by Jay | Jul 2, 2009 | New
Final preparations being made for 50-year Reunion at Northeastern Speedway
WATERFORD, Vermont (July 2, 2009) – After 13 months of work to clear away what Mother Nature had accumulated in 42 years, the old Northeastern Speedway is well on its way to becoming a living museum to short track auto racing.
On Saturday, July 18, exactly 50 years to-the-day after the speedway held its first race, former drivers like 1959 track champion Johnny Gammell of St. Johnsbury, Glen Gadapee, Harold ‘Hard Luck’ Hanaford and Maine’s Glen Andrews will return to the historic oval for a 50-year reunion celebration.
Since the land on which the 1/5-mile paved oval sits was purchased from former St. Johnsbury police chief Clem Potvin in March of 2008, new owners Paul and Lise Bellefeuille of Waterford have worked tirelessly to make this historic event become a reality.
With help from friends and those who were involved in the track’s construction, the goal of restoring the facility and hosting a 50-year reunion for former drivers, officials, and fans is now within reach.
“It’s been a long road to get to this point,” said Bellefeuille. “When we first started clearing the infield last May, we knew we had a ton of work ahead of us. We kept at it, and had a lot of help along the way. After the infield was cleared, leveled, and planted, we had to repeat the process in the grandstand and pit areas.”
Once the actual physical work on the grounds was completed, Waterford native Bill Keach and Mike Bean of St. Johnsbury built an exact replica of the old ticket booth, right where the first one once stood. Bill’s father Ken built the speedway’s original ticket booth in 1959. Fans who attend the reunion will see this sharp-looking addition when they walk up from the parking lot. A small replica of the grandstand and announcer’s tower was also planned, but town officials denied the permit. Tom Flanders has masterfully replicated the speedway’s original roadside sign that his father, Doonie Sherburne, painted when the track first opened.
“When people visit today and comment on the green grass, flagpoles, and clean grounds, it all seems worthwhile,” continued Bellefeuille. “We only did all this so we can host the drivers, officials, and fans that made this place a thriving, popular racetrack back in the day. It will be very rewarding to see them come here, along with those beautiful old Coupes, and relive those years.”
Several of the cars that raced on this high-banked bullring have been restored and will be on hand, along with restored Coupes from all over New England. Members of the New England Antique Racers (NEAR) group will also be at the track, adding a regional flavor to the event.
The state of Maine will also be represented, as several members from the Maine Vintage Race Car Association (MVRCA) are also planning to attend. Cho Lee, of Barre, considered the state’s leading auto racing historian, will be on hand July 18 with hundreds of photos from Northeastern’s rich past. Lloyd Hutchins, who owned the car driven by Henry Montandon at the speedway, will be in attendance with his beautiful restored Coupes.
From restored race cars, former drivers, old trophies, and other memorabilia, even a rolling museum filled with old racing photos from Bob Doyle, there will be something of interest to every racing enthusiast at Northeastern Speedway on July 18. Northern Vermont and New Hampshire have a rich history in short track stock car racing, something to appreciate and celebrate at the track known simply as “the birthplace of organized racing in Vermont.”
Tickets for the Northeastern Speedway 50-year Reunion are $15 for adults. Lunch will be available on the grounds from the Waterford Volunteer Fire Department. Cars will be on display to the public from 9 a.m. until 2 p.m. A driver recognition ceremony is slated for 11 a.m., while at approximately 2:15, cars will be allowed one hour of slow-speed parade laps around the oval.
by Jay | Jul 2, 2009 | New
Old Town’s Jason Trundy returned to victory lane in the Little Enduros at Speedway 95 Wednesday night as he took his first win of the season. Trundy started fourth in the field and passed pole sitter Mike Witham of Milo for the lead on the fourth lap, and never looked back during the 20 lap caution free feature event. With good battles for position happening throughout the field, and lots of action when the leaders passed slower traffic, Paul Higgins of Newburgh emerged as the second place finisher. Higgins and Darren Durrell, also of Newburgh waged a fierce but clean battle for the second spot until Durrell’s exhaust system began dragging the track, upsetting the handling on his Honda Prelude. Durrell held on for a third place finish while Donny Blanchard worked his way from the back of the field to post a fourth place finish for the night. Witham, who won the first qualifier earlier in the evening, wound up fifth at the checkers. The second qualifier was won by Higgins.
