JustPlainRacin Blog

$50 ticket includes one lap at speed; benefits Salute to Military Families program

To benefit PIR’s annual Salute to Military Families program just prior to the events of the April NASCAR weekend, the track is offering race enthusiasts the chance to visit PIR and ride around the track for one hot lap at $50 per person, with the Bondurant School of High Performance Driving.

The promotion, Hot Laps for the Troops, will take place on Wednesday, April 9.

All proceeds from “Hot Laps for the Troops” will benefit the Salute to Military Families program, helping to provide tickets and race day entertainment for the many men and women of the United States Armed Forces. Without the military’s support and commitment to the liberty and freedom of the American population, the entertainment of NASCAR racing at PIR and venues across the country would not be possible.

“Hot Laps for the Troops” is scheduled for three sessions on April 9: 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., 3:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m., and 7:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. Prize giveaways are scheduled for each session.

Tickets are currently available as a print-at-home option via the “Hot Laps for the Troops” tab at www.phoenixraceway.com.

While the $50 ticket to “Hot Laps for the Troops” does not include race admission, tickets for the April 12 SUBWAY Fresh Fit 500™ and all other events throughout the weekend at PIR are still available by calling 1-866-408-RACE (7223) or by visiting www.racetickets.com.

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Originated in 2006 to exhibit appreciation for those serving the United States military, the Salute to Military Families program has seen overwhelming support from PIR’s partners, to the tune of several thousand tickets that have been sponsored for military families in a span of three events.

In conjunction with the 2008 Salute to Military Families program, several major events are scheduled at nearby military bases for locally enlisted men and women in advance of the SUBWAY Fresh Fit 500™. PIR, Sprint, and TriWest will host a race-watching party at the Arizona Army National Guard Papago Park Installation on Sunday, April 6, and Sprint Cup Series driver and Glendale native Michael McDowell will visit Luke Air Force Base on Wednesday, April 9.

In addition to the on-base events, PIR is adding a unique twist in the program’s third year. A commemorative green flag featuring the Salute to Military Families logo will be sent overseas this week to the 447th Air Expeditionary Group of the United States Air Force in Baghdad, where it will fly on base for a day before being sent back to Phoenix to serve as the official green flag that will wave over the field of 43 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series cars to start the SUBWAY Fresh Fit 500™. Meanwhile, a similar “sister” flag will travel with PIR representatives to Arizona bases before also being delivered to the Saturday, April 12 race.

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The action doesn’t stop in April! The Chase for the Sprint Cup makes its return to PIR in November with the Checker Auto Parts 500 Presented by Pennzoil on Sunday, November 9.

Single tickets go on sale to the public at 8 a.m. (Arizona Standard Time) on Saturday, March 29. Tickets will be available over the phone at 1-866-408-RACE (7223) or by visiting www.racetickets.com.

by Windy McDonald

Don Davis Memorial Saturday Night March 29 at Manzanita Speedway

The Don Davis Memorial will be run for the first time since 1971 with the American Sprint Car Series running on the half mile track and the Arizona Midget Racing Association on the short track Saturday night.

Second generation driver Casey Shuman scored his first ever main event win at Manzy last Saturday night and will be pulling double duty this weekend. He will again be at the wheel of the Rex Foster sprinter and will drive the same midget that he raced in the Chili Bowl.

Second year driver Jeremy Reagles hopes to be leading at the checkered flag after he led the most laps last time out but finished second to Shuman. Josh Pelkey ran strong as did Nathan High.

Two drivers who were disappointed with their finishes, Charles Davis, Jr. (5th) and Jeremy Sherman (6th) hope to get it put together in the first show on the half mile track for the AMSC this year. Sherman is still the points leader but he has company at the top of the standings. He is only four points up on High and R.J. Johnson is ten points out. Only 30 points separate the top 11 drivers.

The AMRA is expecting a competitive field that should have about 18 cars for their second race of the season.

This weekend is “Hot Dog Night” with hotdogs going for only $1.00 both Friday and Saturday night. It is also “Banner Night” with youngsters under 12 able to submit banners of their favorite car and driver. The winner will pick up the big prize and all banners will be displayed on the main concourse.

