This is what happens when there's a field of 44 of the best super late model drivers on the continent: great side by side green flag racing for 300 laps! THE RACE at the Historic North Wilkesboro Speedway was rained out Saturday night, but that didn't stop the competitors from racing under green flag conditions for the first 50 laps before the first caution flew on Sunday afternoon. Then when it looked like things were going to get crazy, the last 100 laps went caution free with about 35 cars still running at the end. I would like to see NASCAR's finest do that on a regular basis when they go to Bristol, Martinsville or Richmond.
I captured much of it on video, from the downtown hauler parade to the unique qualifying heat and last chance race format to the 100 lap modified feature (which despite having only 11 cars had some great racing) to THE RACE. It can all be found at http://www.youtube.com/ajcrdstr24.
Various photos were taken during the weekend as well. Not only did we travel to North Wilkesboro, but we visited the NASCAR Hall Of Fame, Hendrick Motorsports, Richard Childress Racing and Childress Vineyards. Photos from the track can be found at https://www.facebook.com/album.php?fbid=561865195859&id=37801386&aid=2068481&l=8e893d2c12 and photos from the other stops are at https://www.facebook.com/album.php?fbid=561868758719&id=37801386&aid=2068482&l=8ff62b625e.
More travels are in store very soon as I will be heading to the Borgata in Atlantic City on Sunday morning for a free invitational poker tournament I qualified for with a $10,000 purse distributed to the players finishing in the top 10%. Hopefully missing the Talladega races will be worth it after all is said and done! Then later this month I am planning on traveling down to Richmond International Raceway to catch the Thursday night racing action, which includes the NASCAR K&N East Series and the Denny Hamlin Short Track Showdown featuring many top NASCAR drivers. It's only $25 to see both races and part of it goes to the Denny Hamlin Foundation. The next day I will travel a few hours west in preparation to attend my first ever race at the Madhouse, Bowman Gray Stadium, for their season opener. The fun shall continue!
Showing posts with label North Wilkesboro Speedway. Show all posts
Showing posts with label North Wilkesboro Speedway. Show all posts
Friday, April 15, 2011
Saturday, March 12, 2011
Less Than A Month Until THE RACE!
Most might refer to the 2011 Daytona 500 as potentially the race of the year even though we're not even a month into the official racing season, and while NASCAR is off to a positive start with the excellent competition in the Cup and Truck Series I think the best stock car race of the year might not even be NASCAR sanctioned.
The Pro All Stars Super Late Model Series has continued to gain momentum each year since adding its presence in the Southeast in 2006 during the demise of the old NASCAR Southeast/All Pro Series, and in 2010 they announced the country's richest asphalt short track race to take place at the Historic North Wilkesboro Speedway on April 9, 2011. The winner will take home, at a minimum, $75,000 for the victory in this 300 lap race. A PASS Series regular will receive a bonus and with supporters signing up to sponsor nearly a third of the race's laps, the victor could easily see a 6 figure payday. The drivers and teams have come calling with over 70 entered from all over the United States and Canada, and more are expected.
As a fan, once this race was announced and it was assured that this event would take place, I began to plan my trip. Now that the preliminary racing events from the winter months have taken place, I'm ready to head South! Before I go into the plans for my trip, I'll briefly recap the latest two events I attended. The 26th Annual Racing Legends Reunion and Car Show took place in late February at the Fairgrounds Mall in Reading, Pennsylvania. I don't recall ever going to this show before and was quite surprised about how much there was to offer and see. Photos can be viewed here: https://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2067223&id=37801386&l=47282190cc. The following weekend I attended the Laurel Mall Racing Show in Hazleton, Pennsylvania for the second straight year. This show was smaller than the previous year and turned out to be a bit disappointing. Photos from this show can be viewed here: https://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2067427&id=37801386&l=7b8f986673.
I've done quite a bit of sightseeing in the past, but this trip might be one of the best. In addition to "The Race," there will be a transporter parade through North Wilkesboro, plenty of practice sessions, qualifying, heat races and a 100 lap Modified race to witness from Thursday through Saturday. Outside of North Wilkesboro, my travel plans will include but are not limited to the Richard Childress Racing and Hendrick Motorsports race shops, the Sam Bass Gallery and the NASCAR Hall of Fame in Charlotte. I like the move of the Hall of Fame induction to January, but I wish they would have done it a year sooner so I could see the second class when I visit. Nevertheless, it's going to be an excellent time!
There's a lot of preparation for a trip like this even as a fan, but I will make sure I tune in to see some NASCAR short track racing with Bristol and Martinsville coming up. I've also been getting back into playing some more poker in recent months and have a couple tournaments coming up for some nice prizes (perhaps some travel money for North Carolina!) Lastly I'll be making my picks and paying close attention to the NCAA College Basketball tournament as always. My pick to win it all is dependent on one player. If Kyrie Irving comes back, I have a feeling Duke will be hard to beat for two championships in a row. If he doesn't, Ohio State will easily be the favorite to win it all.
Next month I'll be back to share photos and videos from North Wilkesboro and preview my next trip which I'm trying to put together for the end of April.
