Tuesday, June 12, 2012

Formula 1: Ricciardo Finishes 14th at Canadian GP, Vergne 15th

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Gordon snaps winless streak

�After nearly two years, Jeff Gordon made his way back to victory lane by winning the Subway Fresh Fit 500 at Phoenix International Raceay on Sunday. The win was the first for Gordon in 67 races and his 83rd career win, overall, tying him for fifth on the Sprint Cup all-time win list with Cale [...]

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MOTOGP: Yamaha Locks Down Lorenzo Through 2014

Yamaha has fired the first salvo of what's destined to be a crucial silly season by retaining the services of MotoGP title leader Jorge Lorenzo.

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Monday, June 11, 2012

Interact in Vendor Marketplace

The Vendor Marketplace is one of my favorite spots this weekend. It’s a chance to stroll around and check out some fashion, new motorcycle products, score some sunglasses or accessories and learn more about the motorcycle culture. Plus it’s located in Gasoline Alley. Not bad.
This year I’ve noticed a greater digital influence. As someone that [...]

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Garage Fire subdues Team Willy?s victory party...

NO! I won?t make any jokes about birthday candles for Sir Frank here... As reportedly a scary fire broke out in the Williams F1 Pit Garage whilst the team was having a celebratory photo taken - including Sir Frank, as his daughter Claire wheeled him away to safety...
One crew member was seriously injured, with several others incurring respitory troubles due to smoke inhalation - including the two neighboring Pitlane teams members from Caterham and Force India, with 31-people injured before the fire was put out...
Williams Box on Fire - 31 people treated
Yet the good news is that it sounds like everyone with the exception of the one person with the most serious injuries is now listed in stable condition, with the rest of Sir Frank?s squad returning home...
Williams F1 Team members return home

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Women on Wheels: Meet Lynda!

This year?s Red Bull Indianapolis GP will take the time to recognize women motorcycle riders. Many events have been organized throughout the race weekend that are just for women. Some selected lady riders have been kind enough to share their riding stories with us. They come from different riding groups and [...]

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Sunday, June 10, 2012

Donny Lia And Bob Garbarino Reuniting In 2012 On The NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour

It's a relationship in the past led to a pair of NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour championships for Mystic car owner Bob Garbarino.


And it's a relationship back together on a mission to look for a third series title.
Two-time Whelen Modified Tour champion Donny Lia will return to the series in 2012 to drive once again for Garbarino.
"It works for me and it works for him," Garbarino said. "So we're going to do it again."
With Lia behind the wheel in 2007, Garbarino won his first Whelen Modified Tour championship. The pair split after that season, with Lia heading to the Camping World Truck Series.

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NASCAR?s big, but not that big, here

Will Denny Hamlin join the Miami posse of Lebron James? The opposite is unlikely.

 

HOMESTEAD, Fla. – It’s all about the South down here. No drawls. No plantations (well, there is a city near here called Plantation). But there’s South Beach, and the geography is unmistakable. Homestead-Miami Speedway may not be Southern but it’s as south as the United States of America gets.

NASCAR takes its traveling show to most parts of the country, but it doesn’t get much glitzier than this. Juan Pablo Montoya held his annual South Beach gala – or soiree or extravaganza, or whatever – on Thursday night.

In other big news, Denny Hamlin met LeBron James.

“It was just at our hotel, basically,” said the Sprint Cup point leader. “One of the guys that I know, that works at the hotel, asked if I cared to meet him, and I said, ‘Of course. Sure.’ I just briefly talked to him for just a second. It really wasn’t anything too big. Obviously, he’s one of the most interesting guys of the past year, so it was good to experience that.”

Asked if the NBA star knew anything about NASCAR, Hamlin said not too much.

“He’s heard of it. I don’t know,” said Hamlin. “I really didn’t ask him too much about to be honest with you. I got to thinking, though, I was sitting there and looking around and the scene around him, and what-not, and I was thinking, why in the world would he leave Cleveland for this?”

