(Press Release from Lancaster Motorplex)
From the high banks of Daytona International Speedway to the D-shape of Lancaster Speedway at New York International Raceway Park (NYIRP), Andy Jankowiak has had quite a 2021 season thus far. And, while he may be considered an underdog on the ARCA Series, where he’s had four starts this year, the Tonawanda, NY, native could be considered the big dog when the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour hits the Western NY race track this weekend for the Nu-Way Auto Parts 150.
His cumulative win total at the speedway, across all divisions, puts Jankowiak ninth on the all-time win list at Lancaster with 40 victories. He has five career modified wins at the Speedway; including the most recent tour-type Modified event at the track. He sits tied for third on the all-time win list in the Sportsman Modified division with 24 career victories.
Jankowiak is undefeated in Modified competition at his home track this year. He’s been victorious in the tour-type Modified and both Sportsman division events held at the asphalt oval at NYIRP.
This weekend; however, is not about keeping the win streak alive. For the driver known simply as Andy J., the goals are to gain knowledge, run competitively and hopefully be in contention for the win.
“There’s no doubt in my mind that I have a home track advantage,” said Jankowiak, “but we are still learning. I’m going in with high hopes. We’ll just take things as they come and hope to finish well.”
Fairly new to the Modified Tour, the Steve Mendoza owned team has run 10 Modified Tour races and only four with Jankowiak behind the wheel. All four of those starts have come at Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park in Thompson, CT.
“It’s easier to learn at your home track,” said Jankowiak. “When you eliminate the variables of learning a new track, it helps you learn other things about the car, to find the balance and the comfort in our car. Not only for the next time we come back but for the next time we run the Tour.”
Acknowledging the exceptional talent of the drivers and teams on the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour, the 33-year old driver sees the Nu-Way Auto Parts 150 not only as a way for his team to get better but also to shine a light on his home track.
“Showcasing my home track is cool. I’m so excited that Lancaster will be in the spotlight,” said Jankowiak. “Seriously, it’s the coolest short track in North America.”
By ‘cool’ he means the D-shaped front stretch that provides plenty of room for side-by-side racing and a totally unique perspective for fans. Several years back, the track was reconfigured, moving the track toward the drag strip.
“The grandstands are so close to the race track, it’s so cool for the fans to be just feet from the track,” said Jankowiak, with an obvious enthusiasm for the facility. “The two completely different ends of the track drive very differently. Between the huge arc of the front stretch and the traction compound from the drag strip, it makes this place hard to drive. It’s a driver’s track.”
“Everyone is going to fall in love with this place!”
Andy J. did just that as a young boy. The now veteran competitor recalls sitting in the turn one grandstands with his Mom cheering on his favorite drivers, sitting in the racecars after the races and dreaming of one day being a driver himself.
Jankowiak is big on making dreams come true. In 2018, he won his father’s memorial race. Tony Jankowiak died in a racing accident at Stafford Motor Speedway in 1990. And, today Andy is living his dream; running Daytona in the ARCA Menards Series and making three additional starts, all with finishes inside the top-ten, winning Modified races and competing on the Modified Tour.
He’s also now a fan-favorite himself. In February, during the ARCA Menards Series event at Daytona, the 33-year old driver was highlighted on the FOX broadcast as the All-American dream-chasing, pizza delivery guy. His story turned Chase Elliott into a fan.
The Cup champion joined a brethren of fans that day. A host of Facebook pages are dedicated to his fandom. The private group Friends Who Like Andy Jankowiak Racing has 92 members and the Jankowiak Mafia page has over 4,000 active and engaged followers. His own racing Facebook page is over 2,000 friends strong.
At Lancaster, Andy J. is well known and deeply regarded. And the feeling is mutual.
“I’m so proud of our race tracks in this area, especially Lancaster,” said Jankowiak. “It’s a part of the racing world that people skip for some reason. It’s good for us to get people here to check it out.
Jankowiak, who looks to put himself and Lancaster ‘on the map’, is hopeful that fans will turn out in great numbers to see a great race so that NYIRP becomes a regular stop on the tour.
General admission tickets are on sale for the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour event at New York International Raceway Park (NYIRP) in Lancaster, NY. Grandstand tickets for the Nu-Way Auto Parts 150, scheduled for Saturday, July 31, are available at SeetheEvents.com for $35 for adults and $15 for children ages 12 and under.
