Thursday 07/02/09
Thompson Is Next Stop For NASCAR's Camping World East Series: The Camping World East Series will make its next stop at the Thompson International Speedway on Saturday, July 11th when the track hosts its annual Full Fender Frenzy race program. This extremely successful developmental series for NASCAR is hot off of a great race at New Hampshire Motor Speedway that was won by Matt DiBenedetto. Defending Series Champion, Matt Kobyluck, will lead the Camping World East Series into Thompson. The long-time veteran and extremely popular driver from Connecticut considers Thompson Speedway to be his home track. Kobyluck has had great success over the years at Thompson and will be looking to continue that trend when his Mohegan Sun race team takes to the track on July 11th. The NASCAR Camping World Series features the stars of tomorrow and many other popular drivers who are household names to New England race fans. Steve Park, one of the most popular drivers to ever have raced at Thompson, will return to the Connecticut oval as part of the Camping World East Series. SpeedwayLineReport.com

Door Opened For Users?: Jeremy Mayfield Finds The Loophole In NASCAR's Now Clearly Toothless Drug Testing Policy: For as long as NASCAR has existed there have been men searching for the gray in the rulebook. Those unique holes that make it possible to achieve something that nobody else on the track might be able to figure out. Those ways to get more competitive that might just compromise the spirit of the rules without fully breaking them. Today in NASCAR though the best discoverers of the gray aren't crew chiefs like Greg Zipadelli or Steve Addington or even Chad Knaus. They've all been trumped, and not by someone in their midst who wears the gaudy colors of a race team's uniform. They've been beat by a man in a suit and tie. On Wednesday U.S. District Court Judge Graham Mullen issued a temporary injunction that lifted the indefinite suspension of Sprint Cup Series driver Jeremy Mayfield, who allegedly tested positive for methamphetamines after a NASCAR mandated drug test in May.**Derek Ramstrom Looking To Make Camping World East Series Debut At Home Track On July 11**Ryan Newman To Go Hunting For Four Victories At Bristol Motor Speedway In August **Getting Up To Speed At New Hampshire Motor Speedway With Whelen Modified Tour Driver Todd Szegedy**Falling Victim To The Brainwashing That The Best Racing "Talent" Is In The Sprint Cup Series**The Hartford Courant-Shawn Courchesne

Wednesday 07/01/09
Dave Dykes "Racing Through Time": Varied Assortment Part III….. Pictured here is the late Russ McLean, the 1969 Sportsman-Modified champion at the much-missed UNITED-sanctioned Riverside Park Speedway in Agawam, Mass. Fondly-recalled as a very popular racer amongst both fans and competitors. His lone feature victory occurred on the evening of April 17, 1971 in the car seen here. Utilizing a dose of tongue-in-cheek humor during what was perhaps a less politically-correct era, note that McLean’s sanitary little Coupe was christened “The Other Woman”. Few drivers got-around more than my old friend, New England Auto Racing Hall of Famer, “Wild Bill” Slater. In addition to being a master at the most notable of Modified haunts, he also excelled on the high-banks of the NASCAR super-speedways. He’s seen here taking a break for a cold drink during one of his yearly Daytona sojourns. Note the absence of a fire suit and the rudimentary safety appointments on Bill’s Chevrolet. The cars were truly closer to stock back-then, and were more than a handful to navigate at the speeds these guys were eclipsing. SpeedwayLineReport.com-Dave Dykes

NEMA Heads To Thompson; Rifchin Trophy The Spoils: The Northeastern Midget Association returns to Thompson Speedway Thursday night, July 2 with some added incentive. The winner will go home with the Marvin Rifchin Trophy. Rifchin, owner of M&H Tire, died on June 3 at age 94. “Considering how many lives Marvin touched,” said NEMA President Mike Scrivani Jr., “everybody wants this trophy. It is a beautiful piece of hardware.” Defending champions Randy Cabral (driver) and Tim Bertrand (owner), undefeated in two races this year, head NEMA’s strongest field in recent memory. Cabral’s seven career wins, including the last three in Bertrand’s #47, tops NEMA’s Thompson win list. “You can’t take anything for granted, especially at Thompson,” says Cabral, coming off a win last Friday night at Lee USA Speedway. “Usually, the track favors the veterans but nothing is guaranteed. Everybody goes to Thompson prepared. SpeedwayLineReport.com

