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May 2008
Jones win second straight USA modified race
Springfield resident Kyle Jones won his second consecutive race of the season in the USA Modifieds series, taking home the checkered flag of the Windy City Bags 50 at O’Reilly Raceway Park in Indianapolis on Saturday, May 24.
Jones leads the series with 300 points. Brad Springer is second with 289 points.
The Shawnee High School graduate will go for three in a row at Toledo Speedway on Sunday, June 1.
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Kentucky Speedway on fast track to Sprint Cup?
It won’t happen in 2009 — so says NASCAR, which already has most of that schedule complete — but Kentucky Speedway moved into the fast lane for a Sprint Cup race. Speedway Motorsports, Inc. announced the purchase of the Sparta, Ky., track on Thursday, May 22. SMI already owns seven other tracks that hold Cup races. It’s only a matter of time — can you say 2010? — before the Cup guys come to Kentucky. I’d love to see Kentucky Speedway get a Sprint Cup race, but some improvements will have to be made. One of those would be the seating. The facility holds about 66,000 and about 50,000 might be added. Traffic is an issue. I-71 is a parking lot after the Nationwide Series races. Adding some hotels around the area would help with the congestion. Announce a Cup race and watch the hotels spring up. Message boards are hit and miss with Kentucky getting a race. Critics say too many Cup races are already held in this region. I say if Kentucky can hold the second-most popular stand-alone Nationwide Series race then let them give the Cup a shot. I’d drink to that.
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Legends driver Alfrey recovering at home
KOIL Tour driver Toby Alfrey was released from Miami Valley Hospital on Saturday, May 17, following his stunning accident at Kil-Kare Speedway on Friday. The Miamisburg resident suffered a closed head concussion and an injury to his left arm that could be a bruise, a fine fracture or a torn rotator cuff, said his wife Elonda Alfrey. She said Alfrey’s arm injury will be re-evaluated in 7-10 days. Alfrey was driving his Legends car at Kil-Kare when he slammed into the wall just past Turn 2 seven laps into the feature. The impact sent his car airborne and nearly flipping over the catch fence. Alfrey’s car landed on its top between the wall and the catch fence in the backstretch, scattering pieces of debris. “The catch fence worked really well and the safety equipment on the car did its job,” said Kil-Kare general manager Rick Chrysler. “It’s hard to train for a problem like that. You can talk about it and discuss it in a safety situation, but how do you plan for something like that? Everybody seems to be okay.” Alfrey remained upside down in the car for nearly 30 minutes and it took Kil-Kare crew, Xenia Township emergency workers and Xenia firefighters nearly 90 minutes to free him. He was taken by CareFlight to Miami Valley. “It was just terror,” Elonda Alfrey said of watching the accident. “I’ve never ever in my whole life seen anything go that high, even when he was driving midgets. I’ve seen them go through the catch fence, but not above the catch fence.” One spectator in the Turn 3 bleachers said had it not been for the catch fence Alfrey’s car would have landed in the crowded stands. “He was coming around the corner and two other guys got into him,” he said. “He hit that wall so hard he went up in the air and came down right on his top. It was a sick hit. He flew up as high as the fence. We thought for sure he was coming up in the stands.” Legends cars are 5/8-scale full-fendered replicas of American autos from the 1930s and 1940s. They weigh 1,300 pounds with the driver and generate 122 HP. Elonda Alfrey said Toby suffered additional bruises and cuts and the left side of his body took the most impact. “He doesn’t remember the wreck,” she said. “He’s pretty groggy because they have him on pain pills. He seems to be coming too. You can talk to him and he’ll answer your questions. He’s ready to get back in that car. … He’s on light duty and they said he’s ready to go racing in a few weeks. “Everyone he knows has called. If we need help to let them know. It’s everybody. Even people I don’t know are calling. Everyone is asking if we need help, does he need help getting the car back together.”
Contact this reporter at (937) 225-2400, ext. 6991 or gbilling@DaytonDailyNews.com.
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Bowsher, Disdier to team up again
Frenchman Michel Disdier and Todd Bowsher are teaming up again.
