by Jay | Oct 12, 2009 | New England, Thompson
Pointing out Thompson Speedway separates the men from the boys is both a true and a tired observation. It has been so for over half a century. It will continue when the Northeastern Midget Associations 25-lap Marvin Rifchin Trophy Race joins World Series festivities Oct. 17-18 with a 25-lap feature.
It was quick back in the fall of 1974 when Dave Humphreys 21.428 seconds qualifying run raised eyebrows. Randy Cabral had a fast lap of 17.620 seconds en route to a victory at last years World Series a reduction of almost four seconds.
The race honors Rifchin, the tire manufacturer (M&H) who was a long-time contributor to NEMA.
Cabral, defending driver champion and current point leader, will be looking for his eighth career win at Thompson (five in Bertrand equipment). He has won the past two World Series and three of the last six. The owners point race, however, holds the spotlight as Mike Jarret (and driver Nokie Fornoro) hopes to chase down Cabrals owner Tim Bertrand.
Although there have been exceptions, Thompson tends to favor the veteran competitors. Cabral, the all-time Thompson NEMA winner with seven, can also expect plenty of competition from Greg and Russ Stoehr, Adam Cantor and Jeff Horn, all winners this year.
Thompson is a stand on it place, says Tim Bertrand, a test of both driver and car. Straightaway speeds are over 125 mph.
You have to challenge the place but you have to show it the utmost respect, says Fornoro, a four-time Thompson winner.
The Thompson NEMA win list, going back to a victory by Dutch Schaefer in 1960, is one of the most impressive in NEMA. The good drivers have always looked forward to Thompson, says NEMA President Mike Scrivani Jr. A Midget victory at Thompson looks very good on the resume.
Dave Humphrey, Hank Rogers Jr., Gene Bergin and Nokie Fornoro won at Thompson in cars owned and prepped by Mike Jr. and his legendary father.
Like the Scrivani family, the Stoehr brothers have a long Thompson history. Greg Stoehrs Thompson win, in the Zahar car back in 1993, came after a late-race pass of brother Russ. The brothers have not raced together at Thompson since that day.
Gene Angelillo, Russ Stoehrs current owner, grabbed his 100th NEMA win at Thompson in 2000. Joey Payne Jr., in a backup car, passed Russ Stoehr with two to go.
NEMA Winners at Thompson
No. Driver First Last
7 Randy Cabral 2001 2008
6 Johnny Mann 1972 1978
5 Drew Fornoro 1985 2003
4 Johnny Coy Sr. 1969 1981
4 Nokie Fornoro 1982 2005
4 Armond Holley 1976 1977
3 Bob Cicconi 1978 1987
3 Ben Seitz 2005 2007
3 Russ Stoehr 1994 2002
2 Mark Buonomo 2001 2004
2 Dave Humphrey 1970 1971
2 Russ Klar 1969 1972
2 Hank Rogers 1980 1980
2 Bobby White 1979 1979
One-time Thompson winners: Gene Bergin (1969), Lennie Boyd (1979), Kyle Carpenter (2002), Joey Coy (1992), Johnny Coy Jr. (1981), Ryan Dolan (2002), Leigh Earnshaw (1979), Ronnie Evans (1970), Mike Favulli (1989), George Ferguson Jr. (1978), Walt Gale (1968), George Monsen (1978), Joey Payne Jr. (2000), Bobby Santos III (2003), Dutch Schaefer (1960), Greg Stoehr (1993), Butch Walsh (1986), Hank Williams (1960).
by Jay | Oct 12, 2009 | All-Star Speedway, New England, New Hampshire
Epping, NH – The thunder of the ISMA Supermodifieds rolled into All-Star Speedway on Saturday night for the 44th running of the annual Classic, with a full field of the high-powered open-wheelers signed into the pits for the night’s action.
Looking to tie all-time Classic win leader Bentley Warren, five-time winner Russ Wood started out in fine form, setting fast time when the Supers hit the high banks for qualifying. But the best he could do in the main was a fifth place run.
Bobby Haynes led the 22-car field to green, but outside polesitter Justin Belfiore flew past on the outside to take the lead in the early going. Belfiore was running as if on rails, pulling away to a straightaway lead by the 30-lap mark.
