QUALIFYING: Santos Scores Sizzler Pole
Ninth Career Coors Light Pole For Whelen Modified Tour Veteran
STAFFORD, Conn. – Bobby Santos has the inside track in his quest for back-to-back NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour victories at Stafford Motor Speedway after earning the Coors Light Pole Award Saturday afternoon for Sunday’s CARQUEST Tech-Net Spring Sizzler.
Santos, from Franklin, Mass., laid down a fast lap of 18.082 seconds (99.547 mph) in qualifying at the historic half mile for his ninth career Whelen Modified Tour pole. It marked the second time he’s captured the top-qualifying spot for the famed Spring Sizzler weekend, and fourth time overall at Stafford.
Todd Szegedy will join Santos in the front row for Sunday’s 200-lap Whelen Modified Tour feature after he registered a quick lap of 18.084 (99.536). The second row will consist of Rowan Pennink (18.087/99.464) and Chuck Hossfeld (18.101/99.442).
The rest of the top 10 qualifiers included Mike Stefanik, Bryon Chew, Ryan Preece, Eric Berndt, defending race winner Doug Coby and Donny Lia.
Ted Christopher, who has a Whelen Modified Tour-leading five wins in the Spring Sizzler, qualified 15th.
CARQUEST Tech-Net Spring Sizzler activities are set to get underway on Sunday at 11 a.m., with the CARQUEST Belts & Hose Pit Party followed by NASCAR Whelen All-American Series features. The NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour is slated to take the green flag at approximately 3:15 p.m.
NWMT Stafford 4/28/13 Qualifying
STARTING LINEUP (PDF)
Pos No. Name Sponsor Time Speed Diff In Lap
1 44 Bobby Santos Curb Records/Brendan Kelley Music 18.082 99.547 1
2 2 Todd Szegedy Dunleavy Truck & Trailer 18.084 99.536 0.002 2
3 93 Rowan Pennink Monk Mechanics Hand Cleaner 18.097 99.464 0.015 2
4 72 Chuck Hossfeld Jerry Gradl Motors 18.101 99.442 0.019 1
5 22 Mike Stefanik Robert B Our Co/Canto & Sons Paving 18.111 99.387 0.029 1
6 88 Bryon Chew Buzz Chew Chevrolet/GT Vodka 18.119 99.343 0.037 1
7 16 Ryan Preece East West Marines/Diversified Metals 18.127 99.299 0.045 1
8 46 Eric Berndt North End Auto Parts/Cape Cod Aggts 18.137 99.245 0.055 1
9 52 Doug Coby Reynolds Auto Wrecking & Furnace & Duct Supply 18.140 99.228 0.058 1
10 4 Donny Lia Circle Track Magazine 18.140 99.228 0.058 1
11 76 Jimmy Blewett John Blewett Inc/TS Haulers 18.154 99.152 0.072 2
12 39 Richie Pallai Jr. MAHLE Performance/Lucas Oil 18.167 99.081 0.085 2
13 6 Ron Silk TS Haulers/Calverton Tree Farm 18.177 99.026 0.095 2
14 51 Justin Bonsignore M3 Technology 18.189 98.961 0.107 2
15 3 Ted Christopher Silver Dollar Const/Cape Cod Copper 18.212 98.836 0.130 1
16 73 Cole Powell* Copps BuildAll/Tricar 18.240 98.684 0.158 2
17 99 Jamie Tomaino Supreme Manufacturing 18.295 98.388 0.213 2
18 79 Woody Pitkat Hill Enterprises/Coors Light 18.305 98.334 0.223 1
19 64 Ron Yuhas Jr. Hughes Motors/Complete Construction 18.341 98.141 0.259 1
20 58 Eric Goodale Riverhead Building Supply 18.394 97.858 0.312 2
21 07 Patrick Emerling Emerling Chevrolet Dealership 18.460 97.508 0.378 1
22 28 Ed Flemke, Jr. Ron Bouchards Auto Stores 18.546 97.056 0.464 2
23 33 Wade Cole Perf Engines/Kendall Oil/Ryan’s 18.580 96.878 0.498 2
24 18 Ken Heagy Buoy One Seafood/Mehner Racing 18.689 96.313 0.607 1
25 38 Brian Schofield* Perf Engines/Kendall Oil/Ryan’s 18.740 96.051 0.658 2
26 26 Gary McDonald Lakeland Landscape Supply/TRC Elec 19.006 94.707 0.924 2
*Sunoco Rookie of the Year contender
Sources: Jason Cunningham/NASCAR WMT PR