Castrol becomes title sponsor of ACT's Quebec Late Model Series

From the American-Canadian Tour:

The American-Canadian Tour’s (ACT) 12-race Late Model series has a new name for the 2007 stock car race season. The Series ACT Castrol will make its debut on Friday, March 30 at the 10th annual Salon National Auto-Sport Motorise, in St-Hyacinthe, Qc, it was announced today (March 30). The series’ opening race will take place on Saturday, May 19 at the Autodrome Montmagny Speedway (St-Pierre-Montmagny, Qc). The 3/8ths mile high-banked paved oval will host the Montmagny 100.

Robert Huberdeau, Regional Manager – Eastern Region, Castrol Wakefield Canada Inc. remarked, “Castrol Canada is proud to join forces with Tom Curley and the ACT Castrol Series as title sponsor for 2007. After the dissolution of the Castrol LMS Series in 2006, Tom approached us with his team, experience and knowledge; we knew then that the new ACT Castrol Series would be successful. The driver’s association and the race tracks owners involved in the ACT Castrol Series are all very enthusiastic and the success of the Series is assured. Once again, congratulations Tom and a great 2007 season to all.”

- Continued at the link above.

NCATS: Doug Brown unveils his 2007 racing program

BRANTFORD, ON – Doug Brown has plenty of “news” to be excited about regarding his plans for the coming stock car racing season… and no wonder.

With a new title sponsor behind his efforts, a new series in which to compete and a new car program in the final planning stages, the veteran competitor from Brantford, Ontario can’t wait for the new season to begin.

“You can bet we are excited,” Brown responded when asked for his thoughts of competing in the new NASCAR Canadian Tire Series especially with Haldex Commercial Vehicle Systems taking a major role in his programs.

“We are extremely pleased to be stepping up our involvement in Doug’s team and equally excited in switching our motorsports involvement to the new NASCAR Canadian Tire Series”, stated Paul Reginato, General Manager of Haldex’s Canadian Operations located in Guelph, Ontario.

“Brian Bowerman (Manager of North American Sales) and I are looking forward to having Doug and his team represent Haldex in Canada’s premier motorsports series - an association that began last year and hopefully will develop into a long-term relationship.”

Haldex Commercial Vehicle Systems (http://www.hbsna.com/) is a leading manufacturer and distributor of heavy-duty air brake systems and suspension control components. It operates globally with North American headquarters in Kansas City, Missouri, and manufacturing and engineering facilities throughout the world.

While Haldex boasts majority market share in spring brakes, slack adjusters and ABS systems throughout Canada, they are also well known for their trusted remanufactured line and Ontario-located brake reline facilities.

Haldex Commercial Vehicle Systems is a part of Haldex Group (http://www.haldex.com/), an innovator in vehicle technology and supplier of proprietary products for trucks, cars and industrial vehicles on a global basis. Haldex Group is listed on the Stockholm Stock Exchange, and has annual sales of $1 billion with 44,000 employees.

“We’re thrilled to have Haldex come forward as our Title Sponsorship/marketing partner and we’ll be putting forth our best efforts to deliver the positive and professional exposure they are seeking’’ Doug added in welcoming Haldex to their new role.

“We are also pleased that NAPA Autopro, our team’s Title Sponsor during our competition in the former CASCAR Super Series, are continuing to play a key role in our programs as a major associate sponsor.”

Adding to the #10 team’s news is the decision to switch car brands to Dodge and partake in the Mopar Contingency Program in 2007.

“DJ (Kennington) and I began talking about the possibility of such a switch quite a while back”, Doug disclosed in announcing the change. “Our team and DJ’s team have worked together over the past two seasons and we see a lot of pro’s to expanding that relationship especially if we’re running the same equipment. We’ll continue to operate as two separate teams but by sharing information, resources, crew members and even some of the expenses associated with the added travel, we both have a lot to gain.”

Bill Steel, Sales and Marketing Manager for Mopar in Canada is equally pleased by Doug’s decision. “I can tell you that Mopar and Dodge are most pleased to have Doug in our camp. We have watched Doug race for several years now. He is a strong competitor and a great ambassador for the sport both on and off the track. With his organization, Doug at the wheel and with NASCAR coming to Canada, it just makes good sense for current and potential sponsors to get behind the #10 team. We are looking forward to cheering for Doug and the #10 Mopar powered Dodge in 2007.”

The team is currently finalizing their move to a spacious 4,300 square foot race shop where they will have plenty of room to work on their oval track and road course cars plus a show car that is part of their marketing programs.

“To say it’s been a bit of a roller coaster ride over this past off season is putting it mildly,” the suddenly upbeat racing veteran confided when summarizing the team’s recent developments. “It’s a goal we’ve been working towards since rumours first began circulating that NASCAR was interested in purchasing CASCAR and although it was all late in coming together, we’ll be ready come that first race of the season.”

The first event of the 2007 season begins on Victoria Day weekend –and event that will mark Brown Auto Racing’s first competition in a Dodge, their first race for their new Title Sponsor and the first event under the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series banner.

Watch for news on the teams’ web site http://www.dougbrown.net/ in the weeks ahead.

Prepared By: Ken Spencer // Marketing and Media Relations Brown Auto Racing

BRIGHTON SPEEDWAY: Holiday Inn Presents Five Dollar Fridays

BRIGHTON, ON – In a continuing effort to provide the most affordable family entertainment in the Northumberland and Quinte areas, Brighton Speedway and the Holiday Inn, Trenton have teamed up to offer the all new Five Dollar Friday racing series.

The 2007 season presents a series of three Friday night events with the low price of grandstand general admission only $5.00. All three events will be action packed with new and familiar contest on the 1/3rd mile clay oval that will have fans excited and thrilled about dirt track racing.

It all kicks off on Friday, July 20th when Holiday Inn presents Offroad Cycle and ATV Four Wheeler Racing, Quinte Towing Stingers, Mister Signz Pure Stocks, a 30 lap Endurance Race and the debut of Mini Van racing to Brighton Speedway. “We are excited to kick off Mini Van racing and from what I have heard from other tracks it can be some of the most entertaining racing to be had and it is always a fan pleaser!” said track promoter Mark Rinaldi

Round two of Five Dollar Fridays will kick off the 5th Annual Labour Day Weekend making the biggest event of the Brighton Speedway schedule a 3 day event for 2007. “We wanted to diversify the weekend even more than it already is to bring more people to the Speedway” said Rinaldi. This famed weekend will see everything from Lawn Mowers to Sprint cars compete over 3 days as more than 250 competitors and over 4000 fans will visit Brighton Speedway from Friday, August 31st through Sunday, September 2nd. The Holiday Inn Five Dollar Friday events for this weekend will include OORA (Ontario Offroad Racing Association) Tough Truck Competition, Offroad Cycle and ATV Four Wheeler Racing, Bill’s John’s Comp 4’s and Mini Vans.

The third and final Holiday Inn Five Dollar Friday will take place on Brighton’s Applefest weekend. A weekend that has hosted the popular 358 DIRT Modified’s the past two years has evolved into a two day event beginning on Friday, September 21st. This Five Dollar Friday event will feature the Lucas Oil Dirt Sportsman Cup along with the Qualifying heats for all of the speedway’s four weekly classes and the finale of the Quinte Towing Stingers. The Lucas Oil Cup is a unique race that will see the top 20 positions be locked in from the Lucas Oil Sportsman Shootout points standings between the following five tracks from Western Ontario and Upstate New York; Merrittville Speedway, Ohsweken Speedway, Humberstone Speedway, Ransomville Speedway and Genesee Speedway. The real battle will be for the remaining six positions for the cars that are not locked in and who will be trying to make the show that will see the winner take home a cool $1,500.00. This night will also play host to novelty events for Brighton classes including the Pro Stock/Canadian Modified Show Down. This event will turn the spot light on the top four drivers in points from the two classes as they dash for a $250 to win event. There will also be a $50.00 bonus for the top Pro Stock in the event so if one of Brighton’s Pro Stock drivers can beat the Canadian Modifieds he or she will take home $300.00.

Be sure to pick up a copy of the 2007 schedule and get a sneak preview of some of the 2007 cars as drivers and their cars make an at the Northumberland Mall in Cobourg, April 2nd to April 7th.

For more information on the Holiday Inn Five Dollar Fridays, the 40th Anniversary schedule or to participate in the 2007 Trivia Contest visit www.brightonspeedway.com. The first race event of the year is scheduled for May 5th, 2007 when the complete race program hits the track for opening night. Admission is only $2.00 with a non-perishable food donation that will support local food banks. Green flag flies at 7:00pm. For more information, contact Brighton Speedway by email info@brightonspeedway.com or by phone at (613)475-1102.

