By TOM AVENENGO
Due to “Mother Nature” acting up on Monday night, and with a bolt of lightning hitting the pole that has our Internet service on, we had no Internet service until maybe around 4:00 on Wednesday. So, this week’s column is a day late. Sorry!
This week’s photo:
George Rice in the light blue & black # 36 Offy that was owned by Ed Bourgnon.
Most of the time it had an “Offy” engine under the hood, but, on occasion, Mr. Bourgnon would put a Ford V-8 in place of the “Offy”. Believe it or not, he would actually use the frame rails as part of the cooling system. Are you aware that Mr. Bourgnon was also employed by Briggs Cunningham, and worked on the Cunningham sports/racing cars?
Some personal/family stuff:
My, how the time flies! In a couple of days it will be May 3rd. It will be 10 months ago – July 3rd, 2014, when I lost the love of my life – my wife, Joan. Damn, but I miss her so much. As much as I’d love to still have her by my side, I realize that she’s in a better place now – not suffering from any more pain.
Maybe I should not say anything about this, but – I received an email from an old friend of mine – one Pete Kessler. It seems he’s been missing my columns lately (more than likely he’s been reading them on the New England Tractor website, which, due to major issues, has not been able to post them. Eventually, they’ll all be posted on that website.
But, on a more serious note, it seems that Pete is having some health issues, so, if ya don’t mind, how about keeping him in your thoughts & prayers, ok?
Racin’ stuff:
On May 1, 1955, I was in attendance at the Langhorne, PA one mile circular oiled dirt track for an AAA Sprint Car race. Yes, 1955 was one of the worst years for racing – not only here in the US, but also worldwide. One of America’s best drivers at the time was Mike Nazaruk. He was fearless. But on that day, the track made him pay for that. Over one’s lifetime, there are things that one just does not forget. I fondly remember the last time Mike went past as I sat in the stands, with him wiping some of the oily dirt off of his goggles. I remember watching his car leave the speedway – maybe a half of a lap later. Sadly, it was his last ride.
I did come cross this, on the Internet, about Mike Nazaruk:
Mike Nazaruk
New York
1921 (Oct 2) – 1955 (May 1)
AAA Big Cars 1950 – 1955
Nazaruk! Maverick, or Maniac? “Merely” Desperate, or even Destitute? Driving, or Driven? Chicken or Egg – was Nazaruk made for Racing, or Racing made for Nazaruk? – Of Ukrainian descent, Mike had seen hell during World War Two: Guadalcanal, Bougainville, Guam, Iwo Jima. When he returned to the US, he was barely twenty-four, and the prototype of a new generation of racing drivers: with that sort of experience at that age, his appetite for adrenalin was boundless, insatiable – if the war couldn’t kill him, what in heaven’s name could? He was frighteningly fearless, simply FEARLESS.
Originally from upstate New York, he moved to Long Island to find work with Grumman Aircraft, and settled in North Bellmore, near East Meadow and Hempstead. What he also found there within walking distance was Freeport Stadium, a busy one-fifth-of-a-mile oval where the Midgets of the American Racing Drivers Club filled the stands on a regular basis. ARDC was Bill Schindler’s club, the charismatic New Yorker who’d lost his left leg in a Big Car crash on Long Island in 1936, and subsequently moved there to become a legend in Midget racing circles. By 1948, Nazaruk was racing alongside Schindler in the team of another Midget legend, Mike Caruso, and the two of them were battling other stars, such as Ted Tappett, Georgie Rice and Steve McGrath, for owners like Frank Curtis, Bill Cheesman or Eddie Bourgnon. It was the Golden Age of Midget Racing, and Freeport Stadium was the hub of the Midget world.
By 1949, the so-called “Midget craze” was dying, and drivers as well as owners began looking for another way to make a living. Schindler returned to his first love, racing Big Cars under AAA sanction, and was instantly successful at that. Nazaruk followed in “Bronco Bill’s” footsteps as the 1949 ARDC Champion, and would have loved to continue the route to AAA (and Indianapolis!), but with a surplus of Midget chauffeurs on the lookout for Big Car rides, he was having a hard time attracting attention. Luckily for him, his team boss Mike Caruso was also fancying the leap, and got one of his Midgets “stretched” into a Sprint Car, complete with a supercharged Midget engine! The car was a little bit late in getting ready, but when it was there was no stopping “Iron Mike” and his little hand grenade: in the first six starts, they collected three wins, two seconds and one third place finish, besides two fast times in qualifying!
In a word, Nazaruk had arrived, and he didn’t look back. In five years, he would win nineteen AAA Big Car main events and finish in the top 5 in points six times, alongside fourteen AAA Midget feature wins. So much for his (impressive) statistics, but as every so often they don’t tell half the story! For one thing, there was his public image as the toughest sonofabitch ever to sit behind the wheel of a racing car, something he came by real honestly, and which made him hugely popular in an age when superhuman bravery was all the rage. He was always at his best during the really long grinds, the 100-lappers on dirt as well as on asphalt, the latter due to his early training at Freeport, no doubt. But still, nobody could believe how quickly and easily he took to the high-banked ovals of the Midwest, where he was soon to become a real master of the art. Usually, it would take a driver years to come to terms (if at all!) with the demanding “hills” at Winchester, Dayton and Salem, but Mike felt at home right from the start, and won his fair share – “Ain’t nothin’ to it”!
He’d use the same attitude, a kind of macho stance, to intimidate other drivers, whom he would look straight in the eye, with an icy stare, and declare “Don’t get between Nazaruk and the checkered flag – you won’t like what happens!” But, most famously, he was the same kind of tough bastard against himself: with his super-aggressive style of driving, he crashed quite frequently, but he never once missed a race through injury, even when lesser men would have considered retirement from the sport! Like August 31 in 1953, when he was thrown from his flipping Sprint Car at the Minnesota State Fair, except for his left foot which got entangled in the cockpit, so that Mike got dragged along down the track, hanging from the car like a rag doll from the hand of weeping toddler – a hush fell over the crowd, fearing the worst.
