by Jay | Mar 8, 2015 | Connecticut, Stafford
Dana DiMatteo Ready to Defend Stafford Speedway Legend Cars Track Title
(Stafford Springs, CT)—The 2014 season at Stafford Motor Speedway saw the return of Legend Cars to the weekly racing schedule for the first time since 1994 and Dana DiMatteo, of Farmington, became the very first Legend Cars Track Champion in Stafford’s history. DiMatteo scored podium finishes in 8 of the 11 Legend Cars features held last season, including 2 victories, and he is eager to get the 2015 season started as he looks to defend his track championship.
“Racing season is right around the corner, I’m itching and I can’t wait to get started,” said DiMatteo. “Coming back as defending champion we’re going to see if we can get Cory [DiMatteo] up front a little more than last year. He had more wins than I did at Stafford but overall I think we had the same number of wins between Stafford and Waterford. Our goal is to just finish races. Last year I think we only had one DNF and finishing races, finishing up front, and keeping the car in one piece are the keys to winning a championship. We’re aiming for the same thing this year.”
DiMatteo led all Legend Cars drivers with 9 top-5 and 11 top-10 finishes last season and his 2015 performance has the potential to be even better. DiMatteo was racing the very same car that won races at Stafford in the 1980’s and 1990’s with Jon and Justin Manafort behind the wheel. During the winter months, DiMatteo and his team have gone through the entire car and have updated many of the parts and pieces underneath the bodywork. With a season of experience on Stafford’s mini-mile already under his belt, DiMatteo could once again prove hard to beat.
“We got a ton of laps on the car last year so we’ll have something to work with unlike last year where we were starting fresh,” said DiMatteo. “We’re going to have our eyes on the prize and we’ll see what happens. The car might not look pretty but everything underneath is brand new and we also redid Cory’s car from top to bottom. We have all new geometry, new front clips, so we should be pretty good. I think we’re really going to be on our game this year.”
While the Legend Cars only competed on selected Friday nights in 2014, the 2015 schedule sees the Legend Cars as part of every Friday night race program along with the NAPA Spring Sizzler, which will begin the season on April 24-26, and the NAPA Fall Final Weekend that will end the season on Oct. 3-4. DiMatteo is relishing the opportunity to race every week and he expects the competition to be fierce as he tries to successfully defend his track championship.
“It’s awesome that we’re running every week,” said DiMatteo. “The more car count we can get the better and I’m looking forward to putting on a great show for everyone each Friday night during the season. I know there’s going to be some stiff competition this year. I know Devin O’Connell will be there every week and I’m sure there will be some good cars coming to Stafford from up north and down south so it’s going to be a dogfight for sure. We’re also working on a possible third car to run this year along with myself and my brother Cory.”
DiMatteo will begin his Legend Cars track title defense as part of the 44th Annual NAPA Auto Parts Spring Sizzler on April 24-26. Tickets for the “Greatest Race in the History of Spring” are on sale now at the Speedway Box Office. Tickets are priced at $38.50 for adult general admission tickets, $5.00 for children ages 6-14, and children ages 5 and under are admitted free of charge when accompanied by an adult. Reserved seating is priced at $42.00 for all ages. As always, Stafford Motor Speedway offers free parking with overnight parking available. All tickets are good for both Saturday and Sunday admission. All ticket prices include 10% CT Admission Tax.
by Jay | Mar 8, 2015 | Connecticut, Stafford
Ryan Preece Looking to Carry Positive Momentum With New Team Into Stafford Speedway for 44th Annual NAPA Auto Parts Spring Sizzler
(Stafford Springs, CT)—Any time there is a new driver/team combination, questions can arise for a driver as did I switch to the right team and for owners they can wonder if they have the right driver in the seat of their car. For Ryan Preece and the Ed and Connie Partridge owned T.S. Haulers, Inc. team, they put any doubts to rest with a dominating performance during SpeedWeeks at New Smyrna, winning 4 of the 6 Tour Type Modified feature events, including the prestigious Richie Evans 100. With SpeedWeeks now in the rearview mirror, Preece will look to carry the momentum from his week in Florida over to the start of the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour season and the NAPA Auto Parts Spring Sizzler on April 24-26.
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by Jay | Mar 8, 2015 | Connecticut, Stafford
SK Modified® Drivers Weigh-In on July 10 NAPA SK 5k Bonus;
Stafford Wants to Hear From You the Fans!
(Stafford Springs, CT)—The NAPA Auto Parts SK 5K is back in 2015 with a new twist, more money. Stafford Speedway has announced in addition to the fan vote for laps and starting order invert, fans will vote on how to distribute a bonus of potentially $5,000 plus. Already deemed the largest purse in SK Modified® history paying $5,000 to the winner and over $27,000 in total purse money, the bonus will add even more prestige to this July 10th event.
“We want fans to weigh in and let us know what bonus options we should include in the vote” explains Stafford General Manager Mark Arute. “The drivers have some ideas, now we want the fans to let us know what they want to see.”
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by Jay | Mar 8, 2015 | Connecticut, Granite State Pro Stock, Touring Series News, Waterford
Event to Decide Championship for 2015 Season
Walpole, NH- In a joint announcement, the Granite State Pro Stock Series (GSPSS) will conclude their 2015 season at New London-Waterford Speedbowl (NLWS) on October 24.
The newly-formed management team at NLWS, including General Manager Shawn Monahan and Racing Director Scott Tapley, with GSPSS President Mike Parks made the agreement to make NLWS the twelfth stop in the fourth full-season for the young touring series. The Waterford, CT raceway joins Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park, Claremont Speedway, Star Speedway, Hudson International Speedway, Lee USA Speedway, Speedway 51, Monadnock Speedway, and White Mountain Motorsports Park on the schedule.
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by Jay | Mar 6, 2015 | Connecticut, Thompson
Right Turn Clyde: A Look at Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park’s Road Course
No. Stonington, CT- The road course at Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park (TSMP) is looking at its second full-year since the renovation, and it is tabbed as one of the more challenging places to drive, making for some of the most interesting racing in New England.
With so much history at TSMP – the original road course was closed down in the 70’s – the design team wanted to stay close to the original layout. The Hoenig family, Josh Vanada, and Lou Gingerella took the task of creating a modern facility while keeping tradition alive. The main issue had been the transition off the oval track, which was worked extensively by Jon Hoenig, Donald Hoenig, and OTB Promotions President Lou Gingerella, and now flows smoothly into the rest of the course. Safety was also huge influence in the rebirth of the track – kept in mind when designing corners and run-off – as well as making the course challenging. One of the more unique features of the 11-turn track is the addition of the hairpin turn, leading towards the Clubhouse. This turn was added in order to help increase the length of the track, making it the longest road course currently open in New England.
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by | Mar 4, 2015 | Connecticut, NASCAR, Thompson, Touring Series News
THOMPSON, CT – Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park (TSMP) – one of the most diverse motorsports facilities in New England – is proud to announce a partnership with RacingJunk.com – the world’s largest online motorsports marketplace. The co-marketing partnership will help to bring awareness of TSMP’s major racing events, and will also help to increase brand recognition for RacingJunk.com among TSMP’s fans and drivers.
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Dana DiMatteo Ready to Defend Stafford Speedway Legend Cars Track Title
