Mostly
Racin' Stuff
By Tom Avenengo
11/20/2014
Some
personal/family stuff:
My wife, who left us on July 3, 2014.
Remember, photos can only be seen on the
New England Tractor/Race Report website, which is linked to at the end of my
columns.
My weight has been pretty steady at
148/149. Sugar is doing ok, too. If you recall fro last week, I made mention
of family members sending up Chinese Lanterns in memory of the wife, on her
birthday. Hmmm, might be "Monkey Wrench" thrown into that
idea - seems that in some places those Chinese Lanterns are against the law.
This past Saturday I went to a picnic type
of gathering with my daughter, Sandy, grand daughter, Kalina, her two sons,
Gavin and Even, and another great grandson, Naji. The highlight of my day was when I won one of
the Bingo games! Strange, but this deal
was put on by the Lee Memorial Health Care System. To be perfectly honest, there was NOT much to
eat in the way of "Healthy" food items. And, I did notice that quite a few of their
employees are kinda "hefty", too.
I was out shopping this past Monday down
here in Cape Coral. I noticed that those
that maintain lawns, etc, etc. were out MOWING GRASS. Meanwhile, back up in the northwestern part
of New York, the NY Thruway was closed for 132 miles, so it was said on
Tuesday. Parts of New York were due to
get anywhere from 30 to 70 inches of snow.
My son, Tom Jr., and his family are located up in Dexter, NY, and, yes,
they do get "Lake effect" snow storms.
The "Tug Hill" area was gonna
get hit with snow (as usual). Wonder how
many fatalities they'll rack up this year with snow mobiles? Some, it seems, just never learn.
More
memories:
Over time, we've had a couple
of slot car tracks at our house. Some
were bought, some were home made. The
last one I made took three 4our by eight sheets together - so it measured eight
feet by twelve feet. It was an
"oval" shaped like the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Mostly we raced the Monogram 1/18th scale
midgets that I had converted from a plain plastic model to a slot car. The track surface was Masonite, painted black
- smooth side up. Aluminum tape was used
to conduct the electricity to each lane.
Different controls were used - from door bell buttons to regular pistol
type. Lap speeds were in the 3 to 4
second bracket. Plastic
"screen" type plastic was painted silver and used as fencing. That was behind the balsa wood guard
rails. Various ads in papers and magazines
were used as signage. Have you ever cut
Masonite with an electric jig saw? Talk
about some dust! I just used strips on
the straights, and spaced them apart for the guides. Also, I did
about the same for the turns.
Track was completely flat, too.
The track has met it's end, but I still have quite a few of the cars and
some chassis. Chassis were made so any
model would fit on any chassis. Chassis
parts, motors, tires etc etc, were obtained from: http://www.hotlapsracin.com/hotparts.htm
Racin’
stuff:
A thread on the Victory
Speedway Forum:
OCFS in 2015:
A couple of
comments/thoughts:
"What does DIRT do for tracks that they
sanction?"
"Maybe insurance is the
only thing.
Let's get 3 tri-tracks together again. This
time OCFS, Big Diamond and New Egypt. I think 2 out of the 3 has been screwed
by DIRT"
http://s2.excoboard.com/VictorySpeedwayForum/36201/2440726
Brad
Keselowski says he's a 'threat' to NASCAR establishment
http://www.sbnation.com/nascar/2014/11/14/7220115/2014-nascar-homestead-miami-brad-keselowski-jeff-gordon-texas-fight-ryan-newman-kyle-larson
Former Champs Offer Ways to Change Chase
In part: "
Dale
Jarrett says he would like to see a requirement that the champion must have at
least a win. Jeff Gordon says that the Chase drivers should have their own
points system."
http://www.mrn.com/Race-Series/NASCAR-Sprint-Cup/News/Articles/2014/11/Former-Champs-Offer-Ways-To-Change-Chase.aspx?adbid=10152905287174208&adbpl=fb&adbpr=47438839207&s_soc=social_20141116_35689407
http://blackflag.jalopnik.com/leaked-letter-shows-how-bad-formula-ones-finance-proble-1659765476
NASCAR's
Kurt Busch meets with investigators
http://news.yahoo.com/nascars-kurt-busch-meets-investigators-191301561--spt.html
Back
in time:
Talking about all the snow, above, makes
me think of what it was like back in the late 40's and into the early 60's,
when I was living in the New York and New Jersey area, and we'd go to indoor
midget races, during the winter. In the
Bronx was the Kingsbridge Armory. The
track, for midgets, was a 1/5 mile oval.
