RaceDayCT Poll: Who Will Win The Monaco Modified Tri-Track Series NAPA Fall Final At Stafford?
Optimism reigns for Matt Swanson when it comes to heading back to Stafford Speedway for Saturday’s Monaco Modified Tri-Track Series NAPA Fall Final.
He’s just hoping that optimism reigning isn’t tempered by rain.
Running 11th with 20 laps remaining in the most recent Monaco Modified Tri-Track Series event on Aug. 12 at the New London-Waterford Speedbowl, Swanson was ready for go-time.
Then it was a no-go for the Acton, Mass. driver when weather moved in, cutting the race short by 19 laps.
“Mother Nature really hasn’t been a friend of the [Gary Casella owned No. 25] car this year,” Swanson said. “The last Tri-Track race at Waterford we got halted because of the weather. I can think four or five races this year that I feel like we had a better car than our finish showed – maybe even a winning car – but the weather didn’t allow us to show that. I’m not trying to make excuses. Obviously there’s different positions we could have put ourselves in to try to be in contention, but when we go to races we go to win, so if we feel like we can throw a little curveball into our strategy to try to be better than everybody else we’re going to do it.”
After four of six events this year, Swanson sits third in the Monaco Modified Tri-Track Series standings, 17 points behind leader Matt Hirschman and seven behind second place Woody Pitkat.
Swanson started the season with a fifth place at Thunder Road in Barre, Vt. on May 28. He scored his first series victory on June 28 at Seekonk (Mass.) Speedway.
Swanson was battling Matt Hirschman for the lead late in the Tri-Track event at Star Speedway on July 22 when contact between the two had him spinning out of the lead and ultimately having to settle for a 17th place finish.
Swanson said he goes to Stafford trying not to think about the Monaco Modified Tri-Track Series standings, but it’s still something that has to be on his mind.
“I really try not to think about [points],” said Swanson, who also currently leads the Modified Racing Series points standings. “I feel like if you put so many things in your mind at once you’re not going to be focused on the goal and that’s obviously to win and to finish good. I’ve never really been in a situation where I’m racing for points. Fortunately this year we’ve had really good speed and really good finished in multiple series’. We’ve put ourselves in contention to be able to be in a points chase. I try not to think about it too much because I want to focus on my goal and my goal is just to go there and perform for my guys and show the speed my car has. I think about it a little bit, but when I’m racing I’m focused on going forward and trying to get the best finish I have and constantly trying to make my car better so we can be in situations like that with points.”
Swanson has one career victory on the historic Stafford half-mile, an SK Light Modified win on May 29, 2015. Swanson was fourth in the 2022 NAPA Fall Final at Stafford.
“Going into Stafford I’m obviously looking forward to it,” Swanson said. “I love racing at Stafford. I wish I got to race there a little bit more than I did this year. But just the way the schedule panned out we weren’t able to. I’m really excited to go there. We’re going to bring a different car than we normally do. I’m excited for that. We’re just looking forward to trying to have another strong run with the Tri-Track series and try to chase a win.”
RaceDayCT Poll: Who Will Win The Monaco Modified Tri-Track Series NAPA Fall Final At Stafford?
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