National Speed Sport News

Stories Of People Who Make A Living In Motorsports

BY MARK KENT
Guest Columnist

Mark Kent is the director of racing for General Motors.

General Motors has had a successful year on race tracks spanning the globe. As the competition grows and the rule makers get savvy, the landscape constantly changes.

Manufacturers competing in motorsports either keep up with this constant change or find themselvesread more

Stories Of People Who Make A Living In Motorsports

BY STEVE LEWIS
Guest Columnist

Steve Lewis publishes Performance Racing Industry magazine and owns the famed No. 9 midgets that compete in the USAC Midget Series.

Twenty years ago, I had a variety of thoughts swarming through my mind as I was packing my bags for the flight to Louisville where the inaugural Performance Racing Industry Trade Showread more

Stories Of People Who Make A Living In Motorsports

BY STEW DOTY
Guest Columnist

A life-long race fan, Stew Doty is the Publisher of Racing Promotion Monthly, a monthly newsletter for auto racing promoters.

Many fans take racing for granted. We did when we were younger - and a fan. We went to the track, found a pit full of cars and what seemed to be a good crowd, turned our attention to ourread more

Stories Of People Who Make A Living In Motorsports

BY DUSTY BRANDEL
Guest Columnist

Dusty Brandel started covering auto racing in the 1950s and has been president of the American Auto Racing Writers & Broadcasters Ass'n for many years.

There were only a handful of women covering motorsports when I started at the Hollywood Citizen-News in the mid 1950s. There were not a lot of men sports writersread more

Stories Of People Who Make A Living In Motorsports

BY DAN DAVIS
Guest Columnist

Dan Davis is the director of Ford Racing Technology.

Fast Fact: Davis joined Ford Motor Company in 1976 as a project engineer.

If it's mid-November, it must be time for Ford Championship Weekend.

Indeed, our championship weekend unofficially wraps up a 2007 racing season that started nine and a half months ago inread more

Stories Of People Who Make A Living In Motorsports

BY SID WATERMAN
Guest Columnist

Sid Waterman operates Waterman Racing Components, which makes parts, particularly fuel pumps for racing applications including drag racing, open-wheel racing, dirt-track racing and NASCAR.

April Fool's day 1967 my life changed forever. After six years working for Mickey Thompson, I was provided the opportunity toread more

Stories Of People Who Make A Living In Motorsports

BY DAVID E. HEITHAUS
Guest Columnist

Freelance photographer David E. Heithaus specializes in short-track open-wheel photography.

Fast Fact: Heithaus is a real estate banker during the day.

Auto racing has been a passion in my life since age eight. Although I didn't attend more than a handful of shows until I reached my teens, the pages of Lyle Kenyonread more

Stories Of People Who Make A Living In Motorsports

BY ED CLARK
Guest Columnist

Ed Clark is president and general manager of Atlanta Motor Speedway.

Fast Fact: Clark is a frequent competitor in the thunder roadster division during Legends car events at AMS.

Imagine what it would be like to throw a colossal three-day party for 100,000 or more of your closest friends.

Like our friends operating otherread more

Stories Of People Who Make A Living In Motorsports

BY TOM SCHMEH
Guest Columnist

Tom Schmeh has been around racing his entire life and has been executive director of the National Sprint Car Hall of Fame and Museum since 1989.

As many of you know, I am currently charged with helping to preserve the history of auto racing - sprint-car racing in particular. As executive director of the Nationalread more

Stories Of People Who Make A Living In Motorsports

BY LES UNGER
Guest Columnist

With a long career in motorsports, Les Unger is the National Motorsports Manager for Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A., Inc.

Everything we expected - and much, much more.

That's the only way to describe Toyota's first year in NASCAR Nextel Cup and Busch Series competition.

When we first announced our decision to expand ourread more

Stories Of People Who Make A Living In Motorsports

BY TOBY MELLOT
Guest Columnist

Toby Mellott is a tire specialist working for Robert Yates Racing.

