NASCAR Modified Tour Statistical Advance: Spring Sizzler 200 At Stafford Speedway

(Press Release: Source – NASCAR Integrated Marketing Communications)

Bobby Santos celebrates victory in the NASCAR Modified Tour Spring Sizzler last year at Stafford Speedway (Photo: Alex Trautwig/Getty Images for NASCAR)

Bobby Santos celebrates victory in the NASCAR Modified Tour Spring Sizzler last year at Stafford Speedway (Photo: Alex Trautwig/Getty Images for NASCAR)

The 30th season of NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour will continue with the NAPA Auto Parts Spring Sizzler 200 on Sunday, April 27 at Stafford (Conn.) Motor Speedway. Below is a statistical look at the performance of the tour and selected drivers at the track:

Spring Sizzler Race Setup:
· Bobby Santos is the defending winner of the NAPA Auto Parts Spring Sizzler 200, and one of seven drivers with multiple wins since the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour began participating in the event in 1985.
· Ted Christopher has the most NWMT Spring Sizzler victories with five, including an event record-tying three in a row from 2008-10.
· Justin Bonsignore won the 2014 opener and will look to join Christopher (2009) as the only drivers in NWMT history to triumph in a season’s first two events.
· The Spring Sizzler winner has gone on to capture that season’s NWMT championship eight times in 28 events, most recently by Doug Coby in 2012.

At Stafford Motor Speedway:
History
· The Stafford Springs Agricultural Park opened in 1870. The current race track was originally used for horse racing, which gave way to automobiles after World War II.
· Stafford Motor Speedway became a NASCAR-sanctioned track in 1959 and was paved in 1967.
· Stafford is one of nine tracks that have been a part of the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series program in each of its 34 years of competition.
· The inaugural NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour race at Stafford was held on April 14, 1985. Richie Evans won the 80-lap race as part of the 14th Annual Spring Sizzler weekend.

Notebook
· The NWMT has held 110 races at Stafford since 1985, a total second only to the 124 events at Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park.
· There have been multiple races at Stafford in 28 of the tour’s 29 previous seasons. The lone exception was 1988, when there were no NWMT dates at the track.
· There have been 31 different race winners at Stafford, led by Mike Stefanik’s 20 victories.
· There have been 41 different pole winners at Stafford, led by Stefanik’s 17. Ryan Preece set the track qualifying in the 2012 Spring Sizzler.
· No driver has started all previous 110 races at Stafford. Jamie Tomaino has missed only one – the inaugural tour date.
· There have been seven races won in wire-to-wire fashion at Stafford, the last by Ron Silk in 2011.
· Ryan Preece was the youngest Stafford race winner at 18 years, 9 months and 14 days.
· Ted Christopher was the oldest Stafford victor at 53 years, 3 months and 28 days.

Spring Sizzler
· This is the 43rd overall edition of Spring Sizzler weekend, and the 29th time that the NWMT has headlined the event.
· The Spring Sizzler served as the NWMT season-opening event one time, in 2000.
· There have been 15 different winners of the NWMT Spring Sizzler, led by Christopher’s five.
· Eight times the Spring Sizzler has gone on to win that season’s NWMT title: Stefanik (1989, `97, `98), Christopher (2008), Doug Coby (`12), Evans (`85), Tony Hirschman (`05) and Donny Lia (`07).
· The NAPA Auto Parts Spring Sizzler 200 entry list features seven drivers that have previously won at the track: Christopher (12), Coby (5), Bobby Santos (5), Lia (4), Preece (2), Ron Silk (1) and Jamie Tomaino (1).
· Among this week’s entrants, four have NWMT Spring Sizzler wins to their credit: Christopher (5), Coby (2), Santos (2), Lia (1).

