Pennsylvania’s Jennerstown Speedway will host the 2020 NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour opener on Sunday, June 21. (Howie & Mary Hodge/NASCAR)
BY NASCAR OFFICIAL RELEASE MAY 29, 2020
NASCAR announced Friday that it has rescheduled the 2020 NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour season-opening race, the Wade Cole Memorial 133 presented by Dunleavy’s Truck & Trailer Repair, to Sunday, June 21.
The championship points event has been moved to Pennsylvania’s Jennerstown Speedway.
The race, which was postponed by rain, had been scheduled for Saturday at South Carolina’s Myrtle Beach Speedway.
The event will be held without fans in attendance in line with the current NASCAR policy during the COVID-19 pandemic.
In addition, Jennerstown’s original Whelen Modified Tour event slated for May 23 has been rescheduled for Saturday, August 22.
Event procedures for June 21 will be significantly modified in accordance with CDC, OSHA and state and local government recommendations – teams will be limited to eight people per car number. That will include all members of the team, from driver to crew members to car owners.
The event will include practice and qualifying, and the race will not have pit stops.
In addition, NASCAR and the track will be maintaining social distancing protocols throughout the event.
NASCAR is expected to release an extension of its makeshift schedule next week that runs through August and includes the doubleheader at Pocono, a midweek All-Star Race at Charlotte Motor Speedway and a Thursday night Cup race at Kansas Speedway.
The schedule was first published by The Athletic but independently obtained by Autoweek. Teams were given the schedule on Friday.
As has been the case with every schedule reveal, it is considered provisional due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, both before and NASCAR confirmation.
Here is NASCAR’s planned schedule through mid-August.
Saturday, June 27 | Pocono Raceway | Trucks Saturday, June 27 | Pocono Raceway | Cup Sunday, June 28 | Pocono Raceway | Xfinity Sunday, June 28 | Pocono Raceway | Cup Saturday, July 4 | Indianapolis Road Course | Xfinity Sunday, July 5 | Indianapolis Oval | Cup Sunday, July 12 | Kentucky | Cup Wednesday, July 15 | Charlotte All-Star | Cup Sunday, July 19 | Texas Motor Speedway | Cup Thursday, July 23 | Kansas Speedway | Cup Sunday, August 2 | New Hampshire Motor Speedway | Cup Saturday, August 8 | Michigan International Speedway | Cup Sunday, August 9 | Michigan International Speedway | Cup
Northeast Motorsports Museum located on the northside of NHMS in Loudon, NH
05/29/2020 HOT RODS, MUSCLE AND MORE CAR SHOW AUGUST 15TH
Join us on Saturday, August 15th (rain date the 16th) at the North East Motor Sports Museum located at 922 NH Route 106 in Loudon, NH for an all vehicles, makes, years and models car show in support of the museum, which has experienced a long closure due to COVID-19. NH
Muscle Cars and the museum have teamed up to provide car enthusiasts a mega car show, including the opportunity to win one of 17 trophies! The show at the museum runs from 10 am to 2 pm and will be kicked off with a cruise to the museum, which will be organized by NH Muscle Cars. Cruise route and details to follow. For more info call 603-783-0183.The
17 Award Trohpy Categories Include:· Best of Show· Coolest Sounding Award. We rev things up at 1 pm and present this award!· Best GM· Best Ford· Best Chrysler· Best Classic Muscle 1979-Older· Mid-Year Muscle 1980-1999· Modern Muscle 2000-Current· Best Paint· Best Interior · Best Engine Bay· Best Hot Rod· Best Custom· Best Special Interest· Best Truck· Best Convertible· Best Restored Original
All awards other than the Coolest Sounding Award will be presented starting at 1:30 pm. Along with the car show, enjoy over 30 historical race car and motorcycle exhibits inside the museum! The 2020 featured exhibit in the museum is “The Mighty Midgets” Presented by the late Frank Manafort.All show car entries will receive a free NH Muscle Cars Swag Bag including 2 free wrist bands to enter the museum.The cost to register is $20 per car load, paid at entrance, the day of the show .The museum is a 501-c-3 non-profit charity so your donations are valued and highly appreciated. Donations for spectators enjoying the show are appreciated. Suggested donation is $5 to $10 per car load.Enjoy a great day for the whole family, your entrance donation includes accesses too.· Food Truck· 50/50 raffle· Music· Merchandise· And more to be announced!
