NEW ENGLAND MOTORSPORTS SOUTH
By Lou Modestino
The entry list for the American Racer Challenge event to be held at the New Smyrna Speedway (NSS) during the 2015 World Series of Asphalt Racing in New Smyrna Beach, Florida, on Monday and Tuesday, February 16 and 17, is filled with ACT Champions from both the ACT US and Quebec tours.
Defending New Smyrna Challenge Champion, and 2014 American Canadian Tour (ACT) Champion, Joey Polewarczyk, Jr. (Pole) from Hudson, New Hampshire won the first event held at New Smyrna in 2011. “I can’t think of a better way to start the new season off than to win again at New Smyrna. I really like the race track, and we had a blast there a few years ago. Our goal is to use this as a springboard for defending our Championship on the Tour (ACT) this year,” said Pole.
Additionally, newly crowned Serie ACT Quebec Champion, Alex Labbe, from Ste. Albert, QC has entered the two-day racing event. Labbe will pull double duty as he will also compete in the Pro Late Model division throughout the week of racing at NSS. Two-time Serie ACT Champion, Donald Theetge, Quebec City, will join fellow Quebec racers, Jonathan Bouvrette and Jean-Pierre Ouimet, Montreal, and Martin Latullippe from Vallee-Jonction to fill out the entry list from Canada.
Tom Curley, President of the American Canadian Tour said, “We really enjoyed our first trip to New Smyrna Speedway (NSS) in February 2011. When longtime owner and promoter Robert Hart called and asked us to come back in 2015, we had immediate interest from ACT teams. I would expect the twin 100 races to be even more exciting than the first time we visited the fast half-mile at NSS. When you are from Quebec and New England, there is nothing wrong with heading to the Daytona Beach, Florida region for Speedweeks during February. Bringing along a race car makes for extra fun.”
Additional entries include two-time ACT Champion Wayne Helliwell, Jr., Dover, NH, and 2014 runner-up Jimmy Hebert from Williamstown, VT. Full-time ACT Maine drivers Travis Stearns and Rowland Robinson, Jr. will make the trek down from the Pine Tree State.
Over 20 cars have entered the American Racer Challenge which will run two 100-lap races over the two nights at New Smyrna. Individual winners will be crowned in each race, and the Cup will go to the winner of the two best combined finishes over the event.
The 11th Annual Hot Rod and Drag Racing Nostalgia Fest will be held again at the Hudson/Concord Elks hall, 99 Park St. in Hudson, Ma. on Sat., Jan. 3rd from 1-6 pm.
This event is not only a reunion of the pioneers of hot rodding and drag racing but also a great opportunity for younger motorsports enthusiasts to learn about the origins and evolution of hot rodding and drag racing in New England.
Collections of photos and movies of the first 25 years from the experimental fifties to the exciting Funny Cars and Fuel Dragsters of the seventies will be shown on a big screen. Many attendees will bring their personal photo albums and memorabilia to display.
Expert historical commentary, with a touch of humor will be provided by Gil Coraine, recent recipient of the National Hot Rod Association Wally Parks award for outstanding contributions to the sport. Gil has long been regarded as the “the man” when it comes to knowledge of New England drag racing.
Steve Gibbs, NHRA Competition Director, from the Motorsports Museum in Pomona, Calif. will fly in to speak about the third New England Hot Rod Reunion. He will be available to provide the latest information and answer questions.
Others in attendance and available for Q & A will include: Joe Lombardo. Dir. of New England Dragway, John Durfee, Dir. of the Orange 330 Drags and Reunion, Jack Wegman, Dir. of the New England Speed Society and many Drag Racing legends.
Several vintage dragsters will be on display outside, weather permitting. Vendors will be selling a variety of nostalgia items and promoting events. Food and beverages will be available.
This year’s event is dedicated to the memory of famous chassis builder, Chic Brignolo of Norton, who went to hot rod heaven in July of 2014. Another great turnout is expected.
Officials from Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park (TSMP) – the famed 5/8-mile speedway in Connecticut’s quiet corner – released a creative and innovative seven (7) event schedule today, featuring twelve different touring series and sanctioning bodies, and boasting over $500,000 in posted awards. Two weekend events, and a five event Wednesday summer series – with four rain dates – make up the calendar. The schedule is highlighted by four NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour (NWMT) events, two new Triple Crown Series, and significant enhancements to the Sunoco World Series of Speedway Racing.
