By Lou Modestino
Even though the celebration is not over for Monadnock Speedway’s 2013 Sportsman Modified Champion, Bill Kimball, the speedway management has been busier than ever preparing for the 2014 season. Kimball will put his 2013 season to a close in Charlotte, NC when he proudly represents Monadnock Speedway and collects his hardware as the 2013 NASCAR Whelen All American Racing Series New Hampshire State Champion .
While Kimball celebrates his 2013 accomplishment, back at the high banked ¼ mile oval, the speedway’s office has been receiving emails from competitors all over the New England region interested in calling Monadnock Speedway their home.
The Sportsman Modifieds, the track’s NASCAR Whelen All American Racing Series Feature division, is growing as registrations and number reservations continue to be received. Most notable registration received to date has been from veteran driver, Jim Boniface, piloting a Sportsman Modified for car owner John Corliss. The Sportsman Modified field will also see plenty of talented Rookies joining the ranks as former Mini Stock Champion Kim Rivet will be driving for the Rivera Race Team. Two very talented teenagers will also be vying for the Rookie title, JT Cloutier who became the track’s youngest driver to win a feature in a NASCAR division has joined forces with Sontag Racing to pilot an open wheel as Trevor
Bleau will take his experience from the Maine Modified Series and put toward his first year. In the other NASCAR divisions, there will be additions as many of the 2013 Young Guns, Cameron Sontag, Sonja Carey and Joe Collins to name a few, have graduated and confirmed that they will be moving to a higher class.
Monadnock Speedway’s Season Opener is scheduled for April 19th, the traditional Spring Dash 100 will once again feature the Modified Racing Series, for their first of three schedule events, along with all the speedway’s weekly divisions. The 2014 schedule will offer fans a variety of racing, besides the weekly racing divisions the NASCAR Whelen Modifieds return on July 19th, the Pro 4 Modifieds will call Monadnock their home as they are scheduled nine times to compete, the Granite State Pro Stocks will offer full fender action twice and the very fast NEMA Midgets will invade the high banks on June 21st for the second annual Iron Mike Memorial Race.
New in 2014, the speedway will also hold practice sessions on Wednesdays starting in May from Noon to 7 p.m. The cost will be a practice charge of $50 along $20 pit fee for the driver and each race team member. The session is open to any division. Competitors will need to sign up for the practice session and a minimum of ten cars will be required to hold the session.
The speedway has also announced a new addition to the tech team. Bryon Baker will join forces with Red Landry, Nick Dragon and Ray King. The competitors will see a very big change in the tech procedures and with Baker’s knowledge of racing it will ensure equal and competitive racing in all divisions.
The 2014 Rules along with registration forms and the complete 2014schedule is now available on the speedway’s website. Competitors with any technical questions should email the speedway at monadnockspeedway@ymail.com.
Oxford Plains Speedway’s Marketing and Promotions Manager, Dick Therrien, is pleased to announce that NAPA Auto Parts Stores have joined OPS as a marketing partner for the 2014 race season here at Oxford Plains Speedway.
“We are very excited to have NAPA Auto Parts on board with us for 2014. They will be the primary sponsor for the 2nd Annual Show, Shine and Drags event scheduled for Father’s Day, Sunday, June 15, 2014 stated Therrien. NAPA is the leader of the auto parts industry, and for them to join forces with us is extremely valuable for both parties. NAPA has seventy-four stores in the marketing region, and we have race teams and fans that come to Oxford from all of their stores markets. They have chosen a great event to sponsor, and I’m positive that this year’s NAPA Show, Shine and Drags will be even larger than last year’s show.”
The NAPA Show Shine and Drags event features classic and muscle cars, vintage racecars, along with motorcycles, snow machines, antique tractors and engines, as well as assorted vendors. This year’s production will be the second one under the guidance of OPS Vice President, Michael Mayberry. Mayberry revived the show in 2013 after many years absence. The show was put together with very little notice and over one hundred and fifty vehicles participated. This year with NAPA onboard Mayberry hopes to double his entries, and has added events for 2014 like a chicken BBQ and a pig roast.
