Clinton County Speedway Partners with Hoosier Racing Tires


Lock Haven, PA – Clinton County Speedway officials announced today that Hoosier racing tires will be the official tire brand at the 1/3 mile clay oval. The Sprint cars, 358 Late Models and Pro Stocks will be required to compete on Hoosier Racing Tires. The new tire rule will stipulate that all four tires of the respective division must be Hoosier racing tires.

Drivers will be allowed a two race grace period at the beginning of the season to make the transition.

“A number of the area tracks have partnered with Hoosier Tire as their official track tire,” adds speedway promoter Jason McCahan. “The decision to do so brings us in line with other successful speedways such as Selingrove Speedway, Silver Springs Speedway and Lincoln Speedway. Hoosier is also making a commitment to the driver’s point fund which will be awarded at the end of the season at the annual speedway banquet.”

General Manager Robert Wirts of Hoosier Tire Mid-Atlantic commented on the recent agreement, "We're very proud to be involved with the Clinton County Speedway. It's a great facility and we welcome them into the Hoosier family."

Hoosier is the largest race tire manufacturer in the world, and all Hoosier race tires are still proudly "Made in the USA." According to Wirts, Hoosier Tire is a family business whose goal “is to provide the racer the best possible product and to win races.”

Hoosier tires have had a very successful track record on the Central Pennsylvania racing circuit. In 2003 alone, Hoosier tires accumulated a total of 70 victories in the very competitive Central PA Sprint Car division and were defeated only 7 times by a competitor tire brand. At Clinton County Speedway this past season in the Sprint Car ranking, 13 of 16 victory lane visits were accomplished on Hoosier tires.

The Clinton County Speedway will begin its 2004 season on Friday, April 30th with a four division racing program of Sprint Cars, 358 Late Models, Pro Stocks and Four Cylinder Enduors. For more speedway information or rules, visit the speedway website at www.clintoncountyspeedway.com

posted by Deon at 2:33 PM

DEL ROUGEUX JR. COMPLETES HIS SEASON WITH TRI-CITY TITLE
by Brian Spaid

December 16, 2003

When Del Rougeux Jr. first ventured to Tri-City Speedway in 1998, he was running at the back of the pack.

Six seasons later, the Frenchville racer is the 2003 DIRT Modified track champion.

Piloting his Bicknell-chassis No. 20D, the likeable Rougeux is now considered one of the top racers at the half-mile Venango County oval, and he continues to receive accolades this off-season. Many people were still shaking his hand at the BRP Modified Tour banquet.

“Everyone has been congratulating me for weeks,” said Rougeux, 28, who collected some of his title winnings last month at the DIRT Motorsports banquet in Oneida, NY. He will receive the rest of his awards at Tri-City’s banquet on Jan. 10.

After racing two years in Small Block Modifieds at Hidden Valley Speedway in Clearfield near his hometown, Rougeux became a regular at Tri-City in 1998. He placed 29th in the point standings that first season.

“I fell in love with Tri-City the first time I raced there,” said Rougeux. “I knew I could run fast at Tri-City, and I just focused on running better every week.”

Never a showman, he gradually improved his racing skills. He climbed into the top ten in the final DIRT Modified points in 2000. Then, he shocked many pit observers when he captured the 2001 Hard Charger award. It appeared as if Rougeux came out of nowhere to earn that title, but it established him as a future star at the track.

In 2002, Rougeux finished fourth in the DIRT Modified points and captured his first-ever feature win. He followed up that performance with a three-win championship season.

“The title meant a lot to me, but I really wanted it for my crew. Those guys put a lot of time into the car and they are paid nothing. They earned it for me.”

Rougeux’s loyal followers include his crew chief Mark Rowe of Hermitage, his father Del Rougeux Sr. of Frenchville, Mike Allen of Titusville, and Jess Crowley of Warren, Ohio.

“I also owe this title to Charlie DeAngelis,” added Rougeux in reference to the late DIRT Modified crew chief. DeAngelis led famed drivers like Brett Hearn, Danny Johnson and Jimmy Horton to wins in the prestigious Eckerd Syracuse 200. DeAngelis also captured numerous track and series championships. He died on Aug. 10 from a heart attack.

“He was a good friend,” said Rougeux. “He taught me everything about racing. We had a chance meeting a few years ago, and I will never forget him. He focused me on all aspects of racing – mental attitude, sponsor and public relations, and car setup. He made me realize that I had to focus on my program. He always said that.”

