Major – Charette honored at New England Pro 4 banquet.

Posted by Wayne G. Barber

Story and Photos by James & Crystal Snape

The Ramada Inn, Seekonk, MA was the site of the N. E. Pro. 4 modifieds banquet to celebrate their 2015 season with food, drinks, music and awards.

Andy Major of Wales, MA took top honors in the Pro 4 modified's while Mark Charette of Wolcott, CT took down the Pro 4 Lites championship. Majors' impressive run to the championship included three victories and eight top 10 finishes while Charette was just as successful in his way to the Lites championship with three victories and eight top five's.

Major said "We weren't sure about running the entire 2015 schedule but after we won the first race of the year the ball just kept rolling for us. Now for 2016 we have an extra motor in the shop and we are working on a second car. I'd love to have back-to-back championships."

Series president Phil Lausier said "The 2015 season had a 13 race schedule, but lost out to some rain outs and the teams indicated they wanted more race dates so we are excited to announce a 15 race schedule and basically our home track will be the Waterford Speedbowl with Thompson, Lee USA, Seekonk, Monadnock and Star Speedway mixed in for a nice variety of tracks. We're really excited about going back to Star Speedway this year, the cars really go good there, it's a blast for me because I won the last time we ran there. The one thing I like about this group is we had a lot of very good teams and will have a couple of new teams joining our regular competitors and everyone is committed to putting on a good, clean show and the promoters seem to be happy with what we put forth. I think we will see a larger turnout of cars because of our new schedule. We have the best officers and officials that put together a clean, tight well-run show. I'm pretty excited about the 2016 season."

Awards.

1-Andy Major – 407 – 3 wins.

2 – Derek Robbie – 407.

3 – Norm Wrenn III – 393. – 1 win

4 – Phil Lausier – 370. –2 wins

5 – Randy Clark – 298.

6 – Robin Berghman – 260

7 – Dan Merservey Sr. – 238

8 – Brett Merservey – 219.

9 – Dave Richardi – 136 –1 win.

10 – Rob Richardi Jr. – 119 –1 win.

Pro 4 Lites

1 – Mark Charette – 344 –3 wins.

2 – Doug Merservey Jr. – 284 –3 wins.

3 – Dion Doyle – 182

Sportsmen of the year – Mark Charette.

Rookie of the year Pro 4 – Brett Merservey.

Rookie of the year Lites – Dion Doyle.

Mechanic of the year Pro 4 – Len Major.

Mechanic of the year Lites – Keith and Ken Harwood.

Most improved – Randy Clark Jr.

Hard charger – Andy Maj.

Hard luck – Doug Merservey Jr​

Preece fulltime in Xfinity series in 2016

Posted by Wayne G. Barber

 Preece, 

Photo by Wayne G. Barber 2015 Thompson World Series

to drive for JD Motorsports: The 2016 NASCAR Xfinity Series season will be brand new, and the JD Motorsports with Gary Keller team is ready to shine in the new landscape. NASCAR has changed the system that decides the championship in the Xfinity Series, adding a version of the Chase format that has been successful for several seasons in the Sprint Cup Series. JDM plans to field three cars again this season in the Xfinity Series.
Ross Chastain, who turned in a superior performance in his rookie Xfinity season last year, returns to the team's #4 Chevrolets with backing from the watermelon industry. Brian Berry will be the team's crew chief, with Gary Cogswell also on board at JDM as a co-crew chief and key mechanic across all of the team's operations.
Former NASCAR Whelen Modified champion Ryan Preece takes over JDM's #01 Chevys. Zach McGowan, already familiar with Preece from working with him in both Sprint Cup and Xfinity races, will be the team's crew chief. Preece, who won the Modified championship in 2013, has raced with support from Mohawk Northeast, Inc., Mizzy Construction and Falmouth Ready Mix.
Eric McClure joins JDM to drive the team's #0 Chevrolet in the season-opener Feb. 20 at Daytona International Speedway. Todd Myers will be crew chief. Reynolds Wrap will be McClure's sponsor. JDM plans to field the #0 cars throughout the season and is actively pursuing driver/sponsor partnerships going forward.
G&K Services, a long-time JDM sponsor, returns in 2016 as one of the team's key ingredients. "Everything is lining up well," Davis said. "We expect to have three strong teams when we get things started next month in Daytona. We should be astronomically better than last year. We're better prepared, and we have more resources."(JD Motorsports)(1-25-2016)

North East Street Stock Tour Boasts New Tracks, Marquee Events in 2016 Schedule

Posted by Wayne G. Barber

The North East Street Stock Tour will visit Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park twice to bookend the sophomore season, as well as visit two new tracks, to highlight the 2016 season. 

