Track Talk
By Lou Modestino (for Sat. 9/1/18) (Check out Lou Modestino’s Track talk blog at http://www.enterprisenews.com/section/blogs01?taxid=1838 )
With perfect Fall weather, a packed house and outstanding racing, last year’s Haunted Hundred for the Tri-Track Open Modified Series (TTOMS) event at Seekonk Speedway could not have gotten any better. But the Tri-Track Open Modified Series has been working hard to see that they do just that on Saturday, October 27 at Seekonk Speedway. In addition to the hotly contested 100-lap Modified and 50-lap Late Model races, management has joined forces with the Pro-All-Star Series (PASS) to add a 150-lap Super Late Model event to the already stout schedule of short-track racing.
Champions for both the Tri-Track Open Modified Series and the PASS Northern SLM Tour will be crowned on Saturday, October 27 at Seekonk Speedway. Over the next two months the anticipation for this finale event will only continue to build. While the incredibly tight point race for the 2018 TTOMS championship could be considered the highlight going into the race, so too will be the chase to the championship for the PASS Series. Add to that the once series dominator, Matt Hirschman has yet to visit TTOMS victory lane this season and this event will be laden with drama.
The likes of DJ Shaw, Travis Benjamin, Derek Griffith, Ben Rowe and many more will make the trip to the Bay State for the tricks and treats of the Haunted happenings at Seekonk Speedway in Seekonk. Gates open at 11 am with racing starting at 1 pm on Saturday, October 27. Pit gates opens at 8 am. The rain date is Sunday, October 28.
Elsewhere this Labor Day weekend tonight the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour will be performing at the Oswego Speedway in central NY on the shore of Lake Ontario.
Next weekend on Saturday, Sept. 8 the Valenti Modified Racing Series will be in action at the Beech Ridge Motor Speedway in Scarborough, ME. On the same night the Claremont Speedway in western NH offers a Modified Open while the Riverhead Speedway out on Long Island, NY will host the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour. That’s a lot of competing events for race teams and fans, which can thin out the entries and grandstand seats for the ticket buyers.
Not only that but the Star Speedway in Epping, NH hosts the ISMA Super Modifeids in the Annual Classic next Saturday, Sept 8. Modified and Super Modified fans are one in the same further thinning out the fan base.
Decisions have to be made by the fans in the New England area as to where they plan to be and spend their hard earned ticket money. There’s only nine more weekends left in the 2018 racing season. Also weather problems could muddy the waters here due to the fact that we are now in the tropical storm and possible hurricane season.
Elsewhere this Labor Day Weekend tonight, Saturday, Sept. 1, the NEMA Lites are set for Star Speedway in Epping, NH. The ISMA Super Mods will be at the Oswego Speedway in NY while Seekonk Speedway goes with a Thrill Show tonight, Hudson Speedway in southern NH offers back-to-back stock car action Sunday and Monday afternoons at 1 pm. On Saturday, Sept. 8 the NEMA Lites head for Wiscasset Speedway on the Maine coast. For the draggers it’s runs and eliminations at New England Dragway in Epping, NH on Saturday and Sunday at 8 am each day. (end)
Note: Information for this column came from press releases and personal notes