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:: Next Event: Sunday, May 20 at Thompson Speedway, Thompson, CT ::

Latest News & Notes:

The Spafco Parts Truck WILL NOT be at Lee USA Speedway Friday June 29th.

Valenti Modified Racing Series Invades Thompson Sunday:

Canaan, N.H. – The Valenti Modified Racing Series returns to action this weekend visiting the Thompson International Speedway, Thompson, CT., for the first of two events this season. The Sunday race, May 20,will feature a 75-lap race for the open-wheel modifieds with a strong field of drivers expected.

Defending series champion, Chris Pasteryak, of Lisbon, CT., leads the list of entries including several former VMRS winners and several looking for their first series win at the historic oval.

Les Hinckley III, of Windsor Locks, CT., leads the list of past winners. Todd Owen, of Somers, CT., Louie Mechalides, of Tyngsboro, MA., Andy Seuss, of Hampstead, N.H.., and Rowan Pennink, of Huntingdon Valley, PA., all former Thompson winners, hope to find their way to victory lane.

Early point leader and two-time series champion Jon McKennedy, of Chelmsford, MA., winner of the series first two races, will be looking for his first Thompson win. Norman Wrenn, a many time winner at Thompson in Super Late Model competition could be considered a favorite. Wrenn has looked strong in the first two races.

Max Zachem of Preston, CT., Doug Coby, Milford, CT., Rob Goodenough, of Swanzey, NH., and Timmy Jordan, of Plainfield, CT., will enter the special Sunday program.

Whelen Modified Tour hot shoes Ryan Preece, of Berlin, CT., and Ted Christopher, of Plainville, CT., is expected.

The speedway gates open at 11:00 AM with qualifying races at 2:45 PM

Valenti Race Car Show a Family Event:

In keeping with family tradition, this weekends yearly Auto Show, presented by
Valenti Family of Dealerships, will feature race cars from the Valenti Modified
Racing Series, race drivers, and give-aways with families in mind.

The Valenti AutoMall, 72 Jerry Browne Rd, Mystic, CT, will host the annual
event, Saturday, May 5, from 10:00 AM to 3:00 PM.

“This is more than just a car show,” offered series official John (Chip) Pettengill.
“Since we started planning, the aim was to make it a family event. The Valenti’s are all about family and our race series is too. The focus is to get the kids involved. They should enjoy what we have planned.”

Fans can expect to see the cars of two-time and defending series champion Chris Pasteryak and his father Charlie. Two-time series winner Mike Holdridge, series founder and president Jack Bateman, and the #2 car owned by New England Hall-of-Famer Art Barry, winner of the first two races this season. Drivers will be available for autographs.

Kids will have the opportunity to have pictures taken with the modified race car
of their choice, the Valenti Pace Truck, and series flagman, Rich Keator.

Special drawings for two, two-packs (tickets), to ‘Wings & Wheels’ featuring
the VMRS, ISMA supermodifieds, and NEMA midgets at Waterford Speedbowl, August 11, will be given away to some lucky race fan.

Kids, ages 5 to 12, can enter the “Grand Prize’ drawing for 4 tickets to ‘Wings & Wheels’. The lucky ticket holder will have their photo taken in victory lane with the winning VMRS driver and will receive the Sunoco Race Fuels checkered flag waved for the winning driver.

Valenti Modified Racing Series T-shirts and Hats will be given away.

Series officials will be on hand to answer questions.

Valenti AutoMall will provide food and beverages.

Twice Is Nice For McKennedy At Monadnock:

Winchester, NH-- Jon McKennedy, of Chelmsford, MA., made it two wins in a row Saturday night, winning the Valenti Modified Racing Series, Bond Auto Parts Spring Dash 100, at Monadnock Speedway, Winchester, NH.

McKennedy driving for Hall of Fame car owner Art Barry started 18^th in a 24-car field.

The two-time champion, driving the # 2 car won his second race of the season, his second win at Monadnock in only his second time in the Barry car.

