HEADLINES: Lavonia: Fastrak Grand Nationals TST: NeSmith Dirt Late Model Series National Tour Clint Smith: Out at GRT? Green Valley: Perry "the Voiceman" Holman night Sunday 4:30 "How dirt racers would improve asphalt?" Taylor Hull and his Humpy's Heroes experience Timmy Hutson completes flagman's Seven Crown Challenge The Hex On UPS Cars and David Ragan?
Oct. 2 (Fri.) Green Valley (MOVED TO SUN. 4:30 p.m.) "Perry Holman Voiceman Night " + crate LMs $2500 to win http://www.greenvalleyspeedway.com/
Oct. 2-3 Lavonia Fastrak Grand Nationals Fri. 7:00 $10 adm. Qualifying, + 6 or more heats Sat. 6:00 Hot laps, 3 or more B-mains, feature Enduro $400 to win, Stock 4 $400 to win, Up fronts $200 to win Fastrak Grand Nationals is a three-race series, paying $30,000 to the overall champion. Fastrak membership, and 12 prev. races, required to enter. http://www.lavoniadirttrack.com www.fastrakracing.com
Oct. 3 Cochran R.L. Gregory Memorial Natl. Late Model Series $3,000 To Win $100 Fast Qualifier Sponsored by www.racersdepotonline.com (Crate Late Model Weight 2350) Sportsman $700 To Win Pure Stock $1000 To Win $50 Entry Fee (8 Inch Racing Tire) Cadet $1000 To Win $50 entry Fee (8 Inch Racing tire) Road Warrior $500 To Win $25 Entry Fee http://www.nlmss.com
Oct. 3 Golden Isles Harvey Jones/Jax Raceways Hall of Fame Race. Racing in six classes, plus exhibts of old time race cars and memorabilia. Racers from the past are expected. Adm. $12. http://www.goldenislesspeedway.com
Oct. 9-10 Oglethorpe Showdown in Savannah Late models 50 laps $5000 to win, Super Streets $4000 to win, Mini-Stock $3000 to win, Pure Stock $2000 to win. http://www.ospracing.net
Oct. 10 Dixie Lucas Oil LM Series $10,000 to win, 2009 Track Awards night www.lucasdirt.com http://www.dixiespeedway.com
Oct. 10 441 Speedway Ken Schrader and his dirt late model team appearance, Run What Ya Brung in all classes except late model http://www.441speedway.com/
Oct. 2-3 Lavonia Fastrak Grand Nationals Fri. 7:00 $10 adm. Qualifying, + 6 or more heats Sat. 6:00 $20 adm. Hot laps, 3 or more B-mains, feature Enduro $400 to win, Stock 4 $400 to win, Up fronts $200 to win http://www.lavoniadirttrack.com www.fastrakracing.com
FASTRAK Racing Series 2009 Banquet & Cruise to Cozumel, Mexico, is set for a 4PM departure on January 21st aboard the Carnival Cruise Ship “Fantasy” from Mobile, AL. Still room for more.
