from The Crossville Chronicle - Crossville, TN April 20, 2007
by Joe Dunn / joe@onpitroad.net
Not to let anyone get comfortable, the NASCAR Nextel Cup series heads to Phoenix International Raceway this week with the Car of Tomorrow. The weather promises to be better than Texas, so qualifying should go off without a hitch.
Jeff Burton understandable is looking forward to Phoenix after posting the first repeat win at Texas, he is a 2 time winner in the desert, with wins in 2000 and 2001. This is another track that has left points leader Jeff Gordon wanting and winless. Gordon has 7 top 5’s and an average finish of 9th over 16 races. Phoenix is surely looming as the possible site of the lead change.
The predicted good weather gives Michael Waltrip racing another chance at a reprieve as the usually highly visible Michael was nearly invisible at Texas. It was revealed last week that Michael was involved in a late night wreck in his personal car and is scheduled to appear in court next month to face charges of reckless driving and leaving the scene of an accident. Rumors are widespread of Michaels woes with his team and their sponsors. During Sunday’s broadcast, brother Darrell finally addressed the situation. Darrell made a comment that was long overdue, the fact that his little brother had taken on way too much for himself. The suggestion that Michael needs to turn his concentration from driver to owner is obvious to everyone but Michael.
The Busch series joins in the fun at PIR where points leader Carl Edwards has one win and 3 top 5’s out of 4 starts. Kevin Harvick and Matt Kenseth have both done well in the Busch series at PIR so an exciting night race is in the making. The Craftsman Truck series is off again this week.
Tony Stewart’s Eldora Speedway this week announced the ‘Nextel Prelude to the Dream’ to be held at the Rossburg, OH. track on June 6. Among the entered Nextel Cup drivers will be Stewart, Jeff Gordon, Juan Montoya, Matt Kenseth, Bobby Labonte, Bill Elliott, Kasey Kahne, Clint Bowyer, Kyle Busch, Kenny Wallace, Ken Schrader, Dave Blaney, Mark Martin, Kevin Harvick, Ryan Newman, JJ Yeley, Kyle Petty and Denny Hamlin.
Also joining the field will be Ray Evernham, Red Farmer and drag racing standout Ron Capp.
On the local scene last weeks rains caused the cancellation of all the area tracks events. Crossville Raceway is geared up for try number three at the season opener and this time the mother nature is on the side of the racers. With a full card of racing, featuring Super Late Models, Limited Late Models, UMP Open wheel Modifieds, Street Stocks, Mini Stocks and front wheel drives slated for Saturday the gates will open at 3:30PM, and racing to start at 5:30PM (cst). Admission for Saturdays race is $12 adults, $10 seniors (over 55), $7 teens, free for 12 and under. Pit terrace admission is $17 per person, with under 12 yrs old free.
Other Action this Saturday will include racing at The Mountain (Marysville), Spring City, Cleveland and Wartburg. The reopening of the former Tennessee Motor Speedway in Baxter as the new Cookeville Speedway was announced last week with a scheduled start date of Friday May 18.
The Advance Auto Parts Thunder Series announced this week that Crossville Raceway will host the series on Saturday April 28th. For the Thunder Series it will mark the first of three special events at one of the nicest facilities on the circuit. The series will also make visits on June 30th for a $5,000 to win event and on September 1st for the $10,000 to win Second Annual Rocky Top 100.
In addition to the $3,000 to win Plateau Spring 50 on Saturday night April 28th, the series will also host the 2006 Sunoco Race Fuels Shootout which is a make-up event from last season. The Shootout will consist of twelve cars running for twelve laps for $1200 to win and will feature the cars and drivers who finished in the top twelve in the Sunoco Quick Six Series final 2006 standings.
The top twelve drivers include (in order of standings): 2006 Sunoco Quick Six Points Champion Ricky Arms, two-time defending Thunder Series Champion Anthony White, 2006 Chassis Challenge Champion Steve Smith, a track favorite and Crossville native Randy Weaver, Mike Weeks, David Payne, Todd Morrow, Rick Rogers, Billy Ogle Jr., 2006 Thunder Series Rookie of the Year Tommy Kerr, Jimmy Owens and Mike Marlar. Should any of these twelve drivers not be able to make the show then alternate drivers will include, Joe Armes, Vic Hill and Stacy Boles. The starting line-up will be determined by a random drawing just before the race begins.