The Pro All Stars Super Late Model Series has continued to gain momentum each year since adding its presence in the Southeast in 2006 during the demise of the old NASCAR Southeast/All Pro Series, and in 2010 they announced the country's richest asphalt short track race to take place at the Historic North Wilkesboro Speedway on April 9, 2011. The winner will take home, at a minimum, $75,000 for the victory in this 300 lap race. A PASS Series regular will receive a bonus and with supporters signing up to sponsor nearly a third of the race's laps, the victor could easily see a 6 figure payday. The drivers and teams have come calling with over 70 entered from all over the United States and Canada, and more are expected.
As a fan, once this race was announced and it was assured that this event would take place, I began to plan my trip. Now that the preliminary racing events from the winter months have taken place, I'm ready to head South! Before I go into the plans for my trip, I'll briefly recap the latest two events I attended. The 26th Annual Racing Legends Reunion and Car Show took place in late February at the Fairgrounds Mall in Reading, Pennsylvania. I don't recall ever going to this show before and was quite surprised about how much there was to offer and see. Photos can be viewed here: https://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2067223&id=37801386&l=47282190cc. The following weekend I attended the Laurel Mall Racing Show in Hazleton, Pennsylvania for the second straight year. This show was smaller than the previous year and turned out to be a bit disappointing. Photos from this show can be viewed here: https://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2067427&id=37801386&l=7b8f986673.
I've done quite a bit of sightseeing in the past, but this trip might be one of the best. In addition to "The Race," there will be a transporter parade through North Wilkesboro, plenty of practice sessions, qualifying, heat races and a 100 lap Modified race to witness from Thursday through Saturday. Outside of North Wilkesboro, my travel plans will include but are not limited to the Richard Childress Racing and Hendrick Motorsports race shops, the Sam Bass Gallery and the NASCAR Hall of Fame in Charlotte. I like the move of the Hall of Fame induction to January, but I wish they would have done it a year sooner so I could see the second class when I visit. Nevertheless, it's going to be an excellent time!
There's a lot of preparation for a trip like this even as a fan, but I will make sure I tune in to see some NASCAR short track racing with Bristol and Martinsville coming up. I've also been getting back into playing some more poker in recent months and have a couple tournaments coming up for some nice prizes (perhaps some travel money for North Carolina!) Lastly I'll be making my picks and paying close attention to the NCAA College Basketball tournament as always. My pick to win it all is dependent on one player. If Kyrie Irving comes back, I have a feeling Duke will be hard to beat for two championships in a row. If he doesn't, Ohio State will easily be the favorite to win it all.
Next month I'll be back to share photos and videos from North Wilkesboro and preview my next trip which I'm trying to put together for the end of April.
Thursday, February 10, 2011
If I Ran A Racing Series
I hope everyone is staying warm. Spring and the racing season are just about officially around the corner! Before I delve into the topic my title states, I wanted to share that the Motorsports 2011 show and the Atlantic City Indoor Races were once again a success and a great time. Photos from the show can be viewed at http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2066219&id=37801386&l=0c43f11051 and videos from the races can be watched at http://www.youtube.com/ajcrdstr24.
Now, for the main topic. I came up with this idea after reading the numerous articles prior to, during and after NASCAR announced their changes for 2011. Many are clearly not my own original ideas, but I think put together these would make for a competitive racing series. Since I'm not close to knowledgeable with cars themselves, this is mostly an overview regarding the competition:
- Practice - An hour and a half to two hour practice session, which takes place prior to qualifying. If the practice session is postponed due to inclement weather, the qualifying session will be replaced with a practice session and the speeds will set the order for the race.
- Qualifying - Slowest car in practice qualifies first, fastest qualifies last. If a car does not practice a specified number of laps, it will not be eligible to qualify. A pre-determined amount of cars, depending on the race track's size, will qualify for the race. In the event that qualifying is canceled, practice session speeds will set the order for the race.
- Provisionals - Up to 4 provisional starters will be added to the field. A team must be in the top 25 in points and have competed with the same driver for at least 90% of the races to be eligible. A team can use up to 2 provisional starts a year.
- Last Chance Race - To set the remaining 4 spots in the field, a short distance last chance race will be held. Teams will be paid a small sum of money for competing in this race. I stress small so that it will not benefit a team to start and park in the race. To transfer into the field, the driver must finish on the lead lap. In the unlikely event that less than four cars finish the scheduled distance, then only the drivers that finish will transfer into the field.
- Race - Declared official once one lap more than half the race has concluded. Caution laps due to weather will not count. A pre-determined limited number of tires may be used per car in each race. Sharing tires between teams will be forbidden. Drivers will not race back to the caution, but there will not be a lucky dog/free pass rule. Lapped cars that are determined to be running a comparable pace with the leaders are allowed to hold their track position under caution and prior to the double-file restart. They are also allowed to pit on the same lap as the leaders. Pit stops for tires under caution will be disallowed during the last 10% of the race distance and will result in a two lap penalty, unless a flat or flat-spotted tire can be proved. Caution laps will count, except during the last ten laps. In other words, ten non-consecutive green flag laps must be run to finish the race.
- Post-Race - If a technical infraction is found or a team breaks any other unlawful rules, they will forfeit all points and money won for the weekend. A post-race autograph/meet-and-greet session will take place following victory lane festivities. Post-race should allow the fans, teams and drivers to embrace the race that just took place. Drivers shouldn't have to race out to catch their plane and fans shouldn't have to race out to beat traffic. Drivers will be required to participate, but of course exceptions will be made in the unfortunate event where a driver is forced to seek further medical attention following the race.
