STAFFORD – NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour driver Ron Silk might not be the most animated sort when it comes to emotional merriment, but it’s hard not characterize this week as one of celebratory excitement for the Norwalk driver.
On Tuesday Ron Silk proposed to his girlfriend Christie. She said yes and Silk kept the celebration of engagement rolling right to victory lane Saturday at Stafford Motor Speedway.
Silk capped off his week by driving to victory in the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour NAPA Auto Parts 150 Saturday at Stafford Speedway.
“It’s been a good week,” Silk said. “I knew we had a good car in practice when we were fastest in practice. Qualified second, but I knew right from the beginning that our car was really good as long as we didn’t get stuck in a bad situation and not make a bad decision taking tires. It just kind of worked out.”
It was the second victory in seven starts series this year for Silk and continued to a streak of success of late for his Kevin Stuart Motorsports team. Over the last four events Silk has two wins, a second place and a third place.
“I think we proved last year and have proved again this year that we’re one of the top three cars with series,” Silk said. “… The way things have been going. Things have really been going well for us. … We’ll go and try and win another one [at Thompson Speedway on Oct. 11].
Doug Coby of Milford was second and series points leader Justin Bonsignore of Holtsville, N.Y was third.
“I bet you didn’t expect to see us here after the first 80 laps,” Coby said. “… I kept going, kept plugging away, kept seeing what we wanted and we ended up second. I’m really happy. We had a fast car at the end and that’s really when you want to be fast. We’ve got something to build on for the winter and hopefully come back with a little bit better package next year.”
Max McLaughlin of Mooresville, N.C, son of former Whelen Modified Tour champion Mike McLaughlin, was fourth in his series debut. Chase Dowling, of Roxbury, rounded out the top-five.
Silk lined up second to Dowling for a lap 124 restart and took advantage when Dowling’s car wiggled through turn two. Silk completed the pass for the lead into turn three and was never challenged at the front again.
“I knew Chase gets around here really well,” Silk said. “He gets around everywhere really well. It’s fun racing with him. Luckily I was able to get a good run off of [turn] two and finish the pass through [turns] three and four.”
After sitting in fifth place watching Chuck Hossfeld and Matt Swanson fight for third for a few laps, Coby used a three-wide move under the pair off of turn two on lap 129 to move to third place. On lap 142 Coby got by Dowling for second, but Silk had checked out on the field.
“The three-wide, I wouldn’t have gone three-wide if I could have just rolled the outside,” Coby said. “But it was like those guys wanted to run side-by-side for too long and I wanted to chase down [Silk] and [Dowling].”
Bonsignore’s third place sends him to the season ending event World Series 150 at Thompson on Oct. 11 with a nearly insurmountable lead in the standings over reigning and six-time series champion Coby. Bonsignore, the 2018 series champion, is looking for his second series title.
“We’re going to Thompson. … it’s comfortable,” Bonsignore said. “But we still have to go in there in there and execute. We’ll still go for the win.”
Hey Ben, there is no question about it… His name is RAMEAU not RAMOS!
0-38.
I agree with Silk, that team is easily a top three team. Silk might be the top dog in terms of restarts and drafting too. Can’t wait for him to do it again next month in the 50 car.
-well done honorary nutmegger Eric Goodale. Always supports Stafford events. Has a NWMT win at Stafford now a pole.
-not well done for the bonehead move of the race for the name that dare not be mentioned. It was Solomito that took out Goodale on the front stretch no less.
-Dodge, Buckler and Coss .Brought their A game, especially Buckler leaving out the silly similes for the national audience.
-22 to go. Coby makes it three wide going low. His victims, Swanson and Hossfeld looking on powerlessly as the 2 goes from 5th to 3rd. Swanson bobbles, nice save but it’s too late as the 51 motors by also. So what’s the call? A great move by a great driver or only escapes bonehead move of the race because it didn’t result in a wreck?
-McLaughlin a surprise but a bigger surprise was the car he was sitting in being so good at Stafford.
-Dare I say it. Was something more then a dad lost for the 64 when Bob Summers passed away. Simple bad luck cannot explain the series of misfires Rob has experienced this year.
