©

The Official Newsletter Of The American Auto Racing Writers and Broadcasters Association

American Auto Racing Writers & Broadcasters Association, Inc. (www.aarwba.org)“Dedicated To Increasing Media Coverage Of Motor Sports”

June 2010 Vol. 43 No. 5

In This Issue:- ALMS / AARWBA Breakfast Info Page 2

- Contest Winners Page 3

- Indy Breakfast Photos Page 5

- News & Notes Page 6

- Bob Russo Founders Award Page 8

AARWBAMedia

breakfast with theworld’s leading

sportscardrivers at

Mazda RacewayLaguna Secaprior to theAmerican Le Mans Series Monterey

presented by Patrón.

Details on Page 2

January 8, 2011AARWBA All-American Dinner Event

The banquet will be held at theTarget Chip Ganassi Racingheadquarters in Indianapolis

7777 Woodland DriveIndianapolis, IN 46278

Details in later newsletters

American Auto Racing Writers & Broadcasters Association, Inc. (www.aarwba.org)“Dedicated To Increasing Media Coverage Of Motor Sports”

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AARWBA Breakfast At ALMS Monterey

An unqualified success! Submitted by Gil Bouffard

On Friday morning, May 21st, the Mazda Hospitality Suites atMazda Raceway Laguna Seca was loaded with ALMS racingdrivers, team reps, local and national motoring press for (whatis hoped to be) the first of many AARWBA/American Le MansSeries Press Breakfasts.

The breakfast was the brainchild of AARWBA member GilBouffard (AARWBA Membership Chair and German WorldMagazine) when he instigated the idea with fellow AARWBAmembers Andy Schupack (KGPR-Porsche) and Dean Case(MAZDASPEED) during the 2009 ALMS Finale at Mazda Race-way Laguna Seca.

The idea was rather simple ie: Createan activity where ALMS competitorscould meet with members of the localand national press in a casual atmo-sphere, mix and arrange one-on-oneinterviews. Simple right? Sure it is,when you have the right people to dothe job.

Between Andy and Gil organizing theteams, drivers, reps and getting theword out to the local media and Deanorganizing the use of the Mazda Hospi-tality Suites, the breakfast went offwithout a hitch (sort of). As illustratedby the photos, we ran out of space!

I would be seriously remiss if I did not give credit to Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca's super public rela-tions director Jennifer Capasso, without whose support the breakfast would have remained just an

idea. Thank you Jennifer!

Judging by the crowd and the commentsfrom everyone who was there, it was a realsuccess.

American Auto Racing Writers & Broadcasters Association, Inc. (www.aarwba.org)“Dedicated To Increasing Media Coverage Of Motor Sports”

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Continued on next page

2009 AARWBA CONTEST WINNERS(Presented at AARWBA awards breakfast, May 29, 2010, Indianapolis, Indiana)

MOTORSPORT BOOK1. Fr. Dale Grubba, “Alan Kulwicki: Against All Odds,” Badger Books LLC2. Dave Argabright, “Fast Company,” American Scene Press3. Bob Mays, “Big Car Thunder, Vol. II,” Fastrack Publishing

NEWSPAPER NEWS WRITING 1. Keith Lair, “Brack in Driver’s Seat”, San Gabriel Valley Tribune2. Bill Sessa, “Keading Registers Heart-Stopping Win”, Napa Register3. Ron Hedger, “Sheppard Wins Rite Aid 200”, Schenectady Daily GazetteHonorable Mention: Ken de la Bastide, “Martin Wins at Chicago land”, Kokomo Tribune

NEWSPAPER FEATURE WRITING 1. Dave Argabright, “Healing Process,” National Speed Sport News2. Ron Hedger, “Got Insurance?,” National Speed Sport News3. Keith Lair, “Irwindale Drivers Feel the Pinch,” San Gabriel Valley TribuneHonorable Mention: Michael Knight, “NASCAR Drives Sales,” Arizona Republic

NEWSPAPER COLUMN WRITING1. Dave Argabright, “No Debating Kevin Doty’s Credentials”, National Speed Sport News2. Scott Walsh, “Pocono Moment Key for Johnson”, Scranton Sunday Times3. Ron Hedger, “Racers Make Annual Stop at Fonda”, National Speed Sport News

NEWSPAPER TECHNICAL WRITING 1. Scott Walsh, “Burning Rubber”, Scranton Sunday Times2. No award3. No award

