Date Set For Rescheduled NAPA Spring Sizzler At Stafford Speedway

Officials from Stafford Motor Speedway announced Tuesday that they have rescheduled the NAPA Spring Sizzler weekend to May 30-31 due to restrictions put in place for the COVID-19 Coronavirus global pandemic.

The rescheduled Spring Sizzler weekend will include the running of the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour NAPA Spring Sizzler 200. 

The NAPA Spring Sizzler weekend was originally scheduled for April 25-26. 

Stafford Speedway will run its already scheduled inaugural CBYD 811 Pro Late Model Open 81 on May 29 creating a doubleheader weekend for Stafford’s five weekly divisions.

“We’re making adjustments to the 2020 schedule due to the coronavirus and the executive order implemented by the governor,” Stafford Speedway CEO Mark Arute said in a release.  “We’ve worked with NASCAR to reschedule the Sizzler to the end of May.  We will have an exciting weekend for race fans with the inaugural Call Before You Dig Pro Late Model 81 on Friday and the 49th Annual NAPA Spring Sizzler Saturday and Sunday.”

Stafford’s open practice has been moved to May 9.  Events scheduled for May 1 and May 8 have been canceled. The May 15th Modified Open 80 has been rescheduled to Sept. 4 to eliminate conflicts with Thompson Speedway’s opening weekend.  The Late Model 50 scheduled for Sept. 4 has been moved to Sept. 11.

“We are in some unprecedented circumstances but we look forward to getting back on track whenever it is safe for drivers, teams, and fans,” Arute said.  “Safety is the number one concern right now but looking at the double header this sets up at the end of May we have a unique opportunity to have a really exciting weekend for fans and teams.  13 races over the course of 3 days is something we’ve never done.  We’ve taken a hard look at the schedule and reshuffled dates to make it work.  We want to thank all the fans for their patience.”

NASCAR announced Monday that all scheduled NASCAR sanctioned events would be postponed through April in response to the Coronavirus COVID-19 global pandemic. 

The first three events of the 2020 NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour season – at South Boston (Va.) Speedway, Thompson Speedway and Stafford Speedway – have been postponed from their originally scheduled dates. 

Thompson Speedway announced Tuesday that they have rescheduled their Liquid Death Icebreaker weekend to May 15-16, which will include the Whelen Modified Tour Liquid Death Icebreaker 150. 

The Whelen Modified Tour had been scheduled to begin its season on March 21 at South Boston Speedway. That event was postponed late last week and no makeup date has been announced.

The next event currently scheduled on the Whelen Modified Tour that has not been postponed is scheduled for Friday May 8 at Martinsville (Va.) Speedway.

Comments

  1. Might be some more modified tour drivers in that open LM race now being the day before. Big schedule mix up and a lot of juggling to do for everyone. It will be exciting that is for sure!

  2. South Korea NBA back in action after a month off due to virus. There is hope. I can only do about a month of this myself.

  3. Like Stuart said, shaping up to be a very exciting weekend. Hopefully it will happen as now rescheduled.

  4. Someone, in one of their posts said “wonder if Stafford is sharpening their pencil, knowing racers will race for less”. To that I would say not a chance. The Arute family actually likes their competitors. Year after year they try their hardest to raise the purses, and bring in New contingency, and event sponsors. I think they might be the highest paying track in New England. I can’t remember the last time they raised the admission price for a regular Friday night show, and at $17 it’s a bargain. Even most of the special shows have a reasonable price. In addition they have a couple of shows where it’s b.o.g.o. So to even suggest they would lower themselves to the likes of the owner of Thompson is nothing but absurd. Just my opinion.

  5. If you add up the number of tests supposed to have been distributed so far you come up with 16 million. The population in the U.S. in 2018 was 327.2 million people. Some simple math says only 4.9% of the population has been tested so far. There are allot of private labs who have developed cheap, easy and fast (in some cases 1-2 hours till results) tests. These tests should be being instituted now, forget about all the red tape b.s.. There are also an abundance of labs equipped to process the tests. Again waive the red tape b.s. and let them do their thing. Some people are saying that the government should call on the automotive companies to produce resperators, again, less talk more work. The longer Washington drags it’s feet, the more people will die. If any company has the capability to produce the equipment needed they shouldn’t wait to be asked, they should be doing it. In China they built 1000 bed hospitals (not tent cities) in 7 days. Why aren’t we doing that? Our federal government is failing us, now is the time for state government officials and the private sector to take charge. Come on all you Trumpian billionaires, give some back. Just my opinion.
    Rob P. (I) MA

