by Jay | Oct 7, 2009 | New England, Thompson
To Benefit Sonny “King” Richards Memorial
Groton, CT (October 4, 2009): On Friday, October 16, 2009, at 8PM, the friends of Sonny “The King” Richards will host the first-ever Texas Hold’ Em Poker Tournament at the Raceway Golf Club Restaurant on the grounds of Thompson International Speedway during the running of the World Series of Speedway Racing. There will be a $40 buy-in with a portion of the proceeds benefiting the Sonny Richards “Education is King” Scholarship Fund. The payout will be determined by the number of players. Prizes will be paid out to the top-three finishers.
Known to many as the “King”, Sonny Richards was a longtime supporter of Modified racing and friend to the entire Motorsports community. A fan since the days of the coupe, Sonny was a fixture at Modified races throughout the decades. He began his love affair with the auto racing as a journalist covering the sport for the Connecticut Daily News and later as the field representative for Speedway Scene. Sonny passed away at his home in Hartford, CT in July of 2001 after having enjoyed an action-packed Modified race at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.
The King was a man who gave so much of himself to others. The Sonny “King” Richards Memorial was created by a group of his closest friends shortly after his death to help ensure that his spirit lives on. Tributes to Sonny include a memorial award and the Scholarship fund.
Any active participant in the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour or their families actively enrolled in a collegiate program is eligible to receive the “Education is King” Sonny Richards Memorial Scholarship. Past recipients of scholarship include Megan Clifford and Kelly Coby-Silk. Megan and her parents remain active in the racing community today. Kelly, along with her husband Ronnie Silk and brother Doug Coby, are among the new generation of the Modified Tour. Anyone interested in the “Education is King” Sonny Richards Memorial Scholarship should contact Dale Wolbrink at (508) 847-0565 or [email protected] for application requirements.
Proceeds from the Texas Hold’ Em Poker Tournament will help to support the educational aspirations of another member of the racing community. Noted journalist and avid Poker player Shawn Courchesne of the Hartford Courant has agreed to organize the tournament.
Tickets are available for the Texas Hold’ Em Poker Tournament by emailing [email protected] or by calling (508) 847-0565.
Also, during the weekend, a member of the Modified Tour Racing community will walk away with the 9th Annual Sonny Richards Memorial Award. Each year as part of the ongoing tribute to the late Richards, the memorial award is presented to the owner, driver, crewmember, or official deemed by the media as the best representative of the Whelen Modified Tour. Some truly outstanding people have won this special recognition including Art Barry, Tony Ferrante, Sr., Ralph Solhem, Tom Baldwin, Sr., Jerry Marquis, Howie & Mary Hodge, Mark Mockovak, and Bill Brice.
The World Series of Speedway Racing at Thompson is one of the most fun and unique race events of the season. The friends of Sonny Richards are proud to be a part of the festivities.
by Jay | Oct 5, 2009 | New England, Thompson
THOMPSON, CT. The NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour championship will once again come down to the final event of the year at the Thompson International Speedway. A mere 26 points separate the top two contenders going in the XTRAMART World Series of Speedway racing at Thompson.
Donny Lia, looking to win his second series title, moved into the top spot following his win at the Stafford Motor Speedway this past weekend. Ryan Preece is the driver in Lia’s rearview mirror. Preece is only 26 points behind Lia and well within striking distance of the division’s crown. Ted Christopher saw his nearly season-long points lead disappear on Sunday when an accident knocked TC out of the competition. He was credited with a 31st place finish, dropped to third in the standings, and now faces an up hill battle to erase his current 109 point deficit. Rounding out the top five as they head for Thompson are Todd Szegedy and Rowan Pennink.
The NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour title is, more often than not, decided at the XTRAMART World Series of Speedway Racing and the 2009 champ will be crowned following the WMT 150-lap main event slated for Sunday, October 18th.
Championships are a big part of the three-day XTRAMART World Series. Chris Perley will lead the ISMA Super Modified contingent into their final event of the year and Tim Bertrand, holding a slim 18 points advantage over Mike Jarret, will attempt to secure the NEMA title at Thompson.
