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12/29/2014 |
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2014 WAS A YEAR
OF BOTH NOT GIVING UP
AND LIVING A DREAM
Traditions
Continue as Race Families Grow
NASCAR with the New Generation
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by
Denise
DuPont
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Mid-December NASCAR wrapped up the 2014 race season with a week of events
all leading up to one special evening, the NASCAR Night of Champions Touring
Awards at the Hall of Fame convention center ballroom in Charlotte, NC. The
night was a culmination of a year and in some cases several years of hard
work and dedication.
Throughout the week of celebrations, the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour (NWMT
and NWSMT) 2014 champions, Doug Coby of Milford, CT. and Andy Seuss of
Hampstead, NH. , participated in special functions and received several
awards for their accomplishments. Festivities in the end sealed the deal for
team both Mike Smerigilio’s #2 and Eddie Harvey’s #11 modified teams making
their championships a reality.
 “I
am excited to go for more now,” stated Coby about being ready to jump in a
race car again. “It is awesome to be here in Charlotte and be part of
NASCAR’s whole Championship week. It is all for the guys on the team and the
effort that they put in to get here. For some of these guys it has been
many, many years of hard work and it is cool to be a part of it. It is
awesome to see everybody so happy and to be here together. It is so exciting
as the week goes on to have more and more of the crew guys and family
members show up. I am looking forward to hopefully doing it again.”
Coby held off defending champion, Ryan Preece, to capture this year’s
highest honors. It was not an easy road in 2014 for the team. More than once
the team was on the sidelines rushing to get back out to compete. Making the
right moves when needed, the Dunleavy's Truck & Trailer Repair/A&J Romano
Construction/ HEX Performance sponsored team, overcame many a hardship to
come back and finish where they needed to be. “It was not a cake walk of a
season for us.” Coby confessed. “There were some bumps along the way and we
were able to recover from them every time. And that is probably one of the
most important part of winning the championship. Anytime we had something go
wrong whether it was in practice, qualifying or when it rained at Thompson,
or when we got knocked around at Bristol or Thompson we just kept bouncing
back and had some good finishes together.”
2014 was Smeriglio’s dream year that he waited fifty years for. When he was
four years old at a race track, he knew he wanted to be part of a modified
championship team and his wish finally came true. “I knew that it was going
to be an exciting year but the emotions are starting to kick in especially
when you see the car in the NASCAR Hall of Fame with the trophy next to it,
is pretty special,” Smeriglio stated with a big smile. “We could not be any
happier with all that we accomplished this year. We were pegged to win the
championship. So to do it when you are supposed to, is even more
impressive.”
From the teams’ February win at the “UNOH Battle at the Beach” at Daytona to
the Sunoco World Series of Speedway Racing seventeenth place finish. The #2
NWMT team never gave up as they constantly dealt with one challenge after
the other. “At the ‘Battle at the Beach’, we knew we had a good program but
to be in that position at the end of the race and to take it home was
perfect. I am two for two now at Daytona so that is pretty special. That was
a good insight on what was going to go ahead,” Smeriglio stated.
 In
the southern tour competition, Andy Seuss of Hampstead, NH held off
defending NASCAR Whelen Southern Modified Tour (NWSMT) champion, George
Brunnhoelzl., III, from West Babylon, NY, to capture this year’s highest
honor by a mere margin of fourteen points. Like the NWMT championship team,
the #11 Ideal Finance/Phoenix Motors sponsored southern modified team of
Eddie Harvey found themselves struggling throughout the race season to
overcome the up and down challenges and strings of bad luck. In the end the
NWSMT team got the job done and they were rewarded with their first NASCAR
championship.
Seuss placed in the top five of NWST tour championship points for the last
six seasons, including runner-up spots in 2009 and 2011. But in the 2014
season, he won the season opener at Caraway Speedway and then led the
championship points from the third race forward. “Winning the 2014 NWSMT
Championship is really cool for the team that we have.” Seuss exclaimed.
