(Press Release from OTB Promotions)
The North East Street Stock Tour will travel to Lee USA Speedway for the upstart tour’s inaugural event, May 17, with the Tri-Track Open Modified Series. The following is a closer look at notes and numbers of the new North East Street Stock Tour at Lee USA Speedway.
LEE USA SPEEDWAY NOTES:
– Bob Bonser first opened Lee Raceway in 1964. The track was a 1/3 mile dirt tri-oval, and had two different elevation changes, uphill and downhill.
– In 1965, Bonser paved the dirt track, in hopes of bringing the NESMRA (New England Super Modified Racing Association) to the facility, and did so in 1965, making Lee Raceway their “home track”. 1965 also featured the only winter snow race in the history of the facility.
– Due to financial concerns, Lee Raceway was closed in 1979. It reopened in 1984, under a trio of owners (Kenny Smith, Russ Conway, and Charlie Elliott), who had owned Star Speedway, and Hudson International Speedway, as well. The trio renamed the oval Lee USA Speedway, running the first oval race on July 4, 1984.
– The first ever Oktoberfest, the track’s marquee event, was held in October of 1984, with Paul Richardson winning the first-ever Super Modified feature at the inaugural event. The event was one of the largest in New England short track racing history, with over 300 entrants, and well over 7,000 fans in attendance.
– Running special events only, the track was sold to the MacDonald family in December of 1986. The MacDonald era began in 1987, as weekly racing at Lee USA Speedway became a staple, and the track has hosted weekly action since.
– Lee has hosted some NASCAR drivers at the facility. One being a 19-year-old Jeff Gordon, who tested one of Red MacDonald’s Super Modifieds at the track. Others were part of the “Budweiser Shootout”, which came to Lee USA Speedway in 1985 and 1986, featuring the stars of the top series in NASCAR at the time, including Terry Labonte, Buddy Baker, Tim Richmond, and Dale Earnhardt Sr.
LEE USA SPEEDWAY DATA:
TRI-TRACK SERIES INAUGURAL EVENT: Race 1 (non-championship points) of 10 on 2015 season
LENGTH: .375 mile oval
BANKING: 12 degrees in the turns, 8 degrees on the front and back stretch
RACE LENGTH: 35 laps
DRIVER NOTES
#73 Larry Barnett
– Career wins leader at Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park (56).
– Four-time Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park champion, including winning consecutively in 2009-2010.
– Former modified driver.
#33 Geoff Rollins
– One win in one attempt at Lee USA Speedway in the Hobby Stock Division in 2014.
– Second-generation driver, can be easily recognized from having orange on his race car.
– Raced at Lee, Monadnock Speedway, Hudson International Speedway, and Star Speedway in 2014, in everything from a Hobby Stock to a Pro Stock.
#79 Patrick Tanguay
– Champion at Lee USA Speedway in the Hobby Stocks in 2014.
– Finished with two wins, eleven top 5’s, and fourteen top 10’s in fourteen starts, with an average feature finish of 3.69.
#14ME David Brannon
– Picked up a feature win at Oxford Plains Speedway, in five starts.
– In five starts at Oxford Plains Speedway, finished in the top 5 four times
#26 Corey Morgan
– In nine starts at Oxford Plains Speedway, carried the checkered flag three times in 2014.
– Along with three victories, picked up five top 5’s and six top 10’s in nine starts at Oxford Plains Speedway in 2014.
#39 Chris Douton
– Picked up four top 5’s and five top 10’s in just seven starts at Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park in 2014.
– Former Strictly Stock champion at New London-Waterford Speedbowl (1997, 1999).
– Former Strictly Stock champion at Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park (2011).
– Has one win, and two top 3’s in two starts at Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park in 2015.
#51 Bryan Town
– Earned nine victories between Twin State Speedway and Monadnock Speedway, combined, in 2014.
– Former Street Stock champion at Twin State Speedway (2007).
– Rookie of the Year in the Late Model division at Devil’s Bowl Speedway, finishing third in points in 2012.
#19 Ryan Lineham
– Ran Pro Stocks last year at Seekonk Speedway, picking up a win, four top 5’s, and nine top 10’s in fifteen starts.
– Has dabbled in the Granite State Pro Stock Series, running the Icebreaker in 2014.
– Ran at Lee USA Speedway at Oktoberfest, in a car similar to the North East Street Stock Tour.
#2 Jim Boyle
– 2012 Super X Car champion at New London-Waterford Speedbowl.
– Will run the entire North East Street Stock Tour schedule, as well as run at New London-Waterford Speedbowl in the Street Stock, and SK Modified division.
– Involved in charity off the track, supporting the fight against autism, and participating in a Walk for Autism at Rentschler Field (CT).
For more information on the North East Street Stock Tour, visit www.nestreetstocktour.com.
Numerical stats gathered via www.neracestats.com.
Leave a Reply