Rumors, Facts and Tidbits

To Dec 24, 2005

 

NHRA To Dec 24, 2005 Veteran Drag Racer Steve Carbone passed away last week. Hillary Will will be featured in Car and Driver in a featured called: “Sports: Fast Women: Racing’s raciest women and where to meet them". Can't wait to read it. Jim Brissette will be the interim Crew Chief For Doug Herbert until Wayne Dupuy is ready to go back to work. ---To Dec. 3, 2005--- Wayne Dupuy continues to improve but the original diagnostic was changed due to a skull fracture found after additional cat scans. He will undergo a lengthy recovery. --U.S. Army Top Fuel driver Tony Schumacher was awarded the prestigious 'Economaki Champion of Champions award' at PRi on the weekend. --Andrew Cowin will compete in 12 events in the NHRA in 06. He will be the pilot of a new venture brokered by the Carrier boyz and owned by Insurance mogul Scott Griffin. Keith Stewart will be the team's crew chief. --Don Prudhomme Racing adds Summit Racing as an assoc. sponsor. --Morgan Lucas will team up with Jim Dunn to form a two car nitro team. Morgan of course will be in the new teams new TF car and Tony Bartone will be between the frame rails of the nitro coupe. Lucas Oil will be the primary sponsor on both rides. --Bob Gilbertson will switch to the Dodge Stratus body in 2006. He has purchased them from Schumacher racing, who will go to the new Dodge Charger in 06. JR. Todd will be the driver of the Menards Top Fuel dragster in 2006. --Alan Bradshaw will be the new driver of the BME Top Fuel dragster in 2006 --Skull Gear is back as the primary sponsor of the DART Pro Stock team. --David Grubnic and team mate Scott Kalitta will be down under over Christmas competing in the Australian Drag Racing series --TAD sees it's second change of nitro percentage in the class. 2006 will see 97% in the tank. Denver, Billings, Tucson and Fallon will not see the % change. --'SS/A' and 'AA' will be under on class and now be called SS/AH. Only 1968 Dart's and Cuda's will be under the new classification. While it is good for the shoot-outs across N. America, the 1964 and 65 Savoy's appear to be left out in the cold. --The third year of the SPORTSnational series has grown by one making is a three event mini national event series. Fontana California has been selected as the host track for the Sept.29-Oct.1. That facility will undergo a huge change with a new surface on the opposite end of the huge California Speedway facility which will now face west to East from the current East to West configuration. --Scott Palmer has signed SuperLifts as an assoc. sponsor on his Top Fuel ride. --Mick Snyder has been re-signed by Torco Race Fuels for the 2006 season. He will compete in an extensive Divisional and National schedule and will try and improve on his fifth place standing nationally. He will defend his Division 3 TAFC championship as well. -- Along the same theme, Marty Thacker is pleased to announced he too will retain his Torco Race Fuels backing for 2006. --Mike Ashley is working hard with Toyo Tires amongst others potential sponsors to try and revive the NHRA Pro Mod program. His company Lend America, is possibly a partner is any new venture. --Rumors are still rampant about Bob Vandergriff's re entry into NHRA Top Fuel. A good part of Joe Amato's team is said to be part of the equation and UPS is still the rumored major backer. --Jeg Couglin will not be returning to the seat of the Don Schumacher Dodge Stratus Pro Stock car. Jeggie is said to be taking a bit of a professional hiatus in 06, but we will see how long that lasts.