-three weeks. That’s all it took for Dowling, his dad and friends to put together a car that in only it’s second race competed for the win. Against high powered teams with big name crew chiefs, established crews with the best of everything proving once again Dowling is an A to Z racer in every sense. That Ben Dodge understands better then anyone and backs with more then words.
-At one point Bonsignor and Pitkat were racing side by side. Bonsignor getting the advantage underneath then Pitkat motoring by high. Very Thompson like wasn’t it?
-My score card shows it to be a surprising race with part timers 77, 9, 50 and 2 getting top 10’s and more established teams relegated to mid pack.
-you never had a chance 51 I picked you to win. But seriously that repeated reference to the Arutes busting Bonsignor’s chops for not winning at Stafford is a nice bit for the soon to be second time champ.
-good track position movement, numerous passes for the lead among numerous drivers and robust side by side action.. Best pit flag man ever with the best pit flag man waive technique overseeing dramatic and mostly safe pit stop action. Very entertaining race.
Silk going to victory lane made a statement , Silk’s string of top Finishes made a statement . Silks brand new car that has FURY posted on it makes a statement !!! When you have something that others don’t have and your Winning Races with a car that has been clearly head and shoulders above the rest your in a great place as far as the Competition is concerned. Even after the pit stop it was a matter of Silk not forcing any passes as he made his way back to the front. When he was outside of Dowling on the restart with fresher tires there was no way Chase could hold him off . I believe Silk has a great chance to repeat at Thompson along with Justin and McKennedy in the mix. It would have been a tighter point battle if the Steward Automotive team hadn’t skipped a race. There are a few cars including the 51 with FURY posted on their cars . So i guess they are riding with Stone set ups verses Fuller set ups . That is an interesting development as far as what the future holds with the former LFR Stone FURY , the TFR cars competing against each other on the tour now and heading into 2021. We will see who has the upper hand. So far it looks like the FURY Stone cars are a little ahead of TFR ..
Suitcase,
The 01 and 22 had the same decal. Not sure what the decal measures. The 58 had the decal and dropped like a rock at the green. Silk and JB are 2 of the best. Silk won more races in his Troyer car last year so how important is the chassis with a shoe like him? Great drivers win races. JB with only 2 wins this season is the bigger question. Silk will beat JB in equal equipment every week. 10 car was the fastest car on the track at the end of the race. One caution and we are talking about the LFR Gen2.
95% of the chassis are the LFR design. Call it what you want but it’s a fact. Whoever has the resources and works harder to evolve will win in the end. That’s the great thing about racing. Hard work pays off.
Congrats to Ron and the #85 team for the victory. Another Çongrats to Ron for your recent engagement.
Isn’t a Fury car the same as an LFR? I seem to remember JBon won the championship in an LFR, the following year the same car was branded FURY. Six of one, half dozen of another.
Only a 27 point gap headed into Thompson, seems it’s Justin’s championship to lose. It would be something if Coby pulled it off in his first year as a car owner. Mathematically McKennedy is still in this which would be even bigger. Is he still in a TROYER?
Big question, where does Rob Fuller go from here? New Troyer design? New LFR design? Does he buy out another chassis? Hands down when the history books are written, Rob Fuller will be a big part of it. He’s got what, about 90 percent of all modifieds using his products now. It’ll be interesting to see what happens next.
Great race! I had a feeling the 77 was going to be a big surprise. McLaughlin’s got some skills! I think it was the best finish by the 2 since they started to run up here. The 66 & 58 a little bit of karma? No finger pointing on my part but if I remember right, Goodale had something to do with Solomito ‘s wreck at Thompson.
That’s a new approach isn’t it? All those “statements” made by simply winning a race. Perhaps Jake’s soaring hyperbolic flight of excellence regarding the 85 has something to do with the name on the rear panel but in any event it seems to be bit much to this fan.
Warning: Fact and dot connecting to follow.
