Saturday 07/04/09
Christopher Takes SK Modified Win At Stafford: Stafford Speedway provided fireworks on the track and in the air with a NASCAR Whelen All-American Series race program that paid tribute to the Fourth of July Independence Day holiday. Ted Christopher drove to his second victory of the 2009 season and his third overall win in the 40-lap SK Modified® feature, Jim Peterson took down his first win of the season in the 30-lap Late Model feature, Brit Andersen scored his third win of the 2009 season in the 20-lap SK Light Modified feature, Shawn Thibeault picked up his first career victory in the 20-lap Limited Late Model feature, and Kyle Casagrande picked up his first career victory in the 15-lap DARE Stock feature a week after his twin brother won his first career DARE Stock feature. The 40-lap SK Modified® feature took the green with Woody Pitkat in command of the field. After an early caution, Pitkat began to set a blistering pace out front. Todd Owen was holding down second place while Ted Christopher, Tom Bolles, and Keith Rocco were busy working their way through traffic. SpeedwayLineReport.com

Peterson Back On Top At Stafford: It was the desires of a family wanting to return to familiarity that brought Jim Peterson back to Stafford Motor Speedway in 2009. On Friday, Peterson, of Monson, Mass., returned to an area at the track that he had become quite familiar with before he hung up his helmet and driver's suit after 2007. Peterson, who returned to the track this year after taking 2008 off, found his way back to victory lane in Friday's 30-lap Late Model feature. Ryan Posocco of Stafford was second and Dillon Moltz of Waterford third. After winning 24 career features — and Late Model championships in 2001 and 2002 — Peterson decided in 2007 to take his racing career in a different direction. He took a job building Sprint Cup cars for Johnson Chassis in Kannapolis, N.C. But before moving to Concord, N.C., Peterson made a deal with his daughter Rosalee, 17, and son James, 13. The Hartford Courant-Shawn Courchesne

TRACK TALK: Lenox Tool 301 champ Logano hasn't won over critics: Even though 19-year-old Sprint Cup newcomer Joey Logano of Connecticut won the rain-shortened Lenox Tool 301 Sprint Cup race at NHMS in Loudon, N.H., last Sunday, it still may not silence his critics that he's "too green" to be racing in the top tier NASCAR series. It's because he hasn't won a Cup race where he has gone the full distance so far. Also, that same weekend, he ended Saturday in second behind Kyle Busch in the Nationwide race. We've heard a color analyst on one of Speed's NASCAR buffet programs say that he didn't belong in the Sprint Cup Series. When Joey was in his recent slump, even some print media predicted that Joe Gibbs Racing would drop him. Granted, Joey had big shoes to fill when Tony Stewart left the Joe Gibbs Racing Team for another deal at the end of last season. Nevertheless, Logano has withstood the pressure of the media along with his peers, so far, in spite of the fact that he's one of the youngest drivers in the series. Not to mention that the headlines in the Monday dailies blared that he was one of the youngest drivers ever to win a Sprint Cup race. Brockton Enterprise-Lou Modestino

Eyeing Another 100: Ted Christopher Closes On Another Big Number At Stafford Motor Speedway: The weather man has been doing quite a job messing with the numbers game Ted Christopher is playing in 2009 at Stafford Motor Speedway. Christopher, the all-time winningest driver at Stafford Motor Speedway has his eyes set on getting on 100 victories behind the wheel of an SK Modified at the track. Friday night the weather finally cleared and Christopher took the opportunity to inch closer to that goal. Christopher, of Plainville, held off Woody Pitkat to win the 40-lap NASCAR Whelen All-American Series SK Modified feature Friday at Stafford. Pitkat, of Stafford, held on for second. Frank Ruocco of Cheshire was third. Christopher went under Pitkat for the lead out of turn 2 on lap 25 and never looked back. "Great, clean race," Christopher said.**Home Sweet Home: Jim Peterson Returns To Late Model Victory Lane At Stafford Motor Speedway**Kyle Casagrande Runs Away From DARE Stock Field At Stafford Motor Speedway**Doing The Usual Weather Watching At Stafford Motor Speedway**The Hartford Courant-Shawn Courchesne