Factory Stocks, Bombers and Lady Stocks provide the action Friday night with Anthony Madrid seeking his 114th feature win and is favored to make it two in a row in the factory stocks. The Bombers figure to be a wide open affair and Becky Madrid going after her second win.

The Don Davis Memorial will run as a tribute to one of the most successful drivers to ever race at Manzanita Speedway

Davis, fresh out of high school and 18 years old started driving jalopies at Manzy in 1951 shortly after the track opened. He won is first main event on Manzy’s quarter mile track September 29 and won again December, 16. He finished the 1951 season ranked fourth in points. He won three more features in 1952 and then won the driving championship in ‘53 by making 13 trips to the winner’s circle. He won a total of 30 features but raced only part time in ‘55, 56, and 57. His last win came on January 5, 1958.

Donnie landed a ride in the ECCA sprinter owned by Kurt Purvis of Eloy that had propelled Roger McCluskey to the Indy 50 and he added more wins to his total on his way to the 1960 California Racing Association championship. Davis won eight feature races with three of those wins coming on the Manzanita half mile track. He also secured a USAC license and won a USAC race in Clovis, CA.

Davis finished ninth in his first USAC championship car race which was run at the Arizona State Fairgrounds.

He followed Bill Cheesbourg, Wayne Weiler and McCluskey to Indy where he raced twice. He was involved in an accident in 1961 and finished 29th. His star shined brightly in ‘62 as he drove the entire 500 miles and took the checkered flag in fourth. Later that year he died in a sprint car crash in New Breman, OH. His car hade mechanical problems and he secured another ride. Don had one superstition and that was that he would not have his picture taken before a race. However, the owner of the car pleaded with him to get a picture. He finally gave in. A car running just ahead of him blew a tire and the debris hit Davis in the head. He went over the wall and suffered injuries which proved to be fatal.

The Don Davis Memorial started in 1966 and was a 100 lap race on the 1/4 mile track. Johnny Capels led most of the race but with his throw it sideways style of driving a header pipe touched the track. It finally dug in and he spun out. Hall of Fame driver Bob Huebner took the win. The next year it became a two night event with the Friday night race on the 1/4 mile and the Saturday night race on the 1/2. Buddy Taylor won them both. It was back to a Saturday night only and Huebner again won the feature which was 50 laps. It was back to two nights in ‘69 and Gene Brown won on the short track and Bob Cleberg won on the big track. The same format in 1970 had Brown again prevailing on the 14 and Billy Wilkerson taking the half mile show. The final Davis Memorial ran in 1971 and was a 40 lapper on the short track. Brown won for the third time.

Race time each night is set for 7:00 PM

(History and stats from “Thunder in the Desert” by Windy McDonald and “California Hot Shoes” by Buzz Rose.)

by Windy McDonald

Manzanita Speedway Link
The American Sprint Car Series return to Manzanita Speedway’s one-third mile track Saturday night with three time defending champion a clear favorite. Jeremy Sherman will be seeking his second straight win and is coming into the race with the adrenaline flowing after winning last Saturday night’s USAC/CRA feature. Sherman beat Jesse Hockett in the season opener and will likely face the Warsaw, Missouri driver again. R.J. Johnson, who ran second to Sherman in the USAC/CRA race and was third in the season opener rests six points behind Sherman and is only two points out of second place.

Hockett will soon be heading to the Midwest and will not be a factor in the chase for the championship. Hockett’s team mate, Charles Davis, Jr. has had tough luck early in the season. He has yet to finish a race in his three starts. He has run strong but mechanical problems have beset his Jim Massey car. He won six ASCS features last year and also scored two USAC/CRA races and cannot be counted out as one of the favorites. Davis, finished second, nine times with all but one was against Sherman. The other was in the Western when he finished second to Cory Kruseman. Sherman finished second to Davis five times after Davis moved into the Jim Massey car.

Johnson, who missed numerous races last year as he competed part time in the USAC/CRA series, will be staying home this year and figures to again run strong on the short track. He has finished no worse than 12th in his three starts this year and that was against a very tough field in the Copper on Dirt.

