#it's the oldest operating speedway in the would

[angiepants]

I'm so pissed omg I should have been at Milwaukee last weekend and I should be there now but this whole "living in my car with my dog" thing is really cramping my style

[havekiddoswilltravel]

A Perfect Day at LEGOLAND Florida with Kids

LEGOLAND® Florida trip report: making the most out of your time at the park.

Disclosure: we were hosted by LEGOLAND® Florida.

I spent a day at LEGOLAND® Florida with 3 of my kids ages (10, 7 and 6) during a recent Disney free trip to the Orlando area. We have traveled to Orlando and all of the Disney parks over fifteen times, as my parents live in the area. This trip was all about enjoying resort amenities and thus I was looking for something new to do with the kids. If your kids are Lego and/or Star Wars fans, you will have a blast. Managing expectations is very important when visiting this park. They are not Disney, nor do they attempt to be. This is actually what our family loved most about our trip to LEGOLAND® Florida . We've been to Disney World and Disney Land and have done that more times than we can count. We didn’t want to experience a copy of Disney, but with Lego instead of Disney characters.

We’re huge Lego fans and were looking to experience LEGOLAND® Florida. Having said that: do your research and plan accordingly, in order to make the most out of your time at this park. Spend time looking at the family guide and determining height requirements for each ride. This will save you from dealing with meltdowns at the park.

Location:

LEGOLAND® Florida is NOT located in Orlando. It’s actually just 45 minutes from the Orlando theme parks or downtown Tampa.

Address: One LEGOLAND Way Winter Haven, FL 33884 

Trip Report:

We left our hotel in Orlando early on a Monday in February and arrived before opening time. Tip: Get there early and secure a close parking spot. If you have someone with mobility needs, pay for preferred covered parking. It will be worth it. Study the map online prior to your visit. I found the paper map to be a bit difficult to follow while in the hot Florida sun, so I was glad that we had spent time online looking at the layout of the park and planning our day.

 Our kids loved the Ninjago ride (much better technology, graphics and execution than the Toy Story at Disney and with no wait time), my 10-year-old loved The Dragon and the lack of wait times at any of the rides. I loved the return on investment and the ability to see and ride everything in one day, stroller parking that is not a nightmare and the MINILAND, USA rocked. The food was actually affordable compared to Disney and they have coffee available throughout the park. They get that parents are their target audience and the park catered to families. We stopped by the LEGOLAND® Florida Hotel just to check it out for a future visit. It looks like a great place for families with young children and any Lego enthusiast. It’s perfectly themed with Legos everywhere and a nice change from the other Orlando amusement parks.

 LEGOLAND® Florida is comprised of 150 – acres offering a variety of themed lands that will be familiar to Lego fans. The park is geared toward children ages 2 – 12, but I can see my Lego loving teenager being impressed by the offerings. As kids who spend hours of their days building with bricks, they were extremely impressed with the time and energy that it would take to put together the creations throughout the park. Our kids absolutely loved their time at LEGOLAND® Florida . They are already asking for us to return and stay at the hotel, but to bring their dad and older sister next time. They are also eagerly anticipating the opening of LEGOLAND New York, which will be opening near us in the 2020. Is LEGOLAND® Florida a worthwhile endeavor while visiting the Orlando area? You must know your kid’s interest prior to making that call. For our bricks loving family, Legoland was a perfect way to spend a sunny Orlando day.

Feedback: our favorite LEGOLAND® Florida Park areas.

Miniland USA

-          This themed area is comprised of miniature versions of destinations that our family has actually traveled to (ex. Daytona International Speedway, Las Vegas, San Francisco, New York City and Washington, DC) and I was very impressed. Our kids are also huge Star Wars fans and thus, we visited this “land” twice during our recent one-day trip.

Ninjago Land

-          My two oldest kids are 2nd degree black belts, I’m a first degree black and the younger two are diligently working toward their black belts. We love all things Asian culture and martial arts and thus, Ninjago Land was our favorite. The Lego Ninjago ride is a 4D ride with a similar concept at Disney’s Toy Story, but with much better execution. We loved it.

The Dragon

-          LEGOLAND® Florida is not known as a thrill ride destination, yet my 10-year-old was ecstatic to be able to ride a roller-coaster with virtually no line, nor a need for fast passes. Riders must be 40 inches tall to ride and some kids must ride with an adult.

MInifigure Trading

-  Guests can purchase or bring LEGO® Minifigures to trade with LEGOLAND® employees throughout the park. Most employees wear at least one Minifigure on their brick badge (name tag) and are happy to trade.

Pin for later:

Pro tips:

-          As aforementioned, I highly recommend that you arrive early. Not only will you score better parking, enjoy the opening of the park ceremony and make the most out of your day, but you’ll get through most of the park before the Florida sun wears you out.

-          Check park hours prior to your visit, as they vary based on the time of year. Also, the water park was not open when we visited in February. So, if that is important to you, make sure to check their operating schedule prior to buying tickets.

-          Check Groupon for discount offers.

-          If you’re a homeschooler, check out their website for information on homeschool rates and dates.  Click here for more details regarding securing homeschool rates prior to your visit. Homeschool  rates are not given at the gate.

-          Spend time online researching the park, reviewing the map and planning your day. I also recommend exploring the park counter clockwise starting at the carousel. Shhh, don’t tell other people this secret. Most folks will explore a park clockwise and thus by going in the opposite direction, we found that most rides had no lines.

-          LEGOLAND® Florida offers affordable food options, but I paked a backpack with snacks and put filtered refillable water bottles in the stroller (make sure to use filtered water bottles, because Florida water tastes awful). Eating on the go allowed us to maximize our time at the park and enjoy all of the rides in one day.

Lodging:

-          Just like Disney and Universal, LEGOLAND® Florida offers the option of staying onsite or nearby. We stayed at an offsite Orlando Resort for this trip, but am already planning a return trip to stay onsite. Lodging options include: The Legoland Resort which is located adjacent to the park and Legoland Beach Retreat which is a few blocks away and can be seen from the main road. In addition to restaurants, pools and perfectly themed Lego rooms, guests also get early access to the park. Be on the lookout for the LEGOLAND® PIRATE ISLAND HOTEL which is scheduled to open in the Spring of 2020.

Military Rates:  U.S. Service Members receive FREE admission to LEGOLAND® Florida Resort & Water Park, no restrictions or blackout dates. This offer is not available online. To redeem this offer, please bring a valid military ID to any LEGOLAND Florida Resort ticket window.

Check out my VLOG from our adventures at LEGOLAND® Florida for more pictures of our day. 

Author: Ruth Mendes of Have Kiddos will Travel

About Ruth: I’m a wife and mami of 4 active and globe-trotting kiddos. I’ve always loved a good adventure and truly believe that it’s possible to travel with kids. Join me, as I share our adventures and inspire you to get out of the house with your kiddos. Whether you’re planning a family vacation, a road trip or a trip of a lifetime to an exotic destination, I’ll share insights, trip reports and information that will inspire you. Check back often to stay up to date on things to do with kids at your next travel destination.