For more information contact Angela Rinaldi at 613-475-1102 or angie@brightonspeedway.com

Battle over transfer taxes heats up

Certain to be one of the major battles in the General Assembly this year will be the fight over giving county governments the authority to levy new types of fees and taxes to cover the rising costs of school construction and Medicaid. There are a number of bills already proposed on that topic. The “menu of options” as it is often called refers to higher sales taxes, impact fees and transfer taxes.

The NC Association of Realtors has already begun its campaign against transfer taxes, including a new website itsabadidea.org. According to their polling, the public is already behind them.

-81% of North Carolinians oppose land transfer taxes
-93% of North Carolinians say that having people own homes makes for better communities
-79% of North Carolinians agree that any increase in taxes on homes will hurt working families

Based on a statewide poll of 750 North Carolina likely voters with a margin of error of +/-3.6%, with a 95% confidence level. The survey was conducted by the Kitchens Group, LLC.

I don’t doubt the validity of theses poll results. People do not like taxes. But I am interested to see how they described transfer taxes. I would bet the issue of a transfer tax was not described as an alternative to higher sales or property taxes, which is the reality of the situation for many counties.

I also know that North Carolinians are very much in favor of impact fees. 69% according to the latest OnPoint Polling survey.

PPP will definitely be doing some its own polling on this subject in the coming weeks.

The Republican's Education Problem

D.G. Martin, a Democrat and current print, radio and TV personality, who seems to have done a little bit of everything including running for U.S Senate, was a guest panelist at the latest Civitas luncheon along with former Supreme Court Justice and current Republican gubernatorial candidate Bob Orr.

They were discussing the latest Civitas Poll which indicated high levels of frustration with North Carolina’s public schools. For example, one question asked “If money was not an issue, would you send your child to private or parochial school instead of a public school?” 49% said yes they would send their child to private school, while only 40% said they would stay in public school.

Many of the conservative attendees were frustrated that the public doesn’t like the way the public schools are run, yet they elect Democrats to lead the state government, often because their perceive Democrats to be stronger on education. But if they don’t like the schools, why not give Republicans a chance to fix them, they said.

D.G. describes this discussion in better detail and provides his explanation in his latest newspaper column. This quote summarizes it pretty well:

“The public worries that Republicans don’t really believe in public schools. It may not be fair. Republicans might really strongly want to help the schools. But their overall message of cutting government to save money and lower taxes comes across as a plan to cut resources to our schools rather than to strengthen them.”

It’s an interesting argument. Republicans are in a bind because two of their messages are seemingly incongruous, cutting taxes/government and strengthening schools.

My two cents: The problem isn’t the incongruity, it’s about priorities. Education is the number one issue for Democrats on the state level and so their concern for schools comes across as more sincere. Education is lower on the priority scale for Republicans behind cutting taxes, stopping illegal immigration, and other social issues.

Take a look at the NC GOP Platform. Education is Article #7. Unfortunately for comparisons sake, the Democratic Platform is arranged alphabetically.

But it is still could be a problem for Democrats that their favorite issue, public education, isn't very popular.

OSS: Steve and Matt Robblee join the fray

In recent days, 2006 CASCAR Super Series champion J.R. Fitzpatrick and series front-runner DJ Kennington announced that they would be participating in the new Ontario Sportsman Series when their NASCAR Canadian Tire Series schedules permit.

Today came news that Steve Robblee and his son Matt will both be full-time competitors in the OSS in 2007. This series has gone from nowhere to 'must see' racing in a month. Wow.

The OSS will host a drivers' meeting this Saturday (March 31) at 11 .m. at Hot Rods Restaurant in Milton, Ontario (120 Chisholm Drive, just south of the 401. Exit at KM marker 320). For more info, contact Ron Lethbridge at (705) 739-4686 or e-mail him at: jarracing0950@sympatico.ca

Here is the full text of today's release, as forwarded by Dave Alexander.

Gerry Findlay’s ABBY Motorsports Team to run the OSS

March 29, 2007 – Gerry Findlay announced today that he will be running a two car team in the newly formed Ontario Sportsman Series. Thirteen time CASCAR champion Steve Robblee will return as driver of the familiar # 28 Grogan Ford sponsored Taurus.
Multi-time feature winner in the truck division at Delaware Speedway, Matt Robblee will pilot a similar car numbered # 27.
Both father and son are looking forward to running the series and competing against each on the track for the first time.

Wal-Mart and P&G sign on with Tagliani and Ranger to support sick kids

EDITOR'S NOTE: I assume the reference to the "NASCAR Canada Series" is a reference to the "NASCAR Canadian Tire Series". Don't know if that's a french/english thing, or if Wal-Mart has an aversion to saying "NASCAR Canadian Tire Series" in its press release, because it views it as a competitor. Too funny. Either way, this is a big shot in the arm for the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series to announce that a young Canadian racing star will be a full-time rookie in 2007.

Here is the release:

MONTREAL, March 29 /CNW Telbec/ - Enhancing their commitment to sick kids as part of a joint national fund-raising program for the Children's Miracle Network, Procter & Gamble and Wal-Mart Canada announced today their association with Canadian racers Alex Tagliani and Andrew Ranger for the 2007 season.

Along with partners Tide, Folgers, Kellogg's, Duracell, Gillette, Pringles, Old Spice, Jig-A-Loo, George(TM) and Fido, P&G and Wal-Mart Canada have joined forces to support the championship aspirations of Tagliani in the Champ Car World Series. They have also extended full-season backing to Ranger, who has decided to pursue his promising career in the NASCAR Canada Series
after two years in Champ Car.

Both drivers will be spokespersons for the Victory Lap Charity Program, a cross-Canada fund-raising effort on behalf of the Children's Miracle Network, an instrumental force in providing medical care and preventative education to help millions of youngsters overcome disease and injuries of all types. Now in its fifth year, the Victory Lap tour, which in 2006 included a special ticket-sales campaign for the Champ Car race in Montreal, raised some $209,000 last year.

"I am extremely fortunate to have P&G and its partners behind me as I take on this new challenge," remarked Ranger, of Roxton Pond, Quebec, whose 12-race season begins on May 26 at Cayuga Speedway Park near Hamilton. "I believe it's the right opportunity at the right time for my career. I enjoyed my two years in Champ Car, but I'm also looking forward to showing my skills behind the wheel of a stock car. If all goes well, it could lead to competing in the Busch Series race in Montreal this summer."

Tagliani, of Lachenaie, Quebec, was equally upbeat about his prospects in the Champ Car season, which starts in Las Vegas the weekend of April 6-8. "I really believe we can contend for the championship this year, and the support and confidence that Procter & Gamble, Wal-Mart Canada and their partners have expressed makes me even more motivated to succeed," he said. "Especially if my success on the track helps to raise more funds for the children."

Ranger, 20, has been associated with Procter & Gamble Canada since 2003, a span during which he won the Fran-Am Championship, captured top-rookie honours in the Atlantic series and posted consecutive 10th-place rankings in the Champ Car drivers' standings. Tagliani, 34, a seven-year Champ Car veteran who is one of the series' top contenders, is a first-time recipient of sponsorship support by P&G and its partners.

Tagliani, a driver for Rocketsports Racing, will be sporting the logos of the major partners throughout the season on his driver's suit and helmet, and his car will bear their branding for the series' three Canadian races - in Mont Tremblant, Toronto and Edmonton. Ranger will be adorned in the sponsors' colours while driving for the Mount Hope, Ontario-based Jacombs Racing Team in the NASCAR Canada Series.

Being able to support another talented Canadian driver and raising more funds for the Children's Miracle Network is a win-win situation in the view of Mark Pawliw, Senior Account Executive at Procter & Gamble Canada. "Andrew and Alex are both outstanding ambassadors for the program, not only from a visibility standpoint for its in-store charity component, but also from spending time with kids and their families at the track at selected events, helping to give them a day they will always remember," he stated.

Chantal Glenisson, Vice-President of Operations for Eastern Canada at Wal-Mart, said the company is delighted to provide its support to "an initiative that assists a pair of Canadian drivers in pursuit of lofty goals and strives to help fulfill some of the fondest dreams of youngsters waging a courageous battle in the face of serious illness."

Click here for the full release.

From Torchia Communications / via CNW

'Doc' MacDonald passed away on Monday

Someone just alerted me to this, on Jayski:

"Sad News: 'Doc' MacDonald, father of Randy and Teri MacDonald, passed away Monday evening. Doc was a long time NASCAR owner, fielding cars in the CTS and Busch Series'. Funeral services will be held Thursday, March 29 at 6:30 pm at Cumby Funeral home in High Point, NC.(3-28-2007) "

The last few times I saw Doc, it was in Randy's pit during Busch and Truck races at Daytona. He fought his cancer for a long time, but he always had a positive spirit and a smile on his face. My heart goes out to Randy, Teri and their whole family, who draw stregth from each other and their faith. Inside Track offers condolences to the MacDonald family and their friends.

