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After weeks of speculation concerning the start of the 2017 racing season at the New London-Waterford Speedbowl, track officials confirmed Wednesday that the season opening event at the track will not be run May 6-7.

The track released a statement announcing the decision to postpone the season opening Blastoff Weekend event, citing concerns with grandstand issues at the facility.

The statement did not address any further racing this season beyond saying schedule changes will be announced in the near future.

Scott Gregory, who is currently overseeing management of the facility, said he could not comment any further than the statement released.

New London-Waterford Speedbowl track owner Bruce Bemer was charged in late March with patronizing a trafficked person. Since that arrest Gregory has repeatedly said that track officials were optimistic the racing season would start on time.

The statement from the track Wednesday read:

“Due to unforeseen circumstances, Blast Off Weekend scheduled for May 6th and 7th has been postponed. Although much progress has been done to open for our Blast Off Event the recent findings of additional work needed on the grandstands and the unforseen weather conditions of most recent, has forced The New London Waterford Speedbowl to postpone the 2017 Blast-Off event. All efforts are being made to reschedule the event in its entirety as Management reaches out to those touring divisions originally scheduled to attend to possibly find a suitable weekend to run the Blast Off event. Changes and updates to the 2017 schedule will be announced on the NLWS website & facebook page in the near future. We apologize for the unforseen delay and Thank all who have been patient while we push to begin our 2017 year.”

Before the release of the statement, Modified Touring Series founder and owner Gary Knight said Wednesday afternoon that Gregory told him Tuesday the track was prepared to run the Blast Off Event next weekend.

The Modified Touring Series was expected to be the anchor event of the Blast Off weekend. As of Wednesday afternoon, Knight and other officials from his series, were insisting in Facebook postings that the series was running an event next weekend at the Speedbowl.

Despite the Speedbowl posting the postponement statement on their Facebook page and their website, officials from the MTS were still seemingly trying to portray publicly that their event would still be run. About 40 minutes after the Speedbowl announced the postponement of the Blast Off Weekend a statement was posted on the Modified Touring Series Facebook page which read as follows:

“The EXIT Realty Modified Touring Series is going to make a press release as soon as we can. We are going to be making phone call and after we get the facts we will than make a release. We want the fans and teams to know that our position on the Waterford Speedbowl and our dates has not changed nor will it until we have been told our dates are not valid any longer. We suport the Speedbowl and its fans. Thank you for your time and understanding sincerely Gary A Knight”

Bemer was the high bidder in a foreclosure auction of the Speedbowl in October 2014.