NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour Schedule for 2018

Posted by Wayne G. Barber & Photo by Wayne G. Barber

The NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour’s return to Seekonk Speedway in Massachusetts has been moved from August to June 2. The date change means the tour will only have one instance where it will race three weeks in a row, and will have at least a weekend off between races on 10 different occasions.
Last year, the tour began its new unified era with the season opener at Myrtle Beach. South Carolina’s semi-banked half-mile oval held its first NASCAR event in 1958, and will once again host the opener on Saturday, March 17.
Earlier this summer, NASCAR and New Hampshire Motor Speedway announced the tour will be the headliner on Saturday, Sept. 22 as part of a special event that will also include the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East and NASCAR Pinty’s Series.
The NASCAR Whelen Modifeid Tour will also visit New Hampshire in July with a championship points race as well as the annual invitational, non-points All-Star Shootout. The tour will also be part of the national series weekend at Bristol Motor Speedway in August.
After Myrtle Beach, the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour will return to New England for two of the staple weekends of the early racing season: The 44rd Annual Icebreaker at Thompson and the 47th Annual NAPA Auto Parts Spring Sizzler at Connecticut’s Stafford Motor Speedway.
The tour will make four stops at Thompson, and three at Stafford.
The tour schedule also features two races at Long Island’s Riverhead Raceway, a bullring known for their high-intensity, close-quarters Modified action, as well as return trips to New York’s Oswego Speedway and Virgina’s Langley Speedway in Hampton.
The NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour television broadcast schedule on NBCSN will be announced at a later date.

2018 NASCAR WHELEN MODIFIED TOUR SCHEDULE

Date	Track	Location
17-Mar	Myrtle Beach Speedway	Myrtle Beach, S.C.
8-Apr	Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park	Thompson, Conn.
29-Apr	Stafford Motor Speedway	Stafford, Conn.
2-Jun	Seekonk Speedway	Seekonk, Mass.
13-Jun	Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park	Thompson, Conn.
23-Jun	Langley Speedway	Hampton, Va.
7-Jul	Riverhead Raceway	Riverhead, N.Y.
20-Jul	New Hampshire Motor Speedway*	Loudon, N.H.
21-Jul	New Hampshire Motor Speedway	Loudon, N.H.
3-Aug	Stafford Motor Speedway	Stafford, Conn.
8-Aug	Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park	Thompson, Conn.
15-Aug	Bristol Motor Speedway	Bristol, Tenn.
1-Sep	Oswego Speedway	Oswego, N.Y..
8-Sep	Riverhead Raceway	Riverhead, N.Y.
22-Sep	New Hampshire Motor Speedway	Loudon, N.H.
30-Sep	Stafford Motor Speedway	Stafford, Conn.
14-Oct	Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park	Thompson, Conn.

*non-points, special events | SCHEDULE SUBJECT TO CHANGE Source: NASCAR HOME TRACKS PRESS RELEASE

Scott Sundeen, a pure Racer !

Matt Vassar to Take Over Driving Duties of Hummel #11 SK Modified® at Stafford Motor Speedway

Posted by Wayne G. Barber

(Stafford Springs, CT)---After returning to Stafford Speedway in 2017 with Tony Membrino, Jr. behind the wheel, John Hummel has announced that his familiar blue, neon yellow, and orange #11 Hummel Brothers Hot Dogs machine will be piloted by Matt Vassar for the 2018 season.  Membrino recorded three top-10 finishes this season behind the wheel of the #11 machine and now Vassar, who recorded 4 top-5 and 8 top-10 finishes as a rookie driver in Stafford’s Late Model division, will take over the driving duties of the #11.

“I’d like to thank Tony, Jr. and the entire TMR Racing team for all their hard work and efforts this season,” said John Hummel.  “I’m looking forward to building on the momentum we enjoyed this past season.  I love racing at Stafford on Friday nights and we’ll have Matt Vassar driving the car for the 2018 season.”

“We’ve been working on something for a week or two now,” said Matt Vassar.  “John’s ride opened up and although I didn’t think I had a chance at landing it, I was told I should submit my resume because the worst that could have happened was him saying no and look what happened.  I have a chance now to do something that I never in my wildest dreams thought I’d have a chance of doing and I’m looking forward to making the best of the situation, having a lot of fun, and hopefully we can go out and win some races.”

Vassar comes into the SK Modifieds® with a vast background racing full fendered Late Model cars but the 2018 season will mark the very first time that Vassar will be behind the wheel of an open wheeled modified car.  While he knows he faces a steep learning curve, Vassar is confident that he and the #11 team have what it takes to not be overwhelmed and find success in their first season together.  Vassar will be leaning on the experience of Ed Flemke, Jr., who piloted the Hummel car years ago on the Whelen Modified Tour, in order to help accelerate his learning curve.

“It’ll be my first time in a modified but I’m very excited about the opportunity to be able to work with someone like Ed Flemke and to drive for someone as distinguished and well known in the modifieds as John Hummel,” said Vassar.  “It’s an amazing opportunity and I’m very excited.  I know we’re going to have our work cut out for us because the SK Modifieds® at Stafford is the toughest division in the country.  It’s not going to be easy but we’re going to have some fun.  It’s going to take a lot of work on our part and I feel like John will give me every opportunity I need to succeed and I don’t see why at the end of the day we can’t achieve some of our goals.  It’ll be difficult for sure, but the challenge will be worth the risk.  With already having laps on the track I don’t have to worry about learning the track again and there’s plenty of videos online showing how to get around the track in a modified and I think having Eddie in my corner will help get me up to speed pretty quickly.  This opportunity is like hitting the lottery for me.  I’ve been smiling so hard lately, I swear my smile goes from ear to ear and I’m excited to see what path the 2018 season will take us on.”