Round 21 of the 2009 NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series National Touring season is Saturday night at Talladega Short Track. It's a 40-lap $2,500-to-win main event. Drivers will have an opportunity to use this event as a tune-up race for the $10,000-to-win Red Top Auto Auctions Dega 100 at Talladega Short Track on October 22, 23, and 24. 18-year-old point leader Eric Cooley of Fulton, MS, with a 102 point lead, can all but clinch the 2009 NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series National Championship. Going into the weekend, Cooley has a 102-point lead over Larry Boutwell of Baker, FL for the top spot in the series point standings. Matthew Turner, of Dawsonville, and Derrick Rainey, of Powder Springs, GA will be looking to keep their title hopes alive. Turner leads Rainey for the third spot by 44 points. Rainey will also be looking to pick up his fifth McLeod Construction Fast Time Award, and the $1,000 that goes to the driver with the most fast time awards this season. www.talladegashorttrack.com www.nesmithracing.com
The World of Outlaws Topless late model Showdown at The Dirt Track in Charlotte has 43 entries so far for the Wed., Oct. 14, show. Entries: http://www.lowesmotorspeedway.com/do...ist_082409.pdf Tickets: $25! 1800-455-FANS lowesmotorspeedway.com
The National Late Model Sportsman Series rolls into Cochran Motor Speedway Saturday night for the R L Gregory Memorial Ga State Championship, paying $3000 to win. Racing too in all other classes with lots more money up for grabs and the Ga State Championship title. Sportsman $700 To Win Pure Stock $1000 To Win $50 Entry Fee (8 Inch Racing Tire) Cadet $1000 To Win $50 entry Fee (8 Inch Racing tire) Road Warrior $500 To Win $25 Entry Fee 6Ft. Tall Trophies To All The Winners In Each Class Qualifying & Heat Races With features In All Divisions www.Cochrangaspeedway.com www.nlmss.com
BOYD's SPEEDWAY hosts the S.R.R.S. Super Late Model series event Sat. $3,000 to win, with $300 to start. www.southernregionalracingseries.com http://www.boydsspeedway.com
Joe Garrison, of GRT Race Cars in Greenbrier, AR, has announced that Jack Sullivan will pilot the GRT “House Car” in select events to close out 2009 and throughout the entire 2010 season. Sullivan and the team will run the final three Lucas Oil Series shows at TST, Dixie, and Rome Oct. 9-10-11. GRT hasn't had a house car in recent years, although WoO driver Clint Smith, of Senoia, a GRT dealer, was viewed by some as the house car driver. Garrison says it's 50/50 if Smith will stick with GRT in 2010. In 38 '09 starts, Smith has 5 wins and 23 top 10s. Garrison and GRT have been building race chassis for 20 years. He says the best-ever sales were about 300 per year, but currently its about 100 per year. http://www.clintsmith.com/ www.teamgrt.com
Thursday on RacersReunion Radio: 8:00 PM "Racing The Way It Was" hosted by Jeff Gilder will feature a new series titled "Racing Through History" with veteran broadcast journalis Jim Seay. The show will cover the origin of stock car racing...pre-NASCAR... and move forward through racing history featuring some of those early participants telling "how it was" from their perspectives. The first segments come the Dawsonville, Ga area. STOCK CAR RacersReunion: http://racersreunion.ning.com
The 8th Annual Induction Banquet and Ceremony for the Georgia Racing Hall of Fame is Friday, Oct. 23, at the Georgia Racing Hall of Fame at 415 Hwy. 53 East, Dawsonville, Georgia 30534 Reservations Required - Limited Seating - Tickets $50.00 each - 6:30 p.m. 2009 inductees: Bob Burcham Ronnie Sanders Luther Carter Leon Sells Herb "Tootle" Estes Buck Simmons Tommie Irvin Katron "Cannonball" Sosebee http://www.thunderroadusa.com
Late Model Mark tells us: A real special night is on tap Sunday at Green Valley raceway in Glencoe, AL. It is Perry "the Voiceman" Holman night. This is the brainchild of owner/promoter Dennis Harker. Mr. Harker will donate a portion of each pit pass and general admission to go directly to Perry. Perry has some large medical expenses as of late and this is a way for the track and fans to give back to Perry who has given us so much. There will be a full program and an unsanctioned $2500-to-win Crate Late Model special, and they hope to finish the show by 8:30 p.m. This was originally scheduled for Friday, but changed in anticipation of a rainy day. Racing at 4:30.
Z3 Sports reports: Former ASA SAT Looking to Rebound in 2010 John Kee, Micky Cain, Don Hallford, and all of the staff and management of the former RC Cola / Moon Pie ASA Southeast Asphalt Tour, are hoping to make a come-back for the 2010 racing season. "Our business model for 2010 calls for a reduced schedule - twelve races - at facilities that have shown a history of successfully drawing a strong fan base over the season," said Kee. "Those markets also provide a larger pool of single event advertisers as they are surrounded by larger population bases." Kee also indicated that television coverage will again be a selling point for the series, if it is to resume. The series, if it reopens, will do so under a new name, but will retain ASA sanctioning.