Amazingly, when he came to, he was found to have broken no bones at all, but basically he had been skinned alive, and twisted every joint in his body. When they dressed his wounds at the hospital, he was told to rest for a week, at which he exclaimed “Oh no, I can’t do that!”, rose to his feet and walked gingerly out the door, calling for a taxi to the track, from where he single-handedly drove back to his seasonal residence in Indianapolis, a trip of 600 miles! Arriving there on Tuesday morning (the race had been on a Monday), he had barely time to take a nap and change, then it was off to Cincinnati, two hours away, for a 100-lap Midget race on Wednesday, which he won (!), and a five-hour trip to Detroit on Thursday, finishing third in a 50-lapper there. Then a day’s rest before a 500-mile round trip to Du Quoin, and a pair of 100-mile dirt track races there over the weekend, winning with the Midget again, and qualifying on pole for the Champ Car race – “Iron Mike”, indeed…
When asked about his feverish activity, Nazaruk would always retort: “I can’t stay put, I need the money!”, which seemed like an odd answer, his wife and two kids notwithstanding. After all, here was one of the top ten moneymakers in the business, and thrifty like any racer who ever lived – he couldn’t possibly need all that money and more to support his small family alone? One almost can’t escape the impression of a man deep in hock, trying to stave off financial ruin by taking every chance he can get to make a dime, and really, some of the purses he was running for can hardly have paid the expenses! Yet, according to Clint Brawner, top chief mechanic on the Championship trail in the fifties, Mike had something else on his mind: “He wanted to make as much money racing as he could in a short time, then quit.” So, it was simply his way of calculating the risks: better to go for it all out and get done with it real quick, than holding back and risking your neck for a long time? Sounds crazy, perhaps, but in a time when simple metal fatigue of one kind or another could put you on your head, and no rollover bar to protect your melon, he may have had a point there…
Which brings us neatly to his biggest payday in racing, $21,362.12 in one fell swoop – it was his first ever start in a National Championship race, less than a year after joining AAA, and typically, he was mad as a wet hen about finishing “only” second, as he was catching the leader hand over fist, but simply ran out of time. If the 1951 “Indy 500″ had been the “Indy 600″ instead, he might’ve become the first rookie winner since George Souders, but even so the pundits were thoroughly impressed. Within a year, he would team up with millionaire car owner Lee Elkins, perhaps the nuttiest eccentric ever to own a racing car (which must stand as something of an achievement in an era of owners like Joe Thorne, Sam Traylor, Bruce Homeyer or Emmett Malloy!), commencing a love/hate relationship that took them both to the brink of despair, at times.
In the fall of 1954, they had their “final” bust-up, and Mike made a deal to run Ted Nyquist’s new Sprint Car in the East, rattling off a string of wins to celebrate the fact. After several years of concentrating on the asphalt high-banks of the Midwest, Nazaruk’s return to the dirt bullrings of the East must at least in part have been influenced by the comeback of Langhorne to the AAA schedule, after several years as an “outlaw track”. Here was a temple of speed made in heaven for “Iron Mike”, and in October he won a 25-miler at 105 mph, the fastest race ever on a dirt track – actually, it was even faster than the fastest high-bank race so far! In qualifying, both he and Al Keller had smashed Tony Bettenhausen’s Champ Car lap record to smithereens, averaging almost 110 mph!!
The AAA “circus” returned for a sprint programme early next year, in what turned out to be a bizarre crashfest: on a slow track due to early morning hour frost (!), IMCA Champion Bob Slater, trying to break into the AAA ranks, flipped during hot laps, then Don Wood crashed in the first heat, while team mates Johnny Thomson and Al Keller collided in the third, costing the latter a thumb and setting his career back seven years, and then Larry Crockett blew out his own candle by leaving the regular orbit in a big way in the feature while contesting the lead with Jerry Hoyt and Nazaruk. Mike came through to win this one, but even he was in a state of semi-shock afterwards! Yet it was only the beginning…
Six weeks later, Mike was on his way from Indianapolis, where he was slated to drive Ed Walsh’s roadster, to Langhorne for another Sprint Car race, stopping at Mutt Anderson’s place in Xenia (OH). Anderson was the Elkins crew chief, hired when Nazaruk had recommended him after preparing his winning Midget several times, and the two were having “reconciliation talks” – the Nyquist car was a good ride for the East, but Mike wasn’t going to miss out on the Midwest season! Like everyone else that weekend, Anderson noticed Mike’s heavy flu, and asked him to take a rest. “Aw, it’s just a lousy thirty-miler, and you know, I need the money. I’ll be passing again late Sunday night, and take a nap in the car so I don’t wake you up and the family. See you on Monday morning!” But when Mutt looked in his driveway on Monday, he didn’t need the confirmation that came in later that day – “Gawd, that was a tough one!”
At Langhorne, on a lightning fast track this time, a distinctly on-form Charlie Musselman had been leading the first half of the race in record time. His defenses weakened by the flu and the medication, Mike still wasn’t going to settle for second, and pushed into the lead in a heart-stopping move, even edging away a bit, but looking hairier by the minute! Then, it happened – Musselman, still following at about a hundred paces, couldn’t believe his eyes: Nazaruk never lifted when Nyquist’s Hillegass went out of control, and banged the wall not once or twice, but three times before barrel-rolling out of the premises, crushing and ripping the driver’s body apart before ejecting it into the countryside. It was not a pretty sight, but at least he didn’t feel anything.
Mike left the world exactly like he had lived every day of his professional life: full-bore, no quarters asked and none given. He also left a profound impression on those who had worked with, or driven against him. Anderson and Elkins lay low for a while, then slowly disentangled themselves from the scene over the next couple of years, though both would eventually come back a decade or so later. Ted Nyquist, after more than twenty years in the sport, couldn’t stomach losing Wally Campbell and Nazaruk in less than ten months, and sold his team to John Pfrommer. As for the drivers, well… most resorted to blaming Mike’s illness, a “blackout” or the “Langhorne winds”, and continued driving – but losing someone of Nazaruk’s stature was a shock to many, even in a year as bad as 1955.
Again, sometimes a picture will tell you more than a thousand words can do, and my favourite Nazaruk picture can be seen on page 160 of Joe Scalzo’s “The American Dirt Track Racer” – it shows Mike, for some unexplained reasons wearing Eddie Sachs’s driving uniform, and Bob Slater on the morning of that fateful March 20 in 1955 at Langhorne, the scene of his last ever feature win. Standing behind the Erickson/Offy, its broken windshield bearing witness to the wild ride it had given “Slats” just minutes earlier, their respective faces clearly show their different emotions and attitudes on that strange day: the IMCA Champion broken, defeated, aching, his head bowed in the pain of the moment, impossible to say whether it’s purely his curbed ambition or some physical ailment caused by the crash. And then Nazaruk, grabbing his arm and attention, gesticulating towards the track and explaining with a fire in his eyes what happened, and why it happened, and what “Slats” would have to do to avoid it happening again – pure PASSION!
Racing has been called “The Cruel Sport”, and all that passion and animated conversation couldn’t prevent Mike from paying the ultimate price at almost the exact location a few weeks later, and Slater following him into death just another five weeks on.
© Michael Ferner
Hmm – interesting stuff here. Wonder if it’s true?
