(Press Release from NASCAR Integrated Marketing Communications)
Justin Bonsignore celebrates a Whelen Modified Tour victory in August at Thompson Speedway (Photo: Darren McCollester/Getty Images for NASCAR)
The NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour will conclude its 2014 season and crown a champion on Sunday at Connecticut’s Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park with the Sunoco World Series 150 presented by Xtra Mart. Below is a statistical look at the performance of the tour and selected drivers at the track:
Sunoco World Series 150 Setup:
· Doug Coby brings a 28-point advantage on Ted Christopher into the season finale. Coby would secure his second NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour title with a finish of 24th or better while Christopher would need at least a podium and a subpar finish for Coby to have a shot at what would be his second crown. Either Coby or Christopher will become just the fifth multi-time champion in the 30 years of NWMT competition.
· Justin Bonsignore has won the first two races at Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park this year. Another trip to Victory Lane this week would make him just the third driver in NWMT history to sweep a season at Thompson, joining Steve Park in 1996 and Mike Stefanik in 1998.
· The Sunoco World Series 150 entry list included 37 entries at the beginning of the week. That is the highest total for a stand-alone race since 2010 when the Thompson Icebreaker had 37 and the summer race at New Hampshire Motor Speedway had 36.
At Thompson Speedway:
History
· Opened on May 26, 1940 as the largest and first entirely-asphalt track in New England at the time.
· An inaugural member track of the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series, now in its 33rd season. Keith Rocco is the defending track champion out of the Sunoco Modified division.
· Held NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races in 1951, 1969 and 1970 and 27 NASCAR K&N Pro Series East events from 1988-2009.
· Held the inaugural NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour event on March 31, 1985, a race won by the late NASCAR Hall of Famer Richie Evans.
Notebook
· Thompson has played host to 125 NWMT races, the most in the tour’s 30 seasons.
· There have been 33 different race winners at Thompson, led by Mike Stefanik’s 15 victories.
· There have been 42 different pole winners at Thompson, led by Tony Hirschman’s 13.
· Jamie Tomaino is the only driver that has participated in all 125 previous NWMT Thompson races.
· There have only been three races won in wire-to-wire fashion at Thompson, the last by Rick Fuller in 1997.
· Bobby Santos was the youngest Thompson race winner at 22 years, 11 days in 2007.
· Stefanik was the oldest Thompson victor at 54 years, 10 months, 25 days in 2013.
Thompson Data
Race: #13 of 13 overall, #3 of 3 at Thompson
Track Layout: .625-mile asphalt oval
Banking/Turns: 26 degrees
Race Length: 150 laps (93.75 miles)
Qualifying/Race Data
2013 Pole Winner: Bobby Santos, Chevrolet, 18.712 seconds, 120.244 mph
2013 Race Winner: Rowan Pennink, Chevrolet, 1:16:17, 73.738 mph
Qualifying Record: Bobby Santos, Dodge, 18.237 seconds, 123.376 mph, April 10, 2011
Active Category Leaders at Thompson:
Wins
1. Mike Stefanik … 15
2. Ted Christopher … 13
3. Bobby Santos … 4
Ron Silk … 4
Poles
1. Mike Stefanik … 10
2. Ted Christopher … 7
3. Bobby Santos … 5
Top Fives
1. Mike Stefanik … 52
2. Ted Christopher … 33
3. Jamie Tomaino … 20
Top 10s
1. Mike Stefanik … 67
1. Jamie Tomaino … 49
3. Ted Christopher … 45
Laps Led
1. Mike Stefanik … 1,853
2. Ted Christopher … 1,723
3. Donny Lia … 637
Starts
1. Jamie Tomaino … 125
2. Mike Stefanik … 109
3. Ted Christopher … 84
Select Driver Highlights:
Tommy Barrett Jr. (No. 22 Canto Paving/Ferguson Water Works Chevrolet)
· Has a win, a pole and six top 10s in 14 career NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour starts.
· Rookie sits 12th in points after 12 races with five top 10s, highlighted by a win at Bristol Motor Speedway.
· Has finishes of seventh (2012 World Series), 23rd and 23rd again in three career NWMT starts at Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park.
Justin Bonsignore (No. 51 chem3.com Chevrolet)
· Has six wins, five poles and 42 top 10s in 72 career starts.