FEATURE: For Babb, watching his little girl grow up is the hardest thing to do: Bobby Babb admits that when it comes to his children racing, he treats them differently. Not that he wants to; it's just a father's instinct. When Babb watches his son, 16-year-old Bradley, he sees a younger version of himself -- taking the risks he took on the way to countless victories and track championships at Beech Ridge Motor Speedway. When he watches his 19-year-old daughter, Kelsey, he has a completely different reaction. A serious practice crash for Kelsey a month ago at the track only served to cement his feelings. "When you get so you don't think you're going to get hurt, that's when you can," Bobby Babb said on Friday, noting that he worries incessantly about Kelsey getting hurt in a race car and rarely -- if ever -- about Bradley suffering similarly. "You've always got to know there's a chance (to get hurt). That's probably why it bothers me so much about her," Babb said.**ON SITE: Rain forces early end to race program at Beech Ridge on Friday**ON SITE: It all goes according to plan for Bradley Babb in Miller Lite Firecracker 50**ON SITE: McKeage, Letellier take down wins on Beech Ridge undercard**ON SITE: Colors remain a hot topic at Beech Ridge, both in the sky and on the radar**Green-White-Checker-Travis Barrett

Friday 07/03/09
Former Driver Jeff Fluery, Uncle of Woody Pitkat Passes At 53: Jeffrey Lee Fluery, 53, of Waynesville, NC, and formerly of Stafford Springs, passed away on Wednesday (July 1, 2009). He was born in Hartford, son of Patricia (Deering) Fluery and the late Arnold E. Fluery. Jeff is survived by his beloved wife, Ginger Fluery of Waynesville, NC; his mother, Patricia Fluery of Stafford Springs; sister, Kim Fluery of Stafford Springs; brother, Mark Fluery and his wife Vicky of New York; two nephews, Victor Villarrel and Woody Pitkat; two nieces, Marteen Bochicchio and Patricia Girard; and several great nieces and nephews. Calling hours will be held on Monday, July 6, from 10:30 a.m.-12 Noon with a funeral service to be held at 12 Noon at Introvigne Funeral Home, Inc., 51 East Main St., Stafford Springs, CT. Burial will follow in Stafford Springs Cemetery, Stafford Springs, CT. Memorial donations may be made to the charity of the donor's choice. SpeedwayLineReport.com

Phil Smith's "Looking Back": Forty years ago in 1969, the Fourth of July weekend started of on Friday at Stafford and at Malta. Stafford ran a 100 lapper which saw southern invader Ray Hendrick make an appearance. Bugsy Stevens was the kingpin and made it known that he was not about to play second fiddle to the man they called Mr. Modified. Stevens took the event with Hendrick, second. Fred DeSarro finished third with Bobby Santos, fourth. Dave Kotary was the winner at Malta with Guy Chartrand, second. Saturday night at Norwood, Billy Schulz beat out Johnny Thompson and Roland LaPierre Sr. for the win. At Islip, Fred Harbach was the winner with Booker T. Washington Jones finishing second. At Fonda, Kenny Shoemaker made it two in a row and at Airborne Park; Guy Chartrand made it four in a row. Glynn Shafer made it two in a row at the Waterford Speedbowl as he won the 50-lap holiday special. Larry Crandall was the Daredevil winner. At Thompson, on Sunday, it was Bugsy Stevens holding off DeSarro for the win. SpeedwayLineReport.com-Phil Smith

Mid-season classic Pepsi 300 next for ‘Bowl: Saturday, July 4th marks the date of the Speedbowl’s annual mid-season classic Pepsi 300. The highly anticipated event is the second in the Speedbowl “Triple Crown”, combining each year with the Modified Nationals and The Finale to complete the three extra-distance event jewels on the Speedbowl schedule. Now in its 12th edition, the Pepsi 300’s format remains the same showcasing the ‘Bowl’s four NASCAR Whelen All-American Series divisions in extra-distance feature races. The SK Modifieds and Bob Valenti Auto Mall Late Models both compete in 100-lap events, while the popular and competitive Street Stock and Norwich Bulletin Mini Stock divisions go for 50-laps each. The event provides competitors the opportunity to make their statement in the points championship chase and seize momentum to begin the critical summer months of July and August. SpeedwayLineReport.com