It may have been a bit like the time Red Grange visited the White House. Grange was introduced to Pres. Calvin Coolidge, who was told, “This is Red Grange of the Chicago Bears,” and the president replied, “I’ve always enjoyed animal acts.”

NASCAR is known here. Every Chase has ended here, not to mention the seasons of 2002-03 before there was a Chase. NASCAR holds its grand finale in a city made famous at various times by Jackie Gleason, Tony Montana and Dan Marino. It’s going to take at least a Montoya championship to make NASCAR a household name.

Or maybe Hamlin can win the championship and thus earn a place in LeBron’s posse.

 

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Six for Six - or will it be Seven for Seven?

So it all seems like a foggy dreamscape to Mwah... As I purposely didn?t wish to be told the winner of the Monaco GP whilst staying at ?CARPETS Manor in Indianapolis during the Indy 500 weekend...
Even first telling Rob to please not give it away and then having to get up and walk outside while he was watching Speedcentre on Monday morning; saying sorry... And then I had to go back outside a further three times when trying to come inside after breakfast as Ye ?Ol Windbag (Dave Despain) was launching into Hot Topics - where he tells you the winners; URGH!
Thus having finally watched the tape upon my return to the Emerald City, I haveda say I was most shocked by ?DER TERMINATOR, nee Michael Schumacher snatching an incomprehensible Pole position from Mark ?Handlebarz Webber; CRIKEYS! As I suppose Michael really wished he hadn?t punted Bruno Senna the race prior and earned a five-spot grid penalty at ?Monn-knockoe,? eh?
As I haveda say that I found the race itself to be very boring and nothin? more then another parade; Hmm? Perhaps ?Somme-thun to dooze with just having sat in Turn-2 at Indianapolis and sweltered thru a real honest-to-goodness motor race - until Dashley LePew?s Squeeze-job...
But I was very happy for Webber to win his first race of the season, while I couldn?t help but grimace over how I?m noticing that ?Brittany, a.k.a. thee Great Nico Rosberg seemingly thinks he?s got the fastest car in every TV interview... While Fredrico Suave (Alonso) was once again his ultra debonair self and I could almost hear him smacking his lips whilst fawning over the fact that he?s now leading the driver?s points standings; YIKES!
But don?t get me wrong, I like Brittany and I found this article about him hangin? out with Mika-the-Finn pretty entertaining...
When Nico met Mika
So will it be Louise ?JAGUAR Hamilton, thee Iceman (Kimi Raikkonen) or somebody else?s turn on the top step of the podium at le Circuit Gilles Villeneuve? Tune in Sunday on FOX...

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Friday, June 8, 2012

Women on Wheels: Meet Lynda!

This year?s Red Bull Indianapolis GP will take the time to recognize women motorcycle riders. Many events have been organized throughout the race weekend that are just for women. Some selected lady riders have been kind enough to share their riding stories with us. They come from different riding groups and [...]

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Victory takes a gallop on the beach

 

The winner of the Sprint Cup at the conclusion of Sunday's Ford 400 in Homestead may or may not have the best car. What really counts -- in that race, and for the very survival of Racin' -- is what comes from the other side of the tracks of the mind: A dark woman's lucky smile. It's a Stone Agel truth which science getting to from the futurel side of the brain. Or so 'tis said at Ovalscreams today.

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Art Pollared: A forgotten driver...

