plus 3, Todd Williams: Stock show or Sturgis? - Rapid City Journal |
- Todd Williams: Stock show or Sturgis? - Rapid City Journal
- Racing With Inspiration: Meet Candace Munzy, NASCAR Late Model Driver - Bleacherreport.com
- Gentlemen, start your engines; World of Wheels is the (tire) gauge for ... - Wichita Falls Times Record News
- Mobilityworks Acquires Accubuilt Mobility Commercial Vans - Wiredpr News
Todd Williams: Stock show or Sturgis? - Rapid City Journal Posted: 05 Feb 2010 08:33 AM PST Message from fivefilters.org: If you can, please donate to the full-text RSS service so we can continue developing it. The cowboy rally. That's what the Black Hills Stock Show & Rodeo is known as on the second floor of the Rapid City Journal. So it wasn't a surprise in one of our early January meetings when the editor inadvertently called it "the Rally" in lining up coverage for the annual event. The stock show and the rally, on the surface, are about as far apart as two top-tier events in a community can be. Six months apart, drawing from virtually exclusive clientele and each reaching for vastly different slices of the American Dream, they do share one HUGE commonality: they have long been a part of the lifeblood of the Black Hills economy. Now, in my younger years, if asked which I would rather attend and/or cover for the newspaper, it was a slam dunk. The legend of the Sturgis motorcycle rally, with its tales of wild days and wilder nights had been instilled in me since my teenage years in the early 1980s. The stock show, in comparison, seemed a bit bland. But as I've aged, the luster of the rally has worn off considerably and the stock show, though certainly no wild thrill ride in itself, has certainly become more attractive. It won't make many folks' "Things you have to see before you die" lists, and the food, the sounds, the smells and certainly the images are nowhere near as exotic as its odd second-cousin from the Northern Hills. But the stock show certainly seems to be the more earnest of gatherings, one in which you don't have to second guess what or who the person "really is." All of this is why I can now make the case for why one could consider the Stock Show no longer the lesser of the two events. Of course, come August, I'll likely make the contrary argument. But for now ... 13 reasons the Black Hills Stock Show & Rodeo is better than the Sturgis Rally. - Inappropriate fashion at the stock show usually just means the lack of a cowboy hat or buttoned down white shirt, and unlike Sturgis, it NEVER involves spandex. - Cowboys are 62.73 percent more likely to use turn signals while in traffic and 99.8 percent less likely to try and pass you on the shoulder or in between vehicles. - It's rare you find local and federal police chasing down a Stetson-wearing cowboy through Memorial Park for his involvement in a drive-by or other form of nefarious violence. - Three simple words: "No" ".38" "Special" - All of those that are leather-clad, grouchy, pierced and tattooed at the Stock Show are kept away from the general public, except when they are being ridden by professional bull riders. - Child-friendly events at the Stock Show: stick-horse rodeo, petting zoo, mutton bustin', etc. Child-friendly events at the Sturgis Rally: the parental human hand blindfold, the parental palm earmuffs and the always-fun hour-long discussion on other common uses for the middle finger than that seen extended by fun-loving rallygoers. - Although hotel and motel rates during the Stock Show generally aren't basement bargain, they sure beat Sturgis Rally rates that put the "ow!" in gouge. - After trailering their "rides" to the big event, the cowboys one-horse engines make a lot less noise than the "loud pipes save lives" growl of the H-Ds. - Cowboys tend to leave most of their stink behind at the civic center or the Pennington County Events Center. - The growth of the stock show doesn't have individuals in the outlying areas of Rapid City (like, maybe, Rapid Valley) worrying any more about potential annexation than for any other reasons than the standards. - The only time the question of colors comes into play in admitting folks into establishments during the Stock Show run is when the question arises whether non-blue denim is fancy enough to be considered formal wear. - You won't find most rodeo queens featured at the stock show on any calendars in auto mechanics' shops or behind Internet paywalls, and besides that, they generally have normal, healthy relationships with all forms of vegetables and produce. - There's all kinds of critters at the Stock Show - steers, cows, chickens, ferrets, sheepdogs - you name it, it's likely there. All the rally really has to offer is a whole lotta Hogs!
