Statistical Advance: Analyzing The New England 100 At New Hampshire Motor Speedway
Daytona Beach, FL –The fifth race of the 2010 NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour season is slated for June 26 with the New England 100 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.
At New Hampshire Motor Speedway:
History
• Groundbreaking for New Hampshire International Speedway was Aug. 13, 1989.
• The official opening was June 5, 1990 and the first NASCAR event was a NASCAR Nationwide Series race on July 15, 1990.
• The first NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour race was held on Sept. 2, 1990.
• The track was renamed New Hampshire Motor Speedway in 2008.
• Is the largest racing oval – and the largest sports facility overall – in New England.
Notebook
• There have been 50 NWMT races all-time at NHMS, the most of any facility outside the state of Connecticut.
• There have been 15 different race winners, led by Tony Hirschman’s seven.
• There have been 21 different pole winners, led by Ted Christopher and Jan Leaty with seven apiece.
• Donny Lia is the reigning winner of this race … The September race was won by Ron Silk.
• Mike McLaughlin won the first NWMT race at NHMS in 1992 … He also won the inaugural NASCAR K&N Pro Series East race that same day.
• Among the probable race entries, five have won at NHMS including: Mike Stefanik (6), Christopher (5), Chuck Hossfeld (3), Ron Silk (1) and Todd Szegedy (1).
New Hampshire Motor Speedway Data
Race: #5 of 14 overall, #1 of 2 at NHMS
Track Layout: 1.058-mile oval
Banking: Variable between 2-7 degrees in the turns
Race Length: 100 laps/105.8 miles
Qualifying/Race Data
2009 pole winner: Doug Coby (126.947 mph, 30.003 seconds)
2009 race winner: Donny Lia (75.095 mph, 1:24.32)
Track qualifying record: Mike Ewanitsko (132.743 mph, 28.693 sec., 7-20-01)
NWMT Win Leaders at NHMS
Tony Hirschman…7
Reggie Ruggiero / Mike Stefanik…6
Ted Christophe…5
John Blewett III / Steve Park…4
NWMT Pole Leaders at NHMS
Ted Christopher/Jan Leaty…7
Mike Ewanitsko…4
Tim Connolly / Tony Hirschman
Steve Park / Mike Stefanik…3
Jeff Fuller / Rick Fuller…2
Up to Speed:
• Bobby Santos opened the 2010 season with a win in the Icebreaker at Thompson International Speedway on April 11 … He established a track record in qualifying as he earned the pole.
• Santos also set the track-record in qualifying at Stafford Motor Speedway for the Spring Sizzler on April 24 … The race was postponed to May 1, and was won by Ted Christopher.
• Santos was back in Victory Lane in the third race of the season on May 28 at Stafford … Prior to the race Santos also earned the Coors Light Pole Award.
• Santos earned his third win in four outings when he captured the Martinsville Speedway checkered flag on June 6 … Mike Stefanik was the pole winner.
• On the strength of his three wins, Santos leads Stefanik by 89 points in the season standings.
• The next race will be the inaugural race at Lime Rock Park on July 3.
Selected Driver Highlights:
Jimmy Blewett (No. 14 Ling Trucking/Atlantic Sprinkler Chevrolet)
• Has five wins, one pole and 25 top 10s in 74 career NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour starts … Earned at least one win in four straight seasons entering 2010.
• Best finish in 10 career starts at New Hampshire Motor Speedway is second in September 2008.
• Is seventh in points after three races … Best finish was second at Stafford on May 28.
Justin Bonsignore (No. 51 M3 Technology Chevrolet)
• Has four top 10s in six career NWMT starts … A runner-up last time out at Martinsville is his best career finish … This will be his first career start at NHMS.
• Is sixth in the standings with a pair of top 10s in four races.
• Is competing for 2010 Sunoco Rookie of the Year honors with Richie Pallai Jr.
Ted Christopher (No. 36 Al-Lee Installations Chevrolet)
• The 2008 NWMT champion … Has 35 wins and 21 poles in 283 career starts … His 35 wins are tied for third all-time and his 21 poles are ninth … Has at least one win in 12 straight seasons.
• Is fourth in points after four races with two top fives, highlighted by a win at Stafford on May 1.
• Has five wins and seven poles in his NWMT career at NHMS … Last win was September 2008.
• With an additional five NASCAR K&N Pro Series East wins at NHMS, he is the winningest driver in track history.
James Civali (No. 79 Hill Enterprises/Coors Light Pontiac)
• Has four wins and 27 top 10s in 51 career NWMT starts.
• Moved from 22nd to 13th in points with a sixth-place effort last time out at Martinsville.