Orange County delegation tours 6 Wisconsin water parks in bid to bring one to Wallkill:
In part: “Depew has said three sites are under consideration: One is the Orange County Fairgrounds; another is a Distelburger farm parcel, just west of the Quick Chek store on East Main Street. He declined to name the third. If the 100-acre fairgrounds site were to be chosen, Depew said, there would be room to accommodate an upgraded fairgrounds and Orange County Fair Speedway.
http://www.recordonline.com/article/20150424/NEWS/150429556
From last week:
Trying something here:
From last weeks column:
I’ve often wondered how many read my columns. And, I’ve often wondered how many are fans from racing from “Back in the day”. More than likely, some of the “old timers” might get this one.
Back in 1952, Bill Vukovich almost won the Indy 500 in the Howard Keck Fuel Injection roadster. He came back to win that race in 1953 & 1954, in that same car. He also drove that car in one other race. Any idea as to where it was? My email address is at the end of my columns. If you think you know, how about sending me an email? No, no prizes are being offered.”
I’m going to be honest here – in a way I was quite disappointed that I only received one message about the above. The answer was the Indy Car race at the one mile track in Raleigh, N.C. on July 4, 1952. Vukie is shown as being in last place.
AAA Indy Car race
Southland Speedway, Raleigh, NC
July 4, 1952
100 laps on 1 mile paved oval; 100 miles
Fin
St
Driver
#
Owner
Car
Laps
Money
Status
Laps Led
1
4
Troy Ruttman
98
J.C. Agajanian
1951 Kuzma/Offenhauser
200
4,118
running
179
2
8
Jack McGrath
4
Jack Hinkle
1951 Kurtis 4000 339/Offenhauser
200
2,800
running
10
3
6
Duane Carter
12
Pat Clancy
Ewing/Offenhauser
200
1,811
running
0
4
12
Jim Rathmann
99
Murrell Belanger
1949 Kurtis 327/Offenhauser
200
1,070
running
0
5
15
Paul Russo
10
Lutes Truck Parts
1951 Kurtis 4000 344/Offenhauser
199
988
running
0
6
16
Chuck Stevenson
16
Bessie Lee Paoli
1952 Kurtis 4000 349/Offenhauser
198
864
running
0
7
20
Neal Carter
25
Auto Shippers
1952 Kurtis 500A 354/Offenhauser
198
658
running
0
8
13
Jim Rigsby
29
Bob Estes
1950 Watson/Offenhauser
197
534
running
0
9
14
Rodger Ward
34
Federal Engineering
1952 Kurtis 4000 351/Offenhauser
195
494
out of fuel
0
10
3
Henry Banks
2
Blue Crown Spark Plug
Lesovsky/Offenhauser
194
494
accident
0
11
1
Cliff Griffith
22
Tom Sarafoff
1948 Kurtis 2000 318/Offenhauser
190
411
ignition
0
12
19
Danny Oakes
66
John Zink
Kurtis/Offenhauser
186
411
magneto
0
13
Bob Scott
93
Dr. Morris
1949 Kurtis 2000 328/Offenhauser
185
329
out of fuel
0
14
9
Gene Force
39
Iddings
Meyer/ Offenhauser
180
329
running
0
15
24
Manuel Ayulo
8
Coast Grain
Lesovsky/Offenhauser
131
164
brakes
0
16
10
Andy Linden
9
Hart Fullerton
1951 Kurtis 4000 338/Offenhauser
97
164
carburetor
0
17
21
Walt Faulkner
3
Sid Street
Pankratz/Offenhauser
92
164
oil leak
0
18
7
Sam Hanks
14
Bardahl
1951 Kurtis 4000 342/Offenhauser
89
164
fuel pump
0
19
18
Mike Nazaruk
73
Lee Elkins
1950 Kurtis 2000 010/Offenhauser
78
82
clutch
7
20
22
Joe James
93
Brown Motors
Schroeder/Offenhauser
75
82
steering
0
21
23
George Connor
54
Federal Engineering
1950 Kurtis 3000 335/Offenhauser
73
82
magneto
0
22
5
Johnnie Parsons
6
Ricketts
1952 Kurtis 4000 348/Offenhauser
52
82
throttle
0
23
2
Bill Schindler
7
Chapman
1950 Russo-Nichels/Offenhauser
48
82
brakes
4
24
11
Bill Vukovich
26
Keck
1952 Kurtis 500A 353/Offenhauser
36
82
brakes
0
From Jayski:
http://www.jayski.com/
Talladega qualifying likely to have 2 cars on track at same time:
Qualifying will have a different look this weekend at Talladega Superspeedway, as NASCAR debuts its new format for restrictor-plate tracks. Instead of group qualifying – which has drawn some concerns since it was implemented at those tracks – NASCAR will go with a revamped version of single-car qualifying. NASCAR likely will have two cars on the track at the same time for qualifying, Steve O’Donnell, NASCAR’s executive vice president and chief racing development officer, said during his weekly appearance Monday on “The Morning Drive” on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio. That way, O’Donnell noted, there could be one car running on the backstretch and one on the frontstretch at the same time. By separating the cars, the trailing car will not benefit from any aerodynamic advantage. NASCAR announced the change last month after drivers complained at Daytona in February about accidents in group qualifying.(NBC Sports), for more info on qualifying, see the Qualifying News & Rules page.(4-27-2015)
BK Racing, Tommy Baldwin Racing considering merger?
