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Friday, April 12th 2013

New on the Audio Page for today:

Chad Brachmann just got off the track at Canandaigua and told me how his big block felt.
Mat Williamson is a big block rookie and talked about his excitement level for the 2013 season.
Daryl Hilkert showed off a brand new Modified at Canandaigua and told me what he has.
Alisha Garner talked with Jeremiah Fish as she got ready to get in her Pro Stock at Fonda.
Rob Mason was a substitute Late Model driver on Saturday and talked about his role on this day.

What a crappy couple of days we have had weather wise. Thursday was just plain cold and rainy. And I hear some of you saw snow! We got a little sleet in the morning but that was all as far as solid precipitation that we got.

I have more from the weekend but am holding back on a few things as Saturday just became worse in the eyes of forecasters. But I guess we’ll hold out hope, plan to race and see what happens. Keep your fingers crossed!

On the site today we have five from the weekend. Four are from Canandaigua and the other one is from Fonda and J. Fish. In the can and coming out soon are chats with Ray Bliss Jr., Rob Bussey, Tony Finch II, Chuck Bower, Derrick Podsiadlo, Mike O’Brien and Brett Graham.

Now let’s chat more about what is new for today on the Audio Page. I begin with a man who just finished up a conversation on handling when I stopped by. Chad Brachmann just got off the track at Canandaigua and told me how his big block felt. He talked a conversation he had with his crew about the car’s handling, wondered if his tight condition might go away as the track changes and how to know what to do.

Mat Williamson is a big block rookie and talked about his excitement level for the 2013 season. He told me about his goals for the Canandaigua opener, remembered his last time at the track ten years ago and ran down his plans for the next few weeks which include a return to the Land of Legends this Saturday.

Daryl Hilkert showed off a brand new Modified at Canandaigua and told me what he has. He talked about how similar the car is to one he has success in Sportsman with, explained what he thought didn’t work with last year’s car and what he hoped would happen in the shakedown run.

Alisha Garner talked with Jeremiah Fish as she got ready to get in her Pro Stock at Fonda. She told him how valuable her step dad has been in putting the car together, how long she has been racing and her start in go carts with five years behind her.

Rob Mason was a substitute Late Model driver on Saturday and talked about his role on Saturday. He talked about the three new things he would experience on this day at Canandaigua, described a push they would like to fix as well as the track he was just on.

Thursday, April 11th 2013

New on the Audio Page for today:

Jimmy Davis tells Jeremiah Fish how he was feeling as he got ready for the opener at Fonda.
Chad Homan had hot laps on his docket last Friday and told me how long the car has been ready.
Eldon Payne Jr. told me how happy he was with Friday’s practice and what he learned that night.
Jim Housworth talked about his RoC Sportsman win at Five Mile Point how big the victory was.
Nick Cooper described his level of excitement as he prepared to take out his new 305 Sprint Car.

What a crappy, rainy day it was on Wednesday. And you know that rain can’t be helping the already saturated ground we already have. Let’s just hope the rest of the week is fairly dry but already the rain has claimed the Fulton Speedway opener for this Saturday.

As Cory Reed told me on the phone yesterday, “The prolonged winter conditions are prohibiting us from being able to adequately prepare the facility. We called it this early to save the fans and teams from guessing what we are doing. It is in our best interest to do this now instead of Saturday morning.”

Brewerton does have a practice next Tuesday. And as of the time I typed this up on Wednesday, everything else this weekend is still a go.

Now let’s talk more about what is new for today on the Audio Page. I begin with one from a good friend of the site who had my recorder last Saturday. Jimmy Davis tells Jeremiah Fish how he was feeling as he got ready for the opener at Fonda. He told him about the Modified he had with him, how he has done in this race in the past and where we will see him race on a weekly basis.

Chad Homan had hot laps on his docket last Friday and told me how long the car has been ready. He talked about some changes they made under the hood, wonders how much it might affect the gearing he usually runs at Canandaigua and where he will feel the extra power of this engine.

