Changes to Hall of Fame Eligibility Process and Voting

Stock Car Racing History

Somehow, I don't ever see Jerry Cook, who's on the voting panel, ever voting for my hero, Ray Hendrick who beat Cook a gazillion times in NASCAR modifieds.

Changes to Hall of Fame Eligibility Process and Voting

Stock Car Racing History

Dec 5, 1:36 PM EST

NASCAR changes Hall of Fame eligibility process

By JENNA FRYER
AP Auto Racing Writer

LAS VEGAS (AP) -- NASCAR announced sweeping changes to the Hall of Fame election process Thursday, including tweaks that make Bill Elliott and Mark Martin immediately eligible for enshrinement.

Among the six changes: Drivers are now eligible if they have competed for 30 or more years in NASCAR or turned 55 in the calendar year before nominating day. Previously, drivers were not eligible until they had been retired for three years, so drivers can continue to compete and still reach the hall.

Martin, winner of 96 races across NASCAR's three national divisions, has no plans at this time to race next year after 31 seasons in the Sprint Cup Series.

Elliott, winner of the 1988 Cup title, is 58 but raced as recently as 2012. Two-time NASCAR champion Terry Labonte ran in five races in 2013, but is 57 and has competed in Cup for 36 years.

Other drivers immediately eligible for Hall of Fame consideration include four-time Truck Series champion Ron Hornaday Jr., who still competes at age 55, and Ken Schrader, who said last month's season finale at Homestead was his final race after 30 seasons.

The ballot will also include only 20 nominees, down five from the first five classes.

Also, any member of the nominating committee or voting panel who appeared on the previous year's ballot or current year's ballot will now be recused from participation in the nominating or voting process while they are on the ballot. Ned Jarrett, Bud Moore, Junior Johnson are active Hall of Fame voters and were on the panel when they were elected.

Jerry Cook is a present voter and has consistently been on the Hall of Fame ballot.

NASCAR has also established the "Landmark Award for Outstanding Contributions" that will begin with the 2015 class. Potential recipients could include competitors or those working in the sport as a member of a racing organization, track facility, race team, sponsor, media partner or being a general ambassador.

Landmark Award winners will remain eligible for Hall of Fame induction. Five nominees for the Landmark Award will be selected by the hall's nominating committee. The winner must appear on at least 60 percent of the ballots.

Beginning next year, the nominating committee will meet in person to create its ballots for both the Hall of Fame and the Landmark Award. The committee previously submitted nominees via mail to an independent accounting firm.

The nominating committee will meet Feb. 21 in Daytona.

NASCAR previously announced that the reigning Sprint Cup champion will be an eligible Hall of Fame voter starting with the 2015 class. Six-time champion Jimmie Johnson will be the first active driver to cast a ballot in voting next year.

updated by @dave-fulton: 12/16/16 07:54:05AM

Forrest Gump's Mom Summed up 2014 Texas Race Schedule (F-1 & NASCAR Cup)

Current NASCAR

TMC cut straight to the CHASE regarding Bruton.... $$$!!!

Forrest Gump's Mom Summed up 2014 Texas Race Schedule (F-1 & NASCAR Cup)

Current NASCAR

The story below appeared in the Austin newspaper Austin American-Statesman:

Posted: 8:58 a.m. Wednesday, Dec. 4, 2013

Austins 2014 Formula One race scheduled for early November

By Dave Doolittle

American-Statesman Staff

Next years Formula One race at Circuit of the Americas in Southeast Austin is scheduled for early November, about two weeks earlier than the previous two races.

The World Motor Sport Council, an arm of the Federation Internationale de lAutomobile the sports governing body today set the 19-race 2014 calendar.

Austins race for the past two years has been held in mid-November, when temperatures have been chilly in the morning but warm in the afternoons.

The 2014 date has been set as Oct. 31 through Nov. 2, when conditions could be a bit warmer. It will be the third to last race on the calendar.

Officials have not announced when tickets will go on sale.

Next years race will not clash with Texas Longhorns football, which has a game at Texas Tech in Lubbock scheduled for that weekend. This years race fell on the same weekend as a home game against Oklahoma State, causing an even greater demand for hotel rooms.

However, the race is scheduled on the same date as a NASCAR Sprint Cup race at Texas Motor Speedway. That race is the second of the year at the Fort Worth oval and is part of the season-ending Chase for the Sprint Cup championship.

Texas Motor Speedway will also host a NASCAR truck race on Oct. 31 and the Nationwide Series on Nov. 1.

TMS officials have recently announced changes that will reduce its overall capacity to 112,552.

Attendance at this years Austin Formula One race was announced as 113,162, which would make it the citys second-largest sporting event behind last years inaugural F1 race. That one drew more than 117,000 and had a three-day attendance topping 265,000.

