Whelen Mod Statistical Advance: Waterford
Analyzing The Mr. Rooter 161 At Waterford Speedbowl
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – The NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour will head to Waterford (Conn.) Speedbowl for the Mr. Rooter 161 on Saturday, June 22. Below is a statistical look at the performance of tour and selected drivers at the track:
Waterford Race Setup:
• Season points leader Ryan Preece brings a streak of nine straight top-10 finishes into this week’s event at Waterford Speedbowl, including a pair of wins and four additional podiums.
• Donny Lia and Ed Flemke Jr. are the only active drivers with multiple NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour wins at Waterford. Lia has recorded five straight top-five finishes at the track, including his two wins.
• Waterford is one of only two tracks that the NWMT currently visits in which Mike Stefanik does not have a victory.
AT WATERFORD SPEEDBOWL:
History
• The facility opened to auto racing on April 15, 1951.
• Waterford is a NASCAR Whelen All-American Series-sanctioned track with SK Modifieds as the headline division.
• The NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour held 18 races at Waterford from 1985-2012.
• The track has also played host to seven NASCAR K&N Pro Series East races during its history, and the former NASCAR North Tour visited twice.
Notebook
• The previous 18 races produced 14 different race winners and 11 different pole winners.
• There has never been a driver earn back-to-back victories at Waterford.
• Jamie Tomaino is the only driver to compete in all 18 previous NWMT events at the track.
• Seven current NWMT drivers have won weekly SK Modified races at Waterford, including: Ted Christopher (33), Ron Yuhas Jr. (24), Eric Berndt (15), Doug Coby (4), Ed Flemke Jr. (4), Ron Silk (2) and Woody Pitkat (1).
Waterford Speedbowl Data
Race: #4 of 14
Track Layout: .375-mile asphalt oval
• Race Length: 161 laps (60.375 miles)
• Banking–turns: 8 to 12 degrees
• Banking–straights: progressive
Qualifying/Race Data
2012 Race Winner: Doug Coby
2012 Pole Winner: Ted Christopher
Qualifying Record: Jerry Marquis (13.618 seconds, 99.133 mph – 10/8/06)
ACTIVE CATEGORY LEADERS AT WATERFORD:
Wins
1. Ed Flemke Jr. … 2
Donny Lia … 2
3. Ted Christopher … 1
Doug Coby … 1
Toddy Szegedy … 1
Poles
1. Ted Christopher … 2
2. Ed Flemke Jr. … 1
Laps Led
1. Ted Christopher … 271
2. Ed Flemke Jr. … 232
3. Todd Szegedy … 178
4. Donny Lia … 173
5. Doug Coby … 118
Starts
1. Jamie Tomaino … 18
2. Ted Christopher … 14
3. Ed Flemke Jr. … 14
4. Mike Stefanik … 12
5. Todd Szegedy … 9
SELECTED DRIVER HIGHLIGHTS:
Jimmy Blewett (No. 76 John Blewett Inc./TS Haulers Chevrolet)
• Has five wins, two poles and 35 top 10s in 103 career NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour starts.
• Ranks ninth in points with top-10 finishes in each of the season’s first three races. Best finish was sixth in the opener at Thompson International Speedway.
• Has an average finish of 21st and a best result of 13th (2012) in two career starts at Waterford Speedbowl.
Justin Bonsignore (No. 51 M3 Technology Chevrolet)
• Has two wins, three poles and 27 top 10s in 49 career NWMT starts.
• Is fourth in points with top 10s in each of the three races and a best result of second in the Spring Sizzler at Stafford Motor Speedway.
• Finished as the runner-up last year at Waterford in his only previous race at the track.
Ted Christopher (No. 3 Silver Dollar Construction/Cape Cod Copper Chevrolet)
• The 2008 NWMT champion, he has 42 wins, 24 poles and 177 top 10s in 323 career starts. His 42 wins rank third all-time and his 24 poles are eighth.
• Is eighth in points this season, highlighted by top-five finishes in the first two races of the year.
• Has a win (2002), two poles, eight top 10s, an average finish of 11th and 270 laps led (active leader) in 14 career NWMT starts at Waterford.
• Earned the track championship at Waterford in 1992 and has 36 total career wins at the track.
Doug Coby (No. 52 Reynolds Auto Wrecking/Furnace & Duct Supply Chevrolet)
• The 2012 NWMT champion has seven wins, four poles and 58 top 10s in 133 career starts.