Promotion idea: Whoever wins the pole for the World Classic at Montgomery will have a bonus offered to them: The Charlie Bradberry Challenge. The fastest qualifier will have the opportunity to start the 150 lap event from the rear of the field. If he wins the race, he will be awarded a bonus of $4,000.00 on top of the $6,000.00 for the win. - Ray Tennyson, Southern Superstars
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"I got a lot out of it, and it was a neat experience" says Taylor Hull of his Humpy's Heroes driver development program experience, although he didn't finish in the top three (of ten) who will get tryouts with NASCAR and ARCA teams. He expects that the contacts he made, with racing leaders like Humpy Wheeler, Gary Nelson, Andy Hillenberg, David Ragan, Kenny Wallace, and others, will push him into the next level of racing. “I have been racing for six years in all of the 600 Racing car types manufactured; Bandoleros, Legends Cars, Thunder Roadsters, and Thunder Cars,” said Hull. “I have won six championships and will be pursuing many more. I have a burning desire to become a NASCAR Sprint Cup driver.” Hull, from Winston, GA, is a 20-year old junior at Belmont Abbey College in NC, is pursuing a business degree in Motorsports Management. After classes, he works at 600 Racing in Charlotte, builders of the Legends cars. He was at Lanier's Legends Raceceiver Shootout Sunday, preparing for the Legends Nationals Oct. 8-10. Andrew Smith, of Pooler, GA, was the top driver in the Humpy's Heroes program. "I'm not surprised," said Hull, since Smith was the Legends Pro 2008 Nationals winner, and has experience on with full-size cars on dirt and road courses. Hull's best year: Thunder Car Series: 2008 - Winner of the Race to the Top for Georgia - Winner of the Georgia State Championship - Winner of the King of the Ovals Championship - Placed 3rd of 100 drivers in 600 Racing National Standings - Placed 5th or better in 28 of 30 races - Won Week 10 of the Lowe's Motor Speedway Summer Shootout series http://www.taylorhullracing.com/
While crewing his daughter's Bandolero at Lanier Saturday. Russell Fleeman said it costs him $18 per lap to race in the typical 100-lap asphalt late model show at Lanier and similar tracks. That puts the cost of a 100-lap race at $1800, including two sets of tires at $450 per set. Only winning, which usually pays $2500 or $3000, lets him do better than break even. While talking to a dirt racing promoter, I asked "How dirt racers would improve asphalt?" Practice is one of the things killing asphalt - but they tell me the drivers/teams are always wanting more. "It’s the same in dirt. They will run until they blow everything they have. The bad thing about practice is its not profitable for ANYONE. The track doesn’t make money and it costs the racers. Why the hell do we do it?," comments the dirt leader. My deal for asphalt, offered the promoter: 1 - No practice on Friday period. Don’t allow the track to hold one either. 2 - Gates opening would have to vary but say for instance, 3:00. 3 - Two rounds of practice back to back. By groups, by the time group 4 came in, group 1 would have to be ready to go again. 4 - Driver autograph session on front stretch with cars or in the stands. 5 - Qualify and go race. That has to take less tires. Less tires, less expense Asphalt is also lacking the forums like www.4m.net and www.TrackForums.com and a dozen others in this area. The asphalt one I've found - www.speed51.com (discussion) - is nearly dead. It's hard to get the word out. Continued the promoter: Like the Anderson ASA SAT race - I never knew about it. I am a race fan and would have considered going but never heard a peep. If they don’t have a fourm, we’ll get it on somewhere or do our own. The one good thing about asphalt (and many disagree with me) is the Legends. I think Legends has attracted a bunch of wealthy families who like the facilities and management at Atlanta (big track), Lanier, Charlotte, etc. These families are growing up into asphalt late models. "I agree entirely. The people that don’t like them are people that have never driven them. Things are tough to drive man! I did it one time. That thing would spin out in a minute," said the dirt man. A few Legends leaders (Tyler Millwood, Austin Hill) have dirt cars too, but after they go to a few dirt holes like Rome and most others, pitting in the mud, peeing behind the hauler, etc., they don't like dirt. "Yep. We definitely got lots of things to fix in ALL racing." Can I use your name? "Oh God please don’t do that, lol!! They would hang me."
