Column By: PHIL SMITH / RPW – WESTERLY, RI – First off, a Very Merry Christmas along with good health and happiness for the New Year. As of this Friday, Dec 28 only six short weeks remain until the engines start at the Daytona International Speedway and at the New Smyrna Speedway.
The recently announced Bullring Bash Quarter Mile Challenge will feature a purse of over $90,000 for its trio of 2019 events. The first round of the three-race, non-points challenge will see $30,000 paid out to Modified drivers at White Mountain Motorsports Park on June 16, with $4,500 going to the racer who bests the unique race format and a minimum of $1,000 going to all starters.
“With the Bullring Bash, we’re committed to awarding strong purses for both the Modified and Legends classes,” said Bullring Bash founder Josh Vanada. “Because each of our events stand alone on the calendar, we’re able to offer more money and larger purses during the season, when our competitors need them the most. Each race purse is balanced and will pay well throughout the final running order, giving every competitor a chance to take home something significant at all three of our rounds.”
In addition to the $30,000 committed to the season opener, the second round at White Mountain Motorsports Park and the final event of 2019 at Thunder Road International Speedbowl will each see purses of $24,800 paid to Modified drivers. These rounds will pay $3,500 to win and $800 to start.
Legends drivers who compete in the Bullring Bash will also benefit from the strongest purses in the region, with well over $10,000 committed to what should be some of the deepest fields in New England. Each Legends race will pay $4,000 in total, with $1,500 going to the winner of each 35-lap battle. Keeping with the Bullring Bash’s commitment to balanced purses throughout the running order, last place’s entry fee and pit pass will be covered by its share of the purse.
In addition to race purses, drivers will have the opportunity to earn additional cash and product considerations through a number of bonus initiatives that will be announced in the coming weeks and months leading up to the season. When combined with race purses, the total posted awards given out during the 2019 Bullring Bash Quarter Mile Challenge will easily exceed $100,000.
The first to be announced is that Hoosier Racing Tire will be the Official Tire Supplier for Bullring Bash Quarter Mile Challenge events in 2019. In partnership with local distributor Hoosier Tires East, Bullring Bash Modified competitors can look forward to a number of Hoosier-backed contingency initiatives in 2019, as well as trackside support at all events.
As in other Modified promotions, Bullring Bash competitors will use the 1320 (left side) and 1330 (right side) tire compounds at all 2019 events. Teams will be allotted up to six tires per event for Qualifying Races and the Main Event. The two change tires for the event can be purchased and used at the team’s discretion. Teams will also be allowed to bring four Practice tires from previous events and have them scanned into their inventory, or purchase Practice tires at the track. The overall result is an economical tire program that allows teams to save money overall and be able to purchase as few as four tires for any Bullring Bash event.
Hoosier Racing Tire and Hoosier Tires East will also offer the following contingency awards for Modified competitors during the 2019 Bullring Bash Quarter Mile Challenge:
· Hoosier Champion’s Jacket: Hoosier will award a Champion’s Jacket to the driver who earned the lowest race point total after competing in all three Bullring Bash events. In the event of a tie, the driver who earned the best finishing position in the final event of the season at Thunder Road International Speedbowl will earn the Champion’s Jacket.
· Hoosier Hard Luck Award: Hoosier will award two tires at the next Bullring Bash event to the car owner whose team encountered the largest challenges or obstacles during each round. The Hoosier Hard Luck Award winner will be determined by Bullring Bash officials and announced after the race.
· Hoosier Two-Tire Award: Hoosier will award two tires at the next Bullring Bash event to a team that finishes between 10th and 20th at each round. The lucky finishing position will be drawn and announced at the Driver/Crew Chief Meeting at the start of each event.
· Hoosier Long Haul Award: Hoosier will award a $350 cash bonus to the Modified owner who travels the furthest distance for the race.
Officials from the Pro All Stars Series (PASS) and Richmond Raceway announced today a new date and additional details for the inaugural PASS Commonwealth Classic following last October’s postponement of the original date due to weather. The PASS National Championship Super Late Models will headline the inaugural PASS Commonwealth Classic at Richmond Raceway on Saturday night, March 30, 2019. This date was originally mentioned after the postponement in October by Richmond Raceway and PASS officials and was confirmed with today’s announcement. The PASS Super Late Models will compete in a 100-lap event on the famed 3/4-mile oval, along with a 75 lapper for the Tour-Type Modifieds.
As previously announced, the MASS Street Stocks will race for 40 laps, while the American-Canadian Tour (ACT) Late Models and 4-Cylinders have been added to complete this night of grassroots racing.
This event is a direct confliction with the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour Series event that is scheduled for the South Boston Speedway in South Boston, Va.
Special Happy Birthday wishes to one of the all time greatest the late Mr Leo Cleary who is now making laps at the great speedway in the sky.
On the speedway stock market scene last week the market continued to plunge. Just about everything dropped. All three speedway stocks dropped but not too bad. Speedway Motorsports dropped 0.95 to 15.39, the International Speedway Corporation dropped 0.65 to 42.57 and Dover Entertainment dropped 0.04 to 1.97. NASCAR cup sponsor Monster Beverage dropped 4.46 to 48.23, NASCAR fuel supplier Sun Oil (Energy Transfer) dropped 1.83 to 12.24 and NASCAR tire supplier Goodyear dropped 0,91 to 19.87. The car builders didn’t escape the wrath. Ford dropped 0.47 to 8.05, General Motors dropped 2.12 to 32.98 and Toyota dropped 6.14 to 113.96. In the home improvement sector, Home Depot dropped 11.81 to 160.48 and Lowes dropped 5.72 to 87.64. In big team sponsors stocks, McDonalds dropped 6.14 to 174.15, Coca-Cola dropped 29.76 to 180.39, Target dropped 0.04 to 61.13, Dow-Dupont dropped 2.19 to 50.59, Fedex dropped 26.11 to 158.00 and Porter Cable Stanley Works dropped 4.67 to 113.69.