- Points - Will be rewarded in a fashion where first will receive the most points and last will receive the least, as it is with most stock car racing series. Bonus points will be rewarded to lap leaders, but laps under caution will not count towards bonus points. The driver leading the most green flag laps will receive a further bonus. Due to the close competition in this day and age, qualifying points will not be rewarded. The driver with the most points at the end of the season will win the points championship.
- Money won - Similar to golf, poker tournaments and major short track races across the country, the winner of the race will win a larger sum of the money. 2nd through last will receive a slightly decreasing amount of money. The driver who wins the most money (contingency money not included) at the end of the season will be rewarded with a further bonus as well as the money won championship. The top 20 in points will also receive bonuses via a point fund.
- Rookie of the Year - A driver is eligible for rookie of the year if they competed in less than seven races in the series or another series of a pre-determined higher or same level during previous seasons. A driver will lose their eligibility if they fail to attempt at least 90% of the races during the season. If no eligible driver meets the aforementioned criteria, then there will be no rookie of the year award. The rookie with the most driver points (same as what determines the points champion) will win the rookie of the year award.
To sum things up, I think it would be advantageous to have both a points champion and a money won champion. Rewards would go out for both winning and consistency. From various short track races I've been to recently, I think that a race not ending until ten non-consecutive green flag laps are completed is a better idea than multiple green-white-checkered finishes. While racing back to the caution is quite unsafe, I still think that a driver should earn their lap back rather than receive a free pass. I strongly object to a driver winning rookie of the year for only competing in approximately half the races. I also dislike when a race is decided based on pit strategy very late in the race. As important as the pit crews are, I think the drivers should have to earn the victory on the race track and I think it's thrilling to see them wheel an ill-handling car on older tires for the win as well. A driver should have to earn their way into the field, but I don't think there is anything wrong with a mulligan or two. Bad weekends happen. Most important of all, the races take place mainly because of the fans. Their ticket purchase should give them the right to meet the drivers and personalities no matter high or low the level of racing is.
Love them or hate them, those are the ideas that I think would work the best. Next time, I'm sure I'll be talking about some more racing related subjects. I'll also talk about my preparation for attending the big race at North Wilkesboro Speedway in April.
Now, for the main topic. I came up with this idea after reading the numerous articles prior to, during and after NASCAR announced their changes for 2011. Many are clearly not my own original ideas, but I think put together these would make for a competitive racing series. Since I'm not close to knowledgeable with cars themselves, this is mostly an overview regarding the competition:
- Practice - An hour and a half to two hour practice session, which takes place prior to qualifying. If the practice session is postponed due to inclement weather, the qualifying session will be replaced with a practice session and the speeds will set the order for the race.
- Qualifying - Slowest car in practice qualifies first, fastest qualifies last. If a car does not practice a specified number of laps, it will not be eligible to qualify. A pre-determined amount of cars, depending on the race track's size, will qualify for the race. In the event that qualifying is canceled, practice session speeds will set the order for the race.
- Provisionals - Up to 4 provisional starters will be added to the field. A team must be in the top 25 in points and have competed with the same driver for at least 90% of the races to be eligible. A team can use up to 2 provisional starts a year.
- Last Chance Race - To set the remaining 4 spots in the field, a short distance last chance race will be held. Teams will be paid a small sum of money for competing in this race. I stress small so that it will not benefit a team to start and park in the race. To transfer into the field, the driver must finish on the lead lap. In the unlikely event that less than four cars finish the scheduled distance, then only the drivers that finish will transfer into the field.
- Race - Declared official once one lap more than half the race has concluded. Caution laps due to weather will not count. A pre-determined limited number of tires may be used per car in each race. Sharing tires between teams will be forbidden. Drivers will not race back to the caution, but there will not be a lucky dog/free pass rule. Lapped cars that are determined to be running a comparable pace with the leaders are allowed to hold their track position under caution and prior to the double-file restart. They are also allowed to pit on the same lap as the leaders. Pit stops for tires under caution will be disallowed during the last 10% of the race distance and will result in a two lap penalty, unless a flat or flat-spotted tire can be proved. Caution laps will count, except during the last ten laps. In other words, ten non-consecutive green flag laps must be run to finish the race.
- Post-Race - If a technical infraction is found or a team breaks any other unlawful rules, they will forfeit all points and money won for the weekend. A post-race autograph/meet-and-greet session will take place following victory lane festivities. Post-race should allow the fans, teams and drivers to embrace the race that just took place. Drivers shouldn't have to race out to catch their plane and fans shouldn't have to race out to beat traffic. Drivers will be required to participate, but of course exceptions will be made in the unfortunate event where a driver is forced to seek further medical attention following the race.
- Points - Will be rewarded in a fashion where first will receive the most points and last will receive the least, as it is with most stock car racing series. Bonus points will be rewarded to lap leaders, but laps under caution will not count towards bonus points. The driver leading the most green flag laps will receive a further bonus. Due to the close competition in this day and age, qualifying points will not be rewarded. The driver with the most points at the end of the season will win the points championship.
