NEW ENGLAND MOTORSPORTS
The Man Behind The Writings - Lou Modestino Biography
27 Bayberry Drive | Unit #2 | Sharon | MA | 02067
Phone: (781) 784-7857 | Fax: (781) 784-7857 | Email: lmodestino@hotmail.com
2009 SOUTH RACING REPORTS
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(10/30-11/1) ..... Eddie MacDonald of Rowley has won the 2009 Camping World Series East Lincoln Electric/Airgas Track Championship at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.
Driving the No. 71 NEMO/Grimm Construction Chevrolet, Eddie finished sixth in the Heluva Good! 125 in June and won the second Heluva Good! 125 in September. MacDonald scored a total of 15 bonus points at the speedway in 2009 which led to his second consecutive Lincoln Electric/Airgas Track Championship.
Ryan Truex of Mayetta, N.J., placed second in the Camping World Series East Track Championship standings. Behind the wheel of the No. 00 NAPA Toyota, Ryan finished second in June and third in September at the Heluva Good! 125 races. Truex is the brother of NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver, Martin Truex, Jr.
Kevin Swindell, driver of the No. 9 Curb Records Chevrolet, was third in the Lincoln Electric/Airgas Track Championship point standings for the Camping World Series East. The Germantown, Tenn. native finished third in June and 10th in September. This is Swindell's first season competing at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.
Donny Lia of Jericho, N.Y. has won his third Whelen Modified Tour Lincoln Electric/Airgas Track Championship at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.
Driving the No. 4 Mystic Missile Dodge, Lia won the New England 100 in June and finished second in the New Hampshire 100 in September. He also won the Lincoln Electric/Airgas Track Championship for the Modified Tour in 2004 and 2005.
Ron Silk of Norwalk, Conn. placed second the 2009 Modified Track Championship standings. Silk finished in third place in June's New England 100 behind the wheel of the No. 79 Hill Enterprises Pontiac and won September's New Hampshire 100 driving the No. 6 TS Haulers Chevrolet. Ron was third in the 2007 Lincoln Electric/Airgas Modified Championship standings.
Rowan Pennink's first two Top-10 finishes at the speedway helped him capture third place in the Modified Track Championship point standings. In his No. 93 Monks Mechanics Hand Cleaner Chevrolet, this Huntingdon Valley, Pa. native finished fourth in June at the New England 100 and sixth in September at the New Hampshire 100.
The Lincoln Electric/Airgas Championship awards a total purse of $10,000 to the top three drivers of both the NASCAR Camping World Series East and NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour for the events held at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. The Track Championship standings are based on the NASCAR point system for each division.
This Friday, October 30, one of the more interesting inter-scholastic competitions you’ll ever see comes to Lime Rock Park. It’s called the Connecticut Electrathon Challenge.
Each year, high school and college students design and build electric racers, then head to the autocross course at Lime Rock to see which team can complete the most laps in precisely one hour.
Champions are recognized in five different divisions, and in the most recent race here at Lime Rock (May 15), the Old Lyme High School team no. 5 was the overall winner, completing 114 laps (close to 25 miles) on one charge of their battery pack.
The cars are ingeniously designed single-driver machines. Some are three-wheelers, some are four, but they’re all aerodynamic in the extreme, and look very cool.
Lime Rock fans are welcome to come watch the Connecticut Electrathon Challenge races, held on the upper autocross course Friday, October 30, beginning around 8:00 in the morning. Pick out your favorite school and cheer them on to an “electric green” victory!
The Connecticut Electrathon Challenge is sponsored by Lime Rock Park; the Wicks Group, PLLC; the Diebold Foundation; and Central Connecticut State University.
The World of Wheels show that usually goes off on the first weekend after New Year's Day a the Bayside Expo in Dorchester is now scheduled for mid-March. We have heard a couple of reasons for the date change. One is that it's the result of a non-sale of the property to a developer and the traditional date is held on a busy NFL playoff weekend which has impacted attendance. We believe that it's just part of the story. Other factors include a smaller show, for the past few years, and the economy taking a major dip during the past few years. Also, at that time of year there's always the threat of a blizzard,snow storm and/or frigid weather. New Hampshire Motor Speedway, New England Dragway along with Town Fair Tire have supported that event over the years.
Taking control on a lap 16 restart, Nokie Fornoro captured the 25-lap Northeastern Midget Association feature Sunday at Thompson Speedway’s World Series. The Marvin Rifchin Trophy Race was the final outing for Fornoro’s owner Mike Jarret. The season finale, it was the 110th career Midget victory for Fornoro, 45 of them in NEMA including three this year.
A second straight driving championship all but secured going in, five-time winner Randy Cabral of Plymouth gave Tim Bertrand his second straight owners title with a third place finish. Bertrand finished with a four-point bulge on Jarret.
Fornoro beat leader Jeff Horn into the first turn on the restart. Cabral secured third on the restart as well, falling in behind Horn. The top three ran to the checkered followed by Cabral’s teammate Cole Carter (Bertrand 39) and Jimmy Miller (Miller 3m).
“It is an emotional win,” said Fornoro, pointing out his relationship with Jarrett “is a lot deeper than a owner/driver thing. I wanted this for him.” He said he was ”focused” on “getting the car to run the way I like it here. You have to go really hard in the corner to make it turn right.”
“You live by the yellow and you die by the yellow,” offered Horn who had a half-a-straightaway advantage when yellowed appeared. Running hot, he said the car “bogged down on the restart. I was a dead beat. It came back but it was too late.”
Fornoro, who was also having motor problems (“there was smoke in the cockpit”) said he was not happy with the yellow either. In the end, he added, it came down to just how fast the restart would be. It was pretty fast and I just took it in very hard. The car was set up for the middle and the top.”
“It was the only time I went into one and the car actually stuck,” said Cabral on the pass for third that wound up giving Bertrand the owner crown. “Once I realized how bad my car was and how good he was, I knew I had to keep Nokie in view.”
Horn was the second leader. Bridgewater's Russ Stoehr (Angelillo 45), who started sixth, had the lead before the race was a lap old. Stopped by a broken hose clamp, he gave up the lead to Horn on lap seven, the latter jumping out to a sizable lead.
Boxed in early, Fornoro actually dropped back from his seventh starting spot. “Once I got it up the race track I knew I could catch Russ and Jeff,” he said. It didn’t take him long to realize “I had the best car.”
After a spirited three-lap battle with Miller, Fornoro moved into second on lap 12. He confident he'd catch Horn "maybe with two or three laps left."
RESULTS: 1. Nokie Fornoro, 2. Jeff Horn, 3. Randy Cabral, 4. Cole Carter, 5. Jim Miller, 6. Mike Horn, 7. Chris DeRitis, 8.. Rich Gerbe, 9. Abby Martino, 10. John Zych Jr., 11. Lee Bundy, 12. Erica Santos,(Franklin)13. Russ Stoehr,(Lakeville) 14. Adam Cantor, 15. Lanson Fornoro, 16. Corey Cleary,(Plymouth) 17. Bobby Santos III, (Franklin) 28. Doug Cleveland.
In other action at Thompson for the World Series, Ted Christopher won the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour 150 and Don Lia took the series championship denying second place finisher Ryan Preece, driving the Boehler entry out Freetown, by a close margin. Eric Beers, at the wheel of the Berkley Racing entry wrenched by Bob Caton placed eighth, Canton's Rick Savary came in 17th while Franklin's Bobby Santos, III went out with mechanical problems and was awarded 27th. Chris Perley won the ISMA Super Modified event while former NEMA Midget driver Ben Seitz of Monument Beach came in ninth. Rick Gentes was the Outlaw Late Model winner while Middleboro's Jimmy Rosenfield ended up third, Daryl Stampfl of Norwood cracked the top five with Middleboro's Randy Burr next then Bill Schulz and Mark Hudson, both of Norton. Easton's Rob Richardi won the Pro 4 Modified feature while Holbrook's Frank Perry came in third.
Richie Ferriera and Wanderson Oliviera, both of Raynham, took in the Oktoberfest weekend at the Lee (NH) Speedway for the PASS Modified event. They ended up seventh and eighth at the checkered flag there. Jimmy Kuhn, Jr. of W. Bridgewater was fourth in the True Value Modified 100 at Lee which was won by Dwight Jarvis of VT. Kingston's Paul Newcomb, Jr. also took a fourth place in the Strictly Stock feature at the southern NH oval while Tom Barrett of Millis won the Allison Legacy Series main event.
Davey Hamilton has turned many laps at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Now, he’ll try to be the best at the upcoming Coffee Cup at the Dunkin’ Donuts Center in Providence , R.I. , on December 4-5.
Hamilton, a nine-time Indianapolis 500 starter, is the latest entry for the upcoming two-day indoor three-quarter size Midget Car race, which drew rave reviews from competitors and fans when the same cars competed at the Dunkin’ Donuts Center in March.
“I have always told people that the smaller the track, the busier and more challenging it is for the driver,” Hamilton said. “I know the speeds are not faster at tracks like Indianapolis , Texas and the other bigger-sized race tracks that I’ve raced Indy Cars, but it is more of a challenge on the smaller tracks.
“It’s more physically exhausting. You never have a time to relax like you get on a bigger-outdoor track. When you are on a short track and especially when you’re racing on one indoors, you’re on the gas, hitting the brake, turning right, turning left and worrying about the cars in front and/or in back of you.”
In other words, indoor racing is a must-see event for all.
The action will take place on a concrete oval on the Dunkin’ Donuts Center floor and the cars will reach speeds close to 70 mph. The spectators will have a view of entire racing surface, from seats overlooking the track.
Hamilton, who started 50 Indy Car events and finished second in series points twice, will drive a car built and owned by indoor race event dominator Lou Cicconi Jr..
“Lou has been a long-time friend of the family,” Hamilton said. “His family has been involved in the sport for a long time, just like mine.
“In September, I was driving a Supermodified in a race at Oswego (N.Y.) Speedway . One of the support classes was the TQ Midgets. I got watching them, and they were incredibly fast.
Hamilton spoke with Cicconi about the feisty cars and before he knew it, Cicconi offered him a ride in one of his cars.
“I asked him where they race and Lou was telling me about some of the facilities,” Hamilton said. “Then, he said, ‘there is a race in Providence in December. Why don’t you come and race one of my cars?’”
The Coffee Cup will mark the first time for Hamilton in a three-quarter sized Midget Car.
“I’ve driven some bigger-sized cars indoors like four to five times with the USAC (United States Auto Club) Series,” Hamilton said. “I’ve never driven something that can be this quick on an arena floor.
“I’ll depend on Lou a lot on this one. I’m going to ask a lot of questions and follow his lead. I did the same in September at Oswego with the Supermodified and the guy - Otto Sitterly - who gave me the car, won the main event. I was in good hands at that race and I know Lou is one of the best indoor racers in the sport.”
The format will be similar to the one used in March. The Three-Quarter Midgets and Senior Champ Karts will headline the two-day program. Feature events for both classes are scheduled each night.
Tickets can be purchased at all Ticketmaster locations and the Dunkin’ Donut Center box office.
The AMA Flat Track Twins race went off at the LA County Fairgrounds, the finale of the season, last weekend. Henry Wiles won the event while Jared Mees finished fifth which was enough to break Ken Coolbeth's string of three straight championships and that left him second overall in the standing. Coolbeth is sponsored by Bettencourt Honda/Suzuki in W. Bridgewater.
Here's what else is happening in southern New England this week into the weekend. The American Legion Hall on Rt. 6 in Seekonk hosts Seekonk Speedway's 2010 rules meetings. on Tuesday and Wednesday nights starting at 6 p.m. On Tuesday night at 5 p.m. the Auto Zone on Rt. 53 in Weymouth closes out the 2009 cruise night season at 3 p.m. The Redline Diner on Edgell St. in Framingham has another cruise night at 3 p.m. Saturday. There's an EnduroX at the Wachusetts Valley Riders Club in Winchendon at 6 p.m. On Sunday Stafford Speedway in CT has a motocycle show and swap meet at 9 a.m. while Southeastern Regional Votec on Rt. 106 in Easton winds up the cruise season at 11 a.m.
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(10/23-10/25) ..... It's unfortunate that the NEMA Midgets and Lites won't be coming to the Oktoberfest in Lee, NH as previously
scheduled. It's due to last weekend's washout of the World Series of Stockcar Racing at the Thompson Speedway in CT. The Oktoberfest, like the World Series, is comprised of over ten classes. The weather, at this time of year, has always created schedule conflicts compounded by the fact that the New England tracks prefer to have their racing season completed no later than Halloween. Because the weather in this part of the country starts to go downhill in November. As a result the Oktoberfest and the World Series will both take place this Friday through Sunday, weather permitting.
With the local racing season winding-down, there were plenty of events for fans to attend last Saturday. However, perhaps the biggest show of the weekend focused on a Connecticut ¼-miler that’s been shuttered for nearly three-decades. Joe Tinty’s Plainville Stadium hosted some of the best short-track racing in New England. Thanks to the efforts of the Berlin Lions Club and the Nutmeg Kart Club, a great deal of the excitement was again relived at the “First Annual Plainville Stadium Reunion.”
Throughout the day, a steady-stream of fans of the former oval converged on the Berlin Fairgrounds to meet the drivers that were a staple of the excitement that was “The Stadium”. Along with a host of former “Saturday Night Heroes,” there was an assortment of historical artifacts that included everything from antique race cars to a huge photo selection from official track photographer, Phil Hoyt. Renowned racing photog Steve Kennedy, who got his start at the Stadium as a young shutterbug, was present to record the day’s activities. Media personalities included award-winning racing journalist and New England Auto Racing Hall of Famer member Pete Zanardi as well as the brothers Danko, Gary and Brian.
