Todd Szegedy Seeking Victory in 39th Annual Tech-Net Spring Sizzler at Stafford Motor Speedway
When it comes to Whelen Modified Tour racing at Stafford Motor Speedway, familiar names such as Christopher and Stefanik come to the forefront when discussing the favorites to win. One driver who has quietly performed very well when the Tour visits the famed Connecticut half-mile facility is Todd Szegedy. Over the past three seasons, Szegedy has posted 7 top-5 and 9 top-10 finishes in 12 starts. In 9 career Tech-Net Spring Sizzler starts, Szegedy has 5 top-5 and 6 top-10 finishes, including three second place finishes. Szegedy is looking to rid himself of the second place monkey on his back and break his way into CARQUEST Victory Lane at this year’s 39th Annual edition of “The Greatest Race in the History of Spring.”
“It would be a big deal to win the Sizzler for sure,” said Szegedy. “It’s always nice to be able to win the big races and the Sizzler is the biggest race of the year for us. Finishing second is frustrating, no matter what track you’re racing at. You’re the first loser and normally when you get out of the car you’re asking yourself what you could have done differently in the car in order to be one position higher. All that being said, a second place finish is a great finish to have, especially at a race like the Spring Sizzler.”
Szegedy points to two factors when looking at his Tech-Net Spring Sizzler successes while racing on the Whelen Modified Tour. Szegedy is a former weekly SK Modified® competitor at Stafford, giving him the benefit of logging seat time in an open wheel modified, and the race distance of 200 laps plays right into Szegedy’s hands.
“I love the longer races, I wish all of our races were 200 laps or longer,” said Szegedy. “I remember when we used to have the 300, that was one of my favorite races to run. There is an element of strategy that comes into play with the longer races that you just don’t get with the 150 lap races. Lots of times now, you can do a 150-lap race without pitting and win the race. With the distance of 200 laps, you could probably go the distance without a pit stop, but you’re not going to have a winning car. We have a good setup on our car for when we come to Stafford, and I feel like my SK experience is a big help because I have a good feel for the track. I think that Stafford is one of the toughest tracks that we race at, when someone comes to Stafford for the first time, they find out real fast how tough the track really is.”
With three second place finishes on his Sizzler resume to go along with 3 victories, Szegedy knows what it takes to win a Whelen Modified Tour event at Stafford.
“You have to qualify well, run in the top-10 all day long, and be there in the top-3 with 20 laps to go,” said Szegedy. “I think all the usual suspects are going to be fast and run well at Stafford again this year. Also, every year there seems to be a surprise car that no one expected to run well that ends up having a great race at the Sizzler. We’re looking forward to the Sizzler and hopefully we have a winning car this year.”
The 2010 Tech-Net Spring Sizzler gets underway Friday, April 23 with a practice session for Stafford’s weekly divisions. The practice session will be open to the public at no charge. Action continues on Saturday, April 24 with Coors Light Pole Qualifying for the Whelen Modified Tour cars, along with heat and consolation races for Stafford’s weekly divisions. Saturday will conclude with feature events for the SK Light, Limited Late Model, and DARE Stock divisions. The Sizzler continues on Sunday, April 25 with the Tech-Net Pit Party followed by Stafford’s SK Modifieds® and Late Models joining the Whelen Modified Tour in feature action. Tickets for the “Greatest Race in the History of Spring” are on sale now at the Speedway Box Office. Tickets are priced at $35.00 for adult general admission tickets, $5.00 for children ages 6-14, and children ages 5 and under are admitted free of charge when accompanied by an adult. Reserved seating is priced at $38.00 for all ages. As always, Stafford Motor Speedway offers free parking with overnight parking available.
For more information on the 39th annual CARQUEST Tech-Net Spring Sizzler®, or to order tickets, contact the Stafford Motor Speedway track office at 860-684-2783 or visit us on the web at www.staffordspeedway.com.
Sources: Scott Running/Stafford Motor Speedway PR