Gervais Jr. making smooth transition into SK Lights: Those who made a similar transition before him encouraged Southbury’s Michael Gervais Jr. by telling him that the step up in competition would actually make racing easier. Nonetheless, he didn’t expect to be this successful so quickly. After four years of successful racing in Legend Cars, Gervais made the jump up to full-size racing this season as a rookie in Stafford Motor Speedway’s SK Light Modifieds division. Six races into the season, he is leading the division. “I definitely didn’t expect to do this well right out of gate,” Gervais said. “I was very surprised when I finished seventh in our first race, but we have done even better since then.” With his father Michael Gervais Sr. and his uncle Gary Gervais helping him get the car ready each week, Gervais has finished in the top five in every race he’s taken the green flag. The second race of the season, the car overheated prior to the race so he never actually raced. But he followed that disappointment with finishes of fourth, third, third and finally second place in the last race. Waterbury Republican-Roger Cleaveland

Weather continues to plague Lee USA: The weather issues that have plagued Lee USA Speedway since the start of the season continued last Friday night, but at least they managed to get most of the show in before the rain came and halted the action. When the wet weather caused the cancellation of NASCAR Sprint Cup qualifying over at NHMS, Ryan Newman hit the road to hustle over to Lee, where he got a couple of practices in before taking on the NEMA Midget contingent. Newman got comfortable in the unfamiliar racer quickly enough that he was in contention for the win in his heat, and he got off to a great start when feature time rolled around. Between races, he was even signing autographs when he could find the time. After the first attempt to start the Midget main resulted in a quick caution, Newman jumped out to lead the first 12 laps before he lost out to teammate Randy Cabral, NEMA's defending champion and 2009 opening night feature winner. SpeedwayLineReport.com

Thursday 07/02/09
Thompson Is Next Stop For NASCAR's Camping World East Series: The Camping World East Series will make its next stop at the Thompson International Speedway on Saturday, July 11th when the track hosts its annual Full Fender Frenzy race program. This extremely successful developmental series for NASCAR is hot off of a great race at New Hampshire Motor Speedway that was won by Matt DiBenedetto. Defending Series Champion, Matt Kobyluck, will lead the Camping World East Series into Thompson. The long-time veteran and extremely popular driver from Connecticut considers Thompson Speedway to be his home track. Kobyluck has had great success over the years at Thompson and will be looking to continue that trend when his Mohegan Sun race team takes to the track on July 11th. The NASCAR Camping World Series features the stars of tomorrow and many other popular drivers who are household names to New England race fans. Steve Park, one of the most popular drivers to ever have raced at Thompson, will return to the Connecticut oval as part of the Camping World East Series. SpeedwayLineReport.com

Wednesday 07/01/09
Dave Dykes "Racing Through Time": Varied Assortment Part III….. Pictured here is the late Russ McLean, the 1969 Sportsman-Modified champion at the much-missed UNITED-sanctioned Riverside Park Speedway in Agawam, Mass. Fondly-recalled as a very popular racer amongst both fans and competitors. His lone feature victory occurred on the evening of April 17, 1971 in the car seen here. Utilizing a dose of tongue-in-cheek humor during what was perhaps a less politically-correct era, note that McLean’s sanitary little Coupe was christened “The Other Woman”. Few drivers got-around more than my old friend, New England Auto Racing Hall of Famer, “Wild Bill” Slater. In addition to being a master at the most notable of Modified haunts, he also excelled on the high-banks of the NASCAR super-speedways. He’s seen here taking a break for a cold drink during one of his yearly Daytona sojourns. Note the absence of a fire suit and the rudimentary safety appointments on Bill’s Chevrolet. The cars were truly closer to stock back-then, and were more than a handful to navigate at the speeds these guys were eclipsing. SpeedwayLineReport.com-Dave Dykes

