He’s the reigning champion of the SK Modified division at the New London-Waterford Speedbowl. But on Aug. 6 at the Speedbowl Todd Owen will be looking to show the competition he’s “open” to facing some new competition at the shoreline oval.
When the Monaco Modified Tri-Track Series returns to the Speedbowl for the first time since 2016 on Aug. 6, Owen will be looking to fight his way into the feature for the Monaco Modified Tri-Track Series Belltown Motors/Fowler’s Auto Wrecking 100 presented by CBYD 811.
“Just the fact that it’s the first time that the Tour Type Modifieds have been there in a long time,” Owen said of his decision to enter the event. “It’s hard to be the person to sit there and bitch about what everybody should do to make things better in racing and then when someone has an event not show up. I’m going to try to support the place and the series. Same reason I support the Stafford Open races too. … You just try to help support the tracks that help you.”
Owen doesn’t see his status as a regular at the track in recent years giving him any huge advantage over the series regulars rolling into Waterford that day.
“I think I’d be outsider when it comes to that race,” Owen said. “The Tri-Track guys, there’s 20 or so really really good guys that run that series. And they’re going to run good [at Waterford] too. I don’t have the laps a year that those guys have running the Open stuff. As much as I know the track and that sort of thing, it’s going to be tough just to get into the race. It’s going to be two races in one. To make it into the show is a good accomplishment and then you see how the race goes.”
Owen has three SK Modified wins at the Speedbowl this season and currently lead the division standings. Overall Owen has 12 SK Modified victories at the track since 2017.
The Monaco Modified Tri-Track Series ran two races at the Speedbowl in 2015 and two in 2016. Ron Silk and Woody Pitkat won series events there in 2015 and Stephen Masse and Matt Hirschman were victorious in 2016.
Owen said he likes what’s taking place of late with the Monaco Modified Tri-Track Series is currently headed.
“I think they’re working really hard and going in the right direction,” Owen said. “[Series managing partner] Ed Bennett and that group, they’re definitely out for the racer. I think they’re trying to help racers. Their series seems to be the premier [Tour Type Modified] series out there right now if you go by car counts. People are hard on them for saying at Star [Speedway on Saturday] they only had 29 cars. That’s 29 cars, nobody is getting 29 cars this year for [Tour Type Modified] races.”
the line up of drivers just keeps getting better. How many seats do they have at the bowl these days. I heard they reduced the grandstand capacity with the renovation. I am thinking this show is going to be their biggest crowd since the reno.
Silk, Preece, Solomito, Rocco, Christopher Jr., Owen and the rest of the cast of characters from the MMTTS invade Waterford. This keeps getting bigger and better. Say it ain’t so!
This should be one hell of a race.
Boy the stories on drivers committing to the MMTTS race at the Speedbowl are coming at breakneck speed. We always look for signs where something is different in races with a heightened interest level and clearly we’re seeing that here.
So it follows that the Speedbowl fan base should be weighing in pretty much at any time complimenting RaceDayCt for working overtime with a bit of ad hoc promotion if you will. Always the first to criticize when the stories aren’t going there way I’m sure in this case being the fair minded group they are they’ll be chiming in at any minute.
Does all of this new PR have anything to do with the new race director?
Old Man Racer,
What new PR? I don’t do PR. I write news. And what new race director? Your comment is altogether baffling.
Not trying to start trouble. I just see a lot more reporting about the speedbowl lately, and thought maybe you were getting more cooperation from them. Thought maybe Sean Foster had something to do with it.
Old Man Racer,
Didn’t think you were starting trouble, just wasn’t sure what you were trying to say. I report news, good or bad. Sean Foster is the general manager not the race director. I’ve known Sean for a long time and I’d like to think I have a good professional relationship with him, but nothing all that much has really changed as far as “cooperation” between the track and this outlet. But I don’t think most people really quite understand all the nuances of the actual cooperation that has taken place in the last few years. Just because I’m not there on Saturday’s covering events doesn’t mean there isn’t some level of cooperation. Unfortunately, even while things work to get better, you still have people like Brad Caddick or the Vogelsongs behind the scenes working their hardest to make sure there will be never peace between this site and track management.
The numerous stories on the Monaco Modified Tri-Track Series entries in recent days were all sourced on my own and reported on because it’s relevant news pertaining to the upcoming event. Reporting on them had nothing to do with any change in cooperation from the track or any effort to help or hinder them. Just reporting the news, which is what we’ve done here at RaceDayCT for the last 10 years and for the last 29 years as a reporter.
Thanks for the clarification. Maybe I should change my screen name to “In the dark”
Don’t forget about Flemke. The guy can still wheel the hell out of a racecar. Pretty impressive last year at the speedbowl in those big sk races. I haven’t seen him in a tour type mod in a while though.
Todd is pretty accurate in my opinion and he’s always a straight shooter. Advantage is to the guys that run the open full power motor modifieds all the time. Knowing what to adjust and how it will effect the car is the big advantage.
The forces are just altogether different when you have an extra 150 HP under the right foot. Track knowledge is good but not enough when you underadjust or just simply choose the wrong piece of the puzzle to move.
Best of luck to all the racers and commend Todd and all the guys in supporting the track and racing in general.
Funny how more of the NASCAR Modified tour guys are attending then ever before it seems. In the past NASCAR, in one way or another, would discourage their top tour drivers from participating in these events. Now look, point leader and lots of the top guys defecting. Sign of the times.
Great to see all these businesses supporting and advertising at the Speedbowl again. Going to be a great time next Saturday
And now we have Lutz joining the party. Who’s next?