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Pappa, Martin, Porter and Bourbeau in Winner’s Circle

Published at September 21, 2011 in Waterford. 0 Comments

Waterford, CT — Waterford Speedbowl was in action for the final Wild ‘n Wacky event of the season Wednesday evening, crowning the mid-week series’ final two champions. Special 25-lap features capped off the year for each weekly division. Matthew Pappa of Nassau, NY came out on top of an exciting battle to win the Legends Cars. Jon Porter of Canterbury won the Super X-Car race, Jeremy Bourbeau of Taftville took his first ever checkered flag in the X-Cars, while Taylor Martin of Windham, NH took home top honors in the Bandoleros. Rounding out the night’s winners in novelty races were Louis Bellisle of Lisbon in the X-Car Mechanic’s race, Dan Yagmin of Tolland won the Super X-Cars Mechanic’s race and it was Speedbowl Flagmen James Warner winning the special Speedbowl Officials race.

The 25-lap Legends Cars race was a spirited battle for the checkered flag among two young and upcoming drivers. Dave Garbo Jr. took the lead at the drop of the green flag from his starting position outside the front row. While Garbo moved out to the early lead, Pappa was moving through the field. He advanced to second position after a restart on lap-5, with Joey Mucciaccaro and Angelo Belsito taking the third and fourth positions.

Pappa and Garbo dueled over a run of green flag racing that brought the field to lap-12. Pappa chased Garbo over the span but could not find the momentum to make a serious attempt to challenge for the lead. The second caution period waved for a spin in turn four to bring the field back behind Garbo on lap-12.

Continue reading ‘Pappa, Martin, Porter and Bourbeau in Winner’s Circle’

Whelen Modified Tour No. 36 Crew Chief Penalized For Rules Violations At Lime Rock

Published at September 21, 2011 in Lime Rock Park and NASCAR WMT. 0 Comments
Daytona Beach, FL — NASCAR announced today the crew chief of the No. 36 team that competes in the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour has been penalized as a result of rules violations committed Saturday, Sept. 17, at Lime Rock Park in Lakeville, Conn.The car was found to be in violation of Sections 12-1 (Actions detrimental to stock car racing), Section 20D-2.3 (Improperly attached weight) of the 2011 NASCAR rule book. The violations occurred during practice on Sept. 17.

Crew chief of car No. 36, Darren Bergenty, has been fined $500 and suspended from NASCAR until the fine is paid.

Continue reading ‘Whelen Modified Tour No. 36 Crew Chief Penalized For Rules Violations At Lime Rock’

Statistical Advance: New Hampshire 100

Published at September 20, 2011 in NASCAR WMT and NHMS. 0 Comments
Analyzing The NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour At New Hampshire
Daytona Beach, FL — The NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour will return to New Hampshire Motor Speedway for the third and final time in 2011 with the New Hampshire 100 on Saturday, Sept. 24 in Loudon, N.H.

Selected Driver Highlights:
Eric Beers (No. 45 Chevrolet)
•  Has two wins, nine poles and 69 top 10s in 167 career NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour starts.
•  Is fourth in points with eight top 10s in 13 races.
•  Leads all drivers in laps completed with 1,828, two shy of the entire season’s total.
•  Has eight top 10s in 19 career starts at NHMS with a best finish of third in 2005. Has finishes of 11th and fifth at NHMS in 2011.

Justin Bonsignore (No. 51 Chevrolet)
•  The 2010 Sunoco Rookie of the Year.
•  Has a win, two poles and 14 top 10s in 29 starts.
•  Is up to seventh in points with a win and seven top 10s, including the last five races in a row.
•  Has four previous starts at NHMS. The fourth-place effort in August was his first top-10 at the track.
•  Is the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series 2011 Riverhead (N.Y.) Raceway champion.

Ted Christopher (No. 36 Chevrolet)
•  The 2008 NWMT champion. Has 41 wins and 23 poles in 304 career starts. His 41 wins rank third all-time and his 23 poles are eighth. Has at least one win in 13-straight seasons.
•  Is 11th in points with three wins and nine top 10s in 11 starts this year.
•  Has five wins and five poles in 44 career NWMT starts at NHMS. Was 10th and 28th there this year.
•  Also has five NASCAR K&N Pro Series East wins at NHMS to make him the track’s winningest driver.

Continue reading ‘Statistical Advance: New Hampshire 100′

News & Notes: Szegedy, Silk Take Lead To NH

Published at September 19, 2011 in NASCAR WMT and NHMS. 0 Comments
Just 12 Points Separate Top Two In The Standings 

Daytona Beach, FL — The NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour – with a wide-open championship picture – will return to New Hampshire Motor Speedway for the third and final time in 2011 for the New Hampshire 100 on Saturday, Sept. 24.
Following his third win of the season last Saturday at Lime Rock Park, Todd Szegedy ended Ron Silk’s six-race run atop the season standings and will take a slim 12-point lead to Race No. 14 of the 16-race  2011 season.

 

While he’s now in front of the field, and has a combined nine career wins at the three remaining tracks on the schedule, Szegedy is far from being considered in the proverbial driver’s seat. Silk has been a consistent top finisher throughout the season and third place Rowan Pennink ended a month-long drought at Lime Rock to climb back into contention.

