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By Kyle Souza, Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park

THOMPSON, Conn. — Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park’s successful month of June will conclude in style on Sunday.

All five NASCAR Whelen All-American Series divisions will compete, joined by Lock City Drift, with their second round of the Street Series planned.

Fans can watch the slip and sliding of drifting action, along with the high-speed competition of open-wheel modifieds and full-fendered race cars, all for just $18.

With Lock City Drift preparing for the Street Series, fans can expect another large crowd of entrants, with some newcomers joining the roster. For those not familiar, the Street Series puts drivers on the edge of control, with some restrictions to the cars to keep them inside the rules. These events are judged, and there are multiple rounds before a winner is decided.

“With a bunch of new entrants, we are excited to see who will take the win in round two of the Street Series, and who can take the lead in the points standings,” Michael Lynch, Director of Lock City Drift, said.

Headlining the Whelen All-American Series competition is the Division I Sunoco Modifieds, with their fifth race of the season. Approaching the halfway point in the championship battle, defending champion Keith Rocco is well on his way to battling for the title again. Rocco leads the standings by 24 points on the heels of top-five finishes in all races so far. 

Four different drivers have been to Victory Lane. Rocco won the opener, while Ronnie Williams, Ryan Preece and Mike Christopher Jr. have followed with their own victories. Troy Talman, Todd Owen and Woody Pitkat all have strong runs early, but have yet to visit the winner’s circle. 

After competing with the American Canadian Tour on June 15, the Late Models are back in NWAAS action with their fourth race of the season Sunday. With three different winners in their first three races, consistency has mattered the most for any driver who wants to be towards the top of the standings.

William Wall has three top-five finishes, and is the only driver to accomplish that feat, therefore, he leads the standings by 19 points over Mark Jension. Derek Gluchacki is third, 26 points back, while Ryan Morgan and Woody Pitkat round out the top five. Wall, Morgan and Tom Carey III are the three winners. The Late Model division features a mix of veterans and rising young talent.

Bryan Narducci has been unbeatable in the SK Light Modified® division, winning the first four races. Dating back to last season, Narducci has been victorious in eight consecutive events for the division, showing himself as the dominant car. Although he’s opened up a 46-point advantage in the standings, the field isn’t giving in. Cornelius Flynn and Albert Ouellette are the two drivers in the division other than Narducci who have top-10 finishes in all four events. But, if they want to beat Narducci to the checkered flag, they will need to find just a bit more speed under the hood.

With the top seven drivers separated by just 18 points, the Limited Sportsman division continues to prove to be one of the most competitive Thompson offers. Only Ryan Morgan, who is fourth in the standings, has been able to finish inside the top 10 in each event. At the top, it’s Icebreaker winner and former champion Ryan Waterman showing the way.

Meghan Fuller is second, just seven from the lead, while Zachary Robinson, Morgan and Brent Gleason round out the top five. Defending division champion Shawn Monahan, who does have two wins, is sixth because of a finish of 22^nd on June 5. Kyle Gero is seventh, looking to close the gap. In the first four, Monahan has two wins, while Waterman and Gleason have also carried the checkered.

Thompson’s Mini Stock division also has a tight championship battle. Scott Michalski leads by one point over Jared Roy, while Steve Michalski is just four points out. With four races down, the only other driver to win is Charles Canfield, who took the checkered the last time on the track. Evan Bourgeois, the son of reigning Mini Stock champion Eric Bourgeois, is fourth, just 16 points back.

Admission to the grandstands is just $18 for adults, while seniors (65+), and active military and veterans are just $16. Kids age 12 and under are free. If fans would like to get a behind the scenes look at Thompson’s stars and cars, they can do that for $35 in the paddock area with a pit wristband. If any children are walking into the pit area, they will be charged the same full price of $35.

Grandstands open at 12:30 p.m., just in time to watch Lock City Drift begin their practice and qualifying action, and the practice sessions for the five NASCAR Whelen All-American Series classes. Heat racing for NWAAS cars begins at 2:30 p.m., while feature racing will follow at approximately 4:30 p.m. 

Note: If your track,tour or event is not covered on this blog send your press releases and flyers to: lmodetino@hotmai..com

(Stafford Springs, CT)—The biggest race of the season, the 6^th Annual NAPA SK 5K is set to take the green flag this Friday, June 28 at Stafford Speedway.  With over $34,000 in total posted awards up for grabs and a guaranteed $5,000 payday to the winner, the NAPA SK 5K is the race that all SK Modified® drivers throughout the Northeast have circled on their calendars.  One of the pre-race favorites has to be Ronnie Williams and the #50 Les’s Auto Center team.  Williams will be searching for back to back NAPA SK 5K wins while the #50 team will be going for their third consecutive win, as they won the NAPA SK 5K with Chase Dowling in 2017 and Williams last season.

