Speedway Expo...

Just letting you guys know that Speedway Expo at the Big E fairgrounds starts up tonight and runs through the weekend, ending on Sunday. It is not going to be held in the same building as last year. It will be in the Mallary Complex... Down at the gate 9A entrance -- the dome-shaped top. The weekend kicks off at 5pm. Tickets are $15 per adult at the gate; adults being classified as anyone over the age of 12.

Nothing major in terms of an entry, I know. But it's something so I don't go a month without an entry. I'll try to make something longer in March, or I'll make a few somethings up along the way. But anyway... If you decide to head up that way this weekend, have a fun time.

New Year, New Headlines

Hey there! I hope your winter has been good so far, and your new year has started off on the right foot. I know I haven't been totally diving into the whole blog thing recently (and the reason is neither the fact that I haven't found the time nor the fact that I just don't want to do it during this time), but since I'm checking the Stafford site on a daily basis -- or close to it -- I see that there's a couple of stories that have popped up since around the Christmas season. I should really give you the gist of these stories. Links are provided; click on the story to go to the page at the SMS site.

-- Doug Coby has a SK Modified ride for the '08 season. He will be teaming up with the Johnson Motorsports team and will be driving the #15.
-- SMS is working in conjunction with Johnson Chassis (in Concord, NC) to come up with a new chassis project for the Late Models.

And if you're looking for something to do over the winter months that's racing related, there's an indoor dirt track in Windsor called Mototown USA. They race motocross and quads, but the track began a 12-week series a la the outdoor race track in New England on Sunday. They have sprints and Modified-like cars among the divisions participating. This series runs up until April 20th, which gives fans a chance to catch their breath before the Spring Sizzler. Stafford has a representative amongst the drivers competing in this program... Ted Christopher. I didn't go to the first program, but he is teaming up with Jack Arute in the 750cc Mini Sprint division, driving cars for a team called Haskell Motorsports. The Haskell Motorsports team claimed the track championship at the Whip City Speedway this past season.

So that's basically what's going in SMSland. As more stories start popping up on the home page, I'll try to pop in here and give you stories. They'll probably be entries like this, where I have a couple of headlines in one blog. But I will be back a few more times before the Sizzler. Until then, stay safe and enjoy the first full week of the new year.

Going "Camping" on Fall Final Weekend

The NASCAR Camping World East Series, formerly the NASCAR Busch East Series, will be running at Jack Arute's Stafford Motor Speedway in 2008. The tour will be part of the season ending Fall Final weekend, racing a 150-lap event as part of the seven division, end of September, two-day event. By bringing back the NCWES, Stafford will revert back to its 2001-2003 roots as it originally ran a twin billing of full fendered touring cars and Whelen Modified Tour machines on the same weekend. The NCWES was dropped from the Fall Final program in 2004.

First off, I'd like to know where I can find a Camping World. There doesn't seem to be one around where I live. Unless there's one of those in the state of Connecticut, I don't understand why I'm getting barraged with sponsors that don't seem to have any corporate sponsorship here. Second, I might not be the kind of person who likes the full fendered cars of the NCWES (remember their one and only appearance in '07 and how I left early), but Stafford's attempt to bring them back as part of the season ending weekend isn't as bad of a plan as I originally thought.

Getting both the NCWES and the WMT together on the same weekend will hopefully draw attention and get some more people to pay attention to the NCWES. It's been... Four years for this to surface again? It should hopefully get the attention of the fans, and this weekend could potentially start a new saga -- bringing the past to the present. Here's to hoping the NCWES will be successful under the new name. And here's to hoping I don't screw up the shortened version in future entries.

(30 x 19) + 40 + (100 x 2)

Figure that equation out, and it gives you a grand total of 710. As of yesterday, that will be the total number of laps that the Late Models will run in the 2008 season. It was announced that the Late Model 150, which was originally scheduled for August 22, would revert to a second LM 100. The date has not been changed.

According to the track, the reasoning behind the change was to make sure that teams have the time and resources at their disposal, which includes buying and installing fuel cells. It wasn't just the track management who voiced their opinion on this subject. Numerous calls came into the track from the Late Model teams, and they said that a 150-lap feature would require a second purchase of a fuel cell. Scaling the feature down fifty laps will save the teams dollars so that they wouldn't have to go out and purchase said equipment.

Yeah, it shocked me as well. Though I can see why people would be concerned about dollars. It would be a cost saver, that's for sure. Let's hope fuel cells will be conserved and teams don't go into their pockets inbetween May and August.

A Cornucopia Filled With News

Okay, first off, I'd like to wish all of the faithful readers out there a happy Thanksgiving. Hope you stuff yourselves silly. I know I will. Now first thing's first. The important stuff.

High noon has come and gone... And what do you know, the 2008 schedule has been officially released. I was hoping to come on this afternoon and be relieved to see some excitement on the schedule for next season, and I do have excitement planned. Here's what I know after reading the schedule: There is NO word on a Busch East race at the half mile this season. I've gone through the schedule about three times now, and I would hate to tell you guys that they're not racing out there. But alas... I must tell you that the Busch East at Stafford is only a mirage. But the good news is that the Whelen Modified Tour is racing their usual four times in '08 (Spring Sizzler, Fall Final, and the usual dates in May and August).

Going through the thing, the first thing I noticed was that the Late Model 100 will be run three weeks into the schedule. Huh?

You heard me right. You'll see it right. Three weeks into the season, the Late Models will be running their first extra distance race. In June, you'll have the SK Modified 100. So what does this mean? Oh, Stafford had something up their sleeves, and they've delivered the goods. Something was brought back. Well, two somethings were brought back. Mark these two dates on your calendar now and request that time be taken off from work if you have to: July 25 and August 22. Those are the dates of the SK Modified and Late Model 150s! That. Is. Right. It's been quite some time since there has been a 150 for either the SKs or Late Models, but next year, you'll be getting both. (That, to be quite frank with you, was certainly not what I was hoping to see as I checked out the feast. But hey... A blogger's heaven is an extra distance race. And I shall be awaiting every lap of it.) Four years of absence will be just what the doctor ordered. Let's see what happens when an even greater strategy comes into play.

The CARQuest Extreme Tuesday is back. It will be held on July 8 of 2008. ISMAs, NEMAs, and Pro-4 Modifieds... Oh, my!

You can see everything schedule related here.

