“Third try for kids at speedway - Sentinel” plus 4 more

Third try for kids at speedway - Sentinel
Out to the finish line - Q-Notes
Troopers Taking Closer Look At Deadly Motorcycle Crash - WSOC-TV
When is an accessible parking place not accessible? - Adirondack Daily Enterprise
Starting Line / This week's racing - FOXSports.com

Third try for kids at speedway - Sentinel

Posted: 21 Aug 2009 08:38 PM PDT

PORT ROYAL - Port Royal Speedway will try to have kids' night again tonight. Action starts at 7 p.m.

Kids big wheel, big foot and bicycle racing will be run at intermission. Parents are reminded to bring their child's helmet as per state law. The event has been postponed twice due to rain.

Sprint cars, late models, 305 sprint cars and powder puff cars also are scheduled.

Next week the Port Royal Speedway hosts its annual bicycle giveaway for kids. It is also the Butch Renninger Memorial race for late models. I can't believe it is the sixth running of that event. Time passes quickly.

Congratulations go out to Gary Beward for winning his first late model feature last week at Port Royal. It was an emotional moment for Beward and car owner Ed Powell. Beward joins Todd Snook, who won the week before in late model action. Both moved up from the pro stock class, where they performed well.

Todd Shaffer won last week's sprint car feature over Keith Kauffman. The pair put on a show moving through the pack. Shaffer has a tough job every week in that he is the point leader at both Williams Grove and Port Royal, so he starts in the middle. In today's world of sprint car racing, it is hard to get to the front in 25 laps. Despite that, Shaffer is the only four-time sprint car winner this year at Port Royal.

Mark Smith apparently has opted to leave Port Royal Speedway to race at Lincoln Speedway for the remainder of the season. I'm sorry to see that and I'm not sure why Smith has not has the kind of season we've come to expect and has struggled. I hate to see him go elsewhere because he is exciting to watch.

Congratulations to Stevie Smith and his team for a fine run in the Knoxville Nationals last week and also to Greg Hodnett and Jimmy Nace with driver Jason Solwald for making the A-main. I understand the Jim and Sandy Kline No. 22 crew was awarded the best dressed team award, which came with a trophy and $1,000 check.

One driver who may not be in action tonight is Kauffman. Sean Michael is scheduled to return to the driver's seat of the Michael Heffner No. 27 this evening. Heffner will provide a car for Kauffman to race in the National Open at Williams Grove. He also is willing to keep Kauffman in a second car, but needs financial help to do it. He is seeking to borrow a truck and trailer to get the car to the track plus cash and a qualified mechanic to maintain the car. A lot of folks are pulling for Kauffman to stay in this ride as he has looked good driving the car the last two weeks.

Todd Shaffer holds a 200-point lead over Mike Erdley in sprint car action at Port Royal with two points races remaining. Shaffer has won four championships at the Juniata County oval, in 1995, 1998, 2003 and 2008. Scotty Haus is the late model points leader over Waylon Wagner.

Lincoln Speedway hosts 410 and 358 sprint car action tonight. They also run thundercars. Brian Montieth is the point leader over Alan Krimes by just 10 points entering the weekend.

Hagerstown Speedway has late model, limited late models, pure stocks and a demo derby planned. Race time is 7 p.m.

Williams Grove runs another one of its $5 general admission shows tonight. Super sportsman, limited late models, street stocks and 4-cylinder stocks make up the show.

Bedford Speedway has a regular five division show Friday night before hosting the Three State Flyers Series Labor Day. The top 20 money earners will run a separate 20-lap feature and the regular Three State program is 35 laps. Veteran announcer Frank Sagi will call the Three States action. Entertainment by Sagi is worth the price of a ticket alone.

I received good news Thursday that Mary Ann Keiffer has improved some from her terrible injuries last week. Keiffer was injured while riding a motorcycle. Some therapy has been started. I do not yet have an address for cards, but I will pass it along ASAP. Keiffer remains in a Pittsburgh hospital.

