Whelen Mod Tour Stat Advance: Riverhead
Analyzing The Hoosier Tire 200 At Riverhead Raceway
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – The NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour will return to action with the Hoosier Tire 200 on Saturday at Riverhead Raceway on New York’s Long Island. Below is a statistical look at the performance of tour and selected drivers at the track:
Hoosier Tire 200 Setup:
• Season points leader Justin Bonsignore earned his first NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour victory at Riverhead Raceway in 2011, the same season he also captured the track’s NASCAR Whelen All-American Series title.
• Ryan Preece has won four of his eight career NWMT starts at Riverhead, including the last three races in a row. The defending tour titlist will look at the Hoosier Tire 200 as an opportunity to gain his first win of 2014.
• In addition to Bonsignore, Donny Lia and Rowan Pennink also earned their first career victories at Riverhead. Lia is tied with Preece for the most wins among active drivers at the quarter-mile with four.
At Riverhead Raceway:
History
• Opened in 1951 as a dirt track and converted to asphalt in 1955.
• Held its first NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour race on July 10, 1985 during the NWMT’s first season. The inaugural race was won by Jimmy Spencer.
• Has held 53 NWMT races all-time, fourth-most among all venues.
• Is one of two tracks to play host to the NWMT in each of its now 30 seasons of competition, along with Connecticut’s Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park.
Notebook
• At .25 miles, Riverhead is the smallest track on the schedule along with Monadnock Speedway.
• This marks the second year in a row that Riverhead will welcome the NWMT twice in the same season. There will be multiple races in a season at Riverhead in 22 of 30 seasons of the tour.
• There have been four NWMT races that have been won by Riverhead NASCAR Whelen All-American Series drivers. The last of which was Ed Brunnhoelzl Jr. in 1995.
• Mike Ewanitsko experienced more success than any other NWMT driver at Riverhead during his days as a competitor. His 11 wins and eight poles lead in both categories.
• Donny Lia and Ryan Preece the active wins leaders at Riverhead with four apiece while Ted Christopher and Preece have the most poles among current competitors with two.
Riverhead Raceway Data
Race: #5 of 14 overall, #1 of 2 at Riverhead
Track Layout: .25-mile banked asphalt oval
• Race Length: 200 laps (50 miles)
Qualifying/Race Data
2013 Race Winner: Ryan Preece
2013 Pole Winner: Ron Silk
Qualifying Record: Chuck Steuer (11.546 seconds, 77.949 mph, 6/10/00)
Active Category Leaders At Riverhead:
Wins
1. Donny Lia … 4
Ryan Preece … 4
3. Ted Christopher … 3
4. Justin Bonsignore … 1
Rowan Pennink … 1
Poles
1. Ted Christopher … 2
Ryan Preece … 2
3. Howie Brode … 1
Ron Silk … 1
Timmy Solomito … 1
Jamie Tomaino … 1
Top Fives
1. Ted Christopher … 10
2. Ryan Preece … 7
3. Howie Brode … 6
Donny Lia … 6
Jamie Tomaino … 6
Top 10s
1. Jamie Tomaino … 22
2. Ted Christopher … 15
3. Howie Brode … 13
4. Ryan Preece … 8
5. Donny Lia … 7
Laps Led
1. Donny Lia … 516
2. Ted Christopher … 494
3. Ryan Preece … 406
4. Justin Bonsignore … 185
5. Timmy Solomito … 176
Starts
1. Jamie Tomaino … 51
2. Ted Christopher … 24
3. Howie Brode … 19
4. Donny Lia … 15
5. Ken Heagy … 14
Todd Szegedy … 14
Select Driver Highlights:
NOTE: Bullring races defined as tracks .25-.375 miles
Justin Bonsignore (No. 51 chem3.com Chevrolet)
• Has four wins, three poles and 37 top 10s in 64 career starts.
• Won the 2014 opener at Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park. Has top-five finishes in all four races this year and is the championship points leader by two tallies over Doug Coby.
