NSS Qualifying Action Heats up This Month

Lexington, NC — The qualifying racing action for the 6^th Annual John Blewett III Memorial North-South Shootout (TM), scheduled for November 7&8, 2008 at Concord Motorsport Park, gets in full swing beginning this month with events throughout New England. In the coming weeks, the first of a host of Northern Modified and SK-Type Modified qualifiers will be held.

Each year, C&C Racing Promotions with the cooperation of track owners and promoters throughout the country, allows competitors interested in participating in the annual season-ending event, the opportunity to secure their car owners a guaranteed starting spot with a complete schedule of qualifying races for the Northern and Southern Modifieds, the Supermodifieds, and the SK-Type Modifieds.

On Friday, August 8, 2008 the Stafford Motor Speedway will take center stage with qualifying events for both the Whelen Modified Tour and the Whelen All-American Series SK Modifieds during the running of the 18th Annual New England Dodge Dealers 150.

Stafford’s all-time winning-most driver, Ted Christopher of Plainville, CT, has to be a favorite in both events. TC is fresh off a win in last week’s SK Modified feature event and is always a favorite to win in the Whelen Modified Tour. Christopher already has a Mod tour victory at Stafford; winning the Spring Sizzler back in April. Chuck Hossfeld of Buffalo, NY, the winner of the TSI Harley-Davidson 150 in May, would like to repeat at Stafford to earn Bob Garbarino a guaranteed starting position.

Other contenders to keep an eye on will be the red-hot Matt Hirschman of Northampton, PA, who is also the Shootout’s two-time and defending champion and last week’s winner Jimmy Blewett of Howell, NJ.

In years past, the Stafford SK Modified competitors have shown up in force at the annual event; helping to treat fans to some great racing since the SK-Type Modifieds where added to the Shootout line-up in 2005. Inaugural winner Woody Pitkat of Stafford, CT, has been on a roll in SK competition as of late as has rival Keith Rocco. The likes of Frank Ruocco, Kenny Horton, Jeff Malave, Kerry Malone and Steven Reed cannot be counted out.

The following evening, Saturday, August 9, 2008, fellow SK-Type Modified competitors from All-Star Speedway in Epping, NH, and the Waterford Speedbowl in Waterford, CT, will also get their shot at securing a spot in the Shootout.

Likely contenders at the Waterford Speedbowl include the winning-most driver, Dennis Gada of Salem, CT, who has yet to make a Concord start, and defending champion and Shootout regular Rob Janovic, Jr. of New London, CT. Rocco, who races for owner Mark Payne at the Speedbowl, will have his second opportunity on Saturday night. Ron Yuhas, Jr. of Groton, CT, would like northing more than to earn car owner Mike Murphy a shot at the Shootout title in 2008.

The rules at All-Star Speedway add a bit of a twist to their qualifying race.  The rules are wide-open in their weekly Modified division with full tour-type teams competing alongside SK-Type modified competitors.

“The SK-Type Modified qualifier at All-Star Speedway will be awarded to the highest finishing SK-Type legal racecar in the field,” said Shootout Head Technical Inspector, Dick Brooks.

“We are excited that our SK legal cars have something more to race for on Saturday night,” said All-Star Speedway Promoter, Bobby MacArthur.

The final two SK-Type Modified qualifiers will be held at Thompson Speedway on August 28, 2008. The B-Mods will have their opportunity to earn a guaranteed starting spot in the North-South Shootout^TM during their portion of the “King of the Mountain” event at Mountain Speedway on September 27, 2008.

It will be an emotional night at the Thompson Speedway on Thursday, August 14, 2008. The event marks the anniversary of the untimely death of John Blewett III. The winner of the Whelen Modified Tour event will win a guaranteed starting spot in the race that now bears his name.  The sentimental favorite has to be Jimmy Blewett.

The remainder of the Northern Modified qualifying events also includes the prestigious 9^th Annual “King of the Hill” Modified event at Mountain Speedway in St. Johns, PA, on Saturday, September 28, 2008 and the first annual Ricky Miller Memorial for the True Value Modified Racing Series at Twin State Speedway also on September 28th. The final installment of the Water SnoGo All-Star Modified Showdown at All-Star Speedway on October 25, 2008 is expected to round out the qualifying schedule.

C&C Racing Promotions still hopes to add a qualifier for the Race of Champions Asphalt Modified Tour.

Brian King of Gibsonville, NC, by virtue of his ASA Southern Modified Race Tour win at Ace Speedway on May 23, 2008, won the first of what is expected to be a full line-up of Southern Modified Tour qualifying events.  An announcement is expected in the coming weeks.

A full line-up of Supermodified qualifying events will be announced for the East-West Supermodified Shootout as well. Chris Perley of Rowley, MA, already secured a spot in the second-annual event for his car owner Vic Miller by winning the 31st annual Hy-Miler Nationals on Saturday night, July 26^th at Sandusky Speedway in Sandusky, OH.

Announcements on all upcoming qualifiers will be made available online at www.northsouthshootout.com.

NORTHERN MODIFIED QUALIFIERS-To Date

SK-TYPE MODIFIED QUALIFIERS

Sources: Dale Wolbrink/North-South Shootout PR

• ← NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour News & Notes – New England Dodge Dealers 150
• Victory Junction Gang Camp to Benefit From Ricky’s Race →