Statistical Advance: The Icebreaker
Analyzing The Whelen Modified Tour At Thompson Int’l Speedway
Daytona Beach, FL — The 2011 NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour season will take the green flag with the Icebreaker at Thompson (Conn.) International Speedway on Sunday, April 10.
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 112 NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour races, the most of any facility in the NWMT’s first 26 years of competition.
• There have been 29 different race winners at TIS, led by Mike Stefanik’s 14 victories.
• There have been 39 different pole winners at TIS, led by Tony Hirschman’s 13.
• Features six NASCAR Whelen All-American Series divisions as part of the “Thursday Night Thompson Thunder.”
Notebook
• This will be the 10th year in a row – and 15th time overall – that the NWMT has opened its season in the Icebreaker.
• Bobby Santos is the defending pole and race winner of the Icebreaker. He set the NWMT track record in qualifying and then led 91 of 150 laps to take the checkered flag.
• Ted Christopher has won five of the last seven races at TIS, including the 2009 Icebreaker.
• The preliminary entry list for the Icebreaker features nine drivers who have won at TIS during their careers: Stefanik (14), Christopher (11), 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: #1 of 16 overall, #1 of 4 at TIS
Track Layout: .625-mile oval
Banking: 26 degrees in the turns
Race Length: 150 laps/93.75 miles
ENTRY LIST | SCHEDULE
Qualifying/Race Data
2010 Pole Winner: Bobby Santos (122.163 mph, 18.418 seconds – record)
2010 Race Winner: Bobby Santos (83.976 mph, 1:06.59)
NWMT Active Win Leaders at TIS
1. Mike Stefanik … 14
2. Ted Christopher … 11
3. Ed Flemke Jr. … 4
4. Ron Silk … 3
Todd Szegedy … 3
NWMT Active Pole Leaders at TIS
1. Mike Stefanik … 8
2. Ted Christopher … 6
3. Ed Flemke Jr. … 4
4. Todd Szegedy … 3
5. Bobby Santos … 2
Up to Speed:
• Bobby Santos and Mystic Missile Racing are the defending NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour champions. Santos edged Mike Stefanik by 27 points in the 2010 final standings.
• Matt Hirschman will return to the NWMT after a two-year absence and Ron Yuhas Jr. is back for the first time since 2007. Part-timers in previous seasons, Eric Berndt, Doug Coby and Gary McDonald plan to compete full-time in 2011. Newcomers include Bryon Chew, Patrick Emerling and Tom Rogers Jr.
• The 2011 schedule will feature 16 races at eight tracks across four states. The NWMT will make its international debut this year with a race at Delaware (Ont.) Speedway in Canada.
Selected Driver Highlights:
Eric Beers (No. 45 Chevrolet)
• Has two wins, nine poles and 62 top 10s in 154 NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour career starts.
• Finished ninth in the 2010 standings.
• Has a win, a pole, 14 top 10s and an average finish of 16th in 39 career starts at Thompson International Speedway.
Eric Berndt (No. 46 Chevrolet)
• Has a pole and five top 10s in 40 career starts … This will be his first full-time season.
• Made eight starts last year and finished 28th in points.
• Has one top 10, a best finish of seventh and an average finish of 25th in 18 career starts at TIS.
Jimmy Blewett (No. 14 Chevrolet)
• Has five wins, a pole and 25 top 10s in 80 career starts.
• Made 10 starts in 2010 and finished 23rd in points.
• Has five top 10s, a best finish of second and an average finish of 17th in 22 starts at TIS.
Justin Bonsignore (No. 51 Chevrolet)
• Has two poles and six top 10s in 16 career starts.
• Finished 13th in the 2010 standings and earned Sunoco Rookie of the Year honors.
• Has an average finish of 24th in three career starts at TIS.
Ted Christopher (No. 36 Chevrolet)
• The 2008 NWMT champion … Has 38 wins and 22 poles in 293 career starts … His 38 wins rank third all-time and his 22 poles are eighth … Has at least one win in 12-straight seasons.
• Had four wins in 2010 – including two at TIS – and finished third in the final standings.
• Has 11 wins, six poles, 36 top 10s and an average finish of 13th in 71 NWMT starts at TIS.
