  Last I had read was that the team had been sold.  However, this, below, came out on Jayski’s website on Tuesday:

Mayfield vs. NASCAR Trial date - Sept 2010: Jeremy Mayfield's lawsuit against NASCAR has been set to be heard in a trial jury beginning on Sept. 13, 2010, according to court documents filed on Tuesday. The date was ordered by U.S. District Judge Graham Mullen. Mayfield was suspended by NASCAR on May 9 after testing positive for methamphetamines, a violation of the substance abuse policy. The suspension was lifted by Mullen in June, but reinstated by the 4th Circuit Court of Appeals last week. Mayfield contends he did not take methamphetamines and is seeking to be fully reinstated. He also is seeking damages. In its most recent filing seeking that the suspension be permanent as long as the case is pending, NASCAR said it has several witnesses willing to testify that Mayfield took methamphetamines. Attorneys already have filed an affidavit from Mayfield's stepmother saying Mayfield has taken amphetamines since 1998.(ESPN)(7-29-2009)

Note:  Why do I have these feelings/thoughts that this case will NOT go to trial?

 

Then, there is this, also found on Jayski’s website:

Mayfield sued by stepmother: Lisa Mayfield is seeking damages against her stepson, suspended Sprint Cup driver Jeremy Mayfield, for public comments he made in regard to his civil case against NASCAR, according to court documents. Lisa Mayfield is seeking compensatory damages in excess of $10,000, punitive damages in excess of $10,000 and any other "relief as the court may deem just and proper." The complaint was filed Wednesday in the Iredell County Civil court in Statesville.(read the full story at ESPN.com)(7-29-2009)

 

And this, too:

 

NASCAR says Mayfield lied to federal court: NASCAR accused Jeremy Mayfield of lying to a federal court about the chronology of a second random drug test, offering to provide an audio tape of the conversation in which Mayfield was told to submit a sample. The driver says the telephone call went to voicemail. The accusation came Monday in court filings that ask U.S. District Court Judge Graham Mullen to lift the July 1 injunction he granted Mayfield so he could return to racing. NASCAR disputed the sworn testimony Mayfield provided to U.S. District Court last week, including the assertion that a July 6 request for a second drug test went to his voicemail at 1:18 p.m. He said he didn't get the message until about 40 minutes later, making it difficult for him to meet the two-hour deadline to report for testing. NASCAR has asked Mullen to reverse the injunction based on new evidence - the failed July 6 test, and sworn testimony from Mayfield's estranged stepmother that she witnessed him using meth at least 30 times over the years.(see full AP story)
AND NASCAR filed court documents Monday stating that the sanctioning body has several witnesses to Jeremy Mayfield's alleged drug use, but that they are hesitant to come forward after Mayfield's comments about his stepmother.(more at SceneDaily)(7-28-2009)

 

Note:  Some circus, huh?

 

 

 

Other forums/message boards and websites:

 

From the Track Forum - http://www.trackforum.com/forums/

 

A rather interesting thread that was started by someone that supposedly had Danica Patrick’s father sitting next to him during the race last Sunday.

http://www.trackforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=126554

 

And, how about Tony Kanaan getting his hands burned when he had that fire in the pits?

http://www.trackforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=126555

 

It seems that Marco Andretti has done something, or rather not done something, during the race last Sunday, to get a tread about him on TF.  Quite a few pages, already.

http://www.trackforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=126482

 

Some Indycar news – “Push to Pass” button on for this coming weekend?  Why?

 

http://www.trackforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=126588

 

More Indycar news –Richmond off the schedule?  Why?  More and more the IRL is morphing into CART II.  I expect, in time, it too, will fade away, and to think, they could give us better racing if they got away from all this down force crap and lose the darn wings – as Mr. Penske said a few weeks ago on Wind Tunnel.  Oh, and get more ‘merican drivers too! 

 

http://www.trackforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=126596

 

And, this, too about Richmond, Michigan, Phoenix, Pikes Peak and Nazareth Speedways – funny how ISC was/is involved with all of them:

 

http://www.trackforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=126673

 

 

There is a link on the TF that leads to what Tony George has to say about him, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and the IRL.

 

http://www.visionracing.com/news/index.cfm?cid=23194

 

 

 

 

From Jayski - http://www.jayski.com/

 

As of Monday, I see there are only 44 entrants for this weekends Cup race at Pocono.  Sad thing is, ONE car will go home.

