Circle This on Your Calendar
On Sunday October 14th all race fans visiting Memory Lane Motorsports & Historical Automotive Museum will have the opportunity to meet with some of racings greatest stars! A special event is being held to honor legendary car owner Bud Moore, and will be a great time for all in attendance! Memory Lane Museum features on display Bud Moore’s original 1982 Dale Earnhardt Wrangler T-Bird that won the 1982 CRC Darlington 500! Also, the museum features many original items used by Bud Moore during his successful racing career. Bud Moore along with many of his racing comrades will be in attendance to meet with fans as they get to see the cars that made these drivers and personalities famous, items only featured on display at Memory Lane Museum.
Other racing personalities expected to be at the event, in addition to Bud Moore, are Bobby Allison (1983 NASCAR Champion), Donnie Allison, Neil “Soapy” Castles, Greg Moore (Bud’s son), Ted Musgrave (Craftsman Truck Champion), Dick Trickle, Rex White (1960 NASCAR Champion), and possibly other racing greats!
Admission to the event is $10.00 for adults, children ages 6-12yrs $6.00, and children 6-under free with adult. Admission covers the cost of museum entry and the meet and greet with the personalities in attendance.
Holy Smokes Mission & Ministry of Lake Norman Fellowship will be serving barbeque and other concession items, proceeds benefit their ministry as they serve the local community in need. Old Timers Racing Club will be selling 50-50 raffle tickets and have drawings for door prizes.
Dinger Released, Is that Bad?
By now most folks know that Dinger was released by Penske because of his false positive test results. Is that such a bad thing for him? Not really. The 2nd greatest driver of the 20th century and team owner AJ Foyt has stated that he’ll hire Dinger for the 2013 season in IndyCar. Foyt’s been a good judge of character over his many years of racing and being involved in the racing industry. He’s also been involved with NA$CAR over the years and knows all too well how NA$CAR and the France family work. So for Foyt to be willing to hire Dinger tells me just how much he thinks of what both NA$CAR and Penske have done.
Michael Shank, co-owner of the IndyCar team that Dinger co-owns, has said that he’s looking for sponsors for a car to put Dinger back on the track next season. So it looks like Dinger has a couple of options for his future.
Dinger & Adderall
It appears that in an interview with BSPN, Dinger admitted he took one pill of Adderall that a “friend” gave him. So that tells me that the “stimulant” that Dinger came up positive for was amphetamine and methamphetamine based on the results that Mayfield got when he was taking Adderall which was prescribed to him and tested by “wonderful” Aegis Labs.
And you have to wonder about the timing on this too. Dinger’s contract was coming up for renewal. Dinger has been going through a pretty rough divorce with his wife. His “friend” gives him Adderall and then 2 days later he’s tested by NA$CAR? Coincidence? Sure. Or his supposed “friend” dropped a dime on him after he took the Adderall. Makes me think of an old story that’s moral is “People who crap on you aren’t always your enemy and people who pull you out of crap aren’t always your friend”.
More on the “Active Ingredient” in Energy Drink
Long time race fan Terry happens to have worked as a chemist for a number of years for a rather large company and here’s what he had to say on the “smoking gun” I found in regards to Dinger’s false positive:
Phenylalanine (also sometimes as l-phenylalanine, where the l-signifies as I recall the ability of the pure isomer form to refract light (a symbol of the purity or activity of the pure form), or the chirality around one of the predominant carbon compounds) is a sweetener and here are a few links. It is also a derivative of aspartame:
http://www.weightlossresources.co.uk/diet/healthy_eating/artificial_sweeteners.htm
http://www.umm.edu/altmed/articles/phenylalanine-000318.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aspartame
Sorry to get so technical, but that is what happens when one studies darn near 4 or 5 years of chemistry. (I have a Masters in Synthetic Organic Chemistry from W&M).
But then again, with NA$CRAP and the others referring many times to classes of compounds, it can be difficult to be sure we are talking about the same thing. One sure way: get the CASRN (Chemical Abstracts Services Registry Number: like a social security card for a chemical) or the DEA registration number for it. Of course when there is overlap between FDA & DEA, we can surely expect nothing is done correctly. Some drugs are controlled by DEA, and others are regulated; some are by FDA where a health benefit (risk) is also available. DEA usually assigns a registration # (different than a CASRN and depends upon the class of regulation or restriction, based on its potency or ability to do harm (or again benefit) but where substance abuse is also likely to arise).
So unless we can look at the actual report, methods used, limits of detection, purity etc. darn difficult to make any sense of any of it. And that is what gives everyone room for cover.
Hilarious Iowa Stat
Darrell Wallace Jr, Brett Moffitt, and Ryan Blaney collectively have 8 starts in the Busch Series. All finished ahead of NA$CAR’s new "messiah", the Queen of Hype, who has 44 starts in the Busch Series. And who gets the hype? It sure isn’t Darrell, Brett, or Ryan.
Hyped Road Course “Expert” Versus Real Road Course Expert
Watkins Glen saw the media really hyping the Queen of Hype as being a road course expert and yet even with her spotter yelling in her ear to “go wide”, the Queen of Hype plowed into Ryan Truex as his car came rolling back towards Turn 1. Sam Hornish Jr, who’s not exactly a road course specialist finished 3rd. Cousin Carl, who’s known more for winning on ovals than road courses, won the Busch Series race at Watkins Glen. Underfunded Mike Bliss finished 14th. So how can these non-experts miss wrecks and actually finish a road course race and the so-called “road course expert” not? That’s the million dollar question.
Some have offered up the excuse that the Queen of Hype had nowhere to go. I’ve seen several drivers in the past cut across grassy areas on road courses to avoid wrecks on both road courses and oval tracks. Apparently driving through the grass is something that is beyond the Queen’s capabilities as she’s wrecked numerous cars on ovals which could’ve been avoided simply by going down through the infield grass on the ovals tracks. Instead she prefers to run head-on into other cars on the track or the retaining walls. I’ve seen Robby Gordon go airborne through the “bus stop” and through the grass to avoid an accident and keep on going. Ron Fellows, a road course ringer, didn’t have any problems making it through that first turn on the first lap and he got beat by drivers who aren’t road course ringers. The Queen’s rookie teammate made it through the first turn and managed to finish 24th despite tearing up his car going into the “bus stop” later in the race.
It’s high time the media stopped making up excuses for the Queen of Hype and call it like it is. She is, at best, a mediocre mid-pack driver out of the 15 competitive cars that run every weekend in the Busch Series.
Product Testing: Harco Brands Cleaning Wipes
I don’t do product testing very often but when I do I like to put things through their paces. I had never heard of Harco Brands cleaning products until a box of them showed up on my doorstep. Each one came in a plastic container and contained 30 wipes. So I put them through some home-style testing. The first one I tested out was the HarcoHome household cleaner. My grandson left us a bit of a surprise when he got into some maple syrup and left it on the cabinet doors and kitchen floor. The wipes did a great job of removing the sticky mess. So I decided to try them on the range hood above the stove. They did an excellent job of taking care of the sticky grease that had accumulated on it. Nice not having to keep using and rinsing a cleaning rag or sponge repeatedly to remove the mess. I also used the wipes on the refrigerator where my grandson had left an assortment of fingerprints and also on his high chair after he had eaten lunch and made a mess.
One product called HarcoMarine Miracle Wipes were originally designed for use on boats but as I don’t own a boat, I put them to use on some other things. They’re designed to be used on decks, galleys (kitchens for you landlubbers), plastic, fiberglass, vinyl, and other materials. Since we have a fiberglass tub and shower, I used them on that and they did an excellent job of cleaning them up. As I have a fiberglass cover on the bed of my truck, I decided to give them a try on that as they’re designed to remove bird droppings and they worked as advertised. Since the car washes tend to miss a spot between the cab and bed cover, I had an slight accumulation of mold and the wipes did a great job of removing the mold. I also had an old printer in my office and used the wipes to remove the accumulation of sticky fingerprints my grandson had left on it when he was trying to help me print out some paperwork. The lemon scent makes them pleasant to smell.
Since my disability I’m somewhat limited on the mechanical work I can do so I got my son to lend me a hand on testing out the HarcoAuto Miracle Wipes. He put them through their paces on several repair jobs involving his truck, lawnmower, and weed-eater. They did an fantastic job of removing the grease and oil that were on the equipment and they removed the dirty grease and oil that my son accumulated on his tools and hands during the repair jobs. He said that the HarcoAuto wipes worked better than Gojo and other hand cleaners on cleaning his hands and because they were in the form of a wipe they made cleaning up his tools particularly easy.
Being an artist with a grandson and pets around, I can’t exactly use oil-based paints or paints that need to be thinned out using petroleum thinners or turpenoid products and can‘t use varnish because of the fumes and toxicity. So I use acrylic paints. My grandson likes to use markers and crayons when he creates his “masterpieces”. And there are times when my grandson and I collaborate on an art piece. Usually when he spills some paint I’m using or grabs a brush and applies some of his strokes to a canvas, floor, or table top. I used the HarcoPaint wipes to help clean up the spilled paint, marker strokes on a plastic table top, crayon marks on an oak table, and dried paint on some of my paintbrushes. Being a little more environmentally friendly than thinners and petroleum products, the paint wipes did a great job of cleaning things up. As my grandson says, “Good job Gumpy”.
I also found that they are multi-purpose. The Auto & Pro Wipes can be used in the garage. The Pro & Paint wipes can be used to clean up printing and paint messes. The Marine & Household wipes can be used in cleaning up greasy or sticky kitchen messes and can be used in the bathroom. Nice to have something that can do more than one cleaning job. Like any product, be sure to read the labels and follow the instructions. For tailgaters and campers where space can be a premium, you might be able to save some space since some of the wipes can be used for the same cleaning job.