 

The North East Street Stock Tour (NESST) will begin the second season at the 5/8 mile Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park, as part of the 42^nd annual Icebreaker, on April 8-10.  The tour will be one of twelve divisions on the weekend, including the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour. 

 

Next on the schedule will be a first for the NESST, as the tour travels to Claremont, NH on May 6, to tackle the unique layout of Claremont Speedway.  Revisiting New London-Waterford Speedbowl, the tour will be a part of the Showdown at the Speedbowl on May 28, followed by a return visit to Lee USA Speedway on June 17. 

 

The second half of the season begins at another new facility on the schedule, as the NESST travels to Oxford, ME to be a part of Colossal Carnage Night at the 3/8 mile raceway.  The event will include an enduro, the Pro All Star Series non-winners race, spectator drags, and a 35-lap feature event for the tour.

 

Monadnock Speedway will host two back-to-back events in the 2016 season, the first on July 30, with the second as part of the championship night at the facility, Super Saturday, on October 1. 

 

A champion will be crowned, once again, at Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park on October 15-17, as part of the Sunoco World Series of Speedway Racing.

 

The series will honor the inaugural champion, Joe Arena, at the Champions Awards Banquet on the rescheduled date of February 20, at the Raceway Restaurant at Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park. 

 

For more information on the North East Street Stock Tour, visit www.nestreetstocktour.com.

Saturday, April 9 42^nd Annual Icebreaker (20 laps)

Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park (Thompson, CT)

Friday, May 6 Claremont Speedway

Claremont Speedway (Claremont, NH)

Saturday, May 28 Showdown at the Speedbowl (35 laps)

New London-Waterford Speedbowl (Waterford, CT)

Friday, June 17 Lee USA Speedway (35 laps)

Lee USA Speedway (Lee, NH)

Sunday, July 3 Colossal Carnage Night (35 laps)

Oxford Plains Speedway (Oxford, ME)

Saturday, July 30 Monadnock Speedway (35 laps)

Monadnock Speedway (Winchester, NH)

Saturday, October 1 Super Saturday (35 laps)

Monadnock Speedway (Winchester, NH)

Friday, October 14 - Sunoco World Series of Speedway Racing (20 laps)

 

N.E. Street Stock Tour

Posted by Wayne G. Barber

ATTN NESST TEAMS: We regret to inform you that our awards banquet, scheduled for Saturday Jan23rd is postponed. Repeat....POSTPONED, due to the weather that may come in Saturday. We will get a rescheduled date as soon as we can...we apologize for any inconvenience this causes.

Kyle Busch skipping restrictor-plate races in the lower series

Posted by Wayne G. Barber

The 2016 schedule for defending NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion #18-Kyle Busch is coming into focus. He plans to run a full Sprint Cup Series schedule for the first time since 2014, about 15 to 18 Xfinity Series races and no Camping World Truck Series races as of now. And notably, Busch is skipping all of the restrictor-plate races in the lower series after getting badly injured during one of them last season. "No restrictor-plate races," he said Tuesday. "I'm out of that stuff." Why? "My wife won't let me," Busch said with a grin. "And (team owner) Joe (Gibbs). Joe and Samantha made that decision. I was thinking about it, but they were like, 'No.'" He needed another surgery in December - this time to remove the metal plate in his foot and metal rod in his leg. It was successful, and Busch said he's already back to 85% strength.(USA Today)(1-20-2016)

