New England Motorsports 2010 TV Times Racing Reports

NEW ENGLAND MOTORSPORTS

The Man Behind The Writings - Lou Modestino Biography

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Phone: (781) 784-7857 | Fax: (781) 784-7857 | Email: lmodestino@hotmail.com

2010 TV TIMES RACING REPORTS

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(3/12-3/14) ..... Kurt Busch won the Cup race at Atlanta. And JJ wasn't in the winners circle. JR won the pole but had a lousy finish. The first two things were great and the second was not so good. While all of the seats were not full at Atlanta, the crowd didn't look too bad. On the Keselowski/Edwards affair, let's see if NASCAR can manage all of this wisely and put more fans in the stands and do something which would result in an uptick in the TV ratings. There's an old saying "with adversity comes opportunity". NASCAR has blown it before by perpetuating boring races. When something happens they come down hard on the drivers and teams and the results are bland and boring races. Didn't we read and hear that the NASCAR brass want the drivers to be themselves? Now let's see if they mean it. Sure a competitor parking a driver as a form of payback is pretty much the norm in NASCAR ever since it started 50 years ago. And yes it's very risky to pull it off on a super-speedway like Atlanta. But, we don't think that Edwards meant to send Keselowski airborne. Luckily, nobody got hurt. So the punishment should fit the crime. It will be interesting to see what the NASCAR kluge decides.

On another ratings item, StockCarGazette.com linked a Boston Examiner story which tells of fans blaming the NASCAR TV ratings drop to Jimmy Johnson long string of wins from last season right up to the present. We agree with this hypothesis.

The race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, which was broadcast on FOX, received an overnight TV rating of 4.1/8, down 25 percent from last year’s 5.5/10. Why such a sudden drop? The Shelby American 400 was running up against the gold medal hockey game in the Vancouver Winter Olympics, which received an overnight rating of 17.6/33. According to StockCarGazette.com.

The race improved by 20 percent in ratings once the hockey game was over, going from a 4.2/8 to 5.0/9 within 30 minutes. NASCAR has had three races run up against the Olympics this season, with the ratings down 14 percent in comparison to previous years.

Last weekend's race at Atlanta Motor Speedway was the first race that is not competing with the Olympics.

This one came from AutoRacingSport.com. Going head-to-head for television viewers with the Olympic gold-medal hockey game between the United States and Canada, the Sprint Cup Series race Sunday garnered a 4.1 overnight rating on Fox, the SportsBusiness Daily reported. The rating was 25 percent lower than last year’s 5.5 overnight rating for the race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. The hockey game earned a 17.6 overnight rating. It's going to see what happens to the NASCAR ratings when they don't have to go up against the Winter Olympics.

Here's another item from AutoRacingSport.com. Speed TV pit reporter and former Motor Racing Network announcer Adam Alexander will take over as play-by-play announcer for TNT’s coverage of NASCAR’s Sprint Cup Series this summer, ThatsRacin.com and The Charlotte Observer learned that Alexander replaces veteran Bill Weber. Weber was removed from the broadcast team following a controversial off-track incident during the June race weekend in New Hampshire last season.

Multiple sources confirmed Alexander as TNT’s choice and that other changes to TNT’s crew could be in store when the official announcement is made later this week. TNT spokesman Jeff Pomeroy would not confirm Alexander’s hiring and said the network was not in position to make an announcement at this time.

The familiar faces of Bob Varsha, David Hobbs and Steve Matchett once again will lead the SPEED/FOX Sports Formula One broadcast team as SPEED rolls into its 15th year as the exclusive U.S. cable broadcaster of the FIA Formula One World Championship, beginning with live coverage of the season-opening Bahrain Grand Prix on March 14 at 7:30 a.m. ET. One face, however, will be new to the U.S. viewing audience.

Will Buxton, the 29-year-old founding editor of GPWeek magazine, will report from the grid, replacing Peter Windsor, whose efforts remain focused on his start-up US F1 project.

“First up, I've got to admit that I’m just massively excited about the whole thing,” said Buxton, who will join the team shortly after he and wife Emma welcome their first child. “It’s a huge honor to be joining the SPEED team, and in particular to be doing so at the start of what could be an incredible era in the history of Formula 1.

“F1 is a bit of a soap opera at times,” Buxton added. “As a journalist it’s what makes the sport such a joy to report on. There’s always something going on in the background, and I won’t shy away from doing my best to get to the heart of every issue. That said, I don’t think that my job at SPEED is simply to report the news. Far from it. As one of the lucky few who can actually get into the F1 paddock, I think that probably my biggest responsibility is to open it all up to the American fans: to invite them in, sit them down, introduce them to a few people and show them what’s going on. It’s the fans that make this sport, so my job is to give them the access they deserve.”

