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FYI
07-11-04

ROCK ISLAND GRAND PRIX UPDATE

Rock Island, Illinois — From Roger Ruthhart of the Rock Island Grand Prix – the nation’s largest street event: There are just a few odds and ends that we would like to update you about in preparation for this year's Rock Island Grand Prix, Sept. 4-5 in Rock Island,

Illinois.

Get Those Entries In: If you haven't yet sent in your entry, please do so as soon as possible. Please remember that the first five classes to have more than 30 entries will be capped at 55 entries and have a Last Chance Qualifier. All other classes will be capped at 30 entries. If you need an Entry Form, please call the Grand Prix office at 309-292-8133 or email us at grandprix@qconline.com and we will send you one. You can also print the Entry Packet off of our website at www.rockislandgrandprix.com. If you are using a credit card, you can also register online through the website.

In the Lead: A lot can change as far as entries are concerned between now and race day. We get approximately one-third of our entries prior to August 1, and two-thirds after. Currently the classes with the largest numbers of entries are 2-cycle Super Sportsman (4-hole can), 2-cycle Sr. Sportsman (3-hole can), Yamaha Medium, Yamaha Heavy and TAG Senior.

Concert News: Back by popular demand, the Canadian band The Travoltas will be the headline act in outdoor concerts planned for Friday and Saturday night. The Brat Pack will headline on Sunday. There is a cover charge. We've got some additional entertainment plans still in the works.

Animal Clutch: Since this is the first year we have run the Briggs & Stratton Animal at Rock Island, we've been asked for a clarification on the clutch rule. Any dry centrifugal clutch will be allowed in these classes. Remember, Briggs & Stratton is paying half of the entry fee for the first 30 entries in the senior Animal "Rumble at The Rock" and the "Tom Argy Junior Animal Roundup."

Intercontinental A: We are concerned about the lagging entries in the ICA class. If you know anyone who runs this class, please encourage them to participate at The Rock. This is the premier 100cc class in the world and we are trying to encourage its growth in the U.S.

Expanded Coverage: Rob Howden, publisher of Shifter Kart Illustrated has announced a change in direction of his publication, as well as a name change. Now to be called Super Kart Illustrated, Howden plans to expand coverage to include other classes besides shifters, including Intercontinental A, TAG and others. This change will be kicked off at the Rock island Grand Prix, offering racers in these classes at The Rock a great opportunity for expanded coverage from the quality karting magazine.

Hotel Information: Just a reminder that all of the hotel information and rates negotiated by the Grand Prix are available on our website at www.rockislandgrandprix.com . You will also find most other information you might need somewhere on this site.

What a body: We are excited to announce that G Man Kartworks will give a complete set of new bodywork to the winners of the 4-cycle classes at this year's Rock Island Grand Prix.

New Sponsor: We are also excited to welcome U.S. Cellular to our growing family of Rock Island Grand Prix sponsors. If you're considering a new cellular phone contract in the near future, please remember that U.S. Cellular is supporting kart racing at Rock Island. We will be honoring several sponsors this year who have supported the Rock Island Grand Prix for all 10 years it has been run!

Corners: We recently went over the entire track with race director Terry Riggins. Due to conditions at a couple of corners we are considering altering the apex slightly to avoid bad spots in the pavement. This won't be finalized until race weekend, but we wanted to alert you to the possibility early because it potentially could impact the corners enough to affect gearing slightly. Please come prepared.

No leaving early: Because of the nature of a temporary circuit, we must ask that you do not attempt to leave the track early. This was especially a problem last year with the rain, but we must maintain the integrity of the pit fence system. If you have some unique situation which requires you to leave, please alert us to this in advance and we will try to work with you by locating you near a pit entrance. This will result in you being located further from the grid and track area however. Otherwise, the rule is firm. No one leaves early.

For more info, see www.grandprix@qconline.com.

STARS INK LONG TERM DEAL WITH BRIDGESTONE TIRES
Hilliard, Ohio — The Snap-On Stars of Karting, and Bridgestone Tires announced today a long-term partnership for the upcoming Stars seasons. Bridgestone, the official tire of the Snap-On Stars of Karting series will remain on board for another three seasons of racing.

“Bridgestone supplies us with a great tire, and fantastic support at our events,” said Stars, Paul Zalud. “The Bridgestone spec tire program has helped contribute to an even playing field, and great racing. Having a respected company, like Bridgestone, as a part of our program gives the racers piece of mind, knowing that they are racing on the same exact tire as their competitor,” continued the Stars front man.