Chase Format Extended to XFINITY & Camping World Truck Series

Posted by Wayne G. Barber

Using the overwhelming success of the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup format introduced in 2014 as a guidepost, NASCAR Chairman and CEO Brian France announced the implementation of a playoff system in both the NASCAR XFINITY Series and NASCAR Camping World Truck Series. The NASCAR XFINITY Series and NASCAR Camping World Truck Series will each feature a seven-race Chase to decide its respective championships starting in 2016. "Fans, partners and the industry have embraced the new Chase format like nothing we've seen in the sport's history," said France. "Winning never has been this important, and the excitement generated the past two seasons in the Sprint Cup Series has led to this implementation of the Chase format in all three national series. Competition in both the NASCAR XFINITY Series and NASCAR Camping World Truck Series will undoubtedly elevate to new heights and shine a spotlight on the rising stars of our sport."
The NASCAR XFINITY Series, where "Names Are Made," and the rugged NASCAR Camping World Truck Series will implement seven-race, three-round Chase formats with unique characteristics but very much in the same spirit of the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup. All three series will conclude the Chase with a Championship 4 race at Homestead-Miami Speedway to crown a champion. However, all three will begin at different tracks: Chicago (Sprint Cup Series), Kentucky (XFINITY Series) and New Hampshire (Camping World Truck Series)
Drivers still must declare a series in which they will earn points, and will only be eligible to compete for a championship in that series. The 16 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series drivers who qualified for the 2015 Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup will be ineligible to compete in the 2016 NASCAR XFINITY Series and NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Championship 4 races at Homestead-Miami Speedway.
NASCAR XFINITY SERIES CHASE The seven-race NASCAR XFINITY Series Chase will begin at Kentucky Speedway on Sept. 24, and feature 12 drivers and two elimination rounds, with four drivers competing in the Championship 4 at Homestead-Miami Speedway. A win in the first 26 races all but guarantees a driver entry into the NASCAR XFINITY Series Chase, provided the driver is in the top 30 in points and has attempted to qualify for each race. Drivers who win two Dash 4 Cash bonuses are also all but guaranteed a Chase berth.
The first round, called the Round of 12, consists of the races at Kentucky, Dover and Charlotte. All drivers will start with their points adjusted to 2,000, with three additional bonus points added to their total for each win in the first 26 races. If a driver wins a race in the Round of 12, the driver automatically advances to the next round. The remaining available positions (1-8) that have not been filled by wins will be filled on points.
Each driver who advances to the Round of 8 (Kansas, Texas, Phoenix) then will have their points reset to 3,000. Drivers who win a race in the Round of 8 automatically advance to the Championship 4. The remaining available positions (1-4) that have not been filled by wins will be filled on points.
The four drivers who advance to the Championship 4 at Homestead will have their points reset to 4,000. The highest finishing Championship 4 driver will be crowned the NASCAR XFINITY Series champion.
NASCAR CAMPING WORLD TRUCK SERIES CHASE The seven-race NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Chase will begin at New Hampshire Motor Speedway on Sept. 24. It will feature eight drivers and two elimination rounds, with four drivers competing in the Championship 4 at Homestead-Miami Speedway. A win in the first 16 races all but guarantees a driver entry into the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Chase, provided that the driver is in the Top 30 in points and has attempted to qualify for each race.
The first round, called the Round of 8, consists of the races at New Hampshire, Las Vegas, and Talladega. All drivers will have their points adjusted to 2,000, with three additional bonus points added to their total for each win in the first 16 races. If a driver wins a race in the Round of 8, the driver automatically advances to the next round. The remaining available positions (1-6) that have not been filled by wins will be filled on points.
Each driver who advances to the Round of 6 (Martinsville, Texas, Phoenix) then will have their points reset to 3,000. Drivers who win a race in the Round of 6 automatically advance to the Championship 4. The remaining available positions (1-4) that have not been filled by wins will be filled on points. The four drivers who advance to the Championship 4 at Homestead will have their points reset to 4,000. The highest finishing Championship 4 driver will win the championship. All rules outlined above also apply to both series' owner championship structure.(NASCAR)(1-19-2016)

Carl Edwards' Vermont Snowmobile Trip

NASCAR driver Carl Edwards spoke at the Charlotte Media Tour about his recent trip to Vermont to snowmoible with his new crew chief, Dave Rogers.