Szegedy certainly has positioned himself and the No. 2 Mike Smeriglio Racing team for title contention. Starting with the win at New Hampshire in July that he inherited with the disqualification of Ryan Newman, Szegedy has finished on the podium in six of eight races. The 2003 Tour titlist was third in the Whelen Modified Tour’s return to Loudon in the August race that was won by Mike Stefanik.

Continue reading ‘News & Notes: Szegedy, Silk Take Lead To NH’

LIVE: Whelen Modifieds Back In Loudon

Published at September 19, 2011 in NASCAR WMT and NHMS. 0 Comments
The third and final visit of the 2011 season for the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour to New Hampshire Motor Speedway will take place on Saturday, Sept. 24 with the New Hampshire 100 in Loudon, N.H. For updates from the track throughout race weekend, please click here: LAP-BY-LAP

EVENT SCHEDULE |  ENTRY LIST |  PRACTICE |  QUALIFYING |  RESULTS

Sources: NASCAR WMT PR

NEMA Returns to Speedbowl

Published at September 19, 2011 in NEMA, NEMA Lites and Waterford. 0 Comments

Brockton, MA — The Northeastern Midget Association takes a red hot point battle to Waterford Speedbowl Saturday night, Sept. 24. The twenty-five lap features for NEMA and the NEMA Lites are additions to the NEMA schedule.
Randy Cabral, who assumed the lead at Seekonk Speedway two weeks ago, sits atop the point parade with the Stoehr brothers – Greg and Russ – bunched up in second and third behind him.

Part of NEMA since the club’s inception in 1953, Waterford remains one of the northeast’s premier Midget venues. Lap times in the very low 13s are commonplace.

All seven 2011 winners – Jeff Abold, Todd Bertrand, Keith Botelho and Mike Horn in addition to Cabral and the Stoehr boys – are expected to be in the NEMA field. Boston Louie winner Abold, with two top-fives at Waterford this year, will be aiming at two straight triumphs.

Continue reading ‘NEMA Returns to Speedbowl’

Houlihan wins first Pro Stock feature of the season; Vanasse breaks LM record with 11th win; Gannon notches 7th in the Sport Trucks while Rego wins third Street Stock main

Published at September 18, 2011 in Seekonk. 0 Comments

Seekonk, MA — In the 40 lap Pro Stock feature, Dick Houlihan leapt off the line in the Len Ellis 41 and was not headed for the remainder of the race. The car had carried Ellis to the division championship over a decade earlier, and the 17 year old chassis served to break Houlihan’s season-long drought in feature wins on his return from retirement season. Fellow veteran Radical Rick Martin had ducked under outside polesitter Tom Scully, Sr. for second at the outset but Houly moved quickly away and Scully dropped into fourth as Scott Dion came up from a fifth place start to third. Scully was back to third on lap 3 and Tom, Jr. dropped in on his tail the next time around.

By lap 6 Mike Brightman had motored up from ninth to follow Tom, Jr. Darling, who started eleventh with six points to make up for the divisional championship, shadowed Brightman to sixth spot. Dion separated Astle from Darling; a points spread that would give Astle the crown by two points.

Freddy pushed past Dion to Darling’s bumper and Brightman tightened up on Scully, Jr.’s bumper, looking for an advantage to take over fourth. But Darling seized the moment in lap fifteen, looking high then diving under to pass Brightman into fifth. Astle attempted to follow under, but Brightman shut the door. At the front, Houlihan was leading by a straightaway over Martin, and encountering his first lapped traffic: Smokin’ Joe Kohler, stepping into his first Pro Stock ride in father Ken Kohler’s former ride. The field wound past, and lap twenty saw Houlihan ahead of martin by 8 cars with both Scullys on his tail and Darling looking to get under Tom, Jr., who was holding him at bay.

[Photo Gallery] by Nicholas Teto

Continue reading ‘Houlihan wins first Pro Stock feature of the season; Vanasse breaks LM record with 11th win; Gannon notches 7th in the Sport Trucks while Rego wins third Street Stock main’

Chouinard back in Pure Stock Winners Circle, Kyle Pacheco wins Sport4 main; Ryan Bigelow wins NEMA Lite feature, while Taylor Bowser and Branden Dion with SYRA features

Published at September 18, 2011 in Seekonk. 0 Comments

Seekonk, MA — September 16th at “The Action Track of the East,” Seekonk Speedway’s “Fast Friday” returned for the penultimate round of the season. In the features, Taylor Bowser, Kyle Pacheco, Branden Dion, Ryan Bigelow, and Bill Chouinard all notched victories in the SYRA 600, Sport Four, SYRA 750, NEMA Lites, and Pure Stock divisions.

In the twenty lap SYRA 600 feature, Doug Meservey Jr. led the first two laps before being passed by his brother Brett on lap three. On the fourth lap, a three car spin in turn two involving Chase Belcher, Shelby Donovan, and Doug Meservey brought out the caution flag for the first and only time. On the restart, Taylor Bowser took the lead and hung on to beat out Curtis Rolando for the victory.

