WEST HAVEN, VT — Nearly one-quarter of a million dollars is up for grabs for stock car drivers competing at Devil’s Bowl Speedway in 2012. Weekly purses in the track’s NASCAR Whelen All-American Series Modified, Late Model, Renegade, and Bomber divisions will total more [...]]]> Drivers in four divisions racing for more than $13,000 each week

WEST HAVEN, VT — Nearly one-quarter of a million dollars is up for grabs for stock car drivers competing at Devil’s Bowl Speedway in 2012. Weekly purses in the track’s NASCAR Whelen All-American Series Modified, Late Model, Renegade, and Bomber divisions will total more than $242,000 through 18 scheduled events from May to September.

The headline Modified division, which will combine traditional 358-cubic inch engines with modern General Motors “602” crate motors for the first time in 2012, will see a minimum of $1,000 awarded to the winner of each regular 35-lap feature event. The runner-up will receive $600, the tenth-place finisher will win $200, and all drivers qualifying for the 24-car starting grid will be guaranteed at least $125. Total posted weekly purses for the Modified class will be just shy of $6,000.

The winner of each week’s 30-lap Late Model feature will be awarded $700, the runner-up $400, and tenth-place $200. Like the Modifieds, a minimum of $125 will go to each of the 24 starters, for a weekly total of nearly $5,000.

Drivers in the Renegade and Bomber support divisions will enjoy major increases across the board as well. The 25-lap Renegade feature winner will earn $250, and every driver is guaranteed a minimum of $50 to start. While the 20-lap Bomber win will be worth $125, the rest of the field sees a substantial bump in winnings which include a minimum guarantee of $30 to every driver in the feature race.

“It’s nice for the winners to make some money, but we want to make sure that all of our race teams in all four divisions can at least cover their minimum weekly expenses,” said Devil’s Bowl Speedway co-owner Alayne Bruno. “It’s important that everyone gets something back.”

In addition to the payout increase, each division will award trophies and hold victory lane interviews for the top-three finishers in every feature race in a trackside ceremony after the checkered flag.

Devil’s Bowl Speedway opens its 46th season of stock car racing with the American-Canadian Tour’s historic Spring Green 112 on Sunday, May 6. For more information, call (802) 265-3112 or click www.devilsbowlspeedwayvt.com.

“I’m looking forward to running with Greg & Russ Stoehr and Randy Cabral in 2012,” said Carlson. “I think there will be a lot of [...]]]> BROCKTON, Mass. — 2011 NEMA Lite standout Seth Carlson & Gene Feigel Motorsports have decided to “graduate” Carlson to the big leagues, committing to the full 2012 NEMA schedule.

“I’m looking forward to running with Greg & Russ Stoehr and Randy Cabral in 2012,” said Carlson. “I think there will be a lot of good racing in the 2012 season. I am very excited to get the chance to run with these guys.”

A multi time winner in 2011, Carlson will be coming to NEMA with his familiar, exceptional handling Drinan Chassis with an Esslinger powered “spec” engine – becoming a popular choice for the economics involved.

Carlson, who counts Twin State Speedway as his favorite track, says “The 2011 season was a great learning experience. It was also great to get back on pavement after a few years running Dirt (at Whip City Speedway).”

On Carlson and his move to the full NEMA series – “We have always intended for the Lite series to be a perfect ‘stepping stone’ for the full NEMA series,” said President Mike Scrivani. “Seth is a perfect example of this – he came in, had a bit of a learning curve, then figured it out, and won a bunch of races. The Lite series was a perfect learning ground for him, and we’re confident he’ll be one of our rising stars in the NEMA series,” continued Scrivani.

Carlson is quick to credit Gene Feigel, his owner & sponsor, for helping his racing career along – and his father, for his countless hours spent working on the car and setting up the car at the racetrack. He also credits mentor Greg Stoehr for teaching him the old adage “patience is a virtue” – after some early season DNF’s due to a little “eagerness” to get to the front too quickly.

With Carlson in top notch equipment, as well as the addition of Payne, Cantor, and Cabral coming back in a “freshened” ride for 2012 – the competition should be ripe in the upcoming season.

(Stafford Springs, CT)—Stafford Speedway has begun the process of sending
out special invitations to past and present open wheel championship winning
drivers to make up the starting field for the 2nd Annual CARQUEST Champions
For Charities race. The CARQUEST Champions For Charities race will be part
of the CARQUEST Super [...]]]>

(Stafford Springs, CT)—Stafford Speedway has begun the process of sending
out special invitations to past and present open wheel championship winning
drivers to make up the starting field for the 2nd Annual CARQUEST Champions
For Charities race. The CARQUEST Champions For Charities race will be part
of the CARQUEST Super Saturday program, which will feature the ISMA
Supermodifieds, NEMA Midgets, and Pro-4 Modifieds. The special invitation
only field of open wheel champions will sit behind the wheel of Wild Thing
Kart Senior Outlaw karts and participate in a special 15-lap race while
raising money for a charity of their choosing.

