NEW ENGLAND MOTORSPORTS NORTH
By Lou Modestino
Another agreement between the Pro All Star Series (PASS) and the American Canadian Tour (ACT) adds more welcome news for Late Model race fans and teams in the Northeast. Two more ‘doubleheader’ type events will be held following the announcement a week ago that theOxford Plains Speedway would open the 2015 season with the first-ever PASS/ACT combination event on Saturday April 18, 2015.
The ACT International held at Airborne Park Speedway in Plattsburgh, NY on July 18 and 19, 2015 will play host to the two most popular traveling series in the US and Quebec. The races will be comprised of two 200-lap features for both PASS and ACT teams. Qualifying will take place Saturday evening and feature races will be run on Sunday.
Jamie Atkins, owner of Airborne Park Speedway said, “We are very excited about hosting this event. The ACT races we have at Airborne are some of the most competitive on any track that ACT competes at. I am sure the PASS Super Late Model cars will enjoy their experience on our half mile just as much. This should be a great summer weekend of racing for teams from throughout New England, New York and certainly Quebec.”
A final September combination event for the ACT Late Models and PASS Super Late Models has been set with the popular Autodrome Chaudiere, located east of Quebec City in Vallée Jonction, QC. The fast quarter mile has hosted ACT events from its opening in 2006, and over the past three years the Super Late Models have been part of the Chaudiere season of racing. “This is very good news for Quebec race fans and teams. Having this combination event at Chaudiere join both Oxford Plains and Airborne is spectacular! We are pleased to have this on the ACT Quebec schedule for 2015,” said ACT Quebec Manager, Sylvain Brouillette.
In a related piece of news, the American Canadian Tour has also scheduled a stand-alone event for Saturday, June 27, 2015 at the Oxford Plains Speedway in Maine. All schedules (ACT US & Quebec and PASS North) are expected to be completed and released within the next week or two.
Once again, the Northeastern Midget Association is making available the NEMA Vintage Slideshow DVD just in time for Christmas. The presentation is from the collection of one of the most respected journalist, historians and statisticians in New England, Pete Zanardi.
The range of drivers, owners, tracks and race cars depicted in the collection are the who’s who in Northeastern midget racing. The forefathers that laid the foundation for present day racing are illustrated in color and black and white photo’s complete with captions. On the DVD: Bill Randall, Ray Roberts, Ronnie Evans and Jerry Russo just to name a few drivers from NEMA’s infancy.
The early cage days drivers are represented by Bill Roth, Lee Smith, Hank Stevens and Len Thrall for example. And to finish out the last couple of decades are the Fornoros, Stoehrs, Scrivanis, Seymours and many, many more.
The cars are as big as the drivers on this DVD that range from the Badgers to the uprights, cage and cageless, even some Offy’s.
The DVD is 332 pictures strong and is a must for any early day racing enthusiast.
The cost is $20 each with all proceeds going directly to NEMA to help carry on the rich traditions these early pioneers built.
Payment can be made through PayPal http://www.nemaracing.com/2013_Bits/40-AM_mc_vs_dc_ae.jpg HERE
tomailto:%[email protected] or by sending a check or money order
(payable to NEMA) as well as your name and address to Bill Van Slyke,
23 Horsestable Cir., Shelton, Ct. 06484.
Trevor Noles capitalized on a bold 3-wide move with 10 laps to go to pass Christopher Bell and Jody Measamer and win Saturday afternoon’s Mason Dixon Meltdown 200 at Southern National Motorsports Park. Noles victory was his first career Pro All Stars Series (PASS) South Super Late Model triumph and also marked the first series win for the Coulter Motorsports team.
“We finally got the monkey off our back and I just can’t thank Coulter Motorsports and Randy Renfrow, they give me 110 percent every week,” said Noles in victory lane. “I drove just as hard as I could those last few laps and we’re finally here where we belong. It’s been a long, cold weekend and I just can’t thank everybody enough for being here today.”
In qualifying, Jared Irvan shattered the old track record by more than a tenth of a second for his second career quick qualifying time with a lap of 98.186 miles per hour. In the top 10 qualifiers redraw, Irvan would pull pill number 9, while Tyler Dippel and Derek Ramstrom would move up to the front row.
On a very cold and brisk afternoon, Dippel and Ramstrom led the 31 car starting field to green. Dippel would lead the first five laps before Ramstrom moved by in turn three to take the lead. PASS South points leader Tyler Church experienced major mechanical problems early on heading to the pit area for over 30 laps on lap 8. With Church in the pits, the focus was on his nearest championship rival, Cole Timm, who was having a strong run inside the top 10.