Speedbowl’s ‘Night of Destruction’ July 5: Waterford Speedbowl will send out the 4th of July holiday weekend with a bang, several in fact, as it plays host to its annual ‘Night of Destruction’ on Sunday, July 5. The event has come to be known as an affordable night of family fun and entertainment, capping a weekend of great racing and celebration of summer. Sunday’s festivities include a full size demolition derby known for its richter scale hits, testing the endurance and fortitude of Detroit ’s finest fabrication. The four cylinder demo has become a hit as well. While the hits might not be quite as earth-shattering, the strategy and absolute carnage remain as exciting and amusing as the full-size smash fest. SpeedwayLineReport.com

July to be a busy month at The Action Track of the East: The month of July will be a busy month at Seekonk Speedway. It starts off on July 4, as we take a step back in time. The cars of yesteryear will adorn the speedway for the first time on 2009. Bernie’s presents the New England Antique Racers, Senior Tour Auto Racers and the Atlantic Coast Old Timers will put on a display and remind us of how the racing was in years past. The ARC Pro Stocks, Late Models, Seekonk Sport Trucks and Street Stocks will also be a part of the action. On Sunday, July 5th, Valvoline presents our annual Independence Day Celebration. With Spectator Drags, the Pure Stocks, Enduro car and truck drags, Enduro racing. Car & Truck Figure 8s, one of the most spectacular Fireworks display this side of the Pacific, and our world famous Demolition Derby. SpeedwayLineReport.com

Two Top-3 Finishes Help Keith Rocco Stay At The Top Of The National Short Track Standings: A second place and third place finish over the weekend helped Wallingford's Keith Rocco keep hold of the top spot in the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series short track national standings. Rocco, who competes full-time in the SK Modified divisions at Thompson International Speedway, Stafford Motor Speedway and the Waterford Speedbowl, opened the weekend with a second place finish at Thompson, where he was passed for the lead on the final lap by Ted Christopher. After a rain out at Stafford, Rocco closed the racing weekend with a third place at Waterford. Rocco has seven victories, 14 top-5's and 15 top-10's in 18 starts this season, good for 681 points. Defending national champion Phillip Morris remained in second place with 651 points. Morris, who competes at the Motor Mile in Radford, Va. and South Boston (Va.) Speedway, has seven victories, 13 top-5's and 14 top-10's in 16 events this year. The Hartford Courant-Shawn Courchesne

Tuesday 06/30/09
Brian Danko's Modified Tour Report: The NASCAR modifieds have always put been the best show at the New Hampshire Motor Speedway and this past weekend it was more of the same excitement. But this time it also produced some heavily damaged race cars. In another modified finish that will be talked about for many years, five cars came off turn four heading for the checkered flag when all hell broke loose with the potentially winning cars of Todd Szegedy and Ted Christopher riding the wall after several cars made contact off of turn four TC & Todd Szegedy ride the wall. Getty Images for NASCAR That was the needed space for Donnie Lia to avoid the debris to win the New England 100 edging out Eddie Flemke, Jr. and Ronnie Silk for the popular win before a great Saturday crowd on a perfect summer weekend day. It was after the race that many drivers were questioning the tactics of themselves and how they race, especially at the end of the race. SpeedwayLineReport.com-Brian Danko

Phil Smith's "Champ Trail": The NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour, after the completion of the first three, of 14 events, wound up their second “Spring Break” last Saturday, June 27 when the ground pounders traveled to Loudon, NH. There were 39 Modifieds on hand for the New England 100. Doug Coby captured his second career NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour Coors Light Pole Award Thursday evening in qualifying. Coby, who was the next-to-last car to go out among the 39 entries, knocked Todd Szegedy off the provisional pole with a fast lap of 30.003 seconds (126.947 mph), just under Szegedy’s time of 30.005 (126.939). Ted Christopher, who entered the day having won the Coors Light Pole Award in each of the first three races of the 2009 NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour season, ended up third-fastest. Donny Lia (30.039 seconds/126.795 mph) and Rowan Pennink (30.065/126.686) rounded out the top five. NASCAR Sprint Cup Series star Ryan Newman qualified seventh at 30.160 seconds (126.286 mph). SpeedwayLineReport.com-Phil Smith

