(Press Release from NASCAR Integrated Marketing Communications)
By Paul Lambert for NASCAR
Taking a race off of the 2020 Whelen Modified Tour season might have been the best thing to happen to Ron Silk and the Kevin Stuart-owned No. 85 team.
Instead of traveling to Jennerstown for the fourth race of the season, the team chose to skip the race and regroup for a run to the end. 2020 hadn’t gone to plan to that point for Silk. After finishing third in points in 2019, winning three times and scoring 10 top-five finishes, the No. 85 team had gotten off to a bit of a slow start. A sixth at Jennerstown, plagued with shifter problems, was followed up by a DNF on the 4th of July at White Mountain, along with a 10th, almost certainly out of championship contention.
Once the team returned from their one-race sabbatical, the improvement was immediately noticeable. At Monadnock, Silk started third and led the most laps on the way to a runner-up finish. Four days later at Thompson, Silk returned to victory lane for the first time in over a year. The No. 85 team won again at Stafford two races later, and didn’t finish worse than third the rest of the season.
Even though a points title wasn’t feasible by that point, the run on which the team was able to finish the season impressed Silk.
“The speed was never really an issue, we just needed to get out of our own way a little bit,” Silk said. “I think it showed a lot of determination and effort on my team’s part.”
From 2019 to 2020, Silk nearly doubled the number of laps he led during the season despite running only half as many races. He improved both his average starting and finishing position.
The No. 85 bunch has continued to gel since Silk joined the team back in the middle of the 2017 season. He credits the relationship with crew chief Kenny Stuart as a big part of the team’s evolution into a championship contender.
“Kenny’s a great guy,” Silk said. “He’s a lot of fun to race with. He’s been racing for a long time, but really open to my suggestions and what I want to do with the car. I’ve been racing for a long time, so I kind of have an idea of what works for me.
“It’s been really good. The guy’s done a great job. The amount of progress we’ve made as a team over the last two, three years is pretty substantial. Just a lot of hard work and a lot of effort. They’re a good group of guys to work with, and there’s no doubt that they’re 100 percent behind me.”
Before the 2019 season, the team would run about half the Tour schedule and a smattering of other Modified events throughout the northeast. But they weren’t finding much success together at what they were doing.
“Our attention was divided between a bunch of different kinds of racing, and we didn’t do particularly well at any of them,” Silk said. “Talking with the team and Kevin [Stuart], we kind of just laser-focused on running the Tour and putting all of our eggs in one basket.”
Now that the team has made the pivot to full-time competition on the Tour, the results have begun to show. In 24 starts since the start of 2019, Silk has five wins, 15 top-fives, and 19 top-10s, along with two top-five finishes in the points.
While everyone remains focused on Justin Bonsignore and Doug Coby as the drivers to beat come April, keep an eye on Ron Silk. The No. 85 team has established itself as a true dark horse threat for the 2021 Tour championship.
If the Stuart team is running all the races I would think they are the Massa teams primary competition not Coby. That is unless Coby has beefed up his operation with more and better equipment that may be possible seeing as how he’s in real estate and real estate in Ct has seen off the charts sales numbers in 2020.
I don’t want to alarm anyone but there appears to be a severe over crowding situation developing in the New Smyrna tour modified field of prospective competitors. 37 so far with mind blowing geographic diversity.
Counted 15 entries on the “new for this year” appearance of the 602 crate mods. Pretty decent interest of racers there as well (I think?)
I haven’t seen or heard (nor have I’ve done the research yet but) has anybody heard anything on nbc trackpass coverages/ costs yet for 2021?
http://www.newsmyrnaspeedway.org/news/?i=89253
The way the 85 team ran after the week off was a clear message that they would be a top contender in ’21. I’m looking forward to it. Bummer that they had a bumpy start to 2020.
But as I have been saying for years… NO MISTAKES.
I believe Track Pass is still $19.99 for the NASCAR Roots option, which covers the NWMT and hopefully World Series of Asphalt Racing from New Symrna
I’m not seeing any annual charge offered for either Track Pass or Roots any more.
The future is Peacock. They’re starting to move sports content there. Worst case is that if they moved Track Pass to Peacock you’d probably have to pay $5 for Peacock premium with commercials, $10 without commercials. Were that to happen it would continue to be a steal considering the content you’d get.
Announcement on New Smyrna should come early February if they do it like last year.
Thank you all.
“The future is Peacock. They’re starting to move sports content there. Worst case is that if they moved Track Pass to Peacock you’d probably have to pay $5 for Peacock premium with commercials, $10 without commercials.”
After checking Peacock out, I learned that it’s FREE to customers who already subscribe to certain Xfinity and Cox services. I do! ;^)
“NO MISTAKES”, as always thanks for telling us something we all already knew.
They are broadcasting every night in 2021. The announcement was made Jan 8th. Biggest mod field in years (decades?).
Bob Horn announced yesterday that they are not running the full TT series in 2021. Maybe not at all. Silk out of the 50 ride in 2021.
Anybody see a lost Kraken?
🤣🤣🤣🤣
Will the 85 still carry Trump on the car?
😝😝😝😝😝😝
The 85 should definitely contend for the championship this year. Bummer to hear about the 50, they were always a threat at TriTrack events, especially with Silk behind the wheel. It will be interesting to see if Silk runs any TT events in other machinery. Kevin Stuart has run them before; maybe a couple this year?
Facebook January 8
“Shane Ryan BaileyNASCAR Whelen Modified Tour Fan Page
Great Breaking News!!!!!