The Royal: Won the King's Royal while working with Sammy Swindell.

Married: Toby is married to NSSN Staffer Liz Mellott.

The question I get asked most frequently is how I got started working in motorsports and NASCAR specifically. My career pathread more

Stories Of People Who Make A Living In Motorsports

BY ANNE FORNORO
Guest Columnist

Anne is the daughter of early-days midget racer Russ Klarr and the wife of retired driver Drew Fornoro. She's worked as a publicist most of her life.

In many ways, racing has defined my life.

My dad, Russ Klar, was a race driver of some renown in the Northeast. I remember seeing him drive midgets and late in hisread more

Stories Of People Who Make A Living In Motorsports

BY ALEX GURNEY
Guest Columnist

The son of legendary racer Dan Gurney entered Saturday's Grand Am season finale sharing a one-point lead over Scott Pruett with Gainsco Racing co-driver Jon Fogarty.

Fast Facts: Gurney holds a degree in business administration from the University of Colorado.

I wish road racing would get its act together.

Despite itread more

Stories Of People Who Make A Living In Motorsports

BY STEVE JOHNSON
Guest Columnist

Steve Johnson is the current president and CEO of Champ Car, the body that sanctions the Champ Car World Series and the Champ Car Atlantic Championship. Steve is coming up on his second anniversary as Champ Car president and CEO, and during his tenure he has introduced two new race cars, reinvigorated Champ Car'sread more

Stories Of People Who Make A Living In Motorsports

BY KENNY BERNSTEIN
Guest Columnist

Kenny Bernstein owns four NHRA Funny Car championships and a pair of NHRA Top Fuel titles.

It's great to have an opportunity to address the readers of NSSN. I am a long-time fan of Chris Economaki's and have always turned to NSSN for the latest motorsports information.

As many of you know, for the years spanningread more

Stories Of People Who Make A Living In Motorsports

BY GILLIAN ZUCKER
Guest Columnist

Gillian Zucker was named president of California Speedway in June of 2005. She was named Woman of the Year in 2006 by California's 63rd Assembly District.

"Yeah, yeah, now go capture Los Angeles for NASCAR," was all Bill France, Jr. said when I thanked him for naming me president of California Speedway.

He didn'tread more

Stories Of People Who Make A Living In Motorsports

BY BOB LEITZINGER
Guest Columnist

Bob is a former national championship winning road racer. His son, Butch, is one of America's best road racers.

Back when I started racing in the 1960s, it was a different world in motorsports. Danger was everywhere. Driver deaths were a weekly occurrence, and parents didn't want to hear that their children wantedread more

Stories Of People Who Make A Living In Motorsports

BY RON DRAGER
Guest Columnist

Ron Drager's grandfather founded ARCA in 1953 and today Drager is the president of the stock-car sanctioning body.

It's an honor to do a guest column for a newspaper I have so much respect for and have read since I've been involved in the sport. I've run across some great, memorable people. These are a few of them.

*read more

Stories Of People Who Make A Living In Motorsports

BY MARC ARNONE
Guest Columnist

Marc Arnone is a certified strength and conditioning specialist, who works with NASCAR driver Tony Stewart.

On the Road: Arnone calls Charlotte, N.C., home but is rarely there, as he accompanies Stewart on the road.

Athletes in professional sports train throughout the year to maintain a competitive edge.

Tony Stewartread more

Stories Of People Who Make A Living In Motorsports

BY JOHN BISHOP
Guest Columnist

Having held many posts through the years, Bishop is currently the commissioner of the Grand Am Road Racing Championship.

Growing old doesn't have many benefits, but one of them is the privilege of retelling amusing events without fear of contradiction. Most who could dispute are safely out of the way. The issuesread more

Stories Of People Who Make A Living In Motorsports

BY ROGER PENSKE
Guest Columnist

Roger Penske owns teams that compete in NASCAR, the Indy Racing League and the American Le Mans Series.

