Monthly Archives: November 2014

Serie ACT has seven races in The States in 2015

Serie ACT will have seven events in the USA.  (Credit: ACT Tour)

Serie ACT will have seven events in the USA. (Credit: ACT Tour)

 

By Lou Modestino

American Canadian Tour officials have announced a twelve (12) event schedule for the 2015 Serie ACT Quebec season, including several combination events with the ACT U.S. series. The 12 event schedule features events at six (6) different tracks including a special Triple Crown series at Airborne Speedway in Plattsburgh, NY. Continue reading

American Canadian Tour will stop at 11 different tracks in New England, New York and Quebec

Tom Curley's ACT Tour will be expanding its schedule this year in Connecticut and Quebec. (Credit: ACT Tour photo)

Tom Curley’s ACT Tour will be expanding its schedule this year in Connecticut and Quebec in 2015. (Credit: ACT Tour photo)

By Lou Modestino

The American Canadian Tour Late Models will visit 11 different tracks throughout New England, New York and Quebec during the 13 event 2015 season. Officials have announced the schedule, which will kick off on Sunday, April 12 at Lee USA Speedway in Lee, NH and crown a champion on Saturday, October 17 at Thompson Speedway in Thompson, CT. Continue reading

Devil’s Bowl Speedway Mike Bruno takes the helm at Airborne Park

Alayne and Mike Bruno of Devil's Bowl Speedway in W. Haven, VT have partnered with the Airborne Speedway in Plattsburg, NY in an effort to strengthen both venues.(Credit: Louis Verriccho photo)

Alayne and Mike Bruno of Devil’s Bowl Speedway in W. Haven, VT have partnered with the Airborne Speedway in Plattsburg, NY in an effort to strengthen both venues.(Credit: Louis Verriccho photo)

By Lou Modestino

Airborne Park Speedway has taken another step toward the future, as Mike Bruno has joined the track’s business ownership group. Bruno served as the Competition Director at Airborne in 2014 and will expand on that role moving forward; he has partnered with Jamie Atkins and Steve Fuller to form the ownership group. Continue reading

UNOH Battle at the Beach Modified race is scratched from Daytona International Speedway

 

The NASCAR Modifieds won't be in action on the backstretch of the Daytona International Speedway in February for several reasons. (Credit: NASCAR Home Track photo.)

The NASCAR Modifieds won’t be in action on the backstretch of the Daytona International Speedway in February for several reasons. (Credit: NASCAR Home Track photo.)

By Lou Modestino

The UNOH Battle at the Beach provided NASCAR’s stars of tomorrow an excellent opportunity to participate at The World Center of Racing, but it isn’t feasible to continue the event given the progress with the DAYTONA Rising project. Fortunately, nearby New Smyrna Speedway is excited to bring the K&N Pro Series East back for the season opener again this year in addition to its week-long slate of NASCAR Whelen All-American Series action; NASCAR fans will still have plenty of opportunities to see exciting short-track action in the Daytona area again this February.” Continue reading

NEMA and Hoosier Tire East sign a three year deal

 

 

 

Hoosier Tire East will have exclusive rights with the NEMA Midgets. Credit: Hoosier Tire East.

Hoosier Tire East will have exclusive rights with the NEMA Midgets. (Credit: Hoosier Tire East.).

By Lou Modestino

NEMA President, Mike Scrivani of Brockton, announced  that the Northeastern Midget Association and Hoosier Tire East have inked an exclusive, three year deal. Under the deal, NEMA will have exclusive rights in the Northeast to the current plated compounds (RR 7, 7.3, RF 5, LR, 5 and LF, 4, 5) and will be the only series in the Northeast running these particular tires. Continue reading

ACT Tour returns to Thompson Speedway at the Oct. 2015 World Series of Stockcar Racing

The ACT L:ate Models will return to TMSP in mid-Act. 2015 after a 23 year absence.  Credit: ACT Tour photo)

