Souza Media: Over 35 of the best asphalt Modified drivers from across the Northeast will come together at New Hampshire’s Star Speedway this Saturday, July 24. In the third race of the Tri Track Open Modified Series season, the 10th annual SBM Classic, drivers will chase a purse of over $65,000. Tri Track will post the normal purse of just over $40,000, followed by additional bonus funds that will be distributed by racing journalist Kevin Rice and the track, post-race. The race is set to be the highest paying in the history of Star Speedway.
With only two of the six events on the 2021 schedule in the record books, the series has two different winners, and a championship leader who has been the most consistent. Sam Rameau won the opener at Monadnock Speedway on May 1, and Jon McKennedy followed it up with victory at Star on May 22. The annual Open Wheel Wednesday, which was originally scheduled for June 30 at Seekonk Speedway, was postponed due to a power outage until August 25, and will now act as the fifth race.
This means Saturday’s action at Star is the first of three races in the next month. McKennedy dominated the race at Star, and is heading back looking to sweep both visits at the oval. Rameau, who was the top contender at Monadnock, looks to rebound from a finish outside the top-10 at Star in May. They will be joined by NASCAR Cup Series regular Ryan Preece, series points leader Ron Silk, Ronnie Williams, Justin Bonsignore, Les Hinckley, Anthony Nocella, Matt Swanson, five-time series champion Matt Hirschman, and more. A full expected entry list for the race is available at the bottom of this story.
Silk leads Rameau by eight points in the championship standings, with Hinckley in third, 14 points back, and Hirschman fourth, 15 points from the lead. Anthony Sesely, Woody Pitkat and Chris Pasteryak follow in the standings. The Star event will mark the midway point in the chase for the Tri Track championship trophy.
Since Tri Track became part of the SBM event, McKennedy (2014), Hirschman (2016, 2017 & 2020), Todd Patnode (2018) and Silk (2019) have been to Victory Lane.
The race also marks the fifth of 10 events in the Call 811 Before You Dig Modified Challenge — a combination of the six Tri Track events and four Stafford Motor Speedway Open Modified shows. Points are awarded to top-10 finishers in each event, with 10 going to the winner, 9 to second, 8 to third, and so on, down through the top-10. After the first four races, Preece leads the standings with 20 points, over Williams, who is four points back. Nocella, Silk and Mike Christopher Jr. currently finish the top-five. Following Saturday’s race at Star, the next race in the Call Before You Dig series will be the Open Modified 80 at Stafford on July 30.
There is an optional practice day for Tri Track race teams on Friday, July 23, from 3-7 p.m. Teams that are interested must pre-register with the track. Tickets for Saturday’s race day are $30 for adults, with seniors, juniors (11-16) and military set at $25. For children ages 4-10, entry is just $10, and kids four and under are free. Pit passes will also be available to the general public for $40 for Star members and $45 for non-members.
Star Speedway’s own J&S Paving 350 Supermodifieds are set to compete in a 40-lap Marco Turcotte Memorial special, joined by the MLM Diagnostic Pure Stocks, Murphy and Son’s Roofing Six Shooters and K-Cobb Slingshots. All Star divisions will compete in both qualifying and feature racing.
ENTRY LIST: Tri Track Open Modified Series SBM X at Star Speedway; July 24, 2021:
(CAR # — DRIVER)
00 — Justin Bonsignore
02 — Geoff Rollins
06 — Les Hinckley
06 — Sam Rameau
06R — Driver TBA
07 — Kyle James
07 — Patrick Emerling
2 — Frank LeToile Jr.
3 — Matt Swanson
5 — Tommy Barrett
6 — Woody Pitkat
6 — Ryan Preece
6 — Ben Byrne
8 — Earl Paules
9 — Chase Dowling
11 — Ricky Knapp Jr.
13 — Dylan Izzo
16 — Ron Silk
18 — Max Zachem
21 — Angelo Belsito
25 — Ronnie Williams
25NH — Brian Robie
27R — Derek Robbie
27H — DRIVER TBA
27 — Anthony Sesely
41 — Joe Ventrillo
50 — Carl Medeiros Jr.
50C — Joey Cipriano III
55 — Ryan Doucette
55B — Robert Bloxsom
60 — Matt Hirschman
66 — Austin Kochenash
73 — Andy Jankowiak
75 — Chris Pasteryak
76 — Kirk Alexander
76 — Dana DiMatteo
79 — Jon McKennedy
81 — Josh Cantara
87 — Brett Gonyaw
92 — Anthony Nocella
99 — Richard Savary