New England Racing Expo – Huge Success
Waterford, CT- On a weekend where weather played a deciding factor on the auto racing scene, both locally and nationally, there was no warmer place to be than the New England Racing Expo at the Crystal Mall in Waterford. Race cars of all shapes and sizes were part of this inaugural motorsports event, along with a vast array of drivers and vendors, who are an integral part of getting race cars to the track. And the fans showed up in full force.
From the moment the doors opened, the air was electric. Filled with excitement, positive energy, and of course, questions. Fans of all ages seized their opportunity to chat with drivers, grab an autograph, check out the cars, and even pick up some cool racing swag. Bob Potter and “The Farmer” Phil Rondeau were on hand Saturday and Sunday to greet the fans and stroll down memory lane with some of them. In the crowd, Ed Reed Jr. was spotted enjoying the Expo with his daughter, along with Tom Fox, who was cruising around with Speedbowl Victory Lane icon Ron Fox. All three seemed to be impressed by the buzz generated.
New England Racing Fuels, Tri-State Kart Club, Rent A Race Car, The Granite State Pro Stock Series, Shipman’s Fire Equipment, Passing Bird Photography, Spafco Race Chassis & Parts, Critical Screenprinting & Embroidery, Critical Tint, Cohanzie Fire Dept., Wild Thing Kart Racing Series, and Nutmeg Kart Club all provided beautiful displays of their products and were on hand to answer questions and promote their brand. These vendors can be found weekly at all three tracks in Connecticut.
Throughout the event venue were the racing machines of several drivers. Charles Canfield, the 2017 NLWS Mini Stock Champion brought his beautifully prepared Ford Mustang Mini Stock to put on display. Jim Boyle showcased his awesome looking Race Truck, sporting a fresh wrap job courtesy of Jeff’s Custom Graffix. Whelen Engineering had the K&N Pro Series #31 Chevrolet driven by Ryan Preece on hand for the fans to check out. The ACT Late Model of Dylan Cabral, a newcomer to the division, was also on display. The orange, black, and gray Chevrolet was an eye catching fan favorite. The bright red SK Light driven by Chris Correll was on hand, giving fans the opportunity to get up close and personal with the open wheeled, small block ground pounder. Also, at every vendor display race cars and karts were on display for kids to climb in, get their picture taken, and beg their parents to buy them one.
Let’s not forget about our drivers. Both days gave fans the opportunity to meet some of the stars that drive the cars. Former superstars Bob Potter and Phil Rondeau were on hand signing autographs and talking with fans. Current Speedbowl Saturday Night drivers Ken Cassidy Jr., defending Mini Stock champ Charles Canfield, defending Street Stock champ Chris Meyer, Matt Brown, Andrew Molleur, Dan Meyer, Joey Ternullo, Chris Correll, and Jim Boyle were all on hand throughout the weekend. Wednesday Night stars that were signing autographs included Super X champ Marc Shafer, Anthony Bello, Corey Caddick, Emma Monahan, Tyler Barry, Dylan DeCoster, Jason Larivee Jr., Chris Strickland, Dominic Abbatiello, Jeremy Washburn, and Mike Trask. Many current and former drivers were spotted throughout the weekend.
- As the weekend progressed, and word spread, fans from all over New England stopped by the different displays, shopped the stores, and visibly enjoyed what was going on. The New England Racing Expo was certainly a success on all levels. It was the perfect kick-off to the racing season.
