RaceDayCT Daily Poll: Who Will Win The 50th NAPA Spring Sizzler At Stafford?

Comments

1. 😷 😷 😷 darealgoodfella 😷 😷 😷 says

   April 5, 2022 at 11:10 am

   Well, it looks like the fans are winning here. This is an epic event, great job Stafford.
2. Doug says

   April 6, 2022 at 7:47 am

   02-if Blewett’s in the 7ny it’s a different story but in the 02 it’s hard to see any way he gets into the top 5.

   3 (Preece)- Showed promise at times last year with Swanson in the 3 but on the whole a disappointing year for Ole Blue. It’s a new season with Preece who qualified on the outside pole at New Smyrna and looked to contend until the car got nicked up. Lia’s performance a step back but he’s still shaking off the dust. 3 is a very long shot to win although Preece will be exciting to watch and may contend at some point in the race.

   9CT (Dowling)-2 wins, 4 top 5’s in 6 TTOMS races. 3rd and 25th at Thompson. Two wins, a 6th and 26th at Stafford. Of note also won the TTOMS pandemic year TTOMS finale at Stafford in 2020. Great equipment, knows Stafford, recent wins at Stafford and is focused on Stafford. Should be the favorite in my view.

   7ny (Christopher)-No TTOMS races in 2021. 9th, 7th and 16th at Thompson in 2021. A win, 8th and 2nd in three events at Stafford. 3rd in the New Smyrna NWMT race with Christopher driving followed by 2nd, 3rd, 2nd, 2nd and 2nd in the weekday opens with Blewett. In three SMART races with Heady driving they were usually at the front and are currently second in points after 3 SMART races. Worst showing for 2022 a 7th at Richmond for the 7ny. Christopher knows Stafford. The 7ny team knows Stafford. They’re hot this year and have to be considered a top threat to win..

   10 (Coby)- 2 TTOMS races in 2021 both at Seekonk with no wins nor top 5’s. 6th in the Thompson 300 his only race there. No Stafford opens in 2021. At the NWMT races in 2021 at Stafford finished 12th, 4th and 2nd. Elite status is in the rear view mirror and Moran is gone. This is not the team that won 6 championships. A shot I suppose but not a good one at all.

   16 (Silk) -no wins, 4 top 5’s in six TTOMS races in 2021. 1st and 3rd in two at Thompson. Only Stafford race for the 16 was in the September 2020 open where they went from 17th to 6th that was impressive for a new team at the time. 7th in the NWMT 2022 opener followed by 4th, 1st, 16th, 5th and 8th in the weekday opens. Lackluster 10th last Friday at Richmond. Nice win at Thompson last year and a sprint at New Smyrna this year but mostly wins few and far between. So far this team has underperformed but they do have the best of everything as well as Moran’s notes from so many wins at Stafford. The perfect time to put it all together for a huge win but don’t count on it.

   25 (Swanson) With Williams driving the 25 had no wins but 3 top 5’s in 6 TTOMS races in 2022. Car dominant at Thompson at times with two wins, 4 top 5’s in 5 races again with Williams. 5,12,4, and 22 in Stafford opens with Cipriano driving. Cassella’s car has a rich history of winning but the car that could dominate at Thompson and win a TTOMS championship in years past has yet to show any consistent success at Stafford. Swanson driving doesn’t improve their chances.

   44(Santos)- Got a win early in 2021 in the NHMS open with a limited field of cars. 3rd at a Thompson Open and 4th at one at Stafford last year. 17th last Friday at Richmond not a good start for 2022. The Tinio car is a good car if not top tier, Santos a pretty fair driver. The goal should be a top 5 because a win appears to be a bridge too far.

   50 (Williams)- 7th,3rd.3rd and 12th last year at Stafford opens in the Skowyra 50. . 9th, 8th and 10th in the three NWMT races at Stafford in 2021. 12th this year in the NWMT opener. 6, 6,35,3,14 in New Smyrna open races. Stafford open wins in 2019 and 2020 for Williams and the 50 but no brass ring recently. The Skowyra team is in a slump and with all the competition it’s not likely to change in the Sizzler.

   58 (Goodale)- 18th, 6th and 13th in three races at Thompson in 2021. 6th, 7th, 12th and 10th at Stafford opens last year. In 2021 a 2nd, 9th and 9th in the three Stafford NWMT races. An impressive second at New Smyrna then passed on the open races followed by a strong 6th at Richmond. Knows Stafford very well and has a NWMT win there as well as an open win a while back. Nothing to indicate the 58 is a favorite but the New Smyrna and Richmond finishes makes you wonder if something is better this year. Wild Card potential???

   57 (Rocco)-No TTOMS participation in 2021. Thompson 2 wins, 5 top 5’s in 5 tries (2nd, 1st, 4th,2nd, 1st). One open race at Stafford finishing 9th. Has wins in opens prior to last year so only one event in 2021 is a puzzler. Perhaps the suspension soured him on opens at Stafford but in any event he’ll have his steel head engine humming and a threat to win it all. It is Stafford and he is Keith Rocco after all the ultimate home boy.

   60 (Hirshman)- No need to go over the record for this guy you can find it on his web site. Only recent Stafford experience was the third in the 2020 TTOMS finale. In that race the red 60 was consistently a tenth or two off the leader, Hirschman knew it and was happy with the third behind the Stafford home team. The Pee Dee 60 is the longer track specialist with consistent success at Oswego, New Smyrna and to a lesser degree Jennerstown. Hirschmans own red 60 is the shortie specialist with zero wins at bigger tracks. Top 5 likely. A win at a longer track in the Hirschman 60, at a track the team has little experience on, against an array of top drivers in the latest and best equipment would be a shocker in my view.

