by Jay | Sep 17, 2009 | NASCAR, New England, New Hampshire, NHMS
KURT BUSCH: “INCREDIBLY IMPORTANT” FOR GOOD CHASE START
-Miller Lite Dodge Driver Knows From Experience As He Has Experienced “The Good And The Bad”-
LOUDON, N.H. (Sept. 15, 2009) – Miller Lite Dodge driver Kurt Busch enters Sunday’s Sylvania 300 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway hoping to get off to a good start in the 2009 “Chase” for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Championship. Busch could certainly be looked at as an “authority” when it comes to first-hand experience on that subject.
“I’ve definitely seen it from both ends and I know from experience how incredibly important it is to get off to a good start in the Chase,” said Busch, who finished second in the race at Richmond last Saturday night and earned his fourth Chase bid in the last six seasons. “You get out there the first week after the long haul – the 26 races just to make the cut for the Chase – and you come into Loudon (New Hampshire Motor Speedway) with the most adrenalin flowing and momentum going as you’ve had going for you during the entire year.
“So you feel like you’ve got the barrels loaded and the trigger cocked – you’re one of 12 teams that made the finals and it’s playoff time – and you can feel almost invincible,” Busch explained. “It’s like that kind of ‘hey we made it (the Chase) and we’re here to kick (rear end) and take names’ attitude just runs rampant within your team.
“But once that green flag falls at Loudon on Sunday to officially begin the Chase, the race really is on,” said Busch, who won the 2004 title in the inaugural year of the Chase format. “I’m here to tell you that it’s pretty hard to measure the importance of getting off to a good start.
“All I can say is that I know from experience that if you can get it going in the right direction at Loudon, you can keep the momentum growing and sort of build some insurance for something bad happening later on during the 10-race stretch. But, on the other end of the equation, with so much hype and such great expectations you have going into the first race of the Chase, I’ve definitely seen just how much of a blow it can be to get started on a bad note.
“When you look at my career, winning the first Chase in 2004 – and especially what happened in the years since then – mine is probably as good of example as any when it comes to
considering the importance of getting a good finish in that first race,” said Busch. “I guess it’d be really accurate to say that I’ve definitely seen the good and the bad.
“During our championship season back in 2004, we were strong from the drop of the green flag and it only got better from there,” said Busch. “We won the New Hampshire race and went on down the road on a big roll. We finished top-five at Dover and did the same at Talladega the next week.
“We went on a roll of nothing but top-fives and top-10s through the first six races and built up such a points lead that we were able to hang on and pull it out by eight points over Jimmie (Johnson) to win the battle for the title, even with the big setback with the blown engine at Atlanta.”
After six races had been completed during the 2004 Chase, Busch enjoyed a 96-point advantage over second-place Jeff Gordon. Johnson, who would turn out to be Busch’s chief nemesis was 207 points behind.
Busch blew an engine in the Atlanta race and finished 42nd, dropping his lead to only 41 points. He entered the Homestead finale with an 18-point advantage and in a “miracle run,” he finished fifth to claim an eight-point advantage over Johnson to take the first points title under the current Chase format.
“That was definitely the good end of thing that we enjoyed and the other years definitely didn’t turn out that way,” said Busch. “We made the Chase the next year in 2005 and had such high hopes of defending the title. In the opening Chase race at New Hampshire, we hadn’t even finished three laps before a guy who normally shouldn’t have been up there was just too loose, got out of shape and just wiped us out.
“We went on and struggled really bad the next week at Dover and just couldn’t get things straightened out,” said Busch. “We struggled and didn’t finish in the top-10 but three or four times during the rest of the season. Then we had the big parting of the ways with the previous car owner and that was the end of that season.
“We were lucky enough to make the Chase again in 2007, but we never had anything really going for us once the Chase started,” said Busch. “It was the transitional year for the new breed of car and we just didn’t have our program where it needed to be. We finished outside the top 20 in the New Hampshire race and it just seemed to get worse from there on. I think we only had one top-five finish the rest of the year.”
With all his experience behind him, Busch certainly knows which direction he hopes his Pat Tryson-led team is headed.
“Hey, give me a replay of that ’04 start to the Chase,” said Busch. “That’d be really cool and exactly what we need to get rolling again here this year.”