- Money won - Similar to golf, poker tournaments and major short track races across the country, the winner of the race will win a larger sum of the money. 2nd through last will receive a slightly decreasing amount of money. The driver who wins the most money (contingency money not included) at the end of the season will be rewarded with a further bonus as well as the money won championship. The top 20 in points will also receive bonuses via a point fund.
- Rookie of the Year - A driver is eligible for rookie of the year if they competed in less than seven races in the series or another series of a pre-determined higher or same level during previous seasons. A driver will lose their eligibility if they fail to attempt at least 90% of the races during the season. If no eligible driver meets the aforementioned criteria, then there will be no rookie of the year award. The rookie with the most driver points (same as what determines the points champion) will win the rookie of the year award.
To sum things up, I think it would be advantageous to have both a points champion and a money won champion. Rewards would go out for both winning and consistency. From various short track races I've been to recently, I think that a race not ending until ten non-consecutive green flag laps are completed is a better idea than multiple green-white-checkered finishes. While racing back to the caution is quite unsafe, I still think that a driver should earn their lap back rather than receive a free pass. I strongly object to a driver winning rookie of the year for only competing in approximately half the races. I also dislike when a race is decided based on pit strategy very late in the race. As important as the pit crews are, I think the drivers should have to earn the victory on the race track and I think it's thrilling to see them wheel an ill-handling car on older tires for the win as well. A driver should have to earn their way into the field, but I don't think there is anything wrong with a mulligan or two. Bad weekends happen. Most important of all, the races take place mainly because of the fans. Their ticket purchase should give them the right to meet the drivers and personalities no matter high or low the level of racing is.
Love them or hate them, those are the ideas that I think would work the best. Next time, I'm sure I'll be talking about some more racing related subjects. I'll also talk about my preparation for attending the big race at North Wilkesboro Speedway in April.
Sunday, January 16, 2011
Time To Go Racing in 2011!
It's time to leave a decent 2010 with quite a few bright spots behind and begin the new year! Personally the first couple weeks of 2011 have been going fairly well. Made some money twice at the poker tables already and once again thinking that this could finally be the year that I win something big. Had a bit of a scare thinking we had to put my cat of 16+ years down, but the old lady hung in there and is doing better at home now. Aside from these, it's just about time for the 2011 racing season to begin!
I have several exciting plans in store, but first up will be the same as what I've done to begin the last couple years. On Saturday 1/22 I will be heading to the Motorsports 2011 show in Oaks, Pennsylvania. This year I will get the chance to meet drivers from past and present such as Kenny Wallace, David Pearson, John Force and 2010 ARCA champion Patrick Sheltra. Oddly enough, also on hand to sign autographs will be Danny Bonaduce! Not sure what he has to do with motorsports, but it should be interesting to meet him. There will once again be lots of cars and displays to take pictures of as well.
The following weekend I will be making the two and a half hour trip east to Atlantic City, New Jersey for the Atlantic City Indoor Races. The last two years I attended were quite the wild races and I'm sure this year will be no less suspenseful. Approximately 75 TQ/Micro entries are once again expected in addition to the full Slingshots, Champ Karts and 600 Micro Sprints fields. Here is a one-minute promo video from the Area Auto Racing News Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=193350684014937. Once again I plan to take some video of all the racing action.
From there I will be taking a brief two-month break from seeing any racing in person, but from then on I will be getting into a high gear! In early April, North Wilkesboro Speedway is already on the definite traveling list for their big 300 lap, $75,000 to win PASS Super Late Model race. It's still over two months away, but 61 teams have already entered to compete in the race! After some other possible stops throughout May and June, there is a possibility that I may be attending races four weeks in a row from mid-July through early-August. The annual stop to the local Clyde Martin Memorial Speedway for some Micro Sprint races followed by the NASCAR Camping World Trucks and ARCA Series at Pocono Raceway are confirmed, but the two weeks prior to that I'm thinking about traveling out to Ohio for the first time ever to attend the Eldora Speedway Kings Royal and then head to Old Dominion Speedway in Manassas, Virginia for a benefit race the next weekend. We'll see how it all pans out.
I'll be back in a few weeks to share my experiences, photos and videos from the next two weeks and maybe I'll even talk a little NASCAR if I feel like it.
I have several exciting plans in store, but first up will be the same as what I've done to begin the last couple years. On Saturday 1/22 I will be heading to the Motorsports 2011 show in Oaks, Pennsylvania. This year I will get the chance to meet drivers from past and present such as Kenny Wallace, David Pearson, John Force and 2010 ARCA champion Patrick Sheltra. Oddly enough, also on hand to sign autographs will be Danny Bonaduce! Not sure what he has to do with motorsports, but it should be interesting to meet him. There will once again be lots of cars and displays to take pictures of as well.
The following weekend I will be making the two and a half hour trip east to Atlantic City, New Jersey for the Atlantic City Indoor Races. The last two years I attended were quite the wild races and I'm sure this year will be no less suspenseful. Approximately 75 TQ/Micro entries are once again expected in addition to the full Slingshots, Champ Karts and 600 Micro Sprints fields. Here is a one-minute promo video from the Area Auto Racing News Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=193350684014937. Once again I plan to take some video of all the racing action.
