Statistical Advance: Analyzing The Sunoco World Series At Thompson Speedway
Daytona Beach, FL — The 2010 NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour season will come to a close with the third and final race of the year at Thompson (Conn.) International Speedway. The Sunoco World Series of Speedway Racing will be held on Sunday, Oct. 17.
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 111 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 four of the last six races at TIS, including the two previous World Series events … He also won in the NWMT’s second 2010 appearance in August.
• The preliminary entry list for the Sunoco World Series features nine drivers who have won at TIS during their careers: Stefanik (14), Christopher (10), 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: #14 of 14 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
2009 Pole Winner: None – rain
2009 Race Winner: Ted Christopher (71.641 mph, 1:18.31)
Qualifying Record: Bobby Santos (122.163 mph, 18.418 seconds, 4-11-10)
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 on Aug. 6. Ron Silk earned his first career SMS pole prior to the race.
• Christopher won for the third time in 2010 with his triumph at TIS on Aug. 12. He also earned the pole award prior to the race.
• Newman returned to Victory Lane at Bristol Motor Speedway and NHMS. Justin Bonsignore earned his first career pole at BMS while Newman had the NHMS pole.
• Last time out Stafford on Oct. 3, Bonsignore earned the pole and Santos captured his fourth win.
• Santos brings a 37-point lead on Stefanik to the season finale at TIS. Silk and Christopher are also mathematically still alive in the title hunt.
Selected Driver Highlights:
Eric Beers (No. 76 John Blewett Inc./Ling Trucking Chevrolet)
• Has two wins, nine poles and 60 top 10s in 152 career starts.
• Is ninth in points with seven top 10s in 13 races.
• Has a win, 13 top 10s and an average finish of 16th in 38 career starts at Thompson International Speedway … Has finishes of 10th and 11th there this year.
Eric Berndt (No. 54 North End Auto Parts Chevrolet)
• Has a pole and five top 10s in 39 career starts.
• Has three top 10s is seven starts this year … Best finish was fourth at Monadnock Speedway.
• Has one top 10, a best finish of seventh and an average finish of 26th in 17 career starts at TIS … Has finishes of 11th and 29th there this year.
Jimmy Blewett (No. 14 Ling Trucking/Atlantic Sprinkler Chevrolet)
• Has five wins, a pole and 25 top 10s in 78 career starts.
• Has two top 10s in nine starts this year … Best finish was second in the second Stafford Motor Speedway race.
• Has five top 10s, a best finish of second – twice – and an average finish of 17th in 21 career starts at TIS … Has finishes of 15th in both races there this year.
Ted Christopher (No. 36 Al-Lee Installations Chevrolet)
• The 2008 NWMT champion … Has 37 wins and 22 poles in 292 career starts … His 37 wins rank third all-time and his 22 poles are ninth … Has at least one win in 12-straight seasons.
• Has three wins and seven top fives this year … Is fourth in points, 113 behind Bobby Santos.
• Has 10 wins, six poles, 35 top 10s and an average finish of 14th in 70 NWMT starts at TIS … Has won four of the last six races there, including the last two World Series events.
• Is the 2010 TIS track champion out of the Sunoco Modified division, where he has won 10 of 17 races entering the World Series.
James Civali (No. 79 Hill Enterprises/Coors Light/Sunoco Pontiac)
• The 2006 NWMT Sunoco Rookie of the Year … Has four wins, a pole and 29 top 10s in 56 starts.
• Has four top 10s in nine starts this year with a best finish of sixth, twice.
• Has a win, six top 10s and an average finish of 18th in 16 starts at TIS … Has finishes of 29th and 12th there this year.
• Will compete for the NASCAR Whelen Southern Modified Tour championship at Charlotte Motor Speedway this Thursday, Oct. 14 … Has two wins and eight top 10s in nine 2010 NWSMT starts.
Doug Coby (No. 52 Furnace & Duct Supply Chevrolet)
• Has a win, two poles and 34 top 10s in 99 career starts.
• Has three top 10s in seven starts this year with a best finish of fourth at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in September … Has finishes of 37th and eighth at TIS this year.
• Has 10 top 10s, an average finish of 15th and a best finish of third – twice – in 27 starts at TIS.
Eric Goodale (No. 58 JT’s Lumber/Perimeters for the Home Chevrolet)
• The 2009 NWMT Sunoco Rookie of the Year … Has 10 top 10s in 28 career starts.