· Ranks third in points with three wins and nine top 10s. Won both races at Thompson, with a triumph at Monadnock Speedway in between.
· Has three wins, seven top 10s and an average finish of 14th in 16 career Thompson starts.
Ted Christopher (No. 13 Tick Free Organic Tick Control/CT&E Chevrolet)
· The 2008 NWMT champion has 42 wins, 24 poles and 192 top 10s in 347 career starts. His 42 wins rank third all-time and his 24 poles are eighth.
· Is looking to end a 41-race winless drought. It’s his longest such streak since the start of his career when his first win came in his 94th race.
· Ranks second in points, 28 behind leader Doug Coby, with top 10s in 11 of 12 races. Was the runner-up at Riverhead Raceway in June as well as the last time out at Stafford Motor Speedway.
· Has 13 wins, seven poles, 45 top 10s, an average finish of 13th and 1,723 laps led in 84 career NWMT Thompson starts. Also won the non-points UNOH Showdown there in 2012, and has a record four wins in the World Series.
· Is a four-time NASCAR Whelen All-American Series track champion at Thompson out of the Sunoco Modified division, and enters this week’s events with 98 total feature wins at the track.
Doug Coby (No. 2 Dunleavy’s Repair/HEX Performance Chevrolet)
· The 2012 NWMT champion has 10 wins, four poles and 78 top 10s in 155 career starts.
· Won the non-points UNOH Battle At The Beach on the short track at Daytona International Speedway in February.
· Points leader has recorded top fives in nine of 12 races, highlighted by a win at Stafford in June.
· Has a win (Sept. 2011), 22 top 10s and an average finish of 12th in 41 career Thompson starts. Also won the non-points UNOH Showdown there in 2011.
Eric Goodale (No. 58 GAF Roofing/RBSCorp.com Chevrolet)
· Has a win, a pole and 34 top 10s in 85 career NWMT starts. The win came at Riverhead in June.
· Maintains the NWMT’s active starts streak lead, now at 83 races.
· Ranks eighth in points this year with six top 10s in 12 outings.
· Has eight top 10s, an average finish of 15th and a best result of third (Aug. 2013) in 19 Thompson appearances.
Matt Hirschman (No. 52 B.C. Brennenstuhl/L.I. Mod Maniac Chevrolet)
· Has two wins, three poles and 45 top 10s in 88 career NWMT starts.
· Sits 13th in points with five top 10s across 11 races. Skipped the last event at Stafford.
· Has 10 top 10s, an average finish of 14th and a best result of second (Aug. 2008 and Aug. 2014) in 24 Thompson starts.
Donny Lia (No. 4 Mystic Missile Racing Dodge)
· The 2007 and 2009 NWMT champion has 17 wins, 20 poles and 77 top 10s in 153 career starts.
· Ranks 11th in points with five top 10s and a best result of second at Waterford Speedbowl.
· Owner of three wins, four poles, 14 top 10s and an average finish of 14th in 34 career Thompson starts.
Rowan Pennink (No. 93 Monk Mechanics Hand Cleaner Chevrolet)
· Has two wins and 54 top 10s in 110 career starts.
· Has competed in 10 of 12 events this year and has five top 10s with a best finish of third in the Stafford Spring Sizzler.
· Has a win (2013 World Series), 16 top 10s and an average finish of 12th in 29 career Thompson races.
Woody Pitkat (No. 88 East West Marine/Elbow East Chevrolet)
· Has two wins, a pole and 41 top 10s in 90 career starts.
· Ranks seventh in points with two wins and seven top 10s in 12 races. The wins came at Stafford in August and New Hampshire Motor Speedway in September.
· Has six top 10s, and an average finish of 16th and a best result of second (2014 Icebreaker) in 24 Thompson starts.
Ryan Preece (No. 16 East West Marine/Diversified Metals Ford)
· The 2013 NWMT champion has 10 wins, 12 poles, 27 podiums, 47 top fives and 63 top 10s in 107 career starts.
· Ranks sixth in points after 12 races with nine top 10s and a win last time out at Stafford.
· Has four poles, eight podiums, 15 top 10s, an average finish of 12th and a best result of second (four times) in 27 career Thompson starts.
· The 2012 Thompson NWAAS track champ will contend with Keith Rocco for a second title this weekend.
Keith Rocco (No. 48 Wheelers Auto/Mr. Rooter Chevrolet)
· Has eight top 10s in 21 career NWMT starts with a best finish of third in the 2012 Stafford Spring Sizzler.