“It would be awesome to be able to win the race 3 times in a row for the team and twice in a row for me,” said Williams.  “It’s the biggest race at Stafford.  Everyone circles this race and everyone wants to win this race.  There was nothing better than being able to hold that big check and getting those big trophies in victory lane last year and we’re going to try our hardest to do that again.”

The pairing of Williams and the #50 team could very well be a perfect combination for the extra distance NAPA SK 5K.  Other than a 23^rd place finish in 2014 when he got caught up in a wreck, Williams has scored finishes of 3^rd, 4^th, and 6^th to go along with his victory last year.  The #50 team has a pair of 6^th place finishes in 2014 and 2016 with Woody Pitkat behind the wheel while Dowling won the race in 2017 and finished 11^th in 2015.

“I think we’re a perfect combination in general,” said Williams.  “Adam and all of his guys know what they’re doing and they make the car last for the entire 100 laps.  Having the best car at the end of the race is the key and those guys do a great job with that so it’s up to me to do my job.  I’ve been racing at Stafford for a while now so maybe I’ve learned how to save my stuff over the years and make the most of things at the end of the race.  We’ve had some pretty good cars in the 5K and we’ve been able to put ourselves in the right positions at the right times.  Last year we had a great race going with [Eric] Berndt and [Keith] Rocco and we were able to pull away at the end.”

Williams heads into the NAPA SK 5K fresh off a Modified Racing Series victory at Loudon this past Sunday and a victory in the $10,000 to win Tri-Track Series race at Seekonk on Wednesday night.  With a third place finish in last week’s SK Modified® feature, Williams has some positive momentum in his favor. 

“Winning at Loudon was awesome and last week was a good step for us,” said Williams.  “We have some good momentum going forward and another win in the 5k would be pretty cool.”

Despite the NAPA SK 5K being two and a half times longer than a normal 40 lap feature event, Williams isn’t doing anything different in his pre-race preparations than he normally would.

“Every year I’ve had a game plan going into this race to make it to the end,” said Williams.  “I’m sure the guys will have a few tweaks to make to the car to help it last for 100 laps and not just 40.  This race is all about getting to the end.  It doesn’t matter how many laps you lead or how fast you can get to the front, it’s all about surviving throughout the race and being there for the last 30 laps.  Every race is different so you have to see how the race is playing out and we’re hopeful that we can be back on top.”

Williams chased the dream of winning the NAPA SK 5K for four seasons before finally breaking down the door to NAPA Victory Lane last season.  With 6 winners in 8 races thus far in 2019, the competition in Stafford’s premier SK Modified® division is already at an elite level and the competition gets that much tighter for a 100 lap race with over $34,000 in total posted awards up for grabs.

“The competition at Stafford is second to none,” said Williams.  “It’s very tough.  I think everyone shows up each Friday night wanting to win, the NAPA SK 5K just has more money and more bragging rights.  With an extra 60 laps, you have to make the car last and make the best of it.”

Be sure to tune to Stafford’s Instagram page as Williams will serve as this week’s Stafford Speedway Instagram takeover. 

Discount tickets for the June 28th NAPA Auto Parts SK 5K are now available at your local NAPA Auto Parts Store. Tickets include a pre-race barbeque on the Stafford midway.  A full list of participating NAPA stores is available by clicking the PARTICIPATING NAPA STORES link found at the top of the www.staffordspeedway.com homepage.

The 6th Annual NAPA Auto Parts SK 5K is set for Friday, June 28. Tickets for the NAPA SK 5K are available and on sale now at the Speedway Box Office.  Tickets are priced at $30.00 for adult general admission tickets, $5.00 for kids ages 6-14, and kids 5 and under are admitted free of charge when accompanied by an adult.  Reserved seating is priced at $32.00 for all ages.  All ticket prices include 10% CT Admission Tax.  Stafford Speedway offers free parking with free overnight parking for self-contained RV’s available.  Fans who do not have a discount NAPA ticket can also partake in the barbeque on the midway with some great food available for only $10. 