The Sport Four feature was contested over twenty laps. Chris Bissell snapped his tie rod from the lead on lap eight, but stopped his car inches away from the wall in turn two, saving the car from any further damage but unfurling the caution flag. On the restart, Ed Gould stalled his machine once again, resulting in the caution flag being waved. Rich Sprague passed John Lamake for the lead once the green flag waved, but the caution light illuminated the track once more following Ed Gould’s stall on the front stretch. Gould’s problems opened the door for Dave Westgate Jr., who entered the night tied with Gould in points. However, Westgate brought out the caution on the restart after befalling the same fate as Gould in turn two. Once the drivers took the green flag, rookies Rich Sprague and Kyle Pacheco duked it out for the lead, with the #3 of Pacheco eventually taking the checkered flag for the first time in his career.

Continue reading ‘Chouinard back in Pure Stock Winners Circle, Kyle Pacheco wins Sport4 main; Ryan Bigelow wins NEMA Lite feature, while Taylor Bowser and Branden Dion with SYRA features’

Abele Jr. earns first SK Modified® win; Smith, Meyer and Evans NASCAR winners, Garbo Jr. and D’Addario also take victories

Published at September 18, 2011 in Waterford. 0 Comments

Waterford, CT — Waterford Speedbowl hosted an action packed night of racing from six divisions under chilly temperatures, featuring NASCAR SK Modifieds® 35-Laps, Late Models 30-Laps, Mini Stocks 25-Laps, Street Stocks 25-Laps, the INEX Legends Cars 20-Laps and Saturday Showdown X-Cars for 20-Laps.

Earning victories on the night included a career-first for Tom Abele Jr. as he bested the field of SK Modifieds®, Jeff Smith leapfrogged into the championship points lead by virtue of a win in the Bob Valenti Auto Mall Late Model feature, Chris Meyer visited the winner’s circle in the Street Stocks while Phil Evans took the win in the Mini Stocks. Completing the feature winners on the night were Dave Garbo Jr. in the Legends Cars and Curt D’addario in the X-Cars.

The SK Modifieds® started their 35-lap feature with Nichole Morgillo and Joe Gada leading the twenty-one car field to green. Five laps would be led by Morgillo before the first yellow waved as newcomer William Schneider spun in turn three, collecting Diego Monahan and Wendell Dailey.

Continue reading ‘Abele Jr. earns first SK Modified® win; Smith, Meyer and Evans NASCAR winners, Garbo Jr. and D’Addario also take victories’

NASCAR Champion Johnny Benson, Jr. Returns to Seekonk Speedway for the ISMA Racing Against Cancer 100

Published at September 18, 2011 in ISMA and Seekonk. 0 Comments

Seekonk, MA — An entry by 2008 NASCAR Camping World Truck Champion Johnny Benson, Jr. has been received for the International Super Modified Association (ISMA) Racing Against Cancer 100 at Seekonk Speedway on Saturday, October 1st.

Benson, of Cornelius, North Carolina who grew up in Michigan and calls Berlin Speedway in Marne, Michigan his home track, is anxious to defend his 2010 victory at the site of his first ISMA win. “You never forget your first win at any track,” said Benson from his race shop in North Carolina. “Seekonk Speedway is one of the racier short tracks I’ve raced on, and I’m exited and looking forward to return”, added Benson.

Johnny will be piloting the # 74 Patco Transportation owned by Brad Lichty of Innerkip Ontario, Canada. Joining Johnny is his Patco teammate in the #84, Mike Lichty, who finished second in the 2010 ISMA Series Championship. Lichty’s best race at Seekonk is also a second place finish.

Continue reading ‘NASCAR Champion Johnny Benson, Jr. Returns to Seekonk Speedway for the ISMA Racing Against Cancer 100′

Mrs. Griffin’s Penny Helps Szegedy Win the Town Fair Tire “66/99”

Published at September 17, 2011 in Lime Rock Park and NASCAR WMT. 0 Comments

Lakeville, CT — One of the duties of a star in any racing championship is the PR meet and greets with VIPs, local movers and shakers, promoters, etc. At Lime Rock Park, fans that buy Fan Hospitality tickets also get a visit from a top driver. As polesitter for the Whelen Modified “66/99” Presented by Town Fair Tire for the second year in a row, Ridgefield, Connecticut’s Todd Szegedy volunteered to meet those fans at lunch time today, about 90 minutes before the start of the race. After hobnobbing with the fans in the hospitality chalet, as Szegedy was leaving a woman came up to him and handed him a “lucky” penny. “Put this in your pocket for the race,” she advised. And he did.

Then Szegedy went out and not only won the race, he did so after falling off the road not once but twice, willing himself back to the lead. After the race, Szegedy was asked, “Hey, you didn’t really need that lucky penny, did you?”

“Oh, man, yes I did. I want to thank Mrs. Griffin for that!”, as he dug the penny out of his pocket and showed it to the media. “I’m keepin’ it!”

Continue reading ‘Mrs. Griffin’s Penny Helps Szegedy Win the Town Fair Tire “66/99”’

Szegedy Battles Back for Win at Lime Rock

Published at September 17, 2011 in Lime Rock Park and NASCAR WMT. 0 Comments

Earns Road Course Win In NASCAR Whelen Modified 66/99 Presented By Town Fair Tire

Lakeville, CT — Todd Szegedy battled back after losing the lead during on a pit stop and then making an off-track excursion to win the NASCAR Whelen Modified 66/99 presented by Town Fair Tire at Lime Rock Park on Saturday.

