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Chrissy Wallace ON PIT ROW Today!

Three and a half hours of racing talk - we call it Bench Racing - kicks off live today at 5 pm EDT with a visit from Chrissy Wallace. Chrissy, daughter of NASCAR star Mike Wallace, has been campaigning in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series but this weekend she’ll take over the very competitive ARCA RE/MAX Series Toyota of Hattori Racing for the ARCA RE/MAX Pocono 200. That car has been fast everywhere it’s been this season so Wallace should be a real contender at Pocono.

Also ON PIT ROW today are scheduled guests, Booty Barker, crew chief of the Stewart-Haas Racing #66. There’s plenty to talk to Booty about from tires to team stuff.

Veteran NASCAR writer Dustin Long will join us as well to talk about the weekend at Indy and the weeks ahead.

INSIDE ARCA will feature the winner of Saturday night’s ARCA RE/MAX 200 at Berlin Raceway - Scott Speed. Speed has his hands full with Pole sitter Justin Allgaier and ARCA legend Frank Kimmel. It was great. Steve and I were at Berlin to help call the race for ArcaNation.com. What a blast.

Our ARCA Insider, Phil Parsons will stop by as will Patrick Donahue, crew chief on Scott Speed’s Red Bull Toyota. And later, NASCAR’s David Stremme will join us during the INSIDE ARCA SHORT TRACK REPORT to talk about his appearance this weekend for a CRA Super Series late model race at historic Toledo Speedway.

Listen live starting at 5pm EDT right here at OnPitRow.com!

Live from Cayuga Motor Speedway!

There’s a real Buzz around the ON PIT ROW garage this week.  The ARCA RE/MAX Series has announced their plan to provide live streaming audio coverage of the Cayuga ARCA RE/MAX 250 to begin at 1:00 PM EDT this Sunday June 29th. 

It’s all part of a plan to webcast the seven 2008 ARCA RE/MAX Series races that will not be carried on live TV, beginning with the 250 lap event from Cayuga Motor Speedway.  

My partner Steve Wronkowicz will call the race and I will be there, along with ARCA’s Don Radebaugh to provide color commentary and reports from the infield.  We’re pretty pumped!

Make sure you tune in the live webcast, starting at 1:00 pm Sunday.  Go to arcaracing.com where Team Glock Racing will present the call of the race and live timing and scoring as well.

Photo credit: BethAnne Heisler - ON PIT ROW

Heading for the (Irish) Hills

As Steve, Charlie and I prepare for our quest to MIS tommorrow and I was planning my picture taking agenda, I recalled some unforseeable events from last year that made the experience exceptional. My photo op with Richard Petty comes to mind (he wanted to be shot in profile), turning around to almost be run down by Mark Martin heading… somewhere…and who can forget Steve’s ‘Little Tiff’ with Jeff Gordon (I know he never will). Can’t wait to see what tommorrow will bring.

Photo: Beth Anne Heisler On Pit Row

Larry McReynolds Belongs ON PIT ROW

The ON PIT ROW guest line-up today is headed by a guy who belongs.  Fox Sports NASCAR analyst and veteran crew chief Larry McReynolds returns to talk about last week at Richmond and the up coming Darington and Charlotte weekends.

Speaking of Richmond, we’ll talk to Dan Lowry, winner of the Crown Royal contest that made him the title sponsor of the Dan Lowry 400 at Richmond International Raceway.

Kerry Tharp, NASCAR’s Director of Competition Communications will join us as well.

Listen live starting at 5 pm EDT right here at OnPitRow.com.

Starting at 7pm, INSIDE ARCA is loaded too.  Carolina 500 winner Joey Logano will tell us about his dominating victory at The Rock.  This is our first chance to talk to Joey and we have plenty of questions.

Our ARCA Insider Phil Parsons will be here as will regular guest Patrick Donahue, crew chief for Eddie Sharp Racing.  It was a tough weekend for ESR.  We’ll ask Patrick what happened.

We get a preview of the ARCA RE/MAX Series’ race at Kentucky Speedway next Saturday with Tim Bray, Director of Communications for the Speedway.

The night of ON PIT RADIO will wind up with the ARCA Short Track Report and  a visit from ARCA Lincoln Welders Truck Series’ Nick Gullatta, winner at Winchester last weekend

Join us at the Toledo Speedway Bar & Grill or tune your radio to Fox Sports Radio 1230 am in Toledo or on the net at OnPitRow.com.

ON PIT ROW & INSIDE ARCA Doubleheader Dynomite Today at 5

Bobby Allison is a tough act to follow. Add to the Hall of Famer a roster of Boris Said, ARCA Insider and former Talladega winner, Phil Parsons, ARCA Iowa winner Matt Hawkins and Red Bull crew chief Patrick Donahue….. Well Steve had a big show to live up to. And he did!