I do believe they only used about 1/2 of the building for the race
track. I have a listing of all the races
run there, mostly top three finishers, and only can see ONE TIME when their
races were cancelled. That was in the
late 40's.
In the late 50's, my future wife and I
would leave work in the Monsey, NY Grand Union and head for the Armory in
Teaneck, NJ, for some indoor TQ races.
We always sat in the front row across from the start finish line. When we left at the end of a nights racing,
we'd stop at the ticket window and order the same seats for the following
Saturday. Funny, but back then, ya just
knew they were gonna race, and not cancel.
Heck, the drivers came some distances to race, too - both at Kingsbridge
and Teaneck - from PA, NJ, NY, CT, MA. and other places - even some came in
from the mid-west! Today, it seems that
if there's a forecast for snow - just a forecast, most things get postponed and/or
cancelled.
Former
OVRP Dirt Oval racers:
Tyler Dippel was 27th in the PASS Late
Models feature held at the Southern National Motor Sports Park
At Bridgeport, on Saturday, in the Small
Block feature, Anthony Perrego was 10th.
On Sunday, with the Big Blocks, Perrego
was 13th. In the Sportsman feature, Mike
Mammana was 17th.
Joe Kata, III was 18th in the 410 Sprint
Car feature at Susquehanna.
From
Jayski:
Unofficial Top 25 in 2014 Sprint Cup Driver Points Standings (not the
Chase):
[after Homestead, race 36 of 36]
(using current points system, but not the Chase rules, unofficial)
1) #24-Jeff Gordon(EC), 1253
2) #22-Joey Logano(C4), 1216, -37
3) #2-Brad Keselowski(EC), 1179, -74
4) #88-Dale Earnhardt Jr.(EC), 1175, -78
5) #4-Kevin Harvick(CH), 1171, -82
6) #31-Ryan Newman(C2), 1136, -117
7) #20-Matt Kenseth(EC), 1131, -122
8) #42-Kyle Larson #, 1080, -173
9) #48-Jimmie Johnson(EC), 1067, -186
10) #99-Carl Edwards(EC), 1059, -194
11) #1-Jamie McMurray, 1014, -239
12) #16-Greg Biffle(EC), 1000, -253
13) #11-Denny Hamlin(C3), 987, -266 (missed a races)
14) #15-Clint Bowyer, 979, -274
15) #18-Kyle Busch(EC), 969, -284
16) #5-Kasey Kahne(EC), 966, -287
17) #3-Austin Dillon #, 958, -295
18) #27-Paul Menard, 944, -309
19) #55-Brian Vickers, 921, -332
20) #41-Kurt Busch(EC), 911, -342
21) #9-Marcos Ambrose, 872, -381
22) #47-AJ Allmendinger(EC), 868, -385
23) #78-Martin Truex Jr., 857, -396
24) #43-Aric Almirola(EC), 820, -433
25) #14-Tony Stewart, 799, -454 (missed 3 races)
(CH is the 2014 Sprint Cup Series Champion)
(C# is chase driver and current Chase position)
(EC is chase
driver that has been eliminated from the Chase)
(11-16-2014)
Daytona tower
will be removed before 2015 July race:
Daytona International Speedway's
in-progress renovation will create some unusual circumstances next year. In
March, Daytona plans to remove its familiar white tower on the frontstretch -
emblazoned with "DAYTONA" and filled with suites, race control and a press
box - but will not have its replacement ready until the 2016 Daytona 500. That
means the 2015 Coke Zero 400 on July 5 will feature a temporary race control
and television booth located in a backstretch suite for NBC's first race in its
return to being a NASCAR broadcaster. Daytona is removing its backstretch
stands (the "Superstretch"), but not until after July's race. That
means NBC will be able to transform a suite for its purposes, though announcers
won't have a very good view of the start or finish. The changes are part of
Daytona's $400-million "Daytona Rising" project, which is
transforming NASCAR's most famous track into a stadium-style facility with
NFL-quality amenities. Ninety percent of the steel for the project is currently
installed, Chitwood said, and 40,000 new seats will be ready for the Feb. 22
Daytona 500. That race will also have 60,000 old seats available on the
frontstretch. Daytona's seating capacity before the renovations began is listed
in the 2014 NASCAR Sprint Cup media guide as 146,000. After the 2015 season,
the backstretch grandstands - which have been closed for July races since 2009
-- will be removed, and the track will have a 101,000-seat capacity (all on the
frontstretch).(USA Today)(11-16-2014)
Driver appearances:
Kyle Larson is scheduled to appear at Perris Auto
Speedway in Perris, California for the Turkey Night Grand Prix on Wednesday, November 26. For more information and ticket pricing
see visit http://www.perrisautospeedway.com.
