American Racing News - Issue 8

A colorful look at a wide variety of American motorsports.

World of Outlaws:

Issue 8

A DenKel Media Publication

u o y k n a Th ony!

T

Of course he’s on page

Inside columns 4 Bench Racer 96 Straight Line

6 Hot Laps

6 201

IEW REV

Ion the cover 14 Thank You Tony

26 WoO World Finals

32 Robert Ballou’s Recovery 37 Bacon’s a Beast 61 New Track for Daytona TT

64 Richie Morris Racing in 2017 66 Forkner Wins Ironman 72 Oswego Super Nationals

20

2016 review 20 45 56 114

IndyCar NASCAR Cup Series American Flat Track A Year at American Racing News

82 A Look at Road America 88 Wild New GT4 Mustang

91 Victory MC Returns 107 Lucas Oil Drag Racing in 2017

By Dennis Keeley | denkelmedia@usa.com

Welcome to our Grandstand Edition Before we turn the corner into a new year, I wanted to take this opportunity to wish all of you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

A little over twenty years ago I launched my first publication. It was my first venture into publishing, and I had no clue on what I was doing. I did the layout all by myself and proudly brought my artwork to the printer. I finally got my newspapers back the night before I planned to debut it at the local race track.

Much to my horror, the print was huge. It was over twice the size of a normal newspaper. How embarrassing. I had spent over $5,000 on the printing so there was no way I could fix this blunder.

I took a car full of newspapers to the track and figured what the hell, it was all I had and I couldn’t turn back now.

After the first break in the racing action, a man approached my table and said, “ I love the large print. The grandstands are kinda dark but, I can read your paper with no problem.” Another man standing close enough to hear us agreed and asked, If the large print was normal, or if it was a special grandstand edition?

Fast forward 20 years, I discovered that roughly a third of you are reading this on your phones. Now that is a pretty tiny screen to try to read a magazine on so, I decided to bring back the Grandstand Edition.

Tony Stewart This month’s cover features Tony Stewart. Tony is a throwback to the glory days of NASCAR. A reminder of when our heroes where rough and tough pioneers of speed and danger.

Nobody in modern racing fits that mold better than Smoke. If it has wheels and an engine, Tony will “Smoke” you in it.

I met Tony shortly after my first “Grandstand Edition”. He was on the verge of stardom. Tony had just won USAC’s Triple Crown and was Indy bound.

He was young and had the world in his hands but, he was genuinely happy and friendly to everyone he met.

I remember being impressed with him then and even though he had some “tough” times, I am still a Smoke Fan today. Thank you Tony!

American Racing News is a bright,bold, colorful glimpse into the world of racing in the USA. Each issue will bring you a variety of series,stars and cars (or bikes, boats etc.) that make us die hard racing fans.

Subscriptions and back issues are available at americanracingnews.com Please send any news or comments to denkelmedia@usa.com

DenKel Media DIGITAL PUBLICATIONS

News from around the USA Festival in Motorcycling on Sunday, Aug. 6. In full Buffalo Chip style, the Sturgis Buffalo Chip TT will set racers on a new course with a twist - a half-mile long TT track that winds through the center of the venue’s famous amphitheater.

Accelerating the Journey

Flat Track to Sturgis Buffalo Chip in 2017 BUFFALO CHIP, SD – A monumental partnership has been struck to preserve an authentic rally tradition and take professional racing to the next level of entertainment.

AMA Pro Racing, Indian Motorcycle® and the Sturgis Buffalo Chip® are electrifying motorcycle enthusiasts from around the world by hosting the premier form of dirt track racing - American Flat Track. The racing action will be happening during the Largest Music

The three industry giants are collaborating to accomplish the anticipated track-building task in just a few short months. Plans call for demolition of several buildings, transporting and sculpting of tons of dirt and bringing together the biggest names in racing all to provide an exclusive, world-class racing experience. Flat Track’s seventime Grand National Champion and track designer Chris Carr has blueprinted the new TT course to ensure entertaining racing that presents an equal challenge to both the riders and their machines. Fans watching from elevated “bridges” or

trackside barricades will have an unprecedented view and share the thrills as the riders tear up a track that is like no other. The newly engineered track opens with an unfamiliar right turn, followed by two jumps. Riders will immediately power into another right-hand turn all while trying to secure the lead. “This new partnership with AMA Pro Racing will open a whole new world of professional racing for the Buffalo Chip and our guests,” said Rod Woodruff, Buffalo Chip President. “An American Flat Track TT course carved out of the middle of the Chip’s amphitheater not only makes for the most unique motorcycle racing on earth but also the wildest concert warm-up the world has ever seen.”

Races and Concerts Taking Center-Stage Immediately following the races, crews will transform the track area back into the

Wolfman Jack Main Stage infield in anticipation of another world-class headlining band performance. Race and music festival fans will be center stage for an evening full of highenergy entertainment they will never forget.

The Players Having just announced its reentry into professional Flat Track racing after 60 years, presenting sponsor Indian Motorcycle will be reigniting the racing war with HarleyDavidson that started nearly a century ago. Indian Motorcycle’s Wrecking Crew will be led by the 2016 Grand National Champion Bryan Smith, piloting the company’s new Scout FTR750, which was unveiled at the Chip in August.

Smith, the 2015 X Games gold medalist, won the 2016 AMA Pro Flat Track title in spectacular fashion at the season finale over fellow Wrecking Crew rider, Three-

Time Grand National Champion Jared Mees. Mees also scored Gold at the 2016 X Games.

Completing Indian Motorcycle’s Wrecking Crew is 2013 Grand National Champion Brad Baker.

Red Bull GRC to Introduce Electric Vehicles Red Bull Global Rallycross will continue to position itself at the forefront of motorsport technology with the creation of an all-electric vehicle series for the 2018 season. Electric vehicles will be added to Red Bull GRC race weekends as a distinct, standalone series, joining the Supercar and GRC Lites classes in the series’ race program. Red Bull GRC, in

conjunction with USAC (United States Auto Club), will serve as the governing body for the new series.

“Red Bull Global Rallycross is pleased to add to our rallycross platform an electric series,” said Red Bull GRC CEO Colin Dyne.

“The 2018 season will be a landmark year for us as we welcome electric vehicles to the grid for the first time. The electric car is one of the hottest topics in the automotive industry, and manufacturers across the globe have recognized its immense potential. We want to embrace this technology by welcoming it into our series as we continue to grow and expand.

Having just wrapped up its sixth season, Red Bull GRC has consistently been responsible for major announcements that have accelerated the growth of the sport of rallycross. The Supercar class now features four

manufacturer partners: Ford, Subaru, Honda, and Volkswagen. In 2015, Red Bull GRC also became the first racing series to compete on an active United States military installation.

NASCAR Updates Driver Participation Guidelines for 2017 DAYTONA BEACH, FL – In an announcement that will put an even brighter spotlight on the next generation of stars and bolster the identity of all three of its national series, NASCAR announced on Wednesday driver participation guidelines for the 2017 season. The new guidelines limit the number of events a premier series driver can race in the NASCAR XFINITY

Series and NASCAR Camping World Truck Series.

Starting next season, premier series drivers with more than five years of full-time experience will be eligible to compete in a maximum of 10 races in the XFINITY Series and seven races in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series.

Additionally, drivers with more than five years of full-time premier series experience will be ineligible to compete in the final eight races in each series, as well as the Dash 4 Cash races in the NASCAR XFINITY Series.

The final eight races are comprised of the regular season finale and the entirety of the Chase in each series.

Drivers earning premier series points in 2017 also are not eligible to compete in the 2017 NASCAR XFINITY Series and NASCAR Camping World Truck

Drivers with more than five years of full-time experience in the premier series still can run for an XFINITY Series or Camping World Truck Series championship, provided they have declared for championship points in the respective series.

The run for the 2016 ISMA championship was one of ups and downs for the two main contenders, Dave Shullick Jr. and Mike Lichty. It seemed when one did well, the other would not at almost all of the events throughout the schedule. They took turns at the top of the standings and that trend continued to the season finale at Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park World Series of Racing this past weekend.

Dave Shullick Repeats as World Series ISMA Winner and Takes 2ⁿǖ Straight ISMA Title

2017 ARCA Racing Series schedule released; Elko, Road America return

By Carol D. Haynes, ISMA PR; photo by Jim Feeney

TOLEDO, Ohio (Nov. 10, 2016) – The 65th consecutive season for

Series Championship Races at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

the ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards is set in stone, as Series officials released the 2017 schedule Thursday to include 20 racedates across 13 states.

Another healthy mix of superspeedways, paved short tracks, dirt tracks and a road course will highlight the 2017 tour, including returns trips to Elko Speedway in Minnesota and Road America in Wisconsin.

ARCA raced at the Elko short track 2012-2014 and once at the Road America road course in 2013.

“We are pleased to announce our full and complete 20-race, 2017 schedule,” said ARCA President Ron Drager. “From superspeedways recognized as among the most famed tracks in the world, to historic short tracks, to mile dirt tracks and road course venues, the schedule highlights the long standing diversity of the ARCA

Racing Series presented by Menards. We’re especially pleased to welcome back to the schedule Elko Speedway and Road America.”

The series will kick off the 2017 campaign with the 54th running of the Lucas Oil 200 at Daytona February 18 which precedes NASCAR's Unlimited later that night. For the sixth consecutive year, the ARCA Racing Series will crown the Series champion at Kansas Speedway where ARCA's race season concludes under the lights October 20.

In between Daytona and Kansas is one of the most diverse schedules in racing with race events on eight superspeedways, nine paved short tracks, two dirt tracks and one road course.

The series will race at conjunction event venues with all three of NASCAR's top-tier divisions including Cup, Xfinity and Camping World Trucks, as

well as the Verizon IndyCar Series, the USAC Silver Crown Series and the ARCA CRA Super Series.

Prior to the 2017 season, series officials will celebrate the 2016 season one final time with the annual national championship awards banquet at the Indiana Convention Center in downtown Indianapolis Saturday, December 10.

Veteran Smith partners with Big Brothers Big Sisters

By Don Radebaugh dradebaugh@arcaracing.com TOLEDO, Ohio - ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards veteran driver Brad Smith will be partnering with Big Brothers Big Sisters of Metropolitan Detroit for the 2017 racing season.

The Big Brothers Big Sisters logo first showed up on Smith's No. 48 Hylton Motorsports Ford in the 2016 season finale at Kansas Speedway. Smith says the logo will ride on the 48 car everywhere in 2017. "We're very

excited to be partnering with Big Brothers Big Sisters in 2017," said Smith.