Today - with prayers to the live radio gods - ON PIT ROW will have David Ragan to talk about a week that included a road course in Mexico, plate races in Talladega and short track testing in Toledo.

Later we’ll have Yates Racing driver David Gilliland and one other surprise guest. You’ll have to tune in or come on out to the Toledo Speedway Bar & Grill for that one.

INSIDE ARCA will feature ARCA RE/MAX Series points leader Matt Carter, a return visit from Patrick Donahue - this time as the crew chief of the Kansas 150 Grand winning #2 driven by Scott Speed.

Our ARCA Insider Phil Parsons will be here for his weekly look into the ARCA RE/MAX Series and Kansas Race winner Scott Speed will join us as well.

Rounding out the night of ON PIT RADIO is the ARCA Short Track Report with guests Michigan Motorsports Hall of Famer, Gary Lindahl and ARCA Lincoln Welders Truck Series points leader Steve Christman to talk about his win at Anderson Speedway.

So what are ya’ gonna do next week Steve?

UPDATE:  The surprise guest was Andy Hillenburg, owner of The Rock - Rockingham Speedway -  and is Andy ever pumped for this week’s Carolina 500!  Did you know that they are going to start 50 ARCA RE/MAX  cars in that race?  Can’t wait.

Photo credit: Icon Sports Media, Inc.

Talladega Sunrise Part 2

Race Day. Up at 5:00am. Shower. Breakfast. Coffee, eggs, grits, ham with red eye gravy. I arrive at the track at 7:00am. We meet in the Media center coffee, doughnuts and cookies are available for the drivers and friends and family who have come along for support.

Check-in includes showing the confirmation letter and signing a one page release form. I have no clue what I really signed, I could’ve been giving away all my worldly possessions to some freaky cult. Aside from the check-in tables, there were about 20 rows of chairs in the room facing an approximately 52” flat screen TV on which they were running a DVD overview/ad for the Dale Jarrett Racing Adventure.

At 7:30am they asked us to have a seat. The future drivers were easy to spot -they sort of had that deer-in-the-headlights stare. I was strangely calm. When they started the class, I listened intently to how to find my line, when to shift, how to pass (there would be five other drivers on the track) and most importantly how to avoid kissing the wall. Each driver also would have an in-car instructor. He would be there to give me hand signals on how to drive and maybe a nudge or two to keep me in line. I studied the chart that had the hand signals on it that I would be receiving while on the track. Thumb left; move down; Thumb right: move up; Thumb up: Speed up; Thumb down: Slow down; Fist: Brake; One finger: Shift into first; Two fingers: Shift into second; Three fingers: Shift into third etc. After the class, everyone headed to the pits and were given a ride in the dualies to get the feel for the track. When you are down on the apron, Talladega looks like a wall. My first thought while riding around the apron was ‘No way I’m gonna be driving up there!’ Next my instructor drove up on the 33deg bank and stopped the truck dead. He wanted to show that it would not fall off the steep bank. I, however, had to hang on to the hand strap to keep from ending up in the instructor’s lap. I attentively watched how he moved on the track and got the feel for how to follow the line.

Afterwards, I headed over to the pit area to be fitted for a fire suit and helmet. Then, I went to a table that asked the one and only question of the day : “How tall are you?” I am apparently the same height as Joe Nemecheck because I was assigned to his car. The day was overcast and drizzly and there was a wet spot on the track that needed to be dried so
we were delayed until it was cleaned up. In the meantime, the instructors took all the friends and family members for rides around the track in the dualies. Finally, the time had come. I donned my skull cap and helmet and climbed into Joe’s car and the instructor told me to push the clutch all the way to the floor to make sure I could reach. Then the pit crew
strapped me in (although the guy in charge of connecting the buckle across my crotch was hesitant to reach down and latch me in.) ‘Uh I gotta ….’ He said, and gestured towards my nether regions. I chuckled and replied ‘Strap ‘er in!’ He gave the device one last pull and reached over and turned the ignition on. The car rumbled to a start. The pit crew walked
around the car giving it a final once over then gave the ‘O.K’ to move out.

The next thing I saw, was my instructor’s index finger in my peripheral vision (The sign to shift into first) I was on my way. I drove around the apron gaining speed ; Thumb right; up I went. The Thumbs up: Oh man! Here I go! I pushed my foot down and felt the car speed up. 100mph. I watched the wall coming at me as I constantly guided the wheel left. 120mph.

Lap2: The wall seemed to always be directly in front of me. Keep steering left. At that moment, I was totally convinced that I would hit the wall soon. I felt the icy coldness that turns into paralyzing fear. ‘OMG!’ I thought, ‘I can’t do this! Get me the Hell off this track before I kill myself!’ But then, I remembered that icy road in Kentucky and all the fear melted away. The instructor gave the wheel a little nudge and I focused on my line.

