Statistical Advance: Whelen Modified Tour Call Before You Dig 150 At Stafford Speedway

(Press Release from NASCAR Integrated Marketing Communications)

Ted Christopher (Photo: Getty Images for NASCAR)

Ted Christopher (Photo: Getty Images for NASCAR)

The ninth event of the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour’s 30th Anniversary season will take place on Friday at Connecticut’s Stafford Motor Speedway with the 25th Annual Call Before You Dig 150. Below is a statistical look at the performance of the tour and selected drivers at the track:

Call Before You Dig 150 Setup

• Woody Pitkat and Ryan Preece have combined to win the last four races at Stafford Motor Speedway. Prior to that Doug Coby and Bobby Santos compiled eight wins in a 10-race stretch from 2012-14.
• The Stafford native Pitkat will make his 100th career NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour start in the Call Before You Dig 150, an event in which he is the defending winner.
• Entering the second half of the 2015 season, the championship race is tight at the top with Pitkat (329 points) leading Preece (-3), Coby (-15) and Todd Szegedy (-17).

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 116 races at Stafford since 1985, a total second only to the 128 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 116 races at Stafford. Jamie Tomaino has missed only one – the track’s inaugural race.
• 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 in 2009.
• Ted Christopher was the oldest Stafford victor at 53 years, 3 months and 28 days in 2011.
• The Call Before You Dig 150 entry list features eight drivers that have previously won at the track: Christopher (12), Doug Coby and Bobby Santos (6), Donny Lia, Preece and Todd Szegedy (4), Pitkat (2) and Tomaino (1).

Stafford Motor Speedway Data

Race #: 9 of 15 overall, 3 of 4 at Stafford

Track Layout: .5-mile asphalt oval

Race Length: 150 laps (75 miles)

Banking/Turns 1 & 2: 9 degrees

Banking/Turns 3 & 4: 7.5 degrees

Qualifying/Race Data
2014 Race Winner: Woody Pitkat, Chevrolet, 83.773 mph, 53 mins. 43 secs.
2014 Pole Winner: Bobby Santos, Chevrolet, 97.651 mph, 18.433 secs.
Qualifying Record: Ryan Preece, Ford, 100.424 mph, 17.924 secs., 4/29/12

Active Category Leaders at Stafford
Wins
1. Ted Christopher … 12
2. Doug Coby … 6
Bobby Santos … 6

Poles
1. Bobby Santos … 9
2. Donny Lia … 8
3. Ted Christopher … 4
Ryan Preece … 4

Top Fives
1. Ted Christopher … 29
2. Todd Szegedy … 23
3. Donny Lia … 14
Bobby Santos … 14

Top 10s
1. Jamie Tomaino … 54
2. Ted Christopher … 51
3. Todd Szegedy … 30

Laps Led
1. Ted Christopher … 2,083
2. Todd Szegedy … 844
3. Doug Coby … 786

Laps Completed
1. Jamie Tomaino … 16,572
2. Ted Christopher … 12,802
3. Todd Szegedy … 7,868

Starts
1. Jamie Tomaino … 115
2. Ted Christopher … 90
3. Todd Szegedy … 50

Select Driver Highlights
Justin Bonsignore (No. 51 M3 Technology Chevrolet)
• Has seven wins, five poles and 46 top 10s in 81 career NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour starts.
• Ranks 11th in points after eight races with three top-five finishes, highlighted by a win at Riverhead Raceway.
• Has a pole (2010 Fall Final), 11 top 10s, an average finish of 13th and a best result of second (twice) in 22 career NWMT races at Stafford Motor Speedway.

Ted Christopher (No. 13 Mr. Rooter/Cape Cod Aggregates Chevrolet)
• The 2008 NWMT champion has 42 wins, 24 poles and 196 top 10s in 355 career starts. His 42 wins rank third all-time and his 24 poles are eighth.
• Is looking to end a 49-race winless drought. It’s the second-longest such streak in his career. His first win came in his 94th race.
• Did not participate in the last race at Monadnock Speedway and sits 14th in points with four top 10s.
• Has 12 wins, four poles, 51 top 10s, an average finish of 13th and 2,083 laps led in 90 career NWMT Stafford starts.
• Is a nine-time NASCAR Whelen All-American Series 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 13 wins, seven poles and 84 top 10s in 165 career starts.
• Ranks third in points with six top 10s, including a tour-best three victories.
• Has six wins, three poles, 23 top 10s and an average finish of 12th in 42 career Stafford NWMT starts.
• Has 18 career NWAAS victories at Stafford, including six in SK Modifieds.

Patrick Emerling (No. 07 Buffalo Auto Auction Chevrolet)
• Has 20 top 10s in 62 career starts with a best finish of fourth, recorded in July at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.
• Ranks seventh in points this year on the strength of four top 10s in eight outings.
• Has four top 10s, an average finish of 16th and a best result of fifth (2014 Fall Final) in 18 starts at Stafford.

