RPW Exclusive: Looking Back: Final Week Of March

Column Compiled By: PHIL SMITH / RPW – WESTERLY, RI – Sixty years ago in 1965 the fabulous Sal Dee in the Flying 70 won the opening day 30 lap Modified feature at the Waterford Speedbowl. A youthfull Bob Potter won the Bomber 15 lapper.

Fifty five years ago in 1970 the Waterford Speedbowl’s opening day event was rained out.

Fifty years ago in 1975, a 200 lap modified event at Hickory; N.C. was cancelled after the promoter received only 16 entries. Fulton was scheduled to open for the season but ended up being cancelled because of snow.

Forty five years ago in 1980, Forty 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.

Forty years ago in 1985, the IceBreaker at Thompson went off without a hitch. Richie Evans took the 75 lap win over Jeff Fuller, Brian Ross and Jamie Tomaino.

Thirty five years ago in 1990, Reggie Ruggiero started 17th and took the lead from Jamie Tomaino on lap 142 and went on to win the season opening 200 lapper at Martinsville. Jeff Fuller finished second and was followed by Jamie Tomaino, George Kent and Jerry Cranmer.

Thirty years ago in 1995, the Modifieds were silent as the action was in Atlanta. Johnny Benson passed Ken Schrader with eight laps to go and went on to win the Busch Grandnational event. Jeff Gordon dominated the Winston Cup event.

Twenty five years ago in 2000 Wall Stadium was running and Tim Arre took the win over John Blewett III and Tom Mauser. At the Texas Motor Speedway, Mark Martin took the Grandnational win and Dale Earnhardt Jr dominated the Winston Cup division to score his first win.

Twenty years ago in 2005, with the advent of the Southern Modified Tour coming under the NASCAR blanket the NASCAR Modified season actually started on March 26 at the Caraway Speedway in Asheboro, North Carolina. Ted Christopher, driving the Roger and Sandra Hill No.79 took the win. Christopher, who took the role of the Hired Gun, was the fourth leader of the event. Jay Foley, a southerner, led the opening green until being overtaken by Long Islander JR. Bertuccio on lap 26. Bertuccio led until lap 37 when he was passed by another southerner, Jay Hedgecock. Hedgecock was hoping to annex a win but fell victim to engine problems after completing lap 65. Christopher, who was running second at the time, inherited the lead and never looked back as he romped to take the victory. Foley ended up second with Jamie Tomaino, third. Junior Miller and Frank Flemming rounded out the top five. There were six cautions for 27 laps.

Hill’s Enterprises, in a surprise announcement, released Eddie Flemke JR as their driver. Flemke has been the team’s driver since 1998 and recorded 13 wins. Car owners Roger and Sandra Hill stated that the driver change does not affect the team’s plans for this season, as they will once again run the full Whelen Modified Tour schedule and compete for the championship. They will also compete in select Southern Modified Tour events when the schedule allows. A deal was struck with Mike Christopher on Saturday afternoon

Tony Hirschman announced that he would defend his title. At the end of the 2004 season Hirschman hinted that he would be backing off a bit so as to assist his son Matt who drives Modifieds in New York State. Just six months after announcing its title sponsorship of the legendary NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour, Whelen Engineering expanded its involvement with NASCAR’s open-wheeled racing division. Whelen, an emergency signal and lighting manufacturer based in Chester, Conn., signed a multi-year agreement to become title sponsor of the all-new NASCAR Southern Modified Tour, now known as the NASCAR Whelen Southern Modified Tour.

The Plainfield Connecticut Planning and Zoning Commission approved an application that would allow dozens of large-scale projects, including a domed stadium for auto racing. In a 4-1 vote, the commission approved the application by New England Raceway LLC and Connecticut Yankee Greyhound Racing Inc. Developer Eugene Arganese said he would submit plans to build a 140,000-seat domed auto racetrack after the commission acted on a second application that would incorporate 1,153 acres of residential and commercial property in the new C5 Resort/Recreational Development District. The commission postponed deciding on whether to amend the town’s zoning map in the area near Exits 87 and 88 off of Interstate 395 until its April 12 meeting. Needless to say the domed race track never happened. Arganese ended up buying and operating a motel in Misquamicut Beach in Rhode Island.