  6. Stafford raised the admission price last year to 20 dollars half way through the season for a regular show. I believe they were 18.50 before that. I dont think they have been at a 17 admission for a regular show for at least the last two seasons. I could understand how you might not notice the change as they have so many special shows now that there arent many regular shows now. I understand their is a ct admissions tax of 10 percent tacked on to the price but the dirt tracks of NY you can get in for 11 to 15 bucks. That is 25-40% higher in CT. I would think track prep costs more with a dirt track. I am sure Nascar sanctioning is a significant cost. Lebanon Valley and Maltas biggest show Super Dirt 100 lapper 10-20k to win costs less than 30 bucks to get in. I have stopped going regularly to Stafford for a few reasons 1 I wasnt entertained for a good portion of the show due to low car counts, 2 length of show i went to one show was there for over 4 hours and didnt see the sk feature because of rain, and 3 they regularly ran the SK’s last. Is Stafford good? yes they have a great field of SK’s weekly. Are they the leader in racing entertainment value for your dollar. Not even close when you look just over the border to the Dirt tracks of NY.

  7. getserious says

    Rob p, What, have you been under sedation for the past two years? ” I can’t remember the last time they raised the admission price for a regular Friday night show, and at $17 it’s a bargain.” It hasn’t been $17 since 2017. I’m beginning to think that you don’t actually go to the races. Are you Doug?

  8. Yeah, haven’t gone much over the past 2 years, mostly special events. But even at $20 still somewhat of a bargain for 5 divisions of racing. It’s funny, dirt races seem to be cheaper in all senses though.

  9. Interesting gambit getserious but did you think it through. Trolling me with all day sucker for dummies the attendance trope and you couldn’t even get it right. You don’t have to think what I go to I say it. Stafford Opens and specials excluding NWMT events.
    You win that one getserious. Poor old Rob p is defending himself to you a guy that not only has not proven he’s ever gone to any race but has never proven you can write a comment that is not mind numbingly superficial.

  10. Thanks for the back up Doug. I spent the better part of 25 years as a crew member for my brother in law. He stopped racing. In 2012 I was seriously injured in a car accident, missed most of 2013. In 2014 my mom suffered a stroke. Rather than putting her in a nursing home we took care of her at home. It’s tough to find someone to be there every Friday night, again missed allot of races they 2016. Only went to sizzler and fall final in 2017 and 18. Mom passed away in January 2019. Went to sizzler, opening night, one open show, and the fall final last season. Am going to try to get to more races when they finally happen. Does that explain it getserious? Oh yeah, my dad had a heart attack in May and another in August last year.

  11. Now, getserious, it’s my turn. Have you ever built a race car from the ground up? Have you ever set up a race car? Have you ever re-clipped a race car? Have you ever crewed a race car? Have you ever won a race? Have you ever won multiple races? Have you ever won a championship? Have you ever won consecutive championships?
    I can answer YES to all of the above. Can you? Now really get serious, and next time think, before you type.

  12. Rob P, resumes go to human resources. Everyone is a championship driver on here. Just like everyone in prison is innocent. LOL.

  13. Rob p., we have lived through Ronald Reagan, GHW Bush, GW Bush, and now Trump. Since anyone can indeed be president and suck at it, anyone can be quite expert in racing even though they might not have done all you did. It is stunning that we have experienced four of the worst US Presidents in our lifetime.

  14. you forgot to mention jimmy carter

  15. getserious says

    Rob p, I apologize if you felt insulted enough to fly off into a rant about your knowledge of racing back in the day. But, it doesn’t matter if you built, crewed, and even drove every championship-winning car since asphalt was laid down at Stafford. Good for you; sorry for you; whatever. That’s got absolutely nothing to do with my comment. I simply called you out for personally broadcasting figures that are not true. Opinions are one thing; facts and figures are another.

  16. Getserious, sport for snapping at you. I made the mistake if saying 17 dollars, not 20. Truth be told, I didn’t pay attention to the pricing the last few years, because I didn’t attend many races. Life got in the way I hope this virus thing is over by Summer, or at least controlled. I fear we won’t be racing this year at all.

  17. “Truth be told, I didn’t pay attention to the pricing the last few years, because I didn’t attend many races.”

