By Lou Modestino
As the Granite State Pro Stock Series enters its 3rd season of competition in 2014 there are changes ahead. Series President Mike Parks stated today that the afflation with Modified Racing Series will come to a close at the end of 2013. The Race day operations will all remain the same so things will continue as normal. Parks and the entire staff of the GSPSS wish to thank Jack Bateman and the entire group from the Modified Racing Series for their help the last two seasons. As we enter our 3rd season we are ready to stand on our own two feet. We are currently working on the 2014 schedule with a 12 to 14 race schedule. Series officials stated the schedule will be released at the 2013 Awards Banquet on Friday Dec 27th.
Thunder Road International Speedbowl has released its 2014 stock car racing schedule. The schedule features 18 events from the end of April through the beginning of October, as is tradition at the “Nation’s Site of Excitement.” The biggest change for 2014 is the switch from Sunday “Twilight” events in early June to the return of the traditional June Thursday night events.
The season will kick off with the 16th Annual Merchants Bank 150 on the weekend of Saturday, April 26 and Sunday, April 27. The Merchants Bank event will be the only American Canadian Tour races at the ¼-mile in 2014. The 52nd Annual Mekkelsen RV Memorial Day Classic will be on Sunday, May 25. This event will be the first of the 2014 Vermont State Championship events. The season will be highlighted by big Thursday nights. The Governor’s Cup 150, the second of Thunder Road’s VT State Championship events, will be on June 26 with the Northfield Savings Bank Holiday Fireworks night the following week on July 3.
The annual Times Argus Mid-Season Championship will offer double points and double action on Thursday, July 17. August will begin with the “People’s Race,” the 30th Annual M&M Beverage Enduro 200 on Sunday, August 3. August will close with the 36th Annual Labor Day Classic 200 on Sunday, August 31, which will determine the 2014 Thunder Road Late Model “King of the Road.”
The 54th season of stock car racing at Thunder Road will come to a close with the 52nd running of the People’s United Bank Milk Bowl on the weekend of October 4/5. Bond Auto Tiger Sportsmen and Allen Lumber Street Stocks will crown their Champions on Milk Bowl weekend.
Rules for all four Thunder Road divisions and more details on the 2014 schedule will be released in the coming weeks.
2014 Thunder Road Schedule
#, Day, Date, Event
1, Sat./Sun., April 26/27, Merchants Bank 150 – ACT
2, un., May 25, Mekkelsen RV Memorial Day Classic
3, Thurs., June 5, Weekly Event
4, Thurs., June 12, Weekly Event
5, Thurs., June 19, Casella Waste Management Night
6, Thurs., June 26, Vermont Governor’s Cup 150
7, Thurs., July 3, Northfield Savings Bank Holiday Fireworks
8, Thurs., July 10, FairPoint Communications Night
9, Thurs., July 17, Times Argus Mid-Season Championships
10, Thurs., July 24, Safelite Auto Glass Night
11, Thurs., July 31, WDEV/Calkins Night
12, Sun., Aug. 3, M&M Beverage Enduro 200 – SS Special
13, Thurs., Aug. 7, Weekly Event – Tigers 100
14, Thurs., Aug. 14, Weekly Event
15, Thurs., Aug. 21, Weekly Event
16, Thurs., Aug. 28, Weekly Event
17, Sun., Aug. 31, Labor Day Classic 200
18, Sat./Sun, Oct. 4/5, People’s United Bank Milk Bowl
Oxford Plains Speedway’s new General Manager, Dick Therrien is pleased to announce a huge season opening event for 2014 at the Speedway called the Colossal Carnage 150, “The working man’s race.”
The Colossal Carnage 150 is a 150 lap Enduro race for four cylinder cars, mini-pickup trucks and mini-vans, as well as six cylinder front wheel drive cars, and mini-vans. The event will pay the winner a whopping $7,000 paycheck. The entire payoff will be $7,000, $2,500, $1,500, $1,000, $750, $500, $400, $300, $200, and $100. This is one of the largest purses ever paid in the State of Maine for non-racecar event.