(Press Release from NASCAR Integrated Marketing Communications)
Rowan Pennink (Fran Lawlor/RaceDayCT)
The NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour will continue the 2017 points championship schedule at Oswego Speedway in Oswego, New York, on Saturday night. The Toyota Mod Classic 150 presented by McDonald’s is the 12th of 16 races for the 2017 season. Below is a statistical look at the race, including selected driver notes:
Toyota Mod Classic 150 Race Setup
With just five races remaining on the 2017 schedule, the top five in the point standings are seperated by just 14 points. Ryan Preece holds a two point lead over Doug Coby, while Rowan Pennink sits third, just three points back. Preece has four wins and sits in the lead even though he missed a race at Langley, while Coby finally was able to breakthrough and take his first win of the season last time out at Seekonk. The Toyota Mod Classic 150 is just the second Tour stop at the oval in the last decade and is the only stop at the track this year.
At Oswego Speedway
History
• A .625-mile asphalt oval, Oswego Speedway has operated continuously since its opening in 1951, when a .375-mile dirt oval was built out of an existing track for horses. It was paved a year later, and in 1961 it was expanded to its current size.
• Considered by many to be the “Indy of the East,” the track’s Supermodifieds have seen Indianapolis 500 winners Gordon Johncock and Mario Andretti compete. The speedway played host to nine NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour races, four each in 1988 and 1989, as well as the 2016 race.
• Sitting along Lake Ontario, the track holds the annual International Classic 200 for Supermodifieds each Labor Day weekend annually.
Notebook
• Brian Ross won the first two NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour races held at Oswego in 1988.
• Mike McLaughlin (1988), Mike Stefanik (1989) and Doug Coby (2016) all won a race at Oswego during their respective championship seasons.
• Tony Hirschman holds the record for career victories at Oswego with three.
Oswego Data
Race: #12 of 16 overall
Race Date: Saturday, September 2 at 7:30 p.m. ET
Track Layout: .625-mile banked asphalt oval
Race Length: 150 laps (93.8 miles)Qualifying/Race Data
2016 Winner: Doug Coby
2016 Pole Sitter: Bobby Santos
1-lap Qualifying Record: 126.029 mph (Doug Coby, Sept. 2016)
Category Leaders at Oswego
Wins
1. Tony Hirschman … 3
2. Brian Ross … 2
3. Four drivers tied with… 1
Laps Led
1. Tony Hirschman … 385
2. Mike McLaughlin .. 134
3. Brian Ross … 125
Selected Driver Notes
Justin Bonsignore (No. 51 Phoenix Communications Inc. Chevrolet)
• Has 12 wins, 52 top fives and 73 top 10s in 116 career Whelen Modified Tour starts.
• This season, Bonsignore has eight top 10s in 11 races, but has yet to visit Victory Lane.
• Last season, Bonsignore started sixth and finished third in the Oswego 150.
Doug Coby (No. 2 Mayhew Tools/Dunleavy’s/AJ Romano Construction Chevrolet)
• Four-time champion has one win this season (Seekonk) with seven top fives in 11 races.
• Coby has four straight top-two finishes in Whelen Modified Tour competition and is the defending winner of the Oswego 150.
• Has 23 wins, 72 top fives and 111 top 10s in 199 career Whelen Modified Tour starts.
Eric Goodale (No. 58 GAF Roofing Chevrolet)
• Sits sixth in the point standings with six top 10s in 11 races this season.
• Started 15th and finished 17th in the Oswego 150 last season.
• Has two wins, 18 top fives and 60 top 10s in 129 career Whelen Modified Tour starts.
Matt Hirschman (No. 60 Pee Dee Motorsports Chevrolet)
• Has two career Whelen Modified Tour wins, both in 2011, at Spencer and Chemung.
• Returns to the Tour this weekend after winning the pole last weekend at Seekonk.
• Has three career 250-lap Modified wins at Oswego.
• Served as crew chief for his father, Tony Hirschman, in Tony’s championship years of 2004 and 2005.
Timmy Solomito (No. 16 Starrett Tools Ford)
• Has three wins, six top fives and seven top 10s in the first 11 races this season.
• Sits fourth in the championship standings, just 11 points from the lead with five races left to go.
• Has two straight finishes outside the top 10 because of a crash.
Rowan Pennink (No. 3 Cape Cod Copper Chevrolet)
• Has one win, two top fives and nine top 10s in 11 races so far this season.
• Sits third in the championship standings, just three points from the lead entering Oswego.
• Last season, Pennink started fourth and finished seventh in the Oswego 150.
Jeff Rocco (No. 85 J&R Precast/Stuart’s Autmotive Chevrolet)
• Will make his fourth start of the season at Oswego on Saturday night.
• In his first three races this season, Rocco has a best finish of 15th.
Ryan Preece (No. 6 TS HaulerChevrolet)
• Has four wins, nine top fives and nine top 10s in 10 starts this season.
• Won the 2013 NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour championship.
• Did not run the race at Oswego Speedway last season.
Ted Christopher (No. 82 Horton Avenue Materials Chevrolet)
• Has 42 wins, 133 top fives and 203 top 10s in 371 career Whelen Modified Tour starts.
• Has eight starts this season with two top fives.
• Has a best finish of third this season at Thompson in August.
