NHMS Rt. 106 Loudon, NH 03301 603.783.4744

Note: The NHRA Mello Yello Series will be making a stop at the New England Dragway in Epping, NH on the weekend of Aug. 21-23, 2020

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Source: Scott “Woody” Woodruff Mr. Aruba’s Winter Nationals Bench Race & Charity Challenge breaks another record JEGS Foundation for Cancer Research gains $16.7K in donations DELAWARE, Ohio (March 25) — The 16th annual Mr. Aruba’s Winter Nationals Bench Race and Charity Challenge raised a record-breaking $16,714 for the JEGS Foundation for Cancer Research, topping the previous high-mark of funds raised at a single event by more than $3K. “Events like this make us very proud to be a part of such a great racing community,” said Jeg Coughlin Jr., one of four brothers who own and operate JEGS Automotive and serve as caretakers of the JEGS Foundation. “It was never in our plans or our dreams for the JEGS Foundation to receive outside funds. Our goal as a family was to direct earnings from our various business efforts toward cancer research through the JEGS Foundation. The Mr. Aruba races have just been a remarkable addition to what we’ve been able to accomplish. “We have personally witnessed so much progress through our association with The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center as well as the James Cancer Hospital and Solove Research Institute. As always, 100-percent of the money donated from this year’s Mr. Aruba’s Winter Nationals Bench Race and Charity Challenge will go to those entities.” As he does each year, Coughlin lauded Mike DeChicco and Jane Graebner — aka Mr. and Mrs. Aruba — who created the Winter Nationals Bench Race back in 2005 using a practice Christmas Tree in DeChicco’s basement, aka Ostrander International Raceway, in Ostrander, Ohio.  Coughlin noted that DeChicco and Graebner were the latest recipients of the JEGS Foundation Award of Excellence, with total contributions raised by the duo and their passionate and generous friends now topping $120K, a remarkable sum by any standard. “There are everyday heroes out there,” DeChicco said. “Like the wonderful people across the country that protect and look out for us every day to keep all of us healthy and safe. There’s also selfless people that come together with deals like this and collectively make a difference. Thank God for all of them. “To me, the participants and supporters of the Mr. Aruba Winter Nationals are unsung heroes who year after year have faithfully given up their time and money for a really worthy cause. When Jane and I recently accepted the JEGS Foundation Award of Excellence we did so on behalf of all the people who have participated in and contributed to our event for the past 16 years.” More than 60 racers battled at this year’s Mr. Aruba’s Winter Nationals with top honors going to Larry Smith, who won the Gambler’s Race over Leonard Wyche. After accepting a $1,032 top prize, Smith immediately donated his earnings to the JEGS Foundation. Noel Cooke, the winner of the 50/50 drawing of $158, also gave back the entire purse. Likewise, Chip Foust Memorial Race winner Isaiah Wasserback and runner-up Brian Spring kicked-back all of their prize money. Rick Rondy collected this year’s raffle prize, while Jason Wheatcraft beat Lonnie Smith in the Race for the Firecore Wires. Finally, Doug Wright, complete with the required pirate’s eye patch, brazenly blocked the Tree completely with his other hand to blindly win the Beer Eliminator against Ellen Wheatcraft in an epic final-round battle. “I’ve participated in the race many times in the past and trust me these folks know how to have some fun,” Coughlin said. “It’s a big party. I did have a chance to stop by this year’s event early in the day but missed the hardcore racing in the evening due to a prior commitment. Either way, we cannot thank everyone enough for their continued generosity.” Mr. Aruba wishes to acknowledge Precision Machine of Canton, Doug Duell’s Auto Group, John Holt Racing, Mark Hummer, C&C Wheatcraft of Indy Cylinder Head, D&D Automotive, Buckeye Stock, Super Stock Racing, Superformance Gaskets, E. Clayton Tackett, and  Gabby’s and the Foot and Ankle Wellness Center.  About JEGS Automotive: JEGS Automotive is a worldwide e-commerce leader in the mail-order, high-performance auto parts business, offering more than 1M individual items for purchase. Founded in 1960 by drag racing legend Jeg Coughlin Sr., JEGS remains family-owned to this day with brothers John, Troy Sr., Mike and Jeg Jr. in charge. The company’s corporate headquarters, massive 225,000-square-foot warehouse and distribution center, state-of-the-art call centers, the family’s classic car and truck collection, Team JEGS’ research and development facility and the offices of the JEGS Foundation are all located in Delaware, Ohio. For more information, call 800-345-4545 or visit www.JEGS.com. About Team JEGSTeam JEGS, the official racing team of JEGS Automotive, is fueled by the legacy of one of the most successful families in motorsports history, the Coughlins. Led by JEGS founder and International Drag Racing Hall of Fame member Jeg Coughlin Sr. and his four sons — John, Troy Sr., Mike and Jeg Jr. — Team JEGS has claimed nine NHRA World Championships, 18 divisional championships and 126 national event victories. Meet the drivers, view the race schedule and keep up with the latest news and results at www.TeamJEGS.com.