According to Varsha, the SPEED team is welcoming its newest member with open arms.

“It's always a good sign when a job interview turns into a 'bench racing' session that goes beyond the appointed time,” Varsha said. “That's what we shared with Will when he visited our SPEED studios. Despite being the youngest member of our lineup, he's a veteran of television and print with experience of both Formula One and GP2. I look forward to working with him on what should be another thrilling and unpredictable grand prix season.”

Buxton, from Great Britain, served as the GP2 press officer from 2004 to the end of the 2007 season, and was sole communications/media representative for 2006 and 2007 He has been covering single-seater racing (F1, GP2, F2 and F3) since 2002. Westbury Gillett will fill in for Buxton for the first few races of the season.

In 2010, SPEEDtv.com will increase its Formula One offerings, highlighted by a new fantasy game -- SPEED Fantasy Racing: GP Edition -- and a selection of video clips from practice, qualifying and race coverage. In addition SPEEDtv.com will introduce an enhanced stats package and continue with RaceCast timing and scoring from all sessions, as well as providing Matchett’s popular post-event “Chalk Talk” wrap-ups.

SPEED will air 15 races live, complete with practice and qualifying coverage, and for the fourth year, FOX will air four consecutive events, beginning with the Canadian Grand Prix, using the same on-air team. Practice and qualifying for those four events will be live on SPEED. Formula One broadcast schedule (subject to change; late night/early morning airings are listed as part of ‘broadcast day’):

