Editor’s Note: In a nod to our 92 years of history, each week SPEED SPORT will look back at the top stories from 20, 40 and 60 years ago as told in the pages of National Speed Sport News.
20 Years Ago — 2006
News: Add two more top names from open-wheel racing to the NASCAR plans, proving again how the nature of American racing has changed dramatically.
On Saturday, Indianapolis 500 winner and Indy Racing League champion Sam Hornish Jr. announced he will compete in two Busch Series races this season, with a more extensive schedule in 2007.
On Oct 24, Champ Car star A.J. Allmendinger was named as the second driver for the Team Red Bull Nextel Cup organization.
That announcement went over so well that Allmendinger was fired from Forsythe Racing’s Champ Car team, with Buddy Rice of the IRL taking over his seat in the season finale at Mexico City.
Indy-car racing used to be the destination for young American drivers.
But in the past 15 years NASCAR has taken over as the unquestioned king of high-speed competition.
While Allmendinger will run a full schedule next season, Hornish’s effort will be limited while he continues to race in the IRL.
“What appeals to me is being able to find out whether I can do it, putting my skills up against somebody else’s,” Hornish said. “I just want to go out and see if I can’t do it.”
Hornish will drive the No. 39 Mobil1 Dodge at the Nov. 11 Phoenix and Nov. 18 Homestead Busch races. Hornish won two IRL races at Phoenix in 2001 and 2005 and three at Homestead in 2001, 2002 and 2004.
“It makes me feel good that we’re starting at these two tracks, where I have five wins between the two,” Hornish said. “On the other hand, this is a totally different car, though.”
Winners: Donny Schatz didn’t look at the World of Outlaws Sprint Series standings very often this season. The only number he cared about on the stats sheet was the number of victories he had.
He believed that as long as he kept winning races, the points would take care of themselves.
Schatz picked up his first triumph of the season March 9 at The Dirt Track @ Las Vegas Motor Speedway, the same day he took the point lead.
The native of Fargo, N. D., capped off his title-winning season by winning his 17th feature of the season Saturday night at The Dirt Track @ Las Vegas Motor Speedway, as the series concluded its season.
Schatz, who was the fast qualifier aboard the Parker Store J&J, started sixth, quickly made his way to fourth on the first lap and then worked his way into the runner-up spot. After running second for a couple laps, he looked low on Brooke Tatnell on the eighth lap and briefly took the lead in turn two, but Tatnell powered his way back around Schatz.
On the following lap, Schatz used the exact same move on the low side of turn two to make the pass for the lead.
”This is what we were shooting fox,” Schatz said. “You have to set yourself high, and we set ourselves high for a lot of wins, and we got a lot of wins. You always want more, but it was a great year, and we did what we wanted to do. We finally won a championship and did it in style. We did it winning races and had a little luck, too. We were very consistent, and that is what makes it fun.”
Tatnell, who won the preliminary feature Friday night, started from the pole and led the first eight laps before finishing second in the Race Outfitters Schnee.
40 Years Ago — 1986
News: Heavy buying of Goodyear stock in recent weeks, fueled by takeover rumors, has racing officials in a state of concern.
Wall Street buying is based on reports that the New Jersey-based chemical company GAF, and British financier Sir James Goldsmith, are suitors for the world’s largest tire company.
Goodyear announced last week it was considering a restructuring program in an effort to maximize shareholder values.
Once a major company is acquired, it is customary for an immediate belt-tightening program to be effected with all non-essential programs dropped.
Goodyear’s racing involvement, without which major series both here and abroad could not continue, costs in the millions of dollars. Goodyear produces and sells over 200,000 racing tires a year, here and abroad.
Leo Mehl, General Manager of Racing for Goodyear, told National Speed Sport News Tuesday he could not comment on the matter. “We are all on a freeze here,” he said.
“Once a major company is taken over the acquirer immediately gets rid of all unnecessary frills, and where better to start than racing. It’s a bad sign,” said a leading U.S. racing figure who. asked to remain anonymous.
