Billy Bignotti 1956-2005

To think about the world of motorsports, on my mind is the one man that help e very much as a kid. I want to talk about Billy Bignotti the son of George Bignotti. Now the public knows about George Bignotti(the famous Indy Crew Chief that has won so many Indy car races). The process of thought in my first meeting with Billy. I was at Northwest High School as a senior in the early spring. I just left my fathers in Wisconsin and came back to Indiana to finish high school with my best friends (The West-siders, Kenny, Rick, and all the Space Pioneers). I was jogging down 34th street and heading to the Short Stop Convenience store to get a snack. Well out of John Henry's Pub come out a guy that almost knocked me over and I bounced into a car. This guy was Billy Bignotti, that almost knocked me over. Billy said, "Hey man, you ok?" That started a crazy ride in my life in motorsports. Now Johnny Parsons, Jr was a great neighbor of mine and always kept me informed about racing ( I went with Jp to see his win in the Hut 100 in the late 70's. I always had Norm Hall as well to keep me updated. Billy was on the inside, a mechanic for his Dad's team Cotter-Bignotti(The Texaco car). Now I knew that across the street is a girl that I liked, and did not want her to see me that I almost had fallen. Billy took me many time to the Indy 500, I cleaned engine parts for Billy, here and there. The 1983 Indy 500 was a time for Billy Bignotti to shine. Now Billy and I did not know at the time that his team would win Indy that year. At that time in my life I was real sad because my grandmother was sick and I just could not understand her at all when she tried to talk to me. My grandmother passed away later that summer. Billy Bignotti introduced me to so many people in racing that Month of May 1983. I watched the car roll into victory lane and how excited that team was. Tom Sneva was now a winner of the Indianapolis 500, and George and Billy Bignotti was a big part of the win. Billy Bignotti has done well in motorsports over the years, and had a bad spout with life challenges, and that took his life in 2005. I have had many talks with George Bignotti over the years, George is a great man that has won so many races over his race planning over the years, but that day in 1983 Billy Bignotti was apart of a major winning team. I will never forget how much Billy at times help me with this sport of racing. I was a hospitality person for that team and Texaco for that year in 1983 and was 18 years old. Now the fact is that Tom Sneva did get his win at Indy from George Bignotti, and not Penske. Yes, Billy and I was so happy about that, and I think I bragged about that more than anyone. Billy almost won again in 1987 but the car stalled in the pits, and Big Al Unser won his fourth Indy 500. Billy Bignotti went on to help so many teams at the greatest race track in the world called the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, but only had one win with his Pappa on the books. I sat down with George Bignotti in a Mobil Motor Oil Suite at Indy in 2007 and did not know Billy had passed way in 2005. George told me the sad news and as I sat there look at the main straight-away and conversing of old time with George and about his son. Billy I will keep praying for you and your family every-time I step onto a track. Things in life we can't explain, how such a talent can be taken away from us. Most of us know what took Billy Bignotti's life, and I am saving the grace of that family name to not talk about the why, but the joy of Billy's life for this 100 years at Indy.

Jim Gandolf

This one is for Howie Lettow !

JEGS/CRA All-Stars Tour Rookie of the Year Award to Honor Howie Lettow


Salem, IN (March 29, 2011) – CRA officials have announced that Howe Racing will sponsor the Howe Racing Rookie Award Program with the JEGS/CRA All-Stars Tour Presented by GM Performance Parts for the quickly upcoming 2011 season and that the 2011 series Rookie of the Year Award will honor legendary crew chief Howie Lettow who passed away last year after a valiant battle with cancer.


The Howie Lettow Rookie of the Year Award Presented by Howe Racing will be awarded to the highest finishing registered rookie in the final 2011 Howe Racing Rookie Award Program points with the JEGS/CRA All-Stars Tour Presented by GM Performance Parts.


"We are honored to have the Rookie of the Year Award named for Howie," remarked his wife Cheryl. "It’s a great way for him to be remembered."


