As one who grew up with midget racing and the great sound of its Offenhauser engine, it is disappointing to find nary a single active Offy despite the current resurgence in popularity of midget racing in this country. This shiny metal four banger with its throaty exhaust faded away as sanctioning bodies gradually gave over more cubic inches to production-block engines, which eventually provided far more power than the little Offy four banger could deliver. With its multi-syllabic name, high cost, bright-metal finish and unique exhaust, the Offy hooked thousands of fans on midget racing year after year. Its legacy will always be that it brought auto racing to the people for the first time since that first U.S. race in Chicago on Thanksgiving Day in 1895. Prior to the arrival of midget racing at this country’s downtown sports grounds and arenas in the mid 1930s the American public had to head off to a distant fairgrounds or speedway to see an auto race. Not so with the midgets — and their screaming Offenhausers. Come home from work, have dinner, then go downtown for a program of thrilling midget races. Those were the days. We hope our readers find this issue of NSSN with its emphasis on midget racing as enjoyable to peruse as we did in crafting it.

FIA President Max Mosley, now in disgrace over a widely publicized episode with a bevy of prostitutes, says if efforts to remove him from the presidency of the world governing body of motorsport are successful, operation of Formula One would fall into the hands of Bernie Ecclestone, a circumstance Mosley feels would be very detrimental to that series. Those advocating his ouster are finding there is no method in the FIA organization for the forced removal of its president! His term runs through mid-year 2009, at which time Mosley said he planned to retire anyway. His fate will be a primary subject of the FIA General Assembly called for this week. Mosley’s mother was a personal friend of Adolf Hitler who, according to published reports, was a guest at the wedding of Mosley’s parents. Stay tuned. 

Looking back at Indy. There was a lot of “new” this year at The Speedway, as regulars have called IMS for years. Prize money 2008 was a staggering $14,406,580 of which winner Scott Dixon pocketed $2,998,065. Compare these numbers with the  $22,550 total purse of the first Indy 500 in 1911. Winner Ray Harroun pocketed $14,250, or 52 percent. This year’s last-place finisher Graham Rahal got almost 10 times what Harroun won…A big change at the 500 track was the new qualifying format, 11-bump, 11-bump, 11-bump with which, unfortunately, weather intervened spoiling the prospect of four bump days. Emotions were mixed on it, but Ye Ed says give it a dry-weather chance…The ever-increasing presence of Brazilian drivers may well have been the reason a new downtown restaurant, Fogo de Chao, a churrascaria (Portuguese for steakhouse) opened. It got rave reviews…The popularity of the 500 was evident when 80 Hoosier mayors — most ever — attended the Mayor’s breakfast put on by the 500 Festival…Early in the month presidential aspirant Hillary Rodham Clinton visited, saying ‘Hi’ to all on a stroll through Gasoline Alley…Hoosiers are generous folk, ponying up more than $300,000 at the annual charity Racing to Recovery gala held at the Ritz Charles in Carmel…The listing by ESPN.com of the 25 greatest racing drivers of all time showed A.J. Foyt as No. 1 over Mario Andretti, Dale Earnhardt, Michael Schumacher and Ayrton Senna in that order…P.J. Jones was luckier on the golf course than on the track. Unsuccessful in seeking a ride, the son of 1963 winner Parnelli Jones sunk his first Hole in One at the Brickyard Crossing course, which has several holes in the track infield. The ace came on the par four 14th hole…Local historians remind one and all that Indianapolis was this country’s first Motor City, with more than 50 makes of cars and trucks originating in the state. The Speedway was built originally as a test area for the city’s then fledgling auto-manufacturing industry…The local press took it out on Gravity Entertainment of Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., and sports drink ResQ for failing to deliver on sponsorship agreements with driver Sarah Fisher…The Saturday before the race was a big day for NSSN contributor Dave Argabright. At the AARWBA Breakfast Argabright was announced as winner of the Bloys Britt Memorial Award for writing excellence and in the afternoon was inducted into the Hall of Fame of the National Ass’n of Auto Racing Fan Clubs. Congratulations, Dave…The small town of Brownsburg, just west of the Speedway and home of Eaglepoint Business Park and its 13 racing business tenants held an open house for all 13 at which 3,000-plus fans showed up…Eighty-seven-year old Jim Travers, crew chief for 1953 and 1954 Indy 500 winner Bill Vukovich, paid his first visit to the Speedway in 30 years, admitting surprise at the speed of today’s cars…Speedway CEO Tony George let it be known he is in hopes of luring Formula One back to the Speedway as part of its upcoming Centennial Celebration…Despite the high level of fan interest in the race, constant reader Mike Rudderham of Griffin, Ga., says he misses seeing different chassis and engines in the race, saying, “That’s when they had creative engineering.”...In the midst of the 500-mile race publicity, Just Marketing, an Indy-based sports marketing company headed by Zak Brown, announced plans to add 47 new jobs to its 90-person staff as part of a $3.1 million plan to expand its Zionsville — an Indy suburb — headquarters…Danica Patrick was quoted midweek after the 500 that she planned to apologize to Ryan Briscoe for her critical comments about his driving that took both of them out of the big race. Did she?

