April 11--- A brand new auto racing season begins at Thompson International  Speedway this weekend  April 14- 15.  New drivers, new race teams and new  racecars will once again be introduced at the traditional season-opening ICEBREAKER. It's always an exciting, fun and fast-paced racing weekend that draws thousands of winter weary race fans.

            Area race fans have been waiting since last Fall when the season ended with the World Series of Speedway Racing. With the arrival of Spring, Thompson's ICEBREAKER offers not only a great weekend of NASCAR racing, but also offers the very best opportunity for race fans to get a dose or racing after a long Winter.

            Thompson's ICEBREAKER has become much more than a racing event. Seven divisions of NASCAR racing lead by the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour is the main attraction. It's a weekend celebration marking the start of a brand new season. Thompson International Speedway is an incredibly fast race track. All of this, of course, only enhances the experience for race fans who have endured another long winter season. The roar of the racecars, the excitement of the competition and the colorful spectacle that have become the ICEBREAKER make this a truly unique event.

            The NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour tops the list of racing divisions. The ICEBREAKER will be the first race of the new season for the "Tour" which will feature new cars, new teams and driver changes. The new look of the "Tour" will be unveiled during the 150 lap season-opening race. Joining the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour will be all six of Thompson's own NASCAR Whelen All American Series divisions. The Whelen All American Series includes the Sunoco Modifieds, Pro Stocks, Late Models, Limited Sportsman, Thompson Modifieds and Mini Stocks.

            All cars will qualify beginning at 1:15 p.m. this Saturday afternoon. Once qualifying has been completed, both the Sunoco Modifieds and the Late Models will compete in the first of two feature events that these divisions will run on ICEBREAKER weekend.

            Chuck Hossfeld and the #79 Coors Light / Hillbilly Racing team are the first NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour team to submit an official entry blank for the 36th annual Tech-Net Spring Sizzler presented by CARQUEST, "The Greatest Race in the History of Spring" at Stafford Motor Speedway.  Stafford Speedway in total expects to receive in upwards of 50 entries to vie for one of the 33 starting spots in the Tech-Net Spring Sizzler.

      Hossfeld enters this year's Tech-Net Spring Sizzler with 1 top-5 and 2 top-10 finishes in five previous Sizzler starts.  Hossfeld has amassed 9 top-5 and 13 top-10 finishes in 20 career Stafford starts, but is still searching for his first Stafford Whelen Modified Tour victory.  Hossfeld thinks that first Stafford win could come during this year's Sizzler.

"I'm looking forward to Stafford, I really enjoy coming to Stafford," said Hossfeld.  "It's one of the best short tracks that we race at, the Arute'salways do a great job of promoting our events, and it's really special to be a part of a Stafford event.  We had a real fast car that was capable of winning at Stafford several times last year, we just had some bad luck.  I think that if we can come back with a car like we had last year, we'll definitely be a contender for the win.  I like the extra distance races, and with this race being 200 laps, it definitely changes up the strategy for teams a bit.  The distance takes not pitting out of the equation, so we know that everyone will have to make a pit stop and I've got one of the best pit crews on the tour, so I'm really pumped up about that.  Roger and Sandra (Hill) are two of the best owners to drive for, and I'm just glad to be a part of the Coors Light team."

      The 36th annual Tech-Net Spring Sizzler presented by CARQUEST is the first race of the 2007 NASCAR Whelen All-American Series season at SMS, and is scheduled for April 27-29.  The 2007 Tech-Net Spring Sizzler kicks off on Friday, April 27 with pit gates opening at 9:00am with a practice session running from 12 p.m. to 7 p.m. for Stafford's weekly divisions.

      Action continues on Saturday, April 28 with Bud Pole Qualifying for the Whelen Modified Tour cars at 1 p.m., followed by heat and consolation races for Stafford's weekly divisions.  Saturday's events wrap up with feature events for Stafford's SK Light Modified, Limited Late Model, and DARE Stock divisions.

