April 20, 2003
- Wanna be a photographer? check out this story of one of the top NASCAR photogaphers – The silhouette of a Marine Corps sniper on the front of his sweatshirt said it all. But for those who may miss the point, read the tagline: “If you run, you’ll only die tired.” The toughest journalist in NASCAR? That’s not an easy question. But the toughest photo-journalist? That’s simple. It’s George Tiedemann, who has been covering racing for Sports Illustrated for years. You’d recognize him with no trouble. He’s the weird guy hauling around a huge ladder, for better shots. But because he’s the guy with a U.S. Marine Corps sweatshirt, T-shirt or rain jacket, depending on the weather. He has an amazing collection of USMC headgear, to go with an almost fanatical dedication to the four years of his life spent in that branch of the service. After 20 years on the Winston Cup tour, Tiedemann said his hardest job is “trying to stay fresh. Tony Stewart is the most celebrated temperamental driver to shoot, as a hapless photographer for the Indianapolis Star ruefully learned last summer at the Brickyard. But Tiedemann said that Stewart is no problem because he talks to Stewart and lets him know what’s going on and what’s coming up. And he tries to take Stewart’s feelings into consideration. However, there are some drivers who do present problems.. “Out of all the people I’ve dealt with, in all the different sports I’ve shot for SI since 1976, the two most difficult people I’ve ever, ever had to deal with are Larry Bird and Bill Elliott,” Tiedemann said. “It’s a lack of understanding of what we’re trying to do out here”
. Victory lane may seem an easy shot, but too many Winston Cup drivers, particularly the new kids, don’t seem to know how to play to the camera. But some drivers, such as Jeff Gordon, almost seem to have gone to post-graduate school to learn how to do just the right thing at just the right moment for photo history. “There are some drivers who do know what we’re trying to do for them,” Tiedemann said. But when NASCAR officials three years ago decided to demote Bill Broderick, the veteran victory-lane boss who had the post-race routine down pat, well, Tiedemann said, things simply haven’t gone that well inside the circle since. “The thing I loved about Bill Broderick – and I think Bill Broderick leaving this sport was a loss to this sport – was he would tell the drivers (while the winner was still in the car unbuckling) which way The Associated Press was, and invariably when the driver got out he would look toward the AP photographer, raise his arms in the air or show some emotion. And that way the wires could get those pictures out quickly and not have to mess around in victory lane. See full story at the Winston Salem Journal: Shoot Fast and Stand Tall: ‘SI’ photographer Tiedemann is still a Marine at heart many years after his stint in Vietman. George was the one who came and took one of the first Jayski photograph for the book Stock-Car Racing Lives
by Richard Sowers, where there is a chapter about Jayski. George is quite intering and very professional.(4-20-2003) - Kenny Wallace to run a Card’s car UPDATE 2: Kenny Wallace will run a Michael Waltrip owned/loaned #99 St Louis Cardinals Chevy in the Busch Series race, none mentioned, but it makes sense that is would be at Gateway Int’l Raceway near St Louis. See an image of the car on my Busch Series Paint Schemes Gallery.
UPDATE: hearing the Kenny Wallace Cardinals car is in collaboration with Bill Davis Racing.(3-26-2003)
UPDATE 2: Kenny Wallace will return to his hometown track, Gateway International Raceway, to compete in the NASCAR Busch Series event on May 10, 2003. Wallace, born and raised in St. Louis, Missouri, will sport the colors of hometown baseball team, the St. Louis Cardinals, on his car. The entry will be collaboration between Bill Davis Racing and Michael Waltrip Racing. “I am really grateful to Bill Davis who made this whole deal possible,” said Wallace. “This is my dream and he has helped me fulfill it. Bill has an excellent Busch Series program in place and he is providing me an awesome opportunity. I’m also grateful to my good friend, Michael Waltrip, who is providing me all his crew and equipment for the race weekend. They do a great job over the wall for Michael during the Busch races, so I’m confident in their ability as well.”(Kenny Wallace site)(4-20-2003) - Driver of the Year – 1st Quarter goes to Tracy: With three victories in three races, CART’s Paul Tracy was the top vote-getter in the first-quarter balloting for Driver of the Year. Tracy collected nine first-place votes and 112 total points from the 18-member panel of auto-racing writers and broadcasters. Dale Earnhardt Jr. was second in the balloting with 79 points, which is presented by the Speed Channel. Earnhardt, who has one Winston Cup victory, two Busch series victories and is second in Winston Cup points, collected three first-place votes. Matt Kenseth, who currently leads the Winston Cup points race, was third. Twenty-three drivers collected points, including funny-car driver Tony Pedregon, NASCAR’s Kurt Busch and Steve Kinser of the World of Outlaws, who were fourth, fifth and sixth, respectively. The panel holds quarterly votes and then a season-ending vote, the winner of which is awarded Driver of the Year status. Previous winners in the award’s 37-year-old history include Mario Andretti, Dale Earnhardt, Jeff Gordon, Darrell Waltrip, A.J. Foyt and last year’s winner, Cristiano da Matta.(Kansas City Star)(4-20-2003)
