Cassie Rocco and Maina Rufrano Raise Nearly $6,000 for Cancer Research With Racing for the Cure Campaign at Stafford Speedway

Posted by Wayne G. Barber

Cassie Rocco and Maina Rufrano Raise Nearly $6,000 for Cancer Research With Racing for the Cure Campaign at Stafford Speedway

(Stafford Springs, CT)---As part of their Racing for the Cure campaign leading up to the NAPA Fall Final on Sept. 30, Cassie Rocco and Maina Rufrano took to the wheel of DARE Stock cars supplied by Rent A Racecar for the NAPA Fall Final feature event and in the process raised $5,903 for cancer research in the process.  Rocco is the wife of 3-time Stafford SK Modified® champion Keith Rocco and Rufrano is the wife of Rocco’s car owner John Rufrano and mother to SK Light driver Marcello Rufrano.

Rocco and Rufrano set up an online donation page through the American Cancer Society where donations could be made to support Rocco or Rufrano in their fundraising efforts leading up to the race.  Rocco’s race was cut short due to a fuel leak and she finished 21^st in the feature event while Rufrano came home with a 16^th place finish.  While Rocco might have lost the battle on the track, she raised $2,985 to Rufrano’s $2,918 to win the duel of raising the most money.

“Together we raised just shy of $6,000,” said Rocco.  “Our goal was to raise $5,000 so we exceeded our goal and expectation but I feel like we could do better for sure.  Maina won the race on the track but I won the race of raising money, so I’m all right with her beating me on the track.  She’s a little braver than I am so I think she would always beat me on the track.  Once I got over my fear and anxiety of being out on the track, I was having a blast.  I was literally just starting to really have fun and the car stopped.  I only got like 5 laps and I was hoping for more.  Now I know what to expect and I think it’ll be much better.”

With the success of their fundraising efforts this season, Rocco and Rufrano in conjunction with Stafford Speedway, are excited about organizing a ladies race for 2018 to help raise money for cancer research.

“I’m looking forward to doing this again next year at Stafford and I think I’ll be a lot more relaxed than I was this year,” said Rocco.  “I have some ideas floating around and I’d like to have a race where just wives and girlfriends can race each other rather than being out there with the all the guys, especially at the Fall Final.  I know guys are racing for championships and I would hate to be the cause of anything.  I was sick to my stomach before the race this year because I didn’t want to be the cause of a caution flag that maybe someone didn’t need during the race.  Luckily when my car stopped the caution was already out.”

While Rocco and Rufrano’s stated goal was $5,000 this season, they are looking to at least double that for the 2018 season.

“We had a late start to the fundraising this year and we really didn’t push the issue because there was so much other stuff going on yet we still raised almost $6,000,” said Rocco.  “I’d like to get started with the fundraising around Spring Sizzler and collect donations throughout the season so I think that $10,000 would be doable by Fall Final Weekend.  We’d like to at least double the donations we received this year.”

Stay tuned for the announcement of the 2018 Stafford Speedway schedule and a special ladies race that will focus on raising money for the American Cancer Society. 

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 Press Release

Champions Night continues tonight....

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

News, Results, Standings, Sponsor changes and Driver Interviews too !

E-Mail from now thru the broadcast at waynewnri@yahoo.com

Tonight, a possible New SK Mod Series for 2018 ?

Tentatively scheduled for 6:25 pm will be NEMA Lite 2017 Champion Dan Cugini

Randy Cabral NEMA Champion lit up the e-mails a few weeks ago, let's do it again tonight.

Matt Hirschman maybe if the celebrating is over !

A taste of the many photos at Seekonk. Are you looking for a particular car or driver ? waynewnri@yahoo.com

Seekonk Speedway Tri-Track Haunted 100, Late/Models and Legends

Posted by Wayne G. Barber & Photos by Wayne G. Barber

The Tri-Track took a gamble and added a fourth race to the 2017 racing season and the car counts were up, the weather was high 60;s and crowd swelled to fantastic day of racing in New England.

I think I counted 94 race teams extending their seasons and the heat races and consi's were worth the price of admission. I pre-picked two of the winners and a second place for a real good day. Iwill write a complete story on each race Sunday and edit the 367 photo's on the day. A special Thank You, to the staff and management at Seekonk Speedway, race team owners and drivers for providing some of the best racing in New England. A special Thank You to my fellow reporters also, Kevin Boucher, Dana Rowe, Kyle Souza, John Spence Sr. Conner Sullivan, Nick Teto and James and Crystal Snape, Karl Fredrickson of Speedway Illustrated.
The podium for the Tri Track was 1st for the sweep in 2017 Matt ( Mr. Money Man), 2nd Anthony( Ant) Nocella and 3rd place to
Rowan ( Big Red) Pennink.

The Late/ Model race was for 50 laps and the 2017 track champion grabbed the trophy on the last lap.  #1 Ryan Lineham last weeks guest on the Race Chatter
Champion Night

The Legends $750.00 to win drew 30 race teams and #03 Derek Gluchacki leading from green to checkers

Alexandra Fearn Wins R.A.D. Automachine Ltd. Late Model Rookie of the Year at Stafford Speedway

Posted by Wayne G. Barber

(Stafford Springs, CT)---After racing in the DARE Stock division for 4 seasons, Alexandra Fearn made the move into the Limited Late Model division for the 2017 season.  Her rookie campaign was a season filled with ups and downs and her main rival for the R.A.D. Automachine Rookie of the Year title was her brother Ryan.  Alexandra’s season didn’t get off to the most promising of starts, but by the time the season had ended, the driver of the #12 SAFCO Foam Chevrolet had posted a win to go along with 7 top-5 and 14 top-10 finishes to clinch the R.A.D Automachine Rookie of the Year award and the $500 bonus that goes along with it.