Stafford Motor Speedway Data
Race #: 2 of 14 overall, 1 of 4 at Stafford
Track Layout: .5-mile asphalt oval
Race Length: 200 laps (100 miles)
Banking/Turns 1 & 2: 9 degrees
Banking/Turns 3 & 4: 7.5 degrees

Qualifying/Race Data
2013 Race Winner: Bobby Santos, 89.411 mph, 1:07:05
2013 Pole Winner: Bobby Santos, 99.547 mph, 18.082 secs.
Qualifying Record: Ryan Preece, 100.424 mph, 17.924 secs., 4/29/12

Active Category Leaders at Stafford:
Wins
1. Mike Stefanik … 20
2. Ted Christopher … 12
3. Doug Coby … 5
Bobby Santos … 5

Poles
1. Mike Stefanik … 17
2. Donny Lia … 8
3. Bobby Santos … 6

Top Fives
1. Mike Stefanik … 50
2. Ted Christopher … 28
3. Jamie Tomaino … 12

Top 10s
1. Mike Stefanik … 74
2. Jamie Tomaino … 53
3. Ted Christopher … 46

Laps Led
1. Mike Stefanik … 2,165
2. Ted Christopher … 2,083
3. Doug Coby … 642

Laps Completed
1. Jamie Tomaino … 15,636
2. Mike Stefanik … 13,697
3. Ted Christopher … 11,855

Starts
1. Jamie Tomaino … 109
2. Mike Stefanik … 95
3. Ted Christopher … 84

Select Driver Highlights:
Justin Bonsignore (No. 51 chem3.com Chevrolet)
· Has four wins, three poles and 34 top 10s in 61 career NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour starts.

· Won the 2014 opener at Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park.

· Has eight top 10s, an average finish of 13th and a best result of second (2013 Spring Sizzler) in 16 career NWMT starts at Stafford Motor Speedway.

Ted Christopher (No. 13 J&R Pre-Cast/Cape Cod Aggregates Chevrolet)
· The 2008 NWMT champion has 42 wins, 24 poles and 182 top 10s in 336 career starts. His 42 wins rank third all-time and his 24 poles are eighth.
· Is looking to end a 30-race winless drought. It’s his longest such streak since the start of his career when his first win came in his 94th race.
· Has 12 wins, four poles, 28 top fives, 46 top 10s, an average finish of 13th and 2,083 laps led in 84 career NWMT starts at Stafford.
· Has a record five NWMT victories in the Spring Sizzler (2002, `03, `08, `09 and `10). Also won the event’s headlining race in 1988.
· Is an eight-time NASCAR Whelen All-American Series track champion at Stafford in SK Modifieds, where his 100 triumphs are more than double second place on the division’s wins list. Has a record 120 overall career victories at the track entering this week’s events.

Doug Coby (No. 2 Dunleavy’s Truck & Trailer Repair Chevrolet)
· The 2012 NWMT champion has nine wins, four poles and 67 top 10s in 144 career starts.
· Won the non-points UNOH Battle At The Beach on the short track at Daytona International Speedway in February and finished third in the points season opener at Thompson.
· Has five wins, two poles, 10 top fives, 18 top 10s, an average finish of 14th and 642 laps led in 36 career NWMT starts at Stafford.
· Won the Spring Sizzler in 2006 and 2012.
· Has 18 career NWAAS victories at Stafford, including five in SK Modifieds.

Eric Goodale (No. 58 GAF Roofing/RBSCorp.com Chevrolet)
· Has a pole and 29 top 10s in 74 career NWMT starts. Best finish was second last June at Riverhead Raceway.
· Inherited the NWMT’s active starts streak lead at 72 races when Ed Flemke Jr. did not run the Thompson opener.
· Has four top 10s, an average finish of 16th and a best result of fifth (August 2011) in 21 career starts at Stafford.
· Best career finish in the Spring Sizzler was 11th in both 2009 and 2011.

Matt Hirschman (No. 52 Reynolds Auto Wrecking/Furnace & Duct Chevrolet)
· Has two wins, three poles and 40 top 10s in 78 career NWMT starts.
· Has 14 top 10s, an average finish of ninth and a best result of second (2008 Fall Final) in 19 career starts at Stafford.
· Best career finish in the Spring Sizzler was eighth in both 2006 and 2007.

