Auto Racing

Search Results

Close Previous Now showing: of Next

Previous Next Close

Discussion

Welcome to our online comments feature. We welcome your thoughts and your opinions, including unpopular ones. We ask only that you keep the conversation civil and clean. We reserve the right to remove comments that are obscene, racist or abusive and statements that are false or unverifiable as well as posts that are attacking other users. Repeat offenders will be blocked. You may flag objectionable comments for review by a moderator.

comments powered by Disqus

July 28, 2010

Trackside: Talented young racer Blake Fitzpatrick savoring USAC success

By Joe Buckles Special to the Tribune-Star The Tribune Star Wed Jul 28, 2010, 12:37 AM EDT

TERRE HAUTE — The dust has long settled. The congratulatory phone calls and handshakes are becoming less frequent but that first taste of victory remains as fresh and sweet as ever for the U.S. Auto Club’s newest first-time sprint car feature winner.

It’s been over a week since Blake Fitzpatrick rolled into victory lane at the USAC Indiana Sprint Week finale at Haubstadt, but by the tone of his voice one can tell that talented young racer is still savoring the moment as if the checkered flag had just fallen.

“I think I spent two hours signing autographs after the win. It was pretty neat, a special night,” said Fitzpatrick, who has now become a winner in both USAC sprints and midgets.

By capturing the 30-lap feature, the West Terre Haute racer became the first Vigo County driver to ever win a USAC sprint-car feature.

A pair of Wabash Valley drivers have accomplished the feat in the past with Clinton’s Dave Peperak and Chet Johnson of Dennison, Ill., putting their names in the USAC record pages, but when Fitzpatrick drove his First Finanical Sprinter to victory lane he became the youngest Wabash Valley racer to do so.

While one win doesn’t define a driver’s career it can open doors and nuture a winning attitude — a scenario that Fitzpatrick and his many supporters hope plays out in the future.

For the moment, however, they just want to relish a run that many saw coming and predict will play out again in the not-too-distant future.

Entering the final night of the seven race series Fitzpatrick had not only positioned himself for a top-10 finish in points but a pre-race favorite’s role at the high-banked, quarter-mile dirt oval where he had come so close to winning before.

“Going into the night I just had the feeling that it [the win] was going to happen. Everything just sorta fell in place. Things were lined up,” Fitzpatrick said, looking back on how the fateful night played itself out.

“We qualified third quick and was running second with three laps to go. When I got around [Dave] Darland for the lead. I’d come so close to winning at Haubstadt before and always let the win get away from me. I was never able to finish it off until Sprint Weeks,” voiced Fitzpatrick.

“I wasn’t about to let that one get away from me. They say it comes with experience. Whatever it was, it was a very special moment,” he said.

“Things at this level don’t happen without a great deal of support. I’ve been very fortunate to have the backing of my family, friends and Don Smith at the bank.”

Making the victory lane celebration even more special was the fact newly crowned ISW champion Jon Stanbrough was the first to greet Blake as he climbed from his winning mount.

Stanbrough was not at all surprised to have been outrun by the 18-year-old youngster, whom he says has a bright future ahead of him.

“Hes been knocking on the door. He just hasn’t been able to put those laps together … 30 consistent laps. He was able to do that at Haubstadt. He was really fast,” offered Stanbrough.

“He didn’t start up front and had to race his way through traffic. He didn’t get in any trouble. Congratulations to him,” Stanbrough said.

“We’ve been to Haubstadt a couple times this season and Blake was a contender to win then before he crashed. Now that he’s got over that hump maybe he’ll knock off a couple more.”

The recent West Vigo High School graduate concedes his lack of experience at running up front may have cost him a pair of potential wins over the past two seasons.

“You have to put yourself in a position to win, not beat yourself with mistakes. That’s something that comes with maturity. As a driver and team, I think we have matured to the point we are capable of winning races,” the personable Fitzpatrick said.



Joe Buckles can be reached at jbuckles4@verizon.net.

Text Only | Photo Reprints

Copyright 2012 News From Terre Haute, Indiana. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Auto Racing

• TRACKSIDE: Valley racing showed best, worst of times in 2011

  A look back on the 2011 Wabash Valley auto racing season reveals the best and worst of times the sport has to offer.

  January 1, 2012  

• Action Track to play host to 4 USAC events

  U.S. Auto Club officials have released preliminary schedules for next season and four events are listed to be run at The Action Track.

  December 15, 2011  

• ISU's Troxell, Crossroads Dragway in running for NHRA awards

  Indiana State University student Derick Troxell and the Crossroads Dragway are both in the running for annual National Hot Rod Association awards.

  November 23, 2011  

• Memorial service for Wheldon attracts thousands

  Thousands came to honor deceased IndyCar driver Dan Wheldon during a memorial service at Conseco Fieldhouse on Sunday.

  October 24, 2011  

• Indy remembers Wheldon

  Dan Wheldon’s biggest fans wanted one more chance to thank their favorite driver.
  One by one, they turned Indianapolis Motor Speedway’s main gate into a memorial for the two-time Indianapolis 500 winner, who was killed Sunday in a fiery crash at Las Vegas.
   

  October 18, 2011  

• Wheldon fans leave tributes at Indianapolis track

  Dozens of fans have left flowers, candles and notes at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway gates in memory of two-time Indy 500 champion Dan Wheldon.

  October 17, 2011  

• Indy 500 winner Wheldon dies after massive wreck

  Race car drivers always know the worst can happen whenever they get behind the wheel.

  October 17, 2011 8 Photos  

• UPDATE: Indy 500 winner Dan Wheldon dies after massive crash in Vegas

  Indianapolis 500 winner Dan Wheldon died Sunday at Las Vegas Motor Speedway after his car became ensnarled in a fiery 15-car pileup, flew over another vehicle and landed in a catch fence just outside turn 2.

