by | Aug 23, 2013 | Maine, Speedway 95
Roger Smith Jr. of Clifton started out the night four points behind Shawn Racila of Dover-Foxcroft in the Big Enduro points standings on the final night of racing for the 2013 season, but won the title by 6 points by winning both the 10 lap qualifier and the 25 lap series #3 feature while Racila finished second in the qualifier and fifth in the feature. Racila was far enough ahead in the series points standings to win that contest by 2 points over Smith. Shawn MacNevin of Hudson raced side by side and nose to tail with Smith over the final laps of the feature, but finished second when the checkered flag fell. Duane Dunifer of Carmel was third, followed by Woody Davis of Glenburn in fourth and Racila in fifth.
In the Sinclair Towing Service Pick-up trucks, Jason Haskell of Levant shook the monkey off his back from last week and led the 20 lap feature from the green to the checkers. Jeff Overlock Jr. of Hermon finished second, with Jim Carr Jr. of Clifton in third. Carr picked up the points championship for the season, his fifth in the last 8 years. Dana Harlow of Bucksport was fourth with Corinth’s Peter Drake finishing fifth.
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by | Aug 23, 2013 | Devils Bowl, Vermont
SUGAR & SPICE RESTAURANT NIGHT
General Admission: Adults $12 / Seniors (62+) $10 / Kids (12 & under) FREE
Pit Admission: NASCAR Member $30 / Non-member $35
Spectator Races: NASCAR Member $30 / Non-member $35
2:00pm Pit Gates Open for Early Practice Session
3:30pm Track Closed/Clear Pits
4:00pm Pits Open
5:00pm Practice/Grandstands Open
5:00pm Practice (subject to change)
5:00-5:15 Late Model (15 minutes)
5:15-5:25 Bond Auto Parts Modified (10 minutes)
5:25-5:35 Central Vermont Motorcycles Mini Stock (10 minutes)
5:35-5:50 Late Model (15 minutes)
5:50-6:00 Renegade (10 minutes)
6:00-6:15 Bond Auto Parts Modified (15 minutes)
6:15-6:25 SK Light Modified (10 minutes)
6:10pm Driver Meeting – Renegade & Mini Stock – Tech Pad
6:25pm Driver Meeting – Modified & Late Model – Pit Grandstands
6:45pm Late Model Spotter Meeting – Pit Grandstands
6:50pm Post Parade (19 & 50X Mod // 11X & 27 LM // 51 Ren // 4 Mini)
6:55pm National Anthem
7:00pm Bond Auto Parts Modified Heats
If 18+ cars: 3 Heats (8L) – Lo (Q1/Q3), Mid (Q2/Q4), Hi (Q3/Q5)
If under 18 cars: 2 Heats (10L) – Lo (Q3/Q6), Hi (Q3/Q6)
7:15pm Central Vermont Motorcycles Mini Stock Feature #1 (15L or 10 min)
7:25pm Late Model Feature #1 (25L or 20 min)
7:45pm Renegade Feature #1 (15L or 10 min)
7:55pm Sunoco Race Fuels Modified Semi-Feature (6L)
8:00pm Daredevil Feature (4L)
8:05pm SK Light Modified Exhibition Race (10L or 10 min)
8:15pm Intermission / FUN BUS / Sugar & Spice Pancake Championship (15 min)
8:30pm Bond Auto Parts Modified Feature #1 (25L or 20 min)
8:50pm Central Vermont Motorcycles Mini Stock Feature #2 (15L or 10 min)
9:00pm Late Model Feature #2 (25L or 20 min)
9:20pm Renegade Feature #2 (15L or 10 min)
9:30pm Bond Auto Parts Modified Feature #2 (25L or 20 min)
SPECTATOR RACES!
by | Aug 23, 2013 | Canada
Speedway 660 is getting ready for SpeedWeekend 2013. Plans are coming together for the Auto Value 250, presented by Jim Gilbert’s Wheels & Deals and RE/MAX Group Four Realty on Sunday, September 1st and the Irving Blending & Packaging 150 on Saturday, August 31st. But before the first green flag flies, there will be an incredible free event for fans at 7PM on Friday, August 30th.
“I encourage race teams, sponsors and fans to come down to the Geary Woods for our Super-Corn-Boil, a presentation of Harvey’s Family Farms” said Speedway 660’s Michelle Roy. “We’ve got a live band featuring Tristan Horncastle, more music by DJ Dale Case, lots of great corn which will be cooked and served up by the RE/MAX Relay for Life Team and a great bonfire.”
