Scott Tapley Leaving Waterford Speedbowl To Become New Valenti Modified Racing Series Race Director

After two years overseeing the competition at the Waterford Speedbowl, Scott Tapley is going on tour.

Scott Tapley overseeing a race night at the Waterford Speedbowl

Tapley, the racing director the last two years at the Waterford Speedbowl, has been named the new racing director for the Valenti Modified Racing Series.

Tapley, who lives in Poland Spring, Me., would commute to the Speedbowl during the racing season to oversee Saturday night Whelen All-American Series competition and also was in charge on of the Wacky Wednesday programs at Waterford.

He takes over a Valenti Modified Racing Series that has been searching for a new race director since early October.

“It’s an honor to be a part of a touring series like that,” Tapley said. “I’m very excited to say the least. But it’s kind of bittersweet to leave the Speedbowl obviously. I spent the last four years over there, but the travel was what it was and this is a once in a lifetime opportunity to be part of something that I think that has the potential to be something real big.”

Tapley spent two years working under former Speedbowl race director Tom Fox before taking over the position when Fox left the track.

“I’d like to think that I left a good mark on the place and that’s what it’s all about, trying to leave it better then where it was when you got it,” Tapley said.

Said Waterford Speedbowl owner Terry Eames: “We’re disappointed but we knew that this was a career path that Scott wanted and we’re happy for him. We truly are happy for Scott. It’s been painful commuting from Maine, having a wife and two little kids and having to come down here for all those shows. I think it’s a good career move for him.”

Tapley also spent numerous years as a crew member with Matt Kobyluck’s former NASCAR K&N Pro Series East team.

“He seems like he’s a very intelligent young man,” Valenti Modified Racing Series founder and series owner Jack Bateman said. “He’s got quite a bit of experience. We spent some time together and we’ve chatted and stuff and he seems to share my vision on the direction we need to go in so we came to the agreement that we would go forward.”

Said Tapley: “It’s about putting on the best product that we can. The Modifieds are king so it’s about trying to corner that market.”

Eames said the track expects to make a decision regarding a replacement in the near future.

“We’re still working on it,” Eames said. “We have some things in play but nothing we can talk about yet. Scott has built a great team and Scott functioned from the same race philosophy that we developed over a number of years and he inherited an organization that Tom Fox built well and we’re prepared to go on from this.”