30th Edition, Friday June 15th, 2007
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Welcome to our 30th On-Line Newsletter. There is a lot here - so please take
your time and check it all out. Thanks.
This issue features the following:
» Vintage Celebration 2007 Recap & 600 Photos. Garage & On-track Photos for sale.
» Special thank you to all those all the supports of this and past years Vintage Celebration.
» MUST VIEW - Official USAC Videographer: http://www.millsvideoproductions.com
» Potomac Open Wheel Vintage Racing club event at Winchester Speedway June 29th & 30th.
» 1933 Crack'n Riley Sprint Car update
» 1983 Edmunds Midget update
» Watson Racing Team - Micro Sprint update
» Current Calendar of 2007 events - Thompson Vintage event and Boston Louie (NEMA) on same night, August 25th!
» A family member is in search of information on Billy Mann & Johnny Mann - photos, stories, etc.
» Do not forget to take a look at our many Vintage Racing Photos at: http://vintageracingphotos.smugmug.com
» New Associate Sponsor - http://www.digatronusa.com
» Local Racing - ARDC Midgets and USAC Winless at Grandview Speedway - Recap & Photos/Video
» Second Annual Salute To Mel Kenyon June 16th: http://www.umara.com
» Featured web site: http://www.wickedgoodracing.com - Proud supporters of Vintage Celebration
» Updated web site address for ACOT: http://www.acotnews.com
» TeamWatsonOnline / Watson Racing Team Supporters.
THIS
YEAR'S VINTAGE CELEBRATION IS IN THE RECORD BOOKS.
While we had to retreat to the garages on a couple occasions due to rain - a great time was had by all.
The event web site has been updated.
http://www.vintagecelebration.com
Please stop by the web site to view:
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Next Year's Event: Tuesday May 14th - 16th, 2008 Event Location: The famed New Hampshire International Speedway Event Web Site: http://www.vintagecelebration.com |
A special thank you goes out to all the supports of this GREAT event. We thank
those who support the event by purchasing ad space in the program, by buying
a raffle ticket, by donating a door prize, and to all those who bring out their
great cars! See you next May.
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CHECK THIS OUT - MUST VIEW - Official USAC Videographer: http://www.millsvideoproductions.com
2 - DAY VINTAGE RACE CAR EVENT AT WINCHESTER SPEEDWAY - JUNE 29th & 30th
This event is put on by the Potomac Open Wheel Vintage Racing club. The vintage cars will be joined by the Virginia Sprints and Stock cars both nights and the ARDC Midgets on Saturday.
Event web site: http://www.gohooligan.com/overdose.html
Pictures from last years event: http://www.gohooligan.com/POWVR/Events/Winchester2006.html
Winchester Speedway Web Site: http://www.winchestervaspeedway.com
The Sprint car is being readied for the upcoming Eastern Museum of Motor Racing convention at Latimore Valley Fairgrounds, August 17 - 19. Museum web site: www.emmr.org.
The web site for the Sprint Car has been OVERHAULED. Please stop by the new site at the new domain: http://www.1933fordrileyracecar.com
We are
in search of audio from 410 sprint motor idling
for the comparison section. If you have a clip, please email Brian at brianwatson@watsonracingteam.com,
thanks.
1983 CHAMPIONSHIP WINNING EDMUNDS MIDGET
Last event: 17th Annual Vintage Celebration, (http://www.vintagecelebration.com). This is one of our biggest events every year. 180+ cars come out to enjoy 3 days on a 1 mile NASCAR oval track, New Hampshire International Speedway. Prior to loading up we were able to start the car at our shop since we now have a starter in the car. Since this was the first time it was started in 2007 it took a few tries but once it fired - it ran real good. We loaded up and headed North. We volunteer at the Vintage Celebration so my time is divided between helping out and driving. Right before the midgets were to go out - I went to warm it up - but there was no spark. After some trouble shooting I determined the condensor was bad. I was able to find one locally that would just barely work and not hurt the car. I gave it a shot and while it did product a weak spark I did get it to turn over before I ran out of pit lane. It had a little miss due to weak spark, but overall it ran well. After some hot laps - and getting it sideways on the front stretch and recovered it (ran over some fluids) - I pulled it in. The steering had some play in it and the RF spindle bushing were shot. The work on the Micro shortened our prep time for the Midget. We are working on the Midget and will have it ready for EMMR & Thompson. A special thanks goes out to Pat M. for his technical help and Larry P. for knowing the location of a local speed shop. We know have a back up race condensor in the tool box.