Eric Goodale (No. 58 GAF Roofing/Supreme Skylights Chevrolet)
• Has a win, a pole and 41 top 10s in 94 career starts.
• Maintains the NWMT’s active lead for consecutive starts, now at 92 races.
• Ranks fifth in points after eight races with six top 10s and a best finish of fourth on two occasions.
• Has seven top 10s, an average finish of 15th and a best result of fourth (2015 Spring Sizzler) in 27 starts at Stafford.

Donny Lia (No. 8 Sypher Construction/Bardahl Chevrolet)
• The 2007 and 2009 NWMT champion has 17 wins, 21 poles and 81 top 10s in 162 career starts.
• Three top 10s in eight starts this year has him 10th in the points standings.
• Has four wins, eight poles, 26 top 10s and an average finish of 11th in 42 career Stafford starts.

Rowan Pennink (No. 93 Van Wickle Auto Supply Chevrolet)
• Has two wins and 58 top 10s in 119 career starts.
• Ranks ninth in points this year with three top 10s in eight races and a best finish of seventh on two occasions.
• Has 20 top 10s, an average finish of 10th and a best result of second (twice) in 32 NWMT starts at Stafford.
• Is Stafford’s NWAAS SK Modified points leader with a division-best five wins so far this year. Has 11 career wins in the division.

Woody Pitkat (No. 88 Buzz Chew Chevrolet/Elbow East Chevrolet)
• Has three wins, three poles and 49 top 10s in 99 career starts. Also won the non-points 2015 All-Star Shootout at NHMS.
• Is the points leader with top 10s in all eight events, highlighted by a win in the Spring Sizzler.
• Has two wins, 17 top 10s and an average finish of 13th in 28 NWMT Stafford starts.
• Has 27 career wins in Stafford’s SK Modified division. His 74 overall career feature wins at the track rank second all-time behind Ted Christopher.

Ryan Preece (No. 6 TS Haulers/East West Marine Chevrolet)
• The 2013 NWMT champion has 13 wins, 14 poles, 31 podiums, 52 top fives and 72 top 10s in 116 career starts.
• Earned consecutive victories earlier this year at New London-Waterford Speedbowl and Stafford, and ranks second in points with top 10s in all seven events.
• Has four wins, four poles, 18 top 10s and an average finish of 12th in 32 NWMT Stafford races.
• Earned the 2011 NWAAS Stafford track title in SK Modifieds, where he has 24 career wins.

Bobby Santos (No. 44 Tinio Corp./Dan Kelley/Curb Records Chevrolet)
• The 2010 NWMT champion has 13 wins, 16 poles and 55 top 10s in 101 career events.
• Sits sixth in points after eight races with five top 10s and a best result of third in the Thompson Icebreaker 150.
• Is the active leader with nine poles at Stafford, where he has six wins, 16 top 10s and an average finish of 10.5 in 26 races.

Timmy Solomito (No. 16 Diversified Metals/R.B. Enterprises Ford)
• The 2014 Sunoco Rookie of the Year has a pole and 12 top 10s in 28 career starts with a best finish of third at Riverhead in September 2013 and at Stafford this June.
• Ranks eighth in points with four top 10s through eight events.
• In eight Stafford starts he’s posted two top 10s with an average finish of 14th.

Todd Szegedy (No. 4 Mystic Missile Racing Dodge)
• The 2003 NWMT champion has 19 wins, 10 poles and 122 top 10s in 195 career starts.
• Sits fourth in points with seven top 10s in eight outings in his first season with Mystic Missile Racing, highlighted by a victory at NHMS.
• Has four wins, two poles, 30 top 10s and an average finish of ninth in 50 career NWMT starts at Stafford.

Other Driver Notes
• Rookie Troy Talman recorded his best career finish (fifth) last time out at Monadnock.
• Matt Swanson is set to debut in this race, which would make him the youngest competitor in NWMT history at 15 years, five months and 22 days old.
• Chase Dowling maintains a slim two-point lead on Talman in the Sunoco Rookie of the Year standings.
• Friday raceday will be Melissa Fifield’s 23rd birthday while part-time driver Johnny Bush will turn 61 the day before.

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.
• Woody Pitkat earned the NAPA Spring Sizzler 200 victory on April 26 at Stafford Motor Speedway.
• Ryan Preece emerged victorious at New London-Waterford Speedbowl in the Mr. Rooter 161 on May 30.
• Preece made it two-in-a-row with a victory in the TSI Harley-Davidson 125 on June 5 at Stafford.
• Coby won at Thompson for the second consecutive outing with the Mr. Rooter 125 victory on June 10.
• The Riverhead Hoosier Tire East 200 was postponed one day by rain, then dominated in victory by Justin Bonsignore.
• Todd Szegedy won the Andy Blacksmith 100 presented by Donate Life New England on July 18 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.
• Coby notched the first bullring win of his career on July 25 when he reached Victory Lane at Monadnock Speedway.
• Following the Call Before You Dig 150, the NWMT will return to action Aug. 12 at Thompson.

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