RaceDayCT Poll: Who Will Win The Monaco Modified Tri-Track Series NAPA Fall Final At Stafford?
It’s the age old scenario in motorsports. A driver looking for a car to race. A car owner looking for a driver to enter into an event.
And then they find each other.
That’s the case when it comes to driver Les Hinckely III and car owner Billy “Bear” Calicchio.
Hinckley had planned on fielding his own car in Saturday’s Monaco Modified Tri-Track Series NAPA Fall Final at Stafford Speedway. But when an opportunity to sell that car came up recently that he couldn’t pass up on, he was left without ride.
At the same time, Calicchio was looking for a driver to pilot his car at Stafford on Saturday.
So the two have decided to get together for Saturday’s event.
“I’ve known Bear for a long long time,” Hinckley said. “… There’s lot of connections. Everybody somehow meets in the middle through mutual friends in racing. Back in the [Modified Racing Series] days Bear spotted for me for a year and was crew chief on the car. I actually borrowed his car to run a race at Star [Speedway] one time. Working together is familiar territory for sure.”
Hinckley is one of 13 drivers to have have started all four Tri-Track events that have been run this year. He missed last year’s NAPA Fall Final at Stafford after contracting COVID just days before the event.
“It was going to be two years in a row that I was going to miss the race,” Hinckley said. “Last year I ended up with COVID and had to miss the race. It’s definitely nice to be able to put something together and be in it.”
RaceDayCT Poll: Who Will Win The Monaco Modified Tri-Track Series NAPA Fall Final At Stafford?
Well that’s interesting. Hinckley never that competitive at Stafford so this may help his prospects. A bunch of cars testing in the last week or so and he may have been one.
If you’re going to have a wash out no sense screwing around might as well have a cyclone messing things up good and proper. Saturday deteriorating and Sunday looking like a bust as well. Should that happen what to do?
There are no good options? Next Friday in conjunction with Championships night? Different cars, different teams so guys like Silk and Hirschman could make both races in theory anyway. Or just do it Saturday and take the loses it’s not like you’re going to lose a lot of spectators and teams to North Wilkesboro. Silks priority would be NASCAR but what would Hirschman do?
Doug,
I can tell you with 100 percent certainty that if they lose Saturday and Sunday the event will NOT be made up on Sept. 29 or Sept. 30. And obviously it will not be run anytime on the weekend of Oct. 6-8 (World Series at Thompson). And it obviously can’t be run Oct. 20-22 because the series is at Waterford that weekend. And I’m pretty certain the makeup date will be before the calendar turns to November. Oh and also remember, the makeup for a weather plagued World Series would likely be Oct. 13-15. So there ya go.
Doug i know you like to play up the NASCAR VS STAFFORD-TRI TRACK battle but it does either side no good to try to make teams choose, enough trouble getting solid fields in 2023, both Races have NICE fields, cant control weather and a rainy Sat.and Sun. will make a later FALL Final than usual
The WMT has a nice field compared to 40 at Stafford…..really
Yeah CRUDBUS i will take the 39 teams at North Wilkesboro vs the 40??????? at Stafford, REALLLY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I’m not playing up anything and I have absolutely no preference when it comes to any tour modified race or where they are I like them all. While you guy were insulting each other I was ignoring the Riverhead car count and calling the Bonsignor/Silk brawl the best race of the year. As for any past preference for Stafford that ended May 24, 2023.
The notion I’m rooting for weather to result in some kind of advantage for any track or team is not the case. I was simply noodling what would happen if weather happened.
After reading Mr. Courchesne’s post that has the inn full for the foreseeable future I’m more confused then ever. I looked at my handy dandy tour mod schedule, saw a vacancy mid October but apparently the World Series team has an undefined option on that weekend. Seems to me it could be a simple matter of the MMTTS calling dibs first but apparently dibs is not a recognized date commitment in the world of race scheduling.
Since everyone seems to be so cranky, the cup half empty from all angles I’ll be rooting especially hard for a Sunday. Saturday bleak but Sunday not off the table finger crossed.
Next Friday night would be perfect
Steve,
Definitely not perfect. The race would lose at least 10 cars due the Whelen Modified Tour race at North Wilkesboro the next day.
I can remember one year, maybe 2007, when the Fall Final was run in November after being rained out twice. It was cold and windy, but it was finally dry.
And why the 39 teams at North Wilkesboro? Because you have the southern cars attending. Otherwise it would be the same 17-20 cars as usual from the WMT. It doesn’t take a brain surgeon to figure that out.
What happened to the days when we ran Friday night at Stafford, Saturday at Oswego and Monday (Labor Day) at Stafford. I sure miss that weekend
What is the source that says 39 entries for North Wilkesboro? Don’t SMART race at Pulaski the next day? Also as a casual observer at a couple SMART races this year I doubt ten cars at the most could pass the normal stringent NU$CAR tech.They wouldn’t relax tech (safety or performance) to up car count would they? Wouldn’t NU$CAR license, entry fee and cost of pit passes for one race be a big deterrent for anyone with a modified that hasn’t run a Whelen tour race this year? I don’t follow anymore but if there’s a cup race that weekend wouldn’t that rule out Lajoie and Newman? Can anyone tell me which 39 cars?
Apparently the car count for N. Wilkesboro also has the draw of saying you competed there. About 30 names are Northern teams,most of which are part time teams. If you grouped them as A, B, & C based on their WMT participation, there’s a bunch of C teams. Not a bad thing at all, as they are good teams but maybe only do a few of the WMT events. Hopefully more of those teams also show at Thompson!
Enduro59,
The “source” for the 39 entries for North Wilkesboro would be the official entry list from NASCAR. Entry list: Brushy Mountain Powersports 150 at North Wilkesboro Speedway
Fair enough. I asked for and I got it. Sorry about that. I don’t usually go looking for entries to the Whelen tour races till two or three days before. I’m shocked. Maybe they were so overjoyed they couldn’t contain themselves so they released it earlier than usual. Weather permitting I’ll be there.
Enduro59,
Just busting on ya. And yes, you’re right, very odd for Whelen Modified Tour entry list to be published these day more than four days before an event.
I should keep my yap shut but have to say in this forum I’ve never felt so inadequate. You gave me the answer Courchesne. You knew the date, virtually told me but I could not figure out what you were saying. Not a problem if I didn’t care but read the dad gum thing 15 times, knew the answer was there and still couldn’t figure it out.
Great post, well played and you suck!
Doug,
Yes, I tried to give up the info without giving up the info.