Source: Scott Running/Stafford Speedway PR

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NCSCSpring Series Race 11 Sunday June 30th Capeway Rovers M/C Middleboro, MA Weather: Sunny upper 70’s BEST RACING OF THE SEASON 250A & 450AHighest Payout inNew England Bigger Than NESC Bigger Than the Triple Crown compare the charts Open A – 30+ A – 40+ A50% Payback every Race “21st Century Racing Facility” MyLaps Scoring Ambulance on site Plenty of Parking Air Conditioned Eat In Restaurant Breakfast & Lunch Menu Real Bathrooms”No Porta Potties” The NCSC Yearly Awards exceed$25,000 Annually in the form of FREE ADMISSIONFREE RACING FREE PRACTICENCS SupportsMotocross Racing in New England Sign up Sun 7- 9am No Sat Night Sign Up NCSC Member Entries $35 per Class Non-Members $35 per class plus 1-$10 One Day Mechanics Pass $5 Gate Opens @ 6 pm Saturday General Admission $15 Per Person under 4 Free If Gate is closed park on the right side of the entry road Re-open 6:30am Sunday Fill out your Membership Forms online Typed out and bring them to Sign up 2nd Moto Hole Shot $50 Gift Card:Youth ABC, 40B To: Monty’s Cycle Shop 751 N Main St, Rte. 28 W. Bridgewater, MA 508-583-1172   2nd Moto Hole Shot $50 Gift Card: 50cc Open, 65cc Open To:Plymouth County Motorsports 3 Abbey Ln Unit 2 Middleboro, MA 508-828-8841 RACE ORDER50cc 4-6 / 7-8250 A/B/C 65cc OpenWomen / 50+30+ A/B/C 85cc 9-11/12-15450 A/B/C50 cc Open 125 Youth A/B/C 40 A/B/C 65cc 7-9/10-11 Open A/B/C Supermini Check final race order after practice!!!!!!!!!!   RACE SAFE, HAVE FUN NCSC Capeway Classic NCSC & NEMX July 19th Practice & Movie Night July 20th Racing Olive Garden Spaghetti Dinner to Benefit the Boys & Girls Club Make Your own Sundae & Bonfire July 21st Racing Tons of Giveaways 4 Moto Format all Moto’s Count Awards Top 5250A/450A Payout each MotoVet 50% Payout after 4th MotoTons of Giveaways No Starting your Machines Before 9 am My Laps Transponder Rental will be $10 Per Day with Credit Card or $200 Cash as collateral plus $10 for Each Holder.The deposit will be refunded upon return,Holder rental return will receive Track Bucks. We Look Forward to Seeing You There NCSC SPRING SERIES 30-Jun Sun NCSC @ CAPEWAY ROVERS M/C 29-Jun Sat National @ SOUTHWICK, MA 30-Jun Sun NCSC @ CAPEWAY ROVERS M/C 6-Jul Sat NCSC AT WSP @ WINCHESTER SPEEDPARK 7-Jul Sun NCSC AT WSP @ WINCHESTER SPEEDPARK       NCSC FALL SERIES  19-Jul Fri Practice @ CAPEWAY ROVERS M/C 20-Jul Sat NCSC/NEMX CLASSIC @ CAPEWAY ROVERS M/C 21-Jul Sun NCSC/NEMX CLASSIC @ CAPEWAY ROVERS M/C 11-Aug Sun Practice @ CAPEWAY ROVERS M/C 18-Aug Sun NCSC @ CAPEWAY ROVERS M/C 25-Aug Sun NCSC @ CAPEWAY ROVERS M/C 7-Sep Sat NCSC/NEMX @ CAPEWAY ROVERS M/C 8-Sep Sun NCSC/NEMX @ CAPEWAY ROVERS M/C 22-Sep Sun NCSC @ CAPEWAY ROVERS M/C 29-Sep Sun NCSC @ CAPEWAY ROVERS M/C 13-Oct Sun NCSC @ CAPEWAY ROVERS M/C 20-Oct Sun NCSC AT WSP @ WINCHESTER SPEEDPARK 2-Nov Sat NCSC/NEMX MOTO BASH @ CAPEWAY ROVERS M/C 3-Nov Sun NCSC/NEMX MOTO BASH @ CAPEWAY ROVERS M/C 11-Nov Mon Practice @ CAPEWAY ROVERS M/C 28-Nov Thur Practice @ CAPEWAY ROVERS M/C SCHEDULE NCSC 2019 SPRING 13 RACES MUST COMPETE IN 19 MOTOS 70% PARTICIPATION FOR AWARDS FALL 12 RACES MUST COMPETE IN 17 MOTOS 70% PARTICIPATION FOR AWARDS SCHEDULE SUBJECT TO CHANGE

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Roger Turbush celebrates his first career NASCAR Whelen All-American Series Modified win at Riverhead Raceway. (Noah Watts/My Race News)

 BYKYLE SOUZA NASCAR.COM JUNE 26, 2019

Roger Turbush is still relishing in the glory of winning in his first modified race at Riverhead Raceway.

Just a few weeks ago, the Riverhead, New York, driver captured his first checkered flag in the track’s Division I NASCAR Whelen All-American Series class. It wasn’t his first victory behind the wheel at Riverhead, but it was in a modified — and it’s something he will never forget.

“I’m the first one in my family to win in the modifieds, and it’s definitely a special accomplishment for my family,” Turbush said. “My brother has run Late Models and the Charger class all of his career, and my dad has run since the 70s in some different classes. We were pretty established in those classes with figuring things out, but when it comes to modifieds, we had no  experience with it.”

