Monthly Archives: October 2016

PASS Championships to be decided at Concord’s North-South Shootout Final

Threats of rain on Sunday has PASS officials scrambling to get the 500 lap event in  on one day.

The PASS Tour will crown a champion for 2016 at Concord’s North-South Shootout in North Carolina. Turner, Maine’s Ben Rowe will be seeking his fourth PASS National title.

 

As the weather cools and the seasons change, another Pro All Stars Series (PASS) Super Late Model season will go into the books this weekend at Concord Speedway.  This year two great events will come together as the PASS Super Late Models will compete for 125 laps in the Mason-Dixon Meltdown as part of the 14th Annual North-South Shootout.  In addition, both the PASS National Championship and PASS South Super Late Model titles will be decided on Saturday afternoon in the Meltdown.

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After two near misses, Johnny Walker claims DARE Stock Track Championship at Stafford Motor Speedway

It's not very often that a driver like Tom Fearn can back up another  Late Model Championship after 18 years.

The third time didn’t fail for Johnny Walker to claim a DARE Stock championship at Stafford Motor Speedway in 2016

 

 

For Ludlow, MA native Johnny Walker, the 2016 DARE Stock season at Stafford Motor Speedway was the realization of a dream come true.  Walker had come agonizingly close to winning a DARE Stock championship in 2013 and 2014 but came up just a few points short each season.  After taking a season off in 2015, Walker and the #01 Dunleavy’s Truck and Trailer Repair team came back with a determination in their step in 2016 and their focus and consistency on the track paid off with Walker claiming his very first track championship. Continue reading

Duane Provost captures first career track championship in Stafford Speedway’s Limited Late Model Division

It's not very often that a driver like Tom Fearn can back up another  Late Model Championship after 18 years.

Duane was another driver to take his first track championship at Stafford in 2016

For Palmer, MA native Duane Provost, the 2016 season at Stafford Speedway was an improbable trip that almost never came to fruition.  While unsure if he was going to race a full schedule, strong results in the first few weeks of the season with the #88 Facchini Law Firm Chevrolet convinced Provost that he had to run the full season and see how things played out. Continue reading

Derek Griffin made his return to Seekonk Speedway and took six grand for the DAV Memorial in the Pro Stock 150

New Hampshire Pro Stock driver Derek Griffith will be getting a jump on the racing season when he competes in the Red Eye 100 at New Smyrna Speedway in Fla. this weekend. (Credit: Erik LeFlech photo.)

New Hampshire Pro Stock driver Derek Griffin made his trip to the DAV at Seekonk Speedway worth the effort by taking the Pro Stock 150 at Seekonk Speedway on Sunday(Credit: Erik LeFlech photo.)

 By Connor Sullivan, Speed51.com State Editor (CT, MA, Long Island)

Derek Griffith made his return to Seekonk Speedway (MA) Saturday for the first time since mid-July when he fell short of a $10,000 prize at the Pro Stock Nationals. This time around the prize was six-grand and the honor of winning Seekonk’s renowned 150-lap DAV Fall Classic. Griffith avoided big trouble in the opening laps and held off stout challengers en route to taking the win and finding some redemption. Continue reading

Thompson Swap Meet returns Nov 4-6

Don Hoenigs Flea Market is the largest event of it's kind in New England motorsports.

Don Hoenigs Flea Market is the largest event of it’s kind in New England motorsports.

 

The 45th annual running of Don Hoenig’s Original Automotive Swap Meet and Flea Market, presented by RacingJunk.com, returns to Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park on Friday through Sunday, November 4-6. This event is one of the largest automotive swap meets in New England and will attract over 1,500 vendors and thousands of buyers encompassing the grounds of the speedway.

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Tom Fearn captures Late Model Track Championship at Stafford Speedway 18 years after last Championship win

It's not very often that a driver like Tom Fearn can back up another  Late Model Championship after 18 years.

It’s not very often that a driver like Tom Fearn can back up another track Championship after 18 years.

 

Over the past several seasons, East Longmeadow driver Tom Fearn has proven to be one of the dominant forces in the Stafford Motor Speedway Late Model division.  In the 2013-2015 seasons, Fearn had amassed 16 feature wins but his racing resume was missing the grand prize of a championship.  During those three seasons, Fearn’s best championship finish was third in 2013.  After winning 10 races last season and finishing fourth in the standings, Fearn decided to take a new approach for the 2016 season.

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Tony Membrino, Jr. captures second career SK Light Championship at Stafford Motor Speedway

It was another busy Friday night at the Stafford Motor Speedway.

Stafford Motor Speedway managed to get all of their NASCAR races in the record book for 2016.

For Tony Membrino, Jr. and the #44 Additive Manufacturing of New England SK Light team, the 2016 season at Stafford Motor Speedway was only supposed to be a part time thing as they were going to focus on a full-time effort at Waterford Speedbowl.  But those plans were interrupted when Membrino won four out of the first five races of the season and a full season was back on the cards.  Membrino parlayed his early season success into a season long duel with Joey Ferrigno for the SK Light championship that saw Membrino take home his second career SK Light title and his third overall Stafford championship.

