Stafford Springs, CT — Stafford Motor Speedway has embarked on a project in conjunction with Johnson Chassis of Concord, NC that will replace aging Late Model GM Metric Chassis with…
Read moreEric LaFleche has exclusive onboard footage from the Pre-Hangover 150 at Riverside Speedway, which was held on December 30th.
The Hampton Inn is on Route 5 (
Their 2008 campaign gets underway on April 19th at Beech Ridge Speedway, and returns to the Scarborough Maine oval on September 19-21 for the big PASS 400 weekend. Sportsman racers will make the drive to Speedway 95 on May 3rd for their only 2008 appearance at the Hermon Maine speed plant. Three trips to Wiscasset (ME) Raceway are on tap for June 15th and August 17th as well as the season’s grand finale championship event on October 5th. All Star Speedway in Epping NH rounds out the confirmed schedule with a June 27th date. One additional Sportsman division date is currently under negotiation.
Naples ME – Pro All Stars Series (PASS) President Tom Mayberry has released the 2008 schedule for the PASS Outlaws, and the schedule contains a new look for the upcoming season.
“We’ve combined the various Outlaw divisions of seasons past into one single schedule for 2008”, said Mayberry, “and we’ve tried to keep travel costs under control by scheduling the races in a closer proximity to the racers themselves. It’s a solid schedule that will give the Outlaw Series plenty of racing while leaving some summer weekends free to enjoy other family activities as well.”
Naples ME — The Pro All Stars (PASS) Mod division will kick off its fifth season in 2008 with a ten race confirmed schedule that will see New England’s most affordable asphalt open wheel division in action at four of Maine and New Hampshire’s toughest ovals.
Beech Ridge Speedway in Scarborough Maine will play host to the PASS Mods on three occasions; the season’s lid lifter on April 19th, July 5th, and the big PASS 400 weekend on Friday September 19th through Sunday September 21st. Wiscasset (ME) Raceway will welcome the PASS Mods on May 18th, June 15th and August 16th and host the grand finale championship event on October 4th. Groveton New Hampshire’s Riverside Speedway fans can look forward to two PASS Mod appearances on May 10 and July 26th. A May 3rd appearance at Speedway 95 in Hermon Maine will round out the 2008 card. One additional race date is currently under negotiation at press time.
The New Year is upon us and race fans and racers from throughout New England are already looking forward to the first big motorsports event of 2008.
Northeast Motorsports Expo will celebrate its 20th anniversary on January 4-6 at the Augusta (ME) Civic Center, and the Pro All Stars Series (PASS) will once again be well represented.
To commemorate this special event PASS has teamed up with New England Race Fuels and Sunoco to bring 2007 PASS South Super Late Model Champion Ryan Lawler to the 20th anniversary show. Lawler will join 2007 PASS North Super Late Model Champion Ben Rowe to sign a limited edition autograph card to celebrate their respective titles. Lawler and Rowe will appear at The New England Race Fuels booth on Friday evening from 6:00 P.M. until 8:00 P.M. They will return for two more autograph sessions on Saturday from 12:00 PM until 2:00 P.M. and from 6:00 P.M. until 8:00 P.M.
Seekonk Speedway’s 2008 Pro Stock Rules are now available online.
Late Model, Sport Truck, Street Stock, and Pure Stock rules are complete and will be posted online within the next 48 hours and will be available via the same link.
Update: 2008 Seekonk Rules Posted
Pro Stock
Late Model
Street Stock
Sport Truck
Pure Stock
The weather was absolutely gorgeous for the running of the second annual, Alan’s Home Improvements, Pre-Hangover 150 lap enduro at Riverside Speedway in Groveton, New Hampshire. Close to one thousand diehard race fans flocked to get their winter fix at the Northern New Hampshire speed plant, and forty-three special racers from throughout New England battle their way through some very tough racing conditions.