This weekend’s action at New Hampshire Motor Speedway gets under way with Sprint Cup practice on Friday from 12:00 noon till 1:30 p.m. Sunday’s 43-car starting field will be determined in Friday’s 3:10 p.m. single round of Cup qualifying. Saturday’s action includes practice sessions from 9:00 a.m. till 9:50 a.m. and from 11:30 a.m. till 12:30 p.m. Sunday’s SYLVANIA 300 (300 Laps, 317.4 Miles) has a 2:00 p.m. EDT starting time. Live coverage of the race will be provided by ABC-TV and MRN Radio.
by Jay | Sep 15, 2009 | ACT, Canada, NASCAR, New England, New Hampshire, NHMS
Waterbury, VT – The field is set for the inaugural American Canadian Tour (ACT) Invitational to be held this weekend at the New Hampshire Motor Speedway (NHMS) in Loudon, NH. The 36-car field for the historic first-ever Late Model stock car race is filled with the best short track drivers in the Northeastern US and provinces of Quebec and Ontario, Canada. The $65,000 event is slated to take green at 5:30 Saturday afternoon, following the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series ‘Heluva Good! 200’.
ACT teams from throughout the Northeast have spent the past six months battling each other for a coveted spot in what will be the most unique racing opportunity most have had in their careers.
Veteran racer from Barre, VT, Joey Laquerre said, “This has to be the highpoint of my 50-plus years of racing. I had so much fun at the ‘test and tune’ (over 50 ACT teams were invited to a test session at NHMS in August) and I really wanted to get an invitation to this race. I hope this will be good for the future of Late Model racing. I think it is just great for the young kids like Joey ‘Pole’ (Polewarczyk), those two 16- and 17-year olds, (Brandon Watson from Stayner, ON and Joey Doiron from Berwick, ME). They are the future, but I wish I could be starting all over again with them. They are going to have a lot of fun racing in the next ten years or so”. Laquerre was a former Thunder Road Track Champion and has raced at just about every track in New England for over 5 decades, in just about every kind of stock car.
The starting grid for the ACT Invitational will have twenty-four former and present Track Champions and Series Champions. Three of the hottest drivers in ACT racing represent each of the Touring Series which the sanctioning body manages.
Montreal’s Patrick Laperle has the most wins entering the Invitational, with four (4). Laperle is contending to win his second Série ACT Castrol Championship on Sunday, following the NHMS event. He is chasing two-time Castrol Série Champion Donald Theetge from Quebec City, who leads the Series by 33 points going into the 300 lap finale at Autodrome Ste. Eustache outside of Montreal. Laperle will receive a $2,000 bonus for his 4 Invitational wins.
Veteran driver Brent Dragon from Milton, VT enters the Invitational with three qualifier wins and is coming off an impressive third place finish after starting twelfth at the Fall Foliage 300 at the Airborne Speedway in Plattsburgh last Sunday afternoon. Dragon battled eventual winner Laperle for over 100 laps in the final half of the event, swapping the official lead a half dozen times. Laperle won the 300-lap event, but only after running out of fuel while pitting during the final caution, on lap 255.
Former NHMS Track Champion, and now full-time ACT competitor, Brian Hoar of Williston, VT took over the ACT Tour point lead following the Fall Foliage 300. Hoar leads Scott Payea, of Milton, VT by 28 points going into the final event of the campaign at Oxford Plains Speedway on October 11th. “I really am not thinking about the ACT title with the Invitational in front of us. When I was racing on the old NASCAR Busch East Series, this was a place I just loved to come to. Being named as the NHMS Track Champion ranks right up there with my five ACT titles. I can’t wait until 5:30 on Saturday, and I think fans are going to have some fun also. During the testing we found out that these cars can draft, carry big speed through the corners, and that the outside lane is the place to be. That should provide a good combination for putting on a great show. MY RPM team is pumped up and ready”, said Hoar.
Nine tracks from throughout the Northeast and Canada will be sending their 2009 champions to the ACT Invitational, along with 6 other past track champions from throughout the region. There are 5 ACT TOUR Champions entered, 3 Serie Castrol Champions and a multi-time PASS Super Late Model Champion.
“The starting field for this event will be the very best 36-car field in the 25-year history of ACT racing. These teams all deserve to be here based on what they have accomplished either in the Qualifiers or in their racing careers, and we are proud to have them represent ACT and Late Model racing. We are grateful to Jerry (Gappens, Vice President and Executive Manager of NHMS), Bob Bahre (founder and former owner of NHMS and lifelong supporter of short track racing) and the entire NHMS staff for their support and confidence in short track racing in our region”, said Tom Curley, President of the American Canadian Tour. “I am especially happy to have such a great mix of veteran teams and new young stars who will get the chance to have this experience. I guess it is now time to ‘start the engines’ and let them get after each other”, concluded Curley.
