Champ Trail - March 21, 2016

  The 2017 NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour Series got the green this past Saturday at the Myrtle Beach Speedway in South Carolina. The race event was carried on a live video stream by fanschoice.tv.
  Timmy Solomito of Islip-Long Island, NY won the the Performance Plus 150 presented by Safety-Kleen on Saturday at the half-mile Myrtle Beach Speedway in South Carolina and became the first winner on the newly formed unified Whelen Modified Tour. Solomito, in the Flamingo Racing No. 16 Starrett Tools Ford took the lead for the final time following a late-race caution that setup the final restart and held off Rob Summers on a green-white-checkered finish to take down the victory. The win was Solomito’s fifth career on the tour after his breakout 2016. Rob Summers, who scored his first Coors Light Pole Award since 2001 earlier in the day, led a race-high 72 laps but came up just short of the victory with a second place finish behind the wheel of his No. 64 Fastrock Electric Chevrolet. Summers was clearly the class of the field as he opened up a huge lead while the remainder of the field chose to stroke it in order to conserve their tires on the highly abrasive worn track surface. Tires were the undoing of Summers’ visions of victory as he spun them on two late race restarts and triggered wrecks that destroyed the competition as they attempted to avoid the mayhem.
  Andy Seuss made a late charge to finish third after spinning just after the halfway point. Ryan Preece was also able to climb to the front late and finish fourth, with Max Zachem rounding out the top five. Justin Bonsignore was sixth, followed by Rowan Pennink, who led 38 laps, Woody Pitkat, Les Hinckley III and Burt Myers. Myers was the only southern competitor who finished in the top ten of the 29-car starting field. Seuss, who is from New Hampshire ran on the southern circuit last year.
  There were 14 cars on the lead lap at the finish including defending series champion Doug Coby who finish 13th. Coby had an extremely off weekend. A poor qualifying effort plus losing a lap when his engine stalled during a pit stop were his undoing.

  The dust had barely settled at Myrtle Beach when a few competitors loaded their gear and cars an embarked on an over-night run to North Carolina for the Southern Modified Racing Series opener at the Caraway Speedway. As it turned out only Ryan Preece and Jason Myers were the only ones to do the double. Most of the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour guys chose to by-pass the event which ended up drawing a sparse field of 14 cars and a lean grandstand of fans.
  Southern competitor John Smith found himself in the right spot when leaders Jason Myers and Bobby Measmer Jr tangled with less than ten laps to go in the 125 lap contest. Smith started along side of Measmer on the restart and was able to pull away and take the win. Jeremy Gerstner finished third and was followed by Chris Pasteryak and Brandon Ward to round out the top five. Myers rebounded to finish sixth.
  Ryan Preece was up to fourth by lap 25 when carburetor problems forced him to drop out. Among the missing was Burt Myers who was committed to a family cruise.
  John Smith, of Mount Airy, received $3,000 for his efforts. The Southern Modified Racing Series teams will be back in action on Saturday in the Orange Blossom Special 125 at Orange County Speedway in Rougemont, N.C.

  The 2017 IceBreaker is officially one week away from this coming Friday, March 24. The 43rd annual Icebreaker begins on Saturday April 1st. This is the first event of the short track season in New England. Twelve divisions will be featured in the 43rd running of this great season-opening tradition. It will be headlined by Thompson’s 135th NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour race, more than any other host track. The Fan Appreciation Party, which has become a highly anticipated event, will be back for its fourth consecutive season. Timmy Brown will be back again to perform during the party.
  Both ticket and camping pass sales are open NOW! Camping is $50 (if you reserve online before 3/26 or $75 on-site), while tickets range in price from $46 to $55. Children 12 and under are FREE!
  A test and tune session for all divisions is scheduled for this Saturday.

  On the speedway stock market scene this week two of the three speedway stocks showed positive results for the week. Speedway Motorsports went up 0.45 to 19.32 and the International Speedway Corporation went up 0.60 to 36.85 while Dover Entertainment dropped 0.05 to 2.10. NASCAR cup sponsor Monster Beverage dropped 0.35 to 46.47 and Sunoco (Energy Transfer) dropped 0.49 to 35.61 while NASCAR tire supplier Goodyear went up 1.18 to 36.64. The car manufacturers had a down week. Ford dropped 0.05 to 12.48 while Toyota dropped 0.45 to 112.21 and General Motors dropped 0.50 to 36.33. In the home improvement sector, Home Depot went up 2.75 to 149.60 and Lowes went up 1.95 to 83.53. With the exception of Target which dropped 1.07 to 54.29, the big teams sponsor'’ stocks were mostly positive for the week. McDonalds went up 0.66 to 128.64, Coca-Cola went up 22.29 to 194.03, Aarons Rentals went up 2.06 to 30.07 and Fedex went up 2.44 to 194.59.

  On the tube this week:

  Wednesday, March 22
5:30 PM, NASCAR America, NBC Sports Net
6:00 PM, NASCAR Race Hub, FOX Sports 1

  Thursday, March 23
5:30 PM, NASCAR America, NBCSN
6:00 PM, NASCAR Race Hub, FS1
8:30 PM, How It's Made - Liquor Jugs, Deli Meats, NASCAR Engines, SCIFI

  Friday, March 24
1:30 PM, Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Auto Club practice, FS1
3:00 PM, NASCAR Xfinity Series Auto Club practice, FS1
4:00 PM, NASCAR Race Hub - Weekend Edition, FS1
5:00 PM, NXS Auto Club final practice, FS1
6:00 PM, NASCAR Race Hub - Weekend Edition, FS1
7:00 PM, MENCS Auto Club qualifying, FS1

  Saturday, March 25
8:30 AM, NXS Auto Club practice re-air, FS1
9:30 AM, NXS Auto Club final practice re-air, FS1
10:30 AM, MENCS Auto Club qualifying re-air, FS1
11:30 AM, MENCS Auto Club practice, FS1
12:30 PM, NXS Auto Club qualifying, FS1
2:00 PM, NASCAR Race Hub - Weekend Edition, FS1
2:30 PM, MENCS Auto Club final practice, FS1
3:30 PM, NASCAR RaceDay - XFINITY, FS1
4:00 PM, NXS Auto Club race, FS1
6:30 PM, NASCAR Xfinity Series Post Show, FS1

  Sunday, March 26
1:00 AM, NXS Auto Club race re-air, FS1
3:30 AM, MENCS Auto Club final practice, FS1
8:00 AM, NXS Auto Club race re-air, FS1
12:30 PM, MENCS Auto Club final practice, FS1
1:30 PM, NASCAR RaceDay, FS1
3:00 PM, MENCS Pre Race Show, FOX
3:30 PM, MENCS Auto Club race, FOX
8:00 PM, NASCAR Victory Lane, FS1
10:30 PM, MENCS Auto Club re-air, FS1

  Monday, March 27
3:30 AM, NASCAR Victory Lane, FS1
6:30 AM, MENCS Auto Club re-air, FS1
5:30 PM, NASCAR America, NBCSN
6:00 PM, NASCAR Race Hub, FS1

   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: March 21, 2017