 

http://www.jayski.com/stats/2009/entries/21poc2009-entry.htm

 

 

Allstate terminates Brickyard sponsorship: Allstate and Indianapolis Motor Speedway are ending their five-year title sponsorship arrangement for naming rights to the NASCAR race at the track. It was run Sunday for the final time as the Allstate 400 at the Brickyard. Speedway spokesman Ron Green said it's unlikely a replacement will be sought and the race will return to its former name as the Brickyard 400. Allstate, in a statement, cited "stronger (results) in other properties" for not renewing its sponsorship.(Indianapolis Star)(7-27-2009) Comment here

NASCAR back at Indy...in the fall? Stock cars might return this fall. IMS officials have discussed staging an exhibition on the road course with NASCAR and Grand Am's sports cars. The road course will begin to be installed next week for the Aug. 28-30 motorcycle event, the Red Bull Indianapolis Grand Prix.(Indianapolis Star)(7-27-2009)

 

Note:  Would be interesting to see what the reason is for this – Allstate leaving.  Oh, and I’ve read that the exhibition run on the road course has been canceled.

 

 

Maybe it was late last year, or early this year, but it was said, On Jayski’s website that the Nationwide Series would be “Pony Cars” for 2010.  I thought that would be great.  Then there was breaking news that the Nationwide Series would be the CoT cars for 2010, which bummed me.  But now, there is this news, on Jayski:

 

NASCAR to run Nationwide COT at Daytona in July; Ford to run Mustang; Image posted: It appears the Nationwide Series version of the Car of Tomorrow will not make its debut until next July at Daytona. NASCAR had hoped to roll out the new car for the series next February, however after meeting Tuesday with Nationwide Series owners at NASCAR's Technical Center in Concord, North Carolina, team owner Rusty Wallace said it was a timing issue. The former Sprint Cup Series champion said, "Most of the teams were concerned about how soon the car would come out and how much would it cost. As the meeting went on it became apparent it won't come out in Daytona (February) as thought...it's just too soon." Wallace felt the majority of the owners thought the car should roll out next July at Daytona and probably no road courses will be involved in 2010. The delay is all about money. "The economy is really killing us right now," said Wallace. "A lot of it is about cash flow too....it's all about bringing this thing out at the right time where the teams can afford it and we've got time to be prepared." Wallace suspects the new car could be raced on speedways like Phoenix or Charlotte, however NASCAR has yet to decide where testing will take place. Meanwhile, team owner Kevin Harvick came away from the meeting with a positive feeling. Harvick said, "I think they were open and listened to everyone's opinion. Obviously NASCAR is in a spot where they have to make a decision for a multitude of scenarios and situations and try to make the best decision for the sport. Obviously from a safety standpoint I think the new cars are good and listening to some of the cup owners talk about what the car has done for them, once they zeroed in on where they needed to be with chassis and things like that, it sounds like the production process is a little bit bette, a little more streamlined than it was before. It's going to take some time to put that process in place but it looks like they've thought it through and we'll see where it goes.(PRN Garage Pass)

 

AND: Mustang is already the most successful single nameplate brand in professional racing history, but it hasn't competed in NASCAR  until now. Brian Wolfe, director of Ford North America Motorsports, made the announcement today that Mustang will debut as part of NASCAR's "new car" limited rollout in the 2010 Nationwide Series. Ford Racing has gone through the official NASCAR submission and approval process for the new car, and, once templates are finalized, production of Mustang parts will start so teams can build the first cars for testing later this fall.(Ford PR), see an image of the car on the 2010 Ford COT page.
AND: Ford Racing Communications Manager Kevin Kennedy told Sirius Speedway Tuesday that the new NASCAR Mustang will be more stock-appearing than the Sprint Cup Ford Fusion, adding that the appearance of the car was at the top of FoMoCo's wish list. While declining to comment on the direction Chevrolet, Dodge and Toyota might make with their versions of the new Nationwide car, Kennedy confirmed that NASCAR would like to make the series a pony-car/musclecar-based platform.(Sirius-Speedway(7-28-2009)
UPDATE: Statement from Robin Pemberton, NASCAR Vice President, Competition: "We had a very productive meeting this morning (Tuesday, July 28) with the team owners from the NASCAR Nationwide Series about the rollout schedule for that series' new race car. "In the days ahead, we will digest what was discussed today and make a final decision on the rollout for next season with full anticipation of integrating the new car for the entire 2011 schedule."(NASCAR PR)(7-28-2009)

