DEVIL'S BOWL SPEEDWAY: Vermont Track Switching to Saturday Nights for 2021

 Posted by Wayne G. Barber 

DEVIL'S BOWL SPEEDWAY: Vermont Track Switching to Saturday Nights for 2021

Devil’s Bowl Speedway Switching to Saturday Nights for 2021

Full $22,000 point fund paid for 2020 season

 

For Immediate Release                                                                                                                                                                                  DBS-123120-1

 

WEST HAVEN, Vt. – Devil’s Bowl Speedway is making a big change for the 2021 season. The historic half-mile Vermont dirt track is switching to Saturday as its primary race night for the new year, setting itself up for a schedule that should be more convenient for fans, competitors, and officials.

Opening night will be Saturday, May 1 – the earliest scheduled opening since 1990. The full 2021 season schedule is still being finalized and should be released in January or early February.

Devil’s Bowl has operated on Sunday nights through much of its 54-year history but racing on Saturdays is not a new idea; a total of 12 seasons have been run on Saturdays, dating as far back as 1974 and as recently as 2017. Four Saturday night races were held in 2020 to serve as indicators of what a full-time move might look like, and the test was met with rave reviews. Informal polls of fans and racers on fall episodes of Devil’s Bowl Speedway’s “Let’s Talk Racing” show on Facebook Live also showed overwhelming support for Saturdays.

Devil’s Bowl promoter Mike Bruno feels that racing on Saturday nights has several added benefits including easier travel for many racers and fans. Sunday also becomes an automatic rain date if needed, and the strong possibility exists for a series of special events or practice sessions on Sundays.

“Many of our fans and racers travel from 90 minutes away or more, and that makes for some tough Monday mornings,” Bruno said. “One of the best parts of short track racing is when fans come into the pits at the end of the night to meet the drivers and see the cars, and that just doesn’t happen on Sundays anymore because people are on the go. Saturday night is not perfect for everyone, but Sunday night is a lot tougher than it used to be.”

While the positives of racing on Saturdays may be obvious, Bruno said that the decision was made only after an extensive look at how the switch might negatively affect teams and neighboring dirt tracks.

“We looked very hard at how many cars we would gain or lose by switching to Saturdays, and whether or not we would hurt any other tracks in the area,” Bruno continued. “I don’t believe that we’ll have a negative impact on any other tracks. If we did, we would stay on Sundays. We know that a small number of our drivers are committed to race at other tracks on Saturdays and may not return to Devil’s Bowl, but we also know that we will gain several others who couldn’t make Sundays work.”

In addition to the schedule announcement, Bruno revealed that the full championship point fund for the 2020 season has been distributed to drivers in all five divisions. In the absence of a proper Banquet of Champions due to restrictions related to the COVID-19 pandemic, more than $22,000 in checks have been mailed to drivers and car owners. Bruno said that an award ceremony to recognize the achievements of 2020’s top drivers is planned for opening night at the speedway on May 1.

Pepsi Sportsman Modified champion Demetrios Drellos received $5,000 for his efforts after a sterling season that saw him win five times including the Interstate All Battery Center Vermont 200. The Queensbury, N.Y., driver earned a season total of $26,826 in prize money aboard his General Motors “602” crate engine Sportsman car in his first full season at Devil’s Bowl in 2020.

Johnny Bruno of Castleton, Vt., pocketed $1,200 for his second consecutive title in the O’Reilly Auto Parts Limited Sportsman division. West Rutland, Vt.’s Andrew FitzGerald took $800 for his first Super Stock crown, Chris Conroy of Newport, N.H., received $500 for his first Mini Stock championship, and Springfield, Vt.’s Cody O’Brien earned $300 for his second Friend Construction 500cc Mini Sprint title.

Devil’s Bowl Speedway is located on Route 22A in West Haven, Vt., four miles north of U.S. Route 4, Exit 2, 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, Instagram, and Snapchat at @DevilsBowlSpeed; follow the action using the #DevilsBowl hashtag.

Stafford Speedway, Ct. Tentative 2021 Championship Point Fund Payouts

 Posted by Wayne G. Barber 

Stafford Speedway, Ct. Leaving NASCAR Weekly Racing Series in 2021;

 Posted by Wayne G. Barber 

Stafford Speedway Leaving NASCAR Weekly Racing Series in 2021; Track to Race Independently; Modified Tour Events Unaffected

(Stafford Springs, CT)---After a 60-year partnership working with NASCAR as a sanctioned short track, Stafford Speedway will not operate under the NASCAR Weekly Series banner for the 2021 season due to a conflict regarding ownership of streaming and broadcast rights of weekly racing events. 

 

“Unfortunately we were unable to come to an agreement regarding the media rights of our weekly racing program,” explained Stafford Speedway CEO Mark Arute.  “In the existing format NASCAR owns the rights to any NASCAR sanctioned race produced by Stafford Speedway Productions.  With the success of Stafford Speedway TV we no longer see this as a partnership we want to continue.”

 

Launched for the 2020 season, Stafford Speedway TV is the live broadcast home for weekly racing at Stafford Speedway. Teams competing at Stafford Speedway shared in the success of Stafford Speedway TV in the 2020 season with 25% of each pay-per-view sale going back to the race teams.