Cole Custer to drive JR Motorsports’ No. 00 Truck full-time in 2016

Posted by Wayne G. Barber

After earning his dues over 19 part-time races due to NASCAR’s age minimum, Cole Custer will finally go racing full-time in the Camping World Truck Series in 2016.
Custer, who turns 18 on Jan. 23, was announced as the full-time driver for JR Motorsports’ No. 00 Haas Automation Chevrolet Silverado
A member of NASCAR Next, Custer earned two wins over the last two seasons, at New Hampshire Motor Speedway and Gateway Motorsports Park. He also has three poles, with one coming in 2015 at Martinsville Speedway.
“I’m looking forward to seeing Cole run the full season,” said team owner Dale Earnhardt Jr., in a press release. “He and the team showed they have great speed and the ability to run up front in their limited schedule last year. We have great people and partners in place to make this a top-notch effort and give them the opportunity to go out and learn, win races, and compete for the championship.”
Custer will continue to work with crew chief Joe Shear Jr., who has worked with the California native for all of his Truck starts.
“We are all pretty confident heading into the season,” said Custer. “Joe and I have been together for three years and we have a great relationship. We’ve shown a lot of speed in our time together, and we need to build a little more consistency. I can help that with the way I drive. Last year, we were running to win races and get experience; this year, it’s going to be all about the points.”
The points racing begins with the Truck Series’ season opener on Feb. 19 with the NextEra Energy Resources 250 at Daytona International Speedway.Source:
“We are all pretty confident heading into the season,” said Custer. “Joe and I have been together for three years and we have a great relationship. We’ve shown a lot of speed in our time together, and we need to build a little more consistency. I can help that with the way I drive. Last year, we were running to win races and get experience; this year, it’s going to be all about the points.”
The points racing begins with the Truck Series’ season opener on Feb. 19 with the NextEra Energy Resources 250 at Daytona International Speedway.Source:
“We are all pretty confident heading into the season,” said Custer. “Joe and I have been together for three years and we have a great relationship. We’ve shown a lot of speed in our time together, and we need to build a little more consistency. I can help that with the way I drive. Last year, we were running to win races and get experience; this year, it’s going to be all about the points.”
The points racing begins with the Truck Series’ season opener on Feb. 19 with the NextEra Energy Resources 250 at Daytona International Speedway.Source: Daniel Mc Fadden

North East Street Stock Tour to Hold Inaugural Championship Banquet

Posted by Wayne G. Barber Photos Wayne G. Barber Collection

THOMPSON, CT - The North East Street Stock Tour (NESST) will hold the Championship Awards Banquet on January 23, at the Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park Raceway Restaurant.  The top-10 in the final point standings in the series’ inaugural season will be honored, as well as the 2015 champion, Joe Arena.

Along with the top-10 being recognized at the Championship Awards Banquet, specialty awards will be handed out, including the Sportsmanship award, and Hard Charger, given to the driver who advanced his final position the most in feature events throughout the season.

The banquet will begin at 11AM, with social hour lasting until 12PM, and lunch and awards ceremonies to follow.

Tickets are available by contacting Josh Vanada via email at Josh@otbpromos.net, or by calling (774) 226-3229.  Tickets are $30, and must RSVP by January 18, 2015.

For more information on the North East Street Stock Tour, visit www.nestreetstocktour.com

The 2016 schedule is set to be released just prior to the Championship Awards Banquet, happening on January 23, at the Raceway Restaurant at Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park

Abreu wins back to back Chili Bowls

Posted by Wayne G. Barber

Abreu wins second straight Chili Bowl: Rico Abreu celebrated one of the biggest victories of his career a year ago at the prestigious Chili Bowl, shortly before making one of the biggest moves of his career. The 4-foot-4 Abreu, one of the fastest-rising personalities in auto racing, celebrated another major career move by winning his second straight Chili Bowl on Saturday night - passing Bryan Clauson with 10 laps remaining. Abreu's victory came much to the delight of the overflow crowd inside the Tulsa Expo Raceway, where fans chanted his name a year ago and cheered him on during his final laps on Saturday. The 23-year-old Californian and former USAC Midget car champion followed last year's victory by moving on to the K&N East Series, where he finished fifth and won his first career stock car race at Columbus Motor Speedway in July. This time around, Abreu's big career move - a full-time step up to NASCAR's Truck Series - was announced the day before his Chili Bowl victory.
After leading for much of the race, Clauson - the 2014 winner - finished second for the second straight year. Zach Daum was third. Kyle Larson was fifth, and fellow NASCAR drivers Kasey Kahne 13th and Ricky Stenhouse 16th. Nearly 350 drivers began fighting their way through the grueling qualifying races on Tuesday, with 24 remaining for the 55-lap final late on Saturday night.(Associated Press)(1-17-2016)