Also on tap, we had the banquet on Friday night. Other than what I heard about a school bus transporting all of those who were coming in from the Stafford Springs area into the area of the banquet in East Windsor, it appeared to be a fun time regardless. Numerous awards were handed out, including the official crowning of the five track champions of the '07 year. The other winners of awards and the categories that they won in included:

Most Improved Driver: Brad Hietala (SK Modified), Dave Wray (Late Model), Raymond Grassetti (SK Light), Joey Ferrigno (Limited Late Model)
Rookie of the Year: Wade Mattesen (SK Modified), Corey Hutchings (Late Model), Josh Sylvester (SK Light), David Capriati (Limited Late Model)
Most Popular Driver: Woody Pitkat (SK Modified/Late Model), Chris Matthews (SK Light), Sean Foster (Limited Late Model), Dan Flannery (DARE Stock)

Third on the agenda... If you haven't seen them already, Stafford's '08 rosters are being updated as we speak. Don't hesitate to check out who'll be driving what cars in what divisions as the end of April rolls around. And with that being said, I'm out until there's more news. Gas pedal's on the right, and have a safe and wonderful Thanksgiving season once again from the faithful blogger at The View From Turn One.

Modified Tire News

So... Stafford is changing the way the Modifieds run via tires. First and foremost, American Racer will not be supplying tires for the open wheeled machines in '08 -- that title will be held by Hoosier. The sizes and compounds will be 26.0/13.0-15 M45 for the left side and 27.0/13-15 M46 for the right side. SK teams will be allowed to buy two tires per week, while the SK Lights are only going to be able to buy one tire a week. They're going to be carrying some sort of serial scan number, so that those in charge of tire duty will know how many tires each team is getting. SKs will be allowed to have up to ten tires in their inventory, while the SK Lights will only get up to eight. This may change for extra distance races (SK 100, mainly), and it will be changed if one wants to practice and/or test. If this is the case (the testing/practicing), then only six tires will be the maximum for SKs, while the maximum is four for the SK Lights.

My take? This is kind of not something I was expecting, though I believe Waterford has teams on Hoosier tires to begin with and they have most of the rules (if not, a good number of them) that Stafford has set for the Modifieds. I would assume that this might help teams if they want to go back and forth between tracks each weekend, but this may or may not be the case. Either way, I'm willing to see how this will affect teams if it does.

Swearing by the [Rule]Book

The Stafford Motor Speedway's rulebook has already been tweaked, and the '08 version is officially available for your viewing pleasure. And it's a lot earlier than usual. Add in the fact that Stafford still has one swap meet to close out this season (and two swap meets at the start of next season), getting the rules out will help the drivers and crews get a jump during the offseason. Here are the changes that are taking place in '08. They're pretty minor and taken from the site. (Apologies, but as I read this, I'm not sure I could have put it into my own words. I did try. I really did.)

The SK Modified® division will have aluminum bodies allowed, a new 11.5 to 1 compression ratio for all engines, and DART Heads, part number 10024266 will be permitted.

Stafford's Late Model division will be switching its body rule to the NASCAR A-B-C body rule. Other body changes include doors can be either steel or aluminum, fenders can be either steel or plastic, and the rear deck / trunk can be either steel or aluminum. The Late Model division will have the same 11.5 to 1 compression ration for all engines like the SK Modified® division and the DART Head 10024266 will also be permitted. Other engine changes include adjustments to the valve spring and crank rule as well as a header rule adjustment. DCA lower trailing arms, part number 17822, will be permitted, and a new shock package was introduced with KONI shocks part numbers #30-7325, #30-7436, #30-7647, #30-9325, #30-9436 and #30-9414 will be permitted.

Stafford's SK Light division has the fewest changes of the five weekly divisions. Like the SK Modified® division, aluminum bodies will be permitted, and No AP racing or any other brake caliper that exceeds a racer net of $265.00 will be allowed, and the crate motors will be held to a 9 to 1 compression ratio. Also, RaD Automachine has been added to the approved SK Light service center list, while Precision Automotive has been removed. RaD Automachine is based out of Ludlow, MA and can be contacted at 1-413-583-4414.

The Limited Late Model division will be joining the Late Model division by enforcing the NASCAR A-B-C body rule. For teams running the optional crate engine package, the minimum weight of the car has been lowered to 3,000 pounds and the left side weight has been increased to 54% while the traditional non-crate engine cars will remain at 3,100 pounds and 53% left side weight. Further rule adjustments have been made to the Battery, Trailing Arm, Shock, A-Frame, Track Width, and Wheelbase rules.

The DARE Stock division body rule has been amended to include the following: Rear of car must still maintain a stock appearance, stock will be determined by NASCAR Officials. The hood rule has been adjusted to read: A maximum of a two (2) inch non-functioning hood scoop is permitted as long as its part of the stock hood i.e. (Buick Grand National). A stock OEM harmonic balancer will be permitted and there are further adjustments to the piston / rod rule, the oil pan rule, the intake manifold rule, and the starter rule. DCA 17811 upper and DCA 17822 lower trailing arms will be permitted and UB MACHINE P/N 12-0809-5R and 14-0829-6L replacement A-Frames will be permitted. The sway bar maximum diameter will be 1.25 inches and the minimum roof height will be 51 inches.

And that's what's going on in Techland. Pretty self-explanatory, if I do say so myself. Changes flying all over the place. I wonder what's going to happen at the Spring Sizzler. Ah, well. We shall soon find out come April. For more information regarding the changes, it would be very helpful if you went over to the Downloads and Rules section of the track's site. Until next time, I bid you a safe offseason.

Horsepower is Where the Cows, Sheep, and Pigs Are

Well, the 2008 Speedway Expo is going to be coming quicker than you may think. It takes place on February 29 -- March 2 of next year, but the location of the event is not where you'd expect it to be. In past years, they've used two (maybe even three) buildings of the Eastern States Exposition and the practice facility of the New England Patriots. Next year, however, they're still going to be at the Big E fairgrounds.

We're going to the Mallary Complex! (Yes. For those of you who are familiar with the building, it's where the cows, sheep, and pigs are during the fair. It also houses agility dogs for the final few days. All in all, thirteen different building changes in a little over two weeks.)

According to an article from The Chrome Horn, the change was made because it's got "room for everything". And when I mean "everything", I really mean everything. There's 130,000 square feet total in the two sections of the building, where the seminars and the autograph sessions are going to be held. I think it's going to be easier getting the cars in and out of the building as well... If the aisles can fit people and people walking cows back and forth from judging, the building can fit people and horsepower there as well.

For more information, please make your way over to speedwayexpo.com.

Wake Me Up When September Ends

Well, guess what? The Fall Final at the Stafford Motor Speedway has come and gone. That means that the weekly visits to the track are over for the year. It also means that this is the last entry I'm going to do before I take the offseason to do entries as there's news afoot. I should keep the notebook filled with all of the notes I have through the season (pre and during), and as the winter progresses, I should take plenty of notes about what goes on. But before I'm nose deep in said notebook, I should at least open it up to the page where I have the notes saved for the weekend in question. It was the last weekend of the month of September, and it was unseasonably warm. (Heck, it still is unseasonably warm. You do not have 80s in early October!) So what happened as the Fall Final concluded the '07 season? Let's take one more trip down memory lane.

