plus 3, Gainesville: Katie Sullivan Friday report - Motorsport.com

Gainesville: Katie Sullivan Friday report - Motorsport.com
TRACK TALK: World of Wheels takes over Hub - Enterprise
Hight fastest in rain-shortened Funny Car qualifying - CBS Sports
Steven Cole Smith, Orlando Sentinel Automotive Editor - Orlando Sentinel

Gainesville: Katie Sullivan Friday report - Motorsport.com

Posted: 12 Mar 2010 06:22 PM PST

SULLIVAN'S BASELINE SETS UP DRAMATIC SATURDAY

Gainesville, Fla. -- NHRA Pro Stock Motorcycle rider "Kalifornia" Katie Sullivan is hoping for better results tomorrow at Gainesville Raceway after a lack-luster 7.459 second elapsed time at 181.84 miles per hour during the first day of qualifying at the 41st NHRA Tire Kingdom Gatornationals contested in Gainesville, Fla.

Driving the Gann Motorsports 'Cream-sickle' orange and white colored Suzuki Pro Stock Motorcycle, Sullivan's 7.49 E.T. was good enough for the 18th quickest run of the day, which based on NHRA's qualifying rules, places her on the outside looking in of the 16-bike field. During the run, Sullivan had some difficulty shifting the motorcycle, which combined with miss judging the tune-up produced the off-pace elapsed time. The Corning, Calif. based 19-year old college student believes better things are in store for tomorrow's final two qualifying sessions.

"We kind of struck out during our only run of the day," noted Sullivan. "The bike was set up to run a low 7-second E.T., but we spun the tire pretty good, producing a really soft 60-foot time. After the initial hit, things just went down-hill from there. I had some issues with shifting the bike but the Suzuki went very straight. We put a different shifter on the bike which should help me get this great bike into the field tomorrow."

"Making the field tomorrow will be a huge accomplishment for our team," said Sullivan. "We have a great team assembled and we will put forth our best effort to ensure we are racing on Sunday. There have been so many people who are supporting this team, from our fans and friends and people like Ted and Jim at StopSafeUSA.COM (http://www.stopsafeusa.com). My main goal for this weekend is simply to make them proud of us."

The Sullivan Family Racing NHRA Pro Stock team will receive two more attempts tomorrow to qualify for Sunday's final eliminations.

-source: sullivan family racing

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TRACK TALK: World of Wheels takes over Hub - Enterprise

Posted: 12 Mar 2010 08:09 PM PST

The 36th annual Town Fair Tire World of Wheels custom car show has rolled into Boston's Bayside Expo Center this weekend with its now familiar and popular mix of custom cars, about 300 expected, and special attractions.

The Town Fair Tire World of Wheels represents millions of dollars worth of one-of-a-kind hot rods, customs, street rods, collectibles, race cars, antiques, restorations, tuners and more.

The show also always offers spectators the chance to meet and get free autographs from celebrities, to see specialty vehicle exhibits and to be entertained by many other attractions for the whole family. The show hours are today from 10 a.m.-10:30 p.m. and Sunday from 10 a.m.-7 p.m.

Modified to award bonus points: NASCAR has announced that its Modified touring divisions will now award bonus points for its races.

NASCAR has instituted lap-leader bonus points for the first time to the Whelen Modified and Whelen Southern Modified Tours. Bonus points will be employed for the first time in a Whelen Modified Tour race for the season-opener at Thompson (Conn.) International Speedway on April 11.

'Budweiser Blastoff' draws near: The Bob Valante Modified Series officials are busily preparing for the season opening "Budweiser Blastoff" at the Waterford Speedbowl in Waterford, Conn., for March 26-28. That Friday will be utilized as a practice day with qualifying races on Saturday and the 100-lap green flag feature race on Sunday.

NHMS eyes casino: According to the Concord (N.H.) Monitor, looking to prop up the bottom line at the New Hampshire Motor Speedway, GM Gerry Gappens has proposed to the state that the venue wants to build a gambling casino if it can get approval from the state and local authorities. Also part of the expansion is the New England Racing Hall of Fame Museum.

This comes on the heels of the recent announcement that the Kansas Speedway, owned by International Speedway Corp.(ISC), received permission to build a casino on the track property.

The results of which will find the management of ISC petitioning NASCAR for a second NASCAR Cup and support series weekend. That could result could see another transfer of a Cup race from a southeastern U.S. track, which could be one of the events held at the Martinsville (Va.) Speedway.

Thompson to celebrate 70th anniversary: Thompson International Speedway will mark the opening of its 70th anniversary year with the running of the traditional Icebreaker on the weekend of April 10-11. The famed, high-banked oval will usher in the 2010 racing season with the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour and Thompson's own "Super 6" NASCAR Whelen All-American series divisions.

Around the track: Seekonk Speedway has finalized the 2010 racing schedule. With 4 weeks until the first Test & Tune, scheduled for Saturday, April 3, the staff is gearing up for a busy season. Opening day has been set for May 2, featuring the Phil's Propane 75 for the ARC Pro Stocks. This is the first of two 75-lap mains for the Pro's in 2010. The second is June 19.

Hillside Speedway in Westport will hold its first awards banquet March 27 at 6 p.m. at the VFW Hall, Route 118, Rehoboth.

