Lee, NH – Lee USA Speedway still has a couple of on-track events to go before closing out the 2016 racing season, but it’s already time for the first big announcement regarding what’s in store for 2017 at “New Hampshire’s Center of Speed”.
Still celebrating their 30th year steering the LEE USA ship, track owners Red and Judy MacDonald are pleased to announce the return of Joe Bassett to the staff for the 2017 campaign. In preparation for next year, Bassett will be assuming the role of General Manager as soon as he can tie up a few loose ends at his current gig with the New Hampshire Motor Speedway.
No stranger to Lee USA’s racers and fans, Joe is looking forward to the opportunity to continue to grow the highly-successful speedway operation in the coming years. Bassett will be assuming the position soon to be vacated by the retirement of Bill Callen, who’s been a familiar face and filled countless roles since joining the staff back before the turn of the century.
Lee USA is widely recognized as one of the cleanest, best-run facilities in the New England region, and things should only get better as plans for the 2017 season are finalized.
But there‘s still a bit of unfinished business for race teams in the 2016 season, namely championship night this Friday, September 9. All of the track‘s weekly NASCAR Whelen All-American Series divisions will be crowning the 2016 champions that night.
Second-generation driver Dave “Hollywood“ Helliwell heads into the night atop the track‘s headlining NASCAR Whelen All-American Series Supermodifieds, looking to become the first rookie competitor in recent memory to capture the prestigious track championship. Veterans Mike Spurling and Moe Lattime are still within striking distance, but will need to step it up to catch the freshman in the final feature event of the year.
Jimmy Russell and Nate Leavitt are locked in a tight battle to determine the Late Model Sportsman title, with Russell holding a slim three-point lead heading into the season finale. The race-within-a-race between the two will definitely be one to watch. Two-time champ Patrick Tanguay leads the Hobby Stocks with a 12 point cushion over Dylan Bilodeau, with Paul Palen just ten markers further back. Ironman ace Ryan Pitkin and Pure Stock dominator Tyler Mailhot are both in position to claim their first-ever championships as well.
Once the championship battles have been decided on Friday, Lee USA goes dark for a month, all the while making preparations for the annual Oktoberfest extravaganza, this year scheduled for October 7th, 8th, and 9th. Virtually every type of race car imaginable is eligible to compete in the ‘Fest, with upwards of 250 racers expected to participate.