The Modified Nationals: A Historical Retrospect
Waterford, CT — When the New Waterford Speedbowl kicks off its season with the April 12-13 Budweiser Modified Nationals featuring the SK-150, it will mark the 58th consecutive season of auto racing at the three-eights mile oval. Bob Swift won the first ever season opener back on April 15, 1951.
During the 1950’s, the Speedbowl traditionally opened on Easter Sunday – annually gathering over 5,000 people. In the early 1970’s, the extra-distance season-opener flourished starting with the popular Blast Off! event that premiered in 1972. The legendary Ed Flemke was the inaugural winner. Under several different formats, Blast Off opened the season for the next 25 years, making the transition from an open-competition Modified feature to an SK-Modified point event in 1985.
The Modified Nationals event debuted in 1997 with a 200 lapper for SK-Modifieds, Steve Chowansky the winner win. In 2000, Mark LaJeunesse was declared the winner after the race was called due to rain with 101 laps completed.
The following season (2001) the event was shortened to its current 150-lap distance. The only driver with two SK-150 wins is Eric Berndt, who won back-to-back events in 2001-2002, the latter worth a record $8,000 first-place check. Other SK-150 winners include former track champions Ted Christopher (1999), Dennis Gada (2003) and Jeff Pearl (2007), two-time Late Model champ-turned-Head Tech Inspector Tom Fox (2005) as well as Bert Marvin (1998), James Civali (2004) and Frank Ruocco (2006).
Traditionally, the Speedbowl’s season openers have attracted the region’s most talented stars dating back to the early 1950’s and this season’s $5,000 winner’s purse will be no exception. Over the years, those visitors have created an exciting ‘we verses them” dynamic against the weekly Speedbowl contingent. That was never more evident than last year, when home-track veteran Jeff Pearl beat Robbie Summers on a late-race restart, then held off Matt Hirschman over the final lap and a half to capture the prestigious victory and big pay-day for the “home team”.
The Modified Nationals is also the first of the Triple Crown extra-distant events for all four of the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series divisions. In addition to the SK-150, the Late Models will run 50 laps while the Sportsman and Mini Stock features will be 30 laps.
Since 1998 when the mid-season Pepsi 300 was implemented, and along with the Town Fair Tire Finale, which closes each championship point season, there are three extra distance events on the schedule. Each 2008 winner will be eligible for a Triple Crown season sweep – a feat accomplished only by Allen Coates (1998) and Jay Stuart (1999) in the Late Models and most recently by two-time defending Sportsman Champion Dwayne Dorr (2006). Last year, both Jeff Pearl (SK) and Bill Gertsch Jr. (SM) won the first 2 legs, but came up short during Finale weekend.
A “career” Triple Crown is only a little less difficult. Just ten drivers have captured all three events in one division during their Speedbowl careers. Three-time Track Champion Corey Hutchings joins Coates and Stuart as Late Model career Triple Crown winners. He is also the only driver to hold the distinction in two divisions – capturing all 3 legs during his Sportsman career from 1998-1999. Ed Gertsch, the 2004 Sportsman Champion, also holds the distinction.
Two-time Champion Jeff Miller, Phil Evans, Richard Brooks and defending Champion Ken Cassidy Jr. are also on the Mini Stock career Triple Crown winners list.
The SK Modified division has yet to see a driver capture all three events but returning weekly competitor Ron Yuhas Jr. – who has the most overall SK Triple Crown career wins with five, is in line to do this year’s opener. Yuhas has won two mid-season 100 lappers as well as 3 straight Finale 100’s from 1999-2001.
The SK-150 is the first of two-scheduled time trial qualifying events. Last year, Jimmy Blewett set the quickest time with a 14.233 effort – a record for the season opener. Kenny Horton holds the overall SK Modified track record at 14.061, set during last season’s Pepsi 300.
Sources: “Sid” DiMaggio/Waterford Speedbowl PR