HICKORY, NC (April 3) –Derek Griffith of Hudson, NH withstood a race-long battle with his cross-town rival Joey Polewarcyzk to take the win for the Pro All Stars Series (PASS) Super Late Models Saturday night in the 16th Annual Easter Bunny 150 at Hickory Motor Speedway. With his win, Griffith swept the weekend twins to become the first driver since Preston Peltier to score back-to-back Easter Bunny 150 wins. (more…)
April
Duane Howard Wins VP Fuels Bruce Rogers Memorial At Grandview, Kyle Lilick Tops In Sportsman
BECHTELSVILLE, PA. April 4, 2021 . . . There was quite chill in the air for the 4th Annual VP Fuels Bruce Rogers Memorial Money Maker 50-lap race on Saturday night at Grandview Speedway, but the action was hot and heavy as Big Block Modifieds went up against Small Block racing talents.45 Modifieds entered the pits to attempt to qualify for the Rogers Memorial while 33 Sportsman took to the track for their second part of the night’s racing action. (more…)
Wayne Helliwell Sweeps Hickory Weekend at ACT Easter Bunny 125
Hickory, NC — Dover, NH’s Wayne Helliwell Jr. pulled a clean sweep of the first American-Canadian Tour (ACT) trip to North Carolina’s Hickory Motor Speedway by winning the Easter Bunny 125 on Saturday, April 3. Helliwell took the lead from New Salem, MA’s Tom Carey III in lapped traffic on the 44th circuit and was unstoppable down the stretch to double up after his victory in the Hickory 125 the night before. (more…)
Derek Griffith of Hudson, NH Dominates Easter Bunny150 at Hickory
HICKORY, NC (April 2) – Hudson, NH’s Derek Griffith took the lead on lap 28 and never looked back to take the win for the Pro All Stars Series (PASS) Super Late Models Friday night in the 15th Annual Easter Bunny 150 at Hickory Motor Speedway. (more…)
Wayne Helliwell Becomes First to Stand in ACT Victory Lane at Hickory
Hickory, NC — Dover, NH’s Wayne Helliwell Jr. added another accomplishment to his long racing résumé by winning the American-Canadian Tour (ACT) Hickory 125 on Friday, April 2. The three-time ACT champion led all but two laps and survived multiple challenges from Herman, ME’s Mike Hopkins to win the series’ first event at North Carolina’s Hickory Motor Speedway. (more…)
Wrangler Bumpers Giveaway From RedRock 4×4
Off-road parts can be expensive, especially when you buy a lot of them, so to help out our customers and Jeep enthusiast alike, ExtremeTerrain is here with their latest parts giveaway. (more…)
Matt Scappini Ready to Challenge for Limited Late Model Rookie of the Year Honors at Stafford With Championship Winning Car
When the Limited Late Model field takes to the track at Stafford Speedway in 3 weeks, 23 year old Matt Scappini will kick off his first season of weekly competition at the Connecticut half-mile facility. (more…)
Ford Named Official Pace Car Provider For Nashville Superspeedway
LEBANON, Tenn. (April 2, 2021) – Nashville Superspeedway officials have announced that Ford will be the official pace car provider for its June 18-20 NASCAR tripleheader weekend, including the inaugural “Ally 400” NASCAR Cup Series race on Father’s Day – Sunday, June 20.
The announcement was made during last week’s Goodyear Tire Test at Nashville Superspeedway. Chase Briscoe, driver of the No. 14 Ford for Stewart-Haas Racing, was one of three NASCAR Cup Series stars to participate in the test.
“It’s cool that they’re on board here at Nashville and for them to start this track off as a Ford-branded track,” said Briscoe, a contender for the 2021 NASCAR Cup Series Rookie of the Year honor. “It’s cool whenever we go to a Ford track. The pace car is a Ford and there’s Ford signage everywhere and it feels like you’re more at home.”
The June 18-20 NASCAR tripleheader weekend also includes the NASCAR Xfinity Series race on Saturday, June 19 (2:30 p.m. CT, NBCSN) and the “Rackley Roofing 200” NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race on Friday, June 18 (7 p.m. CT, FS1).
