Whelen Mod Statistical Advance: Thompson
Analyzing The Town Fair Tire Northern 75 At Thompson
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – The NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour will be a part of this week’s UNOH Showdown weekend at Thompson (Conn.) International Speedway with the Town Fair Tire Northern 75 on Sunday, Sept. 9. Below is a statistical look at the performance of series and selected drivers at the track:
Thompson Race Setup:
• Points leader Doug Coby is the defending winner of this race. He also captured last year’s UNOH Showdown exhibition combo race with the NASCAR Whelen Southern Modified Tour.
• Ted Christopher’s last 16 starts at Thompson have included seven wins and an additional seven top-five finishes. He is one win shy of tying Mike Stefanik’s track record of 14 career wins.
• Defending tour champion Ron Silk has earned four of his nine career wins at Thompson, including April’s Icebreaker.
• Silk and Rowan Pennink have both finished in the top 10 in 15 of their last 15 starts at Thompson. Pennink is still looking for his first Thompson victory.
At Thompson International Speedway:
History
• Opened on May 26, 1940 as the largest and first entirely asphalt 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.
• Was an inaugural member track of the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series, now in its 31st season, and features weekly competition with six divisions. Keith Rocco is the defending track champion.
Notebook
• Thompson has played host to 118 NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour races, the most in the Tour’s 28 seasons.
• There have been 31 different race winners at Thompson, led by Mike Stefanik’s 14 victories.
• There have been 40 different pole winners at Thompson, led by Tony Hirschman’s 13.
• Jamie Tomaino has competed in all 118 previous NWMT races at Thompson.
• Doug Coby is the defending winner of this event while Ron Silk and Donny Lia have been victorious in the first two races at the track this year.
• The Town Fair Tire Northern 75 is expected to have nine drivers entered who have won at Thompson during their careers: Stefanik (14), Ted Christopher (13), Ed Flemke Jr. (4), Ron Silk (4), Donny Lia (3), Todd Szegedy (3), Bobby Santos (2), Eric Beers (1) and Doug Coby (1).
Thompson Data
Race: #10 of 14 overall, #3 of 4 at TIS
Track Layout: .625-mile asphalt oval
• Race Length: 75 laps (46.875 miles)
• Banking/Corners: 26 degrees
Qualifying/Race Data
Qualifying Record: Bobby Santos (18.237 seconds, 123.376 mph – 4/10/11)
2011 Pole Winner: Ryan Preece
2011 Race Winner: Doug Coby
Active Category Leaders at Thompson
Wins
1. Mike Stefanik … 14
2. Ted Christopher … 13
3. Ed Flemke Jr. … 4
Ron Silk … 4
5. Donny Lia … 3
Todd Szegedy … 3
Poles
1. Mike Stefanik … 8
2. Ted Christopher … 7
3. Ed Flemke Jr. … 4
Ryan Preece … 3
4. Donny Lia … 3
Bobby Santos … 3
Todd Szegedy … 3
Laps Led
1. Mike Stefanik … 1,843
2. Ted Christopher … 1,723
3. Donny Lia … 497
4. Ed Flemke Jr. … 450
5. Todd Szegedy … 392
Starts
1. Jamie Tomaino … 118
2. Mike Stefanik … 103
3. Ed Flemke Jr. … 90
4. Ted Christopher … 77
5. Wade Cole … 73
Selected Driver Highlights:
Eric Beers (No. 45 Horwith Freightliner/John Blewett Inc. Ford)
• Has two wins, nine poles and 76 top 10s in 179 career NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour starts.
• Is eighth in points with four top 10s in nine starts and a best finish of fourth on two occasions.
• In 45 starts at Thompson International Speedway he has a win, a pole, 17 top 10s, an average finish of 16th. His win came in the September 2006 race.
• Has finishes of 21st and 11th in the first two NWMT races at Thompson this year.
Jimmy Blewett (No. 76 John Blewett Inc./Ling Trucking Chevrolet)
• Has five wins, a pole and 31 top 10s in 94 career NWMT starts.
• Has five top 10s in nine races this year. Had three top 10s across 16 races the two previous seasons.
