News & Notes: Garbarino Chases History
Santos seeks to deliver ‘Mystic Missile’ third straight Mod title
When the 2011 NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour season takes the green flag at Thompson (Conn.) International Speedway on April 10, longtime car owner Bob Garbarino will be in a position with which he has become familiar in recent seasons: defending champion. This difference this spring, however, will be that he has his champion driver back behind the wheel for an encore performance.
After he captured titles in 2007 and 2009 with driver Donny Lia, Garbarino had the task of filling the seat for the subsequent campaign as in each instance Lia took an opportunity to race in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series. A third crown was earned last year with Bobby Santos behind the wheel, and that’s the way things will remain for the upcoming campaign.
Crew chew Bob Mueller – perhaps the key to pulling the three title seasons together – is also back to help lead the ‘Mystic Missile’ toward what could be a historic third-consecutive title. In 26 seasons of Whelen Modified Tour competition, no team has been able to pull off a “three-peat.”
As the Whelen Modified Tour heads to Thompson for the first of four races at the venerable northeastern Connecticut speedway, Mystic Missile Racing will enter the championship favorite, but there will be no shortage of challengers.
COMPETITION
Ted Christopher: The Whelen Modified Tour’s winningest driver in the last decade is a threat to take the checkered flag every time out, and thus a championship contender by default. The longtime veteran finally broke through for his first title in 2008 and has finished third in the two seasons since.
Matt Hirschman: After a two-year absence, the son of five-time Whelen Modified Tour Champion Tony Hirschman will be poised for a title of his own. Matt finished as the championship runner-up in 2008, and has teamed with legendary Boehler Racing Enterprises and the No. 3 ‘Ole Blue’ in his return to the Tour.
Ryan Preece: While he may still have a decade or two less experience than some of his competitors on the Whelen Modified Tour, Preece now has four seasons under his belt and has proven that he can more than hold his own. After a runner-up finish in 2009, he slipped to sixth in points a year ago, but will start fresh in 2011 with a new – but experienced – No. 11 team.
Mike Stefanik: The Whelen Modified Tour all-time leader in wins and points championships had a resurgent 2010 season that lead to a runner-up finish in the standings after three-straight seasons out of contention. The team is intact, and the 52-year-old is as hungry as ever for title No. 8.
Todd Szegedy: With top-five points finishes in each of the past five seasons, the 2003 champion is an annual championship threat. One of the most consistent top race finishers on the Tour through the years, he registered just eight top 10s in 14 2010 races, but with new chassis and a reunification with his 2003 title-winning crew chief, Szegedy hopes to once again be in the championship hunt.
Race Icebreaker
Place Thompson (Conn.) International Speedway
Date Sunday, April 10
Time 3:15 p.m. ET
Track Layout .625-mile banked asphalt oval
2010 Winner Bobby Santos
2010 Polesitter Bobby Santos
Event Schedule Saturday, April 9, Practice 12-1:30 p.m., Qualifying 3:30 p.m.; Sunday, April 10, Driver Autograph Session 12 p.m.
Track Contact Russ Dowd, (860) 923-2280, pitcrew@thompsonspeedway.com
Twitter @thompsonraceday
NASCAR IMC Contact Jason Cunningham, (704) 201-6658, jcunningham@nascar.com, Twitter: @NASCAR_NE
Fast Facts
Race: For the 10th season in a row, the 2011 Icebreaker at Thompson International Speedway will be the season-opener for the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour.
Procedure: The starting field is 37 cars, including provisionals. The first 32 cars will have secured starting positions based on two-lap qualifying. The remaining five spots will be awarded through the provisional process. The race will be 150 laps (93.75 miles).
Track: A .625-mile high-banked oval that opened in 1940, Thompson was the first asphalt track in the nation, and the largest in New England for five decades. Thompson has played host to 112 Whelen Modified Tour races all-time, more than any other track.
Race Winners: There have been 29 different race winners at Thompson, led by Mike Stefanik’s 14 victories. Bobby Santos is the defending winner of the Icebreaker while Ted Christopher won the last race held at Thompson, the 2010 World Series.