Howie Lettow was a respected and successful crew chief in the old ASA National Tour and with the now defunct ASA Late Model Series. Few individuals had the credentials of Lettow and his outstanding ability to mold and work with some of the finest short track stock car drivers in the country, especially his ability to work with rookie drivers. He worked primarily in the old ASA National Tour with the potent teams of Baker Enterprises, All-Star Racing, Herzog Motorsports and WalTom Racing as a crew chief and team manager.


The first of the impressive list of drivers Lettow guided to ASA Rookie of the Year honors was his good friend and fellow Watertown, Wisconsin resident Pat Schauer. Schauer was tragically killed in a racing accident at Winchester Speedway in Indiana in 1981, his rookie season in ASA. The top rookie award was given to Schauer posthumously that season, and from that year forward, the award was named in Schauer’s honor for that series.


Drivers who worked with Lettow and earned Rookie of the Year Titles in ASA included NASCAR Superstar Jimmy Johnson, Ken Lund, Ted Musgrave, Scott Hansen, Steve Holzhausen, Steve Carlson, Ricky Johnson and David Stremme. Other drivers who benefitted from having Lettow call the shots for them in ASA included Bobby Dotter, Mark Dismore, Jr. and Toby Porter.


Lettow won the 1996 ASA National Tour Championship as the crew chief for Tony Raines.

He also guided WalTom Racing in the ASA Late Model Series, winning the Challenge Division championship in 2005 with driver Stephen Leicht and in 2006 with Kelly Bires. TD Racing Development purchased the team, and with Lettow calling the shots from the same shop, won the 2007 championship with Travis Dassow.


Lettow will long be remembered for his quiet, studious approach to every aspect of what he did. Nothing too trick, nothing too elaborate, but always well-prepared and fast. Lettow was universally respected and revered by his competitors. He turned down several offers to move to Charlotte and work in NASCAR, to stay in Wisconsin, to enjoy fishing and time with his family when not racing.


"I am grateful that Howie’s family has allowed us to have his name on this award to remind us all of this exceptional man," stated Chas Howe of Howe Racing. "Howie represented the finest character that racing has ever had to offer. I cannot think of anyone that could better symbolize what a young driver should strive to be. He was the best at his trade while remaining humble and genuine. Howie had a quiet confidence that let him listen to everyone and think for himself."


The Howie Lettow Rookie of the Year Award Presented by Howe Racing winner will receive their choice of a bare Howe Late Model Chassis or a $1000 cash bonus from Howe Racing. The rookie of the year will also receive a jacket from Howe Racing. Howe Racing will award the second place finisher in rookie points with a $100 Product Certificate and the third place finisher with a $50 Product Certificate.


The Howe Racing Rookie Award Program will also include the Howe Racing Rookie of the Race Award, which will consist of a $100 cash bonus awarded to the highest finishing registered rookie at each JEGS/CRA All-Stars Tour Presented by GM Performance Parts event during the 2011 season. Howe Racing will also be a Contingency Award Sponsor with the series, awarding the seventh and 12th place finishers at each event with $50 Product Certificates and the seventh and 12th place finishers in final series points will receive $100 Product Certificates.


Howe Racing Enterprises was founded in 1971 by legendary Mid-west racer Ed Howe. Located today in a 45,000 square foot building in Beaverton, Michigan, the company is in the capable hands of his son, Howe Racing President Chas Howe. Howe Racing sells serious race products including Chassis’s, Radiators, Steering Components, Suspension Components, Cock Pit Equipment, Braking and Exhaust Components that will help racers get to victory lane. By choosing Howe Racing products, racers are equipped with products that have been race-tested, that can be bought with confidence. Howe Racing is also a distributor for other leading racing products including Five Star Racecar Bodies, Quarter Master, Aeroquip, ATL Fuel Cells, Penske Shocks, Pro Shocks, Bassett Racing Wheels, AP Racing products and Hawk Performance products. Additional information on Howe Racing is available at www.howeracing.com or contact them toll free at 888-484-3946.


