Racin' Stuff:

                                                                                 By Tom Avenengo

 

 

First things, first:

I had a pretty nice day this past Sunday, with the wife’s side of the family having a family picnic.  The weather turned out great.  About the only thing that was a “downer” was the amount of yellow jacket bees in attendance.  Remarkably, only two people got stung, that I know of, and one of them was because he didn’t know there was a bee in his can.  That sucker got him inside his throat.  Luckily, there wasn’t any real harm done.

 

Upon returning home, around 8:30 PM, I unloaded our stuff from the car and we watched some TV for a while.  A little after 11:00 PM, I went up to my room and onto my computer.  I went to various websites to check out things – mostly e-mails and racing stuff.  I decided to check out on the new OWR3 website - http://www.openwheelracers3.com/ - and while clicking on the “Midgets” section; I came across some news that really made my day.  And, if I’m not mistaken, when I forwarded what I read, to Sally Strickland, it also made her day, too.

 

As you well know, I first started watching races back in the mid 1940’s – by going to the races with my father and other family members to watch the midgets here in the northeast.  Quite a few of those drivers went on and ran in other types of racing cars and classes.  Quite a few of them are also in the National Midget Auto Racing Hall of Fame. 

In the HoF:

Johnny Coy, Art Cross, Len Duncan, Ernie Gesell, Roscoe “Pappy” Hough, Mike Nazaruk, Johnny Ritter, Ed “Dutch” Schaefer, Bill Schindler, Ted Tappett and Johnny Thomson.

 

Looking at the list of ARDC drivers that were in the HoF, I was, in a way, kind of surprised that a certain driver, George Rice, wasn’t on the list.  So, with the help of his daughter, Sarah “Sally” Strickland, and photographer John DaDalt, along with what I could remember, I filled out the necessary paperwork and sent in my nomination for George to be inducted into the HoF. 

 

Keep in mind, just nominating someone doesn’t guaranty that they’ll make it.  The nominees, from what I know, are gone over by a committee, and from all those nominated, those chosen by the committee - their names are sent on to others that vote on the names they receive.  So, it isn’t as easy as one might think.

 

Well, the news I was reading on OWR3 was a list of names of those that will be inducted into the HoF in 2010.  I would like to think that it was MY nomination of George Rice that was the one that got him all the way to the final vote and with that final vote; George Rice will now be a member of the National Midget Auto Racing Hall of Fame!  For that, this writer was a happy as a pig in sh*t, believe me!!!!!!!!!

 

The message:


14 NAMED TO NATIONAL MIDGET AUTO RACING HALL OF FAME"

 

 

Sun Prairie,Wis., Aug. 30-----Ken Hickey, Page Jones, Paul Krueger,

Bob Nowicke, and ten participants from the Historical Era (1934-55)

were announced today as the latest inductees into the National Midget

Auto Racing Hall of Fame. The announcement was made during the two-day

9th annual Hall of Fame Midget Classic USAC National/Badger Midget

co-sanctioned event at Angell Park Speedway.

 

Hickey is recognized as one of the all-time great racing mechanics and

a master of the Offenhauser engine. Hickey was involved in the sport

from 1939 until a few years before his death in 1992. He twice won the

ARDC Car Owners Championship, and his list of drivers include: Len

Duncan, Charlie Breslin, Jimmie Kirk, Leigh Earnshaw, and Ronnie Dunstan, to name a few.

 

Jones joins his father Parnelli a 1990 inductee in the HoF, making

them the sixth father-son combination to be inducted. Jones had a

brilliant but short career in midgets, before suffering career ending

injuries in September 1994 at Eldora Speedway. In 1993 Jones captured

both the Belleville Midget Nationals and Pepsi Midget Nationals within

a one-month period. His career

includes: 18 USAC Western Midget, seven USAC National Midget, and

seven Badger Midget feature victories driving for some of the sport's

top car owners including: Larry Howard, Keith & Rusty Kunz, Wilke

Racing, and Steve Lewis.

 

Krueger owned and maintained a two-car team competing in the Badger

Midget Series during the 1960's. During his nine years as a car owner

his cars captured the Badger title six times with three different

drivers. Krueger then began his current 40-plus year involvement in

the organization, holding several positions including: President, secretary, and secretary-treasurer.

Krueger also currently oversees timing & scoring at each event, along

with handling most of the day-to-day duties for Badger.