NEMA Heads To Thompson; Rifchin Trophy The Spoils: The Northeastern Midget Association returns to Thompson Speedway Thursday night, July 2 with some added incentive. The winner will go home with the Marvin Rifchin Trophy. Rifchin, owner of M&H Tire, died on June 3 at age 94. “Considering how many lives Marvin touched,” said NEMA President Mike Scrivani Jr., “everybody wants this trophy. It is a beautiful piece of hardware.” Defending champions Randy Cabral (driver) and Tim Bertrand (owner), undefeated in two races this year, head NEMA’s strongest field in recent memory. Cabral’s seven career wins, including the last three in Bertrand’s #47, tops NEMA’s Thompson win list. “You can’t take anything for granted, especially at Thompson,” says Cabral, coming off a win last Friday night at Lee USA Speedway. “Usually, the track favors the veterans but nothing is guaranteed. Everybody goes to Thompson prepared. SpeedwayLineReport.com

Speedbowl’s ‘Night of Destruction’ July 5: Waterford Speedbowl will send out the 4th of July holiday weekend with a bang, several in fact, as it plays host to its annual ‘Night of Destruction’ on Sunday, July 5. The event has come to be known as an affordable night of family fun and entertainment, capping a weekend of great racing and celebration of summer. Sunday’s festivities include a full size demolition derby known for its richter scale hits, testing the endurance and fortitude of Detroit ’s finest fabrication. The four cylinder demo has become a hit as well. While the hits might not be quite as earth-shattering, the strategy and absolute carnage remain as exciting and amusing as the full-size smash fest. SpeedwayLineReport.com

July to be a busy month at The Action Track of the East: The month of July will be a busy month at Seekonk Speedway. It starts off on July 4, as we take a step back in time. The cars of yesteryear will adorn the speedway for the first time on 2009. Bernie’s presents the New England Antique Racers, Senior Tour Auto Racers and the Atlantic Coast Old Timers will put on a display and remind us of how the racing was in years past. The ARC Pro Stocks, Late Models, Seekonk Sport Trucks and Street Stocks will also be a part of the action. On Sunday, July 5th, Valvoline presents our annual Independence Day Celebration. With Spectator Drags, the Pure Stocks, Enduro car and truck drags, Enduro racing. Car & Truck Figure 8s, one of the most spectacular Fireworks display this side of the Pacific, and our world famous Demolition Derby. SpeedwayLineReport.com

Tuesday 06/30/09
Brian Danko's Modified Tour Report: The NASCAR modifieds have always put been the best show at the New Hampshire Motor Speedway and this past weekend it was more of the same excitement. But this time it also produced some heavily damaged race cars. In another modified finish that will be talked about for many years, five cars came off turn four heading for the checkered flag when all hell broke loose with the potentially winning cars of Todd Szegedy and Ted Christopher riding the wall after several cars made contact off of turn four TC & Todd Szegedy ride the wall. Getty Images for NASCAR That was the needed space for Donnie Lia to avoid the debris to win the New England 100 edging out Eddie Flemke, Jr. and Ronnie Silk for the popular win before a great Saturday crowd on a perfect summer weekend day. It was after the race that many drivers were questioning the tactics of themselves and how they race, especially at the end of the race. SpeedwayLineReport.com-Brian Danko

Phil Smith's "Champ Trail": The NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour, after the completion of the first three, of 14 events, wound up their second “Spring Break” last Saturday, June 27 when the ground pounders traveled to Loudon, NH. There were 39 Modifieds on hand for the New England 100. Doug Coby captured his second career NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour Coors Light Pole Award Thursday evening in qualifying. Coby, who was the next-to-last car to go out among the 39 entries, knocked Todd Szegedy off the provisional pole with a fast lap of 30.003 seconds (126.947 mph), just under Szegedy’s time of 30.005 (126.939). Ted Christopher, who entered the day having won the Coors Light Pole Award in each of the first three races of the 2009 NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour season, ended up third-fastest. Donny Lia (30.039 seconds/126.795 mph) and Rowan Pennink (30.065/126.686) rounded out the top five. NASCAR Sprint Cup Series star Ryan Newman qualified seventh at 30.160 seconds (126.286 mph). SpeedwayLineReport.com-Phil Smith

