By TOM AVENENGO
A mixture of some of the photos I have in my computer. Enjoy!
Mike Nazaruk is pictured in the MacNamara 73. Notice how different the tires were, “Back in the day”?
Johnny Ritter in the Sugar Blues # 31 and Al Keller in the 41.
Eddie Sachs in the Peter Schmidt # 44. Langhorne?
Ted Tappett (Phil Walters) is pictured in his potent # 23 stock car. This was almost an unbeatable combination!
Big Tom Hagar in his modified # 43 at OCFS. Notice the drive-in section? Hard to get anymore cars in it!
Walt Imlay took this photo of Bill Schindler in “Basement Bessie”. Car was built in a basement by Paul Russo and Ray Nicols.
Jeff Nichol took this nice photo of my grandson, Brett, back in 2006. Ah yes, I remember it well!
Larry “Crash” Crocket in the Engle/Stanko # 31 Sprint car – this is the car he drove in his last race.
Bill Schindler in the Earl Beal # 2 Sprint car.
It was 56 years ago when Joan Marie Rose changed her name to Joan Marie Avenengo. Yes, it was a day I’ll never forget. It was our start to some 50+ years of being together, raising five children, having a ton of grandchildren and even a few great grandchildren, too. We had mostly good times and a few bad times, too, but we survived – basically. After a few visits down to Cape Coral, Florida, we decided to sell our house in Port Jervis, New York, and head to Florida. Sadly, we had no takers on the house. More sadly, Joan had some serious health issues, which ultimately led to her passing away. She was a good wife to me, and more importantly, a good mother to our children. She was, and always will be the love of my life. Can’t ask for anymore, I suppose?
NEWS FROM Orange County Fair Speedway
EXCITEMENT ABOUNDS FOR 55th ANNIVERSARY EASTERN STATES WEEKEND
Big-Block Modifieds, Small-Block Modifieds, Sportsman, 305 Sprint Cars, and Street Stocks in three days of nonstop racing action
MIDDLETOWN, NY (September 11)……..It’s just over a month away and excitement is already building for the 55th Annual Eastern States Weekend, October 21-23, 2016, presented by Halmar International, WLR Construction, and Arkel Motors at the historic Orange County Fair Speedway in Middletown, New York. But the weekend’s headline race remains the Eastern States 200, the oldest consecutively-run championship event for dirt track Modified stock cars in the country. This year’s Eastern States has again been enhanced by huge increases in the purses for the Big- and Small-Block races, adding to the excitement of the entire weekend.
Activity actually begins a day earlier: At 12:00 noon on Thursday, October 20 the pits open to competitors for hauler parking and inspections. Later, between 2:00 pm and 9:00 pm, the grounds will open for early arriving campers.
Racing begins on Friday, October 21. The Fairgrounds and pits open at 9:30 am, with the car inspection beginning at 10:30 am and spectator gates at 11:00 am. Following car inspections and drivers meeting, on-track practice for time trials for the Big-Block Modified and Sportsman division begins at 1:00 pm. After time trials are complete, Sportsman heats precede Modified heats, Sportsman consolation races, and a hot lap session for the Small-Block Modifieds. Friday’s Sportsman 50-lap feature race, paying $1,000 to win, caps off the day’s racing.
Saturday, October 22 the racing is virtually non-stop with the Small Block Modified and 305 Sprint Cars the featured divisions. The Fairgrounds and pits open at 8:00 am with the spectator gates at 10:00 am. The drivers meeting is at 11:00 am followed by hot laps for the Small Block Modifieds and 305 Sprint Cars.
After 305 Sprint Car timed hot laps and the Small Block Modified Time Trials, qualifying heat and consolation races for the two divisions will be run.
The first feature race of the day will be the 25-lap 305 Sprint Car main, and then the headline 100-lap Small-Block Modified championship race, which will see the winner take home $15,000 plus bonus and laps leader awards.
