Dean Smith left a lasting impression on those who knew him. From his love coaching recreational sports for the Newport Recreation Department to his time at the race track first racing himself then helping his son, "Deano" was well-liked and respected. His son, Craig, created the Dean Smith 52-Lap Memorial Race for the R.E. Hinkley Super Streets  in memory of his dad who passed on May 15 . Laps were quickly sold as well as lap incentives with the back end of the purse structure increased to help and reward the racing teams who race weekly. The winner will take home a minimum of $ 1,000. Here is a breakdown of the purse furnished by Smith:

DEAN SMITH 52-LAP MEMORIAL RACE
R.E. Hinkley Super Streets
June 2, 2017

1. $1,000
2. $550
3. $350*
4. $375
5. $325
6. $300
7. $275
8. $200
9. $200
10. $200
11. $200
12. $200
13. $200
14. $200
15. $200
16. $200
17. $200
18. $200
19. $200
20. $200
21. $125
22. $125
23. $125
24. $125

LAP INCENTIVES

*3rd place finisher receives $ 150 cash in addition to posted purse courtesy of American Tire & Brake in Claremont, NH
Leader on Lap 3 receives $ 150 cash bonus in addition to awarded winnings courtesy of American Tire & Brake
Halfway leader will receive $ 52 cash bonus in addition to awarded winnings courtesy of Mike Parks and Pro 66 Racing
Caution Laps sponsored by Rocky Branch Auto Repair

We are expecting a full field of Supers for this "must see" event this Friday. In addition to the Supers, the Granite State Pro Stock Series, Pepsi Limited Sportsman, and T-Bird Mini Mart Wildcats are on the docket. Admission to this special event is only $ 10 for ages 6 and up.

Play Ball! It’s Little League Night tomorrow night as we welcome our first touring series of the season. The North East Mini Stock Tour is set to invade the speedway with their high speed hi-jinks. Over 30 cars are expected to qualify for the 50 lap event with $ 500 to win. In the tour’s first event at Lee USA Speedway on April 23, Glen Thomas finished first with Justin Trombley and Jarrod Soucy rounding out the podium.  Defending Wildcat Champion Kodi Sabins and part-time regular Matthew Gauffin are likely to compete in the event.  Last year over 30 cars attempted to qualify, the largest field for the NEMST last season.

With the 4-Cylinder Nationals scheduled for September 15, this will be an opportunity for several traveling teams to try out the track for the first time. That event is 100 green flag laps with $ 1,500 to win and an $ 8,000 purse.

We also have our Run What You Brung event as the Spectator Drags will be taking place during the intermission.The R.E. Hinkley Super Streets, Pepsi Limited Sportsman, and T-Bird Mini Mart Wildcats will all be in action as well. 

North East Mini Stock Tour 50 Laps
Last Year’s Winner: Mike Parker
Last Week’s Newport Chevrolet WRS Winners: Mark McClay (Supers), Tyler Janovsky (Limiteds), Dale Squires Jr (Wildcats)
Time: Post time is 7 PM for the night’s racing card
Weather: Mostly Cloudy and 66 degrees
Prep: Pit gates open at 3 PM with hot laps beginning at 4 PM
Pit Admission: $ 35
Grandstand Admission: $ 10 for ages 6 and over/Little Leaguers 12 and under in uniform are free.
 
Story Lines for the Week

• The Dean of the Track – With the passing of Dean Smith on Monday, emotions will be high especially with his son Craig and the Fellows family. Craig plans to race as his dad would want him there.
  

• In the Bee Hive – There looks to be a healthy field of mini stocks intending to race tomorrow night and when they are all on the track, it sounds like a swarm of angry bees.
  
• Born to be Wild – Dale Squires Jr. picked up his first career win last week. He will be relegated to the rear of the lineup as his prize. Will he be able to make it three podium finishes in a row?
  
• Super-stitious – The Super Streets were 25 strong last week with 2 not able to make the feature event. Of the 23 that started, 17 were able to finish. 15 of those were on the lead lap. On any given week, we could have a new winner.
  

 
Next week all four Newport Chevrolet Weekly Racing Series’ divisions are in action with the R.E. Hinkley Super Streets’ Dean Smith 52-Lap Memorial Race headlining the night’s event card. Look for more information next week.