“It’s an honor to be linked with such an iconic company as Ford as we continue to build toward our June race weekend,” said Nashville Superspeedway president Erik Moses. “Ford has a tremendous motorsports history and is a brand that connects with our fanbase here in Middle Tennessee. We can’t wait to see a Ford lead America’s best drivers to the green flag at Nashville Superspeedway on Father’s Day weekend!”
Ford will also be the official pace car provider at Nashville Superspeedway’s sister track Dover (Del.) International Speedway. Ford earned its 17th NASCAR Cup Series manufacturer championship, and second in the last three seasons, after winning 18 races in 2020 while Austin Cindric captured the regular season and playoff championship in the NASCAR Xfinity Series.
“It’s great to have Nashville Superspeedway back in NASCAR and we’re excited to serve as its official pace car,” said Jeannee Kirkaldy, Ford Performance’s motorsports marketing manager. “We have a wonderful partnership with Dover Motorsports and we’re ready to continue to play an integral role in their race weekends at Nashville and Dover. We have several exciting new vehicles in our Ford lineup and we’re looking forward to showcasing them at the track.”
Tickets are still available for the NASCAR Xfinity Series race on Saturday, June 19 and the “Rackley Roofing 200” NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race on Friday, June 18. Call 866-RACE-TIX for more information.
Keep track of Nashville Superspeedway’s latest news and updates at NashvilleSuperSpeedway.com via social media at Facebook.com/NashvilleSuperspeedway, on Twitter at @nashvillesupers and Instagram @nashvillesuperspeedway. For questions about media relations, employment, or other inquiries, interested parties are encouraged to email info@nashvillesuperspeedway.com.
Practice Notes: ACT Field Gets up to Speed Fast at Hickory
Hickory, NC — The American-Canadian Tour (ACT) got its first taste of the “Birthplace of the NASCAR Stars” on Thursday, April 1. Twenty-nine teams made the trip to North Carolina’s Hickory Motor Speedway a day early for an open practice session prior to the Hickory 125 on Friday, April 2 and the Easter Bunny 125 on Saturday, April 3. (more…)
The Dale Jr. Download Moves To Thursday Nights On NBCSN
STAMFORD, Conn. – April 1, 2021 – The remainder of Season Four of The Dale Jr. Download will premiere on Thursday nights on NBCSN, beginning last night at 6:30 p.m. ET, with an episode featuring Marcus Smith, President and CEO of Speedway Motorsports. The show had been premiering episodes on Wednesday nights. (more…)
Thompson Icebreaker 125 Just the Start of Big Outlaw Open Season
Waterbury, VT & Naples, ME — Connecticut’s Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park is just over a week away from the annual Icebreaker. The 82nd season opener on Saturday, April 10 and Sunday, April 11 is headlined by the Icebreaker 125 for the new Outlaw Open Modified Series, pitting the region’s Tour-type Modified stars in a $10,000-to-win showdown. (more…)
Exciting Premier Events Added To Bear Ridge Speedway Schedule for 2021
The DIRTcar Northeast VP Racing Fuels “East Region Series” for the DIRTcar Sportsman Modifieds is set to invade the Ridge on Saturday May 15th, for the second event of the five-race series. (more…)
Marvin Minkler Happy to Live The Dream in Stafford’s Street Stocks
(Stafford Springs, CT)—Like many racers at all levels of racing, Stafford Speedway Street Stock competitor Marvin Minkler always had a dream to one day become a racecar driver. Where Minkler differs from many racers of today was the path he took.
As a child, Minkler attended races at Danbury Arena and had plans on racing there but the track’s closure put his dream on a back burner. The racing dream was further put on hold as Minkler’s life took some turns serving in the Army as part of the 3rd Infantry, “The Old Guard” stationed in Washington D.C. and beating cancer in 2013. What led him back to racing was a surprise gift from the youth hockey team he coached, a night behind the wheel of one of Gary Spinnato, Jr. and Paul Varricchio, Jr.’s Rent A Racecar machines in Stafford’s Street Stock division in 2017.