• Ranks sixth in points after three races with top 10s in all three races and a best result of sixth on two occasions.
• Has six wins and 25 top 10s in 34 overall starts with the No. 52 team since the end of the 2010 season.
• Has a win (2012), four top 10s, an average finish of 13th and 155 laps led in eight career NWMT starts at Waterford.
Donny Lia (No. 4 Circle Track Magazine Dodge)
• The 2007 and 2009 NWMT champion. He has 16 wins, 16 poles and 66 top 10s in 130 career starts.
• Currently ranks 10th in points with a pair of top-10 finishes and a best result of fourth last time out at Stafford.
• Has two wins (2005, `06), five top fives, an average finish of ninth and 173 laps led in eight career starts at Waterford.
• Is one of only two active drivers – along with Ed Flemke Jr. – who have multiple career wins at Waterford.
Rowan Pennink (No. 93 Monk Mechanics Hand Cleaner Chevrolet)
• Has a win and 44 top 10s in 91 career starts.
• Is second in points after three races with top fives in all three races and a best finish of second in the opener.
• Finished sixth last year at Waterford in his only previous NWMT race at the track.
Ryan Preece (No. 16 East West Marine/Diversified Metals Ford)
• Has six wins, 12 poles and 47 top 10s in 84 career starts.
• The season points leader with an average finish of third through three races. He won last time out at Stafford.
• In 18 races with Flamingo Motorsports he has three wins, seven poles, 13 top 10s and 12 races led.
• Finished third last year at Waterford in his only previous NWMT race there.
Bobby Santos (No. 44 Tinio Racing/Brendan Kelley Music Chevrolet)
• The 2010 NWMT champion has nine wins, 10 poles and 37 top 10s in 71 career starts.
• Ranks fifth in points with a pair of top-five finishes, including a victory in the Stafford Spring Sizzler.
• Finished 22nd last year in his first NWMT start at Waterford.
Ron Silk (No. 6 TS Haulers/Calverton Tree Farm Chevrolet)
• The 2011 NWMT champion has nine wins, seven poles and 64 top 10s in 114 career starts.
• Sits seventh in points after three races with two top fives, including a runner-up effort last time out at Stafford.
• Has an average finish of 19th with a best result of 11th (2012) in three career NWMT starts at Waterford.
Mike Stefanik (No. 22 Robert B. Our Co./Canto & Sons Paving Ford)
• The 1989, 1991, 1997, 1998, 2001, 2002 and 2006 NWMT champion.
• Holds NWMT records for most titles (seven), wins (73), poles (48), top fives (221) and top 10s (295).
• Is third in points with top-10 finishes in all three races, highlighted by a victory in the Thompson opener.
• Has 11 top 10s with an average finish of sixth in 12 career NWMT starts at Waterford. Best result there is second, recorded in both 2001 and 2004.
• Waterford and Bristol Motor Speedway are the only tracks on the 2013 schedule in which he has not reached Victory Lane or earned a pole during his NWMT career.
Todd Szegedy (No. 2 Dunleavy Truck & Trailer Repair/A&J Romano Construction Ford)
• The 2003 NWMT champion has 17 wins, nine poles and 106 top 10s in 170 career starts.
• Ranks 15th in points after three races with a best result of 13th last time out at Waterford.
• In the last 19 overall races, he’s recorded eight top fives and eight finishes of 16th or worse.
• Has a win (2004), five top fives, an average finish of 11th and 178 laps led in nine career NWMT starts at Waterford.
UP TO SPEED:
• The 2013 season is the 29th for the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour.
• The 2013 schedule features 14 races at seven different tracks across four states.
• The competition season began with the non-points UNOH Battle At The Beach on the short track at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway on Feb. 19. The Modified feature was won by Steve Park.
• Mike Stefanik won from the pole in the season-opening Icebreaker at Thompson (Conn.) International Speedway on April 14.
• Bobby Santos matched Stefanik’s feat from the opener when he won from the pole in the second race of the season on April 28 at Stafford (Conn.) Motor Speedway.
• The third race of the season was to take place at Monadnock Speedway on May 11 but the event was postponed to July 27 due to rain.
• Last time out at Stafford on June 14 it was Santos on the pole, but Ryan Preece rallied from the rear for the victory. The race was postponed twice – on May 24 and June 7 – due to rain.
Sources: Jason Cunningham/NASCAR WMT PR