Race team with over 70 wins focuses on restoring Porsches Tavares, Fla., (March 31, 2020) – Alex Job Racing (AJR), known best for over 70 sports car victories, has transitioned from the competition business to AJR Restorations. All great things must come to an end, and today we want to say goodbye to Alex Job Racing. The company came a long way since what started in a two-car garage in 1988 when Alex had a dream and he convinced wife Holly it was a good idea to go sports car racing. From Daytona to Le Mans and to the team’s home track in Sebring the privateer effort grew to a full factory Porsche team, from GTU to Daytona Prototype. Alex Job Racing evolved through the years to achieve over 70 professional sports car wins, including two Rolex 24 Hour at Daytona class wins (1999, 2013), two Le Mans class wins (2003, 2005), and of course the 10 Sebring 12 hour class wins (95, 99, 01, 02, 03, 04, 10, 12, 13, and 15). In addition, the team swept the GTC podium, first through third, in 2010. To cap it off AJR was inducted into the Sebring Hall of fame in 2016. “Since we stopped racing three years ago, we have kept the shop and a group of dedicated employees led by Ken Davison working on restoring historic Porsche race cars,” Job said. “We wanted to find a way to keep that aspect of the business going and thanks to Theo Ruijgh that will happen. Theo, along with Ken, has taken ownership to keep the restoration business working as AJR Restorations. I will no longer be involved in the day-to-day operation, I will keep my office at the shop, but will also be traveling the U.S. visiting racetracks and helping to keep the shop busy.” Theo Ruijgh is well versed in performance. He is an accomplished vintage Porsche racer and is president of TRI Aviation which specializes in servicing the T56 military engine that powers the C-130 military airplane. “I am proud to carry on the legacy of quality craftsmanship with Ken that Alex and Holly have built up over the years,” said Ruijgh. “We have a full-service shop here in Tavares that has the ability and passion to restore race cars to better than new condition. AJR Restorations is committed to keeping the past alive with the same attention to detail that amassed those 70 sports car wins.” The team at AJR Restorations would like everyone to stay safe and healthy in this trying time so we can all get back to pursuing our motorsport passion soon.
From the track to the pits and the shop to the office, we salute all women involved in racing for their dedication to the sport and commitment to their teams.
Indianapolis Motor Speedway Foundation | 4750 W. 16th Street Speedway, Indiana
(Stafford Springs, CT)—After a successful launch last Friday night, eStafford Speedway is set to return with a multi event iRacing series starting Friday, April 3rd. The Stafford Speedway eSeries will be similar to last Friday’s event with weekly live stream broadcasts on the Stafford Speedway YouTube channel at 7pm. Event dates include April 3rd, 10th, and 17th.
The eSeries will also give iRacers that are not Stafford Speedway competitors a chance to compete through the eStafford Speedway Open, a preliminary night event held Wednesday April 8th and Wednesday April 15th. The top 5 finishers will transfer to Friday’s event to compete against Stafford Speedway drivers.
“We want to thank everyone for tuning into the broadcast last Friday night,” explained Paul Arute of Stafford Speedway. “We’ve put together a 3 race series as well as a prelim night for fans, crew members, and non Stafford drivers to race their way Friday’s event. After last week’s race we took a look at the setup and have made some adjustments and added a race director. This should improve the racing and cut down on some of the caution laps.”
All drivers will be required to register for the series online. Entry-fee for Stafford drivers is $15 for 3 races while non Stafford driver entry-fee is $12. Any drivers looking to participate in the event can register online here.
Tweaks to the race format include a shortened feature race to 80 laps, eliminating the ability to reset your car and remove damage, as well as eliminating the option to pit for tires. Official rules for the event have been prepared and are now available online. All drivers are encouraged to read the rulebook before participating in the event.
“Official rules for the event have been posted online,” continued Arute. “Rules include a few changes to make sure the racing is better. We’ve also added a little prize with all feature winners receiving a $25 Stafford Speedway gift card. Adding the preliminary night event is a fun twist, we’re all excited to see who transfers to Friday Night. Jeff and Bonssa will be back on the broadcast and it should be another great event to help get everyone through this crazy time.”