Bahrain Grand Prix

· Practice – March 12, 6 a.m. ET, Live

· Qualifying – March 13, 6 a.m. ET, Live

· Race Coverage – March 14, 7:30 a.m. ET, Live

Australian Grand Prix

· Practice – March 25, 1:30 a.m. ET, Live

· Qualifying – March 26, 2 a.m. ET, Live

· Race Coverage – March 27, 1:30 a.m. ET, Live

Malaysian Grand Prix

· Practice – April 1, 2 a.m. ET, Live

· Qualifying – April 2, 4 a.m. ET, Live

· Race Coverage – April 3, 3:30 a.m. ET, Live

Chinese Grand Prix

· Practice – April 15, 2 a.m. ET, Live

· Qualifying – April 16, 2 a.m. ET, Live

· Race Coverage – April 17, 2:30 a.m. ET, Live

Spanish Grand Prix

· Practice – May 7, 8 a.m. ET, Live

· Qualifying – May 8, 8 a.m. ET, Live

· Race Coverage – May 9, 7:30 a.m. ET, Live

Grand Prix of Monaco

· Practice – May 13, 8 a.m. ET, Live

· Qualifying – May 15, 8 a.m. ET, Live

· Race Coverage – May 16, 7:30 a.m. ET, Live

Turkish Grand Prix

· Practice – May 28, 7 a.m. ET, Live

· Qualifying – May 29, 7 a.m. ET, Live

· Race Coverage – May 30, 7:30 a.m. ET, Live

Canadian Grand Prix

· Practice – June 11, 2 p.m. ET, Live

· Qualifying – June 12, 4:30 p.m. ET, Live

· Race Coverage – June 13, Noon to 2 p.m. ET/ 9 to 11 a.m. PT, Live on FOX

European Grand Prix

· Practice – June 25, 8 a.m. ET, Live

· Qualifying – June 26, 8 a.m. ET, Live

· Race Coverage – June 27, Noon to 2 p.m. ET/9 to 11 a.m. PT, SDD on FOX

British Grand Prix

· Practice – July 9, 9 a.m. ET, Live

· Qualifying – July 10, 8 a.m. ET, Live

· Race Coverage – July 11, Noon to 2 p.m. ET/9 to 11 a.m. PT, SDD on FOX

German Grand Prix

· Practice – July 23, 8 a.m. ET, Live

· Qualifying – July 24, 8 a.m. ET, Live

· Race Coverage – July 25, Noon to 2 p.m. ET/9 to 11 a.m. PT, SDD on FOX

Hungarian Grand Prix

· Practice – July 30, 8 a.m. ET, Live

· Qualifying – July 31, 8 a.m. ET, Live

· Race Coverage – August 1, 7:30 a.m. ET, Live

Belgian Grand Prix

· Practice – August 27, 8 a.m. ET, Live

· Qualifying – August 28, 8 a.m. ET, Live

· Race Coverage – August 29, 7:30 a.m. ET, Live

Italian Grand Prix

· Practice – September 10, 8 a.m. ET, Live

· Qualifying – September 11, 8 a.m. ET, Live

· Race Coverage – September 12, 7:30 a.m. ET, Live

Singapore Grand Prix

· Practice – September 24, 9:30 a.m. ET, Live

· Qualifying – September 25, 10 a.m. ET, Live

· Race Coverage – September 26, 7:30 a.m. ET, Live

Japanese Grand Prix

· Practice – October 7, 1 a.m. ET, Live

· Qualifying – October 8, 1 a.m. ET, Live

· Race Coverage – October 9, 1:30 a.m. ET, Live

Korean Grand Prix

· Practice – October 21, 1 a.m. ET, Live

· Qualifying – October 22, 1 a.m. ET, Live

· Race Coverage – October 23, 1:30 a.m. ET, Live

Brazilian Grand Prix

· Practice – November 5, Noon, Live

· Qualifying – November 6, Noon, Live

· Race Coverage – November 7, 11 a.m. ET, Live

Abu Dhabi Grand Prix

· Practice – November 12, 8 a.m. ET, Live

· Qualifying – November 13, 8 a.m. ET, Live

· Race Coverage – November 14, 7:30 a.m. ET, Live

Racing luminaries Dale Armstrong, Joie Chitwood, Alan Kulwicki, Jeremy McGrath, Ken Squier, Jerry Titus and Rich Vogler will be inducted into the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America when the organization stages its annual induction ceremony on Aug. 25, 2010 at The Fillmore Detroit.

“The Motorsports Hall of Fame Class of 2010 features champion drivers who doubled as an innovative crew chief, a showman and stunt man, a race team owner and a magazine editor. Joining them are an all-time win leader in sprint cars and midgets, a ground breaking broadcaster and a legendary Supercross rider whose nickname was ‘Showtime.’ Their exploits on and around the race tracks of America make them true hall of famers,” said Ron Watson, president of the Hall of Fame.

Dale Armstrong – Credited with numerous innovations in drag racing technology, Armstrong was the first crew chief to use wind tunnels for improved aerodynamics. This mechanical genius tuned Kenny Bernstein to four consecutive Funny Car championships in 1985-1988, plus a total of 28 national event wins. Later, with Bernstein in the Top Fuel division, he became the first crew chief to break the 300 MPH barrier. The 1996 Top Fuel title placed Armstrong among the elite crew chiefs to have won championships in both Funny Car and Top Fuel. Armstrong had an outstanding driving career himself, winning 12 NHRA National events in the 1970s.

Victory Junction kicked off their “Keeping the Dream Alive” campaign by announcing that Dale Earnhardt Jr. will join the elite list of Victory Junction Founders, as he commits to donate $1,000,000 to build and maintain The Dale Jr. Corral and Amphitheatre at the Randleman, N.C. camp for children with serious illnesses.

The US-based Formula One team USF1 will not race this season as planned, and the Federation Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA) has said it will not be replaced by another team. “There were issues sponsor-wise in January that knocked us back a few weeks, and those meant we couldn’t make it in 2010,” the team's principal Ken Anderson told the BBC. “No one said it was easy, and we went out on a limb to design and build our own car.”

Anderson said the team had submitted an application to the FIA to rejoin the series in 2011. Bloomberg reports that a bid by a Serbian team, Stefan GP, to replace USF1 was rejected by the FIA. Stefan GP released a statement four days ago saying it had the “desire” and “ability” to race in 2010, and planned to use a car built by Toyota before that manufacturer withdrew from the racing series.

Thirsty race fans taking in the action at some of the most popular NASCAR racetracks can continue to enjoy an ice-cold Coca-Cola for years to come. Speedway Motorsports, Inc. (SMI) and Coca-Cola North America (CCNA) are extending their long-term partnership through 2015, ensuring NASCAR fans who visit premier speedways in locations such as Charlotte, Atlanta and Las Vegas can open a Coke and Open Happiness as they cheer on their favorite drivers.

Under the terms of the new agreement, CCNA brands will continue as the “Official Soft Drink,” “Official Sparkling Beverage,” “Official Water, “Official Sports Drink" and "Official Enhanced Water" for six SMI tracks, which include:

· Atlanta Motor Speedway (Hampton, GA)

· New Hampshire Motor Speedway (Loudon, NH)

· Infineon Raceway Speedway (Sonoma, CA)

· Las Vegas Motor Speedway (Las Vegas, NV)

· Charlotte Motor Speedway (Concord, NC)

· Texas Motor Speedway (Ft. Worth, TX)

The agreement also features title sponsorship of the Coca-Cola 600 -- the longest continuous sponsorship of any race in NASCAR -- at Charlotte Motor Speedway through 2015.