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Racing With Inspiration: Meet Candace Munzy, NASCAR Late Model Driver - Bleacherreport.com Posted: 05 Feb 2010 07:50 AM PST Message from fivefilters.org: If you can, please donate to the full-text RSS service so we can continue developing it. No matter the division or the faces comprising the large fields of any given stock car league, there are numerous stories that accompany these heroes of the track. Some have relatively easy paths to success while others struggle for years until they finally experience the absolute highest moment of their careers. Candace Munzy's story is one that involves family, determination, and sheer focus with her stock car experience. As a regular competitor in the NASCAR Late Model Divisions and Pro Series across the states, this young woman knew her destiny at a relatively young age. Having surrounded herself with cars and motorsports for as long as she could remember, it was all just a matter of working toward her goal to become a racer. Whether she was drag racing with the boys after school or tinkering with cars at her father's gas station in Oklahoma, there was only one cure for this illness that Munzy had: NASCAR racing. Fast speeds on the brink of losing control? No problem. Munzy absolutely lives the sport through the passion of a fan and the heart and soul of a racer, highly-spirited and confident about achieving her dreams and aspirations. With all the support she gets from her family and friends, Munzy knows it is a sport that requires everyone's devotion and guidance along the way. It's a guy's sport, right? Nope. There's no doubt that she knows that this sport is for any one with skills and a love for exciting, side-by-side action at tracks of various degrees and elements that can get the best of a seasoned veteran. She is absolutely here to stay and to make it for the long run. Why race? Because there's nothing like victory of all kinds! Last Saturday night at Irwindale, Calif., racing fans across the globe and at the track were introduced to new names and faces of NASCAR in the Toyota Showdown. One of those new names included Munzy, who piloted the No. 62 West Coast Choppers/K&N Filters Chevrolet Monte Carlo SS owned by Jamee Price. Running a good, clean race just outside the top-10, Munzy's solid performance was derailed by a late-race accident that took her out of contention. Despite that disappointment, her performance in "The Daytona 500 of Tomorrow's Stars" shows that there is much potential and promise with this budding stock car star. When Munzy makes it to the Cup Series, remember where she came from in 2010. As she often does in attributing her successes and lessons in life, this Oklahoma City native always reflects on how her family and supporters have always remained by her side. Her journey to the Sprint Cup series will be one to talk about in the coming years. Don't mistaken Munzy as just a pretty face who gets to race. This talented driver has the stats that indicate that wins are just around the corner, logging in seven top-fives, 55 top-10s, and 92 top-20 finishes in 94 starts throughout her five-year career across various stock car ranks. Also, she knocked on the door of Victory Lane, including a runner-up at Hickory Speedway last August. Every year, Munzy keeps on diggin' as they say in NASCAR, knowing that believing in herself and the people around her can go a long way between finishing up front or placing in the rear of the field. With remarkable improvement every year, it's a matter of time until the top-three national series has Munzy as a regular competitor for their championship quests. After interviewing this incredible young sensation, Munzy reminds me of why we should keep at our dreams, no matter the difficulties and set backs we experience along the way. With strength and courage like she has, about anything we have in our mind can be accomplished, no matter how long it takes. It is my absolute pleasure to bring B/R Nation yet another exclusive interview with one of today's prospects of NASCAR, who all have a story to tell us. Enjoy getting to know Candace Munzy, who will surely be racing at a local short track near you! Rob Tiongson: Last Saturday night's Toyota Showdown at Irwindale, Calif. introduced NASCAR fans to some new faces that are certainly becoming household names like yourself. Tell the B/R Nation a bit about yourself. Also, tell us how you started your racing career. Candace Munzy: I rented a Mechanix Wear Speed Truck from Tom Merritt at the Bullring in Las Vegas, starting 39th and finishing 14th in 2002. I couldn't wait to race again. I met Del Dalrymple who helped me learn about racecars and how to race Late Models at Mesa Marin Speedway, Orange Show, and Irwindale Speedway, CA. Then, I moved and set up shop in Mooresville, NC, the heart of racing, which I couldn't be happier. This place is a racer's heaven on earth! RT: Just glimpsing over your biography on your website, you seem to be a very determined young woman. Did