While we first heard about the partnership at Kansas, the program has been near and dear to Smith for some time.

"I've been a part of Big Brothers Big Sisters for three years now.

It's a corporate program through Chrysler. Once every Tuesday, I go to a local school and mentor a kid. Once you've been in the program for at least a year, they allow you to expand your involvement with the kids...maybe take them to a ballgame or something like that."

For more than 100 years, Big Brothers Big Sisters has operated under the belief that inherent in every child is the ability to succeed and thrive in life. As the nation’s largest donor and volunteer supported mentoring network, Big Brothers Big Sisters makes

meaningful, monitored matches between adult volunteers (“Bigs”) and children (“Littles”), ages 6 through 18, in communities across the country.

In the meantime, Smith and his Hylton Motorsports team are in the hunt for marketing partners to run the full ARCA season in 2017. Over an ARCA career that reaches back to 1988, the Shelby Township, Michigan veteran is coming off his best season ever, finishing sixth in championship driver points in 2016, despite still recovering from injuries sustained at Talladega Superspeedway the year before. His previous career-best points finish was 11th in 2014. The 2017 seasonopening Lucas Oil 200 at Daytona will mark Smith's 280th career ARCA start.

We Review The

Show!

1971 Stewart was born in Columbus, Indiana, on May 20,

1991 USAC Rookie of the Year 1995 Stewart became the first driver to win USAC's Triple Crown, earning championships in all three of USAC's major divisions, National Midget, Sprint, and Silver Crown.

10 Top 5 finishes in 24 career starts. Wins the IRL title to become the only driver to win a championship in both Indy Car and NASCAR.

‘97

1999 Stewart wins for the first time in the Cup Series, at Rockingham.

2002 Tony captures his first NASCAR Cup title.

2005 Stewart had always wanted to win at Indy, and in ‘05 he won his first Brickyard 400.

Tony went on to show his late summer muscle by making his way to the Chase where he pushed on to his second title.

‘07

Everybody picked Tony to win his second Brickyard 400 in ‘07.

With 10 laps to go, Stewart took the lead and never looked back.

2009 Stewart teamed with Gene Haas to form what would become a NASCAR powerhouse.

soon

Stewart then won that year’s All-Star race and then Pocono and The Coke Zero 400.

2011 After barely making the Chase, Stewart made a heroic run for his 3Ǥǖ title. Edwards was the clear favorite but, Smoke’s mental games and on-track performance were too much for Edwards. Stewart became the first driver/owner to win the championship since Alan Kulwicki.

2011

Retirement?

Don’t reserve a rocking chair for Smoke. He has plenty to keep him busy.

With his track and race team ownerships, Stewart will stay busy.

And, don’t forget, the man can still drive the wheels off a dirt car.

EW EVI R 6 201

2016 SEASON FULL OF NOTEWORTHY ACHIEVEMENTS, MEMORABLE GESTURES

By Jeff Pappone | IndyCar.com

With the 2016 Verizon IndyCar Series in the books and the champion crowned in the season-ending GoPro Grand Prix of Sonoma, it's time to look back on some of the performances that stood out.

Team Penske's Simon Pagenaud will officially be presented the Astor Cup and a $1 million prize as the series champion at the INDYCAR Championship Celebration on Oct. 4 in Indianapolis. Additional official awards will be handed out as

well, but there are a few other drivers who deserve unofficial recognition for their performances in 2016.

Most dominant weekend Nobody put a bigger stamp on a race weekend than No. 9 Target Chip Ganassi driver Scott Dixon did in the Verizon IndyCar Series' return to Watkins Glen International. The 36-year-old topped the timesheets in every practice before posting a pole time that was an amazing 5.61 seconds quicker than the

previous lap record held by Ryan Briscoe.

lucky enough to come back here and race.”

Once the green flag waved on the INDYCAR Grand Prix at The Glen presented by Hitachi, the four-time series champion made himself scarce, pulling a huge gap and easily managing the race from the front. To add insult to injury, Dixon cruised to his fourth Verizon IndyCar Series win at The Glen with plenty of fuel to spare, while the rest of the drivers struggled to make their Sunoco E85R ethanol last. He took the checkers more than 16 seconds ahead of Josef Newgarden.

Best comeback performance

"These are the weekends that you definitely don't forget, just in the sheer fact of we had such a smooth one,” Dixon said after his 40th win moved him into fourth overall in career Indy car victories. “I love coming to upstate New York and this track is one of the old-school great American tracks that we're

James HinchcliffeIn 2015, No. 5 Arrow Schmidt Peterson Motorsports Honda driver James Hinchcliffe watched the Indianapolis 500 from a hospital bed due to a massive accident in practice for the “Greatest Spectacle in Racing.” A year later, Hinchcliffe faced down the famed 2.5-mile Brickyard oval to score his maiden Verizon IndyCar Series pole position on the final run of the Fast Nine Shootout session. His average four-lap speed was 230.760 mph.

It was a popular result that also helped put an end to the talk about Hinchcliffe's near-fatal accident and shift the focus elsewhere. Although he understood that people were talking about his crash because they cared, Hinchcliffe was happy that the dramatic pole run changed the channel.

“I came into this month hoping we’d have a new story to talk about after what happened last year, and I think we did it,” Hinchcliffe said. “When you're coming back to this place, you want to focus on the here and now and not remember or focus on hitting the wall at 125 Gs.”

Grit award With a freshly installed plate and 13 screws keeping his broken clavicle together, it would be easy to understand if No. 21 Fuzzy’s Ultra Premium Vodka/ECR Chevrolet driver Josef Newgarden gave the Iowa Corn 300 a pass.

Battling high G-forces around the tight 0.894-mile Iowa Speedway where arm and shoulder strength are key to speed, Newgarden was untouchable. He led 282 of 300 laps in an impressive performance just four weeks after a crash at the Texas Motor Speedway left him with a fractured right clavicle and a broken bone in his right hand.

“I forgot about that,” Newgarden said about the pain.

“I hate having a cop-out. I don't want people to think that I'm having a harder time because of the injuries. It was tough. This place is already difficult, it is one of the most difficult places we

go to, but I wasn't going to lose control of this thing.”

Most welcome gesture There's no doubt that the return to Pocono Raceway following the loss of Justin Wilson after a 2015 accident there was going to be the most emotional weekend of the Verizon IndyCar Series season. It didn't get any easier when three-time Indianapolis 500 starter Bryan Clauson was fatally injured during a midget race in Belleville, Kan., two weeks before the ABC Supply 500.

To mark the race, the Andretti

Autosport team showed that INDYCAR is one big family after leading a move to have British flags displayed on all the timing stands along pit lane. The Union Jacks flying above the pit boxes not only lifted everyone's spirits but also reminded all of the void they feel since Wilson's accident.

“It’s just a memory that you wish was different,” Dixon said.

“It is hard. You obviously think about Justin and (wife) Jules and (daughters) Jane and Jess, the whole family. You just wish things were different, that’s all you can do.”

Hard-luck kid Ryan Hunter-ReayIf there was bad luck to be had on track in 2016, odds were that Ryan Hunter-Reay was somewhere in the vicinity. The 2014 Verizon IndyCar Series champion showed winning form on many race weekends, only to see the racing gods decide it wasn't his day.

Take the 100th Indianapolis 500, where Hunter-Reay looked to be a favorite in the historic race and led almost half of the first 117 laps before his teammate, Townsend Bell, ran into him in the pit lane and ruined his day. In August, the No. 28 DHL Honda driver drove through the field in the ABC Supply 500 at Pocono Raceway but went home empty-handed again after his engine mysteriously lost power as he led with 36 laps to go. Although the engine woes put him a lap down late in the race, Hunter-

Reay got back on the lead lap and climbed through the field to third by the checkered flag.

“This is the type of year it’s been for us,” he said after the Pocono race. “Really heartbreaking. The No. 28 DHL Honda really deserved to be in contention for the win there at the end. I had to come through the field twice. The car was a rocket ship. It’s a shame.”

Rookie shines on brightest stage When a rookie wins the biggest race of the 2016 Verizon IndyCar Series season, there's no reason to look any further for the best performance by a first-year driver, but there was much more than that to Alexander Rossi’s victory. In one of the biggest surprises of the year, No. 98 NAPA Auto Parts/Curb Honda driver out dueled experienced racers and put in an jaw-dropping fuel-

saving performance to take the checkered flag in May's historic 100th Running of the Indianapolis 500 presented by PennGrade Motor Oil. The drama began as several drivers at the front began to peel off into the pits for late splash-and-go stops, while Rossi moved into the lead and just kept going. The No. 98 coughed and sputtered as he fought hard to save enough Sunoco to finish the final three laps. Newly fuelled Andretti Autosport driver Carlos Munoz put his foot

down trying to erase Rossi's 16second lead, but the No. 98 driver made it work, taking the checkered flag on fumes.

“We ran out in Turn 4 and we were clutching it and coasting it down the back straight,” Rossi said after taking the checkered flag by 4.4975 seconds over teammate Munoz. “I have no idea how we pulled that off. I’m at a loss for words but it will change my life, for sure.”

2016 WORLD OF OUTLAWS SPRINT CARS WORLD FINALS Story and Images | WOO PR CONCORD, N.C. – Donny Schatz The 20-year World of Outlaws Craftsman® Sprint Car Series superstar – as usual – hoisted the flag into an erupting confetti machine after the Bad Boy Off Road World Finals. But the thousands of fans erupted too when he casted the VP Racing Fuels checkered flag into the

stands among the falling confetti.

Another extraordinary component to Schatz’s nightcap was his reflection on the other 24 wins during the season. Each victory added value to his season – alongside the 60 top-five’s and 77 top-10’s

in a season with some-90 points races. Collectively, his consistent success throughout the rigor of one of the most premier national tours led to a dominant 314-point spread in the series’ points race. With the points lead, Schatz officially captured his eighth series championship; Schatz has won a championship in 40 percent of his seasons with the Outlaws.

“I know fans would have loved to see it go down to the wire,” said Schatz about his championship campaign. “It’s hard to say in this sport when you take 92 events coast-tocoast you have during the season. We left Florida to start this season 100-plus points in the hole. We had to win. We dug out of that hole –a 100point deficit to a 300-point deposit with four DNFs along the way. To me, it was one of the hardest fought comebacks that we’ve had, and I’m really proud of my guys for that. After

that, it says there’s nothing my guys can’t do.”

Like Schatz alluded to, he and his Tony Stewart Racing team encountered adversity at DIRTcar Nationals at Volusia Speedway Park. Though he captured his first win of the season on the second night of the three-day event, Schatz did not make the feature in the opener and concluded the event placing outside of the top 10.