“I used to go to Danbury with my grandfather every Saturday and my cousin Bob Furano raced there,” said Minkler. “The thought process was when I was old enough I was going to get in the car and go driving, so that was always my childhood dream. Once Danbury closed down, that dream kind of died but my love for racing never stopped. I went to races all the time and when I was in the military, I was always dragging guys to Manassas Speedway in Virginia. In 2013 I was going to go racing but I was diagnosed with cancer. Every day when I would go for radiation and chemotherapy it was in the back of my mind that I was going to try to race once I got better. One year the hockey team that I coached got me a ride with Rent A Racecar as an end of season gift. I ran that one race and I wanted to race again.”
Minkler finished his first race 14th out of 16 cars, but despite that the racing bug had set in and Minkler was determined to continue on. He followed up his first outing in 2017 with three more starts in Rent A Racecar machines in 2018, including his very first top-10 finish. Then the 2019 season found Minkler bringing his dream to fruition.
“After racing with Rent A Racecar a couple of times, I was talking with Paul and Gary about getting a car and Greg DeMone was selling his car,” said Minkler. “I purchased his car and we put the car together in about 8 weeks and after that I was off to the races in 2019. I knew how to change the oil or change the tires on the car, but I knew nothing about building a racecar. Paul, Gary, and Butch from Rent A Racecar were all great helping me out putting the car together and I’ve learned a lot from them.”
Now that Minkler has achieved his dream of getting behind the wheel of a racecar, he has no plans to stop racing any time soon.
“I think Red Farmer is about 90 now and he’s still racing so I’m going to keep on racing until I can’t anymore,” said Minkler. “I enjoy going to the shop and learning things about the car and that has been just as equally rewarding for me as the driving part. I teach skating and I can help kids become better skaters but I can’t teach them balance. I understand where to hit the brakes and where to get back on the gas but I’m still learning the balance between that. I’m envious of the young kids who come in having already started racing go karts at 5 years old because that’s the equivalent of me teaching a 5 year old how to skate.”
After a 2020 season that was plagued by mechanical issues for Minkler and his #71 car, he is aiming to be a consistent presence in the top-10 during the 2021 season.
“Hopefully we’ve fixed all the problems we had last year,” said MInkler. “Last year was all mechanical issues for us. In 2019 we didn’t have one DNF so I came into 2020 with some confidence. The very first practice I broke something on the car and we ended up chasing that gremlin for the next 8 weeks. I think we went through 3 driveshafts and a transmission so I didn’t get the laps I was looking for and that was frustrating. Hopefully we’ve got everything fixed and I’d like to be a top-10 car on a consistent basis this season, which I think we can get done. Once we can achieve some top-10 finishes, we’ll start to look at getting into the top-5. I don’t want to jump too far ahead and be unrealistic and have delusions of grandeur.”
In addition to getting his car fixed up for the 2021 season, Minkler will also welcome a new sponsor, Riko’s Pizza of Stamford, CT. The new sponsor-driver combination will allow any fans who can’t get to the track in person to watch Minkler and Stafford’s other 4 weekly divisions race every Friday at any Riko’s Pizza location.
“Riko’s Pizza came on board with us this season and they’re a small town pizzeria that has grown and branched out with some franchises in Florida,” said Minkler. “They’ve been great to work with so far and they’re working with FloRacing to be able show the Stafford live stream at all their locations every Friday night. They’re pretty aggressive with their marketing so we might have some tee-shirts and hats to give away during the season. We also have Platoon22.org on the car, which is a charity that works with veterans. I encourage everyone to support their veterans and being a veteran myself, that’s something that is near and dear to my heart.”
Despite his late start into racing at age 49 and still going strong this season at age 53, Minkler says that if you have a dream to go racing, it’s all about taking that first step to go ahead and make that dream become a reality.
“You can’t get any better in life by sitting on the couch,” said Minkler. “It can be the biggest thing or the smallest thing but the greatest journeys in life always start with the first step. I would say the first step would be to see Gary and Paul at Rent A Racecar and see what you think about going racing. If you have an itch to do something then you have to scratch that itch.”
