July 17, Brockton, MA--- The fastest and fiercest competitors in northeastern Modified racing circles are expected to converge upon the  third-mile Seekonk Speedway oval this Wednesday, July 18, for the third annual Open Wheel Wednesday program, featuring the Viveiros Insurance-sponsored 100 green flag lap Modified Madness event, an open competition race paying $10,000 to the winner. Last July, forty-two competitors from nine states attempted to qualify for the 26-car race, which carries a purse in excess of $31,000.
 
      Among the drivers who have pre-registered for this year’s Modified Madness show are Bobby Santos III of Franklin, Mike Stefanik, Matt Hirschman, Raynham's Tommy Cravenho, Vinnie Annarummo, and Dick Houlihan of Bridgewater. Santos, 21, a third-generation racer from Franklin, is considered by many to be the best young short track racer in the country. Santos signed to Bill Davis Racing and began competing on the ARCA circuit late last season, has already notched his first pole award and top three finish, and made his debut in the NASCAR Busch Series earlier this year. For this event, he’ll join forces with Boehler Racing out of E. Freetown attempting to qualify the famed blue #3.
 
       Stefanik, 49, of Coventry, RI, is a nine-time NASCAR touring series champion and was named the second greatest NASCAR Modified driver of all-time in 2003. He’ll be behind the wheel of the Ed Marceau #66 at the Cement Palace. Second-generation ace Matt Hirschman of Northampton, PA, the 2005 Race of Champions Dart Asphalt Modified Tour champion is expected to drive the Darling Racing #59 Modified. The 24-year old currently sits second in the NASCAR Whelen Modified Series point standings.
 
       Bay State natives Annarummo and Houlihan are Seekonk veterans who have combined to win 87 features at the Cement Palace . Swansea native Annarummo, a six-time Seekonk champion, won his first ever Modified tour event at the Action Track of the East on June 23 in the Francis Farm-sponsored #12. Houlihan, of Bridgewater, has claimed Seekonk titles in both the Pro Stock and Mini-Modified ranks, and will be piloting the Viveiros Insurance #46. Others who have pre-registered include Tucker Reynolds, Richard Savary of Canton, former Seekonk winners Louie Mechalides and Andy Seuss, Chris and Carl Pasteryak, and W. Bridgewater's Jimmy Kuhn, Jr. Defending race winner Kirk Alexander of West Swanzey, NH and former NASCAR weekly racing series national champion Ted Christopher of Plainville, CT are also expected to compete. Qualifying heats and a B-main will set the lineup for the 100 lap main event.
 
     The Northeastern Midget Association will also be on hand for their second visit of 2007. Among the drivers in attendance will be Franklin's Erica Santos, Bobby III’s 24-year old sister who became the first female in NEMA’s 54-year history to win a race on July 10 at Stafford Springs, CT. Stroudsburg, PA veteran Nokie Fornoro, who copped the $2,000 first place paycheck in last year’s event, and series front-runners Randy Cabral of Plymouth, Ben Seitz of Monument Beach and Fairlawn, NJ’s Joey Payne are also expected to enter into the mix. The Pro Four Modified Racing Series is also on the schedule, with qualifying heats and a 25-lap main. Current series point leader Kevin Iannarelli, former Seekonk winner Jeff Zuidema and front-runners Cory Cleary of Plymouth and George Sherman will be among those looking for the win.
 
    The pit area will open at 1 p.m. on race day with Modified inspections beginning at 1:30 and practice for all divisions running from 2 to 6 p.m. Qualifying begins at 7 p.m. Grandstand admission is $18 for adults, $5 for juniors ages 13 through 15, and free for children 12 and under.
 
       Stafford Motor Speedway returned to Friday night racing action with Town Fair Tire Summer Heat Night.  Keith Rocco drove to victory lane in the 40-lap SK Modified feature for his second win of the season, Glen Reen took the 20-lap SK Light Modified feature for his third win of the season, Andrew Durand scored his 4fourth win of the season in the 20-lap Limited Late Model feature, and Carla Botticello scored her second feature win of the 2007 season by winning the 15-lap DARE Stock feature.
 
      Erin Crocker of Wilbraham, in the Evernham Motorsports Dodge, surpassed Patty Moise as the ARCA RE/MAX Series' all-time female pole winner Friday evening at Kentucky Speedway, earning her fifth career SIM Factory pole award, and third at the 1.5-mile Sparta, Kentucky speedplant.  Her speed of 178.731 mph was also good enough to eclipse Steve Wallace’s record of 177.509 mph set in 2006.  In all, Crocker has three pole awards at Kentucky, one at Nashville Superspeedway in her 2005 series debut and one at Daytona in the ’07 season opener.
 
