OVERTON HITS THE JACKPOT
This season was the most financially rewarding in dirt-track racing history – and Brandon Overton took full advantage to build his bank account by winning five features that paid a minimum of $50,000.
The 30-year-old dirt late model racer from Evans, Ga., earned $273,000 for sweeping the Dirt Late Model Dream doubleheader during June at Eldora Speedway in Rossburg, Ohio. Back at Eldora in September for a double dose of the World 100, Overton banked $54,000 for his victory in the 51st running of dirt late model racing’s most prestigious event.
His other big-money victories came in the Texas Dirt Nationals at The Dirt Track at Texas Motor Speedway and in the North-South 100 at Florence (Ky.) Speedway.
Through Nov. 20, Overton had 30 feature victories in 88 starts aboard the No 76 Wells & Sons Motorsports entry.
WIN RECORD FOR HENDRICK
When Kyle Larson took the checkered flag on May 30 to win the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway, it was the 269th NASCAR Cup Series victory for Hendrick Motorsports.
The triumph pushed Hendrick Motorsports clear of the 268 wins owned by Petty Enterprises, which first claimed the wins mark for a team in NASCAR’s premier division in 1960 at North Carolina’s Orange County Speedway and held it continuously for 61 years.
Rick Hendrick marveled at what his once-small team has achieved.
“When we got to 200 wins, just thinking we could get to 269 and beat Richard’s number … I never thought we’d get there,” Hendrick admitted. “Then, all of a sudden the momentum started and we had a good run last year and this year and got close enough where now we’re sitting here.”
Larson, Chase Elliott, Alex Bowman and William Byron combined to win 16 of the 36 races this season and had run the Hendrick victory total to 279 by the end of the campaign.
RPM ACT MOVES FORWARD
A considerable amount of attention was focused on a lobbying effort, spearheaded by executives of Performance Racing Industry, to guarantee the future of racing in this country.
The Recognizing the Protection of Motorsports Act was reintroduced in both houses of Congress. The bill is critical to ensuring racers can continue to modify street vehicles into race cars used exclusively in competition.
Support for the bill has grown since 2016 when the Environmental Protection Agency declared the 50-year-old Clean Air Act doesn’t allow street vehicles to be converted for racing purposes.
“The RPM Act must be passed into law to provide the racing community with certainty and confidence in the face of EPA threats,” said Dr. Jamie Meyer, president of PRI. “Without the RPM Act, businesses will shut down and the entire motorsports community will be severely impacted.”
NHRA ADDS ELECTRIC CLASS
Following the lead of the automotive industry, NHRA drag racing made a bold move toward the future in late April when officials introduced a new class for electric vehicles that will be part of the NHRA Summit Racing Series next season.
“We are thrilled for this new opportunity for our NHRA competitors,” said NHRA President Glen Cromwell. “NHRA drag racing is about performance and innovation, and we look forward to seeing how these vehicles will perform in 2022.”
As the performance of electric street vehicles continues to increase, NHRA will provide a safe place for these vehicles to race and a unique platform for competitors to evolve and demonstrate their capabilities.
“The NHRA is excited to provide the OEMs a platform to showcase their EV technology, production and racing efforts,” said Ned Walisser, NHRA’s vice president of competition.
NO. 100 FOR HAMILTON
Lewis Hamilton achieved an unbelievable milestone on Sept. 26 when the British racer earned his 100th Formula 1 victory by topping the drama-filled Russian Grand Prix.
Hamilton’s 100th series win came in his 281st start. His initial triumph was on June 10, 2007, in the Canadian Grand Prix.
Michael Schumacher is second on the list of all-time grand prix winners with 91 while Sebastian Vettel stands third with 53.
“It’s taken a long time and I wasn’t even sure the 100th would come,” Hamilton said. “Getting anywhere near 100 victories wouldn’t be possible without the hard work of the men and women here and back at the factory. I’m so grateful to them – it just feels so special.”
In July, Hamilton signed a contract extension that will keep him with the powerhouse Mercedes team for the next two seasons.
CHECKERED FLAG
The death bell rang frequently in 2021 with the motorsports industry losing more than its share of legends.
Three-time Indianapolis 500 winner and 13-time Pikes Peak Hill Climb victor Bobby Unser died on May 2. Unser was 87 years old.
Three-time Indianapolis 500 winning team owner U.E. “ Pat” Patrick passed away Jan. 5 at the age of 90.
Legendary Northeast modified driver Jack Johnson died April 2 after a long battle with ALS. He was 76.
The sport lost numerous members of the National Sprint Car Hall of Fame, including car owner Steve Stapp and drivers Steve Smith and Ray Lee Goodwin.
Two-time NASCAR Xfinity Series champion Jack Ingram, who was inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame in 2014, died June 25 at the age of 84. Four-time NASCAR Cup Series winner Charlie Glotzbach passed away in April.
But the motorsports media may have been the hardest hit.
Longtime Indianapolis Motor Speedway announcer Bob Jenkins, 73, died of cancer Aug. 9 and legendary reporter and columnist Robin Miller, who was 71, followed three weeks later, also from complications of cancer.
Cancer also claimed National Sprint Car Hall of Fame videographer Greg Stephens in September, while Sprint Car & Midget magazine founder and editor Doug Auld died in October at the age of 59.
Among the other members of the motorsports community to die in the past year were Tim Allison, Harold Annett, Mike Atkinson, Berneice Baltes, Mark Beard Sr., Sam Belnavis, Chuck Boos, Sam Carista, Peter Chesson, Rusty Crews, Briggs Cunningham III, Dave Dalesandro, Johnny Dumfries, Fred Frost, Wokeeta “Fuzzy” Hahn, Bill Hahnlein, Bob Halson, Marion Jacobs, John Kilroy, Oscar Koveleski, Leo Levine, Dick Mann, Jerry Matus, Eric McClure, Ron McDonald Sr., Graham McRae, Don Meacham, Hugo Millan, Carl Moore, Max Mosley, Dirk Newkirk, Jack Nowling, Ed Partridge, Carlos Reutemann, Todd Ridgeway, Joel Robert, Sabine Schmitz, Jason Smith, Salvatore Tinio, John Wes Townley, Neil Truesdell, Bobby Unser Jr., James Vasser, Dean Berta Viñales, Don Waldovogel, Murray Walker, Bill Whittington, Ralph Wilke and Bernece Wood.