(Stafford Springs, CT)—After a career best season at Stafford Speedway in 2022, Plainville, CT native Adrien Paradis, III is set to move from the Street Stock up to the Limited Late Model division in 2023 and challenge for Rookie of the Year honors behind the wheel of his #19 CSB Communications Chevrolet.

“I’m excited to make the move up,” said Paradis.  “We had talked about this as a team back in 2020 but things didn’t quite work out for us then.  Last year we hurt a motor and we wrecked a car so the plan was that this was a perfect time to make the move since I had to rebuild the motor.  It will be nice to get a little bit of extra money from the Limited Late Model purse versus the Street Stock purse and everything kind of fell into place for me to make the move now with my great sponsors CSB Communications, JSB Motorsports, Laser Crazy, D & F Wraps, Smedley Crane, and Paula’s $5 Paparazzi.”

The 2022 season, which marked Paradis’ fourth year in the Street Stocks, saw him set career highs with 2 wins, 15 top-5, and 16 top-10 finishes in 18 races, including 9 podium finishes.  Paradis’ on track efforts also resulted in a career best finish of third in the points standings and he is hoping that the last four seasons worth of experience will help to make his transition from Street Stock to Limited Late Model a smooth ride.

“With my experience I have the track down, I’ll just have to get used to a new style of car,” said Paradis.  “I hope I can get adjusted to it quicker than I did when I came from Waterford to the Street Stock division.  The car will be a little different and it will have a little harder tire than the Street Stock car.  It should be an easier transition for me to make and I’m hoping that it won’t take 2 years to get my first win like it did with the Street Stock.  That was a long waiting period for sure.”

Paradis will have Joe Brockett as his crew chief to help him get adapted to a brand new car.  Paradis looked into purchasing an existing car but when that didn’t pan out, he teamed with former 2-time Stafford Street Stock champion Zack Robinson to build a brand new car from the ground up.

“When it comes to fender cars, Joe Brockett knows a lot,” said Paradis.  “He won two championships with Zack in the Street Stocks and Zack was able to win a Late Model race as a rookie and we all know the Late Model division has some pretty stout competition.  We were actually talking with a team about possibly buying a car but they weren’t ready to sell the car.  Zack was building a car and I told him I needed a Limited Late Model and he said he would sell me the car he was building.  Building a new car was a better option than buying a car from someone because I’m not dealing with a car that might have been bent.  It also gives me the opportunity to learn every square inch of the car.  I have to give a big thank you to Joe and Zack because without their help, I wouldn’t be able to make this move up.”

Paradis came to Stafford for the first time in 2019 and he took down Rookie of the Year honors in the Street Stock division, a feat that he would like to repeat in 2023.  Paradis has finished in the top-5 of the points standings in three of his four Street Stock seasons and he would like to once again be a top-5 car in 2023.

“We’d like to win Rookie of the Year and put a win on the board this season,” said Paradis.  “There’s some really good competition at Stafford and we just have to try to stay with the frontrunners.  I would like to be in the top-5 again in the points at the end of the year.  If we can do like we did last year and keep our nose clean and avoid some wrecks, I think we can definitely be there.  I just have to get the week 4 or 5 monkey off of my back of wrecking a car.  It seems like the last couple years that’s where trouble starts for us and I think it was 2020 when I wrecked the car in the first race.  I’d like to keep that momentum of improving every year going.”

With Paradis looking to get as much track time as he can to be ready for the season opening NAPA Spring Sizzler® on Saturday, April 29, Paradis will take part in a track rental session in early April to get his first taste of a Limited Late Model car and shake down his new machine.

“We have a track rental already scheduled for early April and that will be good to try to get the car figured out with the harder tire than what I’ve been used to,” said Paradis.  “Hopefully we’ll have everything right on the car and it’ll handle well but you know how racing can go.”

Paradis is also anxious to get on track with other cars so he can start getting an idea of the competition that he will be facing throughout the 2023 season.

