The Chrome Horn - Champ Trail with Phil Smith

Champ Trail - September 13, 2016


  Despite their best efforts, Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park (TSMP) officials made the decision to cancel yesterday’s WayBackWednesday event after lingering effects from Hurricane Hermine brought scattered showers to the area throughout the afternoon and into the evening. After attempting to dry the track with little success, officials called the race at 6:20 PM ET.
  Due to the congested end of year racing schedule in New England, and existing rental obligations here, TSMP has decided to cancel the September 7 event without a makeup date. There will be no NASCAR Whelen All-American Series points races added to the Sunoco World Series of Speedway Racing, presented by Xtra Mart. NEAR and the Vintage Outlaws will now be added to the racing roster on Friday night of the World Series. TSMP officials are still working with STAR to determine if they will be able to participate in the event.
  Tickets and pit passes purchased will be honored at face value towards the purchase of a World Series pit pass or grandstand ticket. Those wristbands and tickets must be presented at the World Series in order to receive the credit.
  Tickets for the World Series are priced as follows: Paddock / Pit Pass (3-day) $75.00, Adult Grandstand Admission (3-day), $55.00, Senior (65 and over), Veteran & Active Military Grandstand Admission $53.00 and Kids (12 & Under), FREE.
  With Thompson not re-scheduling and the final day for points to count toward NASCAR Whelen All-American Series championships is Sunday, Sept. 18, it all but eliminates Keith Rocco from garnering the championship. Going into last weekend only three points separate the top three drivers. That's the equivalent of two positions on the race track or the difference between a win and a second-place finish. Matt Bowling currently leads Rocco by one point. Bowling races in the Virginia-North Carolina area. Ty Majeski who races in the mid-west sits in third spot, two points behind Rocco.

  In regular Friday night NASCAR racing at the Stafford Motor Speedway the track hosted a First Responders Appreciation Night that recognized Fire, Police, EMS, and all First Responder personnel. Taking down weekly feature wins on the night were Rowan Pennink in the SK Modified® feature, Tom Butler in the Late Model feature, Daniel Wesson in the SK Light feature, Zack Robinson in the DARE Stock feature, and Noah Korner in the Legend Cars feature.
  For Pennink, it was his sixth win of the season with Mike Gervais, Keith Rocco, Woody Pitkat, and Todd Owen rounding out the top-5. Narducci scored his second win of the season. Ironically it was fifty years to the day that his grandfather, Ron Narducci, won on the dirt at Stafford. He took the lead coming to the white flag and then held them off to take down the win!

  The NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour Series visited the Seekonk Speedway in Massachusetts on Saturday night for the AnytimeRealty.com 150 at Seekonk Speedway in Massachusetts. The event drew 27 cars. Timmy muscled his way past Doug Coby on Lap 114 and then held off the three-time champion as well as championship contender Justin Bonsignore to take the win at the track known as the Cement Palace. It was Solomito's fourth NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour win of the season.
  Solomito started alongside Coby on the Lap 112 restart. After failing to get by on the outside on the first lap, Solomito fell into line behind Coby coming off Turn 4 and then drove low into Turn 1. Solomito's left side tires kicked up dirt and grass and the two banged side nerf bars as Solomito emerged from Turn 2 with the lead. The crossover pass in the grass was considered by many to be the move of the year. A late caution set up a green-white-checkered finish that pushed the race to 151 laps. Solomito was able to get away on the final restart as Bonsignore edged Coby for second. Matt Hirschman and Bobby Santos rounded out the top five. Sixth thru tenth were Eric Goodale, Jimmy Blewett, Rowan Pennink, Chase Dowling and Jeff Goodale.
  Twenty one of the 27 starters finished on the lead lap. There were seven cautions for 47 laps. and there were 11 lead changes among three drivers, Solomito, Coby and Bonsignore.
  The NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour will run in the F.W. Webb 100 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway on Saturday, Sept. 24.

