STAFFORD – As the SK Light Modifieds were reaching the halfway point of the division’s 20-lap feature Friday night, track stewards at Stafford Speedway were making the urgent directive over the pit area public address system that SK Modified drivers needed to be lined up for their feature.
At the track’s tech shack a TV monitor was broadcasting the SK Light Modified feature. One person wearing a heavy coat with the hood pulled over his head stood watching the monitor in the darkened area.
It was reigning SK Modified champion Todd Owen watching the broadcast. As he continued to watch a track official walked by and asked him if he knew they were calling for his division to get lined up.
“I’m not worried, I haven’t missed one yet,” Owen cooly responded.
It was a moment that perfectly encapsulated the seemingly unshakeable demeanor of Owen. And in 2022 at Stafford Speedway he rarely missed on any night.
With little drama involved, Owen quietly went about dominating the points chase in the SK Modified division in 2022 at Stafford.
And for all that work Owen will get to go to the final event of the season with nothing to worry about.
Owen used a fifth place finish in Saturday’s 40-lap SK Modified feature to clinch his second consecutive championship in the division.
Coming into the event Owen held a 98-point lead over Marcello Rufrano in the SK Modified standings. Owen needed only to take the green flag to start the event to clinch the championship.
“It was a nice feeling to know that once that green flag flew I didn’t have to worry about the points anymore,” Owen said. “Everybody says they don’t look at point, but everybody does. It was just nice to go out there and just race and have some nice battles out there.”
Owen’s only victory thus far in 2022 came in the season opening event for the division on April 24. In 20 starts this season Owen has eight podium finishes, 15 top-five’s and 19 top-10’s. His only finish outside the top-10 was an 11th place on June 3.
Overall he has an average finish in 2022 at Stafford of 4.7. Over the last 16 events he had only one finish worse than sixth, a ninth place on Aug. 19. Of his 15 top-five finishes, 12 of them have come in the last 13 events.
“Just an awesome season from start to finish,” Owen said. “I didn’t win a lot of races, but consistency was the name of the game. That’s kind of my style.
“Last year we had some controversy at the end. Not that it should have been a factor, we had a good car last year as well. This year we definitely had consistency. We took off with it and just finished a lot of races and had a lot of top-five’s.”
Owen also leads the SK Modified division standings at the New London-Waterford Speedbowl where he is looking for a second consecutive championship also.
CONGRATULATIONS TO Todd Owen and the #81 team. Great job. One more race to go out and have fun. Congrats again