Stafford Springs, CT — Stafford Motor Speedway returned to Friday night NASCAR racing with fireworks on the track and high in the night time sky with a NASCAR Whelen All-American Series Fireworks Extravaganza program. Ted Christopher ended Woody Pitkat’s five-race winning streak and won his second SK Modified feature of the 2007 season, Corey Hutchings won the Late Model feature, Josh Sylvester won his second consecutive SK Light feature, Sean Foster won the Limited Late Model feature, and Jim Brice won the DARE Stock feature.
The 40-lap SK Modified® feature took the green flag with Willie Hardie charging from third to the lead on the opening lap. Ted Christopher quickly moved his way by both Lloyd Agor and Keith Rocco to move into second. A caution with 7 laps complete slowed the field and gave Christopher the opportunity to move by Hardie for the lead on the restart. The top-5 ran in line until lap-19 when Hardie fell back several spots from second as Rocco, Woody Pitakt, Jeff Malave, Kerry Malone, and Brad Hietala all moved by. Hietala was on the move in the middle stages of the race, working his way up to second behind Christopher. Several late caution periods set up a five-lap dash to the finish. Christopher was not to be headed as he led the final five laps to pick up his second SK Modified® feature win of the 2007 season. Hietala came home second, with Pitkat, Owen, and Hardie rounding out the top-5.
Continue reading ‘Christopher, Hutchings, Sylvester, Foster & Brice Score Aug. 31 Wins at SMS’
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Thompson, CT — It was a night of close finishes in the six NASCAR Whelen All-American Series on Thursday Night Thompson Thunder. Keith Rocco of Wallingford went the distance in the Sunoco Modified 50-lapper on Thursday night at Thompson International Speedway. Jeff Zuidema of N. Brookfield, MA made a long-anticipated return to Pro Stock victory lane while Tommy O’Sullivan of Springfield, MA, scored his second Late Model feature win of the season. Scott Sundeen of Douglas, MA edged Larry Barnett for the Limited Sportsman victory. Roger Larson, Jr. won the TIS Modified feature in tech while Brad Caddick of New London won a barnburner in the Mini Stocks.
Keith Rocco gave his car owner Don Bannister the best birthday gift by winning the 50-lapper for the Sunoco Modifieds. Rocco who is in the hunt for the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series National championship bested his rival Woody Pitkat to score the victory. Steve Masse jumped out from his front row starting spot to lead the opening lap of the event but it did not take long for Todd Ceravolo to take over command. Woody Pitkat gave up the third spot to a charging Kerry Malone while Tommy Cravenho had his hands full with Rocco.
[Photo Gallery] by Adam Fohlin
Continue reading ‘Rocco Reigns at Thompson in Sunoco Mod Extra-Distance Race’
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Oswego, NY – It looked like Chris Perley was well on his way to win number ten on the ISMA-Wirtgen season Friday night at Oswego’s Bud Light Super Nationals. Perley took the white flag and suddenly the yellow flew for the Vic Miller 11 when a pass attempt at a slower car failed. Perley was able to get restarted but the road ahead was long and the race was short. Ohio’s Dave Shullick Jr. was quite capable of taking over for Perley after chasing him for half the 50-lap event. Dave easily pulled away from Joey Payne, driving the Cicconi 75 and young Mike Ordway Jr. to take the win. It was the first ISMA win for car owner Steve Stout and Shullick’s career second. Shullick’s mom and dad, “The Shoe” were on hand to view the victory after missing Shullick Jr’s Oswego MSA win in June.
Dave said, following a ride around the Big O before a cheering crowd, “This is awesome. It was a great run. The crew gives me a great car every time out. We didn’t have the best car here today. We probably had the second best car. Chris had it hands down. It was unfortunate he got tangled up there. I’m not sure what happened. I almost spun myself out a couple of times trying to keep up with him. As I said it was unfortunate for him, but we’ll take them any way we can get them. The car was real good. We made a really drastic change because the car was tight. The car was really good early but it got really loose toward the end of the race. It was a handful toward the end. But it worked out. I’d like to say congratulations to Steve Stout. He’s tried for a long time to get his first ISMA win and this is it. Congratulations to him and his whole team.”