Last Friday night, 2019 SK Light Modified Track Champion Teddy Hodgdon dominated the caution filled race to win the iRacing 100 presented by NAPA Auto Parts. SK Modified d®rivers Glen Reen and Dylan Izzo rounded out the podium.
Each Friday the event will be live streamed on Stafford Speedway’s YouTube channel. Race fans can subscribe to the channel to receive updates about the upcoming broadcast.
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
So, since everything is shut down, our Icebreaker has been postponed and other sanctioning bodies have tried it … NEMA would like to run it’s first eNEMA race – that stands for electronic NEMA – on iRacing.
No, it’s not a replacement for actual racing, however, it’s a way that we can get together (virtually) as a membership and have some fun and do a little racing. Trust me, it’s not easy.
What we are proposing is using iRacing to host an official eNEMA race. iRacing does not have pavement midgets in their current catalog. They do have wingless pavement sprint cars though and that is what we think should be used. Thompson Speedway is in the simulator and that’s the venue for our eNEMA Icebreaker. There is a possibility that we could broadcast the race on youtube, facebook or twitch.
I have checked and we have several current NEMA drivers that have iRacing accounts, which is great. I would encourage all our drivers to participate, however, iRacing is not free and the setup is not free. You will need a computer capable of running iracing and a steering wheel/pedal combo. There are tons out there. I currently have a logitech g29 and I would recommend a wheel with force feedback, but you don’t need it…any wheel can work.
In order to move forward, I would need to hear from all of you. Will there be enough interest to do this? Any 2019 NEMA or NEMA Lite driver is locked in to the Icebreaker. We are also inviting all car owners, crew members and family members to participate as well. We may even add fans to the mix. If we have enough, we will work out a qualifying procedure. Please contact me and let me know if you are interested: email, text or facebook … Also, pass the word on to anyone you might not think is on this email or someone who would be interested.
Note: The American Flat Track Series will be making a stop at the New Hampshire Motor Speedway in Loudon, NH during the Annual Laconia Motorcycle Weeks in the middle of June 2020. That event will be held over the Father’s Day Weekend on the 1/4-mile dirt track on the north side of the NHIS property right behind the Northeast Motorsport Museum.
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (March 30, 2020) – American Flat Track‘s entire 2019 racing season is now available to viewers through TrackPass on NBC Sports Gold at no cost. Last week, NBC Sports announced that it has made TrackPass, along with nine other services, free in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, giving fans a wide variety of premium content to consume. Free access to AFT on TrackPass runs through May 1. Fans can access the free content and select the various packages they want to view by visiting: www.nbcsports.com/gold/free-access. Upon clicking the link above, fans will be directed to create an account and may select from the various packages including American Flat Track, TrackPass, IndyCar, Pro Motocross and more. Once a package has been added to an account, fans may access the content on any device equipped with the NBC Sports app. Additional content on TrackPass includes full-event replays of all NASCAR races since its launch in December 2019 and nearly 50 long-form documentaries on NASCAR’s biggest stars, venues, and stories. IMSA WeatherTech, K&N and Modified races from the 2019 season are also available. TrackPass on NBC Sports Gold builds off the foundation set by FansChoice.tv, and the NASCAR and NBC Sports collaborative product becomes the most robust live and on-demand motorsports content offering in the domestic digital marketplace. Fans will get more exclusive live motorsports events and an extensive library of archived documentaries and films. The platform will offer exclusive live viewing of a multitude of motorsports, including American Flat Track, select ARCA Menards Series events (including ARCA Menards Series East and West races), NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour, and tentpole grassroots racing events, as well as NASCAR Cup Series and NASCAR Xfinity Series practice and qualifying sessions (NBC Sports’ half of the schedule only). For more information and to sign up for free access to TrackPass until May 1 visit www.nbcsports.com/gold/free-access. For more information on American Flat Track visit www.americanflattrack.com. To get the latest American Flat Track clothing and merchandise visit www.americanflattracker.com.How to Watch:NBCSN and TrackPass on NBC Sports Gold are the official homes for coverage of American Flat Track. For the 2020 season, NBCSN’s coverage of AFT remains in highly-coveted programming slots within two weeks of each event. The complete schedule for AFT on NBCSN can be viewed at http://www.americanflattrack.com/events-nbcsn/. TrackPass on NBC Sports Gold – the most-robust motorsports offering in the digital marketplace – is a cornerstone of AFT’s digital strategy, providing live streaming coverage of every event and maintaining an active archive of all AFT content. About American Flat Track: American Flat Track is the world’s premier dirt track motorcycle racing series and one of the longest-running championships in the history of motorsports. Sanctioned by AMA Pro Racing in Daytona Beach, Fla., the series is highly regarded as the most competitive form of dirt track motorcycle racing on the globe. For more information on American Flat Track, please visit http://www.americanflattrack.com, like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter, check us out on Instagram, live stream the events with TrackPass on NBC Sports Gold and catch all the American Flat Track racing action on NBCSN.