“It’s really, really amazing to be the rookie of the year this season, especially with the season we had,” said Fearn.  “At the NAPA Spring Sizzler, I lost the brakes in practice and drove the car straight into the turn 1 wall, so that was a great start to our season.  Then a couple weeks later we backed into the wall in an on track incident, so the cards didn’t seem to be in our favor.  As the season went on, we turned things around and it’s a huge accomplishment and an honor that showcased what we were able to do this year.  I think we exceeded our expectations for the year.  The season was definitely a roller coaster for us.  One week we’d be wrecked and then we’d have a couple of good consistent finishes and then another wreck.  But by the end of the season we had a couple of podium finishes, including a win, and we were in the top-5 in the division for laps lead during the season.  In my first season of DARE Stocks, we didn’t win a race so this year we definitely learned a lot and we had some success.  Everyone worked really hard and this award is a reminder of what we accomplished and what’s to come for 2018.”

After dealing with highs and lows throughout the course of her rookie season, Fearn experienced the highest of highs on Sept. 8 when she captured her first Limited Late Model feature victory. 

“The win was so satisfying for us,” said Fearn.  “There were a couple of races where we probably should have won, but we didn’t.  Like the week before we won, we led the whole race and then the axle cap fell off the car.  I’ve been around racing for most of my life and I don’t remember ever seeing something like that happening to anyone.  Getting that first win set the mood for us for the last couple of races and I think that’s why we were able to be so successful in the last few races.  We knew we were fast and we could be competitive with the top cars in the division.”

In addition to the trails and tribulations that she experienced during the season, Fearn says she had a big learning curve to combat in making the move from DARE Stocks up to Limited Late Models as well as having to learn a totally new set of drivers and their driving styles and tendencies.

“I would say the biggest challenge was I was so comfortable in the DARE car because I had been doing it for so long,” said Fearn.  “I knew the strategy I needed to win and what I needed to do to be fast whereas in the Limited, it’s a bigger car and it’s faster so there’s a whole different driving style and strategy needed to be competitive.  With the DARE car I knew I had to do X, Y, and Z where with the Limited car there’s so many more options.  Also I had never raced against any of the drivers in the Limited division before so I had to learn their driving style and tendencies.”

For the majority of the season, Alexandra and her brother Ryan were neck and neck in the Rookie of the Year standings.  Fearn says there was some good natured ribbing along the way between the two siblings and once the season had concluded, Ryan was very congratulatory towards her for winning rookie of the year.

“I remember I mentioned winning rookie of the year at dinner one night during the middle of the season and we were pretty close to each other in the points at that time, and he told me that I was going to have to beat him to win it and he gave me a little flak about that,” said Fearn.  “But at the end of the year after the Fall Final he was very congratulatory and very nice about it.  I have to thank Amedeo Francesca and my Father, they’re both the best and no words can describe the time and effort they both put into the car, Dave, John Powers, my brother Ryan, my mom Diane, Kevin Soper, Bob, and SAFCO Foam the best around, Williams Race Gears also top notch, Sunoco Race Fuels, Whip’s Sporting Goods, King Ward Coach Lines, and R.A.D. Automachine.  Also a big thank you to R.A.D. Automachine for the bonus.  They’re the best in the business and if everybody doesn’t already know that then they should know it now.  Don Wood is a great guy and big thanks to him for doing this program.  It’s a unique program and award for winning Rookie of the Year.”

Fearn will officially be crowned as the 2017 R.A.D. Automachine Limited Late Model Rookie of the Year at the 48th Annual Stafford Motor Speedway Champions Awards Ceremony on Friday, November 17 at Maneeley’s in South Windsor. 

Tickets to the 48th Annual Stafford Motor Speedway Champions Awards Ceremony are $48 per person and can be ordered by calling the Stafford Motor Speedway track office at (860) 684-2783, by downloading an order form from www.staffordspeedway.com and returning the form to the track office, or by paying for tickets online.  Source: Scott Running Stafford Speedway Press Release 

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

George Bessette, Jr. Wins R.A.D. Automachine DARE Stock Rookie of the Year Honors at Stafford Speedway

Posted by Wayne G. Barber

Stafford Springs, CT)---For the 2017 season at Stafford Motor Speedway, 14-year old Danbury native George Bessette, Jr. made the transition from Wild Thing Karts on Monday nights into the DARE Stock division.  After finishing second in the Junior Outlaw division points standings, in 2016, Bessette was confident he could make a successful transition to the DARE Stocks.  After racking up a win to go along with 9 top-5 and 15 top-10 finishes to take second in the final points standings, Bessette took home R.A.D. Automachine Rookie of the Year honors, which carries with it a $500 bonus.

“We expected that we were going to do pretty decent because we had a good car, good people working on it, and my father had track knowledge from racing at Stafford and he won a few races,” said Bessette.  “We felt like we had a good chance at winning rookie of the year.  I think we had a pretty good season but we never expected to finish second in points.  To be able to finish that well was pretty cool for us.  It’s great that R.A.D. does that for the rookies and I can’t thank them enough for putting up the rookie bonus and also for helping us out throughout the season with small stuff, like spark plugs.”

If Bessette had any reservations about making the step up from the Jr. Outlaw Kart ranks, he could always turn to his father for advice for his #39 Lasco Roofing and Sheet Metal machine.  George Bessette, Sr. was a veteran of Stafford’s Late Model division in the late 80’s and early 90’s and he has 2 wins at Stafford to his credit.

“It was great having my Dad to work with because we’re like two peas in a pod,” said Bessette.  “I would go out for practice and come back in and he wouldn’t just say what’s wrong with the car, he would tell me to grab a water, relax, and think about what was wrong with the car.  He would explain what changes he made to the car and maybe lift a little here or try this there and it definitely helped out.”

Bessette showed that he was a quick study behind the wheel as he began his rookie season with an 8^th place finish and he would go on to record top-8 finishes in each of the first 13 races before his top-10 streak ended on Sept. 8.  The highlight of Bessette’s season came in the Final Friday Night Shoot-Out on Sept. 22 where he collected his very first win after having come close earlier in the year with two second place finishes and three third place finishes.