Pole Winners: There have been 39 different pole winners at Thompson, led by Tony Hirschman’s 13. Santos set the Thompson qualifying record at last year’s Icebreaker at 18.418 seconds (122.163 mph).
What To Watch For
In addition to new teams for Matt Hirschman and Ryan Preece, there will be a number of other familiar faces in new places as the 2011 NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour season opens this week at Thompson International Speedway.
Car 46: George Brunnhoelzl III has returned to the NASCAR Whelen Southern Modified Tour after one season and vacated the No. 46 seat, which will now be filled by Eric Berndt full-time after many seasons as a part-time competitor with his family-owned No. 54 team.
Car 45: After one season with the No. 76 of John Blewett Sr., Eric Beers will run the No. 45 owned by Dave DeLange. The car competed in the Whelen Modified Tour in 2008-09 with Erick Rudolph.
Car 52: Following Chris Pasteryak’s mid-season departure a year ago, Doug Coby and Dale Quarterley filled out the season for Wayne Darling. In 2011, the ride will be Coby’s full-time, his first full season since 2006.
Car 64: With owner Mike Murphy, Ron Yuhas Jr. is returning to the Whelen Modified Tour. He had 24 starts in 2006-07, and one appearance a year ago.
The Newcomers: Bryon Chew and Patrick Emerling will attempt to make their Whelen Modified Tour debuts at Thompson. Chew, a former NASCAR K&N Pro Series East veteran, will run the No. 88 while Emerling – who has already made a pair of Whelen Southern Modified Tour starts – is registered in the No. 07. Both will be in family-owned teams. Also new as a full-time competitor will be Tom Rogers Jr. in the No. 9. Rogers is the latest driver to come to the Tour from Riverhead (N.Y.) Raceway, and has made five spot starts since 2004.
Last Year’s Event
While he was already a known commodity, the 2010 Icebreaker served as a coming out party for Bobby Santos. Not only did he break the track record in qualifying, but Santos led 91 of the 150 laps in the race to take the checkered flag and put the rest of the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour community on notice that the ‘Mystic Missile’ was once again a force to be reckoned with.
Ted Christopher, Mike Stefanik and Ryan Preece also took turns leading the field, but it was apparent that Santos had the car to beat. After he led the first 60 circuits, Santos took the lead for the final time on Lap 120 and held on for the first of what would be four wins en route to his first title, and the third championship in four years for Mystic Missile Racing.
Christopher Ready To Defend Track Title
Thompson’s traditional season-opening Icebreaker will also feature a full slate of NASCAR Whelen All-American Series action.
Ted Christopher is the track’s defending Division I Sunoco Modified Division champion. The Icebreaker will include twin 25-lap features for the division – one on Saturday and one on Sunday.
Other defending track champions include Derek Ramstrom (Super Late Model), RJ Marcotte (Thompson Modified), Rick Gentes (Late Model), Larry Barnett (Limited Late Model) and Chuck Rogers (Mini Stock).
Saturday’s schedule, which includes tour practice and qualifying, will also have a 20-lap Sunoco Lite Modified race in addition to the Sunoco Modified feature.
Sunday includes all six of Thompson’s weekly divisions in action, with racing scheduled to begin at noon.
Up Next: Tech-Net Spring Sizzler presented by CARQUEST
The first of four trips for the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour to Stafford (Conn.) Motor Speedway will come on May 1 with the Tech-Net Spring Sizzler presented by CARQUEST.
The Whelen Modified Tour participated in the Spring Sizzler in 25 of its 26 seasons of competition, and the tradition will continue in 2011. Practice and qualifying will take place on Saturday, April 30 with the 200-lap feature the following day.
Ted Christopher is the three-time defending winner of the Spring Sizzler, and he owns the Whelen Modified Tour record for wins in the track’s season-opening event with five.
Defending Whelen Modified Tour Champion Bobby Santos is also the defending Spring Sizzler pole winner. He set the track record in last year’s qualifying.
This will be the 40th overall edition of the Stafford Spring Sizzler.
Sources: Jason Cunningham/NASCAR WMT PR