Lap 3: I settled in and started to get the hang of where to move the car. 150mph.

Lap 4: Thumb Left. My car is merrily moving up the track where it wants to be and now I have to move it down to pass someone. Slight nudge. ‘O.K! O.K! I’m moving! Whew! That’s over!’ I’m thinking, ‘I’m nervous out here with five other drivers, I can’t imagine what it would be like with 43 cars out here. Wow.’ I consider the fact that in most sports the participant is pretty confident that they will walk away after it’s over. A race car driver knows there is always a chance they won’t.

Lap 5: Thumb Up. I push down on the accelerator. At this point, the lines on the track appear like dots. Very focused. My instructor gives a nudge to the right on the wheel. I am suddenly right up against the wall. You know - where they said not to go. WTF? Then…

Lap 6: Thumb Up Going faster. Thinking about the speed. The car in it’s line. Checkered Flag. 163mph. Thumb Left. I veer down onto the apron. Thumb Down. I take my foot off the accelerator and feel the car coast.

Turning into the pits. Hard Fist: I put my foot on the brake and come to a stop just barely missing a flustered pit crew member. I’m laughing. My instructor is laughing. He says, “It’s not as easy as it looks!” I reply, “Oh Hell No!”

Photo credit: BethAnne Heisler - ON PIT ROW

Talladega Sunrise Part 1

It was February in Northwest Ohio. A time plagued with seemingly endless weeks of cold, wind, sleet and snow. As often happens that time of year, I had thoughts of heading south .

I had won a three lap ride from The Dale Jarrett Racing Adventure and going to Alabama for a few days of relief from the ‘Great White North’ was very appealing. Besides…Racing…So I gave the DJRA base camp in North Carolina call and made a reservation. Then, I decided that a 3-lap ride just wasn’t for me– so I upgraded to a 6 lap drive. I mean, if I was just looking for speed I’d go hop on a roller coaster. I mean how many chances will I get to drive a Cup car?

My drive was scheduled for the 7:30am session on a Saturday so I decided to drive down on Thursday and have time to acclimate myself to the area. It’s approximately a 12 hr drive from where I live to Talladega, so figuring in stops for food, gas, etc. I decided to get up and head out about 4:00am. Now my brain starts processing the reality that I am actually going to be driving a race car on Talladega Superspeedway. It seems unreal. I’m conjuring up mental worse case scenarios. It’s been a while since I’ve driven a stick and I keep hearing that the clutch in these cars is tricky. So I’m picturing myself stalling endlessly in the pits trying to get out on the track. Or maybe I’ll freak out and slam the damn thing into the wall. Possibly, I’ll simply be a wuss and not get the car over 80mph …..Nah….

As it turns out, the ride down to Alabama was far more frightening than driving a cup car. Cruising along I75 at about 75mph most of the way things were looking good very few slow downs due to construction, the traffic was moving fluidly except for the steady sprinkling of rain everything was going smoothly-that should’ve been my first warning. Suddenly, about 20m from the border of Tennessee the black pick-up truck directly in front of me abruptly veers off an slams into the side of the mountain and flips over on its cab. I take my foot off the accelerator and let the car coast. I can feel the tires wanting to slide sideways. In a matter of seconds, the road has become one gigantic skating rink. In front of me are a row of semis not driving more than 5mph heading down a steep downgrade and all along the sides of both south and north bound I75 are vehicles waylaid by the road conditions. (I stopped counting after 8).

One hour and five white knuckle miles later, the road is clear as if there was never any ice at all. It was at that moment that any trepidations I was experiencing about Talladega melted away. After all, in the Cup car, I would be protected by a steel roll cage, strapped in by a Hans device, protected by a helmet, Safer Barriers and surrounded by various other safety precautions not included in your standard passenger vehicle traveling down your local highway. When I arrived, I spent the evening just chillin’.

On Friday morning, I left my hotel and headed over to the track so I could time how long it takes to get there (I so totally don’t want to be late on Saturday). While there, I visited the International Motorsports Hall of Fame and Museum. In the silence of being the only one there and looking at the cars of legends and personal favorites like Richard Petty, Fireball Roberts, Bill Elliott, Shawna Robinson, Patty Moise and Louise Smith, I felt like I was in church. I was keenly aware of the rawness of the inside of the vehicle, thinking of a person rattling around in a sparsely padded passenger compartment for hours sometimes in unbearable heat was awe inspiring. (especially after how uncomfortable I felt after my 12 hours in a cushy vehicle) I took it all in like an unspoken prayer. Then, in a moment of pure orneriness, I grab my cell phone “Hey Steve, guess who’s car I’m standing in front of right now? I’ll give you a hint: he holds the fastest Qualifying record…” (He’s a big Bill Elliott fan) Yeah, I had to rub it in.

