Courtesy Marjorie Mulligan Fay
Waterbury, VT - The 8" tire short track special tire developed by the Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company with input from Tom Curley and the American-Canadian Tour (ACT), has been selected for use in 2006 by the 14-event Serie National Castrol (Quebec, Canada) and by the Late Model weekly divisions at both Maine's Oxford Plains Speedway and Seekonk Speedway in MA.
"Having two more historic New England tracks and more than 50 additional race teams moving to the Goodyear tire in 2006 is in keeping with the universal rules concept formulated by ACT. The tire transition is the final step in effecting the rules package which will simplify cost efficient weekly and Tour racing across the Northeast United States and eastern Canada. Unifying a state of the art tire with the Late Model community in our region will certainly be a great benefit to both the teams and tracks," ACT President Curley explained. In only two years under ACT's leadership, the inclusion of Quebec's Serie Castrol brings the number of Touring series to two, and the addition of Oxford and Seekonk brings the number of tracks to five, who have chosen to convert exclusively to this Goodyear product.
Vermont's Thunder Road Int'l Speedbowl, along with New Hampshire's White Mountain Motorsports Park and Lee USA Speedway, and the ACT Tour, helped pioneer the Goodyear D2472 and D2682 tire in 2005.
Cris Michaud, who will look for his third consecutive Late Model "King of the Road" title at Thunder Road in 2006 enthusiastically stated, "The Goodyear tires were awesome!" The Williamstown, VT driver continued, "I think they're especially good for weekly racing where there's apt to be more contact. We found that we could rub each other, and Thunder Road's infamous front stretch wall, and not cut down tires - they held up well."
Quinney Welch, a regular competitor at White Mountain in N. Woodstock, NH agreed, "The Goodyears are quite durable, they lasted longer than other tires I've run, plus they showed good repeatability." Welch, who also tested the ACT Tour waters five times in 2005 added, "As a team we found it easier to find set-up problems with our chassis, the tires were so consistent we knew we had to look elsewhere. I know there are other teams from White Mountain who found that true as well," the Lancaster, NH resident concluded.
Steve Reny from Boothbay, ME first put the Goodyear tire on his car in an ACT Tour event at his home track, Oxford Plains Speedway. "I was impressed by the numbering system on the tires - you don't have to measure every tire, which makes race day much easier and allows for more time to work on the car." Reny, who has filed a full season entry with the ACT Tour in '06 continued, "The tires we ran in the ACT 100 lapper at Oxford lasted forever, they're really durable and I picked up quite a bit of time on them. I really liked the tires and so did the other drivers from Oxford who ran that race and the other Tour show later last year."
The ACT Late Model Tour's 12-race season will be highlighted by three $10,000 to win ACTion Super Series events including a return to Quebec's Sanair Super Speedway, July 8-9. The Tour opens at Thunder Road, April 29-30 with the seventh annual Merchants Bank 150.
Tuesday, January 31, 2006
ROYAL PRO XTREME TEAM TAKES THREE OF FOUR AT NATIONAL EVENT
Courtesy Mark RoyalThe CSRA national tour unloaded in Peterborough, ON for a three day event this past weekend. Friday night heats were run under the lights and provided all kinds of excitement.
Team spirit in the Royaldistributing.com hauler was high all week after a clean sweep in the opener at Owen Sound the previous weekend. The HUGE Peterborough Friday night crowd was all the motivation the boys needed as Joey Sagan and Iain Hayden piloted both their stock 440 and Open Mod Factory Recreation Ski-Doo Rev's to 4 out of 4 heat wins. It was a great night for Team Royal, with Joey taking his SEMI-PRO 440, and OPEN MOD heats, and IAIN dominating his PRO 440 and PRO-OPEN Heats in front of a huge crowd. Joey headed straight from the track to bed at the hotel, feeling like he was coming down with something.
