RPW Exclusive: Looking Back: Second Week Of March

Column Compiled By: PHIL SMITH / RPW – WESTERLY, RI – Forty five years ago in 1980, the season opening Dogwood 500 was on tap. Mike Porter took the Grandnational win but it was Geoff Bodine who stole the show. Bodine was in contention to win when he suffered a flat tire on lap 211 of the 250-lap contest. Pitting under green and losing only one lap, Bodine charged to the front until his motor blew. Bodine had better luck in the modified half as he recorded his sixth win. Bodine had his hands full with Richie Evans in the early going but Evans’ run came to a halt on lap 53 as he hit the wall after suffering a flat tire. Maynard Troyer ended up second and was followed by Jerry Cook and George Summers.

Twenty five years ago in 2000 Don Hoenig, owner of the Thompson Speedway won his court case to evict Gordon “Butch” Davis and Brian LaForte as they were over $100,000 in arrears in their lease payments. Hoenig also announced that the season opening Icebreaker scheduled for April 2 was cancelled to a later date.

Twenty years ago in 2005, the big news of the week was the announcement that former Whelen Modified Tour Series Champion Mike Stefanik would be driving the Joe Brady No. 00 in 2005. Stefanik would remain committed to the Busch North Series where he drove the Grizco Racing entry. Stefanik would be forced to miss five Whelen Modified Tour events including those at Waterford on June 25 and August 27 when the Busch North Series would be in Holland, NY and at Oxford Plains in Maine. Stefanik would be at Waterford on July 23 when the Modifieds are in Scarborough, ME at the Beech Ridge Speedway. Stefanik would also miss Modified events scheduled at the Seekonk Speedway and the Jennerstown Speedway in Pennsylvania. Even on a part time basis Stefanik and Brady would add immense quality and intense competition to the Whelen Modified Tour Series.

In a joint announcement from NASCAR and the Wall Township Speedway in New Jersey, the Jersey shore oval would once again be under the sanction of NASCAR. It had previously been announced that New Jersey’s last remaining asphalt oval would revert back to being an independent oval in 2005. Extended negotiations between speedway partner Fred Archer with NASCAR’s Don Hawk and Ed Cox made it happen. Hawk, by the way, said that NASCAR was still working to get some television coverage of tour series events for the 2005 season.

It was announced that auto racing facilities in the state of Connecticut could now allow entire families, regardless of age, to enter their pit areas. Previously no one under 16 was allowed. With the advent of budget restraints, the Motor Vehicle inspectors that previously over-saw racing in the state would no longer be in that role.

Mark Martin moved into the lead when Carl Edwards was sidelined by a flat tire, extending his record for Busch Series victories to 47 at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Jimmie Johnson and Ryan Newman fought for the lead often running side by side through the late stages of the Nextel Cup event, but Johnson managed to take the lead away with 55 laps to go, and hung on for the win. For Johnson it was his 15th career win. Johnson’s newest team mate, rookie driver Kyle Busch had a great day going too, and followed across the finish line in second place. Finishing in third place was Kurt Busch, the top running Ford of the day. Two more Chevy’s driven by Jeff Gordon and Kevin Harvick round out the top five across the finish line. Jimmie Johnson lost the Nextel Cup points lead and his crew chief was suspended when NASCAR handed out several penalties for violations at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Johnson’s crew chief, Chad Knaus, was suspended for two weeks and fined $35,000 when the race-winning car failed to meet the minimum height requirement in the post-race inspection. The crew chiefs for Kyle Busch and Kevin Harvick also were suspended. Todd Berrier was suspended for four weeks and fined $25,000 for rigging Harvick’s fuel tank to appear full when it actually wasn’t during qualifying. Alan Gustafson was suspended for two weeks and fined $25,000 because Kyle Busch’s runner-up car was too high in the post-race inspection.

Fifteen years ago in 2010, The Waterford Speedbowl Management announced its Late Model division would compete on Goodyear tires in 2010. All competitors would be required to compete on the designated Goodyear tire compound, beginning with the season opening Budweiser Blastoff event March 26-28. The Goodyear model D2672 and D2882 tires would be introduced.

In more good news Modified Racing Media Chief John Spence advised that Jack Bateman, founder and president of the Series had announced, an agreement had been reached with Bob Valenti Automall.Com as the title sponsor for the 2010 racing season. Bateman made the disclosure at the all-new Racers Expo, Best Western Royal Plaza Hotel and Trade Center, Marlborough, MA., Saturday, February 27.

The family owned and operated business, based in Mystic, CT., and Westerly, R.I., specializes in new and pre-owned vehicle sales and service. The Valenti family has been in the automotive business for over 80 years. “Bob Valenti Automall.Com has signed on for the new season. We look forward to working with the Valenti family. They are strong supporters of racing and have been for many years. We are pleased to have them as part our series,” Bateman concluded.

Bateman was joined by Bob Valenti Automall representatives including company Vice President Rob Valenti who eagerly looks forward to the new sponsorship.

