[Photo Gallery] by Paul Fohlin
Archive for April, 2008
Stafford Springs, CT — Stafford Motor Speedway will kick off its 2008 regular Friday Night NASCAR Whelen All-American Series racing schedule with Opening Night on Friday, May 2. Opening Night will mark the first of 20 consecutive weeks of Friday night NASCAR racing at the famed Connecticut half-mile. The 2008 Stafford Motor Speedway Friday night schedule runs from May 2 to September 12.
Opening Night at Stafford kicks off a busy month at Stafford. During the month of May, Stafford Motor Speedway has five Friday night events scheduled, including the 14th Annual Late Model 100 on May 9, and the 18th Annual TSI Harley Davidson 150 Whelen Modified Tour on May 23rd. As always, May is Youth Organization Month at Stafford Motor Speedway. For all May events, any child age 6-14 who wears a youth organization team shirt or uniform will be given free admission when accompanied by an adult.
Continue reading ‘Stafford Speedway Friday Night Racing Begins May 2′
Waterford, CT — The “welcome home” sign will be waving Saturday night when the True Value Modified Series returns to Waterford Speedbowl for the Connecticut Army National Guard 100. Ted Christopher, Dale Holdridge, Chris Pasteryak and Ed Dachenhausen, all successful in the past, will be returning.
Kirk Alexander, after a third win in as many starts, leads the TVMS back to the Speedbowl. Alexander, the defending champ, came from deep in the field to win last fall, taking advantage of the ‘Bowl’s outside groove. Dale Evonsion, Jon McKennedy, Les Hinckley, Jack Bateman, Chris Wentzel and Rob Goodenough are also contenders.
John Zudell and Amy Cook have been named to management positions at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.
Zudell, named to the newly-created position of Vice President of Operations and Development, is responsible for the management of the speedway’s daily operations/maintenance functions, construction projects, and continued development of the facility.
Continue reading ‘Zudell and Cook Join NHMS Management Staff’
Greg Stoehr has been driving race cars for over 30 years. He’s been a Northeastern Midget Association competitor since the mid 1980s. After all that time he’s going after a championship.
The quest continues May 3-4 when NEMA takes on Seekonk Speedway, helping the “Cement Palace” open its season.
“It’s the first time I’ve ever really wanted a championship,” says Stoehr. He feels he owes the effort to the people who have helped him, notably Bruce Beane and John Andruk of Circle Performance Motors. They are the masterminds behind the unique Mazda engine that powers the Stoehr 26b.
Thompson, CT — Opening night of Thursday Night Thompson Thunder (TNTT) is set for May 22nd. The 2008 racing season marks the ninth year that the popular Thursday night race program has been thrilling race fans in New England.
Thompson’s six NASCAR Whelen All American Series divisions compete weekly in what has to be the fastest, most efficiently run race program to be found anywhere in southern New England. Feature event racing begins around 7 PM and fans are headed home by 9:30 PM. However, during that period, fans get to see six feature events with the best drivers the region has to offer.
Continue reading ‘Thursday Night Thunder to Rumble Again at Thompson’
Stafford Springs, CT — Following post race technical inspection from the 37th Annual Tech-Net Spring Sizzler NASCAR Whelen All-American Series feature events at Stafford Motor Speedway, the following change has been made to the official DARE Stock order of finish.
Unofficial DARE Stock third place finisher Scott Roy was disqualified from the official order of finish. Roy’s car was found to exceed the maximum 11 to 1 compression ratio for DARE Stock engines, and he was disqualified from his finishing position of third.
Continue reading ‘Change Made to DARE Stock Finish at Stafford’
Veteran Earns 28th Career Victory
Stafford Springs, CT — Ted Christopher captured the second event of the 2008 NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour season when he drove to victory Sunday in the Tech-Net Spring Sizzler at Stafford Motor Speedway.
Christopher moved to the front on lap 172 following the 10th caution of the day and never relinquished the lead.
“We worked on the motor program this winter,” Christopher said. “The motor is good. It’s got a lot of power. That thing comes off the bottom and never stops pulling.”