Kyle Larson is scheduled to appear at Perris Auto
Speedway in Perris, California for the Turkey Night Grand Prix on Thursday, November 27. For more information see visit http://www.perrisautospeedway.com.
Matt Kenseth is scheduled to appear at the Matt Kenseth
Fan Club museum in Cambridge, Wisconsin on Saturday, November 29 at 11:00 AM. Kenseth will sign
autographs for fan club members. Advance wristbands will be printed in the MKFC
newsletter.
The qualified 16
Chase contenders are scheduled to appear at fanfest at
Downtown Las Vegas, Fremont Street Experience, Third Street Stage on Wednesday, December 3 at
2:00 PM. Admission is free. Michael Waltrip will host the fan-interactive event.
For more information see visit
http://www.lvms.com/fanfest/.
The qualified 16
Chase contenders are scheduled to take a victory lap on the
Las Vegas Strip on Thursday, December 4 at 3:30 PM. Featuring a green flag
start line at the Miracle Mile Shops and two burnout locations along the route,
fans can get a unique, up-close view of NASCAR's world-famous drivers and cars.
The checkered-flag will wave to conclude this celebratory lap at the all-new
NASCAR fan headquarters, Champion's Week Live at The LINQ, behind the
newly-opened High Roller.
The qualified 16
Chase contenders are scheduled to appear at After The Lap
in Las Vegas, NV on Thursday, December
4. The event will take place at 5:00 PM in the Pearl Palms Concert
Theater inside the Palms Casino Hotel.Click here for event information and ticket pricing.
Chase Elliott,
Erik Jones, Ben Kennedy, Corey LaJoie, Ross Kenseth, Johanna Long, Chris
Fontaine, John Hunter Nemechek, and others are scheduled to appear at the Snowball
Derby on Sunday, December 7 at the 5 Flags Speedway in Pensacola,
FL. 5 Flags is located at 7451 Pine Forest Road. For tickets and more
information, Click
here.
Ryan Newman and
other TBA drivers are scheduled to appear at Stocks for Tots
on Tuesday, December 9. It will be located at the NASCAR Technical
Institute from 5:00 to 9:00 PM. NASCAR Tech is located at 20 Byers Creek Rd,
Mooresville, NC. Click here for more information.
From
Track Forum:
http://www.trackforum.com/forums/forum.php
Don't let the name above fool
ya. It's about winter racing.
http://www.trackforum.com/forums/showthread.php/190457-Daytona
Sprint Car racing calendar for Florida for
this winter:
http://www.trackforum.com/forums/showthread.php/190521-Florida-Sprint-Car-Racing-Calendar?p=3693296#post3693296
From the Dirt Track Digest Forum:
2015 SDS
From one post on page 2:
"It's different
because in the past, yes they have run SDS races at tracks that normally run
American Racers (NES, U-R...etc) They even run races at tracks with different
sanctioning bodies (UR and Grandview).
However their reasons for not running at
NES, and probably Big Diamond and Orange County, are stated as being because
these tracks run shows promoted by Brett Deyo who has started a
"competing" series that runs American Racer Tires.
However, at the same time they make this
statement, they schedule a race at Grandview (AR and NASCAR Track) and at FMP,
which is owned and runs races promoted by a man who runs a
"competing" series that uses American Racer Tires.
