E-dition No. 988 • Thursday, February 8, 2018
Editor: Bob Johnson (bjibob@aol.com)
Go Bowling 250 to Kick Off NXS Playoffs
Richmond Raceway has announced an extension of its relationship with the bowling industry as Go Bowling will become the entitlement sponsor for the fall NASCAR Xfinity Series race.
The Go Bowling 250, set for Sept. 21, will mark the start of the 2018 NXS Playoffs, and will be the first playoff race in Richmond track history. The race also will mark the grand opening of Richmond Raceway Reimagined, a $30 million infield redevelopment project.
The Professional Women’s Bowling Association Tour Championship also will return to the Richmond Raceway Complex to launch Richmond’s fall race week. The PWBA’s pinnacle event will be held Sept. 16-19 in the historic Old Dominion Building at Richmond.
“Go Bowling has been a valued partner in motorsports and Richmond Raceway, so we welcome them as the entitlement sponsor for our fall NASCAR Xfinity Series race,” said Richmond President Dennis Bickmeier. “We worked with the PWBA and Go Bowling to host the PWBA Tour Championship during last fall’s race week, and our partnership grew through that experience. We look forward to continuing to work together to unite the community of bowling and motorsports fans in Richmond.”
Go Bowling recently was named the entitlement sponsor for the Go Bowling at The Glen Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race at Watkins Glen International. The brand previously has been an entitlement sponsor at Kansas Speedway and Pocono Raceway, as well as a sponsor for several teams at various levels of the sport.
“Our sponsorships and activations around racing have proven to be very effective at reinforcing the bowling brand among consumers,” said John Harbuck, President of Strike Ten Entertainment. “The PWBA Tour Championship held last year during race week at Richmond, along with the placement of bowling lanes as part of the fan experience, was well received. We look forward to expanding our relationship with Richmond Raceway with the sponsorship of the 2018 Go Bowling 250 NASCAR Xfinity Series race.”
More: http://www.bowlersjournal.com/pwba-tour-championship-returning-to-richmond-raceway-in-2018/
Tackett, Daugherty and Pajak Join Turbo Staff
Turbo Bowling Accessories has announced that E.J. Tackett, Tom Daugherty and Daria Pajak will be joining the company’s Franchise Player Staff for 2018.
The trio will use and promote the company’s bowling products on the PBA and PWBA tours, as well as participate in coaching and teaching seminars throughout the world.
“Turbo takes great pride in our elite and select team of player representatives,” said Lori Mraz, President of Turbo Bowling Accessories. “Our team members are held in the highest regard and have been chosen to represent the traditions and values of our brand.”
Tackett owns nine titles on the PBA Tour, including a pair of majors. He followed up his 2016 campaign as Chris Schenkel PBA Player of the Year by winning the Firelake Tournament of Champions, along with three additional tour titles.
Tackett said that signing with Turbo goes beyond just using the company’s products in competition. He said Turbo’s efforts to develop and grow youth bowling were a big plus for him.
“Not only do I get to use great products, but I get the opportunity to participate in clinics and seminars that Turbo operates,” Tackett said. “I want to do more with youth bowling and getting more kids involved in our sport. That’s how bowling is going to thrive and survive. Being associated with Turbo allows me to be a part of the change.”
Daugherty owns a pair of PBA titles to go along with 13 PBA Regional Tour wins. He said that Turbo’s team concept was a major factor in his signing.
“My success on the PBA Tour is directly related to the teams that I surround myself with,” said Daugherty. “The better my teams get, the better I bowl. The people at Turbo gave me the feeling that they wanted me to be part of the team as much as I wanted to be on the team.”
Off the lanes, Daugherty operates a pair of bowling pro shops. He said his association with Turbo also is a smart decision for his businesses. “Signing with Turbo gives me the confidence in knowing that I have the best grips in my bowling balls,” he said. “As a pro shop owner, I can now offer the best products to my customers.”
Pajak found success in her first year on the PWBA Tour. Her season included a pair of TV appearances and her first win at the Greater Detroit Open. Pajak led the PWBA Tour with three perfect games in 2017, two of which came at the U.S. Women’s Open. She was the top seed for the stepladder finals before losing to fellow Turbo staffer Liz Johnson, 188-176, in the final match.
