High Gear with Edward Williams

TMMC Today is now the racing arm of the show High Gear. Expect interviews, race reviews, and general discussion.
Also the show finally gets a host: Retired racing driver Edward Williams.
***100th Post on the new site***
[also, the only reason I added the host's name is because the topic has to be over ten charecters)

0 – Shane Lake – N/A – Omecha MA02 – Alex Harrison Racing
1 – Alexis Rainsford – Lynxe Private – Volpi VC03 – Volpi Racing Team
2 – Zach Duff – Lynxe/Lego – Volpi VC03 – Volpi Racing Team
3 – Luciano Soverol – Kleffer Media – Boulden Chaser – Boulden Speedstable
4 – Leonid Roderick – Clutch Inc. – Inglesby Flashback M-Type – FLASH Racing
6 – Kraig Mummert – Delano – Boulden Chaser – Boulden Speedstable
7 – Jacques Bouvier – Jjaro – Gasnier Dragoon – Majestic Motorsports
11 – Ethan Everett – MHL Automotive Finishes – Saar Tyrant MS – Rick Milligan Racing
13 – Alan Hodges – Vodafone – Calton Morel Corsair – Hodges Walter Racing
14 – Arto Kekkonen – Launch Energy – Inglesby Flashback M-Type – FLASH Racing
15 – Bobby Porteau – Rick Milligan Auto Group – Saar Tyrant MS – Rick Milligan Racing
16 – Kurt Plissken – Danger Mouse – JD Predator – Power Steering Incorporated
17 – Dale Roswell – Int’l Brotherhood of Electrical Workers – Gasnier Dragoon – Majestic Motorsports
23 – Scott Steudler – Hershey’s – Tremwell Knight – Camelot Racing
24 – Yevengeny Kuznentzov – LUKoil – Katzev KE02 – Katzev Engineering
26 – Adrien Devereux – Haas Incorporated – Calton Morel Corsair – Hodges Walter Racing
27 – Chris Davenport – Lynxe – Omecha MA02 – Alexisports
33 – Tony Durbin – Pepsi/Budweiser – Saar Eagle – Team Saar USA
34 – Yulyia Katerina Nosova – Arotel/Dbat – Katzev KE02 – Katzev Engineering
36 – Mike Whitmore – Amp/Budweiser – Saar Eagle – Team Saar USA
37 – Mathias Taube – Red Bull Energy Drink – Lenard R37 – Ocean Team Lenard
39 – Danny Savin – Red Bull Energy Drink – Lenard R37 – Ocean Team Lenard
40 – Gasper de Sousa – Puma – STS Arrow – Bill Barclay Racing
42 – Vijay Puschanda – N/A – Tutino T11 – Scuderia Tutino
43 – Azuma Kazeyama – N/A – Tutino T11 – Scuderia Tutino
44 – Louis Kingston – Shafer Group – Juneau AMX5 – Owen DeGarmo Enterprises
45 – TBA – TBA – STS Arrow – Bill Barclay Racing
46 – Scott Hamilton – Hamnmore – Xenos Sabre – Xenos Racing
47 – Robert Dorian – Backyard Grill – Xenos Sabre – Xenos Racing
54 – Cesar Villa Nova – TBA – Omecha TBA – Black Diamond Racing
55 – Zelda Ashby – Nintendo’s Legend of Zelda – Juneau AMX5 – Owen DeGarmo Enterprises
64 – Chris Johaanes – CATHE – Tremwell Knight – Camelot Racing
75 – TBA – TBA – Omecha MA01 – Ian Masterson Racing
87 – Dan Mackay – TBA – Omecha TBA – Last Row Autosport
88 – Scott Bates – Racing for a Cure for MS – EFR Journey – Team EFR
94 – Franz Redlich – Gessler – Gessler MTR94MC – Gessler Richter MC Team
95 – Avery Holtzman – Schuco – Gessler MTR94MC – Gessler Richter MC Team
122 – Taylor Silverman – N/A – Omecha MA02 – Blitzkrieg Racing


NOTES
· I have no idea who will drive the #45 car. Stuart Sandoval would be the obvious choice…but he lacks sponsorship. Look for a Japanese driver with a sponsor to step into this car.
· FORMER WINNERS
o 2010 – Alexis Rainsford
o 2009 – Ethan Everett
o 2008 – Tony Durbin
o 2007 – Stuart Sandoval
o BUT – we are going to a new track
· How will Vijay Puschanda do? He was slow at Indy, but if we race at a road course, he could to MUCH better.
· How will Cesar Villa Nova do? He’s a decent TM Lights driver, but personally I would have put Lorne Roth in the car. But, they need somebody with a sponsor.
· Will the Nemoto engines in the Tutino make a difference? The chassis, a renamed Sentry, has been bad all year. But Nemoto has very powerful engines. Could this mean a change in Luck?
Who’s the pressure on?
· Ethan Everett – He’s looking for a ride next year and doesn’t have any viable options. Maybe James Dalton Racing, but that’s pretty much it. However he is sill an outside shot at the championship. He must have a good run here to have a shot both at getting a ride and winning the championship.
· Avery Holtzman is in the same boat. While Everett had a poor start to the season, Holtzman had a great one. But he has been terrible ever since, and will likely not have a ride. He needs to get a strong points finish to impress a team owner. If he doesn’t, his career is pretty much over.
· Yamino Tenshi and Azuma Kazeyama – how will they perform in front of they’re home crowd?
· Tom Delgado – He’s knocking on the door of championship contention. A win here could push him back into the battle
· Tony Durbin – will not be retained by Team Saar USA’s cup program. He will supposedly going to the ASCC. Can he get a win before its all over? Probably not, because he hasn’t been competitive all year except for a decent run at Ohio.
· Danny Savin, Chris Johaanes, Bobby Porteau, Kraig Mummert, Gasper de Sousa, Scott Hamilton, Robert Dorian, Dale Roswell and Zach Duff. All have are driving for team’s that are either shutting down or firing them at the end of the year.

Name: Elmer Fox
Age Old enough to know better.
Hometown: Gary IN.
Races In: RROL
Team / Car: White Mountain Motorsports

Q: Elmer, your win at Eurospeedway was amazing! How did you do it?
A: It felt great. It has been a while for me. feels really good knowing that i can keep up with these young kids today.

Q: With Ryan Nawrocki finishing second it was a perfect one-two for White Mountain Motorsports. What made you guys so good this weekend?
A: Ryan is a great driver with load of talent. Neither of us could do this with out the Bolt, and the time, effort, and sacrifice of personal time that the the crews make back in New Hampshire to make these cars go.

Q: When and How did you begin your racing career?
A: Being from Indiana we had Indy there and my dad raced motor cycles back before the open wheels cars you see today. it was always interesting to me then. When i came home from World War 2 Racing started taking off in that area in a big way. Open wheel sprints were the first step of course, then i did some stock cars and some openwheel indy cars. In the 70's i went to europe in hopes of making Formula-A and found myself in touring cars and prototypes. The realisation set in that i was just to old for Formula-A. The teams were looking for 30 year olds at the time. which is now pretty humourous because now they are looking for 18 year olds. But i came home and began racing the AutoCross series. Its a little known short track division centered out of the upper mid west that races on everything from ice in the winter, to clay, and paved ovals. I spent the last few years racing there. i figured i would retire after i won the Autocross world finals in 2005 but White Mountain called and offered me this last chance to finish out my career on top. so i went for it.

Q: What do you consider to be your greatest achievements?
A: Marrying my beautiful wife Joyce having 3 wonderful daughters that have made me a Grandfather 8 times over and recently a great grandfather to two wonderful children. The racing... thats secondary to the family. As for the racing in which i assume you were asking, this last win in Germany does rank up there. but Winning the Autocross Finals 6 times, and taking 2nd in a under budgeted home built car in the 24Hrs of Karjala.

Q: How do you stay so competitive at the age of... well however old you are?
A: (chuckles) I've asked myself that same thing. Joyce has asked me many times over "is this the last year Elmer" and i think ive told her 4 or 5 times that this was it. hell last year was it. and im still here plugging away. my hearing is about gone and my reflexes are obviously slipping but as long as i have the will to drive and the desire to compete, ill be here. And when the day comes i finally hang up the helmet... i do promise to at least finally make my actual birthdate public.

Q: Thank you for your time Sir.
A: Any time. id just like to take this last moment to say this. Thank you to ARLA, TMMC, and RROL who have all been very good about letting this old horse have one more rodeo. Car ownership is the next step and i can assure you it will be the next generation of Foxs.

ARLA Decatur Preview

* The defending winner is Chris Johaanes, but he is not on the entry list.
* Previous road course winners this year:
Rene Recarmier [St. Pete's / Mosport]
Mumba Kumangu [St. Pete's]
Allie Riggs [Dwyer]
Raibert Scott [Mosport]
Todd Wodarczyk [Watkins Glen]
Packer Carroll [Watkins Glen]
Kumangu would be a strong choice but there are doubts he will be on the grid given his team owner's recent legal issues. Anyway you look at it though, Rene Recarmier is the top choice to win this one. It'll be an important race anyway you look at it. My second choice would be Kevin Monroe. Monroe is actually an outstanding road racer. You can't win at Dwyer unless your really, really good.

This weekend the Vaughn European Racing Tour visits Karjala, one of the most challanging races of the year. The entry list was recently released

0 - Bill Wainwright
03 - Jacques Bolvier
18 - Matt Shimoda
20 - Buetch Mayland
24 - Greg Johnson Jr.
27 - Jacob Jarrett II
45 - Mike Falls
37 - Robert Bonnett
38 - James Fortner
50 - Jefferson Mikually
67 - Randall Bonnett
68 - Tyler Fortner
81 - Josh Mertz
90 - Aaron Fisher
009 - Allen Johnson
146 - Kendall Worthington
149 - Cameron Taylor
577 - Mark Nelson

Karjala is one of the toughest tracks on the circuit, and, as shown by last year's RROL race tends to have a lot of attrician. Bill Wainwright is ususally fast, but tends to be too agressive. He will win, but not here. Mike Falls has a ton of potential in this series. He has talent and I think he can wil at Karjala. The recently demoted Greg Johnson Jr and Jacob Jarrett II are arguably the strongest contenders in this race. They are, in my opinion, the best drivers in the field. I think that Josh Mertz's team has gotten a big morale boostby their good run at the Eurospeedway even though they didn't finish well. They could contend, but they are a long shot. If Cameron Taylor starts towards the front and avoids the trouble on the opening lap he could contend. Despite being downright horrendous in the Master Cup Series, he is quite competitive as shown by his Brands Hatch victory. Taylor can't win on outright speed, but if others fall out, I'm guessing he'll be there to gain their spots. The same applies to Jacques Bolvier Kendall Worthington, and both Barnett brothers.

