November 19, Brockton, MA--- Speedway Motorsports Inc. Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Bruton Smith has promoted Jerry Gappens to the position of Executive Vice President and General Manager at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.

     On Nov. 2, Smith announced Speedway Motorsports Inc. (NYSE: TRK) had reached an agreement to purchase New Hampshire International Speedway from Bob and Gary Bahre. The $340 million transaction should close early in the first quarter of 2008, and the name of the facility will become New Hampshire Motor Speedway.

     Gappens, 46, has worked in the motorsports industry for 25 years and brings a successful 15-year track record of promoting SMI events to Loudon, N.H.  Most recently, Gappens served as senior vice president of events and marketing for Lowe’s Motor Speedway, SMI’s flagship facility located near Charlotte, N.C. Gappens was responsible for promoting a wide array of annual events hosted at the multi-use motorsports complex, including three NASCAR NEXTEL Cup race weekends and three major car shows.

            “Jerry brings a wealth of industry experience, passion and excitement to his new job with our company,” said Smith. “He is well-respected in our industry and has an excellent understanding of how we promote and market our events. Jerry will work hard to grow and expand our business through this acquisition of New Hampshire International Speedway.”

            A Windfall, Ind., native, Gappens joined LMS in 1993 as publicity director.  He was promoted to director of communications in 1995 and named vice president of promotions and public relations in 1996. In 2002, Gappens was honored as NASCAR’s Most Valuable Public Relations Representative. He was promoted to senior vice president of events and marketing at LMS in 2005.

            “Bruton has given me a wonderful opportunity and I am sincerely grateful for his trust and confidence in appointing me to this new role,” Gappens said. “After flying up last week to tour the facility and meet the staff, I am truly excited about building on the success they already enjoy.”

            Prior to joining Lowe’s Motor Speedway, Gappens worked as an account executive for Sales Consultants, a national contingency search firm in New Jersey. He also worked with National Speed Sport News, a leading weekly motorsports publication, for eight years and served as a pit reporter for ABC Sports’ coverage of the Indianapolis 500; various CART, NASCAR and IROC races; and the Monaco Grand Prix Formula One event.

            Active in various civic and charitable organizations, Gappens has served on several boards in the Charlotte region, including the Charlotte Visitors and Convention Bureau, Cabarrus Regional Chamber of Commerce, UNC-Charlotte Athletic Foundation, Speedway Children’s Charities and the 600 Festival. Gappens, who will relocate from Charlotte to New Hampshire, has two sons, Denny (22) and Wes (21).

            In 2008, New Hampshire Motor Speedway will host two NASCAR Sprint Cup races, the Lenox Industrial Tools 300 on June 29 and the Sylvania 300 on Sept. 14. Ticket information can be obtained by calling (603) 783-4931 or online at www.nhis.com.

           The Sports Car Club of NH will hold its annual END-OF-YEAR BANQUET/Christmas Party on Saturday, December 8, 2007 at the American Legion Hall in Loudon, NH. Cocktail hour will begin at 6:30 p.m. and dinner will start at 7:30.

    Hart's Turkey Farm Restaurant will provide  a cheese & cracker tray, plus a turkey and roast beef buffet with all the fixin's for the very low cost of $15 per person. SCCNH will pick up the difference in costs as their gift to you. Guests are more than welcome to attend at the same cost, providing they bring a swap gift & their party attitudes! As always, this is a BYOB event. And, DON'T FORGET YOUR YANKEE SWAP GIFTS.  After dinner, swaps will be made, and trophies will be awarded.

      Ken Bouchard's Drive To Victory Lane Racing School using Tour Modified cars at the 5/8 mile Thompson Speedway in CT. Sessions are scheduled weekly from April until November. With prices ranging from one lap qualifying run for $50 with two laps for $90.  A Rookie Test Drive is $375 for 15 laps with Extended Test Drive consisting of two 16 lap sessions for $375. Other programs such as Saturday Night Feature, three 15 lap sessions, Competitive Drive, six 15 lap sessions and Victory Lane Drive, 50 laps are among the more advance programs. All are priced accordingly. Ken Bouchard was the 1988 Nextel Cup Rookie of the Year and has taken over 200 career victories. Also, eleven NASCAR Modified wins in one season and voted one of NASCAR Modified's 50 Greatest Drivers of All times. He also competed in 100 Nextel, Busch and Craftsman Truck events.   Give him a call at 1-877-Race-4-Fun(722-3438) or visit his website at www.DriveToVictoryLane.com on the internet. Any of those programs would make a great holiday gift.