When the checkers waved, it was an emotional victory for Lyndonville, Vermont’s, Doug Bandy. Bandy was the driver that was airlifted from the track at the Frostbite 400 last October. Bandy’s race was quite eventful as he almost threw it all away as he got stuck in the deep snow off turn three with about thirty laps to go. He dug his way back onto the track, and rolled to a two lap victory in a badly sputtering racecar. Racing home second was Micheal Dearden out of Maine, followed by New Hampshire speedster, Ryan Avery. Rounding out the top ten were David Wilds, Lawrence MacDonald, Jordan Davis, Jesse Switser, Michael Smith, Ben Bedor and Paul Wood.
Photo Gallery by Eric LaFleche of Victory Lane Forum and VLF Photos
Fairlawn,
Payne posted a pair of top-five finishes over the weekend of Friday, December 28 &
Atlantic City, NJ — When the pressure is on race teams to qualify for the “Gambler’s Classic” Indoor Race presented by SoBe Life Water, A-1 Racing Products will be there.
Warminster, Pa.-based A-1 Racing Products has signed on to present Qualifying Night during the two-day, Fri.-Sat. Jan. 18 &19 indoor racing spectacular at Atlantic City, N.J.‘s Boardwalk Hall. The M&R Products TQ Midgets/600cc Micro-Sprints, Slingshots and Champ Karts will all participate in the preliminary action.
He had maybe the quickest wit I’ve ever experienced. Danny Pardi, who died Friday, leaves behind a host of “Pardi isms.”
And, nobody got to the heart of the matter quicker than Danny. His observations and decisions were direct and almost always uncomplicated. He did not tolerate excessiveness.
He brought those qualities not only to his sport but to his relationships as well. Speaking personally, he was a loyal friend; I never believed for one second that he wouldn’t once again respond to a call for help. He was always there for me and I witnessed him being there for others as well many times.
Update:
Calling Hours: Wed., Jan 2: 4-8PM at D’Esopo Funeral Chapel, 30 Carter St., E. Hartford, CT
Funeral: Thurs., Jan 3, 11AM – D’Esopo Funeral Chapel
According to the Wiscasset Raceway web page, the True Value Modified Racing Series will race there on Saturday, June 28, 2008. It will be the third Maine venue for Jack Bateman’s open-wheeled Modified class, joining Beech Ridge in Scarborough and Oxford Plains on the 2008 schedule. The inaugural race at the midcoast Maine oval will be the second new venue joining the famed Thunder Road Speedbowl in Vermont. All-Star Speedway in Epping, NH also rejoins the schedule along with traditional venues like Monadnock.
At 3/8 mile, Wiscasset is the largest track in Maine (along with Oxford Plains) and features the highest banking, ranging from 10 to 12 degrees in the corners. The track opened in 1969 and has hosted famous Pro Stock races like the Coastal 200 and the one-off Big Dawg 400 won by Sam Sessions. Well-known track champions include Scott Chubbuck and Hall of Famer Stan Meserve. NASCAR star Ken Schrader raced a Late Model at Wiscasset and found victory lane in a pair of visits to the track, with the most recent trip coming in 2006.
Here’s hoping your Christmas holiday was a great one, and wishing you a Happy New Year! Before we get to the “Top 25 ACT Drivers of 2007,” let’s touch on the recently released nine-race Série ACT Castrol schedule for next season.
Autodrome St-Eustache, just minutes from the city of Montréal, will open the Série ACT Castrol 2008 season with a 100-lap contest on May 18, then close the curtain with the 14th Annual St-Eustache 300 on September 21. The 4/10-mile oval will also hold a 200-lap show on July 26, with an extra bonus purse attached for American race teams that compete.
Stafford Springs, CT — With the 2007 NASCAR season in the rearview mirror and the 2008 season looming on the horizon, Stafford Motor Speedway has received a grand total of…
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The stars of Seekonk Speedway’s 62nd season will be honored Saturday night, January 19, at the track’s annual awards banquet and dance at the Venus de Milo Restaurant, located on Route 6 in nearby Swansea. Close to 900 competitors, crew members, officials, fans, and their families are expected to attend the gala affair. Third generation racer David Darling of Rehoboth, MA will be honored for the second consecutive year as champion in the top tier Pro Stock division.
