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Friday 05/09/08
Phil Smith's "Looking Back": Forty five years ago in 1963 it rained at the Utica-Rome Speedway. Forty years ago in 1968, Jerry Cook took the win at the Albany-Saratoga Speedway on Friday night. Dave Kotary finished second with Ron Narducci, Dave Lape and Eddie Pieniezek rounding out the top five. At Stafford, Eddie Flemke made it two in a row despite a lot of pressure from Bugsy Stevens, who finished second. Fred DeSarro finished third and was followed by Sal Dee and Lou Toro. Bugsy Stevens made it two in a row at the Norwood Arena on Saturday night. At Fonda it was Lou Lazzaro over Ed Pieniezek and Dick Clark. Sunday racing at Thompson and Utica-Rome rained out. Thirty five years ago in 1973, Modified action began on Friday at the Albany-Saratoga Speedway in Malta, N.Y. Fred DeSarro took the opening night 100 lapper over Leo Cleary, Bugsy Stevens, Paul Radford and Lou Lazzaro. TheSpeedwayLineReport.com-Phil Smith

RAINED OUT New England Dodge Dealers Late Model 100 Tonight at Stafford: Stafford Motor Speedway's Late Model division will take center stage early in the 2008 season on Friday, May 9th for the 14th Annual New England Dodge Dealers Late Model 100. When it comes to extra distance Late Model racing at Stafford, few drivers can claim the success that Ryan Posocco has found. With a normal Late Model feature distance covering 30-laps, Posocco has excelled when the feature distance exceeds that 30-lap number. Posocco has two career 50-lap feature wins, two career Late Model 100 wins, and a single Late Model 150 win. During the 2003 season, Posocco won both the 100 and 150 lap events in the same season, a feat that has never been matched in Stafford's long and storied history. Posocco says the reason for his extra distance prowess is simple. StaffordMotorSpeedway.com

Berlin's Ryan Preece Prepares For Iowa Speedway Event: Ryan Preece has never been to Iowa, though he has made many virtual visits of late from his Berlin home. Preece, a junior at Xavier High School in Middletown, has been logging as many laps as possible at the 0.875-mile Iowa Speedway on his racing simulator in preparation for his Camping World Series debut at the track on May 18. "I've never been further [west] than Indiana," Preece said. "This is big time for me." The 17-year-old Whelen Modified Tour regular will attempt to qualify for the US Cellular 200, a combined Camping World East and West Series race for Greenville, S.C., car owner Maxie Bush. It will mark the debut for Preece in a full-bodied stock car. The Hartford Courant-Shawn Courchesne

Little T division gets hooks 'em young": Sunday brought rain, but still they came. There is a second side to Thompson Speedway, a smaller venue, but one that is the training ground for what may be the next generation of race drivers to come through this area. Although about a half of what was normal showed up at Thompson Speedway, the ones who were there were ready to unpack the trailers or the pick-up trucks and get down to racing. It never happened. At least on this Sunday at the Little T quarter-midget track, although that is far from the norm. The rain left the track too wet to compete on with only a couple of cars going out and taking some practice laps.
The drivers had to settle for going home with mom and dad to play video games and do homework. Norwich Bulletin-Marc Allard

Thursday 05/08/08
Jason Palmer, Bill Gerstch, Jr. Amoung Wednesday Winners At Speedbowl: Jason Palmer passed George Whitney at the halfway point, going on to win the 20-lap Legends feature at Waterford Speedbowl’s first Wild n’ Wacky Wednesday of the season. Palmer was trailed by Mark Bakaj, Whitney, Justin Rau, and, Glen Billings. Other Feature winners were Rob Corey (Super X Car), Mike Walsh (X Car), and Bill Gerstch, Jr. (X Modified). Walsh led every lap in taking down the X Car main event. He was chased across the line by Brad Voglesong, Patrick Williams, Steve LaRose, and, Danny Gervais. Corey battled with Greg Moran Jr. right down to the wire in taking the Super-X main event. Rounding-out the top five was George Correia, Charles Beal, and Robert Norman. Following a late-race restart, Gertsch Jr. pulled ahead of Chris Drouin Jr. to win his first-ever X Modified feature. Drouin, Anthony Burr, Kevin Shea, and David Flammia Jr. completed the top five. TheSpeedwayLineReport.com