Turbush started his career in Pro Trucks, winning the New England Truck Series championship in 2015. But he’s also run countless other divisions before stepping into a modified. Now, with Pat Kennedy running the ship as car owner, he’s found a home with modifieds. He might have struggled a bit early, getting a handle on a difficult division, but it took just a week for things to turn around. The start to this season didn’t go as planned.

“We struggled the first four races, we got put in the fence a few times and in the other races we had some bad luck. We went out in the fourth race, qualified in the back and finished in the back, when we pulled in, we decided we needed to figure something else out. We talked to a couple of friends about the setup, and when we put the setup in, we were back where we needed to be,” Turbush said. “We thought certain things would work with the setup, but in the modifieds, it was totally different.”

Now, with seven weekly races in the books, Turbush has one more — this Saturday night — before he looks to defend to the home turf when the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour returns to town on July 6. The Buzz Chew Chevrolet Cadillac 200 will showcase some of the Riverhead locals, like Turbush, against Whelen Modified Tour stars.

“In the race that I won, we came out and we were fighting for the lead the whole race, with John Fortin and Kyle Soper banging on the door,” Turbush said. “I take pride in the track, all of the other drivers, and everyone involved. Guys like John Fortin Jr., he will also take pride in his home track. Half of the Whelen Modified Tour guys are almost locals when you think about it. Guys like Craig Lutz, Timmy Solomito, Justin Bonsignore… they grew up at the track. But then you have someone like Doug Coby who’s been really good at Riverhead, and everywhere else, who is due there.”

He does have previous Whelen Modified Tour experience at Riverhead. He’s finished a best of 16th in three starts, but has a DNF posted in two of them. His debut was in 2017, on one of modified racing’s toughest nights.

“I had raced Ted Christopher in the Truck Series at Stafford the year before and we were fighting for the lead there, and when I made my debut in 2017, I was looking forward to racing him that night in the Whelen Modified Tour,” Turbush said. “But he passed away that day. That’s how I know that was my first race. It’s unfortunate that I have to remember it that way, but, I have that.”

“We qualified ninth, which was unbelievable,” Turbush said of that first start. “I was on cloud nine and I tried to make it just another race without losing my composure, but it was a little nerve-wracking racing against some of these guys that I had been watching and helping for years. It was a crazy feeling. I had reached the top, and I was racing with the guys that are the main event.”

Entering the 200 lap affair next weekend, Turbush has realistic expectations.

“I hope to come out with a clean car and in this race, we usually get some long green flag runs,” Turbush said, “so if you can be on the lead lap you know you’ve done well.”

NASCAR returns to New Hampshire Motor Speedway July 19-21 with the Modified All Star Shootout, Cape Cod Café Pizza Pole Day, the all new Friday Night Dirt Duels presented by New England Racing Fuel, tWednesday, June 26, 2019NHMS PR Official Release

If you like to get loud, then New Hampshire Motor Speedway is the place to be in July when NASCAR returns for New England’s biggest summer party – the Foxwoods Resort Casino 301 race weekend, July 19-21.

“We are counting down the days until fans start to arrive for our big NASCAR weekend,” said David McGrath, executive vice president and general manager of New Hampshire Motor Speedway. “We’ve added so many new features and even a new event on The Flat Track for fans to enjoy so they have an unforgettable experience all weekend with their family. This will certainly be the highlight of the summer.”

Friday, July 19
The on-track action kicks off on Friday, July 19 with the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour All Star Shootout and Cape Cod Café Pizza Pole Day on “The Magic Mile” and the all new Friday Night Dirt Duels presented by New England Racing Fuelon The Flat Track.

The Modified All Star Shootout at 2:10 p.m. is a 30-minute timed shootout between some of the best drivers on the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour. Friday is named Cape Cod Café Pizza Pole Day, as the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series drivers compete for the pole at 4:35 p.m., setting the stage for Sunday’s Foxwoods Resort Casino 301. One ticketprovides access to both events, with kids (12 and under) getting in for free.

A new addition to race weekend is the Friday Night Dirt Duels presented by New England Racing Fuel, which will be headlined by the U.S. Legend cars International and USAC Dirt Midget Association racing in the first ever race under the lights on New Hampshire Motor Speedway’s newest racing surface, The Flat Track. Fans can enjoy a night of short track racing – featuring NASCAR Cup Series drivers Corey LaJoie and Daniel Hemric in legend cars and Ryan Blaney as Grand Marshal – on the 0.25-mile dirt track. Heat races start at 7:30 p.m. with gates opening and practice starting at 6:00 p.m. Tickets, which include open garage and pit access, are $10 for adults with kids 12 and under free.

