Waterbury, VT and Naples, ME – American-Canadian Tour (ACT) and Pro All Star Series (PASS) officials have announced the 2020 Northeast Classic at Loudon’s New Hampshire Motor Speedway (NHMS) has been cancelled. The inaugural edition of the event will now take place on April 16 and 17, 2021.
Despite the hopes of series officials, and a previous postponement to May 8 and 9, it became clear in recent days that holding the Northeast Classic in 2020 was no longer practical. The state of New Hampshire recently extended its State of Emergency declaration, and indications are that New Hampshire’s Stay at Home order will also be extended beyond the current May 4 expiration date.
Furthermore, the U.S.-Canada border remains closed to non-essential business, which would prevent the large amount of Quebec-based teams and fans who planned to attend the Northeast Classic from doing so. With the current health and safety concerns, and other postponements and uncertainty throughout the Northeast racing world making rescheduling even more difficult, the decision was made to wait until 2021 for the debut of the highly-anticipated event.
“Unfortunately, a lot of things racing-wise are beyond our control right now,” ACT managing partner Cris Michaud said. “We want to race as much as our teams and fans do. However, the current circumstances won’t allow for us to do so in a healthy and safe manner. Rather than continue to shuffle such a big event around and try to hit a moving target on the calendar, we’ve decided it’s best to hold off until April 2021 and make sure the Northeast Classic has the big stage it deserves.”
“Both ACT and PASS still are optimistic about eventually getting the 2020 racing season in,” Michaud added. “When each of us has a better picture about when racing can start, we’ll sit down and put together the best schedules that we can for everybody.”
ACT and PASS teams that filed entries and reserved garage stalls for the 2020 Northeast Classic will have several alternatives. These teams can carry their reservations over to the 2021 edition or apply the funds toward another series event during the 2020 season. If a team wishes to request a refund, they can do so in writing. Please contact cris@acttour.com or passracing@roadrunner.com to inform the respective series office which option your team has chosen.
For more information, contact the ACT offices at (802) 244-6963, media@acttour.com, or visit www.acttour.com. You can also get updates on Facebook and Twitter at @ACTTour.
For technical information concerning all PASS divisions, and for media or marketing questions, please contact passracing@roadrunner.com or visit www.proallstarsseries.com. Don’t forget to “Like” the Pro All Stars Series on Facebook or follow on Twitter @PASSSLM14 to keep up with breaking news as it happens.
(Stafford Springs, CT)—More iRacing is coming to eStafford Speedway Wednesday, April 29th. The LiUNA! 100 presented by Truex Management Group and Burton Klingerman eSports will feature local Stafford Speedway drivers and iRacers against a long list of drivers from the NASCAR national series. The 100 lap event will be run with ARCA (formerly K&N) cars using fixed setups.
The story line is unique to sim racing, Stafford Speedway drivers to square off against some of the top talent in NASCAR on their home turf. Mike Christopher, Teddy Hodgdon, Bryan Narducci, and more will face off with Corey Lajoie, Landon Cassil, Brett Moffit, Ryan Truex, Tyler Ankrum, Todd Gilliand, Ty Gibbs and more. Also in the field are Garrett Smithley and Timmy Hill, two cup drivers that have proven to be two of the top iRacers in the country.
“We’re very excited to see the Grand National Tour race at Stafford Speedway for the LiUNA! 100,” explained Tony Mangini of Truex Management Group. “We fully expect to see the same awesome racing in the virtual world as we do at Stafford Speedway in the real world. Thank you to Paul [Arute] and his team for all their help to make this event a success.”
The LiUNA! 100 will be broadcast live on the Stafford Speedway YouTube channel and also on NBC Track Pass. Qualifying starts Wednesday, April 29th at 8:30pm with the feature event scheduled to roll off around 9:00pm.
“Truex Management group has put this series together to support the local short tracks” explained Paul Arute of Stafford Speedway. “We can’t thank them enough for featuring eStafford Speedway. We’ve run a total of 4 iRacing events so far and we pulled out some of the top finishers to run in the LiUNA! 100. It’s going to be really cool to see some of our local drivers and top iRacers square off with some drivers from the National series on the virtual half-mile.”
