Statistical Advance: Analyzing The Budweiser King of Beers 150 At Thompson
Daytona Beach, FL — The second race for the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour in 2010 at Thompson (Conn.) International Speedway is scheduled for this Thursday, Aug. 12 with the Budweiser King of Beers 150.
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 110 NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour races, the most of any facility in the NWMT’s first 26 years of competition.
• 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 37 different pole winners at TIS, led by Jeff Fuller’s 13.
• Bobby Santos set the NWMT qualifying record in the first race of the year at TIS, and then led 91 of 150 laps to take the checkered flag.
• Ted Christopher has won three of the last five races at TIS, and finished fourth there in the season-opener.
• The preliminary entry list for the Budweiser 150 features nine drivers who have won at TIS during their careers: Stefanik (14), Christopher (9), Ed Flemke Jr. (4), Ron Silk (3), Todd Szegedy (3), Santos (2), Eric Beers (1), James Civali (1) and Chuck Hossfeld (1).
Thompson International Speedway Data
Race: #10 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
Qualifying/Race Data
2009 Pole Winner: Donny Lia (119.847 mph, 18.774 seconds)
2009 Race Winner: Donny Lia (78.966 mph, 1:11.14)
Qualifying Record: Bobby Santos (122.163 mph, 18.418 seconds, 4-11-10)
NWMT Active Win Leaders at TIS
1. Mike Stefanik … 14
2. Ted Christopherk … 9
3. Ed Flemke Jr.k … 4
4. Ron Silkk … 3
Todd Szegedyk … 3
NWMT Active Pole Leaders at TIS
1. Mike Stefanikk … 8
2. Ted Christopherk … 5
3. Ed Flemke Jr.k … 4
4. Todd Szegedyk … 3
5. Six drivers with … 1
Up to Speed:
• Bobby Santos opened the 2010 season with a win in the Icebreaker at Thompson International Speedway on April 11 … He established a track record in qualifying as he earned the pole.
• Santos also set the track-record in qualifying at Stafford Motor Speedway for the Spring Sizzler on April 24 … The race was postponed to May 1, and was won by Ted Christopher.
• Santos was back in Victory Lane in the third race of the season on May 28 at SMS … Prior to the race Santos also earned the Coors Light Pole Award.
• Santos earned his third win in four outings when he captured the Martinsville Speedway checkered flag on June 6 … Mike Stefanik was the pole winner.
• NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver Ryan Newman captured the pole and the race win in the New England 100 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway on June 26.
• Todd Szegedy earned the pole and led all but four laps in the inaugural race at Lime Rock Park on July 3, but Dale Quarterley wound up with the checkered flag.
• In the NWMT’s first trip to Monadnock Speedway since 1990, Christopher edged pole winner Erick Rudolph for the checkered flag on July 17.
• Rowan Pennink earned his first career NWMT win at Riverhead Raceway on July 31 while George Brunnhoelzl III also captured his first career Coors Light Pole Award.
• Szegedy ended the longest winless drought of his career when he took the checkered flag at SMS last time out on Aug. 6 … Ron Silk earned his first career SMS pole prior to the race.
• Santos leads Christopher in the season standings by six points … Santos’ advantage was as high as 129 point following the fifth race of the year at NHMS.
Selected Driver Highlights:
Eric Beers (No. 76 John Blewett Inc./Ling Trucking Chevrolet)
• Has two wins, nine poles and 60 top 10s in 149 career starts.
• Has improved from 15th to eighth in points with top 10s in the last three races.
• Has a win (2006), 13 top 10s and an average finish of 17th in 37 career starts at Thompson International Speedway … Finished 10th there in the season-opener.
Eric Berndt (No. 54 North End Auto Parts Chevrolet)
• Has a pole and five top 10s in 37 career starts.
• Has three top 10s in five starts this year … Finished 11th in the season-opener at TIS.
• Has one top 10 in 16 career starts at TIS with an average finish of 26th … Best finish there is seventh in this race last year.
Jimmy Blewett (No. 14 Ling Trucking/Atlantic Sprinkler Chevrolet)
• Has five wins, a pole and 24 top 10s in 75 career starts.
• Has six starts in 2010 with his lone top-10 coming at Stafford Motor Speedway on May 28.
• Has four top fives in 20 career starts at TIS with an average finish of 17th and a best finish of second on two occasions.
Justin Bonsignore (No. 51 M3 Technology Chevrolet)
• Has five top 10s in 11 career NWMT starts … A runner-up effort at Martinsville Speedway is his best career finish.
• Slipped from seventh to 10th in points with a DNF last time out at SMS.
• Finished 27th in his TIS debut in the season-opener.
George Brunnhoelzl III (No. 46 Cape Cod Aggregates/Viveiros Insurance Chevrolet)
• The 2009 NASCAR Whelen Southern Modified Tour champion.