1970 Art Pollard portrait. (Source: artpollard.tripod.com)
Otay, so I won?t try reinventing the wheel here - as it seemed somewhat ironic, or karmic? That thee ?OLDEST? IndyCar blogger Geo. Phillips has recently posted a great story about this relatively unknown IndyCar driver who unfortunately met his maker this very day 39-years ago...
Art Pollared: Always Overshadowed
As I?ll confess that I?ve only ever known the name Art Pollard from my studies regarding what has to be one of my absolute most favourite Indy Cars - those ultra alluring Lotus 56 turbines - having been overly pleased to view Graham Hill?s chassis at the Hall of Fame museum a few years ago; but I digress...
Thus upon hunting around le Internetz I came upon the Art Lee Pollard remembered website, which was a project of his family?s - primarily Mike Pollard, who unfortunately died from complications of Chemotherapy in  2009...
As I?m sure there are countless other racing drivers out there whom also languish in obscurity - or not being known at all, as it seems the more I do this racing thingy the less I know about IT!
Thus I felt even more chagrined to discover that Messer Pollard hailed from Roseberg, Oregon - which is right in my proverbial ?Backyard, as after all Portland International Raceway was my Indy Car Hometrack for two decades... As it?s even funnier yet to learn that Art dominated the Pacific Racing Association series plus West Coast Super Modifieds before finally graduating to the ?Big Carz...
As I was also unaware of the fact that Lone Star J.R. (Johnny Rutherford( was one of Art?s close personal friends - as Rutherford ironically captured his debutant Indy 500 pole the very same day as Pollard?s death and dedicated this achievement in honor of Art...
And I also know that numerous drivers are diligent souls in giving back to their respective community and us the fans, but the part that really hits home with me is Pollard?s immense contributions towards the La Rue Carter Hospital mentally-ill children... Making yearly visits without camera crew or media to the Hospital?s Psychiatric ward - talking with them, telling stories, playing basketball, etc. As the single sentence ?bout Art personally paying for them to attend Day Camp left your stoic No Fenders scribe teary-eyed... As it seems a fitting tribute that La rue Carter named their playground in honor of him.
Art Pollard Playground
And once again - even in death, it seemed very strange that as I spent the weekend rummaging thru the Art Lee Pollard family website - as I watched the Sunday evenings Wind Tunnel, think it was ?Dar? ?Ol OWR Curmudgeon ?R (Robin Miller) wished Joe Leonard a speedy recovery ?Get Well? wish, saying the ex-Lotus teammate of Art?s had recently suffered a stroke.
And say what you might about Robin Miller - but you have to admit that Robin?s obituary below, which I ?Shamelessly borrowed from the Art Lee Pollard remembered website?s More Eulogies section is indeed very touching and definitely gives me a feel for Art Pollard the person, not the racecar driver... Who wasn?t too ?Damn bad at that either.
As Art left the racing arena way too early with 83 USAC Champ Car starts and two IndyCar victories - which George notes that occurred in 1969 at Milwaukee and Dover, along with a second place finish at Langhorne that year.
Pollard also finished a tantalizing runner-up to Jim McElreath at Ontario in 1970 after leading the race by 1-lap before victory slipped away due to a slow tire leak - and for reference, Art?s win tally is double somebody named Danica?s output... Not to mention all of the other various ?One-hit wonders! As Art?s unyielding patience for making time for anybody tends to make me think of another fallen driver named Dan Wheldon...


