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NCSC Championship Race Sunday 9-30-18 Capeway Rovers
Monthly Archives: September 2018
Track Talk Column for Saturday, 9/29/18
East Bridgewater’s Ryan Kuhn (center) of East Bridgewater served his apprenticeship in the INEX Legend Cars before he moved up into the Late Models. (Credit: OPS photo)
Track Talk
By Lou Modestino (for Sat. 9/29/18) (Please add this into the column: Check out Lou Modestino’s TrackTalk column at http://www.enterprisenews.com/section/blogs01?taxid=1838 )
Nice going by Ryan Kuhn of East Bridgewater for winning the 2018 Seekonk Speedway Late Model Championship. Following that effort, he’s planning on taking in tomorrow’s, Sunday, Sept. 30, Milk Bowl race at the Thunder Road Speedway in Barre, VT. Ryan is currently on a roll and plans some additional challenges before the 2018 New England racing season is completed at the end of October.
A conversation with Canton’s Richard Savary reveals that he’s taking in a number of upcoming Modified Tour Type races with the Valenti Modified Racing Series at Lee USA Speedway on Sunday, October 7, another VMRS event at the Thompson Speedway on Saturday, October 13, and the Haunted 100 Tri Track Open Modified Series at Seekonk Speedway on Saturday, October 27, for sure. The local Modified pilot has been running a selected number of races during the current season and has done well. He’s got a great pit crew supporting him including crew chief Joey Kourafas of Randolph who was the first winner of the Oxford 250 in Maine. His resume reflects over 170 Late Model wins up-and-down the east coast before he hung up his helmet.
For Justin Bonsignore and the #51 Phoenix Communications Inc. Team, the 2018 NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour season has been a year for the ages. Bonsignore has won half of the 14 NWMT races this season and has recorded top-8 finishes in all 14 races. This dominant performance sees Bonsignore leading the NWMT championship chase by 74 points over Chase Dowling, and he can clinch the championship this weekend, September 29 and 30, at Stafford Speedway with a finish of 21st or better.
Stafford Motor Speedway is still the one track on the schedule that Bonsignore and the #51 team are looking to master this weekend’s Fall Final. Bonsignore’s two worst finishes of 7th and 8th this season have come at Stafford, and while Stafford hasn’t exactly been a struggle for his 21 top-10 finishes in 33 career starts, he has yet to record a victory. Bonsignore is looking to change that with a new chassis setup and the fact that his large point lead will allow the #51 team to take some chances with their pit strategy that they normally might not make.
While he has yet to win a race at Stafford, Bonsignore knows that in order to reach NAPA Victory Lane on Sunday, he can make that job easier with a practice and qualifying time that is towards the top of the time sheets on Saturday.
Pit strategy will be another key to winning the NAPA Fall Final 150, and although he acknowledges that picking the correct pit strategy can be anyone’s guess, Bonsignore is confident that he has the best pit crew on pit road even if picking a pit strategy is a bit of a shot in the dark.
Bonsignore’s quest for the Whelen Modified Tour Championship may be decided this weekend, September 29 and 30, at 46th Annual NAPA Auto Parts Fall Final. Discount tickets are available at your local participating NAPA Auto Parts Store. The NAPA tickets include general admission for both days along with a luncheon buffet on Sunday, all for only $38 per person.
Information for this column came from press releases and personal notes.
Note: If your track, tour or event is not posted on this blog send your press releases and flyers to: lmodestino@hotmail.com
NASCAR-Get ready for ROVAL, Fantasy Fastlane, Stewart-Haas wins challenge
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Sunoco World Series of Speedway Racing is 2 WEEKS away! Reserve your camping spot NOW!
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Three time NASCAR Champ and Hall of Famer Darrell Waltip to appear at Motorsports 2019
Darrel Lee Waltrip
NEWS FROM PIONEER POLE BUILDINGS MOTORSPORTS 2019 TRADE AND RACECAR SHOW PRESENTED BY SUNOCO AND FUELED BY INSINGER PERFORMANCE
PRODUCED BY LEN SAMMONS PRODUCTIONS
OAKS, PA January 28, 2018 . . . One of the best known names in motorsports, Darrell Waltrip, a three time NASCAR Cup Series champion and member of the NASCAR Hall of Fame plus a Fox TV personality will be a headliner at the Pioneer Pole Buildings Motorsports 2019 Race Car & Trade Show presented by Sunoco and distributed by Insinger Performance. The three day show, now in its 34th consecutive year, will take place January 18-20, 2019 at the Greater Philadelphia Expo Center in Oaks, PA.
