Claremont, NH — Twin State Speedway has announced that the inaugural American-Canadian Tour Late Models and NEMA Midget races have been postponed due to heavy rains. Both tours will be in action on Sunday August 2nd at 5PM.
Archive for July, 2009
Three-Quarter Midget Auto Racing Returning to Rhode Island One More Time in 2009
Providence, RI — Three-Quarter Midget auto racing is returning to Rhode Island one more time before 2009 comes to an end. Based on the success last March of the first auto racing event held in the Ocean State in 50 years, the roar of engines will once again be heard from the Dunkin’ Donuts Center in Providence, R.I. on December 4 and 5.
The return was based on the big crowd that attended the event on March 6-7. The date change is due to the Dunkin’ Donuts Center hosting an NCAA Division I basketball regional tournament in March of 2010. Dunkin’ Donuts will be joining Castle Equipment Company to sponsor the event, to be known as the “Coffee Cup”.
Continue reading ‘Coffee Cup Up for Grabs at Dunkin’ Donuts Center’
Thompson, CT — Blue skies finally dawned on Thompson Speedway for a thrilling night of NASCAR All-American Series racing action on Thursday Night. With a make-up event on the schedule, Hitchcock Racing Teammates Woody Pitkat of Stafford, CT, and Kerry Malone of Needham, MA, shared Sunoco Modified honors. Tim Taylor of Wauregan, CT, continued his winning ways in the Mini Stocks as they shared the spotlight with the Sunoco Modifieds with a 30-lap main event.
In full-fendered action, Norm Wrenn of Nashua, NH, bested a great field of veteran competitors to take down an eventful Super Late Model feature event. John Materas of Voluntown, CT, earned his second win of the season in a caution-free Late Model main event. Chris “Mouse” Douton of Waterford, CT, scored the Limited Sportsman victory after a spirited battle. Brian Tagg of Oxford, MA, ran to his second victory of the season in the TIS Modified.
[Thompson July 30 Photo Gallery] by Adam Fohlin
Continue reading ‘Teammates Malone & Pitkat Share Sunoco Mod Twin Victories; Taylor Top in the Mini Marquee; Wrenn, Materas, Douton & Tagg Winners’
Seekonk, MA — With the month of August in southern New England comes the Haze, the Heat and the Humidity. Add one more to that list. Hectic. The month kicks off with a double header weekend on August 1st and 2nd.
On Saturday, August 1st, the ARC Saturday night action will continue with a full night of racing from the Pro Stocks, Late Models, Seekonk Sport Trucks, and Street Stocks. With the season rolling down the second half, each lap could make the difference between sitting on top of the championship chase, or looking up from underneath. The chase in the Pro Stocks has changed hands three times in the past three weeks. Dave Darling fell out of the lead two weeks ago when Tom Scully Jr took over. A week later, defending champ Fred Astle Jr sat atop the standings. This week, Darling finds himself back at the top. The Seekonk Sports Trucks have seen a similar battle between Jody Tripp and Rick Martin. Martin now holds the top spot by 3 points. Ryan Vanasse has dominated the Late Model chase from opening day, and Mike Mitchell has held the top spot in the Street Stocks for the past few weeks. On top of all of that, Rick Martin is ONE win away from tying the all-time win record at Seekonk Speedway.
Continue reading ‘August to be one hectic month at Seekonk Speedway’
Daytona Beach,FL — For the 25th season in a row the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour will visit Riverhead (N.Y.) Raceway for the Riverhead 175 on Saturday, Aug. 1.
At Riverhead Raceway:
History
- Built in 1949.
- Held its first NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour race on July 10, 1985 during the NWMT’s inaugural season.
- Has held 47 NWMT races all-time, fourth-most among all venues.
- Is one of two tracks to play host to the NWMT in each of its 25 seasons of competition along with Thompson (Conn.) International Speedway.
Continue reading ‘Statistical Advance: Analyzing the Riverhead 175′
Waterford, CT — Waterford Speedbowl has cancelled tonight’s Wild ‘n Wacky Wednesday race program due to the severe weather present and forecast in the region.
Wild ‘n Wacky Wednesday will return next week on August 5 with action for the X-Cars, Super X-Cars, X-Modifieds as well as Legends Car and Bandolero racing. The Women on Wheels four-cylinder race scheduled for July 29 will also be held. The action gets underway promptly at 7:00pm.
Continue reading ‘Speedbowl cancels July 29 Wild ‘n Wacky Wednesday program’
Daytona Beach, FL — The NASCAR Camping World Series East will head to Adirondack International Speedway for the eighth year in a row for The Edge Hotel 150 presented by Casella Waste Systems on Saturday, August 1.
At Adirondack International Speedway:
- Opened in 2002.
- Has held NASCAR Camping World Series East races every year since it opened.
