Another win by an old guy at the oldest track on the circuit.

Welcome to alll of you who are new to both Pipe Smoke and Motorsportsnews.net . Last week I had the chance to talk to Jim Vicevich [...]]]>

Hey what do you know, looks to me like Mark Martin is not done yet!

Another win by an old guy at the oldest track on the circuit.

Welcome to alll of you who are new to both Pipe Smoke and Motorsportsnews.net . Last week I had the chance to talk to Jim Vicevich on his radio show which broadcasts from 9am-noon on WTIC 1080 in Hartford Ct. While racing is not normally one of Jim’s topics he was nice enough to let me get in some plugs and added a link to the site. I would like to welcome Jim and his listeners to the PS family.

The bodyshops will be busy this week! Was that 18 cautions?

As far as the suspensions for the NASCAR drug testing, I am not going near that one! All I will say is that,you use, you lose.

Here at PS, I do a bit of commentary on the news of the day and a bit of historical review. Being a bit of a geezer myself, it is fun to take a look back, just to see who we really are and where we have come from. What I will not do is comment on news that has already been covered elsewhere. If you want blood guts and gore, please find another site.

In honor of my new readers, I would like to crank up the old time machine. Racing in the Nutmeg state goes back to the turn of the century. At one time there were over forty race tracks operating in the state of which 4 remain. Limerock Park is 1.5 mile road course which has held Camping World East events. Stafford Springs Motor Speedway is a former fairgrounds half mile which hosts the Whelen Modifieds. The Waterford Speedbowl in Waterford is a 1/3 mile oval which hosts the True Value Modifieds and other taveling series in addition to it’s weekly programs.

The crown jewel of Ct racing and of southern New England is the Thompson Speedway, located in Thompson Ct. The fast 5/8 mile oval was built by John Honeig on his farm after the 1938 hurricane. It was the first paved oval in the US and the only Ct track to host the Cup series. The 1951 season was the first time that Cup cars took to the oval. They would return again in 1969 and 1970.

Neil Cole took the first race, but Ct natives would be sprinkled through the field. They included Dick Egan of Springdale Ct in 3rd, Bill Cintia of Waterbury in 9th, Charles Gattalia of New Haven in 11th and George Cavana of S.Glastonbury in 13th. That first race also included other New England natives including drivers from Providence R.I. and Fitchburg Mass.

By the time the Cup cars returned in 1969, the series had changed radically. David Pearson took the 1969 race and Bobby Isaac the 1970 event.

All statistics courtesy of www.racing-reference.com

Joey Logano may be the newest Cup driver from the state, but as you can see, he is far from being the first. I have to admit that my favorite is Randy Lajoie. His family has roots at the Speedbowl. His dad Bob, was a legend in the weekly modifed ranks. I saw Randy work his way through the system of old, competing in the modifeds and Busch North.

Till next week, you can find me on facebook, in a recovery room, or in the Sound Off Ct. chat If I get asked, I might just do a weekly bit on Jim’s show. Might even open a door to something that helps pay some bills.

Could it be that the COT and FOT (new term: FAN OF TODAY) do not mix?

Could it be that NASCAR in its zeal to find new markets and conquer new galaxies has forgetten who got [...]]]>

With the economy as it is, I can understand how track attendence is down, but television ratings?

Could it be that the COT and FOT (new term: FAN OF TODAY) do not mix?

Could it be that NASCAR in its zeal to find new markets and conquer new galaxies has forgetten who got them to where they are?

Any of you who have ever read my writings, either here or elsewhere on the web, know a few things about me. My politics are conservative, my religion is Christian and my drink of choice is Polar Diet Orange Dry. I am also a dyed in the wool racing fan.

Notice something missing? Even though I grew up watching what is now, Cup racing on television, my interests in the sport run from stock sedans on the Limerock Park road course to the DIRT mods and Lebanon Valley. I have had my ears blown off by the supermods at Oswego and watched 33 midgets tackle tight 1/4 of the long gone Westboro Speedway. I like close competitive fun racing whether it be from the banks of Atlanta or the dirt of nearby Whip City Speedway.

