By ohnson 
Speed Weeks is here in Daytona Beach, and we are now immersed in the numerous additional racing activities along with the Big Block Modified Series that commences on Wednesday, February 22nd and continues through February 25th at the DIRTcar Nationals at Volusia Speedway. Many of our northern readers make their way south each year to follow the Big Block Modifieds at Volusia Speedway, which is just 25 miles west of Daytona Beach and the Daytona International Speedway. And of course, many strive to experience both. This year, the numerous Stewart Friesen fans will have the opportunity to do just that as he takes to the D.I.S. in the Camping World Truck Series to embark on a full season of running the truck series. Stewart will also race a Modified at Volusia during Speed Weeks on the nights when he is not in the truck.
On Saturday, we journeyed down A1A to the North Turn Restaurant for the annual Beach Road Course Parade of historic cars and their drivers. Included in this year’s parade was a very renowned maroon and white No. 4 of Lou Lazzaro, which was brought down to Daytona Beach by his son, Lou Jr., and his grandson, Lou III, from Atlanta, Georgia. The car is a street replica of Lou’s famous No. 4 coupe that the two have been working on creating in recent years. Lou Jr. was in Daytona to participate in various nostalgia-filled events taking place this week. The car attracted a lot of fans at the staging area, particularly those from the Northeast. Some of the people who stopped by were familiar with Lazzaro’s car, even though they hadn’t been to the races in a long time. One particular fan we encountered before the parade began was Richard Flanigan, a long-time race fan from the Lazzaro era and a former member of the New York State Stock Car Association (NYS SCA) Board of Directors.
After the parade, we found Lou Jr. chatting with Mike Budka Jr. as they looked through photo albums of Lazzaro’s career on dirt and asphalt. Budka is currently running a 1/4 mile dirt track in North Carolina; a track that he reopened after it had been closed for 18 years. Mountain View Speedway is located in Boone, NC, on the High County Fairgrounds approximately 35 miles north of the former North Wilkesboro Speedway.
Another parade attendee interested in the No. 4 Coupe and the photo albums was Dr. Dick Berggren. Berggren has dedicated a significant amount of time to preserving the history of auto racing in the Northeast and is the president of the Racing History Preservation Group that operates the North East Motorsports History museum on the grounds of the New Hampshire Motor Speedway.
Back Home in the Northeast:
Jim Becker and J&J Racing of Middleburgh are nearly ready to hit the racing circuit for the upcoming season. The team has the 2016 Bicknell chassis prepared and is just waiting for the engine to return from Precision Engine for power. The backup car is also ready. Their plans are to race at Glen Ridge, but if that doesn’t work out, they are considering going to Afton Raceway on Friday nights this season. Four Star Realty Group is back as a sponsor this season.
According to his Facebook page, Schoharie native Ivan Joslin will be back in a Pro Stock full-time this coming season. Ivan will be competing at Albany Saratoga for his first full-time season and will also return to Fonda. He will also follow the King of Dirt (KOD) Pro Stock Series. The sponsors on Ivan’s Pro Stock for 2017 include Owens Corning, Bellevue Builders Supply, Cindy Steele (Hornlady Motorsports), Lenny’s Tire Service LLC, Steve and Linda Vanyo, Parks Electric (Bryan Parks), Liggetts Auto & Towing (Brittany Liggett), Scentsy (Kyle Joslin), Barts Home Improvement (Tracy Barton), and William Billings. And as always, Ivan especially thanks his family and crew.
Heads up! The annual Mortensen/Sanganetti Motorsports Dinner Dance fundraiser is approaching on March 25th at Settle’s Hill Tree Farm Banquet Hall in Altamont. More information will be provided in a later column.
We thank those who send us their information on upcoming events. Until next week, please send all news/and or comments to biittig@yahoo.com