Team JEGS, 101 JEGS Place, Delaware, OH 43015

Source: Scott Running/Stafford Speedway PR Wed. 3/25/20

Stafford Speedway is set to join the list of tracks and series that have moved online since the season delays relating to coronavirus. The first Stafford Speedway iRacing event is set for Friday, March 27th at 7pm and will stream live on Stafford Speedway YouTube channel.  Participants will include Stafford Speedway drivers who competed in an event in 2019 or have registered to compete in 2020. 

“Unfortunately the start to our 2020 season has been delayed, but we are making the best of the situation,” explained Paul Arute of Stafford Speedway. “We have almost 40 drivers already signed up for the 100 lap race on Friday and hope that we can have some fun with the event. Everyone can watch the event live on our YouTube channel Friday at 7pm.”

The 100 lap event will feature a wide array of drivers spanning all divisions that compete at Stafford. Drivers will compete using Stafford’s signature SK Modified car along with a fixed setup, which means all drivers will be competing with the same setup. Drivers signed up for the event include Mike Christopher Jr, Andrew Molleur, Teddy Hodgdon, David Arute, Byran Narducci, Chase Dowling, Matt Swanson, Marcello Rufrano, and many more. For an up to date list of drivers visit the Facebook event page.  

“We have discussed setting up some off season sim racing over the last few years and this delay has pushed us to get it setup,” continued Arute. “If this first event goes well, we’ll look to do another and even open the event up to race fans. iRacing has been a great partner to Stafford Speedway over the years and we are excited to see the continued growth of their platform.”

The 100 lap event will have a real race feel to it with live broadcasting from Stafford Speedway announcers Jeff Maconi and Bonssa Tufa. The event will be presented by Stafford Speedway partner NAPA Auto Parts and organized by Global Sim Racing Channel.

Stafford Speedway’s 2020 season is currently tentatively scheduled to open Friday, May 22nd with opening night. The 2020 NAPA Auto Parts Spring Sizzler has been moved to May 30th and 31st setting up a double header weekend with the Call Before You Dig Pro Late Model 81 scheduled for Friday, May 29th.

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

MOTOR SPORTS TALK | Courtesy of NBC SPORTS  

Jordan DeLucia, World Racing Group

By Dan BeaverMar 23, 2020, 1:47 PM EDT NBC Sports

With California under a statewide stay-at-home order issued by Gov Gavin Newsom for the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, the World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series has postponed or canceled the remainder of the spring races in that state.

The schedule adjustment will result in the cancellation of races at Merced (California) Speedway, Ocean Speedway in Watsonville, California, and a two-day show at the Stockton (California) Dirt Track. These races originally were scheduled to run from April 10-18.

The next race on the Outlaw Sprint Car Series calendar is a two-day show at Vado (New Mexico) Speedway Park on April 24-25.

The series and tracks currently are working to reschedule as many postponed races as possible.

World of Outlaws halts remainder of spring California tour.

Officials are working to reschedule as many events as possible.

Several shows originally postponed are now official cancellations. These include races at Lonestar Speedway in Kilgore, Texas, and USA Raceway in Tucson, Arizona. The races at Arizona Speedway in San Tan Valley, Arizona, and Perris (California) Auto Speedway also have been canceled.

The series currently is working to reschedule races at Cotton Bowl Speedway in Paige, Texas, at Santa Maria Raceway in Nipoma, California, and at Thunderbowl Raceway in Tulare, California.

