Joey Logano quickly put a disappointing day in Las Vegas behind him and shifted focus on the next race in the Round of 12, where he is “crossing our fingers” with Talladega Superspeedway looming.
Logano finished 14th in the South Point 400. His night went sour on lap 90 when he was forced to make a green-flag pit stop because of a left-rear tire rub from contact with Kyle Busch, which knocked Logano off the lead lap. Fighting for the lead off a lap 88 restart, Logano and Busch made door to door contact when Denny Hamlin made it three-wide into Turn 3.
Falling to 32nd in the running order, Logano did not earn points in the second stage. And he did not return to the lead lap until a caution gave him the free pass on lap 251.
“That was a fight tonight for sure,” said Logano. “The start of the race, we were in the hunt for sure, and I felt like we were fairly close and able to get quite a few stage points in the first stage. Then on that restart, we got some damage with the 18 car and the 11 I think just kind of shocked at least me. I don’t know if it shocked the 18; I haven’t seen the replay yet. I was coming down the racetrack like we were two-wide, and next thing I know, we were three-wide, and I got some damage on the left rear.
“We hung out there for a while and eventually got our lap back with 15 to go or so. We were able to fight back to 14th; we salvaged something out of it. We left at least 10 points or so, and that is probably a conservative number of points on the table that would be very nice to have. That is in the past now. Now we move forward and head to Talladega and cross our fingers and see what happens there.”
Logano earned 32 points Sunday night, which was aided by a second-place run in the first stage. The No. 22 team has won three times at Talladega, and Logano is still above the cutline going into the second race of the round.
However, his advantage is just 11 points.
“You can’t afford to blow a left-rear tire in the playoffs and back the thing in the fence and shoot yourself in the foot,” said Logano of the tire rub. “We had to pit and then just no cautions, and then the one time I had a shot at it (Jimmie Johnson) just got me, so that was a little unfortunate.”
Kelly Crandall
Kelly has been on the NASCAR beat full-time since 2013, and joined RACER as chief NASCAR writer in 2017. Her work has also appeared in NASCAR.com, the NASCAR Illustrated magazine, and NBC Sports. A corporate communications graduate from Central Penn College, Crandall is a two-time George Cunningham Writer of the
The 58th Vermont Milk Bowl presented by Northfield Savings Bank will be broadcast live on the Northeast Sports Network with a special five-camera broadcast sponsored by Wes Ward Auto Repair. (Alan Ward photo)
Barre, VT — Just like the racing teams at Barre’s Thunder Road, the Northeast Sports Network (NSN) is pulling out all the stops for the 58th Vermont Milk Bowl presented by Northfield Savings Bank this Sunday, October 4. NSN has unveiled plans for a five-camera broadcast of Sunday’s event with Multi-Angle Instant Replay sponsored by Wes Ward Auto Repair of St. Johnsbury.
For the Milk Bowl, NSN is expanding beyond their normal two-camera broadcast that has proved popular among fans. Milk Bowl Sunday’s high-end production style will show fans even more of the action in a way they have never seen before. The five cameras will be positioned all around the track for complete coverage of every thrilling pass, incidental fender rub, or heart-stopping accident.
Each camera angle will be able to provide instant replays whether or not that angle provided the live picture. If there is a crash or important pass and the live camera misses it, one of the other four cameras will almost certainly capture it, letting fans see exactly what happened.
“We are excited to unveil this enhanced level of broadcast to the Thunder Road fans,” NSN Operations Manager Kevin Trask said. “The multi-angle replay has been well received whenever we use it. Thank you to Wes Ward Auto Repair for sponsoring this feature. We have enjoyed working with everyone at Thunder Road this year, and we hope the fans enjoy this expanded coverage to end the season!”
Those who tune in to NSN’s broadcast get to watch some of the biggest names in ACT-type Late Model racing fight for the right to kiss the cow. Newly crowned Thunder Road “King of the Road” Jason Corliss, defending Milk Bowl winner Bobby Therrien, Midsummer Classic 250 winner Dillon Moltz, American-Canadian Tour (ACT) standout Ryan Kuhn, and two-time Thunder Road champion Scott Dragon are just a handful of the top racers who have entered the 58th Milk Bowl.
Sunday’s Vermont Milk Bowl presented by Northfield Savings Bank is part of a three-day racing festival to wrap up the Thunder Road season. The weekend kicks off Friday, October 2 at 6:00pm with Mekkelsen RV Milk Bowl Friday featuring the Pro All Stars Series Super Late Models, PASS Modifieds, Honey Badger Bar & Grill Street Stock Series, and North East Mini Stock Tour. Booth Bros./H.P. Hood Milk Bowl Qualifying Day is Saturday, October 3 at 1:00pm is with the three-segment Milk Bowl on Sunday, October 4 at 12:15pm.