Whelen Modified Tour: On Saturday, it was Eric Beers taking the Bud Pole Award with a time of 18.267 seconds. On Sunday, it was a former champion who came out with the win, while a new champion was crowned with only one event to go. Mike Stefanik took down the win, which was his first of the season. The rest of the board was as follows: Tony Hirschman, Ted Christopher, and Matt Hirschman. As for the championship in '08, it was all Donny Lia. After coming across the line in seventh, he was able to secure enough points so that Todd Szegedy, who is second in the points, would not be able to earn enough points to claim the champoinship. It is Lia's first championship of his career.

SK Modifieds: The battle between the two points leaders, Woody Pitkat and Ted Christopher, came down to the wire. And it took all 50 laps for the battle to end. The third lap of the event was when the lead change that would win it all took place, and that lead was Pitkat's. But it didn't matter if Pitkat finished in the top-three. It all fell on the shoulders of Christopher, and with a second place finish, Christopher would win the championship. The rest of the top-four (at the time) were Ken Barry and Brad Hietala. In post race technical inspection, however, Barry would be disqualified for having illegal heads on his Modified.

Late Models: It was basically a story of polar opposites. One was having a really good race and was inching closer and closer to winning the championship in the Late Model division at all three tracks; the other was trying to give the fans one last hurrah before taking one last trip down to the Carolinas. The final outcome of a 40-lap feature was one to be desired. Five lead changes later, it was Dillon Moltz, the youngest person to win at the half-mile in the track's long and historic history, winning his second career Late Model win at Stafford. Following him was Tom Fearn, Corey Hutchings, and Wayne Coury, Jr. The second place finish from Hutchings secured his chances of taking the Late Model title in '07, with Jim Peterson having bad luck at the worst of times.

SK Lights: Two entries ago, I mentioned how it was Chris Matthews who won the championship with only two events to spare. Both the event for the final Friday night and the Fall Final would be run for fun, and this race was actually one of the cleaner races of the season. There were only three cautions, with two of them coming on lap-8, but other than that, it was pretty exciting as well. On the final lap, in the final turn, it all came down to two drivers: Matthews and Josh Sylvester. Sylvester had the lead coming into turn four, but he drifted up to the top of the track, giving Matthews the opportunity to go by him and win his sixth win of the season. Sylvester finished second, followed by Kyler Cafro and George Nocera.

Limited Late Models: This was the second division that was to be run for fun on the weekend, as during the last Friday night event, Sean Foster "quietly crashed" his way to a championship. So knowing that this was to be a race that wasn't even a "race", per se, how would the drivers react? Try having them put on a show on the last lap. It was dramatic. Foster and Bill Davis had been battling side by side for the lead until they got into the first and second turns. Foster sort of drifted up the track, letting Rick Lanagan take advantage of the situation. Lanagan moved past both Foster and Davis and had the lead all the way until the start/finish line. It was Lanagan's eighth win of the season, giving him the most wins out of anyone in the division and tying him for the lead in all of the divisions with Woody Pitkat. The board finished off with Foster, Andrew Durand (driving Joey Ferrigno's #87), and Davis.

DARE Stocks: Being the only division that had to decide its champion on Saturday, the DARE Stocks would have to let one final 15-lap feature decide it all for them. Now, it was supposed to come down to three people... Norm Sears, Carla Botticello, Dan Flannery, and Bill Dunn. Unfortunately, four became three last week as the car of Dunn was involved in a not-so-lovely accident back on lap-7 of the final Friday night event, putting his hopes of winning a DARE Stock championship on the backburner. So now, it was Sears and Botticello ready to battle it out for the championship. Sears was seeking his second championship in a row, while Botticello was trying to become the first female DARE Stock champion and the second female champion in the history of the track. Flannery, on the other hand, was just trying to get his first championship in general. Although it was three cautions long, it wound up being a night that both Tom Stirk and Sears would never forget. Stirk battled with John Kasper for the first half of the race, passing Kasper after Kasper passed him, but after he took over the lead, he had to battle with Flannery for the win. Stirk was able to overpower Flannery and take his first win of the season, with Flannery, Sears, and Jeff Jolly finishing off the board. And the winner of the championship? It was deja vu for Sears, who was able to win the championship in '07 with a third place finish. This season was no different, and once again, third was the ticket choice for him.

Meanwhile, it was Willie Hardie who picked up the win in the SK Modified 21 Means 21 LCQ. He took the lead from Richie Pallai, Jr on the seventh lap of the event and went the rest of the distance in a caution-free mini-feature. Pallai, Ken Barry, and Jeff Baral finished out the board. And Tom Stirk made it two for two on Saturday has he won the Paradiso-Muska DARE Stock Shootout, as that went green to checkered. Dan Flannery, Don Wood, and Norm Sears rounded out the board for that event.

That's all there is. There isn't any more. This is usually the part of the blog where I tell you about the upcoming event of the week, but seeing as there's not an upcoming event of the week to be found, I guess I should say that hockey season in Hartford starts up on Saturday night as Hartford takes on Bridgeport and I know a few of the Stafford drivers attend hockey games there. (At least one. I haven't seen more on a regular basis.) The next time I will be doing one of these weekly reviews will be at the end of April or at the start of May, depending on when the '08 edition of the Spring Sizzler is. Until we meet again, this time, for one of the special entries... I shall hopefully see you around. Gas pedal's on the right...

The Hunt, The Dream. Over?

Special edition, hot off the presses! (Well, it's warm. Someone upstairs didn't remember that it's the end of September and that it's not supposed to be 90 degrees plus. *sigh*) Remember what I wrote down in the last entry about Woody Pitkat supposedly being in the chase for the Whelen All-American Series national championship? He might be out of it after all.

Going into the final race of the season at Stafford, Pitkat trails a Wisconsin driver by twelve points. It doesn't sound too hard to get around, does it? From what I've found out, Pitkat claims that a field of at least 25 cars started the Sunoco Modified race that he had won on Thursday. The track says that 22 cars started. So who's right? Does Pitkat get six extra points if he was in fact right on the money?

Those six points will either hurt him or help him, depending on where he finishes in the race on Sunday. I'm believing that the dream has come to a close. I don't assume things, but this whole situation must be a gift from God to the Wisconsin gentlemen. (No offense to Pitkat.)

** The story came after I read a blog entry from the Hartford Courant. **

Final Friday Nighter '07

Hello, ladies and gentlemen of the blogging public (and faithful readers who have stuck by me the entire time)! This is your roaming reporter here with some special news for you... And let me tell you, this is the best news you've ever heard since the start of the season. I present to you the final Friday night edition of The View From Turn One of the 2007 Stafford Speedway season. Luckily, I have decided to do this before the rush of the pre-Friday jitterbug known as Fall Final practice. Boy, how time has certainly flown! So before I get you hooked onto the upcoming weekend, I must send you back to last Friday night, where we had the final Friday night "shootout".