[brookstonalmanac]

Events 9.11

9 – Battle of the Teutoburg Forest ends, where the Roman Empire suffers the greatest defeat of its history and the Rhine being established as the border between the Empire and the so-called barbarians for the next four hundred years. 1185 – Isaac II Angelos kills Stephen Hagiochristophorites and then appeals to the people, resulting in the revolt that deposes Andronikos I Komnenos and places Isaac on the throne of the Byzantine Empire. 1226 – The first recorded instance of the Catholic practice of perpetual Eucharistic adoration formally begins in Avignon, France. 1297 – Battle of Stirling Bridge: Scots jointly led by William Wallace and Andrew Moray defeat the English. 1390 – Lithuanian Civil War (1389–92): The Teutonic Knights begin a five-week siege of Vilnius. 1541 – Santiago, Chile, is besieged by indigenous warriors, led by Michimalonco, to free eight indigenous chiefs held captive by the Spaniards. However, the Spaniards decapitated them and rolled their heads on the main square, horrifying the indigenous warriors, and subsequently ending the attack. 1565 – Ottoman forces retreat from Malta ending the Great Siege of Malta. 1609 – Henry Hudson discovers Manhattan Island and the indigenous people living there. 1649 – Siege of Drogheda ends: Oliver Cromwell's Parliamentarian troops take the town and execute its garrison. 1683 – Battle of Vienna: Coalition forces, including the famous winged Hussars, led by Polish King John III Sobieski lift the siege laid by Ottoman forces. 1697 – Battle of Zenta: a major engagement in the Great Turkish War (1683–1699) and one of the most decisive defeats in Ottoman history. 1708 – Charles XII of Sweden stops his march to conquer Moscow outside Smolensk, marking the turning point in the Great Northern War. The army is defeated nine months later in the Battle of Poltava, and the Swedish Empire ceases to be a major power. 1709 – Battle of Malplaquet: Great Britain, Netherlands and Austria fight against France. 1714 – Siege of Barcelona: Barcelona, capital city of Catalonia, surrenders to Spanish and French Bourbon armies in the War of the Spanish Succession. 1758 – Battle of Saint Cast: France repels British invasion during the Seven Years' War. 1775 – Benedict Arnold's expedition to Quebec leaves Cambridge, Massachusetts. 1776 – British–American peace conference on Staten Island fails to stop nascent American Revolutionary War. 1777 – American Revolutionary War: Battle of Brandywine: The British celebrate a major victory in Chester County, Pennsylvania. 1780 – American Revolutionary War: Sugarloaf Massacre: A small detachment of militia from Northampton County are attacked by Native Americans and Loyalists near Little Nescopeck Creek. 1786 – The beginning of the Annapolis Convention. 1789 – Alexander Hamilton is appointed the first United States Secretary of the Treasury. 1792 – The Hope Diamond is stolen along with other French crown jewels when six men break into the house where they are stored. 1800 – The Maltese National Congress Battalions are disbanded by British Civil Commissioner Alexander Ball. 1802 – France annexes the Kingdom of Piedmont. 1803 – Battle of Delhi, during the Second Anglo-Maratha War, between British troops under General Lake, and Marathas of Scindia's army under General Louis Bourquin. 1813 – War of 1812: British troops arrive in Mount Vernon and prepare to march to and invade Washington, D.C.. 1814 – War of 1812: The climax of the Battle of Plattsburgh, a major United States victory in the war. 1826 – Captain William Morgan, an ex-freemason is arrested in Batavia, New York for debt after declaring that he would publish The Mysteries of Free Masonry, a book against Freemasonry. This sets into motion the events that lead to his mysterious disappearance. 1829 – Surrender of the expedition led by Isidro Barradas at Tampico, sent by the Spanish crown to retake Mexico. This was the consummation of Mexico's campaign for independence. 1830 – Anti-Masonic Party convention; one of the first American political party conventions. 1836 – The Riograndense Republic is proclaimed by rebels after defeating Empire of Brazil's troops in the Battle of Seival, during the Ragamuffin War. 1851 – Christiana Resistance: Escaped slaves led by William Parker fight off and kill a slave owner who, with a federal marshal and an armed party, sought to seize three of his former slaves in Christiana, Pennsylvania, thereby creating a cause célèbre between slavery proponents and abolitionists. 1852 – Outbreak of Revolution of September 11 resulting in the State of Buenos Aires declaring independence as a Republic. 1857 – The Mountain Meadows massacre: Mormon settlers and Paiutes massacre 120 pioneers at Mountain Meadows, Utah. 1897 – After months of pursuit, generals of Menelik II of Ethiopia capture Gaki Sherocho, the last king of Kaffa, bringing an end to that ancient kingdom. 1903 – The first race at the Milwaukee Mile in West Allis, Wisconsin is held. It is the oldest major speedway in the world. 1905 – The Ninth Avenue derailment occurs in New York City, killing 13. 1914 – World War I: Australia invades German New Guinea, defeating a German contingent at the Battle of Bita Paka. 1916 – The Quebec Bridge's central span collapses, killing 11 men. The bridge previously collapsed completely on August 29, 1907. 1919 – United States Marine Corps invades Honduras. 1921 – Nahalal, the first moshav in Palestine, is settled as part of a Zionist plan of creating a Jewish state, later to be Israel. 1922 – The Treaty of Kars is ratified in Yerevan, Armenia. 1941 – Charles Lindbergh's Des Moines Speech accusing the British, Jews and FDR's administration of pressing for war with Germany. 1943 – World War II: German troops occupy Corsica and Kosovo-Metohija ending the Italian occupation of Corsica. 1944 – World War II: The Western Allied invasion of Germany begins near the city of Aachen. 1944 – World War II: RAF bombing raid on Darmstadt and the following firestorm kill 11,500. 1945 – World War II: Australian 9th Division forces liberate the Japanese-run Batu Lintang camp, a POW and civilian internment camp on the island of Borneo. 1950 – Korean War: President Harry S. Truman approved military operations north of the 38th parallel. 1954 – Hurricane Edna hits New England as a Category 2 hurricane, causing significant damage and 29 deaths. 1961 – Hurricane Carla strikes the Texas coast as a Category 4 hurricane, the second strongest storm ever to hit the state. 1965 – Indo-Pakistani War: The Indian Army captures the town of Burki, just southeast of Lahore. 1967 – China's People's Liberation Army (PLA) launched an attack on Indian posts at Nathu La, Sikkim, India, which resulted a military clashes. 1968 – Air France Flight 1611 crashes off Nice, France, killing 89 passengers and six crew. 1970 – The Dawson's Field hijackers release 88 of their hostages. The remaining hostages, mostly Jews and Israeli citizens, are held until September 25. 1971 – The Egyptian Constitution becomes official. 1972 – The San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit system begins passenger service. 1973 – A coup in Chile headed by General Augusto Pinochet topples the democratically elected president Salvador Allende. Pinochet exercises dictatorial power until ousted in a referendum in 1988, staying in power until 1990. 1973 – JAT Airways Flight 769 crashes into the Maganik mountain range while on approach to Titograd Airport, killing 35 passengers and six crew. 1974 – Eastern Air Lines Flight 212 crashes in Charlotte, North Carolina, killing 69 passengers and two crew. 1976 – A bomb planted by a Croatian terrorist, Zvonko Bušić, is found at New York's Grand Central Terminal; one NYPD officer is killed trying to defuse it. 1980 – A new constitution of Chile is established under the influence of then Chilean dictator Augusto Pinochet, which is subject to controversy in Chile today. 1982 – The international forces that were guaranteeing the safety of Palestinian refugees following Israel's 1982 Invasion of Lebanon leave Beirut. Five days later, several thousand refugees are massacred in the Sabra and Shatila refugee camps by Phalange forces. 1989 – Hungary announces that the East German refugees who had been housed in temporary camps were free to leave for West Germany. 1991 – Continental Express Flight 2574 crashes in Colorado County, Texas, near Eagle Lake, killing 11 passengers and three crew. 1992 – Hurricane Iniki, one of the most damaging hurricanes in United States history, devastates the Hawaiian islands of Kauai and Oahu. 1997 – NASA's Mars Global Surveyor reaches Mars. 1997 – After a nationwide referendum, Scotland votes to establish a devolved parliament within the United Kingdom. 2001 – The September 11 attacks, a series of coordinated terrorist attacks killing 2,977 people using four aircraft hijacked by 19 members of al-Qaeda. Two aircraft crash into the World Trade Center in New York City, a third crashes into The Pentagon in Arlington County, Virginia, and a fourth into a field near Shanksville, Pennsylvania. 2007 – Russia tests the largest conventional weapon ever, the Father of All Bombs. 2008 – A major Channel Tunnel fire breaks out on a freight train, resulting in the closure of part of the tunnel for six months. 2011 – The National September 11 Memorial & Museum opens on the 10th anniversary of the September 11 attacks. 2012 – A total of 315 people are killed in two garment factory fires in Pakistan. 2012 – The U.S. embassy in Benghazi, Libya is attacked, resulting in four deaths. 2015 – A crane collapses onto the Masjid al-Haram mosque in Saudi Arabia, killing 111 people and injuring 394 others.