Joining Darling at the head table will be Pawtucket, RI’s Gerry DeGasparre, Jr., who earned his second consecutive and third career title in the Late Model division, Mike Cavallaro of Seekonk, who earned his second straight Sport Truck crown, and Robert “Sparky” Arsenault of Attleboro, MA, who claimed the Street Stock titl for the second time in his career. Swansea, MA’s Bill Chouinard will be honored as the Pure Stock champion. In the Seekonk Youth Racing Association Brian Mondeau, 15, of Bridgewater, MA and Tim Brown, also 15, of Norton, MA captured the respective 750 and 600-restrictor plate divisional championships.
With the checkered flag ready to wave on 2007, it is time to reflect back on a very successful season for the DeLange Racing team. There were a number of memorable accomplishments on the racetrack. There was also the remarkable growth in the career of Erick Rudolph. The Ransomville, New York teenager made his debut in a Modified and drove the #45 Original Pizza Logs #45 to several top finishes, including a victory in a Race of Champions Tour event at Wyoming County International Speedway in only his sixth career Modified race. It was a season to remember for one of the rising young stars in motorsports.
DeLange Racing realizes that success is a result of a team effort. We are fortunate to have some very talented people on our team and we truly value their efforts. One group that doesn’t get enough credit is our sponsors. We are proud to have the support of many fine people and companies, including the following: Major Sponsors – Bob Cordova and Original Pizza Logs, Tom Snyder and PrimeTyme Motorsports, Tom Brigham and Brigham Concrete; Associate Sponsors – Comp Cams, ASI Racewear, C & C Racing Souvenirs, Castle Products, Randy LaJoie and The Joie of Seating, Mike Loescher, Bilstein Shock Absorbers, Bob Mueller and Troyer Racecars, Bob Bruneau and Bob Bruneau Engine Research. All of these individuals and companies are helping us enormously in our preparation for 2008 and many have supported us in the past. We extend our deep gratitude and appreciation to all.
Westfield, NC — Ronnie Silk of Norwalk, CT has been named as the new driver for Hillbilly Racing. Silk, one of the up and coming stars of the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour is coming off the most successful season of his young career, having earned his first career Tour victory and finished forth in the point standings. He replaces Woody Pitkat who drove the #79 Coors Light Pontiac in 10 races for Hillbilly Racing in 2007.
The move is made with the hope that this will be the beginning of a long successful relationship. “We’re looking to build a relationship that will last for awhile,” says team owner Roger Hill. “We not only want to win now, but work with a driver who we can have in our car for a number of years. Ronnie Silk is that driver.”
Lake Placid, NY — In an announcement made Friday, Chevy has become the title sponsor of the Geoff Bodine Bobsled Challenge in Lake Placid, N.Y. The event will take place January 3-5, 2008 and is set to take place at the Olympic Sports Complex.
The 3rd Annual Chevy Geoff Bodine Bobsled Challenge is presented by Whelen Engineering.
Atlantic City, NJ — Len Sammons Motorsports Productions announced today that SoBe Life Water will serve as the lead sponsor of the 2008 “Gambler’s Classic” Indoor Auto Racing event as well as a supporting sponsor of Motorsports 2008 presented by VP Racing Fuels.
Two events will offer something for every motorsports enthusiast to enjoy in Atlantic City in January. The 23rd edition of Motorsports 2008 presented by VP Racing Fuels will take place at the Atlantic City Convention Center, January 18-20, while the sixth running of the ‘Gambler’s Classic’ Indoor Auto Racing is set for historic Boardwalk Hall, January 18 and 19. The three day Motorsports Expo will include just under 300,000 square feet of exhibit space featuring 200 of the hottest motorsports vehicles. Inside Boardwalk Hall’s arena, the Three-Quarter Midgets/600cc Micro-Sprints will serve as top billing, while Slingshots and Champ Karts will fill out the two-day racing menu.
