CARQUEST Auto Parts & Stafford Speedway Launch an Impressive Field of Champions and Charities
Stafford Springs, CT — CARQUEST and Stafford Motor Speedway have begun the New Year in the spirit of giving by extending personal invitations to open-wheel Champions for the very first CARQUEST Champions for Charities event.
“With the driving talent that we have lined up, it’s going to be a great fight to see who will end up in victory lane as the race winner,” said Rich Pallai, Vice President of Marketing for CARQUEST. “However, the biggest winner will be the charities that the drivers are racing for.”
Special invitations have been sent to past and current champions from the Whelen Modified Tour, Whelen All-American Series, ISMA Super Modifieds, Modified Racing Series, and Stafford’s SK Modified® divisions to form a star-studded cast that will pilot Senior Outlaw Go-Karts all in the name of charity. A list of 12 drivers has been confirmed for the CARQUEST Champions for Charities race, which will be held in conjunction with the CARQUEST Extreme Tuesday program.
“CARQUEST Auto Parts and Stafford Speedway are pleased to support this important charity drive by making a contribution of $3,000 that will be shared among each driver,” said Mark Arute Stafford Motor Speedway General Manager. “It is going to be great to see Champions from all different series come together and race for our fans in a car foreign to them all in the name of charity.”
Fans will have the chance to help their favorite drivers to victory lane by donating to their specific charity. Starting positions for the all-important qualifying races will be set in order of the most money raised; the top two fund raisers will be the pole sitters, the 3rd and 4th highest fundraisers will be on the outside poles, and so on to set the rest of the field.
Donations can be made through the CARQUEST Champions for Charities page that will linked on the staffordspeedway.com home page throughout the months leading up to the event. Below are the past and present open-wheel Champions who are confirmed:
• Ted Christopher – NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour Champion, 7-time Stafford SK Modified® Track Champion – Racing For Connecticut Breast Health Initiative
• Stewart Friesen – 2010 Race of Champions DART DIRT Modified Tour Champion, Syracuse 200 Race Winner – Racing For The Spalding Foundation
• Donny Lia – 2-time NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour Champion – Racing For Autism Speaks Connecticut Chapter
• Jon McKennedy – 2-time Modified Racing Series Champion – Charity T-B-A
• Chris Perley – 6-time ISMA Supermodified Champion – Charity T-B-A
• Bob Potter – 5-time Stafford SK Modified® Track Champion – Racing For National Multiple Sclerosis Society Connecticut Chapter
• Keith Rocco – 2010 NASCAR Whelen All-American Series National Champion, 2-time Stafford SK Modified® Track Champion – Racing For Make A Wish Wishes On Wheels
• Frank Ruocco – 2006 Stafford SK Modified® Track Champion – Racing For Lustgarten Foundation to Cure Pancreatic Cancer
• Bobby Santos, III – NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour Champion – Racing For Massachusetts Children’s Fund
• Mike Stefanik – 7-time NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour Champion – Racing For Connecticut Breast Health Initiative
• Todd Szegedy – 2-time NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour Champion – Charity T-B-A
• Russ Wood – 7-time ISMA Supermodified Champion – Charity T-B-A
For more information about CARQUEST Extreme Tuesday and the CARQUEST Champions For Charities event, please call the Stafford Motor Speedway track office at 860-684-2783, or visit us on the web at www.staffordspeedway.com.
Sources: Scott Running/Stafford Motor Speedway PR