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]]>Scott Kalitta’s tragic death in an NHRA Funny Car at Englishtown, NJ last weekend should be a wakeup call for everyone who loves the sport of drag racing as much as Scott did…drivers, crew, officials, safety workers and fans. If the loss of Scott launches a widespread safety initiative that will make the sport safer for participants and fans…on the order of the quantum leaps NASCAR made in the wake of Dale Earnhardt’s death in the 2001 Daytona 500…Kalitta’s legacy will be secured and his untimely passing may trigger the ultimate celestial “Win” light.
My modest proposal? Reduce all drag races to ONE EIGHTH MILE! Heresy? Hold on for a second and a half. That would be the difference in a Top Fuel or Funny Car pass from Christmas Tree to Finish Line in a 660 foot race versus the “standard” 1320. The top speed through the 1/8 mile would be around 270 MPH in the nitro classes and the elapsed time around 3 seconds. (Compared to about 4 ½ seconds at 330 MPH in the ¼ mile.) I defy even the most seasoned drag racing fan to visually tell the difference between these speeds from a starting line grandstand seat. (That’s why we have “Win” lights with ET and MPH displays.) The visceral SHOW at an NHRA or IHRA event is at the starting line. The burnout, the staging battle and the 8,000 HP launch is the sensory overload that millions of fans crave. After launching, the cars quickly become microscopic as they nearly disappear at the top end of the drag strip.
Why the EIGHTH MILE? The most important benefits of the shorter distance are DECREASING speeds while INCREASING the length of the shut down area by 660 feet on what is already existing racetrack. The additional shut down area could contain sand traps (almost a high speed “Runaway Truck Ramp” that we see on mountain highways) and a series of “catch nets” with anchors outside the boundaries of the race track. (similar to “arresting hooks” on aircraft carriers). Most drag strips in use today were built years ago when speeds were not even half of what the cars run today. Shut down areas may have been adequate “back in the day” when speeds were significantly less...but launching and stopping a nitro car today is akin to launching and landing a jet on an aircraft carrier…with similarly slight margins for error. Housing developments, businesses and industries have encroached ever closer to existing dragstrip boundaries….making extending shut down areas an expensive and in some cases impossible option. Decreasing the racing area to an eighth of a mile will cost virtually nothing, require no expensive modifications to the facility and should save money in the long run with less track surface to prep and maintain. It should save the racers money with a shorter racing distance causing less wear and tear on equipment…and reduced chance for time consuming oil downs.
Will reducing the length of the racetrack diminish the experience for the fans? Ask any NASCAR fanatic which racetrack they prefer and the vast majority will name the half-mile bullring at Bristol.160,000 seats are filled for each event and a long waiting list insures that a Bristol seat is “the toughest ticket in motorsports.” Chances are good that Bristol fans do not feel that since their racetrack is only HALF the length of Phoenix and Dover that they are only getting 50% of the experience. Many claim that the thrill is MULTIPLIED rather than diminished as the short track concentrates the action. The IHRA has run TWO successful National Events at San Antonio using an eighth mile dragstrip. Did the fans feel cheated?
Will fans and participants tolerate SLOWER speeds? Again let’s look at NASCAR. Bill Elliott qualified at over 212MPH at Talladega in 1987. During that year’s race, Bobby Allison’s car launched into the catch fencing and nearly flew into the grandstands. NASCAR mandated horsepower robbing “restrictor plates” to slow the cars down at the two longest superspeedways and cars have not run 200MPH at Talladega or Daytona since. Did the reduction in speed hurt attendance? No way! For over twenty years 100,000 plus fans have watched the “slower” cars race at both racetracks.
What else can be done? I would encourage the Presidents of the two largest drag racing organizations in the country…Tom Compton of the NHRA and Aaron Polburn of the IHRA to get together with John Force and his Eric Medlen Project for a Safety Symposium with a group of drivers, crew, track owners, officials, safety personnel, broadcasters, drag racing journalists and fans at a venue like Norwalk and brainstorm safety for as long as it takes to come up with some doable, cost-effective solutions. Wouldn’t it be great if they could agree on a standard race distance of an eighth of a mile and rules reciprocity that would allow drivers to race between the two sanctioning bodies in the safest vehicles possible at the safest facilities available? Norwalk, Ohio would be an excellent choice for the symposium as it is the headquarters of the IHRA and the site of the NHRA’s Summit Motorsports Park which was the former IHRA flagship track. What do you think? Email your comments and safety suggestion to gleary@speedtv.com and I’ll forward them to the appropriate people.
