MYRACENEWS.COM
Daytona 500 Party Tradition Continues at JC's on February 14th.
Riverhead, N.Y. Jan 15th
By Bob Finan
Long Island's biggest and most traditional Daytona 500 party will roll into the new decade Sunday February 14th at JC'S Restaurant & Pub of Manorville and will feature some great new twists. The 2010 version of the Daytona 500 Party will be a Wave Energy Drink party and the Wave Energy drink girls will be on hand with two garage passes each for the Sprint Cup events in May at Dover and the June race at Pocono.
The party will again be hosted by Steve & Tim Halpin along with Bob Finan of Riverhead Raceway in conjunction with John & Jen of JC'S Restaurant who will provide their annual endless free hot & cold buffet during the race with beer specials to be plentiful also. JC'S features over a dozen big screen Plasma HD televisions throughout the pub that is located in the clubhouse of the Pine Hills Country Club in Manorville. JC'S will also conduct a pool for one lucky race fan to win a 42" Plasma HD TV at the conclusion of the 500.
Fans can win the Sprint Cup garage passes by either buying a Wave Energy Drink product or an adult beverage that includes Wave, when they do they'll receive a raffle ticket. At the end of the race Steve Halpin of Wave will announce the two lucky winners heading to Dover May 16th and Pocono on June 6th. Wave Energy Drink of course sponsors the #36 Sprint Cup team owned by Long Islander Tom Baldwin Jr. who will have NASCAR veteran Mike Bliss at the controls of his Toyota for the 500.
The doors at JC'S will swing open at 11:00 am so the Halpin twins can start their famed Daytona 500 pools with nearly 10 such pools sold in 2009. Race fans should note with the announcement by NASCAR late in 2009 that all east coast Sprint Cup Series races would start in the 1:00 pm time frame arrive in plenty of time to see if they can walk away with a Daytona 500 win of their own.
Year in and year out you never know who you might bump into at the Long Island Daytona 500 Party and 2010 will be no different. JC'S Restaurant in the Pine Hills Country Club is on Wading River Road in Manorville, which is exit 69 of the Long Island Expressway, head south after exiting. From Sunrise Highway use exit 59 and head northbound.
Riverhead Winter Informational Meeting Reveals Upcoming Changes
Riverhead Raceway held their annual informational meetings today to bring participants up to date on changes and procedures that will be in place for the 2010 racing season. With many things on the agenda, it was interesting to listen to the plans to improve the experience for everyone. In an effort to speed up the show, it was announced that heat races would only be run if 24 or more cars are present in any given division. Otherwise, either time trials or handicapping will set the field and only a feature will be run. More on that later in this story.
All of last year’s officials will be returning for 2010, with the previously announced addition of Steve Tooker, who will observe the racing from the scorer’s booth and he will be in communication with Co-Chief Stewards Jim Maggio and Mike Cappiello to assist in any calls on the track. Steve, as many know, is an experienced race driver and past Champion of the Late Model division, so he is very familiar with on track action.
This year, the restart rule to only begin from the line in turn 4 will be strictly enforced, with no second chances. If the officials rule that someone has jumped the start during a restart, that competitor will be sent to the rear of the field, NO second chances. Also, all drivers are expected to be in communication with track officials via the track radio frequency to be given their positions on all restarts. Those without radios are to make sure they are equipped with a scanner or ‘raceiver’ to be given their positions for all restarts. Any questions about restarting positions will ONLY be done at the start finish line, not on the backstretch or the ramp. Pull into the checkered victory lane box and the starter or assistant starter will get you an answer if you have a question about where you restart.
The track has also changed the start times for all events. For the first 3 weeks, the pits will open at 1 PM, and racing will start at 5 PM. Beginning Memorial Day weekend, the pits will open at 2 PM and racing will start at 6 PM. Practice will be limited to 2 rounds per division, beginning about an hour after the pits open. No practice will be allowed after the show starts, except at the discretion of track officials in special circumstances. It is their hope this will save time for all involved and move the show along smoothly. In addition, when a division is called to line up in the chute for their event, if you are late, you will be placed at the rear of the field, so be sure to be ready when your race is scheduled.