NAPA Sales Manager, Pete Jabaut is excited about partnering up with Oxford Plains Speedway as well. “This is going to be an exciting project for us to partake in. We see this opportunity as a chance to raise awareness about NAPA Auto Parts and all that we have to offer to a different clientele. The NAPA Show, Shine and Drag event will help showcase all the various products that we can offer to the classic, and muscle car people, as well as all the other classes of vehicles and machinery. Our selection of parts and products are second to none, and we are looking forward to educating these people about NAPA Auto Parts.”
For more information about the NAPA Auto Parts Show, Shine and Drags event, and OPS information as it becomes available, please visit the Track website at www.oxfordplains.com or call the track hotline at 207-539-8865. Oxford Plains Speedway is located on Route 26 in Oxford, Maine.
Oxford Plains Speedway General Manager, Dick Therrien is pleased to announce a new fan oriented program for all race meets at OPS in 2014. Top Furniture, located at 570 Main Street in Gorham, New Hampshire has signed on to be the Official Furniture Store of the Speedway and will be the weekly host of a new, and very unique program, “The Fan of the Week.”
Here’s how it will work. Each week one lucky fan will have their ticket number drawn from all general admission tickets stubs. The winner and a guest will get to enjoy the races from a pair of beautiful recliners, courtesy of Top Furniture. The seats will be the best in the house, plus they will receive a food voucher and some special prizes to go along with their special seating program.
“I am so excited about this new partnership with Top Furniture, stated OPS General Manager, Dick Therrien. This is going to be such a creative program, and the fans are going to love it. Can you imagine going to the races and sitting back in a comfortable recliner with your feet up and loving life? This is going to be a lot of fun for me as the announcer, and the fans as well. The Top Furniture people are great, and I am looking forward to working with them to make this program grow.”
Top Furniture President, Donna Goodrich agreed with Therrien stating, “I was impressed with the thinking outside the box approach that Dick brought to us. We have a lot of customers from the Oxford area and this program will fit nicely into our marketing plan. We can’t wait until April arrives and we can get started.”
Top Furniture is located in Gorham, New Hampshire. Their furniture and appliance store is located inside a beautifully constructed modern building across the street from Wal-Mart. The professional sales staff will greet you, and help you view and choose from their giant selection of contemporary home furnishings including, living room sets, end tables, dinette sets, bedroom sets and mattresses, as well as name brand appliances, all at prices that are affordable to the consumer, plus great financing packages are available.
Devil’s Bowl Speedway champion Todd Stone will be feted as one of the country’s most accomplished stock car drivers on Friday, December 13, as he is honored during an awards ceremony for the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series (NWAAS). The black-tie gala will be held in the Crown Ballroom at the NASCAR Hall of Fame in Charlotte, NC, featuring top short track racers from more than 50 NASCAR-sanctioned tracks in the United States and Canada.
Stone, of Middlebury, VT, will be celebrated as the National Rookie of the Year presented by Jostens, a title he secured on the strength of a record-shattering 10 victories in the Bond Auto Parts Modified division at NASCAR-sanctioned Devil’s Bowl Speedway. As a first-time NWAAS Division I license holder, Stone outpaced asphalt Late Model drivers Bobby McCarty of South Boston (VA) Speedway, Cole Williams and Matt Wallace of Lebanon I-44 (MO) Speedway, and dirt Modified driver Frank Cozze of Grandview (PA) Speedway for the national rookie championship.
Stone will also collect awards for his Devil’s Bowl Speedway track championship and NASCAR Vermont State Champion and Rookie of the Year titles. He finished 30th in NWAAS Division I national championship standings. Combining point funds and special awards, Stone is expected top $8,000 in post-season winnings.
NASCAR Whelen All-American Series National Champion Lee Pulliam of Semora, NC, will collect his second consecutive title after 27 asphalt Late Model victories in 47 starts at four southeastern tracks.
The NASCAR Whelen All-American Series sanctions weekly stock car racing at more than 50 asphalt and dirt tracks in North America under a common championship point structure; eachdriver’s best 18 results in designated Division I events are counted toward their state and national point totals.
Devil’s Bowl Speedway will honor Stone and the local champions and top rookies from its four NWAAS weekly racing divisions at the Banquet of Champions on Saturday, February 1, 2014 at the Holiday Inn Rutland-Killington in Rutland, VT.