Jon McKennedy Claims Speedway 51 Victory

Posted by Wayne G. Barber

Sometimes you have to travel far to find success. For Jon McKennedy of Chelmsford, MA the three hour haul to Speedway 51 in Groveton,NH is just what the Exit Reality sponsored team needed as they came away with the victory in the first visit for the Valenti Modified Racing Series to the fast, tight quarter mile speedway.

   "It turned out we had a really good car here, we rode in the third and fourth spot saving it and with thirty to go I decided to go but it was really tough. the track is narrow and was hard to pass". McKennedy said.

   Starting from the third row Mckennedy stayed within striking distance and eventually took the lead from hard charger Russ Hersey of Swanzey,NH on a lap 43 restart and five laps later gave up the number one position to Todd Patnode of Richmond,NH.

   McKennedy added, "A little before halfway I lost power steering and it was intermittent the whole race. To win with no power steering to be honest, I didn't think I could finish the race, to steer one of these cars with thirty inches of front rubber is hard."

Starting mid pack Todd Patnode seemed to be in constant battles for position, eventually picking off the leaders and muscling the lead  from McKennedy on lap 47. His lead would only last 6 laps before Hersey took over the top spot. Patnode's Swanzey Oil sponsored #24 was stout enough to finish in the runner up position following McKennedy across the stripe.

   "Were still trying to get a handle on this Troyer, we never ran a Troyer before and this is our third race with it" Patnode said. "That first caution (lap 20) gave us a chance to make some adjustments and we're starting to understand it." About the track he said, "It's a fun track, I like it, at first I thought it was going to be tight for racing but once the tires wore down there was plenty of room out there. I hope the fans enjoyed the show, it was fun being a part of it . About lap 50 I backed off a little trying to save it but still had to race wheel to wheel with Russ (Hersey) for a long time and that's always fun. But Jon (McKennedy) had us covered and congratulations to him." He also added, "Hats off to my crew, we threw this team together at the last minute and bought the car three weeks before our first race, again thanks to those guys".

   Veteran Mike Holdridge of Madison, CT is known for his cool, calculated approach to the modified battles and at Speedway 51 it was no different. Not being happy with his sleek, black #0 after practice and qualifier, the team made changes that ended up getting Mike a third place podium finish after the one hundred lap marathon.

   Holdridge said, "I conserved tires as long as I could, I feel lucky to get third. Jon had a perfect strategy and it worked for him. You have to save your stuff at tracks like this. I'm happy with third after the long tow, getting here late, lack of practice, and old age." He added, "It's a racey track but for me I liked the bottom, but after halfway it didn't matter, most guys faded back and I still tried to conserved my stuff. This sure makes for a better ride home."

   Defending VMRS champion Woody Pitkat of Sturbridge,MA started on the pole and lead from lap 2 to lap 22 but didn't have the right combination to challenge for the victory and finished forth while Rob Richardi Jr. of Easton,MA. turned in his finest performance in a modified to finish fifth.

   Sixth through tenth were Colbey Fournier, Mike Willis Jr., Russ Hersey, George Sherman, Branden Dion

This was the 16th career victory for McKennedy and his first win since Sept. 14, 2012

Jon McKennedy is a three time champion in this touring division from , 2009, 2010, 2012

This was race three in 2016 with 3 different winners, Chris15ct Chris Pasternak, Monadnock Speedway, #25 Rowan Pennink, Stafford Speedway, #29 Jon McKennedy, Speedway 51

Heat winners 52-Woody Pitkat,    15CT.-Chris Pasteryak

Summary

Track---Speedway 51,      0.250 mile    Groveton,NH. 

Race---VMRS NAPA Night 100

Time of Race---46:57.216

Cautions---(4)---laps 20---28---43---89

Margin of Victory---2.683

Best Lap Time---12.485

Best Lap By---88-Russ Hersey

Lap Leaders---(Lap 1, Willis Jr.)-(2-23, Pitkat) (24-43, Hersey)(44-47, McKennedy) (48-53, Patnode) (54-79, Hersey) (80-100 McKennedy)

1---29-Jon McKennedy

2---24- Todd Patnode

3---0-Mike Holdridge

4---52-Woody Pitkat

5---33-Rob Richardi Jr.

6---16-Colbey Fournier

7---38-Mike Willis Jr.

8---88-Russ Hersey

9---93-George Sherman

10-04-Brandon Dion

11-117-Donnie Lashua

12-22-Roy Seidell Jr.

13-17-Dylan Rock

14-15CT-Chris Pasteryak

15-50-Carl Medieros Jr.

16-77-Matthew Mead

17-14-Dana Smith

Next Race---June 4th---Seekonk Speedway-Seekonk,MA. 

Story by Jim Snape

photos by Simply the Best,  Crystal Snape  

Family Affair in the Xtra Mart Limited Sportsman Division at Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park

Posted by Wayne G. Barber

I interviewed Josh Wood a two time winner in 2016 and he said he knew, Waterman was chasing him down !

Racing is in the blood for the Waterman family. This season, father and sons, Randy, Ryan and Tro
y can all be found racing in the highly-competitive Xtra Mart Limited Sportsman Division. To Ryan Waterman, the owner of the cars that they compete in, it’s more about bonding time than competition between his family. “I love racing against my father and brother. Racing is the only thing our family does; it’s just our life.”

Twenty-two year old Ryan Waterman first started racing in 2010, carrying on the family legacy started by his father in 1998. Randy had been running in the Late Model division at Thompson Speedway Motorsports park for a few years, but despite the occasional strong run, lacked the equipment to run up front. Randy eventually turned the reins over to Ryan who ran a limited schedule in the Late Model division through 2012.

In 2013, Ryan switched to running the Xtra Mart Limited Sportsman division at both Thompson and the Waterford-New London Speedbowl, earning his first career victory at just his sixth race at the Speedbowl. He’s more recently seen success at Thompson as well, earning his first win at the 5/8-mile oval at the Mr. Rooter 125 race last June.

