(Press Release from NASCAR Integrated Marketing Communications)
Doug Coby celebrates victory in the Whelen Modified Tour TSI Harley-Davidson 125 on June 3 at Stafford Motor Speedway (Photo: Adam Glanzman/Getty Images for NASCAR)
The NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour returns to one of its most familiar tracks for the Stafford 150 at Stafford Motor Speedway in Stafford, Connecticut, on Friday night. Below is a look at the race itself and some of the selected participants.
Stafford 150 Race Setup
This marks the third of four NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour races in 2016 at Stafford Motor Speedway. The track has held 120 Whelen Modified Tour races, the second-most of any track in series history. Three-time Tour champion Doug Coby, of Milford, Connecticut, sits atop the standings after eight races this season, holding a 34-point lead over fellow three-time race winner Timmy Solomito of Islip, New York.
At Stafford Motor Speedway
History
• The Stafford Springs Agricultural Park opened in 1870. The 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 35 years of competition.
• The track has hosted 120 previous Whelen Modified Tour races, second only to Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park in series history.
• 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
• Stafford has held multiple races in 31 of the tour’s 32 seasons. The lone exception was 1988.
• There have been 32 different race winners at Stafford, led by Mike Stefanik’s 20 victories.
• There have been 43 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 119 races at Stafford. Jamie Tomaino has missed only one – the track’s inaugural race.
• There have been eight races won in wire-to-wire fashion at Stafford, the last by Doug Coby in April.
• 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.
Stafford Data
Race: #9 of 17 overall
Race Date: Friday, August 5 at 9:15 p.m. ET
Track Layout: .500-mile semi-banked paved oval
Race Length: 150 laps (75 miles)
Qualifying/Race Data
2015 Winner: Ryan Preece
2015 Pole Sitter: Patrick Emerling
1-lap Qualifying Record: 73.082 mph (Ryan Preece, July 2012)
150-lap Race Record: 83.773 mph (Woody Pitkat, August 2014)
Active Category Leaders at Stafford
Wins
1. Ted Christopher … 12
2. Doug Coby … 9
3. Bobby Santos … 6
Poles
1. Bobby Santos … 9
2. Donny Lia … 8
3. Doug Coby … 6
Top Fives
1. Ted Christopher … 30
2. Todd Szegedy … 24
3. Doug Coby … 17
Top 10s
1. Jamie Tomaino … 55
2. Ted Christopher … 52
3. Todd Szegedy … 32
Laps Led
1. Ted Christopher … 2,090
2. Doug Coby … 1,157
2. Todd Szegedy … 844
Starts
1. Jamie Tomaino … 119
2. Ted Christopher … 93
3. Wade Cole … 59
Selected Driver Highlights
Jimmy Blewett (No. 4 Starrett Dodge)
• Is ranked sixth in the standings headed into this weekend with four top-5 and six top-10 finishes in eight races.
• Has two career wins at Stafford, with eight top fives and 16 top 10s in 32 career starts at the track.
• Finished second at Stafford in May, marking his best finish of 2016.
• Returned to full-time competition this season with owner Bob Garbarino’s Mystic Missile team.
Justin Bonsignore (No. 51 M3 Technology Chevrolet)
• Sits fourth in the Whelen Modified Tour standings with five top fives and six top 10s in eight starts.
• Finished fifth in each of the first two races at Stafford this season.
• Has made 26 career starts at Stafford with one pole, seven top fives and 14 top 10s.
Doug Coby (No. 2 Dunleavy’s Repair Chevrolet)
• Three-time Whelen Modified Tour champion leads the standings this season with three wins, four top fives and seven top 10s in eight races this season.
• Has won three straight races at Stafford dating back to last season.
• Has been dominant at Stafford this season, winning both races from the pole and leading 322 of the 330 laps contested across the two races.
• Has three wins this season, including a win at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.
• Has nine career wins at Stafford, including three straight wins at the track on two occasions, with 17 top fives and 27 top 10s in 46 career starts.
Eric Goodale (No. 58 GAF Roofing/RBSCorp.com Chevrolet)
• Has three straight Top-10 finishes at Stafford, including a fourth-place finish in May.
• Is ninth in the current standings with two top fives and five top 10s in eight races.
• Is coming off a fourth-place finish at Monadnock in the most recent race, equaling his best finish of the season.
• Only career win came at Riverhead — his home track — in 2014.
Donny Lia (No. 8 Sypher Construction/Bardahl Chevrolet)
• Two-time Tour champion has 17 career wins.
• Has made 46 career starts at Stafford with four wins, 16 top fives and 28 top 10s.
• Sits third in the current series standings with three top fives and six top 10s in eight races.
Rowan Pennink (No. 3 Cape Cod Copper Chevrolet)
• Currently sits seventh in the Whelen Modified Tour standings with two top fives and five top 10s in eight races this season.
• Has two career Tour wins.
• Has 22 top 10s in 32 career Stafford starts, completing 97 percent of all laps run during that span.
• Owns three NASCAR Whelen All-American Series wins this season at the track, where he leads the weekly SK Modified division standings.
Woody Pitkat (No. 85 Stuart’s Automotive Chevrolet)
• Has three career Whelen Modified Tour wins.
• Holds the 150-lap race record at Stafford of 83.773 mph, set in his win in this race in 2014.
• Two of his three career Tour wins have come at Stafford.
Bobby Santos (No. 44 Tinio Corp./Dan Kelley/Curb Records Chevrolet)
• The 2010 champion sits 12th in the current standings with one win, one top five and three top 10s in eight races.
• Won at Thompson this season for his 14th career victory, and won the non-points Whelen All-Star Shootout at New Hampshire in July.
• Has six wins, 14 top fives and 19 top 10s in 30 career starts at Stafford.
Timmy Solomito (No. 16 Diversified Metals/R.B. Enterprises Ford)
• Sits second in the current standings with three wins and four top fives in eight races.
• Won in June at his home track of Riverhead Raceway and won the Tour’s most recent race at Monadnock Speedway.
• Recorded his first career Whelen Modified Tour win in the season opener at Thompson, leading 50 of 150 laps en route to the victory.
• Has five top 10s in 12 career Stafford starts.
Max Zachem (No. 20 Lu-Mac’s Package Store Chevrolet)
• Sits fifth in the standings with two top fives and six top 10s in eight races.
• Equaled a career-best with a second place finish at Thompson on June 15.
• Has seven career Stafford starts, posting consecutive Top-10 finishes in his two most recent races at the track.
Up To Speed
• This is the 32nd season of NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour racing. The inaugural race was contested March 31, 1985 at Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park.
• The 2016 schedule features 17 points races at nine different tracks across four states.
• The first eight races of the season featured four different winners — Doug Coby (three times) Timmy Solomito (three times), Ron Silk and Bobby Santos III. Santos also won the non-points Whelen All-Star Shootout at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.
Where is tc?
Wearing Bermuda shorts pulled up around his chest, playing shuffle board somewhere.
It’s to the point were I don’t care who wins as long as it’s not the 2. Pulling for Max to get his first win but think he’s got a better shot at Thompson.