 

“StaffordSpeedway.tv has become a great asset to Stafford Speedway and all the race teams that compete at Stafford weekly,” continued Arute.  “We see opportunities to grow this platform and currently are handcuffed on what we are able to accomplish for our race teams. Through the weekly racing sanction, NASCAR continues to own all rights to our weekly production, which is something we are no longer comfortable with.”

 

Stafford Speedway officials have also announced that they will, at a minimum, match the NASCAR Track and State point fund that was paid to 4 of Stafford’s 5 weekly divisions. Additionally this does not affect NASCAR Modified Tour events for the 2021 season with 3 currently on the Stafford Speedway schedule. 

 

“It’s really too bad. We hoped it would not come to this but we’ve really been given no option.  We now look to the future and the opportunities in front of us.  For starters, we will match the NASCAR Track and State point funds and will expand it to the Street Stock division, which currently does not receive a point fund under the NASCAR banner.  Like we have done for decades we will continue to explore options to showcase the talented drivers that race at Stafford Speedway every Friday night.”

“The weekly racing at Stafford Speedway is some of the best racing we’ve ever seen,” continued Stafford Speedway CEO Mark Arute.  “We are doing a disservice to the race teams by giving away ownership of the weekly program media rights. Our goal is always to grow short track racing and put our competitors in front of more eyes.  In the current structure, operating as a NASCAR sanctioned weekly track limits the opportunities that we can go after.”

 

The 2021 racing schedule was released last month and features a slate of 24 events across 7 months. View the full 2021 schedule here. Source: Scott Running Stafford Speedway Media Press Release 

Hudson Speedway 2021 Tentative Schedule

 Posted by Wayne G. Barber 

Lot of fan friendly improvements here race fans !

Seekonk Speedway Mass. announces the 2021 Racing Schedule

 Posted by Wayne G. Barber 

Boston Louie NEMA returns to Seekonk Speedway in 2021

 Posted by Wayne G. Barber 

The Northeastern Midget Association has announced today that the annual Boston Louie Memorial will return to Seekonk Speedway on Wednesday, June 9, 2021.  The International Super Modified Association will join the NEMA Midgets and NEMA Lites on the card in what will be a spectacular Open Wheel Show.  NASCAR star Ken Schrader has also announced his return to the racing card at Seekonk.

The race, one of the most coveted of the NEMA season, is in memory of legendary car owner Louie Seymour.  Seymour, a Marlboro, Mass., native, died in 1996. He began in racing in the Midwestern-based USAC Silver Crown division, earning the nickname “Boston Louie” from fans and competitors who connected him with the capital of his home state. As a car owner, Seymour had more than 50 drivers in his equipment, including NASCAR star, Ken Schrader. Known as the “man who traveled a million miles,” many legends of Silver Crown racing drove for Seymour, including Rich Volger, Gary Bettenhausen, Sheldon Kinser and Joe Saldana

“If you have any open cockpit [racing] history, you understand just where ‘Boston’ Louie Seymour stands,” said six time champion Randy Cabral. “To win a race with that name on it is very, very special and to have won it multiple times is even more special,” said Cabral..

Making the race even more special, is the continued tradition and partnership with Seekonk Speedway.  The first officially sanctioned NEMA race took place at the famed Seekonk, on May 30, 1953.  Sixty eight years later, the midgets now storm around the banked, round oval in the low 11 second range.

“Seekonk Speedway is excited to continue the tradition of the Boston Louie on a midweek race. NEMA always brings great talent and puts on an exciting race that brings out all the great aspects of Midget racing.  The Speedway has has a long running great partnership with NEMA and looks forward to being as part of their racing program for years to come. The return of the ISMA Super Modified''s on this new event just adds to the excitement,” said Ed St. Germain, Director of Business Development at Seekonk.

“We are very excited to continue our partnership with Seekonk,” said NEMA President, Tim Bertrand.  “Seekonk is and always has been the ideal track for the midgets – fast, wide, and combines handling with driver skill more than anything else,” said Bertrand.  “We’re excited to be back, and thank Ed and the entire Seekonk family for having us.” Source: Seekonk Speedway Media Press Release and Photo

Keith Rocco Takes 4th SK Modified® Track Championship at Stafford Speedway, Ct.

 Posted by Wayne G. Barber 

(Stafford Springs, CT)---When the 2020 SK Modified® season kicked off at Stafford Speedway back on June 26, Keith Rocco and the #88 Wheelers Auto team began with a victory and they closed out the 2020 season with a victory and a 4^th career track championship at Stafford.  Rocco actually clinched the title with one race remaining but he closed out his championship season in grand style, bookending the 2020 season with victories.

 

“It’s awesome, any time you win a championship at Stafford you’re definitely doing something,” said Rocco.  “I always race to win and I race week by week.  We want to win every race but starting around 13^th to 15^th every week makes it tough.  I’m not usually the one to look at the points.  When we saw Todd Owen get wrecked two weeks in a row, I knew he was our competition.  We got a little bit of a lead, which makes life easier to just go out and race harder knowing you have a gap.  Thanks to my entire crew and my sponsors Wheelers Auto, Hocon Industrial Gas, 811 Call Before You Dig, Arbitell Convenience Stores, Green Construction, Mike’s Auto, D & G Paving, FK Rod Ends, Fragola Performance Systems, Pettit Racing Engines.”

