With the season opening event in the rear view mirror, the LEE USA Speedway resumes racing this Friday night with another NASCAR Whelen All-American Series event, featuring handicapped starting positions for all competitors.
Last week the feature event winners in the E Keys 4 Cars Late Model, Prime Storage Late Model Sportsman, and P. B. Chopper Shop and Rod Small Block Supermodifieds all started their respective races near the front of the field. If they are going to repeat this Friday, they will have to earn it, as New Hampshire’s Center of Speed is throwing out the traditional three week wait to start handicapping the lineups.
Waterford, CT – Waterford Speedbowl’s popular mid-week Wild ‘n Wacky Wednesday race program returns for its 10th anniversary season this Wednesday, kicking off an 18-week season of affordable family fun and racing excitement like no other. The events run weekly, ending September 1.
Budget friendly family entertainment is rooted at the core of the Wild ‘n Wacky Wednesday program. Adult grandstands admission is just $7 and all youth ages 14 and under are admitted free. To top it off, the Speedbowl offers acres of free parking.
“We’ve got one of, if not the best value-priced family night out” offered track owner Terry Eames. “In this day and age, where can you go with a family on a twenty dollar bill? The Speedbowl has more entertainment for less money than anything else across the region that I can think of”.
Seekonk, MA — Seekonk native Dave Darling paired superior horsepower and superb driving to win the Phil’s Propane 75-lap Seekonk Speedway Opener. Darling, a former Speedway champ, dueled the distance with another champion, Fred Astle, Jr. (Westport, MA) for the win.
Darling started the race on the pole, with Astle on the outside of the front row and charged into the lead at the green flag. Astle dogged his tracks throughout the race in a grueling duel, but Darling held on for the win. Most of the suspense came on the race’s many restarts after cautions had been called. The duo faced off from the front row again and again, but Darling was able to outrun Astle repeatedly in the drag race down the front stretch past the starter’s green flag. Mike Parks from Monadnock Speedway, New Hampshire held onto his third place starting position, followed closely by New Bedford, MA driver, Mike Brightman. Brightman challenged Parks, pulling alongside, but not able to get past. Brightman settled in behind and chased Parks until the first of several caution flags flew, when Tiverton, Rhode Islander Ray Parent looped his Pro Stock coming out of turn 4. Parent and another former multi-champion, Rick Martin of Westport, took their cars to the pits for repairs. Martin returned quickly, while Parent spent more time in the area.
Thompson, CT — The Thompson International Speedway will open the race track for practice sessions for the next two Thursdays. The speedway will be open on Thursday May 6th and again on May 13th between the hours of 3 PM and 8 PM for teams to fine tune their race cars before the track kicks off its Thursday Night Thompson Thunder (TNTT) series of May 20th.
These traditional open practice sessions are designed to give valuable track time to race teams so that they will be race ready when the first green flag falls on the regular weekly NASCAR Whelen All-American Series races. The grandstands will not be open for these practice dates.
Many of the race teams that plan to participate in Thompson’s Tour-Type Modified races have expressed interest in getting some valuable track time during these two open practice sessions. The interest in the four Tour-Type Modified 40-lap shoot outs on Thompson’s schedule is high and these two opportunities are looked at with great interest by many of the top race teams that will compete in these events.
Seekonk, MA — Seekonk native Dave Darling paired superior horsepower and superb driving to win the Phil’s Propane 75-lap Seekonk Speedway Opener. Darling, a former Speedway champ, dueled the distance with another champion, Fred Astle, Jr. (Westport, MA) for the win. 