“It was really good for us to get a win this year,” said Bessette.  “I felt like we had a good shot at winning a race this year but racing with guys like Johnny Walker made it tough, he has a ton of experience and a really good car.  We were right there and we just needed a break and finally we got it and we were able to win a race.  I’d like to thank Lasco Roofing and Sheet Metal, Lew Seward Plumbing and Heating, Northeast Carpet, Associate Lightning Rods, Bagelman, The Joie of Seating, Goodhill Mechanical, Dad, Mom, Sister, Dean, Daisy, Chippy, Bones, Steven, Pauly, Brandon, Tommy Huse, Grammy, Tony, Papi, Reid Bogie, Uncle Bruce, and the list goes on, I can’t thank everyone enough for all their support this season.”

With a season of DARE Stock competition and his first victory under his belt, Bessette is looking forward to returning in 2018 and challenging for the Street Stock (formally DARE Stock) championship.

“The DARE Stocks, or Street Stocks now, is a great division and it’s really interesting,” said Bessette.  “We’re planning on coming back next season in the Street Stocks and I feel like we’ll have a good year.  The car was running really well towards the end of the season versus how we started the season and I think we can be a contender for the championship.”

Bessette will officially be crowned as the 2017 R.A.D. Automachine DARE Stock Rookie of the Year at the 48th Annual Stafford Motor Speedway Champions Awards Ceremony on Friday, November 17 at Maneeley’s in South Windsor. 

Tickets to the 48th Annual Stafford Motor Speedway Champions Awards Ceremony are $48 per person and can be ordered by calling the Stafford Motor Speedway track office at (860) 684-2783, by downloading an order form from www.staffordspeedway.com and returning the form to the track office, or by paying for tickets online.  Source: Scott Running Stafford Speedway Press Release

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

Cory DiMatteo Wins R.A.D. Automachine SK Light Rookie of the Year Honors at Stafford Speedway

Posted by Wayne G. Barber

(Stafford Springs, CT)---For Farmington native Cory DiMatteo, the 2017 SK Light season at Stafford Speedway exceeded his expectations.  DiMatteo came to Stafford after racing Legend Cars and SK Lights at Waterford for an abbreviated schedule in 2016 and he not only came away with the R.A.D. Automachine Rookie of the Year award, but he won the championship as well, joining Michael Gervais, Jr., Matt Galko, and Jeremy Sorel as rookie SK Light drivers who also won the championship.

“It was a really good year for us,” said DiMatteo.  “We didn’t think we were going to win the championship but we felt like we would at least be in contention to win rookie of the year and win a race or two.  We ran 10 races last season at Waterford, so we were pretty new at modified racing.  The Legend Cars were pretty hard to drive and the SK Lights are much easier to drive plus having the great help that I had this season was a big help as well.”

Despite his relative lack of experience behind the wheel of a modified car, DiMatteo and the #6 Island Cove Yacht Sales team showed immediately that they were going to be not only contenders for the R.A.D. Automachine rookie award, but championship contenders with victories in each of the first two races of the season.

“Winning those first two races was a huge confidence booster and after that, that was kind of what we expected to do for the rest of the season,” said DiMatteo.  “After we won those first 2 races, we expected to win more races.  Had we not won those first 2 races, we would have been looking for top-5 finishes and not really have high expectations for ourselves.  Those 2 wins really set the bar for us for the season.”

Just as quickly as DiMatteo established himself as a contender, his season took a turn for the worse with three finishes of 15^th or worse in 3 of the next 5 races after his 2 wins to start the season.  But DiMatteo finished the season strong with top-6 finishes in each of the final 10 races of the season to slowly climb back into championship contention and ultimately the championship.  Despite the highs and lows of his season, DiMatteo says that things never got that stressful for himself or the team.

“It was never really that stressful,” said DiMatteo.  “We just tried to have fun all season long and let everything else take care of itself.  You really can’t stress over things because once you do, that’s when you start to make mistakes.  We had a lot of fun this season.  Stafford had side by side racing every Friday night so it was a lot of fun to race hard with some of my friends and to come out on top.  I have to give a big thanks to Island Cove Yacht Sales, Jon Manafort, Waddell Communications, Mom, Dad, my brother, Sign Pro, Powerhouse Motorsports, and everybody else who helped get us to the track this year.”

DiMatteo will officially be crowned as the 2017 R.A.D. Automachine SK Light Rookie of the Year at the 48th Annual Stafford Motor Speedway Champions Awards Ceremony on Friday, November 17 at Maneeley’s in South Windsor. 

Tickets to the 48th Annual Stafford Motor Speedway Champions Awards Ceremony are $48 per person and can be ordered by calling the Stafford Motor Speedway track office at (860) 684-2783, by downloading an order form from www.staffordspeedway.com and returning the form to the track office, or by paying for tickets online.  Source: Scott Running Stafford Speedway Press Release

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

Avoid Short Track Racing With-Drawals

Posted by Wayne G. Barber

Champion Night on the Race Chatter Tonight

Posted by Wayne G. Barber  Photos from Wayne G. Barber Library

q

News, Results, Sponsor Changes, Schedules and Driver Interviews too !

E-Mail us at waynewnri@yahoo.com with Questions !

Tonight tentatively scheduled will be 4 time champion in 2017, Keith Rocco

and at 6;35 pm will be Seekonk Speedway Late/Model champion Ryan Lineham

SQUEGLIA CAPTURES THIRD GSPSS WIN OF 2017

Posted by Wayne G. Barber

SQUEGLIA CAPTURES THIRD GSPSS WIN OF 2017

WATERFORD, Conn. – Joe Squeglia used a late pass of Angelo Belsito to capture his third Granite State Pro Stock Series victory of the season on Saturday night at New London-Waterford Speedbowl.

In the 25-car field that was filled with talent, Squeglia had to start ninth in the 100-lap main event, but it didn’t take him long to work his way up through the pack. He fought for second spot for most of the first half of the race, but when he finally got clear, he set his sights on Belsito looking for the top spot.