All this leads to the Sunday, October 23 finale, the 55th Annual Eastern States 200 Championship Race for Modifieds Presented by Halmar International, WLR Construction and Arkel Motors. The only true 200-lap race of its kind, the Eastern States 200 winner will earn $35,000 plus bonus and laps leader awards. Should one driver win both Saturday’s and Sunday’s championship races, his paycheck will be enhanced with a $10,000 bonus!
Following the Fairgrounds and pits opening at 8:00 am, spectator gates swing open at 9:00 am. Street Stock inspection also begins at 8:00 am, followed by the Street Stock drivers meeting at 9:15 am. On-track activities begin at 9:30 am with the annual Pit Party when all fans are invited to join the racers along the track’s historic homestretch. Cars from all Orange County’s racing divisions will be on display, and drivers will be on hand to greet fans and sign autographs.
Following the Pit Party, racing gets underway with hot laps and qualifying heat and consolation races for the Street Stocks and last chance Modified consolation races. Next up will be the 25-lap Street Stock $250-to-win championship race. And then at 2:30 pm, it’s time for trackside ceremonies, driver introductions, and the headline Eastern States 200 for Modifieds Presented by Halmar International, WLR Construction, and Arkel Motors.
Advance tickets, camping, and parking permits are available at the Speedway Office during regular business hours, or credit card sales (Visa and MasterCard) by calling 845-342-2573. Additional information can be found at the official Orange County Fair Speedway website,www.orangecountyfairspeedway.net.
Media members may request Eastern States Weekend credentials by contacting Bobby Armbruster at barmbr9493@aol.com before October 8, 2016.
Race teams: An open practice at OCFS is scheduled for Saturday, October 15 from 5:00 pm to 9:00 pm.
News from the Bob Hilbert Sportswear Short Track Super Series Fueled By VP
Media Contact: Brett Deyo – bdmotorsportsmedia@gmail.com or 845.728.2781
For Immediate Release/September 12, 2016
MjH Oilfield Re-Ups As Title Sponsor Of Wade Decker Memorial; Short Track Super Series Invasion Of Thunder Mountain Set For This Sunday, September 18
CENTER LISLE, NY – When the fourth edition of the Wade Decker Memorial takes place on Sunday (Sept. 18) at Thunder Mountain Speedway, MjH Oilfield will again serve as the title sponsor.
MjH Oilfield’s Matt Hayes has re-upped his title marketing partnership of the event, which marks the return of the Bob Hilbert Sportswear Short Track Super Series Fueled By VP to Thunder Mountain for the second time in 2016.
A 50-lap big-block/small-block event run in memory of fallen Southern Tier racer Wade Decker will serve as the eighth round of the Halmar International North Region for 2016. The annual Wade Decker Memorial headlines a Sunday season finale of racing at Thunder Mountain, the rejuvenated three-eighths-mile oval located just outside Whitney Point, N.Y.
The Wade Decker Memorial is run each year in memory of Decker, a talented competitor who progressed from the Street Stocks to race in the Modified division. Decker tragically lost his life on Dec. 5, 2011 in a logging accident. He was just 37 years old.
The first MjH Oilfield Wade Decker Memorial took place in 2012 at N.Y.’s I-88 Speedway with Pat Ward taking the win. The race moved to Thunder Mountain in 2014 and Andy Bachetti prevailed as the victor. A year ago, the event joined the Short Track Super Series schedule and Stewart Friesen bested Chad Cook in a back-and-forth battle.
Again in ’16, the event is an integral event on the Short Track Super Series agenda.
Just two events remain on the STSS Halmar International North Region schedule including the Wade Decker Memorial.
Ransomville, N.Y., driver Erick Rudolph holds a slim lead in the battle for the $12,000 championship. Currently, Rudolph has an advantage of 45 points over Sheffield, Mass., resident Andy Bachetti and 51 markers on Waldwick, N.J.’s Tommy Meier, who has rallied since mid-season in the Jeff Behrent-owned No. 3.