The Asbury Park Press in New Jersey broke the story that two developers who want to build roughly 250 homes to replace the Wall Township Speedway are under contract to purchase the 55-year-old raceway. Town officials said it would be highly unlikely that the project is approved.

Rookie Reed Sorenson raced to his first NASCAR Busch Series victory beating Kenny Wallace by a whopping 14.417 seconds in the Pepsi 300 at Nashville Superspeedway. The Nextel Cup Series was off as it was Easter weekend.

Fifteen years ago in 2010, while a ‘noreaster was dumping over four inches of rain in New England the Whelen Southern Modified Tour Series was at the Caraway Speedway in Ashboro, NC. Nineteen Modifieds were on hand for the 150 lap contest. Burt Myers won his 22nd career Coors Light Pole.

New Hampshire invader Andy Seuss passed Burt Myers on the opening lap and went on to win round two of the southern tour. LW Miller finished second with James Civali, third. Brian Loftin and Zach Brewer rounded out the top five. In the end, Burt Myers faded to sixth. His History Channel Mad House co-stars Tim Brewer and Jason Myers finished seventh and 18th. Brown is now the series point leader. Seuss pocketed $2000 for his efforts.

It was reported that the France Family Group, which included 46 entities ranging from members of the NASCAR-ruling France family to companies they operate, own 69.6% of the voting stock at International Speedway Corp., the company revealed in its annual proxy statement. A year ago, in 2009, the group owned 68.9%. With the majority of the voting stock, the France Family Group controls the decisions of the company. ISC Chairman Jim France controls 44.9% of the voting stock (including his shares of the France Family Group) and his late brother Bill’s widow, Betty Jane France, owns 20.7%. NASCAR Chairman Brian France (Jim’s nephew), who was listed as controlling only 0.23% of the voting ISC stock last year, now owns 1.3%. Executive compensation also was revealed as part of the proxy statement. Chairman Jim France’s compensation package was worth $554,608, compared with $1.08 million last year when he was chairman and chief executive officer. Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Lesa France Kennedy’s compensation package was worth $769,780, compared with $719,146 a year ago when she was the company president. The compensation package includes salary, bonus, incentives, perks, above-market returns on pay set aside for later and the value of stock options and restricted stock granted during the year

NASCAR announced the television schedule for its developmental series for 2010 and a partial television schedule for the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour and NASCAR Whelen Southern Modified Tour on the Speed Channel. The expanded calendar included 21 events on SPEED for the NASCAR K&N Pro Series and seven races for the Modifieds. This comprehensive package included airing of every race on the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East and West schedules. Three of the Whelen Modified Tours will air as same-day televised events.

NASCAR’s Sprint Cup, Nationwide and Truck divisions enjoyed a weekend off.

Ten years ago in 2015, The NASCAR Southern Whelen Modified Tour Series returned to the Caraway Speedway in North Carolina last week. Andy Seuss went from Zero to hero in two weeks. After finishing last in the season opener two weeks ago at Caraway Speedway, Seuss held off Eric Goodale on a green-white-checkered finish to win the Charles Kepley Memorial 150 Saturday in a return to Caraway.

The key to success was with his pit crew. Seuss’ pit crew got him out of the pits first just in front of Eric Goodale on Lap 131, after a spin by Kyle Ebersole brought out the fifth caution flag of the race. Ryan Preece rebounded from contact with JR Bertuccio on the final restart on Lap 146 to finish third, with Bertuccio and Burt Myers completing the top five.

For most of the race it appeared Bertuccio was on his way to his third career tour win as he took the lead from Preece on Lap 8 and remained out front until the leaders came in for the decisive pit stop. It was the most laps the Centereach, New York, native had led in competition since he led 145 in his win last April at Southern National Motorsports Park in Kenly, North Carolina.