It was also announced that all time trial events, in every division, will be subject to a redraw for starting positions. Some objection was raised about this at the Modified meeting, and it will be the subject of further discussions with Promoters Barbara and Jim Cromarty, who will have the final say, as it was their decision to do this in the first place. The Modified drivers expressed the idea that they feel since a lot of preparation goes into time trialing, it is like a penalty to have to redraw. An announcement will be forthcoming in the future to clarify what will be done on this matter.
NASCAR has instituted a new rule allowing 14 and 15 year olds to obtain a learners permit NASCAR license to drive in certain divisions. At Riverhead Raceway, this would include the Legends, Blunderbusts and Super Pro Trucks divisions only. 14 and 15 year olds are also allowed to obtain a pit license to work on the crew of cars in other divisions, which will allow them in the pits. It is track policy that no one under the age of 18 is allowed to be in the pits without a NASCAR license, including guests.
All teams are now required to submit a list of their pit crew members before the season begins, listing anyone who they expect to be helping out with their cars during the race season. All guests are also required to identify which car they are associated with. This is an effort to enforce the rule that the car owner/driver are responsible for the actions of their crew and guests, and it will be strictly enforced. While some people have NASCAR licenses, but are not associated with a particular car, they will be handled differently upon signing in for each event. There will be no fighting or entering the pits of others for the purpose of fighting or arguing tolerated, and track officials promised strict enforcement of these rules will be in place this season.
It was also brought up that if you lose you muffler, you will be black flagged, sent to the pits, and not be allowed to return unless it is properly repaired (welded) and it passes inspection by a NASCAR official. They stressed that you should be sure your mufflers are properly installed, and to check them periodically to prevent problems. The rule applies even it the muffler becomes lose or falls off due to an incident during a race, with no exceptions. Modified drivers were also told that tour type mufflers would be acceptable for weekly competition, as there is no discernable db difference when using them.
At the Modified meeting, the idea of using a different tire (compound) was brought up, and track officials said they would look into the possible changes that were discussed. All Modified tires will be impounded weekly, with teams allowed to reinstall them just prior to the feature event.
Lastly, to quiet all the recent chatter, Bob Finan addressed the recent story about the NY State Attorney General’s investigation of Suffolk Productions. While this company was founded by Jim Cromarty many years ago, it is now owned and run by Deborah Cromarty-Hallanan, and is a separate entity from anything to do with Riverhead Raceway. Bob went on to say this whole thing is just political posturing by someone who is running for governor and it is being litigated down at the present time and it should have no effect on the operations of Riverhead Raceway in 2010 or in years to come.
Lastly, a few reminders; you can now RENEW your NASCAR license online by going to www.nascarmedia.com and entering your current license number and credit card information. This should be a time saver for many. Also, there will be no more paper pit passes, just a wrist band, for 2010. That will speed up the sign in procedure greatly, but Christine Healy wanted to remind everyone that the one you get when you sign in must be worn during the entire event, as replacing the original will be very time consuming unless it is accidentally damaged and you have the original, which must be presented to get a replacement.
New Sponsor; Major Award for Chris Young
(Calverton, N.Y.) - 16-year-old racer Chris Young has a lot to be excited about going into his sophomore season. First, he now can remove the proverbial "rookie stripe" from his back, as he has now completed a full year in racing and has two wins and a lot of progress to show for it. Young also goes into the season having picked up one of the highest honors offered by his NASCAR Driver Development Motorsports Management partner, Team Full Throttle. At the recent TFT Awards Banquet in Charlotte, N.C., Young was awarded the Thomas H. Baker Memorial Award, a "Driver of the Year" Award given in honor of the father of TFT Founder / CEO Tom Baker.
"We were proud to honor Chris with this award," Baker said following the banquet, which featured Long Island native and now North Carolina Business Coach Dave Ferguson as its guest speaker. "Chris worked very hard in his first year on the track, picking up two wins and showing tremendous improvement as the year went on. He is an outstanding young man who shows tremendous leadership ability and my father would have been proud to hand him this award."
Young plans to race in the six night INEX Legends Winternationals in Orlando, FL February 8th through the 13th at the Orlando SpeedWorld. He won his first feature there last season, and is hoping for a championship this time around. "We finished in the top five in every race but one last year, so we'd like to do the same again this year and hopefully win the series championship," the smiling young racer said. "It's been an awesome winter, adding Ray The Plumber to our marketing team and picking up the award at the TFT Banquet, and now I can't wait to get back on the track and continue my learning process as a racer."