     Mototown Speedway, the indoor dirt track in Windsor, CT, just had the long awaited first practice. The Dirt Oval Track is getting broken in for the upcoming car races on these practice dates: November 25, 29, and 30. The Bud Light 12-pack Race Series will kick off with a cash race on December 16. January has three races on the 6th, 13th and 27th. February 3rd, 17th and 24th will host racing as well. March 2nd, 9th and 16th will all see racing action as well. The series closes out on April 6th and 20th.

     At  the recent NEAR Movie Party, officials announced three new inductees will join the New England Antique Racers Hall of Fame Class of 2008. The Veterans Committee selected Johnny Gamell, George Lombardo, and Fred Luchesi as the latest members. Dave Alkas, Dave Darveau, Dick Bathchelder, the late Howie Brown are also part of the class. Car owners Joe Brady of Brockton and the late Mike Scrivani, Sr. along with the multi-talented Dick Berggren and writer Pete Zanardi will also be inducted at the NEAR banquet in January.

     Johnny Gammell, an East St. Johnsbury, Vermont native, was prominent in northern New England circles. He raced stockcars at tracks like Northeastern Speedway and Thunder Road Speedbowl. Among his accomplishments are the 1964 Vermont State Championship and the prestigious Milk Bowl at Thunder Road in 1969.

      George Lombardo’s career includes a pair of track championships at the now shuttered Plainville Stadium In CT in the mid-1960s. A standout at Joe Tinty’s quarter-mile oval, Lombardo won an incredible 11 consecutive races in one season. He was also a winner at the defunct Riverside Park Speedway in Agawam, MA (9 wins between 1953 and 1959), and the Waterford Speedbowl in CT.

       Fred Luchesi of Pawtucket, RI was a multi-track champion in the 1950s including Lonsdale, Norwood, Seekonk, Waterford and Westboro during the Cutdown era which was a forerunner of the very powerful Super-Modified machines in vogue now.  Just  Seekonk and Waterford have survived to the present day from the stock car and track building boom of the post-war era due to high real estate values for land in the early and mid-70's because of the expanding suburban areas around Boston, Worcester and Providence, RI.(end)

     In what could only be described as unbelievable, Turner, Maine's Ben Rowe capped off an amazing 2007 season in Saturday night’s 2nd Annual Mason-Dixon Meltdown at Concord Motorsport Park (NC) by passing Corey Williams on the final turn of the final lap to take the victory.

    Rowe passed Corey Williams as the white and yellow flags were waving at the same time.  PASS South rules dictate that once the leaders have taken the white flag, they race to the checkers unless the track is blocked and officials deem it a red-flag period.  Williams came out of the final turn, ducked low to avoid a spun car and got out of the gas long enough to allow Rowe to jump to the outside and take the checkers in the final 50 feet of the race.

     “This is unbelievable,” said Rowe, who also won the 2007 PASS North Championship.  “To come down here and win this race at this track is just amazing.  It was pretty wild there at the end, but the rules are the rules.  I’ve lost two or three races in my career by slowing down when the caution comes out on the white flag lap and that is what Corey did.  I feel bad for him because he had a better car than us, no doubt.  But my spotter told me to go high to avoid the spun car and that is just what we did.  So to win this race is just awesome.”

     Williams held on to finish second.  Johnny Clark, also from Maine,  was able to get by Preston Peltier on the last lap as well for third.  Peltier was fourth and Trevor Sanborn rounded out the top five.  Seven of the top-10 finishers in the race represented PASS North.

      Ryan Lawler locked up the 2007 PASS South Championship despite falling out of the event on lap 93 after contact with another car forced him into the wall.  Peltier made a charge at him in the final standings, but wound up second.

     Reports in the Boston Herald tell of new GM of NHMS Jerry Gappens  saying that talks could be in the works to bring the Indy Racing League back to NHMS(Loudon, NH) as soon as 2009. Former track owner Bob Bahre dumped the IRL in 1998 due to lack of interest from New England race fans.