While keeping in mind the task that lies ahead of him for the 2018 season, Vassar has set some modest goals for his initial foray into the world of SK Modified® racing at Stafford Speedway.

“Obviously everyone’s goals are to win a race and be a contender for the championship,” said Vassar.  “Personally my goals this season will be to have fun, I’d like to win a race, and then third I want to win Rookie of the Year.  I think the biggest challenge for me will be to figure out what I need the car to do and then what kind of setup balance the car needs to have me to do the things that I’m asking the car to do.  If we can find that, I think we can be pretty successful.”

In addition to his SK Modified® duties this upcoming season, Vassar might also be busy in the Late Model division both as a driver and a car owner. 

“I bought Jim Mavlouganes’ car and I’m looking at the possibility of racing the NAPA Spring Sizzler, NAPA Fall Final, and the extra distance race and then stepping back into a car ownership role with my brother coming up to race the car in the other races next year,” said Vassar.  “We’ll see what happens with the Late Model.” 

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

Stafford Speedway, Connecticut Releases 2018 Schedule of Events

Posted by Wayne G. Barber

(Stafford Springs, CT)---Stafford Speedway is proud to announce the 60th season of NASCAR weekly racing in Northeast Connecticut with a 22-race schedule.  The 2018 season will kick-off on April 28 & 29 with arguably the biggest Modified race in the country, the 47th Annual NAPA Auto Parts Spring Sizzler dubbed “The Greatest Race in the History of Spring”.  The NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour will run 200 laps and will be joined by Stafford’s 5 weekly divisions, the New England Truck Series, and new for 2018, the Vintage All Stars Race.   

            Stafford’s signature Friday night program kicks off May 4th and continues with the 5-star program weekly throughout the season with special events for all divisions dotted across the schedule.  The Street Stocks will kick-off the extra distance racing on May 11 with a 25-lap feature and will back that up with a second special event on September 7, a 30-lap extra distance event.    

            “Strong weekly racing has always been our focus,” explained Stafford General Manager Mark Arute.  “We’re continuing to put our efforts into supporting our weekly competitors with extra distance events for all divisions.  Stafford is a track focused on the weekly competitor and we take great pride in supporting those teams in any way we can.”  

The weekly division showcase continues in the month of May with the return of the popular Dunleavy’s Truck and Trailer Repair Modifiedz Night 40-lap SK Light Modified race on May 25.  The ultra competitive SK Modifieds® will run 100 laps in the annual NAPA Auto Parts SK 5K on June 29.  The guaranteed $5,000 to win SK Modified® event has seen 4 different winners over its 4 year existence.  Full fender divisions will be showcased July 20 with the Limited Late Model 30 and August 17 for the Call Before You Dig 811 Late Model 50. 

Seven touring modified events will highlight the 2018 calendar with three stops for the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour (April 28-29, August 3, Sept. 29-30) in addition to two 80-lap events for the Valenti Modified Racing Series on Friday, May 18 and Friday, August 31.  New for the 2018 season will be two Open Modified 80-lap events on Friday, June 8th and Friday, July 13th.

            “We’re running two Open Modified shows in 2018, both at 80 lap distances,” continued Arute.  “We are working through the details of these events but both will be an opportunity for modified teams to participate.”

Additional highlights to the 2018 schedule include an increased distance for weekly Street Stock competition to 20 laps, two Fireworks displays on May 25 and July 6, as well as extra laps for the SK Modifieds® on both May 25 (50 laps) and July 13 (40+13 laps).

            “We are all very excited for the 2018 season and hope teams and drivers are as well,” continued Mark Arute. “Only 158 days until the NAPA Spring Sizzler." 

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: Stafford Speedway Press Release Scott Running

Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park Reveals 2018 Schedule

Posted by Wayne G. Barber  Photo Credit Wayne G. Barber Collection

Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park Reveals 2018 Schedule

Season Opening Icebreaker set for April 6-8

Thompson, CT (November 20, 2017) – Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park (TSMP) revealed it’s 2018 NASCAR Whelen All-American Series racing schedule, comprised of seven diverse and unique events.

Thompson will continue to showcase Sunoco Modifieds, which will compete in eight points-counting races, supported by the Late Models, Limited Sportsman and Mini Stocks, who will all have seven points-counting races. The Lite Modified Division will race in three events, but not under the NWAAS sanction.

“In the past several seasons, our four NASCAR Whelen All-American Series divisions have experienced great growth, not only in the quantity, but in quality of the field. We are proud to showcase them as the core of our NASCAR program,” explained Josh Vanada, General Manager of TSMP. 

The Northeast’s premier touring series are all on the docket for 2018, including four stops by NASCAR’s oldest division – The Whelen Modified Tour. The NASCAR K&N Pro Series East will return for the second annual Thompson Throwback in mid-July. Additionally, after several strong fields at the Sunoco World Series of Speedway Racing, the Valenti Modified Racing Series will now open their 2018 season at the Icebreaker. The Pro All-Star Series, American-Canadian Tour, International Supermodified Association, and Northeastern Midget Association will all return to America’s first-paved oval.   

“We’re glad to welcome a diverse group of sanctioning bodies and touring series back to Thompson in 2018. Their presence at our venue enhances our racing program, providing a variety for our fans.  They complement our NASCAR Whelen All-American Series and add prestige to our major events,” Vanada concluded.  

