NSS Qualifying Action Heats Up This Month
The qualifying racing action for the 6th Annual John Blewett
III Memorial North-South Shootout (TM), scheduled for November
7&8, 2008 at Concord Motorsport Park, gets in full swing
beginning this month with events throughout New England. In the
coming weeks, the first of a host of Northern Modified and
SK-Type Modified qualifiers will be held.
Each year, C&C Racing Promotions with the cooperation of
track owners and promoters throughout the country, allows
competitors interested in participating in the annual
season-ending event, the opportunity to secure their car owners
a guaranteed starting spot with a complete schedule of
qualifying races for the Northern and Southern Modifieds, the
Supermodifieds, and the SK-Type Modifieds.
On Friday, August 8, 2008 the Stafford Motor Speedway will
take center stage with qualifying events for both the Whelen
Modified Tour and the Whelen All-American Series SK Modifieds
during the running of the 18th Annual New England Dodge Dealers
150.
Stafford’s all-time winning-most driver, Ted Christopher of
Plainville, CT, has to be a favorite in both events. TC is fresh
off a win in last week’s SK Modified feature event and is always
a favorite to win in the Whelen Modified Tour. Christopher
already has a Mod tour victory at Stafford; winning the Spring Sizzler back in April. Chuck Hossfeld of
Buffalo, NY, the winner of the TSI Harley-Davidson 150 in May,
would like to repeat at Stafford to earn Bob Garbarino a
guaranteed starting position.
Other contenders to keep an eye on will be the red-hot Matt
Hirschman of Northampton, PA, who is also the Shootout’s
two-time and defending champion and last week’s winner Jimmy
Blewett of Howell, NJ.
In years past, the Stafford SK Modified competitors have
shown up in force at the annual event; helping to treat fans to
some great racing since the SK-Type Modifieds where added to the
Shootout line-up in 2005. Inaugural winner Woody Pitkat of
Stafford
, CT, has been on a roll in SK competition as of late as has rival
Keith Rocco. The likes of Frank Ruocco, Kenny Horton, Jeff
Malave, Kerry Malone and Steven Reed cannot be counted out.
The following evening, Saturday, August 9, 2008, fellow
SK-Type Modified competitors from All-Star Speedway in Epping,
NH, and the Waterford Speedbowl in Waterford, CT, will also get
their shot at securing a spot in the Shootout.
Likely contenders at the Waterford Speedbowl include the
winning-most driver, Dennis Gada of Salem, CT, who has yet to
make a Concord start, and defending champion and Shootout
regular Rob Janovic, Jr. of New London, CT. Rocco, who races for
owner Mark Payne at the Speedbowl, will have his second
opportunity on Saturday night. Ron Yuhas, Jr. of Groton, CT, would like northing more than to earn car owner Mike Murphy a shot
at the Shootout title in 2008.
The rules at All-Star Speedway add a bit of a twist to their
qualifying race. The rules are wide-open in their weekly
Modified division with full tour-type teams competing alongside
SK-Type modified competitors.
“The SK-Type Modified qualifier at All-Star Speedway will be
awarded to the highest finishing SK-Type legal racecar in the
field,” said Shootout Head Technical Inspector, Dick Brooks.
“We are excited that our SK legal cars have something more to
race for on Saturday night,” said All-Star Speedway Promoter,
Bobby MacArthur.
The final two SK-Type Modified qualifiers will be held at
Thompson Speedway on August 28, 2008. The B-Mods will have their
opportunity to earn a guaranteed starting spot in the
North-South Shootout™ during their portion of the “King of the
Mountain” event at Mountain Speedway on September 27, 2008.
It will be an emotional night at the Thompson Speedway on
Thursday, August 14, 2008. The event marks the anniversary of
the untimely death of John Blewett III. The winner of the Whelen
Modified Tour event will win a guaranteed starting spot in the
race that now bears his name. The sentimental favorite has to
be Jimmy Blewett.
The remainder of the Northern Modified qualifying events also
includes the prestigious 9th Annual “King of the Hill” Modified
event at Mountain Speedway in St. Johns, PA, on Saturday,
September 28, 2008 and the first annual Ricky Miller Memorial
for the True Value Modified Racing Series at Twin State Speedway
also on September 28th. The final installment of the Water SnoGo
All-Star Modified Showdown at All-Star Speedway on October 25,
2008 is expected to round out the qualifying schedule.
C&C Racing Promotions still hopes to add a qualifier for the
Race of Champions Asphalt Modified Tour.
Brian King of Gibsonville, NC, by virtue of his ASA Southern
Modified Race Tour win at Ace Speedway on May 23, 2008, won the
first of what is expected to be a full line-up of Southern
Modified Tour qualifying events. An announcement is expected in
the coming weeks.
A full line-up of Supermodified qualifying events will be
announced for the East-West Supermodified Shootout as well.
Chris Perley of Rowley, MA, already secured a spot in the
second-annual event for his car owner Vic Miller by winning the
31st annual Hy-Miler Nationals on Saturday night, July 26th at Sandusky Speedway in Sandusky, OH.
Announcements on all upcoming qualifiers will be made
available online at
www.northsouthshootout.com.
NORTHERN MODIFIED QUALIFIERS-To Date
|
August
8, 2008 |
Stafford Motor Speedway |
|
August
14, 2008 |
Thompson Speedway |
|
September 28, 2008 |
Mountain Speedway |
|
September 28, 2008 |
Twin
State Speedway |
|
October
25, 2008 |
All-Star Speedway |
SK-TYPE MODIFIED QUALIFIERS
|
August
8, 2008 |
Stafford Motor Speedway |
|
August
9, 2008 |
Waterford Speedbowl |
|
August
9, 2008 |
All-Star Speedway |
|
August
28, 2008 |
Thompson Speedway |
|
September 27, 2008 |
Mountain Speedway |
Source: North-South
Shootout PR/racinpr@aol.com
Posted:
August 5, 2008