- In the inaugural NCWSE race, Kelly Moore won the pole and Andy Santerre took the checkered flag.
- Matt Kobyluck has won three of the seven all-time races at AIS, including last year.
- The winner of three of the previous seven events has gone on to capture the series title that season, including Kobyluck last year and Joey Logano in 2007 … Santerre also did it in 2002.
- Runs four divisions in their regular Saturday night program.
Canaan, NH — Four famed race tracks, four consecutive race dates, and four drivers atop the point standings battling for the 2009 championship. It sets the stage for the True Value Modified Racing Series as its competitors prepare for the dogs days of August and exciting racing at short track venues long in history and tradition.
The month of August has produced several “firsts” with the sixth year series both on the track and in the pit area.
Beech Ridge Motor Speedway Scarborough, ME; Waterford CT Speedbowl; Seekonk MA Speedway; and Connecticut’s Thompson International Speedway, will play hosts to New England’s premier modified racing series. The four events will provide an indication of who will be in the hunt for the title come fall and the series final three races of the season.
Continue reading ‘Will August Produce Another First On True Value Modified Tour’
When the Pro Four Modifieds of New England (PFMNE) roll into the Beech Ridge Motor Speedway this Sunday it will be about a lot more than just racing. Sunday’s race event culminates a weekend-long effort to help raise funds for breast cancer research and treatment. Saturday motorcycle enthusiasts from all over will come together at Bentley’s Salooon in Arundel, ME to set out on a ride against breast cancer. Early Sunday morning the track will be open for three hours for a walk against breast cancer, and, then, at the conclusion of the race program Sunday evening, the headlining Powder Puff race will take place.
Made possible by the efforts of Kraze Korlacki Speedway Equipment owner, Gary Sagar, and Shirley Wrenn, wife of reigning champion and current point leader, Norm Wrenn, the Powder Puff race will showcase the daughters, wives, and female supporters of the PFMNE drivers. Expected competitors include Wrenn herself, the wife and stepdaughter of Phil Lausier, and the girlfriend of car owner Richard Sprague. It is expected that as many as ten female drivers will take the green flag for the Powder Puff main event.
Several of these women had the opportunity to take to the track Saturday, July 25, for a test and tune at the Seekonk Speedway. Through the generosity of Seekonk Speedway and Samaritan Ambulance service, the ladies were given one-hour of practice time around the Route-6 oval. According to unofficial timing and scoring, the #07x of Phil Lausier’s stepdaughter, Heather, was the fastest around the 1/3-mile bullring.
“Watching those ladies go out and practice on Saturday was one of the best parts of my job. They are all so competitive, but they also recognize why we are doing this, and that is special. It reminds me why I do what I do, and its because we are a family. Whether we are officials, drivers, crew members, or fans, we are bonded by our common love for the sport of auto racing and we all have our part in making it grow. To see everyone unified for such a great cause as breast cancer is not only unique, but its encouraging,” Race Director, Josh Vanada, said.
The Powder Puff race is set to be the last event of the evening, following all other features. Qualifying for the Four-Cylinder Nationals is set to go off at 2:00pm at the Beech Ridge Motor Speedway.
Sources: Ashleigh Vanada/Pro Four Modifieds of New England PR
Nebraska driver in third, Connecticut’s Rocco continues to lead
Daytona Beach, FL — Coming off the best season of his career – in which he won one track title, came within two points of claiming another, and earned the distinction of being the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series Nebraska state champion – Bill Leighton Jr. set his sights higher.
Significantly higher.
The 26-year-old Omaha, Neb., driver entered the 2009 season hoping to chase the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series national championship.
With just seven race weekends remaining, Leighton is in perfect position to realize that goal.
Continue reading ‘Leighton Draws Closer To The Top’
Brockton, MA – The Northeastern Midget Association will spend the weekend in New Hampshire. The “winged wonders” will be at Twin State Speedway in Claremont on Friday night and Monadnock Speedway in Winchester on Saturday evening. It’s a rare “back-to-back” situation for NEMA that will appear with the American/Canadian Tour for the first-time ever at Claremont.
The NEMA Lites will be at both tracks as well.
Continue reading ‘Granite State Weekend Ahead For NEMA’
Claremont, NH — The 2009 American Canadian Tour (ACT) point’s battle is heating up as the Tour prepares for Twin State Speedway this Friday, July 31. The ACT Late Model Tour’s visit to Twin State will be their second in history and the ninth event on the 2009 schedule. ACT’s last trip to the third-mile speedway was in 2004, when Montreal’s Patrick Laperle led 88 of the 100 laps on his way to the win.