The 2018 season of racing kicks off Friday, April 6, with a Test & Tune day. On April 7-8, the New England stock car racing season will open with eleven divisions on the Icebreaker card, which is headlined by The NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour. Some added excitement will take place on Saturday, April 7, as The Valenti Modified Racing Series will open their season with a 50-lap affair. The highly-anticipated Fan Appreciation Party and Champion’s Banner Raising will be held on Sunday morning, April 8.

Friday, April 6 - Sunday, April 8: 44th Annual Icebreaker

Sunday, May 20: Third Annual Limited Sportsman Long Distance & Military Night, Presented by Pepsi

Wednesday, June 13: Fourth Annual NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour Thompson 125

Friday, July 13: Thompson Throwback Test & Tune

Saturday, July 14: Second Annual NASCAR Thompson Throwback 100

Wednesday, August 8: 29th Annual Bud ‘King of Beers’ 150             

Sunday, September 9: Third Annual For the Fans Event; 5th Annual Sunoco Modified 20/20 Sprint

Friday, October 12 – Sunday, October 14: 56th Annual Sunoco World Series of Speedway Racing

For a full calendar of events, please visit thompsonspeedway.com. Season passes will go on sale on Black Friday, also on ThompsonSpeedway.com Source: Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park Press Release

Martin Truex Jr. Claims Monster Energy Cup

Posted by Wayne G. Barber

Congratulations from the entire Race Chatter Nation. You deserved this one !

Race Fast Facts - Championship Fast Facts - Martin Truex Jr has won his first Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series championship, becoming the 32nd different series champion.

- Truex wins in the season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway to claim the 2017 title.

- Truex has become the third different driver to win a Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series championship in the elimination-style format of the Playoffs; joining Kevin Harvick (2014) and Kyle Busch (2015).

- Truex joins Kyle Busch, Kevin Harvick, Bobby Labonte and Brad Keselowski as only the fifth driver all-time to boast both Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series and NASCAR XFINITY Series championships.

- In 2017, Truex has posted eight wins, 19 top fives, 26 top 10s and three poles.

- Truex (Mayetta) is the first Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series champion from the state of New Jersey.

Keith Rocco, Glen Reen, Cory DiMatteo, Duane Provost, & Johnny Walker Honored As 2017 Stafford Speedway Track Champions

Posted by Wayne G. Barber  Photo by Wayne G. Barber

(Stafford Springs, CT)---Stafford Motor Speedway welcomed a guest list of nearly 450 people consisting of teams, drivers, sponsors, and employees this past Friday night, November 17 at Maneely’s in South Windsor to officially honor Keith Rocco, Glen Reen, Cory DiMatteo, Duane Provost, and Johnny Walker as the 2017 Stafford Motor Speedway NASCAR Whelen All-American Series track champions.

With Stafford Motor Speedway broadcaster Matt Buckler serving as the Masters of Ceremony, the 48th annual Stafford Motor Speedway NASCAR Champions Awards Ceremony not only honored the five track champions, they also recognized the top-10 points finishers from the SK Modified®, Late Model, SK Light, Limited Late Model, and DARE Stock divisions.  Special awards that were presented during the evening’s festivities were Most Popular Driver Awards, NAPA Auto Parts Parts Rookie of the Year, R.A.D. Automachine Rookie of the Year, and the UNOH Youth Achievement Award.

Keith Rocco and the #88 Wheelers Auto team used a combination of consistency and clutch performances to take the title.  Rocco began strong with 10 top-9 finishes but began to struggle in August and the beginning of September.  Entering the final 2 races of the season, Rocco trailed Chase Dowling by 34 points.  Rocco and the #88 team then rised to the occasion by winning the final 2 races to claim the championship by a 6 point margin over Dowling.  For the season, the #88 team posted 2 wins, 9 top-5 and 15 top-10 finishes for an average finish of 5.8

Glen Reen and the #31 LifeCare Family Chiropractic team were a model of consistency throughout the 2017 season en route to winning the championship.  In 17 starts this season, Reen posted 16 top-7 finishes with his worst finish for the season an 11^th place effort on Sept. 15.  Despite not leading the Late Model division in wins, top-5s, or top-10s this year, Reen’s consistency carried him to the championship with Tom Fearn and Kevin Gambacorta tied for second, 8 points behind Reen.  For the season, Reen and the #31 team posted 3 wins, 13 top-5, and 16 top-10 finishes and they finished on the podium in 10 of the 17 races.

Cory DiMatteo made the move from Legend Cars into SK Lights at Stafford for the 2017 season and he proved he was a quick study by winning the first 2 races of the season.  DiMatteo used that early momentum to establish himself as a championship contender but several finishes outside the top-15 dropped him out of the points lead.  DiMatteo spent much of the summer recovering lost points from his finishes outside the top-15 and he posted top-6 finishes in 11 of the final 12 races to erase his deficit to the point leaders and win the championship at the NAPA Fall Final with a 4^th place finish.  For the season DiMatteo posted 4 wins, 12 top-5s and 14 top-10s and he becomes the fourth rookie driver, joining Michael Gervais, Jr. in 2009, Matt Galko in 2010, and Jeremy Sorel in 2014 as rookie drivers who also won the SK Light championship.

While Duane Provost had a bit of luck and circumstance on his side last season in winning the Limited Late Model championship, he needed no such favors this season as he locked down a second consecutive track championship.  Provost and the #88 Michael Facchini Law Firm team scored top-5 finishes in 16 of the 17 races this season with 3 wins.  Provost scored back to back wins in early June and then won again on Sept. 15 to help cement his place at the top of the standings heading into the final 2 races of the season.  For the season Provost scored 3 wins, 16 top-5s, and 16 top-10s.