      Crocker’s pole at Kentucky placed her alongside eventual winner Michael McDowell for last Friday’s WLWT Channel 5-150 race. She led the first eight laps before spinning because of a bump from behind from Jeremy Clements. After several trips down pit road for repairs, the Bay State driver battled back from the tail-end to finish fifth. Crocker’s fifth place run at Kentucky also placed her and the Evernham Motorsports team squarely in command of the ARCA RE/MAX Series Superspeedway Challenge championship points. ARCA’s Superspeedway Challenge championship is an amalgamation of points from all the superspeedway events in any given season. A female driver has never won the award. Past ARCA Superspeedway Challenge champions include Davey Allison, Bob Keselowski, Bill Venturini, Jeff Purvis, Mike Wallace, Tim Steele and Frank Kimmel to name a few.
 
        Les Hinckley, Windsor Locks CT; captured his third win of the season Friday night  in the 100 lap Mid-Summer Modified Shootout at Lee USA Speedway, Lee, NH.  The True Value Modified Racing Series event served as a guaranteed starter race for Mod Mania 400 weekend at Thompson, CT; in September 8-9. The series will compete in a 75 lap race at the historic 5/8 mile track.
 
     Qualifying heats set the stage for the feature race with Bryan Shumway of Belchertown; Mike Douglas Jr., Auburn, NH; and Hinckley, the winners while Richard Savary of Canton; won the 15 lap consolation race.
 
     Some 25 cars took the green flag from series flagman John Spence Jr. with Shumway and Douglas making up the front row. Shumway lead the first lap with Hinckley, Dale Evonsion, E. Harland,CT; Mike Holdridge, Madison, CT; and Douglas making up the top five. At lap 10, Shumway was still the leader, while Rob Goodenough, W. Swanzey, NH; who started 7fourth, worked his way to fourth. On lap 13, Goodenough moved by Evonsion to third.
 
       The first of 13 caution flags flew on lap 18 for a Tom Abele, Jr., spin and on the restart, veteran Jack Bateman, Canaan, NH; spun and struck the concrete wall driver’s side first. When Bateman failed to respond his status by radio, flagman Spence dropped the red flag to stop the race.  Following a check by emergency personnel, Bateman walked to an awaiting ambulance for observation. He was not transported.
 
      Peter Jarvis, Ascutney,VT; drew the third caution flag for a turn four spin on lap 19.  Hinckley, Shumway, Goodenough, Evonsion, and Chris Pasteryak, Lisbon, CT; made up the top five on lap 25.At lap 30, Jonathan McKennedy of  Chelmsford ; cracked the top five with Andy Seuss, Hampstead, NH; in tow.  Point leader Kirk Alexander W, Swanzey, was now in the top ten from his 25fourth starting spot. Five laps later, Alexander was 6fourth, and then 4fourth by the 40fourth marker.  Louie Mechalides, Tyngsboro  a winner at Lee last month, and defending champion Dwight Jarvis, Ascutney, were fast making their way to the front.
 
      At the Black Mountain Painting halfway mark, Hinckley, Shumway, Alexander, Goodenough and Mechalides made up the top five. Following yet another caution on lap 57 for a spinning Peter Jarvis, the restart would find a shootout developing between the race leader Hinckley and Alexander.  Despite the yellow flag being displayed on six more occasions between laps 67 and 97, the leaders put on a show with Alexander trying Hinckley inside and outside for the last 20 laps but the second generation driver of the bright yellow # 06 was equal to the task.  The two front runners were not the only drivers drawing the interest of fans, the two top point getters last season made a late race charge with Dwight Jarvis third, and Jimmy Kuhn Jr. of W. Bridgewater was fourth on lap 95.
 
        At the finish it was Hinckley notching his eighth TVMRS victory and his second win at Lee. Alexander, Kuhn, a determined Peter Jarvis, and McKennedy covered the top five positions. Mechalides, Goodenough, D.Jarvis, Douglas, and Vinnie Annarummo of Swansea rounded out the top ten. In a post race interview Hinckley said,” In the beginning part of the race when Bryan was leading we were kind of just riding but after I got by him it was hard to get any rhythm with all them cautions.”  He added, “ when it closed up and Kirk was there, it was a tough race, a lot of pressure, pressure from a car that you know is as good as you, if not better, if you make a mistake, your gonna get beat.”
 
