Statistical Advance: Analyzing The Tech-Net Spring Sizzler Presented By CARQUEST
Daytona Beach, FL –The second stop for the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour in 2010 will be at Stafford (Conn.) Motor Speedway on Sunday, April 25 for the Tech-Net Spring Sizzler presented by CARQUEST.
At Stafford Motor Speedway:
History
• The Stafford Springs Agricultural Park opened in 1870 … The current race track was originally used for horse racing, which gave way to automobiles racing 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 94 races at SMS since the Tour began in 1985 … The NWMT has run there every year of its existence, except for 1988.
• The 94 all-time NWMT races at SMS is second only to the 110 held at Thompson (Conn.) International Speedway.
• This is the 25th time that the NWMT will participate in the Spring Sizzler, which is its 39th edition.
Notebook
• There have been 29 different race winners at SMS, led by Mike Stefanik’s 20 victories.
• There have been 35 different pole winners at SMS, led by Stefanik’s 15.
• Ted Christopher is the two-time defending winner of the Spring Sizzler, and has four career NWMT wins in the event.
• 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 … He has won there in four of the last five years.
• In the first 24 years the NWMT has participated in the Spring Sizzler, the winner has gone on to capture the season championship seven times.
• The preliminary entry list for the Spring Sizzler features nine drivers who have won at SMS during their careers: Stefanik (20), Christopher (9), Ed Flemke Jr. (3), Todd Szegedy (3), Jimmy Blewett (2), James Civali (1), Chuck Hossfeld (1), Ryan Preece (1) and Jamie Tomaino (1).
Stafford Motor Speedway Data
Race: #2 of 14 overall, #1 of 4 at SMS
Track Layout: .5-mile asphalt oval
Banking: 9 degrees in Turns 1 & 2, 7.5 degrees in Turns 3 & 4
Race Length: 200 laps / 100 miles
Qualifying/Race Data
2009 Pole Winner: Ted Christopher (18.150 seconds, 99.174 mph)
2009 Race Winner: Ted Christopher (1 hr. 40 min. 59 sec., 59.416 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. Ted Christopher … 9
3. Ed Flemke Jr. … 3
Todd Szegedy … 3
5. Jimmy Blewett … 2
NWMT Active Pole Leaders at SMS
1. Mike Stefanik … 15
2. Ted Christopher … 4
Rob Summers … 4
4. Five drivers with … 2
Up to Speed:
• Donny Lia captured the 2009 NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour title … He will not defend his championship as he has moved up to the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series.
• The NWMT has four new full-time teams for 2010 … Justin Bonsignore and Richie Pallai Jr. are competing for Sunoco Rookie of the Year honors with their new teams while veteran Eric Beers and third-year driver Erick Rudolph will drive for newly-formed full-time teams.
• New to the NWMT schedule in 2010 will be the road course at Lime Rock Park and the Monadnock Speedway bullring … It will be the inaugural appearance for the NWMT at Lime Rock, and the first race at Monadnock since 1990.
• Ten of the 14 races on the 2010 schedule will be televised between SPEED and VERSUS.
• Bobby Santos opened the 2010 season with a win in the Icebreaker at Thompson International Speedway on April 11 … He also established a track record in qualifying to earn the pole.
Selected Driver Highlights:
Eric Beers (No. 76 Chevrolet)
• Has two wins and nine poles in 141 career starts … Has two poles at Stafford Motor Speedway.
• Had an average finish of 10th in four starts at SMS in 2009 … Was 16th in the Spring Sizzler.
• Finished 10th in the 2010 opener at Thompson International Speedway with his new team.
Jimmy Blewett (No. 14 Chevrolet)
• Has five wins, one pole and 23 top 10s in 71 career starts … Has two wins at SMS.
• Has earned at least one win in four straight seasons entering 2010.
• Had an average finish of sixth in three SMS starts in 2009 … Won the May race.
• Finished 15th at the Icebreaker with his new team.
George Brunnhoelzl III (No. 46 Chevrolet)
• The 2009 NASCAR Whelen Southern Modified Tour champion.
• Has earned six wins, seven poles and 27 top 10s in 40 career NWSMT starts.
• Finished 16th at the Icebreaker in his debut as a full-time NWMT competitor.
• A third-generation racer, his father won at SMS in 1986.
Ted Christopher (No. 36 Chevrolet)
• The 2008 NWMT champion … Has 34 wins and 21 poles in 280 career starts … His 34 wins rank fourth all-time and his 21 poles rank ninth … Has nine NWMT wins and four poles at SMS.
• Enters 2010 with at least one win in 11 consecutive seasons.
• Has won the last two Spring Sizzlers, and four overall … Was also the pole winner in 2009.
• Finished second in the two Friday night NWMT races at SMS in 2009, and 31st in the Fall Final.
