Indiana Homecoming/ IRL Iowa Date Announcement/ Paul Tracy is a Bleeder
Indiana Homecoming
With the demise of major Open Wheel racing after the split, our Open Wheelers leave USACLand for NASCARLand. This weekend, they come home. The homecoming begins Thursday night with USAC Silver Crown action at O’Reilly Raceway Park at Indianapolis. Carl Edwards will drive in the event that kicks off a very busy weekend for him.
“Indy is always a big weekend,” stated Carl Edwards. “There is so much history and tradition. I will be running triple duty starting on Thursday in my USAC car, Saturday in my Busch No. 60 Ameriquest Ford and top it off Sunday in my No 99 Office Depot NEXTEL Cup car. O'Reilly Raceway Park and the Brickyard are so different, but the mission is the same. Tackle each lap like it's the last and gain points in both championship races.”
His team is currently fifth in owner points but at the top of the board, there is a big fight. Bryan Tyler and Bud Kaeding are tied for the points lead heading into a double race weekend. A pavement race at ORP followed by a dirt race two nights later at the Terre Haute Action Track could be the turning point either of the two veterans need on the road to the Silver Crown Series championship. Kaeding and Tyler each possess 369 points at the halfway point in the season. Neither has ever won a Silver Crown race at ORP but that cannot be said for Terre Haute. Brian Tyler won that event in 2004. A bad qualifying night at THAT may be a good omen for Tyler. He started in 22nd in 2004 when he won there. Wayne Reutiman Jr. is hoping to gain ground on the points leaders coming off his win at Milwaukee. Reutiman will have a cheering section at ORP as his uncle David Reutiman races in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series. Native Memphian, (my hometown) Jeff Swindell is set to return to the USAC Silver Crown series at Terre Haute. Swindell who was by the office today to say hi (he didn’t drop by only see me, he was there to see my boss) owns four career Silver Crown victories and five poles. If you are going to the races bring your scanner. Brian Tyler’s wife spots for him and the instructions she gives her driver/ husband makes for an entertaining night. I have never heard a spotter so animated. Jay Drake will have a new sponsor on his car this weekend. National Parts Peddler Newspaper and Trade Show is now the primary sponsor of the Jim Paternoster owned No. 41 Riley driven by Drake. There are thirteen entries in the prelim entry sheet posted by ORP.
USAC Silver Crown Entries O’Reilly Raceway Park
1 Dave Steele
8 Bryn Gohn
14 Josh Wise
17 Matt Neely
18 Thiago Medeiros
21 Brian Tyler
26 Aaron Pierce
28 Tim Barber
29 Bud Kaeding
41 Jay Drake
96 Rodney Weesner
00 Wayne Reutiman
199 Carl Edwards
Rookie Truckers Returning Home
Say the names Bobby East and Boston Reid and you think of O’Reilly Raceway Park and USAC. These two drivers have put in their time on the .686 mile oval and are now returning as NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series rookies. East win the USAC Silver Crown event there a year ago. Indiana native Kraig Kinser is also coming home but this weekend will mark his first start at ORP. Former Memphian and now Indiana native Cameron Dodson will attempt his first truck start at O'Reilly Raceway Park driving for MB Motorsports. USAC veteran Mike Bliss has never won a truck race at ORP. The 1993 Silver Crown champion say driving a Silver Crown car and driving a truck around the .686 mile oval are different animals.
“The only way I can describe it is to say that it is different,” said Bliss. “It is hard to take what you learn from driving a 1,000-1,500 pound Silver Crown car, and apply that to driving a 3,400 vehicle. Probably the biggest thing that I have taken away from the open wheel stuff is the time on the track. I really think that that helps a lot, especially at ORP. Since it is a little tricky track, having the extra track time can do nothing but help us.”
The USAC and NASCAR veteran had the following work of wisdom to the Indiana rookies competing in their first truck race at ORP.
“My advice to the young guys is to just not think too hard, I think that is what has happened to me in the past at ORP, and just get the truck to roll up through the center of the corners. Thinking about how you should be getting through the corners and where you need to turn was always something that messed me up. What I have to do is just let the truck show me what I need to do, and then adjust on things from there, and also just do what feels comfortable, without putting the truck in the wall of course. I also think that they need to treat it just like any other short track that we go to, and just be patient and save your stuff for the end of the race.”