Art Pollard in the Lotus 56 -   Martin Hill. (Source: tamsoldracecarsite.net)
Robin Miller: Riley Hospital for Children had a special wing for kids with emotional issues and that was LaRue Carter where Art would go at night and sit with the kids for a few hours. After his death we had a picnic for those kids every May, drivers played softball, hung with the kids and that went on for 20-plus years before it was stopped.
Art got a late start in racing but was a bad ass in super modifieds and adapted quickly to Indy cars. He was always aggressive and real brave. But there was never a better person, great with the fans and well liked by the other drivers.
He got me started in racing when we bought a Formula Ford from Andy Granatelli (Art was driving for him then) and he was my chief mechanic (on crutches from his broken leg suffered at Indy in 1972 when the hub broke) for my first couple runs. Alley Oop (his nickname) was one of those special people who come along every now and then...
Indianapolis Star - Sunday, May 13, 1973.
by Robin Miller When a race driver is killed on the track the first thing everybody says is,"That's too bad, he was a hell of a guy." In the obituary the next day, his past performances are listed and any other worthy achievements are mentioned. Yesterday Art Pollard left us. Not Art Pollard the race driver, but Art Pollard the human being. This is a personal eulogy. I'm 23 years old. Art was 46 just last Saturday. But we had as much in common as any two people I know. We had a lot of good times together and in the three years I knew him, he showed me why he was different from most. At 46, he was just hitting fourth gear. For one, he was a grandfather but as youthful as any when it came to standing on a gas pedal. His other uncommon feature was that Art Pollard actually cared, gave a damn if you please, about a bunch of people in this world. Whether you raced against him, dined with him,laughed with him or barely knew him, Art Pollard came across as more than an autograph, handshake or wave. In the pressurized world of professional auto racing, most drivers, understandably have too much on their minds to stop and chat with everyone who calls their names. But Pollard made time for nearly anybody. Whether you were a Boy Scout, a crippled child, a pushy mother demanding an autograph or a drunk wanting to talk to "that old guy," Art Pollard tried to tried to become a part of your world at least for a couple of minutes. He spent hours and his own money on the retarded children at La Rue Carter hospital here in Indianapolis. He saw to it they spent one day in May with him at the Speedway each year. And if you don't think that means a lot to people, you are mistaken. Art enjoyed talking as much as he did driving and he was a master of the after-dinner speech. He was also a master at organization. Race drivers are as a group, almost impossible to organize-at or away from the track. But Pollard possessed a knack for getting on the phone and making things happen. Last winter he was at his best. He began a weekly Thursday night poker game at his apartment that saw Johnny Parsons, John Mahler, Cy Fairchild, Billy Vukovich, Art's friends and neighbors, lose money and enjoy themselves. Then on each Tuesday and Thursday morning, Pollard would get up and begin rousing Parsons, Mahler, Merle Bettenhausen and me to go down to the Athletic Club and work out. It was a pleasure to watch Pollard muscle his way around the basketball court for two straight hours, knock a volley ball back and forth for another 90 minutes and finish it up with a weight-lifting exibition that usually sent the steady customers away shaking their heads. Just this past month, the competition had turned to golf and Art, though not the golfer Vuky or Mahler is, played every hole like it was Agusta. But as competetive as he was, he was always vibrant, even-tempered and hardly ever moody. After he helped me get started racing last summer he told me never to burn any bridges in dealing with people. "You've got to keep the right attitude all the time. When somebody spins and causes you to wreck, don't fly off the handle and try to get back at them, 'cause sooner or later you're going to make a mistake too," he used to say. Most of all, though, Art Pollard never seemed to age. Last summer we went to a concert to hear the Carpenters and he knew almost every song they sang. He always dressed with style too. But his mental frame of mind was truly a wonder. A year ago, he suffered a broken leg in a crash after qualifying for the race. That crash probably would have made a lot of guys 35 quit. But Pollard was a tough cuss. Two hours after they put the cast on, he was scheming on how to get it off in time for the Pocono 500. He finally succeeded and ran strong at Ontario. This May had all the signs of being his best since he drove Andy Granatelli's turbine in 1968. He had a '73 Eagle, two good mechanics and a new sponsor. All during practice he'd been one of the fastest. He kept telling me," Man, when things start out smooth and organized like this operation, you know you're going to do well." He was running 191-plus when he crashed. The burns and broken bones he could have survived but it was a spinal cord injury that took his life. So now he's just another name in the Speedway record book, with an asterisk for being dead. They say, "well that's too bad but you got to keep on living." But I can't help feel a part of me and a lot of other people went away yesterday.(Source: artpollard.tripod.com)
For more insight upon Art  Pollard - please visit the Family?s website at: Art Lee Pollard rememberd

Thanxs to Robin Miller for sharing his insights...