Update on Edwards' decision

A new CBS poll shows very similar results to the USA Today/Gallup poll I reported on earlier. 57% of Americans support John Edwards' decision to continue his campaign despite Elizabeth Edwards' cancer. Two-thirds of Democratic primary voters are supportive of the decision. Another important finding...

A majority of respondents believe that, should Edwards be elected president, his wife's health would not affect his ability to do the job. Among all voters, 52% think Edwards could devote enough time to the job while 30% believe he could not and 18% are unsure. Among Democratic primary voters, 63% believe he could manage it all.

UNC = America's favorite basketball team

The Duke-UNC basketball rivalry is truly a national phenomenon. According to the Harris Interactive Poll, conducted March 6 through 13, the North Carolina Tar Heels are the nation’s favorite college basketball team. Duke, who had been #1 for four straight years, fell to #2. Here are the top ten most popular men’s basketball teams:

1. North Carolina
2. Duke
3. Ohio State
4. Kentucky
5. UCLA
6. Texas
7. Georgetown
8. Michigan
9. Indiana
10. Syracuse

The North Carolina women’s basketball team, who just made it to their second straight Final Four, is the nation’s third favorite women's team behind perennial powers Tennessee and Connecticut. The Duke women’s team is #7.

SRC: Ranger set to announce NASCAR Canadian Tire Series intentions for '07?

My french isn't very good.... but it looks like Andrew Ranger is planning to announce (on Thursday) that he is going to drive in the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series in 2007.

The story appears on a french language CBC site.

Ranger, who has raced in the Champ Car Series, took part in one CASCAR Super Series race in 2006, driving for veteran driver/team owner Dave Jacombs at Montreal's Autodrome St-Eustache.

UPDATE (3 p.m.): The plot thickens. Andrew Ranger and Alex Tagliani will be at a press conference tomorrow in Montreal - along with officials from Wal-Mart Canada and Procter & Gamble - to "discuss their plans for the upcoming racing season and unveil the colours of their 2007 cars." (h/t Roman)

(Photos by Greg MacPherson / Inside Track. Taken last summer at Autodrome St-Eustache where Andrew Ranger drove Dave Jacombs' #88 Super Series car. h/t Roman / Joel R.)

The joke's on him... and the guy who loaned him the Enzo

From the Voice of America

"Comedian Eddie Griffin crashed a Ferrari Enzo sportscar worth an estimated $1.5 million.
The March 26 accident occurred at Irwindale Speedway in California, when the movie comic drove too fast around a curve. He was practicing for a charity race to promote his upcoming movie Redline.
Eddie Griffin, whose film credits include Undercover Brother and two Deuce Bigalow movies, walked away unhurt from the crash.
The car belonged to Redline executive producer Daniel Sadek, whose exotic car collection is featured in the movie.
Ferrari produced a total of 400 Enzos between 2002 and 2004." (END)

If you think your stomach can take it, you can watch the video here.

OSCAAR: John Fletcher And JNE Consulting Returning to Defend OSCAAR Title

MILTON, ON - John Fletcher and Team JNE Consulting are very proud to announce the return on JNE Consulting as primary sponsor for 2007. The announcement comes as the 2007 OSCAAR Outlaw Super Late Model season is less then two months away.

This will mark the forth year that JNE Consulting is the primary sponsor of John Fletcher's #61 Chevrolet, contending for the OSCAAR title each year before capturing it in 2006. John is coming off a year in which he dominated every aspect of OSCAAR with the most wins and most laps led.

2007 may present several new challenges for the team and John as OSCAAR expects its greatest growth ever due to part with addition of great race teams and solid leadership.

John hopes to defend his title again in 2007 but knows he will have his hands full, "With Rob Clarke, Glenn Watson, Drew Spicer, all the good new rookies and the return of Jeff Hanley we will have to work harder then ever to run up front and win." John added, "JNE Consulting coming back is great for us, they have been very good to us and they bring the professionalism and support we need to win."

JNE Consulting is a full-service multi-disciplinary engineering services firm based in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. Our experienced and specialized teams work globally with a diverse client base - from concept through to engineering and procurement, as well as construction and project management services.

The Joe Ng Group of Companies also include JNE Automation, JNE Biotech, JNE Chemical and JNE Power. Joe Ng had this to say about resigning with the team "We love being involved with John and his team. Its not only because they win but what they do for us off the track as well." Joe added "We wish them great success".

For more information on JNE Consulting please visit www.jne.ca.
For More Information on John Fletcher, OSCAAR or sponsor the team contact Scott FletcherBallistic Motorsports Marketing

America backs John and Elizabeth Edwards' decision

Elizabeth Edwards’ fight with cancer is a national story with local importance. I personally think it’s hard to form solid opinions on such an emotional issue, but the pollsters still have to do their jobs. The Edwards’ supporters are probably rallying behind the decision to continue John’s presidential campaign, while their biggest detractors are finding this a good excuse to be cynical. See Rush Limbaugh.

The latest USA Today/Gallup poll asked America what they thought John Edwards should do and by a 2-1 margin they support him staying in the race.

Stay in 58%
Drop out 29%

Happy Birthday Jeeem Robinsonnnnnn!

Bet you thought we forgot.... no such luck.

From everyone at Inside Track........

Happy Birthday Jim Robinson!!!

p.s. - Morty will be over to sing to you shortly.

p.p.s. - Here's your gift. Might be a little out of date, but I'm sure they'll let it slide.

MERRITTVILLE: Pen Centre show a success for drivers and cars

Thorold, Ontario (March 26) – Merrittville Speedway’s recent Pen Centre Race Car Show wrapped up Sunday March 25th and throughout the entire week there was tremendous interest in the upcoming season at the Thorold facility.

(Mall show photos are posted here)

“Saturday’s Autograph session was a huge success,” relates Merrittville Speedway’s Nancy Bicknell, “many of the shoppers thought it was a novel idea – not only seeing the cars up close but getting to meet the drivers as well.”

On the local short track scene in addition to the higher levels of the sport, drivers are very approachable and are willing to interact with the fans. The Saturday Session featured many of Merrittville Speedway’s local heroes and upcoming new stars – Adam Murphy, Shawn Sliter, Rob Disher, Kellie Mason, Adam Ferri, Dave Small, Darren Zumpe, Peter Reid, Travis Braun, Kevin Knapp, Roger Shenstone and Charlie Lynch in addition to kart racers Greg Kohut and Jordan Barnes.

Joining the meet and greet was Lucas Oil Open Wheel Lite veteran Mark Brighton – even though his car was not on display. Brighton was alongside Adam Murphy and the Niagara Falls driver’s Solaris Tint Niagara Tools Five Star Racing Products #27 that has already seen action in 2007. Murphy and Brighton were among a number of Lucas Open Wheel Lite Division Teams that made the long haul to the East Bay Raceway in late February,

Another driver that had a guest in their Pen Centre ‘Pit Stall’ was L. St. Amand Enterprises 358 Modified driver Adam Ferri, “the kids just loved meeting ‘Rocky’ … I’ve never signed so many cards and it’s not even race season yet.”

The Lafarge Mascot joins Ferri at appearances which will include the two Family Autograph Nights scheduled during racing season this summer.

With Rocky creating all the buzz around Ferri’s Lafarge Thruway Muffler #1F, the Sliter Family were not to be outdone around Shawn Sliter’s Modern Corporation #71s Lucas Oil Open Wheel Lite.

Sliter’s wife Lenie celebrated her birthday while Sliter was signing autographs and answering questions.

Parked next to Kellie Mason’s J&S Heating Lucas Oil Open Wheel Lite #14 H&E Chassis were two of the Pedal Cars that select drivers from the popular division will be giving away throughout the 2007 Season.

“It’s something that we wanted to do to give back to the fans,” relates NYDCA President Bruce Mason, “ we’re grateful of all their support and interest all season … especially the kids … it’s a unique way welcome Lucas Oil to the Open Wheel Lites as well.”

Merrittville Speedway Junior Race Fans can visit any NYDCA member driver in the pit area following the races for to receive a ballot to win one of the 14 specialty vehicles that will be given away every other week during the season.

While there will be two ‘Merrittville’ Pedal Cars, drivers Kellie Mason, the Can-On Race Team of Rick Brubacher and Scott and Wally Billing, Adam Murphy, Roger Shenstone, Andy Tallman, Shawn Sliter and K&C Racing’s Lorne Collings as well as Todd and Wayne Kendrick have all been working on their own versions.

In focus in Merrittville Speedway’s Information Center that was located in the Sears Court area was the Tony Stewart- autographed Bike that will kick off the Meridian Credit Union Kids Club Bike Draws.

“All week long, Tony Stewart fans wanted the bike for their own collection,” relates Erica Bicknell, “it will be quite a prize for whoever wins it May 21st … it will be the first of 15 that we give away this year.”

