(Press Release from NASCAR Integrated Marketing Communications)
The second event of the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour’s 30th Anniversary season will take place on Sunday, April 26 at Connecticut’s Stafford Motor Speedway with the NAPA Spring Sizzler 200. Below is a statistical look at the performance of the tour and selected drivers at the track:
NAPA Spring Sizzler 200 Setup:
• Bobby Santos is the two-time defending winner of the NAPA Spring Sizzler 200. The only driver to reach Victory Lane in the event in three consecutive seasons was Ted Christopher (2008-10).
• Defending NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour champion Doug Coby will also look to match a feat of Christopher’s this Sunday. Christopher is the only driver in tour history to win the first two events of a season (2009). Coby won the opener at Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park, and is a two-time victor of the Spring Sizzler.
• Santos and Coby have combined to win eight of the previous 12 Stafford races, and 11 of 19 dating to 2010.
• Santos has captured the pole at Stafford in seven of the last 11 NWMT races, including three of four in each of the two previous seasons. His nine career poles at Stafford now rank second only to Mike Stefanik’s 17.
• Christopher is set to make his 350th career NWMT start in this event. He has a record five NWMT Spring Sizzler victories, as well as an additional win from 1988 when the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series SK Modifieds headlined the event.
At Stafford Motor Speedway:
History
• The Stafford Springs Agricultural Park opened in 1870. The current race track was originally used for horse racing, which gave way to automobiles after World War II.
• Stafford Motor Speedway became a NASCAR-sanctioned track in 1959 and was paved in 1967.
• Stafford is one of nine tracks that have been a part of the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series program in each of its now 34 years of competition.
• The inaugural NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour race at Stafford was held on April 14, 1985. NASCAR Hall of Famer Richie Evans won the 80-lap race as part of the 14th Annual Spring Sizzler weekend.
Notebook
• The NWMT has held 114 races at Stafford since 1985, a total second only to the 127 events at Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park.
• With four dates this year there will be multiple races at Stafford in 30 of the tour’s 31 seasons. The lone exception was 1988, when there were no NWMT dates at the track.
• There have been 32 different race winners at Stafford, led by Mike Stefanik’s 20 victories.
• There have been 42 different pole winners at Stafford, led by Stefanik’s 17. Ryan Preece set the track qualifying record in the 2012 Spring Sizzler.
• No driver has started all previous 114 races at Stafford. Jamie Tomaino has missed only one – the inaugural tour date.
• There have been seven races won in wire-to-wire fashion at Stafford, the last by Ron Silk in 2011.
• Ryan Preece was the youngest Stafford race winner at 18 years, 9 months and 14 days.
• Ted Christopher was the oldest Stafford victor at 53 years, 3 months and 28 days.
• The NAPA Spring Sizzler entry list features nine drivers that have previously won at the track: Christopher (12), Doug Coby and Bobby Santos (6), Donny Lia (4), Szegedy (4), Preece (3), Pitkat (1), Silk (1) and Tomaino (1).
• Active winners of the NWMT NAPA Spring Sizzler 200 entered for this race include: Christopher (2002, `03, `08, `09, `10), Santos (2011, `13, `14), Coby (2006, `12) and Lia (2007).
Stafford Motor Speedway Data
Race #: 2 of 15 overall, 1 of 4 at Stafford
Track Layout: .5-mile asphalt oval
Race Length: 200 laps (100 miles)
Banking/Turns 1 & 2: 9 degrees
Banking/Turns 3 & 4: 7.5 degrees
Qualifying/Race Data
2014 Race Winner: Bobby Santos, Chevrolet, 66.977 mph, 1 hr. 29 mins. 35 secs.
2014 Pole Winner: Tommy Barrett Jr., Chevrolet, 98.787 mph, 18.221 secs.
Qualifying Record: Ryan Preece, Ford, 100.424 mph, 17.924 secs., 4/29/12
Active Category Leaders at Stafford:
Wins
1. Mike Stefanik … 20
2. Ted Christopher … 12
3. Doug Coby … 6
Bobby Santos … 6
Poles
1. Mike Stefanik … 17
2. Bobby Santos … 9
3. Donny Lia … 8
Top Fives
1. Mike Stefanik … 50
2. Ted Christopher … 29
3. Todd Szegedy … 21
Top 10s
1. Mike Stefanik … 74
2. Jamie Tomaino … 53
3. Ted Christopher … 50
Laps Led
1. Mike Stefanik … 2,165
2. Ted Christopher … 2,083
3. Todd Szegedy … 801
Laps Completed
1. Jamie Tomaino … 16,248
2. Mike Stefanik … 13,828
3. Ted Christopher … 12,487
Starts
1. Jamie Tomaino … 113
2. Mike Stefanik … 96
3. Ted Christopher … 88
Select Driver Highlights:
Tommy Barrett Jr. (No. 22 Canto Paving/Ferguson Water Works Chevrolet)
• Has a win, a pole and six top 10s in 16 career NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour starts.
• Finished 12th in points last year as a rookie with a win in the combo race at Bristol Motor Speedway.
• Has a pole (2014 Spring Sizzler), an average finish of 14th and a best result of fourth (2014 Fall Final) in five career NWMT starts at Stafford Motor Speedway.
• Has 14 career NASCAR Whelen All-American Series SK Light Modified division wins at Stafford.
Justin Bonsignore (No. 51 M3 Technology Chevrolet)
• Has six wins, five poles and 43 top 10s in 74 career starts.
• Finished third in the 2014 championship standings behind a career-high three wins.
• Has a pole (2011 Fall Final), 11 top 10s, an average finish of 12th and a best result of second (2013 Spring Sizzler, June 2014) in 20 career starts at Stafford.
