Thursday, January 24, 2019
Tuesday, January 22, 2019
Lincoln Tech Marks Decade of Partnership With Stafford Speedway
Posted by Wayne G. Barber Photo by Wayne G. Barber Library
“It’s hard to believe this will be our 10th season together,” said Rob Wargo, Eastern Connecticut High School Admissions Reps for Lincoln Tech. “It seems like it was only yesterday it was just our second or third year together. Time flies when you’re having fun and the key thing for us is that we definitely have fun at Stafford. I enjoy the track and I love interacting with the race fans. Our partnership is a great way for us to get the Lincoln Tech name out there and let everyone know what we’re all about and it’s been nothing but a blessing for us.”
Lincoln Tech has sponsored a variety of events at Stafford over the past nine seasons. In addition to the Valenti Modified Racing Series, Lincoln Tech has presented the Back 2 SK®ool Blitz and the Modified Touring Series. Lincoln Tech instituted a new program last season where automotive students were paired with David Arute’s #75 SK Modified® team and Steven Midford’s #23 Limited Late Model team as crew members. The program returns this season with two more students joining Arute’s team and according to Rob Wargo, there are more students lined up and waiting for an opportunity to join a team in the Stafford paddock area.
“We had several students last season join David Arute’s SK Modified® team as crew members and we’re going to continue that program again this season,” said Wargo. “We have around 15-20 students who are all looking to join a team as crew members, so to any drivers out there who are looking for extra crew help, please give me a call.”
Lincoln Tech East Windsor is holding two open house events for potential class of 2019 students to get a tour of the campus and see the various programs that Lincoln Tech has to offer. The first open house event will be Saturday, Feb. 2 at 9am sharp and the second open house will be Saturday, April 6 at 9am sharp. The April 6 open house will be the final day for Class of 2019 students to take a scholarship test.
Lincoln Tech East Windsor will also be hosting a Junior Acceptance Day on Saturday, May 4 at 9am. The Junior Acceptance day gives high school juniors a chance to apply early to Lincoln Tech for Class of 2020 and get a head start on some of the various scholarship offers that Lincoln Tech offers such as the Advantage Scholarship, American Hero Scholarship, and Lincoln Pride Scholarship, as well as those offered through organizations such as SkillsUSA.
From its beginnings as Lincoln Technical Institute in 1946 to its current status as one of the nation’s leading providers of career education and training, the Lincoln Group of Schools are part of Lincoln Educational Services Corporation and are committed to providing students with the quality, hands-on skills and training they need to succeed in an ever-changing employment landscape. Lincoln currently operates over 40 campuses in 17 states all across the nation, offering curriculum in Automotive, Health Sciences, Business & I.T., Trades, Spa & Cosmetology, and Culinary Arts.
The East Windsor branch of Lincoln Tech is a destination school with on-campus dorms available that specializes in the fields of Auto, Collision, Diesel, Electrical, HVAC, Welding, Audi Auto, and CNC Manufacturing with HAAS machinery. The 315,000 square foot campus of Lincoln Tech East Windsor offers shop space for students in Automotive Technology, which includes training dynos, more than 80 booths for their Welding program, a Haas Technical Education Center that houses Lincoln Tech’s newest program in computerized CNC manufacturing, and much more. The faculty at Lincoln Tech are experienced, dedicated mentors and teachers who share real-life experiences with students and knowledgeable staff members are able to offer years of financial aid, career guidance, and admissions expertise helping students. For more information about Lincoln Technical Institute and the programs they have to offer, please visit www.lincolnedu.com, or contact them by calling 1-800-243-4242. Source: Scott Running Stafford Speedway Media Press Release and Wayne G. Barber Photo.
Saturday, January 19, 2019
Vermont 200 Moves to Labor Day Weekend at Devil’s Bowl Speedway
Posted by Wayne. G. Barber
WEST
HAVEN, Vt. – The biggest dirt track race in New England has a new date: Labor
Day weekend. The second annual
$10,000-to-win Interstate All Battery Center Vermont 200 Weekend at Devil’s
Bowl Speedway has been moved to the late-summer holiday on Saturday, August 31
and Sunday, September 1, in order to better accommodate traveling fans and race
teams – and to allow for an even bigger party atmosphere.