The newly founded charitable organization will raise funds to provide financial assistance to the “fly-in” sportscar crew members affected by Covipandemic#RealRacingHeroes www.realracingheroes.comgofundme.realracingheroes.com
March 30, 2020
The Hardpoint Paddock Foundation, a 501(c)(3) non-profit, announced today that it is launching the Real Racing Heroes campaign. The initiative will focus on raising funds in order to provide emergency financial assistance to the “fly-in” and contract sportscar crew members who have been left without a job due to the racing event cancellations caused by the Covid-19 pandemic. March 12, 2020 was a dark day for professional motor racing in the United States, and around the world. With the postponement of IMSA’s Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring, a chain reaction of race event cancellations spread like wildfire across the US due to the Covid-19 pandemic. By the time the dust settled, all professional sportscar racing in the country was wiped off the calendar until Summer 2020, at the earliest.As fans, this is a real downer, but for many of the hard-working men and women who fly in every weekend to put on the show, this could mean months without work.Some of the hardest hit will be the contract or “fly-in” crew that make their living slinging tires, working wheel guns, and slamming fuel probes for teams up and down pit lane. These jobs are not glamorous, nor do they pay glamorous wages – so the men and women behind those helmets often book crew spots on multiple teams, in multiple series, to piece together enough paying race weekends to provide a sustainable living for themselves and their families.This is not a hobby for them, it is their livelihood – and without races to support, there is no livelihood.They are the real racing heroes and they need our help. Because of this we’ve launched the #RealRacingHeroes campaign and we will be raising funds in few different ways:1- “Flatten the Curve” Merchandise Line – Hardpoint Outfitters has partnered with motorsport apparel and design firm 8380 Laboratories to produce a line of “Flatten the Curve” products. These limited-edition products will be sold exclusively through the www.realracingheroes.com online store.2- GoFundMe Page –
Through gofundme.realracingheroes.com we encourage fans, sponsors, and anyone involved in the racing industry to donate whatever they can in order to help our #RealRacingHeroes. The Hardpoint Paddock Foundation is a 501(c)(3) a non-profit charitable organization incorporated in the state of North Carolina on March 20, 2020. Its directors are Rob Ferriol, Toni Calderon and Randy Hembrey. Rob FerriolPresident – Hardpoint Paddock Foundation “As a fan, driver, and a relatively new team owner, I’d certainly like to have a healthy sport to come back to when this is all over – and that means having this key cog in the race economy still intact when the tracks go green again. I’ve put measures in place to make sure the men and women of Team Hardpoint are taken care of during this period of uncertainty, but that’s only one team out of hundreds. So, in response to the CV-19 crisis, I’ve decided to form The Hardpoint Paddock Foundation. The Foundation’s mission is to provide emergency financial assistance to contract crew members hardest hit by the CV-19 shutdown. Its outreach will focus initially on professional sportscar racing teams but may expand to include other series and support elements based on the success of our fundraising efforts. I have also pivoted the resources of Hardpoint Outfitters to focus on the design, production, and sale of a Flatten the Curve line of products with help from motorsport apparel and design firm 8380 Laboratories. The design acknowledges the phrase we are all living daily during this crisis, but also its dual meaning for racing drivers and our beloved apexes. All proceeds from the sale of these items will go to The Hardpoint Paddock Foundation, where they will be used solely to provide emergency assistance to those in need. Lastly, we have also established a GoFundMe page for individuals or corporations wishing to join us in this effort by making donations. Our race family needs us, and we can’t sit idly by while we wait for the track to go hot.” Shop Flatten the Curve Merchandise Contact: foundation@hardpoint.com
Source: Hardpoint Paddock Foundation 360 Nueces St #901 Austin, Texas 78701
Thunder Road Speedbowl lives up to its motto “The Nation’s site of excitement!