Jason Myers finished sixth, and Ebersole able to work back through the field after his late spin to finish seventh. Frank Fleming, Gary Putnam and John Smith completed the top 10.

Seuss and the rest of the Southern Modified competitors will be in action next Saturday at Virginia’s South Boston Speedway for the South Boston 150.

Keith Rocco will be driving the Ceravolo family Sunoco SK Modified at Thompson this season.

In some sad news, multi-time New London-Waterford Speedbowl Modified track champion Dick Dunn passed away unexpectedly on Thursday, March 27th, 2015. He was 77. Long heralded as a top star at the Speedbowl, Dunn began his career in the shoreline oval’s support divisions before successfully transitioning to the headlining Modifieds where by the 1960s he’d become a multi-time feature winner with his own car, and also while driving for other teams.

A pairing with car owner the late Peg Gaudreau and her late husband Al at the dawn of the 1970s proved wildly-successful for the Middletown, CT, native. Piloting the Gaudreau “Buddha’s Bullet” #3, he went on to record 4-straight Speedbowl Modified track championships beginning in 1972.

Significant Speedbowl victories during those years included the Schaefer 100, New England 100, and Fall Stinger 100. The Dunn-Gaudreau team also notched feature event victories at other New England speedways including the Thompson Motorsports Park in Connecticut, and at New Hampshire’s Monadnock Speedway. Additionally, the team also frequently competed at the big yearly Modified shows at Virginia’s Martinsville Speedway.

In 2000 he was named among the Speedbowl’s “50 Favorite Drivers” during a ceremony honoring the tracks 50th Anniversary. The last laps of Dunn’s Modified career were recorded at the Speedbowl aboard a Ted Marsh-owned Modified in 1987.

The funeral was held on Monday at 11 am from the Coughlin-Lastrina Funeral Home, 491 High Street, Middletown, CT followed by a mass of Christian burial at St. Pius X Church at 12 noon. Burial was in the family plot in St. Sebastian Cemetery, Middlefield, CT.

In NASCAR Sprint Cup racing, Denny Hamlin passed teammate Matt Kenseth for the lead with 28 laps to go Sunday and ended Toyota’s 32-race winless streak in the NASCAR Sprint Cup race at Martinsville Speedway. It was his fifth victory on NASCAR’s oldest, smallest circuit. Brad Keselowski was second, followed by Joey Logano, Kenseth and David Ragan, giving Joe Gibbs Racing three cars in the top five. Logano won the Camping World Truck race on Saturday.

Five years ago in 2020, The threat of coronavirus continued to cripple our country. Its amazing things had got so bad. People were hoarding everything from toilet paper to dog food and there appeared that current conditions would continue for a while.. Thanks to the wonders of the internet, life would not be boring.

Thanks to the efforts of Paul Arute the Stafford Speedway joined the list of tracks and series that have moved online since the season delays relating to coronavirus. The first Stafford Speedway iRacing event was set for Friday, March 27th at 7pm and streamed live on Stafford Speedway YouTube channel. Participants included Stafford Speedway drivers who competed in an event in 2019 or who have registered to compete in 2020. “Unfortunately, the start to our 2020 season has been delayed, but we are making the best of the situation,” explained Paul Arute.

The Stafford Motor Speedway iRacing event was won by Teddy Hodgdon. Glen Reen finished second.

During the off season the management of the Thompson Motorsports Park Speedway announced that purses for all classes would be slashed and only the first ten finishers in each division would be paid. A group of Late Model competitors, called Save the Purse, did what the speedway management should have done as they went out and beat the bushes for race sponsorship. Late last week Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park and Save The Purse jointly announced that competitors in the NASCAR Weekly Racing Series Late Model division will have three, 50-lap feature races in 2020 as part of a new Late Model Mid-Summer Challenge.