For the reigning series champion, who won 31 races in 2015, he felt the pressure earlyon.

“On paper, we won a lot of races and had no DNFs,” said Schatz recollecting on 2015.

“The hardest thing you can ever do is come out of a hole. We came out of that hole, and had consistent top-five and topthree finishes. But, there were also some things we left on the table. We left a championship out of Knoxville [Nationals], but

this championship somewhat makes up for that.”

This year’s championship and a victory at the highly-regarded King’s Royal at Eldora (Ohio) Speedway were two redeemable up-sides to the season. To him, those moments are still “hard to put into perspective.” In the 10-month span of preparation and competition, Schatz’s successes have yet to resonate with him.

Though it will take Schatz some time to absorb the total success of the year, his triumph for the finale of World Finals was felt immediately in victory lane.

Schatz, who started fifth for the 30-lap feature, used his momentum from the previous night toward his 2016 season send-off. Schatz was honored with the KSE Hard Charger award the previous night, climbing 10 spots to a third place finish. Starting nine spots

better than Friday’s feature, Schatz was in a better position to contend for the win.

Platinum driver David Gravel, who won his heat race and the Craftsman® Club Dash earlier in the program, was seeking his 10th win of the season; by doing so, he would have joined Schatz as the only two drivers in the series to record double-digit win totals. Gravel led the field into the green flag. From there he alternated from the top in turns one and two to the bottom in turns three and four to maintain the top spot.

The first of four cautions on the second lap not only diminished Gravel’s buffer, but also regrouped the field. On the restart, Schatz charged forward.

He picked-up his podium spot then, thereon setting his sights on quick-timer Greg Hodnett and Gravel ahead of him. Schatz eventually used lapped traffic to

take over the second spot on the backstretch. More importantly, a trend was developing: Schatz used the breaks in momentum from the cautions to his advantage.

The race’s second caution on the 13th lap again regrouped the field; the top-three was beginning to separate by halfsecond intervals before the yellow flag waved. His strategy of using cautions came into play three laps later when it paired him with Gravel. Gravel defended his top spot on the restart and more importantly in turns one and two. However, the following lap reopened the door in Schatz’s favor. Schatz, unable to get under Gravel the first time, made a successful move the second time around before another caution on the 15th lap.

Halfway home, Gravel dipped below Schatz in an attempt to

reclaim the lead. But, a strong restart from Schatz made it an ill-attempt. Gravel stayed on pace with Schatz thereafter, maintaining a sub-second distance away from him. The race’s final caution with nine laps remaining gave Gravel another opportunity to strike.

Gravel, taking the same approach, tried to leverage his racecar underneath Schatz’s in turns three and four. However, Schatz’s raw speed kept the battle at bay; he led Gravel by 0.472 seconds with eight laps to go. Within those laps, Platinum driver Joey Saldana sealed the deal for third. Saldana started seventh in the feature.

“As the run went on, the more and more [Schatz] slipped off turn four,” said Gravel, explaining his strategy. “The bottom was definitely better there later, but I just could not keep up on the restarts. He just

checked-out on the restarts, and I just couldn’t close the gap.”

While Schatz and Gravel protected their spots for the rest of the feature, Hodnett sought revenge. In the closing laps, Hodnett was able to reclaim the final podium spot.

Even so, seven Outlaws finished inside the top 10. Schatz ultimately won the race by a 0.788-second margin.

Rookie of the Year, recorded his best season with the Outlaws since joining the national tour.

He improved on last year’s winless season, taking nine more checkered flags and earning 36 more top-five performances.

“Joey races really hard, but I could squeeze in under him a couple of times enough to get out front,” Hodnett said. “But I’ll tell you what, hats-off to Schatz, Gravel and those guys. All these guys are really tough, and just to be able to half-ass compete with them, I’m just really proud of it. Would have liked the turn out to be better, but we’ll be back God-willing to see what we can do in front of these great fans.”

Gravel, the 2013 Kevin Gobrecht

2016 WORLD OF

ON THE ROAD TO RECOVERY: IN THE WORDS OF ROBERT BALLOU By: Richie Murray - USAC Media

At this time one year ago, Robert Ballou was headed out west preparing for the final events of his historic 2015 season.

It was a magical season in which the Rocklin, California driver would tally 13 USAC AMSOIL National Sprint Car feature victories on his way to his first USAC National title.

Fast-forward to exactly one year later and the setting has drastically changed for Robert. A repeat dream season has been anything but.

You won't see Robert's name listed as a driver on this coming weekend's "Oval Nationals" entry list - an event in which he won the first two nights of last November. For Robert is currently recovering from injuries sustained on the opening night of the "Louie Vermiel Classic" at Calistoga (Calif.) Speedway.

Injuries that have sidelined him from the racetrack as time ticks

away and his body endures the healing process.

It was a crash that Robert was lucky to survive; a crash he was amazingly able to walk away from, at first.

"It was just one of those deals," Robert said bluntly. "I was running second and chasing the leader. The lap before, I was four-tenths of a second faster and I felt like I was catching him.

Then, suddenly, I went into (turn) one and it just dug in and I started flipping. The fence held me in, but I fell about 15 to 18 feet from the sky onto the cage. There's not a frame in the world that can hold up to that. It was just a freak accident. They said the left rear shock gave out and may have caused it."

The crash appeared serious to all onlookers from those at the racetrack to those watching on the live stream. After several, agonizing minutes, a sigh of relief

swept across the nation as Robert popped out of his car and was able to exit under his own power.

But, first appearances aren't always as they seem.

"I walked to the ambulance," Robert recalled. "I then went to one hospital to get checked out, then went to another hospital before I was air-flighted to the hospital in Stanford. The doctors told me my pain was due to whiplash, but the truth is that when the back corner of the cage hit the track, my head hit the dirt.

Nothing is going to withstand your head hitting the dirt."

"In the end, I was told I needed to wear a neck brace for eight weeks, then I'd be fine and could go back to racing," Robert added.

"That sounded almost too good to be true to me. I was released to my parents' house where I slept for a week. At the end of that week, I felt as good as I was going to be, but I was still in a lot of pain."

"I went to see Dr. David Schwartz at OrthoIndy and he thought that surgery should have been performed six weeks earlier. I didn't have surgery until seven weeks after the crash. That meant I had to start all over again. Now, I'm going to be in a cervical spine brace for the next nine weeks."

In the moments following the impact with the ground, the pain was immediate for Robert. In fact, his pinky and ring fingers went numb and he lost 80 percent of the strength in his hands. Strength that after two months still hasn't returned to his hands.

"I was diagnosed with a C2 fracture in my neck," Robert states. "I had a burst fracture of the C7. The bone actually exploded! The doctors had to use cadaver bone to create a new C7 vertebrae. On top of that, I had a compression fracture of the T8 vertebrae."

The road to recovery is not an easy one away from the race track. There isn't much fanfare, celebration or the adrenaline rush of an Eldora slide job; it's pretty much filled with small steps and milestones, which most of us take for granted, with the ultimate goal of returning to a sense of normality.

"Every day I feel like I get a little better," Robert acknowledges.

"These things are just part of the game. It's not the end of the world, but it's tough not having any income right now. I had just bought a house a couple of weeks prior to the accident and, on top of owning my own team, it's just the worst timing. I'm a truck driver 60 hours per week, but I'm not allowed to drive for eight to nine weeks."

Though he paints a bleak picture at the moment, Robert has his mind set on his eventual return to the seat of a sprint car.

"It will be between eight and 12 months before I can return to racing," Robert estimates. "It will be anywhere from June to September of 2017 when I come back, possibly for "Eastern Storm," but the doctors want to make sure everything with me is 100 percent before they release me to race. Since I can't run for points in any series next year, I'm going to run a little bit of everything - USAC, wing races, anywhere and everywhere."

Donations for Robert's recovery fund may be sent to: Robert Ballou c/o USAC 4910 W. 16th Street Speedway, IN 46224

We are looking for new stories. Tell us about your Race Team, Racing Series, Track or your Race related product or business.

Send your Press Release to:

denkelmedia@usa.com

Wayne City, IL - Wayne County Speedway in southern Illinois is a place that's become near and dear to Brady Bacon and the FMR Racing team.

Nearly exactly one year to the day of Bacon and FMR's initial series start, the duo reached its greatest height yet Friday night - their very first USAC National Midget feature victory in the midget racing season's largest winner's payout share in North America.

Bacon, the 2014 USAC AMSOIL National Sprint Car champion, sped past Chris Windom on the eighth lap and immediately pulled away, leading the final 33 laps of the 40-lap "Jason Leffler Memorial" co-sanctioned by POWRi to, ultimately, take the commanding half-straightaway victory worth $20,000. It was the Broken Arrow, Oklahoma

driver's third career USAC National Midget feature win and his first in the series since winning the "Hut 100" at Haubstadt, Indiana's Tri-State Speedway in 2012.

"I think it's amazing how far we've come from this race last year to now," Bacon said. "We were good at this race last year, but at the beginning of this year, we had some struggles and had to fine-tune some stuff and get things rolling to catch Keith (Kunz Motorsports) and some of the faster guys. I'm impressed how fast we've been able to do it."

The team's Wayne City performance follows up a frustrating three-day weekend at the "Gold Crown Midget Nationals" in Granite City, Illinois two weeks prior in which the team ran into misfortune night-after-night despite having one of, if not

the, fastest cars on the racetrack.

"I feel like we've had a car to win the last four or five races; we just haven't been able to do it," Bacon assured. "This is a good race to get rid of some of that bad luck. There was nothing we could do to prevent the things that were happening. It was frustrating, but I just didn't feel like it was anything to waste my time over. I knew we were fast and I knew it was going to happen.

Fortunately, this was the one it happened at."

For east coast-based car owner Frank Manafort, the victory is a culmination of what came together just one year ago when Bacon was hired to drive the FMR Racing/Beast/Toyota even though the two had, at that point, never even met.

"To get this win means a lot," a prideful Manafort said. "It's just so great for the whole team and for Janice (East) and (crew chief) Bob East. I'm so happy for him with it being the Jason Leffler race. And for me too! I met Brady for the first time at this race a year ago, so it's wonderful."