GWC Driver of the Week: Joey Polewarczyk: Everything is going his way right now. Joey Polewarczyk caught national attention when Tony Stewart called him a rising star, he signed a deal to run races with BDI Racing and he finally got the Thunder Road International Speedbowl victory that had eluded him in his young career. For all of that in a busy weekend, Polewarczyk is the GWC Driver of the Week for June 29. Polewarczyk won the VT Governor's Cup 150 on Thursday while also preparing a team car for Stewart, the two-time Sprint Cup Series champion. On Friday at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, Stewart said Polewarczyk "has a lot of poise and composure, and it wouldn't surprise me if we see him here (in NASCAR) real soon." Polewarczyk led the final 94 laps of the Governor's Cup, and he survived a side-by-side battle with Nick Sweet that was a dozen laps long and a restart with five to go in which he held off Sweet and a charging Cris Michaud.**Joey Polewarczyk Jr. to run family-owned car at Oxford Plains, with BDI logo**LOOKING BACK: Putting the Lenox Industrial Tools 301 in the rearview mirror**Green-White-Checker-Travis Barrett

Monday 06/29/09

Carey and Coffey Video of Nascar Whelen Modified 2009 New Hampshire 100 Final 3 Laps-Ted Christopher, Todd Szegedy Crash

Waterford Speedbowl Launches New Web Site: We couldn’t be more excited and happy about our new website!! This is now your one stop source for all things Speedbowl!! Some new features you will find with the new Speedbowl web site as you navigate throughout are… -Up-to-date lap times!! -Full driver rosters with the ability for the drivers to create and edit their own driver profiles, including adding a picture of the racecar!! -Up-to-date finish orders and points as the races conclude!! -Finishes posted for the entire evening or by division!! -Photo galleries courtesy of photos by Racedog Photography and other photographers!!-Detailed schedules that can be viewed in full, by Saturday or Wednesday events, and promotional events!!-Coming soon will be our video gallery of clips from the evening’s events!!-Special Speedbowl.com printable instant savings coupons!!-Marketing assistance for our drivers!!-More resources for our loyal fans!! SpeedwayLineReport.com

Bill Bernard wins first career Late Model feature in the Phil’s Propane 50: On Saturday, June 28, Bill Bernard held on to win his first career Late Model feature in the Phil’s Propane 50. In a race that went green to checker, Bernard fought off a hard charging Gerry DeGasparre in the latter half of the event. Berkley’s Jake Vanada jumped out front under the double greens, and set the pace for the first several laps. Polesitter Bob Hussey followed Vanada for a few laps before being overtaken by rookie Frank Duquette. Duquette, using the outside lane, picked up the lead at lap seven, but could only keep the NAC Security & Sound System Chevy at the front for one lap before the Ashland Lumber Chevy of Bernard followed on the outside and took over the reigns on lap nine. Gerry DeGasparre and Ryan Vanasse, the only winners on the season heading into the Phil’s Propane 50, started ninth and tenth respectively, and were working their way through the field methodically, with the A-1 Custom Auto Body Chevy of DeGasparre moving into the top five by lap 10. SpeedwayLineReport.com

Logano Gets First Sprint Cup Victory: A 7-year-old stood in his father's garage in Portland in October 1997 and sent a message to one of the best drivers in NASCAR history. Already a national Quarter Midget champion, Joey Logano broke his usual silence by dropping a cocksure prediction about his future in racing. He promised that someday he would be Jeff Gordon's worst nightmare. Sunday was that day. Logano and his Joe Gibbs Racing team rolled the dice on fuel and weather and hit the jackpot when the rookie was declared the winner of the rain-shortened Sprint Cup Lenox Industrial Tools 301 before a crowd of more than 100,000. Gordon, a four-time Cup champion, was second and Kurt Busch third.The race was called after 273 of 301 laps. Logano, a Middletown native who turned 19 on May 24, became the youngest winner in the 61-year history of Sprint Cup. Gordon was one of the first drivers to congratulate Logano. While Logano sat in his car on pit road as rain fell, Gordon offered his congratulations even though NASCAR had yet to call the race. The Hartford Courant-Shawn Courchesne

Coastal 181 Publishers New Book on Racing Legend Bill Wimble Being Released In July: Coastal 181 is proud to announce the upcoming release of the much-anticipated autobiography of Bill Wimble, one of the most respected figures in American racing. The two-time NASCAR National Sportsman Champion spins tales of his incredible journey from a New York dairy farm near the Canadian border to the short tracks and superspeedways along the East Coast, to his honored career as an entrepreneur in New York and Florida. I’LL NEVER BE LAST AGAIN is an American success story, full of poignant messages for all of us. Bill Wimble drove his first race at Canton, NY's St. Lawrence Speedway in 1951, driving a '36 Ford that he and his brother bought for $50. They built the racecar on the family farm, working late at night after the evening chores were done. The following year, 1952, saw him take down his first win, at Ottowa, in Ontario, Canada. Wimble won his first track championship at Plattsberg, in 1955. In all, Wimble won 14 track championships at 8 different tracks. Add to his resume 5 New York State Championships, and 2 Connecticut State Championships under the Nascar banner. SpeedwayLineReport.com