06 - Troy Griffith - Team Thunder - PCC - Tonare Thunder
Troy Griffith hasn't ran the race here since 2006, but the Tonare is quite a fast car, and I think you could see it running up front. Griffith is a solid driver, and I think you might see him in the race

08 - Bob Stephans - Team Thunder - PCC - Tonare Thunder
Again, the Tonare Thunder is a fast car, and for the first time, Team Thunder is a very stable organized, deticated group. They have some great people at that team, so the verdict is pretty much the same as the team car.

20 - Dan Mackay - Last Row Autosport - Extenze - Omecha MA02
I don't think that Mackay's runs with Trevor Carrington allowed to showcase his talent. How that he has his own entry, I think that Dan will be fast. He has a decent shot at qualifying.

58 - Afzal Tahmid - Last Row Autosport - Extenze - Omecha MA02
Tahmid is by no means a bad driver, but he won't be as fast as his teamowner.

29 - John Jefferson - Mid-South Racing Team - N/A - Omecha MA02
Jefferson is a MRD development driver, and Tom Delgado can certainly spot talent. I think they have as good of a shot as anyone, but a lack of funding may be an issue.

35 - Makoto Yamada - Big Mac Racing - N/A - Cromwell A10
Yamada hasn't performed too well in ARLA, so expectations aren't high. Give him time and I would expect him to be fast.

525 - Thomas Moore - Big Mac Racing - N/A - Cromwell A10
Thomas Moore didn't do to well in the TMJS last year, so I wouldn't expect him to qualify for the race. He's not doing bad in the ASCC, so this is sort of a question mark.

41 - Greg Woodard - Terra International - Newgrounds - Lycoia Brute
I expect Woodard to make the race, and potentially do very well in it. This is his home track, we saw how good he was at Indianapolis, and the Lycoia is a good car. I think that he could have a shot at a top ten run.

61 - Ryon Reffett - Terra International - Polaris - Lycoia Brute
I don't know to much about this guy, but from what I hear he's highly rated. He's kind of a long shot to qualify, but I'm really not informed on the subject. What I do know is that he has a heck of a team, and that can take somebody along way.

65 - Sarah Xavier - Terra International - DeviantArt - Lycoia Brute
Xavier was pretty fast is the testing sessions according to the rumors, but is similar to Reffett in that she's fast but not as strong as Woodard.

49 - Blake Camphausen - Phillips Autosports - Safe Crackers - Cromwell A10
Blake Camphausen is a man that could very well be the next Devereux, Durbin, or Roderick. He was stunning in his few ARLA starts with a very underfunded team, and I think that Peter Keyes has made a great decision in signing him. Is he ready for the full time TMMC ride being given to him? I think so. He's a mature driver that, unlike many rookies, doesn't make many mistakes. I think Camphausen will qualify for Decatur with some degree of ease.

59 - John Bracchi - Australian Motorsports - Rockstar Energy Drink - Cromwell A10
Bracchi's showing in the VSCC have been impressive. He definatly knows what he's doing, and In my opinion if you want to see future talent look no further than the VSCC. Bracchi is a capable driver and he'll do well.

901 - Troy Adams - Australian Motorsports - N/A - Cromwell A10
Adams isn't a bad driver, but Bracchi is probably the team's best chance at qualifying. But, Adams was strong at Dwyer, a track similar to Decatur. Australian Motorsports has a good team put togeather for Decatur.

60 - Cesar Villa Nova - Motorsport Hermanos Gutierrez - Cosan - Omecha MA02
Villa Nova has performed well in his few starts, and the Gutierrez team is a good one. You can't win a race without a good team behind you, and this team won at Daytona win Jose Luis Martienz.

62 - Casey Lester - Holliday Incorporated - N/A - Omecha MA01
This team is pretty underfunded, but they have a TON of potential. Casey Lester is another one of those young drivers that has the potential to be a big star of the future. He has the talent but seems to lack the luck. Also, the Omecha MA01 is probably the best car for Decatur, so we'll have to see. I think Lester will be surprisingly fast.

63 - Kevin Monroe - M&J Racing - Zing Energy Lyme - Omecha MA02
Kevin Monroe is one of the most talented ARLA drivers at the moment. M&J Racing is one of the great American racing teams. Look at their alumni: Chris Johaanes, Bobby Porteau, etc. Kevin should be able to qualify with little problem.

72 - Kevin Dwyer - Finntech - Finnair - Omecha MA02
Dwyer is a future star, no doubt about it. He's got the talent and a legendary racing name to boot. Expect the second generation Master Cup driver to not only qualify but also excel at Decatur.

73 - Nick Dawson - McDowell Motorsports - Razer - Omecha MA01
McDowell has gone the right way with the MA01 because it is a proven car that is strong at Decatur. It was literally made for Decatur. I don't know much about Dawson however, so it will be intersting to see how he does.

76 - Ryan Matthews - Matthews Motorsports - Jiffy Lube - Omecha MA02
Another rising star from the VSCC, Matthews has enourmas potential. He will definatly get out of pre qualifying and might very well make the race.

77 - Patrick HENDERSON - Midwest Engineering - Monster Energy - Juneau S1
Patrick HENDERSON did so well at Indy, that I think it would be foolish to overlook him at Decatur. He reminds me of Tom Levin: Fast and Agressive, but still clean.

78 - Jonas Muller - Midwest Engineering - Monster Energy - Juneau S1
Muller is a strong driver and is racing for a strong team. You can expect big things from him at Decatur.

79 - Justin Robinson - Unit 11 Motorsports - N/A - Omecha MA02
Unit 11 is one of the best TM Lights teams. Robinson is a rising star in the Lights cars. I think that he will make the race at Decatur, or at least get pretty close.

177 - Mark Blackwell - Unit 11 Motorsports - N/A - Omecha MA02
See Justin Robinson. Blackwell is talented and has a good team, so they could impress at Decatur.

80 - Lucas Sweeney - Pearson / Sweeney Motorsports - Sisco - Omecha MA02
Sweeney is one of the stars in ARLA. He's a good road racer and has a history of doing well at Decatur. I expect him to qualify but probably run toward the back.

85 - Jim More - Great Lakes Motorsports - HP Engine Parts - Cromwell A10
With all the tragedy that has been with this team recently, I hope they do well.

125 - Ryan Griffin - Great Lakes Motorsports - HP Engine Parts - Cromwell A10
Same as for Jim More, but Griffin is the better driver. He's proved he can drive in ARLA, now I think its time for him to take a shot at TMMC glory.

86 - Ike Durbin - Full Throttle Racing - Under Armor - Omecha MA02
Ike's a good driver, and thanks to Fortner he never really got to show his worth at Indy. But he's been great in the VSCC with Sam Mitchell Racing, and as I've said before, VSCC sucess is pretty good indicator of a strong Master Cup driver.

89 - Michael Dougly - Dougly Family Racing - Best Buy - Lycoia Brute
Despite a decent driver and a good sponsorship package, I would be surprised if this team made the field. But I've been wrong before.

92 - Barton Sandy - BBS Racing - Quantas - Omecha MA01
Barton Sandy could be a dark horse at Decatur. The Aussie is talented and the team he's driving for has a ton of potential.

97 - Jason Teller - Teller Motors - N/A - Lycoia Striker SS
The Canadian Teller will likely have a hard time at Decatur. He's a good driver, but he's running an underfunded and unproven car. And he has generally been outpaced by his teammates in ARLA.

98 - Bobby Dollar - Dollar Racing - N/A - Cromwell A10
This is another group that could have some difficulty at Decatur. They have an inexperianced driver and team, which could cause issues.

99 - Cameron Sweetwater - Random Motorsports - N/A - Omecha MA02
Sweetwater has shown her talent in the VART, which is a good indicator. But, as shown by Cameron Taylor earlier in the year, the jump to TMMC is a big one, and I think Sweetwater needs some more time before she reachs her full potential.

042 - Andrea Kinesa - 426 Motorsports - N/A - Omecha MA02
426 is a solid team and Kinesa is a solid driver. This hook-up could go places.

100 - Ben Atkins - Eichholtz Autosport - N/A - Eichholtz E231
We've seen that the Eichholtz is a strong chassis and Atkins is a capable driver. Patrick Eichholtz is one of the best engineers in the paddock and he will have Ben's car set up right.

231 - Jacob Eichholtz - Eichholtz Autosport - Bitter Pills - Eichholtz E231
Jacob Eichholtz has taken ARLA by storm this year, and is contending for the title. I expect him to qualify for Decatur.

126 - Cameron Taylor - RTR Automotive Engineering - Applebee's/Kodak - Omecha MA01 On one hand, this team is a capable one that has won in the VERC with this same driver. On the other hand, Cameron Taylor is driving, and he threw up all over himself in his three starts with TCR. But a well prepared Omecha is much better than on of Carrington's dinosaurs. The team will get into the main qualifying race, but it will be a shock if they get into the field.

149 - Gary de Souza - Team Whiper - N/A - Omecha MA02
de Souza is an execellent driver with an execellent team. Expect them to qualify for the race and perform well in it.

154 - Brian Morris - MT Motorsports - WGNS Radio - Cromwell A10
MT Motorsports is a great team. They had two cars seemingly in the field here in 2009 and then they took each other out. Brian Morris is a good driver, but I don't think they will make the race.

239 - Adel Meir - SpeedSOS Motorsports - LG - Omecha MA02
Meir and the SpeedSOS group is a wild card. He's a decent driver with a decent team, but both driver and team show occasional brilliance.

339 - Michael Madrigal - SpeedSOS Motorsports - Anime News Network - Omecha MA02
Madrigal has impressed me in 2011. Once written off as a pay driver, Madrigal proved himself in ARLA and I think he has a great shot at making Decatur.

313 - Leon Keniston - White Mountian Motorsports - N/A - Meridian Bolt
This is a fantastic team; they won the RROL title in 2010. Keniston is a good driver. The one problem area is the car. The Meridian Bolt is fast but VERY unreliable.

444 - Daniel Foray - Foray Family Racing - Trollbusters - Cromwell A10
This team is underfunded and inexperianced. Foray has talent, but his first, er, foray[no pun intended] into the TM Master Cup Series will most likley result in the DNQ.

460 - Frank Azure - FAC Motorsports - N/A - Omecha MA02
Azure's team doesn't have too good of a shot. But if they get things right they might surprise.

500 - Gordon Kim - Hectic Racing - Canyon Oil - Omecha MA02
Kim is a strong TM Lights driver with good potential. The time is right for him to shine on the Master Cup side of things.

700 - Dmitry Kozlov - RUS Racing - Stollchnaya - Omecha MA02
These are the guys who discoverd Yevgeny Kuznetzov so clearly they have an eye for talent. Kozlov is an unknown making this team a wildcard.

728 - Nikos Kastapolous - Carcia / Aragon Motorsports - TheRacingExperts.com - Cromwell A10
Kastapolous is a great driver who has been a pleasent surprise everywhere he has raced. He'll be competitive at Decatur too.

913 - Andreas Laporta - Blackstorm Motorsports - HSBC Banks - Omecha MA02
Laporta is an unknown, but I'll pay attention to him this weekend. Blackstorm isn't a bad team either.

