Funding For Fisher

It would be nice to see Sarah Fisher get in a top ride like Danica’s been in (no disrespect to the under-funded team Fisher started and made the race with at Indy) since she’s been in the IRL.
In my opinion, Fisher would have more than one win to show for it. I applaud the fans who gave money to Sarah’s effort at Indy. It would be nice to see corporate America step up with money for a hard, aggressive, talented driver who would promote their products with class.

Recording Blocked

It appears that either TNT or NASCAR or both have decided that recording their races is not allowed (in HD broadcast). Attempting to do this on the Pocono broadcast resulted in “copywritten materials, recording is not allowed.”
I have been taping races for 20-plus years. I think someone should tell the advertisers that they are losing the opportunity to have the commercials shown over and over again.

Sponsors Helping Victims

I pointed this out during the ice storms that ravaged Iowa, and the flooding has made it clear once again. As Cedar Rapids and many of the surrounding cities have been devastated by floods, one thing has been made abundantly clear: The two major companies that sponsor racing (Menards and Target) have been actively helping the community.
Menards donated an unfathomable amount of bags for filling with sand and creating barriers around our beloved city. Target, without so much as a request, has been sending truck loads of water, clothing and other supplies from Minnesota (one of the only routes into town).
This catastrophe has not only brought out the best in the people of Iowa as they have all banded together to help each other, but it has brought out the best in the companies that truly care about their customers and the communities they serve. Thank you for all  your support. We will clean up, rebuild and rise above the flood waters once again.

Get The Yaw Out

NASCAR went to a huge amount of trouble to ensure that race teams couldn’t take liberties with the bodies of the CoT, but Cup teams aren’t dumb. If they can’t warp the bodies, they’ll yaw the rear-end housing (that’s called dog-trackin’ down here in the South).
The cars coming off turn three at Pocono looked like they were still turning a corner on the straight. It just looks stupid, and, for the life of me, I don’t know why NASCAR allows it when they’ve spent millions on special templates to ensure the CoT doesn’t look as goofy as its predecessor.

Gotta Have Hartley

It’s hard to believe the name Gene Hartley was not mentioned in the top-midget drivers article. He won the first USAC midget race and also the 1959 USAC Championship.
Gene was in 11 Indy 500s and had five finishes of 14th or better — a top-midget man and also a good Indy driver.

Missing Midgets

The top-10 midget drivers list was interesting, but hardly correct and will never be settled. Missing on the list was Ronnie Householder, who has to be one of the five best ever.
No doubt that all on your list are or were great drivers, but Wally Zale, Householder, Bill Vukovich and Tony Willman won more feature races (each) in one month or two than Foyt, Templeman and Gordon won collectively in their whole careers. A lot of the voters, I assume, never saw the earlier drivers run. I have seen them all.
Other outstanding drivers not making the cut were Frank Burany, Ray Richards, Larry Warriner, Duane Carter, Karl Young, Johnny McDowell and Ralph Pratt. Sometime, you should publish a list of total feature wins, and this would open some eyes. That said, this comes from one who didn’t even vote due to circumstances which kept me from doing it. Sorry.

A Vote For Dad

In honor of Father’s Day, I cast my last-minute vote for the top-10 Midget Drivers of All Time for my father, Chuck Horn. He raced midgets in the shadow of his uncle, Ted Horn, in the Midwest — the forgotten territory of the late 1940s and early 1950s when midgets were making the news on the East and West coasts.
I knew he was good by the mantle of trophies he proudly displayed in our home. The photographs, the endless stories, the time I sat on A.J.’s lap when he came to visit. A National Speed Sport News sat on our coffee table for 60 years.
My father,  the racer — his helmet is in the garage collecting dust, the newspaper clippings are now a brittle yellow. But every time I look at him, I see the dirt-track dust, the smell of the grease and the whine of the Offys. My father, the racer.
Happy Father’s Day, Dad, and to all the fathers who still pursue that quest for the checkered flag.

Cutting Back

As NASCAR tightens its stranglehold on the competitors, their emotions and the ever-changing rules, I have loosened my grip on the weekly ritual of watching the Sprint Cup races. What was an every-weekend affair now has become about an hour total for 15 races. Sponsors, are you listening?

Thank You, Smoke

To Tony Stewart: I have a friend who helped me when I was midget racing named Mayford Weslow. He is in serious condition fighting cancer. He has few, if any, good days.
You changed that with your personal call. The couple of minutes you talked with him made a dramatic change. I now see hope in his eyes and his talk is far more positive.
God bless you, Tony. You were already our personal favorite. This makes you something special to us.
John and Helen Burkett
Frostproof, Fla.

‘A Class Act’

Tony Stewart may be remembered for his racing talent. He may be remembered for his extreme temper. He should be remembered for being a class-act person.
His honor to his predecessor and mentor, Earl Baltes, and partner, Berneice, shows what kind of person he is. He truly represents a racer in many ways — determined, pugnacious, cocky, kind, honorable, winner.
Love him or hate him, this time he got it right. Our hats are off to you, Tony.

Broiling London

Gary London’s personal attacks are unnecessary. We NHRA fans miss Marty Reid in the booth on ESPN telecasts. He’s the best in the business at making an exciting event more exciting. That is why he has moved up in the business — no other reason.
Should I write that Gary London must have “rhoids” on his big, fat behind, which cause him to constantly make personal attacks? Guess I just did. Personal insults hurt.

In Chip’s Defense

Perhaps constant writer Larry De Cicco’s latest critical missive should have been titled “De Cicco’s Gaffe” instead of “Ganassi’s Gaffe.”
As most longtime fans remember, it was not Chip Ganassi who bought George Snider’s already qualified ride in the A.J. Foyt stable for the 1981 Indianapolis 500, but Tim Richmond instead. Ganassi did not drive at Indy until 1982.
The Chipster hasn’t always done things to ingratiate himself to race fans, but this one wasn’t him.