      Two legendary drivers, a track owner/promoter, a car owner/track official, a track builder/general manager and a long time track announcer will be inducted into the Maine Motorsports Hall of Fame in the spring of 2008.

    The six members of the Class of 2008 were announced on Sunday, November 11th, at the General Meeting of the Maine Vintage Race Car Association. Bruce Elder, vice-president of the MVRCA and co-chairman of the Hall of Fame Selection Committee, had the honor of announcing the names of the six inductees.

    The Class of 2008 is comprised of: Dick Bahre, general manager of Oxford Plains Speedway for over 20 years; Tony Dipompo, championship car owner and track official; Bob Knowles, owner/promoter of Unity Raceway; Russ Nutting, fifty-year racing veteran; Otis Perry, legendary driver of the 1940's and 1950's; and Bob Walker, Oxford Plains Speedway announcer for over thirty years.

     The Class of 2008 will be honored at the Maine Motorsports Hall of Fame dinner and induction ceremonies, presented by the Maine Vintage Race Car Association, at the Augusta (Maine) Civic Center on Saturday, April 5, 2008. The Maine Motorsports Hall of Fame was founded in 2004 and presently has 34 members.

     The six members of the Class of 2008, with a brief summary of their contributions to motorsports in Maine, are:

 - DICK BAHRE - worked side by side with brother Bob Bahre at Oxford Plains Speedway for over 25 years and in building New Hampshire International Speedway; entered cars in NASCAR Cup Series and Late Model Sportsman division for about 20 years; brother Bob was a member of the inaugural class inducted into the Maine Motorsports Hall of Fame in 2004.

 - TONY DIPOMPO - owned cars driven by brother Bobby in the 1960's and Al Hammond in the 1970's at Oxford Plains Speedway; won championships with Al Hammond 1973 and 1974; director, board chairman and technical director at Oxford.

 - BOB KNOWLES - owner and promoter of Unity Raceway in the 1960's, 1970's and 1980's; also promoted Speedway 95; father Ed Knowles was a member of the inaugural class inducted into the Maine Motorsports Hall of Fame in 2004.

 - RUSS NUTTING - driver and builder; began racing in the 1950's; raced many tracks around New England - LMS, coupes, cutdowns, supers, modifieds - winner in all divisions; 5-time Getty Open winner at OPS; '58 OPS champ, '66 Arundel champion; has won races in six different decades; track official at Oxford and Star Speedway.

 - OTIS PERRY - raced in the 1940's and 1950's at Beech Ridge and Oxford Plains, many time winner; important and respected charter member of the Main State Stock Car Racing Association (MSSCRA) at Beech Ridge to help launch racing in Maine.

  - BOB WALKER - Oxford Plains Speedway announcer for over three decades, also served as director of media relations, marketing and public relations at Oxford; held positions at Star Speedway, Hickory Motor Speedway in North Carolina, Coos Bay Raceway in Oregon and with Joie Chitwood Thrill Show and NASCAR; author of new book - "I COULDN'T DRIVE, BUT I COULD TALK".

   For more information about the Maine Motorsports Hall of Fame dinner and induction ceremonies, visit the Maine Vintage Race Car Association web site at mainevintageracecars.com. Tickets for the dinner and induction ceremonies are $35 each and must be purchased and ordered by March 15, 2008. To request a "Ticket Order Form", contact the MVRCA at 51 Heath Lane - Auburn, Maine 04210; by FAX at (207)782-3937; by e-mail at  mvrca@mainevintageracecars.com or visit the web site.

     MotoTown the indoor dirt track in Windsor, CT will hold a  Mini Sprint Practice Session this Sunday on the recently constructed quarter-mile track that was groomed out in a section of the spacious complex. That track will host a series of upcoming events this winter. Also, the venue and track will host a trio of flat track motocycle on a monthly basis.   This Saturday the New England Dirt Track Series(flat track motorcycles) will also hold a practice session all day at that venue. The plan is to run three events there starting in January, February and March following Daytona Bike Week. Year round indoor motoX events are also held at there.

    Lou Modestino is a long-time columnist and Public Relations person, working for numerous tracks in the northeast, and now writes for The Enterprise in Brockton, MA.  He may be reached at lmodestino@hotmail.com. 

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