Wednesday nights event is brought to you by LiUNA! and Grand National Trading Company. LiUNA!, the Laborers’ International Union of North America is a partner of the Truex Management Group and a sponsor of Tyler Ankrum in the NASCAR Truck Series. For more information on LiUNA! visit https://www.liuna.org/about. Grand National Trading Company is a lifestyle brand featuring products paying “tribute to where badass racing began”. For more information or to order apparel visit http://grandnationaltradingco.com/
Stafford Speedway’s weekly iRacing series presented by All Phases Renovations will also return this Friday at 7pm. This week competitors will be tested running a 60 lap Late Model feature. Kyle Souza, a transfer from the Wednesday night Prelim Race presented by Horton Group, barnstormed to grab last week’s Street Stock win. To catch the replay of last week’s event please visit our YouTube channel.
Stafford Speedway Drivers Scheduled to Compete in the LiUNA! 100:
Bryan Narducci – SK Modified® Rookie
Cassandra Cole – SK Light driver
Dylan Izzo – SK Modified® driver
George Bessette, Jr. – SK Light Rookie, Street Stock Champion
Glen Reen – Multi-time SK Modified® winner
Matt Swanson – Open and Tour Modified Driver
Michael Christopher, Jr. – Multi-time SK Modified® winner
Peter Bennett – SK Light Modified Rookie
Teddy Hodgdon – 2019 SK Light Champion, SK Modified® Rookie
Travis Hydar – Multi-time Street Stock winner
Troy Talman – SK Modified® driver
Andrew Molleur – SK Modified® driver
Matthew Kimball – Winner of eStafford Speedway’s 2nd iRace
Ryan Blanchard – Podium in both eStafford Speedway starts
Select National Series Drivers Scheduled to Compete in the LiUNA! 100:
Corey Lajoie – Cup Series driver
Brett Moffit – 2018 Truck Series Champion
Landon Cassil – Cup/Xfinity Series driver
Timmy Hill – Cup Series driver, iRacing Cup winner
Garrett Smithley – Cup Series driver
Tyler Ankrum – Truck Series driver
Ryan Truex – Truck Series driver
Harrison Burton – Xfinity Series driver
Todd Gilliand – Truck Series driver
Ty Gibbs – Truck Series driver
DJ Kennington – Cup Series driver
Christian Eckes – Truck Series driver
Raphael Lessard – Truck Series driver
And more
For more information, visit www.staffordspeedway.com, checkout Stafford Speedway on Facebook or Twitter, or contact the track office at 860-684-2783.
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
We wish you and your family continued health and safety during this difficult time from NCSC & Capeway Rovers.
PLEASE SUPPORT THE LOCALBUSINESSES THAT HELP US ALL YEAR In this unprecedented time small business owners need our support more than ever. We have some great sponsors here at Capeway who have helped out race after race, please buy a gift card or two or stop by for some take out.Together we can get through this!All I can say is hands down best Chinese food around! Everything here is delicious, anything you get it does not matter. They treat everyone like family and are great supporters of Capeway Closed Tuesday’s Phone: (781) 293-4135
\Happy Dragon Halifax, Ma on Facebook Since 1998 Damien’s has been providing great food, drink, live entertainment and fun in a comfortable and relaxed pub atmosphere. Our award-winning kitchen is open for lunch 7 days a week and the pub stays open until 1am.So whether you’re looking for something to eat, looking to check out a live band, or just looking for the coldest beer in town, you don’t have to look any further than Damien’s. Phone: (781) 447-6556 Damien’s Pub Hanson, Ma As the chef at this restaurant I will make sure every single plate that comes out of the kitchen has my personal touch because I believe if you love what you do, you can only put out the best. Every dish I serve will show how strong my passion and love for cooking is.All our pastas and every single sauce will be made here. Every single soup will be made in the house as well as all of the daily specials. I will do my best to provide you with great food, and great service. Phone: (781) 878-3888Thanks you So Much ~ João