The Northeast Sports Network will have a live pay-per-view broadcast of the entire weekend. The broadcast is $50 for all three days, $40 for Saturday/Sunday, or $25 for Friday-only. Fans can sign up at www.NSNsports.net/sponsors/racing.
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.
For more about the Northeast Sports Network, visit www.NSNsports.net or follow them on Facebook and Twitter at @NSNsports.
Looking at the results alone from the 70th running of the Race of Champions 250, it appeared to be a case of déjà vu once again with Matt Hirschman taking the Al Gerber Trophy in the oldest Modified race in the land. In truth, it was much more complicated than that.
The sixth straight and eighth overall RoC 250 win, along with the $12,570 check, did not come easy for ‘Big Money Matt’, as he came back from an early crash on Lap 35. That crash was the result of a stopped Jody Buckley on the backstretch causing a stack-up when then leader Tommy Catalano slowed to avoid a collision, with Hirschman and Patrick Emerling receiving damage.
With both driver’s crews helping them to rally back into contention, along with sound pit strategies, Hirschman eventually ran down Catalano for the lead in the late laps. Hirschman then held off Emerling who finished runner-up ahead of Austin Beers who rounded the podium after a late race charge of his own.
In victory lane, Hirschman showed a glimpse of pride in the work that he and his team have done in the last decade in this legendary race.
“Here we are again, it’s six straight, eighth overall. It’s just incredible, we’re making history. Records are made to be broken, good luck trying to beat this one,” said Hirschman at the end of the day.
As for the incident in question, Hirschman admitted that the 60 camp probably got away with one there.
“I’m not even sure what happened there, it happened quick that’s for sure, made it tougher for us. The competition is getting better which made it harder yet. Luckily I hit him square, destroyed the front bumper, so the rest of the race there was no taps coming from me. So I had to make sure I got out front and have a clean nose, because it wasn’t safe to be in the pack. But, it all worked out.”
After a hard fight through the field, the last third of the race was busisness as usual when it comes to the fall at Lake Erie these past few years.
“It went similar to what’s worked for us the last three years here. Eventually it’s not going to work, but I always believe in the saying, if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. I went with that again today, but it’s going to be something to look at for sure.”
Patrick Emerling more than echoed Hirschman’s claim of luck, being thankful for the second-place finish after thinking initially his race was done right there on Lap 35.
“We were set back pretty early on with that deal on the backstretch, we blew the right front off the car, and bent it up pretty good. Blew the brake line. Hats off to my guys, I didn’t think we were going to be able to get back on the track. We got it back together best we could, we were okay at the end, Matt was just a little better than us, and we were pretty beat up.”
Emerling had his hands full on the final two laps, holding off young up and comer Eric Beers who impressed many in attendance with a great drive through the field after being one of the later drivers to take fresh rubber.
“It was a great run, I got to thank Dave and Laura DeLange, I wouldn’t be here without them. Car was great at the end. We had 31 people come here to support us, thanks to all them. Maybe next time we’ll get two spots better.”
Even among Hirschman’s victory, he took the time to recognize the performance of his fellow Northampton, PA native who has become an unofficial pupil of Hirschman.
“Austin coming on in third, he’s just going to get better as a driver. I’m seeing it all the time racing with him in Pennsylvania. He’s learning from me, so eventually this might be him.”
Austin Kochenash and Jon McKennedy rounded the Top 5, while Tommy Catalano, Calvin Carroll, Chris Finocchario, Andy Jankowiak, and Timmy Catalano completed the Top 10.
The RoC Modified season concludes this Saturday, October 3 on the other side of Pennsylvania at Mahoning Valley Speedway.
CALL BEFORE YOU DIG MODIFIED CLASSIC 81 SET FOR OCTOBER 24
BY KYLE SOUZA
SEEKONK, Mass. — Tickets for the $10,000 to win Tri Track Open Modified Series debut at Stafford Motor Speedway on Saturday, October 24, are now on sale. All tickets sales done prior to race day will be through the Stafford Motor Speedway website and their online ticket portal.
Grandstand tickets for this race are priced at $35 per adult, while those children ages six to 14 will enter for just $10. Any children that are 5 years old and younger are free in the grandstands. Pit passes for the event are also available and will be sold for $50. Due to capacity limits in the state of Connecticut because of COVID-19, there is a chance tickets sell out, so fans are encouraged to act quickly.
“This is going to be race fans won’t want to miss,” Wayne Darling, Managing Partner of the Tri Track Open Modified Series, said. “The entry list is already stacking up, and we can’t wait to end our season with one of the most marquee races of the entire season in the Northeast.”
Call Before You Dig, a longtime supporter and sponsor at Stafford, has agreed to sponsor the prestigious event, titled the Call Before You Dig Modified Classic 81. The race will pin some of Tri Track’s top talent – names like Matt Hirschman, Chase Dowling and Ronnie Williams – against some Stafford regulars like Keith Rocco and Todd Owen, among others. It’s already been confirmed that southern Modified star and multiple-time Bowman Gray Stadium champion Burt Myers will be competing in the event.
