NEWS
August 21, 2011
Wineries and Breweries Lined Up For Louie Vermeil Classic
The lightning fast and scenic Calistoga Speedway is set to host the 4th annual Louie Vermeil Classic (LVC) September 3 & 4, 2011. The previous three LVC events have been an absolute success and this year’s agenda promises more of the same. Pre-race festivities kick off Saturday with the always popular Wine Pouring event sponsored by Vermeil Wines. Presently, seventeen (17) wineries are confirmed to pour some of their best vintages from 1-4pm. These wineries include Coppola Winery, Freemark Abbey, Bennett Lane and Merrvale Winery, among others. In addition to wine tasting, this event will have live entertainment provided by The Manzanita Band (classic rock) and complimentary gourmet sausages provided by the The Sausage Company, Inc.
On Sunday, pre-race events get started with the 2nd annual Beer Garden at 1pm. Beer tasters will have twelve (12) tasty breweries to choose from, which includes Sierra Nevada, Gordon Beirsch, Firestone D.B.A and Widmer Heffe, to name a few. The West Coast Blues Review will be supplying music entertainment and The Sausage Company, Inc. will again provide complimentary sausages.
Both days will see beautiful Bud Girls greeting and taking photos with tasters and passing out event giveaways. Admission to both pre-race events will be $10 for tasters (includes commemorative wine/pilsner glass) and $5 for non-tasters. We encourage all fans to show up early and support these outstanding events, as all proceeds are reinvested back into the weekend's racing event purse.
Sprint Cars and Midgets hit the track at 5pm sharp for wheel packing and hot laps. For more information, check out the event website www.louievermeilclassic.net.
GARDNER AND BALLOU SLATED FOR LOUIE VERMEIL CLASSIC
July 28, 2011
Always exciting California transplants "Demon" Damion Gardner and Robert "The Wildman" Ballou announced this week that they will be competing in the 2011 Louie Vermeil Classic held annually at the famed Calistoga Speedway (Saturday & Sunday Sept. 3-4, 2011). Both Gardner and Ballou are fresh off of Indiana Sprint Week wins at Haubstadt and Lawrenceburg, respectively.
In 2010, Gardner drove Rod Tiner's potent sprint car and swept the event winning both nights against a stout field of non-wing drivers. As the event's reigning champ, he is returning this year with his own Pace Lighting/DG Racing #71 race team. Damion is looking to continue his dominance of this event.
Ballou will be returning for a second consecutive year, but this year will be driving for the Keith Ford owned #73 team. Ballou is seeking his first win at the Calistoga Speedway 1/2 mile clay. His elbows up aggressive style is always the guy to watch on the race track.
The Louie Vermeil Classic expects a large group of sprint cars, as this year the event will be co-sanctioned by USAC/CRA and the USAC Western Classic Series. Both days will host pre-race events that include a raffle, silent auction as well as a fantastic wine pouring meet & greet sponsored by Vermeil Wines that includes wine tasting from some of Napa Valley's most popular wineries, free BBQ gourmet sausages, live music and a competitor autograph session (Saturday 1pm-5pm). On Sunday (1-5pm), the return of the Louie Vermeil Classic Beer Garden will also include live music and a gourmet sausage BBQ. More information such as a full lineup of wineries and breweries will be posted at the event's official website www.louievermeilclassic.net as the event draws closer. The cost of wine and beer events are just $10 per glass each day for unlimited tasting. This is a tremendous deal! All proceeds from both the wine/beer events are contributed directly back to the event purse and shared amongst the drivers, so please come out early and support these events.
DARON CLAYTON GETS SECOND CRACK AT CALISTOGA SPEEDWAY
Missouri native Daron Clayton aka the "Modern Day Cowboy" will make his second start at the Louie Vermeil Classic (LVC). Daron competed in the inaugural LVC in 2008 setting a New Track Record on Saturday and finishing 7th in the Main Event on Sunday. Daron will be wheeling the potent Northern California Smitty Boys Racing # 14S. This race team is coming off of recent success at Calistoga Speedway winning the Civil War 360 winged event just a few weeks ago. The Smitty Boys Race team has acquired a fresh 410 motor for this event and look to continue their winning ways with Daron this weekend. Daron is well-known in the midwest for his let-it-all-hang-out style and is especially partial to big half-mile tracks like Calistoga.
You can meet Daron at the autograph session from 2-3:30pm Saturday, which will take place in conjunction with the Wine Pouring event. Wine tasting is just $10 for an LVC commemorative wine glass and unlimited tasting. Sixteen elite wineries will be pouring some of their best vintages. This amounts to less than $1 per glass of wine and all proceeds go to support the drivers and teams that put it all on the line for us fans.