New England Truck Series Celebrates 2015 at the Imperial Room

Posted by Wayne G. Barber All photos from the Wayne G. Barber Collection

 I look forward to this event and mark it on my racing calendar every racing season. The group came back to the Imperial Room, 34 Furnace St. Danielson after everyone was very content in 2014. The facility is top notch and very clean with ample free parking just off the major highway. Appetizers were fresh and on time and the Hot Buffet with Ham in a great raison glazed sauce and also a excellent supply of Roast Beef and to my surprise a tray of imitation Lobster on a bed of lettuce and ice and a very tangy sauce. The bartender was excellent and the Patriots were winning on everyone's smart phone.
    The hardware was displayed in order and Awards in Killingly. Conn. did and outstanding job.
  Very interesting racing 2015 season to say the least by the faithful. Yes 14 races on the schedule keying on the momentum of the 2014 racing season.

  The Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park Ice Breaker season opener drew a nice count of 13 trucks. One of the Long Island entries who invested the extra moolah in ferry fees came away with a convincing victory to begin a string of 4 on different racing surfaces and size tracks to lead all divisions on the East Coast in any division.
  #88 Roger Turbush took the checker flag over fellow Long Islander #95 Erin ( Dumicich) Solimito.(Racing Royalty)
I had a hunch that this would be Turbush's year and booked him for a interview on the RACE CHATTER as fast as I could. This racing family is three generations deep and are folklore at the Riverhead Speedway. Solomito has been featured on our (Woman in Racing) a weekly segment of our broadcast for the last few years and tied last year for the track championship and only lost by a tie breaker back home in Super Trucks at Riverhead. The broadcast  receives live e-mail and the locals were loud on why I would give precious air time to a Invader and a WOMAN in one show !
 I Politely responded that ALL short track New England racing would continue to have equal airtime  on our steady growth in the ratings and my one on one interviews in the pits, stands and the press box. I did not know that Turbush would set such a blistering pace it would warrant 4 appearance's on the program and you know looking back Turbush was always honest, polite and did not pass on any tough e-mail that came in live. Regular job, extra travel ferry rides and a baby on the way, different crew members and (Lucky) I mean brother Chris, a winning father who came out of retirement and kicked butt or young Mark Stewart making his own mark back home did not deter Turbush.
 In the 13 point races with the 7-4 New London Waterford Speedbowl dropped Turbush claimed 6 wins,6 2nd's and 13 top 10's good for a leading 670 points. Hell he even set a record pole and fast time at the 1.7 mile road course before mechanical problems took him out of contention.
  I followed not stalked the female drivers in this division and was impressed with #95 Erin Solomito entering only 6 races with a second in the Ice Breaker, 5 top 5's and a worst race of a 13th after trying her best to move a wall. It would have been interesting to see just where she would have finished with a full season. I hope we see in 2016.
 We also had history Thompson Road Course record set for female race driver with the #78 Cassandra( Facebook Shy) Coates with the first ever series points accumulated and a well deserverd third place podium finish that she will cherish for ever. Selfie shy Coates now joins the Thompson history books with Shelly Perry the first weekly winner and a weekly division champion from the Monster Mini's.
  #42 Frank Dumicich Jr. kept the heat on Turbush the entire year with two victories including the road course win over his dad with a late game changing pass and 6- 2nds and 10 top 5's.
 Third place went to 3 time winner Bert Ouelette who also collected 4 top 5's and 11 top 10's.
 I have interviewed a lot of winners in victory lane and no one has the adrenaline hormones working stronger the Bert did at the World Series victory and it warranted a guest on the broadcast and the short little devil did a outstanding job on the interview and if you did not know him you would have thought he has 6.5 and 240lbs by his confidence level and he thanked Turbush over the airways for helping him with the carburetor. Ouelette also took home the Most Improved driver award.
  #29 Josh Stringer climbed the points ladder to 4th in 2015 and was walking on air after winning the Rookie of the Year award for his mantle.
  #5 Frank Dumicich Sr. ( Big D) finished 5th on a partial schedule in 2015 and was awarded the Sportsman of the Year award to a round of well deserved applause.
 Thank You, Lorraine Pard and principle owner Marshal Hurley and two other partners

for the repeat banquet invite and for the opportunity to cover the 2015 racing season and share with our entire great Country the results and press releases and interview access to some of the greatest driving talent on the Eastern Seaboard.
 At press time management is still working to complete the 2016 racing season but in a exclusive interview with Hurley who was beaming about the date July 9th at Riverhead as the feature with at least 4 Florida Pro Truck teams coming up a $6,300 purse and $2,000 to win. Two big races at the New London Waterford Speedbowl on the schedule. Stay tuned for additional dates and press releases coming on a regular basis for our Web-Site and Radio Broadcast on the RACE CHATTER which by the time we fire back up for the 2016 racing season will also be on a new FM station that we are awaiting FCC approval.

