Ron Silk (Photo: Getty Images for NASCAR)
Ron Silk is without a NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour ride today, by choice. But it doesn’t mean the Norwalk driver isn’t searching for another opportunity with the series.
Silk told RaceDayCT Thursday that he just “wasn’t happy with what was going on” with the Danny Watts Jr. owned ride he had been piloting since the beginning of the 2016 Whelen Modified Tour season. Following Sunday’s NAPA Spring Sizzler 200 at Stafford Motor Speedway, Silk informed Watts that he was leaving the team.
“It’s a shame that it didn’t work out with Danny,” Silk said. “I do appreciate everything he did for me and all the guys on the team for all their work. I hate to see it end like this after it started pretty well last year. But, what you want to happen and reality are two different things.”
Watts told RaceDayCT Wednesday evening that he was surprised by Silk’s decision.
“We couldn’t click,” Watts said. “And, I don’t know, I’m fine. I hope everything goes well for him. I’ve already moved on.”
Silk, the 2011 Whelen Modified Tour champion, finished eighth in the series standings last year for Watts. He gave Watts his first series victory in the third race of the 2016 season at the New London-Waterford Speedbowl. He finished the season with four top-five’s, nine top-10’s and one pole in 17 events.
This year the team had a 16th place finish following a wreck in the season opener on March 18 at Myrtle Beach (S.C.) Speedway and Silk was 13th in the Icebreaker 150 on April 9 at Thompson Speedway before an eighth place finish Sunday at Stafford.
“I just kind of felt like we had plateaued and we weren’t really improving and it just wasn’t working for me anymore in that situation,” Silk said.
Silk said right now the only thing he has scheduled for the remainder of the season is to run the NorthEast Race Cars & Parts Tri-Track Open Modified Series events for car owner Bob Horn.
“I’m sure I can find a few other races to race to do with Bob Horn,” Silk said. “It’s always fun to go racing with him. His car goes good. … Absolutely, I still want to race [on the Whelen Modified Tour]. There’s not nearly as many rides as there used to be. They’re all pretty much filled. But of course I would like to keep doing it if I could.”
Silk has made 165 Whelen Modified Tour starts dating back to the 2003 season. He has 10 career series victories and 59 top-five finishes along with 10 career poles. He has finished fifth or better in the series standings six times in nine full-time seasons.
Watts said he will continue to run full-time with the series and is in the process of deciding on a replacement driver.
Simple. Silk drove car #82 but team broke in 2. 82 ÷ 2 = 4 New car number will be 4. Simple!
Actually equals 41. Not so simple apparently.
This is the new math. Learn it!
There was a new #4 car at Stafford. Have to find a new number.
I remember Abbot and Costello do that math on tv when I was a kid
Silk in the Missile=no brainer!