Remembering Jay Miller Memorial Party Planned For Sunday July 12th: A memorial party celebrating the life of SK Modified competitor Jay Miller will be held on Sunday July 12th starting at 1:00 P.M. at the residence of his dad, Hall of Fame Racer Ray Miller. Jay passed away unexpectedly on July 15, 2008. The memorial celebration will be the one year anniversary of Jay's death. Jay grew up around the sport of auto racing, just like his father before him. It seemed destined, as it was the family tradition, dating back more than a half-century. His grandfather was a veteran of the ARDC midget circuit in the 1950s. His father, Ray Miller is a NEAR Hall of Famer, with many victories during his career at Stafford and the old Riverside Park in Agawam. Among his accomplishments are a win in the 1981 Thompson 300 and a win during the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour’s inaugural season at Waterford before he retired in 1986. Ray was honored in 2002 with induction into the New England Auto Racers Hall of Fame. SpeedwayLineReport.com

Sunday 06/28/09
Paul Wins Second Straight in SKs: The Waterford Speedbowl celebrated Norwich Night on June 27, honoring the City of Norwich’s 350th birthday with great racing. Jeffrey Paul picked up his second consecutive SK Modified win, Bruce Thomas Jr. returned to Speedbowl victory Lane in the Bob Valenti Auto Mall Late Models, while it was veteran competitor Allen Coates taking the checkered in the NEATV Truck Series. Kyle James and Ronnie Oldham Jr. rounded out the night’s winners capturing the Norwich Bulletin Mini Stock and Street Stock events respectively. With threatening skies looming overhead during the evening, the full five-division event was completed by 9:15pm. The 35-lap SK Modified main event was led to the green by Joe Perry and Frank Mucciacciaro. Perry would take the lead on lap one, but Salem drivers Jeff Pearl and Dennis Gada were both in hot pursuit from the drop of the green. Pearl made a daring inside maneuver on Perry in turn three on lap two to take command. Gada followed Pearl past Perry while Rob Janovic Jr., previous event winner Paul, and points leader Keith Rocco settled in to the top-five. SpeedwayLineReport.com

NASCAR Announces Modified Race Broadcasts: NASCAR announced today that the inaugural NASCAR Whelen Modified and Whelen Southern Modified Tour event at Bristol Motor Speedway will be broadcast on SPEED. The UNOH Perfect Storm at Bristol, a 150-lap combination race between the two NASCAR Modified divisions, will mark the first appearance for both the Whelen and Whelen Southern Modified Tours at the “World’s Fastest Half Mile” in Bristol, Tenn. The UNOH Perfect Storm at Bristol is set to go green at 6:15 p.m. on Wednesday, August 18 and SPEED will broadcast the event on a 45-minute tape-delay beginning at 7 p.m. “With a heritage as NASCAR’s oldest division, the Modifieds have long had some of the most passionate fans in the sport, and we are excited to provide the loyal fan base with an opportunity to follow all of the action,” said George Silbermann, NASCAR managing director of racing operations. “We appreciate the support of Whelen Engineering, the University of Northwestern Ohio and SPEED in helping to bring the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tours to a national television audience.” SpeedwayLineReport.com

Lia Wins Whelen New England 100: Donny Lia wasn't sure where everybody was. He wasn't quite sure who hit who or even who hit him. There was only one thing Lia was sure about Saturday at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. He knew he got to the checkered flag first. Lia was the survivor of a wild final lap to win the Whelen Modified New England 100. It was the first victory of the season for Lia, who returned to the division full-time this year after spending 2008 in the Camping World Truck Series. Out of the smoke, sparks and twisted metal, Ed Flemke Jr. of Southington finished second and Ron Silk of Norwalk third. "The last lap was interesting," Lia said. "These guys want to dive bomb, they want to use you up, they want to do the slide job and we can do that with the best of them." The field came to the white flag with Lia chasing down race leader Ted Christopher. Lia went high on Christopher going into turn 1, but seemed to lose some ground. The Hartford Courant-Shawn Courchesne

