Nascar Flags

Author: Jake Tyler

NASCAR Flags have been around as long as the sport of auto racing itself. Before there were two-way radios in NASCAR race cars, the only method of communicating with drivers during the extremely loud racing action was with the use of colored flags. These large, colorful flags gain the attention of drivers and are easy to see.  

Almost every auto racing series uses the same combination of flag colors. NASCAR drivers can see the status of the race by looking at the flag. Just as signal lights at a traffic intersection let drivers know what to do, flags communicate racing conditions to the Nascar drivers. The NASCAR flags are usually waved by a flagman on a platform at the start/finish line. Here is what the different colored flags mean:  

Green Flag: The green flag is used to signal the beginning of the race or a race restart. Green means that the track is clear and the race cars may continue. 

Yellow Flag: This Nascar flag is used to signal an accident, debris on the track, a mechanical failure or bad weather. The yellow flag means that the track is not clear. It signals drivers to slow down and hold their position. Drivers are allowed to group up behind the leader. A yellow flag during a practice race means the race cars should go to their pit stop immediately. 

Red Flag: The red flag means that the track is unsafe and there is a situation that requires the immediate attention of Nascar officials. All race cars must stop. The red flag is usually waved in cases of heavy rain or an accident that requires medical assistance. A red flag can also mean that the race track is blocked by debris or a crashed car. A red flag during the closing laps of a race can also be waved to ensure the race ends under good conditions. 

White Flag: The white Nascar flag means that there is one lap remaining in the race. 

Checkered Flag: The familiar black and white checkered flag means the race is complete.

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About the Author:
Jake Tyler
Nascar Fan
http://www.stagefronttickets.com

Islip Speedway – Local Auto Racing 1947-1984… Genesis Of Some Great Auto Racing Trivia

Author: Bill Wallmuller

The Islip Motor Speedway, which opened in 1947 and closed its doors in 1984 was a popular local auto-racing track and is remembered fondly for being the source of some great auto racing trivia.
 
The shortest track on record ever driven on by the top dogs of NASCAR was the .20 [2/10 mile] oval track at Islip Speedway in Islip, New York.
 
Islip Speedway is also the home of the first ever Demolition Derby.  In 1958, owner Larry Mendelsohn promoted the first recorded Demolition Derby, making the Islip Speedway, “the Birthplace of the Demolition Derby”.
 
NASCAR – Grand National Events where held at Islip Speedway from June 1964 to July 1971, except for the years 1969 and 1970.
 
Some of the NASCAR Grand National Highlights at Islip Speedway where as follows:
 
Billy Wade was NASCAR Rookie of the Year in 1963.  He won only four [4] races in his career.  His four [4] consecutive victories came in 9 days from July 10 to July 19, 1964, one of which was won at Islip Speedway while driving for Bud Moore.  Billy Wade died while testing tires in Daytona, Florida.
 
Richard Petty’s 1967 season was and will be the most dominant season ever run.  The season earned him the title “The King.”  27 wins in 49 races.
 
Richard Petty’s 1971 victory marked the last NASCAR Grand National event held at the Islip Speedway.
 
In 1966, Bobby Allison brings home the 2nd of his 84 career wins and the 11th of 84 in 1968.
 
Islip Speedway became a casualty of NASCAR’s march of progress.  In 1972, NASCAR entered the modern era with 31 races.  Winston became the major sponsor and demanded that all races fewer than 250 miles in length dropped.  With the loss of NASCAR events, Islip lost its drawing card.
 
Demolition Derby – As mentioned above, Islip Speedway is known as the “Birthplace of Demolition Derby”.
 
The only real qualification needed to participate in a Demo Derby is a valid driver’s license.
 
The cars used are generally rust buckets, gleaned from salvage yards, salvage auctions, repair station back lots, people’s backyards, and country fields and barns. Most are American made sedans and hardtops, or station wagons.
 
The old cars prepped by removing all glass except the windshields, grilles, headlights, rear seats, and side-view mirrors, have their standard gas tanks removed and usually replaced with a 5-gallon plastic container mounted securely in the area of the extricated back seat.  This is for obvious safety reasons.  Likewise, the car battery mounted by the front driver’s seat is so instead of in the engine compartment where batteries are usually located.
 
To win a Demolition Derby usually means you have the last car running under its own power.
 
In its hay-day, Demo Derbies played on television on ABC’s “Wide World of Sports” and even raced at the Old Polo Grounds in New York.
 
As happened to many old local auto-racing tracks, Islip Speedway went the way of the wrecking ball and the property turned into a shopping mall.

