Category: friday feature

By David G. Firestone

Minor League Month continues, and this week is the first of two articles about a business man who raced to help promote his business.

In April of 2017, Center Line Wheels ceased production after 47 years. In August of 2017, the company was acquired by Corona, California based wheel manufacturer Design Infini. During those 47 years, Center Line had been a well-known aftermarket wheel rim company, which made high performance rims. Since Center Line had been a performance wheel company, it makes sense that they had been involved in motorsports, including supplying wheels to racing teams, as well as sponsoring teams.

Center Line was founded as the Center Line Tool Corporation in 1970 by Ray Lipper. Lipper saw the need for a good performance rim, and soon the company started focusing only on wheels. Lipper was also an avid racer, and raced in SCCA, and CART. His time in CART was not successful, with a DNS at the Phoenix race, and was one of 47 drivers not to qualify for the 1982 Indianapolis 500. He was elected to the SEMA Hall of Fame in 2002. During his racing career, he wore this racing uniform.

The uniform set, which is one of the most comprehensive I have ever seen, includes a suit, gloves, shoes, an undershirt, long johns, a harness, and some other miscellaneous stuff. We’ll look at the other stuff next week, this week, we will focus on the white Simpson driver suit, which shows some light use, and is very thick, and heavy duty.The collar has a Velcro-closure, with no adornment.The cowl tag is an older Simpson warranty label, used into the late 1980’s.While there is no large sponsor patch on the torso, there are a number of smaller patches on the chest and torso. On the right side, there is an older VALVOLINE logo, RAY LIPPER embroidered in a patch, a SIMPSON patch next to the name, and a WATKINS GLEN US GRAND PRIX patch below that.The left side of the front has CART,CENTER LINE RACING WHEELS,SCCA,ROAD AMERICA CAN AM 1981 CHICAGO REGION SCCA,and VW MOTORSPORT patches sewn into it.The suit features an unadorned white belt.The legs have a red stripe running up the white material, and have standard cuffs.The shoulders have red stripes that extend down to the cuff of the sleeves, and white straps that would be used to pull the driver out of the car in case of a fire. The right sleeve has a UNITED STATES AUTO CLUB patch, and has the red stripe extending to the cuff. The left sleeve features a SIMPSON RACE PRODUCTS patch, as well as a PPG INDUSTRIES patch.The back of the suit doesn’t show any wear to speak of.The back of the neck is unadorned.The upper back of the suit has a large GOODYEAR patch sewn into it.Ray Lipper is an automotive engineer who has raced all over the world. He was just as focused on racing as he was on making quality wheels. Next week, I will examine the rest of the uniform set.

By David G. Firestone

Minor League November rolls on, and for this week’s edition, we are heading to the Bay Area, specifically to the San Francisco Region of the SCCA, for a suit that has an interesting wearer.

California has a rich racing history. The NHRA was founded there, and many racers come from the west coast. There are many oval and road courses dotting the course. One such course is Laguna Seca. Built in 1957, after Ernie McAfee was killed at the dangerous Pebble Beach Road Races, Laguna Seca has hosted USRRC, Can-Am, Trans-Am, Formula 5000, IMSA GT, CART, American Le Mans Series, Grand American, Monterey Historic Automobile Races, Speed World Challenge, AMA (American Motorcyclist Association), WSBK Superbike World Championship and MotoGP motorcycle races.