]]>Scott Kalitta’s tragic death in an NHRA Funny Car at Englishtown, NJ last weekend should be a wakeup call for everyone who loves the sport of drag racing as much as Scott did…drivers, crew, officials, safety workers and fans. If the loss of Scott launches a widespread safety initiative that will make the sport safer for participants and fans…on the order of the quantum leaps NASCAR made in the wake of Dale Earnhardt’s death in the 2001 Daytona 500…Kalitta’s legacy will be secured and his untimely passing may trigger the ultimate celestial “Win” light.
My modest proposal? Reduce all drag races to ONE EIGHTH MILE! Heresy? Hold on for a second and a half. That would be the difference in a Top Fuel or Funny Car pass from Christmas Tree to Finish Line in a 660 foot race versus the “standard” 1320. The top speed through the 1/8 mile would be around 270 MPH in the nitro classes and the elapsed time around 3 seconds. (Compared to about 4 ½ seconds at 330 MPH in the ¼ mile.) I defy even the most seasoned drag racing fan to visually tell the difference between these speeds from a starting line grandstand seat. (That’s why we have “Win” lights with ET and MPH displays.) The visceral SHOW at an NHRA or IHRA event is at the starting line. The burnout, the staging battle and the 8,000 HP launch is the sensory overload that millions of fans crave. After launching, the cars quickly become microscopic as they nearly disappear at the top end of the drag strip.
Why the EIGHTH MILE? The most important benefits of the shorter distance are DECREASING speeds while INCREASING the length of the shut down area by 660 feet on what is already existing racetrack. The additional shut down area could contain sand traps (almost a high speed “Runaway Truck Ramp” that we see on mountain highways) and a series of “catch nets” with anchors outside the boundaries of the race track. (similar to “arresting hooks” on aircraft carriers). Most drag strips in use today were built years ago when speeds were not even half of what the cars run today. Shut down areas may have been adequate “back in the day” when speeds were significantly less...but launching and stopping a nitro car today is akin to launching and landing a jet on an aircraft carrier…with similarly slight margins for error. Housing developments, businesses and industries have encroached ever closer to existing dragstrip boundaries….making extending shut down areas an expensive and in some cases impossible option. Decreasing the racing area to an eighth of a mile will cost virtually nothing, require no expensive modifications to the facility and should save money in the long run with less track surface to prep and maintain. It should save the racers money with a shorter racing distance causing less wear and tear on equipment…and reduced chance for time consuming oil downs.
Will reducing the length of the racetrack diminish the experience for the fans? Ask any NASCAR fanatic which racetrack they prefer and the vast majority will name the half-mile bullring at Bristol.160,000 seats are filled for each event and a long waiting list insures that a Bristol seat is “the toughest ticket in motorsports.” Chances are good that Bristol fans do not feel that since their racetrack is only HALF the length of Phoenix and Dover that they are only getting 50% of the experience. Many claim that the thrill is MULTIPLIED rather than diminished as the short track concentrates the action. The IHRA has run TWO successful National Events at San Antonio using an eighth mile dragstrip. Did the fans feel cheated?
Will fans and participants tolerate SLOWER speeds? Again let’s look at NASCAR. Bill Elliott qualified at over 212MPH at Talladega in 1987. During that year’s race, Bobby Allison’s car launched into the catch fencing and nearly flew into the grandstands. NASCAR mandated horsepower robbing “restrictor plates” to slow the cars down at the two longest superspeedways and cars have not run 200MPH at Talladega or Daytona since. Did the reduction in speed hurt attendance? No way! For over twenty years 100,000 plus fans have watched the “slower” cars race at both racetracks.