McKennedy slowly worked his way through traffic, used good tire management, a McKennedy trademark, passed race leader Les Hinckley, of Windsor Locks, CT, on lap 78 to go on to victory.

The win was McKennedy’s 14^th career VMRS victory.

Norm Wrenn, of Nashua, NH., topped his career best third place finish with a solid second. Early race leader Hinckley fought power steering issues and finished third, Dwight Jarvis, of Ascutney, VT., was fourth, and Jim Boniface of Winchester, NH., rounded out the top five.

Sixth through tenth were Doug Coby, Rowan Pennink, Joey Jarvis, Max Zachem, and Louie Mechalides.

Six caution flags for minor incidents slowed the race, completed in 48 minutes.

McKennedy, Chris Pasteryak, and Zachem won qualifying heats. Dwight Jarvis nabbed the consolation race.

Next event is Sunday May 20 at Thompson Speedway, Thompson, CT.

Race Summary:
Race # 2 Monadnock Speedway, Winchester, NH
April 21, 2012
Distance: 100 laps
Time of Race: 48:56:269
Margin of Victory: 0.450
Best Lap Time: 12.724(Jim Boniface))
Best Speed: 70.732 (Boniface)
Lead Changes: 3
Lap Leaders: Hinckley (1-26) Boniface (27-60)
Hinckley (61-78) McKennedy (79-100)
Cautions: Lap 40, 42, 62, 74, 85, 91

Order of Finish: (1) McKennedy (2) Wrenn (3) Hinckley (4) D.Jarvis (5) Boniface (6) Coby (7) Pennink (8) J. Jarvis (9) Zachem (10) Mechalides (11) Holdridge (12) Goodenough (13) Mead (14) Shumway (15) Doucette (16) Pasteryak (17) Schneider (18) Malave (19) Barrett (20) Jordan (21) Bakaj (22) Bateman (23) McClay (24) Annarummo.

Hinckley Set To Defend Spring Dash Title at Monadnock:

Windsor Locks, CT. -- Windsor Locks, CT., racer Les Hinckley III, knows the way around Monadnock Speedway. 19 pro-stock wins in four seasons and a championship proves it. Add four wins in the potent open-wheel modified racecars and it’s safe to say the second-generation racer is right at home at the Winchester, N.H. racetrack.

“I learned how to go fast at Riverside, I learned how to win races and a championship at Monadnock,” said Hinckley. “I really grew up as a driver there. My career really started to develop there and take me where I am today. Fortunate for me that carried over from Riverside, Hinckley said.

Monadnock is considered a “tough” track to figure out, to get the right set up, a tough track to win at. Hinckley agrees. “The place is unique. Both ends of the track are different. It can be hard on those not familiar with it,” said Hinckley. Guys that run there know the place well. A guy like (Jim) Boniface can run with the top five. He runs real good there.”

Hinckley leads the list of entries for Monadnock Saturday night, April 21, the first of three appearances for the VMRS at the famed oval. Saturday’s race is the Bond Auto Parts 100, a traditional spring event.

Additional entries expected include, recent winner and two-time champion, Jon McKennedy, E.Chelmsford, MA., defending series and two-time champion, Chris Pasteryak, Lisbon, CT., three-time series winner Dwight Jarvis, Ascutney, VT., two-time series winner, Rob Goodenough, Swanzey, NH., and Jim Boniface, of Winchester, a three-time series winner. Former NASCAR champion Todd Szegedy, of Bethel,
CT., is also expected.

Last years race featured constant side-by-side racing often with five to seven car battles “That race was one of most intense and exciting races I have ever been involved in,” said Hinckley. Fans hope for a repeat this weekend.

Qualifying races start at 5:00 P.M.

Dur A Flex Race Car Bodies Teams With VMRS:

Canaan, NH: The Valenti Modified Racing Series is pleased to announce a new contingency sponsorship program with Dur-A-Flex Race Car Bodies of Warrick, RI. The program will provide teams of the series with a product award for being the leader at the half way point of a race.