The SCCA races in the San Francisco Region, which often races at Laguna Seca. The drivers are guys who put a lot of effort into their cars. One such driver is “Mighty” Mike Niemann of Team Miataka Racing , who is well-known for his 1992 Mazda Miata, which he “painted” with $100 in Sharpies. He has raced in a number of SCCA events, all while wearing this driver suit.This Sparco suit shows decent use, with wear on the cuffs, and some wear on the front.The collar has a Velcro closure, and has a SPARCO logo on the front.The right chest features SUNOCO, TEAM MIATAKA RACING, and SCCA patches, as well as MICHAEL NEIMANN embroidered into it.The left chest features HANKOOK TIRES,NATIONAL AUTOSPORT ASSOCIATION,MAZDA, and LAGUNA SECA patches sewn into it.The front torso is unadorned, and shows some slight use.Inside the front zipper is the tagging, including the care tags, and the warranty label. The suit has a belt, which is blue, with white outlines, and has a SPARCO logo embroidered into it.The legs are unadorned, and have standard cuffs.The shoulders have epaulets, which have Sparco logos on the lower half, but are otherwise unadorned. The right sleeve has a MAZDA RACEWAY LAGUNA SECA patch on the upper half, and are otherwise unadorned. The left sleeve features the SFI 3-2A/5 certification, and is otherwise unadorned. The back of the suit has an FIA Standard 3856-2000 RS.006.01 certification on the back of the suit. Other than that, the back is unadorned. Mike Niemann painting his car with Sharpies is proof that guys who race in their spare time are just as devoted as the guys who race professionally. It took Niemann 22 days to paint his car using his Sharpies. He still races these days, and I hope he races for many years to come.

Next week is the first of a two-part series for a driver who is also a racing businessman.

By David G. Firestone

Last year, I did Formula One Month through November. I was thinking about how I wanted to do November in 2017, and I decided that November should be Minor League Month. Basically, for the next four Friday Features, I am going to focus on the little guys, who race at the local racetrack, or race in regional series. For our first installment, we are going to examine a pair of gloves worn by short track driver Justin South.

Growing up in Gardendale, Alabama, Justin South has raced all over the Southern United States. He has raced as high as ARCA, but has mostly raced on short tracks around the Southeast.

Justin South races everything from Super Late Models to Pro Late Models, and has raced on everything from dirt to asphalt. Like many small-time drivers, he has to buy his own equipment, and he is left with extras, such as these two right Impact! racing gloves, one of which he has autographed.Both gloves are in decent condition, and show some wear on the palms. Justin has autographed one of the gloves.Both of the palms of the gloves show light use.The first glove shows light wear on the palms, and Justin has autographed the glove with the number 45. This would indicate that the glove was not signed during his time in ARCA, as he never raced a car with that number in ARCA, and more than likely came from his regional racing. They also have Impact! and SFI tags. The second of the two gloves is identical, including wear patterns to the first glove, except that this glove has not been autographed. Justin South is the kind of racer that is seen thousands of times over in the towns and hamlets of the United States. He is the every day man, who races in his spare time, hoping to achieve a dream. He has raced in ARCA, and he would love to race in ARCA again, and I’m willing to bet that if he got the chance to race in NASCAR, he would grab it. There are thousands of Justin Souths in the United States and all over the world. They race for their dreams, and they hope to grab the elusive brass ring of racing professionally.

Next week, I will examine a Laguna Seca suit.

By David G. Firestone

[Editor’s Note: This was supposed to run last week, but was delayed due to the interviews with Alexis DeJoria and Del Worsham.]

Going off-topic this week. Later today, The NHL Draft took place at The United Center in Chicago. I didn’t attend the event like I did the NFL Draft, but I am a hockey fan. Living in Chicago, I’ve gone to Blackhawk games, and I’ve followed other teams. When I was in college, the Blackhawks had a deal where you could get a ticket for $8. That was also during a time when the Blackhawks were a disaster, and nobody really cared about them.

I’ve also collected some hockey memorabilia. Joining the Blackhawks in 2005, Adrian Aucoin quickly rose up and became the Blackhawks captain. In two seasons, he scored 4 goals, and had 17 assists. During his time with the Blackhawks, he used this stick.