931 - Larsen Jenson - Blackstorm Motorsports - Movistar - Omecha MA02
Jenson, like his teammate, is a name most people are unfamiliar with. He'll be one to watch.

995 - Mikko Forsstrom - KJS Autosport - Dyelated Paintworks - Juneau S1
Forsstrom will have the car to qualify at Karjala, but I don't know if he's ready for the TMMC yet.

996 - Ziggy Waldemar - KJS Autosport - Pegasus Software - Juneau S1
Waldemar is a man to watch. He's been execellent in the VSCC, has a good car, and I think you can expect him to be in the field at Decatur.

997 - Axel Andersson - KJS Autosport - Investor AB - Juneau S1
Andersson is one of the best drivers in the one offs. He could contend for a strong finish at Decatur.

Alpineopossum wrote:700 - Dmitry Kozlov - RUS Racing - Stollchnaya - Omecha MA02
These are the guys who discoverd Yevgeny Kuznetzov so clearly they have an eye for talent. Kozlov is an unknown making this team a wildcard.

RUS Racing and RUS Autosport are two separate entities, entered at Decatur with coincidentally similar names. Just wanted to clear that up

Name: Rick Jarrett
Age: 45
Hometown: Norfolk, Virginia
Race[d] in: Late models, RROL/VSCC
Car / Team: #7, PepsiCo Racing / #7/#27, Rick Jarrett Racing


Q: So how did you get into racing?


Growing up as a kid I raced late models at local tracks, but I was in go-karting before that. My father used to race late models occasionally as well, and I would go with him every time he raced. I've basically always been around racing.


Q: You've been known for a rivalry with Greg Johnson on the track while being friends off the track. Describe this.


Greg and I met when the RROL was first started, a lot of the teams were struggling to get together and figure things out. So Greg had asked me about working together until our teams got on their feet. I thought it was a good idea, and Greg had a lot of backing from Pepsi at the time, so they basically provided money and the name for the team, so it worked out for us from the start.

During that first season, Greg and I were always battling at the front for the lead or a top-5 position, so we sort of developed a rivalry in that sense. At the same time, we developed a pretty good friendship off the track as well.


Q: If you don't feel comfortable talking about this that's alright: How did the death of your brother affect you, particularly in your incredible results shortly thereafter?


My brother's death completely crushed me. It happened right next to me, and I felt totally helpless not being able to do anything for him. He was my little brother and I couldn't have imagined life without him, and now I have to go through it. I haven't even touched a beer since that drunk driver ran the red and killed him.

After all of that, I had a lot of time to think to myself since they postponed the race for a couple days, and that's when I chose to run with his number, 27. I became more driven than ever, and I was determined to win it for Jacob. I was going to do one last thing for him, and I did just about the best that I could have.


Q: How did you become so successful in the RROL


I've been lucky enough to have a good supporting cast, whether it was Greg Johnson, our family-owned operation, or whatever, I've always felt like I have had people behind me.


Q: What prompted you to retire?


It felt like the right time. My mindset had changed from driver to owner as well. I'm excited for it, too, a new challenge. I want to own a championship-winning team. We've got a good group of guys driving for us, and I don't think winning a championship is unrealistic for us.


Q: Your team has really invested in the lower tiers. How did the deal with RBM come about?


I have always been a fan of the lower-tier idea. I thought it was a cool idea, it was something completely new to the racing world. I heard about RBM having some economic troubles, so I spoke with the team a few times, and we struck up a deal.


Q: Where do you see your organization in the future?


I would like to see my organization winning championships, but if not that, I can see us still being a team that can go for the win on any track.


Q: Who do you think are young talents in the VSCC?


Gordon Sting, Kevin Rexwall, and Ziggy Waldemar have stood out to me so far this year, but there are a lot of young talents out on the track, too many to name.

Q: Thank you for your time.

Or next interview will be an ARLA driver. Stay tuned.

Hope you don't mind but I thought I'd transfer Kurt Plissken's interview to the new site.

From the TMMC Today archives:

Posted: Tue Feb 15, 2011

We do something that few people have done...interview Kurt Plissken (one of my favorite drivers in the TMMC)

KP: I just want to say that I declined this interview request the first time. I was asked by my boss to "reconsider" doing this. So here I am. Let's get this over with.

Q: When did you get your big break in the TM Master Cup Series?

KP: I actually debuted in the TM Pro Cup at Oregon. I finished 10th and caught some attention for that.

https://www.youtube.com/user/Cynon44#p/u/191/WfmCmlzi5YY

Q: What caused you to be blind in one eye?

KP: That's a misconception that I thought had finally been laid to rest. (Slowly takes a deep breath and lets out an elongated sigh) Again, I'm not completely blind in this eye (gesturing slightly to his left eye.) But to answer your question: Bristol, qualifying race, about 5 years ago. Took a lug nut right in the eye. Kept going. Caused more damage... blah blah blah.

The Whole Story: Plissken is not blind. He injured the eye during a qualifying race pit stop at Bristol almost 5 years ago. Plissken was running up front and was almost a sure bet to make the main race when he entered the pits for his final, fateful stop of the day. In the stall, he just happened to raise his helmet visor while the crew was working on his car. A lug nut got hung in the pneumatic wrench and when it dislodged, the nut was fired towards Plissken. In a one in a million shot, the nut managed to clear the window netting and strike Plissken in the eye. Instead of going for immediate treatment, Plissken continued to race causing further damage to the eye. He can see out of the eye just fine, but now it is extremely light sensitive and causes him excruciating pain when it is uncovered, thus the reason he wears the eye patch. But when in the car, Plissken wears a special helmet that has a custom visor that blocks certain eye irritants and allows him to race without the patch. It looks odd and is uncomfortable, but it let's Plissken do what he loves to do-- race. It has also caused other drivers to claim he is a danger to others if he should ever be involved in any accidents. When Plissken performs well, the critics will be silenced for a while, but it resurfaces from time to time, much to his chagrin.

Q: You really had a break out season in 2009. What made that year so good?

KP: Making races. You can't win 'em if you aren't in 'em. We (PSI) did well enough with what we had that year. We were a lone wolf team that managed to hang around consistently all year.

Q: Your first win and Indianapolis...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aqteVDs5FhI

KP: Is that a question? [Long uncomfortable pause] I was more emotional than I thought I'd be, for sure. The race was an epic race. In my mind, one of the best Master Cup races of all time and not just because I won. And to win at Indy with all the history. I admit it got to me a little. Yeah, it ended under caution, but so do a lot of races.

SnakePlissken wrote:Plissken Wins!
Plissken Wins!
Plissken Wins!

Those were two words many thought would never be used in conjunction together. But Kurt Plissken finally proved his critics wrong. Of course, they'll still say it took him longer than it should have-- but he doesn't care now. Actually, he didn't care then either.
The fans in attendance were treated to a real humdinger of a race featuring one of the cleanest and most exciting battles to the finish in Master Cup history. As the laps dwindled down, the lead changes continued to increase. Only a caution with four laps to go brought and end to the festivities and gave Plissken his first Master Cup win. Then Plissken surprised and delighted the crowd by performing a burnout.
"Yeah, I kinda surprised myself with that one too," Plissken stated. "I've always been told to act as if I'd been there before-- but I got swept up in the moment I guess," Plissken explained.
Before speaking of the burnout, the normally stoic Plissken had to take a moment or two to compose himself. The usually monosylabic driver was at a complete loss for any type of words. You could see several emotions cross his face similtaneously-- amazement, wonder, relief and jubulation to list just a few. The emotion of the moment could be seen as Plissken's good eye began to to tear up somewhat.
"This was a long time coming for the team and especially for me. I... I just want to thank PSI for sticking with me-- for believing in me. A lot of drivers are on a short leash but they had patience to let me develop," Plissken explained.
"We needed to make a strong showing today-- something to launch us in the right direction as the race for the championship intenifies. I couldn't be happier for this team and for Kurt Plissken in particular. I hope this is just the beginning of many in a long line of wins for PSI and Kurt Plissken," team owner Will Power said amongst the celebration.
When asked if the fact that the race ending under caution would put a damper on his win, Plissken said, "I don't know if I could've held off Howard and Rainsford or not-- turns out I didn't have to."
Plissken's combative teammate, Pete Maverick, was asked what he thought of Plissken's win. "Pffft, whatever," Maverick uttered as he walked away.

http://efr1.8.forumer.com/viewtopic.php?t=3440


Q: How did you get the nickname "Snake?"

KP: I have the reputation of being able to slither out of trouble. I'd like to say it always meant trouble on the track, but my legal troubles have been well documented. I'm also pretty good in rain races for some reason.

Q: What is a career high point?

KP: Indy of course. Having an owner like Will Power believe in you. That and being in championship contention deep into the season. Making the Jack Link's commercial. That was more fun than I care to admit. The positive reaction to it was pretty surprising.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RmO-_3oXk-E

Q: Regarding Michigan...

KP: That was a true heart breaker. We've had some other close calls that we weren't able to seal the deal. But we had to car to beat and it would've been great to get our Predator in victory lane. Speaking of Michigan, I'd like to say this while I've got a chance. How is Lance Andrews considered one of the "unluckiest men in all of racing?" The man had 39 second place finishes? That's not unlucky. Do you know how many things have to go right to finish second 39 times? That's a model of consistency. I just don't get it. It's all in how you look at it, I guess.

Q: Who on the TMMC grid do you think is underrated/overrated?

KP: (Highly annoyed) Seriously? It's questions like this one that... is it any wonder why I don't like the media? I'm not answering that.
[Glare slowly subsides] Now, if you're asking me who I respect out there, without question-- Leonid Roderick. I've said this before and I'll say it again I will always consider him my unofficial teammate and try to help him whenever I can. He's the only one who came to my defense when my eye issues began and I'm not about to ever forget it.

http://efr1.8.forumer.com/viewtopic.php?t=960&highlight=plissken+eye+roderick

Roderick: Plissken Criticism "Unfair".

Many people behind the wall are quick to call Kurt Plissken's lack of success to be a result of him having only one eye. They were also quick to say that was the reason he ran into the turn 3 tire walls.

"His depth perception is so poor he runs into the tires." Greg McCoy, crew chief for Paul Lyons, said.
"Sometimes I wonder what he's doing out there."

Leonid Roderick quickly came to Plissken's defense, requesting to be interviewed about the topic.

"Some of the best road racers ran into that same wall." said Roderick, who, until Julia Nosova did it this season, was the only driver to win the Karjala Grand Prix in his first attempt.
"Antknee ran into it and he did exceptionally well at Karjala and France. We all know Antknee can drive a racecar better then most people can. You nail the gas coming off of turn 2 and then you have to slam on it coming into turn 3, and if you're going to be fast, you have to learn to quickly mash it and hope it doesn't fail."

So what did Roderick think was the cause of so many drivers hitting the turn 3 tires?

"Quick acceleration and quick braking means you could lock the brakes up a little bit and slide. That's probably what was happening."

