Jimmy Blewett Taking Step By Step Approach To 2019 With Whelen Modified Tour

Jimmy Blewett (Photo: Jim DuPont)

Prior to heading to the World Series of Asphalt Stock Car Racing last week at New Smyrna Speedway, Jimmy Blewett wasn’t sure what the future held for the relationship between himself and the No. 21 Gershow Recycling team after Florida. 

A solid week at New Smyrna for the group has apparently brought a little clarity to the plans for the immediate future. 

Blewett confirmed to RaceDayCT Friday that he will be in the Joe Bertuccio owned ride for at least the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour season opening event on March 16 at Myrtle Beach (S.C.) Speedway and the second event of the season on March South Boston (Va.) Speedway. 

“We will be at Myrtle and South Boston, taking it as it comes,” Blewett told RaceDayCT. “We’re just going to start and see where it takes us.” 

Blewett was third in the final points Tour Type Modified division points at the New Smyrna World Series with two second place finishes and a third place over five nights, including a second place in the week’s closing Richie Evans Memorial 100. He also had a third place in the Tour Type Modified feature on Feb. 9 at Bronson Speedway in Archer, Fla. 

“[Car owner Joe Bertuccio], [crew chief Stash Butova] and [car chief Mike Bologna] and all the guys are a great group and one I feel I can win with. Hopefully we start strong and end stronger.” 

Ronnie Williams ran 15 of 16 events for the team last year and finished ninth in the Whelen Modified Tour standings. 

Blewett has made 129 Whelen Modified Tour starts since 2001 with six career victories. He last ran full-time with series in 2016. He made six starts last year. 


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Comments

  1. I don’t know if the car was better then last year but Blewett delivered better results then Ronnie Williams. Seems like he more then earned additional races.

  2. I would say the level of experience had something to do with it. JB is a veteran in the tour type cars compared to Williams.

  3. “Showtime” definitely has more tour type experience than Ronnie does, and hope this limited schedule leads to a full time effort. Meanwhile Ronnie will be busy this season. The Let’s auto #50 team has been working through the off season preparing to defend their Stafford Championship, as well as building a car for Thompson, and an “open tour type” car for Ronnie to pilot. All 3 cars are TROYER chassis with power from Pettit. Don’t know if Ronnie has secured a NWMT ride yet.

  4. Rob P is correct. Ronnie’s team has been very busy in the offseason. His family team sold their CD cars and purchased 2 new Troyers and a new Pettit open Motor. I also heard that he may be running for a Top MRS team this year as well. I was in New Symrna last year and this year and Doug and Humphry need a fact check. Ronnie’s car had such bad handling/ power steering problems last year in Florida that Stash Quit the team by Wednesday and flew home. Ronnie worked on it hard with the team and resolved it by Friday’s 100 lapper time trialing 2nd only to ironically be taken out by Blewett on lap 14 when he was driving the Jensen 179 car. This year, the 21 team has a new Troyer probably from the sponsorship Williams brought to the team last year. If Blewett can stick out the year, finish better than 9th in points and get 2 Poles in the WMT this year, go ahead and talk. But your apples to oranges comparison of the New Symrna results lacked facts. show up at a track from time to time and you might learn some things. By the way, man! It’s cold after coming back. Happy New Years boys!

  5. SK mod fan, do you know if the new cars are TA3, or the TA1 that they had so much success with last year? I know 1 is a Tomaino car, that I think is their open car. Les said all 3 cars are almost done, they are waiting for the open motor,but everything is going according to the an right now.

  6. Uh oh, I write one simple line completely without any intent of being mean spirited.
    A simple little ditty that was for the most part so obvious it was a waste of space but that’s all it took to rouse poppa bear from his hibernation and protector of everything Ronnie Williams
    Enter SK Modfan’s spin zone. Mostly dormant over the long winter break. Hoarding his knowledge and waiting patiently for a time when he can weaponize it, throw it in someones face to show them how stupid they are and how smart he is. How often have we seen this movie? A guy who’s self assessment is more people should approach being a fan and immersing themselves in the sport exactly as he has.
    You may only come to the dance when you have the prettiest girl on your arm to show everyone SKModfan but when you do she’s usually a knockout.
    As soon as I saw Candy Williams fielding the 50 on the Open entry list I was genuinely excited that this was yet another interesting addition to the field. Many folks more knowledgeable then I have mocked the lack of big names in the Open field but for me seeing all the SK guys like Williams, Owen, Galko, Cipriano and more field cars is as interesting as having big names show up. What it means is all this new blood in the Opens with chassis and engine builders turning out new equipment and the tour type modified base expanding. Expanding not with spec engines but more VMRS tour style engines. That will be needed for all the choices they will have this year in an expanding list of races to enter all across the Northeast.
    In spite of that giant chip on your shoulder and nasty know- it- all attitude you once again provided solid details surrounding the entry that make your lecturing more then worth it.
    And kudos to Rob for the smart question on the chassis model sans the attitude. Made interesting to me in light of Rocco’s purchase of a TA1 recently. Another set of dots it may help connect is the continued erosion of CD influence in the SK’s, Troyers breadth of products that they are turning out in large numbers in multiple series and perhaps reason why Mike Paquette is planning on rolling out a new chassis to compete better in his traditional stomping ground.
    Make allowances SKModfan. I know you’re casting pearls before swine and yes I realize I can never be as good a fan and as knowledgeable as you. In my defense perhaps the stupid observations I make like the two lines I contributed here will cause more people such as yourself to chime in to set the record straight.
    In the first Stafford Open there are 14 Troyer chassis’s, 6 SPAFCO and Todds Chassis Pro. SPAFCO with 6. That’s interesting isn’t it?

  7. fact checker says

    Rocco ran a TA1 all last year at Stafford and his open car was one too. Roccos Rentals are TA1’s now I hear.
    You won’t see any TA3 cars as SK’s. They are purpose built for coil binding on the tour….Kind of like how an LFR car is. Hence how LFR’s make crappy Sk’s.
    CD isn’t rolling anything new out. If you want a car like Preece has, go buy that one, it’s one of a kind and would have never happened without Preece himself.

  8. Not that I doubt you fact checker since you sound pretty credible but a question.
    If Preece had plans from last fall involving a full time cup ride what is the point for either Preece or Mike to go through the incredibly complex and expensive process of putting together a new car? One that if you are right will only be raced a hand full of times and then shelved.

  9. According to a reliable source, the CD car that Preece drove in Florida was about completed before Ryan had secured the Cup ride, with the intent that he would be competing on the NWMT in 2019. Although it is one of one, some of the components will be on the new CD cars. Ryan spent much of 2018 developing certain suspension components, with mixed results. All according to a reliable source.

  10. OK well then that’s that.
    The notion that the car was well on it’s way to completion before the September 28th announcement seems a bit of a stretch but what do I know. On the other hand if components are showing up in updates on current work in progress that’s the whole point of development in the first place.
    I’m good……thanks!

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