Todd Szegedy Looking For New Opportunity To Continue Competing On Whelen Modified Tour

Todd Szegedy wasn’t expecting to be part of the offseason silly season driver shuffle of the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour, but that’s exactly where the Ridgefield driver finds himself today.

Todd Szegedy celebrates a Whelen Modified Tour victory in September at New Hampshire Motor Speedway (Photo: Getty Images for NASCAR)

Todd Szegedy celebrates a Whelen Modified Tour victory in September at New Hampshire Motor Speedway (Photo: Getty Images for NASCAR)

Team owner Mike Smeriglio III told Szegedy Thursday that the team would be looking for a new driver for the 2014 season.

“I had no idea it was going to happen,” the 37-year old Szegedy said. “I’ve been blessed to have the opportunity to have great rides and I was blessed with the opportunity to drive for Mike and have [Phil Moran] as a crew chief and I know the guys the love me a lot. I’ve got a lot of challenges ahead of me in my life.

“Michael thought it would be a good idea to make a change. Sometimes change is good. I don’t know where I’m heading, but they’ve been so great to me. He’s been a great car owner. I’m lucky to have great friends and I have great fans that stick behind me. Whether I come back racing or not, I’m thankful for everyone that’s been there for me. I’m going to try to move forward the best I can. We’ll see how things go. Racing is a difficult sport and there’s a lot of highs and lows. The only thing you can do is just keep moving forward.”

Szegedy, the 2003 NASCAR Modified Tour champion, had been driving for Smeriglio since the start of the 2006 season. Of his 18 career victories on the Modified Tour dating back to 2000, 10 have come driving for Smeriglio.

Over eight seasons with Smeriglio, Szegedy finished worse than fifth in the standings only once, in 2013, when he was sixth in the final standings. Szegedy was the series runner-up in 2007 and 2011 and had a third place finish in the standings for Smeriglio in 2008.

His most recent win came in the F.W. Webb 100 on Sept. 21 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. He finished the 2013 season with three top-fives and seven top-10’s over 14 events.

Szegedy said he has not talked with any other teams about competing next season.

“I’m going to keep my options open and keep my phone open and if I hear anything I’m going to listen to any opportunities that may come about,” said Szegedy, who has 181 career Modified Tour starts and has run full-time in the series 11 of the last 12 years. “I look forward every year to racing. The winter is long for me. I look forward to the spring and going back racing. It’s what I like to do.

“It would be nice to be able to continue to race. That’s one of the things that I have in my life that keeps my mind off of other things. I’ve been racing 30 years. I’ve dedicated my whole life to it. I’m still young, I still feel like I’ve got another solid 20 years left in me. We’ll see where things go. I definitely want to keep racing.”

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Comments

  1. Teddy will be in that car bet the house on it

  2. Great team – great driver. Phil Moran might be the best out there. Hope it works out for everyone.

  3. Looks like an ideal opportunity for TC to make a statement in 2014.
    Great Team, Top Crew Chief, and a very hungry driver out to make a point

  4. coors light says

    blewett has deeper pockets,i go with him

  5. Didnt VMRS regular Max Zachem run a Phil Moran car at the Thompson World Series? I wonder if that is an indication as to what is happening next year.

  6. todd is better then that team he made them legit

  7. Can’t see TC with the 2 team and don’t know who they will get that’s better then Todd. Szegedy is smooth, consistent, has the fire to win and takes care of the equipment better than anyone else on tour. My guess is there’s going to be a new sponsor that is bringing their driver.

  8. yes Max did drive a backup at Thompson and finished ahead of Todd and he had Ken Barry turning wrenches and spotting for him and he has money.Never know.

  9. If they choose TC they better get used to hearing “we need more Horsepower”

  10. if teddy takes over the #2 they better have 5 cars he’s a hack someone is going
    to give Todd a seat

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