 

Note:  For those of you that are reading this column on the Dirt Track Digest, to see the Ford Mustang, please copy and paste this link: 

http://jayski.com/schemes/2010/nationwide/fordcot.htm

 

Brian France talks about many NASCAR issues (a Large Post): Monday, July 27th on "Sirius Speedway" on SIRIUS NASCAR Radio, host Dave Moody spoke with NASCAR Chairman and CEO Brian France, who called in to the show unannounced.
Host, Dave Moody: "Nice surprise. We weren't expecting you today."
Brian France: "Well, I listen to you guys, like most of the NASCAR community does, frequently and I love just calling in once in awhile to check in and say hello. And, obviously, we had a lot of exciting things happen over the weekend so it's good to be with you."
On Juan Pablo Montoya's pit road speeding penalty Sunday at Indianapolis:
Brian France: "There's nothing that dropped our hearts more than to see that speeding violation flash up on the computer which is in the television booth which is in our booth. Everybody has access to it, which they should. And it is what it is. It's sort of like a team that's dominated a football game or something and they step out of bounds on the crucial play that would have gotten them in the end zone. That's just the way it is. Now, that's the bad news for Juan Pablo and Chip Ganassi and Felix Sabates. The good news is they're going to be a contender, I think as it's turning out, for the whole thing. I think they're going to make the Chase. At least that's how they're running. But nothing would have made us happier had he earned - and he definitely had the best car and he was driving the wheels off _ to have [had Montoya] won that race and made a little history with the Indy 500 and the Brickyard 400. But the rules are rules."

On the Jeremy Mayfield situation:
France: "Where we are is we're going through the process of the legal system, which was not our choice but we will deal with that. And we have not made any comments at all other than, 'We're pleased with the ruling,' or something like that since I went on back around the Coke Zero [400] and discussed our policy, and I didn't discuss that particular ruling. The judge has respectfully done what he needed to do and the appellate court has done what they need to do. That's just really in the hands of the courts. We wish everybody well. As anything, you can appreciate that we have to defend our policy but we're zeroed in on running great events and that's where we are."
Host, Dave Moody: "Is it frustrating that the racing has been so good and the Race for the Chase has been so captivating and yet people like me spend a lot of our time here lately talking about methamphetamine and urine tests and things that we never really had to know that much about before?"
France: "Well, sure, it's a distraction for everybody. Our preference is to never have anybody test positive for anything and the world would be perfect, right? That would be our best case scenario. But random tests pick up what they pick up and we'll deal with the rest of it, if there's ever a rest of it, like we are in this situation. It is unfortunate but on the other hand we understand that it is important. It's important for the other competitors to recognize that they're in a safe environment as much as humanly possible. And it's important to have a policy that works for everyone, not just a few people. So we understand the kind of reviews that go on when these topics hit at a high level but, look, I think at this point we just have to go down the legal process. We're dealing with that. That's really not anything that affects anything on the racetrack today. And, actually, we wish, I wish, anybody who has an issue the best. I mean, look, we're all at the end of the day human so we're pulling for anybody that has some issue, even somebody who is battling with us. In the end, we want to see people get better, rejoin the program and race clean in front and put their best foot forward. That's our goal."

On the new double-file restarts:
France: "The net of it is the drivers - beginning, middle, late in the race - it has really, really put people in contention that would typically, under the old format, would have had a tough time passing lapped cars and battling for the lead. I mean, Chicago was electric [with] what happened in that whole situation, having Denny Hamlin, as an example, who got an opportunity to mix it up. In the old situation he would have been too far back to even be a contender for that race win. You bet. And, look, the fans really, really weighed in before we did that and the drivers, in our town hall meeting, recognized that there were some definite challenges for them and we've tried to help them with them with respect to letting them pick a lane and so on. They realized that this as going to create a different dynamic but they're also very, very supportive and we're getting a great result. The racing's never been better in a long time."
"SIRIUS Speedway" airs every weekday (3-7pm/etT) exclusively on SIRIUS NASCAR Radio (SIRIUS channel 128 and XM channel 128 with the "Best of SIRIUS" programming package).(SIRIUS NASCAR Radio, more of this interview on my NASCAR News page)(7-28-2009) 

Note:  There are some out there that wish Mr. France would buy an NFL team and get out of NASCAR.