• In 14 career bullring races he has two wins, 11 top fives, 369 laps led and a NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour-best average finish of 5.7 among active competitors.
• Has a win (2011), five top fives, 185 laps led and an average finish of 7.7 in seven career NWMT starts at Riverhead Raceway. Made his NWMT debut with a fourth place finish at Riverhead in 2007.
• The 2011 NASCAR Whelen All-American Series track champion at Riverhead.
Ted Christopher (No. 13 J&R Pre-Cast/Cape Cod Aggregates Chevrolet)
• The 2008 NWMT champion has 42 wins, 24 poles and 185 top 10s in 339 career starts. His 42 wins rank third all-time and his 24 poles are eighth.
• Is looking to end a 33-race winless drought. It’s his longest such streak since the start of his career when his first win came in his 94th race.
• Has top 10s in all four races this year with his new team, including his first podium last time out at Waterford Speedbowl.
• Has five wins, three poles, 1,038 laps led and an average finish of 10.5 in 70 career bullring starts.
• Has three wins (2002, `05, `06), two poles, 15 top 10s, 494 laps led and an average finish of 10.7 in 24 career NWMT starts at Riverhead.
Doug Coby (No. 2 Dunleavy’s Repair/HEX Performance Chevrolet)
• The 2012 NWMT champion has 10 wins, four poles and 70 top 10s in 147 career starts.
• Won the non-points UNOH Battle At The Beach on the short track at Daytona International Speedway in February and recorded podiums in the first three regular season races, including a win at Stafford Motor Speedway in June.
• Has 12 top 10s and an average finish of 14.1 in 31 career bullring starts.
• Has two top 10s, an average finish of 15.5 and a best result of fifth (2011) in eight career Riverhead races.
Eric Goodale (No. 58 GAF Roofing/RBSCorp.com Chevrolet)
• Has a pole and 29 top 10s in 77 career NWMT starts. Best finish was second last June at Riverhead.
• Inherited the NWMT’s active starts streak lead, now at 75 races, when Ed Flemke Jr. did not run the 2014 opener.
• Has a pole, five top 10s and an average finish of 14.4 in 13 career bullring starts.
• Has four top 10s, an average finish of ninth and a best result of second in six career NWMT Riverhead races.
Matt Hirschman (No. 52 BC Brennenstuhl/L.I. Mod Maniac Chevrolet)
• Has two wins, three poles and 41 top 10s in 81 career NWMT starts.
• Has a win, a pole, six top 10s and an average finish of 12.4 in 15 career bullring races.
• Has an average finish of 12.2 and a best result of sixth (2013) in five career Riverhead races.
Donny Lia (No. 4 Mystic Missile Racing Dodge)
• The 2007 and 2009 NWMT champion has 17 wins, 19 poles and 74 top 10s in 145 career starts.
• Ranks seventh in points with a pair of top 10s and a best result of second last week at Waterford.
• Owner of six wins, four poles, 16 top fives and an average finish of 11.1 in 39 career bullring races.
• Has four wins (2003, `04, `05, `07), two additional top fives, an average finish 11.5 and 516 laps led in 15 career NWMT Riverhead starts. Made his NWMT debut there in 2001.
Rowan Pennink (No. 93 Monk Mechanics Hand Cleaner Chevrolet)
• Has two wins and 51 top 10s in 104 career starts.
• Sits eighth in points this year with two top fives, including a best run of third in the Stafford Spring Sizzler.
• Has a win, nine top 10s and an average finish of 11.4 in 17 career bullring starts.
• Has a win (2010), four top 10s and an average finish of 10.4 in eight career Riverhead starts. That 2010 win was the first of his NWMT career.
Woody Pitkat (No. 88 East West Marine/Elbow East Chevrolet)
• Has a pole and 38 top 10s in 82 career starts. Best career finish is second, recorded three times: August 2011 Loudon, 2012 Stafford Fall Final and 2014 Thompson Icebreaker.
• Ranks fourth in points this year with top 10s in all four races and a best result of second in the Thompson opener.
