May 27, Brockton, MA--- Excitement is building, as the 16th Annual New England Harley-Davidson Motorcycle Dealers Association Ben Campanale Laconia Half-Mile gets closer. This year the “Kick Start” for the week will be an autograph signing by AMA Grand National Champion, Harley-Davidson factory rider Ken Coolbeth and others at Heritage Harley-Davidson in Concord NH from 5-7 p.m. on Thursday night, June 12. Defending Champ Coolbeth of Morris, Conn. can’t wait to "push the cushion" on the half-mile on Friday, June 13 starting at 7 p.m.

The “King of Cool”, as Kenny is called, won’t have an easy time because teammate Jared Mees and others want the lion’s share of the $14,500 purse. Several young guns will be riding XR 750 Harley-Davidsons for their first time. James Rispoli, a former NH resident, riding a Whites H-D, has won a race every year at Rochester since he was nine-years old. James will be challenging the top riders this time out. The big news is that the Twins purse is $12,000.

The loyal New England Harley-Davidson Motorcycle Dealers Association knows the flat track motorcycle fans want to see, hear and feel the rumble of the winningest V-Twins in the world, the XR 750. The combination of Connecticut’s Ken Coolbeth on his Harley-Davidson along with other National riders on Harleys, Aprillia, Suzuki and Triumph’s for a 15 lap feature will only be seen one place in New England in 2008, The Rochester N.H. Fairgrounds. Friday, June 13 is the date with opening ceremonies starting at 6:45 p.m.

There is lot more to the 16th Annual New England Harley-Davidson Motorcycle Dealers Association Ben Campanale Laconia Half-Mile program. Professional’s on 450’s, Pro-Sports, Vintage plus the ever-popular Stars of Tomorrow on 85’s. To keep the show moving during track maintenance, The Bay State Harley Pullers will attempt to pull their weight transfer sled 200 feet. These custom made 3 wheelers are the perfect off-track addition. Other activities off the track, a new vendor midway and the best track food in New England await spectators.

Friday, June 13 begins with an Amateur New England Dirt Track Series point’s race starting at 9:30 a.m. Sign up for the Pro’s is 3 to 5 p.m. with practice starting at 5 p.m. and Opening Ceremonies begin at 6:45 p.m. Tickets are $20 for Adults, Kids 8-14 are $5, Under 8 FREE. Adult $5 off coupons are available at select New England Harley-Davidson Authorized Dealers starting June 2. There's RV Parking outside turn three for rooftop viewing up close. To get there follow the signs from exit 13 off RT. 16 to the Rochester Fairgrounds. Camping is available.

Also filling out the busy weekend will be short track motorcycle races and ATV's at Jolly Roger Motorsports Park in E. Lempster, NH on Saturday night, June 14 at 6 p.m. followed by another short track event, including bikes at the Canaan USA Speedway in Canaan, NH on Sunday, June 15 at 1:30 p.m. For more information call organizer and promoter Pete Giammalvo at 978-874-1732 or check out the www.sidewayspromo.com web page.

Lloyd Brothers Motorsports with the support of Aprilia USA and American AGIP announces the sponsorship of 16 year old rising dirt track racer James "the Rocket" Rispoli, formerly of NH, for the 2008 season. The young dirt tracker from Attica New York will challenge the AMA Flat track Championship Series in the pro-expert twin’s class at this year’s GNC races. Rispoli is currently finishing up getting the points he needs for his qualifying provisional license. "We will start our support of James' efforts at the Vernon Downs GNC on May 31st," commented co-owner David Lloyd. "If we can get all his points in by then James will make his debut on the Lloyd Brothers Motorsports Aprilia SXV 550, if not we'll support James in the 450 pro-sport class. Either way we're excited to be helping James achieve his goal of racing at the GNC level."

The next event on the busy SCCNH schedule is an Auto-X event at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in Loudon, NH on Sunday, June 1, 2008.

Canaan Fairgrounds Speedway in NH is running a Demo Derby this Friday, May 30 along with a stockcar program on the dirt track. The winner of the Demo is guaranteed $600, $350 for second, and $150 for third. Trophies go to the top three. The program starts at 6 p.m.

Mother Nature was the only winner this past weekend at Riverside Speedway in Groveton, New Hampshire, as persistent rain showers forced postponement of Kids Only Daycare Night at the P.A.S.S. sanctioned Speedway.

The next event on the calendar will be this Saturday night, May 31, as St. Jay Auto will be sponsoring the night’s activities. On the card will be the 2008 debut of the Outlaw Sportsman, Super Stocks, Street Stocks, Daredevils and Angels, plus the Cyclones have been added to the show. Post time is 6 p.m.

Make your plans for this event, plus the giant 50 lap, $1,000 to win, round number one of the Bond Auto Parts Triple Crown Series for Late Models on Saturday, June 7.

The New England Forest Rally '08 is set for Newry, Maine the weekend of July 11-12. It's Round 6 of the Rally National Championship sanctioned by SCCA.

Chris Perley, AKA “The Rowley Rocket” of Rowley, MA. put on a stellar performance in winning the 50-lap International Super Modified Association season-opener at the Waterford Speedbowl on Saturday evening. In doing so, he recorded the fastest average lap-ever (over 108 mph), in the 57-year history of the facility.

Mother Nature may have shortened the spring schedule at Lee USA Speedway, Lee, NH, but the Route 125 oval, with only one full race program completed and the other finished over two race dates, will host it’s first quarter championships this Friday night May 30. All divisions that race in the weekly NASCAR Whelen All American Series will compete.

“Perhaps we should change it to the 1/8 championship,” quipped track manager Bob Watson. The race event shortage has created an unusual situation for competitors and track management. One bright spot has been the amount of cars that have entered. The track has seen an increase in all divisions.

