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SUNY Canton Automotive Technology program

Tuesday, November 29th 2011

New on the Audio Page for today:

Brian McDonald walked me through his 2011 season and ran down his plans for next season.
Brian Peterson told me about his two win season at Lebanon Valley and his start in a Mod Lite.

I hope you all had a great start to your week on Monday and I am glad you’re back with us again today. We have a pair of Season in Review interviews up and are looking for more ideas on who you would like to hear from next. So either send me an email to doug@dougsdirtdiary.com or message me on facebook and I’ll do my best to get to them.

Everything going alright here and I hope you all are doing well as we get ready for a very busy time of the year for all of us. Just remember what is important and make sure to prioritize your life accordingly. Its people that are important, not things and the best thing about the holiday is the time with family & friends…don’t forget that!

And be sure to come back tomorrow for more from the world of dirt track racing and beyond as we have some asphalt things to talk about soon as well.

Now let’s chat more about what is new for today on the Audio Page. I begin with a man who is hoping for a change in 2012. Brian McDonald walked me through his 2011 season and ran down his plans for next season. He told me why he sold off his Sprint Car stuff, reacted to his first winless season since 1996 and remembers his big crash towards the end of the season at Brockville.

Brian Peterson told me about his two win season in a crate Sportsman at Lebanon Valley and his start in a Mod Lite ten years ago at Whip City. He talked about doubling his win total from the previous year, described what his first laps were like on the big high banked half mile and one particular thing he saw that he had never seen before.

Monday, November 28th 2011

New on the Audio Page for today:

Tim McCreadie recapped his 2011 season that saw him win in both Late Models and Modifieds.
Tim Trimble talked about his year that saw him finish strong with a newer motor in Delaware.

I had a busy day on Sunday although I was wicked tired after staying up way too long racing the new Need for Speed video game the morning before. Yeah, it was AM, not PM when we stopped. But I got a lot of work done anyway recording four more Season in Review interviews and putting up two more bins of photos.

Already all set for tomorrow are interviews with Canadian racer Brian McDonald and Lebanon Valley’s Brian Peterson. Then tomorrow we’ll be back in the studio and get more for you guys to listen to on Wednesday.

Thanks to everyone who responded to my facebook posts and I highly encourage all of you drivers out there to friend me so I can keep up with what you are doing and get ahold of you when I need to. It made it real easy for me this past year and it is helping now as well. But make sure you have some racing listed on your wall as I am trying to weed out the spammers.

Now let’s chat more about what is new for today on the Audio Page. I begin with a driver who is a big fan favorite at the racetracks of New York State. Tim McCreadie recapped his 2011 season that saw him win in both Late Models and Modifieds. He talked about the struggles he had getting his full fendered car to be consistent, how much he enjoyed his two wins at the World Finals and explains why today’s racing games are so accurate compared to those in the past.

Tim Trimble talked about his year that saw him finish strong with a newer motor in his Modified at Delaware International Raceway. He told me why he cut his season short after seven races, how he was able to come back for the final five and why he had to change his driving style after the motor change.

Sunday, November 27th 2011

New on the Audio Page for today:

Shawn Donath recaps his 2011 season that saw him finish 3^rd with the Empire Super Sprints.
Roy Tarbell remembered his year in a 358 Modified up north at Mohawk International Raceway.

I had a fun day on Saturday and it was good to get back to work after three days off. We had a great thanksgiving even though there was one person we were missing at the table. Hopefully my wife’s dad and now my mom will get out of the hospital soon and get better to join us for future gatherings.

On the site today are two of the conversations I recorded on Saturday and I also have a few set up for today as I try to get a little ahead for Monday. Obviously this is now Season in Review time so even though you are not going to get the volume of chats you have been getting, they are long and are of high quality when it comes to content.

I am also going to introduce you to some of the contributors to the site as well as without these folks, you would not have as many new photos to look at as you do. I’ll start those up soon and of course we are also working on requests so keep them coming at facebook and also with emails to me at doug@dougsdirtdiary.com. And if you friend me on facebook, make sure there is a racing mention on your wall or I will not friend you. There are some people using photos of pretty girls to get info on people and I will not do that!

Now let’s chat more about what is new for today on the Audio Page. I begin with a man who I have known since I started as an announcer back in 1990. Shawn Donath recaps his season in a 360 Sprinter that saw him finish 3^rd with the Empire Super Sprints. He told me how much he enjoyed picking up two A-Main wins, how having a teammate really helped and why he enjoys the atmosphere associated with 360 Sprint Car racing here in the northeast.

Roy Tarbell remembered his year in a 358 Modified up north at Mohawk International Raceway. He talked about how he struggled when the surface was slicker, how he found a fast groove up top to win his first race since 2009 and what type of car he has always wanted to try. Are you listening Carey?

