By Lou Modestino
Long-time Connecticut race announcer and well-known sportswriter, Matt Buckler Jr., has been added to the broadcast team at next month’s special open-wheel event at Seekonk Speedway, Seekonk, MA.
The three-in-one program, on Sunday afternoon, June 2, will feature a special race for SK type modifieds, NEMA Midgets, and Northeast Mini Stock Tour. Buckler will join track announcer Kevin Boucher for the special modified race.
Race promoter Gary Sagar wanted Buckler to be a part of the first ever event at Seekonk from the get go. “Matt works with the SK-type modifieds at Waterford, Stafford, and Thompson and has the most knowledge of their drivers and cars. His uncanny wit and professional demeanor made him the ideal choice.”
Buckler visited Seekonk for the first time recently. “I was impressed with the facility. It’s an easy commute from Connecticut. I am excited to be part of this special race event.”
The midget portion of the race card will feature the annual “Boston Louie Memorial Classic” in honor of the late ‘Boston’ Louie Seymour, a local icon who fielded winning race cars throughout the country.
The NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour race scheduled to run on Saturday, May 11 at Monadnock Speedway in Winchester, N.H., has been postponed due to a forecast for inclement weather.
The Town Fair Tire Whitcomb 200 is now slated to be contested at the Granite State quarter-mile bullring on Saturday, July 27. The schedule of events for race day will remain the same.
With this postponement, Friday’s scheduled meet-and-greet with Whelen Modified Tour driver Justin Bonsignore at the Applebee’s in nearby Keene, N.H., has subsequently been cancelled.
The Whelen Modified Tour will return to action on Friday, May 24 in what will now become the season’s first event under the lights with the TSI Harley-Davidson/G-Oil 125 at Stafford (Conn.) Motor Speedway.
Stafford Speedway was back on track under the lights for the first time in 2013 with the Xtra Mart Late Model Xtra D program on Friday night, May 10th. Adam Gray was the winner of the extra distance 35-lap Late Model feature, Ryan Preece scored his second consecutive victory in the 40-lap SK Modified® feature, Troy Talman was the second consecutive rookie winner in the 20-lap SK Light Modified feature, D.J. Burnham was the winner in the 20-lap Limited Late Model feature, and Jeremy Lavoie drove to victory in the 15-lap DARE Stock feature.
Waterford Speedbowl was forced to cancel its NASCAR Whelen All-American Series racing program scheduled for Saturday, May 11 due to rain forecasted throughout the afternoon and evening.
Action will return to the shoreline oval next week on May 15 with Wild ‘n Wacky Wednesday, the track’s popular mid-week series. Spectator drags and car cruise invade the shoreline oval on Friday May 17 for “Sho & Go at the ‘Bowl” featuring free grandstands admission. Next Saturday May 18 sees the return of NASCAR Whelen All-American Series action on Scout Night.
The Ninth Annual Norwood Arena/New England Dragway South Reunions is a go, rain or shine, on Sunday, June 2, at Bezema Motors in Norwood, MA
On Sunday, June 2, race fans will see an exciting combination of race cars, classic cars and motorcycles at the Ninth Annual Norwood Arena/New England Dragway South Reunion at Bezema Motors on US Rt.1 South on the AutoMile in Norwood, MA.
This year there’s been a focus on the New England Dragway South which was adjacent to the torn down quarter-mile arena oval. NED South ran for a few years on Friday nights hosting different kinds of drag racing machinery, including jet cars and fuel dragsters.
Earlier this year, organizers attended a nostalgia drag racing show at the Elk’s Club in Hudson, MA, where there was a huge turnout of fans who came to see vintage drag racing machinery, proving that there is a definite interest in these vehicles. Also at Norwood, fans will be able to see vintage oval race cars from both the NEAR and STAR clubs.
A trophy will be awarded to the best drag car, oval racer and classic car on exhibit. Dash plaques will also be given to notable vehicles. Collectables vendors will also be on hand. Any and all race cars, vintage or contemporary, are welcome.
Don Thomas of the Norwood Arena website will also be on hand again this year. Thomas will be bringing all of his equipment from the west coast. There will also be a DJ on hand who will play music from the 50’s, 60’s and 70’s which was so popular during the heyday of the Norwood Arena/New England Dragway South.
The Bezema family will generously provide a free light lunch to all who attend. The event starts at 10 a.m. and will go until 3 p.m. Drivers such as Leo Cleary, Don McCullough, Jerry Capazzolli and noted car owner Joe Brady along with many others are expected. Attendees are encouraged to bring pictures, programs, trophies, scrap books, plaques and anything else that has to do with Norwood Arena and New England Dragway South.
The Ninth Annual Norwood Arena/New England Dragway South Reunion is a go, rain or shine, on Sunday, June 2, at Bezema Motors in Norwood, MA
On Sunday, June 2, race fans will see an exciting combination of race cars, classic cars and motorcycles at the Ninth Annual Norwood Arena/New England Dragway South Reunion at Bezema Motors on US Rt.1 South on the AutoMile in Norwood, MA.
This year there’s been a focus on the New England Dragway South which was adjacent to the torn down quarter-mile arena oval. NED South ran for a few years on Friday nights hosting different kinds of drag racing machinery, including jet cars and fuel dragsters.
Earlier this year, organizers attended a nostalgia drag racing show at the Elk’s Club in Hudson, MA, where there was a huge turnout of fans who came to see vintage drag racing machinery, proving that there is a definite interest in these vehicles. Also at Norwood, fans will be able to see vintage oval race cars from both the NEAR and STAR clubs.
