RPW Exclusive: Looking Back A Bit: First Week Of April
Column Compiled By: PHIL SMITH / RPW – WESTERLY, RI – Sixty years ago in 1964 Ray Delisle made it two in a row in Modified action at the New London-Waterford Speedbowl. Charlie Krashen was the winner in the Bombers.
Fifty five years ago in 1969 the Stafford Speedway opened for the season with an open competition program featuring the Supermodifieds. Nolan Swift, the undisputed king of the Oswego Speedway took the win. Don Kibbe was the Modified winner at the Waterford Speedbowl. Wayne “Mr. Mysterious” Smith was the Daredevil winner. In NASCAR Grandnational (Cup) action at Richmond David Pearson took the win.
Fifty years ago in 1974 the Spring Sizzler at Stafford was on. Taking the win was Carl”Bugsy”Stevens. Ronnie Bouchard finished second and was followed by Merv Treichler in the Garbarino Bros. Mystic Missile, Dynamite Ollie Silva and Jerry Cook. Bill Scrivener was the Modified winner at Waterford and Ron Cote scored his first of three in a row at the shoreline oval.
Forty five years ago in 1979 the action was at the Seekonk Speedway where Richie Evans showed that no matter where he went, he could adapt to and master a never before seen track. The event drew 44 cars and when all was said and done, Evans pulled into victory lane. Jerry Cook finished second and was followed by Ronnie Bouchard, Leo Cleary, Fred Astle and Ray Miller. Leo Cleary drove a car that Len Boehler pulled out of the bushes and in fact had to heat the springs to make the chassis handle. Cleary led the first 42 laps before worn tires forced him to back off. Bugsy Stevens was also an early contender until he lost a fan blade, which ultimately broke his water pump and put him out. Evans by the way had been on the road all night as he had raced and won at Hickory, N.C. the day before.
Forty years ago in 1984 Riverside Park ran on Saturday night and it was Stan Gregger taking the win over Jim Spencer, Ray Miller and Richie Evans. At the Thompson Speedway on Sunday, Charlie Jarzombek ruled the roost as he beat out Brett Bodine and Evans for the win.
Thirty five Years ago in 1989, the only action was at Riverside Park where Reggie Ruggiero won the 50 lap main over Stan Gregger, Jerry Marquis and Bruce Dell.
Thirty years ago in 1994, Reggie Ruggiero took the top spot at the Riverside Park Speedway. Richard Savory finished second and was followed by Stan Gregger and Dan Avery. During the overnight hours storm clouds moved in and washed out the Thompson IceBreaker that had been scheduled for Sunday. The event was rescheduled for May 1 which created a direct conflict with Waterford. At Bristol in the Saturday Busch Grandnational event, Mark Martin was leading under caution and mistook the white flag for the checkered flag and pitted, giving the race win to David Green. When Martin realized his mistake he returned to the racing surface and ended up eleventh. It had to be one of his most embarrassing moments as a racer. Dale Earnhardt was the Winston Cup winner over Ken Schrader and Lake Speed.
Twenty five years ago, in 1999, the IceBreaker at Thompson played under warm skies and a full house plus a full pit of 51 Tour Modifieds. Mike Ewanitsko took the lead just past the half way mark and held off Rick Fuller for the win. Chris Kopec finished third with Jamie Tomaino and Carl Pasteryak rounding out the top five. In the 30 lapper for the SK’s, Todd Ceravolo took the lead from Billy Sharp with four to go in the 30 lapper and went on to record his first win of the season. Sharp held on to finish second with Mike Christopher, third. At Bristol, Tenn., Jason Keller was the Grand National winner.