[yahoo-from-the-marbles-blog]

The France family's reported interest in a sale of NASCAR is another concerning sign

Maybe you believe drivers like Chase Elliott and Ryan Blaney will have the starpower to fill the void left behind by the retirements of Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Jeff Gordon.

Maybe you believe the attendance and television ratings declines NASCAR has seen in the past 10 years will stop soon and the sport is headed for a quick rebound.

Maybe you believe teams with legendary owners like Roush Fenway Racing and Richard Childress Racing will soon field more than two cars on a regular basis and their trimmed down organizations are temporarily streamlined for immediate success rather than hamstrung by economic factors.

Maybe you believe reports that the France family, the only owner NASCAR has ever had, is exploring a sale of at least part of the sport isn’t a sign the sport is looking for a kickstart at best or is flailing at worst.

If you believe one or two of those things, you’re an optimist who has a chance of being right. If you believe all of those things, you’re buying a Powerball ticket and hoping you win a nine-figure jackpot.

Your odds are terrible.

There’s no reason to doubt the France family is dedicated to the long-term growth of NASCAR, as it reportedly said in an internal memo obtained by the Associated Press on Tuesday. Being committed to the long-term growth of something and looking for a buyer aren’t mutually exclusive. Heck, the France family could be so committed to the long-term growth of NASCAR that the only way it feels the sport will thrive in the years to come will be if it has new owners, even in a partial capacity.

If that’s true, it could be an even bigger indicator that NASCAR’s mostly self-induced problems aren’t able to be solved by those currently in charge.

And boy, are there a lot of issues. Racing costs have skyrocketed as stock car racing has become a sport dominated by engineers. Car sponsorship used to cover racing costs but NASCAR’s declining and aging audience and companies’ move away from a traditional advertising model with the proliferation of the internet has made an owner’s business-to-business connections more imperative than ever.

If Shell didn’t have a deal with Roger Penske’s car dealerships and truck rental services, there’s a good chance it wouldn’t sponsor Joey Logano’s No. 22 car. Same with Axalta and Rick Hendrick. But for every Penske and Hendrick there are 10 other owners without a business empire who don’t have those connections now vital to finding a company willing to pour millions of dollars into racing.

Furniture Row Racing — who won the championship in 2017 with Martin Truex Jr. — decided a second car wasn’t worth the effort after just one season and went back to being a single-car operation in 2018. Roush had five cars make NASCAR’s playoffs in 2005. It now fields two cars. Richard Petty Motorsports went from being a two-car organization just two years ago to selling its shop and being a one-car team that now operates out of the RCR headquarters.

Teams like Red Bull Racing and Michael Waltrip Racing, original members of Toyota’s initial foray into NASCAR, no longer exist at all. While the demise of MWR following a race manipulation scandal in 2013 led to the charter system that exists in the Cup Series today, that charter system isn’t exactly working like it’s supposed to.

The financial realities are even bleaker in NASCAR’s lower series. Purse money in the Truck and Xfinity Series can hardly be enough for a team to pay for tires on a race weekend. Teams take drivers who bring sponsorship cash — many times from their own families — over drivers who may be more talented simply to balance the books. No other sport has become so proportionally reliant on participants having family money.

Like many other attempted fixes like testing bans and tire limits in an effort to save teams money, the charter system came too late. It’s hard not to wonder if the France family’s reported search for a buyer is too late as well.

In an ideal world, a Cup charter would be a valuable asset and worth many millions for a team willing to sell its spot in the Cup Series field. But there aren’t new owners clamoring to get into the sport; demand is not matching supply. The Daytona 500 – the richest NASCAR race of the year — had 40 entries for 40 spots. Ten years ago, 53 cars tried to make it into the 43-car Daytona 500 field.

NASCAR has the oldest audience of any major sport. And its status as a major sport is slipping. Those attendance and ratings declines over the past 10 years are 50 percent and not 15. Monster is paying the sport a reported $20 million a year for title sponsorship of the Cup Series vs. Sprint’s $75 million years before.

The sport’s schedule is stagnant and in dire need of a shakeup that could be next-to-impossible. Many of NASCAR’s races are run at tracks that are publicly owned.

While it’s unclear whether or not the France family’s stake in International Speedway Corporation or the Smith family’s stake in Speedway Motorsports Incorporated would be included in any potential deal, their status makes a potential purchase or investment all the more complicated. And remember, influential shareholders of a public company rarely are the ones who get the short end of the stick in a business deal.

There’s no precedent for a sale of something like NASCAR. No other sports leagues are privately owned or have been run by a family dictatorship. Any potential buyer into NASCAR has to have the capital and the wherewithal to take on multiple projects at once.