With $10,000 on the line to the winner and a total purse nearing $50,000, the race is expected to draw a large car count and a full grandstand to end the 2020 season. So far, the Tri Track Open Modified Series has run three races in 2020 – two at Monadnock Speedway, with victories by Craig Lutz and Sam Rameau – and one at Star Speedway, where Matt Hirschman went to Victory Lane in the annual SBM.
For more information on Stafford Motor Speedway, fans are encouraged to visit staffordmotorspeedway.com and follow the track on social media. For more information on the Tri Track Open Modified Series, follow at tritrackmodifieds.com and follow the series on social media.
Milton – Brian L. Latuch, 57, died Sunday September 27, 2020. Arrangements are incomplete at this time and will be posted soon.To plant a tree in memory of Brian Latuch, please visit Tribute StoreServices for Brian LatuchThere are no events scheduled. You can still show your support by planting a tree in memory of Brian Latuch.Visit the Tribute Store
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Five 2020 Track Champions Crowned September 26 at Monadnock Speedway
By Gary Dutton
WINCHESTER, N.H. – Aaron Fellows (Croydon, NH), Chase Curtis (Rutland, MA), Nathan Wenzel (Granby, MA), and Mike Douglas (Northfield, MA) each won championships Saturday, September 26 at Monadnock Speedway, with Fellows and Wenzel both scoring Super Saturday feature wins on the final event of the season.
NHSTRA Modified ace Brian Robie had clinched his division’s 2020 crown a week earlier but, strongly in the hunt for top NASCAR Division 1 points – he entered Saturday’s event tied for fourth in the national ranking – the Sunapee speedster was third in Saturday’s 40-lap main event.
Swanzey, NH hot shoe Todd Patnode, the speedway’s Modified champion a year ago, moved up to second in the final 2020 tally by winning his fourth feature race of the year. Hillary Renaud (Vernon, VT) & topped the Street Stocks, impressive in her second victory of the summer.
The Heartbreak of The Day trophy went to Gordon Farnum Sunday. The six-race-winning Mini Stock hot shoe was an early-race victim, dropping him deep in the field and six points shy of a championship.
In the Modified 40-lapper, Patnode took the lead from Rookie of The Year Solomon Brow on lap 20 and never looked back. Brian Chapin followed Patnode to the front but could advance no farther. Robie (Sunapee, NH) concluded his championship season third on the day, just ahead of Brow.
Hillary Renaud led all the way to win her second Street Stock feature of the season Sunday. Chase Curtis, who entered the season finale two points ahead of his twin brother Jaret, got up for second on lap three and followed Renaud the rest of the way to earn the championship. Chris Buffone was third.
In the season-long battle of the talented still-live-at-home 16-year-old twins, Chase earned the 2020 Monadnock Street Stock crown six points ahead of brother Jaret.
Aaron Fellows took control on lap five of the Late Model Sportsman feature and blasted away to his 12th win of the summer, finishing far ahead of Justin Littlewood and 14-year-old hot shoe Camdyn Curtis.
While Fellows had also won the night before to wrap up his 13th championship at Claremont, his 2020 Monadnock crown is his first title ever at the high-banked speedplant.
Nathan Wenzel won the Mini Stock championship by dominating Saturday’s 25-lapper for his second win of the year. When six-time winner Gordon Farnum saw his championship hopes evaporate because of someone else’s bull-and-jam racing on lap three, Wenzel had a clear path to the title.
Kevin Cormier came from tenth on the starting grid to earn runner-up honors, and 2019 division champion Louie Maher Jr. was third.
Green Mountain Boy Kodi Sabins, the day after he’d both announced his engagement and won the 2020 championship at Claremont, dominated the Pure Stock feature. Coming from way back in row eight, Sabins took the lead from rookie Brandon Lavoie on lap15 and then drove away, taking the checkers far ahead of Lavoie and Joey Jarvis.
Mike Douglas, seventh on the day, earned his first-ever track championship, unseating 2019 track champ Chris Davis, who finished fourth on the day and second on the season.
In the mayhem of the nightcap 62-lap Linda Zubrino Memorial Enduro, Matt Gauffin came from 48th on the starting grid and passed Leon Keniston on lap 45 to top the frantic 70-car field.
GSPSS regular Josh King was dominant in winning a five-car, ten-lap Spectator Race.
Saturday’s Championship Day event was the 15th and final program of the pandemic-shortened 2020 racing season at the high-banked quarter mile. None of the track’s 2019 titlists were able to duplicate their success of last summer.
Monadnock Speedway will close out the 2020 Season hosting two Mudbogs on Sunday, October 4 and Sunday, October 18. More information can be found at monadnockspeedway.com.