Madhouse, Superstition and Stupidity: My Opinion
So I'm watching Madhouse episode 3, taking it all in, listening to everyone talk about the full moon, the number 13, peanuts or peanut butter and green on race cars, and yakking about how all of it somehow brings bad luck.
Some believe it, some say it's just old beliefs that never came true. Chris Fleming sure doesn't believe in any of it, and numbered his car 13 just to defy it. The one true believer, though, seems to be Tim Brown. He can't believe Chris Fleming would use that #13 on his car, " what is he thinkin' ? ". Tim Brown doesn't want any of those things which bring racers bad luck around HIS car.
A few scenes later, there is Tim's grandfather, outside searching all over the lawn for 4 leaf clovers to put in Tim's car to bring him luck. He comes up with 3, telling Tim, "This one's for good luck in the time trials, this one's so you draw a good starting spot, and this one's so you win the race." Well, very good Grandpa Brown, but there's just one thing none of you thought of: Those 4 leaf clovers are GREEN!!! Might as well put them in a bag of 13 green peanuts and toss 'em in the car!
Now there's one other thing about this show that's rubbing me a little the wrong way. Does the "King", Junior Miller, really want to win races, or is his life now dedicated to hunting down anyone named Myers and dumping them? Does anyone in their right mind put all that work into getting a modified ready to race on Saturday night with the primary aim of dumping another competitor?
Well, he accomplished it near the end of the race, dumping Jason Myers and getting 4th at the finish, so the 'family feud' can continue at Bowman Gray for another week. Another week of Junior sitting around his shop, house, diner, whatever, ruminating about how he's gonna dump a Myers' and maybe win a race. Meanwhile, about 19 others are out to do the best they can, win a race, maybe a championship, and old Junior only wants to wreck cars, and on the show at least, we never seem to see a black flag as the stupidity continues into next week.
Overall, I am enjoying the show itself, as we get to see what is needed to prep the cars, repair the cars, tweak the set ups, and the financial end of things, especially for those trying to squeeze the most out of tight racing budgets. The program has been well received in it's first 3 weeks, leaving me to believe we are in for some rally good entertainment, and a little bit of racing education, over the last 10 shows of this series. I anxiously await the announcement that the cameras are back and shooting during 2010 at Bowman Gray Stadium!!!
Madhouse Debuts on the History Channel
Madhouse, a reality type show about Modified racing at Bowman Gray Stadium in North Carolina, made it's debut on the History Channel.
I watched this program 3 times before writing this, and the thing I got out of it the most is they were building a foundation for the much ballyhooed feud between Junior Miller and the Myers family. It's hard to say who the 'bad guy' really is in this feud, but my feeling is Junior Miller's attitude needs an adjustment. Maybe a few more shows will add more information and change my mind, but in this first show, he really comes across as the one with an axe to grind, and an ego 10 feet tall. I know he should be angry over the way Burt Myers pounded on his car after the last race of 2008, and I suppose he has a right to feel that way. But take into consideration the way he rammed into Myers and dumped him. No 'brake check' as Miller stated, but a blatant 'hit and run' crash that turned Myers into the wall. I don't condone Burt's reaction either, though it is understandable in this circumstance that he might react that way. Absent were penalties of any kind for either of them, and I found that strange. We've all seen similar thing happen at our regular tracks, and they are seldom without penalty. Using a race car as a weapon should never be allowed to go unpunished. It's funny, the problem is identified well by the track official at the meeting they both had to attend, but neither of them is prone to making the effort to solve the problem.
The rest of the cast, Tim Brown, Chris Fleming, Jason Myers and a host of other drivers yet to be named, make the potential rest of the season look interesting. I wasn't too surprised about the lack of actual racing in the first show, simply because the creators of the program know they have to lay the foundation for what is to come, especially for the part of the audience unfamiliar with racing at Saturday night bullrings. The feud needed to be laid out in detail, so we all understand what the history of it is, and why the participants act the way they do as the story continues. The effect on others also needs to be shown, because it will play heavily on everyone as the racing season progresses. If anyone has yet to figure out these two guys don't like each other, it would totally surprise me.