TRIVIA: Last weeks winner was Barbara Harwood of Port Hope, MI. who knew that Geoff Bodine was the winner of the last Cup race at Nashville.
Last weeks answer, the only Nextel Cup winner from the pole at Texas Motor Speedway was Kasey Kahne who pulled it off in the spring race of 2006.
This week the NASCAR Nextel Cup series heads to Phoenix International Raceway. PIR has been dominated by Fords with 12 wins out of 21 races. Chevy is second with 7 wins followed by Pontiac with 2. Dodge is winless at the desert track, and Toyota will make their first appearance there this week. For a chance to win a T-Shirt or race hat, who were the two winning Pontiac Cup drivers at PIR.
Remember send your answers to trivia@onpitroad.net by Thursday. Make sure to include your full shipping address along with a shirt size (m-xxl).
Thursday, April 19, 2007
Burton’s late charge makes for the first repeat Texas winner
from The Crossville Chronicle - Crossville, TN April 16,2007
By Joe Dunn / joe@onpitroad.net
Jeff Burton Led one lap in the Samsung 500 Sunday, but it was the money lap, that made him the first repeat winner in the NASCAR Nextel Cup Series at Texas Motor Speedway.
The Hendrick Motorsports dominance in 2007 took a big hit at the track that has not been their best. Jeff Gordon, who lead 172 laps was the top finisher for Hendrick placing 4th and holding the points lead by a mere 8 over Jeff Burton. Jimmie Johnson’s 38th place finish dropped him to fourth, 181 points out.
Burton battled the last 15 laps, fender to fender with his former teammate Matt Kenseth, while his wife Kim was seen biting her fingernails atop the pit box as she followed the on track action. On that next to last lap, Burton finally managed to pull off the pass to take the white flag and eventually the win.
After two weeks off from the series, Mark Martin returned to finish 3rd. When asked after the race if he was sorry he took the time off or may change his future plans due to the success he is having this year he replied, “I fought that battle too many times before and now I am just having the best time of all.”
The crowd of some 200,000 people spent most of the day on their feet as some of the best racing of the season took place. With only 3 laps in David Ragan got loose and hit JJ Yeley in turn 4 which in turn collected Ricky Rudd, Casey Mears, Johnny Sauter and Ryan Newman, none of which would be a factor the rest of the day.
Juan Pablo Montoya got the fans attention again as he overdrove his car into turn 4 on lap 240 trying to pass Tony Stewart. Montoya went low but could not hold the car down, sliding up into Stewart who spun low and collected Jimmie Johnson in the fray. Montoya would later claim that Stewart squeezed him down, but the replays showed otherwise.
In another incident on lap 253 Stewart spun out by himself in turn 4, and as Dale Earnhardt Jr. slowed to avoid the 20 car he took a hard hit from behind by Kyle Busch. Both cars spun into the infield with extensive damage. Busch headed to the garage, but the Budweiser crew managed to get the 8 car back out until lap 293 when the engine let go. Kyle Busch’s 5 car would return late in the race to run some more laps, but Kyle had already left the track. It was learned that Dale Earnhardt Jr. was actually behind the wheel of the 5 car. Neither driver could be located after the race for comment.
By Joe Dunn / joe@onpitroad.net
Jeff Burton Led one lap in the Samsung 500 Sunday, but it was the money lap, that made him the first repeat winner in the NASCAR Nextel Cup Series at Texas Motor Speedway.
The Hendrick Motorsports dominance in 2007 took a big hit at the track that has not been their best. Jeff Gordon, who lead 172 laps was the top finisher for Hendrick placing 4th and holding the points lead by a mere 8 over Jeff Burton. Jimmie Johnson’s 38th place finish dropped him to fourth, 181 points out.
Burton battled the last 15 laps, fender to fender with his former teammate Matt Kenseth, while his wife Kim was seen biting her fingernails atop the pit box as she followed the on track action. On that next to last lap, Burton finally managed to pull off the pass to take the white flag and eventually the win.
