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Traditional Sprint Car FanSite |
See You At The Races!!! |
| RACING SCENE by Tim Kennedy |
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Los Angeles, CA.-CRIME REPORT: Steve Brucker, the owner/promoter of
the now closed Cajon Speedway in El Cajon, CA just east of San
Diego, was robbed and murdered at his home in El Cajon on April 14,
2003. The son of late Cajon Speedway owner/promoter Earl Brucker
took over track operations after his father died of natural causes.
After a considerable time investigating the crime, San Diego County
law enforcement detectives identified the killers and successfully
prosecuted them in a court of law. They thought Brucker kept large
amounts of money in his home. Apollo Huhn, 25, was sentenced in
September 2005 to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
His accomplice, Eric Anderson, was convicted of firing the fatal
shot and was given the death penalty. That outcome is possible for a
planned crime and use of a gun that results in death. Anderson is
now on death row.
Earlier this month the California 4th District Court of Appeals, by a vote of 3-0, overturned the robbery and murder convictions of Huhn because a juror improperly discussed the case with a friend during jury deliberations. Huhn's lawyer argued during the trial that his client participated in the crime because he was afraid of Anderson and feared he or his family would be harmed if he didn't go along with the Brucker robbery. Huhn's lawyer said his client could not have formed the legal intent in his mind necessary to be convicted in the robbery. The jury during deliberations asked the judge if they could consider the possibility of threat or coercion when considering the murder charge. The judge's response did not enlighten one juror. Frustrated by the response, she called a friend and told her she thought Huhn had been threatened into participating in the crime. From my experience as a juror in numerous civil and criminal cases in Los Angeles County over the past 40-years I know jurors in all cases are instructed by judges not to discuss the case with anyone while it is in progress. The appellate court ruled the juror's prohibited discussion of the case with her friend outside the courtroom caused the juror to change her vote. They ruled the conduct by that one juror denied Huhn his right to an unbiased and impartial jury of his peers and was cause for a new trial for Huhn. TOYOTA: A newspaper during NASCAR Nextel Cup tests in Las Vegas
compared the new Toyota Camry entering Nextel Cup competition for
the first time with the Wizard of Oz-imposing, scary and mysterious.
Toyota's vast financial resources and persistence to keep spending
money until they win regularly is coupled with the corporate desire
to do so. Toyota recently took over the number one car-maker title
from General Motors. Toyota spent and won in Indy Car racing and won
the Indianapolis 500. It triumphed and dominated in the NASCAR
Craftsman Truck Series with Todd Bodine the 2006 NCTS champion
driving a Toyota Tundra. Now Toyota wants a Daytona 500 victory and
the Nextel Cup championship. Toyota USA management has tried to
dispel fears of NASCAR fans. Toyota N/C teams so far this year have
not met with much success. Toyota entered the Formula One
globe-trotting circuit years ago with its own two-car team. Despite
major infusions of cash and technical support from Japan the F-1
effort has not yielded the 2007 NOTES: Angel Stadium, the major league baseball stadium in Anaheim, was the site during five Saturdays in January and February for three AMA Super-cross races and two Monster Truck major events. NMRA-TQ Midgets staged a pair of non-point demonstration races with heat races and main events on January 13 and January 27. As usual more than 45,000 persons attended those annual ballpark motorized events despite chilly temperatures. According to a published newspaper report, more than 50 dump trucks moved about 7,000 cubic yards of dirt into the stadium for about three days, starting on New Years Eve. It only takes a day to remove the dirt and they moved the dirt out of the stadium a day following the final race (February 3). The dirt, which is approximately 80% clay and 20% sand, is kept in storage for future events. The cost of moving the dirt is not cheap. It costs about $90,000 to move dirt into and out of each stadium. MLB stadiums in San Diego, San Francisco and at several midwestern and southern stadiums also host the Super-cross and Monster Truck events, requiring storing dirt at 40 to 50 undisclosed sites around the USA. The Angel Stadium dirt came from a construction site in nearby Orange six-years ago. It will be used for another year before it is replaced because it loses its composure. At Anaheim the baseball field grass is covered with a polyethylene plastic; home plate and the pitching mound are covered by sheets of plywood. A road base of gravel-like texture four to five inches deep is installed to facilitate drainage. Then three inches of dirt is placed on top of the material. It all works well. The Orange County Register daily paper on 1/27/07 ran a 26-inch, 22-paragraph feature by OCR columnist Mark Whicker starting on sports page one above the fold. The subject was 72-year old NASCAR Cup comeback driver James Hylton. The 1966-Grand National (Cup) rookie of the year, past Cup winner and Cup title runner-up last raced in Cup regularly in 1993. He has raced in ARCA through 2006. The story used a 5 X 7" color photo of Hylton in his Cup car and placed it on page one. By the way, in that photo Hylton looked a lot like former Manzanita Speedway (Phoenix) promoter Keith Hall. Los Angeles Times motor sports writer Jim Peltz authored two lengthy obituaries in section B this year in mid-January. Both obits of racers lives carried a head-shot and a racing photo. A 16-inches long, 20-paragraph account on January 17 gave the obit for 1973 Winston Cup champion Benny Parsons, who lost his battle with lung cancer January 16 at age 65. It had two photos of Benny. A 12-inches, 22-paragraph report on January 18 gave the obit for post World War II Midget auto racing driver Danny Oakes, 95, who died