 

Nowicke, competed as a car owner during one of the most competitive

stages in the sport's history. His career highlights include 30 USAC

National Midget victories won by drivers Bob Tattersall, Gary Bettenhausen, A.J.

Foyt, Parnelli Jones and Billy Garrett. Foyt captured the 1961 Hut

Hundred for Nowicke, while Bettenhausen won the prestigious Houston

Astrodome event in 1969. Nowicke earlier in the month was inducted

into the Kentucky Motorsports Hall of Fame.

 

The ten from the Historical Era include: George Amick, winner of 43

midget features and 1958 Indy 500 runner-up; Carl Badami, four-time

Kansas City Midget Champion; Buzz Barton, West Coast standout; Ernie

Casale, 1950 Turkey Night winner; Ray Elliott, six-time UARA Champion;

Ted Hartley, driver, owner, builder; Ray Nichels, mechanic; George

Rice, 1948 ARDC Midget Champion; Len Sutton, two-time WMRA Champion

and 1962 Indy 500 runner-up; Chuck Marshall, 1946 SLARA Champion.

 

The 26th Annual Induction Ceremony for the fourteen will be held on

Friday Jan. 15, 2010 in the Livestock Complex of the Ford Truck Arena

on the Tulsa

(Okla.) Fairgrounds, in conjunction with the annual Chili Bowl Midget

Nationals. Their plaques will be on permanent display in the National

Midget Auto Racing Hall of Fame at Angell Park Speedway (Sun Prairie, Wis.

 

Note:  Just to keep the record straight, George was the 1947 ARDC driving champion, not 1948’s.  Communications between me and the HoF on this have resulted in the HoF saying that that slight error will be corrected.

 

Competition for Eastern States Weekend:

 

At Approximately 2:30 on Tuesday afternoon, I received an e-mail that shows that DIRTcar has scheduled  358 Small Block, Sportsman and Pro Stock events to go up against ESW.  I guess that puts to rest any idea about DIRTcar being a part of ESW, huh?

 

The message, in part:

 

2009 Mr. DIRTcar 358-Modified Championship Series Schedule

*All events subject to change.

DAY-DATE    LAPS  TRACK                                  WINNER/LOCATION

Sat-Oct 17     Brockville Ontario Speedway      Brockville ,ONT

Sun-Oct 18   Brockville Ontario Speedway      Brockville ,ONT

 

2009 Mr. DIRTcar Sportsman Championship Series Schedule

*All events subject to change.

DAY-DATE    TRACK                                             WINNER/LOCATION

Sat-Oct 17     Brockville Ontario Speedway      Brockville ,ONT

Sat-Oct 24     Black Rock Speedway                     Dundee ,NY

@Driver's (2) worst finishes dropped through September; last (6) events count.

 

2009 Mr. DIRTcar Pro Stock Series Championship Schedule

*All events subject to change.

DAY-DATE    TRACK                                              WINNER/LOCATION

Sun-Oct 18   Brockville Ontario Speedway      Brockville ,ONT

 

 

Some of my thoughts:

Last Thursday, my son, Eric, grandson, Brett, Brad Szulewski and I made the trip up to the Lebanon Valley Speedway.  On tap were some races for the Pro Stocks, Sportsman and a 100 lap race for the Modifieds.  What was rather remarkable was that they had 26 Pro Stocks in their race.  Heck at OCFS, they get about a dozen.  I really don’t know about the population that surrounds the “Valley”, but I know it’s quite populated around OCFS.  The “Valley” always prides itself on how high their 50/50 goes, and they sure have earned that rite.  There are always a bunch of 50/50 ticket sellers roaming around.  Last Thursday, the pay-off was $4,005.00.  I bought two tickets from one seller, at two different times, ticket #’s 052022 and 052494.  Simple math tells me that that one seller sold 472 tickets herself.  Damn!  Hard to believe that the total 50/50 at OCFS is about what that one seller sold - $472.00 – on a good night.

 

We always sit in the stands at the end of the front stretch, just before they enter the first turn and we came prepared for the night – the other three did bring “safety glasses” to keep the expected dust out of their eyes.  Well, I have no idea as to what they did to prepare that track for that nights racing, but, damn, we really didn’t get dirty, and there was hardly any dust.  Remarkable!