It was a sweet win for the Ridgefield, Conn., driver – who led all but the last four laps before being relegated to second in last year’s inaugural tour visit to the 1.5-mile, eight-turn road course. With his victory on Saturday, he took over the lead in the championship standings.

Szegedy, who had experience at LRP in other racing series prior to his NASCAR career, dominated the early action on Saturday. He started from the pole in his No. 2 Wisk Detergent/A&J Romano Construction Ford and opened up a lead of more than two seconds early. However, he fell to fourth following a pit stop during a caution on Lap 44. He later went off course, but quickly recovered and set out after the leaders.

Continue reading ‘Szegedy Battles Back for Win at Lime Rock’

Country Superstar Brett Eldredge Highlights NHMS Free FanFest

Published at September 17, 2011 in NHMS. 0 Comments

Loudon, NH — Country singer Brett Eldredge will kick start the SYLVANIA 300 race weekend with a concert during the WOKQ FanFest at New Hampshire Motor Speedway on Thursday, Sept. 22 beginning at 5 p.m.

Eldredge’s hit song “Raymond” is an emotional tale of a nursing home employee mistaken by a patient with Alzheimer’s for her deceased son.

The Atlantic Recording artist has earned a reputation for the strength of his writing and for his world-class voice. He and  co-writer Pat McLaughlin landed a song called “I Think I’ve Had Enough” on Gary Allan’s latest album Get Off on the Pain, and one of his frequent collaborators is Country Music Hall of Famer and Grand Ole Opry stalwart Bill Anderson.

Continue reading ‘Country Superstar Brett Eldredge Highlights NHMS Free FanFest’

Woody Pitkat Doubles Up; Preece Clinches SK Modified® Track Championship in Sept. 16th Final Friday Night Shoot-Out at Stafford

Published at September 16, 2011 in Stafford. 0 Comments

Stafford Springs, CT — Stafford Speedway took to the track for the Final Friday Night Shoot-Out on September 16th. In NASCAR Whelen All-American Series action, Woody Pitkat picked up his second win of the 2011 season in the 40-lap SK Modified® feature event and Ryan Preece clinched the 2011 SK Modified® track champion with a 4th place finish, Woody Pitakt picked up his second consecutive and fifth overall win of the 2011 season in the 30-lap Late Model feature, Kyle Spencer picked up his second win of the 2011 season with a green white checkered pass for the lead in the 20-lap SK Light Modified feature, George Nocera, Jr. picked up his fifth win of the 2011 season in the 20-lap Limited Late Model feature, and Cliff Saunders picked up his second win of the 2011 season in the 15-lap DARE Stock feature.

In the 40-lap SK Modified® feature event, Glen Reen took the lead from the pole ahead of Tom Bolles, Brian Sullivan, and the side by side duo of Nichole Morgillo and Sean Foster. Morgillo was able to get clear of Foster and the top-5 were now single file. Woody Pitkat got around Curt Brainard for sixth place and he moved by Foster for fifth on lap-6. The caution came out with 7 laps complete for a spin by Matt Gallo in turn 3.

Reen took the lead back under green, but he was under heavy pressure from Bolles for the top spot. Morgillo was third, with Pitkat and Sullivan making up the top-5. Pitkat was a man on a mission as he quickly moved his way by Morgillo and then Bolles. Pitkat continued his charge to the front by taking the lead from Reen on lap-13. Reen was now second with Bolles, Morgillo, and Dan Avery making up the top-5 at lap-16.

[Photo Gallery] by Nicholas Teto

Continue reading ‘Woody Pitkat Doubles Up; Preece Clinches SK Modified® Track Championship in Sept. 16th Final Friday Night Shoot-Out at Stafford’

Szegedy’s Wisk Ford Cleans Up in Whelen Mod Qualifying

Published at September 16, 2011 in Lime Rock Park and NASCAR WMT. 0 Comments

Lakeville, CT — In qualifying for tomorrow’s NASCAR Whelen Modified “66/99” Presented by Town Fair Tire at Lime Rock Park, Todd Szegedy put his #2 Wisk Detergent/A&J Romano Construction Ford won the Coors Light Pole Aawrd with a “suck it up” effort in the final group of qualifiers, turning a :53.902 lap to nip Ronnie Silk, in the same group, who had stuck in a :54.186 just moments before.

On Szegedy’s first hot lap – each qually session was long enough for the drivers to get four laps in – he went four-off exiting the Downhill. He kept his foot in it, made the fix with his hands and didn’t let the close call faze him.“I just sucked it up, put it behind me,” he said with a smile. “I’ve been racing long enough that, well, I’d be disappointed in myself if I weren’t able to do that.”

His next lap was the pole setter.

“The Downhill is much tighter (less grip) than last year and I pushed a bit too much. Got it right the next time around, though.”

Continue reading ‘Szegedy’s Wisk Ford Cleans Up in Whelen Mod Qualifying’

QUALIFYING: Szegedy 2-For-2 At Lime Rock

Published at September 16, 2011 in Lime Rock Park and NASCAR WMT. 0 Comments

NASCAR Whelen Modified 66/99 presented by Town Fair Tire

Lakeville, CT — Todd Szegedy is two-for-two in NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour qualifying at Lime Rock Park.

