January - February 2016
Dirt Racer Magazine
1
3 ~ Pit News
January - February 2016
4 ~ Driver Profile : Travis Denning
www.DirtRacerMagazine.com
8 ~ Indy Invitational 12 ~ Featured Racer ~ Brian Ashmore 14 ~ Wallpaper of the Month 16 ~ Driver Profile : Bruce Hanford 20 ~ Spokes Model Spotlight - Desirae 22 ~ The Race That Was
dirtracermagazine@gmail.com
Publisher Chris Damitz
Contributing Writers Brad Hines Anthony Sandoval Bret Sievertsen
Contributing Photographers Chris Damitz Bret Sievertsen Katelyn Damitz Jeff Hall Brendon Bauman
Dirt Racer Magazine is published monthly
Copyright Š 2016 by Dirt Racer Magazine All Right Reserved
Reproduction in whole or in part without direct permission from the publisher is strictly prohibited.
More photos from Brendon Baumans trip to the first ever Indy Invitational can be seen on pg 8 ~ cover photos by Chris Damitz
2
Dirt Racer Magazine
January - February 2016
Randy Anderson answers call from IMCA to become Late Model director
by Bill Martin ~ IMCA A phone call from a former national champion got Randy Anderson started as a local track tech inspector four years ago. When IMCA called late this fall, Anderson agreed to become the sanctioning body’s new Late Model director. He’ll travel to tracks that sanction the division weekly beginning in 2016 while continuing to oversee tech inspection at all Deery Brothers Summer Series events. “Late Models are a premier division. I take a lot of pride in teching and enforcing the rules,” said Anderson, from Moline, Ill. “I see this position as an opportunity to be a solid voice for the class. I want to be able to help IMCA add sanctions and build car counts.” “IMCA sets the standard for Late Model rules. We want this division to be one that weekly Late Model drivers can afford,” he added. “Our rules package is very well equipped
to allow them to be competitive.” Anderson had a brief racing career– three wrecks in as many starts in 1981 – before he became a car owner. He crewed and built engines for 1987 IMCA Modified national champion Shane Davis, then got away from racing for nearly a decade. “Shane called and asked me to come back and tech at Quad City Speedway after he became promoter there,” Anderson said. “It wasn’t something I was interested in doing at first but Shane was persistent. I finally said yes and I’ve been doing it ever since.” He later took charge of tech at Davenport Speedway and helped at Jackson County Speedway. Anderson has also been part of the tech inspection crew for the Deery Series the last two years. “I’ve really enjoyed doing this. There’s nothing great about taking money away from people but somebody has to be there to enforce the rules,” Anderson said. “For every guy I’ve disqualified, I’ll bet I’ve gotten 8-10 phone calls from people who were happy we caught it.” He’ll continue teching part-time at Davenport on Fridays and full-time Sundays at East Moline. Anderson will be joined by wife Renae on the Deery circuit. “Randy has been teching long enough that most of our Late Model drivers have gotten to know him. He has the equipment, the knowledge and the ability to fill a void,” IMCA President Brett Root commented. “We wanted to make sure we hired someone who can do this position justice. Randy knows our process and the expectations we have. He’s the perfect man for the job.” DRM
January - February 2016
Dirt Racer Magazine
3
4
Dirt Racer Magazine
January - February 2016
photos by Chris Damitz
January - February 2016
Dirt Racer Magazine
5
photo by Chris Damitz
Travis
Denning
runs
the
low
line
past
Stephen
Kammerrer,
Matt
Ryan
&
Mike
Garland.