He was able to drive around Belsito in lapped traffic with just over 20 laps to go. A caution set the stage for a wild finish, but it was Squeglia who would get the jump and pull away from the rest of the field, capturing his third victory on the season. Squeglia ends the season as the only driver to win multiple feature events on the series in 2017.

“It was a tough one,” Squeglia said in Victory Lane. “It’s been a great year for us with the Granite State (Pro Stock) Series, this is our third win in four races this year. It’s always fun to come down to Waterford, I really enjoy this track every year, I always circle it on the schedule.”

Although 25 cars took the green flag, it didn’t take long for some of them to be in the pit area with damage. A caution on just lap one saw points contender Scott MacMichael go spinning in turn four, right in front of the entire field. The first 30 laps of the race saw cautions slow the action multiple times.

Drivers like Kevin Folan, Nick Lascuola, Bobby Pelland and others all sustained damage during the crashes inside the first 30 laps. However, once the race got going under a green flag stretch, it was Belsito who found himself dominating out in front of the pack.

Belsito was cutting through lapped traffic when he approached the No. 48 of Larry Gelinas. In his attempt to put him a lap down, Squeglia came from behind and made a move to slide by Belsito and take over the top spot.

He never looked back.

When the checkered flag went in the air, Corey Bubar crossed second after getting around Belsito in the final laps. Belsito was third, followed by Ray Christian III and Nick Jenkins.

Positions six through 10 went to Derek Ramstrom, Mike O’Sullivan, Ron Silk, Scott MacMichael and Tommy O’Sullivan.

With his seventh place finish, Mike O’Sullivan locked up the 2017 Granite State Pro Stock Series championship – which was his second career. He knew he had to just finish the race in front of MacMichael if he wanted to be champion.

“We really had a good car, I was just trying to be smart about where I put the car out there tonight,” O’Sullivan said. “I really appreciate these guys racing me really clean and being careful around me. I’d really just like to say thank you to everyone who helps out and comes here.”

The Granite State Pro Stock Series will have more on the title run for O’Sullivan in the coming week.

RESULTS: Joe Squeglia, Corey Bubar, Angelo Belsito, Ray Christian III, Nick Jenkins, Derek Ramstrom, Mike O’Sullivan, Ron Silk, Scott MacMichael, Tommy O’Sullivan, Craig Weinstein, Barry Gray, Larry Gelinas, Anthony Flannery, Bobby Timmons, Cory Casagrande, Mike Scorzelli, Nick Lascuola, Chris Turbush, Rusty Poland, Brian Doyle, Devin O’Connell, Jimmy Renfew, Bobby Pelland, Kevin Folan Source: Kyle Souza GSPSS

Cory DiMatteo Scores SK Light Championship at Stafford in Rookie Season

Posted by Wayne G. Barber

(Stafford Springs, CT)---After racing in the Legend Cars division at Stafford and scoring 7 wins from 2014-2015, Farmington native Cory DiMatteo moved into SK Light competition for the 2017 season.  DiMatteo’s rookie campaign was filled with a combination of the highest of highs and lowest of lows but in the end DiMatteo and the #6 Island Cove Marina team were strong and consistent enough to win the track championship. 

Winning a championship as a rookie driver usually isn’t commonplace, but DiMatteo becomes the fourth rookie driver to win the SK Light championship at Stafford, joining Michael Gervais, Jr. in 2009, Matt Galko in 2010, and Jeremy Sorel in 2015.  DiMatteo tied for the division lead with 4 wins this season and he also tied for the division lead with 14 top-10 finishes.

“I knew we would be good but I never thought we’d be this good,” said DiMatteo.  “I figured we might get some top-5’s and maybe a win.  We definitely exceeded my expectations.”

DiMatteo’s championship campaign ran the gamut of highs and lows throughout the year.  DiMatteo began the season by winning the first two races to get himself off to a 20 point lead in the race for the championship.  But just as DiMatteo and the team were riding high after those first two races, they ran into some troubles with three finishes outside of the top-15 in three of the next five races to fall as far down as 7^th in the championship standings and as much as 48 points out of the lead.  Just as things were not looking good, DiMatteo and the #6 team got their season back on a good track and they scored ten top-6 finishes in the final 10 races to slowly but surely get back into championship contention and ultimately win the championship. 

A major turning point in the season was the final Friday Night Shoot-Out on Sept. 22^nd.  DiMatteo entered that race second in the points, 6 points behind David Arute with Dan Wesson third, 12 points behind DiMatteo and 18 points behind Arute.  Arute got caught up in a wreck during that race while Wesson won and DiMatteo finished third, setting up a championship duel between Wesson and DiMatteo at the NAPA Fall Final with Arute a longshot for the championship.  Wesson finished third in the NAPA Fall Final feature with DiMatteo right behind him in fourth and that was enough to clinch the championship by a 4 point margin over Wesson.

“It’s been a long roller coaster season and we’ve had a lot of ups and downs and I’m just happy to finish on top,” said DiMatteo.  “I just tried to put [the points race] in the back of my mind and tried to go out and win races.  One week you look and you’re ahead and the next week you look and it looks like you have no shot.  I guess it’s just Stafford, this place is crazy.  It’s kind of a shock and disbelief that we won the championship.  It’s definitely been cool to come here as a rookie and run the way we have and win the championship.”

DiMatteo will officially be recognized as the 2017 SK Light champion at the 48^th Annual Stafford Speedway Champions Awards Ceremony to be held on Friday, November 17 at Maneeley’s in South Windsor.

Tickets to the 48th Annual Stafford Motor Speedway Champions Awards Ceremony are $48 per person and can be ordered by calling the Stafford Motor Speedway track office at (860) 684-2783, by downloading an order form from www.staffordspeedway.com and returning the form to the track office, or by paying for tickets online. 