By halfway however, Belfiore had Mike Lichty right on his tail, and points leader Chris Perley lurked right behind Lichty in the potent Vic Miller machine. Belfiore got tangled up as he negotiated lapped traffic on lap 52, with Lichty coming out of the scramble with the lead.
Perley immediately went to work on Lichty, and on lap 66, he made the pass and took over the top spot. He was on cruise control the rest of the way, leading them under the checkers to score his second straight Classic win, and fourth overall.
Former event winner Lou Cicconi of Pennsylvania had to settle for runner-up honors aboard the Rick Wentworth machine, with Ohio driver Dave Shullick, Jr. taking home the third spot in the Clyde Booth entry.
The All-Star Modifieds ran a special 50-lap feature event as part of the Classic night festivities, with Kenny White, Jr. holding off a tough challenge from four-time winner Eric Hudson to pick up the win.
J.R. Baril led the first 35 laps of the race, but he fell to the hard-charging White on lap 36, with Hudson following him past Baril to the front. Hudson challenged hard in the closing laps, but White held on to pick up his first win of the year.
Hudson came up just short in the runner-up slot, with Baril holding on to collect a third place finish. George Baldwin put in a strong run to checker fourth, with Sumner Scott beating out Brandee Tree to close out the top five.
Grant Aither made his second appearance of the year in the Super Streets, and for the second straight time, he went home with the feature win. Aither finished third in qualifying, but he stepped it up a notch for the main event.
Pulling away from the field by as much as a straightaway at times, Aither was easily the class of the field on the way to victory. Former champ Ron Bolduc came up short in the second spot, with heat winner Tony Kawejsza taking the final podium spot.
The 350 Supers were another special addition to the Classic night program, and they put on quite a show in their feature event. Third-generation driver Billy Osborne was the man to beat in that one, collecting his first career Super win in the process.
Tommy Tombarello, Jr. put in a strong bid to take the win away from Osborne, but he eventually settled for second. Third spot went to Dan Bowes, with Mike Netishen, Steve Dickey, Mike Spurling, Doug Sanborn, John Burke, Matt Riley, and Scott Keddy following.
Stephen Dubois looked like he had a sure shot at victory in the Strictly Stock feature, pulling ahead to nearly a straightaway lead in the early laps. But when Mike Williams finally broke out of the pack, he set his sights on the leader and went to work.
Williams slowly reeled the Dubois in, catching him with the laps quickly winding down. With the finish in sight, Williams made the pass, and he went on to score the win. Dubois checkered second, with Mark Parenteau, Randy Carmichael, and Chuck Roberto the rest of the top five.
Jason Hodgdon set a fast pace as he pulled away to the early lead in the Fast-4 feature event, but it was Chris Jacobson who was out front when it counted. Jacobson made his way to the front by halfway, and he held off Jason Poisson to score the win.
Ken McIlvaine came home in the third spot, with Joey Fernandez, Gary West, Sr., Tyler Mailhot, Greg Cummings, Ken Mailhot, Cindy Sevigny, and Matt Magee rounding out the top ten finishers.
by Jay | Oct 12, 2009 | ACT, Canada, Maine, New England, Oxford Plains Speedway
Eric Williams Wins Fall 150 at Oxford Plains Speedway
Oxford, ME – Williston’s Brian Hoar captured his sixth career American Canadian Tour Championship with a fourth place finish in the New England Dodge Dealers Fall 150 at Oxford Plains Speedway on Sunday, October 11. Hoar’s most recent title came in 2000, after which he took several years off from ACT competition. Hoar returned for the 2009 season with a new car owner in Rick Paya. Paya has seven previous ACT championships as a car owner. Hoar earned the championship over Scott Payea who finished in the runner-up position for the second year in a row.
Hyde Park’s Eric Williams scored his second ACT Tour win of the season and first career win at Oxford Plains. Williams took the lead from John Donahue on 119 and held off Joey Polewarczyk, Jr. during several restarts in the final ten laps. Polewarczyk held on for second followed by Donahue, Hoar and Oxford regular Tim Brackett. Bradley Babb, Jay Laquerre, Scott Payea, Brent Dragon and Jamie Fisher completed the top ten.
