Ted Christopher Focused On Weekly Division Racing For 2016 Season

Ted Christopher (Photo: Getty Images for NASCAR)

Ted Christopher (Photo: Getty Images for NASCAR)

When the engines fire for the Icebreaker 150 Sunday at Thompson Speedway to kick off the 2016 NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour season, a name that has come to define Modified racing in the Northeast over the last three decades will not be on the track.

For the first time since 1998, the Whelen Modified Tour will open a season without Ted Christopher in a full-time ride.

Christopher, the division’s third winningest driver all-time with 42 career victories, closed out the 2015 season with Our Motorsports. Team owner Chris Our closed down his operation immediately following the 2015 season.

Christopher had been in talks with team owner Bob Garbarino for a ride for the 2016 season, but Garbarino decided to put Jimmy Blewett behind the wheel of his Mystic Missile ride for this year.

The 58-year old Christopher, who has made 361 Whelen Modified Tour starts dating back to 1987, said he’s not upset about not having a regular ride with the series this year.

“The Tour isn’t all it’s cracked up to be,” Christopher said. “That’s the worst part about it. What have they really done as far as making better incentives [to run]? They really haven’t done anything. It really doesn’t bother me at all. … I’ve been doing this stuff for a long long long long time.”

Christopher is on the entry list for the second Whelen Modified Tour event of the season, the NAPA Spring Sizzler 200 on April 24 at Stafford Motor Speedway. He will run at Stafford in the Modified Tour event for the No. 00 team formerly owned by Joe Brady, who passed away in December.

Brady’s son Brian Brady is the listed team owner with the car managed and overseen by Scott Anderson of North Carolina. Christopher said beyond the Spring Sizzler at Stafford nothing is set in stone for the team.

“If I do alright at Stafford I would probably go to [the Whelen Modified Tour Waterford 161 at New London-Waterford Speedbowl on May 14] because I like Waterford,” Christopher said. “I run there well in everything.”

Beyond the Waterford Whelen Modified Tour event Christopher said he expects to run selected Valenti Modified Racing Series events for the team and possibly the Tri-Track Open Modified Series at Waterford.

Christopher said his focus this year will be chasing his second NASCAR Whelen All-American Series national championship. Christopher, the 2001 Whelen All-American Series national champion, finished eighth in the country last year running an SK Modified full-time at Stafford and Waterford.

He had a division-high eight SK Modified victories at Waterford last year running for team owner Doug DiPisa.

“I don’t have a [Whelen Modified Tour] ride right now and so, I ran good at Waterford last year and if I can run good at Stafford this year, which I think I can, I’ve got a good chance with the [NASCAR Whelen All-American Series national points] deal,” Christopher said.

He said he will run a DiPisa owned ride in Sunday’s 30-lap SK Modified feature at Thompson Speedway.

“Waterford is always fun,” Christopher said. “I’ve always liked racing there. And hopefully we’ll be better at Stafford this year. We can’t be any worse than we were there last year.”

Christopher finished second in Saturday’s NASCAR Whelen Southern Modified Tour event at Concord (N.C.) Speedway driving the Brady ride. He said the biggest plus he got out of the event was feeling healthier than he did in 2015. He had surgery on his right shoulder on Nov. 12 to repair tendon damage and went through three months of physical therapy.

“I know one thing, just running that one race down there in Concord, physically I feel so much better,” Christopher said. “I didn’t realize how much I was really physically [messed] up last year with my arm. It was hard for me to just put my helmet on last year.”

Comments

  1. Richie O says

    Teddy can still get the job done and really deserves to be in a competitive tour car. The 8 Waterford wins last season shows that given a good ride he can get the job done. The cost versus reward of the tour leaves a lot to be desired. Financially, it seems the Tri-Track Series along with the Monadnock 200 and the new “Touring Series” makes more sense to a car owner. NASCAR seems to pay the mods lousy purses and still charge ridiculous license fees. Will there be more than 25 cars at Thompson?

  2. Ray Skoglund says

    On of the few drivers on the tour worth my money to watch.
    Showtime, and Ryan Preece the others.

  3. Richie, you must mean, when TC has an illegal car he can win… Has everyone forgot he had illegal heads on the car? The car owner also assured everyone the they heads were legal…. Haven’t heard from Doug since

  4. TC always knocks the tour but at the same time is always looking for a ride on the tour. Whatever. That said, if he can knock Lee Pulliam out of the weekly championship I’d be down with that. I’m tired of all the point fixing going on down in Virginia. The problem is Rocco and TC will probably cancel each others odds out.

  5. Today it is all about young talent and what you can bring to the table for sponsors, money or equipment. While I am certain he can bring most of these items to the table unfortunately age is not on TC’s side even though he can still get it done. I personally think he is taking the right approach by going for the big money shows (Tri Track), select events on the tour (both north & south), VMRS and concentrating on the local weekly scene. You really don’t have anything left to prove on the tour so go for it TC, give it hell in 2016 and have some fun!

  6. Doug DiPisa says

    Please don’t comment on something you know nothing about. Keep beating a dead horse.

  7. Say what you want but who gets most comments of all the articles? TC and Doug hope your sticking with Pete

  8. darealgoodfella says

    “Its called modified racing. Everyone’s full of crap !!” – Doug DiPisa

  9. I don’t know if Teddy has heard of prolotherapy.It seems to to work for most people.natural M.D.s do it I dont know where in Ct.he could get it done but I’m sure someone is doing it.maybe some one could pass it on to him.It even helps healing after surgery.good luck

  10. Doug DiPisa says

    We have multiple motors. That’s what people seem not to understand.

