Here’s the latest Track Talk column from journalist Lou Modestino, who covers local New England motorsports for us:
Plymouth
New London-Waterford Speedbowl Results From May 5-8th, 2021
WATERFORD — It was a season opener that had almost everything — come-from-behind finishes, dominating performances, dramatic crashes, a rain delay — it all unfolded Saturday during Blastoff 2021 at the New London-Waterford Speedbowl. (more…)
NASCAR Cup Series News & Notes – Darlington Raceway
The Next Gen car is a collaboration of the brightest engineering minds in racing, with contributions coming from all sides of the NASCAR and automotive industries. The design of the Next Gen car gives the drivers greater control while putting an emphasis back on race strategies, team personnel and vehicle setups. While wind tunnels and computer simulations play an important role in racing, we want the competition to remain focused on the racetrack. (more…)
Drellos starts title defense with a big win at Devil’s Bowl
WEST HAVEN, Vt. – Demetrios Drellos picked up right where he left off last year: On top at Devil’s Bowl Speedway. The reigning Sportsman Modified champion opened the new season on Saturday, May 1, with a dominant win during a wildly unpredictable night presented by Mike’s Fuels of Bridport. A total of 118 racecars jammed the pit area and outer parking lot as a nice spectator crowd filtered in for the 2021 lid-lifter, and Drellos collected a whopping $3,200 for his victory in the race honoring the late Matt Bilodeau. (more…)
Track Talk – Savary To Take On Thompson Speedway’s Outlaw Modified Race This Weekend; Other Notes
Richard Savary of Canton plans to take in the Outlaw Modified race this Saturday, 4/11/21 at the 5/8-mile Thompson Speedway in CT which will open the 2021 racing season. He originally planned to only race in the Tri Track Open Modified Series which is comprised of just six events this season.
Statistical Advance: Analyzing the Blue-Emu Maximum Pain Relief 500 at Martinsville
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (April 5, 2021) – Below is a look at some of the top statistical performers at Martinsville Speedway in Martinsville, Virginia, going into the Blue-Emu Maximum Pain Relief 500 on Sunday, April 10, at 7:30 p.m. ET on FS1, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio (Channel 90). (more…)
AC Cobra Goes Electric?
Just when you thought 2020 couldn’t get any weirder, along comes one of the world’s finest classic cars. With an electric motor. No kidding. Not even a hybrid. (more…)
REESE/Draw-Tite Ford Finish 31st at Bristol
Matt DiBenedetto and the No. 21 REESE/Draw-Tite Ford team had some early success in Sunday’s Food City Presents the Supermarket Heroes 500 at Bristol Motor Speedway but were collected in a mid-race multi-car incident and wound up with a 31st-place finish.
DiBenedetto started ninth after the line-up for the top 12 starting spots was set by a draw among the top 12 teams in car owner points.
He struggled with a loose handling condition in the opening laps but took the lead by staying on the track when the yellow flag flew at Lap 62 for the second of two competition caution periods.
He held the top spot for four laps, the third-straight race in which he paced the field, then finished seventh in the first 125-lap Stage despite riding on older tires than many of his competitors.
Entering pit road at the end of Stage One, DiBenedetto was nabbed for speeding and sent to the rear of the pack for the restart.
As he was working his way forward, he was swept up in a nine-car crash on Lap 231. He wound up spending 43 laps in the garage while the REESE/Draw-Tite team replaced a broken tie rod. He rejoined the race and ran until the finish, moving up to 31st position but dropping two spots in the Cup Series standings to 13th.
A frustrated DiBenedetto was able to find some bright spots on an otherwise disappointing day.
“We hung on with old tires to get stage points,” he said. “The car was plenty fast.
“Then we got a speeding penalty, and were driving back through the field and broke a tie rod.
“We had a fast car, but in the end it didn’t matter.”
DiBenedetto said what he needs most is simple – a change of racing luck, such as that being enjoyed by his fellow Team Ford driver Brad Keselowski, who has won two of the last three races by capitalizing on others’ misfortunes in the closing laps.
“We need to borrow his horseshoe,” DiBenedetto said.
DiBenedetto and the No. 21 team now head to Atlanta Motor Speedway next Sunday for the Folds of Honor/Quik Trip 500.
Horizon Global
Headquartered in Plymouth, MI, Horizon Global is the #1 designer, manufacturer and distributor of a wide variety of high-quality, custom-engineered towing, trailering, cargo management and other related accessory products in North America and Europe. The Company serves OEMs, retailers, dealer networks and the end consumer as the category leader in the automotive, leisure and agricultural market segments. Horizon provides its customers with outstanding products and services that reflect the Company’s commitment to market leadership, innovation and operational excellence. The Company’s mission is to utilize forward-thinking technology to develop and deliver best-in-class products for our customers, engage with our employees and realize value creation for our shareholders.