“This is just one of those “feel-good” events, and proves that Plainville Stadium played a significant role in Connecticut racing history. It’s great that the track is being recognized today,” commented Zanardi.
With machines provided by the Nutmeg Kart Club, two events for former Stadium drivers were staged on the club’s high-banked clay oval located on the grounds of the show. Quite-fittingly, Dave Alkas, the tracks all-time feature and championship winner annexed one event, while it was former regional Modified star and one-time Plainville regular, Sonny O’Sullivan taking the other.
The drivers in attendance read like a competition roster of the track’s history. The Alkas brothers, Dennis Zimmerman, Jap Membrino, Ray Miller, Ronnie Wyckoff, Reggie Ruggerio, Don Moon, NEAR Hall of Famer and former track champ George Lombardo, and the list goes-on. The fact remains that many of those that went-on to become the most-accomplished racers in New England, got their starts at Plainville.
Dave Alkas, Stadium “King” and also a member of the prestigious New England Auto Racing Hall of Fame was one of the primary organizers of the event along with Gary Bienkowski of the Nutmeg Kart Club.
“This has really exceeded all-expectations,” stated Alkas. “To think that after all-these years Plainville Stadium is so fondly-recalled, is almost an emotional experience for those of-us that called it home. Back-then, we were kind of known as a track that was sort-of a rough-place to race with boisterous fans and kind of a rowdy reputation. Today, it proves that a lot of people miss Plainville Stadium. It really was a great track and a fun place to be a part-of. I know I miss it a great-deal,” he said.
By days-end, comments were already circulating on how to make the second edition of the event an even bigger affair.
With the 2009 Stafford Motor Speedway season concluded, the speedway will honor its track champions at the 40th Annual Stafford Motor Speedway Champions Awards Ceremony on Friday, November 20, 2009 at the La Renaissance Banquet Facility in East Windsor. A crowd of over 500 guests is expected to be on hand as the Connecticut half-mile hands out its post-season awards. In addition to recognizing the 2009 track champions, other prestigious awards, including Most Improved Driver, Most Popular Driver, and the Reliable Welding & Speed Rookie of the Year awards will also be presented. Stafford Motor Speedway will also recognize the top-20 finishers from the 2009 SK Modified, Late Model, SK Light, Limited Late Model, and DARE Stocks.
In only his second full season of competition at Stafford Motor Speedway, Don Wood was able to capture the 2009 DARE Stock track championship. Wood’s 2009 season began in grand style as he won the season opening Spring Sizzler event, which helped propel him and his team to the 2009 championship. “At the start of the year, winning the championship was the goal for the crew, but for myself, it was just to go out there every Friday night and have some fun and let things fall where they may,” said Wood. “We were in the hunt for the championship all year, and that’s thanks to my crew. My car owner, John Berardi, his daughter Stepahnie, and Dave, they gave me a great car each Friday night, I had the easy part, just show up to the track and drive.”
When it comes to rookie drivers in the realm of motorsports, there is normally a learning curve that a driver faces before encountering a level of success. This was not the case for Michael Gervais, Jr. at Stafford Motor Speedway this season. Gervais, who had never sat behind the wheel of an open wheeled modified prior to the 2009 season, made the move from Legends cars to Stafford’s SK Light Modified division and proceeded to drive straight to the 2009 track title. “The championship wasn’t in our list of goals at the start of the year,” said Gervais. “Our main goal was to keep the car clean, learn about the car and the track, and win Rookie of the Year. This is all kind of a shock to win the championship. We expected to have highs and lows like any rookie season, but we were strong right from the start, I was comfortable
When it comes to change, some folks embrace it while others shy away from it. For Andrew Durand at Stafford Motor Speedway this season, change was the key to his breaking through and winning his first career track championship in the Limited Late Model division. New for the 2009 season, the track approved the NGB body styles for Limited Late Model competition. Durand and his R.A.D. Automachine team were one of the first teams to make the switch to the new body style and they won the first two races of the year. Durand’s hot start to the year carried them to the early season points lead, a position they would occupy for all but one week of the 2009 season.
“We felt pretty good at the start of the year,” said Durand. “Usually we always do well at the start of the season and then we fade a little in the middle and later parts of the season. We figured if we could get off to a good start again and eliminate our mistakes from the past in the middle and end of the season, that we could win the championship this year. As it was, we almost lost the championship in the last race. If we are in a championship hunt again, I’d like to have a bigger margin over second place for that final race so I won’t have to worry about it that much. It seems like it’s a lot easier to lose points with a mistake than it is to gain points on someone with a good run. It’s all about minimizing your mistakes and we were able to do that this year.”
Parker Kligerman of Westport, CT concluded the 2009 ARCA RE/MAX Series as the leading candidate for the 2009 Rookie of the Year Award. Rookie points are accumulated based on a driver's best 15 finishes in the 21-race ARCA RE/MAX Series and Kligerman's 2009 rookie season was highlighted by a Series' high nine wins (Toledo Speedway, Michigan Int'l Speedway, Mansfield Motorsports Park, Iowa Speedway, Kentucky Speedway, Illinois State Fairgrounds, DuQuoin State Fairgrounds, Kansas Speedway, Rockingham Speedway) among 14 top-5 finishes.
The final determination of the ARCA Rookie of the Year is based on a combination of points earned and the vote of a competition committee, with consideration to both driver conduct and performance. Four of the drivers who finished in the top-10 in the final point standings were considered rookie competitors in 2009, including Kligerman (finished second in points), Joey Coulter (finished fourth in points), Craig Goess (finished fifth in points) and Steve Arpin (finished seventh in points). Rookie competitor Tim George, Jr., finished 11th in points.
This Saturday, October 24 marks Waterford Speedbowl’s annual Smacktoberfest, featuring the affordable family fun and season ending smashing Speedbowl fans have come to love. With the racing season over the goal is set on turning the Speedbowl into an enormous junkyard of motorized mayhem.
Nobody smashes and sends stuff on wheels to the graveyard better than the ‘Bowl. Smacktoberfest sees the return of the Rollover Contest introduced earlier this year plus two Demo Derbies, the Speedbowl’s version of mechanical cage fights. Fans are in for prime viewing of the pulverizing hits and destruction that will ensue inside “the box”.
The 100 foot spectator drags, which grew to become a crowd favorite from their introduction during August, takes a break from the destruction and provides one last opportunity this year for Speedbowl fans to take on the shoreline oval’s front stretch. Any registered street car and driver can sign up to compete in the single elimination round competition. Many memorable battles have occurred already this year, including at the 97.7 WCTY Back to School Bash where a rematch among the finalists was ordered by the thousands in attendance.
Back by popular demand to cap the carnage is the always-erratic, always-entertaining, always-unpredictable Speedbowl Trailer Race. Fans will watch as vehicles, with a trailer in tow, race around the track trying to be the last to survive with their trailer and tow vehicle intact and rolling. Trailers are required to be loaded with cargo, often an enjoyable spectacle itself, which quickly becomes obstacles, or targets, for obliteration. Contact is necessary to knock the competitor’s trailer or car out of commission.
A Ski Race and other surprises as only the Speedbowl delivers are on tap when the action gets underway at 2:00pm. Adult admission is $14, youth 6 through 14 are $5, and children 5 and under are free making it a day of fun for the whole family. The Speedbowl encourages fans to arrive early to pick out a good seat for viewing and avoid lines. The grandstands open at 12 p.m.
POMONA FINALS!
Never before in the history of the series have six riders had a mathematical shot at winning the AMA Pro Flat Track Grand National Expert Twins in the final race of the season. Jared Mees 128 pts.,Kenny Coolbeth of Morris, CT, and sponsored by Bettencourt Honda/Suzuki of W. Bridgewater has 113 pts., Bryan Smith 111 pts.,
Sammy Halbert 109, Chris Carr 104 Jake Johnson 101
This is the first time in a decade the series will wrap up in beautiful southern California and there is no better location than the Fairplex in Pomona.
Let's see what else is going on in southern New England this week right into the weekend. On Tuesday night Auto Zone on Rt. 53 in Weymouth goes with another cruise night at 5 p.m. Another cruise night is on this Thursday at the Bass Pro Shop at Patriot Place in Foxborough dubbed Spookfest and kids are welcome with their Haloween costumes at 3 p.m. Quarter Midget action is on for Saturday and Sunday at Silver City Speedway in Meriden, CT. On Saturday Formula 1 Outdoors in E. Bridgewater has a big shifter kart meet all day long starting at 9 a.m. At the same time the Capeway Rovers in Middleboro host motoX action. Also going with Quarter Midget action is the Little T Speedway in Thompson, CT at 9 a.m. There's another cruise event at Redline Diner on Edgell Rd. in Framingham starting at 3 p.m. On Sunday the Clarion Hotel in W. Springfield will be the scene of the ACOT Antique Racers annual banquet at 1 p.m. F1 Outdoors offers a 125 lap Endurance event for karts at 9 a.m. Larz Anderson Museum on Newton St. in Brookline plans Studebaker day beginning at 10 a.m. At Southeastern Regional Votec on Rt. 106 in S. Easton it's another Wheels of Time Cruise starting at 1 p.m. Wachusetts Valley Riders in Winchendon offers flat track motorcycle action and go karts plus a swap meet at 1 p.m.
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(10/16-10/18) ..... The NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour is a racing series steeped in history. Whether you trace its roots to the beaches of Daytona in 1948, or the paved banks of Thompson, Conn., in 1985, there is plenty of history and tradition to go around. The present-day incarnation of that tradition will be on full display as the Tour heads to Thompson International Speedway to crown the 2009 champion.
The World Series of Speedway Racing presented by Xtra Mart – the finale for the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour’s 25th season – will see two of the most notable teams in the history of the New England Modified racing battling for the trophy. Donny Lia, pilot of the No. 4 “Mystic Missile” Dodge owned by Bob Garbarino, will take a 26-point lead on Ryan Preece, driver of the No. 3 “Ole Blue” Chevrolet, of the famed Boehler family. “It’s pretty cool – this being the 25th season [of the Tour] – and the two longest running teams going for the championship,” Preece said. “It just goes to show you that experience helps a lot to contend for a championship.”
The only two Modifieds that carry a nickname, the Nos. 4 and 3 have been around longer than any other teams. Garbarino fielded his first “Mystic Missile” in 1961, nearly a quarter of a century before the present-day Whelen Modified Tour was founded. “Ole Blue” dates back even further as legendary car owner and builder Len Boehler founded the team in 1957.
Garbarino’s dedication to NASCAR Modified racing through the decades was finally paid off in 2007 when Lia delivered the longtime owner his first championship. The No. 4 has featured a host of notable drivers in the seat through the years, but the pairing of Lia with the team in 2007 resulted in the perfect combination to bring home the trophy. Garbarino, who was recently selected as a 2010 inductee for the New England Auto Racers Hall of Fame, has only the utmost respect for the No. 3 team.
“We’ve been parking alongside of them for a long, long time, and anything that’s in my truck they can have, and I think that goes the other way too,” Garbarino said. “I’m happy for them – I’m glad that they’re in the running for this whole deal.” Garbarino reasoned that because the teams have been so close through the years, it will be tough for one to leave Thompson disappointed. “I almost wish it was any other car in the pit area [in championship contention],” Garbarino said. “I consider those guys all good friends – and this won’t change the friendship at all – but somebody’s going to win and somebody’s not going to win.”
Now in their sixth decade of Modified competition, Boehler Racing Enterprises continues to be a stalwart. The cars built by Boehler – a 2004 NEAR Hall of Fame inductee – produced NASCAR Modified national championships in 1967-69 with Bugs Stevens behind the wheel. “Ole Blue” earned another three-peat in the mid-1990s as Wayne Anderson (1994) and Tony Hirschman (1995-96) captured the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour titles. And while Len passed away in 2001, his widow, Jan, and son, Michael, have sustained the family tradition from their E. Freetown race shop. Like Garbarino, BRE President and Manager Michael Boehler has mutual respect for the competition.
“Bob and his wife Joan are great, great people – they’re first class,” Boehler said. “They’re always the first ones there to lend a hand if something goes wrong. They’re positive, encouraging people, and they’ve given their life to the sport like we have. There’s not many of those families left that do that, so it’s just great that it’s the “Mystic Missile” against “Ole Blue” [for the title].” The significance of the two teams competing for the title is not lost on the drivers either, even though they are only in the second year with the respective teams.
Following his win at Stafford (Conn.) Motor Speedway on Oct. 4, Lia acknowledged the history of the two cars that will battle for the 2009 championship. “The 3 car and the 4 car – they’ve been around forever – and are a big part of Modified history,” Lia said. “So for me, whether I was driving the car or not, I think it’s pretty cool that those two cars are going for it.”
While Lia is already part of – and will look to add to – the history of the “Mystic Missile,” the 18-year-old Preece is just in his second year behind the wheel of “Ole Blue,” and his third year of NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour racing overall. “I’m really happy that the 3 car is where they are, and that we’re going for the championship together,” Lia said. “He’s a good kid, and he’s got a great future ahead of him. Hopefully we can hang on and win it, but if they do, that’s pretty cool.”