Thunder Road will turn up the heat in 2020 with the track’s 1,000th event and many other huge races. (Alan Ward photo)
Barre, VT – As the summer draws closer, excitement continues to build for the 61st season of racing at Barre’s Thunder Road. A huge schedule is planned for 2020, and with growing fields of drivers expected for the weekly wars, the action is expected to be hotter than ever.
The 2020 campaign has been anticipated since before the final checkered flag even dropped on the 2019 season. With five full months of racing planned – which includes the track’s 1,000th event in early July – Quarry Hill will be the place to find the best racing in the Northeast.
Near the top of the storylines for 2020 is what the Maplewood/Irving Oil Late Models can come up with next. For two straight years, the “King of the Road” fight has come down to the final laps of the season between multiple drivers. With all the major players expected to return to battle it out again, their 14 point-counting events could well form a trilogy of battles.
Hometown racer Jason Corliss enters the year as the reigning champion. The 31-year-old has won just about everything there is to win over the last three seasons, establishing himself as one of the drivers of the 2010s. He shares a spot on the list with Milton’s Scott Dragon, who ended up four points short of winning a third title in four seasons.
The remainder of the top-5 in last year’s season-long thriller — Montpelier’s Kyle Pembroke, Shelburne’s Trampas Demers, and Barre’s Cody Blake — have also purchased licenses for 2020. Each is seeking their first track championship. Blake will also be debuting a new car at the season opener.
Nearly all of last year’s Late Model full-timers have either already registered or are expected to return, including Marcel J. Gravel, Matt White, Tyler Cahoon, VT Governor Phil Scott, and Darrell Morin. Several drivers have also registered for the New England Late Model Challenge Cup presented by American Racer, giving weekly events even more important.
The Lenny’s Shoe & Apparel Flying Tigers are looking like they’ll grow even more in 2020. This comes off a season where they were already the largest division at the track and put on some of the best side-by-side action, affirming their place as the country’s premier support division.
The entire top-10 in points is expected to return, and most have already registered, meaning the talent level will remain high. Defending and three-time Tiger champion Jason Woodard, Rookie of the Year Stephen Martin, number-three point man Tyler Austin, and two-time 2019 winner Micheal MacAskill are just some of the division’s elite expected to do battle again.
They’ll be joined by several new names — some of which are already familiar to Thunder Road fans. Williamstown’s Tommy “Thunder” Smith, the winningest driver in Street Stock history, is gearing up for his second Flying Tiger stint in a car owned by Dave Simpson. Meanwhile, Barre’s Cameron Ouellette is returning to weekly racing after being sidelined for most of 2019 following a kidney transplant.
Another Barre driver, former Street Stock Rookie of the Year Chris LaForest, has purchased a Flying Tiger license after spending winning several events in the Sportsman Coupes at Bear Ridge Speedway. Teenager Bryan P. Will is moving up after two strong years in the Street Stocks. Former Tiger Rookie of the Year Jaden Perry is eyeing a potential weekly return, while Rich Lowery, a longtime Late Model racer, is on the 2020 Flying Tiger roster.
The Allen Lumber Street Stocks are looking strong again. Defending champion Jeffrey Martin of Barre is returning behind the wheel of a new car. His title-winning mount will be piloted by Berlin’s Kylar Davis, who is moving up from the Road Warriors.
Respected veteran Jamie Davis of Wolcott will again try to chase a third division title. Fellow top-10 point finishers J.T. Blanchard and Juan “Paco” Marshall have registered, while the top-3 in last season’s Rookie of the Year standings — Keegan Lamson, Tanner Woodard, and Kyle MacAskill — are returning. Brodie Frazier and Brad Kelley join Kylar Davis as former Warrior drivers planning to move up.
Despite these racers climbing the ladder, the Burnett Scrap Metals Road Warriors are looking to be as healthy as always. A strong veteran presence remains, with drivers such as Sean McCarthy, Chris Davis, Fred Fleury, and Todd Raymo ready to return. Several new or returning names are already on the roster, too, including Kendal Zeno, Jamie York, and Robert Catchapaw.