If NASCAR was a house, it would be a high-sticker-price mansion with a glamorous exterior and many interior and foundational problems that need to be immediately addressed to avoid being condemned. It’s a complex project that few can undertake. But one that everyone should recognize.

The France family is the only owner NASCAR has ever had. (Getty)

– – – – – – –

Nick Bromberg is a writer for Yahoo Sports.

Follow @NickBromberg on Twitter

More from Yahoo Sports: • Kurt Warner’s stunning admission about NFL return • Report: Manziel suffers scary moment due to med change • Report: Unhappy with role, Cavs player refused to play • Hall of Famer has unusual, grim post-MLB career

[junker-town]

NASCAR mailbag: Why a midsize team should sign Matt Kenseth

Questions on whether Richard Petty Motorsports or Front Row Motorsports should sign Matt Kenseth, Kyle Busch being on the playoff bubble, and the distance of the first-ever playoff road course race at Charlotte.

Each week SB Nation's NASCAR reporter Jordan Bianchi answers your questions about the latest news and happenings within the sport. If you have a future mailbag question, email jordanmbianchi@gmail.com.

I don’t get why a team like Richard Petty Motorsports or Front Row Motorsports would go out and sign a driver like Matt Kenseth to help itself? Yeah, I know it would be expensive but it seems that Matt would more than be worth the additional cost and maybe even help these teams grow into something bigger.

--Ted

Just for what he can do on the track alone, a middle class team signing Kenseth would be a boon. Despite being the oldest fulltime driver, the 45-year-old remains competitive and that he doesn’t tear up an inordinate amount of equipment -- often one of the biggest expenditures hampering a financially strapped team -- cannot be overstated.

But the intangibles Kenseth provides beyond on the track is also significant. There are many within Joe Gibbs Racing who credit Kenseth’s ability, knowledge and leadership in helping JGR arguably surpass Hendrick Motorsports as NASCAR’s preeminent organization. One popular story many within JGR have shared is how Kenseth, after beginning with the team in 2013, didn’t hesitate to callout a teammate who had showed up late to one of his first weekly competition meetings. It set a tone for what was expected, which carried over elsewhere.

Unfortunately, a driver of Kenseth’s stature also requires to be paid what he’s worth. Thusly, RPM nor FRM are not in a position to sign him, as neither has the sponsorship in place to cover the cost without crippling its day-to-day operations.

To fully maximize the possibilities that exist with Kenseth as your driver requires an owner to spend even if the sponsorship isn’t available. Similar to how Furniture Row Racing’s Barney Visser was willing to sign Kurt Busch in 2013 despite lacking a primary sponsor, because Visser believed what Busch could do for the single-car team would make it more viable over the long-term.

Visser’s approach proved correct. In his single season with the team, Busch elevated FRR into the playoffs for the first time, setting the table for Martin Truex Jr.’s championship run. There is little to think Kenseth couldn’t do the same if the opportunity presented itself.

What does it say about NASCAR’s new format that Kyle Busch may be eliminated in the second round? I thought the new format was supposed to prevent drivers who were great during the regular season from being eliminated from the playoffs so early?

--Mick

Allowing drivers to carryover points into the postseason was designed to reward those who won and exhibited high level consistency during the regular season. Never was stage racing and the increased points available to amass conceived to fully safeguard and prevent a top seed from being knocked early.

In Busch’s case, he basically had mulligan where he could avoid to have a single bad race within an early round and still be reasonably positioned to advance were he to finish well in the other two races. But Busch has had consecutive bad races, finishing 29th at Charlotte Motor Speedway and 27th at Talladega Superspeedway to fall nine points below the cut line and endanger of being eliminated following Sunday’s Hollywood Casino 400 at Kansas Speedway.

The system is working exactly as devised. Where regular season excellence brings some protection, but also doesn’t allow a team to completely fall apart in the playoffs and still transfer despite subpar performance.

Ultimately, if Busch fails to advance he will only have himself to blame. He had a mistake-filled afternoon at Charlotte where he hit the wall three times, then followed by crashing-out at Talladega in a race he needed to see the checkered flag. Throw points away like that, you’re going to find yourself in scramble mode to avoid the playoff guillotine.

The good news, nine points is not an insurmountable deficit and can overcome by finishing well in the first and second stages and in the race overall. And considering Busch has five consecutive finishes of fifth or better at Kansas, the odds favor him finding a way to transfer into the semi-finals on Sunday.

I saw your tweet about the length of the Charlotte road course race next season and how it may go three-plus hours. Do you really think this will happen and doesn’t this goes against the idea about shortening races, which most everyone thinks should happen.

--Dan

For those who hadn’t seen it, CMS announced Wednesday morning its playoff race on the oval-road course hybrid next year will consist of 130 laps spanning 314 miles (500 kilometers). If this seems like an excessive distance for a NASCAR road course race, it’s because it absolutely is.

Whoa. That should be a grueling 4.5-6 hour race. Better bring my “A” game. https://t.co/h56b2RNV3p

— Brad Keselowski (@keselowski) October 18, 2017

Cup Series road course races at Sonoma Raceway and Watkins Glen International are 219 and 220 miles, respectively, and both on average take under three hours to complete. Based on factors such as cautions, stages, tire falloff that lowers speeds over green-flag runs, the first-ever road course playoff race will be well over three hours -- and could even push four hours. An unacceptable duration amidst a time when many races need to shortened, something NASCAR’s television partners have pushed to happen.

But although CMS declared the race as 314 miles, this is unlikely to be the actual length when the green flag waves next fall. Charlotte officials revealed the distance without NASCAR approval and before consulting with NBC Sports, which is broadcasting the Bank of America 500, sources confirmed to SB Nation.

NASCAR statement doesn't confirm the Charlotte playoff race on the roval next year will be 500 kilometers, as the track announced today. http://pic.twitter.com/CFDX1rZHlS

— Jordan Bianchi (@Jordan_Bianchi) October 18, 2017

Not surprisingly, upon the completion of a tire test on the roval circuit Wednesday afternoon, NASCAR released a statement that passively aggressively refuted what track announced. Further suggesting the eventual length will be shorter and not the marathon race as originally stated.

