Missing Man: Ted Christopher To Miss First Whelen Mod Tour Event At Stafford Since 1998

Ted Christopher (Photo: Getty Images for NASCAR)

Ted Christopher (Photo: Getty Images for NASCAR)

Jeopardy time. Rick Fuller, Mike Ewanitsko, Mike Stefanik.

Who were the top-three finishers at Stafford Motor Speedway the last time Ted Christopher was not in the lineup for a NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour event at Stafford Motor Speedway?

Friday, for the first time in about 20 years, a Whelen Modified Tour event will take the green flag at Stafford Motor Speedway without Ted Christopher in the field.

Christopher, who ran the Whelen Modified Tour NAPA Spring Sizzler 200 on April 24 at Stafford, confirmed that the Brady family owned team he’s driving for part-time with the series this year will not be at the track Friday for the running of the TSI Harley-Davidson 125.

It will mark the first Whelen Modified Tour event run at Stafford since Aug. 14, 1998 that will not have Christopher in the field. Christopher has started the last 69 Whelen Modified Tour events at Stafford.

“What are you going to do?” Christopher said. “Just not going to be there.”

The Aug. 14, 1998 event, won by Fuller, was the third of four Whelen Modified Tour events run at Stafford that season. Christopher ran the other three events at Stafford that that season. The event was the only Whelen Modified Tour race since the start of the 1994 season that Christopher has missed at Stafford.

Of the 119 Whelen Modified Tour events run at Stafford since the series’ inception in 1985, Christopher has competed in 93 of them with 12 victories, 30 top-five’s and 52 top-10 finishes. From 1985 to 1993 Christopher ran five of 31 Whelen Modified Tour events run at Stafford

Christopher said running the event Friday doesn’t make sense for the Brady team, which is strategically picking and choosing certain events to run this year from the Whelen Modified Tour, Valenti Modified Racing Series and Tri-Track Open Modified Series.

“What happens with that one Friday at Stafford is that it’s 125 [laps],” Christopher said. “Do you pit or not? They only give you two tires. It’s such a gamble. And then what happens, if they have a caution with like 20 [laps] to go, or 15 to go, some guys like to pit and then it’s like mayhem. It’s crazy.”

Christopher is running full-time this season in an SK Modified at Stafford for his own team and running full-time in an SK Modified at the New London-Waterford Speedbowl for car owner Doug DiPisa’s Prestige Motorsports team.

“I’m enjoying just doing the Friday’s and Saturday’s [of weekly SK Modified] racing,” Christopher said.

Christopher said the next event the Brady team plans to run is the June 24 Valenti Modified Racing Series feature at Stafford. He said as of now the team has no set plans for running any other Whelen Modified Tour events with the team this season.

Christopher has run two of the three Whelen Modified Tour events run this year.He did not run the Whelen Modified Tour season opening Icebreaker 150 at Thompson Speedway on April 10. He ran the New England Cycle Center 161 on May 14 at Waterford.

Comments

  1. Everything comes to an end at some point,I guess even for Teddy,he lasted longer than most,good luck Fri and Sat and have some fun along the way

  2. My guess is that there is not enough purse money

  3. darealgoodfella says

    Send a case of Kleenex to Chris D.

  4. Maybe Kid Roc & Rufrano can rent TC their VMRS 68 ride 😀

  5. So now it’s an easy decision, I’ll be at Epping on Friday.

  6. darealgoodfella says

    I’m going to Stafford on Friday, then Epping on Saturday.

    As of now, weather looks dicey on Friday, pretty good on Saturday.

  7. finally, owners and drivers r realizing the tour just sucks. NO MONEY!!!!!

  8. darealgoodfella says

    Doesn’t TC have a fleet of his own cars? Why not run one of his own?

  9. Frank Rizzo says

    What was Ted doing on that fateful night in 1998? He had to be racing somewhere else… I doubt he was sipping pinot nior at Tanglewood!

  10. Of course teddy could run his own tour car, to answer his statement ” what are you going to do?” I know its easy for me to say but, he has all the stuff to run it sooooo… run it.

  11. dareal, fred- TC has made it clear that the mod tour “isnt what it’s cracked up to be”. The headaches and cost are likely not worth it to him. Taking care of a tour car and his SK on the same night must be a handful. There’s a lot more involved than just bringing two cars to the track and going racing.

  12. Chris D. says

    darealgoodfella, let’s you and me go to Pocono saturday to watch Preece run around 22nd 3 laps down like he did at Charlotte. That wouldn’t be too boring would it? I’ll drive and you can bring your comic books to read on the way down. I know you like to watch Ryan on tv when the leaders are lapping him, but you can just DVR it and watch it when we get back.
    So dareal, did you read the whole article? 12 wins, 30 top fives and 52 top tens in 93 tour races. Throw in a hundred plus SK wins and 8 championships (and by the way, this is just at Stafford)…not to bad for a guy who can’t drive and crashes all the time.
    Oh, and Ted says he’ll run a car from his fleet if you crew chief it.

