Statistical Advance: Analyzing the New England 100 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway
The NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour will make its first trip of 2009 to the Granite State for the New England 100 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway on Saturday, June 27 in Loudon, N.H.
New Hampshire Motor Speedway Data
Race: #4 of 14 (6/27/09) | ENTRY LIST
Track Layout: 1.058-mile oval
Banking: Variable between 2-7 degrees in the turns
Race Length: 100 laps/105.8 miles
Qualifying/Race Data
2008 pole winner: None – rain
2008 race winner: Chuck Hossfeld (96.675 mph, 6-28-08)
Track qualifying record: Mike Ewanitsko (132.743 mph, 28.693 sec., 7-20-01)
NWMT Win Leaders at NHMS
Tony Hirschman, 7
Reggie Ruggiero/Mike Stefanik, 6
Ted Christopher, 5
John Blewett III/Steve Park, 4
NWMT Pole Leaders at NHMS
Ted Christopher/Jan Leaty, 7
Mike Ewanitsko, 4
Tim Connolly/Tony Hirschman/Steve Park/Mike Stefanik, 3
Jeff Fuller/Rick Fuller, 2
At New Hampshire Motor Speedway:
History
• Groundbreaking for New Hampshire International Speedway, as New Hampshire Motor Speedway was originally named, was Aug. 13, 1989.
• The official opening was June 5, 1990 with the first race being a NASCAR Nationwide Series race on July 15, 1990.
• The first NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour race was held on Sept. 2, 1990.
• The track was renamed New Hampshire Motor Speedway in 2008.
• Is the largest racing oval – and the largest sports facility overall – in New England.
Notebook
• There have been 48 NWMT races all-time at NHMS, third-most of any facility.
• With the exception of 1990 and 2001, there have been at least two NWMT races a year at NHMS since the track opened.
• There have been 14 different race winners, led by Tony Hirschman’s seven.
• There have been 19 different pole winners, led by Ted Christopher and Jan Leaty with seven apiece.
• Christopher is the reigning track champion with finishes of second and first in the two dates last year … Among his five NWMT wins at the track, four came in consecutive fashion in 2004-05.
• Mike McLaughlin won the first NWMT race at NHMS in 1992 … He actually won the NASCAR Camping World Series East race that same day as well.
Up to Speed:
• Ted Christopher earned the Coors Light Pole Award and a trip to Victory Lane in the season opener at Thompson (Conn.) International Speedway on April 5.
• Christopher also earned the pole and the win in the second race of the year at Stafford (Conn.) Motor Speedway on April 26 … He became the first driver in NWMT history to begin the season by earning the first two poles.
• Christopher made it three-for-three when he earned the pole for the third race of the season, also at SMS, but finished second to Jimmy Blewett in the race … Christopher became the seventh driver in NWMT history to earn at least three-consecutive pole awards, and extended his mark for consecutive poles to start a season.
• The points lead belongs to Christopher, who is 40 tallies ahead of Todd Szegedy.
Selected Driver Highlights:
Eric Beers (No. 46 Chevrolet)
• Has two wins and nine poles in 130 career starts.
• Is 10th in points after three races … Best finish was 11th in the opener at Thompson International Speedway and the second Stafford Motor Speedway race.
• Finished fourth and 10th last year at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.
Jimmy Blewett (No. 12 Chevrolet)
• Has five wins and one pole in 65 career starts … Won last time out at SMS.
• Is third in the standings with top 10s in each of the three races.
• Finished 29th and second last year at NHMS.
Ted Christopher (No. 36 Chevrolet)
• The 2008 NWMT champion.
• Has 33 wins and 21 poles in 268 career starts … Has at least one win in 11 consecutive seasons … His 33 wins rank fourth on the all-time list and his 21 poles rank ninth.
• Earned the Coors Light Pole Award in the first three races of the year, and the race win in the first two … Finished second in the third race.
• Has five career NWMT wins at NHMS and is tied for the lead with seven poles … Also has five NASCAR Camping World Series East wins at NHMS, which makes him the winningest competitor in track history.
• Finished second and first in the two events at NHMS last year.
• Will also attempt to make the field for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at NHMS – the Lenox Industrial Tools 301 – in a car owned by Kirk Shelmerdine.
Doug Coby (No. 19 Chevrolet)
• Has one win, one pole and 28 top 10s in 84 career starts.
• Is currently 15th in points with a best finish of eighth in the opener at TIS.
Ed Flemke Jr. (No. 10 Chevrolet)
• Has 17 wins and 15 poles in 373 career starts … Has one pole, but no wins at NHMS.
• Has made a record 314 consecutive starts … The last time he did not start an NWMT race was on July 22, 1992 at Riverside Park Speedway.