The New England Dodge Dealers Fall 150 was completed in just over one hour and was slowed by just six cautions. Twenty-eight of the thirty-three drivers that took the green flag were running at the finish. Four different drivers led a lap.
The New England Dodge Dealers Fall 150 caps off the 2009 ACT Tour season. Hoar will be honored among others at the 2009 ACT Banquet of Champions. The date and other information will be announced at a later date.
Unofficial Results
New England Dodge Dealers Fall 150
Oxford Plains Speedway
Sunday, October 11, 2009
Pos Car # Driver
1 7VT Eric Williams
2 97NH Joey Polewarczyk, Jr.
3 26VT John Donahue
4 37 Brian Hoar
5 68 Tim Brackett
6 60NH Bradley Babb
7 50 Jay Laquerre
8 89 Scott Payea
9 55VT Brent Dragon
10 18 Jamie Fisher
11 7ME Glen Luce
12 03 Travis Adams
13 15VT Joey Laquerre
14 2 Aaron Ricker
15 55NH DJ Shaw
16 94 Shawn Martin
17 9VT Chip Grenier
18 57 Austin Theriault
19 73ME Joey Doiron
20 17 Eddie MacDonald
21 6 Tom Ricker
22 26ME Corey Morgan
23 78NH Quinten Welch
24 88 Nicholas Sweet
25 02NH Randy Potter
26 71 Scott Dragon
27 25 Shawn Knight
28 51ME Ricky Rolfe
29 41 Pete Potvin, III
30 5 Jeff White
31 38VT Tyler Cahoon
32 10NH Ben Rowe
33 40VT Eric Chase
by Jay | Oct 12, 2009 | NASCAR
~ 19 year old wins first race at Auto Club Speedway ~
San Bernardino County, Calif. (Oct. 10, 2009) – In one of the most exciting NASCAR NNS races of the year, Joey Logano (No. 20 GameStop/Brutal Legend Toyota) captured his first win at Auto Club Speedway, his second in consecutive weeks and fifth of the series by holding off Brian Vickers (No. 32 Dollar General Stores Toyota) to win the Copart 300 on Saturday.
“That was the most fun race I’ve ever had in my life,” the 19-year-old Logano said. “I went from a point where I don’t have a shot at this to trying to salvage a top 10 out of it to bringing home a W.”
Logano’s crew chief Dave Rogers thought Logano “really showed a lot of heart” with the victory. He’ll go for three in a row next week in Charlotte. “It could happen,” Logano said. “I never lose doubt that we’re going to get this thing right. We’re back in victory lane where we belong.”
Logano started on the pole but spent most of the race coming back from an early race incident with Greg Biffle (No. 16 CitiFinancial Ford), who later got tangled with Denny Hamlin (No. 18 Z-Line Designs Toyota) with less than 10 laps to go.
Did Logano think he could come all the way back and win it? “Not till the end. I promise you that,” he said. “I didn’t think we had a shot at it after Biffle decided to put us in the wall.
“You can’t put this (No.) 20 team down. I’ll tell you what, we never quit, we kept bringing it all day.”
NNS points leader Kyle Busch (No. 18 Z-Line Designs Toyota) left his car early in the race because of a fever and was replaced by Hamlin, who ended up finishing in 31st place after tangling with Biffle and Brad Keselowski (No. 88 GoDaddy Chevrolet).
Said second-place finisher Vickers: “It was a good run. There was one run there where we led for a while. We were better on the long runs. We had a good car. Probably the two best cars were the 18 and 20. They had just a little bit more.”
Carl Edwards (No. 60 Valvoline Ford) was third and gained 90 points on Busch and currently trails him by just 155 points. “I hope everybody took notice of how great that race was. People talk about this racetrack but they forget that we have the highest speeds here of any racetrack and we have the most racing room. I think tomorrow we’ll have less restarts and more green-flag racing.
“This is one that I’d like to go back and watch again for just the pure excitement of it.”
Does he think he can catch Busch? “There are five races left and that’s only 32 points a race so we can do that.”
There were a track-record 10 caution flags during the race.
