Reid Lanpher during K&N Pro Series East testing Thursday at Stafford Motor Speedway
STAFFORD – The paddock at Stafford Motor Speedway filled Thursday afternoon with the teams of the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East for an open test in preparation for Friday’s Stafford 150.
The return of the division to the track for the first time since 2008 meant it was new surroundings for most of the drivers and teams on hand Thursday.
But for one team owner at least it was old home day at Stafford Speedway.
Longtime race team owner Ted Marsh of Old Lyme had his K&N Pro Series East team in the house with Maine racer Reid Lanpher behind the wheel of his familiar red and white car.
Marsh worked out a five-race deal for the 2016 K&N Pro Series East with Lanpher, but with the return of Stafford to the series schedule, Marsh decided to modify the deal.
“We had to add to add this race,” Marsh said. “I’m a Connecticut guy and I love this place. I just love this. We came up here and tested like three weeks ago and [track owner] Mark Arute came over and we haven’t seen eachother in 20 probably years and it was like old times.”
Marsh and Stafford’s all-time winningest driver, Ted Christopher, long worked together on the K&N Pro Series East.
Marsh left the division in 2008 to focus his racing efforts in the world of Sports Car racing, dabbling over the past decade in both Grand American Series competition and with the American LeMans Series.
But Marsh walked away from the Sports Car rollings after the 2014 season and returned to the K&N Pro Series East last year with Stonington driver Dave Garbo Jr.
Garbo finished 12th in the K&N Pro Series East standings in 2015.
This year Marsh has cut back to a part-time schedule.
“Funding-wise it was not possible to do full-time this year,” Marsh said. “Right now with Reid Lanpher, we’re doing whatever he can come up with to help. I have a budget with Whelen and that’s still wonderful. It pays for the overhead but not really the racing. It keeps the team operational.”
The 19-year old Lanpher made his series debut at Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway on April 16 but was involved in a crash 10 laps into the event.
Lanpher is looking forward to making his Stafford debut and feels he has an advantage with his team owner’s long history at the half-mile oval.
“I definitely feel pretty fortunate to be on their team,” Lanpher said. “I know they’ve had some success here with Ted Christopher. I definitely feel pretty fortunate to be with this crew.
“It’s a cool place and definitely is pretty special for me to run here. It’s such a challenging track. That’s what I love about it. It’s definitely a driver’s track in comparison to some others we see. I think that’s great. It’s a ball to drive because you’ve got so many different factors.”
After Stafford Lanpher will run series events this year for Marsh at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, Iowa Speedway, Watkins Glen (N.Y.) International and Dover (Del.) International Speedway.
Former NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour champion and current XFINITY Series racer Ryan Preece of Berlin is also expected to run at Marsh owned car in the K&N Pro Series event at Watkins Glen.
And while Marsh will get to visit with his old driver Ted Christopher Friday night at the track, he had hoped they could make a full-on reunion happen. Unfortunately Marsh said they could not come up with a deal to get Christopher in a car for Friday K&N Pro Series East event.
“We would have loved to do something with Teddy,” Marsh said. “We were thinking about running two cars. But Teddy couldn’t come up with anything for it and we just couldn’t make it happen.”
This story tells you what is wrong with the series. No true racers because of funding. Just rich kids with daddy’s money. Back in the day you know all the drivers because of there local tracks and working up the ranks. So because of money he pick some kid that has never raced there instead of TC or Preece that won there multiple times. TC over a100.
It’s all about who’s got the money.
Unfortunately this is what racing has become, all money from the Dare stockers all the way to the top. There are lots of capable drivers who sit in the stands every week. TC and TM getting back together for this show would have been good. How many cars are actually entered? I wonder how many people will leave after the mods? I hope it’s a good show.
No locals
I no go then
Maine wtf
We in ct home of the rich guys
Hey FrAndy…As the “rich kids” dad I can tell you that we do not have the money to run this series. Luckily, my now 18-year old son has had enough success in racing to attract sponsors who are paying for this K&N deal. If I had the $750K needed to run the full series, I would love to. Kills me every day that even though my son has the talent, he can’t go any further in racing because we do not have the money to do so.
