The Chrome Horn - Champ Trail with Phil Smith

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.
 

Source: Phil Smith / Champ Trail
Posted: December 20, 2016

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