All Speedweeks racing from New Smyrna Speedway will be shown live on Trackpass on NBC Sports Gold…”
i checked my TRACK PASS acct. I purchased for 1 yr at $19.99 on Feb. 8 2020 and it says it will renew on MAY 15 2021
wmass01013, I think NBC extended the 1 yr deal because of all the delays due to the #TrumpPandemic, so they added a couple months. Enjoy!!!!
Good news and bad news for Dafella. Good news is he can go to the track and not be triggered by Trump on a race car. Bad news is the terrorists are going to force him to hide in his basement for yet another year.
Trump pandemic? Really? Biden and his family are in bed with China. He started the virus with China to over throw Trump. Biden, NOT MY PRESIDENT!!!
MAGA
Makes ya wonder though, if someone put a large Trump or stop the steal decal on their racecar what the track and/or sanctioning body response would be. If asked to remove it, it seems like not a giant leap from some rascal running a controversial sticker to a pseudo martyr taking up the cause of Free Speech. (Depending on one’s interpretation.)
I wonder how Stuart feels now, supporting the Trumpster loooooozer.
🌈🦄2020, the MAGA’t domestic terrorists don’t scare me at all. The #TrumpPandemic 🦠 COVID-19 is a real threat. The Trumpanzees were rattling their cages for protests, and none of them showed up. 🐓💩, that’s all they are.
just me, again, somebody putting a decal like that on a car has NOTHING to do with Free Speech… NOTHING. The right of Free Speech is to allow people to freely talk about, particularly criticize, Government without concern of retribution from Government. A looooooong time ago, people would disappear if they spoke out against Government. Like Putin makes his antagonists disappear, and Jack Ma from China hasn’t been seen or heard from in over two months since he criticized the China government. The Free Speech provision in the US Constitution makes it unConstitutional to make people disappear like that anymore.
Aww too bad there were no riots at the state capital yesterday. You must be disappointed Dafella. Much like the four or five antifa people that showed up in Hartford. They must have been soo happy to see the huge numbers of deplorable police and national guard members that were there. Wonder if they brought any of their abolish the police signs.
🤣🤣🤣😝😝😝🤣😝😝
That’s funny 🌈🦄2020, Antifa are not trying to overturn the election. The coprophagic MAGA’ts are out there stirring trouble, trying to stop the election, 🗳 overturn the election, disrupt the Inauguration, etc.
The anti-fascists are not upset now at all, the fascist has been fired, voted out of office. No reason for anti-fascists to protest. Only the sore loser MAGA’ts are upset now. Geez, you talk about being anti-fascist is a bad thing.
I hope that the MAGA’ts do not disrupt racing.
Vowed 100,000,000 vaccines in 100 days? That’s funny Joe. Where’s the juice coming from? Maybe he misread the teleprompter? Writing a bigly huge check with his mouth that we will see if his butt can cash.
Finally and thanks for that. Mainstream and in my view completely acceptable taunting of the soon to be president with not one reference to you know who or you know what. Just good old fashioned skepticism on a promise made with a few colorful flourishes. You’re right, it is a promise and the clock will start ticking tomorrow. And he will be judged on it as well he should. And I will remind you if he is successful or near successful as I’m sure you will remind the forum if he isn’t.
Not long to wait for us eye Earl? We’re up next 65 to 75 for some juice. Reports on the roll out for the 75 plus group at former Pratt & Whitney airport in East Hartford are quite favorable. Connecticut one of the better states to get more shots in more arms quicker so far and a budget surplus to boot.
We’re getting close Earl. You have retirement looming, the move south to a more tax friendly, God fearing , gun loving real American state so don’t blow it now and get sick.
Earl, the #TrumpPandemic coronavirus 🦠 COVID-19 was supposed to magically disappear in early 2020. How’d that work out? Still think the #TrumpPandemic coronavirus 🦠 COVID-19 is just like the cold or seasonal flu?
Earl, you’re an iDJT.
Look in the mirror sometime and you will see who the real iDJT is.
Doug, you don’t have to worry about this skinny kid, I am protecting myself at all cost. Hopefully the shot will come soon for everyone.
Im so tired of darealgoodfella
And by the way Doug, that will be a move west where we can enjoy a more tax friendly state, breath fresh mountain air and enjoy the breathtaking scenery. The south does not interest us in the least.
Going west you are. I like it and wish you the best.
Guess you heard already. 65 to 75 to launch early February.
My hope is you don’t forget us in the forum. Like Trumps promise to never release his former aides from the lobbying ethics pledge I promise never to bust your chops about being a absentee race fan.
Earl, did Mexico pay for the wall? That is a big bill, several billion dollars. 💵
Well? 🤣🤣😝😝😝😝😝🤪🤪🤪
Silk and Stuart will be just fine. JBon and Colby better watch out.
Oh I won’t be absent from the forum. Will be back from time to time in the RV to visit family and friends. If things work out it will be during racing season so I can get my fix. Will live stream other than that.
What’s that you say Earl live stream. Yes that’s right you can follow most big races from modified country and not miss much at all. Maybe if we’re lucky the Speedbowl will start to stream races so you can see your favorite track. Then when you do return in your big ass RV to see a race you’ll know exactly who’s hot, who’s not and it will be like you didn’t miss a thing. Because you didn’t.
Ain’t technology grand?
Been reliving the history of the bowl presented by Sid on YouTube. Man does that bring back memories. Have you checked it out? I don’t care what anyone says great track, some of the greatest drivers in the northeast with tons of history.
Watched it when it came out and couldn’t agree more. Actually quite envious. As an Danbury RaceArena fan we don’t really have that comprehensive video history to keep our memories fresh. What Sid and his crew did is assure the Speedbowl history will not be forgotten as the decades click off no matter what happens to the track itself.