Point standings can be found at the following link: http://bdmotorsportsmedia.com/2016-halmar-north-region-standings/
The series began in April at N.Y.’s Orange County Fair Speedway with Meier reaching Victory Lane in the ‘Hard Clay Open’ event. Other winners have included Ryan Watt (Pa.’s Big Diamond); Chad Cook (Thunder Mountain in May); Matt Sheppard (N.Y.’s Outlaw Speedway); Stewart Friesen (N.Y.’s Accord); and Ryan Godown (N.Y.’s I-88 and Woodhull).
The North Region concludes Oct. 7-8 at I-88 Speedway with the ninth “Working Man’s Race” Short Track SuperNationals.
For the Wade Decker Memorial, pit gates open at 2 p.m. Grandstand gates are unlocked at 3 p.m. Hot laps begin at 5 p.m., with racing at 6 p.m.
Adult grandstand admission is $22. Seniors (ages 65 and over) and Students (ages 10-17) pay $15. Kids 9 and under are FREE. Pit admission is $35 with no license required.
Complete rules, prices and general information have been posted at the following link: http://bdmotorsportsmedia.com/wade-decker-memorial-rules-prices-general-info/
Joining the STSS Modifieds at the Wade Decker Memorial are Crate 602 Sportsman, Street Stocks and XCel 600 Modifieds.
To learn more about the Short Track Super Series Fueled By VP or BD Motorsports Media LLC, visit www.shorttracksuperseries.com or www.bdmotorsportsmedia.com, call 845.728.2781 during business hours, e-mail bdmotorsportsmedia@gmail.com, “like” Short Track Super Series on Facebook or follow @ShortTrackSS on Twitter.
The 2016 Short Track Super Series is presented by American Racer/Lias Tire, VP Racing Fuel, Bob Hilbert Sportswear, Halmar International, Allstar Performance, ATL Racing Fuel Cells, Behrent’s Performance Warehouse, Bicknell Racing Products, COMP Performance Group, Dirt Track Digest, Fast Axle, Fox Racing Shocks, Hig Fab, Henry’s Exhaust, Hurlock Auto & Speed Supply, HyperCo, Kirkey Racing Fabrication, K&N, Race Pro Weekly, Racing Optics, Teo-Pro Car, Vahlco Wheels & Velocita
2016 Short Track Super Series Fueled By VP North Region Schedule
Saturday, April 2 – Orange County Fair Speedway/Middletown, NY – Hard Clay Open – WINNER: Tommy Meier
Tuesday, May 17 – Big Diamond Speedway/Minersville, PA – Anthracite Assault (Combo) – WINNER: Ryan Watt
Sunday, May 29 – Thunder Mountain Speedway/Center Lisle, NY – Lightning on the Mountain – WINNER: Chad Cook
Wednesday, June 8 – Outlaw Speedway/Dundee, NY – Ultimate Outlaw 50 – WINNER: Matt Sheppard
Tuesday, July 5 – Accord Speedway/Accord, NY – Battle of the Bullring 4 – WINNER: Stewart Friesen
Wednesday, July 27 – I-88 Speedway/Afton, NY – Crazy 8s Special – WINNER: Ryan Godown
Wednesday, August 17 – Woodhull Raceway/Woodhull, NY – Hustlin’ the High Banks 52 – WINNER: Ryan Godown
Sunday, September 18 (Rain Date: TBA) – Thunder Mountain Speedway/Center Lisle, NY – Wade Decker Memorial
Friday-Saturday October 7-8 (Rain Date: October 9) – I-88 Speedway/Afton, NY – Short Track SuperNationals 9– Championship Points
Short Track Super Series Fueled By VP North Region Point Fund (*based on 9 events): 1. $12,000; 2. $7,000; 3. $4,000; 4. $3,000; 5. $2,500; 6. $1,850; 7. $1,750; 8. $1,650; 9. $1,550; 10. $1,450; 11. $1,000; 12. $1,000
*Drivers outside the top-12 with perfect attendance receive $250
DRIVER NEWS
Wow! I just saw this around 5:30 on Monday:
Effective immediately team 3 and team 35 have parted ways. We want to thank LJ for a great job during our time together and wish him much success in the future. Team 3 will be picking a driver for ESW and we will have the winter to see who will be the full time driver for next season. Anyone wishing to throw their name in the hat I welcome it. Please send a resume to my email at pascualracing@gmail.com Thank you to everyone involved with this team.