Saturday, November 26th 2011

New on the Audio Page for today:

Doug Emery thought back on his two starts in 2011 and talked about how well his team did.
Billy Dunn won seven races on his way to a track championship and described running a 358.
Mike Mahaney thought back on his early days in racing as he hung out at the Slingshot booth.
Justin Wright just missed the Sportsman championship and spoke about his hopes to move up.
Earl Rudy listened to some music and described the consistent season he had with his Sportsman.
Reed Miller toured the Parts Peddler Trade Show and talked about the season at Penn Can.

My mini vacation is up and I am going to get back into the studio today. It was nice to have some time off after a long season and it was great to have all these fine racing people spend some time with me so we could have new things to listen to everyday as well as some much needed time off. Thanks guys.

I have a lot of good things coming up including some shop shoots, so keep checking back as I should be able to get one done sometime this coming week. I hope you are all ready for a good weekend and are getting your holiday shopping started or in some cases wrapped up.

But since I wrote this up on Tuesday before my vacation, I don’t have much else to say, so let’s talk more about what is up for today on the Audio Page. I begin with a guy who had a pretty good year as a car owner. Doug Emery thought back on his two Sprint Car starts in 2011 and talked about how well his team did. He told me how he met the two big goals he had set, remembered when the bad luck kicked in and how tough it was to try to catch a pair of drivers who just did not fall off at all.

Billy Dunn won seven races on his way to a track championship and described running a 358 versus a big block. He talked about how long it took for him to get the hang of it, how he enjoyed his Sprint Car races and tells me where he will get Modified points in 2012.

Mike Mahaney thought back on his early days in racing as he hung out at the Slingshot booth this past weekend. He ran down his tentative plans for 2012, described the new chassis he is working on back at the shop and how much he enjoyed his new home, Utica Rome Speedway.

Justin Wright just missed the Mr. DIRTcar Sportsman championship and spoke about his hopes to move up. He talked about some of the lumps he endured along the way, described what he was doing at the Parts Peddler show as well as his hopes for next season.

Earl Rudy listened to some music and described the consistent season he enjoyed with his Sportsman. He talked about the tracks he raced at, how wild things can get at one particular half mile track and how tough it was for him to adjust to the American Racer tire.

Reed Miller toured the Parts Peddler Trade Show and talked about the season at Penn Can. He told me how tough it was to get the final show in, how happy he has been with the track’s standing in the racing world and how a change at two Central New York tracks helped him at his special shows. You’re next Al!

Friday, November 25th 2011

New on the Audio Page for today:

Jan Leaty talked about his season in an asphalt Modified and about his hopes for the 2012 season.
Gary Tomkins told me about his races down in Charlotte and his pair of top ten finishes at the event.
Johnny Scarborough described his plans to run a Modified weekly in 2012 at the Fonda Speedway.
Rick Miller got back into racing this past season and explained what it was like to race again.
Christine Martin talked about her 2011 season that included a very hard crash up at Can Am.
Chuck Powelczyk remembered his season driving a Four Cylinder Super Stock and a Lawnmower.

The busiest shopping day of the year is here as Black Friday will see millions of shoppers hitting the malls and stores looking for that elusive bargain…but not me. I will be at home today and the only store I may see will be the local Wegmans.

But if you are going out today, remember the best time to shop is between 1-4PM as that is the slow time. I worked in retail for a long time selling computers and home office equipment and that is always the slowest time. So good luck to all you brave souls as you wait in line, figure out how you’re going to pay for it and search for everything on your list.

When you get done, you can catch up with the new stuff on the Audio Page for today. I begin with a legendary driver who was in Syracuse this past weekend. Jan Leaty talked about his season in an asphalt Modified and about his hopes for the 2012 season. He told me what he was seeing at the Parts Peddler Trade Show, how much he was enjoying chatting with his friends and how much more refreshed he is two months away from the end of his season.

Gary Tomkins told me about his races down in Charlotte and his pair of top ten finishes at the event. He talked about a jingle he was involved in, the need for a well timed caution and how the track fooled him a little on Saturday.

Johnny Scarborough described his plans to run a Modified weekly in 2012 at the Fonda Speedway. He told me how the opportunity is coming together, why he wanted to stay at his Saturday home and where he feels the biggest challenge will be when he suits up next year.

Rick Miller got back into racing this past season and explained what it was like to race again. He talked about his plans for 2012, what appeals to him about the Late Model world and how much he has enjoyed getting to some new tracks. See Rick, nobody gives up racing.

Christine Martin talked about her 2011 season that included a very hard crash up at Can Am. She told me about some damage the crash did to her, how she is feeling now and how long it will take for her to heal. Get well Christine!

Chuck Powelczyk remembered his season driving both a Four Cylinder Super Stock and a Lawnmower. He told me about a motor problem he had along the way, the need for some newer tires and described what it is like racing against his wife on a weekly basis.