“I haven’t really paid much attention to the competition in the Limited Late Model division,” said Paradis.  “I’d rather start doing that once I get on the track with the Limited Late Model drivers because a lot of times what you see from the stands versus what you see on the track are two totally different things.”

Paradis will take to the track for the first time in Limited Late Model competition during the 51st Annual NAPA Spring Sizzler®, which kicks off on Saturday, April 29 and will consist of feature events for the Limited Late Model, Street Stock, and Vintage All-Star divisions along with two 40-lap NAPA Duel qualifying races for the Open Modified division that will set the field for Sunday’s NAPA Spring Sizzler®. The American Canadian Tour (ACT) Late Models will also make their return to Stafford Speedway on April 29th with a 75-lap feature with over 40 cars expected for the race.

Order 51st NAPA Spring Sizzler® Tickets

Sunday, April 30th will play host to the $20,000 to win 51st NAPA Auto Parts Spring Sizzler®.  Filling out Sunday’s racing card will be qualifying and feature racing for the SK Modified®, SK Light Modified, and Late Model divisions along with last chance qualifiers for the Spring Sizzler®.

For more information, visit staffordspeedway.com, follow Stafford Speedway on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or contact the track office at 860-684-2783.

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(Stafford Springs, CT)—For the third consecutive season, Call Before You Dig will present the CBYD Open 81 at Stafford Speedway.  The May 19th race will be the second of five open modified races scheduled at the Connecticut half-mile facility during the 2023 season and will follow the 51^st Annual NAPA Spring Sizzler® on April 29-30.

“Call Before You Dig is happy to continue working with Stafford Speedway,” said Derek Brown, President of Call Before You Dig in Connecticut.  “Again this year we’ll be sponsoring the Open 81 race and CBYD recognizes that the race fans at Stafford are a great fit for our target audience of users of CBYD.  Teaming up with Stafford is a great opportunity for us to promote CBYD and to remind everyone about the importance of using the CBYD service before putting a shovel into the ground.”

In addition to presenting the 5^th Annual CBYD Open Modified 81, CBYD will provide the open modified field with some extra motivation to win the race in the form of a $1,000 bonus.  Last year’s CBYD 81 saw a pair of Stafford SK Modified® veterans fighting for the win with Ronnie Williams outlasting Woody Pitkat to claim the checkered flag.

“We’re always looking forward to exciting racing at Stafford,” continued Brown.  “Whenever you’re able to offer additional money for winning a race, it’s always fun to watch the drivers and teams compete for the trophy and the win.”

CBYD’s title sponsorship of the CBYD Open 81 continues a relationship with Stafford Speedway that dates back to the 2007 season.  Over the past 16 seasons, CBYD has partnered with Stafford in a wide variety of ways, including options such as advertising partner, contingency sponsor, and race sponsor.  CBYD has also offered several special contingency programs such as the CBYD 811 Challenge from 2013-2018 and the CBYD Modified Challenge for the 2021 season.

“Because Stafford is a premier racing venue in New England, there’s always big crowds at the races and it gives us a great outreach for public education about CBYD,” said Brown.  “Our sponsorship allows us to be visible all season long at Stafford on the backstretch billboards, the technical inspection area, social media advertising and other marketing avenues such as the Stafford website.  With the audience expanding thanks to the FloRacing coverage, partnering with Stafford is even more desirable and helps our reach extend far beyond the New England region.”

More About Call Before You Dig

Call Before You Dig is a free service to anyone excavating within the state of Connecticut. It is the law. Call Before You Dig service enables excavators to obtain information on the location of underground utility pipes and cables in the area of the proposed work site. This knowledge will help protect the excavators from harm and the facilities from damage.

