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Tornado Alley – Power Outage!

(Bill W) July 1, 2009 – On the surface, finishing 15^th with the World of Outlaws in just your second race with them this season looks pretty good. But Billy Alley felt an opportunity slip away after qualifying for the dash and a good starting spot Saturday at Knoxville Raceway. Yet another motor problem was discovered when leaking down the powerplant this week, as well. To compound things, his 360 will not be back from the motor builder in time for this weekend's ASCS races in Nebraska, putting this weekend's racing activities in doubt.

The WoO made their second visit to Knoxville, and Billy turned in the 12^th fastest lap of the night in time trials. "We're getting better at the qualifying," says the Lincoln, Nebraska native. "I didn't turn a perfect lap by any stretch of the imagination, so you know there's room for improvement there. Having the motor fresh helped."

Billy started outside row one in his heat, and after getting passed by Donny Schatz early, held off Joey Saldana for second. "We were perfect on the bottom in the heat race and made no mistakes," he says. "That said, Donny Schatz drove by us on the high side like we were tied to a fence post. That's unbelievable."

Billy qualified for the dash and drew a three. He struggled to an eighth place finish. "Making the dash and starting third is hard to do," he says. "To get to that point and to go backwards is a disappointment. You're letting an opportunity at hand go by the wayside. In hindsight, our motor was probably already hurt at that point."

With a starting spot outside of row four for the 25-lapper, unfortunately, Billy continued to slide back before running twelfth for much of the race. "We made some errors on the car for the feature," he admits. "We weren't that far off, but with the Outlaws, if you're off a little, you're off a mile…and we went backwards. They were going by, and the frustration was setting in. Of course, I didn't know we were running on seven cylinders. The dirty air is a real factor running with those guys too."

In the end, Billy finished a respectable 15^th against the best in the business. A racer is never satisfied unless he wins though. "I should be happy with what we accomplished Saturday, but I won't swallow starting 8^th and finishing 15^th. It's frustrating, but you can't run once a week and expect to beat that kind of competition, especially being down on power like we were."

The Billy Alley Enterprises #22 team is down but not out. "You can't make any excuses; it's just a 'live and learn' situation," says Billy. "If we would have had the racecar close, I could have maintained the way the racetrack was. On a weekly show, we would have been running up front with a car like that, and been tickled pink. But with the Outlaws, it shows you how far you need to go in August."

The Knoxville drivers have to adapt when the Outlaws come. "It's tough for us locals," says Billy. "You run the Outlaw tire rule, the Outlaw format and the Outlaw start rule. We adapt what we're doing with the cars to our weekly rules. You don't realize that's a tick off on a weekly show, even if there are one or two Outlaws there. You have to have ten there to really know where you stand."

Billy hurt his only 360 motor on May 21 at I-80 Speedway, and was hoping to get it back from Wesmar in time for the ASCS-Midwest shows this weekend. It doesn't look like that will happen.

On the Web

To learn more about Billy Alley, including updated results and photos, visit www.BillyAlley.com!

Billy Alley Gear!

For t-shirts and other apparel, visit www.BillyAlley.com!

Vintage Ric Flair Clip of the Week!

We need someone like Ric Flair in racing. Dusty Rhodes fills in for Ric this week, talking about the "Nature Boy" and how he stole manager "Baby Doll" (Ric is floating his multi-million dollar yacht around the world). Any woman that goes to Hawaii with a credit card to buy assorted men and papaya…that ain't funny brotha!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VXAn51e3T4s

Down the Alley

George Chase asks: What do you think about the fuel stop for the 40-lap Knoxville Nationals final?

Billy answers: I can't understand why people are getting so bent up about it. I don't see anything wrong with it. In fact, I think it will add a lot of excitement. The only driver it will kill will be the guy leading by half a lap, but isn't that good for the fans? They can go get a beer while we fuel up and discuss it a bit! Who's going to win now? It will bunch things up, and I think that's always a good thing for us locals. We run 20 laps every Saturday night. 40 is a long ways. If we're going that many, having a short break is a benefit to us. I don't understand how people can get on the computer and bash Knoxville and talk about not coming. It's not a big drama, and most of them have no clue what they're talking about, to be honest.

Got a question for Billy? Send it to us at [email protected], and we may answer it in this section! Put "? for Billy" in your subject line.