“A lot of effort went into taking a fresh look at the schedule, and providing the best events we could for our race teams and fans. We have some traditional fan favorites that will return, and we have made some valuable additions to complement that core. We are very proud of the finished product and are excited to announce our 2015 schedule of short track events,” Josh Vanada, TSMP General Manager, remarked.
For the 29th season, the track will operate under the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series banner, offering Sunoco Modified, Late Model, Limited Sportsman, and Mini Stock competitors the benefits of NASCAR membership, awards, as well as state and national championship competition.
The season will begin with the 41st running of the Icebreaker on Friday, April 10 through Sunday, April 12. Modified fans will be in for a treat, as not only will the first race for the NWMT be part of the program, but TSMP’s own Sunoco Modifieds will be featured in a 75-lap main event to kick off the facility’s 75th anniversary celebration. In addition to the full-fendered Late Models, Limited Sportsman, Mini Stocks, and Granite State Pro Stock Series, the winged NEMA Lite cars will make their maiden voyage to the historic Connecticut oval. The Vintage Outlaws and New England Truck Series will also be part of the action. Fans will have the opportunity to meet the stars and cars of all nine divisions on Sunday morning at the Fan Appreciation Party.
A new addition to the schedule, which was announced in October, is the addition of another NWMT race. Scheduled for June 10, this 125-lap event will mark the first time since 2012 that the Tour will make four stops at TSMP. The Mini Stock and Limited Sportsman Divisions will be on stage for the summer series opener, also, as they compete in the first race of their Triple Crown Series. New in 2015, both the Limited Sportsman and Mini Stock divisions will participate in three events in which their finishing positions will earn them both TSMP championship points and Triple Crown Series points. The Triple Crown will pay their own point fund and award the top three. The Sunoco Modified, Late Model, and Vintage Outlaws will all be part of an action-packed night of stock car racing, too.
The second annual Late Model 20/20 Sprint will take place on Wednesday night, July 8. The popular format from the inaugural event will once again be used in 2015. An added bonus for the race winner, besides the handsome purse, will be a guaranteed starting position in the ACT Championship 100 at the Sunoco World Series of Speedway Racing in October. The second Triple Crown race for the Limited Sportsman, as well as the Mini Stocks and ground-pounding Sunoco Modifieds will all be in competition, as well.
Slated for Wednesday, July 29, the Sunoco Modifieds will once again compete in a 20/20 Sprint. As with the Late Models, the same format from 2014 will be used, but with a new twist. Following the completion of the second segment, the overall leader will be given the opportunity to take advantage of a bounty, by forfeiting his/her starting position and starting in the rear for a cash prize, should he or she emerge the overall winner following the 10-lap sprint. As part of this must-see event, the Mini Stocks will compete in their second Triple Crown race, and the Vintage Outlaws will make their third of four stops to the Big T. Late Models and Limited Sportsman will also do battle in championship point races.
One of TSMP’s favorite summer traditions, a 150-lap NWMT race, will once again be back on the docket for August 12. An added bonus this year will be the addition of the Northeastern Midget Association for a 25-lap race, which is guaranteed to feature at least two NWMT drivers in the field. The Sunoco Modifieds, Late Models, Mini Stocks, and the final Limited Sportsman Triple Crown race fill out a very robust night of racing.
The last event of the five-race summer series will feature a double points opportunity for the Sunoco Modifieds. Twin 25-lap main events will be contested for TSMP’s top-tier division. The Late Models, Limited Sportsman, Vintage Outlaws, and the final Triple Crown race for the Mini Stock division will be part of a Back-to-School Bash night, giving families one more opportunity to hit the race track before school begins.
Dubbed one of the nation’s finest short track events – the Sunoco World Series of Speedway Racing – will be even finer in 2015. TSMP’s final event will showcase fifteen divisions that will compete over the course of three days. Culminating with the final NWMT event of the season on Sunday afternoon, NASCAR’s oldest touring division will be supported by some of the region’s most popular touring series: the International Supermodified Association, Valenti Modified Racing Series, and Northeastern Midget Association. The addition of the 100-lap championship race for the American-Canadian Tour on Saturday will feature New England’s most talented full-fendered drivers, and adds to an already star-studded lineup of events.