Grandstands will open at 1pm with practice beginning at 2pm. Racing begins at 5pm. In addition to the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour, the race card also includes Sportsman, 4-Cylinders and Street Stocks. There will be a jumbotron presented by JJ Supply of NC for fan’s further enjoyment of the racing action and a fireworks display by Skylighters of NY to conclude the night of racing excitement.
T-shirts for the inaugural Nu-Way Auto Parts 150, designed by driver of the WMT #64, Timmy Solomito, are on sale by visiting SeetheEvents.com. The event website is hosted by event promoter and Lancaster Speedway/NYIRP partner, Speed Enterprises Entertainment.
Located just 30 miles from Niagara Falls in Lancaster, New York International Raceway Park is home to the half-mile Lancaster Speedway asphalt oval as well as a 1/8-mile drag strip featuring IHRA sanctioned drag racing.
“I’m truly blessed to have grown up here and to have so many amazing memories.”
It could be time for one more special memory for Andy J. and his crowd of fans.
“We need to be realistic about our chances,” added Jankowiak. “This is a time for us to learn together, to make gains and have a good finish. But, if we have our ducks in a row, we can certainly be a contender.”
Hmmmm… looks like a real wild card.
Entry list is out are we ready to pick?
51,10,07,85,1 No wild card pick.
These picks say that essentially Lancaster will be like Riverhead where the home boys are good but not top 5 with very few exceptions. That may prove to be a big mistake underestimating ROC country and I can’t wait to see what you guys pick.
Sound’s like a Damm good race !
Hometown advantage has some value, but the Tour contenders are pretty good at getting the cars dialed in pretty quick. Jankowiak in the mix is definitely a great facet to this race to see how it works out. Just hope he has competitive equipment.
Instant fan; love the passion he has for his roots and his home track. I was at Stafford that day and really admire him for chasing his dreams after such a family tragedy – would love a podium finish here.
If we are picking this race I will go with
1 Coby 2 Silk 3 Emerling 4 Mckennedy 5 J Bon long shot Hossfeld
Earl will go with:
1 J Bon
2 Emerging
3 Jankowiak
4 Silk
5 Hossfeld
No wild card
Sorry misspelled Emerlings name. Don’t want a DQ for a misspelling. Dam fat fingers.
Pick’em pool top 5 Picks :::::>>>>>>
1. J.Bonsignore
2. Emerling
3. McKennedy
4. Coby
5. Hossfeld
Wild Card
Max McLaughlin
Jake……..51, 07, 7ny, 10, Hossfeld……………………………McLaughlin
Earl………51,07,Jankowiak, 85, Hossfeld…………………….none
Doug……51,10,07,85,1……………………………………………..none
CSG…….10,85,07,7ny,51………………………………………..(Hossfeld)
Hossfeld can’t be a Wild Card he’s won NWMT races.
3 of us cancel each other out with the same winner. CSG is holding the trump card.
Not exactly a great showing by any of us but it looks to come down to Suitcase Jake and CSG with Jake taking down the win in a very thin tie breaker. His 07 and 7ny beats CSG’s 07 and 7ny. Sound right?
Had Fun.. Thanks Doug for the points tally …. Great Race .. The Place was Packed, They went Home HAPPY after their HOME TOWN DRIVER took the Checker’s at the Line., Gotta RESPECT J. Bonn for NOT DOING THE BUMP & RUN … Probably a good thing for the TOUR !! They will definitely sign on for another TOUR RACE & maybe 2 ….. They showed up in droves ,, As SOON as Gate Opened they were Lined up , headed to Grandstands to put down their blankets to SECURE their SEATS, Wow that’s exciting to have FANS EXCITED too see the STARS of the TOUR, Kinda surprised that BIG MONEY Matt wasn’t in attendance ???
Fun time Jake. Congrats on the win CSG!
Credit where credit is due. Suitcase Jake won this one on my scorecard.
Can’t make this stuff up…. Truth is stranger than fiction.
Earl congratulates CSG for the win. Then Doug says Jake won.
Too damn funny. Watching idiots is so entertaining.
😝😝😝😝😝😝😝😝😝😝😝😝😝🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
“Can’t make this stuff up…. Truth is stranger than fiction.”
STARRING DAREALGOODFELLA
darealgoodfella says
May 27, 2017 at 3:49 pm
“This problem was caused by Bemer. Nobody wants to spend money at the track because of Bemer. The track is not viable without fans, also known as CUSTOMERS.