The young Ryan Preece is well-versed in Modified history. His grandfather – Bob Judkins – was a longtime Modified car owner. Lia can clinch his second Whelen Modified Tour crown by finishing fifth or better at Thompson, but with Preece just 26 points out, there are a number of scenarios that will make every lap important in the season finale. The World Series of Speedway Racing presented by Xtra Mart will commence with practice and qualifying for the Whelen Modified Tour on Saturday, Oct. 17. The 150-lap race is set to go green on Sunday, Oct. 18 at approximately 3:30 p.m.
The winner of the 25-lap Northeastern Midget Association feature at Thompson Speedway’s World Series (Oct. 17-18) will get away with the inaugural Marvin Rifchin Memorial Trophy. The trophy race, originally scheduled for July 2 (a rain out), honors Rifchin, owner of M&H Tire and an integral part of NEMA from its inception in 1953. Rifchin died on June 3 at age 93.
“Everybody would like to have this one,” says NEMA President Mike Scrivani Jr. of Brockton. “The number of people he touched directly, the influence he had on our club over the years is immense.” Defending champion and current point leader Randy Cabral of Plymouth leads NEMA into what is the club’s first 2009 visit. Other contenders include Nokie Fornoro, Adam Cantor, Russ and Greg Stoehr, from Lakeville and Bridgewater, and Jeff Horn. Cabral was the winner of the “Marvin Rifchin Appreciation event in 2006. “We want to thank Thompson Speedway promoter Donald Hoenig for his participation in honoring Marvin,” adds Scrivani.
Midgets and, soon after, stock cars, captured Rifchin’s attention in the immediate post World War II era. Joining his father Harry in the tire recapping business, M&H (the H stands for Harry) became one of the first companies to make tires specifically for racecars. More than willing to take on the tire-making giants (notably Goodyear and Firestone), Rifchin’s influence throughout motorsports grew to epic proportions over some five decades. His association with legend Don Garlits is part of drag racing folklore. He played a major role in the Modified glory days of the 1960s and 70s.
Rifchin’s contributions are evidenced by his membership in four Halls of Fame including NEMA’s. He is in the National Hot Rod Association, the New England Auto Racing and the Specialty Equipment Manufactures Association (SEMA) halls as well. “Still,” says long-time NEMA car owner and official Bruce Beane of Mansfield, “Marvin stayed close to NEMA. He was part of the family. The M&H logo was part of NEMA’s image for many years for many very good reasons.” Beane points out Rifchin was outgoing not only with his product but also with his time and his intelligence.
“Over the years a lot of guys raced because of Marvin’s generosity,” sums up 13-time owner champion Gene Angelillo. “He really had a special place in his heart for the competitor. Near the end of his life he was at a lot of our races and that was really good for NEMA. The guy loved the Midgets.”
Indoor race winner Mike Lles of NJ will be returning to the Dunkin Donuts Center in Providence, RI for the Coffee Cup Three Quarter Midget event on Friday and Saturday nights, December 4-5, according to Area News of NJ. In early March Iles won the Friday night event while Ted Christopher of CT took the Saturday evening race. We have also heard that a former NASCAR Nextel Cup driver could be among the entries and confirmed as we get closer to the race dates.
The 2009 SK Modified season at Stafford Motor Speedway saw Ted Christopher add a seventh track championship to his resume. Christopher’s 7 track championships at Stafford are a record for any division with Bob Potter the closest to Christopher with 5 SK Modified track championships. Christopher’s 2009 season was a combination of dominance and consistency as he finished in the top-2 in half of the events this year and posted a total of 13 top-10 finishes in 15 starts. “The best part of this year was winning number seven,” said Christopher. “That’s a nice record to have.” Over the off-season, Christopher partnered up with Jean-Guy and Brigitte Poulin, who were the SK Modified championship winning car owners from the 2008 season. Poulin supplied Christopher with a Mike Pettit engine that powered him to his seventh championship.
“It was great to have Jean-Guy and Brigitte join our team this year,” said Christopher. “Jean helped us out a lot. That Mike Pettit motor had a lot of power and it saved me from spending money on a motor program. Not only did Jean give me a motor to use, but he gave me a truck and a trailer to tow the car where last year I was renting a trailer and using my business truck to tow the car. Jean and Brigitte are both great people and we had a lot of fun together this year. I had a lot of support from Pettit Racing Engines, J.G. Poulin Drywall, Eagle Fence and Guardrail, and Broadband Access this year and hopefully we can come back next year and do it again.”
Christopher says that of his seven Stafford championships, the last two have a significant meaning to him. “The championship I won two years ago was very gratifying because it was with all my own equipment,” said Christopher. “There were a lot of people who thought my racing career was going to be over when Jim Galante’s equipment got seized. In the three seasons since then, I have two championships and a second place finish, so its nice to know that I can still win championships and contend for championships doing things on my own with my own equipment.”
While Christopher’s name is liberally found in the modified chapters of the Stafford Motor Speedway record book, there is a mark that Christopher has yet to achieve that he has his sights set on. With 91 career wins in the SK Modified division, Christopher has his eyes on hitting the century mark. “I’d like to hit 100 wins in the SK Modified car,” said Christopher. “It was special to hit 100 wins when you add up the different divisions I’ve raced in at Stafford, but I’d like to get to 100 in the SK car. With how my equipment is running right now, I think we should be able to hit that mark in the next several years before I quit racing.”
For the season, Christopher posted 4 wins, 11 top-5, and 13 top-10 finishes in 15 starts to carry him to the championship by a final margin of 40 points over Woody Pitkat. Christopher will officially be crowned the 2009 SK Modified track champion at the 40th Annual Stafford Motor Speedway Champions Awards Ceremony on Friday, November 20, 2009 at the La Renaissance Banquet Facility in East Windsor, CT.
For Joe Allegro, Jr., the 2009 season at Stafford Motor Speedway represented a season of change and unknowns, as he moved from the SK Light Modified division up to the SK Modified division. While Allegro and his team struggled at times during the year, their performance was good enough to earn Allegro the title of NASCAR Whelen All-American Series Connecticut State Rookie of the Year. “It feels pretty good to win this award,” said Allegro. “With the level of competition that Connecticut has at the three tracks, it’s a really nice award to win.”
Having won the track championship in the SK Light Modified division in 2008 at Stafford, Allegro faced a new car and new set of competitors on the track to race against. Allegro quickly found out just how steep the learning curve would be in the SK Modified division this year. “On a scale of 1 to 10 this year, I’d give us a 3,” said Allegro. “At the start of the year, the SK car was a lot more different from the SK Light car than I thought it would be. Towards the end of the year, I got more comfortable in the car and I was able to pick the throttle up quicker. We didn’t change much on the car from the start of the year to the end of the year, but we hit on something at the end of the year and it was just a case of me having more seat time in the car. There’s no replacement for seat time. We were never fast on the practice sheets, but we know what we needed in the car to have it ready to race at night for feature time. The car wasn ’t fast by itself in practice, but when I got around a group of cars in the feature and had something to chase after, the car was good to race.”
With a full season of seat time and car knowledge behind him, Allegro is looking forward to the 2010 season at Stafford and may just have a new bullet loaded in his gun. “We learned a lot about the car from the start of the year to the end of the year, and all that knowledge will pay off for us going into next year,” said Allegro. “We have an older Troyer car right now, and we’re looking at possibly putting a new car together for next year. We had great support from Sanford Plumbing & Heating, T/A Engines, Fredericks Autoworks, Parker Street Used Auto Parts, and Kathy Pinard CPA this year and hopefully we can put enough money together to have a new car for next season.” For his efforts this year, Allegro will receive a $1,000 bonus award from NASCAR at the Whelen All-American Series Awards Banquet held Friday, Nov. 20.
For the first time ever, Grand-Am’s Rolex Daytona Prototypes will race at Lime Rock Park. At next year’s traditional and popular Memorial Day event – Monday, May 31 – the Rolex Sports Car Series DPs and GTs will be showcased in a combined-class race. “We’re so pleased to see Grand-Am’s Rolex Series coming to race at Lime Rock,” said Skip Barber, track president. “After our major reconstruction last year, I have no doubt that when the teams and drivers see the track – not to mention the paddock and pit lane – they’ll be as pleased as we are. The racing will be great; the fans are in for a treat.”
A total reconstruction and repaving of Lime Rock Park’s entire 1.53-mile, seven-turn circuit was completed in June, 2008 (from the grade-level aggregate base to new asphalt); at that time, two optional corner-complexes were also built; one in the Uphill and the other in West Bend. For the Memorial Day race weekend, the plan (subject to change) is to use the optional Uphill corner-complex – its first-gear entry was designed to provide another brake-passing zone – in combination with the classic West Bend sweeper.
Besides the Rolex Series on Monday, Grand-Am’s KONI Sports Car Challenge series will headline the Saturday, May 29 schedule; the Grand Sports (GS) and Street Tuner (ST) classes will each have a stand-alone race. “It’s almost like two major weekends in one,” said Barber. “The KONI Challenge teams will practice and qualify on Friday, followed by both an ST race and a GS race on Saturday. Then the Rolex Daytona Prototype and GT teams arrive at the track Sunday, with practice and qualifying Monday morning. The televised race will go green in the early afternoon. This will be a very good, really exciting Memorial Day race weekend.” Already scheduled is one of the support events for the weekend: a Ford Racing Mustang Challenge clash on Saturday.
Calling it “the biggest win of my career,” Adam Cantor won the 25-lap Northeastern Midget Association 25 lap feature Sunday at Seekonk Speedway’s DAV Memorial. It was the second win of the season for Cantor who beat back a persistent William Wall over the final nine laps. The Wall family celebrated nonetheless, brothers Will (Wall 5) and Aaron (Wall 55) capturing second and third respectively. Nokie Fornoro (Jarret 4) and Erica Santos of Franklin (Breault 44) completed the top five. Anthony Nocella won the 25-lap NEMA Lites feature on Saturday.
Cantor, who took the lead on lap six, faced a William Wall restart challenge with 16 laps remaining. He got the jump but couldn’t get away from the youngster. Loose off, Cantor said he “tried babying in into three, but when I did it I could hear Will out there. I had to stay on it.” “The right rear gave up the last couple of laps,” said Wall. “I couldn’t keep it on the outside. I needed a little more car.”
Cantor, who had troubles on Saturday, did get more car on Sunday morning. “It seems we changed everything but the steering wheel and the driver,” said Cantor’s dad Alan. Although he fell in behind Santos on the initial green, Cantor “knew I had a good car immediately. I went in pretty deep and it stuck.” The first yellow ended two battles – Santos and Cantor and William Wall and Nokie Fornoro.
“Erica got me on the restart big time,” said Cantor. “I pride myself on restart ability so I said some not-so-nice things about myself. Still, I felt if I could up to her left rear off two I could go around her.” He took the lead out of four. William Wall won the battle with Fornoro, moved past Santos for second 10 laps in and was dogging Cantor when the second yellow showed. Aaron Wall, who started ninth, was fourth by that time and moved past Santos on the restart. Point leader Randy Cabral of Plymouth (Bertrand 47) was sixth and Jeff Abold (Seymour 29), who started 20th because of a driver change, was seventh.
Nocella, winning for the second time at Seekonk this year, got by Ed LeClerc Jr. of E. Taunton after the only restart in the Lites event. LeClerc had built a sizable edge before the yellow on lap 13. Five lengths behind the leader, Joe Mikitarian, LeClerc and Anthony Marvuglio of E. Bridgewater finished second through fourth in a tight bunch. Randy Cabral was fifth. NEMA’s grand slam finish continues this weekend at Thompson Speedway’s World Series.
NEMA NUGGETS – It was Cantor’s fourth career win but his first at Seekonk…Cantor had the fastest lap in the feature (11.329) while Nocella’s 11.907 was best in the Lites run…In spite of two cautions, the feature was run in nine minutes, a credit to starter Steve Grant.
FINISH:
1. Adam Cantor, 2. Will Wall, 3. Aaron Wall, 4. Nokie Fornoro, 5. Erica Santos, 6. Randy Cabral, 7. Jeff Abold, 8. Greg Stoehr, (Lakeville) 9. Russ Stoehr, (Bridgewater) 10. Barry Kittredge, 11. Mike Horn, 12. Jim Miller, 13. Chris Leonard, 14. Matt O’Brien, 15. Abby Martino, 16. Chris DeRitis, 17. Rich Gerbe, 18. Lee Bundy, 19. Paul Scally (Holbrook) 20. John Zych.
LITES: 1. Anthony Nocella, 2. Joe Mikitarian, 3. Ed LeClerc Jr., 4. Anthony Marvuglio, 5. Randy Cabral, 6. Joey Chick, 7. Pete Skias, 8. Eric Cabral(Plymouth), 9. Josh Woollam, 10. Jay Diamond, 11. Kevin Park.
The Waterford Speedbowl Finale saw the final races for the four weekly NASCAR Whelen All-American Series divisions on Sunday. Track champions were crowned in three of them, with Ron Yuhas Jr., Brandon Plemons and Danny Field etching their names into the Speedbowl record book joining Bruce Thomas Jr. as the 2009 champions. Winning the races were Jeff Paul in the 100-lap SK Modified event, Tim Jordan in the Bob Valenti Auto Mall Late Model 100-lapper, while Ron Oldham Jr. and Louis Bellisle, III won the 50-lap Street Stock and Norwich Bulletin Mini Stock races.
