Berger Chevrolet
|
Matt Berger
and Johnny |
The JBFC would like to thank
Matt Berger and Berger Chevrolet for their support of
the fan club. The Berger's have been long
supporters of the Benson family starting with John Sr's
career and continued support of Johnny's short track
racing career.
You can find all
your car needs at Berger Chevrolet located at 2525 28th
St, Grand Rapids, MI or check out their website at
www.bergerchevy.com
(01-04-06) |
Bill Davis Racing - 2006 Craftsman Truck
Lineup
Bill
Davis, president of Bill Davis Racing, confirmed Monday the
driver and crew chief combinations of his three NASCAR
Craftsman Truck Series entries for the 2006 season.
Mike Skinner will return as driver of the No. 5 Toyota
Tundra with veteran Crew Chief Jeff Hensley calling the
shots. Not only did the duo lead the
series with seven pole positions and 874 laps led in 2005,
but the No. 5
team compiled two wins, nine top-five finishes, and 13
top-10 finishes
before rounding out the year in fifth in the season-ending
point standings.
Bill Lester will return for his third season as driver of
the No. 22 Toyota
Tundra, and Doug Wolcott will return for his sophomore
season as the crew
chief. In their first season together, the pair complied
four top-10
finishes, and Lester scored his first top-five finish at
Kansas. The team
also picked up back-to-back poles at Kansas Speedway and
Kentucky Speedway. In 2005, Lester amassed $1,000,000
in career earnings and reached the century mark in career
starts. The team is looking forward to the 2006 season and
earning its first win.
Johnny Benson will again pilot the No. 23 Toyota
Tundra in 2006 with veteran
crew chief Rick Ren returning atop the pit box. Ren joined
Bill Davis
Racing in August 2005 and helped the No. 23 team pick up
three top-three
finishes in the last four races. The No. 23 Toyota Tundra
team gained more
than 100 points on the leaders in the last six races and
finished 10th in
the 2005 championship point standings. The team is hoping
to carry the same momentum into 2006.
Toyota Certified Used Vehicles (TCUV) will also
return to the No. 23 Tundra
as the primary sponsor. The leader in certified used
vehicles served as a
major associate sponsor on the No. 23 Tundra last year, and
because of the
team's overwhelming success, TCUV decided to increase its
support of the
Bill Davis Racing program. Toyota Certified is an industry
leader, selling
more than 200,000 vehicles a year throughout the United
States. Certified
Toyotas come with a six-year/ 100,000-mile warranty and
roadside assistance, and all vehicles pass an extensive
160-point quality assurance inspection. For more information
on Toyota Certified Used Vehicles go to
www.toyota.com/certified.
"I am really excited about 2006," Davis commented. "The No.
5 team showed
they were a contender each and every week. They really did
not lose anyone
during the off-season, which really helps the team as a
whole. Now that the
group has a year together under its belt, I think it will
challenge for wins
week in and week out. Bill Lester really did a great job
last year. He
picked up his first top-five finish and ran up front on a
regular basis. I
am confident he and his No. 22 team will be strong in 2006.
Johnny Benson
had such an up and down season in 2005. The team started
the year with high hopes, but a string of bad luck put them
deep in the point standings. The team battled back and with
their strong runs, at the end of the season they got back
into the top-10 in points. I am confident 2006 will be the
year
Benson wheels his Tundra into victory lane."
(01-16-06)
Drive for Diversity
The 2006 Drive for Diversity driver roster was announced
Monday by NASCAR Director of Diversity Tish Sheets. The
program, which is managed by Access Marketing &
Communications, will give eight ethnic and gender diverse
drivers the opportunity to compete in the NASCAR Dodge
Weekly Series. The drivers were chosen from a pool of more
than 300 applicants.
"Through the team work and
dedication of NASCAR and our program sponsors we are able to
continue reaching our goal of providing a steady pipeline of
talented individuals into the sport," said Greg Calhoun,
president and CEO of Access Marketing & Communications.
"Once again, we are excited to have such skilled, ambitious
drivers on our roster. They have truly earned their position
in the program and we wish them much success."
"We are thrilled with the
opportunities that the Drive for Diversity program has
created for diverse drivers and crew members over the past
two years," Sheets said. "It is through the support of the
entire industry that programs like this can succeed in
helping to further diversify NASCAR."
