Nobody likes a rain out. But for fans of the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour, the postponement of the NAPA Spring Sizzler 150 from Sunday to Friday April 30 means the opportunity to see a beefed up field of competitors thanks to the return of a very familiar name.
The postponement of the event will allow NASCAR Cup Series driver Ryan Preece to add his name to the entry list for the “Greatest Race in the History of Spring.”
Preece’s weekend plans for competing with the Cup Series on Sunday May 2 at Kansas Speedway will include a detour back home to Stafford to race in Friday’s event.
Preece, the 2013 Whelen Modified Tour champion, won the 2011 SK Modified championship at Stafford.
Eight of Preece’s 22 career Whelen Modified Tour victories have come at Stafford Speedway, including Spring Sizzler victories in 2017 and 2018.
Preece also competed in the season opening Whelen Modified Tour event at Martinsville (Va.) Speedway where he finished 12th.
As the self appointed unauthorized streaming critic of RaceDayCt the dust has settled from the opening bid of FloRacing at Stafford and now it’s time for a review.
Not hearing any complaints about cost anywhere so far and why should there be. $150 will break down to less the $10 a race after the season’s done not including the massive amount of other content you get with the service.
Speed51’s interface that for me is on Roku was good but a little confusing getting directed to the subscriptions when it’s just the PPV you’re looking for. After you link your subscription to your devise FloRacing makes it extremely easy to find and bring up the race you’re interested in whether it’s live or a replay. Unlike last year that could get a little clunky understanding the relationship with StaffordSpeedway.TV, SpeedSport the streaming service and Rivet doing the billing now everything flows through FloRacing which makes everything easier.
The live stream was not perfect but almost. I experienced some brief sound issues but they were sorted out really quick. Little confused about the camera shots. Last year they switched from the turn one shot to the grandstands every lap. They had the turn one camera for long range optics but were not using it lap by lap. More like Speed51 which is fine but not quite as good in my view.
Tell you what, if you’re going to be live streaming a race everywhere there simply is no better person to call the race then Ben Dodge. It’s more then his head filled with all the minutia of drivers and teams that he rattles off so effortlessly. He is tireless in mentioning not only track and race sponsors but sponsors of the cars while the event is in progress. Exposure no longer limited to race attendees but everyone tuning into the live stream as well and hearing it again if it’s replayed. That has to be a factor in securing sponsors one would think.
You won’t hear it here but the comments of social media are favorable and some saying they prefer seeing the race on TV. For most it’s better in person but now you get to see it live then go home and watch it again to see what you missed which is more usually then you notice being there. Watching the GSPSS a second time the leader mostly unchanged but there was great movement in the top 5 or 7 cars swapping positions through most of the race.
Friday night a little confusing. The big dogs on NBC Sports gold and all the other divisions on FloRacing. Not ideal but not as bad as the gaps we’ll have to deal with for Tri Tracks race at Monadnock on Speed51. That is unless NASCAR changed it’s policy of blacking out the support divisions they own the streaming right to.
I am happy to see Ryan racing his Whelen modified at the sizzler BUT, I really believe he needs to focus all his efforts into the Cup car if he is going to be successful and attract sponsors. If he wants more exposure he should be trying to land a part time ride with a top tier Xfinity team. That exposure would go a lot further than dabbling part time in a tour type modified.
I really feel he should have remained in the Xfinity series full time with a top tier team and raced for a championship before jumping into the Cup. He’s got the talent but the jump I think was a bit premature. Experience and exposure is a key to success.
IMHO……..
That does sound like a terrific plan. The problem is you have to get a team to make the offer.
Preece ran a full season Xfinity season in 2016 with JD Motorsports that may have set him back but was his best shot to make a living in the sport at the time. The Gibbs deal was part of a limited package made possible by sponsorship Preece brought into the effort from Mohawk Northeast and Mizzy Construction. One would think that if a top tier Xfinity ride was on the table that would have been the time for it to be offered and Gibbs the team to make it. What did happen is the JTG offer that many in this forum seem to think is sub standard. My view is it’s in the major league of big time racing and that by it’s very nature is not sub standard.
