New Chamber President Introduced.

The Carthage Chamber of Commerce announced this week that their new Chamber President will be former CHS graduate Sabrina Drackert. She will also act at the Chamber Economic Development Director. The City of Carthage and the Carthage Water and Electric Plant contracts with the Chamber for its economic development activities.

Drackert previously worked as the Marketing Manager in the Economic Development Department for the Springfield Area Chamber. Prior to that, she served as the Business Outreach Coordinator for the Platte County Economic Development Council in Kansas City, Missouri. Drackert graduated from Missouri State University with a degree in marketing with minors in computer information systems and e-business.

Drackert will be responsible for activities related to business retention, expansion and attraction efforts of the Chamber. She will create all necessary reports, contacts and information desired by prospects and will work with all departments within the City of Carthage and CW&EP according to information supplied by the Chamber.

NASCAR THIS WEEK

By Monte Dutton

Sponsored by Curry Automotive

Speed Hits His Groove

Four races into the 2010 Sprint Cup season, there are indications that Scott Speed has found a home in NASCAR.

A native of Manteca, Calif., the 27-year-old Speed has a varied background. In 2006-07, he competed in a total of 28 Formula One races, though he never managed a podium finish or earned any championship points. Since making the switch to stock-car racing, Speed has won four Automobile Racing Club of America (ARCA) events and one NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race. His best Cup finish was a fifth at Talladega Superspeedway in April 2009.

This season? So far, so good. Speed occupies 12th place in the Cup point standings after a 10th-place finish at Atlanta.

Asked about the possibility of making the Chase before the season, Speed said, "I’d like to say that we are still improving. I guess if we keep getting better and better, it should be possible, theoretically."

Though the current season is only four races old, Speed’s performance has made a Chase berth seem a bit more plausible. The long NASCAR schedule hasn’t been a difficult adjustment, though.

"I love the (NASCAR) schedule," said Speed. "I love being able to get out every weekend. I’m having a lot of fun doing it. It’s, like, if you have a good race, you’re ready to get back out there and keep it going. If you have a bad race, in the next weekend you can completely turn the whole thing around. So, you can forget it easily. I love the fact we race so much."

Speed’s first season in the No. 82 Red Bull Toyota was a struggle. The Talladega race marked his only finish in the top 10, and he finished 35th in points.

"Year one was hard," he admitted. "There were a lot of ups and downs. We learned a lot, but I think, as well, we had a lot of bad luck go our way.

"We really had a lot of things that could have gone either way ... that went to the bad way."

Maybe ... he’s due.

***

Monte Dutton has covered motorsports for The Gaston (N.C.) Gazette since 1993. He was named writer of the year by the National Motorsports Press Association.

I’m sure ever’one likes to think that "civilized" folks don’t get down and dirty from time to time. There are prob’ly those who feel it would be a better world if ever’one could sit down at the diner table and calmly discuss various opinions and give all arguments equal weight.

The fact is, unless someone gets a little fire in their belly now and then, nothin’ much gets accomplished. It is one thing to keep some rational basis for a passion, but to ask folks with a passion to not call on that emotion to promote their case seems a little unrealistic.

The response of political candidates under pressure often offers insight into their character and composure. Like it or not, some jungle instincts are still a valuable part of our nature.

This is some fact, but mostly,

Just Jake Talkin’.

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CLICK and CLACK

TALK CARS

Dear Tom and Ray:

Hello! My older sister has a 1996 Saturn SC2, and she is constantly yelling at my sister, my mom and myself for supposedly "plopping" into the seat. She claims that because we don’t carefully control our muscels while we get into the car, the impact from our weight falling into the seats will harm the shocks. I don’t believe this at all. Also, I don’t think that I am getting into the car so clumsily. I think she is mistaking the feeling of the car slightly sinkin when more weight is added for my being careless when getting into the car. It’s at the point now where I regret riding with her after I get in the car. Can you tell me if there is any merit to her claim? Thanks! - April

Tom: There’s nothing like family, is there, April?

Ray: You know, there are more direct ways of telling loved ones that they need to lose a few pounds than what she’s doing. I mean, look how diplomatically my brother handled it. When I cleared 200 pounds, he just started making beeping noises whenever I backed up.

Tom: Your sister’s claim has no merit, April. The weight of you guys "plopping" into the car would have no effect on the shocks at all. If anything, she could argue that it might affect the springs.

Ray: But the springs are designed to hold the weight of the car. So even if you guys are all on the "sturdy" side, you still can’t compete with 2,500 pounds of Saturn SC2 that the springs are already supporting!

Tom: So you can tell your sister that you’ve checked with the e3xperts - and checked with us, too. And you’ve all been cleared to land on the seats without further comment.