A group of competitors joined together over the offseason to form Save The Purse, a group that has come up with additional purse money through sponsors and have put it towards these special events. The group is run by recognized racing crew member Brad Martel. Its great that he did that but its not his job! The Thompson Management is lazy and needs to get off its duff.

Each of the three events will pay $2,000 to the winner, $1,000 for second and $750 for third. A full purse will be distributed to the top 25 competitors. The races will take place as part of the three standalone NASCAR Weekly Racing Series events scheduled for June 3, July 8 and August 5. The NASCAR Weekly Racing Series Sunoco Modifieds, SK Light Modifieds, Limited Sportsman and Mini Stocks will join the action running for a short purse with only the first ten getting paid..

In some good news, Area Auto Racing News reports that the erection of the 3500 seat grandstand at the New London-Waterford Speedbowl is about to begin provided the state of Connecticut or the federal government doesn’t invoke work restrictions. Additional plans include office buildings, an emergency medical center,a police sub-station and a banquet hall.

The biggest event of the season at the shoreline oval will be the Ron Bouchard Auto Stores and Maurice Enterprises Challenge Cup which will be a Wild Bill Slater – Eddie Flemke Memorial promoted by Dick Williams on August 29.

Once completed the New London – Waterford Speedbowl will be a premier racing facility.

Less than two weeks ago a group of NASCAR drivers started a conversation about holding a virtual race as a social distancing diversion. One thing led to another and this past Sunday Fox Sports 1 hosted the first virtual reality stock-car race from the cyber version of Homestead-Miami Speedway.

Thirty-five drivers competed in a 100-lap Pro Series Invitational Series race over the iRacing platform and FS1 supplied three commentators and graphics to give it a realistic look and feel. For those who missed the broadcast, Denny Hamlin passed Dale Earnhardt Jr. exiting Turn 4 on the last lap to score the victory.

On Thursday, Mar 27, the state of New Hampshire issued a stay-at-home order for their residents through May 4, which directly impacts our season-opener, The Tri Track Open Modified Series, originally scheduled for May 2 at the Monadnock Speedway. Series management have postponed the opener at Monadnock Speedway until Saturday, May 9. This new date is tentative, as the COVID-19 situation is fluid and changing daily.

NASCAR’s new normal resumed with another virtual event, the second in an iRacing series thrown together after the coronavirus pandemic stopped nearly all sports. NASCAR’s 36-race season was suspended four events into the year.

Timmy Hill won the virtual race at Texas Motor Speedway, where a highlight came when Daniel Suarez was parked by iRacing officials for intentionally trying — but failing — to crash Ty Dillon.

Hill is considered among the top competitors in iRacing, a subscription- based gaming platform. His virtual victory was his 674th in the game.

Fox Sports again used its team of Mike Joy and Hall of Famer Jeff Gordon to call the race, which was aired both on Fox in some markets and nationwide on its cable channel.

In some good news, Billy Harman reports that good friend Jerry Dostie now has a new lease on life with a new heart pacemaker. Dostie, who developed the racing automatic transmission in his Connecticut was a top runner in the Modifieds during the 60s and 70s.

Last year, 2024, The NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour Series resumed Friday at the Richmond International Raceway. Twenty-seven cars made the trip south for round no.2. Among the fastest in practice was Andrew Krause who toured the ¾ mile oval to the tune of 127.728 mph. Krauses’ family operates the Wall Stadium in New Jersey. Second fastest in practice was Justin Bonsignore at 126.338 mph. Third fastest was Tyler Rypkema at 126.863 mph. When it came time for time trials Ron Silk got down to business as he set his car on the pole with a speed of 127.605mph. Justin Bonsignore was second fastest at 127.507mph and Austin Beers was third fastest at 127.377mph. Bobby Santos and Jake Johnson rounded out the top five. Among the missing were Matt Hirschman, Jimmy Blewett, Ryan Preece Ron Williams and Dave Sapienza.

