Analyzing the New England Dodge Dealers 150 at Stafford Motor Speedway

By admin August 4, 2008 NASCAR WMT

Daytona Beach, FL — The New England Dodge Dealers 150 will be the third of four appearances in 2008 at Stafford (Conn.) Motor Speedway for the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour. The eighth race of the season will go green on Friday, Aug. 8.

At Stafford Motor Speedway:

Since the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour formed in 1985, there have been 88 races at Stafford Motor Speedway.
There have been 27 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.
Ted Christopher captured the first NWMT race at SMS this year, the Tech-Net Spring Sizzler … Chuck Hossfeld won the second event at the track, the TSI Harley-Davidson 150.
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.

Season Recap:

Chuck Hossfeld is the current points leader and the only repeat winner so far in 2008 … He has victories at Stafford (5/23) Motor Speedway and New Hampshire Motor Speedway (6/28).
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.
Ronnie Silk won the 75-lap green flag-only race at Thompson (Conn.) International Speedway for his second career victory.
In the first qualifying format race of 2008, Matt Hirschman earned his first career NWMT victory at Spencer Speedway on July 12.
Jimmy Blewett won the most recent race, the Miller Lite 140 at Riverhead (N.Y.) Raceway.
James Civali, Bobby Grigas III and Ryan Preece have earned their first career poles in 2008.

Selected Driver Highlights:
Eric Beers (No. 46 Chevrolet)

Has two wins and six poles in 119 career starts.
Has three top-five finishes in seven starts this year.
Has finished second and fifth in the two prior races at SMS in 2008.

Jimmy Blewett (No. 19 Chevrolet)

Has three wins and one pole in 53 career starts.
Earned his first NWMT win at Riverhead Raceway on Aug. 2.
By virtue of his fourth place finish at Spencer and the win at Riverhead, he has moved from 22nd to 11th in the season standings in the last two races.
Won the Baldwin-Evans-Jarzombek memorial race as part of Riverhead’s NASCAR Whelen All-American Series on July 19 … The win moved him up to ninth in the NWAAS national standings at the time.

Ted Christopher (No. 36 Chevrolet)

Has 28 wins and 13 poles in 252 career starts.
Won the Tech-Net Spring Sizzler at SMS on April 27.
Has at least one victory in 10 consecutive seasons.
Is 44 points behind leader Chuck Hossfeld in the season standings.
Has led 240 of 867 (28%) total laps this year, most of any driver.
Earned his 100th career victory at SMS on June 13 … As part of the celebration, SMS renamed it’s A section of the main grandstand in his honor.

Ed Flemke Jr. (No. 10 Chevrolet)

Won the season-opener at Thompson (Conn.) International Speedway.
Has 17 wins and 16 poles in 361 career starts.
Has made a record 302 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.
Has 20 wins and 11 poles in 431 career starts … Last won at Waterford in May, 2003.
Has five career wins at Stafford … Last was the 2000 Spring Sizzler.

Bobby Grigas III (No. 09 Chevrolet)

Captured his first career Coors Light Pole Award at Thompson on June 19.
Registered best career finish (third) at the Icebreaker, also at Thompson.
His 87 total laps led this year rank third.

Matt Hirschman (No. 59 Chevrolet)

Earned his first NWMT win at Spencer on July 12 … Has 21 top 10s in 46 career starts.
Has finished on the lead lap in 24 consecutive races, the most among all drivers.
Has top-10s in three of the last five races and is fourth in the standings.

Chuck Hossfeld (No. 4 Dodge)

Current NWMT points leader, 44 ahead of Ted Christopher.
Finished in the top four in each of the season’s first six races before slipping to 17th at Riverhead.
Is the only driver to earn multiple wins so far in 2008; Stafford (5/23) and New Hampshire (6/28).
Has led 110 laps this year, second only to Christopher’s 240.
Has seven wins, 42 top fives and 61 top 10s in 102 career starts.

Ronnie Silk (No. 79 Pontiac)

Earned his second career victory at Thompson on June 19.
Is seventh in the standings … Has four top-10 finishes in a row, including consecutive runner-ups.
Has 18 top-10s in 47 career NWMT starts.
Slipped from second to 12th in the NASCAR Whelen Southern Modified Tour standings by choosing to run at Riverhead rather than Bowman Gray Stadium last Saturday.

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 SMS.
Has a NWMT record 68 victories in 372 career starts.
Has four top-fives in 2008 and is fifth in the standings.
Is the all-time NWMT wins leader at SMS with 19 … Last win was the 2007 Fall Final.

Todd Szegedy (No. 2 Ford)

The 2003 NWMT Champion … Will be honored at New Hampshire on Sept. 13.
Has 12 wins in 101 career starts, the best start-to-victory ratio (8:1) of any active driver.
Is in third place in season points, 115 behind leader Chuck Hossfeld.
Along with Hossfeld, he finished in the top 10 in each of the season’s first six races.

Jamie Tomaino (No. 99 Chevrolet)

The 1990 NWMT Champion … Was honored at Spencer as part of NASCAR’s celebration of 60 years of Modified champions.
Has missed only four of the 496 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.
Todd Szegedy’s next win would be the 13th of his career, which would put him in sole possession of 13th on the all-time list.
Mike Stefanik has 40 career poles … 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 493rd career start.
Ed Flemke Jr. is expected to extend his record consecutive starts streak to 303.

Sources: Jason Cunningham/NASCAR WMT PR