(Press Release from Stafford Motor Speedway)
The L.S. Starrett Company, a global leader in precision measuring tools, has officially announced title sponsorship of the August 3rd NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour Starrett 150 at Stafford Motor Speedway in Stafford Springs, Connecticut. The annual mid-summer stop for NASCAR’s oldest division will be titled the Starrett 150.
Founded in 1880, Athol, Massachusetts based Starrett Tools has set the standard for fine precision tools for over 137 years. Starrett Tools is best known for their wide product line of precision measuring tools, levels, electronic gages, dial indicators, gage blocks, and custom engineered products.
“We are very excited to partner with Starrett Tools for our August Whelen Modified Tour event,” explained Stafford Motor Speedway General Manager Mark Arute. “We are very impressed with the rich history at Starrett as well as their strong support of racing at the short track level. Starrett is a local company with presence on the international stage and all of us at Stafford are looking forward to working together.”
Stafford Speedway, located in Stafford Springs, Connecticut, is a NASCAR sanctioned half-mile race track with weekly NASCAR events under the Home Tracks Whelen All-American Series banner. Stafford hosts 3 NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour events per season, the Starrett 150 will serve as the 2nd of 3 stops for the series.
“Starrett is thrilled to expand our support of Modified racing by partnering with Stafford Motor Speedway to sponsor the Starrett 150,” said Jim Taylor, VP, L.S. Starrett Co. “Starrett’s first win as a sponsor came at this mid-summer classic in 2016 with Jimmy Blewett and the Mystic Missile team, that’s a night we will never forget. Stafford Motor Speedway is the premier short track and the Arute family is deeply woven into the fabric of racing in New England. As a company that takes being the best at what we do very seriously, this association is very natural for us. We look forward to a great night of racing and successful season with Starrett Racing.”
Starrett Tools is not a newcomer to the world of short track Modified racing. Starrett has served as the primary sponsor of young modified talents Matthew Swanson and Timmy Solomito who both compete regularly on the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour. Solomito scored a career high 5 wins in 2017 while Swanson finished a career high 8th in the final point standings. In addition Starrett supports well known Modified driver Jimmy “Showtime” Blewett in his many racing endeavors. All three are expected to compete in the August 3rd Starrett 150.
Tickets for the August 3 Starrett 150 are available and on sale now at the Stafford Speedway Box Office. Tickets are priced at $35.00 for adult general admission tickets, $5.00 for children ages 6-14, and children ages 5 and under are admitted free of charge when accompanied by an adult. Reserved seat tickets are $37.00 for all ages. All ticket prices include 10% CT Admission Tax. Stafford Motor Speedway offers plenty of free parking with overnight parking available for self contained Recreational Vehicles. Stafford’s five NASCAR Whelen All-American Series divisions will join the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour cars in feature action as part of the Starrett 150 event.
For more information, contact the Stafford Motor Speedway track office at 860-684-2783 or visit us on the web at www.staffordspeedway.com.
When Stafford goes hunting for deer, they do it at night with a big Musco spotlight.
Help me out here WMT fans. We’re happy about this why? More money for Stafford and the teams that participate. More bonuses could mean more cars. More cars with big name drivers. Doesn’t lower the ticket price does it? Are we happy simply cause it’s a big name company and status is important to racing?
Doug, it’s called sponsorship.
It keeps ticket prices from going up, it puts more $$$ in the purse.
Said many times if Stafford and Thompson didn’t make nice money on the WMT you wouldn’t see 7 races a year, Yes The Arute’s and Hoenig;s love modifieds but they love Modfieds Money more!!
First off, thank you Starrett for coming onboard for this race. They have been a huge addition to the tour and the several cars they sponsor.
Most races have sponsorship. Budweiser, Bush Beans, Anytime Really etc. It’s usually why the tracks agree to host races. So, why are we questioning it now. Been that way for 50yrs. Again the tracks are in the business of making money.
Another thread hijacked and twisted into something other than a great modified sponsor coming on to sponsor a race.
Maybe Stafford can open more 🎟 booths and speed up the 🍔🍟🍕🍣🍿🌭 lines with all that extra money.
I’ve thanked Starrett many times with my wallet. Great to see them as a sponsor!
In my wood shop, my daily driver 6″ Starrett combo square is never far from my hands. “Precious” is her sister with the 12, 18, and 24″ blades… ;^)
There you go Barry and me as well with my old 6 inch dial caliper I scored from a machinist years ago that make it easy for even a simpleton like me to check those funky metric bolt sizes.
Good answers even from emoji boy or girl as the case may be. Thanks. Most predictable and uninformative, sour puss NH Mark. Excuse me, studly, NH Mark as he describes himself. Complaining, saying that’s the way it always been you young whippersnapper, don’t question it and providing at best a generic thank you. What’s in your tool box sour puss.
Im not sure how there tracks run tour shows without sponsors! Do the math, numbers are tight
Thank you Starrett for supporting the Mods!