Open Wheeler Truck Entries for Milwaukee10 Terry Cook16 Mike Bliss
17 David Reutiman (Wayne Reutiman Jr.’s cousin) 21 Bobby East
25 Boston Reid46 Kraig Kinser63 Cameron Dodson
98 Erin Crocker
Edwards is Hot Headed to Indy
Carl Edwards is on a hot streak headed into Indy. The Open Wheeler won at Gateway last weekedn and looks to make it two in a row in the Busch Series. He will have to battle several fellow Open Wheelers that want to win in front of their home crowd. PJ Jones and Erin Crocker look to make their mark this weekend.
Busch Series Entries for ORP
10 John Andretti
11 Paul Menard
18 J.J. Yeley
38 Jason Leffler
43 PJ Jones
60 Carl Edwards
77 Burney Lamar
98 Erin Crocker
IRL to Iowa Announcement Tomorrow?
The Indy Racing League has scheduled a teleconference with the media tomorrow, the same day the series is conducting compatibility tests at Iowa Speedway. The series is scheduled to announce a new component to its 2007 schedule. As we first reported on July 25th, Scott Dixon and Wade Cunningham will test drive the new 7/8 mile oval to see how IndyCar Series cars react to the racing surface and to determine what changes, if any, are needed for IndyCar Series or Indy Pro Series cars, engines, chassis or tires to race at the facility. The announcement is scheduled for 2pm eastern. We plan to have more on this story tomorrow.
In other Iowa Speedway news, tickets for individual race events for this season go on sale this Saturday. All three USAC national divisions are scheduled to race at Iowa Speedway on September 16-17 later this year.
Paul Tracy is a Bleeder
Apparently you really liked the photos of the fight between Paul Tracy and Alex Tagliani. Well fear not my friends, we have found additional images and video. SPEED has a great photo. http://www.speedtv.com/_assets/library/img/large/115094_tat.jpg
Then there is this angle from what looks to be the helicopter (NOTE LANGUAGE, NOT SUITABLE FOR KIDS, A Tag says the F word over and over) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pNOyDe4ugrw&search=fight%20between%20Paul%20Tracy%20and%20Alex%20Tagliani.
And finally this video shot by the local CBS affiliate in the Bay area.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hTT_ujmIDDQ&mode=related&search=fight%20between%20Paul%20Tracy%20and%20Alex%20Tagliani.
That is all for now...
With the demise of major Open Wheel racing after the split, our Open Wheelers leave USACLand for NASCARLand. This weekend, they come home. The homecoming begins Thursday night with USAC Silver Crown action at O’Reilly Raceway Park at Indianapolis. Carl Edwards will drive in the event that kicks off a very busy weekend for him.
“Indy is always a big weekend,” stated Carl Edwards. “There is so much history and tradition. I will be running triple duty starting on Thursday in my USAC car, Saturday in my Busch No. 60 Ameriquest Ford and top it off Sunday in my No 99 Office Depot NEXTEL Cup car. O'Reilly Raceway Park and the Brickyard are so different, but the mission is the same. Tackle each lap like it's the last and gain points in both championship races.”
His team is currently fifth in owner points but at the top of the board, there is a big fight. Bryan Tyler and Bud Kaeding are tied for the points lead heading into a double race weekend. A pavement race at ORP followed by a dirt race two nights later at the Terre Haute Action Track could be the turning point either of the two veterans need on the road to the Silver Crown Series championship. Kaeding and Tyler each possess 369 points at the halfway point in the season. Neither has ever won a Silver Crown race at ORP but that cannot be said for Terre Haute. Brian Tyler won that event in 2004. A bad qualifying night at THAT may be a good omen for Tyler. He started in 22nd in 2004 when he won there. Wayne Reutiman Jr. is hoping to gain ground on the points leaders coming off his win at Milwaukee. Reutiman will have a cheering section at ORP as his uncle David Reutiman races in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series. Native Memphian, (my hometown) Jeff Swindell is set to return to the USAC Silver Crown series at Terre Haute. Swindell who was by the office today to say hi (he didn’t drop by only see me, he was there to see my boss) owns four career Silver Crown victories and five poles. If you are going to the races bring your scanner. Brian Tyler’s wife spots for him and the instructions she gives her driver/ husband makes for an entertaining night. I have never heard a spotter so animated. Jay Drake will have a new sponsor on his car this weekend. National Parts Peddler Newspaper and Trade Show is now the primary sponsor of the Jim Paternoster owned No. 41 Riley driven by Drake. There are thirteen entries in the prelim entry sheet posted by ORP.