This Reebok 3K stick shows great use, has custom taping, and is autographed, and personalized to me. Playing with the Blackhawks from 1981 to 1989, Steve Ludzik was a mainstay on the roster. During his career, he also played for the Buffalo Sabres. At some point in his career, he used this Sher-Wood stick, which he autographed on the blade. Goalie Alain Chevrier had a lengthy career, playing for the Devils, Blackhawks, Penguins, and Red Wings. He had a decent career, nothing really memorable. During his time with the Blackhawks, he used the VIC stick. It shows a lot of use. Guy Hebert played in the NHL from 1991 to 2001. He played 491 games, wining 191, and losing 222. During his playing career, he used this Bauer stick, which he autographed on the blade, and it shows nice use. While Warren Skorodenski 35 game, 12 win and 11 loss record isn’t exactly memorable, he is known for having the highest save percentage in 1986-1987 while with the Chicago Blackhawks with a .903. During his time with the Blackhawks, he used this Sher-Wood stick, which shows nice use. Rob Kenny was a minor league hockey player in the late 1980’s and 1990’s. Though he never made the team, he did go to the New York Rangers training camp, and during that camp, he used these nameplates, which were removed from the jersey. The Fredericton Canadiens were an AHL team that played in Fredericton, New Brunswick from 1990 to 1999. Three of their players were Alexei Lojkin, Nathan Morin, and Gennady Razin. They played at various times, and their nameplates on their home whites were removed. The don’t show any real use. Shaone Morrisonn had a decent career in the NHL, playing for the Boston Bruins, Washington Capitals, and Buffalo Sabres. He was drafted in the 2001 NHL Draft in the first round, 19th overall. This is the actual draft board from the 2001 Draft, and the first Boston Bruins jersey he signed after being drafted. I also have a New York Rangers jersey signed by John MacLean and Pierre Pilote. I used to wear this Jocelyn Thibault jersey to games, and I eventually got it autographed and personalized by Thibault!I also have two Blackhawk jerseys, one signed by Bobby Hull, Pierre Pilote, and Steve Larmer. The other one is autographed by Alex Zhamnov, Pierre Pilote, and Steve Larmer. I also have autographed pucks, and flats as well. The NHL Draft doesn’t have the reputation that the NFL or NBA drafts have, but for seven rounds in two days, the hockey world will be focused on the United Center, wondering who will join what team. As with all drafts, time will determine if it will be a great draft, or an awful one. We will have to wait and see.

Next week, I’m going to start Minor League Month with a pair of gloves.

By David G. Firestone

Race car drivers will be the first to admit that the SFI rating is the most important part of a driver suit. The appearance and fit are nice, but how the suit protects from fire is crucial. That SFI patch can mean the difference between life and death.

SFI was founded in 1978, and originally called the SEMA Foundation Incorporated. SEMA stands for Specialty Equipment Market Association, and is composed of over 6,000 companies that promote after market automotive products. Since then, SFI and SEMA have parted ways, and SFI operates as an independent group devoted entirely to regulate racing safety equipment.

In the modern racing safety culture, the requirement that a suit conform to SFI standards is paramount, but not all companies are following the rules. Since 2013, the SFI has caught counterfeit racing equipment at least 5 times. Let’s also remember the Impact/SFI conflict from 2010. Each time they catch a company making fake SFI rated equipment, they publicly name the company, and the products. Examples can include newer models, and older ones, such as this Speed Sport suit which appears to date back to the 1980’s.Speed Sport was a racing suit manufacturer in the 1980’s. There is very little about them available on the company, and they didn’t last long. Every example of a Speed Sport suit appears to be of dubious quality, being made of a non-Nomex material that is labeled Nomex. This is a perfect exampe of why counterfeit racing suits need to be identified and called out.

