Mission NHMS: Ron Silk Determined To Run Modified At Northeast Classic At Loudon In April

Ron Silk (Photo: Jim DuPont/RaceDayCT)

Former NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour champion Ron Silk isn’t the type of driver who typically overloads his schedule with events. 

But when it was announced that the inaugural Northeast Classic at New Hampshire Motor Speedway would include an Open Tour Type Modified event Silk knew immediately it was a race he wanted to be a part of. 

“I love racing at New Hampshire [Motor Speedway],” Silk said. “It’s always been a really good track for me. We just don’t get to go there enough. … That’s the kind of place where, I’m not really a big fan of weekly racing, but if they had Friday night racing every week at New Hampshire I would sign up to do it.” 

The April 18 event in Loudon will feature 75-lap features for the American-Canadian Tour and Pro All Stars Series, the 50-lap Open Tour Type Modified feature and 40-lap Street Stock feature. 

The Open Tour Type Modified event is not sanctioned, but it will be overseen by an officiating crew from the Tri-Track Open Modified Series, led by Ed Bennett and Greg Felton. 

The fact that Tri-Track Series officials would be overseeing the event only made it more attractive to Silk. 

“I really enjoy the Tri-Track Series and running that,” Silk said. “I think it’s a breath of fresh air. It’s fun. There’s not a lot of pressure and all the crazy [schedule] stuff. You know some of the crazy stuff you deal with on the [Whelen Modified] Tour, after a while it gets to be a little bit much. So I know that Greg Felton and Ed Bennett are doing the tech at Loudon. But I want to do something that they’re a part of because I enjoy doing the Tri-Track stuff.” 

Silk has three career Whelen Modified Tour victories at New Hampshire Motor Speedway over 32 starts dating back to 2003. His last series win at the track came in the July event for the series in Loudon in 2019 driving for Kevin Stuart Motorsports. He looked on the way to a season sweep of the series events at Loudon in 2019 before he was wrecked out of the lead late in last year’s Musket 250. Over 32 series starts at the track the Norwalk driver has 14 top-five finishes and 22 top-10’s. 

Silk also has a Modified Racing Series victory at Loudon coming in 2018 with Kevin Stuart Motorsports. 

Silk said at this point it’s unclear who he will race for in the event. Over the years he has raced regularly away from the Whelen Modified Tour with team owner Bob Horn. He had a Tri-Track Open Modified Series victory at Star Speedway last year driving for Horn. 

“I could go with Kevin Stuart, I’m sure he would go if I wanted to go,” Silk said. “Bob Horn would probably go if I wanted to go.” 

Silk said he will likely run selected events in 2020 for team owner Tyler Haydt, and that opens another possibility for the NHMS event. 

The Bob Horn team has always had a reputation for bringing cars that can be dominate at bullring events. What the team could do in the wide open spaces of the 1.058-mile NHMS is oval is a question mark. 

“If we could end up going, maybe it would prove something,” Silk said. “I’ve just raced at Loudon so many times that I have a pretty good idea what we need in the car. The only thing I’d really worry about at all is the different motor rules. Maybe Bob’s motor wouldn’t be as great as some of the other guys. But you have to draft at the same time. I just think the experience I have there could make up for some of [the motor].” 

Silk and the Kevin Stuart Motorsports look to carry the momentum of a three-win season last year on the Whelen Modified Tour into 2020. Silk won the 2011 series championship driving then for the Ed and Connie Partridge owned TS Haulers team. He gave the Stuart team its best series result ever in 2019 finishing third in standings behind series champion Doug Coby and second place Justin Bonsignore. 

The 2020 Whelen Modified Tour season is scheduled to open March 21 at South Boston (Va.) Speedway. Silk got Stuart’s team its first series victory at the track last year. 

“Last year is over,” Silk said. “It’s a different year. But when you have a positive year you want to build off that. We got a new Fury car at the end of last year and then got another new one over the winter. So think the guys have done a good job of upgrading the equipment. Running well it just breeds some confidence. It’s like when you get the first win the next one is easier to get. It’s the same for our team. Last year proved a lot of what we’re capable of and we’re all hungry to do better this year.” 




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Comments

  1. The virus deal notwithstanding this is some pretty exciting stuff.
    That first Fury car was outstanding before it got wrecked. Now the Stuart team is showing they are all in on going for the championship having purchased yet another. There’s the old 2 hauler they now have as well. May not be a gimme this year for the 51. Silk is a premier driver with all the tools and the Stuart team is an elite team.
    Silk is known for have zero social media presence so this article says quite a bit. Here he is laying out all his options and being very frank about it all. I would think he’d try to line one specific ride first, heap accolades on the one team for the one race. Being able to put it all out there just shows the respect he commands for the teams he drives for. Respect well deserved.
    Clearly the 85 is the best choice on the big track already having showed it knows where victory lane is. On the other hand if the Stuart team doesn’t want to divert resources from the big prize and Silk is piloting one of Horn’s cars that too is a great story. Can he compete with a bull ring specialist? He’s saying he can make up a lot with experience and drafting. That would be a bigger story then an 85 win.

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