[brookstonalmanac]

Events 9.11

9 – Battle of the Teutoburg Forest ends, where the Roman Empire suffers the greatest defeat of its history and the Rhine being established as the border between the Empire and the so-called barbarians for the next four hundred years. 1185 – Isaac II Angelos kills Stephen Hagiochristophorites and then appeals to the people, resulting in the revolt that deposes Andronikos I Komnenos and places Isaac on the throne of the Byzantine Empire. 1226 – The first recorded instance of the Catholic practice of perpetual Eucharistic adoration formally begins in Avignon, France. 1297 – Battle of Stirling Bridge: Scots jointly led by William Wallace and Andrew Moray defeat the English. 1390 – Lithuanian Civil War (1389–92): The Teutonic Knights begin a five-week siege of Vilnius. 1541 – Santiago, Chile, is destroyed by indigenous warriors, led by Michimalonco. 1565 – Ottoman forces retreat from Malta ending the Great Siege of Malta. 1609 – Henry Hudson discovers Manhattan Island and the indigenous people living there. 1649 – Siege of Drogheda ends: Oliver Cromwell's English Parliamentarian troops take the town and execute its garrison. 1683 – Battle of Vienna: Coalition forces, including the famous winged Hussars, led by Polish King John III Sobieski lift the siege laid by Ottoman forces. 1697 – Battle of Zenta: a major engagement in the Great Turkish War (1683–1699) and one of the most decisive defeats in Ottoman history. 1708 – Charles XII of Sweden stops his march to conquer Moscow outside Smolensk, marking the turning point in the Great Northern War. The army is defeated nine months later in the Battle of Poltava, and the Swedish Empire ceases to be a major power. 1709 – Battle of Malplaquet: Great Britain, Netherlands and Austria fight against France. 1714 – Siege of Barcelona: Barcelona, capital city of Catalonia, surrenders to Spanish and French Bourbon armies in the War of the Spanish Succession. 1758 – Battle of Saint Cast: France repels British invasion during the Seven Years' War. 1775 – Benedict Arnold's expedition to Quebec leaves Cambridge, Massachusetts. 1776 – British–American peace conference on Staten Island fails to stop nascent American Revolutionary War. 1777 – American Revolutionary War: Battle of Brandywine: The British celebrate a major victory in Chester County, Pennsylvania. 1780 – American Revolutionary War: Sugarloaf Massacre: A small detachment of militia from Northampton County are attacked by Native Americans and Loyalists near Little Nescopeck Creek. 1786 – The beginning of the Annapolis Convention. 1789 – Alexander Hamilton is appointed the first United States Secretary of the Treasury. 1792 – The Hope Diamond is stolen along with other French crown jewels when six men break into the house where they are stored. 1800 – The Maltese National Congress Battalions are disbanded by British Civil Commissioner Alexander Ball. 1802 – France annexes the Kingdom of Piedmont. 1803 – Battle of Delhi, during the Second Anglo-Maratha War, between British troops under General Lake, and Marathas of Scindia's army under General Louis Bourquin. 1813 – War of 1812: British troops arrive in Mount Vernon and prepare to march to and invade Washington, D.C.. 1814 – War of 1812: The climax of the Battle of Plattsburgh, a major United States victory in the war. 1826 – Captain William Morgan, an ex-freemason is arrested in Batavia, New York for debt after declaring that he would publish The Mysteries of Free Masonry, a book against Freemasonry. This sets into motion the events that lead to his mysterious disappearance. 1829 – Surrender of the expedition led by Isidro Barradas at Tampico, sent by the Spanish crown to retake Mexico. This was the consummation of Mexico's campaign for independence. 1830 – Anti-Masonic Party convention; one of the first American political party conventions. 1836 – The Riograndense Republic is proclaimed by rebels after defeating Empire of Brazil's troops in the Battle of Seival, during the Ragamuffin War. 1851 – Christiana Resistance: Escaped slaves stand against their former owner in armed resistance in Christiana, Pennsylvania, creating a rallying cry for the abolitionist movement. 1852 – Outbreak of Revolution of September 11 resulting in the State of Buenos Aires declaring independence as a Republic. 1857 – The Mountain Meadows massacre: Mormon settlers and Paiutes massacre 120 pioneers at Mountain Meadows, Utah. 1893 – Swami Vivekananda's address at the First Parliament of the World's Religions. 1897 – After months of pursuit, generals of Menelik II of Ethiopia capture Gaki Sherocho, the last king of Kaffa, bringing an end to that ancient kingdom. 1903 – The first race at the Milwaukee Mile in West Allis, Wisconsin is held. It is the oldest major speedway in the world. 1905 – The Ninth Avenue derailment occurs in New York City, killing 13. 1914 – World War I: Australia invades German New Guinea, defeating a German contingent at the Battle of Bita Paka. 1916 – The Quebec Bridge's central span collapses, killing 11 men. The bridge previously collapsed completely on August 29, 1907. 1919 – United States Marine Corps invades Honduras. 1921 – Nahalal, the first moshav in Palestine, is settled as part of a Zionist plan of creating a Jewish state, later to be Israel. 1922 – The Treaty of Kars is ratified in Yerevan, Armenia. 1922 – The Sun News-Pictorial is founded in Melbourne, Australia. 1927 – Crimean earthquakes. 1941 – Charles Lindbergh's Des Moines Speech accusing the British, Jews and FDR's administration of pressing for war with Germany. 1941 – Ground breaking commences for The Pentagon, the future home of the United States Department of Defense, sixty years to the day before it was attacked on September 11, 2001. 1943 – World War II: German troops occupy Corsica and Kosovo-Metohija ending the Italian occupation of Corsica. 1944 – World War II: The Western Allied invasion of Germany begins near the city of Aachen. 1944 – World War II: RAF bombing raid on Darmstadt and the following firestorm kill 11,500. 1945 – World War II: Australian 9th Division forces liberate the Japanese-run Batu Lintang camp, a POW and civilian internment camp on the island of Borneo. 1950 – Korean War: President Harry S. Truman approved military operations north of the 38th parallel. 1954 – Hurricane Edna hits New England as a Category 2 hurricane, causing significant damage and 29 deaths. 1961 – Hurricane Carla strikes the Texas coast as a Category 4 hurricane, the second strongest storm ever to hit the state. 1965 – Indo-Pakistani War: The Indian Army captures the town of Burki, just southeast of Lahore. 1968 – Air France Flight 1611 crashes off Nice, France, killing 89 passengers and six crew. 1970 – The Dawson's Field hijackers release 88 of their hostages. The remaining hostages, mostly Jews and Israeli citizens, are held until September 25. 1971 – The Egyptian Constitution becomes official. 1972 – The San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit system begins passenger service. 1973 – A coup in Chile headed by General Augusto Pinochet topples the democratically elected president Salvador Allende. Pinochet exercises dictatorial power until ousted in a referendum in 1988, staying in power until 1990. 1973 – JAT Airways Flight 769 crashes into the Maganik mountain range while on approach to Titograd Airport, killing 35 passengers and six crew. 1974 – Eastern Air Lines Flight 212 crashes in Charlotte, North Carolina, killing 69 passengers and two crew. 1976 – A bomb planted by a Croatian terrorist, Zvonko Bušić, is found at New York's Grand Central Terminal; one NYPD officer is killed trying to defuse it. 1978 – Janet Parker, a British medical photographer, became the last recorded person to die from smallpox. In light of this incident, all known stocks of smallpox were destroyed or transferred to one of two Biosafety level 4, WHO reference laboratories for smallpox. 1980 – Voters approve a new Constitution of Chile, later amended after the departure of President Pinochet. 1982 – The international forces that were guaranteeing the safety of Palestinian refugees following Israel's 1982 Invasion of Lebanon leave Beirut. Five days later, several thousand refugees are massacred in the Sabra and Shatila refugee camps by Phalange forces. 1985 – Pete Rose breaks Ty Cobb's baseball record for most career hits with his 4,192nd hit. 1989 – Hungary announces that the East German refugees who had been housed in temporary camps were free to leave for West Germany. 1991 – Continental Express Flight 2574 crashes in Colorado County, Texas, near Eagle Lake, killing 11 passengers and three crew. 1992 – Hurricane Iniki, one of the most damaging hurricanes in United States history, devastates the Hawaiian islands of Kauai and Oahu. 1995 – RMS Queen Elizabeth 2 hits a 29-metre (95 ft.) rogue wave during Hurricane Luis causing her to list 55 degrees. 1997 – NASA's Mars Global Surveyor reaches Mars. 1997 – After a nationwide referendum, Scotland votes to establish a devolved parliament within the United Kingdom. 2001 – The September 11 attacks, a series of coordinated suicide attacks killing 2,996 people using four aircraft hijacked by 19 members of al-Qaeda. Two aircraft crash into the World Trade Center in New York City, a third crashes into The Pentagon in Arlington County, Virginia, and a fourth into a field near Shanksville, Pennsylvania.[6] 2005 – Israel had completed the disengagement from Gaza plan. 2007 – Russia tests the largest conventional weapon ever, the Father of All Bombs. 2008 – A major Channel Tunnel fire breaks out on a freight train, resulting in the closure of part of the tunnel for six months. 2011 – The National September 11 Memorial & Museum opens on the 10th anniversary of the September 11 attacks. 2012 – A total of 315 people are killed in two garment factory fires in Pakistan. 2012 – The U.S. embassy in Benghazi, Libya is attacked, resulting in four deaths. 2015 – A crane collapses onto the Masjid al-Haram mosque in Saudi Arabia, killing 111 people and injuring 394 others.

