Category Archives: Racer News
NEAR Announces 2014 Hall of Fame Class
Drivers Deke Astle, Jim Martel, Mike Rowe, Fred Schulz, Ron Wyckoff, drag racing icon Bob Tasca, historian R.A. Silvia and car builder/mechanic Dave Tourigny make up the New England Auto Racing Hall of Fame’s class of 2014.
They, along with the still to be announced pioneer class, will be inducted at NEAR’s 16th Hall of Fame banquet Sunday, Nov. 16th, at The Lodge at Maneeley’s in South Windsor, CT. Banquet ticket information will be announced shortly and will be posted on the New England Antique Racers’ website (www.NEAR1.org) in the near future.
Part of one of New England’s foremost racing families, Astle, a Westport, MA resident, was a champion at both Seekonk and Lakeville Speedways. Noted for his adaptability, “The Little Man with the Big Cigar” was also a major force throughout Eastern New England, most notably at Westboro and Thompson Speedways in addition to Seekonk and Lakeville.
Martel, of Ipswich, MA, won in cars ranging from Cutdowns to Supermodifieds over four-plus decades of competition. A two-time NESMRA Late Model champion, his resume includes a Late Model win at Fredrickson in the Canadian Maritimes and a Supermodified win at Thompson Speedway in Connecticut. He has victories at over a dozen tracks.
Turner, ME resident Mike Rowe continues to compete, adding to a list of accomplishments that includes over 200 victories and 13 championships. Starting in 1968, Rowe, a three-time Oxford 250 winner, has won, in addition to seven Oxford crowns, NEPSA (1999), ACT (1994), PASS (2006), BRMS (2013) championships and has ruled at Wiscasset (1991) and Beech Ridge (2009).
Noted for an intense competitive zeal, Schultz’s championships at Norwood (1969) and Westboro (1978) figure among a list of accomplishments over a career that began in the post-World War II “cutdown” era. Also part of a racing family, Schulz, who passed away in 1999, and car owner Jim Susi won 14 straight at three different tracks in 1959.
Wyckoff, a Southington, CT resident, was a major winner at Plainville Stadium and Riverside Park Speedway and a force everywhere else in the 1960s and ’70s. A winner of three-straight Riverside 500s, the Florida native rarely sat idle, testimony to both his ability to take care of equipment and his standing among his fellow competitors and the fans.
Working with the Koszela family, Tourigny designed, built and maintained an impressive list of Modifieds. They included the legendary Woodchopper coupes and Vegas, the Logroller Corvair and a revolutionary Ford-powered Pinto that the likes of Fred DeSarro, Bugs Stevens and Mike Stefanik drove to a host of victories and to a half-dozen championships.
A Providence-area Ford dealer for 55 years, Tasca came to drag racing in the late 1960s, seeing it as a boom to his business. He quickly became a major power. Starting with a ’64 Ford Fairlane, Tasca moved to Funny Cars and full-blown “fuelers,” bringing New England into the national spotlight. Tasca died in 2010.
Silvia has emerged as one of New England’s premier auto racing historians and preservationists. “The man to go to” for those seeking historical clarification or a photograph, he has served promoters, competitors, media and fans alike for over three decades out of his home in Warwick, RI. From a historical standpoint, his impact on New England racing is immeasurable.
Yamaha announces support for 2015 USXC I-500 Winnipeg to Willmar race
Pleasant Prairie, WI—Yamaha announced a new contingency program today, aimed at supporting the everyday snowmobiler who wants to make a run at the USXC I-500 race from Winnipeg, MB, to Willmar, MN. “We love cross country because it’s the most relatable type of racing for fans,” said Yamaha Snowmobile Marketing Manager, Wade West. “It is also the most achievable for a snowmobiler to try with their own trail sled.
“The USXC’s plan for the 2015 International 500-mile race brings back one of the heritage events of our sport and we want to support the revival of that tradition,” West continued. “So we are proud to offer a contingency prize to any Yamaha snowmobiler— We will pay back the entry fee for any officially registered rider in the USXC I-500 who starts in Winnipeg and finishes in Willmar on a Yamaha snowmobile!”
The support program is open to any entrant to the race, regardless of class or level. “We sincerely hope to see a large field of citizen racers challenging themselves and their snowmobiles at this event,” said West. “Cross country snowmobile racing is growing in popularity, and we are happy to encourage our customers to give it a try by offering this contingency program.”
