by Jay | Aug 13, 2009 | ACT, New England, Thunder Road
Barre, VT – Thursday Night racing during 50th Anniversary Season celebration at Thunder Road International Speedbowl will finish with a bang, literally, on Thursday, August 27. The event, which is sponsored by the Vermont State Employees Credit Union (VSECU), will feature NASCAR star David Ragan, who will compete in the final Late Model point counting race. As part of the celebration and in honor of Ragan’s appearance the Late Models will run 100 laps to decide the 50th Anniversary “King of the Road.”
The point battle is shaping up to be one of the closest in Thunder Road history. Currently the top three drivers, Jean-Paul Cyr, Dave Pembroke, and Phil Scott are separated by only 14 points. The competition will only become more intense as we continue the countdown to the finale.
As part of the finale celebration, drivers from the original flat head days to the stars of today have been invited to a private luncheon. These Thunder Road heroes will then be available in the concession area to tell their stories and sign autographs for the fans throughout the night.
The action won’t stop there when following the event the biggest display of fireworks in the history of the “Nation’s Site of Excitement” will be set off in celebration of the conclusion of 50 years of the traditional Thursday night racing at the Barre highbanks. All of this plus the NAPA Tiger Sportsmen, Allen Lumber Street Stock, and Power Shift Junkyard Warriors action is available for only $12 for adults, $3 for kids 6 to 12 and only $25 for a family of four (two adults and two kids).
The NAPA Tiger Sportsmen, Allen Lumber Street Stocks and Power Shift Junkyard Warriors will wrap up their seasons with the Bond Auto Labor Day Classic 200 featuring the American Canadian Tour followed by the 47th Annual Chittenden Milk Bowl. The Labor Day Classic is scheduled for 1:30 pm on Sunday, September 6 and the Milk Bowl will be on Sunday, September 27 at 1:00 pm with Booth Bros./H.P. Hood qualifying on Saturday, September 26 at 1:30 pm.
Next up is this week’s doubleheader with only four nightly events remaining in the 2009 50th Anniversary Season. Thursday, August 13 will be ACE Hardware Night featuring the third and final Tiger Sportsmen Tri-State Series 100 plus Late Model, Allen Lumber Street Stocks and Power Shift Junkyard Warriors. Then Friday, August 14 is Pepsi Night featuring all four weekly divisions plus the Pepsi Sock Hop after the races with a live DJ and prizes. Post time Thursday is 6:30 pm, and Friday is 6:00 pm. Bring your ticket stub from Thursday Nights event and adults are only $5 while kids under 12 are free.
by Jay | Aug 12, 2009 | Canada, NASCAR
Fredericton, NB – All the way from Tennessee to the Geary Woods! Two Time Daytona 500 Champion Sterling Marlin has announced his intentions to enter the 9th Annual Peterbilt 250 at Speedway 660. Marlin will join a strong list of Southern Stars who have competed in the Labour Day Classic. Over the past several years fans have seen Johnny Benson, Terry & Justin Labonte and Ron Hornaday take battle against the best Pro Stock teams in the Northeast.
Marlin was and is a household name from his days behind the wheel of a Sprint Cup car. He is perhaps best known as only the third driver in Cup history to win back-to-back Daytona 500s, joining Richard Petty and Cale Yarborough as the only drivers to earn that distinction after winning in 1994 and 1995. “There is no doubt that my fondest memory is winning that first Daytona 500,” Sterling said. Marlin has also added 8 other Sprint Cup victories (total of 10) to his resume, competed in 747 Cup races and has earned a whopping 38 Million dollars throughout his career. Before his days in NASCAR Marlin won championships at Nashivlle Speedway. Marlin is currently running a part time Sprint Cup schedule.
“I’m excited; these home grown short track events are what our sport was built on. This is a huge race for the Atlantic region and I’m really looking forward to racing the best up there!” said Sterling in a phone interview.