Minkler will kick off his 2021 season on Saturday, April 24 as part of NAPA Opening Day. General Admission tickets for the April 24 NAPA Auto Parts Opening Day are now available online at StaffordSpeedway.com/
For more information, visit www.staffordspeedway.com
Source: Scott Running/Stafford PR
Fendered Divisions Going Full-Throttle With Big Thompson Icebreaker Slate
Waterbury, VT & Naples, ME – Connecticut’s Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park is now less than two weeks away from the season-opening Icebreaker on April 10-11. As part of a packed 10-division lineup, there are a mix of fendered divisions, open-wheel modifieds and winged Midgets.
The fendered side of the schedule is packed with three Thompson local divisions and three touring series classes. The stars of the Pro All Star Series lead the way with a 75-lap feature as the headliner of the Saturday slate. They are joined on Saturday by the EXIT Realty Pro Truck Series, Mini Stocks and a special $1,000 to win, 8-Cylinder Street Stock open race.
On Sunday, the Limited Sportsman and Late Models get their crack at opening the season. The Limited Sportsman have a special 25-lap feature while the ACT-type Late Models go 40 laps in support of the $10,000-to-win Icebreaker 125 for the Outlaw Open Modified Series.
The early entries for the Mini Stock season include a list of tenured veterans who are heading back to Thompson in search of more glory. The 2019 track champion, Doug Curry, is joined by Steve Michalski, Russell Barboza, Tommy Silva and more as the early contenders. In two Mini Stock races at the Connecticut oval in 2020, Jared Roy collected checkered flags in both. The Mini Stocks are often Thompson’s most affordable class for a competitor but put on some of the best racing at the track.
As part of the Limited Sportsman division, all eyes will be on some of Thompson’s most polished veterans. Former track champions entered for the season include Kyle Gero, Ryan Waterman, Scott Sundeen and Larry Barnett. All four drivers have proven they can get the job done, but it’s been Waterman who has done the most winning lately, taking both races at Thompson during the 2020 season. Additional registered drivers include former division winners Corey Fanning and Brent Gleason, former Thompson Mini Stock champion Curry, Kristopher Kay, former Seekonk Speedway regular Ed Flanagan Jr. and more. The Limited Sportsman division is long known for three-wide action and drivers sliding around the track in search of the checkered flag.
Some of those same Limited Sportsman drivers will be competing on Saturday when the $1,000 to win, 8-Cylinder Street Stock race hits the high-banks. At the World Series in 2020, it was Christopher Buffone who scored the win, and he’s planning on returning to attempt to keep that crown. Buffone led laps early but fell to fourth-spot by halfway. It wasn’t long before he was back out front after all three drivers in front of him suffered mechanical failures, propelling him to victory. This time, he’s hoping to not depend on Lady Luck and dominate the show instead. His victory at Thompson came in his first start at the 0.625-mile oval.
“I’m super excited to head back to the track I grew up watching my Uncle Tom and Mike O’Sullivan in the Pro Stocks and Late Models up until 2011,” Buffone said. “Being able to win my first race there last year was pretty amazing. But I had lots of help from the years of experience my family has there in weekly racing. I think my chances of going back and repeating are just as likely as they were the first time, just this time I’m going in with a few more laps under my belt. There will be a ton of top-notch race cars there, along with ours, so winning would be a huge feat — especially to go back-to-back.”
The Late Models open the season with a $1,200-to-win, 40-lap feature part of the Sunday portion of Icebreaker weekend. In their debut race on the new ACT Hoosier tire, drivers from across New England will commence at Thompson to help open the New England Late Model Challenge Cup. Originally slated to open last year, but halted due to COVID-19, the Challenge Cup allows registered competitors to take their best 10 eligible finishes at participating tracks across New England towards the season-long point standings. A guaranteed minimum point fund of $14,000 has been posted with a minimum prize of $3,000 to the overall winner.
Perhaps the favorite heading into the new year is former track champion Woody Pitkat, who returns to competition with the Hartwell Motorsports team after a successful two years together. In 2019, Pitkat went into the World Series of Speedway Racing in contention to win the championship on the strength of multiple wins. In 2020, in a shortened season due to COVID, Pitkat swept the two races at the Connecticut oval. His partnership with Hartwell Motorsports has proven to be a strong one that is nearly unbeaten of late.