MONADNOCK SPEEDWAY SEPTEMBER 25 RESULTS:
Pure Stocks: Kodi Sabens, Brandon Lavoie, Joey Jarvis, Chris Davis
CJ Johnson, Nick Houle, Mike Douglas, Robert Shaw, Cory Lofland, Matt Lambert, Jason Leray, JD Stockwell, Doug Nelson, Steve Zebrowski, Sean Lantas, Dylan Adams, Jim Decroucy, Bruce Clark, Justin Faford, Jimmy Zellman
Mini Stocks: Nathan Wenzel, Kevin Cormier, Louis Maher II, Tim Leblanc, Kevin McKnight, Kevin Clayton, Jeff Asselin, Jeff Heath, Todd Taylor, Jake Puchalski, William Chaffee, Ethan Marsh, Pat Houle, Gordon Farnum, Shelby Avery
Late Model Sportsman: Aaron Fellows, Justin Littlewood, Camdyn Curtis, Cole Littlewood, Robert Hagar, Willie Kuhn, Joe Bates, Tyler Lescord, John Meany, Scott Beck, Matt Winter, MIke Heffernan, Nancy Muni Ruot, Eric Martel, Keith Johnson, Dan Comeau
Street Stocks: Hillary Renaud, Chase Curtis, Chris Buffone, Jaret Curtis, Mike Radzuik, Tim Wenzel, Nathan Wenzel, Richard Vincent, Robbie Streeter, Ed Brehio IIINHSTRA Modifieds: Todd Patnode, Brian Chapin, Brian Robie, Solomon Brow, Cory Plummer, Joel Monahan, Brad Zahensky, Kevin Pittsinger, Jerry Gomarlo, Eric Leclair, Kim Rivet, Trevor Bleau
Photos courtesy of Emily Miller
Source: Michelle Cloutier Monadnock Speedway
Note: If your track, tour or event is not posted on this blog send your press releases and flyers to: lmodestino@hotmail.com
Kelly nips Scarborough for first win in thrilling finish
WEST HAVEN, Vt. – Demetrios Drellos never planned to race full-time at Devil’s Bowl Speedway in 2020, and he certainly did not plan to win the championship. He probably never planned to flip his car while trying to wrap the title up, either, but all of that came to pass on Saturday, September 26 in a Championship Night for the ages.
The Queensbury, N.Y., racer topped a list of divisional champions that included Johnny Bruno, Andrew FitzGerald, Chris Conroy, and Cody O’Brien. A fast, competitive dirt track surface resulted in spectacular feature wins for Marty Kelly III, Derek Bornt, Austin Comes, Hunter Sanchez, Josh LaPorte, and O’Brien, racing in front of a charged-up crowd on a warm, early autumn night.
The headline Pepsi Sportsman Modified delivered a thrilling 35-lap race to close the championship run, with drama throughout the event. Brandon, Vt.’s Joey Scarborough scooted away from the pack at the outset, and a long green-flag run gave him a big advantage. A caution flag bunched the field up and brought North Bennington, Vt.’s Marty Kelly III to Scarborough, and they began to engage in a nail-biting battle for the win.
With nine laps left, though, the whole season turned on its head – quite literally for point leader Drellos. Brent Warren, while running in the top 10, clipped the inside wall in Turn 4 and slid up the racetrack, spinning sideways at the start-finish line. With nowhere to go, Drellos plowed into Warren and was then hit from behind, sending his car into a barrel roll. Drellos attempted to drive his car away, but heavy front-end damage ended his night.
Drellos, who was visibly upset, exited his car on the track surface without the approval of the safety crew – a violation of the track’s rulebook – and he was penalized to last-place in the 24-car field, earning the race-minimum of 10 championship points. The same penalty was applied to driver Alex Bell for a similar infraction in June.
When the race resumed, the Scarborough-Kelly battle got white hot, and the drama of the Drellos crash was intensified with Adam Pierson left in the catbird seat for the title in the final laps.
Kelly drove extremely hard on the outside lane and took the lead on lap 27, but Scarborough never went away. Scarborough got back in front to lead lap 32, but Kelly buried his car into the turns to lead the final three circuits. Incidental contact was made coming off the final corner – the result of good, clean racing – and Kelly scored the first win his career by less than a car length, carrying the colors and No. 357 formerly run by Devil’s Bowl Speedway champion Butch Jelley.
Scarborough took the runner-up spot to match his best finish of the 2020 season, and veteran racer Jimmy Ryan also equaled his high-water mark in third place. Tim LaDuc and Bobby Hackel completed the top five. Kenny Tremont Jr. finished sixth with Mike Palmer seventh. Justin Stone claimed Rookie of the Year honors with an eighth-place finish, and Billy Lussier was ninth.
Pierson, however, was unable to advance his position on the track and finished 10th, falling just eight points shy of the title, 752-746. Qualifying heats were won by Scarborough, Vince Quenneville, and Palmer, and Stone won the last-chance consolation round.