 

What I find a little amusing is the “attitude” of some race fans when leaving a track.  When we go to the “Valley”, we always park off of the first turn where the handicapped section is.  It’s quite a large area, and paved.  Getting out gets to be quite “hairy” if you know what I mean – it’s a real “cluster”.  But at OCFS, it is completely the opposite, at least where I exit the place which is right next to the office.   There has been a standing thing of cars alternating from the feeder lines to the one line of traffic that can go through the gate.  Come to think about it, when exiting OC up on Carpenter Avenue, the same applies – they alternate.  Maybe it’s the larger amount of cars at the Valley that makes it so difficult getting out.  No one seems to want to let anyone in.

 

 

 

Going back, in time:

 

On September 3rd, in:

 

1948

Tommy Hinnershitz won the AAA Eastern Sprint Car race at the Champlain Valley Fairgrounds, Essex Junction, VT.

 

1949

Tony Bettenhausen won the DuQuoin 100 AAA Champ Car race at the DuQuoin State Fairgrounds, DuQuoin,IL. Bill Holland was second followed by George Connor, Lee Wallard and Walt Brown.

Otis Stine won the AAA Eastern Sprint Car race at the Allegany County Speedway,Cumberland, MD.

Milt Goodwin won the AAA Eastern Sprint Car race at the Little Valley Speedway,Little Valley, NY.

 

1950

Troy Ruttman won the AAA Sprint Car race at the Dayton Speedway, Dayton, OH.

 

 1951

Tony Bettenhausen won the DuQuoin 150 AAA Champ Car race at the DuQuoin State Fairgrounds, DuQuoin,IL. Walt Faulkner was second followed by Sam Hanks, Chuck Stevenson and Henry Banks.

Bill Schindler won the AAA Eastern Sprint Car race over Tommy Hinnershitz at the Flemington Fair Speedway, Flemington, NJ.

 

 1953

Vic Carter won the AAA Midget race over Mike Nazaruk at the Motor City Speedway, Detroit,MI.

 

1954

Mike Nazaruk won the AAA Midget race at the Flint Motor Speedway, Flint,MI.

 

1955

Len Duncan won the ARDC Midget race at the Flemington Fair Speedway,Flemington, NJ.

Tommy Hinnershitz won the AAA Eastern Sprint Car race at the Champlain Valley Fairgrounds,Essex Junction, VT.

Rosie Roussel won the CRA Sprint Car race at the Manzanita Speedway,Phoenix, AZ.

 

1956

Jimmy Bryan won the 100 lap Ted Horn Memorial USAC Champ Car race at the DuQuoin State Fairgrounds, DuQuoin,IL. Johnny Thomson was second followed by Jim Rathmann, Bob Veith and George Amick.

 

1960

Ed Terry won the URC Sprint Car race at the Champlain Valley Fairgrounds, Essex Junction,VT. Hal Rettberg was second followed by Beau Clerke, George Monsen and Tom Price.

Dutch Schaefer won the ARDC Midget race at the Flemington Fair Speedway, Flemington,NJ.

Buzz Barton won the IMCA Sprint Car race at the Iowa State Fair Speedway, Des Moines,IA.

Don Davis won the CRA Sprint Car race at the Manzanita Speedway, Phoenix,AZ.

 

1961

Hank Rogers won the URC Sprint Car race over Bobby Courtwright, Dave Humphrey, Earl Halaquist and Eddie Gallione at the Flemington Fair Speedway, Flemington,NJ.

Gig Stephens won the ARDC Midget race at the Hatfield Speedway, Hatfield, PA.

Jerry Richert won the IMCA Sprint Car race over Johnny White, Russ Long, Bill Horstmeyer and Bobby Hogle at the Minnesota State Fairgrounds (1/2d), St. Paul, MN.

Parnelli Jones won the USAC Joe James/Pat O'Connor Memorial Sprint Car race at the Salem Speedway , Salem,IN. Elmer George finished second followed by Chuck Hulse, Jim Hurtubise and Bud Tingelstad.

 

1962

Earl Halaquist won the URC Sprint Car race over Cookie Osterhout, Bobby Courtwright, Hank Rogers and Bill Brown at the Flemington Fair Speedway, Flemington,NJ.

 

1972

Jerry Grant became the first USAC driver to break 200 miles per hour. He accomplished the feat in qualifying at the Ontario Motor Speedway , completing a 2.5 mile lap in 44.7 seconds. Roger McCluskey won the race

 

 

 

 

Racing on TV:

Check out what’s on TV, racing wise – this weekend, below, and also go here:  http://www.racefantv.com/USTV.htm

 

Lots of racing on TV, but just a reminder – on September 9th, next Wednesday, at 7:00 PM here in the east, on HBO PPV, the Prelude to the Dream, from Eldora, will be on live TV.  And, yes, it more than likely will be shown on SPEED TV at some later dates, in an abbreviated form.  There’s also a “Preview” of the Prelude on SPEED this coming Friday at from 7:30 PM to 8:00 PM – EDST.

