When it comes to asphalt Modified racing there have been plenty of regional hotspots developed over the years, from Long Island to Eastern Mass. to the Jersey Shore to Eastern Pennsylvania to Winston-Salem, N.C.
But for generations, Connecticut has been considered the epicenter of the culture and community that is asphalt Modified racing and it showed in the standings annually with the division.
But is the Nutmeg State flavor fading away from the Whelen Modified Tour?
From 2000 to 2016 on the Whelen Modified Tour were at least four drivers from Connecticut in the top-10 in the final standings.
There were three in 2017 and in 2018 it was back to five. In 2019 it was back to three. In 2020 it was an unheard of number of only two Connecticut drivers (Doug Coby and Ron Silk) finishing in the top-10. There were three in 2021 and two in 2022 and 2023.
And now it looks like 2024 could really change the Connecticut flavor.
After four of 16 events in 2024, reigning series champion and current points leader Ron Silk is the only Connecticut driver in the top-10 in the series standings.
The next Connecticut driver in the standings after Silk is Coby, who sits 18th in the standings after starting two events.
In 2024 only six drivers from Connecticut have started Whelen Modified Tour events. Silk, Coby, Joey Cipriano III, Ryan Preece, Ronnie Williams and Marcello Rufrano.
In 2023 there were 13 driver from Connecticut who made starts on the series. In 2021 there were 16 drivers from Connecticut who made series starts. In 2019 there were 17 drivers from Connecticut making series starts.
Editor’s Note – As A Reminder To All: Not sure why it happened with this particular post, but we’ve had a few comments come through on this story making political references. I’ll go over once again what we’ve gone over in the past. I really try to let the comments section happen as naturally as possible. There aren’t too many guardrails here beyond limiting vulgarity or any sort of personal targeting or threats. The political stuff has gotten out of hand in the past. It seems once the door is opened just a crack it goes off the rails immediately. On May 18, 2023 I announced that comments containing political commentary or references would not be approved for publication. That rule remains in place. If you continue to submit comments containing political references after you’ve already had similar comments declined, you will be banned from leaving any further comments.
Get Thompson and Stafford back on the NWMT schedule.
Thompson? Who wants to tell him?
Clearly we need at least 4 Thompson races to count as “on the NWMT schedule.” But in any case Stafford is doing pretty good without NASCAR, so don’t mess with a good thing. It seems we should not be using NWMT as the standard to measure the health of modified racing in Connecticut. Unless I’m mistaken there are still plenty of modified teams around, they just see no need to regularly race the supposed “premier” series.
Marshall,
Nowhere in this story is there any reference to the health of Modified racing, good or bad. It’s simply just a look at the numbers and how a particular statistical subset within the series has changed pretty drastically in the last 25 years.
As A Reminder To All:
Not sure why it happened with this particular post, but we’ve had a few comments come through on this story making political references. I’ll go over once again what we’ve gone over in the past. I really try to let the comments section happen as naturally as possible. There aren’t too many guardrails here beyond limiting vulgarity or any sort of personal targeting or threats. The political stuff has gotten out of hand in the past. It seems once the door is opened just a crack it goes off the rails immediately. On May 18, 2023 I announced that comments containing political commentary or references would not be approved for publication. That rule remains in place. If you continue to submit comments containing political references after you’ve already had similar comments declined, you will be banned from leaving any further comments.
@Shawn Courchesne Didn’t mean to put words in your mouth. I was thinking about how many fans view the fate of modified racing as directly tied to the NASCAR tour, and if teams aren’t running in those races it’s a bad omen. I don’t think that’s really the case as there’s lots of other modified racing going on. If I’m not mistaken there are still plenty of Connecticut-based modified teams. It’s certainly interesting they’re not running the NASCAR tour as often, and if that remains the case NASCAR should definitely look into ways to make their races more attractive.
I don’t know how we can form opinions on the health of a series without being able to mention economical conditions when Marshall comments on Conn. teams not running the Tour “as often”. I wonder if costs have something to do with how often a team races????
And the Tour goes on and on … I’m quite sure you can mention economic conditions (like you just did right here) without using politically divisive charged terms. There’s no further debate or argument on the matter.
Travel Costs for CT based teams – Looking back to 2019 16 total races, 6 in CT and 2 south of the Mason Dixon line(first two of the year). 2024 schedule 16 total Races, 3 in CT and 4 south of the Mason Dixon Line 2 early 2 late in season. If you are running for points that’s a lot of travel.
That’d be like trying to Ignore 1,000 lbs Elephant in a room while having a conversation about the room.
Understood all the same.
and the Tour goes on and on …
You say: “That’d be like trying to Ignore 1,000 lbs Elephant in a room while having a conversation about the room.”
Why would you say that? You’re not educated enough that you can’t have a civil debate or try to get a point across about a topic without using politically divisive social media sprouted buzzwords?
You can speak about the current economy and how you think it has to do with racing without using buzzwords or buzzphrases that only serve to exhilarate one side or inflame the other side.
Sadly, it’s the same conversation I have with people who get upset when I won’t allow vulgar terms in comments. If you feel like you can’t get your point across without adding an F-Bomb to it then maybe your point isn’t all that great. Same thing here, why can’t you just say that maybe issues with the economy are causing issues with racing without using a word you know you’re just putting in the comment to incite reaction from one side or another in an effort to take the conversation down a side road of volleying political discourse?
We’ve been down this road before. You let one word in like that and the next commenter wants to react to only that exact word and offer their opinion of that word. And they offer their opinion and then you want to volley right back with your opinion. And then the conversation about rule changes on the Whelen Modified Tour is suddenly a full blown political firestorm riot raging in the comments section. It happens every time the door gets cracked open and that’s why it’s not allowed here.
I think the tour is phony. Western NY wasn’t mentioned about tracks. Your slapping Richie and Cookie in ignoring g the NY area. Yet they run some go cart 1/3 mile tracks. Kiddie tracks. Mods should run on 1/2 or 5/8 or 3/8 mile tracks. I’m not sure today’s mods can run on 1 mile tracks (NH). WMT tour thinks their feces doesn’t stink. IT DOES.
I can have the conversation Shawn but only half of it on this subject if we can’t be specific. IMO
Again I understand not mixing subjects. Vulgarity is a completely different thing.
And the Tour goes on and on …,
You say: “I can have the conversation Shawn but only half of it on this subject if we can’t be specific. IMO.”
Not true. I am certain you can talk about the subject matter like an educated adult without using Social Media Troll vocabulary to do it. You don’t need to use polarizing buzzwords to speak of the subject.