Statistical Advance: Analyzing the Budweiser 150 at Thompson
Daytona Beach, FL — The second of three trips for the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour to Thompson (Conn.) International Speedway in 2009 will take place this Thursday, Sept. 3, with the Budweiser 150 presented by New England Dodge Dealers.
At Thompson International Speedway:
History
• Opened on May 26, 1940 as the first asphalt racing surface in the United States, and the largest track in New England at the time.
• Has one of the oldest NASCAR affiliations in the nation.
• Held NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races in 1951, 1969 and 1970.
• Has played host to 107 NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour races, the most of any facility in the NWMT’s 25-year history.
• Features six NASCAR Whelen All-American Series divisions as part of the ‘Thursday Night Thompson Thunder.’
Notebook
• There have been 29 different race winners at TIS, led by Mike Stefanik’s 14 victories.
• There have been 36 different pole winners at TIS, led by Jeff Fuller’s 13.
• Ted Christopher earned the pole and the race win in the NWMT’s first appearance at TIS in 2009 … The race featured five lead changes among four drivers … Christopher led 111 of the 154 laps … Jamie Tomaino made his 500th career start in the race and led 25 laps.
• Ron Silk earned three wins during a span of five races at TIS from 2007-08 … His back-to-back wins last year were the first time a driver recorded consecutive triumphs at the track since 2003.
• Seven drivers that are expected to be in this race that have won previously at TIS.
• Last year’s TIS winners include: Ed Flemke Jr., Silk (2), Todd Szegedy and Christopher.
Thompson International Speedway Data
Race: #9 of 14 overall, #2 of 3 at TIS
Track Layout: .625-mile oval
Banking: 26 degrees in the turns
Race Length: 150 laps/93.75 miles
ENTRY LIST
Qualifying/Race Data
2008 Pole Winner: None – rain
2008 Race Winner: Ron Silk (63.765 mph, 1:30.34)
Qualifying Record: Eric Beers (122.080 mph, 18.429 seconds, 10-19-08)
NWMT Active Win Leaders at TIS
1. Mike Stefanik … 14
2. Ted Christopher … 8
3. Reggie Ruggiero … 6
4. Ed Flemke Jr. … 4
5. Ron Silk … 3
Todd Szegedy … 3
NWMT Active Pole Leaders at TIS
1. Mike Stefanik … 8
2. Ted Christopher … 5
Reggie Ruggiero … 5
4. Ed Flemke Jr. … 4
5. Todd Szegedy … 3
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 in Williamson, N.Y. … Qualifying was rained out and the race was pushed back a day.
• Ryan Preece took the pole and the checkered flag at Riverhead (N.Y.) Raceway … He then won the next time out at SMS with Eric Berndt earning his first career pole award.
• Lia won the inaugural event at Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway … It was the first of two scheduled combination races with the NASCAR Whelen Southern Modified Tour in 2009 … Qualifying for the event was rained out.
• Christopher has a 29-point lead in the season standings on Todd Szegedy … Christopher has maintained the lead through 14 of the last 15 races dating back to 2008.
• This week’s race was originally scheduled for Aug. 13, but rain forced the event to be postponed … Last week’s scheduled race at Chemung (N.Y.) Speedrome has also been postponed to a later date due to rain.
Selected Driver Highlights:
Eric Beers (No. 46 Chevrolet)
• Has two wins and nine poles in 135 career starts.
• Set the TIS qualifying record last year and won there in 2006 … Finished 11th in first race of 2009.
• Is up to eighth in points with three-straight top-15 finishes.
Ted Christopher (No. 36 Chevrolet)
• The 2008 NWMT champion.
• Has 33 wins and 21 poles in 273 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 pole award in the first three events of the year, and the race win in the first two … Became the first driver in NWMT history to begin the season by earning multiple poles.
• Has a 29-point lead on Todd Szegedy in the standings … Has six top fives in eight starts, with five of those either wins (2) or runner-up finishes (3).
• Has led 42-percent (478 of 1,136) of all laps run this year, more than double any other driver.
