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New Name for the New
England
Big Block
Supermodified Series |
Creating a
new series has a lot
of challenges.
Finding a rules
package that keeps
the cars and budgets
in check. Building
an exciting schedule
and getting support
from owners, drivers
and fans alike. The
all new
Supermodified Series
based in New England
has accomplished all
of those so far but
the original name is
a bit of a mouthful.
The NE Big
Block Super Modified
Series started as a
dream in
collaboration from
supermodified teams
that could no longer
afford to travel 6
plus hours to
compete and the Pro
All Stars Series
(PASS). In a few
short months the
dream has become a
reality and has
quickly become one
of the most talked
about series in the
northeast. As we
move closer to race
season to save race
announcers, media
personnel, teams and
fans some breath,
series officials
have created a new
name. The NE Big
Block Super Modified
Series is now the
New England
Supermodified Series
or
NESS for
short. The new name
and logo will lean
into the connection
with PASS, featuring
a similar logo and a
quick and easy
acronym.
NESS will still hold
the same schedule of
events including
races at Oxford
Plains, White
Mountain Motorsports
Park, Thunder Road,
Monadnock Speedway,
Lee USA Speedway,
Seekonk, and
Thompson. With 15
drivers
pre-registered for
the season and many
others planning on
running events, NESS
will continue to
grow its following
with a new easier to
remember name.
While we all
anxiously await
opening day on May
7th, 2022 as Big
Block Supers return
to the Plains of
Oxford, Maine for
the first time since
2014, there are
plenty of exciting
events happening in
the meantime for
NESS. Former Busch
North competitor
turned supermodified
driver Kenny White
Jr. will have his
2022 Gangsta Racing
#77 on display at
Marks Northeast
Motorsports Expo on
March 11 to 13.
https://marksnemotorsportsexpo.com/
The show formerly
known as Race-A-Rama
at the Big E in West
Springfield
Massachusetts has
been a staple in the
motorsports world
for decades.
Kenny will be
promoting NESS and
the Olive Silva
Classic at Lee USA
Speedway this
summer. Other events
including a supermod
at a professional
hockey game and an
appearance in the
Thunder Road Car
Show are also
scheduled in the
next month.
Big things are
happening in the Big
Block SuperModified
world. To keep tabs
on all things NESS
follow
Proallstarsseries.com
and
New England
SuperModified Series
on Facebook. |
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NEBSMS 11/29
RULES MEETING REPORT |
2022 TEAM
LICENSE/NUMBER
REGISTRATION FORM |
Hollis,
NH -- A group
of 30 plus
supermodified
drivers, car owners,
and track promoters
made the trip to
NEMRS (North East
Motor Racing Supply)
in Hollis, NH Monday
evening November
29th, 2021. The
90-minute meeting
was overwhelmingly
positive and has
created even more
hype around the
inaugural season of
the NE Big-Block
Super Modified
Series. More than
ten teams grabbed
licenses forms
including
prestigious car
owners Such as Howie
Lane, Vic Miller,
and ISMA and tour
modified superstar
Jon McKennedy.
Series director
Tom Mayberry led the
initial discussion
laying out purse
information and
potential schedules
while Brian
Allegresso of NEMRS
took over to talk
about the spec motor
option. Brian will
be acquiring a motor
around the middle of
January and will be
heading to a dyno
immediately to see
where it will stack
up against open
motors. Many
competitors
expressed interest
in the GM spec 572ci
engine while some
wanted to make sure
the tour will
continue to allow
open motors for
multiple years to
come.
In the
spirit of gaining
cars, NEBSMS will be
allowing open motors
conforming to ISMA
rules to be able to
compete throughout
the foreseeable
future with a gear
rule in order to
keep them in check.
It was previously
announced that
NEBSMS would be 100%
spec motors by 2023,
but after this
meeting that
will not be
the case.
Brian and Tom both
feel that with the
gear rule that, will
be put in place,
spec motors and open
motors will be able
to compete on an
equal playing field.