A very sparse crowd witnessed Friday’s Virginia is for Racing Lovers 150. One would think an event promoted by NASCAR at a track the sanctioning body owns would have a fair to decent crowd in the grandstand. Granted, the Cup and Xfinity cars are more popular, but the racing was far better than many of those top tier events run there in the past.

Justin Bonsignore and Ron Silk slugged it out for almost the entire 150 lap distance. Silk, who won the season opening event, settled for second after running wheel to wheel with Bonsignore on the final lap. Rookie Trevor Catalano scored an impressive third with Bobby Santos and Jake Johnson rounding out the top five. Johnson was involved in a lap 13 skirmish with Austin Beers. Johnson’s right front made contact with Beers’ left front causing Beers to hit the wall a ton. The Boehler Racing crew changed the cut and flat right front in short order, keeping him on the lead lap.

Patrick Emerling was an early contender. Coming from an eleventh starting spot, the upstate New Yorker had worked his way to the second spot by lap 50 only to end up being put to the rear on lap 53 for a race procedure rules violation. Emerling wrecked with Bobby Labonte a short time later on Lap 80. Tyler Rypkema and Eric Goodale were headed for a top ten finish when they were eliminated on lap 135. Kyle Bonsignore triggered the wreck when he slammed into Rypkema, forcing him into Goodale.

Doug Coby was in the lead pack most of the event and ended up sixth. Craig Lutz finished seventh with Kyle Bonsignore, Carson Loftin and Tommy Catalano rounding out the top ten. Ryan Newman finished 11th. The 2008 Daytona 500 winner took his shot in the waning laps, restarting third and diving to the bottom in Turn 1 to briefly take the lead before drifting up the track and fading.

Joe Coss and Ben Dodge provided great lap by lap coverage for FloRacing.

The SMART Modified Tour continued Saturday at the Tri-County Speedway in North Carolina. The event was live streamed by FloRacing. Ryan Newman who has not seen the success that he had hoped for finally got the monkey off his back as he scored the SMART win at the Tri County Speedway on Saturday afternoon. Newman took the lead from Jimmy Blewett on lap 71. Blewett in the Jamie Tomaino No.99 took the lead from Will Lambros on lap 15 following a restart. At just about the same time, Burt Myers who had gotten as high as third, slowed and headed to the pits where his crew determined that his engines’ fuel pump had malfunctioned. Myers returned with a new fuel pump on lap 17 just as Blake Barney’s engine expired. Extensive clean-up time from two cautions worked in Myers’ favor.

At the half way mark Blewett continued to lead with Carson Lofton, second and Newman, third. Newman passed Lofton in lap 61 and by lap 65 was on Blewett’s bumper. Known as “The Rocketman”, Newman shot by Blewett on lap 71 to make the final run to the checker. Blewett held on for second with Tom Buzze, third. Lofton finished fourth with Luke Baldwin, fifth. Sixth thru tenth included Jason Myers, Joey Coulter, Will Lambros, Jake Crum and Danny Bohn.

In NASCAR Cup racing, Denny Hamlin’s No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing team gave him a clutch pit stop to emerge with the lead out of the pits and then was able to hold the advantage on a two-lap overtime shootout to claim the Toyota Owners 400 victory Sunday night at Richmond Raceway, his home track.

It was Hamlin’s 53rd career NASCAR Cup Series win, second of the season and fifth victory at the 0.75-mile Richmond oval — a 0.269-second margin of victory over Team Penske’s Joey Logano. And it came at the expense of his JGR teammate Martin Truex Jr., who finished fourth despite leading a dominant 228 of the race’s 407 laps. Ryan Preece finished 23rd.

On a sad note, the racing community mourns the loss today of iconic Hoosier Tire Distributor, Gary Freeman. Gary and his family operate Hoosier Asphalt Oval South in Lexington, North Carolina. Under Gary’s leadership, the Freemans have been very instrumental in supporting the short track industry for many years. Prayers are requested for Gary’s wife Janet, daughter Summer, and son Jeff, and their families. Funeral arrangements will be announced soon.

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).