There are some big changes on the horizon at Reno-Fernley Raceway.
The name henceforth will refer only to the asphalt road course. The clay oval promoter/operator for 2012 will be Vuki Wilson, who has been involved in Outlaw Karts and Dwarf Car racing in Northern Nevada for many years. Wilson ran the pit operations at the oval last season, and with the change of ownership, he is now in charge.
I spoke with him recently, and he is optimistic about the coming season. He told me that they plan to run 11 points races under International Motor Contest Association sanction. They still are working on a name for the track, but Fernley 95 Speedway is the top candidate. The website isn't up as yet, but Wilson tells me they are working on it. He also told me that his philosophy is to give the racers input to the rules and track operation, and try to run the track in a spirit of cooperation, more like a democracy than a dictatorship. I will pass on more information about race dates, divisions and rules when it comes.
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On the national scene, the Shootout at Daytona, the first NASCAR Sprint Cup event of the season is coming on Feb. 18. The top 25 drivers in 2011 points, plus winners of any Daytona points race and previous Shootout winners are eligible. Recent Rolex 24 winner A.J. Allmendinger will be aboard last year's winning car, the No. 22 Penske Dodge, and he is looking to carry his momentum into the Shootout and the Daytona 500. The Shootout is a non-points race, so everyone in it will be going for the win, no holds barred. It will also be the first race where we will see if NASCAR's recent technical changes to the cars will be effective in breaking up the two-car draft. Depending on the outcome, expect to see more technical changes between the Shootout and the Daytona 500 on Feb. 26.
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In addition to his endurance win and his new ride with Penske, Allmendinger also has been tapped to join the ESPN2's NASCAR Now TV program as a guest reporter for the show's weekend editions. His segment, titled "The Daily Dinger," is touted as featuring offbeat interviews with drivers, crew chiefs, fans, and who knows whom. It's too early for A.J. to be looking at a post-racing career, but he's getting his ducks lined up. Hey, it worked for Ned Jarrett, Benny Parsons and Darrell Waltrip.
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Internationally, the Formula 1 series had its first test session of 2012 at Jerez, Spain. Several teams rolled out their new cars and new drivers. 2007 Champion Kimi Raikkonen, back in F1 after running in the World Rally Championship the past couple of years, was fastest in his Lotus on day one of testing. Raikkonen logged more than a race distance, and reported no physical problems or discomfort. Day two saw seven-time F1 champ Michael Schumacher on top of the time charts in a 2011 Mercedes, half a second quicker than Mark Webber in the new Red Bull RB08. Schumacher said he was happy with the results and was looking forward to putting the 2012 car through its paces in the next test.
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For you drag racing fans, NHRA's Full Throttle Drag Racing Series kicks off this weekend with the O'Reilly Auto Parts Winternationals in Pomona, Calif. The event will be televised on ESPN2 on a delayed coverage basis, with qualifying at 8 p.m. today and eliminations at 4:30 p.m. Sunday. The next race will be at Phoenix Feb. 18-19.