Name : Travis Dennning Birthday: 11-26-1984 Occupation: Self Employed Class & Car #: IMCA Late Model 56D Chassis builder: Barry Wright Race Cars by Precision Performance Tracks / Race series you race: Farley Speedway & Quad City Speedway Crew: Steve Denning, Ashley Stichter & Scott Holbert Sponsors: Supermoon Graphics, Orion Tire Repair, Arizona Sports Tee, Dejonge Tax and Accounting, Racing411.net, Off Axis Paint, STS Delivery, Shocks By Precision Performance, T3G, Karysyns Krusaders, Mooneyham Auto Sales 6
Dirt Racer Magazine
January - February 2016
1. How did you get into racing? My dad raced when I was growing up. 2. What's the reason behind your car number? My brother raced and was 05 and My dad raced and was 06.. so I took the numbers and combined them. 3. Who is you racing hero's? Hard not to go with Jonathan Davenport after the season he just had...but if it wasn’t for my Dad racing I would have never started. 4. What's your favorite racing moment? Winning the IMCA Rookie of the Year. 5. What's your least favorite racing moment? Totaling a car at freeport raceway park...even my 3 brand new rims. 6. What’s in your CD player right now? Machine Gun Kelly 7. What is your favorite TV show / movie? TV show ~ Ridiculousness, Movie ~ 8 Mile 8. What do you do when you're not racing? Pretty much just work.
9. Do you have any superstitions on race day? I don’t really think so...closest thing to it is I need my steering wheel on straight before I leave the pit. 10. What’s your favorite track food? SPI tenderloin 11. What's your favorite sport / team besides racing? Chicago Cubs 12. If you could have dinner with anyone, it would be? I’d have to say my grandparents on both sides. They passed away when I was young. 13. What has been the best advise you've received? Why worry about death, It"ll come sooner or later. 14. Describe yourself in three words. Shy, Quiet, Determined 15. If you could change one thing about racing today, what would it be? The amount of money that you have to spend to compete week in and week out. DRM photo by Chris Damitz
Travis Denning and Eric Sanders battle for position during the feature at Quad City Speedway.
January - February 2016
Dirt Racer Magazine
7
photo by Brendon Bauman
8
Dirt Racer Magazine
January - February 2016
photo by Brendon Bauman
Kyle Schuett on the top of Indy Invitational podium is joined by Spenser Bayton (l) and Chase Briscoe (r). photo by Brendon Bauman
Kyle
Schuett
heads
to
the
Fast
Dash
victory
followed
by
January - February 2016
Joey
Saldana
and
Kyle
Larson.
Dirt Racer Magazine
9
Bankers Life Fieldhouse became the site of Indy’s first indoor Dirt Midget and Outlaw Kart races on Saturday, December 12 History was made on December 12th as the first indoor Dirt Midget and Outlaw Kart races in Indianapolis took place inside Bankers Life Fieldhouse during the Bad Boy Indy Invitational as part of a massive motorsports weekend downtown. After the Indiana Pacers closed out their home game against the Miami Heat on Friday, December 11, a dirtoval track race will be formed inside Bankers Life Fieldhouse overnight using 50 loads of premium dirt and 800 feet of steel barrier and fencing. 40 of the biggest names in Dirt Midget Racing competed for a $10,000 prize and an opportunity to etch their name in the record books. In addition, an Outlaw Kart race featuring 40 of the most elite competitors in the country took place with $5,000 awarded to the winner. DRM 10
Dirt Racer Magazine
photo by Brendon Bauman
Kevin Thomas Jr, Zach Daum & Cory Kruseman in Heat Race #1. photo by Brendon Bauman
Spenser
Bayston
wheels
up
in
Heat
Race
#1.
photo by Brendon Bauman
Jonathon
Beason
and
Justin
January - February 2016
Peck
battle
in
Heat
Race
#1.
photo by Brendon Bauman
Joey
Saldana
slinging
some
dirt
in
the
first
ever
Indy
Invitational
race.
photo by Brendon Bauman
Chase
Briscoe
and
Parker
Price-Miller
battle
for
January - February 2016
position
in
Heat
Race
#2.
Dirt Racer Magazine
11
photo by Chris Damitz
12
Dirt Racer Magazine
January - February 2016
photo by Chris Damitz
photo by Chris Damitz
January - February 2016
Dirt Racer Magazine
13
14
Dirt Racer Magazine
January - February 2016
photo by Chris Damitz
January - February 2016
Dirt Racer Magazine
15
16
Dirt Racer Magazine
January - February 2016
photos by Chris Damitz
January - February 2016
Dirt Racer Magazine
17
photo by Chris Damitz
Name : Bruce Hanford Birthday : 4/7/57 Occupation : Tool and Die maker Class & Car # : Modified #61 Chassis builder : Madman by Brian Mullen Engine builder : Crate Tracks you race : 2015 was Davenport and West Liberty and other area tracks for specials. Crew : my wife Carol, my son Kyle, and Tm Birkhofer Sponsors : Roemers, Gett, Schaeffer Construction, Brad Deery, McKeppy Properties, Cobsorbant, Forms, Inc., Floyd Waste Disposal, Gronewold Tiling, Heimers Place, Aero Wheels, K & K Photography, Snap On Tools 18
Bruce was featured on the cover of the very first issue of DRM in 2009.
