The next generation of the Christopher family will be added to the record books of the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour on Saturday at Riverhead Raceway.
Mike Christopher Jr. of Wolcott will make his Whelen Modified Tour debut in the Miller Lite 200 Saturday at Riverhead Raceway.
Christopher will drive in place of Jon McKennedy for team owner Tommy Baldwin Jr. McKennedy is committed to competing with the International SuperModified Assocation Saturday at Star Speedway in Epping, N.H.
“I’m pretty pumped actually,” Christopher told RaceDayCT. “It kind of came out of nowhere. [Baldwin] called me Monday and I had to go through the whole process of getting a license and getting a drug test and a physical and all the paperwork. It’s awesome though, I can’t wait.”
Christopher has three victories this season in the SK Modified division at Stafford Speedway and sits third in the points at the track with two events remaining this season. Christopher has competed in the SK Modified division at Stafford since 2015 and has nine victories overall.
Christopher has never made a start at the quarter-mile Riverhead Raceway.
“It’s definitely a little bullring,” Christopher said. “I haven’t raced a track that small. We’ll see. There’s a ton of resources online that I can look. Tommy also connected with me Ryan Preece, who obviously he knows the place well. I talked to him for about 15, 20 mintues the other day. He told me a lot of little things that I can pick up on use in the race. That was pretty helpful too. At the end of the day you’ve just got to make it to the end and push hard the last 40 laps. Qualifying good I think is the biggest thing.”
Christopher’s late uncle, Ted Christopher, is fourth on the all-time Whelen Modified Tour win list with 42 wins over 372 starts on the series over 29 seasons. Ted Christopher was the 2008 Whelen Modified Tour champion. Mike Christopher Sr. made 75 Whelen Modified Tour starts over 16 seasons.
“Obviously I think it’s the next step in accomplishing the goal of racing full-time,” Mike Christopher Jr. said. “Obviously there’s a lot of people that go from local short tracks in New England to move up to the Modified Tour. I think it’s just the next thing in the pecking order.”
McKennedy told RaceDayCT on Tuesday that he will be back in the car for the Whelen Modified Tour season finale on Sept. 25 at Stafford Motor Speedway.
Ted Christopher, the all-time winningest driver at Stafford Speedway, was killed in a plane crash on Sept. 16, 2017 while traveling to a Whelen Modified Tour event at Riverhead.
Good luck Mike
Saturday’s 350 race at Star is named after Jon’s father. It makes sense he would want to be at Star. He doesn’t really have a shot at the tour title at this point.
The RH entry list has increased to 26 cars. Some additional late entries.
TOP 5 PICK’EM .. Riverhead Mod Tour Race 9-18-2021 >>>>>>> GET YOU PICK’S IN >>>>>
Picks at a glance.
Jake…10,51,82,03,07…..87
Eddie..07,15,51,10,03….70
Doug…51,10,07,85,03….15
10,51,07,82,85 ……. 5
Bonsignore
Silk
Coby
Lutz
Emerling
WC Rogers
Give it hell Mike!
TOP 5 PICK’EM .. Riverhead Mod Tour Race 9-18-2021 >>>>>>> GET YOU PICK’S IN >>>>>
Picks at a glance.
Jake…10,51,82,03,07…..87
Eddie..07,15,51,10,03….70
Doug…51,10,07,85,03…15
Mbus…10,51,07,82,85…..5
Earl…..51,85,10,82,07….03
Mike’s Speedbowl experience will pay dividends at Riverhead. He’s not a bad pick for the Wild Card.
ISMA > MMT?
RIP Ted. We all miss you.
Picks if I may…
J bonsignore
Coby
Silk
Emerling
K bonsigore
Wc. Christopher
Let’s go mike !
Go kick ass and make your uncle proud Mike
csg picks Riverhead
13 10 51 03 7 wc 59
TOP 5 PICK’EM .. Riverhead Mod Tour Race 9-18-2021 >>>>>>> GET YOU PICK’S IN >>>>>
Picks at a glance.