On Saturday under bright sunny skies, both Joey and Iain were fighting some sort of flu bug, but soldiered on. Iain fought his way to a 5th in a PRO 440 heat, got some rest and then promptly laid down 3 more 1st's in the remaining PRO 440 and PRO OPEN heats in the afternoon. Joey fought with very hard charging Peter Raymer and his Cat to muscle out a 1st and 3 2nds in his remaining heats on Saturday. The Sunday finals were marred by rainfall and overall bad weather conditions.
Joey Sagan #202 and Peter Raymer had a battle in SEMI-PRO OPEN that saw a few lead changes and on the last lap Joey, still fighting the flu, ran out of steam and crashed hard while under pressure in a tough section trying to stay in the lead. Joey came back to win SEMI PRO 440 to cap off the weekend. Iain toughed out the day and a strong competitor in Carl Kuster to win both the PRO 440 and PRO OPEN classes.
Overall a great weekend for the Royal Pro Xtreme Team as they took home 3 of 4 premier classes. Thanks to Factory Recreation, Ski-Doo, Kimpex, FXR clothing, SPY goggles, IPONE oil, HMK boots, and Stud Boy Traction.
Round 7 – A1 Grand Prix of Nations, Durban, South Africa
Courtesy A1 Team CanadaQualified: 9th / Sprint Race Finish: 12th / Feature Race Finish: 10th / Series standing: 10th (32pts)
A1 Team Canada salvaged a point with tenth place from this afternoon’s Feature race as President Thabo Mbeki joined 22,000 fellow South African’s to witness a lively afternoon of A1 Grand Prix action on the streets of Durban in Round 7 of the ‘World Cup of Motorsport’. Canadian racer Sean McIntosh missed out on back-to-back top-ten finishes for A1 Team Canada as a puncture in the earlier Sprint race left the Feature as the sole opportunity for points. A1 Team Canada remains tenth in the A1GP Nations Standings with 32 points.
Sprint Race (Winner – A1 Team France)
Having qualified ninth on the grid for the 20-lap Sprint race Sean held station for the majority of what was a fairly processional opener on the 3.2km temporary street circuit. Wrestling an ill-handling car since the second lap, the cause of which was later determined to be a slow puncture, McIntosh fought valiantly to keep ahead of Germany directly behind in tenth. Despite briefly dropping out of the top-ten in the latter stages Sean successfully climbed back to sit tenth overall with one lap remaining until the puncture blew his front right tire, demoting him to 12th at the checkered flag and out of the points.
Feature Race (Winner – A1 Team Netherlands)
A1 Team Canada’s decision to take their mandatory pit stop on just the second tour of the 40-lap Feature race looked set to pay dividends for Sean McIntosh as he ran third on track behind Switzerland and Germany of the team’s already pitted. The 20-year-old’s hopes of a second career A1GP podium finish were dashed early on lap nine however as contact with Portugal at Turn1resulted in a second trip to the pits, this time for a new nose cone. Back on track Sean set to work climbing up the order, looking to recover something from what had so far been a luckless weekend. Pushing hard, racing wheel to wheel with his A1 rivals, Sean guided A1 Team Canada’s entry as high as eighth before a broken steering column relegated him to a tenth place classified finish and a solitary point for his efforts.
Sean McIntosh:
“An unfortunate series of events really cost us here today because all things considered I think we had a good package. The car had pace and the team worked really well. We had an awesome strategy for the Feature race and it could have paid off if the Portuguese car hadn’t surprised me at the first turn and taken out my front wing. At least we came away with a point! I was sidelined out at Turn4 for the last couple of laps in the Feature but we had done enough to claim tenth. Hopefully we can piece everything together next time out in Indonesia and improve our standing.”
Indonesia hosts Round 8 of the A1 Grand Prix of Nations at the Sentul Circuit, 10-12 February 2006.
Standings: 1st France (120), 2nd Switzerland (92), 3rd Brazil (63), 4th Great Britain (58), 5th New Zealand (54), 10th Canada (32)
Monday, January 30, 2006
Sauble's 2006 Schedule is here!