The XTRAMART World Series is a one-of-a-kind racing spectacle. Hundreds of race cars and racing trucks converge upon the huge Thompson Speedway complex to compete in one of the fourteen different divisions that make up this extra-special event. Racers from all up and down the east coast make the annual trek to Thompson to compete on one of America’s premier short tracks. The ultra fast, high banked 5/8ths mile oval, offers competitors a chance to be part of one of the largest racing events in the country.
Thompson’s Super 6 NASCAR Whelen All-American Series divisions will play a major role in the World Series with each providing, as they have all season long, exciting, wheel-to-wheel racing action. Racing trucks from the ARTS series, Pro 4 Modifieds and three “outlaw” divisions will round out the fourteen division event.
Practice and qualifying races for eight divisions will make up the on-track activity on Friday. Saturday will feature qualifying for the WMT, ISMA, NEMA and the remaining divisions that will race on Sunday. Once Saturday qualifying is complete, eight feature races will make for an exciting and fun filled Saturday night. Sunday’s action starts at 12 Noon with the heavy hitters in six incredible feature races.
The XTRAMART World Series of Speedway Racing is also host to some of racing’s greatest party atmospheres. It’s the last major event of the season and race fans enjoy all of the food, fun and entertainment at the Raceway Restaurant and Lounge.
Tickets for the XTRAMART World Series at Thompson are available by calling the Thompson track office. 860-923-2280.The entire weekend’s schedule is available on the Thompson web page. www.thompsonspeedway.com
by Jay | Oct 5, 2009 | New England, New Hampshire
Claremont, NH – October 4, 2009 – The Pro Four Modifieds of New England (PFMNE) completed their twelfth race of the season at Twin State Speedway. Fifteen modifieds hit the pavement for the Bot-L-Gas and RF Logic feature at Open Wheel Sunday in Claremont, NH. The #58 of Henry Sirigano and the #00 of Dave Richardi won their respective heat races and also finished in the top five for the feature. But it was the #1m of Norm Wrenn who proved unstoppable in the race to the finish.
The PFMNE 25-lap main event was led by D. Richardi and the #07 of Phil Lausier. Wrenn started in ninth, but quickly moved into the high groove, passing the #31 of Michael Crawford, the #26 of Mike Patnaude, and Sirigano on the first lap. By lap three, Wrenn tucked in behind the #4 of Cory Cleary, who saw an open door under the #11a of Dan Meservey. Coming out of turn four on the sixth lap, the #86 of Mark Charette drove outside the #34 of Mark Giordano for eleventh as he chased down a spot in the top ten. Wrenn found an opening below Cleary and passed him on lap seven for the fourth position. On lap seven, a caution came out for the #99 of Billy Joerres who spun in turns three and four.
On the restart, D. Richardi and Lausier continued to lead the field, followed closely by the #10 of Brian Vincent and Wrenn. Within one lap of the restart, Wrenn drove outside Vincent and had begun racing side by side with Lausier. The battle continued for a lap before Wrenn’s machine claimed the second position. Meanwhile, Meservey and Cleary raced side by side, vying for the fifth position, but Cleary was able to keep his advantage. Wrenn challenged D. Richardi for the lead, and the two raced side by side for several laps—with neither holding the advantage for very long. By lap fourteen, however, Wrenn’s machine completed the pass and would took over the lead for the rest of the race with D. Richardi at his heels. On that same lap, Cleary drove under Vincent to claim the fourth position. On lap sixteen, Joerres was about to pass Charette but had an unfortunate spin in turns three and four that brought out the second caution of the event.
Wrenn and D. Richardi led the field on the restart, followed by Lausier and Cleary. Sirigano restarted in seventh, but quickly made his way around Meservey and was looking to pass Cleary as well. But on lap seventeen, Cleary headed to the pits and was unable to return to the track. The third caution of the event occurred on lap twenty, when the #16 of Stan Mertz and Joerres spun on the frontstretch.
