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(Stafford Springs, CT)—Stafford Motor Speedway is pleased to announce that the Manafort Family will serve as the Grand Marshals of the 53rd Annual NAPA Spring Sizzler®, set for April 26-27. The Manafort Family will start the NAPA Spring Sizzler 100-lap event with the most famous words in motorsports, ‘Drivers start your engines.’
“Stafford is definitely a special place for our family and being named the grand marshals for the Sizzler® is a huge honor for us,” said Justin Manafort. “My father got started at Stafford when he was younger and my brother and myself have been at Stafford pretty much for our whole lives. Unfortunately my father passed away in December and he was always a key part of our racing and he loved watching the modifieds at Stafford both in person and on FloRacing when he couldn’t be at the track.”
In addition to serving as Grand Marshals of “The Greatest Race in the History of Spring,” Stafford Speedway will re-dedicate the Manafort Mini-Mile, which underwent a repave during the off-season. The mini mile was constructed and paved in 1994 by Manafort Brothers to host Legend Cars racing. Justin Manafort christened the new track by winning the very first race on July 29, 1994, a 10-lap match race against current Fox Sports broadcaster Mike Joy. Legend Cars racing began on August 12, 1994 and the Manafort family dominated that abbreviated 1994 season of Legend Cars racing with Frank Manafort winning 3 times and Jags Palmer also reaching victory lane from the Manafort stable of cars.
“My father, Jon, ran a Legend Cars race on New Year’s eve going into 1994 with Mike Joy and they talked with Jackie [Arute] about it and then Jackie got a car and became the Legend Cars dealer for New England,” said Manafort. “I raced for a while along with my father and Uncle Frank, and Jags Palmer drove our other car. We had a whole group there for a while and I think at one point we had 6 cars. That was the start of my short racing career and my brother was racing a ProStock and a Late Model at the time, so we were at the track every week. My father also ran a ProStock for a little while and that all led into the Legend Cars. It definitely doesn’t seem like it’s been 30 years but it’s great that the track is still being used with Wild Thing Karts and the Legend Cars have been on and off over the years. I think it’s the perfect spot for kids racing on Monday nights and it’s pretty cool to see.”
“We thank the Manafort family for their contribution to motorsports at Stafford Speedway and their friendship that has lasted over many decades,” said Stafford Speedway CEO / President Mark Arute. “Jon, Frank, and their families have been involved in racing from Plainville Stadium to Stafford Speedway. It is our honor to re-dedicate the Manafort Mini Mile and continue the legacy that began in 1994.”
Manafort Brothers, Inc. was founded in 1919 by James Manafort and it was known as New Britain House Wrecking Company in its infancy. Today, Manafort Brothers is a 4th generation family owned business with Jim, Jr., David, Justin, and Jason leading and continuing to evolve the business. Manafort Brothers is headquartered in Plainville, CT with locations in Worcester, MA and Cumberland, RI. With the business now over 100 years old, the Manafort family continues to apply their engineering knowledge and dynamic approach to the construction and demolition contracting industry and a new generation of challenges.
The 53rd Annual NAPA Spring Sizzler® set for April 26-27 kicks off the 2025 season of racing at Stafford Speedway. The NAPA Spring Sizzler® begins on Saturday, April 26, with feature events for the Late Model, Limited Late Model, and Street Stock divisions, along with SK Light qualifying duel races that will set the field for an extra-distance 30-lap feature event on Sunday, April 27.
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Sunday, April 27, will play host to the 53rd Annual NAPA Auto Parts Spring Sizzler®. Filling out the Sunday racing card will be qualifying and feature racing for the SK Modified® division, the 30-lap SK Light Modified feature, plus the NAPA Pit Party.
For more information, visit staffordspeedway.com, follow Stafford Speedway on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or contact the track office at 860-684-2783
