The Town Fair World of Wheels held on the first weekend in April always draws a big crowd who want to view some the top customs and hot rods.

Track Talk

By Lou Modestino

If your an auto buff you can see lots of hot rods and custom vehicles and meet the local car owners competing for top prizes at the Town Fair Tire World of Wheels today and tomorrow, Saturday, April 1 and Sunday, April 2.  It’s part of the  Annual Town Fair Tire World of Wheels Hot Rod and Custom Car Show   being held at the Boston Seaport World Trade Center. There will be numerous of the northeast’s’ finest and other show cars on display.  The WOW gives out awards to the top entries of muscle cars, customs, trucks,and other exotics.  The biggest trophy is the Pilgrim Award presented to the top first time show car and the people that built them.

Among the special guests at the WOW are the now retired NASCAR Monster Cup driver Mark Martin who will be there  today Saturday, April 1 from noon-2 p.m.  Also, Rick Harrison of the History Channel’s Pawn Stars will appear tomorrow, Sunday, April 2 from 1-5 p.m.

Local hot rodders will be drawn to the legendary metal bender and painter Gene Winfield at the Chop Shop booth. Gene known for his efforts such as the fade away painting technique he did in the 50’s and has been a hot rodder for the past 60 plus years

Among the exhibitors will be several of the car clubs in the Boston area including the Wheels of Time of Brockton and the MA Cruisers based in Norfolk.  Both clubs will be opening the 2017 cruise night season later this month.  The MA Cruisers will kick off the season at the Patriot Place in Foxborough sponsored by the Bass Pro Shop on Thursday night, April 13 while the Wheels of Time will begin the 2017 cruise season on Thursday night, April 20 at Raynham Park on Rt. 138. Those two clubs will run alternate Thursday nights right up through the end of October.  The Connecting Rod Club based in Scituate will begin its 2017 cruise nights starting on Friday, May 5 at Wal-Mart’s on Rt. 106 in Halifax.  All of those cruise nights mentioned begin at 5 p.m.

With inclement weather expected in Connecticut this weekend, NASCAR and Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park officials postponed this weekend’s 43rd running of the track’s Icebreaker. The event, which is highlighted by the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour’s Icebreaker 150, will be run the following weekend: April 7-9.  The Icebreaker 150 will practice and qualify on Saturday, April 8, with the second race of the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour season slated to take the green flag on Sunday, April 9. The weekend schedule also includes the opening races in Thompson’s NASCAR Whelen All-American Series program.(end)

Note: If your track, tour or event is not posted on this blog send your press releases and flyers to: lmodestino@hotmail.com

Author Monte Dutton covered many NASCAR events during his career as a syndicated newspaper sports writer

The secret is out. It’s almost an April Fool’s Day prank. Only this one is real.
Many readers have requested it. It matches Monte Dutton’s generally acknowledged field of expertise. His sixth novel, Lightning in a Bottle, is about stock car racing.
Barrie Jarman is the hope of racing’s future because he is a link to its past. Continue reading →

“Rutland County Rumble” ready for May 13 Demo Derby at Devil’s Bowl Speedway

Devil’s Bowl Speedway is getting ready to make the ground shake, and Mark Billings Jr. is first in line.  Billings has filed the first official Demolition Derby entry for the inaugural “Rutland County Rumble” on Saturday, May 13, and is ready to smash his way to a $1,000 payday.

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Thompson’s season opening Icebreaker rescheduled to wet forecast for this weekend

NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour Race Moved To April 9

With inclement weather expected in Connecticut this week, NASCAR and Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park officials have postponed this weekend’s 43rd running of the track’s Icebreaker. Continue reading →

NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour News & Notes: Thompson

 Last year, Timmy Solomito used his first career NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour win in the Icebreaker 150 at Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park to launch a breakout season. Continue reading →

See the hot rods and custom vehicles and meet the local car owners competing for top prizes!

The 43rd Annual Town Fair Tire World of Wheels Hot Rod and Custom Car Show

To be held at the Seaport World Trade Center

Friday, March 31 – Sunday, April 2, 2017

There will be hundreds of the Northeast’s’ finest show cars on display

Show website:

 https://autorama.com/attend/boston/

Tri-Track Series will part of a very large number of events for pavement Modifieds in New England during the 2017 racing season.

Preregistration Deadline Fast Approaching

The Tri-Track Open Modified Series (TTOMS) and Seekonk Speedway announced jointly the purse for the 14th annual Open Wheel Wednesday scheduled for Wednesday June 28. The event has become synonymous with the big names in racing as a direct result of the $10,000 payday for the winner. Continue reading →

The biggest Super Late Model race of the 2017 racing season has entries pouring in.

Entries have already started coming in for the 44^th Annual Oxford 250, slated for August 25-27 at Maine’s Oxford Plains Speedway.  Even though the race is still five months away, nearly 30 drivers have already announced their intentions for the event with drivers from across the spectrum making up those entries.

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 PASS Super Late Models were in action over the weekend  at Orange County Speedway in Rougemeont, NC.  (Credit: PASS Tour photo.)