This single-layer two-piece suit is clearly NOT made of Nomex, and shows decent wear. There are a number of pieces of evidence to support this theory.The collar has a Velcro closure with a SPEED SPORT patch on the strap.A second clue that this isn’t real Nomex, aside from the fact that it doesn’t look or feel like Nomex, is the fact that the wash instructions state “Wash in warm water, tumble dry, do not bleach.” Every other Nomex driver suit I have come across states that the suit needs to be dry cleaned.The chests and torso are unadorned, and show some discoloration. The shoulders have a white stripe that extends down the whole sleeve. The right sleeve features a SPEED SPORT UNIFORMS patch, and the white stripe extends to the end of the sleeve. The left sleeve has a suspect SFI Certification patch, which indicates that the suit has a 1 rating. A 1 rating would provide the most minimal of protection. Normally, a 1 rated suit would provide 3 seconds of fire protection, but since this suit clearly isn’t made of Nomex, I doubt it would provide that much protection. The back of the jacket shows some stains and discoloration. The pants show a decent amount of wear with tears and stains. The pants are made of the same materials as the jacket, and have the same stripes.The inside of the pants shows the same wash tag that the jacket shows. The front zipper has been torn and has clearly been repaired.The cuffs show some discoloration. The back of the pants show the same discoloration as the front.The back of the pants have the same suspect SFI rating patch as the jacket.The sad fact is that there are companies that have no concern for the safety of their customers, and have no reservations slapping a fake SFI rating on a suit or uniform item, and selling them to customers. SFI is fighting a never ending war to keep their customers safe. Customers should do their research on if a company is working with SFI, the list can be found here. No driver or crew members should get hurt because of counterfeit racing gear.

Next week, I will post something I tried to post before the NHL Draft.

By David G. Firestone

Over the past few months, I’ve done a number of articles on NHRA Championship winner hats. When the NHRA was sponsored by Winston in the Winston Drag Racing Series. In 2001, Winston left the sport, and Coca Cola took over, creating the Powerade Drag Racing Series, which lasted until 2008. In 2009, Full Throttle Energy Drink took over the series sponsorship, creating the Full Throttle Drag Racing Series, which lasted until the end of the 2012 season. In 2013, Mello Yello took over, creating the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series we know today.

The three championship caps show how differently Full Throttle, the old Mello Yello, and the new Mello Yello promote their companies. Taking a look at the front of the caps, in 2010, Full Throttle simply had a Full Throttle Energy Drink logo. In 2014, the old Mello Yello had a vintage-inspired logo, with a motorsports motif added. In 2016, the new Mello Yello has a bolder, modern logo that is vaguely motorsports themed.The left sides are telling too. Full Throttle went for a minimalist design, with a PRO STOCK CHAMPIONSHIP embroidery with a Full Throttle theme. The Mello Yello caps both utilize a circle design, with PRO STOCK CHAMPION embroidered into it, though the gray was changed for the new Mello Yello as well as a new font was used.The back of the 2010 Full Throttle cap has an NHRA logo, which was needed since the front only has a Full Throttle logo. The word CHAMPION is embroidered on the Velcro closure. This design is mimicked on the 2014 Mello Yello cap, albeit with a larger NHRA logo and slightly larger lettering on the Velcro closure. In 2016, the caps got an update, with CHAMPION above the closure and 2016 on the closure.The right side of the caps aren’t utilized as well as the rest, with only one, the 2014 cap having GO ON YELLO! embroidered into it. While the 2010 cap has 2010 on the brim, and the 2016 cap has nothing.While there isn’t the room for design as the rest of the cap, the top does show some design differences. The eyelets are white on the 2010 cap, as is the squatchee. In 2014, those had changed to black, giving the cap a bit more of an interesting design. This change continued into 2016.The inside of the caps have Main Gate tags. Main Gate is an Indianapolis-based apparel company, which has deals with the NHRA and all their teams. They also have a number of deals with other companies, some sports, some not. In 2010,the inside was black, and the tag is on the right side. In 2014, the inside of the cap is white, the tag is on the left side, and GO ON YELLO! is printed on the brim. In 2016, the brim font changes, but the rest of the inside of the cap remains the same.It’s amazing to me that Full Throttle, who sponsored the biggest drag racing series in the world, took such a minimalist approach to sponsoring the series, but Mello Yello has thrown everything into making the sport work, and bringing in fans. Between the new approach, and a good television deal with FOX, the Mello Yello approach is working out well, and I hope it continues to work well.

Next Week, I will examine a possibly fraudulent SFI-rated suit.

By David G. Firestone

Every sport has that one driver who is a true great, but never could win a championship. Baseball has Ted Williams. Football has Dan Marino. Basketball has Charles Barkley. Hockey has Joe Thorton. NASCAR has Mark Martin. IndyCar has Hélio Castroneves. Formula 1 has Stirling Moss. Up until the end of the 2016 racing season, Ron Capps could be considered this for the NHRA. After 10 years of racing in Funny Car, and so many close calls, Capps finally scaled the mountain, and won the 2016 NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series Championship.

