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Greenville, SC – Hattori Racing Enterprises driver, Brett Moffitt overcame odds to finish 4th and Sergio Pena experienced engine failure to finish 29th in the Kevin Whitaker Chevrolet 150 at Greenville, SC on Saturday March, 31, 2012.
Both cars were fast in practice. Pena topped the charts for both practices of the afternoon. Moffitt was 2nd quick in the first practice and 14th quick in the second practice though they did not do a mock qualifying run.
“The car was real good in race trim,” explained Grimes, IA native, Brett Moffitt. “We just fine tuned it and worked on our race set up during practice.” “We drew the first qualifying position so we are a little worried about that, but the car is good so we will be fine.”
Pena was real happy after practice as well, “My car is fast. I am real happy with the balance and the forward bite. We have a great shot at the pole and winning the race tonight.”
Moffitt was the first car out to qualify and proved he was a car to beat, earning the provisional pole and being the first car to break into the 20 second bracket with a time of 20.980. However, after only six cars, the rain came and qualifying was subsequently cancelled due to weather.
Hattori Racing is a new team so they did not have owner points from 2011. Therefore Moffitt and Pena were relegated to 21st and 22nd starting positions. They earned their starting spots by race wins in 2011. Both had three series wins, Moffitt finished 3rd in the driver point standings, Pena was 5th.
“I’m excited,” Moffitt said. “We have a good car, I can be patient when needed and I know we can work our way through the field.”
Pena, a Winchester, VA native, wasn’t too worried either, “It is what it is. We are starting better than I thought we would, but we have a great car and will be fine.”
When the green flag dropped, the cars paced themselves and waited for the field to spread out. Unfortunately, Pena was the first caution flag of the night when his #1 JMS Toyota Camry lost a motor early in the race.
“It started losing power down the backstretch,” confirmed Pena. “Then just quit all together. It is so disappointing as I had a fast car all weekend long. We had such a good car and I am proud of my team.”
Moffitt started 21st and was mired in traffic the first part of the race. He cracked the top-10 at lap 64 and began to steadily pass car after car until he raced into 2nd position, where he rode for over 60 laps.
“I was trying really hard to save my tires,” Moffitt stated. “I just rode in second hoping to save enough for the end of the race.”
With a restart at lap 127, Moffitt had his chance. He got his nose underneath leader and eventual race winner, Darrell Wallace, Jr. and led lap 128 but Wallace, Jr. got his nose back under Moffitt and put him in the outside lane where two more cars managed to get underneath. Moffitt finished the race in the 4th position.
My (#11) Kobe Toyopet Camry was real fast,” Moffitt confirmed. “But I ran out of tires at the end. I just used up too much coming through the field. If we had started up front where I know we would have qualified, it might have been a different ending. But from where we started, 4th isn’t too bad.”
“I think we are moving in the right direction,” team owner, Shigeaki Hattori said. “We were the best cars in practice and would have started up front had we qualified. The cars performed well as did the teams.”
Hattori Racing Enterprises next heads to Richmond International Raceway on April 26, 2012 for their next event.
Plum Pretty is bathed after a jog Thursday morning prior to winning the Grade I Kentucky Oaks at Churchill Downs in Louisville, KY. 05.05.2011
Greenville, SC – Hattori Racing Enterprises driver, Brett Moffitt overcame odds to finish 4th and Sergio Pena experienced engine failure to finish 29th in the Kevin Whitaker Chevrolet 150 at Greenville, SC on Saturday March, 31, 2012.
Both cars were fast in practice. Pena topped the charts for both practices of the afternoon. Moffitt was 2nd quick in the first practice and 14th quick in the second practice though they did not do a mock qualifying run.
“The car was real good in race trim,” explained Grimes, IA native, Brett Moffitt. “We just fine tuned it and worked on our race set up during practice.” “We drew the first qualifying position so we are a little worried about that, but the car is good so we will be fine.”
Pena was real happy after practice as well, “My car is fast. I am real happy with the balance and the forward bite. We have a great shot at the pole and winning the race tonight.”
Moffitt was the first car out to qualify and proved he was a car to beat, earning the provisional pole and being the first car to break into the 20 second bracket with a time of 20.980. However, after only six cars, the rain came and qualifying was subsequently cancelled due to weather.
Hattori Racing is a new team so they did not have owner points from 2011. Therefore Moffitt and Pena were relegated to 21st and 22nd starting positions. They earned their starting spots by race wins in 2011. Both had three series wins, Moffitt finished 3rd in the driver point standings, Pena was 5th.
“I’m excited,” Moffitt said. “We have a good car, I can be patient when needed and I know we can work our way through the field.”
Pena, a Winchester, VA native, wasn’t too worried either, “It is what it is. We are starting better than I thought we would, but we have a great car and will be fine.”
When the green flag dropped, the cars paced themselves and waited for the field to spread out. Unfortunately, Pena was the first caution flag of the night when his #1 JMS Toyota Camry lost a motor early in the race.
“It started losing power down the backstretch,” confirmed Pena. “Then just quit all together. It is so disappointing as I had a fast car all weekend long. We had such a good car and I am proud of my team.”
Moffitt started 21st and was mired in traffic the first part of the race. He cracked the top-10 at lap 64 and began to steadily pass car after car until he raced into 2nd position, where he rode for over 60 laps.
“I was trying really hard to save my tires,” Moffitt stated. “I just rode in second hoping to save enough for the end of the race.”
With a restart at lap 127, Moffitt had his chance. He got his nose underneath leader and eventual race winner, Darrell Wallace, Jr. and led lap 128 but Wallace, Jr. got his nose back under Moffitt and put him in the outside lane where two more cars managed to get underneath. Moffitt finished the race in the 4th position.
My (#11) Kobe Toyopet Camry was real fast,” Moffitt confirmed. “But I ran out of tires at the end. I just used up too much coming through the field. If we had started up front where I know we would have qualified, it might have been a different ending. But from where we started, 4th isn’t too bad.”
“I think we are moving in the right direction,” team owner, Shigeaki Hattori said. “We were the best cars in practice and would have started up front had we qualified. The cars performed well as did the teams.”
Hattori Racing Enterprises next heads to Richmond International Raceway on April 26, 2012 for their next event.
Greenville, SC – Hattori Racing Enterprises driver, Brett Moffitt overcame odds to finish 4th and Sergio Pena experienced engine failure to finish 29th in the Kevin Whitaker Chevrolet 150 at Greenville, SC on Saturday March, 31, 2012.