Twenty years ago in 2004, the Stafford Motor Speedway got their Friday night program in the books while Waterford suffered its second rainout in a row. At Stafford Lloyd Agor passed Frank Ruocco on lap 31 of the 40 lap feature and went on to take the win in the SK Modified division. Ruocco finished second followed by Willie Hardie, Ted Christopher and Jeff Malave. A slim field of only 20 SK Modifieds was on hand. Many have wondered as to why the fields of SK Modifieds have dwindled at Stafford. The SK Modifieds had gotten out of hand cost wise plus the fact that there was much destruction at Stafford in 2003. Some car owners have sold out while others have chosen to race elsewhere or just park their cars. Ryan Posocco and Jay Stuart finished one-two in Late Model action while Michael Bennett won the 20 lap Limited Sportsman feature and John Hurley won the Dare Stock event. James Civali who won the SK Modified portion of the Thompson Speedway Ice Breaker and finished fourth in the recent SK Modified portion of the Spring Sizzler before being disqualified for refusing tech inspection now finds himself in a select group of drivers at the Stafford Speedway that have been suspended from racing at Stafford indefinitely for actions detrimental to racing. In other words Civali was put on suspension because he drove through the pit area at high speed and almost ran an official down. In addition to Waterford being rained out the opening night festivities at the Seekonk Speedway in Massachusetts and the Riverhead Raceway on Long Island were also cancelled due to rain.
New England Raceway developer Gene Arganese who had been in the process of proposing a domed racetrack in Plainfield, Ct. won a crucial zoning approval after a close vote by the town’s Planning and Zoning Commission. The panel voted 3-2 to rezone roughly 900 acres off Interstate 395 and include the land in a recently established “resort/recreational development zone.” Opponents of New England Raceway LLC’s 140,000-seat racetrack plan said they would appeal the commission’s decision. Arganese said he planned to move forward with the project despite the prospect of legal challenges. Six appeals had already been filed against the commission’s approval last month of the new resort/recreational development zone. Consultants were slated to begin design work in the near future. He said the design process should take about five months, and he intended to bring the plans before the commission by January. Arganese’s $343 million project would include the racetrack, a convention center, a 700-room hotel and 800,000-square-foot retail complex. He continued to say he hoped to attract NASCAR, Indy and CART events to the New England Raceway track, along with drag races, concerts and trade shows.
Jeff Gordon won the wreck marred Aarons 499 at the Talledega Speedway. Martin Truex was the Busch Series winner. The Busch race was also a wreck fest.
Fifteen years ago in 2009, The NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour began its 25th anniversary year at the Thompson Speedway ICEBREAKER last weekend. This year’s event marked the 107th time that the WMT has raced at Thompson since the formation of the Tour in 1985. An outstanding field of competitors attempted to qualify on Saturday afternoon for a starting spot in the 150-lap main event which was run on Sunday. The WMT was joined by Thompson’s “Super 6” NASCAR Whelen All American Series divisions in this two-day racing spectacle that has ushered in the beginning of the auto racing season in New England for well over 40 years.
Thirty five NASCAR Whelen Modifieds were on hand for practice and qualifying at Thompson. Jimmy Blewett made himself the pre-race favorite as he was the fastest in pre-time trial practice. Blewett toured the 5/8 mile oval in 18.612 seconds, 120.890 mph. Also up to speed and in contention were Doug Coby, Jamie Tomaino, Todd Szegedy and Reggie Ruggiero.
Blewett might have been the fastest one in practice but Ted Christopher was the fastest when it counted. Christopher won the Coors Light Pole in qualifying for Icebreaker 2009 With a lap of 18.642 seconds (120.890 MPH), Christopher earned his 19th career WMT pole and his eighth career pole at Thompson. Doug Coby qualified second. There were a few surprises in qualifying including Glenn Reen, Jamie Tomaino and Rowan Pennink who rounded out the top-five. After the redraw, Coby and Pennink ended up on the front row while Tomaino, who would make his record-setting 500th career start would go third. Christopher picked the fourth position followed by Mike Stefanik and Reen.