Off to a strong start this season, Ryan has earned a top-ten and a podium finish in the first two races, well on the way to his goal of winning a championship. To this end, he has several back-up cars he keeps available for his championship-run in case anything happens. Rather than just let them sit around however, he has invited his father and brother to race with him.

 “My little brother [Troy] has always helped me in my racing career with working on the cars and pitting. I got him into one of my back-up cars and he’s doing really well for only having done a few races. I can’t wait to one day race him side-by-side,” Ryan said.

Currently sitting fourth in the standings, Ryan Waterman will be trying to break Josh Wood’s winning streak, and make it to Victory Lane at the upcoming 20-lap race on Wednesday, June 1.

The Xtra Mart Limited Sportsman will be racing as part of Whelen Military Night on Wednesday June 1, which will also feature the 3rd Annual Late Model 20/20 Sprint, Sunoco Modified and Mini Stock divisions. The gates will open at 4:30PM and racing will begin at 6:30PM. For tickets and more information, please visit www.thompsonspeedway.com. 

Monadnock Speedway Modified Results 5-28-16

Posted by Wayne G. Barber

Sportsman Modified: Bill Kimball, Geoff Rollins, Keith Carzello, Kim Rivet, Cameron Sontag, Nathan Johnson, Tyler Jarvenpaa, Brian Chapin, Trevor Bleau, Jason Barden, Eric Leclair, Casey Ouellette, Ben Byrne, Brian Robie

Photo by Simply the Best, Crystal Snape

SEEKONK SPEEDWAY Saturday May 28, 2016

Posted by Wayne G.Barber

Seekonk Speedway has 4 exciting divisions of short track racing tonight. Gates open at 4:00pm and the action starts at 6:00pm Also Phils Propane Triple Crown Series starts tonight with the Sport Trucks! #seekonkspeedway

Double Points for Heat Race top 5 and the Main Feature Too !  These three races in the racing season will probably determine the track Champions. No charge for parking and family friendly concession stands make for a great Family Mystery Ride on a Holiday Weekend.

Woody Pitkat Double's Up in Victory Lane at Stafford Speedway 5-27-16

Posted by Wayne G. Barber 

Woody Pitkat Hits Stafford Daily Double; Wesson, Arute, Walker, & Korner Also Score May 29 Military Appreciation Night / Ltd. Late Model Xtra Mart Xtra D Feature Wins at Stafford

(Stafford Springs, CT)--- Stafford Speedway returned to NASCAR Whelen All-American Series racing action with the Late Model and Ltd. Late Model Xtra Mart Xtra D feature events as part of Military Appreciation Night and Whelen Event Night on Friday, May 27th.  Xtra Mart Convenience Stores put up a $1,000 bonus that was split among the top-5 Late Model finishers and a $500 bonus that was split evenly among the top-5 finishers in the Ltd. Late Model feature event and the night produced some of the best weekly short track racing you’ll ever see with exciting racing and photo finishes.  Woody Pitkat won both the SK Modified® and Late Model feature events, Daniel Wesson came out the winner of the SK Light feature event after a 3-wide photo finish, Paul Arute won for the second consecutive week in the Limited Late Model feature, Johnny Walker won the DARE Stock feature, and Noah Korner was the Legend Cars feature winner.

In the 40-lap SK Modified® feature event, Tom Bolles took the lead from Mike Christopher, Jr. at the start and Keith Rocco followed him by Christopher in the outside groove.  Rocco moved by Bolles in turn 1 on lap-4 to move into the lead.  Christopher and Bolles were now side by side for second with Dan Avery in fourth and Ronnie Williams was up to fifth.  With 10 laps complete, Rocco continued to hold the race lead with Christopher, Jr. in second, Bolles third, Williams fourth, and Woody Pitkat was now in fifth.

Williams moved around Bolles for third and he was closing in on the Rocco and Christopher, Jr. up front and at the halfway point of the feature, it was a three-car fight for the lead with Rocco, Christohper, Jr., and Williams lined up in a nose to tail train.  Pitkat was up to fourth with Bolles continuing to run in fifth.  The caution came out with 27 laps complete as D.J. Burnham came to a stop sideways on the frontstretch.

Rocco took the lead back under green with Williams moving up to second and Pitkat was third.  A multicar melee in turn 2 involving Eric Berndt, Brian Sullivan, Tyler Hines, D.J. Burnham, and Dan Avery brought the caution back out with 28 laps complete.

Rocco took the lead on the restart although Pitkat was applying heavy pressure right from the green. The two cars touched going down the backstretch with Pitkat slotting into line behind Rocco.  Williams was third with Christopher, Jr. fourth and Ted Christopher was now up to fifth.  Pitkat made a move in turn 4 to the inside of Rocco to move to the front of the field.  Danny Cates made a pass on Ted Christopher in turn 4 to move into fifth on lap-35 as Rocco was looking high and low for a way to get by Pitkat and reassume the race lead.

Rocco was working the outside lane and on lap-39 he was able to pull even with Pitkat as they took the white flag.  Rocco made one final effort on the final lap, but he wasn’t able to make the pass stick in the outside groove as Pitkat picked up his first win of the 2016 season.  Williams finished third, with Christopher, Jr. and Cates rounding out the top-5.
Woody Pitkat now breaks the tie with Mike Christopher with 28 SK Wins and has 29 Career SK Victories. Next on the all-time list is Kieth Rocco with 42

In the 50-lap Xtra Mart Xtra D Late Model feature event, Scott Cook got a good run on the outside of his son Chase Cook at the drop of the green flag to take the early race lead.  Joel Monahan was third with Tom Butler fourth and Jim Mavlouganes was fifth.  Butler was making hay in the outside lane and he streaked by Chase Cook for second on lap-4 and he took the lead from Scott Cook on lap-6.  The caution came out with 7 laps complete for a spin in turn 1 by Chase Cook.