East was the crew chief for Leffler when he drove the famed Steve Lewis-owned "Nine Cars" - a period of time when Leffler won his second and third USAC National Midget driving titles in 1998 and 1999. Friday night at Wayne City, East was on the wrenches again, making the calls that worked in Brady's favor to earn the victory in the event honoring Leffler whom East won 12 races with between 1998 and 2000 "I was at Bob (East's) shop," Bacon recalled. "He told me

that when he and Jason went to 16th Street Speedway, they crashed every time or something broke every time they went there. But, when it paid $20,000 to win the "Summer Sizzle" at 16th Street (in 1999), they won. That's cool that it kind of happened the same way tonight at the 'Jason Leffler Memorial.'"

At the start, recent USAC Indiana Midget Kokomo Speedway feature winner Chris Windom got the jump from the pole position as Bacon settled into second from the outside of the front row.

Bacon didn't spend too much time doddling in second as he challenged and, eventually, overtook Windom with an outside pass at the exit of turn four on the fifth lap to propel him into the lead.

However, with the stoppage of Rico Abreu's machine in between turns three and four, the pass was negated and the running order would revert to the previous lap.

On the ensuing restart, Bacon continued to do his work a lane higher than Windom who stayed glued to the bottom and, on lap 8, beat Windom on the outside into turn one to grab the lead.

With a clear track in front of him, Bacon shot away to a half-straightaway advantage over Windom on the following laps.

With the tight confines of the one-eighth-mile circuit and 28 feature starters, space was a limited quantity, which, in most cases, would mean that Bacon would have to contend with lapped traffic throughout the event.

However, as opposed to their terrible luck at Granite City, every break seemed to work in Bacon's advantage at Wayne City. Each time Bacon reached the tail end of the field with the possibility of getting hung up traffic looming over him, the caution came out for an incident somewhere else on the track, which bunched up the field and provided Bacon a clear racetrack when action resumed and the ensuing laps following each restart.

It may not have mattered, though, as Bacon was clearly the class of the field Friday night with only Tanner Thorson offering a brief challenge on a restart at the halfway point. Thorson was able to stay nose-to-tail with Bacon midway through the back straightaway on lap 21 before Bacon once again broke away, separating himself from

Thorson by a half-straight within a handful of laps.

After a bevy of late-race cautions put a clamp on the action before it could even resume, Bacon answered the bell each and every time racing got back underway, holding off all challengers on each restart and never turning a wheel wrong during the entirety of his 40-lap run to take the checkered flag in the 4th annual race honoring the life of Leffler, the four-time USAC National champion.

Thorson finished in the runner-up spot followed by Carson Macedo, Windom and Andrew Felker.

Although Thorson's three-race winning streak was snapped, his second-place finish in his Keith Kunz - Curb-Agajanian Motorsports/TRD - JBL Audio/Bullet/Speedway

RESULTS Toyota provided him enough points to overtake eighth place finisher Spencer Bayston for the lead in the USAC National Midget standings where he now stands nine points in front heading into the season's final race - the 76th running of the "Turkey Night Grand Prix" at Ventura (Calif.)

Raceway on Thanksgiving night, November 24.

"I haven't been paying attention to the points as much as everyone probably thinks I am," Minden, Nevada's Thorson admitted. "I've been going out and trying to win and run the best I can to give this team a great finish. We have really good people behind us and they deserve this championship and these wins more than I do. I've just been trying to give everyone on this team a good run every time I go out and it's been working for us."

1. Brady Bacon 2. Tanner Thorson 3. Carson Macedo 4. Chris Windom 5. Andrew Felker 6. Alex Bright 7. Chett Gehrke 8. Spencer Bayston 9. Dave Darland 10. Jerry Coons Jr. 11. Shane Cottle 12. Justin Peck 13. Grady Chandler 14. Jonathan Beason 15. Chad Boat 16. Riley Kreisel 17. Ryan Robinson 18. Tucker Klaasmeyer 19. Andy Malpocker 20. Ricky Stenhouse Jr. 21. Jake Neuman 22. Brayton Lynch 23. Damion Gardner 24. Colten Cottle 25. Holly Shelton 26. Jason McDougal 27. Rico Abreu 28. Gage Walker

201

EVI 6R

EW

Images | NASCAR.com

Race 1: Daytona 500

Race 2: Folds of Honor QuikTrip 500 Race 4: Good Sam 500

Race 3: Kolbalt 400

Race 5: Auto Club 400

Race 6: STP 500

Race 7: Duck Commander 500

Race 8: Food City 500

Race 9: Toyota Owners 400

Race 10: GEICO 500

Race 11: Go Bowling 400

Race 12: AAA 400 Race for Autism

Sprint All-Star Race

Race 13: Coca-Cola 600

Race 14: AXALTA 'We Paint Winners' 400 Race 15: FIREKEEPERS CASINO 400

Race 16: Save Mart 350

Race 17: Coke Zero 400

Race 18: Quaker State 400

Race 19: New Hampshire 301

Race 20: Brickyard 400

Race 21: Pennsylvania 400 Race 22: Cheez-It 355

Race 23: Bass Pro Shops NRA

Race 24: Michican 400

Race 25: Bojangles’ Southern 500

Race 26: Federated Auto Parts 400

the chase

Chase 1: TMNT 400

Chase 2: Bad Boy Off Road 300

Chase 3: Citizen Soldier 400

Chase 4: Bank of America 500

Chase 5: Hollywood Casino 400

Chase 6: Hellmann’s 500

Chase 7: Goody’s Fast Relief 500

Chase 9: Can-Am 500

Chase 8: AAA Texas 500

Chase 10: Ford Ecoboost 400

By Kenny Bruce and Zack Alber Almost as soon as Jimmie Johnson won his sixth Sprint Cup title, the Hendrick Motorsports driver began using the hashtag #Se7en on social media. Only two drivers, Richard Petty and Dale Earnhardt, have won seven championships, and it's a mark Johnson has been chasing since he last took the title in 2013, but there's no rush to prepare to roll out #Ei8ht.

"I'm not running from it. I'm not hiding from it," Johnson said. "Right now for me to do my job ... it's just not top of mind. Yes, the championship is, but it's more about winning the race."

Flat Track: Riders' Thoughts From 2016 and Looking Toward '17

Story and photos amaproracing.com

EW EVI R 6 201

Jake Johnson – No. 5 Zanotti Racing Harley-Davidson XR750 “We had a bit of an up and down season. We started strong with a win at the DAYTONA II but weren’t able to carry that momentum into the rest of the season. The whole Zanotti team kept pushing, we had some decent finishes, but I feel we never showed our full potential. I’m really looking forward to 2017 and making a strong run towards the Championship.”

Cory Texter – No. 65 Cory Texter Racing Kawasaki Ninja 650 “The 2016 season was very long, but exciting. I had my work cut out running my own team, racing my own motorcycles and traveling across the country in a van competing against the best in the business. We had a couple of podium finishes, but we also had quite a few mechanical issues and bad luck throughout the year. The goal for next season is to tighten up on those mistakes and contend for podiums and wins on a more consistent basis.”

Briar Bauman – No. 14 Weirbach Racing Kawasaki Ninja 650 “It was a difficult season but we made it through. Had some highs and some lows. Really looking forward to 2017.”

Sammy Halbert – No. 69 Lloyd Brothers’ Motorsports Ducati Hypermotard 1100 “This year started off great for me with a win at the season opener and podiums to follow at the next couple of rounds; only to have things go downhill from there for various reasons. Looking forward to having a fresh start in 2017 aboard a new team.”

Henry Wiles – No. 17 USC Racing Kawasaki Ninja 650 “I had a positive 2016 season. I was able to get three topfive finishes on Miles along with winning my 12th race in a row at the famed Peoria TT. I’m looking forward to racing the twin motorcycles on TT-style races in 2017. Especially the series opener at Daytona.”

Brad Baker – No. 6 Factory Harley-Davidson XR750 “2016 wasn’t one for the record books for myself but it was definitely a season that I can take a lot out of to better and further my career. I feel like I have been being tested these past three seasons getting me ready for something great. In 2017, I am starting fresh with a new team, new bike, new rules and hopefully new beginnings. I am stronger and more talented than I have ever been before, I cannot wait to get the season underway in Daytona come March.”

DAYTONA BEACH, FL An exciting change is happening to one of Daytona International Speedway’s (DIS) most popular Bike Week events. Daytona International Speedway is proud to announce that American Flat Track will debut its 2017 season inside the “World Center of Racing” on a one-of-a-kind .6mile TT course. The DAYTONA TT, scheduled on the evening of Thursday, March 16, will feature powerful, twin-cylinder motorcycles in the AFT Twins class, while spirited singlecylinder machines will battle it out in AFT Singles. With a racing schedule that includes the DAYTONA Supercross By Honda, Ricky Carmichael Amateur Supercross, the all-new DAYTONA TT and the famed DAYTONA 200, DIS will play host to the ultimate festival of motorcycle racing in 2017.

American Flat Track has been re-envisioned and the DAYTONA TT marks the dawning of a new era for America’s most historic form of motorcycle racing. The championship features the broadest spectrum of brands competing in any form of motorcycle sport, and will serve as a battleground for the great American war between HarleyDavidson and Indian Motorcycles in 2017. The big factories will be competing head-to-head on the race track for the first time since the 1950s, and the battle of the brands will begin at Daytona.

“Daytona is the spiritual home of motorcycle racing and we are delighted to be bringing the intensity of Flat Track racing and the spectacle of a TT to complete the show,” said Michael Lock, CEO of AMA Pro Racing. “2017 marks the start of a new golden

era for our sport and we are excited for our legions of fans.”

Many flat track races are held on dirt ovals, but the TT moniker indicates turns in both directions and a jump have been incorporated into track design for the DAYTONA TT. To showcase the high speed and intensity of the sport, the track design will feature a fast, sweeping left hand turn alongside the frontstretch of the famed circuit. The track’s unique characteristics are perfectly suited for the fast and furious nature of America’s longest running motorcycle racing championship.

“Staging the DAYTONA TT inside the motorsports stadium will expose a new group of guests to the many amenities available following the recently completed $400 million frontstretch renovation pro-

ject,” DIS Track President Chip Wile said. “It’s also going to be a great opportunity for racers in American Flat Track to compete inside the Speedway battling for a coveted Daytona trophy as part of Bike Week.”

Tickets to the DAYTONA TT will go on sale Tuesday, Sept. 27 at 9 a.m. and can be purchased at www.daytonainternationalspe edway.com or by calling 1-800PITSHOP. Reserved seating in the newly-renovated grandstands will start at $35 and general admission tickets will be available for $25. Kids 12 and under are free in general admission areas and just $10 in reserved seats.