The Twin State 100 will be an important event in the 2009 point battle. Scott Payea of Milton, Vermont currently holds a 22 point lead in the ACT Tour Championship Point Standings. Payea has lead throughout the majority of the season using consistency to hold onto his lead. Through the first eight events Payea has finished in the top ten all but once with an incredible five top threes. Although Payea has appeared dominant throughout the 2009 season, five-time ACT Tour champion Brian Hoar of Williston, Vermont has tightened up the point race in the last few weeks. Hoar has made a charge toward the front of the point standings in the last two races with a sixth place finish at Kawartha Speedway and a win in last Saturday’s Beech Ridge 150.
Continue reading ‘ACT Point Battle Tightens Heading into Twin State’
Start things off; let’s get NASCAR Cup out of the way. Last year was the “Bad Year 400″. They couldn’t possibly make that mistake again, so it was more or less back to business as usual for NASCAR Cup at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway for this year’s Brickyard 400. I guess the main difference would be the automatic double file restart coming to Indy. I thought the race was a bore. It started out looking good but that didn’t last long. Seems like the same drivers keep winning this one. But I guess come this time next year, I’ll be marking out for it again. Wouldn’t it be something if this coming weeks Pocono race winds up being better? I placed Pocono as the absolute bottom of the barrel when it comes to the Cup tracks. That’s even ranking below the cookie cutter tracks because Pocono came before they did and I always thought that Pocono was the pits. And just in case you might be thinking that ole Jalopy Jack don’t know what he’s talking about because he’s never seen the race at Pocono, the fact is that I’ve never seen Cup race there but I took advantage of a free ticket last year to see an ARCA race there and I wasn’t disappointed. How could I be disappointed when I knew what to expect? There’s one point in the race that there was a red flag. The sightlines were so bad that I couldn’t even see where the cars had lined up. And just to prove to me that it was big league; it took an hour to get out of the parking lot after the race. The only nice thing I could say about the place was that there were plenty of bathrooms. I do wish I could’ve been there when they used the 3/4 mile track. Just one of many things I have missed in racing.
In the stands at Wall Stadium this past Saturday, I was asking some people if they ever heard of, or remember Modified drivers like Bugs Stevens, Leo Cleary, Rene Charland, etc. I didn’t get one positive answer. The reason I brought this up is because I thought they might’ve been interested in a little story I’m about to tell you. Up in New England is a fine organization called “Pro Four Modifieds”. I still call them “Mini-Modifieds”. They’re hurting in car counts this year, but they put on one hell of a show and every car’s a work of art. In a recent race at Seekonk, Norm Wrenn was looking to remain undefeated for the season. Upsetting Wrenn for the win for the grandson of Leo Cleary, Cory Cleary. Just thought that would interest somebody and I’m sure some of you readers know what’s going on.
Continue reading ‘Around the Track with Jalopy Jack’
Frank Fleming (No. 40 Pro Health Center/Jerry Hunt Auto Sales/Lewisville Motor Co. Pontiac) enters this weekend’s Advance Auto Parts 199 at Bowman Gray Stadium with a lot of confidence. Fleming, who has competed in the NASCAR Whelen Southern Modified Tour since its inception in 2005, finished second at Caraway several weeks ago in the most recent race for the touring modifieds and has a lot of experience at the Stadium.Fleming, 50, is one of the elder statesmen of the competitive NASCAR Whelen Southern Modified Tour, but he was smiling like a rookie who had just gotten his first top-five finish back on July 3.
“We had a really good car that night,” said Fleming. “George told me after the race he was just riding at the end, but we were catching him and I would like to have had another five or so laps to see what we could have done.”
Continue reading ‘News & Notes: Fleming Becomes Championship Contender’
Riverhead 175 to be contested this Saturday
In 25 seasons, just two venues have been on the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour schedule each and every year. On Saturday, Aug. 1, one of those historic tracks will once again welcome the Tour back to town.
Riverhead (N.Y.) Raceway will play host to the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour in 2009. While NASCAR Modified racing existed at Riverhead long before 1985, the track and the Tour have forged a history of their own together. Saturday’s Riverhead 175 will be the 48th all-time race at the Long Island landmark.
Riverhead is not only one of the staples on the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour schedule, but also one of the more unique stops. The quarter-mile bullring is the shortest track among the eight that the Tour will visit, and provides many challenges for those that race there, including a Tour driver that got his start in racing at the track, Donny Lia.
Continue reading ‘Whelen Modifieds Return To Long Island Bullring’
Thompson, CT — It will be a busy two weeks for Thompson Speedway’s Sunoco Modifieds. The track’s premier NASCAR Whelen All American Series division will compete in double feature events on Thursday, July 30th and again on Thursday, August 6th.
The July 30th date will incorporate both the regular weekly 30-lap main for the Sunoco Modifieds plus the postponed 30-lap feature dating back to June 11th. The August 6th twin bill is a change from the single 100-lap race to a twin 50-lap format.
