Statistical Advance: Analyzing the Town Fair Tire 150 at Stafford Motor Speedway
Daytona Beach, FL — The third of four trips for the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour to Stafford (Conn.) Motor Speedway in 2009 will take place this Friday, Aug. 7, with the Town Fair Tire 150.
At Stafford Motor Speedway:
History
• The Stafford Springs Agricultural Park opened in 1870 … The current race track was originally used for horse racing.
• Horse racing gave way to automobile racing at the half-mile oval after World War II.
• Stafford Motor Speedway became a NASCAR track in 1959 and was paved in 1967.
• The NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour has held 92 races at SMS since the tour began in 1985 … The NWMT has run there every year of its existence, except for 1988.
• The 92 all-time NWMT races at SMS is second only to the 107 held at Thompson (Conn.) International Speedway.
Notebook
• There have been 28 different race winners at SMS, led by Mike Stefanik’s 20 victories.
• There have been 34 different pole winners at SMS, led by Stefanik’s 15.
• Ted Christopher won the first of four NWMT races at SMS in 2009 on April 26 … Jimmy Blewett captured the May 22 event … Christopher earned the pole for both.
• 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.
• The NWMT champion has earned at least one win at SMS during his title run in 13 of the last 15 years.
• The preliminary entry list for the 2009 Town Fair Tire 150 features nine drivers who have won at SMS during their careers.
Stafford Motor Speedway Data
Race: #7 of 14 (8/7/09)
Track Layout: .5-mile asphalt oval
Banking: 9 degrees in Turns 1 & 2, 7.5 degrees in Turns 3 & 4
Race Length: 150 laps/75 miles
Qualifying/Race Data
2008 Pole Winner: Eric Beers (18.298 seconds, 98.371 mph)
2008 Race Winner: Jimmy Blewett (1 hr. 11 min. 30 sec., 62.937 mph)
Qualifying Record: Matt Hirschman (18.009 seconds, 99.950 mph, 4/28/07)
NWMT Active Win Leaders at SMS
1. Mike Stefanik … 20
2. Reggie Ruggiero … 9
Ted Christopher … 9
4. Ed Flemke Jr. … 3
Todd Szegedy … 3
NWMT Active Pole Leaders at SMS
1. Mike Stefanik … 15
2. Reggie Ruggiero … 7
3. Donny Lia … 6
4. Rob Summers … 4
Ted Christopher … 4
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.
• Christopher also earned the pole and the win in the second race of the year at Stafford (Conn.) Motor Speedway.
• 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.
• At New Hampshire Motor Speedway Donny Lia earned his first win of the season and the 12th of his career … Doug Coby captured the pole, the second of his career.
• Erick Rudolph became the youngest winner in NWMT history when he took the checkered flag at Spencer Speedway … Qualifying was rained out and the race was pushed back a day.
• Ryan Preece took the pole and the checkered flag last time out at Riverhead (N.Y.) Raceway.
• Todd Szegedy took the points lead from Christopher for the first time in nearly a year at Riverhead … He has a 22-point lead heading into this week.
Selected Driver Highlights:
Eric Beers (No. 46 Chevrolet)
• Has two wins and nine poles in 133 career starts … Two poles have come at SMS.
• Is 11th in points after five races.
• Has finishes of 16th and 11th in the first two SMS races in 2009.
Jimmy Blewett (No. 12 Chevrolet)
• Has five wins and one pole in 68 career starts.
• Is seventh in the standings with top 10s in the three of the six races.
• Is the defending winner of this race, and won the last race at SMS in May.
Ted Christopher (No. 36 Chevrolet)
• The 2008 NWMT champion.
• Has 33 wins and 21 poles in 271 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 events of the year, and the race win in the first two … Finished second in the third race … Became the first driver in NWMT history to begin the season by earning multiple poles.
• Held the points lead for 12-straight races dating back to 2008, but was passed by Todd Szegedy last time out due to his first DNF since this SMS date last year.
•Is currently ninth in the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series national standings with five wins, 16 top 10s and 659 points in 19 starts … Leads SMS’s SK Modified division in points.
