The big event of the weekend was the 45th Annual NAPA Auto Parts Spring
Sizzler at the Stafford Motor Speedway. Originally conceived by Dick
Berggren, Bruce Cohen and Lew Boyd as an early season, high paying open
competition event in 1972 the event has grown from its original 80 laps to a
200 lap NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour Series event sanctioned by NASCAR. One
of the originators, Bruce Cohen, feels that the Sizzler has lost its
original intent and has become just another Whelen Modified Tour event.
Thirty two Modifieds were on hand for time trials. Doug Coby continued to
be the fastest of the fast as he scored his 6th pole in a row. Second
fastest for the outside pole was Jimmy Blewett in the Mystic Missile.
Rounding out the top five was Southern Modified Tour contender George
Brunnhoelzl III, Ron Silk and Todd Szegedy. Kyle Elwood qualified the Eddie
Partridge entry for Ryan Preece who was at the Richmond Xfinity series
event. As usual, bringing up the rear was the Tour's favorite turtle, Melisa
Fifield who was 2-1/2 seconds off the pole speed. NASCAR announced that all
32 cars on hand would start.
Doug Coby literally cleaned house last Sunday with his almost total
domination of the 200 lap Sizzler. Coby jumped out from his pole starting
position and led 193 of the 200 laps for his third Sizzler win. While Coby
"Sizzled" the balance of the field "Fizzled"
Doug Coby didn’t win the season-opener a couple of weeks ago, but he made
everyone aware Sunday at Stafford Motor Speedway he’s still the driver to
beat to win the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour championship. While Justin
Bonsignore, Jamie Tomaino and Ted Christopher were each credited with laps
led, Coby left little doubt through the afternoon he had the winning car.
Todd Szegedy ended up in second with Rowan Pennink third. Timmy Solomito
backed up his season-opening win with a fourth-place finish and Bonsignore
was fifth. Rounding out the top ten were Shawn Solomito, Bobby Santos, Chase
Dowling, Brendon Bock and Max Zachem.
The race was slowed five times for caution with the only multi-car
incident occurring on Lap 106 after Bonsignore and Ryan Preece got together
following a restart. Thirteen of the 32 starters finished on the lead lap.
As usual Melissa Fifield lost her first lap at lap 10 and finally parked it
after completing 122 laps after experiencing brake problems???
In other racing at Stafford Rowan Pennink staged a spirited battle with
Woody Pitkat to win the SK Modified season opener. Jeremy Sorel finished
third with Glen Reen and Ted Christopher rounding out the top five. A
healthy field of 30 cars took the green. Michael Bennett was the Late Model
winner.
Stafford begins their regular Friday night season on May 6.
In the latest news to come from the Riverhead Raceway on Long Island new
track owners Eddie & Connie Partridge and Tom Gatz will enjoy the fruits of
their off season efforts on Saturday May 7th when they present Grand Opening
Night at the historic quarter mile oval. To celebrate the occasion a
spectacular Fireworks show will join the NASCAR Whelen All- American Series
stock cars with feature racing starting at 6:30 pm.
When race teams and spectators arrive at the facility they will be greeted
by virtually a new race track with every building undergoing a total
makeover from head to toe. An all new Beer Garden on the third turn midway
will be the place to be prior to feature event racing as live music will be
presented weekly two hours before the official start of the program.
Once the racing begins on Grand Opening Night the mighty NASCAR Modifieds
will highlight the 7 division card with a 40-lap feature event. The Late
Model class has also undergone a makeover for 2016 and will compete in a
25-lap main event with 20-lap features set for the all new Riverhead
Modified Crates, Blunderbusts, Super Pro Trucks and Legend Race Cars. The
famed Figure Eight division will compete in a 15-lap feature.
Once the racing has been completed the improved lighting system will be
doused and the night sky will light-up with another spectacular Fireworks
show for everyone to enjoy as well celebrate the rebirth of the 66-year old
Riverhead Raceway.
NASCAR and NBC Sports Group have announced a telecast lineup of 12 races
on NBC Sports Net for the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tours.
The 2016 telecast schedule features races from five of the sport’s most
iconic short tracks and five companion events at NASCAR national series
facilities. Included in the slate are the season finale championship events
for both the Whelen Modified Tour and Whelen Southern Modified Tour.
2016 NASCAR WHELEN MODIFIED TOURS / NBCSN TELECAST SCHEDULE
Race Date
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Series
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Track
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Telecast Date
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Time
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Wed., June 15
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Whelen Modified Tour
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Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park
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Wed., June 22
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6 p.m.
|
Fri., July 15
|
Whelen Modified Tour (All-Star)
|
New Hampshire Motor Speedway
|
Thu., July 21
|
7 p.m.
|
Sat., July 16
|
Whelen Modified Tour
|
New Hampshire Motor Speedway
|
Thu., July 21
|
6 p.m.
|
Sat., Aug. 6
|
Whelen Southern Modified Tour
|
Bowman Gray Stadium
|
Fri., Aug. 26
|
11 a.m.
|
Wed., Aug. 10
|
Whelen Modified Tour
|
Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park
|
Fri., Aug. 26
|
8 p.m.
|
Wed., Aug. 17
|
Whelen Mod-Whelen So. Mod
|
Bristol Motor Speedway
|
Fri., Aug. 26
|
9 p.m.
|
Sat., Aug. 27
|
Whelen Modified Tour
|
Riverhead Raceway
|
Thu., Sept. 1
|
7 p.m.
