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04/22/2006
2005 Figure 8
Review
by J.A.
Ackley, "Professor"
Peter Milano
Well it's that time once again, with the season fast
approaching, the grade reports are rolling in! This year,
not only the Professor has his say, so does the Jam Man - J.A. Ackley.
In addition to the "Jam Panel of Performance Review," we
will give you, the fans, a chance to grade the competitors
as well.
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1) George
Sprague
#10 Pavco Industries
Chevrolet
2005 Profile |
|
"The
Professor" Peter Milano, Pit Bull Reporter |
| Sprague goes from being a
bridesmaid to being the bride, or in this
case the best man to groom. After a
series of runner-ups, Sprague finally walked
away with the championship. While in
the first-half, Sprague wasn't looking too
good for the championship, he turned up the
heat in the second half and took advantage
of some rare bad luck for defending champ,
Roger Maynor. A+ |
|
J.A.
Ackley, Chief Director of LongIslandJam.com |
| The long-time Figure 8
competitor finally grabs his first
championship. It's been a pleasure
watching Sprague over the years move from
pretender to dark horse to contender and now
champion. Last year will be a year to
remember for Sprague, and it will be a year
hard to beat in 2006.
A+ |
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The Fans |
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Vote Here |
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 |
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A+
11 races, 5 wins, 9 top 5's, 10
top 10's |
|
2) Roger
Maynor
#28 Barrasso & Sons Ford
2005 Profile |
|
"The
Professor" Peter Milano, Pit Bull Reporter |
| Maynor looked to have
another championship in his hand, but ran
into some bad luck which resulting him
missing the championship. This wasn't the
typical Maynor season, but still a good
season nevertheless, with 3 wins and 11 top
tens. A |
|
J.A.
Ackley, Chief Director of LongIslandJam.com |
| If this were the stats of
anyone but Maynor, I would have to say that
the driver had one heck of a year.
Unfortunately this is Roger Maynor and year
after year he sets the bar higher for
himself. This year he fell short of
expectations, and as a result earned a lower
grade than expected. A- |
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The Fans |
|
Vote Here |
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 |
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A
11 races, 3 wins, 7 top 5's, 11
top 10's |
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3) Arne
Pedersen
#85 Maples Bar & Grill Chevy
2005 Profile |
|
"The
Professor" Peter Milano, Pit Bull Reporter |
| Pedersen seemed to always
finish up in the top 5 with great
consistency, but unfortunately he was not up
to the same level Sprague and Maynor were at.
B- |
|
J.A.
Ackley, Chief Director of LongIslandJam.com |
| Pedersen just seemed to
be a tick off becoming a winner.
Whenever he didn't have a terminal issue, he
always finished in the top 5. If he
got a win, he would have gotten a higher
mark from me, but nevertheless, not a shabby
job for this Figure 8 veteran. B |
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The Fans |
|
Vote Here |
|
 |
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B
11 races, 0 wins, 9 top 5's, 9
top 10's |
|
4) Mike
Mujsce, Sr.
#13 Pro Tech Automotive Dodge
2005 Profile |
|
"The
Professor" Peter Milano, Pit Bull Reporter |
| "Moon Juice" is one
driver who is not to miss. You never
know what to expect except for pure hard
driving. I'm surprised he didn't get
at least a win this season, but his hard
driving cost him a few times. He
seemed to be running for top spot only to be
black flagged or end up in a spin.
C+ |
|
J.A.
Ackley, Chief Director of LongIslandJam.com |
| Mujsce is one of the
Figure 8 mainstays who is known for his
tenacity on the track. His hard
driving is definitely exciting to watch, but
it he played it a bit more conservative, he
would definitely be a points contender.
With a little more patience, Mike could
really excel. C+ |
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The Fans |
|
Vote Here |
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 |
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C+
11 races, 0 wins, 5 top 5's, 10
top 10's |
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5) Jim
Donaldson
#47 Slim's Body Piercing Ford
2005 Profile |
|
"The
Professor" Peter Milano, Pit Bull Reporter |
| While "Slim Jim" improved
over the past few years, I kind of expected
more from him this year. I believe he
needs to use his bumper a bit more in 2006
and ruffle some feathers and get his nose
dirty. This is the one thing holding
Donaldson back plus a few horsepower. C+ |
|
J.A.