Some of my favorite characters in the sport are folks who would not even glance southward, never mind bend knee towards Daytona Beach. Yet for some reason, if I am near a television, (rarely) or have a radio handy, my ears start to tingle when I hear the themes for MRN or PRN. In other words I am a FOTP, (another new term: Fan of the Past). I still wash with Tide, (D.Waltrip) swig an occasional Gatorade, (D Waltrip) and my cell phone does not say (0) on it, My wife still smokes, (not Winstons ) and when able , I still like to blow a cloud of aromatic smoke from my trusty corn cob.

The FOT (Fan of Today) is a totally different animal. While he or she may be involved, but are they commited? ( Ask Junior Johnson the difference on that one.) To the FOT NASCAR may have been the “In” thing in the 90s. Given the pressing issues of our society, ie global warming, NASCAR might just not be so in anymore. The FOT is being hurt by the economy like the rest of us and is unsure about making a trip for a race. They are also deluged with other forms of entertainment ranging from local sport teams to the 999 channels offered by your satelite or cable company

Not to say that I am down on all of you FOTs. There are some who have done their homework and are welcome additions to the planet. It is the casual FOT who becomes the issue. Some of you have even joined the ranks of internet journalists. You have opinions and you are not afraid to stand by them. To you I say welcome.

Last of all we add the infamous MOT (new term: Management of Today). Once upon a time there was a sanctioning body in Daytona Beach. The leader was a racer and he ran his business so that he, his family and his racers could try to succeed. He was not afraid to tell big business what they could and could not do. He did not fear them. He knew he had his teams and who they were loyal to. He knew that he had his tracks and who they would work with. He knew enough to let his racers race, even if it meant a bit of cheating and rough play..

Today it is much different. Management is looking more and more like a deer caught in the headlights. They bend knee to all who come near with $$, They try to clone themselves as drivers and team owners. All must play the corporate game. All must play fair. The knowledge that Chrysler and GM are in trouble has them shaking behind their $100 sunglasses Ratings are down, revenue is down, attendence is down. Sponsors are curtailing or leaving, teams are laying off people and closing. Something needs to be done and soon. My question is will the MOT be able to do something, anything to get both the FOT and the FOTP interested and turning the turnstiles again.

Watch this space for a new contest designed for all FOTP. My editor wants to make you a winner! The rules are simple, I will be posting in this column, a vintage photograph. It can be a modified, late model or even an early Cup car. The non Cup cars will have been driven by someone who actually competed in the Cup series. Name the driver! 1st correct entry to kokoracer@gmail.com is the winner. Some will be difficult, some easy, but none will be impossible.

Till next week, run hard, turn left and stay straight. John .

Cale Yarlborough [...]]]>

Richard Petty and John Andretti are going to race in the Indy 500 together. What would Big Bill think? It’s true… NASCAR drivers and teams have never been successful at Indy. If memory serves. the Woods Brothers went in the 60s to show the Indy boys how to do pit stops.

Cale Yarlborough also ran a couple of 500s. Otherwise, it has only been drivers with open wheel experience who have seen success at the Brickyard during the Indianapolis 500.

Two tracks are on the front burner this week. The Nationwide Series goes to Nashville and the ARCA teams are getting ready for “The Rock”. In years past both tracks hosted “Cup” events. If you want proof, go to You Tube.

My favorite NASCAR series, the “Whelen Modifieds” kicked off their 25th season at my home track, Thompson Speedway in Thompson Ct..Ted Christopher put another win in the books. For those of you who have never visited Thompson, it is a real treat. 5/8 mile of high backed asphalt with long straights and tight turns located where Ma., Ct. and R.I. join together. It was the first asphalt track in the nation and run by one of racings great families.

Was watching “banger” racing on You Tube. From mini cars to vans and even full sized buses. It really makes me question the sanity of those on the other side of the pond. Looks like fun though.

Ironic isn’t it. First we have AAA sponsoring a car and now Nationwide insurance sponsoring a series. Pops Turner must be rolling in his grave. No more rental cars in motel pools or landing a plane on a road to get more beer.