Stafford Speedway thusfar has a starting field of 12 championship-winning
drivers, some of which were part of the Champions For Charities festivities
last season, and some of the drivers are new to the Champions For Charities
experience. Those drivers who will be making their CARQUEST Champions For
Charities debut include 2011 Riverhead Raceway Modified champion Justin
Bonsignore, 2-time Modified Racing Series champion Chris Pasteryak, and 2011
Stafford SK Modified® champion Ryan Preece.

“I watched the race last year and it looked like all the guys were having a
lot of fun out there,” said Preece. “It’s nice to finally be a champion and
I’m really looking forward to being able to raise some money for the
Connecticut chapter of the Make-A-Wish foundation and try to help make a
difference in someone’s life. I’ve driven champ karts and flat karts
before, but the Wild Thing Kart will be a new experience for me. But it
looked like there was a lot of bump drafting going on last year, so it
should be a lot of fun to be part of that race this year.”

Among the returning drivers are 3-time NEMA Midget champion Randy Cabral,
2-time Pro-4 Modified Limited Champion Stan Mertz, Spring Sizzler SK
Modified® champion Richie Pallai, Jr., 2006 Whelen All-American Series
Division 4 Regional Champion Woody Pitkat, 5-time Stafford SK Modified®
champion Bob Potter, 2006 Stafford SK Modified® Champion Frank Ruocco, 2010
NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour Champion Bobby Santos, III, 2003 NASCAR Whelen
Modified Tour Champion Todd Szegedy, and 8-time ISMA Supermodified champion
Russ Wood. For Szegedy, the Champions For Charities experience will take
him back to the early days of his racing career, where he raced WKA Karts
against members of Justin Bonsignore’s family.

“I raced against the Bonsignore’s for years and they were one of my toughest
competitors in WKA Karts,” said Szegedy. “They were the top engine builders
at the time and Justin came from the WKA Karts like I did, so it’s ironic
that we’ll be racing against each other now in the Wild Thing Karts. The
race is going to be a lot of fun, each driver knows how to drive a kart and
it should be some great competition for the fans.”

CARQUEST Champions For Charities will not only see racing on the track, but
there will be a race off the track as well to see which driver can raise the
most money for their charity. The amount of money that each driver raises
will determine their starting position in the 15-lap feature event, as the
driver who raises the most money will start the race from pole and the
driver who raises the least amount of money will have to start at the rear
of the field. The remainder of the starting grid will be set according to
money raised, with higher totals starting ahead of lower totals. Each open
wheel champion will get a kick-start to their fund raising efforts with
CARQUEST and Stafford Motor Speedway contributing $200 to each driver’s
charity. Stafford Motor Speedway will set up a donation page on their
website where fans can go to make donations to their favorite drivers and
charities and help their favorite driver start close to the front of the
pack. Fans can check the Champions For Charities page on SMS Online for
upcoming fundraising events that fans can participate in to help raise funds
for their favorite driver or charity.

CARQUEST Super Saturday will take place on Saturday, June 30 and tickets are
available and on sale now at the Speedway Box Office. CARQUEST Super
Saturday tickets are priced at $33.00 for adult general admission tickets,
$5.00 for children ages 6-14, and children ages 5 and under are admitted
free of charge when accompanied by an adult. Reserved seating is priced at
$35.00 for all ages. As always, Stafford Motor Speedway offers free parking
with overnight parking available.

For more information about CARQUEST Super Saturday and the CARQUEST
Champions For Charities event, please call the Stafford Motor Speedway

With three events and six actual Pro finals now in the books, it’s time to review how the 2012 ECS Rookie of the Year (ROTY) candidates are doing on-track.

Three athletes are battling for top honors as they tackle the challenge of Pro level competition; Chris Ackerman, Michael George and Jacob Muller. All three [...]]]>

With three events and six actual Pro finals now in the books, it’s time to review how the 2012 ECS Rookie of the Year (ROTY) candidates are doing on-track.

Three athletes are battling for top honors as they tackle the challenge of Pro level competition; Chris Ackerman, Michael George and Jacob Muller. All three were stars during their time in Pro Lite (I know, we called it Semi-Pro back then – just what is a “Semi-Pro” anyway?) and were clearly ready to make the move in 2012.