One of the things that bothered me about the show was the quick cutting from scene, to scene, to scene in some parts, not giving the viewer enough time to absorb what they were looking at. Hopefully, future shows will rely on that less and less. If there were any doubts that this is a typical reality show, 'cable network style', they've been erased after this first episode. I guess we should all be thankful none of the reality stars on this show sing or dance. I also liked the part with Chris Fleming where he shows that he is a one man operation, making many of his own parts, or repairing cast off parts, to keep his operation going. Very 'old school', harking back to the days when just about everyone did that. In this day and age of built modifieds and off the shelf parts, it's refreshing to see someone do this, and to see him have a level of success doing it. Tim Brown, being a professional in the business, shows us that he is a perfectionist, something he does daily in his work on a Sprint Cup car, and it's nice to see how that carries over to his work on his own car, setting things up, double checking to see that everything is just right, and then checking again. The work ethic of all the drivers they showed is very good.
Over all, I think this show may bring new fans to the sport, simply out of curiosity after seeing it on TV. Look at it this way. If it brings 20 new fans to a local track, those 20 will talk to friends, and maybe that will bring more as they tell their friends about what they experienced. Anything that helps the sport of local racing is a good thing, and I'm sure many of the reportedly over 1 million viewers who watched the first of these programs were not regular fans, but may have watched after having their curiosity piqued by the promos for the program. If it hooked them enough to bring them back next week, they will show up at a local race track soon, and that's beneficial to us all. Now, 1 show down, 12 to go, and I can't wait. As always, your comments on what you thought about this are welcome here, and we invite you to add what you think was good or bad about the program. Just click on the comments link and fire away.
1/16/2010 - As an after thought, it just occurred to me, what if J.R. Bertuccio, who now resides in Statesville, NC, decides to join in the mix at Bowman Gray this season? Ah, think of the possibilities!!!
Frostbite 4 Enduro Runs On Snow Covered Track
Photos from Frostbite 4 Full sized copies available to any who want them. Email request to wizgrand@gmail.com with picture number(s).
01/02/2010 - The Frostbite 4 Enduro, first race of the 2010 Mountain Madness Enduro Series, was run today on a snow covered track, the first time and enduro has been run under those conditions at Sundance Vacations Speedway. With 3 - 4 inches of snow on the racing surface, it proved to be a challenge to the racers in all 3 events, and pure entertainment for all the spectators.
A combined truck/6 cylinder car race opened the program, with 6 trucks and one car. While not a large field for an enduro race, the track conditions, with fresh, untouched snow all the way around the 1/3 mile oval, made for a very interesting event. Kevin Nowak started on the pole, but Harry Sager, who started last, worked his way to the front to challenge Nowak early in the event, as the 6 trucks were staying in a line at the bottom, while Sager, nicknamed 'High Line Harry' , used the deep snow near the high side to advance past everyone, and took the lead from Nowak. A good battle took place between the two, as they swapped the lead back and forth, until Sager had to pit and change a flat late in the race. As a combination race, it didn't matter to Sager, since he was the only 6 Cylinder car in the event, and was being scored separately from the trucks. While Nowak went on to take the overall victory, Sager was still the first and only 6 cylinder car, and won that portion of the race. FINISH: 1.) Kevin Nowak, 2.) M. Tischler, 3.) H. Sager,[6 cylinder car winner] 4.) F. Katonah, 5.) R. McCormick. 6.) G. Harris, 7.) J. Vullo
The 4 cylinder cars ran next, on a track that now had a clear lane through the snow, but that was the iciest portion of the track, and proved to be the worst route around the oval. Tony Rispin figured that out faster than anybody, and quickly put his car in the lead. Rispin would lead a majority of the laps in the event, which saw the snow on the track get pushed off to the high side as the cars continuously circled the speedway, packing down the snow, turning the surface into something like an ice rink. At one point, Rispin was the only car on the lead lap as the other drivers tried to keep up under less than ideal conditions. Jason Dunn, who fell a lap down, but still held 2nd spot, was able to get back on the lead lap, working his way through the field during the closing laps to catch up to Rispin with less than 5 laps left, and passed him with 3 laps left to take the victory. FINISH: 1.) Jason Dunn, 2.) T. Rispin, 3.) P. Morgan, Jr., 4.) C. McCormick, 5.)Matt Wahl, 6.) E. Michael, 7.) D. Bartuski, 8.)K Harper, 9.)J Campbell, 10.) W. Rice, 11.) E Brown, Jr., 12.)T Deutsch, 13. R. Dunn, DQ - Justin Dunn, Mike Wahl