Chatter in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series garage this weekend has a potential merger between BK Racing and Tommy Baldwin Racing being considered, CATCHFENCE.com has learned. Both teams have struggled thus far at NASCAR’s top level this season, but the merger would combine resources, assets and personnel with hopes of lifting the on-track performance of their drivers. Another possible scenario is BK Racing simply acquiring Tommy Baldwin Racing, sources say. Currently, Tommy Baldwin Racing fields the #7 Chevy for Alex Bowman, while BK Racing fields three cars for rookie candidate Jeb Burton, Matt DiBenedetto and veteran JJ Yeley. Bowman drove for BK Racing in 2014, but left the team to join TBR. Sources tell CATCHFENCE.com if the merger happened, it’s likely that Baldwin’s team would switch to Toyota and Baldwin taking a director of competition role. A spokesperson for RAB Racing, which currently does not field a full-time team, confirmed that they were involved in an initial discussion with BK Racing, but wouldn’t elaborate.(Catchfence)(4-26-2015)
NASCAR will investigate XFINITY race pit road fire:
NASCAR plans to review the circumstances surrounding a pit road fire that occurred during Friday night’s Xfinity Series race at Richmond International Raceway. Two Richard Childress Racing crew members and one member of driver Eric McClure’s team were injured when fuel ignited at the rear of RCR driver Brendan Gaughan’s car during a mid-race pit stop. A huge fireball erupted at the car, sending pit crew members scrambling. Safety workers extinguished the fire quickly. “We’ll go back to Concord (N.C., the NASCAR Research and Development Center) and look at all the parts and pieces and try to recreate what happened,” said NASCAR spokesman Kerry Tharp. “We’re in the initial stages of looking at all that.” Shane Wilson, Gaughan’s crew chief, told NASCAR.com the fire started because of a malfunction in the head of a gas can, preventing the nozzle of the can from sealing against the fuel intake. “We’re not sure what happened yet,” Childress said. “It looks like a piece of the fuel can came off. Until we look into it and know all the facts, it’s hard to say.” Childress, who said he would review video of the pit stop, said he planned to meet with NASCAR officials about the incident.(USA Today)(4-27-2015)
Jeff Gordon to Drive Indianapolis 500 Pace Car:
Indiana racing legend and five-time Brickyard champion #24-Jeff Gordon will drive a Corvette Z06 pace car to kick off the 99th Running of the Indianapolis 500, on May 24 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Gordon, who grew up in nearby Pittsboro, Indiana, is no stranger to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. He won the first NASCAR race in the history of the famed 2.5-mile oval – the 1994 Brickyard 400 – and has won four more times, including last year. His 2014 victory made him the first five-time Brickyard champion and the only five-time winner of a major race on the IMS oval. Gordon’s drive will mark the 13th time a Corvette has been the official pace car, dating to 1978, and the 26th time a Chevrolet has led the pack for “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing.” Corvette has served as the pace car more than any other vehicle in the race’s history. “It’s great to have Jeff Gordon serve as this year’s pace car driver,” said Jim Campbell, Chevrolet U.S. vice president of performance vehicles and motorsports. “He is a true champion who has earned the respect and admiration of competitors and race fans alike. It will be very special to have Jeff lead the Indy 500 field to the green flag, behind the wheel of the most powerful and capable production car ever from Chevrolet – on a day he’ll also be competing in the Coca Cola 600 NASCAR race at Charlotte.”(IMS)(4-29-2015)
GoDaddy Shifting Out Of NASCAR, Danica needs a sponsor:
GoDaddy Inc., the world’s largest technology provider dedicated to small businesses, is leaving NASCAR at the end of the 2015 season, as the company looks to diversify its marketing investment across more channels and regions. The move marks another milestone in GoDaddy’s marketing evolution, in which the company is balancing brand awareness with a more personalized data-driven marketing approach while expanding its global footprint. While GoDaddy is not renewing its primary sponsorship of the #10 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series team of Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR) and driver Danica Patrick, the company is negotiating to keep Patrick as a GoDaddy spokeswoman under a personal services agreement.
“We love Danica and all she does to empower and inspire people, especially women, which is why we are working to keep her in the GoDaddy family,” said GoDaddy Chief Marketing Officer Phil Bienert. “We have the utmost respect for Stewart-Haas Racing, and they’ve been phenomenal partners. In fact, NASCAR has been a tremendous domestic platform to help us achieve an 81 percent aided brand awareness domestically, but at this stage, we need a range of marketing assets that reach a more globally-diverse set of customers. The fact Danica is having a record-setting season makes it tough to leave this motorsports sponsorship, without a doubt.”
“GoDaddy has been an incredible partner for a very long time, almost nine years, and as I’ve said before, our brands have really grown up together,” Patrick said. “It’s pretty cool, from a marketing perspective, that we helped GoDaddy build such strong brand awareness here in the U.S. I’m excited to work with GoDaddy on a personal level moving forward, but will miss having their bright green color on my racecar next year.”
“Danica is a superstar. She’s making history in a male-dominated sport and that takes massive commitment, tenacity and passion,” said GoDaddy CEO Blake Irving. “The way Danica approaches racing is remarkably similar to how our small business customers approach their work … they’re both chasing dreams in spite of huge obstacles. She’s an inspiration to go getters everywhere. She’s also helped inspire women around the world to dream big and keep working to make their dreams real. I would be thrilled if Danica stayed on as GoDaddy’s spokeswoman and I want to personally thank Stewart-Haas Racing and NASCAR for their help in building the GoDaddy brand domestically.”
In recent years, Patrick has worked to promote GoDaddy’s online services for small business owners and helped with campaigns to fight breast cancer and attract more young women to study science, technology, engineering and math, also known as “STEM.” “GoDaddy has been a great partner for us and for the sport overall,” said Tony Stewart, SHR co-owner and teammate to Patrick. “There’s a lot of season left on the calendar and it would be great to go out with a win … that would really put the exclamation point on what has been a hugely successful relationship.”(PR Newswire)(4-29-2015)
Ragan in the #55 rest of the year, starting at Kansas:
Michael Waltrip Racing announced that David Ragan will drive the #55 Aaron’s Dream Machine for the remainder of the 2015 NASCAR Sprint Cup season, beginning May 9 at Kansas Speedway. Brian Vickers had planned to race the Toyota fulltime in 2015, but heart surgery in December forced the Thomasville, N.C., native to miss the first two races of the season. Vickers returned at Las Vegas on March 7, but was sidelined two weeks later by recurring blood clots in his lungs. No timetable has been set for his return.
