By Lou Modestino
Legion Speedway in Wentworth, NH announced a 22 event schedule for 2013. Like a lot of north country tracks over the years, and especially in this recession, things have not been good for the central NH track. Ticket prices will be the same as 2012. The track will go with a Sunday twilight series program.
Sportsman Modifieds along with the 600 cc Mini Sprints, Street Stocks and Outlaw Mini Stocks will be usual weekly card. There will be periodic visits by the Sprint Cars of New England, Granite State Mini Sprints and the Outlaw Dirt Midgets. Legion Speedway’s season will get underway on Sunday, April 28 with a practice session with free admission and ends with the Wingless Sprint Weekend on September 22.
During the season the gates open on Sunday at 2 p.m., hot laps at 4:30 p.m. and the green flag waves at 5 p.m. Admission is a reasonable $10, Juniors and Seniors are $8 and kids 11 and under are free with an accompanying paid admission. A family Pack is $25 with free parking.
RACIN PREVIEW 2013 presented by MOODY’S COLLISION CENTERS will be held at the Portland Expo on February 22-23, lots of cars to see and track info to get, you don’t want to miss out!
For the past three seasons, Canaan Dirt Speedway has shown significant growth over each year. This year is no exception as the ¼ mile clay facility has a jammed pack schedule full of events that are sure to satisfy even the heartiest dirt racing fan’s appetite.
“The car counts have been growing for the past three years in the Modified class here at Canaan, stated General Manager, Dick Therrien, and this year we will be bursting at the seams as several new teams, and some old familiar faces return. We are very proud of this division and it has taken a lot of hard work to get where we are today.
Our rules package which was designed by our Chief Technical Inspector, Charlie Rockwell, and Rick Payea, owner of RPM Racing Engines from Georgia, Vermont has brought many cars together due to the fact that the racers know they are all on a level playing field. Our teams enjoy the fact that we have so many different winners each year, and our podium finishers are rarely the same from week to week. Our racers also are used to having quality technical inspections each week guaranteeing that violations are kept to a minimum.”
2013 will see the Modifieds in action on a regular basis including when the SCoNE 360 Sprint Cars are in town. SCoNE will race a handful of times in 2013 including the Octoberfast event in October. Dirt Midgets will make their first ever appearance at Canaan in 2013 with three shows on the schedule. The weekly card will consist of Mods, Super Streets, Late Models and Bombers. Three giant shows are on the schedule this season including Friday, June 28th which will feature racing plus Monster Truck Mania.
Then on July 3rd, the night will feature the 4th of July Spectacular. The Mods will be racing for a $1,000 to win, plus 360 SCoNE Sprint Cars, Super Streets, Bombers and Fireworks. The second annual Octoberfast, Return of the Canaan Cup rolls off on Saturday, October 12th. This event pays the Mods $2,500 to win the 100 lap feature. The Sprints will race for $2,000 to win, $1,000 for the Sportsman Coupe winner, and $300 to win the Super Street / Limited Late Model challenge. The Bombers will also be in action.
Here’s what’s happening in the north country this weekend. On Friday and Saturday Millinocket, ME will host a Snowmobile Winter Rally at 9 a.m. each day. From Friday through Sunday Benton, ME will be the scene of the President’s Weekend Land Rover’s Winter Rally at 9 a.m. each Day. On Sunday Dragster Supply in Merrimack, NH will have an open house along with snacks and drinks from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.