Christopher began his title defense the way he ended it, with a win at Thompson. Once the green flag was displayed to start the 150 lapper Christopher wasted little time in showing what he had as he took the lead from Doug Coby on lap 10. Jamie Tomaino, who was making his 500th start, was quite stout in the early going as he wrestled the lead from Christopher on lap 41 and held it until a restart on lap 58 when he gave way to Mike Stefanik. A caution on lap 48 when John Busch spun out in turn two opened the door for pit stops by Christopher along with Don Lia, Ron Silk, Jimmy Blewett and Rowan Pennick. Stefanik and Tomaino had elected to remain on the track. By lap 62 Lia had worked his way back to 4th spot and had Christopher and Silk in tow. Four laps later Lia was third. Tomaino retook the lead on lap 67. Stefanik began to fade with obvious worn tires. Tomaino was able to hold on until lap 74 when his tires went south as Christopher stormed by Lia to take the lead. By lap 120 Christopher continued to lead as Ronnie Silk had moved him into the second spot. For all intents and purposes Silks run for the front ended a few laps later when Jimmy Blewett roughed him up and almost planted him in the first turn wall. Blewett also roughed up Lia before he passed him for the second spot. A caution on lap 133 for a Reggie Ruggeri spin set the stage for some late race excitement. With Blewett on the outside and Christopher on the inside they led the field to a restart on lap137. As Christopher entered turn three Blewett made a bottom shot and in the process moved him up to take the lead. Christopher returned the favor in turn four as he retook the lead. A Woody Pitkat spin on lap 148 precipitated a Green – White – Checkered finish. The field restarted for the final time on lap 152, single file. Despite the fact that Blewett beat and banged on the back of Christopher the defending champion never gave the aggressor the opportunity for another bottom shot as he scored an impressive win. Blewett, reluctantly settled for the runner-up spot with Lia, third. Ryan Preece and Todd Szegedy rounded out the top five. Sixth through tenth were Silk, Stefanik, Coby, Penneck and Bob Grigas.
For his efforts Christopher pocketed $8,800. He also received the first commemorative Tissot wrist watch, which will be presented by NASCAR and tour sponsor Whelen Engineering to each of the 14 race winners throughout the 25th anniversary season. The win was Christopher’s eighth at Thompson and his third in the track’s Icebreaker. He also won the traditional season-opener, which hosted the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour’s first race in 1985, in 2004 and 2005. Christopher also moved into sole possession of fourth-place on the tour’s all-time win list with his 32nd victory. He trails only Mike Stefanik (69), Reggie Ruggiero (44) and Tony Hirschman (35).
In Saturday night Sunoco Modified action at Thompson Keith Rocco scored his first win of the 2009 season in a fiercely competitive opener. As Rocco crossed the line to take down the victory, contact between Tom Cravenho and Ted Christopher sent Christopher head-on into the turn four wall. Christopher took a hard hit but walked away from the incident. Todd Ceravolo finished a strong second over Eric Goodale, Rowan Pennink, and Zach Sylvester. After post-race technical inspection, Goodale was stripped of his third-place finish; moving Pennink and Sylvester up a position and Jimmy Blewett inside the top five.
Defending division champion Jeff Zuidema of North Brookfield, CT, led wire-to-wire to win the first of two Late Model main events scheduled for the weekend.
Todd Ceravolo earned a hard-fought victory among a strong field of Sunoco Modifieds on Sunday afternoon. Norm Wrenn of Nashua, NH, kicked- off a new era in full-fendered racing at Thompson Speedway with the first-ever Super Late Model victory. Jeff Zuidema of N. Brookfield, CT, went two-for-two in Late Model competition on Icebreaker weekend winning both ends of the double-header. Joe Arena of Bristol, CT, turned in a dominating performance to score the victory in the season-opener for the Limited Sportsman division. Chuck Rogers of Quaker Hill, CT, scored his first-ever winner at the Thompson Speedway in the Mini Stocks. Brian Sullivan of S. Windsor, CT picked up where he left off winning TIS Modified features.
Ceravolo jumped out to the early lead of the main event followed by Keith Rocco. On the final lap, Bert Marvin got up alongside Ceravolo but could not muster up enough momentum to make the pass. Ceravolo rolled into victory lane for his first win of the season. Marvin had to settle for second followed by Rocco. Woody Pitkat had a strong run to finish fourth. Cravenho completed the top five.
The Waterford Speedbowl tried to open for the season but a forecast of rain and possible snow put a damper on action at the shoreline oval.
The True Value Modified Racing Series reports that a record 53 teams had secured numbers and paid fee’s to compete in 2009. Series founder Jack Bateman structured a 16 race schedule in response and additional prize money would be paid.