Eldon Payne Jr. told me how happy he was with Friday’s practice and what he learned that night. He talked about well his new car did in the final race of 2012, described the other Modified he is working on for the RoC Tour and how happy he is to have what he needs under him.

Jim Housworth talked about his RoC Sportsman win at Five Mile Point how big the victory was for his career. He told me how he got the lead on lap 16, what he was saying to himself on the last lap and recapped his early days which started in a Slingshot.

Nick Cooper described his level of excitement as he prepared to take out his new 305 Sprint Car. He explained how a change with the engine set back might change the handling, how much he learned in the 305’s last year and how important night one was going to be for him and his team.

Wednesday, April 10th 2013

   New on the Audio Page for today:

Ryan Watt tells me about his second career win at Bridgeport after flipping the week before.
Matt Billings gave me his first take on Canandaigua as he just ran his first ever laps at the track.
Dave Allen told me how his hot lap session went on Friday and described an issue they had.
Jeff Rockefeller spoke with Jeremiah Fish about the nerves he was feeling at the Fonda opener.
Chip Burdick previews Can Am’s two practice days this weekend and shared some feedback.

It was another real nice day in Syracuse on Tuesday and I did get back in the studio to record more interviews and added three more photo bins as well. I was also able to get an extra one recorded as well to put up tomorrow, so yes, it was a very good day.

As you can see we have also put up some interviews from myself and Jeremiah Fish as well as he took the trip out east to Fonda. I am sp happy to be able to bring you guys more than just two a day and hopefully the weather will cooperate this weekend so I can do the same again next week…we’ll see about that!

Now let’s chat more about what is new for today on the Audio Page. I start out with a big winner form the weekend down in New Jersey. See, we’re still thinking about you guys!    Ryan Watt tells me about his second career win at Bridgeport after flipping the week before. He talked about how badly damaged his car was in the last lap wreck at the RoC show, how he did at Big Diamond’s big block/small block shootout and how he briefly lost the lead on Saturday only to get it back a few laps later.

Matt Billings gave me his first take on Canandaigua as he just ran his first ever laps at the track. He described a handling issue he felt in the car, wondered if it was normal or not and explained what the adjustment they were making should do to the car. Key word here: Should!

Dave Allen told me how his hot lap session went on Friday and described an issue they had. He talked about what it did as they adjusted it, explained what it was that they changed at the shop before Saturday and what moving weight to the nose does. Good advice here guys!

Jeff Rockefeller spoke with Jeremiah Fish about the nerves he was feeling at the Fonda opener. He talked about moving up to Modified at the end of 2012, the new car he was taking out on Saturday and how his focus has changed for 2013.

Chip Burdick previews Can Am’s two practice days this weekend and shared some feedback he has had from teams that will call the track their Friday home. He told me how the track looked when they were on it Monday, what he’d like to see happen in the next few days and runs down the first few weeks of action at the big half mile.

Tuesday, April 9th 2013

New on the Audio Page for today:

Steve Paine talked about the new chassis he had at Canandaigua Opener and described it for me.
Cody Bleau told J. Fish about his goals that include another Sportsman championship at Fonda.
Allan Wills brought out his family’s famous 111 car and talked about his shakedown at Canandaigua.
Ronnie Davis III explained why he was able to run at Canandaigua and a cooling issue they had.
Connor Cleveland offered his thoughts to Jeremiah Fish as he got ready for his first laps at Fonda.
Hear some of the racecars warming up in the pit area at Canandaigua in my latest Motor Sounds.

It was another nice day as I spent some time on the porch in between work in a short sleeved shirt. Yeah, it was nice although the next few days do not sound quite as nice. Let’s hope the tracks can take a little moisture as it looks like we may have a lot of that on tap this week.

I’m still digesting the weekend and it was nice to have three racetracks run in New York State as well as the rest of the bunch to our south. I do have a list of drivers I’d like to chat with so hopefully I can get back in the studio today and get some of that done.

