Analyzing the TSI Harley-Davidson 150 at Stafford Motor Speedway

By admin May 19, 2008 NASCAR WMT, Stafford

Daytona Beach, FL — Following a month layoff the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour will hold it’s third event of the 2008 season at Stafford (Conn.) Motor Speedway with the TSI Harley-Davidson 150 on Friday, May 23.

At Stafford Motor Speedway:

Since the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour formed in 1985, there have been 87 races at Stafford Motor Speedway.
In the first NWMT event at SMS – the 1985 Spring Sizzler – Richie Evans took the checkered flag and Jimmy Spencer won the pole.
There have been 26 different race winners at SMS, led by Mike Stefanik’s 19 victories, which is 10 more than Reggie Ruggiero, who is second place driver on the SMS wins list.
There have been 34 different pole winners at SMS, led by Stefanik’s 14. Two of the 87 all-time events at SMS have no record of a pole winner.
Ted Christopher had the longest win streak in the history of the NWMT at SMS with four-straight victories from Sept. 30, 2001 to Aug. 23, 2002.
No driver has swept every NWMT event at SMS during a calendar year. Ruggiero (1987), Stefanik (1990, 1997, 1998) and Christopher (2002) have won three races in the same year.
Todd Szegedy is the last driver to lead wire-to-wire at SMS as he took the Oct. 28, 2006 checkered flag from the No. 1 starting position without relinquishing the lead.

Last Time Out:

Christopher earned his 28^th career NWMT victory as he took the checkered flag in the Tech-Net Spring Sizzler at SMS. It was his eighth victory at the track.
Ryan Preece nabbed the Coors Light Pole Award. In the process he became the youngest winner in the award’s history, 17.

Icebreaker Highlights:

Ed Flemke, Jr. ended a 53-race winless drought by earning his 17^th career victory.
James Civali earned his first career Coors Light Pole Award.
Tom Abele Jr., Sean Patterson, Glen Reen and Erick Rudolph all made their NWMT debuts in the race.

Selected Driver Highlights:

Jimmy Blewett (No. 19 Chevrolet)

Has two wins and one pole in 48 career starts.
Has led 132 laps with an average start of 8.9 and an average finish of 17.3 in 11 career races at Stafford Motor Speedway.
Finished 23^rd after crashing out on lap 180 of the Spring Sizzler on April 27.
Has recorded eight weekly racing feature wins in 2008.

Ted Christopher (No. 36 Chevrolet)

Has 28 wins and 13 poles in 247 career starts.
Won the last NWMT race, also at SMS, on April 27.
Has eight wins and two poles in his NWMT career at SMS.
Has the most top-10s (12) and most laps lead (559) among all drivers in the last five years at SMS.
Won the 2007 SMS SK-Modified title.
Has 98 career victories at SMS between weekly and touring starts.

James Civali (No. 28 Chevrolet)

Has four wins in 38 career starts, including one at SMS on Aug. 8, 2006.
Earned first career pole at Thompson International Speedway in the season-opener.
Has finished in the top-10 in seven of his 10 career starts at SMS.
Finished fifth in the Spring Sizzler and sixth in the Icebreaker.

Ed Flemke Jr. (No. 10 Chevrolet)

Won the season-opener at TIS, ending a 53-race victory drought.
Has 17 wins and 16 poles in 356 career starts.
Has three wins and one pole in his career at SMS.

Rick Fuller (No. 77)

1993 NWMT Champion … Will be honored prior to Sept. 7 event at TIS.
Has 20 wins and 11 poles in 428 career starts … Last won at Waterford in May, 2003.
Has registered three top-10 finishes in 14 starts during the last five years at SMS.
Has earned five wins at SMS including the 1992, 1999 and 2000 Spring Sizzlers.

Bobby Grigas III (No. 09 Chevrolet)

Registered best career finish (third) at the Icebreaker.
Has yet to finish in the top-10 in five career starts at SMS.
Has finished in the top-10 in four of his last eight starts dating back to last year.

Matt Hirschman (No. 59 Chevrolet)

Has finished in the top-10 in seven of 10 career starts at SMS including all four 2007 events.
Set the SMS qualifying record at last year’s Spring Sizzler at 99.905 mph/18.009 seconds.
Finished third in the 2007 standings with 11 top-10s in 16 outings.
Is the son of five-time NWMT Champion Tony Hirschman.

Chuck Hossfeld (No. 4 Dodge)

Current NWMT points leader, 21 ahead of Ted Christopher.
Runner-up to Flemke at the Icebreaker on April 6.
Has five wins in 97 career starts, but has yet to reach victory lane at SMS.
Has earned three poles at SMS and seven total in his career.
Has five top-five and seven top-10 finishes in 15 starts at SMS during the last five years.

Rowan Pennink (No. 93 Chevrolet)

Fourth in points entering this race … Is one of five drivers who have finished in the top-10 in each of the season’s first two events.
Now in his second season, he has 16 career starts.

Ronnie Silk (No. 79 Pontiac)

Finished 21^st in the Icebreaker and 28^th in the Spring Sizzler.
Has one win and 14 top-10s in 42 NWMT career starts.
Is second in driver points after three races in the NASCAR Whelen Southern Modified Tour.

Mike Stefanik (No. 16 Pontiac)

Seven-time NWMT Champion … Will be honored prior to this race.
Has a NWMT record 68 victories in 367 career starts.
Has a record 19 wins and 14 poles at SMS … Last win was the 2007 Fall Final.
Has 10 top-fives and 11top-10s in 15 starts at SMS during the last five years.

Todd Szegedy (No. 2 Ford)

The 2003 NWMT Champion … Will be honored at New Hampshire on Sept. 28.
Has 12 wins in 96 career starts, the best start-to-victory ratio (8:1) of any active driver.
Has the best average start (6.5) and best average finish (7.4) among all drivers at SMS during the last five years.
Has three wins and two poles in his career at SMS.

Jamie Tomaino (No. 99 Chevrolet)

The 1990 NWMT Champion … Will be honored at Spencer Speedway on July 12.
Has 11 top-10s in 17 races at SMS during in the last five years.
Has only missed four of the 491 races in the history of the NWMT (1985-pr.).

Sources: Jason Cunningham/NASCAR WMT PR