Courtesy Sauble Speedway
The ultimate entertainment centre continues to build for 2006, with a great mix of cars, stars and Guitars. Sauble Speedway President Joe Chisholm is very pleased to announce that the “STEELBACK Canada Day Music Fest” will be held on Friday June 30th, and Saturday July 1st - Canada Day at Steelback Sauble Speedway. This popular music festival is in its 3 year and for the first time will be held at the speedway.
The Steelback Canada Day Music Fest will feature 2 days of blockbuster international music artists. In the near future president and CEO of Steelback Brewery Frank D’Angelo will announce details of this Steelback Canada Day Music Fest.
Also please find enclosed a copy of the Steelback Sauble Speedway Schedule of events for 2006.
Direct Link to 2006 Schedule: http://www.saublespeedway.com/Sauble_Speedwa/Schedule_Steel.html
The ultimate entertainment centre continues to build for 2006, with a great mix of cars, stars and Guitars. Sauble Speedway President Joe Chisholm is very pleased to announce that the “STEELBACK Canada Day Music Fest” will be held on Friday June 30th, and Saturday July 1st - Canada Day at Steelback Sauble Speedway. This popular music festival is in its 3 year and for the first time will be held at the speedway.
The Steelback Canada Day Music Fest will feature 2 days of blockbuster international music artists. In the near future president and CEO of Steelback Brewery Frank D’Angelo will announce details of this Steelback Canada Day Music Fest.
Also please find enclosed a copy of the Steelback Sauble Speedway Schedule of events for 2006.
Direct Link to 2006 Schedule: http://www.saublespeedway.com/Sauble_Speedwa/Schedule_Steel.html
A1 GRAND PRIX OF NATIONS, DURBAN, SOUTH AFRICA
Courtesy Stuart Morrison Public Relations
Durban - The A1 Grand Prix of Nations, Durban, South Africa, attended by President Thabo Mbecki and just over 100,000 people over the course of the weekend provided one of the most spectacular races of the season to date.
As the cars left the starting grid and streamed down to the first corner, it was A1 Team Switzerland who got the best start and led A1 Team France out of the tight hairpin. However, the best start was definitely made by A1 Team Netherlands who were up to XX by from sixteenth on the grid by the end of lap one. The start wasn't without dramas as A1 Team Czech Republic stalled on his fifth position on the grid and so causing the cars behind him to take avoiding action.
The pit stops started early with the leader and second placed A1 Team France coming in at the end of lap two. This pit stop proved the start of an uncharacteristically troublesome race for Series point's leader France as a 53 second pit stop dropped them down the field and this was not helped by the fact that later in the race the team were given a drive through penalty for a pit lane infringement.
Unfortunately the first safety car period was when the race was only three laps old. This was to remove the cars of A1 Teams USA and Australia that had tangled in turn one when the American driver tried what proved to be an unsuccessful overtaking manoeuvre. A1 Team Great Britain didn't have any better luck than France as a slow pit stop was followed by a second one on the next lap because the air gun had become wedged in the back of the car and this obviously had to be removed.
When the safety car came in at the end of lap six it was A1 Team New Zealand leading helped by the fact they had yet to make their compulsory pit stop.
Despite the tightness of the track, there was plenty of overtaking but A1 Team Canada suffered when the racing was a little too close and they lost their front wing in turn one only to run over the debris a lap later before having the opportunity to pit for a new nose which they did at the end of lap 10.
The second safety car period started on lap 12 when A1 Teams India and Indonesia collided. The cars were removed and racing began at the end of lap 15 with Brazil leading at this point although again due to not having pitted. At this point in the race, A1 Team Ireland's hopes of a finish disappeared after lying as high as second on lap two and then spending time in the pits with a problem. On lap 15 Ralph Firman parked the car on the side of the track after developed a severe handling problem caused by a broken anti-roll bar.
The crowds witnessed A1 Team Malaysia overtaking A1 Team South Africa on lap 16 and after the re-start the racing continued with at one point, three cars abreast trying to go into a corner with A1 Team Lebanon being the filling in the sandwich. A1 Team Malaysia were the next culprits to bring out a safety car after spinning and partly blocking the track on lap 26, narrowly being missed by A1 Team New Zealand. This period lasted for three laps with Brazil still leading when the safety car pulled off at the end of lap 29.
