TJ Zizzo is a pretty optimistic guy most of the time, but a first-round loss in the NHRA season opener at Pomona Sunday showed that he and the rest of Zizzo Racing aren't happy with just making the show. For the full story, click HERE.
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
Disappointing Rd. 1 Loss Sends Zizzo Racing Home Early
TJ Zizzo is a pretty optimistic guy most of the time, but a first-round loss in the NHRA season opener at Pomona Sunday showed that he and the rest of Zizzo Racing aren't happy with just making the show. For the full story, click HERE.
Saturday, February 26, 2011
Thursday, February 24, 2011
Zizzo Racing Unveils New Kenny Youngblood Paint Scheme for ‘11
Kenny Youngblood has been in drag racing 45 years and is celebrating with a new paint scheme on the PEAK Motor Oil/Herculiner dragster of TJ Zizzo. Youngblood said the new paint job was good for an extra .01 seconds and he may have been right as Zizzo rocketed down the track at Pomona at 312 mph for an ET of 3.870. The time was good enough for seventh on the provisional charts. Given the weather forecast for the remainder of the weekend, Thursday may be the only qualifying session for the 51st Annual Winternationals.
For the full story on the unveiling, click HERE.
Friday, February 18, 2011
It's Justin Lofton's Birthday!
What better present for a racer turning 25 on the same day as the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series season opener at Daytona than a story written by me! Wanna read it? Hellz yeah you do! Go to the NCWTS Examiner and get yo read on!
Monday, February 14, 2011
2011 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Preview
The NASCAR Camping World Truck Series is known for its mixture of veterans and young drivers and 2011 will be no different. As usual, there has been a lot of movement between teams and the addition of several rookies. For the full series preview, check out the NCWTS Examiner.
Sunday, February 13, 2011
Dale Jr. Earns Daytona 500 Pole
Dale Earnhardt Jr., the 2004 Daytona 500 winner, earned the pole position for next Sunday's Great American Race. It will be the tenth anniversary of the death of his father, Dale Earnhardt, in a last-lap crash during the 2001 race. This year's Daytona 500 will be Junior's 400th start in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. For the full story, visit the St. Louis Motorsports Examiner.
Tuesday, February 8, 2011
NASCAR Camping World Truck Series coverage at Examiner.com
In a continuing effort to kill the boredom that is unemployment and to be true to my attention-whoring self, I'm doing another project with Examiner.com, this time focusing on the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series. I got my start in NASCAR in the series and still think it's the best series in NASCAR. It doesn't get near the attention it deserves and my goal is to help change that. At least a little.
So check it out, subscribe to it, follow it on Twitter and Facebook, etc. Thanks for your support and if you have any NCWTS story ideas, shoot me an e-mail.
Day 29: This may have been a bad idea...
OK. Serious doubt has started to creep in.
Part of it (a lot of it...hell, most of it) is my own fault. I fell seriously out of training last week and it's been brutal trying to play catch up. I ran once over the course of a week and it was only three miles using a 2-8 clock (two minutes running, eight minutes walking). I was doing well. Did five miles a few weeks ago, was working out with my Kinect before runs, and totally found my groove.
Now, not so much. Tried to do three miles on a 3-7 clock Sunday and had to go back to 2-8. Same thing today (of course, eating a buttload of Cajun rice sans meat could have been an issue. I'll get to that in a minute). My fallen arch in my left foot has begun bothering me to the point I had to walk the remainder of my three miles today. Only 46 days to go before the half-marathon and I may be in worse shape than I was when I started.
Alright, that's probably not possible, but I'm feeling kinda screwed at the moment. So, as I tend to do when I've fallen in a hole and need to catch up, I do something that will ostensibly put me on the right track. For example, before I even thought about researching what goes into training for a long distance run, I signed up for it and dropped the 50 bucks on the registration figuring that once I paid for it, my cheapness would top my laziness. Well, that kinda worked, so now I'm doing something else.
I have decided I'm going to use this run as a vehicle to raise money for a great cause. My dad, Ed Kerns, is a cancer survivor. Three years ago next week, he underwent surgery for throat cancer and now speaks with the aid of a mechanical larynx. My goal is to raise $1,000 by March 26, money that will be donated to the Cancer Support Community of Greater St. Louis. I spoke with them earlier today and am touring their facilities on Friday. What's great about this group is they provide free services to cancer patients and their families that not only help the physical aspects of the disease, but the mental and spiritual. I should have a site set up for donations in the next day or so. Obviously, during the run, I'm going to wear a shirt supporting the organization, but I'll sell other parts of my body for sponsorship. Make me an offer and I'll put your business, phone number, website, et. al., somewhere on my body. And will provide photos.
Now, about the no-meat thing. One hundred six hours ago, I became a vegan. Well, I started a vegan diet, anyway. I decided to do it for a week after watching Oprah with the wife. You can tell I really didn't think it through since I got to have a meatless Super Bowl, but I have to say, it's actually worked pretty well. I feel good, I've lost a couple pounds and I've discovered some foods that I wouldn't have eaten before. Nothing too wacky, just some soups and whatnot.