Both cars were fast in practice. Pena topped the charts for both practices of the afternoon. Moffitt was 2nd quick in the first practice and 14th quick in the second practice though they did not do a mock qualifying run.
“The car was real good in race trim,” explained Grimes, IA native, Brett Moffitt. “We just fine tuned it and worked on our race set up during practice.” “We drew the first qualifying position so we are a little worried about that, but the car is good so we will be fine.”
Pena was real happy after practice as well, “My car is fast. I am real happy with the balance and the forward bite. We have a great shot at the pole and winning the race tonight.”
Moffitt was the first car out to qualify and proved he was a car to beat, earning the provisional pole and being the first car to break into the 20 second bracket with a time of 20.980. However, after only six cars, the rain came and qualifying was subsequently cancelled due to weather.
Hattori Racing is a new team so they did not have owner points from 2011. Therefore Moffitt and Pena were relegated to 21st and 22nd starting positions. They earned their starting spots by race wins in 2011. Both had three series wins, Moffitt finished 3rd in the driver point standings, Pena was 5th.
“I’m excited,” Moffitt said. “We have a good car, I can be patient when needed and I know we can work our way through the field.”
Pena, a Winchester, VA native, wasn’t too worried either, “It is what it is. We are starting better than I thought we would, but we have a great car and will be fine.”
When the green flag dropped, the cars paced themselves and waited for the field to spread out. Unfortunately, Pena was the first caution flag of the night when his #1 JMS Toyota Camry lost a motor early in the race.
“It started losing power down the backstretch,” confirmed Pena. “Then just quit all together. It is so disappointing as I had a fast car all weekend long. We had such a good car and I am proud of my team.”
Moffitt started 21st and was mired in traffic the first part of the race. He cracked the top-10 at lap 64 and began to steadily pass car after car until he raced into 2nd position, where he rode for over 60 laps.
“I was trying really hard to save my tires,” Moffitt stated. “I just rode in second hoping to save enough for the end of the race.”
With a restart at lap 127, Moffitt had his chance. He got his nose underneath leader and eventual race winner, Darrell Wallace, Jr. and led lap 128 but Wallace, Jr. got his nose back under Moffitt and put him in the outside lane where two more cars managed to get underneath. Moffitt finished the race in the 4th position.
My (#11) Kobe Toyopet Camry was real fast,” Moffitt confirmed. “But I ran out of tires at the end. I just used up too much coming through the field. If we had started up front where I know we would have qualified, it might have been a different ending. But from where we started, 4th isn’t too bad.”
“I think we are moving in the right direction,” team owner, Shigeaki Hattori said. “We were the best cars in practice and would have started up front had we qualified. The cars performed well as did the teams.”
Hattori Racing Enterprises next heads to Richmond International Raceway on April 26, 2012 for their next event.
In a salute to first responders, police motorcyclists and police cars ride and drive down the backstretch.
On June 6, 2012, Hofstra University’s Axinn Library hosted the exhibit,“PRIDE - Celebrating the Art of the Backstretch Workers of Belmont Park and Aqueduct Racetrack,” a joint effort between the Library’s Special Collections department and the Backstretch Employee Service Team (B.E.S.T.), a non-profit dedicated to meeting the health and social needs of the almost 3,000 workers of the major horse racing tracks in New York State.
The room was packed as the event kicked off with opening remarks from Geri Solomon, Assistant Dean of Special Collections and Hofstra University Archivist, and Bronwyn Hannon, Acquisitions Curator. The administrators spoke about the diverse collection of Hispanic and Latino materials at Hofstra and the advantages of the partnership between B.E.S.T and the university.
Paul Ruchames, Executive Director of B.E.S.T., and Stella Cardenas, Community Outreach Director, then highlighted the work of B.E.S.T., the workers it represents and the art they created. An award and tribute ceremony recognizing all the artists, including the budding artists of Anna’s House, the daycare facility for racetrack workers’ families, ended the opening ceremony.
The three-hour event, which featured music from Grammy-nominated flautist Jay Rodriguez, welcomed more than 90 guests. The evening was enjoyed by all, and organizers hope that their exciting partnership will bring an annual exhibit to Hofstra.
View from the highway along the backstretch. Remains of the demolished grandstand are visible in the background.
-------------------
Bowie Race Track opened in 1914. According to Wikipedia, it was "a pioneer of winter racing" in the 1950s. Races inaugurated at Bowie include the Barbara Fritchie Handicap and Native Dancer Stakes. Fierce competition from nearby tracks brought about Bowie's demise in 1985. The track is now a training center (my photos here were taken during training hours on a Saturday morning).
A great article on Bowie from Colin's Ghost: colinsghost.org/2009/01/winter-racing-and-bowie-breed-195...
A Bloodhorse article remembering Bowie: bit.ly/aO2eda
An article on Bowie's current fate: bit.ly/GYSEWT
A Youtube video of horses training at Bowie (January 2012): www.youtube.com/watch?v=9OzXa0WBAoM
Exercise rider Pete Van Trump tries to hold back the strong gallop of Smarty Jones as Philadelphia backstretch workers look on. Smarty was galloped publicly following his win the Kentucky Derby. The track was unprepared for the thousands of people who turned out to see the hometown hero running out of Smarty Jones souveniers and complimentary donuts and coffee.
Well, next week is race week. Found this shot in the race archives. One day at the Talladega track they had a "sponsor appreciation day" where Dale Jr. gave rides around the track to the sponsors, media and track employees. I was the last one to go out and he decided to scrape the backstretch at 145 mph. It was a little wild to say the least! I tried my best to handhold the camera for some pics....
The trainer talks to the media at Churchill Downs about Havre de Grace in the 2011 Breeders' Cup Classic as owner Rick Porter looks on.
Greenville, SC – Hattori Racing Enterprises driver, Brett Moffitt overcame odds to finish 4th and Sergio Pena experienced engine failure to finish 29th in the Kevin Whitaker Chevrolet 150 at Greenville, SC on Saturday March, 31, 2012.
Both cars were fast in practice. Pena topped the charts for both practices of the afternoon. Moffitt was 2nd quick in the first practice and 14th quick in the second practice though they did not do a mock qualifying run.
“The car was real good in race trim,” explained Grimes, IA native, Brett Moffitt. “We just fine tuned it and worked on our race set up during practice.” “We drew the first qualifying position so we are a little worried about that, but the car is good so we will be fine.”
Pena was real happy after practice as well, “My car is fast. I am real happy with the balance and the forward bite. We have a great shot at the pole and winning the race tonight.”
