50 Greatest Modified Drivers of All-time Revealed
Stafford Springs, CT — The first leg of Stafford Motor Speedway’s ‘Stafford Salutes NASCAR At 50’ program came to fruition Friday night, May 8th as Stafford’s President and ABC Sports personality Jack Arute announced the 50 greatest Modified drivers of all-time as voted by the fans, competitors and media members.
Several months of balloting produced nearly 30,000 individual votes for 158 different modified drivers. Twenty-six states were represented in the balloting including Alaska, California, Hawaii and Texas. Outside the United States, votes were received from Canada, China, Italy and Sweden.
“When we first coined the idea of incorporating our NASCAR Modified heritage with NASCAR’s 50th Anniversary festivities, we never thought it would take off to where it has today,” states Cory Posocco, Stafford’s Marketing / Special Events Director. “The response to the 50 greatest Modified drivers of all-time program only underscores the popularity of NASCAR and the Modified division.”
Designed to add a regional flavor to NASCAR’s 50th Anniversary celebration, the ‘Stafford Salutes NASCAR At 50’ program is a season-long commemoration of the people and events that have elevated Stafford Motor Speedway, Modified racing and NASCAR to the stature it enjoys today.
Other events planned as part of the ‘Stafford Salutes NASCAR At 50’ program include the dedication of The Great Wall of Drivers, a photographic tribute to the chosen fifty. In addition to the Wall, the Honorary Guests of the Night program will allow each of the fifty drivers to enjoy a night at the races in their honor. Stafford’s Pitstopper Magazine and Stafford Motor Speedway Online will also join the festivities by producing a series of feature articles.
Below are the 50 greatest Modified drivers of all-time listed in alphabetical order by the drivers’ surname:
Tom Baldwin
Gene Bergin
Brett Bodine
Geoff Bodine
Ken Bouchard
Ron Bouchard
Mario’Fats’Caruso
Rene Charland
Ted Christopher
Leo Cleary
Tim Connolly
Jerry Cook
Corky Cookman
Pete Corey
Fred DeSarro
Richie Evans
Mike Ewanitsko
Eddie Flemke Sr.
Jeff Fuller
Rick Fuller
Ernie Gahan
Bill Graco
Bo Gunning
Ray Hendrick
Moose Hewitt
Tony Hirschman
George Janoski
Charlie Jarzombek
George Kent
Buddy Krebs
Randy LaJoie
Jan Leaty
Jerry Marquis
Mike McLaughlin
Ray Miller
Steve Park
Bob Polverari
Bob Potter
Brian Ross
Reggie Ruggiero
Greg Sacks
Ollie Silva
Bill Slater
Jimmy Spencer
Mike Stefanik
Bugs Stevens
George Summers
Jamie Tomaino
Maynard Troyer
Satch Worley
The late Richie Evans accumulated the most votes followed closely by Carl ‘Bugs’ Stevens. Rounding out the top-five where Geoff Bodine, Mike Stefanik and the late Eddie Flemke, Sr. For more information on the ‘Stafford Salutes NASCAR At 50’ program or the 50 greatest Modified drivers of all-time, contact the Speedway office at (860/684-2783) or visit SMS Online at www.staffordspeedway.com.
Sources: Stafford Motor Speedway PR