“We are glad to continue our relationship with the Snap-On Stars of Karting,” said Bridgestone’s Kevin Hunley. “Supply is an important part of the equation, and we are able to guarantee racers, and organizers that we have the tires needed to run events of this caliber, day in and day out.”

“We are very pleased to be a continued part of the Snap-On Stars of Karting program,” said Mike Tetreault of Grand Products Inc., the Stars distributor for Bridgestone Tires. “We expect to see tremendous growth from the series in the next few seasons, and want to be a part of it. The opportunity to extend our partnership with Stars came up and we took it for obvious reasons, they have a great product, with fantastic racers.”

This year, Stars set in motion, a tire deal where the race winner gets a set of Bridgestone tires to use at the next Stars event. Good news for the racer, this popular contingency program will continue on for the next three seasons with Bridgestone.

Snap-On Stars of Karting is sanctioned by the World Karting Association (WKA), the largest sanctioning body of kart racing in the United States. WKA is a membership-owned, non-profit organization that regulates and promotes the sport of competitive WKA kart racing. WKA establishes the rules and procedures to set standards by which to sanction tracks and
conduct annual championships for various types of WKA karting. For more information, please visit www.worldkarting.com or contact WKA Headquarters at 704-455-1606.

Snap-on Incorporated is a leading global developer, manufacturer and marketer of tool and equipment solutions for professional tool users. Product lines include hand tools, power tools, automotive diagnostics and shop equipment, tool storage products, automotive diagnostics software and other solutions for the transportation service, industrial, government, education, agricultural, and other commercial applications, including
construction and electrical. Products are sold through its franchise dealer van, company direct sales and distributor and internet channels. Founded in 1920, Snap-on is a $2+ billion, S&P 500 company headquartered in Kenosha, Wisconsin and employs approximately 14,000 worldwide. More information can be found at www.snap-on.com.

STARCARDS MOTORSPORT MAGIC
Great Britain — A sprinkle of magic, a quick shuffle. StarCards are ready for the British Grand Prix again this year complete with a dazzling array of new motorsport signings.

Star Cards have once again partnered Sutton Motorsport images to create exclusive photographic editions that have been personally autographed by the leading names in Formula 1 including Michael Schumacher, Rubens Barrichello, Jenson Button, David Coulthard, Kimi Raikkonen, Juan Pablo Montoya, and many more. These drivers are continuing to support StarCards fundraising events for GOSH.

Mark Sutton of Sutton Motorsport Images liaised personally with the drivers to obtain their autographs for this good cause. The image montages were created free of charge exclusively for StarCards and were made in conjunction with Sutton Motorsport Images PosterShop.

StarCards ‘ace’ idea lead to the creation of a collection of celebrity signed Great Ormond Street Hospital playing cards. The “StarCards” have been professionally mounted with a color photo of the celebrity and will be auction online to raise money for the hospital.

The 2004 Motorsport auction includes over 30 very special signed items.

“We hope that as many people as possible will get online for the next StarCards motorsport auction and bid as much as possible. We want to raise as much money as we can for the charity”, said Paul Brett of StarCards.

The auction starts on EBay on Thursday 8th July at 8 p.m. and runs for 10 days finishing at 8 p.m. on Sunday 18th July 2004. More information can be found on the official StarCards website. Remember - the auction doesn't start until 8PM on the 8th July!

All proceeds will be going directly to Great Ormond Street Hospital Children’s Charity.
Great Ormond Street Hospital provides world-class specialist pediatric care, research, training and education, and a continued commitment to sick children for generations to come.

Sutton Motorsport Images PosterShop is a web based service open to the general public that allows them to browse and buy from a collection of 80,000 motorsport prints and limited edition box sets online. The high quality prints are available in sizes A4 to A0 and prices include a 5% discount for online purchases.

The PosterShop is available at: www.sutton-images.com/posters

KART RACES ARE THE MAIN ATTRACTION IN DURAND, ILLINOIS’ HOMETOWN FOURTH OF JULY CELEBRATION
Durand, Illinois — The Medina Manor Durand Bulldog Sprints headlined the hometown 4th of July Celebration in Durand, Illinois, about a half hour from Rockford. Over 100 kart racers took to the streets with action packed racing, thrilling the crowd who came out for an afternoon of fun, food and entertainment. The Durand Special Event committee worked closely with Medina Manor, Bryden Ford, other area businesses and the Burris Circle Tour to make the race possible. The 30-lap Champions Memorial Race with Jason Birdsell of St. Joseph, IL taking home the $2500 first prize check capped off the event.