The answer to the obvious double talk
is, they don't see Andy Harpell as a threat because he has never been able to
convince large numbers of drivers to defect from DirtCar to run his
series. However they both see Deyo as a threat, because he has drawn
sponsors, is building a purse structure that they don't want to compete with,
and averages over 50 cars at races he promotes (some at tracks that struggle to
get 15-20 cars weekly). They have decided to try to put him out of
business, even though he has never openly competed with DirtCar, and even
promoted one of their races (with a higher than required purse).
I like the SDS series, and am glad that
it has risen from the dead to an extent in the last few years, and I don't even
mind if they see Deyo as competition and want to beat him (that can only make
what they offer better). The problem is the pettiness of how they are
going about it: they give BS reasons why they don't want their tracks running
his races, because they don't want to acknowledge how successful he has been,
yet they partner with tracks and promoters that do and have done the exact same
things that Deyo does that they say are the problems. I don't mind
them having a problem with Deyo, but be honest about it."
Link:
http://www.dirttrackdigest.com/DTD/index.php?/topic/52586-2015-sds/
DTD Forum:
An interview
with Rich Vleck - one of those involved with the "New" Rolling Wheels
track - on Doug's Dirt Diary:
http://www.dougsdirtdiary.com/audioplayer.php?id=20452
From
the AARN:
This week in AARN:
Laubach Sweeps
Bridgeport’s Wild Card Weekend
AARN’s Annual
Car Builders Guide: 40 Page Pull Out Section Has Hints, Tips, Revelations
Late Season
Streak Continues For Hodnett At SSP
Frankie Kerr
Heading To NASCAR Officiating Post
Clauson, Hines
Top USAC Sprint Peoria Twin Bill; Brady Bacon,
Hoffman Racing Are Circuit Champs
Deyo Inks ‘15
Races At Delaware International, Bridgeport
Jason Johnson,
Shane Stewart Share Top ASCS Honors In Arizona
New Long Island
Based NASCAR Whelen Mod Tour Team Formed
Rolling Wheels
To Run Thursdays In 2015 With Specials-Only Format
Ben Rowe
Claims Third PASS National Title; Trevor Noles Captures
Kenly Season Finale
Also:
A somewhat
familiar name I see, is also involved with the "Pay Dirt" group that
bought Rolling Wheels - Mike Laguzza.
Hmm, wasn't he supposed to buy another track or two a while back, and
everything just went "Poof"?
The Stan Lobitz
movie parties, auctions, lunch & sit down dinners, over the last three
decades, have raised $250,000.00 for the Eastern Museum of Motor Racing.
Herb Anastor had
two pages all about the Miller and Offenhauser engines. Was an interesting read.
Indoor TQ races
are scheduled for Trenton, NJ on December 19th & 20th.
The Parts
Peddler Trade Show is scheduled for November 21st, 22nd & 23rd in the
Center of Progress Building, on the NY Fairgrounds. Hope weather doesn't mess it up.
The annual AARN
Motor Sports Show, being held in the Greater Philadelphia Expo Center, in Oaks,
PA. will be on January 23rd, 24th & 25th.
An
email I received:
This Day in Auto
History
11.19.1954
The first automatic toll collection machine was placed in service at
the Union Toll Plaza on New Jersey's Garden State Parkway. In order
to pass through the toll area, motorists dropped 25¢ into a wire mesh
hopper and then a green light would flash permitting passage through
the toll. The automatic toll collection machine was an
important innovation for America's modern toll highway system, which
first appeared in 1940 with the opening of the
Pennsylvania Turnpike.
The above was sent to me via
an email on 11/19/14.Along with the above message was this:
"On Nov 19, 2014, at
1:57 PM, alblixt@aol.com [RacingHistory] <RacingHistory@yahoogroups.com> wrote:
I am very pleased to report that my
father, Al Blixt, Sr. has been inducted into the Michigan Motor Sports Hall of
Fame. The banquet ceremony was on November 2 and a very nice affair it
was with about 350 people in attendance. Al Sr. was a fabulous racing
photographer, writer for the Illustrated Speedway News, car owner and racing
official from 1932 to 1951. To read about him on the HoF site go to http://www.mmshof.org/inductees/al-blixt-sr/. This was one of my goals when I
began researching and writing about his history back in 2006 so it was good to
see him honored. Many thanks to Dick Lee, Allen Brown and others who advocated
for his inclusion.