Ron Capps broke into the Mello Yello Drag Racing Series as a Top Fuel driver for Roger Primm. He would win his first race in Seattle that season. In 1996, he was signed by Don Prudhomme, and ran six races, though he did not qualify for two of them. In 1997, he switched to Funny Car, and raced for Don Prudhomme until 2005, when he signed with Don Schumacher Racing. In 2008, he signed a sponsorship deal with NAPA Auto Parts. In 2016, he finally climbed the mountain and won a Funny Car Championship.

2016 was not an easy season, he had a lot of competition from the John Force Racing teams, as well as other Don Schumacher Racing cars. But he had 5 wins, Winternationals, Epping, Englishtown, Norwalk, and Seattle, 5 runner up finishes, and four number one qualifiers. He also passed Cruz Pedregon for 2^nd on the Funny Car all-time win list with 49. Though he didn’t win the NHRA Finals, he did win the championship at the final race in Ponoma. One of his crew members was given this white championship hat.The cap is in great condition, showing no signs of wear. The front has the newest NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series logo, introduced earlier in the year.The left side features a FUNNY CAR CHAMPION patch, which is the same basic design, with different font, and the gray in the center of the circle is darker.The rear has CHAMPION embroidered over the closure, and 2016 embroidered on the Velcro closure.The right side is completely plain.The top of the cap features six black eyelets, and a black squatchee.The inside of the cap has a Main Gate tag, the cardboard is still present, and the words GO-ON-YELLO! printed on the black material of the under brim.There doesn’t seem to be any reason why NHRA championship hats are white, and my best guess is that it was because John Force likes to wear white hats, but that is just speculation on my part. I have noticed that there is somewhat of an evolution of NHRA championship hats. I will discuss this in depth more next week.

By David G. Firestone

Minnesota might not seem like it, but they have a decent drag racing pedigree. They have Brainerd International Raceway, and the legendary Brainerd Zoo. Minnesota is also the home to a number of Pro Stock drivers, including Warren Johnson, Kurt Johnson, Jason Line, and Greg Anderson. Between them, they have won a combined total of 273 national events, and 13 Pro Stock Championships.

Greg Anderson’s road to NHRA stardom had some help from a legend. Anderson got his start tuning Warren Johnson’s Pro Stock car for many years, and winning three championships in 1992, 1993, and 1995. The 1995 championship was marred in controversy, with the feud between Warren Johnson and Wayne County Dodge driver Scott Geoffrion taking center stage. This was referred to as a war, and this led to an infamous incident at Houston where the two had a burndown, and a war of words. Later that season, the Wayne County Dodge team shop was broken into, and the engines of the cars were vandalized. Wayne County Dodge was also alleged to have illegally used Nitrous, and the team shut down soon after.

In 1998, Greg Anderson started racing in Pro Stock. He took to the class well, winning 86 races, and four championships. He won 12 races in a single season in 2003. In 2004, he set the record for most #1 Qualifiers in a season with 16. His career almost ended in 2014, after heart surgery. He rebounded, and had a solid showing in 2015, finishing second in the championship standings, as well as finishing second in 2016.

In 2010, he won 5 events, Norwalk, Seattle, Charlotte, Dallas and Las Vegas, and wound up winning the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series Pro Stock Championship. One of his crew members was issued this white hat in celebration.The cap is in great condition. It has a Full Throttle Energy Drink logo, as opposed to an NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series logo.The left side features PRO STOCK CHAMPION embroidered into the side with black and yellow accents.The back of the cap has an NHRA logo and CHAMPION embroidered into the Velcro closure strap.The right side has 2010 embroidered into the bill.The top is pristine, and the cap has a white squatchee.The inside of the cap is black, has some light stains, and a Main Gate tag.Greg Anderson’s 2017 season is going well too. He has had solid showings at every event he has raced at, and has two wins, and has a good spot in the point standings. He will be a threat for the championship this year. He is 11 wins away from being the all-time win leader in Pro Stock.