[brookstonalmanac]

Events 9.11

1185 – Isaac II Angelos kills Stephen Hagiochristophorites and then appeals to the people, resulting in the revolt that deposes Andronikos I Komnenos and places Isaac on the throne of the Byzantine Empire. 1226 – The Roman Catholic practice of public adoration of the Blessed Sacrament outside of Mass spreads from monasteries to parishes. 1297 – Battle of Stirling Bridge: Scots jointly-led by William Wallace and Andrew Moray defeat the English. 1390 – Lithuanian Civil War (1389–92): The Teutonic Knights begin a five-week siege of Vilnius. 1541 – Santiago, Chile, is destroyed by indigenous warriors, led by Michimalonco. 1565 – Ottoman forces retreat from Malta ending the Great Siege of Malta. 1609 – Henry Hudson discovers Manhattan Island and the indigenous people living there. 1649 – Siege of Drogheda ends: Oliver Cromwell's English Parliamentarian troops take the town and execute its garrison. 1697 – Battle of Zenta: a major engagement in the Great Turkish War (1683–1699) and one of the most decisive defeats in Ottoman history. 1708 – Charles XII of Sweden stops his march to conquer Moscow outside Smolensk, marking the turning point in the Great Northern War. The army is defeated nine months later in the Battle of Poltava, and the Swedish Empire ceases to be a major power. 1709 – Battle of Malplaquet: Great Britain, Netherlands and Austria fight against France. 1714 – Siege of Barcelona: Barcelona, capital city of Catalonia, surrenders to Spanish and French Bourbon armies in the War of the Spanish Succession. 1758 – Battle of Saint Cast: France repels British invasion during the Seven Years' War. 1775 – Benedict Arnold's expedition to Quebec leaves Cambridge, Massachusetts. 1776 – British–American peace conference on Staten Island fails to stop nascent American Revolutionary War. 1777 – American Revolutionary War: Battle of Brandywine: The British celebrate a major victory in Chester County, Pennsylvania. 1780 – American Revolutionary War: Sugarloaf Massacre: A small detachment of militia from Northampton County are attacked by Native Americans and Loyalists near Little Nescopeck Creek. 1786 – The beginning of the Annapolis Convention. 1789 – Alexander Hamilton is appointed the first United States Secretary of the Treasury. 1792 – The Hope Diamond is stolen along with other French crown jewels when six men break into the house where they are stored. 1800 – The Maltese National Congress Battalions are disbanded by British Civil Commissioner Alexander Ball. 1802 – France annexes the Kingdom of Piedmont. 1803 – Battle of Delhi, during the Second Anglo-Maratha War, between British troops under General Lake, and Marathas of Scindia's army under General Louis Bourquin. 1813 – War of 1812: British troops arrive in Mount Vernon and prepare to march to and invade Washington, D.C.. 1814 – War of 1812: The climax of the Battle of Plattsburgh, a major United States victory in the war. 1826 – Captain William Morgan, an ex-freemason is arrested in Batavia, New York for debt after declaring that he would publish The Mysteries of Free Masonry, a book against Freemasonry. This sets into motion the events that lead to his mysterious disappearance. 1829 – Surrender of the expedition led by Isidro Barradas at Tampico, sent by the Spanish crown in order to retake Mexico. This was the consummation of Mexico's campaign for independence. 1830 – Anti-Masonic Party convention; one of the first American political party conventions. 1836 – The Riograndense Republic is proclaimed by rebels after defeating Empire of Brazil's troops in the Battle of Seival, during the Ragamuffin War. 1851 – Christiana Resistance: Escaped slaves stand against their former owner in armed resistance in Christiana, Pennsylvania, creating a rallying cry for the abolitionist movement. 1852 – The State of Buenos Aires secedes from the Argentine Federal government, rejoining on September 17, 1861. Several places are named Once de Septiembre after this event. 1857 – The Mountain Meadows massacre: Mormon settlers and Paiutes massacre 120 pioneers at Mountain Meadows, Utah. 1897 – After months of pursuit, generals of Menelik II of Ethiopia capture Gaki Sherocho, the last king of Kaffa, bringing an end to that ancient kingdom. 1903 – The first race at the Milwaukee Mile in West Allis, Wisconsin is held. It is the oldest major speedway in the world. 1905 – The Ninth Avenue derailment occurs in New York City, killing 13. 1914 – Australia invades New Britain, defeating a German contingent at the Battle of Bita Paka. 1916 – The Quebec Bridge's central span collapses, killing 11 men. The bridge previously collapsed completely on August 29, 1907. 1919 – United States Marine Corps invades Honduras. 1921 – Nahalal, the first moshav in Palestine, is settled as part of a Zionist plan of creating a Jewish state, later to be Israel. 1922 – The Treaty of Kars is ratified in Yerevan, Armenia. 1922 – The Sun News-Pictorial is founded in Melbourne, Australia. 1939 – World War II: Canada declares war on Germany, the country's first independent declaration of war 1941 – Charles Lindbergh's Des Moines Speech accusing the British, Jews and FDR's administration of pressing for war with Germany. 1943 – World War II: German troops occupy Corsica and Kosovo-Metohija ending the Italian occupation of Corsica. 1943 – World War II: Start of the Nazi liquidation of the Minsk and Lida ghettos. 1944 – World War II: The Western Allied invasion of Germany begins near the city of Aachen. 1944 – World War II: RAF bombing raid on Darmstadt and the following firestorm kill 11,500. 1945 – World War II: Australian 9th Division forces liberate the Japanese-run Batu Lintang camp, a POW and civilian internment camp on the island of Borneo. 1950 – Korean War: President Harry S. Truman approved military operations north of the 38th parallel. 1954 – Hurricane Edna hits New England as a Category 2 hurricane, causing significant damage and 29 deaths. 1961 – Hurricane Carla strikes the Texas coast as a Category 4 hurricane, the second strongest storm ever to hit the state. 1965 – Indo-Pakistani War: The Indian Army captures the town of Burki, just southeast of Lahore. 1968 – Air France Flight 1611 crashes off Nice, France, killing 89 passengers and six crew. 1970 – The Dawson's Field hijackers release 88 of their hostages. The remaining hostages, mostly Jews and Israeli citizens, are held until September 25. 1971 – The Egyptian Constitution becomes official. 1972 – The San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit system begins passenger service. 1973 – A coup in Chile headed by General Augusto Pinochet topples the democratically elected president Salvador Allende. Pinochet exercises dictatorial power until ousted in a referendum in 1988, staying in power until 1990. 1974 – Eastern Air Lines Flight 212 crashes in Charlotte, North Carolina, killing 69 passengers and two crew. 1976 – A bomb planted by a Croatian terrorist, Zvonko Bušić, is found at New York's Grand Central Terminal; one NYPD officer is killed trying to defuse it. 1980 – Voters approve a new Constitution of Chile, later amended after the departure of President Pinochet. 1981 – The bombing of La Moneda in Chile by the CIA-backed Junta's Armed Forces. 1982 – The international forces that were guaranteeing the safety of Palestinian refugees following Israel's 1982 Invasion of Lebanon leave Beirut. Five days later, several thousand refugees are massacred in the Sabra and Shatila refugee camps by Phalange forces. 1985 – Pete Rose breaks Ty Cobb's baseball record for most career hits with his 4,192nd hit. 1989 – Hungary announces that the East German refugees who had been housed in temporary camps were free to leave for West Germany. 1992 – Hurricane Iniki, one of the most damaging hurricanes in United States history, devastates the Hawaiian islands of Kauai and Oahu. 1997 – NASA's Mars Global Surveyor reaches Mars. 1997 – After a nationwide referendum, Scotland votes to establish a devolved parliament within the United Kingdom. 2001 – Two hijacked aircraft crash into the World Trade Center in New York City, while a third smashes into The Pentagon in Arlington County, Virginia, and a fourth into a field near Shanksville, Pennsylvania, in a series of coordinated suicide attacks by 19 members of al-Qaeda. A total of 2,996 people are killed. 2007 – Russia tests the largest conventional weapon ever, the Father of All Bombs. 2008 – A major Channel Tunnel fire broke out on a freight train, resulting in the closure of part of the tunnel for 6 months. 2012 – A total of 315 people are killed in two garment factory fires in Pakistan. 2012 – The U.S. embassy in Benghazi, Libya is attacked, resulting in four deaths. 2015 – A crane collapses onto the Masjid al-Haram mosque in Saudi Arabia, killing 111 people and injuring 394 others.