This week’s feature stories/articles in the AARN are:
Lance Dewease Wins Port Royal’s Prestigious, Rich Tuscarora 50
Utica-Rome’s $10,000 Cole Cup 360 Sprint Race Is Taken By Pennsylvanian Mark Smith
Grandview’s Freedom 76er Goes To Jeff Strunk In Glenn Hyneman’s Car
Andy Bachetti Named Winner Of American Racer Cup $10,000 Prize
Gary Wolford Super Sportsman Memorial At Susky Is All Scott Dellinger’s
Teenager Bobby Pierce Is At ‘Top Of The World’ After Eldora Victory; Zeal Muted By Steve Unger Death
Caprara Family Back At Can Am Helm; Runs First Race With Big Crowd
NASCAR WMT Title Fight Heats Up With Solomito Win At Seekonk
Moe Lilje Upsets ISMA Supermodifieds, Wins Star Classic
Sheppard Stays Red Hot On Super DIRT Series Trail; Wins Third Straight
More news found in this week’s issue:
Buzzie Reutiman is still racing down in Florida – and winning. Buzzie is a young 75 years old.
Stan Ploski will make his last start this Saturday at the New Egypt Speedway. He’ll be racing in the Crate Sportsman class.
The Capraras have bought back Can-Am Speedway up in LaFargeville, N.Y.
NEMA had 10 regular midgets and 16 “Lites” at the Wiscasset, ME. Speedway.
At Rolling Wheels on September 25th, there’s a 100 lap Modified race with 10G’s to win and $1,000.00 to start. 360 Sprints will run for $5,000.00 to win and $500.00 to start. The GRIT Sportsman winner will get $3,000.00 to win and $350.00 to start. Gates open at 1:00 PM and racing starts at 6:30.
Some results for former OVRP Dirt Oval racers that have moved up the ladder, competition wise:
At Weedsport in ESS, Billy V was 3rd in the Mach 1 Chassis A-Main.
At Utica/Rome in ESS, Billy V was 13th.
At Accord, in the Modified feature, Anthony Perrego was the Modified feature winner, while Danny Creeden was 2nd and Dom Roselli was 12th. Joey Bruning won the Sportsman feature, while Milton Mann was 5th and Winter Mead was a DNS. Zach Mead 4th in the NEWS Sprint car feature.
At A/S, in the Small Block feature, Matt Janiak was 12th. In the Sportsman feature, Hunter Bates was 17th, Cody Hunt 19th, Cody Bleau 21st. Josh Pieniazek was 2nd, Scott Goodrich 9th, Brian Krummel 11th, Tyler Jashembowski 13th, Emily VanInwegen 18th and Chuck Alessi 20th in the CRSA Sprint car feature.
At Big Diamond, in the Coalcracker 72 lap feature for modifieds, Danny Bouc was 15th. Brian Krummel was a DNQ
At Devils Bowl, on the asphalt track, in the 50 lap Modified feature, Bobby Hackel, IV, was 14th.
At Devil’s Bowl on dirt: Bobby Hackel, IV was 6th.
At the 46th Annual Freedom 76 Modified Feature at Grandview, Brian Krummel was 7th while Tyler Dippel and Danny Bouc were Both DNF, Billy V was a DNQ.
At Thunder Mountain, in the Modified feature, Danny Creeden was 2nd.
At OCFS in the Modified feature, L.J. Lombardo was 13th, Kyle Armstrong 15th, Brendan Finley 16th and Mike Ruggiero 20th. Winter Mead was a DNQ. In the Sportsman feature, Joe Conklin was 3rd, Anthony Falanga 4th, Joey Falanga 9th, Jamie Yannone 18th and Johnny Illanovsky 24th. In the Rooke Sportsman feature # 1, Kyle Jashembowski was 4th. In feature # 2, Cody Hunt was 3rd.
