Communttv News Jews in NASCAR?
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The Charlotte Jewish News - October 2013 - Page 11 Communttv News dollar business side of one of the four Nationwide Series Champi Jews in NASCAR? Surprising But True! top teams in NASCAR that fields onships. By Steve Goldbej-g mentioned in an Adam Sandler cars for star drivers Carl Edwards, The son of the son of the son of Baseball has always been con racing-themed Hanukkah song in Greg Biffle, Ricky Stenhouse, Jr., a rabbi, he grew up in Chapel Hill, Trevor Bayne and Travis Pastrana. sidered a popular sport amongst clude Paul Goldsmith who won (Continued on page 15) Jews. Basketball as well, and foot the last stock car race run on the They’ve won two Sprint Cup and ball. Golf and tennis, too. But Daytona Beach road course in NASCAR? Not so much. 1958 and Larry Frank who won Josh Rubin’s Plumbing, LLC But when race week for the the Southern 500 in 1962. But like Bank of America 500 at the Char Sacks, there’s no definitive an LICENSED - BONDED - INSURED lotte Motor Speedway begins the swer yet. COMMERCIAL & RESIDENTIAL second week in October, the Jew For sure there’s Gene Felton, Layouts for slabs - Rough-in and Finish ish presence at the track will be an Atlanta born UNC graduate Water Heater Repairs and Replacement significant. who only ran one Cup race, the Kitchen/Bath Remodeling About a dozen or so years ago, Dixie 500 in 1976. but who was Toilets, Tubs, Faucets, Sink, and Disposal 1 was sitting with a some other very successful as a road racer, Repairs/Replacement journalists between interview ses winning four IMSA titles and NASCAR ”s Steve Newmark - 10 YEARS EXPERIENCE - sions on the annual January competing at the famed 24 Hours NC State Lie. #29197 SC State Lie. #M110508 NASCAR Media Tour. Aside of LeMans. Felton now restores ident and CEO of NASCAR Im 704-517-4918 from our common appreciation old stock cars for buyers who ages. for the sport, we quickly realized want a little extra horsepower on Jon Schwarz is the Senior Di that among the 200 writers, pho their morning commute. rector of Integrated Marketing tographers, and broadcasters So the JMPA still isn’t an actual Communications for NASCAR in What will you do there, we were the only ones as far organization, but perhaps it should New York City, joining the circuit as we knew who were Jewish. be. from Bank of America in 2011. to become more Mike Harris, who lived in In the following years as On the sponsorship side, local Raleigh, was the motorsports edi NASCAR grew to be one of Jewish owned businesses helped successful in your tor for the Associated Press at the America’s biggest sports, so did the wheels go round for race time. Lewis Franck lived in the the press corps and pretty soon teams and tracks. Radiator Spe business or career? homeland of New York City and you could organize a minyan in cialty Company, the business was a contributor to Reuters and the media center. Jenna Fryer is started by I.D. Blumenthal and his Autoweek among others, while I the lead on NASCAR for the AP brother Herman in Charlotte, was wrote on NASCAR for publica now. Viv Bernstein covers for the a supplier and sometimes sponsor tions including Time, Business New York Times. There’s Bob of NASCAR teams, including • Sales Development North Carolina, and Charlotte Pockrass at The Sporting News, driver Buddy Baker, with their Magazine. Jeff Gluck at USA Today, and Liquid Wrench, Gunk, and Solder • Leadership Development What prompted our discussion Robert Edelstein, who wrote a bi Seal products. • Career Management was the fact that the entertainment ography of Charlotte Motor Rockingham, North Carolina, outing for that year’s tour was Speedway co-founder Curtis is famous for four things. One is • Career Transition going to be a visit to The Comedy Turner, at TV Guide. Randy “The Rock,” the speedway that Zone where Borsch Belt come Covitz is the racing writer for the hosted a pair of Sprint Cup races dian Jackie Mason was rehearsing Kansas City Star. The editor in for