The 8 cylinder race was the final event, with 18 cars, plus 4 added trucks from the first race, as they were given the option of entering this event also. They all found themselves faced with a slicker track than any of the previous events, but they quickly adapted after a start that saw many spins in the first couple of laps. Harry Sager, who lined up 13th at the start, quickly showed them all that up in the snow,or the 'fluff' as Geno and Ted referred to it over the PA, was the place to run and still get some traction. Others, notably the truck drivers entered in the event, ran the lowest line possible, since the normal racing groove was the iciest, and therefore the slickest, part of the track. Turns 2 and 4 in particular were very slippery, as they had turned to ice patches as the sun faded in the Western sky. But these guys put on what was arguably the best race of the day, running high, down low, and through the middle groove, as they all searched for the spot their car ran best. Some never found it, while others, notably Kevin Nowak, Harry Sager, and Mark Tischler, found it immediately based on their experience from the first race. It was those 3 who led the majority of the race, with Nowak and Tischler swapping the lead back and forth throughout the event, while Sager did his best to keep up, as he had to contend with many others who noticed how well he ran in the high groove, and followed his example in using it, which made his route around the oval a busy one as he negotiated the traffic up top, while Nowak and Tischler utilized the lowest groove. That was not the perfect one either, as Nowak, after having built an almost one lap lead over Sager and Tischler, spun several times on his own on the icy surface, allowing both Tischler and Sager to regain their lost ground on him.. With less than 10 laps to go, Tischler slid into the infield off turn 2, stalled, and Nowak pulled away to take the win. FINISH: 1.) Kevin Nowak, 2.) H Sager, 3.) TJ Kapish, 4.) R. Schewire, 5.) E. Brown, Jr., 6.) J Presley, 7.) S. Bird, 8.) S Gallucci, 9.) J. Vullo, 10.) T. Szoke, 11.) S.Tito, 12.) S. Morgan, 13.) R. Kulik, 14.) M. Parisi, 15.) M. Wahl, 16.) F. Petroski, 17.) G Harris, 18.) B. McCormack, 19.) S Barnes, 20.) E Wohl, 21.) M Pollack, DQ M. Tischler.
News and Notes: A few hearty fans braved the constant wind, with it's accompanying chill, to view the show. A big cheer to them for sticking it out in the cold to enjoy the first race of the season at Sundance (Snowdance?) Vacation Speedway.... While the sun made an appearance, it didn't make much difference, as sub-freezing temperatures kept the surface of the track in a condition that best resembled an ice rink. Still, it made for interesting strategies amongst the drivers. By the time the 8 cylinder race was nearing it's close, many were clipping the 3rd and 4th turns by cutting across the fresh snow of the infield, making the trip around much shorter, but it still made them slower as indicated by lap times on the transponder computer. With another MME series race scheduled for February 27th, many hope it will snow before that event, just so they can experience racing on snow once more. Each winner stated in victory lane that while it was different to run on the snow, they had a good time doing so... Starter "Chilly" Willy Schultz had the worst spot of anyone, as he was continually being pelted with snow kicked up by the cars as they passed the flag stand. Willy may be thawed out by Tuesday, but we can't be sure... Speeds were slowed considerably by the snow, with the trucks averaging 37.5 MPH, the 4 cylinders 34.4 MPH, and the 8 cylinders 32.9 MPH.... That's it for this effort. Great job by all to have the show completed by 4:15, allowing all of us to find someplace to warm up after a very enjoyable but chilly afternoon of racing. A big thanks as always to the Speedway staff for all their assistance today.
Enjoy New Year's Eve
Happy New Year!!! 2010 Begins!
Be safe and smart, use a designated driver or stay put if you've been drinking.
“Frostbite 4” Ahead for Sundance Vacations Speedway
IT'S This weekend! Dress warm, but be there!!! Racing starts at 1 PM with 3 BIG events!
Sundance Vacations Speedway has announced that this year's Charity donations will go to the Susan G. Komen Foundation, with $1 from each paid admission will be donated.