Kenneth Massa Motorsports, M3 Technology in Long Island, Stones Parts and Performance in Milford, Ct, Kevin Stuart Motorsports in Lowell, MA and Fury of Mooresville, North Carolina are all tightly linked near as I can figure. I’m guessing the epicenter is Ken Massa. A business heavy hitter running M3 Technology, wealthy, long term commitment to the NWMT and entrepreneur. Massa perhaps a principle in Stones Parts and Performance with the link to Fury but at the very least giving his blessing to the newish venture. Kevin Stuart Motorsports well resourced electing to tie their future to everything Fury, Stone and in my view Ken Massa going into the future and so far it’s worked out pretty well.
Two teams, both Fury, Stones Parts and Performance based cars have corralled 5 of the 8 wins so far. No matter what happens at Thompson they are top dog.. Nonetheless my unofficial score card credits TFR with having supplied equipment to 7 of the top 10 teams joining the two Fury’s and Ole Blue. That’s not just chassis but all the associated components.
The battle between Fury and TFR is more complicated. My view is that Rob Fuller has a better perspective on the big picture. Maneuvering TFR into a position to control every aspect of the race car from raw materials to race day consultation. TFR has disciples in Dowling, Sapienza, Lutz, Coby, Pasteryak and many more. The 10 car is not the 2 that had a car, setup and engine for different style tracks. Yet it’s second in points and just drove a heck of a race with a newer TFR chassis. Dowling shoe string, part time also with success.
As for Silk he’s no different now then before. He’s a great driver that can pilot a great car to a win but can’t get wins without a good car. He’s got a great car in the 85.
The war of race win credit between Fury and TFR is over. The TFR chassis going forward are all manufactured in house.
For me Ken Massa is the owner without peer in the NWMT now that Smeriglio is out. He’s smart, committed, well resourced and no one can touch his ability to manage a complex set of variables. As long as he’s invested in Fury and can keep the best racing minds like Stone on his side Fury will win a lot of races but theirs is a lower ceiling on success beyond wins.
Rob Fuller and TFR have the entire package, a more extensive delivery system and are not invested in one car on race day. Manufacturing includes Late Models but the focus is modifieds and production regional. An entire staff devoted to quick turnarounds. Massa/Stone/Fury pretty much the opposite of all that.
Pick a Fury car to win on race day and the odds are you will be right. I’d still rather own stock in TFR and Rob Fuller.
Where was Emerling? Racing ROC.
Catalanos ran ROC instead.
The 7NY also ran the ROC race.
Goodale has been making progress. Has gotten faster and wrecks much later in races.
That’s a pretty big “FURY” on that 85. 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
Who did the chassis tune on that 85?
Hey, the 77… is that the same 77 that Gary Putnam has been driving the last couple years?
“Hey, the 77… is that the same 77 that Gary Putnam has been driving the last couple years?”
Looks like it. I think it’s also the 77 Ryan Preece drove in a Musket at NHMS. I’m pretty sure I saw Gary Putnam in the paddock.
🌺💄👠🎀 Liz Cherokee 🌺💄👠🎀, how are you doing today, sweetie. Are you sobered up yet? 🍷 Your pal Mel collected a whopping 17 points for that last place, red lantern 🏮 performance. I see that “handling” has been listed as the reason for the early exit, after 51 laps. But then, 51 laps is an unusually high number of laps for Mel to complete in a race this season. That Mel stayed on top of Timmy Stolimoto in the standings, and she’s now nipping at the heels of a couple of the Catalanos is quite an accomplishment. With Thompson coming up, if she runs really, really, really fast, and does lots of laps, and a few choice cars DNF, Mel can make the top 20 season standings. You must be so proud. Wish you all the best.
Perhaps the 01 can get one of those super high technology chassis tuners to squeeze just a little more performance out of that car, Mel can lock up a top 20 position.
Was the 85 an LFR car purchased last season, then rebranded Fury over the Winter?
Maybe the 01 should have NASA on the panel but that probably would not help. She has tried every other manufacturer.
Here We go. Chassis Wars 2020. Starting a bit early this year.
There is only 1 clear Winner; Rob Fuller. His TFR network is by far the largest supplier of Modified Chassis’s, and Parts on the East Coast. He may not win the battle known as the NWMT, but all in all that’s only a very small slice of the pie, and TFR cars are winning just about everything else. All Hail king Rob.