Joe Perry and Dennis Charette led the 27-car SK Modified field and championship chase to green for their 100-lap event. The fireworks started off turn four of lap one when Tom Abele Jr., who started third, and Charette made contact. That crossed the pair up in front of a stacked field behind, resulting in an 11-car pig pile entering turn one.
All eyes were on points contenders Ron Yuhas Jr. and Keith Rocco. Heads up driving helped them from getting collected in the incident, as cars literally scattered in every direction around them. Dennis Gada, Jeff Pearl, Allen Coates and Matt Gallo were among those headed pit side in need of repair but able to continue on the lead lap of the race.
The restart proved no better, as Abele and Janovic came together off turn four coming to the green flag, ending with Abele’s car at rest against the turn one wall after making race ending contact with the wall. Once green, Jeff Paul of Ledyard moved inside of Perry to take over at the front. Racing only went a few laps before something broke on Pearl’s car, sending the Salem driver hard into the turn one wall on lap seven.
When the green returned, only one more lap was able to be completed before caution flew again for a single car spin. That lap proved key however, as Rocco used a bump and run move on Paul to take over the lead off turn two on lap 10. Rocco resumed at the front with Paul and Janovic giving chase. Yuhas moved around the outside of Perry for fourth and closed in on the top three. Caution on lap 26 for a spin by Charette slowed what was the first look at how the race for the win and championship would shape up. Rocco had pressed early to get out front, with Yuhas in tow looking all over Janovic for third.
Rocco led through lap 38 when Paul, challenging outside, capitalized on a slip by Rocco to reclaim the top spot. Paul stretched out his lead as Rocco began backing up, something appearing to go away on his machine. Caution came out on lap 47 when Shawn Solomito spun off the backstretch. Rocco used that opportunity to duck in to the pits for service on what turned out to be a broken panhard bar. The championship hunt turned when the race returned green with Rocco still in the pits as his team made the repairs.
Paul reclaimed the lead when the action returned with Yuhas in second, Dennis Gada moving to third, and Janovic battling Mark Bakaj for fourth. Yuhas pressed Paul at the front. Gada sat three cars back in third. Further back, Bakaj took fourth but Janovic looked to take it back. Those two came together in turn four with 20 laps remaining to bring out caution. That was the final restart Paul needed to master. He did, going on to his third victory of the season. Yuhas settled for second, good enough to clinch his first track title in his 10th season competing at the track.
Rich Staskowski of Hope Valley, Rhode Island took the early race lead to pace the 100-lap Bob Valenti Auto Mall Late Models until Tim Jordan took over on the outside on lap 21. After a few early cautions, the field settled in for a long distance run of green flag competition through the race’s mid-stages. During that run, Dennis Botticello of Suffield moved to second on lap 27 looking primed to challenge Jordan at the front. Tom Metcalf of North Stonington, competing in Bruce Thomas Jr.’s championship #35, also looked strong coming through to third as on lap 34. Staskowski was hanging with the top runners in fourth. Botticello began to fade after halfway as the race stayed under green, losing the handles on the #03. First he dropped second to Metcalf on lap 72, then Staskowski took third from him a lap later. Mark Bakaj of Lebanon was making steady progress through the field and into the top five when caution finally waved on lap 83 to stop the long run. Pawcatuck’s Joe Curioso spun in turn two, resetting the field.
With 12 laps remaining trouble struck the lead pack as Metcalf, Bakaj and Botticello got together in turn three, eliminating Botticello. But the race belonged to Jordan. He went on to his third win of the year over Ernie Bertrand of North Branford, Bakaj, Jeff Smith of Old Lyme and Metcalf. The division points title was already wrapped up for Groton’s Bruce Thomas Jr., his third consecutive in the division.
Chris Meyer of North Franklin led the Street Stock field to green for a very competitive 50-lapper. Four championship contenders entered the race just 24 points apart, led by Uncasville’s Brandon Plemons. Meyer jumped to the lead in the early going while the field behind jockeyed for position behind. Ron Oldham Jr., third in the standings beginning the race, was the first contender to assert himself. He moved into the top three on lap 12, ducking underneath Ed Puleo. The first caution waved on lap 13 for a spin in turn four.Preston’s Greg Moran Jr. moved out front past Meyers on lap 15. Oldham sat in third waiting to pounce. Meanwhile, Plemons was riding in fifth with Hovey hot on his tail in traffic. Stone was mired back in the back half of the top ten fighting the field.
Oldham pulled out to take second spot on lap 16, and quickly moved to Moran’s bumper. He wasted no time pressuring the leader when caution waved for another single car spin in turn four on lap 18. Oldham continued to torch his way to the front, wrestling the lead away from Moran on the restart with an outside move. The restart also enabled Plemons and Hovey to progress to third and fourth, offering little separation in the points hunt. Plemons ducked under Moran on lap 23 to take second two laps shy of the halfway point. Caution waved again for fluid on the racetrack after a two car incident.
When the action got back to green, Oldham checked out. Plemons pushed forward into second, and Hovey took third. Hovey and Moran began an intense battle for the position, first with Hovey getting bounced out of the groove back to seventh. Their battle allowed Steve Barrett and Ed Puleo to climb to third and fourth. Hovey rebounded back to fifth using a three wide maneuver a lap later. The pair made some more contact before settling in. Up front Oldham was on cruise control. He went uninterrupted to his fourth win of the year by seven lengths over Plemons and Barrett. Ed Gertsch Jr. of East Haven, making his first start of the year, was strong to take fourth and the checkered. Ed Puleo was fifth. After his win, Oldham dedicated his win in memory of Dickie Mills, an intrical part of his start in racing. With his strong run and second place finish, Plemons clinched his first Street Stock division title and second overall at the Speedbowl. He was also the 2002 Mini Stock champion.
The Norwich Bulletin Mini Stocks kicked off last Sunday’s progam with their 50-lap race. Jeff Mehlenbacher of Groton used his outside front row starting position to lead the first seven laps when the first caution waved for a single car spin off turn four. Chris Williams of Niantic bolted to the race lead following the restart, taking over at lap eight and holding the position through two restarts. Points contender Louis Bellisle III of Lisbon moved in to challenge advancing into the second position.
The complexion of the points race turned downhill for Rhode Island’s Kyle James, second in the standings entering the event. On lap 14 he got collected in an incident with fellow Rhode Island native Bill Leonard and Ken Cassidy Jr. of Lisbon while battling for the third position. James resumed after pitting with damage. Bellisle moved to the lead at lap 15 taking over from Williams. Throughout several caution periods plaguing the race, points leader Danny Field of Deep River stayed free and clear of the trouble. He steadily picked off cars to move to Bellisle’s bumper by lap 27. He would not challenge for the win however, riding in second through the checkered flag to capture his third division championship.
Bellisle won the race and finished second in the standings. Williams was third in the race, Sean Caron of Hartford fourth, and Leonard was fifth. James came back for sixth and placed third in the final standings.
Earlier in the day, Most Popular Driver awards were presented to Ryan Morgan in the Legends Cars, Danny Field in the Norwich Bulletin Mini Stocks and Al Stone III in the Street Stocks. Tim Jordan was fan choice in the Bob Valenti Auto Mall Late Models, and Joe Perry in the SK Modifieds. Just one event remains on the Speedbowl’s 2009 calendar, Saturday October 24’s annual Smacktoberfest with demo derbies, trailer race, HDRA 100 foot spectator drags and more planned.
ARCA RE/MAX Series title contender Parker Kligerman did everything he needed to do to win the championship. The Westport, Connecticut rookie led the most laps and won Sunday's ARCA RE/MAX American 200 at Rockingham Speedway in NC. However, it wasn't good enough to keep Justin Lofton from claiming the crown. Lofton, by virtue of his third place finish, secured the 2009 ARCA RE/MAX Series driving championship, edging Kligerman for the honor by just 5 points. It was the third closest finish in series history. Cole Carter, a USAC Midget, Sprint Car & Silver Crown driver and part of one of American's greatest auto racing families, will return to the Northeastern Midget Association at Thompson Speedway's World Series (Oct. 17-18) and Lee USA Speedway's Oktoberfest (Oct. 24-25). Carter, the son of Midget legend Pancho Carter, will again be part of the Bertrand Motorsports stable. He had a second at Seekonk Speedway's Boston Louie in August. This time he will drive the No. 39 car that Ryan Newman drove to a second place at Lee earlier this year.
"He was really impressed with the winged Midgets and told us he would like to return," said owner Tim Bertrand. "We've been working on it ever sense." Carter led the first half of the Seekonk race. The Carter and Bertrand families will "team up" for a trip to Phoenix International Speedway's Copper Classic in November. Carter, who finished third in Phoenix a year ago, will drive his own Beast chassis powered by one of Bertrand's engines. The team, currently ahead in both the driver (Randy Cabral) and owner standings, has been busy throughout the season with "guest" drivers, the list also including Pete Skias and Teddy Christopher.
The Pro Four Modifieds of New England (PFMNE) came out twenty-three strong last Saturday for their thirteenth event of the 2009 campaign. As the checkers unfurled, it was Robin Berghman picking up her first win as part of the DAV Fall Classic at Seekonk Speedway. On the start, Dave Richardi of Easton jumped out to an early lead, besting the other 21 starters. Eric McGovern was in attendance, however, mechanical troubles in practice kept him from participating in the main event. Richardi would continue to lead the event until lap six when his car came out from underneath him and he went spinning on the front stretch, bringing out the first of six yellows. Berghman inherited the lead with Rob Richardi, Jr. of Easton, Dan Meservery, Jr., Cory Cleary of Plymouth, and Dan Meservey rounding out the top five.
Berghman took advantage of her restart position, jumping out to a comfortable lead. Meanwhile, further back in the pack Norm Wrenn and Brookfield-native, Andy Major, were navigating their way through traffic, securing positions in the top ten. Progress would be slowed for the two four-cylinder modified standouts as Dick Dubois, who was competing for the first time in 2009, went spinning. On the restart, Berghman picked up where she left off, continuing to lead the race. Richardi, Jr. got hung up on the outside, and as a result, Meservery, Jr., and Cleary got by. Cleary would then pass Meservey, Jr., taking control of the bridesmaid position. Wrenn had also advanced several more positions, and was running in fifth by the time the halfway signal was given to the field.
On lap sixteen, the third caution of the event was displayed when Mike Patnaude and Mike Crawford came together. At this point, Matt Sagar, who had been struggling with smoke billowing from his family-owned mount, retired from the race, as did Dan Meservey. The race would only be resumed for three laps before another yellow slowed the 30-lap main. This time the caution was issued for Billy Joerres, who went spinning off of turn four. On the restart, Berghman got the advantage with Cleary, Meservey, Jr., Wrenn, and Richardi, Jr. rounding out the top five. Positions six through ten went to Brian Vincent, Franky Perry, Andy Major, Phil Lausier, and Tyler Anderson, who brought his newly completed racecar out for the first time this season. Randy Clark and Henry Sirigano of Abington retired from the race during this caution period.
Green flag racing would be brought to a screeching halt twice in the last five laps. Mike Patnaude and Mike Crawford got together for the second time on lap 25, drawing the fifth caution of the event. Both drivers retired from the race along with Massachusetts-native, Dave Bedard. A lap 27 caution collected several front runners, and resulted in a red flag for track clean up. The trouble began when Dan Meservey, Jr. appeared to develop a mechanical problem which almost brought his car to a stop. Franky Perry, Dave Richardi, and Norm Wrenn were also involved. Richardi was the only driver able to continue. At this point the top five had been completely reaaranged with Berghman still at the point, Cleary in second, Vincent in third, Major in fourth, and Phil Lausier in fifth. Berghman was challenged several times by Cleary in the closing laps, but the youngster held off the seasoned veteran, as Berghman collected her first win of the season. Vincent, Major, and Lausier all maintained their top five positions. Sixth through tenth went to Tyler Anderson, Dick Dubois, Stan Mertz, Dave Richardi, and Dan Meservey, Jr. Positions eleven through twenty belonged to Perry, Wrenn, Patnaude, Bedard, Crawford, Richardi, Jr., Sirignano, Clark, Joerres, and Sagar. Meservey and Mark Charette rounded out the field.
Mike Stefanik and Fred Astle Jr spilt the victories in the 17th Annual DAV Fall Classics twin 100’s Sunday in front of several thousand people. Ryan Vanasse picked up the win in the 50 lap Late Model main event. Adam Cantor scored his first Seekonk Speedway victory in the NEMA 25 lap feature. 2009 Street Stock Champion Mike Mitchell was victorious in the Street Stock Open, and Rick Martin won his sixth career DAV trophy in the Seekonk Sports Truck/Mini Stock feature.
In the 100 lap True Value Modified 100 lap feature, Mighty Mike Stefanik won his first True Value Modified Racing Series win after taking the last qualifying position in the last qualifier on Saturday. Having to start 22nd out of 24 cars, Stefanik rode around near the back of the field before charging to the front after the halfway point, it was strategy that helped him to win his first race at Seekonk. “We made a decision to save our tires for the second half of the race” Stefanik said. “That was harder for me to do, ride around and wait, then the driving to the front part.”
Dwight Jarvis and Rowan Pennink raced wheel to wheel for the first few laps before Pennink overtook the former TVMRS champion for the lead. Rob Goodenough ran third with six-time champion Vinnie Annarummo running fourth. Joey Jarvis rounded out the top five. The first of five cautions came out on lap 11, when Carl Pasteryak spun in turn 2. Pennink continued to show the way, as Goodenough settled into third place. By the time the field rolled around for the 15th lap, Todd Annarummo started to show some muscle, and moved into the top four. Richard Savary of Canton worked his way into the top five by lap 25, and ran there until the second caution came out on lap 45.
