Archive for June, 2012

VMRS: Les Hinckley Tops Field at Lee USA

Published at June 30, 2012 in Lee USA and VMRS. Closed

Friday June 29th the Lee USA Speedway hosted the Valenti Modified Racing Series for the Port City 100, presented by Laticrete.The 100 laps may have gotten off to a cool calm collected start, but heated up with an exciting run to the finish. The field was brought to green by a pair of two-time MRS Champions, Jon McKennedy of E. Chelmsford MA in the SPAFCO #2, and Chris Pasteryak of Lisbon, CT in the family owned #5CT.

McKennedy shot out to an early lead, but on lap 5, Pasteryak, Rowan Pennink of Huntingdon Valley, PA in the Rosco Racing #25 and Les Hinckley from Windsor Locks, CT #06 passed the leader. Pasteryak's lead would only last until lap 18 when Pennink and Hinckley worked their way to the top two spots.The #25 and the #06 ran bumper to bumper pulling away from the field until the first caution on lap 58.

McKennedy charged to the front again, taking over the lead on lap 83, bringing the rookie Tommy Barrett #9 right behind him. The next caution came on lap 89 when Hinckley spun, dropping him to the rear of the field. On the 90 restart, McKennedy and Barrett came together in turns three and four in front of the pack of oncoming cars. Seven cars were involved in this chain reaction, eliminating Holdridge #0, Jarvis #28, and the Goodenough #1.

[Photo Gallery] by Crystal Snape

Continue reading ‘VMRS: Les Hinckley Tops Field at Lee USA’

Keith Rocco Wins 39th Annual Coors Light SK Modified® 100 at Stafford Speedway

Published at June 30, 2012 in Stafford. Closed

Stafford Springs, CT — Stafford Speedway’s SK Modifieds® took center stage on Friday, June 29th with the 39th Annual running of the Coors Light SK Modified® 100. Keith Rocco took the checkered flag in the extra distance classic for his first win of the 2012 season, Corey Hutchings was a first time 2012 winner in the 30-lap Late Model feature, Tony Membrino, Jr. was a career first time winner in the 20-lap SK Light feature, Josh Wood picked up his 5th win of the 2012 season in the extra distance Limited Late Model feature, and Kyle Casagrande took home his fourth win of the season in the 15-lap DARE Stock feature.

In the 39th Annual Coors Light 100, Glen Reen took the early lead from the pole and set the pace for the first 3 laps before Dan Avery got a good run to the inside of Reen on lap-4. Reen fought hard on the outside and he managed to stay ahead of Avery until lap-6 when Avery moved to the front. The caution came out with 6 laps complete for a spin by Brian Sullivan.

On the restart, Michael Bennett and Nick Boivin began to shower sparks with flat tires and the caution came back out. Avery took the lead back under green with Reen holding off Matt Galko for second. Matt Gallo was fourth behind Galko, and Ted Christopher was fifth behind Gallo. Ryan Preece, Woody Pitkat, Danny Cates, Tom Bolles, and Sean Foster made up the remainder of the top-10 with 10 laps complete.

[Photo Gallery] by Nicholas Teto

Continue reading ‘Keith Rocco Wins 39th Annual Coors Light SK Modified® 100 at Stafford Speedway’

Pro Stocks Return to Hudson Speedway with Gate City Classic

Published at June 27, 2012 in Granite State Pro-Stock Series and Hudson. Closed

Granite State Pro Stock Series to run historic 100-lap race

HUDSON, NH — The Granite State Pro Stock Series will mark the return of Pro Stock racing to the tight, high banked quarter-mile asphalt oval of Hudson Speedway in Hudson, NH on Sunday, July 8 for one of the most storied races, the Gate City Classic.

The Gate City Classic began as a Pro Stock race in 1978 and attracted some of the bigger names in New England, including Hudson’s own Dave Dion. Current Granite State Pro Stock Series competitors Babe Branscombe, of Nottingham, NH, and New England Auto Racers Hall-of-Fame member Pete Finadaca, of Fitchburg, MA, are former Gate City Classic winners. Fiandaca is seven-time Hudson Speedway champion. Both drivers are expected to contend for the Gate City Classic, again.

Hometown racer Derek Griffith will challenge to become a Gate City Classic winner, as well. Griffith scored an impressive runner-up finish in the season opener at Monadnock Speedway and heads to his hometown track, which he has scored multiple victories.

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Erica Santos Picks Up NEMA Midget Ride for Stafford Speedway’s CARQUEST Super Sat. Program

Published at June 26, 2012 in NEMA and Stafford. Closed

Will Sub for Bobby Santos in Champions for Charities Race

Stafford Springs, CT — After originally not having any plans to race this weekend, Erica Santos suddenly has a busy weekend ahead of her as she will pilot the Ed Breault #44 in this Saturday’s CARQUEST Super Saturday event as well as taking over for her brother Bobby in the 15-lap Wild Thing Kart Senior Outlaw CARQUEST Champions For Charities event. The Breault owned #44 is the same car that Santos drove to victory in the 2007 edition of CARQUEST Super Saturday to become the first and so far only female feature winner in NEMA history.

