Whelen Modified Tour Stat Advance: Loudon
Analyzing The F.W. Webb 100 At NHMS
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – The NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour will head to New Hampshire Motor Speedway for the second and final time in 2013 with the F.W. Webb 100 on Saturday, Sept. 21 in Loudon, N.H. Below is a statistical look at the performance of tour and selected drivers at the track:
New Hampshire Race Setup:
• Ryan Preece brings a 39-point lead in the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour season standings on defending champion Doug Coby to New Hampshire Motor Speedway. Preece, who has nine wins at five different tracks during his career, is looking to add NHMS to that list.
• Coby has won the last two NWMT races at NHMS: this event a year ago and this season’s July race.
• Three past champions and multi-time NHMS winners are looking to end uncharacteristically long winless droughts this week: Ted Christopher (26 races), Donny Lia (17) and Todd Szegedy (28).
AT NEW HAMPSHIRE MOTOR SPEEDWAY:
History
• Groundbreaking for New Hampshire International Speedway, as New Hampshire Motor Speedway was originally named, was Aug. 13, 1989.
• The 1.058-mile oval is located on approximately 1,200 acres; the multi-use complex is the largest sports facility in New England.
• The official opening was June 5, 1990 and the first NASCAR event was a NASCAR Nationwide Series race on July 15, 1990 in which NASCAR K&N Pro Series East drivers competed in combination.
• Speedway Motorsports Inc., agreed to purchase New Hampshire International Speedway from Bob and Gary Bahre on January 11, 2008 and then renamed the track New Hampshire Motor Speedway.
Notebook
• The first NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour race was held on Sept. 2, 1990. The NWMT has raced there each year since and there have been 58 all-time NWMT races at NHMS, the most of any facility outside of Connecticut.
• There have been 18 different race winners, led by Mike Stefanik with eight.
• There have been 24 different pole winners, led by Jan Leaty’s six.
• Each year since 2007, with the exception of Ryan Newman’s season sweep in 2010, the eventual NWMT champion has won an event at NHMS during their title run.
New Hampshire Motor Speedway Data
Race: #12 of 14
Track Layout: 1.058-mile asphalt oval
• Race Length: 100 laps (105.8 miles)
• Banking/Corners: 2-7 degrees
Qualifying/Race Data
2012 Pole Winner: Donny Lia
2012 Race Winner: Doug Coby
Qualifying Record: Mike Ewanitsko (132.743 mph, 28.693 seconds, 7/20/01)
ACTIVE CATEGORY LEADERS AT NHMS:
Wins
1. Mike Stefanik … 8
2. Ted Christopher … 5
3. Doug Coby … 2
Donny Lia … 2
Ryan Newman … 2
Ron Silk … 2
Todd Szegedy … 2
Poles
1. Ted Christopher … 5
2. Ryan Newman … 3
3. Donny Lia … 2
Mike Stefanik … 2
Ron Silk … 2
Laps Led
1. Ted Christopher … 809
2. Mike Stefanik … 595
3. Ron Silk … 248
4. Todd Szegedy … 210
5. Donny Lia … 161
Starts
1. Jamie Tomaino … 58
2. Ed Flemke Jr. … 56
3. Wade Cole … 51
4. Mike Stefanik … 50
5. Ted Christopher … 48
SELECTED DRIVER HIGHLIGHTS:
Justin Bonsignore (No. 51 M3 Technology Chevrolet)
• Has three wins, three poles and 31 top 10s in 57 career NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour starts.
• Ranks sixth in points with seven top-10 finishes, highlighted by a win at Monadnock Speedway.
• Has an average finish of 20th and a best result of third in eight career starts at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.
Ted Christopher (No. 3 Silver Dollar Construction/Cape Cod Copper Chevrolet)
• The 2008 NWMT champion. He has 42 wins, 24 poles and 180 top 10s in 332 career starts. His 42 wins rank third all-time and his 24 poles are eighth.
• Is seventh in the season standings with four top-five finishes in 11 outings. The runner-up finish at NHMS in July is his best result of the season.
• Is looking to end a 26-race winless drought. It’s his longest such streak since the beginning of his career when his first win came in his 94th start.
• Has five wins, five poles, 27 top 10s, an average finish of 14th and a record 809 laps led in 48 NWMT starts at NHMS.
• Is tied with Mike Stefanik atop the NHMS all-time wins list with 10 victories – the five NWMT and five in NASCAR K&N Pro Series East action.
Doug Coby (No. 52 Furnace & Duct Supply/Seekonk Grand Prix Chevrolet)
• The 2012 NWMT champion has nine wins, four poles and 64 top 10s in 141 career starts.
• Ranks second in points with two wins and eight top 10s in 11 races.