Saturday, July 20
Saturday, July 20 is Tripleheader Saturday with the NASCAR Xfinity Series Lakes Region 200 serving as the feature event at 4:00 p.m. with entries expected from some of the biggest names in the sport. NHMS’s one-mile oval sets up the modifieds to put on one of the most exciting races in America for the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour Eastern Propane & Oil 100 at 2:00 p.m. The NASCAR K&N Pro Series East United Site Services 70 at 6:45 p.m. features some of the youngest future stars in NASCAR that often are making their first appearance in front of New England race fans. One ticket provides access for the entire day, with kids (12 and under) getting in for free.

Sunday, July 21
Sunday, July 21 is the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Foxwoods Resort Casino 301 at 3:00 p.m. The day will serve as one of New England’s biggest parties of the summer with a pre-race concert by Love And Theft and fun for all ages, including $10 tickets for kids (12 and under).

Source: NHMS

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GRAVEL, KENISON, AND SWITSER JR. GRAB BIG WINS AT SPEEDWAY 51

Jun 25, 2019

Several new faces entered victory lane this past Saturday night at Speedway 51 powered by the Autosaver Group in Groveton, New Hampshire. Winners included Marcel Gravel, Jason Kenison, Dean Switser Jr., Eric Barrup and Kaiden Fisher and Colby Meserve.

It was Round #2 of the Creative Counters / Vermont Solid Surface Late Model Series featuring a 75 lap main event. Marcel Gravel withstood a heavy footed Corey Mason to secure his first win of 2019. Doug Laleme rebounded strong from an earlier accident and raced his way back to a solid third place finish. Mike Kenison and Matt Carbone completed the top five. Craig Bushey and Corey Mason collected their heat win checkers.

Jason Kenison finally made it to victory lane in the Dalton Mountain Motorsports / Caron’s Towing Tiger Sportsman 51 lapper.  He was challenged by Nick Gilcris, Kevin Boutin, Jerrad Ledger and Brad Bushey all pouring it on for a top five finish. Kenison and Jared Plumley were kings of the qualifiers.

Dean Switser Jr. picked up his third win in 2019 as he held off Alan Birch, Jamie Heath and newcomers Tyler Pepin and Keegan Lamson. Heath won the lone qualifier.

Kaiden Fisher won his second race of the season in the Claudette & Dean’s Place Daredevil Youth Racers. Placing second through fifth were Mekaylah Bowen, Brady Heath, Jesse Laquerre and Laci Potter. Mekaylah Bowen picked up the heat victory.

Eric Barrup defeated a depleted field of White Mountains Community College Bone Stocks in their 20 lap romp. Nicholas Ogden, Marty Barrup and AJ Sumner followed Eric Barrup to the finish. Several cars had mechanical failure in the qualifying round. The NELCAR Legends  top five were: Colby Meserve, Luke Lebrun, Matt Grant, Eric Lebrun and Peter Bennett.  

Speedway 51 returns to action this Saturday night, June 29th at 6 pm. The major event will be the Jake McDowell Memorial Street Stock 75 lap event. Tiger Sportsman, and Daredevils will be in action, the Bone Stocks have been added to this week’s racing, and will be making up their lost feature from earlier in the season, plus the UTV SIDE by SIDE Drags will be taking place.