IHRA To Dec 24, 2005 Andrew Cowin will be sponsored in 2006 by mattress mogul Serta, allowing the team to compete full time in the IHRA and at least half the races in the NHRA Rob Atchison cars has a new look, go here for the 2006 rendering and a bunch of other new cars. ---To Dec. 3, 2005--- --IHRA Nitro Funny Car is the biggest news in the IHRA. --Todd Paton will be back in a nitro flopper for the 2006 season -- Bob Gilbertson will be one of the NHRA teams to test the water in the IHRA Nitro Funny Car class. -- Frank Pedregon will also compete in the IHRA by way of a second Flopper for his ever expending team --Rumors of the Jim Sickles and Tom Anderson team switching to Nitro is also being bantered about and it is a very likely scenario. -- A very high profile Division 2 TAD pilot may be in the seat of a Top Fuel car in 2006. Stay tuned. --Andrew Cowin will back back in the US and will run both in the IHRA full time as well as half the NHRA season. Scott Griffin is the team owner. --The IHRA will go to a sportsman ladder for all pro classes starting in 2006. A questionable rule change for sure!!! --West Coast Pro Mod standout Danny Rowe will be back in the IHRA 2006 full time, driving a 63 corvette previously owned by Doc Perkins. He will run BAE power. He also will compete in the ADRL series. --Quain Stott with add a second car to his team and will have three different drivers throughout the season in the car. Tommy D'April, Brian Pfeifer and "Dyno" Dave Heitzman. --Top Stock is back for three years and will be a primarily team funded affair. Each team in competition will be funding the series to the tune of $12, 500 for the 2006 season. Points will be awarded to each team in the series instead of just the driver. --The purse in the IHRA top Fuel classes will increase by 20,500 per event and will also see free entry for all teams including up to eight crew members --Steve Bareman will be back will Jim Oddy in 2006 behind the Summit Dodge Stratus. -- Erickson is back as the primary sponsor of Rob Atchison's three time Alcohol Funny Car team --Nostalgia style bodies in Pro Mod have been given a 25 lbs weight break while current body styles have been penalized with an extra 25lbs. Pro Stock will see the very limited inclusion of Turbos in the Pro Stock program for 2006. It will be invite only, and will be closely monitored. --Scotty Cannon has a new car for 2006. It is a 2006 Pontiac GTO.

 

 

Oct 4, 2005

Response to Bill's letter written and posted at HH.

Contrary to statements or innuendo by management of the 'Plex posted at HH, this web site and its management have supported and will continue to support the race track and the racers that race there. Regardless of the tension between myself and the track manager my support for the race track and the racers themselves has never wavered. We are the only media to cover the events there on a regular basis and the only media to actually travel there two - four times a year to cover events like the Loafers, Nat'l Open, the Night Races, the Doorslammers and others. I have been critical of decisions made over the last few years but my opinions are mine and mine alone. But my voice is one that the racers and the volunteers themselves have talked about for a number of years. I posted the story about the decision to close the facility, because it is major news, not so I could say ..."I told you so"!!!!!! The management took a long time to post any comments on this deal when the news has been out there for over a week, and a number of current regular racers are wondering why it took so long to respond.

All I can say is this.... If the racers are indeed upset about the possibility of the 'Plex closing, then they should travel to the interior this coming weekend!! 150 cars should not be too much to ask. That would show the owners that the track is needed and wanted. If there is a reprieve then the racers have to continue their support throughout 2006 and beyond, or the same scenario will continue every year.

I also urge the businesses in the towns around the racetrack to be present at the banquet and the last race to also voice their support as well.

Sept. 29, 2005

Ashcroft Indian Band to close popular drag race strip

ASHCROFT (Black Press) - The Nl'akapxm Eagle Motorplex will close after this season, Ashcroft Indian Band Chief Greg Blain told The Journal last Friday.

The decision was made by the Band council, said Blain, as a reaction to Cache Creek's opposition to the Band's Northern Development Initiative (NDI) proposal at an NDI meeting last Wednesday.

As well, Blain said the track is $800,000 in debt, accumulated over its 18 years of operation, and is in need of $65,000 of concrete work in order to be operational next year. "We've kept it open to be good neighbours for the most part," said Blain, explaining that the track mostly benefits Cache Creek businesses. However, said Blain, "I'm having a hard time supporting a community that doesn't support us."

"It's gotta be a dump issue," he speculated about Cache Creek's opposition.

The Band's NDI proposal would have helped them develop their Aboriginal Tourism Initiative to turn their current campgrounds into a cultural outdoor space. The plan included building a new multi-use facility as well as several smoke houses, two pit houses and appropriate signage.

The Band had asked the Village of Ashcroft for a letter supporting their proposal; Council agreed to it at their Aug. 22 meeting. Blain said they still plan to carry through with their proposal. They'll just have to find other sources of funding.