SK Modifieds: The battle between the only two championship contenders left in the division, Ted Christopher and Woody Pitkat, went down the same path as usual. Though the first caution didn't occur until lap-34, the action was nonstop. Christopher was once again on the outside of the front row, but unlike last week, he had the opportunity to pass Jeff Malave and then Keith Rocco for the lead, failing against both drivers in the process. Rocco would hold off Christopher for his fourth win of the season, with Christopher, Pitkat, and Malave finishing out the board. Christopher and Pitkat have a 36 point gap going into the Fall Final, so I wouldn't be surprised if there were more Modifieds trying to make it into the race than usual in more ways than one. Pitkat's final chance to take the National Championship will be at the Stafford finale, and the more cars that start the feature, the better.

Late Models: In a span of ten laps (yes, ten laps), there were eleven caution flags. I think about half of the field was taken out, and it was nearly a combination of two heat races by the time the race was over, but they got a winner out of all of that chaos. The winner was Ryan Posocco, who in the middle of the cautionfest had made a threewide pass for the lead; Rick Charette and Corey Hutchings being the other two members of the threewide threesome. Hutchings, Jim Peterson, and Wayne Coury, Jr rounded out the board. In the race for the Late Model championship, it's down to Hutchings and Peterson, and it's only a 22 point difference. I'm betting that this race will come down to the final few laps.

SK Lights: With the championship already decided (Chris Matthews), the race could run smoother than usual. Nobody had to really "fight" for position, because they probably knew that this was all for fun. It was one of their more cleaner races of the season -- without taking it lightly -- and there was a first time winner in the CARQuest victory lane. That would be Joe Allegro, Jr, who beat out Brit Andersen, Matthews, and Glen Reen to take down the win. Like I said earlier, the final SK Light race of the season will be run for fun, as Matthews has a 150 point lead over second place Josh Sylvester. So hopefully these drivers can race the race with smiles on their faces.

Limited Late Models: The title could have been wrapped up on Friday. Sean Foster only had to stay more than 50 points ahead of second place come the race's end, and even though he was involved in a lap-3 accident in turns three and four, he was still able to lock up the championship. He is 150 points ahead of Rick Lanagan, who ended up winning his seventh race of the season over Kevin Gambacorta, Joey Ferrigno, and Charlie Newman. So this means that only two of the five features run over the course of the weekend will be run for fun. And this division will be one of those two.

DARE Stocks: The "Year of the First Time Winner" continued with one of the slower features of the season. Though there were three cautions, it didn't faze Rob Lawrence... At least for the first nine laps of the race until Norm Sears took over. But Lawrence overpowered Sears for the lead, that was it. He would win his first DARE Stock feature of the season, followed by Sears, Don Wood, and Dan Flannery. Speaking of Sears, he would take over the points lead after a so-so night by Carla Botticello and after Bill Dunn wrecked on a lap-7 restart. Sears holds a sixteen point lead over Botticello and a 26 point lead over Flannery. Dunn dropped to fourth after the race, and is now 40 points behind the leader.

And that's it for the notes for now. I give major kudos to the track's site for being updated day in and day out. The webmaster keeps things tidy, which is good for the fans and drivers alike. I shall raise a beverage in your honor... If I remember. *winks* Okay, from the notes to the site once again, and this time, it's to remind you fans and drivers that we do have not one, not two, but three days of racing on the schedule this weekend. It's time for the annual CARQuest Fall Final at the track, and this means that six divisions of racing will be out on the half mile to test their mettle. Three of the Whelen All-American Series divisions will crown their champions, while the SK Lights and Limited Late Models will officially crown their champions. The first thing I will direct your attention to is the entry list for the Whelen Modified Tour, which will make their final appearance of the season at Stafford. For more information on the schedule, I will give it to you day-by-day as the weekend actually arrives. So until then, have a happy rest of the week -- which is longer, mind you! -- and I'll see you on the flip side of Friday.

More Quickies [9/14]

Another week, another abbreviated entry. My, how the time flies. I had attended both Friday's event and Monday's season finale of Stafford's go-karting events, making this week feel like it went by very quickly. So where does that leave us now? On a Thursday, no less, with me getting this done before the stroke of twelve midnight. Luckily for you (and myself, for that matter), I have been exceptional with getting all of the entries that are race-related done and up onto the blog at a reasonable time. That means before midnight and way before I have to start getting ready to head out the door.

Speaking about heading out, I say we head out to the time machine that'll take us back to the night of September 14. It was the second night of the program known as the "September Series". And boy, did it feel like September. Let's get right to it, shall we? Watch your head; watch your step getting in. It's going to be smooth sailing from here. Everyone ready? Let's go.

SK Modifieds: I thought this was the best race of the night. The final restart on lap-22 came down between Ted Christopher and Frank Ruocco. But they weren't alone, as Jeff Malave was also ready to put himself into contention. But when Christopher and Malave started battling with each other, this gave Ruocco the edge, where he would get a big enough margin to win. It was his third victory of the season. Following him were Malave, who just managed to get by Christopher for the runner-up spot, and Brad Hietala.

Late Models: It was a battle of two possible first-time winners -- Michael Bennett and Wayne Coury, Jr. Bennett had the lead from a lap-12 restart, and Coury was all over his back bumper, but it would prove to be too little, too late as Bennett would score his first career Late Model feature win and his first win since the '05 season, when he ran Limited Late Models. Coury would finish second, followed by Woody Pitkat and Jim Peterson.

SK Lights: Chris Matthews had the championship nearly wrapped up. The stipulation of the night was that he was to finish anywhere except last, regardless of where his closest competitors were. Matthews did indeed finish somewhere that wasn't the back of the pack. He won the race, which was the first race that didn't end in a yellow/checkered situation in nearly a month. The rest of the top-four were Brit Andersen, Josh Sylvester, and Raymond Grassetti.

Limited Late Models: The last time Joey Ferrigno saw the light of victory lane, it was in '06 and he ended up being disqualified against wheel specifications. This time around, however, he wouldn't have to worry about being disqualified. He only had to worry about bad luck getting into the way of a strong performance, which had been hindering his chances of seeing victory lane for quite some time now. He managed to shake all of the bad luck off of him and take down his first career win in the Limited Late Model division. Andrew Durand, Rick Lanagan, and Sean Foster rounded out the board.

DARE Stocks: They managed to pull out yet another green-to-checkered event without cautions. This time, however, they did it with one lead change. John Kasper had the early lead, but Don Wood would manage to get by him not too long after the green was put away. (In fact, I don't even think it was put away before it had changed hands.) Dan Flannery and Norm Sears would also get by Kasper, and the four drivers would run single file until the checkered flag appeared. Wood was the third first-time winner of the night, and the rest of the top-four were in fact Flannery, Sears, and Kasper.