A podium position for A1 Team Germany looked certain until the car hit a wall on lap 36. However, A1 Team Switzerland looked set to notch up win number two as when Brazil pitted at the end of lap 37 they moved into the lead. Jos Verstappen was in an amazing second place but it was obvious again he was not going to give up the chance of a win until the chequered flag. As the cars were on their last lap, Jos took his opportunity and passed the car with the red and white flag on it which seemed to be slowing although not enough to allow third place A1 Team Portugal to get by.
Race winner Jos Verstappen said 'I'm very happy. I had a fantastic start, and was battling with people all the way through. Both I and Alvaro made mistakes but I managed to get past and stay ahead, then Germany went into the wall and I know Brazil still had to pit.'
Speaking about his courageous overtaking manoeuvre on the last lap of the Feature race, Verstappen said: 'In the Sprint race second position was good, but I tried to overtake and it didn't work out as I wanted. This time I was in the same position, and Neel was running wide. I used my PowerBoost and managed to overtake. I'm really pleased for the guys because they worked very hard and the fans as well. It was quite tough to come here with a new mechanic and a new race engineer, there were quite a few things different, but right from the start when I got in the car, it felt good here and I felt confident.'
A disappointed Neel Jani said: 'It looks like we always have problems in the race, I had no brakes at all in the last few laps. What can I say? For sure I am disappointed; we lost in Dubai through bad strategy and here through brake failure. I'm not too happy. Out of the last six races we could have won 5. When you have made a mistake it is bad enough but when it isn't your fault it is even worse. I probably won't sleep very much tonight.'
Portugal's Alvaro Parente commented: 'I'm very pleased, especially after qualifying. We had really good pace in free practice and qualifying was a disappointment. I attacked the Sprint race and managed to finish eighth, a good position for the start of the Feature race. It was an interesting fight and overtaking is hard on a street track like this. It's great to have so many people watching the race, thanks to the crowd for their support. I'm delighted for the team who have worked really hard. Now we have to work for a win.'
A1 Team South Africa finished fifth which equalled Alex Yoong's record for best finish at a home race. For all their efforts, Brazil gained the bonus point for the fastest lap being the only driver to record a sub 1.19 time of 1.18.178 which obviously is now the official lap record for this circuit at an average speed of 151.2km/h.
Durban - The A1 Grand Prix of Nations, Durban, South Africa, attended by President Thabo Mbecki and just over 100,000 people over the course of the weekend provided one of the most spectacular races of the season to date.
As the cars left the starting grid and streamed down to the first corner, it was A1 Team Switzerland who got the best start and led A1 Team France out of the tight hairpin. However, the best start was definitely made by A1 Team Netherlands who were up to XX by from sixteenth on the grid by the end of lap one. The start wasn't without dramas as A1 Team Czech Republic stalled on his fifth position on the grid and so causing the cars behind him to take avoiding action.
The pit stops started early with the leader and second placed A1 Team France coming in at the end of lap two. This pit stop proved the start of an uncharacteristically troublesome race for Series point's leader France as a 53 second pit stop dropped them down the field and this was not helped by the fact that later in the race the team were given a drive through penalty for a pit lane infringement.
Unfortunately the first safety car period was when the race was only three laps old. This was to remove the cars of A1 Teams USA and Australia that had tangled in turn one when the American driver tried what proved to be an unsuccessful overtaking manoeuvre. A1 Team Great Britain didn't have any better luck than France as a slow pit stop was followed by a second one on the next lap because the air gun had become wedged in the back of the car and this obviously had to be removed.
When the safety car came in at the end of lap six it was A1 Team New Zealand leading helped by the fact they had yet to make their compulsory pit stop.
Despite the tightness of the track, there was plenty of overtaking but A1 Team Canada suffered when the racing was a little too close and they lost their front wing in turn one only to run over the debris a lap later before having the opportunity to pit for a new nose which they did at the end of lap 10.
