Longtime midgeteer Kevin Olson’s Chili Bowl appearance touched a nerve with many fans and Ye Ed as well. Olson raced wearing an open-face crash helmet, a sleeveless T-shirt and with the right-side cockpit cover of his midget removed so that fans could watch him do his job. For this now rare display, colorful Kevin got lots of applause and appreciative recognition. Kevin’s last big headline came years ago as winner of a Turkey Night GP in California.

Motorsport Authentics, the sports sales entity co-owned by Speedway Motorsports and International Speedway Corp., which lost big money last year, blaming Dale Earnhardt, Jr.’s surprise switch from DEI to Hendrick Motorsports, is looking for a big year and returning to profitably, again counting on Earnhardt as its headline moneymaker. That switching teams by Dale, Jr. is expected to lift the sale of NASCAR Licensed Goods by a third or more. Some 300 different Earnhardt-branded items are being offered.

Starting Feb. 8 on ESPN 2, a five-part TV series entitled “Dale, Jr. — Shifting Gears” will have its premiere. Three episodes will air prior to the Daytona 500, while the final two chapters will see prime-time airing in July in the days leading up to NASCAR’s Allstate 400, the first Sprint Cup race to be aired live on ESPN.

Turbos here, turbos there. Insiders at Ford Motor Co. are talking about an all-new fuel-efficient turbocharged engine due in 2009 models that should improve mileage by up to 20 percent. It will be smaller and lighter than today’s powerplants without sacrificing power. And over at GM, bosses are saying their engines are becoming smaller as well, also relying on turbochargers. A new 1.4-liter (85.4 cubic inch) engine for its Cobalt and Saturn Astra cars is on its way. A non-turbo version will be used in Europe’s Opel Astra. Turbocharged four bangers are widely planned for tomorrow’s GM cars. Using a turbo adds between $200 and $450 per vehicle, depending on “sophistication,” says the company. And Chrysler, now freed of its Daimler ties, says the Hemi is no longer the powertrain of the future extolling the virtues of electric motors as shown in its Dodge ZEO, calling its performance “Hemi-like.” This all-electric engine will go 250 miles between charges, thanks to its lithium ion battery pack. Along with electricity, Chrysler is touting its family of high-performance V-6 engines now being developed. These twin overhead cam aluminum blocks will offer variable valve timing and cylinder deactivation and other fuel-saving features. But it isn’t junking the Hemi, as a new 5.7 liter (348 cubic inch) 380 horse version is due in the 2009 Dodge Ram pickup. The “Hemi,” for hemispherical combustion chamber, has been the muscle car engine of choice since its introduction 50 years ago. 

In other GM news, headlined by its recent decision to “cut sponsorships,” also revealed the company would “Stay with NASCAR and the NFL and get more involved with those than we were,” according to VP of Vehicle Sales Mark LaNeve. The report noted GM spent $2.2 billion advertising its cars and trucks last year.
 
Constant reader Al Zuber of Oak Ridge, N.J., a Hudson lover, slaps Ye Ed’s wrist for not mentioning the televised Barrett-Jackson Auto Auction sale at which a Chevy donated by Tony Stewart sold for $300,000, which went to charity. Way to go Tony. Herr Zuber says he’s contemplating an offer to co-author a book on the racing history of the Hudson Hornet. He would like fellow Hudson lovers to know that a new Hudson Museum opened last Oct. 5 in Shipsewana, Ind., which now contains 48 examples of the marque.
 
Press releases, for what? Recent mail included a 200-word bulletin revealing driver Jacques Villeneuve and his long-time business manager Craig Pollack have called it quits. Who cares?

Sunday’s Super Bowl football game telecast carried 54 commercials from 35 different advertisers. If you think those are impressive numbers, factor in the game’s total TV gross where a 30-second commercial commanded a record-high $2.7 million!

Sad news. St. Louis fans recently attended the funeral of Mike Stoud, son of the 1969 USAC championship midget car owner who backed champion Bob Tattersall that year. Mike, then 21, was the chief mechanic on that car as it ran the full USAC schedule. Other sad news includes the mid-November passing of 79-year-old Billy James Wood of Kenosha, Wis., who in 1954 won the first of eight Badger Midget championships. Our thanks to constant reader Bob Shaw of Kenosha for keeping us informed.

The Indianapolis Motor Speedway will be active on Feb. 17 as fans can watch the Daytona 500 telecast at the track’s Racing Kickoff Party benefiting the Rich Vogler Memorial Scholarship fund. The five-time Indy 500 starter and USAC Midget and Sprint Car titleholder died in a crash at Salem, Ind., in July, 1990. Admission to the 1:30 p.m. function at the IMS Plaza is free.