The ACT L:ate Models will return to TMSP in mid-Act. 2015 after a 23 year absence. Credit: ACT Tour photo)

By Lou Modestino

Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park (TSMP) in Connecticut and the American Canadian Tour (ACT), based in Waterbury, VT have agreed that the 2015 ACT Championship Late Model stock car season will crown the ACT Champion at the famed Thompson World Series event on Saturday, October 17, 2015. ACT will join over 15 other divisions at TSMP in a year-end celebration for both fendered and open wheeled race cars. Continue reading

The 2014 NEMA Midget season is history

 

 

 

 

Lakeville driver Avery Stoehr was awarded the NEMA Rookie of the Year by officials at the club's annual awards banquet at the Crown Royal Hotel in Marlborough. (Credit: NEMA Midget photo)

Lakeville driver Avery Stoehr was awarded the NEMA Rookie of the Year by officials at the club’s annual awards banquet at the Crown Royal Hotel in Marlborough. (Credit: NEMA Midget photo)

By Lou Modestino

Champions were honored and achievements recognized during the annual awards banquet for the Northeastern Midget Association on Saturday night.

Hundreds of competitors, crew members, fans and their families gathered for the gala event held
at the Royal Plaza Hotel in Marlborough. NEMA’s announcer Pete Falconi was host for the
evening assisted by Speed Sport News television announcer Derek Pernesiglio, who made the
announcement that the 2015 Boston Louie Classic for NEMA will once again be nationally televised.

The crowd gave a rousing ovation to the night’s special guest, six time champion and multi-hall
of famer Dave Humphrey of Seekonk. Humphrey’s first NEMA championship came in 1967 and his sixth in 1978 driving for Mike Scravani.

The team of driver Randy Cabral of Kingston and car owner Tim Bertrand picked up their champion awards for the fifth time in seven seasons in NEMA’s top division.

Bertrand was also the recipient of the Wen Kelley Memorial Award, given to a NEMA member that
exemplifies outstanding dedication and service to the club, as Wen Kelley did for over 37 years.

NEMA Lites rookie driver Ryan Krachun took home the champion’s hardware and so did Scott Bigelow as the champion owner for 2014. Bigelow finished third in the drivers’ standings.

Trophies were awarded to the top 15 drivers and owners in both the NEMA Midgets and the NEMA
Lites.

Race car owners with perfect attendance, push truck operators and weekly officials were all given
awards.

Krachun was also named one of two Up and Coming Young Drivers for 2014, as well as the recipient of the Ed Clothier Memorial Rookie of the Year Award.

Avery Stoher of Lakeville took the Rookie of the Year honors for the NEMA Midgets.

Long time NEMA supporters Mike and Lu Jarrett were given a special award by club President Mike
Scravani of Brockton for their tireless devotion to NEMA and its competitors.

After almost 50 years, the final Johnny Thomson Memorial Award was presented.

Given annually by a small group of NEMA members from the Lowell, MA area, the award was given to honor the memory of New England’s greatest open-cockpit racer. Besides an outstanding career in midget and sprint cars, Thomson raced the Indy 500 eight times, winning the pole in 1959. He
died in a sprint car crash in Allentown, PA in the fall of 1960 at the age of 38.

Veteran NEMA member Bruce Beane announced that it would be the final time the award was given, as many of the originators of the award have passed. The final recipient of the Johnny Thomson trophy was Linda Cleveland, long time NEMA official and secretary.

Linda is also the wife of veteran driver Doug Cleveland, who won the NEMA Associate Member Never Say Die Award. Kevin Park was the recipient of the same award in the NEMA Lites.

Other prestigious awards given at the banquet include the Jim O’Brien Memorial Award, given by
the O’Brien racing family. This year’s honor went to Pete Pernesiglio, Sr. The award is given
for outstanding contributions to family and racing.

The Ralph Miller Memorial Award for outstanding and continuing perseverance was presented by the O’Brien family and former NEMA President Dick Monahan. This year’s recipient was car owner Jeff Johnson.