“Pete Zanardi had called me to see if I was going to run our family car in the NEMA race, and when I told him we weren’t going to run it, he told me that Ed [Breault] was looking for a driver,” said Santos. “I called Ed and we’re going to run. I’m pretty excited to be back in that car, it’s usually pretty good at Stafford.”

Santos will be pulling double duty as along with her NEMA Midget duties, she will take over her brother Bobby’s spot in the CARQUEST Champions For Charities 15-lap feature. Santos will lean on her quarter midget experience in the Senior Outlaw feature and she feels confident that she will be able to have a good run.

Continue reading ‘Erica Santos Picks Up NEMA Midget Ride for Stafford Speedway’s CARQUEST Super Sat. Program’

Rob Summers Looking for Second ISMA Supermodified Win at Stafford Behind the Wheel of Vic Miller #11

Published at June 26, 2012 in ISMA and Stafford. Closed

Stafford Springs, CT — Rob Summers returns to Stafford this Saturday for the CARQUEST Super Saturday program hoping to pick up his second career ISMA Supermodified victory. Summers won the 2007 edition of CARQUEST Super Saturday driving for Howie Lane, but this year’s ISMA feature event will see Summers behind the wheel of the potent Vic Miller owned #11 that was previously driven by Chris Perley. The Miller/Perley combination has won 5 times at Stafford and Summers is hoping to continue the #11 car’s winning ways.

“I’m feeling very confident because I know I’m in a car that is very capable,” said Summers. “Hopefully we’ll have a little luck on our side and we’ll see what happens. The one win I have at Stafford is probably one of the most gratifying wins that I have because we beat Chris Perley. Winning this race would be huge, but the team is expecting to do well, it’s a team that has done it many times, so it’s up to me to get it there. Vic and his crew have been doing this for a long time; any time they go to the track they have a pretty good car.”

With no plans to race this season, Summers got a surprise call from Miller asking him if he would be interested in driving his car for the 2012 season.

Continue reading ‘Rob Summers Looking for Second ISMA Supermodified Win at Stafford Behind the Wheel of Vic Miller #11′

Former Lee Regulars Return with Valenti Modified Series Friday

Published at June 25, 2012 in Lee USA and VMRS. Closed

Canaan, NH. – Two former weekly small-block supermodified drivers return to their roots Friday night, June 29, when the Valenti Modified Racing Series visits Lee (NH) USA Speedway for the first of two races there in 2012. Jon McKennedy, of E.Chelmsford, MA., and Louie Mechalides, of Tyngsboro, MA., leads the list of expected entries for the ‘Port City 100’ presented by Laticrete.

McKennedy, with two wins this season, and two VMRS wins at Lee, will wheel the Art Barry owned # 2 car out of Preston, CT. McKennedy is also the current point leader after four races. He is a two-time series champion.

Mechalides, a former Lee track champion, will pilot the Stuart Automotive # 85 car based in Lowell, MA. Mechalides won earlier this month at Seekonk, MA.,has a previous win at Lee, and has six series victories to date.

Continue reading ‘Former Lee Regulars Return with Valenti Modified Series Friday’

Modified Ace Preece Gets NEMA Ride

Published at June 25, 2012 in NEMA and Stafford. Closed


Brockton, MA – Ryan Preece, Stafford Motor Speedway’s defending SK-Modified champion and present point leader, will be driving the Cantor #7NY in the Northeastern Midget Association portion of Stafford Motor Speedway’s Carquest Super Saturday event.

Preece, 21, “shook down” the Cantor car last Thursday at Waterford. “It went pretty well and on Sunday they offered me the ride for Stafford,” he said. “Obviously, I’m looking forward to it.”

Cantor Racing is aiming at a two-car effort at Stafford. The team hopes to have a new car ready for regular driver Adam Cantor.

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A Busy & Exciting July at Thompson

Published at June 25, 2012 in Thompson. Closed

THOMPSON, CT. The month of July is filled with special events and attractions at the Thompson International Speedway. As in past years, each Thursday night in July will offer up something of interest to racing fans of all kinds.

Antique race car enthusiasts will love Thursday, July 5 when the midway will come alive with a display of antique race cars. Cars from yesteryear will be on hand as will people who can share the history behind each of the cars. These great classic race cars will not be limited to a static display. They will see track time in the form of both heat races and a feature event.

July 12th will be very special night as Thompson plays host to the Pro All Star Series (PASS) Super late Models. This annual appearance of these super-fast race cars will culminate in a 75-lap main event for the PASS Tour. Former Sprint Cup Champion, Rusty Wallace, will also be on hand to meet and greet race fans with many fans getting the opportunity to receive an autograph from the 2013 inductee to the NASCAR Hall of Fame. Wallace, a spokesman for California Paint’s Storm System, will be making his first- ever appearance at Thompson. The evening will also include Thompson’s “Super 6” NASCAR Whelen All-American Series divisions.