A trophy will be awarded to the best drag car, oval racer and classic car on exhibit. Dash plaques will also be given to notable vehicles. Collectables vendors will also be on hand. Any and all race cars, vintage or contemporary, are welcome.
Don Thomas of the Norwood Arena website will also be on hand again this year. Thomas will be bringing all of his equipment from the west coast. There will also be a DJ on hand who will play music from the 50’s, 60’s and 70’s which was so popular during the heyday of the Norwood Arena/New England Dragway South.
The Bezema family will generously provide a free light lunch to all who attend. The event starts at 10 a.m. and will go until 3 p.m. Drivers such as Leo Cleary, Don McCullough, Jerry Capazzolli and noted car owner Joe Brady along with many others are expected. Attendees are encouraged to bring pictures, programs, trophies, scrap books, plaques and anything else that has to do with Norwood Arena and New England Dragway South.
All hands are on deck as the Thompson Speedway prepares for the start of its regular season. The track’s schedule of events fills the summer months with a great variety of racing action and special attractions with something for just about everyone.
Sunday, May 19th, is the date that racing returns to the 5/8th mile oval. Headlining that day’s racing will be the Valenti Modified Racing Series with a 75-lap feature event. Joining the VMRS in their first of three appearances this year at the speedway will be Thompson’s weekly NASCAR Whelen All-American Series divisions that include Sunoco Modifieds, Late Models, Lite Modifieds, Xtra Mart Limited Sportsman and Monster Mini Stocks. Each of these six divisions will compete in qualifying races and feature races.
The following Sunday, May 26th, the tack becomes the center of madcap mayhem as the annual Eve of Destruction takes center stage. This Memorial Day weekend tradition will feature Monster trucks including the “World’s Original Monster Truck”, Big Foot. The action packed evening also includes auto thrill shows, motorcycle spectacular, jet powered vehicles, Transaurus, the car eating monster, demo derbies, the ever-popular trailer trash race, kids inflatable fun attractions on the midway and another famous Thompson fireworks display.
Thompson crews will scramble to clean up after the Eve of Destruction because only four days later on Thursday, May 30th, the track will kick off its weekly Thursday Night Thompson Thunder (TNTT) summer series. Thursday night racing at Thompson has become a mainstay of the New England NASCAR tradition. Five fast and exciting divisions of NASCAR racing action that feature some of the most talented race car drivers found anywhere. Thursday night racing will be featured every week during the summer except of the week of July 4th.
The July 4th holiday will find the Thompson Speedway transformed into the site of New England’s largest and most exciting car show. Called the hottest automotive Mardi Gras of New England, the 23rd annual Summer Nationals, July 4th-7th, will fill four days of endless automotive fun for spectators and participants.
The Thursday night schedule, starting May 30, also includes additional visits from the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour along with the Valenti Modifieds. Fans will also enjoy appearances by the antique Outlaw Modifieds, Open Pro Stocks, New England Truck Series, the North East Mini Stock Tour and special extra- distance events for the weekly NASCAR Whelen All-American Series divisions.
North Easton’s Rob Richardi, Jr. will be participating in a Champions for Charity race at Stafford Motor Speedway on Friday, June 28, 2012 to raise money for his charity “The New England Chapter of Autism Speaks” .. This will be the 3rd Annual Champions for Charity Race; however it will be the first one for Rob as you can only run in the race if you have been a division champion in open wheel racing.
Rob won the New England Pro4 Modified Championship last year so he is eligible to participate in the race this year. Rob has chosen this charity because he has three cousins who have Autism and he knows the difficulties and challenges facing this children and their families.
He has provided specific details of the race in the attached flyer, which includes instructions on how you may donate. The entire amount of your donation goes directly to The New England Chapter of Autism Speaks. Thank you in advance for your anticipated support to this great cause.
Lime Rock Park’s first big event of the year is just two weeks away, folks. It’s been a long winter, but we’re ready to fire up the engines and get things rockin’ and rollin’!
It’s the Lime Rock Season-Opener featuring Trans Am and the Sunday Royals Garage Car Show benefitting the Wounded Warrior Project, Friday through Sunday, May 24-26.
Friday, May 24 is practice and qualifying, when all the Trans Am, Formula F, F2000 and VSCCA teams are preparing for Race Day which is Saturday, May 25. Which is a day totally crammed with non-stop action, from 9 in the morning until 5:30 in the afternoon.
There are three races before noontime, then the Trans Am Fan Walk on Sam Posey Straight – then the exciting Trans Am race at 1:30, then three more races after that.
The next day is the Fourth Annual “Sunday Royals Garage Car Show,” where Sam Posey Straight is filled from the Downhill to Big Bend with the tri-state area’s coolest cars. From hot rods, classics, and 60s and 70s muscle cars to antiques, motorcycles and brand-new SS Camaros and Boss Mustangs..
Here’s what else is going on in southern New England. There’s another big cruise night at the Bass Pro Shop in Patriot Place in Foxborough on Thursday night at 5 p.m. Friday night has NASCAR action at the Stafford Motor Speedway in CT at 7 p.m. Trinity Church in Canton has a cruise that night at 5 p.m.
Saturday’s offerings inlcude stockcar action at Seekonk starting at 6 p.m. while Silver City in Meriden, CT has mineature racing action starting at 9 a.m. Gold’s Gym on Rt. 109 in Millis offers a cruise night at 5 p.m. Sunday has dirt track kart action at the Berlin Fairgrounds in CT at 9 a.m. while the Capeway Rovers in Middleborough hold a MotoX event at 9 a.m. At the same time Pomfret Speedway in CT hosts kart racing.