WATERFORD, Conn. – Waterford Speedbowl is located a couple of miles from the merger of two of New England’s busiest interstate highways – I-95 southbound from Boston and Providence, and I-395 from Worcester, Mass. On summer weekends the traffic is intense, close calls are common, and tempers flare on occasion.

This Saturday night, the Speedbowl will take on many of those same characteristics as the NASCAR Grand National Division, Busch North Series arrives for its fourth annual appearance.

While Waterford is a relatively new addition to the schedule, the kind of racing it produces goes back to the formative days of the series in the 1980’s.

Just as traffic jams are a natural part of driving on New England’s highways, bullring action is a natural part of the Busch North Series.

The Waterford 150 presented by Big Y World Class Markets is scheduled as a one-day event with practice starting at 12 noon and Bud Pole Qualifying at 5 p.m. on Saturday.

The Busch North Series event will take the green flag at approximately 7:30 p.m. A full program of racing in Waterford’s regular NASCAR Dodge Weekly Series divisions is part of the evening.

Waterford will be the first track the Busch North Series teams have encountered where the only pit area is outside the track.

That creates an interesting paradox. Since the track is short and the action is tight, a driver must be aggressive, but since pitting requires a caution to exit the track, there’s no easy solution for the driver fighting a bad set-up or minor damage from the inevitable contact of short track racing.

Mike Johnson, driver of the Johnson Lumber Ford, has seen both sides of Waterford’s character. He led the first 70 laps in his 2000 rookie season. In 2001, he emerged the winner in a race that uncharacteristically ran over 100 laps without a caution. Then in 2002 he took the lead only to be forced to pit with less than 35 laps to go. “We have a good set-up for down there. Last year I took the lead and had a flat tire. It’s a track where you need to keep the tires under you,” the Salisbury, Mass. driver explained. Waterford offers little room for error due to the Armco barriers which surround the turns.

Johnson likens that aspect of the Speedbowl to his home track, Lee USA Speedway in New Hampshire. “It makes it an intimidating place for some drivers, but I grew up at Lee with the cement walls around it and I had good luck on the outside up there running along the rail,” he said. Applying that technique to Waterford has paid dividends for Johnson. “If you can get it good on the outside and you’ve got what it takes to put it up there you can really make up some ground,” he stressed. Of course, the ability to run the outside groove while keeping the tires under the car doesn’t just come from the driver’s seat.

Johnson is quick to give credit to his crew, led by crew chief Jason Janvrin. “It’s a good track for us because of the consistency our team brings to our car,” he noted. “The car just seems to go better and better as the race goes along.” With a record of success and a comfort level with the track, not to mention the momentum of a run from the back of the field to the top five at New Hampshire International Speedway last Saturday, it’s no surprise Johnson is ready for Waterford’s challenge. “We’re looking forward to getting down there and slugging it out,” he concluded with a grin.