Paul takes second straight victory at Speedbowl: Jeffrey Paul is right where he wants to be. With strikes of lightning surrounding the Waterford Speedbowl on City of Norwich Night, Paul provided the thunder by taking his second consecutive SK Modified feature heading into next Saturday’s Pepsi 300, of which he’s the defending champion. Paul hunted down and caught race leader Jeff Pearl with 14 laps remaining, then proceeded to be the most dominant car over the remaining distance. “This car has been so good, so fast,” said Paul, whose last win came on June 6. “When it’s that good, it raises your confidence level.” Pearl was strong throughout the first half of the feature. He was proficient on three re-starts and maintained his edge after taking over the top spot early with a bottom-shot move on Joe Perry going into turn three. Paul, however, worked quickly. He drove into third just nine laps in, passing Rob Janovic. Then he caught and passed Dennis Gada for second. He then set his sights on Pearl, who was seeking his first win of the 2009 season. Norwich Bulletin-Peter Vander Veer

Crunch Accelerates NASCAR's Skid: Jerry Gappens actually was smiling when talking about ticket sales for today's Sprint Cup Lenox Industrial Tools 301 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. Given the economy, there was good reason for Gappens, the track's general manager, to be happy. As of late Thursday, fewer than 1,500 tickets were unsold for the race at NHMS, which seats 95,491. That was good news for Gappens, who has spent months adjusting to new economic realities. From massive layoffs by top-level teams before the season to empty seats at nearly every race on the schedule, it's obvious NASCAR has been hit hard by the economy. For instance, three weeks ago in Dover, Del., attendance for the Sprint Cup race as estimated by the Philadelphia Daily News was less than 100,000, the smallest since capacity was expanded to 140,000 in 2001. Large blocks of seats were covered by tarps doubling as billboards. The Hartford Courant-Shawn Courchesne

Middletown Native Logano Loses To Busch At New Hampshire: The homecoming celebration for Joey Logano at New Hampshire Motor Speedway looked to be in the planning stages. Then his teammate crashed any party thoughts. Kyle Busch passed his Joe Gibbs Racing teammate on lap 164 and led the rest of the way in winning the Nationwide Camping World RV Sales 200 on Saturday at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. "It feels pretty awesome," said Busch, the Nationwide points leader who had never won before at New Hampshire in the division. "This place is real, real tough on me for some reason. It kind of eludes me. To beat Joey, he's got a lot of laps around here, that's pretty special. That kid's very talented. "I didn't think I really had an opportunity. We just kept adjusting on our car all day. Normally when we're out front we don't adjust on it. Today we didn't have the winning car, we made the winning car." The Hartford Courant-Shawn Courchesne

Saturday 06/27/09
Lia Escapes For New England 100 Victory, Second Career Win For Lia At ‘Magic Mile’: The New England 100 ended with a wild scramble on the last turn of the last lap that wiped out two of the leaders and provided Donny Lia his second NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour victory at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. Points leader Ted Christopher led at the white flag, with Lia, Todd Szegedy and Ron Silk jockeying for position. Lia dove inside of Christopher as he headed into Turn 3. Moments after Lia took the lead, Szegedy swept underneath both to the front of the line. As they came out of the final turn heading to the checkered flag, all four bounced off each other, with Christopher collecting Szegedy into the wall as Lia slipped by to grab the win. Ed Flemke Jr. wound up second, followed by Silk and Rowan Pennink. Christopher managed to gather the car enough to get it across the line and salvage a fifth. It was the 12th career win for Lia, whose previous victory at New Hampshire came in 2007 en route to his tour championship. SpeedwayLineReport.com

Phil Smith's "Looking Back": Forty years ago in 1969, Bob Santos, in the Art Barry 09, beat out Smokey Boutwell to win the Friday Modified feature at Stafford. Ernie Gahan was third. Albany Saratoga ran twin features with Lou Lazzaro and Guy Chartrand sharing victory lane. Saturday night at Norwood, Fred DeSarro took a hard fought win over Johnny Thompson and Bugsy Stevens. At Fonda, Kenny Shoemaker in the Bob Judkins 2x beat out Lazzaro and Jerry Cook and at Islip; Al Hansen took the top spot over Jim Hendrickson. At the Waterford Speedbowl Glynn Shafer, driving for Ron Yuhas Sr, took the Modified win. Big Mike Daignault was the Daredevil winner. After successive rain outs, Utica-Rome got to run and it was Lou Lazzaro making it three in a row. Jerry Cook finished second with Phil Spiak, third. Thirty five years ago in 1974, Friday night racing at Freeport and Utica-Rome rained out. On Saturday, George Wagner won out over Charlie Jarzombek and Tom Baldwin at Islip. SpeedwayLineReport.com-Phil Smith