At U/R, in the Cole Cup 360 Sprint car race, Davie Franek was 6th and Billy V 17th. A.J. Filbeck was 11th in the RoC 602 Sportsman feature.
Tiffany Wambold was 10th at Mahoning Valley in the Hobby Stock feature.
Davie Franek was 1st at Delmar, DE. in the URC feature.
Kyle Redner was 3rd and RichCoons 5th in the 358 Sportsman feature at Bethel.
Cale Ross was 7th at New Egypt in the Sportsman feature.
Jacob Hendershot won at Bridgeport in the 270 Micro feature.
Tyler Pirone was 24th at Hamlin in the held over Slingshot feature, and was 13th in the nights regular feature.
John Virgilio was 4th in the Sportsman feature at Lebanon Valley.
Cup qualifying at Richmond:
Fastest was Denny Hamlin with a time of 22.069 and an average speed of 122.344 MPH.
Slowest was Jeffery Earnhardt with a time of 22.466 and an average speed of 120.182 MPH.
Found on the Jayski website:
Larson explains loyalty to Ganassi: The NASCAR courtship of Kyle Larson mostly came down to cash. Because the driver didn’t have any to offer, choosing a team was an easy decision.
“I got to come down to Charlotte and meet with a lot of team owners and stuff, and every single one of them was like, ‘Oh yeah, we’d love to do something with you, but we need a half-million dollars,’ ” Larson said on this week’s NASCAR on NBC podcast. “I earned all my rides. I didn’t bring money to any ride.” During the new podcast episode, which will be released early Wednesday morning, Larson explains the yearlong process that led to signing with Chip Ganassi Racing after meeting with several teams in the Sprint Cup Series during the 2011 season in which he became a breakout star in USAC. Aside from Ganassi, virtually every team either asked Larson to bring sponsorship or couldn’t guarantee him a long-term plan to reach Cup.
“If anyone knows Chip, all of his conversations, at least with me and most people, are really short,” said Larson, who also offers a brief impersonation of his team owner during the podcast. “Within the first minute probably of talking to him, he was ‘Oh yeah, how do we sign you up?’ So I was like, ‘Well, this is awesome. He’s the only guy who didn’t mention a thing about any money.’
“I definitely have to be loyal to him for giving me a shot and taking a big chance on me. It was a huge gamble for this team and Target on a 19-year-old kid from California.”NBC Sports)
Well, this kinda sucks:
Is racing at Milwaukee Mile at finish line?
By Dave Kallmann of the Journal Sentinel
Without a promoter, there will be no IndyCar race at the Milwaukee Mile next year, and without a race next year, there doesn’t seem to be much hope for big-time racing at the track in the future.
“It’s really hard to say,” said Mark Miles, CEO of Hulman & Co., the parent company of IndyCar, during a conference call Tuesday.
“I don’t feel terribly optimistic about it, although I think the Milwaukee market, darn it, it ought to have worked for us. There’s a great tradition there.”
IndyCar announced its 2016 schedule Tuesday morning, and it didn’t include any surprises. It contains 16 races, including the previously announced event at Road America in Elkhart Lake and a return to Phoenix, which also was no secret. Both had hosted Indy-style racing under several sanctioning bodies, Road America from 1982-2007 and Phoenix from 1964-2005.
Milwaukee was the most notable absence. The most recent promotion group, headed by driver-turned-team-owner Michael Andretti, had struggled to reach its goals for the event and then dissolved in a legal dispute since the race this year.
Road America officials entertained the idea of promoting the Mile, as well, but dismissed it. That might have been the best hope for Milwaukee but wasn’t the only one.
“I don’t think it’s right to say it was dead when our friends in Elkhart Lake decided not to try to do both,” Miles said. “There were other conversations with other prospective promoters and in the end it wasn’t any one, it was none. That sort of made the decision for us.”
IndyCar sought suggestions from local business partners, Miles said, and other parties inquired with the sanctioning body about the possibility of promoting.