Nocella Caps Off VMRS Championship Season With World Series Win

Photo by, Simply the Best, Crystal Snape 

Posted by Wayne G. Barber

Photo by Simply the Best, Crystal Snape

 Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park, Thompson, CT.

   What a better way to finish off a championship season than to win the Thompson Sunoco World Series for the Valenti Modified Racing Series, and that's just what Anthony Nocella (Woburn, MA.) did Sat. 10/14.

Starting in 11th position in a full 30 car field Nocella quickly settled in saving his equipment for the final drive.

   Eric Goodale (Riverhead, NY) and Donnie Lashua (Canaan, N.H.) brought the field to green and Lashua quickly captured the lead with Rookie of Year Jeffery Gallup (Feeding Hills, MA) latching on to second place.

By lap two Keith Rocco (Berlin,CT.) raced by Gallup and set his sights on race leader Lashua. With only three laps in the books Rocco closed the gap and got into Lashua entering turn one. That impatient move sent both cars violently into the wall destroying them.

   On the restart Gallup showed his strength by leading until a lap 6 tangle involving 5 cars in turn three. Goodale outran Gallup for the lead and led the next 26 laps while Rowan Pennink (Huntingdon Valley, NY) and Nocella turned up the power and raced to the front. Nocella took over the lead on lap 33 and never looked back pulling out to a comfortable lead while Goodale, Pennink, Gallup and 15 year old Sammy Rameau (Westminster,MA) batteled for the runner-up position. 

As the 50 laps ran out, Goodale held on to second place with Pennink a fraction of a second behind for third.

Forth thru tenth were Gallup, Rameau, Andy Shaw, Ron Silk, Anthony Flannery, Blake Barney and Rob Richardi Jr.

Photo by ,Simply the Best, Crystal Snape

   Making only his second start in a tour type modified, Ryan Doucette (Framingham,MA) came from last place, ran a clean steady pace to finish 12th on the lead lap.

   For Nocella, winning five feature events this season propelled him to his first Valenti Modified Racing Series championship.

He said "Winning at Thompson on World Series weekend it was pretty much the mission the whole week. We knew we had a great car. We had a great car in the heat race. We had nothing really to lose. The points were already done. That was my main goal was to go out there and win the race and be the only guy in victory lane for both trophies."

Summary.

Track-Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park, 0.625 mi.

Race-Sunoco World Series- Valenti Modified Racing Series

Length- 50 green flag laps

Margin of Victory-2.264 sec.

Best Lap Time-19.211

Best Speed-117.120

Best Lap By-68-K.Rocco

Finnish

1----92-A.Nocella

2----16CT-E.Goodale

3----25-R.Pennink

4----4-J.Gallup

5----6MA-S.Rameau

6----66NH-A.Shaw

7----85-R.Silk

8----25CT-A.Flannery

9----14-B.Barney

10---12MA-R.Richardi Jr.

11---77-M.Mead

12---55-R.Doucette

13---76-M.Galko

14---16-C.Fournier

15---99-R.Savary

16---14M-J.Malave

17---00-C.Dowling

18---19-D.Schneider

19---83-M.Willis Jr.

20---47-K.Bouchard

21---35-A.Molleur

22---34-D.Ethridge

23---45-D.Meservey Jr.

24---13X-C.Sontag

25---22-R.Seidell Jr.

26---1-L.Hinckley

27---27-D.Robbie

28---17-D.Lashua

29---68-K.Rocco

30---3-T.Talman-DNS   

Story by James Snape

Photos by Crystal Snape 

MacDonald wins at Thompson, Payea reigns

Posted by Wayne G. Barber

Thompson, Ct. – Eddie MacDonald took control of the American Canadian Tour (ACT) 75-lap season finale at Thompson Speedway Saturday and sped off to a dominant win.

Four spots back, Scott Payea nailed down the 2017 ACT championship in the Harrison Redi-Mix No. 37. With his eighth top-five finish in nine races.

MacDonald, driving the Hancock Electric No. 17, took the lead briefly from Thompson regular William Wall on lap 12, regained it for keeps on lap 19 and then survived four restarts before drawing away once the race stayed under green.

“It’s an awesome way to end the season for us,” MacDonald said. “We finally got a Late Model win here.”

“The restarts grouped things up and made it tough for a while,” MacDonald added, “but it was definitely fun.”

Woody Pitkat was a stout but distant runner-up several car-lengths ahead of a racy, close-quarters duel between third-place Jean-Francois Dery and Dillon Moltz.

Payea started 15th. He drew close for a ringside seat to the Dery/Moltz battle, but with a championship in hand, didn’t force the issue.

Positions 6-10 went to Wall, Ray Parent, Glenn Boss, Tom Carey III and Rowland Robinson, who raced back up through the 28-car field after a spinout on lap 28.

“We had a great car,” Payea said. “I just had to play it smart and bring it home. When I got up to 8th, all the cars were dicing pretty hard. There were a lot of unknowns. It was no time to get greedy. On the last run, it stretched out and you could relax a bit.”

Payea’s well-earned championship season included five wins and eight top-5’s in nine starts.

“It’s unbelievable,” Payea said. “It was a phenomenal season. Every week I had a car to win. It was always - the bridesmaid - and now it’s the bride. It finally happened.”

Dery’s run began from sixth on the grid. He was third by lap 12 and held second until Pitkat slipped by him on lap 30. Moltz – the 2017 ACT Runner-up – wound up the year with two wins and six top-5’s.

Macdonald’s win was his 16th ACT career victory.

