(Press Release from Tri-Track Open Modified Series)
With pre-registration having closed on April 1, the roster for the upcoming season for the 2019 Tri-Track Open Modified Series (TTOMS) season is no joke. A strong roster of veterans and rising talent, totaling 33, will once again provide fans of the series with a season’s worth of racing excitement. A handful of other teams have registered for select events during 2019.
“We are grateful once again for the support of such amazing teams,” said Series founding partner Jim Schaefer. “The list of talented drivers that come from all over the northeast helps to make our series one of the most exciting. I truly can’t wait for the first race at Claremont.”
The list of teams scheduled to compete is highlighted by a pair of drivers, Matt Hirschman and Ron Silk, who will undoubtedly duke it out for the entire season for wins and the coveted championship. Last year’s Star Speedway winner Todd Patnode is slated to make all six starts and Mike Willis, Jr. will be on hand to defend his Claremont 100 victory.
With yet another year of Modified competition under his belt young Matthew Swanson is sure to be another contender for wins in 2019. The likes of Woody Pitkat, Les Hinckley, Russ Hersey, Richard Savary, and the always entertaining Tommy Barrett can never be counted out.
Two relative newcomers to the Series, Anthony Sesely and Ronnie Williams, will add excitement all season long as they both currently plan on competing in all six races. Sesely is a PA modified standout and former TQ indoor champion. Williams will pilot the always ultra-competition entry for owner Gary Casella.
Series officials are also anticipating an exciting announcement regarding the driver of Geary Rinehimer’s entry.
Kirk Alexander, Brad Babb, CJ Bolton, Calvin Carroll, Andrew Charron, Dana DiMatteo, Colbey Fournier, Matthew Galko, Jeff Gallup, Mike Holdridge, Dylan Izzo, Andy Jankowiak, Jon Kievman, Carl Medeiros Jr., John Montesanto, Brian Robie, Geoff Rollins, Les Rose, Dana Smith, Billy Swartz and Kurt Vigeant have also filed full-season entries.
The TTOMS season kicks-off with the second annual Claremont 100 at Claremont Speedway on May 25, followed by long-established events like Open Wheel Wednesday at Seekonk Speedway on June 26 and the SBM 125 at Star Speedway on July 27. New to the schedule includes the Oxford 100 at Oxford Plains Speedway on August 24 as part of the prestigious Oxford 250 weekend plus a trip to Monadnock on September 14. The 2019 season will conclude with the Haunted Hundred at Seekonk on October 26.
To learn more about the Tri-Track Modified Series, visit tritrackmods.com. Follow the Series on Facebook and Twitter @tritrackmods.
33 firmly committed to the full season and others running part-time: Sounds like a minimum or 3-4 heats and a consi before the feature. With six races, this series will further prove to be the best Modified series in New England! Hoping to get to 5 of 6. Can’t wait!
thompson deserves a tri track race
josh, isn’t Tri-Track more of a bullring series? I don’t think those teams are really prepared to run on a fast track with real straightaways like Thompson. And Big Money Matt won’t run there, too fast for him.
Josh, I don’t know if that would work. One of the big equalizers for the different types of cars (WMT, VMRS, ROC, etc.) is the track size. At Thompson, horsepower would definitely come into play on the straights. That power is not required at a bullring track; you need a proper setup and handling, along with driver finesse. I think that is part of the draw for some of the race teams. They don’t have to have the latest, greatest, and most expensive equipment to be competitive and have an equal chance to win.
Would rather see one at either Riverhead or Wall Stadium long before Thompson or Stafford. Of course Waterford would be nice as well but they need to get their act together first.
Good post Fast Ed, I think that about covers the mind set for the series, why it is so popular and well attended. OH lets not forget the $$$$$$$$.
It’s a match made in heaven. The Hirschman Modified Tour series committed to all the TTOMS races.
Emmm, yummy.
Add more locations or replace those that exist? Expanded schedule this year a risk and how will it work out? Oxford Plains, are you kidding me. A haul out to Late Model country. Pushing the envelope and endangering the brand?
A race a month. Sounds reasonable until you look at all the other dates.
Risk is afoot this year. Things will be learned. Could be messing with a successful formula.
Stafford expands, the Bullring Bash as well as the king size TTOMS this year. Could Doug Wrenn with his tracks and other NH tracks offer their own open series next year?
Opens are in. The NWMT is a rock. VMRS and ROC with wobbly knees perhaps.
This is a change year in modified racing methinkst.
Still the best bang for your buck in local auto racing. I love the make up of the field with MRS ROC MRS drivers competing on short tracks. I agree I would rather see this series stay on the bullrings where cubic dollar motors are somewhat equalized by handling. Not sure the big T and Stafford would be a great fit for them. I actually was surprised by the Oxford Plains race announcement. The track is a little bigger than their usual and outside of the geographical area. I hope they have a good show as they will be in front of a lot of full fendered race fans. It may get me to my first oxford 250 in over 10 years.
Does anyone know why the tour drivers generally do not support this series? It seems like the money is pretty good through the field, I know when they first started out they made a concerted effort to schedule on open dates. Is it a rules issue where spec motors aren’t allowed or is it that they just don’t support any racing that isn’t the tour?