“Seeing it highlighted in the group videos where it is focused on every
little part of the car, you really get to appreciate everybody’s hard work
and craftsmanship on the car. Then just to be here. NASCAR really – I am
just speechless on how much goes into tonight compared to most banquets. To
be here to celebrate with all of the families, friends and teams is pretty
incredible. It is just the most amazing thing that I have been a part of.’
Excited with his first ever modified championship Eddie Harvey was lost for
words. “This year was such an awesome deal. I am so excited that we were
able to achieve the 2014 Championship.”
The week also honored the young drivers who used their skills to move to the
top of the rookie competition. Competing on the tour for
 their
first time this year, these drivers proved they were ready to compete with
the best of the best and carved out their place in race history.
Timmy Solomito from Islip, NY captured the NWMT ‘Sunoco Rookie of the Year’
honors in 2014. In Wayne Anderson’s #75 Eastport Feeds/Axel Anderson Inc.
modified, Solomito had two top five and six top ten finishes to end the year
eighth. “We had a really good year for a startup team. For a bunch of guys
that we threw together at the last minute, we really put together a very
good team. I am just really honored to win it. It is an award that you can
only win in your first year so it is always good to knock that one out of
the way. Now we have this year to focus on everything that is going to
happen. I just cannot thank Wayne Anderson and his team enough for
everything that they did for us. They are a great team and it was a good
year.”
Spencer Davis is one of the youngest competitors on the Whelen Tour to
capture the ‘Sunoco Rookie of the Year’ award. Turning sixteen this fall the
other
 competitors’
tower over him in the pits but not on the track. In Susan Hill’s #79
Hillbilly Racing/Coors 21 Means 21 modified, Davis had two top five and
seven top ten finishes to end the year eighth. “It was definitely a real
cool deal to win this honor for the team. They won it before with Daniel
Hemric, but it is cool to win the rookie of the year again for them. The
season that we had was yes really good so it would have been kind of a
downer if we did not win it.”
“It is definitely cool to look back at what we did in the beginning of the
year and how far that I have progressed through out this year,” confessed
Spencer reflecting on the season. “Going from being just happy with
finishing in the top ten to trying to compete for wins is real cool “
Spencer began racing in 2005 at the age of six and is following in his
father’s footsteps with motorsports talent and ability. “Being one of the
youngest drivers on the tour it is definitely challenging because the
veterans see me and think “Here is this kid. We can push him around.” So you
have to show them that you can get up there with them and race too. I am the
youngest by far sure and there are not very many people to hang out with but
for sure it is fun to race with older more experienced guys.”
Melissa Fifield of Wakefield, NH was voted the 2014 NWMT ”Most Popular
Driver”. She was the only female driver competing on the Whelen Tour in the
family owned Allstate Insurance/Big Moose RV # 1 modified. Fifield started
racing Jr. Champ Karts at age twelve at Londonderry Raceway and won the
track championship in her first season. Migrating to the tour in 2014 she
finished her year ranked twenty-first. “This is certainly exciting. It was
shocking to me because I did not expect it at all. It is an honor really and
I am proud to represent the series,” exclaimed Fifield about her rookie
award. “There was definitely a lot of work put into it. I am certainly
looking forward to next year. I gained a lot towards the end of the season
with both the setup and gaining more confidence in the car.”
Defending NWMT champion Ryan Preece of Berlin, CT. had an up and down year
in Eric Sanderson’s East West Marine/Diversified Metals sponsored #16
modified. Putting the down times behind him, he finished the year in the
runner up spot in the NWMT Championship after a strong run at both Stafford
and Thompson finale races. “Sometimes things just happen. They say it is
usually the third year where you have bad luck and people tell you that you
are going to have more heart break than wins.” Preece soberly expressed. “It
is totally true. I could sit back and start counting them off. It was just
great that we ended the year strong the way that we did. Now we just move on
to 2015.”
The 2015 Whelen schedules are now released with the thirtieth anniversary
season of the Whelen Modified Tour featuring fourteen points’ races while
the eleventh season for Whelen Southern Modified Tour campaign will include
eleven championship events at seven popular southeastern short tracks.
Happy New Year and see you next race season!
NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour Year End
Notes:
Reflecting on 2014 race season, what was your major
highlight of the year?