Auto Pride/Auto Value out of Fredericton, New Brunswick will be the primary sponsor on Marlin’s car. In addition to Auto Pride/Auto Value, Marlin will receive support for his venture from Peterbilt New Brunswick and Moosehead Breweries. Other sponsorship deals are still in the works. “Man we are PUMPED. This is a thrill of a lifetime for us at Auto Pride. Sterling is an icon in this sport and we are pretty fired up to be a part of this deal.” said Randy McCoy of Auto Pride.
This news is also great for all involved with Speedway 660. “This is something special. There isn’t a NASCAR fan that hasn’t spent many a Sunday afternoon on the coach watching Sterling Marlin on TV. To have him here, at our track, racing in front of our fans is a really cool deal.” said Speedway 660 co-owner Steve Burns.
Sterling’s car will be prepared by long time weekly Speedway 660 competitor Hal O’Neal and the OGC Racing Team. “We are pretty excited. We had some bad luck last year but the car has been completely rebuilt and its ready to go” said Hal O’Neal. “We’ve been racing for a lot of years and we’ve really missed it this year so I think this is exactly what we need. We can’t wait!”
Please contact Angela Coffey at Speedway 660 (506-455-3181 or [email protected]) for any questions.
The Peterbilt 250
The 2009 Peterbilt 250 will take place on Sunday, September 6tht, 2009 and will be the highlight of the 8th Annual SPEEDWEEKEND. The event will showcase the Speedway 660 Irving Lubricants Pro Stocks against the best of the Eastern Canada and New England. The purse for 2009 will be over $70,000 with a guaranteed $15,000 to the event winner and possible winner’s cheque of $28,000. Six years ago, the late Scott Fraser took home a record $25,400 including lap money. Only nine years old, the event as grown in crowd, atmosphere, and car count every year since its inception. Over 8,000 people attended the 2008 event to break attendance records at Speedway 660. Forty plus pro stock cars will be attempting to qualify for 28 spots on the starting grid.
SPEEDWEEKEND
Just like the Peterbilt 250, SPEEDWEEKEND continues to grow every year. Over 14,000 people attended last year’s four-day stock car fest that includes a corn boil on Friday night, O’Leary Pontiac Excitement Sportsman 150 race on Saturday night, the Peterbilt 250 on Sunday, and finishes up with an Enduro 200 on Monday. While the Peterbilt 250 is the highlight of the racing event, the weekend has developed into an event on its own with over 600 campers turning Speedway 660 into a small town over the weekend. It has become the destination of choice for the region’s stock car fans.
Speedway 660
Speedway 660 is WicKID Family Fun! The 1/3 of a mile high-banked paved oval features three classes of racing on a weekly basis: Irving Lubricants Pro Stocks, Martin’s Home Heating, and Coast Tire Street Stocks. Over 70,000 people are expected to attend over 20 events during the 2009 season. Speedway 660 is located off Highway 7 on Route 660 in Geary, NB, and is within minutes of Saint John and Fredericton. Speedway 660 can be found online at www.speedway660.com.
by Jay | Aug 11, 2009 | NASCAR, NASCAR K&N Pro Series, New England
Uncasville, Conn. (August 11, 2009): Matt Kobyluck isn’t quite ready to turn over his title of road course King just yet. The 39-year-old driver, who has been dubbed the NASCAR Camping World Series East’s road racing ace, is ready to defend his win in the Mohegan Sun 200 at Lime Rock Park. Kobyluck won both road racing events last year during his championship winning ’08 season, but finished second to Ryan Truex at Watkins Glen this past June. Kobyluck, who wants to put his team and race sponsor Mohegan Sun Casino in victory lane, will accept nothing less than a win.
Kobyluck feels his preference for technicality in driving will be an advantage at Lime Rock Park. The 1.53-mile course is demanding on a driver, and hitting your marks is key to a solid finish.