Dirt Racer Magazine
January - February 2016
1. How did you get into racing? My dad owned race cars when I was groing up and have been around them since about age 10
9. What is your favorite TV show / movie? Chicago PD, The Big Bang Theory, and The good the Bad and the Ugly
2. What's the reason behind your car number? It was the number my dad had on his cars
10. What do you do when you're not racing? Hunt and Fish
3. Who is you racing hero's? Dale Earnhardt Sr. and A.J. Foyt
11. What's your favorite sport / team besides racing? Watching the hawkeyes
4. What's your favorite racing moment? A couple come to mind are a late model season championship win at Burlington, USMTS win at Oskaloosa, and any of the modified portion of the Busch All Star Tour races I won.
12. If you could have dinner with anyone, it would be? Dale Earnhardt Sr or Clint Eastwood
5. What's your least favorite racing moment? Running out of gas in the #33 late model I raced at Davenport that sent me to the hospital.
13. What has been the best advise you've received? Always look at what is in front of you and not whats behind you.
6. Do you have any superstitions on race day? Several!!
14. Describe yourself in three words: Dependable, Patient, Conservative
7. What's your favorite track food? None, I don’t eat before or during racing
15. If you could change one thing about racing today, what would it be? The cost. To get there, to go watch, and participate. All of this needs to cost less so more people can enjoy the sport. DRM
8. What’s in your CD player right now? Eric Church
photo by Chris Damitz
Bruce
picked
up
a
Heat
Race
win
at
Quad
City
January - February 2016
Speedway
on
June
Dirt Racer Magazine
21st.
19
photo by Chris Damitz
20
Dirt Racer Magazine
January - February 2016
photo by Chris Damitz
Birthday: May 14th
5. What’s in your CD player right now? A mix CD in my car
Occupation: Student 1. How did you get into racing? I have been into racing ever since I was little. My dad used to be a race car driver and I have always enjoyed watching. 2. What's your favorite racing moment? My favorite racing moment would have to be when I was out in the infield and a big crash happened. 3. What's your favorite track food? Nachos 4. What do you do when you’re not at the races? Attend College
6. What is your favorite TV show / movie? Breaking Bad 7. What's your favorite sport / team besides racing? Chicago Bulls 8. If you could have dinner with anyone, it would be? Channing Tatum 9. What has been the best advise you've received? Always follow your heart 10. Describe yourself in three words. Kind hearted woman DRM
January - February 2016
Dirt Racer Magazine
21
THE RACE THAT WAS August 2, 1953 by Mike McGuire On a typical August day, race fans and curious on-lookers packed the grandstand at the Mississippi Valley Amusement park to see a first for the State of Iowa. A NASCAR Grand National (now, Sprint Cup) race was held at the Davenport Speedway. The 200-lapper, held on August 2, 1953, was won by Herb Thomas in “the Fabulous Hudson Hornet”. Since most of our
Thomas completed the 100 mile run in one hour and 36 minutes, at an average speed of 62.5 mph. He also grabbed $1,000 of the $4,000 guaranteed purse. Herb lapped the field and his gas tank went dry just after the completion of the race. Buck Baker finished second behind Thomas and Lee Petty of Randleman, N.C., was third. There was one major incident during the race, when Keith Lucas of Sperry, Ia., flipped readers weren’t born at the time of this race, a over on a curve. He was uninjured. He had brief history lesson is in order. In 1953, Dwight previous trouble with his car when he lost a Eisenhower is President of the United States. wheel. One of his main initiatives, the Interstate High- Local