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Waterford Speedbowl 6/23 NASCAR Whelen All-American Series Results

Published at June 24, 2012 in Waterford. Closed

Waterford, CT — A capacity crowd jammed Waterford Saturday night for the return of the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour to the track for the  first time since 2006. The popular shoreline oval hosted NASCAR’s oldest race division for the “Mr. Rooter 161” under beautiful, seasonable weather and  treated the thousands of fans in attendance to a great night of motorsports. Doug Coby of Milford was the night’s big winner, claiming the 161-lap Richie Evans tribute event.

First time winners were the order of the night in the Speedbowl’s weekly NASCAR Whelen All-American Series races. Hometown driver Rob Janovic Jr. of Waterford scored the win in the track’s SK Modified® feature, Greg Moran Jr. of Preston picked up a career first victory in the Street Stock division and Sean Caron of East Hampton was back in the winner’s circle in the Mini Stock division for the first time since 2010. Each recorded their first wins of the 2012  season. Bruce Thomas Jr. of Groton won the Bob Valenti Auto Mall Late Model division race, the only repeat winner of the season on the night.

The 35-lap NASCAR Whelen All American Series SK Modified® division got things started for the night and saw Jeffrey Gallup take the race lead over the opening laps. The first caution waved on the lap-3 when last week’s winner Tyler Chadwick and Brett Gonyaw were involved in a skirmish down the back chute. Chadwick’s car was left wedged in the wall at the entrance to turn three and was done for the night once removed from the racing surface.

[Photo Gallery] by Crystal Snape

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Wayne Helliwell, Jr. Scores Second ACT Win at White Mountain

Published at June 24, 2012 in ACT LM Tour and White Mountain. Closed

Wayne Helliwell, Jr. of Dover, NH dominated the White Mountain 150 at White Mountain Motorsports Park on Saturday, June 23 for his second career American Canadian Tour win. Helliwell led all 150 laps after starting on the pole and won uncontested.

Joey Polewarczyk, Jr. won a hard fought battle for the runner-up position, beating Eric Chase who completed the podium. Austin Theriault and Brian Hoar completed the top five after swapping paint several time over the final laps. Ray Parent, Brent Dragon, Jimmy Hebert, Ricky Rolfe, and Randy Potter rounded out the top ten.

Helliwell crushed the field, lapping all but the top eleven cars. The 150 lap event was completed in one hour and five minutes with eight cautions. Twenty-two of the thirty-one cars that took the green flag were on the track for the checkers.

It was Helliwell’s second career ACT win and his second win in three events. It will keep him atop the point standings just ahead of Polewarczyk who claimed his second straight runner-up finish and his fourth top five in the first five events.

Continue reading ‘Wayne Helliwell, Jr. Scores Second ACT Win at White Mountain’

Dave Darling is perfect in extra distance in 2012; Rick Martin makes it back to Victory Lane; Joe Kohler picks up first win of the season, DeGasparre wins second LM event

Published at June 24, 2012 in Seekonk. Closed

Seekonk, MA — Dave Darling was daring and dynamic on Saturday, June 23, as he picked up his second win of the season in the 75 lap Pro Stock main event. His last win came on opening day, in the first 75 lap feature of the season. Darling used a late race restart to move past Tom Scully Jr, who dominated the middle portion of the event, and took over the lead for good.

John Dabrowski led the early portion of the race, as he and Ken Spencer raced wheel to wheel for the first several laps, swapping the lead back and forth. It wasn’t until a lap 12 caution when Scully lined up aside Dabrowski and was able to power past into the lead. While Scully Jr spent the middle portion of the race at the top of the leader board, there was a lot of action going on behind him. Darling was weaving his way through the field from his 12th place starting position, and was able to put himself in the right place at the right time, using the inside and outside lanes, and a couple of timely cautions to close in on Scully. Several cars held the runner up position, but without much luck. Mike Brightman ran second for a while, only to fall out of the top three, and have a tire go down with less than 10 laps to get. Kevin Casper was running third when a cut left rear tire sent him around and into the wall midway through the event. Ryan Vanasse was sent to the rear for the contact with Casper, but worked his way back up to second by the time the checkered fell.

Darling used the outside lane for over 20 laps, trying to work by Scully, but Tom was on his game. Tom fell back to third by the end of the race, with Dick Houlihan and Craig Weinstein rounded out the top five. Tom Scully Sr, Kyle Casper, Bob Hussey, Phil Meany and Dave Silvia finished sixth through tenth. Defending Pro Stock Champion Fred Astle Jr suffered a broken transmission on the second lap, and was forced out of the race.

Continue reading ‘Dave Darling is perfect in extra distance in 2012; Rick Martin makes it back to Victory Lane; Joe Kohler picks up first win of the season, DeGasparre wins second LM event’

Coby Keeps Rolling with Waterford Win

Published at June 23, 2012 in NASCAR WMT and Waterford. Closed

Third Whelen Modified Victory In Five Races

WATERFORD, Conn. – Doug Coby continued to roll in NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour action Saturday when he captured the checkered flag in the Mr. Rooter 161 at Waterford Speedbowl.