Curtis Turner for 2016 HOF
Showing posts with label Rex White. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Rex White. Show all posts
Friday, August 17, 2012
Sunday, February 5, 2012
6th Annual Legends Helping Legends Fundraiser
If you didn’t make it to the 6th Annual Legends Helping Legends Fundraiser, you missed out on a great event. Despite the bad weather which kept some of the bike riders like Don Tilley away and caused a delay in Buddy Parrott showing up, the number of drivers, media people, and former crew chiefs was amazing.
The crowd of autograph seeking fans was backed up when I arrived, so I did a quick pass-through to see who all was there signing autographs. Perennials Ned Jarrett, my good friend Rex White, Rex’s former crew chief Slick Owens, writer/author Tom Higgins, Li’l Bud Moore, Jim Vandiver, Brownie King, my “neighbor” and friend Peanut Turman, Paul Lewis, Bill Mangum, along with a few others that slip my mind were there along with some returning folks like championship crew chief Waddell Wilson, Neil “Soapy” Castles, Mitzi Moody, and others.
For the first time, America’s winningest driver (with over 1,000 wins) & former Cup and Busch Series driver, Dick Trickle was there. Lynn Evans (widow of Richie Evans) and Richie’s crew chief were there along with the HOF ring. That’s the first time I’ve seen any sort of ring like that. The blue stone in the center definitely caught my eye.
I ran into a few friends I hadn’t seen recently. Don Good, who first told me about the Legends Helping Legends events 6 years ago, and race fan extraordinaire Harlow Reynolds. Don was joking with me saying I needed to write more because everything I’d been writing lately he’d agreed with. Harlow asked me how I snuck in without him noticing me. Maybe it’s good to be incognito sometimes.
I decided to join the line of fellow fans and make my way through the autograph tables. Waddell had the “seat of honor” I guess you’d call it being first up. My favorite Wisconsin driver, Dick Trickle, sat next to him. Dick noticed the t-shirt I was wearing. It’s my sole surviving Dick Trickle Fan Club shirt. It just so happens that the cards Dick was signing were of the artwork that were used on the shirt. I still had one of the old Schneider National Cards from when Dick drove for Jimmy Spencer, which he was surprised to see, and a die-cast of the Junie Donlavey #90 Taurus he drove. I asked Dick about the “White Knight” car that was behind him. He said it was a replica built by some fans in Chicago. I thought that was an awesome tribute to Dick.
As I made my way around the tables, a number of folks mistook my Dick Trickle shirt for a Carl Edwards shirt because of the #99. Francis Flock, Tim Flock’s widow, was being interviewed as I worked my way around. When I got near where my buddy Rex White had been sitting, he spotted me and rushed back over to his seat to autograph a couple of photos I had taken at a previous Legends Helping Legends event. Rex was looking pretty dapper in his turtle neck shirt and sports coat. He asked me if I had dropped off some crackers for him. Of course, I had. It’s sort of a tradition between the two of us. As we’re both diabetic, I know Rex always keeps a pack or two of crackers with him in case his blood sugar drops. He said “I was busy signing autographs, looked up, and there were all these crackers there”. I asked Rex when he’d be back home so I could call him and we could do some talking. So now that I know when, I’ll be giving him a call. He said the last time he visited his family for a week, his answering machine was so full of messages he knows he missed a bunch of calls.
Margaret Sue Wright, Curtis Turner’s daughter, was busy doing an interview so I didn’t get a chance to talk with her but Harlow filled me in that she’s planning on putting together an event on the first Martinsville race weekend involving the old bootleggers’ roads and routes. That should be interesting considering I’ve driven a few of them locally. One of the more famous ones around here is actually named after the bootlegger who used it. Daniel’s Run. So as soon as I get some info on it I’ll be putting it out there.
Lynn Evans told me an interesting story. Lynn had always been interested in meeting a NASCAR driver from Wisconsin. So Richie called her up and told her she needed to get down to Daytona so she could meet one. Sure enough, Lynn made the trip to meet the driver. He had been a competitor of Richie’s in some races and she’d never paid attention to him back then. The driver? None other than Dick Trickle.
Barry Dodson had a funny story about Dick. Barry was Dick’s crew chief and at one track Dick was driving around the circuit during the parade laps. He got on the radio and said “Barry, I think we have a problem”. Barry radioed back asking Dick what the problem was. Dick said, “I can’t find my goggles”. This was before the full-face helmet was mandated and most drivers still used the open face helmet. Barry got back on the radio telling Dick to look around. Dick got back on the radio a little bit later and said, “Barry, find me some goggles, I’ll stop in the pits next time by and grab them”. Barry had one of the guys on the crew find some goggles. Dick gets back on the radio and tells Barry, “Never mind. I found them” (meaning the goggles). Barry radios back, “Where were they?”. Dick replies, “On top of my helmet”. You’d have to know Dick to understand how hilarious that was. During his career he made some of the funniest comments on the radio and in interviews and did them all with a straight face.
A gaggle of old timers were discussing Jeremy Mayfield and his situation. I’m not mentioning their names in order to protect their identities. One had said he’d seen Jeremy a number of times at his home and outside while Jeremy was working. He said that most drug users he’d seen showed a definite loss of muscle and muscle definition. Jeremy didn’t show any signs of that. It seems Jeremy has some “guns” on him that the driver’s suits didn’t reveal. He also said Jeremy didn’t show any of the sores or other signs of meth use. One of the other old timers said “Jeremy messed with the powers that be and you know what happens when you do that”. Considering who stated that, I found that to be very interesting based on his years of Cup experience.
As things wound down, I had a chance to talk with Dick Trickle a little more. He isn’t racing now. He said he’s doing the “grandfather thing”. I know how that goes being a grandfather myself. When Dick moved to North Carolina, he bought a nice sized chunk of land and built himself his country home on it. Then his daughter decided to move down and he gave her an acre. Then his son decided to move down and he gave his son an acre. It seems that Dick’s kids all wanted to be near their dad and left Wisconsin to join him. He still makes a few public appearances as Grand Marshal for some races like the Slinger Nationals. On the weekends, he might watch a race or two during the season just to keep up with things but doesn’t spend every weekend glued to the TV keeping up on what‘s going on. Dick still has two of his old race cars. One of them was the one he built to run in the 1989 season but got called to race in the Cup Series. He’s thinking about finishing it up and maybe restoring the other one. When Dick decided to hang up his helmet, he didn’t think it was fair to his fans to keep his fan club going so he dissolved it. His daughter put a lot of work into that fan club. I had some dealings with her during the years it was active and she was a great lady to talk with. One call from her sort of changed the way my life went when she told me I had won pit and garage team credentials for the April 1999 race at TMS. It sort of lead me to where I am today. Dick said he plans to continue to appear at the Legends Helping Legends events. So for all you Dick Trickle fans who are going through withdrawals, you might want to make your plans to see him at the 7th Annual Legends Helping Legends Fundraiser next year.
I’ve got to thank Alex Beam and his family for hosting this annual event and allowing fans to meet some of the racing greats of yesterday and some up & comers of tomorrow and all for a great cause. Helping out those who have medical needs who gave everything for NASCAR that NASCAR won’t help.
The crowd of autograph seeking fans was backed up when I arrived, so I did a quick pass-through to see who all was there signing autographs. Perennials Ned Jarrett, my good friend Rex White, Rex’s former crew chief Slick Owens, writer/author Tom Higgins, Li’l Bud Moore, Jim Vandiver, Brownie King, my “neighbor” and friend Peanut Turman, Paul Lewis, Bill Mangum, along with a few others that slip my mind were there along with some returning folks like championship crew chief Waddell Wilson, Neil “Soapy” Castles, Mitzi Moody, and others.
For the first time, America’s winningest driver (with over 1,000 wins) & former Cup and Busch Series driver, Dick Trickle was there. Lynn Evans (widow of Richie Evans) and Richie’s crew chief were there along with the HOF ring. That’s the first time I’ve seen any sort of ring like that. The blue stone in the center definitely caught my eye.
I ran into a few friends I hadn’t seen recently. Don Good, who first told me about the Legends Helping Legends events 6 years ago, and race fan extraordinaire Harlow Reynolds. Don was joking with me saying I needed to write more because everything I’d been writing lately he’d agreed with. Harlow asked me how I snuck in without him noticing me. Maybe it’s good to be incognito sometimes.
I decided to join the line of fellow fans and make my way through the autograph tables. Waddell had the “seat of honor” I guess you’d call it being first up. My favorite Wisconsin driver, Dick Trickle, sat next to him. Dick noticed the t-shirt I was wearing. It’s my sole surviving Dick Trickle Fan Club shirt. It just so happens that the cards Dick was signing were of the artwork that were used on the shirt. I still had one of the old Schneider National Cards from when Dick drove for Jimmy Spencer, which he was surprised to see, and a die-cast of the Junie Donlavey #90 Taurus he drove. I asked Dick about the “White Knight” car that was behind him. He said it was a replica built by some fans in Chicago. I thought that was an awesome tribute to Dick.
As I made my way around the tables, a number of folks mistook my Dick Trickle shirt for a Carl Edwards shirt because of the #99. Francis Flock, Tim Flock’s widow, was being interviewed as I worked my way around. When I got near where my buddy Rex White had been sitting, he spotted me and rushed back over to his seat to autograph a couple of photos I had taken at a previous Legends Helping Legends event. Rex was looking pretty dapper in his turtle neck shirt and sports coat. He asked me if I had dropped off some crackers for him. Of course, I had. It’s sort of a tradition between the two of us. As we’re both diabetic, I know Rex always keeps a pack or two of crackers with him in case his blood sugar drops. He said “I was busy signing autographs, looked up, and there were all these crackers there”. I asked Rex when he’d be back home so I could call him and we could do some talking. So now that I know when, I’ll be giving him a call. He said the last time he visited his family for a week, his answering machine was so full of messages he knows he missed a bunch of calls.