Renault finds itself on shaky ground outside of racing, but the French outfit remains committed to Formula 1 entering 2020 and beyond. Interim CEO Clotilde Delbos confirmed the constructor’s continued F1 plans on Friday.
“F1 we said publicly, and we confirm that we intend to stay in Formula 1,” Delbos said. “Actually the news about new regulations, new cap, in terms of investment, is very good for us, because we as you know had less investment in this area compared to some of our competitors which were spending a lot of money. So, F1, we are here, and we stay in Formula 1.”
F1 is part of Renault’s global marketing plan, with the team currently fielding one of the sport’s most popular drivers in Daniel Ricciardo. Renault has endured a difficult year, following the Carlos Ghosn scandal with massively declining car sales due to the pandemic. The group is reportedly cutting around 15,000 jobs – roughly 10% of its workforce – to try to find $2.23b in savings over the next three years.
That led to worries about the organization’s F1 future, but it appears Renault remains committed to the tour. It will need to find a new driver, with Ricciardo jumping ship to McLaren next year. Among the rumored competitors are Fernando Alonso and potential silly season surprises like Sebastian Vettel or Valtteri Bottas, though the team could also look toward its Formula 2 drivers or back to former driver Nico Hulkenberg for a more realistic option.
Following the guidance on sporting events in Pennsylvania issued by Governor Tom Wolf, it is with sadness to announce the 2020 NASCAR events at Pocono Raceway will be held without fans in attendance. This decision, made in coordination with NASCAR and our state officials, was not made lightly. The exact dates of our 2020 races is being finalized and will be announced by NASCAR at a later date.
As a result, ticket account holders will have the option to either receive a refund, or account credit, for the face value of their 2020 tickets. Note: No ticket account holders will lose their renewal rights for Pocono Raceway’s 2021 NASCAR events.
Our Raceway family shares in your disappointment and will certainly miss your passion, laughs, cheers, and smiles as the green flag drops in the Pocono Mountains. We fully understand these are trying times for everyone, especially for those facing potential financial burdens and will expedite a refund, or account credit, within three business days.
Your Options:
REFUND: The refund amount will equal the face value of your tickets.
ACCOUNT CREDIT: This credit, on the face value of your tickets, will be good for any future event held at Pocono.
Ticket account holders can select the 2020 REFUND/ACCOUNT CREDIT FORM below to make their choice on a refund or account credit. Pocono Raceway has also created a FAQ’s LINK below to addresses questions about tickets, camping tickets, pre-race pit/paddock pass tickets refunds, as well as the expected length of time for refunds.
Our staff, like many others, is working remotely. To streamline our responses, please emailquestions@poconoraceway.com should you have any questions. A Pocono Raceway representative will reply to your requests within three business days.
We thank you for your patience through all of this. May you and your loved ones remain healthy.
The Capeway Rovers Motorcycle Club in Middleborough announced that they will start their 2020 racing season tomorrow, Sunday, May 31. The track features MX racing on dirt. The management of that venue received permission to open up that track which had it’s beginnings way back in 1934. Both fans and competitors will be required to observe safety rules to prevent becoming ill from the Pandemic Virus that were outlined by the Governor of Massachusetts, Charlie Baker. At this time, the Capeway Rovers track is the only motor sports venue to be open for business in the entire Northeast! The action will get underway at 9 am on Sunday morning.
Elsewhere in the southeastern MA area, principal R.J. Valentine of Hingham revealed that he is planning to reopen his X1 Outdoors, a shifter kart track, on Rt. 18 in East Bridgewater soon, provided he can get the permission of the Town Fathers. Valentine is also the owner of X1 Indoors on Wood Road in Braintree which will stay shuttered until the Pandemic diminishes in the area.
We’ve been reading published reports that many northeast track operators and sanctions are on the verge of closing their short tracks for good because they are not getting any help from the states’ governors, particularly many of the dirt tracks in New York and Pennsylvania.
In New England, Riverside Speedway in Groveton, NH, has changed hands several times in the past few years. That new owner defied the Granite State Governor and opened last Saturday, May 23. The track held qualifying heats and feature events with just a limited number of fans in the grandstands.
The local police then handed him a citation stating that he was in violation of the Governor’s edict. It’s expected that he will be hailed into the local court and fined. By the way, Riverside Speedway was once owned by C.J. Robinson of Scituate.