MAGAZINE EVENT REPORT 1. Steve Mayer, “From Dancing Shoes to Leg Shackles”, Car & Driver2. Dave Argabright, “Steele’s 500”, Sprint Car & Midget3. Mary Bignotti-Mendez, “New Series, Same Winner”, Inside Track Motorsport NewsHonorable Mention: Larry Mason, “2009 Toyota Grand Prix”, SoPac News

MAGAZINE FEATURE WRITING1. Bill Sessa, “Goodbye Manzy”, Sprint Car & Midget2. Charles B. Camp, “The Forgotten Grand Prix”, Vintage Motorsport3. Dave Argabright, “The King of the Outlaws”, Road & TrackHonorable Mention: Bruce A. Bennett, “Bill Wilson”, Dirt Modified

MAGAZINE COLUMN WRITING1. Dave Argabright, “Earl Wagner’s Town”, Sprint Car & Midget2. Mary Bignotti-Mendez, “The Drama of Indy Qualifying”, Inside Track Motorsport News3. Louise Ann Noeth, “The First of His Kind”, Goodguys Gazette

MAGAZINE TECHNICAL WRITING1. Anne Proffit, “Speedway Power”, Race Engine Technology2. John D. Bartolomeo, “Triggering Horsepower”, Drag Racing Action3. No award

ONLINE NEWS WRITING1. Bill Sessa, “Forsberg Wins at Calistoga”, Civilwarsprints.com2. Mary Bignotti Mendez, “Ryan’s Kentucky Reign”, Mnews.com.au3. David C. Schilke, “Lorenzo Wins at Indy”, Motorsport.comHonorable Mention: Nancy Knapp Schilke, “De Ferran Takes Final Pole”, Motorsport.com

American Auto Racing Writers & Broadcasters Association, Inc. (www.aarwba.org)“Dedicated To Increasing Media Coverage Of Motor Sports”

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PHOTOGRAPHY – PRINT ACTION1. Glenn Smith, “High Flying Carl”, Sports Illustrated2. Mike Campbell, “High Flyer”, Sprint Car & Midget3. John Mahoney, “Howerton Takes a High Flyer”, Sprint Car & MidgetHonorable Mention: Jon Asher, “Kablooey!” Hot Rod Phil Rider, “Having a Fair Time”, National Speed SportNews

PHOTOGRAPHY – PRINT PEOPLE 1. Harold Hoch, “Funny Car Thunder”, Berks-Mont Newspapers2. Larry Mason, “Happiest Driver at Long Beach”, Cal Club News3. Don Figler, “Unhappy Teammates”, National Speed Sport News

PHOTOGRAPHY – ONLINE ACTION 1. Glenn Smith, “End of a Dream”, Thatsracin.com2. Louise Ann Noeth, “Inspiration’s Record Run”, Landspeedproductions.biz3. David Moulthrop, “Uncontrolled Flight”, E-gater.comHonorable Mention: Kay Presto, “JFR Power at Pomona”, Carsandcompetition.com

PHOTOGRAPHY - ONLINE PEOPLE 1. Anne Proffit, “Dario Franchitti Portrait”, Paddocktalk.com2. Glenn Smith, “Old Nemeses Reunite”, Thatsracin.com3. Jon Asher, “Dancin’ on the Roof”, Competitionplus.com

TV EVENT COVERAGE 1. No award 2. No award 3. No awardHonorable Mention: Hector Cademartori and Pedro Serramalera, “Star Mazda Laguna Seca”, Speed ChannelLatin America

RADIO FEATURE PROGRAM1. Dick Sisich, “NHRA Infineon Reports”, KNTY 2. No award 3. No award

PODCAST/WEBCAST1. Michael Knight, “The Race Reporters”, Voiceamerica.com2. Dick Sisich, “Remembering Eric Medlen”, Infineonraceway.com3. No award