In NASCAR Sprint Cup action, Jeff Gordon ended a 47-race winless drought, the longest of his career as he beat Hendrick Motorsports teammate Jimmie Johnson to win the Samsung 500 at the Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth. It was the 17th Cup race at Texas, the track where Gordon has his only two last-place finishes in his 552 career starts. One of the 43rd-place finishes came last spring before he was runner-up to Carl Edwards in the fall race after winning the pole.Gordon won by 0.542 of a second over Johnson with an average speed of 146.372 mph. Middletown CT native Joey Logano, who started 10th, finished 30th. A strong rumor hadhis ride in jeopardy.
Kyle Busch won his third consecutive Nationwide race in Texas with another dominating performance, leading a race-record 178 of 200 laps to win the O’Reilly 300 even though he insisted it wasn’t as easy as it looked. Busch finished 1.447 seconds ahead of Tony Stewart, who made a late charge from seventh with four new tires after a caution on lap 188. Brad Keselowski, forced to start 42nd in a backup car, finished third.
Ten years ago in 2014, Budweiser Blastoff Weekend which would have marked the start of the 64th consecutive season of racing at the 1/3 mile Waterford Speedbowl was cancelled due to the forecast of heavy rain for the entire weekend on the east coast. The National Weather Service reported that 2.75 inches rain fell in the Waterford, Ct area on Saturday. Blastoff Weekend was supposed to open the season of racing with the Valenti Modified Racing Series, Northeastern Midget Association and the track’s NASCAR Whelen All-American Series racing divisions along with many more.
Rain also wiped out the NASCAR Whelen Southern Modified Tour Series Prestoria Farms 150 at the Caraway Speedway in North Carolina. A makeup date for the event will be determined at a later date.
The Thompson Speedway hosted a private test session before the rains came on Friday. Word has it that Woody Pitkat looked extremly stout in the Buzz Chew No.88 that was powered by a spec engine. Others said to be testing included Ryan Preece, Ted Christopher and Doug Coby.
On a sad note Mrs Irene Venditti, 94 passed away in her sleep on Friday, March 28. Considered by many to be the First Lady of Auto Racing, Irene was instrumental in the success of the Seekonk Speedway, working tireless alongside her husband, D.Anthony, until his death in 1991. They were married 53 years. Irene continued to be involved with the running of the speedway and in 2012 she was inducted into the New England Antique Racers Hall of Fame. She graduated from Hope High in Providence, RI and married D. Anthony Venditti in 1938. She is survived by 3 of her 4 children, Adrienne, a registered nurse, Francis, a raceway director, & Annie, designer. Her younger son, Anthony tragically passed away in 1980. She is survived by 7 grand-children and 6 great-grand children.
For the first 6 years of their marriage Irene and Anthony were reluctant chicken farmers until Anthony, determined to make a better life for his family , decided to build a racetrack in his backyard. That dream became a reality when Seekonk Speedway opened it’s gates in 1946. Today the track holds the title of being the oldest consecutively family run track in the country.
Her funeral will be held on Wednesday at 9:00 AM from the PERRY-McSTAY FUNERAL HOME, 2555 Pawtucket Avenue, East Providence with a Mass of Christian Burial at 10:00 AM in Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church, Taunton Avenue, Seekonk. Burial will be in Gate of Heaven Cemetery. Calling hours will be held on Tuesday from 5-8.
In NASCAR Sprint Cup action at Martinsville, Kurt Busch led only three times for 23 of the 500 laps, including the final 11. Jimmie Johnson led 11 times for 296 laps, but fell just short for the second consecutive weekend. (He dominated at Auto Club Speedway before a late-race tire issue cost him a near-certain victory). Toward the end he led laps 348-449, then trailed Clint Bowyer for laps 450-460. He led again 461-472, yielded to Busch for 473-482 and took the lead again for lap 483-489. Busch got by at 490 and led the rest of the way.
Johnson settled for second. Dale Earnhardt Jr. was third in a Chevrolet, then Joey Logano and Marcos Ambrose in Fords. After qualifying 10th, Danica Patrick immediately slipped backward through the field. She was lapped early and often en route to finishing 31st, six laps behind.
