July 24, Brockton, MA--- Boston entrepreneur and Hingham resident Richard J. Valentine and teammate Andy Lally once again climbed the podium this weekend, with thrilling come from behind second place finish in the Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series presented by Crown Royal Special Reserve GT race at Barber Motorsports Park in Birmingham, AL.  By taking second place in their #66 TRG CRG/Maxter Porsche GT3, the teammates moved within eight points of the Series Championship led.
 
     Valentine and Lally have also registered four victories this season – 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), at the EMCO Gears Classic at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, in Lexington, Ohio (June 23), and at Iowa Speedway (July 14).
 
      While the #07 Banner Racing/Banner Engineering Pontiac GXP.R drivers Paul Edwards and Kelly Collins dominated the race, the competition for the other two podium positions was an intense battle to the end.
 
       Lally found himself in fourth position after the first pit cycle.  Pitting so early caused the car to fall back during the middle of the race, but after the yellow flag pit stop found what he needed in order to get the car back on track.  He restarted after the caution in sixth, then passed # 85 Farnbacher Loles Motorsports Shoes For Crews/Recaro Porsche GT3 and # 06 Banner Racing/Banner Engineering Pontiac GXP.R by Lap 64 to settle into fourth place.  With 10 minutes to go, he had pulled to the bumper and passed the #70 SpeedSource Mazda RX-8.  With sights on Werner’s championship-leading # 87 Farnbacher Loles Motorsports Marquis Jet/IPC/Recaro Porsche GT3, Lally entered the white-flag lap still nearly six tenths behind the championship leader.
 
     With the break for which drivers are always searching, Lally caught the # 87 Porsche – running low on fuel – as the car hesitated switching to its reserve tank. That bobble was enough for Lally to capitalize, bringing the TRG Porsche home second and closing the race for the championship to just eight points.
 
     Valentine remained content with the team’s strategy: “Our thought is if it works, don’t change it,” Valentine said. “Andy is a phenomenal driver, especially in GT. You have somebody that good; you get out of his way and let him do his work.”  RJ is CEO of F1 Boston in Braintree and F1 Outdoors in E. Bridgewater. The next Rolex Series GT race is scheduled for Aug. 3 at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, running in conjunction with the Daytona Prototypes.
 
      Open Wheel Wednesday, the 10 grand to win Modified Open washed out last week a the Seekonk Speedway. The reschedule date for the Modified portion is for Saturday, September 22. The  makeup date for NEMA and Pro-4 Modifieds is unknown.
 
      It’s official. It is smack-dap in the middle of Lime Rock Park’s 50th Anniversary season and what a ride it has been. With five events down, five more to go and a major announcement thrown in the middle, the track is making sure its 50th is one to remember.
 
Past Holiday Weekend of Speed and Appreciation
• 50th Anniversary kick-off Memorial Day Weekend
• Four-day affair of the loudest and closest competition of Grand-Am racing
• Military Appreciation Weekend – free admission was given to all active military and family, hot laps were taken around the track, and one lucky soldier waved the green flag.
• Guest speakers - John Fitch, Bob Bailey, Skip Barber, Paul Hacker, Sam Posey and Judy Stropus.
• Old-Rhinebeck Aerial Display
 
The best-kept secret in racing… Is by far the SCCA race weekends. The atmosphere is relaxed but the racing isn’t as a bunch of everyday average Joe’s (like your neighbor or doctor) who have a little extra talent, take to the track. So far the Mohawk-Hudson and the New England Regions have strut their stuff this year giving fans quiet the show. We’ll see if the Northern New Jersey and New York Regions can top them later on this season.
 
Record-breaking crowd!
• The American Le Mans Series is calling it the biggest crowd they have seen at Lime Rock since they first came to the Northwest Corner.
• Route 112 was lined with cars starting at 8:00am, the Souvenir Event Program sold out mid-day before the big race even started, the paddock was grid-locked during the autograph session and the Spectator Hills were blanketed with fans.
• Eric Chmil and Lynn Everett, long-time Lime Rock fans, tied the knot on the Front Straight minutes before the big race started.
• Even with one of his teams racing in IndyCar at Watkins Glen and another in NASCAR at Daytona Beach, Roger Penske chose to come to Lime Rock Park to join Chris Economaki, Sam Posey and Butch Leitzinger in the Pre-Race Grid Interviews.
 
50-Year Memberships, $100,000 to Join Ensuring Lime Rock Park remains a race track for the next 50 years, Skip Barber announced the inception of The Club. Memberships, 300 maximum, are $100,000 and lasts 50 years. Membership dollars will be used for repaving the track and improving the facilities giving current users a brand new venue as well. 60 dates are reserved, giving club members unprecedented access to Lime Rock Park where it is currently impossible to rent even an hour.
 
A Buzz in the Air… So far, the 50th Anniversary has given Lime Rock Park the opportunity to make sure that each and every event is one that will be remembered by all of our fans. And with Skip’s big announcement, we can be assured that those memories will be passed down from generation to generation proving that Lime Rock has an enriched history and a successful future.
 
Whether you have been to the track this season or not, there are still five more events to check out. Make sure to mark your calendar as we head into the second-half of the season offering excitement you don’t want to miss!

28 July – SCCA Northern New Jersey Region National Race
11 Aug – SCCA Northern New Jersey Region Regional Race
17-18 Aug – Mohegan Sun NASCAR Busch East 200
31 Aug – 3 Sept – Rolex Vintage Festival presented by BMW
29 Sept – SCCA New York Region NARRC Runoffs
 
     Stafford Motor Speedway returned to Friday night racing action with the SK Modified division taking center stage for the 34th Coors Light SK Modified 100.  Woody Pitkat was the story of the night, first winning the 30-lap Late Model feature, and then taking tires with only 22 laps remaining in the 34th Annual Coors Light SK Modified 100 to storm through the field
and take a second victory of the evening.  Alan Provost scored a first career victory in the 20-lap SK Light Modified feature, Sean Foster took down the 20-lap Limited Late Model feature, and Matt Chiarizio celebrated his birthday in grand style by scoring his first career win in the 15-lap DARE Stock feature.
 