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About the Author:
Bill Wallmuller aka Mr. Merokee is the founder of Merokee Enterprises and is a stock car racing fan from an early age. See more at:   http://www.auto-racing-sports.com/racing_trivia_contributions.html

The Best Racing Engines

Author: Mitchell Hampson

Auto racing is one of the world’s most widespread pass times, and with good reason. There is a lot of exhilaration in watching auto races, and it couldn’t be completed with no racing engines.

Racing engines make the world go round when it comes to auto racing. Without them, it would be more like putt-putt racing or slug racing. Racing engines are prepared for precise vehicle models, so performance can be utilized to its utmost potential. What this means for customers that are hooked on car racing is that you can pretty much score a racing engine for any model automobile you own, making it into your own fantasy racing car.

Vehicles such as Hondas that are imports are commonly recognized for their racing capability because of the engine not unlike a racing engine of sorts. Consequently you won’t be surprised when you see a Honda on the racing track.

Street racers typically modify their vehicles with racing engines to top their racing performance on the streets against others that are fans of the sport.  This is perhaps the most commonly recognized function for racing engines besides professional car racing.

By doing a search on the internet, you can discover numerous different manufacturers of racing engines that ought to offer what you are looking for. Being a consumer you won’t require the bells and whistles professional car racers will looking for in racing engines, but you certainly can obtain some cool stuff out there on the market.

If you are unsure of which types of racing engines would work best for your motor vehicle, it’s a good idea to get into a vehicle enthusiasts group. You can do this locally or online and the folks there can help you make these decisions. You can what’s more locate reviews concerning particular vehicles and which type of racing engines work best for them.

Another alternative is to go to the vehicle manufacturer’s website to dig up as much information regarding the vehicle and the possibilities surrounding installing a racing engine in it. After all is said and done, you can without difficulty turn a standard consumer vehicle into a racing car with some hard cash, a nice new paint job, and some great options in regard to racing engines.

Make sure that whatever options you select to utilize will add value to the vehicle, not take away from it. In addition making sure you invest in an additional safe insurance policy will help to protect not merely your freshly painted motor vehicle, but one of the coolest and fastest racing engines you will almost certainly ever own.

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About the Author:
Mitch Hampson writes for
http://www.topwheels.info/concept-car.php Concept Car

New Members to be Welcomed by International Drag Racing Hall of Fame

Author: RyanThomas

Eleven new members are going to be inducted and welcomed by the International Drag Racing Hall of Fame. And such an event is going to be a grand one and a great deal especially to the upcoming new ones. 

The whole ceremony is especially prepared for. The Don Garlits Museum of Drag Racing would host the mentioned event. It comes to life on the 15th of March and would be held at the Paramount Plaza Resort which is located in Gainesville, Florida. 

Other companies are also willing to help out and be part of the induction ceremonies of the International Drag Racing Hall of Fame. It has been reported that Mopar Performance Parts, a good source of the best auto parts like the  Nissan mud flap , would be sponsoring the activity. But it is not a surprise for Mopar has been joining in the fun for 16 years already. 

The eleven new members can be said to be all experts in the drag racing field. These eleven honorees are Kenny Bernstein (a six time drag racing champion), Frank Bradley (another winner of these drag racing competition), Donnie Hampton (a drag racing champion), Ted Jones (owner of a drag racing strip), Jim McLennan (a drag car driver as well as owner of a drag racing strip), Dale Pulde (a drag racing driver who holds the title having the most number of wins in the IHRA history), Don Schumacher (a member of Team Mopar), Dave Uyehara (a builder of championship dragsters), Dave Zeuschel (a builder of legendary dragsters), Darrel Zimmerman (a director of one of NHRA’s divisions), and Bill Bader (an owner of a drag racing facility as well as a promoter of the sport).  The latter would also be receiving the Founders Award for his exemplary contributions to drag racing. 

The whole induction ceremonies would not only focus on the welcoming of the new members but the event would also be celebrating the 50th anniversary of the 392 Hemi engine. See, this engine is one of the best innovations that has ever happened for these drag racing members. 

On this, Chris Cortez, the Chrysler Group’s senior vice president for global service and parts, says, “The 392 HEMI engine revolutionized not only drag racing, but the entire automotive industry.”

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About the Author:
Ryan Thomas is a native of Denver, Colorado.  He grew up in a family of car afficionados.  He now resides in Detroit where he owns a service shop and works part time as a consultant for a local automotive magazine.