Five years ago in 2019, The hills of northeastern Connecticut came alive with the sounds of racing engines at the Thompson Motorsports Park Speedway as IceBreaker 2019 got the green on Saturday, April 6 and Sunday, April 7.
Feature events included the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour (150), Sunoco Modifieds (30), Late Model (25), Lite Modifieds (20), Limited Sportsman (20), Mini Stock (15), Pro All Stars Series (75), NEMA Lites (20), 375 Sportsman Challenge (35), Exit Realty Pro Truck Challenge (20), Valenti Modified Racing Series (50).
Twenty nine Whelen Modifieds were on hand for the IceBreaker 150. Cars qualified via the group qualifying method. Doug Coby secured the pole position after he recorded a time of 18.855sec. Second through fifth included Justin Bonsignore, Kyle Bonsignore, Tommy Catalano, Patrick Emerling.
Justin Bonsignore made it five in a row at Thompson as he got an unexpected gift from Doug Coby. Coby, who started on the pole, led the first 99 laps and appeared to be on cruise control. Pitting under caution for three tires Coby ran over an air hose and was penalized to the rear when the green was displayed on lap 110. Bonsignore, who also changed three tires, exited the pit behind Coby and assumed the lead on the restart. Coby made a valiant charge but just ran out of time as he finished fifth when the checker waved on lap 154. Ron Silk finished second and was followed by Eric Goodale, Patrick Emerling, and Coby. Sixth thru tenth were Burt Myers, Matt Swanson, Woody Pitkat, Chris Pasteryak and Jimmy Blewett.
The NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour returns to the track as part of the NAPA Spring Sizzler at Stafford Motor Speedway on April 28. FansChoice.TV will live stream the entire NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour Series schedule.
Nine time NASCAR Connecticut State Champion and seven time Thompson Speedway Sunoco (SK type) champion Keith Rocco successfully embarked on another run for the track championship as he won a spirited 30lap battle with Todd Owen. Owen had all he could handle with Woody Patkat breathing down his neck. Track announcer pretty much summed it up when he dropped one of his famous Buckler-isms, “Owen was caught between a Rocco and a hard place”. In the end Pitkat finished third with Mike Christopher, fourth. Rounding out the top five was Glenn Reen.
In victory lane Rocco stated that his mount was a brand new Troyer chassis. The win also took Rocco over the top to a career overall total of 261 wins which include 150 victories at the New London-Waterford Speedbowl, 61 at Thompson and 50 at Stafford Speedway.
Other Sunday winners were PASS Late Models: DJ Shaw, Limited Sportsman: Ryan Waterman, Mini Stocks: Steve Michalski (Brooklyn, CT); 2. Ian Brew (Woodriver Junction, RI); 3. Dave Trudeau, Jr. (Mansfield, CT); 4. Scott Mihalski and Late Models: Tom Carey, III.
The day was relatively warm, the over-all racing was great and the grandstands were full!
The first official day of racing brought five feature events and a great crowd to the track on Saturday, April 4 with competitive racing and close finishes that kept fans on the edge of their seats the entire afternoon. Several racing series and divisions kicked off their respective seasons as drivers sought to claim victory in one of the most prestigious racing weekends in New England.
The main event of the afternoon was the 50-lap Valenti Modified Racing Series feature kicking off their sixteenth season in style with a battle of two young stars of the sport surviving caution after caution chasing their first wins. While early on it looked like Chase Dowling was securely in control of the race Ronnie Williams quickly worked his way up the field and by halfway was battling Dowling for the lead. The rest of the event was filled with side by side racing and lead exchanges between the two young guns as they endured numerous cautions that saw each driver gain an advantage restart after restart. It all came down to a three-lap shootout after the final caution of the race where Dowling got the jump and outraced Williams to score his first Valenti Modified Victory as well as his first win at Thompson in any division. Max Zachem started on the pole but it was Dowling taking the lead at the start. Zachem continued to fade and ended up 14th at the checker. Glen Griswold hit hard in turn one on lap 6. He was taken to a local hospital for observation.