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– NEXT EVENT – SATURDAY, JUNE 29th – 6:30 PM Flying Tiger Triple Crown #2 (75 laps)Late Models + Flying Tigers + Strictly Stock Minis Dwarf Cars + Kids Trucks Admission is $12 for adults, $3 for kids ages 6-12,  and $25 for a family of four (2 adults and 2 kids). –
Info: 802-244-6963 – Join WMMP Text Alerts on RainedOut  Rainout notices sent to your email or cell phone. wmmp – RULES & FORMS PDFsNEW 2019 WMMP SUBSTITUTE DRIVER POLICY2019 WMMP ENDURO 200  RULES & ENTRY FORM2019 WMMP POINTS DISTRIBUTION – 2019 WMMP WEEKLY  HANDICAP OUTLINENEW FLYING TIGER  TRIPLE CROWN SERIES  ENTRY FORM – NEW 2019 ROOKIE  REGISTRATION FORM – NEW 2019 ROOKIE  INFORMATION FORM2019 ACT LATE MODELS – UPDATED 6/17/19  2019 LATE MODEL TIRE PROGRAM – NEW MEMO: LATE MODEL POINTS AT SPRING GREEN 2019 FLYING TIGERS — NEW MEMO: FLYING TIGERS TIRES2019 STRICTLY STOCK MINIS2019 KIDS TRUCKS2019 DWARF CARS2019 DRIVER & TEAM REGISTRATION FORM2019 MEMBERSHIP &  LICENSE APPLICATION NOTE: Drivers have until Feb. 1st to renew the car #s used for the 2018 season. After Feb. 1 the number becomes a first come – first serve number.2019 SLAB RENTAL2019 CAMPGROUND REGULATIONS – 2019 CAMPGROUND FORMNEW 2019 WMMP  SEASON PASS FORMALL FORMS HERECooler Restrictions:  14″ or smaller. No Alcohol.  No Glass Containers. DaysInn-Windham-LincolnSPONSORS Sponsor of theLATE MODEL Division foleyoilco.com Sponsor of theTIGERS/STRICTLY STOCKS Division wellsriverchevy.com Sponsor of theSTRICTLY STOCK MINIS Division theguarantybank.com Sponsor of theKIDS TRUCKS Division dads4bytool.com Sponsor of the DWARF CARS Division 7-Eleven Lincoln, NH JEFFERSON, NH 1-800-287-6007 centralpavingnh.com463 Daniel Webster HwyNorth Woodstock, NH 03262	2019 LATE MODEL TIRE PROGRAM2019 WMMP ENDURO 200  RULES & ENTRY FORMNEW 2019 WMMP  SUBSTITUTE DRIVER POLICY  June 22 “Pack the House” EventRemick Gets Win after Wild Finish on Pack the House Night N. Woodstock, NH – Monroe’s Oren Remick was the man standing in Victory Lane after a wild finish in the Foley Oil & Propane Late Models at White Mountain Motorsports Park (WMMP) on Saturday, June 22. Remick managed to avoid the carnage of a multi-car last-lap accident and take his first victory of the season. Whitfield’s Jon Savage started on the pole of the 50-lap feature and led the first two laps before S. Barre, VT’s Mike “Beetle” Bailey took over. Bailey’s stay at the top didn’t last much longer, as the caution came out on lap five when Savage and Scott Corey tangled fighting for the second spot. The restart put veteran Stacy Cahoon of St. Johnsbury alongside Bailey, and Cahoon got the jump when the green flag flew to move to the point. Cahoon maintained the lead through a long green run that lasted until the second caution came out when Reilly Lanphear and Allie Menard jammed up with 10 laps to go. On the restart, Graniteville, VT’s John Donahue found himself in the second spot after starting 13th, with Bailey and Remick in row two. While Cahoon kept the top spot on that restart, a third yellow flew three laps later for an incident involving Savage, Jerry Lesage, and Matt Kopp. Donahue put his bumper up for the lead on the restart, only for Cahoon to take the spot back a lap later as things got increasingly physical between the front two. It all came to ahead as the field approached the white flag. Contact between the two sent Cahoon up the track with Donahue taking over the lead. But that was only the beginning, as further contact in turns one and two on the final lap sent Donahue spinning. The incident triggered a crash that also collected Stephen Donahue, Brock Davis, Cody LeBlanc, and Jeff Marshall, bringing out the red flag. Both Cahoon and Donahue were penalized for their involvement in the incident. Under track procedures, the red flag on the final lap meant the official finish reverted to the running order on the white-flag lap minus involved and penalized cars. As such, Remick, who was in third when the final lap began, was declared the winner. Point leader Quinny Welch of Groveton moved up to the second spot with Whitfield’s Jesse Switser completing the podium. Bailey, Ryan Olsen, Stephen Donahue, Davis, Leblanc, Marshall, and Cahoon rounded out the top-10. In the Wells River Chevrolet Flying Tigers, Glover, VT’s Kaleb Rogers was the man who finally ended Shane Sicard’s reign atop the division — and he did so in electrifying fashion. Barton, VT’s Sicard had taken the lead from outside polesitter Nathaniel Parkin on lap 12 of the 35-lap feature and seem primed for his fifth straight win. But a double-barreled challenge would be too much for Sicard to handle. Hardwick, VT’s Jaden Perry got the jump on a lap-15 restart following an incident involving Amanda Wheeler and Aaron Maynard. While Sicard and Rogers both got around Perry two laps later, the caution came right back out for Parkin’s spin, putting the dueo on the front row for the restart. They proceeded to swap the lead seven times over the next 14 laps. Rogers finally got the upper hand for good with three laps to go — marking the 11th official lead change of the race — and took the win by half a second. Sicard maintained his point lead with a runner-up effort. Perry, Parkin, and Michael Potter completed the top-5. After weeks of threatening to do so, Littleton’s Ryan Ware broke into the winner’s circle in the Woodsville Guaranty Savings Bank Strictly Stock Mini’s. Ware started 12th in the 25-lap feature and rocketed to the front, finding himself in the top-3 by the time the first caution came out on lap 8. A lengthy battle ensued between Ware and rookies Andrew Kachmarik and Jillian Baumgardner — a fight that took a turn on lap 14 when Baumgardner spun to bring out the second caution. Ware grabbed the point on the restart and motored off to the victory as Kachmarik faded late. Bethlehem’s Dustin and Brett Jackson, the winners the last two time out, took second and third. Kasey Beattie, Adam Sicard, Kachmarik, Gavin McGinnis, Darren Newland, Dave Driscoll, and Jason Fallman also earned top-10 finishes. Waterford, VT’s Andy Hill made it three in a row in the newly-sponsored 7-Eleven Dwarf Cars. Hill came from eighth on the starting grid of the 30-lap feature and spent most of the event dogging outside polesitter Tommy Smythers for the top spot. The second caution on lap 28 for a crash involving Tim Sherman Jr. and Ethan Tyrrell set up a green-white-checkered finish. Hill finally got the edge when the green flag dropped and held on for the win. Smythers settled for second with Norm Forest third. Dave Gyger and Chad Dufour took fourth and fifth. A Smythers was still in Victory Lane on Saturday as Thomas Smythers VI earned the win in the Dads 4 By Tool & Supply Kids Trucks. The younger Smythers one-upped the Dwarf Car drama by making a last-lap pass to beat Berwick, ME’s Owen Boucher by just 0.089 seconds. Groton, VT’s Luke Peters came in third. White Mountain Motorsports Park closes out the month of June this Saturday, June 29 at 6:30pm. All five divisions will be in action with the Wells River Chevrolet Flying Tigers going 75 laps in round two of their Triple Crown Series. Admission is $12 for adults, $3 for kids ages 6-12, and $25 for a family of four (2 adults, 2 kids). For more information, contact the WMMP offices at (802) 244-6963. PACK THE HOUSE NIGHT OFFICIAL RESULTS Photos by Mark Alan Sumner