Following a caution for a spin by Karl Weber in turn two on lap 31, Ramstrom and Austin Wayne Self would lead the field back to green for the restart. Self got a good start on the outside as the field roared into turn one. Ramstrom battled back on the low side, but spun exiting turn two in front of the entire field. The cars of Brandon Lynn, David Garbo, Jr., and Jeff Batten all made hard contact as they tried to avoid Ramstrom. All four drivers were eliminated in the crash.
On the ensuing restart, Dippel would have a mechanical problem and stop on the frontstretch to bring out a caution. Dippel pulled his car in to the pits and out of the race, handing Ben Rowe his 3rd career PASS National Championship.
Self and Christopher Bell were the class of the field much of the first half of the Mason Dixon Meltdown, but once they entered lapped traffic, the lead duo was joined by the cars of Timm and Brandon Setzer. On lap 108, Bell moved around Self to take the lead and began to quickly stretch his advantage. The caution would wave on lap 125 to allow teams to refuel and change two tires.
On the restart with 75 laps, Timm appeared to break an axle on his machine while running third. Timm would soon retire from the event giving Church his first career PASS South Super Late Model title, despite his problems from earlier in the race.
After a trio of cautions for relatively minor spins, Bell and Self again raced hard on the restart with Bell coming out on top in his Toyota. Self continued to struggle losing second to Setzer and would eventually fall out of the race.
Setzer quickly closed in on Bell for the lead as they entered lapped traffic. With 30 laps to go, Setzer took advantage of contact between Bell and Roger Lee Newton to take the lead exiting turn two. Setzer appeared to be cruising to his first career Super Late Model win when a broken rear suspension sent Setzer out of the race with 11 laps to go and brought out the ninth caution of the night.
On the restart, Bell and Jody Measamer brought the field to green, but Trevor Noles, who was in third, darted to the inside making an aggressive move to power by the leaders in turn one. As the field headed down the back straightaway, contact between Measamer and Rowe racing for third place sent Measamer hard into the outside wall.
This would give Bell one more shot at Noles, but Noles was again too quick on the restart. Despite Bell’s best efforts, Noles held on for his first career Mason Dixon Meltdown win. Rounding out the top five were Bell, Rowe, Dalton Sargeant, and Harrison Burton. Completing the top 10 were Wayne Helliwell, Jr., Jared Fryar, Newton, Michael Rouse, and Matt Craig.
Following the race, Rowe and Church joined Noles on the front straightaway to celebrate their championships. A very relieved Church expressed his gratitude following their frustrating race. “I knew I was in trouble when we were sitting in the pits, but I told the Good Lord to take care of this and this is where we’re at,” said Church afterwards. “I’ve got to thank Harold [Johnson] and Preston [Peltier] for getting us into this, but me and my daddy have worked hard on this car. This is special and me and daddy will always cherish this moment.”
After a year that saw him go winless, Rowe was happy, not only for his third PASS National Championship, but to finish the season out on a high note. “It feels like a win for us to finish third, I mean we’ve struggled all year long,” said Rowe. “It’s a fun series that PASS puts on. You go to all these different tracks in the North and South and Canada and see all these different fans and it’s a pretty neat deal.”
In the PASS Pro Late Model division, Kodie Conner took the lead from Jacob Schneider and never looked back as he went on to claim his fifth win of the season. Rounding out the top five were Erik Nash, Schneider, Ryan Krachun, and Matt Murphy. Walker Yates finished sixth en route to claiming his first career PASS Pro Late Model division title.
Clint Fields led flag-to-flag for the Pee Dee/Coastal Supertruck win over Jimmy Herrington, Kevin Parsons, Clay Thomas, and Tommy Peregoy. Chris Lamb led every lap for the USAC Eastern Midget win over Scott Hunter, Kyle Craker, Blaine Leydig, and Jessica Bean. Although the season is complete, the PASS South Super Late Models and PASS Pro Late Models will return on Saturday, March 7, 2015 to kickoff the season at Dillon Motor Speedway with the 10th Annual South Carolina Clash.
On Sunday, November 16th, the New England Antique Racers (NEAR), presented the 17th annual New England Auto Racers Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony. Conducted at Manelley’s Banquet Hall in South Windsor, CT., the HOF celebrates literally hundreds of feature victories, championships, and untold contributions to the sport of auto racing within the New England region. Instituted in 1998, the HOF now boasts membership of well-over 100 deserving individuals.
Opening comments by NEAR President Al Feeney and Benediction by Paul Masse along with a rendition of the Star Spangled Banner & God Bless America performed by young Sarah Mosseau began the event. Award-winning sportswriter Matt Buckler again served as Master of Ceremonies.
Comprising the “Class of 2014” are drivers Ron Wyckoff, Deke Astle, Mike Rowe, Jim Martell, Fred Schulz, Fred Borden, Briggs Cunningham, Pappy Forsyth, drag racing Icon Bob Tasca Sr., car builder Dave Tourigny and Racing Historian R.A. Silvia.