 

Rocco’s championship set a NASCAR Weekly Racing Series Division I record, breaking a tie he held with Nebraska native Joe Kosiski.  Rocco was previously tied with Kosiski on 17 championships.  This 18^th career Division I championship increases his SK Modified® titles at Stafford to 4, breaking a tie with Mike Christopher and Bo Gunning for third place on the list of all-time SK Modified® champions.  With 4 Stafford SK Modified® titles to his name, Rocco only trails Bob Potter with 5 and Ted Christopher with 9.

 

“It left me speechless,” said Rocco.  “We’ve clicked off a lot of championships over the last 5 years or so and there was one year where we won the championship at all 3 tracks.  Over the last 3 or 4 years we’ve won I think 5 championships so it’s kind of mind blowing to even think about.  I think I might have been a little more exciting to watch when I was younger because I tore a lot of stuff up but nowadays I race a little more with my head and it shows in our finishes.  To win a race you have to finish and back in the day I wanted to win the race on the first lap and now I try to win the race on the last lap.  I wanted to close out the second to last Friday with a win but we fell just short of that.  We gave it 110% to do that and it was very nice to go into the last race not having to worry about the championship.”

 

Rocco was not only dominant in 2020, but he was consistent as well.  Rocco won 6 of the 14 SK Modified® races held this season and his worst finish of the season was seventh place.  Rocco’s average finish for the 2020 season was a miniscule 3.3, meaning that he fell just short of averaging a podium finish each time he took to the track in 2020.

“We always want to win the first race and we’ve been fortunate the last handful of years we always seem to win the opening race,” said Rocco.  “It seemed like where we struggled was always mid-season with not keeping up with the track and the way the weather changed.  This year I feel like that’s where we had our best consecutive finishes and I feel like we were more dominant at the end of the season than we were at the beginning even though we won the first two races.”

 

As dominant as Rocco was during the 2020 season, his season wasn’t without its share of issues to deal with.  Rocco had to rely on his pit crew several times during the year to get his #88 not only fixed, but fixed well enough to where he could drive his way back through the pack and get into the top-10 or top-5.

 

“We had some luck on our side but the majority of it all comes down to having a great team and great help behind me,” said Rocco.  “There was one night where we got wrecked early and the nerf bar was stuffed into the tire and there were two other nights where we got tangled up and had flat tires and knocked the toe out.  At the end of the day it’s all about having good help on pit road that really makes a difference.  Everyone will have a bad night and have to come down pit road at some point during the season.  My guys were able to turn things around and get the car back out on the track and we were able to get top-10 finishes in those races.”

 

For more information, visit www.staffordspeedway.com, checkout Stafford Speedway on Facebook or Twitter, or contact the track office at 860-684-2783.Source: Scott Running Stafford Speedway Media Press Release and Track Photo 

.

Jeb Burton Gets His Big NASCAR Break with Kaulig Racing

 Posted by Wayne G. Barber 

My friend, Ward Burton just called and said it's a done deal. Jeb got a 33 race seat in the 2021 Xfinity Series, NASCAR'S second highest division. My daughter Kimberly is a big family Burton race fan and should put a smile on her face. Jeb's uncle Jeff Burton is retired and now a broadcaster.

The second-generation racer, and son of 2002 Daytona 500 winner Ward Burton, had been negotiating with Kaulig Racing and sponsor Nutrien Ag Solutions but wasn’t entirely sure if they were going to make it happen in time for the 2021 NASCAR Xfinity season.

Burton has suffered numerous setbacks or near misses in recent years, coming close to several wins in partial seasons with JR Motorsports and Richard Childress Racing, but coming up short in all kinds of heartbreaking manners.

So naturally, when Kaulig Racing president Chris Rice, who is arguably the most optimistic person in the world, told Burton he wasn’t entirely optimistic about their progress, Burton believed it.

"Chris is a really positive guy," Burton said later. "So, when he was down, I was like, man, this is this isn't a good situation."

The truth was that Rice and team owner Matt Kaulig agreed to a full season agreement and invited Burton to a meeting at the Kaulig Racing shop in the hopes of convincing Nutrien Ag Solutions to a deal that had already been consummated.

The plan was to surprise Burton and it worked to amazing effect.

Adam Gray Wins 3rd Career Late Model Championship at Stafford Speedway, Ct.

 Posted by Wayne G. Barber 

Adam Gray Wins 3^rd Career Late Model Championship at Stafford

(Stafford Springs, CT)---While a championship is a special occasion for any driver in their racing career, for Stafford Late Model driver Adam Gray, his 3^rd Stafford Late Model title carries with it some extra meaning.  Prior to the 2019 season, long time crew member and family friend of both Gray and his father Barry, Leon Chartier, passed away.  Chartier made Gray promise that he would one day return to Stafford after not racing from 2016-2018 and win a race.  Gray checked that box last season and he one-upped his feature win from last season with 6 more wins this year en route to his third career championship at Stafford.

 

“Leon and my father started racing together and Leon was like a second father to me,” said Gray.  “Leon helped my father and myself for years and his shop is where we work on our cars.  As long as I’m racing his name will always be on my car.  Leon got sick and he pulled me aside one day and told me that one day I was going to go back to Stafford and win a race.  We won that race last year and that was pretty cool and this year we did one better for him and won the championship.  It was heartbreaking and heartwarming all at the same time.  Knowing that we were doing this for him but not having him with us was the heartbreaking part.  I sat in the car for a little bit last Friday night after the race was over and I had tears in my eyes and I kept looking up and saying ‘I did it for you.’  It’s pretty cool to be able to accomplish something and have more meaning behind it than just racing.”