Also based in the Merrittville Display throughout the week were volunteers representing the 2nd Annual Rankin Cancer Run.

“We’re so proud of the racing community,” relates Holly Mauro, “more than $350 was donated … and it will all stay in Niagara … it’s a great start to the $230,000 that was raised last year … we can’t thank everyone enough.”

The Rankin Cancer Run returns to benefit Niagara Saturday May 26th. For further information visit www.rankincancerrun.com. Volunteers will also have a display at the track in May.

Merrittville Speedway Alumni Driver Kurt Heidebrecht was seen in the crowd admiring just how far the sport has come technologically.

While the former driver took an extended look at Mike Bowman’s Seaway Hose & Hydraulics #71 Original Pizza Logs Sportsmen Car, many might remember the St. Catharines native racing as ‘Kurt Douglas’ – revealed that he is almost finished his Davey Moore Gremlin Vintage Modified.

“It’s the original chassis and body,” adds Heidebrecht, “all I need is a big block engine … I’m hoping to display it this summer.”

Heidebrecht is hoping to join Lucas Oil when Merrittville Speedway’s Reunion Committee presents Nostalgia Night 2007 that will feature the 56 lap Jerry Winger Memorial – which will also be Merrittville’s 358 Modified Lucas Oil Shoot Out presented by DirtTrackDigest.com – Saturday July 14th.

Merrittville Speedway would like to thank all the race teams and race fans that visited the Pen Centre through out the week.

“Our week at the Pen Centre is a very important part of our pre-season as we prepare for the new year,” reveals Erica Bicknell, “the opportunity to put a schedule into a shopper’s hand … to have a chance to talk with them and have them see the race cars up close and meet the drivers personally is very important to us and our race teams as well … each race team can showcase their sponsors as we continue to search for new ways to attract new fans.”

Race fans that could not make the Race Car Show can get a copy of the 2007 Stock Car and Kart Schedules by visiting www.merrittvillespeedway.com or the Speedway Office when it opens for the season the week of April 2nd.

The count down to green is starting to pick up the pace as after Saturday April 21st’s Practice – the focus turns to the 2007 Season Opener Saturday April 28th. Baron Roofing and Siding will present the Spring Sizzler 100 that will feature more than 100 laps of feature action spread through all 5 Dirt Weekly Racing Series Divisions – the L. St. Amand Enterprises 358 Modifieds, Original Pizza Logs Sportsmen, Hoosier Stocks, Lucas Oil Open Wheel Lites and the Turn 4 Collision 4 Cylinders. Gates will open for the first time at 5:30 with the first green flag at 7:15.

Merrittville Speedway Race Teams will compete for over $14,000 in weekly purses all for the best price ticket price in town at just $10.00.

Your local dirt track is where it's at – for the best family entertainment in Niagara – visit Merrittville Speedway this summer!

From Jim Irvine / Merrittville Speedway Public Relations

Kalkhoven & George... just friends... nothing more

Ever wonder what happened to the Indy Racing League / Champ Car unification talks last year about this time? It turns out that both sides feel they are doing quite well, thank you very much, and that there isn't much desire on either side's part to get back together.

Unfortunately, they seem to be the only people on the planet who see it that way. So rather than put aside their egos and work something out, they've decided to just be friends.

Having a look at the "Seven Deadly Sins", it looks like these guys are the poster kids for 'greed', 'wrath', 'envy' and 'pride'. Although not 'deadly' in this case, these sins sure are expensive. Must be nice to have that kind of money.

TSN ran the following story on the weekend.

HOMESTEAD, Florida (AP) - Don't expect America's two rival open-wheel series to unify anytime soon.
Tony George, founder and CEO of the Indianapolis Racing League and its IndyCar Series, said Saturday night at Homestead-Miami Speedway that talks with Kevin Kalkhoven, co-owner of the Champ Car World Series, have been put on the postponed for now.

Open-wheel fans, most of whom would love to see the two series running together as one, were excited a year ago when both George and Kalkhoven let it be known that they had formed a friendship and opened talks that could possibly lead to unification.
The excitement died down quickly, though, as the talks cooled.
''That was 12 months ago,'' George said before the start of the season-opening XM Satellite Radio Indy 300. ''Kevin and I had been talking for four to six weeks, I'd say, prior to that. The reasons for being optimistic were we had had some good social interaction and we'd been kind of talking around some of the bigger issues."

.... continued at the link above

What did Pew have to say about North Carolina?

Not much in their report, but there are a couple of nuggets. They categorized North Carolina Republicans into three groups: white evangelical protestant conservatives, other conservatives, and moderates or liberals. Here is how they were distributed.

White evangelical protestant conservatives 36%
Other Conservatives 30%
Moderates/Liberals 32%

Compared to other southern states, North Carolina Republicans are not the most conservative, nor the most liberal. Arkansas, Mississippi, South Carolina and Tennessee are more conservative. An amazing 54% of Mississippi Republicans are white evangelical protestant conservatives. But many other southern states’ Republicans are less conservative. Virginia, Florida and Alabama have more moderate/liberal Republicans.

As for Democrats, they were broken down into liberal, moderate and conservative categories.

Liberal 24%
Moderate 45%
Conservative 27%

North Carolina Democrats, likewise, are not the most liberal or conservative among other southern states. Virginia and Florida have the most liberal Democrats. Louisiana’s Democrats are the most conservative.

The Pew Research Center found that nationally more people are considering themselves Democrats and fewer consider themselves Republicans. So that movement may have decreased the percentage of moderate/liberal Republicans and increased the percentage of moderate and conservative Democrats.

NASCAR LOCAL RACING.com: NASCAR Canadian Tire Series website to go live April 1

NASCAR has a website called NASCAR Local Racing.

On its mainpage, it discusses NASCAR Mexico and NASCAR Canada. At the end of the piece on NASCAR Canada, it says the NASCAR Canada website "are planned to go live on [Sunday] April 1." That is pretty much in line with the existing 'place holder' NASCAR Canadian Tire Series' website, which says "Site under construction. Launch March 2007".

The NASCAR Local Racing site doesn't include the much-anticipated NCATS schedule, but it does say that it is "... targeting events in Alberta, British Columbia, Ontario and Quebec." Hopefully, the exclusion of Nova Scotia (Riverside Speedway) is an oversight as that track is running the NCATS logo on its website and clearly expects to be hosting a race in mid-September.

Here is the portion on NASCAR Canada (at www.nascarlocalracing.com):

NASCAR Canada – Officially titled the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series

"The series was officially announced September 2006, following the acquisition of certain assets of the CASCAR Super Series by NASCAR. The series will stage events nationally with a schedule of 12 races throughout Canada from May to October. Many former CASCAR drivers and teams are anticipated to compete in the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series.

Like NASCAR Mexico, NASCAR Canada also has a broadcast deal with The Sports Network (TSN) – Canada's sports leader. TSN has a multi-year agreement for exclusive broadcast rights to the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series, and will televise all 12 one-hour broadcasts. Each broadcast will include race coverage, driver interviews and special features.

The new NASCAR Canadian Tire Series will bring together some of Canada’s best stock car drivers and teams, and NASCAR plans to build on Canada’s strong and rich motorsports heritage and position itself as one of the leading motorsports markets in the world.

The NASCAR Canadian Tire Series plans to stage races on both ovals and road courses, and as a companion event to other major in-market events, targeting events in Alberta, British Columbia, Ontario and Quebec.

Unlike providing basic information with respect to NASCAR Mexico, the NASCAR Canada website will provided in-depth news, driver stats, schedules and more – much like the coverage we offer for the other series covered on this NASCAR Local Racing.com.

Adding the new sites to our lineup is exciting, and we look forward to providing our viewers the best possible information regarding the series and, as always, in a timely manner. The sites are planned to go live April 1."

(h/t 'RACER' on canadianracingonline.com)

A1GP: Mexican Weekend Ends On Low Note For Canada

Mexico City, Sunday 25 March, 2007 - A disappointing weekend in Mexico City for A1 Team Canada concluded with a 15th place Feature race finish for James Hinchcliffe in Round 9 of the 2006-07 A1GP World Cup of Motorsport at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez on Sunday. The 20-year-old from Toronto had earlier raced his way from 19th to 13th in the Sprint race but frustratingly failed to break into the points-paying top-ten in the later Feature event.

Sunday morning's 12-lap Sprint race saw James skillfully pick his way through the main-straight carnage following contact between local hero Salvador Duran, in the Mexican entry, and Champ Car racer Bruno Junqueira. With Junqueira's Brazilian car spearing sideways across the track, by the time the Canadian entry arrived on the scene a clear path through the carnage had just emerged. Up to 14th by the third lap, Hinchcliffe found himself at the tail end of a train of six cars headed by New Zealand's Jonny Reid.

