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LEMASTERS: Keep An Eye On The CARS Tour

CONCORD, N.C. — The CARS Tour opened its season March 11 at North Carolina’s Southern National Motorsports Park. It was the first race for the series under its new management team. The Solid Rock Carriers CARS Tour is already one of the best — if not the best — late model stock series in the […]

Opinion

BOURCIER: The Star Maker Machinery: Out Of Order

INDIANAPOLIS — Twenty years ago, on what memory tells me was the Wednesday before the 2003 Indy 500, I was sitting at a departure gate at the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood Int’l Airport, waiting on a flight to Indianapolis, when up walked a couple of business travelers. Ten days earlier, Team Penske drivers Helio Castroneves and Gil […]

Opinion

WALTZ: A Trip Back In ASA History

With the recent return of the ASA brand to the late model racing landscape, our thoughts traveled back to March 2000 when we journeyed to Lakeland, Fla., to witness the launch of a new era for the sanctioning body.

Opinion

Sullivan: 30 Years Ago – A USAC Non-Starter

INDIANAPOLIS – During the early 1990s, things seemed to be rolling along sweetly in the USAC midget ranks. The tour had Copenhagen/Skoal as a series sponsor and the fan base had expanded dramatically thanks to nationwide coverage courtesy of ESPN. As valuable as this type of exposure is, many soon learned it never comes free […]

Columns

KENNEDY: ARCA West At Irwindale

ARCA Menards Series West drivers made the first of two appearances this season at the banked half-mile Irwindale Speedway for the April 1 West Coast Stock Car Hall of Fame 150.

Opinion

Hedger: Racers & Ride-Buyers

THE VILLAGES, Fla. — From the USAC midgets to ARCA and on to NASCAR, especially the Craftsman Truck Series, “paying to drive” has become standard operating procedure. Old-timers bemoan the system, recalling that “in my day, talent got you a better ride and could take you all the way to Indy.” But realists will be […]

Opinion

Frost: Tracks Work To Find New Revenue Sources

As normalcy returned to the sports world following the 2020 shutdown due to COVID-19, the industry continued to evolve. The traditional business model needed to change. In this month’s column, we will look at how the industry assessed its needs and what additional changes may be in store for the future. Sports properties typically generate […]

Opinion

FERNS: Building Blocks

The year was 2009. I was 13 years old and all I wanted to do was drive a race car. At that point in my motorsports endeavors, I was racing as often as I could, no matter the series, type of car or, quite frankly, how much money I would make. I was completely obsessed. […]

Opinion

WADE: Extra Money & Bonus Points

SNOHOMISH, Wash. — New to NHRA’s Camping World Drag Racing Series this season will be the Mission Foods #2Fast2Tasty Challenge bonus program. And while it’s a genuine blessing for the racers to have the world’s leading brand for tortillas and wraps taking a deeper involvement in the sport and no one is ungrateful, this program […]

Opinion

HOLLAND: Kear’s To Close After 54 Years

JUPITER, Fla. – It appears as if the sprint car industry is losing one of its iconic businesses. Kear’s Speed Shop in Tiffin, Ohio, is closing March 21 after 54 years of serving racers. The business, inventory and name are for sale and it may continue with new ownership at a different location. Kear’s Speed […]