Indy Hot Wheels Jump

Probably receiving as much publicity as the RACE itself was the HOT WHEELS JUMP. This was a blast from the past.  We all know Hot Wheels toy cars.  In fact I still have ONE,  only one left.  It is one my boys and I played with.  I guess I keep it for old times sake when my sons used to like my company, more than now.  Not that they don’t now, it is just that they have their families now too. But the real memory evoked by the staging of the Hot Wheels Jump, is the fact that when I was a small child there was a touring group of “Hell Drivers”.  This group (the ones I remember were called the “Jack Kochman Hell Drivers”)  drove cars on 2 wheels around a 1 mile dirt oval.  They jumped cars, did a 360 degree spin. went over ever increasingly high ramps door handle to door handle.  And of course the slide for life.  A man would stand on the rear bumper of a convertible while others were preparing a ring of fire, which somehow they would forget turn the can upright and leave about a 5o foot long trail.  The fire was lit, the driver sped forward into the fire. the bumper rider would then step off the rear bumper and slide along the track and through the fire. Now what does this have to do with the Hot Wheels Jump?  One of the acts in the show. I think it was called the “Plunge of Death”  was having a lady climb into a little cart,  atop a high, steep ramp.  When the lever was released, she would come plummeting down, at the end was a curl, which lifted her up in the air, did at least one somersault, (sometimes, more, sometimes only a half), and land .  To build the excitement and after stunt anticipation,  she would sometimes be rescued and carried to an ambulance, which after sometime she would emerge, and take her bow. It was nice to see this old stunt revived. Thank You Hot Wheels for a walk down memory lane. That Is How I See It. more than they have Post Views: 417

Coca-Cola 600

Another boring “race’ from NASCAR.  I appreciate the concept of 600 miles to test the endurance of both car and driver, BUT that was about the highlight of this race.  Which with all the cars having no personality, of their own, (rules require all cars look alike, and run same equipment), leave little to the test of car endurance.  Only a “freakish” part malfunction, usually will retire a car from the endurance end. And YES sportsfans, NASCAR, had a rare chance to give Earnhardt Jr. a long awaited win. It amazes me how often they will try this.  Remember when all the drivers were being penalized for dropping a wheel below the yellow line and complete a pass?  Except for Jr.  There was clearly room for him to stay above the line, but he had all 4 wheels below it.  NASCAR ruled he was below to avoid an accident.  RIIGGHT! This time Jr. had a lead and looked like he could win a race. BUT!  A crash which in any other circumstance would bring out the YELLOW,  NASCAR chose not to.  Why Jr. had a chance to win.  I realize his riding on his father’s name has launched him into the FANS FAVORITE.  I have nothing against him I kind of like him too.  He just hasn’t matured as a driver yet, but is well on his way.  I think getting away from Earnhardt Racing was a good move for him to try to step out of his Father’s shadow.  I’ve seen a lot of improvement this year.  His time will come.  He will “EARN..” his own wins. I think if  you have a rule it should be interpreted the same with no regard as to whom it may affect.  Any how Jr. still did not get the win.  So considering the rule for the yellow flag is for safety purposes, why did NASCAR decide to put that aside for this instance.  One train of thought I had.  Asks, if they did throw the YELLOW, as they should have and would have in any other set of circumstances, in NASCAR’s defense.  I’m going pretty far out here for this defense.  How many cars would have been able to finish if there were another GREEN, WHITE, CHECKER.  We know that there were cars running short of gas.  So did NASCAR not throw the Yellow, in the interest of the fans seeing more cars finish?  Or to aid Jr. That Is How I See It. have been Post Views: 201

INDY 500 2011

Indy 500 was filled with controversy this year. One item on the controversy agenda was….DOUBLE CAR RESTART.  Never having raced at the track, I see nothing wrong with a double row restart, after all the official start has them racing 3 abreast.  So what is the big deal restarting with one less row?  Seems to me you have more room than at the start of the race.  Safety wise I see no harm here, except in the case of late race restarts, which would be safe except for the “I have to make a move now or else,” mentality of the driver, who is pressured by himself, his team, sponsors, and fans to finish the best he can.  Preferably 1st. From the driver’s standpoint.  Why should someone I passed be starting beside me.  Actually, that is the only valid argument I can find.  True INDY is  a one groove track.  But as my Dad would have told me.  “Find a way to use the rest of the track”.   I’ve never seen it in the rules, but doesn’t the lead car have the choice of his racing line for the restart.  He can use that to his ability, and be in the groove for the restart.  Back to the Car I Passed, scenario.  If I am above the groove, then the cars in the line behind the leader has an advantage. From the Fans standpoint. I like it. Controversy number 2.  The purchase of a ride by Michael Andretti from A.J. Foyt.  If Andretti could not field a car capable of qualifying with Hunter-Reay, why should he be allowed to purchase a ride qualified by an obviously (by means of qualifying), better driver.  I wonder if  A.J. sort of choked when he talked about how INDY had made him.  He sold Junqueria’s chance to make his name. Controversy number 3.  THE PASS UNDER YELLOW! Yes.  Hildebrand crashed.  HOWEVER he did maintain forward motion.  As the leader it is up to him to set the pace until the pace car arrives.  Apparently this rule does not apply in all instances.  The new track management seems to have deemed a disabled car cannot lead the race.  How many times I wonder have cars either ran out of gas and coasted to a win. Or crashed just as they were about to cross the finish line. This seems to me to be a rule that needs more definition.  As for me.  Hildebrand is the true winner of the 2011 INDY 500 I’m sure you all have opinions on these 3 things.  I invite you to post your comments here, and also let the people running the INDY 500 if they made the right calls. That Is How I See It. Post Views: 229