Battling gear selection problems and over-steer, Hinchcliffe gained another spot to 13th following a puncture for Reid and remained there through to the checkered. Malaysia's Alex Yoong converted pole position into his third win of the season, beating Great Britain's Oliver Jarvis by two seconds with Australia's Ian Dyk enjoying a successful rookie debut wrapping up the podium celebrations.

Starting from Row 7 for the scheduled 45-lap Feature race, Canada dropped a spot on the opening lap and unfortunately for the team things failed to improve through what was a caution-free race at the 4.42km track. Opting to take their mandatory stop later in the allotted window, Canada climbed as high as first on track but dropped back to 16th on lap 19 following their trip down pit-lane. From there Hinchcliffe held position through to lap 36 when he climbed one place to 15th. The slower, lapped car of Pakistan, then hindered the Champ Car Atlantic racer's hopes of closing the gap to the Czech Republic and Hinchcliffe had to settle for 15th at the checkered.

A1 Team Great Britain capitalized on a flying start from Oliver Jarvis over Sprint race winner Alex Yoong in the Malaysian entry to dominate proceedings, the British racer taking his team's first ever A1GP victory in only his second start in the series. Jarvis led home Jonathan Summerton for the USA with Adrian Zaugg taking third for South Africa.

"We tried a slightly different strategy today but things just didn't go our way," reflected Hinchcliffe after the Feature. "It's been a frustrating weekend for the team, not least as we've all worked really hard to put something together that would get us further up the order. I was hoping to make more of an impact in the Feature and was catching a train of cars before the Pakistani entry really blocked me for the best part of a lap. After that I might have cooked the tires a little too much trying to make up for lost time. It would be a bit of a stretch to find some positives from the weekend at this stage."

SPEED will air all the action from Round 9 of the A1GP Series as a tape-delayed broadcast on Wednesday 28th March starting at 4pm EST - www.speedtv.com / Round 10 of the 2006-07 A1GP World Cup of Motorsport sees a return to China and the Shanghai International Circuit, Friday 13th - Sunday 15th April - www.a1gp.com

Top-Ten Standings after Round 9/11: 1st Germany (101), 2nd New Zealand (74), 3rd Great Britain (61), 4th France (57), 5th Malaysia (50), 6th Switzerland (45), 7th Netherlands (43), 8th Italy (36), 9th Mexico (35), 10th USA (35), *11th CANADA (28)

Photo Credit - 'A1 Team Canada's James Hinchcliffe racing in Mexico' - Jakob Ebrey Photography

A1 Team Canada Media Relations: Stuart Morrison - PR & Media Manager
Cell: +1 514 945 3253 / Email: stuart@a1teamcan.com

IHRA: San Antonio Race Report

SAN ANTONIO, Texas (March 25, 2007) – Over the years Bruce Litton has grown accustomed to the bridesmaid role, but he has never liked it. While Clay Millican was reeling off six consecutive Knoll Gas-Torco Racing Fuels Pro Nitro Top Fuel world championships Litton was always right there in his rear view mirror. The Indianapolis-native finished second three times (’02, ’03 and ’04) and third the three other years Millican was dominating the class.

Now he is ready for his time in the sun.

Litton knocked off T.J. Zizzo in the final round of the season-opening Amalie Oil Texas Nationals presented by NAPA Auto Parts to claim the early points lead and prove he is ready to go after the championship…a statement he made with the off-season hiring of tuner Nicky Boninfante. Boninfante was with Litton for most of his competitive Top Fuel seasons before leaving to pursue other opportunities while Litton slipped to fifth in the final 2006 championship points standings. Now, with Boninfante back, Litton is looking for big things this season.

“This team has really come together this year around Nicky Boninfante and (crew chief) Richard Hartman,” said Litton. “We’ve worked so hard over the years and especially over the winter. I’m looking forward to this season.”

After knocking off Scott Weis in the first round, Litton had to deal with No. 1 qualifier Doug Foley in the semifinals. Foley shook his tires hard at the hit of the throttle early and clicked it off, leaving Litton to wait to see who he would race for the Ironman. He did not have to wait long as Scotty Cannon could not answer the semifinal bell and Zizzo soloed into the final round.

Litton had lane choice in the final and selected the right lane. Two years ago Litton suffered a horrific crash in that same right lane at the Texas Nationals, but has since put those demons behind him.

“We try to run our own race every time,” added Litton. “I knew he ran well all weekend. He was No. 2 qualifier, we were three. I felt like I needed to be on my game and leave on time. And we had some pretty good power all day. It all worked out for us.“

Dale Creasy Jr., Beecher, Ill., began the defense of his 2006 Knoll Gas-Torco Racing Fuels Pro Nitro Funny Car world championship in grand style by knocking off the defending Texas Nationals champion, No. 1 qualifier Gary Densham. Creasy almost was not around to race Sunday as he needed the final qualifying shot Saturday night to bump into the field. He took advantage, knocking off Del Worsham in the first round and Jack Wyatt, who finished a mere five points behind him in the points chase last year, in the semifinals.

Creasy then carded a 3.407 in the final round against a lifting Densham.

“We had the new car and we were struggling with it,” said Creasy Jr. “I almost brought out the old car because I knew it could go down the race track. But we have so much invested in it, time and money, and if we want to step forward we have to have this car so we stuck with it and it worked.”

“This is my first win (in the U.S.), so I finally have a trophy that doesn’t need a passport to go home,” added Creasy.

Ed Hoover, Gilbert, S.C., had a successful return to San Antonio Raceway, the site of his 2005 victory over Shannon Jenkins at the Texas Nationals. Hoover finished outside the top ten in IHRA points standings last season, but an early win has him thinking things have turned around a bit. Hoover stopped Danny Rowe in the final with a 4.031 ET.

“This is great. We struggled all year last year, and now we’ve got a new car and this win is really big for us,” said Hoover. “We’re leaving here with a lot of momentum and we’re going to work real hard the rest of the season.

“This winter Al (Billes) spent 300 hours R&D and dyno time working on the car. He helped make the difference today. This is a professional class. If you’re not working, you’re not going to win.”
Robert Patrick, Fredericksburg, Va., drove his ’07 Shelby Cobra to the Torco’s CompetitionPlus.com Pro Stock Ironman defeating John Montecalvo, Center Moriches, N.Y., in the final round. Patrick, one of the preseason favorites to contend for the 2007 championship, proved to be worthy of such attention by carding a 4.156 at 173.29 mph to knock off Montecalvo’s 4.171 at 172.63 mph. Both drivers had identical 0.046 reaction times.

“The biggest thing I wanted to accomplish here was coming out with a win,” said Patrick. “Last year I qualified on the pole a number of times, had the fastest car in eliminations and got beat a few times on hole-shots and that kept me out of the championship chase. So I wanted to kind of redeem myself here.

“We got the win and I just couldn’t be happier for my team,” he added.

Terry Munroe, Beaver, Pa., finally broke through in Alcohol Funny Car, stopping defending world champion Mark Thomas, Louisville, Ohio, in the final round with a 3.893 ET to claim his first-ever Ironman. Munroe finished fourth in the points standings last year, but could not get a win at either of his two finals last season.

“We’ve been doing Funny Car racing for five years. This is my fifth final round and I finally won one,” said Munroe. “This year, we put it in our minds that we are going to be serious about this. We are still looking for sponsors…we could be dangerous with the right funding.”

The Knoll-Gas Nitro Jam™ will make its second stop of the season in Rockingham Dragway April 20-22 for the IHRA Spring Nationals presented by Advance Auto Parts and Castrol.

Continued at this link.

- From IHRA

Pew Research Center

The Pew Research Center for People and the Press released last week its yearly survey of “Trends in Political Values and Core Attitudes.” This survey has been completed yearly since 1987 and is a goldmine of public opinion nuggets. I could write blog posts for weeks covering all the material. But I won’t. Read it for yourself.

I will highlight a couple of factoids I thought were particularly fascinating from their summary:

Views of many corporations vary significantly among Democrats along class lines. Two-thirds of working-class Democrats have a favorable view of Wal-Mart compared with 45% of professional-class Democrats.

Americans feel increasingly estranged from their government. Barely a third (34%) agree with the statement, "most elected officials care what people like me think," nearly matching the 20-year low of 33% recorded in 1994 and a 10-point drop since 2002.

I’m not surprised that fewer people agree that “most elected officials care what people like me think.” Dissatisfaction with government is very high. Think how that will impact the 2008 elections. Right now I wouldn’t be surprised to see big changes with even more incumbents losing, like in 2006.

That potential is buoyed by striking changes in party identification. Right now 50% of Americans consider themselves Democrats, while only 35% side with Republicans. That’s quite a change from 2002 when there was an even split at 43%.

Yet the Democrats' growing advantage in party identification is tempered by the fact that the Democratic Party's overall standing with the public is no better than it was when President Bush was first inaugurated in 2001. Instead, it is the Republican Party that has rapidly lost public support, particularly among political independents.