Additional information about American Flat Track can be found at http://www.amaproracing.co m/flat-track

Richie Morris Racing Launches 2017 American Flat Track Program

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (Oct. 11, 2016) - Richie Morris Racing (RMR) will grow to a full-time two-rider program for the 2017 American Flat Track (formerly known as “AMA Pro Flat Track”) season.

Shayna Texter, who closed out the 2016 season with strong performances, will return to the team for her second full season effort as she looks forward to gaining even more momentum in 2017. Joining the popular racer

under the RMR tent will be 2015 GNC1 Rookie of the Year Jarod Vanderkooi, who along with Texter has signed a multi-year option with the team.

The team will continue to enjoy the support of McElroy Packaging in 2017, and will confirm its full partner program in the coming weeks.

“I’m extremely excited for 2017 with our expanded team,” said

Richie Morris Racing PR RMR Team Principal Richie Morris. "Shayna (Texter) has been patient with our team as we are wrapping our heads around this genre of racing. We experienced huge strides behind the scenes this season and were happy our hard work finally showed when Shayna finished the season ending race with her best performance of the year.�

Vanderkooi is emerging as a name to watch in American Flat Track competition, and despite

his relative youth, he brings a wide scope of experience to the effort. “We watched him as a GNC2 rider and were impressed.

He participated on our bike at Willow Springs and finished fifth in the main event. At Perris Auto Speedway, he finished on the podium, a first for our team since moving to flat track! We truly feel he is a future race winner and champion so we are very happy to have him on board with us

AUSTIN FORKNER WINS OVERALL AT IRONMAN Although the title was locked, racers took to the track to close out the 2016 Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship outdoor season with a solid performances in techincal conditions.

With a muddy and rutted track, the mechanics know tire selection is key, as riders do everything in their power to maintain traction at what was a very technical Ironman National for the Round 12 finale.

Austin Forkner fired out with the drop of the gate to snag the holeshot, and after a series of opening turns Cooper Webb merge from the middle of the pack to overtake Mitchell Oldenburg for the second place position. However, Webb would not retain second for long.

Coming around the corner and on his own accord, Webb dumped the bike and went down allowing many to pass it and it left him deep in the pack to settle down in 19th.

Sitting behind Forkner and Oldenburg at the front of the pack was Joey Savatgy and Adam Cianciarulo. Following Webb’s crash sending him back to the center of the pack, Alex Martin came firing up from behind to overtake both Cianciarulo and Savatgy or third place behind Oldenburg. Shortly after A. Martin's arrival Cianciarulo went down on his own accord and drop back a little bit in time but not in position.

Adam Cianciarulo rode as a front-runner during moto 1 after finding a solid start at the gates. (Photo: Simon Cudby) At the 23-minute mark, Webb beasted through the pack and moved from 19th to seventh in just 3 laps to prove that no leader was safe on the muddy track at that point in the moto.

A. Martin and Savatgy rode in the second and third position for about three laps before Savatgy found an opening to overtake A. Martin after making a small mistake. The two opened up and charged into a downhill sprint, but it was Savatgy that would ride into the next turn with the lead and ride out with a hold on second.

With less than 10 minutes before the 2-lap marker came out, Arnaud Tonus came near the front of the pack to overtake Cianciarulo for 5th place. A few short minutes later it would be Webb up from the depths to be next in line to overtake Cianciarulo and find sixth place. Webb would keep his momentum moving forward and take Tonus before the 5 minute mark for fifth place in the pack.

Oldenburg would lose his hold on second to A. Martin and would eventually fall further back to settle in seventh behind Webb, Tonus and Cianciarulo as well.

With 2 to go, Webb attempted to make the pass on A. Martin on the inside of a turn. Falling victim to the muddy rut, Webb went down face first over the handlebars. Rushing to get back on the bike and headed for a moto 1 hail mary, Webb ripped off the goggles and raced toward the finish.

By the end of the moto there wasn’t any change to the front of the pack. Forkner won his second career moto while Savatgy and A. Martin rounded out the podium behind him.

Austin Forkner found the moto 1 and 2 holeshots as well as his career first overall

win at Ironman. (Photo: Simon Cudby) The sun came out and the conditions heated up, and the effects were felt on the track, as it morphed into a quicker firmer track for the second motos, but there was no change out of the gate as Forkner his second holeshot on the day.

Straight off the holeshot, a heated first-lap battle developed between Forkner, Plessinger, A. Martin, Cianciarulo and Webb.

Plessinger made a hard charge for the front and passed Forkner to ride out front for a little more than a lap. Plessinger made a mistake, though, and despite not falling down he did lose the lead back to Forkner. All the while, A. Martin, Cianciarulo and Webb continued to exchange

positions over a few laps.

After 10 minutes of riding the leaderboard was tight in time and read Forkner, Plessinger, Cianciarulo, Webb and A. Martin in order for the Top-5.

A little more than halfway into the moto A. Martin picked up speed and found his way around Cianciarulo.

Shortly after he saw Webb up ahead continued to push forward. Webb had just

returned to his feet after a crash on his own accord.

Webb managed to regain his composure in time to hold off A. Martin.

Riding way out ahead of the pack, Forkner was seemingly racing the best day of his professional career. Then, coming up and over a small jump, Forkner caught his front end and crashed on his own accord. Able to stand up and make moves quickly, Forkner only lost one position after creating his own crash and rode out in second for the time giving the lead to Plessinger.

A lap later, though, Forkner was passed coming out of a corner by Webb. Webb would ride strong in second but by the time of the 2-lap marker he would be 15 seconds behind Plessinger in the lead.

The moto finished with Plessinger taking the moto win with Webb and Forkner behind him, but the day overall went to Forkner for his first career overall win.

250 CLASS RESULTS 1. Austin Forkner (1-3) 2. Aaron Plessinger (8-1) 3. Cooper Webb (5-2) 4. Alex Martin (3-4) 5. Adam Cianciarulo (6-5) 6. Arnaud Tonus (4-9) 7. Mitchell Harrison (10-6) 8. Mitchell Oldenburg (7-13) 9. Joey Savatgy (2-34) 10. Justin Hill (15-7)

by Carol D Haynes, ISMA PR; photos by Jim Feeney

Oswego, NY - Dave Shullick Jr. has been in an up and down battle with Mike Lichty for the 2016 ISMA point title most of the season. At Delaware Speedway on Aug. 19, Shullick lost the point lead to Mike Lichty when Lichty won the event and Shoe II finished down the line in 15th. Saturday night at Oswego Speedway the roles reversed as Lichty suffered a broken torque arm ladder in his heat while Shullick went on to grab the lead of the Bud Light SuperNationals from Tim Jedrzejek on lap 39 and took the win.

Lichty had tried to start the 60lapper but failed, crediting the 84 with last place. For Shullick Jr. it was his third win in the Classic weekend event, and sixth victory overall in Oswego winged competition. The win was Shullick's 19th career win in ISMA, his fifth this season and moved into sole possession of

the seventh spot on the ISMA All-Time win list.

Said the North Ridgeville, Ohio driver after his win, “It was a good race. Early we were really tight. I was just waiting for the car to free up a little bit. Timmy looked like he got a little loose and we were able to capitalize and get underneath him. With Timmy behind me knowing he has had some heroics here in the past with Mike, I knew he's good at pulling one off. You have to think about that. So we just had to give it all we had, especially on those restarts, one after another, after another. I just tried to be flawless as much as we could. Fortunately it worked out for us tonight.

When we had that red I was really concerned about the car vapor locking. It hasn't vapor locked, but it happened to Otto at the Hy-Miler. I was thinking about the whole time. I was hoping it would restart and I was very happy when it did. It

was a good race overall and any time you can win here at Oswego is pretty special; awesome.”

Jedrzejek, who holds three SuperNationals titles himself, was aware that Shullick was coming up to challenge for the lead he had held since the lap 20 mark. “It was a good second.

Congrats to DJ and the team.

They obviously had a really great team tonight. I thought the car was really loose the first five or six laps and then I felt the comfort zone so I started attacking the top five cars and got the lead. When I got to clean air it was like a different day. I started going and the car was perfect. Once I got to that dirty in traffic again, I wasn't so good. I just couldn't maneuver the way I wanted to. DJ showed me a nose and he got up next to me. I couldn't do much at that point. I was hanging on, pretty loose and I was pedaling it pretty good just trying to keep it

straight at times. There's only so much you can do. You have to salvage something out of it and I just had to back off and pick the traffic a little gently and get second place.

“Again, I am proud of my team.

They gave me a helluva good car. They worked hard today.

We qualified well. That's the first time I've gotten in the 14 second bracket. Now I'm part of the 14 second club, which I think only consists of DJ and Mike maybe. So, the whole team did great. And, the whole Dr. Mom Says School is Cool, Essex Seafood, Enerco-Mr Heater had just a really good day — no hiccups, no problems and smooth. We'll take a second and go on to tomorrow. We have a pretty good piece with the Danzer car. I'm looking forward to it. It was my first time in the car yesterday and it felt pretty good.” (Note: Jedrzejek had mechanical

problems in the Classic finishing 26th)

Oswego's International Classic 200 the next day.

Both the winner and second place drivers competed in the prestigious 60th running of

Mike Ordway Jr., proved he was becoming a definite challenger in his Clyde Booth 61 ride and

continued to pick up another third place in the race.

bringing his hopes of a third career Oswego win to an end.

“We're on a roll. We're still gaining on it here. Clyde has struggled here in the past with the wing. I haven't raced here much with or without the wing so we're gaining together. We'll just see if we can come back in the spring and do it again.�

Seitz took back the lead now as Lilje, Jedrzejek, Shullick, Sammut, Dan Bowes, Rob Summers, who had just finished fourth in his Whelen Modified Tour ride, Dave McKnight and Mike McVetta were bunched behind in the top ten.

Ben Seitz, a SuperNationals winner in 2010 and Trent Stephens, the 2016 King of Wings winner formed a formidable front row to start the 23rd Annual Bud Light SuperNationals and it was Seitz taking off with the point but Stephens, Moe Lilje, Mark Sammut and Timmy Jedrzejek were right there.

Jedrzejek was soon tacked on the 17's rear bumper and on lap 20, Timmy J took Seitz's lead away. The 97 only had a lap to gain some ground on Shullick who had moved into second, when Alison Cumens flew the first yellow with a spin in turn 4.

The 39 had not made contact and restarted.

On lap 9 Stephens got alongside of Seitz and took over out front.

And took off only to have bad luck strike again when on lap 15 a simple bolt broke on the right front slowing the 19 and

On the restart Jedrzejek held off Shullick as Seitz, Lilje, Sammut, Ordway, Kyle Edwards, Bowes, McKnight and McVetta were the top ten runners.

