May 2--- Marty Bezema, Sr. will again play host to the 3rd Annual Norwood Arena Reunion/Celebration on Sunday, June 3, 2007 on the noted Auto Mile at his Bezema Buick, Pontiac, GMC dealership. It's located on US Route 1  just a about a mile north of the once storied Norwood Arena 1/4 mile oval which was the scene of some fierce oval track racing events from 1948 to 1973 when it closed down.  Bezema, Sr. raced at Norwood during its heyday and at other tracks in New England.

    Among the attendees this year will be the NEAR and STARS antique racing clubs. This year another group ACOT (Atlantic Coast Old Timers) has also been invited to attend.  Plans also call for classic, antique and muscle cars to be part of the display. All exhibitors will be given dash plaques as a souvenir of their participation.

    Drivers who raced at the Norwood Arena Speedway are expected to attend this annual event as they have in two previous gatherings. Coastal 181 publisher and distributor of some fine racing books, including HOT CARS-COOL DRIVERS BY LEW BOYD which centered on Norwood Arena and other tracks of that era, will be on hand with previously published books and some new ones for sale to attendees.

    Attendees are encouraged to bring their own personal scrap books, pictures and other memorabilia to the event to be displayed on the scrapbook table. As in past years, host Marty Bezema, Sr. will offer a complimentary light lunch for all of those who attend at the on-site Marty's Cafe. If you haven't made it to the two  previous Norwood Arena Reunion/Celebration you have a another chance to partake in a trip down memory lane when the racing was red hot at the Norwood Arena Speedway. Mark this down as a must attend event on your calendar.  It goes on Sunday, June 3 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., rain or shine.  For further information call Bezema Buick, Pontiac, GMC at 781.769.4700.

      Sixteen-year-old Joey Logano swept to the win Saturday night at Greenville-Pickens Speedway, his second NASCAR Grand National victory in less than ten days.  Logano, of Middletown, CT., held off Sean Caisse to win the NASCAR Busch East Series Greased Lightning 150. The victory comes on the heels of his NASCAR West Series season opening win at Phoenix International Raceway April 19. The West Series and Busch East Series wins were Logano’s first and second career NASCAR starts, respectively.

      “I’m with one of the best teams out here,” said Logano of his Joe Gibbs Driven Chevrolet team. “They do their jobs, I do mine, and we’re just clicking right now.” Logano, who set the track record at 87.481 mph qualifying, took the lead from defending race winner Caisse on lap 73. Bryon Chew of Mattituck, N.Y. was third followed by Peyton Sellers of Danville, Va., and Rogelio Lopez of Mexico City, Mexico. Jeffrey Earnhardt, Mike Olsen, Michelle Theriault, John Freeman and John Townley rounded out the top 10.

       In contrast it was a tough way to begin the season for Matt Kobyluck.  Matt  proved that the Mohegan Sun Casino Chevrolet would be a force to reckon with in the Busch East Series, Grand National Division season opener after qualifying fourth fastest, and being a solid contender in the top-three for the first 25 laps. But things took a dramatic turn quickly for the Uncasville, CT-driver when he got collected in a tangle between two lapped cars. Kobyluck and his crew were persistent in their efforts to turn the day around, but a flat tire with eight laps to go sent him to the pits and relegated him to a 21st place finish.  It started out good but things went south for the Nutmeg State driver at Greenville (SC) Speedway.

        Shawn Monahan passed Doug Coby with 12-laps remaining to win last Saturday evening’s 35-lap SK Modified feature at the Waterford Speedbowl. Early leader Dennis Charette spun after contact with Kenny Horton. Jeff Paul rounded-out the top-3. Other feature winners were Bruce Thomas Jr. (Late Models), Dwayne Dorr (Sportsman), Joseph Godbout III (Mini Stocks), Ginny Quinones (USAC Ford Focus Midget Series).

       Bobby Santos, III of Franklin will be starting in selected NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour races this year. Young Santos has arranged a seat in Mike Boehler's  entry out of E. Freetown for all of those WMT events that he'll compete in. Bob Santos, Jr. his dad filled us in on their busy schedule this year. "We don't have a weekend off until October when his sister and my daughter Erica gets married in October.  Bob will be racing in ARCA, NASCAR Busch, NEMA and USAC Midgets plus USAC Sprint Cars and some Silver Crown races," revealed, his dad, Bob Santos, Jr. "Hey, that's what we do. We race full time."

      In spite of the weather Stafford Speedway in CT got the Spring Sizzler in last Sunday. Don Lia ended up the winner in the Garbarino entry out of Mystic, CT. Jerry Marquis drove the Brady Bunch car out of Brockton to a third place while Marshfield's Bob Grigas placed 11th with Bridgewater's Dick Houlihan taking 14th and Canton's Rick Savary ended his day in 15th in that 200 lap NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour event.  Franklin's Bobby Santos, III had another disappointing WMT outing and wrecked on lap 19.

       Let's see what's going on for racing action in southern New England as the current season begins to build up steam. On Friday night Stafford Speedway (CT) begins the NASCAR Weekly Racing Series. On Saturday it's a final practice session for Seekonk Speedway starting at 1 p.m. Down on the CT shore Waterford Speedbowl offers their third week of racing action at 6 p.m. Out in Westfield Whip City Speedway opens for the season with dirt track racing on the quarter mile track.   For the roadracing crowd, NHIS in Loudon, NH hosts a SCCA Regional event all weekend. The draggers have test and tune Saturday and Jr. Dragsters on Sunday at the New England Dragway in Epping, NH.  Wachusetts Valley in Winchendon hosts the New England Dirt Track Series(flat track motorcycles) at 5 p.m. Saturday followed by racing.

    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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