Read an (old) article about Scott Wimmer having an ARCA race rain out and then running a Cup race in the same car. The COT makes that impossible today.

Nice to se Morgan Shepard getting help for his efforts. I had some contact with him during my days with RWJM. One of racing’s class acts. Who ever thought that I would have a reason to cheer for Tony Stwart?

I understand racing in Las Vegas, but why move the Banquet there? NYC was bad enough, but at least that is on the east coast. Time for Brian and the boys to rethink this issue.

Hope you all enjoyed watching last week’s race. On PRN, it was such a snooze fest, I was changing stations. Pretty bad when I start listening to the local PBS station during a race.

Time to go enter the Kia in a demo derby. Till next week John

Things look kind of interesting… money gets tight and the youngsters are being traded for seasoned veterans in some of the lesser teams. They may not be the media stars, but hey, if it gets your car qualified, do you really care?

I [...]]]>

Is Todd Bodine ever going to get a serious Cup ride again?

Things look kind of interesting… money gets tight and the youngsters are being traded for seasoned veterans in some of the lesser teams. They may not be the media stars, but hey, if it gets your car qualified, do you really care?

I was thinking about doing a real serious column this week. With all the news that will be impacting our sport, it is time for a break.

I had a very positive interview with a local representative of Joey Logano’s sponsor recently. Do not look for Toyota banners or an orange logo on this page soon. A career change could be in the wind for yours truly and I may be swapping 2x4s for pizza. If I do take the job I plan on staying with my other job on a part time basis. Where else can I get my profit sharing and a full stomach at the same time. Once my personal issues are addressed, I will be car or truck shopping. I will be looking at a used vehicle from the General.

If you have visited my facebook page recently, you will notice that I am a member in good standing of NWO. Why not, it is not like I am racing for the late Anthony Vendetti. In his day you either raced at his track and built your car for it, or went elsewhere. Anthony built a little track you might have heard of, Seekonk Speedway in Seekonk Ma.. Several of us here on the staff have memberships and even write for other sites. It is too bad the big boys in the media cannot play nice, otherwise we might have had
Darrell racing against Rusty at Bristol

Have you noticed what has happened to the price of cigarettes recently? My wife smokes generics and we have see the state of Mass. add a dollar and now a federal increase. If the cigarettes do not kill you, the price will. If not, you will freeze yourself to death smoking outside.in the winter. I remember a time when you could tell the quality of a recovery meeting by how low the smoke cloud got. I know that it is a matter of health, but it is also personal freedom and responsibility. The price of my pipe tobacco has not increased yet. You would never see the late Richie Evans without his Winstons.

What will the U.S. government do with NASCAR? They have told the chairman of GM to resign and they are telling Chrysler that it will have to merge with Fiat. How long before they tell both to end their racing programs? At Martinsville there were only two Dodges in the truck field. A Cup field dominated by Ford and Toyota will hurt the sport. It happened before and I hope it does not happen again.

ISC is retrenching . Plans for new speedways seem to be on hold. A poor economy and the NIMBY crowds are putting a crimp in plans for Denver, the Northwest and NYC.

Did you know that the “Camping World West” series was once known as the Winston West series. That group goes back to the earliest days of NASCAR. Ray Elder and others competed at short tracks on the west coast and combined several times a year with the Cup drivers of the eastern circuit. The “Camping World East” series began life as NASCAR North. They ran a series based in Northern New England, the highlight of which was the Oxford 250. I had a blast there in the 80s watching some fo the best LMS racing in the country. It was a feared event as it carried full points for both the North and South teams, yet was also an open comp race with “Oxford” rules. A round 1/3 mile oval, the accent was on handling. Another problem for the southern teams was that Oxford ran qualfying heats. It was fun to see the big bucks guys get beaten by a local pro stock, even if it was only for a few laps.