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Thursday, June 7, 2012

Oreca Peugeot, BMW Motorsport win top classes at Sebring

Historic victory for de Chaunac led team in 2011 opener ORECA Sebring 2011-03-20Hugues de Chaunac 090917-1Peugeot won again at the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring presented by Fresh from Florida on Saturday, this time the Team ORECA Matmut taking victory in America?s greatest sports car race and ...

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Michael Waltrip does it all in NASCAR

Michael Waltrip does it all in NASCAR

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NASCAR This Week ends operations today

 

It's been a hoot, but we gotta scoot.

 

NASCAR This Week is ending operations on Monday, December 6, and will go offline on Dec. 17.

While traffic to the site has continued to grow since April 2008 when we came online, NASCAR This Week failed to meet its financial expectations.

We’d like to thank Monte for his generous permission to feed all his stories to this site. We still believe he’s the best NASCAR journalist out there, and wonder if the NASCAR heat we got last summer was due more to Monte’s voice than the few bucks we were making off advertising.

Keep giving ‘em hell, Monte!

Monte will continue to cover NASCAR. You can find his stories on the NASCAR page at the Gaston Gazette where he works, as well as his blog, also located on the Gaston Gazette website. Monte also posts blogs on his personal MySpace page, and he also maintains a music MySpace page where you can hear his songs and find out where he’s performing next. He also has a page on Facebook.

We also want to thank all of you for stopping by over the past few years to catch Monte’s latest, join in the comment conversation or just enjoying some NASCAR octane.

Please leave us a message of farewell if you care to in the comments section below.

For the next couple of weeks we’ll leave up some of Monte’s best stories from the season. We think they offer ample evidence of why you should continue to follow Monte where you can. As we said, we think he’s the best around.

Here’s to great racin’ in the years to come!

-- Ovalscream

Nascar car racing motorsport

Wednesday, June 6, 2012

Strategy pays off

Nascar car racing motorsport

Fans await Ben Spies at the Oakley Tweet Up

We’ve been getting all of our fans hyped on Twitter and Facebook for the Ben Spies tweet up for the past 2 weeks! Today was finally the day. The first 5 fans in line outside of the Oakley retail garage received a free pair of Oakley Batwolf sunglasses and Ben signed autographs for about 20 [...]

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The Best Seats in the House

The best seats in the house at IMS are well known when it comes to the Indy 500 and the Brickyard 400. When it comes to the Red Bull Indianapolis GP and the IMS road course, it?s a different story. We took the time to scope out the best three places to watch tomorrow?s race. [...]

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Tuesday, June 5, 2012

For ESPN's Marty Smith, when one door closes, another opens

For ESPN's Marty Smith, when one door closes, another opens

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Las Vegas to Host NASCAR 2012 Champions Week

In 2008 when NASCAR Champions Week left New York - its host city for twenty-five years - in favor of Las Vegas there were some who voiced their concern that the move was less than wise, with quips about rebounds and quickie divorces being made. However, after three years in Las Vegas, NASCAR officials are more than satisfied with the results and have made it known that NASCAR's Sprint Cup Series Awards and Champions Week will be held in Las Vegas for at least three more years ? a happy union between the hot-spot tourist playground and the country's most popular sport.


Related posts:Tony Stewart Claims First Victory at Las VegasAuto Club Speedway to Host NASCAR EventThe Fun-filled Daytona 200 and Bike Week

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Ted Christopher Readies For Usual Aggressive Schedule Of Racing In 2012

Age is doing nothing to slow down to Ted Christopher when it comes to setting his schedule of competition in racing.

The 53-year old Christopher will set forth once again with an aggressive schedule that will see him run full-time on the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour while also possibly chasing another NASCAR Whelen All-American Series national short track title.
Despite rumors to the contrary, Christopher said his Ed Whelan owned Whelen Modified Tour team is ready to return to full-time competition in the series this year.
The team split briefly last year mid-season but came back together to finish 2011 strong. Christopher finished ninth in the Modified Tour standings last year, despite missing two events.