The race out front soon became a solo battle between Timmy J,

still benefitting from the clean air, and Shullick. But soon the two speedsters began to approach the tail of the field as Seitz, Lilje and Ordway ran nose to tail a distance behind On lap 39 Shullick maneuvered his 95 around the 97 and stole the lead from Timmy J off four to take the point, also putting a lap car cushion in between the two front runners.

Shullick began to encounter more slower cars as the race ran clean green, with Jedrzejek staying in contention while Seitz, Ordway Jr. and Lilje put on a classic battle for third. Ordway would move into third on lap 46, leaving Seitz trying to hold off Lilje, who relinquished the fourth spot to the 76 by lap 53.

Shullick had a healthy lead out front until a trio of yellows disrupted his momentum. First on lap 56 yellow flew from the 23 of Jason Spaulding. Then

another fell one lap later when Mark Sammut spun. Mark, thinking he might have had a tire going down but with only 3 laps to go, he continued.

Unfortunately, the tire was actually coming off, so green fell, followed by another yellow with Sammut around on the front stretch. This time he was done. Kyle Edwards also left a top ten spot when his 11 would not fire after being pushed onto the track.

The race finally resumed with Shullick flying under the checkers two laps later trailed

by Jedrzejek and Ordway in the top three. Lilje and veteran McKnight finished up the top five.

Lilje, who calls himself the renta-driver, having subbed in the 74 and 76 during the season when needed, may have found a permanent ride in the 76 with another top five finish.

Said the Vickery, Ohio driver, “It was a good run for us. The way the race started we were really free on exit and I thought we were going to back up a lot. And we lost a spot to Timmy and DJ after Trent dropped out. And they were both really good.

Then I fought with Ben a little and couldn't quite get him.

Then I lost a spot to Mikey and ended up getting Ben finally.

We stayed there in fourth. The car kind of came around and snugged up around lap 25 a little bit so it was manageable. I knew at that point we weren't going to be dropping like a rock.

To come home fourth, we're happy!”

McKnight, the veteran of many a Classic weekend, was a little disappointed in fifth. “It was an average run. We struggled all day. We broke the front rotors in qualifying which hurt us a little. But, the car was consistent. We set it up to free up in the race and Gary missed

it again. But hey, all in all it was a good run. We have the car in one piece. Now we'll get it all switched around and see what we have for tomorrow in the Classic.” He was another of the winged warriors to be running wingless cars in the Classic but perhaps the only one using the same car.

Oswego Bud Light ISMA Super Nationals Feature Top 10: 1. 95 Dave Shullick Jr 2. 97 Tim Jedrzejek 3. 61 Mike Ordway Jr 4. 76 Moe Lilje 5. 70 Dave McKnight 6. 17 Ben Seitz 7. 25 Dan Bowes 8. 27 Jamie Timmons 9. 49 Danny Shirey 10. 39 Alison Cumens

Story & Images | IMSA.COM

CORE MOVES TO GTD WITH PORSCHE IN 2017 Five-time IMSA Prototype Challenge Champions CORE autosport will move to the GT Daytona class for the 2017 WeatherTech SportsCar Championship with a Porsche 911 GT3 R. Knowing the PC class will be eliminated from the WeatherTech Championship in 2018, CORE evaluated multiple options for the future of its sports car program. Ultimately, the team decided that a switch

to the GTD class in a Porsche 911 GT3 R made the most sense.

The switch from PC to GTD means CORE will continue to compete in a pro-am class. The choice of Porsche was a natural fit considering CORE’s history of running a customer Porsche entry in 2013, team owner/driver Jon Bennett’s experience in the 2013 Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge, and CORE’s multi-year partnership with

Porsche to run the German marque’s factory GTLM program.

“The move to GTD evolved pretty naturally,” Bennett said.

“We knew we wanted to compete at a pro-am level. The competition in GTD is incredible and we’ve had a relationship with Porsche for four years now, so the 911 GT3 R stood out as a smart choice. As a Porsche owner myself, I’m really excited about the

opportunity to team up with Colin Braun and race one.”CORE has already begun preparations for its 2017 GTD debut, and as a result it has elected to withdraw its No. 54 Flex-Box/Composite Resources ORECA FLM09 from the remaining IMSA rounds at Circuit of the Americas and Road Atlanta.

“At CORE, we place a high value on preparation, and I don’t think we can go into 2017 as

prepared as we need to be if we’re distracted by the final two PC rounds,” CORE autosport COO Morgan Brady said. “The first IMSA-sanctioned test at Daytona is only two months away and the 2017 season kicks off with a 24-hour race; we can’t be tying up loose ends when the green flag drops.”

CORE’s PC program concludes with five-straight team titles (2011 – 2015), four driver titles

(2011, 2012, 2014, 2015), 16 pole positions and 20 class wins. The team is currently third in the 2016 PC Team points.

Bennett and Braun are fourth in the PC Driver points.

Without a PC entry at Circuit of the Americas, Bennett will travel to Seattle, Washington, this weekend to compete in the latest Red Bull Global Rallycross event at Evergreen Speedway.

Story & Images | IMSA.COM

Drivers Love It

Less than 1,000 people live in the small village of Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin, but every year the community hosts nearly one million visitors at the racetrack only three miles away – Road America.

The IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship visits the circuit each year in the beautiful Wisconsin summertime, but Road America also plays host to over 400 other events, including motocross and sprint races, a “Tough Mudder” run, and cycling competitions, including the Tour de Road America charity ride on IMSA weekend.

“It’s the only place that I bring my bicycle,” said driver Ben Keating, who takes part in the Tour. “You don’t realize how much incredible elevation change there is at Road America until you get on a bicycle and try to go around it.” Long known as one of the country’s

most beautiful road courses, Road America is located halfway between Milwaukee and Green Bay and nestled on the hills of the Kettle Moraine, the remnants of a formerly glaciated region. The quiet surroundings and scenic backdrops have contributed to its moniker, “America’s National Park of Speed.”

“Because so many people come to Wisconsin for summer vacation, Road America is a perfect place for families to have fun,” said Road America Communications Director John Ewert. “We always say, ‘Come for the Experience, Stay for a Lifetime,’ because the track offers something for everyone.

When fans come for a race, they always want to come back.”

BACKGROUND Take a trip to Road America and back to the 1950s, when a new

road course emerged under the leadership of Clif Tufte. Tufte organized influential Wisconsinites and locals like himself, with the help of the Chicago region of the Sports Car Club of America, to bring back racing to Elkhart Lake after it was banned from closed public roads in the early 1950s.

Only a few months after breaking ground in 1955, the first race was held at Road America, a 148-mile shootout won by Phil Hill in a Ferrari

Monza. The following year, NASCAR hosted a Grand National race at the new circuit won by Tim Flock, and from there a landmark was created.

Over the years, Road America has remained largely untouched, maintaining its initial 4-mile, 14-turn lengthy configuration and making it a favorite amongst drivers. With additional on-site features such as karting and zip lining, plus the famous St. John the Baptist Parish’s food stand operating

since the track’s opening over 60 years ago, Road America has also come to be known as a favorite amongst racing fans and families.

always some fuel-mileage drama at Road America because of the length of the track and you’re wide-open throttle so much of the time. You have every different type of turn. But it’s a legit old-school type of track. You have so many different elements.”

DRIVER PERSPECTIVE Ben Keating, driver of the No. 33 Riley Motorsports MercedesAMG GT3: “If I had to list my favorite tracks in the country, Road America would be way, way up there. There’s something special about that Midwestern culture up there, whether its bratwursts, cheese, or beer. It’s just a really cool place to be. I love that community, I love those restaurants. That track is just really special. I love the fact that it’s the longest track that we go to. There seems like there’s

TRACK PERSPECTIVE Turns 9 & 10, the Carousel: After a series of rather straightforward, albeit technical corners, drivers approach the long, sweeping Carousel.

Traversing more than 180 degrees of directional change from entry to exit, the mighty corner puts a car’s downforce to the test as much as its driver’s

critical throttle and steering inputs.

Turn 11, the Kink: A wide, simple yet incredibly important corner, the Kink dares racers to take it flat out. For those able to accomplish such a feat in the fastest of cars, it is only due to a perfectly chosen line.

Turn 12, Canada Corner: Nestled deep in the woods, the 90degree right-hander offers an excellent opportunity for

passing. Racers battling for the best run out of the Kink tackle a lightly-curved back straight on their way into Canada Corner, one of the heaviest braking zones on the circuit.

The IMSA WeatherTech Championship returns to Road America on August 3-6, 2017.

Tickets are available for the event at RoadAmerica.com

t l i T l l u F LS A E V RE E T4 C G N G A N ORM , MUSTA F R E P L FORD W, GLOBA R A E C N E L C L A RA Y E K TURN

pired ’s ins R-C t I . s e eri 350 ean S

by GT tinental Europ Ford Shel n SA Co e e the M c I y n e a b h t rm eng t won sCar Chall t month.

Perfo d an alla d h r t o F le port st las revea Tire S ionship ju today ck-ready p ate tr a cham mepl ang a t n s new, g u ey M dy to ustan i ts turnk that’s rea the M expands s A “ e r y h a l l t c s a e t d e es nu un rac conti ce in mark rld, so do stang e aro t u e M p o n com the Ford prese hout the w rsport g t u o o globe vid m o thr vant lained Da Ford e l . e 4 r T r G ou exp ector of nce,” ir ang prese , global d Must te e k h a c T i “ r pe e.

Pe manc ed to com d the r o f r Pe ipp un s aro e as s equ GT4 i n on track ect it to b i p and w and we ex s as its , er globe r with rac is with a g l popu tion siblin c produ ers.”

SEMA m 2016 e ipped h t consu at he s equ t i d , e 4 s l i T a e gG ion, Unv n Las Veg n ustan nerat V8 i s bee The M e next ge Show g GT4 ha neered 2L ed 5. th an gi with lly aspirat ifically Must d and en formance o a ec ne er st natur engine sp petition. desig by Ford P otorsport m g y racin or GT4 co as engijointl ltimatic M car f u d s t e e M r s n n ie gi w po tu and ce en ated and e in s racing ser A t a r e p e Th lid com ionship IMS d, va forg th e p neere Ford Per hip cham y, includin ortsCar y b p rs ll S built in partne globa ental Tire d l r o e s n 4 iW manc ush Yate Conti ge, Pirell 4, and GT o R n T e with s.