From there I will be taking a brief two-month break from seeing any racing in person, but from then on I will be getting into a high gear! In early April, North Wilkesboro Speedway is already on the definite traveling list for their big 300 lap, $75,000 to win PASS Super Late Model race. It's still over two months away, but 61 teams have already entered to compete in the race! After some other possible stops throughout May and June, there is a possibility that I may be attending races four weeks in a row from mid-July through early-August. The annual stop to the local Clyde Martin Memorial Speedway for some Micro Sprint races followed by the NASCAR Camping World Trucks and ARCA Series at Pocono Raceway are confirmed, but the two weeks prior to that I'm thinking about traveling out to Ohio for the first time ever to attend the Eldora Speedway Kings Royal and then head to Old Dominion Speedway in Manassas, Virginia for a benefit race the next weekend. We'll see how it all pans out.
I'll be back in a few weeks to share my experiences, photos and videos from the next two weeks and maybe I'll even talk a little NASCAR if I feel like it.
Wednesday, September 15, 2010
I Honestly Never Thought I Would Say This, but...
...I went to the historic North Wilkesboro Speedway to watch some live racing! After experiencing the 2008 Daytona 500, I thought nothing would ever top that. Then, just over a year later I went to the reopened Rockingham Speedway and thought nothing would ever top that. Now I've been to the first stock car races at North Wilkesboro since 1996 and I've come to the conclusion that it just keeps getting better! The short track in the small North Carolina town may not have had as much three wide racing or hype as the Daytona 500 or didn't have Andy Hillenburg's rejuvenation and the speed of Rockingham, but it was the best overall race weekend atmosphere I've ever witnessed. Great food, great competitors and most importantly a great turnout of great fans were on hand and that's all North Wilkesboro needed to make it a successful first weekend back. Smiles were on everyone's faces throughout the entire race day. The only minor complaint I had was the old scoring pylon was not operable and it was a little hard to follow how many laps were complete during green flag racing. Initially I thought the old NASCAR Winston Cup Series painted walls were going to make the place look a little run down, but it along with the old 76 gasoline ball on pit road gave the track a very nostalgic look that you just don't see at almost any race track anymore. I literally cannot wait to go back for the 300 lap Pro All Stars Series Super Late Model race in April 2011! Photos from my trip can be found at http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2061668&id=37801386&l=5ec159c551 (you do not need to be a Facebook member to view the album). Videos from the racing action can be found on my YouTube page: http://www.youtube.com/ajcrdstr24.
And now...it's time to wind down for the next few months. I've been paying a moderate amount of attention to the NASCAR ranks, but haven't had a chance to watch or listen to any races from green to checker. Speaking of which, does anybody else mute their ESPN/ABC TV broadcast and listen to the MRN radio broadcast instead? In the news, I saw that Justin Allgaier has been set free by Penske to seek other options. How can Roger Penske do this?! Allgaier has proved that he is the most talented stand-alone Nationwide Series driver and has proved he is quite the versatile driver winning the ARCA championship a few years back with wins throughout his short career on short tracks, intermediate tracks, superspeedways, dirt tracks, road courses and even Pocono! If someone doesn't sign this rising star for 2011, something is completely wrong with NASCAR and I will be completely baffled about what can be done to save the future from going down the tube. Hopefully he doesn't go the same route as talent like Stephen Leicht and virtually disappear from the sport. On the other hand, I hope he doesn't go the Landon Cassill route and take one-race start and park rides with underfunded teams. Good for Landon getting his name out there, but there has to be a better way although I'm not sure what that could be. Auto racing has something that no other sport or competition experiences. Sure you need to have a bankroll if you want to aspire to be a professional at just about anything, but the bankroll needed for a professional racing career is astronomical when you compare it to just about anything else. Maybe that's what makes it so fascinating yet frustrating at the same time. It might be too early to be worried about this entire subject, but I sincerely hope that I'm not the one saying I told you so at Daytona in 2011.
Like I said before, I will pretty much be winding down getting into a bit of a save mode. I have one major poker tournament coming up in October where approximately the top dozen players will get invited to another tournament in Atlantic City where various prize packages will be offered. After that I'll be counting down the days until I get to fly down to Pensacola, Florida for the 43rd Annual Snowball Derby! More details about this upcoming trip to follow...
And now...it's time to wind down for the next few months. I've been paying a moderate amount of attention to the NASCAR ranks, but haven't had a chance to watch or listen to any races from green to checker. Speaking of which, does anybody else mute their ESPN/ABC TV broadcast and listen to the MRN radio broadcast instead? In the news, I saw that Justin Allgaier has been set free by Penske to seek other options. How can Roger Penske do this?! Allgaier has proved that he is the most talented stand-alone Nationwide Series driver and has proved he is quite the versatile driver winning the ARCA championship a few years back with wins throughout his short career on short tracks, intermediate tracks, superspeedways, dirt tracks, road courses and even Pocono! If someone doesn't sign this rising star for 2011, something is completely wrong with NASCAR and I will be completely baffled about what can be done to save the future from going down the tube. Hopefully he doesn't go the same route as talent like Stephen Leicht and virtually disappear from the sport. On the other hand, I hope he doesn't go the Landon Cassill route and take one-race start and park rides with underfunded teams. Good for Landon getting his name out there, but there has to be a better way although I'm not sure what that could be. Auto racing has something that no other sport or competition experiences. Sure you need to have a bankroll if you want to aspire to be a professional at just about anything, but the bankroll needed for a professional racing career is astronomical when you compare it to just about anything else. Maybe that's what makes it so fascinating yet frustrating at the same time. It might be too early to be worried about this entire subject, but I sincerely hope that I'm not the one saying I told you so at Daytona in 2011.
