Lee USA Speedway
No. Driver First Last
6 Drew Fornoro 1985 1990
4 Jeff Horn 1987 2009
2 Nokie Fornoro 1986 1989
2 Dave Humphrey 1967 1985
2 Russ Stoehr 1991 1991
One-time Lee USA Speedway winners: Randy Cabral (2009), Joey Coy (1991), Mike Favulli (1988), Walt Gale (1966), Mike Osite (1987), Joey Payne Jr. (2003), Bob Resco Jr. (1994), Bobby Santos III (2008), Ben Seitz (2004), Bobby Seymour (1990).
Continue reading ‘NEMA Winners at Active Tracks’
Stafford Springs, CT — Stafford Motor Speedway Late Model competitor Dillon Moltz recently was selected to be part of the Richard Petty developmental driver program. The program will select a total of 12 drivers from across the United States to compete in a combine where the winner will receive a one-off race deal to drive an ARCA car in the ARCA Pocono 200 at Pocono Raceway on Saturday, June 5th.
“This is the chance of a lifetime for me,” said Moltz. “All I ever wanted was a shot to be able to show the right people my driving skills. This competition is the perfect way for me to do that. It will be a gong show type of program and we will be driving COT, Nationwide, USAC Midget, and High Performance Karts at Charlotte, Concord, and Carolina Motorsports Park as part of the program. They are going to measure car control, endurance, track management, adaptability, race practice, passing experience, car and mechanical knowledge and feel, speed, communication, and marketability. I like that they’re focusing on all aspects of driving rather than just who can put a fast lap down on the track.”
After having to sit out the first 7 races of the 2007 season as he was not as of yet 16 years of age, Moltz burst onto the Stafford scene and he posted 2 wins, 7 top-5, and 8 top-10 finishes in 13 starts and finished the season 18th in points. Moltz’s first victory came in his 10th start and made him the youngest feature winner in Stafford Motor Speedway’s long and storied history. Moltz continued his strong performance in 2008 and 2009, winning 5 races in each season to give him a grand total of 12 Late Model feature wins at Stafford and he finished second and third in the points standings those years. It was this performance that earned Moltz a shot at the Richard Petty Motorsports combine.
Stafford Springs, CT — Stafford Motor Speedway has announced that Call Before You Dig will return for the 2010 season as a track partner. For the past three seasons Call Before You Dig has been the title sponsor of the track’s Technical Inspection Zone, and they will once again serve in that capacity for the 2010 NASCAR Whelen All-American Series season. In addition to sponsoring the Inspection Zone, Call Before You Dig has also maintained an advertising presence in the Stafford Speedway PitStopper Magazine as well as a billboard display along the track’s backstretch.
“We’re happy to have Call Before You Dig involved with us as a sponsor,” said Mark Arute, SMS COO/GM. “With the current economic climate, sponsors are harder and harder to find and it’s especially difficult to maintain a continuous relationship with a sponsor. We have several relationships with our current sponsors that have evolved into long-term partnerships and we hope to have another long-term relationship with Call Before You Dig. We’ve already had several sponsors renew their agreements with us for the 2010 season along with Call Before You Dig, which I think really speaks well to the value that we are able to offer a sponsor here at Stafford Speedway.”
Continue reading ‘Call Before You Dig Renews Sponsorship with Stafford Speedway’
Stafford Springs, CT — Stafford Motor Speedway’s 2010 Season Ticket Packages are available and are on sale now at the SMS Box Office. After March 16, 2010, all season ticket packages will increase in price. Season tickets include General Admission, Reserved Seat, Season Paddock Pass, and Kids Club season packages. Season tickets offer fans access to all Stafford Motor Speedway NASCAR Racing events during the 2010 season, including NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour and CARQUEST Extreme Tuesday ISMA Supermodified events. Season tickets do not include admission to Monster Truck events, swap meets or Wild Thing Kart events.