Donny Lia (No. 4 Mystic Missile Racing Dodge)
· The 2007 and 2009 NWMT champion has 17 wins, 18 poles and 72 top 10s in 142 career starts.
· Has four wins, eight poles, 22 top 10s, an average finish of 11th and 338 laps led in 33 career starts at Stafford.
· Won the Spring Sizzler in 2007 en route to the first of his two NWMT crowns.

Rowan Pennink (No. 93 Monk Mechanics Hand Cleaner Chevrolet)
· Has two wins and 49 top 10s in 101 career starts.
· Has 14 top 10s, an average finish of 11th and a best result of second (2011 Spring Sizzler & 125) in 26 career starts at Stafford.
· Recorded three top fives in four Stafford events a year ago – his best single-season performance at the track.

Woody Pitkat (No. 88 Buzz Chew Chevrolet Inc. Chevrolet)
· Has a pole and 35 top 10s in 79 career starts. Best career finish is second, recorded three times: August 2011 Loudon, 2012 Stafford Fall Final and 2014 Thompson Icebreaker.
· Has 11 top 10s, an average finish of 16th and a best result of second in 22 career NWMT starts at Stafford. Led a career-high 128 laps in the 2012 Fall Final.
· Best career finish in the Spring Sizzler was seventh in 2007.
· Is the defending Stafford NWAAS track champion out of the SK Modified division, where he has 27 career wins. Has 71 overall career victories at the track, one shy of tying Bugs Stevens for second all-time.

Ryan Preece (No. 16 East West Marine/Diversified Metals Ford)
· The 2013 NWMT champion has nine wins, 12 poles, 25 podiums, 42 top fives and 55 top 10s in 96 career starts.
· Has two wins, three poles, nine top fives, 13 top 10s, an average finish of 13th and 358 laps led in 26 career NWMT Stafford starts.
· Set the NWMT track qualifying record in the 2012 Spring Sizzler and finished second for his best career performance in the event.
· Earned the 2011 NWAAS Stafford track title in SK Modifieds, where he has 16 career wins, including a division-high eight a year ago.

Keith Rocco (No. 48 Wheelers Auto/Mr. Rooter Chevrolet)
· Has seven top 10s in 15 career NWMT starts with a best finish of third in the 2012 Stafford Spring Sizzler.
· Has an average finish of 15th in four career NWMT races at Stafford.
· The 2008 and 2010 NWAAS track champ at Stafford in SK Modifieds, where he ranks third on the division’s career wins list with 37. His 45 total career Stafford triumphs rank sixth all-time.

Bobby Santos (No. 44 Tinio Racing/ImperialCars.com Chevrolet)
· The 2010 NWMT champion has 10 wins, 13 poles and 43 top 10s in 81 career starts.
· Has five wins, six poles, 11 top fives, an average finish of 11th and 593 laps led in 20 career starts at Stafford.

· Won the 2011 and 2013 Spring Sizzlers. Has won all four of the traditional season-opening and season-closing events at Stafford and Thompson.

Ron Silk (No. 6 TS Haulers/Calverton Tree Farm Chevrolet)
· The 2011 NWMT champion has nine wins, eight poles and 73 top 10s in 126 career starts.
· Earned the NWAAS modified division title in the New Smyrna Speedway World Series in February.
· Has a win, two poles, 10 top fives, 15 top 10s, an average finish of 15th and 355 laps led in 33 career Stafford starts.
· Best previous Spring Sizzler finish was third in 2011.

Up To Speed:
· The 2014 season is the 30th for the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour.

· The 2014 schedule features 14 races at seven different tracks across four states.

· The competition season opened with the non-points UNOH Battle At The Beach on the short track at Daytona International Speedway on Feb. 18. Ryan Preece was the polesitter and Doug Coby took the checkered flag.

· Justin Bonsignore passed first-time pole winner Woody Pitkat with nine laps to go to win the points season opener at Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park on April 6.

· Following this week’s NAPA Auto Parts Spring Sizzler 200, the NWMT will return to Stafford Motor Speedway on May 23 for the TSI Harley-Davidson 125.

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