Chall ge GTS/G e n e l l a Engin Ch

l arms contro ly for coilr e w o l Rear l d specifica t/rear e t n c ron f a ig s p d e tic (d ) an com s , t g ultima n h e i l g r i M d p e d s m w a r t o p e r h r ov A lig bars f olinge bilizer eed H ion delivers a p t s r g ed s x i s iss th 11” fo e i m x s w n ” y a 8 t r 1 n shift t ace durabili ation eight orgeli r iv Lightw eels from F t n c e a v c o i h pr mat er s alloy w -pneu d n calip o t s direct positive an i p xt, s. The and si for fas t gear shift rries a otors R o b n a c te rem ts on consis ertrain also , ZF from B emen ar c m w n e o a t p s h GT4 ic en e a re ling sy e racing dynam GT4 includ was mp oi t o u a r s l e p y A r g d in which ustan ped tw . the M e design of learned develo d flywheel s th an wing, from lesson program, clutch g d e in c iv a Tr d er g, Ford G ood ventin . e h t h by , er r s splitte d rear diffu front n a anes ng divepl Musta e h t , r prio A-com e inte On th ies a full FI err ac GT4 ca l cage and r from l o r g o g er liant dash l e d h t e t n n orie u r es o C. is feat include: MoTe Chass GT4 g n a t Mus Spool nsion s from e p s u ic S per Dynam SSV™) dam ced D n ( Valve tic for adva cy, a a r Multim bility, accu mate a i t lt predic bility and u a t repea ontrol. c vehicle

t l i ll T

Story and Photos | NHRA.COM

Victory Motorcycles will return to the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series in 2017, as the company will again partner with two-time Pro Stock Motorcycle champion Matt Smith and his successful Matt Smith Racing team.

We should be even better next year."

Victory joined the NHRA in 2015 with Smith and has been running a two-motorcycle team for the last two years, with Smith's wife Angie also racing a Victory Gunner.

"It means a lot to me that Victory is coming back," Matt Smith said.

"We've been developing a new motor for the last several months, and we're doing new bodywork for the 2017 season.

Matt Smith has made the Countdown to the Championship in each of the last two years

aboard a Victory machine. He has two No. 1 qualifiers and has one win in four final-round appearances while developing the new Gunner engine/chassis/body combination.

"The partnership has been good," Smith said. "We've struggled some. We all know we've had an aerodynamic disadvantage for the last two years, but we're moving in the right direction to try and make the bike more aerodynamic with the new body we're going to come out with. Hopefully, that will give us the edge we need to put Victory in the winner's circle on a regular basis.

"Closing out 2016 with a big victory for Victory at the last race of the year really gives us a bunch of positive momentum heading into the off season. There's a lot of work to be done and the Gatornationals will be here (in mid-March) before you know it but we're all extra energized now with this latest Wally trophy on the

Worsham leaves Kalitta Motorsports to rejoin family-owned team 2015 NHRA Funny Car champion Del Worsham will leave Kalitta Motorsports and rejoin his family-owned Funny Car team.

“It was a hard decision to leave a championship-caliber team such as Kalitta Motorsports,” said Worsham. “However, there is so much unfinished business with my family’s team and I felt now is the time to do it. I am excited

to see what the future holds. I cannot thank Connie Kalitta enough for giving me a shot in Scott’s car, and helping me achieve one of my ultimate goals: a Funny Car championship.

I also want to thank Jim O (Oberhofer), Jon O (Oberhofer), Nicky Boninfante, the ‘YellaFellas’ and my Kalitta Motorsports teammates.

“I walked away from one of the best rides in 2011 after I won the Top Fuel championship, and I feel the same way now. The time is just right and I know this is the right decision for me and my family.”

After claiming his 2011 Top Fuel Championship with Al-Anabi Racing, Worsham joined Team Kalitta as crew chief for Alexis DeJoria’s rookie NHRA Funny Car season. In 2013, Worsham

moved back to the driver’s seat as driver of the DHL Toyota Camry Funny Car. Last season, Worsham delivered Connie Kalitta his first Funny Car championship as an owner. From 2013 through 2016, Worsham claimed six victories, 10 additional final round appearances, eight No.1 qualifiers and 120 round wins.

“Del has been a big part of the Kalitta Motorsports family for many years and we are sad to see him go,” said Jim Oberhofer, Vice President of Operations, Kalitta Motorsports. “He gave Connie his first Funny Car championship and has been a valuable asset for DHL, Toyota and our entire group of supporters. We wish him the best of success in his next endeavors.”

The new driver for the DHL Toyota Camry Funny Car has already been selected and will be announced at a later date.

By Rev. Jim Jack | RevJimJck@aol.com

“A Blank Page” At the moment of conception, the first page of a human story is divulged. During this significant time in the life of a new human being, your DNA has been established and is similar to a preface in a book.

Now it’s a matter of about nine months for the actual first page of life’s manuscript to be printed and published.

Once physical life is ready to unfold…for several months it’s been on hold…ready to come out of the mold…there’s much more still untold…a God shaped void in your heart we’re told…waiting to become part of the fold…your soul has yet to be sold…your empty heart is ready to be filled with godly gold.

It’s alleged every human has two milligrams of gold in their body, so the human body opens its book with some earthly value. As the story develops, its value—found in God—steadily grows more important to parents, family, and friends than a trace of precious metal.

The Moody Blues lyrics affirmed; “Isn’t life strange, a turn of the page, can read like before, can we ask for more.

Each breath that we breathe, with love we must weave. Isn’t life strange, a turn of the page, a book without light, unless with love we write.”

Jesus Christ, the Light of the world authored a Book of love with no blank pages. Once you’re born, the next pages of

life are about to be written as your forthcoming life is unknown—some blank pages— to everyone except God. “God rewrote the text of my life when I opened the book of my heart to his eyes,” (2 Samuel 22:25 The Message). Even parents don’t know what this human book will tell them as they see their children’s pages opened daily.

A racing career—like a human life—starts with a blank page as the written assignment has yet to be published. The racing passion starts with the personal proposal to publish your own biography of becoming a bona fide racer.

A date is now set for the racing marriage: Once man and machine become intimate, it spurns growth in rapid fashion, as the first page of the book is all about the conception of how the drag racing machine will appear and act after it has been birthed.

The—formerly—blank first page and subsequent pages of your racing book begins with thoughts, ideas, sketches, and written notes for the finished document. But this new book is far from complete. Many pages will be written over the course of years as your racing program grows from infancy into adulthood. This process takes time to mature into a good story line.

Most people in motorsports have yet to finish their book, as they are still writing their manuscript. They may have written many chapters, but the book is far from its final chapter.

Unfortunately in racing, some of our beloved friends’ books were prematurely finished.

Sad but true…reading their final chapter makes us blue…we were with them while they grew…even sat with them in a church pew…their memory fresh as the morning dew…we pray they had an eternal

clue…their days were far too few…there’s still time for me and you…God has something special and its truly brand new.

Even sponsors and spectators have intentions of completing their respective books with the goal of having a best seller.

Their books contain memoirs of product lines and incredible racing. Don’t we all want our lives to leave a legacy of a best seller?

You don’t have to be famous, or be a racer, or have a collage degree to have a book about your life. As a matter of fact, we all have a history book written about our own lives. Our family and friends have been reading our biography all of our life.

We’re all being read on a daily basis. Our personal life adds pages and chapters every day, thus the importance of having a story-line based on honorable character and integrity.

Have you re-read your own book lately? Hit the reset button on what you think you know, and then do some editing. Is your book written so you won’t be ashamed whoever reads it?

Are you good with your mother reading every chapter? Are you good with your spouse reading every page? Are you good with your pastor reading every word?

In God’s kingdom, the Bible says He has a book called the Book of Life. He has a library containing billions of books: One for each of us…it says when we made a fuss…it tells when we cuss…rode a Greyhound Bus…built a truss…had a burn or a blister with puss…got in a fight with a man named Russ…or lost a close race to a guy named Gus. The great thing about God’s Book of Life is when you make a decision to trust in Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, “Your old sinful life has been wiped off the books,” (2 Peter 1:9 The

Message). Your life is spiritually cleansed—a new page one— and you get to start over. You get a second chance at making the best seller list!

You get a re-written story script as the Spirit of the living God is writing it, and your best days are still ahead. God gives you another chance to leave behind a book for others to read and enjoy what you’ve done and how you’ve served with your new life in Christ.

With the new edition, the purpose of your life’s book has been modified. All racers like modification. If a racer can’t modify something on their machine, they might as well not have one. Making adjustments and fine-tuning are the things mechanics love to do.

Modification to an engine is what gives it more power, consistency, and reliability. The objective with modification is to

bring new revelation into what you are currently working on, with the goal of being the best in your field of endeavor. An awareness and perception of a better built engine also gives you more confidence and satisfaction.

Most racers keep pages and pages of data from previous runs—and previous years—to help with future runs. Data to a crew chief is critically essential.

This information is like their Racing Bible. They rely on it to be successful. Blank pages in your data book won’t help!

Mental data is also important to a driver so he or she is aware of what to expect on any given run. At the inkling of a problem, a driver with a vast amount of mental data—no blank pages— stored in their brain gives them the experience to know what to do. There’s no time to think when driving a high-speed machine at 200 or 300 mph. A

blank page of mental information is not a driver’s best friend!

A blank cartridge in a gun won’t stop a charging bear. A blank bank account won’t pay your bills. A blank stare won’t get you many friends. A blank word document won’t tell the story. A blank script won’t attract producers for a movie. A blank employment application won’t land you a job. A blank will or living trust won’t benefit family members left behind.

Do you draw a blank about your own birth? Do you draw a blank about your school years? Do you draw a big blank about a lot of Saturday nights?

Do you draw a blank when it comes to spiritual things? Do you draw a blank about what last week’s sermon at church was? Do you draw a blank when

you are asked what day it was you trusted in Jesus?

God wants to start your new life with a blank—or clean—page.

He wants to wipe the slate clean. He wants to give you fresh thoughts. He wants to teach you new things. He wants to love you like you’ve never been loved. He wants to mature your new nature in Christ. He wants to strengthen your feeble hands. He wants to extend His grace in a new way. He wants you to trust and believe…His love is there to retrieve…so eternal life you can receive.

Amazing Grace says, “I once was blind but now I see, was lost but now I’m found.” I once was an old tattered paperback book, but Jesus followers can now proclaim: I’m a hard bound…God found…spiritually sound…newly crowned…Spirit wound…and heaven bound Christian with my name proudly proclaimed in God’s Best Seller.

God’s vernacular of Moody Blues lyrics: “Wish I could be in your heart, to be one with your love. Wish I could be in your eyes, looking back there you were, and here we are.”

