Statistical Advance: Analyzing The World Series Of Speedway Racing
Daytona Beach, FL — The 2009 NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour season will draw to a close with the World Series of Speedway Racing presented by Xtra Mart at Thompson (Conn.) International Speedway on Sunday, Oct. 18.
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 108 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 … Christopher led 111 of the 154 laps … Jamie Tomaino made his 500th career start in the race and led 25 laps.
• Donny Lia captured the Coors Light Pole Award and the checkered flag in the NWMT’s second race of the year at TIS in September.
• Christopher is the defending winner of the World Series, and Eric Beers set the NWMT’s track qualifying record at this event last year.
• The preliminary entry list for the World Series features 10 drivers who have won at TIS during their careers: Stefanik (14), Christopher (8), Reggie Ruggiero (6), Ed Flemke Jr. (4), Ron Silk (3), Todd Szegedy (3), Lia (2), Beers (1), James Civali (1) and Bobby Santos (1).
Thompson International Speedway Data
Race: #13 of 13 overall, #3 of 3 at TIS
Track Layout: .625-mile oval
Banking: 26 degrees in the turns
Race Length: 150 laps/93.75 miles
Qualifying/Race Data
2008 Pole Winner: Eric Beers (122.080 mph, 18.429 seconds – record)
2008 Race Winner: Ted Christopher (74.806 mph, 1:17.12)
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.
• Lia made it two in a row with his win at TIS … He also captured the pole prior to the race, his first of the season and the 14th of his career.
• Ron Silk earned his first win at NHMS in the New Hampshire 100 … Preece was the pole winner.
• Silk got his first Coors Light Pole Award of the season in the NWMT-NWSMT combination race at Martinsville Speedway … Mike Stefanik earned the race win.
• Lia swept the pole and the race win in the Fall Final at SMS to take the points lead for the first time in 2009 … Lia will take a 26-point lead on Preece into this week’s season finale.
Championship Scenarios:
• Donny Lia leads Ryan Preece by 26 points entering this race … Other drivers with a mathematical shot at the title include: Ted Christopher (-109), Todd Szegedy (-113) and Rowan Pennink (-148)
• Lia eliminates Szegedy and Pennink by starting the race.
• Lia eliminates Christopher by finishing 30th or better.
• Lia eliminates Preece by finishing fifth or better.
• Preece must finish 23rd or better to have a chance at passing Lia in the standings.
• Christopher must finish sixth or better to have a chance at passing Preece in the standings.
Selected Driver Highlights:
Eric Beers (No. 46 Chevrolet)
• Has two wins and nine poles in 139 career starts … Has one win and one pole at Thompson International Speedway … Set the NWMT qualifying record at TIS in the 2008 World Series.
• Is eighth in points with five top 10s.
• Has finished 11th and sixth in the two previous 2009 races at TIS.
Ted Christopher (No. 36 Chevrolet)
• The 2008 NWMT champion … Has 33 wins and 21 poles in 276 career starts … Has at least one win in 11 consecutive seasons … His 33 wins rank fourth all-time 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 nine top 10s in 12 starts, with six of those either wins (2) or runner-up finishes (4) … Lost the points lead last time out at Stafford Motor Speedway with his second DNF of the year.
• Has led 35-percent (529 of 1,513) of the laps he has completed this year, more than double any other driver.
• Has eight wins and five poles in his career at TIS … In the first two races this year at TIS he has a win (April) and a runner-up (September).
James Civali (No. 79 Pontiac)
• Has four wins and 25 top 10s in 46 career starts.
• Has an average finish of 21st in five starts in 2009.
• Won the 2007 Icebreaker and earned the 2008 Icebreaker pole.
• Finished 25th in the September race at TIS.
Ed Flemke Jr. (No. 10 Chevrolet)
• Has 17 wins and 15 poles in 382 career starts … Has made a record 323 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 with four top 10s.
• Has four career wins at TIS, the last being the 2008 Icebreaker … Also has four poles at TIS.
• Has finished 16th and 17th in the two previous 2009 races at TIS.
Donny Lia (No. 4 Dodge)
• The 2007 NWMT champion.
• Has 15 wins, 15 poles and 54 top 10s in 109 career starts.
• Won last time out at SMS to take the points lead for the first time in 2009 … Has a NWMT-high four wins and 10 top 10s in 12 starts.
• Has two wins and three poles in his career at TIS … Earned both in the September TIS race … Finished third in the Icebreaker.
Chris Pasteryak (No. 52 Chevrolet)
• Has 10 top 10s in 26 career NWMT starts.
• Is seventh in points with five top 10s.
• Has finished 33rd and 13th in the two previous 2009 races at TIS.
Rowan Pennink (No. 93 Chevrolet)
• Has 18 top 10s in 42 career starts.
• Is fifth in points with 10 top 10s in 12 starts.
• Has finished ninth and fourth in the two previous 2009 races at TIS.
Woody Pitkat (No. 28 Chevrolet)
• Has 12 top 10s in 29 career starts.