The ACT Invitational will take place at the New Hampshire Motor Speedway as part of the weekend-long NASCAR ‘Chase for the Sprint Cup’ activities. The Invitational will post at 5:30 on Saturday, September 19, 2009 and will be run over a distance of 50 miles. Information for tickets can be obtained by contacting the ticket office at NHMS or their web site at www.nhms.com
by Jay | Sep 15, 2009 | ACT, Canada, NASCAR, New England, NHMS
Waterbury, VT – Noted racing columnist ‘Big’ Bigelow from the Caledonia Record, a daily paper from St. Johnsbury, VT, has won the first round of the ACT Invitational Media Contest. Ironically, Bigelow picked Canadian Patrick Laperle in the final bonus race this past weekend, the Fall Foliage 300, to beat out Toronto, Ontario’s Evan Towle from the CanadianRacingOnLine.com. The five bonus points were the margin of victory for the winner. “People pretty much know me as a ‘stats freak’. I guess this time my fun with facts and figures paid off for me. It has been fun to watch each week to see if I could climb the ladder to the top, and now, I guess my next job will be to pick the winner of the Invitational”, said Bigelow.
Bigelow competed against nearly three dozen members of the media who entered the ACT Invitational last April, just prior to the start of the season. Media members had to pick 36 teams from across all of New England and the Quebec and Ontario provinces of Canada. In addition, they were required to pick from 12 ‘bonus’ point events held on the ACT Tour, the Série ACT Castrol, and special events including the Oxford Plains’ TD Bank 250, the Governor’s Cup 150 at Thunder Road, and the Wiscasset Speedway Center of Speed 300. By picking Laperle in the Fall Foliage 300, he broke the tie to sit on top of a crowded score sheet among over two dozen Northeast racing media members.
Bigelow has won a week’s family vacation to the Steele Hill Resort in Sanbornton, NH during the next 12 months. Part two of the Invitational becomes a little more difficult. Pick the Winner of the Invitational and win a fully paid trip for two to the Sprint Cup Chase event at the Lowe’s Motor Speedway being held this October. Bigelow and other media members who finished in the top 12 standings now have to pick this Saturday’s inaugural winner of the ACT Invitational. Bigelow will have an ace up his sleeve as any tie breaker will be broken by ‘first round’ standings.
The final field of twelve has been expanded as there was a tie in the standings from 12th through 16th. Entry forms will be sent to eligible media members on Wednesday, September 16, 2009. The winner of the Grand Prize trip to Charlotte, NC will be announced immediately following the ACT Invitational Saturday evening at the New Hampshire Motor Speedway.
ACT INVITATIONAL MEDIA STANDINGS (Round I)
(eligible to ‘Pick the Winner’ for Grand Prize)
1. Big Bigelow Caledonia Record 240
2. Evan Towle CanadianRacingOnLine 235
3. Norm Cote Late Model Digest 230
4. Gene Gagne Outside Groove 230
5. Kevin Provencher NH Union Leader 230
6. Jim Carson Late Model Digest 225
7. Lee Elder Goodyear Public Relations 225
8. Steve Poulin Newport Daily Express 225
9. Mickey Smith Morrisville New & Citizen 225
10. Mark Thomas Racin’ Paper 225
11. Alan Ward News & Citizen/Racin’ Paper 225
12. Melissa, Betty St Albans Messenger 220
13. Grearson, Anna Times Argus 220
14. Kaufman, Josh St Albans Messenger 220
15. Michaels, TJ WORK – FM 220
16. Lou Modestino The Enterprise 220
The ACT Invitational invited roster:
Car# State Name Hometown Track/Series
6 VT Cris Michaud Williamstown, VT ACT/TR
7 ME Glen Luce Turner, ME ACT
8 NH Guy Caron Goshen, NH Twin State
9 ON Brandon Watson Stayner, ON Kawartha Downs
10 NH Ben Rowe Turner, ME ACT
11 VT Jean Paul Cyr Milton, VT Thunder Road
11 RI Ryan Vanasse Warwick, RI Seekonk
14 VT Phil Scott Middlesex, VT Thunder Road
14 ON Sean Kennedy Dunrobin, On Capital City
15 VT Joey Laquerre Barre, VT ACT/TR
17 MA Eddie MacDonald Rowley, MA ACT
18 VT Jamie Fisher Shelburne, VT ACT/TR
21 QC Jean Francois Déry Quebec City, QC ACT Castrol
26 VT John Donahue Graniteville, VT ACT/TR
27 MA Wayne Helliwell, Jr Dracut, MA Lee USA
35 CT Bruce Thomas Groton, CT Waterford
37 VT Brian Hoar Williston, VT ACT
40 VT Eric Chase Milton, VT ACT/TR
44 VT Dave Pembroke Montpelier, VT Thunder Road
47 CT Tim Jordan Plainfield, CT Waterford
48 QC Karl Allard Ste Felicien, QC ACT Castrol
51 ME Ricky Rolfe Albany Twnshp, ME ACT
55 VT Brent Dragon Milton, VT ACT
55 NH Brad Leighton Center Harbor, NH ACT