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Indy race as the world?s first high-risk events killed had refused to fight F1 talent

Indy car racing is a competition venue, with the World Championships. The racing originated in the United States, formerly the American Automobile Association-sponsored tournament. 1978 by 18 IndyCar team co-founded the “Indy Championship Racing Team Ltd”, established a series of organized racing event management, has developed unique rules of the game. 1979 organized the first [...]

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Monday, June 4, 2012

Sellers back on top of his game with Late Model wins at SoBo

Sellers back on top of his game with Late Model wins at SoBo

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The Time Has Come To Move On To Something New ...

What is it they say about all good things?

They must come to an end right?
And so it must come to an end here.
We've documented the good stories, the bad stories, the strange stories and the scary stories.
And now it's time to write the goodbye to this place that has been so good to us over the years.
 

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Montoya has struggled at Richmond

Montoya has struggled at Richmond

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Sunday, June 3, 2012

INDYCAR Barber Test Day 1 Combined Times

Will Power at Sonoma 2010 // Photo: Michee Ursino// 2.0 Generic (CC BY-SA 2.0) INDYCAR is in Alabama at Barber Motorsports Park this week for an open test in preparation for 2011.�� And while it is early in the week, and only a test, two things are ...

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NHRA: Tim Wilkerson Makes Strong Final Run, Stays 4th

Nissan Infinity Dodge

Terrible accident destructive fighting force Polish Kubica back on track early next year

NEW YORK, July 14 reported Renault driver Kubica That is the beginning of a serious car accident over the pain and almost brought his career, a devastating blow, he believes he will be able to get fully recovered, drove onto the track season opener 2012 . For many drivers like the big nose of people, [...]

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Saturday, June 2, 2012

Art Pollared: A forgotten driver...

1970 Art Pollard portrait. (Source: artpollard.tripod.com)
Otay, so I won?t try reinventing the wheel here - as it seemed somewhat ironic, or karmic? That thee ?OLDEST? IndyCar blogger Geo. Phillips has recently posted a great story about this relatively unknown IndyCar driver who unfortunately met his maker this very day 39-years ago...
Art Pollared: Always Overshadowed
As I?ll confess that I?ve only ever known the name Art Pollard from my studies regarding what has to be one of my absolute most favourite Indy Cars - those ultra alluring Lotus 56 turbines - having been overly pleased to view Graham Hill?s chassis at the Hall of Fame museum a few years ago; but I digress...
Thus upon hunting around le Internetz I came upon the Art Lee Pollard remembered website, which was a project of his family?s - primarily Mike Pollard, who unfortunately died from complications of Chemotherapy in  2009...
As I?m sure there are countless other racing drivers out there whom also languish in obscurity - or not being known at all, as it seems the more I do this racing thingy the less I know about IT!
Thus I felt even more chagrined to discover that Messer Pollard hailed from Roseberg, Oregon - which is right in my proverbial ?Backyard, as after all Portland International Raceway was my Indy Car Hometrack for two decades... As it?s even funnier yet to learn that Art dominated the Pacific Racing Association series plus West Coast Super Modifieds before finally graduating to the ?Big Carz...
As I was also unaware of the fact that Lone Star J.R. (Johnny Rutherford( was one of Art?s close personal friends - as Rutherford ironically captured his debutant Indy 500 pole the very same day as Pollard?s death and dedicated this achievement in honor of Art...
And I also know that numerous drivers are diligent souls in giving back to their respective community and us the fans, but the part that really hits home with me is Pollard?s immense contributions towards the La Rue Carter Hospital mentally-ill children... Making yearly visits without camera crew or media to the Hospital?s Psychiatric ward - talking with them, telling stories, playing basketball, etc. As the single sentence ?bout Art personally paying for them to attend Day Camp left your stoic No Fenders scribe teary-eyed... As it seems a fitting tribute that La rue Carter named their playground in honor of him.
Art Pollard Playground
And once again - even in death, it seemed very strange that as I spent the weekend rummaging thru the Art Lee Pollard family website - as I watched the Sunday evenings Wind Tunnel, think it was ?Dar? ?Ol OWR Curmudgeon ?R (Robin Miller) wished Joe Leonard a speedy recovery ?Get Well? wish, saying the ex-Lotus teammate of Art?s had recently suffered a stroke.
And say what you might about Robin Miller - but you have to admit that Robin?s obituary below, which I ?Shamelessly borrowed from the Art Lee Pollard remembered website?s More Eulogies section is indeed very touching and definitely gives me a feel for Art Pollard the person, not the racecar driver... Who wasn?t too ?Damn bad at that either.
As Art left the racing arena way too early with 83 USAC Champ Car starts and two IndyCar victories - which George notes that occurred in 1969 at Milwaukee and Dover, along with a second place finish at Langhorne that year.
Pollard also finished a tantalizing runner-up to Jim McElreath at Ontario in 1970 after leading the race by 1-lap before victory slipped away due to a slow tire leak - and for reference, Art?s win tally is double somebody named Danica?s output... Not to mention all of the other various ?One-hit wonders! As Art?s unyielding patience for making time for anybody tends to make me think of another fallen driver named Dan Wheldon...


