plus 4, Racing veteran says rest crucial for drivers at Rolex 24 - Florida Today

Racing veteran says rest crucial for drivers at Rolex 24 - Florida Today
Videos From the Web: Car Videos - San Francisco Chronicle
News puts pressure on COT, WCVB - Warren Times-Observer
Moped rider mourned - Honolulu Advertiser
Payton Sassaman Announces 2010 Racing Plans - Superbike Planet

Racing veteran says rest crucial for drivers at Rolex 24 - Florida Today

Posted: 25 Jan 2010 10:15 PM PST

When it comes to success in a 24-hour race, there are as many variables as there are minutes in those hours.

But there also are basic facts, that while perhaps taken for granted, must be respected at all costs. They are solitude and rest. While nearly impossible to find at a race track, they're something that if not achieved can derail the best-laid plans.

"The most important thing you can do, even if you can't sleep, is to go back somewhere with some solitude and lie down, get off your feet and stay off your feet until the next time you have to get in the car," SPEED TV analyst Dorsey Schroeder said in an interview.

"If you've got three or four drivers, you might be out of the car for up to four hours. When we used to do it, we did it with two to three drivers, by the time you calmed down, you only had about an hour and a half where you could rest. It's so much work to do a race like this."

Schroeder should know. He has more than 30 years of racing experience, competing in Trans Am, IMSA, International Race of Champions, American Le Mans Series, NASCAR, the 12 Hours of Sebring, the 24 Hours of Le Mans and the Rolex 24 at Daytona.

This year's Rolex 24 goes green at 3:30 p.m. Saturday and, as usual, is there for the taking.

"So many things can go wrong in a 24-hour race," Schroeder said. "That's why you have to look at teams who have been there before and have done this the longest . . . they hold most of the cards."

Those teams are three-time winner (2006 to 2008) Chip Ganassi Racing; the Wayne Taylor Racing team that won in 2005 and the GAINSCO/Bob Stallings Racing team, which has won two of the last three Grand-Am Rolex Daytona Prototype series championships, but never the 24.

A surprise winner could come from the Level 5 team loaded with talent on the two-car roster of Scott Tucker, Christophe Bouchut, Sascha Maassen, Emmanual Collard, Ryan Hunter-Reay, Richard Westbrook and Lucas Luhr.

"Their driver talent is unprecedented," Schroeder said. "Even though they are a new team, they are someone to watch here. There's no question as to how serious they are about winning it."

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Videos From the Web: Car Videos - San Francisco Chronicle

Posted: 25 Jan 2010 10:22 PM PST

Another installment of the Motorcycling Minnesota Show from 2003. The 2003 Roy's Bike Show (Minneapolis, MN), The Rocket Man, Pocket Bike Racing, the 2003 Cycle World International Motorcycle Show, and Andy Goldfine (Aerostich and Ride to Work Day)/ Music by me (Thomas Day) and David Santistevan.

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News puts pressure on COT, WCVB - Warren Times-Observer

Posted: 25 Jan 2010 08:49 PM PST

Being bypassed for the 2011 U.S. Canoe and Kayak Association (USCA) national championships is a loss for Warren County.

"It was very disappointing to not get the canoe races for 2011," Warren County Council on Tourism (COT) Executive Director John Papalia Jr. said.

There have been and will be other disappointments for the county's communities.

Conditions were not favorable for long-distance, professional sled dog races this past weekend at Winterfest.

The Scandia Volunteer Fire Department has announced that it will not hold the Scandia Chainsaw Carve this year.

The losses mean more work for Papalia.

The COT is the branch of the Warren County Chamber of Business and Industry (WCCBI) charged with "developing and implementing multi-day events and activities" in the county. "We are building strong relationships and are pushing for new events in Warren County," Papalia said.

"The Council on Tourism is working diligently to develop a dependable, varied and consistent menu of events that will be held here in Warren into the future," Decker said. "Some will be annual events, other bi-annual or whatever best suits the event itself and the group involved."There are factors outside of COT's control - the USCA governing body and the weather are two examples.

While most of the mushers did not come to Winterfest for races that would not be held, Papalia had a hand in another event that did bring people in.

"We were able to hold the Grass Roots Two Below race over Winterfest which again provided great family entertainment," Papalia said. "Many of the racers went to winterfest over the weekend after finishing the race and were amazed with all of the activities going on. Grass roots has already stated that they wish to return next winter for this race."

"The Grass-Roots Racing event held here this past weekend is a perfect example of John's ability to develop a relationship with an organization from outside our area that draws competitors to our community for multi-day events," Decker said.

Combining a race with a festival was not an accident.

"With some of these new events that we are putting on, we are doing everything in our power to try and coordinate them so that there are other things going on in the community as well," Papalia said.

A summer Grass-Roots Racing event was held at the same time as the annual Ribfest. "This allowed great entertainment for the racers and their families to enjoy while they were not competing," Papalia said.

COT and the Warren County Visitors Bureau have other stacked events in mind.

"We are also working very closely with the Warren County Visitor's Bureau on this issue," Papalias said. "COT and the WCVB will be launching an outdoor movie program this summer. We will be showing family movies outdoors twice a month... to provide entertainment before and after events."

"We plan to show a cycling movie for the Kinzua classic, a motorcycle movie for that WCVB cruise-in and so on."

