Celebrating its diamond anniversary, the NEMA Midgets made their first visit to Star Speedway since 2007 on Saturday night. Star has hosted the NEMA Midgets more than any track in its 60-year history. 3-time NEMA champion Randy Cabral was eager to return to the 1/4 mile speedplant. “I love that place. I was happy when they added Star to our schedule. … "It was my original stomping grounds. That was the track that I raced at for most of my first five years of racing. So it’s kind of feels good to go back there and be able to run good, to be able to run competitive because I didn’t know if I was going to be able to or not.”
The fans turned out to see their favorite Midget drives compete. “I couldn’t believe the amount of people that were up there that were coming out to watch us," said Cabral. "I hope that we put on a show that they liked." … "Star Speedway's got the best fans of any race track in the country. It was a good place to get back in front of all those people.”
Following a crash at Stafford Motor Speedway last month, Cabral's team had to replace the 7-year-old shocks with new ones. “We’re going to try the setup that we kind of found for the rest of the year and see how it goes. The car just felt really good. We went to Lee and the car felt OK but it almost had too much grip. So we actually had to take a little bit of grip away from it and I think that in the long run this is going to be a good thing. The car felt like it was back to the old 47 not the car I’ve been struggling with the last half of the year and this year.“
Continue reading ‘Randy Cabral Victorious in NEMA’s Return to Star Speedway’
Lia Returns To Home Track Looking For A Win
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – As the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour heads to Riverhead Raceway this week, two-time tour champion and native Long Islander Donny Lia will look to get back to his winning ways at the track that launched his racing career.
Lia, from Jericho, N.Y., got started in auto racing at Riverhead in 2000 as the track’s rookie of the year in the Legends division. He made a significant jump to Riverhead’s famed NASCAR Whelen All-American Series Modifieds the following year and once again took home Rookie of the Year honors.
Since first racing with the Whelen Modified Tour in 2001, Lia has been more successful than any active driver at the tight quarter-mile. In 12 events, he’s posted four wins, an additional pair of podium finishes, and has led 30-percent of all the laps he’s turned there. Riverhead is where three of his first four tour victories came, and Lia’s fourth home track triumph was part of his first Whelen Modified Tour championship season in 2007.
Continue reading ‘Whelen Modified News & Notes: Riverhead’
Thompson, CT — The Valenti Modified Racing Series returns to the Thompson International Speedway this week for Thursday Night Thompson Thunder racing action. The popular VMRS will be making its second appearance of the year at Thompson.
Current VMRS points leader, Rowan Pennink, will be looking to repeat his winning performance of May 20th. Pennink’s May victory was not an easy one as he fought tooth and nail with Ted Christopher for the top spot until Christopher’s mount developed mechanical problems. Pennink was able to hold off late-race challenges from Richard Savary and Geoff Gernhard before he could claim the victory. The going won’t be any easier this week as the eventual winner of the 75-lap main event will have to hold off efforts of many of northeast’s best drivers.
Jon McKennedy and Les Hinkley top the winners list for this year’s VMRS. Each driver has two wins to his credit. Others in the series that have visited victory lane in addition to Pennink are Louie Michalides and Todd Szegedy. The competition in the VMRS is exceptionally tough and a hard fought win will be in order this week at Thompson. Doug Coby, Chris Pasteryak and Todd Owen are just a few of the VMRS regulars who have been denied a winner’s celebration and Thompson might be the track where the door to victory lane will open for them.
Continue reading ‘Valenti Modified Racing Series Tops Thursday Thompson Lineup’
Canaan, NH — Riding a four-point lead into Thompson Speedway, Thompson, CT., Thursday, Rowan Pennink of Huntingdon Valley, PA., hopes to repeat his performance in May, when he captured the Valenti Modified Racing Series, 75-lap feature, his fifth series victory.
Pennink leads two time series champion Jon McKennedy, of E. Chelmsford, MA., in the series standings.
Both drivers have not been to victory lane since spring. McKennedy opened the season with back-to-back wins in April. Pennink has not won since he scored at Thompson May 20. Both have made it interesting going into Thursday’s race. Pennink has two wins at Thompson, McKennedy has
yet to win there.
Continue reading ‘Pennink Looks to Repeat at Thompson Thursday’
Thompson, CT — Fresh off of his NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour win in New Hampshire, seven-time Modified Tour champion, Mike Stefanik will take on the racers in the Valenti Modified Racing Series this Thursday at Thompson.
Stefanik, who has 72 wins on the Whelen Modified Tour, edged out defending Tour champion, Ron Silk, with a photo finish at New Hampshire Motor Speedway on July 14th. At Thompson, Stefanik will be driving the same car that carried him to the New Hampshire victory. His most recent victory at Thompson came last August when the multi-time champ claimed an open competition, Tour-Type Modified feature. In that race, Stefanik edged Ryan Preece for an exciting race win.
Stefanik will face stiff competition from other regulars on the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour and those who compete full-time with the VMRS. All of this adds to the anticipation of another great race when the VMRS takes to the track this Thursday.
Continue reading ‘Stefanik to Compete with VMRS at Thompson’
ACT Veteran Pockets One of the Biggest Checks in 250 History
American Canadian Tour star Joey Polewarczyk, Jr. of Hudson, NH dominated the 39th Annual Oxford 250 at Oxford (ME) Plains Speedway on Sunday, July 22nd. The ACT veteran wheeled his Ford-powered Pole’s Automotive machine to one of the biggest paydays in Oxford 250 history at $45,500, while leading over 200 laps. Polewarczyk maneuvered through heavy lapped traffic throughout the majority of the event and held off a late race charge from Jeff Taylor and fellow ACT competitor Austin Theriault in second and third respectively.
Polewarczyk jumped out to a commanding lead early from the outside pole and lapped nearly half of the 39-car field before the first caution of the event flew on lap 69. With multiple lap cars cushioning his lead over the rest of the lead lap cars, Polewarczyk quickly stretched out his lead again after returning to green and was a half a track ahead when the second caution of the event came out on lap 135.
The second place point man on the ACT Tour lead all but two of the field to pit road during the lap 135 caution period for fresh tires. He returned to the track in the 10th place position and spent the next 46 laps working his way back to the point. Polewarczyk reclaimed the lead from ACT point leader Wayne Helliwell, Jr. on the 181st circuit and cruised to the win.
Continue reading ‘Joey Polewarczyk, Jr. Dominates Oxford 250′