With a half dozen finals now complete, Muller leads the current standings with 125 rookie points. Keep in mind, these tallies are based on the highest finishing rookie within each Pro final, and are based on 25, 20 and 15-point awards for the top three rookies in each race.

Do the math, and Muller comes out with a slight five-point advantage over Ackerman and a 10-point gap between himself and Mr. George. While he does have finishes of 10th (Plattsburgh Open) and 14th (Plattsburgh Stock) to his credit, Muller’s performance at Burke and Boonville give him the edge. Just as it is with the big guns fighting for the overall point titles, it’s all about consistency in ROTY action.

What should be noted here is that Mike George has already landed on the podium, with an impressive second place run in Pro Open at Burke Mountain.
For a rookie to hit the box his first time out is indeed spectacular, and we expect more solid runs like that from these talented first-year Pro riders. Ackerman hasn’t finished outside the top 10 in six starts, a real testament to his immense skills. As the season rolls on, it’s clear these three athletes are going to battle right down to the wire at Titus Mountain to earn the coveted ECS ROTY crown.

East Coast Snocross, presented by AMSOIL and Woody’s Traction, sanctions championship snocross races throughout the northeast.

Waterbury, VT – Veteran American Canadian Tour (ACT) stock car racer Randy Potter of Groveton, NH filed the first full season entry for the 10-event 2012 ACT Tour. Potter and his Lancaster Auto Sales/Speedway Sports Park Chevrolet team were recently honored at the ACT Banquet of Champions for their 5th [...]]]>

Waterbury, VT – Veteran American Canadian Tour (ACT) stock car racer Randy Potter of Groveton, NH filed the first full season entry for the 10-event 2012 ACT Tour. Potter and his Lancaster Auto Sales/Speedway Sports Park Chevrolet team were recently honored at the ACT Banquet of Champions for their 5th place finish in the 2011 standings.

“Our chances at the 2012 title right now are as good as anyone’s, but in order to pull it out of the clutches of RPM and Brian Hoar we are going to need luck, no mechanical or mental break downs and some really good finishes in all of the 10 races,” said Potter.

During the 2011 season, Potter had one of the most consistent years of his career. He finished with four podium finishes, including three straight at White Mountain Motorsports Park, Twin State Speedway and Beech Ridge Motor Speedway. He capped off the year with a second at Airborne Speedway in the season finale.

Potter is looking forward to the 10-event 2012 season and ACT’s return to Sanair Super Speedway in St-Pie, Quebec. “Ten races will probably get more cars to run the whole tour schedule, which is good for the car counts and the competition, but it will make it tougher to qualify too,” said Potter. “I’ve always wanted to go to Sanair. Something always happens to keep us from making the trip so I hate to jinx anything, but I’m really looking forward to it.”

Potter, a former Riverside Speedway (Groveton, NH) Late Model Champion, raced off and on with ACT beginning in 1993. He returned to the Tour full-time in 2007 and immediately established himself as a championship contender with his first career ACT win in the season opener at Oxford Plains Speedway. Since 2007, Potter has finished in the top ten in the final standings each season, including three times in the top five. He is also the only driver to qualify for all 63 ACT feature events since 2007.

The 2012 will kick off with the traditional NH Governor’s Cup 150 at Lee USA Speedway in Lee, NH on Sunday, April 15.

ACT Forum
ACT News

Glenn Andrews, Conrad Taylor among Five to be Inducted into Maine Motorsports Hall of Fame Saturday, March 31

Auburn, Maine – The Selection Committee of the Maine Motorsports Hall of Fame recently announced the names of the five individuals to be inducted into the hall of fame. The Class of 2012 [...]]]> Wednesday, February 1, 2012

Glenn Andrews, Conrad Taylor among Five to be Inducted into Maine Motorsports Hall of Fame Saturday, March 31

Auburn, Maine – The Selection Committee of the Maine Motorsports Hall of Fame recently announced the names of the five individuals to be inducted into the hall of fame. The Class of 2012 is made up of three race drivers, a car owner/crew chief and one who wrote about the excitement on the track.

Bruce Elder, co-chairman of the Selection Committee and vice-president of the Maine Vintage Race Car Association, announced the members of the Class of 2012 at the General Meeting of the Maine Vintage Race Car Association held on November 9th.

The Class of 2012 inductees are: drivers Glen Andrews, Ray Leach and Bob Turner, car owner/crew chief Conrad Taylor and motorsports writer Bob Morris.