  11. Tour, tri track, bowl, who really cares? The guy is 58 and still competitive! That in itself is a story!

  12. Some guy says

    So now that he has no ride the tour is now “not all its cracked up to be”. How ironic.

  13. Andy Boright says

    He and others have said that for years now. You don’t see Matt Hirschman or Chuck Hossfield busting a gut to get a tour ride. Think Erick Rudolph gets misty-eyed over the fact he’s not part of the tour anymore?

  14. darealgoodfella says

    The grapes are pretty sour.

  15. I know I was planning on going to the Icebreaker. With no TC in the tour race I can’t see spending the $50!

  16. I was planning on going to the Ice Breaker. With no TC in the tour race I’d rather save the ridiculous $50. Just my opinion!

  17. Ask any driver on the starting grid if Ted Christopher is a threat to win.Sit back for a couple dozen “hell yeahs”.A sad day will come when Ted stays home.I have high hopes for a T.C. Icebreaker entry. Further,I am for the old guys!

  18. Crazy Larry says

    Seems to me Teddy’s already accomplished everything he’s already want to do his banner still hangs here proudly, even in the snow at Thompson Speedway while your haters you don’t like it take it down

  19. And how many banners hang in Coby’s shop??

  20. $48 Chris….Stick with the facts LOL.

  21. darealgoodfella says

    Chris said: “I know I was planning on going to the Icebreaker. With no TC in the tour race I can’t see spending the $50!”

    Proof that people go to the races to watch the wrecking.

  22. Shawn- Did you ask Ted if there was any chance of him driving Scott Mullens PASS car at Thompson or other races this year?

  23. Chris,
    We didn’t talk about that. Not sure where that deal stands.

  24. Muddbus461 says

    Can anyone tell me what is so special of the WMT?

  25. Crazy Larry says

    NH Mark Cobys a great driver and a great champion but we’re talking about Teddy and not Colby and not about banners hanging and shops we talking about a banner hanging on the bleachers you’re just a hater get over it but ted is a great racer has accomplished amazing things in this division and many other divisions he has one hell of a resume maybe one day somebody can accomplish what that man has done don’t knock him if you can’t do it

  26. Crazy Larry says

    By the way I’m not at Teddy fan

  27. Racing rob says

    Speaking of wrecking and champions wasn’t it Doug that took out the leader and half the field at New Hampshire? Sounds like teddy is not so bad after all! Tour=lots of money and not much respect for equipment

  28. Mark Fisher says

    NH Mark , I believe Doug Coby is in the real estate business and doesn’t own a shop Whereas Ted Christopher has two shops a Allison transmission shop as well as a race car shop to hang banners and put trophies in. Oh and by the way I’m a Robert “Snake” Georgides Sk 86 Fan

  29. Bob Npt. says

    What’s so special about the WMT? Nothing. Everyone thinks it’s better because it’s NASCAR.

  30. Thatisall says

    A lot of people on here knock on Teddy for what reason? He has accomplished more than many in the modified ranks and has an impressive resume across the board in racing. Pretty sure Racing rob is correct because Colby was the one who wrecked the leader and half the field in New Hampshire last year. I think it is a shame to not have TC in a full time ride this year and I can only hope that something can come together for more than a few races this season for him. What I’d like to know is how many of the people on here complaining about teddy, complaining about his Waterford car from last season, and say that he can only win in an illegal car or wrecks everybody in sight? How many wins, championships, and awards do you have sitting in your shelf at home? Its easy for all of us on here to criticize a guy who is out there yet the majority of us on here don’t drive, own, or have not even come close to the accomplishments that he has.

  31. Coby—–COBY!!—-COBY!! THERE IS NO “L” IN COBY…… (I’m exhausted) !

  32. OMG people. The point was Coby has more WMT championships. Not which wall the banner literally hangs on.

  33. Do we know the full story re: TC’s split with Katon last year? At the time, TC suggested that the cost/results relationship was not to his liking. Was there more to the story?

  34. No TC, temps in the 30s and about a half a hundred to attend, I will be saving the 200 mile ride and staying home this Sunday.

  35. Andy Boright says

    I have a feeling you will have a lot of company Bob. I’ve been banging on Thompson for years now to offer a one day ticket, like most major short track races do, unfortunaly Shawn and the other cheerleaders are going to see why the track’s stance is so short-sighted this weekend.

  36. “Coby—–COBY!!—-COBY!! THERE IS NO “L” IN COBY…… (I’m exhausted) !”

    So begins another season! So funny…
    Maybe someone should send him a Doug Coby t-shirt so he can finally figure it out.

  37. Shawn –
    At the Icebreaker today, Matt Buckler made several comments over the PA system along the lines of “we can expect to see battles between Keith Rocco and Ted Christopher throughout the 2016 season at Thompson”. Is TC planning to be a regular at Thompson for Prestige, or driving his own equipment?

  38. Rafter Fan,
    The last time I talked to Ted he said their only definite shows at Thompson with the SK Modified would be the Icebreaker and the World Series and anything beyond that would be kind of seeing what worked for their schedule.

  39. Suits.

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