Defending champion J.R. Baril, Haverhill, MA. and 2007 Rookie of the Year, Miles Chipman, Epping, NH., will lead a strong list of competitors into One Stop Toy Shop Late Model competition. Both drivers shared victory lane last week. Long time area racer Larry Gelinas, of Gorham. ME, veteran Tom Fuller, Allenstown, NH and Rochester, NH. hot shoe Jeff Labrecque, Jr are also entered.

Defending Mac Tools Super Modified champion, and a two-time winner this season, Eddie Witkum, Jr, Merrimack, NH., Jeffrey Locke, Raymond, NH., and Jim Lowery, Jr, Tilton, NH., are all expected to enter the open-wheel winged division.

The Late Model Sportsman division finds Michelle Fushpanski, Seabrook, NH, winner of her first race last Friday, expected to try and make it two-in-a-row. Boe Green, Berwick, ME., Grant Aither, Exeter, NH., veterans Bobby Melvin, Groton, MA., and Jimmy Renfrew, Hooksett, NH lead the list of expected racers.

Jim Shorey of Lebanon, ME, has looked strong early on and will lead a strong roster of Planet Aid Hobby Stock drivers into competition. Alby Ovitt, Barrington, NH., Eric Hoffman, Newmarket, NH., A.J. Panessiti, N.Chelmsford, MA., and Wade Worster, Lebanon, ME are expected to compete.

Billy Osborne, Plaistow, NH., Lloyd Chapin, Seabrook, Dana Faulkner, Tewksbury, MA., and Timmy Johnson, Salem, NH., will compete in Roadrunner action while Chris Harding, Lebanon, and Shane Horvath, Nottingham, NH will race in the Ironman division, for newcomers.

Friday nights race program will start at 7:15 p.m. Children are encouraged to have fun in the all-new Swings-n-Things “Kids Zone.” Each week a racer visits young fans in the all new play area.

Open-wheel True Value Modified Racing Series stock car driver Kirk Alexander of West Swanzey, NH won the Mekkelsen RV Memorial Day Classic 100 at Barre, VT’s Thunder Road Int’l Speedbowl on Sunday afternoon. Alexander has now posted at least one victory on every track the True Value Modifieds have visited since 2004. The Memorial Day Classic was the series’ first appearance at the historic quarter-mile oval, and the first Modified division event at the track since 1965.

“You know, I’m fortunate to win a lot of races, but I just can’t believe I won at Thunder Road,” said an exhausted Alexander in victory lane. “This place is so great, with so many great fans, and it’s so important for all of us to race here. It’s an amazing feeling to win here.”

Alexander started next-to-last on the 25-car grid, and methodically picked his way through traffic before restarting on outside of the front row on the final restart at lap 83. From there, he passed leader Peter Jarvis of Ascutney, VT and pulled away to a four car-length lead for the win. His brother, Dwight, passed Jarvis on lap 94. Dwight Jarvis, also of Ascutney, VT, finished second. Peter Jarvis held off Eddie Dachenhausen of Danbury, CT for the third position. Chris Pasteryak of Lisbon, CT completed a daring last-corner, inside-lane pass of Canaan, NH’s Jack Bateman to finish in fifth, unofficially. Bateman was followed across the finish line, in order, by Sean Bodreau of Claremont, NH, point leader David Pinkham of Buxton, ME, Mike Holdridge of Madison, CT, and Jon McKennedy of Chelmsford, MA.

Peter Jarvis and Dale Evonsion paced the field for much of the race. Evonsion, of East Hartland, CT, moved into the lead on lap 68, but was turned around by Pasteryak on lap 79. He was involved in another incident just four laps later and did not finish the race.

John Donahue of Graniteville, VT won the companion American-Canadian Tour Late Model 100-lap event. Rick Garand of Middlesex, VT won the NAPA Tiger Sportsman division’s 30-lap feature, while Tommy Smith of Williamstown, VT (Allen Lumber Street Stock) and Jamie Davis of Wolcott, VT (Power Shift Online Junkyard Warrior) were also victorious.

This past Saturday, Monadnock Speedway celebrated Memorial Weekend with hot racing action on the quarter-mile high banked track where the fans saw some new faces in victory lane. Chris McTaggart led from lap two to the checkers to take his first Mini Stock win. Dana Shepard collected his first victory of the season in the Super Stocks as did John Lavoie in The Late Models. Jeff Zuidema scored his second win of the season and CJ Johnson won the 50-lap 4-cylinder enduro event.

Checking the weekend action in northern New England shows the following. There's wall-to-wall racing all over the north country. Friday's offerings have Twin State in Claremont, NH adding the All Star Trucks. Oxford (ME) Dragway and New England Dragway in Epping, NH both go that night.

Saturday is even busier. All-Star in Epping, NH offers Big Block Super-Modifieds. Also going that night are; Canaan(NH) paved, Legion in Wentworth, NH, Monadnock in Winchester, NH, adds the Allison Legacy Series and the ACOT Antique racers, with White Mountain in N. Woodstock, NH offering five divisions of stockcars. Bear Ridge in Bradford, VT also goes the same night. Beech Ridge, Bullwinkle, Speedway 95(Monster Trucks), Oxford Plains and Wiscasset in Maine also have programs the same night. For the draggers Oxford Dragway and New England Dragway returns for more action all day.

Sunday there's stockcar action at the Hudson (NH) Speedway at 3 p.m. More of the same is on tap at Speedway 95 and Spud, both in the Pine Tree State. The dragracing crowd has that type of action the same day at Winterport Dragway in Maine starting at 8 a.m. while New England Dragway hosts Nostalgia Day all day 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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