Rougeux was in contention for the 2003 Tri-City championship from the beginning of the year. By midseason, he was embroiled in a title fight at Tri-City with Jim Rasey, Andy Priest and Joe Crawford of Polk. He struggled with some motor trouble in early August, and it seemed as if his title hopes were slipping away. Then, DeAngelis died.

“After Charlie passed away, we knew we had to win the title. We worked hard to get the motor program back on track. We took the point lead that night, and never looked back.”

With his recent success, Rougeux, who owns FDR Heating & Cooling, is starting to earn more respect in the racing industry. More product sponsors have approached him about racing their wares, and he works on research and development with Bilstein shocks and Hypercoil springs. Among his other sponsors are Vinyl Graphics of Shippenville, XRP Fittings, FK Rod Ends, Outerwears, and Brodix

“It’s really ironic,” said Rougeux. “When you start out racing, and you need the help, no one is there to give it to you. Then, when you start to run well and win, you start to get more and more help. It’s part of the business of racing.”

For 2004, Rougeux’s garage is stocked with two cars and a third chassis is on order. He intends to compete weekly at Tri-City and Sharon Speedways and he will chase the 2004 BRP Modified Tour. He will likely compete in some Super DIRT Modified Series races and may run some Small Block Modified events.

“Our goals are race wins and championships. We want to win the Tri-City title three years in a row. I really believe we can do it. We’re running well, we’re fast, and we’re focused on our program. God has given me the people and equipment to do this. Now, I need to do my job and win.”

MODIFIED TOUR BANQUET

Ron Smoker of Hamburg, NY, collected the largest share of a $21,000 point fund distributed on Dec. 6 at the BRP Modified Tour banquet held at the Rocky Grove Fire Hall.

Over 150 people attended the event, which honored the top DIRT Modified drivers and teams on the regional series. Competing in nine series events in 2003, Smoker captured four wins and his second consecutive title. He attributed the entire effort to his crew as he called them forward to join him at the podium.

“Sometimes in life, you’re surrounded by good people,” said Smoker, who also won the Sharon Speedway title for the second year in a row. “I’m surrounded by great people. To show my appreciation to my crew, I’d like to award them all championship jackets. I’d also like to thank my sponsors and car owners, Bob Burk, Jerry Fay and Bill Massey.

Kevin Bolland of New Brighton finished second to Smoker in the title chase in another repeat performance from 2002. Rougeux, Dave Murdick of Slippery Rock and Crawford rounded out the top five pointmen.

Tour director Bob Rial announced that the 2004 schedule is still being formulated. Two events are slated at Tri-City on May 30 and Sept. 5. The series will run at other local tracks and make its first visit to Merrittville Speedway in Canada on July 1. The full schedule is expected to be released early next spring.

posted by Deon at 9:52 PM

Got this from my friend Anita. Can anyone help out?


As the holidays are quickly approaching, my family has found itself in a difficult time and in the need for prayer.

My 15 year old cousin, McKenzie, was diagnosed with germ cell cancer earlier this month. He was listed at a level 4, the most extensive, and was given a 50-50 chance of recovery.

After a couple extensive surgeries and his first extensive week of treatments, McKenzie has been downgraded to a level 2. Our prayers have certainly been working!

However, the doctors are urging that we help to keep Mick's spirits high. As a teenager in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, it isn't every summer weekend that he has the opportunity to attend dirt track racing. This past summer, he attended the races with Uncle Wally and I and has continued to rave about how he couldn't wait to get back to the PA and the races next summer.

In attempt to help us keep his spirits up, I am asking that race teams PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE send him a Christmas card or a friendly hello this season. If possible, could you please include an autographed picture? Keeping Mick's spirits high and many prayers are necessary to return McKenzie to 100%!

Thank you everyone for your help!!
Anita Fox

McKenzie Long
2220 NE 52nd Court
Ft. Lauderdale, FL 33308
posted by Deon at 7:41 AM

“Behind the Checkered Curtain”

December 16, 2003

By Mike Leone

I really like what Ron Smoker did at the recent BRP Modified Tour banquet. The New York driver called his entire crew to the podium and presented each one with a championship leather jacket. While the public constantly sees the driver name in the spotlight, it’s nice to see the behind-the-scene efforts get rewarded. The former midget car racer has won the lucrative Tour title and the $4,000 that goes with it the past two seasons. The Tour has already scheduled new stops at Ohio’s Raceway 7 and Bicknell’s home track- Merrittville Speedway across the border in Thorold, Canada.