After two weeks off from the series, Mark Martin returned to finish 3rd. When asked after the race if he was sorry he took the time off or may change his future plans due to the success he is having this year he replied, “I fought that battle too many times before and now I am just having the best time of all.”
The crowd of some 200,000 people spent most of the day on their feet as some of the best racing of the season took place. With only 3 laps in David Ragan got loose and hit JJ Yeley in turn 4 which in turn collected Ricky Rudd, Casey Mears, Johnny Sauter and Ryan Newman, none of which would be a factor the rest of the day.
Juan Pablo Montoya got the fans attention again as he overdrove his car into turn 4 on lap 240 trying to pass Tony Stewart. Montoya went low but could not hold the car down, sliding up into Stewart who spun low and collected Jimmie Johnson in the fray. Montoya would later claim that Stewart squeezed him down, but the replays showed otherwise.
In another incident on lap 253 Stewart spun out by himself in turn 4, and as Dale Earnhardt Jr. slowed to avoid the 20 car he took a hard hit from behind by Kyle Busch. Both cars spun into the infield with extensive damage. Busch headed to the garage, but the Budweiser crew managed to get the 8 car back out until lap 293 when the engine let go. Kyle Busch’s 5 car would return late in the race to run some more laps, but Kyle had already left the track. It was learned that Dale Earnhardt Jr. was actually behind the wheel of the 5 car. Neither driver could be located after the race for comment.
Kenseth rallies to win Busch race at Texas Motor Speedway
from The Crossville Chronicle, Crossville, TN April 16, 2007
By Joe Dunn / joe@onpitroad.com
Matt Kenseth pulled out a Texas sized horse shoe to win Saturday’s O’Reilly 300 at Texas Motor Speedway.
Early in the race Kyle Bush looked to be heading to another easy win, leading 113 laps. But a caution shortly after a green flag pit stop sent him back of the pack. He fought to regain positions and move to the front, but he was never a serious factor in the race finishing seventh.
Point leader Carl Edwards ran in the top 15 for all but 2 laps, the best of the day, and on restarts he was constantly the fastest car in the early runs. Leading only 2 laps, he was never a threat to win this week, but his third place finish enabled him to extend his points lead over Dave Blaney to 403.
Kenseth spun the #17 out on lap 54, and managed to avoid hitting anything, but the car looked really bad and appeared to have some serious damage. He was able to get the car to pit road, where the crew changed the tires and sent him back out one lap down. When the fourth caution of the day flew on lap 125, Matt got that lap back thanks to the ‘Lucky Dog’ free pass.
On lap 192 Kenseth got passed Denny Hamlin to take the lead where he held on for the checkers. This was no easy win for Matt and with Hamlin digging in, the margin of victory was only .128 seconds, a track record at TMS for the Busch series.
Juan Pablo Montoya's # 42 Dodge made the highlights again as he tangled this time with Marcos Ambrose ending the day for both drivers.
David Reutimann was again the highest finishing Toyota as he brought the #99 Aarons ‘Dream Machine’ home in 6th place.
By Joe Dunn / joe@onpitroad.com
Matt Kenseth pulled out a Texas sized horse shoe to win Saturday’s O’Reilly 300 at Texas Motor Speedway.
Early in the race Kyle Bush looked to be heading to another easy win, leading 113 laps. But a caution shortly after a green flag pit stop sent him back of the pack. He fought to regain positions and move to the front, but he was never a serious factor in the race finishing seventh.
Point leader Carl Edwards ran in the top 15 for all but 2 laps, the best of the day, and on restarts he was constantly the fastest car in the early runs. Leading only 2 laps, he was never a threat to win this week, but his third place finish enabled him to extend his points lead over Dave Blaney to 403.
Kenseth spun the #17 out on lap 54, and managed to avoid hitting anything, but the car looked really bad and appeared to have some serious damage. He was able to get the car to pit road, where the crew changed the tires and sent him back out one lap down. When the fourth caution of the day flew on lap 125, Matt got that lap back thanks to the ‘Lucky Dog’ free pass.
On lap 192 Kenseth got passed Denny Hamlin to take the lead where he held on for the checkers. This was no easy win for Matt and with Hamlin digging in, the margin of victory was only .128 seconds, a track record at TMS for the Busch series.