While the spec motor
is still the
preferred option for
the future of NE
Big-Block Super
Modified Racing, the
series also doesn't
want to cost teams'
substantial money to
purchase a new spec
motor if they have a
perfectly good built
motor already.
Other than the
gear rule for open
motors and the spec
motor option, the
only difference in
NEBSMS and ISMA
rules is the
adoption of the
two-element wing
rule. Three-element
wings are 7 feet
wide opposed to the
6-foot wide
two-element wing.
Obviously the
three-element wing
is a substantial
advantage for
handling and limits
the amount of air to
the car following.
The lack of air to
the trailing car
causes a lack of
downforce and has
been detrimental to
Super Modified
racing over the past
several years.
The new rule will
read as follows:
two-element wings
only - no
three-element wings
permitted. Wing
shall be no more
than 6' wide with a
top wing that shall
not exceed 24 square
feet.
Essentially the tour
is looking to
promote a valley
style wing. A
two-element wing kit
sells for $1,300,
and there are plenty
out there. The 3
element wings are
almost four times
the price and are
not readily
available to all
competitors.
Along with rules
there was a lot of
discussion about
race procedure.
Mayberry has plans
to enhance the
competition in heat
races by making heat
races count towards
starting position
for the feature
event while still
maintaining a
handicap for
previous winners to
prevent them from
starting pole and
running away with an
event flag to flag.
NEBSMS will
also feature double
file restarts.
Mayberry has always
been a supporter of
double file
restarts. Long
before NASCAR, the
Pro All Stars Series
has used double file
restarts even at
events in the south
where it was
basically unheard
of. This
supermodified series
is going to be
heavily geared
towards fans and
creating the next
generation of Big
Block Super Modified
racers. Competitive
heat races and side
by side restarts
will help create
excitement and do
just that.
Lastly the schedule
was brought up. The
initial tracks to be
scheduled have
stayed the same
(Oxford, Thunder
Road, White Mountain
and Thompson).
However there is a
strong possibility
of more tracks to be
added as multiple
venues have
expressed interest
in a NEBSMS race at
their facility.
However in order
to obtain dates on
the schedule, NEBSMS
will have to show
that a sufficient
number of teams are
planning on running
the series in 2022.
In order to schedule
races, NEBSMS will
need 15 teams to
purchase a series
license by December
21st, 2021. Licenses
cost only $100.00
for early entries.
The license form
will pay for itself
for any teams
planning on running
2 or more events
this season.
If 15 teams have
license forms in by
December 21st a
complete schedule
will be announced by
January 1st, 2022.
If there aren't 15
licensed teams by
then, NEBSMS will
refund the license
fee and will have to
reevaluate plans for
the 2022 season. As
of right now we have
well over 15 soft
committals, but
getting license
forms in are the
next biggest step in
making 2022 a
success.
License forms are
available above or
by request from
Spencer Morse at
spencermorse34@icloud.com
or 207-890-8719. |
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NE Big-Block Super
Modified Series
Looking To Launch
For 2022 |
Now
introducing the
formation of the NE
Big-Block Super
Modified Series. An
organization to help
save the high
horsepower,
lightweight,
methanol fueled
speed machines.
Big Block Super
Modifieds have
always been a fan
favorite division,
but car counts have
been less than
stellar lately.
Brian Allegresso, of
New England
Motorsports Supply
and a former ISMA
(International Super
Modified
Association) Board
Director, has his
thoughts on the
current problems
with big black super
modifieds, the cost.
"ISMA is losing two
cars a year and one
of the biggest
reasons is travel".
Brian explained
a lot of the teams
in New England don't
even want to travel
to Oswego let alone
Ohio. With rising
fuel costs and 6-12
hours of traveling,
the cost of hotel
rooms and loss of
time at work is
keeping multiple
cars home on jack
stands. While ISMA
races 8-9 times a
year only a few
races are one day
trips for New
England teams. Brian
believes that is
also preventing new
cars from being
built.