Whelen Modified Tour Event At Bristol Motor Speedway To Be Televised Live Nationally: When NASCAR announced late last year that the Whelen Modified Tour would make its first visit to Bristol Motor Speedway in August it was news that was met with elation by most teams and drivers in the series and many in the division's fan base. Teams will find out Saturday that having Bristol on the schedule for the division will lead to another big positive for the Modified Tour. It will be announced this morning at the Whelen Modified Tour drivers meeting in preparation for today's New England 100 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway that the UNOH Perfect Storm 150 at Bristol on Aug. 19 will be televised live on Speed. It will be the first live national broadcast for a Whelen Modified Tour event since an October 2000 event at Martinsville Speedway was broadcast by ESPN. The Hartford Courant-Shawn Courchesne

Cabral beats teammate Newman at Lee: Randy Cabral passed Bertrand Motorsports teammate Ryan Newman coming out of turn two on lap 13 and went on to score a convincing win in Friday night’s 25-lap Northeastern Midget Association feature at Lee USA Speedway. After taking second on a lap 11 restart, Cabral needed only two laps before slipping past NASCAR Sprint Cup star Newman. Only a lap 22 caution impeded his romp to a second win in as many 2009 races. Jake Stergios’ late rally resulted in a NEMA Lites victory over Eddie LeClerc Jr. Cabral called grabbing second on the restart as key to the win, his first ever at Lee. Lining up third, he “just stayed on it and followed Ryan. It was one of those let’s see what happens moves.” Dropping Mike Keeler to third, Cabral was immediately on Newman’s tail. The winning move was swift. “Sure, I was aware it was Ryan Newman,” he said. “He is a tremendous, very talented driver, but I’ve raced with Nokie Fornoro and Russ Stoehr and they’re not exactly slouches.” SpeedwayLineReport.com

A Heluva Good Finish, DiBenedetto edges Truex in last-lap battle: Two of the top rising young talents in NASCAR waged a short-track battle at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, with Matt DiBenedetto emerging from a last-lap scrap with Ryan Truex to win the Heluva Good! Summer 125 Friday evening. It was the second win in four NASCAR Camping World Series East starts for the 17-year-old DiBenedetto, a development driver for Joe Gibbs Racing. He denied Truex, a 17-year-old development driver for Michael Waltrip Racing, a second straight victory. He also prevented Truex from joining his father, Martin Truex Sr., and brother, NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver Martin Truex Jr., as winners at the track that is a staple in the NASCAR Camping World Series East schedule. DiBenedetto led twice for 39 laps. He lost the lead to Truex on the Lap 119 restart but was able to maintain second. SpeedwayLineReport.com

Logano Development Pleases Gibbs: The progress of Sprint Cup rookie Joey Logano has become increasingly visible for Joe Gibbs Racing president J.D. Gibbs. That's all Gibbs ever really wanted to see in 2009. The hype meter was pinned for Logano's arrival the minute Joe Gibbs Racing officials announced in August that the Middletown native would replace two-time Sprint Cup champion Tony Stewart in the organization's No. 20 Home Depot car. When it came time for Logano to make his debut in the car in February in the Daytona 500, the buildup and promotion had reached extreme proportions. He had been dubbed NASCAR's biggest child prodigy and that brought expectations never seen before. But Gibbs never bought into the expectations that were being heaped upon Logano, who had signed with the organization when he was 15. Even before Daytona, Gibbs was preaching that patience and learning would outweigh any thought that Logano would take the series by storm. The Hartford Courant-Shawn Courchesne

Stewart Catches A Break: Heavy afternoon rain turned a not-so-good day into a good one for two-time Sprint Cup champion Tony Stewart Friday at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. Stewart hit the wall in the first practice session and was forced to use a backup car. But it will be Stewart leading the field to the green flag for Sunday's Lenox Industrial Tools 301. A short but heavy afternoon shower forced NASCAR officials to cancel qualifying, putting Stewart, the points leader, on the pole for Sunday's race. Hendrick Motorsports teammates Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson will start second and third. Kurt Busch, who was fastest in Friday's practice, will start fourth. Stewart, in his first year as a driver/owner with Stewart-Haas Racing, got into the wall by himself in practice. The Hartford Courant-Shawn Courchesne

