Star Speedway in Epping, NH presents the Tri-Track Modified Series tonight, July 30..
This entire 2016 racing season has seen a big revival of Modified racing in New England on the paved tracks. Tonight, Saturday, the SBM 125 Tri Track Modified will go off at 6 p.m. at Star Speedway in Epping, NH with a large field of open wheel cars. Drivers and teams have to take a deep breath and think about the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour next Friday night, August 5, at the Stafford Motor Speedway in Connecticut followed by The Valenti Modified Racing Series on the Connecticut shoreline next Saturday night, August 6, at the New London-Waterford Speedbowl.
With some 30 Modified Tour dates by four different clubs, all of the New England tracks that host open wheel race cars are feeling the crunch and they keep checking the long range weather forecasts hoping for clear weather without summer showers or a northeaster storm.
Take for instance the recent 200 lap NASCAR Whelen Modified Touring event last Saturday night, July 23, when a pop-up shower came down on the Monadnock Speedway in Winchester, NH, and soaked the track with rain and humidity just before post time. NASCAR determined it couldn’t dry off the track in time and that many race cars would be wrecked if they started the race. They were forced to reschedule the long race for the next day, Sunday afternoon, July 24, in the highest heat of the day. Monadnock though had a capacity crowd on hand that Saturday with all of the grandstand seats sold before the downpour.
Since the Icebreaker at Connecticut’s Thompson Speedway in mid-April, it’s been a hectic schedule for the pavement Modifieds. which are one of the most popular racing divisions in southern New England as well as southern Maine and New Hampshire. This long string of races between those four sanctioning bodies will continue right into late October at the New London-Waterford Speedbowl with no let-up.
Rain has already resulted in the first Tri-Track Modified Series race at Monadnock Speedway getting scratched back in June. Tickets for the Modified Tours are inexpensive compared to the four top tier NASCAR races on Super Speedways. Attending a Modified Tour race is much more cost effective for race fans who are trying to stretch their entertainment dollars in this very tight economy.
Local drivers and teams that compete in all or some of those four Modified clubs include: Troy Talman who drives Mike Boehler’s entry out of Freetown, Steve Masse of Bellingham, Rob Richardi of Easton, Eddie Leclerc of Taunton, Tommy Barrett of Millis, Richard Savary of Canton with Chase Dowling at the wheel of Bob Katon’s Berkley Racing entry.
Elsewhere here’s what’s going on this weekend: Tonight, Saturday, July 30, Seekonk Speedway offers a four division stock car program starting at 6 p.m. … At the same time, the New London-Waterford Speedbowl adds the Pro-4 Modifieds to it’s already busy card. … Also tonight, Saturday. the NEMA Midgets will make the long haul to Speed 51 in Groveton, NH, north of Mount Washington. … The NEAR vintage racers are scheduled to make a long trip up to Waterford, VT, for an afternoon reunion still event (not racing) at the restored Northeastern Speedway. Tomorrow Sunday, July 31, the Capeway Rovers in Middleboro schedule NCSC MotoX action starting at 9 a.m. … Also Sunday for the draggers, it’ll be runs and eliminations for all classes starting at 8 a.m at the New England Dragway in Epping, NH.
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