This following came from ESPN. The annual Tire Kingdom NHRA Gatornationals in Gainesville, Fla., is one of the biggest events of the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series season, and ESPN2 airs three hours of final eliminations action this Sunday, March 14, at 6 p.m. ET. Gatornationals qualifying highlights air Sunday at midnight (late Saturday night), re-airing at 10 a.m. Sunday

The traditional East Coast opener, this event is one of the sport’s most revered with a rich tradition of history-making performances. This hallowed quarter-mile has entertained spring-break-loving fans for decades with such notable occasions as the first 260-mph Top Fuel and Funny Car runs in 1984 and the first 270-mph and 300-mph Top Fuel passes, in 1986 and 1992, respectively (all on the quarter-mile). Its 675-foot concrete launchpad is one of the longest on the tour.

Paul Page anchors ESPN2’s coverage with analysis by 22-time NHRA winner Mike Dunn. Gary Gerould, John Kernan and Dave Rieff report from the pits. Rieff and Dunn host NHRA RaceDay on Sunday at 11 a.m. to set the stage for that day’s eliminations action.

The March 28 event in St. Petersburg, Fla., is the first of five races in the 2010 IZOD IndyCar Series season that will be produced by ESPN and air on ABC. The schedule also includes the Indianapolis 500 on May 30, marking the 46th consecutive year that the “Greatest Spectacle in Racing” will air on ABC, as well as events at Kansas Speedway, Watkins Glen International and Toronto.

ESPN2’s daily NASCAR news and information program NASCAR Now airs a four-day schedule this week due to the open weekend for the NASCAR Sprint Cup and Nationwide Series and ESPN’s coverage of college basketball’s Championship Week

Following the Monday roundtable, Mike Massaro hosts half-hour episodes of NASCAR Now airing Tuesday, March 9, at 6 p.m. ET, Wednesday at 5 p.m. and Friday at midnight (late Thursday night). The show will take Friday off and there will be no roundtable edition on Monday, March 15. NASCAR Now returns on Tuesday, March 16.

NASCAR Now is hosted by Massaro, Allen Bestwick and Nicole Briscoe and originates from ESPN’s high definition studios in Bristol, Conn. Contributors include reporters Marty Smith, Shannon Spake and Angelique Chengelis, analysts Ray Evernham, Tim Brewer, Brad Daugherty, Ricky Craven and Randy LaJoie, and ESPN.com reporters Ed Hinton, Terry Blount and David Newton. The NASCAR on ESPN team event coverage team of Rusty Wallace, Dale Jarrett, Marty Reid, Dr. Jerry Punch, Andy Petree, Dave Burns, Jamie Little, and Vince Welch also make frequent contributions to NASCAR Now.

The NASCAR Nationwide Series has another weekend off before returning to action on Saturday, March 20, at Bristol (TN) Motor Speedway. The race will air on ABC, with NASCAR Countdown beginning the telecast at 2 p.m. ESPN2 is the home of the series all season, with select races airing on ESPN and ABC.

Also from Bristol, ESPN2 will air live coverage of a special 35-lap race featuring some of the great NASCAR drivers of the past in a return to action. David Pearson, Cale Yarborough and Harry Gant are among the drivers competing in the Saturday Night Showdown, airing at 5:30 p.m. on March 20.

The USF1 team is probaly finito, due to sponsorship for this year and who knows about next season? According to various news outlets, the Formula Atlantic Series won't answer the bell in 2010, due to the lack of entries, and we're not so sure about 2011 either. In both cases it can be tied to the ailing global economy.

Checking to see what's happening on the racing scene this weekend, F1 opens the season in Bahrain with Schuie in the MB car and the IRL also opens the season in Sao Paulo. Also, the NASCAR Cup has the weekend off. The NHRA is in Gainsville, FL, the World of Outlaws will perform in Houston and the AMA SuperX will be in Toronto. To get all of the specific TV details, times and networks check out racefantv.com on the internet.

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(3/5-3/7) ..... No surprise, JJ won another one at Vegas which was boring for the fans except for his. Kevin Harvick is getting closer but needs to step it up more with help from his team. Danica fizzled out in the Nationwide race. Will she sizzle in the upcoming IRL Indy Car season to redeem herself? Empty seats at Fontana and Vegas also reflect the lack of excitement in NASCAR despite efforts to market those seats even at discount prices in this ailing economy. It's going to be a challenging year for NASCAR and especially the IRL with all of the personnel changes there.

