Whelen Mod Tour Stat Advance: Monadnock
Analyzing The Town Fair Tire Whitcomb 200 At Monadnock
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – The 2013 NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour season will reach the midway point with the rescheduled Town Fair Tire Whitcomb 200 on Saturday, July 27 at Monadnock Speedway in rural Winchester, N.H. Below is a statistical look at the performance of the tour and selected drivers at the track:
Monadnock Race Setup:
• The eight previous NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour races at Monadnock Speedway have been won by eight different drivers.
• Season points leader and defending Town Fair Tire Whitcomb 200 victor Ryan Preece has won the last three tour races at quarter-mile tracks.
• The points leader at the midway point has gone on to win the championship in each of the previous three seasons.
• Ed Flemke Jr.’s NWMT record for consecutive starts will reach 375 with this race.
AT MONADNOCK SPEEDWAY:
History
• Monadnock Speedway opened Aug. 13, 1971.
• Monadnock has played host to the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour eight times previously from 1986-90 and 2010-present.
• A member of the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series, Monadnock sanctions five divisions in its weekly program, headlined by the Sportsman Modifieds.
Notebook
• Ken Bouchard won the inaugural NWMT race at Monadnock on May 18, 1986. Bouchard also earned the first two poles at the track.
• Current competitors Ted Christopher (2010), Ryan Preece (2012), Mike Stefanik (1988), Todd Szegedy (2011) and Jamie Tomaino (1990) have earned wins at the track.
• The two previous Monadnock events have been won from the pole: Szegedy (2011), Preece (2012).
• Stefanik and Tomaino are the only two drivers to compete in all eight previous tour events at Monadnock.
• Although he is still looking for the checkered flag, Ron Silk is the only driver to finish in the top five in all three events since the NWMT returned to Monadnock in 2010.
Monadnock Speedway Data
Race: #7 of 14
Track Layout: .25-mile asphalt oval
• Race Length: 200 laps (50 miles)
• Banking/Turns 1 & 2: 18 degrees
• Banking/Turns 3 & 4: 16 degrees
Qualifying/Race Data
2012 Pole/Race Winner: Ryan Preece
Qualifying Record: Ryan Preece (12.313 seconds, 73.082 mph – 5/12/12)
ACTIVE CAREER CATEGORY LEADERS:
Wins
1. Mike Stefanik … 73
2. Ted Christopher … 42
3. Ed Flemke Jr. … 17
Todd Szegedy … 17
5. Donny Lia … 15
Poles
1. Mike Stefanik … 48
2. Ted Christopher … 24
3. Ed Flemke Jr. … 16
Donny Lia … 16
5. Ryan Preece … 12
Laps Led
1. Mike Stefanik … 9,034
2. Ted Christopher … 6,702
3. Todd Szegedy … 2,696
4. Ed Flemke Jr. … 2,150
5. Donny Lia … 1,848
Starts
1. Jamie Tomaino … 561
2. Mike Stefanik … 441
3. Ed Flemke Jr. … 431
4. Ted Christopher … 327
5. Wade Cole … 291
SELECTED DRIVER HIGHLIGHTS:
Justin Bonsignore (No. 51 M3 Technology Chevrolet)
• Has two wins, three poles and 28 top 10s in 52 career NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour starts.
• Ranks seventh in points through six races this season with four top-10 finishes, highlighted by a best result of second in the Stafford Spring Sizzler.
• Has finishes of ninth, second and fourth in three career starts at Monadnock.
• Has one career NWMT victory on a quarter-mile track – 2011 at Riverhead.
Ted Christopher (No. 3 Silver Dollar Construction/Cape Cod Copper Chevrolet)
• The 2008 NWMT champion, he has 42 wins, 24 poles and 178 top 10s in 327 career starts. His 42 wins rank third all-time and his 24 poles are eighth.
• Is fifth in the season standings with three top-five finishes in six outings. The runner-up finish last time out at New Hampshire was his best result of the season.
• Won at Monadnock in 2010 and has finishes of sixth and 12th in the two subsequent races.
• Has three additional NWMT wins at quarter-mile tracks – all at Riverhead.
Doug Coby (No. 52 Reynolds Auto Wrecking/Furnace & Duct Supply Chevrolet)
• The 2012 NWMT champion has eight wins, four poles and 61 top 10s in 136 career starts.
• Ranks third in points with five top 10s in six races, highlighted by a win last time out at New Hampshire.
• Has finishes of 11th and second the last two seasons at Monadnock, his only previous NWMT starts at the track.
• Is looking for his first NWMT victory on a quarter-mile track.
Donny Lia (No. 4 Circle Track Magazine Dodge)
• The 2007 and 2009 NWMT champion. He has 16 wins, 16 poles and 67 top 10s in 133 career starts.
• Sits sixth in points after six events with three top 10s and a best result of third at Waterford.
• Made his first NWMT appearance at Monadnock last year and finished sixth.