“I love the road courses,” said Kobyluck. “In fact, our best finish this year was at Watkins Glen. At the same time, Lime Rock is a very challenging course and it demands a rhythm. You can try and overdrive at Lime Rock and you’ll end up going slower. It’s very easy to get off course there.”
Kobyluck’s success on the road courses isn’t understated. Since 2001, the driver of the No. 40 Mohegan Sun Casino Chevrolet, has four wins, eight top fives and 11 top 10’s in just 14 road-course starts. A win at Lime Rock Park this weekend would put Kobyluck in the record books. Right now, he’s tied with Butch Leitzinger as the only drivers to have won three times. A win this year would mark his third straight victory, but it would mean career win number four at Lime Rock Park.
“I don’t go to Lime Rock with the intention of breaking records. I just go there to win,” said Kobyluck. “But to put this team in a class all it’s own wouldn’t be such a bad thing either!”
Kobyluck is currently fourth in the points – 67 points behind leader Ryan Truex. Only 100 points separate the top six drivers in points with only three races remaining in the season.
For more information on Matt Kobyluck, Mohegan Sun Casino, or the Mohegan Sun race team, visit www.mattkobyluck.com.
by Jay | Aug 11, 2009 | New Hampshire, PASS, Riverside Speedway
Naples ME ( 8/11/2009) Groveton New Hampshire’s Riverside Speedway hosts the $5,000.00 to win Mason Tractor and Equipment Twin State Clash of the Titans Late Model 150 this Sunday August 16th, and the Pro All Stars Series (PASS) Mods and Sportsman will add another dose of excitement to what already promises to be one of the must see events of the 2009 short track season.
The PASS Mods joined the PASS North Super Late Models on the Summerfest 2009 card at Riverside earlier in the season and Sulo Burbank emerged as a first time PASS Mod winner. The thirteen year old from Gorham Maine topped the team of Dan Somes and Gary Norris Jr., ending a three race win streak for point leader Andy Shaw. All the principals in that battle and more will be on hand Sunday at Groveton for 40 laps of Modified thunder, Pro All Stars style.
The PASS Sportsman will make their first and only Grovetona visit of the season for a seventy five lap show. Shane Tatro has a two race win streak going, while Dan McKeage and Carey Martin both have single wins in the series. McKeage has a slim lead in the point standings over Martin and you can expect a strong field to battle it out on the high banks.
The pit gate swings open Sunday at 8:00 AM, followed by practice at 10:00 AM. Racing gets the green at 1:30 PM. Be sure to visit Riverside Speedway’s Website for the complete weekend schedule that includes 2 for 1 adult grandstand admission for Saturday’s Fan Appreciation night. The speedway is on line at www.riversidespeedway.org .
Keep up with the latest PASS Mod and Sportsman news, results and standings at www.racewithpass.com and www.proallstarsseries.com
by Jay | Aug 11, 2009 | New England, PASS
Naples ME (8/11/2009)– The Pro All Stars Series (PASS) North super late models have raced hundreds of times from Nova Scotia to Connecticut in their nine year history, but this Saturday the series will make its’ first appearance in the Bay State when they travel to the birthplace of the Pro Stock, Seekonk Speedway.
The first ever PASS battle at the Cement Palace will pit a collection of Seekonk’s weekly competitors against the toughest touring pros in the Northeast, and it’s entirely possible that the PASS regulars will be up ended for two races in a row. Randy Turner claimed the winner’s spoils at Unity Raceway two weeks ago, and home track advantage played a major role in his triumph over the likes of DJ Shaw and Ben Rowe. Seekonk is home to a very strong field of weekly racers and they know “their” track inside out. Fred Astle, Tom Scully Jr. and Sr., and a host of other Seekonk specialists will be on hand when Cirelli Foods presents the PASS 150 Saturday night.
