Forum Activity for @dave-fulton

New Smyrna Edges Homestead as Top Daytona Paper Racing Story

Local and Regional Short Track Racing

Ironic in the home city of NASCAR and ISC, that the top racing story in today's Daytona Beach News-Journal focuses on this weekend's activities at New Smyrna, not Homestead. Interesting.

Strong entry list for Saturday's Governor's Cup at New Smyrna Speedway

Ben Kennedy celebrates winning the Euro Racecar Series event at Tours, France in July. Kennedy, a great grandson of NASCAR founder William H.G. France, is listed to compete in Saturday's Governor's Cup 200 at New Smyrna Speedway.
NASCAR Media / Sylvain Deshaies

By Godwin Kelly
MOTORSPORTS EDITOR
Friday, November 16, 2012

SAMSULA, Fla Other than the World Series of Asphalt Stock Car Racing during Speedweeks, Saturday's Governor's Cup 200 is the BIG one at New Smyrna Speedway.

The 200-lap Super Late Model race has attracted 29 pre-entries and the possibility of unexpected competitors showing up at the pit gate Saturday morning to get their name in the hat.

Among those listed on the entries are 1994 NASCAR Short Track National champion David Rogers, a two-time GovCup winner, and Ben Kennedy, a great grandson of NASCAR founder William H.G. France.

Other driver notables include Rich Clouser, who led the Bright House Late Model Series in victories this season (Rogers won the title), Travis Cope and Tim Russell.

The race has a perpetual trophy with the names of past winners engraved into the base. It is one of the most sough-after short-track awards in the country as evidenced by the 2011 winner Erik Jones Byron, who ventured from Michigan to earn the victory.

The GovCup was started in the Tampa Bay area in the 1960s and migrated to Florida's East Coast in the late 1980s.

The Florida Governor's Cup was commissioned by former Gov. Haydon Burns. The Cup was created to pay tribute to Al Keller, long time promoter of Florida short-track racing.

NSS began hosting the Governor's Cup in 1988 at the request of track owner Clyde Hart.

With two other races on Saturday night's program, New Smyrna Speedway is offering up 325 racing laps to end its 2012 season.

Facts
Governor's Cup 200

WHERE: New Smyrna Speedway, Samsula
COURSE: Half-mile, high-banked, asphalt oval
LAPS: 200 laps, 100 miles
TICKETS: $30 adults; children 11 and under, no charge
MORE INFO: Call NSS at 386-427-4129

Saturday's schedule
4 p.m.: Grandstands open
4:30 p.m.:Modifieds / Super Late Models qualifying
6 p.m.: Driver autograph session
6:45 p.m.: Pre-race ceremonies
7:15 p.m.: Opening ceremonies
7:30 p.m.: Start of 47th running of Florida Governor's Cup 200, followed by Super Stocks (25 laps), Modifieds (100 laps)

Governor's Cup 200 Past Winners
1963: Dave McInnis
1964: Freddy Fryar
1965: Wayne Reutimann
1966: Bobby Brack
1967: Dumont Smith
1968: Gary Balough
1969: Robert Hamke
1970: Don Gregory
1971: Jack Arnold
1972: Ed Howe
1973: Wayne Reutimann
1974: Ed Howe
1975: Ed Howe
1976: Ed Howe
1977: Robert Hamke
1978: Dick Trickle
1979: Jim Fenton
1980: No race
1981: Mike Eddy
1982: Jimmy Cope
1983: LeRoy Porter
1984: No race
1985: No race
1986: No race
1987: No race
1988: Dick Anderson
1989: Dick Anderson
1990: Bobby Gill
1991: Bobby Gill
1992: Bobby Gill
1993: Pete Orr
1994: Pete Orr
1995: David Russell
1996: Jack Cook
1997: David Rogers
1998: Bill Bigley Jr
1999: Wayne Anderson
2000: Jimmy Cope
2001: James Powell III
2002: Mike Fritts
2003: Wayne Anderson
2004: Jeff Choquette
2005: Mike Fritts
2006: Jeff Scofield
2007: Jeff Choquette
2008: Wayne Anderson
2009: Tim Russell
2010: David Rogers
2011: Erik Jones Byron

updated by @dave-fulton: 08/06/18 08:37:11AM

Do You Care? Miami Residents Don't

Current NASCAR

Chase,

In both 1984 and 1985, I ran 7-Eleven promotions with Ralph Sanchez at the old Miami Bayfront race course layout for the IMSA Grand Prix of Miami.