It's unclear how the partisan divide has changed in North Carolina. Our style of polling makes that kind of analysis difficult, but we will keep an eye out for other polling data. North Carolina has followed the national pattern in its opinion of President Bush and the Iraq War, for example. So don't be surprised to see some change in party identification towards the Democrats here too.

INSIDE TRACK: News & Notes for Monday

OHSWEKEN SPEEDWAY
Ohsweken Speedway is set to host a 4-Wheeler Poker Run, on Saturday, March 31. The event starts at the track. Registration is from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. The 4-5 hour trip starts at 11 a.m. (corrected).

There's a $25 entry fee to be eligible for the $500 prize. Or you can ride for fun (for free). Visit Ohsweken's site for information regarding this event and to purchase season tickets for the oval.



CAR OF TOMORROW REACTION
Yesterday's race at Bristol looked pretty much like every other race at Bristol, except for the shape of the cars. Therefore, NASCAR must be pretty happy with its first live racing test of the 'Car of Tomorrow.'


But you can't help but think they would rather a more friendly / corporate / politically correct person than Kyle Busch had won.


After taking the checkered flag (Jeff Burton apparently didn't get the memo that it's OK to spin the leader in NASCAR... see Montoya/Sharp), it didn't take long for Busch to emerge from the car and start slagging it.


He started off saying, "They suck." And then he got nasty.

He said NASCAR created the whole COT project because, "They just want the Michael Waltrips win races." Ouch. Kellogg's must be so proud to know they've spent millions to have such a fine young man representing their brand. Maybe they can launch a whole new cereal around him, called "Bitter Flakes" or something similarly distateful.


Stories about the reaction to the new cars can be found here, here and here.

PMRA: Wildgust to drive the Silbermann team entry

AJAX, ONTARIO (March 24, 2007) - One of the new PMRA teams is ready to make its mark on the Pro Modified Racing Association’s 2007 tour.

“All the testing is behind us,” said Pro Modified car owner Kirk Silbermann recently. “This will be our first full year with the car. We’ve only got two passes on it.”

The Silbermann car is the Ajax Engines/Mobil 1 1957 Chevy-bodied Pro Modified, running a 526-cid Brad Anderson Hemi, an SSI supercharger, and an ERD/Carl Spiering fuel system.

Last year the team, with Stratford’s Scott Wildgust at the wheel, made only a couple of runs getting the car sorted out. But this year the ’57 will be a familiar sight at the PMRA events. Wildgust, a former Alcohol Funny Car driver, will also be driving the Pro Modified this year when the team competes in two or three IHRA National events.

“We’re going to support the Pro Modified Racing Association series,” said Silbermann at his Ajax engine facility about the PMRA series. “We’re going back to having some good old fun.”

Silbermann mentioned he started racing himself in 1992, and by 1998 was running in the Top Sportsman and Pro Modified classes after purchasing a 1941 Willys-bodied car from fellow Canadian Gary Irving, one of Pro Modified’s early contenders.

As crew chief with the ’57 Chevy, Silbermann said he really has no desire to get back behind the wheel. “That’s over for now,” he said. “I enjoy the management part.”

Now in its third year of operation, The Pro Modified Racing Association (PMRA), www.ProModifiedRacing.com, has enjoyed strong fan popularity and will present some of the best in Pro Modified racing for 2007.

The PMRA will travel to several drag strips in 2007, including two dates at Toronto Motorsports Park, Lancaster Raceway Park in New York State, Sanair in Quebec, and the Southwestern Ontario track of Grand Bend Motorplex.

In 2006, the tour was a great success, and during the past two seasons of the PMRA, each event finished with a different winner. Joe Boniferro and Kasey Janzen tied in points last year and were crowned co-champions over the other Ontario, Michigan, New York, and Pennsylvania teams. Wix Filtration Products, Valvoline, a division of Ashland Inc., Uni-Select, and Moen Incorporated will sponsor the PMRA points series in 2007.

For more information, contact Bruce F. Mehlenbacher: Mehlenbacher@ProModifiedRacing.com

From the PMRA

Tracking the Republican Presidential race

The latest Civitas Poll has the Republican presidential race in North Carolina shaping up like this:

Giuliani 33%
McCain 25%
Romney 9%

Our March tracking poll (PDF) numbers weren’t much different:

Giuliani 32%
McCain 17%
Romney 7%

What’s different about PPP’s poll is we also polled Newt Gingrich at 26%.

We initially included Gingrich in the tracking poll because when we started them in January he making a lot of noise about running. Since then, everyone else has officially announced or taken steps towards running, except Gingrich. We’ve been reluctant to take out Gingrich from subsequent polls because he has been polling so well.

However, I am leaning towards eliminating Gingrich for our April tracking poll to be taken the week after next.

Your thoughts?

NHRA President Tom Compton statement on the passing of Eric Medlen

NHRA President Tom Compton statement on the passing of Eric Medlen

Words cannot describe how everyone at NHRA is feeling after the passing of one of our brightest young stars, Eric Medlen. He earned his way to the top through hard work and perseverance and, in doing so, gained the respect of his fellow competitors.

Eric was a great spokesperson not only for John Force Racing but the sport of NHRA POWERade Drag Racing and he will be forever remembered for his enthusiasm, uplifting personality and ever-present smile. He was destined to become a great champion in the sport and all of us at NHRA are grateful and fortunate to have shared in some of his glory.

Eric left this sport far too soon and his absence will be felt by everyone within the NHRA racing community. On behalf of everyone at NHRA, I want to send our sincere condolences to the Medlen family and John Force Racing.

The usual attacks...

Since we only started the blog this week I am going to have to catch up on a lot of topics. Here is something from February.

Growthmatters.org, the organ for the Triangle Community Coalition (aka the real estate/development lobby), attacked a poll done by our sister company, OnPoint Polling and Research. Well, they really didn't attack a poll, so much as, attack the whole method of Interactive Voice Response (IVR) or automated polling. We're pretty used to these attacks, and I will post more on the reliability and accuracy we have achieved in coming weeks.

Let me go through some of what they have to say:

How do we know they don’t get a bunch of teenagers or 12 year olds punching numbers? We don’t. And that’s the problem.

Is that really the biggest problem you have with our polls? We employ screening questions such as "are you a registered voter" to try and weed out any youths. We also toss out nonsense responses or people who simply press #3 or #5 for every answer, for example.

The fact is we see no evidence that 12 year olds have been corrupting our polls. And this complaint ignores problems with traditional polls that we don't have, for example, interviewer bias-- live interviewers may ask questions differently, like tone or voice inflections, that could impact responses. Also, the anonymity provided by a recorded voice also increases the likelihood that the respondent with answer truthfully.

Most polling firms we talk to say the results of robo-polls are not reliable. The IVR method is cheap. Traditional polling is more expensive— but is also more reliable.

Of course they do! IVR polling is a new competitor to traditional telephone pollsters and often they think of us as a threat. They don't want to relinquish their place at the top of the field and so they denigrate our form of polling. Back in the 60s-70s, "traditional pollsters" criticized the new technology of "telephone polling." They thought you could only be accurate with tedious door-to-door interviewing techniques. IVR is simply the next stage in polling technology. We won't replace live interviewer polling, but we will stand beside them.

In October we went into the field with a poll on the upcoming Wake County School Bond, while the News & Observer hired a traditional pollster to do their research. The results were striking. We got it right, the N&O's pollsters did terribly.

PPP said:
49% for
41% against

Research 2000 said:
35% for
54% against

Election Day
53% for`
47% against

Who is more reliable?

In the end, the real story here is not our polling methodology but the poll results. The real reason growthmatters.org attacked OnPoint is that polling revealed that 69% of likely North Carolina voters support giving county governments the authority to charge impact fees (PDF). They must be operating under the rule: if you don't like the message, attack the messenger.

INSIDE TRACK: News & Notes for Friday

It's 3 p.m. on Friday heading into what looks to be the first nice weekend of the year (in Toronto).

Here are a few tidbits before heading out....

RACEGOD:
Ontario short track enthusiast Brian McCullough sent me a nice note asking if I'd spread the word about his three websites. The first one is a forum which requires registration to access. The second and third are photo galleries from Brian's extensive libraries. The photo albums alone could keep you busy for days. Lots of great old stuff.

COOL DUDE KURT BUSCH ON THE COT:
WILL THE FANS NOTICE ANY DIFFERENCE WITH THE CARS OF TOMORROW?: “I think bottom line you’re still going to have the same Bristol atmosphere of the bumping, the banging, the long runs, the short runs, the pit strategy, just cars on top of each other, rookies making mistakes. You’ll see the same cats with the same results I hope.”