Circuit of the Americas Chairman Bobby Epstein said that overlaps between NASCAR and events at the Austin circuit are inevitable, in part because of the of the length of the NASCAR schedule.

However there are few similarities between a NASCAR race and the Formula 1 weekend we have developed, Epstein said in a statement. Ultimately, we see this as a great opportunity to draw sports fans from around the world to Texas and to proving again that Austin is the place to enjoy premium racing and entertainment.

Hosting Formula One during Halloween could make for an interesting mix on Sixth Street, which every year is closed off to vehicles to make room for thousands of revellers, many dressed in costumes.

The Austin area has about 30,000 hotel rooms, with an estimated 4,000 more on the way.

Many hotels have chared higher rates during Formula One week because of increased demand.

On Wednesday morning, Expedia.com, Hotels.com and Hotwire.com were advertisting rooms from Oct. 30 to Nov. 3 available for less than $100 to $400.

A race on the streets of two New Jersey cities with Manhattan as a backdrop is not on the 2014 calendar. That race, the Grand Prix of America, was announced in 2011 and originally scheduled for this year but was pushed back to 2014 because of financial setbacks.

Race officials said Wednesday morning that they are working on restructured financial agreements for a 2015 race.

Our entire management team and our supporters in New Jersey, New York and throughout the Formula One community obviously want to see the inaugural Grand Prix of America at Port Imperial take place as soon as possible, race executive chairman and promoter Leo Hindery Jr. said in a statement. Bringing a world-class race to the worlds largest media market is a huge undertaking that has required balancing construction of our road course, without tapping any public money, with the Sports own timing demands.

Formula One supremo Bernie Ecclestone also expressed confidence the race would go forward in 2015.

There is great demand for a race in New Jersey and I have no doubt well be racing at Port Imperial in 2015, Ecclestone said. New races can take many years to get started, but there is significant momentum and we are close to realizing a New York City F1 race.

A race planned in Mexico City is also not on the 2014 calendar, nor is South Korea, which has hosted Formula One since 2010.

All three races were on a draft calendar released in September.

The Mexico race wouldve been held at Mexico Citys Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez, which last hosted Formula One in 1992 and would have to be refurbished. Tavo Hellmund, once a founding partner of Circuit of the Americas but who had a falling out with the financial backers well before the first race, is involved in the Mexico City project along with billionaire Carlos Slim Domit, son of the worlds richest man, and entertainment giant CIE.

The Korean race in Yeongam in the countrys far south has been poorly attended and has been losing money.

Indias race, which has been held in the fall since 2011, is also not on the calendar, though organizers have said they expect it to return in 2015 as a spring race.

Two new races have been added to the 2014 calendar: Austria will host Formula One for the first time since 2002 at the revamped Red Bull Ring in June. A Russian race at the Black Sea town Sochi, the site of Februarys Olympic Games, is set for October.

Forrest Gump's Mom Summed up 2014 Texas Race Schedule (F-1 & NASCAR Cup)

Current NASCAR

Well, sir.... the 2014 auto racing calendar shows a Formula One race in Austin, Texas and a NASCAR Cup event near Fort Worth on the same November day.

I recall the mother of Forrest Gump in the movie of the same name teaching young Forrest the phrase, "Studid is as stupid does." This scheduling certainly qualifies as stupid.

Wonder if Bruton Smith owns any dealerships in Austin? If so, he'll probably threaten to move them if the F-1 event stays on the same date as his TMS event. Or maybe he'll just threaten to move TMS like he threatens to move CMS. If they both run the same date I wonder if it will really have any effect on attendance at either event.

Thoughts?

Dec 4, 12:37 PM EST

2014 calendar has F1 and NASCAR in Texas same day

By JIM VERTUNO
AP Sports Writer

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) -- The 2014 racing calendar will have Formula One and NASCAR racing deep in the heart of Texas on the same day.

The FIA, international motorsports' governing body, released its 2014 calendar Wednesday, placing the U.S. Grand Prix in Austin on Nov. 2. That's the same day as the NASCAR Sprint Cup race at Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth, a three-hour drive from Austin.

Eddie Gossage, president of Texas Motor Speedway, called it a "foolish move" by F1 to compete with NASCAR for racing fans. Officials at the Circuit of the Americas, host of the U.S. Grand Prix, did not immediately comment.

updated by @dave-fulton: 12/05/16 04:04:08PM

December 4: Some racing history

Stock Car Racing History

Also, in on-track action on this date in 1966, Carmichael, California's Johnny Steele captured the NASCAR Pacific Coast Late Model feature at San Gabriel Valley Raceway in Irwindale, California. That track was later replaced by a facility that was supposed to be the finest weekely NASCAR track in the country. However, the replacement track no longer operates.

