INDY RACING LEAGUE NOTEBOOK
 
Brack(0x92)s band releases album; Castroneves nominated for award
 
INDIANAPOLIS, Wednesday, Sept. 3, 2003 (0x96) IndyCarTM Series standout Kenny Brack
and his band, Pioneer Presents Kenny Brack and The Subwoofers, released (0x93)Live
from Nashville,(0x94) a live album of cover songs, on Sept. 3.
 
The songs were recorded during a concert on the Indy Racing Live stage July 19
at Nashville Superspeedway where Brack and the band performed before the
IndyCar Series Firestone Indy 200. 
 
The CD, which sells for $10, will be available at the remaining racetracks on
the Indy Racing League schedule starting this weekend at Chicagoland Speedway.
The CD also is available at www.caraux.org and www.kennybrack.com. All proceeds
from the CD will go to CARA Charities, an open-wheel racing charity.  
 
At Nashville, the band performed a 12-song set and was joined by Ed King,
legendary guitarist from the Lynyrd Skynyrd Band. The band recorded Skynyrd(0x92)s
(0x93)Sweet Home Alabama,(0x94) as well as (0x93)Start Me Up(0x94) (Rolling
Stones), (0x93)Johnny B.
Goode(0x94) (Chuck Berry), (0x93)Tush(0x94) (ZZ Top), (0x93)Me and Bobby
McGee(0x94) (Janis Joplin),
(0x93)Let There Be Rock(0x94) (AC/DC) and (0x93)Travelin(0x92) Band(0x94)
(Creedence Clearwater
Revival).
 
Pioneer, which is a sponsor on Brack(0x92)s No. 15 Pioneer/Miller Lite
Dallara/Honda/Firestone, produced the CD recording. 1999 Indianapolis 500
champion and 1998 IRL IndyCar Series champion Brack serves as lead guitarist in
the band. 
 
(0x93)All of us in Kenny Brack and The Subwoofers are very excited about this live
CD,(0x94) Brack said. (0x93)We have many accomplished musicians in this
group, and I(0x92)m
just happy to play with them. Plus, bringing in a legend like Ed King was a
thrill.
 
(0x93)I believe the fans will enjoy the new CD. I want to thank Pioneer for
producing this entire CD project. The music is fun, and the sound is very good.
I(0x92)ve won the Indy 500 and the IRL IndyCar Series championship, and this is
another milestone for me, since I have been playing guitar since I was 10 years
old. But it(0x92)s still my hobby.(0x94)
 
Along with Brack, other members of Kenny Brack and The Subwoofers include:
Gene Deer (guitar and vocals), (0x93)Smokin(0x94) Dave Wyatt (bass), Charlie Bushor
(drums), Kelsey Smith (lead vocals). Mo Nunn Racing publicists Laz Denes plays
guitar and Access Motorsports publicist Kathy Prather performs vocals.
 
(0x93)Everyone has been really supportive of my efforts to create this
band,(0x94) Brack
said. (0x93)Pioneer Electronics came forward to sponsor us, and Team Rahal also has
been a great support. Of course, my number one priority is to win on the track,
but I(0x92)m hoping to win some music fans along the way with Kenny Brack and The
Subwoofers. This is a great relaxation, and, hopefully, the fans enjoy it as
much as we do.(0x94)
 
Kenny Brack and The Subwoofers are scheduled to perform twice during the Indy
Racing League weekend at California Speedway Sept. 19-21. On Thursday, Sept.
18, the night before the first day of practice at California Speedway, the band
will play in the Special Olympics benefit (0x93)Route 66 Raceway
Rendezvous(0x94) in the
infield of California Speedway. The Subwoofers will return to the Indy Racing
Live stage in the California Speedway infield on Saturday, Sept. 20, as the
opening act for (0x93)Wild Child.(0x94)   
 
The IndyCar Series Toyota Indy 400 is Sept. 21 at 3:30 p.m. (EDT) and will be
broadcast live by ABC-TV and the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Radio Network. The
Infiniti Pro Series California 100 will be Sept. 6 and will be broadcast at
2:30 p.m. (EDT) Sept. 25 on ESPN2.
 
Tickets for both events are available by calling (800) 944-7223 or online at
www.californiaspeedway.com. 
 
***
 
Castroneves nominated: Two-time Indianapolis 500 champion Helio Castroneves
has been nominated for the Speed Channel Presents Driver of the Year 2003 Third
Quarter award. 
 
Castroneves, who leads the IndyCar Series point standings, scored victories in
two of the last three races. He won the Emerson Indy 250 Aug. 10 at Gateway
International Raceway and the Firestone Indy 225 Aug. 24 at Nazareth Speedway. 
 
The Driver of the Year award is in its 37th year, and awards are given out
quarterly during the racing season, before the end of the year award is given. 
 
Voting for the awards is determined by an independent vote of an 18-member
panel of auto-racing journalists and broadcasters and one vote based on the
cumulative tally of fan voting at www.speedtv.com.
 
More than 128,000 fans voted online during the second quarter. The winner of
the third quarter voting will be given a trophy and a Maurice Lacroix Swiss
Watch, the official watch of the Driver of the Year.
 
