|
|
|
04/06/2012 |
|
|
NASCAR WHELEN
MODIFIED TOUR
SET TO OPEN AT THOMPSON |
 The
2012 NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour is set to take the
green flag in the traditional season-opening
Icebreaker weekend at Thompson (Conn.) International
Speedway on Sunday, April 15.
Picking up where the 2011 season left off, and where
Ron Silk captured his first championship, the Whelen
Modified Tour returns to the high banks at Thompson
to begin its 28th season of competition. The
.625-mile oval in northeast Connecticut has played
host to more events than any other facility in the
Tour’s history: the 2012 Icebreaker will be the
117th there since 1985.
Silk celebrated the 2011 championship at Thompson in
the season finale last October, and he’ll open his
title defense at a track where he’s won three times
previously and has finished in the top 10 in 11 of
his last 13 visits. The Norwalk, Conn., native will
be looking for his first win in the Icebreaker, an
event where he’s finished on the podium just once in
six previous tries.
Not a championship contender in 2011, but a
contender in every event at Thompson, is Ted
Christopher. The veteran from Plainville, Conn., has
won seven of the last 11 Whelen Modified Tour races
at Thompson. Christopher enters the 2012 Icebreaker
with 13 career wins at Thompson – one short of tying
Mike Stefanik for the Tour record – and has
Icebreaker triumphs in 2004, 2005, 2009 and 2011.
The 2012 Icebreaker will also be the first time for
many familiar faces to run different cars, and it
has resulted in the addition of two full-time teams.
Stefanik, from Coventry, R.I., is now a permanent
fixture with the No. 66 team – new to the Whelen
Modified Tour – after they debuted together at
Thompson in last year’s finale. Similarly, Ryan
Preece from Berlin, Conn., is also now cemented in
the No. 16, where he succeeded Stefanik in last
year’s World Series.
Another new full-time team will be the No. 11, which
after a limited schedule last year, will have Woody
Pitkat behind the wheel. Ed Flemke Jr., who will
extend his Whelen Modified Tour record for
consecutive starts to 355 at Thompson, has moved
from the No. 10 to the No. 28 seat vacated by
Pitkat.
There are also driver changes in both the No. 3 and
No. 4 teams, perhaps the two most recognizable cars
in all of NASCAR’s regional touring ranks. The No. 3
“Ole Blue” of Boehler Racing Enterprises has
welcomed 2010 NASCAR Whelen All-American Series
Champion Keith Rocco to the team full-time while the
No. 4 “Mystic Missile” of Mystic Missile Racing has
rejoined forces with Donny Lia, who delivered
championships to the team in 2007 and 2009.
The drivers to keep an eye on in the Icebreaker are
not limited to those previously mentioned, however.
A year ago Doug Coby had one of the strongest cars
in the events at Thompson and dominated the UNOH
Showdown special events in September. Glen Reen also
scored a surprise victory in the World Series finale
and opened the door for anyone in the field to dream
about a trip to Victory Lane at “Big T.”
Action for the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour will
begin at Thompson on Saturday, April 14 with
practice and qualifying. The 150-lap season-opening
race is slated for a green flag on Sunday, April 15
at approximately 3 p.m. For event and ticket
information, please visit Thompson’s official
website:
www.thompsonspeedway.com. |
|
Source: Jason Cunningham / NASCAR
Posted: April
6, 2012 |
|
|