Fans attending Auto Club Speedway’s Inaugural Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup race — the Pepsi 500 on Sunday, is sure to experience even more exciting world-class NASCAR racing. In addition to the high speed thrills, fans can also take advantage of free parking, bring in their own food, or partake in the unbelievable menu items on site as well as other cost-savings opportunities while enjoying a full day of entertainment and fun at a fantastic family value.
The ACS entertainment lineup includes rock-and-roll legend Foreigner who will perform live at the Speedway’s Opportunity, California FanZone main stage. Multi-platinum recording artist and actor Jesse McCartney will perform the National Anthem prior to the Pepsi 500. Kelsey Grammer will serve as Grand Marshal, giving the most famous command in racing “Gentlemen, start your engines.” Christian Slater will take the wheel of the Official NASCAR 2010 Chevy Camaro Pace Car. Audrina Patridge of MTV’s “The Hills” will wave the Green Flag to get the Pepsi 500 underway.
by Jay | Oct 10, 2009 | Canada
October 9, 2009 – Shediac (N.B.) — Over 200 drivers and teams from throughout Atlantic Canada and Maine are making their way to the Centre for Speed (CFS) for this weekend’s 9th annual Maple Leaf Foods / Vance Hanes Auto Parts Atlantic Stock Car “Championships Speed Weekend” on October 10 & 11.
After a review of the current weather forecast from Environment Canada, the CENTRE has decided to move forward with the event as currently planned. While the weather forecast calls for showers to end Saturday morning, the CENTRE is hoping that the trend will continue to improve throughout tomorrow and track management has therefore decided to undertake the event as originally scheduled. Monday, October 12th will continue to be a rain date, if required.
Saturday and Sunday’s stock car racing action will include a number of the top drivers from throughout the four Atlantic provinces, including most area track and tour champions as well as a number of former champions and defending Atlantic Champs. All will be vying for a share of the over $50,000 in payouts and lap sponsorships. This ‘year-end celebration’ for the 2009 stock car racing season in Atlantic Canada will feature teams and drivers in seven stock car divisions of Pro Stock, Sportsman, Streetstock, 4 cylinder Mini Stock and Four Fun, Atlantic Open Wheel (AOW) modifieds and Legends.
Two feature races highlight these 2009 Atlantic Stock Car Championships with the Vance Hanes Auto Parts Sportsman 100 on Saturday, October 10th and the Maple Leaf Foods Pro Stock 150 on Sunday, October 11th, both starting at 1:00 p.m. The October 10th event will also feature Atlantic Championship racing for Legends, Mini Stock and Four Fun division drivers. Sunday’s action will include Atlantic Championship racing for Streetstock (50 lap feature) competitors as well as 35-lap events for Sportsman and AOW Tour competitors.
NASCAR drivers J.R. Fitzpatrick of Cambridge, Ontario, and Donald Chisholm of Antigonish, Nova Scotia highlight a field of top stock car drivers from throughout Atlantic Canada, including for the first time ever, competitors from two Newfoundland speedways – Avondale and Thunder Valley Speedways.
On Saturday, October 10th, a total of 60 of the Maritimes top Sportsman drivers will battle for positions on the 28-car starting grid for the Vance Hanes Auto Parts 100. Top competitors from most of the stock car tracks in New Brunswick and Nova Scotia, will be driving hard during the qualifying heats for one of the coveted starting positions in the 100 lap feature. The event will include top competitors and multi time track champs such as Dan Bourque (Grande Digue), Claude Gaudet (Barachois), John Rankin (St. Martin’s), Glyn Nott (Harvey Station), Bradley Logan (Harvey Station) and Jeff Dillman & Terry Roma (Halifax).
The Saturday program will also include drivers from the Atlantic region’s Legends racecar series putting their skills to the test against NASCAR driver, J.R. Fitzpatrick in the Legends 50 feature race.
J.R. Fitzpatrick, the youngest NASCAR Canadian Tire series champion and NASCAR Nationwide and Camping World Truck series driver for the Kevin Harvick NASCAR racing team, will be driving the Vance Hanes Autoparts / RacingTrader.ca Legend racecar during Saturday’s racing action. J.R. will also be competing in the Pro Stock 150 race on Sunday afternoon.