ACT World Series 75 at Thompson Speedway – start in (*)

1. Eddie MacDonald (5) 2.Woody Pitkat (9) 3. Jean-Francois Dery (6) 4. Dillon Moltz (11) 5. Scott Payea (15) 6. William Wall (1) 7. Ray Parent (7) 8. Glenn Boss (4) 9. Tom Carey III (12) 10. Rowland Robinson Jr. (3) 11. Josh Masterson(16) 12. Jimmy Hebert (2) 13. Jason Corliss (13) 14. Rich Dubeau (8) 15. Matthew Lowinski-Loh (10) 16. Ray Christian III (19) 17. Mark Jenison (25) 18. John Warren (22) 19. CJ McLaughlin (24) 20. Mark Hudson (27) 21. Ryan Morgan (17) 22. Vincent Arrenegado Jr.(28) 23. Ryan Kuhn (20) 24. Jimmy Linardy (23) 25. Jared Materas (18) 26. Michael Benevider (14) 27. James Capps III (26) 28. Walter Sutcliffe (21)

Ray Parent wins shootout for Late Model crown to kick of World Series weekend at Thompson!

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

Parent wins shootout for Late Model crown to kick of World Series weekend at Thompson!

World Series of Speedway Racing. With 18 divisions and numerous champions set to be crowned over the weekend, the action began on Friday, October 13 with five feature events and the crowning of the first champion of the weekend named in Thompson’s late model division.

    Coming into the event the late models featured a two-man battle as reigning track champion William Wall sought to dethrone the surprise success story of 2017, Ray Parent, from the top spot on the final day of the season. The two drivers brought different strategies to the table as their close points battled heated up. Parent, who only needed to finish twelfth to clinch the title, embraced a more conservative approach while Wall was more aggressive, virtually needing to win and get help from others in the field to finish the season on top.

    The evening started off strong for Wall who won his heat and gained four points on Parent in the process. Wall continued his aggressive approach in the main event to come home third, but Ray Parent’s conservative strategy prevailed as he secured a ninth place finish and completed a Cinderella story season that he thought would never come.

    “This is my first championship (of any kind) since 1996,” Parent said after the race. “It’s awesome. I’m happy for my guys – To say you’re a NASCAR champion is something you dream of when you’re a kid. I know it’s late models at Thompson, but it’s exciting and what a good group of late model drivers Thompson had this year.” Parent’s season included two victories, starting with a season-opening victory on Ice Breaker weekend, and four additional top ten finishes on route to his first late model title at Thompson. Wall’s finish was good enough to guarantee him the runner-up spot in the final points standing.

Meanwhile division regular Matt Lowinski-Loh capped off his season with a statement win in the 25-lap late model feature. It was Lowinski-Loh’s second victory of the season and one he was proud to cross off his bucket list. “It’s World Series Weekend. It’s the biggest race around hear,” Lowinski-Loh said. “I can’t thank my team enough and all the sponsors – It’s a dream come true. I always wanted to win this race. We’re going to go through the car and replace all the worn parts and hopefully come out even stronger next year and go for a championship.”Source: Jason Bleau

LATE MODEL FEATURE FINISH TOP-10: 1. Matt Lowinski-Loh (Milford, MA); 2. Walt Sutcliffe (East Haven, CT); 3. William Wall (Shrewsbury, MA); 4. Glenn Boss (Danielson, CT); 5. Ernie LaRose (Moosup, CT); 6. Tom Carey, III (Orange, MA); 7. Woody Pitkat (Sturbridge, MA); 8. Buddy Charette (Woodstock, CT); 9. Ray Parent (Tiverton, RI); 10. Mark Jenison (Warwick, RI)

We Crown Champions at the Sunoco World Series of Speedway Racing, 14 Division Champions to be exact.

Posted by Wayne G. Barber

We Crown Champions at the Sunoco World Series of Speedway Racing, 14 Division Champions to be exact.

       The most anticipated event of the year is upon us. The award winning 55th Annual Sunoco World Series of Speedway Racing presented by King Cadillac GMC will be here in only hours! 18 Divisions will be taking on the 5/8 mile high banked oval competing for the greatest treasure of them all. 14 of those divisions will also be crowning their 2017 champions after. These drivers have been neck and neck all season keeping that championship dream close. The NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour, Thompson Speedway NASCAR Whelen All American Series, American Canadian Tour, Valenti Modified Racing Series, Northeastern Midget Association, Northeastern Midget Association Lites, New England Pro 4 Modifieds, Mr Rooter Pro Truck Series, Northeast Mini Stock Tour, The Street Stock Showdown Series, and International Supermodified Association, will all be crowning a division champion this year. Let’s break down each division on who is in contention for the title!

 

NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour has a total of 5 drivers who are in points contention for the championship: Doug Coby (563 Points), Justin Bonsignore (553 Points), Timmy Solomito (551 Points), Ryan Preece (544 Points), and Eric Goodale (538 Points). 

 

NASCAR Whelen All American Series has a total of 12 drivers who are in points contention for the championship in their respected divisions. For the Sunoco Modified Division: Keith Rocco (314 Points), Todd Owen (302 Points) and Ryan Preece (294 Points). For the Late Model Divison: Ray Parent (286 Points), William Wall (257 Points) and Woody Pitkat (231 Points). For the Limited Sportsman Division: Shawn Monahan (300 Points), Scott Sundeen (271 Points) and Brent Gleason (252 Points). Finally for the Mini Stock Division: Wayne Burroughs Jr. (307 Points), Eric Bourgeois (282 Points) and Jacob Perry (249 Points).

