2-Time Defending Modified Racing Series Champion Jon McKennedy Looks to Turn Season Around in Lincoln Tech 80 at SMS
Stafford Springs, CT — For 2-time defending Modified Racing Series Champion Jon McKennedy, the 2011 season hasn’t gotten off to the best of starts. Aside from a third place finish at Monadnock, McKennedy has encountered some mechanical issues that leave him sitting in 12th place in the points standings thusfar after three races. McKennedy will look to get his season turned around when the MRS hits Stafford for the first of two visits in the Inaugural Lincoln Tech 80 on June 24th.
“We’ve had an up and down season so far,” said McKennedy. “We had a suspension failure in the first race at Waterford and we blew an engine in the last race at Twin State. We went to Star for a big 125 lap race and we led the last 60 laps and won the race, so hopefully that can help us get things turned around.”
In last year’s debut MRS event at Stafford, McKennedy was fast in practice and in his heat race, but he struggled to a 12th place finish in the feature event. McKennedy says that his team took will use that experience to have a better finish when the MRS returns to Stafford.
“Last year, we had a really good car in practice and in the heat, but when the sun went down, we didn’t do enough with the car for the feature,” said McKennedy. “We made sure to take real good notes on what we did to the car so I think we should be much better for the next time around at Stafford. I’m really looking forward to going back to Stafford. We were decent last year and hopefully we can have a much better finish at Stafford.”
Last year’s inaugural visit for the MRS at Stafford was dominated by drivers with Whelen Modified Tour and SK Modified® experience. 9 of the top-10 finishers had either WMT or SK Modified® experience at Stafford. Only Bryon Chew’s 7th place finish broke the stranglehold on the top-10 spots by drivers with experience at Stafford.
“I think you see that at any track,” said McKennedy. “Some of the guys have a lot more laps at Stafford and having seat time has to help. Guys have a bigger notebook to work off of, and they know what the track does at night and how the car will react. I grew up racing at Star and I think my experience there helped us win that 125 lapper. But I think most of the guys will have a better idea of what they need to do with their cars when we come back to Stafford.”
As the two-time defending MRS champion, if there is one team that knows how to get things turned around and headed in the right direction, it’s McKennedy’s #73 crew.
Grandstand gates will open at 4:15pm for the Inaugural Lincoln Tech 80. MRS heat races begin at 6:15pm and the feature events will begin at approximately 7:15 following the conclusion of the MRS heat races.
Tickets for the Inaugural Lincoln Tech MRS 80 event at Stafford Motor Speedway are on sale now and are priced at $25.00 for Adult General Admission, $5.00 for Children Ages 6-14 General Admission, $28.00 for Reserved Seating, and $40.00 for Pit Passes. Tickets can be ordered by calling the Stafford Motor Speedway track office at 860-684-2783.
For more information, contact the Stafford Motor Speedway track office at 860-684-2783 or visit us on the web at www.staffordspeedway.com.
Sources: Scott Running/Stafford Motor Speedway PR