And this isn't it, nor is this all for this week. I still have to tell you faithful readers about the schedule for tomorrow night. It goes something like this:

• DARE Stocks
• Late Model 16 LCQ (if necessary)
• SK Modified 21 Means 21 LCQ (if necessary)
• Limited Late Models (20 minute time limit)
• Late Models
• SK Lights (20 minute time limit)
• SK Modifieds

So until then, I will see you tomorrow. Let's end the last Friday night program on a high note, so we can get the Fall Final in without hesitation. Speaking of the Fall Final, I will give you guys an entry list in a quickie entry tomorrow, written at some point before I leave the house. So now I bid you a good rest of tonight.

Cliff Notes of the 9/7 Program

Things to do, places to go to, and people to see! Okay, so the first one of those three things might as well be the only thing that I actually have to do, but still... It's nothing like a little get-up-and-go type energy that I need to have if I want to finish this entry up before the stroke of midnight. So that means I have to do one of those abbreviated entries like I did last time. I thought it over, and I think I'm going to be doing them quite frequently. Think of the full entries as getting all of the main details with fluff. I think if I had to do one of those full entries again, I would never be the same again. Don't worry... You still get who wins and who finished out the board, but it's done without going into full detail. So with that said, I think it's time to jump right into the start of the 2007 September Series! In a nutshell, here are the events of the September 7 program.

SK Modifieds: The race for the National Championship in the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series took a drastic turn, with Woody Pitkat involved in two of five cautions that occured during the feature. He couldn't bump a bad finish from his record, but Keith Rocco, also in contention, was able to remove one of his finishes with a 50 as he took down the win. Rounding out the board were Kerry Malone, Ted Christopher, and Curt Brainard.

Late Models: History was made when Dillon Moltz became the youngest person to win in a NWAAS race at the half-mile. After making a pass for the lead at the very start of the race on the backstretch, Moltz had to hold off Corey Hutchings on a green-white-checkered restart. Hutchings was passed by Jim Peterson for second, leaving him finishing third. Woody Pitkat was fourth.

SK Lights: For the third straight week, the race exceeded its twenty minute time limit. (I wouldn't be surprised if officials talk to them. Seriously.) It wasn't a bad race, really... It was during heats that was the worst part. During SK Light qualifying, Heather DesRochers and Harry Wheeler got together, ending up with Wheeler slightly on top of DesRochers. To make a long story short, neither driver raced in the feature. But back to the action in the feature, and Chris Matthews was in first when the race was called. Josh Sylvester, Brit Andersen, and Raymond Grassetti finished out the top-four.

Limited Late Models: Andrew Durand took the lead on the fifth lap of the event, and although he was challenged by Charlie Newman and Bill Davis, he still had to worry about two late race cautions... One of which occuring when Newman and Davis got together. This would set the board up as follows: Durand, Sean Foster, Kevin Gambacorta, and Rick Lanagan.

DARE Stocks: Three cautions, drivers in different cars, and a points lead battle set the stage for this feature. But with four laps to go, the battle was between the cars of Dan Flannery and Vince Gambacorta. Gambacorta had already lead on two separate occasions, but Flannery used the outside to make a pass for the lead. It would work, but Gambacorta would remain attached to Flannery's back bumper yet would be unable to stage a comeback. Flannery and Gambacorta finished first and second respectively, followed by Don Wood and Carla Botticello. Botticello would take over the points lead in the DARE Stock race by only eight points.

And there you go. Once again, it's easier to do it this way, because then I know I've gotten everything without stressing myself even more than I already have to. I guess with this method, everyone wins in the end. *nods* Okay, time to put the past behind us. We have to look towards the future! Tomorrow is another week, and another chance for the points races in all five divisions to heat up. The September Series continues with another regular program, and the order of features goes something like this:

• SK Modified 21 Means 21 LCQ (if necessary)
• Late Model 16 LCQ (if necessary)
• Limited Late Models (20 minute time limit)
• SK Lights (20 minute time limit)
• SK Modifieds
• DARE Stocks
• Late Models

Doesn't look like it's going to be too rough of a night, does it? I hope not. From what I've heard, I say that there's a zero percent chance of rain. The only thing you have to worry about is that it might be a bit chilly. So if I were you, I'd take a coat (or two) for you and whomever you might be coming with. I hope to see you at the track tomorrow. Until then, have a safe rest of today.

Quickie Results [8/31 Program]

Attention faithful readers: I am sorry, but this week, I cannot provide a full, detailed analysis of the August 31 event. I have been busy lately and could not get all that I wanted up and ready before the end of the day. (Yes, it's Thursday. Usually, I'm at a last minute charge to get this up onto the site. But for once, there is a time where you think you're not going to reach a goal before the deadline. This is one of those days.) I will, however, benefit from giving you at least the winners of the event and then a few more details that I'm sure you would enjoy. Again, I'm truly sorry.

SK Modifieds: Ted Christopher snapped Woody Pitkat's five-race winning streak. It was his second win of the season. Brad Hietala, Pitkat, and Todd Owen finished out the board.

Late Models: Corey Hutchings survived three lap-28 restarts in order to secure his second victory of the 2007 season. The rest of the top-four were Jim Peterson, Dillon Moltz, and Michael Bennett.

SK Lights: For the second straight week in a row, the race ended up exceeding the 20 minute time limit. Three of the top-five in points ended up in a last turn crash that brought out the caution -- Brit Andersen, Glen Reen, and Raymond Grassetti -- and the race was ultimately yellow/checkered. Josh Sylvester would once again benefit from this, and scored his second straight win in a row. Chris Matthews, Mark Bakaj, and Scott Nordman finished out the board.

Limited Late Models: A crash on a lap-18 restart would seal the fate of then-leader Andrew Durand and the rest of the top-four cars at the time, giving the lead to Sean Foster. Foster would control the final two laps of the race to take down the win, his fourth of the year. Rounding out the board were Paul Conte, Lori-Jo Rzeszutek, and Michael Chaves.

DARE Stocks: The first and cleanest race of the night saw Jim Brice and Norm Sears battle for the lead within the closing laps. Sears was not able to attempt a pass, and Brice would win his first race of the year. Sears, Todd LaPorta, and Bill Dunn would finish the top-five, and with Dunn beating Carla Botticello, he would become the new points leader.

Also of note: Jesse Hinze, who originally finished tenth in the DARE Stock feature, was disqualified due to his car having an illegal air volume modification plate.

So, that's about it for tonight. Again, I apologize for not giving you full details of any one event. I will try to do better the next time. I will, however, give you a gift called the schedule for tomorrow night's events. We are starting the September Series, boys and girls! Four races remain in the battle for the championships, and I have a feeling the race might be closer than you may think. Here is a rundown of the feature order.