• Has seven top 10s in 25 career NWMT starts at Thompson with an average finish of 17th and a best effort of second in the 2006 World Series and 2009 Icebreaker.
• Has finishes of fourth and seventh at Thompson this year.
Justin Bonsignore (No. 51 M3 Technology Chevrolet)
• Has a win, three poles and 22 top 10s in 41 career NWMT starts.
• Since gaining his first NWMT win last year at Riverhead Raceway, he has finished in the top 10 in 14 of 18 events.
• In nine career starts at Thompson he’s posted two top 10s with an average finish of 19th and a best result of fifth in the 2011 Icebreaker. He has five DNFs at the track, including his last three appearances.
• Finished 13th and 25th in the first two Thompson races this year.
Ted Christopher (No. 3 Cape Cod Copper/Silver Dollar Construction Chevrolet)
• The 2008 NWMT champion, he has 42 wins and 24 poles and 173 top 10s in 316 career starts. His 42 wins rank third all-time and his 24 poles are eighth. Has at least one win in the 13 previous seasons.
• Has 13 wins, seven poles and 41 top 10s in 77 career NWMT starts at Thompson with an average finish of 13th. His win total is one shy of tying Mike Stefanik for the track record.
• Has finished in the top five in 14 of the last 16 events at Thompson, including seven wins.
• Had a streak of 11-consecutive races at Thompson with laps led from 2008-11.
• Is a four-time NASCAR Whelen All-American Series track champion at Thompson out of the Sunoco Modified division, where he’s notched two wins so far this year.
• Has 97 career victories at Thompson, unofficially, entering this week’s event.
Doug Coby (No. 52 Reynolds Auto Wrecking/Furnace & Duct Supply Chevrolet)
• Has six wins, four poles and 53 top 10s in 125 career starts.
• Points leader has four wins and seven podium finishes in nine races this year. Recorded two wins in 116 starts prior to the 2012 season.
• Had his first finish outside the top 10 last time out at Bristol Motor Speedway. It was also his first non-lead lap finish of the year.
• Has five wins and 19 top 10s in 26 starts with the No. 52 team since the end of the 2010 season.
• Has a win and 16 top 10s in 34 NWMT starts at Thompson with an average finish of 13th. His win came in the 2011 UNOH Showdown.
Donny Lia (No. 4 Mystic Missile Racing Dodge)
• The 2007 and 2009 champion, he has 16 wins, 15 poles and 60 top 10s in 122 career starts.
• Has a win and five top 10s through nine races with an average finish of 10th in his return to the NWMT this year.
• In 27 career starts at Thompson he has recorded three wins, three poles, 11 top 10s and an average finish of 14th.
• Finished fifth in the 2012 opener at Thompson and won the last race on Aug. 9.
• Entered last year’s NASCAR Whelen Southern Modified Tour race in the UNOH Showdown and finished eighth.
Rowan Pennink (No. 93 Monk Mechanics Hand Cleaner Chevrolet)
• Has a win and 40 top 10s in 81 career starts.
• Ranks 12th in points this year despite missing a race. Has five top 10s in eight starts.
• Has 14 top 10s in 22 career NWMT starts at Thompson with an average finish of 11th and a best result of second in the 2011 Icebreaker. He has top-10 finishes in 13 of his last 15 races at the track.
• Has finishes of 10th and sixth at Thompson this year.
Ryan Preece (No. 16 Diversified Metals/R.B. Enterprises Ford)
• Has four wins, 10 poles and 39 top 10s in 76 career starts.
• In 10 races with Flamingo Motorsports he has a win, five poles, five top 10s, and laps led in five of those events.
• Has three poles, nine top 10s and an average finish of 15th in 20 career NWMT starts at Thompson. He has been a runner-up at Thompson three times.
• Earned the pole and finished third in this race last year. Since then he has recorded finishes of 26th, 16th and 17th in his last three tour appearances at Thompson.
• Is the current NWAAS Sunoco Modified points leader at Thompson on the strength of nine wins in 17 races.
