Mike Stefanik Hoping to Add Fifth Sizzler Trophy to Cabinet with New Owner and Car Number
Stafford Springs, CT — When it comes to the CARQUEST Tech-Net Spring Sizzler at Stafford Motor Speedway, it is hard to find a driver with more success in the race than Mike Stefanik. The 7-time NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour champion has 4 career Sizzler victories to go along with 14 top-5 and 19 top-10 finishes in his 25 career Sizzler starts. Stefanik’s 14 top-5 and 19 top-10 finishes are Sizzler records and his 4 wins are only eclipsed by Ted Christopher’s 6 Sizzler victories. While Stefanik has a new car owner and a new car number for the 2013 season, he has the same crew and equipment from 2012 and he hopes that familiarity will help him to his first Sizzler checkered flag since 1998.
“We have the same team and the same equipment as last year, the only thing that really changed was the car owner and the car number,” said Stefanik. “Last year we ran pretty well at Stafford and I think that Brad LaFontaine has proved that his setups work really well at Stafford. Usually I don’t ask Brad for too many changes on the car once we hit the track and we have some new updates on the car, so I think we should be pretty good. We were really fast last year and I’m looking forward to getting back to Stafford and getting started.”
Stefanik had a great start to his 2013 season in Daytona, qualifying 6th and finding himself in the lead of the race on the final lap before contact with Steve Park sent Stefanik around and relegated him to a 13th place finish. Although that wasn’t the finish that Stefanik and his #22 Robert B. Our Company / Canto Paving team were looking for, Stefanik is happy with how well they ran and is confident that the team can carry momentum from Daytona into the beginning of the Whelen Modified Tour season and the CARQUEST Tech-Net Spring Sizzler.
“Obviously we were frustrated with the outcome in Daytona, but for our first time out, we ran really good and we were really competitive,” said Stefanik. “The racing game is a tough game and it felt good that we were competitive. We’ve moved on from the finish and we’re going to take the positives from Daytona. Everyone on the team did their jobs and in the end it didn’t quite work out for us. We ended up having a few laughs with some of the stuff that was on the internet and I’m still working on trying to get an invite to Jay Leno’s garage.”
If anyone knows what it takes to put their car into victory lane at Stafford and the CARQUEST Tech-Net Spring Sizzler, it is Stefanik. Stefanik’s 4 Sizzler victories are part of his record 20 WMT wins at Stafford, and Stefanik also holds the Stafford record for the most WMT pole positions with 17.
“The key to winning at Stafford is to show up with a fast racecar that doesn’t use up the tires,” said Stefanik. “You have to have a good handling car and have a good pit stop, you can’t afford to drop the ball anywhere. The longer races seem to spread the field out as far as the pit window, so I prefer the longer races. If we have the car that we expect to have at the Sizzler, I think we can have a good day. Brad’s [LaFontaine] m.o. is usually to pit late and have the freshest tires on the car for the run to the end of the race. But I also don’t think Brad has ever gone into a race with a set game plan, he usually sees how the race is playing out and makes his call from that. I’m certainly happy to have Brad on my side and it would be nice to be able to win a Sizzler with Brad.”
Stefanik is also excited about the prospects of the CARQUEST Triple Crown $25,000 bonus that will be awarded if a WMT driver can win the three CARQUEST sponsored races at Stafford this year. Twice before, in 1997 and 1998, Stefanik has won three of the four Stafford races, but in both instances he didn’t win the three races he would need to win in order to collect the CARQUEST Triple Crown bonus.
“That would be awesome if we could win that bonus,” said Stefanik. “CARQUEST has definitely been a large part of Stafford’s history with the Whelen Modified tour and it’s nice that they’re offering this bonus opportunity for us Tour drivers. Whoever walks away with the Sizzler trophy will be feeling pretty good about their chances and I hope it’s our team that is having those good feelings. I’ve done it at Stafford before, but it’s going to be real tough to do with the competition like it is. But it can be done and we’re all excited about the challenge of winning those races.”
The 2013 CARQUEST Tech-Net Spring Sizzler gets underway Friday, April 26 with a practice session for Stafford’s weekly divisions and the NE Mini Stock Tour with the general admission grandstands open to the public at no charge. Stefanik and the rest of the NWMT field will get their first taste of on track action on Saturday, April 27 with a practice session in the morning and then the race for the Coors Light Pole Position begins at 2:30pm. Also in action on Saturday will be heat and consolation races for Stafford’s weekly divisions as well as the Northeast Mini Stock Tour. Saturday will wrap up with feature events for the SK Light, Limited Late Model, DARE Stock, and NE Mini Stock divisions. The Sizzler continues on Sunday, April 28 with the CARQUEST Belts & Hose Pit Party from 11am-12noon followed by Stafford’s SK Modifieds® and Late Models joining the Whelen Modified Tour in feature action.
Tickets for the “Greatest Race in the History of Spring” are on sale now at the Speedway Box Office. Tickets are priced at $38.50 for adult general admission tickets, $5.00 for children ages 6-14, and children ages 5 and under are admitted free of charge when accompanied by an adult. Reserved seating is priced at $42.00 for all ages. All ticket prices include 10% CT Admission Tax.
For more information on the 42nd Annual CARQUEST TECH-NET Spring Sizzler®, or to order tickets, contact the Stafford Motor Speedway track office at 860-684-2783 or visit us on the web at www.staffordspeedway.com.
Sources: Scott Running/Stafford Motor Speedway PR