• Late Model 16 LCQ (if necessary)
• SK Modified 21 Means 21 LCQ (if necessary)
• SK Lights (20 minute time limit)
• DARE Stocks
• Late Models
• Limited Late Models (20 minute time limit)
• SK Modifieds

Okay, all deadlines aside, I shall see you tomorrow. I am quite positive that we will get this program in. Until then, have a safe rest of today.

Streaks and Red Flags

Welcome to the show that never ends! Well, maybe not really. Though the last time action was on the track, it sure felt like it was a neverending show. That last time just so happened to be Friday night, August 24. It was Porter and Chester's Summer Heat, and the night started off on a somber note. Fans were asked to perform the traditional rise and cap removal for the opening ceremonies, which started off with a tribute to fallen Whelen Modified Tour driver John Blewett, III. On the board were four numbers, each representing four late Tour drivers: Blewett, Tom Baldwin, Richie Evans, and one other number. I'm sorry, but my mind has drawn a huge blank. Apologies, faithful readers.

After the National Anthem, it was time to get the party started. The first race of the evening went to the SK Lights. Remember, they have to get twenty laps into the record books before twenty minutes, or the track will stop the race at the limit and award the win to whomever is at the front of the pack at the time the limit ends. The Lights have already went past the time limit a couple of times this year, so who knew what to expect but them. Anyway, the race got underway with Mike Lane taking the early advantage from Aaron Goff. This lead would only last for three laps as on lap-3, George Nocera spun on the frontstretch to bring out the very first caution of the event. They tried restarting, and the flagman didn't like the start, so he threw the yellow again to bunch the field back up for a start only he would enjoy watching. Take three proved to be a success, and Goff went by Lane to claim the lead. Goff would hold the top spot until lap-6, when Josh Sylvester claims shotgun. Chris Matthews would take over the second spot, pushing Goff to third, but then the cautions started to fly all over the place. On lap-9, there was a six car accident in turns one and two. The drivers involved in said accident were Glen Reen, Mark Bakaj, Chris Bakaj, Jay Goff, Rich Hammann, and Nocera. They're only able to get one lap in under the green before the lap-10 cautionfest began. During the original running of the lap, the cars of Paul Colla, Jr, Raymond Grassetti, Glenn Griswold, and Kyler Cafro went into the books as the next four cars to put themselves into an accident after they got together in turn one. Apparently, it was determined that Brit Andersen had a part in setting the caution up, so he was sent to the back of the field. This would cost him, because on the restart, both him and Mark Bakaj ended up in turn two, once again bringing out the caution. After a second false start, they finaly got things under control. Unfortunately, this form of being "under control" lasted all of two laps before the gold was brought back out. This time, the caution was for an accident that included Alan Provost, Chris Bakaj, Heather DesRochers, Kyle Spencer, and Grassetti. Well at this point, it was safe to assume that the Lights had gone beyond their twenty minutes of fame. The officials and flagman didn't agree more, and out came a combination of black, white, and red. The red/checkers was displayed over the half mile, signaling the end of the race. At the front of the field since lap-9 was Sylvester, who by virtue of the time limit took down the victory. Now this is where it gets a little conflicting: I have written down that Aaron Goff and Matthews finished second and third respectively, followed by Lane. The track's site has that and it has second and third reversed in their story. So we know who the top-four finishers are. I guess that's good enough.

Following out the entry-level Modifieds were the Late Models, who already had a miniature plotline building up before the green flag was even displayed upon the field. Ryan Posocco had won the last three features, and was gunning for his fourth straight victory. But there were twenty-seven other drivers who wanted to halt any plans of a four-peat and set them on the backburner. Michael Bennett would start up front and assume the top position for the first three laps of the race, as the caution came out on lap-3 for a spin in turns three and four involving the single car of Doug Blowers, Jr. It wasn't a long caution, because Blowers was able to drive off under his own power. As the green came back out, Bennett was back out in front. Unfortunately for him, this green flag duration lasted all of six laps. The next caution was on lap-9 when Kyle Nosal (an early graduate of the DARE Stock division class of '07) brought out the gold for the second time in the event with a single-car accident on the frontstretch. As for a second attempt at getting the lap in, it wasn't going to happen on the restart. JJ Hill became the next victim of the race after a second single-car accident, this time on the backstretch. The third attempt proved to be golden -- no, not in that sense -- and the field was back running under the green. Once again, it would be Bennett in control, but on lap-13, he would lose the lead to Tom Fearn and second to Corey Hutchings. Fearn would start to control the race now, and he would pick up the bonus cash courtesy of Porter and Chester at the halfway point in the race. Three laps after halfway, on lap-18, the car of David St. Amant spun on the frontstretch, bringing the caution back in play. On the restart, it was Fearn at the front, but the caution would be brought out before the lap was completed. Jim Mavlouganes spun on the frontstretch while Ed Ricard and Blowers spun in turn two. (I do not know which incident brought gold upon the field, so I have marked it as both since all three cars ended up going to the back.) The third chance for the lap to finish wasn't acceptable either. Coming out of four and winding up on the frontstretch at the exit of the turn were Scott Foster, Jr, Mavlouganes, and Mark St. Hilaire. The front of St. Hilaire's car hit the wall at a ton and cleanup took a couple of minutes, so instead of the yellow, the field was shown the red. Foster carried the hood of his car to the infield after being stranded over in turn one, and St. Hilaire was taken to the local hospital after walking to the ambulance by foot. He appeared to be all right; the car's a whole 'nother story. Anyway, cleanup is complete, we're back to yellow, and eventually, the green comes out. The last twelve laps are green and uninterrupted, and Fearn led the way to take down his third win of the season. Hutchings would finish second, followed by Jim Peterson and Woody Pitkat. Posocco, who saw his streak of victories snap, finished sixth.

Crews were switched up for the next race of the evening: The SK Modifieds. They too had a plotline brewing. The story consisted of one Woody Pitkat, who hasn't been on the outside looking in since the Busch East Series was in town back on June 8. To put it another way, June 8 was the last time he didn't finish on the board. Would that streak be in jeopardy, or would he not only be on the board and podium, but also take down yet another win? A record five straight SK Modified wins in a row was on the line. At the drop of the green flag, it was Richie Pallai, Jr taking the early advantage. He would lose the lead to Todd Owen on lap-2, and Owen's lead would be short lived as the caution came out on lap-3. It was for Ted Christopher and Eric Berndt, who spun in turns one and two. Own would take the lead on the restart, but again, it would be short as on lap-4, the gold replaced the green. The incident was in turn one, and it involved the spinning cars of Brad Hietala, John Cleary, and Ron D'Alessandro. The green would come back out, and it would be Owen leading the way. On lap-7, Owen would lose the lead to Zach Sylvester and was going to lose second to Woody Pitkat. A caution with 11 laps on the board stopped progress of Pitkat as the cars of Hietala, Berndt, and Kirk Zervas spun on the backstretch. It was at this point that Pitkat started to make a move. On the restart, he got around Sylvester to take the lead. Beginning to stretch it out, Pitkat would be in contol of the race. He would pick up the $100 bonus from Porter and Chester at lap-20, and his lead over Sylvester would start to grow to the point in which it was nearly a two-second lead. Pitkat would make more history by winning his fifth race in a row, beating Sylvester, Owen, and Jeff Malave.