Ackley, Chief Director of LongIslandJam.com |
| The likeable "Slim Jim"
Donaldson improved quite a bit in 2005, but
needs to take it the next level in 2006 to
get his first win. The
second-generation "X-er" improved his
consistency and got a bit more aggressive,
and hopefully next year he steps it up even
more. B- |
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The Fans |
|
Vote Here |
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 |
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B -
11 races, 0 wins, 4 top 5's, 9
top 10's |
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6) Carl
Baxter
#74 Blast-It Sandblasting
Pontiac
2005 Profile |
|
"The
Professor" Peter Milano, Pit Bull Reporter |
| Affectionately known as
"The Ax," Baxter seemed to run better than
where he finished. Carl seemed to be
the one of the few drivers who could hang
with Sprague and Maynor, but not long enough
to finish there. C |
|
J.A.
Ackley, Chief Director of LongIslandJam.com |
| Baxter, a former
rookie-of-the year and Figure 8 championship
contender, returned this year after an
extended sabbatical. While he ran
great at times, he seemed to wind up in the
back by the finish. Baxter seemed to
be a front runner who somehow would always
land in the back. C |
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The Fans |
|
Vote Here |
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C
11 races, 0 wins, 4 top 5's, 10
top 10's |
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7) Kenny
Hyde, Sr.
#58 Maples Bar & Grill Dodge
2005 Profile |
|
"The
Professor" Peter Milano, Pit Bull Reporter |
| Someone took a ride with
Kenny Hyde, Sr. and it seemed to be lady
luck as finally Kenny got a win. Kenny
has always run good at times, but
unfortunately his consistency is what
brought down his points finish and his
grade. C+ |
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J.A.
Ackley, Chief Director of LongIslandJam.com |
| Another long main-stay of
the Figure 8's, Kenny Hyde at times appeared
to be set to run away from the field and at
other times appeared quite off. His
consistency will be his biggest downfall,
but it was sure good seeing Hyde earn a win
after a long period of drought. C+ |
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The Fans |
|
Vote Here |
|
 |
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C+
11 races, 1 wins, 4 top 5's, 8
top 10's |
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8) Tom
Ferrara
#16 Chevrolet
2005 Profile |
|
"The
Professor" Peter Milano, Pit Bull Reporter |
| Ferrara did a good job
subbing for Farrell, but unfortunately the
mechanical problems of the racecar brought
down Ferrara's finishes. D+ |
|
J.A.
Ackley, Chief Director of LongIslandJam.com |
| Ferrara was a pleasant
surprise in 2005 and did fairly well in the
#16 racer. If Ferrara had better
prepared equipment underneath him, he most
likely would have done better, nevertheless
its no excuse for his grade. C- |
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The Fans |
|
Vote Here |
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C-
11 races, 0 wins, 1 top 5's, 10
top 10's |
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9) Tom
Kraft
#8 Chevrolet
2005 Profile |
|
"The
Professor" Peter Milano, Pit Bull Reporter |
| Tires, tires, tires...
If only Kraft had enough sponsorship
underneath him, he could have had a better
season. This was the one thing that
hurt Kraft more than anything. The win
saved his grade from being any lower.
C- |
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J.A.
Ackley, Chief Director of LongIslandJam.com |
| The crafty and wily
veteran was more than capable of contending
for the win each and every night, let alone
a championship, but unfortunately the
talented driver lacked sponsorship. If
he had the funding, he would have been up in
the top 5... D+ |
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The Fans |
|
Vote Here |
|
 |
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C-
11 races, 1 wins, 4 top 5's, 4
top 10's |
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10) Bill
Batsche, Jr.
#22 Island Moving Supplies
Chevy
2005 Profile |
|
"The
Professor" Peter Milano, Pit Bull Reporter |
| Although, Batsche finally
earned a win, his consistency hurt him.
Hopefully we will see more of him in 2006 as
when his car seems hooked up, he can be a
contender. D |
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J.A.
Ackley, Chief Director of LongIslandJam.com |
| It was good seeing
Batsche return to the Figure 8 ranks in 2005
and especially good seeing him take down a
win after being so close at times.
With a little more luck and a little more
consistency, expect Batsche to be the Dark
Horse of 2006. D+ |
|
The Fans |
|
Vote Here |
|
 |
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D+
10 races, 1 wins, 3 top 5's, 6
top 10's |
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NEXT TIME: Chargers |
Sources: J.A. Ackley/Peter Milano/LongIslandJam.com
Posted: April 22, 2006
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