The Texas Roadhouse North East Mini Stock Tour is holding its first ever double-header weekend on June 1 and 2. Waterford Speedbowl will hold their annual Four Cylinder Fury on Saturday night featuring the NEMST. Then the touring minis will head east to Seekonk Speedway for the annual Boston Louie Memorial Event. This will be the second visit to the concrete palace and the first time since 2010 for the NEMST.
The Texas Roadhouse North East Mini Stock Tour made their only appearance in the state of Maine over the weekend visiting the newly reopened Wiscasset Speedway. To celebrate the return to the pine tree state NEMST Promoter Bob Guptill worked with local sponsors Kennebec Equipment Rental, The Law Offices of Brieanna G Dietrich, and Tire King to raise the purse of the 50 lap main event.
Thirty-five drivers made the trek on the coast of Maine to fight for the $750 winners share of the more than $3400 purse. The field would have to qualify into the main event that only had 31 available starting spots on the 3/8 mile oval. As drivers entered the pit area a random draw was done to figure the heat race line ups. Matt Sonnhalter, Shawn Swallow, and Ed Archer all drew spots to put them on the pole for their heat races.
Eight cars from each heat race would make the field for the main event and the others would be required to be transferred from a 10 lap consolation race. Matt Sonnhalter, Shawn Swallow, and Emerson Cayer all battled the field to secure the checkers from their heat race. At the conclusion of the heats 24 cars were locked into the field for the main event. The field was inverted 1 row after that chip was drawn out of the bucket by winner Matt Sonnhalter.
At the conclusion of Wiscasset Speedway heats the NEMST consolation event rolled out onto the track with 9 cars fighting for 6 positions and one provisional. Action was intense as the 90 of Desmond Skillings spun on lap 4 and fell a half lap behind. Desmond was able to muscle his car back to the pack and finish inside the top 6 cars getting moved onto the main event. A last lap altercation between the 4 and 41M caused the 4 to be spun to the infield and losing his entrance into the feature. The 41M was also moved to the last car on the lead lap as penalty for the contact falling just outside of the transfer position. Jef James earned the NEMST points provisional.
After Wiscasset features were over the NEMST rolled onto the track with their 31 car main event and final preparations were made by the drivers and officials. Action was quick as Matt Sonnhalter fell out side the top 10 quickly with an ill handling car and Mike Mason moved to the lead setting the fast lap of the day at 17.22 seconds. On lap 5 the 51 of Mason slowed in turn one with a mechanical failure and had to be pushed off the track. As the field was returned to green Toby Wells, Shawn Kimball, and Emerson Cayer all started to squeeze their way up towards the front of the pack.
With 21 laps remaining the caution flew again as Desmonf Skillings and Dan Morris spun along the front stretch. The field was reset with Wells and Cayer on the front row. The pair dueled for a number of laps once catching the green flag but Wells eventually overtook the all time win leader Cayer and spaced out to a comfortable lead. Wells held on for his first NEMST feature win in 4 starts. Cayer, Kimball, Thomas, and Labrecque rounded out the top 5.
Following the race NEMST officials dug deep into the engines of the top 5 removing cylinder heads and check manifolds and camshafts. The 52 of Ricky Labrecque faced a 1 lap penalty due to illegal cam lift. The penalty dropped Labrecque to 11th and moved Sonnhalter into the top 5.
Next up for the NEMST is the first ever double header weekend. Waterford Speedbowl will host on Saturday June 1st and Seekonk Speedway on June 2nd. We hope to see you at the track for our second visit to southern New England this season!
The Texas Roadhouse North East Mini Stock Tour will be rolling into Wiscasset Speedway this weekend for the first time in 2 years. Wiscasset which is under new ownership by Richard and Vanessa Jordan has welcomed the NEMST for their only Maine event of the season.
To highlight the return to NEMST Promoter Bob Guptill’s home state of Maine the typical $350 to win NEMST payout has been increased. Some local businesses have stepped up behind the NEMST’s basic strategies of clean simple fair racing to boost the purse. Tire King of Skowhegan, Kennebec Equipment Rental, and Brieanna Dietrich Law Office of Rockport have all signed on to help promote the Maine race.
The payout has been increased to a whopping $750 to win, the largest payout the NEMST has ever posted. With $500, $400, $300, and $200 going to each of the other top 5 finishers respectively. Over $3500 in cash and prizes are available to the 30 car starting field.
Due to the increased payout and return to the Pine Tree State the car count is expected to reach in the low 40’s, the largest car count the NEMST has ever had. Only 31 starting spots are available to race in the 50 lap main event Saturday night under the lights. Be sure to check out the NEMST’s only Maine appearance of 2013 and one of the largest field of mini stocks you will ever see!