Drivers interested in registering for the Howe Racing Rookie Award Program should contact Glenn Luckett at the CRA office prior to the season opening event on April 23rd at Toledo Speedway. To be considered, a driver must have very limited experience behind the wheel of a late model and cannot have won any events driving a late model. More information on the JEGS/CRA All-Stars Tour Presented by GM Performance Parts is available at www.craracing.net.

Has Private Label Won the Game?

“In the just completed shopper research on private label usage conducted by Perception Research Services (PRS), fewer shoppers reported purchasing private label products on a regular basis, compared to the last wave of research conducted in July 2010 (84 percent vs. 94 percent), but those buying private label goods are buying more of it (average number purchased up 25 percent from 4.8 to 6),” reports Consumer Goods Technology.

Paper products continues to be the leading private label category purchased, with increases evidenced across almost all categories, and the largest seen for cereal (+20 percent), cleaning products (+19 percent)

“The data suggests that while the penetration of private label usage may have peaked, a significant portion of ‘triers’ have been converted to ‘believers’ who now choose the private label alternative for more types of products.”

Indeed, national brands will have to do a lot to now tempt those customers back. And might I suggest that any changes or strategies implemented for such an outcome have nothing to do with package design or messaging? To pay more, consumers are going to need an experience, not just a product. Generic brands don’t give this at all, and right now, national brands don’t either. But this is one area where the national brand is poised to be able to make a bigger impact because of all the history and meaningfulness surrounding their products.

Think of your product and your marketing campaigns as a complete experience for the customer and you may just be able to beat private label in the ring

Donald Trump will be at Indy This year !

Trump says he's honored to have the job and says the race "has been the gold standard of motorsports for a century."

The Camaro is equipped with a 400-horsepower V-8 engine and six-speed automatic transmission.

The race starts at noon and is being televised by ABC.


Ok, people stop ! IndyCar has missed a great opportunity to have a great business man as a team owner in Indy Car ! Donald Trump would be one of the best team owners on the planet. The merchandising alone would be so grand, how could they miss this opportunity. The league would just make money off the shirts alone. You must be kidding me right ? "Your Fired" tees. So what does Trump need to know about racing? Not a dag gone thing, he could get the best advisers on the planet, I have about 200 products that would pay for this deal? Indy please get life together and understand promotions is the man name of this game. Quality teams with major power house names. Look I love this open wheel sport and get involved every year. Weather you like me or hate me, all I care about is a great race, and great teams. I love great drivers. This must not be a missed opportunity on all levels. Look we put Gene Simons in there for a rock band named Kiss? Where that messed up is that Gene did not have a team him self? Gene is a great promoter, but you have to put the man to work. Look Donald Trump has the best PR department on the planet. One of the best reality shows as well. I would love to see him fire a driver and a team manager! That would be the best race on the planet. Look Penske and Gassing need someone else to step in there. Are those the only two teams out there? No they are not, but doesn't open wheel need some bad boys like Trump ? Series sponsor Trump Plaza or Trump Holdings?
I know that the Indy Car or the IRL is probably working on this action, and I hope that is a fact. I am saying that, this is a grand moment in sports for all of us. I know Donald Trump can compete like the others, this will be the best show on earth. NASCAR would not be the place for Trump; American Le Mans maybe? But the Indy Car is very straight forward in all of this action. I know one of my partners will pay for this great adventure. Yes, I know this for a fact. I believe this is the best option for the 100 years ago race action this year. What a great race this year will be. Can you even think that one hundred years ago Carl Fisher pacing back in forth in his office wondering what the turn out would be on that first 500 mile race? Arguing with his partners that this was the best ideal for the Indianapolis Motor Speedway? One race per year, One grand of an Idea 500 miles and what teams would finish this major race? Look everyone if you love racing, you would not have racing today if it was not for the staying power of the Indianapolis 500 mile race. Look one hundred years of racing 500 miles. One powerful presence in motorsports the Indianapolis Motor Speedway will be one hundred years old on this 500 mile race this year! Donald Trump will drive the pace car this year, now that is what I am talk-en about people. The power of speed at Indy and the power in the board room with Trump ! Hello happy hour will not be the same this year people. Trump will make a great boss at this years start of this race. Good move IMS !