you catch the racing bug at an early age or was it something you realized you wanted to pursue as you got older? CM: I grew up going to the local dirt track and always loved the roaring of the motors and intense speed. Since I was four, that's truly what I wanted to do. In high school, I worked at my dad's Texaco and loved to get dirty working on cars. I got a motorcycle when I was 14. Then at 16, when I got my driver's license, I drag raced all the boys around town and rarely go beat. I put my dreams deep in my heart until I got older and wanted to pursue it to see where it would take me. I wanted this more than anything ever before. RT: Currently, you compete in the NASCAR Late Model Divisions, racing at venues like Orange County Speedway, Tri-County, and Hickory. Certainly those aren't your easy, pedestrian-like tracks to race at. How do you prepare yourself to tackle some of America's toughest and competitive short tracks? CM: I work out vigorously! Run go-karts when I can with my Crew Chief, L.W. Miller, work at the shop to get everything prepared and up and keep the cars to go racing. We try to test at least once a week! I play my NASCAR game on PlayStation, not as much as I'd like, and stay focused and work on becoming the best racer I can be. RT: You grew up in Oklahoma City, which seems to be in a region where some of the newest racing sensations seem to reside in or have lived at in some point in their lives. Did you have any heroes in auto racing from the region? CM: Joe Madore and Wolfgang were my favorite sprint car drivers to watch when I was younger. RT: Off the track, what do you enjoy doing most? Are there any particular things you like to do to balance out the intensity of a race weekend? CM: I love my cardio kickboxing, water skiing, and honestly, mowing my yard seems to relax my mind. It's my yard and it is very peaceful. I have a symphony of crickets to listen to every night! Also, I love to hangout with my Newfoundland big dog "Sir Drake Alexander." He's the joy of my life! RT: Going back to the Showdown at Irwindale, how was it like to go out there to race against the likes of Joey Logano, Steve Park, Matt Kobylock, Jason Bowles and Ryan Truex? CM: First, it's always a pleasure to go back to one of my home tracks like Irwindale and see all the familiar faces. It was fun and I was excited to be racing with that kind of talent. But I know in my heart I can run with these boys. They are drivers just like me and I feel that if they can do it, so can I. RT: Some racers say that when they're out on the track, they experience some fear in their cars at full speed. Others say that those who feel scared behind the wheel don't belong out there. As for you, are you a no fear, let's race no matter what type of driver, or do you keep the danger factor in the back of your mind? RT: Having progressed your way up the Late Models Division of NASCAR, what are your short-term goals with your career, as well as long-term expectations? CM: My dream season this year would be to run some NASCAR K&N East or West Series as well as Pro Cup Series, a bit of ARCA, and in between all that, run my Late Model Stock to ensure that I am getting as much seat time as I can. My future plans are to make it the NASCAR Cup Series and truly race with the big boys. RT: While we have made some huge progress over the past decades with women in racing, I'm sure you've had your share of disbelievers and naysayers who might tell you, "But this is a man's sport! NASCAR isn't for women!" What do you tell those people in response as a way to say, "Well, this is for any racer, no matter the race or gender?" CM: They are entitled to their opinion, but I am here to prove them wrong! RT: Free Association time here for you, Candace...it's the ultimate test for you! Well, maybe not, but we shall see. Tell me the first thing that comes to your mind with the following, alright? God. CM: LOVE. CM: Means everything to me! RT: Perseverance. CM: Always. RT: NASCAR. CM: My dream that I will succeed (at). RT: Confidence. CM: Yes, yes, yes I can! RT: West Coast Choppers. CM: My buddy Jesse James. RT: A good day is... CM: ...breathe & live another day! RT: Struggles. CM: Life is what you make it! RT: Best music to me is... CM: ...country. RT: If I wasn't a racer, I'd be.... CM: ...not an option!!! RT: Life. CM: Love and happiness. RT: Place you'd like to visit. CM: Caribbean. RT: Now some drivers out there have a post-race victory celebratory routine, such as burnouts, flips or the Polish Victory Lap. What would be your sort of trademark move when you win? CM: Kneel and give a kiss to God for allowing me to live my dreams, and spring to my feet, waving to my fans! RT: Having been racing for some time, what has been the greatest advice that anyone has given you? CM: Work hard, race hard, and one day it will all just click! Five Filters featured article: Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction. |