Art Pollard in the Lotus 56 -   Martin Hill. (Source: tamsoldracecarsite.net)
Robin Miller: Riley Hospital for Children had a special wing for kids with emotional issues and that was LaRue Carter where Art would go at night and sit with the kids for a few hours. After his death we had a picnic for those kids every May, drivers played softball, hung with the kids and that went on for 20-plus years before it was stopped.
Art got a late start in racing but was a bad ass in super modifieds and adapted quickly to Indy cars. He was always aggressive and real brave. But there was never a better person, great with the fans and well liked by the other drivers.
He got me started in racing when we bought a Formula Ford from Andy Granatelli (Art was driving for him then) and he was my chief mechanic (on crutches from his broken leg suffered at Indy in 1972 when the hub broke) for my first couple runs. Alley Oop (his nickname) was one of those special people who come along every now and then...
Indianapolis Star - Sunday, May 13, 1973.
by Robin Miller When a race driver is killed on the track the first thing everybody says is,"That's too bad, he was a hell of a guy." In the obituary the next day, his past performances are listed and any other worthy achievements are mentioned. Yesterday Art Pollard left us. Not Art Pollard the race driver, but Art Pollard the human being. This is a personal eulogy. I'm 23 years old. Art was 46 just last Saturday. But we had as much in common as any two people I know. We had a lot of good times together and in the three years I knew him, he showed me why he was different from most. At 46, he was just hitting fourth gear. For one, he was a grandfather but as youthful as any when it came to standing on a gas pedal. His other uncommon feature was that Art Pollard actually cared, gave a damn if you please, about a bunch of people in this world. Whether you raced against him, dined with him,laughed with him or barely knew him, Art Pollard came across as more than an autograph, handshake or wave. In the pressurized world of professional auto racing, most drivers, understandably have too much on their minds to stop and chat with everyone who calls their names. But Pollard made time for nearly anybody. Whether you were a Boy Scout, a crippled child, a pushy mother demanding an autograph or a drunk wanting to talk to "that old guy," Art Pollard tried to tried to become a part of your world at least for a couple of minutes. He spent hours and his own money on the retarded children at La Rue Carter hospital here in Indianapolis. He saw to it they spent one day in May with him at the Speedway each year. And if you don't think that means a lot to people, you are mistaken. Art enjoyed talking as much as he did driving and he was a master of the after-dinner speech. He was also a master at organization. Race drivers are as a group, almost impossible to organize-at or away from the track. But Pollard possessed a knack for getting on the phone and making things happen. Last winter he was at his best. He began a weekly Thursday night poker game at his apartment that saw Johnny Parsons, John Mahler, Cy Fairchild, Billy Vukovich, Art's friends and neighbors, lose money and enjoy themselves. Then on each Tuesday and Thursday morning, Pollard would get up and begin rousing Parsons, Mahler, Merle Bettenhausen and me to go down to the Athletic Club and work out. It was a pleasure to watch Pollard muscle his way around the basketball court for two straight hours, knock a volley ball back and forth for another 90 minutes and finish it up with a weight-lifting exibition that usually sent the steady customers away shaking their heads. Just this past month, the competition had turned to golf and Art, though not the golfer Vuky or Mahler is, played every hole like it was Agusta. But as competetive as he was, he was always vibrant, even-tempered and hardly ever moody. After he helped me get started racing last summer he told me never to burn any bridges in dealing with people. "You've got to keep the right attitude all the time. When somebody spins and causes you to wreck, don't fly off the handle and try to get back at them, 'cause sooner or later you're going to make a mistake too," he used to say. Most of all, though, Art Pollard never seemed to age. Last summer we went to a concert to hear the Carpenters and he knew almost every song they sang. He always dressed with style too. But his mental frame of mind was truly a wonder. A year ago, he suffered a broken leg in a crash after qualifying for the race. That crash probably would have made a lot of guys 35 quit. But Pollard was a tough cuss. Two hours after they put the cast on, he was scheming on how to get it off in time for the Pocono 500. He finally succeeded and ran strong at Ontario. This May had all the signs of being his best since he drove Andy Granatelli's turbine in 1968. He had a '73 Eagle, two good mechanics and a new sponsor. All during practice he'd been one of the fastest. He kept telling me," Man, when things start out smooth and organized like this operation, you know you're going to do well." He was running 191-plus when he crashed. The burns and broken bones he could have survived but it was a spinal cord injury that took his life. So now he's just another name in the Speedway record book, with an asterisk for being dead. They say, "well that's too bad but you got to keep on living." But I can't help feel a part of me and a lot of other people went away yesterday.(Source: artpollard.tripod.com)
For more insight upon Art  Pollard - please visit the Family?s website at: Art Lee Pollard rememberd

