Statistical Advance: New England 100 at NHMS

By admin June 23, 2008 NASCAR WMT, NHMS

Daytona Beach, FL — The fifth race of the 2008 NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour season will be contested at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. The New England 100 will go green on Saturday, June 28 in Loudon, N.H.

At New Hampshire Motor Speedway:

Since New Hampshire Motor Speedway opened in 1990 there have been 46 NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour events at the track.
In the first NWMT event at NHMS in 1990, George Kent won the pole and Mike McLaughlin took the checkered flag.
There have been 15 different race winners at NHMS, led by Tony Hirschman’s seven victories.
There have been 20 different pole winners at NHMS … Ted Christopher and Jan Leaty are tied for the lead with seven apiece.
Current drivers Christopher, Chuck Hossfeld, Reggie Ruggiero, Mike Stefanik and Todd Szegedy have reached Victory Lane at NHMS before.
Ruggiero holds the record for successive wins at NHMS with five from 1992-94.
The two NWMT races at NHMS have been swept in three of the previous four seasons (Christopher in 2004 and 2005 and the late John Blewett III in 2006) … Ruggiero (1993) and Hirschman (1999) have also accomplished a season sweep.
Donny Lia was the winner of this race in 2007 … He will not be able to defend his victory as he now drives full-time in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series.

Season Recap:

In four races so far this year there has yet to be a repeat victor or pole winner.
Ed Flemke Jr. captured the season-opener at Thompson (Conn.) International Speedway, his first victory since 2004.
Ted Christopher won the second race of the season at Stafford (Conn.) Motor Speedway to move into a tie for fifth place on the all-time wins list.
Chuck Hossfeld won the third race of the year, also at Stafford, from the pole. It was his first victory since 2004.
Ronnie Silk won the most recent event in the season’s second trip to Thompson. It was his second career victory.
James Civali, Bobby Grigas III and Ryan Preece have earned their first career Coors Light Pole Awards in 2008.

Selected Driver Highlights:

Eric Beers (No. 46 Chevrolet)

Has two wins and six poles in 116 career starts.
Finished in the top five in both Stafford races this year.
Led 14 laps in the July, 2005 race at NHMS, but has not reached Victory Lane at the track.

Jimmy Blewett (No. 19 Chevrolet)

Has two wins and one pole in 50 career starts.
Has made six career starts at NHMS.
Is the younger brother of the late John Blewett III, who recorded four wins at NHMS.

Kyle Busch (No. 7 Chevrolet)

The current NASCAR Sprint Cup points leader will make his NWMT debut in a car owned by Kevin Manion, crew chief to Cup driver Martin Truex Jr., and sponsored by JR Motorsports.
Will also race in the NASCAR Nationwide Series race following the New England 100 and will race a Super Late Model Saturday evening at All Star Speedway in Epping, N.H.
This car was driven by J.J. Yeley in last September’s NWMT race at Loudon.

Ted Christopher (No. 36 Chevrolet)

Has 28 wins and 13 poles in 249 career starts.
Won the Spring Sizzler at SMS on April 27.
Has at least one victory in 10 consecutive seasons.
Is 26 points behind leader Chuck Hossfeld in the season standings.
Has four wins and seven poles in his NWMT career at NHMS … His next pole would establish a new record for the track.
In the last five years at NHMS he has recorded the most laps led, most top-five and top-10 finishes and has the best average start and finish position among all active drivers.
Has led 104 of 520 (20%) completed laps this year.
Has also made starts at NHMS in the NASCAR Camping World Series East (five wins) and NASCAR Sprint Cup Series.

James Civali (No. 28 Chevrolet)

Has four wins in 40 career starts.
His best placing in four starts at NHMS was a runner-up finish to the late John Blewett III on July 15, 2006 in his first appearance at the track.
Is currently fifth in the season points standings, 149 behind leader Chuck Hossfeld.

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 358 career starts.
Has one pole at NHMS, but is in search of his first victory at the track.
Has made a record 299 consecutive starts … The last time he did not start an NWMT event was on July 22, 1992 at Riverside Park Speedway.