CBYD’s mission is to “Provide communication and education to improve safety when excavating”.  Examples of projects requiring an e-ticket or a call to 811 would be digging for a new pool, a mailbox, landscaping and planting trees, or a deck.  Digging only a few inches can pose risks.  CBYD provides guidelines in separate manuals for professional excavators and homeowners on its website, www.cbyd.com.  Homeowners or excavators can simply log on for an e-ticket or call 811 at no cost and the CBYD staff will guide people through the process to protect against a range of problems, from the inconvenience of disrupted utility service to the potential of explosions or electrocutions.

For more information, visit staffordspeedway.com, follow Stafford Speedway on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or contact the track office at 860-684-2783.

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(Stafford Springs, CT)—When Stafford Speedway kicks off its 2023 season with the 51^st Annual NAPA Spring Sizzler®, Ron Silk is sure to be counted among the pre-race favorites.  Silk and the #16 Blue Mountain Machine / Future Homes team finished third in last year’s Sizzler® and won the season ending NAPA Fall Final in September.  With an average finish of 4.3 in three Stafford starts last season, Silk and his team are eager to return to the Connecticut half-mile facility.

“The team and I are certainly looking forward to coming back to Stafford,” said Silk.  “We thought the Sizzler® was an awesome event last year with a lot of cars, a lot of people in the stands, and a really good payday.  We ran well in the Sizzler® and finished third but we needed just a little more to be able to keep up with Matt [Hirschman] and Ryan [Preece].  We made some improvements over the two remaining races we ran at Stafford and it was really good to get a win at the Fall Final last year.  It’s a new year and a new race, but it’s always nice to come back to a track after your last visit there was a victory.  We’ll try to take all the positives we can from the Fall Final to the Sizzler® but you’re still going to have to have a fast car and make the right decisions, so we still have a little bit of work ahead of us.”

“We’re all pumped for the Sizzler®,” said Silk’s co-car owner Joe Yannone.  “Ronnie is comfortable at Stafford and the team always has a great time when we race there.  We feel like our car has everything it takes to make it happen at Stafford so we’re all looking forward to the Sizzler®.  The Sizzler® will be one of our highlight races for the 2023 season for sure and we’re definitely confident and looking forward to April.”

Last year’s 50^th running of “The Greatest Race in the History of Spring” brought about several changes to the format.  Rather than time trials, teams had to qualify for the race by finishing in a qualified position in one of two 40-lap NAPA Duel races.  Drivers who didn’t qualify through a NAPA Duel went into a 15-lap last chance qualifier to earn the final starting positions in the 100 lap NAPA Spring Sizzler®. The new format saw 41 cars attempt to qualify for the 33 car starting field and brought about an atmosphere around the race that was appreciated by all competitors.

“I was really impressed with the atmosphere,” said Silk.  “It felt like being at the track 15 or 20 years ago when I was younger with a buzz around the track and the race.  Honesty as a racer, I’m kind of a fan of time trials, but for the fans it’s more exciting to have heat races, especially when the race is spread out over two days like the Sizzler®.  I really like the idea of a 40-lap heat race rather than a 10-lap heat because if you get a poor starting draw, you at least have some time to do something about it.  Last year we were fortunate enough to win our duel race, which was a great payday in itself for a 40-lap race, and I think that’s one of the main reasons why there was so much excitement around the race last season.  With everything that happened last season, the race should only be bigger and better this season.”

Last year’s NAPA Spring Sizzler® paid a guaranteed $15,000 to win plus any contingency money earned and it paid $1,250 to start the race from total posted awards of over $130,000.  For the 2023 NAPA Spring Sizzler®, the purse has increased to pay the winner a guaranteed $20,000 with $1,500 to start the race from total posted awards of over $140,000.

“Stafford has done a fantastic job with the purse,” said Silk.  “I was looking at the purse the other day, and although it would be a very tough feat to pull off, if a driver could win their duel race and lead all 100 laps to win the race, the payout would be around $38,500, which would really be something remarkable.”

