Our deepest sympathy to Don Hubbard and family
from Kyle Larson Racing & MAJ1K Motorsports
SOONER CIRCLES
By Don Hubbard
Owasso, OK January 23, 2009
Thank you
From the bottom of my heart I would like to thank all of my racing friends for there
support during the week of the 23rd Annual Chili Bowl Nationals after the passing of my
beloved wife, Eleanore on Tuesday, January 13, 2009 from cancer. I couldn’t have
gotten through the week without your help. God bless you all. Also a big thank you to
Chili Bowl promoters Emmett Hahn and Lanny Edwards who took time out from there busy
schedule to pay respect to Eleanore at Floral Haven on Thursday morning along with my long
time friend Jack Miller. I will never forget it. In the last fourteen days of her life the
hospital staff at St. Francis Hospital in Tulsa was exceptionally great and made her and
our family feel very comfortable. One, RN, Don Harms stood among the best as I felt he
treated her like she was his own Mother. I am glad Eleanore picked Floral Haven for here
place of intermit as they did an outstanding job. My three sons, Donnie, Brian and Bobby
and there families along with myself spent a 14 day vigil at the hospital before saying
goodbye to my wife and there Mom and Grandma. RIP Eleanore, we will miss you. Also thank
you for the many cards we have already received it sure eases the pain.
Due to the circumstances I would like to apologize for not having my usual Chili Bowl
column, but fortunately I was able to attend the last two days to get some information.
A record 281 cars from 30 states and Canada, took a green flag during the week.
Congratulations to Sammy Swindell who became a five time winner in a unique midget that
reminded me of the Batmobile Modified that Kenny Weld built and Gary Balough drove at the
Super Dirt Nationals in Syracuse one year before they banned it. There were a total of
fifty-eight flips down from the usual 70-80 for the week. The worst flip of the week was
Watertown, NY’s, Tim McCreadie who took a bad one leading his qualifier when an axel
broke heading down the front stretch and he flew over the first turn fence landing hard on
all fours. Tim suffered a fractured T-3 vertebra and has floating fragments. He was fitted
for a back and neck brace and will be under the guidance of Dr. Terry Trammel. Good news
received Thursday in a press release revealed by Dr. Terry Trammell and re-diagnosed as
having a burst fracture instead of a compression fracture. Hopefully he will fully recover
and be back in the seat soon. Saturday night a collection was taken up at the Chili Bowl
and $17,000 was donated towards his expenses. He had no health insurance. Another New Yorker, Jerry Higbie scheduled to be part of Cory
Tucker’s Chili Bowl team became ill Friday night and was replaced by one of
California’s fifty-nine entries, Kyle Larson a high school junior came to Tulsa as a
spectator but got the call when Higbie suffered some food poisoning which kept him at his
hotel. With no practice Kyle made a last lap pass in his heat to place third. He made the
A feature but contact with Bud Kaeding shoved Larson’s nerf bar into the tire and he
was done for the night. He made the D feature Saturday night but fell short two spots for
a transfer. Keep your eye on this youngster.
Joe Stearns, Advantage Trucks & Salvage Inc. of Lancaster, New York once again
sponsored the Best Looking Car Award and in 2009, the winner was the beautiful #88w driven
by California’s, Shane Golobic and owned by Weldon Offill. Congratulations gentleman.
North Carolina’s, Shane Hmiel was named Rookie of the Year for 2009 after finishing
7th in the second B feature.
Two Sprint Car Chili Bowl contenders showed up with news that they lost there sprint car
rides for 2008. Brady Bacon has been released from Kasey Kahne racing and will be back in
Meagan & Mike Eubanks sprint cars and midgets for 2009. Also a recent shocking phone
call to Owasso, Oklahoma’s, Daryn Pittman from the Kruck race team out of Australia
puts him out of a ride on the World of Outlaws tour in 2009. Brooke Tatnell is his
replacement. In a press release received today we are glad to report that Daryn Pittman
will team up with Pennsylvania’s, Pete Postupack and the Pete’s Motorsports #25
and head to Florida. Plans are currently wide open, they would like to run 100 shows
focusing in central Pa., but also some World of outlaw, All Star and big shows like the
Knoxville Nationals and Kings Royal. With Bacon moving back home, Broken Arrow’s,
Donnie Ray Crawford won’t see any ASCS action in the Eubanks sprinter but will be
driving there midget on the SMRS tour and also Donnie will run his Micro-sprint on the
ASCS II circuit.
Chili Bowl promoter and ASCS Sprint Car Series president, Emmett Hahn has announced the
formation of the all new ASCS Midget division based on a completely new engine design. The
engine produced by Revolution Racing Engines of San Miguel, CA features state of the art
engine management technology and is based upon the latest version of the Chevrolet FCOtec
2.4 liter engine. The new midget division will run a limited base in 2009 with a broader
program planned for 2010. For more information contact ASCS at 918-838-5517.
ASCS has released schedules for the Sooner, SOD, Rebel, Rocky Mountain and new Lone Star
regions. Creek County Speedway in Sapulpa, OK will open the season for the Sooner Series,
on Saturday, April 25, 2009.
The Lucas Oil ASCS National Series will open at Lanny Edwards’ Spring Nationals at
Devils Bowl Speedway on March 20th and 21st.
The 2009 Non-Wing Sprint Bandits TNT will kick off a day after the completion of the 2009
Knoxville Nationals for the first time ever at Rapid Speedway in Rock Rapids, IA on Sunday
night, August 16th. The following night it is on to Nebraska Raceway Park’s I-80
Speedway in Greenwood, NE. Tuesdays race yet to be determined, followed by the usual
Wednesday night show at State Fair speedway in Oklahoma City and then on to Creek County
Speedway in Sapulpa, OK Thursday, and on to the big finale at Lakeside Speedway in Kansas
City.
http://www.hoseheads.com/dhub.html
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