Tommie Clinard
General
Tough, tough news. If some of you are able to connect with Tommie or his family, please pass along my best wishes for recovery as well.
Forum Activity for @tmc-chase
General
NASCAR Hall of Fame Induction
Current NASCAR
Very nice acceptance speech on behalf of Curtis Turner by RR member Margaret Sue Turner Wright.
http://stockcar.racersreunion.com/profile/MargaretSueTurnerWright
NASCAR Hall of Fame Induction
Current NASCAR
If Pop was alive today, he'd likely make it to his own HOF induction just in the nick of time. But when he got there, he'd deliver!
Make up Your Own Mind
Current NASCAR
I'm going to take a contrarian viewpoint here ... sort of ... and give Tuesday's announcements a shrug of the shoulders and say "who cares?".
I won't go on too long (hopefully), but here is kind of where I'm at with all of it.
- The truck series is only 21 years ago - barely drinking age! It has seen a variety of changes in format, tracks, truck configurations, drivers, teams, and now points and cautions. I personally don't think it has any true long-standing traditions that may be dig my heels in to say "that's just wrong!" Think about how much change the Strictly Stock/GN series went through in its first two decades.
- The Cable Company Division really has had no identity over the past decade - maybe longer. I have zero doubts that distilling the old LMS series into the Bud/Busch GN Series in 82 was the right thing to do. What I DON'T think was the right thing to do was to become Cup Light. But that's what is has become - and the toothpaste is out of the tube. Mark Martin, Carl Edwards, Kyle Busch, etc. - all have taken turns dominating the minor league races with major league equipment. So at this point, they can put in a chase format, run the tracks backwards, race Tuesday breakfast events, or whatever. NASCAR has no plans to take the series back to places like Myrtle Beach, South Boston, IRP, Nashville Fairgrounds, Martinsville, etc. I still enjoy casually watching the races if nothing else is really going on or if I'm in town for the primary Cup event. Otherwise, do with it however they see fit.
Will either of the changes - the new championship format or 20-minute caution - improve racing? I doubt it.
Will either of them cut costs? Probably not - the caution format might reduce the demand for truly speedy pit crews for truck teams, but the new chase format will increase costs for the teams.
Will it increase attendance or ratings? Not substantially.
Will all the folks who claim they are now done with NASCAR truly going to walk away? Hardly.
I'm not so naive to see what is in play with the 20-minute caution rule. It'll have a negligible effect on truck races. It's simply a plan to try-before-you-buy with the idea of implementing it into Cup - probably for more optimal timing of TV commercials. If so, would I feel differently then? Ehh, maybe because that's the series I most closely follow and has the longest history. I'll cross that bridge when I get there - though I'm sure I'll still be watching then just as I'll continue to casually follow the other two series in the near term.
RIP Charlie Binkley
Stock Car Racing History
From RR member Russ Thompson. RR member Randy Binkley's uncle - Charlie Binkley - passed away today, January 12, 2016.
Everyone has probably heard by now, but if not wanted to let you know that Charlie Binkley passed away today. No arrangements yet, but I'm sure it will be in the paper.
For those who are too young to know about Charlie, he was a two-time Hobby division champion (1962-63), had 18 feature wins in the premier division, and probably will forever hold the stock car track record at the Fairgrounds when he qualified on June 17, 1972, at 18.21 seconds for an average speed of 123.550 mph. No one ran faster that season and at the end of the year the banks were lowered to the current 18 degrees. Not to mention Charlie was one of the most popular drivers in the history of the track.
The attached photo is the way I'll always remember him. The photo was taken by Tennessean photographer JT Phillips for a (rare for that time) color spread promoting the Speedway that appeared in the July 19, 1964, issue of The Tennessean.
updated by @tmc-chase: 12/05/16 04:00:58PM
Rockingham
Current NASCAR
Sadly, about as I expected.
http://yourdailyjournal.com/top-stories/27762/track-tussle-cancels-rockingham-speedway-race-lease-in-dispute
Track tussle cancels Rockingham Speedway race; lease in dispute
ROCKINGHAM Plans to bring racing back to Rockingham Speedway have hit a wall.
James Martin, of Level 1 Motorsports in Union County, announced on Facebook Monday night that the inaugural season for the X-Cup Series is at least temporarily on hold.
An open test was planned for this coming Sunday so drivers could get their cars on the track to prepare for the opening race on April 23 the first scheduled at the storied speedway in three years.
Martin said he learned speedway co-owner Bill Silas who holds the lien on the property and is a partner with Andy Hillenburg in Rockingham Raceway Park LLC, which owns the track terminated the lease Vets-Help.org had signed with Hillenburg.
I was kind of as blown away as anybody else, he said. Martin then called the drivers to tell them the news. I did what I felt was best.
However, Craig Northacker says the lease is still valid and a purchase agreement is in negotiation.
As far as Im concerned, were still on track to do what were going to do, said Northacker, executive director of Vets-Help.
Northacker first announced plans early last year to purchase the speedway to use in the rehabilitating of veterans through a variety of programs, including racing and other automotive-related activities.