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by | Aug 22, 2013 | Media, Schedules, TV Times
By Lou Modestino
With billions of dollars guaranteed for NASCAR TV rights til 2020 and 2024, discussions have now surfaced of removing those empty grandstands at many Sprint Cup venues. On television, those empty seats look Bad – Bad with a capital B. We’ve seen those empty spaces disguised with sponsors banners, and broadcast networks have been very careful about not panning the spaces with their coverage. Don’t you think that those hollow canyons must have a psychological effect on fans in attendance. They must think, “Why did I come to this race?”
By now followers of motor sports must have heard and read that removal of stands is set to begin at a number of venues. For instance, the backstretch seats at Daytona are scheduled for dismantling. It’s been announced that the removal will be part and parcel of the updating of that track in order to increase the strength of fences on the finish line. (That was the area that Kyle Larson’s Nationwide car tore down the fence, and fans were hit with debris from the wreck in February during SpeedWeeks of this year.) Yet, couldn’t there be another motive as well?
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by | Aug 22, 2013 | VALENTI MODIFIED SERIES
Canaan, NH. – Two races in two days. Thanks to Mother Nature.
What was to be the second of three races for the Valenti Modified Racing Series at Thompson CT Speedway, Thursday’s August 22 event will now be the fifth attempt by speedway management to conduct a feature race for the series in 2013.
Rain-washed out the initial program on May 19 following the completion of qualifying races. Three subsequent dates have been washed out since. Thompson and VMRS management hope to finally put an event in the record books Thursday.
Last year’s race winner Ted Christopher, of Plainville, CT, will attempt to make it two in a row.
Two-time series champion Chris Pasteryak, of Lisbon, CT, is expected to enter the program. Louie Mechalides, of Tyngsboro, MA, Jeff Rocco, of Meriden, CT, and point leader Rowan Pennink, of Huntingdon Valley, PA, are expected.
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by | Aug 22, 2013 | New England, New England Motorsports South
By Lou Modestino
Another round of Wild ‘n Wacky Wednesday was hosted by Waterford Speedbowl Wednesday evening with an action packed night of motorsports on the race track. Taking victories included a first-ever winner in the Super X-Cars, R.J. Cunningham of Clinton.
John Bowes of Willington won the night’s X-Car feature and in INEX racing action Nick Ladyga of Voluntown was a repeat winner in the Legend Cars while Alex McCollum made the trek from Phillipsburg, NJ to win the Bandolero feature. Peter Pollard of Old Lyme was the night’s wackiest driver, taking the Flag Pole Race. An appearance by the Vintage Outlaw Modifieds helped turn back the clock and show race fans a taste of racing from decades ago, rounding out the program.
Stafford Speedway returned to NASCAR Whelen All-American Series racing action with Call Before You Dig presenting CBYD 811 Night. Ryan Preece scored his division leading 7th win of the 2013 season in the 40-lap SK Modified® feature, Adam Gray extended his streak of consecutive podium finishes to 12 with his fifth win of the season in the Double Distance 60-lap Late Model feature, Chase Dowling took down his fifth win in the 20-lap SK Light Modified feature, David Arute claimed his third win in the 20-lap Limited Late Model feature, and Kyle Casagrande scored his second win of the season in the 15-lap DARE Stock feature.
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by | Aug 22, 2013 | New England, New England Motorsports North
By Lou Modestino
Eddie “The Outlaw” MacDonald of Rowley, MA came from 11th on the field to take the win in the American Canadian Tour 150-lap event at Beech Ridge Motor Speedway on Saturday, August 17. MacDonald held off fierce competition over the final 13 lap sprint to take the victory.
MacDonald took over the lead from Joey Polewarczyk, Jr. after starting in the outside lane on a lap 131 restart. It looked like MacDonald would win easily until the fourth and final caution of the event flew on lap 137. This setup up the final battle with MacDonald and Polewarczyk on the front row followed by rookies Bobby Therrien and Travis Stearns.
Therrien made a veteran move to the inside of MacDonald following the restart, kicking Polewarczyk back to third. The Rookie and the Outlaw battled with Therrien on the inside and MacDonald trying to keep him pinched down. The pair raced door-to-door with Therrien gaining the edge at the line for the lead on two laps. MacDonald kept the momentum on the outside and dispatched Therrien with two to go. It then turned into a three-way fight for the runner-up spot as Polewarczyk, Therrien and Stearns took the checkered flag three-wide.