Longtime Modified campaigner Ron Wyckoff was presented honors by Dave Dykes, New England Racing Historian & proprietor of the popular “Racing Through Time” website. The respected & personable Wyckoff, a Southington, CT resident, was a major winner at Plainville Stadium and Riverside Park Speedway and a top competitor everywhere else in the 1960s and ‘70s. A winner of three-straight Riverside 500s, the Florida native rarely sat idle, driving for an assortment of the top teams of his era. It remains a lasting testimony to both his ability to take care of equipment and his standing among his fellow competitors and the fans.
A member of one of New England’s foremost racing families, Westport, MA resident Deke Astle notched championships at both Seekonk and Lakeville Speedways during a celebrated multi-decade career. Noted for his adaptability, “The Little Man with the Big Cigar” was also a major force throughout Eastern New England, most notably at Westboro and Thompson Speedways in addition to Seekonk and Lakeville. Fittingly, handling induction honors for Astle was his friend & neighbor Steve Grant, long one of the most-colorful starters in the Northeast.
A Maine Motorsports Hall of Fame member and the long-time Beech Ridge Speedway announcer Bruce Elder inducted fellow Maine resident Mike Rowe. The much-accomplished Rowe continues to compete, adding to a list of accomplishments that includes over 200 victories and an impressive 13 championships. Starting in 1968, Rowe, a three-time Oxford 250 winner, has won, in addition to seven Oxford crowns, NEPSA (1999), ACT (1994), PASS (2006), BRMS (2013) championships and has ruled at Wiscasset (1991) and Beech Ridge (2009).
Jim Martel of Ipswich, MA, won in divisions ranging from Cutdowns to Super-modifieds over four-plus decades of competition. A two-time NESMRA Late Model champion, his resume includes a Late Model win at Fredrickson in the Canadian Maritimes and a Supermodified win at Thompson Speedway in Connecticut. Well-travelled, he recorded victories at over a dozen tracks. A NEAR Hall of Famer himself, the multi-talented Dr. Dick Berggren welcomed Jim to the Hall of Fame.
Former racer, accomplished writer, and proprietor of Coastal 181 Publishing, Lew Boyd inducted drag racing legend, the late Bob Tasca Sr. A Providence, Rhode Island – area Ford dealer for 55 years, Tasca came to drag racing in the late 1960s, seeing it as a boom to his business. He quickly became a major power. Starting with a ’64 Ford Fairlaine, Tasca moved to Funny Cars and full-blown “fuelers,” bringing New England into the national drag racing spotlight.
Always known for his intense competitive zeal, the late Fred Schultz’s championships at Norwood Arena (1969) and Westboro Speedway (1978) figure among a list of accomplishments over a career that began during the notorious post-World War II “cutdown” era. Schulz and car owner Jim Susi impressively captured 14 straight at three different tracks in 1959. Hall of Fame Executive Committee Chairman & former car owner Bruce Cohen, who has a never-ending love for Norwood Arena, was the perfect fit to induct Schulz who was that much-missed track’s final Modified champion.
Regarded as of the nation’s best auto racing writers, Bones Bourcier welcomed legendary car designer/builder Dave Tourigny to the Hall of Fame. Working with the Koszela family, Tourigny designed, built and maintained an impressive list of Modifieds. They included the legendary Woodchopper coupes and Vegas, the trendsetting Logroller Corvair and a revolutionary Ford-powered Pinto that the likes of Fred DeSarro, Bugs Stevens and Mike Stefanik drove to a host of victories and to a half-dozen championships.
R.A. Silvia has emerged as one of New England’s premier auto racing historians and preservationists. “The man to go to” for those seeking historical clarification or a photograph, he has generously served promoters, competitors, media and fans alike for over three decades out of his home in Warwick, RI. From a historical standpoint, his impact on New England racing has been simply immeasurable. Silvia has also served as a writer for various publications and is a former racer. Inducting his longtime friend and collaborator was esteemed racing journalist Pete Zanardi. A Hall of Famer himself as-well as a past recipient of the NEAR Dan Pardi Award, Zanardi has been an important part of the Hall of Fame since its inception in 1998.
A Waltham, MA native now residing in Florida, a young Fred Borden began racing at West Peabody, MA in 1950, winning twice. Over the next 17 seasons, in the employ of many top car owners, he carried away checkers at Medford, Brookline, Norwood, West Peabody and Westboro. His performance was so successful at Medford they put a bounty on him. He was a dominant force driving for Rick Falconi in the 1960s at Westboro and Brookline. Longtime New England racing personality & voice of the Northeastern Midget Association (NEMA), Pete Falconi handled the induction of his family’s close friend & former driver.
