Jon McKennedy after winning the Valenti Modified Racing Series event at the New London-Waterford Speedbowl on Aug. 6
When rain on Oct. 10 at Lee USA Speedway forced the Valenti Modified Racing Series to reschedule their event in Lee, N.H. it meant a tough decision for many drivers.
The rescheduling of the event to this Sunday meant the Valenti Modified Racing Series would run heads-up against the NorthEast Race Cars & Parts Tri-Track Open Modified Racing Series event at the Bemers Big Show at the New London-Waterford Speedbowl.
Drivers like Woody Pitkat, Chris Pasteryak and Dennis Perry made the decision to run at the Speedbowl.
Jon McKennedy, who has already clinched this year’s Valenti Modified Racing Series though will stay north.
McKennedy confirmed Friday that he will compete in Sunday’s Valenti Modified Racing Series event at Lee. McKennedy won the Valenti Modified Racing Series event at the New London-Waterford Speedbowl on Aug. 6.
“It’s the right thing to do for us,” McKennedy said. “The guys with that series have been good to us this year. We already bought tires for that event. It’s just the right thing to do.”
It would have been nice if Lee rescheduled for Saturday to give modified racers and fans the option to go to both events. I think there would have been less scheduling conflicts with the Speedbowl’s Saturday program than with the Sunday one.
It’s too bad Lee could’t have run on one of the 3 Friday nights in October like their weekly shows do. This way instead of being heads up to the previously scheduled Waterford race, competitors and fans wouldn’t have to choose. On Saturday the 8th, Lee had 25 modifieds during the heat races and the feature lineup for Sunday looked really good. I purchased 2 tickets for the race at Lee and would like to see the show but were going to Waterford on Sunday. A few times a year we get a chance to see one of these Tri-Track All-Star races and to date they have been awesome. It’s disappointing that a solution could not be found so two modified shows wouldn’t run at the same time at the end of the year.
Eddie,
I think the big issue Lee faced with rescheduling to Saturday was going up against the Halloween Howler Saturday at Star Speedway, which is really a massive event in that area and right down the street.
That’s a class move. He is their 2016 champion. He has a 200 point lead and could have run Waterford and still won the championship. To be at Lee to receive the trophy is the right thing to do.
These conflicts happen in October when it rains. Imagine if World Series rained out and had to run this weekend. It’s not like there would be more than ten people from Connecticut at Lee anyway. Tracks just trying to get these shows in before cold weather hits.
As the tour champion, I agree that McKennedy should be at Lee to finish with the Valenti tour. I just wonder if a Friday night was open to complete the racing program. That is the regular racing night for this track. Nobody can say its too cold to be racing at night, the last couple of weeks Stafford and Thompson have both raced well into the night.
Shawn Courchesne nailed it! There is NEVER a good weekend to reschedule in October. EVERY track from Maine to Connecticut wants to have one last big fall final before closing the gates for the season, not only for the fans but financially. Oktoberfest is one of Lee’s two biggest events of the year, and rescheduling against Star’s Halloween Howler on Saturday is not only financial suicide… it also not the “neighborly” thing to do. I have plans to go to both events, and thankfully because Lee decided to run Sunday I can. Just a tough time of year that’s all…
would be nice to see the best race against the best. To many tours. The dirt series and tracks are booming because they are smart enough to work together. Mostly all the super dirt car races are on weekdays so there is no conflict with weekly shows. Tracks need to pick one tour. If there was one the racing would become so much more exciting like it once was.
I don’t buy Jon McKennedy’s reasons provided to RACEDAYCT.Those in the know are aware of his crybaby conflict with the Tri-Track promoters after an unresolved early season conflict.Further, he feels as if he is entitled to “tow money” to race in what promises to be the best modified race of the year.Great racer,no doubt.Just grow up and tell the truth about the situation.
The Bottom line is competition. Most race teams are afraid of it and pick the easy route to win.
The MRS is loaded with middle of the road soft race drivers and race teams that are not very good. It’s a good place to finish your career when you can’t compete against the big boys. If McKennedy thought he could win at the Speedbowl then he would be at the Speedbowl. It’s easy for McKennedy at Lee no competition. Your right asphalt Modifieds never work together like dirt and it hurts the sport.
To say Jon McKennedy can’t compete is ridiculous.Jon works on his own cars.He reminds me of the old Richie Evans days that everyone says they love and miss.Then they trash him like mind reading dufuses.Certainly true that racetracks and tours should try to work together so that maybe they could survive.I will take at face value the reason that McKennedy gives and applaud his decision since I can’t read his mind like a lot of the sages and experts out there
You already bought tires for that event, really? Thought you had to buy them at the track, the day of the event to avoid the potential of tire soaking. Wow, how the story changes with the officials from race to race!
They ran heat races at Lee on Saturday the 8th, so the tires were purchased. I believe the tires used in the heats are also the ones they will use in the Valenti feature.
Thanks Shawn, I didn’t realize the Howler was this weekend. Lee and Star have always tried to work with each other on race dates.
Art, I agree with you. I think McKennedy is being a stand-up guy and competing at the tour race he is the incoming champion for is a sign of respect to the fans and officials of that tour; a classy move on his part!
Friday may not have been an option for Lee if they couldn’t get permission from the town to race on that night (the town of Lee has the track in a pretty small box), and going up against the Howler wasn’t an option either.
This is what happens in October, the weather is unpredictable and the window for make up dates is pretty small, that’s why Stafford was racing until 11 pm on a Sunday evening trying to get the Fall Final in.
We’re in a severe drought and it just HAS to rain on race dates?
I think McKennedy has won the 2016 drivers championship but still needs to show up at Lee to win the owners championship.
Oh OK NH, thought the whole event was canceled and there was no racing that day. Well just as long as the qualifying tires are used for the feature that seems fair as long as there has been no tampering with them.
I do have to say it was easy for mckennedy to win the championship this year. There was not great talent this year in the series as in the past.