Then there’s the money and graduating from an amateur modified driver to actually making a good living being a professional race car driver full time. . In the bigs Preece not making the money the elite teams offer but it’s certainly an eye popping amount compared to the average working stiff. Money he’s gotten for several years now with benefits, hob nobbing with the best in NASCAR Cup, traveling and media exposure. And while an employee of a team that has given Preece a life changing opportunity your suggestion is to lobby other teams for a job? Exactly how would that work and be viewed by the folks at JTG?
How many times have we said in these pages that Cup guys need to connect with local fans at the grass roots level. Here Preece is doing exactly that and now being advised it’s not the best move. It’s also suggesting that by doing this he’s not doing his job with the existing sponsors or helping recruit new sponsors. Something we can not know but slacker never has been a adjective used to describe Preece in an facet of his life.
So what’s wrong with a goal of consistently being in the top 20. Look at the names that pop up 10 to 20. The competition is brutal in the big time and if you crack it that’s saying something. JTG deserves more respect as well for being a long standing chartered team in the bigs that too frequently is not given credit. It’s the old lazy fan story. If you’re taking the time to watch the race you want your guy on the screen in eye shot and anything short of that is somehow not worthy of your time.
Gonna take a flyer here and read Preece’s mind. He’s thinking it’s his responsibility to show 100% loyalty to the team that gave him a life changing opportunity and do his best to get the best out of his team for as long as he’s an employee. That would include 100% loyalty to the current sponsors as well. When that ends he has the reputation of a talented stand up guy that will bring those qualities to the next team and not a rat trying to jump off a sinking ship.
Oh, I so hope this works out well, and the weather gets MUCH better. But then, we are tough New Englanders.
Keep a thermos of hot chocolate in the car for after the races.
Wear a mask 😷 , make sure it fits tightly around the edges, no leaks.
😷 😷 😷 😷 😷 😷 😷 😷 😷 😷 😷 😷 😷
And if you have a bookshelf or magazine rack in your bathroom, you need more fiber in your diet, lots more fiber.
They can’t all be superstars….Preece is running top 25 each week and getting the most out of the car and gets a few top 10s each year. He’s a solid mid-pack driver and probably set for life financially.
I think that whatever happens, even if he loses his ride with JTG racing, he’ll always be offered a ride for the plate races. He’s one of the best in the business at those.
Friday Night: A chance of showers before 10pm. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 43. West wind 10 to 13 mph, with gusts as high as 24 mph. Chance of precipitation is 30%.
Nice weather on Saturday and Sunday.
Earl, I agree with Doug and let me add on to that by saying that with the exception of Larson,Bell and a couple others most of the cup garage has forgotten were they came from. They help put butts in the seats at the race tracks that gave them the opportunity to showcase there skills and may create new fans for local racing. It’s refreshing to me that Ryan is a true racer and doesn’t forget were he came from and gives back to those people every chance he gets. I don’t know if you’ve been watching the cup races of late Earl but Ryan is definitely doing his job driving the car smart and fast it’s his pit crew that should be practicing pit stops every free moment they have as they are the ones that have shown a lack of preparation and have truly hurt Ryan’s finishes so far this year.
Would it be fair to say Doug and Wow, you are basing your opinions strictly from a fans perspective?
Virtually everything said in this forum, especially from people using anonymous screen ID’s is from a fans perspective including every comment made here.
Doug wrote, “Virtually everything said in this forum, especially from people using anonymous screen ID’s is from a fans perspective including every comment made here.”
Add profound narcissistic personality disorder to the long list of Doug’s disorders. And that applies to all his other anonymous screen ids. Attempting to speak for others is a fundamental characteristic of the disorder. Oh wait, that’s already on the list.
Doug’s comment is incredibly wrong since folks like myself and others often speak from an active or former participant perspective.
Doug is an idiot. And all his other anonymous screen IDs.
Thanks for the fans point of view answer Doug. I would be interested in knowing your perspective if you were in the position of being the cup team owner given the same circumstances of this coming weekends racing schedules your driver has committed to. Thanks
When you respond to a comment Earl do you treat it as though your response is meant only for the one persons eyes or do you try to write it as though you have a broader audience. That’s a rhetorical question.
If you don’t find any value in the points I made that’s disappointing but certainly not unusual. For my part I reviewed Preece’s relevant career history, hit on some universal themes of the employee/employer relationship, supported both Preece and JTG and am satisfied that on the whole it was a fairly solid entry as entries go.