 

Aside from getting caught up in a wreck on Sept. 4 and a mechanical issue on Sept. 25, Gray and the #97 team were the class of the Late Model field.  Gray racked up 6 wins and 11 top-5 finishes in the 12 races that he didn’t have any issues in, with a worst finish of 8^th in those 12 races.  Gray’s average finish for the 2020 season was 4.4.

 

“We had some phenomenal races this year,” said Gray.  “Other than Wayne Coury and Ryan Fearn, we were the only repeat feature winners and this season kind of followed in the tracks of our 2014 championship.  We had a few more DNF’s than we’ve had in the past but we had strong finishes and we finished up front.  It’s special to look at the all-time wins list and champions list for the Late Model division at Stafford and see my name surrounded by some pretty darn good drivers like Tom Fearn, Chuck Zentarski, Woody Pitkat, Ryan Posocco, and Jim Peterson.  Those are all guys who I learned from when I first came to Stafford to go Late Model racing.  I have to thank Meadows Motor Car, Leon’s Auto Repair, Gregg Orhlen Construction, Statewide Auto Auctions, Donny from R.A.D. Auto Machine, Williams Race Gears, Hawley’s Auto Body and Repair, Hi Tech Transmissions, Barrco Automotive, Waddell Communications and my entire crew.”

 

Gray and the #97 Meadows Motor Car team returned to Stafford running a partial schedule in 2019 and originally planned on only running a partial schedule again in 2020.  Early success, including back to back wins in the first 5 races of the season, changed those plans from part-time to full-time to make a run for winning the championship.

“We were just coming to Stafford to have some fun and try to win some races on a part time schedule this year,” said Gray.  “Early in the season I was going to miss a race at Stafford because my father was racing but that got rained out and then it got to the point where we were invested and we saw the possibility of winning a championship so we put some other things on the back burner and focused on Stafford.  As a crew we kind of decided after we had a couple of good runs and we won 2 races in a row to go the full season.  Those two wins were very motivating for us.”

 

Although the 2020 championship is Gray’s third career championship at Stafford, he says that the 2020 title was a tougher championship to win than his first 2 championships were.

 

“You would think because of the shortened season due to the pandemic going on that things would be a little easier, but the short season didn’t leave you any room to make errors,” said Gray.  “If you got behind, then you were going to have a hard time to make up any points you lost.  The fortunate thing for us was the couple of nights when we had a bad night, the guys who were second, third, or fourth in points also had a bad night.  This season was more of a grind because there wasn’t 20 races where you had more opportunities to make up for points.”

 

For more information, visit www.staffordspeedway.com, checkout Stafford Speedway on Facebook or Twitter, or contact the track office at 860-684-2783. Source: Scott Running Stafford Speedway Media Press Release & Track Photo

Brian Sullivan Takes Stafford Speedway , Ct. SK Light Championship in Unusual Circumstances

 Posted by Wayne G. Barber 

(Stafford Springs, CT)---With 2020 being a year full of unpredictable and unusual circumstances, the race for the SK Light track championship at Stafford Speedway fits perfectly into the unpredictable and unusual narrative.  Brian Sullivan and the #11 Vasseur Landscaping team opened the season with a strong start, winning a race and posting top-6 finishes in each of the first 5 races of the season.  Following that 5-race stretch, Sullivan missed not one but the next two races on the schedule, which dropped him from the point lead to 5^th in the standings, 90 points behind the leader with only 7 races left.  That fact didn’t deter Sullivan or the #11 team as they continued to notch strong consistent finishes in the top-5 while the drivers in front of him in the standings all encountered issues that allowed Sullivan to turn his 90 point deficit into a 40 point lead heading into the NAPA Auto Parts Championship Night event.  A conservative 10^th place effort in that final race saw Sullivan and his team crowned as the 2020 SK Light champions.  

 

“Missing two races I thought we’d battle back to maybe finish somewhere in the top-5 in points but I never thought we’d be battling for a championship,” said Sullivan.  “We know we had a good team and we had a fast car so we were going to battle to the end but we never expected to make up for missing 2 races.  Winning the championship means a lot.  I’ve been going to Stafford since I was a kid sitting in the stands on Friday nights.  To go from a kid in the stands to winning my first race at Stafford and to win a championship at what I think is the premier track in New England, if not the entire country, it feels really good to be on the list of feature winners and track champions.  I have to thank all my sponsors Monaco Ford, Glastonbury Oil Co., Competitive Edge Coatings, Sullivan Landscaping, Vasseur Landscaping, Ceric Fabrication, R.A.D. Auto Machine, Buzzy Transmissions, Waddell Communications, the whole Chapman family and crew, and my crew guys my Dad, Mark, Kim, Ted, Glen, and Dave and Mike Monaco.”

 

Adding to the unpredictable and unusual nature of Sullivan’s 2020 season was the fact that prior to the start of the 2020 season, Sullivan wasn’t planning on running the full schedule of events.  With the Covid-19 pandemic leading to a condensed schedule for the 2020 season, Sullivan and his car owner Rich Vasseur decided to run the full schedule and see where they ended up at season’s end.