TSMP’s own Sunoco Modified, Late Model, Limited Sportsman, and Mini Stock divisions will be joined by the New England Truck Series, North East Mini Stock Tour, New England Pro 4 Modifieds, and Lite Modifieds – who will be back after a one-year hiatus. The North East Street Stock Tour will end their inaugural season by crowing their first champion on Saturday night. The NEMA Lites, too, will be competing in their first World Series event, hosting their final points race on Sunday afternoon. When all is said and done, nearly 600 laps of feature competition will be contested, and fourteen new champions will have been born.
“It’s hard to talk about ways to improve an event like the World Series, but I know we’ve accomplished that. The addition of the American-Canadian Tour, coupled with some of the other invitations we extended will make for some extremely competitive racing across three full days. Fans and competitors alike have a lot to look forward to – not only at the World Series – but throughout 2015,” Vanada concluded.
With a full field of seventy Three Quarter Midgets ready to ‘Battle’ in ‘Trenton’ on Friday and Saturday, December 19, and 20, 2014, Len Sammons Motorsports Productions (LSMP) has decided to fill the grandstands to capacity as well by offering an advance purchase discount ticket sale that kicked off today, December 10, and will last through Saturday, December 13.
In this limited window of opportunity, Friday night Lower Level Reserved Seat tickets will be available for just $17 each and Saturday tickets in the same seating area for just $20. That is a savings of $5 per ticket!
These discounted tickets are available only at the Len Sammons Productions office. Tickets can be ordered by phone at 609-888-3616 from 10 a.m. through 5 p.m. today, Thursday and Friday; and from 10 a.m. through 2 p.m. Saturday. Shipped tickets will incur a $10 processing fee; purchasers who pick up their tickets at Area Auto Racing News (2829 South Broad Street, Trenton, NJ) will incur no shipping fees.
As an added incentive, tickets purchased through December 13 will also entitle purchasers to gain access to the popular Pre-Race Fan Fest, held on the arena floor before the start of competition on Saturday night, Dec. 20
Standard priced tickets are still available online at www.comcasttix.com and at the arena box office which is open Monday through Friday 10:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. and Saturday 12:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. Tickets can be purchased at the box office the day of the event, however the price does increase $2.
Seventy TQ Midget drivers, the maximum that can fit into the Sun National Bank Center safely, come from ten states and two nations and represent the cream of the crop in dirt track and paved track racing and compete in Modifieds, Sprints, Supermodifieds, Midgets and TQ Midgets, with and without wings.
Anthony Sesely of Matawan, N.J., a three time winner at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City Indoor racing action and Ted Christopher of Plainville, Ct., a seven-time Indoor winner in LSMP races, head the field of favorites with the always exciting Jimmy Blewett of Howell, N.J., three ISMA Supermodified standouts Lou Cicconi, Jr. of Aston, Pa., Joey Payne of Fairlawn, N.J., Rob Summers of Manchester, Ct., and Mike Lichty of Innerkip, Ontario, Canada, and a pair of competitive upstate New Yorkers Erick Rudolph of Ransomville, N.Y., and Andy Jankowiak of North Tonawanda, N.Y. plus ‘Jersey guy’ dirt track favorites Richie Pratt, Jr., of Hurffville Jr. and Mike Iles of Medford all very capable of winning.
A full field of TQs will race in a two-day series of efficiently promoted events in a unique format. Friday’s event will allow 40 competitors to run in one of the Twin 20 Lap features. Six Heat races will be run setting up (2) 20 car, 20 lap features. Saturday’s Schedule will feature a more traditional format of time trials, heat races, B-mains leading up to a 40 lap feature event.
Competing with the TQ Midgets at Sun Bank Center on Friday night are the agile and lightning fast Champ Karts. The Lentini Auto Salvage Slingshots are the support class for Saturday night Sun National Bank Center indoor action.
Five weeks after the Trenton events, Atlantic City’s historic Boardwalk Hall will be the site of the annual Gamblers Classic. The Atlantic City meet, sponsored by NAPA Auto Stores and highlighted by the ‘Gambler’s Classic’ in Atlantic City’s Boardwalk Hall, is set for January 30 and 31, 2015.