The Sportsman Modified division also had its third 25-lap Draw Race feature of the year, giving “outside” racers a chance to shine without having to battle through the weekly handicapping system. Derek Bornt was on his game all night long, and the Poestenkill, N.Y., driver won both his qualifying heat and the feature race. Bornt had a sizeable advantage for much of the race, but David Boisclair tracked him down late and put up an exciting challenge.
The pair raced side-by-side in the final laps – much like Kelly and Scarborough – but Bornt held on for the first Devil’s Bowl win of his career. Boisclair, who won the first Draw Race in August, settled for second. Walter J. Hammond was third ahead of Ray Hall Jr. and Mike Ballestero. Dylan Rabtoy, who won his heat and led the first lap of the feature, finished sixth. John Stowell, Jamy Begor, William August, and Alex Bell rounded out the top 10.
Austin Comes posted the most unlikely victory of the evening, winning the 25-lap feature for the O’Reilly Auto Parts Limited Sportsman division. The Middlebury, Vt., racer was involved in a hard wreck when he spun his car sideways on the opening lap and collected the cars of Evan Roberts and Gary English in a big impact. After pitting during the caution period, Comes returned to the track – with a pair of vise grip pliers holding a broken brake line together – and he began his ascent through the field.
Comes reached leader Anthony Ryan on the 20th lap and made a daring dive into Turn 3 to steal the lead, and then he drove away to a popular win. Ryan was the runner-up, with Johnny Bruno, Lacey Hanson, and John Gosselin in tow; Gosselin impressed by leading two laps and scoring the top-five finish in just his fourth start. Anthony Warren was sixth, followed by Shawn McPhee, Scott FitzGerald, Matt Bilodeau, and Kevin Groff.
Comes, Ryan, and Bilodeau won the heats, and Roberts won the consi. Jeff White drove his car away from a rollover in the early laps and returned to finish 14th.
Bruno, 17, brought his second consecutive Limited Sportsman championship home to nearby Castleton, Vt., on the strength of 12 top-three finishes. Bruno stretched his point lead out in the final weeks, taking a 52-point margin over Warren, 814-762.
The trophy for the Super Stock division’s 20-lap feature went home with a first-time Devil’s Bowl racer, after Hunter Sanchez’s successful maiden voyage to Vermont. A multi-time winner at the Albany-Saratoga and Fonda tracks, the Schodack, N.Y., native started 13th and found himself in the battle for the lead with less than five laps left.
Sanchez pulled to the outside with two laps remaining and took the lead away from Bill Duprey momentarily, but he lost the handle on his car and briefly went off the track in Turn 1 soon after, falling to fourth place. Moments later, Duprey got turned around by second-place driver Bill Fountain, putting him backwards into the wall and putting Fountain to the tail of the field.
A green-white-checkered restart saw Sanchez have a second opportunity, and he made the most of it by pulling away from Andrew FitzGerald for the win. FitzGerald finished second ahead of Tyler Irwin’s Ford F-150 pickup truck, with Josh LeClaire and Jim McKiernan next in line. Fountain and McKiernan won the heats. West Rutland, Vt., racer FitzGerald locked up his first championship driving the same car that his father, Scott, won the title in last year, with a huge 127-point margin over Ronnie Alger, 697-570.
Thirty-one Mini Stocks rolled out for an intense 15-lap finale, and the battle for the win was an entertaining side-by-side run. Former Airborne Speedway champion Josh LaPorte made his trip from Peru, N.Y., worth it as he battled fellow North Country racer Michael “Gilligan” Daniels for a hard-fought victory – his first at Devil’s Bowl – in a photo finish. Chris Conroy finished a solid third ahead of Jarrod Colburn in fourth and a career-best finish for rookie Freddy Burch in fifth. Heats were won by T.J. Knight, Griff Mahoney, and Daniels.
Newport, N.H., native Conroy became the first Granite State racer since 2013 to win a Devil’s Bowl championship in a full-time weekly division. Conroy scored 11 podium finishes and outdistanced defending Mini Stock champion Craig Kirby by 22 points for the title, 638-616. Chris Sumner of Ripton, Vt., was the Rookie of the Year after a three-win freshman season.
Cody O’Brien went out on top in the Friend Construction 500cc Mini Sprint division, by sweeping both the race win and the championship. The 15-year-old Springfield, Vt., racer swapped the lead twice with John McPhee Jr. in the first half of the race, and then he held off a drive by Samantha Mulready through lapped traffic as the laps ticked away. O’Brien held on for his fifth win of the year and his second championship in three seasons.
Mulready was second in the race, followed by Kaidin White, Rookie of the Year Troy Audet, and Kamden Duffy. O’Brien’s margin for the title was 36 points over Austin Chaves, 724-688, and Bridport, Vt., racer Audet beat White for the rookie crown by just 17 markers, 619-602.