“Life has thrown a lot at MWR the first part of this racing season, but our team has stood tall and worked through it,” said Michael Waltrip. “Our original plans for the #55 team have been challenged since December and we felt it was important for our employees and our sponsors to solidify the remainder of the 2015 season. The opportunity to bring David Ragan into the team is incredible for a number of reasons. He will bring experience, consistency and a lot of confidence based on how he has been running with our Toyota teammates at Joe Gibbs Racing. He also puts the #55 team and Aaron’s right back into the Chase for the Sprint Cup contention, which is a very positive turn of events for that team. There is absolutely no question about Brian Vickers’ ability, but there remains a question of his availability. We are going to remain very close with Brian while he works on his plan to return. We have told him that MWR is here when he has a clear picture about what the future holds, but we don’t need to add any timeline pressures. He is working with a lot of medical advisors and once he has established his plan, we will sit down and discuss next steps. I’m really proud of the incredible job Brett Moffitt has done for us in the 55. He has been a big part of this organization for the last couple of years and he will continue in that role. With the limited number of starts Brett has in this industry, he has proven that he has the talent to be a full-time NASCAR Sprint Cup driver and we are still committed to helping him get that opportunity.”(MWR)
Front Row Statement: “We are grateful to David Ragan for his contributions to the growth of Front Row Motorsports and his commitment to our partners over the past three years. He led us on our first trip to Victory Lane, and that’s a moment we’ll never forget. We wish him the best with his new team. As previously announced, Chris Buescher will be the driver of the #34 at Talladega this weekend. We are working on finalizing the driver line-up for races to follow and will announce those plans soon.”(Front Row Motorsports), Michael Waltrip will drive the #55 at Talladega. For earlier news on Brian Vickers and the #55 team, see the #55 team news page.(4-28-2015)
France say NASCAR open to shorter races:
Are shorter races on the horizon for NASCAR’s Sprint Cup Series? NASCAR Chairman and CEO Brian France was asked about NASCAR’s comfort with 500-mile events and the length of time it takes to complete those races during an open question-and-answer session with the Associated Press Sports Editors (APSE) last week. “I think generally speaking, we want to see shorter events… not in every circumstance,” France told the group, “… It’s no secret that attention spans, especially with the millennial fans, are changing, and we all know that. But what we like about it from our standpoint is it makes the actual racing event better because there’s no lull in between the beginning and the end, or there’s a lot smaller lull, so teams have to compete.” France said a longer race doesn’t necessarily allow drivers time to relax “but they’re not as pressed to be up front at a certain time. “But if you shorten it, they will, and we’ve seen that when we do shorten it,” he said. “We tend to get better (quality of races), and we measure that by lead changes and how close the winning margins (are) and a lot of different metrics that we use. So we’ve got a pretty good handle on that, and … a 400-mile race will give us, most of the time, a better racing competition, and that’s in addition to the time spans and attention spans of millennial fans; those two go together for us to shorten it up somehow.” France didn’t rule out dropping the length of a race below 400 miles, but noted that any such decisions would “also depend on if there are any format changes that we’d be willing to consider, that we look at all the time, that we historically haven’t done.”(NASCAR.com)(4-28-2015)
Top 10 Driver Ratings at Talladega Superspeedway:
#42-Kyle Larson 95.6
#88-Dale Earnhardt Jr. 90.7
#20-Matt Kenseth 89.9
#41-Kurt Busch 88.3
#48-Jimmie Johnson 87.5
#17-Ricky Stenhouse Jr. 85.0
#55-Brian Vickers 84.0
#2-Brad Keselowski 82.9
#22-Joey Logano 82.2
#11-Denny Hamlin 82.0
Note: Driver Ratings compiled from 2005-2014 races (20 total) among active drivers at Talladega Superspeedway. Formula combining the following categories: Win, Finish, Top-15 Finish, Average Running Position while on Lead Lap, Average Speed Under Green, Fastest Lap, Led Most Laps, Lead-Lap Finish. Maximum: 150 points per race.<
See an explanation how the Driver Rating is calculated at NASCAR.com.(NASCAR)
New seat installation begins at Daytona:
Seat installation on the east end of Daytona International Speedway began on Monday morning. Workers began installing the first of 10,000 wider, more comfortable seats that will be available for the upcoming Coke Zero 400 Weekend Powered By Coca-Cola on July 3-5. Along with the 10,000 seats on the east end of the frontstretch, 40,000 new seats will be available on the west side of the stadium for the Independence Day holiday weekend. With a limited capacity of only 50,000 seats, fans will want to secure their tickets early for the 57th annual Coke Zero 400 Powered By Coca-Cola NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race scheduled on Sunday, July 5. DAYTONA Rising, the $400 million frontstretch renovation project, is targeted for completion in January 2016 in time for the 54th anniversary of the Rolex 24 At Daytona and the 58th annual DAYTONA 500.(DIS)(4-28-2015)
Tracks could lose more seats:
Executives from Speedway Motorsports Inc., which owns eight tracks that host NASCAR Sprint Cup races, suggested Wednesday that they might reduce seating capacity at some of their facilities. SMI reduced seating capacity last year by 41,000 at Charlotte Motor Speedway and 17,000 at Atlanta Motor Speedway. When asked during a conference call with investor analysts about any further reductions, SMI hinted more could be made.
“In my thoughts, we probably have two or three or maybe even four of our speedways where we have some extra seats, and we are working on some plans to adjust that excess capacity,” said William Brooks, vice chairman and chief financial officer and treasurer for SMI.(NBC Sports)(4-30-2015)
From Track Forum:
http://www.trackforum.com/forums/forum.php
Jim Malloy?
http://www.trackforum.com/forums/showthread.php/56930-Jim-Malloy
From the Dirt Track Digest Forum:
http://www.dirttrackdigest.com/DTD/
RACE FANS: A public hearing has been set to discuss the future of the NYS Fairgrounds race track & grandstands.
Wednesday, May 6. It’s from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.
in the Martha Eddy Room in the Art & Home Center Building at the NYS Fairgrounds.
Let’s pack the room with dirt modified race fans!
Let’s keep the tradition alive!
Visit here for more information: http://goo.gl/VFMM2F or SaveTheMoodyMile.com
From the AARN:
Darrah Wins $18,000 With Bob Weikert Memorial Port Royal Sprint Score
Stafford’s Own Woody Pitkat Claims Prestigious Mod Tour Spring Sizzler
Billy Decker Takes Super DIRTcar Series 2015 Tour Opener At Fulton
Eric Mauriello Tops Modified Field As Wall Opens For 65th Year
Racing World Mourns The Death Of Late Model Star Rodney Franklin
JJ Grasso Is Surprise Victor Of Lincoln 410 Main Event
Street Stocks: Low Buck Class Is In Decline At Many Tracks
Bobby Varin’s 50th Mod Success At Fonda Ties Legendary Corey Mark
Helliwell Rolls To Prestigious ACT Governors Cup Race At Lee
And a little more:
Tommy Barrett, Jr. all of 19 years old, was suspended from NASCAR when he was charged for DUI at 1:48 AM on April 17th.
The Bob Weikert Memorial race at Port Royal will now be a two day affair, with it being held on May 28th & 29th.
14 TQ’s at Mahoning Valley, and 15 SpeedSTR’s there.
Note: So where are all the TQ’s that run indoors?
Promoter Jonah Tussel of the Arizona Speedway, actually paid the purse when the main event was rained out.
Former OVRP Dirt Oval racers:
From OCFS:
In the Modifieds, Billy V was 5th, Danny Creeden 6th, Tim HIndley 10th, Mike Ruggiero 11th, Anthony Perrego 12th, Mike Kolka 16th,
In the Small Block feature, Tim Hindley was the winner. LJ Lombardo was 3rd, Danny Creeden 10th,
In the Sportsman feature, Joey Bruning was 1st, Matt Hitchcock 5th, Anthony Falanga 11th, Matt Janiak 13th, Joey Falanga 14th, Joe Conklin 16th, Dominick Roselli, Jr 17th and Brian Krummel 19th.
In the Rookie Sportsman feature, Brendan Finley was 5th.
