March 3, Brockton, MA--- We got some real insight on what's going on, behind the scenes, at New Hampshire Motor Speedway from a knowledgeable source. There have been various news stories speculating major changes at NHMS. Most of them are not true. Any new events will be added very carefully. Construction to improve the venue will be done over the long term. Because the management wants to do it right the first time. Every season fans will see changes. There's also a movement, within the NASCAR tracks, to get back to earlier race starting times for the Sprint Cup Series. As far as losing a Cup race, to another track like Las Vegas, that's not expected to happen.

We also saw a recent widely circulated story that Burton Smith, the new owner of NHMS, is requesting a new date from NASCAR for Vegas. "Moving a race from another track in our corporation (Speedway Motor Sports) is not a consideration," said Smith. On the Indy Cars and a motorcycle event returning to NHMS a lot of factors will have to be considered before that happens. According to our source Smith's intention is to make NHMS the Bristol of the North. Also, any previous agreements NHMS had with the local towns are expected to stand.

We caught up with Dave Dion of Hudson, NH at Speedway Expo in W. Springfield, MA last weekend. He's been spending his winters in the Palm Beach, Florida area and comes north in the Spring. On racing this year. "It's all up in the air because we lost our sponsor (Berlin City Dealerships). We haven't been in this position since 1973," he said. However, we think that Dion will race in some selected Pro Stock events with the PASS Tour. It's also possible that Dion would entertain a decent ride in the ACT Tour if it were offered to him.

The 2007-08 off-season has seen an exciting number of talented stock car racers make a move to the next level of competition at Barre’s (VT) Thunder Road. After spending time in a developmental division, no less than ten drivers will continue upward in their careers at “The Nation’s Site of Excitement” and beyond. But in a change from recent years, all four divisions of Thunder Road – and its regional cousin, the American-Canadian Tour – will reap the benefits.” Drivers change divisions every year,” said Thunder Road promoter and ACT President Tom Curley, “but I can’t remember an off-season that has seen this many solid, talented racers move from one division to the next and have the transition be so evenly distributed among the four groups.”

It appears that groups of three and four drivers are making a move from one division to the next tier of competition for 2008, with each departing class creating room for a set of talented incoming freshmen.

The intermediate NAPA Tiger Sportsman class will welcome four new young lions to the fold, including twenty year-olds Bobby Therrien of Hinesburg and Josh Demers of Middlesex, Williamstown’s Mike Ziter, 23, and East Barre’s Cody Blake, who turned 16 last month.Therrien drew headlines in 2007 by winning a record six feature races and becoming the first driver to take the Allen Lumber Street Stock Championship and Rookie of the Year titles in the same season. Ziter was also a rookie Street Stock winner a year ago, and was in the thick of the championship battle the entire year. Demers earned a Street Stock victory in 2006, while Blake was a three-time winner at New Hampshire’s White Mountain Motorsports Park in the Strictly Stock division last season. Blake and Therrien previously competed at Thunder Road with the Northeastern Kart Club. Therrien joins his older brother, multi-time winner Tom, in the Sportsman division. Ziter’s father-in-law, Dan Beede, won the prestigious Chittenden Milk Bowl in 1991, as well as the 1987 Thunder Road Flying Tiger title. Blake’s father, Greg, was also the 1989 Flying Tiger “King of the Road.”

The equipment the young drivers will compete with is impressive: Therrien has purchased the 2007 championship car of Nick Sweet, while Demers will pilot the car Shawn Fleury drove to two Thunder Road titles. Ziter purchased a car that was driven to the 2006 Tiger Sportsman Series championship from Chuck Beede.“I can’t wait for the first race,” said Therrien. “I get along really well with Mike, Josh, and Cody, and we all have good cars and good people behind us. They’re all great drivers, and it’s going to be a lot of fun racing against them again. I’m glad we’re all making the jump at the same time.”

As Therrien, Ziter, and Demers leave the Allen Lumber Street Stocks; they will be replaced by a strong group of former Power Shift Online Junkyard Warrior competitors, including 2007 Champion Bunker Hodgdon of Hardwick. David Whitcomb of Elmore and Leonard Sanborn of Graniteville will join Hodgdon in the Street Stocks, each a feature winner last season. Last season, the trio produced an impressive four victories and nearly 40 top-ten finishes, all while routinely starting near the back of 25-car fields. Hodgdon and Whitcomb competed in a handful of Street Stock races in 2007 with promising results.

Like its counterparts, the Warrior division will see a handful of new entry-level racers enter the fold, with drivers Justin Hathaway, Lance Donald, and Merrill Bashaw, Jr. signing on for 2008.Both divisions will be well-represented in the top-tier Late Model ranks. Barre’s Nick Sweet, 23, Northfield’s Matt White, 34, and Tyler Cahoon of Danville, 27, plan to compete on a full-time basis in either Thunder Road’s weekly series or on the traveling ACT Late Model Tour in the northeastern United States and Canada.

Sweet and White have been in the NAPA Tiger Sportsman spotlight for three seasons; Sweet was the division’s 2007 Champion, while White was the runner-up in 2006 and the fifth-place finisher last year. Cahoon, who has been honing his skills at White Mountain Motorsports Park, was the 2000 Thunder Road Street Stock Champion. Sweet got his start in the Street Stocks in 2003, while White, after winning the M&M Beverage Enduro 200, raced in the Warrior class in 2004. Cahoon has made select ACT and Thunder Road appearances in his Late Model during recent seasons, while White made a spectacular debut last September, qualifying for the 44th Annual Chittenden Milk Bowl.