If you want to dream that Bemer will operate the track at a recurring loss, go ahead. You are facing a very rude awakening.”
FOUR YEARS LATER AND DOZENS OF RACE EVENTS IN THE RECORD BOOKS AN AWAKENING FOR SURE.
“Can’t make this stuff up…. Truth is stranger than fiction”.
“Can’t make this stuff up…. Truth is stranger than fiction.”
STARRING DAREALGOODFELLA
darealgoodfella says
September 9, 2020 at 4:15 pm
Earl, no offense intended, but it takes far more than the numerous degrees I hold and schools I attended for you to qualify my expertise. I can tell you, but you still won’t be able to qualify my expertise.
Went to a top notch engineering grad school. One of my profs worked on the re-entry calculations of the Apollo program
darealgoodfella says
May 21, 2020 at 1:43 pm
So I’m looking at the Connecticut reopening phases.
Phase 2 to start approx June 20, outdoor events up to 50 people.
Phase 3 at least 4 weeks after June 20, outdoor events up to 100 people.
Um, 4 weeks after June 20 is the end of August. I doubt Phase 4, if there is a Phase 4, will
AN ENGINEER THAT CAN’T COUNT THE NUMBER OF WEEKS FROM JUNE 20 TO THE END OF AUGUST.
“Can’t make this stuff up…. Truth is stranger than fiction.”
“Can’t make this stuff up…. Truth is stranger than fiction.”
STARRING DAREALGOODFELLA
darealgoodfella says
March 20, 2020 at 5:38 pm
Folks, you need to take this seriously. You life does depend on it.
Authorities are expecting around 50-80% infection rates. That means out of 100 people, 50-80 are going to get infected.
The mortality rate appears to be around 4%. That’s about 40x higher than the seasonal flu. It also depends on hygiene, age, general health, etc.
So the USA has a population of 330 million, half of that is 165 million. Then 4% of that is 6.6 million. We are looking at millions of people dying. This thing is just starting to spool up. We are about a week to ten days behind Italy and Iran, and their numbers are just terrifying. Per a recent public address, at the same point in the cycle, the USA is in worse shape than Italy was.
WHOA, 6.6 MILLION DEAD SAYS DAREALGOODFELLA THE ENGINEER WITH “numerous degrees”. OOPS!!!
“Can’t make this stuff up…. Truth is stranger than fiction.”
I will take the win or I will take the loss. Its all for fun anyway. Thanks. Hossfeld won a tour race this year. I didnt even think he was running full time but figured he had a lot of ROC laps there. Anyway I have to pay closer attention to the tour. If only they ran in my geographic location more frequently. Team CSG will have to reqroup and put forth a better effort for the next race. On to Stafford..
“Can’t make this stuff up…. Truth is stranger than fiction.”
STARRING DAREALGOODFELLA
darealgoodfella says
December 13, 2020 at 10:19 pm
The vaccine will not be effective unless some 90% or more get vaccinated.
DAILY COVID19 DEATHS JANUARY 7TH 40. DAILY COVID19 DEATHS CURRENTLY ABOUT 1. CONNECTICUT VACCINATION RATE 63%.
“Can’t make this stuff up…. Truth is stranger than fiction.”
“Can’t make this stuff up…. Truth is stranger than fiction.”
STARRING DAREALGOODFELLA
darealgoodfella says
December 3, 2020 at 8:25 pm
2020, I was not consumed with the Speedbowl grandstands, I was consumed with enjoying the idiocy of those that were believing every word that the grandstands were going to be completed, when a year and more later, nothing was happening.
AN YET THERE THEY ARE INSTALLED AT THE SPEEDBOWL
“Can’t make this stuff up…. Truth is stranger than fiction.”
“Can’t make this stuff up…. Truth is stranger than fiction.”
STARRING DAREALGOODFELLA
darealgoodfella says
June 6, 2019 at 2:38 pm
Vehicle technology IS math, high level math. I don’t even bother getting into conversations about technology or chassis tuning unless the person has the appropriate training. It’s all math, and that math is not available until later college classes, and gets really useful in grad school math
SEE DAREALGOODFELLA’S “math” REGARDING COUNTING WEEKS AND COVID19 PROJECTED DEATH COUNT.
