Champ Trail -
March 28, 2016 |
Despite efforts to remove snow from the race track and venue grounds,
Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park Officials were forced to cancel last
Saturday’s Test & Tune, as a result of remaining snow and ice. The event
will not be made up, and attention now turns to the 43rd running of the
Icebreaker, this coming weekend, beginning March 31 - April 2.
The 43rd Annual Icebreaker kicks off on Friday with an optional practice
day for all NASCAR Whelen All-American Series, Lite Modified, Mr. Rooter
ProTruck Series, Thompson Open Street Stock and the Vintage Outlaw teams.
Gates open at 12pm with cars on track for three rounds of practice beginning
at 1pm. Pit passes are only $15. After 5pm, teams may come and park their
haulers without having to pay the $15 practice fee, providing they have a
weekend pit pass.
Saturday begins and ends up at the Raceway Restaurant with the
traditional Breakfast Buffet being offered from 7-11am, and a nightcap with
the Prime Rib Dinner from 5-11pm. As far as the racing action goes, the day
will feature practice and qualifying for 11 of the 12 divisions
participating. Feature events will also be contested for the Vintage
Outlaws, Mr. Rooter ProTruck Series, Thompson Open Street Stocks, NEMA
Lites, and the Lite Modifieds. In addition, Thompson’s four defending NASCAR
Whelen All-American Series Champions will be competing in a match race
Saturday evening in equally prepared cars from The Racing School.
Once again on Sunday, the day will begin at the Raceway Restaurant with a
Breakfast Buffet, beginning at 7am and running until 11am. The Champions’
Banner Raising Ceremony and Fan Appreciation Party will kick off the racing
festivities on Sunday. The increasingly popular Fan Appreciation Party will
provide race fans the opportunity to meet, take selfies with and get
autographs from their favorite drivers on Thompson’s historic 5/8-mile
racetrack. Seven features races are on Sunday’s card, beginning with
Thompson’s top-tier division, the Sunoco Modifieds. A 75-lap National
Championship Event for the Pro All Stars Series, a 20-lap Limited Sportsman
race, and a 25-lap Late Model race will follow. In a schedule adjustment for
2017, the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour will qualify for their race later in
the day. After their qualifying session, the Mini Stock Division will
compete in their first race of the season, before the day culminates with
the Icebreaker 150 featuring the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour.
Ted Christopher is the all-time winner at Thompson with 98 wins. Rick
Gentes has 74 wins and the late Fred DeSarro has 63 wins.
In non-NASCAR Modified racing below the Mason-Dixon line Brandon Ward,
driver of the New Day Motorsports No. 19, has always enjoyed racing at the
three-eighths mile Orange County Speedway. Last Saturday night he enjoyed it
even more in victory lane after winning the Orange Blossom 125 Southern
Modified Racing Series (SMRS) feature. It was his career-first win in the
series. A fast race car and a well-executed pit stop were the keys to
victory for the 36-year-old Winston-Salem driver.
The fast race car was established early by winning the $150 Precision
Spindle Pole Award in the afternoon. Ward started the race in the fourth
spot, based on a re-draw among the top six qualifiers. In the first half of
the race Ward stayed solidly inside the top-10; a lap 75 caution flag gave
him the opportunity to lead. Quick pit work by the crew got him off pit road
first and once back on track that fast race car took over and Ward
controlled the last 50 laps of the race.
“That pitstop was real important,” said Ward in victory lane following
the $3,000 win. “I just can’t thank my crew enough. The pit stop is crucial
in this deal; it’s all about making the right adjustments and getting on and
off pit road.” Ward became the second winner in the two SMRS races thus far
this year. It was his second-career victory at the track as he scored a late
model stock win back in 2006 at the popular speedway.
Danny Bohn led the first 75 laps and finished second. James Civali
wheeled his car to third with Jason Myers and Jeremy Gerstner completing the
top five. Sixth thru tenth were Bobby Measmer Jr, Burt Myers, Jimmy
Zacharias, Gary Putnam and Joe Degracia. There were 16 cars on hand. Among
those who finished out of the top ten were Ryan Preece who finished 14th,
Tim Brown who finished 15th and J.R. Bertuccio who ended up 16th.
The Southern Modified Racing Series is right back in action this coming
Saturday night (April 1st) at Concord Speedway for the Spring Explosion 125.
