Martinsville Bulletin, Inc.
P. O. Box 3711
204 Broad Street
Martinsville, Virginia 24115
276-638-8801
Toll Free: 800-234-6575
Area Roundup
Pinto drive to raise money
Tuesday, May 15, 2012
The Second Annual Pinto Stampede, a 600-mile drive conducted by enthusiasts of the Ford Pinto of the 1970s, will take place May 17-18, beginning at Martinsville Speedway, and conclude at Summit Point, W.Va., the site of the Jefferson 500.
The 2012 Pinto Stampede will commence one week before Memorial Day and will raise money for the Wounded Warriors Project, an organization that helps soldiers returning with disabilities regain normal lives. The Pinto Stampede in 2011 raised $13,000 for the veterans’ organization.
Along the route, Pinto drivers will drive 10 laps around Martinsville Speedway, where 2012 NASCAR Hall of Fame Richie Evans won 10 modified races and had died. The Stampede also will visit The Wood Brothers Racing Museum in Stuart and attend the Jefferson 500 on May 19-20 in Summit Point Motor Sports Park, where 10 Ford Pinto Trans-Am/IMSA race cars will compete in the vintage car race.
“We want to take the opportunity to do something meaningful while having fun, so we included a charitable component by again raising money for the Wounded Warrior Project,” said Norm Bagi, founder of The Pinto Stampede. “Contributions can be made through the Pinto Stampede donation page on the Wounded Warrior Project website.”
In 2011, enthusiasts of the Ford Pinto established a unique way of recognizing the compact car by organizing a charity drive consisting solely of Ford Pintos. The Pinto sold more than 3 million units from 1971-1980.
This year’s Pinto Stampede honors Richie Evans, a Modified racer who in the 1970s and early ’80s drove a Modified Pinto and won more races than any other driver. Evans is a 2012 NASCAR Hall of Fame inductee, and is the first driver outside of the Sprint series to be inducted to the Hall.
Trey Jarrell goes 7-for-7
Kyle Beattie Racing driver Trey Jarrell went seven for seven, getting his seventh win in a row on a weekend that saw him capture victory on Friday night at Wake County Speedway and also at Caraway Speedway on Saturday night.
“What a weekend. This was the first time I’ve run on a 1?4 mile track in several months, so picking up the win on a short track was special,” Jarrell said, making reference to Wake County’s short track configuration. “Getting the win at Wake County on Friday really gave us the momentum we needed to win the big money race at Caraway Speedway on Saturday night. That race may have been the hardest that I’ve ever had to drive in order to secure the win.”
Jarrell has now won eight races in ten starts, placing him in contention for the INEX Young Lions National Championship.
“I’m a very grateful driver with a lot of people to thank from Kyle Beattie Racing, to my teammates, to TriPerformance Tuning, to all my supporters out there who have cheered me on this season,” Jarrell said. “Knowing that I have this support makes this so much fun.”
.jpg "104")