Carl Gustafson, owner of Dur-A-Flex Race Car Bodies noted that "being involved with a series such as the Valenti Modified Racing Series will bring unmatched exposure for our company while at the same time helping the teams with the products they need." Dur-A-Flex Race Car Bodies is a one stop company that offers bodies for not only modified racecars but also go karts, stock cars, dirt racing, hot rods and drag racing applications. To learn more about Dur-A-Flex Race Car Bodies, please visit the company website at www.duraflexracing.com or give them a call at (401) 739-0202.

The contingency sponsorship program was made possible by Mark J Hann, President & CEO of Victory MotorSports Marketing Services which is the official marketing company of the Valenti Modified Racing Series. Hann agreed with what Gustafson had to say and went on to mention that "the series is a great place for any company to obtain brand exposure for the products they produce and sell. Having a company like Dur-A-Flex Race Car Bodies come on with the series shows what the series has to offer".

Here are the details on the Dur A Flex contingency sponsorship program:

*Contingency program for product award certificates for $100.00 each.
*The award will be given out each week to a driver leading the race at the 1/2 way point and known as the "Dur A Flex Race Car Bodies 1/2 Way Leader Award".
*The racecar must carry the Dur A Flex logo on it to be eligible for the program.
*Award to be given out at the following weeks race drivers meeting.*If no winner (did not have logo on racecar) then the award grows until there is a winner.

The Race Depot.com Teams With VMRS:

Canaan, NH: The Valenti Modified Racing Series is pleased to announce a new contingency sponsorship program with The Race Depot.Com which is a division of Seymour Enterprises Performance Products of Marlboro, MA. The program will provide teams of the series with the “Hard Luck Award”.

Bobby Seymour, owner of The Race Depot.Com noted that "a series such as the Valenti Modified Racing Series, which is the premier touring series of the Northeast, will increase exposure for our company and help the series teams obtain the products they use every day." The Race Depot.Com offers a large product line of parts, tools and accessories for racers at all levels of motorsports. To learn more about The Race Depot.Com, please visit the company website at www.theracedepot.com or give them a call at (508) 485-5605.

The contingency sponsorship program was made possible by Mark J Hann, President & CEO of Victory MotorSports Marketing Services which is the official marketing company of the Valenti Modified Racing Series. Hann was in full agreement with Seymour and went on to add that "the Valenti Modified Racing Series is an incredible avenue for companies of all sizes to obtain unmatched exposure for the products they produce and sell. Having a company such as The Race Depot.Com and Seymour Enterprise Performance Products join the series proves that series is a great marketing avenue.”

Here are the details on The Race Depot.com contingency sponsorship program:

*Contingency program for product award certificates for $100.00 each.
*The award will be given out each week to a driver/team and known as The Race Depot.Com/Seymour Enterprises "hard luck award". It will go to a team who had a tough night.
*The racecar must carry the company logo on it to be eligible for the program.
*Award to be given out at the following weeks race drivers meeting.
*If no winner (did not have logo on racecar) then the award grows until there is a winner.

CARQUEST Champions For Charities Driver Spotlight: Chris Pasteryak:
From: StaffordMotorSpeedway.com - Scott Running

(Stafford Springs, CT)---Stafford Motor Speedway has again lined up an impressive field of current and former open wheel champions for its CARQUEST Champions For Charities Event as part of CARQUEST Super Saturday on June 30th. During the coming weeks, SMS will offer a profile on each of its championship winning drivers and the charity they will be racing for and this week’s CARQUEST Champions For Charities spotlight falls on 2-time Modified Racing Series Champion (2008, 2011) Chris Pasteryak, who will be racing to help support David’s House.

David's House provides a home-away-from-home and support for families with children receiving treatment through Children's Hospital at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center in Lebanon, NH. David's House is the dream of a young boy named David Cyr, who passed away from leukemia in 1984 at the age of five. For three and a half years, David was treated at Mary Hitchcock Memorial Hospital in Hanover, NH. While visiting David during his hospitalizations was easy for his parents, other visitors ended up sleeping in their cars, in the waiting room, or in a chair at bedside to be close to David. Since there was no facility available for family members, David’s father Dick decided that he would start David’s House. The very first donation was $300.87 of birthday money and loose change that David had saved and David’s dream has now served over 11,000 families from all around the world since opening in 1986.