Arthur Benjamins art – “THE BRAVE FEW”View this email in your browserOwn This Original Arthur Benjamins Painting Signed by 22 Hall of FamersA few years ago, we at the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America commissioned acclaimed motorsports artist Arthur Benjamins to create the poster for our Class of 2018 induction. Now Arthur is offering this stunning original artwork for sale, signed by 19 Hall of Famers and the surviving family of three more Hall of Famers, and generously donating half the proceeds to the Hall of Fame. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to own a terrific piece of motorsports history, signed by a group that can never be assembled again. Please share this email with friends who might be interested. Let’s make sure this historic piece of art finds a good home.TITLE: “The Brave Few”MEDIUM: Acrylic paint on woodSIZE: 24” x 36” x 2”PRICE: $25,000CONTACT: Arthur Benjaminsarthur.benjamins@aol.com 480-747-8903All 22 Signers: Mario Andretti – (1990)Bobby Allison – (1992)Peter Revson – (1996) – Signed by his sister, JenniferTom D’Eath – (2000)Emerson Fittipaldi – (2001)Freddie Spencer – (2001)Bill Simpson – (2003) — DeceasedJohnnie Parsons – (2004) – Signed by his daughter, Patricia Jay Springsteen – (2005)Hurley Haywood – (2005)Hershel McGriff – (2006)Elliott Forbes-Robinson – (2006)David Hobbs – (2009)Donnie Allison – (2011)Arie Luyendyk – (2014)Rusty Wallace – (2015)Jeff Gordon – (2018)Fred Merkel – (2018)Pat Patrick – (2018)Bob Tullius – (2018) John Buttera – (2018) — Signed by his daughter, LeighLinda Vaughn – (2019)Although closed until further notice to aid the fight against COVID-19, the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America is normally open seven days a week and is located at the Daytona International Speedway (DIS) Ticket and Tours Building on International Speedway Boulevard, just outside of DIS NASCAR Turn 4.The Motorsports Hall of Fame of America is on Instagram and Twitter at @MotorsportsHOF and Facebook at facebook.com/MotorsportsHOF.
This is part of a feature we call Autoweek Breaks Down, where we bring you a smattering of stories tied to a weekly theme. The aim is to deliver automotive content that entertains and enlightens but that doesn’t necessarily follow the news cycle. This week Autoweek Breaks Down Horses.
Veteran NHRA Funny Car driver Bob Tasca III of Cranston, RI isn’t just sitting at home waiting out the COVID-19 pandemic and watching his cellphone for back-to-work orders to pop up in his messages.
The 44-year-old driver of the world’s fastest Mustang is moving at the speed of a Funny Car, juggling 12 car dealerships, dealing with the heartbreak of having to lay off and furlough employees, and itching to find out when his Motorcraft/Quick Lane Ford Mustang Funny Car team can get back to the track.
It’s all heady stuff for the current leader of the Tasca Automotive Group that was started by his grandfather, Bob Tasca Sr., in 1953.
“It’s unimaginable times, to say the least,” Tasca, a six-time NHRA Funny Car winner, said when we reached him at his office while he was practicing social distancing at one of his Ford dealerships in Rhode Island.
We got Tasca’s takes on COVID-19, the car business at this unprecedented time, what the NHRA might look like on the other side and what the Ford Mustang means to him:
Autoweek: What’s a day in the life of Bob Tasca III like today? Sounds like you’re putting in some long hours.
Bob Tasca III: The way I describe it to people, the first two weeks of this, every day was like living a month. Things were changing so fast and things were happening that we’ve never experienced before. We’ve had to take drastic measures at our dealerships. We have 12 franchises, located in several different states, all with different laws in each state with what each governor was doing.
That was all-encompassing. That consumed all of my time for the first two weeks, and then we were in restructuring mode. It’s been quite an undertaking, to say the least. It’s been really, really challenging.
