Champ Trail - February 2, 2016

  The countdown continues as speedweeks in Florida are only a week away as the World Series of Short Track Racing begins at New Smyrna and preliminary events leading up to the Daytona 500 at the Daytona International Speedway begin. For those who can’t make it to Florida the Ice Breaker at Thompson Motorsports Park Speedway is only 10 weeks away.

  Internet racing news site Speed51 announced that Ryan Preece will no longer be a contender for a Modified championship. Instead, he will be racing full-time in the NASCAR Xfinity Series for Johnny Davis Motorsports beginning with the season opener at Daytona International Speedway on February 20. Preece explained that NASCAR Sprint Cup Series team owner, Tommy Baldwin, will be assisting the Johnny Davis Motorsports team as much as possible throughout the year.
  Preece, a native of Berlin, Connecticut, said even though he’s moving up to one of the national levels of NASCAR that he doesn’t plan to stop racing Modifieds. Preece said that when he runs NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour races he will still be racing the TS Haulers No. 6 owned by Eddie and Connie Partridge. He said that they also plan to race all five nights at Florida’s New Smyrna Speedway during the World Series of Asphalt Stock Car racing, as well as at a Tour-type Modified show at Florida’s Bronson Speedway just before heading to New Smyrna. He also said that Partridge, who now owns Long Island, New York’s Riverhead Raceway, will not be running any NWMT races without Preece behind the wheel.

  It was good to hear that third generation racer 15 year-old Bryan Narducci join the DP Motorsports driver line-up in 2016. Narducci will pilot the #28 Limited Late Model taking over the ride from DP Motorsports team owner David Arute, who is moving up to SK Lights this season. Narducci is the son of Melissa Pearl Narducci and the grandson of former Stafford and Waterford champion Jerry Pearl as well as the grandson of NEAR Hall of Famer Ron Narducci.
  Narducci joins the Limited Late Model division after a very successful stint in the Wild Thing Kart Series. He started at the age of 9 in the Tiger B Sprint division, working up the ladder through the Junior Outlaw and finishing off in the 2015 season with 2 wins in the highly competitive Senior Outlaw division.
  Narducci will run the #28 Limited Late Model and will have familiar faces turning the wrenches as Stafford SK Modified® regular Todd Owen and Modified legend Jerry Pearl will be working with Narducci throughout the season as co-crew chiefs.

  Jim Schaefer has announced that pre registration for the 2016 NorthEast Race Cars Tri Track Open Modified Series season is officially open. Competitors who wish to register for all five races and be eligible for the Alloy Wheel Repair Specialists Point Fund should send a check for $450 to LIMM Inc. and mail to James Schaefer at 545 Sweezy Ave. Riverhead, NY 11901. Pre registration will also make competitors eligible for any bonus money that will be awarded. Deadline for pre entry is Feb. 29.

  Bugsy Stevens, 3 time NASCAR national modified champion 1967 1968 and 1969, visited the Living Legends Of Auto Racing museum in Daytona this past Sunday. He spent time talking racing with LLOAR President Gary Smith. Bugsy Stevens will be signing autographs along with 30 other Legends for the LLOAR Autograph and Charity Auction on February 16, at 5:00 PM at The Shores Resort and Spa. The Cost is $15.00 get your tickets today, call Paulette 386 299-7343.

  On a sad note, Barney Hall, long known for his work as a commentator with the Motor Racing Network, passed away Tuesday, Jan 26, due to complications from a recent medical procedure. He was 83 years old. Hall called NASCAR events from MRN’s booth for more than 50 years, before retiring on July 5, 2014 following the Coke Zero 400 at Daytona Int’l Speedway. In 2013, the NASCAR Hall of Fame created the Squier-Hall Award for Media Excellence, naming Hall and Ken Squier as the inaugural recipients.

  On the speedway stock market scene last week all three speedway stocks ended the week on a positive note. Leading the way was the International Speedway Corporation, which went up 2.37 to 34.14. Speedway Motorsports went up 0.59 to 18.87 and Dover Entertainment went up 0.11 to 2.22. NASCAR fuel supplier Sunoco (Energy Transfer) went up 3.40 to 29.74 and NASCAR cup sponsor Sprint went up 0.15 to 3.02 while NASCAR tire supplier Goodyear dropped 0.08 to 28.41. Two of the three car manufacturers ended the week on a positive note. General Motors went up 0.36 to 29.64 and Toyota went up 4.08 to 120.03 while Ford dropped 0.20 to 11.94. In the home improvement sector Home Depot went up 3.00 to 125.76 and Lowes went up 1.16 to 71.66. Big team sponsor’s stocks did quite well. Aarons Rentals dropped 0.32 to 22.88 while McDonalds went up 5.38 to 123.78, Coca-Cola went up 8.02 to 175.90, Target Department Stores went up 2.70 to 72.42 and Fedex went up 5.32 to 132.88.

  On the tube this week:

  Wednesday, February 3
7:00 AM, NASCAR America, NBC Sports Net
7:30 AM, NASCAR America, NBCSN
5:00 PM, NASCAR Race Hub, FOX Sports1
5:30 PM, NASCAR America, NBCSN

  Thursday, February 4
7:00 AM, NASCAR America, NBCSN
7:30 AM, NASCAR America, NBCSN
8:00 AM, NASCAR America, NBCSN
8:30 AM, NASCAR America, NBCSN
5:00 PM, NASCAR Race Hub, FS1
5:00 PM, NASCAR America, NBCSN

  Friday, February 5
7:00 AM, NASCAR America, NBCSN
8:00 AM, NASCAR America, NBCSN
3:30 PM, Stories of NASCAR, NBCSN
4:00 PM, NASCAR America: Top 20 Moments of the 2015 Season, NBCSN
4:30 PM, NASCAR the List - Best Daytona Moments, NBCSN
5:00 PM, NASCAR America, NBCSN

  Saturday, February 6
6:30 PM, NASCAR the List - Best Daytona Moments, NBCSN
10:30 PM, NASCAR the List - Best Daytona Moments, NBCSN

  Friday, February 12
5:00 PM, NSCS Unlimited practice, FS1
6:30 PM, NSCS Unlimited final practice, FS1

  Saturday, February 13
10:30 AM, NSCS Daytona practice, FS1
1:30 PM, NSCS Daytona practice, FS1
8:15 PM, Sprint Unlimited, FS1

  Sunday, February 14
1:15 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 2, 2016