Bobby Santos (No. 44 Imperial Cars/Tinio Corp. Chevrolet)
• The 2010 NWMT champion has six wins, eight poles and 32 top 10s in 64 career starts.
• Has two wins, three poles, 13 top 10s and an average finish of 15th in 23 career starts at Thompson. Wins came in the 2007 World Series and 2011 Icebreaker.
• In five appearances this year he has an average finish of 13th with a best result of second in May at Stafford.
• Has finishes of 17th and eighth in the two previous races this year at Thompson.
Ron Silk (No. 6 Calverton Tree Farm/TS Haulers Chevrolet)
• The 2011 NWMT champion has nine wins, seven poles and 59 top 10s in 106 career starts.
• Is second in points – 27 behind Doug Coby – on the strength of two wins and seven top 10s in nine races.
• Has six wins and 31 top 10s in 41 starts with TS Haulers Racing since they first joined forces in 2009. He’s led laps in 19 of those races and has just four DNFs during the span.
• Has four wins, 18 top 10s and an average finish of 12th in 29 career starts at Thompson. Has finished in the top 10 in 13 of his last 15 starts at the track.
• Won this year’s season-opening Icebreaker and finished second in the August race.
Mike Stefanik (No. 66 Cady’s Tavern Ford)
• The 1989, 1991, 1997, 1998, 2001, 2002 and 2006 NWMT champion.
• Holds NWMT records for most titles (seven), wins (72), poles (47), top fives (219) and top 10s (289).
• Leads all drivers with 14 wins, 64 top 10s and 1,843 laps led at Thompson. Also has nine poles and an average finish of 11th in 103 career starts at the track. His last win there came in the 2006 Icebreaker.
• Finished third in this year’s Thompson Icebreaker and was fifth in the August race with the pole.
Todd Szegedy (No. 2 UNOH/Dunleavy Repair Ford)
• The 2003 NWMT champion has 17 wins, nine poles and 103 top 10s in 162 career starts.
• Has five top fives in nine outings this year with a best finish of second last time out at Bristol. He’s improved from 10th to fourth in the standings in the last four races.
• Has three wins, three poles, 18 top 10s and an average finish of 14th in 38 career starts at Thompson. Last win there came in September 2008.
• Has finishes of 27th and 10th this year at Thompson.
Up to Speed:
• The 2012 season is the 28th for the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour.
• The 2012 schedule features 14 races at seven different tracks across four states.
• Defending NWMT champion Ron Silk won the 2012 season-opener at Thompson International Speedway on April 15. Ryan Preece was the polesitter for the Icebreaker.
• Doug Coby joined a select group of multiple Spring Sizzler winners when he took the checkered flag at Stafford Motor Speedway on April 29. Preece set the track record in qualifying prior to the event.
• Preece made it 3-for-3 in qualifying as he took the pole in track record fashion at Monadnock Speedway on May 12 and made the top starting position stand up as he led every lap en route to the victory.
• Bobby Santos captured the pole and led nearly the entire race before Coby wrestled the lead away in the closing laps to take the checkered flag on May 25 at Stafford.
• In the NWMT’s return to Waterford Speedbowl following a six-year absence, Ted Christopher earned the pole, but it was Coby who stole the show to earn his third win of the season.
• Mike Stefanik earned his first win of the year when he edged polesitter Silk by .003 seconds at the line at New Hampshire Motor Speedway on July 14.
• Coby made it three-for-three at Stafford in 2012 when he won the Stafford 150 on Aug. 3. Preece earned his fourth pole of the season prior to the race.
• Stefanik earned his first pole of the season and Donny Lia his first race win of the year in the Budweiser King of Beers 150 on Aug. 9.
• Ron Silk was the driver to beat at Bristol Motor Speedway on Aug. 22 when he sat on the pole and took checkers in the fourth annual combination race with the NASCAR Whelen Southern Modified Tour.
• Following the UNOH Showdown at Thompson the NWMT will return to action on Sept. 15 at Riverhead Raceway for the rescheduled Riverhead 200. The original July 28 race date was postponed due to rain.
Sources: Jason Cunningham/NASCAR WMT PR