 

 

 

The Mayfield saga – continues:

 

It seems that NASCAR has requested that the injunction that a Judge has issued that would let Jeremy to continue to race, has been denied.  Info on this can be seen, here:

 

http://www.scenedaily.com/news/articles/sprintcupseries/US_District_Court_judge_denies_NASCARs_request_to_permanently_lift_injunction.html

 

 

Other forums/message boards and websites:

 

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

 

There’s a thread on the TF about “The meeting”, which pertains to a meeting that was held last Saturday afternoon with the Indycar teams and the owners of the Indycar racing series.  In the thread, there is a link to the meeting and what was said, but I think some of the comments made in the thread are really worth reading.

 

Check it out, here:  http://www.trackforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=128024&page=1&pp=20

 

 

 

 

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

 

I see there are, as of Tuesday, 46 entrants for the Cup race at Atlanta.  I imagine that some of those that make the race will be “Start & Park” rides, while maybe, just maybe, one or two or all three that don’t make the show MIGHT actually race, if they had made the show.

 

http://jayski.com/stats/2009/entries/25ams2009-entry.htm

 

 

Keselowski officially signs with Penske for 2010: Penske Racing announced that Brad Keselowski will compete for the team full-time, beginning with the 2010 NASCAR season. Keselowski, a 25-year-old native of Rochester Hills, Mich., will drive the #12 Penske Dodge in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series next season. He will also run a full-season schedule in the 2010 NASCAR Nationwide Series, where he will compete for a championship with the team. "We are very excited to welcome Brad to the Penske Racing family," said Roger Penske. "Brad has shown terrific success on track the past several years and has quickly established himself as one of the top young stars in racing. He comes from an impressive family background in motorsports. He is a proven winner and a welcome addition to our team."
A third-generation driver, Keselowski has won at every level in which he has competed. He is currently ranked third in the Nationwide Series standings with three wins to his credit in 2009, including a dramatic victory in August at his home track at Michigan International Speedway. Keselowski also scored his first Cup Series win earlier this year at Talladega Superspeedway and he has produced three top-10 finishes in just eight Cup Series starts this season.
"Penske Racing is one of the top teams in all of motorsports and I am honored to join Roger Penske's organization and compete for wins with his Cup and Nationwide Series teams," said Keselowski. "This is a great opportunity for me to continue competing in the Nationwide Series and to run my first full season in the Cup Series with a strong and experienced team."(Penske Racing), no word on Stremme's plans for 2010.(9-1-2009).

 

Note:  It would be nice to know just what kind of “contract” there is between Keselowski and Penske/Hendrick.  It’s been reported that Hendrick can get Brian back at anytime.  This will be interesting, to say the least.  Might other teams follow suit?

 

Darnell replacing Bobby Labonte for 7 races: UPDATE 2: Yates Racing, announced that former NASCAR Camping World Series Rookie-ofthe-Year and current NASCAR Nationwide Series driver, Erik Darnell will be behind the wheel of the #96 entry in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series for seven races this season. Darnell will make his Sprint Cup Series debut Labor Day weekend at Atlanta Motor Speedway in the #96 Academy Sports & Outdoors Ford Fusion. He also is slated to pilot the #96 at Loudon, Kansas, Talladega, Texas, Phoenix and Homestead. Darnell will carry the familiar colors of Northern Tool + Equipment for the Loudon and Kansas races. Academy Sports & Outdoors will be Darnell's primary sponsor at Atlanta, Talladega and Texas. Bobby Labonte will continue to race the#96 Ford under the Hall of Fame Racing banner with Ask.com and DLP as his primary sponsors at Richmond, Dover, Fontana, Charlotte and Martinsville. "This is a move that will be beneficial to Yates Racing surviving this difficult economic time," said Bobby Labonte. "Of course, I'm disappointed that the sponsorship environment is so challenging right now, but I intend to make the most out of the remaining races that I'm behind the wheel for Ask.com, DLP and Hall of Fame Racing."(Yates Racing PR)(8-31-2009)
UPDATE: Hall of Fame Racing would like to keep Bobby Labonte as its NASCAR Sprint Cup driver and likely will not be affiliated with Yates Racing next year, team co-owner Tom Garfinkel said Monday. The organization signed Ask.com as a sponsor and Bobby Labonte as a driver in January for the 2009 season and then landed a deal with Yates Racing for Yates to field the cars. Seven of the final 12 races were unsponsored, and Yates Racing has opted to put Erik Darnell in the #96 Sprint Cup car instead of Labonte. Garfinkel, in a phone interview, said his organization is still in discussions with Ask.com for next season but doesn't anticipate the Yates Racing relationship to continue. The organization is looking for other teams to partner with and is in discussions with other sponsors as well, Garfinkel said.(SceneDaily)(8-31-2009)
UPDATE: Bobby Labonte has started 568 consecutive races, a streak that begun at Daytona in February of 1993 when he drove the #22 Maxwell House Ford for Bill Davis. He is second on the all time consecutive start list to #24-Jeff Gordon, who has started 569 straight races.(9-1-2009).