Sundance Vacations Speedway recently announced that the 1st event of the 2010 racing season would kick off on Saturday, January 2, as the celebration of the New Year continues with the "Frostbite 4(degree)" enduro racing event. The Mountain Madness Enduro Series schedule will comprise of several events throughout the course of the season and the 4th annual Frostbite enduro will be the first show to highlight the 2010-racing schedule. For the first time, enduro racers will take to the speedway in the month of February, as the 2nd event on the MMES schedule has been set for Saturday, February 27th. Run like a true to form enduro, the Mountain Madness Enduro Series features relatively inexpensive "bone stock" automobiles for low budget racers, helping make enduro racing more affordable for beginners and masters alike. In addition to the new 6-cylinder only division, both, the four-cylinders and 6/8-cylinder divisions will have a three wide rolling start. Without yellow flags, only red flags will be thrown for serious incidents, or if a driver is in a dangerous situation on the speedway. "Dead" cars will be left on the speedway. The Mountain Madness enduro events will be held rain, snow or shine. Race fans that are looking to fuel their racing appetites will now have the opportunity to do so over the winter months. The pit area will open at 9 AM and the grandstands will be open at 12 noon. The first enduro event is slated to take the green flag at 1 PM.For more info, and all the happenings at Sundance Vacations Speedway, please log on to www.sundancevacationsspeedway.com or call the Speedway office at 570-384-3215 and 570-788-7544 on race days.------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
So grab a warm blanket, wear your best winter gear, fill a thermos or two with your favorite hot beverage, and support this great racing event, since $1 from each paid admission will go to help the Susan G. Komen Foundation in it's quest to find a cure for breast cancer. Come on, what else are you doing on Jan 2, 2010? Go to the first race of the year and start your year off right.
Sundance Vacations Speedway has announced that this year's Charity donations will go to the Susan G. Komen Foundation, with $1 from each paid admission will be donated.
Sundance Vacations Speedway recently announced that the 1st event of the 2010 racing season would kick off on Saturday, January 2, as the celebration of the New Year continues with the "Frostbite 4(degree)" enduro racing event. The Mountain Madness Enduro Series schedule will comprise of several events throughout the course of the season and the 4th annual Frostbite enduro will be the first show to highlight the 2010-racing schedule. For the first time, enduro racers will take to the speedway in the month of February, as the 2nd event on the MMES schedule has been set for Saturday, February 27th. Run like a true to form enduro, the Mountain Madness Enduro Series features relatively inexpensive "bone stock" automobiles for low budget racers, helping make enduro racing more affordable for beginners and masters alike. In addition to the new 6-cylinder only division, both, the four-cylinders and 6/8-cylinder divisions will have a three wide rolling start. Without yellow flags, only red flags will be thrown for serious incidents, or if a driver is in a dangerous situation on the speedway. "Dead" cars will be left on the speedway. The Mountain Madness enduro events will be held rain, snow or shine. Race fans that are looking to fuel their racing appetites will now have the opportunity to do so over the winter months. The pit area will open at 9 AM and the grandstands will be open at 12 noon. The first enduro event is slated to take the green flag at 1 PM.For more info, and all the happenings at Sundance Vacations Speedway, please log on to www.sundancevacationsspeedway.com or call the Speedway office at 570-384-3215 and 570-788-7544 on race days.------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
So grab a warm blanket, wear your best winter gear, fill a thermos or two with your favorite hot beverage, and support this great racing event, since $1 from each paid admission will go to help the Susan G. Komen Foundation in it's quest to find a cure for breast cancer. Come on, what else are you doing on Jan 2, 2010? Go to the first race of the year and start your year off right.
Tommy Baldwin and Al Heinke Form Heinke-Baldwin Racing, Announce 2010 Short Track Program Plans
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MY 2 CENTS - Off Season Comments to Relieve the Boredom
As we sit here during the down time known as the off season, press releases being the only thing of interest, we thought it might be interesting to editorialize a bit to provide some thoughts on these events. While trying to keep things factual, some of this will be speculation, and the crystal ball is a bit foggy at times, so excuse any thoughts you might think aren't on the up and up. That's why I included a comments section on this site when I started it.