Coby, from Milford, Conn., led 119 laps in the No. 52 Reynolds Auto Wrecking/Furnace & Duct Supply Chevrolet Saturday en route to his third victory in five races to start the 2012 season. It is his fifth career victory overall, and first in Whelen Modified Tour events at Waterford.

Justin Bonsignore crossed the line second with Ryan Preece in third. Ron Yuhas Jr. and Donny Lia brought home the top five in the Whelen Modified Tour’s first event at the .375-mile oval since 2006.

[Photo Gallery] by Crystal Snape

Continue reading ‘Coby Keeps Rolling with Waterford Win’

NOTEBOOK: Full House Welcomes Tour Back

Published at June 23, 2012 in NASCAR WMT and Waterford. Closed

Drivers, Fans Both Thrilled To Return To Waterford After Absence

WATERFORD, Conn. – The NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour's highly-anticipated return to Waterford Speedbowl could only be categorized as a smashing success.

Hours before the start of Saturday night's Mr. Rooter 161 – the first Whelen Modified Tour race at the track in six years – town officials forced the Speedbowl to close its parking lot for being over capacity. With no seats available in the grandstands, fans were standing three- and four-deep along the turns on the .333-mile oval. Autograph session lines were long, concession lines were longer and the interaction between drivers and fans along the track's frontstretch during driver introductions varied from boisterous to comical.

The Whelen Modified Tour was back at a Connecticut short-track racing staple, in the hub of Modified racing in the Northeast, and it was back in a big way.

[Photo Gallery] by Crystal Snape

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QUALIFYING: Waterford Pole to Christopher

Published at June 23, 2012 in NASCAR WMT and Waterford. Closed

24th Career Coors Light Pole For Past Whelen Mod Champ

WATERFORD, Conn. – Ted Christopher captured the 24th Coors Light Pole Award of his illustrious NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour career Saturday in qualifying for the Mr. Rooter 161 at Waterford Speedbowl.

Christopher, from Plainville, Conn., piloted the No. 36 Al-Lee Installations Chevrolet to a fast lap of 13.740 seconds (98.253 mph) around the .375-mile oval for his first pole in 2012, and second career pole at Waterford.

Christopher will be joined on the front row for tonight’s Mr. Rooter 161 by Todd Szegedy, who turned in the second-fastest lap in time trials at 13.747 (98.203). Points leader Doug Coby qualified third with Justin Bonsignore and Ron Silk in the top five.

[Photo Gallery] by Crystal Snape

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PRACTICE: Preece Leads at Waterford

Published at June 23, 2012 in NASCAR WMT and Waterford. Closed

WATERFORD, Conn. – Ryan Preece led the way in practice for tonight’s Mr. Rooter 161 in the return for the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour to Waterford Speedbowl.

Preece, from Berlin, Conn., posted a fast lap of 13.890 seconds (97.192 mph) around the .375-mile oval, which last played host to the Whelen Modified Tour in 2006. Preece will be looking for his fourth pole of the season later today after he captured the first three on the schedule.

Eric Berndt finished second on the board at 13.907 (97.073) followed by Keith Rocco at 13.959 (96.712). Rocco is the two-time defending NASCAR Whelen All-American Series track champion at Waterford in the SK Modified division.

[Photo Gallery] by Crystal Snape

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Stafford Speedway Postpones Friday, June 22nd Lincoln Tech 80 VMRS Racing Card

Published at June 22, 2012 in Stafford. Closed

Stafford Springs, CT — Stafford Motor Speedway has postponed its June 22ND Lincoln Tech 80 VMRS racing program due to rain. The race will be rescheduled to Friday, September 14th. All paddock area participants should hold onto their wristbands for rain checks on September 14th.

Tickets for the September 14th Lincoln Tech Modified Racing Series event are also still available and are priced at $27.50 for adult general admission tickets, $5.00 for children ages 6-14, free for children ages 5 & under, and $30.00 for reserved seats.

Stafford Speedway will return to racing next Friday night, June 29th with the Coors Light SK Modified® 100 event. Rain checks from the June 8th event will be honored next Friday night. Pit gates will open at 3pm, Whelen All-American Series Practice will start at 4:00pm, grandstand gates will open at 5:15pm, heat races will start at 6:15pm, and feature events will begin at approximately 7:15pm.

Continue reading ‘Stafford Speedway Postpones Friday, June 22nd Lincoln Tech 80 VMRS Racing Card’

Speedbowl and Mr. Rooter partner with The Hole in the Wall Gang Camp Saturday

Published at June 22, 2012 in NASCAR WMT and Waterford. Closed

NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour event will benefit youth camp

Waterford, CT — Waterford Speedbowl and Mr. Rooter of Connecticut are proud to announce a partnership with The Hole in the Wall Gang Camp, founded by late actor and auto racing enthusiast Paul Newman. Saturday's racing event at the Speedbowl will welcome representatives from The Hole in the Wall Gang Camp and provide an opportunity for race fans to support another of Newman's passions – providing seriously ill children the fun-filled experience of camp. Saturday's partnership is centered around raising awareness for the Camp in addition to a fundraising challenge to patrons of the Speedbowl. The goal, to raise enough funding to send one or more youths to camp, will hopefully be met with rousing success.