The “Fast Lap Challenge” rewarded drivers in each division with bonus cash and gift certificates for turning the fastest single-lap time during the feature races. Sportsman Modified runner-up Joey Scarborough took $150 in bonuses from Competition Carburetion, KillerCrate Racing Engines, and James Osterhoudt for his quick lap of 18.285 seconds. Anthony Ryan won the same amount in the Limited Sportsman class, as did Super Stock winner Hunter Sanchez. Michael Daniels won $100 in the Mini Stock division from Brian’s Lawn Care of Middlebury, Vt., and Green Motorsports posted $100 for the Mini Sprint class, which went to Cody O’Brien.
Additionally, the website www.InsideColoradoWrestling.com – run by Vermont native Tom Blair – put up $50 for “Hard Charger” awards in the Mini Stock and Mini Sprint divisions. Derrick Counter gained 18 positions in the Mini Stocks to earn the money, and Kaidin White’s gain of seven spots was the biggest move in the Mini Sprints.
The Addison County Benefit Pull comes to Devil’s Bowl on Friday, October 2 and Saturday, October 3 with two full days of truck, tractor, and garden tractor pulls. More information including schedules and ticket availability is online at www.AddisonCountyBenefitPull.com.
The 2020 stock car racing season closes with the “Foliage Fun Run” event on Sunday, October 4, with open-competition “run what ya brung” races for all five weekly divisions, plus mechanic races and a 100-lap Enduro. Tickets will soon be available on the Devil’s Bowl Speedway website.
Devil’s Bowl Speedway is located on Route 22A in West Haven, Vt., four miles north of U.S. Route 4, Exit 2, and just 20 minutes from Rutland, Vt. For more information, visit www.DevilsBowlSpeedwayVT.com or call (802) 265-3112. Devil’s Bowl Speedway is on Facebook at facebook.com/DevilsBowlSpeedway, and on Twitter, Instagram, and Snapchat at @DevilsBowlSpeed; follow the action using the #DevilsBowl hashtag.
UNOFFICIAL RESULTS – Championship Night
Devil’s Bowl Speedway – West Haven, Vt.
Saturday, September 26, 2020
Pepsi Sportsman Modified Feature (35 laps)
Pos.-(Start)-Driver-Hometown
# – denotes rookie
1. (3) Marty Kelly III, North Bennington, Vt.
2. (1) Joey Scarborough, Brandon, Vt.
3. (7) Jimmy Ryan, Whiting, Vt.
4. (13) Tim LaDuc, Orwell, Vt.
5. (11) Bobby Hackel, Rensselaer, N.Y.
6. (14) Kenny Tremont Jr., West Sand Lake, N.Y.
7. (5) Mike Palmer, Salisbury, Vt.
8. (19) # Justin Stone, Middlebury, Vt.
9. (9) Billy Lussier, Fair Haven, Vt.
10. (16) Adam Pierson, East Corinth, Vt.
11. (18) Todd Stone, Middlebury, Vt.
12. (12) John St. Germain Jr., West Sand Lake, N.Y.
13. (8) # Josh Masterson, Bristol, Vt.
14. (24) # James Hanson, Orwell, Vt.
15. (20) Jack Speshock, Malta, N.Y.
16. (4) Vince Quenneville, Brandon, Vt.
17. (21) Kevin Chaffee, Bradford, Vt.
18. (22) Tanner Siemons, Orford, N.H.
19. (10) Frank Hoard III, Manchester Center, Vt.
20. (6) Brian Whittemore, Pittsford, Vt.
21. (2) Brent Warren, Salisbury, Vt.
22. (15) Justin Comes, Middlebury, Vt.
23. (23) Mike Fisher, Castleton, Vt.
24. (17) Demetrios Drellos, Queensbury, N.Y.
Did Not Qualify: # Adam Piper, Leicester, Vt.; Alex Bell, Cambridge, N.Y.
Heat Winners: Joey Scarborough, Vince Quenneville, Mike Palmer
Sunoco Back on Board as World Series Presenting Sponsor
Budweiser, Boston Beer Company Sign on for Division Sponsorships
Thompson, CT– Officials from the American-Canadian Tour (ACT) and Pro All Stars Series (PASS) have announced the addition of several big sponsors for the 58th Annual World Series of Speedway Racing on October 9-11 at Connecticut’s Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park. Sunoco, Budweiser, and the Boston Beer Company are partnering with event promoters Cris Michaud and Tom Mayberry to help support the three-day racing festival.
Sunoco has agreed to return as the World Series presenting sponsor. For many years, the auto racing extravaganza has been known as the Sunoco World Series of Speedway Racing. Along the way, Sunoco Race Fuels have been used by top divisions and series throughout New England. The latest agreement continues this long-standing partnership of the nation’s leading high-performance fuel brand and the Northeast’s biggest auto racing event.
Longtime Thompson Speedway partner Budweiser, part of the Anheuser-Busch InBev brewing company, is also joining the Sunoco World Series program. The 75-lap Tour-type Modified Open on Saturday, October 10 is now known as the Budweiser Modified Open. Entries have already been received from Chase Dowling and Jeff Gallup among others for the $5,000-to-win event.