Drag Racing – A Multimillion-Dollar Business

Author: Joe Goertz

Drag racing became a sanctioned sport back in the 1950’s, and has remained popular ever since. The World Wide Web gives an excellent, authoritative definition that reads as follows: “Drag racing is a form of auto racing in which cars or motorcycles attempt to complete a fairly short, straight and level course in the shortest amount of time. Drag racing originated in the United States and is still the most popular there. The most common distance is one quarter of a mile, although one eighth of a mile tracks are also popular, especially in the southeastern United States.”

While many people believe that drag racing is a popular sport only in the United States, there are numerous other countries where drag racing has quite a fan base. These countries include Canada, South Africa, Mexico, Malta, Australia, Brazil, Japan, New Zealand, Greece, England, the Caribbean, as well as many Scandinavian and European countries. At any given time, there are approximately 325 drag racing strips fully operational worldwide

Drag racing is essentially two cars racing against one another down a straight track to see who can cross the finish line first. Since there are no hair pin turns involved, this may sound like an easy feat, however, the driver must be able to have quick reactions times and be able to handle the car effectively. In addition, the car must be tuned to near perfection and operate well under extreme circumstances.

While many people are content to simply haul their dragster down to the local track every Saturday night and compete for bragging rights and trophies, there are many drag racers that take drag racing seriously and attend sanctioned events to compete for big titles and big money.

In professional drag racing, there are only five main categories, and these include Top Fuel, Funny Car, Pro Modified, Pro Stock, and Pro Stock Bike. In the upper racing divisions, dragsters can reach speeds of up to 330 miles per hour! This means that a car performing at this rate of speed could travel the distance of a quarter mile track in a mere 4.45 seconds. If you have never witnessed this in person, it is an awesome sight to behold.

Drag racing has turned into a multimillion-dollar business; with companies paying for ad space on the racecars, as well as race promoters vying for television and radio time, drag racing is enjoying wide exposure. If you have yet to be exposed to drag racing, grab the family or a few friends and head on down to your closest racetrack! A night of drag racing will afford the entire family a wonderful time, as well as a unique experience.

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About the Author:
Read more automotive related articles at:  vehicles-magazine.com

NASCAR and the Marketing Genius

Author: Charles Cater

Nascar is the up and coming sport in America.  It has supasses Hockey as the number 4 sport on the national scene.  It is quickly approaching the popularity level of The National Basketball Association if not already surpassing it in some arenas.  The NASCAR fan base is a rabid consumer group that is courted every race Sunday by no less than 43 primary sponsors.

These fans are loyal to their favorite drivers primary sponsor.  Rarely will you find a Tony Stewart fan in a Lowe’s, likewise you won’t find a Jimmie Johnson fan browsing the local Home Depot.  So where did this rabid fan base originate.

Back on December 14, 1947, Bill France and several members from different organizations decided during meetings to officially form the NASCAR (National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing).  This decision was cemented corporately on February 21, 1948.  The Association was going to stage races for the public.  During the first years 8 races were ran to determine a NASCAR champion.  All the while the fan base was growing.  

Unlike CART and other racing forms the premise for NASCAR was a run what you could buy at the dealership mentality.  During the early years the fans could purchase the cars that they saw running on the tracks.  With little to no modication these cars could be lined up on the local streets and raced.  With great regularity this occurred.  As the fans saw the races and developed an identity with the cars on the track they became avid consumers of the drivers products.  The drivers were the ultimate spokesmen of the cars reputation.  If they could wind with them on the track then clearly they were worth driving on the streets.

As time proceeded safety modifications led to speed modifications and the executives at NASCAR relaxed the run what you bought mentality and the cars drifted from the original designs of the manufacturers.  Roll cages were added necessitating the advent of tubular frames for the cars.  The engines were removed from the cars and heavily modified.  The suspension was changed to accommodate the variation in frame design.  All the while NASCAR maintained an external body design that the racing fan could identify with in their driveway.  This identification bread over to the products that the drivers were advertising on their cars.

The greatest link to advertising in the early years of NASCAR was STP/Dodge/ and Richard Petty.  This link is so strong that even today when you think of NASCAR racing the tall black haired gentlemen with the blue and red car comes to mind quickly.  Legions of fans would drive their Dodge cars to the track placing STP products into their cars because that was what Richard would do. 

This Marketing effort has been carried over as NASCAR has expanded from its original fanbase of southern towns to locales elsewhere.  Recent track additions have included New Hampshire, Phoenix, California.  All of these speedways are critical to the expanding NASCAR juggernaut.  But that write-up is going to be saved for another article.

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About the Author:
Charles is an avid NASCAR fan and comes from a family with ties back to the 50’s with the NASCAR elite.  Charles sponsors several different websites.  Please take time to visit them at  http://www.nascar-blog.info,   http://www.technologyblog.biz,   http://thewebllama.com