“Can’t make this stuff up…. Truth is stranger than fiction.”
“Can’t make this stuff up…. Truth is stranger than fiction.”
STARRING DAREALGOODFELLA
darealgoodfella says
November 11, 2019 at 5:32 pm
It won’t be long before TTOMS announces that the larger schedule has increased costs and therefore payouts will be reduced, entry fees will increase, etc. Don’t be surprised when the seven race schedule is reduced.
So here are my predictions: TTOMS revenue will decline, TTOMS expenses will increase, payouts to the TTOMS racers will decrease, and the TTOMS will wither.
The revenue and racers will probably go with the LI Mod Maniac. Can’t wait to see the new name of the racing schedule Schaeffer and Williams will be promoting.
WINNER’S SHARE AT THE SBM X TTOMS RACE AT STAR OVER $17,000
“Can’t make this stuff up…. Truth is stranger than fiction.”
“Can’t make this stuff up…. Truth is stranger than fiction.”
STARRING DAREALGOODFELLA
darealgoodfella says
March 9, 2020 at 12:39 pm
So yes, I am normally preparing multi-million dollar plans and budgets for a variety of huge product development efforts. Knowing how to calculate what something will cost is a major part of what I do with my engineering expertise. Common practice for engineering professionals. It’s what we do.
IF YOU BELIEVE ANY OF THIS PLEASE CONTACT CENTURY 21 THEY HAVE A BRIDGE AVAILABLE YOU CAN BUY.
“Can’t make this stuff up…. Truth is stranger than fiction.”
“Can’t make this stuff up…. Truth is stranger than fiction.”
STARRING DAREALGOODFELLA
darealgoodfella says
March 8, 2020 at 1:34 pm
There is a huge crew, hosts, equipment, travel expenses, transportation expenses, lodging, meals, fees, etc. that adds up to hundreds of thousands or more dollars to televise the NWMT for a season. When I travel for business, the total can run into a couple grand for a week, and that’s just simple airfare, hotel, meals, rental car. For a crew to cover a race, there will be the cameras, transportation costs, control center, live hosts, and many background support personnel.
BOY THAT MAKES IT SOUND LIKE THERE IS NO FUTURE FOR STREAMING LOCAL RACING IT BEING A LOSER AND ALL. AND YET WE HAVE UNPRECIDENTED ACCESS.
“Can’t make this stuff up…. Truth is stranger than fiction.”
“Can’t make this stuff up…. Truth is stranger than fiction.”
STARRING DAREALGOODFELLA
darealgoodfella says
January 14, 2021 at 3:13 pm
I’ve been telling you organisms for months… races are going to be a last minute deal
Schedules are high risk, little chance of actually hitting them, just a happened last season.
The #TrumpPandemic is getting worse and worse by the day. You can pretty much forget the spring season racing, hopefully we can attend SAFELY in the fall.
The coronavirus COVID-19 #TrumpPandemic is in control and will be through this year, at least. The vaccine is not the proverbial silver bullet.
AND YET THE ONLY RACES CANCELLED HAVE BEEN FOR WEATHER.
“Can’t make this stuff up…. Truth is stranger than fiction.”
“Can’t make this stuff up…. Truth is stranger than fiction.”
STARRING DAREALGOODFELLA
THE SKY IS FALLING THE SKY IS FALLING
darealgoodfella says
July 30, 2021 at 11:16 am
Shawn, any word on the race time being moved up? Weather doesn’t look good at race time, and gets worse
WAIT FOR IT……………
darealgoodfella says
July 30, 2021 at 7:51 pm
Forecast is getting better…
GEEZE YAH THINK?
“Can’t make this stuff up…. Truth is stranger than fiction.”
“Can’t make this stuff up…. Truth is stranger than fiction.”
STARRING DAREALGOODFELLA
darealgoodfella says
August 2, 2021 at 2:04 pm
This happened on the pace laps, so he (DOUG COBY) had cautions to make it up and get the lucky dog. How and why that never happened is shrouded in deep, conspiratorial mystery. There were 4 cautions and he clearly coulda-shoulda been a Lucky Dog at some point, if he ever was.
BUT HE DID GET ONE, JUST MISSED THE SECOND
“When the first caution of the race flew on lap 27 Coby was given the free pass, which he thought should have put him back on the lead lap.”
“Can’t make this stuff up…. Truth is stranger than fiction.”