Presented by the Maine Vintage Race Car Association, the Hall of Fame Class of 2012 dinner and induction ceremonies will be held at the Augusta Civic Center on Saturday, March 31, 2012. The Maine Motorsports Hall of Fame was founded in 2004 and presently has 60 members.
The five members of the Class of 2012, with a brief summary of their contributions to motorsports in Maine, are:
- GLENN ANDREWS (Harrison), twenty year racing career began as a 15-year old when Oxford Plains Speedway opened in 1950; consistent top finisher, won on dirt and assault; 1960 champion at Northeastern Speedway in Vermont.

- RAY LEACH (Arundel), twenty-five year racing career began in 1960 at Beech Ridge Speedway; won Modified and ‘B’ Class Bomber championships at Beech Ridge; tutored son Steve; member of the Beech Ridge Hall of Fame

- BOB MORRIS (Auburn), spent nearly thirty years covering motorsports, wrote for New England Speedway Scene and Lewiston Sun Journal SUNDAY; show director for Northeast Motorsports Expo for 20 years; co-founded Maine Vintage Race Car Association.

- CONRAD TAYLOR (Farmington), has spent nearly fifty years as a crew member, crew chief and car owner; won nine track championships and over 60 races as crew chief and car owner for son Jeff Taylor at Oxford Plains Speedway.

- BOB TURNER (Waterboro), began racing at 16 at Arundel (ME) Speedway and Hudson (NH) Raceway; raced NASCAR Modifieds around New England; sat on the pole for the original “Spring Sizzler” in 1972 at Stafford (CT) Motor Speedway; raced at Beech Ridge for 20 years.

In addition, two individuals will be honored posthumously for their significant contributions to auto racing in Maine. The families of Clifford Cyr and Roger Shaw will be presented “Special Recognition” awards at the hall of fame ceremonies. Cyr was involved with auto racing nearly twenty-five years as a car owner, chief mechanic and car builder beginning in the early 1950’s at Oxford Plains Speedway. Shaw’s racing career was only fifteen years in length but was a frequent visitor to victory lane in the 1950’s and 1960’s. He won three track championships – one at Oxford Plains Speedway and two at Beech Ridge Speedway.

Reserved seat tickets for the Hall of Fame dinner and induction ceremonies are $35.oo each and must be purchased and ordered by March 1, 2012. To request a “Ticket Order Form”, contact the MVRCA at 50 Beech Ridge Road – York, Maine 03909; by e-mail at mvrca@mainevintageracecars.com or visit the website.

For more information about the Maine Motorsports Hall of Fame Class of 2012 dinner and induction ceremonies, visit the Maine Vintage Race Car Association website at www.mainevintageracecars.com.

NAPLES, ME (February 1) – Pro All Stars Series (PASS) officials announced today the seven venues that will make up the 2012 PASS National Championship schedule. The PASS National Championship is comprised of seven races that combines select events from the PASS South and PASS North schedules to crown the nation’s only true Super [...]]]>

NAPLES, ME (February 1) – Pro All Stars Series (PASS) officials announced today the seven venues that will make up the 2012 PASS National Championship schedule. The PASS National Championship is comprised of seven races that combines select events from the PASS South and PASS North schedules to crown the nation’s only true Super Late Model Champion. The PASS National Championship will be contested at some of the country’s most famous short tracks including: Hickory (NC) Motor Speedway, Stafford (CT) Motor Speedway, White Mountain (NH) Motorsports Park, Beech Ridge (ME) Motor Speedway, Fairgrounds Speedway in Nashville, TN, Caraway (NC) Speedway, and Concord (NC) Speedway.

“The 2012 PASS National Championship will be staged at seven of the most iconic racing venues in the United States,” said PASS President Tom Mayberry. “Not only will the PASS National schedule be comprised with some great race tracks, but it will be encompassed by some of the biggest events in short track racing, including the Easter Bunny 150 at Hickory, Nashville’s All-American 400, and the PASS 400 at Beech Ridge. It definitely will not be easy to win and whoever so does can truly say that they beat the best competition in Super Late Model racing.”

The PASS National Championship will kick off with the 7th Annual Easter Bunny 150 on Saturday, April 7th at Hickory Motor Speedway. The Easter Bunny 150 has become a short track racing classic attracting drivers from all over the country and has hosted the first race of the PASS National Championship since its beginning back in 2008. The PASS National Championship will then head North for the next three events, highlighted by PASS’s debut at Stafford Motor Speedway on Sunday, August 26th. White Mountain Motorsports Park hosts race number three of the PASS National Series on Saturday, September 8th. The following week the series is back in action with the 8th Annual PASS 400 Weekend at Beech Ridge Motor Speedway, one of New England’s biggest short track events of the year.

