By Lou Modestino
As the Icebreaker at Thompson Motorsports Park quickly approaches; some big names have filed last minute entries.
Winner of the last race for the Granite State Pro Stock Series (GSPSS) at TSMP, Larry Gelinas has announced his intent to pick up another win at the 5/8 mile oval. The entry with the GSPSS makes for a busy weekend for the Buxton, ME driver, as he is also running for points in the Late Model division at TSMP for the 2014 season. Gelinas races as much as anybody on the tour, entering around 50 races during the 2013 season, including 11 races with the GSPSS en route to a runner-up finish in the championship standings. Even with the experience at the track and with the series, Gelinas isn’t sold on himself being a runaway favorite. Gelinas stated “If Mechalides is there, he will be tough. (Mike and Tommy) O’Sullivan’s are tough. It could be somebody different. By the sounds of it, there are a lot of good drivers entering the race.”
Two-time defending ACT champion “The Punisher” Wayne Helliwell, JR has filed entry with his Bruce Bernhardt Motorsports ride. The duo has turned heads on just about anything they’ve been a part of on the racing scene, and the GSPSS is no exception. Helliwell, JR picked up the win last year at Riverside Speedway in Groveton, NH in dominating fashion, holding off the aforementioned Gelinas for his first checkers in the series. “We have a brand new car, so we will be shaking the car down at the Icebreaker,” Bernhardt says. “However, we don’t attend a race we don’t think we can win.” Helliwell is more reserved about the first race of the year. He comments, “We want to take it step-by-step. We would like to get a good practice in and work the bugs out.” Helliwell will be running a limited schedule in the GSPSS, as the Dover, NH driver will be turning “Outlaw” in 2014 by running partial schedules with the Pro All-Star Series, ACT, and GSPSS. Other big names that will be attending the race are Matt Frahm and Tommy O’Sullivan. Frahm, the career wins leader in the GSPSS with 4, will also be there.
“We regret having to move Blastoff Weekend” stated Waterford Speedbowl track owner and promoter Terry Eames. “We were prepared to open the race season last weekend, however it appears Mother Nature just does not want to cooperate”. Soaking rains are forecast on and off throughout the weekend.
“We still plan to have a really great event for race fans, just a couple weeks later”. The entire Saturday and Sunday Blastoff Weekend schedule card will move to the new dates with no additional changes.
The Speedbowl will welcome racers on Friday to an open practice session with pit gates opening at 10 a.m. Practice is scheduled to begin at 12 p.m. “We’re hoping to get some cars on the track tomorrow along with conducting inspections and giving competitors a chance to complete
pre-season registration paperwork” offered Eames. “The more laps competitors can log early in the year, the better it is for everyone”. Pit area admission is $30.00 for Friday’s practice session. Grandstands will be closed.
The Speedbowl season will officially begin this Saturday, April 5th when the track hosts its opening Saturday night NASCAR Whelen All-American Series event. A six division program anchored by the SK Modifieds gets underway with qualifying at 5:30 p.m. Main events will follow at
approximately 7 p.m.
Waterford Speedbowl management also announced that an open practice day has been added to its event schedule for Friday, April 11th in advance of Blastoff Weekend. The track was forced to stop its open practice on Friday a little more than three hours into the day when rain showers moved in.
For Wilbraham, MA native Glen Reen, the 2014 SK Modified® season at Stafford Motor Speedway is full of promise. After only running a handful of races last season, Reen and his #17 TechEdProducts.com team have been busy during the winter putting together a new chassis to go along with a virtually brand new engine. These two factors have Reen excited about his prospects for the 2014 season at the Connecticut half-mile facility.
With the first green flag of the 2014 NASCAR Whelen All-American Series season right around the corner, Stafford Motor Speedway has announced that Connecticut Trailers of Bolton, CT has signed on to become the newest member of the Contingency Program. Connecticut Trailers will sponsor first place in the Late Model division, paying an extra $125 to each feature winner during the 2014 season.
As the sun is ready to rise and shine over another NAPA Auto Parts Spring Sizzler at Stafford Motor Speedway, one driver that is looking forward to the race is Woody Pitkat. In the off-season, Pitkat moved from the #79 team to the #88 Buzz Chew Auto team and he will take over the driving duties from Bryon Chew. While the #88 team is based in Old Forge, NY, Pitkat has already been to their shop several times in preparation for the 2014 season and he is excited about what he has seen at the shop.