A single file restart brought on some side by side racing in the back of the field, but within five laps, it was Wrenn who claimed his tenth victory of the season. He was followed by D. Richardi, Lausier, Vincent, and Sirigano to complete the top five. Meservey, Patnaude, Mertz, Charette, Joerres, Crawford, Giordano, Cleary, the #56 of Dave Bedard, and the #07x of Robin Berghman rounded out the rest of the finishing order. Stan Mertz was the first Limited Pro Four to cross the finish line, followed by Joerres and Giordano.
The PFMNE’s next race will be at the D. Anthony Venditti Memorial at Seekonk Speedway on Saturday.
by Jay | Oct 4, 2009 | ACT, New England, Thunder Road
Hebert, Mullen and Yates Crowned 2009 Champions
Barre, VT – Graniteville’s John Donahue won the 47th Annual Chittenden Milk Bowl at Thunder Road International Speedbowl on Sunday, October 4. Donahue’s fifth place finish in the third segment was enough to edge out Brent Dragon by just four points. Dragon went into the third segment as the overall leader after winning the first segment and placing 10th in the second segment. His tenth place finish in the third segment gave him an overall score of 21 points for the three segment event.
Donahue took the green in the final segment trailing Dragon by just one point. The two fought hard through traffic to get to the front but Donahue got into the open air quicker and made it up to fifth and secured the win with a combined score of 17.
Eric Williams finished third overall with 26 points, followed by Joey Polewarczyk, Jr. (28), Brian Hoar (29), Dave Pembroke (31), Jamie Fisher (31), Nick Sweet (31), Joey Laquerre (34), and Chip Grenier (37) rounded out the top ten.
In the Tiger Sportsman division Shawn Fleury of Middlesex took home his second win of the 2009 season at Thunder Road. His previous win was in the Tiger Tri-State Series 100 back in August. Fleury was followed to the line by Jason Corliss, Derrick O’Donnell, Tony Rossi and Bobby Therrien.
Williamstown’s Jimmy Hebert was crowned the 2009 Tiger Sportsman Champion after point leader Pete Ainsworth finished just one position shy of qualifying for the main event. Hebert recovered from an early spin to edged out Tony Rossi for the title.
Tommy Smith of Williamstown took his third win of the season in the Allen Lumber Street Stocks. Mike Martin, Danny Doyle, Gary Bashaw and Marcus Farnham completed the top five.
Gary Mullen of Tunbridge took the Allen Lumber Street Stock title over Mike Martin after Tucker Williams failed to qualify. Mullen secured the championship after finishing ninth in the feature. With that ninth Mullen finished the year with ten top tens in 16 starts.
Cabot’s Ken Christman took the Power Shift Junkyard Warrior feature win over Keith Fortier and Kevin Streeter. Donnie Yates of Montpelier was crowned the Power Shift Junkyard Warrior Champion even though he did not qualify for the feature. He had a big enough lead over Christman going into the feature that he could not be beaten. Yates had an amazing six wins during the 2009 season.
The 47th Annual Chittenden Milk Bowl capped off the 50th Anniversary Season at Thunder Road International Speedbowl. The American Canadian Tour title will be decided next Sunday, October 11 at Oxford Plains Speedway.
