Dowling Set for Rookie Campaign
JT Motorsports announced today that they will field a second NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour car next season. Chase Dowling of Roxbury, CT will drive the No. 9 as a teammate to former champion Jamie Tomaino. The team will use a new 2014 Troyer with Billy the Kid power. Tomaino will be working on the car full-time in New Jersey. The combination will pair a rookie with one of the series most experienced drivers. The 17-year-old worked on Tomaino’s pit crew last year.
“Most of my 57 SK Modified® crew is going to come over and help work on the tour car,” Dowling said. “…My guys are going to be more track help.”
Dunleavy’s Truck & Trailer Repair and S&S Asphalt Paving are the primary sponsors. Spectro Performance Oils, All About You Home Care Services, John Carrigan Heating and Air Conditioning, Family Electric, Billy the Kid, Arbitell Convenience Stores, and Dough Broker will also be supporting the effort.
Doug Dunleavy will also sponsor defending champion Doug Coby, Jamie Tomaino, Tom Abele on the Whelen Southern Modified Tour, and SK and SK Light Modifieds at Stafford. S&S Asphalt Paving has been with Dowling since he was seven racing Go Karts. This is Dowling’s third year with Dunleavy. “It’s awesome to see that he’s given back to us and this guy that loves racing puts money into it and wants to see people do good. … He’s just good guy to be around, and I couldn’t be happier I met him three years ago at his shop.”
“I’ve just got to thank Jamie Tomaino. He’s probably one of the biggest supporters of mine right now at the moment. He’s one of the guys that actually giving me an opportunity to run (the) Whelen Modified Tour. He’s actually wanting to improve my career and giving me a chance at trying to run up front and he’s going to be supplying the cars.”
The ironman of the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour, Tomaino won the championship in 1990 and has started all but five of the 587 races since 1985. Tomaino was the recipient of the Sonny “King” Richards Memorial Award at Thompson in October.
“I wouldn’t want to learn from anyone else besides Jamie. Jamie’s been around the sport for a really long (time), and he’s got some great stories about his history and his racing career. To have a veteran to work with is going to be awesome. … It’s going to be a great combination and I think everyone is going to click right out there from the start.”
He feels fortunate to be racing on the Whelen Modified Tour. He expected to continue in the SK Modifieds® again, but was uncertain on what 2015 would bring. It was difficult to get his foot in the door, as teams preferred drivers with more experience or sponsorship.
Sponsorships have allowed Dowling to race since he moved from Go Karts to Legend Cars. “I don’t come from a big, rich family. I’m working after school everyday splitting wood and I’m just a kid that’s trying on my own to make a good living.”
“If you want something bad enough, you’ll get it, and I think that’s what’s going on. My team and Jamie, they all want it so bad for me to run in a tour car. … They’re making it happen now with all my sponsors are coming in. … When you’ve got people that don’t want to give up and want to see you succeed with your racing then it’s going to happen.”
“Jamie Tomaino’s an awesome guy and I couldn’t be doing it without him. He’s given me a huge opportunity, and a ton of his time and effort just to give me an opportunity, just to prove who I am and hopefully bring success to his team.”
Dowling’s goal is to win the Rookie of the Year award. “I’m not going to have the highest (expectations) going out there and you’re going out there against the best people … and just the opportunity to race against them is awesome.
“The biggest thing is you’re racing against the best of the best people. There’s not one person out there that’s not giving 110 percent every week, so the competition’s the hardest it’s going to be. … You’re racing against the best people in Ted Christopher, Woody Pitkat, Bobby Santos, there’s just huge names out there that you can’t take away.”
“I definitely have the equipment that’s going to be capable of winning, I believe. … When I get comfortable with everything and learning all the tracks, we’re going to be competitive, it’s just there’s a ton of competition.”
Dowling will run a “few” SK Modified® races at Stafford as time permits. He will return for a part-time Valenti Modified Racing Series schedule driving the No. 2X for Bobby Judkins. Dowling made his debut last fall at Waterford (CT) Speedbowl.
A graduate of Stafford Motor Speedway, Dowling had two solid seasons in weekly competition. Dowling finished fifth in the SK Modified® standings at Stafford Motor Speedway with one win, four top fives, and 12 top 10s. He won the SPAFCO Rookie of the Year Award and was the youngest winner in division’s history. He was the 2013 Rookie of the Year and finished second in the SK Light Modified standings.
Dowling began his career at age six in Go Karts, and won the 2012 Summer Shootout championship at Charlotte Motor Speedway in Legend Cars.
Sources: Nicholas Teto/YankeeRacer.com