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This weekend will be the final one for motorsports in New England with the DAV Memorial at Seekonk Speedway

By Lou Modestino (for Saturday, 10/30/16)  Seekonk Speedway
Lily Deware, the Oliver Ames High School Senior from Easton and Team BUBBA Burger driver, was looking for her third consecutive BUBBA burger Northeast Divisional Championship. Fellow Massachusetts driver David Woodle was looking for his first. In the end, Woodle broke Deware’s two year strangle hold on the AX (Novice) Class, out dueling her for the win and putting the pre-season favorite also on track to unseat Deware as Champion in the BUBBA burger Junior Hydroplane Championship Series.
The 2016 DAV Fall Classic at Seekonk Speedway is planned for this afternoon, Saturday, October 29 at 2 p.m. The track hopes to see everyone out for the last big race in New England before the winter. The Pro Stock Open 150 posts $6,000 to win and the Late Model 50 Lap feature will pay over $1,800 to win.  Also on this afternoon’s card is a 50 lap Street Stock race along with the Sport Trucks.  Last night was the final Fast Friday Series that featured Pure Stocks, SYRA Mini Stocks,Sport 4’s and Legends.  There’s also a auto swap meet being held in the adjacent flea market next door to the race track starting at 7 a.m. today Saturday, October 29.
The DAV Fall Classic Pro Stock Open 150 is shaping up to be an epic race with a talent laden field. Registrations are pouring in and represents many of the best that Seekonk  and  touring series have to offer. . Below is the list of confirmed drivers with many more names coming in every day.  #7 Dave Farrington Jr.,  #60 DJ Shaw, #66 Mike Parks,  #49 Matt Swanson, #12 Derek Griffith,#73 JoeyDorion, #18,  Michael Scorzelli,  #28 Josh Varney,  #37 Larry Gelinas,  #5 Phil Meaney,  #30 Fred Astle,  #41 Dick Houlihan (Bridgewater),  #27 Mike Brightman,  #52 David Darling,  #14 Rick Martin,  #35 Derek Ranstrom,  #12 Bobby Pelland III, #97 Joe Pole, #2 Tom Scully Jr, #48 Ryan Lineham, #11 Ryan Vanasse,  #80 Bob Hussey,  #7 Curtis Gerry and #88 Kyle Desouza.
The Charlestown, NH based Modified Touring Series headed by Gary Knight is expanding in 2017.  That tour only ran one race in 2016 at the Monadnock Speedway in Winchester, NH and paid the winner Ryan Preece $15,000 for the Winchester 200 which was the top prize for that $75,000 total purse
The Modified Touring Series announced, after months of talks, the signing of its first three dates of the 2017 racing season at Monadnock Speedway on April 29, July 1 and September 16. Larry and Deneen Cirillo along with Fred Pafume of Monadnock Speedway have been supporters of MTS from the beginning. Hosting its first race, the Winchester 200 in May of this year.
“Teams will be racing the 2017 season for a $40,000 point fund and a per race event of $3,000 to win. We will also be introducing an exciting points chase that will ensure that each race will keep competitors and fans on the edge of their seats every time the drivers hit the track,” said MTS principal Gary Knight.  He added, “We are currently in talks with other tracks for more dates for the upcoming season”.

 

Here is the breakdown of the per Race Purse: 1st $3,000 2nd $1,600 3rd $1,300 4th $1,075 5th $975 6th $925 7th $875 8th $850 9th $825 10th $800 11th $775 12th $750 13th $725 14th $700 15th $675 16th $660 17th $660 18th $660 19th 660 20th $660 21st $660 22nd $660 23rd $660 24th $660.

We have been hearing reports that the Tri-Track Series will have a change in management in 2017.  That was confirmed following this past Sunday’s Tri -Track Series finale at the New London-Waterford Speedbowl. Starting in 2017 the Pinnink family, father and son and Modified driver Rowan Pinnink and partner Dave Darling of Rehoboth will take over. But Tri-Track Series founder Dick Williams of Connecticut and the rest of his partners,the Racing Guys, will still be present at all of those tour races as consultants.

All is quiet, though, in the Valenti Modified Racing Series camp headed by founder Jack Bateman  in Canaan, NH who now has to replace the three races he lost to the Modified Touring Series at Monadnock Speedway in NH.  Also, losing ground is the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour that saw one of their races dumped by Monadnock Speedway in NH. There are unconfirmed reports that Beech Ridge Speedway in Scarborough, ME has been added to the 2017 Whelen Mod Tour schedule replacing the Monadnock date.

New England Dragway in Epping, NH will be putting a wrap on the 2016 drag racing season today Saturday, October 29 and Sunday, October 30 with testing runs starting at 8 a.m. each day.  There’s motoX  action  at the Capeway Rovers in Middleboro on Sunday, October 30 at 9 a.m.(end)

 

Information for this column came from press releases, schedule and flyers.

 

“Pair of Treys” for Eddie MacDonald at Lee USA Speedway’s Oktoberfest

Eddie MacDonald came close to winning the Granite State 100 at NHMS in Loudon,NH. (Credit: NASCAR Home Tracks photo)

Eddie MacDonald is always competative at Lee USA Speedway and other tracks in New England.  Lee USA Speedway is owned by his parents Red and Judy MacDonald.  (Credit: NASCAR Home Tracks photo)

 

Eddie MacDonald posted third place finishes in the Pro Stock/ Super Late Model and Late Model features to complete the rescheduled Oktoberfest at his family owned track on Sunday, Oct.24. Due to heavy rain on the second of two days of racing two weeks ago, the Sunday event was completed to end the Lee USA season on a chilly blustery day.

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