USAC Silver Crown Entries O’Reilly Raceway Park
1 Dave Steele
8 Bryn Gohn
14 Josh Wise
17 Matt Neely
18 Thiago Medeiros
21 Brian Tyler
26 Aaron Pierce
28 Tim Barber
29 Bud Kaeding
41 Jay Drake
96 Rodney Weesner
00 Wayne Reutiman
199 Carl Edwards
Rookie Truckers Returning Home
Say the names Bobby East and Boston Reid and you think of O’Reilly Raceway Park and USAC. These two drivers have put in their time on the .686 mile oval and are now returning as NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series rookies. East win the USAC Silver Crown event there a year ago. Indiana native Kraig Kinser is also coming home but this weekend will mark his first start at ORP. Former Memphian and now Indiana native Cameron Dodson will attempt his first truck start at O'Reilly Raceway Park driving for MB Motorsports. USAC veteran Mike Bliss has never won a truck race at ORP. The 1993 Silver Crown champion say driving a Silver Crown car and driving a truck around the .686 mile oval are different animals.
“The only way I can describe it is to say that it is different,” said Bliss. “It is hard to take what you learn from driving a 1,000-1,500 pound Silver Crown car, and apply that to driving a 3,400 vehicle. Probably the biggest thing that I have taken away from the open wheel stuff is the time on the track. I really think that that helps a lot, especially at ORP. Since it is a little tricky track, having the extra track time can do nothing but help us.”
The USAC and NASCAR veteran had the following work of wisdom to the Indiana rookies competing in their first truck race at ORP.
“My advice to the young guys is to just not think too hard, I think that is what has happened to me in the past at ORP, and just get the truck to roll up through the center of the corners. Thinking about how you should be getting through the corners and where you need to turn was always something that messed me up. What I have to do is just let the truck show me what I need to do, and then adjust on things from there, and also just do what feels comfortable, without putting the truck in the wall of course. I also think that they need to treat it just like any other short track that we go to, and just be patient and save your stuff for the end of the race.”
Open Wheeler Truck Entries for Milwaukee10 Terry Cook16 Mike Bliss
17 David Reutiman (Wayne Reutiman Jr.’s cousin) 21 Bobby East
25 Boston Reid46 Kraig Kinser63 Cameron Dodson
98 Erin Crocker
Edwards is Hot Headed to Indy
Carl Edwards is on a hot streak headed into Indy. The Open Wheeler won at Gateway last weekedn and looks to make it two in a row in the Busch Series. He will have to battle several fellow Open Wheelers that want to win in front of their home crowd. PJ Jones and Erin Crocker look to make their mark this weekend.
Busch Series Entries for ORP
10 John Andretti
11 Paul Menard
18 J.J. Yeley
38 Jason Leffler
43 PJ Jones
60 Carl Edwards
77 Burney Lamar
98 Erin Crocker
IRL to Iowa Announcement Tomorrow?
The Indy Racing League has scheduled a teleconference with the media tomorrow, the same day the series is conducting compatibility tests at Iowa Speedway. The series is scheduled to announce a new component to its 2007 schedule. As we first reported on July 25th, Scott Dixon and Wade Cunningham will test drive the new 7/8 mile oval to see how IndyCar Series cars react to the racing surface and to determine what changes, if any, are needed for IndyCar Series or Indy Pro Series cars, engines, chassis or tires to race at the facility. The announcement is scheduled for 2pm eastern. We plan to have more on this story tomorrow.
In other Iowa Speedway news, tickets for individual race events for this season go on sale this Saturday. All three USAC national divisions are scheduled to race at Iowa Speedway on September 16-17 later this year.
Paul Tracy is a Bleeder
Apparently you really liked the photos of the fight between Paul Tracy and Alex Tagliani. Well fear not my friends, we have found additional images and video. SPEED has a great photo. http://www.speedtv.com/_assets/library/img/large/115094_tat.jpg
Then there is this angle from what looks to be the helicopter (NOTE LANGUAGE, NOT SUITABLE FOR KIDS, A Tag says the F word over and over) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pNOyDe4ugrw&search=fight%20between%20Paul%20Tracy%20and%20Alex%20Tagliani.
And finally this video shot by the local CBS affiliate in the Bay area.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hTT_ujmIDDQ&mode=related&search=fight%20between%20Paul%20Tracy%20and%20Alex%20Tagliani.
That is all for now...
posted by Blake Johnson at 8:11 PM
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