Those with tickets to canceled events have received a credit to their MyDirtTickets.com accounts for the face value of the tickets, and they will have 24 months to use the 

New England Dragway is delaying its scheduled opening of Wednesday, April 1 to Wednesday, April 8. This change follows a mandate by the New Hampshire Governor prohibiting scheduled gatherings of 50 people or more for sporting events, among others. The prohibition was announced in Governor Sununu’s Emergency Order issued March 16, which remains in effect until April 6, 2020. This includes the NHRA Chassis Certifications scheduled for April 4 and 5. A reschedule date has not been announced. We will continue to monitor developments as they evolve and provide updates, when available. We appreciate your understanding and patience.

In light of the current State of Emergency in New Hampshire, effective immediately the New England Dragway office will close for in person business until March 31, 2020. All business, including ticket sales, points registrations, and reserved pit space reservations will be handled through the track’s website or by telephone. Track officials are monitoring recommendations issued by the state and will determine if the 2020 season will begin as planned on April 1. As you know, this is an unprecedented situation in our nation. The health and well being of our employees and guests is paramount. Additional updates regarding opening day and a resumption of normal office activity will be provided as this situation evolves. We appreciate your patience and understanding

WATCH OR RACE!

We race most Wednesday & Fridays for Street Night!

All street legal cars are welcome to test out the quarter mile!

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We also race Saturday & Sundays from just a test and tune, to our VP Racing Fuels Points Series, and even Funny Cars and more on select weekends!

Beech Ridge Motor Speedway Scarborough,ME Phone: 207.853. 5227

Source:HEMMINGS DAILY

Daniel Strohl on Mar 24th, 2020 at 9:00 am

SHARE       DODGE CHARGER FOR SALE

Editors Note Larry Rathgeb was also complicit in Chrysler’s Sort Track Kit Cars and offered advice to the Kourafas Clan from Sharon and Randolph, MA on getting the most out of the race car on the short tracks which was driven by Joey Kourafas who won lost of races up-and-down the east coast

Fifty years ago, to the day, Larry Rathgeb had brought a cadre of engineers, a hired shoe, and the hottest car on the planet to Talladega. His goal: get the driver, Buddy Baker, to push the car, the Dodge Charger Daytona engineering mule, past 200 mph to set a world record. Indeed, Rathgeb and his crew did what nobody else in the world had ever done that day. Rathgeb, however, won’t be able to celebrate today’s anniversary of the event; he died Sunday at the age of 90, reportedly after contracting the coronavirus.

Rathgeb, who started his career as an engineer with Chrysler, by the mid-Sixties rose to become the lead engineer for racing development in the country. In that role, he not only worked with the teams running Chrysler products in stock car racing (“Rathgeb even lived with the K&K racing team for a period of time, sleeping in a trailer out behind (Harry) Hyde’s shop in Charlotte,” according to Steve Lehto’s Dodge Daytona and Plymouth Superbird: Design, Development, Production and Competition.), he also had a hand in developing the Dodge Charger Daytona with its tall wing and extended nosecone.

Any one of those Daytonas would have defined Rathgeb’s career at Chrysler, but one in particular ended up his crowning achievement. Ironically, as Allpar noted, it was an impound-lot refugee that had nearly been abandoned. As the story goes, a Hemi-powered Charger press car loaned out to a car magazine in Southern California ended up stolen, stripped, and left on a Watts street on cinder blocks. Rather than leave it out there, Chrysler decided to bring it back and hand it off to engineering to use as a mule.

Rathgeb, in turn, used it to test-fit the bodywork changes that John Pointer and Bob Marcel suggested, modifications that would make the Daytona out of the Charger 500. According to contemporary estimates, the aero mods should have helped the car cheat the wind up to 220 mph, supposedly impossible given the tracks NASCAR raced on at the time. However, Rathgeb brought in some professional drivers to do some test runs at the Chrysler Proving Grounds in Chelsea, Michigan, where Baker reportedly ran the mule up to 235 mph and Charlie Glotzbach took it to 240 mph.

Rathgeb (right) with Chrysler Engineering race mechanics Fred Schrandt (left) and Larry Knowlton (center).

