(Press Release from NorthEast Race Cars & Parts Tri-Track Open Modified Series)
It has been more than two years since the last SBM 125 Modified Open at the quarter-mile Star Speedway in southern New Hampshire, but that race was so good that it is still fresh in the minds of many. “Best race I have ever seen,” was echoed by many following the June of 2014 SBM IV.
One of the top ten best Modified races that I have ever seen,” said longtime Modified announcer Ben Dodge following SBM IV. “I’m pretty excited to see this news (that SBM V will happen),” said Brandon Paul from Speed51. “The 2014 SBM 125 was a fantastic race.”
The next chapter of this very special event takes place on Saturday, July 30, as the Northeast Race Cars & Parts Tri-Track Open Modified Series presents SBM V, with the largest field of competitors in SBM history racing for a $62,000 plus purse, by far the biggest payoff ever at the quarter-mile which opened in 1967.
It is also expected to bring the largest crowd of fans in SBM history, and most importantly another memorable finish. Part of what makes the SBM 125 special is the fact that starting position seems to mean little if history is any indication. In SBM IV, none of the top five starters finished in the top eight, and of those top eight finishers, four started the race outside of the top 15!
Another factor in making this event fun and memorable for both race teams and fans alike are a series of unique bonuses and awards. Past Modified car owners Chuck Montville, Mario Fiore and Joe Brady will each be honored with special awards that in all will pay out more than $2,000 to recipients.
Heat races will matter, because not only do teams want to qualify in one of those five events, but each will pay money to the winner, and an extra bonus goes to the driver turning the fastest last lap in the heats thanks to Tisdell Transmission Repair. Two consolation races will add six more to the field, and then a purse paying B-Main will bring one final starter, and a purse payoff of it’s own.
Star Speedway has been a favorite of Tri-track organizer Jim Schaefer since he first laid eyes on the quarter-mile. Schaefer has donated thousands to Star Speedway purses, and this year he has outdone himself. Along with Dick Williams they have brought new sponsors on board to make this a record payout.
Robert B. Our Co., Inc., Nocella Reclamation Grading, Advanced Gas Distributors, Red Roof Inn are among the businesses who have helped raise the SBM purse to this record level. Alloy Wheel Repair brings a point fund to the series, and Lu-Mac’s Package Store, Rockingham Boat and several fans of the SBM 125 have also donated.
Adding to that are more than 20 different bonus awards available to teams, largely on a performance basis that could swell the winners earnings to more than $12,000. For instance, a $300 bonus goes to the highest finishing NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour driver, a $500 bonus to the highest finishing driver who has never raced a Modified at Star.
Among the close to 40 race teams from ten different states entered are past winners Jon McKennedy and Matt Hirschman, Justin Bonsignore, Ron Silk, Les Hinckley, Woody Pitkat, Max Zachem, Dwight Jarvis, Rowan Pennink, 2014 fast timer Steve Masse, and the always exciting to watch Tommy Barrett to name a few. A full entry list will be released on Thursday.
The Star Speedway weekly headlining division 350 Supermodifieds will also be racing, and there will be two national events for the Legends Cars, one on Friday with modified practice and a second on Saturday as a prelim to the SBM 125. The Woody’s Strickly Stocks and Roadrunners will also begin qualifying at 5:00 PM with their heat races.
Five Tri-Track Modified heat races are tentatively scheduled to begin around 6:00 PM, with features for the support classes beginning thereafter. Two consolation races and a purse paying B-Main for the Modifieds will be run off in between feature events for the support divisions in an effort to keep the show moving along quickly.
Then the main event, the Northeast Race Cars & Parts Tri-Track Open Modified Series SBM 125 V is tentatively scheduled to go green just after 9:00PM. For more information and a full event schedule, search the facebook pages of Star Speedway, the Tri-Track Open Modified Series or the SBM 125 event page. Track information can be found at www.star-speedway.com. Series information is at: www.tritrackopenmodifiedseries.com.
If you saw SBM IV in person, you already know what those who weren’t at Star Speedway on that June of 2014 night missed. If you weren’t, this is a race that potentially could create a racing memory that lasts forever, as it has in the past for so many.
Admission for this special event is $30 for adults, $25 for seniors and juniors, with kids 10 and under admitted free with a paid adult. Star Speedway is located on Route 27, less than five minutes from Highway Route 101 in Epping, New Hampshire.
Why wouldn’t you go?
Somehow I doubt there will only be 5 cars left on the lead lap at the end of this one
Star is a great track
I hear tony Stewart bought it and got rid for the tar
I got a sky both there
I am running a xfinity race there next tear rough
Rough racking
yur not funny, give it up
i hear there could be rain in sat night what is the rain date
No rain, it should be nice. Rain date is Aug 13th I do believe though.
does the SBM 125, mean Small Block Modifieds? (SK and/or SST type cars). i thought this Tri Track series is tour type modifieds, but i keep seeing SBM for this race at Star…
Thanks
It is a tour type race. I am pretty it stands for Small Block Modified. All the pavement modifieds have been small blocks for over 30 years so I don’t why they decided on that name for the race years ago. It would be different if it was DIRT where some tracks have big blocks and some have small blocks.
I hope this race is run more expediently than the other SBM races I have been to, but if they are planning for the 125 to start 4 hours after the heat races start, this looks to be another long, drawn out night.
Looks like the fans will have to sit through 30 – 40 minutes of Tri-Track back slapping.
That’ll leave lots of time for cheeseburgers.
Weather still looking good. Just a few clouds this evening. Everyone should head on up to New Hampshire this afternoon. The new home of modified racing. Should be a good one.
32 cars, doesn’t exactly qualify it for the biggest race of the year. Did they really need to run 5 heat races for so few cars? Taking 4 cars out of 6 isn’t exactly putting fans (or teams) on the edge of their seats.