Additional former Late Model track champions in the field include Brian Tagg and Nick Johnson, while names like defending American-Canadian Tour Rookie of the Year Derek Gluchacki, Tom Carey III and others are also expected to contend in the opener.
“I always feel confident going into Thompson,” Carey, a former winner at Thompson in the weekly division, said. “I feel like I should have a couple ACT Tour wins there already — I just kind of got plagued with bad luck. I’ve always had a really fast hot rod there, though. The first time I got taken out with five laps to go, and then on the first lap the second time — both times while I was running on the front row. It’s going to be fun. I’m looking forward to the changes that ACT and PASS have planned for the place. Hopefully they bring the venue back to the glory that it deserves.”
The EXIT Realty Truck Series returns to Thompson with their stout list of competitors. The defending champion of the division is Duane Noll, who is always a top driver. He will be joined by a strong contingency of regulars for their feature. Ken Morin was the first driver to file a registration for the Icebreaker.
Thompson Speedway opens its 82nd season with the annual Icebreaker on Saturday, April 10 and Sunday, April 11. A total of 10 divisions will compete across two days of racing. Sunday’s card features the $10,000-to-win Icebreaker 125 for the Outlaw Open Modified Series with qualifying going green at 1:15pm. There’s also a 40-lap ACT-type Late Model shootout plus the Limited Sportsman and SK Light Modifieds.
Saturday’s six-division card is highlighted by the season-opening Thompson 75 for the PASS North Super Late Models beginning at 1:00pm. They’re joined by the Sunoco Modifieds, NEMA LITES Midgets, EXIT Realty Pro Truck Challenge, Mini Stocks, and an 8-Cylinder Street Stock Open. An optional Test N’ Tune practice day is slated for Friday, April 9 with all Icebreaker divisions welcome.
Adult general admission is $30 for Saturday and $35 for Sunday. Kids ages 12 and under are $10 each day. Advance tickets are available at https://happsnow.com/event/
Speed51.TV is also offering a live pay-per-view broadcast for both days of the Icebreaker. Sign up at www.speed51.tv. PPV passes are $30 for Saturday-only, $35 for Sunday-only, and $55 for both days.
For more information about the American-Canadian Tour, contact the ACT offices at (802) 244-6963, media@acttour.com, or visit www.acttour.com. You can also get updates on Facebook and Twitter at @ACTTour.
For technical information concerning all PASS divisions, and for media or marketing questions, please contact passracing@roadrunner.com or visit www.proallstarsseries.com. Don’t forget to “Like” the Pro All Stars Series on Facebook or follow on Twitter @PASSSLM14 to keep up with breaking news as it happens.
For general Thompson Speedway inquiries and camping reservations, call (860) 923-2280, email oval@thompsonspeedway.com, or visit www.thompsonspeedway.com. You can follow Thompson Speedway on Facebook and Instagram at @ThompsonSpeedway or on Twitter at @ThompsonSpdwy.
Thompson Icebreaker to Broadcast on Speed51.TV
Waterbury, VT & Naples, ME — Fans of Northeast auto racing now have another way to enjoy the lid-lifter on 2021 season. The American-Canadian Tour (ACT), Pro All Star Series (PASS), and Speed51.TV have announced a live pay-per-view broadcast for the annual Icebreaker at Connecticut’s Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park on April 10 and 11. (more…)
PASS and Speed51.TV Enter Multi-Year Broadcast Agreement
The fastest full-bodied cars in New England will shine brighter than ever before during the 2021 season and beyond. Speed51 and the Pro All Stars Series (PASS) have entered a multi-year agreement to broadcast grassroots racing events live on Speed51.TV. (more…)
Shriners Hospitals for Children joins Jesse Little for Multiple Xfinity Series Races
MOORESVILLE – N.C. (January 10, 2021) – Jesse Little and BJ McLeod Motorsports (BJMM) announce today a partnership with Shriners Hospitals for Children® for the 2021 NXS season, starting at Daytona International Speedway on February, 13, 2021. (more…)