“It’s a very positive and encouraging thing that our weekly racers across the board are getting the experience and confidence they feel they need to be competitive at a higher level,” said Curley. “I don’t know of any other track or series that is enjoying the growth we’re seeing this year, especially with the quality of the drivers and equipment that will be making the ‘big jump.’ It’s a very exciting time for us.”Thunder Road’s 49th season opens with the Merchants Bank 150 for the ACT Late Model Tour on Sunday, May 4.

All-Star Speedway announced that Laticrete International, Inc., a leading manufacturer of innovative tile and stone installation systems based in Bethany, Connecticut has agreed to become a major sponsor of an event that promises to be one of the best open-wheeled Modified races of 2008.

The 2nd Annual Laticrete Modified Thunder 150 will take place on May 10 at All-Star Speedway in southern New Hampshire. It will be the first of a new four race series called the All-Star Modified Showdown, which will be the only series featuring many of the best NASCAR Whelen Modified Series race teams against the best of the True Value Modified Series, at a NASCAR sanctioned track.

Laticrete is a family owned worldwide manufacturer of products used for the installation of tile and stone applications. Based in Connecticut for over 50 years, Laticrete is known for high performance installation materials for both residential and commercial tile and stone installations. From tile adhesives, grout, waterproofing membranes, and floor warming systems.

Over the years, Laticrete has provided sponsorship support to various employees, and even their customers that are racing enthusiasts outside of their normal jobs in the tile industry.
"From tractor pulling to regional NASCAR support, racing is an exciting opportunity for us to support those people that support us. Plus, it's really an exciting sport that allows us to get our name in front of a lot of great fans," commented Maria Oliveira, Corporate Marketing Manager at Laticrete. "We are very excited to move to a larger sponsorship this year at All-Star Speedway, and are looking forward to growing it next year and beyond," she added.

Several of the most talented Modified drivers have expressed their intentions to compete in this event. Andy Seuss will represent the Whelen Southern Tour with his own car. Ted Christopher, Eric Beers, Rob Summers, Kirk Alexander, Les Hinckley, Jack Bateman, Louie Mechalides, Todd Patnode, Bruce Batchelder and Jon McKennedy are among those that have already stated their intentions to compete in the May 10 event.

The 150-lap race will pay $5,000 to the winner. Lap money will be added, as laps will be sold at $50 per lap. Laps may be purchased after March 2nd by contacting the speedway. There will also be a sponsored halfway bonus for the leader at the lap 75 break. A point fund for the four race series will add an additional $20,000 in payouts as well.

The 2007 version of this event has been remembered as one of the best pavement Modified events of that entire season. With the addition of new entrants, a point fund, and the sponsorship of Laticrete, there is no doubt that the 2nd Annual Laticrete Modified Thunder on May 10 at All-Star Speedway will be one of the most exciting events of 2008 for the pavement Modified division.

Last week the management of the Bear Ridge Speedway in Bradford, VT sent out an urgent message that they needed as many competitors and fans to come to the town hall last Thursday night to support the track's effort to get their annual operating permit. According to the frantic call to action the local board is giving the dirt track venue some static and additional requirements before they will issue the permit. We'll be interested to see how that venue makes out with the town officials.

Everything is looking good for the 2008 racing season at Riverside Speedway in Groveton, New Hampshire. The marketing is coming along very nicely, with several new names coming to join them in 2008. So far, Riverside has over 80 teams already registered for 2008 including 20 Late Model teams. Last year on this date they had just 51 registered racers. It appears that we are going to have another great season at Riverside with good fields of cars in all divisions.

More new sponsors come to Riverside Speedway for 2008 as Kids Only Daycare becomes the new title sponsor for the Daredevil Youth racers. We welcome the Leblanc family to the Riverside family. Also joining Riverside for 2008 will be Monster Energy and The Vermont Milk Company. The track has also reached an agreement with Passumpsic Savings Bank to once again to sponsor the Point Fund and 50/50 sponsor for 2008. Bean’s Home Center from Lyndonville, Vermont, is another sponsor that will be joining Riverside in 2008.

Riverside Speedway has a new handicapping procedure in place for the 2008 racing season. The new procedure can be found on our website at www.riversidespeedway.org.

Pit Steward and Chief Handicapper, Waitsfield, Vermont’s, “Goin” Owen Wimble has confirmed that he will make an all out assault on the 2008, North Country Ford, Late Model Championship. Wimble, who is 60 years young, has decided that he will set aside his new LMS car that he purchased last season, to run his twenty year old mount that he has upgraded for this year. Wimble has a lot more confidence in “Old Faithful” and feels that this car has another championship left in it. Wimble is ready to challenge 2007 champ, Corey Mason of Stark, NH for the title. Over twenty LMS cars have registered to compete at Riverside for 2008.

There will be a few jobs available at Riverside Speedway this season. There will be a couple of openings for infield track crew, and kitchen help. Check the track's website for openings.

Checking the action around the North country this weekend indicates the following. On Saturday afternoon Legion Speedway in Wentworth, NH hopes to get a jump on the 2008 season with an Enduro which gets the green flag at 1 p.m. On Sunday Berry and Lee Pond in Moultonborough, NH hosts another stockcar event on the ice starting at noon.

    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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