Biggest story right now? Danica Patrick coming to JR Motorsports to drive in the Nationwide Series and ARCA on a limited schedule. This talented lady, an Indy Car driver now for a number of years with known talent, will come into the full fendered cars to try her hand and display her skills there in 2010. The transition from computer designed, track hugging, low slung racers to the heavier, NASCAR full fendered taxicab type car should be an interesting one. It's been done in recent history by Tony Stewart, Robbie Gordon, John Andretti, and in the past by A.J Foyt himself. Even Janet Guthrie took a shot at Daytona. Danica Patrick is very popular and well known in the sport of racing, and has shown a talent for getting a car to victory lane. The people on various message boards have expressed a wide range of opinions about how she will perform in this transition to an obviously different ride. JR Motorsports will likely give her the best chance at success, because the cars coming out of that organization come from Hendrick, and we all know they build a good chassis. Now we can only sit back and wait to see how she does in February at Daytona. Are there any other new faces coming into big time racing? With all the buzz about Danica Patrick, who knows?
On a lesser scale, we've continued to read comments about tracks using transponders for scoring purposes. On that subject, I back the idea that this is the way to go. I've seen the system work, and though there are flaws in anything electronic, the ones I see here are correctable ones, mostly caused by overlooking something in the design phase of a specific tracks set up of the scoring loops involved. Once correctly installed, they give the track an accurate picture of where a driver is in relation to all others on the track. They also give the speed per lap, the average speed of the race, and an accurate placing of the cars at the finish. Ideal, right? So now we get to the drawbacks, and the main sticking point is the initial expense of the system itself. It requires cuts in the pavement, easily made with a diamond saw, and filled in after installation with epoxy. The transponders themselves are said to be in the $250 - $350 range, which is not cheap, but is affordable considering what I've seen racers spend on chrome parts. Tracks that use transponders do so in two ways: they own them and rent them back to the drivers, or they require the driver to have one to use when they come to the track. It can cost about $400 to buy one that can be permanently hard wired, thereby reducing failure of the battery pack in rentals, but assuring the driver they will be accurately scored. The computer system can run of a laptop or desk model, track owner's choice. It only takes one person to run it, and hard copy printouts of each race can document the results for all to see. So the upsides seem to outweigh the downside of cost and installation, and the rental of the transponder units, typically $10 -$15 per event, can create a revenue stream for the track if they choose that method. In that way, they system can eventually pay for itself, and then become a reliable income source for the track promoter.
On a smaller scale, something fairly new has entered the entertainment side of racing: skid plate racing. While I'm not sure where the idea originated, it has been tried at a few tracks around the country. Basically, it involves disabling the rear wheels of a front wheel drive car, usually a 4 cylinder, small car, by putting metal plates under the rear wheels. From what I've seen of this on You Tube, it creates a control problem that requires the driver to rethink their skills in negotiating turns on the race track. The rear of the car tends to throw out if they enter the turn at a high rate of speed, so they must compensate by braking hard going into the corners. Interesting viewing if you've seen it. But here is the main problem that seems to come with this: it is done on pavement tracks, and the skid plates have the potential to wreak havoc on the condition of the pavement. Even if the tracks most sophisticated division is some Street Stock level, smooth pavement is essential there for good racing, and safety. While skid plate racing will appeal to younger fans, a much needed audience for short tracks right now, the effect it will have on the condition of the facility is of much greater importance. The average promoter can't repave his track once a month, and if these things get popular (they're cheap to run, so many may give it a try), torn up pavement will become a major problem. This phenomena may die sooner than anyone could predict, a victim of it's own success. UPDATE: Now the news of this has sparked arguments about whether Spectator Drags, which it seems to be replacing, were a better 'feature' for the fans. It's even brought in comments from out of state people who likely have never even seen a Spectator Drag race, along with defense of the whole thing by someone whose never done much more than watch the races through a video camera lens, but considers himself an 'expert' on the subject. Neither possess the knowledge they'd like us to believe they have, but someone has to be posting in the land of 'delete what I disagree with'. I get closer each day to adding a straight up message board here. Dec 16th update: Now the thread is closed, no more comments, due to side comments by those who disagreed with the gist off it. Yeah, maybe a link to a message board would be a good thing........
So that's it for now. Do you have any ideas on these topics? If so, avail yourself of our comments section by clicking on the link below. While these are moderated, most of you know I am fair and will use anything that is sensible. If you don't want me to publish your comment, just say so, and I will not post it. Everyone has a right to express a reasonable opinion, and unlike other venues, I will not reject your thoughts just because they don't agree with mine. That's just a foolish way to not get ALL the ideas out there. Criticism has created some great ideas, so it should be a part of any discussion. Let's hear form you soon on your opinions, even if it's something not mentioned here.
WJ