Check out this press release from Jack Bowsher and Associates Motorsports racing team:
TOLEDO SPEEDWAY: FAMILIAR TRACK FOR FRENCHMAN MICHEL DISDIER TOLEDO, Ohio (May 15, 2008) — After a solid 13th finish in his ARCA RE/MAX debut at Salem Speedway last month, Frenchman Michel Disdier is ready to take another step. Jack Bowsher & Associates Motorsports and race car driver Disdier have joined forces again for the May 18th Hantz Group 200 by Federated Car Care at Toledo Speedway. “I’m not nervous, I’m ready to take another step,” said Disdier. “I’m so happy to continue with such a great team. Actually, I’m ready to be there right now! I feel very comfortable with this track. I felt the test went very good when we were here in April. I am very excited about returning to this track. It would be fantastic if we could obtain a top-ten finish.” Disdier is familiar with the track as he tested at the half-mile oval on April, 10th. He will take what he learned from the Salem race as well as the Toledo test and build on it for the seventh race on the 2008 ARCA RE/MAX Series calendar. “We’re looking forward to this weekend,” said team manager Todd Bowsher. “I think the time and effort we spent testing at Toledo Speedway will definitely benefit Michel. It was a very productive test and he used his racing instincts to adapt to the track very well. The focus was more on just finishing the race for Salem. Now that we have the first race out of the way, we can put Michel’s talents on display and concentrate on improving the final outcome.” Powered again by a Rhyne Racing engine, the Jack Bowsher & Associates Motorsports No. 21 will head into the Sunday race with sights on crossing the finish line. With momentum on the rise, it will be an exciting event! The Hantz Group 200 by Federated Car Care (100 miles/200 laps) is the seventh of 21 events on the 2008 ARCA RE/MAX Series schedule. The first of two events held at Toledo Speedway this season is a two-day show. Practice begins Saturday, May 17 with an hour and half practice session planned from 12:30 p.m.-2:00 p.m. ARCA SIM Factory pole qualifying is slated to begin at 3:30 p.m. The field will take the green flag on Sunday, May 18 shortly after 2:00 p.m. The race will be tape-delayed on MavTV with the first showing scheduled for May 23rd at 8:00 p.m. EST. Additional race coverage including live timing and scoring will be available online at arcaracing.com. All times are local.
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Two locals part of St. James Scholarship Program
Congratulations goes out to a pair of female Miami Valley racers. MEGAN RITENOUR, of Miamisburg and SLOAN HENDERSON, of Franklin were both named among 18 finalists for the 2008 Lyn St. James Project Podium scholarships. The scholarships are intended to help young female racers “achieve racing and business success.” St. James is a retired veteran road racer who is one of five women to have qualified for the Indianapolis 500. She was the 1992 Indy 500 Rookie of the Year. Female racing drivers from 13 states and Germany were named. Each applicant submitted their driving qualifications, sponsor information and a written essay which outlined their goals, racing plans and why they need support. Ritenour is competing in the Super Cup Stock Car Series and the ARCA Lincoln Welders Truck Series. Henderson competes in the INEX Legends and Kentucky, Ohio, Indiana Legends Tour. Joining Henderson and Ritenour as finalists for this year’s scholarships are: * Renee Dupuis, Glasbury, Conn. — NASCAR Whelen Modified Series * Kaley Engstrom, Rhome, Texas — Brazo Mini Sprint Association * Natalie Fernaroli, Raymore, Mo. — TAG USA Kart * Diana Harker, Gainesville, Ga. — NHRA Top Alcohol Dragster * Kate Harker, Gainesville, Ga. — NHRA Top Alcohol Dragster * Brandi jass, Bryan, Texas — Brazos Mini Sprint Association * Kristy Noll, Amherst, N.Y. — WKA Jr. Restricted Dirt Karts * Samantha Nield, Jensen Beach, Fla. — NHRA Altered Dragster * Ashley Parlett, Harrisburg, N.C. — 260 Sprint Cars * Leah Pruett-LeDuc, Cherry Valley, Calif. — NHRA Funny Car/Super Comp * Kayla Sewell, Henderson, Nev. — NHRA Sportsman * Trista Stevenson, Pocahontas, Ill. — NASCAR Late Model * Samantha Taylor, Bonney Lake, Wash. — USAC/QMA/IKF/ASCA Series * Miranda Throckmorton, Coatesville, Ind. — All-Star & Midwest Circuit of Champions * Lynsey Tilton, Martinsville, Ind. — USAC Midgets/Mini Sprints * Jackie Weiss, Hessen, Germany — Karts/Formula BMW
Project Podium is an offshoot of St. James’ Women in the Winner’s Circle Foundation and Driver Development program. Project Podium plans to award $55,000 in racing scholarships this year. The finalists are currently being evaluated by a select panel of female business and auto racing personalities, including St. James, NASCAR driver Erin Crocker and current Formula Atlantic Championship managing director Vicki O’Connor. Scholarship winners will be announced in late May.
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Bowsher a father
Todd Bowsher is a proud father of a baby girl.