Matt Swanson (No. 89 Starrett Tools Ford)
• Has three top fives and 13 top 10s in 33 career Whelen Modified Tour starts.
• Finished fourth in the Seekonk 150 last Saturday.
• Last season, he started 12th and finished 21st in the Oswego Speedway.
Up To Speed
• This is the 33rd season of NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour racing. The first event was held in 1985 at Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park, won by Richie Evans.
• The 2017 schedule includes 16 points races at nine different tracks, across seven different states. It also includes two non-points events at New Hampshire Motor Speedway and Charlotte Motor Speedway.
• Following the Toyota Mod Classic 150, the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour will return to Riverhead Raceway on Sept. 16.
I’m thinking ole’ Blue and the Red Baron.
Always wanted to go to this track. It was big attraction for drivers and fans from what i gathered attending races at Stafford Springs. Does the racing “feel” like Thompson?
Matt passed almost the entire field after Coby spun him at Seekonk. I still haven’t seen a single car pass him in 2017. I give him credit for doing what he did on Saturday against tour teams. The 60 is your winner.
I’ll be disappointed if somebody doesn’t dump the 2 in the next two races. I’ve had enough of him taking out the point contenders. It was way too early in the race for him to dump Matt at Seekonk.
After 8 times chop blocking Mat dumped himself.
The 2 had better run the biggest and best flux capacitor so it can run away from the field, otherwise it is gonna get roughed up. The Golden Rule, yaknow.
Dumping the 60 so early in the race was dysfunctional. But from that perspective, it had to be done when the opportunity presented itself.
Oswego used to be a great modified track, now it’s a one groove track and the racing is not that good. Get to the lead and protect the bottom groove and you win, there is very little passing.
I gotta disagree. I thought it was too early. The 2 wasn’t fast enough to do it on the outside and the 16 was a coming. Coby struggles at Riverhead and the sharks will be circling.
Without a doubt… the 2 is chum at Riverhead. The 2 and/or Colbee doesn’t do well at Riverhead, or any tight confines track. Yeah, gets lucky once in a while, but generally does not play well with others.
Would have liked to see the 60 catch the 2 at ‘Konk. That would have been fun.
Oswego is not a great turnout, cars only going because they have to.
NH Mark, I agree, I said dumping the 60 so early was dysfunctional. But the 2 had to do it when he had the chance. He needs EVERY point and eliminating any other car that might eat from the same dish has to be eliminated at the earliest opportunity. It was very shrewd.
Stout entry list…….Melissa may get a top 20 if they don’t pull her off because she can’t stay up to speed.
NH Mark, the 2 needs every point, and that also means the bonus points. Make that ESPECIALLY the bonus points. If the 2 finished 2nd, that’s points that he would have lost and he’d be in 3rd place (making believe Preece will still be there in October). October can come down to just a couple points the way things are going.
It’s going to be tough for Solomito and Bonsignore with only 5 races left, they need others to have some bad luck. If Colbee has a bad day, or two, Solomito and Bonsignore are back in it.
The 2 still has a bad finish or two coming its way.
The bonus points are crucial when the standings are so tight.
When I sat under the covered grandstands last year, it was very loud. I might have to explore other options besides sangria…
Liz is you are over ten and you have to wear earplugs or think the sound of modifieds, grandstand or not is loud then you are not a true race fan!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Look boys, maybe you don’t think it’s loud, but I do. I’m a fairly new fan and I’m trying my best to adapt..
Saturday night short track racing is so bourgeoisie, but I like it!
Really racer? You counted 8 times, are you sure cause I was there. I saw the leader running the line he wanted which the last time I checked was his right as long as he was giving another lane to the car behind him which he was and it is called the outside. Coby had the option to take the outside if he was good enough which he evidently was not. So he just dumped Hirschman also taking out the 00 & 16 because of his stupidity. The 16 was the big looser in the deal because of the points he lost. As the saying goes “don’t get mad, get even”.
He was blocking the outside if his spotter told the 60 inside instead of block and turn left the 60 would not have hit the 2s RF the contact was the 60 blocking. I was there like you a slower car can only block for so long before it pays a price for it.
The Whelen Modified Tour is not it’s all cracked up to be: Went to Lebanon Valley to the Mr Dirt Show last night 32 cars, group time trials ,4 Heat races, 3 consi, top 12 driver redraw
for starting position and a Great 101 lap feature that had 2 short cautions that took 38 minutes start to finish (That they ran before the Sportsman division which I did not stick around to watch) no drama, no b/s all for $25. I got back to Hartford by 11:30 can’t beat that with a stick it’s already on my calendar next year !
How can you say the 60 was blocking the outside. I watched him lap after lap run the middle of the track off the turns leaving the outside for the 2. Really the 60 hit the 2’s right front? OMG, yea right, give me a break! Just like the time Labonte ran into Earnhardt’s right front off of 4 at Bristol…….
So anyway… ole’ Blue is taking home the trophy from this one.
Dareal : the BIG flux capacitor is getting very old and boring ! You must be smoking some fentanyl laced marijuana. I’m not a big fan of Doug Coby but results speak for themselves 199 races , 23 wins ,21 poles oh oh and I almost forgot 4 championships not to mention three in a row.
Hey Humphry why don’t you go and leave a message on Tommy Baldwins Facebook page and tell him when he said Coby was in there and his spotter should have told him that that he was wrong.