       The Sizzler continues on Sunday, April 29 with the famous Stafford CARQUEST Belts & Hose Pit Party kicking off the day's activities from 11 a.m. to noon, with 270 laps of feature racing to follow.  Stafford's SK Modifieds will take to the speedway at 1:00pm for 40-laps, with the Whelen Modified Tour 200-lap Tech-Net Spring Sizzler scheduled to take the green flag at approximately 2:30 p.m.  Following the Tech-Net Spring Sizzler will be a 30-lap Late Model feature event that will conclude the weekend's festivities.

       Defending champion Dwight Jarvis, Ascutney, VT., with a brand new Troyer Modified ready to roll, will kick off defense of his 2006 championship this Saturday night April 14, when the Monadnock Speedway, Winchester, NH., rolls out the carpet for their new season.

       Jarvis will be joined by a host of drivers from all over the northeast as the True Value Modified Racing Series, now in its fourth season, presents 100 laps of ground pounding modified racing action, the first of five events at the Route 10 high banked oval.

     Jarvis, a four time winner on the tour and a winner at Monadnock last May, will be joined by previous opening night Monadnock winners, Kirk Alexander, W. Swanzey, NH., and Les Hinckley, Windsor Locks, CT. All three have been very successful at the New Hampshire oval over the years. Also expected for the season inaugural are Jimmy, Kuhn, Jr, W. Bridgewater, runner-up in the point standings last season, tour newcomer and veteran pro stock racer Todd Patnode, Swanzey, NH., Canaan, NH., veteran and series founder Jack Bateman, Ed Dachenhausen, Danbury, CT, Hampstead, NH., charger Andy Seuss, a recent winner in Nashville TN, and Plainfield, CT's Ted Christopher, who has announced he'll compete in all Monadnock events this season as well as TVMRS races at Waterford and Thompson CT., and the season ending event at Lee USA Speedway, Lee, NH.

     The TVMRS will continue its popular qualifying race procedure in 2007 with 12 lap heat races and 15 lap last chance races to establish starting lineups in all events. Because of last weeks cancellation of practice day, teams will be afforded the opportunity to shakedown their racers with additional practice time posted by the speedway management.  Gates will open at 9 a.m. with practice commencing at noon. The racing program will start at 6 p.m. In the event of inclement weather, the rain date will be April 28. The TVMRS is scheduled at Waterford SpeedBowl, Waterford, CT., April 21.

         A spot in the TrueValue Modified 100 race on April 21 is part of the spoils for the winner of this Saturday night's 35-laps SK-Modified feature Saturday night at Waterford Speedbowl in CT. Jeff Pearl, the Modified Nationals  SK-150 winner, has made known his intentions of running with the TVMS. He had a top-five finish in last year's race and a guaranteed spot will be a major help. Kenny Horton is another who would put such a prize to good use. He was also impressive in last year's TVMS event.

       The SK-150 proved the outside lane is definitely a factor at the Speedbowl, Pearl, Horton, Donnie Fowler, Rob Janovic and Shawn Monahan using it well. All had impressive runs and are contenders every Saturday night.   Side-by-side racing was the rule in all divisions especially the Late Models, when winner Bruce Thomas, Ernie Bertrand, defending champion Tim Jordan and Allen Coates ran well. The Joe Godbout III -Ken Cassidy Jr. mini-stock duel was a harbinger of things to come.

     Wilbraham's Erin Crocker is back racing in the ARCA stockcar series. She placed third in last Saturday's race at Nashville, TN.  Crocker hasn't been doing that well up until Nashville and she is scheduled to compete in more ARCA and NASCAR Busch races this season.

       The momentum is starting to build in terms of motor racing action in southern New England. This  Saturday night Waterford Speedbowl on the Connecticut  coast goes with a NASCAR Weekly program starting at 6 p.m.  Nutmeg Speedway in Shelton, CT has a work party all day Sunday. The Capeway Rovers in Middleboro offers the Spring MotoX Series the same day. For Sunday Nutmeg Speedway in Shelton, CT holds a practice session while the Quoboag Riders in Monson host a Motorcycle Hill Climb all day. Stafford (CT) Speedway will host the Ty-Rods Auto Swap meet all day.

    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.

Long Island Motorsports News encourages you to patronize our fine sponsors---

Disclaimer:  Views expressed by columnists and all others on this website are strictly their own, and may not necessarily reflect the views and/or opinions of the management of Long Island Motorsports News.