47th Annual Chittenden Milk Bowl Results
Sunday, October 4, 2009
Pos Car # Driver TOTAL
1 26vt John Donahue 17
2 55vt Brent Dragon 21
3 7vt Eric Williams 26
4 97nh Joey Polewarczyk, Jr. 28
5 37 Brian Hoar 29
6 44 Dave Pembroke 31
7 18 Jamie Fisher 31
8 88 Nicholas Sweet 31
9 15vt Joey Laquerre 34
10 9vt Chip Grenier 37
11 11vt Jean-Paul Cyr 38
12 14 Phil Scott 39
13 89 Scott Payea 40
14 55nh Brad Leighton 41
15 38vt Tyler Cahoon 44
16 7me Glen Luce 45
17 1 Tony Andrews 45
18 27 Wayne Helliwell Jr. 47
19 73me Joey Doiron 47
20 78nh Quinten Welch 50
21 42vt Matt White 59
22 6 Chad Wheeler 62
23 77nh Mark Hayward 63
24 32 Mike Olsen 63
25 40vt Eric Chase 63
26 16 Joe Becker 65
27 41 Pete Potvin, III 66
28 8vt Rich Lowrey 71
29 00 Mike Bailey 77
30 25 David Whitcomb 85
NAPA Tiger Sportsman Results
Pos Car # Driver
1 31 Shawn Fleury
2 61 Jason Corliss
3 68 Derrick O’Donnell
4 90 Tony Rossi
5 4 Bobby Therrien
6 89 Ray Stearns
7 94 Brendan Moodie
8 48 Tom Therrien
9 10 Josh Demers
10 18 Lance Allen
11 37 David Finck
12 06 Jeff French
13 58 James Hebert
14 15 Troy Gray
15 99 Cody Blake
16 04 Eric Badore
17 23 Matt Potter
18 19 #Neal Foster
19 2 John Lambert
20 55 Brian Delphia
21 1 Scott Coburn
22 32 #Erik Steel
23 84 Richard LaFond
24 33 Jason Allen
25 16 George May
26 0 Mark Barnier
27 79 Jason Bonnett
28 26 Mike Ziter
Allen Lumber Street Stocks and Power Shift Junkyard Warrior Results
Pos Car # Driver
1 22ss Tommy Smith
2 01ss Mike Martin
3 51ss #Danny Doyle
4 92ss Garry Bashaw
5 13ss Markus Farnham
6 68ss Bruce Melendy
7 83ss Bunker Hodgdon
8 38ss Greg Adams Jr.
9 29ss Gary Mullen
10 30ss Lloyd Blakely
11 34ss Timmy Campbell
12 77ss Dave Whitcomb
13 43ss #Jamie Davis
14 61ss Jason Corliss
15 42ss Tyler Therrien
16 73ss Vern Woodard
17 2ss David LaFleche
18 24ss Marvin Johnson
19 6ss #Daniel Lathrop
20 4jyw Ken Christman
21 35jyw Keith Fortier
22 61jyw Kevin Streeter
23 87jyw John Prentice
24 88jyw Thomas Elwood
25 31jyw Kevin Wheatley
26 06ss Michael Moore
27 7ss Martin Ingram
28 09ss #Amanda Habel
by Jay | Oct 2, 2009 | New England
Hundreds of victories and dozens of championships are represented in the New England Auto Racer’s Hall of Fame “Class of 2010.”
Drivers Geoff Bodine, Mike Murphy, George Savory and Pete Fiandaca, car owners Billy Simons, Bob Garbarino and Vic Miller and contributor Frank Ferrara will be inducted at the 13th annual induction banquet on Sunday, Jan 30, 2010 at the LaRenaissance Banquet Hall in East Windsor, CT.
Still to be announced are the inductees from the Veterans Committee and the Jack Ratta Memorial (media) winner.
Ticket forms will be on the New England Antique Racers website (www.Near1.com) in the near future.
The Class of 2010 is the result of a nomination/selection process that includes voting by a special selection committee and the living members of the Hall.
Before winning 18 Sprint Cup races including the 1986 Daytona 500, Bodine established new standards for Modified driving for Massachusetts’s Dick Amstrong in the late 1970s. He won 55 features in 1978 alone including the Race of Champions, the Spring Sizzler, the Thompson 300 and a sweep at Martinsville. Credited with hundreds of Modified wins (he was named one of NASCAR’s top-10 Modified drivers in 2003), he is a multi-time champion at both Stafford and Thompson Speedways.
A car owner for almost 40 years, Simons, a Cromwell, CT native, won 10 championships – eight at Waterford Speedbowl and two at Riverside Park. With drivers like Ray Delisle, Hank Stevens, Don Collins, Ray Miller, Dick Caso, Stan Gregor, Ricky Summers and Dan Avery, he won at a number of tracks including Waterford, Lebanon Valley, Riverside Park, Stafford, Monadnock and Thompson.
