On Saturday, JDV Productions owner Josh Vanada announced that his company would take over operations of Monadnock Speedway in Winchester, N.H. for the 2024 racing season.
Monadnock was purchased by Norm Wrenn in December 2018 and has been operated by Wrenn since the 2019 season.
Vanada has been promoting NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour events as part of JDV Productions since the 2021 season. Vanada, who served as general manager of Thompson Speedway from 2013 to 2018, promoted single Whelen Modified Tour events at Monadnock, Lee USA Speedway in Lee, N.H. and Claremont (N.H.) Motorsports Park in Claremont, N.H. in 2022.
This year Vanada added a second Monadnock Whelen Modified Tour date along with events at Lee and Claremont as part of his promotional efforts of Whelen Modified Tour events. The Claremont event ultimately was cancelled due to weather issues.
Saturday Vanada oversaw the second Whelen Modified Tour event of the 2023 season at Monadnock. The Winchester Fair was won by three-time Whelen Modified Tour champion Justin Bonsignore.
In addition to announcing Saturday that JDV Productions would operate the track in 2024, Vanada also announced that the track would be repaved in the coming months.
RaceDayCT talked with Vanada Monday to find out more how the deal came together to operate Monadnock and about the plans JDV Productions has for the track in 2024.
Question – Generally, how did this deal come together and what plans can you talk about at this point for next season?
Vanada: When we went there last year [for a Whelen Modified Tour event in June] and we rained out [on Saturday] and then we came back the next day, it was a great crowd and a lot of enthusiasm and I’ve always thought Monadnock was a pretty special place. We went back this year and it was kind of repeat, we saw a lot of passion around there. So I had approached [track owner Norm Wrenn] about potentially doing something. He and I talked for about a month’s time. The end result was that we’re going to lease the place, we’re going to continue to do weekly racing. I’m a big believer that division changes and rule changes cost money and we’re going to try to keep it as simple as we can and really try to build up their weekly program.
Q – Will operating Monadock change the other things that JDV Productions has done the last few years? Will the focus shift entirely to Monadnock or do you see yourself continuing to do events at Lee and Claremont for next year?
Vanada: I’m still working on my [Whelen Modified] Tour schedule for next season. I’m definitely going to be doing some Tour stuff for sure. I’m still working out venues and dates.
Q – Will you be looking at doing three Whelen Modified Tour events at Monadnock next year or is it too early to answer that?
Vanada: It’s too early to make any commitments about anything like that. We’ll have to evaluate that. We’ll have to talk to Whelen and discuss that with NASCAR as well.
Q – What is the attraction to you to putting so much focus of what you do on that one track?
Vanada: I think it’s got a great location. I know there’s no easy way to get there, I get that. But I would also say, in that area of western New Hampshire – yeah you have to drive through the woods to get there – but it’s not that far away from anything. I live in southeastern Massachusetts and I can get there in two hours. If you’re on the seacoast of New Hampshire it’s a couple hours. If you’re in Connecticut it’s a couple hours. It seems like wherever you live Monadnock is only a few hours away. I think from that standpoint, if you look at major events, you can draw from a lot of people, that it’s not that far of a drive for race fans. If you look there there’s a good Modified base. It’s no mystery that my brand is driven heavily by the Modifieds. I’ve been a Modified fan since the first day that I saw them, and people know about my time at Thompson [Speedway] as well. So that’s another piece of this that’s appealing to me.
Q – You announced Saturday that the track would be repaved. Is there a schedule on when that will take place?
Vanada: There is no exact date. There is a drainage project that they’re working on. … That will be taken care of first and once the drainage project is complete the pavers will be notified and they’ll come in. There’s already millings for the base layer of asphalt on the property itself. … The engineers have already been there. I think they’ll be paving sometime within the next four to eight weeks.
Q – How much was having the track repaved a factor in your decision to lease the track?
Vanada: Norm is paving the track. When we started talking at one of my events he had asked for my input on paving the track. I’ve had some input with answering some questions he’s had about doing that, but he is behind paving the track. That is his project.
Q – You talk about wanting to keep things the way they are with divisions and the weekly events, but what do you envision as far as what you see yourself doing differently compared to how things have gone there in recent years?
Vanada: I think number one is just the promotional side of things. We’re going to build a lot more promotional equity. We’re going to tell the stories of the drivers that are there. I think that’s an area where we can add some pretty immediate value. We’re going to be more active in our marketing and the marketing campaigns in some markets surrounding the tracks. … I think if you look at some of the most successful race tracks in the country, what do they do exceptionally well? They tell stories about their drivers and they market well, which I think those two things are related. And then the third thing that I think they do really well is they just operate really really efficiently. Saturday night we ran a [Whelen] Modified Tour race and we started at 4 pm and we finished at 8:23 [pm] and we had seven divisions on the card. I think it’s that operational efficiency that people have become accustomed to seeing from my team and I that we’ll also bring, which I think will just bring some more energy and enthusiasm around the place.