Series totally dependent on Goodyear racing tires include major-league drag racing, the CART/PPG Indy Car; the NASCAR Winston Cup and Busch Grand National; SCCA’s Robert Bosch Super Vee and American Racing Series with indications that international Formula One will have no other supplier in 1987, Michelin having dropped out last year and Pirelli this year. In addition, contestants in IMSA’s Camel GTP, GTO and Kelly-American series along with participants in SCCA’s Bendix Brake Trans-Am and other series choose Goodyears by a wide majority over other makes.
Winners: Brad Doty wrapped up the World of Outlaws/Copenhagen-Skoal Shootout sprint car season in style Saturday night as he recorded his biggest and richest career victory in the 30-lap Pacific Coast Open at Ascot Park.
Doty dueled with Bobby Davis, Jr. during the first half of the chase around the half-mile clay oval. Doty took command for good on lap 15 and guided the Coors Light/Gambler Competition No. 18 to a $19,265 score.
The victory rewarded one of the most determined teams on the WoO circuit.
Doty’s richest career win ·caps a topsy-turvy season marked on the down side by a serious facial injury with this win being the highlight.
Car owners Fred Marks and Les Kepler scored their first WoO win in this event, which topped off a year and a half of steady support on the national tour.
Doty’s run was worth $12,000 in cash. In addition, the team collected a $3,500 aluminum block from Rodeck and a $2,000 gold piece from J. W. Hunt. Adding contingency awards were Goodyear, ProFormance, Cam Dynamics, Kinser Racing, Kraco Car Stereo, Shaver, KSE, Simpson and Total Seal. Lap prizes added $275 to Doty’s winning total.
60 Years Ago— 1966
News: A vigorous 1967 motorsporting program for the Lincoln-Mercury Division of the Ford Motor Company was announced here Tuesday by Paul F. Lorenz, vice-president of Ford and general manager of the L-M division.
Drivers Dan G urney and Parnelli J ones were on hand and introduced as lead drivers for the Mercury teams.
Gurney is to head up the Cougar team in the Trans-American Sedan Championship series of SCCA road races, while Jones, winner of the Indianapolis 500 in 1963, will be the number one driver in stock car races, driving a Mercury Cyclone, the 1967 version of the Comet.
Bud Moore of Spartanburg, S. C., revealed that be is preparing eight cars for L-M; four 427 single overhead cam Mercury Cyclones for the stock car circuits, two of which are expected to be assigned to NASCAR and two to USAC, and four 289 Mercury Cougars for the Trans-Am series, two to be campaigned and two in reserve.
The effort will be international in scope with Gurney signed to drive Mercury prototype sports cars in the Daytona , Palm Beach (Sebring) and LeMans races, in addition to his activity on the domestic scene.
It was learned that the overall FoMoCo prototype program would result in some of their cars being designated Mercury prototypes whether they be Mark II’s, J-cars or 427 Cougars.
Winners: Roger McCluskey put the wraps on the 1966 USAC National Sprint Car title Saturday night with his victory in the 30-lap USAC feature on the half-mile clay Ascot Park.
McCluskey picked up 30 points for the win to clinch his second sprint car championship since 1963.
Driving Mutt Anderson’s, H & H Machine Tool Chevy, McCluskey moved into the lead on the 28th lap and came home first to pick up the lion’s share of the $6,551 purse.
With four races left on the USAC calendar, no one is within striking distance of McCluskey for the title. National driving champ Mario Andretti had been in second place in the point race going into Saturday night’s program but tangled with Bobby Unser in a heat and ended up slamming into the homestretch wall. His car was knocked out of action for the night.
Paul Jones suffered fractures of the left arm and collar bone and head injuries in the semi-final when his Elder Offy ran over the wheel of A.J. Smith’s car and began a series of flips and rolls. Jones’ car finally flipped through the outer fence of the track before coming to rest outside the speedway. He was listed in satisfactory condition at Gardena Hospital.
Chasing McCluskey to the checkered banner was the night’s fastest qualifier, and the race leader for 28 laps, Hal Minyard at the wheel of the Lehotsky & Singh Chevy.