Juan Pablo Montoya's # 42 Dodge made the highlights again as he tangled this time with Marcos Ambrose ending the day for both drivers.
David Reutimann was again the highest finishing Toyota as he brought the #99 Aarons ‘Dream Machine’ home in 6th place.
Oh the tales those Petty's tell
from The Crossville Chronicle - Crossville, TN April 4,2007
by Joe Dunn / joe@onpitroad.net
BRISTOL, TN - Richards Petty’s dad Lee wrecked him in his first race, and Kyle Petty gives credit to a seagull for his first win.
On Thursday March 22, as thousands of race fans were arriving in the Tri-cities area for the weekends racing at Bristol Motor Speedway, King Richard Petty and son Kyle told tales of racing as a fundraising event for the International Storytelling Center.
FOX TV’s Mike Joy joined the father and son team on stage as they relived some of the most memorable times in their racing past. Racing has been a long time family tradition for the Petty family, Richard got started following in the footsteps of his father Lee Petty one of Nascar’s original drivers.
At the beginning of his career Richard was asked by his daddy how he wanted to get paid, did he want a percentage or get a flat rate? “I was working at the shop making $87.50 and I like the sure thing so I took the salary.”
“ I run my first race in 1958” says Richard, “daddy was headed on what they called the northern circuit, when they ran a bunch of races up north. So my first race was in Toronto, Canada at the exhibition grounds up there. Daddy and Cotton Owen were fighting for the lead when they came up on a lap car, me. Cotton was in the lead, but while he was messing with me, Daddy went around him, but I was still in front of them. When Daddy got back up to me, he just knocked me into the wall.”
“Daddy would go on to win that race and I left a 1957 Oldsmobile bumper that weighed about 1500 pounds hangin up there on the fence. And Daddy was mad at me cause I bent up the car.”
The next year Richard would win his first race at Atlanta, or at least he thought he did. “We were racing and the track got real dusty, it got so bad, the flagman had to come on the infield by the scorers to find out how many laps they were running. When it all settled down, they flagged me the winner and we was a bunch of 21 year old kids jumpin around like we had really done something. Somebody came by and said ‘you been protested’, the steam started coming out of my ears and I got to the scorers table and Daddy’s up there arguing with them. Daddy said “ I won the race” and he ended up winning the race.
It was good for the team explained Richard, “Cause they were paying a $500 bonus if you had a current model car, daddy had a ‘59 Plymouth and I had a ‘57 Oldsmobile, so it was an extra $500 for the team.” Mike Joy leans over at this point and asked Richard, “And you got some of that bonus?” Richard replies “ I got my $87.50.”
The stories that evening moved around and the subject of young drivers came up. Kyle talked about how many of these drivers at Bristol had come up in the sport, racing at the local short tracks and how that really helped them at a track like Bristol. “Not me” says Kyle “When Daddy decided it was time for me to start racing we got a car and headed for Daytona for an ARCA race. Well I set on the outside pole for that race, and I was supposed to finish second, but a Seagull helped that day. A guy by the name of Phil Finney was going to win the race, and this is how long ago it was, these cars had glass windshields. He hit a seagull with about 8 laps to go, caused a caution, knocked the windshield out. That was a fairly common occurrence 25 years ago - there were so many seagulls in the infield, cars would hit them, knock holes in the fronts and knock out the windshields. Anyway, we were very blessed and went on to winning that race.” Kyle got a big grin on his face and said “next week we went to Charlotte and I wiped out about 6 race cars.”
Kyle joked that you might have to question a fathers love when he sends you to Daytona, over 100 mph on your very first race.
Richard sat with a grin and replied “Before the race, I said . ‘Your starting on the outside pole and that’s good’ and we all agreed that we would sort of idle along and we’ll let 8 or 12 ahead of us and sort of follow along and learn to drive. The first lap he came by leading the damn race, I said ’well strategy went out the window.“
Times were not all happy in racing, as Kyle talked about a couple of his bad wrecks, the story came to a bad one at Indianapolis where he was knocked senseless and literally didn’t know if he was dead or alive.