[Fri. Photo Gallery] by Adam Fohlin
[Sat. Photo Gallery] by Adam Fohlin
Continue reading ‘Christopher Captures Spring Sizzler at Stafford’
Winchester, NH — Point leader and defending series champion Kirk Alexander, Swanzey, NH., returned to his home race track Saturday night, started last in a 26 car field, passed cross town rival Rob Goodenough on lap 86, to win the” Bond Auto Parts 100″ in front of a near capacity crowd at Monadnock Speedway. The True Value Modified Racing Series event was Alexander’s 28th career victory and his third season opening win at the track known as “The Dog.”
Pole sitter Chris Pasteryak, Lisbon, CT., set a torrid pace holding off the constant challenges of 2007 Rookie of the Year, Peter Jarvis, Acutney,VT., Jarvis stayed within striking distance of Pasteryak with Bryan Shumway, Belchertown, MA., last years winner, Les Hinckley, Windsor Locks, CT., and 2006 champion Dwight Jarvis,Ascutney, in hot pursuit.
Waterford, CT — Six-time champion Dennis Gada charged from a 20th-place starting spot, passed Jeff Pearl with 10-laps remaining and went on to win Saturday evening’s 35-lap SK Modified feature at the Waterford Speedbowl. It was the 59th career triumph for the 2008 Budweiser Modified Nationals winner. Following Gada was Ron Yuhas Jr, Keith Rocco, Pearl , and Frank Ruocco.
In other action, Ron Yuhas Jr. grabbed the first Late Model win of his career in taking down the hotly-contested 30-lap main event. Starting deep in the field, Yuhas, a veteran Modified competitor, took the lead from Ed Reed Jr. Defending champion Bruce Thomas Jr., who was after a third straight win, slipped past Reed for second. Marc Curtis and, Tim Jordan completed the top five.
[Photo Gallery] by Nick Vasquez
Waterford, CT — Dennis Gada charged from a 20th-place starting spot to pass Jeff Pearl with 10-laps remaining to win the 35-lap SK Modified at Waterford Speedbowl Saturday evening. It was the second victory of the season for the 6-time champion. Following Gada across the line was Ron Yuhas Jr, Keith Rocco, Pearl, and, Frank Ruocco.
SK Modified driver Ron Yuhas Jr. took the first Late Model win of his career. Starting deep in the field, he passed early leader Ed Reed Jr. following a late-race caution. Defending champion Bruce Thomas Jr. slipped past Reed for second. Completing the top-5 were Marc Curtis, and, Tim Jordan.
[Photo Gallery] by Nick Vasquez
Home track stock car favorite Ricky Rolfe of Albany Twp., ME held off a fast-closing Jean-Paul Cyr to win the American-Canadian Tour (ACT) New England Dodge Dealers 150 at Oxford Plains Speedway on Saturday. Cyr’s late charge was enough to bring him alongside Rolfe’s Race Basics/Swasey Excavation #51 Ford with less than ten laps remaining, but the former track champion won by about two car lengths.
“We lapped a lot of cars early, but when the field started to catch up, I had to try some new lines around the track,” said Rolfe. “We found that the upper groove was the place to be, and it worked.”
[Photo Gallery] by Leif Tillotson
Continue reading ‘Rolfe Holds Cyr Off for Oxford ACT Victory’
Tech-Net Spring Sizzler Set to go Green Sunday at 2:30 p.m.
Stafford Springs, CT — A year ago, Ryan Preece was packing up the trailer and heading home after Tech-Net Spring Sizzler qualifying. The 17-year-old was in much better spirits Saturday afternoon after earning the Coors Light Pole Award for Sunday’s NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour race at Stafford Motor Speedway.
Preece’s time of 18.057 seconds (99.684 mph) around the half-mile in the No. 3 Mizzy Construction/FJ Hubnay Chevrolet was fast enough to edge Eric Beers (No. 46 Reynold’s Wrecking/J&R Pre-Cast Chevrolet) and earn his first career pole. Beers was second in 18.084 (99.536).
Continue reading ‘Preece Earns First Career Pole at Stafford’
Stafford Springs, CT — The 37th annual Tech-Net Spring Sizzler presented by CARQUEST will have Connecticut Governor M. Jodi Rell serve as Grand Marshal. The governor is no stranger to Stafford Motor Speedway. She and her family have visited the NASCAR half-mile on several previous occasions, serving as grand marshal for a Stafford event once while she was the Lieutenant Governor, and then again serving as the Grand Marshal for the 2006 Tech-Net Spring Sizzler.