Moffitt was the first car out to qualify and proved he was a car to beat, earning the provisional pole and being the first car to break into the 20 second bracket with a time of 20.980. However, after only six cars, the rain came and qualifying was subsequently cancelled due to weather.
Hattori Racing is a new team so they did not have owner points from 2011. Therefore Moffitt and Pena were relegated to 21st and 22nd starting positions. They earned their starting spots by race wins in 2011. Both had three series wins, Moffitt finished 3rd in the driver point standings, Pena was 5th.
“I’m excited,” Moffitt said. “We have a good car, I can be patient when needed and I know we can work our way through the field.”
Pena, a Winchester, VA native, wasn’t too worried either, “It is what it is. We are starting better than I thought we would, but we have a great car and will be fine.”
When the green flag dropped, the cars paced themselves and waited for the field to spread out. Unfortunately, Pena was the first caution flag of the night when his #1 JMS Toyota Camry lost a motor early in the race.
“It started losing power down the backstretch,” confirmed Pena. “Then just quit all together. It is so disappointing as I had a fast car all weekend long. We had such a good car and I am proud of my team.”
Moffitt started 21st and was mired in traffic the first part of the race. He cracked the top-10 at lap 64 and began to steadily pass car after car until he raced into 2nd position, where he rode for over 60 laps.
“I was trying really hard to save my tires,” Moffitt stated. “I just rode in second hoping to save enough for the end of the race.”
With a restart at lap 127, Moffitt had his chance. He got his nose underneath leader and eventual race winner, Darrell Wallace, Jr. and led lap 128 but Wallace, Jr. got his nose back under Moffitt and put him in the outside lane where two more cars managed to get underneath. Moffitt finished the race in the 4th position.
My (#11) Kobe Toyopet Camry was real fast,” Moffitt confirmed. “But I ran out of tires at the end. I just used up too much coming through the field. If we had started up front where I know we would have qualified, it might have been a different ending. But from where we started, 4th isn’t too bad.”
“I think we are moving in the right direction,” team owner, Shigeaki Hattori said. “We were the best cars in practice and would have started up front had we qualified. The cars performed well as did the teams.”
Hattori Racing Enterprises next heads to Richmond International Raceway on April 26, 2012 for their next event.
Greenville, SC – Hattori Racing Enterprises driver, Brett Moffitt overcame odds to finish 4th and Sergio Pena experienced engine failure to finish 29th in the Kevin Whitaker Chevrolet 150 at Greenville, SC on Saturday March, 31, 2012.
Both cars were fast in practice. Pena topped the charts for both practices of the afternoon. Moffitt was 2nd quick in the first practice and 14th quick in the second practice though they did not do a mock qualifying run.
“The car was real good in race trim,” explained Grimes, IA native, Brett Moffitt. “We just fine tuned it and worked on our race set up during practice.” “We drew the first qualifying position so we are a little worried about that, but the car is good so we will be fine.”
Pena was real happy after practice as well, “My car is fast. I am real happy with the balance and the forward bite. We have a great shot at the pole and winning the race tonight.”
Moffitt was the first car out to qualify and proved he was a car to beat, earning the provisional pole and being the first car to break into the 20 second bracket with a time of 20.980. However, after only six cars, the rain came and qualifying was subsequently cancelled due to weather.
Hattori Racing is a new team so they did not have owner points from 2011. Therefore Moffitt and Pena were relegated to 21st and 22nd starting positions. They earned their starting spots by race wins in 2011. Both had three series wins, Moffitt finished 3rd in the driver point standings, Pena was 5th.
“I’m excited,” Moffitt said. “We have a good car, I can be patient when needed and I know we can work our way through the field.”
Pena, a Winchester, VA native, wasn’t too worried either, “It is what it is. We are starting better than I thought we would, but we have a great car and will be fine.”
When the green flag dropped, the cars paced themselves and waited for the field to spread out. Unfortunately, Pena was the first caution flag of the night when his #1 JMS Toyota Camry lost a motor early in the race.
“It started losing power down the backstretch,” confirmed Pena. “Then just quit all together. It is so disappointing as I had a fast car all weekend long. We had such a good car and I am proud of my team.”
Moffitt started 21st and was mired in traffic the first part of the race. He cracked the top-10 at lap 64 and began to steadily pass car after car until he raced into 2nd position, where he rode for over 60 laps.
“I was trying really hard to save my tires,” Moffitt stated. “I just rode in second hoping to save enough for the end of the race.”
With a restart at lap 127, Moffitt had his chance. He got his nose underneath leader and eventual race winner, Darrell Wallace, Jr. and led lap 128 but Wallace, Jr. got his nose back under Moffitt and put him in the outside lane where two more cars managed to get underneath. Moffitt finished the race in the 4th position.
My (#11) Kobe Toyopet Camry was real fast,” Moffitt confirmed. “But I ran out of tires at the end. I just used up too much coming through the field. If we had started up front where I know we would have qualified, it might have been a different ending. But from where we started, 4th isn’t too bad.”
“I think we are moving in the right direction,” team owner, Shigeaki Hattori said. “We were the best cars in practice and would have started up front had we qualified. The cars performed well as did the teams.”
Hattori Racing Enterprises next heads to Richmond International Raceway on April 26, 2012 for their next event.
Greenville, SC – Hattori Racing Enterprises driver, Brett Moffitt overcame odds to finish 4th and Sergio Pena experienced engine failure to finish 29th in the Kevin Whitaker Chevrolet 150 at Greenville, SC on Saturday March, 31, 2012.
Both cars were fast in practice. Pena topped the charts for both practices of the afternoon. Moffitt was 2nd quick in the first practice and 14th quick in the second practice though they did not do a mock qualifying run.
“The car was real good in race trim,” explained Grimes, IA native, Brett Moffitt. “We just fine tuned it and worked on our race set up during practice.” “We drew the first qualifying position so we are a little worried about that, but the car is good so we will be fine.”
Pena was real happy after practice as well, “My car is fast. I am real happy with the balance and the forward bite. We have a great shot at the pole and winning the race tonight.”
Moffitt was the first car out to qualify and proved he was a car to beat, earning the provisional pole and being the first car to break into the 20 second bracket with a time of 20.980. However, after only six cars, the rain came and qualifying was subsequently cancelled due to weather.
Hattori Racing is a new team so they did not have owner points from 2011. Therefore Moffitt and Pena were relegated to 21st and 22nd starting positions. They earned their starting spots by race wins in 2011. Both had three series wins, Moffitt finished 3rd in the driver point standings, Pena was 5th.
“I’m excited,” Moffitt said. “We have a good car, I can be patient when needed and I know we can work our way through the field.”
