(Press release from GW Promotional Group)
Five Races Set To Roll Into Four New Hampshire Tracks in 2022
GW Promotional Group announced today the official format and additional event information for the upcoming Whitcomb 5 Series in 2022. The series will showcase the NHSTRA Modified division at Monadnock Speedway for two events, and one event each at Claremont Motorsports Park, Hudson Speedway and Lee USA Speedway.
All event distances are set for 125 laps – but races will be run in two segments – with segment one set for 75 laps and segment two for 50 laps. There will be a five-minute break in between segments for teams to make minimal adjustments.
For all five events, drivers will time trial for qualifying, with the top-10 qualifiers entered into a redraw to determine the starting lineup for the feature race.
On Sunday, May 1, all the action begins at Monadnock Speedway as part of their opening weekend. In the Whitcomb Classic 125, drivers will be chasing the right to enter into the Whitcomb 5 Series championship weekend, set for Monadnock on Sept. 16-17. Additional events will take place at Claremont on June 17, Lee on July 15 and Hudson on August 14.
In each event, the series will follow a “win and you are in” format, where the winner of each event automatically locks themselves into the final four. In the season-finale, the driver who bests the others included in the final four will win the title. If drivers repeat as winners, the remaining spots in the Championship 4 will be filled out by total points earned in the series. A point tally will be kept for all events.
The champion will earn a $10,000 cash prize and a special Whitcomb 5 Series championship jacket. Second-place through fourth in the final standings will also earn $1,000 for their achievements.
“The Whitcomb 5 Series continues to grow in anticipation and we’re really looking forward to seeing the drivers race for big money and glory in 2022,” Gregg Whitcomb, owner of GW Promotional Group, said. “The NHSTRA Modified division has continued to grow over the last few years. These are some of the best weekly Modified racing drivers in the country and we are excited to showcase them in these special events.”
Fans will surely “Feel The Thunder” of the Modifieds at all four tracks.
In each event, after the winner earns their direct right into the finale, the rest of the drivers in the field will earn points with second earning 49 points, third 48, fourth 47, etc.
For the first four events, all drivers who finish inside the top-10 in the first 75 lap segment will earn additional bonus points, with 10 going to the winner, nine to second, eight to third, etc., through 10th.
The base winners purse for the five events will be as follows:
- For the Whitcomb Classic to open the season at Monadnock, the winner will earn $5,000
- For the Claremont Motorsports Park event on June 17, the winner will earn $4,000
- At Lee USA Speedway on July 15, the winner will collect $5,000
- At the high-banks of Hudson Speedway on August 14, the winner will earn $4,000
- In the championship finale at Monadnock on Sept. 16-17, the winner of the race will collect a minimum of $5,000
Additional bonus funds are also up for grabs for top finishers. In the Whitcomb Classic to open the season at Monadnock, the winner will receive a $2,000 bonus, while seconds will earn $1,000, third will collect $500 and fourth $350. For all other events, the cash bonus for the winner is $1,000, second $500, third $250 and fourth $100.
“I’m really excited to be involved in the new Whitcomb 5 Series for 2022,” Sam Rameau, a Tour-Type Modified regular who will debut a new car for the series, said. “I think it will be a lot of fun with some great competition and purses. I know my team will enjoy going back to some of the tracks that we have won at before. I think it will be fun for both the teams and the fans.”
There are also a few extra incentives on the line for drivers who become multiple-time winners in the Whitcomb 5 Series. Any driver who wins three of the five events will earn a $2,500 bonus, while a driver who wins four of five would collect a $5,000 bonus. If there is one driver that can pull off taking the checkered flag in all five races, they will earn another $10,000, on top of the championship bonus of $10,000, and would leave the series with a minimum of $45,000, when you add all of the race winnings and bonuses together.
All of the Whitcomb 5 Series events will utilize the choose cone rule – which keeps fans engaged – and gives drivers just one more decision to make during the race. Drivers will pick their restart line for every start other than the initial green flag of the race. When the field crosses the start/finish line with one lap to go before the green, they will be able to choose to take either the inside or the outside groove. The rule provides the chance for someone who is scheduled to restart 12th to end up sixth if enough drivers in front of them select the bottom. The added excitement should keep the fans on the edge of their seats and provide an added element of strategy for drivers.