OSWEGO CANDIDS PHOTO PAGE HERE
Continue reading ‘Dave Shullick, Jr. Takes ISMA Super Nats Fri. Night’
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Punta Gorda, Fla. - Loren A. Card, 82, of Punta Gorda, Fla., died Aug. 27, 2007.
He was born March 29, 1925 in Groton and moved to Florida in 1991.
Mr. Card was a veteran of World War II, serving in the U.S. Army and was a recipient of the Purple Heart. He worked as a semi-driver for the Federal Paper Board Co. in Versailles before retiring in 1990. He was an honorary retired member of the Int’l Brotherhood of Teamsters, Local Union 493. He was an avid gardener, enjoyed fishing and had a talent for wood working.
Continue reading ‘Loren Card - Waterford’s First Flagman Passes at 82′
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Seekonk, MA — Open-wheel ace “Liquid” Lou Cicconi of Aston, PA, scored his second Northeastern Midget Association (NEMA) victory of the season in dominating fashion on Wednesday night at Seekonk Speedway in Seekonk, MA. This was the second race for the Midgets at Seekonk in the last five days. The event, which was postponed due to inclement weather back on July 18, 2007, was worth the wait for Cicconi and his Bertrand Racing teammate Randy Cabral, who chased Cicconi to the checkers. Cicconi took advantage of his front row starting position and went on to wire the field for the victory.
The one-two finish was a much-needed boost for the race team and the Bertrand family. Since an opening day win at the Waterford Speedbowl in April, Cicconi has seen his fair share of adversity. Mechanical woes have sidelined Cicconi twice in the last four races.
Continue reading ‘Cicconi Back on Top at Seekonk in Team Bertrand NEMA Sweep’
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Seekonk, MA — Local favorite Vinnie Annarummo of Swansea, MA scored the biggest victory of his storied 35-year career at the 1/3-mile Seekonk Speedway oval on Wednesday night, August 29, winning the 3rd annual Viveiros Insurance Modified Madness 100, worth $10,000. Thirty-three competitors from seven different states attempted to qualify for the 100 green flag lap open competition event which carried a total purse in excess of $31,000. Three qualifying heats and a consolation round set the 24-car starting field, with heavy hitters Mike Stefanik, Andy Seuss, and Tony Ricci among those who failed to qualify. Jon McKennedy led the initial go-around of the main event before Chuck Hossfield took over, bringing Chris Pasteryak with him into second.
Pasteryak worked the outside groove to get around Hossfeld on lap 13, five circuits before a Woody Pitkat spin brought out the first of four cautions. Ted Christopher took third from McKennedy on the restart and was soon joined inside the top five by Richard Savary and Annarummo, who started tenth. Further back, second generation ace Matt Hirschman was on the move, coming from the 23rd starting spot to 10th in the first 27 laps.
[Photo Gallery] by Adam Fohlin
Continue reading ‘Annarummo Wins $10,000 Seekonk Modified Madness Event’
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Waterford, CT — Richard “Bubby” Brouwer wasted little time in getting to the front in the 20-lap X Modified feature at the Waterford Speedbowl on Wednesday evening, taking his ninth victory of the season and sewing up the championship.
Other feature winners were Chris Bakaj (Legends), Steve Barrett (Super X Car), Mark Caise (X Car), and, Jessica Miner (Geico Women On Wheels).
“These are the greatest guys in the world to race with, I’m very proud to be champion,” stated an elated Brouwer in victory lane. “You don’t know how much it means to me to be here. As the season went on, it got tougher & tougher. It’s a very competitive division, and the wins are harder to come by each week”.
Continue reading ‘Brouwer Takes X Mod Feature, Clinches Title at Speedbowl’
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As we remember the events of the past few weeks we know in our hearts we need to move forward. Closing a chapter in our lives doesn’t mean having to forget. It also means that we don’t have to act like it didn’t happen. Many I have talked with feel this will take some time to close this chapter. I agree and that’s alright, it’s a testament to how deeply we felt for John and his place in our lives. Let us start the process of moving forward. Greetings in the name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
One of the most difficult things we do in racing is figuring out the appropriate way to honor one of our own after they have gone. A couple indications of their impact on the racing community are the several attempts to remember them. I have seen many of the memorial stickers from NASCAR to Wall to individual ones; each one honors John and helps us move forward. These give us a comfort that when we look at each one we will remember our friend, competitor, father, brother, and mentor. We can move forward without forgetting. We can remember him as we race.