  Matt Galko passed Joe Gada on a 19th lap restart to win the 35-lap SK Modified feature at the New London Waterford Speedbowl. It was Galko's first-ever SK Modified win. The night wasn't a total loss for Gada. His second-place finish enabled him to take a one-point lead over Keith Rocco with two races remaining for the track championship. Paul Kusheba IV, ended up third with Rocco, fourth. Justin Gaydosh rounded out the top five. Other Saturday night winners at the shoreline oval included Jason Palmer over ; 2. Keith Rocco in the Late Models, Brett Gonyaw, in the SL Lights, Monte Gibbs, in the Limited Sportsman, Ken Cassidy Jr. and Ian Brew, in the Mini Stocks and Chris Meyer in the Northeast Street Stocks.

  At the Riverhead Raceway on Long Island, with five laps remaining in the Whelen Engineering Night NASCAR Modified feature at Riverhead Raceway former three time champion Howie Brode seemed content with a potential runner-up finish to Ken Darch. However a late race caution on lap 36 for a minor spin changed the complexion of the race as Brode powered his way to the outside on the double file restart to take the lead with three laps remaining in the race to collect his 20th career NASCAR Modified victory.

  On a sad note, noted and respected auto racing journalist Gary London passed away. London wrote a column in trade paper National Speed Sport News for years. He was also the right hand man of the late Lou Figari during the tenure of the original All Star League.

  On the speedway stock market scene last week two of the three speedway stocks were down for the week. One of the few bright spots was the fact that the International Speedway Corporation was up 0.17 to 32.89. Speedway Motorsports dropped 0.45 to 17.44 and Dover Entertainment dropped 0.01 to 2.42. NASCAR cup sponsor Sprint went up 0.23 to 6.65 while NASCAR fuel supplier Sunoco (Energy Transfer) dropped 1.92 to 39.14 and NASCAR tire supplier Goodyear went up 0.53 to 30.26. The car builders took the mini-crash on the chin. Toyota dropped 3.42 to 118.66 while General Motors dropped 1.68 to 30.48 and Ford dropped 0.12 to 12.38. The home improvement sector took a big digger as Home Depot dropped 7.41 to 127.74 and Lowes dropped 5.19 to 71.77. The big team's sponsors stocks were also down for the week. McDonalds dropped 1.25 to 114.58, Coca-Cola dropped 4.62 to 149.21, Target dropped 1.81 to 69.00, Aarons Rentals dropped 0.05 to 24.73 and Fedex dropped 4.64 to 160.85.

  On the tube this week:

  Thursday, September 15

6:00 PM, NASCAR America, NBC Sports Net
6:00 PM, NASCAR Race Hub, FOX Sports 1

  Friday, September 16
7:30 AM, How It's Made - Impact Wrenches, Marble Sinks, Plantain Chips, NASCAR Cars, SCI
11:30 AM, NASCAR The Season, NBCSN
12:30 PM, NASCAR Xfinity Series Chicagoland practice, NBCSN
1:30 PM, NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Chicagoland practice, NBCSN
3:00 PM, NXS Chicagoland final practice, NBCSN
4:30 PM, NCWTS Chicagoland qualifying, FS1
6:00 PM, NASCAR America, NBCSN
6:30 PM, NSCS Chicgoland qualifying, NBCSN
8:00 PM, NASCAR Camping World Truck Series SetUp, FS1
8:30 PM, NCWTS Chicagoland race, FS1

  Saturday, September 17
7:00 AM, NCWTS Chicagoland race re-air, FS1
11:00 AM, NSCS Chicagoland practice, CNBC
12:00 PM, NXS Chicagoland qualifying, NBCSN
2:00 PM, NSCS Chicagoland final practice, NBCSN
3:00 PM, NXS Countdown, NBC
3:30 PM, NXS Chicagoland race, NBC

  Sunday, September 18
9:00 AM, NCWTS Chicagoland race re-air, FS1
12:00 PM, NASCAR RaceDay, FS1
1:00 PM, NSCS Countdown, NBCSN
2:30 PM, NSCS Chicagoland race, NBCSN
5:30 PM, How It's Made - Liquor Jugs, Deli Meats, NASCAR Engines, SCI
6:00 PM, NSCS Post Race Show, NBCSN
9:30 PM, NASCAR Victory Lap, NBCSN
11:00 PM, NASCAR Victory Lane, FS1

  Monday, September 19

4:00 PM, NASCAR 120: NSCS CHicagoland race re-air, NBCSN
6:00 PM, NASCAR Race Hub, FS1
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.
 

Source: Phil Smith / Champ Trail
Posted: September 13, 2016

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