The Nielsen Overnight Ratings were released for the Cup race in Fontana, with some bad news for NASCAR. TV Ratings were down 6 percent for the Auto Club 500. The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race, which was broadcast on FOX, earned an overnight rating of 5.0/10, as compared to a 5.3/8 last year. This year’s race ran up against the Olympics, as opposed to last year’s race which had no Olympic competition, and had a later start time. Sunday’s ratings were the lowest since the race moved to February, and the lowest since the race earned a 4.9/11 in 2003.

Greensboro, NC had the highest ratings of any local market on Sunday with a 13.0/23.

Despite the half empty grandstands at the Auto Club 500 Sunday, track president Gillian Zucker believes Auto Club Speedway deserves to keep two annual Sprint Cup events.

“There are facilities that are smaller than ours,” Zucker said. “All tracks are not equal. If you’re at a track that holds 50,000 people and sells out, is that better than a track that holds 92,000 [at ACS] and is growing? I don’t think it is. “I can also tell you we will be fighting tooth and nail to keep both our events. I believe they belong here.” Gillian tell that to the Carolina folks who are still steaming because the Southern 500 moved out of Darlington.

The estimated crowd Sunday was 55,000, down from last year’s February event of more than 60,000. ACS has not sold out any of its Cup races since going to two events a year in 2004. “The crowd count was about flat, maybe a little off,” Zucker said. “But considering the economy in this part of the country, I think that says something. It’s been hard-hit here. People are struggling.” This came from AutoRacingSport.com.

The speed and power of motorcycle racing, free demo rides and displays and charity parade laps highlight the activities during Daytona 200 Week Feb. 26 – March 8 at historic Daytona International Speedway. Here’s a look at some of the activities that will be taking place at the “World Center of Racing” that are a must-see for motorcycle enthusiasts:

Night riders: For the second straight year, the 69th Daytona 200 Daytona SportBike race, the prestigious season-opening event to the AMA Pro Racing season and the most historic motorcycle event in America, will be held under the lights on Friday night, March 5. Daytona International Speedway will also host the first two rounds of the American SuperBike and AMA SuperSport on Thusday, March 4 and Friday, March 5.

Daytona Supercross By Honda: The Daytona Supercross By Honda, the toughest and most prestigious Supercross in the country, will be held on Saturday night, March 6. The course will continue to be one of the most challenging Supercross layouts in America thanks to Ricky Carmichael’s Signature Course Design. Star riders expected to compete include three-time and defending champion Chad Reed, Kevin Windham, Ryan Dungey, Davi Millsaps and Ryan Villopoto.

Carmichael, a five-time Daytona Supercross By Honda champion, has designed the course that will be located in the tri-oval of historic Daytona International Speedway while Mark Barnett, former Supercross Champion and three-time National Champion, will do the construction and maintenance during the event.

New Flat Track: The AMA Pro Racing Flat Track events on Wednesday, March 3 and Thursday, March 4 will have a new home in 2010 – the hallowed grounds of Daytona International Speedway where a quarter-mile dirt track made up of lime rock is located outside Turns 1 and 2.

The new Daytona Flat Track, which will have more than 5,000 temporary seats and lighting from Musco Lighting, will showcase Flat Track stars such as Henry Wiles, Kenny Coolbeth, Chris Carr, Jake Johnson and Joe Kopp.

The track will see its first action beginning this Saturday through Tuesday with the AMA Pro Amateur events.

XDL Championship Series: For the first time, Daytona International Speedway will be home to the XDL Championship Series on Feb. 26-28. A new event to the schedule, the season kick-off of the XDL Sportbike Freestyle Championship will mark XDL’s fifth season as the only national sportbike freestyle championship and the series’ first visit to the state of Florida.

One of America’s fastest growing action sports, the series pits competitors from all over North America, Asia and Europe on 600cc sport bikes. XDL Championship Series events will take place behind the Lockhart and Keech Grandstands on the West End of Daytona International Speedway with tickets starting at $5 for Friday and $20 for Saturday and Sunday.

Ricky Carmichael Daytona Amateur Supercross Championship and Ricky Carmichael University: The inaugural Ricky Carmichael Daytona Amateur Supercross Championship will take place on Sunday, March 7 at Daytona International Speedway, and on Monday, March 8, Carmichael will then host Ricky Carmichael University, the first public riding school ever hosted by the 15-Time AMA National Champion.

Both events will take place on the same course that is used for the Daytona Supercross By Honda on Saturday, March 6.