 

Note:  Might this be considered some type of “ride buying”?  Might a “small” team put Bobby in a car, so he can continue his starting streak.  Maybe Bobby can hook up with the # 08 car – that brother Terry is in, or the # 09 that Mike Bliss is shown as the driver, the # 13 that Max Papis is listed for or the # 36 that Patrick Carpentier is listed as being the driver

 

Harvick returning to the #29 in 2010: Kevin Harvick will drive Richard Childress Racing's #29 Shell-Pennzoil Chevy in 2010 for his 10th season in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series despite rumors to the contrary. "Rumors about Kevin not driving for RCR next season have been flying around the garage area and in the media," said Richard Childress, president and CEO of Richard Childress Racing. "We want to put the rumors behind us by stating together that Kevin will drive RCR's #29 Shell-Pennzoil Chevy for the 2010 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season. RCR continues to work on the overall performance of the No. 29 team, like we are with all of our teams, and the plan is to end the season on a high note. Kevin and the No. 29 team are also preparing for next season with the goal of making a run at the 2010 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series championship."(RCR PR)(8-31-2009).

 

Note:  It should be interesting to see what happens after 2010, not only with Kevin, but also with quite a few drivers.  Naturally, the economy and sponsorship will also play a big part.

 

 

 

NASCAR.com:  http://www.nascar.com/

 

Are you aware that fans can vote for their choice of drivers for the NASCAR Hall of Fame?  Info on that can be found, here:

 

http://www.nascar.com/promos/hof/

 

 

 

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

 

If you’re into racing in the Northeast area, this is a good place to visit.

 

 

 

http://newenglandtractor.com/racereport/

 

On this website you’ll find some race reports for OVRP’s Dirt Oval, photos from Ralph Corwin, and this column, too.  In the future, I’m planning on a few articles with photos – from “Back in the day”.

 

 

 

Tracks:

 

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

 

From their website:

 

WLR Construction - Mods/358 Mods/Sports/Pro/Pure - FINAL POINTS NIGHT (Kids Club)

 

 

 

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

 

A normal Saturday night at Bethel consists of Modifieds, Dirt Sportsman, Pro Stocks, Street Stocks, 4 Cylinders, INEX Legends/Bandoleros.  All those classes and only five bucks admission.

 

 

 

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

 

From their website:

 

Labor Day’s  The Briggs 358 Challenge - $500 to win - $500 to win! Minimum 20 karts with $30 Entry Fee (Combined Medium & Heavy Class)

 

Note:  I see, according to the Internet, that I’m not the only one that has no idea as to what the “Briggs 358 Challenge” is.  When one says 358 – it brings to mind Small Block Modifieds or 358 Sprint Cars.

 

!)

 

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

 

Uh oh, did Gary Palmer sell his soul?  Check out the weather forecast, as of 4:30 on Tuesday, for Accord on Friday:

Friday: Plenty of sun. Highs in the upper 70s and lows in the upper 50s.

