Recreational Racers Feeling The Effects Of Higher Fuel Prices

At the present time, most of us are feeling the effects of higher fuel prices. Whether you're driving an economical four-banger, or a gas addicted SUV chances are you're paying more per fill-up than you did even a few months ago. However, some of us get hit twice, or more, because of the hobbies we enjoy. Such is the case with the people who engage in the various types of autoracing. Oftentimes, they use race fuel which at some tracks has moved up to $10 per gallon.

With the Memorial Day weekend right around the corner, many folks will be heading to local lakes and rivers.

The good news: Gas prices at various marinas are not that far out of step from what motorists pay at the pump. But if your hobby is car racing, that's a different story.

Weekend racers have to take a heavy gulp before they fill up these days, WLKY television in Louisville, Ky., reported.

Sunoco racing fuel at the Salem Speedway costs an eye-popping $7.75 a gallon.

"We've seen a pretty dramatic increase ourselves. Just in the last week we saw a 40-cent increase from our supplier," said Aaron Baum of Baum Racing Supply. "But we're still a reasonable priced gas compared to other race tracks across the country. We're seeing upwards of $10 at some race tracks."

The double hit comes when the racers trailer the car to track because they're paying to get it there and back, and also to run it at the event. Eventhough the prices seem high, they've increased in line with the way regular fuel has for the most part. Five years ago those same racers were probably paying between $3-$4 per gallon for race fuel, and $1.60-$2.00 for non-race gas. And to think that racing used to be considered an expensive hobby. Now it's become an extravagant one.

Fastest Florida Students Just Not Fast Enough

I blogged about this on Friday, and was really looking forward to seeing how it all played out on Saturday. For the most part, it was a cool, though gimmicky, race event.

The first two heats with Deonte Thompson and Louis Murphy went off without a hitch. Thompson really looked like a man amongst boys in his race, beating the challengers handily. Murphy's race was a little closer, and caused Coach Meyer to joke that he needed to recruit the student in the red shorts(Bolaji Agbede) because of how well he ran.

Then came Chris Rainey's heat which had been pumped up the entire time because supposedly it had the fastest students in it. However, it ended up being the most disappointing heat because it didn't run very smoothly. First, Rainey false started. Then, he didn't leave the line at all when the students took off. Instead, he left a short while later and ran by himself. Then ESPN cut to a commercial, and no one got to see the real final race when Rainey lined up against the students and beat all of them. Leaving most with the impression that the coaching staff had been too scared to let Rainey race the students one on four. Though, that wasn't the case, and Rainey apparently didn't have any trouble beating them.

Even with his leg shaking because he was so nervous, Rainey, who ran a 40 alone before the final try, blew past everyone and crossed the line with a time of 4.24 seconds — the fastest time recorded during Meyer's tenure at UF.

“My goal was going for a 4.1,” Rainey said of his time. “I'm still working hard and I'm still trying to get it.”

Rainey might want to improve his time, but his competition was more than impressed with what they saw.

“All I know is we were still running and he had already crossed the line,” said Jeff Mesadieu, a criminology sophomore. “I knew he would smoke everybody. No one is in shape like he is. I was just trying to get through it.”

So no one won a scholarship, but Coach Meyer is still going to look at some of the students who performed well to see if they're walk-on material.

Meyer said he is planning to take a second look at a couple students to see if they have football scholarship material.

“We give more scholarships to walk-ons than any program in America,” Meyer said. “Every year, I probably give three out. I had a couple guys come up and ask me and we're going to certainly look at them.

All in all, it was a good opening for the Blue and Orange game, and showcased the University of Florida's football program in a positive light.

Beat The Fastest Gators, Win A Scholarship

When I attended the University of Florida, I heard stories about how some of my new classmates/friends/etc. were great high school athletes. How they could have had a full ride to some college, but they didn't want to go to school there or they got injured at some point. No doubt, some of them were indeed standouts in their respective sports. Unfortunately, none of them were given the opportunity to win a full scholarship by beating a Florida football player in a 40-yard dash.

Though, these aren't just any Florida football players. They are some of, if not the fastest guys on the team. It's a group that includes Chris Rainey, Deonte Thompson and Louis Murphy. Now, Rainey and Thompson are well known burners. They were highly sought after recruits, and Rainey even has a few parking lot wins against Noel Devine under his belt. However, Murphy might be the fastest out of the group. At least he was last summer.

