THOMPSON – With the curtain closing on the 2014 season Sunday at Thompson Speedway, the information began flowing about what the 2015 season will look like at the facility’s oval track.
Thompson Speedway general manager Josh Vanada confirmed that the track will add a fourth NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour event to the schedule for the 2015 season.
The division visited the track three times in 2014, with their season opening event in April, an August event and today’s season ending Sunoco World Series 150.
The track will add a June Whelen Modified Tour event for 2015. The track will also once again host the season’s opening and closing events and and August event in 2015.
“We’re ecstatic,” Vanada said. “The Modified Tour is a great division for us. We love having them here. We’ve got a rich history. We’ve held the championship race here for the last 15 of 16 seasons and 21 times out of 30 since the tour started. We’re glad to have some one local like [Chester based] Whelen behind the company. It’s a great Connecticut partnership for us to hold four races here.”
Sunday’s event at Thompson will mark the 126th time the division has run at the track since its inception in 1985, the most of any track ever.
Vanada said the full 2015 schedule for the oval track is a work in progress.
“It’s going to be similar in format to this year,” Vanada said. “That’s about all I can say at this time. We’ll probably see some of our segment style racing again. That seemed to be a hit across the divisions. But quantity will be very similar to this year. A lot of the formats we used this year will be used in 2015.”
Is this the Waterford date due to the uncertainty of the future of the facility? Or is this planned as an added date or moved from elsewhere?
I really hope that isn’t the Waterford date. 4 WMT events for any track is crazy (looking at you Stafford). For a series that’s nicknamed The Connecticut Tour this isn’t very good for PR.
Another event for the whelan bore tour whoopdie flippin doo, just adds another nite to stay home. Now if thompson would host an open mod race with a good payout like seekonk that would be the race to go to, im glad the bowl is still alive cause its hard to go to stafford on a friday nite and thompson just blows now
I’m sure it will take many weeks to figure out what Waterford is doing. Glad to see a 4th event at Thomp
son. Maybe a June Sunday show? That would be cool.
There are pros and cons to adding a fourth event at Thompson, but in the end it is a positive for racing and for the track. I look forward to it.
When you say Thompson will again open and close the 2015 WMT season, is that a schedule fact or assumption? Just curious?
If the 4th race is on the road course that would be pretty cool in my book.
The “business models” of the 3 CT tracks have been discussed a great deal lately (mostly related to Mr. Bemer’s purchase of the Speedbowl). Thompson would appear to be in the best shape as a result of its diversification (golf course, road course and oval track). Stafford’s strength is its family commitment to weekly racing, while Waterford has suffered from questionable management in recent years. But, all of these facilities could use “a coat of paint” (so to speak). Waterford may need the most investment, but neither Thompson nor Stafford are in pristine condition. It appears to be a tough time to be in the short track business …
The WMT schedule is complete for the 2015 season without Waterford as of now. Hopefully Waterford can add a couple of Tour races to round out the WMT schedule for 2015.With Waterford back on solid ground they could host a least 2 WMT races in 2015. Look for 15 to 16 point events in 2015. The WMT races are a win-win for Modified Car Owners, Fans and The Track Owners. With that said the Tour still needs a TV Contract.
The MRS is struggling with their schedule with a cutback of races at Stafford and possibly no Seekonk dates. Maybe Devils Bowl, VT (new) and Beech Ridge returning in 2015.