Pena, a Winchester, VA native, wasn’t too worried either, “It is what it is. We are starting better than I thought we would, but we have a great car and will be fine.”
When the green flag dropped, the cars paced themselves and waited for the field to spread out. Unfortunately, Pena was the first caution flag of the night when his #1 JMS Toyota Camry lost a motor early in the race.
“It started losing power down the backstretch,” confirmed Pena. “Then just quit all together. It is so disappointing as I had a fast car all weekend long. We had such a good car and I am proud of my team.”
Moffitt started 21st and was mired in traffic the first part of the race. He cracked the top-10 at lap 64 and began to steadily pass car after car until he raced into 2nd position, where he rode for over 60 laps.
“I was trying really hard to save my tires,” Moffitt stated. “I just rode in second hoping to save enough for the end of the race.”
With a restart at lap 127, Moffitt had his chance. He got his nose underneath leader and eventual race winner, Darrell Wallace, Jr. and led lap 128 but Wallace, Jr. got his nose back under Moffitt and put him in the outside lane where two more cars managed to get underneath. Moffitt finished the race in the 4th position.
My (#11) Kobe Toyopet Camry was real fast,” Moffitt confirmed. “But I ran out of tires at the end. I just used up too much coming through the field. If we had started up front where I know we would have qualified, it might have been a different ending. But from where we started, 4th isn’t too bad.”
“I think we are moving in the right direction,” team owner, Shigeaki Hattori said. “We were the best cars in practice and would have started up front had we qualified. The cars performed well as did the teams.”
Hattori Racing Enterprises next heads to Richmond International Raceway on April 26, 2012 for their next event.
Jockey Katie Davis is in the Dunk Tank to benefit the Backstretch Workers on Personal Ensign Stakes Day at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, New York on August 23, 2024. Jason Moran/Eclipse Sportswire/CSM
On June 6, 2012, Hofstra University’s Axinn Library hosted the exhibit,“PRIDE - Celebrating the Art of the Backstretch Workers of Belmont Park and Aqueduct Racetrack,” a joint effort between the Library’s Special Collections department and the Backstretch Employee Service Team (B.E.S.T.), a non-profit dedicated to meeting the health and social needs of the almost 3,000 workers of the major horse racing tracks in New York State.
The room was packed as the event kicked off with opening remarks from Geri Solomon, Assistant Dean of Special Collections and Hofstra University Archivist, and Bronwyn Hannon, Acquisitions Curator. The administrators spoke about the diverse collection of Hispanic and Latino materials at Hofstra and the advantages of the partnership between B.E.S.T and the university.
Paul Ruchames, Executive Director of B.E.S.T., and Stella Cardenas, Community Outreach Director, then highlighted the work of B.E.S.T., the workers it represents and the art they created. An award and tribute ceremony recognizing all the artists, including the budding artists of Anna’s House, the daycare facility for racetrack workers’ families, ended the opening ceremony.
The three-hour event, which featured music from Grammy-nominated flautist Jay Rodriguez, welcomed more than 90 guests. The evening was enjoyed by all, and organizers hope that their exciting partnership will bring an annual exhibit to Hofstra.
View from the highway along the backstretch.
-------------------
Bowie Race Track opened in 1914. According to Wikipedia, it was "a pioneer of winter racing" in the 1950s. Races inaugurated at Bowie include the Barbara Fritchie Handicap and Native Dancer Stakes. Fierce competition from nearby tracks brought about Bowie's demise in 1985. The track is now a training center (my photos here were taken during training hours on a Saturday morning).
A great article on Bowie from Colin's Ghost: colinsghost.org/2009/01/winter-racing-and-bowie-breed-195...
A Bloodhorse article remembering Bowie: bit.ly/aO2eda
An article on Bowie's current fate: bit.ly/GYSEWT
A Youtube video of horses training at Bowie (January 2012): www.youtube.com/watch?v=9OzXa0WBAoM
check out the green cone in the backstretch. They start "outlaw style", where they race up to speed on the backstretch. They can pass after the cone, before they reach the green flag on the frontstretch.
I thought this wreck in the first race of the championship would ruin Jimmie Johnson's chances, but he won it anyway.
Greenville, SC – Hattori Racing Enterprises driver, Brett Moffitt overcame odds to finish 4th and Sergio Pena experienced engine failure to finish 29th in the Kevin Whitaker Chevrolet 150 at Greenville, SC on Saturday March, 31, 2012.
Both cars were fast in practice. Pena topped the charts for both practices of the afternoon. Moffitt was 2nd quick in the first practice and 14th quick in the second practice though they did not do a mock qualifying run.
“The car was real good in race trim,” explained Grimes, IA native, Brett Moffitt. “We just fine tuned it and worked on our race set up during practice.” “We drew the first qualifying position so we are a little worried about that, but the car is good so we will be fine.”
Pena was real happy after practice as well, “My car is fast. I am real happy with the balance and the forward bite. We have a great shot at the pole and winning the race tonight.”
Moffitt was the first car out to qualify and proved he was a car to beat, earning the provisional pole and being the first car to break into the 20 second bracket with a time of 20.980. However, after only six cars, the rain came and qualifying was subsequently cancelled due to weather.
Hattori Racing is a new team so they did not have owner points from 2011. Therefore Moffitt and Pena were relegated to 21st and 22nd starting positions. They earned their starting spots by race wins in 2011. Both had three series wins, Moffitt finished 3rd in the driver point standings, Pena was 5th.
“I’m excited,” Moffitt said. “We have a good car, I can be patient when needed and I know we can work our way through the field.”
Pena, a Winchester, VA native, wasn’t too worried either, “It is what it is. We are starting better than I thought we would, but we have a great car and will be fine.”
When the green flag dropped, the cars paced themselves and waited for the field to spread out. Unfortunately, Pena was the first caution flag of the night when his #1 JMS Toyota Camry lost a motor early in the race.
“It started losing power down the backstretch,” confirmed Pena. “Then just quit all together. It is so disappointing as I had a fast car all weekend long. We had such a good car and I am proud of my team.”
Moffitt started 21st and was mired in traffic the first part of the race. He cracked the top-10 at lap 64 and began to steadily pass car after car until he raced into 2nd position, where he rode for over 60 laps.
“I was trying really hard to save my tires,” Moffitt stated. “I just rode in second hoping to save enough for the end of the race.”
With a restart at lap 127, Moffitt had his chance. He got his nose underneath leader and eventual race winner, Darrell Wallace, Jr. and led lap 128 but Wallace, Jr. got his nose back under Moffitt and put him in the outside lane where two more cars managed to get underneath. Moffitt finished the race in the 4th position.