• Has four top 10s in 10 career NWMT starts with a best finish of fifth at Riverhead Raceway.
• Has three-straight top 10s, but is 18th in points since he missed the race at Lime Rock Park.
• Finished 16th in his TIS debut in the season-opener.
Ted Christopher (No. 36 Al-Lee Installations Chevrolet)
• The 2008 NWMT champion … Has 36 wins and 21 poles in 289 career starts … His 36 wins rank third all-time and his 21 poles are ninth … Has at least one win in 12-straight seasons.
• Is six points out of the championship lead after nine races with six top fives, highlighted by a wins in the Spring Sizzler and Monadnock 200.
• Has nine wins, five poles, 34 top 10s and an average finish of 14th in 69 career starts at TIS.
• Has won three of the last five races at TIS … Finished fourth there in the season-opener.
• Has seven NASCAR Whelen All-American Series Sunoco Modified wins at TIS so far in 2010.
James Civali (No. 79 Hill Enterprises/Coors Light/Sunoco Pontiac)
• The 2006 Sunoco Rookie of the Year … Has four wins, a pole and 29 top 10s in 54 career starts.
• Has four top 10s in seven 2010 starts … Is second in the NASCAR Whelen Southern Modified Tour standings, highlighted by a win at South Boston Speedway.
• Has a win, a pole, six top 10s and an average finish of 18th in 15 career starts at TIS.
Eric Goodale (No. 58 JT’s Lumber/Perimeters for the Home Chevrolet)
• The 2009 Sunoco Rookie of the Year … Has seven top 10s in 24 career starts.
• Best career race finish is seventh, recorded in each of the last two races.
• Has an average finish of 16th and a best finish of ninth – in the 2010 opener – in four career starts at TIS.
Rowan Pennink (No. 93 Monk Mechanics Hand Cleaner Chevrolet)
• Has a win and 22 top 10s in 52 career starts.
• Has three top 10s – highlighted by his first career win at Riverhead Raceway – in nine starts this year and is 13th in points … Finished sixth in the opener at TIS.
• Has seven top 10s in 15 career starts at TIS with a best finish of fourth in this race last year.
• Is second in the TIS Sunoco Modified standings.
Ryan Preece (No. 3 Cape Cod Copper/Mizzy Construction Chevrolet)
• Has four poles, three wins and 26 top 10s in 52 career starts.
• Slipped to sixth in points following 16th-place finish last time out … Has five top fives this year.
• Has six top 10s, an average finish of 15th and a best finish of second at TIS … Was the race runner-up there in the 2009 finale and the 2010 opener.
Erick Rudolph (No. 98 Mohawk Northeast/Original Pizza Logs Chevrolet)
• Has a win, a pole and 17 top 10s in 30 career starts.
• Is up to seventh in points after his third top-10 in a row … Has five top 10s in nine starts this year.
• Has three top 10s in six career starts at TIS … Finished 19th in the opener.
Bobby Santos (No. 4 “Mystic Missile” Dodge)
• Has four wins, three poles and 19 top 10s in 38 career starts.
• Leads the season standings by six points after nine races on the strength of three wins and seven top 10s … Set the track qualifying record and reached Victory Lane in the opener at TIS.
• Became the first driver in NWMT history to win three of the first four races of a season … Also earned the pole for the first three races of the year.
• Has two wins, a pole, eight top 10s and an average finish of 17th in 15 career starts at TIS.
Ron Silk (No. 6 T.S. Haulers/Calverton Tree Farm Chevrolet)
• Has four wins, two poles and 36 top 10s in 76 career starts … Three wins have come at TIS.
• Is up to fifth in points with top fives in each of the last five races … Finished eighth in the opener.
• Has 12 top 10s and an average finish of 12th in 21 career starts at TIS.
Mike Stefanik (No. 16 Diversified Metals/R.B. Enterprises Pontiac)
• The 1989, 1991, 1997, 1998, 2001, 2002 and 2006 NWMT champion.
• Has 70 wins, 43 poles and 270 top 10s … Holds NWMT records for most championships, wins, poles, top fives and top 10s … Also has a record 14 wins at TIS, the last coming in 2006.
• Is third in points after nine races with seven top 10s … Finished third in the opener at TIS.
• Has 59 top 10s and an average finish of 11th in 96 career starts at TIS.
Todd Szegedy (No. 2 Wisk/Snuggle Ford)
• The 2003 NWMT champion … Has 14 wins, seven poles and 84 top 10s in 132 career starts.
• Is fourth in points after nine races with six top fives … Won last time out at SMS.
• Has three wins, three poles, 14 top 10s and an average finish of 14th in 30 career TIS starts.
• Finished fifth in the opener at TIS … Last win there was September 2008.
Sources: Jason Cunningham/NASCAR WMT PR