71 ON Dan McHattie Cavan, On Kawartha Downs
73 ME Joey Doiron Berwick, ME ACT
80 QC Donald Theetge Quebec, City, QC ACT Castrol
88 VT Nick Sweet Barre, VT ACT/TR
89 VT Scott Payea Milton, VT ACT
91 QC Patrick Laperle Montreal, QC ACT Castrol
94 ME Shawn Martin Turner, ME Oxford Plains
97 NH Joey Polewarczyk Hudson, NH ACT
03 ME Travis Adams Canton, ME Oxford Plains
02 NH Randy Potter Groveton, NH ACT
04 ME TJ Watson Cundy’s Harbor, ME Wiscasset
The ACT Invitational will take place at 5:30 on Saturday, September 19, 2009. Tickets for NASCAR ‘Chase’ weekend, including the ACT Invitational, can be obtained by logging on to www.nhms.com. For additional information on the ACT Invitational check the American Canadian Tour website at www.acttour.com
by Jay | Sep 15, 2009 | NASCAR, NASCAR K&N Pro Series, New England, New Hampshire, NHMS
Harrisburg, N.C. (September 12, 2009): After competing in both the NASCAR Camping World Series West race at Iowa and the IMCA Super Nationals this weekend, Brett Moffitt is ready to shift his focus back to the series point lead in the NASCAR Camping World Series East. Moffitt is currently sixth in the point standings – 147 points behind current leader Ryan Truex – as Andy Santerre Motorsports heads to New Hampshire Motor Speedway for the Heluva Good Fall 125.
“There are only two races left so if we run strong here at New Hampshire we still have a shot. We’re 147 back from Ryan, but we’re only 97 points out of second. A good finish at NHMS can really shake things up a bit,” said Moffitt, who drives the No. 44 Andy Santerre Motorsports Chevrolet’s.
Moffitt will be looking for redemption of sorts when they return to New Hampshire. In June, Moffitt was running third when his tire blew and sent him into the wall in turn four. The team had to park the car for the day after running only 39 laps.
“We ran down the leaders and we were looking to pass them when he blew the tire,” said car owner Andy Santerre. “We were a little too aggressive on the setup. We were trying to run a radial tire setup on a bias ply tire, and at Loudon you have to be careful on how much camber you run or it’ll overheat the sidewall. When we went to that West race a week ago we learned a lot about the tires and what they will take and what they won’t. If we can get a happy medium where we get close on speed but not overdo it on the set up we’ll be good.”
With Dover following the week after, Santerre has decided to be conservative and bring their short track car to New Hampshire. They didn’t want to take the chance of wrecking their superspeedway car with the last race on the line.
But conservative doesn’t mean giving up being competitive.
Moffitt is confident heading into this week’s event and doesn’t feel threatened by the challenge he faces to finish the season off in the top-three. His one win, four top-five, and seven top-10 finishes speak for themselves.
“There’s a lot of pressure on people right now to go out there and perform because it’s the last two races, but we put that pressure on ourselves every week,” said Moffitt. “We’re going there to win just like we do in May and in July and in September. The pressure is really all on Ryan (Truex) because the point lead is his to lose.”
The NASCAR Camping World Series East arrives at New Hampshire Motor Speedway on Thursday, September 17th for practice and qualifying and will take the green flag for the Heluva Good! Fall 125 on Friday, September 18th at 5 p.m. eastern time.
For more information on Brett Moffitt or Andy Santerre Motorsports, visit www.brettmoffitt.com or www.andysanterremotorsports.com.
by Jay | Sep 15, 2009 | NASCAR, NHMS
LOUDON, N.H. (Sept. 15, 2009) — If history is any indicator, then look for Ryan Newman to make an early statement in Sunday’s opening round of the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.
As one of the 12 drivers who secured a spot in the Chase, Newman can’t think of a better place than the New England facility where he has enjoyed success since his 2002 rookie season.
The last time the U.S. Army/Haas Automation driver qualified for the Chase (2005), he kicked off the championship format with a victory at New Hampshire’s 1.058-mile oval.
Known as the Magic Mile, the New Hampshire track was also the site of Newman’s first career Cup win in September 2002.
In 15 New Hampshire starts, Newman has garnered two wins, five top fives, nine top 10s and four poles. He has an average finish of 14.2 and ranks fourth all-time for most laps led at 537.
