YourNNY Your Source for News & Sports in Northern New York

ALL RIGHT. BIZARRE. ANDY. THANK YOU. WELL, IT IS ALMOST TIME TO DROP THE CHECKERED FLAG AT KANSAS SPEEDWAY. NASCAR IS BACK FOR A WEEKEND OF RACING. KMBC NINE’S MARTIN AUGUSTINE SPOKE WITH ONE DRIVER WITH LOCAL CONNECTIONS. A LOT’S OF RACING THIS WEEKEND AT ALL LEVELS OF RACING. THIS WEEKEND HERE AT THE KANSAS SPEEDWAY. LET’S TALK ABOUT THE ARCA SERIES, WHICH IS KIND OF THE BRIDGE BETWEEN LOCAL RACING AND PROFESSIONAL RACING. ONE OF THOSE RACERS IS FROM DE SOTO, KANSAS, MANDY CHICK. SHE’S DONE THIS FOR A WHILE NOW. SHE’S STUDIED ENGINEERING. SHE KNOWS HOW TO DESIGN CARS AND SHE’S RACED AROUND THIS REGION FOR MANY YEARS, AND SHE’S GOT PLENTY OF EXPERIENCE RACING HERE AT THE KANSAS SPEEDWAY. WHAT SHE LOVES ABOUT IT IS THAT THIS IS A TRACK THAT SHE WOULD COME TO AS A LITTLE GIRL, AND WHERE SHE ESTABLISHED THIS LOVE OF RACING. I LOVE THIS TRACK. IT’S A GREAT TRACK. IT’S HIGH BANKED, IT’S FAST, AND IT’S A TRACK THAT I’VE ALWAYS LOVED. SO I GREW UP WATCHING RACES HERE AND SO IT’S REALLY IT’S REALLY AWESOME AND FULFILLING TO BE ABLE TO RACE HERE. WHAT ARE HER FUTURE PLANS IN RACING? WELL, SHE WANTS TO CONTINUE TO DRIVE, BUT SHE ALSO HAS A BURGEONING CAREER IN AUTOMOTIVE DESIGN. WELL, SHE’S GOING TO PURSUE THAT AS WELL AS SOME RACING ON THE SIDE.

Bobby Allison, NASCAR Hall of Famer and 3-time Daytona 500 winner, dies at 86

Bobby Allison, founder of racing’s “Alabama Gang” and a NASCAR Hall of Famer, died Saturday. He was 86.NASCAR released a statement from Allison’s family that said he died at home in Mooresville, North Carolina. A cause of death wasn’t given, but Allison had been in declining health for years.Video above: Meet one of the female racers hitting the track at the Kansas SpeedwayAllison moved to fourth on NASCAR’s Cup Series victory list last month when chairman Jim France recognized him as the winner of the Meyers Brothers Memorial at Bowman Gray Stadium in North Carolina in 1971. The sanctioning body updated its record books to reflect the decision, giving Allison 85 wins and moving him out of a tie with Darrell Waltrip.France and longtime NASCAR executive Mike Helton presented Allison with a plaque commemorating the victory. With it, Allison trails only fellow Hall of Famers Richard Petty (200), David Pearson (105) and Jeff Gordon (93) in Cup wins.Allison was inducted into NASCAR’s second Hall of Fame class, in 2011. He was the 1983 NASCAR champion, finished second in the series title race five times, and a three-time winner of the Daytona 500.He helped put NASCAR on the map with more than his driving. His infamous fight with Cale Yarborough in the closing laps of the 1979 Daytona 500 served as one of the sport’s defining moments.”Cale went to beating on my fist with his nose,” Allison has said repeatedly, often using that phrase to describe the fight. “Cale understands like I do that it really was a benefit to the interest of racing. It proves that we were sincere.”

Bobby Allison, founder of racing’s “Alabama Gang” and a NASCAR Hall of Famer, died Saturday. He was 86.

NASCAR released a statement from Allison’s family that said he died at home in Mooresville, North Carolina. A cause of death wasn’t given, but Allison had been in declining health for years.

Video above: Meet one of the female racers hitting the track at the Kansas Speedway

Allison moved to fourth on NASCAR’s Cup Series victory list last month when chairman Jim France recognized him as the winner of the Meyers Brothers Memorial at Bowman Gray Stadium in North Carolina in 1971. The sanctioning body updated its record books to reflect the decision, giving Allison 85 wins and moving him out of a tie with Darrell Waltrip.

France and longtime NASCAR executive Mike Helton presented Allison with a plaque commemorating the victory. With it, Allison trails only fellow Hall of Famers Richard Petty (200), David Pearson (105) and Jeff Gordon (93) in Cup wins.

Allison was inducted into NASCAR’s second Hall of Fame class, in 2011. He was the 1983 NASCAR champion, finished second in the series title race five times, and a three-time winner of the Daytona 500.

He helped put NASCAR on the map with more than his driving. His infamous fight with Cale Yarborough in the closing laps of the 1979 Daytona 500 served as one of the sport’s defining moments.

“Cale went to beating on my fist with his nose,” Allison has said repeatedly, often using that phrase to describe the fight. “Cale understands like I do that it really was a benefit to the interest of racing. It proves that we were sincere.”