100-lap race set Friday: To those race fans who are accustomed only to the 400- and 500-mile marathons put on every week by the big boys in NASCAR, a 100-lap race is like the blink of an eye. For those who are involved with the local short track scene, however, the chance to go 100 laps is one of the highlights of the season. It's a full 70 laps more than usual. The drivers of the Late Model division at Stafford (Conn.) Motor Speedway have that opportunity tonight, as the track features the 14th annual New England Dodge Dealers Late Model 100. Along with the 150-lap race later this summer, this is one checkered flag everyone has their eyes on. Springfield Republican-Jason Remillard

Ryan Preece Looking To Make Camping World Series Debut In Iowa: Whelen Modified Tour regular Ryan Preece will be stepping away from his open wheel ride for a week opportunity with the NASCAR Camping World East Series'. The 17-year old from Berlin, in his second year on the Modified Tour, will drive for car owner Maxie Bush in in the US Cellular 200, a combined Camping World East and Camping World West event, May 18 at Iowa Speedway in Newton, Ia. "It's definitely going to be a fun experience," Preece said. "It's going to be my first time in a full-bodied car. I'm getting out of the open-wheeled stuff to try this, and I'm real excited." Preece became the youngest driver ever to win a Whelen Modified Tour pole at the recent Tech-Net Spring Sizzler at Stafford Motor Speedway. He led 64 laps in the event before retiring with a blown motor. The Hartford Courant-Shawn Courchesne Taking A Night Off From Racing For The Sweet Science  The Hartford Courant-Shawn Courchesne Down Goes Mike Mike; Down Goes Mike Mike !!! The Hartford Courant-Shawn Courchesne

Wednesday 05/07/08
Wild n' Wacky Wednesday Begins Tonight At Speedbowl: It has grown into one of the northeast’s premier mid-week motorsports series. The basic premises of the Waterford Speedbowl’s Wild n’ Wacky Wednesday program has not, however, changed. It’s economics at both the front (grandstand) and back (pits) gates. Designed for the family, it remains an entertainment bargain with a $7.00 adult ticket. Wild n’ Wacky Wednesday begins its eighth season May 7. The menu remains Legends, X-Cars (four cylinders), Super X Cars (eight cylinders) and X-Modifieds. Led by defending champions – Jason Palmer (Legends), Brad Vogelsong (X-Cars), John Yagmin (Super X) and Bubby Brouwer (X-Mods), the rosters are very strong. TheSpeedwayLineReport.com

Stewed Up: Awards, Absences And Acts Of Journalism (From Buddy Bob Dillner): Another edition of The Backstretch's semi-regular concoction, brewed of the meatiest newsworthy items, opinions and meaningless meanderings down some paths that might not have anything to do with racing. Strap in for the ride. --- So Monday evening we got a handful of e-mails here at The Backstretch from readers curious about an interview that aired Sunday on The Carey and Coffey radio show. The hosts had television personality and Speed51.com producer Bob Dillner as a guest on the show this week and Dillner was kind enough to offer up his opinion on the state of short track racing coverage and also on the brand of racing journalism offered up by The Hartford Courant. Not surprisingly, Dillner is of the opinion that the website he and his brother Matt operate, Speed51, is the be all and end all for short track coverage. The Hartford Courant-Shawn Courchesne

NASCAR Camping World Series News & Notes - Iowa: Dale Earnhardt Inc. was the first to sign up, with three cars. And the entries kept flooding in. The entry list currently stands at 55 cars that will attempt to qualify for the US Cellular 200 at Iowa Speedway Sunday, May 18. That matches last year’s total with over a week- and-a-half remaining for the roster to grow even larger. The race — which pits the drivers of the NASCAR Camping World Series East and NASCAR Camping World West in their only combination race with points at stake — has drawn a bumper crop of short-track racers. “It’s huge,” said Craig Armstrong, vice president/general manager of Iowa Speedway. “We’re thrilled to be able to put this event on. TheSpeedwayLineReport.com

Tuesday 05/06/08
Phil Smith's "Champ Trail": With two events in the record book the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour Series takes a couple of weeks off before resuming the 2008 championship battle on May 23 at the Stafford Motor Speedway. Chuck Hossfeld, the only driver with two top fives, leads the point standings. Hossfeld, who is driving for defending Whelen Modified Tour Series Champion car owner Bob Garbarino, finished second in the season opening Ice Breaker at Thompson and third at the Stafford Sizzler. Hossfeld holds a 21 point lead over Sizzler winner Ted Christopher. Christopher finished 10th at Thompson. James Civali sits in third some nine points behind Christopher. Civali finished sixth at Thompson and fifth at Stafford . Rowan Pennick, a relative new-comer, sits fourth in points. Pennick finished ninth at Thompson and backed it up with a strong sixth place finish at Stafford. TheSpeedwayLineReport.com-Phil Smith