The 4 cylinder Atlantic Championship will also be up for grabs on Saturday, with top drivers and track champions from throughout the Atlantic region, including a few competitors from two Newfoundland speedways, battling it out in the very competitive Four Cylinder 35 for Mini Stock and Four Fun competitors.
Then, on Sunday, October 11th, the action heats up again starting at 1 p.m. with over 40 Pro Stock drivers registered to compete for positions on the starting grid for the Maple Leaf Pro Stock 150. This event will feature Maritime Pro Stock Tour (MPST) champion, Wayne Smith (Timberlea, N.S.), defending his 2008 Atlantic Championship title against the best Pro Stock drivers from our region, including Kirk Thibeau (Fort Fairfield, Maine), Donald Chisholm and John Flemming from Nova Scotia, local favorites Dave O’Blenis (Boundary Creek), Mike Stevens (Riverview) and Brian McNaughton (Lower Coverdale), as well as Bern Hickey of Avondale Speedway (NL).
Other top Pro Stock competitors expected to compete include George Koszkulics (New Glasgow, N.S.) and Craig Slaunwhite (Terrence Bay, N.S.), Fredericton-area drivers Shawn Tucker and Greg Fahey along with PEI competitors Jonathan Hicken, Kris Hughes, Scott Livingston and Kris Fournier.
Sunday’s action will also include top Streetstock track champions and drivers from throughout the Atlantic region in the very competitive Atlantic Streetstock Championship 50. If last year’s ‘photo finish’ is any indication, defending 2008 Atlantic Champ Fred Broussard from Sydney’s Island Speedway will have his hands full in this ‘edge of your seat’ Streetstock feature. Drivers from the AOW ModifiedsTour will also battle it out in the AOW 35.
On Friday afternoon and evening, the CENTRE will hold practice sessions for all divisions, starting at 1 p.m., as well as a pit party.
Weekend passes for adults are $40 while youth (5-15 years old) weekend passes go for $10. Weekend Family Passes for 2 adults and 2 youths are also available for $85 – a savings of $15! Furthermore, a limited amount of advance weekend passes for only $30 can be purchased at Race Time located in Dieppe’s Champlain Mall.
For the Saturday only events, individual day passes are $20 for adults and $10 for youths while day passes for Sunday’s action are $25 for adults and $10 for youths.
The CENTRE for Speed (CFS) is located 5 kms east of Shediac’s Parlee Beach on Route #133 in the village of Grand Barachois, New Brunswick.
Full schedule details are available at www.centreforspeed.com
by Jay | Oct 9, 2009 | NASCAR, New England, Thompson
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (Oct. 8, 2009) – 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.
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 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.
by Jay | Oct 8, 2009 | PASS
Naples ME ( 10/8/09) The Pro All Stars Series (PASS) South super late model teams roll into South Boston (VA) Speedway next weekend for their longest (250 laps) and richest ($44,100 purse) race of 2009 and the PASS National Champion will be crowned when the checkered flag falls.
The Mason-Dixon Meltdown is fast becoming a fall tradition. With 250 laps on tap for the PASS super late models and another 250 lap feature for late model stock cars, the popular event will give the fans in the stands their fill of side by side, nose to tail full fendered short track racing that the Virginia oval is famous for.
The Meltdown is the final round of the four race PASS National Championship series, where Ben Rowe holds a comfortable 57 point lead over Mark Gibson and 71 points over Ryan Blaney for the title. Rowe has been dominant in the series, winning races one and three at Hickory Motor Speedway and Southern National and finishing third at Beech Ridge Motor Speedway. Those are numbers that are hard to beat, giving Rowe the inside track for the title.
The PASS National Champion will receive a Leavitt Racing Components super late model chassis and a complete Quarter Master racing clutch, bell housing and starter package in addition to the Champions hardware. That’s an additional $7,500.00 in product awards for the four race series plus all the cash that’s on the line.
Rowe also carries a 56 point lead into race 13 of the 14 race PASS South series standings. Rookie Ryan Blaney, Preston Peltier, Justin Wakefield and Heath Hindman sit second through fifth. The Turner Maine racer has four PASS North super late model titles on his resume and hopes to join his father Mike Rowe, the inaugural PASS South Champion in 2006, as a PASS South title holder.
