Former Tour champion Donnie Lia is coming to Daytona, but NSS is highly doubtful. Car owner Bob Garbarino is a very dedicated NASCAR guy, and rarely takes his famous ‘Mystic Missle’ to any Independant shows.
Nick Panitzke will bring his Super Late down from Lakeville Minnesota for the first time. He is a top runner in the TUNDRA series.
Paige Decker will be at NSS for the 2nd consecutive year. She blew a motor in her Super Late on the first night and missed a few nights waiting on a new motor to arrive from her home in Wisconsin.
The plan is for her sister, Claire Decker to get a few nights also.
They also have a younger sister, Natalie, who also races a SLM.
This is what we need around here… a 3-car team of cute young ladies…!
Oakland Park Fla’s Patrick Staropoli is getting a great career tryout. Teaming up with one of the K&N West series’ best car owners, Bill McAnally, they will run both Daytona & NSS in the K&N East races.
Although Patrick only has 2 starts in this series, he has a lot of laps at NSS… and his competitors have ZERO. This home track advantage could put this car in Victory Lane.
Cole Custer will also drive for Bill McAnally this season after spending last season (and 2 wins) with Kenny Schrader Racing.
He will retain his #00 and sponsor Haas Automation. This is the same Gene Haas from the Stewart - Haas Racing, and will also personally sponsor Kurt Busch this year in the #41 car on the Cup series.
Cup series regular, Dave Blaney, is said to be ‘building a 2nd Sprint car that he will race in Florida’.
It doesn’t mention a specific schedule, but last year he ran Ocala while skipping Volusia (needed to be at the big track). I’m guessing it will be the same in '14.
“Little” brother, Dale Blaney will again run the full All-Stars tour starting with Ocala. I’m sure VSP is also in the plans.
Many dont know that Dale is well over 6 foot tall, and was once drafted by the LA Lakers to play in the NBA. He blew a knee out in pre-season, went theough a re-hab program… then blew out the other one. His career in the NBA was over before ever playing a game.
He followed brother Dave, and father Lou into racing and went on to have a great career in Sprint cars, winning at least 3 All -Stars championships.
Danny Holtgraver will be running at both Ocala & VSP. He has gotten better the last few years, and got a couple of All Star wins last year.
Defending Super Late Speedweeks titlist Ryan Moore will be back to defend his crown.
[QUOTE=Frasson118;139636]Defending Super Late Speedweeks titlist Ryan Moore will be back to defend his crown.[/QUOTE]Isn’t that the Hamke house car?
No it isn’t Jimmy… even though they come out of the same area (NC). Ryan had this number in Maine before he relocated. His father Kelly Moore has for years used the number 47, so son Ryan picked 74.
Last year at NSS Joey “Mooch” ran this Pro Late out of the Tim Russell stable. This year, he will be in a Super Late for Crooks Racing.
Coming from a background of Midgets, both dirt & asphalt, and the Late Model Stocks in the Carolina’s, Brodie Kostecki will run the full K&N East series that will have him at NSS and Daytona.
Cody Coughlin is preparing for a week at New Smyrna, but doesn’t specify if he’s bring the Pro LM, the SLM, or both. He has shown steady improvement in the last 3 years and could be a strong contender for the overall title for the week.
Despite the name on the picture (the only decent one I could find), the Boyne Machine team is coming to NSS with one of THE best racers in the country… Ross Kenseth.
Matt’s son has been kicking ass everywhere from native Wisconsin to the Southeast, but to my knowledge, never been to New Smyrna.
The driver is proven, the car is proven, but together they are an unknown quantity. They may struggle for a night or 2, but by mid-week they should be a force.
I’m personally excited to get my first chance to witness this kids talent.
Another ‘son of a Cup Star’, Harrison Burton will be bringing both a Pro Late & a Super Late to NSS.
His father Jeff moves to the broadcasting booth this year, so instead of a bunch of ‘big-track’ commitments, he will probably be in Harrison’s pit stall most of the nights.
From the home of the Buffalo Bills, Orchard Park NY, Patrick Emerling is once again coming down here.
After an ‘I’m not real impressed’ start a few years ago, Patrick is really getting the handle on things. His first NSS win is a real possibility this year.
When it comes to winning the big Mod races in the Northeast, nobody in the last few years has gotten the job done better than Matt Hirschman. Bouncing between several different rides, different series, Matt usually comes out on top.
He’s a VERY serious threat to run good all week and I’m sure he’d love to add another Evans Memorial trophy to the shelf.
This is the way the car appeared a few years ago when he won the Evans 100.
Anyone that’s been to the last few Speedweeks knows that this kid is an odds-on favorite for the win. I think he got 3 last year, and I believe was the week long champ the year before… Kyle Benjamin gets UP ON the wheel.
I don’t know if I’ve ever seen him put a wheel into someone else… but I did see him spin himself out so that he DIDN’T take someone out because of his own move.
Takes a very respectable racer to risk his own car rather than the guy next to him…!
Gary Passer comes down from Ontario with his SLM each year for the last several, but he also runs those cooooool wedge bodied cars up there.
I’d LOVE to see a couple nights of the Wedge cars added to Speedweeks sometime soon. When I saw them at Volusia back in the asphalt days, they were BAD ASSSSSSSSS…!