Margaret Sue Wright, Curtis Turner’s daughter, was busy doing an interview so I didn’t get a chance to talk with her but Harlow filled me in that she’s planning on putting together an event on the first Martinsville race weekend involving the old bootleggers’ roads and routes. That should be interesting considering I’ve driven a few of them locally. One of the more famous ones around here is actually named after the bootlegger who used it. Daniel’s Run. So as soon as I get some info on it I’ll be putting it out there.
Lynn Evans told me an interesting story. Lynn had always been interested in meeting a NASCAR driver from Wisconsin. So Richie called her up and told her she needed to get down to Daytona so she could meet one. Sure enough, Lynn made the trip to meet the driver. He had been a competitor of Richie’s in some races and she’d never paid attention to him back then. The driver? None other than Dick Trickle.
Barry Dodson had a funny story about Dick. Barry was Dick’s crew chief and at one track Dick was driving around the circuit during the parade laps. He got on the radio and said “Barry, I think we have a problem”. Barry radioed back asking Dick what the problem was. Dick said, “I can’t find my goggles”. This was before the full-face helmet was mandated and most drivers still used the open face helmet. Barry got back on the radio telling Dick to look around. Dick got back on the radio a little bit later and said, “Barry, find me some goggles, I’ll stop in the pits next time by and grab them”. Barry had one of the guys on the crew find some goggles. Dick gets back on the radio and tells Barry, “Never mind. I found them” (meaning the goggles). Barry radios back, “Where were they?”. Dick replies, “On top of my helmet”. You’d have to know Dick to understand how hilarious that was. During his career he made some of the funniest comments on the radio and in interviews and did them all with a straight face.
A gaggle of old timers were discussing Jeremy Mayfield and his situation. I’m not mentioning their names in order to protect their identities. One had said he’d seen Jeremy a number of times at his home and outside while Jeremy was working. He said that most drug users he’d seen showed a definite loss of muscle and muscle definition. Jeremy didn’t show any signs of that. It seems Jeremy has some “guns” on him that the driver’s suits didn’t reveal. He also said Jeremy didn’t show any of the sores or other signs of meth use. One of the other old timers said “Jeremy messed with the powers that be and you know what happens when you do that”. Considering who stated that, I found that to be very interesting based on his years of Cup experience.
As things wound down, I had a chance to talk with Dick Trickle a little more. He isn’t racing now. He said he’s doing the “grandfather thing”. I know how that goes being a grandfather myself. When Dick moved to North Carolina, he bought a nice sized chunk of land and built himself his country home on it. Then his daughter decided to move down and he gave her an acre. Then his son decided to move down and he gave his son an acre. It seems that Dick’s kids all wanted to be near their dad and left Wisconsin to join him. He still makes a few public appearances as Grand Marshal for some races like the Slinger Nationals. On the weekends, he might watch a race or two during the season just to keep up with things but doesn’t spend every weekend glued to the TV keeping up on what‘s going on. Dick still has two of his old race cars. One of them was the one he built to run in the 1989 season but got called to race in the Cup Series. He’s thinking about finishing it up and maybe restoring the other one. When Dick decided to hang up his helmet, he didn’t think it was fair to his fans to keep his fan club going so he dissolved it. His daughter put a lot of work into that fan club. I had some dealings with her during the years it was active and she was a great lady to talk with. One call from her sort of changed the way my life went when she told me I had won pit and garage team credentials for the April 1999 race at TMS. It sort of lead me to where I am today. Dick said he plans to continue to appear at the Legends Helping Legends events. So for all you Dick Trickle fans who are going through withdrawals, you might want to make your plans to see him at the 7th Annual Legends Helping Legends Fundraiser next year.
I’ve got to thank Alex Beam and his family for hosting this annual event and allowing fans to meet some of the racing greats of yesterday and some up & comers of tomorrow and all for a great cause. Helping out those who have medical needs who gave everything for NASCAR that NASCAR won’t help.
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
Fundraising Idea, F-1, Cotton Owens, Ambushers, & Stuff
Killing Two Birds With One Stone
Since there’s been no clues yet on the stolen Ramo Stott memorabilia, I have the perfect solution for when it is recovered. They sell tickets and have a pay-per-view of the public butt whooping of the dirt bags who stole the memorabilia with the funds raised from the ticket sales and pay-per-view going to help out Sam Ard. It’s a win-win situation for everyone. The memorabilia is returned, justice is served, and Sam Ard gets some sorely needed assistance.
Rupert Murdoch To Buy F-1?
Apparently billionaire and media mogul Rupert Murdoch is looking to buy F-1 along with some possible help from Ferrari. Now why would he want to do that? For one thing, look at where F-1 races. China and the Arab world. Places where the money is. It would allow him far better access into those markets for his global presence and increasing company revenues. For another thing, it would allow Murdoch to move the current F-1 coverage from Speed TV to Focks Sports. A real competitor to NA$CAR that could be broadcast after their NA$CAR season goes off the air. F-1 is also a global product versus NA$CAR which is North American. Plus we’ve got the potential for a possible conflict of interest between Focks broadcasting F-1 AND NA$CAR should Murdoch buy F-1. But conflicts of interests are nothing new to the France family as most race fans know.
Nashville Disproves NA$CAR Theory
For years, we’ve heard the same old, worn out line that Cup drivers put butts in the seats. For a weekend in which there was no Cup race and the Buschwackers continuing to invade the Busch Series, we saw plenty of empty seats at Nashville. Sure, the economy may have played a small part in it but ever since Faux King Brian started bundling up the race weekend instead of letting the Busch Series run on their own and saying that Cup drivers fill the grandstands the grandstands have become emptier and emptier.
And it doesn’t help that the Buschwackers have won all 8 races so far this season. What sort of message is this sending out to not just the Busch regular teams but also to their sponsors and also potential sponsors? Working with some of these underdogs on the sponsorship programs I can tell you based on my own experience that the number of sponsorship proposals sent out versus the number of sponsors landed is ridiculous. 38 proposals sent out and not a single sponsor interested. Why? Because they’re not owned by Roush, JGR, RCR, or HMS, the only teams who get any sort of TV coverage during the BSPN broadcasts. You don’t see Jay Robinson Racing getting any coverage. Herman was lucky to get a post-race interview at Nashville. You’re lucky to see Robert Richardson get an interview. Or any of the Means Motorsports drivers. If the Cup drivers are supposed to be “helping so much”, then why aren’t the Busch regulars benefiting from their presence? They’re not. The only “benefit” the Busch regulars are getting is less purse money at the end of the day and more wear and tear on their equipment. They’re not even breaking even in most cases.
So since this “pick a series” thing isn’t working, I have another solution which will fall on drunken eyes. Why give the Buschwackers anything at all? No money, no manufacturer points, no ownership points, no contingency award points, and no air time on TV. Let the Busch regulars get the lion’s share of everything since there’s not that much to get to begin with. If there’s nothing in it for the Buschwackers, they won’t stick around. No sponsor is going to want to be on a car that doesn’t get any air time, which is what the Busch regulars suffer from right now. The Cup team owner’s aren’t going to stick around if they’re not making any money off of the Busch series operation. No Buschwacker is going to want to race if there’s not even so much as a trophy in it for them. Money is what makes most of today’s Cup drivers show up at the track. So if there’s no financial incentives of any sort, they won’t show up and the Busch Series can go back to being what it originally was. A “AAA” racing series.
Richmond Scare Tactics Alive And Well
Once again, Richmond is using their scare tactics in an attempt to sell tickets. Only this time they’re throwing in the possibility of lost jobs into the mix through their political mouthpieces or politicians who are too gullible to see the truth. NA$CAR/I$C/the France family won’t cut a race from Richmond. It’s almost like saying they’re going to cut a race from Daytona. They’ve invested too much hype and marketing into Richmond and it’s place regarding the Chase for the Chumps. They’ve held Richmond up as being the model for the next generation of tracks that they’re not going to build. They keep saying the racing there is so exciting. If they really wanted to get more fans to attend the races there, they might first start by providing better security for the fans themselves both on the track property and the surrounding areas. The track isn’t located in the best of neighborhoods and it’s not unusual for fans to have their camp sites looted or robbed. So provide some better security first. Then maybe, when fans feel secure, they might start showing up. Of course, you might need to get rid of the generic car first. Like Bristol, the generic car has done little for the racing at Richmond.
Smokey’s “Best Damned Garage In Town” is Gone
A fire burned down what was left of Smokey’s garage. The place really should’ve been a historical landmark or a national treasure. I’m not saying that because I’m a race fan but because Smokey’s innovations didn’t just apply to the race track. Smokey pioneered several things we use in our cars today. The extended tip spark plug, which if you never saw an old spark plug you wouldn’t know what I’m talking about. Not to mention variable ratio power steering, another thing most folks take for granted today. Most race fans are more familiar with Smokey’s racing innovations like the oversized fuel hoses, the chrome-plated aluminum bumpers, or his 7/8 scale Chevy Malibu. Smokey did say he didn’t want any monument or shrine but I think automotive history would’ve been better served had the garage been preserved.
Cotton Owens: A Good Case For The HOF
Us older fans probably remember Cotton Owens for his accomplishments as a driver and team owner. He was rated as one of NASCAR’s, not NA$CAR’s, Top 50 drivers. He was also the owner of the then famous #6 Dodge that David Pearson campaigned for several years and which won the 1966 Grand National Championship with Pearson behind the wheel. Cotton’s been inducted in the International Motorsports Hall of Fame. Cotton also built a car for an Elvis movie, which coincidentally had the #6 on it. He built a Dodge Challenger for Brock Yates to run in the 1972 Cannonball Run, the real thing not the movie. As a driver, Cotton had 9 wins, 52 Top 5, and 84 top 10 finishes. As an owner, Cotton had 38 wins, 177 Top 5, and 241 Top 10 finishes. So Cotton is definitely one to be considered for induction into the 2012 class.