            Matt Craig came out on top of a controversial last lap battle that saw both he and third finisher Preston Peltier slap the wall to win the 10^th Running of the Orange Blossom Special on Saturday night at Orange County Speedway.  Craig’s second straight Pro All Stars Series (PASS) South Super Late Model win also guarantees him a starting spot in the 44^thAnnual Oxford 250 at Oxford Plains Speedway in Maine.

            “Our car was really good, but we got really loose when it was time to go,” said Craig, driver of the C&C Boilers Sales & Service Chevrolet #54.  “I’ve raced with Preston [Peltier] for a long time and I knew if I would have stayed on the outside on the last lap, it wouldn’t have been any different than what I did.  I don’t feel bad about it.  He’s raced me dirty and I’ve raced him dirty, that’s how we get along.”

            For Peltier, with the chance to end a nearly two year winless drought in PASS dating back to the 2015 Easter Bunny 150 at Hickory Motor Speedway, coming up short was a hard pill to swallow.

            “I figured at Southern National that he won the race and I thought man, the kid’s turned a corner, but I changed my mind on that deal,” said a disappointed Peltier afterwards.  “The kid’s wrecked a lot of cars and it’s gotta stop.  I just hope he gets focused because that’s pretty uncalled for.”

            In qualifying, Craig and PASS rookie, Tanner Thorson ran identical fast laps, but the quick qualifying time was awarded to Craig by virtue of having a faster second lap.  Following the top 10 qualifiers redraw, Craig would start fifth, while Kodie Conner and Jeff Batten would move to the front row.

            At the drop of the green flag, Batten got the edge over Connor to lead the opening laps. But, on lap four New Hampshire’s Derek Griffith was able to make his way by Batten for the lead. While Griffith stretched his advantage to over a straightaway over second place, Peltier was on the move from tenth, bypassing Thorson to move into the top five on lap 29.

            The first caution of the night would not wave until lap 69 when Terry Horak would go for a minor spin in turn two.  On the restart, Griffith continued to lead with Peltier moving past Craig into second.  After restarting seventh, Conner flexed his muscle, making the low line work to move all the way up to third with 63 laps to go.

            Griffith and Peltier stretched their advantage over third by 15 car lengths as they began working slower traffic.  Using the car of Bradley McCaskill as a pick, Peltier was able to power his way by Griffith for the lead with 37 laps to go.  The yellow flag would fly again when Ryan Moore cut a tire and slapped the wall entering turn three with 18 laps to go.

            Peltier took the advantage on the restart over Craig and Griffith.  Unfortunately for Griffith, he would spin on the front stretch and fall from contention for the win.  The final caution of the night would wave with six laps to go after contact between Thorson and Dave Farrington, Jr. would send Farrington for a spin off turn four.

            On the final restart, Peltier and Craig raced side-by-side for the lead on the high-banked, 3/8 mile speedway.  With two laps to go, Craig ducked under Peltier entering turn three and slid up the track into Peltier.  The two cars made hard contact, with Peltier making slight impact with the wall. With smoke pouring from the right side of his machine, Craig held off a fast charging Ben Rowe to take the win over Maine’s Rowe, Peltier, Conner, and Tate Fogleman.  Rounding out the top 10 were Dalton Armstrong, Thorson, Joey Polewarczyk of NH, Batten, and Spencer Davis.

             The PASS National Championship Super Late Models will be in action again, along with the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour Modified, as part of The Icebreaker on Sunday afternoon, April 2 at Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park in Connecticut.  PASS South will it the track again on Saturday, April 15 at Hickory Motor Speedway for the 12^th Annual Easter Bunny 150.

PASS Super Late Model – Orange Blossom Special – Unofficial Results

1. 54 – Matt Craig 150                                12. 7 – Dave Farrington, Jr. 150
2. 4n – Ben Rowe 150                                13. 12 – Derek Griffith 150
3. 33 – Preston Peltier 150                        14. 51 – Eddie Fatscher 148
4. 45 – Kodie Conner 150                         15. 99 – Sarah Cornett-Ching 148
5. 8 – Tate Fogleman 150                          16. 118 – Bradley McCaskill 148
6. 74 – Dalton Armstrong 150                   17. 24 – JP Josiasse 143
7. 55 – Tanner Thorson 150                       18. 28 – Terry Horak 141
8. 97 – Joey Polewarczyk 150                   19. 74x – Ryan Moore 129
9. 49 – Jeff Batten 150                               20. 15 – Roy Hayes III 125
10.  29 – Spencer Davis 150                        21. 7c – Tyler Church 47
11.  2 – Trevor Noles 150                             DNS 59 – Dustin Dunn

Source: Alan Dietz/PASS Tours PR

Note: If your track,tour or event is not posted on this blog send your press releases and flyers to: lmodestino@hotmail;.com

Zachem is looking for a decisive win at the upcoming Spring Sizzler at Stafford in late April which is also that track’s opening race of the 2017 racing season.

The 2017 NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour season kicked off in Myrtle Beach and Preston, CT native and driver of the #20 Lu-Mac’s Package Store Chevrolet Max Zachem, opened with a fifth place finish.  Zachem is looking to continue his momentum at the 46^th Annual NAPA Spring Sizzler® on Sunday April 30.  Stafford has not been one of Zachem’s best tracks in his short career, but with a top-10 finish in all four Stafford races last season, Zachem is confident that he can get a top-5 finish or even a win in the prestigious Sizzler®.

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