2005 News and Rumors - December

Dirt Racing

Asphalt Racing

Were hearing Matt Derricks is working on an Elite Midwest Series ride for th 2006 season. They are working hard on a big sponsor and are coming close to a possible deal. The team would be owned by a start up team owner. (12-30-05)

Larry Chard, owner of Midnite Motorsports will crew chief for Bob Danes for the 2006 season. (12-30-05)

Monday Motorsports and driver Andy Monday will carry the 10th Frame Bowling and Spirts sponsorship again for the 2006 season. The car will carry a retro paint scheme. (12-30-05)

Sad News, Fred Pagel who once served on the board for the Fox River Racing Club passed away. Fred also worked for Competition Products over the years. Obituary (12-29-05)

Jessie Gracyalny Van Roy will be back behind the wheel of the Lakepark Pub Limited Late Model once again for the 2006 season (12-29-05)

Sources tell us Mark Anythony will run a Late Model at Wisconsin International Raceway for special events and will also pilot a Mid American car weekly at 141 Speedway. (12-29-05)

Tom Gee Jr has secured sponsorship from Patriot Mortgage of Green Bay for the 5 consective season. The team has signed on MCL of Pulaski as a secondary sponsor. The team is hanging a new ABC Body which will carry a new paint scheme and a new B & B Racing Engine is on order. The team plans to run all Thursday Nights and specials at WIR. The team also plans to run a "half season" at Norway Speedway including both the opener and season finale events, the Stateline challenge & the three Auto Valueseries events. (12-24-05)

Hearing Mike Butz Racing is looking to be running the ASA Late Model Series for the 2006 season. We understand Jeff Van Oudenhoven will still be piloting the #8 car, but no word if they will run WIR in 2006. (12-24-05)

Hearing rumors that John Meidam will drive for Hank Calmes for the 2006 season. Hank had bought John's #3 Late Model, but we are told he has purchased a new car. (12-24-05)

Randercar Racing has moved to a new shop right down the road from Wisconsin International Raceway. The shop is located by the storage buildings on Highway KK. (12-24-05)

Fox River Racing Club November Meeting Minutes (12-7-05)

Touring Racing

Elite Division Tours will be discontinued. The Elite Division tours were formed nearly 20 years ago, in the Southeast, Midwest, Southwest and Northwest regions of the country. Nascartouring.com (12-29-05)

As the registrations come in from returning drivers. Several new names are letting the racing community know that they will be joining an elite group of stars in all three of the traveling series’ within the ASA Late Model Series. Add the name of 2005 Mid-American Stock Car Series Rookie of the Year, Jason Taghikhani to that list. ASA Late Models (12-26-05)

Andrew Weldon completed an initial week-long testing tour with SS Racing to kick off his drivers development program. The tour took him daily to short tracks around Florida such as New Smyrna, Lakeland and Bronson Speedways. His coach, Butch Miller gave high regards for Weldon’s performance. ASA Late Models (12-26-05)

David Smith Motorsports is reporting that several Nascar teams are interested in Justin Diercks. After dominating the Autozone Midwest Series in 2004 by willing many races and the championship and following that up this year with another championship. David Smith Motorsports feels he is bar far the top unsigned race car driver in the nation. David Smith Motorsports (11-21-05) UPDATE: Two-time defending NASCAR AutoZone Elite Division Midwest point series champion, Justin Diercks, will sign a contract with Robert Yates Racing in the coming days, Yates team general manager Eddie D’Hondt said Thursday. The Yates team has three Nextel Cup cars [? three? #38, #88 and ?], but D’Hondt said Diercks likely would spend the coming year driving on the ARCA circuit. Quad-City Times via Jayski (12-24-05)

Stephen Leicht brought WalTom Racing unprecedented success in the ASA Late Model Series in 2005.   Five wins and the season championship allowed Leicht to move to Robert Yates Racing’s NASCAR Busch Series effort in 2006, so WalTom Racing now has set out on an exhaustive search for the next driver of the #89 machine. Speed 51 (12-24-05)

BlackJack Racing and driver Dexter Bean announced plans to run the full 2006 ARCA RE/MAX Series schedule and will contend for Rookie of the Year honors. Bean, of Westby, Wisconsin, made four RE/MAX Series starts in 2005 posting two top-10 finishes including a career-best ninth at Michigan Int’l Speedway where he also led five laps. Chris Bires will serve as crew chief for the team. The team, utilizing Chevrolets, is still in search of sponsorship. Speed 51 (12-12-05)

2004 Mid-American Stock Car Champion, Peter (Speedy) Hernandez dropped in for the better part of the evening. In January, Speedy will be on his way to California to fulfill a dream come true as an 'apprentice' driver for Richard Childress with a NASCAR West team. ASL-Midamracing.com (12-7-05)

The Mid-Am Stock Car Series of Bailey's Harbor, WI is in the process of being purchased by Doug and Julie Strasburg of Fort Atkinson, WI. Doug has been involved in many aspects of auto racing in the mid-west for over 35 years. Doug and Julie have spent several years working with the Mid-Am Stock Cars and Super Trucks. ASL-Midamracing.com (12-7-05)