When Ralph built Homestead, I was disappointed that it had been built with such an emphasis on Indy cars in the design of the turns - radius & banking.

Following the initial November 1995 NASCAR Busch Series race at Homestead, I was contacted in the spring by the Miami-Dade and Homestead Chambers of Commerce on a referral from NASCAR.

We had earned a reputation in Richmond of working closely with hotel/motel properties to be fan friendly and not raise rates or set minimum stays during race time. They'd had a disaster in Homestead with both fans and media at their 1995 Busch race. Many photographers had their camera equipment stolen from their rooms at night while they were at dinner and the fans were not treated nicely.

I was met at the Miami airport by the President of the Homestead Chamber of Commerce. I was amazed when he showed me the areas where Hurricane Andrew had just wreaked utter devastation. This gentleman owned a number of mobile home parks and they'd been destroyed. On top of that the government had decided to close Homestead Air Force Base and that just added insult to injury. The Homestead economy was in shambles.

I was amazed at the money that Sanchez had spent on the Speedway offices and other ameneties when he built the place. I don't guess Ralph ever went to a NASCAR race, because all of his hospitality suites were these little booths like you'd find at an NBA arena, not what a NASCAR sponsor would expect. Anyway, I spent the night at the Hampton Inn in Homestead and have never seen so many mosquitoes and other unidentified insects. I couldn't wait to get out of the place when the appointed time came for my ride the next morning.

The Chamber of Commerce held its luncheon meeting at an area country club and invited all hotel/motel property owners in the area. I gave a "Fan Friendly" presentation to the group and received many compliments and promises that the assembled group now knew what fans and media expected. Andy Hall of NASCAR Public Relations (now with ESPN) also gave a presentation.

I have still never attended an actual race at the Homestead complex. I always wondered if things got better for fans and media after my presentation to the Chamber of Commerce.

Do You Care? Miami Residents Don't

Current NASCAR

Today's feature coverage in The Miami Herald newspaper of the NASCAR Cup Championship battle Sunday between Brad Keselowski and Jimmie Johnson had generated 1 comment in the paper's on-line response section.

Here is the comment:

Jamscotch

Nobody cares about Nascar in Miami. What matters here:

1. Heat
2. Dolphins
3. Strippers
4. Marlins
5. Panthers (FIU)
6. Panthers (hockey)

Read more here: http://www.miamiherald.com/2012/11/16/3099594/jimmie-johnson-remains-calm-collected.html#storylink=cpy

We've had the discussion many times about ending the season at Homestead and given our advice to NASCAR, which they continue to ignore. Sad.

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

Dale's Genorosity Continues; Charlotte Girl Scouts Receive $2 Million from 7-Time Champ's Foundation

General

It really hit home, here, too. Sopmehow, every year, my wife was troop "Cookie Mom" and that meant that our home looked like a Keebler Elves warehouse. The temptation to me was overwhelming as I overindulged in my purchases of Thin Mints.

While still living in Greensboro in the early 80s, I was operating with Wrangler sponsorship the official hospitality room at our Myrtle Beach hotel (Hilton?) for the National Motorsports Press Association Convention in January. My wife and daughters coerced me into taking cookie order sheets with me.

I kept order sheets at the bar and I guess everyone must of thought they had to buy Girl Scout cookies to get a drink. I promised everyone the cookies would be delivered during SpeedWeeks at Daytona, but I sold more cookies than I ever anticipated in my wildest dreams. Phil Holmer of Goodyear solved my problem. Girl Scout cookies were loaded on Goodyear tire trucks in Charlotte and delivered to the Winston Cup garage at Daytona!

By the way, both of my daughters camped at the Camp Occoneechee mentioned in the story.

Dale's Genorosity Continues; Charlotte Girl Scouts Receive $2 Million from 7-Time Champ's Foundation

General

How nice that the front page, lead headline story in this morning's Charlotte paper wasn't about all the political, military and racing mistresses currently holed up here. The story wasn't about the faltering economy nor Israel and Palestine engaging again in their version of "Boys have at it."

Nope.

Today we got news that the foundation honoring the late 7-time NASCAR Winston Cup National Champion, Dale Earnhardt had responded to an application by Charlotte area Girl Scouts for a $7,000 grant with a gift of $2 Million. No need to recap the entire story. Here it is below as printed on the front page of this morning's Charlotte Observer . Hats off to you, Teresa Earnhardt and the other Dale Earnhardt Foundation Board members.