For $75K per race he can be in the best car out there.
For $125K per race he could be running the truck race at Iowa.
For $180K per race he could be in an Xfinity car.
So for future reference, talk about all the kids in this series that came in private jets, not my son who came in a Ford Escape after working 80 hours in the past week.
The Busch North Series was great back in the 90’s. Dion, Santarre, Couch, Stefanik, Marquis, Fadden, Mcabe and you could go on and on. Those were racers. That type of thing is done gone and never coming back. The closest thing left to it is the mod tour and that is decaying away as well.
Ted March is a fake racer.
Whelen should not be sponsoring a fake racer like Teddy March.
He lives right here in CT and can’t field a WMT Modified instead of that full body crap thing they call a race car. LOL
He’s a joke racer.
Never has won anything.
Franky,
This kid was actually the Pro Stock champion at Beech Ridge last season, also won a weekly race at Oxford, and finished second in the Oxford 250. The story seemed to be more about owner Ted Marsh and really did not get into great detail about the driver except what they did in the K&N series.
Frankly have you seen this kids credentials at all? Yes he has sponsorship from companies his dad’s business deals with. Maybe you have heard of EJ Prescott and mission trailers. Prescott worked with a few other kids over the years named Randy Lajoie, Ricky Craven and Andy Santeere. The kids won a championship in pro stocks at beech Ridge. He also has a top three at a little race in Maine called the Oxford 250 to go along with other top finishes over the last few years running Pass events. What does Ted bring to the table the last few years beside a few Sk wins?
Must be hard working 80 hours for dad and get to take off Thursday and Friday to go racing. Best of luck to him. Please don’t ever compare him to TC. We’ll see in 30 years maybe.
I can’t believe you are talking that kind of smack about Ted Marsh unless you really don’t know him. He is a gentleman and one of the smartest, dedicated, hard working individuals that has ever laid a hand on a race car. A few SK wins really? The man has won on the Modified Tour, BGN tour, Viper and Corvette series. He has ties in South with some of the most influential owners and crew chiefs in the business of racing and has had some of the best drivers in the sport in the seat of his cars. So please don’t run you mouth about what you think you know.
Craig, I doubt you know Ted or much about him-hell, you can’t even spell his name right.
That man has brought a lot to racing and helped further quite a few drivers careers from the Northeast. I doubt your lifetime achievements would par with an off year for him, but please go ahead and tell us of all the great racing accomplishments you have racked up. Hate the series if you like, but do a little research before you call Ted out as a fake racer.
I wish TC an Marsh had a Go Fund Me for this race- I bet we could have made it happen….
Lets face it people Teddy is all done. The future is the young kids just like when Teddy got into it many years ago. Get over it.
Damn people. SC writes a nice article about Teddy Marsh returning to Stafford and you turn it into a bashing event. Sonny, most of these clowns spewing hate have never been to Beech Ridge much less know who their track champions are. I for one think its cool having the 31 back on the track at Stafford.
Anyone remember the Busch North photo finish at Stafford between Stefanik and Ricky Fuller many moons ago? Maybe the late 1990s. I think Rick won by like 3 inches if memory serves.
Wow! Who peed in your corn flakes? Folks, get a grip already.
I seem to remember that Ted Marsh fielded a modified for Kenny Bouchard and I think it was numbered 55. Kenny won a lot of modified races at Stafford in that car. However I am getting old and my memory is not as good anymore. Does anyone else remember this?
Joe you are absolutely correct, Big Bird drove the 55 along with Rick Fuller and many other top modified shoes. Matter of fact when TC drove his BGN car LesCare Kitchens was the sponsor.
Hey NotRich,
Way to watch your son’s back, I truly admire you for that.
Happy Fathers day.
Some of you clowns are a real joke. Run off the mouths and have no idea what Ted accomplished in his life. Ted is one of the most respected men I have ever known. Worked for him for about 15 years and most of you young guys that drive ‘Store Bought’ cars would have no clue how to build a race car from scratch. You should want to know what Ted is like before running off with the mouth. Sounds like Waterford Mentalities. Yes Joe and yes Humphry your correct. Scotty Beam Me Up there is a lack of intelligent life down here.