The Camp is nestled not far from the Speedbowl in Ashford, Connecticut, and is dedicated to providing a "different kind of healing" to seriously ill children and their families throughout the Northeast, free of charge. Through the generosity of others, The Hole in the Wall Gang Camp community enables this unique healing experience to occur through the world of possibilities that camp has to offer. Race fans have a unique opportunity to assist those efforts at the Speedbowl on Saturday. Fans may donate to The Hole in the Wall Gang Camp at the speedway Box Office and also by visiting the Camp's display on the midway during the event.

Saturday's event sees the return of the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour to the Speedbowl for the first time since 2006, competing in the Mr. Rooter sponsored 161-lap race. Track promoter Terry Eames cites the event as "the most prestigious that can be booked here". In addition to the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour, the track's weekly NASCAR Whelen All-American Series races will also be held.

Continue reading ‘Speedbowl and Mr. Rooter partner with The Hole in the Wall Gang Camp Saturday’

VMRS Returns to Stafford this Fri. for the 2nd Annual Lincoln Tech 80

Published at June 22, 2012 in Stafford and VMRS. Closed

This Friday night at Stafford, the Valenti Modified Racing Series returns for the 2nd Annual Lincoln Tech 80, the first of two VMRS races at SMS in 2012. As a special bonus for race fans, Lincoln Tech will be giving away a complimentary gym bag to the first 600 fans through the admission gates.

Race fans can also get a $2.50 discount on an Adult General Admission ticket by supporting CARQUEST Champions for Charities driver Bob Potter's charity, Compassion for Cats. Bring cat food or kitty litter to receive the $2.50 discount. Limit one discount per person and not to be combined with any other offers.
 
Last year's Lincoln Tech 80 saw Keith Rocco hold off a hard charging Todd Owen in the race to the checkered flag. This year's Lincoln Tech 80 Expected Entry List has 41 cars on it, promising for an exciting night of modified racing

Banfield and Gleason Score Season-First Wins at Thompson

Published at June 21, 2012 in Thompson. Closed

Thompson, CT — Jim Banfield and Jesse Gleason scored their first season wins and led a roster of exciting finishes in the NASCAR Whelen All American Series Thursday Night Thompson Thunder at Thompson International Speedway this week. Ted Christopher and Tommy O’Sullivan earned milestone career finishes for their teams while Cam McDermott and John Lewinski-Loh added to their season totals.

Patience paid off for Jim Banfield in the 50-lap Super Late Model feature Thursday night. The So. Glastonbury, Conn.-native took the lead with two laps to go after then-leader Mike O’Sullivan blew a tire in turn one. Banfield drove to the lead and eventual victory unchallenged. Derek Ramstrom catapulted to the front at the drop of the green, and even an early-race caution couldn’t slow him down. Dick Houlihan and Mike O’Sullivan took over second and third on the restart as the top-five began to string out single file. O’Sullivan maneuvered by Houlihan for second and set his sights on Ramstrom, who was already out to a half-a-straightaway lead. Caution flew on lap seven and tightened the field back up again. O’Sullivan won the drag race into turn one on the drop of the green and took over the lead on lap eight with Ramstrom in his rear view mirror and Larry Gelinas in third. Ramstrom continued to pressure O’Sullivan before reclaiming the top spot at lap 20. Once out front, he was able to pull away by five-car lengths over O’Sullivan and Gelinas. With 14 laps to go, the No. 41 of Scott Rotherforth spun into the infield retaining wall on the front stretch and brought out the caution flag. O’Sullivan beat Ramstrom to the lead, but a caution would force him to try again. Ramstrom appeared to have the lead heading into turn one, but Gelinas went low making it a three-wide battle into turn one. Gelinas took the lead in commanding style, but had a lot of pressure by Ramstrom and O’Sullivan. Ramstrom dove low to challenge, and as he attempted to go by for the lead on lap 40 in turn one, Ramstrom started to go around and collected Gelinas in the mix. O’Sullivan inherited the lead for the restart with Jim Banfield and Rick Gentes rounding out the top-three. With two laps to go, O’Sullivan lost the left front tire on his No. 08 machine and handed the lead and win to Jim Banfield.