I notice Jimmie Johnson and about nine other racers visited the White House this week. President Obama had kind things to say about NASCAR and the racing community. Normally only the champion gets a White House invite.

Bristol Motor Speedway hosts NASCAR tonight. ESPN has TV coverage. The half-mile concrete track has another sellout crowd on hand. The track holds more than 160,000 and has sold out a record 53 times. To me that says something about short track racing. When it is good and the track plays a big part in that, there's no better racing to watch. Richmond is another good short track on the Cup schedule.

It's been a quiet week in motorsports. I guess Brett Favre and Plaxico Burress made all the sports headlines this week. Until next week, please drive carefully.

Craig Rutherford writes about motorsports for The Sentinel. He is associated with Port Royal Speedway.

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Out to the finish line - Q-Notes

Posted: 21 Aug 2009 08:31 PM PDT

Evan Darling was barely a teenager when he talked his mom into letting him go to a BMX bike race with friends.

"Since I was a little child I was always interested in cars, bicycles and motorcycles — anything that had wheels, or wings, and goes fast — big wheel races, bicycle races, you name it," Darling, 41, told Q-Notes. "I've always been drawn to it and I've always tried to pursue it. That's just the way it seemed to be."

Darling says his mom wasn't the biggest fan of his racing. "My mom really didn't like it and she thought it was too dangerous," he says.

But bicycle racing wasn't all that was destined for Darling's future. For more than 20 years now, he's been auto racing — for fun, for sport and for his career. As a driver in the Grand-Am Road Racing series, owned by NASCAR, Darling takes his passion to the max in some of the most exciting and internationally reknowned racing in the country.

But what makes Darling special isn't just his talent; he's also openly gay. It isn't too often you see a gay driver in a NASCAR series.

"At 18 years old I came out to my parents," he says. "I just decided not to lie about it."
Amazingly, he says being openly gay didn't have a negative impact on his racing as a youth.

"It was almost like a 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' in the racing," he says. "There was just no reason to talk about it. We didn't socialize a lot with the other people racing."

In the last few years, though, Darling has taken center stage as one of the best known, gay auto racers in the nation. In 2007 Out magazine named him as one of their Out 100 influential LGBT leaders in the nation.

At the same time, his new openness has cost him dearly. Like most sports, racing's fans and drivers lean toward the conservative end of the nation's political and social spectrum.

"It is difficult having to hear the stereotypes," Darling says. "A lot of the people you deal with have these preconceptions about you. They think of you a certain way before you even meet them."

While he doesn't regret coming out in such a powerful way, Darling admits his move has put him in a precarious financial situation. Long before the economy turned south, sponsors began pulling out. Darling contributes the decline in sponsorship to his openness.

"I'm having a hard time finding companies who want to support me as a racer," Darling explains. He says the majority of folks in racing have the support network of their families. "In this I'm unique," he says. "I'm doing it all alone."

He's been reaching out to the LGBT community and progressive corporations to get the support he needs to continue his racing career.

"If I were an investment banker or a lawyer, I could probably do it alone, but I'm not," he says. "I'm relying on my talent and my community to bring me to the next level."

Darling says he has many fans and a lot of people happy to see him racing as an openly gay driver. "But much of that hasn't translated into financial support," Darling laments.

"I've reached the point now where I've burnt through all the money I've been saving up so I can do this," he says. "I'm at the point where I can't go to races and if I can't go to races, this can't be a career."

Despite the financial hardships, it is clear Darling has a passion. That he is working as a sportsman while being honest and out is admirable, especially considering that so many other sports icons choose to stay hidden and closeted.

They should come out, Darling says, but only if they are comfortable.

"If they are not capable of handling the repercussions, it might not be the healthiest thing for them, especially in team sports," he says. "That can be the most difficult because you are dealing with the same people every day and you have personal situations that could make life really uncomfortable."

Darling says LGBT youth with dreams for an out, honest life in sport should "go for it."

