Racin' with Barry...
by Barry Angstadt
 
Flipper Beats the Iceman At Hamlin...
 
    I think race drivers should have nicknames.  Maybe not all race drivers, but many of them should be identified by a cool nickname.  It helps the fans relate to their heroes of speed, and I haven't met a driver yet (with one exception) who doesn't enjoy being introduced by his/her nickname.  Warren Ruffner, the esteemed announcer at the Reading Fairgrounds, was a master at coming up with nicknames that really fit certain drivers, and the fans, along with the racers themselves, loved it.

    Mike Feltenberger remembers Ruffner's expertise with nicknames.  Feltenberger, the guy who pretty much runs the various Slingshot Tours for Rich Tobias and Speedway Entertainment, has become adept at the nickname game.  He's given many of the Slingers a nickname that may or may not fit the image of specific throttle-jockeys, but the nicknames have stuck.
    Two of those pilots with cool nicknames were in the spotlight last Saturday night at the Hamlin Speedway.  The Iceman, Marc Daniels, earned the right to start on the pole for the Mid-Atlantic Region Gold/ Slingshot Speedweek feature race.  The Bethlehem, Pa. pilot registered the best average finish during two rounds of qualifying heats, and that's why he took the green from position number one.
    Alongside Daniels on the front row was Ben "Flipper" Whitaker, the soon-to-be 18-year old from Enyon, Pa.  I have no idea if Ben was given that nickname due to on-track incidents early in his career, but it doesn't matter.  The moniker stuck, and Ben doesn't seem to mind it.
    Daniels got the jump on the initial start, but a mix-up in turn two brought out an immediate yellow and forced a complete restart.
    When the green waved for the second time, Flipper sprinted ahead of the Iceman, taking a lead he would not give up for the remainder of the 30-lap affair.
    "He (Daniels) really took off on that first start," related Whitaker afterward.  "He kind of caught me by surprise.  Thank goodness for that yellow...I was determined that I wasn't going to let that happen again.  On the second start, I almost didn't wait for him to go.  I got into the gas a lot earlier, and it worked.  I was ready when he jumped on the throttle."
    After that first skirmish on the initial start, there were only two more cautions during the 30-lapper.  That is quite a testimonial to the Slingshot drivers, as a large 30-car field qualified for the main event on the tight confines of the Hamlin oval.  More on the drivers' behavior later in the column...
    Daniels hung onto the back bumper of Whitaker's No. 13x for several laps, as the crowd waited for him to make his move.  But Flipper gradually pulled away after the final restart with ten to go, leaving the Iceman to fend off Bill "the Dream" Weaver for runner-up honors.
    "My car just got too tight," Daniels explained after the race.  "I was actually over-driving it into the corners to try and get under him, and that made me way too tight."
    So Flipper cruised to the checkered, with "The Iceman" holding off "The Dream" for second.  Kyle Rohner, the Bushkill Bullet, finished fourth, with Jill Long (I don't know if she has a nickname) running an impressive race to grab fifth.  "Billy V", who is also known as "Billy the Blast" - his real name is Billy Van Inwegen, Jr. - wound up sixth.  Van Inwegen, the 15-year old from Sparrow Bush, NY, was the 2007 National Slingshot Champion.  Oh, yeah...his dad, "Broadway Bill" Van Inwegen, Sr., finished eighth at Hamlin.  He's also known as "Billy V, Sr."
    I think all race drivers should have nicknames.  Just look at how they liven up a story....
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    Why, even the NASCAR drivers have nicknames.  "Front Row Joe" Nemechek and his son, John Hunter, paid a visit to Hamlin on Saturday.  They weren't merely spectators, however, as Joe participated in the Celebrity Race for NASCAR crewmen, while John Hunter took part in the Junior Slingshot activities. 
    Joe ran well, but couldn't defeat the crew members from Hendrick Motorsports and the Red Bull Team.  John Hunter looked good, considering it was his first time in a Slingshot.
    Nemechek reported that there aren't any Slingshots in the south - yet - but a member of the Hendrick team noted that Dale Earnhardt, Jr. really likes them.  Junior is thinking about purchasing some of the Slingers for the track he's built on his property in North Carolina.