The polesitter in time trials for all five events will also earn a bonus $500 award.
The teams and drivers set to compete as part of the series must fill out entry forms to register for the races and be eligible for points and payments. Forms are currently available at gwpromotionalgroup.com and will also be available through Souza Media.
On top of all this, an autograph book will be available for the fans to purchase at each event. Included in the book will be pictures of the drivers and their cars along with a short biography about the driver. All teams who register are encouraged to provide series officials with this information so they can be included. There will be a scheduled autograph session at each event to offer fans the chance to meet their drivers. Please email all information [email protected] to be included.
For more information on GW Promotional Group, visit gwpromotional.com and follow on Facebook. For more information on Souza Media, visit Kylesouza.com and follow Souza Media on Facebook.
2022 Whitcomb 5 Series Schedule
May 1 – Monadnock Speedway – Whitcomb 125 – Winchester, N.H.
June 17 – Claremont Motorsports Park – Claremont, N.H.
July 15 – Lee USA Speedway – Lee, N.H.
August 14 – Hudson Speedway – Hudson, N.H.
Sept. 16-17 – Monadnock Speedway – Winchester, N.H.
big money to up for grabs
Looks like Stafford is going to have to make the SK5k the SK5k+ in order to keep their tagline of having the highest paying SK race. They can always say its one of the highest paying sk races but that doesnt sound as good for the home of the SK modifieds. Maybe if you go through the field they pay higher overall when compared to this new series. I dont know. Great to see the SKs getting some more high paying shows. They routinely provide some of the best racing of the year. Hopefully this series does well, It looks they have 3 Friday conflicts (Lee, Claremont and 2nd Monadnock day 1) so maybe some Stafford regulars will venture out and support the series when they can. I like the format, 125 lappers with a break, and choose cone. I wonder if you have to support all the shows to be eligible for the championship. Maybe go in win the first race. Concentrate on weekly stuff at Stafford then show up for the championship. If you can win both events you would take home about 20k for two races. Guessing they would want someone who supports the series in its entirety to take home the championship,
csg – this division has crate engines 604 and 602 are allowed – maybe some of the SKL engines can be converted to make legal, not sure
THIS IS NOT AN SK SERIES – VERY MISLEADING
Sorry I thought they were SK mods for some reason. My bad. Thanks for correcting me.
Thats some big money for SK lights. I think the SKL run for about 350 to 500 to win at the tracks in CT. I would think some of the CT SK light drivers might be interested in participating in this series if the rules allow. I still think there are too many divisions of similar looking cars. Its confusing for the casual fan.
The Stafford SK Light engines do start out with about 350 HP as GM 602 factory engines. RAD the only engine supplier can rebuilt and freshen them. Can bore them out .030 over and I’ll assume can deck and line bore them as well. I’ll assume you can also pay extra to have the freshest valve springs as often as you like to eliminate float and pay to get the absolutely most optimum clearances as well. What they end up as who knows but I doubt that it could compete with an NHSTRA 904 400 HP plus legal engine.
NHSTRA allows the 602 and says when there is internal damage it’s served it’s useful life and may not be rebuilt. Then they go on to lay out rules to freshen the engines so who knows what that’s about. The 904 can’t be rebuilt or freshened near as I can see. It breaks you get a new one.
By the numbers and please correct me on this the SK Light at Stafford with the 2 barrel mid 300’s HP. Stafford SK’s all built engines with the 2 barrel 460 to 500 HP. The NHSTRA 602 with a 4 barrel substantially over the the 350 HP factory rating but certainly not approaching the 604. The NHSTRA 604 with the 4 barrel well over the 400 HP factory rating but not approaching the SK at Stafford. Weight tweaks just too enormous to be considered.
Bottom line it doesn’t appear Stafford’s Lights could be competitive and the SK’s are a completely different animal altogether not based on the crate engine at all. The guys doing the SK engines have refined them so well to maximize HP with the 2 barrel they just aren’t like anything else crate based.
It’s Stafford’s MO. Create a unicorn that has a hard time straying. A missed opportunity though in that if all those NH tracks and the Ct tracks could unify rules based off the 604 crate engine then we’d have a regional series much like the tour mods that as we’ve seen are doing very well thank-you.