At Lebanon Valley, in the Modified feature, Kolby Schroder was 8th and Kyle Armstrong 18th.
In the Sportsman feature, John Virgilio was the winner with Matt Pappa 2nd.
At Accord, in the Modified feature, Clinton Mills was 13th.
In Spec Sportsman, Kyle Van Duser was 4th, Jimmy Johnson 5th, Zack Mead 12th and Winter Mead 14th.
In the All Star Slingshots, Wyatt Clark was 2nd and Tyler Pirone 3rd.
At Bethel, Kyle Redner was 6th in the 358/Sportsman feature.
In CRSA action at Fonda, Christian Rumsey was 7th, Emily VanInwegen 17th, Danny Hennessey 19th and Josh Pieniazek 22nd.
At New Egypt, Joe Kata was 15th in the Sprint car feature.
At Fulton, Tyler Dippel was 15th in the Super Dirt Series race.
At U/R, AJ Filbeck won the Sportsman feature
Tyler Dippel was 15th in the SDS race at Fulton.
Brett Wright was 13th in the Modified feature at U/R.
Brad Szulewski was 4th in the Sportsman feature at Thunder Mountain.
Davie Franek was 5th in the 360 Sprint Car race at Selinsgrove.
Alex Bell was 22nd in the Modified feature at Fonda.
Jacob Hendershot was 10th in the 270 feature at Linda’s.
Danny Buccafusca was 4th in the 600 Wingless Micro Sprint feature at Hamlin.
Tyler Pirone won the All Star Slingshot feature.
Jacob Hendershot was 9th in the 270 feature.
Sorry if I missed anyone. Was kinda rushed after the Internet went down due to a thunderstorm.
Midget Racing from “Back in the Day”:
Since the photo of the week, this week, was of George Rice, I figured I might as well throw in his racing history in this column, too.
The following information was sent to me from John DaDalt.
George Rice
1939:
Feature wins:
West Haven Speedway; West Haven, CT-6/22
Newfield Park; Bridgeport, CT- 6/12 6/26 7/3
Notes: June 26 Bridgeport, CT set 1 lap, 5 lap and 25 lap track records
1940:
Feature wins:
West Haven Speedway; West Haven, CT-6/13
Cedarhurst Speedway; Cedarhurst, NY- 8/7
Bronx Coliseum; Bronx, NY- 3/17
1941:
Feature wins:
West Haven Speedway; West Haven, CT-6/19 6/26 8/7
Danbury Speedway; Danbury, CT- 5/18 6/27
Bronx Coliseum; Bronx, NY- 1/19 3/16 4/6 4/27-60 laps
Notes: Champion at Bronx, NY Coliseum indoor racing series held during the winter/spring.
Drove Bourgnon #11 to Bronx Coliseum title.
1946:
Feature wins:
West Haven Speedway; West Haven, CT-6/13 6/27 8/18 9/2 9/19-50 laps
Cherry Park Speedway; Avon, CT: 9/15
Thompson Speedway; Thompson, CT-5/19
Springfield Speedway; West Springfield, MA- 5/25 6/18 6/22 6/29 7/6
7/13 7/27 9/7 10/5-100 laps
Hatfield, PA-6/16-2 laps
Notes: Champion at West Haven, CT and West Springfield, MA
May 19 Thompson, CT-set 50 lap track record in 1st race after the war (not confirmed)
won 5 straight features at West Springfield, MA
June 16 won at the Montgomery County Fair in Hatfield, PA in a race halted after 2 laps,
had set a 1 lap track record in time trials.
Set 25 lap track record at Avon on Sept. 15th, 6:30.20
1947: ARDC Champion
Feature wins:
Cherry Park Speedway; Avon, CT: 5/14 6/1 9/21
Springfield Speedway; West Springfield, MA- 7/12 9/13 9/17-50 laps for V-8 9/27
West Haven Speedway; West Haven, CT- 5/8 6/19 6/26 7/10 7/17 9/4 9/11 9/18 9/25-75 laps
Danbury Fairgrounds; Danbury, CT- 8/30 9/20 10/5 10/11-100 laps
Candlelite Stadium; Bridgeport, CT-6/30 7/7 7/28 8/18 9/1 9/22 10/6-100 laps
Deer Park Speedway; Deer Park, NY- 4/6
Hinchliffe Stadium; Paterson, NJ- 7/18 7/25-50 laps 8/12 9/5 9/23
Notes: Champion: West Haven, CT Bridgeport, CT Danbury, CT Deer Park, NY
won 39 feature races and 4 track championships
Started season in the Curtis Offy, switched to Bourgnon cycle powered car in July, Bourgnon installed an Offy in August.
Drove Bourgnon cycle powered car, one of the lightest in the country 525 lbs.
Oct. 12 – Langhorne, PA ARDC race 100 laps- started 23rd, took the lead on lap
24 and lead until lap 49 when he ran out of fuel. He returned to the race in 4th and worked his way
back to 2nd and was challenging for the lead with 2 laps to go when he had to pit for more fuel.
Danbury, CT- set 25 lap track record on August 30th, broke his own record on Sept. 20th.
Bridgeport, CT set the 25 lap track record 4 times that year, won races at Bridgeport in a cycle powered car, a Ford V-8
and an Offenhauser in 1947.
results for August 30 to Oct. 11th 1947
18 wins, 5 2nd place finishes, 3 third place finishes
Aug. 30 Danbury, CT 1st
Aug. 31 Avon, CT 2nd
Sept. 1 Bridgeport, CT 1st
Sept. 4 West Haven, CT 1st
Sept. 5 Paterson, NJ 1st
Sept. 8 Bridgeport, CT 3rd
Sept. 11 West Haven, CT 1st
Sept. 12 Paterson, NJ 2nd
Sept. 13 West Springfield, MA 1st
Sept. 14 Avon, CT 2nd 50 laps
Sept. 17 West Springfield, MA 1st 50 laps for V-8 cars
Sept. 18 West Haven, CT 1st
Sept. 20 Danbury, CT 1st
Sept. 21 Avon, CT 1st
Sept. 22 Bridgeport, CT 1st
Sept. 23 Paterson, NJ 1st
Sept. 25 West Haven, CT 1st
Sept. 27 Danbury, CT 3rd afternoon Fair race
Sept. 27 West Springfield, MA 1st evening
Sept. 28 Danbury, CT 3rd
Sept. 29 Bridgeport, CT 2nd
Sept. 30 Paterson, NJ 2nd
Oct. 4 West Springfield, MA 1st 100 laps
Oct. 5 Danbury, CT 1st
Oct. 6 Bridgeport, CT 1st 100 laps
Oct. 11 Danbury, CT 1st 100 laps
1948:
Feature wins:
Cherry Park Speedway; Avon, CT: 5/9 6/27 9/19
Springfield Speedway; West Springfield, MA: 7/24 9/4
Stafford Speedway; Stafford Springs, CT: 8/20 9/24
West Haven Speedway; West Haven, CT: 5/6 5/27 9/23
Candlelite Stadium; Bridgeport, CT: 5/24 9/13
Hinchliffe Stadium; Paterson, NJ- 6/1 7/20
Notes: Champion at Bridgeport, CT and West Haven, CT
Drove a variety of cars, Bourgnon #36, Smith #21, Jolson #, Curtis #8 Hagedorn Cycle
Broke the 25 lap track record at Stafford Springs on August 20th, 6:18.52 his first race at Stafford.