Tackett, Daugherty and Pajak join a Franchise Tour staff at Turbo that includes D.J. Archer, Diandra Asbaty, Carolyn Dorin-Ballard, Josh Blanchard, Ryan Ciminelli, Andres Gomez, Leanne Hulsenberg, A.J. Johnson, Liz Johnson, Marshall Kent, Danielle McEwan, Matt McNiel, Shannon Pluhowsky, Ronnie Russell, Stuart Williams and Diana Zavjolova. These members join Lifetime Team Turbo Staff Members Jason Couch, Ted Hannahs, Mika Koivuniemi, Johnny Petraglia and Guppy Troup.
“Leaders and mentors on and off the lanes, our team is passionate about the sport,” said Mraz. “We’re delighted to welcome the return of many loyal staff members as well as some exciting new additions to our team this season.”
Turbo employs more than 400 staff members worldwide, including other National, Regional and International Staff members. Many regional staff contracts are awarded to Turbo Xtreme Dealers who own, operate or are affiliated with a bowling retail store in the U.S. or Canada. Xtreme renewal and enrollment will start up this month. For details on the program or for a complete listing of Turbo Player Staff Representatives, visit www.turbogrips.com.
Jayhawk Signs Blake ‘The Bowling Doodle’ Simpson
Jayhawk Bowling Supply has announced the signing of Blake “The Bowling Doodle” Simpson. Jayhawk’s Dragon Bowling Ball Ramp is now the preferred and official ramp and bowling aid of Blake.
In a media release, Russ Wilson, Pro Shop Manager for Jayhawk, said, “We asked Blake why he chose the Dragon Bowling Ball Ramp, and he said, ‘Woof, woof, woof.’ It took us a while to translate, but we were able to figure it out. Blake chose the Dragon Ramp because there are no metal rails for his paws to slip through, and the support of the ramp allows him to lean on the Dragon and watch the ball go down the lane.”
Added Wilson: “There are no sharp edges that can snag his golden hair and it’s also lower than (other) ramps, so it’s easier for him and his kid friends to use.”
Blake has been using the Dragon Bowling Ball Ramp since he was a puppy and he’s currently “teaching” his younger brother, Adam, to bowl with the Dragon. Blake has become so connected with the Dragon Bowling Ball Ramp that he considers the Dragon his friend, Wilson said.
Blake’s home center of 10 lanes has one Dragon Ramp of each color: green, pink, glow red and glow purple.
“The Jayhawk Dragon Bowling Ball Ramp is an attraction that makes a bowling center inviting and fun,” Wilson said. “We thank Blake for joining our team at Jayhawk Bowling Supply and spreading his message about how much he and his friends love bowling with a Dragon.”
Cincinnati to Host 2024 Women’s Championships
Western Bowl Strike and Spare will be the host center when the 2024 United States Bowling Congress Women’s Championships takes place in Cincinnati.
The Cincinnati USA Convention & Visitors Bureau teamed with Western Bowl for the winning proposal to bring the annual tournament to Cincinnati for third time. Western Bowl has 68 lanes for competition.
“To bring an event with such a rich history to Cincinnati is a tremendous opportunity, and Western Bowl Strike and Spare will be a great venue,” said Mike Laatsch, Interim President and CEO for the Cincinnati USA CVB. “Cincinnati has so much to offer bowlers during their time in our city, and we’re looking forward to working with the USBC and the team at Western Bowl to create an exciting and memorable experience.”
Upcoming USBC Women’s Championships sites:
2018 — Reno, Nev.
2019 — Wichita, Kan.
2020 — Las Vegas, Nev.
2021 — Addison, Ill.
2022 — Reno, Nev.
2023 — Las Vegas, Nev.
2024 — Cincinnati, Ohio
More: http://www.bowlersjournal.com/cincinnati-to-host-2024-usbc-womens-championships/
Vet Replaces Super Bowl Party With Patriotic Bash
Football fans in Philadelphia are ecstatic.
Football fans in New England are disappointed.