BTW, who finished #2 to Pearson in the 1966 season? None other than 1966 Rookie of the Year James Hylton. Yes, the same James Hylton who’s still racing today in ARCA and was a former crewmember of Rex White’s 1960 Grand National winning team.
Sponsor Ambushers, Another Garage Predator
Unfortunately there’s another kind of ambush predator out there called “sponsor ambushers”. For example, a small team that finally lands a sponsor will have a few guests from that sponsor come to the races. The next thing you know, the ever present “mystery people” from NA$CAR or the Cup owned or affiliated teams, are “accidentally” bumping into these guests on the way to the bathroom or concession stand and their card “accidentally” falls into that person’s pocket. Then, coincidentally, a private jet just happens to land near that sponsor’s headquarters the following week and before you know it that small independent team doesn’t have a sponsor anymore. This happens more often than you think. And this isn’t based on my own experiences with having sponsors stolen or re-assigned by NA$CAR but from one of the underfunded, underdog teams we don’t hear about in the media. I had to leave out some names and one particular incident which would pretty much end that team’s career due to some high-powered folks using their clout to destroy that team, the team owner(s), and their reputation.
Friday, March 25, 2011
Chutzpah, Sponsorship, ALMS, & Rex White
Way To Go Jennifer Jo Cobb
While we only heard part of the story, it takes a lot of chutzpah to do what Jennifer Jo Cobb did. It reminds me so much of Ted Musgrave and the #75 car at Homestead back in 1999 when he parked the car and walked away because it was junk. She doesn’t want to sacrifice her self-esteem, self-respect, or her reputation and apparently Rick Ware seems to think she’s got the sort of brass it takes so he’s putting her in a car at Fontana.
Finally, USA Today Woke Up
It seems that the folks at USA Today finally woke up to the fact that there’s more than just one female driver in NA$CAR. They did a decent article on Jennifer Jo Cobb. To me, she’s a more complete driver than the female Messiah NA$CAR’s been touting. She comes from a racing family, came up through the ranks, is more mature, actually likes being around race fans, signs autographs without muttering or mumbling or complaining, and doesn’t make excuses for a bad race or poor performance. Danica could learn a thing or two from Jennifer Jo Cobb.
Sponsorship Rumors
I’m hearing that Jay Robinson Racing has got some sponsorship lined up for Fontana. MAXELENCE will be the Primary Sponsor of the #28 car and All American Sports Pouch Beverage will be the Primary Sponsor of the #70. Looks like JRR has been doing some serious searching into various avenues of going green with their sponsorship quest.
Key Motorsports got Preval as their Primary Sponsor at Bristol. Hopefully this will turn into a full-time sponsorship deal for them so fingers crossed.
Why No ALMS on TV?
Has anyone been paying attention to what’s happening with Speed TV? How often do we see an ARCA race any more? Or an ASA race? Or any series that the France family doesn’t have some sort of influence over besides Formula-1, Aussie V-8, or German Touring Series? Since ALMS is the main competitor to the Rolex Series and the Rolex Series is suffering financially and fan-wise, simply use the same control on Speed that’s used on them to control just what all is put out there about NA$CAR. You eliminate the competition. Then folks are forced to either watch what’s provided or go elsewhere. In the case of ALMS, fans are watching it on the web. Wow, fewer commercials than on Speed, something like Race Buddy to watch the race, and no special cable or satellite packages to buy. Sounds like a dream.
Why No Outrage Over Bristol Tire Situation?
While I’m not surprised none of the lamestream media is saying anything about what happened with the tires, where’s the outrage over the sense of fair play? The teams practice with one tire compound most of the weekend then get issued a different compound for race day. Of course, had somebody been able to do some actual testing at Bristol like a couple of years ago, NA$CAR might have had some feedback on the tire compound and have made changes well in advance. Now that they’ve used about half the tires for the upcoming Sleep Lab 400, brought to you by United Insomniacs Inc., at Otto Klubb Speedway, what excuse will be offered up when they don’t have enough tires for there? The economy? High cost of hotel rooms? High gasoline prices? Fans shopping under the grandstands?
Why Are There So Many Unsponsored Busch Series Cars?
Lord only knows the Busch regular teams don’t get enough recognition for the efforts. Did anyone happen to notice that when a Busch regular team announces they have a sponsor you’re lucky to hear about it but when a Buschwacker announces a sponsor, it’s splashed all over the front page repeatedly and mentioned relentlessly by the talking heads during the various racer-tainment shows? Or how about the coverage of the Busch practice sessions? Anyone happen to notice who BSPN was locked in on? It wasn’t folks like Scott Wimmer, Derrike Cope, Blake Koch, or Morgan Shepherd. It’s folks like Dale Jr, Mr. Happy, and Cousin/Crazy Carl who are shown. So whomever might possibly step up to sponsor a Busch regular team isn’t going to sponsor a Busch regular team or even a Buschwacker team for $10 million for a whole season when they can put that same $10 million into a sponsorship on a Cup team which stands a better chance of being shown. Sponsors don’t get the Return on Investment (ROI) on a Busch Series team that they can on a Cup Series team. How many folks have rushed out and bought DuPont paint just because they advertise on the 24 car? How many folks have rushed out and bought a Caterpillar bulldozer just because it’s on Mayor McCheese’s car? How many folks know what green effort Jay Robinson Racing has on the C Post of their cars? Not many. So despite the name recognition of the drivers and the lack of coverage and mentions, especially with a Busch regular team, the sponsors aren’t getting back in sales what they had hoped to achieve through sponsoring a team. Why do you think the Navy, Marines, Gain, Red Baron Pizza, Bob Evans, Nesquik, Schneider National, and others have left the sport? They’re not getting back their ROI plus the strong-armed tactics used by the networks and NA$CAR to get them to advertise or be the official product/service/partner/provider of NA$CAR.
Just Why Are the Sponsor Mentions Down?
I really had a good laugh about this. It’s pretty simple really. Remember at the beginning of the season Focks said they’d be concentrating more on the drivers? That’s one part of the reason. Another part of it has to do with the economy. Sponsors are having to cut back on just how much money they’re laying out. It’s not just a matter of them laying out $20 million for a race team sponsorship, they also are subject to the strong-armed tactics of NASCAR and Focks to buy air-time for commercials or to be the official sponsor of some sort of segment during the race broadcasts which can cost them up to an additional $8 million. Or to be an official product/service/provider/partner of NA$CAR. So that $20 million sponsorship just jumped up to costing them $28 million or more. Who do you think pays for “The Five Knuckle Shuffle” brought to you by Mr Stiffy or the Exlax “Smooth Move of the Race”? Why do you think one car manufacturer is so heavily advertised and shown on so many sponsor graphics during the racer-tainment and we have both Jabber Jaws and The Human Shill yammering away about that one car or truck make so much? Then there’s also the cutback on “mention money”. That’s money paid to the networks to ensure that a team gets mentioned on-air. You don’t pony up any mention money you don’t get mentioned. With all these revenue sources drying up and the unwillingness of sponsors to fork over what almost seems like extortion money to get shown and mentioned on the air, it’s no wonder sponsors aren’t getting shown or mentioned as much. Take a good look at who buys air time during the commercial programming segments which is interrupted briefly by the weekend racer-tainment and how many times that team sponsor’s is shown to include the hood and quarter panels. You’ll see a lot more of the 48 and 24 cars than you will of the 7 or 92 cars. Why? Because the 7 & 92 sponsors don’t buy commercial programming time. It’s really that simple. You pay “protection money” you get taken care of as they say in La Costa Nostra.
IndyCar Heading for Trouble?
First there was the announcement that fans would be losing a lot of their internet access to IndyCar. Then came the recent announcement that they’d be using the Free Pass and Double File Restarts that is used by NA$CAR. Obviously, they didn’t learn from NA$CAR’s mistakes. Right now the long time fans are in an uproar, just like the long time NA$CAR fans have been with all of the changes that have been forced down there throats by Faux King Brian. I had high hopes for IndyCar but if they’re going to go down the same road which took NA$CAR from being a multi-billion dollar industry to a multi-million dollar industry, you have to wonder if maybe their new leadership needs to look at some history. Like I say, those who fail to learn the mistakes of history are doomed to repeat them.
Upcoming Rex White Appearances
Rex will be appearing at the 5th Annual Legends Helping Legends Fundraiser on March 26th at the Memory Lane Museum in Mooresville NC. The first weekend in June, Rex will be at JB Days for the annual Raymond Parks birthday celebration. Then in August, Rex will be appearing at Lynchburg City Stadium on August 18th from 6:00 pm-7:15 pm. So if you want a chance to meet one of the class acts of the Grand National circuit and the 1960 Grand National Champion, you’ve got several upcoming opportunities to do so. And tell him I said “Hi”.
While we only heard part of the story, it takes a lot of chutzpah to do what Jennifer Jo Cobb did. It reminds me so much of Ted Musgrave and the #75 car at Homestead back in 1999 when he parked the car and walked away because it was junk. She doesn’t want to sacrifice her self-esteem, self-respect, or her reputation and apparently Rick Ware seems to think she’s got the sort of brass it takes so he’s putting her in a car at Fontana.
Finally, USA Today Woke Up
It seems that the folks at USA Today finally woke up to the fact that there’s more than just one female driver in NA$CAR. They did a decent article on Jennifer Jo Cobb. To me, she’s a more complete driver than the female Messiah NA$CAR’s been touting. She comes from a racing family, came up through the ranks, is more mature, actually likes being around race fans, signs autographs without muttering or mumbling or complaining, and doesn’t make excuses for a bad race or poor performance. Danica could learn a thing or two from Jennifer Jo Cobb.
