Column Compiled By: PHIL SMITH / RPW – WESTERLY, RI – Racing in the northeast comes to an end this weekend with the running of the 50th annual Turkey Derby at the Wall Stadium in New Jersey.
A full weekend of racing will be on tap at the Jersey shore oval. On Friday the SK/Wall modifieds will be featured in a 100 lap contest.
Also featured will be Limited Late Models: 50 laps, INEX Legends: 40 laps, Factory Stocks: 50 laps and Four Cylinders: 30 laps. Saturday will feature the Turkey Derby 150 for Tour type Modifieds, ATQMRA TQ Midgets: 30 laps, Sportsman: 50 laps and Dirt Modifieds: 50 laps.
The weekend will wrap up on Sunday with an 8cylinder Demolition Derby and a Minivan Demolition Derby.
Wall Stadium is a high-banked 1/3 mile asphalt speedway which is very fast.
Going into this weekend, Area Auto Racing News, the No.1 source for racing news since 1963 has compiled a list of feature winners for asphalt speedways. Leading the pack is Matt Hirschman who has 17 wins to his credit, Todd Owen and Ron Silk are tied for second with seven wins each. Austin Beers, Justin Bonsignore and Keith Rocco are in a three-way tie with five wins each.
Stafford Speedway and SRX officials have announced that the 2024 SRX series will once again open their season in Stafford Springs, CT on Thursday, July 11th. This marks the 3rd time SRX has kicked off their season at Stafford.
“This is a testament to the Northeast race fans,” explained Stafford Speedway CEO Mark Arute. “We were honored to host the SRX series the first time in 2021, now we are on SRX’s fifth visit to Stafford. Our fans continue to show how much they love short track racing. Each time the SRX series has come to town the atmosphere in the stands is incredible. The Northeast has always been overlooked when it comes to the national auto racing spotlight but SRX has proved that these fans deserve events like this.”
Past Stafford SRX winners include quite the mix of drivers with Ryan Newman winning twice in 2022 and 2023, Denny Hamlin taking home the win in his first SRX start in 2023, and local hero Doug Coby shocking the world and winning in the SRX series debut in 2021. If history is any indication, 2024 will be another event full of drama and surprises.
“I’ve known the Arute’s for a very long time, they wanted SRX back and we think it makes sense,” explained SRX CEO Don Hawk. “The ownership group, ESPN, and the drivers’ reaction was similar – they run a first class race track and we pack the place every year. Why not reward that commitment and passion of the entire Arute Family with the return to CT.”
Tickets for the July 11th event will go on sale January 6, 2024. Season ticket holders can now purchase SRX tickets as an add-on with their annual season ticket renewal.
Congratulations to Cary Stratton and Lew Boyd who were the recipients of the Charlie Mitchell – Jack Ratta Memorial Media award at the recent NEAR Hall of Fame inductions. Boyd and Stratton operate Coastal 181, which has become one of the biggest publishing firms for its auto racing content. There are books in their catalog on legendary racers like Richie Evans, Bugsy Stevens, Dave Dion, Ed Flemke, Ron Bouchard, Jim Shampine, Lou Lazzaro and Billy Greco among others. Lew himself has penned books on Bill Wimble, Fonda Speedway and the Boehler Race Team.
Lew was the recipient of the prestigious Frank Maratta Award for outstanding contribution to auto racing in 2003.
Stafford Speedway officials have put the finishing touches on their 2024 racing schedule. 24 events make up the calendar from late April to late September, kicking off with the NAPA Auto Parts Spring Sizzler April 27th & 28th and wrapping up at the NAPA Auto Parts Fall September 28th. “We are excited about how the 2024 schedule came together, with a great balance of special events and weekly racing,” explained Stafford CEO Mark Arute. “Our focus continues to be on showcasing our weekly race teams and ensuring our local competitors feel at home every race night.”