Butler took the lead on the restart with Mavlouganes moving into second.  Wayne Coury, Jr. moved into third with Tom Fearn fourth and Woody Pitkat up to fifth as Scott Cook slid back to 10^th place after restarting second.  Fearn rode behind Mavlouganes until lap-13 when he took second.  That pass opened the door for Pitkat to follow him through as Mavlouganes slid from second back to fourth.  Fearn and Butler touched in turn 4 on lap-18 while battling for the lead which sent Butler around and collected the car of Mavlouganes and brought the caution out.  Fearn was black flagged for the contact with Butler and was sent to the rear of the field, putting Pitkat and Michael Wray on the front row for the restart with Coury and Monahan on the second row.

Pitkat took the lead back under green with Coury, Glen Reen, Wray, and Scott Cook lined up behind him.  Monahan dropped off the pace on the restart and he brought his car to pit road.  Butler spun on lap-23 but was able to keep going but the caution came out one lap later as Chase Cook got in the backstretch wall and came to a stop in turn 3.

Pitkat took the lead back under green with Reen in second.  Coury was third and Fearn was already back up to fourth after his penalty to the rear.  Fearn got around Coury to move into third on lap-26 and he brought Michael Wray with him as Coury fell back to fifth as Pitkat continued to lead Reen with Fearn closing in on the lead duo.  Paul Varricchio, Jr. spun in turn 4 to bring the caution out with 32 laps complete.

Pitkat took the lead with Fearn, Wray, Coury, and Josh Wood lined up behind him on the restart.  Fearn was all over Pitkat’s bumper looking for a way past, but Pitkat was able to hold him at bay.  Wray got sideways in turn 4 on lap-37 but he was able to hold onto his car and maintain third in front of Coury.  Fearn was still hounding Pitkat for the race lead and Pitkat was able to fend off his challenges.

Fearn got a run to the inside of Pitkat on lap-40 and briefly took the lead as the cars touched and leaned on each other.  Fearn and Pitkat’s touch allowed Coury and Wray to close right up to the leader’s bumpers and it was nearly 4-wide for the lead as all four cars touched and banged going into turn 1.  Pitkat emerged with the lead with Fearn second, Wray third, and Coury fourth after three laps of pure all out excitement at the front of the field. 

Pitkat held the lead to the checkered flag to pick up his second win of the night and his first Late Model feature win since 2013.  Fearn came home second, with Wray, Coury, and Mavlouganes rounding out the top-5.
Woody Pitkat now has 40 career Late/ Model wins at Stafford Speedway second on the Late/Model career list to Ryan Posocco who earned 45 wins in his stellar racing career at Stafford Speedway.

In the 20-lap SK Light feature event, Paul French took the lead at the green and he led the first 3 laps before surrendering the lead to Jay Goff on lap-4.  Joey Ferrigno got around French for second and David Arute moved up to fourth with Todd Douillard in fifth before the caution came out for Sean Mandel, who spun in turns 1+2.

Goff took the lead with Ferrigno on his bumper in second.  David Arute charged into third with Tony Membrino, Jr. fourth and French fell back to fifth.  Arute was applying heavy pressure to the back bumper of Ferrigno lap after lap but he couldn’t find a way around.  With 11 laps complete, Membrino spun from fourth and Douillard also spun into the frontstretch infield to bring the caution out.

Goff didn’t come up to speed on the restart and Ferrigno took the lead with Arute moving into second.  A multicar accident on the backstretch involving the cars of Todd Clark, Mandel, Brett Gonyaw and several others brought the caution out before a lap could be competed and Goff got his lead spot back with Ferrigno alongside for the restart.

Goff took the lead back under green with Ferrigno and Daniel Wesson side by side for second.  Arute and Joe Graf, Jr. were side by side for fourth.  Arute spun in turn 2 which collected French and Vinny Anglace to bring the caution back out with 13 laps complete.

Ferrigno powered into the lead on the restart with Wesson moving in to second.  Goff settled inot line in third with Graf fourth and Ted Cain was fifth.  Wesson got loose in turn 2 on lap-18 but managed to gather his car back in and stay in hunt for the race lead.  Graf spun coming to the white flag in turn 4 to bring the caution back out and set up a green white checkered finish.

Wesson nearly turned into the frontstretch wall on the restart and as he chased Ferrigno into turn 1, he got sideways and behind him the cars of Pytko and Graf spun to bring the yellow right back out.  Ferrigno and Wesson went side by side on the restart with neither driver getting an advantage.  They took the white flag still side by side and ran the final lap side by side.  As they came off turn 4 to the checkered flag, Ferrigno and Wesson slid up the track which allowed Goff to make three-wide bid for the win.  The three cars took the checkered flag in a photo finish with Wesson getting the win over Ferrigno and Goff by a matter of just several inches.  Membrino recovered from his early spin to finish fourth and Norm Sears rounded out the top-5.

In the 25-lap Xtra Mart Xtra D Limited Late Model feature event, R.J. Surdell took the lead at the drop of the green with Justin Bren racing side by side with Jeremy Lavoie for second and Al and Cliff Saunders were side by side for fourth.  With 2 laps complete, Bren lost a tire in turn 1, which collected the car of Lavoie to bring the caution out.

Cliff and Al Saunders both got by Surdell on the restart to move into the top-2 spots.  Surdell slid back to third with Matt Clement and Frank L’Etoile, Jr. making up the top-5.  Paul Arute was on the back bumper of L’Etoile in sixth and Duane Provost was right behind him in seventh.

Arute hounded L’Etoile for several laps before he was able to make the pass for fifth on lap-9.  Arute’s pass opened the door for Provost to follow him by L’Etoile as Cliff and Al Saunders continued to lead Surdell and Clement.  Arute got by Clement to move up to fourth and he brought Provost with him to fifth as Clement fell back to sixth before the caution came back out with 16 laps complete for a spin by Robert Bloxsom, III.