This will be Waltrip’s first appearance at the PPB Motorsports show.
During his NASCAR Cup Series career that started back in 1972 at Talladega Superspeedway Waltrip was able to tally 84 victories of which 37 happened on Superspeedways. He earned 59 Cup poles. He is the only driver to win $500,000 in a season 18 times. And in 1990 he became the first Cup driver to win $10 million.
The 71-year-old was not only a big winner in Cup Series racing but also won in the NASCAR Busch Series, ASA, IROC, ARCA, NASCAR All-American Challenge Series, All Pro, USAC and ARTGO Challenge Series. He was also a top competitor on short tracks in the Tennessee area when first starting his career.
The popular FOXSports TV personality, an analyst during the FOX coverage of NASCAR events, will be on center stage at the show on Saturday afternoon for two hours to talk about his racing career, TV work, books, movies, and so much more that has been part of his colorful career. Attendees will be free to ask the man named one of NASCAR’s 50 Greatest Drivers questions. And, of course, there will be autographs.
Fans might even want to ask him about a good deal on a new or used car at his Darrell Waltrip Automotive Group located in Franklin, TN, near Nashville. The huge dealership offers Honda, Volvo, Subaru, Buick, GMC and over 5000 certified pre-owned cars.
The Pioneer Pole Buildings Motorsports 2019 Race Car & Trade Show Fueled by Sunoco and Distributed by Insinger Performance, which fills 250,000 square feet of show space with just about everything imaginable in motorsports, includes free seminars, autograph opportunities, a large number of speedway and sanctioning organization displays plus the famous Ms. Motorsports Pageant.
Many organizations and speedways use the show to announce their schedules for the next racing season.
Many well-known racers and personalities will be a part of the three day show.
Additional news about show attractions will be announced in coming weeks.
The Greater Philadelphia Expo Center proves to be a popular location for the show because it is easy to get to and offers free parking.
For more information check in at www.motorsportstradeshow.com. And for those looking to be a part of the displays quickly filling the show contact Danny@aarn.com.
Source; Ernie Saxton Communciations
UK-based F1 teams subsidised by British taxpayers
SportBusiness International
Analysis and insight for the global sports business
UK-based F1 teams subsidised by British taxpayers
By:Ben Cronin
UK-based Formula One teams have received £112.2m ($145m) in subsidies from the UK government since 2012 according to a report in The Daily Telegraph.
The newspaper reveals that six UK-based F1 teams received tax breaks and payments from HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) courtesy of the Research and Development Expenditure Credit (RDEC).
The RDEC means HMRC refunds 12 per cent of a company’s spending on research and development, either in terms of reducing its tax bill, in the event it makes a profit, or cash payments if there is no tax to be paid.
The Telegraph reports that Force India was the largest beneficiary, receiving cash payments of £51.6m, ahead of McLaren (£28.3), Mercedes (£12.2m), Manor (£11.9m), Renault (£4.5m) and Williams (£3.7m).
Labour MP, Margaret Hodge, who heads a cross-party group focusing on responsible taxation said: “It is outrageous that these teams and this industry, owned by billionaires and multinational companies, are receiving these generous handouts from the public purse.”
There is no suggestion of impropriety on the part of the teams who are merely taking advantage of the UK tax system.
“Year on year Force India has spent a greater proportion of its entire budget on R&D, which was illustrated by its on track performance,” said a spokesman for Force India. “This explains the fact that the team received the largest R&D tax credit.”
Source: Sports Business International
Palmer prepares for Late Model stretch run @ Waterford Speedbowl
WATERFORD — There’s one thing a driver needs when he’s in a tight battle for a track championship — more speed.
That’s what Jason Palmer is looking for as the New London-Waterford Speedbowl Late Model title chase goes down to the final three races of the season, including Saturday’s 30-lap feature.
Palmer’s lead has been chopped to one point over Anthony Flannery with 90 laps left in the season.
“We just got to do our homework,” Palmer said. “Our car has to get a little better. I don’t think we have a bad car. We just have to come up with a way to get more out of it. We’re looking for overall speed.””