***
 
SAFER Barrier installed at Richmond: The SAFER Barrier, which was used for the
first time on the outside retaining wall of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway
during the 2002 Indianapolis 500, has been installed at Richmond International
Raceway.
 
The IRL IndyCar Series SunTrust Indy Challenge will take place at the facility
for the fourth time on June 26, 2004.
 
Under development by the Indy Racing League and the University of
Nebraska-Lincoln(0x92)s Midwest Roadside Safety Facility since 1998, the SAFER
(Steel and Foam Energy Reduction) Barrier was designed for multiple impacts by
IRL IndyCar Series cars and stock cars during an event. NASCAR joined in the
development of the project in September 2000.
 
The SAFER Barrier at Richmond is installed for 1,197 feet from Turn 1 through
Turn 2, and for another 1,197 feet starting again at Turn 3 through Turn 4.
 
The Barrier is constructed in 28-foot modules, with each module consisting of
five rectangular steel tubes welded together to form a unified element. The
modules are connected with four internal steel splices. Bundles of 2-inch-thick
sheets of extruded, closed-cell polystyrene are placed between the concrete
wall and the steel tubing modules.
 
The Barrier will be used for the first time at Richmond during NASCAR events
Sept. 4-6. 
 
On the Mend: IndyCar Series driver Sarah Fisher, who suffered a severe back
contusion during an accident at Nazareth Speedway Aug. 23 during final
practice, has been cleared to drive by Dr. Henry Bock, medical services
director for the Indy Racing League. 
 
Fisher will return to the cockpit of the No. 23 GMAC/AOL/Dreyer & Reinbold
Racing Dallara/Chevrolet/Firestone this weekend at the Delphi Indy 300 at
Chicagoland Speedway. 
 
IRL Infiniti Pro Series driver Tom Wood has been moved from Methodist Hospital
in Indianapolis to the Rehabilitation Hospital of Indiana to begin
rehabilitation, said Dr. Kevin Scheid, an orthopedic surgeon from OrthoIndy.
 
Wood, from Calgary, Alberta, suffered fractures to his middle back, right
knee, right foot and both ankles during an accident on Lap 52 of the Kentucky
100 Infiniti Pro Series event on Aug. 16 at Kentucky Speedway.
 
***
 
Eve 6 to perform at Chicago: Platinum recording RCA musical group, Eve 6, will
perform Sept. 7 prior to the start of the Delphi Indy 300 at Chicagoland
Speedway. The one-hour concert will take place on the Indy Racing Live stage in
Expo Village at 11 a.m.
 
Eve 6(0x92)s 1998 self-titled album went platinum and contained the No. 1 hit,
(0x93)Inside Out(0x94) and the top 10 follow-up single (0x93)Leech.(0x94)
The trio also had success
with 2001 album, Horrorscope,(0x94) which contained the top-five modern rock hit
(0x93)Promise,(0x94) and the MTV/Top 40 smash (0x93)Here(0x92)s To The
Night.(0x94) The band recently
released the latest album, (0x93)It(0x92)s All In Your Head(0x94) in July. 
 
***
 
Witherill engaged: Infiniti Pro Series standout Cory Witherill recently became
engaged to Jennifer Khasnabis, co-host of PBS(0x92) MotorWeek.
 
Witherill, who proposed in Tahiti, was asked what was more nerve-wracking
proposing or qualifying for the Indianapolis 500 in 2001. 
 
(0x93)I wasn't too nervous,(0x94) Witherill said. (0x93)Actually, I felt
pretty comfortable
in both situations. I was confident with what I was doing and confident that
everything would work out for the best. I was making a big step, one in my
career and the other in my life. It made me a little nervous, but, at the same
time, it is all for the best. It(0x92)s just a happy moment.(0x94)
 
***
 
Fletcher to drive for Schmidt: Veteran open-wheel driver Taylor Fletcher will
drive for Sam Schmidt Motorsports in the Infiniti Pro Series Chicagoland 100
Sept. 6 at Chicagoland Speedway. Fletcher, 46, from San Clemente, Calif., will
drive the No. 9 Empress Casino/Olive Crest Foundation
Dallara/Infiniti/Firestone. 
 
***
 
Hot Laps: Several areas of Chicagoland Speedway(0x92)s 1.5-mile tri-oval racing
surface were recently made smooth through a called (0x93)diamond-grinding.(0x94) The
process was done at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway prior to the 2002
Indianapolis 500-Mile Race(0x85)John Bearce, a short-track developer from Illinois,
has offered a variety of awards for the Infiniti Pro Series Chicagoland 100
Sept. 6. Bearce is offering $3,500 to the driver that wins the pole, $1,500 to
the driver who starts second and $2,500 to the driver who improves the most
positions from their starting position during the race. Bearce offered similar
awards at the inaugural Infiniti Pro Series Freedom 100 event in May at the
Indianapolis Motor Speedway(0x85)Brad Pollard, cousin of the late Indianapolis 500
veteran Art Pollard, tested an Infiniti Pro Series car for Sam Schmidt
Motorsports car Aug. 25 at Chicagoland Speedway.
 
___ Internet Rex 2.29
 


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