"There's no reason you can't do it," he says to gay youth with a passion for racing. "Just make sure you have a good support network behind you, because it is a very expensive sport. People just don't hand out money. You have to have experience and you have to be able to prove yourself. You can't just be the 'gay driver' — you have to be good and competitive, not just different."

This entry was posted on Saturday, August 22nd, 2009 at 12:09 am and is filed under QLiving, QLiving Feature. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.

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Troopers Taking Closer Look At Deadly Motorcycle Crash - WSOC-TV

Posted: 21 Aug 2009 09:18 AM PDT

Posted: 12:20 pm EDT August 21, 2009Updated: 6:37 pm EDT August 21, 2009

NEWTON, N.C. -- Investigators are taking a deeper look at a deadly Catawba County motorcycle crash after witnesses came forward.

Troopers said Eugene Miscichowski, 44, was killed when his motorcycle crossed the center line on N.C. 150 near Sherrills Ford and collided head-on with a pickup truck shortly after midnight Tuesday.

Troopers said witnesses told them a Ford Mustang and a pickup were either racing or chasing Miscichowski. One 911 caller said, They were driving totally recklessly.

An accident reconstruction team is analyzing photos taken after the crash. Investigators said they found skid marks from another vehicle at the scene, but the vehicle was not there when authorities arrived the night of the crash.

Theres more to this crash than the typical head-on collision, said Trooper Dan Souther. We dont know if there was foul play involved or if it was just road rage or something even more sinister.

Troopers are asking anyone who saw anything before or after the crash to give them a call, including that 911 caller.

Anyone with information about the crash is asked to call 828-466-5500.

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When is an accessible parking place not accessible? - Adirondack Daily Enterprise

Posted: 21 Aug 2009 08:52 PM PDT

Summertime is a wonderful time of the year in the Tri-Lakes. It's so wonderful; in fact, that the area we call home is a vacation destination for many people. What does that mean for people that live here? It's a jump start to for our local economy, it's revenue and it's jobs. It's also a parking nightmare. Accessible parking spaces, even in January, are few and far between.

I've often wondered what the requirements are for accessible on-street parking. Parking lot requirements are pretty cut and dry. One out of every eight places must be van accessible. Other than people with disabilities who need a van accessible parking place, no one really knows what that is. Let me tell you what van accessible means. It means a traditional parking space that is directly adjacent to an 8-foot, striped access aisle (that's the striped part that a wheelchair ramp or lift extends out to so the person using a wheelchair can get in and out of their vehicle-it is not a place for a skinny car or motorcycle). In parking lots over 25, the requirements start to get a little different.

In this case we are now looking at two different types of accessible spaces-van accessible and car accessible. Parking lots consisting of 26 to 50 spaces must have one accessible space with an 8-foot wide access aisle and one accessible space with a 5-foot-wide access aisle. The more spaces in the lot, the more accessible spaces required. Oh yeah, one more thing, van accessible spaces need to have a sign that identifies it as Van accessible-not just the usual blue and white wheelchair symbol.

Where are these accessible spaces located in a public lot? Good question. Common sense should dictate this. Don't put them on a hill, don't put them on the edge of a ditch, don't put them up against a bike rack, don't put them where the dumpster goes, etc. In a public lot I would locate the accessible spaces close an accessible entrance/exit.

Think about it. If the shopping district for the community is located up a flight of stairs from the public lot, don't put the accessible parking places there. The person is going to have to travel through the entire lot using a wheelchair or scooter to find a way out. If there is no accessible way to get out of the lot-then you've got trouble.

On street parking, or parallel parking, is a horse of a different color. The guidelines are hazy on this. Basically they say there shall be one accessible parking space per block with a full 5-foot access aisle. The access aisle must connect with a pedestrian crosswalk serving that space. There is no definition of "block."

There is an exception. Oh boy, everyone's favorite way to circumvent the law, an exception! The exception is that if the access aisle leaves less then 14 feet of public right-a-way space (sidewalk space) there is an acceptable alternative. This does not mean you don't have to have one designated accessible space per block.