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    Back to that "behavorial issue" regarding the Slingshot drivers at Hamlin.  Prior to warm-ups, race organizer Randy Smith laid down the law at the driver's meeting.  Smith pointed out that the regular Slingers, as opposed to the Junior Slingshot racers, had been "playing rough" over the past few weeks, and he'd had enough.  Officials would be watching closely, he said, and penalties would be dispersed for over-aggressive tactics and/or speeding through the pit area.
    The drivers must have been paying attention, because the entire night was relatively incident-free.  When there are 30-cars on a track the size of Hamlin, and there are only three cautions (if you count the one on the initial start) during a 30-lap feature, well, that's pretty darn impressive.  And the second yellow flew for a single-car spin, while the third was needed for a car that broke and stopped on the track.
    Nemechek provided a light-hearted moment at the driver's meeting.  After Smith's lecture about rough-riding, he introduced the driver of the Furniture Row Chevrolet on NASCAR's Sprint Cup circuit.  Nemechek then said, "I don't know why he (Smith) is so concerned about you guys hitting each other...heck, the guys I run with on Sundays like to run over each other!"
    That comment made me chuckle on Sunday, as I was driving home from the Poconos.  I was listening to the Sunoco/ Red Cross 500 from Pocono Raceway, and wouldn't you know it, Joe Nemechek ran into Kevin Harvick on the first lap of the race, almost causing a multi-car accident.
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    This was my first visit to Hamlin Speedway, and I totally enjoyed it.  What a nice little facilty!  The lighting is good, and the track is perfect for the Slingshots.  It's a pretty good track for the 270cc Micro-Sprints, too, although it would be even better if the micros could run all the way up against the wall.  But it's definitely a competitive little bull-ring, and the surface is silky smooth.
    One of the biggest factors in my personal like or dislike of a track is its food.  Randy Smith says he'll put his track's food up against any other speedway's, and I have to agree with him.
    The selection is terrific, with everything from burgers to sausage sandwiches to chicken salad to steak sandwiches.  There is also a long list of dessert items from which to choose.  The quality of the food is excellent (my wife said, "look how thick this burger is!"), and the prices are very reasonable.
    The view of the track is great from almost any seat.  I wish I had gone up to the bleachers in turn two, which are perched higher than those along the backstretch.
    Notice that I wrote about bleachers in turn two and along the backstretch?  That's because, unlike any track I've ever attended, the start/finish line is located on the opposite side of the facility - away from the seating and scoring/announcing tower.  That's right; at Hamlin, you sit high above turn two and along the backstretch.  The flagstand is on the opposite side of the track, which means turns three and four are to the right of the spectators.  And the flagstand isn't in the middle of the straightaway, either, as it's located closer to turn four.  It's different, but kind of neat.
    One other difference that sets Hamlin apart, and it caused a bit of consternation among the 270cc Micro-Sprint competitors on Saturday, is the fact that they allow pit stops during a race.  Not the green flag variety, mind you, but let's say someone gets a flat tire during the feature.  As long as the driver stops his or her car on the high side of turn three, crew members are allowed to come out and change the tire.  In fact, they can also make other repairs, as long as they don't try to do anything major.
    According to Smith, he will give a driver two or three laps under yellow to make repairs.  The car cannot leave the track because it's too difficult to create a "hot pit area" in the entrance and/or exit lanes.
    While this policy did not come into play during the Slingshot feature, it was utilized several times during the 270cc main event.  And the crew of Eric Bodine's No. 28 felt that it cost them a win.
    Nick Skias grabbed the early lead, with Bodine quickly motoring into the runner-up spot.  A caution period with two laps complete was highlighted by the first "pit stop", when Chris Kozimor parked his car in turn three and his team changed a front tire.
    On the restart, Nunzi Allegrucci blew past Bodine for second, then snatched the top spot from Skias one tour later.  Bodine skated past Skias to take second with four down, then muscled his way past Allegrucci off turn four as lap nine was scored. 
    Two circuits later, Allegrucci pulled high in turn three while the field was ambling around the track under another yellow.  His crew came out to look things over, and finally changed the left-rear tire.