Attend the PRI show and you quickly realize just how big the Motorsports industry is. Every nook and cranny of the Indianapolis Convention Center and RCA dome is filled. It takes every bit of two days to cover the show and then you’re still not sure if you’ve hit it all. The PRI show brings out a who’s who of racing to Peyton Manning’s playground. You just never know who you’ll see next when you turn the corner trying to get a “deal” for the upcoming season. It’s a wheel & deal, wine & dine, pr, rumor-filled, news-breaking, show-off, etc. week. Watch you don’t trip trying to read name tags and matching names with faces.

Marriott tips…Don’t drink the “courtesy” bottled water or you’ll get charged $4. Be prepared to pay $18/night to park in the wonderful parking garage that if you leave, you probably won’t be allowed back in because it’s full. Hungry? The breakfast buffet is only $10.95 and the lunch buffet is only $14.95 or go for the $4 slice of pizza in the Convention Center. Ahh nothing like city-life.

Did you know that while Sunoco Race Fuels replaces the orange balls of Unocal 76 at NASCAR Cup, Busch, and Truck Series events in 2004, Sunoco receives $0 on the use of the fuels? I recently learned this tidbit at PRI from Sunoco/Bazell Fuels, Russ Bradford. Bradford worked as the assistant flagmen at Mercer Raceway Park in the mid-90s.

The use of radios and transponders is becoming more and more common in the operations of short track auto racing. I suspect that in the next five years or so, the majority of race tracks and sanctioning bodies will use such a system. After the initial costs to the drivers and tracks, it will be plus for all involved including the fans. The radios make for quicker lineups, which translates into a more efficient show and less fuel used for the competitors. The transponders eliminate the human element and ends the majority of scoring complaints. Drivers are also able to review all of their laps and how they fared against their competitors. Ohio’s Raceway 7 is the first local speedway to implement such a system. After the initial grumblings from the drivers, I have heard nothing but praise.

While at the PRI show, I stopped by the West Virginia Motorsports Council (yes that’s right) booth and picked up a card on late model racer Larry Moore. On the back of the card below the WVMC mission statement blib reads, “The state of West Virginia is proud to have the legendary Larry Moore declare West Virginia as his official vacation land.” Need I say more.

Did I miss something here? According to Bev Thompson’s column in the December 2 issue of Area Auto Racing News, “The All Stars banquet went well and everyone had a good time, especially Champ Chad Kemenah.” However, according to the All Stars, December 19 is the date of the affair where Kemenah will pocket 50 grand according to Guy Webb. Maybe they had a dress rehearsal somewhere. I still wonder why the All Stars moved their banquet from PRI weekend. All kidding aside, Bev always writes a touching Christmas racing story that appears in AARN’s Christmas edition.

It looks like at this point the All Star will be shutout of the Sunshine State for Florida Speedweeks. Oops, Daytona said a few years ago that we’re not supposed to use that phrase unless we’re talking about them. Volusia calls the 33rd Winter Nationals “Raceweeks 2004,” which will include USCS 360 Sprints February 3&4 and non-sanctioned 410 sprints February 5-8 paying $4,000 to-win, $400 to-start.

After some conversations with Jack Hewitt in the fall, his departure from his whistle-blowing All Star role is not surprising. I look forward to reading Hewitt’s book. I’ll never forget my ride with Hewitt at Mercer in the real, original two-seat sprint car. It gave me a whole new appreciation of sprint car racing.

One website I find myself checking almost every morning, is Mike Lauterborn’s News & Gossip Sprint Car Racing Stuff site. The New York 360 sprint racer has one of the most unique racing sites I’ve come across. He gets info almost as fasts as it comes out of one’s mouth. From birthdays, to jokes, to roomers (as he calls them), to press releases, to funny pictures, and everything in between, you’ll find it at www.sprint41.com. Lauterborn updates his site every night and posts the time as Pacific Time. I spotted Lauterborn at the Racing Electronics booth at the PRI show as ESS, the Patriots, and SOS will all make one-way radios mandatory in 2004.

