July 2010
PAVEMENT TRACK SPRINT CAR RACING
New Smyrna Speedway Saturday June 5, 2010. Bo and I both finished low (4th and 5th, respectively) in our heat races and qualified for the feature transfer in 4th and 6th position, again respectively, for the feature. Troy was on the outside of the first row and drove away from pole sitter DJ Hoelzle on the initial green and I followed suit into 2nd. The yellow and then the red flags were displayed for a huge crash on the front straightway involving 3 cars. It all started when Dude’s driveline broke and the car suddenly slowed. Joey Aguilar had no where to go and ended up riding over one of Dude’s tires and into the wall. Fritz spun to avoid the melee and his car was able to continue. It took two wreckers to remove the Miller 78 from the track. On the restart, Troy took off again and I followed into 2nd. Bo, meanwhile, was working his way to 4th behind Brazil. On the 23rd lap, oil started spewing out of the 3X engine catching the engine on fire and causing another yellow. The 3X was out with a suspected blown engine (see report in “BITS & PIECES”). On the restart, the lineup had me behind 3 lapped cars, one of whom refused my request to move past and start on the leader’s back bumper. When I am a lapped car, I always allow the lead lap cars by. My thinking is that if I’m a lap down, I ain’t gonna win it anyway, so why get in the middle of someone else’s race? Well, I will continue to do that EXCEPT for that one guy. What goes round comes round. I was still able to finish second, but dealing with the lapped traffic allowed Brazil to stay right on my back bumper and almost pass.
DeSoto Speedway Saturday June 19, 2010. We ran through torrential rain from east of Tampa to almost the Bradenton exit on the way to DeSoto. Surely, we won’t get to run tonight! Wrong. It rained once and cooled off a very hot summer afternoon, but we did the old POR thing. That’s Press On Regardless, if you didn’t know. Because of our recent good fortune, we were second highest point average, so we were scheduled to start 6th in the second heat. Going into turn 1 on the initial lap, Shane Butler, Steve Heisler, and Ben Fritz decided to make it 3 wide – didn’t work. I barely missed Ben’s car as he spun. That moved us to the outside of row 1 for the restart. Dakatoh was on the pole and easily pulled me on the start to win. We ran an easy 3rd. Bo started right behind me and finished 5th, conserving his tires. For the feature, I was scheduled for 6th starting spot and Bo 4th. For some reason, the lineup changed and I went to 7th. Even though I didn’t hear or see a signal to go into the 4 abreast salute to the fans, the front rows starting forming up for the formation going into turn 3. I followed suit only to narrowly miss Dakotah, Dude, and Ben who had bumped wheels. Dakotah and Dude went dead on the track and were sent to the rear under the 2 push-off rule. Read my editorial below on this. I eventually started 3rd and wound up 7th. Bo came from 6th to 4th. Neither of us were what you would call happy with our setups. We will be working hard to improve on our finishes at the next events.
Auto City Speedway, Clio Michigan Saturday June 26, 2010. Bo qualified 8th quick at 13.265 (Ryan Litt was the polecat with a 12.967) driving the DJ Racing, Victory Engine 3X. The format for this event was heat races, two qualifying races for the feature (top ten in each qualifier transfer), and the feature. Bo finished second in his heat and 7th in the qualifier. For the feature, a chassis adjustment was made to overcome a push – didn’t help – made it worse. Bo was running along in about 10th place with 3 laps to go when he spun the car relegating him to 17th.
TBARA 2010 TENTATIVE SCHEDULE
JULY
30 ORLANDO SPEEDWORLD
31 NEW SYMRNA SPEEDWAY
AUGUST
14 COLUMBIA MOTORSPORTS PARK (Lake City)
27 FIVE FLAGS SPEEDWAY
28 MOBILE INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY
SEPTEMBER
18 DESOTO SUPER SPEEDWAY
OCTOBER
1 ORLANDO SPEEDWORLD
2 NEW SYMRNA SPEEDWAY
30 DESOTO SUPER SPEEDWAY
NOVEMBER
6 CITRUS COUNTY SPEEDWAY
BITS & PIECES
Those celebrating birthdays in July are:
Dick Fieler July 1
Stanley Dudek July 22
Jillian McBride July 22
Andrea Sielaaff July 30
TRIVIA. Zephyrhills driver David Reutimann is making quite a splash in NASCAR Cup racing driving a Toyota for Mikey Waltrip. He even has a speaking part in a Toyota commercial. What is David’s middle name? See answer in the “LAST PARAGRAPH”. And remember, a correct answer entitles you to a free 1 year subscription to the MONTHLY MULLET WRAPPER.
Bo’s motor (excuse me, ENGINE, to be grammatically correct) did not “come from together” as suspected. The little plug on the timing chain/gear cover came out allowing oil to spray all over the engine. At the speeds we run at New Smyrna (140MPH+), it doesn’t take too long to spread it all over the car, too. The oil fire didn’t hurt anything, so the car was ready for DeSoto.
We changed the air scoop on the DJ Racing 27 from the oversized fiberglass unit to a smaller carbon fiber scoop from “Carbon Fiber Kenny”. The visibility with the smaller unit is great! Now I can see what I’m hitting. HOWEVER! The large flat surface of the fiberglass unit made a perfect platform on which to set tools while working on the car. When you set something on the carbon fiber scoop, it slides off as the carbon fiber scoop is crowned and slick. So, I met with myself in secret executive session and designed a “tool platform” for the top of the scoop. To anchor it while we’re using it, I ordered a special carbon fiber magnet to install in the bottom of the tool platform to hold it in place. I think it will work great. Can’t wait to try it out.