It won’t be an easy task to top the PASS teams. The travelling racer teams have a knack for adapting to a new race track quickly, and they are certain to be up to the challenge. Johnny Clark leads the series to Seekonk, with three wins and nine top ten finishes in the first ten events of 2009. As the schedule heads down the home stretch, Clark is seeking his second consecutive PASS North title. Ben Rowe, Adam Bates, Richie Dearborn and Derek Ramstrom are all chasing Clark and there’s still four events left to gain ground and challenge the point leader.
Seekonk’s own Late Models, Street Stocks and Sport Trucks complete the program. Pit gates open at 1:00 PM, practice gets underway at 3:00 PM and the racing card goes green at 6:00 PM. Seekonk Speedway is located at 1710 Fall River Avenue in Seekonk Massachusetts. Their web address is www.seekonkspeedway.com .
The Pro All Stars are on line at www.proallstarsseries.com and www.racewithpass.com .
by Jay | Aug 11, 2009 | ACT, New Hampshire
Waterford, CT – Five-time American Canadian Tour Champion Brian Hoar captured his second victory in a row in the Nutmeg State 100 at Waterford Speedbowl on Saturday, August 8. The first 28 laps of the event were run on Saturday, June 13, but the remaining 72 laps were postponed due to rain. Brad Leighton led the way through the first half of the race after taking the lead from his outside pole starting position.
Hoar worked his way through the field from his eleventh starting position to take the lead on lap 55. Hoar and Leighton then swapped the lead, and lots of paint, several times throughout the remainder of the race. The battle between the two continued through the final laps until Leighton tangled with a lap car coming to the white flag. Hoar, who was running on the outside of Leighton, narrowly missed the incident and continued on to complete the race. Leighton ended up in the infield and did not complete the 100th lap.
Randy Potter, who was running fourth when the accident happened, took advantage of the incident and finished second. Potter was followed closely by point leader Scott Payea, John Donahue, and Waterford Speedbowl regular Tim Jordan. Brent Dragon, Joey Doiron, Joey Polewarczyk, Jr., Ron Yumas, Jr., and Tyler Cahoon all avoided the mayhem and came home in the top ten.
Hoar now has 25 career ACT Tour wins and two in the 2009 season. He has already qualified for the ACT Invitational at New Hampshire Motor Speedway on Saturday, September 19, with his win at Beech Ridge Motor Speedway.
The ACT Tour now has a few weeks off before returning to Twin State Speedway in Claremont, NH on Friday, September 4 for the rescheduled Twin State 100. Also coming up is the Chaudiere Showdown 200 at Autodrome Chaudiere in Vallee-Junction, QC on Saturday, August 29. The Showdown is an all-star race between the top eleven drivers in the ACT Tour point standings and the top eleven drivers in the Série ACT Castrol point standings.
OFFICIAL ACT TOUR NUTMEG STATE 100 RESULTS
Waterford Speedbowl, Waterford, CT
Saturday, August 8, 2009
Pos Car # Driver Laps
1 37 Brian Hoar 100
2 02NH Randy Potter 100
3 89 Scott Payea 100
4 26VT John Donahue 100
5 47 Tim Jordan 100
6 55VT Brent Dragon 100
7 73ME Joey Doiron 100
8 97NH Joey Polewarczyk, Jr. 100
9 88 Ron Yumas Jr. 100
10 38VT Tyler Cahoon 100
11 9VT Chip Grenier 100
12 51ME Ricky Rolfe 100
13 41 Pete Potvin, III 100
14 02MA Dennis Stampfl 100
15 40VT Eric Chase 100
16 18 Jamie Fisher 100
17 7ME Glen Luce 99
18 38CT Joe Curioso 99
19 77NH Mark Hayward 99
20 28ME Rowland Robinson Jr. 99
21 77MA James Linardy 99
22 55NH Brad Leighton 99
23 16 Howard Payne 98
24 82 Mark Hudson 76
25 73NH Joe Tetreault 58
26 35 Bruce Thomas Jr. 42
27 71 Bobby Dragon 28
28 2 Allan Coates 28
29 42MA Jeff Zuidema 28