On Friday, the Ridgefield, Conn., driver won the Coors Light Pole Award at the 1.5-mile, eight-turn road course for a second straight year.

Szegedy turned a lap of 53.902 seconds (100.182 mph) in his No. 2 Wisk Detergent/A&J Romano Construction Ford, as the field was set for Saturday’s NASCAR Whelen Modified 66/99 presented by Town Fair Tire. This marks his ninth career pole and his second this season.

Continue reading ‘QUALIFYING: Szegedy 2-For-2 At Lime Rock’

Ryan Preece Can Clinch Stafford SK Modified® Track Championship This Friday Night

Published at September 16, 2011 in Stafford. 0 Comments

Stafford Springs, CT — Heading into the Final Friday Night Shoot-Out program at Stafford Speedway, Ryan Preece leads Keith Rocco by 82 points in the track’s SK Modified® points standings. If Preece can finish in 16th place or higher tomorrow night, he will clinch the 2011 SK Modified® track championship. While Preece acknowledges that he is aware of the fact, he will not allow that fact to alter his approach to the race.

“For sure it’s in the back of my mind, but we’re going to try to win the race and do what we’ve been doing and hope things go our way,” said Preece. “When you try to change things, that’s usually when things go bad, so we’re going to try to win the race, and if we can’t win, then we’ll go for the best finish we can get.”

While Rocco was busy winning 7 of the first 11 races of the season, Preece won twice and was never more than a handful of points behind Rocco. With Rocco being the dominant car during the first half of the season, Preece and his #40 Sullivan and Sons team have become the dominant car in the second half of the season. Preece has recorded three wins, a second, and a fourth in the previous five races leading into tomorrow night’s Final Friday Night Shoot-Out. Preece says that his recent good fortunes can be traced back to a practice session that he wasn’t even a part of.

Continue reading ‘Ryan Preece Can Clinch Stafford SK Modified® Track Championship This Friday Night’

Whelen Modified Tour Championship Contender Todd Szegedy Will Hope to Change His Luck at Stafford in CARQUEST Fall Final

Published at September 16, 2011 in NASCAR WMT and Stafford. 0 Comments

Stafford Springs, CT — When the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour visits Stafford Motor Speedway, Todd Szegedy is normally among the pre-race favorites to contend for victory. Szegedy was a regular SK Modified® competitor at Stafford before moving onto the Whelen Modified Tour and he has 4 career WMT wins at Stafford. But the 2011 season has been unkind to Szegedy and the #2 Wisk team in the three races held at Stafford this season. A crash in the Spring Sizzler in April left him with a 24th place finish and two spins in the August race left him with a 14th place finish to go along with a 6th place finish in the May event at Stafford. Szegedy hopes to have his bad luck at Stafford put behind him when the green flag falls for the CARQUEST Fall Final 150.

“The last time we were [at Stafford], we should have won the race,” said Szegedy. “We started 9th and we got up to 3rd passing cars on the outside, and we got spun out. We came out of the pits in 9th and we got spun out again and bent the right front spindle and the car was done. But what are you going to do, that’s racing. We’ve had a good car everywhere we’ve gone and Stafford is definitely one of my favorite tracks, we know we always have the potential to run good at Stafford.”

While his race finishes at Stafford this season appear to be less than stellar on paper, Szegedy feels confident that he will be a contender for the checkered flag in the CARQUEST Fall Final 150.

Continue reading ‘Whelen Modified Tour Championship Contender Todd Szegedy Will Hope to Change His Luck at Stafford in CARQUEST Fall Final’

CARQUEST Belts & Hose Pit Party to Kick Off Sunday Activities During CARQUEST Fall Final Weekend at Stafford Speedway

Published at September 16, 2011 in NASCAR WMT and Stafford. 0 Comments

Stafford Springs, CT — The CARQUEST Belts & Hose Pit Party is a Stafford Motor Speedway tradition that is entering into its third decade of existence, with the very first Pit Party taking place during CARQUEST Fall Final Weekend on September 30, 1990. The CARQUEST Belts and Hose Pit Party tradition will continue at Stafford on Sunday, October 2nd as part of the 39th Annual CARQUEST Fall Final Weekend pre-race festivities.

The CARQUEST Belts & Hose Pit Party is a meet and greet session that allows race fans to get up close and personal with their favorite drivers and cars. The NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour cars and drivers as well as cars and drivers from Stafford’s five NASCAR Whelen All-American Series will fill the frontstretch infield from 11am-12 noon on Sunday, Oct. 2nd prior to the day’s feature events, consisting of the SK Modified®, Late Model, and NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour races.

As part of the CARQUEST Belts and Hose festivities, Richie Pallai, Jr. will be giving away CARQUEST Belts and Hose tee-shirts for a $5 donation to benefit the Danbury Animal Welfare Society. Danbury Animal Welfare Society is the charity that Pallai raced for as part of the CARQUEST Champions For Charities race that was held in June as part of the CARQUEST Extreme Tuesday program.