Continue reading ‘Moving Forward’
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Jamie Tomaino can look around the race track and see drivers who were in diapers when he was starting his first race in the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour.
He watches as racing at all levels continues to trend to a younger demographic.
And yet, in his 23rd year on the Tour and having made more starts than anybody in the its history, Tomaino continues to keep pace.
Continue reading ‘Twenty-Three Years Later, Tomaino Still Running Strong’
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Martinsville, VA — When the Made In America Whelen 300 takes the green flag Saturday night at Martinsville Speedway there will be at least three races going on.
Of course, there’s the race to the checkered flag and the storied Martinsville Speedway trophy - the grandfather clock that goes to the winner.
Continue reading ‘Point Battles Will Rage Saturday In Made In America Whelen 300′
Stafford, CT — Woody Pitkat might someday win the Daytona 500. He could end up being a NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour champion someday. Maybe he’ll visit victory lane at New Hampshire International Speedway, or win at Martinsville Speedway. It’s very possible that he’ll be the National Champion of the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series this season, as he is leading those national standings heading down the homestretch of the season.
Pitkat’s future is bright and he has plenty of career highlights ahead of him, but no matter what he accomplishes in racing, what the young Connecticut driver pulled off this past weekend will be hard to forget.
Continue reading ‘Woody Pitkat Has a Career Highlight Weekend’
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Naples, ME — Before the Pro All Stars Series (PASS) North Super Late Models headed to Speedway 95 near Bangor, Maine, on Sunday, Richie Dearborn had finished second in a race this year. He’d also finished third…and fourth. The Hollis, Maine, driver has been strong in just about every race, and consistent enough to place himself in the middle of the battle for the championship.
But one thing was missing. Dearborn had not been able to win a race on the tour in 2007. That was until Sunday, when he took the top spot for the first time since September, 2005, at White Mountain Motorsports Park (NH).
Continue reading ‘Dearborn Snaps Dry Spell with Speedway 95 PASS North Victory’
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Thompson, CT — The second edition of MODIFIED MANIA will return to the Thompson International Speedway the weekend of September 8 & 9. Fans of Modified racing are getting excited over this unique race weekend when almost every kind of asphalt Modified imaginable will be in competition. Six distinct Modified divisions will participate in this two-day race program which has been called an “open house for open wheels.”
The NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour will return for its fourth appearance of the year. The NASCAR “Tour” will be joined by the True Value Modifieds, the R.O.C. Modifieds, the Pro Four Modifieds and Thompson’s own Sunoco and T. I. S. Modifieds.
Continue reading ‘Modified Mania II Just Around the Corner at Thompson’
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Waterford, CT — Saturday night at Waterford Speedbowl amounts to a double dose of old fashioned, hard-nosed short track racing. The TrueValue Modified Tour Town Fair Tire 100 returns, sharing the busy agenda with the Mohegan Sun Double Down Shoot Out. There will be 260 laps of feature racing.
The ‘Bowl’s four NASCAR Whelen All-American Series divisions will each run double features, the second lining up in reverse of the lead lap finish of the first. The SK-Modifieds and Late Models will run a pair of 25 lap features while the Sportsman and Mini Stocks are slated for two 15 lappers.
Continue reading ‘Double Down, TVMS 100 Share Speedbowl Agenda’
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Westbrook, CT — This summer the Racing Against Cancer™ Team members have been busy racing and raising money for the fight against cancer. The fundraising efforts have involved a variety of events from a wide range of supporters. From R.A.C. Nights to cruise nights to barbeques, the tenacious team members have pulled out all of the stops this summer to help the Racing Against Cancer ™ Program continue their support of the American Cancer Society, David’s House, and other cancer-related charitable causes.
The highlight of a busy month of June had to be the June 16th event hosted by the East Coast Mini Sprint Association. Through the tireless efforts of Robin Montesi, the ECMSA hosted their first-ever R.A.C. Day at Whip City Speedway in Westfield, MA. Both fans and racers alike were encouraged to make donations while a raffle of various items was held. When the checkered flag flew on race day over $4,200 was raised for the fight against cancer and 20 new “Join the Team” Members were recruited.
Continue reading ‘RAC Summer Fundraising Hits the Home Stretch; Endure for a Cure Set for Sugar Hill on Sept. 7′
