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MODIFIED
TOURING SERIES ENTERS ITS INAUGURAL RACE SEASON
by
Denise DuPont |
With
a little more than a month before the season opener at Monadnock
Speedway, April 22nd, Modified Touring Series (MTS) officials and
race teams are hard at work preparing for the new race season. The
objective of this newly formed series is to bring back the glory to
modified racing in the Northeast. The initial race at Monadnock will
launch the first race season for this New England’s modified racing
touring series.
The MTS has a ten race schedule planned, which besides four races at
Monadnock Speedway, there are two at Stafford Motor Speedway, two at
New London Waterford Speedbowl and one at both Seekonk Speedway and
Riverhead Raceway. There are approximately twenty teams have
registered to date for the 2017 campaign.
Noted car builder/owner Art Barry, a member of the New England Auto
Racing Hall of Fame, and the New York State Stock Car Racing Hall of
Fame, will field a car in the series, a move he is anxiously looking
forward too. Barry has fielded race cars for well over 50 years for
some of the sports best drivers. Barry is joined by other noted
racing
families to make up the MTS Owners and Drivers Committee that
is working with the series officials to define rules, processes,
procedures and regulations for the touring:. Charlie Pasteryak, Kirk
Alexander, Jon McKennedy, Rob Walendy, Gary Casella and Peter
Kulessa are the other members of the MTS Committee.
The MTS series anticipate several modified teams will show up for to
qualify at the debut race at Monadnock. Upwards of thirty-five cars
are expected to enter.
Series founders, Gary and Alichia Knight greeted race teams at
Stafford Motor Speedway clubhouse on Saturday March 4th to introduce
the MTS staff and to go over the 2017 complied rule book. The Tech
Director is Bobby Carrita and his staff is made up of Terry Battle,
Wayne Numnes, Brian Kowalyshyn and Theresa Carrita. Ed Flemke has
the role of Race Control with Wayne Wildermuth as both Race Control
and Spotter Communication. Additional staff members are Peggy Brehio
– Scoring, Chan Stevens – Flagger, Crystal Snape – Photography and
Arthur Chartier – Tires.
During the pre-season meeting particular rules were discussed:
- The point system will be based on the car owner, not the driver.
- No 50 lb. weight break for the steel head motor.
- No spring rubber mounts on the left front will be permitted for
qualifying or competition.
- No traction control allowed. If caught, loss of total points to
date, money won for that date and one year car owner suspension
including a $5,000 fine and reinstatement fees at the end of the one
year suspension.
- Any traction control found will be confiscated.
- No sway bar adjustments, coil spring/spring rubbers or rear
spoiler adjustments.
- During a red flag there will be no working on cars permitted. Once
the track conditions are deemed safe and a track lane is clear, a
red/yellow flag will be displayed. At that time crews will be
allowed to work on their cars even though the accident site is being
worked on.
- Spotters must have two way communication with their driver and
also the ability to monitor race control.
- Lucky dog will start at the tail end of the field. Once the free
pass is given the free pass car can pit.
- Every race will have a mandatory autograph session for the
drivers.
- Every race will have a Sunoco top ten redraw.
- An official Quest for the Cup process was defined based on the
series ten race schedule.
- Also defined was a formal appeal process and board. The appeal’s
board will be made up of five members that are not affiliated with
MTS management or any race team.
With thirty-eight pages in the rules book, an Appeals Process, Quest
for the Cup procedures among the series many documents. I would
recommend that you go the
MTS
official website and check out the documents available,
schedule and any special announcements.
Drivers that have expressed an interest in competing in the series
to date are: Ted Christopher, Kirk Alexander, Chris Pasteryak, Ryan
Preece, Tommy Barrett, Jon McKennedy, Richard Savary, Joe Doucette,
Dylan Kopec, Jeff Gallup, and drivers to be announced for the Art
Barry #21 team and Gary Casella #25 team.
As the cold is replaced with warmer weather and we spring the clocks
ahead- we now have another venue for modified racing in the
Northeast to look forward to.
See you at Monadnock Speedway on April 22nd for the unveiling of the
new touring series and all that it brings with it.
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Source:
Denise DuPont /
TheChromeHorn.com
Posted:
March 5, 2017 |
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