Date	Track	Location	Winner	Distance	Results
April 8th***	Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park	Thompson CT		20
April 23rd	TBA
May 7th	New London Waterford Speedbowl	Waterford CT		25
June 11th	New London Waterford Speedbowl	Waterford CT		25
July 9th	Riverhead Nationals	Long Island , NY		55
July 22nd	Claremont Speedway	Claremont NH		55
July 31	Hudson International Speedway	Hudson, NH		55
Aug 21st	Hudson International Speedway	Hudson, NH		55
October 1	TBA
October 8th	Lee USA Speedway	Lee NH		35
October 14th - 15th***	Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park	Thompson CT		20

***
At this time Thompson Speedway's Ice Breaker and World Series are not points races.
We are hopeful they can be included, therefore remain on the schedule.
Thompson Speedway will be releasing a rules set, and a final determination whether to include this event as a points race will be made at that time.

New England Truck Series Banquet Tonight

Posted by Wayne G. Barber Photos Wayne G. Barber Collection

                One  of the my favorite events of the year.
      The 2015 season was highlighted by Frank Dumicich Jr.'s win and the podium finish of Cassandra Coates on the first ever road course event at Thompson Speedway, the emergence of a young rookie, Josh Stringer, and the unbelievable season of 2015 Champion Roger ( Repeat)Turbush a four time guest on the RACE CHATTER
 Watch Mr. (Excitement) Albert Ouillete  run to the podium.
        This year's banquet will celebrate the accomplishments of these fine racers. Passing Bird photography will be on hand with the year captured in photos.  This young female photographer really caught the excitement of the 2015 racing season with one of a kind images and has very low prices.Championship awards and a preview of next season are all part of an exciting event that starts at 7pm tonight.
Again one of my favorite times for any series is this awards banquet.  The 2015 New England truck Series awards banquet is tonight, January 16th at the Imperial Room, 34 Furnace St.  Danielson Ct.
 I will have copies of our book New England's Golden Years of Racing: Their History and a Glimpse into the Future

 and if you purchased one elsewhere I will gladly sign your copy.

New Ride for Rico Abreu in Camping World Truck Series

Posted by Wayne G. Barber

Abreu to join ThorSport: Rico Abreu will drive full-time for ThorSport in the 2016 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series. Sources confirmed to Motorsport.com that Abreu is expected to layout his plans during an announcement on Friday at the Chili Bowl Nationals. Abreu also hopes to include news of a pending sponsor. After completing his first full season in the K&N Pro Series East Tour, Abreu, who turns 24 later this month, made his Camping World Truck Series debut on Nov. 13 at Phoenix International Raceway. He finished 28th on the one-mile track after being caught up in a wreck. In order to gain eligibility for the 2016 truck tour, Abreu also raced in the season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway where he finished 13th. Abreu won the 2014 USAC Midget Series title and the 2015 Chili Bowl prior to making his NASCAR debut last February at New Smyrna. His transition came quickly, with Abreu winning in just his seventh start from the pole at Columbus (Ohio) Motor Speedway. In 14 NKNPSE starts, the St. Helena, Calif. native posted one win, four top fives and eight top-10 finishes. Abreu had an average qualifying effort of 7.6 and an average finish of 9.4. He led 119 of 1,690 circuits. ThorSport has competed in the truck series since 1996, and the Sandusky, Ohio-based squad is the longest-tenured Truck team in NASCAR. Under the ownership of Duke Thorson, the organization has two championships with Matt Crafton, 12 victories, 13 poles, 98 top fives and 237 top-10 finishes. Abreu is expected to pilot the #98 Toyota Tundra with Doug George as his crew chief.(Motorsport.com)(1-13-2016)

Thompson Speedway’s 2016 Road Course Schedule Sees New Offerings and Return of Fan Favorites

Posted by Wayne G. Barber

(THOMPSON, CT) - Since the re-opening of the 1.7-mile road course at Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park (TSMP) in 2014, the facility has worked on developing a robust and varied schedule of events that will cater to drivers and fans alike. This year’s schedule will see the return of some events that have quickly turned into annual traditions and new events will complement the already robust road course schedule.  The most important is the launch of Thompson’s own Summer Road Race Series, which will offer New England racers and fans the opportunity to try something completely new in a friendly one-day format.

