Joel Monahan Ready to Challenge for Late Model Rookie of the Year Honors at Stafford Motor Speedway
Stafford Springs, CT — After winning Rookie of the Year in 2015 in Monadnock Speedway’s Super Stock division, Whately, MA native Joel Monahan is ready to go for 2 in a row as he embarks on his rookie season in Stafford Speedway’s Late Model division behind the wheel of the #03 Monahan Trucking Chevrolet. The 18-year-old got started racing in Monadnock’s Young Guns division three seasons ago before moving up to Mini Stocks and then the Super Stocks.
The 2016 season won’t be Monahan’s first time behind the wheel of a Late Model machine at Stafford. Monahan ran the final 4 races of the 2015 season to get his feet wet and get acclimated with the track and the competitors. He recorded a best finish of 9th which he feels confident he can improve on. With a new chassis from Bob Fill Racing and power from R.A.D. Automachine, Monahan is looking forward to kicking off his rookie campaign.
“We ran 4 races last year to get a feel for the track and BFR has built us a car for this season and we have steam from R.A.D. Automachine,” said Monahan. “Our main goal is to be competitive and run with the guys up front like we do at Monadnock. We’re hoping we can get into the top-10 by the end of the season for points, we’d be happy with that. Rookie of the Year is a one shot deal, so it would definitely be cool if I could win that award two years in a row.”
Prior to his Late Model debut last season, Monahan had never even seen the Stafford half-mile in person, let alone race around it. With two 9th place finishes and two 11th place efforts in his four starts, Monahan is looking to build upon that experience and become a frontrunner this year.
“We have the 4 races under our belt so we’re going to be comfortable when we show up at the track and I’ll know my way around a lot better than if I hadn’t run those 4 races,” said Monahan. “I think the biggest challenge for us will be getting to run with the guys in the front. We were pretty competitive last year but we still have to catch up to the front runners. If we could get some top-3 finishes, that would be a great result for us. Last year we were just hoping to get into the top-10 since it was our first time at the track. I had never even been to the track to watch a race before our first race with the #15 car. I think it was what we expected it to be and once we got the car set up to how it needed to be, it was just another race.”
In addition to Monahan Trucking, Monahan’s #03 machine will carry sponsorship from Monahan & LaVallee Trucking & Excavation, R.A.D. Automachine, Rick Bushey Signs, BFR Chassis, Muffin’s General Market, and Mitchell Concrete.
Monahan will begin his pursuit of Late Model Rookie of the Year honors during the 45th Annual NAPA Auto Parts Spring Sizzler® on April 22-24. Tickets for the “Greatest Race in the History of Spring” are on sale now at the Speedway Box Office. Tickets are priced at $38.50 for adult general admission tickets, $5.00 for children ages 6-14, and children ages 5 and under are admitted free of charge when accompanied by an adult. Reserved seating is priced at $42.00 for all ages. As always, Stafford Motor Speedway offers free parking with overnight parking available. All tickets are good for both Saturday and Sunday admission. All ticket prices include 10% CT Admission Tax. Discount Tickets will be available at all 57 participating NAPA Auto Parts stores beginning on Monday, April 4th. For a full list of the 57 locations throughout Connecticut, Massachusetts, Vermont, and Rhode Island, call the speedway office or visit us on the web at www.staffordmotorspeedway.com/participating-napa-auto-parts-stores.
For more information on the 45th Annual NAPA Auto Parts Spring Sizzler, or to order tickets, contact 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