“David’s House has done a lot for the Modified Racing Series the last couple of years, so I wanted to do something to thank them for their support and help get the word out about David’s House and everything that they do,” said Pasteryak. “They supported the Ricky’s Race for Kids last year at Canaan with a $12,000 to win purse, and they were able to raise $37,000 for David’s House. We’re going to accept donations at our MRS events, but I think the best way for people to donate would be through the David’s House website. We’re looking at possibly doing an ice cream social and we’re working on some other ideas about how we can best get the word out about David’s house and raise some money for them.”

While Pasteryak is a 2-time MRS champion, when it comes to the Senior Outlaw kart that he will be driving, Pasteryak is a rookie. But while the CARQUEST Champions For Charities feature event will be his first time behind the wheel of a Senior Outlaw kart, Pasteryak does have quarter midget experience and he has experience racing on Stafford’s Mini-Mile, winning a Legends Car feature during Spring Sizzler weekend in 2001.

“I have absolutely no experience in one of these karts,” said Pasteryak. “The best show of the night might be watching to see if I can actually fit into the kart. I started out racing in quarter midgets, but I have zero kart experience. I do have some experience on the Mini Mile though, we won the Sizzler Legends car race in 2001, so hopefully I’ll remember that Legend car experience and can transfer it over to racing in the Senior Outlaw kart.”

Pasteryak was the big winner the last time the MRS visited Stafford, taking the checkered flag in the Shark Cycle 80 last September. While an issue with his spoiler cost him a possible top-5 finish in the 2012 MRS season opener, Pasteryak is looking forward to returning to Stafford as well as defending his title.

“I’m looking forward to doing our best this year to try to defend our title,” said Pasteryak. “It’s going to be tough to win the championship again, there’s a lot of strong competitors this year. We ran pretty good at Waterford, we were running second or third with about 25 laps to go and the spoiler broke. We had to come into the pits to fix the spoiler and we were able to get back up to tenth, but I think the spoiler cost us a top-5 finish. I always look forward to coming to Stafford, it’s the showplace of New England. I always enjoyed coming to Stafford as a kid to watch my Dad and my Uncle race, and hopefully we can repeat the success we had last year at Stafford and win again.”

The Shark Cycle 80 victory last season was extra special for Pasteryak, as it was the very first modified victory for his family in 35 years of racing modifieds at Stafford.

“Stafford has always been a special place for my family,” said Pasteryak. “My Uncle started racing at Stafford in 1976 and being that was the first win at Stafford for our family, it was a night that I’ll always remember. The trophy from that race stands out from all the others we have in the shop and now that I’m in the CARQUEST Champions For Charities race, I’ll be able to race at Stafford for a third time during the year. If I could, I would race at Stafford every Friday night. A weekly car is a little too much for me to take on, but if there was a ride available, I would love to race weekly at Stafford.”

The starting lineup for the CARQUEST Champions For Charities feature event will be determined by how much money each driver raises for their selected charity. The starting grid will be set with the drivers who have raised the most money starting up front. Fans are encouraged to get involved in the event by donating to their favorite driver or favorite charity. To make a donation to David’s House on behalf of Chris Pasteryak, and for more information on the event, please refer to the CARQUEST Champions for Charities donation page located at www.staffordspeedway.com. Stay tuned to www.staffordspeedway.com for more driver spotlights and exciting information regarding the CARQUEST Champions for Charities event.

CARQUEST Super Saturday will take place on Saturday, June 30, 2012 and will feature the ISMA Super Modifieds, NEMA Midgets, and Pro-4 Modifieds in addition to the Senior Outlaw Wild Thing Karts. Tickets for CARQUEST Super Saturday are on sale now at the Speedway Box Office and are priced at $33.00 for adult general admission tickets, $5.00 for children ages 6-14, and children ages 5 and under are admitted free of charge when accompanied by an adult. Reserved seating is priced at $35.00 for all ages. All ticket prices include 10% CT Admission Tax. As always, Stafford Motor Speedway offers free parking with overnight parking available.