Stafford Motor Speedway’s 2010 season ticket information, as well as seating chart diagrams, are available in the BOX OFFICE section on the track’s website located at www.staffordspeedway.com. The BOX OFFICE section also has season ticket order forms available for download. Order forms can be mailed to Stafford Motor Speedway, P.O. Box 105, Stafford Springs, CT 06076, or they can be faxed to 860-684-6236.
Stafford’s Season Paddock Pass grants weekly admission to the paddock area, as well as the paddock area grandstands and the general admission seats in the main grandstand. The paddock pass is priced at $450.00 if purchased before March 16, and increases to $500.00 if purchased after March 16. In addition to paddock access, the Season Paddock Pass also allows ticket holders access to general admission seating in the main grandstand. Season Paddock Passes can be upgraded to include a reserved seat in the main grandstand for an additional charge of $50.00.
Continue reading ‘Stafford Speedway Season Ticket Savings Deadling is March 15′
Stafford Springs, CT — Michael Bennett has been a champion at Stafford Motor Speedway before and he is looking to once again be a champion at Stafford in 2010. Bennett was the 2005 Limited Late Model track champion and he moved up to the Late Model division for the 2006 season. He has posted a single win in each of the past three seasons and he is ready to make multiple trips to CARQUEST Victory Lane this season as he seeks a second track title for his resume.
“It’s all about winning the championship for us this year,” said Bennett. “With the amount of work everyone on the team has put in this off-season, we can’t settle for anything less than a championship. We’ve put a new front clip on the car and we have a brand new spec engine from Billy the Kid for this season. I feel like I’ve matured as a driver, and the team has been together for 5 years now and they’ve matured as well. We’re all excited about our chances this season. We’ve only been able to win one race in each of the last three seasons, so our goal is to get more than one win this year and to be on the podium as many times as we can this year and win the championship.”
Bennett will once again be piloting the black number 64 car with sponsorship from the Davidson Company, a relationship that Bennett says has been a huge help.
Stafford Springs, CT — After a career best finish of fourth place in the Limited Late Model point standings at Stafford Motor Speedway last season, Carla Botticello is geared up to once again contend for the track championship in 2010. Botticello and her Botticello, Inc. team are busy at work preparing her car for the upcoming season, and she says that she knows what she needs to do this season to be a championship contender.
“We’re usually pretty late putting things together, but we’re working on the car now,” said Botticello. “Every season I have high expectations for myself. If a driver tells you at the beginning of the season that they’re not thinking about the championship, they’re probably lying. We are always looking to win when we come to the racetrack and we want to win the championship this year, but I’m more concerned this year with consistency. In years past it seems like we win or run good one week and then the next week we’re running in the back or something happens to us. If I can be more consistent this year, I feel like we can definitely be championship contenders this year. I just have to figure out a combination that is going to work out best for us this year. It’s going to take a lot of work, but everyone on the team is ready for the challenge this year.”
Stafford Springs, CT — After three full seasons of DARE Stock competition at Stafford Motor Speedway, Dan Flannery made the move up to the Limited Late Model division for the 2009 season and came up just short of winning the track championship. Flannery posted a victory to go along with 9 top-5 and 13 top-10 finishes last season, which earned him Reliable Welding and Speed Rookie of the Year honors. Flannery looks forward to a repeat performance on the track this season and being able to climb the final step on the podium and win the track championship at Stafford this season.
“We’re really looking forward to the season,” said Flannery. “We set the bar a little higher for ourselves this year. Our goal is to get a couple of wins and to win the championship this year.”
It could be said that Flannery has some unfinished business when it comes to the track championship. Last season, Flannery was in position on the track to win the championship in the final race of the season, but a flat tire dropped him both out of the race and out of championship contention.
Stafford Springs, CT — Coming off a disappointing 2009 season, Sean Cassells and his Village Springs/XtraMart team with driver Zach Sylvester are looking to turn their fortunes around for the 2010 season at Stafford Motor Speedway. The team has changed its number from 49 to 51 and the car has a new spec engine from Larry’s Auto Machine, which Cassells hopes is the beginning of good things to happen to the team.