|
Sat., Sept. 17
|
Whelen Southern Modified Tour
|
South Boston Speedway
|
Fri., Sept. 23
|
2 p.m.
|
Sat., Sept. 24
|
Whelen Modified Tour
|
New Hampshire Motor Speedway
|
Thu., Sept. 29
|
7 p.m.
|
Sun., Oct. 2
|
Whelen Modified Tour
|
Stafford Motor Speedway
|
Thu., Oct. 6
|
12:30 p.m.
|
Thu., Oct. 6
|
Whelen Southern Modified Tour
|
Charlotte Motor Speedway (.25-mile)
|
Fri., Oct. 14
|
3:30 p.m.
|
Sun., Oct. 16
|
Whelen Modified Tour
|
Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park
|
Fri., Oct. 21
|
1 p.m.
|
The New London-Waterford Speedbowl begins its
second year of the new beginning a week from this coming Saturday on May 7
with BlastOff 2016.
The Coastline Fire Protection Super X cars will be making their 2016
debut May 7 as part of the Blastoff. Also competing opening day will be the
SK Modifieds, the SK Lights, the Late Models, the Mini Stocks, the Joie of
Seating Legends cars, the X-Cars, the Microblue Bandoleros and the New
England Truck Series.
On a sad note former NASCAR Champion Bill Wimble has passed away. His
first race win was in 1955, and his first point championship came 3 years
later. He won the first NASCAR National Sportsman Championship and the first
NASCAR New York State Championship in 1960 and ran at Fonda Speedway for 10
years, from 1958 through 1967, winning the track championship in 5 of those
years. On a circuit of Utica-Rome, Albany-Saratoga and Fonda in 1967, he won
the point championship at all three tracks. He won 10 Most Popular Driver
awards in the Northeast through the 1960's, was the first driver chosen for
Kodak's "All Time Great Award" in 1972 and was the second driver chosen for
the Race of Champions Hall of Fame in 1979. He was inducted into the New
York State Stock Car Association Hall of Fame in 1988, the Fonda Speedway
Hall of Fame in 1990 and the DIRT Hall of Fame in 1992. Finally, he was
inducted into the Living Legends of Auto Racing in 1993, The Eastern
Motorsports Press Association Hall of Fame in 2001 and the New England Auto
Racers Hall of Fame in 2002.
Not only are his on track accomplishments and accolades almost
overwhelming, he was also awarded the Carnegie Bronze Medal in 1963 for
aiding in the rescue of Marvin Panch from a fiery wreck at Daytona, the John
Naughton Memorial Sportsmanship Award in 1963 and the Buddy Schuman Award by
Champion Spark Plug in 1964.
On the speedway stock market scene last week, all three speedway stocks
were down. The International Speedway Corporation dropped 0.34 to 34.06
while Speedway Motorsports dropped 0.10 to 18.10 and Dover Entertainment
dropped 0.02 to 2.37.NASCAR fuel supplier Sunoco (Energy Transfer) jumped up
3.41 to 36.29 while NASCAR tire supplier Goodyear went up 0.38 to 32.28 and
NASCAR cup sponsor Sprint went up 0.15 to 3.74. The auto manufacturers also
had a positive week. Ford went up 0.67 to 13.61, General Motors went up 1.62
to 32.18 and Toyota went up 3.77 to 107.45. In the home improvement sector,
Home Depot went up 0.65 to 135.66 while Lowes dropped 1.26 to 76.05. With
the exception of Fedex which went up 0.42 to 166.32 most of the big team
sponsors stocks were down for the week including McDonalds which dropped
2.28 to 125.50, Coca-Cola which dropped 0.66 to 160.92, Target which dropped
0.27 to 82.33 and Aarons Rentals which dropped 0.53 to 26.56.
Speedway Motorsports, Inc. (SMI) (TRK) on April 19, 2016 declared a
quarterly cash dividend of 15 cents per share of common stock. The quarterly
dividend will be payable on June 6, 2016 to shareholders of record at the
close of business on May 16, 2016.
On the tube this week:
Thursday, April 28
5:00 PM, NASCAR Race Hub, FOX Sports 1
5:00 PM, NASCAR America, NBC Sports Net
Friday, April 29
11:00 AM, The 10 Talladega Moments, FS1
11:30 AM, NASCAR Xfinity Series Talladega practice, FS1
1:30 PM, NXS Talladega final practice, FS1
2:30 PM, NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Talladega practice, FS1
3:30 PM, NASCAR Race Hub - Weekend Edition, FS1
4:30 PM, NSCS Talladega final practice, FS1
5:00 PM, NASCAR America, NBCSN
5:30 PM, NASCAR Race Hub - Weekend Edition, FS1
Saturday, April 30
7:30 AM, NXS Talladega final practice re-air, FS1
8:30 AM, NSCS Talladega practice re-air, FS1
9:30 AM, NSCS Talladega final practice re-air, FS1
10:30 AM, NXS Talladega qualifying, FS1
2:30 PM, NXS pre-race, FOX
3:00 PM, NXS Talladega race, FOX
Sunday, May 1
12:00 AM, NXS Talladega race re-air, FS1
8:00 AM, The 10 Talladega Moments, FS1
8:30 AM, NSCS Talladega qualifying re-air, FS1
10:30 AM, NASCAR RaceDay, FS1
12:30 PM, NSCS Pre-Race Show, FOX
1:00 PM, NSCS Talladega race, FOX
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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