VERONICA YANKOWSKI Monroe’s Mike Lyons will be one of the local racers competing at New Egypt Speedway this weekend, as the track tries to catch up on all the racing it has missed with the recent bad weather.
WALL TOWNSHIP — The NASCAR Featherlite Modified Series will rumble to life for its inaugural race at Wall Township Speedway on Sunday.
The racing program, which will include a 50-lapper for Wall’s Busch Beer Modifieds and a 50-lapper for the Pro Stocks in addition to the Featherlite Modified 150-lapper, will begin promptly at 1 p.m. In fact, the weekend will be a big one with NASCAR Dodge Weekly Series action also slated for Saturday night at 6 p.m.
On Sunday, all the top drivers in the NASCAR Featherlite Modified Series are expected to be on hand. Point leader Todd Szegedy of Ridgefield, Conn. will be looking for yet another victory, while local favorite John Blewett III, Howell, will continue to chase him both on the track and in the point standings. Chuck Hossfeld of Ransomville, N.Y., Rick Fuller of Auburn, Mass., Howell’s Jamie Tomaino, Nevin George of Kunkletown, Pa., Donny Lia of Merrick, N.Y., Eddie Flemke of Southington, Conn., Jerry Marquis of Broad Brook, Conn., Ted Christopher, Plainville, Conn., Jan Leaty of Williamson, N.Y., and Tony Hirschman of Northampton, Pa., are just some of the Featherlite Series stars expected to compete for the first-ever Wall Modified Series win.
Although Wall Township Speedway offers NASCAR Dodge Weekly Series auto racing every Saturday night through the end of October, this final weekend of June will be gigantic.
Both Saturday evening and Sunday afternoon will offer Modified stock car action with a total of 235 laps of Modified feature race competition on tap!
On Saturday night at 6 p.m., the speedway’s own Busch Beer Modifieds will be in the spotlight on NAPA/All Service Night in a 35-lap main event. The Pro Stocks, Street Stocks, Truck Series, Legend Cars and TQ Midgets will also be on the agenda.
Then on Sunday afternoon at 1 p.m. the traveling stars of the NASCAR Featherlite Modified Series will make their first-ever start at the third-mile paved oval in a 150-lap feature event.
Wall’s Busch Beer Modifieds will continue their busy weekend on this day running in a 50-lap feature race that was rain postponed from earlier in the season. The Pro Stocks will also be on the Sunday afternoon bill in a 50-lapper that was rain postponed.
Facility improvements continue
at Wall Township Speedway
Speedway operations manager Sergio Benitez announced today that sections of the wooden rails around the third-mile high-banked paved are going to be replaced with galvanized metal highway rails from corner to corner, while the straight-aways will remain the existing wooden rails. He said that the new rails could be in place before this weekend.
Rain again: New Egypt adds Wednesday dates
After losing Saturday’s racing program to rain for the fifth consecutive week, and having a Sunday rain date deep-sixed by over-saturated track conditions, New Egypt Speedway management decided it was time to take a different tack.
At least two of the seven events lost to wet weather this season will be made up on Wednesdays, with "Spring Drizzle, Summer Sizzle" additions to the schedule.
On Wednesday, July 2, New Egypt will present Drizzle/Sizzle I, featuring an added two-division show of big-block Modifieds and Super Stocks, starting at 7 p.m. Gates will open at 5 p.m. Drizzle/Sizzle II will take place at the same starting time on Wednesday, July 16, with big-block Mods and Sportsman on the card. The track’s Saturday-night rules and format will be in effect for the midweek additions, including tire rules, handicapping, points, etc.
"If we can’t beat mother nature on the weekends, we’ll try to make up some of the shows on Wednesday nights," said track owner Rick Grosso Sr. "Actually, when the track was asphalt, it enjoyed a lot of success for many years with a Wednesday race date. We’re hoping these Wednesday make-up dates will give everyone a chance to see the great racing that was lost in the spring — no matter what happens on Saturday night."
New Egypt will try again next Saturday night, with Rogers Appliances Big Bang holiday special. Cream Ridge Golf Club’s Senior Masters Challenge, a set of invitational match races for dads of drivers that was rained out on both June 14 and 21, will slide into the July 5 schedule, alongside Mid-State Communications’ Grand Slam Little League Night. The Vespia Tire & Auto Care King of the Crew Chiefs pitstop competition will be rescheduled later in the season.