Race is on for Hall of Fame vote
The polls are now open for the NASCAR Hall of Fame Class of 2019 Fan Vote. For the 10th consecutive year, fans are asked to cast votes for up to five nominees for inclusion into the Class of 2019, and can vote up to 50 times per day. The five nominees who receive the most votes will count as one of the ballots cast by the Voting Panel on NASCAR Hall of Fame Voting Day on May 23. The polls close on May 21.
Voting can be done at NASCAR.com/halloffame.
NASCAR Hall of Fame Class of 2019 Nominees are: Davey Allison, won 19 times in NASCAR’s premier (now Monster Energy NASCAR Cup) series, including the 1992 Daytona 500; Buddy Baker, won 19 times in NASCAR’s premier series, including the Daytona 500 and Southern 500; Red Farmer, threetime Late Model Sportsman champion, 1956 Modified champion; Ray Fox, legendary engine builder, crew chief and car owner; Harry Gant, winner of 18 NASCAR premier series races, including two Southern 500 victories; Joe Gibbs, combined for nine car owner championships in premier and XFINITY series; Jeff Gordon, four-time champion and winner of 93 NASCAR premier series races; John Holman, won two NASCAR premier series championships as co-owner of Holman-Moody Racing; Harry Hyde, 1970 NASCAR premier series championship crew chief; Alan Kulwicki, 1992 NASCAR premier series champion; Bobby Labonte, won a championship in both the premier series and XFINITY Series; Hershel McGriff, 1986 NASCAR west series champion; Ralph Moody, won two NASCAR premier series championships as coowner of Holman-Moody Racing; Roger Penske, combined for four car owner championships in premier and XFINITY series; Larry Phillips, only five-time NASCAR weekly series national champion; Jack Roush, five-time car owner champion in NASCAR’s three national series; Ricky Rudd, won 23 times in NASCAR’s premier series, including the 1997 Brickyard 400; Kirk Shelmerdine, winner of four NASCAR premier series championships as a crew chief; Mike Stefanik, winner of record-tying nine NASCAR championships; Waddell Wilson, won three NASCAR premier series championships as an engine builder.
*** A weather forecast that included a wintery mix of cold, snow, rain and wind on top of the already saturated grounds forced Grandview Speedway management to postpone the First Annual VP Racing Fuels Bruce Rogers Memorial Money Maker Classic, scheduled for Saturday, April 7, to Saturday, April 14th at 7 p.m.
The same schedule of events will be presented on April 14th including a 50-lapper featuring the Small Block Modifieds going up against the Big Block Modifieds with the winner walking off with $7,500 and each feature starter earning at least $1,000. Also included in the doubleheader will be the exciting Sportsman stock cars racing for $750 to win and each feature starter earning $125.
A full series of qualifying heat races will be run in each division to decide who will get to race in the main events.
An impressive field of racers is expected to take part in the rescheduled doubleheader that will remember the late owner of the popular one-third-mile, banked clay oval and kicks off the 56th consecutive season of stock car racing at the Berks County facility.
An added incentive for Modified racers will be the American Racer bonus awards totaling $1,000. All those who do not qualify for the big race will have their names entered in a drawing with four names being drawn and awarded $250 each courtesy of American Racer Tires.
Heading into his 44th career season, Billy ‘The Kid’ Pauch believes the two biggest attributes to his career are his sponsors and his crew.
Eager for the 2018 season to be in full swing, Pauch is pleased to acknowledge his 20-year partnership with Pioneer Pole Buildings owner, Bob Greene. Pioneer is a huge supporter of weekly auto racing at a number of tracks and with a number of different race teams.
“I don’t know of too many sponsors that have been with a driver for that long,” laughed Pauch. “I couldn’t appreciate it enough.”
Founded in 1998, Pioneer Pole Buildings has become the premier builder of post frame buildings in PA, NJ, DE, MD, WV, VA, and NY.
Not only is Pioneer Pole Buildings Pauch’s longest sponsor, but his car owner, Kevin Bifulco, owner of K&A Excavating, holds the record for being Pauch’s longest car owner.
“We’ve been together for 13 years,” added Pauch. “He holds the record for putting up with me the longest as a car owner. We’re not only driver and owner but best friends, so it works good together. We spend a lot of time together outside of racing as well so it’s a great combination. Along with Pioneer and K&A I still have Nick Contey with First Choice Auto Equipment, Don Bish with Husqvarna Bish Sales and Al’s Sunoco coming back this year.”
After experimenting with his retro No.15 Big Block Modified last season, Pauch plans on getting back to the basics.
“After our experimenting binge last year, we decided to go back to the basics for this year. We went to Florida and had a mishap at the beginning of the week. We were able to rebound, drive up through the field and close out the week with a top-five finish. That’s hard to do down there with a field like that.”