I’ve got an idea! Saturday night, the 19th, two cars from the CFSS camp came to race with us which was most appreciated as without them, we would have had a poor showing of 13 cars. What is more significant is the cars are owned by Don Rehm’s son-in-law! Keith Butler drives one and teenage sensation Amanda Ferguson, the other. I don’t know if the editorial I wrote in the May Mullet Wrapper had anything to do with it, but it sure looks like an olive branch to me. Therefore, I propose a dual sanctioned pair of races, one at each track each association runs the most. That would be DeSoto for the TBARA and Punta Gorda’s Charlotte County Speedway for the CFSS. Since both organizations use the 4 week average, the statistician’s for each club would provide their averages to each other. Cars would start on the point averages submitted by each club. Sanction fees for each race would be split equally. Members of either club would be allowed to race without the necessity of joining the “other” club. Drivers and owners not a member of either club would be required to join one or the other. His/her choice. A good date for the dual sanctioned races is September 11 at Charlotte County and September 18 at DeSoto. Tire rules and e few other minor issues will have to be addressed, but that’s small potatoes. What about it TBARA and CFSS? Is it feasible? Is it worth doing? I think it is; all we have to do is set aside egos and race.
On May 15, the TBARA will be running at Columbia County Speedway, Lake City, FL., while the CFWSS and the CFSS will be running at Citrus County and Punta Gorda, respectively. Sprint car racing in Florida, except for the February Nationals at East bay, has never been known as a hot bed of activity in regards to the number of sprint cars, for either dirt or asphalt. While all three of the above mentioned organizations have fielded respectable to outstanding car counts last year and thus far this year, I’m afraid that all three organizations will suffer in the eyes of the paying fans at each of the venues and will leave a bad taste in their mouths, perhaps to the point that they will not return. Normally, the sprints, with their respectable fields, bring in enough money at the back gate to pay all, or nearly all, of their purse. Without a respectable car count, I fear that that will not be the case. The promoter will then blame the sprints and their “higher than the other classes” purse because he lost money instead of looking at him or her self to put rear ends in the stands. There is nothing we can do about that; it has always been that way and will continue to be that way until a REAL promoter and not a gate opener takes over a track. So, what can WE do? Number 1, we all know that promoters talk to each other a lot, probably weekly during the racing season. Why they allowed the organizations to schedule races at their tracks on the same night baffles me. The solution is that the ORGANIZATIONS need to put aside the petty differences and talk to each other to try to circumvent having races on the same night. Number 2, so, which of the 3 organizations is going to take the lead, step up to the plate, and open a line of communication? Dave Shotsberger, TBARA President? Don Rehm, CFSS President? or Michael Rudolph, CFWSS President?
Gentlemen, sprint car racing will survive in Florida if you do nothing; however, if the current policies of the “BIG 3” continue, eventually, one or two of the organizations will cease to exist and pavement sprint car racing will face a long road to recovery. It’s glaringly apparent that the promoters cannot or will not take control of the situation. It’s up to us, the racers. The ball is in our court.
Hartley Racing’s website is coming along very well. Mulleteer and nephew Randy Carson has taken over the website and is implementing changes weekly. New ideas for the site are bubbling up daily. In fact, we are adding an aircraft section with pictures and other folderol. Check the site often. New pictures, actually they’re old, have been placed on the site in the last two weeks. Check ‘em out! And more are coming. Visit us at www.hartleyracing.com.
MEET THE MULLET
As Editor Americus of the Monthly Mullet Wrapper, I asked newly anointed Mulleteers Don and Beverly Heckman for a short bio. It follows.
My Dad took me to my first race at the age of 4 to Selinsgrove Speedway in PA.
From then on it was go to the races at every chance I had.
At age of 14 I took a job in a junkyard so I would be able to clean a TQ, and go to races with them.
At age 16, in 1964, I started driving a mini stock at Florida City Speedway.
By the time I was 18, I had a ride in a TQ midget. One season we won 18 features at Florida City.
At 25, while still racing TQ midgets, we were putting together our first Sprinter, with financial help from Harry Wilson, now of Ocala.
Owned and drove my own sprinters after a short go with Harry. (totaled his car just a few weeks into the program)
Drove for a couple of people including Cal Krusen the last few years I drove.
About 1980, raising my daughter by myself, I quit. To much travel for what I had going on. Stayed away from racing for 5 years.
I got hustled into keeping a car up for Scotty DeSane and it was not going the way I wished it to go.
Beverly and I bought a Shores car and went to racing in FL.
For the next 22 years we shared much success, proving I am a better owner than driver.
Sold our last car in 2009 after retiring as owners, along with driver Doug Heveron. A pact we made before our last Little 500.
Been working for TBARA since January of 2008.
Staying involved in racing building ND Tech Shock Dynos and am a Bilstein shock dealer and builder.
Beverly has been involved for the last 22 years as a owner, winning many features, and 5 championships, and for the last few years as a TBARA support person.
My CRS is kicking in. Maybe I’ll remember something next month.
GUEST WRITER
As Editor Americus, I am announcing……………… No Guest Writer this month.
Finally, The Last Paragraph!
TRIVIA answer. Ah so, grasshopper! David IS his middle name. Emil is his first name. Don’t forget the web site! www.tbara.net
Abba dee. Abba deeAbba dee. Th th th that’s all folks!
REMEMBER, RACECAR SPELLED BACKWARDS IS STILL RACECAR!
SONNY!