Ted Christopher (No. 13 Mr. Rooter/J&R Pre-Cast Chevrolet)
• The 2008 NWMT champion has 42 wins, 24 poles and 193 top 10s in 349 career starts. His 42 wins rank third all-time and his 24 poles are eighth.
• Is looking to end a 43-race winless drought. It’s the second-longest such streak in his career after. His first win came in his 94th race.
• Finished fifth in points last year with 11 top 10s in 13 starts.
• Has 12 wins, four poles, 50 top 10s, an average finish of 13th and 2,083 laps led in 88 career NWMT Stafford starts.
• Is a nine-time NWAAS track champion at Stafford out of the SK Modified division, where his 101 triumphs are more than double second place on the division wins list. Has a record 122 overall career victories at the track entering this week’s events.
Doug Coby (No. 2 Dunleavy’s Repair/HEX Performance Chevrolet)
• The 2012 and 2014 NWMT champion has 11 wins, five poles and 79 top 10s in 158 career starts.
• Posted a win and a tour-high 12 top 10s in 13 races a year ago to capture the championship, and won the 2015 opener at Thompson to launch his title defense.
• Has six wins, two poles, 22 top 10s and an average finish of 12.5 in 40 career Stafford NWMT starts.
• Has 18 career NWAAS victories at Stafford, including six in SK Modifieds.
Chase Dowling (No. 9 S&S Asphalt Paving/Dunleavy’s Repair Chevrolet)
• Made his NWMT debut in the 2015 opener at Thompson with a 17th place finish.
• Has eight career NWAAS modified feature wins at Stafford; seven in SK Lights and one in SKs.
Eric Goodale (No. 58 GAF Roofing/Supreme Skylights Chevrolet)
• Has a win, a pole and 36 top 10s in 87 career starts.
• Maintains the NWMT’s active starts streak lead, now at 85 races.
• Ranked seventh in points last year with a win and seven top 10s.
• Has six top 10s, an average finish of 15th and a best result of fifth (Aug. 2014) in 25 career Stafford starts.
• Held the NASCAR Whelen Southern Modified Tour points lead after three races this year, highlighted by a March 15 win at Caraway Speedway.
Donny Lia (No. 8 Sypher Construction/Bardahl Chevrolet)
• The 2007 and 2009 NWMT champion has 17 wins, 20 poles and 79 top 10s in 155 career starts.
• Ranked 11th in points a year ago with six top 10s, highlighted a pair of second place finishes.
• Owner of four wins, eight poles, 25 top 10s and an average finish of 11th in 40 career Stafford starts.
Rowan Pennink (No. 93 Van Wickle Auto Supply Chevrolet)
• Has two wins and 55 top 10s in 112 career starts.
• Competed in 11 of 13 events last year and recorded six top 10s with a best finish of third.
• Has 18 top 10s, an average finish of 10th and a best result of second (2011 Spring Sizzler, May 2011) in 30 NWMT starts at Stafford.
• Has six career NWAAS SK Modified wins at Stafford, including the inaugural SK 5K in 2014.
Woody Pitkat (No. 88 Buzz Chew Chevrolet/Elbow East Chevrolet)
• Has two wins, two poles and 42 top 10s in 92 career starts. His first career win came in the Aug. 2014 Stafford race.
• Finished ninth in points last year with the first two wins of his career.
• Has the win, 15 top 10s and an average finish of 14th in 26 NWMT Stafford starts.
• Has 27 career wins in Stafford’s SK Modified division. His 72 overall career victories at the track are tied with Bugs Stevens for second all-time behind Ted Christopher.
Ryan Preece (No. 6 TS Haulers/East West Marine Chevrolet)
• The 2013 NWMT champion has 11 wins, 12 poles, 28 podiums, 49 top fives and 65 top 10s in 109 career starts.
• Finished as the 2014 championship runner-up thanks to season-closing wins in the Stafford Fall Final and Thompson World Series.
• Has three wins, three poles, 16 top 10s and an average finish of 12th in 30 NWMT Stafford races.
• Earned the 2011 NWAAS Stafford track title in SK Modifieds, where he has 22 career wins.
Bobby Santos (No. 44 Tinio Corp./Dan Kelley/Curb Records Chevrolet)
• The 2010 NWMT champion has 13 wins, 16 poles and 51 top 10s in 94 career starts.
• Finished sixth in points last year with three wins, including the Spring Sizzler, and seven top 10s.
• Has six wins, nine poles, 15 top 10s and an average finish of 11th in 24 career Stafford appearances.
Timmy Solomito (No. 16 Diversified Metals/R.B. Enterprises Ford)
• The 2014 Sunoco Rookie of the Year has a pole and nine top 10s in 21 career starts with a best finish of third at Riverhead Raceway in September 2013.
• Ranked eighth in the overall 2014 standings with six top 10s.
• Has an average finish of 15th and a best result of eighth (2014 Spring Sizzler) in six career Stafford starts.
Todd Szegedy (No. 4 Mystic Missile Racing Dodge)
• The 2003 NWMT champion has 18 wins, 10 poles and 116 top 10s in 188 career starts.
• Competed in six of 13 races last year with a best result of second at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in September.
• Has four wins, two poles and 28 top 10s in 48 career Stafford starts. His 9.2 average finish there is best among active drivers.
Up To Speed:
• This is the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour’s 30th Anniversary season. The inaugural race was contested March 31, 1985 at Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park.
• The 2015 schedule features 15 points races at seven different tracks across four states.
• Doug Coby opened up his title defense with a win from the pole in the Thompson Icebreaker 150 on April 12.
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