Thanxs to Robin Miller for sharing his insights...

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Earnhardt Jr. on pole for Daytona 500

Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s pole for Saturday night’s Budweiser Shootout may have just been credited to the luck of a draw, but he hit Daytona International Speedway on Sunday and turned in the fastest lap in Daytona 500 qualifying to claim his first pole at Daytona in a points-paying race.
“Obviously, it gives you good ideas that [...]

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Formula 1 Grand Prix Santander Germany 2012

The first and second practice sessions will take place on Friday 20 July, with practice session 3 and qualifying rounds on Saturday. The Formula 1 Grand Prix Santander Germany ...


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Friday, June 1, 2012

Kurt Busch takes umbrage at Newman's post-Darlington comments

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Kurt Busch - Ryan Newman



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Kurt Busch and Ryan Newman are friends -- at least they were.









CONCORD, N.C. -- Kurt Busch and Ryan Newman are friends -- at least they were.
As late as 2008, the drivers were teammates at Penske Racing, and in the first race of that season, Busch pushed Newman to victory in the Daytona 500.
In light of their past relationship, Busch took offense at Newman's comments after last Saturday's Bojangles' Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway, an event that ended with Newman's No. 39 Stewart-Haas crew -- specifically gas man Andy Rueger -- confronting the driver of the No. 51 Phoenix Racing Chevrolet.
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Bruton Smith on prize money in NASCAR, says Bristol probably not a sellout

Bruton Smith weighed in on how NASCAR is parsing out price money in a story from NASCAR.com:

"I would like to take half of the money from the points fund and give it to the winners of the races. I'd like to see a $300,000 to $400,000 difference between ...

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Hamlin's team has embraced switch from carburetors

Hamlin's team has embraced switch from carburetors

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In time, Johnson will correct eye-catching Sprint Cup stats

In time, Johnson will correct eye-catching Sprint Cup stats

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