My (#11) Kobe Toyopet Camry was real fast,” Moffitt confirmed. “But I ran out of tires at the end. I just used up too much coming through the field. If we had started up front where I know we would have qualified, it might have been a different ending. But from where we started, 4th isn’t too bad.”
“I think we are moving in the right direction,” team owner, Shigeaki Hattori said. “We were the best cars in practice and would have started up front had we qualified. The cars performed well as did the teams.”
Hattori Racing Enterprises next heads to Richmond International Raceway on April 26, 2012 for their next event.
This is a shot of the RIR infield from the backstretch near the exit of turn 2. The opposite corner is the exit of turn 4 onto the front stretch. In the center are, obviously, many of the NASCAR haulers.
Greenville, SC – Hattori Racing Enterprises driver, Brett Moffitt overcame odds to finish 4th and Sergio Pena experienced engine failure to finish 29th in the Kevin Whitaker Chevrolet 150 at Greenville, SC on Saturday March, 31, 2012.
Both cars were fast in practice. Pena topped the charts for both practices of the afternoon. Moffitt was 2nd quick in the first practice and 14th quick in the second practice though they did not do a mock qualifying run.
“The car was real good in race trim,” explained Grimes, IA native, Brett Moffitt. “We just fine tuned it and worked on our race set up during practice.” “We drew the first qualifying position so we are a little worried about that, but the car is good so we will be fine.”
Pena was real happy after practice as well, “My car is fast. I am real happy with the balance and the forward bite. We have a great shot at the pole and winning the race tonight.”
Moffitt was the first car out to qualify and proved he was a car to beat, earning the provisional pole and being the first car to break into the 20 second bracket with a time of 20.980. However, after only six cars, the rain came and qualifying was subsequently cancelled due to weather.
Hattori Racing is a new team so they did not have owner points from 2011. Therefore Moffitt and Pena were relegated to 21st and 22nd starting positions. They earned their starting spots by race wins in 2011. Both had three series wins, Moffitt finished 3rd in the driver point standings, Pena was 5th.
“I’m excited,” Moffitt said. “We have a good car, I can be patient when needed and I know we can work our way through the field.”
Pena, a Winchester, VA native, wasn’t too worried either, “It is what it is. We are starting better than I thought we would, but we have a great car and will be fine.”
When the green flag dropped, the cars paced themselves and waited for the field to spread out. Unfortunately, Pena was the first caution flag of the night when his #1 JMS Toyota Camry lost a motor early in the race.
“It started losing power down the backstretch,” confirmed Pena. “Then just quit all together. It is so disappointing as I had a fast car all weekend long. We had such a good car and I am proud of my team.”
Moffitt started 21st and was mired in traffic the first part of the race. He cracked the top-10 at lap 64 and began to steadily pass car after car until he raced into 2nd position, where he rode for over 60 laps.
“I was trying really hard to save my tires,” Moffitt stated. “I just rode in second hoping to save enough for the end of the race.”
With a restart at lap 127, Moffitt had his chance. He got his nose underneath leader and eventual race winner, Darrell Wallace, Jr. and led lap 128 but Wallace, Jr. got his nose back under Moffitt and put him in the outside lane where two more cars managed to get underneath. Moffitt finished the race in the 4th position.
My (#11) Kobe Toyopet Camry was real fast,” Moffitt confirmed. “But I ran out of tires at the end. I just used up too much coming through the field. If we had started up front where I know we would have qualified, it might have been a different ending. But from where we started, 4th isn’t too bad.”
“I think we are moving in the right direction,” team owner, Shigeaki Hattori said. “We were the best cars in practice and would have started up front had we qualified. The cars performed well as did the teams.”
Hattori Racing Enterprises next heads to Richmond International Raceway on April 26, 2012 for their next event.
Kroger 200 at Martinsville Va. Photo is of the 60,16,30 and 14 on the backstretch. The 60 was driven by Stacy Compton the 16 was driven by Brian Scott the 30 driven by Todd Bodine aka "Onion" and the 14 was driven by Rick Crawford.
Greenville, SC – Hattori Racing Enterprises driver, Brett Moffitt overcame odds to finish 4th and Sergio Pena experienced engine failure to finish 29th in the Kevin Whitaker Chevrolet 150 at Greenville, SC on Saturday March, 31, 2012.
Both cars were fast in practice. Pena topped the charts for both practices of the afternoon. Moffitt was 2nd quick in the first practice and 14th quick in the second practice though they did not do a mock qualifying run.
“The car was real good in race trim,” explained Grimes, IA native, Brett Moffitt. “We just fine tuned it and worked on our race set up during practice.” “We drew the first qualifying position so we are a little worried about that, but the car is good so we will be fine.”
Pena was real happy after practice as well, “My car is fast. I am real happy with the balance and the forward bite. We have a great shot at the pole and winning the race tonight.”
Moffitt was the first car out to qualify and proved he was a car to beat, earning the provisional pole and being the first car to break into the 20 second bracket with a time of 20.980. However, after only six cars, the rain came and qualifying was subsequently cancelled due to weather.
Hattori Racing is a new team so they did not have owner points from 2011. Therefore Moffitt and Pena were relegated to 21st and 22nd starting positions. They earned their starting spots by race wins in 2011. Both had three series wins, Moffitt finished 3rd in the driver point standings, Pena was 5th.
“I’m excited,” Moffitt said. “We have a good car, I can be patient when needed and I know we can work our way through the field.”
Pena, a Winchester, VA native, wasn’t too worried either, “It is what it is. We are starting better than I thought we would, but we have a great car and will be fine.”
When the green flag dropped, the cars paced themselves and waited for the field to spread out. Unfortunately, Pena was the first caution flag of the night when his #1 JMS Toyota Camry lost a motor early in the race.
“It started losing power down the backstretch,” confirmed Pena. “Then just quit all together. It is so disappointing as I had a fast car all weekend long. We had such a good car and I am proud of my team.”
Moffitt started 21st and was mired in traffic the first part of the race. He cracked the top-10 at lap 64 and began to steadily pass car after car until he raced into 2nd position, where he rode for over 60 laps.
“I was trying really hard to save my tires,” Moffitt stated. “I just rode in second hoping to save enough for the end of the race.”
With a restart at lap 127, Moffitt had his chance. He got his nose underneath leader and eventual race winner, Darrell Wallace, Jr. and led lap 128 but Wallace, Jr. got his nose back under Moffitt and put him in the outside lane where two more cars managed to get underneath. Moffitt finished the race in the 4th position.
