Champ Trail -
December 20, 2016 |
Troyer Engineering, responsible for many of the top running Modifieds in the
northeast has announced that after 29 years of dedication, Bob Mueller has
decided to retire in June of 2017. He has given Troyer Race Cars almost 3
decades of hard work and they could not be more grateful for the time he has
been with them. Most of you know him as "Troyer Bob" and have most likely
talked to him over the phone, at the racetrack or even at trade shows. He
will be missed as he is a huge part of the Troyer Team.
Bob’s active involvement as crew chief or team member with various
modified drivers and teams has earned him 3 NASCAR Whelen Modified
Championships, 28 Whelen Modified Tour wins, and 142 total feature wins.
Everyone at Troyer would like to wish him well in the next stage of his
life and thank him for all the work he has put in there over the years.
The Northeast Race Cars Tri-Track Open Modified Series (TTOMS) announced
the 2017 schedule of events. The now traditional four-race schedule is a
combination of mid-week and weekend shows that kicks-off at Seekonk Speedway
in Seekonk, Ma. followed by a stop at Star Speedway in Epping, N.H. and
culminates with a pair of races at the New London Waterford Speedbowl in
Connecticut.
“The schedule was a strong one to begin with,” said Wayne Darling,
managing partner. “The goal simply was to continue doing what works. The
partnerships that we enjoy with these three race track is, in large part,
why this format has been successful in the past.”
The TTOMS season will commence on June 28 at Seekonk Speedway with the
running of Open Wheel Wednesday. This popular event has attracted the
biggest names in racing including the newly crowned NASCAR Whelen Modified
Tour champion Doug Coby, who was last year’s winner of the event. It was his
third Open Wheel Wednesday victory.
“Seekonk Speedway is excited to have the Tri-Track series back again for
the 14th annual Open Wheel Wednesday featuring the $10,000 to win main
modified event,” said Ed St. Germain, director of business development for
Seekonk Speedway. “We look forward to working with the organizers and
helping the series grow in years to come.”
The second race on the schedule is the SBM VI at Star Speedway on
Saturday, July 29. This two-groove bullring has been the site of many great
Modified battles. With championship drivers like Jon McKennedy calling Star
Speedway home, the competition is always fierce.
“Since its inception the SBM event has been an important race to us here
at Star Speedway,” said owner and promoter Bobby Webber, Jr. “We are happy
that we were able to keep it going strong through the affiliation with the
Tri-Track Open Modified Series over the last few years. My family and I are
proud to work with a group that, like us, believes in the grassroots of
racing.”
The series finishes up with two events at the New London Waterford
Speedbowl including Wednesday August 23 and Sunday, October 22, 2017 as part
of the Bemer's Big Show. Another ultra-competitive quarter-mile speedway,
the events at the New London Waterford Speedbowl draw the best-of-the best
in Modified competition. Championship drivers dot the entry lists for the
TTOMS events at the Speedbowl last season including the likes of hometown
favorite Chris Pasteryak, Ryan Preece and Ronnie Silk, along with perennial
Waterford and SK Modified Champion Keith Rocco, Woody Pitkat, and Rowan
Pennink. “Big Money” Matt Hirschman and Steve Masse split wins at the
Speedbowl in 2016.
The Northeast Race Cars Tri-Track Open Modified Series (TTOMS) formally
announced the appointment of several key members to the Series’ officiating
staff for the 2017 season including Frank Sgambato and Jeff Zuidema.
Sgambato will serve as the Series’ race director while Zuidema will be the
head of tech.
Stafford Speedway has once again teamed up with passionate modified
racing supporter Doug Dunleavy of Dunleavy’s Truck & Trailer Repair to bring
fans and drivers the biggest SK Light Modified race in the history of the
division. Boasting a guaranteed purse of $10,000, the SK Light Modified
teams and drivers will be the showpiece of the Friday May 26th event which
will also see an increased purse for the SK Modified® division.