The Harmony Township ARCA driver’s wife, Alfie, delivered a girl, Ashlynn Rennee Bowsher on Sunday, May 4 at 11:56 a.m.
Ashlynn Renee Bowsher weighed 7 pounds, 3.6 ounces and was 20.5 inches long.
Congratulations to Todd and Alfie Bowsher, as well as Jack Bowsher and Associates Racing team.
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Brown buttons down in Atlanta
In Clearcreek Township, just a few miles north of Ma’s Kitchen restaurant in Red Lion and tucked away on a side street sits the home of NHRA Competition Eliminator veteran Rick Brown. The four-time NHRA national event champion has been racing for over 40 years, but perhaps his biggest victory came April 27th at Atlanta Dragway in Commerce, Ga. Despite difficulties in getting a transbrake release button mounted somewhere in the car where the sleeve of his racing jacket wouldn’t accidentally set it off (and then forgetting that he’d moved the button on his next run), Brown qualified 24th in the 32-car field. He lucked out in the first round. Jenny Treadwell’s machine broke during the burnout and so Brown got a free pass. But the starter imediately lit up the starting tree and Brown, now out of his normal starting routine, momentarily forgot where he’d moved the transbrake button. (The crew moved it from the floor to the steering wheel.) By the time he’d found the button, he’d spent two long seconds on the starting line. Hey, he won. I should cut him some slack. I lose my pen about once a day, and nobody moves it but me. Anyhow, Brown made up for his error by looking ahead. Overnight, he and his crew decided to make some drastic changes to the car’s setup in order to account for the 89-degree temperature and 70-percent humidity. Brown lost me when he got into telling me about air density and barometers. But his years of experience and reams of paper records told him to make the change. Crewmen Tom Perdue (of Peebles) and John Smith (of Springboro) changed to some slower tires (radials to bias-ply, I think he said), switched up the transmission gearing, and put in a different rear-end combination too. And during his “down” time, Brown was relentlessly practicing with his new transbrake button. He wasn’t about to be fooled again … and he wasn’t! In round two, Brown took out Berwyn, Pennsylvania driver Charlie Greco with a .0216-second margin of victory. Louisiana’s Craig Bourgeois was Brown’s next victim in round three. Brown was slower off the line by about 4/1000ths of a second, but won by .0037-seconds! That’s roughly 11 inches. In round 4, Brown beat a fellow Ohio driver (Avon Lake’s Pat Ross). By the way, Ross’ son works for the Buckeye Concrete Pumping Co. in Middletown. Another close margin of victory, this time Brown piloted his dark-red Don Rettich Racing Chevy to a .0246-second margin (about 6 feet). That put the 55-year-old hot shoe in the finals against one of the best Sportsman-class drivers around — David Rampy. Rampy has three NHRA world titles and two IHRA titles to his credit. The NHRA named Rampy No. 42 on it’s all-time Top 50 list of drag racing drivers a few years ago while they were celebrating their 50th anniversary. Brown says Rampy’s one of the best, ever. Well, on this day, Brown beat Rampy. With a .07-second jump at the start, Brown won by 0.0518 seconds! That worked out to about 13 feet. It truly was Brown’s day. Moments after he crossed the finish line, he felt a vibration in the car. When he came back to the paddock area, he’d learned that a $5-dollar transmission seal had popped loose and transmission fluid was leaking everywhere. Whether it’s with a transbrake button at the start, or if a small seal ring decides to pop loose after the race, timing is everything! Congratulations Rick on a memorable win in Atlanta.
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Greg’s right….
Well, except for that “better looking” comment. My picture looks like I just did a lap at Indy, but forgot to wear a helmet.
Greg, myself and Springfield News Sun gearhead Mike Cooper are excited about the opportunity to bring local motorsports the attention it so deserves.
There’s a reason that many of today’s superstars raced in the Miami Valley area. It’s an area loaded with incredible race tracks and plenty of driving talent. What better place to test your skills than against some of the finest hotshoes around?
My bet is that Greg will be your contact for the Dayton area and north. Mike’s the likely source for racers east of Dayton, and I’ve got the Hamilton-Middletown and parts south of Dayton covered.
Having worked for an Indycar team (TrueSports), for a major race track (The Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course) and a major racing series (the Indy Lights Series), I’ve got a solid bit of knowledge about the sport. But racing is one of those deals where you just can’t learn enough.
There’s names and faces out there who work behind the scenes that I’d love to talk to and learn about. And there’s stories out there in the bleachers each weekend who I’m sure have a story to tell or a recipe to swap.
We’ll be out at the tracks, from Edgewater to Eldora and many places in between. And I hope to see you there!
John