The popular Modified Racing Series, featuring open-wheel modified race cars, would compete in 19 races at speedways throughout the Northeast including first time appearances at Albany-Saratoga Speedway, Malta, NY., Airborne Speedway, Plattsburgh, NY., and Stafford Springs Motor Speedway, Stafford, CT. In 2009, 15 races were run with 12 different drivers victorious. Seven of those drivers were first time winners.

Kevin Harvick overcame a pair of horrendous pit stops to win the Nationwide Series race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Harvick led 83 of the 200 laps Saturday, but had to rally after his crew cost him several spots on pit road.

Danica Patrick finished 36th in her third and final NASCAR race before she took a four-month hiatus to return to IndyCar racing.

In Sprint Cup racing, Jimmie Johnson reeled in teammate Jeff Gordon at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, where the four-time defending champion won for the second consecutive week. Kevin Harvick finished second for the second straight week, then showed signs of the swagger that only Harvick can pull off, and only when he’s running well.

Ten years ago in 2015, The NASCAR Southern Modified Tour was in action at the Caraway Speedway in North Carolina for a 150 lap event. Eric Goodale took the win over Jason Myers, John Smith, David Calabrese, Bobby Measmer and Burt Myers. Ryan Preece finished 14th and Doug Coby, 15th.

Five years in 2020, The NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour season opener scheduled for Saturday, March 21 at South Boston Speedway (VA) was postponed. The announcement came as a result of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic that is forcing the postponement, suspension or cancelation of many sporting events throughout the United States. A make up date for the event has not been announced at this time.

On Thursday, South Boston Speedway General Manager Cathy Rice stated that the speedway would not be making changes to their schedule at that time. However, with the growing concern over the coronavirus, the postponement of the event was announced Friday by NASCAR.

NASCAR decided to postpone the race events at Atlanta Motor Speedway this past weekend and Homestead-Miami Speedway next weekend. “We believe this decision is in the best interest of the safety and well-being of our fans, competitors, officials and everyone associated with our sport” a spokesperson stated.

The postponement of the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour season opener creates a big question as to when the 2020 season will now begin. The next event currently on the schedule, the Icebreaker at Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park, is currently slated for April 5. However, track officials at Thompson released a statement Thursday acknowledging that Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont’s executive order banning large gatherings of 250 people or more “will obviously impact some of our 2020 schedule.”

The next event on the schedule, the Spring Sizzler at Stafford Motor Speedway on April 26, could also be affected by the executive order, which is currently in place until midnight on April 30. The Arute family is monitoring the situation and will comply with all state and government mandates.

Mike Christopher Jr has now reached the ripe old age of 20 and in addition to carrying on the family name in the Modifieds is well on his way to earning a college degree in finance from Central Connecticut University in New Britain, Ct. In the meantime Christopher and his dad, Mike Christopher Sr. are making final preparations for the 2020 season at the Stafford Motor Speedway where he will be a weekly competitor in the SK Modified division. He has a back-up car that he planned on racing at Thompson but because of reduced purses he has chosen not to race there and will use the car as a spare. In addition Christopher will compete in the four planned Open Modified 80 lappers and the season ending Whelen Modified Tour Fall Final at Stafford in a car owned by Tommy Baldwin.

Last year, 2024, The SMART Modified Series converged on the Caraway Speedway in North Carolina last Sunday with 26 cars strong. Carson Loftin, at 15 years of age, continues to impress at he made it two in a row as he took the win in the Warrior 100. Loftin, who dedicated the win to his fallen friend Zach Brewer, took the lead following a restart on lap 63. Matt Hirschman, who had the lead at that point, pitted for a right rear tire only to spend too much time in the pit area and was forced to restart in the rear. SMART rules were very clear as they stated that cautions do not count and competitors are allowed only two laps to change tires or else they restart at the rear. Hirschman was the leader when the caution was displayed on lap 63 when a car stopped in turn three.

Danny Bohn started on the pole following a redraw. Bohn led the charge to the green with Hirschman and Bobby Labonte in tow. Seven cars piled up almost immediately. Bohn continued to lead until Hirschman took the point following a lap 30 restart. It was Hirschman’s race to lose after that as Lofton was running second, he had nothing for the high flying No. 60. Brandon Ward brought out a caution on lap 63 when he stopped in turn three. Hirschman pitted for a right rear tire and Loftin for a left rear. Loftin rejoined the field in less than two laps and Hirschman didn’t. It was as simple as that!. It appeared that Hirschman’s spotter had dropped the ball.

In a post race statement from Hirschman Racing, “For those that watched today’s SMART Modified event at Caraway Speedway and are questioning what happened and why we went to the tail here is the reasoning. During our pit stop after changing the RR tire it was noticed that the RF tire was going flat. On controlled stop you have a certain amount of time to return to track to maintain position and we did not do this. Also you only have 3 RS tires to work with so we had to put the RR we took off back on the car putting us at a competitive disadvantage. While unfortunate for our team these same rules apply to all teams. We will move on to our next event.”

Ryan Newman was all over Loftin at the end but couldn’t rattle the youngster. Newman settled for second with Bobby Labonte, third. Danny Bohn and Jason Myers rounded out the top five. Sixth thru tenth were Luke Baldwin, Hirschman, Joey Colter, Will Lambrose and Jimmy Wallace.