• Best finish in six starts at NHMS was a runner-up effort in July 2006.
• Is the NASCAR Whelen Southern Modified Tour points leader after three races … Won at South Boston on April 3.
Chuck Hossfeld (No. 59 Jerry Gradl Motors Chevrolet)
• Has seven wins, eight poles and 68 top 10s in 117 career starts.
• Is 20th in points after four races … Best finish was sixth at Stafford on May 1.
• Has three career wins at NHMS, including the June 2008 photo finish with Ted Christopher.
L.W. Miller (No. 9 Hill Enterprises/Coors Light Pontiac)
• Has recorded a win, a pole and 10 top 10s in 74 career NWMT starts … Win came at Martinsville in 2002 … Was a NWMT regular before resuming his racing career in the NWSMT in 2006.
• The 2007 NWSMT champion … Has 10 wins, three poles and 41 top 10s in 48 career NWSMT starts … Is fourth in NWSMT points after three 2010 races.
• Best finish in 11 starts at NHMS was sixth in July 2003 … Last start there was June 2008.
Ryan Newman (No. 7 Aggressive Hydraulics/Menards Chevrolet)
• Made NWMT debut with a pole and a 20th-place finish at NHMS in September 2008.
• This will be his fifth career NWMT start … Three of previous four starts have been at NHMS … Best finish in those four starts was an eighth-place effort in September 2009 at NHMS.
• All NWMT starts have come in the No. 7 owned by Kevin Manion, who is crew chief for Jamie McMurray in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series.
• Has 22 career NASCAR national series wins … First career NSCS win came at NHMS in 2002 … Also recorded NSCS win there in 2005.
Richie Pallai Jr. (No. 39 Bosch Spark Plugs Chevrolet)
• Has made five career NWMT starts … This will be his first career start at NHMS.
• A ninth-place effort last time out at Martinsville is his best career finish … Is eighth in the standings after four races.
• Is competing for 2010 Sunoco Rookie of the Year honors with Justin Bonsignore.
Rowan Pennink (No. 93 Monk Mechanics Hand Cleaner Chevrolet)
• Has 21 top 10s in 47 career starts, including 12 of the last 15 races dating back to 2009.
• Is 11th in points after three races … Best finish was fourth at Stafford on May 1.
• Best finish in six career starts at NHMS was fourth in June 2009.
Ryan Preece (No. 3 Mizzy Construction/Reynold’s Auto Wrecking Chevrolet)
• Has four poles, three wins and 23 top 10s in 47 career starts.
• Is fifth in points after four races … Has finished in the top five in 10 of the last 13 races.
• Best finish in six career starts at NHMS was third in both September 2008 and 2009.
• Earned the September 2009 pole at NHMS.
Bobby Santos (No. 4 “Mystic Missile” Dodge)
• Has four wins, three poles and 16 top 10s in 33 career NWMT starts.
• Leads in points after four races … Won the opener at Thompson, finished second at Stafford, won the third race of the year – also at Stafford – and was the winner last time out at Martinsville.
• Became the first driver in NWMT history to win three of the first four races of a season.
• Also earned the pole for the first three races of the year … Set track records during qualifying in the first two races of the season.
• Has led 31-percent (217 of 691) of all completed laps so far in 2010.
• Best finish in six career starts at NHMS was fourth in September 2007 … Has three top 10s.
Ron Silk (No. 6 T.S. Haulers Chevrolet)
• Has four wins, two poles and 31 top 10s in 71 career starts … Won at NHMS in September 2009.
• Is 10th in points after four races … Best finish was eighth in the opener at Thompson.
• Has six top 10s in 11 career NHMS starts.
Mike Stefanik (No. 16 Diversified Metals/R.B. Enterprises Pontiac)
• The 1989, 1991, 1997, 1998, 2001, 2002 and 2006 NWMT champion.
• Has 70 wins, 43 poles and 268 top 10s in 397 career starts … Holds NWMT records for most championships, wins, poles, top fives and top 10s.
• Is second in points after four races … Started the season with third-place finishes at Thompson and Stafford, was seventh at the second Stafford race and was fourth at Martinsville.
• Has six wins and three poles in his career at NHMS … Last win was August 1998.
Todd Szegedy (No. 2 UNOH/Wisk/Snuggle Ford)
• The 2003 NWMT champion … Has 13 wins, six poles and 82 top 10s in 127 career starts.
• Is third in points after four races … One of two drivers along with Bobby Santos to finish in the top five in all four races … Best finish was third at Stafford (May 28) and Martinsville.
• Has one pole, one win – both in September 2007 – and 11 top 10s in 15 career starts at NHMS.