Whelen Mod Tour News & Notes: Monadnock
Pennink And Preece Enter Monadnock As Drivers To Watch
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – As the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour heads to Monadnock Speedway this week, a pair of drivers stand as favorites to either continue a historical trend or make their own mark on the record books.
Although the competition is nearly too close to call across the board, Whelen Modified Tour co-point leaders Rowan Pennink and Ryan Preece lead the tour contingent into the Town Fair Tire Whitcomb 200 at the quarter-mile oval on Saturday, May 11 in rural Winchester, N.H.
Pennink will look to continue the historical trend at Monadnock that has seen a different driver win each of the previous eight all-time Whelen Modified Tour events at the track. Conversely, last year’s Monadnock winner Preece will attempt to become the tour’s first two-time victor there.
Although he’s averaged a finish just outside the top 10 in his first two career Whelen Modified Tour starts at Monadnock, Pennink has run second and fifth in two races so far this season. In addition to bringing that momentum to Monadnock, where he’s already registered a Modified win this year, Pennink has had plenty of success through the years at the other quarter-mile bullring on the tour schedule – Riverhead (N.Y.) Raceway – including his lone career win.
Meanwhile, Preece was the best Whelen Modified Tour bullring driver a year ago when he won at Riverhead in addition to Monadnock. Add to that his first Riverhead win in 2009 and three of his five career triumphs have come in bullring races.
Pennink and Preece may enter Monadnock atop the points and the list of favorites to win, but they’ll have plenty of competition for the checkered flag. Veterans Mike Stefanik and Ted Christopher – at one and three tallies behind in points, respectively – both have career wins at Monadnock in addition to their hot starts to the current season. Additionally, Justin Bonsignore, who groomed his early racing career at Riverhead, is just five points back of the leaders and has finished in the top five the last two years at Monadnock.
RACE: Town Fair Tire Whitcomb 200
PLACE: Monadnock Speedway, Winchester, N.H.
DATE: Saturday, May 11
TIME: 8:30 p.m. ET
TRACK LAYOUT: .25-mile, banked asphalt oval
2012 POLESITTER/WINNER: Ryan Preece
EVENT SCHEDULE: Practice 1:30-2:30 p.m., Qualifying 4 p.m., Driver Autograph Session 6 p.m.
TRACK CONTACT: Michelle Cloutier, (603) 239-4067, speedway@webryders.net
TRACK TWITTER: @monadnockspeed
EVENT TWITTER HASHTAG: #Whitcomb200
NASCAR CONTACT: Jason Cunningham, 704-201-6658, jcunningham@nascar.com, Twitter: @NASCAR_NE
FAST FACTS:
The Race: The Town Fair Tire Whitcomb 200 at Monadnock Speedway will be the third race of the 2013 NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour season. It will be the lone appearance for the tour at Monadnock, but the first of three races in the state of New Hampshire.
The Procedure: The maximum starting field is 28 cars, including provisionals. The first 23 cars will have secured starting positions based on two-lap qualifying. The remaining five spots will be awarded through the provisional process. The race is scheduled for 200 laps (50 miles).
The Track: One of two “bullrings” that the Whelen Modified Tour races at, Monadnock is a high-banked quarter-mile asphalt track. Monadnock held five tour races from 1986-90 and returned to the schedule in 2010.
Race Winners: Each of the eight all-time races at Monadnock have produced different winners. Ken Bouchard won the inaugural event in 1986 and Ryan Preece took the checkered flag a year ago.
Pole Winners: There have been seven different pole winners in the eight races at Monadnock, with Bouchard the lone driver with two. Preece took the pole in last year’s event with a track-record lap of 12.313 seconds (73.082 mph).
MONADNOCK RACE NOTES:
First of Three Bullring Races: The Town Fair Tire Whitcomb 200 at Monadnock Speedway will be the first of three bullring races on the calendar for the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour. With the addition of a second race at Riverhead Raceway this year, the tour has three dates at quarter-mile tracks for the first time since 1999 when there were four: two a Riverhead and two at the former Riverside Park Speedway in Massachusetts.
Stefanik and Tomaino, Then and Now: Veterans Mike Stefanik and Jamie Tomaino are the only drivers to compete in each of the previous eight Whelen Modified Tour events at Monadnock. They each registered a victory in the tour’s first era of races at the track (1986-90). The 1988 win for Stefanik was just the third of his tour-record 73 career triumphs while Tomaino’s came during his 1990 championship season.
Better Be Fast in Time Trials: Since the Whelen Modified Tour returned to Monadnock in 2010 after a 20-year absence from the track, the race winner has come from the first two rows of the starting lineup in each of the three events. Ted Christopher started fourth and waged a race-long battle with polesitter Erick Rudolph before making the pass with 41 laps to go for the victory in 2010. In 2011 and 2012 pole winners Todd Szegedy and Ryan Preece led wire-wire for their respective wins. This is not a recent development, however, as the last race in the first era of the tour at Monadnock also saw Tomaino win from a second-row staring position in 1990.
Friday Night Event in Keene: Monadnock Speedway has organized an appearance at the Applebee’s restaurant in nearby Keene, N.H., on Friday, May 10 that will feature the Whelen Modified Tour’s No. 51 M3 Technology team. Fans are encouraged to come by to meet driver Justin Bonsignore and see the No. 51 Chevrolet up close from 5-7 p.m. Race sponsor Town Fair Tire will also have a coupon giveaway at the event. The Applebee’s is located at 40 Key Road in Keene.
HOME TRACKS: Helliwell Dominant In Granite State
Wayne Helliwell has had the field covered in New Hampshire NASCAR Whelen All-American Series action in recent seasons. The Granite State champion three years running, Helliwell has decided not to defend his string of titles, thus opening up the competition in 2013 after he finished 14th nationally last year. Russ Hersey Jr. is the reigning Division I champion at Monadnock Speedway, where he outdistanced Bill Kimball Jr. by 30 tallies in the Sportsman Modified division.