   79 (McKennedy) – 2 top 5’s with one of them being a win in 2 TTOMS races in 2021. No wins, one top 5 in 6 races at Thompson (19th, 6th, 2nd, 6th, 11th). Forth in the NWMT 2022 opener then struggled to finish 8th at Richmond. They have the best equipment, brain power and have shown flashes at times. No experience at Stafford for the team as a whole and inconsistency add up to don’t count on much. So far more buzz for the 79 then success but you wonder when they will finally turn in that dominant win that they look capable of on paper.

   88 (Pitkat)-complete unknown. Dunleavy the new owner, Pitkat the driver and Cam McDermott the crew chief. They’ll have great equipment and the driver is a Stafford favorite but it’s just the opening act and glitches may arise. Win or wins likely in 2022 just not in the opener.

   48(Rufrano)-does have an open win at Stafford in 2020 and a second last year. Races at New Smyrna the last two year with a few good runs but nothing notable. They’re all in this year breaking away from KRR with and LFR chassis and the full attention of Rob Fuller. Keep an eye peeled on the 48.

   24(Labonte)-an honor to have a former CUP champion with SMART wins to his credit. However it’s a longer, flatter and trickier track then they race on down south so be satisfied with the name recognition and simply making the feature event.

   Fun fact…….
   In three years since 2019 there have been 11 Stafford Open races. All the races were won by Stafford regular SK drives except three and the two that won those races were Stafford regulars at one time. Preece for two in the now retired 6ny and Pitkat in the Stan Mertz 5.
   Best of luck to the likes of Hirschman, Silk, McKennedy, Santos, Coby, Jankowiak and all the rest of the top names in modified racing. You’re gonna need it.
3. Doug says

   April 6, 2022 at 4:17 pm

   “Hirschmans own red 60 is the shortie specialist with zero wins at bigger tracks.”

   That apparently is not a correct statement with Hirschman’s 60 winning on tracks like Spencer and Lancaster.
   However it’s pretty clear the Pee Dee car is the more formidable car on larger tracks as we’ve seen at New Smyrna and twice last year at Oswego against stiff competition.
4. Suitcase Jake says

   April 6, 2022 at 10:27 pm

   Do not underestimate the Crew Chief John McKenna on Coby’s ride, He already has a Modified Tour Championship with Coby when he ran for Darling. . . I will tell you He is as sharp as anyone in the Garage..When Coby moved on to another ride He was really upset over leaving McKenna behind…So if you have seen Coby drive Stafford you would be definitely wise to consider Coby / McKenna combo ….
5. Doug says

   April 7, 2022 at 9:23 am

   Doug
   “10 (Coby)- 2 TTOMS races in 2021 both at Seekonk with no wins nor top 5’s. 6th in the Thompson 300 his only race there. No Stafford opens in 2021. At the NWMT races in 2021 at Stafford finished 12th, 4th and 2nd. Elite status is in the rear view mirror and Moran is gone. This is not the team that won 6 championships. A shot I suppose but not a good one at all.”

   versus

   Suitcase Jake
   “Do not underestimate the Crew Chief John McKenna on Coby’s ride, He already has a Modified Tour Championship with Coby when he ran for Darling. . . I will tell you He is as sharp as anyone in the Garage..When Coby moved on to another ride He was really upset over leaving McKenna behind…So if you have seen Coby drive Stafford you would be definitely wise to consider Coby / McKenna combo ….”

   That gets a pin and hopefully we have more of that.
   Thanks!
   Now lets see if the traveling man backs it up in his Pick-em choices.
   Speaking of the Pick-em Suitcase Jake I’m working on a wrinkle to incorporate the duels on Saturday. The thinking being to have results from Saturday that people can judge carry over to the big event on Sunday.
6. Suitcase Jake says

   April 8, 2022 at 10:57 am

   YES YES… Incorporate Duals… But only TOP 5 for Sizzler Picks….
   maybe points for picking top 3 in duals…??
7. Doug says

   April 9, 2022 at 7:07 am

   SUPER SIZZLER WEEKEND PICK-EM

   POINTS SYSTEM;

   Pick top 5 finishers
   3 – points for picking the Winner
   1- point for EACH car picked in top 5
   2- points for most cars picked in top 5
   3-points for the “Outsider”-can be any driver even a favorite points earned only for the win. OUTSIDER CAN NOT APPEAR IN YOUR TOP 5. Go ahead and pick a top team for your outsider and you get two great chances at earning the 3 points. Just remember if he or she does not win you lose the points you may have gotten by including the driver in your top 5.
   Tie Breaker-RaceDayCt rules. 1 point to the winner, 2 points for second, 3 for third etc. Lowest score wins the tiebreaker. Only applies in the event of a tie. Only the top 5 cars scored.

   LCQ PICK TWO BONUS

   Pick two drivers you think will NOT qualify in the Duel 40 races on Saturday but will make the Sizzler field via the LCQ race or races on Sunday. If one or both qualify in the Duels they’re eliminated from scoring.
   Each driver you correctly identify that races in the LCQ race or races and makes the Sizzler field will get one point. That includes winner of the B-Main Feature if there is one.
   If one of your drivers finishes the highest of all the drivers qualifying via the LCQ race or races you get two points.
   Total LCQ PICK 2 BONUS points up for grabs 4 but you’ll have to be at the top of your game to get them.
   PROVISIONALS EXCLUDED FROM LCQ PICK TWO.

   Sound good?
8. Suitcase Jake says

   April 10, 2022 at 6:31 pm

   Sounds Great …… oh now … who to pick…. for LCQ pick 2…..hhhhmmmmmmm ……
   tough…very tough…..