  13. Perhaps TC will run his own car, or the Brady 00, at New Hampshire this year??

  14. Perhaps TC will run his own car, or the Brady 00, at New Hampshire this year??c

  15. Some guy says

    For years the TC fans have told me how much money he has……So why is he not running his own car like any other business owner in his position would do????? There are not that many Tour races……And I do not want to hear “the tour isnt what its cracked up to be”……Just admit you are Dying to be out there and it will kill you to watch a Mod race at Stafford from the Stands,Just like the rest of us former racers.Please.

  16. darealgoodfella says

    What he said: “TC has made it clear that the mod tour “isn’t what it’s cracked up to be”.”

    Translation: “The grapes are sour. And I can’t get a ride.”

    What he really means: TC would jump in any available car for the NWMT race on Friday at Stafford.

  17. darealgoodfella says

    Chris D., I’ll be at Epping on Saturday. Sorry.

  18. darealgoodfella says

    Frank Rizzo said, “What was Ted doing on that fateful night in 1998? He had to be racing somewhere else… I doubt he was sipping pinot nior at Tanglewood!”

    He was with Prof. Mustard and a candlestick somewhere other than Stafford.

    Looks like TC missed several races in 1998.

  19. Hey hey
    Preece did awesome
    He will get a top 6
    And be in sprint cup within 2 years
    Already talking to hendrix and jorge
    Logano out preece in

  20. JGR RACING
    PREECE NUMER
    01 CAR
    UPDATE PREECE 18TH IN POINTS

  21. Rafter,
    Ted told me Sunday there he has no plans to run New Hampshire Motor Speedway this year as of right now.

  22. Chris D. says

    Well dareal, ya can’t say I didn’t ask. If you change your mind let me know… but don’t wait too long, I hear tickets for the Xfinity race are selling fast.

  23. Chris D. says

    For those of you who are concerned about why Ted was a no show at Stafford on that fateful night in 1998, the reason is he was running at Michigan in a Busch Grand National series race that weekend. He finished 37th, 2 laps down. Also in the Pepsi 200 BGN race that weekend were Todd Bodine and Mike McGlaughlin. racing-reference.info

  24. Preece nascar let’s go
    I got season ticks to every track on tour
    Living the good life 4 real
    Oops gotta go my act is calling time to sell off 1.2 million in wheat futures

  25. darealgoodfella says

    Chris D., you can be assured that there was never any consideration of you asking. And that also means I won’t be changing my mind.

    Enjoy Pocono, it’s in a very nice, picturesque area.

  26. Sect.D Row 25 says

    37th and 2 laps down, sounds just like what Chris D. calls a non competitive joke and field filler. Hey, I would LOVE to take that ride on Saturday. The Poconos is a great place to dig a hole in the woods. Let’s meet early I want to get there well before the fog lifts.

  27. Take an empty cantainer of Mello Yello and get $8.00 off your admission. A buck’s a buck.

  28. darealgoodfella says

    Chris D. said, “For those of you who are concerned about why Ted was a no show at Stafford on that fateful night in 1998, the reason is he was running at Michigan in a Busch Grand National series race that weekend. He finished 37th, 2 laps down. Also in the Pepsi 200 BGN race that weekend were Todd Bodine and Mike McGlaughlin. racing-reference.info”

    Your boy TC was 37th, and 2 laps down. You must have been so proud.

    Preece is racing with Kyle Busch, Dale Jr,. Joey Logano, Kyle Larson, Denny Hamlin, Kevin Harvick, etc. All much bigger names than Todd Bodine and Mike McLaughlin ever dreamed of being.

  29. darealgoodfella says

    Chris D., make sure you pickup Sect.D Row 25 very early. Traffic around Pocono is horrendous. And there is ALWAYS construction in the region.

  30. Chris D. says

    Darealgoodfella and Sect.D Row 25…two peas in a pod.

  31. darealgoodfella,
    Just about all the other former Modified, Busch North, or other northeast racing alumni or note(McLaughlin, Ricky Craven, Steve Park, Randy Lajoie, Kevin Lepage, Jeff Fuller, Andy Santerre, Ron Bouchard, Jimmy Spencer, all 3 Bodines)eventually won races in the Busch Series\Nationwide\Xfinity and some of them went on to win Cup races. I figured Preece would be an upgrade over the previous driver of the 01 car, but him just getting a top 10 looks like a long shot for this season.

  32. darealgoodfella says

    JMB, the performance of the 01 is about as expected. I’d say pretty good. Danika wrecked many more times by now, Preece has not. Speed is an issue, and that was known to be hurdle at the beginning. In an interview, Preece stated that horsepower was a challenge, and they hoped to get more $pon$or$hip to obtain leased motors that have more power. He’s doing the best that can be done with what horsepower he has. And he’s not wrecking. It’s tough for these smaller teams to compete against the big powerhouse Cup teams that also run xFinity cars. If you are not anointed by Rick Hendrick, Jack Roush or Richard Childress, you have to work very hard to simply participate with the hope of being recognized by a big team.

  33. darealgoodfella says

    Some guy says said, “For years the TC fans have told me how much money he has……So why is he not running his own car like any other business owner in his position would do????? ”

    Answer: Other peoples’ money.

    Chris D. said, “Oh, and Ted says he’ll run a car from his fleet if you crew chief it.”

    That is such cowpie. Everybody knows TC doesn’t need a crew chief.

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