Cliff Saunders took the lead back under green with Al Saunders able to slide into second.  Arute was strong on the outside of Surdell and he took over third place with Provost falling into line in fifth behind Surdell.  Arute continued his charge to the front on lap-19 with a move in turn 1 to take over second from Al Saunders.  Arute then ran behind Cliff Saunders until lap-22 when he made a move for the lead going down the backstretch and into turn 3.  The Saunders twins were now side by side for second with Provost hot on their bumpers.  The side by side action was allowing Arute to slowly pull away from his closest pursuers.  Al Saunders got the better of the battle for second and Provost took third from Cliff Saunders on the final lap as Arute took down his second consecutive feature victory.  Surdell rounded out the top-5.

In the 15-lap DARE Stock feature event, Ryan Fearn streaked into the lead at the drop of the green and immediately opened up a gap as the cars behind him didn’t come up to speed as quickly.  On lap-2 Vince Gambacorta and Alexandra Fearn both spun and damaged their cars and Trace Beyer and several others got out of shape to bring the caution out.  Johnny Walker had taken second behind Ryan Fearn with Brandon Michael third, Nicole Chambrello fourth and Zack Robinson fifth.

Fearn took the lead back under green with Walker slotting into second behind him.  Michael took third with Robinson moving up to fourth and Marcello Rufrano moved into fifth.  Robinson was working the outside groove against Michael for third on lap-7 when he spun in turn 3 to bring the caution back out.

Fearn and Walker ran side by side for a lap before Fearn got clear to the lead.  Chambrello spun in turn 3 and Bryan Granger then spun in turn 4 to bring the caution back out with 8 laps complete.

Walker got a good run on Fearn on the restart and looked to have the lead taken over but Fearn came back strong and they were neck and neck at the stripe.  Fearn took the lead from Walker on lap-10 while Michael spun from third on the restart and Chambrello did an excellent job of doing a half spin to avoid slamming into Michael and both cars were able to continue and the race stayed green.

Tyler Trott was third behind Fearn and Walker with Beyer back up to fourth after his earlier misfortune and Dave Secore was fifth.  Fearn got sideways coming out of turn 2 on lap-14, which allowed Walker to move to the lead.  Walker held Fearn off to the checkered flag to pick up his first win of the 2016 season.  Trott finished third, with Beyer and Michael Hopkins rounding out the top-5.

In the 20-lap Legends Car feature event, Ryan DeCandia took the early lead but he lost the lead to Noah Korner on lap-2.  Brett Crowther was running third, but he locked up his brakes on lap-3 and fell back to fourth as Teddy Hodgdon moved up to second and DeCandia was third behind Korner with Glenn Korner making up the top-5.

Hodgon stayed glued to the back bumper of Korner for the remainder of the feature but he was unable to make a pass stick as Korner took his first win of the 2016 season.  DeCandia finished third, with Crowther and Korner rounding out the top-5.

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

            ###

SK MODIFIED® (40)

1) Woody Pitkat, Stafford Springs

2) Keith Rocco, Berlin

3) Ronnie Williams, Tolland

4) Michael Christopher, Jr., Wolcott

5) Danny Cates, Chaplin

6) Ted Christopher, Plainville

7) Tom Bolles, Ellington

8) Frank Ruocco, Cheshire

9) Jeff Baral, Southington

10) Rowan Pennink, Huntingdon Valley, Pa

11) Todd Owen, Somers

12) Cam McDermott, Canterbury

13) Michael Gervais, Jr., Southbury

14) Nick Salva, Prospect

15) Matt Galko, Meriden

16) Stephen Kopcik, Newtown

17) Eric Berndt, Cromwell

18) Dan Avery, Somers

19) Brian Sullivan, South Windsor

20) Andrew Charron, East Greenwich, Ri

21) Tommy Membrino, Jr., Prospect

22) David Salzarulo, Monson, Ma

23) Tyler Hines, North Haven

24) D.J. Burnham, East Hartford

25) Glen Reen, Wilbraham, Ma

LATE MODEL (50)

1) Woody Pitkat, Stafford Springs

2) Tom Fearn, East Longmeadow, Ma

3) Michael Wray, Northford

4) Wayne Coury, Jr., Shelton

5) Jim Mavlouganes, Bethany

6) Josh Wood, Palmer, Ma

7) Tyler Leary, Hatfield, Ma

8) Rich Hammann, Tolland

9) Joel Monahan, Whately, Ma

10) Andy Marchese, Tolland

11) Paul Varricchio, Jr., Berlin

12) Scott Cook, Oakdale

13) Glen Reen, Wilbraham, Ma

14) Tom Butler, Stafford Springs

15) Chase Cook, Oakdale

16) Kevin Gambacorta, Ellington

SK LIGHT MODIFIED (20)

1) Daniel Wesson, Monson, Ma

2) Joey Ferrigno, East Hartford

3) Jay Goff, Stafford Springs

4) Tony Membrino, Jr., Berlin

5) Norm Sears, Andover

6) Carlos Gray, East Hartford

7) Fred Nees, Jr., New Milford

8) Ted Cain, Plymouth

9) Nathan Pytko, Douglas, Ma

10) Joe Graf, Jr., Mahwah, Nj

11) David Arute, Tolland

12) Paul French, Andover

13) Vinny Anglace, Ansonia

14) Wesley Prucker, Stafford

15) Brett Gonyaw, Vernon

16) Todd Clark, Bristol

17) Sean Mandel, Marlborough

18) Todd Douillard, Palmer, Ma

19) Rit Dulac, Plantsville

LIMITED LATE MODEL (25)