June 5- Polo Grounds board track in New York City, finished in 2nd place.
1949:
Feature wins:
West Haven Speedway; West Haven, CT- 5/19 6/16 6/23 6/30
Candlelite Stadium; Bridgeport, CT- 5/9 5/9
Notes:
Designed and built his own car and engine over the winter, Sally Strickland (his daughter) says that the car won it’s first race out at either Thompson or
Avon. From what I have collected, it wasn’t at Avon as Schindler won the opening race there and Rice was shut out of victory lane that year at
Avon. Need to look into this some more.
June 30th was final midget race of the season at West Haven.
Bridgeport also stopped weekly midget racing in late May. Both tracks switched to
weekly programs featuring stock cars.
Announced his retirement from racing at West Springfield on August 6th. Didn’t last long
Oct. 3- Williams Grove Speedway in Mechanicsburg, PA- finished 5th in 200 lap
AAA National Championship race.
1950:
Feature wins:
Cherry Park Speedway; Avon, CT: 6/4 (100 laps) Bob Smith Offy
Century Stadium; West Springfield, MA: 7/1 7/22 8/5 (75 laps) 8/12 9/16 (50 laps)
Notes: Had a bout with Polio in August, suffered from paralysis of portions of the left side including his arm and leg. Doctors were amazed at how he responded to treatment. One month later he was back at Century Stadium winning the 50 lap feature!
Press Releases:
News from Thunder Mountain Speedway
Media Contact: BD Motorsports Media LLC – thundermtnspeedway@gmail.com or 845.728.2781
For Immediate Release/April 27, 2015
Small Cars, Big Payouts: Thunder Mountain Speedway ‘Small Car Showcase’ THIS SUNDAY, May 3 Features NPS Tour By NY6A Winged 600cc Micro-Sprints, Wingless 600cc Micro-Sprints, 270cc Micro-Sprints, XCel 600 Modifieds, Empire Lightning Sprints & Slingshots; Vahlco Wheels Offers Bonuses
CENTER LISLE, NY – Small cars will race for some big money when BD Motorsports Media LLC presents the inaugural ‘Small Car Showcase’ at Thunder Mountain Speedway.
The first edition of the special event takes place THIS Sunday, May 3 (rain date: May 17) at the clay oval located just outside Whitney Point, N.Y., 25 miles north of Binghamton. A full slate of small car racing is planned to include Micro-Sprints, Mini-Sprints, XCel 600 Modifieds and Slingshots.
Gates open this Sunday at noon. The drivers’ meeting is planned for 2:30 p.m., with hot laps at 3 p.m. and racing at 4 p.m. Grandstand admission is $10 for Adults, $8 for Seniors (ages 65 and over) and Students (ages 10-17) and Kids 9 and under are FREE. Pit admission is $30 (no license required).
The ‘Small Car Showcase’ is the 2015 point season opener for the traveling NPS tour by NY6A winged 600cc Micro-Sprint group. The NY6A racers will compete in a 20-lap headliner. To learn more about the NPS tour by NY6A, visit the official website at www.ny6atour.com.
The attractive NPS tour by NY6A winged 600cc Micro-Sprint pay structure, with incentives for larger car counts, is posted in full on the web at:http://www.ny6atour.com/uploads/1/2/4/9/12492896/ny6apayoutschedule.pdf
Wingless 600cc Micro-Sprints will also be featured on the program, paying $1,000 to the winner for 20 laps of racing. Drivers will be permitted to compete in both the winged and wingless 600cc Micro-Sprint events but will need to enter each division separately.
The 270cc winged Micro-Sprints will compete for a $500 winner’s share (minimum 15 cars) running a 20-lap feature.
Doug Borger’s XCel 600 Modifieds, now a regular weekly division at Thunder Mountain and neighboring I-88 Speedway in Afton, N.Y., will be featured in a weekend doubleheader of “tour” events competing at Thunder Mountain Saturday-Sunday May 2-3.
The popular Speedway Entertainment Slingshots make their only stop of the season at Thunder Mountain with a 20-lap, $500-to-win special. The event is part of the All-Star Slingshot tour, offering MA/Gold and Empire State points.
Also on the program are the Empire Lightning Sprint 1000cc Mini-Sprints. Like the XCel 600 Modifieds, the Empire Lightning Sprints will be in competition both Saturday and Sunday May 2-3 at Thunder Mountain.
All divisions will be eligible for bonuses from Vahlco Racing Wheels. The winged and wingless 600cc Micro-Sprints, 270cc Micro-Sprints and 1000cc Micro-Sprints, via a drawing of the top-10 finishers, will be eligible for FREE wheels. The XCel 600 Modifieds and Slingshots, via a similar top-10 drawing, are in the running for “bead busters” courtesy of Vahlco, as well.
The complete general information sheet is at the following link:http://thundermtnspeedway.com/small-car-showcase-general-info-sheet/
The entry form is posted on the web at: http://thundermtnspeedway.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/SmallCarShowcaseEntryForm.pdf
For Thunder Mountain Speedway general information and a complete schedule, visitwww.thundermtnspeedway.com. The speedway office number is 607.657.8202. On race day, call 607.849.7899. The speedway e-mail is thundermtnspeedway@gmail.com. “Like” Thunder Mountain Speedway on Facebook or follow @thundermtnspeed on Twitter.
Thunder Mountain Speedway is located at 91 Hunts Corners Road Center Lisle, NY 13797, approximately 25 miles north of Binghamton. The three-eighths-mile clay oval features hillside concrete seating, free parking and camping, a variety of concession items and novelties, a family environment and more.