Chris Windom the latest midwestern driver to enter Vermeil Classic
August 24, 2010
19-year-old National USAC sprint car series contender Chris Windom has announced that he will compete at this year's Louie Vermeil Classic at the big half-mile of Calistoga Speedway. Windom will be driving for the Keith Ford #73 that regularly competes with both USAC/CRA and VRA driven by Josh Ford. Windom is presently fifth in National USAC sprint car driver points and has one series win this season. This will be Windom's first opportunity to compete at Calistoga Speedway in one of the most pretigious sprint car races on the West Coast.
Windom will be signing autographs on Saturday September 4 (2-3:30pm) during the annual Wine Pouring event along with fellow drivers Damion Gardner, Robert Ballou, Mike Spencer, Danny Sheridan, David Cardey, Rip Williams, Blake Miller, Matt Mitchell and several others. Please come out and participate in these incredible pre-race events during the weekend, which include wine tasting, live music, silent auction, driver autograph session, beer tasting and Bud girls.
WINERIES AND BREWERIES ANNOUNCED FOR VERMEIL CLASSIC TASTINGS
August 18, 2010
The lineup for the popular pre-race Wine Pouring Event and the inaugural Beer Garden have been set for the 2010 Louie Vermeil Classic. An impressive group of seventeen (17) Napa Valley wineries will be pouring some of the best vintages in the world at this prestigious California sprint car event. Wineries include the Freemark Abbey, Caymus, Francis Coppola Winery, Vermeil Wines and Chateau Montelena, to name just a few. The Wine Pouring event will occur on Saturday September 4 from 1pm-5pm and will include live music from the Manzanita Band(classic country), silent auction and numerous vintage sprint cars and midgets on display.
For the first Louie Vermeil Classic Beer Garden over a dozen breweries are set to pour an assortment of Ales, Pilsners, Belgians, Lagers and I.P.As on Sunday afternoon September 5th from 1pm-5pm. Some of the noteable breweries include Stella
Both of these tremendous pre-race events are $10 for unlimited tasting, which includes a limited edition commemorative event glass. All proceeds from both events will be distributed directly to the race teams to supplement travel expenses and for performance or hard luck awards. Race cars hit the track at 5:30 each evening. Please support these wonderful events and help the Louie Vermeil Classic continue to be the premeire sprint car and midget racing event on the West Coast. Please checkout the official event website at www.louievermeilclassic.net
CALIFORNIA RIVALS RETURN HOME FOR VERMEIL CLASSIC
August 1, 2010
"Demon" Damion Gardner and Robert "Wildman" Ballou have announced that they will compete in the 2010 Louie Vermeil Classic. Both drivers have been furious competitors for over the last three seasons on the National USAC tour as well as in other Midwest sprint car races. Gardner and Ballou have had some tremendous battles and heated confrontations. They are both seeking to continue their rivalry on the long straightaways of Wine Country's Calistoga Speedway. Both Gardner and Ballou will be driving for successful Northern California car owners. Gardner will be teamed up with Rod Tiner, while Ballou will steer Ted Finkenbinder's sprinter. They will be shooting to pocket the $5000 to win each night.
The Saturday night portion of the Louie Vermeil Classic (LVC) will pay Tribute to the late famed car owner Walter T. Ross. The race will pay $3500 to win with an additional $1500 in lap money. Sunday's race will pay tribute to another famed car owner DuWayne Starr, which will pay a cool $5000 to win. Both car owners successfully competed at Calistoga Speedway during the Louie Vermeil lead era of the Northern Auto Racing Club (NARC) and were instrumental in building the rich tradition of Sprint Car racing in Northern California.
Race teams will also have the opportunity to receive cash from the proceeds of the pre-race events, which includes the always popular wine tasting and silent auction. This year's LVC will include for the first time a Beer Garden that will highlight over a dozen breweries pouring selected brands of beer. Both wine and beer glasses are $10 each for unlimited tasting.
RACE ORGANIZERS ANNOUNCE BEER GARDEN FOR SUNDAY'S PRE-RACE EVENTS.
July 31, 2010
The event organizers for the Louie Vermeil Classic (LVC) have announced that the Sunday portion of this year's LVC will include a Beer Garden as its pre-race event. Over a dozen of breweries, including local, domestic and imported beers will be represented at this inagural event. For just $10, a beer taster will receive a commemorative LVC pilsner glass and unlimited tasting. This event is suspected to become a popular staple to the annual festivities of the LVC race weekend. A portion of the proceeds will be paid back to the drivers and teams for their on-track efforts during the LVC weekend. In addition, the beautiful Budweiser girls will be on-hand signing hero cards for all fans and barbecued sausage samples will be available at no cost to compliment the wonderful beers available on tap. Please come out and support this wonderful event.