“The Sizzler is always exciting with the amount of competitors who come to Stafford and the track is always packed with fans,” said Yannone.  “Stafford does a great job with the purse and that really helps draw attention to the modifieds.”

Silk made his NAPA Spring Sizzler® debut in 2004 and he has since made 15 starts with a best finish of third, which he has done three times, including last season.  Silk would like to add the Sizzler® to his career win list while his owner says that a Sizzler victory would be a bucket list item for himself and the team.

“The Sizzler is certainly a prestigious race and it’s one of the bigger races that I haven’t won yet, so it would certainly mean a lot to me to win a race like that against that field of competition with a great atmosphere surrounding the race,” said Silk.  “It would be really good for the team to get some momentum early in the season and it would be a nice payday on top of that.  Thanks to my car owners Tyler Haydt and Joe Yannone, Future Homes, Blue Mountain Machine, and all the crew guys who give up their free time to go racing with us.  We all enjoy doing it but it’s still a big commitment and we couldn’t do this without their help.”

“If we were able to win the Sizzler®, it would definitely be something for our bucket list and we would all be ecstatic,” said Yannone.  “Ronnie is the guy to do it and our crew chief Phil Moran along with Tyler Haydt, myself, and everyone on the crew, we all have the utmost confidence that we can make it happen and it would be totally awesome to win the Sizzler®.”

The 51^st Annual NAPA Spring Sizzler® kicks off on Saturday, April 29, and will consist of two 40-lap NAPA Duel qualifying races for the Open Modified division. The 40-lap races will each pay $3,500 to win and will set the field for Sunday’s NAPA Spring Sizzler®. The American Canadian Tour (ACT) Late Models will also make their return to Stafford Speedway on April 29th with a 75-lap feature with over 40 cars expected for the race.  Limited Late Model, Street Stock, and Vintage All-Star divisions will complete Saturday’s racing program.

Order 51st NAPA Spring Sizzler® Tickets

Sunday, April 30th will play host to the $20,000 to win 51st NAPA Auto Parts Spring Sizzler®.  Filling out Sunday’s racing card will be qualifying and feature racing for the SK Modified®, SK Light Modified, and Late Model divisions along with last chance qualifiers for the Spring Sizzler®.

For more information, visit staffordspeedway.com, follow Stafford Speedway on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or contact the track office at 860-684-2783.

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(Stafford Springs, CT)—Tickets for the 51st NAPA Auto Parts Spring Sizzler® and NAPA Auto Parts duels are now on sale on staffordspeedway.com/tickets. Along with tickets for the April 29th and 30th events, Stafford Speedway has once again released a limited edition t-shirt commemorating the 51st running of the Spring Sizzler®. T-shirts are only available for purchase with a Spring Sizzler® or Duel ticket and will be limited to the first 500.

Order 51st NAPA Spring Sizzler® Tickets

Similar to last season, NAPA Spring Sizzler® Weekend will be broken up into two days beginning with the NAPA Auto Parts Duel, Saturday, April 29th and culminating April 30th with the 51st running of the Greatest Race in the History of Spring, the NAPA Spring Sizzler®.

“The Spring Sizzler® tradition continues,” explained Stafford Speedway CFO Lisa Arute. “NAPA Spring Sizzler® Weekend has become one of the best racing weekends of the year and we’ll look to continue that in 2023. We’ve added the American Canadian Tour to accompany the NAPA Auto Parts Duel on Saturday and have boosted the payout for Sunday’s NAPA Spring Sizzler® winner to $20,000. It will be another incredible weekend of short track racing.”

Saturday’s NAPA Auto Part Duel will be made up of two 40-lap qualifying races for the Open Modified division. The 40-lap races will each pay $3,500 to win and will set the field for Sunday’s Spring Sizzler®. The American Canadian Tour (ACT) Late Models will also make their return to Stafford Speedway April 29th with a 75-lap feature, over 40 cars are expected for the Late Model event. Limited Late Model, Street Stock, and Vintage All-Star divisions will complete Saturday’s racing program.