Saturday, January 13 from unspecified causes. He won the AAA 1945 Thanksgiving Night Midget Grand Prix at Gilmore Stadium in Hollywood and was the USAC 1959 Pacific Coast Midgets driving champion. Danny said his favorite victory came in 1946 in a 100-lap Midget feature at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena. Danny also served as chief mechanic at the Indianapolis 500 and prepared roadsters for two Indy 500 rookies of the year. In 1960 Jim Hurtubise steered the No. 56 Travelon Trailer Offy and in 1964 Johnny White drove the No. 99 Norm Demler Meyer-Drake (Offy) A. J. Watson roadster. Danny was a well-dressed racer known as "Dapper Danny". He loved dancing and stayed active into his 90s. USA TODAY ran an eight-inch, 10-paragraph story on Parsons' death on January 17 on sports page 3. His winning personality, racing knowledge and keen insight into stock car racing will be missed. JESSE JAMES: The Saturday, January 27, 2007 LA Times section B page 1 had a six-inch, 10-paragraph story and photo of Jesse James, the co-producer and host of TV's "Monster Garage" and "Motorcycle Mania" on the Discovery Channel and the husband for two years of actress Sandra Bullock. He also races Outlaw Figure 8s at Irwindale Speedway and backs a late model stock car. It seems Jesse's West Coast Choppers firm in Long Beach has run afoul of the State of California smog standards unit with the custom, pimped-up motorcycles he built from 1998-2005. About 50 of his creations did not have State-certified emission equipment on their exhaust and fuel systems. A California Air Resources Board enforcement official said Jesse's bikes spewed hydrocarbons up to ten-times the state limit. Celebrities and sports stars pay as much as $50,000 for Jesse's custom-built motorcycles. The State Board levied a $271,250 fine against James, one of 20+ motorcycle customizers they have fined. James offered to recall all of his customized cycles and ensure that they complied with all regulations. He said the State just wanted the fine money. James was angry, but he agreed to pay the fine. Maverick-image James, a distant relative of the infamous outlaw Jesse James, also owns an environment-friendly hamburger restaurant called Cisco Burgers, located next to his West Coast Choppers shop in Long Beach. It uses clean solar energy and its web site proclaims that it uses biodegradable paper products, natural, no preservative meat, organic dairy and produce products. Ross the Intern, a semi-regular on Jay Leno's Tonight Show, had a TV segment a few months ago on Leno's NBC show with Ross and Jesse at his hamburger restaurant. MORE CRIME REPORT: Jesse James seems to attract media attention. On April 26 Jesse made news again after a blonde 45-year old woman named Marcia D. Valentine allegedly tried to run over him Sunday, April 22 outside his Sunset Beach home. According to newspaper accounts the woman had an obsession with Jesse's actress wife Sandra Bullock. She has contacted Bullock in the past according to the Orange County sheriff's spokesman. Reportedly, the charged woman was lying on the driveway of the home owned by the celebrity couple. "Motorcycle mogul" Jesse asked her to leave and she shouted expletives. When Jesse pulled out a cell phone she got into her silver 2004 Mercedes C230 and drove forward and back three or four times to run over James. He avoided contact and phoned police. She sped off at high-speed on Pacific Coast Highway. On Monday police pulled over the Huntington Beach dental assistant when they noticed she and her Mercedes fit the description of the assailant. She was arrested on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon and held overnight before she posted the $25,000 bail. James identified her in a police lineup. Valentine is scheduled to make her first court appearance on May 22. Formal charges are pending. SPORTS RUMOR: Texas Motor Speedway GM and marketing guru Eddie Gossage has been rumored (long-shot?) to be the NHL choice for the next hockey commissioner when the contract of current and long-time NHL commish Gary Bettman expires after next season. … British soccer star David Beckham, the five-year, $250 million man signed January 10 by the Los Angeles Galaxy of the MLS, is a sound-alike for fellow Brit Dan Wheldon, the 2005 IRL champion and Indianapolis 500 winner. … Jack Brunner, the 1961 CRA sprint car champion honored during the January 2007 13th annual CRA Reunion in Buena Park, is a young-looking 80, not 82 as I related. … Irwindale Speedway's oval track schedule for 2007 shows 37 events from March 10 through Thanksgiving with 19 different series and 136 races or competitions. … Retired NASCAR truck racer Joe Ruttman, who raced in the 1963 NASCAR Grand National (Cup) race in Riverside, CA, told Associated Press he is returning to race driving this year at age 62 after a four-year layoff. He was asked why he is returning. Joe, the younger brother of the late Troy Ruttman--the 1952 Indy 500 winner, had a comical reply. "To face the reality of working at my age, what would I be, a greeter at Sam's Club or Wal-Mart?" Congratulations to Tulsa Chili Bowl co-promoters Lanny Edwards and Emmett Hahn for the hugely successful 21st consecutive Chili Bowl Midget-racing promotion in Tulsa. The record car count (281) forced them to add another day this year, making five days (Tuesday-Saturday) of indoor dirt track action. Six of my 12 picks to make the "A" main Saturday made it. They were Tony Stewart (1st), J. J. Yeley (2nd), Tim McCreadie (8th), Tracy Hines (10th), Dave Darland (16th) and Jerry Coons, Jr (20th). My six potential winners who surprisingly did not make Saturday's final race were Cory Kruseman "B" P8 (P1-6 transferred to the "A", Danny Lasoski "B" P16, Josh Wise "C" P6 (P 1-5 advanced to the "B", Sammy Swindell "C" P14, P. J. Jones "D" P14, and Kasey Kahne-DNS "F" main. Long-time open-wheel driver Jay Drake, 37, has hung up his helmet and racing garb evidently. An injury last season caused him to miss several months of racing. He was at the Chili Bowl in his new role as team manager for Tony Stewart Racing, for whom he drove in the past. Not bad, winning the prestigious Chili Bowl in your debut as part of team management. |