The Exit Realty Pro Truck Challenge kicked off the afternoon with the first points race of the 2019 season at Thompson and concluded with its own exciting finish. Gerard Giordano, Jr. ran a dominant race starting on the pole and leading 34 laps of the 35-lap feature surviving several cautions to try and capture the Pro Truck season opener. However, it’s not over until it’s over as they say. That was the case for Jacob Perry who raced behind Giordano in second for the entire race until he picked his moment and relinquished the lead on a bump-and-run move on the final lap.
The night concluded with the kick off of Thompson Speedway’s divisional racing season with a new entry in the track’s lineup, the SK Light Modifieds®. This division has grown in popularity at Thompson over the last few years leading it to become an official addition to Thompson’s lineup in 2019. Coming into the event Bryan Narducci had a perfect record winning all four SK Light Modified® races run at Thompson since 2017. He continued that success with a dominating effort winning the division’s first event of 2019 at Thompson and is now five for five. Teddy Hodgdon finished second with Narducci’s cousin Alexander Pearl, third. As an interesting note Narducci and Whelen Modified Tour competitor Melissa Fifield share the same number, 01. During pre-race practice Narducci was clearly the fastest of the two as he toured the 5/8 mile oval in 19.874 seconds. Fifields best time was 20.304 seconds!
Other Saturday winners at Thompson were John Zych in the NEMA Lites and Alby Ovitt beat out Shawn Monahan in the Exit Realty 375 Sportsman division.
Next up On Sunday May 19. at Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park the track divisions take center stage, specifically the Limited Sportsman with the division’s long-distance race to accompany the Sunoco Modifieds, Late Models, Mini Stocks and SK Light Modifieds®. The pre-Memorial Day event will also salute active military members and veterans who can enjoy the races for free with a military ID. It all takes place
In some great news, FansChoice.TV will air ALL 10 NASCAR events at Thompson in 2019.This includes all of Thompson’s NASCAR Whelen All-American Series action, the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East, the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour & more! Many are hoping Stafford and Waterford will follow their lead.
Word comes from the Monadnock Speedway in Winchester, NH that all new grandstands have arrived and will be erected this week. Fresh pavement for drainage and a hospitality area to be completed just off of turn 4 as well.
In NASCAR Monster Cup action at Bristol, Kyle Busch’s win on Sunday marked his third of the season in eight Cup Series races, as well as the 54th of his career, tying him with Lee Petty for 10th on the all-time win list. Ryan Preece finished 25th, four laps down.
Last year, 2023, The NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour returned to action this past Friday on March 31 at the Richmond Int. Raceway. It would have been a busy weekend for some of the modified teams. Following Richmond some teams were to head north for the Thompson Speedway IceBreaker while most of the southern teams would head for South Boston for a SMART event on Saturday. Richmond is NASCAR sanctioned while South Boston is sanctioned by the Southern Modified Auto Racing Team. FloRacing will provide live coverage of both Richmond and South Boston events.
Based on an extremely bad weather forecast for the weekend, promoters of the 2023 Icebreaker announced shortly after noon on Wednesday that the event, scheduled for Saturday April 1 and Sunday April 2 has been postponed. The Icebreaker will now take place on Friday April 8 and Saturday April 8. No racing will take place on Easter Sunday.
It looks like fans and competitors will have to take some time off from work as features will begin Friday at 6 pm. Friday’s schedule will include features for the Open Street Stocks, Mini Stocks, Late Model, Sunoco Modifieds and Pro Trucks. Saturday’s schedule will begin at 1 pm featuring the $10,000 to win Outlaw Open Modified feature and also features for the PASS Super Late Models, Sunoco Modifieds, Limited Sportsman, SK Light Modifieds and Mini Stocks.
The NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour converged to the ¾ mile Richmond International Speedway on Friday night for Round 2 of the 2023 season. Austin Beers backed up his fast time during final practice, taking fast time to end qualifying for the Virginia is for Racing Lovers 150. Beers, the last car to take time, beat defending race winner Justin Bonsignore’s time by 0.024 seconds, claiming the pole with a lap at 21.237 seconds or 127.136 mph around the Virginia oval. Bonsignore turned a lap at 21.261 seconds and would start beside Beers on the front row. Patrick Emerling was third with a lap at 21.309 seconds. Bryan Narducci continued to impress in his NWMT debut, placing fourth with a 21.311 second lap. Narducci made his first laps in Ole Blu and showed that he can certainly have speed at Richmond, staying among the top five throughout practice before running against the clock. Tommy Catalano rounded out the top five with a 21.406 second lap. There were 29 cars on hand.