The weekend got off to a great start with Karaoke in the town square on Friday night. Racers, crews and residents all took turns at the mike and on the stage. Saturday morning started sunny and bright, but intermittent showers soon dominated the day and the only vehicles on the track were the street sweepers and blowers. After the fourth attempt to get the track dry, everyone decided that the party at Bunger’s 3rd Base Grill, the motel, a trailer or motor home had a lot more potential for a fun evening.

Sunday, with a schedule that was revised to run 2 shows in one day, clearing weather and a festive atmosphere, the karts started rolling. A full program led up to the Champions Memorial Race, honoring Bob Waller, Aaron Anderson and Jay Gough. Other events in the celebration were the 4th of July parade and the Outhouse Race.

The Sr. Medium class was a warm up for the Champions Memorial race with Jason Birdsell crossing the line just ahead of Shane Morrissey and Jake Humphrey. Mike Terrafino made a strong 4th place showing.

Shane Morrissey, who is splitting his time this year between karting and his Late Model ride, earned close victories in the F200 Sr. and Sr. Lite classes. Brandon Eash, hailing from nearby Rockford, IL, got his F200 hooked up and finished 2nd in the class. Nick Chiapetta, hit the setup right to take the second spot in Sr. Lite, with only one round of practice. Eric Freiberg won the 2-cycle Sportsman Class while Brad Plunket and Trevor Raisbeck finished 2nd and 3rd.

The Junior Races were every bit as exciting with Cory Talaska edging out Derrick Gough and Gunnar Sterne for the Jr. 2 crown and Damian Jenks handily winning the Jr. 3 class. Morgan Shissel won the F200 Jr 1 race. Brett Edmunds dominated the Kid Kart field working his way to the front and handling lapped traffic like a champ.

In Champ Kart Action, Jacob Zellmer went the distance to take the top spot in Champ F200 – Jr. 1, Dylan Barbosa was the winner in Jr. Sportsman Champ and Ross Kenseth won his second feature of the year in Champ F200 Jr. 3.

In the final race of the day Birdsell the top qualifier for the Durand State Bank Champions Memorial Race quickly worked his way to the front and jumped out to a sizeable lead. Jake Humphrey gained on the leader but had his hands full with Shane Morrissey and Mike Terrafino as the three drivers ran side-by side for almost 10 laps. A spin brought out the yellow resulting in a 3-lap shootout. Birdsell maintained his lead and Terrafino found the lane on the inside to take command of the second spot. Humphrey and Morrissey finished third and fourth separated by less that 2/10th of a second. Adam Carlson rounded out the top 5.

The skies had cleared, so the racers strapped on their helmets to run the event first scheduled for Saturday. Box Stock racers showed their stuff with the Jr. Class being won by Jimmy Yurs. Evan Manich, Colton Manich and Clayton Keller finished in second through fourth respectively. Jay Yurs topped the podium in the Box Stock Sr.’s and Kyle Fores and Kiel Keller were second and third.

The day finished with the street dance and fireworks bringing a close to the 2004 Bulldog Sprints. Our thanks go out to all of the local businesses that sponsored the event. Most of the drivers will try their skill on the long track at the Milwaukee Mile over Labor Day Weekend. Check out all of the updated action at the Burris Circle Tour at www.karts.net/burriscircle.

TWO-TIME INDIANAPOLIS 500 WINNER WARD DIES AT 83
Indianapolis, Indiana — Rodger Ward, one of the greatest drivers in Indianapolis 500-Mile Race history, died July 5 in Anaheim, Calif. He was 83.

Ward won the race twice and during a six-year stretch between 1959 and 1964 never finished worse than fourth during that span. His victories came in 1959 and 1962, and he was the last surviving winner from the 1950s.

"Indy makes the race driver," Ward said in a 1999 interview. "You become famous when you come (to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway). I don't care where else you race in the world.

"I was pretty famous in my own territory, but when I came to Indianapolis, and the first time I ran here, I wasn't known as a driver from California. I was an Indy driver."

Earlier this year, Ward said, "Winning that race was the greatest thing that happened to me in my life."

Ward first qualified for the 500 in 1951, but his fame gained stature when he hooked up with car owner Bob Wilke and builder/mechanic A.J. Watson to form the fearsome Leader Car Racing team. The trio was known as "the Flying W's." During their time at the top, Ward's finishes at Indy were first, second, third, first, fourth and second, respectively, from 1959-64.