Like I said before, I will pretty much be winding down getting into a bit of a save mode. I have one major poker tournament coming up in October where approximately the top dozen players will get invited to another tournament in Atlantic City where various prize packages will be offered. After that I'll be counting down the days until I get to fly down to Pensacola, Florida for the 43rd Annual Snowball Derby! More details about this upcoming trip to follow...
Monday, August 30, 2010
2011 Schedule Analysis and Other Exciting Happenings
I don't have much to gripe about regarding the last few weeks' happenings, but one thing I wanted to talk about is some of the schedule changes for the three major NASCAR series in 2011. Here's my summary of wins and fails:
- Kansas 2nd date: I'm torn between whether this is a WIN or FAIL. I don't really think they or any other 1.5 mile track with one date on the schedule deserves a second date, but technically it is replacing a California race date which suffered with sub par crowds and less competitive races. The June date is also a plus. The Midwest location is good and the new casino traffic could increase crowds much like I'm sure it does with Las Vegas and Dover; however, I would think Iowa should have been in the running for a Cup date. It has a Midwest location as well and it would put another short track on the schedule.
- Kentucky date: I'll have to go with this being a WIN. Excellent location, or so I've heard, for a race to be held and that along with the July date should attract a decent crowd. I'm not a big fan of Bruton or 1.5 mile tracks, but this race should be a pretty good one.
- Only one California date: WIN! The move of their only race back to late March should be a good thing, and maybe it will even attract some more fans to the races. Moving Phoenix to the old California date should also be a WIN, maybe a little bit reminiscent to the old Copper World Classic days.
- Only one Atlanta date: FAIL, but not necessarily NASCAR's fault. I think the track would be much better off if they had stuck with the original configuration and didn't convert it to the cookie cutter tri-oval format. When they lost the season finale they haven't really been able to rebound back either. Deletion of the March race is most likely a good thing, especially with the weather problems there have been in the past.
- Chicagoland date change: FAIL! It may be NASCAR's second largest market, but isn't that the case for most sports? It may attract fans to the race track, but I don't see any TV ratings increasing.
- Late July & August races being pushed back a week: WIN, but that might just be me being selfish. Now I get to see the annual micro sprint races that I go to every year during the last Saturday of July AND get the option of going to Pocono the following weekend to see the Truck Series and ARCA compete on Saturday. The races are back to the way they originally fell. The only downside is the Cup Series last break will be July 24. That's a lot of consecutive racing.
- Nationwide addition of Iowa race: WIN! Iowa gets rewarded after some large crowds and great racing. Now, if only the Cup Series would get a date and maybe you could hear or read the words SOLD OUT for once!
- Nationwide addition of Chicagoland race: FAIL! What is the point of this? Why not just run a second Kansas race with the Cup that weekend. If this is the start of their stand-alone plan to get less Cup drivers to compete for the championship then that is a FAIL as well, especially since none of the actual race dates conflict.
- Other Nationwide Schedule notes: Montreal moved to the same weekend as Michigan will take away from the prestige of the event a little, but on the other hand it will be a nice alternative for that weekend. One other note, two off weekends in a row in October? Why not go back to Martinsville or another short track that used to be on the schedule back in the series heyday instead?
- Truck Series notes: Overall schedule is still a FAIL. Way too many holes in the first half of the year. They tried to patch it a little bit with Darlington in March, but that doesn't make too much sense either. That may be an awfully cold race weekend for the fans. One Truck Series date is still TBA and it would be nice to see them go back to their roots with an additional short track race, but it's looking like they're going to Kentucky for a second time which doesn't make much sense. To sum it up the Truck Series will once again have great racing, but the schedule is quite unsatisfactory.
I have a couple more comments to add about this past weekend's races at Montreal. First of all the competition hasn't been the greatest to say the least regarding the Nationwide Series recently, but this is the race that I end up missing? Great finish and congratulations to Boris Said III and the entire RAB Racing crew. It's great to see a team like this in victory lane, and it can very well be the biggest upset since David Gilliland won at Kentucky a few years back. I hope the nice paycheck will keep RAB Racing around for awhile, and maybe the powers that be at Zaxby's may now think twice about not keeping their racing sponsorship predominantly within the family.
Prior to the Nationwide race was the Canadian Tire Series race, which also had an exciting although more controversial finish. If you didn't see it or hear about it, please go to http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hba5ntCOLaw or to user Battalionfan888's YouTube page. My impression is there's a difference between payback for slight contact and dumping someone. Sounded and looked like there was a little favoritism from the officials and the crowd; however, the initial contact probably kept the officials from doing anything about it. There's been quite a conversation about this going on all year regarding Keselowski vs. Edwards, and it looks to be evident in other series as well.