LAST TIME OUT: Stafford
The second race of the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour 2013 season took place on April 28 at Stafford (Conn.) Motor Speedway with the CARQUEST Tech-Net Spring Sizzler. Here are some highlights:
• Bobby Santos took the pole on Saturday and led all but four laps on Sunday to capture his second Whelen Modified Tour Spring Sizzler victory. Five of his now nine career wins have come at Stafford.
• Justin Bonsignore finished as the runner-up and earned Coca-Cola Move of the Race honors after improving 12 spots from his starting position.
• Ted Christopher also improved 12 spots from start to finish as he crossed the line third thanks to a rally in the closing laps of the race after pitting later than the rest of the field for tires.
NEXT TIME OUT: Stafford
The NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour will return to action on Friday, May 24 for the second of four races at Stafford Motor Speedway, and the first of two night races at the historic half mile. Doug Coby is the defending winner of the TSI Harley-Davidson/G-Oil 125, a victory earned with a pass of polesitter Bobby Santos with just eight laps left in the event.
Sources: Jason Cunningham/NASCAR WMT PR
NWMT Monadnock 5/11/13 Schedule
Time Event
10 a.m. Haulers Enter
11 a.m. Garage Opens
1:30-2:30 p.m. Practice
4 p.m. Qualifying
5 p.m. Qualifying Race (25 Laps)
6 p.m. Driver Autograph Session
8:30 p.m. Race (175 Laps)
All times ET and subject to change
NWMT Monadnock 5/11/13 Entry List
CAR DRIVER/HOMETOWN TEAM OWNER CREW CHIEF
2 Todd Szegedy, Ridgefield, Conn Dunleavy Repair/A&J Romano Const. Ford Mike Smeriglio, III Phil Moran
3 Ted Christopher, Plainville, Conn. Silver Dollar Const./Cape Cod Copper Chevrolet Jan Boehler Scott Richards
4 Donny Lia, Jericho, N.Y. Circle Track Magazine Dodge Robert Garbarino Dan Laferriere
6 Ron Silk, Norwalk, Conn. TS Haulers/Calverton Tree Farm Chevrolet Ed Partridge Tom Grasso
07 Patrick Emerling, Orchard Park, N.Y. Emerling Chevrolet Dealership Chevrolet Jennifer Emerling Mike Paquette
16 Ryan Preece, Berlin, Conn. East West Marine/Diversified Metals Ford Eric Sanderson Stan Szaban
18 Ken Heagy, Calverton, N.Y. Buoy One Seafood/Mehner Racing Ford Robert Pollifrone Greg Gorman
22 Mike Stefanik, Coventry, R.I. Robert B Our Co/Canto & Sons Paving Ford Christopher Our Brad Lafontaine
26 Gary McDonald, Ronkonkoma, N.Y. Lakeland Landscape/TRC Electric Pontiac Sean McDonald Chad McDonald
28 Ed Flemke, Jr., Southington, Conn Ron Bouchard’s Auto Stores Chevrolet Don King Tommy Trcka
33 Wade Cole, Riverton, Conn. Perf. Engines/Kendall Oil/Ryan’s Chevrolet Beth Cole Rick Rodenbaugh, DJ Hickton
38 Brian Schofield, Monson, Mass. * Perf. Engines/Kendall Oil/Ryan’s Chevrolet Linda Rodenbaugh Larry Befford
39 Richie Pallai, Jr., Yorktown Heights, N.Y. MAHLE Performance/Lucas Oil Chevrolet Rich Pallai Denis Pruchnik
44 Bobby Santos, Franklin, Mass. Tinio Racing/Brendan Kelley Music Chevrolet Mike Curb Steve Lemay
46 Eric Berndt, Cromwell, Conn. Cape Cod Agrgts./North End Auto Parts Chevrolet Robert Katon, Jr. Robert Horn
51 Justin Bonsignore, Holtsville, N.Y. M3 Technology Chevrolet Ken Massa John Sanford
52 Doug Coby, Milford, Conn. Reynolds Auto Wrckng./Furnace & Duct Chevrolet Wayne Darling John McKenna
58 Eric Goodale, Riverhead, N.Y. Riverhead Building Supply Chevrolet Edgar Goodale Jason Shephard
64 Ron Yuhas, Jr., Groton, Conn. Hughes Motors/Complete Construction Chevrolet Mike Murphy Curt Chase
68 Johnny Bush, Huntington Station, N.Y. Buoy One Seafood/JB Stone Chevrolet Charlene Bush TBA
70 Andy Seuss, Hampstead, N.H. Rockingham Boat/MUA/Summit Signs Chevrolet Steve Seuss Lyle Patterson
73 Cole Powell, Mt. Brydges, Ont., Canada * Copps BuildAll/Tricar Chevrolet Todd Powell Jeff Malave
76 Jimmy Blewett, Howell, N.J. John Blewett Inc./TS Haulers Chevrolet John Blewett Ed Bennett
79 Woody Pitkat, Stafford, Conn. Hill Enterprises/Coors Light Pontiac Sandra Hill David Hill
88 Bryon Chew, Mattituck, N.Y. Buzz Chew Chevrolet/GT Vodka Chevrolet Buzz Chew Michael Rutkowski
93 Rowan Pennink, Huntingdon Valley, Pa. Monk Mechanics Hand Cleaner Chevrolet Mark Pennink Don Barker
99 Jamie Tomaino, Howell, N.J. Supreme Manufacturing Chevrolet Trey Tomaino Trey Tomaino
* Sunoco Rookie of the Year contender
Entry List – As of May 11