In a busy year for race track sales in New Hampshire, another of the Granite State’s bullrings is changing hands in time for the 2019 season. And as with the sales before it, established players in the region are working to ensure it remains a valuable part of New England’s short-track ecosystem.
At the track’s championship banquet, White Mountain Motorsports Park general manager David Avery announced that the quarter-mile oval has been sold to Cris Michaud and Pat Malone. Michaud and Malone, who own Vermont’s historic Thunder Road International Speedbowl as well as its native American-Canadian Tour, will take over management of the speedway in December.
Nestled in the shadows of the White Mountains and an hour north of the capital city of Concord, WMMP is one of the newest short tracks in the state. The speedway opened in the fall of 1993 with a NASCAR Busch North Series event. In the twenty-five years since, WMMP has hosted major events for the defunct Northeast Pro Stock Association, the Pro All Stars Series, the Granite State Pro Stock Series, and the ACT Late Model Tour.
WMMP’s relationship with the ACT extends back to 1998. Not only has it been a frequent stop on the ACT Tour schedule, but the track’s weekly Late Models follow the ACT rulebook, ensuring strong car counts for the Tour’s visits and providing an option for weekly competitors from nearby Thunder Road.
WMMP celebrated its twenty-fifth season in September with a season finale weekend featuring the PASS North Super Late Models and a 250-lap, $10,000-to-win Late Model feature won by ACT Tour runner-up Eddie MacDonald.
The Avery family, owners of WMMP since its construction, opted to step away after this season in order to focus on their family businesses. In Michaud and Malone, they found devoted stewards of the speedway. Michaud, a multi-time Thunder Road track champion and former ACT official, and Malone, a real estate developer, first joined forces in 2017, purchasing Thunder Road from owners Tom Curley and Ken Squier shortly before Curley’s passing in May. Michaud and Malone wasted no time in reinforcing their plans for the speedway, ordering a repave of the legendary bullring and investing in a warmly-received revitalization.
At the end of the 2017 season, Michaud and Malone took a further step, acquiring the ACT sanctioning body from Curley’s longtime partner Darla Hartt. Under Michaud’s management, the series has moved forward with most of its existing partners, hoping to reward the Tour faithful while keeping to the mission of a budget-conscious touring program.
In a press release, Michaud indicated that operations and staff at WMMP will remain the same going forward, as the track prepares to release its 2019 schedule in the coming weeks.
White Mountain Motorsports Park is the fourth New Hampshire short track to change hands within the last year. In late February, longtime Lee USA Speedway owners Red and Judy MacDonald sold the venerable oval to Norman Wrenn, Jr., a Nashua, N.H. businessman and former Lee competitor. A month later, Star Speedway and Hudson Speedway owner Bobby Webber, Jr. announced Hudson’s sale to longtime track supporter Ben Bosowski. The sale allowed Webber, whose father Bob passed away in January, to put his full focus behind Star Speedway.
In July, a Keene newspaper reported that nearby Monadnock Speedway in Winchester was in the process of being sold to Wrenn. Wrenn addressed the report through social media, clarifying that he was in negotiations to acquire Monadnock after the 2018 season was complete. No further details on the sale have been released. Like Lee, Monadnock’s weekly racing program is sanctioned by NASCAR.
Along with Star Speedway, New Hampshire boasts two additional paved short tracks, Claremont Speedway and Groveton’s Speedway 51, both of which came under new ownership in late 2014. In total, the tiny state has seven active paved short tracks.
The changes in ownership have ushered in a spirit of cooperation, with track operators working together for the benefit of fans and racers alike. An alliance of five southern New Hampshire tracks recently published a document establishing common rules for Street Stock entries at each of the speedways. The move is the latest attempt to equalize the many divisions shared between the tracks, a critical step in a region rich with short track opportunities both within and outside the state.
The sale of White Mountain Motorsports Park speaks volumes about the challenges facing short track owners, particularly those in regions with a short racing season. However, it also illustrates the strength of the New England racing community, with familiar faces helping to secure the sport’s future. Fans and racers alike can look forward to a promising future for White Mountain Motorsports Park.