        With 9-laps remaining, Shawn Monahan passed brother Diego going on to win his second 35-lap SK Modified feature of the year at the Waterford (CT) Speedbowl. “Tonight the car was extra-good, and I was extra-determined to win,” stated Monahan. “I knew on that last restart that if I didn’t get by my brother, I was going backwards and fast. Tonight we worked as a team, and held-off two of the very best in Zach Sylvester Dennis Gada.”

        Other feature winners were Ed Reed Jr. (Late Model), Dwayne Dorr (Sportsman), Danny Field (Mini Stocks), and Steven Intravaia (USAC Ford Focus Midgets).
 
       Dwight Jarvis of VT won the True  Value Modified race the night before the Oxford 250 at Oxford Plains Speedway in ME. Jimmy Kuhn, Jr. of W. Bridgewater came in ninth while Tom Cravenho of Raynham came in 21st.
 
        The Pro Stocks at the Thompson International Speedway will be the focus of attention this Thursday when they run the longest race of their season. This exciting NASCAR Whelen All American Series division will compete in a 50-lap main event.  Each of the “Super Six” racing divisions at Thompson has an extra distance race on their 2007 schedule. The Thompson
Modifieds, Limited Sportsman, and Late Models have already been in the spotlight this year and the remaining three divisions are looking forward to their night to shine.
 
            Going into their biggest race of the season, Pro Stock competitors find themselves facing an extremely competitive field and a points race for the championship that is still wide open.  Michael O’Sullivan has established himself as the current points leader. O’Sullivan has already visited victory lane on two occasions and has had only one finish outside of the top five. However, his points total of 282 is only twenty four ahead of the veteran Norman Wrenn. Jay Macedonio is having his best season ever and he sits third in the points standings. Rounding out the top five in the points chase are Dennis Maxfield and George Bessette.
 
            This race had been scheduled to be run last week, but Mother Nature had other ideas and chose to send thunder storms to compete with the track’s race program. Needless to say, the track lost. As a result, the Pro Stock competitors have been given an additional week to prepare for their biggest night of the year.
 
            Joining the Pro Stocks will be the NASCAR Whelen All American Series Sunoco Modifieds, Late Models, Limited Sportsman, Thompson Modifieds and Mini Stocks. Each will compete for starting spots in their respective feature events. Next Thursday, August 2nd the attention will move to the Mini Stocks when their big night comes around.
 
            The month of August will be filled with excitement at Thompson. Thursday, August 16 is a night New England race fans look forward to each year. The NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour returns to Thompson for its third of five visits this year. The August Whelen Modified Tour race, “The Budweiser 150” is one of the most popular events each and every year at Thompson. Tickets for this event are now available by calling the track office.
 
            The Vintage-Antique Car Extravaganza and Truck Show returns on Saturday, August 25th  and the Sunoco Modifieds round out the August line up with their 50-lap main event. All of this, along with regular Thursday night competition, makes for a great line up at the historic Thompson oval.
 
       On the AMA National MotoX circuit which was held at Unadilla, NY Kevin Windham of MS won it on a Honda. John Dowd of Ludlow placed 11th on his Suzuki. Tony LoRusso of Rocky Hill, CT was 36th also on a Suzuki  while Wareham's Jacob Morrison came in 40th.  Ricky Carmichael leads the point championship with five wins. Dowd is 18th, Lourusso is 35th while Jake Morrison is 38th.
 
      On the AMA Flat Track Motorcycle scene Ken Coolbeth of Morris, CT  won the AMA GN Twin race held at Saluda, VA over Jared Mees of MI. Ken also won his qualifying heat. In the point tally Coolbeth trails Mees by just nine points in the championship chase.
 
     New England Dirt Track Series promoter Pete Giammalvo of Westminster is one of the behind the scenes organizers of the 20th Annual Westminster Town Benefit to be held at The Common On Academy Hill in his hometown on Sunday, August 12 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Pete suffered a spinal cord injury in a diving accident in 1987 when friends and family held a benefit for him to assist with his daily life. Since then, two decades later, some 84 Westminster  families have received over $181,000 helping them through very difficult times.
 
    Among the fund raisers are: auction prizes, gift certificates, monetary contributions, baked goods, garden products and  big dollar raffles. Contributions can be sent to: Westminster Benefit Fund, P.O. Box 63, Westminster, MA 01473. They can also volunteers to set-up and tear-down on the Neighbors Helping Neighbors. For more info call Pete Giammalvo at (978)874-1732.
 
     Checking the other motorsports action in southern New England this weekend includes the following. Thursday Night Thunder goes at 5 p.m. that night. Friday's offering is five NASCAR classes at the Stafford (CT) Speedway at 7 p.m. Seekonk Speedway has fan club night on Saturday while Waterford (CT) and Whip City in Westfield both go that same night.  For the road racing crowd Lime Rock Park in CT hosts the NJ SCCA Regionals all day Saturday. The draggers have testing Saturday and the Hot Rod Reunion Sunday at the New England Dragway in Epping, NH. Stafford hosts Monster Trucks Saturday and Sunday for the those thrill seekers and the bikers can take in Sunday's NEDTS Flat Track event at the Wachusetts Valley Riders Club in Winchendon at 1 p.m

    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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