Trevor Bayne, NASCAR At Daytona

TREVOR BAYNE.  NASCAR’s youngest Daytona 500 winner in NASCAR History.  Twenty years and one day. Who is Trevor Bayne?  Where did he come from? Trevor Bayne won the Prestigious Title  “Daytona  Winner”.  A title that has eluded so many a racer.  He is the newcomer, the ROOKIE.  But he didn’t drive like one in Sundays race.  With all of the crashes, his car still looked like they had just brought it to the track.  Bayne took care of his car, and the car took care of him.   What can you say, the move at the end of  the race was not a typical rookie move.  Carl Edwards came charging from nowhere, and look surely to pass Bayne.   What did the youngster do?   Dropped down to block,  (I know some of you flinch when I say block, but that is what he did), this left Edwards no other option than to push Bayne accross the finish line.  Trevor may be a rookie in NASCAR but not in racing.  Brilliant Move TB.   But who is he and where is he from. Born in Knoxville Tennessee, February 19, 1991.  Began racing go-karts at the tender age of  5 years. After 8 years of racing karts, he held 3  WORLD CHAMPIONSHIIPS. In 2004  he began his Legacy Racing career.  While racing the Legacies he was the YOUNGEST number ONE  Rookie.  His second year saw him crowned as “NATIONAL CHAMPION”. Age 15 he moved to USAR Hooters Pro Cup Southern Division.  Again receiving the HIGH ROOKIE AWARD.  (See a Pattern Here).  At this time he was signed by Dale Earnhardt INC.’s driver development program, and began driving in the Camping World World East Series. In 2009 he raced in the Toyota All Star Showdown.  Where he won. (yup),  Sunoco’s ROOKIE OF THE RACE Award. Bayne then signed a contract with Michael Waltrip for a limited schedule.  Later signed with Roush -Fenway In 2010 he entered the Sprint Cup.  Racing for Woods Brother’s Racing.  Finishing 17th in the AAA Texas 500.  He won his next Sprint Cup Race, again for the Woods Brother’s Racing in car 21,  (the familiar red and white trademark of the Woods Brothers). It was a real joy to watch him race.  And to see him return WOODS BROTHER’S FORD  to the winner’s Circle.  A small independent team overcame the odds to make history. That Is How I See It. Post Views: 126

