World of Outlaws Start Support Series
The Pennzoil World of Outlaws Series' Founder and President Ted Johnson announced that a support series, to start in 2000, will race at various facilities around the country in conjunc-tion with the WoO series at nationally televised events. "With our increased television coverage and the new tracks being built for us, it's time for us to start a support series," Johnson said. The new series will use the same rules as the WoO, and Rick Ferkel will oversee it. Ferkel raced with the WoO in the early years and was an official for several more.
New Dirt Track Series
"Racing like it ought to be" is the slogan of a newly sanctioned dirt-track racing organization, the United Speedways of North America (USNA). It will launch in spring 2000 on dirt tracks in New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Vermont, Canada, and other parts of the Northeast. The new organization will target big-block Modifieds and run on tracks that range in size from 31/48 to 51/48 mile. According to USNA President David Panasci, he and Gale Mitchell decided to form USNA in order to fill what they say is a void that currently exists in regional dirt-track racing. They plan to do this by creating an increased revenue sharing system for track owners, increasing race-event prize money, and promoting more interaction between racers and fans. Panasci says he is committed to aggressively marketing the series to racers, track owners, prospective sponsors, and fans across the Northeast. For more information, contact the USNA, Dept. CT02, 4914 W. Genesee St., Camillus, NY 13031, 315/487-6086; www.usnaracing.com.
Bizarre Tie for Pole With Elvis Look-AlikeIn an unprecedented event for the Indy Racing League, Sam Schmidt and Greg Ray created a heated battle for the pole position at Pikes Peak International Raceway (in August). The two ran the same qualifying time of 20.424, right down to one thousandth of a second. This is a first for the league, and quite possibly for all open wheel series. Unfortunately for Schmidt and the Treadway crew, a rule related to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway decrees that the individual who sets the time first gets the pole. So the driver and crew reluctantly surrendered their first pole position of the year to Ray. Schmidt started on the outside of row one. Schmidt went on to clench his first win of the year at Las Vegas, the following race.
Winston West Drivers Help Raise Big $$$ for Good Cause
When the NASCAR Winston West Series ran at the Irwindale Speedway (The Snap-on 250 for the City of Hope), it helped raise nearly $100,000 for a California hospital and research facility, The City of Hope. The facility provides compassionate patient care and ground-breaking research in cures for cancer, HIV/AIDS, and other devastating diseases. Drivers Joe Bean, Butch Gilliland, Eric Norris, Jason Small, and Sean Woodside visited the facility and met with extremely ill children. Joe Bean's #77 Ford Taurus carried The City of Hope's logo on the hood, as well as contributing sponsors that included Coca-Cola, Duracell, Kodak, Nestl, and Arm & Hammer.