After winning the DARE Stock championship in 2016, Johnny Walker and the #01 Dunleavy’s Truck & Trailer Repair team came back and put together one of the most dominant seasons in Stafford history in any division.  After a loose steering wheel relegated him to a 12^th place finish in the season opening NAPA Spring Sizzler feature event, Walker finished each of the remaining 16 races on the podium with 8 wins, 5 second place finishes, and 3 third place finishes.  The 8 wins set a DARE Stock record for most wins in a season and Walker easily accumulated the highest point total of any driver at Stafford this season with 806 points over 17 races.

The NAPA Auto Parts Rookie of the Year awards were presented to Josh Wood from the SK Modified® division and Paul Arute from the Late Model division.  Taking home R.A.D. Automachine Rookie of the Year honors were Cory DiMatteo in the SK Light division, Alexandra Fearn in the Limited Late Model division, and George Bessette, Jr. in the DARE Stock division.  The NAPA Auto Parts rookie awards will be worth a $1,000.00 gift card redeemable at participating NAPA Stores to Wood and Arute, with DiMatteo, Fearn, and Bessette each winning a $500 bonus from R.A.D. Automachine that will be paid out in $100.00 weekly increments to each driver as they attend events during the 2018 season.

The winners of the Most Popular Driver Awards were Ted Christopher in the SK Modified® division, Tom Fearn in the Late Model division, Marcello Rufrano from the SK Light division, Alexandra Fearn from the Limited Late Model division, and Nicole Chambrello in the DARE Stock division.  The Most Popular Driver Awards are voted on by the fans who attend Stafford Motor Speedway race events and fill out the ballots found in the track’s weekly PitStopper Magazine.

The UNOH Youth Achievement award was won by SK Light Modified driver Daniel Wesson for the second consecutive season.  The UNOH Youth Achievement Award is a program that is open to all drivers at Stafford between the ages of 14-17.  The eligible driver who scored the most track points from their best 14 finishes this season won a $500 cash award from UNOH as well as a $500 scholarship award from UNOH. 

For more information about the 2017 Stafford Motor Speedway Champions Awards Ceremony, contact the Stafford Motor Speedway’s track office at (860) 684-2783 or visit us on the web at www.staffordspeedway.com.

Who do you like ?

Posted by Wayne G. Barber


Monster Energy  Championship at Homestead, Fla.

                                 Kyle Busch  Toyota

                                 Kevin Harvick  Ford
                               
                                 Brad Keselowski  Ford

                                 Martin Truex Jr.    Toyota

Ryan Preece Racing News.....

Posted by Wayne G. Barber

Excited to announce that I will be racing the JGR #18 Safelite AutoGlass Toyota
this weekend at Homestead-Miami Speedway!

Celebrate....

Posted by Wayne G. Barber

Congratulations to all the race teams from the entire Race Chatter Nation

Camping World Truck Series News

Posted by Wayne G. Barber

FORT WORTH, TEXAS - For the first time in Cody Coughlin's career, he'll be racing in the Valley of the Sun, and he'll be doing so with positive momentum on his side. After scoring strong finishes in recent races, including a career-best of sixth at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Coughlin and his JEGS.com/RIDE TV team at ThorSport Racing are ready to head west again to race the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Lucas Oil 150 at Phoenix International Raceway on Friday night.

 

While Coughlin has never raced at the one-mile triangle in Avondale, Arizona, Coughlin is confident that he'll know just what to expect out of the tricky track before he arrives in the desert.

 

"My spotter, Terry Cook, does a great job helping me prepare for each track we go to, especially the new ones," said Coughlin.  "I'll study the notes that he usually gives me and we'll go from there and hopefully be strong right off the truck on Friday."

 

Coughlin and his team have been strong as of late, in fact, he led laps at Talladega Superspeedway a couple races ago. The 21-year-old driver said he feels like they're in the process of ending the 2017 season on a high note.

 

"It's definitely the right way to close the year out. We've shown good speed at most of the races this year, but we'd have trouble getting the finishes to show it. Our luck has not matched our performance, but our plan is to fight hard like we have all year long and hopefully get strong finishes at Phoenix and Homestead to end the year."

 

Coughlin's race weekend is actually just a race day in Phoenix as it is a one-day show this weekend. Coughlin's day will begin with a one hour and 50-minute practice session at 9 a.m. MT. Pole qualifying will take place at 3:30 p.m. MT with the green flag set to follow at 6:30 p.m. MT/8:30 p.m. ET.

 

Friday's race is 150 laps/150 miles in length. The event is broken down into three stages. The first stage will end on lap 40. The middle stage will end on lap 80 and the final stage will end with the checkered flag at lap 150 unless NASCAR Overtime is required.

 

Race fans hoping to meet Cody Coughlin can do so at the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series autograph session from 1 - 1:45 p.m. on Friday.

 

Therrien, Woodard, Davis, and Martin Honored at Banquet of Champions

Posted by Wayne G. Barber

Barre, Vt. – Thunder Road Speedbowl honored the top performers of the 2017 racing season at the annual Banquet of Champions on Saturday, November 4 at the Barre Elks Club. Hundreds of drivers, crew members, and officials were in attendance to present season-long and special awards.

Bobby Therrien received the honors of “King of the Road” for his first championship in the Thunder Road Late Model division, while Jason Woodard and Jamie Davis were recognized for their second career championships in the Lenny’s Shoe & Apparel Flying Tigers and Allen Lumber Street Stocks, respectively. Mike Martin earned the Myers Container Service Triple Crown Series title for the Flying Tigers.