The class structure for the Ricky Carmichael Daytona Amateur Supercross Championship will include classes for youth riders on 50cc bikes all the way up to vet and senior classes. The race will follow a supercross format, using heat races and last-chance qualifiers to seed the field of riders into a main event in each class and riders can sign up by visiting www.mxsports.com.

The Ricky Carmichael University event on Monday, March 8, is an unprecedented opportunity for amateur racers to learn riding secrets from the legendary Supercross champion who is known as the Greatest of All-Time.

Demo rides and displays: Outside of Daytona International Speedway, motorcycle enthusiasts can test-ride the latest and greatest motorcycles with free manufacturer demo rides and displays. Among the manufacturers expected to attend include Honda, Yamaha, Kawasaki, Harley-Davidson, Victory, Triumph and Boss Hoss. Riders must hold a valid motorcycle driver license and DOT approved helmet in order to participate in the demo rides.

Free admission to D5X: Daytona 500 Experience, the Official Attraction of NASCAR, will have free admission on Thursday, March 4 through Saturday, March 6 and will go by the name of D5X and celebrate Daytona 200 Week with food, beverages and entertainment. The attraction is also home to the winning Daytona 500 car – Jamie McMurray’s No. 1 Bass Pro Shops Chevrolet.

Spring Dash: It’s the ride of a lifetime – two laps around the historic Daytona International Speedway. On Thursday night, March 4, bike enthusiasts will get that chance in the fifth annual Spring Dash At Daytona. The package includes a Spring Dash T-Shirt, two parade laps around the track, an After Party in the Sprint FANZONE with live entertainment and two beverage tickets. Tickets are only $40. Tickets can be purchased at the Budweiser Cool Your Pipes Zone outside of Turn 4 on Friday, Feb. 26 – March 4, 9 a.m. – 6 p.m. and are also available at www.daytonainternationalspeedway.com.

Bikini contest: On Saturday, March 6 between 2 p.m. – 4 p.m., the annual Hooters Bikini Contest will take place in Thunder Alley located in the Midway outside of Turn 4.

“Extreme Makeover: Home Edition” traveled to Loris, South Carolina – with race car driver Jeff Gordon as the celebrity volunteer -- to meet Amanda and Derrick Suggs, a young couple who had just started their own family when they adopted Amanda’s younger siblings to prevent them from being separated in foster care. When Derrick and Amanda got married, they moved into the home Derrick inherited from his grandfather. Built by his grandfather in 1953, the home came with a long list of repairs required to make it livable: a leaking roof, outdated and exposed electrical wiring, rotting foundation, and broken and cracked asbestos siding on the outside of the house. In just seven days, “EM:HE” will build a safer, stronger home that will protect and support this incredible family. This episode will air in April (date tba) on ABC.

At a very young age, Amanda was forced to take on the role of a mother figure for her siblings. The children were often left alone for extended periods of time and because the family moved so often, the kids were frequently out of school. Between missing school and caring for her siblings, Amanda fell so far behind that she dropped out of school after the seventh grade. At 16, Amanda reached out to her aunt for help and she agreed to take care of Amanda and the two oldest boys. Living with her aunt helped Amanda get her life back on track and within three months, she received her GED and began community college classes. When she turned 18, Amanda moved to Myrtle Beach to continue her college education. When she met Derrick, they instantly fell in love, were married, and soon welcomed their first born, Walker. Shortly thereafter, Amanda’s brother Jacob informed her that he and his younger brothers were being taken away from their parents and placed in foster care. Without hesitation, Derrick and Amanda brought the boys to live with them. James, Jacob, and Jordan had nothing but the clothes on their backs when they arrived, but with the love and support of Amanda and Derrick, they caught up with their academics and are all on pace to graduate on time.

Derrick enjoys playing the role of father, big brother, and friend to the boys, but he is much more than just a dedicated father and husband. Derrick has gone above and beyond to improve the image of the police department and revitalize the relationship between the police and the community. He created a community outreach team within his police squad to help clean up the high crime areas of his district and also set up various youth activities such as “Shop with a Cop,” which takes underprivileged youth out to buy toys and clothes. Last year, Derrick and his partner saved the life of an infant who had stopped breathing while his mother was driving down the highway and were nominated for “Officers of the Year.” Derrick, 28, and Amanda, 26, have given every bit of themselves to their children (James, 19, Jacob, 17, Jordan, 10, Walker, 5, and Mason, 9 months) and their community, but they still lack the time and money required to fix their home.

The Suggs family will go on a Walt Disney World vacation while “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition” team leader Ty Pennington, designers Ed Sanders, Paige Hemmis, and John Littlefield, race car champion Jeff Gordon, and community volunteers rebuild their home.