Wild n’ Wacky Wednesday Begins; NEMA Part of Saturday Agenda At Speedbowl: The Waterford Speedbowl’s Wild n’ Wacky Wednesday, about to begin it’s eighth season, has become New England ’s premier mid-week racing program. Based on affordability for both fans and competitors, the series is a true bargain at only $7 for an adult admission. Wild n’ Wacky begins Wednesday (May 7) with the Legends, Super-X Cars, X-Cars, and X-Modifieds. Leading strong rosters are defending champions Jason Palmer (Legends), John Yagmin (Super-X), Brad Voglesong (X-Car), and, Bubby Brouwer (X-Mod). Already red hot, the NASCAR Whelen All American Series championship battles continue Saturday night. Last week’s winner Keith Rocco has climbed to within twenty points of SK leader Dennis Gada, the latter after a seventh championship. TheSpeedwayLineReport.com

NEMA Returns to Speedbowl: Idle the past three weeks, the Northeastern Midget Association returns to Waterford Speedbowl Saturday night. Rain washed out Seekonk Speedway’s opener last weekend but it failed to cool the ambitions of the NEMA drivers. A trio of announced championship contenders – veterans Joey Payne Jr., Nokie Fornoro and Greg Stoehr – are anxious to continue their bids on what many consider the premier Midget track in the east. Payne and Stoehr were second and third at the Speedbowl back at the Modified Nationals on April 12th in the only feature NEMA has run so far this season. All three agree, there is great equity in NEMA and “catch up” is a most difficult game to play in point chasing. “You don’t want to fall too far behind on the track or in the standings,” says Payne. “You have to go to the front as quickly as possible especially at the Speedbowl.” TheSpeedwayLineReport.com

Camping World Series East, Whelen Modified Tour to Test May 12: Race teams from the NASCAR Camping World Series East and NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour are set to visit New Hampshire Motor Speedway for a joint test session on May 12. The test sessions for NASCAR Camping World Series East and NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour teams are held in preparation for the series’ upcoming events at New Hampshire. The NASCAR Camping World Series East will run the Heluva Good! Summer 125 on Friday, June 27 while the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour will take the green flag on Saturday, June 28 in the New England 100. Both series are scheduled to return to New Hampshire for events on Sept. 12-13. Please visit the track’s official Web site (nhms.com) for ticket information. TheSpeedwayLineReport.com

Ted Christopher Looks To Carry Sizzler Momentum Into TSI Harley-Davidson 150 At Stafford: The stars and cars of the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour return to Stafford on Friday, May 23rd for the 18th Annual TSI Harley-Davidson 150. Last season, Donny Lia won the Spring Sizzler and then returned to Stafford and won the TSI Harley-Davidson 150, which accounted for two of his season high 6 wins that helped propel him to the 2007 championship. Ted Christopher will look to do the exact same thing this season for the Whelen Modified Tour's second visit to the Connecticut half-mile. "I'm looking forward to coming back to Stafford," said Christopher. "I think we'll have a real good car again. It will really help us to get a full practice. StaffordMotorSpeedway.com

Yellow stops Gada's charge: A caution flag can be an ally or a curse, depending on your point of view. From Keith Rocco’s vantage point, the flag couldn’t have looked any better than if it had Heidi Klum’s picture sewn on it. That’s because the yellow came out with three laps remaining in Saturday’s 35-lap Sk Modified feature at Waterford Speedbowl, just when Dennis Gada was on the verge of taking the lead on the outside. The yellow negated Gada’s move, and Rocco held on following the restart to win his first-ever Modified race at the Speedbowl. “That caution turned out to be a savior,” said Rocco, who has won Modified races at Stafford and Thompson Speedways, but never before at Waterford. For the last 10 laps, Rocco, 23, needed to use every trick he has learned in his young racing career to stay one step ahead of Gada, who was coming on strong late in the race. Manchester Journal Inquirer-Matt Buckler