JUDGESNewspaper Feature Writing, Online Feature Writing – Ken de la Bastide, Kokomo (Ind.) Tribune, BallState UniversityPhotography (all) – Prof. Emeritus Susan Fleck, Pulliam School of Journalism, Franklin (Ind.) College Radio,Podcast/Webcast – Prof. Joel Cramer, Pulliam School of Journalism, Franklin (Ind.) College TV – Rafael San-chez, consumer reporter, WRTV-6Newspaper News Writing, Newspaper Column Writing, Magazine Event Reporting, Magazine ColumnWriting, Online News Writing, Online Column, Professional Racing Web Site – Prof. Emeritus Jerry Miller,Pulliam School of Journalism, Franklin (Ind.) College, & AARWBA Contest ChairmanMagazine Feature Writing – Brian Smith, free-lance magazine editor/writerNewspaper Technical Writing, Magazine Technical Writing, Online Technical Writing – Ron Lemasters(Sr.), AARWBA Midwest Vice PresidentWeb Log Entry – Prof. Dennis Cripe, Pulliam School of Journalism, Franklin (Ind.) College Motorsport Book --Jerry Miller, AARWBA Contest Chairman; Ron Lemasters (Sr.), AARWBA Midwest Vice President

(All judging was essentially “blind”, except in the Book, Radio, Television, and Podcast/Webcast categories.)

2009 AARWBA CONTEST WINNERS

American Auto Racing Writers & Broadcasters Association, Inc. (www.aarwba.org)“Dedicated To Increasing Media Coverage Of Motor Sports”

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2009 AARWBA Indy Breakfast PhotosPhotos by Kay Nichols and Anne Proffit

Mario Romancini from Brazil,the fastest rookie qualifier

explains his race day strategy atthe annual AARWBA breakfast.

He finished 13th.

Townsend Bell,racing theHerbalife Ganassi car, ran

as high as seventh andfinished 16th. It was his

fourth Indy 500.

Dan Partel explaining the new DeltaWing Racing Car that he hopes will be

picked for the IndyRacing Series events.

Awards Chairman Dick Mittmanpresents the Angelo Angelopolous

Memorial Award for sportsmanship to team owner John Barnes.

Dick Mittman, Jay Howard (the Jigger Sirois AwardWinner) and Jigger Sirois.

Rookie driver Ana Beatriz fromBrazil, and now living in

Indianapolis, finished 21stin her first Indy 500.

American Auto Racing Writers & Broadcasters Association, Inc. (www.aarwba.org)“Dedicated To Increasing Media Coverage Of Motor Sports”

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Honda's Manager of Motorsports,T.E. McHale, welcomes AARWBA membersand guests to the annual AARWBA breakfast

at Indy. Honda and Firestone were theSponsors of the breakfast.

T.E. also explained that Honda wascelebrating 100 victories at Indy.

Kaci Lientz Named OverpeckScholarship Winner

By Ron LeMastersKaci Lientz, a junior at Indiana State University, has beennamed recipient of the 2010 David Overpeck MemorialScholarship, presented annually by the American AutoRacing Writers and Broadcasters Association.She is a communications major with a public relationsemphasis and a motorsports management minor."Obviously, I want to work in racing and I'd really like tobe involved in public relations for a NASCAR driver orteam," she said. "Racing has been a family interest for aslong as I can remember. My Dad is an Indianapolis 500fan and Mom is a NASCAR fan, so we have all been tothe 500 and the Brickyard 400 and to many other racetracks."

Kaci, the daughter of Melinda and Raman Lientz, is agraduate of Rockville High School. Kaci attended theUniversity of Indianapolis for one semester, but trans-ferred to Indiana State after learning that ISU had a dragracing team that offered hands-on experience in her areaof career interest.Kaci is currently in an internship with the United StatesAuto Club (USAC) and has been accepted an internshipin 2011 with NASCAR Kinetics. The NASCAR program,begun in 2009, is a “marketing in motion” experience thatis offered on five college campuses nationwide.Kaci, accompanied by her parents, received the $1,000scholarship Saturday at the annual AARWBA Indy 500breakfast.The Overpeck Scholarship is presented by AARWBA inmemory of longtime Indianapolis Star motorsports writerDavid Overpeck, who was an organizer and past-presi-dent of AARWBA. An enthusiastic supporter of mediarights in the motorsports arena, Overpeck succumbed tocancer in 1988 at age 46.

Al Speyer, Executive Director,Bridgestone Americas Motorsports,

welcomes AARWBA members and guestsat the annual AARWBA Indy Breakfast

L to R. Ron Lemasters, AARWBA Midwest Vice President,Karen Overpeck (Dave's widow), Kaci Lientz, and her parents

Melinda and Raman Lientz.