Sponsorship Rumors
I’m hearing that Jay Robinson Racing has got some sponsorship lined up for Fontana. MAXELENCE will be the Primary Sponsor of the #28 car and All American Sports Pouch Beverage will be the Primary Sponsor of the #70. Looks like JRR has been doing some serious searching into various avenues of going green with their sponsorship quest.
Key Motorsports got Preval as their Primary Sponsor at Bristol. Hopefully this will turn into a full-time sponsorship deal for them so fingers crossed.
Why No ALMS on TV?
Has anyone been paying attention to what’s happening with Speed TV? How often do we see an ARCA race any more? Or an ASA race? Or any series that the France family doesn’t have some sort of influence over besides Formula-1, Aussie V-8, or German Touring Series? Since ALMS is the main competitor to the Rolex Series and the Rolex Series is suffering financially and fan-wise, simply use the same control on Speed that’s used on them to control just what all is put out there about NA$CAR. You eliminate the competition. Then folks are forced to either watch what’s provided or go elsewhere. In the case of ALMS, fans are watching it on the web. Wow, fewer commercials than on Speed, something like Race Buddy to watch the race, and no special cable or satellite packages to buy. Sounds like a dream.
Why No Outrage Over Bristol Tire Situation?
While I’m not surprised none of the lamestream media is saying anything about what happened with the tires, where’s the outrage over the sense of fair play? The teams practice with one tire compound most of the weekend then get issued a different compound for race day. Of course, had somebody been able to do some actual testing at Bristol like a couple of years ago, NA$CAR might have had some feedback on the tire compound and have made changes well in advance. Now that they’ve used about half the tires for the upcoming Sleep Lab 400, brought to you by United Insomniacs Inc., at Otto Klubb Speedway, what excuse will be offered up when they don’t have enough tires for there? The economy? High cost of hotel rooms? High gasoline prices? Fans shopping under the grandstands?
Why Are There So Many Unsponsored Busch Series Cars?
Lord only knows the Busch regular teams don’t get enough recognition for the efforts. Did anyone happen to notice that when a Busch regular team announces they have a sponsor you’re lucky to hear about it but when a Buschwacker announces a sponsor, it’s splashed all over the front page repeatedly and mentioned relentlessly by the talking heads during the various racer-tainment shows? Or how about the coverage of the Busch practice sessions? Anyone happen to notice who BSPN was locked in on? It wasn’t folks like Scott Wimmer, Derrike Cope, Blake Koch, or Morgan Shepherd. It’s folks like Dale Jr, Mr. Happy, and Cousin/Crazy Carl who are shown. So whomever might possibly step up to sponsor a Busch regular team isn’t going to sponsor a Busch regular team or even a Buschwacker team for $10 million for a whole season when they can put that same $10 million into a sponsorship on a Cup team which stands a better chance of being shown. Sponsors don’t get the Return on Investment (ROI) on a Busch Series team that they can on a Cup Series team. How many folks have rushed out and bought DuPont paint just because they advertise on the 24 car? How many folks have rushed out and bought a Caterpillar bulldozer just because it’s on Mayor McCheese’s car? How many folks know what green effort Jay Robinson Racing has on the C Post of their cars? Not many. So despite the name recognition of the drivers and the lack of coverage and mentions, especially with a Busch regular team, the sponsors aren’t getting back in sales what they had hoped to achieve through sponsoring a team. Why do you think the Navy, Marines, Gain, Red Baron Pizza, Bob Evans, Nesquik, Schneider National, and others have left the sport? They’re not getting back their ROI plus the strong-armed tactics used by the networks and NA$CAR to get them to advertise or be the official product/service/partner/provider of NA$CAR.
Just Why Are the Sponsor Mentions Down?
I really had a good laugh about this. It’s pretty simple really. Remember at the beginning of the season Focks said they’d be concentrating more on the drivers? That’s one part of the reason. Another part of it has to do with the economy. Sponsors are having to cut back on just how much money they’re laying out. It’s not just a matter of them laying out $20 million for a race team sponsorship, they also are subject to the strong-armed tactics of NASCAR and Focks to buy air-time for commercials or to be the official sponsor of some sort of segment during the race broadcasts which can cost them up to an additional $8 million. Or to be an official product/service/provider/partner of NA$CAR. So that $20 million sponsorship just jumped up to costing them $28 million or more. Who do you think pays for “The Five Knuckle Shuffle” brought to you by Mr Stiffy or the Exlax “Smooth Move of the Race”? Why do you think one car manufacturer is so heavily advertised and shown on so many sponsor graphics during the racer-tainment and we have both Jabber Jaws and The Human Shill yammering away about that one car or truck make so much? Then there’s also the cutback on “mention money”. That’s money paid to the networks to ensure that a team gets mentioned on-air. You don’t pony up any mention money you don’t get mentioned. With all these revenue sources drying up and the unwillingness of sponsors to fork over what almost seems like extortion money to get shown and mentioned on the air, it’s no wonder sponsors aren’t getting shown or mentioned as much. Take a good look at who buys air time during the commercial programming segments which is interrupted briefly by the weekend racer-tainment and how many times that team sponsor’s is shown to include the hood and quarter panels. You’ll see a lot more of the 48 and 24 cars than you will of the 7 or 92 cars. Why? Because the 7 & 92 sponsors don’t buy commercial programming time. It’s really that simple. You pay “protection money” you get taken care of as they say in La Costa Nostra.
IndyCar Heading for Trouble?
First there was the announcement that fans would be losing a lot of their internet access to IndyCar. Then came the recent announcement that they’d be using the Free Pass and Double File Restarts that is used by NA$CAR. Obviously, they didn’t learn from NA$CAR’s mistakes. Right now the long time fans are in an uproar, just like the long time NA$CAR fans have been with all of the changes that have been forced down there throats by Faux King Brian. I had high hopes for IndyCar but if they’re going to go down the same road which took NA$CAR from being a multi-billion dollar industry to a multi-million dollar industry, you have to wonder if maybe their new leadership needs to look at some history. Like I say, those who fail to learn the mistakes of history are doomed to repeat them.
Upcoming Rex White Appearances
Rex will be appearing at the 5th Annual Legends Helping Legends Fundraiser on March 26th at the Memory Lane Museum in Mooresville NC. The first weekend in June, Rex will be at JB Days for the annual Raymond Parks birthday celebration. Then in August, Rex will be appearing at Lynchburg City Stadium on August 18th from 6:00 pm-7:15 pm. So if you want a chance to meet one of the class acts of the Grand National circuit and the 1960 Grand National Champion, you’ve got several upcoming opportunities to do so. And tell him I said “Hi”.
Monday, March 7, 2011
5th Annual Legends Helping Legends Appearance List
These are the various drivers and racing personalities who are expected to be present at the Legends Helping Legends Fundraiser on March 26, 2011 from 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM at the Memory Lane Museum in Mooresville:
Dr. Don Tarr
Chocolate Myers
Paul Lewis
Jim Vandiver
Rex White
Don Johnson
Cecil Gordon
Peanut Thurman
Jabe Thomas
Ronnie Thomas
Travis Tiller
Don Miller
“Tiger” Tom Pistone
Gordon Pirkle
Bill Hollar
Walt Keller
Brownie King
Grey Smith
Neil Castles
J.B. Day
Frances Flock
Tom Higgins
Lou Larosa
Little Bud Moore
Lee Holman
Jimmy Hensley
Wanda Lund
Deb Williams
Lynn Evans
Bill Nacewiez
Buz McKim
Slick Owens
Elliot Forbes Robinson
Mitze Moody
Lloyd Dane
Blackie Wangerin
Dave Moody
Gene Hobby
Donnie Allison
Gene Hobby
Dr. Don Tarr
Chocolate Myers
Paul Lewis
Jim Vandiver
Rex White
Don Johnson
Cecil Gordon
Peanut Thurman
Jabe Thomas
Ronnie Thomas
Travis Tiller
Don Miller
“Tiger” Tom Pistone
Gordon Pirkle
Bill Hollar
Walt Keller
Brownie King
Grey Smith
Neil Castles
J.B. Day
Frances Flock
Tom Higgins
Lou Larosa
Little Bud Moore
Lee Holman
Jimmy Hensley
Wanda Lund
Deb Williams
Lynn Evans
Bill Nacewiez
Buz McKim
Slick Owens
Elliot Forbes Robinson
Mitze Moody
Lloyd Dane
Blackie Wangerin
Dave Moody
Gene Hobby
Donnie Allison
Gene Hobby
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
Time for Somebody to Lend a Helping Hand
There’s an old saying about charity beginning at home. And that’s what needs to be happening right now in NASCAR. We’ve got some racing greats who gave their all for the sport of stock car racing who are having some hard times getting medical care, paying the doctors’ bills, and meeting their everyday needs.
Recently, we found out that former racing great Fred Lorenzen was living in a nursing home as a result of his Alzheimer’s and that he was forgetting things, is beginning to forget names, was getting injured from falls at home, and that he pretty much wasn’t able to take care of himself. This is a far cry from the Golden Boy who wheeled his #28 Holman-Moody Ford around the track and winning. Fred gave his all for stock car racing and for the NASCAR under Bill France Sr. And how is Fred and his family being repaid by the France family for the sacrifices he made? They’re not. The Frances continue to hide behind the “independent contractor” clause. Despite the fact that NASCAR has a multi-million dollar charity which could easily assist Fred, it doesn’t. There are also a number of drivers who have charities who could step up and help Fred out. But they don’t.