• Has five top 10s and an average finish of 11.4 in nine career bullring starts.
• Has two top 10s, an average finish of 10.2 and a best result of fourth (2013) in four previous Riverhead races.
Ryan Preece (No. 16 East West Marine/Diversified Metals Ford)
• The 2013 NWMT champion has nine wins, 12 poles, 25 podiums, 42 top fives and 57 top 10s in 99 career starts.
• Ranks 12th in points after four races with a best result of sixth last week at Waterford.
• Has six wins, three poles, 11 top fives, 584 laps led and an average finish of 7.2 in 17 career bullring races.
• Has four wins, two poles and an average finish of third in eight career NWMT starts at Riverhead. His first tour start there in 2007, in which he finished 10th, is his only result outside the top five.
• First Riverhead win came in 2009, followed by triumphs in the last three NWMT events there.
Bobby Santos (No. 44 Tinio Racing/ImperialCars.com Chevrolet)
• The 2010 NWMT champion has 12 wins, 14 poles and 46 top 10s in 84 career starts.
• Ranks third in points with a tour-high two wins (Stafford Spring Sizzler, Waterford) and an additional podium (June Stafford).
• Has a win (last week at Waterford), six top 10s and an average finish of 12.8 in 10 career bullring starts.
• Has finishes of ninth (2009 and `11) and 25th (`13) in his only three previous Riverhead starts.
Ron Silk (No. 6 TS Haulers/Calverton Tree Farm Chevrolet)
• The 2011 NWMT champion has nine wins, eight poles and 75 top 10s in 129 career starts.
• Earned the NWAAS modified division title in the New Smyrna Speedway World Series in February.
• Has 13 top 10s and an average finish of 11.6 in 22 career bullring starts.
• Has four podiums, an average finish of 12.3 and a best result of second (2008) in nine career NWMT starts at Riverhead.
Timmy Solomito (No. 75 Eastport Feeds/Axel Anderson Inc. Chevrolet)
• Has a pole and four top 10s in 11 career starts with a best finish of third at Riverhead in September 2013.
• The Sunoco Rookie of the Race in the first three 2014 events, and ranks 11th in the overall standings with a best result of fourth in the Thompson opener.
• Competed in both NWMT races at Riverhead last year. Finished 23rd in June and third in September. Won his first career pole and led a career-high 176 laps in the September race.
Todd Szegedy (No. 20 East West Marine Chevrolet)
• The 2003 NWMT champion has 18 wins, 10 poles and 113 top 10s in 181 career starts.
• This will be his first NWMT appearance of 2014.
• In 43 career bullring races he’s recorded four wins, two poles, 26 top 10s and an average finish of 10.8.
• Has six top 10s, an average finish of 13th and a best result of second (2011) in 14 career Riverhead races.
Up To Speed:
• The 2014 season is the 30th for the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour.
• The 2014 schedule features 14 races at seven different tracks across four states.
• The competition season opened with the non-points UNOH Battle At The Beach on the short track at Daytona International Speedway on Feb. 18. Ryan Preece was the polesitter and Doug Coby took the checkered flag.
• Justin Bonsignore passed first-time pole winner Woody Pitkat with nine laps to go to win the points season opener at Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park on April 6.
• Rookie Tommy Barrett Jr. captured his first pole and Bobby Santos earned his sixth Stafford Motor Speedway victory on April 27.
• After two rainouts, the third race of the season finally got in the books on June 6 when Doug Coby took the checkered flag at Stafford. Santos earned the pole on the original May 23 race date.
• The first bullring race of the year saw a battle between polesitter Donny Lia and Bobby Santos on June 21 at Waterford Speedbowl, and Santos eventually won out for his 12th career victory.
• Following this week’s Hoosier Tire 200, the NWMT will return to action on Friday, July 11 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway for the non-points Whelen All-Star Shootout invitational event. The New Hampshire 100 will follow on Saturday, July 12.
Sources: Jason Cunningham/NASCAR WMT PR