  October 16, 2011 8 Photos  

• It was a frigid ending to oval dirt track season

  The oval dirt track part of the 2011 Wabash Valley racing season came to a highly successful and climactic end over the weekend at Lincoln Park Speedway.

  October 5, 2011  

• Windom’s impressive streak evokes lofty comparisons

  In the storied history of the Terre Haute Action Track no name is more synonymous with winning and dominance than the late Jim Hurtubise.

  September 14, 2011  

• Windom drives away from field at Action Track

  Chris Windom led all 30 laps to capture the Jim Hurtubise Classic presented by First Financial Bank for USAC National Sprints at the Terre Haute Action Track on Saturday.

  September 11, 2011  

• USAC cars return to Action Track today

  The United States Auto Club sprint cars return to the Terre Haute Action Track tonight for the Jim Hurtubise Classic presented by First Financial Bank.

  September 10, 2011  

• Points titles are on the line at Wabash Valley race tracks

  They have become as much a part of the motorsports scene as the traditional green and checkered flags.

  September 7, 2011  

• Stock cars: ‘backbones’ of short tracks

  It was a familiar scene played out every Saturday night throughout the summer at hundreds of short tracks scattered across the country.

  August 10, 2011  

• Menard pulls off the upset

  Thirteen different drivers held the lead for at least one lap in Sunday’s Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, and Paul Menard led 21 of them — including 11 of the last 12 and the last four — to take the checkered flag.

  August 1, 2011  

• Family: Menard’s team won IRL title

  Although it took 35 years, the name Menard finally made it to victory circle at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Sunday.

  August 1, 2011  

• Sprint Summer Showdown begins at Indianapolis

  The Sprint Summer Showdown begins today at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The Brickyard 400 for NASCAR Sprint Cup drivers is the first of five races in the new event that will culminate with the AdvoCare 500 in Atlanta.

  July 31, 2011  

• Johnson knocked off pole by upstart Ragan at Brickyard

  The 18th Brickyard 400 will be run today at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

  July 31, 2011  

• Billboard aims to curb race fans’ hot dog cravings

  A new billboard is warning Brickyard 400 fans that eating hot dogs can be dangerous to their health.

  July 26, 2011  

• Hinchliffe looking forward to IndyCar's Canadian stops

  James Hinchcliffe is looking forward to the next two IZOD IndyCar Series events to be run in his native Canada. First up is Sunday’s Honda Indy Toronto to be run on the streets of Toronto. Versus will carry the action live at 2 p.m. EDT.

  July 8, 2011  

• Safety rules at track

  A race delayed for more than two hours by overnight rain was eventually forced to be postponed by extreme heat and deteriorating track conditions as the vagaries of Mother Nature found another way to plague the Terre Haute Action Track on Sunday.

   

   

  July 4, 2011 4 Photos  

• Sumar Classic hits track Sunday

  Jason McCord remembers how he used to watch racing, playing catch with his father on the infield during lulls in the action on the track.

   

   

  July 2, 2011  

• TRACKSIDE: Coons should be favorite for Sunday

  When the U.S. Auto Club Silver Crown contingent motors into the Wabash Valley Fairgrounds this weekend for the SUMAR Classic it would appear that Jerry Coons Jr. would be the odds-on favorite to win Sunday’s 100-lap main event.
  After all, the veteran driver has all the credentials to make him a winner.

  June 29, 2011  

• TRACKSIDE: Decision to stick with USAC pays off

  When the 2011 USAC Indiana Sprint Weeks schedule was announced back in January, there were many who expressed their share of disappointment that Lincoln Park Speedway had once again been snubbed for one of the coveted series dates.

  June 15, 2011  

• Stunning victory

  After one of the craziest finishes in racing history, Dan Wheldon emerged as winner of the Indianapolis 500 on Sunday at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
  Just when it looked like rookie J.R. Hildebrand was one corner away from giving Panther Racing its first Indy 500 victory, he got up into the marbles in the fourth turn, bouncing the right side of the car into the wall.

  May 30, 2011 3 Photos  

• Field still split over double-file restarts

  For the first time ever at the Indianapolis 500, the IZOD IndyCar Series began using double-file restarts during the race.

  May 30, 2011  

• Centennial Indianapolis 500 fill have deep meeting to today's winner

  In the words of Al Unser Jr. as he stood in the winners circle in 1992, “You just don’t know what Indy means.”

  May 29, 2011  

• USAC Tony Hulman Classic tonight

  The 41st running of The Tony Hulman Classic for United States Auto Club cars is set for tonight at The Action Track.

  May 26, 2011 1 Photo  

• TRACKSIDE: Auto racing in May in Indiana runs on history and tradition

  Possibly nowhere in the sports world does history and tradition play such a key role in an event’s success and future as that found in auto racing.

  May 25, 2011  

• MARCO, DANICA MAKE THE CUT

  Every year on Bump Day at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, the question is “Who will make it?”
  The question this year was who wasn’t going to make it in the centennial running of the Indianapolis 500. When it was all over, Marco Andretti and Danica Patrick were in. Teammates Mike Conway and Ryan Hunter-Reay were out.

   

  May 23, 2011 2 Photos 1 Story  

• More Auto Racing Headlines

© 2012 Community Newspaper Holdings, Inc. · CNHI Classified Advertising Network · CNHI News Service
Associated Press content © 2012. All rights reserved. AP content may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Our site is powered by Zope. Some parts of our site may require you to download the Flash Player Plugin.
Privacy Policy | AP News Registry privacy policy
Terms and Conditions
Advertiser Index

Events by eviesays.com

News From Terre Haute, Indiana 222 S 7th St Terre Haute, IN 47807