Al Blixt
Ann Arbor, Michigan
http://alblixtracinghistory.typepad.com"
Press Releases:
News from the Woodhull Raceway ‘Hustlin
the High Banks 51’
Media Contact: Brett Deyo – bdmotorsportsmedia@gmail.com or 845.728.2781
For Immediate Release/Nov. 19, 2014
Woodhull Raceway To Host Short Track
Super Series Fueled By Hi-Tek Event On Aug. 11, 2015; ‘Hustlin The High Banks
51’ To Celebrate 51-Year Woodhull History Paying $5,100 To Win For 51-Lap
Big-Block/Small-Block Modified Main Event
WOODHULL, NY – Quite possibly the richest event in the
storied 51-year history of Woodhull Raceway has been set for Tuesday, Aug. 11
(rain date: Aug. 12).
For the first time, the traveling Short Track Super Series Fueled
By Hi-Tek will head west to the high banks of Ted White’s Woodhull Raceway. The
inaugural ‘Hustlin the High Banks 51’ will reward big-block/small-block
Modified competitors with a hefty $5,100 to the winner, with $1,000 reserved
for 10th and $400 just
to take the green flag.
There will be lap money, bonus cash and a long list of contingency
awards up for grabs for competitors in attendance. Brett Deyo of BD Motorsports
Media LLC, Short Track Super Series organizer, will co-promote the event with
Woodhull owner White, a successful businessman from Harrison Valley, Pa.
The Modified main event, 51 laps in length, commemorates 51 years
of auto racing at Woodhull, a storied facility located in New York’s Steuben
County. Woodhull’s one-of-a-kind, paperclip-shaped, high-banked one-third-mile
layout should provide a challenge to competitors and a thrilling show for
fans.
Last year, the Short Track Super Series enjoyed a prosperous first
season with 153 different drivers attempting to qualify for at least one event.
The average car count over the six-race series was 57, the highest for any
Modified series or sanctioning body in the Northeast. Andy Bachetti of
Sheffield, Mass., won the inaugural championship and earned $10,014 cash plus
contingencies.
The ’15 championship has already been advertised to pay $15,000
for the Short Track Super Series, putting great emphasis on every race.
The ‘Hustlin the High Banks’ 51 will be a “true
event” bolstered by fireworks, pre-race entertainment and a full
plate of on-track action to include the Crate 602 Sportsman in a 25-lap main
paying $1,000 to the winner and the Woodhull ‘Quad C’ Four Cylinder division.
“Ted had shown an interest in one of our events for the past
couple of years, but we weren’t able to find a suitable date on the schedule,”
Deyo said. “With our series building momentum, it made sense to join forces
with Ted this year when we found a midweek date we both felt would work.
“I had the opportunity to visit Woodhull for the first time last
September and couldn’t have been more impressed with the facility and the
racing.”
White is looking forward to hosting a major midweek event at his
facility.
“We haven’t run a midweek show in a few years,” White said. “We’ve
been looking to put together a big event at the track and Brett’s series fits
very well with what we wanted to do. This show should showcase our facility and
its drivers to first-time visitors and people who haven’t been to Woodhull in a
while.”
A full ’15 Short Track Super Series schedule will be released in
the coming weeks.
Woodhull Raceway is located on Steuben County Route 20, just off
New York State 417 in Woodhull, N.Y. The speedway is celebrating its 51st consecutive year of auto racing in
2015. To learn more about Woodhull Raceway, visitwww.woodhullraceway.com, call owner Ted White at 607.857.1336 or e-mail twrauto@verizon.net.
To learn more about the Short Track Super Series Fueled By Hi-Tek,
contact Brett Deyo atbdmotorsportsmedia@gmail.com, call 845.728.2781 or visit the official
website: www.bdmotorsportsmedia.com. BD
Motorsports Media is on Facebook and on Twitter @BrettDeyo.
.
Coming
up:
A couple of "Turkey Day" races
up yonder in the northeast - Accord & Wall Stadium. Hope ya'll have decent weather and no need
for snow tires & chains!
The Gobbler - at Accord is scheduled for
November 29th. Did I read that a
rain/snow date was December 6th?
New unwrapped
toys will be accepted at the track during "The Gobbler" race. The
drive was a huge success last year and all donated toys were given to the Town
of Rochester Youth Commission for distribution to local children. Free
hot chocolate will be given to everyone who donates a toy!
