02/10/15

February 10, 2015

  The countdown to Speedweeks in Florida continues. This Friday, Feb 13 the Florida flat lands come alive with the sound of racing engines as Daytona and New Smyrna come alive to signify the official start of the 2015 racing season.

  The World Series of Asphalt racing at New Smyrna begins this coming Friday, February 13 and will continue every night through Saturday, February 21.

  NASCAR has announced that FansChoice.tv powered by Speed51.com will broadcast eight nights of racing from the 49th Annual World Series of Asphalt Stock Car Racing at New from Feb. 13-21. The race action is highlighted by the track’s NASCAR Whelen All-American Series Div. I Super Late Models and will include a mix of live and same-day coverage.

  The entry list for the tour type modifieds has swelled to 15. They include Kirk Totten, JR Bertuccio, Albert Emmarino, Ryan Preece, Dalton Baldwin, Matt Montineri, Ron Silk, TJ Zacharias, Chuck Hossfeld, Brendon Bock, Justin Bonsignore, Eric Goodale, Jimmy Zacharias, Spencer Davis and Daniel J. Watts.

  The live stream will feature a fully-produced race program by Speed51.com, including all the racing action, pit road reports and pre- and post-race interviews. The stream will feature six cameras. Veteran broadcaster Bob Dillner and Matt Kentfield will lead the Speed51.com team, which will also provide full-day live updates on NASCARHomeTracks.com through the Race Central Live powered by Speed51.

  The coverage will begin at 7:30 p.m. ET, on Friday, Feb. 13 with a full slate of NASCAR Whelen All-American Series action. Live race coverage will be streamed on Monday, Feb. 16 thru Wednesday, Feb. 18, as well as the final night of racing, Saturday, Feb. 21. The finale will be highlighted by the Super Late Model 100.

  On three other nights, Saturday, Feb. 14; Thursday, Feb. 19; and Friday, Feb. 20, the stream will begin immediately following the conclusion of television coverage of the NASCAR racing at Daytona International Speedway. In addition, all of each night’s races will be available as ‘video on demand’ at 8 a.m. the following morning.

  The stream will be simulcast on NASCARHomeTracks.com and FansChoice.tv. NASCARHomeTracks.com is the official home for the NASCAR touring and weekly series. FansChoice.tv is entering its second year of providing a wide-range of online streaming of racing action including NASCAR, AMA Pro and IMSA Sports Cars.
FansChoice.tv provided excellent coverage of the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour Series opener at Thompson’s IceBreaker last year.

  Hot on the heels of that announcement came word from NASCAR and the NBC Sports Group that NASCAR’s popular regional touring series would have a 39-race telecast schedule for racing’s premiere grassroots series as their landmark partnership begins this season.

  NBC Sports Net’s slate features all 25 K&N Pro Series races between the top developmental series, the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East and NASCAR K&N Pro Series West. The coming season will also see triple the television exposure from previous years for the stars and cars of the exciting Whelen Modified Tours, NASCAR‘s only open-wheeled division, which competes at historic short tracks from New Hampshire to North Carolina. A total of 14 NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour and NASCAR Whelen Southern Modified Tour events are included on this season’s schedule. "This represents a big step forward for all four of our U.S. tours and reinforces NBC Sports Group’s commitment to these important NASCAR developmental series," said George Silbermann, NASCAR vice president for regional and touring series.

  NBCSN’s inaugural touring series event is the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East season-opener at famed Florida short-track New Smyrna Speedway. The New Smyrna 150 will be contested on Feb. 15 and will air four days later on Feb. 19 on NBCSN. All 39 races are scheduled to be presented by NBCSN in one-hour shows the week following the event.

  In the good news department it was good to hear that after many months of legal haggling the purchase of the Waterford Speedbowl property by Bruce Bemer has finally happened. Bemer told RACEDAYCT.COM that the formal appeal of the sale price filed by creditor Ed DeMuzzio on Jan. 26 has been withdrawn. Bemer also told RACEDAYCT that barring any other appeals filed, he now has 30 days to close on the property. Terms of the settlement were not disclosed. Bemer said the intention is to run a traditional weekly season beginning with races in April.