In NASCAR Cup racing, Christopher Bell took the race win in Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series Shriners Children’s 500 at Phoenix Raceway. The driver of the No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota Camry XSE worked his way to the win from the 13th starting spot. Chris Buescher finished runner-up to Bell, Ty Gibbs came home in third, while Brad Keselowski and Ryan Blaney rounded out the top-five finishers in the race. Ryan Preece finished 23rd, one lap down.

It was good to hear that third-generation driver Tyler Barry will be moving up to the SK Modifieds at Stafford in 2024. After racking up 3 wins and the 2022 championship in 3 seasons of SK Light competition at Stafford Speedway, Griswold, CT native Tyler Barry will make the move into the SK Modified® division for the 2024 season. Barry will have his sights set on capturing NAPA Rookie of the Year honors with his #18 Pro Systems Integration team as well as trying to continue his streak of winning 1 race per season that he began with his SK Light debut in 2021.

Over the winter months, Barry and his father Ken, a former driver who also owns and operates Spafco Race Chassis, have been working on putting a new SK Modified® car together that Barry hopes will help to make his transition from SK Light to SK Modified® a bit easier.

More Money for weekly competitors at Stafford. Stafford Speedway has announced that Gaston Racing’s “GRE6” will return to the Stafford Speedway contingency program for the 2024 season. Gaston Racing / GRE6.com will provide a weekly $100 bonus to each SK Light Modified 3rd place finisher and a weekly bonus of $50 to each 3rd place finisher in the Street Stock division. In addition to the weekly bonuses, Gaston Racing / GRE6.com will also furnish a $200 bonus to the driver who advances the most positions during the May 24 SK Light Double Down, the first of two 40-lap feature events the SK Light division will participate in during the 2024 season.

“We are incredibly proud to continue our support for the local racing community, carrying on the legacy of my father, Bill Gaston,” said Emily Gaston, Owner of Gaston Racing / GRE6.com. “Grounded in his vision of helping others, giving back, and mentoring aspiring talents, our sponsorship renewal reflects our commitment to upholding these invaluable principles. Our dedication to fostering a supportive environment where every individual has the opportunity to thrive remains unwavering. This sponsorship renewal is a testament to our enduring mission of making a positive difference in the lives of the local racing community,” said Emily Gaston, owner of Gaston Racing’s GRE6.com.”

Gaston Racing / GRE6.com is a full-service performance parts dealer located at 96 Burnham Street in South Windsor, CT. Gaston Racing / GRE6.com can be found in the Stafford Speedway paddock area every week at the track parts truck and they can also be found online at gre6.com as well as on Facebook.

On a sad note New London-Waterford Speedbowl legend Don Collins recently passed away on February 21st. He was 93 years old.

It can’t be understated that Don Collins was the best of the best at the shoreline oval for it’s first 2 decades of existence. From 1951-1969, he won over 100 races and 5 modified championships. His championships in 1955, 1957 and 1963 came in driving his familiar #106 coupes, which were nicknamed “The Little Jewel”. In 1960, he took over the Vitari & Bombaci famed V-8 car that Bill Slater won the title driving in 1959. That trio left for Norwood Arena with a new car the following year while Collins dominated the Speedbowl with 17 Modified wins in the old car. He actually won a record 23 wins overall at the track in 1960. He won his 5th Speedbowl title during his last full season of competition driving Billy Simon’s “Excavator Special” #9.

Don retired after the first race in 1970 and called it a career. Nobody had more championships or wins at the Speedbowl than Collins at the time. It took almost 20 years for future Speedbowl legends like Bob Potter & Phil Rondeau to approach his stats. And it took 53 years before Keith Rocco broke his 23 wins in a single season record.

By all accounts, Collins was a very clean racer, a very quite guy, yet ultra-competitive, and one of the smartest drivers during his era. His accomplishments were almost exclusively at the ‘bowl and it was rare that he didn’t compete in one of his trademark cowboy shirts.

The following season, Collins finished second in the season opener, then abruptly retired. At the time, nobody had more wins (101) or championships (5) than him. Don was a car builder and mechanic, as well as a driver. He prided himself on being wise on tire knowledge. “Like today’s cars, if you could make your tires last until the end of the race, and your tires were in better shape than your competitor’s tires, you stood a better chance of winning the race”, says Collins. He also competed at Norwood Arena, Seekonk Speedway, Plainville Stadium and Albany-Saratoga Speedway.

In 1967 the Stafford Motor Speedway was paved. The NASCAR Modifieds were the headline division. For 20 years thru 1986 Stafford would host and provide competition from the best in the busines from throughout New England, New York State, Long Island and from the south. Names like Eddie Flemke, Bugsy Stevens, Fred DeSarro, Reggie Ruggerio, Ray Miller, Richie Evans, Maynard Troyer, Geoff Bodine, Charlie Jarzobeck, Greg Sacks, Wayne Anderson, Jamie Tomaino, Satch Worley and Ray Hendrick would be in the line-up and would record victories.

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).