Champ Trail -
December 27, 2016 |
Many of the competitors on NASCAR’s touring divisions have received their
license applications for 2017. No change from last year as the driver
license is $380.00, owner is also $380.00. Mechanics and crew persons are
$315.00 for 2017. Although it sounds high it is well worth it if one gets
injured. One particular individual was injured in a horrific crash which
took his foot off, broke his back and injured his medulla. NASCAR picked up
the tab for what his insurance did not cover, somewhere in the neighborhood
of $300,000. Many of their fees are outrageous, but the license fee is
actually an insurance policy.
The Valenti Modified Racing Series released it’s 2017 racing schedule that
includes a ten race series. Conspicuous by their absence is the Monadnock
Speedway.
Between the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour, Modified Touring Series, Tri
Track Series and the Valenti Modified Racing Series there will be a total of
30 Modified Touring races in New England during the 2017 racing season. It’s
going to be a tight squeeze within the 31 week racing season from early
April through early October. During the 2016 racing season there were 32
Modified races between the four tours. One of the 2016 Tri-Track Series
events at Monadnock Speedway was cancelled due to no suitable rain date. It
can be expected to see some cancellations in 2017 due to weather issues. For
2017 there is a conflict between Stafford Motor Speedway’s Modified Touring
Series and Lee USA Speedway’s Valenti Modified Touring Series on Friday
night, July 21 which will impact the entries at each track.
The VMRS schedule for 2017 is as follows:
May 19: Stafford Motor Speedway
May 27: Lee USA Speedway, Lee, N.H.
June 17, Speedway 51, Groveton, N.H.
July 7: Claremont Speedway, Claremont, N.H.
July 21: Lee USA Speedway, Lee, N.H.
Aug. 12: New London-Waterford Speedbowl
Aug. 19: Beech Ridge Motor Speedway, Scarborough, Me.
Sept. 1: Stafford Motor Speedway
Oct. 7-8: Lee USA Speedway, Lee, N.H.
Oct. 13-14: Thompson Speedway
A stand alone short track racing event will take place in 2017 at New
Hampshire Motor Speedway. North East Mini Stock Tour promoter Bob Guptil has
joined forces with the Granite State Pro Stock Series and Valenti Modified
Racing Series for the New England Short Track Showdown on July 1 at The
Magic Mile.
Four divisions – Pro Stocks, Tour-type Modifieds, Mini Stocks and Street
Stocks – will compete during the Independence Day Weekend event.
Pro Stocks/Super Late Models will be sanctioned by the Granite State Pro
Stocks Series; Tour-type Modifieds will compete under the Valenti Modified
Racing Series banner and Mini Stocks will be sanctioned by the North East
Mini Stock Tour. The Street Stock feature will be an open competition event.
Bronson (Fla) Speedway owner Ann Young announced further details
concerning the Saturday February 18th, 2017 Kick Off To Speedweeks powered
by Sunoco Race Fuels Tour Type Modified race at the ultra fast 1/3 of a mile
high banked oval. The 50-lap Tour Type Modified event will again pay $2,000
to the winner plus product prizes pushing the value of the victory over the
$3,000 mark.
While busy announcing the marketing partners for the Kick Off To Speedweeks
powered by Sunoco Race Fuels, race officials were able to confirm that 2016
race winner Ryan Preece of Berlin, Ct. will indeed defend last year’s race
win. Car owner Ed Partridge confirmed that Preece will embark on what the TS
Haulers team hopes will be a 40-race 2017 race schedule commencing at
Bronson Speedway Saturday February 18th.
On a sad note, John Brouwer Sr, a fixture at the New London-Waterford
Speedbowl passed away. John was the first true historian of the Speedbowl
publishing a book with Dave Shippee in 1974 about the tracks first 23
seasons from 1951-1973. Brouwer was struck and killed by a motorist as he
attempted to retrieve his mail at around 5:30 p.m. last Thursday.
On the speedway stock market scene this week, two of the three speedway
stocks were on the minus side. Speedway Motorsports went up 0.13 to 21.87
while the International Speedway Corporation dropped 0.45 to 37.85 and Dover
Entertainment dropped 0.05 to 2.30. NASCAR fuel supplier Sunoco (Energy
Transfer) went up 1.36 to 36.39 and new NASCAR cup sponsor Monster Beverage
went up 1.07 to 45.57 while NASCAR tire supplier Goodyear dropped 0.70 to
31.64. The car manufacturers had an off week. Ford dropped 0.17 to 12.46,
General Motors dropped 0.68 to 35.69 and Toyota dropped 0.10 to 120.90. In
the home improvement sector, Lowes dropped 0.66 to 72.30 and Home Depot
dropped 0.06 to 135.05. The NASCAR big team sponsors stocks had an off week
with the exemption of Coca-Cola which went up 3.50 to 177.56. McDonalds
dropped 0.10 to 123.14, Target Department Stores dropped 3.25 to 73.50,
Aarons Rentals dropped 0.56 to 32.22 and Fedex dropped 4.62 to 191.86.
On the tube
this week:
Wednesday, December 26
8:00 AM, Classic NASCAR - 1993 Daytona 500, FOX Sports 1
Tuesday, January 3
9:00 AM, Classic NASCAR - 1979 Daytona 500, 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
27,
2016 |
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