1) Paul Arute, Tolland

2) Al Saunders, Stafford

3) Duane Provost, Palmer, Ma

4) Cliff Saunders, Stafford

5) R.J. Surdell, Manchester

6) Frank L'Etoile, Jr., Wethersfield

7) Bryan Narducci, Colchester

8) Matt Clement, Wethersfield

9) David Tefft, Southampton, Ma

10) Robert Bloxsom, III, Stratford

11) Doug Phelps, Jr., New Salem, Ma

12) Jeremy Lavoie, Windsor Locks

13) Justin Bren, Palmer, Ma

DARE STOCK (15)

1) Johnny Walker, Ludlow, Ma

2) Ryan Fearn, East Longmeadow, Ma

3) Tyler Trott, East Hartford

4) Trace Beyer, West Dover, Vt

5) Michael Hopkins, Springfield, Ma

6) Dave Secore, Jr., Union

7) Marcello Rufrano, North Haven

8) Dan Dembek, Hampden, Ma

9) Zack Robinson, Putnam

10) Brandon Michael, Granville, Ma

11) Chris Bagnall, Norfolk

12) Nicole Chambrello, Kensington

13) Chris Sanford, Hamden

14) Kenneth George Bobola, Kissimmee, Fl

15) Bryan Granger, Keene, Nh

16) Vince Gambacorta, Ellington

17) Alexandra Fearn, East Longmeadow, Ma

LEGEND CARS (20)

1) Noah Korner, Canton

2) Tedddy Hodgdon, Danbury

3) Ryan DeCandia, Chaplin

4) Brett Crowther, Belchertown, Ma

5) Glenn Korner, Canton

6) Steve Chapman, Ellington

7) Andrew Quealy, Plainville

NESST Experienced Drivers Prepared for Showdown at the Speedbowl

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

When the North East Street Stock Tour (NESST) visits the New London-Waterford Speedbowl (NLWS) this Saturday, there will be several drivers in the field who have made 1,000’s of laps around the progressive 3/8-mile oval.  

Chief among them is defending Tour Champion, Joe Arena. Identifying “The Speedbowl” as his home track, Arena has frequented the shoreline facility for decades.  His No. 74 entry has become a staple, and he will surely be a contender for the race win. Arena enters the event second in the NESST Championship Point Standings, 10 points behind Ryan Lineham.

Another driver who has a wealth of experience at NLWS is Waterford native, Jim Boyle. Driving the No. 2 Chevrolet Monte Carlo, Boyle originally began his career in one of the track’s feeder divisions. He put the experience gained there to good use in the Tour’s visit to NLWS last year, registering a third place finish, in route to 2015 Rookie of the Year honors. Boyle currently has hold of the third position in chase for the NESST Championship, trailing Arena by six points.

Two-time NLWS Limited Sportsman Champion, Corey Hutchings, is also expected to enter his No. 36CT.  With thousands of laps and two titles to show for it, the passionate veteran racer will be a force to be reckoned with. He did not compete at the Tour’s inaugural trip to Waterford, but did participate in the Icebreaker, registering a second place finish.

These drivers will be pinned against some of the NESST and NLWS’s talent in a 35-lap showdown. Pit gates open at 2pm with practice beginning at 3pm. Qualifying starts at 5:30pm with features to follow.

For more information about the North East Street Stock Tour, visit www.nestreetstocktour.com, and be social with us on Facebook and Twitter.

U.S. / Pro Stock/Super Late Model Up-Date

Posted by Wayne G.Barber

For Immediate Release

May 26, 2016

U.S. Prostock/Super Late Model Guaranteed Starter Races Set

Seekonk, Mass. –

Gary Sagar, promoter of the recently announced U.S.

Prostock/Super Late Models National Championship Race, scheduled for

July 13, at Seekonk Speedway, Seekonk, MA, has a four track guaranteed

starter series in place for the 200-lap event paying a cool $10,000 to the

winner.

This weekend when the Granite State Prostock Series competes Saturday

night, May 28, at Monadnock Speedway, Winchester, NH, the race winner

will become the first guaranteed starter.

The second guaranteed starter race will be contested Saturday, June 4, at

Wiscasset, ME, Speedway, followed by an event at Seekonk Speedway,

Saturday, June 18, and the fourth race at Beech Ridge Motor Speedway,

Scarborough, ME, Saturday, June 25.

“We are excited to be chosen as the first guaranteed starter race,” said

Granite State Prostock Series President Mike Parks. Monadnock Speedway

always produces some great racing and thrilling finishes. We expect a

strong field of competitors to compete for the privilege of representing the

Granite State Prostocks and Monadnock Speedway.

###

Stafford Speedway’s May 27th Late Model Xtra Mart Xtra D 50-Lapper Paying Total Posted Awards of Nearly $9,000

Posted by Wayne G.Barber

(Stafford Springs, CT) --- This Friday, Stafford Speedway’s Late Model teams will take to the track for their 50-lap Xtra Mart Xtra Distance feature, running for their largest purse of the 2016 season.  The race will feature total posted awards of almost $9,000 with over $7,400 in purse money plus $1,325 in contingency bonuses.

Joshua Wood

The race winner will take home $1,475 in winnings with a purse of $1,125 plus contingency bonuses of $200 from Xtra Mart, $125 from Mr. Rooter Plumbing, $100 from 32 Signs, and a $25 gas certificate from New England Racing Fuel, Sunoco Brand.  The race pays a minimum of $125 to start with 10^th place taking home $250.  The big money lies in the top-5 positions which will all have a $200 bonus from Xtra Mart factored in.

Glen Reen

Fifth place pays $400, fourth place pays $450, third place pays $550, and second place pays $750 and with the $200 bonus from Xtra Mart and a $25 gas certificate from New England Racing Fuel for second and third place, the payouts range from $600 for fifth place up to $975 for second place.  Driver of the #28 Late Model, Rich Hamman, is excited to run for the bonus money.

