Pre-Race Shows
Stock Car Racing History
Don't try this at home, folks!
Forum Activity for @dave-fulton
Pre-Race Shows
Stock Car Racing History
On this forum in comments about the Sunday Daytona race (I'm not rehashing that in this post) , I mentioned I'd rather see a pre-race show such as the ones put on by the Red Baron Squadron as opposed to having to listen to the Zac Brown Band perform. That's no longer possible because a year or two back, Red Baron dropped the sponsorship of that signature flying group.
In 1986 & 1987, the Junie Donlavey #90 Ford Thunderbird driven by Ken Schrader in NASCAR Winston Cup competition was sponsored by Red Baron Pizza of Marshall, Minnesota.
In conjunction with that sponsorship, the Red Baron Squadron performed in pre-race at several NASCAR races in those years, giving a thrilling flying demonstration that had fans on their feet. I was lucky to see them perform before races at Charlotte, Michigan and New Hampshire.
The footage below is not from a NASCAR show, but I thought you might enjoy seeing what I was talking about.
updated by @dave-fulton: 12/05/16 04:00:58PM
Finch Gives Allmendinger Ride for Phoenix with Phoenix
Current NASCAR
AJ Allmendinger to make NASCAR season debut Sunday at Phoenix
Published February 26, 2013
Associated Press
CHARLOTTE, N.C. A.J. Allmendinger will make his NASCAR season debut this Sunday at Phoenix International Raceway.
Allmendinger, who didn't have a ride for the season-opening Daytona 500, will drive for Phoenix Racing in the No. 51 Guy Roofing Chevrolet. It will be Allmendinger's fifth race with Phoenix Racing, which gave him a chance last year after NASCAR reinstated him following his suspension for failing a random drug test.
Allmendinger has eight previous Cup starts at the Phoenix track, where he's got two top-10 finishes. He's also won one pole and started on the front row three times.
Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/sports/2013/02/26/aj-allmendinger-to-make-nascar-season-debut-sunday-at-phoenix/#ixzz2M22tJXCy
updated by @dave-fulton: 12/05/16 04:04:08PM
When Can We Expect a Rodeo Here??
General
Being a most infrequent visitor to the Myrtle Beach area (I haven't been since summer of 1989) I am not at all familiar with the environs.
It just recently came to my attention from a Travel Section article in the Charlotte newspaper that there is a rather famous spot located not very far from Goat Radio Headquarters. I was wondering when that magnificent Tuesday night crew might give us a live remote broadcast from there one Tuesday night when the weather is fine?
The place is named GOAT ISLAND !
updated by @dave-fulton: 04/02/17 10:54:13AM
The 2013 Daytona 500
Current NASCAR
Yep, Johnny... if I were a multi-time Super Bowl winning former head NFL football coach that sings, "Hail to the Redskins" in the shower, I'd be either looking at bringing my engine building back in house and away from that TRD group that must have a bunch of ex drag racing engine builders that just build engines to last a couple of passes.... or, maybe I'd go see if I couldn't concoct a super secret side deal for Hendrick to build me some Studebaker engines on the side in the middle of the night when no one is looking.
The cars looked sharp. The single file, follow the leader, no passing racing did NOT look sharp.
The R&D braintrust needs to figure quickly how to get two NASCAR stock cars side-by-side without spinning each other out.
And when Fox Television reviews its telecast, I hope it gives us some real pre-race analysis next year and spares me having to listen to the Brown Boys band and all that racket. YUK. If they feel they have to give me a pre-race show, just hire Humpy to produce some war games, bus jumps or pay Red Baron Pizza to bring back their Air Show. Now, that was an exciting pre-erace spectacle if you ever saw it. I did at Charlotte, New Hampshire and Michigan and I was was thrilled each time. Awesome stuff. Can't compare to those Brown Boys and the guy who thinks the word "BAN - NER" has three syllables when he sings the National Anthem.
Did Fox really have to put Erin Andrews on their race telecast? I couldn't stand her on ESPN. She milked her 15 minutes of fame by getting peeped at long ago. She was the only reporter in Daytona who couldn't find Danica, except she was live on-air at race start time. She didn't have any trouble finding that weird 25 Cents or Half-Dollar guy, though, did she? What was that all about. That guy had to be shot up with some leftover Lance Armstrong stuff. Must be another celebrity I never heard of and don't care to again brought in by Brian France.
And, speaking of football as I was above, who dreamed up those cheesy driver intros? I guess they were trying to emulate a college football team coming onto their "ball field." In football, however, the whole team comes out at once and the smoke and sound effects are much better. That deal was weak, weak, weak.
It gave me a warm, fuzzy feeling near the end to see Bobby Labonte, crack the top-10, but I was emabarassed for older brother, Terry. It was hurtful to see him out on the track looking like an old fashioned stroker.
At the risk of not giving you and Brother Tommie Clinard a chance to say, "I told you so" - I must say I thought Go Girl performed credibly, other than getting shuffled backwards in the final run for the roses. But, she was certainly not alone in getting snookered by that sneaky 5-Time bunch.
Continuing to pray for the recovery of fans hurt in the stands and hoping I've seen the last incident where a spectator gets hurt.
All in all, I was happy to see racing return, but was extremely dissapointed with the on-track show Sunday. There have been few, if any, more B - O - R - I - N - G Daytona 500s.
Brad K Interview
Stock Car Racing History
Here's what was posted in the Charlotte paper this morning about cell phone and wi-fi service:
Can you hear me now? If you have paid a visit to Daytona International Speedway during Speedweeks, you may have noticed a better cell phone signal even if you are not a Sprint customer.
It wont be the last time.
When Sprint signed its contract extension with NASCAR to sponsor its Sprint Cup Series, it allowed for the first time other cell carriers to boost their respective signals at race tracks as long as they did not engage in any marketing.
Many fans have long incorrectly believed Sprints sponsorship allows the carriers signal to block those of other cell carriers. Instead, its sponsorship simply allowed it to be the only career to boost its signal at the track.
That has now changed.
The contract extension and the change was to go into effect in the 2014 season but NASCAR and Sprint worked out an arrangement to make the change effective this season.
All NASCAR tracks will now be able to offer Wi-Fi to all fans in attendance and can offer other cell carriers the option to provide the necessary equipment to boost their signal on property.
Sprint service customers will continue to enjoy several premium benefits many for free unavailable to other customers of other carriers.
Brad K Interview
Stock Car Racing History
Very interesting interview, Randy. Thanks for posting. Especially enjoyed the part about Brad building his own motorcoach.
Interesting too, about the Wi-Fi... there was a story in this morning's Charlotte paper that NASCAR's new contract with Sprint has forced them to allow other cell phone carriers to increase their signals at the track so long as they don't market it. Ditto, Wi-Fi.
The Power of Danica Patrick
Administrative
Fox made DW talk so much about Go Girl, he hardly had time to tell us what a great job Mikey was doing as he cruised at the rear of the pack.