With your name written in God’s Book of Life, this best seller will never have a blank page…it was written by a godly sage…no need getting in a rage…your eternity won’t be locked in a cage…God’s love is a worthy gauge…because Jesus paid your eternal wage.“A Blank Page” At the moment of conception, the first page of a human story is divulged. During this significant time in the life of a new human being, your DNA has been established and is similar to a preface in a book.

Now it’s a matter of about nine months for the actual first page of life’s manuscript to be printed and published.

Once physical life is ready to unfold…for several months it’s been on hold…ready to come out of the mold…there’s much more still untold…a God shaped void in your heart we’re told…waiting to become part of the fold…your soul has yet to be sold…your empty heart is ready to be filled with godly gold.

It’s alleged every human has two milligrams of gold in their body, so the human body opens its book with some earthly value. As the story develops, its value—found in God—steadily grows more important to parents, family, and friends than a trace of precious metal.

The Moody Blues lyrics affirmed; “Isn’t life strange, a turn of the page, can read like before, can we ask for more.

Each breath that we breathe, with love we must weave. Isn’t life strange, a turn of the page, a book without light, unless with love we write.”

Jesus Christ, the Light of the world authored a Book of love with no blank pages. Once you’re born, the next pages of life are about to be written as your forthcoming life is unknown—some blank pages— to everyone except God. “God rewrote the text of my life when I opened the book of my heart to his eyes,” (2 Samuel 22:25 The Message). Even parents don’t know what this human book will tell them as they see their children’s pages opened daily.

A racing career—like a human life—starts with a blank page as the written assignment has yet to be published. The racing passion starts with the personal proposal to publish your own biography of becoming a bona fide racer.

A date is now set for the racing marriage: Once man and machine become intimate, it spurns growth in rapid fashion,

as the first page of the book is all about the conception of how the drag racing machine will appear and act after it has been birthed.

The—formerly—blank first page and subsequent pages of your racing book begins with thoughts, ideas, sketches, and written notes for the finished document. But this new book is far from complete. Many pages will be written over the course of years as your racing program grows from infancy into adulthood. This process takes time to mature into a good story line.

Most people in motorsports have yet to finish their book, as they are still writing their manuscript. They may have written many chapters, but the book is far from its final chapter. Unfortunately in racing, some of our beloved friends’ books were prematurely finished.

Sad but true…reading their final chapter makes us blue…we were with them while they grew…even sat with them in a church pew…their memory fresh as the morning dew…we pray they had an eternal clue…their days were far too few…there’s still time for me and you…God has something special and its truly brand new.

Even sponsors and spectators have intentions of completing their respective books with the goal of having a best seller.

Their books contain memoirs of product lines and incredible racing. Don’t we all want our lives to leave a legacy of a best seller?

You don’t have to be famous, or be a racer, or have a collage degree to have a book about your life. As a matter of fact, we all have a history book written about our own lives. Our family and friends have been reading our biography all of our life.

We’re all being read on a daily basis. Our personal life adds pages and chapters every day, thus the importance of having a story-line based on honorable character and integrity.

Have you re-read your own book lately? Hit the reset button on what you think you know, and then do some editing. Is your book written so you won’t be ashamed whoever reads it?

Are you good with your mother reading every chapter? Are you good with your spouse reading every page? Are you good with your pastor reading every word?

In God’s kingdom, the Bible says He has a book called the Book of Life. He has a library containing billions of books: One for each of us…it says when we made a fuss…it tells when we cuss…rode a Greyhound Bus…built a truss…had a burn or a blister with puss…got in a fight with a man named Russ…or lost a close race to a guy named Gus.

The great thing about God’s Book of Life is when you make a decision to trust in Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, “Your old sinful life has been wiped off the books,” (2 Peter 1:9 The Message). Your life is spiritually cleansed—a new page one— and you get to start over. You get a second chance at making the be You get a re-written story script as the Spirit of the living God is writing it, and your best days are still ahead. God gives you another chance to leave behind a book for others to read and enjoy what you’ve done and how you’ve served with your new life in Christ.

With the new edition, the purpose of your life’s book has been modified. All racers like modification. If a racer can’t modify something on their machine, they might as well not have one. Making adjustments

and fine-tuning are the things mechanics love to do.

Modification to an engine is what gives it more power, consistency, and reliability. The objective with modification is to bring new revelation into what you are currently working on, with the goal of being the best in your field of endeavor. An awareness and perception of a better built engine also gives you more confidence and satisfaction.

Most racers keep pages and pages of data from previous runs—and previous years—to help with future runs. Data to a crew chief is critically essential.

This information is like their Racing Bible. They rely on it to be successful. Blank pages in your data book won’t help!

Mental data is also important to a driver so he or she is aware of what to expect on any given run. At the inkling of a problem,

a driver with a vast amount of mental data—no blank pages— stored in their brain gives them the experience to know what to do. There’s no time to think when driving a high-speed machine at 200 or 300 mph. A blank page of mental information is not a driver’s best friend!

A blank cartridge in a gun won’t stop a charging bear. A blank bank account won’t pay your bills. A blank stare won’t get you many friends. A blank word document won’t tell the story. A blank script won’t attract producers for a movie. A blank employment application won’t land you a job. A blank will or living trust won’t benefit family members left behind.

Do you draw a blank about your own birth? Do you draw a blank about your school years? Do you draw a big blank about a lot of Saturday nights?

Do you draw a blank when it comes to spiritual things? Do you draw a blank about what last week’s sermon at church was? Do you draw a blank when you are asked what day it was you trusted in Jesus?

God wants to start your new life with a blank—or clean—page.

He wants to wipe the slate clean. He wants to give you fresh thoughts. He wants to teach you new things. He wants to love you like you’ve never been loved. He wants to mature your new nature in Christ. He wants to strengthen your feeble hands. He wants to extend His grace in a new way. He wants you to trust and believe…His love is there to retrieve…so eternal life you can receive.

Amazing Grace says, “I once was blind but now I see, was lost but now I’m found.” I once was an old tattered paperback book, but Jesus followers can now proclaim: I’m

a hard bound…God found… spiritually sound… newly crowned… Spirit wound… and heaven bound Christian with my name proudly proclaimed in God’s Best Seller.

God’s vernacular of Moody Blues lyrics: “Wish I could be in your heart, to be one with your love. Wish I could be in your eyes, looking back there you were, and here we are.”

With your name written in God’s Book of Life, this best seller will never have a blank page…it was written by a godly sage…no need getting in a rage…your eternity won’t be locked in a cage…God’s love is a worthy gauge…because Jesus paid your eternal wage.

Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series set to race at premier facilities across the country in 2017 For the 16th season, the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series will compete at top flight NHRA Drag Racing facilities across the county for the 2017 season. The upcoming 2017 schedule will feature 45 divisional events with a minimum of six in each of the seven divisions. There will also be 26 regional events featuring the 260-mph Top Alcohol Dragster and Top Alcohol Funny Car classes.

“The NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing series is the very best of sportsman racing, which highlights the

foundation of the NHRA,” said NHRA president Peter Clifford. “This series allows fans to enjoy drag racing competition at many levels, often showcasing future stars in classes where many pro racers began their careers. We’re extremely thankful for everything the Lucas family does to support this series and are excited to see another great season of the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series in 2017.”

New for the coming season is the return of two tracks to the series, Orlando

Speed World Dragway and South Georgia Motorsports Park. Orlando Speed World Dragway will have the distinction of hosting the first NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series event of the year on Feb. 25-26 and the 2017 season will conclude at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Nov. 2-5.

they hold their event on April 8-9.

The season will also include two doubleheader weekends taking place at Heartland Park Topeka in Topeka, Kan., July 27-30 and Rocky Mountain Raceways in West Valley City, Utah, Sept. 21-24. The Topeka event will also include a regional event.

Galot Motorsports Park will be the only eighth-mile event in the series when

Bandimere Speedway will change their regional event format to a Friday-Saturday, two-day event with eliminations on Saturday night. Several of the other regional events will run Top Alcohol eliminations on Saturday night as well.

The season will also feature two events during the course of the year at Lucas Oil Raceway at Indianapolis, The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Pacific Raceways and Woodburn Dragstrip.

“Lucas Oil is immensely proud to be part of the sportsman racers and the Lucas Oil Drag Racine

Series,” Morgan Lucas. “The sportsman competitors are the backbone of the NHRA and we are proud and honored to be part of the organization. We thank all the racers for their love, passion and all they do for the sport of NHRA Drag Racing. We look forward to

the 2017 season and wish the racers the best of luck.”

Bonus programs available to competitors in the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series include the $100,000 JEGS Allstars. Individual divisions will also have additional bonus programs available to racers.

In addition to Lucas, some prominent graduates of the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series who have gone on to successful careers in the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series include Brandon Bernstein, Shawn Langdon, Courtney Force, Erica Enders, Brittany Force, Alexis DeJoria, and Jeg Coughlin.

Headquartered in Corona, Calif., Lucas Oil Products was founded in 1989 by Forrest and Charlotte Lucas.

Through innovative product

research and development, along with aggressive marketing programs, Lucas Oil has established itself as one of the fastest-growing lubrication product lines in the consumer automotive aftermarket. The Lucas Oil product line features engine oils, greases, gear lubes and problem-solving additives for everyday cars and trucks. In addition, Lucas Oil continues to be directly involved in the American racing industry at all levels through multiple vehicle sponsorships and racing events.

More information on Lucas Oil Products can be found by visiting www.LucasOil.com

.

A look back at 2016

1

We tried to attract more readers by featuring Dale Jr on the cover but, instead Jared Mees draws a lot of loyal Flat Track fans.

2

Todd amazed us right off the bat and we expect big things from him.

This issue we included the Hometown Racing News section. We loved it! You didn’t.

End of story.(?)

3

While Jason was clearly dominating in NHRA’s Pro Stock division, Alexander Rossi came out of nowhere to win the world’s biggest race.

4

Below is the cover you never got. Tragically, we lost Bryan 4 days prior to publishing this issue.

Out of respect for Bryan and his family we decided to make a last minute change.

You will be missed Bryan.

5

Issue 6 had a heavy Knoxville flavor. From this year’s race coverage to the first woman to visit Knoxville’s victory lane.

McKenna has a refreshing outlook and it was our honor to have her grace our cover.

Up and coming racers like Haase are exactly what we will seek out in 2017.

6

Flat Track racing got the spotlight in issue 7.

We didn’t know who the champ would be until a few days before our deadline.

If you haven’t seen a flat track race in person get out to one in 2017.

You will never look at racing the same way again

7