Something you don’t see everyday…Van May walking the streets of downtown Indianapolis.

With Gamblers Raceway Park dropping 358 modifieds from their weekly card and asphalt-to-dirt Friday night Central PA Speedway using a more conservative 358 rules, what will this do to some of the exotic 358 motor cars that have existed for years in the Clearfield area? It always has amazed me that the former Hidden Valley Speedway (now Gamblers), which opened in 1992, has hung on to the modifieds as long as they have. Although in recent years, the modifieds have been the track’s highest car count. HVS/GRP probably had the most liberal 358 modified rules in the nation. The track made a name for drivers like Mike Stine, George Sankey, Bobby Roos, and Bob Garvey.

I have a real problem with Lake Moc-A-Tek’s decision to allow 10-year-olds to compete in the 250 cc micro sprint division. How low can we go? Any parent that would let their 10-year-old compete needs their head checked. Ten-year-olds should be playing with Matchbox & Hot Wheels cars not competing with adults. No pre-teen or any teen under 16 for that matter has the maturity level to compete in these circumstances. Can you imagine a judge or jury’s reaction to 10-year-old that ran over a track official? Then we wonder why the insurance industry is the way it is today. Where has common sense gone to in America?

It will sure seem strange in 2004 not to have the Martin Family running Lernerville Speedway after 37 years of doing so. Those leasing the track from the Martins all have ties to past promotional teams (Bauman & Roenigk).

Three years ago, New Castle’s Hickory Speedway and Sportsman’s Speedway were both running on Sunday night and Sharon Speedway was a ½-mile running on Friday nights.

I love reading and comparing tracks and sanctioning bodies rules. You just never know what you’ll find. This comes out of the PA 305 Sprints rules, “If you race your 305 with the 410’s or 358’s on a night we have a scheduled 305 race you will start at the rear of your heat and will not start ahead of the previous winner at that track for 2 weeks,” and, “If you race your 305 at a non sanctioned 305 race at any time you will not be allowed to race with our series for 2 months on 1st offense On 2nd offense your are done with our series.”

Sister Virginia (305) Sprint Series offers the following, “No chop or slide jobs. A leading car is required to leave a racing lane for a car that is positioned alongside of the leading car. Repeated chop or slide jobs will be penalized. The overtaking car has the responsibility to show themselves to the leading car in time for the leading car to leave a lane open. The leading car has the responsibility to turn their head to look for an overtaking car before committing to a line that uses up most of the race track.”

VSS limits their shows to two heats races and a feature. The first 26 cars that pre-enter for an event comprise the field. Any new competitor that registers for VSS goes on a waiting list. Kind of interesting. Both the PA 305 Sprints and VSS require the Racesaver 305 Spec Head and all cars must be sealed to compete.

It’s hard to imagine no slide jobs in sprint car racing.

A site long gone, but not forgotten…Tim Kuhn pulling his #2Cents (can’t do the cents symbol on a computer) sprint car on an open trailer with his old station wagon filled with tires going from track to track all over God’s country. Bobby Allen, Joey Allen, Tim Kuhn, and Joey Kuhn were quite a bunch that could really wheel a sprinter with limited funds, but now are all names of the past. You can even throw in old Richard Lupo, Jr., who ran a team car (2a) for a while to Bobby Allen.

Speaking of the Allens & Kuhns, will it be the Hatfields vs. the McCoys in URC? Actually it will be the Brians vs. the Michaels. Isn’t it cool that brothers Cliff and Bill Brian along with brothers Sean and Curt Michael will all chase after the 2004 URC Championship. I can see some pretty heated battles there in the oldest and probably strongest 360 sprint group in the world. None of the four are slouches either as they all have quite a bit of 410 experience.