• Is eighth in points with six top 10s … Has finished ninth in both TIS races this year.
• Has an average finish of 15th in five career starts at TIS.
Chuck Hossfeld (No. 59 Ed Bennett Properties Chevrolet)
• Has seven wins, nine poles and 72 top 10s in 126 career starts.
• Is 10th in points with six top 10s … Has finishes of 33rd and seventh at TIS this year.
• Has a win, a pole, 14 top 10s and an average finish of 10th in 29 career starts at TIS.
Burt Myers (No. 4 Capital Bank/Patterson’s Brand Ford)
• Two previous 2010 NWMT starts were finishes of 14th in the TIS opener and fifth at Martinsville.
• Has a win and eight top 10s in nine NWSMT starts this year and is fourth in points, 41 behind leader James Civali, heading into this week’s finale at CMS.
• Has seven wins, 23 poles and 57 top 10s in 70 career NWSMT starts.
Ryan Preece (No. 3 Cape Cod Copper/Mizzy/Riverview Chevrolet)
• Has four poles, three wins and 28 top 10s in 56 career starts.
• Is sixth in points with seven top 10s … Has finishes of second and 22nd at TIS this year.
• Has six top 10s and an average finish of 16th in 14 career starts at TIS.
Erick Rudolph (No. 98 Mohawk Northeast/Original Pizza Logs Chevrolet)
• Has a win, a pole and 19 top 10s in 34 career starts.
• Is seventh in points with seven top 10s … Has finishes of 19th and 21st at TIS this year.
• Has three top 10s, a best finish of fifth and an average finish of 17th in seven starts at TIS.
Bobby Santos (No. 4 “Mystic Missile” Dodge)
• Has five wins, three poles and 22 top 10s in 42 career starts.
• Has led in points through 12 of the first 13 races … Has four wins, three poles and 10 top 10s.
• Has two wins, a pole, nine top 10s and an average finish of 16th in 16 starts at TIS.
• Won the race and set the track pole record at TIS in April … Was third there in August.
Ron Silk (No. 6 T.S. Haulers/Calverton Tree Farm Chevrolet)
• Has four wins, two poles and 39 top 10s in 80 career starts.
• Is third in points with eight top fives … Has finishes of eighth and second at TIS this year.
• Has three wins, 13 top 10s and an average of 13th in 22 TIS starts.
Mike Stefanik (No. 16 Diversified Metals/R.B. Enterprises Pontiac)
• The 1989, 1991, 1997, 1998, 2001, 2002 and 2006 NWMT champion.
• Holds NWMT records for most titles (7), wins (70), poles (43), top fives (210) and top 10s (275).
• Is second in points, 37 behind Bobby Santos, with a NWMT-high 11 top 10s this year.
• Has 14 wins, eight poles, 60 top 10s and an average finish of 11th in 97 starts at TIS … It has been 19 races since his last win at TIS, the 2006 Icebreaker.
Todd Szegedy (No. 2 Wisk/Snuggle Ford)
• The 2003 NWMT champion … Has 14 wins, seven poles and 86 top 10s in 136 career starts.
• Is fifth in points with a win and eight top 10s … Has finishes of fifth and sixth at TIS this year.
• Has three wins, 15 top 10s and an average finish of 13th in 31 starts at TIS.
Miscellaneous Notes:
• If Bobby Santos were to win the championship, he would become the first driver in the 26-year history of the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour to claim a title without competing full-time in a previous season … He would be the 14th different driver to earn a NWMT title.
• If Mike Stefanik were to win the NWMT title, it would be his 10th NASCAR touring series crown overall, which would break a tie with Richie Evans for the most overall NASCAR championships … He currently has seven NWMT titles and two NASCAR K&N Pro Series East trophies.
• A race win for Stefanik would extend his streak of consecutive years with a win to five … He has recorded at least one win in every season in which he has competed full-time prior to 2010.
• Jimmy Blewett and Ron Silk have streaks of consecutive years with a win on the line of four and three, respectively.
• Ed Flemke Jr. will attempt to extend his record for consecutive starts to 338 races.
• Jamie Tomaino will attempt to extend his record for overall starts to 525 … He has started all 111 all-time races at TIS.
• Wade Cole will attempt to make his 250th career start.
• Doug Coby will attempt to make his 100th career start.
Sources; Jason Cunningham/NASCAR WMT PR