AMA Pro Racing kicks off its 2010 season at the legendary Daytona International Speedway for the 69th running of the famous Daytona 200, March 3-5 as part of the Daytona 200 Week activities.

This will be the second year the Daytona 200 will be run at night under the lights at Daytona International Speedway on Friday, March 5th. Practice and qualifying for the Daytona 200 will take place Wednesday, March 3rd and Thursday, March 4th.

The AMA Pro National Guard American SuperBike class will see double action with two races for the very first time at Daytona. The first 15 lap race will take place on Thursday, March 4th and the second race will be on Friday, March 5th giving fans two opportunities to see this exciting class. Josh Hayes, 2009 Daytona 200 Winner Ben Bostrom, AMA Pro National Guard American SuperBike returnee John Hopkins, Aaron Yates, Tommy Hayden, 2006 Daytona 200 winner Jake Zemke and Geoff May headline the AMA Pro American SuperBike class this year. With seven-time champion Mat Mladin's retirement, the field is wide open.

The classic Daytona 200 has been run continuously since 1937 with only the war years interrupting what is a true American classic motorcycle race. Every accomplished and important rider and motorcycle manufacturer has featured and won this event. To join the illustrious group of previous winners is to enter into a group of riders who share a special place in the history books of motorcycle racing. Ed Kretz of Pomona, CA won the very first Daytona 200 on his Indian motorcycle. The list of winners extends to legends such as NASCAR great Paul Goldsmith to USAC and Flat Track star Joe Leonard to Flat Track greats Gary Nixon and Cal Rayborn to world champions Kenny Roberts and Eddie Lawson to Scott Russell, Miguel Duhamel, Nicky Hayden and Mladin and last year's winner, Bostrom. All have proven to be the best of the best. Racing under the lights again this year on Friday, March 5th, the 57 lap race will once again start the 2010 season off in fine fashion.

This year's AMA Pro Daytona SportBike presented by AMSOIL field see the return of 2009 champion Danny Eslick on his new Geico Powersports RMR Suzuki. Also returning will be Graves Yamaha riders Josh Herrin and Tommy Aquino. Martin Cardenas will be riding the M4 Suzuki and 2009 SunTrust MotoGT champion Mark Crozier will be running his DNA Ducati 848. Looking to improve on her 21st place finish last year will be Melissa Paris, whose performance last year was the best result ever for a female rider at Daytona.

The AMA Pro Racing SuperSport class will also have two races this year, showcasing the Young Gun group of riders aged 16 to 21 against the more experienced Top Gun class of riders which is comprised of more experienced Expert licensed riders and local talent. Each AMA Pro Racing SuperSport race will be 35 miles in length and will run Thursday, March 4th and then again on Friday, March 5th. Each race will run prior to the AMA Pro National Guard American SuperBike races on both days.

Practice for all three classes begins on Wednesday, March 3rd and the races begin on Thursday, March 4th. Make sure to check out the many displays, demo rides and activities inside and outside of the Daytona International Speedway, the Sprint FanZone will be operating throughout the events and don't miss the D5X, admission is free from March 4th through March 6th.

The Daytona 200 will air on SPEED at 9 p.m. ET. The AMA Pro American SuperBike races will air back-to-back, Saturday, March 6th at 10:30 p.m. ET.

Yes, He Really Said That-from the Valvoline Track Talk Newsletter, Jeff Gordon, on how important it is to NASCAR for Dale Earnhardt Jr. to win well. "It's absolutely important and anybody out here that feels like that's a joke is only kidding themselves."

Justin Marks made ARCA history Saturday afternoon, winning the rain-shortened Tire Kingdom 150 presented by ModSpace at Palm Beach International Raceway.

Marks, in the Construct Corps Dodge for Win-Tron Racing, earned his first career ARCA Racing Series victory utilizing rain tires provided by Hoosier Racing Tire, the first time ARCA has used a "wet" tire compound in its 58 year history.

"It was a great race - a great win for me...for Win-Tron, for Construct Corps," a soaked Marks proclaimed in victory lane. "It was the perfect rain conditions to run a rain race. The track was just wet enough to slide around, get on rain tires and find that line, but it never rained too hard, except for the last three laps when it just poured, and we could barely see."

Marks led on two occasions, first pacing the field on laps 41 through 56, and opening up leads as much as 15 seconds. Marks would give up the point to Robb Brent during the final round of pit stops of the day on lap 56 but would resume the lead when Brent pitted on lap 59. From there, the Rocklin, CA driver maintained a comfortable 30 car length cushion over Brent until the skies opened up on lap 68, and the 3rd and final caution flag of the day waved over the speedway. Marks crossed under the yellow and checkers waving together in a torrid down-pour, and the celebration was on.

