One of the most interesting groups of
racing characters ever assembled will help kick off the
Northeast racing season in style at the Big E in Springfield.
Check out this star-studded lineup:
Steve Park--This Long Island native
was a standout in the modified division before getting "the
call" to drive a Busch car for Dale Earnhardt Sr. in 1996. That
led to the Cup Series, where Steve earned two wins with DEI,
including an emotional win at Rockingham a week after
Earnhardt's shocking death at Daytona. Steve returned to the
Camping World East Series in 2008. (Left)
Matt Kobyluk--Last year he became
the first Native American to win a NASCAR championship, taking
four wins and the title in the Camping World East Series. A
member of the Mohegan Nation, Kobyluk is sponsored by Mohegan
Sun.
Ricky Craven--At age 15 he won
Rookie of the Year at Maine's Unity Raceway, starting him along
a path that led from ACT to Busch North to the Busch Series, and
eventually to Cup racing. His two career Cup wins include a
dramatic paint-swapping duel with Kurt Busch at Darlington in
2003. (Left)
Mike Stefanik--He was handpicked for
stardom by no less than Richie Evans, and he's lived up to the
billing, with eight Whelen Modified Tour championships and more
feature wins than any other driver in Tour history. Named one of
the top 10 NASCAR modified drivers of all time in 2003.
Bones Bourcier--The nationally
acclaimed writer returns to New England, where he fell in love
with racing during the heyday of the modified division. He has
co-authored books with Cup star Tony Stewart and safety pioneer
Bill Simpson, and has also compiled biographies of his childhood
heroes, Richie Evans, Bugsy Stevens, and Eddie Flemke.
Ted Christopher--One of the most
versatile drivers in New England, Teddy has won in modifieds -
including his first NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour championship
last year - SK's, midgets, late models, supermodifieds, and has
also run Busch, Sprint Cup, and even Rolex 24 races at Daytona.
And he's just as free-wheeling with his opinions as he is with
his racing.
Dave Dion--He's collaborated with
radio personality Dave Moody on a critically acclaimed
autobiography called Life Wide Open. It's a fitting description
of this late model legend's career, as he has barnstormed the
East Coast with his band of brothers, always in their signature
Fords.
Renée Dupuis--She climbed the ladder
from quarter-midgets to modifieds, and in 1999 became the only
woman ever to win a modified feature at Riverside Park. She is
also the first woman to record a top-10 finish on the Whelen
Modified Tour, where she remains a consistent competitor.
Vaughn Gittin Jr.--One of the
country's top talents in the sport of drifting, Gittin provides
a unique perspective at this year's XPO: sideways.
Chris Castagna--This Virginian is
one of the bright young lights in the Jetta TDI Cup, a
grassroots road-racing series that features diesel-powered
Volkswagens.
Corey Dripps and Mike Spaulding--These
dirt-trackers are serious winners in the United States Modified
Touring Series. And, as you will see, they also know how to have
a seriously good time. (Left)
Coupons ($5 off) for discount admission to
SpeedwayEXPO will soon be available at more than 160
participating Sunoco dealers throughout New England. Tickets can
also be purchased in advance to save $5 off the price at the
gate ($16 for adults, children 10 and under free). These
money-saving tickets are available at 978-465-9099 x 103 (ask
for Barbara) or online at SpeedwayEXPO.com.
Produced by Speedway Illustrated Magazine
and sponsored by Sunoco, SpeedwayEXPO will be at the Big E, in
West Springfield, MA, Feb. 27 - March 1, 2009. It is the
largest event for drivers, teams, tracks, and racing vendors in
the Northeast. SpeedwayEXPO will launch the 2009 racing season
with more than 200 new race cars and old favorites, and hundreds
of exhibits for drivers, crews, and fans from a dozen states and
Canada. Thousands of enthusiasts pack more than 130,000 square
feet of exhibit space to take part in seminars and
demonstrations; see retailers of racing gear and memorabilia;
and meet today's and yesterday's racing celebrities.
For the latest information on SpeedwayEXPO
presented by Sunoco and to sign up to receive the free
SpeedwayEXPO '09 E-newsletter, visit
www.SpeedwayExpo.com.
Source: Ted Hugger/SpeedwayEXPO
PR
Posted:
January 26, 2009