 

This weekend:

 

From their website:

 

September 4 Sponsored by
Affordable Waste


Modifieds $2000 to win
+ all other divisions

PennCan Speedway "King of the Can" Qualifier
 This week's bonus $$ sponsor
Modified - Bicknell Racing Products
Spectator Gates open at 5:00 Pit Gates open at 4:30
Adults $12    Kids $3  (11 and under)
Family 4 Pack-2 Adults 2 Kids +$20 in food vouchers for $40

Attention Racers & Fans:
End of Points for all divisions will be Sept 18

 

More Accord news:

 

Accord, NY - Accord Speedway Adds September 18th Racing Event To Schedule

By Steve Pados, Accord Speedway Media

 

With the greater Hudson Valley and Accord Speedway being caught in the crossfire of the continuing rain pattern throughout the summer months of the 2009 racing season, Promoter Gary Palmer has exercised his option to add the September 18th date for an additional event to take place at his speedway. The added show will mark the final point's night at the speedway on the "Night of Champions" event. The Palmer Family has suffered through an unbelievable season of poor weather in 2009 with 11 cancellations coming on Friday evenings and another 3 for the Wednesday night shows that have kept the speedway gates closed a good portion of the current racing season. While the cancellations have impacted greatly upon the financials of the speedway, Promoter Gary Palmer looked at his options and decided to add the show to give all of the drivers with aspirations for the crown a more than fair opportunity to challenge for one of the five track titles on the line. The event will also prove to be the warm-up round for the scheduled "King of the Catskills" event that will take place on September 25-26.

 

Accord Speedway will swing back into action Wednesday evening, September 2nd as Midweek Madness completes their summer season of events. The eleven weeks of Wednesday night racing thus far have produced exciting wall to wall racing action in all divisions and many of the stars for the Midweek shows will graduate through the ranks to become one of the Friday night stars in years to come. The quick-hitting show will feature the Quads, Bikes, Regular Slingshots, Junior Slingshots, Kid Karts and 4-Cylinder divisions taking to the high banks for a 7 PM start. 

Note:  I had completely forgotten that this – last nights show, would be the last Wednesday “Midweek Madness” show, now that school is back in session.

 

 

 

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

 

Looks like a regular point race for the Dirt Oval this coming Saturday.

 

 

OVRP’s road course:  http://www.ovrp.com/ovrp/pages/home.asp

 

For this Friday and Saturday:

 

Fri Practice 4-8

 

Sat Practice 10-3

 

Points Race # 16

 

CLOSED SUNDAY

 

 

Former OVRP Dirt Oval runners:

 

On August 26th, Roger Coss was 5th in the Legends feature at Waterford.

Johnny Guarino was 7th in the Modified feature at New Egypt, last Saturday.

At Lebanon Valley, last Thursday, Michael Storms was 30th in the 100 lap Modified feature.  In the Sportsman held over feature, Kolby Schroder was 3rd and Kyle Armstrong 5th.

At Woodhull, with the CRSA 305 Sprint Cars, Billy VanInwegen was 2nd, Chuck Alessi 13th and Anthony Brennan 22nd, in their feature.

At New Egypt, with the ARDC Midgets, Justin Grosz was 13th in the feature.

At Wall Stadium in the Outlaw Micro Stocks, Tom Ervin was 1st, Jim VanDine 2nd, Bob Marino 3rd, Brian Braddock 4th, Nick Cottone 5th and Dennis Hiddemen 6th.

This past Tuesday, at Penn Can, Danny Creeden was 4th in the Modified feature, while Bobby Hassenmayer was 10th in the Sportsman main.

Last Saturday, at Lebanon Valley, Kyle Armstrong won the Sportsman feature, and Kolby Schroder was 2nd.

At Wyalusing, in the 270 Micro Sprints, Jacob Hendershot was first and Rick Casario was 3rd.

 

I’m not sure if there were other results from other tracks, but it is doubtful, what with “Mother Nature” doing her thing last Friday and Saturday.  What really hurts is when a track cancels and it doesn’t rain.

 

 

 

Family members in racing:

 

My son, Eric, put this ad up on the Micro Sprint website the other day:

 

I have a 2006 king 600. car won the Lindas championship in 06. Car is complete with a 05 Kawasaki 636 with Guhl injection. Has super shox on the rear and Ars on the front. Torsion rear,  coil front with front sway bar. Car is complete minus seat. Pick up today and race tonight. Asking $6000 for car. Also have several spares. Including extra head, cylinder, pistons, rods, water pump, complete spare set of radius rods and steering arm. Also have spare wheels and tires. Will do package deal for everything if interested for $7500. Spares won’t be sold till car is gone. Going sprint car racing e-mail ema19us@yahoo.com

 

Note:  As of Wednesday night, it looks like there might be some kind of a deal in the works.