Jack Ingram will be Grand Marshal of the World Classic 150 race meet at Montgomery Motor Speedway October 2-3, 2009. “It’s fitting,” said B. J. Parker, president of the Southern Superstars circuit, in making the announcement, “because Jack stood out in the first World Classic in 1978 like a tough old West marshal.” That race was contested at 400 laps at the five-eighth mile Birmingham International Raceway. In winning on a 102-degree afternoon in July, Ingram was one of just two entries who went all the way without a relief driver. “And the other guy,” Ingram recalled, “wasn’t doing much racing at the end.” Ingram’s performance in the Steel City that day illustrated why he deserved the nickname of Iron Man. Ingram is 72 years old. He started racing in 1963 and still takes an occasional turn behind the wheel at weekly races. “But I doubt seriously I’ll do it much longer,” he said. There will be some heavy hitters in town to take home the trophy with the golden globe on it, including Augie Grill, the two-time defending Snowball Derby Champion. “I have never won the World Classic and to win it would be very special to me” said Grill. “With the new asphalt, it is going to be fast. Dad has been in victory lane at the World Classic before when his car won it in 1995 with Huntsville, AL driver Tony Walls behind the wheel. I would like to win it.” Another entrant is Bubba Pollard, of Senoia. "We were able to secure Lynch Tree Service out of Tennessee as a sponsor for this event," said Pollard. "I am really excited about running with the Southern Super Stars at Montgomery." Pollard has already done a tire test at the 1/2 mile oval. www.bubbapollard.com.
Nashville's Fairgrounds Speedway honors NASCAR racer Bobby Hamilton Oct. 10 with a 125-lap race for the Ken-Ten crate Late Models, with Sportsman, Super Stock, Frontrunners, and Dwarfs support classes. Craig Thompson says Danny at the track has opened up his rules for weekend, and he's hoping the straight rail guys will enter and help make this race a success. The rumor mill again has this being the last year for the Fairgrounds, after 51 seasons. After only six races, NASCAR driver Sterling Marlin is eighth in track LM points, and his son is 10th. www.fairgroundsspeedwayatnashvile.com
Oct. 31-Nov. 1 Nashville Fairgrounds All American 400 Weekend Sat. - CRA Late Model Sportsman Series 50 laps, $1200 to win Sat. - Street Stocks 50 lap, $1000 to win Sat. - USA Modifieds 50-laps Sun. 1:00 - CRA & GAS last chance races if needed Sun. - CRA 250 laps $10,000 to win Sun. - GA Asphalt Series 150 laps (All the divisions will race on the 5/8-mile track) www.fairgroundsspeedwayatnashville.com www.craracing.net
Citing the upcoming hunting season and "some unfortunate turn of affairs", Columbia Motorsports Park (FL) has ended their racing season with three events still left on the schedule. Although the exact affairs referenced were not specifially addressed, General Manager Don Nerone spoke about a poor economy, rising and falling gas prices, high unemployment and home foreclosures in a track press release. (Speed51.com)
Promotion idea: Macon Speedway (IL) is adding High School Hornets, which will be open to all teens 16 and under. Macon Speedway hopes to grow this division and get the area kids involved in racing at an early age, but without putting a strain on their families’ budgets by offering a division that is fun and reasonably priced. No experience is required to compete in this division; it is solely for the purpose of having fun at their local race track. Macon Speedway encourages the new division of drivers to express their school spirit by sporting their school colors paint schemes, and or mascots on their cars in whatever creative way they can.