Things have been a little quiet recently on the local front, as I'm gearing up for the return of racing to North Wilkesboro Speedway! Earlier in the month I enjoyed some 358 sprint and late model racing at Williams Grove Speedway featuring Kasey Kahne, Tony Stewart and Kyle Busch. The NASCAR drivers got schooled! I went to Sundance Vacations Speedway during my birthday weekend and as always had a good time at the 1/3 mile track north of Hazleton, Pennsylvania up in the mountains. Videos from the racing action can be viewed at http://www.youtube.com/ajcrdstr24. I also finished eighth in a Borgata qualifier tournament that same weekend and won the runner-up prize of $50 cash. It's better than nothing I suppose. It doesn't look like there will be any major poker tournaments coming up until October or November.
Next up will be the return of racing to North Wilkesboro Speedway in North Carolina for the first time since Jeff Gordon won a NASCAR Winston Cup Series race there in 1996. The always exciting Pro All Stars Series along with the Allison Legacy Series, Limited Sportsmans and Stadium Stocks will be there Labor Day Weekend for the Labor Day Classic 200. The PASS South cars will be running 200 green flag laps and a fairly large turnout is expected. I'll have photos and video footage available after I get back.
- Kansas 2nd date: I'm torn between whether this is a WIN or FAIL. I don't really think they or any other 1.5 mile track with one date on the schedule deserves a second date, but technically it is replacing a California race date which suffered with sub par crowds and less competitive races. The June date is also a plus. The Midwest location is good and the new casino traffic could increase crowds much like I'm sure it does with Las Vegas and Dover; however, I would think Iowa should have been in the running for a Cup date. It has a Midwest location as well and it would put another short track on the schedule.
- Kentucky date: I'll have to go with this being a WIN. Excellent location, or so I've heard, for a race to be held and that along with the July date should attract a decent crowd. I'm not a big fan of Bruton or 1.5 mile tracks, but this race should be a pretty good one.
- Only one California date: WIN! The move of their only race back to late March should be a good thing, and maybe it will even attract some more fans to the races. Moving Phoenix to the old California date should also be a WIN, maybe a little bit reminiscent to the old Copper World Classic days.
- Only one Atlanta date: FAIL, but not necessarily NASCAR's fault. I think the track would be much better off if they had stuck with the original configuration and didn't convert it to the cookie cutter tri-oval format. When they lost the season finale they haven't really been able to rebound back either. Deletion of the March race is most likely a good thing, especially with the weather problems there have been in the past.
- Chicagoland date change: FAIL! It may be NASCAR's second largest market, but isn't that the case for most sports? It may attract fans to the race track, but I don't see any TV ratings increasing.
- Late July & August races being pushed back a week: WIN, but that might just be me being selfish. Now I get to see the annual micro sprint races that I go to every year during the last Saturday of July AND get the option of going to Pocono the following weekend to see the Truck Series and ARCA compete on Saturday. The races are back to the way they originally fell. The only downside is the Cup Series last break will be July 24. That's a lot of consecutive racing.
- Nationwide addition of Iowa race: WIN! Iowa gets rewarded after some large crowds and great racing. Now, if only the Cup Series would get a date and maybe you could hear or read the words SOLD OUT for once!
- Nationwide addition of Chicagoland race: FAIL! What is the point of this? Why not just run a second Kansas race with the Cup that weekend. If this is the start of their stand-alone plan to get less Cup drivers to compete for the championship then that is a FAIL as well, especially since none of the actual race dates conflict.
- Other Nationwide Schedule notes: Montreal moved to the same weekend as Michigan will take away from the prestige of the event a little, but on the other hand it will be a nice alternative for that weekend. One other note, two off weekends in a row in October? Why not go back to Martinsville or another short track that used to be on the schedule back in the series heyday instead?
- Truck Series notes: Overall schedule is still a FAIL. Way too many holes in the first half of the year. They tried to patch it a little bit with Darlington in March, but that doesn't make too much sense either. That may be an awfully cold race weekend for the fans. One Truck Series date is still TBA and it would be nice to see them go back to their roots with an additional short track race, but it's looking like they're going to Kentucky for a second time which doesn't make much sense. To sum it up the Truck Series will once again have great racing, but the schedule is quite unsatisfactory.
I have a couple more comments to add about this past weekend's races at Montreal. First of all the competition hasn't been the greatest to say the least regarding the Nationwide Series recently, but this is the race that I end up missing? Great finish and congratulations to Boris Said III and the entire RAB Racing crew. It's great to see a team like this in victory lane, and it can very well be the biggest upset since David Gilliland won at Kentucky a few years back. I hope the nice paycheck will keep RAB Racing around for awhile, and maybe the powers that be at Zaxby's may now think twice about not keeping their racing sponsorship predominantly within the family.
Prior to the Nationwide race was the Canadian Tire Series race, which also had an exciting although more controversial finish. If you didn't see it or hear about it, please go to http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hba5ntCOLaw or to user Battalionfan888's YouTube page. My impression is there's a difference between payback for slight contact and dumping someone. Sounded and looked like there was a little favoritism from the officials and the crowd; however, the initial contact probably kept the officials from doing anything about it. There's been quite a conversation about this going on all year regarding Keselowski vs. Edwards, and it looks to be evident in other series as well.