Thursday, November 24th 2011

New on the Audio Page for today:

Danny O’Brien described his 2011 season that included a championship at his Saturday home.
Jimmy Phelps remembered his last race of the season at Penn Can as he visited the show.
Paul Habeck talked about his move from Modified to Sprint Cars and why he was so comfortable.
Alan Fink won three races this past season and told me what he was doing at the Parts Peddler.
Chris Thurston ran a pair of different cars in 2011 and thought back on one very hard crash.
Roy Sova watched the season at Oswego Speedway from the booth and talked about the comeback.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone! We hope you all have a great day and get to spend lots of time with your family and friends. As you read this, the smell of turkey is surely filling my home and a big family dinner is on tap. I hope you guys have as much fun as we are having right now.

I do have a lot of good stuff on the site today for you to listen to so be sure to get right over to the Audio Page and hear from your favorite driver. And we’ll be back tomorrow as well with six more conversations and again on Saturday. Then we’ll be back in the studio and back to work. But for now, enjoy your day and be sure to take some time to think about how thankful we all are to still be here and involved in the greatest sport out there!

Now let’s chat more about what is new for today on the Audio Page. I begin with a man who wishes he could have gotten ten more points on his traveling series. Danny O’Brien described his 2011 season that included a championship at his Saturday home. He talked about how close he came to winning the 358 Super DIRTcar Series, why he could not take his weekly car to Syracuse and what he would have had to do to win the series.

Jimmy Phelps remembered his last race of the season at Penn Can as he visited the show this past weekend. He told me why he felt it was important to attend the Parts Peddler, how good it was to see everyone in one place and looked forward to getting dressed up with his lovely wife later that night at the DIRTcar banquet.

Paul Habeck talked about his move from Modified to Sprint Cars and why he was so comfortable. He wondered if he should have done this earlier, explained why he made the change and remembered some of his better moments on the season.

Alan Fink won three races this past season and told me what he was doing at the Parts Peddler. He told me about the racecars he was disassembling, the new car he is working on and ran down his tentative plans for the 2012 season.

Chris Thurston ran a pair of different cars in 2011 and thought back on one very hard crash he had at Can Am. He talked about the adjustment to the Sportsman, how much he is still learning about the way they drive and how happy he was with the move in general.

Roy Sova watched the resurgence of Oswego Speedway from the booth and talked about the comeback he witnessed. He told me why he feels it happened, previewed the schedule for the coming season and wondered about a third class of cars.

Wednesday, November 23rd 2011

New on the Audio Page for today:

Rich Scagliotta thought back on his two win season as he attended the Parts Peddler show.
Mike Leaty won a lot of races in 2011 and talked about what he was wanting at the trade show.
Rob Bellinger told me about his season on the Super DIRTcar Series as he attended the banquet.
Jeremy Wonderling showed off his BRP Can Am Late Model car and talked about his championship.
David Marcuccilli remembered the last time he came to Syracuse and the scary crash he had.
Dick Stark explained why Thunder Mountain Speedway will move from Saturday back to Friday.

Well if everything went as I hoped it would on Tuesday, I am on a three day vacation right now. It will be nice to get some extra family time and get ready for the big Thanksgiving dinner we are hosting here tomorrow.

It will be a lot of fun and with the way things have been health wise with our family, it will be nice to have everyone back together. And we hope and pray that my father in law is out of the hospital so he can join us.

We’ll be back with six interviews a day through Saturday so we hope you keep checking in with us in between mouthfuls tomorrow as we’ll provide a nice distraction for you with stories from the world of local racing.

Now let’s talk more about what we have for you today on the Audio Page. I begin with a man who had a breakout season in the tough world of Modified racing. Rich Scagliotta thought back on his two win season as he attended the Parts Peddler show. He talked about how fortunate he was to get his first ever Modified wins, how the correct mindset can help make the difference and how just one mistake can put you back fast.

Mike Leaty won a lot of races on the asphalt in 2011 and talked about what he was wanting at the trade show. He told me how well he did at his weekly track, how things went on the ROC tour and described his hopes to travel even more in 2012.

Rob Bellinger talked about his season on the Super DIRTcar Series as he attended the annual banquet. He told me how consistent his year was, what he learned about some of the tracks he raced on and where he felt he improved.

Jeremy Wonderling showed off his BRP Can Am Late Model car and talked about his championship season. He talked about why he likes the cars so much, why the series works and what he would have to do to get his car race ready.

David Marcuccilli remembered the last time he came to Syracuse and the scary crash he had. He told me how good his car was before the wreck, how it felt to be on his side for the first time ever and how tough it was to get out.

Dick Stark explained why Thunder Mountain Speedway will move from Saturday back to Friday. He told me how they did in the past on Friday, what they will be running at the track weekly and his hopes for a couple of mid week shows.


	What was the best movie to watch if you want to see cars get wrecked? It's a mad, mad, mad world. 1963 Gone in 60 seconds. 1974 Smokey & The Bandit Part 3. 1983 The Blues Brothers. 1980 Vanishing Point. 1971 Click here for more results


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