For more information, or to order tickets to the 9th Annual CARQUEST Super Saturday event, contact the Stafford Motor Speedway track office at 860-684-2783 or visit us on the web at www.staffordspeedway.com.

McKennedy Dominates At Speedbowl “Blastoff” To Win Season-Opener:
(Written By: Dave Dykes)

(WATERFORD, CT.) When Jon McKennedy recently received a call from legendary New England car owner Art Barry offering him the seat in his Valenti Modified Racing Series entry, he gladly accepted.

On Sunday afternoon it proved a wise decision, with the Carlisle, MA driver scoring a convincing wire-to-wire victory in the season opening “Budweiser Blastoff” at the Waterford Speedbowl.

Starting from the outside front-row, McKennedy immediately took the lead from pole- sitter Rob Goodenough. He then prevailed on several restarts during the century-distance grind.

Fifth-place starter & defending series champion Chris Pasteryak dogged the leader during the latter-stages, mounting the most serious challenge. His chances evaporated when he was forced to pit for repairs with only 24-laps remaining. Winner of the 2011 “Blastoff”, Pasteryak returned to finish 10th.

From-there, it was Rowan Pennink chasing the leader to the finish. Norm Wrenn, Mike Holdridge, and Dave Etheridge completed the top-5.

“First, I have to thank Art and his team for giving me such a good car, and the opportunity to drive for them,” stated McKennedy. “I knew when I got the call from Art that this was something I wanted to do. Waterford is traditionally a tough place, 100-laps here can feel like 200. Sometimes it’s hard to pass, and starting from the outside-pole, I knew I had to get to the front and stay-there. We’re just really-happy to start the season on such a positive note.”

The opportunity arose for McKennedy when Barry’s son Ken opted not to drive this season due to medical issues.

“We’re really pleased to be working with Jon,” Barry said. “He’s incredibly good. My son Ken had planned to drive this season, but he’s got a slight health problem with his ears and he gets dizzy driving. I don’t think it’s safe. He’s very proud to have Jon in the car. If everything goes well, we may be interested in running for the championship.”

Twice a Valenti Modified Racing Series champion, McKennedy is also a full-time competitor on the ISMA Super Modified Series trail.

“We started pretty-far back, and we were on our way to the front and got spun on lap-8 because of a really-stupid move made by somebody that early in the race,” said second-place finisher Rowan Pennink. “We really had to work really-hard to get back up toward the front. Hey, the winner did his job today in keeping me from getting underneath him. He drove a smart race.”

Rounding-out the top-3, veteran Norm Wrenn seemed genuinely-surprised at his podium finish. “We started in the back, and it was a tough drive. Really, it was a matter of saving the tires so they’d be good at the halfway-point. Honestly? I never thought that we’d finish in third. I’m very pleased all-things considered.”

Saturday’s qualifying heat winners were Chris Pasteryak, Joe Doucette, and Jim Boniface.

The Valenti Modified Racing Series next sees action on April 21 at New Hampshire’s Monadnock Speedway.

(OFFICIAL FINISH, 100-LAPS): 1. Jon McKennedy, 2. Rowan Pennink, 3. Norm Wrenn, 4. Mike Holdridge, 5. Dave Etheridge, 6. Charlie Pasteryak, 7. Tom Barrett, 8. Doug Coby, 9. Les Hinckley. 10. Chris Pasteryak, 11. Jeff Malave, 12. Louie Mechalides, 13. Joe Doucette, 14. Dennis Charette, 15. Mark Bakaj, 16. Jim Boniface, 17. Mark McClay, 18. Tim Jordan, 19. Max Zachem, 20. Jack Bateman, 21. Todd Annarummo, 22. Anthony Nocella, 23. Steve Masse, 24. Rob Goodenough, 25. David Schneider, 26. Matt Mead.