Monday 06/29/09

Carey and Coffey Video of Nascar Whelen Modified 2009 New Hampshire 100 Final 3 Laps-Ted Christopher, Todd Szegedy Crash

Waterford Speedbowl Launches New Web Site: We couldn’t be more excited and happy about our new website!! This is now your one stop source for all things Speedbowl!! Some new features you will find with the new Speedbowl web site as you navigate throughout are… -Up-to-date lap times!! -Full driver rosters with the ability for the drivers to create and edit their own driver profiles, including adding a picture of the racecar!! -Up-to-date finish orders and points as the races conclude!! -Finishes posted for the entire evening or by division!! -Photo galleries courtesy of photos by Racedog Photography and other photographers!!-Detailed schedules that can be viewed in full, by Saturday or Wednesday events, and promotional events!!-Coming soon will be our video gallery of clips from the evening’s events!!-Special Speedbowl.com printable instant savings coupons!!-Marketing assistance for our drivers!!-More resources for our loyal fans!! SpeedwayLineReport.com

Bill Bernard wins first career Late Model feature in the Phil’s Propane 50: On Saturday, June 28, Bill Bernard held on to win his first career Late Model feature in the Phil’s Propane 50. In a race that went green to checker, Bernard fought off a hard charging Gerry DeGasparre in the latter half of the event. Berkley’s Jake Vanada jumped out front under the double greens, and set the pace for the first several laps. Polesitter Bob Hussey followed Vanada for a few laps before being overtaken by rookie Frank Duquette. Duquette, using the outside lane, picked up the lead at lap seven, but could only keep the NAC Security & Sound System Chevy at the front for one lap before the Ashland Lumber Chevy of Bernard followed on the outside and took over the reigns on lap nine. Gerry DeGasparre and Ryan Vanasse, the only winners on the season heading into the Phil’s Propane 50, started ninth and tenth respectively, and were working their way through the field methodically, with the A-1 Custom Auto Body Chevy of DeGasparre moving into the top five by lap 10. SpeedwayLineReport.com

Logano Gets First Sprint Cup Victory: A 7-year-old stood in his father's garage in Portland in October 1997 and sent a message to one of the best drivers in NASCAR history. Already a national Quarter Midget champion, Joey Logano broke his usual silence by dropping a cocksure prediction about his future in racing. He promised that someday he would be Jeff Gordon's worst nightmare. Sunday was that day. Logano and his Joe Gibbs Racing team rolled the dice on fuel and weather and hit the jackpot when the rookie was declared the winner of the rain-shortened Sprint Cup Lenox Industrial Tools 301 before a crowd of more than 100,000. Gordon, a four-time Cup champion, was second and Kurt Busch third.The race was called after 273 of 301 laps. Logano, a Middletown native who turned 19 on May 24, became the youngest winner in the 61-year history of Sprint Cup. Gordon was one of the first drivers to congratulate Logano. While Logano sat in his car on pit road as rain fell, Gordon offered his congratulations even though NASCAR had yet to call the race. The Hartford Courant-Shawn Courchesne

Coastal 181 Publishers New Book on Racing Legend Bill Wimble Being Released In July: Coastal 181 is proud to announce the upcoming release of the much-anticipated autobiography of Bill Wimble, one of the most respected figures in American racing. The two-time NASCAR National Sportsman Champion spins tales of his incredible journey from a New York dairy farm near the Canadian border to the short tracks and superspeedways along the East Coast, to his honored career as an entrepreneur in New York and Florida. I’LL NEVER BE LAST AGAIN is an American success story, full of poignant messages for all of us. Bill Wimble drove his first race at Canton, NY's St. Lawrence Speedway in 1951, driving a '36 Ford that he and his brother bought for $50. They built the racecar on the family farm, working late at night after the evening chores were done. The following year, 1952, saw him take down his first win, at Ottowa, in Ontario, Canada. Wimble won his first track championship at Plattsberg, in 1955. In all, Wimble won 14 track championships at 8 different tracks. Add to his resume 5 New York State Championships, and 2 Connecticut State Championships under the Nascar banner. SpeedwayLineReport.com

