Speed51.com's Quick News Archive
Entries From 2/24/09 Through 3/3/09
Mod Owner and Driver Kocher Passes Away
MODS - 3/2/09
Keith Kocher, a popular driver and car owner on the eastern Pennsylvania asphalt Modified circuit, passed away early Sunday morning at the age of 54. Kocher first became involved in racing at the defunct Dorney Park and Nazareth Speedways. He was the 1987 Sportsman champion at Nazareth. He won eight races at Mahoning Valley Speedway between 1989 and 1996. As an owner, he fielded cars for drivers such as Eric Beers, Bill Teel, Mike Hosier and Scott Lesher.
Snow Moves Rockingham UARA Test to Tuesday
UARA - 3/2/09
An open test session for the UARA-Stars Late Model Stock Cars at Rockingham Speedway (NC) has been postponed by one day due to snow and inclement weather conditions. The test is now scheduled to take place on Tuesday, March 3rd.
Plenty of Entries Ready for Orange County Mod Race
ASA Modifieds - 3/2/09
The pre-entry list for next weekend's ASA Southern Modified Winternationals at Orange County Speedway (NC) includes Northerners Matt Hirschman, Charlie Pasteryak, Carl Pasteryak, Jamie Tomaino and Rowan Penick and a Southerners Burt Myers, Jay Foley and George Brunnhoelzl, III . Transcending the Mason-Dixon line will be the #79 entry of Ronnie Silk - a North Carolina-based team with a Connecticut driver.
Wisconsin Racing Expo Show & Swap Meet Set For March 7th
Short Tracks - 3/2/09
If you're a racing nut and live in Wisconsin, you don’t want to miss this show on Sat., March 7th at the Washington County Fairgrounds Expo building in West Bend. Racers, chassis builders and parts suppliers will be on hand to discuss the '09 season.
Wayne Anderson Goes Flag-to-Flag in ASA SAT at DeSoto
ASA SAT - 3/1/09
Wayne Anderson dominated the non-national points event Saturday for the ASA Southeast Asphalt Tour at DeSoto Speedway in Bradenton FL. He led green to checker on the way to beating Jeff Choquette and Anthony Campi. 20 cars started and 14 cars completed the 100 lap event. A complete race recap will be available on Monday here at Speed51.com.
Five Flags Speedway Undergoes Track Surface Grinding
Tracks - 2/27/09
Pensacola, Florida's Five Flags Speedway has been undergoing a track grinding process this week. The track, which is the home of the Blizzard Super Late Model Series and the annual Snowball Derby, has been notorious for wearing tires out and this step should help to lessen the amount of tire wear in races there.
17 ASA Southeast Teams Are Busy at DeSoto
ASA SAT - 2/27/09
17 cars are at DeSoto Speedway (FL) to practice in preparation for the opening race of the ASA RC Cola/Moon Pie Southeast Asphalt Tour season. This event is a regional one that does not count for national points. More teams are expected to show up for tomorrow's race. Among those at DeSoto today are Jeff Choquette, Wayne Anderson, Taylor Satterfield, Brandon Johnson, Jeff Choquette, and Justin Larson.
Kyle Busch Motorsports to Run Lawler & Ickler at Rattler
SLM - 2/27/09
Kyle Busch Motorsports has filed paid entries for a two-car assault on The Rattler at South Alabama Speedway on March 7th. The team will field the #51 entry for 2007 PASS South champion Ryan Lawler and the #151 for NASCAR Camping World East Series standout Brian Ickler in the Super Late Model event. Click here for a current list of paid entries for the 2009 Rattler.
Jerick Johnson to Run Full Slate of ASA Late Model Events
ASA Late Models - 2/26/09
Jerick Johnson and Legion Racing will compete in the full schedule of the ASA Challenge Series this season. Johnson and the team have previously competed in the NASCAR Camping World East Series, NASCAR Nationwide Series and the ARCA RE/MAX Series.
USARacing Announces Tech Team Appointments
USARacing Pro Cup - 2/26/09
Two longtime USARacing Officials have been promoted to new technical oversight positions. Rusty Crews, a native of Polk City, FL, has been appointed Technical Director, and Ed Canter, a native of Hickory, NC will serve as Technical Supervisor.
Oxford Track Owner Branches Out into Basketball Ownership
Tracks - 2/26/09
Bill Ryan, Jr., the owner and operator of Oxford Plains Speedway (ME), is one of the principal owners in a new NBA Development League expansion team that has been awarded to Portland, Maine. The deal was announced yesterday in a ceremony that included the Governor of Maine and representatives from the Boston Celtics, who the new team will likely be affiliated with. The move is not expected to have an effect on Oxford, as Ryan has stated publicly on several occasions that he will be running the track for the long haul. The ownership group of the new basketball team also includes another person with strong racing ties - Steve Griswold, who owned the Grizco Racing entries driven by Brad Leighton, Andy Santerre, Mike Stefanik and others in what is now the NASCAR Camping World East Series.
UARA-Stars Teams to Test The Rock on Monday
UARA - 2/26/09
There is a UARA-Stars Late Model Stock Car series test scheduled for Monday, March 2nd at Rockingham Speedway (NC) in preparation for the April 18th Carolina 200.
Crane Cams Shuts Its Doors - Employees Let Go
Industry - 2/25/09
Crane Cams, a 56-year-old auto parts manufacturer, closed its doors this week and laid off its employees, a worker told the Daytona (FL) News-Journal. Crane Cams and Crane Technologies Group were founded by Harvey J. Crane Jr. in 1953 as Crane Engineering Inc. in Hallandale. The company is well known in high-performance and racing circles for its line of camshafts and engine valve train components.