Ted Christopher earned his 96th career Thompson International Speedway victory when he powered his way to the win in the NASCAR Whelen All American Series Sunoco Modified division. It was his second win of the season. John Catania and Kerry Malone went into turn one double-file with Malone getting the lead coming out of turn two. Ted Christopher and Ryan Preece moved into second and third with Preece all over Christopher’s bumper for the second position. Woody Pitkat and Keith Rocco made it a five-car bumper-to-bumper train up front. On lap nine, Christopher shot to the bottom and took over the lead with Preece in tow. Malone squeezed into third, but was quickly passed by Pitkat and Rocco. The frontrunners approached lapped traffic at lap 13, but continued in a tight formation without a hiccup. On lap 22, Pitkat broke free of the trio to make a bid on Preece, but lost momentum and turned his focus to Rocco, who threatened his third place position. Pitkat regained himself as Christopher continued to lead Preece less than a car length in front of him. Christopher never faltered and drove straight to the checkered flag.

Continue reading ‘Banfield and Gleason Score Season-First Wins at Thompson’

Lincoln Tech 80 at Stafford Speedway Offers Stacked Field of Competitors Going for Checkered Flag

Published at June 21, 2012 in Stafford and VMRS. Closed

Stafford Springs, CT — The entry list for the 2nd Annual Lincoln Tech 80 at Stafford Speedway is stacked with drivers who have either weekly or Whelen Modified Tour racing experience at Stafford Motor Speedway. The wealth of experienced drivers coming to Stafford promises to deliver an exciting fight for the checkered flag.

The list of drivers who have both weekly and Tour experience at Stafford include Ted Christopher, Todd Szegedy, Doug Coby, Rowan Pennink, Ryan Preece, Dave Etheridge, Richie Pallai, Jr., Tom Bolles, John Jensen, and Jeff Malave. These 10 drivers have combined to win 175 feature events at Stafford, with Christopher leading the way at 116 feature wins. Coby is next with 19 feature wins, and both Christopher and Coby have won in multiple divisions at Stafford. Christopher has tasted victory in the SK Modified®, ProStock, Whelen Modified Tour, Camping World East Series, and the Valenti Modified Racing Series divisions, while Coby has taken checkered flags in the SK Modified®, Late Model, ProStock, and Whelen Modified Tour divisions at SMS.

Drivers that have just weekly racing experience at Stafford include Mark Bakaj, Tommy Barrett, Jr., and Joey Cipriano, and Todd Owen. Bakaj, Barrett, and Cipriano are all graduates of Stafford’s SK Light Modified division and Bakaj also ran in Stafford’s SK Modified® division. Bakaj, Barrett, and Cipriano have combined to win 25 SK Light feature events, while Owen has won 4 times in the SK Modified® division and 7 times in the ProStock division at SMS.

Continue reading ‘Lincoln Tech 80 at Stafford Speedway Offers Stacked Field of Competitors Going for Checkered Flag’

Doug Coby Hoping to Continue Winning Ways at Stafford in Lincoln Tech 80

Published at June 21, 2012 in Stafford and VMRS. Closed

Stafford Springs, CT — Perhaps no driver enters the Lincoln Tech 80 with more momentum on their side than Doug Coby. The Milford, CT native has won both Whelen Modified Tour events held at Stafford thusfar during the 2012 season, and he finished third in both Valenti Modified Racing Series events last season in the Rick Czarnecki owned #20 machine. Coby is hoping to continue his good fortunes at Stafford with another victory in the Lincoln Tech 80, and he says that his team just might have the proper recipe for him to do that.

“You never know what’s going to happen, there’s a lot of cars signed up to run the race,” said Coby. “We’re planning on coming with the best setup we can and we have a new Bob Bruneau motor that we’re hoping will help us get a little better than we were last year. We finished third in both times last year and we thought we were lacking a little motor wise, so we think this year we’ll have something better.”

The VMRS entry list has 41 expected entries for the Lincoln Tech 80, and it is filled with drivers who have either weekly experience or Whelen Modified Tour experience at Stafford, which promises to make for a very competitive race.

Continue reading ‘Doug Coby Hoping to Continue Winning Ways at Stafford in Lincoln Tech 80′

Todd Owen Looking for Repeat Performance in Stafford’s Lincoln Tech 80 in New Car

Published at June 21, 2012 in Stafford and VMRS. Closed

Stafford Springs, CT — With the Lincoln Tech 80 Valenti Modified Racing Series event on the horizon at Stafford Motor Speedway, Todd Owen is looking forward to having a repeat performance of last year’s race. Owen, an SK Modified® regular at Stafford, finished second behind Keith Rocco after starting from the 20th position. But Owen won’t be driving the same #29 he piloted last season; instead he will be behind the wheel of Jack Bateman’s #17 for the Lincoln Tech 80.

“I’ll be driving Jack Bateman’s #17 car, so it’ll be a different car than the car I drove last year,” said Owen. “I drove Jack’s car at Thompson, and I really enjoyed it until we had some motor issues. I think we led like the first 17 laps of the race before we had the motor problem. I’m looking forward to coming to Stafford with Jack’s car.”

Owen finished second in last year’s Lincoln Tech 80 and was running in the top-5 in the Shark Cycle 80 when his power steering belt broke and he retired the car. With his success in the VMRS races combined with his track experience, Owen likes his chances when the green flag falls on this year’s Lincoln Tech 80.