Rhonda Lyford of Winterport, the current Ladies Division points leader and the 2008 division champion, waited patiently in the middle of the pack while early leaders Shelby Kimball of Cornville and Nicole Smith of Clifton rubbed fenders enough to put Smith into the third turn wall and Kimball to the back of the pack for rough riding. When the green flew again to begin lap six, Kimball and Smith tangled again at the back of the pack, sending Kimball to the pit for the night with a broken race car. When the race resumed, Lyford was at the point and stayed there for the remaining 14 laps. Becky Elston of Carmel cruised to an easy second place finish while Smith worked her way through the field to finish third. Amy Houde of Howland finished in fourth with Danielle Deluck of Hampden in fifth. Shelby Kimball was the winner of the ladies qualifier.
Shawn McNevin of Hudson finally made it to victory lane for his first win of the season in the Big Enduro Division after passing polesitter Roger Smith of Clifton on the second lap, and keeping his Ford Thunderbird in front of the pack of GM products while fighting off Smith’s challenges for the next 18 laps of the caution free event. Smith ran strong all night and finished the race in second, about three car lengths behind McNevin. Alan Cookson Jr. of OldTown also ran a hard race, challenging McNevin and Smith for the top two spots early in the race, but falling to third by the time the checkered flag flew. Ricky Palmer of Winterport finished in fourth with Michael Shaw of Troy fifth.
Jim Carr Jr. of Clifton posted his fourth win in a row in the Truck Division, holding off a late race charge by Dana Harlow of Bucksport, who just happens to own the truck Carr was driving. In his post race interview, Carr mentioned that the truck was “a really nice piece” and felt fortunate to be able to drive it for the man he just beat for the win. Harlow, who finished second, said he would have had a better shot at Carr, but his power steering broke about five laps from the end, slowing him down enough to take away any chance of beating Carr. Peter Drake, driving another Dana Harlow owned truck, finished in third, with the Crosby’s, Andrew and Brett, from Hermon finishing in fourth and fifth respectively.
Making their debut at Speedway 95 this week were the “Stars of Tomorrow”, a division of 11-14 year olds driving cars similar to the Little Enduro cars. 14 year old Ryan Modery of Hermon picked up the inaugural win in the division by beating 11 year old Matthew Kimball of Cornville and 14 year old Brett McCullough of Kenduskeag, who finished second and third in that order. It was the first appearance in a race car on a racetrack for the three beginners, and the race went the entire 10 lap distance without any incidents. All three have ties to the Speedway 95 racing community, as Ryan is the son of Late Model driver Scott Modery, Kimball is the brother of Ladies Division driver Shelby Kimball, and Brett McCullough is a descendant of the racing McCullough family from Hudson, who have been racing at Speedway 95 since it’s inception in 1966.
by Jay | Jul 1, 2009 | New
Fireworks, food drive and racing at Unity Raceway Friday night
(Make-up dates for NWA Wrestling, PASS Super Late Model race announced)
Unity, Maine – Fireworks and racing highlight Friday night’s
Independence Day weekend show at Unity Raceway. The action kicks off
at 6:30 p.m. with stock car racing for championship series racing in
all regular divisions. After dark, fans and competitors will be
treated to a giant fireworks display.
Friday night is also Unity Residents Night at the Raceway. All unity
residents with proof of residency will be admitted to the grandstand
area for half price.
The Raceway is hosting a food drive for the Volunteer Regional Food
Pantry in Unity on Fireworks Night. For every item donated at the
track Friday the donor will receive a ticket for a grand prize drawing
(prize to be announced).
Friday night’s racing card is topped by a 75-lap main event for the
track’s premiere weekly division, the Late Models. All other weekly
classes will hit the 1/3-mile oval, beginning at 6:30 p.m.
NWA On Fire Wrestling & Racing at Unity Raceway, rained out in June,
has been rescheduled for Friday night, July 24. The NWA On Fire show
starts at 7:00 p.m., and will be followed by feature races for all
racing divisions regularly in competition at the track.
The Pro All Stars Series Super Late Models are now scheduled to run
the NAPA 150 on Sunday, August 2. The PASS Sportsman Series and PASS
Mods will also see action on this special racing program. Two-for-one
grandstand admission coupons for this event are available at most
Northern New England NAPA Auto Parts stores.
by Jay | Jun 30, 2009 | New
Naples, ME 6/30/09- Race fans, teams, and officials will all prepare for a double header this weekend as the PASS South super late model series will invade the Greenville-Pickens Speedway on Friday July 3rd for the Firecracker 125 followed by a Sunday night shootout at the famed Hickory Motor Speedway on Sunday July 5th for the first ever Independence 150. The double header will mark the first of its kind for the five year old series and with the anticipation of several newcomers expected to make their 2009 PASS South series debuts, it’s shaping up to be one of the best Fourth of July weekend races in the country.