“The SK Light drivers are the future of the sport and I have always wanted
to give them their own night,” explained Doug Dunleavy. “This event will be
40 laps, double the distance of a regular SK Light feature and will pay a
guaranteed $1,750 to the winner.”
The SK Light division has been a breeding ground for talent since its
inception in 2006. Drivers such as Stephen Kopcik, Chase Dowling, Matt
Galko, Michael Gervais, Jr., D.J. Burnham, Mike Christopher, Jr., Tyler
Hines, and Ronnie Williams have all graduated from the SK Light Modifieds to
run in the Stafford Speedway’s premier SK Modified® division on a weekly
basis.
On the speedway stock market scene this week, two of the three speedway
stocks were down for the week. The International Speedway Corporation
dropped 1.55 to 38.30 and Speedway Motorsports dropped 0.01 to 21.74 while
Dover Entertainment went up 0.10 to 2.35. Outgoing NASCAR cup sponsor Sprint
dropped 0.24 to 8.24 while incoming NASCAR cup sponsor Monster Beverage went
up 0.46 to 44.50. NASCAR fuel supplier Sunoco (Energy Transfer) went up 0.15
to 35.03 and NASCAR tire supplier Goodyear went up 0.16 to 32.34. The car
manufacturers had a down week. Toyota dropped 1.98 to 121.00, General Motors
dropped 1.29 to 36.37 and Ford dropped 0.54 to 12.63. In the home
improvement sector, Home Depot went up 1.72 to 135.11 while Lowes dropped
1.73 to 72.96. It was a good week for the big teams sponsors stocks.
McDonalds went up 1.98 to 123.24, Coca-Cola went up 6.91 to 174.06, Target
Department Stores went up 5.36 to 76.75, Aarons Rentals went up 0.30 to
32.78 while Fedex dropped 0.12 to 196.48.
On the tube
this week:
Tuesday, December 20
8:00 AM, NASCAR Race Hub - Best of the Year, FOX Sports 1
9:00 AM, Empty Cup: Quest for the 1992 NASCAR Championship, FS1
5:00 PM, NASCAR Scan All Special - Championship Edition, NBC Sports Net
5:30 PM, NASCAR Scan All Special - Best of Scan All, NBCSN
6:00 PM, Stories of NASCAR - Champions of 2016, NBCSN
6:30 PM, NASCAR Top Moments - Top Moments of 2016, NBCSN
Wednesday, December 21
2:30 AM, Stories of NASCAR - Behind the Wheel, NBCSN
8:00 AM, Classic NASCAR - 1979 Daytona 500, FS1
8:30 AM, NASCAR Race Hub - Best of the Year, FS1
4:00 PM, NASCAR Race Hub - Best of the Year, FS1
Thursday, December 22
8:00 AM, Classic NASCAR - 1979 Daytona 500, FS1
8:30 AM, NASCAR Race Hub - Best of the Year, FS1
Friday, December 23
8:00 AM, Empty Cup: Quest for the 1992 NASCAR Championship, FS1
Saturday, December 24
2:00 AM, Undercover Boss - NASCAR, CNBC
3:00 PM, NASCAR Race Hub - Best of the Year, FS1
4:00 PM, NSCS Sonoma race re-air, FS1
8:30 PM, NASCAR Race Hub - Best of the Year, FS1
9:30 PM, The 600: History of NASCAR's Toughest Race, FS1
10:30 PM, NASCAR Masters of the Clock: The Legend of Martinsville, FS1
11:30 PM, One Hot Night: The NASCAR 1992 All-Star Race, FS1
Sunday, December 25
12:30 AM, NASCAR Race Hub - Best of the Year, FS1
3:30 AM, Classic NASCAR - 1979 Daytona 500, FS1
4:00 AM, NASCAR Race Hub - Best of the Year, FS1
5:00 AM, The 600: History of NASCAR's Toughest Race, FS1
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.
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Source: Phil
Smith / Champ Trail
Posted: December
20,
2016 |
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