“I was praying that I was alive, but I couldn’t move or open my eyes, and after what seemed like an eternity of this I realized that I wasn’t alive. So my prayer instantly changed and I started praying ’please God when I open my eyes make sure St Peter is standing there’. I was praying and I could hear people talking, and all of a sudden out of nowhere I hear Sterling (Marlin) talking.”
“And y’all might be from Tennessee, and y’all might like Sterling a lot, but if I’m dead and Sterling is dead, we ain’t in heaven. So then my prayers go back to ’please God let me be alive”
Kyle was still unconscious when they tried to lift him out of the car, but according to Sterling, every time they lifted him Kyle ’screamed like a little girl’. “Sterling said ‘They’d try to pick you up and you’d scream like a girl, and they’d set you back down” stated Kyle. “After they did this about three times, the guy that was hooking the car up (to the wrecker) told the paramedic, ‘he won’t scream if you’ll get off his ponytail when you try to pick him up’.”
“I tell people all the time, you’d scream like a girl too if somebody did that to you. I still see that paramedic up there about every two or three years, and he’s like, ‘Remember when I was stepping on your hair?.”
The evening was a lot of fun for the folks that gathered in the Bruton Smith Building at Bristol Motor Speedway. 2007 was the third year that the Speedway hosted the event as a fundraiser for the International Storytellers Center in Jonesborough, Tennessee. The Center is the host of the National Storytelling festival which began in October of 1973.
This year the 35th annual National Storytelling Festival will be held October 5-7 in Jonesborough, Tennessee. Some of this years featured Storytellers include. Roy Book Binder, who has been a Blues singing, guitar picking, song writing raconteur for the last 30 years. Book Binder learned his craft from a legendary blind street singer. Four-time Grammy award winner David Holt, driven by a passion to become an old-time banjo player, traveled in 1968 to remote mountain communities searching for the best traditional musicians and storytellers. And Kevin Locke (his Lakota name, Tokeya Inajin, means "The First to Arise") is known throughout the world as the preeminent player of the indigenous Northern Plains flute as well as an inspiring hoop dancer.
Jonesborough is about a 3 hour drive from Crossville and the Festival is worth the drive and the time. It’s a great time for the whole family. Tickets are available on line or at the festival. For more information on the Festival check out their website at www.storytellingcenter.net or you may call them at 800-952-8392. Write them at International Storytelling Center 116 W. Main St. Jonesborough, TN 37659
by Joe Dunn / joe@onpitroad.net
BRISTOL, TN - Richards Petty’s dad Lee wrecked him in his first race, and Kyle Petty gives credit to a seagull for his first win.
On Thursday March 22, as thousands of race fans were arriving in the Tri-cities area for the weekends racing at Bristol Motor Speedway, King Richard Petty and son Kyle told tales of racing as a fundraising event for the International Storytelling Center.
FOX TV’s Mike Joy joined the father and son team on stage as they relived some of the most memorable times in their racing past. Racing has been a long time family tradition for the Petty family, Richard got started following in the footsteps of his father Lee Petty one of Nascar’s original drivers.
At the beginning of his career Richard was asked by his daddy how he wanted to get paid, did he want a percentage or get a flat rate? “I was working at the shop making $87.50 and I like the sure thing so I took the salary.”
“ I run my first race in 1958” says Richard, “daddy was headed on what they called the northern circuit, when they ran a bunch of races up north. So my first race was in Toronto, Canada at the exhibition grounds up there. Daddy and Cotton Owen were fighting for the lead when they came up on a lap car, me. Cotton was in the lead, but while he was messing with me, Daddy went around him, but I was still in front of them. When Daddy got back up to me, he just knocked me into the wall.”
“Daddy would go on to win that race and I left a 1957 Oldsmobile bumper that weighed about 1500 pounds hangin up there on the fence. And Daddy was mad at me cause I bent up the car.”
The next year Richard would win his first race at Atlanta, or at least he thought he did. “We were racing and the track got real dusty, it got so bad, the flagman had to come on the infield by the scorers to find out how many laps they were running. When it all settled down, they flagged me the winner and we was a bunch of 21 year old kids jumpin around like we had really done something. Somebody came by and said ‘you been protested’, the steam started coming out of my ears and I got to the scorers table and Daddy’s up there arguing with them. Daddy said “ I won the race” and he ended up winning the race.
