Pit Box: Whelen Modified Tour Returns To Stafford Speedway Friday

(Press Release from NASCAR Integrated Marketing Communications)

After a thrilling inaugural race at Lancaster Speedway, the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour blazes back to Stafford Motor Speedway for the 30th annual GAF Roofing 150 presented by Riverhead Building Supply on Friday night (9:15 p.m. ET, TrackPass).

Patrick Emerling took home the checkered flag last week at his home racetrack and enters Friday as the defending winner at Stafford, winning the April 30 event earlier this year.

Stafford’s history is well documented. Built as a horse track in 1870, the dirt half-mile oval began hosting auto racing following World War II and welcomed modifieds as early as 1952. The track was finally paved in 1967 and hosted weekly NASCAR-sanctioned races through 2020, including tour races since 1985.

The late, great Ted Christopher is listed as the all-time record holder for feature wins at the northeastern Connecticut racetrack with an astounding 131 victories. Woody Pitkat, who enters this week’s contest eighth in points, sits second at Stafford with 78 feature wins, two of which were wins on the tour.

Along with the tour’s usual suspects, Ryan Preece will join the series for the sixth time this season. Preece led 13 laps in April’s Spring Sizzler but came away 17th after contact between him and Ronnie Silk sent them and others spinning while battling for the lead.

Tickets are still available with live streaming coverage available on NBC Sports Gold via TrackPass.

RACE INFO: Entry list | Race Center

GAF Roofing 150 Presented By Riverhead Building Supply

WHAT TO WATCH FOR:

Patrick Emerling led 30 of the final 31 laps en route to the win last weekend at Lancaster Speedway and is locked in a tight battle for the points with Justin Bonsignore, who finished second in a photo finish one week ago.

Six races remain before the 2021 modified champion is crowned, and the season finale will come at Stafford on Sept. 25, adding even more emphasis on Friday night’s action.

In April, Matt Swanson led 84 of the 130 laps of the rain-shortened 49th annual Spring Sizzler but was caught in a Lap 111 crash that ended his night early. Emerling spun at lap 96 but found himself celebrating in victory lane with only seven laps led after dicing through the wreck that eliminated Preece, Silk, Anthony Nocella and Justin Bonsignore. Under that yellow, Mother Nature canceled the final 20 laps.

Preece returns to the circuit with eight wins at Stafford under his belt, his most recent coming in September 2018. In fact, Preece has won three of his last five entries at Stafford, a track which sits just 45 minutes northeast of his hometown of Berlin, Connecticut.

Silk has had three straight strong runs on the tour but only two top fives to show for it. Last week at Lancaster, Silk had another top-five performance going but was caught up in the Lap 141 crash that took out eight cars, relegating Silk to a 12th-place finish. Silk took home a Stafford win in September 2020 and has three career wins at the half-mile.

Doug Coby returns to Stafford with a fantastic resume and strong momentum, bringing the experience of 12 modified tour victories in 59 starts along with him. Coby started from behind one week ago at Lancaster and needed his shifter replaced before even taking the green flag, which set him back two laps. He rebounded to finish ninth, but two straight races with mechanical troubles – a failed engine at New Hampshire Motor Speedway on July 17 – coupled with a missed race in May have almost certainly dashed Coby’s chances of a seventh modified tour championship this season.

Bonsignore, meanwhile, finds himself on a hot streak. The Holtsville, New York, native has finished inside the top three in six of this year’s eight races, including two consecutive second-place finishes. Locked in a tight battle with Emerling for the championship, it’s clear this fight may continue into September. But Bonsignore has yet to win at Stafford Motor Speedway, only coming as close as second four times in 39 starts and most recently in 2019. The only other track on the tour where Bonsignore has that many starts is Thompson Speedway, a track where he’s won 12 times and which isn’t on the 2021 calendar.

Other drivers on this week’s entry list include Chuck Hossfeld, who won at Stafford in 2008; 2017 winner Eric Goodale; 2018 winner Kyle Bonsignore; and 2019 winner Craig Lutz.

RACING REFERENCE:

• 2021 NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour Points
• Past NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour Races at Stafford
• NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour Drivers at Stafford

RACE FACTS

RACEDAY SCHEDULE: Friday, Aug. 6 — Garage opens: 1:15 p.m. ET; Practice: 3:45-4:45 p.m.; Qualifying: 6:20 p.m.; Race: 9:15 p.m.

CREW CHIEF HANDOUT: The starting field for the GAF Roofing 150 Presented By Riverhead Supply Building is limited to 28 starters including provisionals. The field will be set by qualifying (1-22) and provisional process per the entry blank (23-28) for the GAF Roofing 150 Presented By Riverhead Supply Building. In the event that qualifying as stated on the entry blank does not take place for any unforeseen circumstance, the field will be set in accordance with the 2021 NASCAR Touring Series Rule Book.

QUALIFYING: Two consecutive qualifying laps. Faster lap determines qualifying position. Adjustments or repairs may not be made on the vehicle after the vehicle has taken the green flag at the start-finish line. NASCAR reserves the right to have more than one vehicle engage in qualifying runs at the same time.

The maximum tire allotment available for this event is as follows: The maximum tire allotment available for this event is eleven (11) tires per team. All tires used for qualifying and the race must be purchased at the track and scanned by Hoosier, unless otherwise approved in advance by the Series Director. Four (4) tires must be used for qualifying and to begin the race. All qualifying tires must remain in impound until released by NASCAR Officials. The remaining tire allotment may be used for practice and/or change tires during the event.

The tire change rule is four (4) tires, any position. To utilize the fourth (4th) change tire, the team will have to take a practice tire purchased at Stafford Motor Speedway and turn in by the conclusion of practice.

QUALIFYING AND SPECIAL AWARDS

$400 Phil Kurze Halfway Leader Award presented by Josten’s per event award to the race leader at the halfway point of the event, regardless if the race is running under green or yellow.

$600 Hoosier Tire “Lap Leader” per event award to the eligible car owner whose driver leads the most laps in each event. In the event of a tie, the award will go to the highest finishing car in the event.

$500 Hoosier Tire “Hard Charger” per event award to the highest finishing eligible driver who advances the most positions during the course of the race. In the case of a tie, the highest finishing driver will receive the award.

$500 Hoosier Tire “Most Improved” per event award to the eligible new team/organization whose driver improves the most positions during the course of the race. In the event of a tie, the award will go to the highest finishing car in the event. If money is not awarded during this event, funds will roll over to the next event and will continue to roll over until an eligible new team/organization claims the money.

$1,000 Mayhew Tools Dominator Pole per event award to the driver with the fastest qualifying time eligible to participate under the Manufacturers’ Prize Money Conditions.

$550 Sunoco Spec Fuel award divided: 1st-$300 5th-$150 10th-$100.

$3,500 Whelen Engineering “Winner of the Race” award to the winning driver.

Whelen Non-Starter award will be paid to the first 15 competitors throughout the season who pass inspection, practice, attempt to qualify but fail to make the feature event.