The culmination and coronation of a season-long – and career-defining – road to NASCAR glory came Saturday night for seven drivers.
Abraham Calderón summed it up the best on stage at the NASCAR Touring Series Night of Champions.
“This championship was a dream a few years ago,” said the 26-year-old Monterrey, Mexico driver as he accepted the NASCAR Mexico Toyota Series title. “It was really hard. But now that it’s real, it’s way better than I could ever imagine.”
The evening concluded with all seven drivers on stage together: Calderón, NASCAR Whelen Euro Series champion Anthony Kumpen, NASCAR Canadian Tire Series presented by Mobil 1 champion LP Dumoulin, NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour champion Doug Coby, NASCAR Whelen Southern Modified Tour champion Andy Seuss, NASCAR K&N Pro Series West champion Greg Pursley, and NASCAR K&N Pro Series East champion Ben Rhodes.
The individual high-point of the evening for each of the drivers came on the stage at the Crown Ballroom of the Charlotte Convention Center at the NASCAR Hall of Fame, when NASCAR President Mike Helton handed out the prestigious championship rings and awarded the series championship trophies.
“Tonight, the past, the present and future all converge,” said George Silbermann, NASCAR vice president of regional touring and weekly racing. “The past, celebrated through the storied history of many of these series. The present, represented by a mixture of seasoned veterans winning another NASCAR championship and young guns winning their first. And most importantly, the future, drivers recognized on this stage in the past few years are already having a huge impact in NASCAR’s three national series. And given the talent tonight, that trend will definitely continue.”
Coby and Pursley each won their second touring series titles, while the other five are all first-time winners.
For Pursley, the championship was the crowning achievement on a long and storied career that also included a NASCAR Whelen All-American Series national title and 20 NASCAR K&N Pro Series West wins in 99 starts.
Rhodes joined current NASCAR Sprint Cup Series drivers Joey Logano, Ryan Truex and Kyle Larson in winning the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East championship and Sunoco Rookie of the Year in the same season. Kumpen, who has an impressive sports car resume, won the NASCAR Whelen Euro Series title in his first season driving stock cars.
“For a European race driver, a NASCAR championship seemed like an impossible goal,” said Anthony Kumpen.
Kumpen won his championship by one point over two-time titlist Ander Vilarino, while Rhodes clinched his with a race remaining in the season. Seuss, Coby and Pursley all staked themselves to early season leads and held off their challengers. Dumoulin used a stretch of five consecutive podium finishes in the summer months to lock up the top spot, while Calderón emerged victorious in the series’ five-race Desafio.
The seven champions combined for 14 wins, 67 top fives and 86 top 10s in 95 races.
“Everybody knows that most championship stories have a bump along the way,” said Coby, who became just the fifth different driver in 30 years of the Whelen Modified Tour to earn multiple championships. “We just did our thing and took care of business at each race.
“My team was resilient and they absolutely refused to flinch under pressure, and that is what defined our season and that is what makes them champions.”
Said Seuss: “One fact I’ll always point to about this championship is we completed every lap but one. That’s a testament to the team we have working on this car in the shop and at the track. This is a team sport and I couldn’t do it without all of you.”
The championship car owners and crew chiefs were also recognized Saturday night.
The champions weren’t the only ones to pick up hardware.
In addition to the championship awards, each series rookie of the year was honored. The Sunoco Rookie of the Year Award winners were Rhodes, James Bickford in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series West, Tommy Solomito in the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour and Spencer Davis in the NASCAR Whelen Southern Modified Tour. Top rookie performers in the three international series were Matthew Scannell in the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series, Mario Dominguez in Mexico’s NASCAR Toyota Series and Eddie Cheever III in the NASCAR Whelen Euro Series.
The Most Popular Driver Awards for each series were also presented during the ceremony. The seven drivers honored with the award, which was voted on by the fans through NASCAR.com, were Ben Rhodes in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East, Brandon McReynolds of the NASCAR K&N Pro Series West, JR Fitzpatrick in the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series, Rodrigo Marban of the NASCAR Mexico Toyota Series, Freddy Nordström from the NASCAR Whelen Euro Series, Melissa Fifield from the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour and Andy Seuss from the NASCAR Whelen Southern Modified Tour.