“We changed the number and we have a new Larry’s Auto Machine spec engine, everything else on the car is the same from last year,” said Cassells. “We’re the only car with a Larry’s spec engine, so we hope that will be an advantage for us. With what we learned by running the spec engine last season, we know exactly what we need to do this year. Our engine had great dyno numbers, we’ll just have to see now how well it does when it gets out on the track.”
The Cassells team has forged several relationships over the past several seasons that are still continuing. Cassells is teaming with Glenn Johnson once again and he will carry sponsorship from XtraMart, two relationships that Cassells says has kept him in the racing game.
Continue reading ‘Village Springs Team to Raise their Game for 2010 SK Modified® Season at Stafford Motor Speedway’
Stafford Springs, CT — Former Whelen Modified Tour and Stafford Speedway SK Modified® regular Dan Avery has teamed up with Ted Christopher to return to Stafford for the 2010 season. The Avery/Christopher combination is a pairing that can trace its roots all the way back to the very beginning of the SK Modified® division in 1982.
Avery was among the first drivers to field a car in the division, and he won two of the first three SK Modified® events ever run at the track. Avery eventually finished the 1982 season in 6th place in the final points rundown, with Charlie Savage taking home the initial SK Modified® track championship. Among the SK Modified® field was a young driver named Ted Christopher, who was looking to make his way in the SK® ranks. Avery worked with Christopher and helped him to get his car going in the right direction with setups, a favor that Christopher is repaying to Avery this season.
“I helped Teddy out when he first started racing at Stafford,” said Avery. “When he first started, he was a mess, nothing like the Ted Christopher you see today. One day Teddy and Mike came down to my shop and I scaled his car for him and helped him out with how to set the car up. Shortly after I began helping him out, he went out and won his first SK Modified® feature. I was looking around, trying to get back into local racing and I got to talking with Teddy at the end of the 2009 season. Teddy told me that he hadn’t forgotten the help I gave him back then and that he would like to help me out this year in return.”
Continue reading ‘Dan Avery Teams with Ted Christopher in Return to Stafford’s SK Modified® Division for 2010 Season’
Stafford Springs, CT — When the green flag drops on the 2010 Late Model season at Stafford Motor Speedway, the New Haven Truck and Auto Body Late Model team at Stafford Motor Speedway will feature a dream two-car lineup. New Haven Truck and Auto Body has lined up former Late Model track champions Corey Hutchings and Woody Pitkat to drive their #87 and #88 cars respectively for the 2010 season at Stafford.
“We’re looking at ourselves as the dream team this year,” said team owner Billy Snow, Sr. “Woody ran our car last year and he committed to the car towards the end of the year and Corey was searching for a Late Model team to get involved with, so we thought we’d pair him up with Woody. Right now, we are a two-car team and a third car is a possibility for this season as well.”
Both drivers have impressive pedigree in Stafford’s Late Model division. Pitkat has amassed 19 career victories in the Late Model division and was the 2006 Late Model track champion, while Hutchings has 3 career Late Model wins and won the 2007 Late Model track championship in his rookie season at Stafford. The team’s best career finish in the division was a second place run that Pitkat put in last August, but Snow feels like his team is primed to break down the barrier to CARQUEST Victory Lane this season.
Continue reading ‘New Haven Truck & Auto Body Late Model Team featuring Dream-Team Two Driver Lineup for 2010 Season at Stafford’
Stafford Springs, CT — Stafford Speedway has announced that Valvoline, in conjunction with CARQUEST Auto Parts, will return to the track’s Contingency Program as first place SK Modified® feature partners for the fourth consecutive season. Valvoline’s first place SK Modified® contingency bonus will be worth an extra $150.00 to each SK Modified® feature winner during the 2010 NASCAR Whelen All-American Series season.
In their first three seasons of contingency sponsorship, Valvoline has contributed nearly $8,000 in bonus money to SK Modified® feature winners and their 2010 participation in the Stafford Contingency Program will push their contribution to well over $10,000 in four seasons.