Order 51st NAPA Spring Sizzler® Tickets

Sunday, April 30th will play host to the $20,000 to win 51st NAPA Auto Parts Spring Sizzler®. Filling out Sunday’s racing card will be qualifying and feature racing for the SK Modified®, SK Light Modified, and Late Model divisions along with last chance qualifiers for the Spring Sizzler®.

Early entries for the 51st Spring Sizzler® include defending race winner Matt Hirschman, previous Spring Sizzler® winner Woody Pitkat, and 2022 NAPA Fall Final winner Ron Silk.

Early Entries for the 51st NAPA Spring Sizzler

Registered Open Modified teams will have the option to purchase a limited number of discounted two-day paddock passes. Teams can contact the track office for more information.

Stafford Speedway season ticket and license holders will also have a chance to purchase the limited edition Spring Sizzler® t-shirts. Keep an eye out for a special offer in the coming weeks.

For more information, visit staffordspeedway.com/sizzler, checkout Stafford Speedway on Facebook or Twitter, or contact the track office at 860-684-2783.

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(Stafford Springs, CT)—The tradition continues at Stafford Speedway in 2023 with the 51st running of the NAPA Auto Parts Spring Sizzler®, April 29th and 30th, the Greatest Race in the History of Spring. The biggest Modified race of the year will also see the biggest race purse of the season for the Modifieds with over $140,000 on the line, including a potential payday over $35,000 for the winner of the Spring Sizzler.

“The NAPA Spring Sizzler® is the biggest Modified race of the year,” explained Stafford Speedway CEO Mark Arute. “In 2022 we re-established that with the Open Modified and Duel format with a $15,000 to win 100-lapper. The fans and race teams responded really well to that event and we’ll keep that format in 2023 but boost the prize money to $20,000 to win and over $140,000 in total prizes across the NAPA Duel and NAPA Spring Sizzler®.”

Matt Hirschman won the 2022 50th running of the NAPA Spring Sizzler® in dramatic fashion, outlasting a hard charging Ryan Preece. For his win, Hirschman won $24,100 after all prizes, a payout he could easily eclipse in 2023. Preece and Ron Silk rounded out the podium with winnings of $12,550 and $8,550 respectively.

2023 NAPA Auto Parts Spring Sizzler® weekend will kick off Saturday, April 29th with the 2nd Annual NAPA Auto Parts Duel. Two 40-lap qualifying races will set the field for Sunday’s 100-lap 51st NAPA Auto Parts Spring Sizzler®. Both NAPA Duel events will pay $3,500 to win and $500 to start. The weekend will be headlined by the 51st running of the NAPA Auto Parts Spring Sizzler®, a 100-lap $20,000 to win and $1,500 to start Open Modified race. $15,000 in lap money will also be on the line with $150 going to the leader of each lap.

Click here to sponsor a lap at the 51st NAPA Spring Sizzler

Another strong field of Modified teams are expected to compete in the richest Modified event of the season. Early entries include defending winner Matt Hirschman, NAPA Fall Final winner Ron Silk, 81-time Stafford feature winner Woody Pitkat, and more. View the up to date entry-list.

“We’re looking forward to adding another name to the Spring Sizzler® history books,” continued Arute. “There’s no better way to start your season than taking home a huge payday and hoisting the Spring Sizzler® trophy.”

Tickets for the 51st NAPA Auto Parts Spring Sizzler® will go on sale Friday, January 13th. Previous reserved ticket holders will have the opportunity to renew their tickets beginning Tuesday, January 10th, renewal ticket access will be sent via email. Limited edition 51st Spring Sizzler® t-shirts will also be available for purchase to ticket holders.

For more information, visit staffordspeedway.com, follow Stafford Speedway on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or contact the track office at 860-684-2783.

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