I’m still not sure about the weekend yet as Fulton Speedway on Saturday is my first choice as I always start the year closer to home and then go further away. And this Methanol Meltdown show is always one of the biggest Sprint Car shows of the season so let’s hope for dry weather so we can have some fun.

Now let’s chat more about what is new for today on the Audio Page. I begin with a man who is hoping to knock a monkey off his back nice and early in the 2013 season. Steve Paine talked about the new chassis he had at Canandaigua Opener and described it for me. He told me what his goals were for the day, what he thought of the new clay at the track and how hopeful he is to get back to victory lane this year.

Cody Bleau told J. Fish about his goals that include another Sportsman championship at Fonda. He talked about winning the title helps take the pressure off this year, described how much he will race this year and what he does away from the track.

Allan Wills brought out his family’s famous 111 car and talked about his shakedown run at Canandaigua. He wondered how many times he may come to the track before his home track opens, described his goal for the day and the family business that is located right behind Ransomville Speedway.

Ronnie Davis III explained why he was able to run at Canandaigua and a cooling issue they had. He told me what happened when they took it out on the track for hot laps, what the engine runs like when it is too cool and offered his first take of the racetrack.

Connor Cleveland offered his thoughts to Jeremiah Fish as he got ready for his first laps at Fonda. He talked about his impressive resume in go carts, remembers watching races at Fonda when he was younger and who is helping them on the track this year.

Hear some of the racecars warming up in the pit area at Canandaigua in my latest Motor Sounds. This was from the Modified hot lap session on Saturday.

Monday, April 8th 2013

New on the Audio Page from Fonda Speedway with Jeremiah Fish:

Pre race conversations:

Dave Lape talks with Jeremiah Fish as he gets ready for his final season at the Fonda Speedway.
Johnny Scarborough told J. Fish how he felt as he prepared for his 30^th season as a driver.
Keith Flach was at Fonda for a shake down run and told J. Fish about his hopes for Saturday.
Pete Broderson told J. Fish how a Facebook post led to a special 15 lap race for the Pro Stocks.
Mike Mahaney remembered his big win in last year’s race and what he hoped would happen later.

After the 40 lap Modified feature:

Matt DeLorenzo chatted with Jeremiah Fish after winning the opener at the Fonda Speedway.
Ronnie Johnson told J. Fish about his second place finish and what has his head spinning.
Bobby Varin spoke about his third place finish at Fonda and how he worked his way up front.

What a nice day Sunday turned out to be. I had these big plans to get in the studio but ended up spending the day outside with my kids after being gone the past two nights. I had a great time and thanks to Jeremiah Fish, you guys have a ton of new stuff from Fonda to listen to today.

As you can see he did a bang up job on Saturday and there are still six more interviews from him that are still to go up. Add that to the 25 I saved and you see that you’ll get a minimum of six a day for the next five days. Not too bad huh?

Plus we added a ton of new photos along the way with several more that went up after midnight last night. Check out that filmstrip at the right side of the page and enjoy seeing the great work that friends of the site have sent to us to see. Thanks so much guys!!!

I had a great weekend as I got to see some people in person that I have only been talking to on the phone. My knees held up well as I was only a little slower on Sunday because of it. So all in all it could not have gone much better.

I do feel badly for the people who wrecked their racecars this past weekend. I was talking to my dad and mom about it as we watched the kids draw on the driveway. You work all off season and pour in thousands of dollars as well as hundreds of hours in the shop and all that work can be gone in the blink of an eye. Best of luck to all of you who are looking at a pile of mangled parts. Really, nothing but the best to you guys.

Now let’s chat more about what is new on the Audio Page from Jeremiah Fish’s trip to Fonda on Saturday. Dave Lape talks with Jeremiah Fish as he gets ready to start his final season at the Fonda Speedway. He told him what he will miss the most, what he thinks about the future of the sport and the biggest thing that is different now compared to when he first started.