The second safety car period started on lap 12 when A1 Teams India and Indonesia collided. The cars were removed and racing began at the end of lap 15 with Brazil leading at this point although again due to not having pitted. At this point in the race, A1 Team Ireland's hopes of a finish disappeared after lying as high as second on lap two and then spending time in the pits with a problem. On lap 15 Ralph Firman parked the car on the side of the track after developed a severe handling problem caused by a broken anti-roll bar.
The crowds witnessed A1 Team Malaysia overtaking A1 Team South Africa on lap 16 and after the re-start the racing continued with at one point, three cars abreast trying to go into a corner with A1 Team Lebanon being the filling in the sandwich. A1 Team Malaysia were the next culprits to bring out a safety car after spinning and partly blocking the track on lap 26, narrowly being missed by A1 Team New Zealand. This period lasted for three laps with Brazil still leading when the safety car pulled off at the end of lap 29.
A podium position for A1 Team Germany looked certain until the car hit a wall on lap 36. However, A1 Team Switzerland looked set to notch up win number two as when Brazil pitted at the end of lap 37 they moved into the lead. Jos Verstappen was in an amazing second place but it was obvious again he was not going to give up the chance of a win until the chequered flag. As the cars were on their last lap, Jos took his opportunity and passed the car with the red and white flag on it which seemed to be slowing although not enough to allow third place A1 Team Portugal to get by.
Race winner Jos Verstappen said 'I'm very happy. I had a fantastic start, and was battling with people all the way through. Both I and Alvaro made mistakes but I managed to get past and stay ahead, then Germany went into the wall and I know Brazil still had to pit.'
Speaking about his courageous overtaking manoeuvre on the last lap of the Feature race, Verstappen said: 'In the Sprint race second position was good, but I tried to overtake and it didn't work out as I wanted. This time I was in the same position, and Neel was running wide. I used my PowerBoost and managed to overtake. I'm really pleased for the guys because they worked very hard and the fans as well. It was quite tough to come here with a new mechanic and a new race engineer, there were quite a few things different, but right from the start when I got in the car, it felt good here and I felt confident.'
A disappointed Neel Jani said: 'It looks like we always have problems in the race, I had no brakes at all in the last few laps. What can I say? For sure I am disappointed; we lost in Dubai through bad strategy and here through brake failure. I'm not too happy. Out of the last six races we could have won 5. When you have made a mistake it is bad enough but when it isn't your fault it is even worse. I probably won't sleep very much tonight.'
Portugal's Alvaro Parente commented: 'I'm very pleased, especially after qualifying. We had really good pace in free practice and qualifying was a disappointment. I attacked the Sprint race and managed to finish eighth, a good position for the start of the Feature race. It was an interesting fight and overtaking is hard on a street track like this. It's great to have so many people watching the race, thanks to the crowd for their support. I'm delighted for the team who have worked really hard. Now we have to work for a win.'
A1 Team South Africa finished fifth which equalled Alex Yoong's record for best finish at a home race. For all their efforts, Brazil gained the bonus point for the fastest lap being the only driver to record a sub 1.19 time of 1.18.178 which obviously is now the official lap record for this circuit at an average speed of 151.2km/h.
Friday, January 27, 2006
Joe Lilienthal ready to defend PMRA title in 2006
“It's always nice to win a championship.”Courtesy Bruce F. Mehlenbacher
January 27, 2006, Kenmore, NY – Pro Modified Racing Association (PMRA), www.ProModifiedRacing.com, series champion driver Joe Lilienthal has a lot to prove this year as he goes out to defend his PMRA championship. In 2005, with 22 teams in the series, Joe Lilienthal of Kenmore, NY won the first PMRA title over his Ontario, New York, and Pennsylvania competitors.
"It's always nice to win a championship,” explained Joe Lilienthal, driver of the Lilienthal Racing 526-cubic inch Keith Black-constructed 1968 Jeep. "We were in three finals last year and won one of them.”