Remembering Jay Miller Memorial Party Planned For Sunday July 12th: A memorial party celebrating the life of SK Modified competitor Jay Miller will be held on Sunday July 12th starting at 1:00 P.M. at the residence of his dad, Hall of Fame Racer Ray Miller. Jay passed away unexpectedly on July 15, 2008. The memorial celebration will be the one year anniversary of Jay's death. Jay grew up around the sport of auto racing, just like his father before him. It seemed destined, as it was the family tradition, dating back more than a half-century. His grandfather was a veteran of the ARDC midget circuit in the 1950s. His father, Ray Miller is a NEAR Hall of Famer, with many victories during his career at Stafford and the old Riverside Park in Agawam. Among his accomplishments are a win in the 1981 Thompson 300 and a win during the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour’s inaugural season at Waterford before he retired in 1986. Ray was honored in 2002 with induction into the New England Auto Racers Hall of Fame. SpeedwayLineReport.com

Sunday 06/28/09
Paul Wins Second Straight in SKs: The Waterford Speedbowl celebrated Norwich Night on June 27, honoring the City of Norwich’s 350th birthday with great racing. Jeffrey Paul picked up his second consecutive SK Modified win, Bruce Thomas Jr. returned to Speedbowl victory Lane in the Bob Valenti Auto Mall Late Models, while it was veteran competitor Allen Coates taking the checkered in the NEATV Truck Series. Kyle James and Ronnie Oldham Jr. rounded out the night’s winners capturing the Norwich Bulletin Mini Stock and Street Stock events respectively. With threatening skies looming overhead during the evening, the full five-division event was completed by 9:15pm. The 35-lap SK Modified main event was led to the green by Joe Perry and Frank Mucciacciaro. Perry would take the lead on lap one, but Salem drivers Jeff Pearl and Dennis Gada were both in hot pursuit from the drop of the green. Pearl made a daring inside maneuver on Perry in turn three on lap two to take command. Gada followed Pearl past Perry while Rob Janovic Jr., previous event winner Paul, and points leader Keith Rocco settled in to the top-five. SpeedwayLineReport.com

NASCAR Announces Modified Race Broadcasts: NASCAR announced today that the inaugural NASCAR Whelen Modified and Whelen Southern Modified Tour event at Bristol Motor Speedway will be broadcast on SPEED. The UNOH Perfect Storm at Bristol, a 150-lap combination race between the two NASCAR Modified divisions, will mark the first appearance for both the Whelen and Whelen Southern Modified Tours at the “World’s Fastest Half Mile” in Bristol, Tenn. The UNOH Perfect Storm at Bristol is set to go green at 6:15 p.m. on Wednesday, August 18 and SPEED will broadcast the event on a 45-minute tape-delay beginning at 7 p.m. “With a heritage as NASCAR’s oldest division, the Modifieds have long had some of the most passionate fans in the sport, and we are excited to provide the loyal fan base with an opportunity to follow all of the action,” said George Silbermann, NASCAR managing director of racing operations. “We appreciate the support of Whelen Engineering, the University of Northwestern Ohio and SPEED in helping to bring the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tours to a national television audience.” SpeedwayLineReport.com

Lia Wins Whelen New England 100: Donny Lia wasn't sure where everybody was. He wasn't quite sure who hit who or even who hit him. There was only one thing Lia was sure about Saturday at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. He knew he got to the checkered flag first. Lia was the survivor of a wild final lap to win the Whelen Modified New England 100. It was the first victory of the season for Lia, who returned to the division full-time this year after spending 2008 in the Camping World Truck Series. Out of the smoke, sparks and twisted metal, Ed Flemke Jr. of Southington finished second and Ron Silk of Norwalk third. "The last lap was interesting," Lia said. "These guys want to dive bomb, they want to use you up, they want to do the slide job and we can do that with the best of them." The field came to the white flag with Lia chasing down race leader Ted Christopher. Lia went high on Christopher going into turn 1, but seemed to lose some ground. The Hartford Courant-Shawn Courchesne