I got to see Johnny Steele the following year when he towed from Carmichael, California to Richmond, Virginia to compete in the September 1967 Capital City 300 GN event on the Richmond half-mile dirt track, posting a 15th place finish in a short span that also included stops at Beltsville, Maryland; Hickory, North Carolina and Occoneechee in Hillsborough, North Carolina.

NASCARPacific Coast Late Modelrace San Gabriel Valley Raceway ,Irwindale,CA December 4, 1966 100laps on 0.5 mile paved oval;50 miles

Fin	St	Driver	#	Owner	Car	Laps	Money	Status	Laps Led
1		JohnnySteele	2		1964 Mercury	100		running
2		BruceWorrell	18		1964 Mercury
3		MarvinPorter	1		1966 Ford
4		DonNoel	55		1964 Ford
5		ScottyCain	45		1966 Ford
	1	JackMcCoy

Pole Speed: 23.53 seconds
Race Purse: $ 4,000

Source: Ultimate Racing History

ABOVE - Johnny Steele at West Capital Raceway - Sacremento, California - 1962 - from West Ccapital Raceway alumni site

December 4: Some racing history

Stock Car Racing History

In my humble opinion, Atlanta would have been much better off if the purchase by Richard Howard had come off as planned.

Many race fans don't know or forget that Howard saved the track in 1970 by fronting the money for the 1970 Dixie 500 purse and keeping IRS agents at bay who were on the Atlanta track's premises to seize gate receipts to pay back taxes.

The National Motorsports Press Asscociation recognized Howard's 1970 efforts as reported by Sports Editor Pat Joyce in the Charleston News & Courier :

And, Richard Howard had led a previous effort in 1969 to consolidate Charlotte, Rockingham, Darlington and Bristol:

Why NASCAR & Not ISC Purchasing Iowa Speedway?

Current NASCAR

I guess we'll possibly know a little more about what NASCAR has in mind on December 12 - based on the teaser in the original story:

NASCAR said it will host a special event in Des Moines on Dec. 12 to outline additional details on the purchase and its future plans for the track.

Why NASCAR & Not ISC Purchasing Iowa Speedway?

Current NASCAR

Thanks for your take, Chase. Will your accountants in arms be able to stave off the suits with suits longterm? Stay tuned.

Why NASCAR & Not ISC Purchasing Iowa Speedway?

Current NASCAR

It hit me as a little curious last week when I read that NASCAR had purchased Iowa Speedway. I would have expected a purchase by the France's International Speedway Corporation (ISC), but was surprised to see the NASCAR sanctioning body purchase.

Is this a tax deal or what?

Iowa is the track that Rusty Wallace helped design (like DW at Kentucky) based on the Richmond layout. In fact, after Doug Fritz lost his ISC job at Richmond, he went to Iowa for a brief stint on Rusty's recommendation. The Featherlite trailer folks have also been an owner. The AP story says NASCAR will be the third owner of the still young facility.

Unlike the baseball field in Kevin Costner's "Field of Dreams" film, building a racetrack in an Iowa corn field didn't seem to ring true to the adage of "If you build it they will come."

What do you pundits think is going on here?

NASCAR Buys Iowa Speedway East of Des Moines

NASCAR has bought the Iowa Speedway.

But that doesn't mean that the track will be hosting a Sprint Cup any time soon if ever.

NASCAR announced Wednesday that it had finalized the purchase the seven-year-old track. It's a move NASCAR said solidifies the future of the 0.875-mile tri-oval track in Newton. A purchase price wasn't disclosed.

Featherlite Inc. founder Conrad Clement and his family purchased the track which with temporary seating has held up to 60,000 fans for NASCAR Nationwide events in 2011.

NASCAR will be the Iowa Speedway's third owner since it opened in 2006.

"Iowa Speedway is a great entertainment facility with a very bright future," said Eric Nyquist, NASCAR's vice president of strategic development. "The facility has the support of the region, it's positioned well in the heart of the Midwest, and year in and year out it provides great short-track racing action for motorsports fans.

"NASCAR ownership will allow us to draw on the entire resources of our company. It also provides us with the opportunity to execute first-hand a number of entertainment ideas and engagement opportunities with fans."

There has long been hope among racing fans that the Iowa Speedway long a favorite of drivers for its bullring setup might someday land a Cup event because of its success hosting Nationwide, Camping World Truck series and IndyCar races.

But NASCAR specifically noted in a release there are no plans to bring the Sprint Cup Series to Iowa in the immediate future.

NASCAR said it will host a special event in Des Moines on Dec. 12 to outline additional details on the purchase and its future plans for the track.

"In the meantime, let's just say that Thanksgiving came a day early for Iowa Speedway fans, the community of Newton, and indeed the entire state of Iowa. Iowa Speedway is here to stay, thanks to the strength, stability and resources of NASCAR," Iowa Speedway spokesman Craig Armstrong wrote in an email to The AP Wednesday night, adding that the track estimates that it has an annual economic impact of $50 million in Iowa.