 

Ralph Corwin:

 

There have been more old time photos posted on Ralph’s website in his “Victory Speedway” section.  Last week, Ralph was out in Indianapolis attending the Bike races at the Speedway.  I was watching some of their qualifications, and some of those guys were topping 200 MPH on the straight.

 

http://ralphcorwinphotos.com/VictorySpeedway1.htm

 

 

Other racin’ stuff:

Before you know it, one of the areas most prestigious races, the Annual Eastern States Weekend will be upon us.  Oh, there’ve been rumors, a while back, about another track (A/S) going up against ESW – mainly because Orange County went Independent in 2009.  Things have been quiet about that for a while.  If one looks at the schedule for the DIRTcar Super Dirt Series for Big Block Modifieds, you can see that for the date when ESW is – October 18th, on the SDS schedule, it’s listed as “TBA”.  Same goes for the following week – TBA.  I still have no idea as to what some of the rules will be for ESW.  The main thing is tires – what kind?  OC has a special branded American Racer tire.  Might that tire be mandatory?  And if so, so what – heck you have to buy tires for the weekend anyway, right?  Ah, but here’s a little “problem” – it seems that some of those that have run OCFS for the whole 2009 season have had a hard time getting their chassis hooked up with the track, with those tires.  So, what about “Invaders” – will they also have those problems?  I’ve spoken to two of the areas top drivers and both agree, if the OCFS track tire is the only one to be used, it will affect the amount of entrants for ESW – in all classes.  Again, more rumors are popping up on the Internet about the possibility of some competition against ESW.  And what if ESW ends up running under the DIRTcar banner?  Would that put the OCFS regulars at a disadvantage – with the tire/chassis situation?

 

How about the Sportsman class?  At OCFS, there are a couple of engine combinations that run.  With DIRTcar, it has to be a “Crate” engine.  Will the OCFS rules apply here, too?

 

For the first time ever, that I can recall, there will be Sprint Cars in action at ESW this year.  The CRSA’s 305 Sprinters will be in action on Friday and Saturday.  They are hoping to entice some of the 305’s from Pennsylvania into attending.  I’m tryng to figure out how they’ll fit in on Saturday, since Saturday has most always been a pretty hectic day to begin with – going from morning into the night.  Hopefully, additional “push” vehicles will be on hand to assist in getting the 305’s started.

 

Note:  The above was in this column prior to my receiving the e-mail from DIRTcar about the 358 Modifieds, Sportsman and Pro Stocks racing at Brockville, the same weekend as ESW.  Nothing yet from DIRTcar about Big Block Modifieds racing somewhere else on ESW’s weekend.

 

 

 

More racin’ stuff:

 

Talk about opening a “can of worms” – there’s a thread on the TF about an article on Indystar.com about the car owners wanting the starting time for the Indy 500 moved up from it’s current 1:00 PM start to a 11:00 AM start.  Already, it’s up to five pages long, with postings about 50/50 for and/or against.

The TF thread:  http://www.trackforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=127955

The Indystar.com link:  http://www.indystar.com/article/20090830/SPORTS0107/908300351/1052/SPORTS01/Owners+seek+return+to+earlier+start+at+500+to+get+NASCAR+drivers

 

Some of the problems being cited are:  Some drivers won’t fit in an Indy car, you can’t just jump from a stock car into an Indy car and be competitive at once,  an 8:00 AM start on the “Left coast”, the owners are dictating things, again and some think it won’t help the TV ratings.  If you’re a fan of open wheel racing, or the 500, itself, it might be worth spending some time reading what’s being said.

 

 

 

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, with a partial list of last names beginning with the letter “S”, 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.

 

Eddie Sachs, Billy Joe Sagely, Donald Salladay, Don Sanders, Joseph J. Sanko (Joseph J. Hrysenko?), Roscoe Sarles,

 

Darrell Sarsycki, Sammy Sauer, Sod Saunders, Russ Sauter, Swede Savage, Sonny Sayre, Carl Scarborough,

 

Jim Scarborough, Lodovico Scarfiotti, Adam Schatz, Pat Schauer, Barney Scheibel, Harry Schell, Manfred Schiek,

 

Elmer Schilling, Bill Schindler, Louis Schneider, Terry Schoonover, Gus Schrader, Jack Schultz, John Schulz,

 

Wolfgang Scholz, Dennis Schumann, Roger Schuur, Gerry Schwartz, Ronald Scippo, Bob Scott, Gary Scott,