Thunder Road is scheduled to open its 2020 racing season with the 22nd Community Bank N.A. 150 on Sunday, May 3 at 1:30pm. The event includes 150 green-flag laps for the American-Canadian Tour along with the Lenny’s Shoe & Apparel Flying Tigers, Allen Lumber Street Stocks, and Burnett Scrap Metals Road Warriors. Admission is $25 for adults and free for kids ages 12 and under.
For more information, contact the Thunder Road offices at (802) 244-6963, media@thunderroadvt.com, or visit www.thunderroadvt.com. You can also get updates on Facebook and Twitter at @ThunderRoadVT.
Source: Thunder Road Speedbowl/Media Director
Note: If your track, tour or event is not posted on this blog send your press releases and flyers to: lmodestino@hotmail.com
Many of Seekonk Speedway’s race car drivers, along with spotters and mechanics, threw their names into the crucible that is iRacing on Saturday afternoon. Taking on the sim version of another Northeast bullring, Oxford Plains Speedway, the 62 entrants were whittled down to 33 for the Seekonk Speedway #LetsGoRacing v250 on Speed51.
When the day was all said and done, it was a former track champion and ace sim racer who came away with the bragging rights.
For much of the race, including a yellow filled first 125 laps, Legend Car driver Mason Tessier led from pole position. That was until 2018 Seekonk Late Model division champion Ryan Kuhn of East Bridgewater, MA cranked up the pressure after trailing in the runner-up position through the middle portion of the race.
Taking a chance by staying out on old tires the whole race, Kuhn led the rest of the way, avoiding disaster when a near collision while lapping past Ryan Vanasse Jr. put Thomas Axsom right on his back-bumper. But, Kuhn was able to keep the wheels straight and hold off his iRacing teammate for the win.
“The first half of that race was a little chaotic, but the second half I really enjoyed. That was fun,” Kuhn said. “We didn’t have a lot of cautions, we had a few long runs and that’s where I prevailed. Got a little damage there at the end which hurt me a little bit, but I still ran a good race, and had a good strategy there. I knew tires were going to even out at some point, so I stayed out all race, and it worked.”
The normally patient Kuhn admitted that his big pass for the lead did come with a bit of aggression.
“I got a little aggressive there, the door was open and I had to take it. Probably the only way I was going to win the race, I already knew he was going to stay out the whole race, he told me before. Once we got by him we set sail.”
Despite the close encounter when Vanasse Jr, Kuhn did not let the scare rattle him in the slightest.
“The kid driving it is my biggest fan, I love him so much. Just made a little mistake there and it happens to the best of us. He’s still learning and I’ll always continue to support him.”
There was plenty for Kuhn to celebrate, including a $400 prize which had been put up by a number of Seekonk Speedway’s usual contingency sponsors. All in all, a profitable afternoon for the 2020 Kulwicki Driver Development Program semi-finalist from East Bridgewater, MA.
While Thomas Axsom came up one spot short of the top, he was still proud of what he had been able to do, finishing second after starting the day in 30th.
“Started right at the tail in 30th, I don’t know what lap it was I think it was 75, I was P13, and then I got to ninth. I had Estrella behind me and it was just a good spot on restarts, he just let me in, we would ride, I sat in ninth for a hundred-plus laps. Slowly made my way up when people started pitting, I got the call from Ryan, no tires, no point, so we stayed out and it turned out older tires were faster,” Said Axsom.
“At the end of the day it was a good race, I was shooting for a Top 5, going for the hard-charger, and found myself here. Very satisfied.”
I held out hope for as long as possible but with Gov. Sununu’s new orders we are defeated until we can hopefully start track rentals on Wed. May 6. I can accept this as I know it is in the best interest of everyone to stop this virus once and for all. What I hate though is getting calls from the town police cause people had called to complain that we were going to be holding private rentals, rentals which would have adhered to the mandates regarding number of people etc. To those that felt the need to call may you be bit in the ass hard.
I will start working on updated scheduling tonite and try to fit anything affected back into the schedule in one place or another. I will ask the town about using alternative days of that is a possibility and needed.
The good positive thinking though is that if this order does end on May 4 we will open the season with our $10 Pack The Track night featuring the GSPSS. I will keep you all in the loop, stay positive, stay healthy and thanks for the support.