      Boston entrepreneur and Hingham resident Richard J. Valentine and teammate Andy Lally were back in the winner’s circle this weekend with a hard fought, thrilling victory in Saturday’s Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series presented by Crown Royal Special Reserve GT race at Iowa Speedway.  He and teammate Andy Lally, piloted their #66 TRG CRG/Maxter Porsche GT3 to an unprecedented series-leading fourth victory – jumping into second place in championship standing and just 10 points behind the lead.  The team has registered victories at the Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca (May 19), and, along with teammate Spencer Pumpelly, won the Sahlen’s Six Hours of The Glen at Watkins Glen (June 9) and at the EMCO Gears Classic at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, in Lexington, Ohio (June 23).
 
      Despite falling a lap behind early, Lally put the No. 66 TRG CRG/Maxter Porsche GT3 into the lead with 20 laps remaining in the two-and-a-half hour race and came away with the team’s series-leading fourth victory of 2007.
 
     Valentine started the car fourth and improved several spots before pitting along with several other cars under the green flag. He watched as Lally fell a lap behind, but every other team made its first stop under green too, allowing Lally to make it into the top five when the first round of stops cycled through. “As always, my job is just to come out here and hand the car off to Andy and let him take it from there,” Valentine said. “This is a great win for TRG. We are so pleased to be in victory lane once again and take second in points.”
 
       It was a hard-fought victory not just on the track, but in the car as well. Lally – who posted his record fourth career Grand-Am Rolex Series podium finish – fought hot conditions throughout the afternoon do to conditions and a kink in his cool suit line when the driver change occurred, stopping once just to have his TRG team pour ice down his driver suit.  He also frequently stuck his hand between the window net to get air.
 
       Lally, who took over for co-driver RJ Valentine who took the car from fourth  in his 25 minute stint, assumed the lead during the final round of pit stops, rejoined the race in second behind No. 87 Farnbacher Loles Motorsports IPC/Marquis Jet Porsche GT3 driver Dirk Werner, then pressured the leader for several laps before getting a run coming out of Turn 9 on Lap 165. Lally and Werner went side-by-side across the start/finish line before Lally completed the pass in Turn 1.
 
       “This place is so busy,” Lally said. “But this is what you dream for. At the end, I was seriously worried. The only thing I knew was that Dirk was hot, because we were both hanging our hands out the sides of the car trying to get some air. I don’t think I was going to get by Dirk if it weren’t for a couple of situations. When I saw Tim in my mirrors, I got really worried, but luckily, everything worked out well.

     “This was our biggest win of the year. RJ came within a second of my time which helped us tremendously. New team sponsor AVIVA is located here in Iowa, and they had so many people here. It was great to come out and get a victory in front of their guys.”  Valentine is CEO of F1 Boston in Braintree and F1 Outdoors in E. Bridgewater.
 
      The Rolex Sports Car Series returns to action next weekend with the Porsche 250 at Barber Motorsports Park in Birmingham, Ala. while the Daytona Prototypes are scheduled for a two-and-a-half hour race Sunday (SPEED, 3 p.m. ET Sunday, July 22). The GT race is also scheduled for two and a half hours and will start at 4 p.m. Saturday (SPEED, 4 p.m. ET Saturday, July 21).
 
      At the Thompson (CT) Speedway last Saturday Sean Caisse of NH won the NASCAR Busch East 150 over Matt Kobyluck of CT. Ben Rowe of ME took the PASS Pro Stock support race with Worcester's Derek Ramstrom taking a sixth while Les Rose, Jr. of Wareham came in ninth. Mike Jenison of CT won the Late Model main with Plymouth's Paul Newcombe, Jr. finishing sixth.
 
      At Seekonk Speedway Rochester's Rob Murphy won his first Pro Stock feature last Saturday night. Taunton's Scott Dion came in sixth while his cross-town neighbor Ken Spencer was 12th. Scott Fournier of Berkley was next and N. Dighton's Matt Proc was 18th at the finish.   Kevin Casper of Somerset won again in the Late Models while Avon's Mike Becker came in
third. Eighth went to Barry Shaw, Jr. of Holbrook with Norton's Mark Hudson 11th and Dick Benoit of Middleboro placed 14th. Zach Tucan of Taunton won another Sport Truck main with Adam Murphy of Rochester next then Hugh Bowser of Taunton. Andy Jeffery of Middleboro was sixth and E. Wareham's Karl Bremlist ended up 14th. In The Street Stock feature Scott Bruneau won that one while Mike Lema of Taunton came in ninth. Lakeville's Elmer Wing, III was 19th, E. Freetown's Frank Duquette took 22nd and Doug Rioux of Whitman came in 26th. 
 