· Participated in seven of 12 races this year with a best finish of eighth at Waterford.
· Has an average finish of 13th and a best result of fifth (Sept. 2009) in eight career NWMT races at Thompson.
· Will vie with Ryan Preece this weekend for what would be a fifth Thompson NWAAS track championship.
Bobby Santos (No. 44 Tinio Racing/Dan Kelley Victory Lane Stables Chevrolet)
· The 2010 NWMT champion has 13 wins, 16 poles and 50 top 10s in 91 career starts.
· Ranks fifth in points with three wins and seven top 10s. The wins came at Stafford (April), Waterford and New Hampshire (July).
· Has four wins, five poles, 17 top 10s and an average finish of 13.5 in 30 career Thompson appearances. His first career win came in the 2007 World Series, and he won the season finale again in 2012.
Ron Silk (No. 6 TS Haulers/Calverton Tree Farm Chevrolet)
· The 2011 NWMT champion has nine wins, eight poles and 82 top 10s in 137 career starts.
· Ranks fifth in points with 10 top 10s in 12 races and a best result of second in August at Stafford.
· Has four wins, 23 top 10s and an average finish of 11th in 36 career Thompson appearances. His first three career wins were earned at the track.
Timmy Solomito (No. 75 Eastport Feeds/Axel Anderson Inc. Chevrolet)
· The 2014 Sunoco Rookie of the Year has a pole and seven top 10s in 19 career starts with a best finish of third at Riverhead in September 2013.
· Ranks ninth in the overall standings with five top 10s and a best result of fourth in the Thompson Icebreaker.
· Has three top 10s, an average finish of 13th and a best result of fourth (2014 Icebreaker) in five Thompson races.
Todd Szegedy (No. 15 15-40 Connection Chevrolet)
· The 2003 NWMT champion has 18 wins, 10 poles and 115 top 10s in 186 career starts.
· Has competed in five of 12 races this year with a best result of second at New Hampshire in September.
· Has three wins, three poles, 23 top 10s and an average finish of 13th in 44 career Thompson starts.
Up To Speed:
· The 2014 season is the 30th for the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour.
· The 2014 schedule features 13 races at seven different tracks across four states.
· The competition season opened with the non-points UNOH Battle At The Beach on the short track at Daytona International Speedway on Feb. 18. Ryan Preece was the polesitter and Doug Coby took the checkered flag.
· Justin Bonsignore passed first-time pole winner Woody Pitkat with nine laps to go to win the points season opener at Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park on April 6.
· Rookie Tommy Barrett Jr. captured his first pole and Bobby Santos earned his sixth Stafford Motor Speedway victory on April 27.
· After two rainouts, the third race of the season finally got in the books on June 6 when Doug Coby took the checkered flag at Stafford. Santos earned the pole on the original May 23 race date.
· The first bullring race of the year saw a battle between polesitter Donny Lia and Bobby Santos on June 21 at Waterford Speedbowl, and Santos eventually won out for his 12th career victory.
· Eric Goodale earned his first career win and John Beatty Jr. his first pole on June 28 at Riverhead Raceway.
· Ron Silk earned his first pole of 2014 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway on July 12 and Santos made a last-lap pass to record his first Loudon victory. Ryan Newman won the non-points Whelen All-Star Shootout the day before.
· Justin Bonsignore took the checkered flag from the pole on July 19 at Monadnock Speedway to become the first multi-race winner in NWMT history at the New Hampshire bullring.
· Woody Pitkat earned his first career victory on Aug. 8 at Stafford. Santos was the event’s polesitter.
· Bonsignore took the checkered flag at Thompson on Aug. 14. Lia was the top qualifier.
· After Bonsignore captured the pole, Barrett claimed his first checkered flag at Bristol Motor Speedway in the annual combination race with the NASCAR Whelen Southern Modified Tour on Aug. 20.
· The Riverhead 200 was scheduled to be contested on Sept. 13 at Riverhead, but was cancelled due to rain.
· Pitkat powered to his second win of the season when he held off Szegedy for the checkered flag at NHMS on Sept. 20. Newman earned his fifth tour pole prior to the event.
· In the Stafford Fall Final on Sept. 28, Santos was once again on the pole and Preece ended a year-long winless drought with his 10th career triumph.
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