But we can’t tell you how the football fans in Coloma, Mich., feel following Sunday’s Super Bowl game, because the proprietor of Coloma Lanes did not host a Super Bowl party this year — ending a 29-year tradition.
“I have been a huge NFL football fan all of my life,” Ray Steadmon told mlive.com. “This year… [I watched] these guys sitting in protest during our national anthem, disrespecting my country, disrespecting my flag, in my opinion. It made me so angry.”
So, Steadmon replaced the Super Bowl bash with a Stars and Stripes bowling tournament. Instead of names like the Eagles or Patriots, the three-person teams embraced names like Paratroopers, Seals and Rangers.
Steadmon is an Army veteran and the son of a veteran, and although he took a business risk by taking a political stand, the community embraced the event.
Read more here: http://www.mlive.com/news/kalamazoo/index.ssf/2018/02/michigan_bowling_alley_shuns_s.html
Sponsorship Extended for 2 Years
Bowling.com has extended its sponsorship of the Youth Open Championships for the next two years, and competitors now can register for the tournament through the event registration portal of the USBC.
The 2018 Bowling.com Youth Open Championships will take place this summer at Cityview Lanes in Fort Worth, Texas. Tournament dates will be July 12-13, 20-22 and 28-29. The annual tournament, which started in 2007, is held in conjunction with the Junior Gold Championships, which will take place in the Dallas area in 2018.
Briefly…
* Jim Penick, owner and operator of Park Lanes in Heath, Ohio, for 37 years, passed away on Jan. 22. He was 76. Penick was the driving force behind the center’s reconstruction two decades ago, and was a strong supporter of Big Brothers Big Sisters.
* With the help of PBA Hall of Famer Norm Duke, Houston Rockets All-Star guard Chris Paul won his second consecutive and fourth overall doubles title in the State Farm CP3 PBA Celebrity Invitational Presented by GoBowling! The special was televised Sunday on ESPN from Bowlero The Woodlands in suburban Houston. In the featured event of the 9th annual invitational event involving PBA stars and celebrity bowlers to benefit Paul’s CP3 Family Foundation, Paul teamed with Duke for an error-free, 10-strike performance in the alternate-frame doubles format championship match to beat eight-time PBA Tour titlist Bill O’Neill and Boston Red Sox All-Star outfielder Mookie Betts, 259-226. More: http://www.bowlersjournal.com/chris-paul-and-norm-duke-win-state-farm-cp3-pba-celebrity-invitational/
* Ever try to keep track of your total combined pins for more than a season or two? How about a full year or two? Three years? Five years? How about a lifetime? That is the task to which 84-year-old Paul Tamburrino has applied himself since at least the late 1950s. Paul estimates that he has bowled about 170 leagues around the country over those 60-plus years, and he meticulously has recorded his combined pinfall total in one score book after another over that time, every one of which he has stored away in a crate. On Friday, Jan. 26 during the Friday Seniors league that meets at noon at Cypress Lanes in Winter Haven, Fla., Tamburrino shot a 767 series to finally reach a milestone he had pursued with increasing anticipation in recent months. The series brought his lifetime league pinfall total to more than 4 million pins — 4,000,021, to be exact. It is thanks to Paul’s two grandsons, Ryan and Maxx Tamburrino, that BJI was made aware of this man’s incredible lifelong project. Maxx currently bowls with the esteemed Webber International men’s bowling program, while his brother Ryan bowled with the program last year before graduating with a Master’s Degree. So, our gratitude goes out to Ryan and Maxx for their help with this, because it’s thanks to them that you now get to hear Paul Tamburrino tell his story here on the latest edition of the BJI Podcast: http://www.bowlersjournal.com/bji-podcast-the-84-year-old-man-whose-lifelong-bowling-project-will-stun-you/
* The guest this week on Phantom Radio is BJI’s resident historian and “Yesteryear” columnist, J.R. Schmidt. To listen to the conversation, go to: http://www.kegel.net/phantomblog/.
* CONTACT: Please send business news, event information, etc. to Bob Johnson at bjibob@aol.com. For breaking business news, visit bcmmag.com or bowlersjournal.com, and “Like” Bowling Center Management and Bowlers Journal International on Facebook. BJI Cyber Reports are now archived at bcmmag.com.
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