Last month Stafford Speedway welcome a new division to the facility with the running of the CBYD Modified Classic 81 on Oct. 24.
The wildly successful event, which attracted an entry list of more than 50 teams., marked the first show at Stafford for the Tri-Track Open Modified Series.
Now it seems Stafford could likely be welcoming another new touring series to the track, possibly in the first event of the 2021 season.
Granite State Pro Stock Series operator Mike Parks said Wednesday morning that he has been in talks with Stafford management concerning a 2021 date at the historic half-mile facility.
“The only think I can tell you is that we have discussed it, but there’s nothing definite at this point in time,” Parks said. “But I have had communications with [Stafford management], but nothing is definite at this point.”
Multiple sources have indicated a likely landing spot for the Granite State Pro Stock Series to be part of a Spring Sizzler weekend at Stafford, likely in April 2021.
Asked if a Spring Sizzler weekend date was in the works Parks said: “We’ve talked about a bunch of different dates and we haven’t gotten anywhere near close to being firm at all on anything.”
Stafford Speedway management has teased a coming schedule release of late through social media. Tuesday the track posted a graphic on Facebook and Twitter stating: “Coming Soon 2021 Schedule”.
Stafford Speedway chief operating officer Paul Arute said Wednesday morning that track management would not comment on their schedule until it is released and said he couldn’t offer any estimated date of the expected release of the schedule.
It’s unfortunate that Stafford couldn’t get a feel for how their Late Model Open would be this year due to COVID closures. One can almost guarantee any time of Pro Stock / Super Late Model race at Stafford will have a packed field, but perhaps limiting it down to one series isn’t the answer quite yet.
I’d rather see ’em stick their neck out and try the Open deal, get a gauge of interest and then decide which way to turn. Learn to keep a successful Open, or dump an Unsuccessful Open and try to sign up ACT, PASS or GSPSS.
Not true about crowds at Stafford; the braintrust at Stafford last had the PASS Series on a Sunday night paired with some dirt modifieds rather than a Friday night. The PASS race was good with TC winning, too bad no one saw it.
Sounds to me like GSPSS didn’t make the cut for 2021 unless he is just blowing smoke.
Stafford is dead to me unless they host at least one WMT race 2021. No WMT, No JD.
If you are replying to my comment Chris, I had nothing to say about Crowd sizes.
Rather, I was speaking to the amount of Pro Stocks / Super Late Models that would fill the field. I don’t know why Stafford would switch up it’s race day, they seem to have the Friday-Night action down pat.
I am pretty sure that Stafford Pass race on a Sunday was Mayberry renting the track. One of my buddies who had a season pit pass wouldnt be valid because it wasnt a Stafford event. That is what they said when he asked. It was a late addition to the schedule if I remember correctly. I did go and while it was a good race there wasnt a lot of people in attendance to witness the event. If you want to draw a crowd in CT you need to have a form of asphalt modified on the card. Even though there wasnt a lot of them, I did like the Dirt mods on asphalt as it was the first time I had seen that.
I think having Granite State is a good idea. There just isnt a lot of Pro Stocks Super Late models in the area anymore to pull from. Seekonk is the only track which still runs them outside of ME in New England. Having Granite come in at least guarantees a decent field although a few of their shows were really light this year. When Stafford was going to run the Pro Stock open with streets and limiteds on Saturday against the more established Oxford 250 I just shook my head there was no way they could do well. Thankfully they decided to cancel that show. I hope it happens for a show or two as I really liked the pro stocks at Stafford when they ran weekly.
@Lettuce ,
Every SLM/ pro stock in the northeast can easily run as a Granite State car with minimal changes, i truly believe a GSPSS or PASS race will draw more than a Open Show unless it’s MAJOR , and when i say major i mean major money to win, i hope to
See these two strike a deal as it can be a good partnership for both parties.
Here’s the rub when suggesting someone else stick their neck out………..it’s not your neck.
Most would agree that next year and especially early in the season tracks may once again face capacity limits. Normally the trend at Stafford has been to go it alone with special events. I believe because of the capacity limits they see advantages to risk sharing with outside groups. Like Tri Track for instance that worked out pretty well. The Sizzler would be a perfect time to find partners to share event risks. Later on maybe less so.
The GSPSS is “rock” solid. Plug them in and based on this years car counts you’re likely to get 22 quality entries. Moreover it is a points race for the series with no need to go crazy with a mind blowing purse. Add the Stafford teams with cars in moth balls from the Pro Late Model misfire and you could get a pretty darned good field.