 

 

NASCAR.com:  http://www.nascar.com/

 

 

This is just a little of what is said about the new Nationwide cars, in the link I’m supplying, below:

 

“Pemberton said car builders can expect to start receiving templates for the new cars in approximately two weeks. Not all manufacturers have announced the models for the new Nationwide cars, but the lineup is expected to be as follows: Chevrolet Impala SS, Ford Mustang, Dodge Challenger and Toyota Camry.”

 

Link:  http://www.nascar.com/2009/news/headlines/bg/07/28/new.race.car.update/index.html

 

Note # 1:  Heh, heh, now I’m wondering – will they all fit the exact same templates?  If so – AARRGGHH!!

 

Note # 2:  I was rather surprised that when I clicked on NASCAR.com that I didn’t get blown across my room – like the guy on the TV commercial, then I realized – I’m not belted into my chair! J

 

 

 

 

Dirt Track Digest’s forum:  http://www.dirttrackdigest.com/forum/index.php

 

Check it out and see what everyone is saying, and check out race results, too.

 

 

 

http://newenglandtractor.com/racereport/

 

Hey, glad to report that Jeff Johnson was able to get his gall bladder problem fixed the “easy” way!

 

 

 

South Jersey Dirt Racing’s message board:  http://theboard.southjerseydirtracing.com/Msgboard.asp?ForumID=27&Return=Msgboard.asp&D83jsd=True

 

To be able to post on this forum, you have to register.  Hey, if I can do it, you shouldn’t have any problem.  At times, there are some good things talked about, and at times, some idiots do get on.  If you do attempt to post, it does get “screened” prior to it’s being posted.  Oh, one thing though – if you mention the Dirt Track Digest in your post, it WILL NOT be posted.  Kinda childish, say what?

 

 

 

OCFS - http://www.orangecountyfairspeedway.net/

 

The fair is on.  Weekday on track events and they close the drive-in section.  Since I don’t go there during the fair, I really don’t know if they use the drive-in for fair parking or not, but with it being closed, I sure hope that’s the reason.

OC had their 100 lap Sportsman race rained out last night (Wed).  That has been re-scheduled to this coming Saturday, same purse, but ½ the distance – 50 laps.  Also this Saturday, the CRSA 305 Sprint cars return to run their rained out feature from June 13th  (feature only).  The CRSA returns on August 15th for a “regular” show.  Supposedly, they will be at Eastern States Weekend, too, but I see that they are not listed on the schedule – heck, no specific classes are listed on the schedule, to be honest.  But there is a place on the ESW entry forms for 305 Sprint Cars, so………………..

 

 

 

Bethel Motor Speedway:  http://www.bethelmotorspeedway.com/BethelMotorSpeedway/HomePage.html

 

This coming Saturday, along with their regular show, they will have an INEX Legends National Qualifier – 50 lapper.

 

 

 

Hamlin Speedway:  http://www.hamlinspeedway.com/

 

Hamlin has a Slingshot Tour race, and also the “NASCAR Crew Challenge II” race, which is mostly made up with some NASCAR race team crew members.  I think Joe Nemecheck raced with them a few weeks ago, at Hamlin.  There was a time when they had just Cup drivers come and race.  What happened to that?

 

 

 

 

Accord - http://www.accordspeedway.com/

 

The “Big A” can’t seem to win this year, due to “Mother Nature”.  Another rain our last Friday night.  As of Tuesday, this is what is forecast for Accord, weather wise, for Thursday and Friday:

 

Thursday: Scattered thunderstorms possible. Highs in the low 80s and lows in the upper 60s.

Friday: Scattered thunderstorms. Highs in the mid 70s and lows in the mid 60s

And the “Big A” struck out last night for their “Mid Week Madness” racing, too, thanks to some pretty powerful storms that came through the area. 

 

I read that Lebanon Valley Speedway was really flooded.  Usually, when heavy rains come into this area, OCFS becomes a “lake”, too.  Some teams actually leave their race cars there, and I’ve read where they were under water, too.

 

Link to a video of the Valley and the flooding:

http://www.capitalnews9.com/Video/video_pop.aspx?vids=160104&sid=1&rid=28

 

 

 

 

OVRP’s Dirt Oval - http://www.ovrpdirtoval.com/

 

From last week:

 

“What are these rumors I’m hearing about OVRP being sold – the whole place, but still remaining as OVRP?” 