I’m not complaining at all. I stated a fact that race sponsors are needed to put on these shows. I fully understand how the racing game works. Im thankful that a company like Starrett is onboard. I will support their products and enjoy the races they sponsor.
Asking why sponsors are needed is an elementary questions.
There is what’s obvious to you NH {the stud} Mark and what’s obvious to others. Like your 100% profit hamburger at Stafford that you screwed up. Just because you are convinced you know all there is to know including what you don’t know. And you see no reason so consider that you don’t know everything but have the stature to judge everything l I would make a simple request. If I or anyone else asks what you think is a stupid question have mercy on we poor souls without your gifts of assuredness if not wisdom.
If all these tracks are making so much money off of us fans ,why are there so many less tracks than there used to be ? To much trouble counting all that cash I guess , Jeffrey could probably answer that for us
ELECT has Thompson or Stafford closed???
Craig, you said you think Stafford should cut the pit gate price for the WMT teams. You are kidding right? Its NO secret that the WMT teams already get a BIG back gate discount to the point of being WAY less than what the normal weekly competitors pay just to be part of the show and in Stafford’s instance this could mean the weekly divisions may only get features only and no heats. I recall being told the back gate maximum being set at $25 per head up to 10 WMT team members but that was some time ago so it may have changed since then. Now that is a real scam but no one ever talks about it.
What New England track has closed? None since Riverside.
Just Wondering,
Not sure if its still $25 either but the discount isn’t a scam giving what they pay to race and travel costs week to week. The other tours paid full pit price in 2017. I remember when the tour guys threatened to not race when Nascar tried to raise the pit price on them. Not sure many novice fans on here realized their was a WMT pit discount.
Anyone see the admission price for Seekonk 06/02/2018? $38 for the front gate. That’s more than the Aug Stafford race.
NH Mark, back in the day when I used to visit the pits for the larger shows most novice and even hard core weekly racers never knew what was going on as the WMT, BNS, and some other tours always had their own sign-in window or table to keep the discount a secret. Being sly & crafty enough I always went and signed-in later in the day as an “add-on” to smaller teams that did not use up their 10 or so allotted discounted spots. It always helped to have a friend in the sign-in booth. LOL
As for the $38 at the Seekonk front gate I bet that is still less than you will pay at Thompson this year to see a comparable event. I quit going to Thompson once they started catering to Wine & Cheese Road Course crowd.
We as racers all know that we’re not going too make money racing. But what I believe Craig was referring to was lowering the back gate fee for the support divisions that pay huge pit fees for the same crappy purse. $50 to get into the pits and pay a lousy $125 to win in the former Dare Stock class!! What a joke.
Joe, if it was indeed what you mention was Craig’s intention of lowering the gate for the weekly NWAAS teams I am all for it as I have never been in favor of tracks gouging the weekly racers just because a tour is in town. The pit price should at least be the same as the tour guys. IMO If the numbers dont work for the tracks then they need to find additional revenue sources like sponsorships to make it happen. Notice i did not say raise the grandstand tickets as they are too high already for the touring events.
All good points I agree with but why is the track going to lower the pit gate when guys like Joe are going to pay full price to get in? The track has no incentive to lower the price. What they could do and what they actually do are two different things.
A fan’s observation: I would think the race teams that are at the track EVERY WEEK and in turn bringing out the local fans for the “regular” events would pay the same gate price for ALL their events. Most of the weekly racers are chasing their own dreams and I’m guessing a “tour” added to the schedule is a pretty low priority for them. If you have to charge them more on a tour night, maybe put some of that $$ back into that race’s purses. Running for extra $$ might take a little of the extra admission sting away. Take a percentage of the extra gate $$ from each category and put it back into their winnings $$ for that event. The track still gets some extra $$ and the “weekend warriors” have a chance at some as well.
There is no issue on paddock fees at Stafford if you’re racing the entire season. Season passes start at $420 up to $500 if you wait until the last minute. Even with rain outs the track makes it possible to save money if you plan ahead. If you don’t plan ahead, if you race part time or you’re a touring series oh well.
17 SK races in 2016 and 2017. Making the average cost for a season pit pass holder $25 on the low end and $30 on the high end. Is that too much. I don’t know.
My experience way back when is none of we middle of the pack guys ever complained about purses or the fees to get in. We were already so far in the hole by the time we got to the back gate it made no difference. I expect the amount to win was a big deal for the front runners. Mostly we complained and gossiped about our competitors. Needled each other. Watching the tech inspector prowling around was a concern. Congratulating the guys we liked if they had success. Tried like heck to get the magic bullet secrets out of the front runners………always unsuccessfully. Tires, rule changes, who got a new engine. It was mostly a social thing. Pit fees and purses, nothing. The one exception being when Ben Dodge let the owners in for free at Riverside. That was huge.
Umass I thought your suppose to make a profit if your in business ,if not you close or if your lucky you can file for bankruptcy 6 Times ,or you may know better, I hope Stafford makes plenty so I can continue going to enjoy the sport when they close is when I’ll complain , I know we all can’t agree ,but have a great holiday anyway