On the ensuing restart, Acustney VT’s Jarvis made a move, and took over the lead. Pennink settled into second, with Annarummo third. Steve Masse and Savary raced side by side for fourth, swapping positions back and forth. At the halfway point, Jarvis had opened up a comfortable lead over Pennink, Annarummo, Savary and Goodenough. Masse, Ryan Preece, Jimmy Dolan, Joey Jarvis, and Jacob Dore rounded out the top ten.
At that point, Stefanik started to put 30+ years of modified experience to work, and started moving through the field on the outside. When the third caution came out on lap 68, Stefanik was sitting sixth. Jarvis continued to show the way around the 1/3 mile, and was still turning impressive laps, but the 7-time NASCAR Modified Champion was on the way. When the caution came out on lap 85, Stefanik was lining up on the outside of the front row. The pair raced side by side for the next couple of laps before Stefanik moved to the front on lap 86, and shut the door a couple of laps later. Jarvis continued to hound the leader, trying to find the way back to the front. The final caution came out on lap 95, when Jimmy Dolan spun on the front stretch.
Per True Value Modified Racing Series procedures, any restart with 5 or less laps remaining, the field starts single file. That sat just fine with Stefanik, as he took of on the green. But it would not be an easy final five laps. Jarvis continued to search, and with three laps remaining, he looked to the outside, Little by little, he was making one final push, and as they came off of turn four, the pair were side by side. As they crossed the stripe, Stefanik edged Jarvis by .053 for his first career win at Seekonk Speedway. Jarvis was second, with Pennink, Masse and Preece at the wheel of the Berkley Racing entry wrenched by Bob Caton rounding out the top five.
In the 100 lap Pro Stock feature, Fred Astle Jr picked up his first career DAV Fall Classic, edging out Rick Martin for the win, is a race for survival. Astle crashed out of his Qualifier on Saturday, and had to take a champion’s provisional to take the green. Rick Martin and Tom Scully Sr brought the field down for the green, with six-time DAV Champion Martin jumping out and leading the first 20 laps in the feature. Dave Darling, a two time DAV winner raced Martin side by side for several laps, taking the lead for the first time at lap 21. Martin took back over, but at the quarter mark, Darling took over and took off in the process. Martin pitted on a lap 27 caution, and had to come back through the field. Bobby Tripp was up to second at this point, but fell to third when Mike Brightman moved into contention.
Through the middle portion of the event, Darling was at the helm, and appeared to be on his way to the win, opening up leads of over a half straightaway at times. While Darling was dominating the race, Astle continued his march toward the front, moving into the top five at lap 40. A restart at lap 46 helped him close up the distance and slide into third place. At the half way point, Darling, Brightman, Astle, Bobby Tripp and Jake Vanada of Berkley sat in the top five. Jody Tripp, Ken Spencer of Taunton, Russ Hersey, Ray Parent and Tom Scully, Jr rounded out the top ten.
After a lap 55 caution, which saw Bobby Tripp and Vanada get together, Astle moved into second and started to put pressure on the leader. Astle sat several lengths behind Darling. There was little passing at this point, as it was apparent that many competitors had started to lose grip on the 1/3 mile bullring. A flurry of cautions appeared over the next 20 laps, which put more pressure on Darling, as Astle took several shots at the lead during each restart. It was during this flurry that gave Astle another shot for the lead. After a restart on lap 88, that the 88 of Russ Hersey got turned as the field was coming up to speed. Hersey bounced off the wall, and suffered race ending damage. The 88x of Jeramee Lillie was also involved in the incident. Astle was able to edge Darling across the strip on lap 89, and just as Darling edged back out front down the backstretch, another caution came out, allowing Astle to take the point on the ensuing restart.
As they headed into turn three to complete lap 90, Darling brushed the outside wall, and when Ray Parent moved underneath, the two made contact in the corner, with Darling spinning into the infield. Martin moved into second on the restart, and pressured Astle to the checkered flag. Parent finished third, with Brightman and Dave Hutchins rounding out the top five at the end. This was Astle’s first win in a 100 lap feature, and his first DAV win. “When I got into second, I looked up and asked my old man for some help,” an emotional Astle stated. “I can’t thank Pops enough. I just wish he was here to see it.”
In the 50 lap Late Model main, Ryan Vanasse inherited the lead on the opening lap, as pole sitter Matt Breault went around at the drop of the green. From there, he was able to set the tempo on the happenings behind him. Mike Cavallaro followed Vanasse for several laps before falling back to third on a lap 12 restart. From there, it was Bill Bernard settling into second, and putting some pressure on Vanasse. Gerry DeGasparre Jr started sixth on the field, and ran quietly through the first 20 laps, running behind Kyle Casper in sixth. Gerry didn’t crack the top five until lap 17. Jimmy Rosenfield of Middleboro ran fourth at this time. As they crossed at the halfway, Vanasse led Bernard, Cavallaro, DeGasparre and Ray Parent in the top five.
Gerry started to close in the distance past the halfway, and slid into third on lap 27. On a lap 33 restart, Gerry moved into the second position, with Parent squeezing past Bernard for third. With a lap 46 caution, DeGasparre had one last shot at bringing home the one trophy that has eluded him. Vanasse and DeGasparre raced wheel to wheel for several laps, with DeGasparre moving to the top of the leader board on lap 48. But it was not to be, as the 2009 Late Model Champion was able to find just a little more underneath the hood of the Team V Transport Chevy and edge out Gerry for his second consecutive DAV Trophy by .052 seconds. “This is a dream season for us,” Ryan exclaimed. “This one is for Dick & Jackie Houle. They’ve been with us for a long time, and I know they wanted this one.”
The Street Stocks at Seekonk have become one of the most competitive classes anywhere, and Sunday, they lived up to the hype. Former Street Stock DAV winners Scott Serydynski and Jim Silvia lined up on the front row and set the tone for the 30 laps from the get go. Silvia jumped out and led the first lap, with the divisions all time win leader coming back on lap two, as they exchanged paint hues around the speedway. By the fourth lap, 2009 Street Stock Champion Mike Mitchell started lurking in the third spot. The front tandem continued to run wheel to wheel, with Silvia taking the lead back on lap six. But that would only last one lap, as Scott took back over. Mitchell had closed in on the battle, and several times tried to make it a 3 wide bid for the lead. On lap 12, he moved into second, and just shy of the halfway, Mitchell moved into the top of the leader board. Another caution at lap 18 closed up the field when Steve Axon went around. Silvia headed to the pits at this time, not to return. Sparky Arsenault was starting to make some noise, and sat third on the restart. Chris DeMoura of Dighton and Mark Henshaw Jr. of Raynham rounded out the top five. Serydynski edged out front one more time, and set the pace until lap 24, when Mitchell moved past at lap 24. The duo swapped the lead back a couple more times over the final five laps, with Mitchell picking up his first DAV trophy by less than 2/10 of a second over Serydynski. Arsenault, DeMoura and Henshaw rounded out the top five.
In the 30 lap Seekonk Sport Truck/Mini Stock main, it came down to two of the most dominant trucks over the past five years. Mike Cavallaro made a rare appearance behind the wheel of his Rebel Racing Chevy, and brought the firld down to the green. John Paiva moved into second for the first couple of laps before 10 time feature winner in 2009 Rick Martin moved back into second on lap four. From there, the top two ran nose to tail. Lenny Guy, who started 12th, had moved into the top three by the 2/3 mark, with Mike Ronhock and Steve Dumas of Brockton into the top five behind him. When the caution came out on lap 23 for a stalled Anna Gregoire, Martin had fallen a couple of lengths behind the three time Truck Champion. The pair raced wheel to wheel for the next several laps, with Martin overtaking Cavallaro for the lead on lap 24, and never looked back.
Martin became the first driver to win six DAV trophies in his career, breaking a tie with NEAR Hall Of Fame Inductee George Savary. Martin has four wins in the Pro Stocks and two in the Trucks. Guy held on for third, with Ronhock and Dumas rounding out the top five. Billy Clark finished sixth, with Beth Adams, John Dumas, Jariah Roderick of Taunton and John Paiva rounding out the top ten.
“We had to make room for new trophies, and the DAV’s are the ones I keep,” Martin said with his mom and dad looking on. “These are the ones that mean the most.”
On Saturday night, Robin Berghman picked up her first career Pro4 Modified win in front of her hometown crowd. Starting third on the field, she quickly moved up and inherited the lead when Dave Richardi spun out of the lead when he lost traction on the front stretch. Once out front, the only challenge came from Cory Cleary, who had several attempts at the lead on restarts, but could not muster a challenge up under green. Cleary finished second, with Brian Vincent, Andy Major and Phil Lausier rounding out the top five. Points leader Norm Wrenn was involved in an accident and failed to finish.
Anthony Nocella took home the NEMA Lites honors, winning their 25 lap main event. Ed LeClerc of E. Taunton set the early pace, leading the first half of the race before Nocella moved up from his tenth starting position and took the lead. Once out front, he was never headed, and picked up his second win of the season at Seekonk. LeClerc fell to third in the final laps when Joe Mikitarian took over the runner up spot. Anthony Marvuglio of E. Bridgewater and Randy Cabral of Plymouth rounded out the top five.
The Pure Stocks completed their season Saturday with a 25 lap feature, as Lou Robinson picked up the win. While he went from green to checker out front, the battles behind him were hot and heavy. 2009 Champion Scott Cestodio dropped to third when Nick Uhrig moved past on lap two. They swapped the runner-up position seven times officially between them over the first 23 laps. Jamie Salley used a couple of timely cautions and moved into the top three with only four laps remaining and into second on the final circuits. Uhrig fell off the pace over the final lap, costing him several positions. Randy Moretti finished fourth behind Cestodio, with Carlos Silvia rounding out the top five.
Casey Sanchez capped off the 2009 SYRA 750 season with the DAV trophy in his final SYRA event. Casey is making the move up to the Saturday ARC classes in 2010. He was followed by Bob Perry, who was running his first 750 class main, Adam Swift, Chris Igo Jr, Jake Spillers and Jacob Swift.
Dave Hutchins Jr capped off a championship season in DAV Victory Lane in the SYRA 650 class. . Dave jumped out front at the drop of the green and never looked back. Several drivers took turns leading the rest of the pack, including Nick Lascoula, Willie Sanchez and Tylar Nailer. Sanchez won that battle, taking home the second spot, with Lascoula, Nailer and Branden Dion rounding out the top five.
Let's see what else is going on in southern New England this week through the weekend. The Auto Zone on Rt. 53 in Weymouth offers a cruise event on Tuesday night at 5 p.m. On Saturday there's a 4-Hour kart race around City Hall Plaza in Boston. The Capeway Rovers in Middleboro host motoX action at 9 a.m. The 10th Annual Vintage Speed Society offers a big event on Saturday starting at 9 a.m. at Plumb Corner in Rochester which is for every type of racing vintage racing machines prior to 1960. The same time there's a Haul of Fame meet in Plainfield, CT. The Redline Diner in Framingham goes with a cruise event starting at 3 p.m. The Wachusetts Valley Riders plan a flat track motorcycle event at 5 p.m. in Winchedon. On Sunday the Larz Anderson Museum in Brookline has a Swedish Car Day at 10 a.m. Memorial Field in Whitman offers the 16th Annual Classic Car Show all day. At the same time the Silverstone Club in N. Andover has a car show. Stafford Speedway in CT will host the annual Ty-Rods Swap Meet starting at 9 a.m. while Windel Field in Millbury has an Autofest all day.
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(10/9-10/12) ..... On October 9, 10 & 11, Seekonk Speedway will host the 18th annual DAV Fall Classic. There will be plenty of invaders coming to town for this event. Co-headlining the weekend will be the True Value Modifieds, NEMA Midgets, NEMA Lites and Pro4 Modifieds. They will be joined by open competition racing for Pro Stocks/Super Late Models, Late Models, Seekonk Sport Trucks/Mini Stocks and Street Stocks. Our Fast Friday classes will also be a part of the action, as the Seekonk Youth Racing Association, Pure Stocks and Sport4 divisions will be running.
Friday, October 9 will feature an open practice session for all divisions participating in the Fall Classic, as sanctioning bodies will allow. This has provided competitors that normally run elsewhere a chance to get acclimated with the tricky 1/3 mile. Saturday will start with practice followed by qualifying for all divisions. Heats and consolations will be run as needed. On Saturday, features will be run for the Pro4 Modifieds, NEMA Lites, Pure Stocks, Seekonk Youth Racing Association 750 and 600 classes, and the Sport4 divisions.
Closing out Saturday’s events will be the Kraze’s Speed Equipment Pro4 Powder Puff race in The Race Against Cancer, featuring the ladies of the Pro4 Modifieds. This Powder Puff race will be the 1st Annual Race for a Cure for the Pro4 ladies. In a charity event that has been run once at the 4 Cylinder Nationals, Gary Sagar and the Pro4 community wanted to give Southern New England a chance to help in the Brest Cancer Awareness cause. Al proceeds and donations will go directly to the Race Against Cancer.