Another huge problem
with Super Modified
racing is the engine
cost. While an
article on ISMA a
few years stated the
cost to build a
brand new turnkey
Super Modified was
$60,000.00 Brian
says some teams are
spending that amount
of money to just
build an engine.
These Big Blocks
produce 900 plus
horsepower but they
need to be rebuilt
every year to the
tune of another
$10,000.00 or more.
While racers have
never had the
allusion of turning
a profit the expense
has grown too great
for a lot of teams
and even scared some
new teams away from
joining the class.
Without new teams
building cars and so
many current teams
fading away Big
Block Super Modified
Racing is in
trouble.
This is where Tom
Mayberry steps in.
Mayberry,
although mostly
known for his work
with the Pro All
Stars Series (PASS)
and Oxford Plains
Speedway,
understands what
it's like to be a
racer without place
to race and he wants
to prevent that from
happening to others.
In 2000 the North
East Pro Stock Tour
(NEPSA) was the
premier tour.
Mayberry finished
4th in points
however the series
was failing and the
future was
uncertain.
Mayberry decided to
hang up the helmet
and pick up
promoting. Since the
creation of PASS in
2001, the tour has
now become the top
Super Late Model
tour in the country
and just celebrated
its 21st season. Tom
also brought PASS to
the Super Late model
starved South East
back by creating
events like the
Easter Bunny 150
held at Hickory
Motor Speedway each
year. Mayberry, also
with assistance from
the American
Canadian Tour's Cris
Michaud, prevented
Thompson Speedway
from closing its
oval in 2021. When a
division or race
track is in trouble
Tom has always
stepped up to ensure
the betterment of
motorsports and he's
ready to do the same
for Super Modified
Racing.
In
no way does Mayberry
want to step on toes
of the
ultra-successful
ISMA tour. First of
all, Mayberry is
working hard to find
ways to prevent any
conflicts in the
NEBSMS and ISMA
Schedules. After
consulting former
ISMA Presidents and
current board
members its apparent
it's time for a
change and that a
new tour is the best
for the future of
Super Modifieds in
the North East.
This new series
is looking to bring
big block super
modifieds to more
local tracks, more
frequently and help
create a better
outlook for an
otherwise struggling
division. With a
tentative schedule
soon to be released
NEBSMS will hit
famed Ovals like
Thompson, White
Mountain, Thunder
Road and Oxford
Plains.
Such
a schedule will
create no more than
a 4-hour commute for
any competitor in
New England. The
savings on hotel
rooms and fuel bills
alone will create
extra dollars for
more local
competitors to
compete.
With cost at the
forefront of the
conversation NEBSMS
will be implementing
an unaltered crate
motor rule. This
same thing that has
saved late model
racing across the
country, although
instead of a 400
Horsepower small
block 350 cubic inch
motor like the late
models this will be
a $16,000, 800
Horsepower, 572
cubic inch Chevrolet
Big Block. A rule
prohibiting 3
element wings will
save racers even
more money and level
the playing field.
With these
rule changes the
class will save
teams upwards of
$20,000 a year,
while still racing
for an extremely
competitive payout.
After talking with
Super Modified
builders and racers
alike it seems there
will be no negative
impact to speed on
any track smaller
than a half mile.
Testing in the
coming weeks will
confirm the
performance of the
proposed
configuration.
The tour looks
to help younger
racers make the jump
to a Big Block if
they are so
inclined. Nearly a
dozen drivers have
already expressed
interest in running
NEBSMS in 2022 with
new conversations
happening every day.
For more
information, please
reach out to NEBSMS
PR director Spencer
Morse at
207-890-8719 or by
email at
Spencermorse34@icloud.com
also keep an eye on
the PASS website for
more information to
be posted as it
becomes available.
An
informational
meeting is
being planned for
the end of November.
Please RSVP if
interested to
Spencer Morse at the
above email. We ask
for your RSVP to
allow for space at
the meeting
location. Date,
time, and location
of the meeting TBA. |
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