The Joe Csiki Most Improved Driver Awards went to Jim Chambers in the NEMA Midgets and Logan
Rayvals in the Lites.

The Pat Thibodeau Youth and Determination Awards went to Kenney Johnson and Anthony Payne.

Joe SantaMaria was given the Ray Roberts Memorial Award and Scott Bigelow picked up the Brian
Caruso Hard Charger Award.

The Gene and Marylin Angelillo Memorial Award is given for an outstanding “woman behind the man” in NEMA. This year’s recipient was Rachel LeClerc, who works on the crew of Paul Scally’s #30.

Deb and Anthony Marvuglio, mother and brother of the late Shane Hammond, from East Bridgewater awarded the annual Sportsmanship Award in his name to Kevin Park and Seth Carlson.

The Mechanic of the Year Awards went to Bertand Motorsports and Bigelow Motorsports.

The Ronnie Evans/Len Thrall Top Owner-Driver honors went to Paul “Dangerous” Scally in the NEMA Midgets and Scott Bigelow in the Lites.

The award that no one sets out to win, the Hard Luck Award was given to Dennis and Chris O’Brien
in the Lites and Jeff and Kenney Johnson in the NEMA Midgets.

Allan Cantor was named this year’s NEMA Lifetime Member.

Ted Christopher extended his Sk Modified championships to 9 at Stafford

Ted Christopher made it championship number 9 in the Sk Modified division at Stafford Motor Speedway. (Credit: NASCAR Home Tracks photo)

Ted Christopher made it championship number 9 in the Sk Modified division at Stafford Motor Speedway in 2014. (Credit: NASCAR Home Tracks photo)

By Lou Modestino

Stafford Motor Speedway welcomed a guest list of over 500 people consisting of teams, drivers, sponsors, and employees this past Friday night, November 21 at Maneely’s in South Windsor to officially honor Ted Christopher, Adam Gray, Jeremy Sorel, Andrew Hayes, Frank L’Etoile, And Dana DiMatteo as the 2013 Stafford Motor Speedway NASCAR Whelen All-American Series track champions. Continue reading

Dick Berggren will be at the Philadelphia Expo Performance Race Car and Trade show on Jan. 23-25

Dick Berggren will be at the PPB Motorsports show in Oaks, PA to discuss the Northeast Motorsports Museum to be built at NHMS in Loudon, NH. (Credit:www.nemsmuseum.com photo

Dick Berggren will be at the PPB Motorsports show in Oaks, PA to discuss the Northeast Motorsports Museum, on Jan,. 23-25,  to be built at NHMS in Loudon, NH. (Credit:www.nemsmuseum.com photo)

 

By Lou Modestino

Dr. Dick Berggren of Ipswich, MA has so much knowledge of motorsports, so many experiences and the ability to share all that with fans of the sport. He will be doing just that when he appears at the Pioneer Pole Buildings Motorsports 2015 fueled by Sunoco Race Fuels and Distributed by Insinger Performance Race Car and Trade Show set for January 23-25th at the spacious Greater Philadelphia Expo Center in Oaks, PA. Continue reading

ESPN’s NASCAR TV ratings broadcast up slightly over last year

Kevin Harvick won his first NASCAR Sprint Car Championship by taking the final race at the Homestead-Miami Speedway, (Credit: AP/BleacherReport photo)

Kevin Harvick won his first NASCAR Sprint Car Championship by taking the final race at the Homestead-Miami Speedway, (Credit: AP/BleacherReport photo)

By Lou Modestino

ESPN’s live telecast of the Ford Ecoboost 400 at Homestead-Miami Speedway on Sunday, Nov. 16, the final race in the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup, had a rise in viewership for the second straight year, leading to an increase in overall viewership during the 10 races of the Chase. The Miami event averaged 5,223,000 viewers, up from 5,119,000 for last year’s race and 4,769,000 for the race in 2012, according to Nielsen Media. Continue reading