If Mike can make sense of this mess, look for me next week. Emails go to kokoracer@gmail.com on facebook, or hanging with my gang at www.e-aa.org John

I caught a video of the Legends racing at Bristol. I was very impressed to say the least. It was nice to see the cars decked out in some of the numbers and colors we remember. Rusty had Miller Lite on his car and the tobacco cars had the colors right. [...]]]>

Let’s go racin!

I caught a video of the Legends racing at Bristol. I was very impressed to say the least. It was nice to see the cars decked out in some of the numbers and colors we remember. Rusty had Miller Lite on his car and the tobacco cars had the colors right. I wasn’t surprised that the not so seniors led the way. Sterling had qualified for the Cup race and went on to win the charity event.

Of the super seniors, 70+ LD Ottinger had the best showing and Harry Gant was real fast. Not a surprise that I read a story about cheating in the race. Some things never change. LOL If they really want to make these races special, how about if someone came up with fiberglass bodies in the form of some of the original cars. I know that it would cost some $$$ but it sure would be neat to see.

I am not a minister, nor do I portray one on the internet. I would however like to ask all of you to stop and say a prayer. There are several of us on the staff of motorsportsnews.net who are facing life challenges. Some, including yours truly are either out of work, working part time,or will be umemployed shortly. Pray that we all find the guidance that we seek, the patience that we need in these times of crisis, the faith to see us through and the willingness to accept the changes in our lives. I was told often that God may close a door and when he does, a window opens. Pray that His light shines through it.

A warm welcome to my new friends in the town of Enfield Ct. I work there and in my travels I love promoting both this site and this column to NASCAR fans young and old alike. If you like what you see here, drop an email, stop at Facebook, or better yet, tell someone.

There was a time when race tracks of all sizes and shapes were painted in the red and white of Winston. From sea to shining sea, on bullrings and 1/2 miles, paved and dirt there were banners strung and new scoreboards carrying the Winston logo. NASCAR had come to town and along with it, the Winston weekly racing series. Outlaw tracks became NASCAR tracks. Here in New England , the dominant short track series were the modifeds and NASCAR North Late Models. Both ran on tracks ranging from the quarters at Monadnock and Westboro to the high banks of Thompson. Those two series alone sent several top drivers on to fame and fortune including the Bodine brothers, the Bouchard brothers, Jeff Fuller and others. Outlaw tracks flocked to join the weekly series to get a modified and or a Busch North date. Even the legendary outlaw promoter Anthony Vendetti, allowed his boys a chance to compete for the regional points. If you were a NASCAR track, there were no other forms of modified tours or late model tours at your track, period. A turf war broke out when Tom Curley and NASCAR parted company. Tom went on to form the American Canadian tour. Despite several setbacks Tom is stilll at it.

Does the weekly series still exist? I am sure some one will tell me. Winston is long gone from the scene and they took their money with them. Here in the New England states, both tours are but shells of what they once were. What was the NASCAR North series is now part of a developmental program. It’s fomer crown jewel, the Oxford 250, is now an ACT race. Additional late model competition comes in the form of the PASS series. The modifieds hover around they two strongholds, Thompson and and the Stafford Motor Speedway in Ct.. They face competition from the True Value Modifieds and the Race of Champions series.
Can someone please tell me where tomorrow’s Cup series drivers will come from?

Got into a couple of really great historic racing sites this week. http://public.fotki.com/tona/ is the home for Ray Lamm and his fantastic photo and postcard collection. From the 60 to the 90s there are thousands of images including some Permatex shots. All the greats are there and even some of the not so greats. There are special sections devoted to Richard, Cale, Bobby Allison, Bobby Isaac and so many more. I spent some time talking with Ray and he is a true southern gentleman with plenty of stories to tell. Be sure to sign the guestbook and tell him John sent you.

Anotehr great site is www.racersreunion.com . I just scratched the surface here, but it looks great. There is a lot more than just stock cars here. They have sections on drag racing, boats, motorcycles, and showcars. You can join for free, set up a profile and support some of those who have made our sport what it is today.

Another lap in the books. Send your historic racing sites and job offers to kokoracer@gmail.com, catch my homepage on Facebook or find me hanging with the sober folks at www.e-aa.org

John