Johnny Scarborough told J. Fish how he felt as he prepared for his 30^th season as a driver. He talked about some off season changes to his team, how much he enjoys Fonda Speedway and the need to have good people around you.

Keith Flach was at Fonda for a shake down run and told J. Fish about his hopes for Saturday. He talked about where this small block car will race weekly, how tough it can be if you get off to a tough start at your weekly homes and ran down his plans for 2013.

Pete Broderson told J. Fish how a Facebook post led to a special 15 lap race for the Pro Stocks. He told him how close he came to getting a full purse together for the Fonda opener, how much help he got from drivers & sponsors and described his game plan for the 2013 season.

Mike Mahaney remembered his big win in last year’s Ice Jam and what he hoped would happen later. He talked to J. Fish about how to research a new racetrack, how he did in his first few races of the season and how much more comfortable he is as a driver compared to one year ago.

Matt DeLorenzo chatted with Jeremiah Fish after winning the season opener at the Fonda Speedway. He talked about watching the leader early, when his car started to come on and what he saw when Stewart Friesen got a flat while out front.

Ronnie Johnson told J. Fish about his second place finish and what has his head spinning during the 40 lapper at Fonda. He talked about how happy he was with the end result, how slippery the racing surface was and wondered if the changes he made were exactly what was needed.

Bobby Varin spoke about his third place finish at Fonda and how he worked his way up from a long way back. He told Jeremiah Fish how he felt about the #66 team he drove for the past two weekends, how good the racecar is that he has under him and how little grip there was on the big half mile track.

Sunday, April 7th 2013

New on the Audio Page from Canandaigua Motorsports Park:

Pre race conversations:

Billy Decker talked about his 5th place the night before at Big Diamond and his Canandaigua past.
Jimmy Phelps told me how Friday’s practice went and what he learned in the three sessions.
Rob Bellinger looked a little worse for wear at the track and told me about an accident he had.
Rick Miller observed the big 1/2 mile at Canandaigua and remembered his only start at the track.
Tyler Siri reacted to watching his son win the night before and told me how nervous he was.
Vinnie Vitale did not make it Friday’s practice and told me what his family did last week.

After the heat races:

Rick Miller talked about the fun he had in his heat win and the need to shed some weight on the car.
Brian Knowles won the second Late Model heat and told me how patient he had to be to get it.
Larry Wight took the lead on lap 6 to get a heat win and described how he used the outside.
Chad Homan led all but one lap on his way to a heat win and talked about a problem they had.
Rob Bellinger was out front for every lap in his heat and told me where his car was a little snug.
Billy Decker described what happened to the leader as he led the last 100 yards to win his heat.

After the features:

Rick Miller talked with Gary Montgomery in victory lane after winning the Late Model feature.
Alan Johnson picked up win number 117 at Canandaigua and told Shane Andrews how he did it.
Larry Wight told me about his 2nd place finish and what happened to his tires after the final restart.
Jimmy Phelps was part of a nice three car battle at the front and told me how he ended up third.
Peter Britten led seven laps in the feature and described how he hit the wall in turn four on lap 39.

I had a good time on a very cold night in Canandaigua as the Jan Corcoran Memorial 64 headlined the show. There was a strong field of Modifieds on hand and since the show started a little earlier, it was not as cold as it was the night before.

Alan Johnson won the race in a tight three car battle up front with Larry Wight and Jimmy Phelps. Johnson took the lead on lap 55 at the line in traffic and then a caution flag waved. He took over on the next restart as the leader and then stretched his lead out to win his 117^th Modified feature at Canandaigua. Wow!

I did get the top three afterwards on the Audio Page so you can hear for yourself how each of them did in what turned out to be a very entertaining race. I also got the Modified and Late Model heat winners as well as 19 pre-race interviews. As always I saved the bulk of those for you for the week and in the can now between both days are 25 conversations that will start coming out tomorrow.