"It feels great to win for my sponsor, Construct Corp," Marks exclaimed, who took over the points lead. "I ran my first ARCA race in 2005, so it's been a long time coming. I have had a lot of help along the way in the ARCA series, in RAB Racing, Jeff Buice at Shaver Motorsports, Germain, Venturini - I have raced for a lot of different teams, and they all have played a part. They have all helped me. To be able to take everything I learned and apply it to what I feel is the best team out here, Win-Tron Racing, and really go for a championship, this is sort of vindication. It lets us all know that we have a winning combination, and we can really contend for the championship."

Series officials were forced to throw the checkered flag on the event five laps short of its original distance, completing 70 of the advertised 75 laps, due to the heavy rain. The 2.034 mile PBIR course was the victim of rain showers on and off throughout the afternoon, which led to most teams changing from the Hoosier Short Track Radial "slick" tire to the grooved "rain" tires during the 2nd caution period on lap 22.

ARCA and Hoosier Tire Officials had been preparing for the first season in ARCA history in which a pair of road course races would dot the schedule. Hoosier developed the rain tire based off the successful introduction of their short tack radial two years ago, and the new tire made its first competitive debut just 20 laps into the event when Steve Arpin pitted under green for tires...rain tires.

Arpin's stop triggered a historic moment for ARCA, as teams began to transition into racing in the rain for the first time. Most teams ran a full fuel run on the wet tires, and both Hoosier and ARCA Officials were very pleased with the results.

"Based upon the feedback we got from both the teams and Hoosier, we are pleased with the performance of the new rain tire," commented Joe Wells, ARCA VP of Competition. "This has truly been an historic day for our series." Race winner Marks agreed.

Antonie Richards turned what is a popular form of transportation in his home country of Bermuda into a dream job of being a motorcycle racer.

During Daytona 200 Week, the 22-year-old Richards will make his AMA Pro Racing debut at the “World Center of Racing” in the AMA Pro SuperSport doubleheader next Thursday and Friday.

This weekend, the native of Devonshire, Bermuda is using the Championship Cup Series and American SportBike Racing Association events to get more track time on Daytona’s storied road course.

“It just takes laps really,” said Richards, who is riding a Suzuki for Celtic Racing. “It’s so unique and so fast. You really have to get out there and just get used to the speed and the draft because drafting here is bigger than it is anywhere else that I’ve been to.

“Just the prestige of the track makes it very exciting to be here and get out there on the legendary Daytona International Speedway. People point that out back home in Bermuda. They’re like ‘Wow you’re going to be on the NASCAR track.’ They don’t believe that we actually ride motorcycles here. They didn’t know that until I tell people I’m going to be here.”

After catching the itch to race motorcycles in 2007, Richards first started turning laps on a small quarter-mile track in Bermuda. For the past two years, he has been racing the CCS and WERA circuits in Florida as he continued to learn the ins and outs of motorcycle racing with the ultimate goal of reaching the AMA level.

“When we turn 16, we don’t get cars, we get a scooter or motorcycle,” Richards said. “That’s where I started -- riding in the street. I decided I loved racing as a sport. I always watched it on TV. I used to watch all the AMA races, Moto GP, World Superbike and all that stuff. I was a huge fan.

“I decided that I’m pretty good at riding on the street, I’m going to buy myself a 600. I bought myself a Yamaha.”

When Richards climbs aboard his motorcycle for next week’s SuperSport events, he’ll have plenty of family and friends watching from afar back in Bermuda.

“I’m going to have a lot of people support this and watch me back home, family and friends of course,” Richards said. “I’ll be the first Bermudian to race in the AMA class at Daytona so there will be people back home tuned in to SPEED to watch the race.” The American Sportbike Racing Association and Championship Cup Series activities wrapped up on Sunday. Next up on the road racing schedule at DIS will be AHRMA, which will stage vintage motorcycle racing on Monday and Tuesday.

For tickets to all the Daytona 200 Week events, call 1-800-PITSHOP or visit www.daytonainternationalspeedway.com. Fans can stay connected with Daytona International Speedway on Twitter (www.twitter.com/disupdates) and Facebook (www.facebook.com/DaytonaInternationalSpeedway).

The momentum for motorhead action on the tube is picking up momentum. The NASCAR circus moves into Atlanta Motor Speedway and Daytona Bike Week gets underway. To get all of the specific details check RaceFanTV.com on the internet.

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