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rJessica Sullivan's PIT STOPAndretti: Adding Something Fresh to Grand RacingJohn and Monoca Huber after 3d Finish at Watkins Glenc 1JTIN V Timet Newi S«rvtc«NEW YORK — In the early 1960s announcers at auto race tracks could not get Mario Andretti’s name straight. One called him Mary Andrett and another identified him as the nephew of Premier Andreotti of Italy. Today they know him well as the second American to win the World Championship for Drivers, and they take pains to pronounce the name with the appropriate broad A - MAH-ree-oh Ahn-DRET-ti.After he won the Indianapolis 500 in 1969 the folks in his home town, Nazareth. Pa., gave him a parade and banquet He recalled how much he was disliked because he had scared half the population and some of the cops by his racing through the streets of Nazareth in jalopies he had fixed up. They said I’d never amount to anything.’’ Andretti added, and they were right Here I am 29 years old. and I still don’t have a steady job ”Andretti has added something fresh to the worldwide circuit of Grand Prix racing. He is the most promotable asset in that series of 15 races on five continents in what are designated Formula One cars Some fans believe .Andretti is doing for Grand Prix what Arnold Palmer did for the professional golf tour in the late 1950s and early 1960s..Andretti travels between 240,000 and 250,000 miles a year That is more than most international airline pilots fly He does not Like it but. as he says, I guess you can’t have the French Grand Prix in Milwaukee How. Andretti was asked in a recent telephone interview does current Grand Pnx differ from the racing of Hill s day?“It s developed a great deal in the sense that it is much more popular.” .Andretti replied. ‘Poor Phil, he never got his due credit because a lot of international activities were going on unnoticed in this country. No one really followed Grand Prix except the hardcore buffs.Andretti is without peer in his skill in testing, both of cars and of tires. But in his younger days he had a reputation as a car breaker, a criticism he contends is unjustified.“I have enough discipline not to be unreasonable with cars. It develops more and more as you acquire experience. In 21 years of racing I’ve learned a few things.“Visit ProfitableWAYNESBORO—Denny Bonebrake of Hagerstown, Md,, made his first visit to Eastside Speedway in five years a profitable one last Saturday night, picking up all the marbles in the Dodge City-Virginia Lovers 200 lapper for modified drivers.Bonebrake, who had started back in the middle of a field of 30 cars, took advantage of a spinout by Buddy Armel of Winchester on lap 163 to take the lead and then held of the hard-charging efforts of Armel and Bussie Walters of Brownsburg to claim the victory.For his efforts, Bonebrake not only took home the evening’s big purse, but also a six-foot, three-inch trophy—the same height as Eastside promoter A1 Gore, who was celebrating his 60th birthday.In the feature, Buddy Campbell of Pine River started out on the pole with Sam Nally of Brunswick, Md. on the outside, followed by Armel, Ronnie Franklin andRalph Davis of Winchester and Walters.Dovel moved into the lead on lap 56. with Armel moving into second piace two laps later. Then, on the 59th lap, car trouble caught up with Dovel and he banged off the wall in the fourth turn, relinquishing the lead to Armel.At the end. it was an elated Bonebrake in first, followed by Walters Donnie Campbell, Davis. Hussey and Buddy Campbell.Big Apple Goes to MexicoJohn Huber and his No. 9 ‘‘Big Apple” Corvette will be in Mexico City Nov. 4-5 for the final Trans Am Series race for the 1978 season.Huber, a Winchester resident, is currently in fourth place in the U.S. in point standings in Category I of the Trans Am Circuit. Huber, his wife Monoca and crew Steve Huffman. John Ricketts and Greg Ambrose will be going to Mexico City with two new engines, a transmission and new differential. The crew will reach the Ricardo Rodriquez Auto Dome via jet and the No. 9 will be transported to the scene by another competitor, Mike Oleyar of Pennsylvania, who also races a Corvette.The Hubers reoently purchased a 24-foot enclosed trailer to transport the Corvette to Mexico. After the race, a banquet will follow with the Mayor of Mexico City on hand. Top drivers will receive a total of $100,000 in series points fund. First place is worth $10,000 which will go to Bob Tullius of Group 44, Inc., who races the Quaker State Jaguar.Huber is enthusiastic and optimistic about the Mexico race. Although he has never competed at that track, he said, “I hope to bring the Big Apple home with a win.”The car will have to be specially tuned for this race due to the 7,000 foot altitude. The 200-mile race will be especially demanding on the drivers because of altitude.Hub City 150HAGERSTOWN, Md. - A stellar field is expected to be on hand for the Third Annual Hub City 150, which will be staged at the Hagerstown Speedway Oct. 14 and 15.Drivers from a four-state area will beon hand for the late model championship trying to win the lion’s share of the $11,000 plus payoff posted by Promoter Jack Gunn The winning driver could earn $3,600 for his effort.Action will get underway on Saturday, Oct. 14 at 2 p.m. with all drivers running two laps against the time clock. The fastest 20 will move into the Hub City championship event.A 25-lap non-qualifiers event will follow the time trials, with a minimum of five cars making the starting field in Sunday s 75 mile eventSunday's race will begin at 2:30 p.m. and the event will be halted after 75 laps for a mandatory fuel stopTom Peck, the 1977 KARS champion, is expected to be on hand for the event, tooling a brand new Martz chasis which is still under construction Should the car be completed. Bobby Goodling, a top driver, will take over the ride in Peck’s regular mount.Ronnie McBee the 1978 KARS champion and the Hagerstown Speedway king, along with Denny Bonebrake, who drove his Bonebrake Special to the owner’s championship, along with Bill McClelland, the Lincoln Speedway champion, also are expected to be on hand and try to win a starting berth in the big event.Also, Larry Gorman, who set fast time in the First Hub-City event, and winner of the final regular feature of the season, will be on hand. Gorman set a new 10-lap track record in that final program.Other top drivers expected to be on hand include Deek Scott, Larry Wright, Charlie Cragan, Miles Chamberlin, and Walt Mitchell, the New York State Late Model Champion.Several Challenger division drivers also will be trying to make the starting field, including Johnny Crawford Jr . and Mike Kendall, who won the last Challenger race of the season at Hagerstown.Sam Nalley, who came on with a late race rush, was the winner of the First Hub City Championship, while Bob Wearing, who was the victim of Nalley’s late move, came back last year and dominated the action in winning. Wearing has been a key factor in both Hub-City events staged thus far.
Newspaper Details
Winchester Evening Star
Winchester, Virginia, US
Fri, Oct 13, 1978
Page 18
Full Page
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Anonymous
MD, USA 09 Nov 2024
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