Hinesburg, Vt.’s Therrien became the first driver in Thunder Road’s modern era to win championships in three different divisions. He previously won the Flying Tiger championship in 2012 and the Street Stock title in 2007. This past season, he won the season-opening Mekkelsen RV Memorial Day Classic and led the standings after 12 of the 14 regular-season events. He posted five podium finishes, including a runner-up in the Vermont Governor’s Cup, and 12 top-10 results. Therrien also had five Maplewood Semi-Feature victories.

Waterbury Center’s Jason Woodard claimed his second Lenny’s Shoe & Apparel Flying Tiger Championship after previously winning the title in 2014. Woodard bounced back from a slow start to record four feature victories on the season, including two in 75-lap Triple Crown events. On June 22, he became the eighth driver in Thunder Road history to win two features in one night. Hardwick’s Jaden Perry received the Flying Tiger Rookie of the Year Award after posting 14 top-10 finishes on the season.

Wolcott’s Jamie Davis joined Woodard as two-time champions with his Allen Lumber Street Stock title. Davis overcame adversity on multiple occasions throughout the season, posting 14 top-10 finishes and two wins – the second of which came in the season finale to come out on top of a multi-way battle for the title. Craftsbury Common’s Stephen Martin was honored as the Street Stock Rookie of the Year after edging out Middlesex’s Logan Powers by just one point in the rookie standings.

Mike Martin was the Myers Container Services Triple Crown Series Champion. Martin won the second leg of the three-race series and edged Woodard by just three points in the final rundown.

Thunder Road officials also handed out several special awards throughout the evening. Marvin Galarneau received the annual Ken Squier Award for his contributions to Thunder Road. Galarneau has been the marketing director at Thunder Road for more than a decade and has worked for numerous tracks and series throughout the region.

Tina Gallison was the recipient of the inaugural Thomas M. Curley Award given in honor of the late Thunder Road co-owner and promoter. Gallison has worked at the speedway for more than 20 years as an administrator, race-day official and in other behind-the-scenes positions.

Waterbury Center’s Kelsea Woodard was named the 2017 Thunder Road Most Improved Driver. After finishing 21^st in Allen Lumber Street Stock points in 2016, Woodard jumped to third in the final standings in 2017 with four podium finishes.

Late Model driver Jim “Boomer” Morris received the Thunder Road Sportsmanship Award. Morris maintained an upbeat attitude while persevering through numerous hard wrecks and other adversity throughout the season. Fairfax’s Alan Maynard was presented with the Ed Carroll Memorial Sportsmanship Award for his positive influence in the Street Stock pits and his contributions to the Race to Read program.

Carl Parton of CVTSport.net received the Pete Hartt Memorial Media Award. Parton has been the official Thunder Road videographer for the past nine seasons and his videos are viewed around the world through his web site and through partnerships with Speed51.com and other media outlets.

The Banquet of Champions officially concludes the 2017 Thunder Road season. Announcements regarding 2018 schedules, division rules, and season passes are expected in the near future.

For more information, contact the Thunder Road offices at (802) 244-6963, media@thunderroadvt.com, or visit www.thunderroadvt.com. Source: Thunder Road Press Release

AMERICAN CANADIAN TOUR CHANGES OWNERSHIP

Posted by Wayne G. Barber

Waterbury, VT -- American Canadian Tour (ACT) Managing Director Darla Hartt announced today a change in ownership of the 31-year old late model stock car racing series to Cris Michaud and Pat Malone, who completed purchase of the Thunder Road speedplant earlier this year.

Under the guidance of its founder, Tom Curley, ACT’s strict rules requirements, including the use of crate engines and other cost-restricting guidelines, positioned the American Canadian Tour as a long-standing leader in innovation in the short track industry.  ACT events have been enjoyed by race fans throughout New England, New York, eastern Canada and Florida.  Curley’s passion for the sport was evident in the fiery pit meetings he staged prior to each event, and his hands-on approach and inclusive philosophy proved a successful formula.  Curley died in May of complications of COPD.

“My decision to sell ACT is bittersweet, having worked with Tom from the initial NASCAR North Tour in 1979, and then launching our own series in 1986”, said Darla Hartt, Curley’s successor.  “Over 38 years we logged many thousands of miles and enjoyed so many adventures with incredible people.  Everyone in our ACT family felt a huge loss in his passing, but the teams, fans, promoters, and officials who are ACT remain dedicated to the task of moving forward.  Losing Tom last Spring- who was both my business and life partner- and immediately proceeding to operate the Tour was a challenge,” Hartt continued.  

“Tom Curley was very much a proponent of necessary change, and when I was approached by Cris and Pat, I felt the passing of the torch at this point was a good decision for everyone involved. ACT is a special entity, and I am pleased that the new ownership includes an individual who came up through our system.  Cris Michaud raced with us at Thunder Road and on the Tour, and then ultimately worked with us as an official for a couple of years, gaining valuable knowledge from his mentorship with Tom and embracing those ideals on which ACT was founded.   I trust that the ACT Tour is in good hands, and will continue to thrive going into the future”, Hartt concluded.

“I am thrilled to be able, along with my partner Pat, to lead ACT forward.  Having worked with and for Tom Curley, ACT has always represented to me the best in short track racing, and I am excited about this acquisition.  I admire the efforts Darla has made over the course of her career and especially since Tom’s passing with ACT, and appreciate the confidence she has in entrusting us with this iconic organization”, stated Michaud.  He continued, “we anticipate sharing scheduling and other planning information for the 2018 ACT Tour in the next few weeks”. Source: ACT Tour Press Release

For more information contact media@acttour.com, or the ACT Office at 802-244-6963.