On a sad note, NEAR Hall of Famer Pete Hamilton passed away last week at
the age of 74. From his HOF biography; Pete Hamilton’s rise to the top was a
fast one. He started driving a street division racer in 1962 at the Norwood
Arena. He went on to be the Thompson World Series Twin 50’s champion in
1965, and won the NASCAR National Sportsman championship in 1967 driving the
Worcester Sand & gravel #69. Hamilton’s star really began to shine when he
moved South at the end of the 67 season. He was the 1968 Grand National
Rookie of the Year and went on to win 12 of 26 Grand American Division (pony
cars, camaro’s mustangs etc.) in 69. Pete made 64 Grand National (now
Winston Cup) starts with impressive results. He scored 33 top ten finishes,
26 top fives, and 4 wins along with 3 poles. But unquestionably, Pete
Hamilton’s greatest victory came in 1970 when he won the Daytona 500 in the
Petty Enterprises #40 Superbird. He won twice more at both Talladega races
in 1970 and got his fourth and final super speedway win at the July race at
Daytona driving for Cotton Owens. He also won a Daytona 125 qualifier in
1971. He was the first driver to win $100,000 on a super speedway in a
single season. He retired later in 1971 at the height of his career because
of a recurring neck injury suffered in a 1969 Grand American race. Hamilton
went on to be a very successful car builder. Hamilton never forgot where he
came from and many times credited his mentors, Eddie Flemke and Jack Malone,
for his success in racing and life in general.
On the speedway stock market scene this week the speedway stocks were
stale. Dover Entertainment remained a no-change while Speedway Motorsports
dropped 0.21 to 19.11 and the International Speedway Corporation dropped
1.25 to 35.60. NASCAR cup sponsor Monster Energy went up 0.47 to 46.94 and
NASCAR fuel supplier Sunoco (Energy Transfer) went up 0.22 to 35.83 while
NASCAR tire supplier Goodyear dropped 0.70 to 35.94. The auto manufacturers
were down for the week. Toyota dropped 0.85 to 111.36 while Ford dropped
0.86 to 11.62 and General Motors dropped 1.77 to 34.56. In the home
improvement sector, Home Depot dropped 1.89 to 147.71 and Lowes dropped 1.32
to 82.21. The big teams sponsors stocks were a mixed bag. Coca-Cola went up
3.25 to 197.28 and McDonalds went up 0.70 to 129.34 while Target dropped
1.17 to 53.12, Aarons Rentals dropped 1.36 to 28.71 and Fedex dropped 6.47
to 188.12.
On the tube this week:
Wednesday, March 29
5:30 PM, NASCAR America, NBC Sports Net
6:00 PM, NASCAR Race Hub, FOX Sports 1
Thursday, March 30
5:30 PM, NASCAR America, NBCSN
6:00 PM, NASCAR Race Hub, FS1
Friday, March 31
11:30 AM, Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Martinsville practice, FS1
1:00 PM, NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Martinsville practice, FS1
2:00 PM, NASCAR Race Hub - Weekend Edition, FS1
3:00 PM, NCWTS Martinsville final practice, FS1
4:00 PM, NASCAR Race Hub - Weekend Edition, FS1
4:30 PM, MENCS Martinsville qualifying, FS1
Saturday, April 1
5:30 AM, NCWTS Martinsville final practice re-air, FS1
6:30 AM, NCWTS Martinsville practice re-air, FS1
7:30 AM, MENCS Martinsville practice re-air, FS1
9:00 AM, MENCS Martinsville qualifying re-air, FS1
10:00 AM, MENCS Martinsville practice, FS1
11:00 AM, NCWTS Martinsville qualifying, FS1
12:30 PM, NASCAR Race Hub - Weekend Edition, FS1
1:30 PM, MENCS Martinsville final practice, FS1
2:30 PM, NCWTS SetUp, FOX
3:00 PM, NCWTS Martinsville race, FS1
Sunday, April 2
12:30 AM, NCWTS Martinsville race re-air, FS1
2:30 AM, MENCS Martinsville final practice re-air, FS1
11:30 AM, MENCS Martinsville final practice re-air, FS1
12:30 PM, NASCAR RaceDay, FS1
2:00 PM, MENCS Martinsville 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: March
28,
2017 |
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