The Boston Beer Company of Boston, MA is attaching three of their internationally-recognized brands to feature events on Sunday, October 11. Thompson’s local Limited Sportsmen and SK Light Modified divisions will be known as the Samuel Adams Limited Sportsmen and Twisted Tea SK Light Modifieds, respectively, for their 20-lap main events. The visiting NEMA Lite Midgets are receiving sponsorship from Truly Hard Seltzer.
Both Budweiser and Boston Beer Company products will be served in the Thompson Speedway concession area during the Sunoco World Series weekend. Sunoco Race Fuels will be available in the paddock area for all teams.
“We’re excited to have Sunoco, Budweiser, and Boston Beer Company as World Series partners,” ACT managing partner Cris Michaud said. “Support from companies like these is part of what makes it possible for us to go to the race track. We encourage all of our fans and teams to let them know they appreciate their involvement with auto racing.”
The Sunoco World Series of Speedway Racing card includes 19 divisions across three days of racing from Friday, October 9 to Sunday, October 11. The NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour, ISMA Big Block Supermodifieds, Budweiser Modified Open, ACT-type Late Model Open, 350 Supermodified Open, and NEMA Midgets are just some of the highlights on the busy card.
A three-day general admission ticket for the Sunoco World Series of Speedway Racing is $55 for adults and $15 for kids ages 12 and under. Advance tickets can be purchased by visiting https://happsnow.com/event/Thompson-Speedway-Motorsports-Park-YHPQ/WORLD-SERIES–NO2QX. Pit passes will be sold at the track and are $75 for adults and $40 for kids ages 12 and under.
For more information about the Sunoco World Series of Speedway Racing schedule, contact the ACT offices at (802) 244-6963, media@acttour.com, or visit www.acttour.com/thompson-speedway. You can also get updates on Facebook and Twitter at @ACTTour.
For camping information and general Thompson Speedway inquires, call (860) 923-2280, email oval@thompsonspeedway.com, or visit www.thompsonspeedway.com. You can follow Thompson Speedway on Facebook and Instagram at @ThompsonSpeedway or on Twitter at @ThompsonSpdwy.
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.
Pre-season work turns into regular season success for Jordan
WATERFORD — Tim Jordan says running fast laps in the SK Modified division at the New London Waterford Speedbowl has never been a problem for him. Trying to run 35 fast laps in the same race, however, was a problem.
“Our story in the SKs is that we always ran up front, but we never sealed the deal,” Jordan said. “And when you have good runs and you don’t win, the pressure mounts.” This season, however, Jordan’s end game has been formidable. He won on opening weekend July 18 and hasn’t stopped winning.
He also won the Bob Potter Memorial on Sept. 19, worth more than $5,000, and also won the following week, on Sept. 26 for this third win of the season. Jordan will go into Saturday’s 35-lap SK Modified feature with a 25-point lead over Joe Gada in the battle for the season championship.
“I think the potential has always been there,” Jordan said. “But we definitely have had more success this year, We’ve used our experiences over the past few years and tried some different things. We’ve come up with something that’s been consistent and good.” Consistency would be an understatement. Jordan hasn’t finished out of the Top 5 in any race this year. The fact that Jordan has competed in all seven races has also made a major difference.
“During the past few years, we really haven’t race that much,” Jordan said. “People associated me with full-time racing, but we really haven’t been full time since 2014, “This is the first time in five years where we said let’s go racing every week regardless of what happens, In the past the team took time off if we got wrecked or if family stuff came up. Racing was a focus, but it wasn’t our main focus. This year we put racing right up at the forefront. No matter what happens, we’re going racing every week.” This success story, however, actually started before the season began. The late start, because of the coronavirus, worked to Jordan’s advantage.
“We had more time, and that allowed us to work on stuff that we normally don’t have time to work on,” Jordan said. “We didn’t wait until the last minute to get things done. We treated it like the season was going to start on time and we kept working.” That work ethic continued into the start of the season.
“We kept working on the things that made us better,” Jordan said. “Wee were able to focus strictly on the race car, rather than other aspects of the sport.” Perhaps the defining moment for Jordan in 2020 was his win in the 102-lap Potter Memorial, a race in which he went toe-to-toe with all-time Speedbowl winner Keith Rocco lap after lap.
“It was a pretty good night,” Jordan said. “Being a Speedbowl third generation driver and knowing the history of the track, I know how significant Bob Potter was. He was the man. Before Dennis Gada and before Keith Rocco, Bob Potter set the precedent of winning. It’s a race I’ll always remember. And I think it’s a race everyone else will remember too.”
Jordan said the battle between Rocco and him was an old-fashioned Saturday night shootout.
”It was a throwback to old school racing,” Jordan said. “It was two guys slugging out, but never wrecking. We trusted each other’s talent to run as hard as we could.
