(Press Release from Stafford Motor Speedway)
Glen Reen (Photo: Darren McCollester/Getty Images for NASCAR)
After having spent the majority of the 2016 SK Modified season on the sidelines, Wilbraham, MA native Glen Reen returned to competition in the biggest of ways by not only winning the SK Modified feature, but the Late Model feature as well.
“This was a first for me,” said Reen. “That was only our fourth race in the SK Modified division this year. The first race we led a little and we finished fourth and we were running in the top-5 in the second race. We blew up in the third race when we were on our way to a top-5 and then we blew up the same night in the Late Model. For our fourth race of the season to start 22nd and win we were all very happy. After we won the Late Model race the thought 09-16-16-vllmprocess was to keep the wheels on the car, it’s a long race, and you’re starting in the back. I wasn’t going to push the envelope but if I could pick a couple of guys off easily I was going to try to do that and then before I knew it we were up to sixth before halfway and I thought now is the time to go for it. Once I took the lead on lap-21 I had the feeling that it was going to be our night.”
Reen had kicked off the 2016 season with plans to be a double duty driver, driving his own #17 Quick Stop Mobile Service SK Modified as well as driving the #31 LifeCare Family Chiropractic Late Model for car owner Rob Russell. Those 2016 plans all came to a crashing halt on the night of May 27th when Reen saw the engines in both of his cars expire. While Russell was able to get his motor back together for Reen to return to Late Model racing on August 19th, it took Reen a little longer to get his SK motor back together. But the story doesn’t end there.
While Reen had his engine put back together in time to go racing on September 2nd, he was short funds for tires. Enter the most unlikely of connections to give Reen an assist to get back on track and the rest as they say is history.
“Winning those 2 races was an unreal feeling,” said Reen. “I couldn’t have done it without all my sponsors and crew. Just to show how low budget we really are, I didn’t have money for tires although I had the motor back together and the car was ready to race. I had given a ride to a gentleman named Gary from GP Fence during a Rusty Wallace Racing Experience at Stafford and we have kept in touch since then. He was at the track on Sept. 2 when I finished second in the Late Model feature and afterwards he texted me to say great job and he asked me why I wasn’t racing the modified. I told him that I had just finished paying off my engine and I didn’t have any money for tires. He then asked me if he sent me a check for tires would I go racing [the week of Sept. 9] and I said sure. He put a check in the mail to me, we put his logo on the car, and we were 2nd fastest in the first practice and then we had a valve hang up in the second practice so we didn’t get to race that night. We fixed the engine again and came back with those same four tires Gary bought for us and went out and won the race last Friday night. Talk about going from zero to hero, it just shows that where there is a will there is a way.”
Reen’s SK Modified machine is also unique in that it has won races as an SK Light car, Whelen Modified Tour car, and now an SK car.
“My SK car is the same chassis as when I first started racing SK Lights,” said Reen. “The car was actually the #47 SK Modified car that Donny Lia drove for the Chowansky’s. The car had only 4 races on it when we bought it from them and turned it into the #17. My first SK Light win was August 2006 so it was almost 10 years to the date from when I won my first SK Light race to last Friday night in the SK Modified® division. It was really good to check off an SK feature win from my list because I feel like once you win a Tour race, you really feel like you belong and that you should have an SK win under your belt. The SK feature win was the win that was weighing the most on me and I’m so happy that I was finally able to get a win in that division.”
Now that Reen has his first wins in both the SK Modified® and Late Model divisions, he already has thoughts on backing up those wins at the season ending NAPA Fall Final Weekend on Oct. 1-2.
“Both cars are unbelievably fast and they’re both the best they’ve been all year so I’m optimistic about the Fall Final,” said Reen. “I think we’re a serious threat in the Late Model and just as much of a threat in the SK. I really have to thank a lot of people for helping get me back out on track this season. Alpine Tree Service, Ruby’s Liquors, LifeCare Family Chiropractic, RRC, T/A Engines, Squid Decals, N.E. Race Fuel, Travis Roy Foundation, Whelen Engineering, Dunleavy’s Truck and Trailer Repair, GP Fence, Squid Graphics, N.E. Race Fuels, Quick Stop Mobile Service, Giustina Trucking, New England Cap & Hitch, Luzi Autobody, Garrett’s Carpentry & Drywall, Tech-Ed Products, Hitchcock Pool Water, and Ridgeway Law Associates. Also thanks to all my family and friends for their support, especially all the crew guys who work so hard on the cars to allow me to drive around in circles. I need to give a big thanks to my uncle Ralph Ridgeway for getting my SK motor back together, he spent a lot of long nights getting yelled at by his wife to get it put back together for me.”
The NAPA Auto Parts Fall Final Weekend gets underway on Saturday, October 1st with practice sessions for Stafford’s Whelen All-American Series divisions, Legend Cars, TQ Midgets, Mr. Rooter Truck Series, and the Whelen Modified Tour. Action continues with Coors Light Pole Qualifying for the Whelen Modified Tour cars, along with heat races for all divisions with feature events for the SK Light, Limited Late Model, DARE Stock, Legend Cars, TQ Midgets, and Mr. Rooter Truck Series divisions wrapping up Saturday’s on track activities. The Legend Cars feature will be a national qualifier event. The NAPA Fall Final continues on Sunday, October 2nd with the NAPA Auto Parts Pit Party from 11am-12noon followed by Stafford’s SK Modifieds and Late Models joining the Whelen Modified Tour in feature action.
Tickets for the NAPA Auto Parts Fall Final Weekend are on sale now at the Speedway Box Office. Tickets are priced at $38.50 for adult general admission tickets, $5.00 for children ages 6-14, and children ages 5 and under are admitted free of charge when accompanied by an adult. Reserved seating will be priced at $42.00 for all ages. All ticket prices include 10% CT Admission Tax. Visit your local participating NAPA Auto Parts Store for discount tickets.
For more information on the 44th Annual NAPA Auto Parts Fall Final, or to order tickets, contact the Stafford Motor Speedway track office at 860-684-2783 or visit us on the web at www.staffordspeedway.com.
Leave a Reply