Champ Trail -
December 6, 2016 |
The Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park announced dates for the 2017 racing
schedule, celebrating its 77th season on the high banked oval. The 2017
seven event NASCAR Whelen All-American Series (NWAAS) schedule is
highlighted by the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour and the return of the NASCAR
K&N Pro Series East.
"This year’s schedule balances our commitment to tradition and
innovation," states Josh Vanada, General Manager of TSMP. "The 2017 schedule
preserves fan favorites while introducing unique and creative events and
promotions." The speedway will continue to showcase Sunoco Modifieds, which
will compete in eight points-counting races supported by the Late Models,
Limited Sportsman and Mini Stocks, who will all have seven points-counting
races. The Lite Modified Division will race in five of the seven events, but
will not race under the NWAAS sanction.
Several touring series will be making appearances at TSMP in 2017. At the
top of the list will be the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour visiting the track
four times followed by NEMA Lite making three stops. NEMA, the North East
Street Stock Tour and Mr. Rooter ProTruck Series will all be appearing
twice. The NASCAR K&N Pro Series East, American-Canadian Tour, Pro All Stars
Series, International Super Modified Association, Valenti Modified Racing
Series, Granite State Pro Stock Series, North East Mini Stock Tour, New
England Pro 4 Modifieds, Vintage Outlaws, and Senior Tour Auto Racers will
make single stops at the track throughout the season. Conspicuous by it’s
absence is Gary Knight’s Modified Touring Series. Previously dates have been
announced for Stafford, Seekonk and Monadnock.
The 2017 season of racing kicks off Friday, March 31st with the 43rd
Annual Icebreaker. Eleven divisions will be featured in TSMP’s season
opener, headlined by Thompson’s 135th NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour race. The
Race of Champions has been added to this year’s event, featuring our four
NWAAS champions. They will face off in equally prepared cars from The Racing
School. Bragging rights are on the line to determine who the champion of the
champions will be. The highly-anticipated Fan Appreciation Party and
Champion’s Banner Raising will be held on the last day of the event.
Highlights of the upcoming season include: Sunday, May 21: 2nd Annual
Limited Sportsman Long Distance & Military Night, Wednesday, June 14: 3rd
Annual NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour 125, Friday, July 7-8: Inaugural NASCAR
Busch North Throwback, Wednesday, August 9: 28th Annual Bud ‘King of Beers’
150, Sunday, September 10: 2nd Annual For the Fans Event; 4th Annual Sunoco
Modified 20/20 Sprint. Rounding out the season will be the 55th Annual
Sunoco World Series of Speedway Racing on Friday, October 13 – Sunday,
October 15.
After decades of dreaming and planning, visions and designs became a
reality as the North East Motor Sports Museum opened the doors to its first
display car. And it was fitting that it was the No. 1 modified, driven to 55
victories by Geoff Bodine in 1978, that was the first car to roll onto the
floor.
"If you have ever seen a modified race here at New Hampshire Motor
Speedway than you certainly understand why this is the first car to enter
this building," said Dick Berggren, president of the North East Motor Sports
Museum. "This is such a great day for automobile racing in this region and
for the many, many people who dedicated their time, money and resources to
make this possible. I could not be happier."
The car was originally owned by Richard Armstrong. It was designed and
built by Ralph "Hop" Harrington, Bodine and Billy Taylor. Power was supplied
by North Carolina engine builder Jack Tant. Armstrong pulled out all the
stops to make this car a winner and in doing so all but put the backyard
racer out of business.
The museum is a grass-roots project in which there was no huge financial
backer or team of backers, unlike the way most new museums are funded.
Racers and race fans contributed money and local contractor tradesmen
contributed their time and materials to build the facility. The combined
value of donated cash, services and materials exceeds $1.2 million. Over 800
people have contributed in some way to the project.
The museum will open to the public in the spring of 2016.
It looks like maybe the Monster Mash may become the theme song for
NASCAR’s cup series as NASCAR and Monster Energy announced a multi-year
agreement for the premier series entitlement as well as the prestigious
annual NASCAR All-Star Race. Monster Energy, which will begin its tenure as
naming rights partner on Jan. 1, 2017, will become only the third company to
serve as the entitlement sponsor in NASCAR premier series history, following
RJ Reynolds and Sprint/Nextel.
Based in Corona, California, Monster Beverage Corporation is a holding
company and conducts no operating business except through its consolidated
subsidiaries. The Company's subsidiaries market and distribute energy
drinks, including Monster Energy® energy drinks, Monster Energy Extra
Strength Nitrous Technology® energy drinks, Java Monster® non-carbonated
coffee + energy drinks, M3® Monster Energy® Super Concentrate energy drinks,
Monster Rehab® non-carbonated energy drinks with electrolytes, Muscle
Monster® Energy Shakes, Übermonster® energy drinks, NOS® energy drinks, Full
Throttle® energy drinks, Burn® energy drinks, Mother® energy drinks, BU®
energy drinks, Gladiator® energy drinks, Samurai® energy drinks, Nalu®
energy drinks, BPM® energy drinks, Power Play® energy drinks, and
Relentless® energy drinks.
Monster Beverage Corporation (NASDAQ:MNST) announced that its Board of
Directors has approved a 3-for-1 split of its common stock which was
effected in the form of a 200% stock dividend. The additional shares were
distributed on November 9, 2016 to stockholders of record at the close of
business (Eastern Time) on October 26, 2016. Upon completion of the stock
split, the number of outstanding shares of the Company's common stock will
triple to approximately 571 million shares.
On the speedway stock market scene this week, two of the three speedway
stocks had a negative ending. Speedway Motorsports went up 0.07 to 20.71
while the International Speedway Corporation dropped 2.30 to 35.55 and Dover
Entertainment dropped 0.10 to 2.25. NASCAR cup sponsor Sprint, that will be
replaced by Monster Beverage, went up 0.09 to 7.98 while NASCAR fuel
supplier Sunoco (Energy Transfer) dropped 0.96 to 34.38 and NASCAR tire
supplier Goodyear dropped 1.39 to 29.77. Monster Beverage closed out the
week at 44.44. Two of the three auto makers had a good showing for the week.
General Motors went up 1.16 to 35.41 and Ford went up 0.20 to 12.24 while
Toyota dropped 0.97 to 116.83. In the home improvement sector, Home Depot
dropped 1.70 to 129.87 while Lowes went up 0.10 to 72.31. With the exception
of Fedex which went up 1.27 to 192.80, most of the big team sponsor’s stocks
were down for the week. McDonalds dropped 2.42 to 118.24, Coca-Cola dropped
8.24 to 157.62, Target dropped 0.67 to 77.94 and Aarons Rentals dropped 0.19
to 29.40.
On the tube this week:
Tuesday, December 6
5:00 PM, NASCAR Southern Speed: Legend of Darlington, NBC Sports Net
6:00 PM, NASCAR The Season, NBCSN
Wednesday, December 7
7:00 PM, Top 5 Reasons You Can't Blame...NASCAR Fans for Hating Jeff Gordon,
ESPN Classic
Friday, December 9
5:30 PM, NASCAR America, NBCSN
6:00 PM, NASCAR America, NBCSN
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
6,
2016 |
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