What’s Happening?

RaceDayCT, a website that covers motorsports in Connecticut, reports that it is not far “Out of the realm of possibility” to hold a Craftsman Truck Series race in the state. Whether this comes true is uncertain, but if it does, where could they race? Thankfully, Connecticut has a few options.

• Connecticut has a deep history of motorsports. Being in the Northeast, the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour is very popular, as is short-track racing in general.
• Two current Cup Series drivers hail from the “Constitution State.” Two-time Cup Series Champion Joey Logano is from Middletown, and Ryan Preece is from Berlin.
• Fans would love to see the Truck Series in Connecticut. It would be a throwback to the early days of the Truck Series when the teams raced at local short tracks instead of mainly doing companion races.

Stafford Motor Speedway

Stafford Motor Speedway is located in Stafford Springs, on the north side of the state. Ryan Preece cut his teeth at this track, and other notable drivers Geoff Bodine, Steve Park, Jimmy Spencer, and Randy LaJoie are all on the track’s “50 Greatest Modified Drivers” list.

However, the NASCAR Modifieds no longer race at the track, despite racing there as much as three times per year in the past. The SRX hosted races there before that series folded, but aside from that, the schedule is primarily local racing series at the track. Without NASCAR backing, it’s tough to see whether or not this could happen.

Thompson Speedway

Thompson Speedway is still a fixture of the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour. The series scheduled three races for the track in 2024, including the IceBreaker 150 held in March. At 5/8 of a mile, this track is slightly larger than the 1/2-mile Stafford, but it’s also further Northeast of the state, farther from the state’s capital of Hartford.

A Craftsman Truck Series/Modified weekend would be fun here, especially during the summertime race weekend. Like Stafford, however, the track is small and has few amenities compared to a typical NASCAR race track.

Lime Rock Park

This may be a wild card pick, but it’s worth noting. Skip Barber of the Skip Barber Racing School owns Lime Rock Park. It’s located in Lakeville, in the Northwest corner of the state, near the New York state line. It’s a popular venue for sports cars, with NASCAR’s sister company, IMSA, competing at the track in 2023.

However, the venue is not set to host IMSA in 2024. Like Stafford, without NASCAR or IMSA backing, it’s tough to imagine this happening. Lime Rock would be a big add for the Truck Series, though, as the series is down to only one road course race on the 2024 schedule.

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