Shawn Courchesne | Auto Racing

No Open Doors At Lime Rock Park For the Whelen Modified Tour

With a dwindling base of short tracks looking to host major touring events, the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour has seen their event schedule pared down over the past decade to a select few tracks.

The Modified Tour visits 8 tracks this season as part of a 16 race schedule. That schedule includes 5 events at Thompson International Speedway and 4 events at Stafford Motor Speedway.

Getting the tour to new venues is something first year series director Chad Little said recently was one of his goals.

Skip Barber Announces Major Changes At Lime Rock Park

There’s a second road course racing track coming to Connecticut.

It just so happens the second one will be in the same place as the existing one.

Thursday, Lime Rock Park owner Skip Barber formally announced plans for modifications to the current 1.53-mile road course that will create three new optional corners to the track and dramatically change racing at the facility.

Our Little Piece Of Interweb Real Estate Is Growing Up So Fast

They said it couldn't be done.

A racing blog, at the Hartford Courant? Nobody is going to look at that.

Ok, so maybe it's just a few select friends hitting refresh over and over and over and over again, just don't tell the management types here our little secret.

Yes, its a big day at our treasured little piece of undervalued web space here, our little blog is growing up.

Highcroft Racing And Scott Sharp 5th at 12 Hours Of Sebring In ALMS Season Opener

The Danbury based Patron Highcroft Racing team, with the trio of Scott Sharp, David Brabham and Stefan Johansson driving, finished fifth Saturday in the 12 Hours of Sebring.

The race, at Sebring (Fla.) International Raceway, was the season opener for the American LeMans Series. The earned a fourth place finish in Class for the LMP2 category.

Penske Racing’s Timo Bernhard, Romain Dumas and Emmanuel Collard scored the historic win, marking the first time an LMP2 car took the overall top spot at Sebring.

Penske Puts Porsche In Victory Lane In American LeMans Series Opener At Sebring

The IRL’s IndyCar Series kicks off its season March 29 under the lights at Homestead-Miami Speedway in Homestead, Fla.

If you’re the betting sort, put your money on Penske Racing in that event.

Not that that’s such a stretch given Penske’s annual success in open wheel racing, but it seems this year the luck is with “The Captain” in a big way when it comes to season openers.

On Feb. 17 at Daytona International Speedway it was Ryan Newman getting pushed across the line by teammate Kurt Busch to give Penske a 1-2 finish in the Sprint Cup season opening Daytona 500.

Norwalk's Scott Sharp And Rahal Letterman Racing Settle Lawsuit

Rahal Letterman Racing announced Friday that they have reached a settlement with Norwalk driver Scott Sharp and The Patron Spirits Company in regards to the breach of contract suit filed by the team in November.

A release from the team said the parties have reached an amicable settlement in their breach-of-contract case claims against each other.

Terms of the settlement were not disclosed.

Sharp joined Rahal Letterman to race for the team in the IRL’s IndyCar Series prior to the start of the 2007 season and was 8th in the IndyCar Series standings with 3 top-5 finishes and 10 top-10 finishes. Sharp finished sixth in the Indianapolis 500 in 2007, his best career finish in 13 starts in the event.

Thawing Out From SpeedwayExpo 2008

Yes, the numbness has finally subsided enough in my fingers that I am able to type again.

I was kindly requested to take part in an “Anger Management” dunk tank event last weekend at SpeedwayExpo in West Springfield, Mass. And being the good sport that I am, I obliged.

Friday evening, with a band of onlookers gathering, I took my seat in the dunk tank.

Unfortunately I was never told that part of the allure of the dunk tank experience is the humiliation of sliding some pour sap into a bucket of ice cold water. Now I’m not going to purport my big toe to have some magical meteorological powers, but suffice it to say, the toes were telling me the water temperature was somewhere in the low 50’s.

Steve Park Returning To His Roots

It seems an old familiar face in these parts will be making a return to local touring racing this season.

An announcement on Steve Park’s official website said the former Whelen Modified Tour standout will compete this season full time in the Camping World East Series for NDS Motorsports.

Scott Sharp Joins Homestate Team For America LeMans Series Run In 2008

Home is where the race shop is now for Scott Sharp.

The Norwalk driver who has spent the last 12 years competing in the Indy Racing League’s IndyCar Series is switching gears this season.

Danbury based Highcroft Racing announced Tuesday that Sharp will partner with David Brabham this season in the organization's American LeMans Series entry.

Hey There, Remember Me?

What’s going on?

It’s been a while. Miss me?

I know, probably not.

I've been busy trying to start a second career as a place kicker. It's not going well.

I’m sure Bill Elliott nation and the Denny Hamlin fan club have definitely missed me. By the way, I can’t mention Hamlin without pointing out the fact that clearly one of his biggest fans discovered me recently. Hmmmm, Hooked on Phonics or a leather Denny Hamlin coat? I’m thinking she went with the coat.