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Chris Zacharias confirmed to AARN last Friday that their will be no first annual American Modified Pavement Series (AMPS) this season. Zacharias announced the formation of the series in AARN’s March 8 edition after a sales dispute became public between former Race of Champions series owner Andrew Harpell and its purchaser Joe Skotnicki.
Zacharias, who was named in court documents regarding the RoC dispute, told AARN all charges against him had been thrown out and he’s free to promote AMPS. He’s decided, however, to drop his proposed schedule for asphalt Tour-type Modifieds which would have raced on American Racer tires for at least this racing season.
The majority of events on Zacharias’ tentative scheduled released at the Motorsports Expo in Syracuse, N.Y., in early March were at two tracks promoted by John White: N.Y.’s Chemung Speedrome and Spencer Speedway. White’s tracks were on both the RoC and AMPS schedules at one point.
“When John White changed his mind, it put a kibosh to my deal,” said Zacharias. “I get John’s position, but it caught me off guard.”
White decided to stay with the RoC following a court appearance of the two parties that insured him their would be no injunction stopping its schedule. The RoC asphalt Modified series opened after the court appearance under Skotnicki’s control at Pa.’s Mahoning Valley Speedway. White was to have had his first scheduled event on the RoC series this past Sunday at Chemung, but it was rained out and rescheduled to May 27.
“The main thing to me is the guys have a series to race this year,” said Zacharias. “My deal from day one was to be an alternative just in case it did get shut down.”
Zacharias said he’ll now spend several months putting something together for 2017.
“I don’t know what yet,” said Zacharias. “I want to see how things pan out with the RoC. They appear to be working things out, but they still have to execute. If not a Modified series, maybe a Sportsman (2 barrel carburator Modified) series on American Racer tires next year. If there are any issues with the RoC, maybe I’ll do a series for both. I’m going to do something. I just don’t know what.”
Zacharias said AMPS is out, but only for now.
“One of my key platforms was, was there going to be an injunction stoppping the RoC, and it didn’t happen. I would have been able to offer a place for the guys to race if it did. I’ll never regret what I did. I’m stepping back for now, but now is the key word.”