• Is ninth in the season standings with a best finish of 10th in the first SMS race.
• Finished third and 16th at NHMS in 2008.
Kasey Kahne (No. 96 Chevrolet)
• Will attempt to make his NWMT debut in the H&H Motorsports entry, the Troyer Race Cars house car … Current plans call for him to race this car at Bristol Motor Speedway in August and the fall NHMS date.
• Has 10 wins and 68 top 10s in 196 career NASCAR Sprint Cup Series starts.
• Best NSCS finish at NHMS was a fourth place effort in 2004.
Donny Lia (No. 4 Dodge)
• The 2007 NWMT champion.
• Has 11 wins, 13 poles and 45 top 10s in 100 career starts … Won the June NHMS race in 2007.
• Is sixth in points with top 10s in each of the first three races.
Ryan Newman (No. 7 Chevrolet)
• Will attempt to make his second NWMT start … Debuted with the Coors Light Pole Award and a 20th place finish in the fall 2008 NHMS race… Current plans call for him to race this car at Bristol Motor Speedway in August and the fall NHMS date.
• Has 13 wins, 44 poles and 114 top 10s in 276 career NSCS starts.
• Earned NSCS wins at NHMS in 2002 and 2005.
Woody Pitkat (No. 28 Chevrolet)
• Has nine top 10s in 20 career starts.
• Is currently seventh in points with two top 10s.
• Finished eighth in the fall NHMS race last year.
Ryan Preece (No. 3 Chevrolet)
• Has two poles, a win and 13 top 10s in 33 career starts.
• Is currently fifth in points with top 10s in each race and a best finish of third in the first SMS race.
• Finished 10th and third at NHMS in 2008.
Reggie Ruggiero (No. 14 Ford)
• Has 44 wins, 27 poles and 226 top 10s in 416 career starts … His 44 wins rank second in series history and his 27 poles are tied for fourth with Jan Leaty.
• Has six wins and a pole in his career at NHMS … Last win came in the fall 1997 race.
• Finished fifth and 25th at NHMS in 2008.
Ron Silk (No. 79 Pontiac)
• Has three wins, a pole and 25 top 10s in 59 career starts … All three wins have come at TIS.
• Is currently eighth in points with two top 10s.
• Finished 10th and 19th at NHMS in 2008.
Mike Stefanik (No. 16 Pontiac)
• The 1989, 1991, 1997, 1998, 2001, 2002 and 2006 NWMT champion.
• Has 69 wins, 42 poles and 257 top 10s in 384 career starts … Holds NWMT record for most championships, wins, poles, top fives and top 10s.
• Has six wins and three poles in his career at NHMS … Last win was in August, 1998.
• Finished 26th and 27th at NHMS last year.
Andy Seuss (No. 70 Chevrolet)
• Has two top 10s in 12 career NWMT starts as a part-time competitor.
• Finished 18th in the June NHMS race in 2008.
• Has four wins and 15 top 10s in 23 career NASCAR Whelen Southern Modified Tour starts, where he is a full-time competitor … Is second in points after four races in 2009.
Todd Szegedy (No. 2 Ford)
• The 2003 NWMT champion.
• Has 13 wins, five poles and 70 top 10s in 113 career starts … Has the best win percentage of any active driver, earning a trip to Victory Lane one out of every nine starts.
• Is second in points, 40 behind Ted Christopher.
• Won the fall 2007 NHMS race … Finished seventh and 13th at NHMS last year.
Jamie Tomaino (No. 99 Chevrolet)
• The 1990 NWMT champion.
• Has three wins, six poles and 234 top 10s in 502 career starts.
• Become the first driver in series history to start 500 races at the Icebreaker … Has missed only four of the 505 races in the history of the NWMT (1985-present) … Is the only driver along with Carl Pasteryak to make a start in each of the first 25 years of the NWMT.
• Has one career pole at NHMS … Finished 21st and 9th there in 2008.
Upcoming Milestones/Benchmarks:
• Ed Flemke Jr. is expected to extend his record consecutive starts streak to 314.
• Jamie Tomaino will extend his series record for starts to 503.
• If Ted Christopher were to earn the Coors Light Pole Award for the New England 100, he would become just the third driver in NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour history to do so in four or more races in a row, joining Mike Stefanik (5) and Mike McLaughlin (4).
• Stefanik’s next victory would make him the eighth driver in NASCAR history to earn 70 wins in a series … All others on the list accomplished the feat in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series.
• Christopher is two wins shy of tying Tony Hirschman for third on the all-time list at 35.
• Donny Lia’s next win would place him in a tie with Richie Evans and George Kent for 14th on the all-time series wins list at 12.
Sources: Jason Cunningham/NASCAR WMT PR