Promotion idea #2: Fans will be sure to stay warm on the chilly October night as the first 500 fans sporting NASCAR or Macon Speedway apparel will be treated to a free Macon Speedway hot dog and cup of hot chocolate. To thrill fans of all ages, Macon Speedway will host the first season ending FIREWORKS display! Kids will have a blast at Macon Speedway with FREE MONSTER TRUCK rides
The World of Outlaws Topless Showdown on Wednesday night, Oct. 14, kicks off NASCAR Banking 500 Week and features the cars and stars of the World of Outlaws Late Model Series competing at The Dirt Track @ Lowe's Motor Speedway. The dirt late models will compete minus their fiberglass tops for this special "topless" event, giving fans a better view of the drivers as they navigate the lightning-fast four-tenths-mile oval. Once again this year the special Pa$$ing Bonu$ of $1,000 multiplied by starting position will be awarded to an eligible heat race transfer or the first-place finisher in the last-chance qualifier if they win the 50-lap Showdown. With the added bonus, the race winner could take home up to $30,000! Tickets $25, $5 for children 12 and under. http://www.lowesmotorspeedway.com
The NASCAR Nationwide Series - Dover: Jon Wes Townley’s fourth top-20 finish in 20 starts. The Watkinsville native qualified 8th, a career best start for the team. www.teamrab.com
Race and Commercial Breakdown for the NASCAR AAA 400 at Dover # Total number of commercials: 113 # Total number of companies or entities advertised: 60 # Total number of brief promos of products/services during the race broadcast: 38 # Total number of companies or entities advertised in brief promos or crawlers: 26 # Total amount of time these brief promos take during broadcast: app. 6 min. 30 sec. # Start time to record race/commercial periods: 2:00 PM # End time to record race/commercial periods: 6:03 PM # Total minutes: 243 # Minutes of race broadcast: 197 # Minutes of commercials: 46 # Number of commercial-free minutes at the end of the race: 65 Thank you ESPN/AB www.insiderracingnews.com
This weekend marks the 100th Nationwide Series start for Reed Sorenson, who made his NASCAR debut on August 7, 2004, at O’Reilly Raceway Park. Then 18-year old Sorenson drove the #41 Discount Tire car for Chip Ganassi Racing. He qualified an impressive third and finished the race in the 13th position. His NASCAR career has spanned from 2004 to present (2009), with a collective total of 235 starts in two series. (Braun Racing PR)(9-24-2009)
The Georgia Mini-Stock Stampede races Oct. 10 at New Senoia, advertised as the "Fastest 3/8s Asphalt Oval in Georgia." Darrell Carlson (atlarc@bellsouth.net) is the organizer, and has sponsorship from ACS OF GEORGIA & PPG. The program includes qualifying, a 30-lap last chance race if needed, and a 100-lap feature. Entry fee is $50. The rules include 2200 lbs., 4 cyl. only, 2500 cc. http://www.newsenoiaraceway.com
Driver Development: (Hockey's Heroes?) Montreal Canadiens defenseman Patrice Brisebois retired Thursday, ending his 18-year NHL career with plans to drive on NASCAR’s Canadian series. The 38-year-old Brisebois spent 16 seasons with the Canadiens. Brisebois said he’s seeking sponsors to fund the next phase of his career, as a driver in NASCAR’s Canadian Tire Series. “It’s a great team sport, like hockey,” Brisebois said. www.jayski.com
Augie Grill claimed his second Blizzard Series victory of 2009 while 16-year-old racer Johanna Long won the Blizzard Series championship in dramatic style, her first Super Late Model title. Entering the event, Bubba Pollard had a 23-point lead over Long in the chase with Grill 44 points back, but when Grill and Long qualified first and second respectively and Pollard qualified 12th, the points tightened. A lap-one wreck severely damaged Pollard’s machine, taking him out of the title chase. He would go on to finish 20th. Chase Elliott and the Aaron’s Dream Machine unloaded strong, and qualified third, behind Grill and Long. He was seventh at half-way, but lost his motor on lap 66. The team returns to Five Flags and Mobile on October 9th and 10th. In his rookie late model season, Elliott has four wins (The 'Melon, Lanier, Anderson, Hickory) and 19 Top Tens in 24 starts. www.ChaseElliott.com.