• Has won the last two races at NHMS. Will look to become the fifth driver to win three in a row at the track.
• Has those two wins, a pole, 11 top 10s and an average finish of 14th in 20 career starts at NHMS.
Donny Lia (No. 4 Circle Track Magazine Dodge)
• The 2007 and 2009 NWMT champion. He has 16 wins, 17 poles and 69 top 10s in 138 career starts.
• Sits eighth in points after 11 events with five top 10s and a best result of second in the August races at Stafford Motor Speedway and Thompson Speedway.
• Has two wins, two poles, nine top 10s and an average finish of 14th in 17 career NWMT starts at NHMS.
Ryan Newman (No. 7 Menards/Wix Filters Chevrolet)
• Has four wins, four poles and eight top 10s in 13 career NWMT starts.
• Has two wins, three poles, five top 10s and an average finish of 15th in nine career NWMT starts at NHMS.
• Finished fifth in his first NWMT appearance this year at NHMS. Was also fifth at Bristol Motor Speedway.
• Has three wins, six poles and an average finish of 14th in 23 career NASCAR Sprint Cup Series starts at NHMS, where he’s the track qualifying record-holder.
Rowan Pennink (No. 93 Monk Mechanics Hand Cleaner Chevrolet)
• Has a win and 47 top 10s in 97 career starts.
• Ranks third in the points with six top 10s in 11 outings. Best season finish was second in the Thompson opener.
• Has five top 10s, an average finish of 17th and a best result of fourth in 14 career starts at NHMS.
Woody Pitkat (No. 79 Mr. Rooter/Coors Light Pontiac)
• Has 33 top 10s in 75 career starts. Best career finish is second, recorded twice.
• Ranks fifth in points with eight top 10s in 11 races. Best finish of the season was fourth last time out at Riverhead Raceway.
• Has seven top 10s, an average finish of 14th and a best result of second in 13 career starts at NHMS.
Ryan Preece (No. 16 East West Marine/Diversified Metals Ford)
• Has nine wins, 12 poles, 24 podiums, 41 top fives and 53 top 10s in 92 career starts.
• Is the season points leader with four wins and top-five finishes in nine of 11 races.
• Has a pole, seven top 10s, an average finish of 12th and a best result of third (four times) in 14 NHMS starts.
Bobby Santos (No. 44 Tinio Racing/Brendan Kelley Music Chevrolet)
• The 2010 NWMT champion has 10 wins, 12 poles and 40 top 10s in 77 career starts.
• Ranks 13th in points with two wins, four poles and four top-five finishes in nine starts.
• Has a pole, five top 10s, an average finish of 17th and a best result of fourth (twice) in 14 career starts at NHMS.
Ron Silk (No. 6 TS Haulers/Calverton Tree Farm Chevrolet)
• The 2011 NWMT champion has nine wins, eight poles and 68 top 10s in 121 career starts.
• Ranks ninth in points this season with a pole and seven top 10s in 11 events. Best finish was second at May Stafford.
• Has two wins, two poles, seven top 10s and an average finish of 12th in 11 career NHMS starts.
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 (74), poles (48), top fives (223) and top 10s (298).
• Sits fourth in points this year with six top 10s in 11 events, highlighted by wins in the Thompson opener and Bristol.
• Holds the NWMT NHMS records for wins (8), top fives (24) and top 10s (31). Also has a pair of poles and maintains an average finish of 11th in 50 career NWMT starts at NHMS.
• Is tied with Ted Christopher atop the NHMS all-time wins list with 10 victories – the eight NWMT and two in NASCAR K&N Pro Series East action.
Todd Szegedy (No. 2 UNOH/Dunleavy Repair Ford)
• The 2003 NWMT champion has 17 wins, 10 poles and 110 top 10s in 178 career starts.
• Ranks 10th in points after 11 events with four top 10s and a best result of second at Bristol.
• Career-long winless drought now sits at 28 races.
• Has two wins, a pole, 15 top 10s and a NWMT-best average finish of 10th in 22 career starts at NHMS.
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.
• Eric Goodale captured his first career pole and Justin Bonsignore earned his third career victory at Monadnock Speedway on July 27.
• Santos made it 3-for-3 in poles at Stafford on the year, but it was Coby who went on to take the checkered flag at the historic half mile on Aug. 2.
• Santos won from the pole at Thompson on Aug. 15.
• In the fifth annual combination race with the Whelen Southern Modified Tour at Bristol Motor Speedway on Aug. 21, Donny Lia set fast time but it was Stefanik that drove to his first victory at the “World’s Fastest Half Mile.”
• On Sept. 14 Preece earned his third straight victory at Riverhead and part-time rookie Timmy Solomito was the pole winner.
Sources: Jason Cunningham/NASCAR WMT PR