“We’re happy to have Valvoline back on board with us for another season of SK Modified® competition,” said SMS COO/GM Mark Arute. “Valvoline has built a great tradition and heritage in open wheel racing by helping some of the best drivers in the world achieve victory at Indianapolis. We are proud to have Valvoline and their open wheel heritage and tradition associated with our premier open wheel division as we continue to add to our racing heritage and tradition here at Stafford.”
Continue reading ‘Valvoline Renews Stafford Speedway SK Modified® 1st Place Contingency Sponsorship’
Stafford Springs, CT — Village Springs Water of Willington, CT has signed on to be the Official Water of Stafford Motor Speedway for the 10th consecutive season. Village Springs joined the SMS Family of Sponsors in 2001 and has been involved at the track every year since. Village Springs has become a fixture in Stafford’s CARQUEST Victory Lane as the first thing that drivers turn to in order to refresh themselves after the wear and tear of their respective feature events. Village Springs is the only water that is sold on Stafford Speedway grounds each and every Friday night during the NASCAR racing season.
“We’ve been the official water of Stafford Speedway since 2001 and we are going to continue our sponsorship of the track,” said Sean Cassells, Owner of Village Springs. “Our sponsorship of Stafford Speedway is something we look forward to doing every year, and we’re looking forward to another great season with Zach Sylvester driving our car. Stafford Speedway does a great job promoting our product during their events. Our billboard has been seen on television, and with the track announcing our name every week, customers will usually buy our product when they go into the convenience store to purchase water. There is a level of brand loyalty that we enjoy being associated with the track.”
Village Springs Distributor is a full service, family owned and operated bottled spring water company serving Connecticut and parts of Massachusetts. Village Spring brings their customers in both the residential and commercial markets the best tasting most refreshing natural spring water possible at a price you can afford and a service you’ll love.
Continue reading ‘Village Springs Water Continues Partnership as Official Water of Stafford Motor Speedway’
Stafford Springs, CT — Stafford Motor Speedway SK Modified® competitor Jeff Malave is poised to challenge for the 2010 track championship after a roller coaster ride 2009 season that saw the Manchester native enjoy the highest of highs as well as the lowest of lows. Malave had a strong beginning to the 2009 season, picking up his first victory at the Connecticut half-mile since the end of the 2004 season in the second race of the year. Malave stayed in championship contention for much of the year, but poor finishes in four of the final five races dropped him from second in points all the way down to his finishing position of seventh.
“I was really happy with the year we had, it was a great season,” said Malave. “We had three bad races at the end of the year that dropped us down in the points standings. We were second for most of the year and we only finished 10 points out of third place. Those three races at the end of the year is where we lost those points, so we could have easily finished third or second. Those three races we had a broken transmission, a wreck, and we broke a rocker in the engine. The funny thing about the night we lost the transmission is we had it out of the car the previous week and it showed no signs of trouble. We came to the track the next week, we ran practice and a heat race, and still no signs of trouble. Then we went out for the feature and we lost the tranny. Some nights, you’d rather be lucky than good and we didn’t have any luck that night. We have a really good team, it’s always a privilege to drive for The Davidson Company, and I think we have a shot at winning the championship again this year.”
A big boost for Malave and the Davidson team during the 2009 season was the addition of Wendell Kilcollins coming on board as the crew chief. Before joining the Davidson team, Kilcollins turned the wrenches on the SK Modified® machine of Willie Hardie, guiding him to the bulk of his 13 career wins, including 2 100-lap wins.
Continue reading ‘Jeff Malave Looks Forward to Contending for 2010 SK Modified® Track Championship at Stafford Speedway’
Stafford Springs, CT — Bo Gunning, who has won more SK Modified® features at Stafford Motor Speedway than anyone not named Ted Christopher, will return to the track’s premier division for the 2010 NASCAR Whelen All-American Series season. After a year away from the Connecticut half-mile, Gunning will return with a car owned by his brother Tom and attempt to win a fourth track championship in the SK Modified® division.
