Twin Bill: Mike Christopher Back Back In Whelen Modified Tour Car At NHMS

LOUDON, N.H. – A familiar face returned to the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour pits Friday at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.

Familiar in that his face is seen regularly in the series, though it’s his identical twin brother seen in the pits at every race.

For Mike Christopher, Friday marked a return to the series nearly two years in the making. Mike Christopher is the identical twin brother of 2008 Whelen Modified Tour champion and series regular Ted Christopher.

Mike Christopher was back looking to make a Whelen Modified Tour event for the first time since Sept. 18, 2010. That last start for him also came at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.

There are no fancy crew shirts or lofty crew titles for that matter for the guys working on Christopher’s entry for Saturday’s Town Fair Tire 100 at NHMS. There’s Mike Christopher and a group of racing friends looking to help the Plainville driver satisfy the racing need that stills courses through his veins.

For Mike Christopher, who has a 13-year old son and a 8-year old daughter, it’s about picking his spots when it comes to satisfying his racing fix. He last ran full-time on the Whelen Modified Tour in 2005, when he finished 10th in the standings. Since then he’s made two starts each in 2006 and 2007 and one start in 2009 and 2010.

“It feels good to be back out there,” Mike Christopher said. “We’re just a little too tight. I’m just trying to make it go faster. We’re slow but we’re fighting tight tight tight out there. I don’t know if I have good power or bad power because of that.

He was 28th of 34 cars in Saturday morning’s one hour and 45 minute practice at NHMS. He made his weekend jaunt to NHMS a little tougher Saturday when he missed a mandatory series meeting at 8 a.m. It means he will go out first in Whelen Modified Tour qualifying.

It’s a dreaded spot go out for Tour teams, who are concerned about the Nationwide Series and Sprint Cup Series rubber that will be laid down during practice sessions all day Friday on the 1.058-mile oval.

“I usually don’t miss those things but for some reason I just did today,” Mike Christopher said. “Just forgot to go over there. That’s only going to make things worse.”