My (#11) Kobe Toyopet Camry was real fast,” Moffitt confirmed. “But I ran out of tires at the end. I just used up too much coming through the field. If we had started up front where I know we would have qualified, it might have been a different ending. But from where we started, 4th isn’t too bad.”
“I think we are moving in the right direction,” team owner, Shigeaki Hattori said. “We were the best cars in practice and would have started up front had we qualified. The cars performed well as did the teams.”
Hattori Racing Enterprises next heads to Richmond International Raceway on April 26, 2012 for their next event.
Greenville, SC – Hattori Racing Enterprises driver, Brett Moffitt overcame odds to finish 4th and Sergio Pena experienced engine failure to finish 29th in the Kevin Whitaker Chevrolet 150 at Greenville, SC on Saturday March, 31, 2012.
Both cars were fast in practice. Pena topped the charts for both practices of the afternoon. Moffitt was 2nd quick in the first practice and 14th quick in the second practice though they did not do a mock qualifying run.
“The car was real good in race trim,” explained Grimes, IA native, Brett Moffitt. “We just fine tuned it and worked on our race set up during practice.” “We drew the first qualifying position so we are a little worried about that, but the car is good so we will be fine.”
Pena was real happy after practice as well, “My car is fast. I am real happy with the balance and the forward bite. We have a great shot at the pole and winning the race tonight.”
Moffitt was the first car out to qualify and proved he was a car to beat, earning the provisional pole and being the first car to break into the 20 second bracket with a time of 20.980. However, after only six cars, the rain came and qualifying was subsequently cancelled due to weather.
Hattori Racing is a new team so they did not have owner points from 2011. Therefore Moffitt and Pena were relegated to 21st and 22nd starting positions. They earned their starting spots by race wins in 2011. Both had three series wins, Moffitt finished 3rd in the driver point standings, Pena was 5th.
“I’m excited,” Moffitt said. “We have a good car, I can be patient when needed and I know we can work our way through the field.”
Pena, a Winchester, VA native, wasn’t too worried either, “It is what it is. We are starting better than I thought we would, but we have a great car and will be fine.”
When the green flag dropped, the cars paced themselves and waited for the field to spread out. Unfortunately, Pena was the first caution flag of the night when his #1 JMS Toyota Camry lost a motor early in the race.
“It started losing power down the backstretch,” confirmed Pena. “Then just quit all together. It is so disappointing as I had a fast car all weekend long. We had such a good car and I am proud of my team.”
Moffitt started 21st and was mired in traffic the first part of the race. He cracked the top-10 at lap 64 and began to steadily pass car after car until he raced into 2nd position, where he rode for over 60 laps.
“I was trying really hard to save my tires,” Moffitt stated. “I just rode in second hoping to save enough for the end of the race.”
With a restart at lap 127, Moffitt had his chance. He got his nose underneath leader and eventual race winner, Darrell Wallace, Jr. and led lap 128 but Wallace, Jr. got his nose back under Moffitt and put him in the outside lane where two more cars managed to get underneath. Moffitt finished the race in the 4th position.
My (#11) Kobe Toyopet Camry was real fast,” Moffitt confirmed. “But I ran out of tires at the end. I just used up too much coming through the field. If we had started up front where I know we would have qualified, it might have been a different ending. But from where we started, 4th isn’t too bad.”
“I think we are moving in the right direction,” team owner, Shigeaki Hattori said. “We were the best cars in practice and would have started up front had we qualified. The cars performed well as did the teams.”
Hattori Racing Enterprises next heads to Richmond International Raceway on April 26, 2012 for their next event.
Watch the horses work out from your car! Backstretch barn area is in the background.
Bowie Race Track opened in 1914. According to Wikipedia, it was "a pioneer of winter racing" in the 1950s. Races inaugurated at Bowie include the Barbara Fritchie Handicap and Native Dancer Stakes. Fierce competition from nearby tracks brought about Bowie's demise in 1985. The track is now a training center (my photos here were taken during training hours on a Saturday morning).
A great article on Bowie from Colin's Ghost: colinsghost.org/2009/01/winter-racing-and-bowie-breed-195...
A Bloodhorse article remembering Bowie: bit.ly/aO2eda
An article on Bowie's current fate: bit.ly/GYSEWT
A Youtube video of horses training at Bowie (January 2012): www.youtube.com/watch?v=9OzXa0WBAoM
Greenville, SC – Hattori Racing Enterprises driver, Brett Moffitt overcame odds to finish 4th and Sergio Pena experienced engine failure to finish 29th in the Kevin Whitaker Chevrolet 150 at Greenville, SC on Saturday March, 31, 2012.
Both cars were fast in practice. Pena topped the charts for both practices of the afternoon. Moffitt was 2nd quick in the first practice and 14th quick in the second practice though they did not do a mock qualifying run.
“The car was real good in race trim,” explained Grimes, IA native, Brett Moffitt. “We just fine tuned it and worked on our race set up during practice.” “We drew the first qualifying position so we are a little worried about that, but the car is good so we will be fine.”
Pena was real happy after practice as well, “My car is fast. I am real happy with the balance and the forward bite. We have a great shot at the pole and winning the race tonight.”
Moffitt was the first car out to qualify and proved he was a car to beat, earning the provisional pole and being the first car to break into the 20 second bracket with a time of 20.980. However, after only six cars, the rain came and qualifying was subsequently cancelled due to weather.
Hattori Racing is a new team so they did not have owner points from 2011. Therefore Moffitt and Pena were relegated to 21st and 22nd starting positions. They earned their starting spots by race wins in 2011. Both had three series wins, Moffitt finished 3rd in the driver point standings, Pena was 5th.
“I’m excited,” Moffitt said. “We have a good car, I can be patient when needed and I know we can work our way through the field.”
Pena, a Winchester, VA native, wasn’t too worried either, “It is what it is. We are starting better than I thought we would, but we have a great car and will be fine.”
When the green flag dropped, the cars paced themselves and waited for the field to spread out. Unfortunately, Pena was the first caution flag of the night when his #1 JMS Toyota Camry lost a motor early in the race.
“It started losing power down the backstretch,” confirmed Pena. “Then just quit all together. It is so disappointing as I had a fast car all weekend long. We had such a good car and I am proud of my team.”
Moffitt started 21st and was mired in traffic the first part of the race. He cracked the top-10 at lap 64 and began to steadily pass car after car until he raced into 2nd position, where he rode for over 60 laps.
“I was trying really hard to save my tires,” Moffitt stated. “I just rode in second hoping to save enough for the end of the race.”