Timmy Hutson completed the flagman's Seven Crown Challenge Sunday, as he flagged the Legends show at Lanier. He's now flagged at all seven asphalt tracks in the state: Atlanta Motor Speedway, Peach State Speedway, Senoia, Watermelon Capital Speedway, South Georgia Motorsports Park, Road Atlanta, and Lanier National Speedway. He'll be the flagman for the Legends Nationals at Lanier next week. Next: GA's 18 dirt tracks and numerous kart tracks. He's taking reservations at timmyhutson@msn.com 770-361-8271
Is There A Hex On UPS Cars? From Kurt Smith UPS signed on with David Ragan, of Unadilla, GA, starting in 2009. Last season Ragan, with AAA on the car, seemed to have the best future of the sport’s “young guns.” He barely missed the Chase and finished 13th in points, a great improvement over finishing 23rd in 2007. He scored six top 5s and 14 top 10s in 2008 after scoring two top 5s and three top 10s in 2007. Of course it seemed like a wise choice for the company — if you didn’t consider the withering effect that UPS brown has had on its past wheelmen. But with the UPS logo on his car, Ragan has gone from riches to rags. The No. 6 has exactly one top 10 this season, in the rain-shortened Daytona 500. "But there isn’t any denying a noticeable correlation between a team’s performance with and without a brown UPS logo on the race car. UPS appeared on Dale Jarrett’s car, and he went from contending for titles to fighting to make races every week in just a few years. They appeared on David Reutimann’s car, and Reutimann showed little improvement; then, after their departure, he rocketed to near-playoff contention. Now, they move to David Ragan’s car, and he has gone from a young driver with a bright future to being one of those who is rarely shown on TV unless he crashes or enters into the pits spinning backwards." http://www.frontstretch.com/ksmith/27457/
Curt Smashes World Record at Kalamazoo Speedway! Curt Spalding jet's around Kalamazoo (MI) in 10.217 seconds (132.553mph!) breaking the old record by nearly 1/2 second! Curt broke his old record first, lowering the 10.715 to 10.243. Then Andy Bozell goes out and runs a 10.240. So Curt returns to the track and runs a 10.217! The event is Call of the Wild. Only one rule, a minimum wheelbase of 96". Curt used his MasterSbilt dirt late model chassis, removed the roof, bolted on some asphalt tires and installed several feet of polycarbonate. Video at http://www.curtspalding.net/
Clanton Wins Magnolia State 100 Super Late Model Feature 1st 25 Shane Clanton 2nd 21 Billy Moyer 3rd 1c Chad Thrash 4th 44 Clint Smith 6th 18 Ronny Lee Hollingsworth 12th 4t Tommy Kerr 14th 26 Tony Knowles 19th 44m Chris Madden
Hartwell Speedway returns to action on October 10th with their first annual Tommy Roberts Memorial.
NASCAR’s Sprint Cup stars return to the high banks of Atlanta Motor Speedway March 5-7 for the Kobalt Tools 500 race weekend. The action begins with Georgia Power Qualifying Night and continues with the Atlanta 200 NASCAR Camping World Series Truck Series race. The weekend culminates on Sunday, March 7 when NASCAR’s Sprint Cup stars take to the high banks of Atlanta Motor Speedway for the Kobalt Tools 500. Adult tickets for the Kobalt Tools 500 start at just $39 and student tickets are as low as $19, while supplies last. A limited quantity of frontstretch seats can be purchased for as little as $59. www.atlantamotorspeedway.com.
Makes you wonder: We enjoy the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race, NASCAR Camping World East Series, NASCAR Camping World Series West, Camping World 300 at Daytona, and RV sales jumped 16% in August, and were up 136% from January. Airstream production is up 30%, and Keystone RV is hiring 200 workers. USA Today 9/29/09
Georgia’s Justin Wakefield got the lead in the PASS South show at Southern National Speedway (NC) on lap 42, but soon lost his brakes, finishing 13th. Ben Rowe came from the back of the pack on the event’s final restart to claim his third PASS South win of 2009. Next: Mason-Dixon Meltdown at South Boston (VA) Speedway Oct. 17. www.racewithpass.com
Promotion idea: The American-Canadian Tour group uses a flag I have never seen. It’s pink and called the “piggy” flag. It is used to tell a driver that he is “blocking”. If he continues to block he will be given the black flag and parked for the day. Today’s race winner, Patrick Laperle, was given the piggy flag during the first ten laps of today’s race. Tom Curley told everyone listening on the race scanner that if Laperle was caught blocking again he would park him for the entire race. I believed him! - Trackchaser Randy Lewis at Airborne Speedway, Track #1,494, incl. 158 figure 8 races. www.ranlayracing.com
Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series and East Bay Raceway Park in Tampa, FL, have announced that the series will return for the DART Winternationals at the "Clay by the Bay" in 2010. The week-long event will kick off with practice Sunday Night, Jan. 31, followed by six straight nights of dirt late model racing competition, beginning on Mon., Feb. 1st. www.eastbayracewaypark.com www.lucasdirt.com
Herb Emory's WSB Radio am 750 Sat. 11:00 - 11:30 a.m.
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