This past Saturday, the Legends division held a meeting in
Amityville to discuss some of the issues that will be facing the
returning class in 2008, as well as to brainstorm and come up
with some ideas to ensure that the racing is satisfying for all
involved. Roughly 25 drivers and crew members were in attendance,
and they touched on some important topics to the division, which
could have a regular turnout of as many as 20 or more cars,
based on expressed intent.
Racing in the division should prove to be exciting, with
approximately a 50/50 mix of veterans and new drivers. Go-kart
drivers Bryan Johnson and Jim Byrne plan to make the jump into
Legends cars, as do Enduro competitor Greg DiCanio and former
Mini Cup driver Joe Sedotto. Add to that a group of
seasoned Legends drivers that includes 2000 Riverhead Legends
champion Tony Naglieri, two-time Kauneonga Legends champion Bob
White and three-time Catskill Mountain Speedway champion Paul
Dodorico. Those who have been traveling off of Long Island to
race are certainly excited about the opportunity to return
"home" to race, thanks to the efforts of Jim Maggio, Mike
Cappiello and Bob Finan, and with the support of Barbara and Jim
Cromarty.
Tech for the division will be handled by INEX-certified Walter
Bonczyk. All drivers will be required to obtain an INEX license
in order to compete, while all others will have to obtain NASCAR
licenses to cover them while in the pit area. It is hoped that
the drivers will have a chance to meet with the track crew at
one of the pre-season practice days to address some of the
division-specific concerns, including fuel shut-off, the fact
that the cars have no reverse gear and methods for extricating
drivers and towing cars in the event of a crash.
It is expected that the division will run the season based on a
line-up draw for heat races, without handicapping. Under this
system, the features will line up based on heat race finishes.
It is hoped that this will encourage visitors to bring their
Legends cars to Riverhead, since the cars are uniform. It is
also hoped that this will provide for more exciting racing
throughout the course of the day.
In all, the meeting was deemed to be a success. The division
will undoubtedly have some issues to address in order to make
their return as smooth as possible for all involved, but the
drivers have expressed a willingness to face whatever challenges
may arise to make the division as strong and exciting as they
can.
Source: LongIslandJam.com
Posted:
March 4, 2008