“New Hampshire has always been a strong suit for me,” stated Newman, who drives the No. 39 Chevrolet Impala SS for Stewart-Haas Racing. “I don’t know exactly why. I don’t know if I just adapted to the track really soon. I’m not sure but it’s a place I look forward to going to. I really enjoy the area and the race track.”
While he would like to jump out to a fast start in New Hampshire’s Sylvania 300, Newman knows that consistency with strong performances throughout the 10 Chase races will be the key to determining who will hoist the NASCAR Sprint Cup trophy following the season-ending race — Nov. 22 at Homestead-Miami Speedway.
Speaking of consistency Newman enters the New Hampshire race as the leader in laps completed during the first 26 races of the 2009 season. He has completed 7,323 laps out of 7,336 for a 99.82 percentage. Second is Newman’s teammate, Tony Stewart, with 7,322 laps completed (99.81 percent).
“It usually comes down to the team that’s been the most consistent — it’s as simple as that,” noted Newman, who begins the Chase as the 10th seed. “Our U.S. Army/Haas Automation team has had a pretty decent run lately, but we still need to step it up in order to be a contender in the next 10 races. Those 10 races are all about having fun — can’t really lose anything, but there’s a lot to gain.”
When asked by the media who he thinks is the Chase favorite, Newman said, “That’s a tough question to answer because I think there is more potential for any team to beat themselves than they are to beat who they think is a better competitor. If you’re sitting here thinking about who you have to beat then you’re not thinking about your own race car and what you have to do to be successful.”
Regarding making the Chase for the first time in three years, Newman responded with his thoughts after clinching the prestigious position with a 10th-place finish Saturday night at Richmond International Raceway.
“If feels awesome, especially after not making it (Chase) for so many years,” said Newman. “We just never let up all season in the Army/Haas Automation Chevrolet Impala SS. When things wouldn’t go right we would just battle harder.
“This is our payback to our Soldiers who give us the mental strength and inspiration to keep on pounding away until the mission is completed. I’m so proud to represent the U.S. Army and knowing that I’m driving for over a million Soldiers fighting for our freedom. This is a win for them, too.”
Newman added, “We just did what we wanted to do and that’s why it feels so good. It’s a dream come true. To think back to Daytona going through basically three race cars and make it to Richmond here and be in this position, it says a lot about the hard work that (crew chief) Tony Gibson, (owner) Tony Stewart and everybody at Stewart-Haas Racing have put into this effort.”
by Jay | Sep 14, 2009 | NASCAR, NASCAR K&N Pro Series, New England, New Hampshire, NHMS
Matt Kobyluck leaves no room for wondering what he and his Mohegan Sun Racing team want for the NASCAR Camping World Series East event at New Hampshire Motor Speedway on September 18th. The 2008 defending series Champion is going with the distinct goal of winning the race.
“We want to win,” said Kobyluck. “We have everything to gain in the points, while the leaders right now have everything to lose. We want to get back in victory lane this year and New Hampshire would be a great place to do that.”
Kobyluck is currently tied with Steve Park for fourth place in the 2009 NASCAR Camping World Series East point standings. Kobyluck has posted two top-five and six top-10 finishes in nine starts this season. Only two races remain to attempt to end a winless streak that started after his victory in the Toyota All-Star Showdown back in January.
The Mohegan Sun Race team will face some stiff competition, however. Ryan Truex, Eddie MacDonald, and several others will try and make Kobyluck’s goal hard to obtain, but the Uncasville, Conn. native feels they can rise to the challenge.
“We’ve had a pretty decent car there in the last couple of years so we just have to stay out of trouble and be there at the end,” said Kobyluck. “Ryan has been good everywhere he’s gone this year and Eddie has been consistently good at New Hampshire so they will definitely be contenders at this race. A lot of it will come down to qualifying. It’s so important there to start up front, and we’ll have a strong focus on our qualifying effort.”
Tackling New Hampshire Motor Speedway would be one of the biggest accomplishments of Kobyluck’s career. It is one of a select few tracks that the 39-year-old driver has yet to win on.
“We’ve won at a lot of places, but winning at New Hampshire would just be incredible. All my wins have meant a lot to me, but we’ve worked really hard at New Hampshire and we’ve struggled there in the past. I think pulling off a victory would be a memorable moment for both me and the crew.”
The Heluva Good Fall 125 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway takes the green flag at 5 p.m. eastern time on Friday, September 18th. For more information on Matt Kobyluck, Mohegan Sun Casino, or the Mohegan Sun Race team, visit www.mattkobyluck.com.