“We are delighted to continue on with some of the road racing traditions that we have started over the past several years.  In addition, we are looking forward to hosting our own Summer Road Race Series, which will be headlined by the Legends. Last year they provided some of the best racing we have seen on our newly renovated road course has opened,” TSMP General Manager, Josh Vanada, remarked.

The road racing season will once again kick off with the 2nd Annual Icebreaker, Road Race Style on Friday and Saturday, April 29-30. This event will be first opportunity of the season to race, giving competition license holders the opportunity to dust off the racing cobwebs after a long winter. The event is open to holders of all licenses eligible for regional competition in SCCA, NASA, IMSA, PCA, VRT, Chump Cars, LeMons, VSCCA and BMWCCA. The event is unique in its format, giving drivers much more track time than is typical.  An addition to this year’s event will be the first TSMP points race for the INEX Legends.

The next event on the schedule will be the inaugural Vintage Motorcycle Classic, on Sunday, May 15, immediately following the Historic Oval Invitational. This event will include a track event, swap meet, antique motorcycle show, and vendor area.

Another returning event will be the Open Wheel Weekend on Friday and Saturday, May 20-21, featuring the Formula Lites, along with the INEX Legend series. The Formula Lites, a new open-wheel racing series with machines based on Formula Three cars, held their inaugural race at TSMP last year. This series is part of the development ladder for young drivers looking to move up into Formula 1 or IndyCar. They will be joined on Friday by the INEX Legend cars, who will be returning to the 1.7-mile track, as one of their five road course stops in the schedule. The weekend will also see Formula Vee and Formula F cars, two of the oldest open-wheel classes, take to the track.

The premier event of the 2016 road course season will once again be the 3rd Annual Vintage Motorsports Festival on June 23-25. This event showcases cars from each of the periods in which the Thompson road course has operated, and embodies the rich history of the track. The 2016 event will see over 150 cars, including sports cars, open wheel, production and sports racers, race wheel-to-wheel throughout the 3-day event, and will be co-hosted by VRG (Vintage Racer Group) and VSCCA (Vintage Sport Car Club of America).

The Optima Batteries Chump Car World Series, one of the most popular endurance series in the country, will also be coming to the road course at TSMP for the first time on July 1-2 to run a 12-hour endurance race on the 1.7 mile track.

TSMP will play host to StarFest, the Mercedes-Benz Club of America’s (MBCA) largest national event, for the first time this year,. This event sees MBCA members from around the country converge on the “Quiet Corner” of Connecticut for track events on the road course and autocross skid pad at TSMP, Road Rallyes, a Concours d’Elegance and more. This event will be August 3 – 6, 2016.

Other returning events will include the 24 Hours of Lemons, “GP du Lac Chargoggagoggmanchauggagoggchaubunagungamaugg,” which will be held on August 12-14.

The SCCA New England Region will once again run two regional races as part of the New England Road Racing Championship (NERRC) series, on July 22-23 and October 7-8.

Thompson will also be launching its own Summer Road Race Series to be held on Sunday afternoons throughout the summer.  This series will give drivers a cost-effective way to race on the road course, with a one-day format providing the opportunity to get a full weekend’s worth of racing in one afternoon. This series will be held on June 5, July 10, and August 7 with classes for Fiat 500 cars, small bore (including Miatas), big bore and the INEX Legends. Registration for these events will be available through the TSMP website, beginning February 1st. For more information about the series, contact the TSMP office at 860-923-2280.

In addition to racing events, the 2016 schedule will see the long-awaited return of Skip Barber Racing School to the track where it first started as it will hold several schools throughout the season on the road course. 

TSMP will also host several car shows throughout the year, including the New England Dustoff Volkswagen & Audi meet on May 1, Honda Fest on June 12, and Toyota vs. Mazda “Bragging Rights” on September 18. 

With a full schedule on the docket for 2016, there is sure to be something for every race fan and driver at Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park. For more information about our 2016 schedule, including ticket prices, visit www.thompsonspeedway.com or call 860-923-2280. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Youtube to stay up to the date on the latest news and events.