The Iowa Speedway is scheduled to host an IndyCar race and two Nationwide events, though it'll have just one NASCAR trucks race after hosting a pair in recent years.

Below is the story that first surfaced in September:

Financial woes hit Iowa Speedway; CEO resigns

NEWTON, Iowa Iowa Speedway officials hustled to calm any potential fears about the racetrack's financial health or future after confirming the departure of its chief executive officer and a pending refinancing deal.

Employees were told Tuesday morning about the departure of Doug Fritz, the man hand-picked as CEO in September 2011. Speedway officials confirmed to The Des Moines Register on Tuesday morning that Fritz had left the company and that a refinancing deal was in the works.

Conrad Clement, speedway chairman and principal owner, acknowledged the existence of some financial issues in a brief telephone call with the Register , saying, "We're in the process of refinancing the whole speedway."

Clement declined, however, to answer questions beyond a news release that was issued late Tuesday afternoon. The news release offered no new, additional details related to the track's financial status.

"We're fine," said Clement, the founder of Featherlite Trailers in Cresco. "Everything's fine."

Officials at the 7/8-mile racetrack, designed by NASCAR Hall of Famer and part-owner Rusty Wallace, vowed that a race schedule would be finalized for 2014.

One of the signature events at the speedway is the Iowa Corn Indy 250, which most recently motored through Iowa last June. IndyCar CEO Mark Miles responded to the Register about the contract status of that race, via a spokesperson: "We have made great progress toward finalizing our agreement. We've worked through the commercial terms and are now at the point of final agreement on the date. ... It's been a very constructive and positive process."

Five companies or individuals in business relationships with the speedway told the Register in the last week that lagging payments for goods and services in 2012 continued this season.

Speedway officials confirmed that the track is catching up on some payments, but declined to provide specifics about the number of vendors owed or the remaining amount of money still billed for this season.

Stan Clement, Conrad's brother and president of Iowa Speedway, emphasized that plans for next season remain in motion and offered assurances that unpaid bills will be handled.

"We're planning on having everything up to date and are working on next year," said Stan Clement, who also has been tabbed to assume the CEO duties vacated by Fritz. "We're trying to get current, but we're going to be fine."

Stan Clement, in fact, said negotiations are ongoing for a schedule that could include a combination weekend with IndyCar and NASCAR's Camping World Truck Series.

Speedway spokesman Craig Armstrong said Fritz left to pursue another position in motor sports on the East Coast. Fritz worked to keep the decision under wraps until the completion of the season capped by Sunday's "Fan Appreciation 200" trucks race .

When asked if the timing of the split with Fritz was connected to any of the financial questions, Armstrong said the events were unrelated.

"Doug wanted to keep it quiet because he didn't want to upset anyone at the end of the racing season," he said.

Fritz, formerly the president at Richmond International Raceway, was not able to immediately be reached for comment and his speedway cellphone had been disconnected.

Armstrong said that despite the concerns from speedway business associates who contacted the Register , no unpaid bills remain from last season. Wallace, who was reached while vacationing in Mexico, also indicated that business partners had been compensated for last season.

"Every year's the same thing," Armstrong said. "You get short on cash at the end of the year, you start selling season tickets, sponsorship money comes in, and we get caught up. Our business is just different than other businesses.

"You get money in big chunks, then you get nothing."

Iowa Speedway hosted five races from major sanctioning bodies this season: Two in NASCAR's Nationwide Series, two in the Truck Series and the IndyCar weekend.

Jasper County court records indicate that the Clement's U.S. Motorsport Corporation recently reached an out-of-court settlement related to a dispute about the purchase of the speedway from Manatt's Inc., a Brooklyn, Ia., road construction company.

The court case stemmed from a deal announced in July 2011. Manatt's served as the initial majority owner of the track when it opened in 2006.

Iowa Speedway is partially supported by public money, including a 10-year deal with the state from 2006 until the start of 2016 that refunds sales tax money, at a 5 percent rate, the facility pays. A tax increment financing arrangement with Newton provided revenue to build the original infrastructure around the track and is being repaid through the track's property tax payments.

In May, the Iowa Legislature failed to support a bid for an $8 million appropriation that speedway officials said would help expand facilities for a possible race in Sprint Cup, the top circuit in NASCAR.

A legal representative of NASCAR sent a letter a week later to Stan Clement copied to Gov. Terry Branstad, legislative leaders and select local media that emphasized the sanctioning body has not suggested it would award a Sprint Cup weekend to Iowa.

In the news release Tuesday, Conrad Clement promised future racing at the popular track in central Iowa.

"Iowa Speedway has a very bright future ahead," the chairman said. "We have many facility improvements and fan amenities on the books for next season, and we are looking forward to another outstanding year in 2014."

updated by @dave-fulton: 12/05/16 04:04:08PM