  Bemer has a long row to hoe as Terry Eames leaves a legacy of not paying his bills and not paying competitors. Since taking over ownership of the shoreline oval he has literally run the place into the ground. Good luck and Good Racing to Mr Bemer and the Speedbowl.

  The never ending soap opera that has over shadowed the shoreline oval came to an end last Thursday when Bemer closed on ownership of the property. Terry Eames is out and Bemer is in, done deal!

  Division champions at the Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park will celebrate in a top shelf atmosphere in 2015. Officials from Thompson announced that the 2015 Championship Awards Banquet will be held at the Mohegan Sun on Saturday, December 5, 2015. The change in venue is part of the facility’s 75 year anniversary celebration.

  Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park will begin their 75th season of family operation on Friday, April 10, with the 41st running of the Icebreaker.

  On the speedway stock market scene last week two of the three speedway stocks ended the week on the positive side. The International Speedway Corporation went up 2.67 to 31.76 and Speedway Motorsports went up 0.61 to 22.90 while Dover Motorsports dropped 0.02 to 2.62. NASCAR Cup sponsor Sprint went up 0.62 to 4.92 and NASCAR tire supplier Goodyear went up 1.16 to 24.50 while NASCAR fuel supplier Sunoco (Energy Transfer) dropped 1.55 to 59.85. The car builders were all positive for the week. General Motors went up 3.38 while Ford went up 1.15 to 15.86 and Toyota went up 0.72 to 129.57. In the home improvement sector, Home Depot went up 4.62 to 109.04 and Lowes went up 4.14 to 71.90. In the world of big team sponsorship McDonalds went up1.55 to 93.99. Following suit was Coca Colaup 2.96 to 100.50, Target up 2.75 to 76.36, Aarons Rentals up 0.54 to
32.20 and FedEx, up 4.14 to 173.25.

  On the tube this coming week

  Wednesday, February 11
5:00 PM, NASCAR Race Hub, FOX Sports 1
6:30 PM, NASCAR America, NBC Sports Net

  Thursday, February 12
5:00 PM, NASCAR Race Hub - Media Day Edition, FS1
5:00 PM, NASCAR America, NBCSN
7:00 PM, NASCAR 2015 - A New Era, FS1

  Friday, February 13
5:00 AM, NASCAR 2015 - A New Era, NBCSN
10:30 AM, Cool Tools - NASCAR, DIY
11:00 AM, NASCAR Race Hub - Media Day Edition, FS1
5:00 PM, NSCS Daytona practice, FS1
6:00 PM, NASCAR Race Hub, FS1
6:00 PM, NASCAR America, NBCSN
6:30 PM, NSCS Daytona practice, FS1
8:30 PM, Classic NASCAR - 1979 Daytona 500, FS1

  Saturday, February 14
3:00 AM, NSCS Daytona practice re-air, FS1
4:00 AM, NSCS Daytona practice re-air, FS1
10:00 AM, Classic NASCAR - 1979 Daytona 500, FS1
10:30 AM, NSCS Daytona practice, FS1
3:30 PM, NASCAR Race Hub, FS1
6:00 PM, NASCAR RaceDay, FS1
8:00 PM, NSCS Sprint Unlimited, FOX

  Sunday, February 15
11:00 AM, NASCAR RaceDay, FS1
1:00 PM, NSCS Daytona 500 qualifying, FOX

   That’s about it for this week from 11 Gardner Drive, Westerly, and R.I.02891. Ring my chimes at 401-596-5467. E-mail: smithpe_97_97@yahoo.com.

Phil Smith has been a columnist for Speedway Scene and various
other publications for over 3 decades.

Source: Phil Smith / Champ Trail
Posted: February 10, 2015