Race one of the double header will be featured at the Greenville-Pickens Speedway, a paper clip shaped half mile track known to produce some tight racing. Last year’s winner, Alex Haase, will not be in attendance to defend his win but his Kyle Busch Motorsports team with youngster Bryce Walker behind the wheel will. Another driver to watch is Justin Wakefield, the exact guy who battled the #51 machine for the win just a season ago before a wreck ended his night early. Three time winner Preston Peltier, along with Ben Rowe, Heath Hindman, and Ryan Blaney are among the championship contenders that will have to fend off a list of drivers making their return to the series in 2009 that include Clete Caywood, Dean Clattenburg, and J.R. Norris. An expected capacity size crowd along with a stellar field of race cars as well as one of upstate South Carolina’s largest fireworks shows to conclude the night’s activities adds up to produce one of the best Fourth of July celebrations for any race fan around.
An open practice for the Firecracker 125 will kick off Thursday July 2nd from 6-8pm then the following day the cars and stars of the PASS South super late model series will take to the track for the 125 lap event set to go off at 7pm. For more information including how to get your hands on tickets to the Firecracker 125 visit the Greenville-Pickens Speedway at www.greenvillepickens.com.
The second leg of the double header concludes at the first ever Independence 150 at the Hickory Motor Speedway. The race will mark the second of three events that the PASS South series has planned at the famed oval in 2009, making it a facility the championship contenders must run well at in order to have a shot at the championship. Always producing strong car counts at Hickory makes for impressive side by side racing and with this event being the first during the month of July one can bet that a slick race track will produce some wild racing action.
Having won the 2009 version of the Easter Bunny 150 earlier in the year, Maine’s Ben Rowe has to be considered a favorite heading into this weekend. Several drivers such as Jeff Bolen and thirteen-year-old Chase Elliot, who is the son of NASCAR star Bill Elliot, will be making their first career PASS South series starts. In addition, Corey Williams (2008) and Tennessee native Heath Hindman (2007) have to be thrown into the mix as each has scored a win at the Hickory, North Carolina track. Hickory also marks the only track so far this season that current hot shoe Preston Peltier has struggled at. Early in the year, Peltier posted only a seventeenth place finish but since then has racked up three series wins and moved into third in the series standings just forty points out of the top spot.
The Independence 150 at the Hickory Motor Speedway kicks off Sunday July 5th with racing set to begin at 6:15pm. For directions and ticket information visit the track’s website at www.hickorymotorspeedway.com.
by Jay | Jun 30, 2009 | New
$5,000 to win 25th Annual M&M Beverage Enduro 250
The 25th Annual M&M Beverage Enduro 250 on August 2 will be $5,000 to win in celebration of the 50th Anniversary Season at Thunder Road International Speedbowl. This is a $3,000 increase over last year’s grand prize for “The People’s Race.” The Enduro is a no-holds-barred race where over 100 novice drivers race virtually street-legal automobiles for 250 laps.
Last year current Allen Lumber Street Stock competitor, Troy Gray of Fairlee earned a soggy $2,000 check after winning the 24th Annual M&M Beverage Enduro 200, a survival-of-the-fittest stock car race that featured a half-hour rain storm and two rollovers.
To request an entry form and rules for the 25th Annual M&M Beverage Enduro 250 contact the ACT office at (802) 244-6963 or [email protected] and take a shot at $5,000. Entries will also be available at Thunder Road this Thursday, July 2. Entries filed on or before July 20 will be accepted at $50. Later entries – including up to the day of the race, Sunday, August 2 – will be $75.
Thunder Road is in action this Thursday, July 2 with the Pepsi Holiday Fireworks Spectacular at 6:30pm. A full card of Late Models, NAPA Tiger Sportsmen, Allen Lumber Street Stocks, and Power Shift Online Junkyard Warriors are on tap. Adult general admission is $10 for adults, $3 for children (6-12), and just $20 for a Family ticket for any two adults and two kids. Gates open at 5:00pm.
“The Nation’s Site of Excitement” will be running again this holiday weekend on Sunday, July 5 for the 50th Holiday Celebration and $5,000 worth of fireworks in 50 seconds. This will also be a regular event for Late Models, NAPA Tiger Sportsmen, Allen Lumber Street Stocks, and Power Shift Online Junkyard Warriors. Adult general admission is $9.50 for adults, $3 for children (6-12), and just $20 for a Family ticket for any two adults and two kids. Post time will be 6pm, gates open at 4:00pm.
For more information, visit www.thunderroadspeedbowl.com.