It was good for the team explained Richard, “Cause they were paying a $500 bonus if you had a current model car, daddy had a ‘59 Plymouth and I had a ‘57 Oldsmobile, so it was an extra $500 for the team.” Mike Joy leans over at this point and asked Richard, “And you got some of that bonus?” Richard replies “ I got my $87.50.”
The stories that evening moved around and the subject of young drivers came up. Kyle talked about how many of these drivers at Bristol had come up in the sport, racing at the local short tracks and how that really helped them at a track like Bristol. “Not me” says Kyle “When Daddy decided it was time for me to start racing we got a car and headed for Daytona for an ARCA race. Well I set on the outside pole for that race, and I was supposed to finish second, but a Seagull helped that day. A guy by the name of Phil Finney was going to win the race, and this is how long ago it was, these cars had glass windshields. He hit a seagull with about 8 laps to go, caused a caution, knocked the windshield out. That was a fairly common occurrence 25 years ago - there were so many seagulls in the infield, cars would hit them, knock holes in the fronts and knock out the windshields. Anyway, we were very blessed and went on to winning that race.” Kyle got a big grin on his face and said “next week we went to Charlotte and I wiped out about 6 race cars.”
Kyle joked that you might have to question a fathers love when he sends you to Daytona, over 100 mph on your very first race.
Richard sat with a grin and replied “Before the race, I said . ‘Your starting on the outside pole and that’s good’ and we all agreed that we would sort of idle along and we’ll let 8 or 12 ahead of us and sort of follow along and learn to drive. The first lap he came by leading the damn race, I said ’well strategy went out the window.“
Times were not all happy in racing, as Kyle talked about a couple of his bad wrecks, the story came to a bad one at Indianapolis where he was knocked senseless and literally didn’t know if he was dead or alive.
“I was praying that I was alive, but I couldn’t move or open my eyes, and after what seemed like an eternity of this I realized that I wasn’t alive. So my prayer instantly changed and I started praying ’please God when I open my eyes make sure St Peter is standing there’. I was praying and I could hear people talking, and all of a sudden out of nowhere I hear Sterling (Marlin) talking.”
“And y’all might be from Tennessee, and y’all might like Sterling a lot, but if I’m dead and Sterling is dead, we ain’t in heaven. So then my prayers go back to ’please God let me be alive”
Kyle was still unconscious when they tried to lift him out of the car, but according to Sterling, every time they lifted him Kyle ’screamed like a little girl’. “Sterling said ‘They’d try to pick you up and you’d scream like a girl, and they’d set you back down” stated Kyle. “After they did this about three times, the guy that was hooking the car up (to the wrecker) told the paramedic, ‘he won’t scream if you’ll get off his ponytail when you try to pick him up’.”
“I tell people all the time, you’d scream like a girl too if somebody did that to you. I still see that paramedic up there about every two or three years, and he’s like, ‘Remember when I was stepping on your hair?.”
The evening was a lot of fun for the folks that gathered in the Bruton Smith Building at Bristol Motor Speedway. 2007 was the third year that the Speedway hosted the event as a fundraiser for the International Storytellers Center in Jonesborough, Tennessee. The Center is the host of the National Storytelling festival which began in October of 1973.
This year the 35th annual National Storytelling Festival will be held October 5-7 in Jonesborough, Tennessee. Some of this years featured Storytellers include. Roy Book Binder, who has been a Blues singing, guitar picking, song writing raconteur for the last 30 years. Book Binder learned his craft from a legendary blind street singer. Four-time Grammy award winner David Holt, driven by a passion to become an old-time banjo player, traveled in 1968 to remote mountain communities searching for the best traditional musicians and storytellers. And Kevin Locke (his Lakota name, Tokeya Inajin, means "The First to Arise") is known throughout the world as the preeminent player of the indigenous Northern Plains flute as well as an inspiring hoop dancer.
Jonesborough is about a 3 hour drive from Crossville and the Festival is worth the drive and the time. It’s a great time for the whole family. Tickets are available on line or at the festival. For more information on the Festival check out their website at www.storytellingcenter.net or you may call them at 800-952-8392. Write them at International Storytelling Center 116 W. Main St. Jonesborough, TN 37659
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