Praise God for the capture of Saddam Hussein no matter what the liberal media tries to tell us differently. Remember the real reason why we celebrate Christmas. You think about that. Waiting for your Christmas wishes at mleone@infonline.net.

posted by Deon at 7:52 AM

SO MUCH TO BE LEARNED AT MOTORSPORTS 2004 PRESENTED BY SUNOCO AND IT IS ALMOST FREE
FORT WASHINGTON, PA December. 2003 . . . Attending the Motorsports 2004 Presented by Sunoco show could very much be like going to college. Almost two dozen seminars are being offered on a variety of subjects related to auto racing.
If a race driver, team owner or crew member were to invest in attending seminars presented by the individuals offering the seminars at Motorsports 2004 the cost could reach thousands of dollars. At Motorsports 2004 Presented by Sunoco the cost will be just the $13.00 to cover the admission ticket each day. Or better yet multi day tickets are available.
The show, featuring just about everything imaginable in motorsports, opens at 1 p.m. on Friday, January 16th and continues through until 6 p.m. Sunday, January 18th at the Fort Washington, PA Expo Center.
Scott Jeffery, crew chief for the very successful Dirt Modified racer Billy Decker, will present a seminar on Modified Maintenance and more. And Fred Bitner of Bitner Automotive in Trenton, NJ will host two seminars. The first seminar will be on Race Engine Tuning and the second will cover Jasper Engine Performance.
Vince Valeriano, representing VRP Shocks, will present "Shock School." And Roy Anderson offers his expertise on street stock and 4 cylinder race car set-ups. Lee Stauffer, crew chief for Greg Hodnett, one of the most successful sprint car racers in the country, will offer help for those who work with sprint cars. And Bob Deboise of Shadow Race Products gives you Shock Basics.
Ernie Saxton returns with another of his ABC's of Race Sponsorship. He has not missed a show and will be offering some great discounts on his sponsorship services and materials.
Jim Bernheisel, one of the best known names in Late Model stock car racing, will offer tips on Late Model Chassis set-ups. And Jim Dorton of Automotive Specialists shares his knowledge of engine maintenance and tuning.
The list goes on:
" Darryl Dunmire, DBY - How to make a 270cc Micro Engine Fast and Last
" Robby Allen, crew chief for outstanding late model racer Rick Eckert, offers some late model help
" Bob Hilbert, Hilbert Sportswear, will show you how to make money selling sportswear
" George Grasic, an accountant, will offer racers advice on taxes. This one could save you a lot of money and comes at just the right time. Don't do your taxes until you attend this seminar.
" Grand Products offers the Basics of Karting.
" Bridgestone/Firestone has the latest information on kart and quarter midget tires.
And the list is growing. More seminars will be added and some seminars will be offered more than once during the weekend.
So for the price of admission a racer, a race car owner or a crew member can attend what is a virtual motorsports college.
Check in at AARN.Com to find the complete schedule of seminars or telephone 609.888.3618.
And, of course, there is plenty for the auto racing fan with more than 150
motorsports vehicles on display. Fans will also have the opportunity to meet and collect autographs from some of the top names in the sport including 2003 Winston Cup champion Matt Kenseth, Winston Cup racer Dave Blaney, former NASCAR Winston Cup champion Bobby Allison and a long list of others.
The three day show covers close to 300,000 square feet of exhibit space with more than 600 display areas in place.
There is a complete area just to house the collectible vendors who will be offering some special deals for show attendees.
And there is the hardcore racer section that allows racers to see what is new in the way of parts, equipment, safety equipment and more for 2004.
In addition there will be Big Wheel competition for the youngsters and for the first time the Big Wheels will be made available by the show organizers. No one will be permitted to compete using their own Big Wheel.
And the very popular U.S.Smokeless Tobacco Ms Motorsports Pageant will again be part of the show with preliminaries taking place on Saturday afternoon and the finals being offered Saturday evening.
Discount coupons, good for $2.00 off on adult tickets, will be available at participating Sunoco outlets starting on December 26th. Look for the show signage.
For information on the show schedule check in at aarn.com and hit the Motorsports 2004 link. And you can telephone for ticket and show information at 609.888.3618.
Those planning to attend more than one day of the show, and that is recommended since it is almost impossible to see and do everything in one day, should ask about multi-day tickets. And discount hotel reservations are available through Marilyn Saxton at 215.322.6888 or Plaza Travel at 215.322.6888.
The three day show, opening at 1 p.m. on Friday, January 16th, takes place at the huge Fort Washington, PA Expo Center located just a short distance from Exit 339 of the Pennsylvania Turnpike.
posted by Deon at 8:16 PM

The final KB.Com staff is set. Have to wait til January to see who they are. If you didn't write back, you know you didn't make the list.

For those who've been asking what happened to my RPW column...it won't be on there until they get their new site up too. Have to check it out in 2004 I guess.

That's all for this weekend
posted by Deon at 4:11 PM