The 1990 CARQUEST Fall Final Weekend was the first time that a pit party was held at a weekly NASCAR track as part of pre-race festivities. As the CARQUEST Belts & Hose Pit Party gained in popularity throughout the years, the concept has spread to other area tracks and today the pit party is a mainstay in allowing race fans unique access to their favorite drivers and cars.

CARQUEST Belts & Hoses are top quality products produced by Gates, the world’s leading manufacturer and aftermarket supplier, covering both domestic and import vehicles. Many of these products are the same as those specified by OEM’s around the world. The Gates Corporation has been recognized as one of the leading manufacturers of automotive power transmission products.

CARQUEST is a recognized market leader in automotive and heavy-duty application coverage and known for first-to-market status. CARQUEST Belts & Hose customers can rely on the most complete coverage for the majority of today’s passenger cars, light trucks and SUVs. CARQUEST Micro-V® Serpentine Belts offer the latest technology in V-ribbed belt design and construction. These products are available at your local CARQUEST Auto Parts store. To find the CARQUEST Auto Parts store closest to you, please visit www.carquest.com/store_locator.html.

Tickets for the 39th Annual CARQUEST Fall Final Weekend are now on sale at the Stafford Motor Speedway box office. Tickets are priced at $35.00 for adult general admission tickets, $5.00 for children ages 6-14, $38.00 for reserved seats, and free for children ages 5 & under. Tickets are good for admission to the Saturday, October 1st, and Sunday, October 2nd portions of the CARQUEST Fall Final. The CARQUEST Belts & Hose Pit Party is open to all CARQUEST Fall Final Weekend ticket holders.

For more information about CARQUEST Auto Parts Stores or Tech-Net Professional Auto Service, go to www.CARQUEST.com. For more information about Gates Corporation and its products, go to www.gates.com.

Sources: Scott Running/Stafford Motor Speedway PR

PRACTICE: Szegedy Sets Pace In Practice

Published at September 16, 2011 in Lime Rock Park and NASCAR WMT. 0 Comments

Whelen Modified Tour at Lime Rock for lone road race this year

 

Lakeville, CT – Todd Szegedy appears to be intent on setting the pace for the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour again this year at Lime Rock Park.

Szegedy’s lap of 53.909 seconds (100.169 mph) was quickest during Friday’s two practice sessions as teams prepared for the NASCAR Whelen Modified 66/99 presented by Town Fair Tire.

The Ridgefield, Conn., driver won the pole winner and led all but the last four laps, settling for second, when the tour made its inaugural visit to the 1.5-mile, eight-turn road course last year.

Continue reading ‘PRACTICE: Szegedy Sets Pace In Practice’

Carl Edwards Joins the Effort to Help New England Children in Need

Published at September 15, 2011 in NHMS. 0 Comments

Loudon, NH — One of NASCAR’s best is among those giving time and attention to the New Hampshire Chapter of Speedway Children’s Charities during the SYLVANIA 300 race weekend, but there are many ways for fans to help New England children in need throughout the event.

On Tuesday, Sept. 20, feel the same thrill that you’re favorite NASCAR driver feels as you drive your own car around “The Magic Mile” for three laps during the SCC Laps for Charity event. This exciting opportunity is just $30 and runs from 4 p.m. until 6:30 p.m.

Join SYLVANIA as they host their annual lobster bake, benefitting SCC on Friday, Sept. 23 from 5:30 p.m. until 7:30 p.m. Edwards will kick off his race weekend entertaining guests at the New England style dinner. Hurry seats are limited and Edwards speaks promptly at 5:45 p.m. Tickets are $100.

Continue reading ‘Carl Edwards Joins the Effort to Help New England Children in Need’

Thompson Reschedules Final Points Race

Published at September 15, 2011 in Thompson. 0 Comments

Thompson, CT — Thompson International Speedway today announced that it has rescheduled the September 15th, Thursday Night Thompson Thunder race program. The new date will be Thursday, September 22nd and will feature all six of the track’s NASCAR Whelen All-American Series divisions.

The track’s final weekly race program was the sixth rain out of the season and track owner, Don Hoenig, decided that it was only fair to add an additional event to the schedule. “We have four of our six divisions that have very close championship races and we feel that these race teams should all have the opportunity to race for the titles,” Hoenig said.

In Thompson’s Sunoco Modified division, there is a two way race for the championship between Keith Rocco and Ryan Preece. Only 26 points separate these two drivers going into next week’s race. The Super Late Model division has four contenders for the crown with a 26 points spread between the first and fourth place. Six points make up the difference between “Cam” McDermott and Glenn Boss in the Thompson Modified division and Tommy O’Sullivan finds himself an even 50 points ahead of Rick Gentes in the track’s Late Models.

Continue reading ‘Thompson Reschedules Final Points Race’

The NASCAR Modified’s Only Non-Oval Race of the Year is at Lime Rock Park Saturday!

Published at September 15, 2011 in Lime Rock Park and NASCAR WMT. 0 Comments

The NASCAR Whelen Modified “66/99” Presented by Town Fair Tire race is this Saturday, September 17 at Lime Rock Park in Northwest Connecticut.