Horizon Global is home to some of the world’s most recognized brands in the towing and trailering industry, including: Draw-Tite, Reese, Westfalia, BULLDOG, Fulton and Tekonsha. Horizon Global has approximately 3,600 employees. For more information, please visit www.horizonglobal.com .
Wood Brothers Racing
Wood Brothers Racing was formed in 1950 in Stuart, Va., by Hall of Famer Glen Wood. WoodBrothers
DiBenedetto Heads to Bristol with REESE and Draw-Tite
Last fall at Bristol Motor Speedway, Matt DiBenedetto, having learned just days before that he would be a free agent in 2020, turned in a performance that won the hearts of fans both at the track and across the NASCAR nation.
Although he relinquished the lead after holding the top spot for 93 laps late in the race and wound up in second place, the crowd cheered loud and long as he was interviewed for the TV and radio broadcasts.
In those interviews, DiBenedetto, who finished second, vowed to remain in the Cup Series and said he had faith that some top-tier team would hire him and be glad to get him.
“I just want to stick around and keep doing this for a long time to come,” DiBenedetto said on that hot August night. “I love it. I love the opportunity. I’m not done yet.”
“Something will come open. It’s going to happen. I’m here to win. Something’s going to come open.”
Turns out he was right. The Wood Brothers hired him to drive their iconic No. 21 Ford Mustang.
“That Bristol race was the turning point in Matt’s career,” Eddie Wood said. “I remember how well he ran and how the fans were supporting him. When Paul [Menard] decided to retire and we talked with him about who would take over the car, Matt’s name was the first one that came up for us and Paul.”
Now DiBenedetto, who already has matched his Bristol finishing position with a second-place run at Las Vegas earlier this year, is returning to Bristol with a No. 21 REESE/Draw-Tite Mustang that is expected to be capable of once again contending for a win on the half-mile concrete oval.
Wood said he’s optimistic about the team’s prospects this weekend.
“Bristol is Matt’s best track,” he said. “And we’ve had some fast cars up there lately.”
“The biggest thing is getting to the end of the race without getting involved in someone else’s mess or your own mess.
“It’s the hardest race we run to survive to the finish. It’s so fast and the cars run so close. Things happen fast.”
Wood also said he and his family team are excited to have the No. 21 Mustang carry the universally known REESE and Draw-Tite brands, which have been providing heavy-duty and custom hitches and towing equipment since their inceptions in 1952 and 1946.
“We had REESE and Draw-Tite on the car for the iRacing event at Bristol a few weeks ago, and we were proud of that, but it’s a much bigger deal to represent them in a real Cup race,” he said. “We always enjoy working with companies like ours that have long histories.”
Sunday’s Food City presents the Supermarket Heroes 500, for which there will be no practice or qualifying, is set to start just after 3:30 p.m. with TV coverage on FOX Sports One.
Horizon Global
Headquartered in Plymouth, MI, Horizon Global is the #1 designer, manufacturer and distributor of a wide variety of high-quality, custom-engineered towing, trailering, cargo management and other related accessory products in North America and Europe. The Company serves OEMs, retailers, dealer networks and the end consumer as the category leader in the automotive, leisure and agricultural market segments. Horizon provides its customers with outstanding products and services that reflect the Company’s commitment to market leadership, innovation and operational excellence. The Company’s mission is to utilize forward-thinking technology to develop and deliver best-in-class products for our customers, engage with our employees and realize value creation for our shareholders.
Horizon Global is home to some of the world’s most recognized brands in the towing and trailering industry, including: Draw-Tite, Reese, Westfalia, BULLDOG, Fulton and Tekonsha. Horizon Global has approximately 3,600 employees. For more information, please visit www.horizonglobal.com .
Wood Brothers Racing
Wood Brothers Racing was formed in 1950 in Stuart, Va., by Hall of Famer Glen Wood. WoodBrothers
Matt DiBenedetto and the Wood Brothers Are Hitched Up and Ready For Bristol
After a disappointing finish in the No. 21 Motorcraft/Quick Lane Mustang at the virtual Texas Motor Speedway last Sunday, Matt DiBenedetto now turns his attention to the virtual Bristol Motor Speedway, where he’ll pilot the No. 21 REESE/Draw-Tite Mustang in the third round of the NASCAR Pro Invitational iRacing Series. (more…)