Sunday will feature twin 100’s for the True Value Modifieds and the Pro Stocks. The Pro Stocks have been a staple at Seekonk Speedway since 1979, headlining the speedway from 1980 until the present. This race has become a fan favorite over the years, as competitors and champions from the Northeast compete against the Seekonk greats. The TVMRS are winding down their season, and with only one more race on their schedule, each position weighs heavily in the chase for the title. Also running main events are the NEMA Midgets, open competition racing for the Late Models, Street Stocks and Seekonk Sport Trucks/Mini Stocks. The Cement Palace has posted a $47,000 purse for the weekend.
What if a handful of Modified drivers wanted to test at Lime Rock Park? But would do it the “wrong” way! Well, it happened. On Tuesday, September 29, True Value Modified drivers Ken Barry, Jack Bateman, John Cleary and Jimmy Dolan did a few laps at Lime Rock “counter-race.” That is, the Uphill became the Downhill and the Downhill became the Uphill, for about 40 minutes. After the first session, a tire wall chicane was moved out to near the top of the “new” Downhill to keep the speeds reasonable through that corner. “It was good, our Spafco Race Chassis car felt pretty much at home,” said Barry. “It was loose through the right-hander (the Lefthander), and I was getting some push heading onto the straight, but it’s nothing we couldn’t fix with a rebound adjustment to the right-front shock.”
This all sounds pretty exciting a Modified race on the 1.6 mile road course backwards. But, we've been told that the Mods on a road course would result in lots transmission failures. Many years ago a Modified race was held on the infield road course. It was different but it never worked out. It reminds us of when the motorcycles used to run the old Loudon, NH road course and then they would give it a try backwards and it was referred to as Noduol by the bike crowd. Maybe the Mods would do well there considering that Connecticut is the center of paved track Modified racing.
The 36th annual XTRAMART World Series of Speedway Racing is coming to Thompson the weekend of October 16-18. This amazing three-day racing extravaganza is the largest, most diversified and most incredible racing program anywhere in the country.
Hundreds of race cars and race trucks and thousands of race fans will converge on the Thompson International Speedway to be part of one of auto racing’s annual gems. Fourteen different divisions of race cars and trucks will compete for championships, money and prestige as the 2009 racing season comes to an end.
The huge Thompson pit area will be filled to capacity with racers representing the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour, ISMA Super Modifieds, NEMA Midgets, ARTS Trucks, Thompson’s “Super 6” NASCAR Whelen All-American Series, Pro 4 Modifieds and three different “Outlaw” divisions. Many of the touring division will crown champions at Thompson including the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour.
Friday’s schedule includes practice and qualifying races for 8 of the 14 divisions. These divisions will compete in feature races on Saturday night. Prior to the running of those Saturday night feature races, the remaining 7 divisions will practice and qualify during the day on Saturday. Those qualifying on Saturday will run their feature races on Sunday. The Sunday lineup will spotlight ISMA Super Modifieds, NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour, NEMA Midgets along with Thompson’s Sunoco Modifieds, Super Late Models and Late Models to complete this amazing lineup of racing cars and stars.
Racing is, of course, the main focus of the XTRAMART World Series. However, the fact that it is also one enormous, season-ending race party is also a large part of this fun-filled outing. Thousands converge upon the Speedway grounds for the entire weekend and take full advantage of the great times offered up by the Raceway Restaurant and Lounge, the tailgate parties that fill the parking lot, the Raceway Golf Course and driving range and the many attractions within easy driving distance of the Speedway. Race fans meet up with old friends and make many new ones during the many social hours that make up this extra-special weekend.
19-year-old Parker Kligerman of Westport, CT, officially clinched the 2009 Bill France Four Crown in the ARCA RE/MAX Series by winning Kansas Lottery 150 at Kansas Speedway. The prestigious award consists of four distinct tracks on the ARCA RE/MAX Series schedule-a short track, a road course, a dirt track and a superspeedway- and is designed to highlight the diverse nature of the ARCA RE/MAX Series.
En route to the 2009 Bill France Four Crown, Kligerman posted two wins and two second place finishes. He won at the DuQuoin State Fairgrounds mile-dirt track on September 7 in just his second career start on a clay oval. He finished second at New Jersey Motorsports Park, a 2.6-mile road course, on September 13 and second at the half-mile Salem Speedway short track on September 19. Kligerman's most recent race win occurred at Kansas Speedway, where the Penske Development driver used a green-white-checker restart to pass Eddie Sharp Racing's Justin Lofton in the closing laps of the Kansas Lottery 150.
"This Bill France Four Crown Award is prestigious," said Kligerman. "I wanted to win it because I think we've had a great run these last four weeks and this shows it with that award. The ARCA RE/MAX Series has a really diverse schedule and I have learned from racing at all of the different types of tracks we race at. There isn't anywhere else that you can race on short tracks, speedways, road courses and dirt. Justin Lofton and I have been going hard at it this season and I think by battling together so closely throughout this season we have improved each other."
Kligerman, a Penske Development Driver for Cunningham Motorsports, leads the 2009 ARCA RE/MAX Series in race wins with eight. He is in the midst of a tight points battle with Eddie Sharp Racing's Justin Lofton that concludes next weekend at Rockingham Speedway.
Heading into Thursday's Kansas Lottery 150, seven drivers were mathematically eligible to clinch the 2009 Bill France Four Crown, including Kligerman, Lofton, Frank Kimmel, Joey Coulter, Tom Hessert, Robb Brent and Kory Rabenold.
Kimmel has won the Bill France Crown a total of six times, including the last two consecutive years, and is the all-time winner of the award. Other former recipients include Blake Bjorklund, Brent Sherman, Jason Jarrett, Tim Steele, Bill Baird,Harris DeVane, Bob Hill, Bob Keselowski, Bobby Bowsher, Bill Venturini, Bob Keselowski, Tracy Leslie, Grant Adcox, Lee Raymond and Davey Allison.
2009 marks the first year that the Bill France Crown consists of four race events, as Series officials added the 2.6-mile New Jersey Motorsports Park Road Course to the mix this season. In past years, the Bill France Crown has consisted of three race events to include a short track, a speedway and a dirt track.
The Bill France Four Crown award winner has been honored at the ARCA RE/MAX Series National Championship Awards Banquet each consecutive year since 1984.
Bill France Four Crown Champions, 1984-2009
2009 Parker Kligerman
2008 Frank Kimmel
2007 Frank Kimmel
2006 Blake Bjorklund
2005 Frank Kimmel
2004 Brent Sherman
2003 Jason Jarrett
2002 Frank Kimmel
2001 Frank Kimmel
2000 Tim Steele
1999 Bill Baird
1998 Frank Kimmel
1997 Tim Steele
1996 Tim Steele
1995 Harris DeVane
1994 Bob Hill
1993 Bob Keselowski
1992 Bobby Bowsher
1991 Bowsher-Venturini
1990 Bob Keselowski
1989 Tracy Leslie
1988 Grant Adcox
1987 Grant Adcox
1986 Lee Raymond
1985 Lee Raymond
1984 Davey Allison
One race remains in the 2009 ARCA RE/MAX Series-The American 200 at Rockingham Speedway next Sunday, October 11. The race marks the 21st and final event of the 2009 season and is set to roll off at 1 p.m. Eastern on Sunday, October 11, 2009. The race will air on SPEED Sunday at 10 p.m.
Hundreds of victories and dozens of championships are represented in the New England Auto Racer’s Hall of Fame “Class of 2010.” Drivers Geoff Bodine, Mike Murphy, George Savory of Westwood and Pete Fiandaca of Fitchburg, car owners Billy Simons, Bob Garbarino and Vic Miller and contributor Frank Ferrara will be inducted at the 13th annual induction banquet on Sunday, Jan 30, 2010 at the LaRenaissance Banquet Hall in East Windsor, CT. Still to be announced are the inductees from the Veterans Committee and the Jack Ratta Memorial (media) winner.
The Class of 2010 is the result of a nomination/selection process that includes voting by a special selection committee and the living members of the Hall.
Before winning 18 Sprint Cup races including the 1986 Daytona 500, Bodine established new standards for Modified driving for Franklin car owner Dick Amstrong in the late 1970s. He won 55 features in 1978 alone including the Race of Champions, the Spring Sizzler, the Thompson 300 and a sweep at Martinsville. Credited with hundreds of Modified wins (he was named one of NASCAR’s top-10 Modified drivers in 2003), he is a multi-time champion at both Stafford and Thompson Speedways.
A car owner for almost 40 years, Simons, a Cromwell, CT native, won 10 championships – eight at Waterford Speedbowl and two at Riverside Park in Agawam. With drivers like Ray Delisle, Hank Stevens, Don Collins, Ray Miller, Dick Caso, Stan Gregor, Ricky Summers and Dan Avery, he won at a number of tracks including Waterford, Lebanon Valley, Riverside Park, Stafford, Monadnock and Thompson.
The Late Murphy, who campaigned out of Woburn, was a paragon of consistency, winning in several divisions including Modifieds, Supermodifieds, Pro Stocks and Late Models over almost three decades (1961-2000). Murphy, who won 22 straight ProStock features at Hudson in 1985, captured eight championships (four in a row at Hudson) including the 1989 NASCAR Pro Stock crown at Star Speedway.
Starting as an owner/mechanic Springfield native Ferrara has served New England motorsports for well over 50 years. The association started as a car owner at Riverside Park in the early 1950s. He has a been a flagman (the Northeastern Midget Association and Stafford), a race sponsor (The Ferrara 100s), driver and, presently, a track owner (Whip City Speedway in Westfield).
Coming out of the famous Gasoline Alley in Needham, Savory raced with great success for 43 years. Competing throughout the east, he won an estimated 300 features and grabbed championships at Norwood Arena (1970), Westboro Speedway (1977) and Riverside Park (1994). He followed that with four “Pro 4 Modified” championships.
The “Traveling Man,” Fiandaca is the ultimate racer. Since 1967, he has won at least 320 features in everything from “bombers” to Modifieds and Pro Stocks. Fiandaca has 16 championships at five different tracks. A living legend in every sense of the phase, the immensely popular Fiandaca battled the best and prevailed not only with talent but also with smarts and determination.
Garbarino’s cars have carried the number V4 and the name “Mystic Missile” for 40 years, testimony to his longevity as a Modified car owner. The 2006 national championship capped off a run that began in the early 1960s at Waterford Speedbowl. The Mystic, CT-based team went to NASCAR in 1967 and became a charter member of the current Modified Tour set up in 1985.
Miller’s numbers are astonishing. Since 1965, cars prepared and/or owned by Miller have won on 32 tracks in 11 states and Canada. A five-time ISMA champ, he owns eight Thompson World Series, six Star/NESMRA Classic and six Oswego Nationals wins. Current driver Chris Perley is on a list of Miller drivers that includes Ollie Silva, Don MacLaren, Eddie West and Bentley Warren.
Waterford Speedbowl in CT was forced to cancel last Saturday's NASCAR Whelen All-American Series race program scheduled for this evening due to rain. The event date will not be made up. That leaves the final points event remaining as The Finale, the Speedbowl's closing NASCAR Whelen All-American Series points race for the SK Modifieds, Late Models, Street Stocks, and Mini Stocks. The event is scheduled for this weekend October 9-11. With the rainout, Groton's Bruce Thomas Jr. clinches his third consecutive title in the Bob Valenti Auto Mall Late Model division. Practice goes Friday afternoon at 1 p.m.
The battle for the SK Modified crown between Wallingford's Keith Rocco and Ron Yuhas Jr., also of Groton, along with the four way Street Stock championship race and a tight Norwich Bulletin Mini Stock title chase will all be in the spotlight during The Finale. The event features scheduled 100-lap features for the SKs and Late Models, and 50-lappers for the Street Stocks and Mini Stocks.
All told, over 400 laps and 12 main events will take place. Legends Cars, Allison Legacy, NEATV Trucks, plus the Wild 'n Wacky X-Car, Super X-Car, X-Modified and Bandolero race teams will be on hand for events. The Speedbowl will host an Outlaw Stock race as well, hosting race teams from several other race tracks and divisions. Finale qualifying is on for Saturday at 1 p.m. while the Finale features go off at the same time on Sunday afternoon.
Also washed out was Whip City Speedway in Westfield. The last points race for all divisions will be this Saturday, October 10.
The NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour championship will once again come down to the final event of the year at the Thompson International Speedway. A mere 26 points separate the top two contenders going in the XTRAMART World Series of Speedway racing at Thompson. Donny Lia, looking to win his second series title, moved into the top spot following his win at the Stafford Motor Speedway this past weekend. Ryan Preece is the driver in Lia’s rearview mirror. Preece is only 26 points behind Lia and well within striking distance of the division’s crown. Ted Christopher saw his nearly season-long points lead disappear on Sunday when an accident knocked TC out of the competition. He was credited with a 31st place finish, dropped to third in the standings, and now faces an up hill battle to erase his current 109 point deficit. Rounding out the top five as they head for Thompson are Todd Szegedy and Rowan Pennink.
The NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour title is, more often than not, decided at the XTRAMART World Series of Speedway Racing and the 2009 champ will be crowned following the WMT 150-lap main event slated for Sunday, October 18. Championships are a big part of the three-day XTRAMART World Series. Chris Perley will lead the ISMA Super Modified contingent into their final event of the year and Tim Bertrand, holding a slim 18 points advantage over Mike Jarret, will attempt to secure the NEMA title at Thompson. The XTRAMART World Series is a one-of-a-kind racing spectacle. Hundreds of race cars and racing trucks converge upon the huge Thompson Speedway complex to compete in one of the fourteen different divisions that make up this extra-special event. Racers from all up and down the east coast make the annual trek to Thompson to compete on one of America’s premier short tracks. The ultra fast, high banked 5/8ths mile oval, offers competitors a chance to be part of one of the largest racing events in the country.