Our stores are in Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island, and we have one store in Florida. The Florida store has done the best. Rhode Island has been a stay-at-home state, Connecticut was a shelter-in-place state, as is Massachusetts. Fortunately, the car business was deemed essential on service and appointment-only sales. So, we’ve been able to maintain a skeleton crew. But we had to take drastic measures to furlough and lay off hundreds of people to get ourselves in a position to live to fight another day.
You only have X amount in the checking account. We can’t print money and we can’t go to Wall Street for help because we’re a private business. You just want to make sure financially you’re in a position to get to the other side of this. AW: And what does that other side look like for the car business?
BT: I don’t think anyone knows, but I think for the auto business I feel confident that we’ll be one of the industries that bounces back, maybe sooner and stronger than other industries. We’re starting to prepare for that now.
We’re starting to see light at the end of the tunnel. Rhode Island opens up on May 8, and Massachusetts and Connecticut are in a similar time frame. We’re starting to rebuild and restructure for what the new normal will be.
I think you’re going to see some incentive wars. We’re already seeing deals now that we’ve never seen—0% financing for 84 months, 0% for 72 months. There’s terms out there that are really pretty extraordinary. The used car market is changing rapidly. I think there’s huge unknowns on the late-model stuff, what the rental car companies will do. It’s interesting. You had better pay attention because it’s going to move fast on you.
AW: Speaking of fast, we got a chance to check out the World’s Fastest Mustang video featuring you and your Funny Car team that your friends at Ford Performance put together. How cool was that?
BT: That definitely puts a smile on my face. Some of my darkest days, I’ll sit in the office and watch that video they put together. It’s something that I love doing and I know it’s something that Ford loves.
All those Ford fans have been hanging in there, waiting for us to come back. I’ve been doing weekly messages on my social media, giving everyone an update on what we’re doing, on what Ford’s doing to help so many people. That’s really been a bright spot on the racing side.Related StoryNHRA Legend Force ‘Worried Sick’ about COVID-19
We haven’t been racing, but just to be associated with Ford and look at all the things they’re doing to help their customers, whether it’s to make payments, help their new customers defer payments, what they’re doing with ventilators and protective gear. It’s been really good for us, I know for all the Ford drivers, to kind of talk about that over the next several weeks as we all navigate these pretty challenging times. AW: On the racing side, you’re coming off a really nice year—two wins, finished fifth in the points in 2019. What’s it like not to be out there?
BT: We had the perfect year planned. We came off one of the best years of my career, multiple wins, many final-round appearances. We had everything planned perfectly, and then the end of the world as we know it happened, and we put everything on hold.
Definitely, the first couple of weeks of this shutdown, racing was on the back burner. We were just focused on keeping our dealerships alive and keeping the race team together. Having sponsors that stick with you during these very challenging times makes the difference. And Ford has been rock solid with us. They know that we’ll get back to racing.Advertisement – Continue Reading Below
Now, to be honest, racing is coming more to the forefront. I’m talking to the crew chiefs a lot. We’re trying to figure out what type of inventory we have with parts and what vendors we could be short on. We’re expecting a very rapid return to racing. Where it will be, when it will be exactly, there’s a lot of unknowns, but getting back to racing is a definite.
And having the parts inventory that you need to go, I don’t know, maybe 15 straight races. Who knows what it’s going to look like. We’ve got to be ready for it.
AW: How will you know when it’s ready, when it’s time to go back to the racetrack?
BT: I’m not NHRA, so I can’t speak for them. But reading the tea leaves and looking at what IndyCar’s talking about, what NASCAR is talking about, I think at some point, we’ve got to get back to racing soon. Just to be able to go back to our sponsors, to go back on TV.
We have a great TV show on Fox. We had a lot of live events that drew huge audiences. I think to some extent, we’ve got to prepare to go back without fans and then be able to pivot to go to races around the country with fans when it’s safe. I think you’ll start to see more of that.
I think the government, whether you’re a Republican or Democrat, at the end of the day, you really have to admire what the governors and states and federal government have done, being put in a situation that we’ve never been put in before. Anyone can be a Monday morning quarterback, but I think they’ve set a pretty good cadence with how to open phase one, phase two, phase three as that transpires over the next couple of months.