Among the plethora of penalties NASCAR handed Sprint Cup competitors last week for rule violations was a $100,000 fine and six-race suspension for Haas CNC crew chief Bootie Barker. Barker has long been confined to a wheelchair due to physical impairments and we wonder of his ability to pay such a stiff fine. And it brings up the recurring question: Do all these fines really get paid?

The Milwaukee-based Harry A. Miller Club has a new leader in Dana Mecum, as founder David V. Uihlein, Sr., moves from the president’s post to that of board member. The club newsletter appears four times a year and is aimed at the fans of the rich past of open-wheel racing. Wanna join? Send your $25 annual membership fee to the H.A. Miller Club, P.O. Box 1008, Germantown, Wis. 53022, phone (262) 253-2661. An interesting sidelight on the club is its annual July Millers at Milwaukee on-track event at the Milwaukee Mile. This year, club cars run 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Friday, July 11, and on Saturday, July 12 from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Go if you can. Last year member Tom Mittler got applause for bringing the restored Wisconsin Special, made famous by the legendary Sig Haughdahl who, by the way, drove in the first indoor midget race ever held. It was in New York City in 1934.

NASCAR star Tony Stewart recently gave his pet monkey, Mojo, to the Louisville Zoo.

Michael Harker, the PR coordinator for the Grand Am sports-car road racing series, tells us talk of a possible Grand Am-American LeMans Series merger, is over. It appears head man Roger Edmondson of Grand Am, and Scott Atherton, who leads the ALMS, after meeting to discuss the possibility, revealed there are too many complexities attendant to such a move.

From The Staff

A gathering to announce plans for a multi-use motorsports complex was well attended in Elephant Butte, N.M. The Hot Springs Motorplex folks, led by Greg Neal, Chuck Maynard and Bing Kearney, plan to build, in nearby Truth or Consequences, a dirt track, a road course, drag strip, an off-road course, RV park, and a track that would be a twin to the one in Newton, Iowa. Plans include a hotel, retail, research and development space, industrial use and more. The group is submitting plans to the community with hopes for approval by the end of this year. Creation of about 3,000 jobs will most likely help that process. More than 7,000 acres have been acquired and the first effort will be a three-eighths-mile dirt track, with plans to run a local 305 sprint-car class, as well as hosting traveling series. The local population base is about 30,000, and the area is a New Mexico tourist destination with Elephant Butte Lake Park a big draw. The principals have much experience in development, and have brought in a number of experienced motorsports people to advise: Casey Luna, former Lieutenant Governor of New Mexico and one-time sprint-car owner who, with his wife, Beverly, scouts potential candidates for NASCAR’s Drive for Diversity program; Derek Daly, former open-wheel driver and racing school owner; Norman Martin, short-track promoter; and architect Paxton Waters, who designed California Speedway and the track in Newton, Iowa. This project is expected to be completed within 20 years — start to finish. More than 125 people attended the announcement: potential customers, media reps, Steve Pearce, New Mexico Congressman, who is running for the United States Senate, and Craig Swagerty, Deputy Director for New Mexico’s Tourism Department as well as the mayor of Truth or Consequences. We’ll follow this one closely.

A recent episode of the television quiz show, “Jeopardy,” asked ‘what annual sporting event draws the largest single-day attendance?’ All three contestants missed the question. The answer is, obviously, the Indianapolis 500.