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.
 

Source: Phil Smith / Champ Trail
Posted: December 6, 2016