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by | Aug 22, 2013 | Devils Bowl, Vermont, Whelen All American Series
Double features, spectator racing, Pancake Eating Championship on tap
WEST HAVEN, VT – The summer Friday night stock car racing season will draw to a close with a jam-packed program full of family friendly entertainment at Devil’s Bowl Speedway on Friday, August 23 at 7:00pm. Sugar & Spice Restaurant of Mendon, VT presents double features for four NASCAR Whelen All-American Series classes, the rescheduled Spectator Races for fans driving street-legal vehicles, and the highly-anticipated second annual Great North American Pancake Eating Championship.
The Great North American Pancake Eating Championship will see racing’s hungriest fans devour as many pancakes slathered in real Vermont maple syrup from Sugar & Spice Restaurant as they can in five minutes. Inaugural winner Allen Jones of Rutland, VT pounded down a gut-busting ten-and-a-half pancakes in 2012 and said last week that he has been preparing all summer for a second-straight victory.
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by | Aug 22, 2013 | Media, Schedules, TV Times
By Lou Modestino
The typical NASCAR Sprint Cup “economy” runs like Last Sunday’s at MIS is what turns off NASCAR fans when they are forced to dig up mucho money for a “non-economy” ticket. It appears as though NASCAR and Sprint Cup teams have not as yet figured out that the exorbitant prices for tickets, among other factors, is what turns them off. Although I’m told that if your looking for tickets for any race you can haggle over them. Lots of empty seats at MIS.
Joey Logano, who started on the pole, won that one because his crew chief was able to determine that he’d have enough fuel to go the distance. The Middletown, Conn., driver ended up inheriting the lead when then leader Mark Martin exited as his fuel tank ran dry with only four laps to go. It was Joey’s first win of the season.
But the good paying customer wants to see lively competition with two or more drivers coming down to the checkers, not the same old, same old economy runs. That also is another factor contributing to the lack of ticket sales.
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by | Aug 21, 2013 | Beech Ridge, Maine, Whelen All American Series
NASCAR Whelen All-American Series: Dan McKeage
Beech Ridge Motor Speedway Race Report
SCARBOROUGH, Maine – Dan McKeage of Gorham, Maine, finished 10th in the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series Pro Series 40 at Beech Ridge Motor Speedway in Scarborough, Maine, on Saturday, August 17. McKeage started 12th in the field of 18 when the field was set by handicap in the absence of a qualifying race, and he fought heavy traffic for track position in the first half of the event. Past the halfway point of the feature, the car’s handling tightened up dramatically to halt McKeage’s forward progress. With two races remaining, McKeage sits just 14 points out of the division lead in pursuit of his second career Pro Series championship.
WHO: Dan McKeage, Gorham, Maine
TEAM: Naughty 40 Racing No. 40 Top Gun Construction Chevrolet
CREW CHIEF: Dan Bubar, Windham, Maine
WHAT: NASCAR Whelen All-American Series Pro Series 40
WHERE: Beech Ridge Motor Speedway, Scarborough, Maine (.333-mile oval)
STARTED: 12th
FINISHED: 10th
NEXT RACE: August 24, NASCAR Whelen All-American Series Pro Series 40, Beech Ridge Motor Speedway, Scarborough, Maine (.333-mile oval)
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DAN, WHAT HAPPENED TO THE CAR?
The car was great at the beginning. Earlier in the day in practice, at the start of the race, it was probably as good of a car as I’ve had in a long time. In the feature, the right rear tire shrunk, and the left rear tire grew. You need stagger to make these things turn, and we didn’t end up with very much.
HAVE YOU HAD THIS PROBLEM BEFORE SINCE THE TRACK SWITCHED TO HOOSIER TIRES?
No. Not too much at all, actually. It’s not like we were running a lot of air in the left or real low (air pressure) in the rights – it kind of caught us by surprise. It’s not the finish we needed, that’s for sure.
HOW FRUSTRATING IS IT RACING IN HEAVY TRAFFIC?
Extremely. When there’s a lane there and they take up more than their share of the lane, and you get a run on them they just run you off the track. As long as they’re racing everybody like that, that’s cool, I guess.
DO YOU NEED TO CHANGE YOUR APPROACH FOR THE LAST TWO RACES?
I think (the No. 24 has) been getting more aggressive the last 10 weeks, but that’s really not my style. I’m not going to win it by crashing people. We’ll just keep finishing the best we can and see what happens.