The Mini Sprints are still going to race in 2010 as an organized club. Organizers are talking to Pete Giamalvo of Sideway's Promotions who organizes dirt track motorcycle and kart events.

The Redline Diner in Framingham has its year-round cruise tonight at 5. On Sunday The VFW in Lowell offers a military vehicle flea market at 9 a.m.

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Hight fastest in rain-shortened Funny Car qualifying - CBS Sports

Posted: 12 Mar 2010 06:07 PM PST

GAINESVILLE, Fla. -- Robert Hight raced to the Funny Car lead Friday during a rain-shortened qualifying session in the NHRA Gatornationals.

The defending series champion powered his Ford Mustang to a Gainesville Raceway-record 4.060 seconds at 310.13 mph to move to the top of the 16-car qualifying order.

Tony Schumacher, Mike Edwards and Junior Pippin also were qualifying leaders at the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series event. NHRA officials were forced to cancel one qualifying round due to persistent rain that lasted until after noon.

Schumacher also posted both ends of the track record in his dragster with a performance of 3.823 at 318.03 to lead Top Fuel qualifying.

Edwards, who will face Greg Anderson tomorrow in the continuation of the weather-delayed Pro Stock eliminations from Phoenix, covered the distance in 6.610 at 208.97 in a Pontiac GXP to lead his category.

Pippin led Pro Stock Motorcycle with a 6.959 at 190.14 on a Buell.

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Steven Cole Smith, Orlando Sentinel Automotive Editor - Orlando Sentinel

Posted: 12 Mar 2010 06:22 PM PST

In 1996, Bill Warner, a Jacksonville businessman and car collector, decided to put on a car show, so he and his friends assembled some nice vehicles, drawing a modest crowd of 2,200 and raising some money for charity.

To say the Amelia Island Concours has grown is an understatement. "This show is as good as it gets," says Keith Canouse, an Orlando car collector. "I think it's the best in the country," perhaps even surpassing the Pebble Beach Concours, regarded as the king of all car shows, held each year since 1950 in California. Canouse is part of a contingent from the Orlando area that is displaying at Amelia this weekend — he's bringing his 1914 Renault.

"Amelia is a user-friendly show," Canouse says. Warner goes out of his way to make everyone feel welcome, not just the automotive elite. One reason: Warner and his co-chariman, Tom Cotter, consider themselves just a couple of car guys. Cotter has an important collection of Shelby Cobras and Shelby Ford Mustangs, but his daily drive is a 2004 Mini Cooper.

Given the fact that the show, this weekend celebrating its 15th anniversary on Amelia Island near Jacksonville, is considered on par with Pebble Beach, celebrating its 60th birthday this summer, speaks to the work Warner has done. "It doesn't get easier," Warner says. "Every year has its own set of problems."

Such as: Warner, a motorsports enthusiast, always packs the four-day program with multiple racing seminars that draw fans who may or may not be interested in classic cars. This year, he assembled a trio of race drivers unparallel in their influence: Richard Petty, 72, the winningest NASCAR driver ever; Don Garlits, 78, considered the king of drag racing, and Sir Stirling Moss, who competed from 1948 to 1962, winning an incredible 212 of the 529 races he entered, including 16 Formula 1 races.

But last week, Moss, 80, fell at his home in England, breaking both ankles and multiple other bones. Warner's legendary trio became a duo until another legend, racer and car builder Carroll Shelby, agreed to step in. That Shelby, 87 and with a transplanted heart and kidney, would drop everything and come to Florida on such short notice speaks to the influence of Amelia and Bill Warner.

Sunday, the show will draw more than 10,000 people for the judging of the 250-plus vehicles on display, chosen from thousands entered. It's an invitation-only show, and just being accepted to display at Amelia, much less win your class, adds to a vehicle's cachet and value.

Among those displaying is Dave Brewer of Longwood, bringing his 1953 Buick Skylark hardtop. It is one of a kind — "It's entered in a class called, 'Cars you never even realized were built,'" Brewer says. Buick built some Skylark convertibles, but the company built one hardtop just to gauge the reaction. "Usually, cars like that were destroyed after they were shown, but this one survived," he says, because the wife of a General Motors executive liked the car, and it was customized for her tastes. "Amelia Island is the kind of show you just can't miss," Brewer says. "The quality of cars is amazing."

And it isn't just cars: Each year, Warner selects a few brands to feature, and this year, one of them is Triumph motorcycles. Mike Crone of Mount Dora has a national reputation as a Triumph restorer and collector, and he's bringing four bikes: A 1950, 1951 and 1953 model, plus his favorite: "A 1938 Triumph, an original Speed Twin formerly owned by Bud Ekins," a late and legendary stuntman who was the riding partner of actor Steve McQueen. Crone has never even been to the Amelia Island show, but he's aware of the reputation. "I'm looking forward to being a part of it," he says.

Each year, the Amelia Island Concours raises more than $100,000 for charities that include the Community Hospice of Northeast Florida and the Spina Bifida Association. The show begins at 9:30 a.m. and ends at 5 p.m. Sunday, with judging beginning at 11 a.m. Admission is $50 for adults, $20 for ages 12-18, and free for ages 11 and under.

For more information, including how to get there on the grounds of the Ritz-Carlton Hotel on Amelia Island, log onto AmeliaConcours.org

Sentinel Automotive Editor Steven Cole Smith can be reached at scsmith@orlandosentinel.com

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