Practice for both divisions is set for Friday, October 16 from 1:00 PM until 3:00 PM. Grandstand gates will open at 3:00 PM on Friday and will be followed by time trials for both races at 4:00 PM.
The Grandstand gates swing open on Saturday October 17 at 11:00 AM. A NASCAR Late Model last chance 50-lap race will get the green flag at noon and will be followed by a Fan Appreciation Session on the four-tenths mile asphalt oval. The first feature race of the day will get the green flag at 3:00 PM.
by Jay | Oct 7, 2009 | Canada
October 7, 2009 – Shediac (N.B.) — Over 200 drivers and teams from throughout Atlantic Canada and Maine including a number of current and former track, tour and defending Atlantic Champions, have registered to compete in this weekend’s 9th annual Maple Leaf Foods / Vance Hanes Auto Parts Atlantic Stock Car “Championships Speed Weekend” on October 10 & 11 at the Centre for Speed (CFS), Atlantic Canada’s Super Speedway and Metro Moncton’s ‘Playground of Power’, located in nearby Grand Barachois.
A total of over $50,000 in payouts, including lap sponsorships, will be available for teams in the seven stock car divisions of Pro Stock, Sportsman, Streetstock, 4 cylinder Mini Stock and Four Fun, Atlantic Open Wheel (AOW) modifieds and Legend stock car racing events during this upcoming weekend.
Two feature races will highlight the 2009 Atlantic Stock Car Championships with the Vance Hanes Auto Parts Sportsman 100 on Saturday, October 10th and the Maple Leaf Foods Pro Stock 150 on Sunday, October 11th, both starting at 1:00 p.m. The October 10th event will also feature Atlantic Championship races for Legend, Mini Stock and Four Fun division drivers. Sunday’s action will also include Atlantic Championship racing for Streetstock (50 lap feature) competitors as well as 35-lap events for Sportsman and AOW Tour competitors.
NASCAR drivers J.R. Fitzpatrick of Cambridge, Ontario, and Donald Chisholm of Antigonish, Nova Scotia will highlight a field of top stock car drivers from throughout Atlantic Canada, including for the first time ever, competitors from two Newfoundland speedways – Avondale and Thunder Valley Speedways.
“Were very excited about this year’s Atlantic Championship events,” says Tim Wile, track promoter and general manager for the Centre for Speed (CFS). “We’ve got a super field of competitors in all divisions and the cars continue to register every day. We should have the strongest overall field of stock cars that we’ve ever seen at our facility for this years annual event, including drivers from all four Atlantic provinces thanks to our first-ever Newfoundland entries and strong representation from each of the stock car facilities in our region including Fredericton, Halifax, Sydney, Antigonish, and Charlottetown.”
The long weekend events are expected to attract most of the top drivers from throughout the four Atlantic provinces, including most area track and tour champions as well as a number of former champions and defending Atlantic Champs.
On Sunday, October 11th, the Maple Leaf Foods Pro Stock 150 will feature CARQUEST Maritime Pro Stock Tour (MPST) champion, Wayne Smith (Timberlea, N.S.), who will be defending his 2008 Atlantic Championship title against the best Pro Stock drivers from our region, including Nova Scotians Donald Chisholm and John Flemming, local favorites Dave O’Blenis (Boundary Creek), Mike Stevens (Riverview) and Brian McNaughton (Lower Coverdale), as well as Bern Hickey of Avondale Speedway (NL). J.R. Fitzpatrick, a rising NASCAR Canadian Tire series driver, will also be competing in both the Pro Stock 150 on Sunday and the Legends feature on Saturday. This year, J.R. has been quite busy in both Canada and the United States, competing in a number of Nationwide Series and Camping World Truck Series events south of the border as part of the Kevin Harvick NASCAR racing team.
Other top regional Pro Stock competitors expected on Sunday include a number of teams from Nova Scotia including George Koszkulics (New Glasgow) and Craig Slaunwhite (Terrence Bay), Fredericton-area drivers Shaun Tucker, Greg Fahey along with PEI competitors Jonathan Hicken, Kris Hughes, Scott Livingston and Kris Fournier. Over 40 Pro Stock drivers have registered to compete for positions on the starting grid for the Maple Leaf Pro Stock 150 on Sunday.
