By Tom Coughlin
To begin your Friday morning, I will start with some very good news for all race fans throughout the racing community. Dirt modified and NASCAR Truck Series driver Stewart Friesen of Sprakers took some practice laps last week in his No. 44 Halmar-Friesen Racing modified down at the Friendship Speedway in North Carolina in preparation for the upcoming races in Florida. All reports have the practice session as being productive and successful.
In case you were somehow not aware, Stewart suffered life-threatening injuries last July while racing his modified in Canada and has made an amazing recovery to be at this stage of rehabilitation and back in the driver's seat. Stewart has a practice/test session setup with NASCAR next week and is looking forward to getting in the seat of his NASCAR Craftsman Truck No. 52 Toyota, tentatively looking at being able to race in the upcoming Daytona race in February. Stewart is not quite one hundred percent but is continuing with all of his physical therapy and doctor follow-ups to be as ready as possible when he receives the clearance to race.
The Short Track Super Series (STSS) announced tire compounds that will be allowed for the following races in March. Port Royal Speedway in Pennsylvania will race Friday and Saturday, the 13th and 14th, using the following American Racer compounds: Right-rear 53 or 56 only, left-rear 44 only, right-front 44 only, left-front any AR compound. Bridgeport Speedway in New Jersey on Sunday, March 22nd: right-rear 53 only, left-rear 44 only, right-front 44 only, left-front any AR compound. Bridgeport has a unique rain date in that if the forecast does not look good for the 22nd, they will race on the 21st. Bedford Speedway in Pennsylvania will race on Sunday, March 29th: right-rear 53 or 56, left-rear 44 only, right-front 44 only, left-front any AR compound.
The Short Track Super Series will celebrate their 2025 season champions and their top point earners on Saturday, March 7, at the Holiday Inn, Saratoga Springs. The STSS Night of Champions Awards banquet will recognize the top twelve in the STSS modified division HYTORC of NY North Region, plus NJ Quality Drywall South Region, in addition to the top 10 in the crate 602 sportsman division Madsen Overhead Doors Inc. North Region and Belmont's Garage South Region with point fund money and special awards presented. It will be a buffet-style dinner with various meat choices, side selections, desserts, and beverages available. The evening will begin with cocktails at 5:00 p.m. and dinner at 6:00 p.m., with awards to follow. Tickets are $65 and can be purchased on the My Race Pass app. A paper ticket order form is available on the STSS website. A block of rooms has been set aside at a reduced rate for STSS attendees.
Fonda Speedway will be offering the Five for Four pit pass package through the end of the annual Via/Port race car show in March. However, you don’t want to wait until the last second and then happen to forget about it. There is a link from the track website to purchase the special package.
Fonda Speedway is also happy to announce that all of their division sponsors are returning for the 2026 season: Amsterdam Truck Center modified division, Swagger Factory Apparel crate 602 sportsman division, Leatherstocking Credit Union pro stock division, Montgomery County Office for Aging Inc. limited sportsman division, Fonda Fair 4-cylinder division, and Online Performance Parts for the street stock division specials.
The Racin’ Rhino Motorsports team and driver Robert Rhinehardt are offering fans the opportunity to see their name on a race car and become involved with his No. 618 crate 602 sportsman team with the $100 club sponsorship program. Contact either Robert Rhinehardt or Danielle Rhinehardt through their Facebook page to get on board.
Crate 602 sportsman division driver Logan Carter is seeking potential sponsors for his No. 21C. He can be reached on Facebook at Logan Carter Racing 21c, or contact his parents, Justin at 518-775-7736 or Anna at 518-848-8332.
Crate 602 sportsman division driver Kirsten Swartz is also seeking sponsors for the upcoming season for her No. 24S. She can be contacted through Facebook at Kirsten Swartz or Kirsten Swartz Racing.
Andy’s Speed Shop held their 2026 Racing seminar last weekend. Friday night saw 80-plus attend the tire preparation program presented by Jay Castimore, who has been preparing tires for drivers such as Brett Hearn and Keith Flach, and now is the tire man for Stewart and Jessica Friesen on their dirt modifieds. Approximately 150 people were in attendance on Saturday for the day-long event, learning more about race car preparation, maintenance, and setup—before, during, and after the race.
Friday night, after his very informative tire seminar, Jay Castimore suffered a heart attack at home. Jay's wife, Marilyn, was able to administer CPR with the help of the 911 dispatcher until the ambulance arrived and transported him to the hospital. On Sunday, doctors were able to evaluate Jay's condition and found that a previously installed stent had collapsed. Per Jay's family, a new stent has been put in its place, and Jay is on the road to a full recovery. This is a good reminder to take a CPR class when they become available.
The Syracuse Motorsports Expo is scheduled for the weekend of Saturday and Sunday, March 14 & 15, at the New York State Fairgrounds in Syracuse.
The 40th annual Chili Bowl Nationals started on Monday in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Glenn Styres, who has competed in a number of different divisions, is one of our northeast drivers competing. Defending Chili Bowl Nationals Champion and NASCAR Cup Series Champion Kyle Larson won on Monday night in the A-main.
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