Those sorts of results led Rathgeb to convince Ronney Householder, his manager at Chrysler, to permit the mule to qualify for the Talladega race in September 1969. With Glotzbach at the wheel, the mule, which Ray Nichels had entered as number 88, turned in a pair of 199-plus mph laps. The driver walkout at that race kept the No. 88 on the sidelines – a sister car won the race with a substitute driver at the wheel – and Rathgeb famously thought his career at Chrysler over, if only because he promised Householder the engineering mule wouldn’t exceed 185 mph.

Back in Highland Park, Rathgeb was on his “last walk.” This was not good. “I was grateful and privileged to work for Chrysler,” he said. It would be a disaster to lose his job. His boss, Dean Engle saw him on his way out of the race engineering office and said he would go along. When they arrived at (Chief Engineer Bob) Rodger’s office, Engle spoke up, as Rathgeb remembers. “He said, ‘I want to make a comment. The purpose of racing is to, number one, get the pole, and, number two, get the win.’ Bob Rodger looked at House and said, ‘Well?’ There was no response. Then Rodger said, ‘I think that in the future we should communicate better.’” The meeting was over. Rathgeb got his reprieve. Life could go on for a while longer—and it would get a lot better for both Rathgeb and Dodge.

Indeed, a few months later, Dodge PR Director Frank Wylie wanted to see if the Daytona could actually break 200 mph in a public demonstration of its capabilities. Rathgeb once again called in Baker, prepared the engineering mule, still wearing No. 88, and flew down to Talladega in March 1970. When asked, he and his crew said they were there for transmission testing.

It took 30 laps and multiple adjustments of the car, but Baker finally broke the 200 mph mark that afternoon, running 200.447 mph, becoming the first person in the world to lap a closed-circuit track at that speed. At the time, as Preston Lerner wrote for Motorsport magazine, “the lap record in Formula One stood at a relatively paltry 152 mph. At Indianapolis, it was a tick more than 171 mph.”

(Side note: The No. 88, long thought to be the one the International Motor Sports Hall of Fame in Talladega had on display, has since been located and gone under restoration.)

Nor was that record Rathgeb’s only major contribution to stock car racing. After Chrysler folded its NASCAR program in 1972, Rathgeb went to work on a short track race car that customers could buy from Chrysler either in pieces or as a whole – a kit race car, in essence, built up from E-body front components and A-body rear components.

While testing the car, Rathgeb needed a driver who knew dirt tracks, and Hyde recommended an up-and-coming driver who needed the money, Dale Earnhardt. As the story goes, Rathgeb was impressed by Earnhardt’s skills and, when Earnhardt confided in Rathgeb that he might give up on stock car racing because times were getting tough, Rathgeb convinced Earnhardt to keep racing.

Rathgeb remained with Chrysler at least into the late 1980s and attended Chrysler reunion events as late as last October. According to a report on Allpar from fellow Chrysler employee Bill Adams, Rathgeb contracted the COVID-19 novel coronavirus at a senior independent living community in West Bloomfield Hills, Michigan. His family is reportedly waiting for the pandemic to subside to schedule a memorial service.

The now retired Kenny Coolbeth of Morris, CT at speed on his Flat Track Bike. Currently he’s a team owner on the AMA Flat Track Series

Note: The American Flat Track Series will be in action at the New Hampshire Motor Speedway’s 1/4-mile dirt track on the north side of that venue during the Father’s Day Week of the Annual Laconia NH Bike Week in the Lake’s Region of the Granite State.

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (March 23, 2020) – In accordance with the safety protocols recommended by the CDC, national and state officials, American Flat Track will postpone the May 2 Texas Half-Mile at Texas Motor Speedway and the May 9 So-Cal Half-Mile at Southern California Fairgrounds. As previously announced, the May 16 Sacramento Mile at Cal Expo Fair will also run at a later date to be determined. As with previous events, fans who have purchased tickets in advance  for the Texas Half-Mile and So-Cal Half-Mile are asked to contact tickets@americanflattrack.com to receive a credit valid for any AFT Events race within the next 18 calendar months. American Flat Track intends to run 18 races in 2020 and will now begin with the Red Mile on May 30, 2020 in Lexington, K.Y. AFT will continue to work diligently to communicate its full updated race schedule as information becomes available. Source: AMA PR