“The goal is to try to win or at least finish in the top-5,” said Rich Hammann, driver of the #28 Hammann Motorsports Chevrolet.  “A top-5 finish would be real nice for us.  It would be lovely if we could take home some of that Xtra Mart money.  Having that money available definitely gives us some extra motivation to get a top-5 finish.  A win would give me a confidence boost and the money would definitely help buy some extra tires and gas.  Stafford is the only track I’ve never won at.  I’ve won Monadnock, Waterford, Seekonk, and Riverside back in the day, but not yet at Stafford.”

“A top-5 finish would be huge for us,” said Michael Wray, driver of the #42 DMW Graphics Chevrolet.  “I just graduated from Northeastern and I have a couple more weeks to go before I start my job so any extra money we can get helps out a lot.  We owe a lot to Xtra Mart along with Mr. Rooter Plumbing, 32 Signs, and New England Racing Fuel Sunoco Brand for all they do for us in the Late Model division at Stafford.  A lot of us wouldn’t be able to do what we do without their help and support.”

“It’s great to have Xtra Mart sponsoring our long distance race and hopefully we can take home a piece of that bonus,” said Tom Fearn, driver of the #92 SAFCO Foam Chevrolet.  “With Mr. Rooter, NAPA, and Sunoco kicking in contingency bonuses, it’s great to have Xtra Mart back as part of the bonus program.  If we can get a top-5 finish, it’ll certainly make for a nice check to take home from the race!”

Tickets for the Late Model Xtra Mart Xtra D 50 are priced at $20.00 for Adult General Admission, $5.00 for Children Ages 6-14 General Admission, and $23.00 for Reserved Seating.  Tickets can be ordered by calling the Stafford Motor Speedway track office at 860-684-2783 or by logging onto the Buy  Tickets section of www.staffordspeedway.com. 

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

Bonsignore to drive a Nema Midget at his home track, Riverhead, New York

Posted by Wayne G. Barber

Photo by Wayne G. Barber

Bonsignore Set to Make NEMA Debut in Cantor Memorial at Riverhead

NASCAR Whelen Modified tour driver, Justin Bonsignore, is set to make his Northeastern Midget Association debut on Saturday May 28th at Riverhead Raceway in the inaugural Allan Cantor Memorial. Bonsignore will be teaming up with Tim Bertrand/Bertrand Motorsports,  playing part to a three car card that evening with the team's full time drivers, Todd Bertrand and five time NEMA champion, Randy Cabral. A winner of six World Karting Association titles and eight NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour (NWMT) events, Bonsignore is no stranger to victory lane. He was also the 2010 NWMT rookie of the year, and named the tour's most popular driver in 2011. "I am really excited and honored to get the chance to drive for the Bertrand family, they build and prepare some amazing looking cars, and they are extremely fast as well. I have always kept up with watching the NEMA races when we are there with the modifieds and more often than not the Bertrand cars are in victory lane, it was pretty awesome to have Tim reach out and ask me to drive the car," said Bonsignore. "I really hope I can get up to speed quickly and feel comfortable, the only thing I have driven in comparison is a TQ midget over the winter, but I have a feeling this is going to be a totally different animal, we are hoping to get a test in next week at the Speedbowl to learn the in/out of the cars and get a feel for what I will need to be comfortable. One good thing on my side will be that Tim prepares a great car and I know once the driver is up to speed that the car will already be there. I also know I can reach out to Todd and even Doug Coby for what to look for in the car and what to expect," he went on to say. Bonsignore will be piloting the #74 Esslinger powered machine, which was driven to two victories last year at Chemung and Waterford by Coby, and at Monadnock by Joey Payne. Bonsignore is also no stranger to Riverhead, a place that NEMA has not visited in many years. The 2011 Riverhead Raceway modified champion said, on the topic of the midgets coming back - "I think it should produce a great race, I personally have only seen the NEMA cars on a bigger, wider tracks where they seem to get strung out, I think you will see a really close group of cars on a tight little bullring, where there might be a bunch of lead changes, good hard nose racing. Hopefully we are right in the mix of it." NEMA will play part of a busy evening on the 28th at Riverhead, as it's the track's "Wall of Fame" night, Vintage midget series, and the regular card of racing. It will also be the first NEMA Allan Cantor Memorial race, commemorating the long time club member who passed away last year. Allan's son, Adam, and family will be on hand, as the Master of Ceremonies as the club remember's the devoted Cantor. The relationship between Cantor and Bonsignore also runs deep. "I think the coolest part of getting the opportunity to drive for the Bertrand family is that it's going to be in the Inaugural Allan Cantor Memorial. I have known Adam and Allan Cantor since Adam and I were about 8 years old racing go karts out at Westhampton Speedway, Alan was always such a great person and always was nice to me growing up. I know it may be a tall task to win in my first start, but I really want to win this race for that reason more then any other," he said.

2016 ISMA SEASON BEGINS AT OSWEGO SPEEDWAY ON MAY 28

Posted by Wayne G. Barber

Oswego, NY - The International Supermodified 2016 season will get underway at the Oswego Speedway with practice on Friday, May 27 and the Jack Murphy Memorial 50 on