Down at Seekonk Speedway, GM Francis Venditti is patiently awaiting the word from the MA State House on when he can open that 75-year old track on the Rhode Island border. No doubt it will only open for practice without fans in the grandstands. In that case, the practice sessions may go off but Venditti may pass until he can sell grandstand tickets
Up in N. Woodstock, NH Cris Michaud has announced a PASS and ACT double header to be held on Saturday and Sunday, June 6-7. Those two races will go without fans in the grandstands. However, Michaud hopes that he can get enough revenue from the Pay-for-View internet via Northeast Sports to pay the bills. It will cost viewers $15 for Saturday and $25 for Sunday!
Information for this column came from press releases and flyers and personal notes.
“From the Vault presented by Bank of America” extended; New Exhibit Forthcoming
INDIANAPOLIS, Friday, May 29, 2020 – The Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum is scheduled to reopen to the public at 9 a.m. (ET) Tuesday, July 7, following a three-and-a-half month closure due to the COVID-19 national emergency. Museum officials have kept in regular contact with Indianapolis Motor Speedway officials throughout the crisis, and in order to comply not only with the State of Indiana’s #BackOnTrack plan for reopening the state, but to better ensure proper social distancing practices for visitors, officials decided to reopen following the July 3-5 combined NASCAR Big Machine Vodka 400 at the Brickyard and rescheduled NTT IndyCar Series GMR Grand Prix weekend at IMS. Museum staff have prepared the facility – including IMS Museum tour busses – to accommodate guests based on state and federal health recommendations, including hand sanitizing stations, protective barriers and signage. To maintain proper social distancing, the number of visitors admitted to the Museum building and tour busses at any one time will be restricted. The Museum’s much-heralded exhibit, “From the Vault presented by Bank of America,” was originally scheduled to close on April 20 but will continue as the featured exhibit, with Bank of America graciously extending its support. Visitors who previously viewed “From the Vault presented by Bank of America” will have numerous reasons to return soon: IMS Museum staff will open a new, to-be-announced exhibit honoring one of racing’s most dynamic personalities on August 1, and the composition of “From the Vault” will change dramatically in October, with a major rotation of vehicles and artifacts. The exhibit will remain open into Spring 2021. More information about reopening protocols will be announced around July 1.
About the IMS Museum: The Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum is home to one of the world’s premier motorsports and automobile collections, with interpretive emphasis on the Indianapolis 500 and its role as an American icon of sporting tradition and innovation. Located inside the famed 2.5-mile Indianapolis Motor Speedway oval, the IMS Museum is currently closed due to the COVID-19 National Emergency but is scheduled to reopen July 7. The Museum is normally open 363 days a year (closed Thanksgiving and Christmas) and is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization which relies on support from admissions, tours, sponsorships, annual memberships and planned-giving for its operations, educational programming, restoration and preservation efforts, and special exhibits and events.
Resources During COVID-19 Closure: Please visit www.indyracingmuseum.org for more information and to enjoy our growing database of education materials and archives. We are updating our social media frequently during our closure, so find us @imsmuseum on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and visit our pages on YouTube and LinkedIn.
Source : Eric Powell, Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum, (317) 492-6748
SPEEDWAY – After a Memorial Day weekend that saw the Indianapolis Motor Speedway silent for the first time since World War II, thoughts are turning to the prospects for racing at IMS July 4 weekend, when a first-ever NASCAR/INDYCAR doubleheader is currently scheduled. IMS owner Roger Penske says fans should expect to see racing.
“We will have a race on July 4 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway,” said Penske, during an interview from his Michigan office with Inside INdiana Business, however, a decision on if fans will be allowed to attend has yet to be made. “Our plan is to run with fans,” said Penske, “but again, that’s going to be a call we’re going to make, with or without fans, we’ll make that call coming up probably in the next couple of weeks.”
Penske talked about the impact of the pandemic, the Indy 500 and what’s next for the NTT INDYCAR SERIES on this weekend’s edition of Inside INdiana Business with Gerry Dick.
In January, race officials announced the GMR GrandPrix, which has been run in early May since its inception in 2014, will this year move to July 4 and be paired with the NASCAR Cup Series for a first-ever doubleheader race weekend at IMS.
The Big Machine Vodka 400 at the Brickyard is set for Sunday, July 5.