“Yamaha builds durable, high performance snowmobiles,” West added. “Especially the new SR Viper R-TX LE with its beefy Dual Shock SR 129 Race rear suspension and high performance shock package.” The R-TX LE is available only by placing a $500 deposit at a Yamaha Snowmobile Dealer during the Spring Power Surge promotion, which ends on April 15, 2014.
Check Yamaha-Snowmobiles.com for additional information later this spring!
Polaris Hillclimbers Dominate at Crested Butte, Winning 9 of 12 Pro Classes and All Three Pro King of the Hill Crowns
Keith Curtis & Erin Beukelman Win Seven Pro Classes, All Three King Crowns
MEDINA, Minn. (April 14, 2014) – Polaris Terrain Domination® on the Rocky Mountain Snowmobile Hillclimb circuit continued at the Crested Butte (CO) Hillclimb on April 12-13, as Polaris hillclimbers won nine of 12 Pro classes – including all four Pro Stock classes – won all three Pro King of the Hill titles, won every Semi-Pro and Amateur class, and swept every podium position in three Semi-Pro classes.
Leading the way among Pro hillclimbers was Keith Curtis, who won four class titles and two King crowns, and Erin Beukelman, who won three class titles and Improved King of the Hill. Curtis won three Pro Stock classes and Luke Rainey won 700 Stock for a Polaris sweep of the Stock titles.
Pro Classes: Four Polaris Racers Win Class Titles
Polaris hillclimbers won all four Pro Stock classes at Crested Butte, and Keith Curtis won three of those, taking first place in 600 Stock, 800 Stock and 1000 Stock. He also won the 800 Mod class, and in the King of the Hill runoffs, he won the Stock crowns on his 800 Stock-winning sled, and won the Mod King of the Hill title on his 800 Mod sled.
In the five classes Erin Beukelman entered, he won three titles and finished second in another class. Beukelman won the 700 Mod, 800 Improved Stock, and 1000 Improved class titles, and took second in 800 Mod. He went on to win the Improved King of the Hill title on his 1000 Improved sled.
Justin Thomas won the 600 Mod class, took second in 600 Improved, and finished third in the Mod King of the Hill runoff.
Luke Rainey won the 700 Stock class, and took third in both 800 Stock and 600 Stock.
Also earning podium finishes in the Pro classes were: Cole Wilford, who was second in 700 Mod and third in 800 Mod; Tyler Crockett, who took second in 600 Mod and 800 Improved Stock, and third in 1000 Improved; David Sharp, Jr., who finished second in both 1000 Stock and Open Mod; and Aaron Sterck, who took third in Open Mod.
Polaris Racers Claim Every Semi-Pro Podium Spot
Polaris racers filled the podium in all three Semi-Pro classes, including finishing 1-6 in Semi-Pro Stock, where Jesse Hotchkiss won, Andy Thomas was second, and Taylor Siemers finished third. In Semi-Pro Improved, Polaris racer Andy Thomas won, Taylor Siemers was second, and Jason Fox took third. In Semi-Pro Mod, it was Jason Fox winning, Dustin Grant in second, and Kameron Lindsay in third.
Jesse Hotchkiss won the Semi-Pro King of the Hill title on his Stock sled, while Jason Fox was second and Andy Thomas took third.
In Amateurs Stock, Polaris racers finished 1-5, as Tanner Meyers won, Rayden Gladfelder was second and Johnathon Durmas finished third. In Amateurs Improved Stock, Polaris racers finished 1-2-3, with Durmas winning, Justyn Heater in second, and Gladfelder taking third. Tanner Meyers won Amateurs Mod and Heater finished third.
In the Women’s classes, Shelley Heap won the Women’s Stock title, finished second in Improved and Mod, and took second in the Queen of the Hill competition. Faith Vickers reached the podium with a third-place finish in Women’s Stock.
Robbie Malinoski Announces Retirement
Robbie Malinoski Announces Retirement
May 12, 2014 – Robbie Malinoski, one of the most popular pro snocross athletes of the past decade, has officially announced his retirement as a racer. Malinoski’s journey started in 2001 when he followed the path of fellow Canadian and mentor Blair Morgan to a life on the road with the World Snowmobile Association, taking part in his first race in Fargo, North Dakota.
A native of Humboldt, Saskatchewan, Malinoski made the move to Thief River Falls, Minnesota for the 2002-03 season where he paired up with Earl Reimer and found moderate success on the tour.