Posted: 05 Feb 2010 07:00 AM PST Message from fivefilters.org: If you can, please donate to the full-text RSS service so we can continue developing it. ![]() TIMES RECORD NEWS FILE ART International Show Car Association vehicles will compete at the World of Wheels Friday to Sunday at the MPEC Exhibit Hall. When the World of Wheels makes the rounds, it will do so with a patriotic theme this weekend. The event, never one to tread lightly, will pay tribute to America with the inclusion of the Heroes Truck owned by Dale Ison — a work of art on wheels, complete with airbrushed images of firemen, emergency medical personnel, policemen and eagles in flight by artist Micky Harris. "It includes hand airbrushed scenes of everything from Iwo Jima to Desert Storm to 9-11," said Julie Coley, longtime World of Wheels chairman with her husband, Jeff, and Eddie Smith. "Every inch has something painted on it ... We got to see it recently. It's just awesome. It's inspiring." It's just one of the eye-wowing vehicles that will be at the World of Wheels, which will get car fans' motors running today to Sunday at the Multi-Purpose Events Center's Ray Clymer Exhibit Hall. The Heroes Truck is dedicated to anyone who is part of "America's team," and cost about $650,000 to build — $60,000 for the engine alone — with about 2,000 hours of work put into the paint job. In addition to the Heroes Truck, military personnel will be admitted free into the show tonight only, said Coley, but they must be in uniform, no exceptions. The World of Wheels is, simply, car show manna. Muscle cars and rat rods, Corvettes and hot rods, motorcycles and tricycles, if it runs on wheels, you'll likely find it at this automotive show car extravaganza. The big show, of course, includes the vehicles parked on the main floor of the Exhibit Hall. They're vying for bragging rights in the International Show Car Association competition. Members of the association enter their cars in various ISCA competitions around the country in hopes of garnering enough points to make it to the finals. This, of course, means good things for car lovers. Show cars are just that — meant for show, meaning the ISCA competitive cars are some beauties, with stunning paint jobs and chrome so shiny that you'll need sunglasses. Car owners spends tens of thousands, sometimes hundreds of thousands, of dollars to restore these cars and get them ready for competition. "We've got cars from as far away as Missouri," said Coley, who added that while some of the same cars come through the show circuit every year, "This year we have more variety — just more new cars and competitors who are showing for the first time. New people are just coming out of the woodwork." In addition to the ISCA competition, a number of local car clubs will cruise to the World of Wheel to show off their rides, such as the Wichita County Corvette Club Association. "And the local rat rod club will be there, the Road Devils Rat Rod Club." Coley said a rat rod is an old car that, unlike show cars, are not spiffed and chromed up. They've kept their original patina, let's say, and are meant to imitate early hot rods from decades ago, so they appear to be unfinished. "A rat rod is an old car. Remember Archie (from the comic strip), he had that old jalopy ... but they're made to look old and used ..." While it's nice to see static displays of cars, it's always good to get a little revved up. Mini sprint races will go on Saturday and Sunday in the neighboring J.S. Bridwell Center, to fulfill your need for speed. Vendors aplenty will be at the show, too (yes, you'll find some die cast collectibles), and groups like Bikers Against Child Abuse, will tell World of Wheels-goers about their organization. Of course, the World of Wheels won't only be brimming with cars. Children at the show will want to cruise on over to see SpongeBob SquarePants and Dora the Explorer, who will make appearances throughout the weekend. And Artie Wood and McGruff the Crime Dog will visit with young attendees, as well. Wood will be selling chances for a drawing for various donated items to raise funds for McGruff. Two of the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders, Meagan McVey and Justine Hillins, will be in meet-and-greet mode, while Danny Cahill, winner of Season 8 of "The Biggest Loser," will be at the event, as well. Cahill lost 239 pounds, down from his original 430, to win the reality show competition. His appearance is from 1-3 p.m. Sunday. Also, football player Jordan Shipley, a record-breaking receiver from Texas, will sign autographs, as well. He'll be at the show from 2-4 p.m. Saturday. The World of Wheels is one of those not-to-miss annual events, first debuting in Wichita Falls in 1979 at the Activities Center. When construction was completed on the MPEC, it became the first big event at the Ray Clymer Exhibit Hall. Over the past 31 years, the show has brought to Wichita Falls everything from the Batmobile as well as the General Lee Dodge Charger from "The Dukes of Hazzard," to KITT from "Knight Rider," cars from the film "The Fast and the Furious," along with appearances by Jay Novacek and Bill Bates of the Dallas Cowboys and film stars from "American Graffiti and "Home Improvement." The World of Wheels will add to that tradition this weekend as it makes the rounds one more time. Five Filters featured article: Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction. |