• Is fifth in the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series national standings with eight wins, 21 top 10s and 756 points in 25 starts.
• Also made three NWSMT starts at the beginning of the season and won twice.
• Has eight wins and five poles in his career at TIS.
James Civali (No. 79 Pontiac)
• Has four wins and 23 top 10s in 42 career starts … Was the 2006 Sunoco Rookie of the Year.
• Made 2009 debut at Bristol Motor Speedway with a 40th-place finish after a crash on Lap 2.
• Is slated to fill this seat for the rest of the year after Ron Silk left the team … Silk had made 24-straight starts in this car since the beginning of the 2008 season.
Ed Flemke Jr. (No. 10 Chevrolet)
• Has 17 wins and 15 poles in 378 career starts … Has made a record 319 consecutive starts … The last time he did not start a NWMT race was on July 22, 1992 at Riverside Park Speedway.
• Is ninth in the season standings with three top 10s.
• Has four wins and four poles in his career at TIS … Finished 16th in the first race there this year.
Donny Lia (No. 4 Dodge)
• The 2007 NWMT champion.
• Has 13 wins, 13 poles and 50 top 10s in 105 career starts.
• Is fourth in points with wins at New Hampshire Motor Speedway and last time out at BMS.
• Has a win and a pair of poles at TIS … Win came in 2007 … Finished third there in the opener.
Rowan Pennink (No. 93 Chevrolet)
• Has 15 top 10s in 38 career starts.
• Is currently fifth in points with six top 10s in seven starts.
• Finished ninth in the first race of the year at TIS.
Woody Pitkat (No. 28 Chevrolet)
• Has 12 top 10s in 25 career starts … Finished 19th in the first race of the year at TIS.
• Is sixth in points with five top 10s in eight starts … One of two drivers to run all 1136 laps in 2009.
• Is currently 18th in the NWAAS National Top 500 with 20 top 10s in 25 starts.
Ryan Preece (No. 3 Chevrolet)
• Has three poles, three wins and 17 top 10s in 38 career starts.
• Became the 20th driver in NWMT history to earn back-to-back victories with recent triumphs at Riverhead Raceway and Stafford Motor Speedway.
• Finished fourth in the season opener at TIS … Enters this race off four-straight top-five finishes.
Keith Rocco (No. 12 Chevrolet)
• Made NWMT debut in the 2008 World Series at TIS … Finished 19th driving for Joe Brady.
• Is slated to take over the No. 12 – owned by Ed Partridge and previously driven by Jimmy Blewett – for the remainder of the 2009 season.
• Enters this week ranked second in the NWAAS Top 500 – 34 points back of Philip Morris – with 12 wins and 31 top 10s in 40 starts.
Reggie Ruggiero (No. 14 Ford)
• Has 44 wins, 27 poles and 226 top 10s in 418 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 five poles in his career at TIS … Most recent win of his career came at TIS in the 2006 World Series … Finished 26th in this year’s first race there.
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 389 career starts … Holds NWMT record for most championships, wins, poles, top fives and top 10s.
• Has slipped to 11th in points with three-straight DNFs … Has four top 10s in eight starts.
• All-time NWMT wins leader at TIS with 14 … Last win at TIS was the 2006 Icebreaker … Also has eight poles there … Finished seventh in the opener at TIS.
Todd Szegedy (No. 2 Ford)
• The 2003 NWMT champion.
• Has 13 wins, five poles and 75 top 10s in 118 career starts … Has recorded three wins and three poles in his career at TIS.
• Is 29 points back of season leader Ted Christopher … Is only driver to have a top-10 finish in each of the season’s first eight races … One of two drivers to run all 1136 laps in 2009.
• Came home fifth in the season opener at TIS.
Jamie Tomaino (No. 99 Chevrolet)
• The 1990 NWMT champion.
• Has three wins, six poles and 235 top 10s in 506 career starts.
• Become the first driver in series history to start 500 races at the Icebreaker … Has missed only five of the 511 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 13th in points … Led 25 laps and finished 13th in the season opener at TIS.
Sources: Jason Cunningham/NASCAR WMT PR