I think it’s going to be safe to get back racing here pretty soon, hopefully in May. And then we’ll expand on that. Where we go, and what the NHRA’s plans are, I have not been privy to, but my race team, we’re ready to go.
Our parts, are cars are serviced. If NHRA wanted to go back racing this weekend, we’d be ready. On that side of the fence, we’re good to go. On the other side of the fence, where we’ll go back, when fans will come back, how that whole thing will work, I think there’s a lot of unknowns. I’m pretty sure you’re going to see some clarity in the next couple of weeks.
AW: Have you thought about what the new normal could mean to an NHRA weekend?
BT: I think people will be very understanding about what’s taken place. It’s such a historic turn of events, and what we’re all being faced with are things we’ve never faced before. I’m sure the NHRA fans will be understanding of that.
I think we’ll be back to normal. People use the term ‘new normal.’ I think we’ll be back to normal. I don’t know if it will be this year, but I do believe life is going to return to normal normal and we’re going to put this pandemic behind us.Advertisement – Continue Reading Below
AW: What do you feel about what’s going on outside your office these days?
BT: I sit in my office, I feel real lonely—it’s not who I am. I love to be up and about and interacting with the team, whether it’s at the racetrack or back at the dealerships, but we are taking all the precautions to stem the curve of this terrible virus.
I think it’s all paying off. It’s a tribute to all the American men and women—some have the most challenging task at all, and that’s just staying home. I’ve had the ability to go to work and work with our teams. And then we all get to admire the real heroes out there, these health care workers on the front lines. It’s just absolutely incredible.
I know our dealerships are doing our small parts. We can’t make masks, we can’t make ventilators, but we’ve been buying lunches and coffee and donuts for the ICUs around our businesses, the National Guard setting up at the testing center, the state police. We’ve been doing our small role to say thanks to all the front-line workers in this really challenging time.
AW: How often do you think about getting back in that world’s fastest Mustang for the first time after all this?
BT: I think we’ll all appreciate a lot of the little things we took for granted in our day-to-day routines after this is over.
“We’re all anxious to get back, and I know that we will.”
I tweeted a picture on my social media last week, it was something (fellow NHRA Funny Car driver) Ron Capps sent to me. It’s that view looking over the injector of a Funny Car. For me, it’s doing the burnout in that Mustang and looking up in the crowd and just seeing thousands and thousands of people standing on their feet and getting ready for one of these cars to go.
And then it’s going down and hitting the throttle on this Motorcraft Mustang. It’s a feeling that you can’t describe. You just have to experience it, whether you’re a spectator or a driver or a crew member.
We’re all anxious to get back, and I know that we will. I’m just blessed to have such and incredible group of sponsors with Motorcraft, Quick Lane, Ford, Line-X, PPG, BG, all these sponsors that support us and allow us to get up there and do what we do, what we love to do and to put on a show for so many millions of fans across the country.
So, we’ll be back at it, and we’ll appreciate it just a little bit more because of this.
William Byron, driver of the No. 24 UniFirst Chevrolet, and Alex Bowman, driver of the No. 88 Nationwide Retirement Plans Chevrolet, lead the field prior to the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Bank of America ROVAL 400 at Charlotte Motor Speedway on September 29, 2019 in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Photo Credit: Jared C. Tilton | Getty Images)North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper may have extended Executive Order 120 requiring North Carolina residents to stay at home through May 8. However, there is some light at the tunnel when it comes to NASCAR.
Cooper said Thursday afternoon that race teams, most of which are based in North Carolina, are allowed to work in their shops as essential businesses as long as they are adhering to health guidelines. Cooper also said that teams were subject to restrictions imposed by local health departments.
While Iredell Country, particularly the areas of Mooresville and Statesville do not have any measures in place, the counties of Cabarrus and Mecklenburg do have certain provisions that would prohibit teams from returning to work. Those orders are set to expire next Fri., Apr. 29.
Teams that are currently bound by those provisions include Chip Ganassi Racing, Hendrick Motorsports, Joe Gibbs Racing, JTG Daugherty Racing, Roush Fenway Racing and Stewart Haas Racing.
