Shawn Courchesne | Auto Racing

Stafford Native Peter Jellen Takes Home Big Prize In Hauler Driver Competition

A Stafford driver took home a championship worth $50,000 Saturday.

No not a driver from Stafford Motor Speedway.

Stafford native Peter Jellen, the longtime hauler driver for the Joe Gibbs Racing No. 18 team was announced Saturday as the winner of the Pilot Truck Driver Challenge.

In September at New Hampshire International Speedway Jellen told me if he could snare the award he would immediately put it away as a college scholarship for his young daughter Jennifer.

Joey Logano Set To Take Next Step Up The NASCAR Ladder May 31

Joey Logano and Joe Gibbs Racing will waste little time between his reaching of the age eligibility requirements to compete in NASCAR’s national divisions and his debut in its second tier level.

Logano announced Friday that he will make his NASCAR Nationwide Series debut May 31 at Dover International Speedway in Dover, Del.

The division, which is currently known as the NASCAR Busch Series, will become the Nationwide Series in 2008.

Logano, a 17-year old Middletown native and developmental driver for Joe Gibbs Racing, will turn 18 on May 24. NASCAR requires drivers competing in its top level Nextel Cup division, the Nationwide Series and the Craftsman Truck Series to be at least 18 years old.

It’s Not Easy Being A “Moron Auto Racing Writer” In A College Football World

After going six months of pumping out entry after entry, in my little piece of blogosphere real estate here at The Courant things have slowed over the last few weeks.

I’m struggling to come to grips with the fact that there’s so little to write about right now on the local racing scene and that it will be another 5 months before short track racing in the state will give me back so much of the fodder offered to fill this space day after day. And the Nextel Cup Chase for the Championship, otherwise known as Snoozefest 2007, well, don’t get me started on that.

So I might not be stirring the pot here with the regularity of a high school cafeteria cook whipping together a day’s worth of chicken noodle, but it doesn’t mean there aren’t hornets’ nests out there that I’ve somehow found a way to stick my hand in.

They Care About The Modified Tour, They Really Do, They Just Show It In A Funny Way

Speak and they shall listen?

Well, maybe not.

After all, who could be bothered with the Whelen Modified Tour when there is a meaningless full-fendered exhibition race going on in California.

The Magical Mystery Of Finding The Modified Tour Point Standings

I know it seems to be asking a lot of a multi-million dollar corporation that insists that they still do care about their minor league divisions.

Think it would be possible for NASCAR to possibly ensure that the final point standings from one of their divisions get posted in some sort of timely fashion on the website that has their name on it when the season is over?

I went to the NASCAR Local Racing website Thursday looking for updated points for the Whelen Modified Tour. Now one would think that if you went to the page labeled standings, that would be where the standings for the season would be found.

State Drivers Looking To Hit It Big On The West Coast Saturday

At least five drivers hailing from Connecticut will head to Irwindale, Calif. for Saturday’s NASCAR Toyota All-Star Showdown at Irwindale Speedway.

The contingency of drivers is headed by the reigning Busch East Series champion and the defending champion of the event.

Middletown native Joey Logano, a developmental driver for Joe Gibbs Racing, will compete in his first showdown. The 17-year old won the Busch East title as a rookie this season.

Thunder Road In Vermont To Welcome Modifieds Back In 2008

Touring Modified Racing will return to Vermont in 2008.

Officials from Thunder Road International Speedway announced Tuesday that the True Value Modified Racing Series will be part of the Thunder Road’s Mekkelson RV Memorial Day Classic on May 25, 2008.

Long Day Feel To A Short Day At Thompson Puts A Cap On The Local Season

Feeling semi-recovered from the weekend, I can now put down the thoughts I had planned on writing last night after the conclusion of the World Series of Speedway Racing at Thompson International Speedway.

First off, it’s another one of those Monday’s where I can’t believe the local racing season is over. In one sense it felt like it lasted forever and in another sense it seems like I was just at the Waterford Speedbowl for the season opening event of the year.

No more Thursday nights at Thompson, Friday nights at Stafford and Saturday nights at the Bowl. It’s football, football, football from here on out for the rest of the winter.

I've Made It To Thompson, Now Just Keep The Caffeine Coming

It only took two airplanes, three Red Bull’s, two Diet Coke’s and one Starbucks Double Shot Espresso, but I’ve made it to Thompson International Speedway for the closing stages of the World Series of Speedway Racing.

And just in time to watch Jimmy Blewett and his emotional run to victory lane in the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series SK Modified feature.

Dale Earnhardt Jr.-less Number 8 DEI Car Just A Bit Strange To See

To me, it’s just hard to see.

I love critiquing paint schemes on race cars and I’ve always been a fan of the simple styles used by Dale Earnhardt Inc.

And when I saw the first pictures of the car Aric Almirol and Mark Martin will share for DEI my first thought was that it was pretty good looking car.