Next week, I will discuss a Ron Capps championship hat.

By David G. Firestone

I had originally scheduled this article for after the Route 66 Nationals, but sometimes, real life gets in the way. Shortly before the Route 66 Nationals, Terry Chandler who had been funding the Funny Cars of Jack Beckman and Tommy Johnson Jr. passed away from cancer. I wasn’t sure what the best way to proceed was, and I decided to put it off until I had some information I didn’t have, and wasn’t available at the time. Since then, her husband revealed that both of their cars will be funded through 2020. I was glad that happened, and I’m happy her legacy will live on.

I’ve discussed Jack Beckman on The Driver Suit Blog many times. He is a great driver, he connects with the fans, and he was kind enough to grant me an interview last year. I’ve been into the Infinite Hero Challenge Coin program since the beginning, and love collecting them. Well, I’m back with another profile of the coins for 2017.

Launched in 2011, The Infinite Hero Foundation “…is to combat the most difficult front line issues – mental and physical – facing returning military heroes and their families.” Military personnel returning from overseas deployment face long term employment, mental and physical problems that the majority of Americans don’t understand. They work with other non-profit veterans groups and give out grants to help service men and women cope with these long term problems.

In April 2014, they started appearing on the side of Jack Beckman’s funny car. Terry Chandler, who also sponsors Tommy Johnson Jr.’s Make a Wish Foundation Funny Car, is the financial backer of the car. She pays for Infinite Hero to race on the sides of the car. This also began the NHRA coin program. When Jack Beckman gets into his funny car to race, he carries at least 5 Infinite Hero Challenge Coins in the pocket of his driver suit. Once the race is over, he will autograph them and sell them at the track and on eBay. They cost $100 with all proceeds going to the Infinite Hero Foundation.

The 2014 design is quite thick, and has a ridged edge. One side featured “Courage, Honor, Virtue, Heroism,” around a globe design with an Oakley logo. Oakley is a partner with the Infinite Hero Foundation. The other side features an Infinite Hero Foundation logo with purple enamel. The coin was placed in a round, flat plastic container, with black foam braces. The coin lacks the blue enamel that the coin that comes with the glasses coin, and future coins, and has a very plain look. I do like the plain look. Jack used was identical to the one sold in stores. Jack autographed the plastic case. In 2014, this 1/24 scale die cast was produced. It is a full replica of Beckman’s funny car. Valvoline was a primary sponsor, and this was the only season Infinite Hero and Valvoline were together on the car. It’s also the only time that Infinite Hero Challenge appeared on the older Dodge funny car body. In 2015, the current body was introduced, and Pennzoil replaced Valvoline. Jack has autographed the windshield. A redesigned coin of the same size was introduced for 2015. The Oakley logos are gone. One side features a design similar to the globe design, but the globe design has been replaced with an American Flag design. “Courage, Honor, Virtue, Heroism” has been replaced with “Duty, Honor, Innovation, Courage.” The new emblem on the reverse side has one of the across bands removed. The new packaging is an upgrade, with the circular plastic cylinder replaced with an attractive box. It comes with a card that Jack Beckman autographed, and on the reverse it has the Infinite Hero Foundation Pledge. The first one is from The CARQUEST Auto Parts NHRA Nationals at Phoenix on February 22, 2015, where Jack was eliminated in the first round. The second one is from the Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals in Norwalk, Ohio, where Beckman won the event, beating Courtney Force in the final round. Also in 2015, these hero cards were produced. Hero cards are given away at racing events and driver appearances. They have Jack’s picture, and information about the driver, team, and the Infinite Hero Challenge. For 2016, the coins got a major makeover. The Infinite Hero logo is now bigger. The words “Reimagine” and “Recovery” are stamped near the logo, and on the opposite side, a picture of Jack’s funny car replaces the flag motif. It should also be noted that the coin is slightly smaller, because it isn’t as tight in the coin case as the previous version. The Infinite Hero Pledge accompanies the coin. Also changed from 2016, Jack doesn’t sign the box and the pledge, he just signs the pledge. The 2017 Infinite Hero coin is slightly larger than the 2016 coin, and fits snugly in the box. The pledge piece remains unchanged. The coin itself has a plain pewter Infinite Hero Challenge logo on one side, and a blue enameled claw stripe design with a hex nut design on the border. Hero cards are given away at racing events and driver appearances. They have Jack’s picture, and information about the driver, team, and the Infinite Hero Challenge. For 2016-2017, a new card design was introduced. It has updated information, as well as the updated paint scheme introduced at the beginning of the season. Recently, I took a number of selfies with race car drivers, and made them into a book, and got them signed. This is me with Jack Beckman. Hector Arana signed the upper-left corner.