(From Ray Cooper / Clear!Blue)

RACELINE ADDS GRISDALE:
"We welcome Grisdale Racing Products as a brand new national broadcast partner. This is a radio show that deals with motorsport, and racing and speed equipment companies provide the gear needed to “Git ‘er done” on the track. It just makes so much sense. They tend to hook up with the show at the local affiliate level, like Pete’s Automotive St.Catharines and their renowned DIRT Modifieds and equipment we advertise on our Niagara Falls/Western NY affiliate 105.1 The RIVER. But Grisdale’s trying the national side out of their Dundas/Hamilton complex. It should help to broaden their customer base.

(From Erik Tomas / RACELINE.CA)

WANTED: A NEW CRYSTAL BALL
Racewoman's guess of Friday, March 23, 2007 at 1 p.m. for the release of the NCATS 2007 schedule has come and gone.


... and that should do it. Time for some "Potent Potables"....

NASCAR: Ricky and the Martins skip Bristol

This weekend, rather than racing at Bristol Motor Speedway, NASCAR Nextel Cup points leader Mark Martin will be coaching his son Matt and motocross star Ricky Carmichael at a short track race in Florida.

Martin has said all along that he's planning to only run a partial schedule this season, and he hasn't let his early-season success change his plans.

Does anyone know the last time (if ever) that the current NASCAR points leader wasn't in the field for a race?

Here is the release from Kevin Woods (PR):

Mooresville, N.C. (March 23, 2007) – Mark Martin may not be taking his Nextel Cup point lead to Bristol this weekend, but that does not mean he’s not going racing. In fact, Martin will spend his first weekend in 20 years not at a Nextel Cup race, but will be at a race track. Only this time instead of chasing the checkered flag on his own, Martin will be overseeing the stock car debut of Motocross legend and Ginn Racing development driver Ricky Carmichael, as well as his son Matt Martin.
For Martin, the chance to help develop Carmichael, who is widely regarded as the Michael Jordan of Motocross, is as exciting as any race he has taken part in.
“Not everyone that follows stock car racing realizes the kind of impact that Ricky Carmichael has had in his career and is a huge force in motorsports,” said Martin. “This is the first step in converting him from two wheels to four, and we're going to take it easy and not try to get in too deep at this first race. We’ll let him kind of find out what it's all about and then kind of ramp it up with each additional event. But this weekend is all about getting comfortable in the race car and getting comfortable with the other cars. It's going to be a lot of fun.”
Carmichael is equally excited about his transition and working with Martin.
“I’m really excited about this weekend,” said Carmichael who competed in his final Supercross event last weekend in Orlando. “I’m nervous, but it’s a good nervous. It’s a great feeling that I haven’t had in a long time, and all the talking is about to stop now, because it’s time to start here.
“For me it’s my first race, so I can drive the car now in a racing situation. I think it’s really a great time for me to learn more, as every time I get behind the car it seems like I learn more and more. Being out there with some of the other drivers is going to be tough, and to be honest, I don’t know what to expect. I just want to do my best and be in there. I’ll have a better guideline of what I think my potential is as a racer after this weekend.”
Carmichael will be glad to have the veteran Martin in his corner as he enters into the world of stock car racing.
“He’s been incredible for me,” said Carmichael. “It’s a pleasure to work with him, I have a lot of trust in him and I listen to every word he says. It’s just an honor. That’s what I told everybody when I heard he was coming to Ginn Racing. I could not believe it, and it’s simply been a pleasure. I’m blessed to have him in my corner, there’s no doubt about it."
Both Carmichael and Matt Martin will take place in the Super Late Model division Saturday at Columbia Motorsports Park in Lake City, Fla., with the feature being a 25-lapper. Columbia Motorsports Park is a half-mile semi-banked, asphalt track.

Project Track Champion set to expand

By Denny Snider, Concept Creator (Project Track Champion)

Due to the tremendous success of Project Track Champion, I am pleased to announce the addition of a second car to be added to the race team. Although the original car has many actual race car features and components, it still remains stock in many respects. The second car will be built and constructed with actual race car components from top to bottom, front to back. Setting this race car apart from its racing big brothers will be the features necessary to accommodate passengers with special needs, including wheelchair users.

Heading up the construction is 2006 CASCAR Sportsman Series Champion Shawn McGlynn #81. McGlynn Motorsports, 110 Trussler Road, Kitchener, is to be commended for their desire and dedication to raise the level of awareness, in respects to the lives and dreams of others. Although the first car (proto type) will be at numerous venues throughout 2007 (http://www.project-track-champion.com/ and click Upcoming Events), many are non race related venues.

The second car, due to its actual race car appeal will now make it possible to take the real race fan on a ride-a-long at speedways. I am not at liberty at this time to say whether or not this race car will be available this year, but certainly in 2008.

With its 2007 appearance kick-off at Performance World Car and Truck Show, Project Track Champion is prepared to put smiles on the faces of thousands of individuals.

Along with this news flash, there is another. Thanks to Tim Chapman and the staff at Cayuga Speedway Park, Project Track Champion will be marking a milestone in racing history on May 19 and 20 by offering free rides to the public, especially those with special needs. Project Track Champion will also be on static display at the same speedway May 26 for the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series opener. You will not want to miss either great attraction.

Project Track Champion will also be on display at the Canadian Motorsports Expo April 6-7-8 (Toronto), People in Motion June 1 and-2 (Queen Elizabeth Building, CNE, Toronto), the Grand Prix of Toronto (CNE), and another great ride-a-long date August 11 at Sauble Speedway.

The future of Project Track Champion is looking very bright and has no place to go but up. Without a doubt, it has proven to be a win-win situation for all who have been involved to date. There are literally hundreds to thank from Moncton N.B. to Fort Lauderdale, Florida who have made a dream become a reality. Project Track Champion tips its helmet to Jones Brown Motorsports Insurance Inc. and Q-Straint for their incredible support.

On behalf of all involved with this very worthy cause, and those for whom the project was created, I say a heart-felt thank you.

Yours truly,
Denny Snider, Concept Creator, Project Track Champion
www.project-track-champion.com // 519-369-6349

So Cimzia Will be Late, After All

It's official: UCB's Cimzia will be late. (Or rather, even later.) No one really doubted that UCB's anti-TNF antibody fragment would fail to meet its planned 2Q 2007 launch for Crohn's disease, ever since the FDA Complete Response Letter in December 2006. (UCB shares have tumbled 20% since then.)

The only surprising part was CEO Roch Doliveux's apparent refusal to contemplate any slippage. "We're preparing everything for the launch," he declared at UCB's preliminary results meeting barely a month ago.

The preparations will be long (let's hope they haven't hired any reps yet). Turns out that FDA wasn't happy with the design of one of Cimzia's trials, so UCB announced today it needs to do another one, to "confirm the induction of clinical response" in Crohn's patients. That's worrying; so is the fact that it'll take until late next year to do the study.

Cimzia matters to UCB. Not just financially, although the drug is--or was--expected to contribute significantly to UCB's EBIT, but also strategically, in terms of defining and confirming UCB's transition from a chemicals conglomerate into a biopharmaceuticals firm. Doliveux has made much of this transformation, triggered by the $2.7 billion acquisition of Celltech Group in 2004. Thus setbacks to Cimzia casts doubt not just on one legacy project from Celltech (already delayed for a variety of reasons), but on UCB's skills in integrating large-molecule science with its chemistry heritage.

It doesn't do management's credibility much good, either. By and large, Doliveux and his team have done a bloody good job--don't forget he also bought Schwarz Pharma last fall, a move which looks more perceptive as Cimzia's troubles deepen. But management's apparent confusion as to the nature of the FDA response and subsequent meetings--whether reflecting real uncertainty or just caginess--concerns some analysts.

When and if Cimzia does get to market, it will face plenty of competition, not least from Abbott's Humira, which filed for approval in the US and EU last September and is easier to administer. UCB's plan was to get to market in Crohn's before Humira (which is already on the market for RA). Now it's not a question of whether it will be behind, but how far behind. The additional trial won't be done until late 2008, and although UCB says it's unclear whether will be a pre- or post-approval requirement, I know where my money is.

Reporting on Exubera: an A-Buse

Many analysts have questioned the potential of Pfizer’s inhaled insulin, Exubera. Nonetheless, it was more than surprising to see the comments about the drug attributed to American Diabetes Association president-elect John Buse, MD, this week.

In a widely circulated AP story on March 21 about Exubera, Buse was quoted saying "I think Pfizer will wish they had never gotten into this. I doubt they'll regain their investment…There is no advantage to Exubera and there may be a safety risk. I see it as my job to talk people out of (using) it."

Buse has spoken to IN VIVO in the past, and we know him to be a highly credible and extremely careful commenter who focuses on medicine and avoids discussion of company issues. His statements on Exubera and Pfizer therefore seemed unusually pointed, all the more so given that he had said “There’s cause for tremendous optimism” following the product’s approval in 2006 for the treatment of type 1 and type 2 diabetes in adults.