A Tribute To Tom Carnegie Voice of IMS

Growing up in Indiana,  I remember Tom Carnegie fondly.   Mr. Carnegie was ONE of a kind person, in his field. Mr. Carnegie, was the son of Baptist minister, and made many moves in his youth.  Born Carl Kenagy in Norwalk Connecticut on Sept 25 1919.  He died Feb. 11, 2011, a resident of Zionsville Indiana.    Just a few miles Northwest of Indianapolis. He graduated in 1942 from William Jewel College, (located Liberty Missouri) where he played baseball until a polio-like illness sidelined him his Junior year, with  partial paralysis of a  leg.  At that time he turned to  extemporaneous speech and debate competitions.  He entered a Sports Radio competition, (which he won).  As the son of Baptist minister they moved around often  Mr. Carnegie credits his years in Iowa listening to Ronald Reagan doing sport broadcasting as his inspiration to enter the sports broadcasting field. Upon graduating from William Jewel College in 1942, he accepted a position at Fort Wayne Indiana as a sports announcer.  During his tenure in Fort Wayne he became the broadcast announcer for the then Fort Wayne Pistons.  No the Pistons were not always in Detroit, Mr. Carnegie later accepted a position in Indianapolis Indiana.  It was during this time Tom Carnegie would announce Antique Car Shows.  During one of these events in 1946 he was approached by Tony Hulman, the new owner of Indianapolis Motor Speedway.  Mr. Hulman asked Tom Carnegie if he would be the PA announcer for the track.  Tom accepted and worked approximately 16 years without pay. His popular catch phrases included  during a qualifying attempt was “…..aaannnd heeees’s ON IT”.   Following a very successful attempt it was  “….iiiiittttt’s  a nnnnneeeeew traaaack record”.  And unfortunately for Mario Andretti it was “…..and Mario is slowing down on the backstretch.” In 1953 he became the sports director  for WFBM, now WRTV .  A position he held until his retirement in 1985. Nor only did he announce the races, he also announced the Indiana high school Basketball Tournament, held at Hinkle Fieldhouse on Butler University Campus.  Even before it was renamed in honor Butler’s long time coach Tony Hinkle. Mr. Carnegie also had movie credits in the movie HOOSIERS in which (get this he played a PA announcer for the final game). My family made it annual tradition to travel to Speedway Indiana to witness at least one day of qualifying for the Indy 500.  I remember how his vocal tone and cadence came across the archaic Pa system so clearly.  I also remember how when someone else tried to relieve him and you could barely make out a word here or there.  He truly was gifted. Knowing that someday Mr. Carnegie would need replaced the speedway began updating the PA system. I met the legend once.  I found him to be an unassuming and personable man.  Although our meeting lasted only a few minutes.  I asked him, (because it was quite cold  with a light drizzle that day, and he was in his eighties at the time), we all had on winter coats.  My question was “Why are you down here on the track instead of in one of the heated enclosed booths”?   His reply was, “I want to experience the event the same way the fans do.” Well that is about all I know about Carl “TOM” Carnegie.  I don’t know if Tom was even a given name or just an assumed name for professional reasons.  I do know that he is a LEGEND in sports announcing.  And will be greatly missed. That Is How I See It Post Views: 116

NASCAR (?)

NASCAR.  National Association for STOCK Car Auto Racing. At one time a person could just look at a car and tell you the brand name, year, and probably the model.  This is as things were when NASCAR got it’s start.  You had a car of about any brand.  FORD, MERCURY, HUDSON, CHEVROLET, OLDSMOBILE, PONTIAC..etc.  If it was manufactured in USA it was probably represented on the track. These cars were mostly bought at a dealership.  Many were actually driven to the race track and home again.  The men who drove these cars also worked on them and made many modifications that would end up in autos produced at the factories. Then in the late 1960-early-1070.  Detroit lost their imagination and all cars started looking alike.  But it was still a win on Sunday Sell on Monday, situation for the manufacturers.  A person could still go to their local dealership and buy a car like they watched win. As NASCAR grew so did the advertising opportunity.  The time of the Shade Tree  Mechanic racing was coming to an end.  It took money to be competitive.  I can attest to this.  I ran dirt tracks.  It was just  a hobby, something to have fun with.   I remember it cost me $12 to enter the race.  I won the Trophy Dash, (trophy dash was a race between the 4 fastest qualifiers usually about 4 laps long),  I won my heat race, qualified for the semi-feature and finished 2nd.  The Feature the big money race I finished 5th.  I went home with a trophy and $9.  The trophy probably cost $3 so I may have broken even.  I was earning the average salary at the time.  But eventually the local track was invaded by people with sponsorships.  They had twice as much money in their car than I made a year, Now NASCAR has (in the name of safety) brought out their own model.  They all look even more alike.  Wait, they are alike.  Can I go to my local dealership and buy one of these basic models.  Nope.  Why call them FORD, CHEVY, TOYOTA.  The auto manufacturers are pouring money into a car no one can buy.  What they are paying for is a sticker with their name on it. It may be me, and probably is, but Since a certain person whose shall remain nameless but his last name starts with the eighth letter of the alphabet,  NASCAR has been on a downward spiral.  They wanted to change their image and do away with the “redneck” image that supported them throughout the years.  Silly rule changes.  Example:  A  car passes inspection before the race.  after banging each other, the wall, etc, the car come in and it  is .0064 inches lower than it started.  Slap a fine and penalty.  A weakened spring, lower tire pressure, any number of  things could cause this in the natural course of a race. NASCAR has always allowed a certain brand name to make changes because they could not keep up with FORD.  (I am a FORD man).  Now they still make exceptions for the cars carrying that other brand sticker. But I leave this up to you to decide.  STOCK CARS meant cars you could purchase at you dealership.      Because this is no longer possible.  Shouldn’t the “S”tock”  be dropped from the name and just be NACAR  (National Association for Car Auto Racing) In closing I personally do not like the “CHASE’  Championships should be won on a show of consistency throughout the year.  And this idea of guaranteed starting positions…. If you had 43 cars come in and post faster times than any of the “Stars”  That would mean 35 of those cars would not make the race and slower cars would be in the race.  DUH. That’s the way  I see it   Post Views: 113

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