• Is ninth in points with five top 10s in 12 starts.
• Has finished 19th and 21st in the two previous 2009 races at TIS.
Ryan Preece (No. 3 Chevrolet)
• Has four poles, three wins and 20 top 10s in 42 career starts.
• Became the 20th driver in NWMT history to earn back-to-back victories earlier this year.
• Is 26 points out of first place with nine top fives in 12 starts … Has two wins and two poles … Leads all competitors with 1,734 laps completed and ranks second with 218 laps led.
• Has finished fourth and 18th in the two previous 2009 races at TIS.
Reggie Ruggiero (No. 14 Chevrolet)
• Has 44 wins, 27 poles and 193 top 10s in 420 career starts … Wins total ranks second all-time while poles total is tied for fourth.
• Has six wins and five poles in his career at TIS … Last win was the 2006 World Series.
• Has three top 10s in seven 2009 starts … Best finish was fourth at NHMS in September, where he led 15 laps … Finished 26th in the 2009 Icebreaker, but did not compete in September.
Bobby Santos (No. 96 Chevrolet)
• Will attempt to make his second start of 2009 … Finished 37th at NHMS (September).
• Has one win and 12 top 10s in 28 career NWMT starts … The win came in the 2007 Word Series.
• Is 17th in USAC Silver Crown points with a win at O’Reilly Raceway Park, and is 20th in USAC Sprint Car points with wins at Kalamazoo Speedway and Richmond International Raceway.
Ron Silk (No. 54 Ford)
• Has four wins and 29 top 10s in 66 career NWMT starts … Three of four wins have come at TIS.
• Has six top 10s in 10 2009 starts with a win at NHMS (September) and a pole at Martinsville.
• Finished 26th in the 2009 Icebreaker, but did not compete in the September race.
Andy Seuss (No. 70 Chevrolet)
• Has two top 10s in 15 career NWMT starts.
• Has finished 17th and 15th in the two previous 2009 races at TIS.
• Is contending for second place in the 2009 NASCAR Whelen Southern Modified Tour standings … Is tied for the NWSMT lead with four wins.
Mike Stefanik (No. 16 Pontiac)
• The 1989, 1991, 1997, 1998, 2001, 2002 and 2006 NWMT champion.
• Has 70 wins, 42 poles and 261 top 10s in 393 career starts … Holds NWMT record for most championships, wins, poles, top fives and top 10s.
• Is sixth in points with seven top 10s in 12 starts … Won at Martinsville.
• Has a record 14 career wins with eight poles at TIS … Last win was the 2006 Icebreaker.
• Has finished seventh and 32nd (DNF) in the two previous 2009 races at TIS.
Todd Szegedy (No. 2 Ford)
• The 2003 NWMT champion.
• Has 13 wins, five poles and 77 top 10s in 122 career starts … Three wins and three poles have come at TIS.
• Is fourth in points with 10 top 10s in 12 starts.
• Has finished fifth and third in the two previous 2009 races at TIS.
Jamie Tomaino (No. 99 Chevrolet)
• The 1990 NWMT champion.
• Has three wins, six poles and 236 top 10s in 510 career starts … Has one pole at TIS.
• Become the first driver in series history to start 500 races at the Icebreaker … Has missed only five of the 515 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.
• Has finished 13th and 12th in the two previous 2009 races at TIS.
Miscellaneous
• The current 26-point difference between Donny Lia and Ryan Preece is the smallest margin entering the last race of the year since Mike Stefanik led Jerry Marquis by 20 points prior to the 2001 World Series.
• The smallest final championship differential occurred in 1995 when Tony Hirschman edged Steve Park by three points.
• If Lia were to win the title, he would become just the fourth driver in NWMT history to earn multiple championships, joining Stefanik (7), Hirschman (5) and Jimmy Spencer (2).
• If Preece were to clinch the title, it would mark the third year in a row that the crown goes to a first-time winner, following Lia in 2007 and Ted Christopher in 2008 … At 18 years of age, he would also be the youngest champion in NWMT history.
• Lia enters the race with 15 career wins, which has him tied with Spencer on the NWMT all-time list, and one shy of the totals of Mike McLaughlin and Park.
• The NWMT champion will earn a secured starting position in the 2010 NASCAR Toyota All-Star Showdown, to be held Jan. 29-30 at Toyota Speedway at Irwindale (Calif.).
• Renee Dupuis will attempt to make her 100th career NWMT start at the World Series … Glenn Tyler made his 50th start last time out at Stafford Motor Speedway in the Fall Final.
• Joe Hartmann led the first laps of his career in the Fall Final.
• Keith Rocco, the 2009 Sunoco Modified champion at Thompson International Speedway, recorded the best finish of his brief NWMT career at TIS in September with a fifth-place effort.
• Jonathan McKennedy, who will attempt to make his third start of the year in the World Series, leads in the True Value Modified Racing Series points with one race remaining in 2009.