    It’s worth noting that I attend ALL the races at Stafford and am not sure of the gate price. I have a season paddock pass.

  18. Barry hopefully you noticed your pit pass went up in price , I’m just hoping Mark didn’t invest my season pit pass money in stock market this year , not sure that’s going to work out for either one of us

  19. Folks, you need to take this seriously. You life does depend on it.

    Authorities are expecting around 50-80% infection rates. That means out of 100 people, 50-80 are going to get infected.

    The mortality rate appears to be around 4%. That’s about 40x higher than the seasonal flu. It also depends on hygiene, age, general health, etc.

    So the USA has a population of 330 million, half of that is 165 million. Then 4% of that is 6.6 million. We are looking at millions of people dying. This thing is just starting to spool up. We are about a week to ten days behind Italy and Iran, and their numbers are just terrifying. Per a recent public address, at the same point in the cycle, the USA is in worse shape than Italy was.

    This is why states are doing various types of shutdowns, social distancing, etc. This is why there is so much discussion in the news about the need for hospital beds and ventilators.

    It’s going to get really bad in about a week or two, and Dr. Fauci has said this could last for months.

    Italy has acknowledged that they did not think it could be this bad. They are telling us to not make the mistakes they made.

    Folks, take care.

    https://youtu.be/QuSVvzLPP34

  20. The season pass is the way to go if you attend regularly. There is a tremendous saving if they run all the events or at least most of the events. I had the season pass for several years but I just am not as interested in going every week now. The past few years, I start off really excited and go to the first few races then loose interest pretty quickly. Then towards the end of the year I miss racing or realize I am not going to be able to see racing soon and hit a few near the end of the season.

  21. I used to get season passes, right up through 2012. My car accident left me unsure as to how many races I’d attend in ’13 and ’14. Then with my mom being sick I attended very few races for the next few years. In 2019 the only regular show I attended was opening night, didn’t really pay attention to the price, the rest of the shows were all special events. But still, at 20 bucks it’s still a decent price for 5 divisions of racing. Still nothing compared to the dirt tracks though, from what I’ve heard. Still hoping for some racing this season, although I don’t think it’ll start till sometime in July. I still don’t understand the federal government. They have a chance to get in step with this, and they blunder somehow. Seems like allot of State and local governments have stepped up their response now. Maybe there is hope.

  22. wmass01013 says

    I think we all just have to relax and see what happens, unlike a blizzard when the weather people can basically say the snow will stop at a certain point, this virus is unknown, while ALLLLL of us do not know what will happen tomorrow never mind next week or next month, I HOPE we can get back to semi normal within a month or 2 seems like it wont happen anytime sooon and I soooooooooooooo need a MODIFEID FIX!!!

  23. Here’s a very good source of information:

    https://coronavirus.jhu.edu/map.html

  24. So in the midst of everything going on in the State I go to the mail box and what is in there? A notice from the State of CT Department of Revenue Services wanting to know where my $237.00 is I owe them for my 2019 taxes? I mean really it’s not due until 4/15 and the federal government has extended the deadline until 7/1.

    Ned, do you really think I give a crap about that right now?

  25. Someone needs to communicate that to the staff. Freaking State is worrying about collecting their money and people are worrying about surviving.

  26. PEOPLE ARE STUPID! Got a similar letter from both the IRS, and Commonwealth of Massachusetts. When I called on both, I was told to ignore them, and I’d receive information at a later date.

  27. I wonder how much it cost to send these letters out just to tell the recipients to ignore them. Really? Talk about a waste of the tax payers money!

  28. “I wonder how much it cost to send these letters out just to tell the recipients to ignore them. Really? Talk about a waste of the tax payers money!”

    My guess is the bulk mailings were printed and scheduled for mailing well before it became an issue. The extension was pretty well publicized in both CT newspapers to which I subscribe digitally.

    Digital subscriptions are fantastic. I get the whole paper in an identical format to the printed version, regardless of where I happen to be, and the iPad has never jammed the snowblower.

  29. The two news papers I read on line for my geographical area only allow three articles a month before you have to subscribe for a monthly fee. I don’t waste my money to read rag sheets. You can try to minimize this any way you want, the taxpayers don’t need any more additional stress than they already have. And please, do you really believe this wasn’t done to scare people who don’t know any better into paying so the State can begin collecting revenue? This is Government we are talking about here.

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