NASCAR Featherlite Modified Tour: Red Dog Racing World Series Notes
Thompson, CT — The 22nd race of the 1997 NASCAR Featherlite Modified Tour, The 24th Annual Red Dog Racing World Series, is scheduled for Oct. 18-19, at Thompson International Speedway in Thompson, Conn.
– Posted awards are $53,420.00 for the 125-lap race. Time trials are scheduled for 2:00 pm on Saturday, Oct. 18 with the top 24 advancing to the feature on Sunday, Oct. 19. A 15-lap qualifying race and four provisional starting positions will determine the remainder of the field.
– If Mike Stefanik takes the green flag at Thompson, he will become the 1997 NASCAR Featherlite Modified Tour Champion. He will become the first driver to ever win the series championship three times and the first driver to win the championship for two different car owners. Pete Beal and Charlie Bacon are the owners of the car Stefanik currently drives. John Koszela, Sr. owned the cars Stefanik drove to championships in 1989 and 1991.
– This will be the third and final series race at Thompson in 1997. Rick Fuller was the winner of the previous two races (April and July) at Thompson this season.
– Steve Park is the defending champion of the World Series.
– The World Series was the first series win for Rick Fuller in 1988.
– Several other drivers currently competing on the series have scored World Series wins. Defending series champion Tony Hirschman (1989), Reggie Ruggiero (1987, 92) and Mike Stefanik (1995).
– Thompson International Speedway has hosted more NASCAR Featherlite Modified Tour races than any other speedway. There have been 58 series events at Thompson since 1985 including the first on March 31, 1985.
– The series qualifying record at Thompson is 19.018 seconds (118.308 mph) set by Mike McLaughlin 7/19/87.
– To date, 108 different drivers have attempted to qualify for at least one NASCAR Featherlite Modified Tour race in 1997.
Sources: NASCAR PR