 

Note:  This, below is on the OVRP website – not the Dirt Oval’s website:

 

Tim Hannen!

July 26, 2009
Oakland Valley NY changes ownership:

Oakland Valley Race Park, the famed Cuddebackville karting facility located an hour outside of New York City, has been sold to longtime kart racer and enthusiast Tim Hannen. Tim takes over the reins from the Ferrucci family. “We have had many, many interested parties and offers but we felt that Tim Hannen was the best choice to carry on the fabled history of Oakland Valley” stated Michael Ferrucci. “Tim is certainly the best fit for the facility and the sport. He will bring an unprecedented energy and enthusiasm that karting needs.”

“On behalf of my family we would like to take this opportunity to thank all of our loyal customers and families. Oakland Valley has done more for us than we could have ever imagined and Oakland Valley has been the home to my children for more than half of their lives. It is now time to spend weekends with my wife and daughter as they have paid the biggest price of my business and Santino’s racing.

Tim will continue to sell and service the Maranello kart and OVRP is a certified Rotax Center. With a mid-season take over, changes in appearance both at the facility and on the website will be gradual and continual over the next four months. “I am speechless with the opportunity Valerie and Michael have afforded to me. This is my absolute lifetime dream and it could not have been possible without their support and the support of the racers at OVRP.” states Hannen. “I am excited about the opportunity and challenges ahead in this troubled economy. It is a challenge taking over mid-season but I promise a smiling face superb service”.

“The highs and lows of this weekend have been unprecedented in my life as Saturday was a very sad day with the passing of Soup, my 15 year old Golden. So with a heavy heart, I look forward to speaking with and addressing the concerns of the membership, new and old, and doing my absolute best to make every racer feel as if OVRP is their fast place to call home. I am available 24/7 so please drop me an email at Tim@ovrp.com or a call at 845.754.8500. I look forward to many, many years at the helm of Oakland Valley.”


OVRP link:  http://www.ovrp.com/ovrp/pages/home.asp

 

 

 

Former OVRP Dirt Oval runners:

 

With such a wet weekend, I’m surprised I have this many to report on:

At Bridgeport in the ARDC midget show on the ¼ mile track, Justin Grosz was 22nd.

Kyle Armstrong was 4th, Kolby Schroder 9th and Alex Bell 19th in the Sportsman feature at Lebanon Valley.

Down in New Egypt, Johnny Guarino was 19th in the modified feature

At Penn Can, Danny Creeden was 12th in their modified feature.

At Stafford, on their ½ mile paved track, David Webb was 15th and Lauren Cooper 17th in the SK Light feature.

At Wall Stadium, in the Legend Car feature, Roger Coss was the race winner.

At Five mile Point, in the modified feature, Jamie Yannone was 16th.

At OCFS, in the modified feature, Clinton Mills was 2nd, Danny Creeden 13th, and Billy VanInwegen 24th.  In the Sportsman feature, Mike Ruggiero was 3rd, Bobby Hassenmayer 6th, Anthony Perrego 7th, Joe Conklin 11th, Matt Hitchcock 12th, Matt Janiak 13th, Doc Young 20th, Rich Coons 21st and Brian Krummel 24th.

At Hamlin, last Saturday, in the 600 Micro Sprints (wingless), Brittany Tresch was 4th, Cait Chambers 11th and Molly Chambers 16th.  In the 270 Micros, Rick Casario was 11th.

 

 

 

Family members in racing:

 

Grandson John Rizzo, still has not returned to racing at the Charlotte County track in Punta Gorda, Florida, but even with him not racing for almost two months now, he’s still 6th in points.  As for Brett and the 600 Micro Sprint – things are on hold for a few more weeks, due to some family things coming up.

 

 

Other racin’ stuff:

Normally, I get my Area Auto Racing News (AARN) on Thursdays.  Depending on when I get it this week, I might have something to add about this, which is mentioned in this weeks edition:

“Bigger fuel cells
for the 410 Sprint Cars in 2010?”

I guess it would be nice, since they, at times, can’t complete a 25 lap race on a half mile track without a fuel stop – which usually results in some tires being changed, too.  Of course the gas guzzling 410 engines are to blame.  Back “In the day” they used to run 50-mile Sprint Car races at tracks like Langhorne, and didn’t require a fuel stop.

