Weekly Rant by Steve Zautke 10/19/2007 Who will get the better ratings this weekend? NASCAR NEXTEL Cup at Martinsville or Formula 1 in Brazil? The answer is neither, the winner will be Helio Castroneves who is still in the hunt on ABC’s hit show on Monday night, Dancing With The Stars. The focus this weekend should be F-1. Three drivers, freshman upstart Lewis Hamilton along with McLaren teammate Fernando Alonso and Ferrari driver Kimi Räikkönen will do their best to win the World Championship. Alonso is the defending champion while Räikkönen will attempt to bring Ferrari back atop the driver’s championship. Hamilton is the big unknown, the 22-year old is the real deal, however will his youth hinder or help him become the youngest-ever World Champion? Hamilton leads Alonso by three points and Räikkönen by just seven points. Tune in to commentator’s Bob Varsha, David Hobbs and Steve Matchett on SPEED. SPEED channel’s schedule for the Brazilian Grand Prix Formula 1 finale: • Brazilian Grand Prix Practice (LIVE, Oct. 19, Noon) • Brazilian Grand Prix Qualifying (LIVE, Oct. 20, Noon) • Brazilian Grand Prix (LIVE, Oct. 21, Noon) The NASCAR “Chase” has evolved to a two-person battle as Jeff Gordon and teammate Jimmie Johnson separate themselves from Clint Bowyer and the rest of the nine. This week’s race at Martinsville Speedway will be the second there with the Car of Tomorrow. Look for Gordon and Johnson to continue their battle as they did over the final 20 laps of the last race held on April Fools day on the 0.526 mile paperclip. The smallest and slowest track on the NASCAR circuit will see all sorts of mayhem as driver’s battle between themselves and also try to save their brake pads. This weekend’s key word will be track position. The winner will have the best combination of patience (i.e. saving brakes), track position and great pit stops. Target-Chip Ganassi Racing announced the addition of 2007 Indy Pro Series Champion Alex Lloyd to the team’s Driver Development Program. Lloyd, a native of Manchester, England joins the team after a record-setting Indy Pro Series season that saw him dominate the field with eight wins and five poles positions. The team announced that it is in the developing process of the complete 2008 plan for Lloyd but it most likely it will include some combination of IndyCar series races, Grand Am races and a great deal of testing. Rumor has it that they may ‘farm’ Lloyd out to another team for the ’08 Indy Car season to gain experience. The Dreyer-Reinbold Team is the team being mentioned. National Midget Hall of Famer, Billy Engelhart sent me an e-mail, “My friend Billy Wood is struggling as we speak. He is not doing well and it looks like his cancer is finally getting the best of him. He has meant so much too so many of us for so long it is hard to think he won’t be with us all that much longer. He needs our prayers and so does his family. Please keep him in your thoughts and prayers in the next days and weeks.” Billy is one of the best drivers to come from Wisconsin. Had he decided to race full-time, he would be mentioned in the same breath as Mel Kenyon or Rich Vogler as one of the all-time best midget drivers. Wood, a member of the National Midget Hall of Fame is mentioned in the website, “The measure of a man is best revealed by how he is rated by his peers. Hall of Fame Members Bill Engelhart, Tom Bigelow and Mel Kenyon all raced against the eight-time Badger Champion and all felt he deserves to be in the Hall of Fame. In 1959 Badger sanctioned 24 races. Billy Wood won 18 of them and set fast time at 17 events. That year he won nine of fourteen features at Angell Park. Billy’s induction into the Hall of Fame the same year Tom Bigelow was inducted highlighted the historical aim of the Hall of Fame as both drivers began their careers with the Badger Midget Auto Racing Association. Billy stayed close to home and Bigelow went national. Wood was 3rd in Badger points in 1953, won the title in ’54 and ’55, placed 2nd in ’56 then took four titles in a row (’57,’58, ’59 and ’60). From 1961 to 1965 he competed with USAC and was 10th in the National Standings in 1962 and 18th in ’63. When you consider he only raced in events within 150 miles of his Kenosha, Wisconsin home the figures are very impressive. He won two more Badger titles in 1966 and 1968 while maintaining his job with American Motors. Wood spent 38 years with the company.” Courtesy of http://www.worthyofhonor.com/ Say a prayer for Billy this weekend. On a lighter note, former world-class racing driver and current Formula One commentator for SPEED TV, David Hobbs submitted himself to be roasted, all in the name of charity, this past Friday evening at the Country Springs Hotel in Waukesha, Wis. Hobbs may be better known around Milwaukee for owning David Hobbs Honda in Glendale, Wis., but 350 attendees found out more about Hobbs’ many Motorsports adventures as he was subject to good-natured grilling by a few of his closest friends. Event organizer Russ Lake reported that $25,000 was raised through this one-time event, with all proceeds benefiting Curative Ranch Community Services Campus and their efforts to empower people with disabilities, in making the most of each individual’s abilities. Hobbs’ quick wit and humor were matched by SPEED TV personalities Dave Despain and close friend Bob Varsha – who’s been traveling the world broadcasting races with Hobbs for better than twenty years. Their hilarious accounts of Hobbs antics and shortcomings were very well received. Others roasting the popular Brit were, longtime motorsports publicist and friend of Hobbs for nearly forty years, Judy Stropus, five-time 24 hours of LeMans winner, Derek Bell and Team principal with Team Lowe’s Fernandez Racing, Tom Anderson was Hobb’s mechanic on Carl’s Hogan’s F-5000 team Hobbs drove for in the mid-1970’s. Curative Ranch Community Services Campus in Menomonee Falls, Wis. is part of Curative Rehabilitation Services, and proudly celebrates over 40 years of empowering people with disabilities at home, at work and in the community on 100 acres of farmland and nature trails. The staff and facility provide innovative day services and recreational offerings for children and adults. Visit www.ranchwi.org for more information.