What else can be done? I would encourage the Presidents of the two largest drag racing organizations in the country…Tom Compton of the NHRA and Aaron Polburn of the IHRA to get together with John Force and his Eric Medlen Project for a Safety Symposium with a group of drivers, crew, track owners, officials, safety personnel, broadcasters, drag racing journalists and fans at a venue like Norwalk and brainstorm safety for as long as it takes to come up with some doable, cost-effective solutions. Wouldn’t it be great if they could agree on a standard race distance of an eighth of a mile and rules reciprocity that would allow drivers to race between the two sanctioning bodies in the safest vehicles possible at the safest facilities available? Norwalk, Ohio would be an excellent choice for the symposium as it is the headquarters of the IHRA and the site of the NHRA’s Summit Motorsports Park which was the former IHRA flagship track. What do you think? Email your comments and safety suggestion to gleary@speedtv.com and I’ll forward them to the appropriate people.
]]>
DOB 10-17-66 (41)
Hometown: La Canada, CA
Host of SPEED’s “Test Drive” and “Setup”
Danica Patrick led TK on leash after beating him in Long Beach Pro/Celebrity race 2002
Four Trans Am Championships (1990, 1995-97)…Tied with Paul Gentilozzi(1998, 99, 2001, 2004) Paul won a fifth title in the abbreviated 2006 season
3 in a row 1995-97 (Only TA driver to do so)
Comparable to Cale Yarborough’s 3 Cup Titles 1976-78
His 11 Wins in a Row in 1997 is amazing (Comparable to Richard Petty’s 10 NASCAR wins in a row in 1967)
He also had 11 Poles in 1997
Ran #11 with Roush Racing
28 Trans Am wins…Third all time to Mark Donohue and Paul Gentilozzi
Ran 14 NASCAR Cup races between 1987-1998 with 1 Top 10 (8th at Watkins Glen in 1990) Road Course Specialist…Riverside, W. Glen, Sonoma…Finished 26th in oval race…Rockingham in 1990
Drove for Rick Hendrick, Marc Reno, Felix Sabates, Junior Johnson, Bill Elliott and Alan Kulwicki’s #7 Family Channel car after Alan’s death
Ran 1 Busch Race…1990 New Hampshire…Finished 15th
Ran the #11 Jaguar XKR in 2004 for long-time Trans Am rival, Paul Gentilozzi
2 Wins, 6 Poles, 5 Podiums
Won Pole for first race of season…Long Beach…and won the last race of the season…Laguna Seca
They tied in Series Points with 222 (Gentillozi had 5 wins to Kendall’s 2)
Kendall and Gentilozzi both now have 4 Trans-Am Titles
#11 was his Dad’s number when he played football at UCLA
Kendall has never won Long Beach…his “Home Track” but has attended races there since 1980
Long time analyst for the Champ Car World Series
Greatest influences: Ayrton Senna, Dale Earnhardt, Alain Prost, Rick Mears
Hobbies: Yoga and cycling
Graduated from UCLA with BA in economics
“I’m getting paid handsomely to do the best job on earth.”
Started Career in 1985: Mazda Pro Series, SCCA Playboy Endurance Series
1986: Youngest IMSA Champ in History (19) when he won GTU and Firestone Firehawk Series
1986-88: 3 straight IMSA GTU Titles
1993: Won Rolex 24 at Daytona
1995: Won Rolex 24 with Paul Newman in “Nobody’s Fool” Mustang
“Chrissy and her Dad Mike Wallace are the inspiration behind the design that I conceived, that was so expertly interpreted through the genius of graphic artist Chris Drew here in Atlanta. Chris and I had worked together on some other things involving our Krunk Basketball franchise uniforms and Basketainment, our DVD division. That relationship made it easy for me to convey my vision to him, knowing that he already understood how my style and taste worked. He nailed it, and so did the seamstress that made the prototype. The result was pure heat. These jackets are as hot as anything on the market”, beamed an elated Duane “Spyder” Hughes.