Many Touring Series Drivers Fill Field At All-Star Speedway Modified Thunder: The pavement Modified division experienced a boom in popularity in the 1970’s, largely because of events known as “Open Shows”. They offered competitors who raced at numerous home tracks a chance to compete against each other for a purse larger than their normal weekly payout. These events were fun and memorable for both fans and competitors alike. In the parking lot, license plates proved the interest was widespread. Touring series events, with points, and strict rules have largely taken over the racing scene as of late, with open shows becoming small in numbers. TheChromeHorn.com

Monday 05/05/08
With Eyes On Him, Joey Logano Impresses A National TV Audience In ARCA Debut:  In 2007 Joey Logano had the eyes of the NASCAR world turning their focus on him when he kicked off his career at NASCAR's regional level with unprecedented success. The 17-year old Middletown native rewrote the record books of the Camping World West and Camping World East Series' by winning in his debuts in both of the divisions. Sunday Logano was at it again, but this time in the ARCA/REMAX Series with a national audience watching. With the Sprint Cup Series off on Sunday after a Saturday night show in Richmond, the stock car racing on TV Sunday was the ARCA/REMAX Series Carolina 500 at Rockingham Speedway and it was there that Logano put on another one of the shows he's become so famous for. The Hartford Courant-Shawn Courchesne Intimidator Spirit Lives In Kyle Busch, Not Dale Earnhardt Jr. The Hartford Courant-Shawn Courchesne History Making Day For John Force At O'Reilly Midwest Nationals The Hartford Courant-Shawn Courchesne

Sunday 05/04/08
Rocco Scores First Speedbowl SK Victory Keith Rocco recorded his first-ever Speedbowl SK Modified win Saturday evening, narrowly defeating Dennis Gada and Ron Yuhas Jr. With 10-laps remaining, Rocco slipped by Yuhas, battling right down to the wire with Gada before pulling ahead following a late-race restart. Ron Silk and defending champion Rob Janovic Jr. completed the top-5. Other feature winners were Ed Reed Jr. (Late Model), Chris “Moose” Douton (Sportsman), Jeff “Soup” Civardi (Mini Stock), and, Dave Pinkham (True Value Modified Series). In the closing circuits, Rocco survived a dramatic outside-bid by 6-time champion Gada, who was seeking his third victory of the season. “I couldn’t give-in even a little, and had to hold my line,” said Rocco. “When you’re running at Waterford , and Dennis Gada is behind you, you have to work extra-hard. He’s the best at running the outside here.” TheSpeedwayLineReport.com

Pinkham triumphs in his first trip to Speedbowl: David Pinkham powered past veteran Dwight Jarvis on a lap 78 restart and went on the capture the Connecticut National Guard True Value Modified Series 100 Saturday night at Waterford Speedbowl. The Buxton, Maine driver survived two cautions before claiming victory with a half-car length to spare over Jarvis. It was the first time Pinkham raced at the Speedbowl. Other winners were Keith Rocco, who claimed the first SK-Modified feature of his career, Ed Reed Jr. in the Late Models, Chris Douton in the Sportsman and Soup Civardi in the Mini Stocks. New London Day-Pete Zanardi

Gada falls to Rocco at Waterford: When you’ve got six-time SK Modified champion Dennis Gada haunting you to the outside, you’ve got to use up a little space. Keith Rocco knew that. He took some, but not too much in winning the 35-lap SK Modified feature Saturday on an uncharacteristically cold May evening at Waterford Speedbowl. Other wins went to Chris “Moose” Douton of Waterford in the 20-lap Sportsman feature; to Ed Reed Jr., also of Waterford, in the 30-lap Late-Model Stock Car feature, and to Jeff Civardi of Preston in the 20-lap Mini-Stock feature. Norwich Bulletin-Peter Vander Veer

Jimmy Blewett Walks Away From Scary Flip At Waterford:  The red flag was thrown with 65 laps remaining in the True Value Series Connecticut Army National Guard 100 Saturday at the Wateford Speedbowl after a scary wreck involving Jimmy Blewett. Blewett's first career True Value Series start came to a scary end when he ended up on his roof of turn 4 at Waterford. Blewett's car hopped over another competitor in turn three before flipping to its roof and coming to a stop in front of the turn 4 entrance gate. The Hartford Courant-Shawn Courchesne   To Bowl Or Not To Bowl, That Is The Question  The Hartford Courant-Shawn Courchesne The Backstretch: Making A Difference Every Day The Hartford Courant-Shawn Courchesne  Dan Lowry 400 Sells Out At Richmond International Raceway The Hartford Courant-Shawn Courchesne Keith Rocco Scores First Career SK Modified Victory At Waterford The Hartford Courant-Shawn Courchesne  Ed Reed Jr. A Proud Ted Christopher Student  The Hartford Courant-Shawn Courchesne David Pinkham Wins Connecticut Army National Guard 100 At Waterford The Hartford Courant-Shawn Courchesne  Dale Earnhardt Jr. Vs. Kyle Busch: Now This Should Be Fun  The Hartford Courant-Shawn Courchesne Clint Bowyer Capitalizes On The Problems Of Others To Win At Richmond The Hartford Courant-Shawn Courchesne