The PASS National Championship will conclude with its final three events in the South and will be highlighted by the All-American 400 at the Fairgrounds Speedway on Saturday, October 6th. The All-American 400 once attracted drivers from all over North America and saw such legendary winners as Darrell Waltrip and Rusty Wallace. With PASS, that winning heritage will return in 2012 when the Nation’s best drivers compete in a true 400 lap contest with the winner possibly taking home $30,000.

Caraway Speedway will host its first PASS National event on Saturday, November 10th as PASS takes over the Super Late Model sanction of one of short track racing’s most anticipated events every year, the North-South Shootout. And finally, the PASS National Champion will once again be crowned on Thanksgiving weekend at the Concord Speedway as part of the 7th Annual Mason-Dixon Meltdown.

The PASS National Championship has been won by drivers from both the North and South with Cassius Clark taking the title in 2008, Ben Rowe in 2009 and 2011, and Preston Peltier in 2010.

The 2012 PASS South season will kick off its 16 race schedule on Saturday, March 10th with the 7th Annual South Carolina Clash at Dillon (SC) Motor Speedway. PASS North will get their season under way on Saturday, May 5th at Beech Ridge Motor Speedway. For more information and schedules on any PASS division, including the new PASS Super Limited division, please visit the website at ProAllStarsSeries.com

CORDELE, Ga. – Austin Theriault of Fort Kent, Maine, posted his best career Super Late Model result by finishing eighth in the season-opening CRA Speedfest 200 at Watermelon Capital Speedway in Cordele, Ga., on Sunday, January 29. Theriault started 16th in [...]]]> Austin Theriault: CRA Speedfest 200
Watermelon Capital Speedway Race Report

CORDELE, Ga. – Austin Theriault of Fort Kent, Maine, posted his best career Super Late Model result by finishing eighth in the season-opening CRA Speedfest 200 at Watermelon Capital Speedway in Cordele, Ga., on Sunday, January 29. Theriault started 16th in the Brad Keselowski Racing No. 29 Checkered Flag Foundation Dodge after an engine problem in practice on Friday, and then he used the pit strategy game to post a Top-10 finish in his third career start for BKR. Theriault pitted for right side tires only at the halfway mark of the event, which was won by NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver Kyle Busch, to gain the track position he would maintain until the finish.

WHO: Austin Theriault, Fort Kent, Maine
TEAM: BKR No. 29 Checkered Flag Foundation Dodge
CREW CHIEF: Gary Crooks, Mooresville, N.C.

WHAT: CRA Speedfest 200
WHERE: Watermelon Capital Speedway, Cordele, Ga. (.375-mile banked oval)
STARTED: 16th
FINISHED: 8th

***************************

AUSTIN, HOW WOULD YOU SUM UP YOUR RACE?

“The race went pretty well. The field was very stout, the competition was right there. We decided to take two tires (on the pit stop). I think it was the right call knowing the circumstances that we were given. A couple of other drivers did some different things – Chase Elliott took no tires, a couple up front took four. There’s pros and cons to everything.

“On a couple of restarts there, we weren’t able to go enough laps before we’d get another caution or two. We got stuck on the outside, and it was tough to find grip on the outside. The guys with four tires on the bottom had the advantage. To come home eighth wasn’t too bad. It was a solid Top-10. It was something we can build on, and it was a good showing for BKR.”

WHAT HAPPENED TO THE ENGINE DURING FRIDAY’S PRACTICE?

“I think a lot of teams would have just packed up and gone home. The guys are not afraid to work. They stayed up until two in the morning to get the motor in – it just goes to show how they’ll never give up.

“We really hadn’t made too many laps in practice. From what I can tell, it was just a mechanical failure in the motor. There was no predicting it. It didn’t totally destroy. We kind of caught it before it blew up on the track, but we knew it was pretty severe and had to be changed.”

DID THAT SET YOU BACK FOR THE REST OF THE WEEKEND?

“We missed pretty much an hour and a half of practice. That made it a little tougher being that I’d never visited the track before. We still got a decent qualifying run (16th). Obviously, time trialing is still kind of new to me, and I’m learning every time we go to try and time trial. We’ll go back to the drawing board and keep working on trying to improve my qualifying efforts.

“To be honest, I think we were all very happy with the finish that we got. The guys – Tyler, Adam and Gary – they worked their butts off trying to get the car back together. I think we were only able to make two practice sessions before the motor blew on Friday.”