The Drive for Diversity
program was founded in 2004 to help develop diverse and
female drivers and crew members and is endorsed as NASCAR's
leading on-track diversity initiative. Nineteen applicants
were chosen to participate in the Drive for Diversity
Testing & Evaluation Combine last October. They were
observed during various on-track test sessions and off-track
interviews.
One of the drivers who was
selected as one of the eight drivers for 2006 is:
• Peter Hernandez
from Blue Island, Ill., competed in the Mid-American Stock
Car Series in 2005, finishing first in points with 14
top-five finishes. This season he will compete with Bill
McAnally Racing.
JBFC fan club member, Jackie
Broderick of Illinois has been a crew member of Peter's
efforts in the Mid-American Stock Car Series.
Congratulations to Peter and Jackie!
Complete
Story
(01-28-06)
EBAY ITEM
A driving suit is currently being
offered on EBAY with the name of John Benson JR.
Johnny reviewed the photo - this is not one of Johnny's
driving suits. Please do not be mislead. Thanks to our
loyal JB fan for sending this to us for verification!
"Item: 8753122666 - This is a fully insulated fire racing
suit.The name on the suit is John Benson Jr. The info on the
inside says it is made from nomex,kevlar,and other flame
retardant materials. It is labeled Worth Racing. On the
sleeve it has a patch that reads:PYROTECT sfi manufacturer
certified 3-24/5. All of the belts and helment hookups seem
to be intact. It doesn't have a size anywhere ,but it looks
to be a mans large. There are no tears or holes inside or
out of the suit. I have not had it cleaned but it is in very
good condition. A friend of mine is a Nascar dealer and he
gave it to me to put on Ebay. It is as is". (01-20-06)
Benson to Race Trucks Full Time
By Steve Kaminski - The Grand Rapids Press
Now that Johnny Benson Jr. and his Bill Davis
Racing team have taken care of their off-the-track business,
the Grand Rapids stock car driver can get down to business
on the race track.
Benson announced he will be
back racing the No. 23 Toyota Tundra full-time on the NASCAR
Craftsman Truck Series. Benson had been unsure what his
plans would be for 2006 until the team recently signed up
Toyota Certified Used Vehicles to sponsor the team this
year.
"We are in one of those
situations where we weren't sure if we were going to run the
whole season because of sponsorship," Benson said. "Toyota
is coming on, not for the whole season, and we are still
looking for new sponsorship, but it will really help us
out."
Benson tested his truck at
Daytona International Speedway last weekend, and he was
third quickest in a Jan. 15 session with a time of 183.857
mph. The trucks open the 2006 season Feb. 17 at Daytona.
Benson finished 10th overall
in points a year ago in his first full season in trucks. He
enters the new season confident he will be much more
competitive considering how well he finished last year.
Davis hired Rick Ren as crew chief in August, and the team
began to click. Benson recorded top-five finishes in three
of the final four races, including third places at Atlanta,
Phoenix and Homestead.
"Our goal is to finish in the top three and possibly win a
championship," said Benson, who is entering his 13th season
in the NASCAR ranks. We felt like we were going to do
that last year, and we started off really strong. Going into
Dover, we were only 100 points out of the lead, and then we
had the incident on the first lap. At that point
and time, we couldn't get things running like we wanted them
to do. The next thing we know, we are 16th in points and 300
points out of first place. But we were able to claw our way
back up to 10th."
Benson is scheduled to
race his home track, Berlin Raceway in Marne, twice this
season. He will participate in the American
Speed Association Challenge Series 200 on June 14 as well as
the The Chet on Aug. 16. Craftsman Trucks will
keep him busy the rest of the season. The circuit will offer
a 25-race schedule, including a June 17 stop at Michigan
International Speedway in Brooklyn.
(01-23-06)
Toyota Announcement
NASCAR and Toyota
announced Monday the manufacturer’s plans to expand its
NASCAR program by competing in the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series
and the NASCAR Busch Series starting in 2007, fielding the
Toyota Camry model. The expansion will follow three years of
Toyota competing in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, and
will result in all three of NASCAR’s national series having
four manufacturers competing, as Toyota will join Chevrolet,
Dodge and Ford.