Lilienthal won the Luskville Dragway event in the JSL Automotive sponsored entry and took runner-up spots at the second Toronto Motorsports Park race and at the final event of the season at Lancaster Raceway Park.
“Kasey Janzen and I will compete as team-mates this year. That should help improve our program and hopefully we will be able to defend our title,” said Lilienthal. “If it wasn’t for the help from Kasey and Mike Swinarski it would be much more difficult to get out and run with these guys. The PMRA series has a bunch of real stout competitors.”
The Lilienthal Racing entry is powered by an Oddy’s Racing Keith Black power plant, a Littlefield supercharger, an Oddy’s fuel system, all coupled to a Lenco three-speed transmission and clutch.
The PMRA has four events confirmed for the 2006 season, the KC Auto Parts Family Day Celebration at Toronto Motorsports Park in Cayuga, ON, Saturday, June 24, and the Pro Modified Racing Association is pleased to be running inaugural events at St. Thomas Dragway in Sparta, ON, August 5 and 6, the Eaton PMRA Challenge at Sanair near Montreal scheduled for Saturday, August 19, and at the Grand Bend Motorplex, over the Labor Day weekend.
DARRELL WALTRIP AND BUZZIE REUTIMANN TO BE INDUCTED INTO EMPA HALL OF FAME
CONCORD, N.C. (January 27, 2006) - David Reutimann is a third generation driver. His father Emil "Buzzie" Reutimann is a racing legend and so is his team owner Darrell Waltrip. This Saturday, both legendary drivers will be inducted into the Eastern Motorsport Press Association Hall of Fame during the annual convention at the Radisson Hotel and Conference Center in Trevose, Pennsylvania.
"It's a huge honor and I'm really proud that they are recognizing my dad and team owner," said David Reutimann, driver of the No. 17 Darrell Waltrip Motorsports Toyota. "I think they've both given a lot to the sport. It is really special that they are being inducted into the EMPA Hall of Fame together. My dad's still racing at 64 years of age and he's still just as competitive as he ever was. I'm so proud of them."
To be inducted into the EMPA Hall of Fame, is a special honor for Waltrip and the elder Reutimann.
"It is always flattering when people want to recognize your accomplishments that you worked so hard to earn," said Waltrip, a three-time NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series champion with 84 career wins. "I'm thrilled Buzzie and I are both winners together. The Reutimann family is a class act and I am excited about the opportunities that lie before Buzzie's son, David, for the future with my team."
The 64-year-old echoes Waltrip's sentiment.
"I would like to thank the press for telling our stories over the years," said Reutimann. "If it wasn't for them writing the stories, we wouldn't be anywhere. Without them, Buzzie Reutimann wouldn't be Buzzie Reutimann. I wouldn't be receiving an award tomorrow night if it wasn't for them. What they write is what you save in your scrapbooks. It is the memories you have. They write the memories we have and I know DW feels the same."
As Waltrip supposedly competed in his final NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race at Martinsville Speedway last October, Reutimann continues to race and win championships at age 64.
"When we started running at East Bay Raceway last year, I didn't think about winning a track championship," said Reutimann. "Right there towards the end, I was leading the points. That's when I thought I had a shot at another championship. We ended up winning the Open Wheel Modified championship. I don't know how many more championships this little body's got left in it. I'm 64 and I'll be 65 in May, but I've got a few years to go."
Reutimann's won so many races and championships in his lifetime that he can't seem to keep up.
"I have a friend that comes down each year and he's sort of our historian," said Reutimann. "He's telling me I've got somewhere around 1,200 feature wins in all types of cars. It goes back to when I started with my old Flathead Ford and then onto whenever I moved to Sportsman. I won like 20 features in a row at one time in Florida. As far as how many championships I have, gosh, I don't know. I've won all over at places like Sunshine Speedway, Golden Gate Speedway, East Bay Raceway and up north at places like Middletown, Nazareth, East Windsor, Syracuse and Fullerton to just name a few. We've won championships in all those places. When you race and pay attention to what you are doing, the championship comes along with it."
As Reutimann accepts his award, he will be also accepting on behalf of Waltrip in his absence.