Follow us on twitter @neministocktour or like us on Facebook at facebook.com/northeastministocktour Any additional updates can be found on our website, www.northeastministocktour.com. See ya there!
The 42nd Annual CARQUEST Tech-Net Spring Sizzler, the greatest race in the history of spring, hosted the Texas Roadhouse North East Mini Stock Tour for their inaugural Stafford event. The weather was perfect for the first time of the 2013 race season with temperatures in the mid to high 70’s and very little wind across much of the region.
Friday saw an open practice session for NEMST teams with a few drivers taking advantage of the extra track time to dial their cars in for a track new to the NEMST. Ricky Labrecque posted the Friday fast time turning a 23.2 second lap among his many laps around the fast ½ mile oval.
As Saturday rolled around 19 mini-stock teams entered the pit area early to complete pre-race technical inspection and prepare their cars for competition. The NEMST participated in two practice sessions with Glen Thomas and Toby Wells pacing the field with low 23 second lap times.
The heat races were lined up according to a draw of numbers among the drivers before the event with Ricky Labrecque pushing his car ahead of 2012 champion Danny Field for the heat 1 win and Glen Thomas barely holding off Toby Wells for the heat 2 victory. Ricky drew a 4 for the starting lune-up inversion.
The NEMST feature was the final event to roll out onto the track for Saturday with the temperature falling fast the cars lit up the lightning quick half mile and drivers began making moves. Heat race winner Ricky Labrecque differed an engine failure due to a camshaft loss before the feature requiring him to view his competitors from the sidelines for the debut Stafford event. On lap 3 Emerson Cayer, the 2009 NEMST Champion, took the lead over Marc Panaroni and started to slowly pull away from the field. The strong battle continued for the 5th position as cars caught in the inversion jockeyed for spots hoping to forward their progress. Field, Wells, King, and Thomas all fought to be the car to break out and chase Cayer down. On lap 11 of the 25 lap feature Toby Wells broke free of the pack and started to stalk the Mustang of Cayer. Field continued to run 3rd with the battle moving to the 4th spot between King and the rookie Thomas.
Laps were winding down and so was Cayer’s lead on fellow New Hampshire driver Toby Wells who perfected a line through the corner that allowed him to gain. With 5 laps to go the lead was about 15 car lengths and when the 2-to-go flags were showed the field the lead had been narrowed to just 3 car lengths. Wells was closing fast but was there enough time. Lapped traffic parted ways and the race was left to the leaders. Thomas overcame King for 4th as Field held onto 3rd and Mike Parker moved into the 6th position.
The white flag flew and wells was within 2 car lengths through turn 1 and 2. The leaders barreled down the back stretch and Wells dove hard into turn 3 getting to the bumper of the 88 machine . It wasn’t enough to stick through turn 4 and Cayer secured his 12th career NEMST victory by just one car length. Wells, Field, Thomas, and King rounded out the top 5.
Following the event the top 5 cars were inspected for suspension violations and the top 3 were required to remove their transmissions. No violations were found among the top 5 and the results were made official. The NEMST will be back in action May 18 at Wiscasset Speedway in Wiscasset, ME for their Return to the Maine 50 lap event featuring a $750 winners purses with over $2,150 being paid out among the top 5. Please visit http://www.northeastministocktour.com or http://www.wiscassetspeedway.com for additional information.
Here are the Stafford Spring Sizzler results and points. Full story to follow
Results: http://speednetdirect.com/results.php?track_id=8919
Points: http://speednetdirect.com/points.php?track_id=8919
From RaceDayCT.com
For the full story please click here: Small In Name Only: Northeast Mini Stock Tour Continues Pattern Of Accelerated Growth
It was an idea that had many around the racing scene in New England scratching their heads in wonderment five years ago.A traveling tour of Mini Stock cars? It didn’t make sense, Mini Stocks were supposed to be the low cost end of weekly racing at short tracks, not a Touring division.