Two time Busch Series champion Sam Ard was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s and Parkinson‘s Diseases several years ago. Sam and his wife Jo had to sell off Sam’s trophies, Martinsville clocks, championship rings, and other valuable memorabilia to try to keep up with the staggering medical bills of both Sam’s diseases and Jo’s blindness. The Old Timers Racing Club, through their Medical Hardship Fund, has been holding the Legends Helping Legends Fundraisers to assist drivers like Sam and other racing folks from the glory days of NASCAR. I attend them and was at the one they held for Sam. Racing greats like Rex White, Ned Jarrett, Bobby Allison, and others turned out to sign autographs for the fundraising event. All of those drivers, who like Sam, have no sort of medical help or pension fund to fall back on because of NASCAR’s continued hiding behind the “independent contractors” clause.
Both Mr. Happy and Dale Jr. stepped up and made donations to Sam’s care. Mr. Happy donated a van which was used in one of the Shell commercials he was in. The shocker was when Kyle Busch donated $100,000 to help with Sam’s care. Still, this is only 3 high profile drivers out of a how many? And where is NASCAR and the Frances in all of this? Neither the Frances, NASCAR, nor their “foundation” have donated a penny. There was a fundraiser at Richmond which raised $36,000 to help the Ard family out which had some fancy PR spin put on it to make it appear it was NASCAR making the donations but it wasn’t. For a supposed charity which pulls in untold millions and only donates $9 million to various charities, all of which benefit NASCAR and/or the France family either directly or indirectly, not to donate to former greats like Sam who helped put NASCAR on the map is almost criminal. All it takes is adding one sentence to the charter or rules to make it happen.
And what about all the high profile drivers who were shocked by Busch’s donation? What happened to the one-upmanship that drivers of old use to engage in? Drivers not wanting to be bested by their competitors? We didn’t see any of Busch’s vocal rivals step up and match his donation or try to beat it. Only Mr happy and Dale Jr. stepped up.
And what about Sam’s current condition? This is from a friend of the Ard family:
Sam is now a totally bed-ridden invalid. He is cared for at home by his wife 24/7. His request was and still is not to be placed in a nursing home.
It has been draining physically, emotionally, and financially. They are in desperate need of help at this time.
As you can see, Sam’s condition isn’t improving and the physical, mental, emotional, and financial drain on the family is still there. I know the toll it can take as I’m taking care of someone who was has been suffering with a seizure disorder for over 3 years.
Right now, Jo spends app. $300.00 a month for items which the VA does not provide. She struggles and juggles to make ends meet each month on his social security check. Any help would be appreciated, even gift cards to places like Walmart and grocery stores. There is a hole in her roof which she can't afford to have repaired. She is in need of a cooking stove, washer and dryer as theirs are about shot.
If this isn’t the perfect opportunity for Lowe’s or Home Depot to step up and help them out, I don’t know what is.
And how much did the Frances pay towards Bobby Allison's medical bills from his terrifying crash at Pocono that nearly took his life? Zip. It took Bobby over 20 years to pay those medical bills off. It would've taken the France family one check to pay off Bobby's medical bills. But no, they preferred to hide behind the "independent contractor" clause.
So, here’s what I’d like to see happen. I know the folks from NASCAR are reading this along with some team PR and marketing people. Get off your duffs. Set up a charity to help out drivers and other folks who were in the racing business who need medical assistance or help with their medical bills or their medical care. NASCAR, ISC, and SMI could have a “Sam Ard Day” at one of their tracks and take the ticket money and donate it to help Sam out. Or they could take 10% of their ticket sales for all NASCAR events and donate it to the Racing Legends Medical Hardship Fund since it already exists. You team PR and marketing people, hit your drivers, team owners, and sponsors up for donations and services that they can provide to help these ailing former greats. Home Depot and Lowe’s could donate materials and personnel to help make houses wheelchair accessible or makes repairs that are sorely needed or donate things like washers, dryers, stoves, ovens, or fridges. The Big 3 could donate vans that are configured to transport a wheelchair-bound person. UPS and FedEx could ship medical supplies and medications to these ailing folks for free. Drivers could donate 10% of their race earnings or souvenir sales for the year to help out. If a driver got the testicular fortitude, he could donate his entire race winnings to help out. Team owners could pass the hat in their shops for donations or make their own donations separate from that of the teams and drivers. The ones who own vehicle dealerships could even help out by doing what I suggested the Big 3 do. Or they could modify a vehicle to be donated.
And how about some of you TV network people? How about donating some airtime to promote fundraisers like the Legends Helping Legends Fundraiser events? Or even send a camera crew out there to cover them? Speed’s got the personnel to do it and it’s just up the road in Mooresville. Or blocking off a day and instead of showing those fluff and reality shows that few people watch, how about running a telethon to raise funds? This would be the perfect event to put the Motormouth Brothers to work. Have them shill for the fundraisers like they do for everyone else that owns or sponsors them. You could get some current drivers in there to help out or answer the phones and get some former greats like Buddy Baker, Rex White, Junior Johnson, and others to tell some stories about the good old days of racing and get their opinions on the current state of the sport. Get Wanda Lund on there to talk about some of her recipes and some of her stories about her husband Tiny and some of the other racing greats. It could be a fundraiser and a history lesson in one.
And why should the current day drivers and crewmembers get involved with something like this? Because if it wasn’t for the likes of Sam Ard, Suitcase Jake, Rex White, James Hylton, and others, there wouldn’t be a NASCAR or a job for them. These folks pioneered the way for them to be able to do what they do today. They kept NASCAR from going under when it looked like it was going to fold several times. Think about James Hylton. He got his start as a crewmember on Rex White’s team before he became a racer and was the 1966 ROY. Rex was a pioneer of using jackscrews and using camber to turn the cars. He wasn’t just a racer, he was also a mechanical genius. Rex got his start turning wrenches for Frankie Schneider. Suitcase Jake was probably one of the most famous names in the garage outside of the drivers because of his mechanical and crew chief abilities and for his moving from team to team.
Think about today’s drivers. How many of them have come up through the ranks of being a mechanic first? How many crew chiefs started out working for free on somebody’s car as part of a volunteer crew? Or how about some of the great practical jokes that were played like those done by Curtis Turner, Joe Weatherly, and Tiny Lund? These are the things which took a regional racing series and turned it into a national brand name. These are the people who worked 2-3 jobs and sacrificed so much to be able to have a racing career. If not for these folks, today’s drivers would still be running in some lower level racing series trying to scrape together a couple of bucks to buy tires, parts, or gasoline to run their next race. Just like these racing pioneers had to do. So maybe it’s time for these big buck, high profile racing folks to remember these former greats and help them out since the sanctioning body that they sacrificed everything for won’t. After all, these drivers, team owners, and crewmembers wouldn’t be where they are today if it wasn’t for the likes of Sam Ard, James Hylton, Rex White, Suitcase Jake, Junior Johnson, and others too numerous to name from the history of the sport.
Recently, we found out that former racing great Fred Lorenzen was living in a nursing home as a result of his Alzheimer’s and that he was forgetting things, is beginning to forget names, was getting injured from falls at home, and that he pretty much wasn’t able to take care of himself. This is a far cry from the Golden Boy who wheeled his #28 Holman-Moody Ford around the track and winning. Fred gave his all for stock car racing and for the NASCAR under Bill France Sr. And how is Fred and his family being repaid by the France family for the sacrifices he made? They’re not. The Frances continue to hide behind the “independent contractor” clause. Despite the fact that NASCAR has a multi-million dollar charity which could easily assist Fred, it doesn’t. There are also a number of drivers who have charities who could step up and help Fred out. But they don’t.
Two time Busch Series champion Sam Ard was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s and Parkinson‘s Diseases several years ago. Sam and his wife Jo had to sell off Sam’s trophies, Martinsville clocks, championship rings, and other valuable memorabilia to try to keep up with the staggering medical bills of both Sam’s diseases and Jo’s blindness. The Old Timers Racing Club, through their Medical Hardship Fund, has been holding the Legends Helping Legends Fundraisers to assist drivers like Sam and other racing folks from the glory days of NASCAR. I attend them and was at the one they held for Sam. Racing greats like Rex White, Ned Jarrett, Bobby Allison, and others turned out to sign autographs for the fundraising event. All of those drivers, who like Sam, have no sort of medical help or pension fund to fall back on because of NASCAR’s continued hiding behind the “independent contractors” clause.
Both Mr. Happy and Dale Jr. stepped up and made donations to Sam’s care. Mr. Happy donated a van which was used in one of the Shell commercials he was in. The shocker was when Kyle Busch donated $100,000 to help with Sam’s care. Still, this is only 3 high profile drivers out of a how many? And where is NASCAR and the Frances in all of this? Neither the Frances, NASCAR, nor their “foundation” have donated a penny. There was a fundraiser at Richmond which raised $36,000 to help the Ard family out which had some fancy PR spin put on it to make it appear it was NASCAR making the donations but it wasn’t. For a supposed charity which pulls in untold millions and only donates $9 million to various charities, all of which benefit NASCAR and/or the France family either directly or indirectly, not to donate to former greats like Sam who helped put NASCAR on the map is almost criminal. All it takes is adding one sentence to the charter or rules to make it happen.
And what about all the high profile drivers who were shocked by Busch’s donation? What happened to the one-upmanship that drivers of old use to engage in? Drivers not wanting to be bested by their competitors? We didn’t see any of Busch’s vocal rivals step up and match his donation or try to beat it. Only Mr happy and Dale Jr. stepped up.
And what about Sam’s current condition? This is from a friend of the Ard family:
Sam is now a totally bed-ridden invalid. He is cared for at home by his wife 24/7. His request was and still is not to be placed in a nursing home.
It has been draining physically, emotionally, and financially. They are in desperate need of help at this time.
As you can see, Sam’s condition isn’t improving and the physical, mental, emotional, and financial drain on the family is still there. I know the toll it can take as I’m taking care of someone who was has been suffering with a seizure disorder for over 3 years.
