December 9, Brockton, MA--- Riverside Speedway distributed nearly $27,000 worth of point fund money, prizes and awards at their recent banquet. This was another milestone in the rebirth of Riverside Speedway. New owner, Harry Franssen, had some nice words to share about the future of the track, and some special deals for 2008. Harry is a great guy that is really looking to lead Riverside Speedway to the next level.

The new main concession stand is progressing nicely. The new stand is in turn four, and will make purchasing food dramatically quicker, plus you can see the entire track while waiting in line. The new concession will be self serve, which should speed up the serving process as well. I am very excited about this improvement, and a big thanks to Harry for realizing this need.

There are rules meetings scheduled for Sunday, December 16. The event will happen on Sunday, December 16, 2007 at the American Legion Hall in Groveton, New Hampshire.

The schedule of meetings will go as follows:

DWARF CARS: 12-1 p.m.

STREET STOCKS: 1-2 p.m.

LATE MODELS: 2 p.m.-2:45 p.m.

SUPER STOCKS: 2:45 p.m. – 3:30 p.m.

OUTLAW SPORTSMAN – 3:30– 5:00 p.m.

There will be no meetings for the Cyclones, Angels or Daredevils. The meetings are designed to discuss any and all rule changes for the 2008 racing season at Riverside Speedway. Please plan on attending this meeting if you have any interest in running at Riverside Speedway next season. This will be your chance to participate in the rules making process.


For more information on Riverside Speedway, please visit our website at www.riversidespeedway.org, or call the track at 603-636-2005. Riverside Speedway is located on Brown Road, off Route 3 in Groveton, New Hampshire.

While things have been progressing behind the scenes for the 2nd Annual SpeedwayEXPO, some of its team members have been very much in the limelight lately. Dick Berggren recently was honored with the Bobby Isaac Memorial Award and SpeedwayEXPO itself was recognized by Racing Against Cancer for its involvement with the program in 2007.

On October 12, Berggren received the Bobby Isaac Award during pre-race ceremonies for the Busch Series race at Lowe’s. The award is presented annually by Lowe’s Motor Speedway to an individual in recognition of outstanding contribution to short-track racing.

“Much like Isaac, [Berggren] possesses a strong passion for short-track racing,” said President and General Manager, Humpy Wheeler, “and fortunately [he] has been willing to share that passion with race fans around the world through [his] work as a writer, editor and broadcaster. [His] dedication to the local racer and promoter has never waned, and the industry is much stronger for it.”

The Bobby Isaac Award dates back 30 years and past winners include; Chris Economaki, Dick Trickle, Hugh Deery, Tommy Houston, Jack Ingram and others.

Then, on November 10, Cal Green, Director of SpeedwayEXPO Sales, accepted an award on behalf of Speedway Illustrated, the racing magazine that produces EXPO, from Racing Against Cancer. R.A.C.’s ’07 fund-raising kicked off on a high note when more than $1,766 was raised at the display provided by SpeedwayEXPO last March. At the ceremony, Dick Cyr, founder of David’s House, a haven for terminally ill children receiving treatment through Children’s Hospital at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center, a beneficiary of the R.A.C. Program, called the racing community “the most generous and most caring people [he] had ever worked with.”

To help boost the organization’s efforts, SpeedwayEXPO had named R.A.C. the beneficiary of a rather unorthodox fund-raiser. The “Anger Management” charity event gave fans and competitors—who may have seen things differently at the race track a time or two—the opportunity to “pay back” a group of good-natured track officials. For a $5 donation, participants got the opportunity to sink the officials in a dunk tank at the show. Corey Boudreau of Seekonk Speedway; Andy Christmas from Monadnock Speedway; Mike Parks of Twin State Speedway and Mike Scrivani of the Northeastern Midget Association each took a turn in the tank and raised hundreds of dollars for R.A.C.

With activities like “Spin to Win” for prizes such as T-shirts, M&Ms candy, buffet meals at Foxwoods Resort Casino, subscriptions to Speedway Illustrated and other items, as well as a raffle for two go-karts courtesy of General Electric, the R.A.C. Team raised a further $1,250 through the generosity of EXPO fans.

SpeedwayEXPO is looking forward to working with the Racing Against Cancer Team again in 2008, and is looking for volunteers or nominations for the Anger Management event. Replies can reach the EXPO staff at racinpr@aol.com.

The entire staff of SpeedwayEXPO shares in the excitement of these two great honors. The sense of pride that each has instilled will reinforce the team as they continue to build the 2nd Annual SpeedwayEXPO. The racing community is invited to follow the show’s progress online at www.speedwayexpo.com.

There are some big plans for the Twin State Speedway in Claremont, NH for the 2008 season. Twin State Speedway continues to undergo some major changes for next season. When track owner/promoter Dennis Fleury made the announcement in Sept. that NASCAR would not be returning in 2008 he knew TSS could do something special for its weekly competitors. Over the last month the TSS officials have come up with a program that will benefit every race team that competes at the western NH speedplant.

How does a $40,000 point fund sound? “That is a real feasible number” stated Fleury, “and it could be as much as $50,000.” Those numbers sound great, so the next step is how is this going to happen? First is TSS will take $3 from every pit ticket sold on race night and put it into the point fund, so for example, 400 people in the pit area will equal $1200 to the point fund. Also TSS will take 5 percent of the weekly paid purse and add that to the point fund which will vary from $400 to $500 per week, then the 50/50 raffle will return which could add up to $300 to $500 per week. So a feasible number per week should be $2,000. which over 20 Race dates comes to $40,000.

To be eligible for all point fund monies drivers must be a licensed by the track and compete in 80 percent of all race events, “We felt it was necessary to support all the teams that support us over the whole season” stated Fleury. All driver licenses will be $50 of which 40 percent of that will go to the point fund, and as far as other things going to the point fund it’s endless” stated Fleury. Chief Tech inspector Gary Baker has stated that any technical infraction that results in a fine 40 percent of that will also go to the point fund.

To find out more there will be divisional meetings on Sat Dec. 29 at Fleurys Sales and Service in Claremont, NH. The Strictly Stocks will start the morning out at 9 a.m. than the Super Streets will meet at 10:15 a.m. followed by the Modifieds at 11:30 a.m. with the Late Models meeting at 12:45 p.m. Then it's the Wildcats at 2 p.m. Racing starts at TSS on Friday night April 25, at 7 p.m. For more information please attend the meetings, call the track office at 603-543-3160 or visit the track’s web site at www.twinstatespeedway.net.

    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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