And now, to a story that really doesn't have a plotline attached to it: The Limited Late Models. On the opening lap of the race, there was a lovely five-car accident in turns one and two that brought out the caution. The accident included Paul Conte, Andrew Durand, and Lori-Jo Rzeszutek. Also involved were Bill Davis and Sean Foster. Davis's car ended butt-up on Foster's car, and the red flag came out. Luckily, no furtherdamage was done to either car, and both were able to drive away. The red changed to yellow, and eventually it changed to green. Charlie Newman assumed the top spot, but this would last for only two laps as the caution came back out on lap-2 for David Capriati spinning in turn one. Again, it would be Newman on the restart, but another caution would slow the pace down. On lap-3, Ky Jensen, Capriati, Rzeszutek, and Michael Nadeau were the victims of a turn four and frontstretch accident. The action would pick up again, still with Newman leading the way, but Rick Lanagan was coming with Kevin Gambacorta and Joey Ferrigno tagging along him. Another caution would come out on lap-13; this time for a spin on the backstretch, courtesy of Jeff Hubbell. Newman pulled out in front on the restart, but it only took Lanagan two laps to get around him. Gambacorta and Ferrigno also found room to get around Newman, and even Foster would go by Newman. But at the front of the field, it was all Lanagan. He would take down the win; his sixth of the season. Rounding out the top-four were Gambacorta, Ferrigno, and Foster.

Finally, we closed out the evening with the DARE Stocks. Last time they raced, they had yet another caution-free event. This race, however, was a race that had a caution in it. To start, Duane Provost took the early lead, but not without pressure by Norm Sears. Sears was challenging for the lead when the caution came out on lap-10 when Albert Saunders and Kyle Casagrande spun in turns three and four. On the restart, Sears was challenged by Jeff Jolly while Provost pulled away from the field to score his first career win. Jolly would finish second, Sears third, and Carla Botticello third.

So now that that's been taken care of, I guess there's nothing much to do except give you the information regarding tomorrow's program. Yes, it's the end of the month, and kids are back in school. So what's better for the kidlets who are returning back to school than a fireworks display above the sky? Other than the usual five divisions, there will be an after-dark display above the exit of turn two and Diamond Vision. But before and after that, there is some racing to take care of. I know you're looking for the schedule, so here it is for your viewing consideration.

• SK Modified 21 Means 21 LCQ (if necessary)
• Late Model 16 LCQ (if necessary)
• DARE Stocks
• SK Lights (20 minute time limit)
• SK Modifieds
• Late Models
• Limited Late Models (20 minute time limit)

So until tomorrow, if it's not raining like a son of a beyotch, I will see you around. If it rains, I would like to do something, but I've got a busy weekend already. So let's hope that the raindrops either pass without problem or hold off until the last event gets the checkers, and I will give you more information as time passes. Have a nice rest of tonight.

Summer Heat and Cash Bonuses

Well, well, well... In another three days, Stafford Motor Speedway will host another round of Summer Heat, presented to you in part by Porter and Chester. And that means we'll try to run last week's program all over again. It's all weather permitting, of course. Before I go over some hefty bonuses for some of the races on the docket, I think it's a good idea to go over the docket.

• Late Model 16 LCQ (if necessary)
• SK Modified 21 Means 21 LCQ (if necessary)
• SK Lights (20 minute time limit)
• Late Models
• SK Modifieds
• Limited Late Models (20 minute time limit)
• DARE Stocks

And now, to the special treats. Porter and Chester have raised the stakes just a slight bit, and they have graciously provided $200 for the night. At the halfway point of both the SK Modified and Late Model feature events, the leader will recieve $100. (Damn. I almost typed an extra 0 to that dollar amount. ALMOST.) Rest assured, the pressure will be on as the end of August looms over the track.

But for the next three days, I will definitely be checking the weather report. There is a chance of rain -- or at least I think there's a chance of rain. I don't know what people are saying at this time, so I'll tune into the news coming up in a few minutes so I can see what's going on. What I can tell you is that I hope all of you are safe, dry, and here's to getting that program in on Friday.

Rain, Rain, Go Away...

Just don't come back another day for us, okay?

That was the story tonight, as a nice rainfall killed off the program that was scheduled for August 17. Practice was completed, and both the DARE Stocks and Limited Late Models had finished their qualifying heats. The SK Lights were on the third of three heats when the rains started to fall. It first fell lightly upon the track, and then it started to gain speed until it fell at a steady pace. Unfortunately, thunder and lightning had accompanied this, and the decision to end the night was made.

For those of you who were able to get a ticket before the event was called, you are able to redeem said ticket on one of the following dates: August 24, August 31, September 7, and September 14. Stafford will run a regularly scheduled program next Friday night, weather permitting, with the sponsor being Porter and Chester.

So with that being said, enjoy the rest of your weekend, wherever you may be, and hopefully we can get a program in next week. See you on the flip side...

Quick WMT News

It's sort of off topic, but because they were only at Stafford less than a week ago, it's only fitting.

I am extremely saddened to pass on the news of events occuring as part of the August 16, 2007 New England Dodge Dealers 150 from the Thompson International Speedway.

On a lap-107 restart, a battle between the Blewett brothers, John III and Jimmy turned ugly. The two cars got together, sending the drivers into turns one and two, eventually ending with Jimmy's #12 on top of John's #66. Jimmy quickly exited his car and got the track crew's attention by flailing his arms. Clearly he was concerned for his older brother. As the crowd of about eight grand fell silent, the track crew went to the crash site, where they would have to cut the #66's car to get John out.

John was taken to Hubbard Regional Hospital in Massachusetts where he was pronounced dead. He was only 33. To read more, please read this article from the Hartford Courant.

Saturday Night's Alright for Fighting [for Position]

Okay, here's the scoop: This is a short break inbetween events. Stafford did indeed run Saturday night, and boy, was it strange to see the boys and girls of both the Whelen All-American Series and the Whelen Modified Tour at the track on a Saturday inbetween the Spring Sizzler and the Fall Final. Fortunately, a second rain date was not necessary, and all of the on-track events were completed before midnight. But as long as it did feel like a Friday night, I think a little recap of the night's events are in order. Shall we start? I thought you'd never ask.