• Has four career NWMT wins at quarter-mile tracks – all at Riverhead.
Rowan Pennink (No. 93 Monk Mechanics Hand Cleaner Chevrolet)
• Has a win and 45 top 10s in 92 career starts.
• Ranks second in points with four top 10s in six races, highlighted by a runner-up finish in the Thompson opener.
• Has finishes of 13th and 10th in his two NWMT starts at Monadnock. Did not compete there last year.
• His lone career NWMT victory came on a quarter-mile track – 2010 at Riverhead.
Woody Pitkat (No. 79 Hill Enterprises/Coors Light Pontiac)
• Has 28 top 10s in 70 career starts with a best finish of second (twice).
• Ranks ninth in points with three top 10s in six races. Has finished sixth in the last two races for his best results of the season.
• Finished 14th in his only previous NWMT start at Monadnock in 2010.
Ryan Preece (No. 16 East West Marine/Diversified Metals Ford)
• Has eight wins, 12 poles and 50 top 10s in 87 career starts.
• Is the season points leader with top-five finishes in all six races, highlighted by three wins. Is in the midst of a career-best streak of 12 straight top-10 finishes dating back to last year.
• In 21 races with Flamingo Motorsports he has five wins, seven poles, 16 top 10s and 15 races led.
• Is the defending Monadnock winner, when he also earned the pole in track record time and led all 175 laps. Finished 23rd in his only other Monadnock start in 2010.
• Has three additional NWMT wins at quarter-mile tracks – all at Riverhead – and carries an average career finish of fifth in nine career starts at such tracks.
Bobby Santos (No. 44 Tinio Racing/Brendan Kelley Music Chevrolet)
• The 2010 NWMT champion has nine wins, 10 poles and 38 top 10s in 73 career starts.
• Ranks 12th in points with three top fives in five starts, highlighted by a win in the Stafford Spring Sizzler. Did not attend the Riverhead event.
• Has finishes of fifth and 15th in his two NWMT starts at Monadnock. Did not compete there last year.
• Is looking for his first NWMT victory on a quarter-mile track.
Andy Seuss (No. 70 Rockingham Boat/Summit Signs Chevrolet)
• Has five top-10 finishes in 29 career NWMT starts. Recorded his best tour finish of fourth last time out at New Hampshire.
• Has finishes of 17th and 13th in his two NWMT starts at Monadnock.
• Is a full-time driver in the NASCAR Whelen Southern Modified Tour where he has 12 wins, seven poles and 55 top 10s in 73 career southern races.
Ron Silk (No. 6 TS Haulers/Calverton Tree Farm Chevrolet)
• The 2011 NWMT champion has nine wins, eight poles and 65 top 10s in 117 career starts.
• Ranks eighth in points this season with three top 10s in six events.
• Has a NWMT-best average finish of fourth in three career races at Monadnock. He’s crossed the line third, fourth and fifth at the track in the three previous seasons.
• Is looking for his first NWMT victory on a quarter-mile track.
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 (222) and top 10s (296).
• Sits fourth in points this year with four top 10s in six outings, highlighted by a win in the opener at Thompson.
• Has a win (1988), a pole (1988), five top 10s and an average finish of eighth in eight career NWMT starts at Monadnock. Is one of two drivers to compete in every tour race at the track along with Jamie Tomaino.
• Including Monadnock, he has nine career wins at quarter-mile tracks.
Todd Szegedy (No. 2 Dunleavy Truck & Trailer Repair/A&J Romano Construction Ford)
• The 2003 NWMT champion has 17 wins, 10 poles and 107 top 10s in 173 career starts.
• Ranks 10th in points with a best result of sixth at Waterford.
• Won the pole and led wire-to-wire for the victory at Monadnock in 2011. Has finishes of 25th and third in his other two NWMT starts there.
• After a mid-season run last year where he finished in the top five in seven of nine races, his average result in the nine races since is 15th.
Jamie Tomaino (No. 99 Supreme Manufacturing Chevrolet)
• The 1990 NWMT champion has three wins, five poles and 243 top 10s in a tour-record 561 career starts.
• Ranks 14th in the season standings with a best finish of 10th last time out at New Hampshire.
• Has a win and a tour-leading four top-five finishes in eight career NWMT races at Monadnock. Is one of two drivers to compete in every tour race at the track along with Mike Stefanik.
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.
• 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.
• Preece made it two-in-a-row when he took the checkered flag following a thrilling green-white-checkered finish at Waterford (Conn.) Speedbowl on June 22. Todd Szegedy was the event’s pole winner.
• At Riverhead on June 29 Preece made it three victories in a row when he took yet another checkered flag. Ron Silk was the pole winner prior to the event.
• Doug Coby earned his first win of the season on July 13 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. Jimmy Blewett was the event’s pole winner.
Sources: Jason Cunningham/NASCAR WMT PR