The top-10 drivers and car owners from each of NASCAR’s touring series also were recognized during the gala.
The newly elected NEMA Board wasted no time getting to work, as they met for the first time after being elected last weekend to ratify the 2015 rules proposals this past Sunday, and also agreed on a number of exciting changes for the 2015 season.
The biggest change for the NEMA series will be the addition of staggered heat race points for both divisions, as decided on by the Board. The heat winner will get 20 points, 2nd place 18 points, with 2 points between positions down to 6th place – at which all remaining cars will get 10 points. The Board felt that this change will encourage a better show for the fans during the heat races and reward those who run well in the heat races.
Also exciting for the 2015 season, the Board has adopted the inclusion of a Rookie Development program. Full details will be announced later in the winter, but the intent of the Rookie Development Program will be to provide track time, driver coaching and safety education to new teams and drivers. Drivers falling into the newly adopted age brackets (those who turn 13 during the competition season for the Lites, and 15 years old for NEMA – both with previous experience) must pass the Rookie Development Program and be approved by the NEMA Board prior to competing with NEMA.
NEMA will also be bringing back its NEMA Fan of the Week program in 2015, after a successful program the last couple of seasons. The Fan of the Week gets a free pit pass for themselves and a guest, as well as a tour of the NEMA pit, time with the drivers, and other benefits throughout the evening. In addition, the club will be providing a printed program each week at the race track versus its traditional year book, and will continue its Meet & Greet program under the leadership of Bill Van Slyke.
As previously announced, NEMA will also continue its relationship with Hoosier Tire, as the club signed an exclusive 3 year deal with Hoosier for its current plated NEMA tires. Hoosier East and NEMA have selected Seymour Enterprises as its authorized distributor for the 2015 season. A number of technical rules were passed as well.
When the green flag waves for the 44th Annual NAPA Auto Parts Spring Sizzler on April 25 & 26, 2015, NAPA Auto Parts will be geared up for their second season with Stafford Motor Speedway. NAPA Auto Parts became the Elite Corporate Sponsor and the title sponsor of the track’s marque events, the NAPA Spring Sizzler, the NAPA Fall Final, and the uniquely formatted NAPA SK 5k, prior to the start of the 2014 season. All three races will return to the Stafford Speedway schedule in 2015, along with the fan friendly NAPA Pit Parties.
“We’re excited to be part of another season at Stafford Motor Speedway,” said Mike Wheeler, Connecticut District Operation Manager for NAPA. “Not only are the race fans our customers, but a lot of the teams do business with NAPA for their auto parts, so Stafford Speedway is a great place for us to be and to reach out to the fans and the teams. We looked at 2014 as a developmental season and now we are gearing up for an even bigger and better 2015.”
“We are fortunate to be associated with NAPA Auto Parts and are proud to have them as the Official Auto Parts of Stafford Motor Speedway,” explained Mark Arute, Stafford Speedway President/COO. “NAPA is an industry leader thanks to their professionalism and quality customer service, those are two traits that we always strive to achieve here at Stafford. Our three NAPA sponsored events this past season were all extremely positive events and we’re looking forward to promoting these events and getting the NAPA brand name out to our fan base and our teams. We’re proud to have the opportunity to carry the NAPA Auto Parts name as part of the Stafford Motor Speedway family.”
Last year’s NAPA Spring Sizzler winner, Bobby Santos, III, looks to defend his title in the 2015 edition against what is expected to be one of the toughest Whelen Modified Tour fields in recent history.
The NAPA Auto Parts Springs Sizzler kicks off on Friday, April 24 with a practice session for Stafford’s NASCAR Whelen All-American Series teams and U.S. Legend Cars teams. The Sizzler continues on Saturday, April 25 with practice, Coors Light Pole Qualifying for the NWMT, qualifying heats and consis for the NWAAS and Legend Cars divisions. The day will wrap up with feature events for Stafford’s SK Lights, Limited Late Models, DARE Stocks, and U.S. Legend Cars teams. The NAPA Spring Sizzler wraps up Sunday with the NAPA Pit Party followed by feature events for the SK Modified®, Late Model, and NWMT divisions.