Note:  I received my AARN on Thursday, as usual, and it says that there was a meeting in the pit area at Lernerville Speedway last week to discuss fuel cell size and tires for next year, since the contract with Hoosier ends at the end of this year.  Hoosier, Goodyear and American Racer tires are mentioned as having requests for proposals.  As for the fuel cell size, they are thinking of going from the current 28 gallon cell to 33 gallons.  They want to eliminate fuel stops during their feature races.

 

Bobby Santos, III:

Hard to figure why this young man hasn’t been offered something in one of the lower NASCAR divisions or with and IRL team.  I believe the first time I saw him race was a few years ago at Stafford.  Three races were held that night, a midget race, truck race and a 100 lap Silver Crown race.  Santos won the midget race and opted to start last in the Silver Crown race for a chance to win $50,000.00.  He did win that race.  Why am I mentioning this?  Well, in this weeks issue of the AARN, on page 12, there’s a race report about the Silver Crown race from O’Reilly Race Park, and that Santos had won it.  In that report it says that he had won in USAC Midgets and Sprint Cars but never in Silver Crown.  So, who really sanctioned that race at Stafford?  Was it the PRA?  A good portion of those that ran that race were USAC drivers.

 

Midget racing:

Here in the area where I live, the ARDC seems to have healthy car counts, if you consider 25 – 30 cars healthy (and they had 25 at Bridgeport last Saturday).  But in this weeks AARN, for the race report for the NEMA Midgets and NEMA Lights (Ford Focus) I see that the Midgets had 17 cars and 13 in the Lights.  Might the low car counts for NEMA be because they use wings which do put more of a strain on their engines and drive lines?

 

More racin’ stuff:

 

We have a 600 Micro Sprint, which my grandson, Brett drives.  It’s a former track champion car, and as far as we know, everything in the engine and drive line is legal.  Now why am I bringing this up?  Well, it seems that a race winner a short while ago, was, from what I can decipher, deemed to be “illegal” due to there being a lightened flywheel on the car (it’s still being reviewed as I do this column).  Supposedly, the flywheel is to be stock.  But, is it still “stock” when it’s been lightened?  Does “stock” mean stock - or does it mean - “modified”?  Talk about some discussions on the Micro Racing message board!  Supposedly, there are some “gray areas” in the rules, as they’re written.  I wonder why?  Check out the links, below.  See what you think.

 

http://www.microracing.com/forum/showthread.php?t=10743

 

http://www.microracing.com/forum/showthread.php?t=10805

 

http://www.microracing.com/forum/showthread.php?t=10814

 

 

Note:  I do have to say that those that are saying that the flywheel is “legal” are mostly those that probably have had this work done to their flywheels, or are in the business of working on engines, themselves.  My thoughts, on this, of course.

 

So, if you take a “Stock” flywheel and lighten it, is it still “stock”?  Ahh, gotta love those “Gray areas”!

 

 

 

The History of the Sport:

 

At times, we’ve lost drivers while they were competing on the speedways.  Here, below, is just a small, partial list of those that have perished while doing what they loved to do - alphabetically from with last names starting with the letter “L” this week.  I imagine that you might recognize some of the names listed.   Later on, in future columns, I’ll continue my way through the alphabet.

 

Daniel Ray Laber, Jim Ladd, Jr., Larry LaDue, Roy Lake, Chris Lambert, Ian Landies, Jerry Landon, Ronald Laney, Kon Lang, David Langheinrich, Stephen Langton, Ron LaPeer, Arthur Laplante, Jud Larson,  Roger Larson,  Russ Laursen     Simon Law, Edwin Lawrence, David Lawrence, John Lawrence, Glenn Lazar, Daniel Lawson, Dan Lawson, Earl Layden, Dean Layfield, Nick Lazzaro, Laurent Le Bourgeois, Glenn Leasher, John Legat, Tommy Legge, Dale Lemonds, Robert Leonard, Lenny Leonard, Ferruccio Leone, Mike Lesick, Santos Letona, Pierre Levegh, Vivienne Lewis, James Lewis, Spanky Lewis, Stuart Lewis-Evans, Les Ley, Walter J. Lezotte, Laurent Licour, Scott Liebler, Bob Lilienthal, Dick Linder, Butch Lindley, Peter Lindner, Swede Lindskog, Sim Linehart, John Lingenfelter, Charles Lingo, Alan Lloyd,  Ringy Lloyd, Frank Lockhart, Garry Loebell, André Loens, Dave Logan, Lloyd “Lucky” Logan, Wim Loos, Keith Lorentzen, Dick Losenbeck, William Luke, DeWayne "Tiny" Lund, Elver Lund, Jim Lunday, Frank Luptow, Ron Lux (aka Bucky Buckholtz, aka Bob Hodgson), Kevin Lyles, Robert Lyme, Stuart Lyndon,  Edward "Bud" Lynn and Don Lytle