“We bought a Troyer chassis from John Jensen, and we’re just about done putting everything together on the car,” said Gunning. “I’ve learned over the years to never say never. I’ve butted heads with the track before, but Stafford is home for us and always has been home for us. After sitting out last year, we realized how much we missed racing and we’re looking forward to coming back this year and having some fun out there. All the guys on the crew were real keen on racing at Stafford this year.”
With the car and team combination in place, the only thing left for Gunning is to decide on an engine combination. Gunning and his team will be utilizing the Stafford Speedway SK Modified® Spec Engine option, something Gunning says that he wouldn’t have been able to return to the track without this season.
Continue reading ‘Stafford Veteran Bo Gunning Returning to SK Modified® Division for 2010 Season’
Stafford Springs, CT — Former SK Light Modified Reliable Welding and Speed Rookie of the Year winner Josh Sylvester has teamed up with Don Silberman to take a run at the Stafford Motor Speedway Reliable Welding and Speed SK Modified® Rookie of the Year honors in 2010. The Silberman car has previously reached victory lane at Stafford with Bo Gunning and was piloted on a part-time schedule during the 2009 season by Fran Siana.
“I put an ad on the classified section of the Stafford website, and I had a ton of good names give me a call about getting into the car,” said Silberman. “Josh came down to the shop along with his father, his brother Zach, and Sean Cassells, and we had a great meeting. Josh got along really well with all of the crew guys, so we decided to settle on Josh as our driver. The whole team is looking forward to working together with Josh, and I think we’re going to have a really great year together.”
“I’m really optimistic that we can do good things together,” said Sylvester. “Bo [Gunning] won with this car 2 years ago and any time you get into a winning car, it gives you confidence. I’ve always run a Troyer car and Don’s car is a CD car and the CD cars seem to go really well at Stafford, so it’s going to be fun to try out a CD car. Stafford has the best SK Modified® competition, so I’m looking forward getting onto the track.”
Stafford Springs, CT — Ted Christopher heads into the 2010 season at Stafford Motor Speedway as the track’s winningest driver with 107 career victories. Christopher has amassed 91 SK Modified® wins, 9 Whelen Modified Tour wins, 6 ProStock wins, and one K & N Pro Series East victory at the Connecticut half-mile facility. Christopher also collected a record 7th SK Modified® track championship last season at Stafford, and he looks to add to his victory total and win another championship not only this year, but in the years to come as well.
“At this point of my career, I like to set marks for myself,” said Christopher. “The next mark for me is to get to 100 wins with the SK car. The way things go at Stafford, I might get 10 wins this year, or I might get 1 win. That’s why we race, you just don’t ever know what’s going to happen. I like to win races, and I’d like to win the championship again at Stafford this year. I might be 52 in number of years, but I don’t feel anywhere near that in mind or body. I love to race and I love to win. It would be one thing if I couldn’t get it done anymore, but I know I can still win and be successful, so why should I stop?”
Christopher’s SK Modified® championship season and his 5 wins at Stafford was part of a 2009 season that saw him win 24 different times across 6 different states, making him the top winner in the Northeast and helping to earn the Eastern Motorsports Press Association Richie Evans Northeast Driver of the Year Award for the second time in his career.
Continue reading ‘Ted Christopher Looks to Keep on Winning at Stafford Speedway in 2010′
Stafford Springs, CT — A theme that has developed in Stafford Motor Speedway’s SK Light Modified division over the past few seasons has been the size of its rookie classes. The 2010 season is no exception with 10 rookie drivers signed up and Matt Galko, of Meriden, looks to race his way to the front of that rookie class this season. Galko has become the newest member of the Davidson Racing Family, and he will pilot the Davidson Company owned #20 SK Light car, taking over the driving duties from Mike Lane.
“With the opening we had for the driver, we were looking for a driver that was local to us,” said car owner Tim Rowe, who is based out of Meriden. “All of our drivers are from Stafford or the Stafford area, and Matt is from Meriden. Matt is a driver who I had seen in several articles in the local papers by winning races and I got in contact with him and his father and offered him the seat for the 2010 season.”