Im not a racing guy, he said. I just thought it was a good opportunity for our veterans and their families.
Northacker said there are multiple facets to the Team Patriot plan, Were just wanting to make The Rock the crown jewel of what were doing.
Jim Blakenbaker, who was the vice president of operations and development for Vets-Help, said Northacker acknowledged receiving a 60-day written notice of termination of the lease, per the agreement signed in 2014, but was dismissive about it, saying it didnt matter.
I asked for a copy but was not given a copy, he told the Daily Journal.
Blankenbaker said he didnt want any of his $30,000 worth of assets, including vehicles and racing equipment, to be seized, so he made sure they were off the property by March 14, when the lease was allegedly set to end.
He also said he has retained a Charlotte-area lawyer regarding back wages and a bounced check from Northacker.
CAN RACING RESUME?
Despite the caution flags, Blankenbaker said he and Curt Trent who was vice president of motorsports and automotive programs are still trying to move forward and there are conversations going on trying to salvage something in 2016, which could possibly include the X-Cup Series.
If theres a way to do something, were doing it, he said. Theres too much synergy not to be able to pull something off.
Martin developed the X-Cup Series after being approached by Vets-Help representatives about having an event exclusive to Rockingham Speedway. When he presented the idea, he said they loved it, but wanted him to run it.
Its such a great concept, he said. Weve got tons of interest.
The X-Cup Series was scheduled for 10 races, with eight events on the 1.017-mile track and two on the infield road course.
The series could easily continue on, he said, but it depends on the drivers and team owners. We can always take the series to other local short tracks, but the big draw was using the Rockingham mile.
Martin said he spoke with a representative of Silas and asked if there was a possibility of keeping the series at the track, but, He told me right now, theyre not doing anything.
If Silas decides to have racing at the track this year, Martin said he would love to be a part of it.
Level 1 began having evaluations at the Little Rock half-mile track out back and has since brought New Yorker Collin Fern and Canadian Dylan King who test-drove in January on board as drivers.
There was also an American Racer tire test held for the X-Cup series in February and one for the Super Cup Stock Car Series which has a race scheduled for October last month.
TAXES PAID
Records with the Richmond County tax office show a payment of $11,350.61 $9,324.91 for taxes plus $1,965.70 in interest and a $60 lien cost was made March 21. Another payment of $47,189 was made Tuesday, zeroing out the speedway tax bill.
County Tax Administrator Vagas Jackson said the most recent payment was made through the electronic computer system and he doesnt know who actually made it.
Previous records indicated that the $712.02 tax bill on the speedway equipment was paid on Nov. 16. three days after Farmers and Merchants Banks lien on the property was purchased by BK Rock Holdings, a limited liability company whose managing agent, Alan I. Armour, represented Silas. The address listed for the company is also the same as Palm Beach Grading, a company founded by Silas in Stuart, Florida.
On Feb. 16, a substitution of trustee appointing Raleigh attorney Louis E. Wooten as a substitute trustee was filed with the Richmond County Register of Deeds office.
Hillenburg is still listed as the registered agent for Rockingham Raceway Park, LLC, according to the N.C. Secretary of States office. Bryan and Kim Silas are both listed as company officials.
Multiple messages left for Armour and his secretary and messages left at Palm Beach Grading to reach Silas on Tuesday were not returned. Silas has remained silent on his role in the speedways management and possible sale for more than a year.
Rockingham
Current NASCAR
I'll admit I'm skeptical. A RAGING skeptic. While I wish these new owners/promoter well, I really have no basis in which to be confident they'll succeed. In my opinion, we'll see racing again at The Rock when...
Aug. 25th 1951 - The forgotten race at Air Base Speedway (Greenville, SC)
Historic Speedways and Ghost Tracks
I pulled on the thread of promoter Charlie Hicks' name. Looks like he was the promoter at the dirt, half-mile Greenville Textile Speedway as late as November 1950. I found this ad and race preview. The ad says GTS was located on Highway 25. Is it possible the track was renamed in 1951?
Aug. 25th 1951 - The forgotten race at Air Base Speedway (Greenville, SC)
Historic Speedways and Ghost Tracks
Not sure yet on location. Hopefully others here have better information. But one of these previews indicates the place was a half-time DIRT track. I've found a couple of additional clippings that reference cancelled races at the track. But so far, I haven't found many promotional articles or ads for them that might include more track info or an address.
Many of the driver were bopping over from Darlington where they were doing practice and qualifying runs for the 2nd Southern 500. Any chance they'd bring the same car over to Greenville for a Saturday night half-mile race - and then take it back to Darlington? Could have I suppose.
Racing History Minute - January 5, 1965 - a sad one
Stock Car Racing History
Billy Wade dies from injuries suffered in a wreck during a Goodyear tire test at Goodyear.
Link to RR Billy Wade Remembrance group.
http://racersreunion.com/bill-rankin/group/549/billy-wade-remembrance
Pic and Jim Foster's eulogy from January 7 Spartanburg Herald .
updated by @tmc-chase: 01/05/19 11:15:42AM