      Here we go again with the rumor mill. First it was the rumor about Seekonk Speedway being sold and that was dispelled by the track owners. Then stories about Oxford Plains Speedway in ME were rampant in ME, NH and VT about that western ME track closing up after this weekend's Oxford 250. We spoke to track owner Bill Ryan, Jr. and he had this to say.  "That's not true. We'll continue on with our program for the rest of the season and we'll be making plans for 2008 and beyond."  We have to point out that Ryan made a format change following the '06 Oxford 250 that the Late Model Sportsman would be the division for '07 Oxford 250. In the process of all that a number of Pro Stock teams were unhappy about that decision and decided that they would race at other tracks and PASS Pro Stock Tour.  Reports since the beginning of the season told of attendance at the western ME oval being way off over last season. That's what usually happens when the top division is dropped and the secondary series becomes the premier division.
 
      Skip Barber, President of Lime Rock Park (CT) announced his plan for the future of the track.  The objective is to guarantee Lime Rock Park remains the premier race course in the Northeast; that the facility is significantly improved without losing any of its charm or character; and that the track is a viable business for the next fifty years. As a huge step towards these goals, Skip has created The Club at Lime Rock Park. 
 
     The Club at Lime Rock Park is an opportunity for a limited number of people, 300 maximum, to have significant track time with 60 dates annually to choose from while also enjoying the company of like-minded enthusiasts. This is unprecedented access to Lime Rock Park where it is currently impossible to rent even an hour. 
 
      Lime Rock Park is nestled comfortably in the lush green foothills of the Berkshire Mountains, and is undoubtedly one of the most beautiful and historic road racing facilities in North America.  Since opening in 1957, it’s been “home track” to many of the East Coast’s motor head population.  On the way there you get to see some marvelous old houses, farms and estates. This is where the old money lives – quietly and without ostentation – and you can smell the history and pedigree in the atmosphere.  And, the track fits in perfectly with the majestic green of the Berkshires rising all around, an old stone church just across the way, and track buildings that reflect and respect their surroundings.  There’s even a clear mountain
stream running right alongside the pit straight and unmatched spectating from the shady hillsides overlooking the Esses. A perfect setting for a motor sport club and the only one currently open in the Northeast.
 
      “But don’t let the quaint New England ambience fool you:  Lime Rock is one fast and serious racetrack!” – adapted from Burt Levy, Race Track Guide Series, Vintage Motorsport. The membership cost at The Club at Lime Rock Park is $100,000 and the length of membership is 50 years. Membership can be passed down in the family or resold through The Club. “My biggest fear is that, if the business and finances of Lime Rock Park are not sufficiently strong, the value of this beautiful piece of property could exceed its value as a racetrack and that when I am no longer around a future owner will be tempted to convert it to a golf course…like what happened at Bridgehampton (Long Island, NY),” declared Barber. 
 
        The membership dollars will be used to improve the entire Park.  This is a way to guarantee that all improvements on the “wish list” will happen - everything from repaving the track to new bathrooms, an updated Media Center/Clubhouse and a larger and more efficient entrance, to name a few.  The economics of a road racing track by itself won’t pay for this magnitude of improvements. Future owners will not have to make these capital expenditures. More good news is that all the track’s constituents – spectators, amateur racers, professional racers, club members, students and mechanics - will benefit from the improved facilities.  Everyone will benefit from The Club at Lime Rock Park.  The Club at Lime Rock Park’s first full season will be 2008. However, there are four dates reserved this Fall for qualified Club applicants to sample the facilities.  
 
        WWWUB-990 RACING TALK NETWORK would like to talk with Track Owners, Racers, Officials and Fans of racing for our show.  If you are interested in being a guest on our show then please contact us at:  WWWUBGeneralManager@gmail.com.  Please send a little information about yourself and a contact phone number.   
 
      Coming in 2008 ... we are planning on broadcasting LIVE from some of the tracks here in the NORTHEAST.  If your track is interested in having us broadcast your show LIVE on our network than let us know and we will be in touch next year after you have put your racing schedule together so we can choice a show.  Check us out on the web at: www.wwwub.homestead.com/Home.html.  WWWUB-990 Racing Talk Network.  Catch you on the next lap.
 
      Let's check to see what's on the racing schedule this weekend in southern New England. Thursday Night Thunder goes off at the Thompson Speedway in CT. On Friday Stafford in CT plans a 100 lapper for the Sk Modifieds. Saturday's action takes place at the Seekonk Speedway with a Mid-Season's Championship. Waterford in CT hosts the USAC Ford Focus Midgets that night while it's Mini Sprints at Whip City in Westfield  with the ACOT Antique Racers sharing the card.  NHIS in Loudon, NH has the Loudon Road Racing Series (motorcycles) in all weekend for the bikers. New England Dragway in Epping, NH offers Nova Day on Saturday and Jr. Dragsters on Sunday.

    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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