• Is a five-time TIS track champion out of the Sunoco Modified division – including 2010 – and unofficially has 87 overall career victories at the track.
James Civali (No. 79 Pontiac)
• The 2006 NWMT Sunoco Rookie of the Year … Has four wins, a pole and 30 top 10s in 57 starts.
• Competed in 10 races in 2010 and finished 20th in points.
• Has a win, a pole, seven top 10s and an average finish of 17th in 17 career starts at TIS.
• Is second in NASCAR Whelen Southern Modified Tour points with top-fives in both races.
Doug Coby (No. 52 Chevrolet)
• Has a win, two poles and 35 top 10s in 100 career starts.
• Had four top 10s in eight starts in 2010 and finished 27th in points.
• Has 11 top 10s, an average finish of 14th and a best finish of third – twice – in 28 starts at TIS.
Eric Goodale (No. 58 Chevrolet)
• The 2009 NWMT Sunoco Rookie of the Year … Has 11 top 10s in 29 career starts.
• Finished seventh in the 2010 final standings with seven top 10s in 14 starts.
• Has three top 10s and an average finish of 14th in six career starts at TIS.
Matt Hirschman (No. 3 Chevrolet)
• Has two wins, three poles and 29 top 10s in 57 career starts.
• Returns to the NWMT after a two-year absence … Was the championship runner-up in 2008.
• Has six top 10s and an average finish of 16th in 17 career starts at TIS.
Chuck Hossfeld (No. 59 Chevrolet)
• Has seven wins, nine poles and 72 top 10s in 127 career starts.
• Finished 10th in the final 2010 standings with six top 10s in 14 races.
• Has a win, a pole, 20 top 10s and an average finish of 10th in 30 career starts at TIS.
Ryan Preece (No. 11 Ford)
• Has four poles, three wins and 28 top 10s in 56 career starts.
• Finished sixth in points with eight top 10s in 14 starts a year ago.
• Has seven top 10s and an average finish of 15th in 15 career starts at TIS.
Erick Rudolph (No. 98 Chevrolet)
• Has a win, a pole and 19 top 10s in 35 career starts.
• Finished seventh in 2010 points with seven top 10s in 14 starts.
• Has three top 10s, a best finish of fifth and an average finish of 18th in eight starts at TIS.
Bobby Santos (No. 4 Dodge)
• The 2010 NWMT champion … Has five wins, four poles and 23 top 10s in 43 career starts.
• Earned the title last year – his first full-time season – with four wins, four poles and 11 top 10s.
• Has two wins, two poles, 10 top 10s and an average finish of 15th in 17 starts at TIS.
Ron Silk (No. 6 Chevrolet)
• Has four wins, three poles and 40 top 10s in 81 career starts.
• Finished fourth in 2010 points on the strength of 10 top 10s.
• Has three wins, 14 top 10s and an average of 12th in 23 TIS starts.
Mike Stefanik (No. 16 Pontiac)
• The 1989, 1991, 1997, 1998, 2001, 2002 and 2006 NWMT champion.
• Holds NWMT records for most titles (7), wins (70), poles (46), top fives (210) and top 10s (275).
• Recorded a NWMT-high 12 top-10s and finished second in points in 2010.
• Has a record 14 wins, eight poles, 60 top 10s and an average finish of 11th in 97 starts at TIS … It has been 20 races since his last win at TIS, the 2006 Icebreaker.
Todd Szegedy (No. 2 Ford)
• The 2003 NWMT champion … Has 14 wins, seven poles and 86 top 10s in 137 career starts.
• Finished fifth in 2010 points with a win, a pole and eight top 10s.
• Has three wins, three poles, 15 top 10s and an average finish of 13th in 32 starts at TIS.
Miscellaneous Notes:
• Bobby Santos will look to become just the third driver all-time to open their title defense season with a win following Jerry Marquis (2001) and Ted Christopher (2009).
• Christopher is currently tied with Rick Fuller for the most career Icebreaker wins with three.
• Ed Flemke Jr. will attempt to extend his record for consecutive starts to 339 races.
• Jamie Tomaino will attempt to extend his record for overall starts to 526 … He has started all 112 all-time races at TIS.
Sources: Jason Cunningham/NASCAR WMT PR