May 28. The opener also includes the first of three Shea Concrete Super Series events at Oswego which carries a separate point fund, paying the top five point getters at the end of the three races, on May 28, July 9 and Sept. 3.
The defending champion of the Murphy Memorial is Mark Sammut who won his first-ever career feature at Oswego, and fifth overall, last May. Sammut has a new car “finally completed” as he puts it, and is ready to “compete for the ISMA championship this year.” Sammut, of London, Ontario, finished third in the overall ISMA points last season.
He won’t be alone in that goal as Dave Shullick Jr. is also ready to defend his 2015 inaugural ISMA title. The Shoe II has a “brand new Level Performance engine and is ready to repeat as champion.” The Bodnar-Shullick team shared six feature wins in 2015 during the ISMA season, between Shullick (5) and past Oswego champion, Otto Sitterly, who parked the Bodnar 7 in victory lane at the King of Wings.
Second place finisher in points in 2015 and a former ISMA champ, Mike Lichty, also has his eyes on the prize with two cars in the Craig Reed stable ready to

go after “minor updates” over the off-season. The goal is simple, “to win more races and hopefully, the championship.”
And there certainly will be no lack of challengers for the above trio. Just taking a look at the ISMA franchisees to date proves that. There’s Clyde Booth’s potent 61 with second generation driver Mike Ordway Jr. at the helm. Mike’s dad, “Big Mike” drove for Booth many times and finished up the 2015 in that ride, took home fourth at the Star Classic after having been out of the car for sometime. “Little Mike” has some small block super racing under his belt and should certainly make the 61 go! He has 14 small block wins and 1 ISMA feature win (M40) to his credit already.
And, don’t forget Chris Perley (forget the Rowley Rocket?) who sits atop the All-Time ISMA feature win list with 72 wins which includes eight Oswego victories. The Vic Miller-Perley team, while not running a full circuit in 2016, intends to be at Oswego and they have a new Hawk chassis to boot, besides their second car.
How about the strong contingent from Ohio which includes Timmy Jedrzejek, who took the Lane 97 to two victories at the Big O in 2016. He’s back with that ride and they are hunting for wins and a top three in points.
Other franchise cars, as of this writing include the 25 of Dan Bowes, the 39 of Alison Cumens, who wants her first ISMA win to be at Oswego; Dave Duggan, Mike McVetta, Tim Ice, Eddie Witkum Jr., Kyle Edwards, and the Stout team of Trent Stephens and Danny Shirey
One name that has recently been added to the above list is Jimmy Bodnar (son of Jim Bodnar) who has embarked on the project of building his own supermodified, registered as the 76. Race fans will certainly recognize his driver-to- be, listed as none-other- than Liquid Lou Cicconi. While Jimmy admits the car might not be ready for Oswego, that powerful combination should come out of the box shooting for victory when they do show!
And there are so many others that we will hopefully see opening day like former champ Ben Seitz, Rookie of the Year Kevin Jaycox, Eric Shirey, Ryan Coniam, Bob Magner, Mike Netishen, Jim Paller, Dave McKnight, Kevin Shirey, Rob Summers, Jamie Timmons, AJ Lesiecki, Jon McKennedy, Ryan Litt, Logan Rayvals, and Justin Belfiore. The Dan Soule 32 is reportedly almost ready to roll, but no driver has been listed at this time.
Will some of the Oswego regulars partake of the winged-non- winged event? Jeff Abold, Brandon Bellinger, Lou LeVea Jr., Tim Devendorf, Michael Muldoon, or others could possibly.
Whatever the case, the weather is warming up and the racing action should be too for this Memorial Day Port City Super Spectacle. You won’t want to miss 160 laps of amazing racing - Jim Shampine Memorial 75, Jack Murphy Memorial 50 and the Tony White Memorial SBS 35!
Open practice for Novelis Supers, ISMA Supers and PathFinder Bank SBS only. takes place on May 27, with pits opening at 4:30pm, hot laps from 6-10 pm. Grandstand admission is FREE. Pit admission is $25.
Then on Saturday Corr/Pak Merchandising and Shea Concrete Products present the Port City 160 “Super Spectacle” with pits opening at 11:30am, Front Gates open at 1:30pm, ISMA Time Trials at 4pm, Racing begins at 5pm. There is a rain date of May 29.

Woman in Racing 2016 Report

Posted by Wayne G. Barber

DANICA PATRICK

Honor and Remember

KANNAPOLIS, North Carolina (May 25, 2016) – The Sunday of Memorial Day weekend has long been a special day for racing enthusiasts around the world. Considered by many as the “Greatest Day in Motorsports,” it starts with the Grand Prix of Monaco, where Formula 1 drivers navigate through the streets of Monte Carlo. That’s followed by the Indianapolis 500 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, and the day closes with the Coca-Cola 600, the longest race on the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series schedule, at Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway.

Racing on Memorial Day weekend is nothing new for Danica Patrick as she’s done it at the professional level for many years. For seven years, Patrick competed in the 500-mile race at Indianapolis, and on Sunday Patrick will make her fifth start in the Coca-Cola 600.

While Sunday is a special day in the motorsports world, in Charlotte the focus will instead be on those service members who made the ultimate sacrifice in defending our country and our freedom. For the second consecutive year, the NASCAR community will come together to honor fallen U.S. Armed Forces members with “600 Miles of Remembrance” in Sunday’s Coca-Cola 600.

As part of that tribute, this weekend the No. 10 Nature’s Bakery Chevrolet SS team for Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR) is honoring Lance Corporal Benito Ramirez, who died May 21, 2006 in the Anbar Province of Iraq during Operation Iraqi Freedom. Ramirez’s name will be featured in place of Patrick’s on the windshield header of the team’s car.

Ramirez, a native of Edinburg, Texas, joined the Marines in December 2002. He was assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, based at Camp Pendleton, California, and deployed with the Darkhorse battalion. After two tours in Iraq, the 21-year-old soldier volunteered for a third. During that deployment, he died from wounds sustained during combat operations. Ramirez has personal ties to the No. 10 team as he served in the same battalion as Jon Wesson, vice president of operations for Nature’s Bakery. In addition to featuring his name on the car, Ramirez’s parents Felipe and Maria are scheduled to attend Sunday’s race.

This Memorial Day weekend, the No. 10 Nature’s Bakery Chevrolet will also feature a special camouflage paint scheme in honor of the men and women who have died in military service for the United States.

Entering Sunday’s race, Patrick’s career-best finish in the Coca-Cola 600 was a 22nd-place result she earned in 2015. As they look to honor Ramirez, both Patrick and the No. 10 Nature’s Bakery Chevrolet team hope to significantly improve on that result when they return to the track this weekend.