- Rally Race: The Great Race, the longest-running cross-country vintage rally in the country, will finish July 5 at Daytona International Speedway. As many as 120 vintage automobiles — they must be at least 45 years old — are scheduled to take part in this event, which will encompass more than 4,000 miles in 16 days. The rally starts June 20 at Michigan International Speedway and will finish at DIS with a ceremony on the grid immediately prior to the Pepsi 400. Winston Cup team owner Jack Roush plans to enter one of his vintage cars in the event.(Daytona Beach News Journal)(4-20-2003)
- Labonte Motoring for a Cause UPDATE: Friday afternoon, the second Roam for a Home Ride stopped at the Ronald McDonald House in the Medical Center and there was Terry Labonte, astride his #5-branded Harley-Davidson, leading the way for 100 other riders. Riders who had paid $500 for the chance to make the three-day circuit from Corpus Christi to Austin, then through the Hill Country and into San Antonio, before returning to Corpus Christi this afternoon. Labonte and his wife, Kim, recently had begun discussing which charity to help when a friend, Randy Hicks, called from Corpus Christi. Hicks had spent time in the Houston Ronald McDonald House while his girlfriend’s son underwent open heart surgery. Hicks was looking for a way to help raise funds for the Corpus Christi Ronald McDonald House and Labonte was quick to say yes.(San Antonia Express)(4-19-2003)
UPDATE: In town [Corpis Christi, TX] this weekend for the Second Annual Terry Labonte/Ronald McDonald House “Roam for a Home” benefit, Labonte said the results of the second season working with crew chief Jim Long is giving the Kellogg’s Chevrolet team optimism. “We should’ve had about five (top 10s),” Labonte said. “We’ve been running in the top 10 the last four weeks in a row. We’ve only had one finish in the top 10 but they all should have been there.” Long agreed. “We’ve had good cars for the last three weeks in a row and got caught up in other people’s wrecks,” Long told NASCAR.com after the Aaron’s 499. “We know we’ve got good cars and we keep working hard. Everybody back at the shop – everybody – is working hard.” Thus, this could be a pivotal year in Labonte’s career. Since winning his second points title in 1996, Labonte has experienced a steady decline in the point standings, dropping from sixth in 1997 to 24th last season. That could go a long way toward stemming discussion of his retirement, talk of which draws a wry smile from the 46-year-old Labonte. “I’ll give you the same answer I give them: I’ve got a plan as to what I’m going to do,” Labonte said, “but I’m not going to tell you.”(Caller-Times)(4-20-2003) - Barrett Keeping Busy During Off Weekend: Stanton Barrett will take a much deserved weekend off as driver of the #60 OdoBan Ford this weekend, as the Busch Series has an off-weekend due to the Easter Holiday. Barrett will be traveling to New York City to briefly step back into his 15-year career as a Hollywood stuntman by working on the Spider-Man movie sequel, called The Amazing Spiderman. The movie is due to be released July 2, 2004. Barrett, who posted a season’s best sixth-place finish last weekend at Nashville Superspeedway, will do some stunt doubling for James Franco. Franco will play the role of Harry Osborn, the son of the villainous Green Goblin from the first Spider-Man movie. Barrett will be back on track next weekend when the NASCAR Busch Series comes to Barrett’s home track, California Speedway.(Roush Racing PR)(4-20-2003)
- Stewart 13th Friday UPDATE Wins on Saturday: Tony Stewart finished 13th in the 100-lap USAC National/Western CRA Midget main event that was slowed by 14 caution flags and won by J.J. Yeley of Phoenix. The race, which featured 36 drivers, was the opening event of the Fred Gerhardt Open-Wheel Classic at Madera Speedway on Friday night, which drew a crowd of about 3,500. Stewart was in no mood to talk about his less-than-stellar finish after the race, but prior to the event spoke about why he came to Madera.(Modesto Bee)(4-19-2003)
UPDATE: Despite being unfamiliar with the one-third mile asphalt Madera Speedway track, Tony Stewart won both the 50-lap United States Auto Club Sprints and the 50-lap SRL Supermodified. “I’m one of the last true racers,” Stewart said while addressing the near-capacity Madera Speedway crowd that came to watch him race in both events. In a thrilling Supermodified outcome, Stewart survived an early wreck — 17 cars started the race, and only six finished — and passed teammate Lonnie Adamson on the final lap out of turn 4 for the victory. Stewart’s victory in the USAC wasn’t as dramatic, but it showed his dominance. He controlled the lead for the final 30 laps. But what many fans came for — Stewart’s colorful personality — he didn’t show. Instead, he limited interaction with all fans and media as two burly bodyguards protected his pit area so he could concentrate solely on driving. As with many of Stewart’s races, hundreds of fans came to support the Winston Cup champ, while others attended to boo him.(Fresno Bee)(4-20-2003)
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