DIDJA EVER WONDER?
Why does the Agent get the wild idea that NASCAR pays
off newspaper sports writers to cover their sport at the
expense of other motorsports? Case in point: The Friday,
September 30 edition of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution
profiles a female sports car racer and leads the story
with two well-known Indy/corner/turning female names,
Danica Patrick and Sarah Fisher, but fails to mention
up-and-comers Hillary Will, Ashley Force, Angelle Sampey,
et al.
Also, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch used to list Auto Racing
and Drag Racing television shows separately in their weekly
tv times guide, but a few weeks ago dropped the Drag Racing
altogether. Guess we don’t drive autos? Hey guys,
it was only a column inch of type. Hmmm. [10-03-2005]
IHRA CONSIDERING ALLOWING SPORT
COMPACTS IN PRO STOCK
The
International Hot Rod Association is giving serious thought
to making Sport Compact style cars legal for Pro Stock
competition. At the upcoming event at Rockingham Summit
Racing Equipment team racer Matt Hartford (shown) will
be making laps I in his "Sport Compact" style
Chevy Cobalt.
A call to Skooter Peaco at IHRA confirmed
that the sanctioning body is seriously looking at the idea,
but has made absolutely no decisions, tentative rules or
anything else concerning the potential adding of turbocharged,
fuel injected, 4 and 6 cylinder powered Sport Compacts to
IHRA's traditional mountain-motored Pro Stock class. That
scream you hear is coming from engine builders Jon Kaase
and Sonny Leonard, who currently built most of the IHRA
mountain motored cars. [9-30-2005]
YEAR ONE BUYS INTO
ORSCA
The
Agent just heard from a very reliable source that Year One,
the Braselton, GA-based auto restoration and performance
parts distributor, has completed the purchase of half interest
in the Outlaw Racing Street Car Association (ORSCA). The
new deal, reached for an undisclosed amount, goes into effect
Jan. 1, 2006, and covers all ORSCA classes. Year One will
have a major display and hospitality center set up next
weekend (Oct. 7-9) for the ORSCA points finale at Huntsville
(AL) Dragway. Also watch for a significant NAPA Auto Parts
presence in Huntsville, as the Agent hears that company
also is looking to the Outlaw circuit for sponsorship possibilities.
(Ian Tocher photo) [9-30-2005]
WENEY MOTORSPORTS
STAYS STRANGE THROUGH '06
An agreement between Jeff Stange of Strange
Engineering and Scott Weney, president of S&W Race Cars
and owner of Scott Weney Motorsports, has extended Strange
Engineering's sponsorship of Scott's two Super Comp dragsters
through the 2006 season. Strange will once again be the
primary sponsor of the car driven by Scott's son Rory (shown)
while remaining as a major associate sponsor on Scott's
car which receives its primary backing form Scott's company
S&W Race Cars. (photo courtesy
S&W Race Car) [9-30-2005]