Brett Deyo
Promotions, Public Relations & Marketing
Thunder Mountain Speedway
91 Hunts Corners Road Center Lisle, NY 13797
www.thundermtnspeedway.com
Cell: 845.728.2781
“Thunder Mountain Speedway” on Facebook
@thundermtnspeed on Twitter
News from the Short Track Super Series Fueled By Hi-Tek
Media Contact: Brett Deyo – bdmotorsportsmedia@gmail.com or 845.728.2781
For Immediate Release/April 24, 2015
Money Man: “The Doctor” Danny Johnson Sets Sights On $15,000 As Short Track Super Series North Region Title Contender Driving For Chris Gennarelli; Next Series Stop: Big Diamond Speedway Tuesday, May 5 For ‘Anthracite Assault’
MINERSVILLE, PA – Danny Johnson built the reputation as a true “money racer” in the Northeast dirt Modified community.
Johnson, of Rochester, N.Y., as a result, has taken a liking to the Short Track Super Series (STSS) Fueled By Hi-Tek and its lucrative pay structures and massive point fund. After falling just shy of the inaugural STSS championship to Andy Bachetti last year, Johnson is eyeing the top prize in 2015.
‘The Doctor’ and car owner Chris Gennarelli have committed to a run for the $15,000 STSS Bob Hilbert Sportswear North Region title. The team’s next stop on the series is Minersville, Pa.’s Big Diamond Speedway on Tuesday, May 5 (rain date: May 6) with the 50-lap ‘Anthracite Assault’ special offering $5,000-plus to win, $1,000 for 10th and $400 just to take the green flag.
The unique Big Diamond event offers both STSS North Region and Pioneer Pole Buildings Inc. South Region presented by Scotty’s Speed & Diesel points.
At the April 11 STSS opener, held in southeastern New York at Orange County Fair Speedway, Johnson guided the Gennarelli-owned No. 27J small-block to a podium finish in third. It was a solid kickoff to his bid for the STSS North Region 15k title, posted from a massive $38,000-plus point fund for the eight-race schedule.
“We’re going after the $15,000 (champion’s share),” emphasized Gennarelli by phone. “We’re planning on running every North race. All the shows pay well and Danny has that 15 grand on his mind.”
Gennarelli, a northeastern Pennsylvania businessman who has helped to rejuvenate Johnson’s career with fresh equipment, said his team is geared up for the series with three distinct engine combinations. They have been experimenting with the powerplants in early ’15 events.
Pennsylvania’s Coal Region will be the meeting point between North and South on May 5.
Heading into Big Diamond, Stewart Friesen of Sprakers, N.Y., leads the STSS North Region chase, having won the opener at Orange County on April 11 over Jerry Higbie Jr., Johnson, Tommy Meier and Brett Hearn.
The South Region began at Bridgeport (N.J.) Speedway on April 19 with Hellertown, Pa.’s Rick Laubach scoring the inaugural ‘South Jersey Shootout’ victory. David Van Horn Jr., Craig Von Dohren, Ryan Watt and Jack Swain chased the ‘Quaker Shaker’ across the line.
Unique to the ‘Anthracite Assault’ at Big Diamond: the Modifieds will utilize sail panels for the only time this season. Sail panels are a staple of the STSS North Region and will be utilized during South Region events at Big Diamond and N.J.’s New Egypt Speedway June 11.
The 2015 ‘Anthracite Assault’ running will be the second edition of this race. The first took place nearly four years ago, on July 26, 2011, and was won by Friesen, narrowly holding off Duane Howard.
STSS Modifieds will be joined on the program by Sportsman (Open vs. Crate 602) in a $1,000-to-win, $100-to-start 25-lap main. Doug Borger’s XCel 600 Modifieds will be in action with $1,000 on the line for the winner of the 20-lap special.
BD Motorsports Media LLC takes on a co-promotional role for the Tuesday night special. A rain date is set for Wednesday, May 6.
Gates, both in the grandstand and pit areas, will open at 4 p.m. in the grandstand and pit areas. The drivers’ meeting is set for 6:30 p.m. Hot laps hit the track at 7 p.m. with racing at 7:30 p.m.
Adult grandstand admission is $25. Kids under 12 and active military with ID are admitted free. Pit admission is $35, with no license required.
Complete race rules and general information have been posted on the STSS website at:http://bdmotorsportsmedia.com/general-information-and-rules/
The complete pay structure is also available: http://bdmotorsportsmedia.com/modified-pay-structure/
To learn more about the Short Track Super Series or BD Motorsports Media LLC, visitwww.shortttracksuperseries.com or www.bdmotorsportsmedia.com, call 845.728.2781 or e-mailbdmotorsportsmedia@gmail.com. “Like” Short Track Super Series on Facebook or follow @ShortTrackSS on Twitter.
Big Diamond Speedway is a three-eighths-mile clay oval located in Minersville, Pa., just miles from Pottsville. The facility offers free parking, state-of-the-art concession areas and restrooms and not a “bad seat” in the house, with hillside grandstands overlooking the on-track action. The speedway GPS address is 392 Forest Lane Pottsville, PA 17901. The official website is www.bigdspeedway.com.
News from the Short Track Super Series Fueled By Hi-Tek
Media Contact: Brett Deyo – bdmotorsportsmedia@gmail.com or 845.728.2781
For Immediate Release/April 29, 2015
The Excitement Returns To Accord Speedway Tuesday, May 19 With New York Truck Parts Inc. ‘Battle of the Bullring 3’ Special; Short Track Super Series Fueled By Hi-Tek Modifieds Battle 53 Laps For $25,000-Plus Purse; Sportsman & Slingshots Complete Busy Program
ACCORD, NY – Race fans left Accord Speedway wanting more when the checkered flew on the make-up ‘Gobbler’ April 14.
Now, they’re going to get it. On Tuesday, May 19 (rain date: May 20) New York Truck Parts Inc. presents the ‘Battle of the Bullring 3’ at the Ulster County quarter-mile oval. The Short Track Super Series (STSS) Fueled By Hi-Tek big-block/small-block Modifieds headline the program with a 53-lap main event paying $5,300 to win, $1,000 for 10th and $400 to take the green flag. A total purse of more than $25,000 will be distributed to STSS Modified competitors.
Gary and Donna Palmer’s neat-and-tidy “gem in the Catskills” facility hosts event No. 3 of the STSS Bob Hilbert Sportswear North Region $15,000 championship battle. The STSS North Region point fund totals more than $38,000 for the drivers placing inside the Top-12 in the standings.
Joining the Modifieds on the midweek program: Sportsman (Open vs. Crate 602) in a $1,000-to-win, $100-to-start 25-lap event and Slingshots, running 20 laps for a $300 winner’s share.
The ‘Battle of the Bullring 3’ celebrates its third running in 2015. Last year, Anthony Perrego of Montgomery, N.Y., emerged from an intense tussle with Tommy Meier to score the victory. In the inaugural ’13 running, Danny Creeden of Wurtsboro, N.Y., was