Here you will find an official event summary and a link to over 600 professional photos from the event: http://www.vintagecelebration.com
Midget & Micro Sprint updates can be found here: http://www.watsonracingteam.com/latestinformation.htm
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MICRO SPRINT RACE TEAM UPDATE
It has been a slow start to the 07 season. Carb problems plagued us for the first entire first practice and 1/2 of the second seriously limited our practice time since most other practices had been rained out. We have been working through the major and minor problems and have been having a blast running the car. Being so green - we come away from each event with exponentially more exp. then we went in with. The last race out we came in 12th (not in the $ - but high enough for a free pass!) which is pretty good compared to our first 2 event where we had been at the back. We are still green - but getting more a shade of back and blue from the tight quarters and rutted tracks - but still having a blast.
If you run a micro in the Phila. area drop us a line. We have been running at Lanco Speedway & Airport Speedway.
To friends & family - we could always use a hand so drop a line if you want to come along and help out one night.
Some misc. photos are below - Click To Enlarge
Additional Micro Sprint photos can be seen here: http://vintageracingphotos.smugmug.com/Micro%20Sprint
Micro Sprint Videos: http://www.maximumdirt.com/videos.php
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Lanco Speedway pits |
Lanco staging |
Vaughn - car owner |
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Leading them into turn 3 |
Tina - dedicated crew member |
The Competition |
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Airport Speedway warm ups |
Updates can be seen here: http://www.watsonracingteam.com/latestinformation.htm
A
Special Thank You goes out to every person and every shop who has had to put
up with our (OK, my) endless questions. We really appreciate your help. Thank
You!
CURRENT
CALENDAR OF SOME 2007 VINTAGE RACE CAR EVENTS
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Date 2007 |
Event |
Surface |
Sanction |
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Jun. 29 |
Nostalgia
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1/2 Mile Clay |
MVVRCA |
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Aug. 17 - Aug. 19 |
32nd
Annual EMMR Convention
at |
1/4 Mile Dirt |
EMMR |
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Aug. 25 |
3nd
Vintage Oval Extravaganza at Thompson
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5/8 Mile Asphalt |
TIS |
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Sep. 21 - Sep. 22 |
USAC
Four Crown/Midgets/Vintage at Eldora Speedway, |
1/2 Mile Clay |
USAC |
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Nov. 8 - Nov. 11 |
DAARA
Midget Races, |
1/3 Mile Dirt |
DAARA |
Calendar
is compliments of Vintage
Garage
Please also stop by the web site of ACOT
& NOTARC
for a listing of their upcoming events.
A few
of us will be stopping by Seekonk Speedway after the Vintage event at Thompson
to check out one of the best Midget races in the Northeast - the Boston Louie
Memorial. We highly recommend this great event and not just because Nick Fornoro
Jr. (former driver of our car) won the 2006 event. Check it out: http://www.nemaracing.com/Results_2006/race9-2006-Louie-8-26.htm.
A FAMILY MEMBER IS IN SEARCH OF INFORMATION ON
BILLY & JOHNNY MANN - NEMA REGULARS - PHOTOS, STORIES, ETC.
I know this Newsletter goes to out many Northeast racers and team members as well as historians. Lets see what information we have to help this person out - photos, contacts, stories, etc.
Below is the email I received. Instead of me posting their email here, if you have some information please call or email me and I will put you in touch. Thanks!
Brian Watson, brianwatson@watsonracingteam.com
Email
Request:
My name is XXXXXX I am Billy Mann's daughter and Johnny Mann's granddaughter. My father and grandfather raced in NEMA in the 70s and 80s. My father won the 1984 NEMA championship. And my grandfather won the 1970 and 1972 championships. But my father passed away in 2001 after a long battle with Multiple Sclerosis. The reason why I am writing is because I am looking for any type of memorabilia (pictures, yearbooks, etc) relating to my father. Almost exactly a year to the day he passed away I had his first grandson who is named after him. And I would like for my son to learn about his grandfathers passion for midget racing but I don't really have anything to show him. I do have a few old pictures but a lot of his racing stuff has been spread out throughout our family and I am having trouble tracking it down. So I was just hoping that maybe you knew him or know anybody was involved in NEMA during that time and might have any information. If you do have any info please email me back. I would really like to thank everybody in advance.