Saturday 05/03/08
The 4th Annual Norwood Arena Reunion Goes Off on June 1st: It’s getting to be that time again! The 4th Annual Norwood Arena Reunion goes Sunday, June 1 at Bezema Buick, Pontiac, GMC on Rt. 1-The Automile. If you missed the last three editions then you have another chance to meet up with old friends and acquaintances. It’s hard to believe that it’s another gathering of the clanof drivers, car owners, officials and fans to reminisce about the long shuttered track. Back then the gear heads couldn’t wait for Saturday nights from the late 40’s to September of 1973 when the fast quarter-mile, banked oval was shut down to make way for an industrial park. And if the events were canceled due to rain from late April through the month of September it was a big disappointment. In fact it was close to depression for some who lived and breathed the action at Norwood Arena. TheSpeedwayLineReport.com

Marquis' career one to remember: There have been so many victories over a 35-year career, even Jerry Marquis doesn’t know the exact number. “Maybe 200, at least,” Marquis said. “During one three-year span, I had more than 80 wins. In those years, my team was beyond awesome.” There’s one number Marquis does know — 22 track championships, including a Modified Tour title in 2000 and a pair of NASCAR regional crowns. There’s something else Marquis knows for sure — that a career that began at Riverside Park Speedway in the Figure 8 division in 1973 ended at Thompson International Speedway in a Modified Tour car in 2007. One of New England’s greatest race car driver has decided to retire. “I actually made the decision in February,” Marquis said. Manchester Journal Inquirer-Matt Buckler

Logano Leads The Way in Opening Practice at The Rock:  Joey Logano led ARCA RE/MAX Series practice Friday at Rockingham Speedway, but only in the final minutes of the three-hour session as festivities began for Sunday's Carolina 500 – the reopening of “The Rock”. Throughout Friday's practice at the 1-mile track, Matt Carter, the series point leader and son of former NASCAR crew chief and team owner Travis Carter, sat atop the speed chart. But in the session's final minutes, Logano's team placed a new set of tires on his Joe Gibbs Racing Oil-Gresham & Associates Chevrolet, allowing him to leap over Carter and into the No. 1 position with a 25.111-second, 143.363-mph lap. Carter, in his Stine Seed-NuSouth Lemonade Ford, wasn't far behind at 25.121 seconds, 143.306 mph. Speed51.com

Jerry Nadeau Still Coping With Moving On 5 Years After Career Ending Crash: It was 5 years ago today that a vicious crash during a Friday practice session at Richmond International Raceway ended the Sprint Cup career of Danbury's Jerry Nadeau. The crash at Richmond left Nadeau fighting for his life in a medically induced coma. It was three weeks until he regained full consciousness. Nadeau still suffers from lingering effects of the brain injuries he sustained. At 37 years old he hasn't totally given up the hope of driving competitively again at the top levels of the sport again. "Something's programmed into everybody's body," Nadeau told Dustin Long of the Roanoke Times. The Hartford Courant-Shawn Courchesne Stafford Motor Speedway Cancels Friday Night Opener The Hartford Courant-Shawn Courchesne One Hundred Grand On The Table For Dale Earnhardt Jr. To Run Texas IndyCar Style The Hartford Courant-Shawn Courchesne  Carl Edwards Cuts His Silly Season Short; Signs New Deal With Roush Fenway The Hartford Courant-Shawn Courchesne The Hartford Courant-Shawn Courchesne In These Hard Times At Least There's Mark Martin For Perspective  The Hartford Courant-Shawn Courchesne Greg Biffle Expecting To Remain In The Roush Fenway Racing Family The Hartford Courant-Shawn Courchesne  Dale Earnhardt Jr. Not Ready To Make IndyCar Series Debut Just Yet  The Hartford Courant-Shawn Courchesne  Juan Pablo Montoya: Here For Much More Than Just The Party The Hartford Courant-Shawn Courchesne

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