What is does mean is that now the space must be located at the end of a block (corner). The space still has to connect to a pedestrian crosswalk. That doesn't mean the vehicle parks in the crosswalk. It means that when the person exits or enters their vehicle they aren't expected to rev up to racing speed to jump curbs in order to get anywhere.

The wheelchair lift or ramp is going to extend onto the sidewalk so the person can get in and out. There should be nothing on the sidewalk blocking the wheelchair ramp from extending-no sidewalk sign, no clothes rack, no garbage can, no tree, no fire hydrant, no bench, no planter, no light post-nothing. Hey, it happens every day.

Now, take a look around at the parking situation in the Tri Lakes area. It's a sad state of affairs. The Americans with Disabilities Act falls under the jurisdiction of the U.S. Department of Justice. The Act contains language that allows leeway as far as accessibility. If accessibility will cause undue burden on a business or is not "readily achievable" then the U.S. Department of Justice tends to go soft on people. The DOJ does not consider purchasing blue paint, a sign and a sign post an undue burden. Measuring out five and eight foot access aisles and painting lines is considered to be readily achievable by even the poorest of businesses. As far as municipalities go-they are supposed to be accessible from the word go-burdensome and as unreadily achievable as it may be.

Before the snow flies, which may be next week, TLCIL staff will begin surveying every public parking lot in the Tri Lakes region. Public lot does not just mean municipal. If you are a business and you are open to the public then your lot is for the use by the public. Yes, your lot is for "customers only" however customers are the public. Are you really going to say "customers without disabilities only?"

Oh please, please do that. Go ahead, make my day!

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Starting Line / This week's racing - FOXSports.com

Posted: 21 Aug 2009 06:40 AM PDT

Event: Sharpie 500. Site: Bristol, Tenn.

Schedule: Friday, practice (Speed, noon-1:30 p.m., 2-3:30 p.m.), qualifying (ESPN2, 5:30-7 p.m.); Saturday, race, 7:30 p.m. (ESPN, 6:30-11 p.m.).

Track: Bristol Motor Speedway (oval, 0.533 miles).

Race distance: 500 laps, 266.5 miles.

Last week: Brian Vickers won at Michigan International Speedway, driving conservatively to save fuel, then taking the lead with two laps to go when leader Jimmie Johnson ran out of gas. Vickers won for the second time in his Cup career and gave Red Bull Racing its first victory. Jeff Gordon was second. Johnson finished 33rd.

Fast facts: Series leader Tony Stewart has locked up a spot in the 12-driver Chase, while second-place Gordon and third-place Johnson can secure spots Saturday. . . . Carl Edwards is winless this year. . . . Darrell Waltrip holds the track record with 12 Cup victories, winning seven straight races from 1980 to '84. Gordon and Kurt Busch each have five Bristol wins to top the active drivers.

Next race: Pep Boys Auto 500, Sept. 6, Atlanta Motor Speedway, Hampton, Ga.

On the net: www.NASCAR.com

***

>Nationwide

Event: Food City 250. Site: Bristol, Tenn.

Schedule: Friday, practice (Speed, 10:30 a.m.-noon), qualifying (Speed, 4-5:30 p.m.), race, 8 p.m. (ESPN2, 7:30-10:30 p.m.).

Track: Bristol Motor Speedway (oval, 0.533 miles).

Race distance: 250 laps, 133.25 miles.

Last week: Brad Keselowski won his home-state event at Michigan International Speedway, passing Brian Vickers on the final turn. Kyle Busch finished third, ending his record string of top-two finishes at 10.

Fast facts: Kevin Harvick won the March race at Bristol, his series-record fifth victory at the track and first in a Kevin Harvick Inc. car.

Next race: NAPA Auto Parts 200, Aug. 30, Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, Montreal.

On the net: www.NASCAR.com

***

>IndyCar

Event: Indy Grand Prix of Sonoma.

Site: Sonoma, Calif.

Schedule: Saturday, practice, qualifying (Versus, 6-7 p.m.); Sunday, race, 5:50 p.m. (Versus, 5-8 p.m.).