 

American Canadian Tour has a total of 3 drivers who are in points contention for the championship: Scott Payea (905 Points), Dillion Moltz (865 Points), and Jason Corliss (772 Points) 

 

Valenti Modified Racing Series has a total of 3 drivers who are in points contention for the championship: Anthony Nocella (444 Points), Donnie Lashua (360 Points), and Jeffrey Gallup (336 Points) 

 

Northeastern Midget Association has a total of 3 drivers who are in points contention for the championship: Randy Cabral (1251 Points), Jim Chambers (1201 Points), and Avery Stoehr (1171 Points) 

 

Northeastern Midget Association Lites has a total of 3 drivers who are in points contention for the championship: Danny Cugini (2028 Points), Jim Chambers (1945 Points), and Ryan Locke (1823 Points)

 

New England Pro 4 Modifieds has a total of 3 drivers who are in points contention for the championship: Brett Meservey (256 Points), Rob Richardi, Jr. (253 Points), and Norm Wrenn III (245 Points) 

 

Mr. Rooter Pro Truck Series has a total of 4 drivers who are in contention for the championship on the final race. Out of the 4 drivers whomever finishes higher is your overall winner. Those 4 Drivers are: Andy Lindeman, Gerard Giordano Jr., Frank Dumicich Jr., and Josh Stinger

 

Northeast Mini Stock Tour has a total of 3 drivers who are in points contention for the championship: Emerson Cayer (222 Points), Nick Anderson (198 Points), and Cody Le Blanc (196 Points)

 

Street Stock Showdown Series has a total of 3 drivers who are in points contention for the championship: Corey Hutchings (61 Points), Joe Arena (58 Points), and Frank LeToile Jr (56 Points)

 

International Supermodified Association has a total of 4 drivers who are in points contention for the championship: Jon McKennedy (1403 Points), Tim Jedrzejek (1379 Points), and Mike McVetta (1272 Points) and Dan Bowes (1272 Points)

 

 

       Exciting competition to come at the Sunoco World Series. The competition layout has 5 features on Friday, 8 Features on Saturday, and 5 Features on Sunday! For more information about the 55th Annual Sunoco World Series of Speedway Racing please visit Thompsonspeedway.com.

Woody Pitkat to set new record at Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park, will pilot 6 different race cars...

Posted by Wayne G. Barber

Woody Pitkat will be very busy this weekend competing in 6 divisions during the World Series at Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park! This may be some type of record? 🤔 Here are the car numbers and divisions as follows:

• #91 Late Model
• #07 ACT
• #42 Pro Stock
• #6tc Sunoco Modified...
• #52 MRS
• #82 NWMT

Champions Crowned on Super Saturday !!

Posted by Wayne G. Barber

Champions Crowned on Super Saturday

Winchester, NH: The cars and stars of Monadnock Speedway took to the high banks for the last time in the 2017 season. The NASCAR Whelen All-American Series Track Champions were presented with their championship flags and given an opportunity to address the crowd (Sportsman Modified Champion Todd Patnode, Super Stock Champion Joel Monahan, Mini Stock Champion Alex Pearl, Thunder Stock Champion Jason Kozacka and Lightning Stock Champion Hillary Renaud). All five NASCAR Whelen All-American Series division plus the young gun division would be in competition. Fans would also be treated to the spectator race and the Go Kart Race of Champions. This week’s winners were: Chris Phelps (Young Guns), John Fultz (Lightening Stocks), Alexander Pearl (Mini Stocks), Todd Patnode (Sportsman Modifieds), Ed Lofland (Thunder Stocks), and Cole Littlewood (Super Stocks). The spectator race was won by Lightening Stock driver Leon Keniston in his Chevy Pickup. Keniston had an amazing celebration as he did a victory lap in reverse before he climbed on his roof to celebrate with the fans!

The first feature of the evening would be the Go Kart Race of Champions. All five NASCAR Whelen All-American Series Track Champions participated or had someone representing them. Track Champions from various other tracks participated in the 15 lap race on a track configured on the front stretch, but it was Monadnock Speedways Super Stock Champion Joel Monahan that captured the win!

The Young Guns took to the track next for their 10 lap feature. Chloe Wright in the 17 brought the field to the green but would drop a few spots just after the green. Chris Phelps in the 21 jumped into the lead going into turn 1 and was followed closely by the 03 of Nate Wenzel. Phelps would lead every lap on his way to capturing the victory. Wenzel finished 2^nd and Wright finished 3^rd.

Lightning Stocks flashed onto the track next as 25 laps would be the distance. Alex Barden in the 27 and John Fultz in the 32J made up the front row. Fultz took the lead going into turn 1 as Barden lost a lot of ground dropping out of the top 5 before exiting turn 2. Fultz was followed closely by the 7 of Josh Carey. On Lap 3 the 13K of Leon Keniston and the 88 of Hillary Renaud made slight contact in the middle of turns 3 and 4 while battling for 2^nd place, but both cars were able to hold on. Then as Renaud entered turn 1 Keniston drove in a little too deep creating contact which resulted in Renaud spinning. This would bring out the first caution of the race. Renaud and Keniston both found themselves being sent to the rear on the ensuing restart. On the restart Fultz was joined by Young Gun graduate Cale Skillings in the 95. Fultz took control of the lead at the drop of the green. Skillings tried to stay with him but Fultz walked away from the field on the way to victory lane. Skillings found himself in 2^nd place in only his 2^nd start in the lightning stocks. Carey rounded out the top 3. Fultz noted in victory lane that he is hopeful he can return next season.

Next on the track would be the Mini Stocks for their 25 lap feature event. Kevin Pittsinger in the 50 and the 93 of Tim Paquette brought the field to the green. Paquette jumped out to the early lead but Matt Kimball in the 50x was in tow. Kimball took the lead on lap 4, but his night would end on lap 13 as he came to rest on the front stretch bringing out the first caution of the race. Desmond Skillings in the 90 would assume the lead. Skillings took the lead at the green but on lap 16 Mini Stock Track Champion Alexander Pearl drove his #43 around Skillings for the lead. Caution flew on lap 17 as Skillings and the 97 of Ethan Marsh made hard contact with each other. This would be the end of the night for Skillings as he headed to the pits and never returned. Pearl felt little to no pressure as he captured his 3^rd Mini Stock feature win of the season. Louis Maher in the 69 finished 2^nd and Jaret Curtis in the 88x finished 3^rd. In his interview in Victory Lane Pearl made mention of how much fun the Go Kart Race of Champions was, but that “(his) kart just struggled to stay running.” Pearl also noted that “this is a good way to end the season.”

