Chassis builder Rob Fuller is known around Modified racing as a guy who knows well how to put together a fast car.
But his recent tinkering in putting together speed for a customer was about building a team.
New team owner Michelle Davini was looking to make her organization’s NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour debut one to remember.
Enter NASCAR Sprint Cup Series regular Corey LaJoie, who is always up for a spin in a quality Whelen Modified Tour ride.
And voila, created by Fuller was a combination built to make a splash in the Whelen Modified Tour Whelen 100 on July 16 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.
LaJoie, a regular on the NASCAR Cup Series with Spire Motorsports, will make his first Whelen Modified Tour start since 2015 on July 16 at NHMS. It will mark the first series start for Davini as a team owner.
Fuller, owner of Troyer and LFR, helped put the pairing of driver and team owner together for the event on the 1.058-mile Loudon oval.
“Rob got together with Michelle Davini and he called me up out of the blue a couple months ago and said that he had somebody that was interested in running a [Whelen] Modified Tour race in conjunction with a [NASCAR Cup Series] race,” LaJoie said. “He asked if I wanted to do that and I was just like ‘Hell yeah I want to do that.’”
LaJoie will run the No. 17 Modified at NHMS in honor of his grandfather, Norwalk native, Modified legend and New England Racing Hall of Famer Don LaJoie.
Said Davini: “Being a first-time car owner on the Whelen Modified Tour, I’m so excited to work with Corey and Rob Fuller on everything we have going. We wanted to do something big with running a Whelen Modified Tour race and you can’t get much bigger than this running an event at New Hampshire Motor Speedway with a NASCAR Cup Series regular driving our car who has such deep family roots in New England Modified racing.”
The team will carry primary sponsorship from Needham Bank.
“I was very excited to work to bring this all together with Michelle and Corey,” Fuller said. “It’s always an honor to get the chance to work with someone who is getting involved in the series for the first time and really wants to do it the right way and get great people involved. I’m glad we were able to bring Corey and Michelle together on this deal and can’t wait to see what Corey can do on the track in Loudon. And it’s even more special when you can bring a new sponsor into the sport like we’re doing with Needham Bank. Hopefully with all this we’re putting the base together to grow something very special for the future.”
The 30-year old LaJoie has three career Whelen Modified Tour starts. He finished 27th in the 2012 NAPA Spring Sizzler at Stafford Speedway in a family owned entry. In 2015 he ran two races at Thompson Speedway for Fuller, finishing 28th in the Icebreaker 150 and 14th in the Mr. Rooter 150.
“Anytime I get a chance to get back in a Modified I’m chomping at the bit for it,” LaJoie said. “We ran good those couple times I was running that 15-40 car for him. We had a couple issues, but we had always had good speed back when [Ron Silk] and I were splitting time and running two cars.”
LaJoie also made five starts on the old NASCAR Whelen Southern Modified Tour from 2010-2012, winning a 2010 series event on the infield circuit at Atlanta Motor Speedway.
Running a Whelen Modified Tour event at New Hampshire Motor Speedway has long been a desire for LaJoie, but only in the right situation.
“I’ve never really had any people that I was excited to do it with,” LaJoie said. “With Rob, anytime he does something, he goes all in with it. His stuff is always super nice and runs fast. Especially at Loudon his stuff always runs good. So it’s cool to be back working with him again. I’m excited to see what I can do. It will be way different than anything I’ve driven there in the past, but I’m always up for challenge.
“I think it will be cool. The Cup cars are on 18-inch tires now as well, but obviously they’re radials versus bias ply for the Modifieds. They should have comparable grip because the Modifieds are way lighter, and I’m sure the aero-balance is a bit different. You see the slide job come into play with the Modified there. We all know it’s usually the most exciting race of the weekend there. I’m hoping to just get a feel for how the fast runs happen in practice and then get ourselves a good qualifying spot and feel out how the race is playing and hopefully be there at the end running in the top-five or six and give yourself a shot in the last couple corners.”
Awesome deal for the host of Stacking Pennies!