Though
the event was a success in 2018, the format for the weekend has been retooled
to allow for a shorter, two-division program on Sunday. The GM “602” crate engine Sportsman Modified
division will once again be the Sunday headliner with all qualifying and the
200-lap main event held that day. The
Sprint Cars of New England tour will also be in action on Sunday with its first
Vermont 200 Weekend appearance.
The
Saturday card features Devil’s Bowl’s Super Stock, Mini Stock, and 500cc Mini
Sprint classes, along with a new “Win-And-You’re-In” event for the Limited
Sportsman division that guarantees the winner a starting spot in Sunday’s
200-lap race. Sportsman drivers also
have the option for extra track time on Saturday by competing in the Ron Casey
Memorial Non-Winners Shootout. Racing on
Saturday is followed by Devil’s Bowl’s famous annual pig roast, bonfire party,
and fireworks, which draws hundreds of guests and weekend campers.
Like
every event at Devil’s Bowl Speedway, any driver is eligible to compete in the
Vermont 200 regardless of past racing experience; in 2019, however, a $2,000
bonus has been posted for the winner if he or she is a regular weekly Sportsman
competitor at their local track. A
diverse mix of Sportsman drivers and outside invaders kept fans thrilling over
the action up front all race long before Brett Hearn of Sussex, N.J., took the
win, earning more than $13,000 in purse money and bonuses.
“The
Vermont 200 was great in its first year, but we took notes all weekend and
started planning changes immediately,” Devil’s Bowl Speedway promoter Mike
Bruno said. “We have taken steps to cut the
Sunday show back to four or five hours at most, and moving the race to Labor
Day weekend should make it easier for people to travel or camp overnight with
the holiday on Monday. We’re always
learning and listening to our fans and racers, and we will make the Vermont 200
even bigger and better for them.”
Devil’s
Bowl Speedway’s 2019 season will open on Sunday night, May 19; the full
schedule will be released soon.
Membership licenses and season passes are available now.
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.Source: Devil's Bowl Media Press Release and Track photo.
Thursday, January 10, 2019
NASCAR: GMS Racing and Johnny Sauter to part ways
Posted by Wayne G. Barber
effective immediately. Sauter has been with GMS since the 2016 season when he claimed the NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series Championship.
effective immediately. Sauter has been with GMS since the 2016 season when he claimed the NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series Championship.
"We cannot thank Johnny enough for his contributions to the growth and success of GMS Racing," said Mike Beam, team president. "He won the first championship for us and added a lot of trophies to our shop. We wish him all the best for his future endeavors, both in and out of racing."
Future plans regarding the driver of the No. 21 team will be forthcoming.
Source: Amanda Brooks, ESPN
 |
| Thompson Speedway, Wayne Barber Library |
Saturday, January 5, 2019
Dave & Mike Wray Teaming Up For 2019 Late Model Season at Stafford
Posted by Wayne G. Barber
(Stafford Springs, CT)---The 2019 Late Model season at Stafford Speedway will see brothers Dave and Mike Wray racing as teammates for the first time in their racing careers. Dave Wray raced Late Models at Stafford from 2000-2010 while Mike raced Limited Late Models in 2009, 2010, and 2012 before racing the past 4 seasons in the Late Model division. Both brothers are looking forward to the new partnership with Mike driving the #42 DMW Graphics Chevrolet and Dave behind the wheel of the #44 DMW Graphics Chevrolet.
“It should be interesting,” said Mike Wray. “Being a two car team now will definitely help us out. We’ll both be able to try some different stuff on the cars rather than trying one thing at a time. We both have pretty similar Jay Stuart chassis although Dave’s car is a bit older than mine. It’ll be nice to be able to bounce some ideas off one another. Our family is excited but at the same time a little nervous to have us both out there at the same time. Dave’s car is the same car that I used last year for our first win after we wrecked at the Sizzler and we ran 4 or 5 races with that car before I got my car back. We had good runs with both cars last season so hopefully we can continue that this year. I can’t wait. It’s funny how that works. When the off-season is approaching, especially a year where there aren’t a lot of rainouts, you’re ready for a break but now I’m itching to get back racing.”
