Modified Tour Set for Return to Stafford
Coby Looks To Regain Stafford Perch
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Following a rainout on the originally scheduled race date, the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour is set to return to Stafford (Conn.) Motor Speedway for the TSI Harley-Davidson 125 presented by G-Oil on Friday, June 7.
The race was to be contested on May 24, but instead it became the second rainout in a row for the Whelen Modified Tour, which was also supposed to race at Monadnock Speedway in Winchester, N.H., on May 11.
As a result of the pair of postponements, the resumption of racing action on Friday will draw to a close a period of 40 days between Whelen Modified Tour events. The last race took place on April 28, also at Stafford. The layoff marked just the third time in the 29-year history of the Whelen Modified Tour that there was no race contested in the month of May.
While 40 days is the longest in-season layoff since a 51-day span in 2006, defending tour titlist Doug Coby – also the defending winner of the TSI Harley-Davidson 125 – doesn’t seem to be phased by the unplanned lull in the schedule.
“It is what it is, it’s nothing we can control,” Coby said. “I think we’re all used to having significant layoffs at the beginning of the season anyway. In the past, we haven’t raced a whole lot in May and June, it’s been a little better [the last few years] with the schedule.
“Nobody’s really gotten into a groove on the tour yet, so 14 days or 40 days I don’t really think makes much of a difference for anybody.”
Like a number of his Whelen Modified Tour peers, Coby has kept his skills sharp by racing in other series, specifically the SK Modifieds as part of Stafford’s NASCAR Whelen All-American Series weekly action. Coby has competed in three SK Mod events at Stafford since the tour last raced on April 28.
“It gets me out there. It’s one of those things where it’s good to just keep your brain in the mode of looking at cars in traffic, making decisions and seeing what works and what doesn’t,” Coby said. “It’s been somewhat similar (SK versus tour mods), but at the same time it’s a little different style of racing, a little different style of car.”
As focus shifts back to the Whelen Modified Tour’s return to action, Coby will have his hands full on Friday if he wants to defend his 2012 TSI Harley-Davidson 125 victory. The Milford, Conn., driver actually won each of the first three tour races at Stafford last season, but the two events there since have gone to Bobby Santos.
Although the field will be overflowing with contenders for the checkered flag, Santos and Coby have separated themselves a bit from the completion the last few years as they’ve combined to win eight of the last 12 Whelen Modified Tour events at Stafford.
“I don’t really know how that has worked out, and I think Bobby would say the same thing,” Santos said. “I think we both adapt very well to Stafford – flat track, momentum, being smart. Conserving but at the same being aggressive is a trait that I think Bobby and I share.
“And obviously our crew chiefs are putting setups in the car that we just get in and don’t screw the thing up,” Coby added.
They’ve had to go head-to-head on the track as well. In this 125-lap race last year, it was Coby who made a pass on Santos with eight laps to go for the victory.
Now that the Whelen Modified Tour is finally set to resume action, Coby gives Santos credit as the favorite going in, but with a nod to the high level of competition they’ll both have to contend with.
“Going back there I’d say Bobby is the favorite because he’s won the last two and we’re going back there with the same car we won both night races with last year,” Coby said. “But then there’s Ryan [Preece], Ron [Silk] and Ted [Christopher] … and Justin [Bonsignore], Rowan [Pennink] and Donny [Lia]. We’re all equal in my eyes.”
RACE: TSI Harley-Davidson 125 pres. by G-Oil
PLACE: Stafford (Conn.) Motor Speedway
DATE: Friday, June 7
TIME: 9:15 p.m. ET
TRACK LAYOUT: .5-mile, banked asphalt oval
2012 WINNER: Doug Coby
2012 POLESITTER: Bobby Santos
EVENT SCHEDULE: Practice 2:30-3:30 p.m., Qualifying 6 p.m., Driver Autograph Session 7:30 p.m.
TRACK CONTACT: Scott Running, 860-684-2783, scottrunning@staffordspeedway.com
TRACK TWITTER: @StaffordSpeedwy
EVENT TWITTER HASHTAG: #TSIHD125
NASCAR CONTACT: John Tejeda, 386-500-3015, jtejeda@nascar.com , Twitter: @onthegoJT
FAST FACTS:
The Race: The 23rd Annual TSI Harley-Davidson 125 presented by G-Oil will be the third race on the 2013 NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour schedule and the second of four events this season at Stafford Motor Speedway.
The Procedure: The maximum starting field is 31 cars, including provisionals. The first 26 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 125 laps (62.5 miles) and the race tire change rule is two tires, any position.
The Track: A half-mile, slightly-banked oval, Stafford originated as a horse racing track in the 1870s. After seven decades as a horse track, the dirt oval started holding automobile races following World War II. Stafford became a NASCAR track in 1959 and was paved for the first time in 1967.
Race Winners: There have been 31 different race winners at Stafford all-time, led by Mike Stefanik’s 20 victories. Doug Coby is the defending winner of the TSI Harley-Davidson 125, the second of his three victories at the track in 2012. Bobby Santos won this season’s first race at Stafford.
Pole Winners: There have been 40 different pole winners at Stafford, led by Stefanik’s 17. Ryan Preece holds the tour’s track qualifying record at 17.924 seconds (100.424 mph). Bobby Santos set fast time for this event a year ago, as well as the first trip to Stafford this year.
Sources: Jason Cunningham/NASCAR WMT PR
NWMT Stafford 6/7/13 Schedule
Time Series Event
10 a.m. NWMT Haulers Enter
11 a.m. NWMT Garage Opens
2:30-3:30 p.m. NWMT Practice
3:30-5:30 p.m. NWAAS Practice
6 p.m. NWMT Qualifying
6:30 p.m. NWAAS Feature Races Begin
7 p.m. NWMT Driver/Crew Chief Meeting
7:30 p.m. NWMT Driver Autograph Session
9:15 p.m. NWMT TSI Harley-Davidson 125 pres. by G-Oil (125 Laps/62.5 Miles)
All times ET and subject to change
NWMT Stafford 6/7/13 Entry List
CAR DRIVER/HOMETOWN TEAM OWNER CREW CHIEF
2 Todd Szegedy, Ridgefield, Conn Dunleavy Repair/A&J Romano Const. Chevrolet 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
7 Gary Putnam, Concord, N.C. Stock Car Steel Chevrolet Marcy Putnam Gary Putnam
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
25 Zane Zeiner, Bath, Pa. ATC Chevrolet Gary Cretty Barry Kuhnel
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
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. Fast Track Electric/Scorpion Const. Chevrolet Mike Murphy Curt Chase
68 Johnny Bush, Huntington Station, N.Y. Buoy One Seafood/JB Stone Chevrolet Charlene Bush TBA
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 Ron Ste-Marie
89 Timmy Solomito, Islip, N.Y. * EMPower/Eastport Feeds Chevrolet Jerry Solomito Jerry Solomito
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 16