As for a return to the Neva Ring, Roderick had this to say:

"Going to Russia was a new experience for everyone, and I for one enjoyed it thoroughly. The Neva Ring itself I think is a bit too mechanically demanding for this series because the cars take a lot to accelerate and decelerate. There's another track in a Moscow airport or something like that I heard was being looked at. Why not there?"

I'd say Steudler is my opposite. He's really vocal and I'm not. I prefer to just let my driving speak for me.

Q: What are your hopes for next year?

KP: My goal every year is to win every race I enter. To do that I need to be in every race and finish every race. Improving the Predator is also paramount. It's a really solid car on all track types. We need to address some engine concerns if we're to make a serious charge next year. To finish first, you must first finish I always say. We've hovered around the top at various times, so maybe a championship run in '11 isn't out of the question for us. Oh yeah, the positive buzz the Yoohoo paint scheme created means that they'll be back with us in 2011 too.

Thank you for the interview.

KP: We done? Good.

Thanks for reposting this

Going into the finale at Decatur, we have two contenders

* Adrien Devereux
* Chris Johaanes

I think it's intersting, in the light of Peter Keyes' comments on the TM development ladder being broken, that neither Devereux nor Johaanes came up through TM series. Johaanes cut his teeth on the ARLA Elite Series circuit, while Devereux was bred in the RROL. Both won their respective series championships in 2008. By 2010 both were in the Master Cup Series full time in their current ride [although Johaanes went full time in 2008]. In 2008 however, both series used, for at least part of the season, a differeant car. The RROL's COT and ARLA's GT body styles eventually were replaced because of a number of reasons. Both are regarded as being ugly and brutal to drive by many people. So in a way, this championship will provide evidence in the question of whether ARLA or the RROL / VSCC is better for driver development.

Both are astoundingly good drivers. In Johaanes case it took quite a while for him to reach his full potential. In his first start in Japan in 2007 for Ian Cooper, many had nice things to say about Johaanes' driving. 2008 however was not kind to the Florida native. He endured deveral DNQs without big results. 2009 was similar, as the #22 Lay's car found itself in the wall quite a bit, earning him the moniker "Crash Johaanes". 2010, when he found himself with a new team, was a turning point. He scored his first win at Carbondale and his form was much improved.

After racing in Europe Devereux caught the attention of the Calton Morel Development Program in the RROL. Going full time he showed execellent racecraft on the way to the title. Devereux said that he learned how to race here. Sam Morel promoted him to a part time Master Cup drive in 2009 and the Flying Frenchman started off with an impressive qualifying run at Daytona. Another good grid spot came at Karjala. Devereux's excellent second at Canada showed his potential.
more to come.

As fantastic as the battle at the end between Alan Maloy and Blake Young was, the VSCC race at Karjala was far from a sucess. For the second straight year the race was plagued with crashes. A number of them occured on the circuits pit road enterance, which in my opinion needs to be widened, caused huge hold ups. Many of the VSCC drivers are inexperianced, and several unfortunate mistakes were made. Louis Jones, for example, overdrove Mallet, and knocked Jerry Richson [and himself] out of a strong run. It is because of this that I think the Thomas Clarke and Mark Vaughn should seriously think of removing Karjala from the calender. Karjala is one of the great tracks of the world, but having a developmental series race there many not be the best of ideas. There are a handful of experianced VSCC drivers such as Greg Johnson Jr, David Jarrett, Brian Murray etc., but most of the field is up and comers: Ziggy Waldemar, Adam Holden, Sean Calhoon and the like. These drivers tend to make more mistakes than the veterans. Karjala is a fantastic track in the TMMC where the Alexis Rainsfords, the Adrien Devereuxs, the Tony Durbins, and the Leonid Rodericks battle it out. But in a development series, running that track with that much inexperiance is a recipe for disaster. The VSCC has its own version of the Karjala Grand Prix at Clairmont, which is much better suited to its status as a developmental league. The race at Karjala has contistonently been rather embarrising due to the amount of accidents. In fact, this overshadowed the fact that there was a great battle at the finish. Either way, Karjala is a track suited only for the best of the best: That is why the TM Lights and the TM Junior Series [back when it was around] didn't race there.

I know it dosent matter now, but Bobby Dollar is not inexperienced, he is a 4 time GT champion

Full Name:Rene Jacques Recarmier
Age:23
Hometown:Nimes
Races In:ARLA
Car:#0 Whiper-Ildest Racing Gasnier Dragoon

How did you start racing?

Recarmier: When I was 3, my dad won lottery and with it, the best supercar I have ever seen. I wanted to drive it. I think my parents knew my enthusiasm, so they take out lawnmower engine, go to local steel worker, and right there and then I get my first go-kart at age six.


After your accident with Marco Lianni at L'Ennau du Rin, what were the challenges for you to return to racing?

Recarmier: Vert difficult. I actually recover in 2 year, but the next year difficult to find ride. No ride in single-seater, no used to touring cars, rallying was too tough, so I had to stay out another year.


What made you race in ARLA?

Recarmier: First it was the interest. I thought stock car was same as touring car. You have steering wheel, a gearstick, three pedal and a roof to cover your head. So I gave it a shot.


How did you pull off your amazing debut in the Rookie Shootout.

Recarmier: Honestly....I dunno. Maybe I was only one who track walk. I normally do a track walk before practice. I see which turn is better to take high lane, which turn to brake later, where are bumps, all this important to good lap time on track.


Describe your first win in ARLA.

Recarmier: You know, pulling ahead 15 seconds from other cars in a stock car designed to go on oval on slippery track is not as easy as it sounds. *chuckles* Every time the car just want to spin. But the key is to anticipate spin. You must correct car before it has even spun.

Your season was quite controversial at Watkins Glen in the infamous Dudding incident...

Recarmier:Never.Mention.That.Little.Pudding.AGAIN. He is the most idiotic, selfish, retarded, whiny little baiseur I have ever seen. That guy does not know a thing about real life. His voice is like nails on blackboard. Just could not stand him.


How did you, Jerry Motta, and Mark Ildest achieve so much in 2011 with such limited funding?

Recarmier: I would not say its that limited when you buy out places in ARLA biggest event, but when compare to top 10 teams, I say we had smallest budget of lot. I think deal with Gasnier helped a lot. Granted, they did force us in Dwyer, but I say they were good people and developed a great car to help us achieve where we are.


How did you get the ride with Majestic Motorsports?

Recarmier: Basically ,I French. Majestic is French. See something common? They want good French driver, so they decide to approach me. I think I owe Majestic a lot to help me enter TM Master Cup, but I think [Dale] Roswell should at least get ride. I replacing him, but I hope he has great career somewhere.


The series has scene an influx of French drivers recently: Adrien Devereux, Jacques Bouvier, and Esme Rosseau to name three. Did their sucess encourage you in your career?

Recarmier: I would not say that. Definitely not Devereux. Bouvier is going to be my teammate next year,so should be great working with him. I think Rosseau might be biggest encourager. She was the flyer of French Flag back in '07. And she was great. I like to see her back in 2012.


Speaking of Rosseau, isn't she you new boss at Majestic Motorsports [Cynon please correct me if I'm wrong about that. I seem to remember her being the owner of that team but I can't remember where I heard it.]? Describe your relationship so far with her and the Majestic Motorsports organization.

Recarmier:Yeah, she good. They give me ride in third Majestic car this year for Karjala, Indianapolis and Decatur and I start to know them well.


What advice might you have to up and coming drivers?

Recarmier: Oh god, I not good at this. Just start from bottom and be patient. Trying to rush up leagues in hurry will not work for you.


Where do you see your career going next?

Recarmier: I would like to try single-seater soon sometime. Not full-time ride, but I will try to get hang of it.


Thank you for your time, Monsieur Recarmier.

Recarmier: My pleasure. Next time, skip the Monsieur Recarmier bit. Just call me Rene

Name: Blake Camphausen
Age: 22
Hometown: Toms River, New Jersey
Races In: Part time ARLA in 2011, Full Time TMMC in 2012
Car:#15 Mtn. Dew Saar

How did you start your career?
I started my career racing go karts at a very young age, actually taking a track championship one year. I hadn't done much racing until I raised the money to fund a part time ARLA effort

Like many young drivers, came from karting and minor league racing in the US. How did your early career go?
Overall it went ok. I never scored a victory in karting, but did win a track championship, which is really all that matters.

Talk about your debut in ARLA in Texas?
Well, in late November of 2010, I had finally raised the money to go racing in ARLA, something I always wanted to do, and Safe Crackers took a chance on me. I went to Texas and really realized how much of an uphill battle it was. If everyone else's equipment ranked an 8 out of 10, we were a 3. The team and I never gave up, I drove the race of my life and ran well.

How did your team do so much with so little?
We may have done well with as little as we did, probably because not one man on the team ever stopped giving 110%. They believed in me and I believed in them. That's all we really need to be honest.

What is your favorite track to race on?
Darlington was my favorite to race on this year. However, in all the tracks I've raced and tested on, The Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps is by far my favorite. Such a fun track to drive on.

Who do you look up to in the racing world?
Leonid Roderick. I don't think I've ever seen a man drive a race car the way he does, and on top of that he is one of the nicest people you can talk to in the garage. Amazing man.

So far in your career, what stands out as a major accomplishment?
Putting the 49 car, which had never made a Master Cup race before, in the points at Decatur.

How did you get the deal to drive full time for Team Saar USA in 2012?
Well, I was in talk with Saar to race their cars in ARLA, in 2012. That lead to an offer from the Riggs Motorsports people. I was just about to sign the deal when I guess Team Saar got word of it and gave me an offer. I couldn't have been happier. My entire family has driven Saars for as long as I can remember. And I myself have driven a 1996 Saar since I got my licence at 17.

Is there anybody else in ARLA, the VSCC or other development series that could be a big star?
The Howell brothers seem like a sharp group, Although they need to downsize and get one car running competitive before focusing on all 3. Another man who I am good friends with, Casey Lester, has talent. He needs to get his head straight and get focused, however, before he can move his way up the ladder. There are so many great young drivers besides those, such as Cameron Sweetwater, The PSI Developmental drivers, and to many others to count

Thank you for your time.

No problem. Glad to be here

Full Name: Adrien Devereux
Hometown: Lyon, France
Age: 27
Races in: TM Master Cup Series
Car: [#26] Haas Calton-Morel for Hodges-Walter Racing

EW: It's been an amazing career. How did it all start for you?

AD: My parents worked for a Formula A team and exposed me to the world of racing after I went to Karjala and Le Mans in 1999.

EW: Describe your stint in Formula Gasnier in 2005?

AD: It was a team built around Jean-Pierre Després, the rest of the team was not encouraged to beat him or race him... that's the way a lot of racing in Europe goes, not all but a lot of it. That's why I like American racing and a lot of endurance racing... so if I didn't make it in America I was planning to go to Le Mans.

EW: You once said you became enamored with racing at the 1999 Karjala Grand Prix ...

AD: Karjala was something I knew nothing about. It was the one race a year where American race teams could show they actually could put on a real race. Then they came to France in 2004 to 2007, and I was happy to be at all of those races because they shared a double billing with the Le Mans Series.