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Late in the 2018 Racing season, Jake Matheson announced that he would be making his full sized race car debut with the Granite State Pro Stock Series. His family owned team had purchased a car from eventual series champion and friend Devin O’Connell and were in the process of getting it ready for 2019.

   Now, four races into his rookie season, expectations have been exceeded. Three top tens have led to the rookie sitting solidly in the top ten in the series point standings and continued consistency should lead to a career first top five finish in the very near future.

   Although current successes may come as a surprise to some, looking at his past it shouldn’t. When asked where his love of circle track racing comes from he attributes it to a trip to NHMS. “At seven years old my dad took me to an Xfinity Series race and I have loved it ever since.” Matheson went on to say “The next year at eight years old, I started running a Champ Kart at Rt. 106 Raceway and I’ve been racing ever since.”

   In 2014 the move was made to Bandalero cars and in 2016 Matheson won the first of his championships. Also in 2016 he started dabbling with Legends cars and for 2017 it was a full season in the division with lots of learning.

   2018 started out as just another year of legends racing, but turned out to be the young drivers break out year. Starting the year competing for the track championship at the Seekonk Speedway in Massachusetts, Matheson and his father Ken quickly realized that a national point’s championship was a real possibility. “When we figured out that we were in contention for a national title we realized we needed to change how we were racing” said Matheson. “We started paying more attention to finishing in front of other young lions.”

   The final tally for 2018 was 7 wins, numerous top fives the Seekonk track championship and a trip to Las Vegas for the Legends car national championship. A heated battle with his chief rival for the title, ended with a last lap pass for second and a tie in the standings. After the tie breaker Matheson was crowned the 2018 legends car young lion’s national champion!

   After the success of 2018 and a major change in vehicle for 2019, it would seem that a letdown would be a sure thing, but that has not been the case. On the Thursday before the season opener the young driver celebrated his sixteenth birthday and the following day he got his NH driver’s license. Up next would be his big debut as on Saturday he strapped in for his first race in a Pro Stock. At the end of a night that featured the longest race of his career, Matheson had earned himself a seventh place finish and the respect of many of his fellow drivers.

   Mentor and friend Devin O’Connell, heaps high praise on his young protégé “He’s been really consistent and done a nice job of staying smooth” said the 2018 GSPSS champion. “Considering it’s a car that’s double the size he’s used to, he’s done phenomenal”.

   When asked about the rookie of the year candidates early success series President Mike Parks said “The kids done a great job, he’s done everything we’ve asked him to”.  When asked about growing pains Parks said “there really hasn’t been any. At practice day he caught a slower car and rather than race him backed off and went back to doing his own thing”. “Honestly it’s been fun to watch” continued Parks. ““I really believe Jakes got a bright future in the sport”.

   Points leader and Pro Stock veteran Joey Doiron also speaks highly of his fellow driver. “He’s doing an awesome job. He has been keeping the car in one piece so they can keep learning instead of repairing the car”. Doiron then went on to say “He’s made improvements each week and I think once he starts going back to tracks he’s run before, he’s only going to improve”

   As the Granite State pro Stock Series heads to Lee USA Speedway for the second time in 2019, Matheson will have the opportunity to compete on a track where he actually has laps in a full sized car. The EKeyes4Cars 100 will be contested on Friday July 5^{th a}long with a spectacular fireworks display.