[junker-town]

NASCAR Pocono recap: Ryan Blaney brings Wood Brothers back to the winner’s circle

Fittingly, NASCAR’s oldest team used an old-school approach to win Sunday’s Cup Series race at Pocono Raceway.

Anytime Ryan Blaney keyed the mic to talk, crew chief Jeremy Bullins could hear his driver hitting the button, though nothing else.

Mere silence is a less an ideal way to communicate during the middle of a race. But this was the predicament Blaney, Bullins and Wood Brothers Racing found themselves in after about 40 laps during Sunday’s Monster Energy Cup Series race at Pocono (Pa.) Raceway. A faulty radio meant Blaney couldn’t talk to his team, though he could hear Bullins relay instructions to him. Not wanting to remove themselves from contention by taking additional time to fix the issue on pit road, Bullins instead went old school and came up with hand signals.

If Blaney’s car handled tight, he would place his hand on the door. If Blaney’s car was loose, he would place his hand on the roof. If Blaney was happy, he would give a thumbs up. If he was displeased, he would give a thumbs down.

And yet, despite a radio not working, and despite having to contend with a pair of former Cup champions over the final 13 laps -- Kyle Busch, who doggedly tried to prevent Blaney from taking away his lead by throwing two monstrous blocks, and Kevin Harvick, who relentlessly hounded Blaney and was sitting ready to pounce if Blaney had one errant turn of the wheel -- it wasn’t enough to keep 23-year-old from winning for the first time at NASCAR’s highest level.

“I think it exceeds the dream a little bit,” said Blaney, a third-generation racer. “I grew up watching my dad race on this race track and it’s so cool to get the Wood Brothers in victory lane, and to do it here at a race track that is really close to Ohio -- a home to me - is pretty awesome.”

Blaney is among a crop of young talents NASCAR is hoping steps into the spotlight Jeff Gordon, Carl Edwards and Tony Stewart have recently vacated, and Dale Earnhardt Jr., Kevin Harvick, Matt Kenseth, Jimmie Johnson and other veterans over the age of 40 will soon do so as well. But possessing potential is one thing, turning promise into tangible results is another thing altogether.

Before Sunday, Blaney had his moments. In this his second full season with legendary Wood Brothers, NASCAR’s oldest continuous operating team, he had come close on several occasions to that initial victory. He had finished runner-up at Kansas Speedway in May, had led the most laps at Texas Motor Speedway in April.

Still, that first win hadn’t yet materialized. In consecutive races leading into Pocono, a broken rear axle snuffed out potential strong finishes. On Sunday, the radio problem along with a loose wheel requiring an additional pit stop appeared to be the hurdles to keep Blaney out of victory in this his 68th career start.

But if there is characteristic synonymous with the Wood Brothers it is resiliency. Once a powerhouse that dominated NASCAR with a roster full of a who’s who of Hall Fame drivers, the single-car organization fell on hard times in the mid-2000s, lacking the resources and funding to compete against the super teams that fielded multiple cars and had an array of Fortune 500 sponsors footing the bill.

Nevertheless the Wood Brothers preserved. First, the team scaled back to a part-time effort where it selected a handful of races to contest based on tracks that best played to its strengths. Then came an alliance forged with Team Penske in 2015, where the Roger Penske-owned operation supplied the Wood Brothers cars, technical data and personnel.