• Has more than 100 wins in his career at SMS across all divisions and series … Is the defending SK Modified champion, and has won the division six times during his career.
James Civali (No. 79 Pontiac)
• Has four wins and 25 top 10s in 48 career NWMT starts … Won the August, 2006 race at SMS.
• Finished fourth in the 2009 Fall Final, his only start at SMS last year.
• With a DNF in the Icebreaker, his average finish is 21st in seven NWMT starts in the No. 79.
• Is the NWSMT points leader after three races … Won at South Boston Speedway on April 3.
Ed Flemke Jr. (No. 10 Chevrolet)
• Has 17 wins and 16 poles in 382 career starts … Has made a record 325 consecutive starts … The last time he did not start a race was on July 22, 1992 at Riverside Park Speedway.
• Has three career wins at SMS, the last in 2000 … Also has two poles at SMS.
• Had an average finish of 12th in four 2009 races at SMS.
Chuck Hossfeld (No. 59 Chevrolet)
• Has seven wins, eight poles and 66 top 10s in 114 career starts.
• Has one win and two poles at SMS … The win was in the 2008 May race.
• Has finished in the top four in points in four of the six full-time seasons he has run in his career.
• Finished 33rd at the Icebreaker with his new team.
Chris Pasteryak (No. 52 Chevrolet)
• Has 11 top 10s in 28 career starts.
• Had finishes of fifth, sixth, third and fifth at SMS in 2009 … The third tied his career-best finish.
• Finished seventh in the season-opening Icebreaker.
Rowan Pennink (No. 93 Chevrolet)
• Has 20 top 10s in 44 career starts, including 11 of the last 12 races.
• Had an average finish of 11th in four 2009 SMS races … His 26th in the Spring Sizzler was his only race outside of the top 20 last year.
• Finished sixth in the opener at TIS.
Woody Pitkat (No. 28 Chevrolet)
• Has 13 top 10s in 31 career starts … Had an average finish of 10th in four races at SMS in 2009.
• Was the 2006 Late Model champion at SMS … Has 42 career wins at SMS between the SK Modified, Late Model and DARE Stock divisions.
Ryan Preece (No. 3 Chevrolet)
• Has four poles, three wins and 22 top 10s in 44 career starts … One win and one pole at SMS.
• Was the 2009 championship runner-up … Finished just 16 points behind Donny Lia.
• Finished third, 10th, first and third at SMS in 2009.
• Was the runner-up in the season-opener at TIS.
Bobby Santos (No. 4 Dodge)
• Has two wins, one pole and 13 top 10s in 30 career NWMT starts … Both wins came at TIS.
• Has an average finish of 24th in five career starts at SMS … Only top 10 was a third-place effort in September, 2007 … Has wins in other series at SMS, including USAC Silver Crown.
• Won the 2010 opener at TIS, and set the track’s qualifying record, in first race with new team.
Andy Seuss (No. 70 Chevrolet)
• Has two top 10s in 16 career NWMT starts.
• Has an average finish of 19th in two career NWMT starts at SMS.
• Has seven wins and 25 top 10s in 36 career NWSMT starts.
• Was the NWSMT championship runner-up in 2008 and 2009 … Is second after three 2010 races.
Ron Silk (No. 6 Chevrolet)
• Has four wins and 31 top 10s in 68 career NWMT starts.
• Had an average finish of 21st in three starts at SMS in 2009 … Did not run the Fall Final.
• Made NWMT debut at SMS in 2003 … Has three top 10s in 17 career SMS starts.
Mike Stefanik (No. 16 Pontiac)
• The 1989, 1991, 1997, 1998, 2001, 2002 and 2006 NWMT champion.
• Has 70 wins, 42 poles and 265 top 10s in 393 career starts … Holds NWMT records for most championships, wins, poles, top fives and top 10s.
• Has records with 20 wins and 15 poles at SMS … Had an average finish of 12th there in 2009.
• Is tied with Ted Christopher for the most NWMT wins in the Spring Sizzler with four (1989, 1990, 1997, 1998).
Todd Szegedy (No. 2 Ford)
• The 2003 NWMT champion … Has 13 wins, six poles and 79 top 10s in 124 career starts.
• Three wins and two poles have come at SMS … Had an average finish of ninth at SMS in 2009.
• Was runner-up in the Spring Sizzler in 2003, 2007 and 2009.
Jamie Tomaino (No. 99 Chevrolet)
• The 1990 NWMT champion … Has three wins, six poles and 236 top 10s in 512 career starts.
• Has missed only five of the 517 races in the history of the NWMT (1985-present) and is currently the only driver to record starts in each of the 26 years of the NWMT.
• Won at SMS in 1986 … Recorded an average finish of 15th in four races at SMS in 2009.
Sources: Jason Cunningham/NASCAR WMT PR