Meantime, the adjusted 2020 NTT INDYCAR SERIES, which Penske calls “flexible and to the point,” was released last week and includes 14 races, with the season opener, the Genesys 300, to be run without fans June 6 at Texas Motor Speedway.
Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam said Thursday that racing will be allowed to resume in the state without spectators.
The governor said that NASCAR will race at Martinsville Speedway on June 10 and that other forms of auto racing and horse racing also are cleared to resume.
“These events will not be open to the public and no spectators will be allowed, among other restrictions,” he said.
Northeast Sports Network to Broadcast Weekly Racing & PASS Events
White Mountain Motorsports Park will hold a pay-per-view event without fans for all weekly divisions on Saturday, June 6. (Mark Alan Sumner photo)
The PASS Super Late Models will open their 2020 season at WMMP on Sunday, June 7 in an pay-per-view event with no fans in attendance. (Mark Alan Sumner photo)
N. Woodstock, NH – The 2020 White Mountain Motorsports Park (WMMP) racing season is finally getting underway. Track officials have announced plans to hold two events without fans on Saturday, June 6 and Sunday, June 7.
The doubleheader includes the Pro All Stars Series (PASS) Super Late Model season opener on Sunday with WMMP’s weekly divisions set for action on Saturday. The Northeast Sports Network (NSN) will stream both events online via pay-per-view.
The WMMP racing season had been on hold due to New Hampshire health and safety orders in place to limit the spread of the COVID-19 virus. However, it was determined that events without fans in attendance could happen with strict guidelines in place. Thanks to the NSN pay-per-view broadcast, fans can experience both events from the comfort and safety of their homes.
“We’re excited to finally get some racing on the track,” WMMP managing partner Cris Michaud said. “We realize it’s not an ideal situation — there’s nothing quite like the atmosphere of fans at the track. Still, racers want to race, and fans want to watch, and we think this package is a great solution under the circumstances. We’re very thankful to everyone who has worked together to make this happen.”
The season-opening doubleheader goes green Saturday, June 6 at 5:00pm. All five WMMP weekly divisions will be in action with added-distance features. The Foley Oil & Propane Late Models are running a 75-lap main event while the Wells River Chevrolet Flying Tigers will go 50 circuits.
Extra laps are also on tap for the Woodsville Guaranty Savings Bank Strictly Stock Mini’s, 7-Eleven Dwarf Cars, and Dads 4 By Tool & Supply Kids Trucks. Due to the short notice, the event will not count for points towards the season championships.
PASS takes center stage on Sunday, June 7 at 2:00 pm for the second half of the doubleheader. The PASS Super Late Models are set to run 150 laps in their first event of the year. A 40-lap B-Feature will also be held if needed.
In addition to the Super Late Models, the PASS Mods have a 60-lap feature while the Honey Badger Bar & Grill Street Stock Series are slated for a 50-lap event. The GoMotorsportsShop.com NELCAR Legends Tour rounds out the card. A full schedule of events for both days will be released in the near future.
The Northeast Sports Network will stream a pay-per-view live broadcast of both events online. The cost is $15 for the Saturday event and $25 for the Sunday event. Visit www.NSNSports.net for more information or to purchase the pay-per-view.
For both the Saturday and Sunday events, teams must sign up in advance to compete. Same-day registration will not be permitted. Teams must inform their respective track/series office how many people they expect per team so the event can meet current New Hampshire COVID-19 guidelines. Further guidance will be provided to all teams when they sign up.
To register for the Saturday event, teams can contact the WMMP offices by calling (802) 244-6963 ext. 4 or emailing tb@acttour.com. PASS Super Late Model and Mod teams may contact the series office at (207) 693-6497 or passracing@roadrunner.com to sign up for Sunday’s event. Honey Badger Street Stock Series teams should contact Mike Mayberry at (207) 317-0296. NELCAR teams can contact their respective series office to register.
For more information, contact the White Mountain Motorsports Park offices at (802) 244-6963, media@acttour.com, or visit www.whitemountainmotorsports.com. You can also follow us on Facebook at @WhiteMtnMotorsports.
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.
For more about the Northeast Sports Network, visit www.nsnsports.net or follow them on Facebook and Twitter at @NSNSports.
Source: ACT Tour PR Director
Note: If your track, tour or event is not posted on this blog send your press releases and flyers to: lmodestino@hotmail.com
CHRIS GRAYTHENGETTY IMAGES
