The entry list for the 50th NAPA Spring Sizzler continued to get more impressive on Tuesday.
Stafford Speedway management announced Tuesday that Jon McKennedy has filed an entry for the event.
Later Tuesday afternoon former NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour champion Ron Silk confirmed to RaceDayCT that the Haydt-Yannone Racing team that he competes with on the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour plans to be in attendance at the Sizzler.
HYR is in its first full season on the Whelen Modified Tour and includes multi-time championship winning crew chief Phil Moran. The team won last Tuesday’s 35-lap Tour Type Modified feature at the World Series of Asphalt Stock Car Racing at New Smyrna (Fla.) Speedway.
Silk’s entry will bring the current list of committed teams for the event to 32. Silk is the third former Whelen Modified Tour champion committed to the event, joining Doug Coby and Ryan Preece.
The Spring Sizzler is an Open Modified event this year and features a purse of more than $130,000. Between heat race winnings and lap money a driver has the chance to walk away with a $30,000 plus payday at the event. And the winner of the event earns a starting spot in the SRX Series event at Stafford on July 2.
Another former Whelen Modified Tour champion not yet on the list indicated on Tuesday that he will likely be in the show.
Asked Tuesday if he plans to run the Sizzler with Tinio Motorsports, Bobby Santos III said: “I’m pretty sure the Tinio’s would like to run that race. I’d like to also. Most likely a yes. Just have a lot going on around then. But going to try [to] make it work.”
Also, on the latest episode of Unmuffled (linked below), Matt Hirschman addressed the possibility of competing in the Sizzler.
Great news but the way the economy is going there won’t be many fans or cars at regular events
Steve,
Didn’t look like the economy hurt the car count or fan count at New Smyrna last week.
Not to imply the Sizzler was going to be a dude under any circumstance. I did have a list of drivers that would need to be there to have it be the historic event we all want it to be.
Not including the Stafford guys like Rocco, Williams, Dowling, Pitkat et al that are a given. Or teams like the 58, Cassella’s 25 or Pasteryak, the Mertz 6 or the 7ny that lean heavily toward the track for opens. My short list included Hirschman, McKennedy, Silk, Preece, Blewett, the 3 with any driver and Justin Bonsignor in the 51. I suppose Santos as well since he’s so popular here abouts.
Once concerned that is dissipating. Preece in the 3 is ideal, Santos is gonna try, McKennedy and Silk in those two great cars will make the show. Hirschman based on recent comments on Unmuffled really sounds like he’s interested especially with the Tri Track race later in the season and the SRX slot up for grabs. That leaves Massa, a NWMT first and foremost guy still MIA.
You have to have the star power and the race will have all of that and more.
Business is picking up, can’t wait to see who’s next!
I’m hoping the economy doesn’t go south but I’m thinking a big increase in tires and fuel expenses along with this war I just don’t see weekly racers being able to do it… the people at New Smyrna all have plenty of money just like the tour type mods. The last time I heard owners complain about cost was when gas was $4 a gallon
i’ll be there, and i think i’ll have a lot of company! happy spring, boys and girls!
What a useless comment Steve
It’s a strange time economy wise. Inflation on the tip of everyone’s tongue. We’re all nervous about it especially if you are raising a family and grandpa reminds you of the time in the 70’s when inflation was 15%.
On the other hand jobs are plentiful and companies are raising prices in part to offer employees more money. Market down but still up nicely over the course of the year so the 401K isn’t getting hit too bad yet. Own a house? Check Zillow for the value, your net worth may have gotten a real estate bonus in the last year.
Want to buy a house? Don’t be worrying about interest rates and the availability of money, interest rates are still at extremely low levels historically. Then again there are no houses available and the ones that come on the market get snapped up right away and at over asking price at that.
Strange times.
Not our war at least for now but there will be fuel price shrapnel in the short run. People slapped in the face with inflation every time they pull up to the pump and heating oil up 50% since August. Hold on it’s going to get worse before it gets better.
So how bad is it. It ain’t good that’s for sure. On the other hand consumer sales numbers are still showing people spending freely for stuff that is actually adding fuel to the inflation situation combined with supply chain delays. The again JP Morgan says inflation is in the process of peaking and the CNBC analysts are saying get ready to buy in the spring. High oil prices bad but encourage more production and I’m hearing that prices could be down 40% by mid summer with supply robust. We’ll see on that.
So how bad is it really?
Not time to freak out quite yet at least in my view. Not time to assume that as ugly as it is now that it will be as bad or worse into the heart of racing season.
Is this bad the type of bad to affect teams participation levels and fans interest in going to events in the 2022 season?
Maybe at some point but it may be more prudent and better for the old anxiety level to take a breath, wait and see. We still have a little time to kill before we’ll now if it’s time for doom…………or zoom.
Shaping up to be a stout field. The winner representing Stafford and the northeast in the SRX race might even draw more too names too. Yes, the economy sucks, but somehow someway racers always find a way to race. The race is still a month and a half or so away, so the economy could change, although it’s doubtful it will.