Jake…10,51,82,03,07…..87
Eddie..07,15,51,10,03….70
Doug…51,10,07,85,03…15
Mbus…10,51,07,82,85…..5
Earl…..51,85,10,82,07….03
Bobf….51,10,85,07,22….7ny
csg…..13,10,51,03,7ny…59
ISMA…..Race named after McKennedy’s father…..I know Nocella does drive a super but I thought he was up in points.
There’s a visual obituary of sorts on Facebook for Eddie Partridge race fans might like to see. I like many fans have known the outlines of Eddie Partridges relationship to racing but it’s been superficial at best. The video montage for me anyway turned out to be very emotional even though the guy had little real meaning in my life.
Big trucks and a lot of them, successful businessman, wife customarily at his side, racing success, good relationships while experiencing racing success, speedway ownership later in life and kitty cats.
You can never know how happy a person is for sure but based on the evidence this is a guy that lived life to it’s absolute fullness at a level we all hope for but few successfully execute. A mountain of a man who made his oats owning and driving mountains in the form of trucks then converting that success to his recreation multiplying his success always with Connie at his side. They could have fought like cats and dogs for all I know but the image I’ll come away with is the ideal. A couple that mated for life, that enjoyed each others company, shared interests and were true kindred spirits.
I’m always suspicious of people elevating flawed humans as without flaws after they have died attributing qualities they never possessed in an effort to out do the previous recollection. I’m not getting that vibe here at all. If a giant of a man physically that seemed to be successful in everything he touched could be understated this guy was.
I don’t feel sorry for Eddie Partridge. First his joy is at an end but his pain as well. But mostly because while he was living he lived life to the fullest. I feel sorry for those he leaves and especially his wife Connie. Not in the long run she’s probably a strong, capable woman with many accomplishments in her quiver to be revealed in her own right at the proper time. It’s the short run that will be hard and if you’ve lived long enough you know what I’m talking about. Big people, not necessarily physically, with big accomplishments and strong relationships leave big holes that can never be filled.
What An Emotional Night It Will Be. Between Anniversary Of Teddy’s Death And A New Christopher Getting First NASCAR Modified Tour Start And Of Course The Unexpected Death OF Track And Modified Team Owner Ed Partridge. I Think There Will Be Many Tears, R.IP. “Big Ed” and “T.C.”. Go Jr. !
My top 5
07-10-51-03-15
Almost forgot to make my picks…
51, 85, 36, 85, 10 03
Bottoms up boys! 🍻
TOP 5 PICK’EM .. Riverhead Mod Tour Race 9-18-2021 >>>>>>> GET YOU PICK’S IN >>>>>
Picks at a glance.
Jake…10,51,82,03,07…..87
Eddie..07,15,51,10,03……70
Doug…51,10,07,85,03…..15
Mbus…10,51,07,82,85……5
Earl…..51,85,10,82,07…..03
Bobf….51,10,85,07,22….7ny
csg…..13,10,51,03,7ny.…59
KenL…07,10,51,03,15……—
LizC…51, 85, 36, 85, 10… 03
Qualified 20 out of 26 in a top 5 car, let’s see how he finishes.
Riverhead Mod Tour Race 9-18-2021
07,51,88,15,58
Jake…10,51,82,03,07…….0+2
Eddie..07,15,51,10,03……3+3+2
Doug…51,10,07,85,03…..0+2
Mbus…10,51,07,82,85…..0+2
Earl…..51,85,10,82,07…..0+2
Bobf….51,10,85,07,22…..0+2
csg…..13,10,51,03,7ny.…0+1
KenL…07,10,51,03,15….3+3+2 WINNER!!!
LizC…51, 85, 36, 85, 1…0+1
Yet another tie breaker with Ken L getting his first win by getting his three top 5 correct picks in the most correct order. Well done!