Florida wide receivers Andre Caldwell and Percy Harvin have this thing about speed, and debating who's the fastest player on the team. When they start talking smack about it (which apparently is often), Louis Murphy dishes out the line that ends the argument.

Continue to 2nd paragraph "I just tell them to look at the board," Murphy said.

The board Murphy refers to is the one hanging in the UF weight room that lists the players with the fastest 40-yard dash times on the team. The name on top isn't Caldwell or Harvin. It's Murphy. And next to his name is the staggering time: 4.25 seconds.

"We're always talking about speed and racing each other," Murphy said. "They always say they can beat me. I tell them, "Hey, it's on the board."

Seriously? A 4.25? Murphy could take it easy the entire way, kick it on at the end and still blow out his competition. Either way, it's going to be fun to watch, and it's a great way for Urban Meyer to showcase the football program on a national stage since it's being broadcast on ESPN. And just to show you what the students are up against, here are some videos/links displaying their skills.

Chris Rainey


Deonte Thompson

Louis Murphy

Their Blackface Should Make F1 Fans Red-Faced

Obviously you can't judge an entire group by the actions of a few of its members. Especially if those few act in a way that is blatantly ignorant, and hopefully against the ideals of the majority of the group. In any case, F1 fans can't be pleased with the way that some of their brethren treated Lewis Hamilton in Barcelona.

"Lewis Hamilton says he expected a backlash from Spanish Formula One fans following his falling-out with former team-mate Fernando Alonso, but he has been shocked by the level of abuse he received on Saturday.

The McLaren driver, 23, was subjected to racist comments and was faced with a group of spectators wearing wigs, dark make-up and t-shirts with the slogan 'Hamilton's Family' on the front during pre-season testing near Barcelona. And although the Briton insisted he still loves being in Spain, he admitted he was not prepared for what occured at the Circuit de Catalunya, in Montmelo."

Apparently, fans of Fernando Alonso believe that Hamilton cost him a shot at winning a third straight F1 world title last year. Instead of booing him, or crafting a witty sign displaying their dislike, they decided to dress up in full-on blackface and yell racist remarks. As if that would somehow cause Hamilton's driving skills to suffer, and make them look like genius superfans. It sure made them look like something, but I don't think "genius" is the right word.

And all this time I thought that NASCAR would be the racing league with fans most likely to overtly display some type of racism. Who knew that the open-wheel guys and gals would venture into that territory? Actually, the saddest part is that it looks like the parents have encouraged their child to participate, and that should draw the ire of more than just the F1 fans.

The Death of A NASCAR Legend

Most of the time, when you hear that a NASCAR legend has died, you think about a famous racer. Dale Earnhardt, Davey Allison, Adam Petty are just a few of the NASCAR drivers that have had their careers cut short. Without Bill France Jr., however they probably wouldn't be as well known as they are. Bill France Jr. passed away today at the age of 74.

France took over the duties as the chairman of NASCAR from his father in 1972. He was a major reason why NASCAR became a billion dollar industry, and puts on some of the most attended events in the U.S. He was even responsible for helping build the Daytona International Speedway.

"France worked 12 hours a day, seven days a week as he drove a compactor, bulldozer and grader in the 13 months it took to build the track. He once even tried to use a mule to pull trees out of the swamps, because the motorized equipment kept getting stuck."

Under France's guidance, NASCAR grew it's TV presence(many times ranking behind only the NFL in the ratings), and expanded on an international scale with races in Canada, Mexico, Japan and Australia. He was a big part of the $2.4 billion TV contract that began in 2001, and of the numerous corporate sponsorships that NASCAR has secured over the years.
Without his leadership it's unlikely that NASCAR would have grown to the sport it is today. Jeff Burton had this to say about Bill France Jr.'s impact:

"His role in the impact of the sport has been huge," Burton said. "His personality came at a time when it was what our sport needed. I think he did an incredible job of basing his opinion on what he believed the facts to be and then having the courage to make that decision and see it through."

Bill France Jr. may be gone, but his legacy will live on forever through every driver that puts on a flamesuit and gets behind the wheel of a stockcar.