TRACK TALK: Brady crew cars wait in garage: We caught up with Joe Brady of Brockton earlier in the week at Sherm’s garage on Cushing Street in Stoughton where the Brady Bunch pit crew works on the two race cars in the Brady Bunch stable. Brady had planned to race at Thompson in the True Value Modified race with Ted Christopher, but it was rained out and is rescheduled for July 23. “We are also planning to race in the Open Wheel Wednesday race at Seekonk on July 15,” Brady said. “That $10,000 to win is a nice piece of change. “We could also be at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in Loudon if a deal comes together.” If that one does jell, it could be with another driver, not TC. NHMS draws Modified fans: Lots of Modified fans take in the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour race at NHMS because it’s so competitive. We’ve seen three wide racing there with the Modifieds and some tricky “bump drafting.” The purse will exceed over $160,000 and is one of the biggest gems on the dozen-race WMT schedule this year. Brockton Enterprise-Lou Modestino

Danbury stock car reunion to be held: The Southern New York Racing Association will holds its 2009 reunion on July 19 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Western Connecticut State University in Danbury. Some restored stock cars that ran at the Danbury Racearena from the 1950s to 1981 will be available for viewing. Last year’s reunion raised more than $8,000 for former Danbury racer Chick Stockwell of Woodbury, who lost his barn to a fire caused by lightning. This year’s proceeds will go to former driver Evie Pierce who had a stroke and is in rehabilitation. For more information, call Steve Forster at (203) 881-2833, Dave Morehouse at (203) 798-7622 or Dan Evon at (203) 938-0338. Waterbury Republican

Friday 06/26/09
Christopher Starts Busy Weekend with a Sunoco Mod Thriller at Thompson: The rain ceased and the clouds parted on Thursday night allowing Thompson International Speedway to host a full night of racing competition. The action included a full card of NASCAR All-American Series racing plus two bonus features. In the Sunoco Modified division, Ted Christopher of Plainville, CT bested Keith Rocco to score the victory. Mike O’Sullivan of Springfield, MA, earned his first of the season in the Super Late Models while John Materas of Voluntown, CT was the winner in the Late Models. In the Limited Sportsman division it was Paul Palen celebrating in victory lane. John St. Germain of West Sand Lake, NY, took the All Star Race Trucks victory in a photo-finish. R.J. Marcotte of Millville, MA, scored his first of 2009 in the TIS Modifieds. Tim Taylor of Wauregan, CT and Brad Caddick of New London, CT, share Mini Stock honors. SpeedwayLineReport.com

Coby Tames NHMS Second career pole for Tour veteran: Doug Coby captured his second career NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour Coors Light Pole Award Thursday evening in qualifying for the New England 100 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. Coby (No. 19 Major Motion Transport/Family Auto Center Chevrolet), who was the next-to-last car to go out among the 39 entries, knocked Todd Szegedy (No. 2 UNOH/Wisk/Snuggle Ford) off the provisional pole with a fast lap of 30.003 seconds (126.947 mph), just under Szegedy’s time of 30.005 (126.939). Coby’s previous pole came at Wall (N.J.) Stadium on June 26, 2004. Ted Christopher, who entered the day having won the Coors Light Pole Award in each of the first three races of the 2009 NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour season, took over the provisional pole when he went out 17th in the qualifying order. His best lap of 30.025 seconds (126.854 mph) ended up third-fastest. SpeedwayLineReport.com

Truex Stays Hot, Joins father & brother as pole winners at Loudon: NASCAR Camping World Series East rookie Ryan Truex continued his hot streak Thursday afternoon when he won the Coors Light Pole Award in advance of Friday’s Heluva Good! Summer 125 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. Truex (No. 00 NAPA Toyota) earned his first career pole two races ago at South Boston (Va.) Speedway and reached Victory Lane for the first time in the series’ last event at Watkins Glen (N.Y.) International. On Thursday he kept the momentum going when he posted the fastest lap in qualifying at 30.433 seconds (125.113 mph). Truex also joined his father and brother in winning NASCAR Camping World Series East pole awards at New Hampshire. Martin Sr. won the pole for the Sept. 1994 event, while current NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver Martin Jr. won the pole three times (twice in 2000 and in 2003). Both Martin Sr. and Jr. also won NASCAR Camping World Series East races at NHMS. SpeedwayLineReport.com