So who’s sharing the top billing?
The GSPSS race at Waterford a couple weeks ago was actually very good and drew a decent crowd. Should be a good thing for Stafford. Something different.
First off, JD, the world doesn’t revolve around the WMT, and if they don’t race at Stafford next year, so be it. I doubt anyone will miss you (don’t understand all the hype about WMT, they’re just modifieds)
I think GSPSS is a great idea, there’s still allot of interest in late model racing in the Northeast. I hope that Stafford has the Pro Late Model race they had scheduled for this year, but on a date to allow all the late model/ pro stock cars to attend.
The thing about the GSPSS is you also see Seekonk Pro Stocks and PASS SLM’s occasionally attend. Date-wise Seekonk isn’t normally running in April and the PASS setup for Loudon might be close to what they need to run Stafford, which may add cars to the GSPSS entries for a Sizzler race.
Crazy thought: Would this be any indication that the WMT might not be part of the Sizzler? Maybe instead of the 200 lap WMT there would be a 100 or 125 lap Open Modified race with the GSPSS, LM, SK, and SKL features? Still sounds like a good Sizzler Sunday to me! Or run the LM’s Saturday to have the Open heats run Sunday?
@ Cory Casagrande
You are absolutely right. Pretty much any Late Model in New England can make minimal changes to meet the package that GSPSS uses. However, that doesn’t seem to be the wide sweeping case with an average of 20 cars this year and the stats from years past. Would they bump up and grab a field of 26/27 like they had for their first visit at Beech Ridge, maybe, but that race was boosted by local guys.
A fair Open Rules package(s), $5,000-$7,500 to win, $450 to start purse structure, an early off weekend that doesn’t overlap PASS, GSPSS, Seekonk and a decent promoter is all you need to start something cool like this.
And to @Doug’s point, you’re right. It’s not my neck. But, if you, as a track owner / promoter, are not willing to take chances and try something, good luck in this business. They had a great idea with the ‘Pro Late Model Open’ and I think it deserves it’s day in the sun before it becomes prematurely mothballed in favor of bringing in an unpredictable touring series.
Willing to take chances? I’d say opening in a pandemic with 25% capacity is a pretty big chance and some of that risk will be around next year.
As for the generous amount to win I realize it’s an outside group but twice as much as they pay a modified to win?
I like lettuce but those suggestions seem to be loaded with cholesterol.
just not the sizzler weekend – too many divisions already.
I agree Doug, plenty of cholesterol. Go Big or Go Home!
I guess they’ll have to pick their poison, either way is a risk. I’m simply making the case that I’d like to see how the ‘Open’ concept would be applied to these cars and how the racing would be before leaving the idea untested and in the dust.
Hold both events GSPSS, and their own Pro Late Model Open.
Is it Lettuce or cabbage, I’m confused.
We here in the forum love the big headline amount to win. Suggestions to have it be big are the norm.
For three years we’ve heard calls for Stafford to increase the cabbage for their opens to no avail. The upshot is that they still got strong fields without laying out more cabbage.
The Pro Late Model Open advertised $2500 to win, $600 to start and a purse of $20000. They’re Late Models, this is modified country so that sounded about right.
People forget that Stafford is paying 5 other divisions at the same show so not getting extravagant with an unknown seems prudent. We still don’t know if this race will share top billing with some kind of modified race or if it would be for Sizzler weekend. The idea of the Sizzler with just a Late Model race as the headliner seems impossible to imagine.
@ lettuce
The Granite State race will probably have a better purse than their open show would have when you look at the tire situation for teams, there are many factors behind the scene that makes this the best choice, hence why they would do it. In some cases an organized Series is better, and that has been proven with other OPEN super late model races in the northeast over the last few years.
In September Claremont had the Newport Chevrolet 150 with an outstanding purse including $10,000 to win. 21 cars showed up including the 7CT.
Tires notwithstanding I doubt the Claremont show provided any evidence that the headline number accomplished it’s objective. Nor that this is the time to tick off modified tour teams that have been very supportive of Stafford with a jaw dropping purse for an unproven commodity that is not nor has ever been the primary interest of the fan base.
This is getting a bit out of control. The GSPSS series needs to be carefully folded into the schedule with reasonable expectations with regard to it’s value. Elevating a class of cars to headliner status that goes against the interest of a proven, loyal fan base devoted to modifieds needs to be done in baby steps in my view.