 

 

 

 

Video time:

During our life times, on occasion we come to idolize some people.  For a long period in my lifetime, I idolized the late Luther Perkins.  In case you don’t know him, or of him, he was the guitar player for Johnny Cash.  I was fortunate to have seen them in person on a few occasions, the first being at the Newburgh Armory back in the mid 50’s.  I can still see Luther coming over to the edge of the “stage”, sitting down, and talking to some Clarkstown High School girls, and never miss a beat, too.

 

Sadly, Luther left us on August 5, 1968.  Doing a Google search on him, I found this:

 

Sometime during the early evening hours of Friday, August 2, Columbia representative and good friend of Luther, Gene Ferguson, called the Perkins home in Hendersonville, Tennessee to ask if Luther would be joining their regular Friday-night card game, usually extending well into the next morning. Luther always participated in the card game, but this time turned down Ferguson's invitation, saying he was really tired and wanted to finish filling out some tax papers he needed to submit dealing with a publishing company/artist agency that he planned on starting in Nashville to help promote undiscovered local talent. This would give performers the same break he was given back in 1955, and one artist he planned to work with was Columbia Studios janitor, Kris Kristofferson, who was also very close to Luther. Ferguson was unable to persuade Luther to come over. He later stated that even though he knew that the last few months had been draining for Luther, he regrets not pushing the issue harder, as Luther usually gave in when card-playing was involved.

The next morning, Saturday August 3, Luther awoke much earlier than usual, probably between 3:00-5:00 a.m. Careful not to wake Margie or Kathy, he first went out back and walked down to the banks of Old Hickory Lake. Sometime earlier, Luther ran a trotline out into the lake, hoping to take advantage of the great catfishing the lake has to offer. When he checked the line, he found a catfish awaiting him. He then cleaned it and brought it back up to the house. When he got inside, he laid it in the kitchen sink with a note he had written to Margie saying, "See I told you I could catch a catfish."[citation needed]

Luther then sat down at the kitchen table and began to fill out the tax papers. At some point within the next hour or so, he decided to take a break. He lit up a cigarette and went into the den and laid down on the couch. He drifted off to sleep with that cigarette in his hand. When the burning cigarette hit the floor, the room was filled with smoke and flames within minutes. Luther woke and attempted to flee to the sliding glass doors which led outside, but was overcome by the smoke and heat and collapsed on the floor.

A little before 6:00 a.m., his little daughter Kathy found most of the den and kitchen in flames. She saw her dad lying on the floor, propped up against the sliding glass doors, surrounded by smoke and flames. Immediately, she went to wake Margie who called the fire department. She was then met by a neighbor, who with Margie's help, dragged Luther's body from the blaze that was consuming the den.

Hendersonville Fire Department received a call about a house fire on Riverwood Drive at 6:05 a.m. The blaze, resulting in $30,000-40,000 of damage, was extinguished within twenty-five minutes. Meanwhile, Luther was rushed to ICU at Vanderbilt University Hospital in Nashville, Tennessee, unconscious with severe second and third degree burns covering almost fifty percent of his body. Margie called Johnny Cash as soon as she could. Cash came down with Marshall Grant and Carl Perkins. They were told by doctors that Luther seemed to be doing just fine, though he was still unconscious. Cash later stated that when they went into the room to see Luther, it immediately hit him that his friend was not going to wake up.[citation needed]

The Saturday night Grand Ole Opry show had a moment of prayer for Luther before the regular show.[citation needed]

Perkins never regained consciousness and died at the age of 40 as a result of severe burns and smoke inhalation. He was buried on August 7 at Hendersonville Memory Gardens in Hendersonville, Tennessee. His pallbearers were Marshall Grant, WS Holland, Roger Miller, Billy Graves, Gene Ferguson, Charlie Dick (Patsy Cline's husband), and Johnny Cash. At the burial, before Luther's casket was lowered into the ground, the mourners stepped back to let Cash have a moment by himself. Tommy Cash recalls over-hearing Johnny say, "Thank you Luther." [citation needed]

 

Here is a video from 1957, with Luther being shown – some good views of him:

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CnS57qkFnc4&feature=related

 

Note:  I’ll join Johnny in also saying Thank you Luther!