Alley's Anecdotes

Billy won 12 races in 2003. Among them were both halves of Twin Features night at Knoxville, three other Knoxville wins, and single tallies at Park Jefferson Speedway (SD), Lee County (IA) Speedway, Eagle (NE) Raceway, Capital Speedway (MO), Crawford County (IA) Speedway, Butler County (NE) Speedway and the $10,000 State Fair Speedway Shootout in Sedalia, Missouri.

Tornado Alley

"Tornado Alley" is an up close look at the past, present and future of 2006 Knoxville Raceway track champion, Billy Alley. To receive "Tornado Alley", send an e-mail to [email protected] with "Alley" in the subject line.

Billy would like to thank Buss Excavating, Bolz Farms, Schmit Automotive, Aeroquip, K&N Filters, Pella Motors, Stepping Stone Genetics, Awesome Racewear, Hoosier Tire, Wesmar Racing Engines, McLain Motorsports, The Buckles Brothers, F&K Rod Ends, "High Roller" the Pig Farmer, JEI Chassis, Red Devil Brakes, Harris Decals, Penske Shocks, RCI, and Terry's Body Shop.

Billy at Knoxville Raceway (Danny Howk Photo)

If this post isn't results, stories or something c
constructive, it isn't me! 
@BillWMedia
www.OpenWheel101.com

So the 80% plus people who pay your salary to race have no idea what we are talking ?

Sorry Billy but go race in Stock cars if you would like a break in the middle of the race, to be honest.

*Forgot, alot of those people who have no idea what we are talking about are not just fans. Sponsors, Drivers, Crews, Media and Promoters.

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A healthy diet of dirt in my nachos and beer.

Yes it's always good to throw a red flag to disturb the racing action, and we have no idea when that red flag is going to be thrown, but no its not drama at all.
I wonder if alley has asked any fellow competitors at knoxville their opinions?

Exactly Billy, it is going to be no big deal...and I speak for the sane race fans.

"*Forgot, alot of those people who have no idea what we are talking about are not just fans. Sponsors, Drivers, Crews, Media and Promoters."

yeah, its the same 6 or 7 loudmouths that have been bitching about everything kville does....

I suggest you check out the group we have formed so far and go through the list of names. I am thinking those 6 or 7 could be among the almost 300 people who have joined in a few days.

I am sure those 6 or 7 people will be on the many thousand names signed of the petition too.

http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/group.php?gid=119531783083

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A healthy diet of dirt in my nachos and beer.

So , let me get this stright...you have 300 people on facebook that agree....I looked at the list..and I would say about half of them have prob never been to kville..haha....about 20,000 people will be at the nats...oh sorry..only 19,700 with your 300 friends not attending..so start talking to me when you get 10,001 to join your idiotic cause....where are your tickets ??? if you are wanting to unload them I may be able to get you even money...should I start a cause on facebook that says Who loves the Kville Nationals and compare our numbers ???

Fine by me, but i can tell you that there are so many more people that are iratated with this new ruling than are for it. Go check out the poll results too. So far it is at 83% of the people hate it. Check out every message board on the whole internet and talk to all the people around you about it. You will find it is way in favor of not stopping.

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A healthy diet of dirt in my nachos and beer.

and it doesn't matter if some have never even been to Knoxville. They are 410 Sprint car people who want to keep it Sprint car racing and not another nascar series but on dirt.

The vast majority of us have our opinion, vast majority and you have your minority opinion. I have no need to agree with you about it. This isn't going ot be something i am going to argue with people about. The numbers in the end will do that.

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A healthy diet of dirt in my nachos and beer.

more than likely there gonna have a yellow or red between the laps of 10-25 anyway...if its a yellow and they stop them to refuel only, whats the big deal ??????? a red and they can refuel anyway....the thing that pisses me off on this subject is the fact that most of the people joining your "cause" think they are just gonna throw a red for no reason to refuel...only if they have to...so when it doesnt even come into play...what then???...i still want to buy your tickets....

oh...sorry billy for hijacking your media stuff........but this hillbilly has really pissed me off.....get the motors figured out...and go fast...at this time of struggling 410 car counts you would think people would be trying to help the cause instead of hurting it...but idiots like this think they are the voice of sprint car racing and just promote negativity...a nobody but a dingus drunk with some computer skills,,,,(dingus drunk is not a derogotory statement.....Iv'e been there..)