“NASCAR welcomes Toyota to the greatest auto racing in the
world,” said NASCAR Chairman and CEO Brian France, who made
the announcement on Monday at NASCAR’S Research and
Development Center in Concord, N.C. “Toyota’s entry into the
NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series and the NASCAR Busch Series is good
for drivers, teams and the fans. This move provides for even
more intense competition on the track between drivers and
manufacturers, which will provide more excitement and fan
interest. Toyota’s entry also provides more options for
drivers and teams, which will increase the competition
between manufacturers.”
“It’s a great pleasure to announce Toyota’s entry into the
NASCAR NEXTEL Cup and Busch Series with the Toyota Camry,”
said Dave Illingworth, senior vice president and chief
planning and administrative officer for Toyota Motor Sales,
U.S.A., Inc. “Next year – 2007 – will be a special year for
Toyota in more ways than one. Toyota will be celebrating its
50th anniversary in the United States, and we will be
joining the NASCAR NEXTEL CUP Series, America’s premier
racing series. Toyota has been an important part of the U.S.
motorsports community for almost 25 years. We’ve competed
and won in different series and on tracks across America.
Toyota drivers and teams have won championships in a variety
of different series. But, if you want to compete against the
best, in America that means NASCAR. We look forward to
February of 2007 when the green flag waves to start the
Daytona 500 and the starting lineup features the Toyota
Camry.”
Illingworth, who joined France in making the announcement,
said more information – regarding possible sponsor and
driver lineups – will be released Tuesday night, during a
media gathering at Lowe’s Motor Speedway in Concord.
Toyota, which has been doing business in America since 1957,
now has eight plants in the United States – 14 if you count
all of North America. Toyota will build approximately 1.6
million vehicles this year, including production at its new
Tundra pickup plant in Texas. Toyota and its dealers now
directly employ approximately 142,000 Americans. Since 1986,
Toyota has built more than 12 million vehicles in the United
States. More than 6.5 million Camrys have been sold in the
United States and it has been the bestselling car in America
for eight of the past nine years. Camrys are built at Toyota
Motor Manufacturing in Georgetown, Ky. (Toyota.com)
(1-23-2006)
Congratulations!
The JBFC would like to congratulate David
Morrison of Virginia who won the contest for sending in
his 2006 renewal early. Your prize package of Johnny's
Etopp Collectible card and one of Johnny's Valvoline dress
shirts will be on it's way.
(01-21-06)
Soup's On Event
Please join us for
Soup’s On For All — 2006. It is an exciting fundraising
event benefiting God’s Kitchen in Grand Rapids, Michigan.
It will be held on Monday, January 30, 2006 from 6:00 - 9:30
p.m at the BOB - 20 Monroe Avenue NW, Grand Rapids, MI.
Every year, Soup’s On For All features outstanding soups,
breads, desserts and coffees all donated by top area
restaurants. Each attendee is invited to choose a
hand-painted soup bowl to take home at the end of the
evening – created by members of the
West Michigan Potters Guild,
Artworks and individuals and groups from all over West
Michigan in conjunction with
Naked
Plates.
This year, there will be
entertainment on every floor of
The B.O.B.,
located in downtown Grand Rapids, Michigan. The lively line
up includes the Blue Water Ramblers, Java Jive,
Mid-Life
Crisis and
Nobody’s Darlin’ - providing a great mix of live music.
In addition, there is a
silent auction and raffle held during the evening. The
silent auction features bowls and platters signed by local,
regional and national celebrities — including music groups,
authors, athletes, politicians and artists.
Johnny has autographed a soup bowl for this event.
Additional items up for bid will include event tickets, gift
certificates, spa packages and much, much more. An
online auction will be held from January 31 - February 7th.
Click here for more details!
(01-21-06)
Bill Davis Racing Tundras Are Ready For
Daytona
After three long days of testing at
the World Center of Racing in Daytona Beach, Fla., the Bill
Davis Racing Toyota Tundras are ready for the 250-mile
season opener at Daytona International Speedway. All three
teams were among the fastest in the testing session, and the
teams learned a great deal of useful information that should
benefit them when they return to Daytona for the Feb. 17
Daytona 250.