Sunday’s action will also include top Streetstock track champions and drivers from throughout the Atlantic region in the very competitive Atlantic Streetstock Championship 50. If last year’s ‘photo finish’ is any indication, defending 2008 Atlantic Champ Fred Broussard from Sydney’s Island Speedway will have his hands full in this ‘edge of your seat’ Streetstock feature. Competitors from the AOW Tour will also battle it out in the AOW 35-lap main event.
On Saturday, October 10th, a total of 60 of the Maritimes top Sportsman drivers are expected to battle for positions on the 28-car starting grid for the Vance Hanes Auto Parts 100. Top competitors, including current and former track champions from most of the stock car tracks in New Brunswick and Nova Scotia, are expected to make the trek to CFS for the 100 lap feature. The event will include top competitors and multi time track champs such as Dan Bourque (Grande Digue), Claude Gaudet (Barachois), Jim Duke (Moncton), Glyn Nott (Burton), Bradley Logan (Fredericton) and Jeff Dillman & Terry Roma (Halifax).
The Saturday program will also include track champions from throughout the region and other top drivers, including a few competitors from two Newfoundland speedways, in the very competitive 4 cylinder (Mini Stock, Four Fun). Both of these division drivers will be competing for their respective Atlantic Championship bragging rights in the Four Cylinder 35. Also included in the Saturday event will be drivers from the region’s Legends racecar series putting their skills to the test against J.R. Fitzpatrick in the Legends 50 feature race.
“There are two things that make this weekend event unique,” said track promoter Wile. “Fans, drivers and crews get a chance to celebrate the end of the racing season in friendly competition, without any pressure, and it’s also an opportunity to match skills with most of the top teams from throughout the region – in every class with a chance to be named the ‘best of the best’ in your division.”
Friday afternoon and evening on October 9th will feature practices for all divisions as well as a pit party.
Weekend passes for adults will be sold for $40 while a youth (5-15 years old) weekend pass will go for $10. Weekend Family Passes for 2 adults and 2 youths will also be available for $85 – a savings of $15! Furthermore, a limited amount of advance weekend passes for only $30 are available at Race Time located in Dieppe’s Champlain Mall.
On Saturday October 10th, individual day passes will be $20 for adults and $10 for youths while day passes for the October 11th races will be $25 for adults and $10 for youths. Monday, October 12th has been reserved as a rain date for either event.
The CENTRE for Speed is a 128-acre motor sports park which includes Atlantic Canada’s largest and fastest stock-car oval along with several other racing facilities. The CENTRE overlooks the Northumberland Straight and is located 5 kms east of Shediac’s Parlee Beach in the village of Grand Barachois, New Brunswick.
Full schedule details are available at www.centreforspeed.com
by Jay | Oct 7, 2009 | New England, Thompson
To Benefit Sonny “King” Richards Memorial
Groton, CT (October 4, 2009): On Friday, October 16, 2009, at 8PM, the friends of Sonny “The King” Richards will host the first-ever Texas Hold’ Em Poker Tournament at the Raceway Golf Club Restaurant on the grounds of Thompson International Speedway during the running of the World Series of Speedway Racing. There will be a $40 buy-in with a portion of the proceeds benefiting the Sonny Richards “Education is King” Scholarship Fund. The payout will be determined by the number of players. Prizes will be paid out to the top-three finishers.
Known to many as the “King”, Sonny Richards was a longtime supporter of Modified racing and friend to the entire Motorsports community. A fan since the days of the coupe, Sonny was a fixture at Modified races throughout the decades. He began his love affair with the auto racing as a journalist covering the sport for the Connecticut Daily News and later as the field representative for Speedway Scene. Sonny passed away at his home in Hartford, CT in July of 2001 after having enjoyed an action-packed Modified race at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.
The King was a man who gave so much of himself to others. The Sonny “King” Richards Memorial was created by a group of his closest friends shortly after his death to help ensure that his spirit lives on. Tributes to Sonny include a memorial award and the Scholarship fund.