To the end, Ward thought he should have won both the famed duel with Jim Rathmann in 1960 and his battle with A.J. Foyt in 1964. He blamed the loss to Rathmann on his own stupidity for stalling the car in the pits while leading and the defeat by Foyt to a "dumb driver" and a crew that didn't recognize what was causing his engine to burn its fuel too quickly.

"But I made Foyt famous, so what the hell," he said, shrugging the loss off in later life.

Ward was born Jan. 10, 1921, in Beloit, Kan., but his father moved the family to Los Angeles when he was young. Ward began showing interest in cars when at 14 he built a Ford hot rod with parts recovered from his father's wrecking and junkyard business. He quit school after his junior year and did a lot of "night" drag racing.

Then came World War II. Ward joined the Air Force and became a P-38 fighter pilot and even flew B-17 bombers. His flying skills were so good he was retained as an instructor in instrument flying.

Stationed at an air base at Wichita Falls, Texas, Ward talked his way into a job taking care of Ford-engined midgets for drivers racing at a local quarter-mile track. He made his racing debut when a driver didn't show one night.

After his discharge from the service, he returned to Southern California and began racing midgets with a modicum of success. But by 1948, his aggressive driving style had brought some top-five finishes, and then he began winning. One of his proudest moments came when at Gilmore Stadium in 1950 he took a Ford-powered midget and beat all the drivers in the more powerful Offy cars.

He turned to stock cars in 1951 and won the AAA championship. He also passed his rookie test and qualified for his first Indianapolis 500 that year, finishing 27th. Again, he showed nothing special early in his career at Indy as an eighth place in 1956 was his only top-10 finish in his first eight starts.

Ward seriously considered quitting racing after the 1955 Indianapolis 500. He was a close friend with Bill Vukovich, who won the race in 1953-54. Vukovich was leading in 1955 when the front axle on Ward's car snapped, and in the ensuing melee Vukovich's car hit Ward's and catapulted over the wall. Vukovich was killed.

"I don't know that I could really explain to you how badly I felt," Ward said. "To me, it was an absolute disaster."

He attended Vukovich's funeral in Fresno, Calif. Vukovich's brothers assured him it was not his fault and that he should continue his racing career.

Ward drove for Roger Wolcott in 1958 then learned that Wilke was starting a team with Watson. He called Wilke and was told Jim Rathmann would be the driver. Rathmann, though, decided to stay with Jack Beckley. He called again and this time was told George Amick would be the driver, but Amick decided to drive for George Bignotti.

One more call, and this time Ward got an interview and the job.

"I got to tell you, it worked out pretty damn good," Ward said.

Ward was in demand after winning Indy in 1959. He ran a sports car race with a midget later in 1959 and beat all the road-course drivers. He took a midget to Sebring in December to compete in the first United States Grand Prix. He ran eighth for a while, but a clutch problem took him out. Ward also drove a BRM Formula One car in the 1963 United States Grand Prix at Watkins Glen.

After the 1960 Indianapolis 500, Ward suggested to legendary Formula One team owner John Cooper and to World Champion Jack Brabham, with whom he had become friends, to try a rear-engine car at the Speedway. In October 1960, Ward got a chance to drive Brabham's rear-engine Formula One Cooper-Climax during a feasibility test at the Speedway, which paved the way for Brabham to compete in the 1961 Indianapolis 500 in a rear-engine car.

The car Brabham drove in 1961 at Indy was an extended version of that F1 car. Its ninth-place finish with an underpowered engine was the beginning of the end for the front-engine roadsters.

Ward failed to qualify for the 1965 Indianapolis 500 but qualified for his 15th and final start in 1966. He climbed dejectedly out of his Bryant Heating & Cooling machine after parking it on Lap 74, claiming a handling problem.

The next night at the Victory Banquet, the 45-year-old Ward tearfully announced he was retiring.

"I felt like it was time," he said. "Some drivers go past their time."

During his career, Ward won in all types of cars. He won 11 times in a Watson roadster, more than any other driver. His 26th and final champ-car victory came April 24, 1966, at Trenton, N.J. At the time of his retirement, Ward was the only driver to be in the top 10 of all Indianapolis 500 statistics. He won two USAC championships.

After his retirement, he was involved in a number of business ventures.

Ward was a member of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Hall of Fame, Champion 100-miles-an-hour Club and Indy 500 Old-timers Club. He was an avid golfer and gin rummy player when he was younger.

Survivors include wife, Sherrie, sons Rodger Jr., David and Rick, and daughter, Robin. All were at Ward's side when he passed away in hospice, as he had been in failing health for several months. At press time, services are pending.

END

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