"I want to thank my dear friend Buzzie Reutimann for filling in for me," said Waltrip. "I am so thankful for this honor, but I do have one concern. Buzzie is a racer and he always has been and always will be. He is like me and he is always racing for the trophy. So, I'm a little concerned that Buzzie is taking two trophies to his house tomorrow tonight and that I will never see mine."
"He'll get his trophy some day," laughed Reutimann. "It may just take me a while to give it to him. I've got an extra special place on my mantle to keep it for him until I see him in person. It's an honor for me to accept this award on his behalf. He's got big shoes to fill. I don't know about the speech he gave me to tell everyone. Here I am going to be in front of a few hundred people and I have to make a speech for him. How do you top Darrell Waltrip?"
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Darrell Waltrip Motorsports
"It's a huge honor and I'm really proud that they are recognizing my dad and team owner," said David Reutimann, driver of the No. 17 Darrell Waltrip Motorsports Toyota. "I think they've both given a lot to the sport. It is really special that they are being inducted into the EMPA Hall of Fame together. My dad's still racing at 64 years of age and he's still just as competitive as he ever was. I'm so proud of them."
To be inducted into the EMPA Hall of Fame, is a special honor for Waltrip and the elder Reutimann.
"It is always flattering when people want to recognize your accomplishments that you worked so hard to earn," said Waltrip, a three-time NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series champion with 84 career wins. "I'm thrilled Buzzie and I are both winners together. The Reutimann family is a class act and I am excited about the opportunities that lie before Buzzie's son, David, for the future with my team."
The 64-year-old echoes Waltrip's sentiment.
"I would like to thank the press for telling our stories over the years," said Reutimann. "If it wasn't for them writing the stories, we wouldn't be anywhere. Without them, Buzzie Reutimann wouldn't be Buzzie Reutimann. I wouldn't be receiving an award tomorrow night if it wasn't for them. What they write is what you save in your scrapbooks. It is the memories you have. They write the memories we have and I know DW feels the same."
As Waltrip supposedly competed in his final NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race at Martinsville Speedway last October, Reutimann continues to race and win championships at age 64.
"When we started running at East Bay Raceway last year, I didn't think about winning a track championship," said Reutimann. "Right there towards the end, I was leading the points. That's when I thought I had a shot at another championship. We ended up winning the Open Wheel Modified championship. I don't know how many more championships this little body's got left in it. I'm 64 and I'll be 65 in May, but I've got a few years to go."
Reutimann's won so many races and championships in his lifetime that he can't seem to keep up.
"I have a friend that comes down each year and he's sort of our historian," said Reutimann. "He's telling me I've got somewhere around 1,200 feature wins in all types of cars. It goes back to when I started with my old Flathead Ford and then onto whenever I moved to Sportsman. I won like 20 features in a row at one time in Florida. As far as how many championships I have, gosh, I don't know. I've won all over at places like Sunshine Speedway, Golden Gate Speedway, East Bay Raceway and up north at places like Middletown, Nazareth, East Windsor, Syracuse and Fullerton to just name a few. We've won championships in all those places. When you race and pay attention to what you are doing, the championship comes along with it."
As Reutimann accepts his award, he will be also accepting on behalf of Waltrip in his absence.
"I want to thank my dear friend Buzzie Reutimann for filling in for me," said Waltrip. "I am so thankful for this honor, but I do have one concern. Buzzie is a racer and he always has been and always will be. He is like me and he is always racing for the trophy. So, I'm a little concerned that Buzzie is taking two trophies to his house tomorrow tonight and that I will never see mine."
"He'll get his trophy some day," laughed Reutimann. "It may just take me a while to give it to him. I've got an extra special place on my mantle to keep it for him until I see him in person. It's an honor for me to accept this award on his behalf. He's got big shoes to fill. I don't know about the speech he gave me to tell everyone. Here I am going to be in front of a few hundred people and I have to make a speech for him. How do you top Darrell Waltrip?"
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Darrell Waltrip Motorsports
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