Galko comes to Stafford with 7 years of experience in the quarter midget ranks at Silver City Speedway and he spent last season in the 270 division at Whip City Speedway, where he finished third in points and took home Rookie of the Year honors. Galko is looking forward to getting back on asphalt after spending the 2009 season on dirt at Whip City.
Stafford Springs, CT — Stafford Motor Speedway and Family Ford of Enfield have announced that their partnership will grow for the upcoming 2010 season with Family Ford providing a brand new 2010 F-150 Crew Cab to serve as a second safety vehicle. The relationship between Stafford Speedway and Family Ford was forged prior to the 2009 season and it was announced in December that the partnership would continue for 2010 with Family Ford providing an all new 2011 Super Duty F-350 to Stafford Speedway. In addition to the 2011 Super Duty F-350, Family Ford will provide a brand new 2010 F-150 Crew Cab to serve as the track’s safety vehicles for the 2010 NASCAR Whelen All-American Series season.
“Both trucks are currently being built and they should be ready for delivery to the Speedway in about 6 weeks,” said Mike Moriarty, General Manager of Family Ford. “Everyone here at the dealership is psyched to have the trucks arrive and deliver them to the track. We had a great first year with Stafford last season and the partnership gave us a lot of visibility in the area. We saw an influx of customers in both sales and service coming to us from the Stafford area, and we received a lot of positive feedback from customers who saw our truck at the track last season. With the level of advertising we do every month with television, radio, and print, this is a very cost effective way for us to get our name out there and we have seen that working with Stafford Speedway has brought customers to us. We’re going to have both trucks lettered up and install safety lighting on them, and we can’t wait to see them on the track this year.”
“It’s great to have Family Ford coming back with us and increasing their involvement here at the Speedway,” said Mark Arute, Stafford Speedway COO/GM. “As you look at the racing industry as a whole, there are not very many companies that are putting extra resources into sponsorships. I think that Family Ford’s increased participation for this season shows that advertising here at Stafford Speedway works and delivers results.”
Stafford Springs, CT — Stafford Motor Speedway has announced that for the third consecutive season, the track’s Memorial Day Weekend Whelen Modified Tour event will be sponsored by TSI Harley-Davidson, the oldest Harley-Davidson and Buell dealer in the state of Connecticut. The 20th Annual TSI Harley-Davidson 125 will be held on Friday, May 28th at Stafford. The race sponsorship continues a relationship that dates back to the 2004 season when TSI Harley-Davidson sponsored a NASCAR Camping World East Series event at the Connecticut half-mile.
“We enjoy being at Stafford, it’s a great track to be involved with, and we’re looking forward to another great Whelen Modified Tour race,” said Harry Levesque, Owner of TSI Harley-Davidson. “Stafford has been a great place for us to showcase our Harley-Davidson and Buell bikes to race fans.”
TSI Harley-Davidson is a full service Harley-Davidson and Buell dealership, with parts, service, and accessories. TSI Harley-Davidson has been in operation since 1968, making it the oldest Harley-Davidson dealer in Connecticut. TSI Harley-Davidson has two branches located in Ellington and Columbia.
Stafford Springs, CT — Stafford Motor Speedway has initiated a new website program, the SMS Yellow Pages. The program was initiated to give more exposure to all businesses involved with the Speedway. The online Yellow Pages includes Stafford Motor Speedway business partners along with car owners, sponsors and drivers business listings.
“We are always looking for different opportunities to assist our weekly competitors,” said Lisa Arute, Executive Vice President of Stafford Speedway. “We hope that the SMS Yellow Page Directory will be another avenue to gain exposure for their businesses. The goal is to create a means for consumers to make contact with businesses within the Stafford Speedway community.”
The SMS Yellow Page tab can be found on the Stafford Motor Speedway home page at www.staffordspeedway.com. The page is organized in alphabetical order by business type to allow easy access to find a business by trade or purpose. The company name, address, phone number and if available website link is shown in the listing. The team association is also shown for each company.
Continue reading ‘Stafford Speedway Creates Yellow Page Business Listing’