 

“For us, this season was a matter of running the first part of the year and seeing how things went,” said Sullivan.  “Even though we ended up with 14 races, I was figuring on a 10 or 12 race schedule with the shortened season and we could really go for it.  The season went very well for us.  We raced all year and kept the wheels on the car and we only had to change 3 bumpers during the season.  I wish we had a few more wins with our expectation level to win races but the championship fell into our hands because we ran well every week.”

 

Despite missing 2 races, Sullivan and the #11 team were the most consistent SK Light team at Stafford in 2020 with an average finish of 4.0.  While he only had 1 win this season, Sullivan led all SK Light drivers with 10 top-5 and 12 top-10 finishes.  Sullivan points to his years of experience working both as a crew chief and a spotter as some of the key reasons why he was able to be consistently good every Friday night during the 2020 season.

 

“I definitely feel like being a crew chief is an advantage,” said Sullivan.  “I’m looking for a certain feel in the car and making the right decisions, so it’s an advantage to be a crew chief and driver.  Also I’ve been a spotter for years and that really helps as far as getting through accidents or squaring the car up if someone wrecks in front of you.  You also have to be alert and aware of which cars are around you and make smart decisions on the track.  A lot of drivers have smart people helping them out but it’s an advantage to know what I want in the car and knowing week to week that I’m coming to the track with a stout car.”

 

Now that Sullivan has both his first career feature win and championship at Stafford, he is looking to return to the track in 2021 to defend his title.

 

“I think for next season we’re going to try to come back and defend our championship,” said Sullivan.  “We’re not looking to move up.  I’ve been down that road before and I know what an SK costs and you also have to have pit crew guys and you’ve got to have everything, so that’s a big step up.  

 

For more information, visit www.staffordspeedway.com, checkout Stafford Speedway on Facebook or Twitter, or contact the track office at 860-684-2783 Source: Scott Running Stafford Speedway Media Press Release and Track Photo

Andrew Durand Captures Second Limited Late Model Championship in Return to Full-Time Competition at Stafford Speedway, Ct.

 Posted by Wayne G. Barber 

Stafford Springs, CT)---The race for the Limited Late Model championship at Stafford Speedway came down to the final lap of the final race of the season and ended with Andrew Durand and Alexandra Fearn tied in the standings.  Durand held the tiebreaker over Fearn with 7 wins to Fearn’s 3 wins to make him a track champion for the second time in his career.

 

Durand entered the 2020 season as the winningest driver in Stafford Limited Late Model history with 25 career wins, even though he hadn’t raced in the division on a weekly basis since the 2010 season.  Despite the nearly 10 year layoff from competition, Durand and the #43 Universal Plastics team resumed their winning ways in 2020 by winning the first 2 races of the season and won 7 races overall on their way to taking home a second career championship.  

 

“I really wasn’t planning on going for a championship this season,” said Durand.  “My plan was to just go race and things kind of fell into line for us with the championship.  After taking so much time off from racing, I really wanted to do the best that I could so we put a lot of extra time and effort into the car.  Towards the end of the season I said to myself that I had to race how I normally race because racing for a championship can stress you out.  My main thing was to just get back out on the track and have some fun and try to win some races.  I have to thank my sponsors Universal Plastics, Hamm’s Welding, Payless Auto Glass, Dan’s Appliances, and a special thanks to Neil Provost for helping get us back out there on the track.”

 

During his first stint in the Limited Late Model division, Durand racked up 25 career wins from the 2005-2010 seasons.  Durand’s 7 wins set a new personal record for wins in a season as his previous career high was 6 back in the inaugural season of Limited Late Model competition in 2005.  Durand returned to Stafford for the final 2 races of the 2019 season to help prepare himself for the 2020 season but mechanical issues plagued him to 11^th place finishes in both races and he came into the 2020 season unsure of what to expect from his #43 car. 

 

“I wasn’t expecting to win 7 times but we’ve done it before in 2005 when Michael Bennett won 14 races and we won 6 times,” said Durand.  “We’ve done it before and with a similar amount of cars this year that we had back in 2005, it’s a different kind of racing.  You really have to get to the front before the other guys get up front.  I think it was around halfway through the season that we started to look at points with some potential for the championship at the end of the season but we didn’t think too much about it because there was still a lot of racing left to go and a lot of things can happen to you in that time.  The season went very well for us, I have no complaints.  I guess if I had to complain about something then I’d complain about the night we had a flat tire and we couldn’t finish the race.”

 

After a nealy 10 year hiatus from racing, it could be easily assumed that the 2020 championship was harder to win than the 2009 championship, but Durand says that wasn’t the case.

“I think my first championship was a lot more exciting and stressful than this one was,” said Durand.  “I’d say this championship was a lot easier for me stress-wise.  I know how hard it is to win a championship with everyone fighting for it and all it takes is one little thing like a flat tire that can take you out of contention.  You don’t always have to have the fastest car, but you need to be the driver who makes the least amount of mistakes all season long.”

 

With his second career championship officially in his grasp, Durand is looking to make a move up the full fender ladder at Stafford for the 2021 season.

 

“It feels good to win the championship this year and now we’re ready to sell my car and build a Late Model for next season,” said Durand.  