A Driver: Penske was a world-class road racer before becoming a team owner.

It seems like a long time ago that I began my involvement in auto racing in 1958, and the one constant through all those years has beenread more

Stories Of People Who Make A Living In Motorsports

BY JODY DEERY
Guest Columnist

Jody Deery is still active in the operation of Rockford Speedway after more than 50 years.

EDITOR'S NOTE: Jody Deery told her unique story to NSSN Publisher Corinne Economaki, who ghost wrote this column on Deery's behalf.

Jody Deery, registered nurse, mother of eight, wife to Hugh, race-track owner and promoter, saysread more

Stories Of People Who Make A Living In Motorsports

BY STEVE BEITLER
Guest Columnist

Former World of Outlaws racer Steve Beitler is the promoter at Washington's Skagit Speedway.

No. 21: Beitler's sprint car carried the No. 21.

Hometown: Sedro Wooley, Wash.

When asked to write a column for NSSN, I thought to myself 'Why me?' I'm just an ordinary guy promoting a race track. But then I thought about itread more

Stories Of People Who Make A Living In Motorsports

BY KEVIN OLSON
Guest Columnist

Known for his knowledgeable and sometimes off-the-wall opinions, Kevin Olson works on Indianapolis Motor Speedway Radio Network broadcasts of IRL races.

The Champ: Olson won the 1982 and 1987 USAC National Midget championships.

Editor's Note: The following column is part fantasy, part truth, part history, but mostread more

Stories Of People Who Make A Living In Motorsports

BY BETTY RUTHERFORD
Guest Columnist

Betty Rutherford is the wife of three-time Indianapolis 500 winner Johnny Rutherford, and she has been active in the Championship Auto Racing Auxiliary since it was formed in 1981.

Fast Fact: Betty and Johnny Rutherford, married in 1963, have been invited to the White House by six Presidents.

Since 1963, I haveread more

Stories Of People Who Make A Living In Motorsports

BY WALLY PARKS
Guest Columnist

Ninety-four-year-old Wally Parks is the founder of the National Hot Rod Ass'n and the Chairman of the Wally Parks NHRA Motorsports Museum, presented by the Automobile Club of Southern California. Along with a dedicated staff, the former editor and editorial director of Hot Rod magazine created drag racing. He is theread more

Stories Of People Who Make A Living In Motorsports

BY DENIS MCGLYNN
Guest Columnist

Denis McGlynn is the president of Dover Motorsports, Inc.

Promotions: After earning a BBA in marketing and a career in the Air Force, McGlynn began working at Dover in 1972.

Few industries can match motorsports when it comes to interesting characters. Bill Neal, "The Astonishing Neal," crossed my path in 1975 when Iread more

Stories Of People Who Make A Living In Motorsports

BY EDSEL FORD
Guest Columnist

The retired Chief Operating Officer of Ford Motor Co., Edsel Ford II remains a member of the company's board of directors.

All in the Family: Ford's great-grandfather, Henry, founded Ford Motor Co.

I've been blessed.

As someone who has loved motor racing since my childhood, and first went to races with my father, I'veread more

Stories Of People Who Make A Living In Motorsports

BY SHANE CARSON
Guest Columnist

Shane Carson will be inducted into the National Sprint Car Hall of Fame on Saturday.

Today: Shane works in Industry Relations for DIRT MotorSports.

Still Races: Shane still races sprint cars when his schedule will allow.

Everyone has someone in their life who gave them a chance when no one else would. My dad and olderread more

Stories Of People Who Make A Living In Motorsports

BY MARIO ANDRETTI
Guest Columnist

The 1969 Indianapolis 500 winner will be the biggest fan of drivers Michael and Marco Andretti this Sunday.

Indianapolis: Andretti won the 1969 Indianapolis 500 and came close many other times in 29 starts.

NASCAR: In 1967, Andretti found himself in victory lane at the Daytona 500.

By the numbers: Andretti scored 111read more