Virtually no weather problems for the first month here in the notheast..it’s been just about perfect and local tracks and the major touring series are up and running with(knock on wood)no cancellations so far!

 Final appeals this morning for Penske Racing when Nascar’s Chief Appellate Officer John Middlebrook, a former GM Chief Executive,  will make a decision whether to amend or uphold the point deductions, fines & suspensions handed out to the No. 2 & 22 cars of Brad Keselowski & Joey Logano..

Some repaving, smoothing and crack filling at Wiscasset Speedway helped to improve the track surface and increase the speed last weekend at the 3/8^th mile oval..

 And our motorsports term of the week..Draft which is the aerodynamic effect that allows two or more cars traveling nose to tail to run faster then a single car when the car in front cuts through the air providing a cleaner path  of air that is less resistant to the car in back..

Vintage Talladega..despite a 3.5 hour rain delay & two mega wrecks, the finish was worth it when Front Row Motorsports David Ragan, pushed by teammate David Gilliland, burst past a dominant Matt Kenseth on the final lap of a green white checkered  finish to win Sunday’s Aaron’s 499 with Carl Edwards third followed by Michael Waltrip & Jimmie Johnson..

 In other headline news, James Hinchcliffe overtook Takuma Sato on the final lap to win the IZOD Indy car Series Sao Paulo 300 from Brazil..

 And here in New England..defending American Canadian Tour Champion Wayne Helliwell Jr. finished off a dominating performance by edging 8 time champ Brian Hoar in the Spring Green 113 from Devils Bowl..& at Beechridge Motor Speedway DJ Shaw came from deep in the pack to win the Pro All Star Series  Southern Maine Motors 150 with Joey Doiron finishing a distant second.

John

A couple of news items before  our profile..the Nascar  3 person Appeals delegation has upheld the penalties leveied against Penske Racing and now Roger Penske is planning to take their appeal to the Chief Appellate officer John Middlebrook…

 And Ken Minott announced that Wiscassett Speedway is undergoing repairs to the track surface, grinding out and repaving numerous cracks and smoothing out the 3/8^th mile, high banked oval-good news for local race fans…

And our quick profile this week-Paul Menard, driver of the No. 27 Richard Childress Racing’s Menard Chevrolet, a continuing surprise with 4 top 10 finishes and a 10^th place position in the standings..Menard at 33 is coming off his best year in 6 seasons of sprint cup racing, finishing 2012 in 16^th place..

John

The points for Wednesday..Jimmie Johnson continues to dominate early leading the Cup standings but the surprise is Roush Fenway’s Carl Edwards, refreshed & rejuvenated and moving up to 2^nd followed closely by two more Hendrick stars, Kasey Kahne & Jr with Clint Bowyer rounding out the top five..big movers..Edwards No. 99 up 4 spots & Greg Biffle down 4 spots to 8^th..

 Sam Hornish & Johnny Sauter continue up front in the Nationwide & Camping World Truck Series..

In Open wheel racing..Helio Castroneves leads Takuma Sato by 6 points in the IZOD Indy Car Series & 3 time defending champion Sebastian Vettel is 10 points up on Kimi Raikkonen in Formula 1..

 And here in New England..two races in Jimmy Hebert stays atop the ACT board, 8 points up on Brian Hoar with Ray Parent, Wayne Helliwell Jr & Eddie McDonald rounding out the top five..and after the first event of the season Cassius Clark  leads Joey Doiron by a point in the Pro All Star Series!

John

Around the Track for Tuesday..local tracks are opening every weekend now and that’s good news for race fans all over New England..Thunder Road’s legendary quarter mile hosted the Merchants bank 150 on opening Day plus divisional racing in which Chris Pelky & Kevin Dodge picked up wins in the Tiger Sportsman & Street Stock divisions..

 Oxford Plains opened it’s Championship  Series on Sunday with veterans Dale Shaw & Kurt Hewins picking up checkered flags in the Pro Late Model & Street Stock divisions..

 And Nascars Whelen Modified Series visited Stafford Motor Speedway where Bobby Santos dominated the Annual Carquest Tech-Net Spring Sizzler at the historic half-mile track..