 

For more information, visit www.staffordspeedway.com, checkout Stafford Speedway on Facebook or Twitter, or contact the track office at 860-684-2783.Source: Scott Running Stafford Speedway Media Press Release and Track Photo

Stafford Speedway Ct.Releases 2021 Racing Schedule

 Posted by Wayne G. Barber 

Stafford Speedway Releases 2021 Racing Schedule

(Stafford Springs, CT)---Stafford Speedway management has released the official 2021 race schedule for the Stafford Springs, CT half-mile. The 24-race schedule offers a blend of Stafford’s classic weekly racing events and special events. The NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour is set to return to Stafford Speedway for 3 events in 2021.

 

“Another season is on the horizon,” explained Stafford Speedway CEO Mark Arute. “2020 was a challenge but with the support of the race teams, race fans, and Team Stafford, we were able to get through it. For 2021 we look to continue to build on our strong weekly program and special events. We’ve added a few twists and turns in the schedule to keep things interesting but our approach continues to be schedule consistency, we think that is important for the sport.” 

 

The season kicks-off with the 49th Annual NAPA Auto Parts Spring Sizzler® Weekend Saturday, April 24th and Sunday, April 25th. New for the 2021 Spring Sizzler® Saturday and Sunday will be two separate tickets with the Granite State Pro Stock Series joining the SK Modifieds®, Late Models, Limited Late Models and Street Stocks on Saturday. Spring Sizzler® Sunday will see the SK Modifieds® return for their 2nd race of the weekend along with the SK Light Modified division, the Vintage All-Stars, and finally the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour competing in the 150-lap NAPA Auto Parts Spring Sizzler®.

 

“We had multiple Friday and Saturday events this season due to Covid,” continued Arute. “With capacity restriction as the big unknown entering 2021 we took a look at what we could do to ensure that even if we are at a reduced capacity we’d be able to run our entire schedule. This included making the 2021 NAPA Spring Sizzler Weekend a two day, two ticket event. The NASCAR Modified Tour will headline the weekend and we’ve added the Granite State Pro Stocks and the SK Modified® teams will run both Saturday and Sunday.” 

 

Weekly Friday night racing at Stafford will commence Friday, May 7th after 1 off week following the NAPA Auto Parts Spring Sizzler® and will continue weekly through the fall. Headlined by Stafford’s SK Modified® division, Stafford’s 5 weekly divisions will compete at each Friday night event through the season. New for 2021, race teams will have their worst finish of the season dropped from their final championship point total allowing for an off week, if necessary. More information on this rule will be included in the 2021 general rules to be released in the near future. 

 

The fan favorite Open Modifieds take to the Stafford half-mile 4 times in 2021, Friday, May 14th for the Modified Open 80, Friday, June 11th for the Twisted Tea 80, Friday, July 9th for the Bud Light 80, and Friday, August 20th for the Lincoln Tech 80. The 2020 season featured 4 different winners including Marcello Rufrano, Keith Rocco, Ronnie Williams, and Woody Pitkat.

Each of Stafford’s 5 weekly divisions have at least 1 extra distance race scheduled in 2021. Extra distance races for the full fendered divisions kicks off with 25 laps for the Limited Late Models on Friday, June 18th, the Street Stock Firecracker 30 is slated for Friday, July 2nd, and the traditional Late Model 50 returns to the schedule on Friday, September 3rd. Three extra distance races for Stafford’s weekly Modified divisions are scheduled, the 8th Annual NAPA Auto Parts SK 5K on Friday, June 25th, Dunleavy’s Modifiedz Night for the SK Light Modifieds on Friday, July 23rd, and the Senators Cup for the SK Modified® division on Friday, August 13th. The SK Modified® division will also compete in the 4th Annual TC 13 SK Modified® Shootout on Friday, September 10th.

 

New for 2021 the season will be extended 1 week beyond NAPA Auto Parts Fall Final Weekend with the addition of NAPA Auto Parts Championship night on Friday, October 1st.

 

“We were forced to extend beyond the NAPA Fall Final this season due to Covid,” continued Arute. “The fans and drivers liked the NAPA Champions night format so we will continue that in 2021. Running our weekly divisions as the final night of the season gives our champions their own night in the spotlight.”

 

Season tickets for the 2021 season are now on sale at staffordspeedway.com/store. Early bird discount pricing is in effect until December 16th when prices increase. Season pass holders saved over 60% in 2020 when compared to purchasing a ticket every week. Source: Scott Running Stafford Speedway Media Press Release 

Teddy Hodgdon Wins NAPA Auto Parts SK Modified® Rookie of the Year Honors at Stafford Speedway

 Posted by Wayne G. Barber 

(Stafford Springs, CT)---Following a 5-win season that carried him to the 2019 SK Light championship at Stafford Speedway, Teddy Hodgdon made the move up to the track’s premier SK Modified® division for the 2020 season.  Hodgdon and the #55 Montanari Fuel team endured a season filled with highs and lows that saw him post 2 top-5 and 5 top-10 finishes in 14 starts to claim NAPA Auto Parts Rookie of the Year honors.