Doug, No Politics involved with Suitcase Jake . Like I said before I post Racing Posts, The point I was making which you elaborated on, was the FURY Stone Silk Massa connection that seems to be a step ahead of TFR as far as Wins go. Yes I understand the Chassis are LFR designs with Stone set ups .
Yes, I also see that Fuller TFR is a fantastic profitable Company which is producing cars for every
modified division out there. I believe that Stone was one of the Top Guns for LFR when they were testing and starting out the LFR business, Stone seemed to be the point man for Fuller at that time. When LFR split from FURY , I wonder if there was some type of rift between the two. Maybe that is why Stone is doing his own Business and not joining Fuller at TRF?? I guess we will find out in 2021 what teams are sporting the FURY sticker and who has the TRF sticker.?? Who has the Wins on the Tour , should be interesting hot stove talk on Racedayconn this Winter ..
No fall out. Rob built the Massa Stone connecting himself. Actually paid Stone 20,000.00 in cash to take the deal because Massa would not pay Stone what he wanted and Stone would not work for what Ken wanted to pay. Stone moved from NC into Fullers house for a month then into Silks basement. Stephen Kopcik and Chase built the first 51 car at the TFR shop. All facts. Check them out. Now what do you think of ol Ryan Stone? Fuller marched into and continues to grow in leaps and bounds after the kick in the nuts by team 51.
It was actually 25,000.00……. but who’s counting? LOL!
What will be the next step? Like I’ve said Rob Fuller’s TFR network already supplies most of the modified teams in some way, whether it’s chassis, bolt ons, bodies, or in some cases complete rollers. He’s now started with Super Late Models. 7 of the top 10 on the WMT (9 in reality) use his product and the other 3 most likely have TFR bolt ons. Rob seems to be unable to sit still, so what more can he do? Could he maybe talk Mike Paquette to come on board, or Ken Barry. I think Race works is already an authorized repair shop, as well as Northeast. What’s left?
Who’s helping Hirschman?
So, moving on. Looks like the Thompson race is not all too important for the top 4. Although anything can happen, if they play it safe, they should end up as they started. None of them are going to make a big move, so the spot they are in now is theirs to lose. For these four, it is all about NO MISTAKES. These four have all completed the most number of laps.
Five drivers have all wins this season. Santos has one of those wins.
Silk, Swanson and Sap are each a point apart, so they could be racing for a move or to hold their final standings spot.
The next bunch are Carroll, Pasteryak, Nocella, Rypkema and Rameau, all within 10 points.
Fifield can rocket up a couple spots if the Catalanos don’t show up again. Even better if Ronnie Williams takes the race off.
Speaking of NO MISTAKES, the 7NY is having a remarkable season. The car that is. The car is working rather well, no technical gremlins taking it out of the race like so many times in recent seasons. Looks like Tom Jr. directed that energy to making the car run.
Silk could have been the Champ this season. That one bad race did them in. NO MISTAKES!!!!!
The top of the standings is pretty much set unless stupid takes over. There could be secondary and tertiary racing going on.
Anyways, the Pro Four are pretty good at Thompson. Reminds me of the VW series that used to run at Islip. Great racing. This should be a great event.
daRealRockeyBoy,
I’m doing swell! Good to see you intensely focused on and wishing for the best for Melissa’s points finish! Thanks for the updates and expert analysis–I didn’t even have to ask! I guess those are the benefits of living rent free in your cranium. That aside, I do think getting to 20th will be tough for Melissa, but I’m emphatically hoping for the best. The expected value in my model is 22nd. Regardless, I’ll be there in two weeks rooting for her!
What interests me the most is why you are using terms like “red lantern 🏮 performance” and “rocket up”. Is everything ok with your bicycle saddle there Pee Wee?
Liz, the Term Red Lantern comes from the Iditarod race, where the sled that is in last place on the course carries a red lantern, so everyone else knows there is no other sled behind.
You must be so pleased and impressed at how Mel has been able to rise up, or as I say, rocket up, in the standings because of the non-participation of the cars she’s overtaking. Hoping for many other cars ahead of her to not show up?
Every once in a while, she should just rent a track out for a day and do laps by herself.
daRealRockeyBoy… I never root for other teams to not participate, even yours!