Thank you!
Indoor
Kart Racing!
22ND
ANNUAL N. Y. S. INDOOR CHAMPIONSHIP
New
York State Fairgrounds • Syracuse, NY
Saturday,
December 6, 2014
Gates
open 11 AM, Racing 11 to 5 PM (race times approximate)
The previous race, last December, drew
well over 100 entries in 18 classes. Between the heats, consolation races, and
A and B main events, there are approximately 70 races packed into six hours of
non-stop action. Unlike other forms of racing you may have seen, there are no
long delays between races. One group exits the track, and the next comes on.
The noise never dies down, and the action on the track never stops.
The secret to indoor racing is in the
track. It's a heated rubber track, with a grip so strong you can't walk across
it unless your shoes are tied extra-tight. Sticky sticky sticky. The secret to
the track is a smooth concrete surface. Surprisingly, the smoother the
concrete, the better. Infrared heaters shine down on the concrete, heating it
to 120 degrees or so. Then a layer of adhesive goes down. The adhesive of
choice is Coke syrup, straight from the fountain! Then karts with extra-soft
rubber tires go out and zip around the track. After half an hour or so, there
is a thick layer of rubber adhered to the top of the Coke syrup. Voila, an
indoor kart track.
Throw in some grandstands, pits, and a
crowd of a thousand or so people, and you've got yourself an indoor kart race!
Spectator
General Admission/Pit Pass $15 (under 12 $10, under 5 free)
Public
Welcome • Family Oriented
The karts raced in this
event are owned by the competitors. There are no rental karts available on the
day of the event. Karts typically must conform to World Karting Association
regulations plus additional regulations specific to this event (see the Tech
section on this website and the Entry Form for details).
http://syracuseindoor.com/
Christmas:
Yes, it's getting closer and closer. Here are some links to some websites that
might interest you as far as gifts go:
Someone in your family a race
driver? If so, you might want to give
this some thought - Insurance - http://www.stida.com/
Models & toys:
http://www.davesracing.com/
http://www.hotlapsracin.com/hotparts.htm
http://www.modelroundup.com/category-s/94.htm
Books, videos etc:
http://www.coastal181.com/
http://www.emmr.org/
Racing papers:
http://aarn.com/ -A gift to
someone for a years subscription is $51.00.
If you go for two gift subscriptions, then the second will cost $49.00
To see if you're a racer, or
not:
http://speeddls.wix.com/ssspeedways-gokarts
Go-Kart stuff:
http://www.tbrwins.com/
Racing
stuff found on the Internet:
Markus Niemela on dirt racing: "This is a really, really hard sport to
be good at"
http://motorsportstalk.nbcsports.com/2014/11/18/markus-niemela-on-dirt-racing-this-is-a-really-really-hard-sport-to-be-good-at/#respond
This week’s photo:
I felt honored to have this
man as a friend - the late Bob Green, shown working on his modified
"Minerva" in the pits at OCFS.
This weeks video:
Indoor Kart racing in
Syracuse: https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=rOcA0jwn0AQ
Non racin' stuff:
http://viral.buzz/race-wars-and-reality-behind-the-scene-in-ferguson/
Note: A video well worth watching!
President Barack Obama plans a major speech on immigration reform
Thursday night, and none of the three major networks plan to cover it.
CNN reported that neither NBC, ABC or CBS will air President
Obama's speech. (CNBC, Fox News, and MSNBC will cover the event.) The president
is scheduled to speak at 8 p.m. ET, likely to lay out a proposed executive
action on the politically explosive and highly contentious immigration issue.
Note: Hmmm, I wonder - did Sharpton ever pay that
police officer the monies he owed him on the Tawana Brawley deal?
This weeks joke:
From an email on 11/16:
Why things went the way they did on election
day......
It was pointed out to me that on election day the Democrat vote
started out with a pretty healthy lead - and then the Republicans got off
work...
Until my next column – next week and quite
possibly a day earlier - sending it out on Tuesday night for Wednesday
publication.
Columns are available on the
Dirt Track Digest at: http://www.dirttrackdigest.com/ (Click on “Recent Columns – and I hope it works!)
And:
http://newenglandtractor.com/racereport/
As usual, I can always be reached via
email at: ygordad@yahoo.com
.