Stefanik Returns To Martinsville Victory Lane In Whelen 300
Fifth win at Martinsville, 70th of career
Martinsville, VA — As the most successful competitor in the 25 years of the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour, there are few milestones that Mike Stefanik has yet to attain. On Sunday in the Made In America Whelen 300 at Martinsville Speedway, Stefanik crossed two more off the list.
Stefanik wrestled the lead away from Todd Szegedy on Lap 180 and kept it through two late restarts to earn the 70th victory of his illustrious career in the combination race with the NASCAR Whelen Modified and Whelen Southern Modified Tours. A seven-time Whelen Modified Tour champion, and the winningest driver in Tour history, Stefanik also notched his fifth career win at the 0.526-mile oval on Sunday, a Tour record at the historic facility.
With the victory, Stefanik became the eighth driver in NASCAR history to reach the 70-win plateau in a series, and the first driver to do it outside of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series.
Following Stefanik and Szegedy in the top 10 were Ryan Preece, pole winner Ron Silk, Burt Myers, Kevin Goodale, George Brunnhoelzl III, Donny Lia, Eric Goodale and Jamie Tomaino.
By virtue of being the highest-finishing car from the Whelen Southern Modified Tour in the race, Myers earned a victory for that Tour.
Ted Christopher, the Whelen Modified Tour points leader coming into the race, suffered mid-race engine troubles and settled for a 30th-place finish, 67 laps down. His finish, combined with Lia’s eight-place effort, closed Lia to within just one point of the championship lead with two races remaining in the season. Preece is just 12 back of Christopher, and Szegedy is fourth, 37 points out of first.
Brunnhoelzl increased his lead in the Whelen Southern Modified Tour standings to 140 points over Andy Seuss, who finished 21st on Sunday, 20 laps off the pace. Two races also remain in the Whelen Southern Modified Tour’s 2009 campaign.
The NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour runs its second-to-last race Sunday, Oct. 4 with the CARQUEST Fall Final at Stafford (Conn.) Motor Speedway, while the NASCAR Whelen Southern Modified Tour holds its penultimate race with the Lighting Fast 150 at Ace Speedway in Altamahaw, N.C., on Friday, Oct. 2.
Sources: Jason Cunningham/NASCAR WMT PR
RESULTS | LAP-BY-LAP RECAP | MIKE STEFANIK VICTORY LANE VIDEO | MIKE STEFANIK PRESS CONFERENCE VIDEO | RACE FINISHERS 2-4 PRESS CONVERENCE VIDEO | AUDIO OF THE POST-RACE PRESS CONFERENCE WITH THE TOP THREE OVERALL FINISHERS AND TOP WHELEN SOUTHERN MODIFIED FINISHER