Jack Beckman is a great driver, who races for a great sponsor, and supports a great cause. He has been really amazing not just to me, not just to to The Driver Suit Blog, but to the NHRA and their fan base. I’m glad he’s going to be racing for The Infinite Hero Challenge until 2020. As long as he is selling them, I will continue buying the Infinite Hero Challenge Coins, and promoting them on The Driver Suit Blog.

Next Week, we will continue something I started in July…

By David G. Firestone

The term “pole position” comes from horse racing, where the fastest qualifying horse would be placed on the inside part of the course, next to the pole. Though Qualifying takes several different forms, all drivers want the pole position.

In 1979, Busch Beer started sponsoring the pole award in the Winston Cup Series, with the pole award winners would race in the Busch Clash, before the Daytona 500. The Busch Clash lasted from 1979 until 1997, when it became the Budweiser Shootout in 2001, to 2012. The sponsorship spread to the Xfinity Series and the Truck Series as well. Anheuser-Busch dropped the sponsorship in 2012, and Molson took over. In the Cup and Xfinity Series, the pole award is sponsored by Coors Light. In the Truck Series, the pole award is sponsored by Keystone Light. With the new sponsor came these small flags given to the drivers and crew members of the pole winners.

This version is given to pole award winners who are under 21. The flag is 19 inches long, and 12 inches wide, is only printed on one side, and is in good condition. In 2015, nobody in the Cup series under 21 won the pole award. In the Xfinity Series, Erik Jones won pole awards at the Drive4Clots.com 300 at Fontana, the O’Reilly Auto Parts 300 at Texas, and the Drive to Stop Diabetes 300 at Bristol. Darrell Wallace Jr. won the pole at the Buckle Up 200 at Dover. Finally, Ben Rhodes won the pole at the Road America 180 at Road America.

In 2015, nobody in the Cup series under 21 won the pole award. In the Xfinity Series, Erik Jones won pole awards at Fontana, Texas, and Bristol. Darrell Wallace Jr. won the pole at the Dover. Finally, Ben Rhodes won the pole at Road America. In the Truck Series, Erik Jones won the pole at Kansas, Texas, Gateway, Iowa, Pocono,and Phoenix. Bobby Pierce won the pole at Eldora, and Cole Custer won the pole at Martinsville. This flag was given to one of their race teams at some point.

This flag was from 2015 at Dover, and would have been awarded to Denny Hamlin, Matt Kenseth, or Ryan Blaney. It’s the same size as the under 21 flag, The flag is 19 inches long, and 12 inches wide, is only printed on one side, and is in good condition. These pole award flags are small when compared to a full-sized checkered flag, this one from the 2010 IMSA Continental Tire SportsCar Challenge Miami Grand Prix.What I find odd is that Coors Light sponsors the pole award, and they have a contest where the driver who wins the most Coors Light Pole Awards will win $100,000. While this is a great idea, for some reason, it’s never mentioned on any NASCAR telecast EVER! Why? Coors Light has done a terrible job promoting the pole award, and the fact that they are the Official Beer of NASCAR. While Monster Energy is the most promoted official beverage, followed up by Coca Cola, Coors never seems to get mentioned. Why is Coors Light not making more an effort?

Anyhow, next week will feature Driver Suit Blog favorite Jack Beckman.