Starting 28th on the 29- car field was Matt Hirschman. Hirschman’s car developed a severe oil leak just prior to qualifying. It would be a challenge, but his confidence remained high as he went to post. Just as the cars were lined up the skies opened up and the 6:30pm start was put on hold. The rain persisted causing the event to be rescheduled for late Saturday afternoon following the previously scheduled NASCAR Xfinity series event. Any fan or competitor who had plans to head for the SMART Modified event at South Boston would have to make a decision as to where to go.
The skies cleared on Saturday and the event took the green at 4:30pm under sunny 75 degree weather. Prior to the start Jon McKennedy was put to the rear for a technical issue and Ryan Newman withdrew. Austin Beers took the lead in turn one with Justin Bonsignore and Patrick Emerling in tow. Craig Lutz was the first out as his car’s rear end blew shortly after taking the green. A mid race pit stop placed Beers to mid pack but that was only a slight set back as he worked his way back to the front re-took the lead on lap 108 for the eventual win. J.B.Fortin finished second after some last lap bumping and grinding that upset Max McLaughlin and Justin Bonsignore who finished third and fourth. Patrick Emerling rounded out the top five. Sixth thru tenth included Bobby Labonte, Ron Silk, a great run by Bryan Narducci, Jon McKennedy and Eric Goodale.
Among those most gratified was winning crew chief Ron Yuhas Jr. From his humble beginnings in his father’s race shop in Groton, Ct to a career ending wreck at Loudon, Yuhas bounced back to become a successful crew chief. Job well done! Also a big shout-out to Bryan Narducci for his great performance in the legendary Ole Blu of the Boehler family.
Many drivers had issues throughout the race like Tommy Catalano with a blown engine, Matt Hirschman lost power steering mid race and Ed McCarthy blew the rear end. Although numbered 60, Hirschman’s car was not his own, it was one he drove at Riverhead last year. The car was never competitive. He finished 18th, the last car on the lead lap.
The NASCAR WMT is now off for a month. The next race will be Duel at the Dog 200 at Monadnock Speedway in Winchester, NH on Saturday May 6th.
The SMART Modified Tour headed to South Boston Va. on Saturday night. The speedway paid tribute to one of the best to ever wheel a modified, Ray Hendrick, in the Flying VA Classic at the South Boston Speedway! Hendrick, who was a many time Modified champion at South Boston would have been 92 had he lived. Bobby Labonte and Matt Hirschman who raced at Richmond made the trip to South Boston in plenty of time and were placed at the tail end of the starting grid.
Brian Loftin started 16th in the 27-car field, pitted for a fresh right rear tire on lap 30 during the event’s stage break, and began his march to the front. It took only four laps after the pit stop for Loftin to work his way into the top five. By lap 54, he was up to third place, and at lap 65 he was up to second place. He surged in front of Caleb Heady on lap 69 right after a restart following a caution period and never looked back. Heady faded as Tom Buzze moved into the runner-up spot and held off Tom Buzze and Burt Myers. Jonathan Cash finished fourth and Joey Coulter rounded out the top five.
Hirschman, who was in his own car, worked his way from the rear and was in position for a possible win and was running in the second spot on lap 87 when something broke causing him to slow and drop out. He was credited with 15th position. Labonte was also on the move before being collected when Bobby Messemer spun after suffering a blow-out. An announced crowd of 10,000 were on hand. There were five lead changes among six drivers with Loftin leading the final circuits. Gerstner led 29 laps. Heady led 24 laps, Ward led the first eight laps of the race, Cash led four laps, and Myers led three laps. The race was slowed by six caution periods.