The Struthers Library Theatre could also be brought into the mix with shows and activities that match up with events.

"We are trying to introduce these sort of new activities into the community to provide a fun-filled and family-oriented atmosphere," Papalia said. "Building some excitement and fun around the events will help to ensure that competitors and their families will want to return to Warren."

"I am hopeful that we will get the canoe races in 2012, and that we will have a lot of excitement and activities going on for the competitors and their families," he said.

County officials are also in contact with other regional, national and international organizations about hosting events here.

"We are also continuing to work with International Marketing Group World to host the North American Corporate Challenge which was canceled for 2009 but remains a strong possibility for return in 2011," Decker said. "Rest assured we will continue to develop these events and look for opportunities to create events that are unique to our location that can be administered on an annual basis and grown to a point where local businesses can make investments based upon them as dependable portions of their operations."

Once visitors have experienced what Warren County has to offer, many want to return.

"I spoke with athletes from Cleveland and Pittsburgh who were here to participate in the (Two Below) event and who plan to also come back for the Grass-Roots finale in September, as well as to participate in the Y's Tango," Decker said.

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Moped rider mourned - Honolulu Advertiser

Posted: 25 Jan 2010 06:48 PM PST

A 17-year-old Kalihi youth who was killed Saturday night when his speeding moped ran a stop sign was a Farrington High School senior who loved mopeds, his family said yesterday.

Gerald Baltazar was not wearing a helmet when he hit a station wagon at the intersection of Lowrey and O'ahu avenues and Manoa Road at 10:05 p.m. Saturday.

Baltazar's parents are Ernesto and Divina Baltazar, and he has two brothers and two sisters, his sister, Mary, 23, said yesterday.

According to a police report: the youth who was killed was heading west in the east-bound lane of O'ahu Avenue, riding next to another moped that was also traveling west, but in the west-bound lane.

Witnesses yesterday said that there were three or four boys on mopeds riding together when the fatal accident occurred. A man whose home is at the intersection said the other moped riders left the scene before police arrived. He did not want his name used out of consideration for the Baltazar family.

A neighborhood woman, who also asked that her name not be used, said the Baltazar family told her one of the other moped riders called the family and told them what had happened before they rode away.

A 26-year-old man in the Subaru station wagon was driving west on Lowrey at the time of the accident, police said. The man reached the intersection of Lowrey and Manoa Road, stopped at the stop sign and then attempted to turn left onto Manoa Road.

At that point, the mopeds ran a stop sign and went into the intersection, police said. Baltazar's bike crashed into the station wagon.

Baltazar was thrown from his moped; he was pronounced dead at The Queen's Medical Center Saturday night.

No one else was injured.

Police said speed was a factor.

About 16 of Baltazar's relatives and friends, including his father and aunt, Delia Sarmiento of Kaimukí, were at the scene yesterday, trying to find out what they could about the circumstances. They left a memorial of flowers.

Mary Baltazar, who is an accounting student at Phoen-ix University and works part time as a bookeeper, said Gerald loved mopeds.

"He was into mopeds," she said yesterday, wiping away tears. "It was his hobby. Whenever he got back from school or his job at Burger King, he would ride or work on motorcycles."

She said she did not know who he was riding with Saturday night. Asked if Gerald ever raced motorcycles, she said: "He liked to do tricks, but he never said to me that he raced. I have never seen him racing."

As the family and friends put out a vase of flowers across the street, she said:

"I just want to say to all those teenagers out there on mopeds: Please be careful, because look what happened to my brother. I wouldn't want that to happen to you guys. Please learn from this."

Reach John Windrow at jwindrow@honoluluadvertiser.com.

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Payton Sassaman Announces 2010 Racing Plans - Superbike Planet

Posted: 25 Jan 2010 05:50 PM PST

From racer Payton Sassaman

Macon, Ga (Jan 25, 2010) - Young motorcycle racer Payton Sassaman has planned a full 2010 racing schedule that includes the WERA National Challenge, select AMA Pro Supersport rounds, and select ASRA/CCS rounds. Sassaman, 19 years old, will contest the full WERA National Challenge Series for the H-D of Macon/Graves Motorsports team. The former dirt-track AMA Amateur National champion and WERA Lightweight Superstock National Champion has showed promise on the pavement since turning pro in 2008 and finished in the top 10 in his second roadrace as a professional at Barber Motorsports Park.

Sassaman will race his Yamaha YZF-R6 in 2010, a machine prepped to Graves Motorsports specs with Graves suspension. He is the son of former Harley-Davidson factory rider and AMA National winner, Greg Sassaman. In addition to his motorcycle duties, Payton has also competed in bicycle road racing, finishing fifth in the Georgia State Criterium for the Security Bank USCF Cycling Team.

"I'm really excited for the 2010 season. I have a great program, with super people behind me including the support of the Graves Motorsports staff that will be on hand at the track," said Payton. "I have a lot of great companies behind me and I want to do my best for them. My team and I have been preparing for the 2010 season and are looking forward to our first event, the WERA National at Roebling Road!"

The H-D of Macon/Graves Motorsports team sponsors include Yamaha Motor Corp., Dunlop, Arai Helmets, Arlen Ness, Sidi Boots, Precision Body Works, Drippin' Wet, NESBA, Motion Pro, Oakley, and Zero Gravity.

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