Testing got
underway early Friday, Jan. 13 with single truck runs. All
three Bill Davis Racing Tundra teams worked hard to get as
much speed out of their respective trucks, and each driver
only requested small handling changes to his machine. As a
result, the trio was close to the top of the speed chart.
The Friday
afternoon testing session was about BDR dominance. Mike
Skinner’s No. 5 truck could run high or low on the track,
and he told his crew it felt stable at both ends of the
2.5-mile superspeedway. That impressive handling helped
propel Skinner into the lead of the speed chart. The No. 22
Tundra of Bill Lester and Johnny Benson’s No. 23 Tundra
drafted together later in the session and overtook their
teammate on the speed chart. Lester and Benson traded the
lead, and both were happy with the handling of their
respective trucks.
Saturday
morning brought a change of pace as the BDR teams focused on
qualifying setup. But there was no change in the
one-two-three punch the organization gave to the speed
chart. The teams learned how the trucks would handle with
tape on the grill and how they behaved in traffic. The
three trucks used each other as drafting partners and
remained three of the fastest teams of the day.
The teams
headed back to North Carolina knowing all three trucks could
see the winner’s circle in February. “You know it is a
successful test when you can go home and paint and decal
your truck,” commented Team Manager Mark Chambers. “All
three of our trucks were strong, and we feel like we have a
package that will be competitive for the race. The Daytona
test is not only a test for the truck but also the team.
During the off-season, we made some changes to the No. 22
and No. 23 teams, and this is the first time they have
worked together at the track. I think they all learned some
things about each other and the trucks. I am really looking
forward to coming back in February and hopefully going to
victory lane.”
|
Eric and Johnny |
Sometimes
there are benefits for employees who work for a company
uses their marketing dollars to sponsor a car or truck
in the NASCAR series. This is just the case.
Eric Anderson of Toyota Certified Used Vehicles was the
passenger in the Richard Petty Driving school cars
around Las Vegas Speedway. Who was behind the
wheel and waving to us in this photo? Johnny!
|
Truck
Testing on SPEED Sunday Night
SPEED Channel will
feature highlights from this weekend's NASCAR Craftsman
Truck Series test sessions at Daytona International Speedway
on Sunday evening, January 15 at 7 pm Eastern. Truck Series
testing is scheduled for a 9 am start on Friday, January 13
and will wrap up on Sunday, January 15 at 5 pm Eastern.
NASCAR Nextel Cup Test Session shows start this evening at 7
pm. TruckSeries.com will continue its dominating coverage of
the NCTS starting at 9 am Eastern this Friday.
(01-09-06)
MIS Tickets
Michigan International Speedway tickets for
the June 18 Michigan 400 and the Aug. 20 GFS Marketplace 400
will go on sale Saturday. Fans may purchase tickets
starting at 8 a.m. EST Saturday by visiting the track's
Web site, ticket
office or by calling (800) 354-1010. (01-11-06)
|
 |
The
Johnny Benson Fan Club was lucky to have one of the best
NASCAR photographers in the business sharing his photos
of Johnny and the #23 team last year. Phil Cavali
has launched his own website and we would like to share
it with you. Check out his work at
www.philcavali.com.
Phil is located in North Carolina.
(01-11-06) |
Extra Practice for Rookies
Rookies in NASCAR's Craftsman Truck and Busch series will
get extra practice time on series' tracks this season, in
addition to pre-selected testing sessions. A
tentative schedule for February Speedweeks in Daytona,
obtained by the Observer, indicates rookies in the Busch and
Truck series will each receive an additional 30 minutes of
practice on Thursday, Feb. 16.
NASCAR officials confirmed
Friday that rookies in both series would get an additional
30 minutes of practice at every track this season, but only
once per track. For instance, the Busch series has two
races at Daytona International Speedway this season, but
only prior to the season-opener next month would rookies
receive the extra practice. The extra track time would
not apply to rookies in the Nextel Cup Series.
The Cup series has six tests
scheduled this season - at Daytona, Las Vegas, Charlotte,
Richmond, Va., and Homestead, Fla. The Busch Series has four
- Daytona, Las Vegas, Charlotte and Richmond.
In 2005, teams were limited
to five two-day tests and four one-day tests, with rookies
getting seven two-day tests and five one-day tests.