Part two tomorrow. Come on back.

Photo credit: BethAnne Heisler - ON PIT ROW

Scott Riggs ON PIT ROW Today!

Scott Riggs, driver of the #66 State Water Heaters Chevy for Haas CNC Racing will be one of many guests tonight as ON PIT ROW helps to kick off the race season at historic Toledo Speedway.

Scott is fresh off his 27th place finish at Texas Motor Speedway and he and crew chief Bootie Barker have the #66 solidly in the critical top thirty five of owner’s points. Riggs is a veteran - and race former winner - of the ARCA RE/MAX Series so he’s a great guest for our first ever hour of ON PIT RADIO night from the Speedway.

Joining Scott today and starting off hour number two will be Fox Sports own Jeff Hammond, with his usual insight and a big announcement too.

David Poole of The Charlotte Observer and Sirius’ “The Morning Drive” will be around for the 6:30 pm slot to talk about what - if anything - NASCAR needs to do to the new car.

ARCA star Justin Allgaier will be the first guest ever “Inside the ARCA RE/MAX Series” live from the Speedway Bar and Grill. Justin is one of the favorites this weekend at Salem Speedway after winning the fall 2007 race there.

Ron Varney, head man with the ASA will stop by to talk about the big Glass Breaker 125 for ASA Late Models and USPRO Cup Series races that will be hosted by Toledo Speedway this weekend.

And there’s more, including the strong possibility of a special surprise guest. But that’s the beauty of live radio. You just never know for sure what you’ll get. So stop by the Toledo Speedway Bar and Grill if you can. If not tune in to ON PIT ROW on any On pit Radio Network station or listen to the live streaming broadcast right here at OnPitRow.com.

Inside the ARCA RE/MAX Series can be heard on live stream at ArcaRacing.com and Wednesday nights at midnight on Fox Sports Radio WCWA 1230 am in NW Ohio.

Listen to the best of the NASCAR web today ON PIT ROW

Join Steve and me for the live steaming broadcast of ON PIT ROW today at 5:00 pm EDT and hear the voices of some of your favorite NASCAR bloggers live. We’re bringing together seven of the most influential, knowledgeable and opinionated writers from the NASCAR Internet community to kick around a few issues of importance to NASCAR Nation in early 2008.

Here’s the line up:

• Jay Adamski - better known as Jayski, the guy who kicked this NASCAR net thing off
• Luke Poland - webmaster of the Thunder Lounge - the best community in NASCAR
• Darren Fauth - of One Bad Wheel and developer of Champs, Chumps and Sleepers
• Tall Glass of Milk - Drink This, Answer This and the NASCAR Fanhouse at AOL
• Bob Ellis - NASCAR Ranting and Raving’s author and north of the border standout
• Marc Boland - The head of Full Throttle’s Half Vast staff calls from the Phillipines
• Bram Hume -Still the Scottish Racer and author of the great Backstretch Motorsports site

So if all connections go as planned, today will be our first “spanning the NASCAR net” special, brought to you by “Seven Post Magazine” and Bench Racing with Steve and Charlie. We hope you have as much fun with it as we will.

Racing music for Racing fans

If somehow you’ve never heard any of the music from the ON PIT ROW house band - The Backstretch Boys, tune in to today’s show and listen to the best racing music ever played. You know how it is - many have tried to do music specifically for you race fans, but few have pulled it off. I know because I’m constantly looking for really good, relevant music for our show and there just isn’t very much out there.

But there is the Backstretch Boys. Songs like “Talladega Shuffle”, “Daytona”, “Lady in Black” are great songs, not just great racing songs. “Rockin’ the Rock”, “Fields of Thunder” and “We Dig Dirt” are all on the band’s CD “Rookie Season”.

My favorite, though, is “Checkered Past (A Tribute to Dale)”. Our producer Tony has been playing that song during our pre-show time for a couple months now and I have a hard time getting it out of my head. I hope today’s ON PIT ROW guest, Robert Allred and the Boys don’t mind me calling them our house band because they’ve certainly been featured on bigger stages than ours.

The Backstretch Boys’ music has been featured on “NASCAR Raceday On Speed”, “Fox Sports” and NBC’s “Today Show”. Now we just have to figure a way to get them to do a live gig at the “Thunder Lounge” when that whole party fires up at Texas Motor Speedway, someday.

Check out the Backstretch Boys. Better yet, buy the CD. Buy a bunch of CD’s and spread the music around. This is real “Racing Music for Racing Fans”.

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