Thompson’s Super 6 NASCAR Whelen All-American Series divisions will play a major role in the World Series with each providing, as they have all season long, exciting, wheel-to-wheel racing action. Racing trucks from the ARTS series, Pro 4 Modifieds and three “outlaw” divisions will round out the fourteen division event. Practice and qualifying races for eight divisions will make up the on-track activity on Friday. Saturday will feature qualifying for the WMT, ISMA, NEMA and the remaining divisions that will race on Sunday. Once Saturday qualifying is complete, eight feature races will make for an exciting and fun filled Saturday night. Sunday’s action starts at 12 Noon with the heavy hitters in six incredible feature races. The XTRAMART World Series of Speedway Racing is also host to some of racing’s greatest party atmospheres. It’s the last major event of the season and race fans enjoy all of the food, fun and entertainment at the Raceway Restaurant and Lounge.
The Pro Four Modifieds of New England (PFMNE) completed their twelfth race of the season at Twin State Speedway. Fifteen modifieds hit the pavement for the Bot-L-Gas and RF Logic feature at Open Wheel Sunday in Claremont, NH. The #58 of Henry Sirigano of Abington and the #00 of Dave Richardi of Easton won their respective heat races and also finished in the top five for the feature. But it was the #1m of Norm Wrenn who proved unstoppable in the race to the finish.
The PFMNE 25-lap main event was led by D. Richardi and the #07 of Phil Lausier. Wrenn started in ninth, but quickly moved into the high groove, passing the #31 of Michael Crawford, the #26 of Mike Patnaude, and Sirigano on the first lap. By lap three, Wrenn tucked in behind the #4 of Cory Cleary of Plymouth, who saw an open door under the #11a of Dan Meservey. Coming out of turn four on the sixth lap, the #86 of Mark Charette drove outside the #34 of Mark Giordano for eleventh as he chased down a spot in the top ten. Wrenn found an opening below Cleary and passed him on lap seven for the fourth position. On lap seven, a caution came out for the #99 of Billy Joerres who spun in turns three and four.
On the restart, D. Richardi and Lausier continued to lead the field, followed closely by the #10 of Brian Vincent and Wrenn. Within one lap of the restart, Wrenn drove outside Vincent and had begun racing side by side with Lausier. The battle continued for a lap before Wrenn’s machine claimed the second position. Meanwhile, Meservey and Cleary raced side by side, vying for the fifth position, but Cleary was able to keep his advantage. Wrenn challenged D. Richardi for the lead, and the two raced side by side for several laps—with neither holding the advantage for very long. By lap fourteen, however, Wrenn’s machine completed the pass and would took over the lead for the rest of the race with D. Richardi at his heels. On that same lap, Cleary drove under Vincent to claim the fourth position. On lap sixteen, Joerres was about to pass Charette but had an unfortunate spin in turns three and four that brought out the second caution of the event.
Wrenn and D. Richardi led the field on the restart, followed by Lausier and Cleary. Sirigano restarted in seventh, but quickly made his way around Meservey and was looking to pass Cleary as well. But on lap seventeen, Cleary headed to the pits and was unable to return to the track. The third caution of the event occurred on lap twenty, when the #16 of Stan Mertz and Joerres spun on the frontstretch.
A single file restart brought on some side by side racing in the back of the field, but within five laps, it was Wrenn who claimed his tenth victory of the season. He was followed by D. Richardi, Lausier, Vincent, and Sirigano to complete the top five. Meservey, Patnaude, Mertz, Charette, Joerres, Crawford, Giordano, Cleary, the #56 of Dave Bedard, and the #07x of Robin Berghman rounded out the rest of the finishing order. Stan Mertz was the first Limited Pro Four to cross the finish line, followed by Joerres and Giordano. The PFMNE’s next race will be at the D. Anthony Venditti Memorial at Seekonk Speedway on Saturday.
Randy Cabral of Plymouth made it two-for-two at Twin State Speedway, winning the rain-shortened 19-lap Northeastern Midget Association segment of Open Wheel Sunday. It was the fourth win of the season for defending champion and current point leader. Coming from fifth, Cabral took the lead after a three-lap side-by-side battle with eventual runner-up Adam Cantor. The duel followed a lap 13 restart.
The win keeps Tim Bertrand in the owner’s point lead over Mike Jarret, Nokie Fornoro driving the latter’s car to a third. Jim Miller and Jeff Horn completed the top five. The race, ended on a red-flag situation, Mike Horn, Greg Stoehr of Lakeville and Lee Bundy involved in an altercation. A sudden rainstorm appeared before the cleanup was complete.
Russ Wood Jr. won the 20-lap “Lites” feature. Wood took the lead with an eighth-lap master move. Cantor, who started third, had the lead immediately, also lost a restart challenge to Randy Cabral on lap five. He immediately got the lead back, however, and was in control when the second yellow flew.
“My car started to get a little tight and that was good for me,” said Cantor, who moved ahead out of turn four. “I was getting faster and faster and he appeared to be getting loose.” Cantor was “loose off by then,” and “just couldn’t get wide open fast enough” on the restart.
Wood found a hole between leader Rick Hart and Anthony Nocella coming out of four in the caution-free “Lites” event. It was the first win of the season for the second-generation racer who started on the pole.
The race immediately turned into a four-way battle that continued to the checkered. Anthony Nocella, Jake Stergios and Rick Hart, the latter the only other leader, were in a bunch at the finish. NEMA and the “Lites” continue the grand slam season finish at this weekend’s DAV at Seekonk Speedway.
NEMA Nuggets: Nokie Fornoro’s 12.484 mark on 17 was the fastest lap in the feature…Nokie’s son Lawson drove his first-ever race in the Lites event. “He kept the car straight and didn’t cause any trouble,” said the happy father…Barry Cannon returned after an eight-year absence to drive the Luggelle 77.
RESULTS: 1. Randy Cabral, 2. Adam Cantor, 3. Nokie Fornoro, 4. Jim Miller, 5. Jeff Horn, 6. Russ Stoehr(Bridgewater), 7. Chris DeRitis, 8. Abby Martino, 9. Matt O’Brien, 10. Barry Cannon, 11. Lee Bundy, 12. Greg Stoehr, 13. Mike Horn, 14. Bobby Seymour, 15. John Zych Jr., 16. Anthony Marvuglio(E. Bridgewater), 17 Barry Kittredge (DNS).
LITES 1. Russ Wood Jr., 2. Anthony Nocella, 3. Jake Stergios, 4. Rick Hart, 5. Paul Luggelle(Holbrook), 6. Eric Cabral, 7. David Rose, 8. Lawson Fornoro, 9. Joey Chick, 10. Joe Spinzola (DNS), 11. Anthony Marvuglio (DNS).
Stafford Speedway returned to action its final NASCAR Whelen All-American Series feature events of the 2009 season as part of CARQUEST Fall Final Weekend. Scoring victories were Keith Rocco in the 40-lap SK Modified feature, Ryan Posocco in the 30-lap Late Model feature, Heather DesRochers in the 20-lap SK Light Modified feature, Shawn Thibeault in the 20-lap Limited Late Model feature, Andrew Hayes in the 15-lap DARE Stock feature, Victoria Bergenty in the 8-lap Paradiso-Muska DARE Stock Shoot-Out, and Chad Baxter won the special 15-lap Mini Stock feature event.
At the top of Stafford program, the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour event saw Don Lia, at the wheel of the Mystic Missile from CT win that event. And as a result he is now the point leader. Ryan Preece, driving the Mike Boehler entry out of Freetown came in third. Eric Beers ended the day in seventh place at the wheel of Bob Katon's Berkley Racing machine.
The Shane Hammond Believe Foundation, in conjunction with the First Turn Driving Experience, is proud to announce the first annual Shane Hammond Driving School is set to take place at Waterford Speedbowl on Monday, October 12. The School will not only give drivers, young and old, the ability to try their hand at driving a full size NEMA midget, with a Ford Focus engine, at one of New England’s premier Open Wheel facilities, but also learn from some of the best Open Wheel drivers in the Country.
The Shane Hammond foundation was founded after Hammond’s tragic and untimely death at the Thompson Speedway Icebreaker in April of 2008. Deb Marvuglio of E. Bridgewater, Hammond’s mother, and the driving force behind the Foundation, started the effort with two primary concepts in mind – first to assist drivers wishing to learn the ranks of Open Wheel racing through a proper learning experience, and second – to invest in the safety of today’s Open Wheel racers.
Part of Marvuglio’s vision was to set up a formalized driving school, and there was no better choice of partner than Bobby Seymour of Seymour Enterprises and the First Turn Driving Experience – a professional Open Wheel driving school for up and coming racers. Together, they hope that the first annual event on October 12 will both assist new & curious drivers how to properly and safely handle and set up an Open Wheel race car.
“This is an excellent learning experience, and for an excellent cause,” states Seymour. “For a relatively small investment, an interested racer can try their hand at driving a full size midget, and gain valuable experience from a number of experienced drivers. They will walk away from this experience knowing whether this is truly something they would like to do or not,” commented Seymour. Pricing for the school starts at $395 and proceeds will benefit the Foundation.
Rockland native Dale Quarterley, now living in NC, plans to return to the racing scene according to Area Auto Racing News. He expects to back in the Camping World Series East in road races and will be prepping a car for another driver. AARN also tells of Marshfield's Bob Grigas, III getting a two race suspension for an infraction of a rule at last month's NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour race held at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. It's said that he's taking the suspension for this year and would like to start fresh in the 2010 season.
Let's see what else is happening in southern New England during the week right into the weekend. On Tuesday night the Autozone on Rt. 53 in Weymouth hosts a cruise night at 5 p.m. The Bass Pro Shops at Patriot Place in Foxborough hosts another big cruise night on Thursday also at 5 p.m. At the same time Thompson Speedway in CT has a special practice session from 3-7 p.m. for the upcoming World Series of Stockcar Racing. On Saturday and Sunday the Central MA Auto Auction in Oxford hosts a big weekend of Cruises, AutoX, Thrill Show and Fire Flashes each day starting at 9 a.m. On Saturday there's 1/4 Midget racing, all day, plus a pig roast, at the Silver City Speedway in Meriden, CT. MotoX action is on starting at 9 a.m. at the Capeway Rovers in Middleboro. Cruises are also on in that day at the Redline Diner in Framingham at 2 p.m. At the Fusion in Foxborough there's a Car and Bike Show. Earlier in the day the Berlin (CT) Fairgrounds hosts a Plainville Speedway Reunion plus those drivers from that defunct track will race in a Kart event on the dirt track there. It all gets going at 9 a.m. On Sunday there are car shows at the Briggs Farm in Northborough, Wall Street in Burlington, Memorial Park in Johnston, RI, Larz Anderson hosts a VW Day in Brookline, Downtown Orange has a car show at 9 a.m. while Orange Airport has a Steam/Gas Engine show. The Quoboag Riders in Monson will have a motorcycle hillclimb starting at 9 a.m.
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(10/2-10/4) ..... This Saturday, October 3 is the date for the second-annual “Balfour Beatty Automotive Show & Shine”. The event will be held on the grounds of the Balfour Beatty Management office located in naval housing at 100 Tern Road in Groton , CT. The affair is open to the general public, and local enthusiasts are invited to enter their vehicles. First and second-place trophies will be awarded in the following classes; Classic, Contemporary, Tuner, Truck, and Motorcycle. A “Best of Show” award will also be presented. Commemorative dash plaques go to the first thirty-five show entrants.
Several other activities highlight the program. Nationally known recording artist Melea will be performing selections from her debut album “Bring Me The Music”. Also scheduled to make an appearance is the “Thrasher” Monster Truck. For the small fry, there’ll be a “Bounce House” along with a number of other “kid-friendly” activities. A selection of food and refreshments will be available throughout the day.
The Northeastern Midget Association will close out the season with a grand slam – four headline events starting with Twin State Speedway’s Open Wheel Sunday on Sunday, Oct. 4. The battle for the owners championship – Tim Bertrand (47) leads Mike Jarret (4) by a scant 18 points – grabs the spotlight as NEMA returns to the Claremont, NH facility. Bertrand’s’ driver Randy Cabral of Plymouth and Jarret’s driver Nokie Fornoro staged a textbook battle in NEMA’s last visit to Twin State.
Following Twin State, NEMA will make traditional October stops at Seekonk Speedway’s DAV (10-11, Thompson Speedway’s World Series (17-18) and Lee USA Speedway’s Oktoberfest (24-25). The NEMA Lites will be part of all the events with the exception of Thompson. With seven different winners, it has been a very competitive season. There have been six different Lites winners. Cabral, clearly NEMA’s “Mr. October” in recent years, is the man to beat but capturing a title for his owner motivates Fornoro. The battle for third spot is equally intense, Adam Cantor (7ny) leading Gene Angelillo (45) by 48. Russ Stoehr is Angelillo’s driver.
“It is always a challenging finish for NEMA,” says club president Mike Scrivani Jr. of Brockton. “There are four different race tracks. There is the fastest place we visit and one or two of the most demanding handling wise. We’ve had lots of surprises in October.”