Tests at tracks not used in the series did not count against
the limit, a policy that remains unchanged. Under the
new testing policy, rookies receive no additional scheduled
tests.
(01-11-06)
Truck Testing Begins this
Week
NCTS open test sessions for all truck teams is scheduled for
January 13 through the 15th at Daytona International
Speedway. Fans can watch truck testing for free from the
Oldfield Grandstands located just outside of Daytona USA.
In addition, the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Fan Fest
event, which includes fan forums, bands, show cars, pit stop
demonstrations and displays, begins at 5 p.m. on Friday,
January 13th - but fans will be able to enter the NEXTEL
FANZONE beginning at 9 a.m. to watch all of the exciting
testing action. Admission to the Craftsman Truck Series Fan
Fest is $10. Fan Fest events are also scheduled for the
Busch and Cup series.
(01-09-06)
In Sympathy
Robert L. Boorsma, aged 73, of Walker, passed
away peacefully at home on Tuesday, January 3, 2006. He was
preceded in death by his parents, Louis and Dorothy Boorsma
and son, Robert Jr. He will be lovingly remembered by wife,
Shirley Boorsma; children, Johnny Boorsma, Scott Boorsma,
Tommy Boorsma and Karen (Joe) Tiffany, all of Florida;
step-children, Scott (Susan) Hughes, Franklin (Jacklyn)
Hughes, both of Texas, Julie (E.J.) Johnson of Walker; and
15 grandchildren. He is also survived by brother, Wayne (Lourene)
Boorsma of Grand Rapids and sister, Marilyn (Al) Utter of
Hudsonville. Robert served in the United States Army from
1951-1953 and was employed as a tool grinder. He was an avid
outdoorsman. He was a ski instructor at Cannonsburg Ski
Lodge and loved boating on Lake Michigan. Robert loved
baseball and played in the Minor Leagues. He also was a
proud member of the Johnny Benson fan club. A memorial
service is planned for Saturday, January 14, 2006 at 11:00
a.m. at the Grandville Church of Christ, 3725 44th Street
SW. A luncheon will follow. Arrangements by: Memorial
Alternatives 2432 Fuller NE 363-3700.
(01-09-06)
www.memorialalternatives.com
With End of
Elite Division, Where will NASCAR's Stars Come From
By Ron Lemasters Jr., Special to NASCAR.COM
January 4, 2006
Given the ride-swapping we
have seen this year in NASCAR's top divisions, the question
of where the next generation of NASCAR stars will come from
is largely moot -- for the moment anyway. With the
recent announcement that NASCAR would phase out the Elite
Division of its Regional Touring Series -- the late model
tours formed in geographic regions -- beginning in 2007 to
focus more on the Grand National and Modified Tours, many
people in the NASCAR community now have a real problem.
There are the drivers
involved in those series now who have seen a rapid decline
in the number of touring series to race in nationwide. In
the past couple of seasons, series like the American Speed
Association have gone under, and NASCAR pulled a fair number
of drivers (like
Rusty Wallace,
Mark Martin,
Alan Kulwicki,
Johnny Benson,
Kenny Wallace,
Reed Sorenson,
David Stremme, the Wimmer brothers, etc.) from it.
Jimmy Fennig was an ASA crew chief for 10 years before
moving up the ladder, and so was
Kevin Hamlin. A huge number of mechanics, tire
specialists, shock specialists and other crewmen came from
ASA too.
The problem, now that NASCAR
has noted the declining interest in touring late model
series, is one of scale. For years, NASCAR teams were
populated by drivers, crew chiefs and crew members from that
very area of the racing firmament. Late models were the step
below the Busch Series, Trucks and Cup, and crews and
drivers worked their way up through the ladders just like
baseball players do. Rest assured, the personnel who
belong in NASCAR will get there. It will just be via a
different feeder system.
The restructuring comes at a
time when the core businesses of NASCAR -- Cup, Busch and
Trucks -- are booming. In announcing the restructuring
and eventual phase-out of the Southeast, Midwest, Southwest
and Northwest Divisions, NASCAR cited "declining support for
the Elite Division style of racing at all levels," saying it
will "focus its resources and efforts on those divisions
that will help build and sustain a better developmental
program for the future."
"These tours were originated
to offer NASCAR's weekly member tracks special events once
or twice a year," said NASCAR vice president Jim Hunter.