 

“It’s a great feeling to be the Rookie of the Year, especially coming off a championship season last year,” said Hodgdon.  “Going into the best weekly modified division in the country, there’s 15 guys who can win every week, and we had some struggles in the middle of the season with wrecks and a couple of untimely incidents, but we held our own throughout the season and I’m very proud of what we were able to accomplish.  I felt like we checked all the boxes for our rookie season.  My guys are the best in the business and with all the hardships we went through this year I hope we can be pretty strong next season.  I have a lot of people to thank for this season, Montanari Fuels, Pete Matton and Lori Brasher, Business Time Motorsports, A Pappa John Construction, Gator Sport Fishing, Keith Rocco Racing, Ness Auto, State Cutters, Jims Welding, Ultimate Restoration, Critical Signs, Economy Signs, Simpson Race Products, The Joie of Seating, SSR Suspension, Williams Race Gears, Pettit Race Engines, Waddell Communications, Dale and Connie Massey, Roby and Dawn Sadler, Tony Mottola and Family, Robert and Vicki Tod, Trent Markovitz, Brandon Wilkinson, Pixies Pop Shop, Lasco Roofing, Benedict Family, James R Paige Plumbing, Tally-Ho Aviation, Serio's Pizzaria, New York Sports Show, and Fenceline Films.”

 

In only a short period of time, Hodgdon has enjoyed a large amount of success racing at Stafford.  He won races in the Legend Cars from 2015-2016 and then in the SK Lights from 2018-2019, including a championship last year.  Hodgdon found out first hand just how tough and competitive the world of SK Modified® racing is at Stafford.

 

“It was a pretty big reality check to see how you stack up against the best guys,” said Hodgdon.  “I think it was facing a whole new level of competition.  All the guys in the SK’s have been racing for so much longer than the guys in the Lights and they have a lot more experience and seat time and they know how the cars are going to react and what it’s going to do.  You have to prepare for that, you have to be ready to face the best every single week and not let up for a second.  You can’t miss your margin by any amount, you have to be perfect every week and that’s what it takes to be able to run with those guys up front in the SK Modified® division.”

While Hodgdon and his team endured the hardships of being a rookie in one of the toughest weekly divisions anywhere in the country, the high point of his rookie campaign came on July 31^st when he led for a portion of the 40-lap race and ended up with a season best finish of second place behind Cory DiMatteo.

 

“That was the first race where we really showed our speed this season,” said Hodgdon.  “We were able to start up front and we led I think the first quarter of that race.  Being out front, there’s no rabbit to chase so I wasn’t sure where to hit my marks.  Once I fell in behind Cory [DiMatteo] I was able to keep pace with him but he had just a little bit better drive off the corner and that’s how he was able to stay in front of us.  I knew working with Keith Rocco and switching over to Troyer cars for this season that something good was going to happen.  We just needed everything to go right for us and it did that night.”

 

One area that Hodgdon was lacking during his rookie season was working short run speed into his #55 car.  The car would be good on long runs, but where Hodgdon really felt the sting of not having short run speed was in qualifying heat races and at the start of the feature events.

 

“This year was tough and I think we really needed to work on our short run speed,” said Hodgdon.  Heat races killed us, we had to start in the back for probably more than two thirds of the time and that really set us back.  Whenever we started up front we had really strong races.  We had a second in the fourth race of the year and we got a fourth place finish battling up through the field and we had a bunch of strong top-10 runs in like 7^th or 8^th place.  The car would always seem to take about 5 laps to come in and we tried everything this year so we’re going to start fresh for next season and hopefully we can get that remedied.  We’ll use the off-season to regroup and get everything back to normal like it was last year.  If we could change one thing on the car it would be the short run speed.  We’d get long green flag runs of like 15 or 20 laps and we would start picking cars off, it was just starting in the back that was a real killer for us.”

 

At this time Hodgdon is looking forward to returning to the SK Modified® division for the 2021 season and getting his first feature victory while he also has his eyes set on possibly making some open modified starts during the 2021 season.

 

“We’re looking at coming back with the SK next year and I’m always looking for an open modified ride if someone wanted to partner up with me,” said Hodgdon.  “I think we made a lot of progress this season and if things can go right during a night like they did for us when we finished second, maybe we can capitalize with a year’s worth of experience and hopefully we can get it done with a victory.”

 

For more information, visit www.staffordspeedway.com, checkout Stafford Speedway on Facebook or Twitter, or contact the track office at 860-684-2783.Source: Scott Running Stafford Speedway Media Press Release and Track Photo

Field is set for Championship Race

 Posted by Wayne G.Barber 

1. Joey Logano Ford, 2. Chase Elliott Chevrolet, 3. Brad Keselowski Ford,  4. Denny Hamlin Toyota,

NASCAR Whelen Tour Modifed Results Thompson Speedway Ct.

 Posted by Wayne G. Barber   

Thompson, CT — Miller Place, NY’s Craig Lutz ended the 2020 NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour season on the highest of highs with his second win of the year at Connecticut’s Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park on Sunday, October 11. Lutz swiped the lead from Jon McKennedy with seven laps remaining and hung on to win the 150-lap event at the 58^th Annual Sunoco World Series of Speedway Racing as Holtsville, NY’s Justin Bonsignore secured his second series championship.

 

The 26-year-old Lutz earned his fourth career Whelen Modified Tour win and first at the historic Thompson Speedway. For the 32-year-old Bonsignore, the title was the capstone on a 2020 season where he finished no worse than fifth at any event.

 

Six-time champion Doug Coby, who was the only driver who could catch Bonsignore entering the Sunoco World Series, started on the pole and led the first 30 laps. Chelmsford, MA’s McKennedy then surged ahead of him entering turn three and paced the field unto the fourth caution flag at lap 73 for Dave Sapienza’s spin.

