7/3/08

NASCAR WHELEN MODIFIED TOUR TO VISIT SPENCER ON SATURDAY, JULY 12

 
WILLIAMSON, NY: For many New York-based race fans, they have been out of touch with the Whelen Modified Tour, which started officially in 1985. This series based in New England would only visit upstate New York once or twice a summer. The Modifieds are NASCAR’s oldest division and dating back to a 1948 sanctioning. The driver with the most points from Tour races won the NASCAR National Modified title.

The NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour started as a replacement to a list of NASCAR Modified Championship Events, a practice which started in the late '70s. Drivers would earn points towards the national title by competing at any races on the list.

This list of Championship events replaced the even older, and more demanding process of racing at any NASCAR Modified track and picking up NASCAR Modified points. The driver with the most points won the title, but they may have had to race five nights a week, all over the Northeast United States .

Spencer Speedway was one of those New York based tracks that participated in the Whelen Tour the first few years. Holland Speedway was the other upstate track on the tour; both speedways were NASCAR sanctioned.

By 1987, Spencer Speedway had shifted its primary weekly class to the Late Models and Modifieds seemed lost to the track. The last yearly Whelen race came in that same year of 1987.

In 1994 Spencer Speedway experimented with the Tour again, running a 100-lap Tour race. The expected results seemed to fall short for the promoter and that race stood by itself in the record books for many years.

It has not been until this year that the Tour was even thought to return to Spencer, under the guidance of promoter John White. White booked Whelen Tour races at Spencer Speedway on Saturday, July 12 and at his other track, Chemung Speedway on Saturday, October 4.

“By scheduling these tour races for Saturdays it allows us a Sunday rain date,” commented White. “Many of our race fans have indicated to us that these races are ‘Must See’ events.”

The following lists of information might be helpful to bring New York race fans up to speed on the Whelen Tour.

2008 NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour Schedule

Date/Track/Winner

04/06/08 Thompson International Speedway/Thompson, CT: Ed Flemke, Jr.
04/27/08 Stafford Motor Speedway/Stafford Springs, CT: Ted Christopher
05/23/08 Stafford Motor Speedway/Stafford Springs, CT: Chuck Hossfeld
06/19/08 Thompson International Speedway/Thompson, CT: Ronnie Silk
06/28/08 New Hampshire Motor Speedway/Loudon, NH: Chuck Hossfeld
07/12/08 Spencer Speedway/Williamson, NY
08/02/08 Riverhead Raceway/Riverhead, NY
08/08/08 Stafford Motor Speedway/Stafford Springs, CT
08/14/08 Thompson International Speedway/Thompson, CT
08/23/08 Mansfield (Ohio) Motorsports Speedway/Mansfield , OH
09/07/08 Thompson International Speedway/Thompson, CT
09/13/08 New Hampshire Motor Speedway/Loudon, NH
09/20/08 Martinsville Speedway/Martinsville, VA
09/28/08 Stafford Motor Speedway/Stafford Springs, CT
10/04/08 Chemung Speedrome/Chemung, NY
10/18/08 Thompson International Speedway/Thompson, CT

Past NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour Champions

2007 Donnie Lia - Jericho, NY
2006 Mike Stefanik - Coventry, RI
2005 Tony Hirschman, Jr. - Northampton, PA
2004 Tony Hirschman, Jr. - Northampton, PA
2003 Todd Szegedy - Ridgefield, CT
2002 Mike Stefanik - Coventry, RI
2001 Mike Stefanik - Coventry, RI
2000 Jerry Marquis - Broad Brook, CT
1999 Tony Hirschman, Jr. - Northampton, PA
1998 Mike Stefanik - Coventry, RI
1997 Mike Stefanik - Coventry, RI
1996 Tony Hirschman, Jr. - Northampton, PA
1995 Tony Hirschman, Jr. - Northampton, PA
1994 Wayne Anderson - Yaphank, NY
1993 Rick Fuller - Auburn, MA
1992 Jeff Fuller - Auburn, MA
1991 Mike Stefanik - Coventry, RI
1990 Jamie Tomaino - Howell, NJ
1989 Mike Stefanik - Coventry, RI
1988 Mike McLaughlin - Waterloo, NY
1987 Jimmy Spencer - Berwick, PA
1986 Jimmy Spencer - Berwick, PA
1985 Richie Evans - Rome, NY
1984 Richie Evans - Rome, NY
1983 Richie Evans - Rome, NY