HUNDREDS OF PHOTOS - RESTORED VINTAGE RACE CARS ON TRACK AND ON DISPLAY
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Don't
forget to stop by and take a look at |
NEW ASSOCIATED SPONSOR - DIGATRON - http://www.digatronusa.com
A new associate sponsor has come on board. I am sure most of you are familiar with them: Digatron. They are one of the few companies out there whose reputation proceeds them for their quality built muti purpose gauges. The gauge we have in the micro is awesome. We are now in the process of installing one in the midget.
LOCAL RACING - ARDC WINGLESS MIDGETS & USAC WINGLESS SPRINTS AT GRANDVIEW SPEEDWAY
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I took a break from working and headed out to Grandview, (a 1/3 high banked clay oval). What a night of racing it was - plus I had the best seat in the house, shotgun in Vaughn's ARDC push truck. If you are reading this newsletter and somehow have never been to your local dirt track, do not walk - RUN - to an event this weekend.
It was the kind of night where not 1 but both wheels were up 3/4s of the way through the turn - setting the rear with the momentum gained on the straight and the throttle - then using all 800 HP to come off the turn like a rocket - Lap after Lap...
Daron Clayton
was awesome and Jerry Coons Jr. - how did he do it...
Grandview Speedway: http://www.grandviewspeedway.com
American Racing Drivers Club (ARDC) race summary: http://www.ardcmidgets.com/Default.asp?thePage=4&ID=1145
Sprint Photos: http://www.thunderonthehillracingseries.com/photos.asp
United States Auto Club (USAC) race summary: http://www.usacracing.com/content/view/6629/100/
MUST VIEW - Official USAC Videographer: http://www.millsvideoproductions.com - Check out the video on the home page!!!
MUST VIEW - Official USAC Videographer - Grandview 6/6/07: http://www.millsvideoproductions.com/indexold.html
MUST VIEW - Gary Silverman Video - Grandview 6/6/07: http://www.garysilvermanproductions.com/clips/060607clips.htm
Photos that I took during the event: http://vintageracingphotos.smugmug.com/gallery/3004096
SECOND ANNUAL SALUTE TO MEL KENYON JUNE 16th: http://www.umara.com
Whether you have followed open wheel racing all of your life or are just a casual race fan, you have probably heard the name Mel Kenyon at one time or another. Saturday night, June 16th you will have the chance to not only meet this racing legend and get his autograph; you will be able to see him race at the Grundy County Speedway.
Kenyon and the USAC Regional midget series join the UMARA midgets, plus the UMARA/USAC Ford Focus midgets, the UMARA Sportsman midgets and the BIDCA Classic Modifieds for "A Salute To 7-Time USAC Champion Mel Kenyon". The event will include a 50-lap national midget feature in honor of Kenyon.
Kenyon, a native of Illinois who turned 74 on April 15, still competes in USAC Regional midget competition today. Nicknamed "King of the Midgets" Kenyon began his racing career in 1954 driving a 1937 Chevy Coupe, which he totaled on the first night out after blowing a tire on the front straightaway at a track in Marion, Iowa. What looked like an early end was just the beginning of what was to be a remarkable career.
After Kenyon became virtually unbeatable in stock cars, promoters began trying to find ways to keep Kenyon out of racing his way to the prize money every week. Mel and his younger brother Don took on a new challenge; the lightning quick world of open wheel midget cars. They haven't looked back since.
Since Kenyon's first midget race in 1958 through today, Kenyon has won 380 feature events around the world. He raced to a record seven USAC National midget titles and was runner-up eight times. He has won 111 USAC midget features and finished in the top ten 688 times in USAC feature events.
CLICK HERE FOR COMPLETE ARTICLE...
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Here is a link to our tour of Don & Mel's garage back in 2005: http://vintageracingphotos.smugmug.com/gallery/1510553
FEATURED WEB SITE - http://www.wickedgoodracing.com
Maine Stock Car Racing - 50s Style. Awesome site.
UPDATED WEB ADDRESS FOR ACOT: http://www.acotnews.com
ACOT = Atlantic Coast Old Timers
We could
not do what we do without help from Family, Friends & Sponsors.
Thank you for all your help & support.
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Full and Associate Sponsorships are still available for
the 07 & 08 seasons. Don't delay - contact us TODAY!
Brian F. Watson
www.teamwatsononline.com
brianwatson@watsonracingteam.com
