“Pick the right horse for the job”...Texas Bix Bender

On A Tuesday Morning in Late January
By Deane Mercier

  January 30, Norwalk, CT--- Ronnie Silk began his racing career at the age of seven running Karts at Calf Pasture Beach here in our shared hometown of Norwalk. He was eleven when he won his first of three World Karting Association championships. 

  In 1999, at the age of 17, he was at the wheel of an SK Modified running at Waterford Speed Bowl where he finished 10^th in points at seasons end. He finished second in points behind the legendary Bo Gunning at Stafford Motor Speedway in 2002. Also racing at Thompson International Speedway he posted a total of nine wins in the SK’s at the three tracks. Then he made the move to the Modified Tour. 

  Driving the No. 19 Chevrolet owned by George Bierce and sponsored by Major Motion Transport and Silk Plumbing & Heating he notched he first Whelen Modified Tour win at Thompson last September.  

  This year Silk will drive the Hillbilly Racing Team No.79 Pontiac owned by Roger and Sandra Hill. Silk replaces Woody Pitkat who took over the driving after the team let Chuck Hossfeld go early last season. 

   “Ronnie was our first choice last year when we decided to let Chuck go,” crew chief David Hill told me during a recent conversation, “but we didn’t want to steal Ronnie away from the No.19 team, that would not have been right.” 

   Silk, who won the 2007 Whelen Modified Tour Driver Achievement Award, was bought to the attention of the Hills following a phone call from former two-time NASCAR Busch Series champion Randy LaJoie, Silks godfather. 

    “We had been watching Ronnie for a while,” said Hill. “We liked his working class family background. We liked the way he handled himself both on and off the racetrack. If something goes wrong at the track he doesn’t get mad, he doesn’t blame others. At last years North/South shootout he really impressed our sponsors.” 

  The deal came about fast in mid December of last year. Silk had been ready to sign with the Boehler family owned team when his phone rang. “David Hill called and asked to fly down to North Carolina,” Silk related. “I flew down the next day and met with the owners and the deal was done.”  

  Silk will run about 35 races for the Hills this year, including most of the Whelen Southern Modified schedule and all of the Whelen Modified Tour races. “I love to race,” said Silk,  “and with this deal I’ll be running about 15 more races this year. I might be in seven or eight races before the Icebreaker at Thompson.” The team will open the 2008 season February 12th through the 15th at New Smyrna Speedway in Florida.  

  The team’s primary sponsors are Coors Light, Le Bleu Ultra Pure Bottled Water and Sunoco Race Fuels.  

  “This is a great team with great equipment. I know all drivers say that but I really mean it,” Silk, a former high school lacrosse player told me, “I can’t wait to race.” 

   “Our primary goal is to win races and make our sponsors proud and with Ronnie I believe we can do that,” said Hill.  

   So do I. The folks at Hillbilly racing have picked the right horse.

*******

   I see NASCAR is considering raising the age requirement for drivers in the Nextel Sprint Cup from 18 to 21. For the Nationwide and Truck series it would remain at 18.  

   I can understand where they’re coming from but to be honest I’m not sure how I stand on this issue. If 18 is to young to drive in NASCAR’s top series, when, exactly, does a driver become to old to drive in the series?  

  Allow me to offer a suggestion to NASCAR, one I’m sure that they have already considered. 

  If NASCAR decides to up the age of eligibility from 18 to 21 they should do it before the start of the 2008 season and if a driver turns 18 during the course of this season then that driver should be grand fathered in. Have the new age requirement take effect for the 2009 season. This gives owners, drivers and sponsors the time to make the necessary adjustments to plans, which they may already have set in motion.

******

  While we await word on the status of Wall Township Speedway I’ve been told there will be racing at Waterford Speed Bowl this season. Sources tell me the track owner Terry Eames is in negotiations with Jerry Robinson and his backers to buy the track. The price is said to be in the $3,000,000 dollar range. Robinson leased the track from Eames over the last two years.

  If the deal goes through it could mark a new era for the venerable old track. If the deal doesn’t happen there will still be racing this season under the lease agreement between Eames and Robinson.

Deane Mercier worked in radio for 35 years as a DJ and talk show host. He is currently the Host Broadcaster for Stafford Motor Speedway, a Motorsports correspondent for the Hour Newspaper (CT), as well as Editor In Chief for Long Island Motorsports News.  Deane may be contacted at DeaneMercier@aol.com.

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