"The Elite Division was designed to allow the best local
racers an opportunity to race periodically at an advanced
regional level. The cost of competing at this level has
escalated significantly over the years and participation has
continuously declined in every region. It has also become
extremely difficult for our member tracks to successfully
host these events."
So what does this mean for
the top three divisions? For now, not much. In five years or
so, it might be one of the biggest topics inside the garage
area, especially among those whose job it is to construct
race teams for ever-larger entities. Hendrick Motorsports
has well over 600 employees in its various divisions, and
while not all of them are graduates of late model racing,
it's a good bet that a majority have some experience with
it.
In the spirit of good
business, NASCAR is not making such a move out of hand; the
writing has been on the wall for the past several years. By
getting rid of the late model tours, NASCAR can streamline
its regional touring operations and begin to assemble more
of a prototypical ladder system for the future. "This change
will allow NASCAR to focus more attention on the Grand
National and Modified touring divisions," Hunter said.
And he's right. The changes allow NASCAR to reduce the price
to play in the NASCAR Busch North Series (which will be
renamed Busch East in 2007) and the AutoZone West Series.
Interestingly, those two
tours will face a number of heretofore forbidden changes in
2007. The biggest is the move to spec engines -- as ASA did
in 2000 with the Vortec V-8 from General Motors. NASCAR to
that point had refused to entertain the idea of spec engines
in its Touring Series, let alone the top-flight divisions.
Going to a spec engine takes
the high-dollar engine tuner aspect of racing and puts it on
the trailer. Everybody races with the same stuff, and it
will likely be legislated with the electronic diagnostic
tools used by manufacturers on passenger cars. That's
another huge change. Lastly, the Grand National Series
will use composite bodies instead of steel, which is another
large departure from the status quo. Composite (fiberglass,
for all intents and purposes) bodies are easily repaired
(tape, not rivets, and if you need a new fender, get out the
glue gun, not the Sawzall and welder).
While phasing out an
important and historic part of its regional touring lineup,
NASCAR is taking steps to streamline its remaining
divisions, which is ultimately good for the business of
racing -- high speed, low drag.
(01-04-06)
Berlin - 2006 Schedule of
Events
Berlin Raceway's 2006
schedule, released today, blends prestigious traveling
series such as ARCA, Auto Value Super Sprints, and ASA along
with a host of special events such as the Boyne Machine 200
and the Speedbidz.com Shootout into a solid schedule that
officials feel is one of the track's strongest schedules
ever.
The 2006 season begins on April 15 and runs through
September 30. Included in the 27 nights of racing are two
Wednesday specials: the re-tooled ASA Challenge Series
200 with special guest Johnny Benson on June 14, and the
sixth annual "The Chet" presented by Comerica, with
Benson and a yet-to-be-determined NASCAR driver
competing in the 100-lap Coors Light Late Model event named
in honor of late track founder Chet Mysliwiec, on August 16.
Racing action heats up the pavement every Saturday night all
season long at Berlin, with the exception of Fair Week (July
22).
The month of September, which was highly attended by race
fans in 2005, gets an extreme make-over and comes out
stronger than ever. Weekly points races will conclude three
weeks before the end of the season, with champions being
crowned on September 9. The three final weeks of the season
are new to the 2006 schedule: The $7,500-to-win Boyne
Machine 200, a two-day Coors Light Late Model invitational
event that will include the longest ever Late Model race at
Berlin (200 laps) on Friday, September 15 and Saturday,
September 16; the Speedbidz.com Shootout, a $5,000
winner-take-all 40-lap Coors Light Late Model all-star
shootout including drivers who set fastest qualifying times
of each 2006 race, on Saturday, September 23. The season
finale marks the long-awaited return of the popular
open-wheel ISMA Super Modifieds on Saturday, September 30.
Other traveling series to make stops at Berlin in 2006
include the Auto Value Super Sprints (three times), CRA
Super Series (May 27), ARCA (July 15), Vintage Racing
Organization (July 29), ASA North Late Models and USAC Ford
Focus Midgets (August 19), and coming to Berlin for the
first time, the Short Track Truck Series (May 6 and June
17).