Right now, Jo spends app. $300.00 a month for items which the VA does not provide. She struggles and juggles to make ends meet each month on his social security check. Any help would be appreciated, even gift cards to places like Walmart and grocery stores. There is a hole in her roof which she can't afford to have repaired. She is in need of a cooking stove, washer and dryer as theirs are about shot.
If this isn’t the perfect opportunity for Lowe’s or Home Depot to step up and help them out, I don’t know what is.
And how much did the Frances pay towards Bobby Allison's medical bills from his terrifying crash at Pocono that nearly took his life? Zip. It took Bobby over 20 years to pay those medical bills off. It would've taken the France family one check to pay off Bobby's medical bills. But no, they preferred to hide behind the "independent contractor" clause.
So, here’s what I’d like to see happen. I know the folks from NASCAR are reading this along with some team PR and marketing people. Get off your duffs. Set up a charity to help out drivers and other folks who were in the racing business who need medical assistance or help with their medical bills or their medical care. NASCAR, ISC, and SMI could have a “Sam Ard Day” at one of their tracks and take the ticket money and donate it to help Sam out. Or they could take 10% of their ticket sales for all NASCAR events and donate it to the Racing Legends Medical Hardship Fund since it already exists. You team PR and marketing people, hit your drivers, team owners, and sponsors up for donations and services that they can provide to help these ailing former greats. Home Depot and Lowe’s could donate materials and personnel to help make houses wheelchair accessible or makes repairs that are sorely needed or donate things like washers, dryers, stoves, ovens, or fridges. The Big 3 could donate vans that are configured to transport a wheelchair-bound person. UPS and FedEx could ship medical supplies and medications to these ailing folks for free. Drivers could donate 10% of their race earnings or souvenir sales for the year to help out. If a driver got the testicular fortitude, he could donate his entire race winnings to help out. Team owners could pass the hat in their shops for donations or make their own donations separate from that of the teams and drivers. The ones who own vehicle dealerships could even help out by doing what I suggested the Big 3 do. Or they could modify a vehicle to be donated.
And how about some of you TV network people? How about donating some airtime to promote fundraisers like the Legends Helping Legends Fundraiser events? Or even send a camera crew out there to cover them? Speed’s got the personnel to do it and it’s just up the road in Mooresville. Or blocking off a day and instead of showing those fluff and reality shows that few people watch, how about running a telethon to raise funds? This would be the perfect event to put the Motormouth Brothers to work. Have them shill for the fundraisers like they do for everyone else that owns or sponsors them. You could get some current drivers in there to help out or answer the phones and get some former greats like Buddy Baker, Rex White, Junior Johnson, and others to tell some stories about the good old days of racing and get their opinions on the current state of the sport. Get Wanda Lund on there to talk about some of her recipes and some of her stories about her husband Tiny and some of the other racing greats. It could be a fundraiser and a history lesson in one.
And why should the current day drivers and crewmembers get involved with something like this? Because if it wasn’t for the likes of Sam Ard, Suitcase Jake, Rex White, James Hylton, and others, there wouldn’t be a NASCAR or a job for them. These folks pioneered the way for them to be able to do what they do today. They kept NASCAR from going under when it looked like it was going to fold several times. Think about James Hylton. He got his start as a crewmember on Rex White’s team before he became a racer and was the 1966 ROY. Rex was a pioneer of using jackscrews and using camber to turn the cars. He wasn’t just a racer, he was also a mechanical genius. Rex got his start turning wrenches for Frankie Schneider. Suitcase Jake was probably one of the most famous names in the garage outside of the drivers because of his mechanical and crew chief abilities and for his moving from team to team.
Think about today’s drivers. How many of them have come up through the ranks of being a mechanic first? How many crew chiefs started out working for free on somebody’s car as part of a volunteer crew? Or how about some of the great practical jokes that were played like those done by Curtis Turner, Joe Weatherly, and Tiny Lund? These are the things which took a regional racing series and turned it into a national brand name. These are the people who worked 2-3 jobs and sacrificed so much to be able to have a racing career. If not for these folks, today’s drivers would still be running in some lower level racing series trying to scrape together a couple of bucks to buy tires, parts, or gasoline to run their next race. Just like these racing pioneers had to do. So maybe it’s time for these big buck, high profile racing folks to remember these former greats and help them out since the sanctioning body that they sacrificed everything for won’t. After all, these drivers, team owners, and crewmembers wouldn’t be where they are today if it wasn’t for the likes of Sam Ard, James Hylton, Rex White, Suitcase Jake, Junior Johnson, and others too numerous to name from the history of the sport.
Saturday, January 15, 2011
Various Nuts and Bolts
I want to send my condolences out to Ken Schrader, his family, and friends over the passing on Ken’s mom. And say a few prayers for Mary, a long time race fan who’s going in for some major surgery.
It Finally Happened!
1960 Grand National Champion and my good friend Rex White was finally inducted into the International Motorsports Hall of Fame (IMHOF). It’s about 35 years overdue in my opnion. The great thing is that Rex is still here to enjoy it. Other inductees to the IMHOF haven’t been so lucky. Now the challenge is to get Rex into the NA$CAR HOF while he’s still with us and before the place either becomes a total ghost town, gets shut down, gets bought by Rick Hendrick and turned into the Jimmie Johnson Shrine, or becomes the Palm Tree Hunter Center of Worship for "Soda" Spilling.
White Line Fever
It looks like JC France, who was busted for street racing and cocaine possession which were later dropped thanks to Judge Kennedy (who dismissed cases against other France family members), is back racing in the Rolex Series again. At a recent testing event, he kept the nose of his car right on the white line all around the track. An unconfirmed rumor has it that the white lines had to be repainted as they disappeared when JC’s car supposedly snorted them.
Bayne, what’s next, and Follow the Wood Brothers
I’ll be curious to see what happens with Trevor Bayne. Although he’s a Roush “property“, it’s looking like he’ll run at least 17 races with the Wood Brothers. It’s possible he could run some more if some sponsorship comes through. After the news that Bill Elliott was going to drive for James Finch and then it was denied, I can’t say as I blame the Wood Brothers for wanting to run Bayne the full season.
And speaking of the Wood Brothers, you might want to follow them on Facebook and Twitter. From time to time they run a trivia contest and you can win some interesting swag. I know because I played on Boxing Day (December 26th) and won a t-shirt, driver’s card, and two decals. Not bad for answering some pretty simple (to me anyways) questions about the Wood Brothers. Of course, you might want to bone up on their history first if you’re not familiar with them.
German TV Gets the Racing Right
German Sky, a German TV network, will be not only broadcasting F-1 in HD but also without commercial interruption. How long have we race fans across the board been wanting something like this? Imagine seeing the entire Daytona 500 or World 600 at home without commercial interruption? Or the NHRA Winter Nationals? Or ARCA races? The German Sky network execs know they’re competing against other series, sports, and shows so by foregoing the commercials they’re looking to pull in the maximum number of F-1 fans and gear heads they can. Hello Ivory Towers?
http://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&ie=UTF-8&sl=auto&tl=en&u=http://www.digitalfernsehen.de/Sky-zeigt-Formel-1-Rennen-2011-erstmals-in-nativem-HDTV.47125.0.html&prev=_t&rurl=translate.google.co.uk
Buyer Beware!
In today’s Buyer Beware category, it seems that a NA$CAR personality may have tried to pull a scam in the past. It seems that when asked for paperwork regarding the charity that this NA$CAR personality had established, this personality fails to produce it. It didn’t matter if this personality was hired for a personal appearance or an autograph session. Supposedly the money collected for these appearances goes to their charity but as the paperwork was never produced for that charity, it’s hard to say if the money is actually going where it’s supposed to. Apparently, failure to produce the charity paperwork is illegal according to what I’ve read.
Fading Glory
As a kid, one of my favorite racers was Fred Lorenzen. Fred was the original Poster Boy when it came to good looking drivers promoting the sport and promoting Ford, which is what he drove at that time. He was well spoken, clean cut, and an all-around decent guy not to mention one heck of a driver. As time has marched on Fred’s mental health has slowly deteriorated and he’s now living in an assisted care facility. While he can remember races from the old days, he has trouble remembering what’s happening today. If you want to make his day and give him some words of encouragement, you can drop him a card or letter at the following address:
Bridgeway Christian Village
Attn: Fred Lorenzen
Room No. 146
111 E. Washington
Bensenville, Ill. 60106-2674
I need to give credit Rick Houston at NA$CAR.com for the great article he wrote about Fred.
He’s a real commode-ian. He should be flushed with success.
Like the separation of church and state, I sure hope that The Human Shill can keep his day job as a supposed comedian separate from his night job as a shill/cheerleader on Speed‘s coverage of the Truck Series. It’s bad enough having to put up with his constant shilling for his team’s sponsors and his manufacturer plus the cheerleading he does for select drivers who drive the same make of truck. The fans at home don’t need to have him testing out his comic material on them during the truck races. Although when you consider the fact that some fans consider his racing career to be something of a joke, maybe he’s finally in the right line of work?
Daytona 500 Conspiracy Theory
With the Daytona 500 coming up along with the 10th anniversary of the death of Iron Head and Faux King Brian in desperate need of some major headlines to try to lure in more of the Short Attention Span Crowd and in desperate hopes of getting a few old fans to return, wouldn’t it be a real coincidence if Jr. won the Daytona 500? If you think back to the wins Jr. got on certain anniversaries, it definitely makes you wonder and lends some credence to this theory and it’s something that a lot of conspiracy theorists point to. Jr’s wins on the various anniversaries. So think about it, draw your own conclusions, form your own opinions, and see what happens on February 20th. If the conspiracy theorists are right, it lends even more credence to Steve O’Donnell, VP of Racing Operations, and his sworn statement that the sanctioning body and its’ activities are sports entertainment and not actually a motorsport. If the conspiracy theorists are wrong, then they’re wrong. It wouldn’t be the first time and probably wouldn’t be the last. So think about it and don’t go blasting me for putting this idea out there or say I‘m a Jr. Hater. I want folks to think about it and discuss it. And for those that think a race can’t be rigged, go back through NA$CAR’s history and you’ll find several races that were manipulated or had some irregularities that were overlooked, encouraged, or swept under the rug by both Big and Little Bill. The very first Strictly Stock race in which the winner was DQ’ed because Big Bill didn’t like a bootlegger winning the very first race and the tone that would set historically, Fireball Roberts being DQ’ed in order to keep Kiekhaefer’s mega-team in NA$CAR, Joe Weatherly and Curtis Turner being awarded points for a race they didn’t participate in, and the King’s 200th win are just some examples. So cuss and discuss the upcoming Daytona 500 and the possibilities the conspiracy theorists are putting out there.