Paul Arute Wins NAPA Auto Parts Late Model Rookie of the Year Honors at Stafford Speedway

Posted by Wayne G. Barber

(Stafford Springs, CT)---After a dominating 2016 season that saw him win 5 races and contend for the Limited Late Model championship, Tolland native Paul Arute made the step up the full fender ladder at Stafford Speedway into the Late Model division for 2017.  The driver of the #82 Supreme Industries Chevrolet took down his first Late Model win on August 25 and with 4 top-5 and 13 top-10 finishes for the season, he easily outpointed Matt Vassar to claim the NAPA Auto Parts Rookie of the Year honors and the $1,000 bonus that goes with it.

“The whole team knew how big the jump from Limited Late Models to Late Models would be,” explained Arute. “Our goal at the start of the year was to learn as much as we could and win 1 race before the year was out.  We grabbed that win and also grabbed the rookie of the year bonus from NAPA, so we’re happy with the season.”

The beginning of the season saw Arute struggling to find the handling on his #82 machine as he had to adjust to the power difference between the Limited Late Model and Late Model cars in addition to having to set the car up to last 30 laps instead of the customary 20 laps from the Limited Late Model days.  Arute managed two top-10 finishes over his first four starts but as the year wore on he began to pick up the consistency with his finishes as he managed top-10 efforts in all but two of the remaining 13 races, including the Aug. 25 victory.

“We struggled a bit during the first half of the season to get a handle on the new car but the team worked through it,” continued Arute.  “I can’t thank my sponsors and crew enough, without them none of this is possible.  Supreme Industries, Forward Financing, and New England Race Fuels are all vital to our operation.  Steve Johnson has been my crew chief for over 3 years now and we have had a lot of fun learning about the new car this season.  I have to thank everyone who helps out on the team; Steve Johnson, Wendy Batz, Everett Marvin, Rick Casagrande, Ric DeCarli, and Bob Fill.”

The second half of the season is where Arute and the #82 team really began to shine.  Starting in August, Arute began an 8-race stretch that saw them record top-9 finishes in each race.  Arute’s average finish over the final 8 races was 5.9 and the highlight of the season was being able to pull his #82 into NAPA Victory Lane.  With a full season of Late Model competition under his belt, Arute will be looking to get his Late Model program on the level that he enjoyed with his Limited Late Model car in 2016 and be a regular contender for wins as well as being a contender for the track championship.

“Gavin and Nate Boucher with Supreme Industries have been with our team for 3 seasons now and will be back on board in 2018,” explained Arute.  “They’re great guys and with their backing we’re confident we can contend for wins and get to victory lane a few times next season.  Late model racing at Stafford is so tough, the competition level is very high and to get a win you have to have a flawless night.  With one year under our belts were ready to contend in 2018.”

Arute will officially be crowned as the 2017 NAPA Auto Parts 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. 

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

O’SULLIVAN BECOMES A TWO-TIME GSPSS CHAMPION

Posted by Wayne G. Barber

WATERFORD, Conn. -- The 2017 Granite State Pro Stock Series season saw one driver capture his second championship. Mike O’Sullivan, a former champion at Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park, wasn’t able to visit Victory Lane in the 12-race schedule. 

But that didn’t matter.

O’Sullivan was consistent enough to roll into the season-finale at New London-Waterford Speedbowl with a four point lead over Scott MacMichael. While his challengers had trouble, O’Sullivan was calm, cool and collective and finished seventh in the 100 lap feature. He avoided a few crashes and settled in late, knowing he just needed to finish well to become a two-time Granite State Series champion. 

“Those guys in front of me, you can’t take anything away from them, they were definitely good tonight,” O’Sullivan said of the race. "I was just trying to be smart. My car was great. It didn’t really go away. It was difficult to be smart there and just do what I needed to do. I was really confident on the restarts, even though I started on the top.”

Saturday’s race wasn’t exactly what O’Sullivan was looking for from his competitors either. The early stages of the race were filled with cautions, a lot of them for multi-car crashes all around the track. Luckily, he was able to escape without damage. But it still wasn’t the way he wanted to end the season. 

“You want to get in a rhythm and run. Everyone will tell you when they strap in the race car they are nervous. But as soon as they throw the green, you get hot and things get going,” O’Sullivan said. "I’d rather see 25, 30 laps runs and get us in a rhythm. But that’s just what happens.”

One major turning point in the championship chase took place in just the first few laps. His closest challenger, MacMichael, went spinning from second spot right in front of the entire field. Unfortunately, O’Sullivan was the one who got into him and sent him around -not intentionally, though. There was a car stopped at the bottom of turn four and MacMichael checked up. It created the accordion affect.  

“To be honest, I was hoping Scott would get his spot back. He checked up for the wreck in turn four and they were yelling there was no caution,” O’Sullivan said. "I got hit from behind and pushed into him and he got put around. I was hoping they would just give him his spot back and wipe the slate clean.”

O’Sullivan didn’t even have his own car on the property on Saturday night. His brother, Tommy, who also competes in the series, lended his car over to his brother after Mike was involved in a nasty crash at Thompson a week prior. They knew it would be hard to get the car fixed, but his brother stepped in to help.

“He’s always been like that, I’ve driven his Late Models before and I’ve even driven his go-karts before. He’s always had a bone in him to be happy and be content to see me drive his car,” Mike said. "That being said, he had a good car at Thompson and he won this year with this car. To be able to step away and know that it was a possibility that he wasn’t going to be able to take his car here, it was tough. He didn’t hesitate.”

His fourth career championship is definitely something special. 

“They are all different, the first one at Thompson was cool, we weren’t really expecting to do that. We ran really good that year and it was a little bit of a surprise. It took us a while to get back there, we won in 2002 and then in 2007,” O’Sullivan said. 