“I was introduced to the Wallaces by my good friend Sybrena Foster of VASY4. Sybrena is a producer and public relations specialist of notoriety from the Miami area, and will be handling a lot of promotion and publicity on the project. She interviewed Chrissy for me last year for my “All Ballers Allowed” e-zine, around the time I was dabbling with the idea of doing a racing jacket. I saw that the kids in the urban areas were starting to take to these NASCAR racing jackets, so, since I had first tried my hand at designing with our Krunk basketball uniform, I decided to come up with something unique in a racing jacket. After consulting with Patty Wright of Seventh House Designs, I decided to let her do the prototype and her seamstress nailed it. A virtual carbon copy of the graphic concept. As with our basketball uniforms, I wanted to do something different. We had cargo pants pockets on our uniforms! I didn’t want to get too carried away with the jackets so I only added zip away sleeves to the design”
“We are close to an agreement with a manufacturing and distribution deal as we speak, and will be announcing that alliance as soon as the ink is dry”, said Spyder D, as he is professionally known.
“Chrissy is an accomplished racer, at such a young age, and her family name and heritage are something we are proud to be associated with. Chrissy is a big fan of Hip-Hop, and will be co-starring in my title track video later this spring, entitled “Legendary”. The last name Wallace is legendary in the annals of racing, and the song is about legendary rap artists that I have had the pleasure of working with during my career so it is a perfect fit.”
]]>“Chrissy and her Dad Mike Wallace are the inspiration behind the design that I conceived, that was so expertly interpreted through the genius of graphic artist Chris Drew here in Atlanta. Chris and I had worked together on some other things involving our Krunk Basketball franchise uniforms and Basketainment, our DVD division. That relationship made it easy for me to convey my vision to him, knowing that he already understood how my style and taste worked. He nailed it, and so did the seamstress that made the prototype. The result was pure heat. These jackets are as hot as anything on the market”, beamed an elated Duane “Spyder” Hughes.
“I was introduced to the Wallaces by my good friend Sybrena Foster of VASY4. Sybrena is a producer and public relations specialist of notoriety from the Miami area, and will be handling a lot of promotion and publicity on the project. She interviewed Chrissy for me last year for my “All Ballers Allowed” e-zine, around the time I was dabbling with the idea of doing a racing jacket. I saw that the kids in the urban areas were starting to take to these NASCAR racing jackets, so, since I had first tried my hand at designing with our Krunk basketball uniform, I decided to come up with something unique in a racing jacket. After consulting with Patty Wright of Seventh House Designs, I decided to let her do the prototype and her seamstress nailed it. A virtual carbon copy of the graphic concept. As with our basketball uniforms, I wanted to do something different. We had cargo pants pockets on our uniforms! I didn’t want to get too carried away with the jackets so I only added zip away sleeves to the design”
“We are close to an agreement with a manufacturing and distribution deal as we speak, and will be announcing that alliance as soon as the ink is dry”, said Spyder D, as he is professionally known.
“Chrissy is an accomplished racer, at such a young age, and her family name and heritage are something we are proud to be associated with. Chrissy is a big fan of Hip-Hop, and will be co-starring in my title track video later, entitled “Legendary”. The last name Wallace is legendary in the annals of racing, and the song is about legendary rap artists that I have had the pleasure of working with during my career so it is a perfect fit.”
]]>The Raybestos Rookie of the Year has been awarded annually since 1958. Eight winners have gone on to win one or more Cup Championships. The following lists the rookie winners and the year they captured their awards.
1959: Richard Petty
1960: David Pearson
1979: Dale Earnhardt
1984: Rusty Wallace
1986: Alan Kulwicki
1993: Jeff Gordon
1999: Tony Stewart
2000: Matt Kenseth
Career Highlights
2007 - Competed in two rounds of FIA GT for Aston Martin, notching points finishes in both. Raced in FIA GT3 Championship for Aston Martin, 1 victory, third place in the championship, first place manufacturer’s championship. Also drove a Ferrari 360 in the Italian GT championship, winning two poles and setting two fastest laps.
2006
Won the pole and had fastest lap in class in the Spa 24 Hours for Aston martin. Drove a BMW M3 in the Dubai 24 Hours. Won the pole and had fastest race lap in his only race in the Ferrari Challenge Europe Trofeo Pirelli with a Ferrari 430. Races in five events in the Trofeo Maserati Europe, winning two races, four poles and setting four fastest laps. Also ran four rounds in the Eurean GT3 Championship with a Maserati Grandsport.