Gone with the Wind
At the end of the 2011 season, Firestone will not renew their contract with IndyCar. While no official reason has been given yet, it could be for financial reasons. Bridgestone, the parent company of Firestone, is pulling out of racing across the board. This leaves the 2012 season wide open for a new tire provider to work with IndyCar. Michelin, Kumho, Hankook, Cooper, and Dunlop could all be in the running to replace Firestone for the IndyCar Series and a load of other companies could replace Bridgestone in the series that they’re involved in. So it’s possible there could be some tire wars going on this season in a bid to replace both Firestone and Bridgestone.
Two Thumbs Up to IndyCar
3 time Indy 500 winner Johnny Rutherford, Mario Andretti, Al Unser Jr., Sarah Fisher, Davey Hamilton, and Larry Foyt will be doing the Indianapolis 500 Centennial Tour, which is being coordinated by Morale Entertainment Foundation and Armed Forces Entertainment, in conjunction with the IndyCar Series and the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and they start this week. The 10-day goodwill trip to Europe and the Middle East has a goal of boosting the morale of a lot of troops they plan to meet during the 10 day tour. Their first stop will be the Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Landstuhl Germany, which was next to door to where I was stationed, Ramstein AB from 1980-1985.
The last time I heard of a NASCAR driver or personality doing something like this was several years ago when Jeremy Mayfield visited the troops and even went to one of the outlying outposts in a hostile area to meet with some race fans. So to the IndyCar folks and the racing greats involved with this tour, two thumbs up, a checkered flag, and a trophy for this great effort.
It Finally Happened!
1960 Grand National Champion and my good friend Rex White was finally inducted into the International Motorsports Hall of Fame (IMHOF). It’s about 35 years overdue in my opnion. The great thing is that Rex is still here to enjoy it. Other inductees to the IMHOF haven’t been so lucky. Now the challenge is to get Rex into the NA$CAR HOF while he’s still with us and before the place either becomes a total ghost town, gets shut down, gets bought by Rick Hendrick and turned into the Jimmie Johnson Shrine, or becomes the Palm Tree Hunter Center of Worship for "Soda" Spilling.
White Line Fever
It looks like JC France, who was busted for street racing and cocaine possession which were later dropped thanks to Judge Kennedy (who dismissed cases against other France family members), is back racing in the Rolex Series again. At a recent testing event, he kept the nose of his car right on the white line all around the track. An unconfirmed rumor has it that the white lines had to be repainted as they disappeared when JC’s car supposedly snorted them.
Bayne, what’s next, and Follow the Wood Brothers
I’ll be curious to see what happens with Trevor Bayne. Although he’s a Roush “property“, it’s looking like he’ll run at least 17 races with the Wood Brothers. It’s possible he could run some more if some sponsorship comes through. After the news that Bill Elliott was going to drive for James Finch and then it was denied, I can’t say as I blame the Wood Brothers for wanting to run Bayne the full season.
And speaking of the Wood Brothers, you might want to follow them on Facebook and Twitter. From time to time they run a trivia contest and you can win some interesting swag. I know because I played on Boxing Day (December 26th) and won a t-shirt, driver’s card, and two decals. Not bad for answering some pretty simple (to me anyways) questions about the Wood Brothers. Of course, you might want to bone up on their history first if you’re not familiar with them.
German TV Gets the Racing Right
German Sky, a German TV network, will be not only broadcasting F-1 in HD but also without commercial interruption. How long have we race fans across the board been wanting something like this? Imagine seeing the entire Daytona 500 or World 600 at home without commercial interruption? Or the NHRA Winter Nationals? Or ARCA races? The German Sky network execs know they’re competing against other series, sports, and shows so by foregoing the commercials they’re looking to pull in the maximum number of F-1 fans and gear heads they can. Hello Ivory Towers?
http://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&ie=UTF-8&sl=auto&tl=en&u=http://www.digitalfernsehen.de/Sky-zeigt-Formel-1-Rennen-2011-erstmals-in-nativem-HDTV.47125.0.html&prev=_t&rurl=translate.google.co.uk
Buyer Beware!
In today’s Buyer Beware category, it seems that a NA$CAR personality may have tried to pull a scam in the past. It seems that when asked for paperwork regarding the charity that this NA$CAR personality had established, this personality fails to produce it. It didn’t matter if this personality was hired for a personal appearance or an autograph session. Supposedly the money collected for these appearances goes to their charity but as the paperwork was never produced for that charity, it’s hard to say if the money is actually going where it’s supposed to. Apparently, failure to produce the charity paperwork is illegal according to what I’ve read.
Fading Glory
As a kid, one of my favorite racers was Fred Lorenzen. Fred was the original Poster Boy when it came to good looking drivers promoting the sport and promoting Ford, which is what he drove at that time. He was well spoken, clean cut, and an all-around decent guy not to mention one heck of a driver. As time has marched on Fred’s mental health has slowly deteriorated and he’s now living in an assisted care facility. While he can remember races from the old days, he has trouble remembering what’s happening today. If you want to make his day and give him some words of encouragement, you can drop him a card or letter at the following address:
Bridgeway Christian Village
Attn: Fred Lorenzen
Room No. 146
111 E. Washington
Bensenville, Ill. 60106-2674
I need to give credit Rick Houston at NA$CAR.com for the great article he wrote about Fred.
He’s a real commode-ian. He should be flushed with success.
Like the separation of church and state, I sure hope that The Human Shill can keep his day job as a supposed comedian separate from his night job as a shill/cheerleader on Speed‘s coverage of the Truck Series. It’s bad enough having to put up with his constant shilling for his team’s sponsors and his manufacturer plus the cheerleading he does for select drivers who drive the same make of truck. The fans at home don’t need to have him testing out his comic material on them during the truck races. Although when you consider the fact that some fans consider his racing career to be something of a joke, maybe he’s finally in the right line of work?
Daytona 500 Conspiracy Theory
With the Daytona 500 coming up along with the 10th anniversary of the death of Iron Head and Faux King Brian in desperate need of some major headlines to try to lure in more of the Short Attention Span Crowd and in desperate hopes of getting a few old fans to return, wouldn’t it be a real coincidence if Jr. won the Daytona 500? If you think back to the wins Jr. got on certain anniversaries, it definitely makes you wonder and lends some credence to this theory and it’s something that a lot of conspiracy theorists point to. Jr’s wins on the various anniversaries. So think about it, draw your own conclusions, form your own opinions, and see what happens on February 20th. If the conspiracy theorists are right, it lends even more credence to Steve O’Donnell, VP of Racing Operations, and his sworn statement that the sanctioning body and its’ activities are sports entertainment and not actually a motorsport. If the conspiracy theorists are wrong, then they’re wrong. It wouldn’t be the first time and probably wouldn’t be the last. So think about it and don’t go blasting me for putting this idea out there or say I‘m a Jr. Hater. I want folks to think about it and discuss it. And for those that think a race can’t be rigged, go back through NA$CAR’s history and you’ll find several races that were manipulated or had some irregularities that were overlooked, encouraged, or swept under the rug by both Big and Little Bill. The very first Strictly Stock race in which the winner was DQ’ed because Big Bill didn’t like a bootlegger winning the very first race and the tone that would set historically, Fireball Roberts being DQ’ed in order to keep Kiekhaefer’s mega-team in NA$CAR, Joe Weatherly and Curtis Turner being awarded points for a race they didn’t participate in, and the King’s 200th win are just some examples. So cuss and discuss the upcoming Daytona 500 and the possibilities the conspiracy theorists are putting out there.
Gone with the Wind
At the end of the 2011 season, Firestone will not renew their contract with IndyCar. While no official reason has been given yet, it could be for financial reasons. Bridgestone, the parent company of Firestone, is pulling out of racing across the board. This leaves the 2012 season wide open for a new tire provider to work with IndyCar. Michelin, Kumho, Hankook, Cooper, and Dunlop could all be in the running to replace Firestone for the IndyCar Series and a load of other companies could replace Bridgestone in the series that they’re involved in. So it’s possible there could be some tire wars going on this season in a bid to replace both Firestone and Bridgestone.
Two Thumbs Up to IndyCar
3 time Indy 500 winner Johnny Rutherford, Mario Andretti, Al Unser Jr., Sarah Fisher, Davey Hamilton, and Larry Foyt will be doing the Indianapolis 500 Centennial Tour, which is being coordinated by Morale Entertainment Foundation and Armed Forces Entertainment, in conjunction with the IndyCar Series and the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and they start this week. The 10-day goodwill trip to Europe and the Middle East has a goal of boosting the morale of a lot of troops they plan to meet during the 10 day tour. Their first stop will be the Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Landstuhl Germany, which was next to door to where I was stationed, Ramstein AB from 1980-1985.
The last time I heard of a NASCAR driver or personality doing something like this was several years ago when Jeremy Mayfield visited the troops and even went to one of the outlying outposts in a hostile area to meet with some race fans. So to the IndyCar folks and the racing greats involved with this tour, two thumbs up, a checkered flag, and a trophy for this great effort.
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