Flannery, meanwhile, has been on the hottest streak of his Late Model career with four wins in his last five races.
“I don’t think Anthony was that fast early in the year, but he’s figured out something,” Palmer said. “Now we’re playing catch-up.”
Palmer says it’s tough to play catch-up because of the unpredictable nature of a Late Model.
“Sometimes you don’t know that things are wrong with the car until you need it on a restart with three laps to go,” Palmer said. “It tough to know how a car is going to going to react.”
Palmer said that speed is important, but it isn’t the only factor that comes into play when trying to win races.
“Last week we were good on the stopwatch,” Palmer said. “We were better on time. But we couldn’t race with the car. You also have to be good on restarts and with racing side-by-side, and the car just didn’t react quickly enough.
“The car needs to be strong everywhere. You have to be able to hold your car in one lane without scrubbing any speed off. It’s a challenge.”
When you’re involved in a tights point race, every aspect of the car has to be perfect, including its durability.
“During the last few weeks, we’ve been spending extra time checking out the car, making sure nothing is wrong,” Palmer said. “We’re giving the car plenty of attention because we don’t want something stupid to happen. We don’t want to go crazy, but we want to make sure the car is as good as we can get it.”
Palmer has been through the championship grind before. He has five Speedbowl championships, including one Late Model title (2015), three Wednesday Legends titles (2007, 2008 and 2009) and one Saturday crown (2009). So he knows what chasing the Big Trophy is all about.
“Every year is different and anything can happen,” Palmer said/ “There was one year I was leading going into the last week of the season and I finished third. And then there was one year I was second going into the last week and I won the championship.
“It all depends on the cards that you’re dealt. “
Palmer’s sponsors includes Sign Pro, CWPM, Manafort Brothers, Pkon Projects, Gallagher Buick-GMC and Waddell Communications.
“So many things can go wrong, and so many things can go right,” Palmer said. “You just have to be smart about it.
“I just hope it comes down to clean, hard racing and let the best man win.”
Palmer, who has 71 career wins, good for seventh on the all-time Speedbowl win list is hoping that the best man would be him.
“We found a couple of things with the car last night and they might have been holding us back,” Palmer said. “This is a lot like a game of poker. You don’t want to show all your cards too soon. But I think we have something good coming.”
Palmer usually does.
Speedbowl scene
The Late Model points battle isn’t the only tight fight-taking place at the Speedbowl. Wayne Burroughs leads Jonathan Puleo by a mere two points in the SK Light Modifieds and Charles Canfield has a five-point edge over Doug Curry in the fight for the Mini Stock crown.
In other divisions, Kyle James leads by 29 points over Rob Janovic Jr. in the SK Modifieds point chase, Peter Bennett has a 29-point cushion over Scott Limkemann in the Saturday Legends battle, Shawn Gaedeke has a 36 point advantage over Jason Chicolas in the Sportsman chase and Duane Noll has a 28 point edge over Todd Taylor in his quest to win a third consecutive Truck title.
Source: Matt Buckler/Waterford Speedbowl PR
Are you ready to SMASH some Pumpkins @Seekonk Speedway?!?
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Andrew Molleur excited to make NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour debut at Stafford’s NAPA Fall Final
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(Stafford Springs, CT)—For Shelton native Andrew Molleur, the 2018 season at Stafford Speedway has been all about making dreams come true. The 15-year old driver has scored 4 wins this season in his first full season of SK Light competition and as he looks to close out the year with another victory, he will realize another dream by making his first ever NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour start this weekend, September 29-30 in the NAPA Fall Final 150 behind the wheel of the #35 RaceChoice.com / Bud’s Diesel Chevrolet.
“I’m very excited to make my Whelen Modified Tour debut at Stafford, I can’t wait,” said Molleur. “I’ve been watching the guys who race on the Tour for years and I grew up racing with Matt Swanson, so it’s going to be pretty cool to race with him again. Stafford is one of my hometracks and there is nowhere else I’d rather make my Whelen Modified Tour debut than at Stafford. Bud’s Diesel and RaceChoice.com have been sponsors of ours for a while and they were happy to come on board with support to make this possible. It’s the big stage and this is the biggest series in New England, I am a little nervous. I’ve been watching the Whelen Modified Tour for so long now, it’s awesome that I’m actually going to be a part of it at the NAPA Fall Final.”