Rick Fuller (No. 77)

1993 NWMT Champion … Will be honored prior to Sept. 7 event at Thompson (Conn.) International Speedway.
Has 20 wins and 11 poles in 430 career starts … Last won at Waterford in May, 2003.
Has recorded four runner-up finishes at NHMS, but has not reached Victory Lane at the track.

Bobby Grigas III (No. 09 Chevrolet)

Captured his first career Coors Light Pole Award the last time out at Thompson (Conn.) International Speedway.
Registered best career finish (third) at the Icebreaker, also at Thompson.
Led the first laps of his career in the Icebreaker … His 87 total laps led this year rank third among all drivers.

Matt Hirschman (No. 59 Chevrolet)

Has made four starts at NHMS with a best finish of fourth in last June’s race.
Has finished on the lead lap in 21 consecutive races, the most among all drivers.
Is currently eighth in the season standings, 159 points behind Chuck Hossfeld.
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, 26 ahead of Ted Christopher.
Has finished in the top four in each of the season’s first four races.
Ended a 48-race winless drought by capturing the TSI Harley-Davidson 150 at Stafford (Conn.) Motor Speedway.
Has led 89 laps this year, second only to Christopher’s 104.
Has six wins in 99 career starts, including two at NHMS.

L.W. Miller (No. 38 Pontiac)

Is the defending series champion, and current points leader, in the NASCAR Whelen Southern Modified Tour.
Will make his first NWMT start since July 24, 2003, also at NHMS.
Made 71 starts in the NWMT from 1998-2002, highlighted by a victory at Martinsville (Va.) Speedway on Oct. 19, 2002.
Will become the first driver in either Modified division to run a SPEC engine in actual competition … The SPEC engine was made available to Modified teams for the first time in 2008.
Tentatively plans to also run in the NWMT race at Mansfield (Ohio) Motorsports Park in August.

Ronnie Silk (No. 79 Pontiac)

Won the last race at Thompson (Conn.) International Speedway … By virtue of his win he moved from 27th up to 15th in the season standings.
Has two wins and 15 top-10s in 44 career NWMT starts.
His best finish at NHMS was as runner-up to Todd Szegedy in last fall’s race.
Is second in the standings after three races in the NASCAR Whelen Southern Modified Tour, 36 points behind L.W. Miller.

Mike Stefanik (No. 16 Pontiac)

Seven-time NWMT Champion … Was honored as part of NASCAR’s 60 years of Modified champions celebration prior to the TSI Harley-Davidson 150 at Stafford (Conn.) Motor Speedway.
Has a NWMT record 68 victories in 369 career starts.
Has six career victories at NHMS, one less that Tony Hirschman’s record of seven … His last win at the track was on Aug. 2, 1998.
Has finished in the top five in the last three races and is currently fifth in points, 126 behind Chuck Hossfeld.

Todd Szegedy (No. 2 Ford)

The 2003 NWMT Champion … Will be honored at New Hampshire on Sept. 28.
Has 12 wins in 98 career starts, the best start-to-victory ratio (8:1) of any active driver.
Registered his first NHMS victory in last September’s race.
Has recorded a top-10 finish in seven of his last eight appearances at NHMS.
Is in third place in season points, 71 behind Chuck Hossfeld.

Jamie Tomaino (No. 99 Chevrolet)

The 1990 NWMT Champion … Will be honored at Spencer Speedway on July 12.
Has earned one pole at NHMS and his best finish was third in the inaugural NWMT race at the track on Sept. 2, 1990.
Has only missed four of the 493 races in the history of the NWMT (1985-pr.).
Is one of three drivers (Rick Fuller, Carl Pasteryak) to make a start in all 24 years of the NWMT.

Upcoming Milestones/Benchmarks:

Ted Christopher has 28 career victories … The next win would put him in sole possession of fifth place on all-time list, breaking a tie Mike Ewanitsko.
Mike Stefanik has 40 career pole wins … The next would place him in a tie with Tony Hirschman for the all-time lead.
Jamie Tomaino will extend his own series record by making his 490th career start.
Christopher will make his 250th career start.
Chuck Hossfeld is slated to make his 100th career start.
Ed Flemke Jr. is expected to make his 300th-consecutive start.
Todd Szegedy is two starts away from 100 for his career.

Sources: Jason Cunningham/NASCAR WMT PR