EW: How did the deal to run the 2008 RROL come up?

AD: After Formula Gasnier, Calton-Morel wanted me as part of their driver program still. They took me to Le Mans and I met Sam Morel there who mentioned entering the Master Cup and running Karjala. I said sure, so I was testing the TM Lights cars. I was going to run the Alberta track but I didn't feel comfortable on the big ovals at the time, so I was going to run Decatur and the RROL in 08.

Decatur in TM Lights I crashed pretty early and didn't have a backup car, but then Rick Milligan's driver [Al Kincaid] had a big accident in the first qualifying session and needed a replacement. Even though it was a Saar team I got clearance to take the drive and I did okay.

EW: People look back and wonder how did you win the RROL title as a rookie?

AD: Because I scored the most points and didn't throw opportunities away. I knew I was the best driver in the field there, but I also knew I had to learn the car quickly... which wasn't that hard.

EW: Talk about your debut at Decatur in 2008.

AD: I tried Karjala twice with teams without much money so we didn't have much of a chance. The Master Cup debut was a bit rocky because the Sam Morel car didn't have as much support as some of the other teams did. I think I got into some peoples' heads that week.

EW: You said at the time you learned to race in the RROL. What did you mean by that?

AD: In Europe most of what I learned was how to be fast, but being fast isn't everything. In the RROL I truly learned to pass other cars and how to defend positions. I learned that I could give a place up for a moment so I could inevitably take it back a lap or two later, or even take it back during a pit stop.

EW: Describe your amazing runs in 2009 in the #96 car.

AD: I focused more on the 96 car than the RROL in 2009. It was the next step for me, obviously. I was learning still, probably still have much to learn, but I just took what was available. I didn't think about hurting anyone's feelings, I'm a racer, that's what I do...

EW: Your first win in Australia...

AD: It wasn't that hard really, we had so much traction off the corners I was pretty sure I had it won after the first stint, and I think we were the only team to use the same setup in qualifying and in the race. It was definitely how I wanted to win my first race!

EW: What is your rivalry with Chris Johaanes like?

AD: I don't talk to him much. He doesn't come talk to you often so I can't say he's friendly. On the track he doesn't give you room or look around him much... you can't always assume the spotter is right, and when you don't have them, like on most road courses, you cause more problems than you need to.

EW: What track is your favorite to drive on?

AD: My favorite ovals are the shorter ones because they require more from the driver, like Milwaukee or Quincy. My favorite road course track to drive on would probably be Le Mans, Spa, or Road America, just great atmospheres.

EW: At what point in 2011 did you think to yourself 'I can win this championship'

AD: The first test session. I always knew I could win it, because the big lesson I learned in 2010 was that if I can't win the race then I should fight for the best spot available to me, even if it's 17th. I guess you can say Alexis Rainsford taught me that lesson pretty well!

EW: What is your take on the Round of Wisconsin controversy?

AD: I committed to the inside and was already full on the brakes by the time he turned in. It wasn't an over aggressive move, I just made a pass like I would for any other place. We came together and he went off. I know the officials have a rule for causing stupid collisions but I guess they don't apply if you're driving a Saar car. Not a very consistent call, and if I don't think something's right I say it.

EW: Your more known for road course success that oval prowess, but you won at the Grand Detour of Southern Illinois...

AD: Well... because I haven't been driving ovals very long. That is a great track, both ends of the oval are very different, which I like. The fourth turn especially is good, it tightens up a lot. I didn't understand why it was a fan favorite until I drove it for the first time.

EW: What was going through your mind at the final laps of Decatur?

AD: I knew that I had to pass the 34 car to win it, but I also knew that if I hit her I'd probably get a penalty even if it wasn't my fault... Yuliya is a nice person, I respect her a lot. She knows how to race fair, but it seemed to me like the officials did everything they could to make sure a Saar car was in contention to win the title. You can't tell me Japan wasn't blatant team orders...

EW: What is your greatest achievement in your opinion.

AD: Getting married during this off-season... so even if I didn't win the championship, this year would have had a happy ending for me.

EW: Where do you see yourself being in the TM Master Cup Series in the next few years?

AD: Right here with the Hodges-Walter team. Probably still winning, because they make great cars.

EW: What has been the biggest influence in your career?

AD: Probably my parents, because they're the ones who taught me never to give up and to look for opportunity where nobody would expect it.

EW: Who do you think will be your biggest challenge in 2012?

AD: Luciano will be the biggest challenge, but other then that, Gessler and FLASH will be strong I think. We didn't show our full hand in 2011.

EW: What up and coming driver do you think will be strong in the future?

AD: Rene Recarmier or Greg Woodard probably. There's a lot of rookies so it's hard to keep track of them all!

EW: Thank you for you time and congratulations on your championship!

AD: Thanks.

Next on TMMC Today we will interview Woody Watts. Were asking about his rise to fame in the RROL, about his recovery from his accident at Daytona, and how on earth he got the nickname Woody. Stay tuned.

Looking for rides...

Kevin Smith (biggest free agent)
Scott Wilson
Mark Stewart
Matt O'Neal

Open Rides:
#4 - Watts Motorsports?
#8 - Team STRIKE
#9 - Adrenaline Inc.
#10 - Adrenaline Inc.
#84 - Carbon Motorsports
#?? - Team STRIKE

* Kevin Smith is leaving Adrenaline Inc. This is the biggest free agent as stated above. Team STRIKE may be a possibility.
* If Sammy Howard had any sense he would leave Carbon Motorsports. And as I think I said before a Reed Racing schemed car with Verizon colors would look REALLY GOOD. HINT HINT.
* Honestly Carbon Motorsports doesn't seem to be going anywhere. Honestly they're treading water. Ricardo Ramirez seems to be making lemonade with a lemon of a situation with his run at Motegi. I think that may be why Cris Cole left and why Fred Klein is leaving. So Sammy Howard leaving Smith was a HORRIBLE career move.
* Speaking of HORRIBLE career moves, Jerry Richson should not have started his own team. But Reed Racing has taken a bit of a nosedive. If you are Eric or Tim Reed you should think about semi retirement and hiring a Kevin Smith or a Sammy Howard or something. That said Tim and Eric are good drivers, and the ideal solution would be to open a new team.

In my opinion there are a few people who are the stars of the future.

* I have to say that RTR Automotive Engineering is a team to watch. If you would have asked somebody in the TM Master Cup Series garage in late 2009 who would be fast, I bet that Kendall Worthington and Gary Edwards would be on the shortlist. I think Cameron Taylor can thrive here.
* Sara Gallagher is a very strong driver as shown at South Boston. She will be competitive in 2012.
* Another person that could perform next year is Ryan Smith. He needs to break through to gain confidence.
* As Douglas Bent Jr matures I think he will be quick. He has potential and Dangerous Dog Racing is a team that will give him the means to do so.
* The Calton Morel Development Team drivers are superstars in the making.

NEXT ON HIGH GEAR
Woody Watts comes to the interview room...
...and Edward Williams previews the TM Master Cup Series rookie class.

Full Name:Wade William Watts (OCC: Woody Wanted me to mention this isn't his real life name)
Date of Birth: August 29th, 1989
Hometown: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Races In: VSCC: 2004-present TMMC: 2007-2011
Car: #6, Watts Motorsports Inglesby


Q: Today in the studio we have Mr. Woody Watts!
A: Thank you for having me!

Q: First off what's your real name and how did you get the nickname Woody?
A: I was born Wade William Watts, but I've just always been called Woody for some reason. That was the nickname that my family gave me and it stuck.

Q: How did you start your career?
A: I got involved in go-karts in when I was about 11 or 12. After that I heard about the RROL, which at the time had allowed drivers 14 years of age to compete, so I instantly took the chance.

Q: In 2004 you won the RROL Championship while in high school, 14 at the start of the season. How did you do it?
A: Well, it took a lot of determination and focus, but there was no doubt that the support that I received from some veterans, like Rick Jarrett, Steve Murray, and Greg Johnson, Sr. guided me in the right direction. Even though we were all competing, they all sort of looked out for me, since I was just a kid. I owe them a lot.

Q: When the RROL went public in 2008, did it make it harder with the increased field size?
A: It did, there was a for a lot of teams who had to race in through the qualifiers, but in general, the same level of focus and determination was needed.

Q: Your first few races in 2007 in the Comcast Inglesby...describe them.
A: I had just turned 18 when I applied with the series to enter a few races, so it was tough being with a small team, none of us had any previous experience. In our first weekend, the whole series was hit by the death of Steve Marshall, so it was tough for a lot of guys at that point too, I suppose. That team progressed quickly though, and we made both Southern Illinois and Decatur, both of which ended up as top-20 runs, and at Decatur, I actually had my first top-10. So by the end of the year, we had become somewhat confident.

Q: Looking back, what do you make of your 2009 and 2010 seasons.
A: We had a good start to the 2009 season, but things fell apart not long after, and we just never seemed to be able to make a complete recovery. We did have a good run here and there, Spa was probably our best run of the year.

2010 was also difficult. I was with yet again a new team, but also an underdeveloped chassis this time, so trying to work with the car was enough of a challenge. We did face some mechanical letdowns that year, probably more than I can remember, but I did have good runs that year too.

Q: What do your remember about your crash at Daytona?
A: In all honesty, not very much.

Q: How long were you in a coma?
A: It was only for a day or two.

Q: Have you been able to walk yet?
A: Since my femur has not fully recovered, I've done some walking with a crutch, but very little. I figure that it is best that I let my body recover before I try driving in a high gear again.

Q: What is it like being an owner driver?
A: It gives you a unique chance to see things from multiple perspectives, as a driver, you know, you are out there racing and working with the car, as an owner, you get to fit all the pieces together in your team to make it work.

Q: What are some of the new talents following in your footsteps?
A: The Calton-Morel Development team always has a good driver or two, but the emergence of the Juneau team this season has also been impressive. So I'd say, Kevin Rexwall, Steve Yoon, Ziggy Waldemar, Gryffin LeTellier, Vladimir Nikolayev, and David Jarrett.

Q: You've said your not sure weather you'll drive again. If you do, when will that be?
A: I'm preparing to drive in the VSCC when I return, I figure that it is best that I take things slow and recover to the fullest before I get back in the car and if/when I do drive again, I don't want to pressure myself, being back in the VSCC takes off some pressure, and I don't have to feel like I am driving to earn a spot for next year. I don't really have a timeline for the actual return, although it basically comes down to medical clearance and if I feel ready.

Q: Thank you very much Mr. Watts. Best of luck in your recovery. We hope to see you back on the track someday.
A: Thank you again for having me! It is nice to know I have not been forgotten, that happens easily in the racing world these days.

Name: Vijay Pushanda
Birthdate: March 23rd, 1977
Hometown: Calcutta, India
Drives: #42 Tutino TMMC, PI car in ARLA
Races / Raced in: Raced in, Formula A, B, Asia. Races in TM Master Cup Series, ARLA Elite Series
Q: Welcome Back Vijay!

