Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park officials announced a seven-event schedule for their oval track for the 2015 racing season on Monday.
The schedule will feature four events for the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour, including the season opening and season ending events for the series. The schedule will also feature five Wednesday night summer events to go along with the season opening Icebreaker and season ending Sunoco World Series of Speedway Racing.
The season will kick off with the Icebreaker, April 10-12, with a schedule featuring the Whelen Modified Tour season opener.
The track resumes action Wednesday June 10 with a return to the facility for the Whelen Modified Tour for a Wednesday night event.
July 8 and July 29 will see the track hosting NASCAR Whelen All-American Series weekly events. The Whelen Modified tour returns on Aug. 12 for a night show. A Whelen All-American Series show will close out the Wednesday events for the season on Aug. 26.
The traditional season ending Sunoco World Series of Speedway Racing will be held Oct. 16-18 and will feature the season finale for the Whelen Modified Tour, Valenti Modified Racing Series and American-Canadian Tour.
“A lot of effort went into taking a fresh look at the schedule, and providing the best events we could for our race teams and fans,” Thompson Speedway general manager Josh Vanada said in a release. “We have some traditional fan favorites that will return, and we have made some valuable additions to complement that core. We are very proud of the finished product and are excited to announce our 2015 schedule of short track events.”
2015 Thompson Speedway Oval Track Schedule
Friday, April 10 – Sunday, April 12: Icebreaker
(Inclement Weather Date: Friday, April 17 – Sunday, April 19)
NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour (150), Sunoco Modified (75), Late Model (25), 2 – Limited Sportsman (20), 2 – Mini Stock (15), Granite State Pro Stock Series (40), NEMA Lites (20), New England Truck Series (20), Vintage Outlaws (15)Wednesday, June 10: NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour, Limited & Mini Triple Crown Race No. 1
(Inclement Weather Date: Thursday, June 11)
NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour (125), Sunoco Modified (30), Late Model (25), Limited Sportsman (20), Mini Stock (20), Vintage Outlaws (15)Wednesday, July 8: Late Model 20/20 Sprint & Limited Triple Crown Race No. 2
(Inclement Weather Date: Wednesday, July 15)
Sunoco Modified (30), Late Model (2 – 20-lap races & one 10 lap sprint), Limited Sportsman (20), Mini Stock (15)Wednesday, July 29: Sunoco Modified 20/20 Sprint & Mini Triple Crown Race No. 2
(Inclement Weather Date: Thursday, July 30)
Sunoco Modified (2 – 20-lap races & one 10 lap sprint), Late Model (25), Limited Sportsman (20), Mini Stock (15), Vintage Outlaws (15)Wednesday, August 12: NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour & Limited Triple Crown Race No. 3
(Inclement Weather Date: Thursday, August 13)
NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour (150), NEMA (25), Sunoco Modified (30), Late Model (25), Limited Sportsman (30), Mini Stock (15)Wednesday, August 26: Sunoco Modified Double Features & Mini Triple Crown Race No. 3
Sunoco Modified (Twin 25’s), Late Model (25), Limited Sportsman (20), Mini Stock (15), Vintage Outlaws (15)Friday, October 16 – Sunday, October 18: Sunoco World Series of Speedway Racing
(Inclement Weather Date: Friday, October 23 – Sunday, October 25)
NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour (150), International Super Modified Association (50), American Canadian Tour (100), Valenti Modified Racing Series (50), Northeastern Midget Association (25), Sunoco Modified (30), Late Model (25), Limited Sportsman (20), Mini Stock (15), Northeast Mini Stock Tour (20), New England Truck Series (20), Pro 4 Modifieds (22), North East Street Stock Tour (20), Lite Modifieds (20), NEMA Lites (20)
This is the saddest schedule I have ever seen.
Bet none of the races will be under 20$ for Grandstand.
Great Disappointment as t
he Big T has always been my favorite local track. A schedule like this will be sure to contribute to a declining car count. Who wants to build and maintain a race car to run 7 events a year?
Only 1 VMRS? Guess this is sadder than 2013. I hear that Bob Hanley is going to be behind the wheel of the #3 Late Model at Thompson.
Basically, same schedule as last year and car counts were up compared to previous years at the Big T
So the VMRS is only racing once and all they’ll race is 50 laps? What a joke. Does Thompson not want them there or does the series not want to race there? Nobody should be surprised with the short schedule. They’ve made it know that weekly racing is a thing of the past for them. As long as Waterford opens next year, car counts should go up as they did this past season. Sad that the outlaw divisions are gone from the world series. But with so many changes and hardly any showing up anymore, I’m not surprised. Wonder how this new street stock tour will do. Does the northeast really need yet another touring division?
Just one VMRS 50 lap event. Any explanation?
well no Thompson for me again this year,am surely not going to pay they’re ridiculousy overpriced entry fees plus gas. only 3 events really will be even close to affordable cause you know the tour races will be 45$ total rip off
Paulrose358… Simple business, higher overhead, higher admission. Of the 3 tracks weekly, Thompson is most expensive and largest, Waterford is cheapest and smallest. Simple math.
Rich O(blivious)… apparently you haven’t paid attention lately? “declining car count” is the most hilarious thing I have ever heard… A rough average of 19 SK, 30 Limiteds, 20 Minis and 20 Late Models is hardly a decline. That’s up from 2012 when they were averaging 12 SK, 20 Limiteds, 15-20 minis and 7 Late models… Huge decline… Huge…
Why isn’t Boss in the three this year? Does the 70 got Boss running elsewhere?
All the comments about the schedule being sad.Well wake up race fans, this is the direction of racing in Ct. Bigger but fewer events. Check out the rules sometime. Their impossibly expensive now even for the cheapest divisions.Thank goodness for the Arutes and Stafford for keeping weekly racing alive.But the crowds demographics are older and car counts like 13.The handwriting is on the wall.
Who in the world is Bob Hanley?