STAFFORD SPEEDWAY BUILDING CAR COUNT FOR 2008 NASCAR WHELEN ALL-AMERICAN SERIES SEASON

For Immediate Release
Contact: Scott Running
December 27, 2007

(Stafford Springs, CT)---With the 2007 NASCAR season in the rearview mirror and the 2008 season looming on the horizon, Stafford Motor Speedway has received a grand total of 128 number registrations thusfar for its 2008 NASCAR Whelen All American Series season. Stafford's premier division, the SK Modifieds®, lead the way with 35 entries. The SK Modified® division is followed by the Late Model division with 32 entries, the DARE Stock division with 26 entries, the Limited Late Model division with 19 entries, and the SK Light division with 16 entries.

"We are excited with the volume of car registrations we have received thus far," said SMS CEO / GM Mark Arute. "When compared to previous years, we're on a record pace for number registrations at this point. We have a great mix of veteran drivers as well as new drivers spread out through our five weekly divisions and we're looking forwards to another great season of weekly racing with what we feel will be some of the best racing competition in New England."

The SK Modified® division has three former SK Modified® track champions in Ted Christopher, Bo Gunning, and Frank Ruocco returning to Stafford along with Corey Hutchings, who is the defending Late Model track champion, and Doug Coby, the 1998 Stafford Late Model champion. Other feature winning drivers that will be back at Stafford this upcoming season include Woody Pitkat, Keith Rocco, Eric Berndt, Brad Hietala, Todd Owen, Jeff Malave, Kenny Horton, Chris Jones, and Curt Brainard. The division will also see several Whelen Modified Tour drivers taking their turns behind the wheel of an SK Modified® at Stafford this season in the form of Zach Sylvester, Ronnie Silk, and Jimmy Blewett. Adding to the rookie mix this season is former SK Light feature winner Matt Gallo, Brett Gonyaw, who will drive Bob Parker, Jr.'s entry that Bo Gunning piloted last season, and Christopher Jones.

Stafford's Late Model division also has several championship winning drivers returning. Corey Hutchings and Mike Quintiliano will be back for 2008 while Jim Peterson will return to Stafford for select events this season. Two championship winning cars are entered from Ryan Posocco Racing and Marcia Kretschman, but do not have drivers listed at this time. Other division veterans that are returning include Jim Mavlouganes, Tom Butler, Scott Foster, Jr., Joe Rzeszutek, Ed Ricard, and Dillon Moltz, who will enter his first full season of competition after winning two races as a 16-year old rookie this past season.

Stafford's SK Light, Limited Late Model, and DARE Stock divisions will continue to be the proving grounds that will produce future SK Modified® and Late Model drivers, feature winners, and track champions. Drivers like Woody Pitkat, Ryan Posocco, Michael Bennett, Joey Ferrigno, Andrew Durand, Rick Lanagan, Kevin Gambacorta, and many others have started their Stafford careers in the DARE Stock division and have successfully made the move up the Stafford ladder to higher divisons, where they have achieved race wins and championships.

Stafford's 2008 NASCAR Whelen All-American Series season will begin with the 37th annual Tech-Net Spring Sizzler presented by CARQUEST on the weekend of April 25-27, 2008. To see which drivers have submitted an entry to race at Stafford in the 2008 season, visit the TEAMS section of www.staffordspeedway.com, and click on the 2008 team listing for the SK Modified®, Late Model, SK Light Modified, Limited Late Model, and DARE Stock divisions.

For more information, contact the Stafford Motor Speedway track office at 860-684-2783, or visit us on the web at www.staffordspeedway.com.

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