A: Thanks for having me

Q: The Tutino team was pretty slow in 2011 and there best finish before you came along was a 20th by Tyson Lautenschlager. Then you got an 11th. How did you do it?

A: Azuma helped alot, I will go down saying he was the best racer Tutino had last year. He brought a Nemoto engine deal, which the Tutino needed a motor. And was then he taught me everything he knew about that track, which was probably one of the strangest tracks the TMMC ever has raced on.

Q: You mentioned that you lost two realitives in a short amount of time. How did this effect you?

A: Same day, My sister and her husband, I couldn't do much in the form of sorrow, because there was baby that was oh 30 minutes old, that me and Sulinder, my brother had to take in.

Q: You had a feud with former Jamacian rookie Jacob Gregory. Describe this rivalry.

A: Ha, rumor has it he got busted with weed in Miami Florida, and got deported back to Jamaca where he belongs. He was a complete idiot who doesn't understand the concept of death.

Q: How did Arrow Dynamics get started?

A: Sulinder said, I want a team. Not much more than that.

Q: Your crash at Talladega was frightening...

A: Maybe if AJ Young understood the concept of a brake pedal, I would have been fine for the TM Master Cup Series race at Vegas. Freestones was much worse than mine. I don't understand why he and Dudding are allowed to be on the track, what a joke.

Q: What is your critique of superspeedways?

A: With the right car they're fine, until this year, ARLA never really had an issue with them. The TMMC cars are too damn light to race on them, and to be honest, they have the right idea, there are smaller, lower speed ovals, such as The Autodromo Daniel Estevem and the Las Vegas Autoring that are alot safer, and slower, and don't even give me that Scott Hamilton crash, that could have happened at Ohio Motor Speedway or The West Midland Bullring

Q: What do you think of your chances in 2012?

A: In ARLA, quite well, I think the ARLA car is quick, the Tutino, still needs some work to get to race winning meterial, we see it with Katzev, you need 3 years.

Q: What races are you looking toward to?

A: Karjala, Road America, Road America in ARLA
Q: Who in racing to you most admire?

A: I never really klung to a driver, so I really can't answer that, Leonid Roderick though is really good.

Q: How do you think having an Indian driver in the TMMC will affect racing in India?

A: India already follows the TMMC, They recieved full season coverage in 2009, and lets just say they got a pleasent suprise when they were watching Japan last year.

Q: Describe your role as a track designing consultant.

A: I did alot of the design work, any lightweight race car could really race on it, once the surveying was done I pushed essentially designed it.

[img][/img]

Q: thank you for your time, sir.

A: Your very welcome.

Going to revive this.

Today, High Gear had TM Lights driver Cameron Taylor on the show, and he made the following comment:

"What the people from the MCMA and the Omecha board don't understand is that they are running an entire sport into the ground. And they are risking ruining the livelihoods of a large amount of people. I'm not talking about the driver or the team owners. I'm talking about the guys at the shop; the aerodynamicist who has worked for FLASH Racing for 20 years, or the jack man who has been with Volpi since it was Jeff Cesnik Racing. I realize my mistake. I was being as self centered as everybody else before Michigan. But I have to say that when I got involved in this sport in 2009, it was very healthy. But now their are two series, and everything is shaky. I think it is about time everyone puts their self interests aside and realizes what's best for racing. And that starts with me."

High Gear Motorsports is Back for a New season!



We take a look at the silly season developments in the TM Master Cup Series.
Right now the lineup is...
Volpi - 2 - Packer Carroll
Volpi - 4 - Leonid Roderick
Hodges/Walter - 3 - Luciano Soverol
Hodges/Walter - 7 - Adrien Devereux
Launch - 5 - Michael Sykes
Launch - 6 - Chris Davenport
Katzev - 8 - Yulyia Nosova
Katzev - ?? - Yevgeny Kuznetzov
Ritchter - 9 - Arto Kekkonen
Ritchter - 10 - Mathias Taube
Lynxe - 11 - Divina Henton
Lynxe - 12 - ???
PSI - 16 - Kurt Plissken
PSI - 41 - Greg Woodard
Star - 17 - Louis Kingston
Star - 18 - ???
Black Diamond - 19 - ???
Black Diamond - 39 - ???
Manticore - 26 - ???
Manticore - 27 - ???
Tutino - 42 - ???
Tutino - 43 - ???
FPO - 55 - Zelda Ashby
FPO - 99 - Ebenezer Quiggles, Jr.
Mitchell & Sons - 74 - ???
Mitchell & Sons - ?? - ???
EFR - 88 - Scott Bates
EFR - ?? - Ian Cooper

Volpi has already signed Leonid Roderick and has released Divina Henton.

Hodges Walter, which will again run Calton Morels, has retained both Adrien Devereux and Luciano Soverol.

Launch Energy Racing is one of the new teams that has appeared. They have signed Michael Sykes from FLASH Racing (which had its entry revoked after Michigan) and the Welshmen was signed by his sponsor's team. Chris Davenport arrives after stints with Volpi and Black Diamond and he finally gets a full time ride. The team will run Inglesbys.

Katzev has confirmed both of its drivers. Yulyia Nosova will return to the team and her teammate will be ARLA driver Yevgeny Kuznetsov. Kuznetsov has huge potential and has show a great deal of speed in ARLA.

Carl Ritchter's team has retained both Arto Kekkonen and Mathias Taube. Scandanavia Mania will be very present at the team, which will again run Gesslers.

Lynxe Racing is a new French team that has already signed Divina Henton. The second car is open but it will almost certainly go to a female driver as the only male driver the women's clothing company has ever sponsored was Chris Davenport and he's... well... nevermind, because he is already joined the Launch team, although Lynxe was supposedly intersted.

Power Steering Incorporated is undergoing a tumultous 2012, and Anthony Griffith has left the team. In his place is Greg Woodard who was very strong in his Independent's Trophy campaign.

Takumi Katashima's Star Motorsports team will field a pair of Nemotos, like last season. Unlike last season, Tom Delgado will not be driving for them, as he has retired due to health problems. Look for Azuma Kazeyama to take over this car.

Black Diamond Racing was a last minute entry in 2012 and there is no indication of whether they will continue running the Omecha chassis they ran last year. Nor is it known if Dale Roswell and/or the Freedom for Palestine livery. The #19 car was a revolving door last year with Avery Holtzman, Chris Davenport, Yevgeny Kuznetsov, Brian Sendack, Joao Paulo Vidal, and Peter Short taking turns in the car. Short was by far the best driver of those. A four time Formula A champion, Cameron Taylor said that beating at Road America him was "probably the proudest moment of my career", which sums up the attitude of the paddock. It's an honor to have a driver of his caliber running the Master Cup Series. But I can't see a reason why Peter would leave his comfortable and sucessful Formula A drive for a full time run with a struggling TMMC Team. A darkhorse contender for a seat here could by Paul Lyons, who was impressive at New York, considering he last drove a TMMC car in early 2009. I would put Zach Duff as a contender for one of these seats. Quan Xing, the team's TM Lights driver could be a factor as well. For sheer comedic value, the team could put Kyle Schmulwitz in the #19 and keep Roswell in the #22: A Israeli driver with a teammate who's car has an Anti-Israeli livery...

Manticore Engineering is a bit of a wildcard. In an age where few teams have money, Manticore reportedly has backing in place. Erik Boelander ran for the team last year at Karjala. What would make the most sense would be to pair a rookie with a veteren. For the rookie, look no further than the TM Lights, where Troy Adams and Cameron Taylor are duking it out for the championship. Or in the independent's trophy, drivers such as Barton Sandy and Mika Tervo (as well as both Adams and Taylor) have potential. Someone should really give Tyson Lautenschlager a shot, and this team could work for him. For the veteren, there are many capable drivers without rides. Franz Redlich, Jose Luis Martinez, and Scott Steudler come to mind.

Scuderia Tutino is unpredictable, but their modius operendi is very predictable. Whomever can write the biggest check gets the ride, even if it means sinking to such lows are hiring Cody Keaton or A.J. Young.

Fluffy Penguin Onionburger exists in a paralell office building, filled with driftwood and oil platform blueprints. The vending machine of blinds shall conquer the roadway near Nebraska with a blissful auroma of a calculator combined with a bungee cord.
Translation: FPO has already confirmed Ebenzer Quiggles and Zelda Ashby

Mitchell & Sons Racing would make a major mistake if they fired Chris Johaanes. True, he is having a difficult year, but his runner up finish in 2011 shows his talent. If I were Thomas Mitchell I would retain Melanie Clevenot.

Team EFR has already confirmed its solid lineup of Ian Cooper and Scott Bates.

And now TMMC Today would like to pay tribute to those we lost in 2012

- Mumba Kumangu was a man who was never daunted by fear. After a successful career as a driver, the Zambian turned to journalism. The sad irony was that after spending years in a dangerous profession such as auto racing, Kumangu lost his life reporting on the war in Syria. He also worked behind the scenes for charitable work in his native Africa. Truly one of the good guys of the track, Kumangu will be missed. Our sympathy goes to his brother, wife, and extended family at their time of loss. Mumba Kumangu (January 1, 1974 — 2012)

- Scott Morales burst onto the ARLA scene, winning in the season opener of his first season. He drove with a skill that impressed many veterans and had a great future ahead of him. He was a loving husband and a caring father as well and he will be missed by many. Survived by Andrea Kinasa Morales, Kenneth "Kenny" Morales, and Raymond Christopher Morales. Scott Anthony Morales (Feburary 18, 1986 — October 14, 2012)

- Danielle Dudding was a young lady for whom it wasn't supposed to end how it did. Many at TMMC Today were stunned to find that she was the wife of Derek Dudding, as was Earl McDerrmott over at OEN. Derek, perhaps best described as the village idiot of ARLA, clearly had a role in her death and should have been charged with homicide. Murdered on July 6, 2012, rest in peace Mrs. Dudding. Danielle Dudding (October 12, 1983 — July 6, 2012)

Ben Tremblay was destined for greater things. He raced in ARLA before moving to the Dash Cup Series. He and Sean Gleanhooke, who was also taken before his time in a cruel way, died in a freak accident at a race in England. RIP.

Breaking: sources have stated that Kevin Dwyer intends to leave Team Saar USA at seasons end. Details to follow.

Name: Thomas Franklin
Hometown: Salt Lake City, Utah
Races In: RROL

Q: Welcome to High Gear
A: I’m honored to be here.

Q: How did you get interested in racing?
A: I grew up in the Federal Heights district of Salt Lake City. I’m a Mormon, so I went to Brigham Young University for an engineering degree a few years back. While I was there, a few friends of mine mentioned that there was a driving school at a small short track called Moab Speedway. It was a small track, and still is, but it was in a pretty cool place: out in the desert near the Colorado River. They had a few cars there, if I remember correctly they were former RROL or TMJS cars or something like that. So we did the program. It was called the Moab Racing Experience or something cliché like that. So I tried out a car and loved it. I came back for some of the more serious and professional racing programs and the rest is history.