“From the information, I have now, already, under our state’s executive order they can begin working in their garages as an essential business defined under our executive order,” Cooper said. “They are still in contact with local health departments that local governments may have different health restrictions.
The Governor also spoke of ongoing discussions surrounding NASCAR and the potential of returning to racing in the near future. NASCAR is hoping to host its Coca-Cola 600 event weekend at Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway on Memorial Day weekend without fans in attendance.
Cooper said state health officials are reviewing proposals and a decision will be made soon.
“NASCAR is home in North Carolina,” Cooper said. “We are the home of NASCAR—and I am so grateful for this amazing sport that is in our state that not only provides people with a lot entertainment but also is an amazing economic engine for our state. I have been in contact with NASCAR officials, track owners, team owners. They have come forward with a plan to try and protect their employees with a proposal that there would be no fans in the stands.
“Right now, our public health officials are examining their proposals. They’re also talking to local governments there. There are garages in several counties around Charlotte—Cabarrus, Iredell and Mecklenburg—about how they would run their garages and to get their cars ready. They need a couple of weeks ahead of time.
“We are also reviewing with public health officials, like Dr. (Mandy) Cohen (Secretary of the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services) and Dr. (Elizabeth) Tilson (State Health Director)—they’re reviewing the proposals put forth by NASCAR regarding the Coca-Cola 600 and how it would be run at the Charlotte Motor Speedway, without fans, and they are examining that, and decisions will be made on that very soon.”
The chatter in the industry is that NASCAR could receive the green light to resume competition the weekend of May 15 at Darlington (S.C.) Raceway and while some race shops continued to work in their race shops preparing cars before the state-mandated shut downs, time will be needed to resume normal operations and prep more race cars while maintaining current health guidelines.
According to the Associated Press, South Carolina Parks, Recreation and Tourism director Duane Parrish said Thursday that Darlington could host an event this spring.
Additionally, tracks in Texas and Florida have also offered their facilities as a site to host races without fans.
Teams are eager to get back to work because of the abrupt stoppage of no revenue funneling in through the COVID-19 pandemic. However, if racing can resume, teams are guaranteed a share of the television package which will be quickly distributed to the team once racing resumes.
Follow Chris Knight on Twitter @Knighter01.
Chris Knight
Chris Knight (@Knighter01) has served as a senior staff writer, news editor and director of driver communications for CATCHFENCE.com since 2001.
In his 19 years with CATCHFENCE.com, Knight has covered NASCAR’s top-three series often breaking news, exclusive at-track content, while also providing in-depth race weekend coverage. He also offers insider coverage of the ARCA Menards Series, including the newly rebranded ARCA Menards Series East and West.
In addition to his active duties at CATCHFENCE.com and other Motorsports endeavors, he is also a frequent contributor to SiriusXM Satellite Radio NASCAR Channel 90.cknight@catchfence.com
Not only will fans have the opportunity to get their name on a NASCAR Cup Series race car, Lionel will be producing the matching diecast car to commemorate the unforgettable opportunity.
“This is one of the most unique things we get to be involved in throughout the season,” said driver Corey LaJoie. “For fans to be able to get involved and have their name on our No.32 Ford for the entire race weekend and then have the ability to get a matching diecast afterward is pretty cool for all of us involved. It shows that we have a really big following and some really loyal fans. I’m excited that we were able to put this deal together.”
The company previously worked with the GFR team in 2018 with driver Matt DiBenedetto at Kansas Speedway. Hundreds of names of those who participated in the fan-driven sponsorship decorated the pink Ford.
Fans will be able to have their name built into the scheme of the No.32 Plan B Sales Ford with spots available on the decklid for only $50.
For more information, visit PlanBSales.com and follow Go Fas Racing on social media.
About Plan B Sales:
Plan B Sales was founded in 2010 with the goal of bringing service to dealers that carry licensed motorsports product. We started as a Lionel diecast and Chase Authentics apparel distributor. Over the last few years we have grown to be the largest account for Lionel servicing the motorsports market and have expanded the product offerings.