Rick Miller went to Canandaigua for just the second time ever and he looked like a long time runner as he won his heat and the feature as the BRP Can Am Late Models ran with the Crate Late Models. I for one am glad to see these guys running together as they went the final 25 laps without a yellow after 2 on the first lap. It was good racing. Way to go guys.

All in all it was a pretty good weekend for Canandaigua as the new clay stayed put for the most part and for a two day show, it was actually real good. And you guys know Jeremie Corcoran, he’ll be out there and any of those bumps we saw in turn four at the end will be gone before you know it. Nice to him too!

I also took some photos in the pits and from the tower. Those are up now as well as some from Evans Mills as Rebecca Eisele sent us some of what she saw on Saturday. And usually today I get in some photos from other friends of the site on Sunday so be sure to keep checking back. Plus Jeremiah Fish was out at Fonda with recorder number one so look for some from him tomorrow if everything goes right.

I hope you like all the new stuff we have for you and be sure to keep checking back as it will be a busy week to say the least. Now I am going to drown my sorrows as I watch the SU game I missed while making sure to get this done for you guys right at midnight. See you tomorrow and great job guys…you almost made it to the championship game. Awesome job!!!

Saturday, April 6th 2013

   New on the Audio Page from Canandaigua Motorsports Park:

Pre race conversations:

Justin Haers talked about his hopes for later in the day and the fun he had down in Florida.
Dan Wiesner came into Friday as the defending Sportsman champion and talked about his racecar.
Darryl Ruggles told me how nervous he was beforehand and compared to other times in his career.
Billy Dunn described the car that he had with him and talked about the need to keep things warm.
Rob Bussey didn’t get alot of hot laps with his Sportsman and told me about his cold racing engine.
Vic Coffey explained why he had his Mod at Canandaigua instead of traveling with his Late Model.
Peter Britten was bundled up on Friday and talked about getting used to the cold New York weather.

After the heat races:

Rob Bussey led every lap to win his Sportsman heat and described the push he had in turn four.
Sam Reakes IV walked away from the field for a win and told me about a text he got afterwards.
Darryl Ruggles looked good in his first 305 heat race and talked about his comfort level in the car.
David Ferguson started his season out with a heat win and told me about a minor issue they had.

Well I finally got to see some racing last night as I headed west to Canandaigua Motorsports Park for their first show of the 2013 season. Everything went pretty smooth too as the new clay was not unruly and a good time was had by all.

David Marcuccilli won the Sportsman race over Sam Reakes IV and Rob Bussey, who both won their heats. Vic Coffey was fastest in the first Modified hot lap session so he can start no worse than 6^th today while Peter Britten was fastest in the second session, he will start no lower than 4^th today.

Also Charlie Donk reversed the finish from his 305 Sprint Car heat race as he bested Daryl Ruggles for the win. Eric Chapman won the Pure Stock race while second generation driver Jordan Siri won the New Legends Sportsman.

It was fun but it was darned cold. And because of the nerve damage I suffered in a surgery a few years ago, I had to head back once it got to a certain point. It can feel like someone has a knife at my side when it gets cold so I have to just do what I can and then seek warmth. It’s not a problem in the summer. Sorry guys…but it will get warmer sooner.

I also had trouble with one of my recorders again but after putting my head in the manual for a while I was able to find a way around it. Basically it was shutting down in the middle of interviews as the door to the memory card was not secure enough. But I do believe I have it fixed as I tried it a lot at the house afterwards and both recorders now seem fine. Keep your fingers crossed.

I’ll be back at Canandaigua today for their 6 PM start time while J. Fish will take my primary recorder with him to Fonda. It should be a cold one but a good one on Saturday. I just hope those brief showers are only brief or not at all and don’t mess us up.

Also look for the new photos I have up and look for more today as I will shooting again today. In the can are chats with Chad Homan, Nick Cooper, Ray Bliss Jr., Allan Willis, Tony Finch II, Ronnie Davis III and Matt Billings as well as a Motor Sounds clip for those of you who could not make it out.

Have a great day, support your local racetrack and I’ll see you tomorrow.


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