My little hippie ordeal ends Friday at Noon, but the wife and I have decided to eat vegan for Lent. She'll do it without bitching because a) she was a vegetarian for four-and-a-half years, and (b) she won't complain because it'll make my whining look that much more pathetic. But I figure, this can only be for the best. I obviously need the boost to my health and definitely need to lose some pounds.
Well anycrap, there's my blog. I'll be writing more as I go along. It's cathartic and the blogging ties in with the training. I find if I write about it, I'm more apt to go out and do it. I'll leave you with this parting epiphany that I recently received: I have re-discovered an important fact that I had forgotten when I ran cross country in high school. The idea of being a runner is far more glamorous than the reality of it.
Ta.
Thursday, January 27, 2011
NHRA champ Hight to appear at St. Louis Auto Show
Former NHRA Full Throttle Series Funny Car champion Robert Hight will be in the STL this weekend to meet fans and sign autographs at the St. Louis Auto Show. Earlier this week, Hight was named the new president of John Force Racing, the team owned by his father-in-law, 15-time Funny Car champ John Force.
Read the full story at the St. Louis Motorsports Examiner.
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
NASCAR Changes Points System, Chase Format
NASCAR announced Wednesday that it has added a wild card element to setting the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup field and it has simplified its points system for 2011, making it easier for fans, competitors and the industry to understand.
While the 12-driver Chase field remains intact, the final two spots will be determined by the number of wins during the first 26 races.
The top 10 in points following Race No. 26 – the “cutoff” race – continue to earn Chase berths.
Positions 11 and 12 are “wild card” qualifiers and will go to non-top-10-ranked drivers with the most wins, as long as they’re ranked in the top 20 in points. The top-10 Chase drivers will continue to be seeded based on wins during the first 26 races, with each win worth three bonus points. The wild card drivers will not receive bonus points for wins and will be seeded 11th and 12th, respectively. It’s a move aimed towards rewarding winning and consistency during the regular season.
Brian France, NASCAR Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, made the announcements at the NASCAR Hall of Fame during NASCAR’s annual media event as part of the NASCAR Sprint Media Tour.
“The fans tell us that winning matters the most with them, so we’re combining the tradition of consistency in our sport with the excitement that comes along with winning,” said France. “This makes every race count leading into the 26th race of the season at Richmond, when we set the field for the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup.”
The new points system – which applies to all NASCAR national series – will award points in one-point increments. As an example, in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, race winners will earn 43 points, plus three bonus points for the win. Winners also can earn an extra point for leading a lap and leading the most laps, bringing their total to a possible maximum of 48 points.
All other drivers in a finishing order will be separated by one-point increments. A second-place finisher will earn 42 points, a third-place driver 41 points, and so on. A last-place finisher – 43rd place – earns one point. In the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, the last-place finisher receives eight points, to account for that series’ 36-driver race field.
“Many of our most loyal fans don’t fully understand the points system we have used to date,” said France, referencing the system that has been in use since 1975. “So, we are simplifying the points system to one that is much easier to understand. Conceptually, it is comparable to our previous system, but it is easier to follow.”
During his remarks Wednesday night, France reflected on the outstanding competition the sport enjoyed in 2010 and expected to see that high-caliber of racing to continue once the green flag drops for the 53rd running of the Daytona 500 Feb. 20.
“NASCAR enters 2011 with positive momentum and a great sense of excitement and optimism,” said France. “We’re extremely excited for the launch of the season. Leading the season off with Daytona, Phoenix and Las Vegas, we believe our fans are in store for some of the best racing the sport has to offer.”
NASCAR Adds Wild Card Element To Setting The Chase Field; Simplifies Points System
Other competitive enhancements announced Wednesday:
Pick a Series – Drivers in all three national series now must select the series where they’ll compete for a driver championship. Drivers still may compete in multiple series and help their teams win owner titles in series where they’re not competing for a driver title. The move helps spotlight young talent in the NASCAR Nationwide and NASCAR Camping World Truck Series.
New Qualifying Procedure – The qualifying order will be set based upon slowest to fastest practice speeds.
Inclement Weather Qualifying – If bad weather cancels qualifying, the final starting lineup will be determined by practice speeds. The same rule book procedures will be used to determine eligibility to start a race. If weather cancels practice sessions, then the starting lineup will be set by points, per the rule book.
Tire Rules Revision – NASCAR Sprint Cup Series teams now are allowed five sets of tires for practice and qualifying instead of six. They must return four of those sets to Goodyear in order to receive their race allotment, and may keep one set of practice/qualifying tires. Tire allotments for race weekends will vary according to historical performance data.
Closed Loop Fueling System – Introduced in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, this goes into effect for all three national series in 2011. It combines a more efficient fueling system with the elimination of the catch-can man, considered the most “vulnerable” pit-crew member. Teams now will use six, rather than seven, over-the-wall pit-crew members.
Evolution Of NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Car – NASCAR continues to work with the manufacturers and teams to enhance the look of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series car. The cars have new fronts this season and the body makeover will continue to help appeal to fans and aid manufacturer identity.
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