Twenty five years ago in 1984,
the Winston Cup visited Rockingham. Harry Gant was the pole sitter. Bobby
Allison took the win. Ronnie Bouchard qualified 12th and finished 21st after
losing an engine. Geoff Bodine had a better day. He qualified 13th and
finished sixth.
Twenty years ago, in 1989,
Rusty Wallace was the Rockingham winner.
Fifteen years ago, in 1994, the
Winston Cup and Grand National divisions were in Richmond. In Grand National
action, David Green was the pole sitter. Joe Nemachek took the win over
Kenny Wallace and Hermie Sadler. Randy LaJoie suffered his third wreck in a
row as he got collected in oil dumped by Mike Wallace and ended up in the
wall.
Ten years ago, in 1999, the
International Speedway Corporation teamed up with developer Donald Trump to
explore possibilities of building a speedway in the New York City metro
area.
Five years ago in 2004, It was
announced that former NASCAR Featherlite Modified Tour Series Champion Mike
Stefanik would be driving the Flamingo Motorsports No.16 when his schedule
permits. Stefanik was committed to a full schedule on the Busch North
Series. Robbie Summers would be the driver of choice when Stefanik is
unavailable. Chris Kopec, who had driven the Flamingo Motorsports entry for
the previous sixteen years, was injured at Thompson in 2003 during the
running of the season ending World Series. He had not recovered completely
from his injuries and felt that it was in the best interest of his family
and business that he not race in 2004. It has also been learned that Tom
Cravenho of Raynham, Mass. would be driving for Long Island car owner Eddie
Partridge on the Modified Tour Series. Bo Gunning would continue to drive
the Partridge SK-Modified at Thompson and at a few selected events at
Waterford. Dick Houlihan, one of the top dogs at Seekonk, was announced to
be driving a former Joe Brady car on the NASCAR Featherlite Modified Tour
Series for 2004.
Connecticut developer Gene Arganese, who hoped to build a speedway
in North Stonington, Connecticut, had offered to pay the town $4.5 million
for a public safety complex the town intended to build on Route 2. He had
also offered $30,000 in scholarships to North Stonington public school
students. First Selectman Nicholas Mullane said the $4.5 million offer
sounded like a bribe. Arganese also ran into a stone wall with the school
department when they rejected his offer because it would violate the Board
of Education’s policy on advertising. Despite not having the approval of
local officials and not having a commitment from NASCAR, a web site was
opened for the proposed North Stonington, Connecticut Speedway. The proposed
track would be called the New England Raceway and in addition to promoting
auto racing, hoped to stage concerts, trade shows expositions and swap
meets. The speedway began soliciting monetary memberships that range from
$1500 to $10,000 which would give patrons pre-show ticketing and seating
arrangements, VIP parking, celebrity cocktail privileges and put in a pool
for backstage and pit access. The latest twist seemed to indicate that if
Arganese did get to build the speedway it would be domed which would make it
a year round facility. North Stonington is a farming town and the big
attraction there every summer is their annual fair.
In Nextel Cup action at Las Vegas Matt Kenseth made it two in a
row. Pole sitter Kasey Kahne finished second. Kevin Harvick, who was in the
top five until the final moments when he ran out of gas, giving the win to
Kenseth.
Last year, 2008, History was
made at the Atlanta Motor Speedway when Kyle Busch finished off a dominating
drive in the Sprint Cup event for the first win with his new team and
Japanese automaker Toyota. The Japanese automaker became the first foreign
winner in stock car racing’s top series since Jaguar in 1954. Tony Stewart
crossed the line second in another Toyota to give a 1-2 finish for the
popular import.
There was more talk about Goodyear’s tires than Toyota’s landmark
win, and no one was more ticked off than the runner-up. Feeling like he had
just driven 500 miles on a sheet of ice, Stewart would like to say sayonara
to Sprint Cup’s exclusive tire provider. “That was the most pathetic racing
tire I’ve ever been on in my professional career,” he said. “Goodyear can’t
build a tire that is worth a crap.” Others were a bit more diplomatic, but
Stewart’s view was hardly in minority. Busch and third-place finisher Dale
Earnhardt Jr. also griped about their rubber. Pole winner Jeff Gordon
managed to finish fifth but fretted that every lap might be his lap because
of those slip-slidin’ tires.
It was quite a weekend for Busch, who won the Craftsman Truck
Series race Friday night and was dominating the Nationwide event on Saturday
before a blown tire sent him careening into the wall.
Matt Kenseth was able to shake Kevin Harvick during a
green-white-checkered-flag finish to win Saturday’s NASCAR Nationwide Series
Nicorette 300 at Atlanta Motor Speedway. Kenseth’s Ford finished
0.159-seconds ahead of Harvick’s Chevrolet. Jeff Burton’s Chevrolet was
third followed by Carl Edwards’ Ford and Bobby Labonte’s Chevrolet was
fifth.
It looked like the Mystic Missile owned Bob Garbarino would be back
in competition for another year as it has been announced that Chuck Hossfeld
would return as his driver. It had been speculated that Garbarino would
retire from racing when it was announced that Donny Lia had secured a full
time ride in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series. Hossfeld, who drove for
Garbarino in the past, had an impressive resume that showed 45 career
Modified victories’ including 5 Whelen Modified Tour Series wins.
Reports were circulating that Bobby Santos’ driver development
contract had gone stale. Santos, who won the Whelen Modified Tour Series
World Series event at Thompson in 2007 was hoping to return to the seat of
‘Ole Blu which is fielded by the Boehler Family on the Modified Tour. It had
also been heard that Bob Grigas III, a tour regular last year, would run the
tour again plus he would join the Thursday night Sunoco Modified ranks at
Thompson along with selected appearances in True Value Modified events.
Speaking of the True Value Series, founder Jack Bateman purchased a
new car for 2008 which was built in the Spearpoint Auto Shop in Preston, CT.
Jimmy Blewett, who was already committed to a full schedule of Whelen
Modified Tour Series racing plus weekly racing at Thompson and Stafford had
indicated that he would participate in four to six True Value events in the
2008 season. Ted Christopher had also indicated that he will run a partial
True Value schedule.
Thompson Speedway Sunoco Modified Champion Keith Rocco tried his
hand at indoor dirt track racing at the MototownUSA track in Windsor, CT.
Rocco, in his second start on Mototown’s indoor clay one-quarter-mile oval,
came from fourth starting spot to oust early leader Jonathan Routhier along
the backstretch on lap eight of their feature. The DL Painting Service No. 6
Chevrolet Camaro driver went on to lead the other 12 laps over heat winner
Routhier.
That’s it for this week from 11 Gardner Drive, Westerly, RI, 02891.
Ring my chimes at 401-596-5467. E Mail smithpe_97_97@yahoo.com.