It was longtime Northern New England racing history expert & NEAR supporter Lloyd Hutchins Jr. performing induction honors of the late Pappy Forsyth. Starting his career immediately after serving in World War II Forsyth, a West Swanzey, NH product, ran up an impressive record over three decades including championships at Claremont and Keene in New Hampshire and at Connecticut’s Stafford Springs. His prowess continued into the 1960s including a sensational season at Thunder Road in 1961 (10 wins in 18 starts) driving for George Barber.
Briggs Cunningham called Westport, CT home for much of his life. An absolute pioneer in American Sports Car racing, he was a competitor, patron, sponsor and successful car builder. Determined to put America on a level with the Europeans, he produced a list of high-performance prototype machines and competed on the international stage at LeMans and Sebring, his car winning at the latter. NEAR Hall of Famers John Fitch and Phil Walters were among his drivers. Cunningham family associate Larry Black had the honor of welcoming the late Sports Car Icon to the Hall of Fame.
NEAR member & veteran Connecticut sports journalist Peter VanderVeer presented the ultra-accomplished Bones Bourcier with the heralded Mitchell/Ratta Award which honors the memory of two of New England’s pioneering scribes, Charlie Mitchell writing for the Norwalk (CT) Hour and Jack Ratta for the Manchester Union Leader. Honing his skills at local media outlets and then at Speedway Scene and Trackside Magazine, Bourcier remains one of America’s premier auto racing scribes, twice winning the coveted Miller Racing Award of Excellence in Honor of Russ Catlin. They are part of a host of writing awards that also includes the Eastern Motorsports Press Association’s Frank Blunt Memorial Award. He did memorable work for Stock Car and Open Wheel magazines and has appeared in several national outlets including National Speedsport. He has served an integral role in the NEAR Hall of Fame almost from its inception, serving on the selection committee and making presentations.
Longtime Hall of Fame Master of Ceremonies Matt Buckler was the recipient of the coveted Dan Pardi Award as presented by Marie Pardi & 1998 Hall of Fame Inductee Pete Zanardi. For decades, Buckler has served as the voice of several area speedways as-well as maintaining his role as a well-respected member of the New England racing media. Marie’s late husband Dan spent a lifetime serving the sport of auto racing having worked in several capacities. He was a dedicated NEAR member and driving force behind the success of the Hall of Fame until his untimely passing a few years-ago.
For nearly 35 years, Autoparts Swap ‘n Sell has been a mainstay for the automotive community. Scheduled for January 17&18, 2015 in the Better Living Center of the Eastern States Exposition in West Springfield, MA, this all-automotive flea market and swap meet will host vendors from across the region selling wares of all types.
A Start-Finish Production, Autoparts Swap ‘n Sell has earned a reputation for quality vendors. Plus, a price freeze makes this the same great show for the same affordable price for both vendors and patrons. Vendor space measuring 12’by 15’ is available for only $130. Admission is $10 per day. Children 12 and under are free with a paid adult.
As New England’s largest all indoor automotive swap meet, Autoparts Swap ‘n Sell features a wide array of new and used auto parts, tools, accessories, and automobilia for all categories of auto sports. A Car Corral, offering special interest cars for sale, rounds out the huge show that encompasses all 125,000 square foot of the Better Living Center.
The show will take place on Saturday and Sunday, from 8 a.m. through 5 p.m. each day.
The field of presenters is set, the huge video screen is up and hundreds of chairs are ready to be filled by racing enthusiasts attending the Saratoga Automobile Museum’s most popular program of the year, “Lost Speedways,” on Saturday, November 29th.
The annual look back at speedways that no longer exist and driving legends of the past will get the green flag at 11 am with memorabilia displays in the Golub Gallery and racing videos in the presentation area. In the “Racing in New York” gallery, Jamie Moore and Doug Holmes will be on hand to answer questions about their restoration of the famed Jim Shampine #8Ball offset supermodified, which has been attracting a steady stream of visitors.
The slate of formal presentations, set for 12:30, will include a talk on the original Oswego Speedway by Ken Parrotte; a look at Vermont’s Pico Speedway by Bill Ladabouche; John Snyder’s recollections of New Jersey’s Harmony and Flemington Fair Speedways and the Nazareth, PA half-mile; Capital District motorcycle racing venues as recalled by author Mark Supley; the NASCAR modified division through the eyes of former drivers Brian Ross and Reggie Ruggiero and a discussion of the stars who purchased race cars from longtime builder Walt Schwinning by Schwinning and event organizer Ron Hedger.
The Saratoga Automobile Museum is located on the Avenue of the Pines in the Saratoga Spa State Park, just off Exit 13N of the Adirondack Northway.