four decades until 2004. The Complimentary Consultations his upcoming Broadway show. chief for Speed.com, now seem other three are Levines - Sher Had they thought this out? It was ingly folded into the overall Fox man, Leon, and Alvin, who, like Contact Harvey Smith tough enough to understand Sports site, is Tom Jensen, who as NASCAR, found their center in 704-604-1655 Mason’s hard core New York de Viv Bernstein wrote in her blog, Charlotte. Leon’s Family Dollar livery when you were Jewish. For was organizing his son’s upcom Stores have sponsored cars on the all these mostly southern-based ing Bar Mitzvah party at the Nationwide Series in the past. NASCAR media, we thought we NASCAR Hall of Fame. A lawyer by trade, Newmark is CafolinaBusinessGoach would have to translate. Former members of the responsible for the multimillion And thus was bom the Jewish NASCAR’s ink stained kvetches Motorsports Press Association. were Seth Livingston at USA Mike, Lewis, and 1 were the char Today and Sarah Rothschild for ter members of this group that the Miami Herald. didn’t then and doesn’t now offi On the broadcast side, Eli FREE CONSULTATION cially exist. But we had a mission. Gold, who also voices Alabama We would translate Mason's Yid football, works for the NASCAR dish-laced delivery to the good oT owned Motor Racing Network. Medicare Supplement boys and then lobby for kosher Through Viv, I learned that Steve hot dogs at the track and a Jewish Richards, a pit reporter for Per- And Long Term Care driver in NASCAR’s diversity fomiance Racing Network radio is program. a member of the tribe, and shares What long term care is and why you and your loved The three of us tried to think of the same real last name as Jon ones are at high risk for needing care at home or in a a Jewish stock car driver we could Stewart, which is Leibowitz. adopt as the champion of our Then there is Steve Newmark facility. cause and immediately thought of who is not only Jewish but one of Why the limited benefits from Government Greg Sacks who raced on the most influential men in (Medicare or Medicaid) are not a good choice for NASCAR’s top two levels from NASCAR as president of Roush 1983 to 2005. winning the Fire Fenway Racing. your long term care needs. cracker 400 in 1985. After all, he He’s not the first member of the At what age should you consider buying long term was from Long Island and his fa tribe to hold a high position in care insurance. You will be surprised to know why ther’s name was Arnie. He has a NASCAR. Texan Kenny Bern and how buying at a younger age is better for you. daughter named Rachel. But stein gained fame as a champion we’re still not sure about him. drag racer, the first driver to ex Compare different Medicare Plans and determine Thanks to Buz McKim, the his ceed 300 mph. Bernstein also which is best for you. torian for the NASCAR Hall of owned a NASCAR team from Find which company offers the most competitive Fame, I've recently learned that 1986-95, notching three Sprint rates for the plan you want. the 50s and 60s saw several driv Cup wins with drivers Ricky ers with Jewish roots drive on Rudd and Brett Bodine. NASCAR’s top level, guys with Max Siegel, currently the CEO Milton Goldstein, CLTC names that sounded more like law of USA Track and Field, the son Certified Long Term Care Specialist fimi partners than gearheads. of a Jewish father and African- Danny Weinberg won a Grand American mother, served as Pres Charlotte, NC: (704) 442-5618 National, now the Sprint Cup se ident of Global Operations for Cell: (205) 907-0670 ries, race in Hanford, CA, in 1951 Dale Earnhardt, Inc., the race E-mail: [email protected] driving a Studebaker. Racing team started by the late NASCAR under the name Ben Benz, champion from 2007-09. Visit my Web Site Bernard Friedland from Far Rock- Until June of 2012, Jay Abra www.goldsteinltc.com away, Long Island, started nine ham had spent 11 years at Licensed in 11 States Grand National races in 1958-59. NASCAR as COO of the Others who Could possibly get NASCAR Media aroup and Pres-.