The track is part of State Fair Park. IndyCar did ask about the Fair’s interest in promoting, Fair executive director Rick Frenette said, but that discussion was brief.
Although the park promoted the track for a short time, officials have said for years they’re not interested in doing that. The Fair doesn’t have the expertise, staff or ability to undertake the financial risk, Frenette reiterated.
“They were active in thinking about whether they… could help identify a promoter,” Miles said. “So we are very appreciative of their efforts and just sorry it didn’t work out this time.”
The first race at the Mile was held in 1903, predating the Indianapolis 500 by eight years, and at its peak the track hosted two Indy-car races each season. During a period in which there were two sanctioning bodies for major open-wheel racing in the United States, the Mile was among a handful to host both in the same year, from 2004-’06.
Over the past decade or so, a number of factors hurt the track, including the split in open-wheel racing, a decrease in promotional spending by sponsors, and a series of struggling promoters and changing race dates. The Mile also hosted NASCAR’s second- and third-tier divisions but couldn’t hold onto those as race organizers came and went.
“We could not find a Wisconsin promoter that we felt like could make all the pieces fit, and that’s unfortunate,” Miles said. “We would have liked to continue the history in Milwaukee.”
But, he added, never say never.
“Phoenix and Elkhart Lake are back,” Miles said. “That’s probably noteworthy in this context.”
Both, though, also have successful events for other types of racing, from NASCAR at Phoenix to sports cars and motorcycles at Road America.
The Mile does continue to host some club-level racing on the infield road course as well as driving schools.
There have been conversations with other groups about racing events, Frenette said, some of which would be open to spectators.
“I don’t see in the near future that you’re going to see bulldozers out there taking down the track,” Frenette said. “If we use it for the little things that maybe aren’t public (events)… if it’s being used and we’re taking in some revenue from it, we’ll continue to do that and look to the future of how he might be (better) able to take some of that infield and incorporate it into the Fair.”
Richmond TV Ratings: NASCAR Sprint Cup racing from Richmond earned a 1.5 overnight rating on NBCSN Saturday night, down 12% from last year (1.7) and down 44% from 2014 on broadcast network ABC (2.7). The 1.5 is the lowest of the season for a Sprint Cup race. Keep in mind NASCAR faced unique competition from Saturday’s Virginia Tech/Tennessee college football game, which took place from the Bristol Motor Speedway racetrack (3.8). (NBC Sports / Sports Media Watch)(9-13-2016)
Go-Kart racing fans:
Interesting – a new TV show, maybe? https://www.facebook.com/100005910258519/videos/619524551587881/
Note: I only watched maybe 5 minutes of the 20+ minute video, and most of what I had seen was Karts racing on dirt tracks.
I’m doing this part of my column on Monday afternoon. About Mrs. Clinton and her escapade on this past Sunday – yes, it’s kind of strange that she darn near passes out waiting for her ride, then, within a couple of hours, she emerges from her daughters apartment like nothing has happened. I’m pretty sure “she” also had on a different outfit, and no “Security” could be seen, either. Hmmm? There are quite a few rumors on the Internet of her using a “double”. Who knows if that’s true, or not. Personally, I would not be surprised if that’s true.
Since 9/11, there are a few things about Hillary Clinton that are quite interesting. Who really knows what’s true or false, but when one deals with corrupt politicians, one should expect anything. So, does Hillary have a double? Personally, I think she does. Check this out:
TWO DIFFERENT PEOPLE AT MEMORIAL TODAY, HILLARY CLINTON STUNT DOUBLE?
Who Is Tim Kaine?…The TRUTH Will SHOCK Americans!
Who Is Tim Kaine?…The TRUTH Will SHOCK Americans!
It’s remarkable the sh*t our “politicians” pull:
Report: John Kerry’s State Department Funneled MILLIONS To His Daughter’s Nonprofit
Report: John Kerry’s State Department Funneled MILLIONS To His Daughter’s Nonprofit
Jay Black with Cara Mia:
Kinda looks like that’s it for this week, folks.
I can always be reached at: ygordad@yahoo.com