Q – Will Monadnock continue to be part of the New Hampshire Short Track Racing Association [NHSTRA]?
Vanada: No, the track will not be operating in association with the NHSTRA. It will be NASCAR sanctioned.
Q – Will you operate on the same date schedule as far as when the track opens and closes that they’ve operated with in the last few years?
Vanada: Yes, we will be around those. It’s something we’re looking at. … Generally we’ll be operating in the same time frame.
Q – Are you going to bring in your own staff entirely or will it be a situation with part of your current staff working with people that are currently there?
Vanada: Bryon Callen has committed to being the race director at the track. Mike Green, who is the current race director, was intending to step down at the end of the season. He’s going to stay on with us working in a different capacity. As far as the rest of the staff at the track, we’re trying to let them get through the season before we start speaking to individuals on whether they would like to continue with us or not.
Q – You had your experience operating Thompson Speedway. Has the idea of operating another track been there for you since you left Thompson?
Vanada: I think in some ways, for me it was. After I left Thompson and I went in a different career trajectory and did the racing stuff on the side, I was really kind of a lot more selective about the racing opportunities that I would take. But I always felt after I left Thompson that if the right opportunity presented itself that I would be interested in operating a track again. For me, for the reasons I’ve articulated with location and a good base there and what we’ve done so far there with promoting our own events there, I think this is a good opportunity and Norm is a good guy to work with. He’s been very honest with me throughout the process. He’s very fair. For me, this would be one that met the criteria which I would be willing to give it a go.
Excited to see how everything turns out and what they decide to do with the new pavement. I wish this was Lee instead though…
Will the six shooter class still be running ?
Thx for publishing that Shawn. Very informative.
Tri-Track event??
No NHSTRA? I’ll miss seeing those modifieds at the track.
MORE RACES AT THOMPSON ITS THE BEST TRACK IN CT
I sincerely hope they do have success in turning Monadnock into a good racing program, I’ll be there every week. But as a veteran race fan, having seen this kind of pipe dream here and there, again and again, I have serious doubts about Monadnock being any different next year than any of the last 10 years.
But, I know that when I’m sitting there now, wasting my time watching another 10-car feature dragged out to a half-hour I often say, “If only they’d re-pave this track. How great a show that would be!” Where’s my sarcasm font….
So right off they think putting lipstick on the pig is a wise use of thousands and thousands of dollars? Fix the racing, stupid.
“It’s too early to make any commitments about anything like that. We’ll have to evaluate that (ie NWMT events at Monadnock). We’ll have to talk to Whelen and discuss that with NASCAR as well.
That’s good right? Vanada’s strong relationship to Whelen Engineering tied into NASCAR’s now a big part of racing at the track.
“I’m a big believer that division changes and rule changes cost money and we’re going to try to keep it as simple as we can and really try to build up their weekly program. ”
NHSTRA Modifieds, NSTRA Late Models, Mini Stocks, Six Shooter, Pure Stocks, Open Pro Stocks, Outlaw, Ridge Runners they have rules on their site for. Plus Dwarf, Nelcar, Asphalt Big Block Modifieds (Tour Mod open), Pro 4, Pro Trucks, Young Guns that have been included in events.
I’d bet he’s thinking that’s a lot of divisions. No big changes in the rules for sure. Also why not skinny that down to a set number of divisions and support the heck out of them?
“the track will not be operating in association with the NHSTRA. It will be NASCAR sanctioned.”
What exactly is the impact of that? NHSTRA did not come up with the common rules idea did they, wasn’t that started under the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series banner? They’ll probably keep the common rules but what else does it mean, is streaming an issue? NHSTRA Vision out clearing the way for no conflict with NASCAR’s relationship with FloRacing. What does losing Monadnock mean for NHSTRA?
Two people referred to the Modifieds and Six Shooters wondering if they’ll return next year. One might think it’s nervous time for Monadnock regulars wondering if their division is going to get axed. Vanada probably doesn’t know at this stage. No way modifieds are left out right, they’ll just drop the NHSTRA. Love the Six Shooters wish we had them down here.
Vanada is a seasoned veteran. He’ll make his line up known really early, let everyone know what next season will bring and give everyone that competes plenty of time to get adjusted to any changes I’d bet on it.
MMTTS race at Monadnock? Vanada-NASCAR-Whelen connection shows the likelihood meter at nil on that one.
I can see why some fans would be skeptical. In 2022 the GW Promotional Group put a lot of time and money into the NHSTRA Whitcomb 5 Series. Even had Jackie Arute involved. Not to return in 2023.
Are you a Monadnock fan you tell me. All those divisions especially at the entry level. Aren’t they competing with each other for teams? Isn’t it division chaos and it is not possible Vanada can bring order and focus to it??
The fact that they call them asphalt “big block” modifieds shows the race car knowledge….