Sportsman Modifieds raced onto the track for their 30 lap feature. Ben Byrne (#6) and Keith Carzello (#8) set the pace as the field rolled to the green. Byrne took the lead early but would give up the lead to Carzello on lap 8. Caution flew on 13 as the 09 of Chris Ignazio and the 14 of Jessica O’Leary spun in turns 3 and 4. Carzello and Byrne brought the field to the green again. Carzello resumed the lead followed closely by Byrne. Joel Monahan would run 3^rd until lap 14 when he was passed by the 50 of Bill Kimball. Todd Patnode (#24) who had started in the rear due to missing qualifying had driven his way into the top 5 and followed Kimball past Monahan. Patnode drove around the outside of Kimball on lap 17 to take over the 3^rd spot. Caution flew on lap 18 as the 25 of Brian Robie spun to avoid running into the back of a few cars that had checked up. On the ensuing restart the caution flew again before the leaders made it out of turn 2 as the 22 of Tyler Jarvenpaa made hard contact with the front stretch wall coming to rest on the pit road entrance. Carzello took the lead on the restart followed by Byrne and Patnode. On Lap 20 Patnode made his move to take over the 2^nd spot. Carzello did his best to hold the top spot but on lap 28 Patnode made his move on the backstretch to get inside position entering turn 3 and taking the lead off of turn 4. Patnode took the win. Carzello finished 2^nd and Byrne finished 3^rd. Patnode gave special thanks to his crew for their hard work, especially since they missed practice and qualifying due to being at a wedding earlier in the day. Patnode didn’t forget to thank his sponsors and his family in victory lane as well.

Thunder Stocks thundered onto the track for their 25 lap feature next. The start of the feature was delayed for a few minutes as a few rain drops fell and track officials wanted to make sure the track was safe for racing. Craig Chaffee in the 28 and the 88 of Bill Staves brought the field to the green. Chaffee jumped out to the lead at the drop of the green. Ed Lofland in the 45 followed. Caution flew on lap 4 as the 4 of Richard Vincent made hard contact with the front stretch wall coming to rest just before the pit road entrance. The 43 of Jason Kozacka was also involved ending his day. Chaffee maintained the lead on the restart but the race was slowed on lap 5 for another caution as the 9 of James Nowakowski lost his left rear tire and axle. On the ensuing restart Chaffee and Lofland battled side by side for numerous laps before Lofland was able to complete the pass for the lead. Caution flew on lap 14 as the 02 of Briana Akusis spun. Lofland and Chaffee made up the front row again for this restart. Lofland resumed the lead on the restart as Chaffee lost 3 spots at the drop of the green. Ben Williams in the 7 took over the 2^nd spot and Chase Curtis in the 26, making his first start in the Thunder Stocks, took the 3^rd spot. Lofland held on to collect the win. Williams finished 2^nd and Curtis finished 3^rd. Lofland was happy with his car but needed to get back to the pits to put gas in his car as he decided to run his car in the Super Stock feature that would be rolling out next. In a post-race inspection, Williams refused inspection and was disqualified.

Super Stocks took to the track as the grand finale for the 2017 race season at Monadnock Speedway. The 71 of Eric Pomasko and Joel Monahan in the 03 brought the field to the green. Monahan grabbed the lead early but the caution flew on lap 1 as the 96 of Ray Ruot spun. Monahan would be joined by the 12 of Cole Littlewood on the restart. Cole Littlewood made the pass for the lead on the restart. The 37 of Justin Littlewood raced side by side with Monahan lap after lap until lap 6 when Justin Littlewood prevailed taking the 2^nd spot. Solomon Brow in the 33 passed Monahan for the 3^rd spot a lap later. Just as Cole Littlewood started to pull away from the field; the caution flew again for Ruot spinning. The Littlewood brothers made up the front row for the restart. Cole Littlewood resumed the lead but it would be Brow that settled into the 2^nd spot and Justin Littlewood that settled into the 3^rd spot. On lap 20 the caution flew as Justin Littlewood spun on the backstretch. Single file restart so Cole Littlewood had the advantage as he took off at the green and never looked back as he rolled to victory lane. Brow finished 2^nd and Marc Curtis in the 27 finished 3^rd. Cole Littlewood summed it up by saying “this is a pretty cool way to end the year like this!”

Final event of the season will be the Mudbog Mudslinger Spooktacular on Sunday, October 15^th featuring Opens, Pros, Modifieds, Outlaws, 8 Cylinder and 4/6 Cylinder. Trick and treating for kids in costume starts at 11AM with the Mudbog starting at Noon.

Sportsman Modifieds: Todd Patnode, Keith Carzello, Ben Byrne, Joel Monahan, Bill Kimball, Brian Robie, Kim Rivet, Paul Smith, Jason Barden, Chris Ignazio, Eric Leclair, Tyler Jarvenpaa, Jessica O’Leary

Super Stocks: Cole Littlewood, Solomon Brow, Marc Curtis, Dave Striebel, Mike McGoldrick, Eric Pomasko, Joel Monahan, Justin Littlewood, Ed Lofland, Ray Ruot

Mini Stocks: Alexander Pear, Louis Maher, Jaret Curtis, Pat Houle, Ethan Marsh, Tim Paquette, Mike Radzuik, Kevin McKnight, Mike Snow, Nadine Coates, Kevin Pittsinger, Desmond Skillings, Matt Kimball

Thunder Stocks: Ed Lofland, Chase Curtis, Craig Chaffee, Bruce Clark, Bill Staves, Chris Colburn, Doug Mclean, Johnny Walker, Dan Comeau, Briana Akusis, Paul Smith, James Nowakowski, Richard Vincent, Jason Kozacka

Lightning Stocks: John Fultz, Cale Skillings, Josh Carey, Alex Barden, Hillary Renaud, Steve Fucile, Randall Phillips Jr, Randall Phillips Sr, Leon Keniston, Matt Croteau, Craig Chaffee

Young Guns: Chris Phelps, Nate Wenzel, Chloe Wright, Taylor Striebel, Matt Lambert

Source: Ryan Lawless