Doug Coby
“The overall consistency of our season and resilience. It was not a cake
walk of a season for us. There were some bumps along the way and we were
able to recover from them every time. And that is probably one of the most
important part of winning the championship. Anytime we had something go
wrong whether it was in practice, qualifying or when it rained at Thompson,
or when we got knocked around at Bristol or Thompson we just kept bouncing
back and had some good finishes together.”
Andy Seuss
“I was asked by NASCAR what was the most fun race of the year and every
single time this race team is at a race track we have fun. And that is a
really cool thing that maybe a lot of teams cannot say. The three wins were
definitely were a thrill. But in the end our highlight for this year is the
Southern Modified Championship. After some of the adversity that we had come
off of - the top is definitely impressive. We have been together a long time
and the championship was definitely the ultimate goal. To be able to give
that to everybody and to celebrate it with them is definitely the Highlight
of my year.”
Timmy Solomito
“Definitely leading a lap at New Hampshire. It was pretty cool. We qualified
twelfth and made our way up front. We passed some of the greatest guys that
drive the modifieds. That was definitely a pretty cools event and then going
to Bristol and just being out on the high banks was just pretty cool. But
definitely leading a lap at New Hampshire and hopefully we will lead more
laps this next year.”
Spencer Davis
“It is definitely real fun being part of the Hillbilly Team. It feels like
you are at home with this team. Everyone is down to earth and it feels like
you are hanging out with your relatives when you come to the race track. You
feel real warm and welcome. It has definitely shown this year just the
family type atmosphere the team has and how we always joke around and have
fun at the race track.”
Melissa Fifield
“The only track that I was a little nervous going to was New Hampshire.
Watching races there as a child -I got more nervous about it since I had not
been there for so long. First off I was like – “That is it?”
Mike Smeriglio
“Our biggest highlight of the year was the second New Hampshire race. That
really solidified what this team is all about - “Not Giving Up”. We were
involved in someone else’s mess and came back and finished third. “
Eddie Harvey
“We came together more as a family and that resulted in more consistency. It
was our fourth year together and by this time everyone came together as a
true family on a week to week basis which just resulted in some consistency.
In the past we were always able to win races, but we could not just finish
that climb in the final hill. We are able to do that now. We finally go t it
done.”
Plans for 2015
Andy Seuss
“We are looking at a variety of things. Either defending or splitting
between the North and Southern Modified Tours. Picking the race tracks that
we want to do. We are lucky to have that opportunity to be able to travel.
So I might jump at that opportunity while it comes. We have two really good
race cars and two great Rahmoc race engines. And we do want to go up north
and show that we can compete at places like Thompson and New Hampshire with
the Northern Tour. “
Spencer Davis
“We are not sure if we are going to run the northern or southern modified
tour or run them both. We are just waiting for the schedules to come out and
maybe run some of what is running in the other series and local tracks. But
we definitely will be back in one of the NASCAR tours.
Timmy Solomito
:I will be moving to the #16 team and I definitely have some pretty big
shoes to fill there. But I am really excited to learn with the guys of the
#16 team. That team is one of the best teams on the tour and we will be
learning with some of the best guys. I am really looking forward to working
with Sly and Eric Sanderson and the guys. I really cannot thank them enough
for the opportunity and everything they are going to give us this year to
put our best foot forward. “
Ryan Preece
“2015 will bring with it a lot of racing with Eddie (Partridge). I was
hoping that the schedule would come out today so that we could really put it
together but I do know that we are going to be doing at a, minimum, of
thirty races together to a maximum of fifty races together. Ed and Tommy
both want to race so that is what we are going to be doing.”
Mike Smeriglio
“Same as 2014. I think that Doug is going to come back. I am not sure. I
have not really asked him yet but I am really hoping he will come back in
the #2 seat. That #2 seat is his as long as I can continue to do what I want
to do:”
Eddie Harvey
“We are still not 100% sure. As far as the #11 car – everybody knows that is
always Andy’s ride regardless. We do plan on bringing the #09 modified back
out. At this time we are not sure who will be behind the wheel of that car.” |
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Source: Denise DuPont / TheChromeHorn.com
Posted: December
29, 2014 |
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