"To come here on a touring series, we had Icebreaker and the World Series on the schedule and we decided we wanted to run them all. The first time we won a title on this series, I hadn’t even visited three-quarters of the tracks. To be able to do this is a testament to my guys. They love running for points." Source: GSPSS Press Release and GSPSS Photo

Hirschman Collects Big Paycheck At Seekonk's Haunted Hundred

Source: Photos by Simply the Best, Crystal Snape   

Posted by Wayne G. Barber

When the Tri-Track Open Modified Series comes to town, you can expect close tight racing and that's just what race fans got on Sat. Oct. 25th.

    Thirty eight tour type modifies ran 4 qualifying heats and two "B" mains vieing for the 26 feature starting positions in Seekonk's Haunted Hundred.

   With a $6000.00 pay day plus a $1500.00 bounty for anyone that could beat Matt Hirschman to the finish line, it didn't take long for the action to take place.

   Ron Silk (Norwalk,CT) the 2011 Nascar champion and Steve Masse (Bellingham,MA) brought the potent field to green. Immediately Silk and Masse raced out to a short lead trying to break away from some of the heavy hitters further behind. From third on back Tommy Barrett (Millis,MA) Derek Ramstrom  (W.Boylston,MA) Russ Hersey (Swanzey,N.H) Rowan Pennink (Hungingdon Valley,PA) and Woody Pitkat (Sturbridge,MA) all played bumper tag until lap 15 when Pitkat spun in turn 3 with a flat right rear tire.

   On the restart Hersey overpowered Ramstrum for third place and as the pack dove into the third turn Masse spun his racer out of second place, bringing out the second yellow. Masse was able to drive away but 9 cars got tangled up behind him, resulting in the elimination of 6 time Seekonk track champion, Vinnie Annarummo (Swansea,MA). It also ended the day for Bobby Santos (Franklin,MA) the 2010 Nascar modified champion and Kurt Vigeant (Oxford, MA.)

   When the field resumed racing Hersey, Ramstrom and Pennink traded second, third and fourth place for the next 6 laps until Hersey broke away and applied pressure on race leader Silk. By lap 28 Silk could no longer hold off Hersey's attack as he became the new leader of the event. Thru 3 more cautions Hersey kept the lead while Hirschman and Anthony Nocella (Woburn,MA) gradualy worked their way to the front.

   As Hersey and second place Hirschman began to pull away, Hirschman got along side the leader but Hersey prevailed and looked to be on his way to the big paycheck. The last thing Hersey wanted to see was a caution flag but with ten to go Blake Barney (Jackson,N.J) coasted to a stop off turn four. With the tension level on high Hersey and Hirschman ran side by side through turns one and two as Nocella and Pennink charged from the second row. On the backstretch Nocella saw an opening beneath Hersey and tried to make it a three wide pass for the lead but Nocella and Hersey made contact causing the #88 to spin out of the lead. An impressive run by a small dollar team had ended along with their bid for victory which handed the lead to Hirschman.

   With 10 circuits left in the event Hirschman and Nocella were now the next combatants to duel for the lead and that's just what they did. Nocella waited for the right moment and with three to go made his move and muscled his way pass Hirschman using his bumper, tires and nerf bars to take over the lead but on the next lap Hirschman repaid the favor by using his own bumper and nerf bars. With sparks flying Hirschman regained the upper hand and crossed under the checked flag for the winners hardware.

   In a post race interview Hirschman said "We had to run hard in the heat to just get into the feature. Once we got into the feature I tried to be patient and move forward. The car didn't give me any indication that I needed to pit, but at the end the guys that did pit, the 92 specifically, he was in a good position because of his fresh tire. I can't say I should have done anything different because we did win.

   With the bounty thing I wasn't sure how it was going to play out, but everybody ran me clean, so when I got to second it was getting tougher and tougher.

   The #88 (Hersey); some of his restarts were confusing, I didn't know if he wanted the inside or the outside. He got aggressive and got under me and once he got the lead he tried to block the bottom and brake hard and when he brake hard I got into him and we rubbed our way around 3 and 4 and I got back ahead of him."

   When asked about the bounty, he said "As far as the bounty it was good from the promotional side, I think it helped, their was a good crowd here today, the fans were into it. So long as I got beat fair and clean I would have been glad because its more money for the racers and I'm all about that. But if somebody did me wrong I wouldn't have been happy with that. It was hard to say what to expect.

   Nocella and I talked after and we agreed it was just good hard racing, it was what both of us expected and I'm glad we both got finishes that we deserved as far as 1/2 either way. Because of the way we bumped and rubbed, either one of us could have gotten a flat tire."

   In victory lane Nocella immediately approached Hirschman's car, came face to face and congratulated Hirschman, saying what a great race they had with each other. Hirschman agreed and told Nocella they both used each other up at the end.

   Nocella commented, "I knew it was going to be tough at the end , our right rear was going away, we got turned around early (lap 15) in the race and had to work pretty hard to get back up thru and that heated up our tires. We were running the same lap times as the leaders, I knew if I had a good restart I could give him a shot there. He slid up there, got a little tight once and it was three to go so it was my one shot for that much money. They're putting up that much money plus a bounty, might as well give the fans a show. He left the bottom open and I sailed it in and didn't lift until I was up to his door, he got sideways and I moved him up. He got right back to my bumper and I knew what was going to happen so I tried to roll it in a little easy to keep it on the bottom and he did what he had to do and didn't lift until I was up into the second groove. That's just hard racing, you cant expect anything different. He just moved me out of the way for the win. If I got to be beat by one guy I'm happy it's him, one of the best of the best."

