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Lou Modestino’s Track Talk Column – May 27, 2024

Good TV, Bad TV?  Former TV and radio staffer T. M. ‘Stumpy” Stone is a long-time reader of Ernie Saxton dubbed “My Two Cents Worth” Column in Area Auto Racing News in Trenton, NJ.  Stone made some good points about NASCAR putting on a poor show.

“Even though the organizers and announcers of those NASCAR races claim,  there are damn few sellout crowds. All you have to do on a TV broadcast is look away from the racing and see the many empty spaces there are in the grandstands during the racing broadcasts!”
Also, in the same column were quotes that Michael Andretti has a plan to build a Formula 1 team by 2026 with Cadillac as their choice of powerplant.  It has prompted the team to get 48,000 Square feet building in Fishers, Indiana for entry in 2025 or 2026.  Also, There’s a satellite building in Silverstone, UK to use as a European base.  At the same time F1 has discouraged the entry of the Andretti Team!  Because those other teams would have to share their winnings. All this boils down to the teams want to race in the USA several times but don’t want another USA team!
Like we said before that the Andretti should merge with the HASS F1 Team
How about Bike Week 101 Annual in the Laconia, NH area and at New Hampshire Motor Speedway between June 5 and June 16. Here’s what’s scheduled.
June 5-6:Penquin Racing School on the 1.6-mile road course.
June 5-14:Camping available at NHMS.
June 7-9: Northeast Motorcycle Road Racing on the 1.6 mile road course.
June 8: 101st Annual Road Course Classic(1.6 mile full road course.)
June 8-9: New England Racing Museum open.
June 8-14: Demo Rides and food court open (S1 Lot)
June 11: Ride to the racetrack to benefit the NH Chapter of Speedway Children’s (Laconia Harley-Davidson to NHMS)
June 11:Tower Hill Climb up Tower Hill Weirs Beach ( Free Admission).
June 12: 2024 AMA Sanctioned Gunstock Hill Climb at 719 Cherry Valley Rd. Gilford, NH
June 14-16: New England Racing Museum Open.
Beyond the above schedule,  Bentley’s Saloon is some 70 miles east of Laconia, NH formed 20-years ago by Gloucester, MA native Bentley Warren promotes his campground in Arundel, ME that caters to bikers.
Every year since he opened, he’s invited the masses from NH Bike Weeks to his conglomerate on starting June 11 to his Tommy Tatoo Contest on Wednesday, his 13th Annual Ride In Bike Show.  On Saturday it’s Ms. Bentley Pin-Up Contest who will win $1,000.  There will be live bands all week including rally rockers Jasmin Cain on Tuesday and Thursday, and Shovel Head on Friday and Saturday.
Warren is famous for Lobster Boils, Pig Roasting among other foods, car shows, bike shows, costume parties and corn hole tourneys. There’s 100 full 100′ camp sites, hook-ups, shaded and unshaded sites, a museum and motel rooms on the property.
Bentley Warren is a former race driver of Modifieds, Super-Modifieds, Sprint Cars and two Indy 500’s!  Another thing is that every year of life that nearby neighbor was George Bush, Sr. who was invited and entertained to the Bentley Saloon for a birthday party until his passing.
Bentley Warren had an appreciation for open wheel race cars and admitted to me that Late Models and Grand National racecars were not for him. I wrote a story about him that appeared in STOCK CAR RACING Magazine many moons ago.
In contrast Santino Ferrucci of Woodbury, CT who scored an eighth place in this past Sunday’s Indy 500 which was among several other top- ten finishes in that classic race.  Santino also has several other good finishes in NASCAR’s Xfinity Series which makes him a extremely flexible racer.