Ashcroft Mayor Andy Anderson said it was suggested at the NDI meeting that support for the Band's project needs to come from Area I rather than Ashcroft, but their funding proposal is still on the NDI table.

Is this a smoke screen in an attempt by the band to solicit more funds from the gov't or for the officials to try and get the racers themselves to anti up more dollars. From the talks I have had with track officials over the last few years, the amount of debt the track as incurred is.......well ... you know what.

(No indication of a loss of this magnitude has ever been bandied about).

If you think I'm blowing smoke, here is the link to the story.

What are your thoughts? Go here for your comments.

September 7, 2005

The Lucas family is apparantly (or has already) buying Joe Amato's Top Fuel operation. With the releasing of John Stewart as tuning consultant, Amato is looking to liquidate his operation.

 

Rod Fuller is said to be moving over to the Schumacher camp in 2006 and bring Valvoline along with him.

Lee Beard will head up the Monte Carlo Funny car div for Chevrolet.

 

 

 

June 7, 2005

Larry Carrier the founder of the IHRA passes.

Larry Carrier, who founded IHRA in 1970, passed away June 7 at 10:20 AM following a lengthy illness. He died in his hometown of Bristol, TN.

“This is a sad day not just for IHRA, for the entire drag racing family,” IHRA President Aaron Polburn said. “Without visionaries like Larry Carrier, who really helped put in place the foundation for what we do, our sport would have a much different face. His ideas when it came to promotion and sponsorship set the tone for the corporate marriage between sponsors and racers. Larry Carrier was one of the true motorsports pioneers.”

Services will be held Thursday evening, June 9 while the burial will take place Friday morning, June 10 at Weaver’s Funeral Home, 630 Locust Street, Bristol, Tn. 37620. More details will be released as they are made available.

Rumors of a third Worsham team flopper came to fruition on Tuesday.

NHRA AMS Pro Modified Champion Mike Ashley and Torco Race Fuels President Evan Knoll will debut a "Nitro Attitude" Funny Car at the 51st annual Mac Tools NHRA U.S. Nationals in Indianapolis and plan to run a total of three races in 2005. The program will commemorate the 10th year anniversary of Knoll’s Torco Race Fuels product line.

Ashley, a New York mortgage banker, will drive a third Funny Car within Del Worsham’s Checker, Shucks & Kragen operation. The decision fulfills a lifetime dream the Pro Mod champ has had to compete in the nitro ranks.

Evan Knoll furthers his involvement in the professional ranks................. with the Monday announcemnet that he has purchased the entire Bullet Motorsport Pro Stock team, lock, stock and barrel. The team will stay intact with Grump power and Dave Connolly in the seat.

"Captain Kaos", Kenny Koretsky has apparantly bought the Werner Top Fuel operation from Peter Lehman.

Aussie ‘Deno’ Brijeski of Deno’s Cranes has upped the anti in Australia, with a $10,000 bounty for the first (Top Doorslammer ) legal "Five Second" run in competition.

Ken Johnson the crew chief of the G- Squared Pro Stock Bike team, severely injured his leg in a non racing accident in Albany NY. Johnson has been moved out of the Intensive Care Unit of Phoebe-Putney Hospital but is facing an extensive rehabilitation period and mounting hospital bills.

"Ken has been moved to a room out of the intensive care unit," said team matriarch Jackie Bryce, the wife of co-owner George Bryce. "This is a good sign. Other than his leg, he is without a scratch. The artery repair and six units of blood he received were a success.

"The bad news is that his left knee has been severely damaged. At the initial time of impact the knee was bent backwards. This action [did extensive damage] and his leg went without circulation for about four and a half hours. He's heavily sedated and receiving continuous IV’s while he builds up enough strength for [the doctors] to go back in [for further procedures.]"

The team issued a statement calling for cash donations in lieu of flowers as his insurance will not cover all of the costs of his recovery. Items can be sent to Ken and his wife Kassi via Ken Johnson, c/o Star Racing, P.O. Box 1241, Americus, GA 31709.