May 16, 2017 | Lee Speedway, NE Racing News
LEE, NH: The 2017 Friday night racing season opens this Friday night at Lee USA Speedway where a track-record $339,000 in prize money has been posted for various divisions competing at scheduled events.
The weekly Friday night races start at 7:00pm with practice sessions beginning at 5:00pm.
Winged super-modifieds again will be the NASCAR championship point division this season at Lee, running weekly qualifying heat races and 30-lap feature events. Winners of each 30-lap feature are guaranteed a minimum $1,000 with $700 for second and $400 for third.
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May 16, 2017 | Lee Speedway, NE Racing News
LEE, NH: The 2017 Friday Night racing season opens this Friday with a five-division, 12-race program here at Lee USA Speedway starting at 7:00 pm. The winged super-modifieds lead the way with Friday night’s 30-lap feature winner picking up $1,000 and a quick lead in the NASCAR championship point standings for this year’s track title.
Dave Helliwell, last year’s track champ, has sold his car and joined the Bob and Ed Witkum team to drive the multi-time champion No. 21 super-mod. Helliwell, of Pelham, N.H., is only in his second season of driving the fast supers. He’ll have plenty of competition from arch-rival Tommy Tombarello,
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May 6, 2017 | ACT, NE Racing News, Thunder Road, Touring Series News
Longtime Thunder Road Speedbowl co-owner Tom Curley, seen here addressing a driver’s meeting, passed away on Friday, May 5 after a lengthy illness. (Alan Ward photo)
Barre, VT – Longtime Thunder Road Speedbowl co-owner and promoter Thomas M. Curley passed away on Friday, May 5 due to complications from a lengthy illness. Curley was 73 years old.
Born May 10, 1943, Curley was involved in local and regional auto racing for most of his adult life. After spending considerable time at Thunder Road as a spectator and driver in the 1960s, he became the NASCAR Northeast regional director in 1978, and a year later created the NASCAR North Tour. He and Thunder Road founder Ken Squier then acquired the track in 1982 from former owner Tommy Kalomiris.
After leaving NASCAR, Curley created the American-Canadian Tour (ACT) sanctioning body in 1986. Under Curley’s leadership, both Thunder Road and ACT became household names for racers and fans throughout the Northeast, making the Barre high banks one of the most popular auto racing destinations in the region. Among his many accomplishments, he helped relaunch the famed Flying Tiger division that has competed since 1982, and created the ACT Late Model rules package used at Thunder Road and numerous other tracks.
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May 6, 2017 | ACT, NE Racing News, Touring Series News
For the third time in three events, weather has forced the cancellation of this weekend’s American Canadian Tour event, scheduled for Sunday May 7 at Devil’s Bowl Speedway in West Haven, Vermont.
With saturated grounds already a concern at the venue, and rain forecast throughout the area for the next several days, the event has been postponed until Saturday, May 20.
“Certainly, it’s disappointing to have to reschedule events, but in the interest of our fans and competitors, this seems like a wise decision, given the weather forecast”, said Darla Hartt, Vice President of ACT. “We will look forward to our Devil’s Bowl event now set for Saturday, May 20, with a 6:00 pm post time, and with 117 laps in the Spring Green feature event, we will anticipate an exciting -evening”.
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May 3, 2017 | ACT, NE Racing News, Thunder Road, Touring Series News
Alan Ward photo
Barre, VT – Thunder Road officials have announced a series of schedule revisions for the 2017 season. The revisions include a make-up date for the weather-delayed Merchants Bank 150 along with a new season opener for the “Nation’s Site of Excitement”.
The Memorial Day Classic presented by Mekkelsen RV Sales & Rental will now open the 58th year of competition at Thunder Road on Sunday, May 28 at 1:00 pm. It will be the first racing event at the Barre high banks following completion of the recently announced track repaving project, as well as the first time since 1995 that the speedway has opened its season on Memorial Day weekend. The Harvest Equipment event originally scheduled for Sunday, May 21 has been moved to Sunday, June 4 with a special 3:00 pm post time.
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May 3, 2017 | Lee Speedway, NE Racing News
photo by Rich Hayes
Lee, NH – Lee USA Speedway continued to showcase touring series racing action as the second event of the 2017 racing season went into the record books on Sunday afternoon at New Hampshire’s Center of Speed, despite intermittent showers that hindered efforts to get the program in.
The Granite State Pro Stock Series, New England Pro-4 Modifieds, and Northeast Classic Lites all took part in the program, with everyone getting the full show in except the GSPSS, whose race was abbreviated by some 20 laps when the rains finally won out.
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