The Whelen Mods, very popular in Connecticut (running at Stafford Motor Speedway and Thompson International Speedway multiple times per season), came to Lime Rock Park for the first time in 2010. Their stop at Lime Rock Park this year for the “66/99” (66 laps of the track’s 1.5-mile road course is 99 miles) is the series’ only road course race.

Last year’s Lime Rock race was won by Dale Quarterley in the #52 Chevrolet, wresting the lead from polesitter Todd Szegedy (Ridgefield, Conn.) in the #2 Ford with just four laps to go.

Szegedy sits second in the points standings coming into the weekend, only 60 points behind Ron Silk of Norwalk, Conn. Quarterley, from Westfield, Mass., is not scheduled to race, though a “late add” is not out of the question.

Continue reading ‘The NASCAR Modified’s Only Non-Oval Race of the Year is at Lime Rock Park Saturday!’

Rain Wins Again at Thompson

Published at September 15, 2011 in Thompson. 0 Comments

Thompson, CT — For the 6th time in the 2011 racing season, rain has forced the cancellation of the September 15th Thursday Night Thompson Thunder race program. The forecasts for the area predicted heavy rains for late afternoon and early evening.

Track owner Don Hoenig indicated that any attempt to open the speedway would be met with frustration once the rains arrived and, as a result, decided to “pull the plug” on tonight’s event.

Fans are urged to visit the track’s web page for updates and additional information on racing at Thompson, www.thompsonspeedway.com.

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Championship Battles to be Decided Thursday at Thompson

Published at September 15, 2011 in Thompson. 0 Comments

Thompson, CT — With one more race event left in the 2011 racing season at Thompson that will offer both NASCAR and track points, the battle for four Thompson track championship titles will go right down to the wire this Thursday night at Thompson International Speedway.

The Sunoco Modified division has boiled down to a two way race for the title. Keith Rocco holds a 26 points advantage over Ryan Preece going into the season’s final points race. Rocco, who scored his 100th career win on September 11th, has six Sunoco Modified wins at Thompson for the 2011 season. Preece, who has also had an outstanding year, has three wins to his credit at Thompson. Both drivers and their race teams will arrive ready to put their best efforts into securing a coveted Thompson championship. A win is worth 50 points. Each finisher behind the race winner receives two points less per position.

The Super Late Model division has a total of four contenders for the crown and, like the Sunoco Modifieds, there is a 26 points separation from Leader Larry Gelinas (548 points) back to 4th place Jim Banfield (522). Between Gelinas and Banfield are Mike O’Sullivan with 544 points and Derek Ramstrom who has 534 markers in his column. It is expected that this 30-lap main event will be one for the record books as each of these race teams is more than capable of coming out on top.

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Forte and Dimatteo First to Claim Championships; Garbo, Ternullo, Zaikarite, Maskell and Hamel Take Wins

Published at September 14, 2011 in Waterford. 0 Comments

Waterford, CT — Waterford Speedbowl returned to action Wednesday evening, resuming its Wild ‘n Wacky season following last week’s rained out event. With just two weeks remaining on the season headed into the night, champions began to receive their accolades when the racing was complete. The first to claim a title in 2011 at the track was 12 year-old Rachel Forte of Douglas, MA, who secured the track’s Bandolero championship. Later in the evening, 16 year-old Dana Dimatteo of Farmington duplicated the effort by securing the track’s Legends Cars Wednesday season championship. The X-Car and Super X-Car point battles will come down to the final week of competition next Wednesday.

Scoring victories on the night’s racing program included Dave Garbo Jr. of Stonington who took his seventh race of the Wild ‘n Wacky series in the Legends Cars, Joey Ternullo of Middletown won his second consecutive Bandolero feature, Mike Maskell of Quaker Hill used a victory in the Super X-Car feature to take the points lead headed into the final event, while Niantic’s Pete Zaikarite also used a win to tighten the championship battle in the four-cylinder X-Car division.

A caution-free Legends Cars feature was led to the green flag by Dennis Pantani and Ed Field, with Field racing into the lead when the green flag waved. Field’s lead was short-lived at the head of the pack. Multi-time winner on the season Garbo used his fourth place starting position to take over the lead by the time the race was just one lap old. Matthew Pappa came from the eighth starting position, picking cars off one at a time, until he moved past the inside of Field on lap-7.

[Photo Gallery] by Nicholas Teto

Continue reading ‘Forte and Dimatteo First to Claim Championships; Garbo, Ternullo, Zaikarite, Maskell and Hamel Take Wins’

Statistical Advance: Lime Rock Park

Published at September 13, 2011 in Lime Rock Park and NASCAR WMT. 0 Comments
Analyzing The Whelen Modified 66/99 Pres. By Town Fair Tire
Daytona Beach, FL — The NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour will contest its lone road course event of the season at Lime Rock Park with the NASCAR Whelen Modified 66/99 presented by Town Fair Tire on Sept. 17 in Lakeville, Conn.

Selected Driver Highlights:
Eric Beers (No. 45 Chevrolet)
•  Has two wins, nine poles and 68 top 10s in 166 career NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour starts.
•  Is fifth in points with seven top 10s in 12 races.
•  Leads all drivers in laps completed with 1,762, two shy of the entire season’s total.
•  Finished last with engine failure in 2010 at Lime Rock Park in the No. 76 car.