NEMA will be returning to Twin State, Seekonk (where Cabral and Jeff Abold have won) and Lee (Cabral and Jeff Horn). It will be the first visit this year to Thompson. Fornoro, Cantor, and Russ and Greg Stoehr of Lakeville have also won this season. Cabral carries a comfortable driver’s point lead into October. Fornoro and Bridgewater's Russ Stoehr, in second and fourth place, both missed a race because of health problems. Third place Cantor had two devastating results.
There are, however, torrid battles for the rest of the top-10 and top-15 spots in the respective standings. Greg Stoehr, top rookie Chris DeRitis, Erica Santos of Franklin, John Zych Jr. and Abby Martino, the latter coming off a strong effort at Lee, are all hoping to protect top-10 point positions.
POINT STANDINGS
Drivers: 1. Randy Cabral 1269; 2. Nokie Fornoro 1171; 3. Adam Cantor 1082; 4. Russ Stoehr 1004; 5. Greg Stoehr 893; 6. Chris DeRitis 831; 7. Erica Santos 777; 8. John Zych Jr. 729; 9. Abby Martino 670; 10. Jeff Horn 665.
Owners: 1. Tim Bertrand (47) 1269; 2. Mike Jarret (4) 1251; 3. Cantor Racing (7ny) 1082; 4. Gene Angelillo (45) 1034; 5. Greg Stoehr (26b) 839; 6. Power Point Racing (99) 831; 7. Ed Breault (44) 782; 8. Jim Miller (3m) 732; 9. John Zych Sr. (9) 729; 10. Joan Martino (21a) 670.
Jeff Horn is the 13th driver to reach 20 on the all-time win list. Ahead of him are Drew Fornoro (84), Dave Humphrey (72), Nokie Fornoro (43), Russ Stoehr (40), Bill Eldridge (33), Johnny Mann (29), Randy Cabral (25), Bobby Seymour (23), Joe Csiki (22) and Lee Smith (21). He joins Johnny Coy on the 20-win level … Drew Fornoro needed only four seasons (1981-1984) to reach 20 wins. Csiki (1961-1965) and Dave Humphrey (1965-1969) need five... Cabral is the only active NEMA driver with a Twin State victory. He is NEMA’s all-time winner at Thompson with seven and sits one behind Fornoro (8) atop the Seekonk win list. Horn’s three wins is tops among active drivers at Lee.
It was a night to crown champions at Thompson International Speedway as the 2009 season came to an end on a beautiful Thursday night. In Sunoco Modified action, Ted Christopher of Plainville, CT, took his third straight victory but it was Keith Rocco of Wallingford, CT, taking the crown. Jim Banfield of S. Glastonbury, CT, had a career night winning his career first Super Late Model feature event. Teenager Derek Ramstrom of Worcester earned his first Thompson championship.
Rick Gentes of Woonsocket, RI, made it two in a row in Late Model competition. John Materas of Voluntown, CT, had a joy ride on Thursday night as he clinched the championship the week before. Tom Tagg of Oxford scored his fifth win of the season in the TIS Modifieds. Tim Sullivan of S. Windsor, CT, earned the title in the division by a scant eight points.
Shawn Monahan of Waterford, CT, scored his second straight Limited Sportsman feature victory. After an eventful night, Larry Barnett recovered from an early race incident to become a multi-time Limited Sportsman champion. Randy Churchill of Niantic, CT, scored his third win of the season in the Mini Stocks. Scott Michalski of S. Killingly, CT, had a banner year to win the division’s title. Also Les Rose, Jr., formerly of Wareham, took an eighth place in the Super Late Models while Robert O'Connell of Franklin cracked the top ten.
Stafford Motor Speedway returned to racing its Final Friday Night Shoot-Out on September 25th with a NASCAR Whelen All-American Series card of five racing divisions. Doug Coby took his first victory of the season in the 40-lap SK Modified feature, Tom Fearn took his second win of the season in the 30-lap Late Model feature, David Webb took down his second win of the season in the 20-lap SK Light Modified feature, Bill Davis took down his first victory of 2009 in the 20-lap Limited Late Model feature event, and Don Wood scored his second win of 2009 in the 15-lap DARE Stock feature.
A pair of rookies took center stage Friday at Dover International Speedway: Brett Moffitt came away with the Sunoco 150 checkered flag and Ryan Truex earned the 2009 NASCAR Camping World Series East championship. Truex, a 17-year-old development driver for Michael Waltrip Racing, finished eighth on Friday but it was the performance throughout the 11-race season that put him in the championship Winner’s Circle following the Sunoco 150. Truex finished his first season in NASCAR’s top development series with three wins and eight top 10s.
The main championship contender for Truex – Eddie MacDonald of Rowley – finished one position behind Truex in the race and wound up 34 points out of the championship (1,719 – 1,685). Jody Lavender was the third driver to enter the day with a mathematical chance at the championship, 102 points back of Truex. His race ended with a 17th-place finish, seven laps down.
Friday’s season finale was dominated on the track by Moffitt, also 17. The Grimes, Iowa, native led four different times for 85 laps and crossed the line two and a half seconds ahead of Ryan Gifford for the Sunoco 150 victory. The second win of the year placed him third in the season standings. Following Richard Childress Racing development driver Gifford across the line at Dover was Corey LaJoie, David Mayhew, and Alan Tardiff. Steve Park, Ryan Duff, Truex, MacDonald and Jarit Johnson rounded out the top 10. Joe Gibbs Racing’s Matt DiBenedetto set the track qualifying record earlier in the day and led three different times for 31 laps, but a mid-race accident left him two laps down in 11th. With the 2009 season complete, the next racing event on the schedule for NASCAR Camping World Series teams will be the 2010 NASCAR Toyota All-Star Showdown on Jan. 29-30 in Toyota Speedway at Irwindale (Calif.). Truex and the rest of the NASCAR touring series champions will be honored at the Touring Series Gala in Concord, N.C., Saturday, Nov. 14.
There's a new date for the Annual Town Fair World of Wheels at the Bayside Expo in Dorchester, MA. It's now set for March 12 to March 14, 2010. Tradi-tionaly the show went the first weekend after New Years. We did hear that the event may not be held due to problems at The Expo. Apparently that's been resolved. There's also supposed to be a Special Motorama Room. The three-day show has been a staple for metro Boston motor heads for many years.
As the most successful competitor in the 25 years of the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour, there are few milestones that Mike Stefanik of RI has yet to attain. Last Sunday in the Made In America Whelen 300 at Martinsville (VA) Speedway, Stefanik crossed two more off the list. Mike wrestled the lead away from ToddSzegedy on Lap 180 and kept it through two late restarts to earn the 70th victory of his illustrious career in the combination race with the NASCAR Whelen Modified and Whelen Southern Modified Tours. A seven-time Whelen Modified Tour champion, and the winningest driver in Tour history, Stefanik also notched his fifth career win at the 0.526-mile oval on Sunday, a Tour record at the historic facility.
With the victory, Stefanik became the eighth driver in NASCAR history to reach the 70-win plateau in a series, and the first driver to do it outside of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. Following Stefanik and Todd Szegedy of CT in the top 10 were Ryan Preece, in the Mike Boehler entry out of Freetown, pole winner Ron Silk, Burt Myers, Kevin Goodale, George Brunnhoelzl III, Donny Lia, Eric Goodale and Jamie Tomaino. By virtue of being the highest-finishing car from the Whelen Southern Modified Tour in the race, Myers earned a victory for that Tour.
Ted Christopher, the Whelen Modified Tour points leader coming into the race, suffered mid-race engine troubles and settled for a 30th-place finish, 67 laps down. His finish, combined with Lia’s eight-place effort, closed Lia to within just one point of the championship lead with two races remaining in the season.Preece is just 12 back of Christopher, and Szegedy is fourth, 37 points out of first.Brunnhoelzl increased his lead in the Whelen Southern Modified Tour standings to 140 points over Andy Seuss, who finished 21st last Sunday, 20 laps off the pace. Two races also remain in the Whelen Southern Modified Tour’s 2009 campaign. Also making the long run down to the VA oval was Eric Preece,at the wheel of Bob Caton's Berkley Racing entry who finished 23rd.
The NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour runs its second-to-last race Sunday, Oct. 4 with the CARQUEST Fall Final at Stafford (Conn.) Motor Speedway, while the NASCAR Whelen Southern Modified Tour holds its penultimate race with the Lighting Fast 150 at Ace Speedway in Altamahaw, N.C., on Friday, Oct. 2.
At the Waterford Speedbowl in CT last Saturday night, Ron Yuhas took his third Modified feature of the season while Jordan returned to the Late Model victory lane. Hovey, Field and Palmer also clinchedchampionships. At Dover, DE, Matt Kobyluck of Uncasville, CT ended the day in the NASCAR Camping World East race in 15th place overall.
The Thompson International Speedway announced that a special open practice session will be held one week prior to the running of the XTRAMART World Series in October. The date of the “test and tune” session will be Thursday, October 8 between the hours of 3 p.m. and 7 p.m.This special opportunity for race teams will be open to any and all safe racer cars. But, it will be a unique opportunity for those looking to compete in the three-day racing extravaganza, The XTRAMART World Series of Speedway Racing, scheduled for the weekend of October 16– 18.
The XTRAMART World Series of Speedway Racing attracts hundreds of race cars representing some fourteen different and distinct racing divisions. The NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour, the ISMA Super Modifieds, the mighty Midgets of NEMA, ARTS Trucks, Pro 4 Modifieds, SK Lights, True Value Modifieds, Thompson’s own NASCAR Whelen All-American Super 6 divisions and three “outlaw” divisions. All of these racing divisions along with vintage cars and more are welcome at this special pre-World Series event.
“Each year race teams find practice time to be very limited on World Series weekend and we’d like to give them all an opportunity to get that necessary on-track time before the biggest racing weekend of the season. By opening the speedway for race teams a week before the World Series, we feel that a lot of pressure will be eased for owners, drivers and crew members,” said track owner Don Hoenig. The pit gates will open at 1 p.m. and the on-track activity will begin at 3 p.m. The open practice session will be run in a ‘round robin’ format thus giving race teams plenty of time to prepare their cars. The tracks general admission grandstands will be closed, but admission through the pit gate, for those at least sixteen years of age, will be only twenty five dollars.
A 1.5-mile speedway and a 1-mile short track will conclude the 2009 ARCA RE/MAX Series. Heading into the final two races of the year, Eddie Sharp Racing's Justin Lofton and Cunningham Motorsports'Parker Kligerman of Westport, CT are in the midst of a tight, season-long points battle. Lofton and Kligerman have taken turns leading the ARCA RE/MAX Series point standings at the conclusion of every Series race contested so far this season and heading into Kansas Lofton leads Kligerman by a slim, 25-point margin.
The duo has also won 13 of 19 races to win 68 percent of the time. They are trailed in the standings by Frank Kimmel (-390 points), Joey Coulter (-625 points) and Craig Goess (-890 points Race fans can watch the remainder of the 2009 ARCA RE/MAX Series live on SPEED. The Kansas Lottery 150 at Kansas Speedway is on Thursday, October 1, 2009 at 4 p.m. Central/5 p.m. Eastern and the ARCA RE/MAX American 200 at Rockingham Speedway is on Sunday, October 11, 2009 at 12 p.m. Central/1 p.m. Eastern.
Scott Sharp, a Wilton, CT native, was not injured in a massive, roll-over accident during Thursday practice of the American LeMans Series event at Road Atlanta. His P1 Acura was destroyed and a replacement tub had to be flown-in from California and completely built-up by the team. Sharp, David Brabham and Dario Franchitti didn't turn a lap until Saturday warm-up but were sixth in class. This came from the Valvoline Track Talk Newsletter.
Let's see what else is happening in southern New England this weekend. Tuesday Cruise Nights are still on at the AutoZone on Rt. 53 in Weymouth, MA and the VFW in Upton on Tuesday night at 5 p.m. Stafford Speedway in CT plans a three day deal, thisFriday thorough Sunday, for the track's Fall Finale featuring the Whelen NASCAR Modified Tour plus support classes over the three days. There's a Steam Engine Show Saturday and Sunday in Greenville, RI at 9 a.m each day and 1/4 Midget action at the same time at the Little T in Thompson, CT. Saturday will be very busy with a 1/4 Midget dirt event at the Berlin (CT) Fairgrounds, the Capeway Rovers in Middleboro host motoX action at 9 a.m. and the Groveland Historical Society presents the Pine Speedway Reunion in Haverhill. Lime Rock Park in CT offers SCCA road racing all day Friday and Saturday. Whip City in Westfield and the Waterford Speedbowl in CT go with oval programs at 6 p.m. Cruises are on at City Hall Plaza in Boston, Dick Beard Chevy in Hyannis at 9 a.m. and the Redline Diner in Framingham in the afternoon.
Sunday will be very busy with a car show at Ft. Adams in Newport, RI, Commerce Ins. in Web-ster, the Collingsville Bldg. in New Hartford, CT, Hammonset Park in Madison, CT and Marcus Dairy in Danbury, CT. The Larz Anderson Museum on Brookline plans a Mercedes Day, Autofest goes at the Maynard Rod & Gun Club, New England Tech in Warwick, RI plans a Mustang/Ford show, a Corvette show is on at Old Mystic (CT) Village and Southeastern Regional Votec hosts a cruise, all at 9 a.m. The Quoboag Riders in Monson will conduct a motorcycle hill climb event all day.
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INFORMATION FOR THIS COLUMN CAME FROM VARIOUS REFERENCED
SOURCES, PRESS RELEASES, NOTES AND OTHER SOURCES
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