Earnhardt Foundation gives $2 million to Girl Scouts
Charlotte Girl Scout councils 700-acre property to bear Dale Earnhardt name
By Mark Price
The Charlotte Observer.com
Friday, Nov. 16, 2012

Charlottes Girl Scout council hit the philanthropic jackpot Thursday, when a plan to seek a $7,000 grant from the Dale Earnhardt Foundation ballooned into a $2 million donation.

The money, to be given over five years, is intended to help the Hornets Nest Council develop its 700-acre Oak Springs property in Iredell County, starting with the construction of a dam that will create a 25-acre lake.

In gratitude for the gift, the council will rename the sites campus The Dale Earnhardt Environmental Leadership Campus. The sites features include a skeet shooting range that was a longtime favorite of Earnhardt, a seven-time Winston Cup champ and member of the NASCAR Hall of Fame.

Hornets Nest CEO Sally Daley said the council wanted to apply for one of the foundations Legend Leadership Awards, which amount to $7,000. But she said foundation board members shocked her by suggesting something much bigger during a visit to the camp.

At the end of the tour, they said theyd like to donate $1 million, said Daley. I was speechless. I almost fell out of the Jeep.

Gift doubles: $1M to $2M

The gift doubled to $2 million when the foundation decided it wanted naming rights for the campus, which will serve 23,000 Girl Scouts and adult leaders from an eight-county region of the Carolinas.

Were so appreciative, because weve been building out this property at a time when people are focused on critical needs of food, shelter and clothing, due to the economy, Daley said. Building infrastructure for a camp hasnt been a priority for donors.

Teresa Earnhardt, head of the foundation, said in a statement that the gift makes sense because her late husband was an avid outdoorsman. The 10-year-old foundations primary focus is on children, education and wildlife/environmental preservation.

Whether it was spending time at the Earnhardt Farm or traveling across the country on a hunt, he loved outdoor adventure, Teresa Earnhardt said.

We are proud to put Dales name on a campus like this. The activities there will enable our children to make informed choices, teaching them to care deeply about our environment and prepare them to be good stewards.

Heavily forested area

The 700 acres of rolling terrain is heavily forested and had little infrastructure when purchased in three parcels by the council in 2007-08. It eventually will host challenge courses, nature trails, an archery range, camping areas and cabins, Daley said.

This grant is going to put roofs over heads, she said, and help build permanent structures with flush toilets. They (the Scouts) like their flush toilets.

Daley noted the site will consolidate activities that previously took place at three other sites, which have been put up for sale. So far, only the 187-acre Camp Occoneechee has been sold.

Several projects already have been completed on the new site, including an outdoor amphitheater surrounding the original homestead and a shelter for the advanced challenge course.

The vast majority of the property will remain forested, in partnership with the Catawba Lands Conservancy, integrating hiking trails, challenge courses and an environmental education center, officials said.

It also will incorporate activities along the South Yadkin River, which runs adjacent to the property, along with a portion of the Carolina Thread Trail, a multicounty series of greenways and trails.

updated by @dave-fulton: 12/05/16 04:02:07PM

November 15, 1992 - The final ride

Stock Car Racing History

What a day that was. Seems like yesterday.

This or Homestead?

Current NASCAR

That's what the man in the video said... "Think BIG!"

This or Homestead?

Current NASCAR

Just stumbled upon this little bit of video from Costa Mesa, California. I'd never seen a motorhome/camper demo derby before. Listen to the crowd cheer. The grandstand is full - that's how you know it isn't a NASCAR race! I bet this is 10 times better than a boring NASCAR race at Homestead.

SPOILER ALERT .... The Winner is a FEMALE funeral home embalmer. I guess she really did kill those guys, lol!

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

Watch Ernie Irvan's Dad Win His Last NASCAR Race - 1977 - ON DIRT! Listen to the RUMBLE of That Deep Throated V-8 Detroit Iron!

Stock Car Racing History

I loved seeing so many youngsters in the crowd, too. They became the fans who filled the stands in the 90s.

Watch Ernie Irvan's Dad Win His Last NASCAR Race - 1977 - ON DIRT! Listen to the RUMBLE of That Deep Throated V-8 Detroit Iron!

Stock Car Racing History

TV will never transmit what we heard/hear to its viewers, will it?