When asked in an email last night about the accuracy of the AP story, Buse replied: “Not fair. The comments were specifically about treating type 1 diabetes. Not about treating type 2 diabetes.”

That makes sense. Indeed, last year he pointed out the possibility of a safety risk for type 1 diabetics, who must use Exubera in combination with longer-acting insulin. The inhalation device “is a little too cumbersome to be used in multiple daily therapies like we use in type 1 diabetes, but certainly that would be an option,” he said then, adding that the drug is “mostly going to be used in the type 2 population that's just getting started in the insulin business,” as an alternative to or in combination with rapid-acting insulin injections or oral drugs. Safety issues are also amplified in type 1 patients because “they are likely to be exposed for 50-plus years,” Buse added in his recent email to us.

As for the reported comments about Pfizer’s ability to recoup its investment, he would only say that “I may have said it” in the course of reflecting on the competition Exubera faces in both the type 1 and type 2 markets from Lilly-Amylin’s Byetta, “even better [incretin mimetics] on the horizon, better pens, much greater acceptance of long-acting insulin, increasing price pressure from managed care and the interest in long-term safety demonstration.” --Mark Ratner

Did the AP inhale?

'79 French GP.... Villeneuve vs. Arnoux

It's just over a month until the 25th anniversary of Gilles Villeneuve's death. I was reading a magazine tonight and it had a nice piece on the great Canadian racer. It mentioned the classic late-race scrap for second between Villeneuve and Rene Arnoux in the '79 French GP at Dijon.

There are many YouTube videos of the race, ranging from a two-minute clip (set to music) to a 10-minute piece voiced by Murray Walker.

My favourite is this one (in German). It's almost 5 minutes long. You can hear the excitement and feel the cars and the French fans as they cheered for their countryman Arnoux.

This duel is considered by many to be possibly the best in the history of F1. I'm not enough of a historian to say if it is or isn't. But it sure is fun to watch.

Editorial Writer's Roundtable

I wanted to jump in on the blog earlier, but I'm in London, England this week on business. So now that I've found some spare time here goes...

Last Sunday I participated in a panel discussion at the North Carolina Editorial Writer’s Roundtable sponsored by the Program on Public Life at UNC-Chapel Hill. I joined some fellow North Carolina pollsters and polling experts to discuss the latest trends in public opinion in North Carolina. Others participating were Hunter Bacot, Director of the Elon University Poll; Chris Hayes of the Civitas Institute; and Andrew J. Perrin, Assistant Professor of Sociology at UNC-Chapel Hill, as well as, editorial writers from newspapers across North Carolina.

The discussion centered on North Carolina’s changing demographics and how they impacted the partisan and ideological makeup of the state. The conventional wisdom is that a lot of people are moving into North Carolina particularly from the Northeast. They are mostly Republicans, but not nearly as conservative as the native Republicans. Not too surprising.

The core of social conservatives is much smaller than the 30-40% of North Carolinians who say they are conservative, as opposed to liberal or moderate. This plays out on individual issues. For example, we’ve done polling showing that comprehensive sex education in public schools is overwhelmingly favored, by 70% or more of likely voters. A majority of Republicans favor sex ed.

How this plays out in the Republican primaries for President will be fascinating. On the Republican side none of the major candidates has a strong social conservative background. In our latest tracking poll (PDF) Rudy Giuliani is leading the pack, but he has been pro-choice and pro-gay rights. Among Republicans who say that moral and family values is the most important issue (21%) Newt Gingrich is winning. This is the same guy who just admitted to marital infidelity while he was trying to impeach President Clinton for the Lewinsky affair.

I was also amazed by how much I agreed with Chris Hayes of the Civitas Institute, despite our ideological variety. They are seeing a lot of the same trends we are when it comes to the 2008 primaries. I guess in polling you deal with numbers and numbers don’t lie—most of the time.

Here is some more discussion of the Editorial Writer's Roundtable:

Letters to the Editor
Hackney at the Roundtable
The Peanut Question

SOS: Q&A with Warren Mahoney

From SOS Insider:

Q&A with Southern Ontario Sprints (SOS) racer Warren Mahoney

'Wile E' Warren Mahoney put his name into the SOS record books in 2006 by winning the series title. In doing so he became just the second driver (Keith Dempster being the first) to have won two championships. He also became just the second driver to win the title without scoring a win during the season. SOS Online's Peter Turford sat down with Warren for an SOS Q&A. He talks about his plans for 2007, his supporting family and the components that make him successful on the track.

Click here for the full interview....

OSS: DJ Kennington to race in some OSS events

ST. THOMAS, ON – Canadian stock car star DJ Kennington will be running a Dodge Charger in various races in the newly formed Ontario Sportsman Series, according to a press release issued on behalf of DJK Racing and the OSS.

“It looks like a great series – and a lot of fun to be apart of," said Kennington. "There are a lot of quick drivers who are going to be running in the series and it gives me a chance for more seat time during the year.

"I’m planning on running as many races as I can that don’t conflict with the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series. I’m definitely focused on winning the NASCAR CTS championship, but I’m here to win races in anything that I drive and when I show up at an OSS race – I’m there to win.”

- From DJK / OSS

Has Sanofi-Aventis Lost its Friends in Government?

Sanofi-Aventis may have fallen out of bed with the French government.

When Sanofi-Synthelabo gobbled up its larger peer Aventis in 2004 after a prolonged struggle, it was widely believed that Sanofi's president Jean-Francois Dehecq had received a little help from his friends in high places (read: the French president Jacques Chirac). The government wanted a large, national pharmaceutical flagship just as much as Dehecq wanted to crown his M&A record with his biggest acquisition to date.

They don't seem that friendly any more, though.

Far from embracing its national champion's new fat-buster drug with open arms, the French reimbursement authorities today gave it a distinctly lukewarm approval.

Acomplia (rimonabant, approved in the EU in June 2006 but reimbursed so far only in a handful of countries, including Sweden and Denmark) is relegated to the lowest tier reimbursement--35%--which corresponds to treatments of 'minor therapeutic value'. What's more, only obese patients with diabetes will be eligible for the 35% reimbursement (and even then, docs have to fill out the prescription on a special form--an "ordonnance d'exception"). The overweight lot with risk factors, though included on the label, will have to stump up the full €70 per month if they want the drug.

Yet it's not as if France can any longer claim to be a nation of slimmies, even though in the past their red-wine and foie-gras lifestyle was known as the "French paradox" because it didn't make them fat. These days, 1.2 million French people eat in McDonalds each day, and childhood obesity is growing at 17% annually. At this rate, reports the Roubaix journal in Northern France, the French could be as fat as Americans by 2020.

Still, despite initiatives such as National Weighing Day for French children on January 7, and significant political involvement (the Socialists in particular are jumping on the healthy eating bandwagon to try to muster support ahead of May's elections), the French government doesn't see Acomplia as a big part of the answer to bulging waistlines. Nor, incidentally, do the Germans: they refused point blank to reimburse Acomplia at all, dismissing it as a life-style drug.

Is there a trend here?

Either way, the pressure's on the Acomplia reps to get friendly with docs and persuade them to prescribe the drug anyway--but only for, er, patients with that particular combination of cardio-metabolic risk factors (that docs all know about and have time to measure).

Sanofi executives have always claimed that "this isn't an obesity drug". The authorities appear to agree.

Civitas' gubernatorial polling experiment

Today's Civitas Poll (PDF) provided us with an interesting issue experiment in the Democratic gubernatorial primary. Here are 4 questions they asked (not exact wording) in this order:

If the election for governor were held today, which of the following Democrats would you support?

Moore 25%
Perdue 34%

Are you more or less likely to vote for Richard Moore if you knew he has accepted over $700,000 in contributions from those helping him manage the retirement system?

More 8%
Less 53%
No difference 20%

If you knew he has changed the investment program in the state retirement system and increased income by $4.2 billion?

More 50%
Less 16%
No difference 16%

Now that you know more, if the election for governor were held today, which of the following Democrats would you most likely support?

Moore 31%
Perdue 28%

So after explaining the recent controversy over Moore's fundraising tactics and then his response, his numbers actually went up. Jack Hawke of the Civitas Institute's explanation was that the response trumped the initial charge-- a credit to Moore and his campaign.

In our last tracking poll, a week after the story broke about Moore's fundraising, he actually gained 5 percentage points on Perdue.

I think it's safe to say that the Moore controversy did not negatively impact his campaign. Not enough people are paying attention right now (14 months from Primary Day) for this to matter, and Moore had a decent response up his sleeve anyhow.

Moore probably should be glad that Forbes Magazine broke the story now. If Forbes didn't, then some creative reporter from a NC newspaper or the Perdue campaign would've put the story together. And it would have caused more damage to Moore next Spring when voters will be paying attention.