drivers did not do well in the race. way System, has begun, but the I-80 bridge at Red Untiedt, drove Ed Skinner’s car, but he LeClaire, would not be completed for another was forced out after 21 laps, finishing last. Jerry Draper of Silvis, finished 12th. thirteen years. Tickets to the event were a bargain. Box The City of Davenport is considering makseats were $3, grandstand seats $2, and chiling Third & Fourth Streets into one-ways. Ironically they are considering reversing that deci- dren got in for a mere 75 cents. A makeshift sion this year. If you were rich enough, you garage was set up under the grandstand, so could purchase a 21” Westinghouse Black & the fans could get a look at racecars prior to White television for the low sale price of $450! the event. Unfortunately, in 1953, there are only two local Time trials started at noon, with the green flag dropping at 2:30. The race concluded channels available WOC and WHBF. NASCAR had anticipated 25 entrants for shortly after 4pm, which allowed racers and the race. Only 19 drivers submitted entries fans to get to Quad City Speedway for their and only 14 made it to the track. One driver, Sunday night program, where Johnny Derrick Ed Skinner of Yerrington, Nev., rolled his car won the feature. just before his time trial was to begin. Skinner Just like today’s NASCAR events, it is the received a head injury and local driver Red Un- drivers and the cars that made the event special. The Drivers: tiedt of Davenport, raced his car. The legendary Buck Baker of Charlotte, Herb Thomas was one of NASCAR’s first superstars. He was the first to win two NASCAR N.C., won the pole in a ’53 Oldsmobile. championships (1951, ’53). He finished first or 22 Dirt Racer Magazine January - February 2016
second in the points in four consecutive seasons. Thomas was also the first three-time winner of the Southern 500. Thomas won 48 times in series competition, a number that continues to rank 13th alltime. His 48 victories in 228 starts equates to a series-record winning percentage of 21.05. In 1951, Herb switched to a Hudson Hornet, at the suggestion of Marshall Teague. Thomas won six races in a two month span in what was dubbed "The Fabulous Hudson Hornet". With help from crew chief Smokey Yunick, he narrowly defeated Fonty Flock to win the Grand National championship. Thomas and his Hornet were the inspiration for the character ‘Doc Hudson’ in the movie Cars. He was inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame in February 2013. Buck Baker, a city bus driver in Charlotte, went on to win back-to-back NASCAR championships in 1956-57. Baker won 46 times in a career that spanned 26 years. He later went on to start the Buck Baker Racing School. Baker entered the NASCAR Hall of Fame along with Thomas, this past February. Lee Petty was a dominant force in the early years of NASCAR. He was a three time NASCAR Grand National Champion. Petty won 54 times and recorded over 300 top ten finishes. Lee Petty was inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame in 2011. Dick Rathman raced championship cars on the AAA circuit before coming to NASCAR in 1951. In five seasons of Grand National racing, Rathman won 13 times. He returned to champ cars in 1956 and scored his best finish of fifth, in the Indianapolis 500. His younger brother Jim won the Indy 500 in 1960. Truman Fontello "Fonty" Flock, like many of his day, ran moonshine prior to becoming a racer. Flock won 19 races in a career that lasted only 9 years. Johnny Beauchamp of Harlan, Ia., is considered by some as the greatest stock car racer to come out of Iowa. Despite Beauchamp’s two NASCAR victories and numerous other wins, his career will always be tied to Lee Petty and the Daytona International Speedway.