 

Ralph Scott, Archie Scott-Brown, Evert Seal, Richard Seaman, Bill Searcy, Ron Searles, Steve Searock, James Sears,

 

Yandell "Scott" Seaton, Bob Seelman, Jr., Jim Seese, Red Sefton, Ayrton Senna, Rich Senneker, Chuck Sennott,

 

Red Sequin, Jim Sessions, Johnny Shackleford, Thomas Shaffer, Jim Shampine, Pete Sharland, Peter Sharp,

 

Thomas Shaw, Mike Shaw, Gerald Anthony Shaw, Mickey Shaw, Vic Shay and Harry Sheeler

 

 

 

Video time:

 

A simple warning here – if you’re not a fan of country music, you might want to skip over these two videos – both feature the same artist – Gene Watson, and both with him doing the same song, but with quite a few years in-between.  What I can’t figure out is why do today’s singers have to wear something in their ears when they sing?  “Back in the day”, it wasn’t done, so why now?  I’ve noticed that in a lot of the music videos that I have, a majority of the entertainers did not have “ear pieces” when singing.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=agmXzGnR3LA&feature=related

 

And:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7P2XvHo3Adg

 

 

 

 

Other (non racing) news:

If you don’t think that time flies, how about this:

Remember when Mt St. Helens erupted?  Any idea as to how long ago?  Ten years, maybe?  Twenty?  How about a shade over 29?

http://www.olywa.net/radu/valerie/StHelens.html

 

Now I know I’m not the smartest guy around – heck, I only went through high school.  But I’ve been thinking about something.  Everyone seems to be saying how successful the “Cash for Clunkers” has been.  But – what about the next month, or six weeks, or two months from now, when the car dealers are not selling hardly any more cars?  No car sales = no orders to the manufacturers = cut back in labor = back where they began, maybe?  Has anyone foreseen this happening?  I mean, really?  What then?

I typed the above, around 8:30 PM on Tuesday.  At 9:35 PM, I was checking out Yahoo! News, and lo and behold, there was an article about how “successful” the “Cash for Clunkers” was – or wasn’t.  That can be found, here:

http://autos.yahoo.com/articles/autos_content_landing_pages/1063/clunkers-aid-ford-toyota-sales-gm-chrysler-fall/

What’s really something is that this, below, is quoted in the article:

Consumers are expected to steer clear of dealers this autumn now that the clunker rebates are no longer available.”

 

Guess I’m not alone, huh?

 

Then, in our local paper on Wednesday, there’s an article about how the local car dealers are still selling cars – without the “Cash for Clunkers”.  I still am wondering, how long before the sales come to a sudden stop?  That article can be seen, here:

 

http://www.recordonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20090902/BIZ/909020338

 

Who would have thought – Pro Football in trouble?  Well, it sure looks that way for some teams and their fans.  That dreaded word “Blacked out” has risen, again.  Check it out, here:

 

http://www.recordonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20090902/SPORTS90/909029989/-1/NEWS

 

Note:  It’s a good thing they don’t black out races that don’t sell out, isn’t it?

 

 

 

 

SCHOOLS ARE OPEN, AGAIN:

 

Just a reminder, there will be extra traffic, both vehicular and on foot, with children returning to school.  Small kids require special attention when they are about to cross a road, or even if they’re walking along a sidewalk.  Kind of like a squirrel – you never know what they might do.  And don’t forget those school busses, either!

 

 

Closing with this:

 

Hey!  I must apologize for last week’s entry in this section!  I did promise to do something else the previous week, so here is what I promised:

 

Creative puns for smart minds – continued:

13. Two hats were hanging on a hat rack in the hallway. One hat said to the other, You stay here, I'll go on a head.

14. I wondered why the baseball kept getting bigger. Then it hit me.

15. A sign on the lawn at a drug rehab center said, Keep off the Grass.

16. A small boy swallowed some coins and was taken to a hospital. When his grandmother telephoned to ask how he was, a nurse said, No change yet.

17. A chicken crossing the road is poultry in motion.

19. The short fortune-teller who escaped from prison was a small medium at large.

20. The soldier who survived mustard gas and pepper spray is now a seasoned veteran.

21 A backward poet writes inverse.

22. In a democracy, it’s your vote that counts. In feudalism, it’s your count that votes.

23. When cannibals ate a missionary, they got a taste of religion.

24. Don’t join dangerous cults, practice safe sects!

 

 

 

 

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