Woody Pitkat won’t be driving full-time in an SK Modified for car owner Steve Greer in 2014 at Stafford Motor Speedway, that much has been spelled out.
Woody Pitkat celebrates his first of two SK Modified victories in 2013 at Stafford Speedway (Photo: Stephanie Kimball/Stafford Speedway)
But for Greer, celebrating the accomplishments of his team, including Pitkat, is priority No. 1 for the time being.
“Until the [Stafford Motor Speedway banquet on Nov. 22], I really don’t want to talk about 2014 too much,” Greer said. “I just want to keep celebrating our championship and not ruin that. It’s a special time for the team.”
A late in the offseason deal to run an SK Modified together at Stafford Motor Speedway in 2013 blossomed into a championship run for Pitkat, Greer and crew chief Earl Pelletier. Pitkat used consistency for three quarters of the season, and wins late, to edge Ryan Preece by two points to win his first NASCAR All-American Series SK Modified championship at Stafford.
Pitkat, who is also a regular on the NASCAR Modified Tour, found out late in the offseason after the 2012 season that he was losing his previous SK Modified ride at the track to fellow NASCAR Modified Tour driver Rowan Pennink.
“We didn’t get the ball rolling for the SK Modified until [late February],” Greer said. “The whole thing was quick. We were just supposed to run [the Valenti Modified Racing Series] a little bit here and there and then he got released and the whole thing happened very fast. We had to take an SK Light and convert it to an SK [Modified] and get the car to the track. We had no idea what we had come Spring Sizzler time.
“There’s no question that I’m very proud. The two guys that never flinched were Woody and Earl [Pelletier]. When we talked about getting together, early in the season I was like ‘Ready to go for some wins’ and Woody and Earl were like ‘Nope, we want to go for a championship.’ And Woody and Earl worked their tails off to get that.”
Pitkat finished the season with two victories and 12 top-five finishes in 18 events in 2013. Preece finished the season with a division high eight victories. Pitkat had back-to-back wins on Aug. 30 and Sept. 6.
“Those two guys knew what could happen and they worked really hard for it,” Greer said of Pitkat and Pelletier. “If you were to ask me in June or July if we were going to run for a championship, you know, you’re never too sure. But those two never questioned it. Then they hit on something and August and we knocked off a couple wins at the right time and there it was.”
Greer said after the team celebrates its title at the Stafford banquet, the party moves on to Charlotte, N.C., where they will be celebrated at the NASCAR All-American Series banquet on Dec. 13.
“We’re still going to be friends, it’s not like we’re partying ways throwing fists and bad names at each other,” Greer said. “We’re going to enjoy this. We’re still a team as of right now. It’s going to be a little bittersweet, but we’re going to go as a group of friends. That’s the way we started, just as a group of guys working towards a goal. We achieved the goal and we’re going to finish it off that way.”
Multiple sources have indicated that Greer has been in talks with Preece to drive his SK Modified at Stafford in 2014. Neither Preece nor Greer would confirm that any deal has been finalized.
Whoever ends up with Woody in their seat will get success next year! Good Luck Woody
No offense to Greer but why would preece leave kelly and bob
Not sure what the big deal is. Everyone already knows Preece is in 27 and Woody is in the 50. Preece deal was done way before every one thinks and Woody deal was a sour one so I hear.
Preece isn’t in the 27
The 27 won’t even hit the track!
Sour how may I ask?
Once a writer, always a writer huh? I know its your job to leave a cliff hanger, to get people come back and read more of your stories. But nothing like giving your feel good story a kick in the crotch at the end. Thats how the media is!
I know were one of the best drivers to never race at stafford is and from were he comes from staffords 5/8 would be a joke