Beauchamp and Petty were involved in the most infamous photo finish in NASCAR history, at the first Daytona 500. On the track, Beauchamp was declared the winner, but two days later, NASCAR claimed that Petty had won the race. Two years later, during a qualifying race at Daytona, Beauchamp and Petty would both be involved in a crash that would send both flying out of the racetrack and virtually ending both drivers’ NASCAR careers. Another legend of Iowa stock car racing, Ernie Derr of Keokuk, competed in only one NASCAR race (Davenport 1953). However, Derr would leave his mark on the International Motor Contest Association Stock Car series. He went on to capture 328 feature wins and 12 championships in IMCA alone. He also won 11 ARCA races, and a couple of USAC Stock Car events. The Auto Manufacturers: Of the seven manufacturers represented in the 1953 Davenport race, only two (Dodge and Ford) are still actively producing automobiles. The Hudson Hornet was an automobile produced by the Hudson Motor Car Company. The Hornet was also built by American Motors Corporation and marketed under the Hudson brand between 1955 and 1957. Hudson was the first automobile manufacturer to get involved in stock car racing. The Hornet "dominated stock car racing in the early-1950s, when stock car racers actually raced stock cars." Hudson won 27 of the 34 NASCAR Grand National races in 1952, followed by 22 wins in 37 races in 1953, and capturing 17 of the 37 races in 1954 — an incredible accomplishment, especially from a car that had some legitimate luxury credentials. One of the original Fabulous Hudson Hornets, fully restored, can be found today at the Ypsilanti Automotive Heritage Museum. The facility was formerly the last Hudson dealership in the world. Oldsmobile was a brand of American automobile produced for most of its existence by General Motors. It was founded by Ransom E. Olds in 1897. In its 107-year history, it pro-
January - February 2016
Dirt Racer Magazine
23
duced 35.2 million cars, and won 115 NASCAR races. Their final win came at Michigan in 1992, with Harry Gant. The closing of the Oldsmobile division was part of a consolidation of GM brands, during the company's 2009 bankruptcy reorganization. The Plymouth automobile was introduced on July 7, 1928. It was Chrysler Corporation's first entry in the low-priced field, which at the time was dominated by Chevrolet and Ford. Plymouth production was discontinued on June 29, 2001 in the United States. The last of Plymouth’s 190 NASCAR wins came in 1973, at Talladega, with Dick Brooks. Studebaker entered the automotive business in 1902 with electric vehicles. Their first gasoline automobiles were marketed in August 1912. The last Studebaker automobile rolled off the Canadian assembly line on March 16, 1966. Studebaker visited NASCAR victory lane on three occasions, all between 1949 and 1951. Nash Motors Company was an automobile
manufacturer based in Kenosha, Wisconsin, from 1916 to 1954. Nash production continued from 1954 to 1957 after the creation of American Motors Corporation. Nash scored one victory in NASCAR, when Curtis Turner won at Charlotte, in 1951. Dodge was originally started as the Dodge Brothers Company in 1900, to supply parts for a growing auto industry. Dodge began making its own complete vehicles in 1915. The brand was sold to Chrysler Corporation in 1928, passed through the DaimlerChrysler merger of 1998–2007, and is now a part of the Chrysler Group LLC, which has an alliance with Fiat. Dodge ranks third in NASCAR Sprint Cup wins with 217. Dodge left NASCAR at the end of the 2012 season, after Brad Keselowski won the Sprint Cup Championship. Ford Motor Company is the only manufacturer from that 1953 race that is still active in NASCAR today. Ford is second, only to Chevrolet in NASCAR Sprint Cup victories, with over 600 wins. DRM
Davenport Speedway ~ August 2, 1953 ~ 200 Laps (100 Miles) Finish Driver Hometown Car Prize Money 1 Herb Thomas Olivia, NC '53 Hudson 1,000 2 Buck Baker Charlotte, NC '53 Oldsmobile 700 3 Lee Petty Randleman, NC '53 Dodge 450 4 Dick Rathman Los Angeles, CA '53 Hudson 350 5 Fonty Flock Decatur, GA ' 53 Hudson 200 6 Bill Harrison Topeka, KS '53 Hudson 150 7 Mel Krueger Anita, IA '49 Ford 125 8 Johnny Beauchamp Harlan, IA '52 Hudson 100 9 Tubby Harrison Topeka, KS '49 Plymouth 75 10 Keith Lucas Sperry, IA '52 Studebaker 50 11 Ernie Derr Keokuk, IA '53 Oldsmobile 25 12 Jerry Draper Silvis, IL '50 Ford 25 13 Paul Newkirk Cedar Rapids, IA '51 Nash 25 14 Red Untiedt Davenport, IA '53 Oldsmobile 25 24
Dirt Racer Magazine
January - February 2016
January - February 2016
Dirt Racer Magazine
25
26
Dirt Racer Magazine
January - February 2016