   Pennink had the best seat in the house sitting in third place and watching the action a few feet in front of him.

   He said "We had a good car all day. The 25 team put another solid car underneath me, we were good in practice and won our heat and we finished in the top three in the race so we cant complain much about that. We were just short on running up there for the win with the 60 and 92. Want to thank all my guys on the 25 team for an awesome season."

    Finishing fourth, Richard Savary (Canton,MA) made a late race charge to nip Les Hinckley (Winsor Locks,CT)  at the finish line.
 Heat winners were: Silk, Nocella, Pennink, Ramstrom

   "B" Main #1- Pasteryak

    "B"Main #2- Santos

Summary:

Track---Seekonk Speedway

Race---TTOMS Haunted Hundred

Cautions---6---laps-15-17-29- 55-67-90

Lap Leaders---4---#85,(1-27)---# 88,(28-90)---60,(91-96)---92,( 97)---60,(98-100)

Margin of Victory---0.510

Best Lap Time---12.327 sec.

Best Speed---96.374 MPH

Best Lap By---88nh-Russ Hersey

Finish:

1---60-Matt Hirschman-4 time Tri-Track champion

2---92-Anthony Nocella- 5 wins 2017 VMRS champion

3---25-Rowan Pennink- multiple wins with VMRS-Nascar-MTS-2017

4---99-Richard Savary- 1 win-3 top 5s-3 top 10s

5---06-Les Hinckley- 7 top 5s

6---13-Steve Masse- 1 win-3 top 5s- 3 top 10s

7---27-Andrew Krause- 2 top 6s Nascar tour

8---88-Keith Rocco- 2017 champion Stafford, Thompson, Waterford 2017

9---43-Ron Frees- multi mod winner Wall speedway

10--15ct.-Chris Pasteryak- 1 win 4 top 10s

11--16-Colbey Fournier- 7th place in points VMRS

12--16-Max Zackem- 3 top 10s Tri-Track

13--35-Derek Ramstrom- 1 top 10 T-T

14--82-Woody Pitkat- 1 win -5 top 5s- 4 top 10s

15--48-Jon Keivman- 1 top 10

16--27-Matt Galko- 1 top 10

17--85-Ron Silk- 2011 Nascar champion 1 win- 3 top 5s TT

18--88-Russ Hersey- 2 wins VMRS 2017

19--9-Tommy Barrett- MTS & Tri-Track wins at Seekonk

20--43-Kirk Alexander- 33 wins & 3 championships-VMRS

21--6-Ryan Preece- 12 tour type wins 2017

22--76- Ryan Vanasse- 2017 Pro Stock win- Seekonk

23--14-Blake Barney- 2 top 10s TT

24--12- Vinnie Annarummo- 6 track championships- Seekonk

25--44- Bobby Santos- 2010 Nascar Mod Champion

26--7- Kurt Vigeant- 8th place Star TT    

Source: Story by James Snape

Source: Photos by Simply the Best, Crystal Snape

DEVIL'S BOWL SPEEDWAY: Devil’s Bowl to Race on Sunday Nights in 2018

Posted by Wayne G. Barber

WEST HAVEN, Vt. – Devil’s Bowl Speedway is getting back to basics, and that includes a return to Sunday night racing in 2018.  As the historic Vermont stock car racing facility undergoes the process of having its half-mile track converted from asphalt surface to natural clay, speedway management is working diligently on the format for the 52^nd season next summer.

The decision to race on Sundays was reached after gathering information from more than 120 race teams and analyzing more than 1,500 responses from an online public survey of fans.  Several adjustments will be made to the racing program in order to speed up the pace of the show and allow fans and competitors to arrive home at a reasonable time on Sunday night.

Among the time-saving plans are rotating schedules each week throughout the season for several divisions in which heat races are eliminated in exchange for extra-distance feature events, along with a rotation of occasional off-weeks for select classes.  In addition, a new format for victory lane ceremonies is expected to cut up to 20 minutes out of each show.

“Devil’s Bowl has traditionally been a Sunday-night track, but lifestyles and priorities have changed so much that we really wanted to dig deep and see if Sunday was still manageable,” Devil’s Bowl Speedway promoter Mike Bruno said.  “There was support for Saturday, but ultimately Sunday will be the best fit for the majority.  However, we feel a responsibility to get everyone home at a decent hour in time for the Monday work day, and we will make a big effort to get our shows done in three hours or less.”

Bruno also said that there is a strong possibility for a handful of special events on Saturday nights or on mid-week dates.  The full season schedule is expected to be announced before January 1.  Rulebooks for all divisions are being finalized and are expected by December 1.

Racing in weekly divisions will continue with sanctioning from the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series, marking the eighth consecutive year under the NASCAR banner at Devil’s Bowl Speedway.  Drivers will be eligible for track, state, and national championships, awards, and point fund money.  Kenny Tremont Jr. won the NASCAR Vermont State Championship and the Sportsman Modified track championship on the smaller 3/10-mile Dirt Track at Devil’s Bowl in 2017 and is expected to collect more than $6,000 for his efforts.

Devil’s Bowl Speedway is located on Route 22A in West Haven, Vt., four miles north of Exit 2 off of U.S. Route 4 and just 20 minutes from Rutland, Vt.  For more information, visit www.DevilsBowlSpeedwayVT.com or call (802) 265-3112.  Devil’s Bowl Speedway is on Facebook at facebook.com/DevilsBowlSpeedway and on Twitter and Instagram at @DevilsBowlSpeed; follow the action using the #DevilsBowl hashtag.  Source: Press Release Devils Bowl Speedway