For his debut effort on the Tour, Molleur has teamed with Rob Fuller and LFR Chassis for not only a car, but chassis setup as well. With Chase Dowling’s knowledge and having won pole positions in the first two NWMT races held at Stafford this season, Molleur knows he will have a stout piece of equipment to work with.
“The car is an LFR car that Austin Pickens has driven and we made a deal with Rob Fuller to drive the car this weekend,” said Molleur. “We just got the car in the shop the other day and we’re going to letter it up and go racing. We’ve been to the LFR shop a bunch of times and Rob is putting a setup in the car for us.
While Molleur is ecstatic to be making his first career NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour start, he has a realistic goal in mind of finishing all 150 laps and learning as much as he can from the 2-day event.
“The goal is to learn a lot and keep all 4 wheels on the car,” said Molleur. “I’d say a top-15 finish would be a reasonable goal for us. I’d like to learn from some of the guys who have been racing on the Tour for a long time and hopefully we can avoid wrecks and come out with a solid finish.”
With Molleur being a newcomer to Whelen Modified Tour competition, he can lean on some of his previous experience in tour-type racing at Stafford to help him get a leg up on his WMT learning curve. Molleur has made 6 career touring series starts at Stafford, with 2 starts each in Open Modified competition, the Valenti Modified Racing Series, and the Modified Touring Series. Molleur has one top-10 finish in those 6 races and he led 37 laps in the June Open Modified 80 at Stafford.
“I think it’ll give us a little bit of an advantage having a feel for the racetrack,” said Molleur. “Last year I wasn’t as comfortable at Stafford as I am this season. I feel comfortable knowing the line and where I need to lift and get back on the gas. The practice sessions are going to be very important for us. We’ve run a Tour type car at Stafford before, but it’s my first Whelen Modified Tour race so I’m feeling a little pressure. We’ll need to have a good couple of practice sessions and make sure that we can qualify in a good spot. I’m preparing for this race just like any other race, getting my head in the right place and be focused for the race.”
With Whelen Modified Tour races counting caution laps while the other modified touring series that Molleur has participated in do not, Molleur and his pit crew will be in store for a totally different atmosphere making live pit stops.
“The one tire per stop rule is going to be different for me and my crew,” said Molleur. “When we’ve run the MRS, you don’t have to worry about going laps down on pit road so I’ll have to make sure I get in and out of the pit box right and I don’t speed on pit road. There’s a lot more strategy when coming to pit road so there will be a little extra pressure on me and the crew guys.”
As well as making his NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour debut, Molleur will be looking to close out his 2018 season on a high note in the SK Light division by shooting for what would be his fifth victory of the year. Molleur enters the NAPA Fall Final feature event in 5th place in the SK Light standings and he could potentially finish as high as third in the standings with another victory.
“Coming into the year our goal was to get one win and to have four wins is almost overwhelming,” said Molleur. “It’s pretty cool to have a fast racecar and be able to run up front with guys like Marcello Rufrano, Bryan Narducci, Teddy Hodgdon, and Mark Bakaj. Sadly we had a couple of DNF’s in the middle of the season but we’ve come back stronger and hopefully we can end the season on a high note. To get another win at Stafford would give us some bragging rights for the off season and it would put a nice cap on the season.”
Tickets for the 46th Annual NAPA Auto Parts Fall Final Weekend are priced at $40.00 for adult general admission, $5.00 for children ages 6-14, and children 5 and under are admitted free of charge when accompanied by an adult. Reserved seating is priced at $42.00 for all ages. All NAPA Fall Final tickets are good for admission on both Saturday and Sunday and ticket prices include 10% CT Admission Tax. Discount tickets are available at your local participating NAPA Auto Parts Store. The NAPA tickets include general admission for both days along with a luncheon buffet on Sunday, all for only $38 per person. For a list of participating NAPA Stores, please click the PARTICIPATING NAPA STORES link found at the top of the www.staffordspeedway.com homepage.
Source: Scott Running/Stgafford Speedway PR
Note: If your track, tour and event is not posted on this blog send your press releases and flyers to: lmodestino@hotmail.com
NHMS: You could WIN a fan-built Toyota Tundra!
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