Track: Infineon Raceway (road course, 2.303 miles).

Race distance: 172.725 miles, 75 laps.

Last race: Scott Dixon won at Mid-Ohio on Aug. 9 to become the IndyCar victory leader with 20, beating Ryan Briscoe by nearly 30 seconds -- the largest margin in the series in a decade. Dixon broke a tie with Sam Hornish Jr., now racing in NASCAR , for the victory mark. The New Zealander has three wins this year.

Fast facts: Dixon, the 2003 and 2008 series champion, has a 20-point advantage over third-place Dario Franchitti with four races left. In 2007, Franchitti took the title from Dixon on the final lap of the season. . . . Dixon won in 2007 at Infineon. . . . Franck Montagny will make his IndyCar debut in a fifth Andretti Green entry. He teamed with Sebastien Bourdais and Stephane Sarrazin to finish second in the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

Next race: Peak Indy 300, Aug. 29, Chicagoland Speedway, Joliet, Ill.

On the net: www.indycar.com

***

>Formula One

Event: Grand Prix of Europe

Site: Valencia, Spain.

Schedule: Friday, practice (Speed, 8-9:30 a.m.); Saturday, practice, qualifying (Speed, 8-9:30 a.m.); Sunday, race, 8 a.m. (Speed, 7:30-10 a.m., 4:30-7 p.m.).

Track: Streets of Valencia (road course, 3.367 miles).

Race distance: 191.93 miles, 57 laps.

Last race: Hamilton won the Hungarian Grand Prix on July 26. Ferrari's Felipe Massa was seriously injured in qualifying when he was hit in the helmet by debris and crashed into a tire barrier at 120 mph. He returned home to Brazil after surgery to repair multiple skull fractures and hopes to return to racing at Brazilian Grand Prix in October.

Fast facts: Italian Luca Badoer is driving in place of Massa following seven-time champion Michael Schumacher's decision to call off a comeback. . . . Frenchman Romain Grosjean has taken Nelson Piquet Jr.'s spot alongside Fernando Alonso at Renault. The 23-year-old Grosjean won the 2007 Formula 3 Euro Series and 2008 GP2 Asia Series. This year, he has raced in the GP2 Series with Barwa Addax.

Next race: Belgian Grand Prix, Aug. 30, Spa-Francorchamps, Belgium.

On the net: www.formula1.com

***

>NHRA

Event: Toyo Tires NHRA Nationals

Site: Mohnton, Pa.

Schedule: Friday, qualifying; Saturday, qualifying (ESPN2, Sunday, 1-3 a.m.); Sunday, final eliminations (ESPN2, 10 p.m.-1 a.m.).

Track: Maple Grove Raceway.

Last week: Funny Car points leader Tony Pedregon won for the third time this year and 43rd overall, beating Ron Capps at Brainerd International in Minnesota. Morgan Lucas (Top Fuel), Minnesotan Greg Anderson (Pro Stock) and Hector Arana (Pro Stock Motorcycle) also won.

Fast facts: There are two races left before the six-race playoffs -- the Countdown to 1.

Next race: Mac Tools U.S. Nationals, Sept. 2-7, O'Reilly Raceway Park, Clermont, Ind.

On the net: www.nhra.com

***

>Western New York

*Dunn Tire Raceway Park: TNT Hot Rod/Pro Modifieds- Friday, 7 p.m.; EMT ($5 admission with valid ID) Stock Car Night, Saturday, 6:30 p.m.

*Holland Speedway: $5 Admission with Erie County Fair Ticket Stub, Saturday, 7:15 p.m.

*Ransomville Speedway: 358 Modified Sail Panel Night, Friday, 7:15 p.m.

*Arcade International: Stock Cars, Friday, 7:30 p.m.

*Genesee Speedway: Midstate Vintage Stock Car Club, Saturday, 6 p.m.

*Merrittville Speedway: Lucas Oil Weekly Racing Series, Saturday, 7 p.m.

*Humberstone Speedway: NASCAR Stars Night, Sunday, 6:45 p.m.