Even the guy who was behind what many were calling a crazy idea wasn’t exactly overflowing with faith that it was something that could ever be successful, or even last. (continued at RaceDayCt.com)
North East Mini Stock Tour founder Bob Guptill on the flag stand at a
recent event at Lee USA Speedway (Phot Credit Leif Tillotson/ Leif
Tillotson Photography)
Friday, 4/26
10:00AM Paddock Gate Opens
1:00PM Practice Begins, NWAAS, NEMST, Whelen Mods
7:00PM Practice Ends
Saturday 4/27
8:30AM Paddock Gate Opens
11:00AM Main Grandstand Opens
11:30-12:45PM WHELEN Mod Tour Practice
12:45-2:15PM NWAAS, NEMST Practice
2:30PM WHELEN Modified Tour Time Trials
D.A.R.E. Stock Heats - 5 Laps
SK ModifiedÒ Heats - 8 Laps
Limited Late Model Heats - 8 Laps
SK Light Modified Heats - 8 Laps
Late Model Heats - 8 Laps
NorthEast Mini Stock Tour Heats - 8 Laps
SK MODIFIEDÒ CONSI - 10 LAPS
DARE STOCK FEATURE – 15 LAPS
LIMITED LATE MODEL FEATURE – 20 LAPS
SK LIGHT MODIFIED FEATURE – 20 LAPS
LATE MODEL CONSI – 10 LAPS
NORTHEAST MINI STOCK TOUR FEATURE – 25 LAPS
Stafford Motor Speedway is and iconic track in the history of New England auto racing and has seen many famous drivers from around the country wheel around its half-mile oval. This year marks the 42nd year of the CARQUEST Tech-Net Spring Sizzler and headlines with the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour. This will be the first year that the NEMST, in its 5th season of competition, has been invited to the track with rocket fast 4-cylinder race cars. This will also be the first year the NEMST visits all three Connecticut race tracks.
The Texas Roadhouse NEMST kicked off its 2013 season April 14 at Lee USA Speedway in Lee, NH with part time tour competitor Zach Audet dominating the event leading 44 of the 50 green flag laps. Audet is questionable for the trip to Connecticut about 6 hours from his Skowhegan, ME home. All time NEMST win leader Emerson Cayer is excited for the trip to the southern New England track and the speeds that come with the ½ mile oval. Mini-stocks have not raced on the track since an exhibition event in 2009.
Stafford Motor Speedway will run the NEMST on Saturday evening April 27 capping off the day’s racing activities and setting the stage for late model and modified competition on Sunday. NEMST cars will run in 8 lap qualifying heats and a 25 lap feature. The typical 50 lap feature length was not doable due to the increased length on the Connecticut speedway.
“Fans and teams alike were ecstatic. The energy level of the room was high when the date was announced. Lots of controversy surrounded the last mini-stock event there (SMS) in 2009. We are hoping to show the fans that we can put on a great show with lots of cars.” Said NEMST Promoter Bob Guptill about revealing the SMS date at the series Championship Banquet in November. A number or current and former Thompson and Waterford mini-stock teams are expected to make the trek to Stafford and compete with the NEMST regulars.
For more information on the Texas Roadhouse NEMST or the CARQUEST Tech-Net Spring Sizzler please visit http://www.northeastmnistocktour.com or http://www.staffordmotorspeedway.com or find us on Facebook and Twitter for up to the minute updates and raceday coverage.
We would like to congratulate Mike Mason for setting the Lee USA track record for a mini stock/road runner type car by running a 16.89 second lap in his heat race average 79.929 MPH around the 3/8 mile oval.
All NEMST Transponder times can be found here: http://www.mylaps.com/en/events/883668
Texas Roadhouse North East Mini Stock Tour competitors braved the cold, the wind, and a muddy pit area to open the 2013 NEMST season at Lee USA Speedway for the famed Governors Cup Weekend. 24 cars entered the race creating 3 heat races and all cars being able to start the feature event. Through Saturday and Sunday practice many cars entered the low 17 second lap range creating the setup for a great race.
Sunoco Race Fuels Winners Challenge: Zach Audet
Sunoco Race Fuels Hard Charger: Ricky Labrecque
Texas Roadhouse $40 Gift Card: Shawn Swallow
RH2 Communicator of the Race: Glen Thomas
Feature Results
1. 19 Zach Audet
2. 33 Matt Sonnhalter
3. 38 Cris King
4. 18 Danny Field
5. 88 Emerson Cayer
6. 52 Ricky Labrecque
7. 53 Glen Thomas
8. 10 Mitch Bombard
9. 28 Mike Parker
10. 9 George Fortin
11. 69 Louis Maher
12. 4 Nik Coates
13. 79 Josh Dunn
14. 47 Jef James
15. 04 Shawn Swallow
16. 55 Billy Osborne
17. 2 Toby Wells
18. 61 Chris Morris
19. 25 Nic Skillings
20. 90 Desmond Skillings
21. 51 Mike Mason
22. 63 Nick Maniatis
23. 48 Justin King
24. 02 Geoff Rollins