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Granite State Pro Stock Series 112 at Unity Raceway Cancelled

Published at June 21, 2012 in Granite State Pro-Stock Series and Unity. Closed

No makeup date announced; Gate City Classic up next

Canaan, NH — The Granite State Pro Stock Series 112 lap event scheduled for this Saturday, June 23 at Unity Raceway in Unity, ME has been cancelled due to circumstances beyond control. No makeup date has been announced at this time.

The Granite State Pro Stock Series will mark the return of pro stock racing to Hudson International Speedway in Hudson, NH on Sunday, July 8, with the return of the “Gate City Classic”. The 100-lap main event will now be the second event on the 2012 Granite State Pro Stock Series season. Mike O’Sullivan of Springfield, MA scored the win in the season opening event at Monadnock Speedway.

The tight quarter-mile Hudson Speedway is located just off New Hampshire Route 102 on Old Derry Road in Hudson, NH, a short drive from US Route 3 and Interstate 93 and New Hampshire’s second largest city, Nashua, NH.

Continue reading ‘Granite State Pro Stock Series 112 at Unity Raceway Cancelled’

Igo Captures Top 10 Finish in First Ever Truck Race

Published at June 21, 2012 in Seekonk. Closed

After failure to start the feature race in what was supposed to be his Truck Series debut because of mechanical issues, Chris Igo, Jr. and the Igo Racing team arrived at Seekonk Speedway last Saturday (June 16) to give his series start another try. This time brought success. After turning quick laps in practice all day, Igo qualified for the feature race 12th.

It appeared as though the front runners got anxious for position as on just lap one, there was a 4 truck wreck which Igo had to avoid. After that, Igo was forced to make an unexpected pit stop to fix a fuel intake problem that had occured on the track with his #08 Chevy machine.

After getting back on the track, Igo drove a clean race where he finished 10th, his first ever in the truck series. "It's unfortunate that we had mechanical troubles that forced us to pit under green but my crew worked hard to get me back out there in short time. For my first race in the trucks, I couldn't be happier going home with a clean truck and a Top 10 finish" stated a happy Igo as he climbed from his Merrimack College Sponsored Truck.

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Waterford Speedbowl Wild ‘n Wacky Wednesdays 6/20 Results

Published at June 21, 2012 in Waterford. Closed

Waterford, CT — After two consecutive rainouts, Waterford  Speedbowl was back in action with its popular Wild ‘n Wacky Wednesday mid-week program. Taking down wins on the evening included Dave Garbo Jr. of Stonington in the Legends Cars and Derek Debbis of Oakdale in the Bandolero feature, while Mike Maskell of Quaker Hill was the night’s Super X-Car race winner and Scott Limkemann of East Lyme took the X-Car victory.

The 20-lap Legends Cars feature had a tough time getting started as Daniel Stolte and Dennis Pantani came together just past the start-finish line on the initial green flag. Pantani went spinning into the wall leaving debris behind, drawing the caution flag. The second attempt to start the race was no better, as a six car melee between turns three and four among the back half of the field kept the race under caution before a lap was completed.

The race finally got underway with Dana Dimatteo showing the way to lead lap-1. Multiple time feature winner on the year Matt Pappa spun exiting turn four on the opening lap, however continued on without caution. As the field was completing lap-2 Pappa spun again in turn four, the second time drawing a yellow flag.

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Rusty Wallace at Thompson on July 12th

Published at June 20, 2012 in Thompson. Closed

THOMPSON, CT — Rusty Wallace, the 1989 Sprint Cup Champion and member of the 2013 class of NASCAR Hall of Fame inductees, will be on hand to meet and greet Thompson fans on Thursday, July 12th. Wallace, the spokesman for California Paint’s Storm System, will be a great addition to that evening which will also feature the Pro All-Star Series (PASS) tour in a 75-lap main event.

Wallace, the winner of 55 Sprint Cup races, retired from the driver’s seat in 2005 and is the only driver to become a first-ballot selection to the NASCAR Hall of Fame since the inaugural class was inducted. He has been very involved in the promotion of the Hall of Fame and has continued his involvement in the sport as a car owner in the Nationwide series, an analyst for ESPN, a race track designer, philanthropist for the NASCAR Foundation and spokesperson for some very select products. His appearance for California Paint’s Storm System is a perfect match since California Paints has been a long-time sponsor and promoter of the Thompson International Speedway.

Many lucky race fans will be given the opportunity to receive an autograph from Wallace who will also be part of the evening’s race program. The soon-to-be Hall of Famer remains one of the most popular figures in all of NASCAR. “We are thrilled to have Rusty coming to Thompson,” said track owner and promoter Don Hoenig. “He is one of the best ambassadors the sport could ever ask for and we are confident that Thompson fans will love the opportunity to see him in person with many of them getting the opportunity to meet him and receive his autograph. His amazing driving career speaks for itself. He gained 36 pole positions along with those 55 wins and is the undisputed NASCAR Sprint Cup short track champ,” Hoenig concluded. Of his 55 wins, Wallace scored 34 of them on short tracks.

