(Press Release from Riverhead Raceway)
Entering the 2020 NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Series season at Riverhead Raceway one of the most anticipated aspects of the original race schedule put forth by track management was the announcement of a four race Crown Jewel Series for the NASCAR Modifieds.
The four race series would keep a set of points separate to the weekly track championship points with the series champion earning the Ted Christopher Cup. With Covid-19 delaying and streamlining the 2020 season the four race Crown Jewel Series was put on hold but track management recently announced the race for the Ted Christopher Cup would be a major part of the 2021 schedule.
The Crown Jewel Series is the concept of race director Scott Tapley and with GM John Ellwood’s help put together a four race series for the Ted Christopher Cup before the worldwide pandemic interrupted life as we know it.
After the abbreviated 2020 campaign was completed with the Islip 300 last November track owners Eddie & Connie Partridge and Tom Gatz quickly assembled a complete slate of events for 2021 and once disclosed Tapley and Ellwood immediately went to work assembling the dates for the inaugural Crown Jewel Series.
The 2021 Crown Jewel Series will coincide with the four extra distance events the NASCAR Modifieds will contest in the new season and start with the July 3rd 71st Year Celebration 71 and be followed up in just four weeks by the second race of the series July 31st when the annual Baldwin, Evans & Jarzombek 77 is contested.
One month later on August 28th the third leg of the series will take place during the 2nd annual Bubba 100 event. The Crown Jewel Series will conclude with the $7,000 to win Islip 300 Saturday November 13th after which the Ted Christopher Cup will be presented to the champion of the four race series.
The “TC” Cup will be a perpetual award presented to the series champion annually to remember his legacy this year and for seasons to come. The first three races of the series will also carry track championship points while the Islip 300 pays only Crown Jewel Series points.
Chief Technical Inspector Randy Murray also announced that the rules package for the Crown Jewel Series will be the same as those in place for the Islip 300 with team able to declare a touring series set of rules that they must follow to the letter.
Teams can declare the weekly NASCAR Modified rules of Riverhead Raceway that mirror the WMT rule book or those of the Race of Champions Series, Tri-Track Series or Modified Racing Series. The 2021 Hoosier Racing Tire track tire rule will be utilized for the Crown Jewel Series events with qualifying procedure to be via time trials.
“Teddy Christopher was a bigger than life personality in racing” GM John Ellwood noted while speaking of Christopher who tragically lost his life in route to a NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour race at Riverhead in September of 2017, “Scott Tapley and I along with the promoters feel this Crown Jewel Series culminating with the presentation of the Ted Christopher Cup is a fitting tribute to Teddy and all his accomplishments”. Teddy was a 42-time winner on the NASCAR WMT as well it’s 2008 champion with “TC” collecting three of those victories at the historic Riverhead quarter mile oval. Additionally Christopher raced to one Advance Auto Parts Weekly Racing Series triumph earned while racing weekly at Riverhead driving for Wayne Anderson with the tandem placing fourth in the track championship standings.
During his standout career Teddy captured an astounding nine SK Modified championships at Stafford Motor Speedway complimented by 131 career wins at the Nutmeg State half mile. “TC” earned four track championships on the strength 99 victories at Thompson Speedway in their Sunoco Modifieds and also made 47 career trips to victory lane at the Waterford Speedbowl. Despite his immense success to this day Teddy remains one of the most popular, polarizing and charismatic personalities ever to strap into a race car in the nation.
The 2021 race season at Riverhead Raceway will get underway with opening weekend Saturday evening May 1st and Sunday afternoon May 2nd. Seven divisions of racing will usher in the 2021 NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Racing Series with the NASCAR Modifieds, Late Models, Crate Modifieds, Figure Eights, Blunderbusts, Super Pro Trucks and INEX Legend Race Cars set for action with qualifying set for 5:30 pm. Sunday at 12:30 pm the track will complete the busy doubleheader weekend with the annual May Meltdown Enduro program headlined by the Street Stocks and Mini Stocks with the Truck, 8-Cylinder Gut & Go and 4/6-Cylinder Gut & Go Enduro divisions all in action.
For our complete 2021 schedule of events please visit www.riverheadraceway.com. Race teams please note on the home page of our web page are the 2021 car number & W-9 registration forms as well the 2021 NASCAR License renewal form. To reach us by e-mail please forward correspondence to [email protected] or call 631-842-RACE.
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