 

 

Other (non racing) news:

I am a Bank of America customer.  This news, linked to, below, is rather upsetting.  So, what if my branch, here in Port Jervis, NY closes?  What happens to my direct deposits?  Will I be forced to travel some distances to do my banking?  Will you?  Will you or I ever get to see anything from the bail out monies that the BoA got?  Nah!  But we might end up getting screwed in some way.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090728/ap_on_bi_ge/us_bank_of_america_branches

 

Yes, the “Rich” do take care of the “Rich”, and it ain’t right, folks – it ain’t right!

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090728/ap_on_re_us/us_prison_brokers

 

Like they didn’t know they were getting a DEAL?  - Senators Kent Conrad and Chris Dodd.  Just how many times has this happened?  Seems there is more corruption every day, doesn’t it?

http://www.courant.com/news/politics/hc-dodd-countrywide-mortgage.artjul28,0,3593490.story?track=rss

 

How does the “Fed” stack up, performance wise, with other government agencies?  You might be a little surprised at the results of a poll.  Funny, but I’ve never been asked to be a part of a poll – have you?

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/us_usa_fed_gallup

 

Bail out monies – what happens if a company gets billions of dollars to “bail” them out, yet it still has financial problems, afterwards?  Hey, you got it!  Those that bailed them out – supposedly the taxpayers, get shafted – well, not as if they’d ever get to see any monies into their pockets, to begin with.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/usnews/20090728/ts_usnews/wherebailoutmoneygoestodie

 

Remember Fred Thompson – the actor that was attempting to get nominated for President, prior to last years election?  He has a radio show.  You want to get scared?  Listen to this:

http://fredthompsonshow.com/premiumstream?dispid=320&headerDest=L3BnL2pzcC9tZWRpYS9mbGFzaHdlbGNvbWUuanNwP3BpZD03MzUxJnBsYXlsaXN0PXRydWUmY2hhcnR0eXBlPWNoYXJ0JmNoYXJ0SUQ9MzIwJnBsYXlsaXN0U2l6ZT01

 

 

 

Closing with these:

 

Found on the internet:

 

I just couldn't help but sending this along.

 

Man Kills Self Before Shooting Wife and Daughter

This one I caught in the SGV Tribune the other day and called the Editorial Room and asked who wrote this. It took two or three readings before the editor realized that what he was reading was impossible!!! They put in a correction the next day..

Something Went Wrong in Jet Crash, Expert Says
No fooling, really? Ya think?

Police Begin Campaign to Run Down Jaywalkers
Now that's taking things a bit far!
 
Miners Refuse to Work after Death
No-good-for-nothing' lazy so-and-so's!

Juvenile Court to Try Shooting Defendant
See if that works any better than a fair trial!
 
War Dims Hope for Peace
I can see where it might have that effect!
 
If Strike Isn't Settled Quickly, It May Last Awhile
Ya think?!
 
Cold Wave Linked to Temperatures
Who would have thought!
 
Enfield (London) Couple Slain; Police Suspect Homicide
They may be on to something!

Red Tape Holds Up New Bridges
You mean there's something stronger than duct tape?
 
Man Struck By Lightning: Faces Battery Charge
He probably IS the battery charge!
 
New Study of Obesity Looks for Larger Test Group
Weren't they fat enough?!
 
Astronaut Takes Blame for Gas in Spacecraft
That's what he gets for eating those beans!
 
Kids Make Nutritious Snacks
Do they taste like chicken?

Local High School Dropouts Cut in Half 
Chainsaw Massacre all over again!
 
Hospitals are Sued by 7 Foot Doctors
Boy, are they tall!


And the winner is.....

Typhoon Rips Through Cemetery; Hundreds Dead
Did I read that right?

 

 

 

May “Guardian Angels” sit on the shoulders of all of our race drivers and guide them safely around the tracks!

 

Drive safe! 

 

As usual, you can reach me at:  ygordad@yahoo.com