“We are very proud and honored to welcome the Governor of Connecticut to Stafford Speedway and have her serve as our Spring Sizzler Grand Marshal,” said Mark Arute, SMS COO/GM.
Continue reading ‘CT Governor Jodi Rell to Serve as Grand MArshal for Spring Sizzler at Stafford’
Heluva Good!®, a leading producer of real sour cream dips, cheese, and condiments, will sponsor the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Pole Days and the NASCAR Camping World Series East races on Friday, June 27, 2008 and Friday, September 12, 2008 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.
Both Fridays will be designated as the “Heluva Good!® Pole Days”. The NASCAR Camping World Series East events will be named the Heluva Good!® 125 in June and September.
Continue reading ‘NASCAR Fridays at NHMS Will Be Heluva Good!®’
Many times in life we question why things happen. The timing of things puzzle us. Why did this happen? Why now? How do we deal with things that we don’t understand. Greetings in the name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
Events happen in our life that do not follow the plan we have in our head. Think of a race day, how many of them go the way you planned? One thing is guaranteed about race day, it will not go the way you planned. We adapt and get thorough it the best way we can.
Champion stock car driver Travis Adams will lead his home-track contingent to the American-Canadian Tour’s New England Dodge Dealers 150 at Oxford Plains Speedway on Saturday, April 26. Adams, of Canton, ME won the last ACT Late Model Tour event held at the fast 3/8-mile oval in October, and has captured three of the last five Late Model Track Championships there.
Long touted as a potential winner in ACT competition, Adams downplayed the situation until he finally broke through in 2007. “It’s like you’re just one of the competitive ones – ‘Oh, he’s a threat to win,’” he told writer Travis Barrett at a press conference on Tuesday, “but if you don’t win, I don’t really consider you a threat.” Adams dropped the self-imposed illusion following his October score, a race in which he battled former Oxford Plains Speedway ACT Late Model Tour event winner Scott Dragon of Milton, VT for nearly 150 laps. He also finished third at the Time Warner Cable 100 at OPS in August, and then became the fourth OPS regular to win an ACT race, joining Ricky Rolfe (2002), Ryan Moore (2001), and two-time winner Shawn Martin (2004 and ‘06).
Continue reading ‘Adams Leads Oxford Plains Drivers to ACT Event’
Former Champions And WWII Veterans Gahan And Byron To Be Honored
For those individuals who bravely served their country during World War II and went on to propel America into a booming post-war era, Tom Brokaw famously coined the term ‘The Greatest Generation.’ This weekend NASCAR will honor a pair of Modified champions who served nobly before their names were ever etched in the racing history books.
As part of a season-long celebration of 60 years of Modified champions, NASCAR will honor legends Red Byron and Ernie Gahan at Stafford Motor Speedway in Stafford Springs, Conn., this Sunday prior to the Tech-Net Spring Sizzler. But before the pair had achieved anything of note on a racetrack, they had already accomplished so much wearing the Stars and Stripes.
Stafford Springs, CT — In Stafford Motor Speedway’s pursuit of new ways to cut costs for its competitors, the track has been working with drivers, engine builders, and NASCAR to come up with a spec motor for its SK Modified® and Late Model divisions. These spec motors will be a more affordable form of horsepower that will be a viable option and be able to compete with the engines that are currently in competition. While the SK Modified® Spec Motor Program is still in the developmental stages, the Late Model Spec Motor program is ready to make its on-track debut.
Stafford’s NASCAR Officials have decided that the best way to prove the viability of the Late Model spec motor is to have the spec motor in competition at Stafford. If the SMS Officials feel that there needs to be any adjustments, i.e. weight, they will adjust the rules, and the rules for the spec motor can be reviewed and changed at any time.
Continue reading ‘Stafford Ready to Debut Late Model Spec Engine Program’
Waterford, CT — Points and positions will be up for grabs in Saturday night’s 35-lap SK-Modified feature, the headline event of another five-division program at Waterford Speedbowl. Diego Monahan takes the SK point lead in the evening but it is a very short one.
Two “guaranteed” spots for the May 3 Connecticut National Guard True Value Modified Series 100 are also part of the spoils. The highest two “interested” finishers will get the slots.