We have quickly become the choice of dealers for a stocking one-stop distributor. Our product offering also includes Auto World, Chase Authentics, Greenlight Collectibles, and Wincraft Racing for licensed motorsports related product lines. In addition, we also offer other great product lines to compliment our dealers’ businesses. We are always looking for great new product offerings that bring value to our dealers.
About Go Fas Racing:
Go Fas Racing (GFR) currently fields Ford Mustangs in the NASCAR Cup Series for driver Corey LaJoie. Located in Mooresville, North Carolina, GFR has competed in the NASCAR’s premier series since 2014; fielding cars for some of NASCAR’s top drivers, including past champions.
“The Tri Track Open Modified Series event at Monadnock Speedway, scheduled for May 9, has been postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The health and safety of our race teams, drivers, staff and fans continues to be paramount during this unprecedented situation. The series will continue to abide by guidelines given by local government and public health officials. At this time, Tri Track officials are working together with Monadnock Speedway to come up with a reschedule date that will fit both parties
Note: If your track, tour or event is not posted on this blog send your press releases and flyers to: lmodestino@hotmail.com
The Granite State Pro Stock Series was supposed to have contested its opening round on Saturday April 25. Despite a picture perfect afternoon for racing, that did not happen. Now, again due to Covid-19, round two of the 2020 season has been postponed.
The second event for the series was scheduled to be held at Star Speedway in Epping NH. The quarter mile Bullring has quickly become a series favorite for drivers and fans alike. As of this release, no makeup date has been announced but conversations between series president Mike Parks and Star Speedway promoter Bobby Webber are ongoing.
“We would really like to be able to hold both races scheduled at Star”, Stated Parks “As we hear what the Governor of NH has to say over the next few weeks, we will look at both schedules and see what can be made to work”.
Unfortunately for fans and racers alike racing throughout the country and even the world has temporarily been interrupted for an indefinite period of time. “We have been listening to the governors and health officials of all the New Engand states as we look to see what can be saved of the 2020 schedule,” stated Parks. “We definitely don’t want to risk the health of any of our loyal fans and competitors”
The most recent series winner at the shore line oval was Uncasville CT’s Ray Christian III. He used an aggressive move in the closing laps to take his first win of the season and second career win, in the lone GSPSS appearance at Star in 2019.
Understandably, Christian was disappointed to hear of another race postponement. “I just want to go Racing already”, stated the driver of the Crazy Horse Racing number 93. “We had planned to run a race or two before the GSPSS season got started so we are way behind. I am just ready to get going already”.
A strong field of cars had been expected for both the opener at Claremont Motorsports Park as well as the Star Speedway event. After finding out the Star event would be delayed Parks lamented, “As a series we looked to start the season off with really good car counts so this is a real bummer”. He was quick to add, “Under the circumstances this is the right thing to do as we look to keep everyone healthy”.
As of right now the May Madness event at Lee USA Speedway is still planned as scheduled. The May 17th race date would be the season opener for both the GSPSS and Lee USA Speedway if it is allowed to go on as planned. Series and track officials will continue to monitor the directives of state and local officials and continue to communicate and update fans as news becomes available. For more information check out the series and tracks social media pages and websites.
Source: Mike Parks/PresidentGranite 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
There is a lot of excitement with our 2020 schedule, Dan Meservey Sr has once again worked with many track owners/promoters to allow our series to provide some great competitive racing for the fans. The series has made some competition rule changes to make the field even closer this year. We want to keep fans on the edge of their seat with close competitive safe racing.
2019 Champion Rob Richardi plans on only running a limited season in 2020, while others like Doug Meservey Jr, Brett Meservey, Randy Cabral, Dana Willis 2019 lite champion, Mark Ryder, Steve & John Dumas & Craig Phillips are expected to be back along with newcomer Cody Rose.
The season has 3 stops in New Hampshire‘s Lee, Monadnock & Hudson Speedway’s, 2 Stops at Waterford, CT, Claremont, Star Speedway, NH and close out the season and crown a champion at Thompson, CT World Series.