 And finally in Sprint Cup news, Joe Gibbs racing will appear before a 3 person panel on May 8^th to appeal the severity of penalties levied against the No. 20 team of Matt Kenseth…

John

Headlines from a busy weekend of racing…Kevin Harvick drove the No. 29 Richard Childress Chevy to victory lane Saturday night in the Toyota Owners 400 from Richmond International Speedway in a green white checkered finish on fresh tires with Clint Bowyer and Joey Logano rounding out the top 3..it was Harvick’s first win of the season, third at Richmond and 20^th of his career..

 On Friday Night Brad Keselowski edged Harvick for the win in the Nationwide Series Toyota Care 250 with Kyle Busch finishing third…

 And in touring news, 8 Time American Canadian Tour  Champion Brian Hoar won his second consecutive Merchants Bank 150 in the season opening weekend from the Legendary Thunder Road in Barre Vermont, edging Dave Pembroke and 7 time ACT Champ Jean Paul Cyr..it was Hoar’s 38^th career ACT victory..

John

My profile this week is easy..it’s all about a tradition & a racetrack that has become iconic..Thunder Road International Speedbowl or simply “Thunder Road” as most people call it..is a quarter mile, high banked oval co-owned by legendary broadcaster Ken Squire & American Canadian Tour President & owner Tom Curley, located in the town of Barre, Vermont..

And it opens it’s 54^th season this weekend with a bang, highlighted by the traditional car show held in downtown Barre on Saturday with nearly 100 pristine stock cars lined up on main street with all of the drivers and crews and including an exciting & entertaining pit crew challenge..and then we get down to racing with the  15^th running of the Merchants Bank 150, featuring the stars of the American Canadian Tour challenging the regulars from the weekly Late Model Division at Thunder road..

Points..Jimmie Johnson continues to top the Sprint Cup standings with Kasey Kahne moving up 5 spots to the runner-up position with defending series champ Brad Keselowski a point behind Kahne in third..

 The nationwide Series was idle last weekend so Sam Hornish remains the leader with a log jam behind him-Regan Smith, Austin Dillon, Justin Allgaier & Brian Scott a combined 9 points back..

 Johnny Sauter holds a 12 point lead over Matt Crafton in the Camping World Truck Series with the two drivers having won 3 of the first four races..

 Helio Castroneves is 6 points up on Takuma Sato in the Izod Indy car Series & Sebastian Vettel, with two wins in 4 starts holds a 10 point lead over Kimi Raikkonen in Formula 1..

Around the Track..a great opening for new owner Tom Mayberry at the legendary 3/8^th mile oval at Oxford Plains Speedway on Sunday..according to Travis Barrett the drivers with crate engines were strong all day in the Pro All Star Series Ripley & Fletcher 150 and a good opening day crowd despite chilly weather!

 Dale Earnhardt Jr. wouldn’t normally be happy with a 16^th place finish but with some bad luck like getting caught in an ill-timed caution while on pit road late in Sunday’s race at Kansas, Nascar’s most popular driver was feeling fortunate to get back inside the top 20!

 Just over 10 years ago the Hans Device became mandatory for Nascar drivers after it was determined that the death of Dale Earnhardt Sr was due to basilar skull fracture or the head and neck actually separating from the body during a violent front on crash-since the Hans device became mandatory, no injuries of that type have occurred!

John

Profiles!..beginning with Tom Mayberry’s Pro All Star Series which kicks into gear this weekend at Oxford plains Speedway for it’s 12^th season with Sunday’s Ripley & Fletcher Ford 150..the Tour has expanded with two divisions, North & South that culminate in an overall PASS National Championship. And Mayberry purchased Oxford Plains Speedway at the end of the 2012 season from long time owner Bill Ryan!

 And no one gets the drivers what they need faster then Mitch and Judy Green at Crazy Horse Racing High Performance Parts, Engines & Chassis in South Paris, Maine..they have been involved in racing for over 45 years from spectator, owner, driver and crew chief in every division-enduros to Pro Stocks and their race car parts trailer services all of the Oxford Plains events from running rebels to late models..