Westel, Tennessee (September 22nd, 2023) – Flatrock Motorsports Park and Motorclub today announced the Sports Marketing Group (SMG), a global sports communications agency, has been selected to support its international motorsport communication program and digital strategy.
Marketing
Kistner Joins Lime Rock Park As Director of Sales & Marketing
LAKEVILLE, CT (6 December 2022)- Building on the momentum of a record-breaking 2022 season, Lime Rock Park announced today that Jamie Kistner has joined the track as Director of Sales and Marketing for the iconic Connecticut circuit. (more…)
JOCKEY MADE IN AMERICA 250 NASCAR CUP SERIES RACE SET FOR ROAD AMERICA JULY 4
ELKHART LAKE, Wis., May 12, 2021 – Jockey International, a 145-year-old brand recognized for its premium underwear and apparel, has signed on to be the title sponsor of the NASCAR Cup Series race at Road America on the Fourth of July. This year’s race will be known as the Jockey Made in America 250 presented by Kwik Trip. The green flag will fly on the event at approximately 1:30 pm CST, and the race will be aired LIVE on NBC.
Outlaw Open Entries Released for First Two Thompson Speedway Wednesday Shows
Waterbury, VT and Naples, ME — American-Canadian Tour (ACT) and Pro All Stars Series (PASS) have released the entry forms for the next two Outlaw Open Modified Series events at Connecticut’s Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park. The Nutmeg State 75 on Wednesday, June 16 and the Spirit of 76 on Wednesday, July 7 are part of a six-division card for the track’s 82nd summer of racing.
Superstar Racing Experience (SRX) and Speed51.com to Promote Grassroots Racing
CONCORD, N.C. (May 7, 2021) – Superstar Racing Experience (SRX) and Speed51.com have formed a partnership ahead of SRX’s inaugural season with Speed51.com serving as the series’ short-track content marketing partner for the 2021 season.
SRX is a six-race short-track series airing this summer on Saturday nights in primetime on CBS. It features drivers from an array of motorsports backgrounds competing in identically prepared racecars on a variety of tracks. (more…)
Igloo Releases New NASCAR-Licensed Playmate Coolers For Throwback Weekend At Darlington Raceway
May 6, 2021 (Katy, Texas) – Today, Igloo released three new NASCAR-licensed Playmate coolers that expand upon their previously released special-edition Playmate series. Featuring custom artwork inspired by driver Martin Truex Jr., a limited-edition Chase Elliott Hooters design honoring Alan Kulwicki and a retro NASCAR design, these new Playmate Pal coolers — launching ahead of the Official Throwback Weekend of NASCAR at Darlington Raceway May 7–9, 2021 — are available now at igloocoolers.com/NASCAR. (more…)
RoC Modifieds Returning to Chemung, NY This Weekend
Chemung, N.Y. – (May 1, 2021) – Chemung (N.Y.) Speedrome will provide the stage for the Race of Champions Modified Series return to racing in its home state of New York. The series was “idle” in the Empire State during the 2020 season due to the Covid-19 pandemic that wreaked havoc worldwide. With life returning to normal, the series will set out to face the challenging Southern Tier oval on its traditional May date. (more…)
Buzz Chew Auto Group & Riverhead Raceway To Continue Marketing Partnership For 37th Consecutive Season In 2021
In what is one of the longest continuous marketing partnerships in short track racing across the country Riverhead Raceway management announced Saturday during the track’s second practice day that Buzz Chew Auto Group would return for the 2021 NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series. The return of the Southampton, L.I. based auto & truck dealership to the Riverhead fold marks the 37th consecutive season of marketing partnership between the two parties complete with a new twist for 2021. (more…)
Permatex Kicks off 2021 NASCAR Season with StarCom Racing Sponsorship
Solon, OH…Permatex®, a leading innovator in chemical technology for automotive maintenance and repair, has announced that the company will continue its sponsorship of the StarCom Racing Team for two key races during the 2021 NASCAR Cup Series. This marks the third consecutive season that Permatex will be a primary sponsor for the Permatex StarCom 00 Camaro, helmed for the second straight year by driver Quin Houff. (more…)
Hebert Finally Tastes NHMS Victory at Northeast Classic
Loudon, NH — Reigning American-Canadian Tour (ACT) champion Jimmy Hebert of Williamstown, VT finally scored a long-awaited victory at Loudon’s New Hampshire Motor Speedway (NHMS) on Sunday, April 18 in the inaugural Northeast Classic. Hebert was awarded the win following post-race technical inspection, giving the veteran a triumph he’d been chasing for his entire decade-long Late Model career. (more…)
NASCAR Cup Series News & Notes – Richmond Raceway
Richmond Raceway has been known by several different names and has been reconfigured several times over the years of its existence, but all the while it has been a staple on the NASCAR Cup Series schedule since 1953. This weekend’s race, the TOYOTA OWNERS 400 (April 18 at 3 p.m. ET on FOX, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) is looking to add the historic prestige that Richmond has built over the decades of great on-track competition and with how this season has been shaking out it shouldn’t disappoint. (more…)
Greg Van Alst Gearing Up For Busy April
ANDERSON, Ind.: ARCA Menards Series driver Greg Van Alst was supposed to return familiar territory this weekend.
Van Alst had been slated to return to ARCA CRA Super Series competition this weekend at Anderson (Ind.) Speedway and kickoff a busy month of racing that will include Super Late Models and his second ARCA Menards Series start of 2021.
Thompson Speedway’s Icebreaker Sunday Schedule Moved to Saturday Night Due to Forecast
Waterbury, VT & Naples, ME — The Sunday program of the annual Icebreaker at Connecticut’s Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park has been rescheduled for Saturday, April 10 at approximately 5:30pm. American-Canadian Tour (ACT) and Pro All Stars Series (PASS) officials made the decision due to an inclement weather forecast for Sunday, April 11. The Saturday night forecast is far more favorable with clear skies highs in the low-60s. (more…)
NASCAR Cup Series News & Notes – Martinsville Speedway
The NASCAR Cup Series finds itself amid a short track swing on the 2021 season schedule, tasking the teams to find the best setups for the cars on three similar tracks in length (less than a mile) but for three vastly different competitive arenas. (more…)
Ryan Preece Officially Enters Thompson Icebreaker 125
Waterbury, VT & Naples, ME — One of the top Modified and stock car racers in the country is coming to Connecticut’s Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park this weekend. Berlin, CT’s Ryan Preece has officially entered the Outlaw Open Modified Series Icebreaker 125 scheduled for Sunday, April 11 as part of the annual season-opening Icebreaker. (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.
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…)
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…)