American Auto Racing Writers & Broadcasters Association, Inc. (www.aarwba.org)“Dedicated To Increasing Media Coverage Of Motor Sports”

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Spectacular Indy Accident Photos

Photos by Scott Richardsonwww.scottrichardsonphotography.com

Notice To All SouthernCalifornia MembersMARK YOUR CALENDAR

The time is ripe for you to clean out all yourresearch files and turn them into CASH!The time and place to do it is as a vendor at the“Automotive History Expo” (aka: The AnnualLiterature Fair) scheduled for Sunday, June 27 atThe Automobile Driving Museum (ADM).

The facility is located at 610 Lairport Street, veryclose to LAX, three short blocks south of ImperialHighway and one block east of Sepulveda Boule-vard. The location is very convenient to the I-105freeway, the express route to LAX from all over LosAngeles.The vendor set-up hours run from 7 am to 9 am.Selling hours are from 9 am to 3 pm. There are ta-bles and chairs available to rent at a moderate feein case you do not want to cram your own into theSUV. Food service in the form of an on-site BBQwill be available on a cost per item basis. In addi-tion, the ADM Restoration Shop will be open forviewing.

ADM is a unique museum which is home to nearseventy automobiles of all types and ages restoredto showroom condition. In the current attraction is adisplay of the work of the noted designer “Dutch”Darrin. There is no admission cost for buyers to theExpo however a request for a $5 donation to viewthe museum collection is requested.The event is not a Swap Meet and is restricted toliterature, photos, die cast models and auto art ob-jects only.

MICHAEL KNIGHT CELEBRATESTHE RACE REPORTERS ONE

YEAR ANNIVERSARYOn Wednesday June 9th AARWBA memberMichael Knight celebrated his one-yearanniversary of "The Race Reporters", at 7 p.m. EDT, onthe PowerUpChannel.com.John Force was the Newsmaker guest on Knight’s veryfirst show and he returned Wednesday on June 9th, alongwith the original media panelists, Paul Page and JonAsher, for the anniversary program."TRR" recently was awarded first place in the Best Pod-cast category in the 2009 AARWBA journalism competi-tion and is the top-rated show on the Power Up channel.“Thanks to all who have helped and listened in the firstyear,” said Knight.

American Auto Racing Writers & Broadcasters Association, Inc. (www.aarwba.org)“Dedicated To Increasing Media Coverage Of Motor Sports”

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BOB RUSSO FOUNDERS AWARDPRESENTED TO BILL YORK

Bill York, whose half-century of work in the Indianapolis Motor Speed-way media center earned him the respect and friendship of journalistsfrom around the world, Saturday was honored with the Bob RussoFounders Award for dedication to auto racing.

The award was presented to York by Russo Award committee chairmanBill Marvel during the annual American Auto Racing Writers and Broad-casters Association breakfast meeting at the Speedway.

Bob Russo, for whom the award is named, was one of the foremost his-torians the sport has ever known. He earned a niche in the sport as areporter for Speed Age magazine in the 1950’s and was instrumental inthe early formation of the United States Auto Club (USAC). In 1955 he

founded AARWBA and his expertise soonbecame a valuable asset to racing facilitiesand teams as a public relations director atRiverside International Raceway in the1970’s and also at Ontario Motor Speedwayin California. In 1985 he orchestrated publici-ty for Danny Sullivan, who won that year’sIndianapolis 500. He also served stints aspublicist for the National Hot Rod Association(NHRA) and Mickey Thompson Enterprises.He died in 1999 at age 71.

York began working in the Speedway pressroom in 1958. As a popular goodwill ambas-sador with journalists, York filled many roles,including gathering statistics and managingthe media center through 2008. He was in-strumental in creating the Stark & WetzelIndy 500 Rookie of the Year award.

York has also worked in the NBA IndianapolisPacers and NFL Indianapolis Colts mediarooms. The Pacers' media center is named in his honor.

Previous Russo Award winners include: 2005 - Michael Knight; 2006 - Wally Parks; 2007 - ChrisEconomaki; 2008 - Bo b Jenkins; 2009 - Shav Glick. A permanent plaque with all winners' names ison display in the Speedway media center. The award is sponsored by Collene and Gary Campbell,the sister and brother-in-law of the late Mickey Thompson.

Charter Member Bill Marvel (L) presented former INDYMedia Center head Bill York with the Bob Russo Founder'sAward at the AARWBA breakfast. Russo was AARWBA's

first president in 1955.