“It’ll be interesting to see how it works,” said Dave Wray. “The last time I drove Mike’s car I wasn’t very comfortable in the car because his legs are a little shorter than mine. When Mike drove my car last year after he wrecked at the Sizzler, he put his setup in the car and he liked it so we’re probably going to start off there and make adjustments. I can’t wait. We’re already counting down the days. Both cars are in good shape in the garage, we’re just waiting on some parts. Now that the holidays are over, hopefully the time will pass by quickly and we’ll be back at the track before we know it. We’ve never raced together at the same time other than go karts so it should be fun as long as we can stay away from each other.”
Mike is coming off a 2 win season that saw him finish third in the points, while Dave will be making his first Late Model start at Stafford since the 2010 season. Mike has won a race in each of the 4 years he has run in the Late Model division while Dave is still in search of an elusive first career victory. Mike is looking to win as many races as he can to once again be a championship contender while Dave’s goal for the 2019 season is to have fun while racing a partial schedule that could turn into a fuller schedule, depending on his results.
“I’m feeling good,” said Mike Wray. “We learn things every season about the car and we’ve improved our ability to make adjustments on the car each year. It’s pretty tough to beat Tom Fearn right now but we have a pretty good program and I’m looking forward to getting back to the track. I’ve always said I’d rather win a bunch of races than the championship so our goal is to bring the fastest car that we can every week and try to win every race and see where the chips fall for us. I think we can be championship contenders this season. With the people we have in our corner, we know we’re bringing good stuff to the racetrack every week and it’s just a matter of us going out and executing.”
“This year for me is all about having fun,” said Dave Wray. “Back when I was racing full time I put so much pressure on myself to get better and bring in sponsorships but my family put the car back together for me to just go out and have some fun with no pressure. Of course I say all that now but we’ll see how things go once we get out on the track for the first practice.”
Mike Wray has finished in the top-7 in the points standings in each of his four seasons of Late Model completion with a best finish of 2nd back in 2016. Wray has 6 career Late Model wins thus far and with 4 years of experience under his belt, he is looking to improve his consistency on the track to help elevate him to a championship level.
“I think the biggest thing for us to improve is our consistency,” said Mike. “Last year we had a mid-season lull where the car kind of went away on us. There were a couple of adjustments that we missed with shocks but once we got that figured out, the car came back to life for us and we clicked off some good finishes and won the Fall Final. It’s going to be tough this year. I see Adam Gray is coming back, Tom Fearn is tough, Kevin Gambacorta is fast, the Saunders brothers are going to be fast, Paul Arute is really coming on, and Tyler Leary is quick, so it’s going to be tough but I’m hoping that with all these fast cars that we can put on a great show for all the fans every week.”
Despite the long layoff for Dave Wray, he is confident that he won’t’ show any rust when he returns to the track.
“I ran an ACT car at Thompson and I was actually about a half a tenth of a second faster than Mike was so I think I should be ok coming back to Stafford,” said Dave. “Mike and I have done some iRacing so I remember all the points and getting a feeling of where you’re supposed to be on the track so I’m not to worried about that. I’ve been telling Mikey to not let me get to his bumper.
In addition to DMW Graphics, the Wray brothers will carry sponsorship from Torino Services, JMD Chassis, and Auto Machine.
“DMW Graphics, our brother Dennis always puts a great wrap on the car, Torino Services always hooks up with some nice cameras we use for in-car footage that we post on Facebook, Jay Stuart and JMD Chassis, and Dave Miller from Auto Machine, those guys give us a fantastic chassis and great power,” said the brothers. “Thanks to our Dad, Mom, and brothers. We’re a family operation so without them we couldn’t be where we are.”
The 2019 Late Model season will kick off at the 48th Annual NAPA Spring Sizzler® on April 26-28. Tickets for the “Greatest Race in the History of Spring” are on sale now by calling the Speedway Box Office 860-684-2783 or online at www.staffordspeedway.com. Source: Scott Running Stafford Speedway Media Press Release
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