Stafford Speedway Set to Host the K&N Pro East Series On June 17, 2016

Posted by Wayne G. Barber

(Stafford Springs, CT)---After a 7 year hiatus the NASCAR K&N Pro East Series will return to Stafford Motor Speedway for the running of the NASCAR 150.  The Connecticut famed half-mile will be the only short track New England appearance for the series in 2016.

Kyle Larson Facebook Photo Share 90 Days

“We’re looking forward to hosting the NASCAR K&N Pro East Series,” said Stafford COO/GM Mark Arute.  “The K&N Pro East Series has always provided a nice mix of up and coming drivers with local drivers and there have been a great deal of K&N drivers that have succeeded at the highest levels of NASCAR.  Trevor Bayne and Joey Logano have both won the Daytona 500 and we’ve also had drivers like Martin Truex, Jr. and Austin Dillon, who have won championships in the premier divisions of NASCAR.  This season’s K&N Pro Series East drivers could very well be future Daytona 500 or premier series champions.”

“NASCAR and Stafford Motor Speedway have enjoyed a long partnership and we’re excited to bring the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East back to such an historic venue,” said George Silbermann, NASCAR vice president, regional and touring series. “Many names have been made over the years because of their success at Stafford. The NASCAR K&N Pro Series East represents a tremendous opportunity for the best and brightest young stars in the sport to compete, and I know many of them are already looking forward to testing their skills at Stafford.”

Stafford Speedway hosted its first K&N Pro East Series back in 1987 when the series was known as the Busch North Series with Tommy Houston taking the checkered flag.  Stafford hosted 28 more K&N Pro East Series races from 1991-2008 with the track proving a tough nut to crack as there were 21 different winners in the 29 K&N Pro East races held at Stafford.  Mike Johnson and Kelly Moore lead all drivers with three career wins each at Stafford, Andy Santerre, Mike Stefanik, Brad Leighton, and Martin Truex, Jr. each have 2 wins, and there are 15 drivers who each have 1 career win at Stafford.  Each of Stafford’s 21 K&N Pro East Series feature winners have made starts in one of NASCAR’s three premier divisions and well over 50 drivers who have raced at Stafford in the K&N ranks have made starts in a premier series event.

Stafford Speedway’s history with the K&N Pro East Series dates back to 1979 when it hosted the NASCAR North Tour.  Hector LeClair, Mike Barry, Jean-Paul Cabana, and Robbie Crouch all won races at Stafford between 1979-1985 before the NASCAR North Series evolved into the K&N Pro East Series in 1987.

The last K&N Pro East Series race at Stafford came down to a memorable finish.  After Brian Ickler and Ted Christopher spent much of the 150-lap race swapping the race lead between themselves, the two cars came together with 2 laps to go which handed the race lead and the win to Peyton Sellers.  Stafford has also proven to be a tough track to get a handle on.  In his only career appearance at Stafford, Logano, who has gone on to become a Daytona 500 champion and he finished second in the 2014 Sprint Cup standings, spun midway through the race and finished outside the top-10 in 11^th place. 

Stay tuned to Stafford Motor Speedway online at www.staffordspeedway.com for details on the NASCAR 150. 

For more information, contact the Stafford Motor Speedway track office at 860-684-2783 or visit us on the web at www.staffordspeedway.com.

Source: Scott Running Stafford Speedway Media Press Release, Photo Facebook 90 Day Share

2016 NASCAR K&N PRO SERIES EAST SCHEDULE

Date	Track	Location
2/14	New Smyrna Speedway	New Smyrna, Fla.
3/12	Mobile International Speedway	Mobile, Ala.
3/26	Greenville Pickens Speedway	Greenville, S.C.
4/16	Bristol Motor Speedway	Bristol, Tenn.
4/30	Virginia International Raceway	Alton, Va.
5/30	Dominion Raceway	Woodford, Va.
6/17	Stafford Motor Speedway	Stafford, Conn.
7/2	Columbus Motor Speedway	Columbus, Ohio
7/15	New Hampshire Motor Speedway	Loudon, N.H.
7/29	Iowa Speedway	Newton, Iowa
8/5	Watkins Glen International	Watkins Glen, N.Y.
9/5	Greenville Pickens Speedway	Greenville, S.C.
9/17	New Jersey Motorsports Park	Millville, N.J.
9/30	Dover International Speedway	Dover, Del.