Johnson Motorsports has selected 2006 Stafford Motor Speedway Spring Sizzler winner Doug Coby as the driver of their #15 SK Modified at Stafford in 2008. Coby and Johnson’s Xtra Mart…
Read moreAUTOPARTS SWAP N’ SELL: JANUARY 19th & 20th , 2008
Automotive enthusiasts from the entire eastern seaboard assemble every year on the third weekend of January for AUTOPARTS SWAP N’ SELL. This unique automotive event is New England’s largest automotive swap meet & collectors flea market in western Massachusetts. This traditional event, held January 19th & 20th of 2008, is held at the Eastern States Exposition complex on Memorial Avenue in West Springfield, MA. The show is held in doors and fills a building with three acres of floor space, heat and showcase lighting. AUTOPARTS SWAP N’ SELL will be held regardless of the weather, guaranteed!
This unique event has 300 vendor spaces that attract premiere vendors from NASCAR, IHRA, STREET ROD, ANTIQUE, TUNER FOREIGN and much more.
SK-Modified champion Rob Janovic Jr. will share center stage with four other champions at the 2007 Waterford Speedbowl Awards Banquet Saturday night, Jan. 12 at the Groton Inn & Suites in Groton, CT.
Fellow champions Bruce Thomas Jr. (Late Models), Dwayne Dorr (Sportsman), Ken Cassidy Jr. (Mini Stock) and Michael Gervais Jr. (Saturday Night Legends) will also be honored as the Speedbowl puts the cap on the ’07 season.
There’s still time to reap the benefits of Waterford Speedbowl’s “Super Savings” Plans for 2008 grandstand and pits season passes.
The Speedbowl will open its 58th consecutive season with the nine-division Modified Nationals on April 12-13. The season will run through the Finale Oct. 4-5 and again feature the SK-Modifieds, Late Models, Sportsman, Mini Stocks and Legends.
Rob Janovic Jr. is always mentioned in the same company with Dennis Gada, Jeff Pearl, Tom Fox and Ed Reed Jr. – all home-grown Waterford Speedbowl products. Now, Janovic has what they all have – a Speedbowl championship.
Beating back a challenge from Gada, Janovic put the 2007 SK-Modified crown safely away with a third in the 100-lap SK segment of the Finale. Gada won the race, the points battle going down to the checkered.
Greg Teraccianno is the “Tire Man” for the 2007 Waterford Speedbowl SK Modified champion VoJan team. Rob Janovic Jr. drove VoJan’s 12-year old car to his first-ever championship.
It was long before VoJan (the combination of co-owners John Volpe and Janovic) became an entity that Teraccianno’s “education” began. He came to the Speedbowl with Janovic and Janovic’s brother Gary in 1987 ready to do battle in a one-time C.J. Frye Late Model. The car was purchased from Artie Moran.
Only a couple of weeks into the season, Ken Cassidy Jr. realized that his goal to become champion might just become a reality if he played his cards right.
“Consistency was the key factor in our year turning out the way it did,” says the 2007 Mini Stock champion. “At the start of the season that was our game plan, and it worked.”
Dwayne Dorr entered the 2007 campaign sure of only one thing, and that was his full confidence in the crew that had made him the defending Sportsman champion.
“My guys, I simply can’t say enough about them,” states Dorr, who now two straight titles. “Honestly, everyone involved with the team was just perfect. After last season, everybody knew their part on race night, and it was such a smooth year from that standpoint. Yeah, I drive the car, but without the help of a dedicated crew, you’ll go nowhere fast.”
At the close of only his third season in the tough Saturday night Legends division, young Michael Gervais Jr. became a champion, proving that the “youth movement” is still in full swing at the shoreline oval.
“Unlike some of the other teams, we came to the division with a pretty good idea of what it takes to be competitive on a weekly basis, so it’s not like we were pure rookies,” says Gervais. “All of those years of kart racing helped to prepare me for what was ahead. The basic discipline is the same, although the cars themselves are a lot different. When we were in the karts, our team was fortunate enough to score multiple championships, so right from the start we had the proper perspective when it came to running for points.”
One of my favorite Christmas specials is “A Charlie Brown Christmas.” I like it because Charles Schultz chooses to quote the Scriptural story of Christmas found in the Gospel of Luke, Chapter 2. I still can see Linus reading the story and the attention of all being drawn to God’s word. I have put the story here, take time and read it this Christmas season. Sit down with your friends and family and truly embrace the gift that God sent to us. Greetings in the name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.