It has previously been announced that the speedway is for sale. In a prepared statement, “The Mattioli family has had the honor and privilege of caring for South Boston Speedway for nearly 25 years. During that time, SoBo has transformed into one of the most prestigious, competitive and beautiful short tracks in America.” “The family is determined to only sell the speedway to another great steward, who vows to keep the rich history and tradition of first-class short track racing alive in Halifax County. During this time of exploration, the speedway operations will remain unchanged with a continued commitment to the teams and fans of showcasing the best short track racing in the county.”
In NASCAR Cup action at Richmond, Va the win. With the benefit of a fast final pit stop, Larson put his No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet out front at Richmond Raceway and then held off the field in the last 25 laps of Sunday‘s Toyota Owners 400 to earn his first NASCAR Cup Series victory of the 2023 season. The 30-year-old Californian had to out-duel his Hendrick Motorsports teammate Josh Berry on a pair of restarts in the closing laps to secure the win at the first short-track event of the season (the 0.75-mile Richmond oval). Berry, driving the No. 9 Hendrick Chevy for injured Chase Elliott, finished runner-up, capturing his best NASCAR Cup Series finish — 1.535 seconds behind Larson to the checkered flag. Ryan Preece ended up 18th after running in the top 10 most of the race.
In some good news, the installation of the soft walls at Stafford is complete. All that remains is a coat of paint. It is hoped that other tracks follow Stafford’s lead on this matter. Installation of a new grandstand in the turn four area is almost complete. A Big Shout-Out to the Arute family for their efforts in making the Stafford Motor Speedway a better place for both fans and competitors.
PR director Scott Running advises that with the registration of the #9nj Martino Race Engines car of Red Bank, NJ native Tom Martino, Jr., the number of entries received for the 51st Annual NAPA Spring Sizzler® has reached 40 cars for the second consecutive season. The Wall Stadium regular joins an impressive list of early entrants for the Sizzler® with additional entrants expected in the month leading up to the April 30th “Greatest Race in the History of Spring”.
The madness is returning to FloRacing in 2023. For the second year in a row, FloRacing will broadcast every Saturday night of action from North Carolina’s legendary Bowman Gray Stadium, affectionately known by its fans as “The Madhouse.” Located inside a football stadium, the 1/4-mile Bowman Gray Stadium oval hosts racing every Saturday night for the headlining Modified division, the Sportsman division, Street Stocks, and Stadium Stocks. The season will begin on Saturday, April 22 with the running of the Hayes Jewelers 200, a 200-lap race for the Modifieds. The Hayes Jewelers 200 is the longest and most prestigious race of the season for the Modifieds. In 2022 it was won by 2014 track champion, Danny Bohn of Freehold, New Jersey.
The 2022 season was another historic year for Tim Brown at Bowman Gray Stadium. He entered the year with the most championships of any driver in the history of the Stadium and added to that by winning his 12th overall championship and second in a row. Brown won his 12th championship without winning a single race all season long, a feat that had never been done before at Bowman Gray Stadium.
Earl Krause of the Area Auto Racing News reported that before a wheel can turn at Wall Stadium Speedway this year, a non-racing problem has the start of the 73rd season at the high-banked third-mile paved oval on hold. The delay is due to an unexpected environmental testing requirement given to the owners of the property. Since 2011, the Krause family has leased the facility and successfully promoted racing there. “I’m a frustrated promoter that’s ready to open Wall Stadium for racing but can’t right now,” said track general manager Emily Krause. She was told by the Stadium property owners that until all of the testing at the track property is done there could be no activity on the grounds so as to not interfere with the project. That includes events for the Garden State Quarter-Midget Club which has its ‘Little Wall’ 1/20th mile paved oval on site. It is not yet known how or when the testing will take place at Wall Stadium, or to what degree it will affect its previously planned schedule.
“I am afraid the circumstances may force us to delay our opening a few weeks. That’s why I can’t release a schedule yet, even though I’ve had it ready for more than a month,” said Krause. “I don’t want to say we’re going to open on a specific date, then have to pull it back. We’re staying positive and gathering as much useful information as possible.” The reason for the environmental testing relates to the sale of land adjacent to Wall Stadium and the building of warehouses. The property surrounding Wall Stadium on two sides (beyond the backstretch and alongside turns one and two) had been sold late last year.
With the cooperation of the Arute family a 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).
