CARQUEST Auto Parts Brings SK Modified 150 Back to Stafford for 2008 Season
Stafford Springs, CT — As CARQUEST Auto Parts enters into its 23rd season as a Stafford Motor Speedway track partner, they are continuing a tradition of bringing events back to the Connecticut half-mile. After a four-year absence, CARQUEST Auto Parts is bringing the SK Modified® 150 back to Stafford on Friday, July 25, 2008.
The SK Modified® 150 follows in the footsteps of the Whelen Modified Tour, which CARQUEST was instrumental in returning to Stafford in 1989 and the Busch East Series, which CARQUEST first brought to Stafford in 1991. Since then, CARQUEST has been a charter member of the Stafford Motor Speedway Contingency Program as well as bringing the ISMA Supermodifieds and NEMA Midgets to Stafford with CARQUEST Extreme Tuesday. CARQUEST Auto Parts also was responsible for bringing the PRA Big Car Series to Stafford for The Big One in 2006, a program that saw Bobby Santos, III win a $50,000 bonus.
“For 2008, CARQUEST looked to bring a big event to Stafford Motor Speedway and we thought what better division to do this with than our own SK Modifieds®?” said Rich Pallai, Vice President of Marketing with CARQUEST Auto Parts. “I made a promise to the fans at the CARQUEST Fall Final that we were going to bring something new to the Speedway for the 2008 season, and since Stafford has always been about giving something back to the competitors, we decided to resurrect the SK Modified® 150 and make another marquee event for the weekly racers at the track.”
The CARQUEST Auto Parts SK Modified® 150 will feature an expanded race purse that will total in excess of $25,000. The race will pay $3,500 to win, $1,000 for 10th place, and each race starter is guaranteed to walk away with a minimum of $300.
“We looked at possibly bringing another touring modified division to Stafford, but in the end we decided that there was only one true touring modified division and that is the Whelen Modified Tour,” said Stafford COO/GM Mark Arute. “With that in mind, we decided to revive a tradition we began in the 2000 season with the return of the SK Modified® 150, a premier event that will greatly benefit the competitors who race here on a weekly basis.”
In addition to the CARQUEST Auto Parts SK Modified® 150 on July 25th, CARQUEST Auto Parts will also bring to fans the 37th Annual Tech Net Spring Sizzler presented by CARQUEST on Sunday, April 27th, CARQUEST Dealer Night on Friday, May 30th, the 5th Annual CARQUEST Extreme Tuesday on July 8th, and the 36th Annual CARQUEST Fall Final Weekend on September 28th. CARQUEST Auto Parts will further supplement their involvement with the speedway by once again presenting a contingency bonus of $150 to each SK Modified® feature winner, $125 to each Late Model feature winner, and $100 to each Limited Late Model feature winner. With 22 events scheduled for 2008, CARQUEST Auto Parts will pay out over $8,000 in bonus money to SMS competitors during the 2008 season. The $8,250 will add to the over $45,000 that CARQUEST Auto Parts has contributed to the SMS contingency program to push the grand total to over $50,000 since their inception in the SMS Contingency Program starting with the 1999 season.
CARQUEST Auto Parts began in 1974 with 100 auto parts stores. They have since grown to nearly 4,000 stores nationwide, and through their growth they have remained committed to providing auto parts and services of the highest quality and greatest value to its customers.
For more information about CARQUEST Auto Parts Stores or Tech-Net Professional Auto Service, go to www.CARQUEST.com.
Sources: Scott Running/Stafford Motor Speedway PR