Coby Wins Modified Pole: Over the winter, Doug Coby told New Hampshire Motor Speedway executive vice president and general manger Jerry Gappens that his track owed him. Coby, of Milford, has had his fair share of good days at the 1.058-mile oval, but it's been more about heartbreak in recent years. From losing the lead late to getting wrecked on the first lap, Coby understands disappointment at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. Coby got a slice of satisfaction in Thursday's qualifying by winning the pole for Saturday's Whelen Modified Tour New England 100. Coby toured the track in 30.003 seconds (126.947 mph) for his first pole at New Hampshire and second in his career on the Modified Tour. "Maybe this was a little payback," Coby said. "And hopefully Saturday will be a little bit better. The Hartford Courant-Shawn Courchesne

Cup drivers invade Mod Tour: Christopher, regular stars to be challenged by Newman, Kahne: Drivers from NASCAR's national series ranks will invade the Whelen Modified Tour at New Hampshire Motor Speedway for the fifth year in a row Saturday. Points leader Ted Christopher and the other full-time modified competitors will try to keep the outsiders winless. Sprint Cup drivers Ryan Newman and Kasey Kahne are on the entry list for the New England 100, to be run Saturday at 1 p.m. in Loudon. But history runs against Cup drivers who decide to take on the Modified Tour. Five have competed overall — including Tony Stewart and Carl Edwards — but none have won and only Stewart has a top-10 finish. The average finish for a Cup driver in a modified car is 26th entering the weekend. Foster's Daily Democrat-Ryan O'Leary

Newman makes Lee Speedway debut tonight: When Ryan Newman straps into Tim Bertrand's NEMA Midget at Lee USA Speedway tonight, it will be his first-ever appearance in competition at the track, but far from his first time in a Midget. Although Newman makes his living nowadays lumbering around an assortment of race tracks in a 3,400-pound stock car, his racing roots run deep in short-track USAC Midget, Silver Crown and Sprint Car racing, where he was a multi-time winner and champion. Newman broke into the USAC Midget ranks back in 1995, taking Rookie of the Year honors, a feat he went on to duplicate in the Sprints and Silver Crown cars. He spent the next five years honing his racing skills on the USAC trail, and won in all three major USAC divisions along the way. The highlight of his USAC career came a decade ago, when he captured the 1999 Silver Crown championship, and snagged wins in all three divisions. A year later, he scored wins in Midget and Silver Crown action, but couldn't get a Sprint Car win for another trifecta. SeacoastOnline.com-Rich Hayes

Petty To Share Memories At Warner Theatre: Richard Petty has plenty of NASCAR memories. He'll be sharing those tonight as the Warner Theatre in Torrington presents "An Evening with 'The King.'" The winningest driver in NASCAR Sprint Cup history also will have a current success story to talk about. A 10-year absence from victory lane as a car owner ended at Infineon Raceway Sunday, when Kasey Kahne drove a Richard Petty Motorsports Dodge to a win in the Toyota/Save Mart 350 on the road course in Sonoma, Calif. It also was the first victory for the Richard Petty Motorsports team, born of the merger of Petty Enterprises and Gillett Evernham Motorsports after the 2008 season. The Hartford Courant-Shawn Courchesne

Monday 04/06/09
Tom Ormsby's "Racing Remembrances": Drive Profile: Billy Harman On Sunday April 15, 1951 a 7^th grader watched the first ever race at the New London /Waterford Speedbowl. That 7^th grader was also attending his first race. Bob Swift would go in the record books as the first winner at the new racetrack. Young Billy Harman would become hooked on racing after that first race, never to miss a Wednesday or Saturday race for many years to come at the Speedbowl. Like many a youngster after attending their first race, Bill knew he wanted to be a race driver. In his sophomore year of high school Bill would build his first race car in the high school’s shop class, a 1938 six cylinder Chevy Coupe. After school Bill would take the 38 Chevy to the Morgan Farm, about a mile from the Speedbowl. There were some weekdays Bill would drive the car from the farm to the Speedbowl and sneak on the racetrack. Bill recalls, “This was my first opportunity to drive the race car”.**Don Rounds Victor At New London Speedbowl-1951**Mordino, Hill Win At Plainville-1971**New Breed Strikes At Stafford Springs Again - 1972 SpeedwayLineReport.com-Tom Ormsby