by Jay | Apr 27, 2012 | Connecticut, Modified, Stafford
The 41st Annual CARQUEST Tech-Net Spring Sizzler
will kick off the 2012 race season at Stafford Motor Speedway and Richie
Pallai, Jr., driver of the #39 CARQUEST Filters / Bosch Spark Plugs
Chevrolet, is hoping for a repeat of the 2009 Sizzler where he collected his
first SK Modified® feature victory. Pallai finished 14th in the season
opening event at Thompson, and although he was caught up in a multi-car
wreck, he has confidence in his car and team with how well they ran as they
prepare for the 200-lap test that is the CARQUEST Tech-Net Spring Sizzler.
“We’re looking forward to the Sizzler more than we have in the past,” said
Pallai. “Stafford has kind of been one of our worst tracks. You would
think it would be one of our better ones, but it just hasn’t been. We ran
really good at Thompson, we were eighth when we pitted and we pitted with
all the leaders. We restarted 14th and we were up to 10th right before we
wrecked, so realistically we had about a 7th or 8th place car without a
problem. We didn’t qualify as good as we wanted to, which hurt us because
it’s tough to pass, but we’re looking forward to Stafford. We had a lot of
problems with the car last year that we figured out during the winter and we
switched to Bruneau engines. We have the best equipment that we’ve had in
three years, so it’s nice to know that going into the race.”
(more…)
by Jay | Apr 26, 2012 | Connecticut, Modified, New England, Thompson
THOMPSON, CT. The newest NASCAR Whelen All-American Series division at Thompson International Speedway, the LKQ/Keystone Lite Modifieds, will make its debut on Sunday, May 20th. LKQ/Keystone is the nation’s leading supplier of used and after market replacement auto parts. The lite style of Modified race cars proved to be very popular at Thompson in special events appearances during the last two years and, as a result, have been added as a weekly division in 2012.
In making the announcement of title sponsorship for the Lite Modified division, Mike Dufresne, Regional Vice President of LKQ/Keystone, said that LKQ/Keystone was very pleased to have the opportunity to provide weekly sponsorship in the form of bonus money to the new and exciting racing division. “We know that many of our customers are involved in racing and we wanted to step up and support this program. Our customers know of our love for auto racing and we wanted to show them that we support their dedication to the sport.” said Dufresne. LKQ and Keystone have locations coast to coast in the USA.
(more…)
by Jay | Apr 22, 2012 | Modified, Monadnock Speedway, New England, New Hampshire, Touring Series News, VALENTI MODIFIED SERIES
Jon McKennedy, of Chelmsford, MA., made it two wins in a row Saturday night, winning the Valenti Modified Racing Series, Bond Auto Parts Spring Dash 100, at Monadnock Speedway, Winchester, NH.
McKennedy driving for Hall of Fame car owner Art Barry started 18th in a 24-car field.
The two-time champion, driving the # 2 car won his second race of the season, his second win at Monadnock in only his second time in the Barry car.
(more…)
by Jay | Apr 21, 2012 | Connecticut, Modified, New England, Stafford
(Stafford Springs, CT)—One year ago, a victory in the SK Modified® feature
event during CARQUEST Tech-Net Spring Sizzler Weekend sent Ryan Preece on a
path that would lead him to his first career championship. Preece hopes to
repeat his winning ways of one year ago in this year’s CARQUEST Tech-Net
Spring Sizzler Weekend, not only in the SK Modified® division, but in the
Whelen Modified Tour behind the wheel of the #16 Diversified Metals Ford.
Preece took over the controls of the #16 car for the final race of the 2011
season, scoring the pole position and leading 36 laps before a late race
spin left him 26th in the finishing order. Preece kicked off his 2012
season in grand style by winning the pole again and leading 86 laps before a
crash relegated him to a 16th place finish. In 2 starts thusfar with the
#16 team, Preece has 2 pole positions and he has led 122 of 327 laps, but
those results haven’t translated into good finishes as Preece has an average
finish of 21.0 in those two events. Despite his misfortunes, Preece is
excited about his prospects for this year’s CARQUEST Tech-Net Spring
Sizzler, where he hopes to better his career best finish of third in the
Sizzler.
(more…)
by Jay | Apr 20, 2012 | Connecticut, Modified, New England, Stafford
(Stafford Springs, CT)—Stafford Motor Speedway has again lined up an
impressive field of current and former open wheel champions for its CARQUEST
Champions For Charities Event as part of CARQUEST Super Saturday on June
30th. During the coming weeks, SMS will offer a profile on each of its
championship winning drivers and the charity they will be racing for. This
week’s CARQUEST Champions For Charities spotlight falls on 2003 NASCAR
Whelen Modified Series Champion Todd Szegedy, who will be racing to help
support The Foundation For Life.
(more…)
by Jay | Apr 17, 2012 | Modified, Monadnock Speedway, New England, New Hampshire, Touring Series News, VALENTI MODIFIED SERIES
Windsor Locks, CT. — Windsor Locks, CT., racer Les Hinckley
III, knows the way around Monadnock Speedway.19
pro-stock wins in four seasons and a championship proves it.
Add four wins in the potent open-wheel modified racecars
and it’s safe to say the second-generation racer is right
at home at the Winchester, N.H. racetrack.
(more…)