Rookies and Newbies to Have a Field Day at Concord
Tracks - 2/25/09
Competitors new to Concord Speedway and drivers moving up to a new division will have the opportunity to experience the track on Sunday March 8th. 2008 Late Model Stock Car Champion Kevin Love, Pure Stock Champion Charles Hutto and Fast & Furious Fours Champion Chad Miller will be on hand to give advice on how to best drive the tricky TriOval. The day will begin at 2:30 PM with a driver’s meeting.
Chase Elliott to Explore Late Model Racing
LM - 2/25/09
On Tuesday night's LN Radio, Legends Car racer Chase Elliott revealed that his team has acquired a Late Model and will practice that car in a few weeks at Lanier National Speedway (GA) and might run the car in either a local track series or touring series this season. He will still race his Legends Car as well. Elliott is the son of NASCAR champion Bill Elliott. Click here to listen to the LN Radio archive.
Miss Speed 51 Radio This Week? Listen Right Here...
51 Radio - 2/25/09
Ted Christopher, Jeff Choquette, Jeff Fultz, Devin Jones and Speedway EXPO's Karl Frederickson were all guests on this week's edition fo the Speed 51 Radio show. if you missed the show, you can listen to the archived version of it by clicking here.
Damon Ecoff to Run for CRA Super Series Rookie of the Year
CRA - 2/54/09
Fourth Generation racer Damon Ecoff will compete for the 2009 CRA Super Series Rookie Of The Year Award with his family owned Ecoff Motorsports team. The 16-year-old Greenfield, Indiana native is the son of former CRA Super Series competitor David Ecoff, a regular with the series from 1998 through 2001. Last year, Damon competed in a partial schedule of Howe CRA Late Model Sportsman Series races. This year, he will also compete in selected Sportsman events and could enter selected ASA Midwest Series events. Damon will use a Hamke Chassis and Hamner Racing Engines.
Mods Are Quick in Bristol Test Session
MODS - 2/24/09
The NASCAR Modifieds tested at Bristol Motor Speedway on Tuesday. LW Miller, Todd Szegedy, Ted Christopher, Matt Hirschman, Brian Loftin and Ronnie Silk turned laps. All six cars employed the same restrictor plate that is used annually at the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour’s events at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. As of mid-afternoon, Miller topped the charts at 14.742 seconds, well under the current NASCAR Sprint Cup Series qualifying record of 14.908 seconds set by Ryan Newman in 2003.
Lia Returns Full-Time to #4 Mystic Missile Modified
WMT - 2/24/09
Donny Lia will drive the #4 Mystic Missile entry on the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour this season full-time. For the full story from NASCARHomeTracks.com, click here.
New Goodyear Tire to Be Shaken Down at PASS Hickory Test
PASS - 2/24/09
PASS will be holding a Goodyear tire test this Sunday at Hickory Motor Speedway (NC) to shake-down a brand new Goodyear Super Late Model tire. Goodyear officials told Speed51.com this past weekend at California Speedway that the tire was specifically engineered for the PASS Tours. Mark Gibson and Ryan Blaney are the drivers who are scheduled to take part in the test session.
McCumbee to Field LMSC at Myrtle Beach This Season
LMSC - 2/24/09
NASCAR Sprint Cup and Camping World Truck Series driver Chad McCumbee has announced his plans to try ownership in the Whelen All-American Series. McCumbee is a graduate of Late Model Stock cars, racing at Myrtle Beach speedway in 2003 and 2004. Terry Evans from Supply, NC will be the driver of the #20 Chad McCumbee Racing Chevrolet Monte Carlo. Evans will compete on a weekly basis at Myrtle Beach Speedway during the 2009 racing season. This season will be Evans' rookie season but also CMR's rookie season as a new team. Evans is a veteran of MBS in the mini stock division.
Coby to Run #19 Mod For Full Tour Season & More Mod News
MODS - 2/24/09
A few Modified news nuggets were reported on Gary Danko's Speedway Line Report Radio Show on Monday night. The first is that Doug Coby will drive the #19 George Bierce-owned Major Motion Transport entry for the full NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour season this year. Eric Berndt also plans on running the full Tour schedule with his #64 team this season. Also, Bear Motorsports plans to run J.R. Bertuccio in the ASA Modified Frostbite Winter Nationals at Orange County Speedway (NC) on March 6th-7th along with a few other Southern Modified events this spring.
Off-Track Illness to Keep Slocumb Sidelined
ASA SAT - 2/24/09
Beau Slocomb, who has won races on the RC Cola / MoonPie ASA Southeast Asphalt Tour and in the ASA Late Model South Series and tested an ARCA car for TRG Motorsports at Daytona in December, will be taking time off from racing to battle an off-track illness that is going to keep him out of the driver seat for an extended period of time. Slocumb told ASA SAT Owner John Kee that he's doing well and hopes to be back at the track soon. Everyone at Speed51.com wishes Slocumb a speedy recovery.
TC, Choquette, Fultz & More on Speed 51 Radio Tuesday
51 RADIO - 2/24/09
Buffalo Wild Wings in Kannapolis, NC hosts the all-new version of Speed 51 Radio tonight at 7pm and the show is slammed packed with guests. Mod champ Ted Christopher will be on hand to chat about Florida Speedweeks and Tuesday's Mod Test at Bristol. Jeff Fultz will look to "The Rattler", Jeff Choquette will talk Speedweeks and ASA SAT and Speedway Illustrated's Karl Frderickson will preview the Speedway EXPO. Join us at Buffalo Wild Wings in Afton Ridge, off exit 54 on I-85 or listen in on RaceTalkRadio.com by clicking on the "Listen Live" button.
