Full Throttle

CCWS driver Katherine Legge, you know that other girl racer, is tired of hearing the D word. (Hey, don’t feel pregnant… er… alone) “When we start winning,” she said, referring to herself and Patrick, “it will be less of a novelty.” Katherine, thank your lucky stars the “D word” stayed in IRL. The ink stained wretches would have made life miserable if she had jumped to CCWS. The comparisons would have been from adjacent pit stalls, not from across the country.

WOW… what does that take a CCWS field size to, less than half of a NASCAR field? Kevin Kalkhoven, Gerry Forsythe call your respective offices. You still have work to do.

You gotta love Jim Dunn of the The Birmingham News. This is his Saturday Morning Headline: 12 Little Race Cars. Sounds like a shot at Tony George and the IRL and the small fields - did I say small - miniscule fields of late. It makes you want to read it just for the laughs.

Headlines can, and are, deceiving at times. In this case it’s a story about Scott Pruett and his wife Judy. Together they have written a children’s book, 12 Little Race Cars. Think I’ll head down to my local bookstore Monday.

A restrictor plate? Dodge driver David Roberts has been told he must run this weekend with a plate. What you say there are no Daytona or Talladega events this week, and who the hell is Dave Roberts?

Dave races his Late Model Dodge, yes I said Late Model, at Greenville-Pickens Speedway. Seems Dave wins too much and run afoul of the local handicap rule. After two consecutive wins he had carry an extra 100 pounds, that dropped him to a forth place last week. This week the 100lbs goes out and the restrictor plate goes in.

Hey… there’s still hope for me. Now all I gotta do is find an oval short track in the Philippines!

I been thinkin’ about this diversity thing in NASCAR. Montoya has made the switch from the Prima Donna League and Adrian Fernandez is seen around the Busch Series on occasion behind the wheel of a Hendricks car. So I figure Hispanic is hot. So, I’m waiting for the first race or track sponsor tie-in. You know like the Pepsi 400 or something “Presented by.”

I can see it now; The Chorizo 500. Hey stop that snickering, every good Chorizo Gets it’s Day in the Sun

Over in the Prima Donna League it’s Fernando Alonzo’s birthday today. Wonder if Schumacher got him a present, like wishing for a seventh spot on the grid. Oh, nevermind Alonzo “purchased” that for himself. Kimi Raikkonen got the present Fernando wanted. And depending on the outcome of the German GP, needed. Along with some kind of “damper” or something.

I’ll end with the best headline of the day. It comes courtesy of Allan of Fast Machines who writes about Rahal Letterman Racing’s sparse drivers stable after giving Buddy Rice permission to seek employment elsewhere and the loss of Danica Patrick; Ain’t No Sunshine Since She’s Gone.

NASCAR, Busch Series, Formula One, F1, IRL IndyCar, Sports, Auto Racing, Motorsports, Full Throttle

Then you probably hated the finish of ARCA’s Shop

The Grand Prix Drivers’ Association lost the membership of Jacques Villeneuve recently. Strangely the man many call Motor Mouth (well, maybe it’s just me) has remained silent thus far why he had a snit fit and quit the GPMA.

Silent no more, Jacques has come out and said he was the recipient of a self imposed “Red Card” over fellow drivers showing too much interest in the World Cup.

The BMW Sauber driver resigned from the organization after a meeting at Silverstone that had been billed as a remonstration for Schumacher’s actions at the Rascasse corner in Monaco.

But the meeting was ultimately brief and Schumacher emerged with his GPDA Directorship intact. Villeneuve suggests that most drivers were more bothered about rushing away to watch the World Cup.

“It was a question of principle, after seeing that the majority of the drivers don’t care what goes on,” the 35-year-old said.

Villeneuve told the International Herald Tribune (IHT): “What happened in Monaco was a very important moment and there were not very many drivers interested.”

IHT however, claims that all GPDA members were deeply interested when the subject of discussion was the reduction of their high-risk insurance premiums.

Drivers showing more interest in less cash being pulled from their pockets? I’m shocked! All the drivers, except Jacques, didn’t want to rehash what had been settled for the most part and his ego was bruised. I’m Shocked!

Even more shocking; Villeneuve speaking on the subject of principle.

GPMA, Grand Prix Drivers Association, F1, Formula One, FIA, Jacques Villeneuve, Auto Racing, Motorsports, Full Throttle

Tonights ARCA RE/MAX Series Shop ‘n Save 150 at Gateway International Raceway will proceed as scheduled after some concern over a loss of electical power in the area.

One of the larger ARCA fields of the year will be on hand with a total of 49 entries that includes several driver development teams and second-generation drivers.

Brewco Motorsports’ Brad Coleman will be looking for his second victory having earned his career first ARCA RE/MAX Series victory at Kentucky Speedway.

Evernham Racing’s Erin Crocker, Dodge Motorsport’s Chase Miller and Roush Racing’s Pete Sheppard will also be flying the “development flag” as is Steve Wallace, who is part of his father Rusty Wallace’s RWI, Inc. driver development program. Wallace is also entered in Saturday’s Busch Series Silver Celebration 250 Race at Gateway.

Miller and Wallace join Coleman as 2006 ARCA RE/MAX Series race winners, with Wallace winning at Kentucky in May and Miller picking up his career first victory at Pocono in June.

Crocker finished second at Kansas in July and earned the Pork Pole Award at Kentucky just one week later. She has already competed at Gateway once this year, as she is competing for Evernham in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series full-time in 2006.

The Roulo Brothers are the latest team to file an entry for the event. The long-time ARCA RE/MAX Series team has entered Canada’s Pete Sheppard at Gateway as part of a driver development plan for Roush Racing.

History and tradition also get a nod at GIR as the sons of several former series champions have entered the Shop ‘n Save 150.

Billy Venturini, Todd Bowsher and Corrie Stott are among the racing legacies entered. Venturini, who earned his career first victory at Salem Speedway in April, is the son of 1987 and 1991 national driving champion Bill Venturini. Bowsher, part of the Jack Bowsher and Associates stable, is the son of three-time series driving champion and two-time car owner champion Jack Bowsher.

In addition, Corrie Stott, son of two-time ARCA RE/MAX Series National Driving Champion Ramo Stott, will attempt to make his series debut at Gateway.

His #07 Stott Classic Racing Pontiac has been painted to replicate his father’s 1970 and 1971 championship winning paint scheme. The older Stott is a 16-time Pork Pole Winner in the ARCA RE/MAX Series and has 27-career wins, good enough for seventh on the all-time winners list.

ARCA RE/MAX Series, Gateway International Raceway, Busch Series, Auto Racing, Motorsports, Full Throttle