The 2024 NAPA Spring Sizzler® Weekend will once again be one of the biggest short track events of the year and will feature two separate days of racing. The NAPA Auto Parts Duel, two 40-lap qualifying races, will be held Saturday, April 27th and will set the field for Sunday’s 52nd Spring Sizzler®. Also on the card for Saturday will be the Street Stocks, Limited Late Model, and Late Model divisions.
Sunday, April 28th, Stafford will play host to the highest paying Modified race in the country, the $20,000 to win 52nd running of the NAPA Auto Parts Spring Sizzler®. The SK Modified®, and SK Light Modified divisions will accompany the Modifieds for a packed afternoon of racing. Race fans will also have the opportunity to meet their favorite drivers at the NAPA Pit Party.
New for 2024, the GAF Roofing Modified Masters will be held Wednesday, July 17th. Big prize money will be on the line with Open Modified teams set to battle for a $12,000 to win prize in the 100 lap event. Also on the card that night will be the biggest SK Light Modified race of the year. Dubbed the King of the Crate, SK Light Modified teams will compete in a 40-lap, $2,000 to win event.
Stafford’s 5 weekly divisions, including SK Modified®, Late Model, SK Light Modified, Limited Late Model, and Street Stocks, are scheduled to compete Friday nights starting May 10th and running throughout 2024 culminating with the NAPA Auto Parts Champions Night on Friday, September 27th where the season champions will be crowned.
Each of Stafford’s 5 weekly divisions will have at least one special event night beginning with the first of two 40-lap SK Light races on Friday, May 24th, presented by Monaco Ford. The second SK Light double down race will be held July 17th with the GAF Modified Masters. Bonuses for the highest average finishes across both 40-lap events will be awarded. Limited Late Models will go an extra 10 laps on June 14th presented by Riley Generators, Street Stocks will run an extra 10 laps on June 28th for the annual Midstate Site Development Firecracker 30, and Paradiso Insurance returns as the presenting sponsor for the Late Model 50 on September 6th.
Stafford’s top weekly division, the SK Modifieds®, will have 3 special events in 2024 including: Senators Cup (50 laps) – June 21st, 11th Annual NAPA SK 5K (111 laps) – August 2nd, TC 13 SK Modified® Shootout (13 laps) – September 13th.
Open Modified racing will continue to be a staple on the Stafford Speedway calendar, with 5 events including one event with the Monaco Modified Series: April 27th & 28th – NAPA Auto Parts Spring Sizzler & Duel, June 7th – Casella Waste Systems Open Modified 80, July 17th – GAF Roofing Modified Masters, August 16th – Lincoln Tech Open Modified 80 and September 28th – NAPA Auto Parts Fall Final (Monaco Modifieds)
Season tickets for the 2024 season went on sale Monday, October 30th online at StaffordSpeedway.com/tickets. Early discount pricing is available through December 15th. Contact the track office with any questions. For more information, visit staffordspeedway.com, follow Stafford Speedway on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or contact the track office at 860-684-2783.
How To Watch Stafford Motor Speedway Live In 2024:
Every event on the 2024 Stafford Motor Speedway schedule will be streamed live on FloRacing in 2024. Earlier this year, FloRacing and Stafford Motor Speedway extended their live streaming partnership through the 2028 season.
On a sad note, a living legend in the racing announcing world, Ken Squire, has passed away. (Taken from the NEAR website) The voice of Ken Squier has been easily recognized, for the last 50 years, by a few thousand fans at the high banks of Vermont’s Thunder Road International Speedbowl, or a few million listening to the “Great American Race” from the high banks of the Daytona Speedway. Squier started out as an announcer at Mallets Bay and the Northeastern Speedway in the 1950s, before opening Thunder Road in Barre, VT in 1960.
