Ron Yuhas Jr. (Photo: Getty Images for NASCAR)
NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour veteran Ron Yuhas Jr. of Groton confirmed to RaceDayCT on Sunday that he will skip the 2015 racing season with the Mike Murphy owned KLM Motorsports team.
Yuhas also confirmed that former Valenti Modified Racing Series winner Anthony Nocella of Woburn, Mass. will replace him for the 2015 season in the KLM Motorsports No. 64 on the Whelen Modified Tour.
Yuhas said his intentions are to return to the series in 2016.
Yuhas sustained undisclosed injuries in a crash during the Whelen Modified Tour F.W. Webb 100 on Sept. 20, 2014 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. His injuries forced him to miss the final two events of the 2014 season and the KLM Motorsports team did not field a driver for the events.
“It’s been a long winter and my recovery has been going well,” Yuhas said Sunday. “After discussions with my family I’ve decided to sit out the 2015 season. It’s nothing medically mandated by any stretch of the imagination. I sat down with my family and decided this is the best thing for me and my family and the race team.”
Yuhas, a former SK Modified division champion at the Waterford Speedbowl, has made 74 career Whelen Modified Tour starts dating back to the 2006 season. He has four top-fives and 21 top-10 finishes in series action.
Nocella’s lone Valenti Modified Racing Series victory came in October 2013 at Seekonk (Mass.) Speedway. He also has two victories in Northeastern Midget Association action and 11 victories in the NEME Lites division. He has never made a Whelen Modified Tour start.
Well let’s hope he is well enough to make a start in any division and race at the Bowl this year.
All the best to you Ron
Sorry 2 hear that hope u make a good recorvery
Good luck to Anthony but sad news from Yuhas. Hopefully he chooses to loosen up for a couple of races at the bowl.
Hate seeing a classy guy and one of the cleanest racers out there sitting for a season.
Do what you have to Ron and hope to see you back next year.
Sorry to hear Ron is out. But Nocella in the ride? Racing has become a joke where the dude with the most money gets the ride. Nocela hasn’t done much at all in the mods, and the kid going to the 16 is a complete joke. He hasn’t had a top 5. While legit drivers with a long history of success sit on the sidelines because of money. Hell yeah, let mom and dad pay for the ride.
@Knuckles – You might want to check your facts before you start banging on Nocella as the choice for the ride. He has 38 out of 41 top tens in the Nema Lites, won at the Rumble in Ft. Wayne, and has 11 out of 34 top Tens in Modifieds. The kid is 22 years old. I’ve known him since he was 13 driving a Micro-Sprint at Whip, and trust me, the kid is a chauffeur. His win numbers might not be as high as some because he won’t wreck ya to beat ya. With the cost of Modified Racing these days, who can blame an owner for wanting to have a driver that consistently finishes top 10 and brings the equipment home in one piece.
Knuckles Mahony? More like knuckle head. Nocella has a win and has been competitive in the MRS for a few years now. He’s had some bad luck but he has won a race which is more than what can be said for some that race the tour or mrs. Solomito won rookie of the year in the tour last year beating a great driver in Tommy Barrett. He ran competively in a few races. The guys on the sidelines are probably better but there is reasons they don’t have rides and many people want to give some young guns a chance cause they might be better. Those veterans were in the same place Solomito and Nocella are in now.
Facts clearly aren’t high on Knucklehead’s list. Timmy Solomito has 3 top 5’s and 8 top 10’s on the tour in 20 starts. And didn’t have to pay one cent for the ride in the 16. I dunno anyone on the tour this year that has bought their ride. Just another ignorant, anonymous poster. You want anyone to take you seriously check ur FACTS and put your name on it.
Easy Freddie, I know Timmy is a good shoe & Knucklehead is clueless but at the tours level, there are a lot of deals, Engines, Tires, $$$ for some of the teams. Remember it is a team effort!!! That said, the 16 team is pretty self sufficient. Hope we all have a great racing season.
See you at the races.