Past Spencer Speedway NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour Races

7/4/83 - 200 laps: Richie Evans #61 Chevrolet Cavalier
7/29/84 - 75 laps: Richie Evans #61 Chevrolet Cavalier
7/29/84 - 75 laps: George Kent #26 Pontiac Sunbird
7/4/85 (formal year of the NASCAR Modified Tour starting) - 100 laps: George Kent #26 Pontiac Sunbird
7/3/86 - 100 laps: Jeff Fuller #2x Chevrolet Cavalier
7/3/87 - 100 laps: Mike McLaughlin #12 Pontiac Sunbird
9/3/94 - 100 laps: Mike Ewanitsko #21 Chevrolet Cavalier

Current NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour Points entering Spencer's 7/12/08 event

Rank/Driver/Points/Starts/Wins/Top 5/Top 10/Money to Date Earnings
1. Chuck Hossfeld 855 5 2 5 5 $31,000
2. Ted Christopher 819 5 1 4 5 $27,275
3. Todd Szegedy 750 5 0 1 5 $13,025
4. Eric Beers 685 5 0 3 3 $15,935
5. Ed Flemke, Jr. 662 5 1 2 3 $21,300
6. Matt Hirschman 643 5 0 0 2 $9,379
7. Rowan Pennink 639 5 0 0 2 $9,450
8. Mike Stefanik 634 5 0 3 3 $12,300
9. Ryan Preece 604 5 0 0 3 $10,150
10. James Civali 602 5 0 1 3 $10,675
11. Kevin Goodale 583 5 0 0 1 $8,015
12. Ronnie Silk 581 5 1 1 2 $12,350
13. Ken Heagy 542 5 0 0 0 $6,965
14. Glenn Tyler 531 5 0 0 1 $7,755
15. Bobby Grigas, III 511 5 0 1 1 $9,325
16. Joe Hartmann 509 5 0 1 1 $8,575
17. Richard Savary 501 5 0 0 1 $8,830
18. Billy Pauch, Jr. 500 5 0 0 0 $7,493
19. Wade Cole 500 5 0 0 0 $6,968
20. Tom Abele, Jr. * 492 4 0 1 1 $7,250
21. Jimmy Blewett 491 5 0 0 0 $8,085
22. Anthony Sesely 485 5 0 0 0 $6,850
23. Jamie Tomaino 473 5 0 0 1 $8,825
24. Glen Reen * 461 5 0 0 0 $6,795
25. Renee Dupuis 452 4 0 0 0 $5,705
* Denotes Rookie of the Year Contender

Current Point Leader Chuck Hossfeld’s NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour Wins

9/14/02 - 100 laps/Loudon, NH
4/13/03 - 150 laps/Thompson, CT
7/18/03 - 103 laps/Loudon, NH
8/30/03 - 150 laps/Waterford, CT
7/31/04 - 150 laps/Seekonk, MA
5/23/08 - 200 laps/Stafford, CT
6/28/08 - 100 laps/Loudon, NH

Williamson, NY’s Jan Leaty’s NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour Wins

6/28/87 - 150 laps/Jennerstown, PA
5/11/91 - 150 laps/Nazareth National, PA
9/1/93 - 150 laps/Thompson, CT
10/16/94 - 125 laps/Thompson, CT
4/21/96 - 200 laps/Stafford, CT
5/19/96 - 100 laps/Nazareth National, PA
10/6/96 - 200 laps/Flemington, NJ
8/17/97 - 126 laps/Loudon, NH
7/19/02 - 100 laps/Loudon, NH

Source: Gary M. Spaid/Spencer PR
Additions and corrections: Mark Southcott/NYRaceZone.com
Posted: July 3, 2008