Things have been a little quiet recently on the local front, as I'm gearing up for the return of racing to North Wilkesboro Speedway! Earlier in the month I enjoyed some 358 sprint and late model racing at Williams Grove Speedway featuring Kasey Kahne, Tony Stewart and Kyle Busch. The NASCAR drivers got schooled! I went to Sundance Vacations Speedway during my birthday weekend and as always had a good time at the 1/3 mile track north of Hazleton, Pennsylvania up in the mountains. Videos from the racing action can be viewed at http://www.youtube.com/ajcrdstr24. I also finished eighth in a Borgata qualifier tournament that same weekend and won the runner-up prize of $50 cash. It's better than nothing I suppose. It doesn't look like there will be any major poker tournaments coming up until October or November.
Next up will be the return of racing to North Wilkesboro Speedway in North Carolina for the first time since Jeff Gordon won a NASCAR Winston Cup Series race there in 1996. The always exciting Pro All Stars Series along with the Allison Legacy Series, Limited Sportsmans and Stadium Stocks will be there Labor Day Weekend for the Labor Day Classic 200. The PASS South cars will be running 200 green flag laps and a fairly large turnout is expected. I'll have photos and video footage available after I get back.
Saturday, December 19, 2009
2009 Recap and 2010 Preview
Well, the 2009 racing season is all but over and overall it was a pretty good year. NASCAR still has some things they definitely need to work out, and while I continue to get annoyed when I watch the TV broadcasts I'll get lured back in during the Daytona 500 coverage in February 2010.
Short track racing (asphalt and dirt) appears to be headed in the right direction for the most part. In a time where the economy has seemed to wreak havoc on many things, most short tracks and series have survived and I'm looking forward to attending some of their races in 2010. It will be neat to see the return of North Wilkesboro Speedway late next year, but at the same time sad to see historic tracks like Nashville and Milwaukee perhaps going away.
My travels were a success in 2009. Drove down to North Carolina three times: PASS South Series at Orange County Speedway, ISCARS at Hickory Motor Speedway, and my first visit to Rockingham Speedway for the ARCA and UARA series! Also, supported some of the local tracks in the area including an annual stop at Mountain Speedway in St. Johns, PA, a return to Williams Grove Speedway for the first time in awhile, and my first trips to Mahoning Valley Speedway in Lehighton, PA and Big Diamond Raceway near Pottsville, PA.
2010 will be even more exciting, beginning with my 2nd annual trip to the Atlantic City Indoor Races in late January. I'm still trying to firm up the rest of my travel plans, but I will be going to North Wilkesboro either for the Labor Day weekend PASS race or the October USAR Pro Cup race. What I'm looking the most forward to is my first trip to Pensacola, Florida for the 43rd annual Snowball Derby next December! I plan on purchasing a Flip Video over the holidays so I'll be posting more videos to my YouTube account in the new year.
2009 was a year to forget in the poker world. I only had the opportunity to play in one tournament in Atlantic City and did pretty poorly. In fact, I don't really recall making it into the money in any cash tournaments I played in. Then there was my second place finish in a tournament where the winner received an all-expenses-paid trip and $1,500 buy-in into a tournament in the World Series of Poker in Las Vegas. That was probably the heartbreak of the year. Oh well, there's always next year. I plan on attempting to win a couple trips to the Borgata in Atlantic City and the World Series of Poker again. No matter what happens, over the summer I will be traveling to Atlantic City to play in at least a $300 tournament.
So until next year, I wish everyone happy holidays!
Short track racing (asphalt and dirt) appears to be headed in the right direction for the most part. In a time where the economy has seemed to wreak havoc on many things, most short tracks and series have survived and I'm looking forward to attending some of their races in 2010. It will be neat to see the return of North Wilkesboro Speedway late next year, but at the same time sad to see historic tracks like Nashville and Milwaukee perhaps going away.
My travels were a success in 2009. Drove down to North Carolina three times: PASS South Series at Orange County Speedway, ISCARS at Hickory Motor Speedway, and my first visit to Rockingham Speedway for the ARCA and UARA series! Also, supported some of the local tracks in the area including an annual stop at Mountain Speedway in St. Johns, PA, a return to Williams Grove Speedway for the first time in awhile, and my first trips to Mahoning Valley Speedway in Lehighton, PA and Big Diamond Raceway near Pottsville, PA.
2010 will be even more exciting, beginning with my 2nd annual trip to the Atlantic City Indoor Races in late January. I'm still trying to firm up the rest of my travel plans, but I will be going to North Wilkesboro either for the Labor Day weekend PASS race or the October USAR Pro Cup race. What I'm looking the most forward to is my first trip to Pensacola, Florida for the 43rd annual Snowball Derby next December! I plan on purchasing a Flip Video over the holidays so I'll be posting more videos to my YouTube account in the new year.
2009 was a year to forget in the poker world. I only had the opportunity to play in one tournament in Atlantic City and did pretty poorly. In fact, I don't really recall making it into the money in any cash tournaments I played in. Then there was my second place finish in a tournament where the winner received an all-expenses-paid trip and $1,500 buy-in into a tournament in the World Series of Poker in Las Vegas. That was probably the heartbreak of the year. Oh well, there's always next year. I plan on attempting to win a couple trips to the Borgata in Atlantic City and the World Series of Poker again. No matter what happens, over the summer I will be traveling to Atlantic City to play in at least a $300 tournament.
So until next year, I wish everyone happy holidays!
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