8/5/2008
NSS Qualifying Action Heats up This
Month
The qualifying racing
action for the 6th Annual John Blewett III Memorial
North-South Shootout
(TM)
scheduled for November 7&8, 2008 at Concord Motorsport Park, gets in
full swing beginning this month with events throughout New England.
In the coming weeks, the first of a host of Northern Modified and
SK-Type Modified qualifiers will be held.
Each year, C&C Racing Promotions with
the cooperation of track owners and promoters throughout the
country, allows competitors interested in participating in the
annual season-ending event, the opportunity to secure their car
owners a guaranteed starting spot with a complete schedule of
qualifying races for the Northern and Southern Modifieds, the
Supermodifieds, and the SK-Type Modifieds.
On Friday, August 8, 2008 the Stafford
Motor Speedway will take center stage with qualifying events for
both the Whelen Modified Tour and the Whelen All-American Series SK
Modifieds during the running of the 18th Annual New England Dodge
Dealers 150.
Stafford’s all-time winning-most driver,
Ted Christopher of Plainville, CT, has to be a favorite in both
events. TC is fresh off a win in last week’s SK Modified feature
event and is always a favorite to win in the Whelen Modified Tour.
Christopher already has a Mod tour victory at Stafford; winning the
Spring Sizzler back in April. Chuck Hossfeld of Buffalo, NY, the
winner of the TSI Harley-Davidson 150 in May, would like to repeat
at Stafford to earn Bob Garbarino a guaranteed starting position.
Other contenders to keep an eye on will
be the red-hot Matt Hirschman of Northampton, PA, who is also the
Shootout’s two-time and defending champion and last week’s winner
Jimmy Blewett of Howell, NJ.
In years past, the Stafford SK Modified
competitors have shown up in force at the annual event; helping to
treat fans to some great racing since the SK-Type Modifieds where
added to the Shootout line-up in 2005. Inaugural winner Woody Pitkat
of Stafford, CT, has been on a roll in SK competition as of late as
has rival Keith Rocco. The likes of Frank Ruocco, Kenny Horton, Jeff
Malave, Kerry Malone and Steven Reed cannot be counted out.
The following evening, Saturday, August
9, 2008, fellow SK-Type Modified competitors from All-Star Speedway
in Epping, NH, and the Waterford Speedbowl in Waterford, CT, will
also get their shot at securing a spot in the Shootout.
Likely contenders at the Waterford
Speedbowl include the winning-most driver, Dennis Gada of Salem, CT,
who has yet to make a Concord start, and defending champion and
Shootout regular Rob Janovic, Jr. of New London, CT. Rocco, who
races for owner Mark Payne at the Speedbowl, will have his second
opportunity on Saturday night. Ron Yuhas, Jr. of Groton, CT, would
like northing more than to earn car owner Mike Murphy a shot at the
Shootout title in 2008.
The rules at All-Star Speedway add a bit
of a twist to their qualifying race. The rules are wide-open in
their weekly Modified division with full tour-type teams competing
alongside SK-Type modified competitors.
“The SK-Type Modified qualifier at
All-Star Speedway will be awarded to the highest finishing SK-Type
legal racecar in the field,” said Shootout Head Technical Inspector,
Dick Brooks.
“We are excited that our SK legal cars
have something more to race for on Saturday night,” said All-Star
Speedway Promoter, Bobby MacArthur.
The final two SK-Type Modified
qualifiers will be held at Thompson Speedway on August 28, 2008. The
B-Mods will have their opportunity to earn a guaranteed starting
spot in the North-South Shootout™ during their portion of the “King
of the Mountain” event at Mountain Speedway on September 27,
2008.
It will be an emotional night at the
Thompson Speedway on Thursday, August 14, 2008. The event marks the
anniversary of the untimely death of John Blewett III. The winner of
the Whelen Modified Tour event will win a guaranteed starting spot
in the race that now bears his name. The sentimental favorite has
to be Jimmy Blewett.
The remainder of the Northern Modified
qualifying events also includes the prestigious 9th
Annual “King of the Hill” Modified event at Mountain Speedway in St.
Johns, PA, on Saturday, September 28, 2008 and the first annual
Ricky Miller Memorial for the True Value Modified Racing Series at
Twin State Speedway also on September 28th. The final installment of
the
Water SnoGo All-Star Modified Showdown
at All-Star Speedway on October 25, 2008
is expected to round out the qualifying schedule.
C&C Racing Promotions still hopes to add
a qualifier for the Race of Champions Asphalt Modified Tour.
Brian King of Gibsonville, NC, by virtue
of his ASA Southern Modified Race
Tour win at Ace Speedway on May 23, 2008, won the first of what is
expected to be a full line-up of Southern Modified Tour qualifying
events. An announcement is expected in the coming weeks.
A full line-up of Supermodified
qualifying events will be announced for the East-West Supermodified
Shootout as well. Chris Perley of Rowley, MA, already secured a spot
in the second-annual event for his car owner Vic Miller by winning
the 31st annual Hy-Miler Nationals on Saturday night,
July 26th
at Sandusky Speedway in Sandusky, OH.
Announcements on all upcoming qualifiers
will be made available online at
www.northsouthshootout.com.
NORTHERN MODIFIED QUALIFIERS-To Date
August 8, 2008 |
Stafford Motor
Speedway |
August 14, 2008 |
Thompson
Speedway |
September 28,
2008 |
Mountain
Speedway |
September 28,
2008 |
Twin State
Speedway |
October 25,
2008 |
All-Star
Speedway |
SK-TYPE
MODIFIED QUALIFIERS
August 8, 2008 |
Stafford Motor
Speedway |
August 9, 2008 |
Waterford
Speedbowl |
August 9, 2008 |
All-Star
Speedway |
August 28, 2008 |
Thompson
Speedway |
September 27,
2008 |
Mountain
Speedway |
THE END
Source: Dale Wolbrink/North South Shootout PR
Posted: August
6, 2008 |