SAM RAMEAU LOOKS TO TAKE TRI TRACK TITLE IN 2021
BY SOUZA MEDIA/KYLE SOUZA
SEEKONK, Mass. — Sitting behind the wheel, or behind the desk, Sammy Rameau seems to get the job done successfully. The 18-year-old, Westminster, Massachusetts, native is pursuing a Master’s Degree in Civil Engineering at Wentworth Institute of Technology, with a double-minor in Environmental and Business Management. When he’s not at school, he competes at speeds over 100 mph in his Tour-Type Modified, a 600-horsepower, ground-pounding machine, racing inches apart from his competitors.
Whether it’s the Dean’s List in college, or Victory Lane on the track, Rameau finds time to do it all. His most recent racing success came at Monadnock Speedway in Winchester, New Hampshire, in August of 2020, when Rameau celebrated a victory in the Tri Track Open Modified Series feature, against some of the top talent in the Northeast. The 100-lap race marked a major high-point in Rameau’s career, especially since earlier in that day in practice runs, he crashed after suffering a flat tire. The team rebounded, put the car back together, and Rameau drove it from the rear of the field to the victory.
“A few years ago I won at Beech Ridge Motor Speedway and Lee USA Speedway back-to-back races, and that was super special,” Rameau said. “But the win at Monadnock was cool because I’ve been going there since I was three, watching my dad at the races. Racing against guys like Matt Hirschman, Ronnie Williams and Ron Silk — those are guys that win all the time. To beat them, it was cool. I saw my dad and all of my crew standing there in Victory Lane and I just broke down. It was super emotional.”
After a few years of running on Tri Track’s circuit, Rameau is now looking to take it to the next level and chase the championship as part of the six-race series in 2021. Tri Track offers some of the most stout competition in the country for asphalt modifieds, with more than 35 cars in the pit area for most races, lucrative purses for drivers and thrilling races for fans. Rameau wants to tackle becoming the top dog.
“I haven’t been this excited for a season in a long time,” Rameau said. “I’ve done a lot in racing — but this is going to be so awesome. We’re going to be able to spend time with family, and still race when we want, which is great. I want the championship badly. My other goal is to win races and fight for points, but have fun.”
Racing isn’t anything new for Rameau. After starting his career at just eight-years-old in Quarter Midget cars, and running there until 12-years-old, when he transferred to Legends Cars for two years, Rameau was successful right away. At the age of 13, Rameau strapped in behind the wheel of a Tour-Type Modified for the first time, and has been hooked ever since.
Outside of Tri Track, Rameau plans to compete in select NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour races, along with the Thompson Speedway Icebreaker 125 and the return of the historic Thompson 300 in October. There may also be a few other shows added in, depending on how the season goes.
“Tri Track will be the main focus,” Rameau said. “Ed Bennett and Wayne Darling (Managing Partners of Tri Track) do a great job, they are all for the racer… the purses are great… racing with people like that make the competition so much better. The competition is really good, and we can go home at night and sleep in our own bed. It’s just a good deal for us.”
After working with him previously, Rameau’s crew chief, Russ Hersey, will be stepping in to help on a more regular basis. Hersey, a former winner and champion behind the wheel himself, should be a major addition to the campaign to push Rameau into championship contention.
“Russ has a ton of experience, and he’s really the best crew chief out there in my opinion,” Rameau said. “I’ve never worked with someone that is so good at what he does. He’s done everything in this sport, and we work together so well.”
The list of sponsors and supporters for Rameau’s 2021 racing efforts is endless. Starting with his dad, Randy Rameau, who owns Central Mass Trucking Equipment and Central Mass Tree, Sammy has everything he needs to compete at a high-level. He mentions how his father keeps him going on and off the track, maintaining the cars now, specifically while Sammy studies in school.
Rameau also has support from Powell Stone & Gravel, Dennison Lubricants Inc., KG Coatings, LFR Chassis, Akin Automotive, Mac Tools (specifically dealer Dan Smith), CL Smith Timber Harvesting, New England Auto & Truck Recyclers, New England Truck Design, WC Designs, Billy The Kid, Thirty Two Signs and All Phases Renovations.
In the shop and at the track, Rameau also has a long list of crew members who help prepare the car for competition. Looking at the early Tri Track Open Modified Series 2021 roster, which already includes more than 15 competitors, Rameau is going to be a major threat to win.
Registration for the 2021 Tri Track season is open, and teams can register at TriTrackModifieds.com/team-info. Teams have the option to either sign-up for the whole season or just one single race.
The Tri Track Open Modified Series will visit three historic New England tracks, twice each, to make up the six-race schedule for 2021. The series will stop at Monadnock Speedway in Winchester, New Hampshire on May 1 and August 14, while visiting Star Speedway in Epping, New Hampshire on May 22 and July 24. The anticipated return to Seekonk Speedway, scheduled for June 30 and October 23, will mark two staple events — the $10,000 to win Open Wheel Wednesday in June and the Haunted Hundred to wrap the season.
For more information on the Tri Track Open Modified Series, visit TriTrackModifieds.com and follow the series on social media.