With the recent loss of former racer Dean Smith this past Monday, the R.E. Hinkley Super Streets will be running the Dean Smith Memorial 52 Lap Race on May 26 as the headline event of the evening's race card. Smith was a former competitor at the speedway and turned his efforts towards assisting his son, current Super Streeter Craig Smith, in his racing career. Smith was a popular figure in the pit area displaying a smile and laughter as his pride in his son was evident. Laps for the event sold out within an hour of posting showing the level of respect and admiration Dean had within this division. Those lap monies will be added to the overall purse for the event. Should you wish to make a contribution to the event purse, please contact the track. The family has also asked that donations be made to the Newport Recreation Department.

With an exciting Week 1 in the books, followed up by a rain out the following week, here we are at Race # 2 of the Newport Chevrolet Weekly Racing Series with our On-Track Fan Appreciation Party. Beginning at 6 PM, fans will be permitted onto the track to see the cars, meet the drivers, and grab their autograph. The party will last until 6:40 PM at which time the track will be cleared, so please be sure to arrive early for this special event.

All four divisions, R.E. Hinkley Super Streets, Casella Modifieds, Pepsi Limited Sportsman, and T-Bird Mini Mart Wildcats will all be in action.

Newport Chevrolet Weekly Racing Series
Last Race Winners: Hayden Scott (Supers), Dana Smith (Mods), Scott Vien (Limiteds), and Greg Millette (Wildcats)
Time: Party begins at 6 PM and ends at 6:40 PM. Post time is 7 PM for the night’s racing card
Weather: Unseasonably Cold. Cloudy and 57 degrees at green flag.
Prep: Pit gates open at 3 PM with hot laps beginning at 4 PM
Pit Admission: $ 35
Grandstand Admission: $ 10 for ages 6 and over
National Anthem Singer: None

Storylines for the Week

• If you don't like the weather…. – Mark Twain spoke of waiting minutes for a change in New England weather, but it seems we have be mired in a cold snap with a ton of rain for weeks. It looks like it starts to warm up for us next week as we will be in the 70’s next Friday.
• Mechanically Inclined – There were a number of mechanical issues, especially in the R.E. Hinkley Super Streets last week. Will those now subside as they negated a number of strong runs.
• Limited Motion – There were only 8 Limiteds in attendance on Opening Night. There are more on the way and the class will likely field double digits very soon weekly.
• King me! – The Checkered Review will be posted tomorrow morning with a couple of modifications from last week.

Little League Night is next Friday, May 19. All little leaguers playing both baseball and softball who dress in full uniform receive free grandstand admission. Bring your teams and parents along for a fun night at the track. The North East Mini Stock Tour will try again after being rescheduled from May 5. Over 30 cars are expected to qualify. The R.E. Hinkley Super Streets, Pepsi Limited Sportsman, and T-Bird Mini-Mart Wildcats are all in action. Spectator Drags will take place during intermission in a "run what you brung" event.

Several teams took advantage of the first Wednesday practice of the season while dealing with chilly temperatures and wind. Five NorthEast Mini Stock Tour drivers as well as 9 registered drivers and one prospective entry took advantage of 3 hours of track time.

Drivers in attendance:

R.E. Hinkley Super Streets

00 - Ben Poland
3 - Mark Blair
6 - Mark McClay
22 - Drew Davis
23 - Craig Smith
49 - Alex Poisson

T-Bird Mini Mart Wildcats
8 - Nick Little
33 - Zach Lyn
83 - Samantha Stoddard

Wednesday practices occur weekly on race weeks or otherwise specified and is subject to change. Four cars are allowed on the track at a time during these sessions.

Claremont Speedway begins its practice schedule rotation this week with its 1st Wednesday practice on May 3. Pit gates open at 3 PM with practice kicking off at 4 PM. Sessions end at 7 PM. Four cars are allowed to utilize the track at a time which should yield ample hot laps for attending race teams. Pit admission is only $ 15 while the grandstand admission is free for spectator viewing.

Several race teams are expected to attend Wednesday's session. Look for a practice recap that evening.