“I knew I had a better car — I just had to be smart and to wait as long as I could. I knew what I had to do, and I did it.”
Then he did it again the following week, finishing ahead of Andrew Molleur. ‘We have been consistent, that’s been the big thing,” Jordan said. “Our main goal is to run up front and wind up in tech after every race. I want to see the tech officials, I don’t want to see the wrecker guys.”
So far the hard work is paying off.
“This is basically a full-time job for me and my dad to maintain the car,” Jordan said. “People don’t realize how much work you have to put in. There’s no magic bullet. It just boils down to working hard, being crafty and being on top of your game on and off the track.
“We’ve been on the other end of it. I’ve struggled up to this point and I know people have expected a lot from me. But that’s the beauty of this year. This is the season I knew I could have and it’s finally happening.
Helping to make it happen is a crew consisting of Chris Burton, Jim Hugh, Chris Mullin, his dad Pat Jordan, spotter Cam Robinson and Jim Combs.
His sponsors include the Brynes Agency, LFR, Magnus Performance Products, SKM and Concrete Express. His engine builder is Larry’s Auto Machine.
Jordan said his focus for the final races is not going to change.
“We’re just going to keep doing what we’re doing,” Jordan said. “We’re not going to change our mindset.”
A title would give Jordan championships in three Speedbowl divisions, the SK Modifieds, the Late Models and the Mini Stocks.
“I’m working so hard in the Sks, sometimes I forget I’ve raced in the other two divisions,” Jordan said. “Maybe when my career is over, I’ll sit back and reflect on it, but not now.” His attention is exclusively on the SK Modifieds. The money he earned in the Potter race should get him through the season.
“The money is all going back into the race car,” Jordan said. “There will be no vacations, no gifts and no treats. It’s all about racing.”
After all, Jordan has big plans every Saturday for the rest of the season.
Note: Brett Moffitt also drives a NASCAR Xfinity entry of Cape Cod’s Chris Our who calls Harwich, MA home
Courtesy of the Las Vegas Review-Journal
Brett Moffitt (23) before the start of a NASCAR Truck Series race at Dover International Speedway, Friday, Aug. 21, 2020, in Dover, Del. (AP Photo/Jason Minto)
By Ron Kantowski Las Vegas Review-Journal September 23, 2020
It has been said that finishing second is the first loser on the race track, but so far that hasn’t been the case for former NASCAR truck series champion Brett Moffitt.
Moffitt will be seeking his first victory of 2020 in Friday’s Westgate 200 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway but leads the championship by virtue on four runner-up finishes, including one in the playoff opener at Bristol, Tennessee, last week.
“We need to have four trucks racing for a championship in Phoenix, and this is a good start for us,” said the 28-year-old driver of the No. 23 Chevrolet for GMS Racing, a team owned by Las Vegas businessman Maury Gallagher.
Moffitt finished second to part-time and 17-year-old teammate Sam Mayer at Bristol. Moffitt led 117 of the 200 laps but Mayer had fresher tires during the closing segment and beat Moffitt to the checkered flag by 4.4 seconds.
Sheldon Creed, driving a third GMS truck, overcame a pit road speeding penalty to finish 11th and holds down second place in the playoff standings ahead of teammate Zane Smith.SPORTS NEWS YOUR WAYSign up for our free daily Sports Update newsletter. SIGN UP By signing up you agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms of Service. Unsubscribe at any time.
As Mayer’s victory suggested, at this stage of the postseason everything is still up for grabs. But with four trucks in the playoff field, the GMS team is in good position to win its second series championship and first since Johnny Sauter claimed the 2016 title.
Pastrana, Daly to drive
Friday’s truck race at LVMS also will feature a couple of notable guest drivers.
Action sports star Travis Pastrana, last seen in Las Vegas during 2018 when he successfully replicated three of iconic daredevil Evel Knievel’s most famous jumps on one night, will drive a Chevy truck for Niece Motorsports and have IndyCar veteran Conor Daly as a teammate. The two are rivals in a private iRacing online league.
“I’m really looking forward to bringing our rivalry to the real world,” Pastrana said in a statement. “I’m looking forward to seeing how the hours in iRacing pay off on the track, especially for Conor who has never driven a NASCAR truck in real life.
“He might be the first person in history to jump into a professional racing series and take the green flag without so much as a single practice lap in real life.”
Daly, whose father, Derek, was a Formula One and IndyCar driver and once operated a driving school out of LVMS during its early days, has 61 IndyCar starts including seven in the Indianapolis 500. He finished 31st in his NASCAR Xfinity Series debut in 2018 for Roush Fenway Racing.
Russell LaBounty/Motorsport Images
Brett Moffitt (23) before the start of a NASCAR Truck Series race at Dover International Speedway, Friday, Aug. 21, 2020, in Dover, Del. (AP Photo/Jason Minto)