Last year at this time Chase Dowling said he was looking at a schedule that included about 10 events for the 2019 racing season.
Thursday night the Roxbury driver was staring at a far different schedule for 2020.
And that busy card of Whelen Modified Tour events, Tour Type Modified events and SK Modified events will be even busier with the addition of some Midget racing.
Bertrand Motorsports owner Tim Bertrand confirmed to RaceDayCT Thursday that Dowling will run six NEMA Midget events for his team in 2020.
“Last year I was looking at like 10 races with Jamie Tomaino and Jimmy Paige,” Dowling told RaceDayCT Thursday. “I was just looking at my schedule the other day and it’s like 60 races this year. Obviously I’m just lucky to have all the sponsors and car owners to make it happen.”
Last year Dowling dipped his toe into the world of Midget racing, running one event at Star Speedway in Epping, N.H. Bertrand fielded Dowling in a car at the Star Classic last September. Dowling finished seventh in his first time in a Midget.
“Chase has been asking to run for me for a while and things didn’t work out for a bit as I always had other commitments,” Bertrand said. “I also really didn’t know him very well, but he’s got a great reputation.
“Last summer Ben Dodge called me on a Monday and asked me to seriously consider putting Chase in a car. Anytime Ben calls with a reference, you listen. I didn’t have anyone for Star that weekend and I said to him ‘How’s Saturday sound?’ He jumped on the opportunity and had a great time.”
Said Dowling: “I’ve been fortunate enough to run all different stuff. Everything is a lot different, but that NEMA car is just a lot different. It’s a lot smaller car, 900 pound car with 400-something horsepower. Things happen a lot faster because they’re very quick. It was pretty good. I got a lot of experience. It’s a lot different than running anything else. We ended up having a few things not go our way and something broke during the race. But it was just good to be a part of the whole deal with Tim. … It was good just to log laps and get a hang of it. This offseason we sat down and made a plan to do more races this year.”
Dowling is tentatively scheduled to run for Bertrand Motorsports at Lee USA Speedway in Lee, N.H. (May 16), Hudson (N.H.) Speedway (June 21), Seekonk (Mass.) Speedway (Aug. 12), Thompson Speedway (Aug. 19), Lee (Oct. 3) and Thompson (Oct. 11).
“I took a new job in Chicago last May to help run a logistics tech company that has me commuting weekly,” Bertrand said. “This winter we’re putting together a new car (No. 47) and [Dowling] offered to come down and help me put it together without me asking. That means a lot to me so I told him he was welcome to run whenever he was available. He’s a great kid and I’m looking forward to it.”
Dowling finished second in the Whelen Modified Tour standings running for Rob Fuller Motorsports in 2018, getting his first series win in the inaugural Musket 250 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway that year. He ran nine Whelen Modified Tour events in 2019 for Tomaino and team owner Danny Watts, while also making selected starts in other Tour Type events for Paige.
This year he will drive full-time for Watts on the Whelen Modified Tour and continue to make starts for Paige on the Tri-Track Open Modified Series and in other selected Tour Type Modified and Open events. He’ll also run an SK Modified close to full-time at Stafford Speedway in a venture that brings together team owner Dan Avery with longtime SK Modified owners Guy and Brigitte Poulin.
7th his first time out in a midget. This should be interesting. The Bertrand family fields some of the best equipment in New England. This combined with Chases talent should prove to be a potent combination. Going out on a limb, and predicting he will win. Just my opinion.
Hey Rob, no limb on that one. He already knows most of the tracks. A couple more races to learn the car and I think he’ll have a very good shot at winning one. I feel bad for Woody, but I’m also looking forward to watching him in the #82 Watts car. My turn to go out on a (short) limb and say he’ll win on the Tour this year.
I’ll second that. As for Woody, he’s now with Ed Harvey’s team driving the #1 car. I’m pretty sure they plan on running the whole season. I’ve known Woody since he was about 10 years old, and always root for him. He’s a great guy, and when the chemistry is right he’s more than capable of winning races, I just think the 82 wasn’t a good fit for him, plus I’m unsure, but I think they bought a new car in between Woody and Chase, although I might be wrong. Looking forward to hopefully see Ronnie Williams land a tour ride, even if it’s a part time gig. Just my opinion.