Mike Strevel, Berlin's Director of Race Operations, said he
feels the schedule is strong and will be well-received by
fans. "I feel this is one of the strongest, most
aggressive schedules Berlin has ever presented," Strevel
said. "The premier sanctioning bodies - ASA, ARCA, AVSS, CRA,
ISMA - are all making stops here. I'm looking forward to
seeing Benson race in an ASA car again! I'm particularly
excited about the return of the ASA Challenge Series,
re-built under new ownership, and the return of ISMA Super
Modifieds for the first time since 2002. ISMA has a
hard-core following in this area and we're happy that ISMA
was able to offer us an affordable package so that we could
get them back at Berlin.
Strevel also commented that the track's own weekly
divisions, special races and promotional events make for a
glitzy 2006 season. "I'm looking forward to the The Boyne
Machine 200 and the Speedbidz.com Shootout - the fans are
sure to appreciate the creativity that will make up these
two races. A two-day show with Friday racing and the longest
Late Model race ever at Berlin (Boyne Machine 200) and the
Speedbidz.com Shootout, which steals a page from the NASCAR
Nextel Cup Series with their Bud Shootout all-star race at
Charlotte...there's a lot here for the fans to be excited
about."
The popular School Bus Races return for three nights (May 6,
June 3 and September 15). Spectator Drags are back on August
5, and new to the schedule are Powder Puff Races (racers'
moms driving their sons/daughters' race cars) on May 13 as
part of Mothers Day weekend, and Big Rig Races (August 12).
In addition, fans can seek autographs from their favorite
drivers on the track before nine races next season, and the
ever-popular Fireworks Nights light up the schedule six
times in 2006.
Ticket and concessions specials making their way onto the
2006 schedule include four $1 Beer and $1 Hot Dogs nights
(Memorial Day Weekend-May 27, Fourth of July Weekend-July 1,
Labor Day Weekend-September 2 and Friday, September 15), two
Kids Nights (April 22 and August 26) feature free tickets
for all kids 12 and under as well as Monster Truck rides and
other kids activities.
Ticket prices for 2006 are $12 for regular shows and range
from $16 to $25 for special events (children 6-12 are half
price). The two high-end Wednesday race prices dropped to
$20 in advance/$25 at the gate in 2006 from $25/$27 last
year. Two significant changes to the ticket pricing are
children 5 and under get in free (improved upon previous
seasons' 2 and under policy) and a season ticket price that
offers 15% savings off individual race ticket prices.
(01-02-06)
Congratulations!
The JBFC
would like to congratulate 11 year old Kyle Royster for
winning the division championship at Lake Village
Speedway in Indiana. Here's a story written by
John Burbridge of the nwitimes in December.
So you think you
know NASCAR? Meet Kyle Royster. "He can go through the
whole circuit and name the champion of every race, even the
ones from years past," said Kyle's father, Rich Royster. "He
has them all memorized. It's kind of amazing."
Kyle may be
a walking encyclopedia when it comes to NASCAR's past. But
if he remains a competitive force in go-kart racing, who
knows? Someone may be relating his name in the near future.
Kyle, 11, of St. John recently became the Purple Plate
Division track champion at Lake Village Motor Speedway. He
has been racing there for four years, and has come a long
way since then.
"When he first started, they put a 'X' on his helmet," Rich
said. "It was to alert other drivers of the rookie on the
course. He hated that 'X. He was so glad to be able to
take it off." Kyle may not identify with the Racer X
character on the old "Speed Racer" TV cartoon series. He
does, however, have Rex Racer's number -- 9. "It's
Kasey Kahne's number," Kyle said of his favorite driver.
Before this season, Kyle's uncle Bob Wilson surprised him by
painting the number on the body of the cart -- which also
dons the red color of Kahne's Dodge. That seemed to
invigorate Kyle, who went on to win five features on Lake
Village's clay oval. "I don't let them jump me at the
start," Kyle said of his style of driving.
Kyle is afflicted with Asperger Syndrome, which is a mild
form of autism. But the affliction may serve as an advantage
than a handicap. "Kids like Kyle tend to get really
focused in certain areas and subjects," Rich said. "For
Kyle, it's racing. That's why he knows so much about NASCAR.
When it's on TV, he really gets into it. Same when he's
racing himself. (01-02-06)
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