2005
Won the Maserati World Finals from the pole at Rio de Janeiro. Second in class in the Thousand Miles of Interlagos on a BMW M3. Won the pole for his class in his only race in the Belgian GT Championship with a BMW M3. Won the pole for the Six Hours at Spa-Francorchamps with a BMW M3. Races in Trofeo Maserati Europe, winning five poles and settinng seven fastest laps.
2004
Won one race and seven poles, along with seven fastest race laps, in Maserati Trofeo Europe. Made his Rolex 24 At Daytona debut with a Ferrari 360GT.
2003
Competed in Maserati Trofeo, winning two poles and setting four fastest race laps. Won his class and finished fifth overall on a BMW M3 in the Thousand Miles of Interlagos. Ran several races, including sixth in the 24 Hours of Spa, in the FIA GT on a Porsche 996 GT3RS. Third overall in the 24 Hours of Sicily, BMW M3
2002
Won one race and one pole among six races in the Italian Superstock Championship, Nissan Primera. Won his class and finished fourth overall in the 24 Hours of Sicili, BMW 330D.
2001
Italian Superstock Championship, BMW 320, 1 win, 1 pole
2000
Contested select Clio V6 races with best finish of fourth. Won one race and one pole in the Italian Superstock Championship, BMW 320, also won a pole and a class victory in the Italian Tourism Championship, BMW M3.
1999
Finished third in Italian Superstock Championship with two wins and one pole, BMW 320. Also won two poles and two races in the Italian Tourism Championship N1 class, MBW M3.
1998
Won Italian Touring Car Championship with three wins, five poles, BMW M3. Also second in class in the Vallelunga Six Hours, BMW M3.
1997
Italian Touring Tourism Championship, two wins and two poles, BMW 325. Won class in Vallelunga Six Hours, BMW M3.
1996
Finished season-best third in Italian Touring Car Championship and sixth in points, two podiums, BMW 325.
1995
Competed in four Formula 3 races with best finish of fourth.
1994
Contested four Formula Ford races and earned season-best fourth-place race finish.
NASCAR (National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing) was founded in 1948 by “Big Bill” France at Daytona Beach, Florida. France was a former racer and auto mechanic who had heard of the great land speed races at Daytona with a tradition dating back to 1903. Cars were “flying” down the beach before the Wright Brothers had flown in the air. France left the snow and cold of Washington, DC and settled his family in the “World Center of Speed”…Daytona Beach, Florida…and saw Sir Malcolm Campbell set a Land Speed Record of over 276 MPH in his famed “Bluebird” in 1935. Campbell was determined to break 300MPH…but NOT at Daytona…the bumpy, unpredictable sand was just too dangerous. He went to the Bonneville Salt Flats and broke the record.
With the departure of Campbell to Utah, the land speed record attempts headed to the Salt Flats…leaving Daytona without their prime source of racing revenue. Bill France to the rescue! France helped organize a race on the sands of Daytona Beach in 1936 utilizing NOT exotic world record breaking machines…but everyday STOCK cars that could be purchased in any automobile dealership then driven to the race…in the race…and home from the race. They looked just like the cars the fans in the grandstand drove to work. What a brilliant concept. Races were “crap shoots” as they were held at the mercy of the tides. Cars roared down the beach…hitting seagulls and sometimes crashing into the surf…then turned onto paved highway A1A for the backside of the oval course.
The unpredictability of the weather and the tide, and the nightmare of crowd control on a public beach and highway led Bill France to abandon the beach/road course at Daytona in 1959…after he had completed his masterpiece…the 2 ½ mile superspeedway at Daytona that featured 31 degree banking and speeds FASTER than the Indianapolis 500…a racetrack from which France had been evicted from the garage area in 1954. He was determined at that time to build his own racetrack that would outshine Indy. Many would agree that he succeeded.