The relationship also brought with it Blaney and Bullins, a driver and crew chief on the rise but whose options were limited at the moment with Penske, which wasn’t in a position to expand. In their first season together, Blaney would drive the famed No. 21 Wood Brothers Ford in 16 races, twice finishing in the top 10.

Liking what it saw and wanting to get the Wood Brothers back to full-time status, Ford stepped up its support so the team could race the entire schedule in 2016. Blaney’s rookie season saw him record three top-five finishes, nine top-10 finishes, and rank a respectable 20th in points.

This season has brought an ever close union with Penske and continued growth where the Wood Brothers have resumed its place at or near the front of the field. Seemingly it was only a matter of time before Blaney’s first and the team’s 99th victory would occur.

And that the breakthrough finally transpired in old school fashion harkening back to David Pearson and Cale Yarborough wheeling the white-and-red No. 21 car only made it all the sweeter. After all, who better prepared than the Wood Brothers to revert back to the primitive ways of communication than a team that’s been in existence since 1950.

“It was just like us going back to the old days with no radios,” team co-owner Eddie Wood said. “It was just like I had flashbacks. It was really cool.”

Considering their current trajectory it’s entirely conceivable Blaney could deliver the Wood Brothers its first-ever premier series championship sometime in the near future. Unfortunately this is unlikely to be the case, as their partnership comes with a shelf life.

Blaney is destined to end up returning to Penske either next year or in a season shortly thereafter. Roger Penske has spoken publicly about expanding to three full-time teams and his preference to have Blaney in one of his own cars. Such a transaction would leave the Wood Brothers without the driver who played a prominent role in rejuvenating the storied team.

“Whenever it happens, that's fine,” Wood said. “Everybody will move on, and he'll go on to bigger and better and greater things. He's going to win a lot of races, and I think he's going to win some championships.

“Whatever we do from there, it'll be fine. We're just excited to be where we are. It's a great place to be.”

Where Blaney may end up and who the Wood Brothers would get as a replacement will be sorted out down the road. For now, Blaney and the Wood Brothers are going to enjoy their moment. A driver who proved he was worthy of the hype, and team that showed it still can get the job done.

[junker-town]

Ryan Blaney leads resurgent Wood Brothers Racing into Martinsville

A resurgent Wood Brothers Racing is competitive in its second season back running full-time.

There was a time not too long ago when Wood Brothers Racing had been seemingly bypassed, a team whose place in NASCAR had come and gone; teetering on virtual extinction, without the necessary resources to remain competitive.

Founded by brothers Glen and Leonard Wood in 1950, the once powerhouse team had devolved into a small minnow in a big pond filled with ravenous sharks. That it was NASCAR’s oldest continuous operating team didn’t matter. The Wood Brothers were the mom-and-pop corner store being squeezed out by the big box stores that surrounded it.

But as Martinsville (Va.) Speedway, site of Sunday’s STP 500, celebrates its 70th anniversary this weekend, the Wood Brothers No. 21 Ford with driver Ryan Blaney will be in the race. Not only that, the team stands a reasonable chance of winning.

And for the team that was founded in nearby Stuart, Va., just 30 miles west of the paperclip-shaped oval, and considers Martinsville its home track, having a spot on the grid Sunday carries extra meaning.

“It’s a big race for us,” said Eddie Wood, Leonard’s nephew and Glen’s son. “We live 25 miles from here. It’s just great to be racing back here. We raced part-time for a while and now we’re back full-time. Probably the most special thing for us is to be back racing here. This is home.”

For decades the Wood Brothers were one of NASCAR’s most dominant teams, amassing 98 wins -- including five Daytona 500s -- with a who’s who of Hall Fame drivers. So acclaimed was the team it become a symbol of excellence whose famed No. 21 was, along with Richard Petty’s No. 43, Dale Earnhardt Sr.’s No. 3 and Jeff Gordon’s No. 24, as one of the sport’s most iconic car numbers.

A prolonged stretch of on-track futility, however, combined with an inability to attract the high-dollar sponsorship required to operate a competitive team jeopardized the Wood Brothers existence. Ownership costs had exploded and being a single-car team based in Virginia was not a recipe for success as NASCAR’s popularity skyrocketed in the late 1990s and into the early 2000s.

After years of trying to make it work, the team found itself at a crossroads. If it wanted to continue, the Wood Brothers needed to regroup and cutback running the entire 36-race Cup Series schedule. The decision was made and in 2009 the team would only contest select events going forward.

Downsizing brought a mixed bag including both good and bad. By picking and choosing where to race, the Wood Brothers could consolidate its resources and hone in on tracks that were its strong suits, which paid off with a surprising triumph in the 2011 Daytona 500. But even that win could only do so much to change its fortunes, as sponsorship remained limited and the path back to being a full-time team appearing unlikely.

Loyalty brings rewards, and since its inception the Wood Brothers have proudly been a Ford-supported team. Wanting to help the Wood Brothers reclaim its lost glory, Ford worked to facilitate a close-knit relationship with Team Penske where Penske would supply the Wood Brothers with cars, technical data, parts and pieces, and an additional key ingredient -- Blaney, a rising star with the kind of ability that can elevate a team to another level.

The alliance took effect beginning in 2015 with Blaney starting 16 races. Twice he finished in the top 10, something the team hadn’t done in three years; his best result of fourth was the highest the Wood Brothers’ had placed since its 2011 Daytona 500 win.

Encouraged by the potential of a young driver paired with a veteran team and wanting to get the Wood Brothers back to full-time status, Ford significantly increased its sponsorship of the No. 21 car. The team ran the entire 2016 season with Blaney posting three top fives, nine top 10s and ending up a respectable 20th in points in his rookie season.

This season, the results are much improved. Through five races Blaney has three top 10s -- including a career-best second in the Daytona 500 -- and ranks seventh in points heading into Martinsville. It seems only a matter of when, not if, that Blaney will breakthrough and grab his first Cup win.

The performance gains can be attributed to multiple factors: Blaney having greater experience, the Wood Brothers re-acclimating to running the entire schedule, and a offseason relocation to shop just down the road from Penske’s Concord, N.C., headquarters. (The Wood Brothers had moved from Stuart to Mooresville, N.C., in 2004.)

“From a confidence level is higher compared to last year,” Blaney said. “When you get a full season under your belt and you kind of step back in the offseason and can pick out points you want to improve on and you make a list and you go to work really hard in the offseason to try to improve on those certain areas, whether it’s driving style for the driver or communication between the teams or personnel.

“I think we’ve hit on a lot of those goals that we had while we’re still getting better and better.

And if Blaney’s initial win comes on the track his team has a personal connection to, it would make the victory all the sweeter.

“It’s been a great experience coming over here, close to home and we always want to win here more than anywhere because it was your hometown,” Leonard Wood said sitting in the same room where the Martinsville winner conducts their press conference. “We’re looking forward to coming over here.

“Glen and I were standing on the backstretch over here at the very first race ever run here 70 years ago, so I think it would be really cool for us -- 70 years later -- for us to be sitting right here Sunday evening after the race.”