Ken is one of the founders of World Sports Enterprises and the Motor Racing Network, which he co-founded with Bill France in 1970. He later moved to television, calling the first live broadcast of the Daytona 500 in 1979. He is credited with coining the phrase “The Great American Race” for NASCAR’s biggest event. He called every Daytona 500 for CBS from 1979 to 1997. He also covered NASCAR races for TBS.
Fellow television personality Dick Berggren admires Squier. “When you look at today’s television reporters, myself, Mike Joy, Jack Arute“, says Berggren, “Ken has been a role model for each and every one of us. He’s my hero”.
Squier has been with CBS Sports for over 25 years. It was there that he announced the first live flag to flag coverage of the Daytona 500 in 1979. He has received Emmy nominations for Outstanding Edited Sport Series and Outstanding National Sports Broadcaster. Since his NEAR Hall of Fame induction, he has also been inducted into the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America (2010) and the NASCAR Hall of Fame (2018). His broadcasting talents have taken him beyond motorsports during his long career, covering ice skating, golf, tennis and the 1992 & 1994 Winter Olympics.
Ken Squier was the first recipient of the Ron Bouchard Memorial Award for lifetime achievement in New England auto racing in 2016. He was 89.
Statement from New England Auto Racing Museum founder Dick Berggren on the passing of Ken Squier:
“Auto racing, especially as it’s done here in New England and as we see it on television, owes so much to Ken Squier. Five New England-based big league auto racing announcers gathered two weeks ago at the New England Racing Museum to talk about their careers. Before a sold-out house that came to hear them, each made clear that Squier was a big help in their lives and their profession. He helped lift the sport he loved to greatness and sure helped a lot of people who longed to tell stories about auto racing to the masses.”
Also passing on was Marty Himes, Himes created the Himes Museum of Auto Racing on Long Island which had a wealth of racing artifacts primarily from Freeport and Islip Speedways in his house and on his property.
The all new book, The Modified Years At Stafford, by the Grace of God and 600 hp, is gaining interest and has become a must have in race fans and competitors library. Race by Race, Year by Year, it’s all there. Read all about it! Books are now available on Amazon.com and Coastal 181 (877-907-8181 toll free) and are available thru Stafford’s web site in their store. Order yours now. Makes a great gift!
With the cooperation of the Arute family another book has been published with pictures and biographies of the 50 Greatest Drivers at Stafford.
The Stafford Motor Speedway had become the epicenter of NASCAR Modified racing in the northeast by the late 1980’s. From its dirt beginnings to its lightning-fast asphalt, Stafford had become the toughest and most gratifying track to score a victory. The Arute family which has owned and guided the destiny of the facility commissioned their thousands of loyal fans to name their favorite drivers. In alphabetical order so as not to offend anyone:
Tom Baldwin, Gene Bergin, Brett Bodine, Geoff Bodine, Ken Bouchard, Ron Bouchard, Mario “Fats” Caruso, Rene Charland, Ted Christopher, Leo Cleary, Tim Connolly, Jerry Cook, Corky Cookman, Pete Corey, Fred DeSarro, Richie Evans, Mike Ewanitsko, Ed Flemke, Sr., Jeff Fuller, Rick Fuller, Ernie Gahan, Bill Greco, Bo Gunning, Ray Hendrick, George “Moose” Hewitt, Tony Hirschman, George Janoski, Charlie Jarzombek, George Kent, Buddy Krebs, Randy LaJoie, Jan Leaty, Jerry Marquis, Mike McLaughlin, Ray Miller, Steve Park, Bob Polverari, Bob Potter, Brian Ross, John “Reggie” Ruggiero, Greg Sacks, Ollie Silva, “Wild” Bill Slater, Jimmy Spencer, Mike Stefanik, Carl “Bugsy” Stevens, George Summers, Jamie “The Jet” Tomaino, Maynard Troyer and Satch Worley.
Books are priced at $17.95 each and be purchased at the track at the Novelty Booth or at the Stafford Motor Speedway on line store. Books are also available at Amazon.com and at Coastal181 (877-907-8181).