Paul takes second straight victory at Speedbowl: Jeffrey Paul is right where he wants to be. With strikes of lightning surrounding the Waterford Speedbowl on City of Norwich Night, Paul provided the thunder by taking his second consecutive SK Modified feature heading into next Saturday’s Pepsi 300, of which he’s the defending champion. Paul hunted down and caught race leader Jeff Pearl with 14 laps remaining, then proceeded to be the most dominant car over the remaining distance. “This car has been so good, so fast,” said Paul, whose last win came on June 6. “When it’s that good, it raises your confidence level.” Pearl was strong throughout the first half of the feature. He was proficient on three re-starts and maintained his edge after taking over the top spot early with a bottom-shot move on Joe Perry going into turn three. Paul, however, worked quickly. He drove into third just nine laps in, passing Rob Janovic. Then he caught and passed Dennis Gada for second. He then set his sights on Pearl, who was seeking his first win of the 2009 season. Norwich Bulletin-Peter Vander Veer

Crunch Accelerates NASCAR's Skid: Jerry Gappens actually was smiling when talking about ticket sales for today's Sprint Cup Lenox Industrial Tools 301 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. Given the economy, there was good reason for Gappens, the track's general manager, to be happy. As of late Thursday, fewer than 1,500 tickets were unsold for the race at NHMS, which seats 95,491. That was good news for Gappens, who has spent months adjusting to new economic realities. From massive layoffs by top-level teams before the season to empty seats at nearly every race on the schedule, it's obvious NASCAR has been hit hard by the economy. For instance, three weeks ago in Dover, Del., attendance for the Sprint Cup race as estimated by the Philadelphia Daily News was less than 100,000, the smallest since capacity was expanded to 140,000 in 2001. Large blocks of seats were covered by tarps doubling as billboards. The Hartford Courant-Shawn Courchesne

Middletown Native Logano Loses To Busch At New Hampshire: The homecoming celebration for Joey Logano at New Hampshire Motor Speedway looked to be in the planning stages. Then his teammate crashed any party thoughts. Kyle Busch passed his Joe Gibbs Racing teammate on lap 164 and led the rest of the way in winning the Nationwide Camping World RV Sales 200 on Saturday at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. "It feels pretty awesome," said Busch, the Nationwide points leader who had never won before at New Hampshire in the division. "This place is real, real tough on me for some reason. It kind of eludes me. To beat Joey, he's got a lot of laps around here, that's pretty special. That kid's very talented. "I didn't think I really had an opportunity. We just kept adjusting on our car all day. Normally when we're out front we don't adjust on it. Today we didn't have the winning car, we made the winning car." The Hartford Courant-Shawn Courchesne

Monday 04/06/09
Tom Ormsby's "Racing Remembrances": Drive Profile: Billy Harman On Sunday April 15, 1951 a 7^th grader watched the first ever race at the New London /Waterford Speedbowl. That 7^th grader was also attending his first race. Bob Swift would go in the record books as the first winner at the new racetrack. Young Billy Harman would become hooked on racing after that first race, never to miss a Wednesday or Saturday race for many years to come at the Speedbowl. Like many a youngster after attending their first race, Bill knew he wanted to be a race driver. In his sophomore year of high school Bill would build his first race car in the high school’s shop class, a 1938 six cylinder Chevy Coupe. After school Bill would take the 38 Chevy to the Morgan Farm, about a mile from the Speedbowl. There were some weekdays Bill would drive the car from the farm to the Speedbowl and sneak on the racetrack. Bill recalls, “This was my first opportunity to drive the race car”.**Don Rounds Victor At New London Speedbowl-1951**Mordino, Hill Win At Plainville-1971**New Breed Strikes At Stafford Springs Again - 1972 SpeedwayLineReport.com-Tom Ormsby