Any active participant in the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour or their families actively enrolled in a collegiate program is eligible to receive the “Education is King” Sonny Richards Memorial Scholarship. Past recipients of scholarship include Megan Clifford and Kelly Coby-Silk. Megan and her parents remain active in the racing community today. Kelly, along with her husband Ronnie Silk and brother Doug Coby, are among the new generation of the Modified Tour. Anyone interested in the “Education is King” Sonny Richards Memorial Scholarship should contact Dale Wolbrink at (508) 847-0565 or [email protected] for application requirements.
Proceeds from the Texas Hold’ Em Poker Tournament will help to support the educational aspirations of another member of the racing community. Noted journalist and avid Poker player Shawn Courchesne of the Hartford Courant has agreed to organize the tournament.
Tickets are available for the Texas Hold’ Em Poker Tournament by emailing [email protected] or by calling (508) 847-0565.
Also, during the weekend, a member of the Modified Tour Racing community will walk away with the 9th Annual Sonny Richards Memorial Award. Each year as part of the ongoing tribute to the late Richards, the memorial award is presented to the owner, driver, crewmember, or official deemed by the media as the best representative of the Whelen Modified Tour. Some truly outstanding people have won this special recognition including Art Barry, Tony Ferrante, Sr., Ralph Solhem, Tom Baldwin, Sr., Jerry Marquis, Howie & Mary Hodge, Mark Mockovak, and Bill Brice.
The World Series of Speedway Racing at Thompson is one of the most fun and unique race events of the season. The friends of Sonny Richards are proud to be a part of the festivities.
by Jay | Oct 7, 2009 | Canada
It was just one short month ago that Cambridge, Ontario’s J.R. Fitzpatrick was at Scotia Speedworld outside of Halifax, Nova Scotia racing, and winning in a Legend car. The game plan will be the same this upcoming weekend as Fitzpatrick will once again team up with RacingTrader.ca to race in the Annual Speed Weekend festivities at the CENTRE For Speed in Grand-Barachois, New Brunswick!
Fitzpatrick’s weekend will start off on Saturday, October 10th by stepping foot into the #3 CAT Rental Store/Vance Hanes Auto Parts Legend car that he won in at Scotia Speedworld back in September. The fifty lap Legend race will be on a complete compliment of racing on Saturday which will include racing in the Sportsman, Atlantic Open Wheel and Four Cylinder classes at the CENTRE.
The next day, Fitzpatrick will climb behind the wheel of the Univeral Truck and Trailer – Robbie MacLean Chevrolet Impala Pro Stock for the Maple Leaf Foods 150. This event is one of the most prestigious events in the Maritimes each year and is expected to be contested by a full field of Pro Stock drivers from the Atlantic Region and beyond! Fans have seen the Universal Truck and Trailer Impala on track all season racing in the CARQUEST Pro Stock Tour with Charlottetown, P.E.I.s Robbie MacLean behind the wheel and will be a threat to win on Sunday as it has been all season throughout the Maritimes.
Fitzpatrick has had a busy season North and South of the border this season as the youngest Canadian Stock Car Champion has run races for Kevin Harvick Incorporated in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series and NASCAR Nationwide Series. As a side dish to the compliment of NASCAR Racing down South, Fitzpatrick has been running his share of NASCAR Canadian Tire Series races which included a win in front of the big crowd at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve in Montreal!
On board once again for his Eastern Canadian swing is RacingTrader.ca. The Fastest Growing Racing Classified and Online Community Website in Canada that was on board the #3 Legend car one month ago when Fitzpatrick pulled into Victory Lane at Scotia Speedworld and will be on the hunt for more victories with Fitzpatrick this weekend. We had too much fun not to do this again! said RacingTrader.ca Founder and Co-Owner Mark Williams.
The CENTRE For Speed can be found on Route 133, just outside of the scenic town of Shediac, New Brunswick. Spectator gates open at the stock car oval at 10am on Saturday and Sunday with racing beginning at 1pm. A full field of cars is expected in all divisions. A two day pass can be purchased at the front gate on race day for $40 (Adults) or $10 (Juniors, 5-15 years old). For more information on the weekend, please visit www.centreforspeed.com!
