Champ Trail - January 9, 2018

  With winter settling in with many having Racing withdrawal one needs only look to their computer for a racing fix. Many of the events held at Stafford, Waterford, Thompson and Seekonk have been recorded for all to see on YouTube. They are just a click away. In addition many of the Whelen Modified Tour Series events taped by the NBC Sports net are available on fanschoice.tv.
The Stafford Motor Speedway announced last week that they will run “Open Competition” events in conjunction with regular Friday night programs on June 8 and on July 13. Both events will run the 80 lap distance and carry a purse totaling $24,000 and will be paying $3,500 to win. Stafford is looking to draw cars from the Valenti Modified Racing Series and the Race of Champions Modified Series that don’t normally run at Stafford. A non-refundable pre-registration is required.

  Jimmy Blewett will become a hired gun for Eddie Partridge on the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour Series. Ryan Preece told auto racing web site RaceDayCt that he will miss Whelen Modified events at Myrtle Beach SC on March 17 and at the Riverhead Raceway on Long Island on Sept 8. Preece is scheduled to compete in a Joe Gibbs NASCAR Xfinity car for ten events.

  Good luck to third generation driver Jacob Perry who is now 16 and is taking a step up on the racing ladder. Perry is moving up to the Valenti Modified Racing Series and plans on running the full schedule. Norm Perry will serve as crew chief. In 2017 Perry made four starts in an SK Modified at the New London – Waterford Speedbowl and recorded three top ten finishes.

  ESPN reported that NASCAR president Brian France is heading a group that is looking to buy the Carolina Panthers NFL team. Since taking over the leadership of NASCAR France and his expert cronies have all but ruined Cup racing. Empty grandstands are proof in the pudding. It will be interesting to see how long it will take him to ruin the NFL.

  On the speedway stock market scene last week, two of the three speedway stocks were down for the week. Speedway Motorsports dropped 0.99 to 18.88 and the International Speedway Corporation dropped 0.75 to 39.10 while Dover Entertainment went up 0.05 to 2.00. NASCAR cup sponsor Monster Beverage went up 0.20 to 63.49, NASCAR fuel supplier Sunoco (Energy Transfer) went up 0.82 to 18.74 and NASCAR tire supplier Goodyear went up 0.53 to 32.84. The auto manufacturers had a record breaking week. Toyota went up 6.69 to 133.86, General Motors went up 3.02 to 44.01 and Ford went up 0.71 to 13.20. In the home improvement sector, Home Depot went up 2.99 to 192.50 and Lowes went up 1.80 to 94.74. With the exception of Coca-Cola which dropped 13.26 to 202.00, the big teams sponsors stocks were positive. McDonalds went up 1.93 to 174.05, Target went up 1.30 to 66.55, Fedex went up 16.48 to 265.92 and Aarons Rentals went up 0.09 to 39.94

   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: January 9, 2018