So how’s the move plans going? Getting really short now. Are you a little nervous about the big change? Sifting through a lifetime of memories and stuff is a daunting task.
Doug, or any of his numerous other screen names, do not speak for me. Ever.
First of all darealgoodfella I have no idea what you are talking about. Second I’ve been ignoring you for the most part that near as I can figure makes you even more angry. Third were I to try to speak for you which I can see no circumstance I would care to the only response you would have is to level insults at me that you already do almost on a daily basis.
Doug wrote, “First of all darealgoodfella I have no idea what you are talking about. Second I’ve been ignoring you for the most part that near as I can figure makes you even more angry. Third were I to try to speak for you which I can see no circumstance I would care to the only response you would have is to level insults at me that you already do almost on a daily basis.”
Doug proves he is a big idiot every chance he gets. 😵💫😵💫😵💫😵💫😵💫😵💫😵💫😵💫
Doug wrote, “First of all darealgoodfella I have no idea what you are talking about.”
This is in response to my post where I quoted Doug and the response to said quote. See 4/29 8:31 am. Now that addressed Doug’s profound narcissistic behavior, and if Doug really does not understand what I was talking about, it irrefutably and conclusively proves extremely profound narcissism. Either that he tried playing the “I didn’t know card” which made himself look like an idiot, or pathological liar. 🤥
Doug wrote, ” Second I’ve been ignoring you for the most part that near as I can figure makes you even more angry. ”
Well, that is a big fat lie, you little anklebiter. You follow me around, collecting my posts, distilling them and reposting that distillation. You are familiar with your other screen name, WeldingWonders? Are you dumb, nuts, or both? 😝😝😝🤣🤣🤣🤪🤪😜😜
Doug wrote, “Third were I to try to speak for you which I can see no circumstance I would care to the only response you would have is to level insults at me that you already do almost on a daily basis.”
Doug, you regularly speak for others, Crazy in NY called you out for it numerous times. I call you out on it. You are so narcissistic you don’t get it at all. Well, Doug, as a person that regularly goes around calling others scumbags, you earned it. And you are a target rich idiot that has to use multiple screen names.
You are the one with some sort of anger 😡 😤 disorder, and can’t control it. Evidenced every time you post as WeldingWonders with one of the distillations. 😝😝😝🤣🤣🤣😛😛😛🤪🤪😜😜😜😝😝
And I stil laugh at the time you made the same post under two different screen names, that blew your cover and you exposed yourself as a pathological cretin that uses multiple screen names. And then all your other screen names were exposed. Doug, you’re an idiot.
WeldingWonders response due before 5 pm today.
Count on it, as always.
“ hate me because I’m beautiful and smarter than you.
“And just a reminder, I was right, again.”
“See, I was right. Even Earl can finally get it.”
“wmass01013, you were correct when you addressed me as “genius”.
STARRING DAREALGOODFELLA
THE 2021 DAREALGOODFELLA INSULT COUNTER DAY 120
246 Kobe is just not likable.
247 JBon and Kobe are simply not likable,
248 add profound narcissistic personality disorder to the long list of Doug’s disorders.
249 Doug is an idiot. And all his other anonymous screen IDs.
250 Earl babbled
251 Doug proves he is a big idiot every chance he gets.
252 which made himself (Doug) look like an idiot, or pathological liar.
253 Well, that is a big fat lie, you (Doug) little anklebiter.
254 Are (Doug) you dumb, nuts, or both?
255 . You (Doug) are so narcissistic you don’t get it at all
256 And you (Doug) are a target rich idiot that has to use multiple screen names.
257 you (Doug) exposed yourself as a pathological cretin
258 Doug, you’re an idiot.
TOTAL INSULTS IN 2021 THROUGH DAY 120……………………………258
NEW TRAUNCH OF INSULTS SINCE DAY 113 ……………….…………..13
AVERAGE INSULT COUNT PER DAY THROUGH DAY 120.. …………2.15
PROJECTED INSULT TOTAL FOR 2021 BASED ON 2.15/DAY…………785
Doug wrote, “Second I’ve been ignoring you for the most part that near as I can figure makes you even more angry.”
Doug = WeldingWonders
Since you are replying to just about everything I post, you are clearly not ignoring my posts, liar. 🤥
You still mad, bro? 😵💫😵💫😵💫😵💫😵💫😵💫