    With additional caution periods producing quite a few laps run under yellow conditions, Bodine appeared to have this one in the bag.  But, as it turned out, he caused the final stoppage when he ran out of fuel with five to go.  His misfortune handed the win to Mark Gilmore, who started tenth in the 14-car field.
    Bodine's crew was upset, feeling that all those caution laps to give drivers enough time to change tires, make repairs, etc., forced them to run out of fuel.  And they had a point.
    But so did Smith, as he defended the track's policy of allowing work to be done during under yellow.  "Look," he stated, "we only get 14 or 15 micros.  I want to give all of them ample opportunity to finish the race.  They come here to race, and I want all of them, or at least as many as possible, to run all of the laps we offer.  So we give them a few laps to change tires, or do whatever they can in a reasonable amount of time."
    Smith also believed the Bodine team did not put an adequate amount of fuel in the car before the feature.  Bodine's crew countered with the fact that they shouldn't have to fill the tank completely in order to run a 25-lap feature at Hamlin.  A full tank, they stated, would also significantly hamper the handling of the car.
    Who's right and who's wrong in this situation?  Probably no one, although both sides have valid arguments.  I guess the old saying, "it is what it is", applies here.
    It certainly made for an interesting night at Hamlin.  Deb and I had a fantastic time there, and we thank Randy and Denise Smith, along with announcer Steve Pados, for all of their hospitality.  It was my first visit to Hamlin, but it won't be my last.
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Slingshot Speedweek Notes...as mentioned earlier, Jill Long recorded an impressive run in the Slingshot feature at Hamlin, coming from ninth to fifth in the 30-lapper.  The young lady battled the Van Inwegens, both father and son, along with Mackenzie Brink, Nate Christman, and others throughout the event.  She pulled into fifth before the halfway point, then held the spot for the duration of the race.
    Cody Kline, who won at Hamlin on July 26, weaved his way from 18th on the starting grid to a fine-looking seventh at the finish.  Kline also finished tenth at Linda's on Friday in the Slingshot Speedweek opener, to place himself squarely in the thick of the Speedweek point chase.
    Speaking of Linda's, we heard about a scary crash in the Slingshot feature there on Friday.  Ryan Wells launched his car off the right-rear of a competitor, then smashed into the wall while still in mid-air.  Wells, who thankfully emerged from his battered car unhurt, hit the wall so hard it bent the frame of his Slinger.
    Paul Lotier, Jr. captured the Speedweek/Tour event at Linda's.  Runner-up Nate Christman, who started on the pole, told us that, "Lotier was super-fast.  He just blew by me."
    With his runner-up effort at Linda's, followed by a 12th on Saturday, Christman is also a contender for the Speedweek point title.  He fought a car that was "too loose to go anywhere" at Hamlin.
    Bill "the Dream" Weaver got his Speedweek off to a great start by finishing fourth at Linda's and third at Hamlin.  He should be the early leader in Speedweek points as the series rolled into Reading for the two-day Nostalgia Nationals on August 4th and 5th.
    The father/son Van Inwegens have another family member to deal with now...13-year old Emily Van Inwegen has moved up from the Junior division to run with the regulars.  Emily notched an outstanding third-place finish at Linda's last Friday, holding off the veteran Weaver for many laps.
    "She's walking on a cloud right now," was her father's description of Emily's reaction to her terrific run.  Her mom revealed that, "Emily doesn't ever say much, but last night, after that race at Linda's, she talked all the way back to the hotel."    
    If you're looking for possible champions for this year's Slingshot Speedweek, don't count out defending king Marc Daniels.  The Iceman registered a seventh at Linda's the night before his runner-up finish at Hamlin.  And he's won the past two Nostalgia Nationals at Reading, so forget the fact that Daniels hasn't raced very often this season; he's definitely in the hunt to repeat as Speedweek champion.  Daniels, as he did at Hamlin on Saturday, will steer the Bob Clark No. 87 at Reading.
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    More news from the 2008 Slingshot Speedweek will appear in next week's column.  Small car news will reach me at 3198 West Philadelphia Avenue, Oley, PA  19547.  The email address is This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .  Thanks to all of the Slingshot teams who sent information so I could prepare rosters for the Juniors and the regular Slingers prior to the event at Reading.
    Thanks for reading; hope you enjoyed it.