Nathan High ran strong in the Robbie Allen car in the season opener with a fourth place finish. Hoping to improve on their top ten finishes in the opener are Chris Bonneau (6th), Bob Ream, Jr. (7th), Justin Fisher (8th), Shon Deskins (9th) and Thomas Ogle (10th).

The Mini Sprints will also be running for the second time as the co-featured show Saturday night. They will again be sporting their “Wings” and hope to match the speed that carried Kiley Fellers to a win in their opener.

The Desert Dwarf Cars will be sharing the short track with the Factory Stocks and Bombers Friday night. The dwarf cars have run once at Manzy with Taylor Cuzik taking the win and then last week they ran in Casa Grande and Steve Moriarity got his first ever win in only his second season.

Matt Martinez captured the season opener but Anthony Madrid remains the favorite. Anthony was well out front in the opener when a lapped car spun, hit Madrid’s car and blew two tires. After a pit stop Anthony was able to drive back to fifth. He will be seeking his 112th career win.

The bombers fielded 38 cars as they ran for extra cash in their opener and Robert Taylor drove the Tom Kozak car into the winner’s circle. Daniel Romero and Jesse Johnson both had good runs and should figure in the battle for the win Friday night.

Race time each night is set for 7:00 PM

BUFFALO, NY. -  DP Brakes, the developer of the original sintered brake pad, and industry leader in sintered metal braking technology has captured an additional sponsored rider win in with the 2008 Toyota AMA Arenacross title.

 

TUF Honda Racing’s rider Chad Johnson won the title. Chad sealed his championship by placing third in a March 2008 race in front of his hometown fans of Green Bay, Wisconsin. Team Owner, Dave Antolak, said, “You don’t win championships just by going fast; you have to stop fast as well. DP Brakes not only does that, but they hold up to the continuous abuse week after week”.

 

“We congratulate Chad and the entire TUF Racing Honda Team for another outstanding season. DP Brakes is truly honored to be part of their success,” stated Larry Mills, President of DP Brakes and Clutches North America.

 

For more information on the complete line-up of DP Brakes brake pads, shoes, rotors, and clutch kits, contact DP Brakes North American Headquarters/Tony Mills International Inc. at 4401 Walden Avenue, Lancaster, NY 14086, (716) 681-8806, or visit them on the web at www.dp-brakes.com .

MEMPHIS, TN (March 19, 2008) – EM Motorsports owner John Carter announced today that Tony Raines would pilot the Rhino’s Energy Drink Dodge Charger in the Goody’s Cool Orange 500 on March 30, at Martinsville Speedway.  Raines is a veteran of six NASCAR SPRINT CUP Series starts at Martinsville.  Raines’ best finish at the historic half-mile track was a 10^th place finish in last October’s Subway 500.  Raines qualifies well at the track with an average starting position of 17.3 in his 6 races.

 

Raines began his NASCAR career in the Craftsman Truck Series in 1997, driving a Ford F-150 for Kurt Roehrig Racing.  Raines won the Western Auto/Part’s America 200 at Odessa, MO in only his fifth series start.  Overall, Raines has recorded 53 Craftsman Truck Series starts with 4 wins, 11 Top-Fives and 22 Top-Tens.

 

In 1999, Raines began running the NASCAR Busch Series for Bill Baumgardner and BACE Motorsports.  In 2001, Raines finished sixth in the Busch Series standings driving for the BACE Motorsports team.  Raines has 192 Busch Series starts with 14 Top-Five and 47 Top-Ten finishes to his credit.

 

In 2003, Raines and BACE Motorsports moved to the NASCAR Sprint CUP Series and together scored an impressive sixth place finish in the POP Secret 500 at Rockingham.  2006 saw Raines join forces with Hall of Fame Racing, where he competed in 63 SPRINT CUP Series events during two seasons. During his career, Raines has competed in 117 SPRINT CUP Series races with 3 Top-Tens.

 

EM Motorsports is based in Toccoa, Georgia and is led by owner John Carter, Crew Chief Charles Swing and Marketing VP Doug Barron. 

Photos from this week’s racing will be delayed, probably till late in the week.

We will have over 2000 images to process after visiting Manzanita Speedway Modified Show, Firebird Raceway Region #7 Event and and Phoenix International Raceway for NASCAR testing.

Thanks for your understanding!