DANICA PATRICK, Driver of the No. 10 Nature's Bakery Chevrolet SS for Stewart-Haas Racing: 

Your No. 10 Nature’s Bakery Chevrolet will feature a special paint scheme in honor of all the soldiers who’ve died in military service for the United States this weekend. Talk about that. “I think it’s very fitting that Nature’s Bakery decided to go with a special camouflage scheme on Memorial Day weekend to pay tribute to the men and women who’ve made the ultimate sacrifice for our country. They are true heroes. We’re also honoring a 21-year-old Marine, Lance Corporal Benito Ramirez, who was killed in combat in 2006. He has direct ties to the Nature’s Bakery family, so I know it means a lot to everyone at Nature’s Bakery to have him featured on the car. And I know I speak for everyone on the No. 10 team when I say it is an honor to have his name on the car, as well.” What are your overall thoughts about racing at Charlotte? “I like Charlotte. It’s really nice for the crews because it’s a home race for them. They get to sleep in their own bed and a lot of their family and friends are there. So you want to give them a good performance. It’s fun for me at Charlotte because a lot of the crews have young kids, so it’s fun to meet them and see them around the hauler during the race weekend. It’s just a bit of a different experience than a lot of the tracks we go to.” Looking at Memorial Day, what’s that day like for you as you prepare for the Coca-Cola 600? “For race day, I like to carve out as much time as I can to watch the Indy 500. It’s an amazing event. I can still put myself there and feel it when I watch the race. I like to watch and see how the drivers I know are doing. It’s a great race. It’s just part of tradition. I do have to do meet-and-greets and stuff like that on race day, but I usually try to schedule them early or for the middle of the race so I can watch the end, for sure.” How challenging is the Coca-Cola 600? “A lot is made about the Coca-Cola 600 being another 100 miles longer and it being a long race. We have a lot of races that are already 500 miles long and we have a lot of races that go from day to night, so it’s really not unfamiliar territory. It can make a bad day worse if the race is even longer. If the car is good, then the day is easy. It never feels all that long and, hopefully, it’s not super-hot out. Other than that, it’s just another race, honestly. But, it is a big event that you want to do well at.” This Sunday will mark the 100th running of the Indianapolis 500. Do you feel like you have a place in Indy 500 history? “I mean, I do because I am the highest-finishing female. When I think of the drivers who have raced in the Indy 500, I have a pretty decent average, other than when (Ryan) Briscoe took me out on pit lane coming out of the last pit stop. Other than that, I think I had all top-10s.”

Woman in Racing 2016 Report

Posted by Wayne G. Barber

Emily Packard Leaves New London/Waterford Speedbowl with 12^th Place Finish

EAST MONTPELIER, Vt. – Emily Packard finally got to return to a track that she loves to race at, running the American Canadian Tour 100 at the New London/Waterford Speedbowl this past weekend. She was able to make her way through the field to bring her Northstar Fireworks/Packard Fuels sponsored car home in the 12^th position.  "To start 22^nd and to finish 12^th is a gain," Emily said, "and 12^th is not really where I would like to be, but since this is our first time coming to New London/Waterford in a late model, but I would say we had a pretty good day."

Having past experience driving her Allison Legacy car at the 1/3 mile track, Packard had high hopes going into practice that the team would have her car handling pretty good for her quickly, but unfortunately, that wasn't the case.  She and the team worked for most of the first practice getting the car up off the track and getting the car to drive off the corners.  "We struggled a little bit in the first practice getting the car off the track," said Packard. "By the time we got to the second practice we finally got it off, so that it wasn't hitting.  Once we did that we were able to adjust to get speed." 

Emily would start 9^th in the first heat but an ill-handling car would keep her from advancing through the field, finishing in 8^th, forcing her to run the consi.  In the consi, she would start from the 4^th starting spot, and would battle to break into the top-3, only to finish in the 4^th position when the race ended.

"In the second to last time going out in practice we had the practice tires on and the car felt awesome," the 19-year old said.  "We came in and changed to race tires and the car just didn't feel the same, so we fought through our heat race and consi to get it back to the good handling car." 

With her finish in the consi, the East Montpelier native would find herself starting in the 22^nd starting position, with only 100 laps to get to the front.  Through the first 35 laps Packard would pick her way through the field, running three wide at one point and not giving up an inch, working her way up to 17^th.  "At the beginning of the race, we kind of were getting the car a little closer to how it had run in practice," said Packard.  "It was definitely a wild race tonight; everyone was pretty much beating and banging out there." 

DRIVERS STANDINGS
1. Eddie MacDonald 520
2. Nick Sweet 509
3. Scott Payea 506
4. WayneHelliwellJr. 473
5. Bobby Therrien 469
6. Dillon Moltz 456
7. Brandon Atkins 434
8. Brad Babb 417
9.RowlandRobinsonJr415
10. Emily Packard 399

At the halfway point, Emily had broken into the top-15, running in 14^th place as the laps continued to wind down.   With just 10 laps to go, Emily was in the 11th looking to advance into the top ten, but would lose another position and cross the line under the checkered flag in the 12^th position.  "As the race wore on the track just got super greasy," Packard said, "and we thought it was going to tighten up, and we just adjusted the wrong way.  I am happy that we improved, I don’t like starting a race in one position and finishing behind it. 

"A huge thank you goes out to the Polewarczyk's, Joe Sr. and Joey Jr., for getting the car ready for this race.  I also have to thank my mom and dad, and everyone that supported me at the track, specifically Nate, Mike, Scott, Kasey, Trevor and Barney.  I especially want to thank my sponsors: Northstar Fireworks, Packard Fuels, Rutland Regional Medical Center, Be The Match, Yipes! of Barre, Fecteau Homes, Vermont Country Campers, Berlin Optical Expressions, Creative Visions and GossCars.com." 

The American Canadian Tour is off until June 4^th, when Emily and the team return to Devil's Bowl Speedway.