Continue reading ‘Four Races in two Weeks for Thompson’s Sunoco Modifieds’
Groveton, NH — Cassius Clark wrestled the race lead from Donnie Whitten on lap ten of Saturday’s Pro All Stars Series (PASS) super late model Summerfest 150 at Groveton New Hampshire’s Riverside Speedway and never looked back to record his first PASS feature win of 2009. Clark’s victory ended a PASS North winless streak dating back to October of 2007 for the 2008 PASS National Championship series titlist. Kelly Moore brought his NAPA Chevrolet home second and pole sitter Donnie Whitten earned his best result of 2009 by finishing third. Ben Rowe and DJ Shaw rounded out the top five.
Only a pair of minor caution periods slowed the 150 lap event that took just forty three minutes to complete. Point Leader and defending race winner Johnny Clark had a subpar night finishing ninth, the last car to complete all 150 laps. Derek Ramstrom was involved in one of the few on track skirmishes, resulting in a 13th place run. Ben Rowe worked his way up to fourth from his eleventh place spot on the starting grid to gain a little ground in the title chase, and Adam Bates recorded a sixth place finish to keep pace with the title contenders.
Continue reading ‘Cassius Clark Cruises to PASS Super Late Model win at Riverside’
The arrival of the ISMA Supermodified at Delaware Speedway is one of the most highly anticipated events of the year. This year promises to be twice as exciting as the ISMA cars invade Delaware Speedway for two days of speed, action, and great racing memories presented by Sloan Insulation of Windsor and Patco Transportation and an added $4,000 on the line for the ISMA drivers put up by Corr / Pak Merchandising. 2009 marks the fourth year in a row the coveted series has graced the Delaware half-mile after a previous twenty-year absence.
The cars in the American-based ISMA (International Supermodified Association) are the most powerful cars to visit Delaware Speedway each year. The majority of the vehicles are home built by the race teams themselves. The light weight of the cars combined with the over 850-horse power the cars generate create a recipe for quick times around the speedways the series visits. The cars also have large wings mounted on top of the car mounted on air shocks, which change the aerodynamic characteristics of the vehicle to create extra down force in the turns and reduce drag on the straights. The cars are also directly driven off the engine, which means the cars require a push start and have no starter and no battery with the aim of further reducing the weight of the cars.
Continue reading ‘Two-Days of Super MOdified Action Coming Up at Delaware Speedway; Corr/Pak Adds “Tammy-10″ Modified Bonus to Super Purse’
Seekonk, MA — On Saturday, July 25, Dave Darling picked up his fourth win of the season in the ARC Pro Stocks. Ryan Vanasse picked up win number seven in the Late Models, continuing his dominance, Rick Martin made it seven for eleven, as he closes in on the All Time win record at The Action Track of the East, and Ryan Lineham picked up his second win of the season in the Street Stocks.
In the 40 lap Pro Stock main event, Jeramee Lillie jumped out to the early lead in the Houle Motorsports Chevy, and started to put some distance between he and the rest of the field. Ken Spencer settled into second for the early part of the event, but at lap 8, the Hadrose Well Drilling Chevy started to slide back a little, allowing Darling and then Tom Scully Jr by for second and third.
[Photo Gallery] by Nicholas Teto
Continue reading ‘Dave Darling, Ryan Vanasse, Rick Martin and Ryan Lineham repeat in ARC Action’
Sandusky Oh – No supermodified driver had ever won four-straight Sandusky Hy-Miler 100s going into the 32nd running of the prestigious event Saturday night. Chris Perley now had the chance but also had his doubts. A sixth place finish in Friday night’s Fast 40, made him more uncertain that he could be the first 4-time consecutive winner. He wasn’t the fastest in time trials Saturday. He finished second in his heat. The Vic Miller crew set to work to make the car right. It was about halfway into the race that Perley knew he had a chance. Later that night he stood in victory lane with his fourth Hy-Miler trophy, the doubts erased. The Rowley, Mass. driver had received a call on Friday that his maternal grandmother had passed away in Florida after a bout with cancer. He chose to dedicate his record-breaking win to his “Nana.”
Said Perley in victory lane, “This is amazing. We were a little off yesterday. We worked on it today and made some changes. The crew is pretty sharp. I didn’t think we had the car tonight. I didn’t want to get down and disappoint the crew. By halfway I knew we had a pretty good car to win. It’s just unbelievable. It shows how good this crew is. I was happy to put on a show for the fans. It was kind of drawn out with the reds but it was a blast. It was fun partying. This place is great. This place is my favorite track. I would never have believed yesterday that I would have been here today.”
Continue reading ‘Chris Perley Etches his Name into Sandusky Hy-Miler Record Books with Fourth Straight Win’