With a restart at lap 127, Moffitt had his chance. He got his nose underneath leader and eventual race winner, Darrell Wallace, Jr. and led lap 128 but Wallace, Jr. got his nose back under Moffitt and put him in the outside lane where two more cars managed to get underneath. Moffitt finished the race in the 4th position.
My (#11) Kobe Toyopet Camry was real fast,” Moffitt confirmed. “But I ran out of tires at the end. I just used up too much coming through the field. If we had started up front where I know we would have qualified, it might have been a different ending. But from where we started, 4th isn’t too bad.”
“I think we are moving in the right direction,” team owner, Shigeaki Hattori said. “We were the best cars in practice and would have started up front had we qualified. The cars performed well as did the teams.”
Hattori Racing Enterprises next heads to Richmond International Raceway on April 26, 2012 for their next event.
Laffit Pincay on Medaglia d'Oro and Pat Day on Buddha ran in tandem from the start of the backstretch to the finish line. After dueling for the lead for over a mile Buddha reached the finish a head in front.
Greenville, SC – Hattori Racing Enterprises driver, Brett Moffitt overcame odds to finish 4th and Sergio Pena experienced engine failure to finish 29th in the Kevin Whitaker Chevrolet 150 at Greenville, SC on Saturday March, 31, 2012.
Both cars were fast in practice. Pena topped the charts for both practices of the afternoon. Moffitt was 2nd quick in the first practice and 14th quick in the second practice though they did not do a mock qualifying run.
“The car was real good in race trim,” explained Grimes, IA native, Brett Moffitt. “We just fine tuned it and worked on our race set up during practice.” “We drew the first qualifying position so we are a little worried about that, but the car is good so we will be fine.”
Pena was real happy after practice as well, “My car is fast. I am real happy with the balance and the forward bite. We have a great shot at the pole and winning the race tonight.”
Moffitt was the first car out to qualify and proved he was a car to beat, earning the provisional pole and being the first car to break into the 20 second bracket with a time of 20.980. However, after only six cars, the rain came and qualifying was subsequently cancelled due to weather.
Hattori Racing is a new team so they did not have owner points from 2011. Therefore Moffitt and Pena were relegated to 21st and 22nd starting positions. They earned their starting spots by race wins in 2011. Both had three series wins, Moffitt finished 3rd in the driver point standings, Pena was 5th.
“I’m excited,” Moffitt said. “We have a good car, I can be patient when needed and I know we can work our way through the field.”
Pena, a Winchester, VA native, wasn’t too worried either, “It is what it is. We are starting better than I thought we would, but we have a great car and will be fine.”
When the green flag dropped, the cars paced themselves and waited for the field to spread out. Unfortunately, Pena was the first caution flag of the night when his #1 JMS Toyota Camry lost a motor early in the race.
“It started losing power down the backstretch,” confirmed Pena. “Then just quit all together. It is so disappointing as I had a fast car all weekend long. We had such a good car and I am proud of my team.”
Moffitt started 21st and was mired in traffic the first part of the race. He cracked the top-10 at lap 64 and began to steadily pass car after car until he raced into 2nd position, where he rode for over 60 laps.
“I was trying really hard to save my tires,” Moffitt stated. “I just rode in second hoping to save enough for the end of the race.”
With a restart at lap 127, Moffitt had his chance. He got his nose underneath leader and eventual race winner, Darrell Wallace, Jr. and led lap 128 but Wallace, Jr. got his nose back under Moffitt and put him in the outside lane where two more cars managed to get underneath. Moffitt finished the race in the 4th position.
My (#11) Kobe Toyopet Camry was real fast,” Moffitt confirmed. “But I ran out of tires at the end. I just used up too much coming through the field. If we had started up front where I know we would have qualified, it might have been a different ending. But from where we started, 4th isn’t too bad.”
“I think we are moving in the right direction,” team owner, Shigeaki Hattori said. “We were the best cars in practice and would have started up front had we qualified. The cars performed well as did the teams.”
Hattori Racing Enterprises next heads to Richmond International Raceway on April 26, 2012 for their next event.
Selinsgrove Speedway, stock cars on the frontstretch, viewed from the fourth turn end of front- stretch looking toward the second turn and beginning of backstretch. Year of 1951 is approximate.
Greenville, SC – Hattori Racing Enterprises driver, Brett Moffitt overcame odds to finish 4th and Sergio Pena experienced engine failure to finish 29th in the Kevin Whitaker Chevrolet 150 at Greenville, SC on Saturday March, 31, 2012.
Both cars were fast in practice. Pena topped the charts for both practices of the afternoon. Moffitt was 2nd quick in the first practice and 14th quick in the second practice though they did not do a mock qualifying run.
“The car was real good in race trim,” explained Grimes, IA native, Brett Moffitt. “We just fine tuned it and worked on our race set up during practice.” “We drew the first qualifying position so we are a little worried about that, but the car is good so we will be fine.”
Pena was real happy after practice as well, “My car is fast. I am real happy with the balance and the forward bite. We have a great shot at the pole and winning the race tonight.”
Moffitt was the first car out to qualify and proved he was a car to beat, earning the provisional pole and being the first car to break into the 20 second bracket with a time of 20.980. However, after only six cars, the rain came and qualifying was subsequently cancelled due to weather.
Hattori Racing is a new team so they did not have owner points from 2011. Therefore Moffitt and Pena were relegated to 21st and 22nd starting positions. They earned their starting spots by race wins in 2011. Both had three series wins, Moffitt finished 3rd in the driver point standings, Pena was 5th.
“I’m excited,” Moffitt said. “We have a good car, I can be patient when needed and I know we can work our way through the field.”
Pena, a Winchester, VA native, wasn’t too worried either, “It is what it is. We are starting better than I thought we would, but we have a great car and will be fine.”
When the green flag dropped, the cars paced themselves and waited for the field to spread out. Unfortunately, Pena was the first caution flag of the night when his #1 JMS Toyota Camry lost a motor early in the race.
“It started losing power down the backstretch,” confirmed Pena. “Then just quit all together. It is so disappointing as I had a fast car all weekend long. We had such a good car and I am proud of my team.”
Moffitt started 21st and was mired in traffic the first part of the race. He cracked the top-10 at lap 64 and began to steadily pass car after car until he raced into 2nd position, where he rode for over 60 laps.
“I was trying really hard to save my tires,” Moffitt stated. “I just rode in second hoping to save enough for the end of the race.”