Justin Bonsignore (No. 51 Chevrolet)
•  The 2010 Sunoco Rookie of the Year.
•  Has a win, two poles and 13 top 10s in 28 starts.
•  Is ninth in points with a win and seven top 10s.
•  Finished 21st with engine failure at LRP in 2010.
•  Is the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series 2011 Riverhead (N.Y.) Raceway champion.

Ted Christopher (No. 36 Chevrolet)
•  The 2008 NWMT champion. Has 41 wins and 23 poles in 303 career starts. His 41 wins rank third all-time and his 23 poles are eighth. Has at least one win in 13-straight seasons.
•  Has three wins and eight top 10s in 10 starts this year. Did not attend two races.
•  Finished fifth at LRP in 2010.
•  Won the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East race at LRP in 1997.
•  Has two NWMT road course wins at Watkins Glen International (1999, 2000) as well as two NKNPS East victories there (1997, 2003).

Continue reading ‘Statistical Advance: Lime Rock Park’

Wild ‘n Wacky Wednesday Point Battles Red Hot in Final Weeks

Published at September 13, 2011 in Waterford. 0 Comments

Waterford, CT — A season’s worth of blood, sweat and tears is coming to a close for competitors at the Speedbowl’s popular mid-week Wild ‘n Wacky Wednesday series. Two scheduled events remain to determine the 2011 champions. Two championships are on the verge of being secured while two more champions will likely be determined by the final laps of the season.

In Super X-Car action, Frank Alessio of Colchester has endured a season of highs and lows to sit atop the standings by literally the slimmest of margins. He holds just a 1-point advantage over division veteran Mike Maskell of Quaker Hill. Maskell has been in very similar positions before in his career, mostly recently as last year’s championship battle. Preston native Ed Ryan, a life-long Speedbowl supporter, is in his first full season of competition and has positioned himself in contention just 23-points behind in third. All three seek a first championship title. Alessio can clinch as early as this Wednesday with a victory.

The X-Car championship battle is not to be overshadowed by their full-size sibling division. They too are amidst a tight chase to crown their points king for the season, also narrowed down to a final three likely contenders. Currently leading the way is Wednesday mainstay Brad Voglesong. The Middletown driver won repeat championships in 2007 and 2008, so is no stranger to the title hunt. He and Westerly competitor Randy Johnston have swapped the points lead over the last few weeks in a battle that will surely go down to the wire. Voglesong currently leads by 2 marks over Johnston. Not to be overlooked, Niantic’s Pete Zaikarite has quietly positioned himself within striking distance from third, just 14-points behind.

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Sprint Car Slugger Clay Dow Bats .750 With SCoNE Win at Legion Speedway

Published at September 12, 2011 in Legion. 0 Comments

Rumney, NH — Clay Dow of Barnstead, NH picked up his third win in his last four races, coming from 11th to snatch the lead from Mark Cole in the 25 lap Sprint Cars of New England feature at Legion Speedway Sunday afternoon. Cole seemed to have the field covered until he was slowed by a loose top wing and then forced to pit for fuel. Dow’s victory comes on the heels of his Triple Crown Series triumph last weekend. Running just a limited schedule this season, Dow hasn’t finished further back than fifth in seven starts.

“We went back to our notes from the Triple Crown Series and then we went a little further on the set-up,” Dow said. “Top, bottom and middle, I had bite everywhere- the car has never handled so well. It’s challenging racing on dirt in the daytime and I wasn’t sure I was going to be able to get Mark, but it was fun to start towards the rear and come up through traffic – it’s something I’d like to do every weekend. Without the people who help me, Tom, Penny and Karen Sawyer from Sawyer’s Tractor Works in Barnstead, none of this would be possible- we’d be sitting home every night instead of out playing.”

With the season winding down, three drivers are locked in a tight-as-a-guitar string battle for the championship. “The Fairlee Flier,” Kevin Chafee helped his chances by advancing from 14th to finish second behind Dow, while Dan Douville finished fifth and Chris Donnelly was sidelined by a drive line failure and did not finish, being scored dead last in the 16 car field.

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News & Notes: Road Course Racing for Mods

Published at September 12, 2011 in Lime Rock Park and NASCAR WMT. 0 Comments
Town Fair Tire 100 Up Next At Lime Rock ParkDaytona Beach, FL — The second installment of the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour at Lime Rock Park is up next with the Town Fair Tire 100 on Saturday, Sept. 17 in Lakeville, Conn.

The Whelen Modifieds made their inaugural appearance at the 1.5-mile, eight-turn course in 2010 after a 10-year hiatus from road racing and road course specialist Dale Quarterley made a late-race rally to take the checkered flag. The pole winner and leader of all but the last four laps in that race, Todd Szegedy hopes to finish what he started a year ago in this edition of the Town Fair Tire 100.

“I’m definitely looking forward to going back,” Szegedy said. “I came from road racing, so I love it.

“I like running Lime Rock because it’s a challenge for the driver. You’ve got to be on your game every lap. Ovals it’s much easier to hit every lap consistently, and road courses it’s tough. I like the shifting, I like the hard braking. For me that’s enjoyable.”

Continue reading ‘News & Notes: Road Course Racing for Mods’

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