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Espotito Wins NETS Race at Waterford

Published at June 19, 2012 in NETS and Waterford. Closed

Vinney Esposito of Waterbury CT, takes his first win from points leader Duane Noll of Monroe CT, in the 25-Lap New England Truck Series feature race last Saturday night at the Waterford Speedbowl.

On the pole #151 Ford of Bert Ouellette with the # 11 Chevy of Vinney Esposito on the outside set the pace as they rolled off turn four starting NETS feature race. Before getting to turn three, Vinney took over the lead position from Ouellette with #2 Chevy of Duane Noll in tow. On lap nine, #75 of Corey Coates takes third place position with Ouellette and #8 Dodge of Tom Metcalf following behind. On lap fifteen, with mechanical failure, the #6 Chevy Truck of Mike Ledoux had to park for the night. By lap nineteen, the #21x Chevy of Jason Lafayette takes over fourth position with Metcalf, Ouellette and #19 Chevy of Nate Bubello of MA .

Newcomer DJ McGouran, #46 Ford truck, held on to eighth position respectively doing well with his first race in a truck. Pulling up the rear #72 Chevy of Glen Noll and #03 Ford truck of John Brand ending the field.

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Speedbowl encourages fans to ‘remember Richie’ at Mr. Rooter 161

Published at June 19, 2012 in NASCAR WMT and Waterford. Closed

NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour race a tribute to racing legend

Waterford, CT (June 19, 2012) – The legacy of Richie Evans’ racing career is well heralded by race fans up and down the eastern seaboard.
Everywhere Evans towed his iconic orange #61 Modified, memories seemed to be born. The undisputed “king” of Modified racing and  ine-time NASCAR Modified champion left his mark on the sport not only by the hundreds of trips made to victory lane, but also by the lasting impressions left on those he encountered along the way.

When the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour gathers at Waterford Speedbowl on Saturday in a special 161-lap tribute race, Evans will be remembered.   While the unique lap-count honors a legend in the open-wheel Modified ranks, the legacy of Richie Evans will be carried forward through the memories the NASCAR Hall of Fame inductee made for those in the racing community.

“Almost every track you go to around the northeast has connections to Richie Evans” offered Speedbowl promoter Terry Eames. “He touched many supporters in our immediate community – fans, car owners, competitors, officials – just as he seemed to do everywhere. There’s no shortage of Richie stories here…that impact is what made Richie Evans special.”

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Statistical Advance: Analyzing The Mr. Rooter 161 At Waterford Speedbowl

Published at June 19, 2012 in NASCAR WMT and Waterford. Closed
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – The NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour will headline the racing action at Waterford (Conn.) Speedbowl on Saturday, June 23 with the Mr. Rooter 161. Below is a statistical look at the performance of selected drivers on the tour:
 
Selected Driver Highlights:
Eric Beers (No. 45 Horwith Freightliner/John Blewett Inc. Ford)
• Has two wins, nine poles and 73 top 10s in 174 career NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour starts.
• Has a pole and two top 10s in seven starts at Waterford Speedbowl. Best finish was third in 2005.
 
Eric Berndt (No. 46 North End Auto Parts/Cape Cod Aggts Chevrolet)
• Has a pole and eight top 10s in 60 career NWMT starts.
• Has finishes of 21st and eighth in two previous starts at Waterford.
• Has 15 career NASCAR Whelen All-American Series SK Modified wins at Waterford.
 
Jimmy Blewett (No. 76 John Blewett Inc./Ling Trucking Chevrolet)
• Has five wins, a pole and 29 top 10s in 89 career NWMT starts.
• Has three top 10s in four races this year. Had three top 10s across 16 races the two previous seasons.
• Finished 28th in his only previous start at Waterford in 2006.

Mr. Rooter 161 next stop for NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour

Published at June 18, 2012 in NASCAR WMT and Waterford. Closed

Richie Evans tribute race next Saturday June 23

Waterford, CT — The next stop for the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour brings the open-wheel excitement to the Connecticut shoreline for a 161-lap event at Waterford Speedbowl. The visit marks the first for the Tour at the �Bowl since 2006. Anticipation continues to build around the Mr. Rooter 161 in an event that showcases the best open-wheel drivers in a tribute to the late Richie Evans.

Several competitors with Speedbowl experience hope for a major role in the outcome. The past three championships in the Speedbowl�s weekly SK Modifieds� will be represented in the Mr. Rooter 161 as Ron Yuhas Jr. of Groton and Keith Rocco of Meriden are entered. Both are looking to their home track for a breakout performance on the Tour in 2012.

Another entry to cut their teeth at the three-eighths mile bullring is 2011 NASCAR Whelen Modified champion Ron Silk. Silk, of Norwalk, made his very first open-wheel starts at the Speedbowl back in 1999. The significance of a win at the track that began his career is not lost on Silk. �To win one here would be really special� offered the defending champion following a recent test session at the track.

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