Q: Where did you go from there?
A: Well after collage I had a bachelor’s in aeronautical engineering. I decided to do a tour with Uncle Sam after collage. The Air Force did a program that would help people further their engineering work if they joined and became a pilot so I signed up. I went to Colorado for the Air Force Training Academy.

Q: How was your time in the Air Force?
A: I would say that I enjoyed it. For most of the time I was stationed at Wright Patterson Air Force Base in Dayton Oh–

Q: (cameraman) Where they store aliens???
A: I had access to all the hangers they had there and I didn’t see anything from another planet except the Apollo memorabilia they have down at the museum. Head down there sometime… (Cameraman mouths sorry) It’s all good…

Q: Continue.
A: When I was in the Air Force the most enjoyable part for me was the flying time. It’s an amazing feeling that is pretty indescribable. I flew a Lockheed U2 Dragon Lady for a time and that was incredible. When you get up to the highest altitudes you can see outer space in all its blackness. It’s breathtaking. One time we did a flyover at the Carbondale Master Cup Series race in 2010 or 2011. That got me thinking about racing again. When I got out of the Air Force, I missed that feeling from flying. I remembered that racing gave me that, so I started racing again.

Q: How did Peter Dennis come to your attention?
A: One of his team scouts saw me race at Moab Speedway in late 2011. He found me after, I had won the race, and said that he was forming a VSCC team for 2012 and he’d like me to test for them. He gave me his card and we arranged a test at the Aurora Speedrome that October. He said he liked what he saw and offered a ride. He already had some sponsorship for the car from BW3 and Bud.

Q: Who on the RROL circuit to you enjoy racing with?
A: There’s a long list. Alex Whitt is a really good kid and he has a great future ahead of him. Gary Edwards is kind of the guy that everybody looks up to. The man has won in the Master Cup Series, he’s beaten the best in the world and it’s an honor to race with him. Ryan Wade is a really great guy and a talented racer. Basically everybody who races hard but clean, and there’s a lot of people in this series. Sara Gallagher too. She’s a fast young lady. A few of my friends teased me after Quincy. They were like “ah Tommy you got beat by a girl.” Ridiculous. My teammates are great. There’s a lot of chemistry between S2, Scott Jonathan and me.?

Q: S2?
A: That’s what we call Scott Washington, because there’s too Scotts and one of them is #2. Some people call them Black Scott and White Scott but I’m not really comfortable with that.

Q: You’ve expressed interest in the ASCC.
A: I have. I’ve learned how to race here in the RROL this year, and I’m looking to go after some big race wins in the ASCC next. TM Lights are pretty hard to get into so the ASCC seems like a logical next step.

Q: Who are your racing heroes?
A: I’m a big fan of Tony Durbin and Leonid Roderick, and it would be incredible to race against either of them someday. The guy I really looked up to growing up was Benny Dwyer. The guy could drive a car like nobody I’ve ever scene. Also Christian Kallela is a hero of mine. I remember as a kid watching Formula A and I always pulled for him.

Q: Thank you for your time.
A: Your welcome. Thank you for having me on here

Name: Alexander Louis Sybilton, III
Hometown: Hampshire, England, United Kingdom
Races In: GTs, Dash Cup, RROL

Q: Well it's at this point when I usually say to a guest 'welcome to the studio' but we aren't in the studio. I should explain to the audience that Mr. Sybilton insisted that we do this interview in house. And I'm glad we did. I much say sir, this is a lovely house
A: I thought you would enjoy coming here.

Q: Since this is a unconventional interview I'll start with an unconventional question. Your cars generally carry British Racing Green and don't run with major sponsorship. Why is that?
A: I've never been trustworthy of corporations. It was corporate investments that my predecessors made that nearly forced my family from this estate. I've made investments as well but not in the monopoly type companies. They disgust me. What I love the most in the world, aside from Evangeline and my Family, is my nation. I'm a proud Brit and I'm not ashamed of it.

Q: You have said before that your extended family didn't like your ways very much.
A: I have and they don't really like how I do things. They have to realize that this isn't 1884 and I can do my own bloody cooking.

Q: How did the usage of a pseudonym come about?
A: My great uncle wasn't keen on me using the Sybilton name in racing so I had to use a different one. Besides, many people in this part of England know that I'm part of the aristocracy and I didn't want people to look on the entry list and think 'Sybilton...rich bloke...slow hack'.

Q: What is your favorite racing circuit?
A: Goodwood. I'm not sure if the hill or the actual track but it is defiantly Goodwood. Such a beautiful part of England and such an amazing track to drive on.

More of the interview with Alexander Sybilton will follow after the break. Since Mr. Sybilton invited me to his house...we have to have a guest host. So Chris Colmes is in the studio.

TMMC Silly Season wrap up:

With the silly season all but over the team chart is more or less set.

Hodges Walter - 1 - Adrien Devereux
Hodges Walter - 3 - Luciano Soverol
Volpi - 2 - Packer Carroll
Volpi - 4 - Leonid Roderick
Launch - 5 - Michael Sykes
Launch - 6 - Chris Davenport -R-
Katzev - 7 - Yulyia Nosova
Katzev - 8 - Yevgeny Kuznetsov -R-
Gessler - 9 - Arto Kekkonen
Gessler - 10 - Mathias Taube
BlackDiamond - 00 - Gasper de Sousa
BlackDiamond - 22 - Peter Short -R-
Lynxe - 11 - Divina Henton
Lynxe - 12 - Melanie Clevenot -R-
PSI - 16 - Kurt Plissken
PSI - 41 - Greg Woodard -R-
Star - 17 - Louis Kingston
Star - 18 - Troy Adams -R-
Manticore - 28 - Scott Steudler
Manticore - 29 - Chris Johaanes
Tutino - 42 - Alessandro Rossini
Tutino - 50 - Ben Atkins
FPO - 55 - Zelda Ashby
FPO - 99 - Ebenezer Quiggles, Jr, -R-
Mitchell & Sons - 72 - Kevin Dwyer
Mitchell & Sons - 74 - Zack Duff
EFR - 88 - Scott Bates
EFR - 777 - Ian Cooper
--
Harrison - 8 - Jose Luis Martinez
Finntech - 02 - Mika Tervo
Finntech - 03 - Carlos Donzelo or Mika Passonen or Nils Tolonen or ???
BKR - 05 - Barton Sandy
BKR - 06 - Robert Nelson
Milligan - 15 - Blake Camphausen or Ethan Everett or Tony Durbin or ???
Evans - 30 - Charlie Waters
Eichholtz - 31 - Jacob Eichholtz
Abbey - 43 - Ben Hurran
FAC - 46 - Frank Azure
Leckliter - 47 - Dan Leckliter
BMR - 52 - Tom Moore
Lucstar - 56 - Cade Taylor
GLM - 57 - Vijay Puschanda
Terra - 58 - Nick Dawson
Terra - 98 - Ike Durbin
Matthews - 61 - Ryan Matthews
Timothy - 68 - Cameron Taylor
Clason - 79 - Archer Harris
FTM - 81 - Danny Savin
Tolyatti - 83 - Lev Azarov or Lev Vladimirovich or Mikhail Pulkayov or ???
Scarabs - 89 - Craig Jonser
MT - 114 - Kraig Mummert and Brian Morris
Interdrain - 222 - James Davison
Wernstrom - 256 - Frederich JAger
426 - 426 - Christopher Allen

The Big Stories of the offseason:

* Leonid Roderick leaves FLASH Racing (which was bought out by Launch Energy) and goes to the Volpi Racing Team.
* Formula A legend Peter Short coming to the TM Master Cup Series.
* The Rookie class: Chris Davenport, Yevgeny Kuznetsov, Peter Short, Melanie Clevenot, Troy Adams, Greg Woodard, Ebenezer Quiggles, and Ben Atkins. Who will flourish?
* Can Zack Duff rebound in 2013 after a disappointing 2012?
* Alessandro "Milano" Rossini has been given a second chance at TMMC glory. Can he make the most of it? And is the Tutino a good enough car?
* Eccentric former driver Marcos Leonard has brought the FPO organization into the series.
* The Indepedent's Trophy has expanded. There are some drivers who have proven their skill in the Lights, the Cup series, ARLA or other forms of racing. These include Barton Sandy, Dan Leckliter, Cameron Taylor, and Jose Luis Martinez. But the field has a number of drivers with limited experiance such as Cade Taylor and James Davison.

We interviewed Zachary Zins. To accommodate Mr. Zins privacy, the interview was remotely recorded. We gave Mr. Zins the choice of the following locations.
- A Mailboxes Etc. storage room in West Bend, Washington
- Room 412 of the Marriott Hotel Crystal City in Arlington, near Washington DC
- A Hunting Valley, Ohio American Legion office
- The speaker room of a Montpelier, Vermont Guitar Center
- Under the wing of a B52 Bomber at the National Museum of the United States Air Force in Dayton, Ohio.
- The offices of Ohio State Representative Christina Hagan (Republican — Stark County)
- The Community Room of the Port Tobacco, Maryland Public Library
- The upstairs bathroom at Royal Oak High School in Michigan
- The Hudson News stand at Ronald Reagan International Airport in Washington DC
- A Dollar General in Covington, Kentucky
- A photogaphy studio in Muncie, Indiana
- The dining room of our West Coast Manager's house in Pebble Beach, California

The location he chose remains classified.

This interview has been briefly edited to temper some of the less than family friendly language. This change is marked by a —.

Q: What got you into racing?

I USE MY CAR AS A MOVING BILLBOARD TO HELP EXPRESS THE LIES AND DECEIT OF THE ARLA KILLBOT OFFICIALS! THE SOCIAFACINAZI OFFICIALS KEEP TRYING TO STOP ME BUT THOSE F—CKERS CAN'T STOP THE TRUTH FROM BEING TOLD!

Q: Your Texas 500 car from 2010 stated that "Marilyn Manson caused Columbine!" Explain.

THAT WAS MY TEAMMATE JOHNNY LEE CLARY! THAT MAN KNOWS THE TRUTH! THERE WERE CHEMTRAILS THAT MARILYN MANSON INJECTED INTO ERIC HARRIS AND DYLAN KLEBOLD, WITH THEM NOW INDOCTRINATED, HE TOLD THEM TO KILL THOSE POOR INNOCENTS IN LITTLETON, CO, AND JOHNNY LEE KNOWS IT! MY CAR STATED 9/11, KNOW THE TRUTH!

Q: What exactly is a "New World Orphan?"

PEOPLE WHO AREN'T GONNA GET F—CKED WITH AND NOT DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT! SEEKERS AND SPREADERS OF THE TRUTH! PUSH US AND WE'LL PUSH YOU RIGHT BACK!

Q: What brought you to ARLA

TO GET THE MESSAGE TO A BIGGER AUDIENCE! I REALIZED THE SHEEP WOULDN'T LISTEN IF YOU WERE IN SOME NOBODY LEAGUE! THE TRUTH NEEDS TO BE BROADCASTED ON A GLOBAL SCALE! WE'RE GONNA TAKE THE PLANET BACK!