Things got underway with Whelen Modified Tour time trials. 32 cars were on hand, looking to score one of 31 spots in the field. The fastest time of all during this qualifying session belonged to Tony Hirschman, getting around the track in 18.188 seconds (averaging out to 98.966 seconds). Of course, one car was supposed to go home upset that they didn't make the field, but because there was one extra car, officials thought it would be polite for that car to be inserted into the field. So later on in the night, 32 cars would be taking the green flag. More on this after the weekly portion of the night, folks!

On the docket first for the Whelen All-American Series weekly program were the SK Lights. The race started with Heather DesRochers taking the lead at the drop of the green flag. The lead would be cut after four laps when Harry Wheeler spun in turn two, bringing out the caution. DesRochers would retake the lead on the restart, but on lap-6, Glen Reen would steal first away and begin to pull away. At one point, Reen's lead was about a full straightaway in front of DesRochers. The race would be slowed on lap-17, however, taking away any of the momentum Reen might have had. Kyler Cafro and Tony Santangelo had crashed in turn two, bringing out the caution and setting up a four-lap dash for the cash. Reen had the advantage as the green flew over the field, and it looked as though he was setting up a repeat performance from earlier in the race. However, Aaron Goff and Michael Lane would crash in turn four, now setting up a green-white-checkered finish. This would be the end of the race as Reen dominated the restart one more time, and he could not be caught as he sailed through the rest of the feature to take down his fifth win of the season. DesRochers would come back to score a career-best second, followed by Josh Sylvester and Brit Andersen.

After the entry-level, open-wheeled Modifieds gave the fans a show, out come the SK Modifieds for their 40-lap show. The first half of the race was caution free, with a couple of lead changes here and there. The first leader of the race was Todd Owen, but after four laps clicked by, Jeff Malave took over as the leader, and he would lead until lap-28 as a spin in turns three and four from Willie Hardie erased a full straightaway lead via Malave. On the restart, Malave gained the lead back and would assume leadership status until a lap-31 accident involving Hardie, Shelly Perry, and Zach Sylvester. A new second place would emerge on the green flag... That being one Woody Pitkat, who would eventually battle with Malave until Pitkat finally took the lead on lap-34. Unfortunately for Pitkat, he would have to survive two more cautions before he could possibly take a fourth straight win. The first of the two cautions occured on lap-37, when Wade Mattesen spun in turn two. The second was when Keith Rocco spun on the frontstretch on the following lap. Fortunately, Pitkat was able to make it back out front on both restarts and would indeed win his fourth straight SK feature and sixth of the season. Coming in to round out the top-four were Brad Hietala, Malave, and Ted Christopher.

Straying away from anything with their wheels exposed in a way that you can pronounce it "open-wheeled", we go directly to the fendered divisions for the time being, starting with the DARE Stocks. It was a caution free race from the green to the checkered, which is expected these days with that division, and there was only one leader for the duration of all fifteen laps... Megan Bienkowski. Of course, all of the action happened to come from behind her, with Norm Sears taking over third place on lap-7. Other than that, all was quiet on the front as Bienkowski claimed her first career victory at Stafford. Bill Dunn would finish second, Sears third, and Dan Flannery fourth.

Next up on the schedule, it was the Late Models, who last week turned a pretty impressive feature for only one caution session. Could they get any better? Well, not in terms of cautions, but in action. It started with a caution in turns three and four, including a handful of cars that had removed themselves from the scene before I could figure out who was in that accident. Once everyone was gone from the scene, the race was back on. (Or was it the race could start?) Steve McQuillan took the lead and held it for the first two completed laps of the event before the second caution of the race occured. Tom Butler, Billy Snow, Jr, Bobby Leone, Jim Mavlouganes, and Mike Quintiliano were involved in a turn two accident on lap-3. McQuillan would go back in front as the leader, assuming this spot through a lap-13 spin of Tom Fearn, courtesy of Woody Pitkat. Pitkat wouldn't be able to make up the ground after he was black flagged. Back up to the front, and we still have McQuillan leading the way. The lead would change hands on lap-17 when Ryan Posocco eventually overpowered McQuillan, but the two would battle for a few laps until Posocco would start to slowly pull away. Posocco would be your winner, followed by McQuillan, Jim Peterson, and Scott Foster, Jr. In technical inspection, McQuillan's car was found to have an illegal carburetor and intake manifold, and he was disqualified from second place.

Four down, one to go. The final race of the weekly portion belonged to the Limited Late Models. Two laps into the feature, the one and only caution occured when Charlie Newman and Darrin Havanec spun in turn two. Joey Ferrigno became the leader on the restart, and he started to pull away from the field. But Rick Lanagan started to catch up to him, and halfway through the race, Lanagan was in second place and had taken the lead on lap-13. Sean Foster stole second away from Ferrigno, but he couldn't make the charge towards Lanagan. Lanagan would pick up his fifth win of the season. Foster, Ferrigno, and Bill Davis rounded out the rest of the board.

With the final race of the weekly portion of the night done and over with, the stage was now cleared for the Whelen Modified Tour. After the redraw, it would be Bobby Grigas starting on the front row, alongside of Ted Christopher. Throughout the race, fans were treated to eleven lead changes from five different drivers, thirteen cautions (with two red flags), and a great battle for the win by Christopher and Todd Szegedy. For Christopher, the battle would be his, and he would pick up the win. It was his first Tour win since last year's August race at Thompson. Ironically, tonight the Tour is in Thompson. Anyway, rounding out the top-five would be Szegedy, Mike Stefanik, Doug Coby driving the Chase #77, and Donny Lia, whose streak of victories would be snapped.

Breathe easy, fellow race fans, because this week will be your typical five-feature program. The night starts at around 7:30pm with the National Anthem, followed by the features (in this order, and hopefully, the schedule won't change on me as I'm heading out the door like last time):

• SK Modified 21 Means 21 LCQ (if necessary)
• Late Model 16 LCQ (if necessary)
• Limited Late Models (20 minute time limit)
• SK Lights (20 minute time limit)
• SK Modifieds
• Late Models
• DARE Stocks

I'll be at the track tomorrow, with a new ride in tow (my usual guardian is not going to be able to make the trip due to other commitments, so I have someone to bring me to the track). So stay with us and I'll give you all the news from tomorrow night. Until then, gas pedal's on the right.

[Singing] in the Rain

Well, I'm sitting here in colder than usual temperatures here today, knowing that earlier this morning, the future of the New England Dodge Dealers 150 for the Whelen Modified Tour was in jeopardy of being moved to Saturday. And what do you know... Track management decided that this rain was just too much. So in honor of the raindrops, the Tour Modifieds and just about every other person who was planning on making it to the track today will be there tomorrow. The rain date is the official running date.

Your schedule for the event will be exactly the same as what it was supposed to be today. A night show will be run, causing more people to hit the half mile rather than the shoreline oval of Waterford. (I told you someone was going to have a bad night. I still say it's the Bowl.) But don't worry. For those of you who are still going to come, you'll have a wonderful, dry night. So until later next week, I will see you later.