With a restart at lap 127, Moffitt had his chance. He got his nose underneath leader and eventual race winner, Darrell Wallace, Jr. and led lap 128 but Wallace, Jr. got his nose back under Moffitt and put him in the outside lane where two more cars managed to get underneath. Moffitt finished the race in the 4th position.
My (#11) Kobe Toyopet Camry was real fast,” Moffitt confirmed. “But I ran out of tires at the end. I just used up too much coming through the field. If we had started up front where I know we would have qualified, it might have been a different ending. But from where we started, 4th isn’t too bad.”
“I think we are moving in the right direction,” team owner, Shigeaki Hattori said. “We were the best cars in practice and would have started up front had we qualified. The cars performed well as did the teams.”
Hattori Racing Enterprises next heads to Richmond International Raceway on April 26, 2012 for their next event.
He was going for the win before the rain forced Speedway to call it, ripping up the backstretch at over 200 miles an hour when he crashed and flipped the car upside down right in front of us. I thought he was dead or severely injured, but he just walked away with a few bruises!!
On June 6, 2012, Hofstra University’s Axinn Library hosted the exhibit,“PRIDE - Celebrating the Art of the Backstretch Workers of Belmont Park and Aqueduct Racetrack,” a joint effort between the Library’s Special Collections department and the Backstretch Employee Service Team (B.E.S.T.), a non-profit dedicated to meeting the health and social needs of the almost 3,000 workers of the major horse racing tracks in New York State.
The room was packed as the event kicked off with opening remarks from Geri Solomon, Assistant Dean of Special Collections and Hofstra University Archivist, and Bronwyn Hannon, Acquisitions Curator. The administrators spoke about the diverse collection of Hispanic and Latino materials at Hofstra and the advantages of the partnership between B.E.S.T and the university.
Paul Ruchames, Executive Director of B.E.S.T., and Stella Cardenas, Community Outreach Director, then highlighted the work of B.E.S.T., the workers it represents and the art they created. An award and tribute ceremony recognizing all the artists, including the budding artists of Anna’s House, the daycare facility for racetrack workers’ families, ended the opening ceremony.
The three-hour event, which featured music from Grammy-nominated flautist Jay Rodriguez, welcomed more than 90 guests. The evening was enjoyed by all, and organizers hope that their exciting partnership will bring an annual exhibit to Hofstra.
Greenville, SC – Hattori Racing Enterprises driver, Brett Moffitt overcame odds to finish 4th and Sergio Pena experienced engine failure to finish 29th in the Kevin Whitaker Chevrolet 150 at Greenville, SC on Saturday March, 31, 2012.
Both cars were fast in practice. Pena topped the charts for both practices of the afternoon. Moffitt was 2nd quick in the first practice and 14th quick in the second practice though they did not do a mock qualifying run.
“The car was real good in race trim,” explained Grimes, IA native, Brett Moffitt. “We just fine tuned it and worked on our race set up during practice.” “We drew the first qualifying position so we are a little worried about that, but the car is good so we will be fine.”
Pena was real happy after practice as well, “My car is fast. I am real happy with the balance and the forward bite. We have a great shot at the pole and winning the race tonight.”
Moffitt was the first car out to qualify and proved he was a car to beat, earning the provisional pole and being the first car to break into the 20 second bracket with a time of 20.980. However, after only six cars, the rain came and qualifying was subsequently cancelled due to weather.
Hattori Racing is a new team so they did not have owner points from 2011. Therefore Moffitt and Pena were relegated to 21st and 22nd starting positions. They earned their starting spots by race wins in 2011. Both had three series wins, Moffitt finished 3rd in the driver point standings, Pena was 5th.
“I’m excited,” Moffitt said. “We have a good car, I can be patient when needed and I know we can work our way through the field.”
Pena, a Winchester, VA native, wasn’t too worried either, “It is what it is. We are starting better than I thought we would, but we have a great car and will be fine.”
When the green flag dropped, the cars paced themselves and waited for the field to spread out. Unfortunately, Pena was the first caution flag of the night when his #1 JMS Toyota Camry lost a motor early in the race.
“It started losing power down the backstretch,” confirmed Pena. “Then just quit all together. It is so disappointing as I had a fast car all weekend long. We had such a good car and I am proud of my team.”
Moffitt started 21st and was mired in traffic the first part of the race. He cracked the top-10 at lap 64 and began to steadily pass car after car until he raced into 2nd position, where he rode for over 60 laps.
“I was trying really hard to save my tires,” Moffitt stated. “I just rode in second hoping to save enough for the end of the race.”
With a restart at lap 127, Moffitt had his chance. He got his nose underneath leader and eventual race winner, Darrell Wallace, Jr. and led lap 128 but Wallace, Jr. got his nose back under Moffitt and put him in the outside lane where two more cars managed to get underneath. Moffitt finished the race in the 4th position.
My (#11) Kobe Toyopet Camry was real fast,” Moffitt confirmed. “But I ran out of tires at the end. I just used up too much coming through the field. If we had started up front where I know we would have qualified, it might have been a different ending. But from where we started, 4th isn’t too bad.”
“I think we are moving in the right direction,” team owner, Shigeaki Hattori said. “We were the best cars in practice and would have started up front had we qualified. The cars performed well as did the teams.”
Hattori Racing Enterprises next heads to Richmond International Raceway on April 26, 2012 for their next event.
On June 6, 2012, Hofstra University’s Axinn Library hosted the exhibit,“PRIDE - Celebrating the Art of the Backstretch Workers of Belmont Park and Aqueduct Racetrack,” a joint effort between the Library’s Special Collections department and the Backstretch Employee Service Team (B.E.S.T.), a non-profit dedicated to meeting the health and social needs of the almost 3,000 workers of the major horse racing tracks in New York State.
The room was packed as the event kicked off with opening remarks from Geri Solomon, Assistant Dean of Special Collections and Hofstra University Archivist, and Bronwyn Hannon, Acquisitions Curator. The administrators spoke about the diverse collection of Hispanic and Latino materials at Hofstra and the advantages of the partnership between B.E.S.T and the university.
Paul Ruchames, Executive Director of B.E.S.T., and Stella Cardenas, Community Outreach Director, then highlighted the work of B.E.S.T., the workers it represents and the art they created. An award and tribute ceremony recognizing all the artists, including the budding artists of Anna’s House, the daycare facility for racetrack workers’ families, ended the opening ceremony.
The three-hour event, which featured music from Grammy-nominated flautist Jay Rodriguez, welcomed more than 90 guests. The evening was enjoyed by all, and organizers hope that their exciting partnership will bring an annual exhibit to Hofstra.