 
Source:
Mike Parks President Granite State Pro Stock Series

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

(Stafford Springs, CT)— Teams and drivers are busy preparing for the 6th Annual NAPA Auto Parts SK 5K 100 lap SK Modified® event, scheduled for Friday, June 28th.  In 5 year’s time, the $5,000 to win event has become the event every driver wants to add to their resume.  The event, which has been won by 5 different drivers including last year’s SK Modified® track champion Ronnie Williams, historically has been one of the best races of the season and with posted awards over $34,000, the 2019 event is no different.

We caught up with a few of the SK Modified® drivers to get their thoughts on the event:

Glen Reen – #17 Avery Construction Chevrolet

NAPA SK 5K Stats

Starts: 3

Best Finish: 5th (2014)

Average Finish: 7.7

“I’m looking forward to the 5k.  We’ve got Dan’s [Avery] car put back together so it’ll be fun to have us both back racing at the same time.  I’ve missed that.  There is no better place to race than Stafford and that’s why people show up to Stafford.  I’ll put Stafford’s SK’s up against any single weekly division anywhere in the country and I’d bet it’s harder to win an SK race at Stafford than anywhere else.  It’s awesome to have a track like Stafford with the Arute family putting their time and effort into the weekly show and having a huge event like the SK 5k with great sponsors like NAPA Auto Parts and Doug Dunleavy.  I think it’s going to be a great time for the racers and the fans who come to watch the race.”

Eric Berndt – #54 Cos’ Central Auto / North End Auto Parts Chevrolet

NAPA SK 5K Stats

Starts: 5

Best Finish: 4th (2018)

Average Finish: 9.0

“We have a good car we just need to get some more consistency in it.  The car has been fast and if everything works out we should be there at the end.  That’s the game plan but this is racing and anything can happen.  This race is great.  Doug Dunleavy has been a big supporter of short track racing, it’s awesome to have someone like that supporting us as well as Stafford kicking in for a big payday race.  This race shows that they appreciate us and are willing to put money up for us to put a show on.  We’re definitely appreciative of both parties along with NAPA and hopefully we can have a good race for ourselves and put on a great show for all the race fans.”

Ronnie Williams – #50 Les’s Auto Center Ford

Starts: 5

Best Finish: 1st (2018)

Average Finish: 7.4

“We’re looking forward to the NAPA SK 5k.  That’s the race that we always circle on the calendar and the #50 team has been pretty good at that race the last 2 years winning with Chase [Dowling] two years ago and myself last year.  We’re looking forward to getting back to that race and I think we have a fast car, we’ve just had some crap luck this year.  Hopefully we can get our season turned around at that race.  Stafford always does an amazing job and having someone like Doug Dunleavy putting up the Gambler’s Challenge is great.  Seeing the graphic that Stafford posted on Facebook about the NAPA SK 5k, it’s a lot of money over the years and we’re not really used to racing for that kind of money.  It’s always a lot of fun racing for the extra money, the big trophies, and the big check at the end of the night.”

Todd Owen – #81 Cooker Construction Chevrolet

Starts: 5

Best Finish: 4th (2017)

Average Finish: 12.0

“The NAPA SK 5k is an awesome race that Stafford, NAPA, and Doug Dunleavy put on.  It’s a nice long distance race where I can be patient, stay out of trouble and be smart.  We hope to be in contention at the end of the race.”

Keith Rocco – #88 Wheelers Auto Chevrolet

Starts: 5

Best Finish: 2nd (2015 & 2018)

Average Finish: 4.0

“I’m looking forward to the 5k.  We’ve been so consistent the last couple years but we’ve come up a little short.  Hopefully this year we can wrap it up.  We try hard to run good in this race every year and it would be great to get the monkey off our back and finally get a NAPA SK 5k win.  It’s really cool for all the racers to have the opportunity to take advantage of the Gambler’s Challenge bonus that Doug Dunleavy puts up for us and we all look forward to the big NAPA SK 5k payday.  We’re really looking forward to the race.”

Discount tickets for the June 28th NAPA Auto Parts SK 5K are now available at your local NAPA Auto Parts Store. Tickets include a pre-race barbeque on the Stafford midway. Full list of participating NAPA stores is available by clicking the PARTICIPATING NAPA STORES link found at the top of the www.staffordspeedway.com homepage.

The 6th Annual NAPA Auto Parts SK 5K is set for Friday, June 28. Tickets for the NAPA SK 5K are available and on sale now at the Speedway Box Office.  Tickets are priced at $30.00 for adult general admission tickets, $5.00 for kids ages 6-14, and kids 5 and under are admitted free of charge when accompanied by an adult.  Reserved seating is priced at $32.00 for all ages.  All ticket prices include 10% CT Admission Tax.  Stafford Speedway offers free parking with free overnight parking for self-contained RV’s available.  There will also be a barbeque taking place on the midway with some great food available to race fans for only $10. 

Source: Scott Running/Stafford Speedway PR

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