(Press release from Stafford Speedway)
The 2020 Stafford Speedway racing schedule has been set and with 22 events the calendar is focused on weekly racing with a mix of special events. All 5 of Stafford’s NASCAR weekly racing divisions will compete weekly starting in early May and running through mid-September. In total 122 feature races are scheduled to be held on the half-mile in 2020.
The season will kick-off at the 49th Annual NAPA Spring Sizzler® Weekend, April 24th-26th. The NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour will be on hand to compete in the annual 200 lap event. The Modified Tour will return to Stafford twice more throughout the season for the traditional Stafford 150, held under the lights Friday, August 7th, and the NAPA Auto Parts Fall Final scheduled for September 26th and 27th.
“Tradition is important to us here at Stafford,” explained Stafford Speedway CEO Mark Arute. “Short track racing and Stafford Speedway is built off of weekly racing and that has continued to be our main focus. We have a great mix of special events on the 2020 schedule but our goal is to ensure that whenever the race fan makes it to the track they see a great show. With our emphasis on first class weekly racing we’re confident we can deliver on that.”
Each of Stafford’s 5 weekly racing divisions will have at least one special event in 2020. New for 2020, The Firecracker extra distance Street Stock race will be held on July 3rd in conjunction with an Independence Day Celebration including Fireworks. The SK Light Modified drivers will compete in the 4th Annual Dunleavy’s Modifiedz Night, a 40 lap event, on Friday, July 24th while Stafford’s rough and tough Late Model division will run a 50 lap event on Friday, September 4th. Stafford’s Limited Late Models will get their night to shine with a 25 lap race Friday, June 19th.
Stafford’s weekly headline division, the SK Modifieds®, will have 2 special events in 2020 headlined by the 7th Annual NAPA Auto Parts SK 5K, a $5,000 to win 100 lap SK Modified® race. New for 2020 is the return of the Senators Cup, a 50 lap race last held in 1979. The SK Modifieds® will run an extra 10 laps Friday, August 14th to determine who will take home the Senators Cup trophy. Past winners include Richie Evans, Geoff Bodine, Bugsy Stevens, and Ed Flemke.
“We will run 4 open modified events in 2020,” continued Arute. “One per month starting in May. From the beginning, the goal of these events was to put our own spin on tour-type modified racing with simplicity for the competitors while adding a touch of the Stafford “show” to ensure the events our entertaining for race fans. We’ve run 5 Open Modified races to date and the feedback from drivers, teams, and fans has been overwhelmingly positive.”
The Open Modifieds run their first event of the season May 15th, and will return June 12th for the Twisted Tea Open, July 10th for the Bud Light Open, and August 21st for the Lincoln Tech Open. Each event will be 80 laps and will feature a live pit stop with the option to change 2 tires. Ronnie Williams, Keith Rocco, Ryan Preece, Eric Goodale, and Tommy Barrett have each scored Stafford Open 80 wins to date.
New for 2020 will be a Super Late Model event scheduled for Friday, May 31st. Rules, race format, and entry information will be released in the coming weeks.
“Fans and drivers have been asking us to try a Super Late Model event for some time,” explained Arute. “We’re finalizing rules and race procedure but since we announced the show last Friday the support for the event has been very positive.”
Stafford Speedway 2020 Schedule
Stafford Speedway 2020 Season Ticket Information
For more information, visit www.staffordspeedway.com, checkout Stafford Speedway on Facebook or Twitter, or contact the track office at 860-684-2783.
Good schedule. The May Open Mod race often has to fight cool evening temps, but 4 Opens are welcome. I’d like to see some separation between the 40 lap SK feature and the TC Shoot Out (insert the Street Stock feature?) on July 10th. Without some separation, the winner of the 40 lap event doesn’t seem to get full recognition for that victory.
Well the one additional surprise is the inclusion of the SK 50. Hopefully there is a cool trophy for the Gov Cup a few extra bucks for the drivers. They used to run 50 lap features weekly(counting cautions) Stafford used to run an SK 150 back around 2010-11. I would have rather seen that come back then the Governors cup. I wonder why they stopped running that race. Does anyone have any knowledge as to why they stopped the SK 150. They may have dropped it in favor of the sk100 with the 5k winners purse. I guess what I am saying they brought back the wrong special. I dont even thing the SK were around when they last ran the gov cup back in 79. I am pretty sure the SK came into existence in the 80s. If you are going to honor history with the SK’s bring back a race they used to run.
Great to see them give the Super Late Models/Pro Stocks a race The dropping of the division citing time constraints seemed in poor taste when they have since added mult divisions since then (limited Lates, Legends, SK lights, Open Tour Types. Nice to see the Open mods there 4 times. I am happy they have the Tour 3 times. Its nice that they give each of their divisions an extra distance show
I would like to see them do more of a festival of racing for their closer. Bring in a few different tours make the weekend something special. Right now there is almost no reason to go on Saturday. They are running the same show on a Friday night Aug 7 that they are running over a weekend Sep 26-7 unless there is something special not announced.
The only thing I am looking forward to that SLM Prostock race. Hopefully they get a good field for it Does anyone know how many laps they are doing, what type of purse they are offering? Everything else is pretty much the same as last year with a few dates moved around. They have a good show, so probably no need to make wholesale changes. What is the boards thoughts?
Agree with Rafter fan. Just a nice mix from beginning to the end that checks a lot of boxes.
Next big thing of interest, the Super Late Model Open rules.
Looking good. 4 Open tour type events, and a super late model race. The weekly racers get extra distance events too. Would like to see the late model 100 return, maybe someday. Great job by the Arute family.
Sorry no one loves Stafford and Modifieds more than me BUT you can run 20 OPEN shows and if no purse increase then just glorified MRS races with a few Stafford regs added, just another ploy to pay TOUR prices for a Stafford show, Unless I see some changes I am not excited for them!
As a fan favoring the Modifieds I am glad to see what I consider to be 8 special events; 3 WMT, 4 Opens, and the SK 5K. I was fortunate enough to go to 7 of 8 this year and hope to do the same next year. If you go by the number of events attended, I guess Stafford is my “home track” despite the usual 2-2.5 hours travel to get there due to Friday traffic..
There’s not wrong comment on the Stafford Opens. For me all the tour modified race has to be worth is $11 over the cost of a regular show ticket and it’s well worth that. Not a fan of heats at all for track divisions. Just don’t think they mean that much any more. Tour mod heats are critical and welcome so per minute of attendance you get way more content.
Sometimes not having to sit through stuff you don’t think is interesting is worth paying more for.
I’d agree they could be viewed as glorified MRS race. Glorified by the pit stop that is dramatic and if you watch an MRS race at the same track kind of changes everything as far as I can see.
Not sure what you’re looking for wmass… yea we all wish the purse could be $1 million but that’s not possible. $3,500 to win is a lot better than the MRS $2,000 and the open racing is 100x better then any WMT race.
Racefan, I think he wants more money on top to attract the big Teams, but that is not the point of these opens. If you wan’t to see the best of the best buy a ticket for any of the WMT dates. These shows are more of a stepping stone platform before you get to the WMT. A chance for a SK or SK light Teams to Try Tour Type Racing at a affordable level or outsiders a chance to try their luck at Stafford, similar to how the MRS was for so many years. So far 2 years into this program the Car Counts are going up, I expect more Stafford Teams are putting together a Tour Type Car for the 4 races this year and fields will continue to grow.