Southern Hospitality: North East Street Stock Tour Begins Southern Swing
WATERFORD, CT – The North East Street Stock Tour is heading into the final stages of the season, and will begin the southern portion of the schedule on Saturday, August 29, at New London-Waterford Speedbowl.
Former champion (1997-98) Chris “Moose” Douton is looking to rebound at his home track, after experiencing his first finish outside the top four. Douton was involved in an incident at Speedway 51 (NH), which led to a drop in the championship standings.
Douton explained, “We’re hoping we don’t screw up at [New London-Waterford] Speedbowl. We suffered a lot of damage at Speedway 51, but we’re working on it. We have been at [Geoff] Rollins’ home tracks, now it’s time for him to come to us.”
The tour’s schedule and atmosphere have been a plus for Douton. The Waterford, CT resident was able to spend time with his family last weekend, something he hasn’t done in two years.
Douton also commented on the interaction with fans that the North East Street Stock Tour (NESST) team promotes. At Speedway 51, drivers handed out candy to children in the stands, and invited “Honorary Crew Chiefs” onto the track during driver introductions, in which youngsters helped drivers prepare for the featue event.
Douton is preparing to continue the philosophy at New London-Waterford Speedbowl, saying “I have made trips to the grocery store, and my team and I will be passing out candy at the track. It’s a lot of fun.”
Another driver who is accustomed to NLWS, Jim Boyle is the 2012 Super X champion at the track. Boyle has a large group of friends and family that follow his racing progress, and he is anxious to put on a show at his home track.
Boyle, who recently teamed up with Cliff Nelson Motorsports for a sponsorship, continued, “I have a lot of people helping and watching, so the pressure is definitely on. A lot of people in the stands can’t make the northern swing, and I don’t want to disappoint.”
Boyle feels the southern tracks are a huge advantage for him, but feels he isn’t the only driver looking forward to those races.
“Running at [New London-Waterford] Speedbowl will, I hope, give me an edge over other drivers that have not been there,” says Boyle. “It is a tough little track, and I would like to think I know my way around there, but let’s not forget that my biggest competition is also from this track, with Moose [Douton] and Joe Arena, so it’s not going to be a cakewalk either.”
Included on the Southern tier of the schedule, the NESST will be a part of the Stock Car Road Race Challenge on September 11-12, held on the 1.7-mile road course at Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park, as well as running the 5/8-mile oval during the World Series of Racing, on October 16-18.