The founding of NASCAR in 1948 was a pivotal moment in stock car racing. It became the flagship organization that put together consistent rules, regulations, and a national point system whereby a true “National Champion” would be crowned at the end of the year. Purses were guaranteed…and paid to the drivers. No longer did “flim flam” promoters abscond with the gate receipts halfway through the race. NASCAR brought credibility and legitimacy to stock car racing
NASCAR FAST FACTS:
NASCAR is considered the #2 sport in the United States…behind the National Football League…but ahead of Major League Baseball, National Basketball Association and the National Hockey League.
Claim 75 Million Fans (1 out of 3 adults in the US)
60% Male
40% Female (Females enjoy the fact that the race cars look much like the cars they drive everyday. (Unlike the exotic Formula One and Indy Car single seaters.) All current Cup drivers are male and many are attractive single guys whom NASCAR heavily promotes as “clean cut All American boys” on numerous TV and radio commercials. NASCAR drivers rarely get into trouble for drug, alcohol and spousal abuse situations that are all too common in other professional sports.)
Attendance at races average 125,000
17 of the 20 highest attended sporting events in the USA are NASCAR races
Some NASCAR events draw more fans than the Super Bowl, a World Series game and NBA finals game COMBINED
TV Audience: 7.2 Million per race in 2007
NASCAR delivers programming to 150 countries in 25 languages
(800,000 audience on US American Forces Network)
36 Races
22 Tracks
19 States
Daytona 500 TV audience: 17 Million
With all of NASCAR’s sanctions they incorporate nearly 1,300 events at 95 tracks in 33 U.S. States, Canada and Mexico.
NASCAR is the #1 sport in fan loyalty. NASCAR fans are THREE TIMES as likely to seek out and purchase sponsors’ products as non-fans. More Fortune 500 companies rely on NASCAR to build their brands than any other sport.
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3rd in Championship 3 Times (1993-94, 1999)
Lives in Las Vegas
Like Tony Kanaan, is an avid cyclist and endurance trainer
Go-karter…CRG Karts built Paul Tracy Go-Kart chassis
Owns Paul Tracy Go-Kart Team
Has Ron Simms Harley Davidsons and dirt bikes
Runs 40 foot Skater boats on Lake Meade
1984…6th in World Karting Championships
1985…Age 16, Youngest Canadian Formula Ford Champion
1986…Formula 2000, youngest Can-Am race winner at 17
1988…Won the first race he entered in American Racing Series(Indy Lights)
1990…Won Indy Lights Championship
1991…Champ Car debut at Long Beach S14 F22(for Dale Coyne)…signed with Team Penske as test driver…debuted for Penske at Michigan…Q8th…broke leg in race
1992…substituted for Rick Mears at Penske…1st pole at Road Atlanta…runner up at Michigan and Mid-Ohio
1993…tied Nigel Mansell for most series wins with 5, voted Most Improved Driver…3rd in points(Won LBeach, Cleve, Toronto, RdAmerica, LSeca)
1994…3wins, 4 poles…3rd in Championship behind teammates, Al Unser Jr. and Emerson Fittipaldi(Detroit, Nazareth, LSeca)
1995…Newman-Haas…2 wins...(Australia, Milwaukee)…6th in points
1996…winless in return to Team Penske…injured back…missed 2 races
1997…Won 3 straight races…then finished 26th or worse in final 5 races to end 5th in Championship(Naz, Rio, St.Louis)
1998…First year with Team Kool Green…8 Top 10 Finishes…lengthy probation from CART for “unjustifiable risk” and “Unsportsmanlike conduct” and “blocking”…parked for 1999 season opener
1999…2 wins…3rd in points(Milw, Houston)
2000…3 wins…5th in points…won Long Beach, RAmerica, Vancouver
2001…14th in points
2002…finished 2nd in Disputed Indy 500…won at Milwaukee…11th in points
2003…CART Champion…won first 3 races of the season (St. Pete, Monterey, Long Beach), 7 wins total…6 Poles…started in the Top 3 in 13 of 18 races…won from the pole at Mid-Ohio and in Toronto and Vancouver, becoming the first Canadian to win a Champ Car event on his home soil…
2004…wins Long Beach for 4th time and Vancouver for the 3rd time…3 Poles…4th in Points.
2005: Wins Milwaukee for the 4th time…
2008 No Ride for the Indy 500