The Late Murphy, who campaigned out of Woburn, MA, was a paragon of consistency, winning in several divisions including Modifieds, Supermodifieds, Pro Stocks and Late Models over almost three decades (1961-2000). Murphy, who won 22 straight ProStock features at Hudson in 1985, captured eight championships (four in a row at Hudson) including the 1989 NASCAR ProStock crown at Star Speedway.
Starting as an owner/mechanic Springfield, MA native Ferrara has served New England motorsports for well over 50 years. The association started as a car owner at Riverside Park in the early 1950s. He has a been a flagman (the Northeastern Midget Association and Stafford), a race sponsor (The Ferrara 100s), driver and, presently, a track owner (Whip City Speedway).
Coming out of the famous Gasoline Alley in Needham, MA, Savory raced with great success for 43 years. Competing throughout the east, he won an estimated 300 features and grabbed championships at Norwood Arena (1970), Westboro Speedway (1977) and Riverside Park (1994). He followed that with four “Pro 4 Modified” championships.
The “Traveling Man,” Fitchburg MA’s Fiandaca is the ultimate racer. Since 1967, he has won at least 320 features in everything from “bombers” to Modifieds and Pro Stocks. Fiandaca has 16 championships at five different tracks. A living legend in every sense of the phase, the immensely popular Fiandaca battled the best and prevailed not only with talent but also with smarts and determination.
Garbarino’s cars have carried the number V4 and the name “Mystic Missile” for 40 years, testimony to his longevity as a Modified car owner. The 2006 national championship capped off a run that began in the early 1960s at Waterford Speedbowl. The Mystic, CT-based team went to NASCAR in 1967 and became a charter member of the current Modified Tour set up in 1985.
Miller’s numbers are astonishing. Since 1965, cars prepared and/or owned by Miller have won on 32 tracks in 11 states and Canada. A five-time ISMA champ, he owns eight Thompson World Series, six Star/NESMRA Classic and six Oswego Nationals wins. Current driver Chris Perley is on a list of Miller drivers that includes Ollie Silva, Don MacLaren, Eddie West and Bentley Warren.
by Jay | Oct 2, 2009 | New England, Thompson
THOMPSON, CT. The 36th annual XTRAMART World Series of Speedway Racing is coming to Thompson the weekend of October 16rh-18th. This amazing three-day racing extravaganza is the largest, most diversified and most incredible racing program anywhere in the country.
Hundreds of race cars and race trucks and thousands of race fans will converge on the Thompson International Speedway to be part of one of auto racing’s annual gems. Fourteen different divisions of race cars and trucks will compete for championships, money and prestige as the 2009 racing season comes to an end.
The huge Thompson pit area will be filled to capacity with racers representing the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour, ISMA Super Modifieds, NEMA Midgets, ARTS Trucks, Thompson’s “Super 6” NASCAR Whelen All-American Series, Pro 4 Modifieds and three different “Outlaw” divisions. Many of the touring division will crown champions at Thompson including the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour.
Friday’s schedule includes practice and qualifying races for 8 of the 14 divisions. These divisions will compete in feature races on Saturday night. Prior to the running of those Saturday night feature races, the remaining 7 divisions will practice and qualify during the day on Saturday. Those qualifying on Saturday will run their feature races on Sunday. The Sunday lineup will spotlight ISMA Super Modifieds, NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour, NEMA Midgets along with Thompson’s Sunoco Modifieds, Super Late Models and Late Models to complete this amazing lineup of racing cars and stars.
Racing is, of course, the main focus of the XTRAMART World Series. However, the fact that it is also one enormous, season-ending race party is also a large part of this fun-filled outing. Thousands converge upon the Speedway grounds for the entire weekend and take full advantage of the great times offered up by the Raceway Restaurant and Lounge, the tailgate parties that fill the parking lot, the Raceway Golf Course and driving range and the many attractions within easy driving distance of the Speedway. Race fans meet up with old friends and make many new ones during the many social hours that make up this extra-special weekend.
The complete three-day schedule along with stories, accommodations listings and much more are all available on the Thompson web page. www.thompsonspeedway.com Tickets are available by calling the Thompson Speedway track office at 860-923-2280.
