New York State’s biggest auto racing weekend is here as NASCAR’s
Nextel Cup and Busch Series invade Watkins Glen for their annual
Empire State stop.
Today’s Busch race is sponsored by Zippo.
Not only is this New York’s biggest auto racing weekend, it is
also the state’s biggest sports weekend as no other sporting event
comes close to the number of fans that will be in Watkins Glen
today and tomorrow.
If you’re making the trek to Watkins Glen, and it’s only a short
two-hour drive or so, don’t forget that the 15th Annual United Late
Model Series (ULMS) Late Model Reunion at Woodhull Raceway is set
for tonight. This annual event, promoted by R&R Motorsports,
otherwise known as Rod Biehler and Roger Morris, was rained out
last year, but the weatherman is calling for a clear, low humidity
weekend so it should be quite a show.
For those not familiar with the “Reunion in the Hills,” Woodhull
Raceway is one of America’s top dirt tracks and is located off
Route 417 in Woodhull, N.Y. That is near Corning, so if you are at
the Glen, it’s a short trip for some top dirt racing action.
The main event will feature 20 of those low-to-the-ground, Super
Late Model missiles with $2,000 going to the winner and $200 just
to take the green flag.
This is always a wide open race, and in the 14 previous events
there have been nine different winners on the oval’s high
banks.
Towing in tonight to defend his title will be Eldred’s Bob
Close, and he will be challenged by former winners Al Brewer, Mike
Wonderling and Jeff Hoffman.
All-time ULMS winner Ron Davies won the inaugural race in 1991,
with Brewer just finishing second. Brewer won the following
year.
Other “Reunion” winners include Bob Baldwin, Tim Hoffman, Dick
Barton and Todd Andrews.
Current ULMS Rookie of the Year contenders Doug Ricotta and Greg
Oakes are expected to be in the pits, along with Jason Dupont, Rick
Isadore, Dave Norton and Scott Lebarron.
East Pennsylvania hot shots Jamie Griffiths, Dave Zona and Dan
Stone will be making their first visit to Woodhull to try to take
some of that prize money away from Western Pennsylvania’s best.
Tonight’s race is sanctioned by ULMS and ULMS rules will be
used, including the open tire rule and redraw format. Unlike in
past seasons, the race is an open event for all dirt late
models.
A Late Model/Modified challenge race will also be run, with a
$1,000 purse and $500 going home with the winner.
There will also be a Race of Champions event for past “Reunion”
winners.
In case of rain, which Biehler promises won’t happen, a rain
date has been set for Sunday and the following weekend, if
needed.
Woodhull will also run its regular card of racing tonight in
addition to the Late Model program.
On Sunday, both Allegheny Mountain Raceway and The Hill Raceway
will run full cards.
AMR will run its annual Raymond “Ozzie” Lehman and Gloria Beane
Memorial Trophy Night with special commemorative trophies going to
all four feature winners, courtesy of Betty Lehman.
Ozzie and Gloria were two of AMR’s biggest supporters of the
racing programs at the track.
The gates open at AMR at 3 p.m. Sunday, with the first heat set
to take the green flag at 5 p.m. There will be a full card of
racing for the Chargers, Mini Stocks, Pure Stocks and Street
Stocks.
Racing gets underway at The Hill Raceway, formerly Bradford
Speedway, at 6:30 p.m. The quarter-mile bull ring will run its six
regular classes – Sportsman, Street Stocks, Mini Stocks, Thunder
Stocks, Pure Stocks and Four-Cylinder Chargers.
The Hill is located at the Four Corners in Rew.
Last week we mentioned Champ Car World Series driver Cristiano
da Matta, who suffered a severe head injury in a crash at Road
America when his Indy car hit a deer. His team reports that he has
made slow, but steady progress this week, although he is still not
responding to commands. A decision will be made in about two weeks
as to what facility he will be transferred to. Doctors say at this
point it is impossible to predict the amount of his recovery.
There has been plenty of news from Watkins Glen as probably the
biggest story has been that Bill Elliott has been brought in to
drive the Evernham Motorsports Dodge this weekend, replacing Jeremy
Mayfield.
Friday morning, team owner Ray Evernham announced that Mayfield
has been fired, which comes on the heels of various complaints by
Mayfield over the past few weeks that the team owner was spending
too much time away from his Nextel Cup team.
Mayfield has refused all questions about his firing for “legal
reasons.”
NASCAR’s News Service has reported that Mayfield had obtained a
temporary restraining order in a county court in Statesville, N.C.,
and that a preliminary injunction was being sought preventing his
removal as driver of the #19 Dodge.
Mayfield said earlier this week he knew nothing about being
replaced by Elliott until he was contacted by reporters.
It will be a busy day at the Glen today as the Busch Grand
National cars will qualify at 11:05 a.m. for the Zippo 200, which
takes the green flag at 2:10 p.m.
The Grand Am Series ran a 200-mile sprint race at the track
Friday evening.
The Indy Racing League is at Kentucky Speedway this weekend and,
in a first for the IRL, and perhaps a first for racing, two ladies
will be taking the green flag as former Indy star Sarah Fisher will
be driving, along with series regular Danica Patrick.
Wish I was at the Glen, because, as my friend Louie the Lizard
would say, “It’s gonna be huge.”
See you at the races!