Ed Flemke Jr. (No. 10 Chevrolet)
• Has 17 wins and 15 poles in 376 career starts … Has made a record 317 consecutive starts … The last time he did not start a NWMT race was on July 22, 1992 at Riverside Park Speedway.
• Is 10th in the season standings.
• Has three career wins and two poles at SMS … Finished 10th and 12th in two 2009 SMS starts.
Donny Lia (No. 4 Dodge)
• The 2007 NWMT champion.
• Has 12 wins, 13 poles and 47 top 10s in 103 career starts.
• Is fourth in points with a win and four top 10s in six races.
• Has two wins and six poles in his NWMT career at SMS … Has finishes of sixth and 15th in 2009.
Rowan Pennink (No. 93 Chevrolet)
• Has 13 top 10s in 36 career starts.
• Is currently fifth in points with five top 10s in six starts.
• Has finishes of 26th and seventh at SMS in 2009.
Woody Pitkat (No. 28 Chevrolet)
• Has 10 top 10s in 23 career starts.
• Is currently eighth in points with three top 10s in six starts.
• Has seven top 10s in 10 starts in 2009 in SMS’s NWAAS SK Modified division and five top 10s in seven starts in the Late Model division … Has 41 career feature wins at SMS.
Ryan Preece (No. 3 Chevrolet)
• Has three poles, two wins and 15 top 10s in 36 career starts.
• Moved up to third in points with a win last time out at Riverhead … Has four top fives in six races.
• Has finishes of third and 10th in starts this year at SMS … Earned a pole there last year.
Reggie Ruggiero (No. 14 Ford)
• Has 44 wins, 27 poles and 226 top 10s in 417 career starts … His 44 wins rank second in series history and his 27 poles are tied for fourth with Jan Leaty.
• Has eight wins and seven poles in his career at SMS … Last win came in 1993.
• Has finishes of 33rd and fifth in the two previous SMS races this year.
Ron Silk (No. 79 Pontiac)
• Has three wins, a pole and 27 top 10s in 62 career starts.
• Is currently ninth in points with four top 10s in six starts.
• Has finishes of eighth and 24th in the two prior races at SMS in 2009.
Mike Stefanik (No. 16 Pontiac)
• The 1989, 1991, 1997, 1998, 2001, 2002 and 2006 NWMT champion.
• Has 69 wins, 42 poles and 258 top 10s in 387 career starts … Holds NWMT record for most championships, wins, poles, top fives and top 10s.
• Is currently sixth in points with four top 10s in six starts … Finished fourth in both SMS races.
• All-time NWMT wins and poles leader at SMS with 20 and 15, respectively.
Todd Szegedy (No. 2 Ford)
• The 2003 NWMT champion.
• Has 13 wins, five poles and 73 top 10s in 116 career starts … Three wins and two poles at SMS.
• Took the points lead from Ted Christopher last time out at Riverhead … Is the only driver with a top-10 finish in each of the first six races this year.
• Has finishes of second and third in the first two SMS races in 2009.
Jamie Tomaino (No. 99 Chevrolet)
• The 1990 NWMT champion.
• Has three wins, six poles and 235 top 10s in 504 career starts.
• Become the first driver in series history to start 500 races at the Icebreaker … Has missed only five of the 509 races in the history of the NWMT (1985-present) … Is one of only two drivers, along with Carl Pasteryak, to make a start in each of the 25 years of the NWMT.
• Is 16th in points … Has finishes of 12th and 14th in first two SMS races this year.
Upcoming Milestones/Benchmarks:
• Ed Flemke Jr. will attempt to extend his record consecutive starts streak to 318.
• Jamie Tomaino will attempt to extend his series record for total starts to 505.
• Ted Christopher is two wins shy of tying Tony Hirschman for third on the all-time list at 35.
• Donny Lia’s next win would move him past Richie Evans and George Kent on the all-time wins list … The trio currently has 12 apiece … A 13th win would then place him in a tie with Todd Szegedy.
• Mike 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.
Sources: Jason Cunningham/NASCAR WMT PR