Mobilityworks Acquires Accubuilt Mobility Commercial Vans - Wiredpr News Posted: 05 Feb 2010 07:29 AM PST Message from fivefilters.org: If you can, please donate to the full-text RSS service so we can continue developing it. MobilityWorks, the leading manufacturer of commercial wheelchair vans andambulettes has acquired Accubuilt Mobility, the nation's second largest manufacturer, from parent company Accubuilt, Inc. (Lima, OH). The addition of Accubuilt Mobility will expand MobilityWorks' production of new Ford E-Series raised roof mobility vans, cutaway shuttle buses and other custom ordered vehicles. "This transaction enables MobilityWorks to rapidly expand our presence in a growing market," said Taylor Clark, MobilityWorks Principal and executive in charge of the company's commercial business segment. MobilityWorks vans are equipped with lifts and other adaptive equipment for transporting people in wheelchairs and able-bodied passengers. The company also provides special use custom vans such as medical equipment haulers and prisoner transport vans. An additional $7 to $8 million in sales revenue is expected for MobilityWorks as a result of the acquisition. MobilityWorks reported annual revenues of $66 million in 2009, counting its consumer retail sales coming from 13 dealer showroom locations in 7 states. The company is expected to add 30 new jobs, including sales and production positions, with all manufacturing taking place at the MobilityWorks production facility on Wilbeth Road in Akron, OH. MobilityWorks' corporate headquarters is located approximately 8 miles north of the facility, also in Akron. New to MobilityWorks' vehicle offerings is the Ford Transit Connect Mobility Van, which the company started modifying toward the later half of last year. The Transit Connect was recently named North American Truck of the Year at the International Auto Show and will be on display by MobilityWorks at the National Mobility Equipment Dealers Association (NMEDA) Annual Conference in Reno, NV this February. Adding to excitement generated by the Accubuilt Mobility acquisition and the Transit Connect, a modified wheelchair accessible motorcycle is being launched by the company called The Mobility Conquest. "The Transit Connect and Conquest Motorcycles are generating a lot of interest", said Guy Hanford, Director of Marketing for MobilityWorks Consumer Vans. "Both of these new products are getting daily inquiries." In addition to retaining most of the Accubuilt Mobility sales staff, MobilityWorks announced that Roger Vartanian has been named Vice President of West Coast Commercial Operations. Mr. Vartanian, who has been the Vice President of Sales at Accubuilt Mobility since 2007, brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to the MobilityWorks team. Many people still refer to the Vartanian name when describing certain types of wheelchair, shuttle and executive style vans. His father founded Vartanian Industries, which later became part of Accubuilt, Inc. in 2002. "It's a family legacy that I'm very proud to have," said Mr.Vartanian. MobilityWorks enjoys bailment pool status with Ford Motor Company, allowing the company to order vehicle chassis directly from Ford. MobilityWorks is also a Ford Quality Vehicle Modifier (QVM), a designation currently bestowed by Ford Motor Company to only 11 qualified conversion companies (a.k.a. 'upfitters') in the United States. About MobilityWorks MobilityWorks was started in 1997 by Bill Koeblitz, MobilityWorks President/CEO and Taylor Clark with the acquisition of New Era, a single location, $500,000 per year business that installed wheelchair lifts in full-sized vans. Since then, MobilityWorks has become a significant leader in the mobility industry with outstandingworkmanship, unsurpassed customer service and a commitment to providing quality products. The NMEDAQAP Certified company has approximately 200 employees nationwide and 13 consumer showroom locations in the states of CA, IL, MI, NY, OH, PA and WI. Its latest store opening was in Skokie, IL at the beginning of 2010. They are listed by INC Magazine as a 2009 INC 5000 company with a 65% growth rate. They have been selected as a Weatherhead 100 Company for the past 6 straight years, an annual award honoring successful companies in Northeast Ohio. Bill Koeblitz and Taylor Clark were also named to Ernst & Young's Top 10 Entrepreneur of the Year in 2005. For more information about MobilityWorks, please visit www.mobilityworks.com. Press Contact: Guy Hanford Online Business News Press Release Distribution - WiredPRNews.com Five Filters featured article: Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
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