 

Nearly all the lead lap cars chose to pit for right side tires at that point with Andover, NJ’s Calvin Carroll assuming the lead by staying out. Following another yellow on the restart for a Ronnie Wiliams spin, Norwalk, CT’s Ron Silk sliced to the lead for a circuit before Bonsignore then blasted to the lead on lap 88.

 

The championship was then decided on a lap-97 restart. Silk eagerly leapt to the lead while Lutz tried to move around Bonsignore for second entering turn three. The duo wiggled, Kyle Bonsignore checked up, and the accordion effect ended with Coby in the turn-four wall, which put an end to his day. Since the lap wasn’t completed, Bonsignore went back to the lead by rule, and Silk was assessed a pass-through penalty for jumping the start.

 

Lutz successfully overtook Bonsignore on the next green flag and paced the field until caution number nine. It was McKennedy who got the jump on the lap-138 restart for his second stint at the front. Sapienza pounded the turn-one wall a lap later for the 10^th and final yellow. Lutz took advantage of his second chance, putting a crossover move on McKennedy out of turn two and wrestling the lead back with six laps to go.

 

McKennedy had time to take another shot, and with three laps to go, he backed off entering turn three to set up a potential slingshot off turn four. But Silk, who had steadily driven back to third after serving his penalty, got into the back of McKennedy. The contact threw McKennedy off just enough for Lutz to get away for the victory.

 

Justin Bonsignore finished fourth to officially clinch his second Whelen Modified Tour title in the last three years. His cousin Kyle was right behind him in fifth. Sam Remeau took sixth while Woody Pitkat came back from a mid-race flat tire to finish seventh. Carroll, Patrick Emerling, and Tyler Rypkema completed the top-10.Source: Kyle Souza Media and Track Photo and Nascar Hometracks

1	5	46	Craig Lutz	Riverhead Building Supply   (Russell Goodale)	Chevrolet	150	running	42	47
2	8	7	Jon McKennedy	Ultra Wheel   (Tommy Baldwin)	Chevrolet	150	running	51	44
3	9	85	Ron Silk	Stuart's Automotive   (Kevin Stuart)	Chevrolet	150	running	3	42
4	3	51	Justin Bonsignore	Phoenix Communications Inc.   (Ken Massa)	Chevrolet	150	running	14	41
5	14	22	Kyle Bonsignore	Chalew Performance / Munn's Auto   (Kyle Bonsignore)	Chevrolet	150	running	0	39
6	21	06	Sam Rameau	Central Mass Tree   (Randy Rameau)	Chevrolet	150	running	0	38
7	7	1	Woody Pitkat	Dunleavy's Truck & Trailer / Gunsmoke Stables   (Eddie Harvey)	Ford	150	running	0	37
8	22	25	Calvin Carroll	Power with Prestige / Cruising with Betty   (Joe Carroll)	Chevrolet	150	running	10	37
9	2	07	Patrick Emerling	Emerling Motorsports   (Jennifer Emerling)	Chevrolet	150	running	0	35
10	19	32	Tyler Rypkema *	Nelcorp   (Dean Rypkema)	Chevrolet	150	running	0	34
11	12	3	Matt Swanson	USNE / Propane Plus / Cervalo's Auto   (Jan Boehler)	Chevrolet	150	running	0	33
12	15	82	Anthony Nocella	Nocella Paving, Reclamation & Grading   (Danny Watts Jr.)	Chevrolet	150	running	0	32
13	6	75	Chris Pasteryak	Dawley's Collision & Custom   (Charles Pasteryak)	Chevrolet	150	running	0	31
14	25	64	Rob Summers	Lumiere / Dell Electric / Rocky's Plumbing   (Mike Murphy)	Chevrolet	150	running	0	30
15	24	78	Walter Sutcliffe, Jr.	Last Minute Racing   (Steven Sutcliffe)	Chevrolet	150	running	0	29
16	20	18	Ken Heagy	Buoy One Seafood   (Robert Pollifrone)	Chevrolet	150	running	0	28
17	4	50	Ronnie Williams	Empower Financial Advisory / RB Enterprises   (Paul Les)	Ford	150	running	0	27
18	26	30	Gary Byington *	Hudson Speedway / Sunoco   (Gary Byington)	Chevrolet	150	running	0	26
19	11	36	Dave Sapienza	Sapienza Racing   (Judy Thilburg)	Chevrolet	139	crash	0	25
20	27	01	Melissa Fifield	Pine Knoll Auto Sales   (Kenneth Fifield)	Chevrolet	117	handling	0	24
21	23	14	Cory Osland *	Keith Grimes Excavating   (Brian Midgett)	Chevrolet	114	crash	0	23
22	1	10	Doug Coby	Mayhew Tools   (Philip Moran)	Chevrolet	97	crash	30	23
23	18	54	Tommy Catalano	FX Caprara   (Zach Reissner)	Chevrolet	93	suspension	0	21
24	17	59	Andy Jankowiak	BNP Machine   (Steve Mendoza)	Chevrolet	75	handling	0	20
25	16	2	Chuck Hossfeld	Gershow Recycling   (Joe Bertuccio, Sr.)	Chevrolet	42	crash	0	19
26	13	66	Timmy Solomito	Flamingo Motorsports / East West Marine   (Jerry Solomito)	Chevrolet	42	crash	0	18
27	10	58	Eric Goodale	GAF Roofing   (Edgar Goodale)	Chevrolet	22	cras