Q: Explain your conspiracy about the death of Scott Morales.

SCOTT MORALES IS ALIVE AND LIVING IN HIDING IN KILGI, ESTONIA RIGHT NOW! WATCH THE REPLAYS AND YOU CAN SEE THERE WERE EXPLOSIONS AT THE BASE OF THE CAR BEFORE IMPACT, THAT WAS TO OBSCURE THE MANNEQUIN INSIDE OF THE CAR! THAT'S RIGHT, HIS CAR WAS BEING REMOTELY DRIVEN BEFORE THE ACCIDENT OCCURRED! IF YOU F—CKING SHEEP KEEP BELIEVING EVERYTHING ON THE TV, YOU'LL NEVER BE ABLE TO THINK FOR YOURSELF!

Q: Describe your first win.

I HAVE NO RECOLLECTION OF MY FIRST VICTORY, THE TROPHY IS IN MY CAR THOUGH...[BORLAND] SAYS I HAVE REPRESSED THE MEMORY OR SOMETHING!

Q: It it true that Alex Carson is a robot?

LOOK AT MY F—CKING CAR AND YOU SHOULD KNOW THAT ANSWER!

Q: What are your future plans?

I HOPE TO SPREAD THE TRUTH EVEN FURTHER BY MAKING A MOVE TO MASTER CUP WHILE I RUN THE NEW WORLD ORPHAN TEAM IN ARLA IN 2014. WE WILL SEE!

Q: Fan submitted question: Question was submitted by Thomas Bindernagle from Eastlake, Ohio. "This question is really two in one. What is the racing media all about when words have know meaning? The second question is how, in your mind, should the New World Orphans combat the conspiracy of Charter One, [Ohio Gov.] John Kasich, [ARLA Driver] James West, George Clooney, and the Brewing industry that caused all tragedies of the past ten years?"

NO COMMENT! SEEK THE TRUTH!

Q: Thank you for your time, and good luck this season.

THE HANMORE CHAMPIONSHIPS WAS A F—CKING LIE! IT WAS AN INSIDE FUCKING JOB, GET WITH IT!

News on Gerlach AG's Le Mans effort has reached High Gear. The team runs two full time cars in German Supercars for Ernst Mossbrüger, a series champion, and rookie Pascal Manzon. The team is commencing a run for the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Their two regular drivers will be relieved by a series of internationally known drivers. Le Mans veteran Mathias Knaar will be joining the team. Born in Sweden, Knaar holds duel citizenship in both Sweden and Norway. Also joining them is V8 Champcar driver Johaanes van Rensburg. Hailing from Christiana, South Africa, he will join Mossbrüger and Taylor in one car. The lineup will be as follows.

5 - Pascal Manzon (F), Mathias Knaar (SWE/NOR), TBA (TBA)
6 - Cameron Taylor (USA), Ernst Mossbrüger (D), Johaanes van Rensburg (SA)

The third driver for the No. 5 car is to be announced, but rumors have indicated that the team may be interested in Paul Gartley.

Cameron Taylor Interview:

Q: How did your racing career begin?

A: Well my Dad raced when I was growing up as an amateur. I can remember going to Mid Ohio when I was three and hanging out by the garage. I was the "honorary crew chief" on the team which had maybe five people on it including the driver. I loved it. But after a few years we ran out of cash to race on a regular basis, but ever since then I've followed racing. So I did karting for a couple years and did reasonably well and around 2010 or 2011 I was looking to move up.

Q: You started in the RROL, or VSCC as it was called in 2011. How was that as a career path?

A: It was a great one. Look at Adrien Devereux: I can remember him saying once that the RROL was where he learned how to race, and it was the same way for me. It's one thing to know how to drive but the RROL was where you learned how to race and how to win; when to hold back and when to push. I can remember seeing an RROL race in 2010 and thinking that it would be a great place to compete in. The list of RROL guys who made it to the Master Cup series isn't terribly long but it's still significant. Ryan Matthews, Adrien (Devereux), Woody (Watts), and myself to name four. I didn't think I could really run in the RROL, or VSCC as it was then, but I began talking to people about sponsorship and it came together piece by piece. I did a piece in the Plain Dealer about racing and not long after I was called by a guy who owned a number of Applebee's restaurants in the area. That started a sponsorship that continues today. We were just short of funding when I saw an article that the Boy Scouts of America were doing a sports sponsorship program for former Eagle Scouts. I had been one and I called them up. That's what got us to Brands Hatch. I'd never raced there before but for some reason I just figured the track out very fast, something clicked with myself and with the team and we won.

Q: This may be a hard subject, but what are your comments on Mallory Park?

A: Yeah that is something that's tough to talk about but I feel I need to get it off my chest. When I first arrived in England, Kristian Jankovic and I started talking to each other when we got to our hotel, and became friends of sorts. We were both young rookie drivers looking to break through and neither of us knew many people. A bit later in the season we were racing at Mallory. It was the second to last or maybe the last lap and I was racing with a guy named Bill Wainwright and somehow we got together - myself, Bill, and Kristain. I really don't remember what happened next very well, just that there was an enormous impact and I had the wind knocked out of me for a second. Then I saw that the car was still running. I put it into gear and drove slowly back to the pits, which was hard because the suspension was all messed up. Eventually Kristain died from the wreck, or complications from it. I felt awful about it. I considered quitting but decided to keep racing. I think a lot of drivers in these situations feel guilt about it. I'm blessed to have had the chance to speak with Kristain after the accident before he died. He has a younger brother that's up and coming, and I wish the best for him.

Q: How about your debut for Trevor Carrington?

A: Baptism of fire. Leslie Riggs was supposed to drive the car that I drove at Ohio but she was injured, along with Woody Watts, at Daytona. Apparently, Trevor needed a driver and fast. The week before the race I get a call on my cell phone from a man saying he was Trevor. At first I thought it was an old family friends with the same first name but then I heard the British accent. He asked if I would like to test a Master Cup Series car. I jumped at the opportunity. We decided on Nelson Ledges because rent of the track was cheap and it was close to the next race at OMS (Ohio Motor Speedway). Also it's a track I knew well. It took me a while to get the handle of the car but it really wasn't that different than a VSCC car, and I was able to pass my licensing test.

We got to Ohio Motor Speedway and in first practice I was in way over my head. I was going against some of the best drivers in the world and I honestly couldn't do it. Tony Durbin pulled me aside after qualifying and said something I'll never forget. He said to me 'Look. I get that this is your first race and your excited, but you can't be blocking guys like that'. I listened. Even though he was irritated at my lack of speed, I have to admit I thought it was pretty cool to be having a personal conversation with someone of that stature. A former TMMC champion! So we had a long chat and got to know each other better. With all respect to Alexis Rainsford, Tony was a pretty nice guy and I think having somebody tell me to get with it on my first weekend was a good thing. I still remember the driver intros. They did it by last name and it was cool to hear: Sykes...Roderick...and from here in Ohio making his debut....Cameron Taylor! The race itself was tough. I lost the field pretty quickly and was lapped more times that I liked to count. But I finished the race, I hadn't wrecked anyone and I think Trevor was just happy I didn't crash his car, seeing what had happened with some of his earlier drivers.

I felt more comfortable at Road America because I'd raced there many times before. I also did a track day a week before the race and that helped a lot. I think having a race under my belt helped a lot because now I was able to run with the Tutinos, Katzevs, and my teammate Dan Mackay, I was also glad that AJ Young was in that race, so there was somebody I could beat.

At the end of 2011 I'd come to realize that I'd went to the Cup series far to soon, and I came to regret that a bit. But looking back I'm glad I did it. At the time I didn't think I'd get another opportunity, because I really didn't forsee being able to afford another stint with a backmarker team.

Q: How does an Ohio boy with a background in road racing wind up with a Canadian veteran's team?

A: I'm still not sure. I looked to the TM Lights and didn't think I'd find a ride. I hooked up with a new team called Jordan Motorsports, but we didn't have funding to go racing. Out of the blue, Dan Timothy got ahold of me and said he was looking for a driver and he though I'd be a good fit. So I convinced the people sponsoring me to keep their backing because I was about to land a great ride. Dan's the best guy a young driver can have as a team owner, especially with all that experience to build upon.

Q: Did you expect to challenge for the championship?

A: Not in my wildest imagination. No. I still can't believe how well we did that year. Mid way something just clicked and we started getting top fives or top tens every race. By the time we got to my home race in Ohio I was getting some serious local attention. Local news stations were talking to me, I got tons of autograph requests, and I got the VIP treatment in Columbus. I'd never experienced anything like this before! And when HLR came around everything seemed to go right. The car was set up almost perfectly: aside from a few minor adjustments in practice were were the fastest right out of the box. After getting poll position, I took off on the start and never looked back. Dan was pumped to be winning in Canada, and I couldn't believe I had won. We came a bit short in Decatur, but really there's no shame in that. Troy (Adams) and I had an epic battle for the title, and he was a deserving champion.

Q: What's next for you?

A: I have every intention of staying with Team Timothy. It might be a little late this year to go for the title but it's not impossible. This team can win a championship and whether it's this year or next year or later I'm determined to bring one home. It's the most capable team I've ever worked with and I think it's a great fit for me. As for the Cup side of thing's I'll still do the Independent's Trophy unless one of the full time teams gives me a call.

The thing I'm excited for is doing Le Mans next year. Ever since I was a kid I've always wanted to compete there and now I have a chance in a car with co drivers that can win. It'll be an amazing experience.

Q: What do you like to do off the track?

A: I love the outdoors. Ever since I was a scout as a kid and a teenager I've loved camping and hiking and the like.

Q: Have a favorite spot in the outdoors?

A: Yes. Hocking Hills State Park, south of Columbus. Went there for the first time as a scout in high school and have loved going there every since.

Q: Other interests?

A: I love to travel. I haven't been able to do a ton of traveling recently, but I got to see Europe in 2011 because of the VERC schedule, and I really enjoyed that. I also love history. If there's extra time on a race weekend and there's something interesting nearby I usually check it out. I went to the Air Force Museum with my brother after the Ohio race. He flies some of those planes, so it was very cool seeing it with him.

Q: Which current drivers to you admire?

A: Probably Leonid Roderick, because I've always been a fan of his. It's amazing to get to race against a guy like him who's accomplished so much. I think I'll tell my kids one day that I raced against, and on occasion was able to beat, Peter Short. On occasion. But still, I out drove him at Road America last year and I can say that it was one of the proudest moments of my career.

Q: Which of your competitors do you consider the most skilled?

A: Obviously Short, Adrien Devereux, and Roderick are candidates. But in terms of the best driver? Probably Divina Henton. I've always felt she's very underrated, and so is the entire Lynxe team. In the TM Lights, Troy Adams was always a tough guy to beat. But as far as Cup is concerned I honestly think Henton will win a championship one day. I would also say that Michael Sykes is among the most skilled drivers I've ever raced against. The man truly is one of the most capable drivers in the world.

Q: Thank you for the interview

A: It's been a pleasure.