Thompson is to fast for big money Matt, that’s why his last win came at a slow bull ring like Richmond
cmon Elect, with the 10 car field of no names at Richmond the 01 could have won
CG, my guess is the financial and personnel commitment required for the WMT doesn’t leave much in the budget for additional events. Getting people and equipment back and forth to SC and VA must have been a big budgetary hit at the beginning of the season for WMT teams. Also the extra wear and tear for the car means more maintenance and more parts replaced to stay competitive on the tour.
wmass01013 wrote, “cmon Elect, with the 10 car field of no names at Richmond the 01 could have won”
🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
Way to keep it real wmass01013.
First time I ever saw Elect use a butter knife trying to insert one of his usually razor sharp daggers.
Best value is in the eye of the beholder. Stafford’s Opens will be the best “value” this year. Excepting the Possum most of the same drivers and 50 more modifieds to watch in two other divisions. Plus rejuvenated Late Models and always entertaining Streets.
The Oxford race is a good reason to trek to see the Bubba Pollard defend the 250 title.
Doug, you need to venture out my friend, there are venues other than Stafford that have great action every night.
You wouldn’t happen to be on the Stafford payroll would you? You seem to plug them every chance you get. It is yet to be seen if they pull a total of 50 SK & SKL that night.
I was over Stafford after they dumped the Pro Stocks and fail to do anything with their enemic Late Model Divison. The Beech Ridge and Oxford weekly shows rival Stafford
And Big Money Matt won’t run there, too fast for him.
Doug!! You wanna field this one?
I don’t see anything wrong being loyal to and rooting for the home team.
UMASS I don’t disagree BUT it’s not a bull ring or a slow track , and you can’t blame him for going and picking up a easy 7 grand
I am not sold quite yet on the resurgence of the late models. I remember the spring sizzler last year they had about 20 cars and I thought perhaps the death of the Stafford specific late model has been greatly exaggerated. Then the following week it was down to a disappointing 11 cars. um what happened here, are we really going to run two heats for this? I am not sure they ever got more than 15 the rest of the year. I will say the late models registrations does look much better than recent years. So I will go in with an optimistic view on the late models. Viva la late models de Stafford.
I will take a tri track race over Stafford open. While I think the Stafford program is very good I just don’t think the Stafford Opens has the depth of talent that the tri track series has. The tri tracks are supported with higher car counts and the price is generally a little lower. I prefer smaller tracks just a personal preference having gone to Riverside and Seekonk regularly. And the tri track series doesn’t have an elongated heat race masquerading as a feature in the middle of the program for a division called the limited late models. At Stafford you can bring a limited late model with 3 wheels and you will walk away with a top 10 every night. I wouldn’t be surprised if you could get a top 5 some nights this year. Oh I can already see my phone battery going dead during their feature and then I am going to have to watch it.
Enjoying that low hanging fruit CG. Tasty isn’t it. You eat it often for sure. Late Models……emmmm.
I know they suck. Just being optimistic. Moving on.
TTOMS will always be the crown jewell of opens. 1) different tracks, 2) always shorter distances, 3) more open engine rules made possible by number 1. 4) different geographic locations with different fan bases. 5) MORE MONEY, 6) did I say MORE MONEY 7) Hirschman 8) product identity , 8) outstanding management.
Not all TTOMS opens are equal. Some great, other not so much. Anytime you have Hirschman blowing into town or Silk or Preece or any of the other top names and locals like Dana Smith and Mike Willis win that is exactly what you want an open to be. As well as seeing Hirschman or Silk win. You want to see full fields. 22 at Star on a small track is fine but not exactly epic. Seekonk or Claremont at 27 is great.
That all said, if you scan the results of the TTOMS and Stafford Open fields you may have to agree that there are similarities. Similarities that I believe will become even more obvious this year.
Opens are in. Long live the modified open regardless of location or sanctioning organization.
HHhhmmmm….. TriTrack vs. Stafford….. It all depends on exactly what you are comparing. If you compare only the open modifieds “apples to apples”, I think TriTrack has lead due to car count, although Stafford’s car count is improving. I consider any weekly racing other than modifieds to be “support divisions” at a given event, just my opinion and preference. If you’re looking at all the racing at a one day event, the TriTrack races (this year at least) are at tracks that do not have weekly modifieds, Monadnock being the exception with what I think is a really good sportsman modified program. And then you have Stafford; 20+ open modifieds PLUS 20-24 SK mods, PLUS 20-24 SKL mods. No other track gives you three good competitive modified races at a one day event. Thompson is trying with the addition of SKL’s to their program, hopefully that works, with maybe more SK’s regularly entering as well.
7/15 TTOMS Seekonk names included: Pitkat, Emerling, Hirschman,Pasteryak, Hossfeld, Jankowiak, Nocella, Preece, Coby.
6/17 at Seekonk included: Hirschman, McKennedy, Pennink, Nocella, Preece,Pitkat, Silk, Santos, Hossfeld, Goodale, Pasteryak, Coby
10/18 at Seekonk included: Hirshman, Silk, Dowling, Pasteryak, Nocella, Jankowiak, Swanson (3)
7/29 at Star included: Silk, Hirschman, Dowling, Pitkat,
Admittedly this is my interpretation of bigger names and likely flawed. I’ll leave it to the reader to determine whether a bit of the star power has faded.